The Autumn Part from the Twelfth Sunday after Trinity, Gospel 5
The Gospell.
LVKE 14. 1.
It chanced that Iesus went into the house of one of the chiefe Pharisees, &c.
IN this Gospell obserue the
MercieMercy of Christ, to ward the
Master of the feast in comming to his house, for his good, albeit a Pharisie, yea a chiefe Pharisie.
Guests,
Impotent, in healing a man which had the dropsie.
Impudēt, instructing such as contended for place, vers. 7. 8. &c.
Malice of the Pharisies, infolded in one word, They watched him, against all rules of entertainment and hospitalitie, making their table a snare to catch him.
It chanced] Saint gApud Cal Instit. lib. 1. cap. 16. § 8.Basil is of opinion, that chance and fortune are words of Heathens, and not of Christians. Ignoratio causarum nomen fortunae confinxit. Ignorance made Fortune a Goddesse. The Gentiles as hEphes. 4. 18.blinded in their vnderstanding admit and admire this vncertaine Ladie, iPlin. hist. lib. 2. cap. 7.Huic omnia expensa, huic omnia feruntur accepta, & in tota ratione mortalium sola vtram que paginam facit: but such as are taught in Christs vniuersitie, know, that all things come to passe by diuine prouidence, without our heauenly Father a sparrow doth not fall from an house, nor an haire from our head, Matth. 10 29. and therefore Saint Augustine was exceedingly displeased with himselfe for often vsing in his writings the word fortuna, and happily some will except against our translating, foreign it chanced, and in the Gospell appointed for the last Sunday, Luke 7. 11. It fortuned, as also cauill at those words in the Collect, among all the changes and chances of this mortall life. For answer then vntounto this obiection, and for clearing of our text; you must vnderstand, that albeit nothing be casuall in respect of Gods knowledge: kCaluin. vbi sup. §. 9.yet many things are casuall in respect of our ignorance. Which lPart. 1. quaest. 116. art. 1.Aquine doth exemplifie thus: A master sendeth about one errand two seruants, one being ignorant of the others iourney: this concourse of the two seruants in respect of themselues is casuall, and the one may wonder to see the other imployed about his businesse in the same place: but yet in regard of the master who did preordaine this, it is not casuall. Almightie God seeth and foreseeth all things vno actu, yea vno ictu semel & simul: and therefore to him as being all eye, nothing is old, nothing is new: but vntounto men it may be said truly, that there be so many chances as there be changes inuoluntary. Herein wee doe not ascribe any thing vntounto blind Fortune, but all vntounto Gods all-seeing prouidence; yet so, that the diuine prouidence take not away freewill and contingence, for this good act of Christ as it happened not by fortune; so likewise it came not to passe by fate, not, I say, by mSi quis Dei voluntatem appellat nomine fati, sententiam teneat linguam corrigat. Aug. de Ciuit. lib. 5. cap. 1.fatall destiny, for God according to the common axiome of the Schoole, non necessitat sed facilitat, he doth induce the good to doe good with alacrity, not inforce them against their will. nPrudent. in Hamartig…ma.Quoniam probitate coacta gloria nulla venit. As then in regard of God, foreign is well translated, it came to passe: so in regard of vsus, as well, it chanced. As it was prouidence in God, it came to passe, as contingence in Christ being man, it chanced. For hee might hauehave visited a Publican so well as a Pharisie, but it fell out so, that Iesus went into the house of one of the chiefe Pharisies.
Christ conuersed with men of all sorts, and all sex, sometime blessing oMark. 10. 16little children, sometime conferring with sillie pIohn 4.women, sometimes eating with the qMatt. 9. 10. Luke 19. 9.Publicans esteemed the greatest sinners, and heere dining with the Pharisies accounted the greatest saints, hee despised none who came to saue all. He rPr…. 1. 21.cried in the streets among the prease, powring out his minde and saying, sMatt. 11. 28.Come to mee all yee that are weary and laden and I will ease you. And at his death his hands on the Crosse were stretched out, his head bowed downe, his breast open, as ready to redeeme and receiue such as would beleeue in him. tFulgent. serm. de duplici na…. Christ.Homo Deum contemnens à Deo discessit, Deus hominem diligens ad homines venit, dilexit impium vt faceret iustum, dilexit infirmum vt faceret sanum, dilexit mor…uum vt faceret viuum.
One of the chiefe Pharisies] It is apparent in the Gospels history, that the Pharisies were the greatest enemies vntounto Christ, and therfore this being a chiefe Pharisie, was happily one of Christs chiefe enemies. And uCyril apud Aquin in loc.yet Christ being inuited, as it should seeme, to his house formally, comes friendly, without any further examination of his intent, and being come, benefits him and his in vttering a parable and acting a myracle, seeking to xMarlorat.win them all vntounto the truth. yArdens.Hereby teaching to blesse such as hate vsus, embracing all occasions of louelove whereby we may be reconciled vntounto our mortall enemies. In malice there is nothing else but misery, whereas a common vnion begets a communion of all good things. zAugustine hom. 15.Habet proximus aliquam gratiam? ama illum & tua est: habestu aliam? amet…te & su… est. Hath thy neighbour any rare grace? louelove him and it is thine: hast thou any notable gift? if hee louelove thee, then it is his. And therefore Christ, albeit he did hate the pride, yet louing the person of this Pharisie, said and did also good to him and all his company.
Againe, in that this Pharisie was a Chiefe, we note that there was among them, as in eueryevery setled society distinction of offices and orders. In the great booke of Nature wee finde that the Bees hauehave their Master, Cranes their Captaine, Sheepe their Belweather. In holy writ also wee reade of aLuke 19▪ 2.chiefe Publicanes, chiefe bIohn 12. 42.Rulers, chiefe cMatth. 2. 4.Priests. Hell it selfe though it be the kingdome of confusion admits of some degrees and order, otherwise Belzebub could not be dIohn 12. 31.prince of the wicked, and eMatth. 12. 24chiefe of the Diuels. And therefore tumultuous Anabaptists, and all such as would hauehave no differences and degrees among men in Church and common-weale, seeme to hauehave lesse reason then beasts, and lesse religion then either the most wicked men, or the most wretched Diuels. Order is the beautie of nature, ornament of Art, harmonie of the world. Now, shall eueryevery thing bee in order, and the Church of God onelyonly without order? It is a fCant. 4. 12.garden inclosed, and a garden must be kept in order. It is an gCant. 6. 9.armie with banners, and an armie must be marshalled in order. It is the h1. Tim. 3. 15.house of God, and Gods house must be gouerned in order. A popular equalitie was so burthensome to the seditious Anabaptists in their rebellion, as that contrarie to their owne doctrine they did admit iLanquet. ad a…. 1534.Iohn Matthew for their Captaine, and Iohn Aleyd for their King. And so there was a kind of order in their hurly-burly disorder, as there were some chiefe Pharisies: euen so some chiefe Anabaptists.
To eat bread] kLudolphus de vita Christ. part. 1. cap. 37.Three sorts of bread are mentioned in the Bible. Sacramentall, 1. Cor. 11. 28. Let a man examine himselfe, and so let him eat of this bread, &c. Doctrinall, Ioh. 6. lVers. 26. 27. 32. 34.Labour not, saith our Sauiour, for the loaues and for the meat which perish, but for the meat and bread that endure to life euerlasting. Corporall, Mat. 4. 4. Man shall not liue by bread only, but by eueryevery word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. Now the bread here spoken of, is neither mentall nor sacramentall, but corporall. And this kind in a strict acception is the loafe made of wheate, or some like graine, Gen. 14. 18. Melchisedek King of Salem brought foorth bread and wine: but in a more generall and large signification, it is vsed in holy Scripture mCyril. apud Pa…ig. in loc.pro omni comestibili, for all kind of food. As Genesis 3. 19. In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat nNomine panis intelligit…r omne necessarium ad alimentum Aquin. & Carthusian. ibid.bread: and in the Lords prayer, GiueGive vsus this day our daily bread: where panis is pan, eueryevery thing necessarie for this our life. See 1. Sam. 14. 24. 2. Sam. 9. 10. Prou. 31. 14. Ierem. 11. 19. It is then a weake conceit of Ardens, and the counterfeit Eusebius Emisenus, to note from hence the moderate diet of Christ on the Sabbath day, whereas oCal…in. Are…. Vega.eating of bread is as much as feasting or dining with the Pharisie. For if there had been nothing but dry bread on the boord, happily there would hauehave beene lesse contending for place.
On the Sabbath day] The Pharisies inviting and our Sauiours comming on this day, to this dinner, euidently demonstrate that it is not vnlawfull to feast on the Lords day. For if the Iewes might entertaine neighbours and friends on their Sabbath: how much more Christians on our Sunday, being assured, that God is worshipped euen on this day pCulman. in lot.rather with workes of hospitalitie and charitie, then by fond macerating of our bodies. I write not this against godly fasting, nor yet for vngodly feasting. Moderation is the best dish at the table, for immoderate fasts exceedingly dull vsus: and on the contrarie, sanctified feasts in good companie, make vsus more fit for deuotion and other duties of the Sabbath, especially when Christ is in presence, when a good man is moderator at the boord, whose speech is qColoss. 4. 6.powdred with salt rEphes. 4. 29.that it may minister grace to the bearers, edifying his host and all his house. Christ heerein shewed himselfe thankefull and faithfull, hee did not bite his host in present, nor backbite him absent, but in requitall of his good cheere gaue good words, and better aduice. Christ was faithfull also, for wheras it is the fashion of parasites and trencher-Chaplaines to flatter, or at the least, humour great men at their table: he did not deuoure the faults of the chiefe Pharisie with his fowles, and his sinne with his sauce, but correct him and his, sIans…n. in lot.instructing their soules while they feed his bodie. This ought to bee the center of all our conuersation and conference, to make those which are bad, good; and those which are good, better. So did Noe converse with them of the old world; so Lot with them of Sodome; so Iob with them of the land of Vz, and so t1. Cor. 9. 22.Paul with all men, vsing all meanes to saue some.
The Pharisies had uPontan.two faults especially, misconstruing of the Scriptures, and pride. Christ here doth rectifie their error in both, in healing a sicke man on the Sabbath, he doth instruct them in the true meaning of the fourth Commandement according to the present occasion offered, and in his parable to the guests, hee deliuereth an excellent document concerning their ambition. Hee could hauehave cured this man, as he did many, with his bare word only; xArdent. Iansen.but to shew that all handy workes, as these of charitie, and other of necessitie, as to pull a beast out of a ditch, are not vnlawfull on the Sabbath, he touched him, and by touching healed him.
Two circumstances amplifie Christs exceeding rich mercies in acting this miracle: first, for that he did it vnasked freely: secondly, for that hee did it with hazard of his credit stoutly. He did helpe the yLuke 7.Centurions seruant, but vponupon entreatie: the zMatth. 15.womans daughter of Cana, but after a long and earnest sute: the blind aMark. 10.Bartimeus, but after much crying, O sonne of Dauid hauehave merciemercy on mee: the bMatth. 17.lunatike, but his father vponupon bowed knees asked this boone, Master hauehave pitie on my sonne: whereas this man is cured instantly, without any request of his friends, or prayer of himselfe. Againe, Christ vndertooke this cure with hazard of his honour, wheras other miracles vsually wrought his glory. When hee raised from dead the widowes sonne in Naim, all that were present praised God and said, cLuke 7. 16.A great Prophet is risen vp among vsus, and God hath visited his people: when hee cured two blind men, Matth. 9. They spread abroad his fame throughout all that land: when hee fed about fiue thousand with fiue barley loaues and two fishes, all that saw the miracle, said, dIohn 6. 14.This of a truth is the same Prophet that should come into the world: when he made the deafe to heare, and the dumbe to speake, such as were spectators euen with open mouth as it were cried, eMark. 7. 37.He hath done all things well; but in helping this man after this manner on the Sabbath, he knew that the Pharisies on the contrarie would obiect that hee had done ill: and yet he first acted the miracle, then makes an apologie for it, answering their secret malice, which of you shall hauehave an oxe or an asse, &c. fHeming.Teaching vsus hereby that we should not cease to proceed in well doing, though an infinite number of potent enemies on eueryevery side combine themselues against vsus.
gPanigarol. part. 1. hom. in locum.Some for the further amplifying of Christs abundant goodnesse, imagine that the sicke man heere was a parasite to the Pharisies, and that hee came to this feast of his owne accord as a baite to catch Christ, and not with an intent to be cured of his Sauiour. hMaldonat.Other hold this improbable, conceiuing that he made no suite but held his peace, rather out of iCyril.feare then out of louelove to the Pharisies: he did happily beleeue in heart, but lest the Pharisies should excommunicate him, he durst not openly confesse with his mouth that Iesus is the Lord. As kPsalm. 39. 3.Dauid in another case, I held my tongue, and spake nothing, I kept silence, yea euen from good words, but it was paine and griefe to me. Howsoeuer it was, heere we may behold the riches of our Sauiours exceeding great louelove, curing the dropsiemans bodie lBeda. Gregor.together with the Pharisies soule. mHeming.Doubtlesse the diseased of the dropsie fell into it by disordered surfetting and drunkennesse. Hence then obserue, that Christ despiseth not those which hauehave cast themselues into sicknesse through their owne fault, if they follow this mans example: to wit, if they come where Christ is, and suffer themselues to be touched and healed of him, if they come to Church, heare the Word, fall to repentance, confessing their sinnes, and hartily crauing pardon for the same.
The second chiefe part of this Gospell is the Pharisies malice, consisting of three degrees. It was in the Pharisie great iniustice to returne euill for good, but greater to doe this vnderunder the pretence of louelove, yet greatest of all vnderunder colour of louelove at a feast. For nPerkins Gouernment of the tongue. chap. 7.the time of mirth is at meales, at the table men hauehave licence to talke oOdi memorem compotorem: & …itat & probat Marloras in loc.freely, not onelyonly by the rules of humanity, because pGellius l. 13. cap. 11.b…llaria maximè mellita quae non sunt mellita: but also by the grounds of Diuinity; for qIudges 14. 12Sampson at his marriage feast propounded a riddle to his friends, and the faithfull at Hierusalem did eat their meat together with gladnesse, Act. 2. 46. Such then as obserue the merry gestures, and catch at the pleasant words of their guests at table, make their wine like rDeut. 32. 33.the poyson of Dragons and the cruell gall of Aspes, heating their neighbours and making them drunken s…abac. 2. 15.that they may see their priuities.