Exposition of the Dominical Epistles and Gospels, Section 3
The Gospel. LVKE 21.25.
There shall be signes in the Sunne, &c.
THe dMalach. 4.2.Sunne of righteousnesse appeareth in three signes:
Leo.
Virgo.
Libra.
First roring as a Lion, in the Law: eExod. 20.19.so that the people could not endure his voyce. Then in Virgo, borne of a fMa…th 1 25.Virgin, in the Gospell: in Libra, weying our workes in his gDan. 5 27.ballance at the last and dreadfull audite. Or there is a three-fold comming of Christ, according to the
three-fold difference of time
Past.
Present.
Future.
Which hSerm. 3. de aduentu Dom.Bernard hath vttered elegantly: venit
ad homines.
in homines.
contra homines.
He came among men in time past, when as the Word was made iIohn 1.14.flesh and dwelt among vsus: hee comes into men in the present by his grace and holie Spirit: Apoc. 3. 20. Behold I stand at the doore and knocke. He shall in the future come against men, to iudge both the quicke and the dead: but the Sonne of man hath but two commings in the forme of man: his first comming in great meeknes, his second in exceeding maiestie. At his first comming he rode vponupon an asse: in his second (as it is here said) he shall ride vponupon the clouds. In his first comming he came to be iudged: in his second, he comes to iudge. In his first comming the people did triumph and reioyce, crying Hosanna: but in his second comming the people shall bee at their wits end for feare, and for looking after those things which shall come on the world.
In that therefore the Church hath adioyned this Gospell of his second comming vntounto that other of his first comming; it doth teach all Teachers this lesson, that their song be like Dauids, of kPsal. 101.1.iudgement and merciemercy; that in all their sermons they mingle faith and feare; lFerus serm. 1. in Euangelium Dom. 2. Aduent. & Acosta con. 1. Dom. 1. Aduent.that they preach Christ to be a Iudge so well as an Aduocate. This method Christ himselfe did vse, who did as well expound the Law, as propound the Gospell; who denounced woe to the proud Pharisies, and pronounced blessednesse to the poore in spirit; mLuke 10.34.who powred wine and oyle into the wounds of him that was halfe dead: oyle which is supple, wine which is sharpe: and when he departed he gaue to the host two pence, nTheophylact. in 10. Luc.that is, to the Preachers who take charge of him, the two Testaments, and willed them to temper and applie these two till hee come againe, that thinking on the Gospell we might neuer despaire, and thinking on the Law wee might neuer presume: that looking vponupon Christs first comming wee might reioyce; and expecting his second comming wee might feare: because there shall be signes in the Sunne and in the Moone, &c.
In handling whereof I will not trouble you with idle curiosities: only note two plaine points:
Especiallie, to wit, the Certaintie Of Christs second comming.
Especiallie, to wit, the Vncertaintie Of Christs second comming.
The certaintie, that he shall come: the vncertaintie, when he shall come.
The certaintie is declared heere by
Words:
Affirmed barely: vers. 27. They shall see the Son of man come in a cloud, &c.
Enforced with an asseueratiō: verse 22. Verily I say vntounto you, &c. adding further a perēptory conclusion: vers. 33. Heauen and earth shall passe away, but my words shall not passe away.
Wonders: vers. 27. There shall be signes, &c.
The words are spoken by Christ: as it is apparent vers. 8. Now Christ is truth: Ergo, this prophesie cannot be false. That which hee foretold touching Hierusalem in this Chapter, is in eueryevery particular come to passe: why then should this prophesie be thought vntrue, concerning the worlds destruction, when as that other was true concerning Hierusalems desolation?
Zachary foretold that the Messias in his first comming should in meekenesse ride vponupon an asse, and, as S. oCap. 21.4.Matthew reports, all that was done: behold here a greater than Zachary tels vsus that the Messias in his second comming shall ride vponupon the clouds: and shall we doubt of his word, who is that eternall Word? shall wee beleeue Zachary, who was but one of the small Prophets, and shal we distrust him who is that great Prophet? Ioh. 6.14.
But because men will not beleeue him vponupon his bare word, who made all the world with his word: Psal. 33.9. He spake, and it was done: he doth vse an oth and earnest asseueration in the 32. verse, Verily, I say vntounto you. &c. Because there is none gr…ater then …imselfe, he doth sweare by himselfe, Truth doth prot…st by Truth, This generation shall not passe, till all be fulfilled.
The word generation hath perplexed as well old as new writers exceedingly. Sometime generation in scripture signifieth an age: As pEcclesiastes 1.4.one generation passeth, and another commeth: and qPsalm. 100.5.the truth of the Lord endureth from generation to generation ▪ that is, euer, from age to age. Now r…anse…ius concord. cap. 124.generation in this acception is 100. yeares. So Nestor is said to liue foreign, three ages, that is, three hundred yeares: and therefore some Diuines hauehave referred this vntounto the destruction of Hierusalem only, which happened within an hundred yeares after this prophesie: so learned sAnnot. in Matth. 24.34.Erasmus and Beza construe the place, both of them, interpreting the word aetas: and the translators of Geneua following them in our lesser English Bible, This age shall not passe: but as well the translation as obseruation is defectiue, because Christ saith here, This generation shall not passe, till all these things be done, foreign, not only those which concerne the desolation of Hierusalem, but all those likewise which concerne the worlds end.
tAbulensis in loc. vti postil. cathol. con. 4. Dom. 2. Adu…nt. & Iansenius vbi supra.Other by this generation vnderstand the nation of the Iewes, as Luke 17.25. The sonne of man must be reproued of this generation: and Math. 23.36. All these things shall come vponupon this generation: that is, this nation.
S. uCom. …n Matth. 24.34.Hierom by generation vnderstands all mankinde, as if Christ should say, the generation of men shall continue till all be fulfilled, and then in fine they shall acknowledge that I spake the truth.
xAquin. caten. in Matth. …4.Chrysostome, yIn loc. Matth. vbi supra.Theophylact, Euthymius, expound this of that generation onelyonly zPsalm. 24.6.which seeke God; of Gods elect and faithfull people, as if Christ should speake thus, Albeit there be signes in heauen, and troubles on earth, yet aMatth. 16.18.hell gates shall not preuaile against the Church: bMatth. 28.20.I am with you alway, saith Christ, vntill the end of the world. The generation of such as beleeue in me shall not passe, till all this be fulfilled: and therefore let none of my followers be discouraged, but rather lift vp their heads, in that their redemption is so neere. This exposition I take to be both pertinent and profitable, because Christ in this Chapter had foretold, that his Disciples should be persecuted and brought before Kings and Princes for prosessing his Gospell, verse 12. Yet this generation shall not passe, but there shall be a Church alway to confesse the faith in despight of the Diuell. cOrigen. & Aquin. caten. in Matth. 24.The Church one day shall passe too, but not till these things be done, then in the end it shall inherit a better possession in Gods owne kingdome without end.
dPostil. catholic. vbi supra.Other by generation vnd…rstand all that time betweene Christs first comming and his last; for the whole world being diuided into three generations, a time before the law, a time vnderunder the Law, a time after the Law▪ the time of the Gospell is Hora nouissima, the last houre: 1. Epist. Iohn 2.18. and, We are they vponupon whom the ends of the world are come, 1. Cor. 10.11. so that ye shall not looke for another Gospell, or another change; for the preaching of this Gospell and the world shall end together.
eMaldonat. in Matth. 24.34.Other by generation vnderstand not only the Iewes, or the Christians, or all men only, but the whole vniuersall world, termed elsewhere the Creature. This generation, that is, this world, in which all things are generated, shall not end till these signes, forerunners of it ruine shall come to passe. So Christ interprets himselfe in the verse following, Heauen and earth shall passe, but my words shall not passe a…ay. That is, howsoeuer the earth be moueable, and the powers of heauen shake: though both wax old as doth a garment, and all things in them are subiect to mutation and change, yet fHebr. 13.8.Christ is yesterday, and to day, the same also for euer: so that if you will credit Christ, either vponupon your owne reason and experience, or vponupon his word and oath, beleeue this also, that he shall come riding on the clouds with great power and glory to iudge both the quick and the dead.
Secondly, Christs comming to iudgement is shewed heere by wonders in heauen, in earth, and in the sea, which shall be like harbingers of that dreadfull and terrible day: There shall be signes in the Sunne, and in the M…one, and in the earth: the people shall be at their wits end through despaire: the sea and the water shall rore, &c.
EueryEvery man is desirous to buy the Kalender, that at the beginning of the yeare he may know what will happen in the end: Merchants and Husbandmen especially, that they may see this yeare what dearth, or death, or other accidents are likely to ensue the next yeare. gBa…ho…dus Pontanus bibliothe…. co…cio…ū Dom. 2. Aduent.Behold then here Christs Prognostication, foretelling by signes in the Sunne, and in the Moone, and in the Starres, what shall come to passe in the end of our yeares, as also, what shall betide vsus in the new yeare, the world to come. The hThomas supplemēt. quaest. 73 artic. 2.Mathematicians of the world neuer mentioned or dreamed of an vniuersall eclipse of the Sunne and Moone together, only Christs Almanacke reports this. I purpose not in particular to discusse any curious question, but only to note in generall, that these wonders in heauen, and extraordinarie troubles on earth, are manifest forerunners of the worlds ruine; that as we know Summer is neere when the trees bud, so when we see these things come to passe, we may be sure that the kingdome of God is nigh: for as a man that is dying hath many phantasies, euen so, saith Chrysostome, the world declining shall hauehave manifold errors, in so much if it were possible Gods elect should be deceiued. Matth. 24.24.
Aristotle could not conceiue the world should hauehave an end, because he thought and taught it had no beginning: but diuine Plato who liued in Egypt, and read (as it is iIustin. Martyr in admonitorio.supposed) the bookes of Moyses, acknowledged the worlds creation, and so subscribed to the worlds destruction, holding this axiome, Quod oritur, moritur, That which hath a beginning, hath an end. Whatsoeuer hath an end, had a beginning; the which is to be construed of compounded elementarie substances, subiect to generation and corruption, as all things in this world are. For as we reade in scripture, Some things hauehave a beginning, but no end, as Angels, and the soules of men.
Some things hauehave no beginning, but yet hauehave an end, as Gods eternall decrees.
One thing, to wit, Ens Entium, Almighty God, hath neither beginning nor end: k1. Tim. 6.16.who only hath immortalitie of all other things: the lApocal. 1.8.first and the last: and yet in himselfe there is neither first nor last.
Some things hauehave both a beginning and end, as the world, which had a creation, and is subiect to corruption.
m1. Iohn 2.17.The world passeth away, and the glory thereof, and then when as the powers of heauen shall be shaken, and the n2. Pet. 3.10.element shall melt with heat, and the earth with the works that are therein shall be burnt vp, then the sonne of man shall come in a cloud with power and great glory.
Now this certainty of Christs comming to iudgement
affordeth abundant matter of comfort to the godly.
affordeth abundant matter of terror to the wicked.
affordeth abundant matter of instruction to both.
Comfort to Gods elect: for when these things come to passe, then, saith Christ in 28. verse, Lift vp your heads, for your redemption draweth neere. Now you are prosecuted and persecuted, deliuered vp to the Synagogues, and cast into prison, but at that great assise there shall be a generall goale deliuery, and you that hauehave done good, shall goe into euerlasting ioy, and your enemies who hauehave done euill, into euerlasting fire. Heere ye mourne, but hereafter all teares shall be wiped from your eyes: here ye sow in hope, but then ye shall reape with ioy; when as ye shall see the sonne of man comming in the clouds, &c. As God is the God of comfort, so his booke is the booke of comfort: Whatsoeuer things are written aforetime, they are written for our learning, that wee through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might hauehave hope.
The very soule of all the Bible is the Gospell: and the summe of all the Gospell is the Creede: and the maine point of all the Creed is that article concerning our resurrection and hope of eternall glorie, when Christ shall appeare. The Church then hath well a…nexed that Epistle to this Gospell, as a consolation against desolation. By the booke of comfort, wee know that our Redeemer liueth, and that he will come againe to iudge and reuenge our cause.
We beleeue that an eternall kingdome was secretly granted vntounto vsus in our election, openly promised in our vocation, s…aled in our iustification, and that possession shall bee giuen in our glorification: when as the Iudge of the world shall say, Come ye blessed of my Father, inherit ye the kingdom prepared for you from the foundations of the world. o1. Thes. 4.16.When the Lord himselfe sh…ll descend from heauen with a shout, and with the voyce of the Archangel, and with the trumpet of God; we sh…ll be caught vp in the clouds to meete him, and so shall euer be with him. And therefore pray wee daily, Thy kingdome come: Come Lord Iesus, come quickly. Amen.
Now as this is comfortable to good men, so most terrible to the wicked: as Christ, vers. 26. Their hearts shall … them for feare. They pApocal. 9.6.shall seeke death in those da…es, and shall not finde it. And, as it is Apocal. 6.16. They shall s…y to the mountaines and rocks, fall on vsus, and hide vsus from the presence of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lambe. This hath been their day, wherein so farre as they could they hauehave done their will; the next is the Lords day, wherein they must suffer his will; qZoph. 1.15.a day of anger, a day of trouble and heauinesse; a day of destruction and desolation; a day of obscuritie and darknesse; a day of clouds and blacknesse. The reprobate shall see the sonne of man in the clouds aboue, to condemne them: beneath, hell mouth open readie to deuoure them: before, the diuels haling them: behinde, the Saints and all their dearest friends forsaking them: on the left hand, their sinnes accusing them: on the right, iustice threatning them: on all sides, the whole world made a bone fire terrifying them; to goe forward, insupportable; to goe backe, impossible; to turne aside, vnauailable: no maruell then if at the worlds end, men be at their wits end.
Thirdly, this administreth instruction vntounto all: for as it is in the Epistle: Whatsoeuer things are written aforetime, are written for our instruction. And this is so good a lesson, that if we could obserue it well, wee should neede no more teaching: so saith the Wiseman, rEcclesiast. 7.36Remember the last things, and thou s…alt neuer doe amisse.
The last things are foure:
Death.
Iudgement.
Heauen.
Hell.
But the chiefe is iudgement: for all the rest attend it. Death is vsher to iudgement going before; Heauen and Hell executioners following after. Death would not bee so fearfull, if iudgement did not follow: Hell would not be so painfull, if iudgement went not before: without it heauen would not be desired, nor hell feared. Hee then that remembers the last day, remembers in it all the last things: and he that remembers the last things, cannot do amisse. Wherefore let vsus euer embrace that godly meditation of S. …rome: Wheth…r I eate or drinke, or whatsoeuer I doe else, I thinke I h…re the last tr…mpe: Arise ye… dead and come vntounto i…dgement. The consideration of the worlds destruction is a suffi…ient instruction to keepe good men in honest courses, & to terrifie bad men from euill waies. Italians, in a great thunder, vse to ring their bels, and discharge their cannon shot, that the roring of the one, may lessen the terror of the other. sDi…z. con. 1. Dom. 1. Aduent.In like sort Satan hangs tinckling cymbals on our eares, and delights vsus with the vanities and musicke of the world, that we may forget the sound of the last trumpe, and so that tDu Bartas, 1. day, 1. weeke, fol. 15.day be seene, before foreseene of most.
As it is certaine that Christ shall come; so most vncertaine when he shall come: for he speakes of the time not definitly, but indefinitly: vers. 25. Then there shall be signes: vers. 27. Then shall they see the Sonne of man comming in a cloud: vers. 28. When these things come to passe, then look vp, for your redemption draweth neere. But how neere now? uMa…th. 24.36.no man or Angel can tell. xCap. 6.2.Esay saw God in his throne, and the Seraphims stood vponupon it, couering his face with two wings, and his feet with two wings: his face, yHieron. com. in loc. Isaiae sup. Praeterita ante mundum & sutura post m…ndum s…ire non possumus: sed media tant…m contemplam…r.keeping vsus from the secrets of Gods eternall predestination in the beginning: his feete, not disclosing when he will come to iudge the world in the end.
The certai…tie then of this vncertaintie, may teach vsus not to bee zMusculus & Marlorat. in Matth. 24.36.curious or carelesse; not curious, for why should we presume to know more then other men? more then all men? more then Angels? more then Christ himselfe? It is a kinde of sacriledge, saith aDe gubernat. Dei lib. 3.S…l…ianus, to breake into Gods holie place, and prie into his secret sanctuarie, and to know more then he would hauehave vsus to know.
Christs Apostles were his Secretaries, his especiall fauourites and followers, from whom hee kept nothing which was for their good, and yet he said vntounto them, bAct. 1.7.It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his owne power. The glorious Angels abound with much knowledge, naturall, experimentall, reuealed, hauing farre better meanes of knowledge then wee: forasmuch as wee know the Creator by the creatures; whereas they know the creatures by the Creator. cBernard. ser. in illud Psalmi: Audiām quid loquatur in me Deus. fol. 345.Opus habet humana anima, quasi quodam vehiculo Creaturae, vt adcognitionem Creatoris assurgat. Cùm è contrà longè perfectius angelica natura in Creatore notitiam habet creaturae: Angels alway dMatt…. 18.10.behold the face of God in heauen, in which as in a glasse they see much more then is possible for vsus on earth to discerne. Let not then an heauie lump of clay presume to know more then heauens heralds: and yet Christ, to satisfie further our curiositie, saith in the 13. of Marke ▪ that himselfe knowes not that day and houre. Now eMat. 10.24.25the disciple is not aboue his master, nor the seruant aboue his Lord: It is enough for the disciple to be as his master is, and the seruant as his Lord. He is a foole that will be wis…r then Wisedome it selfe: but Christ as man was either ignorant of it, or else had no commission to reueale it: or as fPart. 3. qu. 10. a…t. 2. ex Augustino lib. 83. quaest▪ onum quaest. 60.Aq…in; Dicitur nescire, quia non facit scire: Hee is said himselfe not to know, because he gResponsum nes…i…ndi non natu…ae, sed volunt atis. vt Hilar. de Trin. lib. 6.would not hauehave vsus to know. Such as will enquire more touching that text, may see Sixt. Se…en. Bib. sent. lib. 6. annot. 105. Soarez Conimbricen. traect. 3. in Mat. Bellarm. lib. de anima Christ 1. cap. 5 sect. …am de quarto. Iansen. concord. cap. 124. Maldonat. in Matth. 24.36. I will end with the saying of hEpist. 146.Augustine: Ne nos addamus inquirere, quod ille non addidit dicere. iEcclesiast. 3.22Let vsus not seeke the things that are too hard for vsus: but that which God hath commanded let vsus thinke vponupon with reuerence. kDeut. 29.29.Secret things b…long to the Lord; reuealed things vntounto vsus.
Secondly, this vncertaintie of Christs second comming, may teach vsus not to be carelesse: Nam ideo latet vltimus dies, vt obseruetur omnis dies: God would hauehave vsus ignorant of the last day, that we might be vigilant eueryevery day. This vse Christ makes in the words immediatly following my text: and Matth. 24.42. and Mark. 13.33. It behoueth vsus, vponupon whom the ends of the world are come, to bee more watchfull: because Satan is growne more wrathfull, Apocal. 12.12.
—lDu Bartas: 1. day, 1. weeke. as Lysards cut in peeces,
Threat with more malice, though with lesser might:
And euen in dying shew their liuing spight.
The Father of mercies and God of compassion increase our faith, and fill our lampes with oyle, that when the Bridegrome shall come, wee may meete him, and enter with him into the wedding; mAugust. soliloq. cap. 35.where there is ioy beyond all ioy, pleasure without paine, life without death, eueryevery thing that is good, without any thing that is euill. Amen.