The Autumn Part from the Twelfth Sunday after Trinity, Gospel 7
The Gospell.
MATTH. 9. 1.
Iesus entered into a ship, and passed ouer, and came into his owne Citie, &c.
THis History cō mends vntounto your cō sideration
Actors,
Agent,
Porters of the Palsie-man as Procters helping: Behold they brought, &c.
Christ, as the chiefe Doctor healing: infirmities of
Soule, Thy sins be forgiuē thee.
Body, Arise, take vp thy bed &c.
Patient: a man, a sicke-man, a man sicke of the palsie, so sicke that he could neither goe, nor stand, nor sit, but lie in his bed.
Auditors,
The Scribes, murmuring at the matter and blaspheming Christ, vers. 3.
The people, maruelli…g at the miracle and glorifying God, ver. 8.
Iesus entred into a ship and passed ouer] It is written of zErasmus in eius ritapraefix. tom. 1. Hieron.Hierome that hee spent foure yeares in a Desert of Syria so studiously, that he did allow himselfe but a little time for sleepe, lesse for meat, none for idlenesse. But our blessed Sauiour neither immured in a wall, nor Cloystered in an Abbey, nor hidden in a Wildernesse, aAct. 10. 38.went about doing good from Coast to Coast, and from Country to Country, from the Gadarens vntounto Galil…: whose bHeming.diligence you must according to your seuerall occupations and occasions imitate so fast as you can, and so farre as you may; knowing that it is impossible not to finde ill in idle: cLament. Pisanus Euangel. paradox.Hominem ot iosum non esse malum impossibile, quia nihil agendo dis…u male agere. From hence likewise we may note Christs vnspeakable goodnesse, who came to the Gergese…s• F…rus c…. 1. in loc. afore they desired him, and stayed in their countrie till they reiected him as being prior in amore, posterior in odi…: loning vsus e1. Iohn 4. 19.first afore we loued him, and ne…er forsaking vsus vntill we forsake him: as he speaks by the mouth of his holy fHosea 13. 9.Prophet, O Israel hurt is from thy selfe; but helpe is in mee.
Into his owne citis] The man sicke of the palsie was cured in Capernaum, as Saint Marke reports in his second Chapter at the first verse: but Christ as wee find in the Gospell of Saint Matthew was borne at gMatth. 2. 1.Bethlehem, and brought vp at hMatth. 2 23.Nazaret: how then accord you these places? iDe consensu Euangel l. 2. cap. 25 Idem Anselm. in loc.Augustine doth answere, that Capernaum was the chiefe, and as it were Metropolitane Citie of all the Galileans, and therefore in what place soeuer of Galile Christ was, hee might be said to be in Capernaum, as the whole Roman Empire spread farre and wide was termed Rome, and all the parts of Huntingdonshire, Cambridgeshire, Bedfordshire, take their denomination from Huntingdon, Cambridge, Bedford, the principall head townes of those countries. And this exposition is receiued by thekIn loc. Penner of the Ordinarie Glosse, Beda, Hugo, Strabus and other, apud Maldonat. in loc. But lIdem Theophi. lact. Euthym. Beza in loc.Chrysostome giues a more probable satisfaction vntounto the present obiection, affirming that Christ was borne in Bethlehem, and bred in Nazaret; but afterward dwelt in Capernaum especially, shewing his greatest miracles (as mMatt. 11. 23.himselfe witnesseth) in that Citie; Thou Capernaum, which art lifted vp vntounto heauen, shall bee brought downe to hell: for if the great workes, which hauehave been done in thee, had been done among them of Sodom, they had remained to this day. So that Capernaum is called heere Christs owne Citie, because nMatth. 4. 13.leauing Nazareth, hee went and dwelt in Capernaum. oKilius in l….Hence wee may learne that eueryevery towne which is adorned with the Gospell is Christs owne Citie, there …esus is present in his Sermons, in his Sacraments, in his gifts, in his grace. pDiez Con. 1. in loc.So long as the children of Israel obeyed God, and walked in his waies according to his word, so long they were called his people. Come saith the qExod. 3. 10.Lord to Moses, I will send the to Pharaoh, that thou may est bring my people the children of Israel out of Egypt: but when once they wererPsal. 106. 38. stained with their owne workes, and went a whoring with their owne inuentions, in so much as they sIbid. ver. 20.turned their glory into the similitude of a Calfe that eateth hay: the Lord speaking vntounto Moses his seruant, cals them not as afore my people, buttExod. 33. 1. the people, or according to the vulgar, Thy people. So Hierusalem once uPsal. 87. 2.Gods citie, was afterward by xMatth. 23. 37.killing the Prophets, and reiecting the Lord of the Prophets, a den of theeues, Matth. 21. 13. So Rome was in Pauls age the yRom. 1. 7.beloued Church of Christ, but since her erroneous doctrine, as the wine of hir fornication, hath intoxicated the Kings and inhabitants of the earth, Apocal. 17. 2. what is shee but the zApocal. 17. 5.mother of abomiuations, a synagogue of Sa…han, a seat of Antichrist.
It may be further obiected heere, that the aMatth. 8. 20.Son of man had not so much as an hole wherein to rest his head, and therefore no Citie of his owne. To which, answer may be, bMusculus in loc.that the holy Ghost (in these two contrary texts as they seeme) doth insinuate that lesson secretly, which Paul else-where deliuereth openly, to wit, that wee should c1. Cor. 7. 31.vse the world as if we vsed it not, d2. Cor. 6. 10.as hauing nothing, and yet possessing all things.
They brought to him a man sicke of the palsie lying in a bed] In these Porters and Procters obserue with ePostil. in loc.Hemingius and fSoarez Culman.other, vnfained louelove to their friend, and a liuely faith in Christ: in being gIob 29. 15.feet to the lame, great louelove. But in bringing him vntounto Christ, and that after such a strange manner as Saint hCap. 2. 4.Marke reports it, vncouering the roofe of the house where Christ was, and letting downe their sicke neighbour in a bed, and when he was so brought vntounto Christ holding it sufficient to present iDeauxamis in loc.miserum ante misericordem, an obiect of miserie to the father of mercy, greater faith. Other happily would hauehave powred out a long prayer vntounto Christ in word, or hauehave giuen vp a large petition in the behalfe of their friend in writing: but they were well assured, as kParaph. in 5. Luke.Erasmus elegantly, that the distressed in his couch, eò magis loquebatur misericordi medico, quia loqui non poterat. And therefore the text saith in the next clause, that Iesus saw the faith of them. lZepper. con. 1. in loc.As God, he saw their faith, as he saw the thoughts of the Scribes: and as man, he saw their faith by their workes. Hee saw the faith of the porters in bringing, and of the palsie man in suffering himselfe to be brought in such a manner: and therefore Christ, the mLuke 2. 25.consolation of Israel, affoords him instantly comfort both in word, and deed. In word, Sonne bee of good cheare, whosoeuer beleeueth in Christ, nIohn 1. 12.hath power to be the sonne of God: and if thou bee Gods sonne, thou maist bee very well of good cheare; for your oMatth. 6. 8. 33.father in heauen knoweth your wants, and prouideth all things necessarie for you. Indeed, healing first his sinnes, and then his sores.
Thy sinnes are forgiuen thee] Where first obserue, that Christ is so good as his word, yea better then his promise: for whereas he saith, pMatth. 7. 7.aske and yee shall hauehave, hee granted heere to the palsie man afore hee did aske, and more then he did aske. qMusculus in loc.Wee read not that the patient himselfe, or his agents exhibited any petition vntounto Christ in his behalfe, yet the Lord heard the rPsal. 10. 19.desire of the poore, yea the very groanes of his seruants s1. Sam. 1. 13.not expressed, tHilarius apud Lilium in loc. So God vntounto Moses, Exodus 14. 15.oratio licet tacens est Deo clamor. His palsie was prayer enough, and his faith a sufficient friend for his way to the God of all comfort. Againe, this patient came to Christ especially, if not onelyonly, to bee cured of his corporall infirmitie: but behold his spirituall iniquities are healed also. Sonne bee of good cheare, thy sinnes are forgiuen thee. u1. Kings 3.King Salomon desired of God onelyonly, that hee would giuegive him an vnderstanding heart to iudge his people: but the Lord granted him not onelyonly wisedome in such a plentifull manner, as that none were like him in vnderstanding either afore or after his time: but also bestowed on him other blessings of riches, honour, and prosperitie which he did not aske.x1. Sam. 9. Saul seeking for Asses onelyonly, found a kingdome. yAugustin. Confess. lib. 9. cap. 10.Monica begged of God that her sonne Augustine might one day turne Christian and Catholike: but hee proued also the most illuminate Doctor of all the Fathers. As when zIudges 5.Sisera asked water, Iael gaue him milke: and as when Gehezi begged of Naaman one talent, he presently said vntounto him,a2 Kings 5. 23. Yea take two talents, and hee compelled him, and bound two talents of siluer in two bags: euen so God dealeth exceeding abundantly with vsus aboue all that wee aske or thinke, Ephes. 3. 30.
Secondly, in that Christ heere said to the patient, Thy sinnes are forgiuen thee, before hee said, Arise, take vp thy bed, and walke; bFe…us & Mald…nat. in loc.hee doth insinuate that first hee should hauehave craued pardon for his sinnes, and then afterward hauehave desired helpe for his sicknesse; that cMatth. 6. 33.first hee should hauehave sought the kingdome of God, and then all other things should hauehave been cast vponupon him. Ordinarily men are too carefull for their bodies, and too negligent in doing right to their soules; in so much as dSir William Co. newallis essay. 12.one said, Our bodies are made gentlemen, but our mindes are vsed as slaues. EueryEvery man in his right wits affects a good seruant, a good sonne, a good friend, a good sield. Nay eueryevery man is desirous his house, his horse, his hose should bee good, he will hauehave eueryevery thing good about him, only not caring if his soule be bad in him. O wretched wight, saith eSerm. 145. de tempore.Augustine, quid de te tu ipse malè meruisti? inter bonarua non vis esse malum nisi teipsum: How didst thou deserue so much ill of thy selfe, as that among all thy goods only thy selfe art bad.
I obserue that Christ like a good Physician did first purge his patient, and take away the fHierom…. The…hylact. Euthym.matter of … disease, that hee might the better worke his cure. g1. Cor. 11. 30. Iohn 5. 14.Sinne is the cause of all diseases, and therefore Christ who was without sinne, was also without sicknesse, he tooke vponupon him (as the hThom. 3. part. quaest. 14. art. 4. Suarez in 3. Thom. disputat. 32. & Senten. in 3. sent. distinct. 15.schoolemen in this very well) infirmitates speciei, sed non indiuidui. Common infirmities vntounto the whole nature of mankind, as to be weary, to thirst, hunger, mourne: but not the particular infirmities of eueryevery singular person, as the blindnesse of Bartimeus, the feuer of the Rulers sonne, the palsie of this patient lying in his bed. Indeed it is said, Esay 53. 4. that hee tooke our infirmities, and bare our sicknesses. But S. i1. Epist. 2. 24.Peter interprets it of our Sauiours passion, (his owne selfe bare our sinnes in his bodie on the tree. Saint kChap. 8. 17.Matthew construeth it of his healing all kind of diseases. lSee …. Bilson serm. of Christs suffring, pag. 261.Other expound it thus, he tooke vponupon him our paine, that is, whatsoeuer infirmitie was in him, it was onelyonly for our sake, not for his owne sinne: for so the Prophet explanes himselfe in the words immediatly following, hee was wounded for our transgressions, and broken for our iniquities, and with his stripes wee are healed. If any then be sicke, let them humbly confesse their sinnes, and heartily craue forgiuenesse of the same,mPerkius treat. of dying well: & Coster. con. in euang. Dom. 18. post Pentecost. first consulting with a Physition for the soule, then entertaining a Physition for the bodie.
4. Hence learne nHeming.that Christ hath not an eye so much to the greatnesse of our sinnes, as to our faith. If hee see thy faith, hee will winke at thy fault. When the blessed theefe had confessed hïm on the crosse, oLuk 23. 42. 33O Lord remember mee when thou comest into thy kingdome: Christ instantly forgetting all his former sinnes, especially respects his present confession, answering him exceeding gratiously, to day shalt thou bee with me in paradise. When pMark. 10. 52.Bartimeus had cried, Iesus thou sonne of Dauid hauehave merciemercy on me; Christ answered forthwith vntounto the comfort of his soule, Goe thy way, thy faith hath saued thee. This palsie-man had sinnes in the plurall number: originall, as being vniuersall: and actuall, as being the speciall causes of his disease; which not vnlikely was occasioned either by some disquiet of minde, or else by some disdier of bodie: yet (as you see) so soone as Christ perceiued the faith of himselfe and his friends, he said (as not respecting their qCulman.other vertues, or his other vices) O sonne be of good cheare thy sinnes are forgiuen thee.
5. In that Christ said heere, thy sinnes are forgiuen thee, notwithstanding hee knew the Scribes would murmure and mutter against his speech: rHeming.hee teacheth vsus to bee faithfull in our calling, and diligent in doing our dutie, mauger the beard of all captious and cauilling aduersaries. As sS…m. 3. in natal. Dom.Bernard said of another text, Luke 2. 8. Haec mea sunt, mihi apponuntur, mihi proponuntur imitanda. This was spoken by Christ, and written by Matthew for our instruction. Hath then almightie God giuen such power vntounto men, as to pronounce the pardon of sinne to the sicke man in his bed? Is the doctrine of confession and absolution agreeable to the Scriptures, and practise of the Church as well present as primitiue? then albeit some scribling Scribe, pen an invectiue pamphlet against a discreet Pastour executing this office, or some selfe-conceited Pharisie tell the people, this man blasphemeth: hee may notwithstanding (vponupon good information oftCaluin. Inflit. lib. 3. cap. 4. § 21. 22. faith and repentance, as Christ in this place) say to the sicke sinner in his bed, thy sinnes are forgiuen thee, and by Christs authoritie committed vntounto him, I absolue thee. That absolution as well priuate as publike belongs principally, yea properly tanquam ex officio to the Minister, as Christs ambassadour in his ecclesiasticall function: I referre you to the Postils of Melancthon, Culman, Zepperus vponupon this place: to Martin Bucer in uInter scripta A…glicana, pag. 688.articulis concordiae: Melancthon in Matth. 18. vers. 18: & in Iohan. 20. vers. 23: & in tract. de poenitentiatit. Confessio, tom. 2. fol. 191. Oleuian de substantia foederis, part. 2. pag. 278. 279. & sequent. Luther. Musculus, Cruciger apud Melancthon in xPag. 256.Concilijs Theologicis: Doctor Field, lib. 3. of the Church, chap. 25. Master White, way to the true Church, pag. 230. 231. For mine owne part, I wish vnfaignedly that all popish abuses of Confession and absolution vtterly abolished, they might one day bee more fully restored in our Protetestant Churches vntounto their primitiue sinceritie.
6. Christ in saying, thy sinnes are forgiuen thee, doth yHeming.instruct vsus more fully concerning his owne person and office, for which he was sent into the world: namely, zLuk. 19. 10.to seeke and saue that which was lost. Vnlinke the phrase, and you shall finde a Gospell in eueryevery word. Sonne, If wee be sonnes, how can our father in heauen deny vsus any good thing? Matth. 7. 11. Be of good cheere. aRom. 8. 31.If God be with vsus, who can be against vsus? if he will hauehave vsus merrie, what shall make vsus sorry? Thy in particular, sinnes in the plurall, many sinnes, all sinnes, are forgiuen freely, yet fully, through my grace, not vponupon thy merit. For hee saith not (as bMusculus. Heming.Interpretors obserue) thou shalt satisfie for thy sinne: but ecce remittuntur tibi, behold they be forgiuen. Againe, it is very remarkable that Christ saw their faith: but said thy sinnes. I grant with Euthymius and cChrysostom. Theophylact in loc.other ancient fathers, that vndoubtedly this sicke man had some faith, otherwise hee would neuer hauehave sought after Christ so greedily, neither would Christ hauehave receiued him into fauour so gratiously: yet Saint Matthew, Marke, chap. 2. vers. 5. Luke chapter 5. verse 10. attribute most vntounto the faith of the porters, all of them relating the story thus: And when Iesus saw, not his: but their faith. And so many Doctors vnderstand this Text, asdCom. in Luc. 5 Ambrose, eCatechil. 5.Cyrillus Hierosolimitanus, fCom in loc.Hierome andgAnselm. Heming. other. If Christ then be so willing to grant our requests vponupon the prayer and inuocation of other; hTh…m. in loc.how ready will hee be to heare when our selues out of our owne faith are sutors for our selues? Vndoubtedly this saying, thy sinnes are forgiuen, is a *B. Lat. serm. Gosp 20. Sun. after Trinitie.standing sentence, spoken not onelyonly to the palsie man heere: but as a generall proclamation vntounto eueryevery one that beleeueth.
And behold certaine of the Scribes said within themselues, this maen blasphemeth] A man may blasphem iLudolph. de vita Christ. part. 1. c 47. Bonauent. in Luc. 5. Beauxamis. Panigaro… … loc.three waies especially: first, ascribing to God that which is vnbefitting his excellent maiesty: secondly, by denying to God his proper attributes: thirdly, by giuing that vntounto himselfe which is only due to God. And in this third kind the Scribes imagined Christ to blaspheme, because none can forgiue sinnes except God. Esay 43. 25. I am he that putteth away thine iniquities for mine owne sake. Christ therfore prooues himselfe to be God, first by knowing their thoughts, and secondly by doing this myracle. Iesus saw their thoughts; ergo, God. Fork1. Kings 8. 39. God onelyonly knowes the hearts of all the children of men, according to that oflIustin. Mart. de monarch. dei. Totus oculus est & qui minime fallitur quia minimè clauditur. Bernard. lib. 5. de consid. Philemon an old Poet:
Qualis Deus mihi dicite, censendus est,
Qui cuncta cernit, ipse sed non cernitur.
Whether is it easier to say thy sinnes be forgiuen thee? or to say arise and walke] mRupert. in loc.With God it is all one to say and to doe; but with men it is more easie to say this, then to shew this. And therefore that yee may know that the sonne of man hath power to forgiue sinnes on earth: nTheophylact.I will by curing the palsie mans body, prooue that I can also saue his soule. Carnall men beleeue their sense more then their Sauiour, oHierome.fit ergo carnale signum vt probetur spirituale, pChrysostom.facit minus quod est manifestius, vt demonstret maius & non manifestum. And it is worth obseruing that Christ neuer openly forgaue the sinnes of any, qNon hoc ante dicoret quam factis comprobaret. Rupert. in loc.till by working of myracles hee shewed euidently that hee had power to grant pardons. Ambassadours are not beleeued in another Nation, vntill they deliuer their letters of credence. Christ therefore shewed his Commission, andrMusculus. letters testimoniall, or rather a plaine Patent: That ye may know that the Sonne of man hath authority to forgiue sinnes on earth, I say to the sicke of the palsie, arise, take vp thy bed, &c.
Arise, take vp thy bed, and goe to thy house] So many words are set downe for the greater sMaldonat ex Chrysoct.manifestation of the myracle, as if hee should say, Thou that couldest not sit, now stand: thou that couldest not goe, now walke: thou that wert carried in thy bed, tHieron. epist. ad Rustic.now carrie thy bed: and uChrysost. Theophylact. Euthy….so demonstrate that thy former agilitie, strength, and health, is truly restored againe. Goe to thine house, that thy friends and acquaintance who knew thee to be sicke, may confesse my power in making the whole. If Christ would hauehave had this palsie man to follow him, he would not hauehave said, take vp thy bed: butxMatt. 16. 24. take vp thy crosse. For to be Christs follower is not opus puluinaris, sed pulueris, a featherbed is vnfit for our swift race in theyMatth. 7. 14. narrow way, where zMatt. 10. 10.two coates are troublesome.
aKilius in loc.Mystically, this palsie man is eueryevery man vnregenerate lying sicke in the bed of his sinne, not able to stirre hand or foote of himselfe for the good of himselfe. Hee must therefore be renued in the spirit of his minde after God in righteousnesse and true holinesse. Now the power to forgiue sinnes and to worke this cure is giuen to Christ onelyonly. So bPsal. 51. 2. 7.Dauid, Wash mee througly from my wickednesse, and I shall be whiter then the snow. So cChap. 31. 18.Ieremy, Conuert me Lord, and I shall be conuerted. And it is, as our Church speakes, a great maruell, nay, saith dApud Veg. in loc.Augustine, it is a more strange miracle to conuert a sinner and to make him a new man, then it was in the beginning to make the old world. For there was nothing to hinder God in creating the great world; but in renuing this our little world, besides our owne naturall corruption, all euils on earth, all diuels in hell are ready to withstand him. In more particular, he that will not worke for his liuing hath the palsie in his eRupert. in loc.hands, hee must therefore so learne Christ, as that hee steale no more, but rather labour with his hands the thing which is good. And so the Gospell and Epistle meete together in their argument and aime, both insinuating that Iesus Christ is the Sauiour of soule and body. Wherefore let vsus as the beholders of this miracle, glorifie God, and pray with our Church:
O God, for as much as without thee we are not able to please thee: grant that the working of thy mercy may in all things direct and rule our hearts through Iesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.