History of the Old Testament Volume 5, Part 20
The good Centurion.
EVEN the bloudy trade of warre yeelded worthy Clients to Chriſt: This Roman Captaine had learned to beleeue in that Ieſus, whom many Iewes deſpiſed: No nation, no trade, can ſhut out a good heart from God: If hee were a Forrainer for birth; yet he was a Domeſtique in heart; Hee could not change his bloud, hee could ouer-rule his affections; Hee loued that Nation, which was choſen of God; and if hee were not of the Synagogue, yet he built a Synagogue; where hee might not bee a Party, hee would be a Benefactor; Next to being good, is a fauouring of goodneſſe; We could not louelove religion, if we vtterly wanted it: How many true Iewes were not ſo zealous? Either will, or ability lacked in them, whom duty more obliged; Good affections doe many times more then ſupply nature: Neither doth God regard whence, but what wee are.
I doe not ſee this Centurion come to Chriſt, as the Iſraelitiſh Captaine came to Elias in Carmel, but with his cap in his hand, with much ſuit, much ſubmiſſion, by others, by himſelfe; He ſends firſt the Elders of the lewes, whom hee might hope, that their nation & place, might make gracious: then, leſt the imployment of others might argue neglect, he ſeconds them in perſon; Cold and fruitleſſe are the motions of frends, where wee doe wilfully ſhut vp our owne lips: Importunity cannot but ſpeede well in both. Could wee but ſpeake for our ſoules, as this Captaine did for his ſeruant, what could we poſſibly want? What maruell is it, if God bee not forward to giuegive, where wee care not to aske; or aske, as if wee cared not to receiue? Shall wee yet call this a ſuit, or a complaint? I heare no one word of entreaty; The leſſe is ſayd, the more is concealed, It is enough to lay open his wants; He knew well, that hee had to deale with ſo wiſe and mercifull a Phyſician, as that the opening of the malady was a crauing of cure: If our ſpirituall miſeries bee but confeſſed, they cannot faile of redreſſe.
Great variety of Suitors reſorted to Chriſt; One comes to him for a ſon, another for a daughter, a third for himſelfe: I ſee none come for his ſeruant, but this one Centurion; Neither was hee a better man then a Maſter: His ſeruant is ſicke; hee doth not driue him out of doores, but layes him at home; neither doth he ſtand gazing by his beds-ſide, but ſeekes forth; He ſeekes forth, not to Witches, or Charmers, but to Chriſt; he ſeekes to Chriſt, not with a faſhionable relation, but with a vehement aggrauation of the diſeaſe. Had the Maſter beene ſicke, the faithfulleſt ſeruant could hauehave done no more: He is vnworthy to bee well ſerued, that will not ſomtimes wait vponupon his followers. Conceits of inferiority, may not breed in vsus a neglect of charitable offices; ſo muſt we look downe vponupon our ſeruants, here on earth, as that wee muſt ſtill looke vp to our Maſter, which is in heauen.
But why didſt thou not, ô Centurion, rather bring thy ſeruant to Chriſt for cure, then ſue for him abſent? There was a Paralytick, whom faith and charity brought to our Sauiour, and let downe thorow the vncouered roofe, in his bed; why was not thine ſo carried, ſo preſented? Was it out of the ſtrength of thy faith, which aſſured thee, thou needeſt not ſhew thy ſeruant to him, that ſaw all things? One and the ſame grace, may yeeld contrary effects; They, becauſe they beleeued, brought the Patient to Chriſt, thou broughteſt not thine to him, becauſe thou beleeued it; Their act argued no leſſe deſire, thine, more confidence; Thy labour was leſſe, becauſe thy faith was more: Oh, that I could come thus to my Sauiour, and make ſuch mone to him for my ſelfe: Lord, my ſoule is ſicke of vnbeleefe, ſicke of ſelfe-louelove, ſicke of inordinate deſires, I ſhould not neede to ſay more; Thy mercy, ô Sauiour, would not then ſtay for my ſuit, but would preuent me (as here) with a gracious ingagement, I will come and heale thee; I did not heare the Centurion ſay, Either come, or heale him; The one he meant, though hee ſayd not, the other, he neither ſayd, nor meant: Chriſt ouer-giues, both his words and intentions; It is the manner of that diuine munificence, where he meets with a faithfull ſuitor, to giuegive more then is requeſted; to giuegive when he is not requeſted. The very inſinuations of our neceſſit…es are no leſſe violent, then ſucceſſefull: Wee thinke the meaſure of humane bounty, runs ouer, when we obtaine but what wee aske with importunity; that infinite goodneſſe keeps within bounds, when it ouer-flowes the deſires of our hearts.
As he ſaid, ſo hee did; The word of Chriſt ei…her is his act, or concurres with it; He did not ſtand ſtill when hee ſaid, I will come, but hee went as hee ſpake. When the ruler intreated him for his ſonne (Come downe ere hee dye) our Sauiour ſtird not a foote; The Centurion did but complaine of the ſicknes of his ſeruant, and Chriſt vnasked, ſaies, I will come and heale him; That he might be farre from ſo much as ſeeming to honor wealth, and deſpiſe meaneneſſe, he that came in the ſhape of a ſeruant, would goe downe to the ſicke ſeruants pallet, would not goe to the bed of the rich rulers ſonne; It is the baſeſt motiue of reſpect, that ariſeth merely from outward greatneſſe. Either more grace, or more need, may iuſtly challenge our fauourable regards, no leſſe then priuate obligations.
Euen ſo, ô Sauiour, that which thou offeredſt to doe for the Centurions ſeruant, haſt thou done for vsus; We were ſick vntounto death; So farre had the dead palſy of ſinne ouertaken vsus, that there was no light of grace left in vsus; When thou wert not content to ſit ſtill in heauen, and ſay, I will cure them; but addeſt alſo, I will come and cure them; Thy ſelfe came downe accordingly to this miſerable world, and haſt perſonally healed vsus; So as now we ſhall not dye but liue, and declare thy works, ô Lord; And oh! that we could enough praiſe that louelove and mercy, which hath ſo graciouſly abaſed thee, and could be but ſo low deiected before thee, as thou haſt ſtooped low vntounto vsus; that we could be but as lowly ſubiects of thy goodneſſe, as wee are vnworthy.
Oh admirable returne of humility: Chriſt will goe downe to viſit the ſicke ſeruant; the maſter of that ſeruant ſayes, Lord I am not worthy that thou ſhouldſt come vnderunder my roofe: The Iewiſh Elders, that went before to mediate for him, could ſay, (He is worthy that thou ſhouldſt doe this for him; but the Centurion, when hee comes to ſpeake for himſelfe (I am not worthy) They ſaid, He was worthy of Chriſts miracle; He ſaies hee is vnworthy of Chriſts preſence: There is great difference betwixt others valuations, and our owne; Sometimes the world vnderrates him that findes reaſon to ſet an high price vponupon himſelfe; Somtimes againe, it ouer-values a man that knowes iuſt cauſe of his owne humiliation; If others miſtake vsus, this can be no warrant for our error; Wee cannot be wiſe, vnleſſe wee receiue the knowledge of our ſelues by direct beames, not by reflection; vnleſſe we hauehave learned to contemne vniuſt applauſes; and ſcorning the flatteryes of the world, to frowne vponupon our owne vileneſſe, Lord I am not worthy.
Many a one if he had bene in the Centurions cote, would hauehave thought well of it; A Captaine, a man of good ability and command, a founder of a Synagogue, a Patron of religion: yet he ouerlookes all theſe, and when he caſts his eye vponupon the diuine worth of Chriſt, and his owne weakeneſſe, he ſaies, I am not worthy; Alas Lord I am a Gentile, an alien, a man of blood, thou art holy, thou art omnipotent. True humility will teach vsus to finde out the beſt of another, and the worſt peece of our ſelues; Pride contrarily ſhowes vsus nothing, but matter of admiration in our ſelues; in others, of contempt. Whiles hee confeſt himſelfe vnworthy of any fauour; he approued himſelfe worthy of all. Had not Chriſt bene before in his heart, hee could not hauehave thought himſelfe vnworthy to intertaine that gueſt within his houſe; VnderUnder the low roofe of an humble breſt, doth God euer delight to dwel; The ſtare of his Pallace may not bee meaſured by the height, but by the depth: Brags & bold faces do oft-times carry it away with men, nothing preuailes with God, but our voluntary deiections.
It is fit the foundations ſhould be laid deep, where the building is high; The centurions humility was not more lowe; then his faith was lofty; that reaches vp into heauen, and in the face of humane weakneſſe deſcrye omnipotence; Only ſay the word, and my ſeruant ſhall be whole.
Had the Centurions roof… bene heauen it ſelfe, it could not hauehave bene worthy to be comne vnderunder, of him, whoſe word was almighty, and who was the Almighty word of his Father, Such is Chriſt confeſſed by him that ſaies Only ſay the word; none, but a diuine power is vnlimited; neither hath faith any other bounds then God himſelfe. There needs no footing to remoue mountaines, or Deuills, but a word; Doe but ſay the word, ô Sauiour, my ſinne ſhall be remitted; my ſoule ſhall bee healed, my body ſhall be rayſed from duſt; both ſoule and body ſhall be glorious.
Whereupon then was the ſteddy confidence of the Good Centurion? He ſaw how powerfull his own word was with thoſe, that were vnderunder his command, (though himſelfe were vnderunder the command of another) the force whereof extended euen to abſent performances; well therefore might he argue, that a free and vnbounded power, might giuegive infallible commands, and that the moſt obſtinate diſeaſe, muſt therfore needs yeild to the becke of the God of nature: weakeneſſe may ſhow vsus what is in ſtrength; By one drop of water we may ſee what is in the maine Ocean; I maruell not if the Centurion were kinde to his ſeruants, for they were dutifull to him; he can but ſay, Doe this, and it is done; theſe mutuall reſpects draw on each other; cheerefull and diligent ſeruice in the one, calls for a due and fauourable care in the other; they that neglect to pleaſe, cannot complaine to bee neglected.
Oh that I could be but ſuch a ſeruant to mine heauenly Maſter; Alas, eueryevery of his commands, ſayes, Doe this, and I doe it not; EueryEvery of his inhibitions ſayes, Doe it not, and I doe it, He ſayes, Goe from the world, I run to it; he ſayes, Come to mee, I runne from him: Woe is mee, this is not ſeruice, but enmity; how can I looke for fauour, whiles I returne rebellion; It is a gracious Maſter whom wee ſerue; there can bee no duty of ours, that he ſees not, that he acknowledges not, that he crownes not; we could not but be happy, if we could be officious.
What can be more maruelous then to ſee Chriſt maruell? All maruelling ſuppoſes an ignorance going before, and a knowledge following ſome accident vnexpected: now who wrought this faith in the Centurion, but he that wondred at it? Hee knew well what hee wrought, becauſe hee wrought what he would; yet he wondred at what he both wrought, and knew, to teach vsus, much more to admire that which hee at once knowes and holds admirable.
Hee wrought this faith as God, he wondred at it as man; God wrought, and man admired, he that was both, did both; to teach vsus where to beſtow our wonder. I neuer finde Chriſt wondring at gold, or ſiluer, at the coſtly and curious workes of humane skill or induſtry; Yea, when the Diſciples wondred at the magnificence of the Temple, he rebuked them rather: I finde him not wondring at the frame of heauen and earth, nor at the orderly diſpoſition of all creatures and euents; the familiarity of theſe things intercepts the admiration; But when he ſees the grace or acts of faith, he ſo approues them, that he is rauiſhed with wonder; Hee that reioyced in the view of his creation, to ſee that of nothing, he had made all things good, reioyces no leſſe in the reformation of his creature, to ſee, that hee hath made good of euill: Behold thou art faire, my louelove, behold thou art faire, and there is no ſpot in thee; My ſiſter, my ſpouſe, thou haſt wounded my heart, thou haſt wounded my heart with one of thine eyes.
Our wealth, beauty, wit, learning, honor may make vsus accepted of men, but it is our faith only, that ſhall make God in louelove with vsus; And why are we of any other ſaue Gods diet, to bee more affected with the leaſt meaſure of grace in any man, then withall the outward glories of the world? There are great men whom we iuſtly pitty, we can admire none but the gracious.
Neither was that plant more worthy of wonder in it ſelfe, then that it grew in ſuch a ſoyle, with ſo little help of raine and Sun; The weakneſſe of meanes, addes to the prayſe and acceptation of our proficiency: To do good vponupon a little is the commendation of thrift; it is ſmall thanke to bee full-handed in a large eſtate; As contrarily, the ſtrength of meanes doubles the reuenge of our neglect: It is not more the ſhame of Iſrael, then the glory of the Centurion, that our Sauiour ſayes, I hauehave not found ſo great faith in Iſrael; Had Iſrael yeelded any equal faith, it could not hauehave beene vneſpyed of thoſe all-ſeeing eyes; yet were their helps ſo much greater, then their faith was leſſe; and God neuer giues more then hee requires: Where we hauehave laid our tillage, and compoſt, and ſeed, who would not looke for a crop? but if the vncultured fallow yeeld more, how iuſtly is that vnanſwerable ground neer to a curſe?
Our Sauiour did not mutter this cenſorious teſtimony to himſelfe, nor whiſper it to his Diſciples, but he turned him about to the people, and ſpake it in their eares, that hee might at once worke their ſhame and emulation: In all other things, except ſpirituall, our ſelfe-louelove makes vsus impatient of equals, much leſſe can we indure to bee out-ſtripped by thoſe, who are our profeſſed inferiours. It is well, if any thing can kindle in vsus holy ambitions: Dull and baſe are the ſpirits of that man, that can abide to ſee another ouertake him in the way, and out-run him to Heauen.
Hee that both wrought this faith, and wondred at it, doth now reward it, Goe thy wayes, and as thou haſt beleeued, ſo bee it vntounto thee; Neuer was any faith vnſeene of Chriſt, neuer was any ſeene without allowance, neuer was any allowed without remuneration: The meaſure of our receits in the matter of fauour, is the proportion of our beleefe; The infinite mercy of God (which is euer like it ſelfe) followes but one rule in his gifts to vsus, the faith that he giues vsus: GiueGive vsus, ô God, to beleeue, and bee it to vsus as thou wilt; it ſhall bee to vsus aboue that we will.
The Centurion ſues for his ſeruant, and Chriſt ſayes, So bee it vntounto thee; The ſeruants health is the benefit of the Maſter; and the Maſters faith is the health of the ſeruant; And if the prayers of an earthly maſter, preuailed ſo much with the Sonne of God, for the recouery of a ſeruant, how ſhall the interceſſion of the Son of God, preuaile with his Father in Heauen, for vsus that are his impotent children and ſeruants vponupon earth? What can we want, ô Sauiour, whiles thou ſueſt for vsus? Hee that hath giuen thee for vsus, can deny thee nothing for vsus, can deny vsus nothing for thee; In thee we are happy, and ſhall be glorious; To thee, ô thou mighty Redeemer of Iſrael, with thine eternall Father, together with thy bleſſed Spirit, one God infinite, and incomprehenſible, be giuen all praiſe, honour, and glory, for euer and euer. AMEN.
FINIS.
Errata.
PAg. 6. lin. 7 for where, read when. pag. 14. lin. 3. for the, read he. p 29. l. 16. for of, r. or. p. 30. l. 16 for vertue, r. wealth. p. 32. l. for foe, r. foyle. p. 42. l. 9. for deſection, r. deiection. p. 44. l. 15. for with, r. without. p. 74. l. 6. for to, r. then to. p. 75. l. 5. for not him, r. not to him. p. 78. l. 9. for deſtroyer, r. diſeaſe. p. 147. l. penult. for ceſſatum, r. ceſſation. p. 150. l. 7. for vntounto, r. into. p. 196. l. 2. for we, r. he. p. 205. l 5. for gentlieſt, r. goodlieſt. p. 234. l. 2. for eſtate. r. ſtate. p. 234. l. 11. for wore, r. more. p. 302. l. 5. for whom, r. who. p 341. l. penult. for careleſſe, r. careleſneſſe. p 342. l. 5. for diſſertion, r. deſertion. p. 349. l. vlt. for contents, r. contents himſelfe. p. 363. l. 17. for ſatisfie, r. ſanctifie. p. 371. l. 7. for by them, r. by whom. p. 378. l. 4. for no, r. on. p. 380. l. 5, for Diuell, r. Duell. p. 382. l. 1. for can but, r conflict p. 402. l. 11. for vnchaſte, r. uncleane. p. 410. l. for not to beare, r. to beare. p. 419. l. vlt. for collection, r. collation. p. 425. l. 2. for creature, r. crowne. p. 443. l. 4. for againe, r. gaine. p 443 l. 10. for he, r. we. p. 467. l. 17. for out, r. ought. p. 481. l. 9. for light, r. life.
End of the text · Joseph Hall, History of the Old Testament Volume 5 (1620)