The Marrow and Juice of 260 Scriptures, Part 14
Septuagesima Sonday.
THe History of Christs Gospell as it containeth a most singular methode,Coherence of the doctrines contained in the Scriptures chosen for the three Sondaies following & all the rest. in setting downe first the Aduent and coming of Christ foretold by the Prophets:
Secondly, his Incarnation.
Thirdly, then his Circumcision.
Fourthly, after that his Apparatiō to the Gentiles, & cōtinuall fauour to his people, whether Iewes or other nations.
Fiftly, his Baptisme,
Sixtly, his Fasting,
Seuenthly, his Preaching and miracles to confirme his doctrine.
Eightly, his Feasting, in eating the Passeouer and ordaining the Supper.
And ninthly his Passion.
The Christian Church likewise (for the good of all the members thereof) hauehave in the three Lords daies, or Sabbath,The subiect of the Scriptures chosen for the three Sondaies following. following thought it most fit to chose out such Scriptures, as may best serue for their Humiliation: to prepare and make them fit to receiue such as may be fittest for their instruction in the high mysteries of their redemption: to wit, the Fasting, Temptation, Passion, death, resurrection, ascention, the session of our Lord Iesus, at his Fathers right hand, and his coming to vsus once againe, though it be vntounto iudgement.
Now because nothing can more humble a man then when he shall see, how highly he was in Gods fauour by creation,A very good occasion of humi…iation, and how he was and is abased by sin, and fallen by disobedience, frō such a glorious estate little inferiour to the Angels.
Therefore in the first Lesson for this morning prayer,Mor. Prayer 1 Les, Gen. 1. Moses writing the first History shewes, in the first chapter of the booke of the Creation,Parts. called Genesis.Mans humiliation in consideration, Of his fall from that excellent creation,
First, that God made the Chaos, 1 The making of the Cahos or Prima materia,or indigested lumpe of nothing. ver. 1.2.
2 The distinction or diuision of the first matter into forme. the creation of the light & firmament.Secondly, that thereout he distinguished and diuided the seuerall creatures: to wit. 1. the lighs for the first day. ver. 3.4.5. 2. the firmament, which he called heauen, to separate the waters from the waters, for the second daies worke. ver. 6.7.8.
Thirdly, that he made the hearbes and trees for the third daies worke, after that the waters: 3 The creation of hearbs and trees after the diuision and separation of the waters from the earth.that is, the Seas were gathered together, and that the earth: that is, the dry land appeared, vers. 9.10.11.12.13.
Fourthly, that he made the great light of the Sunne and Moone, and the light of the Stars, 4 The creation of the Sunne Moone & Stars,for the fourth daies worke, ver. 14.15.16.17.18.19.
Fiftly, that he made all creeping things, hauing life, all foules flying, & al fishes swimming,5 The creation of the creatures creeping, flying and swimming, for his fifth daies work, ver. 20.21.22.23.
Sixtly, that he made all beasts and cattell, and creeping things of the earth. ver. 24.25. with man and woman, whom he made Lord and Lady ouer the creatures,6 The creation of all beasts of the earth, & of man & woman the Lord and Lady of thē all. ver. 26.27.28. to whō he appointed their diet, wheron they should feed. v. 29. & the diet & food for the beasts, for the fowles, & for the creeping creatures, &c. for his sixt daies worke. ver. 30.31.
In the first Lesson for Euening prayer, being the second chapter of Genesis, Eue. Prayer. 1 Less. Genes. 2.Moses will tell and teach vsus,
Parts.First, that God rested the seuenth day from his worke of creating, though not of propagating and preseruing the creatures.1 God resteth from creating, but not from increasing and preseruing, ver. 1.2.3.
Secondly, Moses doth recapitulate in generall, what God did in speciall, in creating the heauen and earth, the vegetals and plants of the field, which he watered with a myst from the earth.2 Moses his general recapitutlation of Gods special workes, Reasons why God watered the vigitals of earth, with a mist from the earth,
1 Because it had not rayned,
2 Because man was not then made, to husband the earth, ver. 4.5.6.
Thirdly, Moses doth for mans further humiliation shew vsus the base matter whereof man this glorious creature was made in respect of his body,3 The ma…ter whereof man was made, and that coelestiall or heauenly matter whereof his soule was made. The Lord God also formed the man of the dust or slime of the ground, &c. ver. 7.
Fourthly, Moses tels vsus that God had a care to prouide as well for mans pleasure, as for his necessity.4 God prouides for mans holy delight as for necessity, 1. in planting a garden eastward in Eden, with all kind of pleasant trees for meate and medicine for man. ver. 8.9. 2. in causing a riuer with 4. streames to ro run 4. waies, to water the garden, as 10.11.12.13, 14. verses.
Fiftly, he sheweth that this garden was planted for mans sake; and therefore God placed man therein: but with a prouiso, how he should behaue himselfe in the garden,5 God puts man into the garden, but with a caueat & prouiso how to eary him, to wit, what he should eate, & what he should not eate, a preceptiue and a prohibitiue commandement. ver. 15.16.17.
Sixtly, he doth particularize vntounto vsus the manner & matter how & whereof woman was made and broughr by God himselfe to the man, that is, married vntounto him. v. 18.19.20.21.22.6 The manner of womans creation,
Seuenthly, that as Adam gaue names to other creatures, according to theit natures, as v. 19. so he first giues the name Mannesse shee man or woman to his wife,7 Adās wisedōe and authority in nominating the creatures & his owne wife, and secondly doth therein shew the neerenesse and deerenesse of a mans wife vntounto husband aboue father and mother. ve. 23.24.
Eightly, that all these fauours of God were imparted vntounto man & woman in their innocency,8 Mankind had all these fauours in their innocēcy. and they were both naked the man and his wife, and were not ashamed. ve. 25.
Saint Paul being a minister of Christ,Epistle. 1 Cor, 9, 24, Summe generall and scope thereof, a man that should giuegive light vntounto other, doth here make himselfe a patterne of piety and humiliation, teaching by his workes of subduing his flesh, as by his spirituall and holy words vntounto others the true humiliation of soule and body.Parts. This he doth 1. Cor. 9.29, to the end of the chapter. In which Scripture.
First, he teacheth by similitudes,1 Teaching by similitudes,
1 Of those that run in a race. ver. 24.Paul an example of humiliation,
2 Of such as proue maisteries. ver. 25.
Se…ondly he teacheth by example and applyeth the simitudes to himselfe.2 Teaching by example a…d applic tion of the similitudes,
The 1 I therefore so runne ver. 26.
The 2 So fight ver. 26.
3 The manner & meanes how Saint Paul doth both,Thirdly, the course that he takes to performe both these, is, 1 foreign, to beate downe his body 2. foreign, to bring it into subiection.
Fourthly, he propounds the end why he did both these that God may hauehave the glory, by his glorious not infamous walking in his ministery, by doing and performing that which he teacheth, and in not being foreign: that is, without honour and credit: as those are which do preach that vntounto others which themselues will not practise, the greatest infamy that can come to a man in his ministery: yea, or to any priuate person running in the race of holy profession and Christianity.4 He propoundeth the end why he doth al. Who are most infamous in their ministery and in the profession of Christianity.
Our Sauiour in his Gospell written by S. Matthew chap. 20. ver. 1. to the end of the 16.Gospell. Math. 20.1 ad 16 Generall scope thereof. will shew vntounto his poeple in the parable of the labourers hired into the vine-yard, how they must alwaies belabouring & doing good, & herein wil also shew the pride & hautines of some men, their vnthankfulnes, discontentednes, murmuring, & maliciousnes, enuying the good estate of others, which ariseth from the meere louelove & fauour of God (they doing herein as the diuell did at man as soone as he was created,Parts general when this his aduersary saw how greatly man was of his Creator fauored.
The parable1 The parable, reacheth from the 1. ver. to the end of the 15.
The vse of the parable is in the 16 ver.2 The vse of it. What the parable is, So the last shall be the first, &c. for many are called, &c.
Parts special.The parable is a resemblance of the kingdome of heauen vntounto a certaine housholder. In whom we may see
First, his louelove and care to his Vineyard,1 The housholders louelove and care for his vineyard. in calling, prouiding & hiring labourers from the 1. ver. to the end of the 7.
Christ loues whom he will, and how he will.Secondly, his rewarding and payment, his iustice and equall dealing with the labourers,2 His iust dealing with the labourers. ver. 8. to the end of the 15.
The housholder calleth and bargayneth alike with his seruants,3 His bargaining with the workfolkes. fiue seuerall times,Fiue times.
The first time1 Time is at the dawning of the day. ver. 1.2.
The second2 Time is about the third houre. ver. 3. & 4.
The third and fourth times3 & 4 Time are about the sixt and ninth houre ver. 5.
The fifth time5 Time is about the eleuenth houre, as ver. 6. and 7.
The iustice and equall dealing of the housholder is generally expressed,Explanation of the housholders iustice and equall dealing. in commanding the steward to call the Labourers from the last to the first, and giuegive them a peny a peece, their couenanted and contracted hire. ver. 8.9.
The truth and confirmation of this iustice,Confirmation of this iust dealing. Saint Matthew sets downe in the truth and equality of the words and agreement passed betweene the aduocate, who takes vponupon him the part of the defendant and the clients or laborours, who are the plaintifs and the contradicents contrary supponents or opponents,
These opponents not reckoning aright, nor suppsing aright, being the first that were hired, yet had their right, as ver. 10. These enuious and captious labourers do reply vponupon the housholder their maister.The hired labourers captious and enuious reply.
1. Secretly by murmuring,1 They murmure. as ver. 11.
2 Openly or outwardly by accusing their maister of iniustice and inequality:2 They accuse. saying, These last hauehave wrought but one howre, but thou, &c. ver. 12.
The housholder makes answere to one of the murmurers for all the rest.The housholders answere to the murmurer, to conten… him, is three-fold.
1 In a common plea, a flat deniall of the vniust deed wherewith he was charged, Non est factum: 1 Non est factū.Friend I do thee no wrong.
2 By prouing the truth thereof,2 The conscience of the replyer and …nt. testimonio opponentis, conscientia opponentis, ipsius orese iudicat: Didst thou not agree with me for a peny. ver. 13.
3 By counselling and commanding the murmurer to departProud enuious, & malicious, & contented with his owne, Take that which is thine owne, and go thy way. Of this peremptory counsell and commandement the housholder yeeldeth three reasons.3 A perempory counsell & conclusion grounded vponupon three foundations.
The first is drawne from his owne free bounty1 The free bounty and goodnesse of the housholder. and willingnesse to shew himselfe as kind to the last that was hired, as to the first. ver. 14.
The second is taken from the lawfulnesse of the good disposing of his owne,2 An old rule taken from the lawfull vse of eueryevery mans own after the good pleasure of his will, Is it not lawfull for me, &c.
The third from a iust reproofe of the enuious murmurer,3 A iust reprofe and censorious iudgement of the enuious gudgers bad heart & tongue, whose eye is euill and therefore his heart is grudging at his fellowes prosperity, proceeding meerely from the good housholders liberality: arising not from other mens deserts, but from his owne louelove and willing bounty. Is thine eye euill because I am good. ver. 15.