Exposition of the Dominical Epistles and Gospels, Section 24
The Gospel. Luke 8.4.
When much people were gathered together, and were come to him out of all cities, he spake by a similitude: The sower went out to sow, &c.
OVr Sauiour Christ in this Scripture
propoundeth a parable.
expoundeth a parable.
In the propounding, three points are regardable: the
Occasion: When much people, &c. vers. 4.
Parable: The sower went out to sow: vers. 5.6. &c.
Conclusiō: He y• hath eares to heare, let him heare: v. 8.
The peoples pressing rMarlorat. ex Calu. in Mat. 13occasioned Christ to deliuer this
parable: wherein obserue, sCulman. in loc.the
diligence of the people in hearing.
care of Christ in instructing.
The peoples earnest desire to heare doth appeare, in that they were a multitude: foreign, a very great multitude; as it is in our vulgar English, much people, gathered together; many srom many cities, in zeale so good, in number so great, that pressing vponupon Christ by the sea side, he was faine to leape into a ship, and make that his pulpit, as S. Matthew reports in his tMatth. 13.2.Gospell.
This peoples paterne condemnes our peoples practise, who will not runne out of the citie into the countrey, nor out of the countrey into the citie to heare Christ, except it be vponupon hatred or curiositie, faction or affection.
VnderUnder the cruell persecution of uEuseb.Dioclesian twentie thousand Christians in Nicomedia were burned in the Temple, being all assembled to celebrate the birth of Christ. And xEpist. ad Goront.Hierom makes mention, how that at Ments in Germany, the citie being taken, many thousands were slaine in the Church. And what massacres hauehave lately been in England, France, Flanders, is not vnknowne vntounto such as hauehave had either open eyes or eares. Happie then are the eyes which see the things that we may see: for we liuing vnderunder the peaceable gouernment of a most religious Prince, may come to Church in peace, heare in peace, depart in peace: wee may come in our slippers and sit on our cushion… If then Christ doe not hold vsus by the cares, as yPlutarch. in vita Alcib.Socrate… did A…cibiades: if we doe not presse to heare him, as the people did here, he will one day speak of vsus, as he did of Hi…rusalem: zMatth. 23.37.How often would I hauehave gathered you together, as the henne doth her chickens vnderunder her wings, and yee would not? aProu. 1.24.I hauehave called, and yee refused, I hauehave stretched out mine hand, and none would regard: But because yee despised all my counsell, and would none of my correction; I will also laugh at your destruction, and mocke when your feare commeth, &c.
Happily some will obiect: All the people whom yee commend, came not vntounto Christ with a good minde and honest heart to be taught: it may be some came in malice to carpe at him; other in curiositie to wonder at his miracles; other vponupon couetousnesse to reape some temporall benefit by him, bLudel…hus ex Hieron. & Di…z in l…c.according to which seuerall humours our Sauiour was occasioned to propound this parable of the sower sowing his seed in diuers lands increasing diuersly.
Well, how soeuer ye come, yet come vntounto Christ: if ye come with an intent to carpe, come: for happily while ye thinke to catch the preacher, he may catch you, as cAugust. …ous. …. lib. 5. cap. 14.Ambrose did Augustine: if ye come with a minde to sl…epe at the Temple, yet come; for it may be (saith dS…r. 6. before King Ed 6.B. La… ) Almightie God will take you napping: if you come with a resolution to steale, yet come; for peraduenture the first word that yee shall heare, will be, Thou shalt not steale: or, Let him that hath stollen, steale no more ePsalm. 19.7.The word of God is pure, and conuerteth the soule: perfect and pure formaliter and effectiue, both in it selfe pure, and making other pure; Come then howsoeuer ye stand affected, euermore presse to Christ, out of all cities and villages.
The care of Christ in instructing, is see…e
1. In that hee went out of his house (saith fMatth. 13.1.Matthew) to a more publike, large, sit place for teaching.
2. For that he spake by a simili…de.
By y• former al… Preacher… may learne to take their best hint and opportunitie for the propagating of the Gospell,gMusculus in Ma…. 13. & …auxami… Har. …m. 2. sol. 282. and instructi…g of Gods people, leauing sometime their own li…l… cure… and vponupon good occasion to preach vntounto much people, sowing their seede in a more large field, and profiting euen so many as they can.
For the second point, Diuines hauehave rendred sundrie reasons, why Christ vsed to speake by parables: as first, hHicron. Futhy…ius: Gene…rard. … …sal. 77that the Scripture might bee fulfilled: I will open my mouth in a parable, Psal. 78.2.
Secondly, iBeauxamis … bi … & H…ming…us in locum.that wee might know that Christ spake with the same spirit, by which all God… holy Prophets in old time spake, whose writings are full of parables.
Thirdly, kF…rus s…r. 2. in loc.that …ee might descend vntounto the capacitie of the most simple, who best vnderstand and remember …omely comparisons; as the lH…rat. art. poet.Poet truly:
Seg…s i…rit…nt ani…os d…ss…er …ure…,
Quam q…s…ns oc…lis sub… … …idelibus.
Fourthly, mMarlorat. …x …u…er…. in l…c.that his auditors might hereby take occasion to moue doubts, and aske questions, as the Disciples in the 9. verse, i… h…t manner of …litude is this?
Fiftly, that the mysteries of Gods heauenly kingdome might not be r…uealed vntounto the scornefull; as Christ himselfe teacheth in the tenth verse: To you it is giuen to know the secrets of the kingdome; but to other in parables, that when they see▪ they should not see, &c.
Sixtly, that eueryevery man in his occupation and ordinarie vocation, might be taught those things which concerne his soules health, as this parable may bee termed the ploughmans Gospell. The seed is the word of God, &c. He that meditates on it, when he plougheth his ground, may hauehave a nFerus vbi sup.sermon alway before him, eueryevery furrow being a line, eueryevery graine of corne a lesson bringing foorth some fruite.
The sower went out to sow his seede] S. oIn Psalm. 77.Augustine writing vponupon the words: Aperiam in parabolis os meum, eloquar propositiones ab initio, wisheth; vtinam qui dixit aperiam os meum in parabolis, ita aperiret etiam ipsas parabolas; & sicut eloquitur propositiones, ita etiam eloqueretur earum expositiones. Here S. Augustines prayer is heard: for Christ giues an exposition of his proposition; and therefore we must pHieron. in Matth. 13.take heede, that wee neither detract nor adde any thing to it: Opus qCulman. in loc.habet lectore, non interprete.
And as he said these things he cried, he that hath eares] rHemingius in loc.He cried to manifest his affection and our dulnesse: excepting this occasion he did not cry aboue three or foure times in all his life. He cried as he taught in the Temple, Ioh. 7.28. He cried when he raised vp Lazarus from the dead, Ioh. 11.43. Hee cried, Ioh. 12.44. He cried on the Crosse, Matth. 27: at all which times he deliuered matter of great consequence. This sentence then, He that hath eares to heare, let him heare, being vttered vponupon a crie, must not lightly be respected of vsus. All men for the most part hauehave both their eares, but not to heare. The sStaplet…n. premptuar. moral. ser. d…m. sexages.man sicke of the gowt hath both his feete, but not to walke: Hee that is purblind, hath both his eyes, but not to see cleerely: he that is manicled by the Magistrate for some fault, hath both his hands; but so long as they are bound, they cannot doe their office. So most men hauehave eares, but few men hauehave eares to heare, namely, to heare that which is good, & to heare y• which is good, well. tRemigius apud Thom. in Mat. 13Aures audiendi sunt aures mētis. scilicet intelligēdi, & faciēdi quae iussa sunt.
A good eare, saith the uEccles. 3.31.Wiseman, will gladly hearken vntounto wisedome: where note two lessons as concerning hearing: first, that wee hearken vntounto nothing but that which is good, vntounto wisedome. Secondly, that we hearken vntounto it gladly, with a great desire to learne: for in Scripture phrase, obaudire is obedire: so Christ in the Gospell, xLuke 10.16.Hee that heareth you, heareth mee: that is, he that obeyeth you, obeyeth me: and he that despiseth you, despiseth me. zMatth. 18.1…If thy brother heare thee, thou hast wonne thy brother: that is, if thy brother follow thy counsell, and will be content to be ruled by thee.
We reade in the aExod. 21.6. Deut. 15.17.law, that if a bond seruant will not be made free, but stay still with his master, hee shall bee brought before the Iudges, and set to the doore or the post, and his master shall boare his eare thorow with an aule, and so he shall serue him for euer. EueryEvery sinner is the diuels vassall: and therefore if hee refuse to be free, when libertie and free grace of the Gospell is offered, ere it be long the diuell will so boare his eares, as that they shall be made vnfit to heare, and then hee shall serue his old master for euer. Hee may peraduenture come to Church and heare the sermon; but hee shall be like the man, bIames 1.23.that beholds his face in a glasse: for when he hath considered himselfe he goeth his way, and forgets immediatly what manner of one he was.
Wherefore, when yee come to Christ bring your eares with you, eares to heare; so to heare, that ye may vnderstand; so vnderstand that ye may remember; so remember that ye may practise; so practise that ye continue; so Gods seede shall be sowen in good ground, and bring foorth fruite in some thirtie, in some sixtie, in some an hundred fold, &c.
The parables exposition is occasioned by the Disciples question, vers 9. What manner of similitude is this?
Where note
their carefulnesse in asking.
Christs readinesse in answering.
For the first, the Sabbath is aptly termed a cRamus dercligion. lib. 2. cap. 6schole day, wherein all Gods people must come to the Temple, which is the schoole, to learne his word their lesson. In this seminarie Christ is the chiefe seedman, stiled in the beginning of this parable, foreign, The sower. In this Vniuersitie Christ is the prime Doctor: dMatth. 23.8.Vnus est doctor vester; e cuius schola in terris, cathedra in coelis. His Apostles sowed as vnderunder-bailiffes in his field; and his Preachers in our time teach as vnderunder-vshers in his schoole.
As then in the schooles of humane knowledge, so soone as the lecture is read, it is the schollers dutie to question among themselues how to parse & construc it, and when they doubt, to hauehave recourse to their Grammar rules, by which all construction is examined: and when they doe not vnderstand an hard rule, to come for a resolution vntounto their master, who is as it were a liuing Grammar and a walking booke.
So likewise in Gods Academy in the Diuinitie schoole, when either the lecture of the Law is read, or sermon on the Gospell ended, it is your part to reason among your selues as you walke abroad in the fields, or talke at home in your house, how this and that may be construed; and when you cannot resolue one another, with the men of fActs 17.11.Beroea, to search the Scripture daily, whether those things are so, to trie the spirits of men by the spirit of God: for the Bible is our Diuinitie Grammar, according to which all our lessons ought to bee parsed and construed. And if yee meete with a difficult place, repaire to Gods Vsher the Priest, gMalac. 2.7.whose lippes should pres…rue knowledge: Demand of your pastor, as the Disciples of Christ here; What manner of parable is this?
It is apparent in the Gospell that the Disciples euer tooke this course: when Christ had deliuered any deepe point, first they disputed among themselues, and then after came to him, and asked his resolution: gMark. 9.11.Why say the Scribes, that Elias must first come? How iIo…. 3.9.can these things be? kMatth. 13.36.Declare vntounto vsus the parable of the tares.
In our daies if the pastor be learned in the lawes of the land, and well acquainted with businesse of the world, his house shall be reputed oraculum totius ciuitatis, (as lLib. 1. de orat.Tully speakes) all his neighbours will haste vntounto him for aduice in law, but few for counsell in religion. Indeed they come to schoole, but like truants onelyonly for feare of punishment, and when they come, they care n… how little learning they hauehave for their money. B…t let me tell them of another schoole tricke; at the worlds end there is a black friday,mDan. 7.10. a generall examination; at which time Conscience the monitor … her bookes and bils of all our faults, and our … Schoolmaster in his owne person shall reward eueryevery … according to his worke. It behoueth eueryevery one therefore to be diligent in comming to schoole, to be carefull in hearing, painfull in examining, fruitfull in practising.
And he said] Christs readinesse in answering, teacheth all Preachers his Vshers and Curates, not only to preach in publike, but also to catechise their auditors, as occasion is offered, in priuate: especially such as hunger and thirst after righteousnesse; for vntounto them it is giuen to know the secrets of Gods kingdome. The which words containe Gods donation vntounto his elect, and it is cum priuilegiô & gratiâ; with priuiledge to you, but vntounto other in parables: cum gratiâ, it is giuen. Consulas Augustin. de praedestinat. Sanctorum, cap. 8. lib. de bono perseuerantiae, cap. 8.9 11. lib. de correp. & gratiâ, cap. 4.6.7.8
Sauing knowledge of God is a gift and grace: for the n1. Cor. 2.14.naturall man vnderstands not the things of God; hee beleeues oculô magis quàm oraculo, trusting his fiue senses more then the foure Gospels. It is a mysterie reuealed vntounto you, but hidden vntounto many, whose eyes the o2. Cor. 4.4.god of this world hath darkened, that seeing they should not discerne, and hearing they should not vnderstand. O father, saith Christ, pMatth. 11.25.thou hast hid these things from the wise, and hast opened them vntounto babes. It is so, because thy good pleasure was such. As it is our fathers will alone to giuegive vsus a kingdome; so likewise his good will alone to make vsus know the secrets of his kingdome.
There are mysteria regis, which may not be knowne, and there are mysteria reg…i, which must be knowne: many mysteries of our heauenly king are knowne onelyonly to himselfe. Canst thou (saith qIob 11.7.Iob) finde out God? canst thou finde out the Almightie to his perfection? The heauens are high, what canst thou doe? it is deeper then the hell, how canst thou know it? The measure thereof is longer then the earth, and it is broader then the sea. God therefore requires rather we should remember what hee hath been to vsus, then curiously to seeke what he is in himselfe.
But as for the secrets of his kingdom, he reueales them vntounto the heires of his kingdome; these mysteries may, yea must be knowne: and therefore Christ cried, He that hath eares, let him heare. Teaching hereby that in making our election sure, we must not begin à priori, but à posteriori: such as with a good heart heare the word and keep it, and bring foorth fruite through patience, shall inherit the kingdome of God; rMatth. 21.43but the kingdom of God shall be taken away from such as are fruitlesse, from such as are faithlesse.
This is the parable] Bare reading without vnderstanding, is bare feeding; the true meaning of the Scripture is the true Manna: sOrigen peri archon. lib. 4. cap. 2for as a man, so the Bible consists of a bodie and a soule. The sound of the letter is the bodie, but the tCyril.sense is the soule: this indeed is the scripture▪ this is the parable.
The seede is the word of God] The sower is Christ, who went out, uThomas ex pa…ribus in Mat. 13. & B…auxami…, vbi suprà.ab occultô Patris in mundum, à Iudaeá in Gentes, à profundô sapientiae in publicum doctrinae. The Preacher is not properly the sower, xLudolphus vbi suprà.but the seedcod, at the most an vnderseed man.
The sower went out to sow] Not to reape. yPontan. in loc.Now many goe out into Gods field only to gather in haruest, zPl…tarch.t…nquam Stratocles & Dromoclid…s, ad auream messem, intending to reape things carnall, more then sowing things spirituall.
The sower sowed his seede; for the seed is the word of God, aHemingius & Bea…xamis, &c.not of Angell or man: and this seede hath in it generatiue power in it selfe, it is bHeb. 4.12.liuely, yea the word of cPhil. 2.16.life. So that if it bring not forth fruit, the fault is not in the seed, but in the groūd, being either vnplowed, or stony, or thorny. The seed is the word of God. And therefore such as corrupt it, as heretikes; or choke it, as hypocrites; or keepe it downe from growing by force, as tyrants; or thrust o…her seed into it, as Papists doe, shall one day feele the … wrath of God: for as he gaue pure seed, so will he requ…re pure c…rne.
He left this in the Church, euen in the garners of the Prophets and Apostles; and therefore whosoeuer adulterate i… before it be sowen, or nip it when it doth spring, or cut it downe before the Lord, haruest, are not Gods husbandme…, but Satans hirelings▪ and you may know them, saith dMat. 7.16.Christ, by their fruit, eMela…ct. in Mat. 7.that is, by their doctrine. For Gods husbandmen sow Gods seed; but the diuels factors, as Saint f1. Tim. 4.1.Paul plainly, the doctrines of diuels. As for example, this is pure seed; Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him onelyonly shalt thou serue. But to worship Angels and Saints, and to giuegive the same kind of worship to the crucifix, which is due to Christ, is sophisticate seed. This was not at the first sowen by the sower; but ouersowen after by the malitious enemie, while men slept.
Those that are b…de the way] gTh…ophylact. in Matt…. 13.Three parts of foure are bad; hLuther. in loc.yea the most of such as heare the word, & confesse Christ, are vnprofitable. iMat. 7.13.Striue then to enter in at the strait gate. Remember that couetous cares and voluptuous liuing, are the thornes which vsually choke Gods seed in our heart: riches vntounto the couetous are thornes, in this and the next life; their pricks are threefold in this life;
namely, kLudolphus.pun…tura
l…boris in acquisitione.
timoris in possessione.
doloris in amissione.
The true reason why so many men are delighted with them, is, lDiez in loc.because they put on wants or ti…ning gloues, and so their hearts and hands being hardened, they feele not their pricking: but in the next world they will bee thornes againe, when Christ shall say to the couetous; Hence from me yee cursed, into euerlasting fire: for I was an hungred, and ye gaue me no meat; I thirsted, and ye gaue me no drinke, &c. Here pause good Reader, and pray with mDe vitâ Christ. par…. 1. cap. 64. in fine.Ludolphus.
O Domine Iesufac me de veteri vita exire, ne semen verbi tui quod in meô intellectu boni propositi, quod in meô affectu boni operis, quod in meô actu seminâsti, comedatur à volucribus inanis gloriae, ne conculcetur in viâ assiduitatis, ne areat in petrâ durae obstinationis, & ne suffocetur in spinis solicitudinis, sed potiùs in terra bonâ cordis humilimi centesimum fructum edat in patientiâ: fac etiam me haec omnia intelligere & facere, ac verbô vel saltem exemplô alios docere. Amen.