The Autumn Part from the Twelfth Sunday after Trinity, Gospel 8
The Gospell.
MATTH. 22. 1.
Iesus said vntounto his Disciples, the kingdome of heauen is like vntounto a man that was a King, which made a great mariage for his sonne, &c.
THis Gospellin oMarlorat. Panigarol. in loc.effect is all one with that appointed to be read on the second Sunday after Trinitie, pB. Latymer serm. vponupon this Gospell.both teach one point, and tend to one purpose. Wherefore, lest I seeme double diligent, I refer you to my large notes vponupon that other text, and intreat you to bee content with a short paraphrase for the present.
The kingdome of heauen] The Church militant on earth, is this kingdome of heauen, I say militant, and that for qIacob de Vorag. serm. 1. in l….two reasons especially: first, because this mariage feast is called a dinner, vers. 4. and after dinner there followeth another banquet, namely the Supper of the Lamb, Apocal. 19. 9. This dinner then is a feast of grace, that supper a feast of glorie. Secondly, because none can bee thrust out of the Church in heauen triumphant, many croud vntounto Gods dinner in the militant without any wedding garment or bridelace: but at the last day when hee shall▪come to view his guests, hee will cast them out of the wedding chamber into vtter darknesse, as it is in the 13. verse. The Church vnderunder the crosse then is this kingdome, gathered together by the preaching of the Gospell, r1. Pet. 2. 9.a chosen generation, a royall priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people. Not kingdomes in the plurall, but in the singular a kingdome, as being gouerned by one and the same Lord, vnderunder one and the same law. And it is a kingdome of heauen, as being the way to the kingdome of heauen, because, saithsSerm. 136. de temp. Augustine, per portam ecclesiae intramus in portam paradisi. And a kingdome of heauen, for that hertPhilip. 3. 20. conuersation is in heauen, and heruColoss. 3. 2. affections set on things aboue. The synagogues of Satan are a kingdome of darknesse, but the Church a kingdome of light. xIacob de Vorag. vbi supra.For as in heauen some bodies giuegive light and receiue none, as the Sunne: other receiue light and giuegive none, as the firmament: other both receiue and giuegive, as the Starres and Moone: so Christ in the Church, is the yIames 1. 17.father of lights, and the sunne of righteousnesse. Malac. 4. 2. giuing light vntounto zIohn 1. 9.all, and receiuing light from none. The lay people resemble the firmament, called to receiue light in the publike preaching of the Word, and not to giuegive light, except it be candle-light in their owne priuate families. Indeed there be many blazing Starres and prodigious Comets in this our heauen, but such are not properly lights, but fiers: as the Philosopher, ignes fatui. The Preachers of the Word are starres in the firmament, first receiuing light from Christ, and then communicating it to other, as the words of their Patent import, Mat. 5. 14. Ye are the light of the world.
This King is God the aE…hym. Anselme.Father, a King of Kings, and Lord of Lords, able to doebPsal. 135. 6. whatsoeuer hee will in heauen, in earth, and in hell. As one doth glosse my text, Regens in coelo per gloriam, in mundo per gratiam, in inferno per iustitiam. His Sonne the Bridegroome iscEphes. 5. 32. Christ, and his Bride the Church, and God made this mariage by Christs dGreg. hom. 38incarnation. eArden….For as the best way to reconcile two disagreeing families or enemie-kingdomes, is to make some mariage betweene them: euen so the word became fIohn 1. 14.flesh and dwelt among vsus in the world, that hee might heereby make ourgEphes. 3. 14. 16. peace, reconciling God to man, and man to God. At this great mariage dinner thehD. Latymer. Bridegrome himselfe is the best dish, euen the bodie and bloud of Christ preached in his word, and presented in his Sacraments. And albeit this feast especially concerne the Iew, iMelancthen.yet appertaineth it vntounto all, as begun in thekGen. 3. 15. The seed of the woman, &c. beginning of the world, and enduring to the end of the same. The Patriarkes and Prophets in old time, the Preachers and Pastors in our time, call and invite men eueryevery day to this mariage. The latter course at this feast, or the lB. Latymer.sweet meats, are remission of sinnes, euerlasting life, such ioy as no tongue can expresse, or heart conceiue. The time when the King commeth in to see his guests, is either the particular houre of our mPanigarol.death, or else the generall day of nHieron. Musculu….iudgement, when he shall seperate the reprobate from his elect, Matth. 13. 40. and 25. 32. God is eueryevery where, seeing all things alway; oThomas in Gen 18. Idem Panigarol. & Coster. in loc.yet that heereby Iudges may learne not to condemne any but vponupon good information, almighty God said of Sodome, I will goe downe now, and see whether they hauehave done altogether according to that crie which is come vntounto mee, Gen. 18. 21. and of Babel, Come, let vsus goe downe, Gen. 11. 17. and heere the King is said to come in among his guests, and to spie the man which had not on a wedding garment, afore he commanded him to be bound hand and foote, and to be cast into vtter darknesse.
The wedding garment, aspOrigin. some thinke, is Christ: or asqEuseb. Emiss. other, the new man: or as other, rHieron.obseruing of the Commandements of Christ: or as other, asEuthym. pure conuersation: or as other, an vpright heart, comming to the mariage tAretius.rather out of duty, then for a dinner: or as other,uArdens. charity: or as other, xGregor.grace: or as other, yKilius.faith: or as other, zMelanct.regeneration, consisting in faith and repentance. All which vponupon the point are the very aPanigarol.same: so that, (asbCaluin. Fulk. Zepper. our Diuines obserue) the question is idle whether faith or godly life bee this garment, because good workes alway proceed from faith, and faith alway sheweth it selfe by good workes. Hypocrites are they who want the wedding garment, cTit. 1. 16.professing that they know God but in their workes denying him.
But it is a more darke Problem, how the King when he came to see the guests found but one without a wedding garment, and how that one may be called his friend. dSee Panigarol part. 1. hom. in loc.Answer may be, that all reprobate sinners are called one, because they be all of one kinde, namely faithlesse: or one, because the roote of all sinne did proceed from eRom. 5. 19.one: or one, because fIames 2. 10.hee that faileth in one point is guilty of all: or one, to shew the quicke sight of God, who can, if there be but one hypocrite among many, soone spie him: or one, gCoster. in loc.because many such hypocrites are lesse esteemed then one righteous man: Ecclesiasticus 16. 3. One that is iust is better then a thousand vngodly children: or one, to shew that at Christs owne Table there was one Iudas among the blessed Apostles, as hTheophilus. Alexan. apud Panigarol. vbi supra.some construe it. And this one whosoeuer hee be, may be called a friend, iEuthym.for that he did seeme by profession a friend: or a friend, ex parte dei, calling him vntounto the marriage, k1. Tim. 2. 4.willing that all men should be saued, and come to the knowledge of the truth. Hee was lHieron.vsed by the King as a friend, but in comming without a wedding garment hee was mCoster.foe to himselfe: or friend in derision; as if he should say, You are a kind friend indeed to come in hither without your wedding apparell, and bride-lace: for the Scriptures admit of Ironies, as Gen. 3. 9. Adam where art thou? or a friend, for that hee was nPanigarol.once a friend, as Simon is tearmed the oMatth. 26. 6.Leper, for that hee was a leper: and Matthew the pMatth. 10. 3.Publican, for that he was a Publican: and Hierusalem a sincke of sinne, the holy citty, for that it was once holy, Mat. 27. 35. In reporting these different opinions I will imitate the sage Iudges of our Law, who somtime determine to heare, not heare to determine.