The Marrow and Juice of 260 Scriptures, Part 55
The 23. Sonday after Trinity.Fruits of the spirit must be tasted of
Reason of the choyce of these Scriptures.IN the former two Scriptures out of the old Testament chosen for this day, the fathers of the Church hauehave offered vsus occasion to continue our meditations as touching our walking in the waies of righteousnesse, our affecting and delighting to tast of the fruits of the spirit, not of the forbidden fruite.
Summe of the 2 first Lessons.Wherefore they bring in Salomon out of the same booke of the Prouerbes describing to the Church the roote, body, boughes, branches, leaues, blossomes and fruite of this flourishing and fruitfull spirituall tree of holinesse to God and righteousnesse to man.
Summe of the Epistle & GospellIn the two latter, taken out of the new Testament, this new and sanctifyed life is first exhorted vntounto, called the coelestiall life, our conuersation is in heauen, secondly, our Lord and Sauiour out of a cauilling and captious question mooued by the equiuocating Pharisies and answered by him, teacheth the necessary performance of our true holinesse and religion to God, and all due reuerence, honour, and dutifulnesse to man.
Mor. Prayer. 1 Les. Prouer. 11.The first of the Scriptures for morning prayer Prouerbes 11. commends to the Church many sweete instructions of righteousnesse,Parts. as
First, concerning the grace and vertue of vpright and true dealing,1 Of vpright & true dealing. and the vice of falsehood and deceit, ver. 1.
2 Mischiefes arising of pride, and the good which comes of …umilty,Secondly, what mischeife ariseth of pride, and what fruit springs from humility, ver. 2.
Thirdly, what goodly fruits doe spring from righteousnesse, and how righteous men flourish, and on the contrary what plagues doe accompany wicked men, whether they be hypocrites,… The fruits of righteousnessei enuious, slanderous, or any way foolish. ver. 3. to the end of the 15.
Gods Church is dehorted, from fleshlinesse and vnrighteousnesse,In the fourth pa…t of t…e chapter Salomon commends other vertues, as modestie in women, mercifulnesse,3 Of modesty in women, mercifulnesse, truth and vprightnes. truth & vprightnesse▪ peaceablenesse, and kindnesse, liberality, and bountifulnesse vntounto all men: and discommends the contrary vices, ver. 16, to the end of the 31. the end of the chapter.
The first for euening prayer is the subsequent chapter Prouerbes 12. wherein Gods spirit by Salomons pen,Eue. Prayer. 1. Les. Prou. 12. Scope of the text.holdes on the same course in extolling the fruits of righteousnesse both in men & women, telling all what good they shall reap by them, and threatning wicked ones with punishments for the contrary vices and vngodlinesse,
In the first part hee commendeth to the Church the louelove of instruction or affliction,Parts. 1 A commendation of the louelove of instruction, or Gods chasticements, being as the parents of heauēly knowledge and experiencebeing as the parents and begetters of knowledge. ver 1.2.3.
In the second the industry and painefulnesse of a woman, the wisedome, good speech, and good aduise of a man, and discommends the contraries. verse, fourth to the end of the ninth.
In the third hee will teach men to bee mercifull, euen to beasts, to be paineful and frugall, vpright and iust, in deed,2 Of the painfulnesse of a good woman. thought, and word, to be chearefull and not heauy hearted, faithfull, and not deceitfully minded. ver. 10. to the end of the 28. the end of the chapter,3 Of mercifulnesse to beasts, and frugality.
In the first text of Scripture out of the new Testament,Epistle Phil. 3.17. to the end of the 21, because examples do much preuaile with men, & do mooue much, Saint Paul Philip. 3.17. to the end of the 21. ver. the end of the chapter,Scope of the text. wil giuegive the Church of Philippi two sorts of Examples of good and godly both teachers and hearers, of bad and wicked both Ministers and people, that we may learne to embrace goodnesse by the one, and to eschew euill and naughtinesse by the other.Parts of the text.
The text containeth.
1 An exhortation1 Exhortation to imitation. ver. 17.
2 The motiue and ground of the exhortation2 Grounds of exhortation. in the other foure verses to the end of the chapter.Examples of fleshly and spirituall teachers and hearers,
Exhortation to imitate.The exhortation is 1. either to the imitation of a singular example, 2. or a plurality of examples.
1One exampleThe singular example is himselfe, be yee followers of mee.
2Many examples,The plurall is of others, whose conuersation is also like that of the Apostles. ver. 17.
Parts and considerations of the motiue,The motiue or reason of this exhortation is drawne â disparatis.
1A description of such ministers as walke in by parts fiue waies, all which are crooked.The 1 part thereof taken from a description of their feareful estate which are contrary walkers and in by-pathes▪ whom he thus describeth.
1 They are enimies to the crosse of Christ. ver. 18.
2 Their end is damnation,
3 Their belly is their God.
4 Their glory is their shame:
5 They minde earthly things. ve. 19.
This is that ill-fauoured, foule, and silthy picture of a leathsome Minister and professor, of whom the Apostle hath often spoken before,The filthy loathsome picture of a bad Minister or professor. and now tels them weeping
The 2 part of the disparate or contrary is taken from a description of the blessed and happy estate of the true Apostles of Christ and vnfained professors of holy religion. But our conuersation is in heauen. 2 A description of the blessed & happy estate of of the true Apostles & professors of Christs truth.ver. 20.21. the two last verses of the chapter.
In the second Scripture of the new Testament & last of the 4. written Math. 22.15. to the end of the 21. Forasmuch as all debt is due, and m…st be paid one way or other (as appeared in the former GospellGospel.) and because all men hauehave two sorts of debtes and dues to pay,Math. 22.15. to the end of the 21. the one to God, and the other to man, our Sauiour Christ being God and man, challenging a double debt,Coherence & harmony of this Gospell with the former Scope of this Gospel. will therefore in this portion of Scripture teach vsus our obedience and louelove vntounto God, as also our reuerence and duty to men and Magistrates, For they are fruits of the spirit, both to giuegive vntounto God that which is his due, and vntounto Cesar that which is Cesars.
The two fold louelove is the fruits of the spirit.In this text S. Matthew denoteth,
1 The occasion of Christs teaching this doctrine,1Occasion of the doctrine, ve. 15.16.17.
2 The doctrine it selfe,2The doctrine it selfe, ver. 18.19.20.21.
3 The effect of the doctrine.3The effect of the doctrine, ver. 22.
The occasion is two-fold,Occasion two-fold,
1 Either the Pharisies consultation to entrappe him in his talke. ver. 15.
2 Or the accomplishing and acting of their plotted designement.
1 By the cunning and smooth insinuating words of their Disciples, and the Herodians, ver. 18.
2 By the plaine propounding of their question,Parts of the doctrine, ve. 17. Is it lawful to giuegive tribute? A question needlesse, and out of question.
The doctrine hath two considerations.
First, the preface1 The preface, which S. Mattoeew makes, as
1 Opposing Christs omniscience & knowing their malice, vntounto their cunning complotting to trippe him in his talke.
2 Expressing our Lords reproouing them for their dissembling and hypocrisie. ver. 18.
The second consideration is the solution of the question containing the doctrines of obedience to Magistrates:2The solution of the question cōteining three considerations, and by implication he inferreth more strongly our true obedience and worshipping of God, as
1 By his commandement: Shew me the tribute money.1Of his commandement to shew the mony
2 By his question, Whose is this image? (by which question our Sauiour caught them & taught them) v. 19.20.2 His question about the mony,
3 By his consequent & conlusion of a strong argument gathered vponupon3 The inferēce and conclusion hereupon, the premiss…s & former propositions which themselues had framed: GiueGive therefore to Cesar, the things that are Cesars, and vntounto God the things that are Gods. ver. 21.
The effect of the doctrine in the Pharisies and their complotters and instruments consisteth in three things.P…rts and obseruations in the effect of the doctrine.
First, they maruailed: secondly, they left him: thirdly, they went their way. ver. 22.