The Marrow and Juice of 260 Scriptures, Part 42
The tenth Sonday after Trinity.
Summe of the 2 first Lessons, with the reason and choise of al foure ScripturesTHat the sinnes committed wilfully and obstinately, by wicked people and persecuting rulers, might appeare out of measure sinfull: and therefore to be abhorred and detested of Gods people, & the iudgements imminent for such iniquities preuented: the fathers of the Church doe proceed in the history of this wicked King Ahab, and of his malicious wicked wife Iesabell, killing Naboth vniustly, and shewing the enuy of their hearts in speaking of the good Prophet Michaiah slanderously.
Summe of the Epistle and Gospell,VntoUnto these two chapters of the old Testament they attexe two of the new. In the first whereof S. Paul in the enumeration of Gods fauour towards the Corinthians in speciall, and the Church in generall, first to call them from idolatry, and secondly to bestow vponupon them the seuerall graces and gifts of the spirit, drawes on Gods people from contention to concord, and the performance of the seuerall & mutuall duties of louelove.
In the second our blessed Sauiour Christ, that spirituall King and Prophet entring into Hierusalem, bewaileth the citty and people by reason of their crying & obstinate sins: foretelling also their ruine, for their contempt of their true Messiah, and purging the materiall temple from such as did grossy profane it, and withall shews the right vse of it.
In the first of the Scriptures set out for this day, written 1. Kings 21.Mor. Prayer. 1 Les. 1 Kings 21 Parts of the chapter. mention is made of these incidents following,
1 Ahabs ill disposition vponupon his couetous affection.The first is of King Ahabs splenetick disposition and cankered sullen stomack in refusing his meat, because poore Naboth refused to sel or exchange his land with him, ver. 1. to the 6.
Ahah & Iesabell proceed in persecuting, & so doth Eliah in reproouing.Secondly,2 Iesabels deuilish practise to obtaine Naboths vineyard, her nose beeing as long as her husbands. how Iesabell his wife, which was more then halfe maister, did practise deuilshly by the Nobles & Elders (whō she had at command) to obtaine this vineyard of Naboth by hooke or by crooke, and to giuegive her husband the possession of it, ver. 7. to the 16.
The third occurrent is, Gods sending of his Prophet Eliah to reprooue Ahab and Iesabell, 3 Eliahs reproofe of them both and denouncing Gods iudgements against them.and to denounce Gods iudgements against them, for this and their other wickednes ver. 17. to the end of the 26.
The last is Ahabs humbling of himselfe after the Prophets threatning of G…ds iudgements,4 Ahabs humbling himselfe. and of Gods acceptation of Ahabs humiliation. ver. 27. ad 29. the end of the chapter.
In the second Scripture written, 1. Kings 22.Eue. Prayer. 1 Les. 1. King. 22 are these things recorded,
First, how before the battell fought by the King of Iudah and the King of Israel, against the King of Syria, 1 The 400 false Prophets doe encourage the two Kings to fight.the King of Israel had hope and encouragement of the victory by 400 Prophets. ver. 1. to the 12:
Secondly, how Michaiah (of whom Ahab pronounced saying, I hate him, 2 Michaiah makes answere to Ahab without flatteryfor he doth not prophecy good vntounto me but euill) is sent for. Who flatters not Ahab but tels him truely what will be his successe in the battell. ver. 13. to the end of the 23.
Thirdly, how Michaiah prophecies against Zidkijah, 3 Michaiahs prophecy against swaggering Zidkijah,which smote him on the cheeke, and demanded of him in enuy, When went the spirit of the Lord from me to speake to thee, ver. 24.25.
Fourthly,4 Michaiahs imprisonment, how Ahab rewarded Michaiah with imprisonment for his labour. ver. 26.27.28.
The fift is a record of the battell & successe thereof,5 A record o Ahabs ill successe in the battell. fought by Ahab and Iehoshaphat against the King of Aram. ve. 29. to the end of the 40.
In th sixt place there is a record of Iehoshaphats raigne & his acts. ver. 41. to the 50.6 The time of Iehoshaphats raigne.
In the seuenth place there is a memoriall of the short raigne of Ahaziah Ahabs sonne (which was but two yeares) and of his wicked acts,7 The short time of the raigne of Ahaziah Ahabs son. ver. 51.52.53.Exhortatiō to the Church, &c. which is the end of the chapter and the end of the booke.
The blessed Apostle S. Paul in the apportionated Epistle 1. Cor. 12.1. to the end of the 11.Epistle 1. Cor. 12.1. ad 11. verse.
1 The Corinthians former estate is remembred,First, rubs the Corinthians memories with their former estate of gentilisme and idolatry, withall assuring them of Gods fauour, in conuerting them, and giuing them the holy Ghost, whereby they make a sound profession of faith, in acknowledging God in Christ Iesus, verse first, second third.
2 A propounding of the originall of the diuersity of gifts administrations and operations.Secondly, he propoundeth the originall cause efficient & the ground of the diuersities of all gifts, administrations & operations, ver. 4.5.6.
Thirdly, that the edification, profiting and doing good in the Church is the end why the manifestation of the spirit is giuen. ver. 7.
3 Edification is the end why the manifestation of the spirit is giuen,Fourthly, this he proueth by instanting of nine seuerall gifts and graces, to wit;
Two in the eight verse,
Two in the ninth verse and
4 A proofe herof by the instance of nine seuerall gifts & graces. How this Gospell depends vpō the Epistle and the other two Scriptures.Fiue in the tenth verse
Whereupon he inferres that in the conclusion, which he assumed in the proposition, to wit, that the selfe same spirit workes all these things, distributing to eueryevery man seuerally as he will. ver. 11.
Now because examples do make doctrines very plaine (as hath bene said heretofore) & sith they are most palpable demonstrations of the truth of probabilities: Therefore Christ our arch-teacher, (a greater for wisedome then Salomon) will in this portion of Scripture, Luke 19.41,Gospell Luk. 19.41. ad 48 shew vntounto vsus a woefull,Summe A liuely example of vnthrifty Ierusalem and her punishment but yet a liuely example, of that prodigall, vnthrifty, carelesse, vniust, vnwise, & vnthankfull steward of Gods gifts and graces, that citie & people of Hierusalem: & how dearly they bought the mis-spending of those gracious gifts and fauours of the Lord.Ierusalem a prodigall child pittyed before her destruction. In this text S. Luke relates,Parts and general analyse.
First, either what this king our Lord Iesus did,1 What Christ did. and that in the first 6. verses. and part of the 7. of this text.
Secondly, or what the Iewes did,2 What the Iewes did. as in the rest of the 47. verse, and in the 48.
Those things which Christ did,Circumstances of the things that Christ did were
1. Either at his entrance into the citty, vntounto the end of the 44. verse.
2. Or what he did at his being in the cittie, ve. 45.46.
At his entrance into the citty, or drawing nigh the citty Ierusalem, S. Luke tels vsus,What things he did at his entrance into ihe Cittie.
1. That he beheld it, he viewed and surueyed it,
2. He relateth what maner of suruey it was, to wit, a compassionate view, he wept for it. ve. 41.
3. He sets downe the reason of this compassionate view, which Christ himselfe
First doth deliuer in a most passionate speech:Reasons why Christ viewed Ierusalem with such compassiō. O if thou hadst knowne at the least in this thy day, those things which belong vntounto thy peace. And
Secondly, our Lord tels the Iewes of the cause of their carelesnesse, and the issue thereof, to wit.
1. Want of foresight, & preuenting of Gods iudgements:Effect of Ierusalems carelesnesse. But now are they hid from thine eyes. ve. 42.
2. That the issue hereof is Gods imminent iudgement, as necessarily following this their heedlesnesse: For the dayes shall come vponupon thee, that thine enemies, &c. ve. 43. and shall make thee euen with the ground, ve. 44.
3. Our Lord sets downe the cause of this certaine iudgement, and future ineuitable desolation, for that they knew not the time of their visitation, as in the end of the 44. verse.
Christ being in the citty,Christ visits the Church Archiepiscopally, as he did view the Citty like a King. and in his Archiepiscopall visitation, and there beholding the Church as farre out of square as the common wealth (the Priests and people now liuing as the secular Kings, Priests, and people, persecuters of the former times) now deceased.
1 Hee begins to reforme by casting out notorious …candalizers ipso facto,First he begins to reforme by casting the Marchants,Christ visits Ierusalem with compassion, before her desolation. (the crafty Marchants) thereout, ve. 45.
Secondly, he warrants his discipline and correction by testimony of Scripture (the best ground of all) It is written, mine house is the house of prayer, 2 Hee warrants his discipline by scriptum est.ver. 46.
Thirdly, our Lord shewes, that hee had iust cause thus to disciplinate them:3 Hee shewes a cause & an occasiō ministred by themselues. But yee hauehave made it a denne of Theeues. ver. 46.
Fourthly, when hee had swept the Church cleane, and whipped out the theeues, then was it a place for the truth to bee taught in,4 He preacheth in it himselfe after hee had clensed it. and for the Author of truth to teach in: And hee taught dayly in the Temple, in the beginning of the 47. verse.
Saint Luke sets downe Christs entertainment by the Scribes.Notwithstanding all this our Lords compassion, notwithstanding his prophesie of their destruction, his diuine and most effectuall reformation, S. Luke tels vsus, 1. How this passionate and compassionate Sauiour was entertained, to wit, what reaxe and racket the high Priests, Scribes, and Elders of the people played with him, they intending to blow him vp, they sought to destroy him. ve. 47.
All their mischiefe was but in vaine.Secondly, the Euangelist also sheweth how that all which the Iewes imagined, it was but vaine, they wanted time to dry their powder, they lacked oportunity: They found not what they might doe to him. They found no blots in his life or doctrine, they could picke no holes in his coat (it was without staine) for his life and his doctrine were all one, and agreed together.Reasons hereof 1 He was with out fault. 2 The people followed him. Therefore the people hanged vponupon him, when they heard him: Therefore the Rulers could not taxe him of sinne, verse 48.