The Marrow and Juice of 260 Scriptures, Part 13
The fifth Sonday after the Epiphany.
ALmightie God,Summe of the 57 & 58 of Isay, & the coherēce betweene them and these two for this Sonneday. who by his Prophet Isay in the 57 and 58 chapters, offered mercy to the Church of the Iewes and Gentiles gathered, or to be gathered: and in lieu thereof requires that they would not receiue these graces in vain, but bring foorth the fruits of the spirit accordingly, doth now in the 59 and 64 chapters set apart for this daies seruice,Summe of the 59 & 64 chapter of Isay. begin to compare their wayes and workes with his gracious words and deeds, in calling them to an holy conuersation: and weighing them in his righteous ballances, finds them too light.Summe of the Epistle. And S. Paul perswades the gentile Colossians vntounto gentlenesse, meeknesse and kindnesse, which must as garments and ornaments be put on, and of all Christians worne, though the Iewes regarded them not.
Our Lord also sheweth (in a parable concerning the state of the Church gathered of Iewes and Gentiles) a reason why the mercies and fauour of God offered to men,Summe general of the Gospell. and apprehended in the receiuing of that good seed of his word, do take no deeper root and worke no better effect in men.
The Church of God therefore must (as they do Isay 59,Mor. Prayer. 1 Les. Isay 59,) acknowledge their sinnes vntounto almightie God,Summe and scope of the chapter. who neuerthelesse is still gracious vntounto them by his power, taking vengeance of their aduersaries, though they were the Gentiles, and in his mercy calling the Ilands from the West and East,Parts & principall points, and making a couenant with them.
First, there Isay tels them that Gods power is as it was, his fauour in sauing1 That Gods power and fauour in sauing and hearing them as it was, Behold the duplicate page duplicate page Lords hand is not shortned, that it cannot saue. verse 1.Men must pray for reformation of their waies.
2 A reason why God neither deliuers nor heares at some times,Secondly, he sheweth why God at some times doth neither saue nor heare. The cause is in themselues, But your iniquities hauehave separated betweene you and your God, and your sinnes hauehave hid his face from you that he will not heare. verse 2. For your hands are defiled with bloud. verse 3, to the end of the 8 verse.
3 That God doth iustly punish them,Thirdly, the Prophet in the person of the people acknowledgeth their sinnes, and that God doth iustly punish them for their iniquities, Therefore is iudgement farre from vsus, we waite for light, but loe it is darknesse, verse 9. We grope for the wall,4 God doth reuenge and requite the fury of his aduersaries. like the blind, verse 10, to the end of the 15.
Fourthly, God himselfe cometh forth armed with power, saluation, and righteousnesse, requiting the fury of the aduersaries, verse 16.17.18, and promising the manifestation of Christs spirit vntounto the Gentiles,Promiseth the manifestation of his spirit to the Gentiles. The promise was performed by Christ, Mat. 28. And I will make this my couenant with them, My spirit which is vponupon thee, and my words which I hauehave put in thy mouth, &c. verse 19.20.21. which promise Christ himselfe verified, Math. 28. the last verse of the chapter, And loe I am with you alway vntounto the end of the world.
Eue. Prayer. 1 Les. Isay 62. Summe & drift of the chapter. Supplication & petition after confession of sinnes.Now because after confession and acknowledging of sin by the godly, there followeth supplication and deprecation vntounto God for his mercifull fauour, and the remouing of his iudgements and punishments, the Prophet in the 64 chapter takes this course, in the first foure verses, O that thou wouldest breake the heauens and come downe,
Parts and principall points. 1 Petition, 2 Confession, 3 Begging of mercy in generall, 4 Intreating it in particular for the citie and the temple.First, beseeching God to reuenge himselfe of the aduersaries, verse 1, to the end of the 8.
Secondly, acknowledging their sinnes vntounto God, ver. 9, to the end of the 16,
Thirdly, desiring him to be mindfull of his fatherly mercies promised vntounto his children in generall,
Fourthly, to shew it vntounto his city Ierusalem, and his temple in Sion in particular.
Saint Paul our gentle teacher perswadeth vsus,1 A gentle perswasion vntounto gentlenesse and meeknesse, by a right and true gentleman. and the Colossians. Colos. 3.12. to the end of the 17,Epistle. Col. 3.12. ad 17. vntounto gentlenesse, meeknesse and kindnesse, which vertues must be their and our clothing because God h…th in louelove chosen them, and made them holy and beloued. verse 12.
Secondly, he sets downe the ends or motiue hereof,2 The ends & motiues of this perswasion, and hereunto, As
First, that the peace of God may rule in their hearts, The first ende that gods peace may rule in their hearts,because they are called vntounto it in one body. verse 15.
Secondly, that Christs word may dwell in them as in Christian tabernacles in all wisedome, teaching and exhorting, &c. verse 16.The second, that Gods word may dwell in their hearts,
The third end, is the end of all ends, that whatsoeuer they do or speake, it may all be in the name of the Lord Iesus, giuing thanks to the Father by him. verse 17.The third, that they do all in the name of the Lord Iesus, giuing thankes to the Father by him.
Saint Mathew chapter 13.24, to the end of the 30.Gospell. Mat. 13.24. ad 30. verse, propounds a parable of our Sauiour Christs to this purpose, and deliuers the vse thereof.
The Protasis or parable is of the kingdome of heauen.
The Apodosis whereto tis resembled, is,Summe of this Scripture, like vntounto a man which sowed good seed in his field. In the parable we may take a view.Parts general
First of the sowers good care and diligence,A parable, The applicatiō of the parable. Parts of the parable,1 The seedmans diligence,
Secondly, of the husbandmens sleepinesse and negligence,2 The labourers negligence,
Thirdly, of the enemies interruption and hinderance,3 Interruption and hinderance by the enemy,
Fourthly, of the wisedome and precaution, to be vsed in these businesses with patience,4 Wisdome required in all these businesses with patience. in expecting the time till the good and bad seed may be separated, with care and diligence of the husbandmen and seruants, after the example of the maister, and his precise commandement.
The seed-mans good care and diligence is mentioned in the 24 vers. mens sleepinesse in stead of watchfulnesse. v. 25, a cause of the enemies malice and interruption, Then came his enimy and sowed tares, in the same verse.Examples of meeknesse
A confirmation of the truth and vndoubted certainty of the continuall malice and watchfulnesse of the enemy,1 Confirmation of the continual malicious watchfulnesse of the enemy,
First, the tares appeared,
Secondly, the blade was sprung,
Thirdly, and brought forth fruit. verse 26.
A second confirmation of the housholders ill successe,2 Cōfirmation of the housholders ill successe and malice of the enimy. is the seruants certaine knowledge, and consequently their questions hereupon moued to the housholder, which he answereth, teaching them wisedome and warinesse to deale in this businesse.
Their first question argueth the truth of the seed-mans goodnesse,The seruants first question. and the seruants acknowledging thereof, though it be propounded interrogatiuely: Sowedst thou not good seed, that is, thou didst sow.
Their second question is from their knowledge of the tares,The seruants second question. but they desired to be fully resolued from whence they came, From whence then hath it tares? verse 27.
Their answer they receiue from the housholder,Answer to the first and second question. And he sayd, the enuious man hath done this.
The seruants third question. Answer.Their third question is what course is to be taken in such a case, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them vp? verse 28.
The answer hereunto is,
First, negatiue, Nay, the reason he yeeldeth, Least while ye go about to gather the tares, Reason of the answer.yee plucke vp also with them the wheate, verse 29.
Or secondly affirmatiue,
1. In aduising them to hauehave patience for a time, Let botb grow together,
2. In determining what shal be done,
1. With the tares,
And 2. with the wheate.
Resolution & determination what shall become of the tares.And secondly, when they shall be so vsed,
Thirdly, by whom,
First, The tares shall be gathered,
Secondly, bound vp in sheaues,
Thirdly, they shall be gathered to be burned.
All these shall be done at haruest time, and by the reapers,
Patienet expectation.Secondly, the housholder determines what shall be done with the wheateWhat shall bee done with the wheate. and good corne, Gather the wheate into my barne. ver. 30.