The Marrow and Juice of 260 Scriptures, Part 12
God respects fruits of all these fauors.The fourth Sonday after the Epiphany.
HE that is so full of compassion both to Iewes and Gentiles,Coherence and connexion of the scriptures for the three former Sondais and rhese two that follow. God lookes for the fruits of his mercy from the trees of his plāting. God requires obedience by the same Prophets mouth by whom he promised fauour. Summe general of the two first Lessons. Generall sūme of the Epistle and Gospell. as we hauehave heard in the Scriptures appointed to be read and applied to the Church for the former three Sondayes, doth now in these that follow, vrge and require at the hands of Iewes and all other nations, the fruits of such vnspeakable fauours; a walking and conuersation answerable in some measure vntounto so great saluation offered.
And as in the former Scriptures, by his Prophet Isay he promised such mercies to both sorts of people, making one body in Christ: So by the same Prophet he threatneth them both with punishments (if they proue impenitent) exhorting them to consider well of that which the Lord doth from time to time. Promising to the beleeuers and penitent a withdrawing of his wrath and displeasure, and not to contend with them for euer.
In the other two Scriptures which are out of the new Testament: First, the same points of obedience are vrged by S. Paul, euen of eueryevery soule both Iew and Gentile, bond and free: That in their obedience and conscionable subiection to the higher powers, they shew their participation of Gods fauours: Secondly, our Lord Iesus, to teach the disciples obedience and faith, to the fearefull disciples true feare, and religion to the Gergesenes, he causes meteors, elements, winds, sea, demoniacks, diuels, and swine to obey him.
Isay the 57 chapter, is the first Lesson for this Morning prayer,Mor. Prayer. 1 Les. Isay. 57. wherein the Prophet tels them,
First, of the generality of their blockishnesse, dulnesse,1 A reproofe of their generall blindnesse, in not considering why God takes away the righteous; and an exhortation to repentance. blindnesse, and want of due consideration of Gods punishments in his taking away the righteous and mercifull, because he will not hauehave them tast of the afflictions and iudgements to come: for he saith, Peace shall come vponupon them, they shall rest in their beds, eueryevery one that walketh before him. And herewithall he cals the blind vnthankfull and forgetfullGod expects fruits & effects of all. Iewes to repentance,Vnfaithfull and vnthankfull Iewes are called witches children. though they be the seed of the adulterer, and of the whore. Verse 1. to the end of the 14.
2 An instruction of others concerning Gods familiarity with the contrite.Secondly, he cals the faithfull, lowly and humble, yea the froward couetous persons that will be reclaimed, to consider hereof. That he which inhabiteth eternitie dwelleth also with him that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to reuiue the spirit of the humble, God will be appeased with the peaceable and lowly ones.and to giuegive life to them that are of a contrite heart. Verse 15, to the end of the 19.
Thirdly, the Lord sets downe the fearefull estate of wicked men,3 A description of the fearefull estate of wicked men. who are neuer at quiet, either with themselues or others, but are like the raging sea, &c. Verse 20.21, which is the end of the chapter.
For this cause is the next chapter set out for the Euening seruice, being the 58 of Isay, Eue. Prayer. 1 Les. Isay 58.wherein
1 Exhortation to the Prophet, to reproue the Iews zealously,First, God commands his Prophet to be more earnest in his Ministery against these vnquiet men: nor to be quiet, but to cry aloud, and not to spare, to be as it were, in a rage against them. verse 1.
2 Their sinnes are rehearsed in particular, hypocrisie, lip-labour, bragging and meriting,Secondly, God doth particularize some of their sinnes, to wit, first, the sinne of hypocrisie and dissimulation, seeking of God daily, as though they did righteously like an holy and righteous nation: secondly, nay, their expostulating with God, because of their outward humiliation, Wherefore hauehave we fasted, &c. verse 2.3.
3 God reproues hypocriticall fasting, and sheweth what a true fast is, and the effects therof.In the third place God reproueth this their fasting, shewing what the true fast is, and what the effects of the true fast are. verse 4, to the end of the 14, the ende of the chapter.
The seruant of God, and teacher of the Gentiles, Rom. 13.1, to the end of the 7 verse, in his exhortation vntounto subiection,Epistle. Rom. 13.1. ad 7. Summe & scope of it. and obedience to Magistracie, would hauehave this as a fruit to grow out of the tree of our obedience to God,
First, propounding the generall doctrine exhortatiue vntounto subiection.Parts. 1 A generall doctrine exhortatiue vntounto subiection and obedience to Magistrates, a fruite of the tree of our obedience to Godverse 1.
God looks for grapes of these his graces.Secondly, the reasons motiue in the other 6 verses,2 Reasons motiue to vrge this doctrine, His iniunction or Canon is generall to eueryevery soule without exception.3 Conclusions exhortatiue that eueryevery one hauehave his due, but Gods people aboue other are tied to obey their Magistrates. He chargeth all men of what estate and condition soeuer, Iew or Gentile, male or female, with due obedience to rulers.
Thirdly, concluding this point in the 7 verse, That eueryevery man ought to hauehave his due of others: but chiefly the elect and true seruants of God, eueryevery one of them must yeeld tribute to whom they owe it, custome, feare, honour, to whom it is due, that is, from them and all others.All are disobedient vntounto Prophets and Apostles.
Now though God by his Prophets perswades all to true and sincere obedience: though Christ by his seruant Paule would hauehave men to do it, not of feare, but of conscience:Gospell. Math. 8.23. end of the chapter. Summe and drift of it. Our Lord causes Meteors, Elements, winds, sea, demoniacks, diuels and swine to obey him, to teach obedience to the disciples, true f…are and religion to the Gergelenes. Yet are all, or the most part refractary, rebellious, or forgetfull of their duties.
Our Lord Iesus therefore Mathew 8, verse 23, to the end of the chapter, will bring in, as examples of obedience, the most disobedient and vnruely creatures, the most raging, mad and diue…lish creatures, the possessed with diuels, the diuels themselues; yea, the very hogs to perswade obedience vntounto them that had so little religion and tast of Gods grace, that were more desirous to hauehave the countrey rid of Christ Iesus, then to hauehave his company among them.
S. Matthew doth in the first place relate and shew how our Lord teacheth true trust and assured confidence in God vntounto his Disciples, by caring for them, and sauing of them, though they were in danger of drowning,Parts generall. A relation of Christs twofold deliuerance, and Christ himselfe asleepe. In this part of history S. Mathew doth,
First, propound the danger that the Disciples were in, verse 23.24.25.
Secondly, Christs rebuke, first, of his Disciples,1 …f the disciple…, secondly, of the winds and the sea,2 Of the demoniacks.
Thirdly, their deliuerance by Christ out of the danger they were in.Analyse of the…, 1 The danger the Disciples were in, 2 Christs reproofe of the Disciples, 3 Their deliuerance out of the danger, Which danger came by reason of the Disciples slendernesse of faith, causing the grossenesse, raging, and turbulency of the wind and sea. verse 26.Christ teacheth cōfidence, &c.
4 The effect of this miraculous deliuerance.Fourthly, he sets downe also the effect which this miraculous deliuery wrought, to wit, an acknowledging of an extraordinary power and preëminence, and per consequens, a diuine power in him whom the maruailing men called a man, And the men maruailed, saying, What man is this, &c.
Summe of the relation of the second danger and misery, to wit, of the Demoniacks.S. Mathews second relation is as concerning the power and authority which Christ hath euen ouer the demoniacks, who are vrged in some fashion to confesse him, and are by that Iesus and Sonne of God, deliuered from that their miserable possession, with such a multitude of diuels and vncleane spirits which vexed them.
Analyse of this second,In these men S. Mathew lets vsus see not a feare of danger imminent, which was in the Disciples (as is aforesayd) but so present grieuous and tormenting a misery, as can come either to Gentile, Iew, Gergesene, or any other. Their misery is,
1 The name of their misery,First named, possessed with diuels,
2 Diuerse effects are mentioned either ofSecondly, the Euangelist mentioneth diuerse effects: as first, of their misery,1 Their misery, they came out of the graues very fierce. v 28.
Secondly, of Christs power,2 Christs power the force and power of his presence, they cried out, first, saying, Iesus thou Sonne of God, what hauehave we to do with thee: secondly, Art thou come to torment vsus before the time. verse 29.
Another effect of Christs power describing the Demoniaks deliuerance,Their deliuerance is described by another effect of the powerfull presence of Christ ouer the diuels themselues, and the diuels subiection vntounto him, notwithstanding their malicious intent still to do mischiefe. verse 30. 31. 32.
Thirdly, the effect of the diuels malice3 The effect of the diuels malice, vntounto the swine, first, his malicious violence, And he hold the whole heard of swine was caried with violence, secondly, the effect hereof, and died in the water.
Fourthly, the consequents and effects of this losse of the hogges,4 The consequents and effects of their losse of their hogges. are expressed, which are, first, either in the heardmen, secondly, or in others, first, the heardmen fled, secondly, they told all things what was become of the possessed with diuels, verse 33.Mans waies very light & vain, The second consequent is in others, to wit, the men of the citie: for
First, they came out to meete him,
Secondly, they besought him to depart out of their coast. Verse 34.