Exposition of the Dominical Epistles and Gospels, Section 22
The Gospel. MAT. 20.1.
The kingdome of heauen is like vntounto a man that is an housholder, &c.
OVr Sauiour was delighted exceedingly with certaine proue…biall speeches; as, aLuke 18.14.EueryEvery man that exal…eth himselfe, shall be brought lo…; and hee that humbleth himselfe, shall be exalted. bMat. 25.29.VntoUnto eueryevery man that hath, it shall be giuen, but from him that hath not, euen that which he hath shall be taken away. Many that are first shall be last, and the last shall be first. The which saying is hard, and (as cSer. on the Gosp…ll for Sept…g…s.Bishop Latymer speakes) it is no meat for mowers and ignorant people. Christ therefore propounds here this parable for dLudolphus de vita Christi. part. 2. cap. 13. Iansen. con. cap. 101. Marlorat. ex Bullinger. in loc. & rel…qui fere omnes.explanation thereof, as it is apparent by the 16. verse of this present Chapter, as also by the last words of the former▪ Many that are first shall be last, and the last shall be first: for the kingdom… of heauen, &c.
In which, a lecture of meeknesse is read by the great eAugust. de sanctá virginit. cap. 31.Doctor of humility; fLu…er. postil. maior. in loc.teaching all such as are forward in religion, not to be proud, because the first may be last; and all such as are called late, not to despaire, because the last may be first.
In the whole parable, three points are to be noted: our
calling.
worke.
reward.
In our calling, obserue the
Author of our calling; God.
diuersitie of our calling, in respect of
time, called a… houre, 3.6.9.11.
place: some called in ye market, & other elsewhere.
God is termed here paeterfamilias, in respect of his gCulma…. con. 2. in loc.fatherly louelove and care, disposing of all things in the Catholike Church, with greater prouidence and wisdome, then any discreet housholder can manage the priuate businesse of his particular family. So that all Atheists and Epicures holding that either there is no God, or that hee cares not for the things on earth, are confuted by this one word, that God is an housholder, a father of his Church.
Went out] Whither can he goe, that is eueryevery where? hPo…t. in loc.Liceat dicere, exijt à se, vt intret in te, imo vt te conuertat in se. God went out from his maiesty, which is vnknowne vntounto his mercy, which is manifested in all his works, in gouerning the Church esp…cially, sending labourers into his haruest, and workmen into his vineyard.
If then all laborers in the vineyard are called by God, iMarlorat. ex Caluin. in loc.such as are busied in vnlawfull professions and occupations, not allowed by his word, are not seruants of the Lord, but hirelings of Satan.
The second point obseruable in our calling, is the diuersity thereof in respect of time and place. God cals in diuers houres of the day; kLudolphus & Ia…sen. vbi sup. ex Chrysost.that is, in diuers ages of the world, and in diuers yeeres of our age. In the time before the law, God called Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, and such like. In the time vnderunder the law, Moses, Dauid, Esay, together with other Kings and Prophets: in the time after the law, the blessed Apostles, Martyrs, Confessors. Or as lHitron. in loc. & August. de verbis Dom. ser. 59.other, God called some in the first houre, as Adam and the Patriarks vntill Noah: some in the third houre, as all Noahs posterity to Abraham: some in the sixt houre, as all his seruants, who liued betweene Abraham & Moses: some in the ninth houre, as Moses and the Prophets: some in the eleuenth houre, as Peter and Paul; and all other who liued since Christs time, which is hora nouissima, the last houre: Iohn 1. epist. 2.18.1. Cor. 10.11. But I thinke with Saint Hierom, that this difference is meant of our age, rather then of the worlds age. For our great Master calles some to labour in his vineyard at the first houre of the day, that is, in their childhood, as Samuel, Ieremy, Iohn the Baptist; each whereof might say with …he mPsal. 22.9.Psalmographer; O Lord, thou wast mine hope, when I hanged yet vponupon my mothers breasts. Thou art my God euen from my mothers wombe. Other he cals in the third houre, that is, in their youth, as Daniel the Prophet, and Iohn the Euangelist; of whom Saint nAd Heliodorum. …om. 1. fol. 4.Hierom, Discipulum minimum Iesus amauit plurimum. Other in the sixt houre, that is, in their middle age, as Peter and Andrew. Other in the eleuenth houre, that is, in their old age, as Gamaliel, and Ioseph of Arimathea; some not onelyonly in the last houre of the day, but euen in the last minute of the houre, as the theefe vponupon the Crosse: Luke 23.
Againe, this our calling is diuers in respect of the place: for God calles some from their oMat. 4.19.ships, and some from their pMat. 9.9.shops, and some from vnderunder the qLuke 14.23.hedges, and some from the market; as it is here, vers. 3. Now this diuers calling at diuers times, and in diuers places
intimates a caueat, for such as are called.
intimates a comfort, for such as are not called.
A caueat for such as are called, that they neither magnifie themselues, nor vilifie other. It proceeds not from our good works, but from Gods good will that wee be called; and he being infinitely rich in mercy, can call the most wicked ruffin, euen though he hauehave denied Christ with Peter, or sold Christ with Iudas, or crucified Christ with Pilat. rMat. 7.1.Iudge not therefore, that ye be not iudged: iudge not malitiously, iudge not curiously. The counsell of Gods election is secret: sRom. 8.30.whom he did predestinate, them also he calleth; and whom he calleth, he iustifieth; and whom he iustifieth, he sanctifieth in his good time: and therefore iudge not before the time.
This also may tFerus. ser. 5. in. loc.comfort such as feele not themselues as yet sufficiently called. Our good Lord calles at all times, in all places: he called Paul in the midst of his furie, uActs 9.1.breathing out th…eatnings and slaughter against the professors of the faith. He called Cardinall xPetr… Paulus Ve…gerius, vti Lanquet chron. fol. 343.Vergeriu… as he was running away: for being suspected in the Court of Rome, to fauor the Gospellers, and purposing to cleere himselfe of that suspition, intended to write a booke against them; and for that purpose reading their works, and examining their arguments exactly, was fully resolued that their doctrine was good, and also perswaded his brother, the Bishop of Pola, to receiue the same. He called Henry 8. Wicklif, Luther, in their discontent. Henry 8. of famous memory, displeased with the Pope for denying his diuorce, banished all forraine iurisdiction, and immediately made publike profession of the Gospell. yD. Godwin in the life of Simon Langham.Iohn Wicklif, with other, being thrust out of Cante…burie Colledge in Oxford, & Monkes placed in their roome by the Popes edict, and Simon Langham Archbishop of Canterburies power, at the last grew so discōtent, that he misliked Pope, Bishop, Monkes and all▪ and afterward it pleased God to shew him the bright beames of his truth, in so much that Wicklif was a wicket, and a doore of entrance to many who liued in that time of ignorance.
Martin Luther at the first distasted in all popery but one point onelyonly, to wit, the base prostitution of indulgences in Germany: but herein receiuing no satisfaction, he grew to be so great a laborer in the Lords, vineyard, that it might hauehave been written on his tombe:
zStapleton. de magnitudine Rom. Eccl…s. lib. 1. cap. 7.Pestis eram viuens, moriens ero mors tua papa.
Or as aIn epitaphijs.learned Bèza worthily and wittily:
Roma orbem domuit, Romam sibi Papa subegit,
Viribus illa suis, fraudibus iste suis.
Quanto isto maior Lutherus, maior & illa
Istum, illam que vnô qui domuit calamô.
Hitherto concerning our calling into the vineyard. The next obseruable point is our working. This vineyard, as the bEsay 5.7.Prophet tels vsus, is the Church. Surely the vineyard of the Lord is the house of Israel, and the men of Iudah are his pleasant plant. All men are either loiterers in the market of the world, or else laborers in the vineyard of the Church. Of such as stand in the market
idle there be foure sorts: some
sell their soules.
pawne their soules.
lose their soules.
giuegive their soules.
Some sell: for as it is said of the Lawyer, that hee hath linguam venalem, a tongue to bee bought and sold; so it may be said of the couetous man, that hee hath animam venalem, a soule to be cEccl…s. 10.9.sold; so the dLudolphus in l…c.voluptuous man doth sell his soule for pleasures, as Esa… did his birthright for a messe of pottage; so the proud man doth sell his soule for aduancement, …s Alexander the 6. is said to hauehave done for his Po…edome. The Lord saith, Thou shalt hauehave no other Gods but me, neither in h…auen aboue, nor in earth beneath, nor in the water vnderunder the earth: and yet as the Scripture doth intimate, the proud man makes honour his god, the couetous man gold his god, the voluptuous man his belly his god. The first hath his idoll as it were in the aire; the second his idoll in the earth; and the third his idoll in the water, as eIoannes de Combis compend. lib. 5. cap. 60.one pithily notes vponupon the second Commandement.
Secondly, some pawne their soules, albeit they be not so desperate, so giuen ouer to commit sinne with greedinesse, as to sell their soules right out, yet for their profit and pleasure they will be content to pawne their soules vntounto the diuell for a time: so Dauid in committing adulterie did as it were pawne his soule; Noe when hee was drunke did pawne his soule; Peter in denying Christ did also pawne his soule: but these being all labourers in Gods vineyard redeemed their soules againe, with vnfained and hartie repentance. But let vsus take heede how we play the merchant venturers in this case: for our soule is our best iewell, of greater value then the whole world, and the diuell is the craftiest vsurer and greatest oppressor that euer was, if he can get neuer so little aduantage, if we keep not day with him, he will be sure at the iudgement day to call for iustice, and to claime his owne, speaking vntounto God as the King of Sodome did vntounto Abraham; fGen. 14.21.Da mihi animas, caetera tolle tibi: GiueGive me the soules which hauehave been pawned and forfetted vntounto me, the rest take to thy selfe.
There is another kinde of pawning of soules, and that is vntounto God; for Princes and Prelates, Ministers and Masters are bound to God as it were in goods and bodie for all such as are vnderunder them: as the Prophet said vntounto King g1. King. 20.39.Ahab; Keepe this man, if he be lost, and want, thy life shall goe for his life. But if thou dost thy best endeuour, though the wicked incorrigible sinner die for his iniquitie, thou shalt hEzech. 33.9.deliuer thy soule, redeeeme thy pawne, and when euening is come, the Lord of the vineyard shall giuegive thee thy reward.
Thirdly, some lose their soules; as carnall and carelesse Gospellers, ignorant negligent people, who though they come to Church either for fashion or feare; yet, alas, they seldome or neuer thinke of their poore soule, from whence it came, or whither it shall goe, trifling away the time in the market, neither buying nor selling, nor giuing; but idly gaping and gazing vponupon other, a fit pray for the cutpurse, betraying themselues and their soules vntounto that old cunnicatcher Satan, who goes about daily, seeking whom he may deceiue, cunningly snatching and stealing such soules as are vnguarded, vnregarded. O blockish stupiditie! will you keepe your chicken from the kite, your lambe from the wolfe, your fa…ne from the hound, your conies and pigeons from the vermine; and will not you keepe your soule from the diuell, but idly lose it without any chopping or changing in the market?
Fourthly, some giuegive their soules, as first the malitious and enuious person: for whereas an ambitious man hath a little honour for his soule; a couetous man a little profit for his soule; a voluptuous man a little pleasure for his soule; the spitefull wretch hath nothing for his soule, but fretting and heart-griefe, like Cain, who said of himselfe, iGen. 4.14.Whosoeuer findeth me, shall slay me.
Secondly, such as finally despaire, giuegive their souls away; for the diuell bestoweth nothing in liew thereof, but horror and hell of conscience. The kFerus, ser. 5. in loc.distressed soule may comfort himselfe with the conclusion of this parable: The first shall be last, and the last first. The lLudolphus in loc.last in … owne iudgement, the first in Gods eye.
Thirdly, such as destroy their bodie, that the diuel may hauehave their soule, giuegive themselues away for nothing: in one word, this is the case of all such as stand idle in the market, they serue the diuels turne for nothing: for the wages of sinne (saith mRom. 6.23.Paul) is death; and death is none of Gods workes, a nothing in nature. Why therefore do you stand idle in the market all the day? goe into the vineyard, saith the Lord, and whatsoeuer is right I will giuegive you.
Now there be diuers labourers in the vineyard, as there be diuers loiterers in the world; one plants, another waters, some dig, some dung; the nHemingius in loc.householder giues vntounto one man a shredding hooke, to another a spade, to a third an hatchet: so there be *Mil…s equis, piscator aquis, & clericus hymnis, nauta fretis, pugiles Marte, poeta m…tris.sundrie vocations and offices in the Church, diuersities of gifts, and diuersities of administrations, and diuersities of operations, 1. Cor. 12. But about the trimming of the materiall vine, there be oEsay 5.2.three sorts of labourers especial…y: the first to proyne; the second to lay abroad, and vnderprop it; the third, to digge away the old mould, and to lay new to the root: al which are so necessarie, that if any of them faile, the vine will soone decay.
No lesse needfull in Christs Church are these three estates:
Clergie.
Magistracie.
Commonaltie.
It belongs to the Priest to cut away supers…uous branches with the sword of the spirit. The Magistrate must protect, vnderset and hedge in the vine, lest the wilde pPsalm. 80.13.bore out of the wood roote it v…, and the wilde beasts of the field deuoure it. The common labourer must dig and till the ground, that hee may get sustenance for himselfe and other. If no Priest, what would become of our spirituall life? if no Prince what would become of our ciuill life? if no common people, what would become of our naturall life? We must al be labourers, and that painfull and profitable; painfull, called in this our parable thrice, workmen: Non otiandum in viâ, sed laborand…m in vineâ: There is no roome in ye vineyard for sluggishnes: qIeremy 48▪ 10Cursed is he that doth the worke of the Lord negligently.
But because Satan is the most rB. Latymer ser. at Pauls.diligent preacher in the world, and heretikes sMatth. 23.15.compasse sea and land to make proselyts, and to draw disciples after them; it is not enough that labourers in the vineyard be painfull, except they be profitable: for as one said of the schoolemen; A man may magno conatu nihil agere, take great paine to little purpose; toile much, and yet not helpe, but rather hurt the vineyard. The by-word, EueryEvery man for himself, and God for vsus all, is wicked, impugning directly the end of eueryevery vocation and honest kind of life. That our paine may be profitable, wee must labour in a lawfull calling lawfully, for the good of the vineyard, and then, as it followeth in the last point of the parable, wee shall receiue Gods peny for our paine.
When euen was come, the Lord of the vineyard said vntounto his steward, Call the labourers and giuegive them their hire, beginning at the last vntill the first.] Wherein obserue two
things especially:
When? at euening.
What? giuegive thē their hire; the which is not a reward os merit, but of merciemercy; not of debt, but of fauour, as it appeares here by the
persons,
Of whom, God the Father.
Through whom, the Steward, God the Sonne.
To whom, to the labourers; yet so that the last be paied first, and the first last.
When euen] All our time of labouring in the vineyard is termed in this and other places of holy writ, a day: t2. Cor. 6.2.Behold now the day of saluation: uHeb. 3.13.Exhort one another while it is called to day.
Now our whole pilgrimage on earth is called a day, in two respects especially:
1. For the shortnesse of our life.
2. For that after this our day is spent, wee shall no longer worke.
All our time is but a day, and that a short day, a winters day; for our eternal night is infinitly longer then our temporall day: and alas! it is but a little part of this little day that we worke. xSeneca, epist. 1. Multos annos transegi, paucos vixi. Cael. Calcagninus.Multum temporis e…ipitur nobis, plus subducitur, plurimum eff…uit: exigua pars est vitae quam nos vi…imus. It is the least part of our life that we truly liue; for wee spend our youth, which is our morning, in toyes and vanities; and our old age, which is our afternoone, for the most part is lost in carking and caring for things of this life, so that there remaineth only the noone of our day. As Epaminondas aptly, we must salute young men with good morow, or welcome into the world; old men with good night, because they bee leauing the world; only those of middle age with good day.
Let vsus examine then how we spend our noone. Though honest men vse not to sleepe at noone, yet all wee being labourers in Gods haruest and vineyard ordinarily sleepe almost halfe our time. Other houres we waste in eating, other in playing, and that which is worst of all, most of all in sinning: all which time, wee cannot properly bee said to liue; for as the scripture teacheth vsus plainly, bad workes are not the workes of light, but of night and darknesse: a day mispent is lost, yTitus V…sp. vti Sucton. in …ius vita.amici, diem perdidi.
Similis Captaine of the guard to the Emperour Adrian, after he had retired himselfe, and liued priuatly seuen yeeres in the countrey, confessed that hee had liued only 7. yeers, and caused to be written vponupon his tombe:
zXiphilinus in vita Adriani.Hic iacet Similis, cuius aetas
multorum annorum fuit, ipse
septem duntaxat annos vixit.
So, many religious men hauehave numbred their yeeres, not from the day of their birth, but of their new birth, from their beginning of their regeneration and repentance, reputing all that time lost, which was idly misspent in the market of the world: so that whether we consider our life of nature, or life of grace, our whole time may well be called a short day.
Secondly, a day in regard of our eternal night, in which we cannot worke; for there is no grace in the graue, nor health in hell. I must worke the workes of him that sent me, (saith aIohn 9.4.Christ) while it is day; the night commeth when no man can worke. When euen is come the Lord of the vineyard shall say to his steward, call the labourers, and giuegive them their hire. This euen is either bSoarez tract. 2 in Matth. 20.eueryevery mans end, or else the cTheoph…lact. in loc.worlds end; the particular houre of our death, or the general day of iudgement: at dCulman. & Maldonat. in loc.both which as well the loiterer as the labourer, shall receiue his reward.
The next point to be discussed, is, what? GiueGive them their hire] The word hire doth exceedingly trouble the Papists; for they cannot, or at least will not vnderstand how eternal life may be both a reward and a gift: whereas it is demonstrated in holy Scripture, that the immortall crowne of glorie, is called a reward secundùm quid, only, but a gift simplicitè… ; if we compare life euerlasting to the worke, and looke no further, it is called a reward: Matth. 5.12. Great is your reward in heauen: but examine the first original from whence the worke it selfe also proceedes, and all is meerely and wholly gift: eternall life is the gift of God through Iesus Christ our Lord; whereas the blessed Apostle said, the wages of sinne is death. If there were any merits in our workes, the sequell of his speech ePerkins resormed Catholike, tit merits.should hauehave been, The wages of righteousnesse is eternall life; hee saith not so, but the gift of God is eternall life; and so by that which he doth not say as also by that which he doth say, sheweth that there is no place for merit. fRom. 11.6.If then it be of grace, it is no more of works; otherwise grace is no grace: gAugustin. contra P…lag. & Celestiū, lib. 2. c. 24 tom. 7. fol. 541.Gratia non erit gratia vllo modo, nisi sit gratuita omni…odo: Grace is not grace in any sort, if it be not free in eueryevery sort.
In this controuersie, the scriptures, and fathers, and many learned Papists are on our side. God saith in the hExod. 20.6.law, that he will shew mercy to such as keep his commandements: Ergo, rew… is giuen of mercy to them that fulfill the law. Christ saith in the iLuke 12.…2.Gospell; It is your fathers pleasure to giuegive you… kingdome. And kRom. 8.18.Paul; The sufferings of this life are not worthy of the glory in the life to come.
The most iudicious and the most indifferent for both parties among the fathers is Augustine, who repeates in his lEnarrat. Psal. 102. & epist. 10….works often this one golden sentence; Deus coronat dona sua, non mer…a…r…. God crowneth his owne gifts, not our merits: according to that of mPsal. 103.4.Dauid; Hee crowneth vsus with compassion and louing kindnesse. nAugust. epist. 105.Eternall life should be rendred as due vntounto thee, if of thy selfe thou hadst the righteousnesse to which it is due. But of his fulnesse wee receiue, not onelyonly grace, now to liue iustly in our labours vntounto the end, but also grace for this grace, that afterward wee may liue in rest without end; oI…m. epist. 120 cap. 19.Haec est gratia …ratis d…a▪ non meritis operantis, sed miseratione donax…i…. pIn Rom. c. 4.Origen saith, he can hardly be perswaded that there can be any worke, which by debt may require reward at Gods hand, in as much as it is by his gift, that wee are able to doe, or thinke, or speake any thing thati… good. qDe his qui putant se ex operibus iustificari.Marke ▪ the Hermite, saith; He that doth good▪ … …ng reward thereby, serueth not God, but his owne w… ▪
rDe vocat. G…nt. lib. 1. cap. 17. Non labori pretium s…luens, sed di…i…ias bonitatis suae in c…s quos sine operibus clegit, ….… the words of my text: The Lord of the vineyard … hire, not as paying a price to their labour, bu… pow…ing forth the riches of his goodnesse to the… … chos… without works, that euen they al…o who … with much labour, and hauehave receiued no m…re …, may vnderstand that they hauehave receiued a …, not wages for their worke. So Saint … in Rom 8. Greg. Magnus in Psalm. … 1. d… interpell. cap. 1. & in Luc. lib. 8. c. 17. Fulgentius ad Monimum. lib. 1. Many learned Papists agree with vsus also both in their positions and practise. sFol. 106.Bernard in his sermon vponupon the Annunciation, said, that the merits of men are not such as that life eternall by right is owing for them: his reason is this; Omnia merita, Dei dona sunt, & ita homo magis propter ipsa Deo debitor est, quam Deus homini. For, saith he, all our merits are the gifts of God: and so man is rather a debter to God for them, then God to man. And in tSer. 61. in cant.another place; Meritum meum miseratio Domini, &c. my merit is Gods mercy, &c.
uIn Luke cap. 7.Stella: God my protector looke not vponupon me; but first looke vponupon thine onelyonly Sonne: place betweene me and thee, his crosse, his blood, his passion, his merit; that so thy iustice passing thorow his blood, when it commeth at the last to me, it may be gentle and full of mercy.
Frier Ferus in his commentaries vponupon this plece, saith, that the parable of the vineyard teacheth, that whatsoeuer God giueth vsus, is of grace; not of debt. And in his xSer. 8. dom. septuag…s.Postil he professeth openly, that if it were not for pride, this question would soone be at an end.
yPart. 1. quaest. 17. art. 2. fol. 77.78.Gregorius Ariminensis vponupon Peter Lombard, defends at large, that no worke done by man, though comming from the greatest charity, meriteth of condignity, either eternall life, or any other reward temporall; because euerie such worke is the gift of God. His owne words are; Ex hoc infero, quod ne dum vitae eternae, sed nec alius alterius praemij aeterni vel temporalis aliquis actus hominis ex quantâcun que charitate elicitus est de condigno meritorius apud Deum, quia quilibet talis est donum Dei.
Cardinall zDe iustificat. lib. 5 cap. 7. § sit tertia proposu…o.Bellarmin, after he had a long time trauelled and wearied himselfe in the questions of iustification, at the last holds it the safest course to repose our whole trust in the onelyonly mercies of God: propter incertitudinem propriae iustitiae, & periculum inanis gloriae, tutissimum est fiduciam totamin solâ Dei misericordiâ & benignitate reponere.
Thus, as you see, Papists of the best note for learning, accord with vsus in the pulpit and schoole. Now for their practise, that learned Clerk aLoc. com. tit. Iustificat.Chemnitius hath obserued long since, that most of them in the question of iustification by works, hauehave said one thing in their disputations, and another in their meditations; otherwise behauing themselues at their death, then in their life. For when once they see that they must appeare before the bar of Gods iustice, they plead for the most part, guilty, crauing a Psalme of mercy; Miserere mei Deus, & secunudum, multitud…nem miserationum tuarum dele iniquitatem meam.
Pope bMoral. lib. 9. cap. 17.Gregory counselleth vsus, vt recta, quae agimus, sci…ndo nesciamus, in plaine English, to take no further notice of our good workes, but to renounce them.
cChemnitius vbi suprâ, tit. de peccat. original.Anselmus, Archbishop of Canterbury, confesseth often in his meditations, that all his life was either vnprofitable or damnable. Whereupon hee concludes at last; Quidergo rest…t ô peccator; nisi vt in totâ vitá tuá deplores totam vitam tuam? What remaines to bee done in our whole life, but to lament for the sinnes of our whole life.
Abbot dSer. 68. in cant.Bernard hath this sweet saying; Sufficit ad …eritum scire quod non sufficiant merita. Penury of merit is a dangerous pouerty, presumption deceitfull riches. I will therefore (saith he) pray with eProu. 30.8.Salomon, O Lord, giuegive me neither pouerty nor riches, neither want of merit, neither abundance of presumption.
Sherwin, a Seminary Priest, fAn. 1581.executed for treason with Edmund Campian at Tiborne, when hee was in the cart, ready to die, though he held himselfe a Martyr for the Catholike faith, acknowledged notwithstanding ingennously, the miseries, imperfections, and corruptions of his owne vile nature, relying wholly vponupon Christ, and inuocating no Saint but his Sauiour, ending his life with these words; O Iesus, Iesus, Iesus be to me a Iesus.
But the truth of this doctrine doth appeare more plainly by the consideration of the persons here mentioned, of whom, through whom, to whom. First, of whom, the Lord of the vineyard, that is, God the Father, who saith in the 15. verse, that the eternall penny is his owne, and that he may doe with it what he list. If it were debt, then not his owne, neither could he dispose of it as he will. In execution, the worke goeth before the reward; as here the labour before the hire: but in Gods intention the reward is before the worke. God therefore giueth vsus grace to worke wel, because formerly by his election he giueth vsus eternall life: gRom. 8.30.Whom he doth predestinate, them hee calleth; and whom he calleth, he iustifieth; and whom he iustifieth, them he glorifieth. And so his mercy is hPsal. 103.17.from euerlasting to euerlasting, from euerlasting predestination, to euerlasting glorification.
Happily some will say; pr…ise is deb… …ut God promised and couenanted with … …bourers in the second verse, to giuegive them a penny. … made, that this very promise is mercy on Gods part, not merit on our part: by promise hee bindeth himselfe, but by merit wee bind him vntounto vsus. It is in his own power to promise, and without promise he should be tied vntounto nothing▪ but whether there be promise or not, he is tied in iustice to reward desert. If a man deserue a penny, he must hauehave a penny; for God infinitely rich in mercy, doth highly scorne to owe any laborer a farthing: but if this penny be due not by any performance of man, but onelyonly by the promise of God, it cannot truly be called a reward of debt, but of fauour; not purchase, but inheritance. iMat. 25.34.Come … blessed of my father, inherit the kingdome prepared for you, &c.
Inheritance is a matter of birth, and not of industry. The younger brother often is of bet… … then the elder; yet that cannot make him his fat… heire. When therefore the Scripture sets …orth vntounto vsus eternall life, vnderunder the condition of inheritance; it teacheth v… plainly, that we cannot attaine it by merit; but that God electing vsus his childen, b…re any worke, giueth vsus freely the state and prerogatiue thereof.
Christ is the Steward, by whom eueryevery labourer hath his hire: for we receiue nothing from God the Father, but by God the Sonne; nIohn 1.17.grace by Iesus Christ.
The persons vntounto whom reward is giuen, are the first and the last labourers in Gods vineyard, and the last hath equall pay with the first. If then in our spirituall warfare, any good worke chance to leape ouer the wall, and challenge to it selfe any prerogatiue of merit, and so the diuell by his seeming retreat, infect it with the bane of pride, as hauing obtained victory; we must vse it as Torqua…us did his oueruenturous sonne, cut it off with the vnpartiall sword of the spirit, for daring beyond his commission. I conclude with oEpist. 105.Augustine; It is true righteousnesse vntounto which eternall life is due; but if it be true, it is not of thy selfe. It is from aboue, descending downe from the father of lights, that thou mightst hauehave it: if at least thou hauehave it, verily thou hast receiued it: for p1. Cor. 4.7.what hast thou that thou hast not receiued? Wherefore, O man, if thou be to receiue eternall life, it is indeed the wages of righteousnesse; but to thee it is grace, to whom righteousnesse it selfe is also grace.
That God cals, it is his mercy; that thou commest at his call, it is his mercy; that thou dost labour when thou art come, it is his mercy; that thou art rewarded for thy labour, it is his mercy. q1. Cor. 15.10.By the grace of God I am that I am, and his grace which is in me, was not in vaine; but I labored more abundantly then them all; yet not I, but the grace of God which is with me.