The Autumn Part from the Twelfth Sunday after Trinity, Gospel 12
The Gospell.
MATTH. 9. 18.
While Iesus spake vntounto the people, behold, there came a certaine ruler, and worshipped him, saying, my daughter is euen now decased, &c.
TWo points are to be considered in this Gospell especially, the
Goodnesse of Christ, in relieuing all sexes and all sorts of men, hearing a ruler who was rich and a Iew, healing a woman who was poore and a Gentile. Comforting a distressed father, recouering a diseased woman, raising a deceased damosell.
Leaudnesse of the people, vers. 24. laughing Christ to scorne.
In the first miracle wrought vponupon the woman which had an issue of blood, note circumstance of
Time: vers. 22. the woman was made whole euen the same time.
Place: vers. 19. 20. in the way to Iairus house.
Person,
To whom.
Before whom.
By whom this worke was done.
In the second miracle three persons are remarkable: the
Physitian, Christ.
Patient, a deceased Domosell.
Mediatour betweene both, a certaine Ruler.
In that Christ healed the sicke woman instantly so soone as she beleeued in him, and he saw hir: he teacheth vsus uFerus. D…zinloc.hereby not to deferre any worke of charity, but to doe good turnes in a good time. xProu. 3. 28.Say not vntounto thy neighbour, goe and come againe, and to morrow will I giuegive thee, if thou hauehave it now, for hope that is deferred is the fainting of the heart: but when the desire commeth it is a Tree of life, Prouerbe… 13. 12. And in that our blessed Sauiour cured this woman in the way to Iairus house: hee giueth vsus an yLudol…hus ex Chrysost.example to spend all our houres profitably, zB. Latymer. serm. vponupon this Gospell.neuer intermitting any fit oportunity to doe good, redeeming the time because the daies are …, Ephes. 5. 16.
In the party to whom, obserue first hir griefe, then hir grace. She was a aLuke 8. 47.fearfull and a silly woman, vexed with an vocleane and vncomfortable disease twelue yeeres, in such sort (that as Saint Marke reports in his fifth chapter, verse 26.) she suffered many things of many Physitians: some torturing hir with one medicine, some with another, and yet none did hir any good, but rather much hurt. For as bMarke 5. 26. L…ke 8. 43.other Euangelists hauehave recorded this History more fully, she spent all that she had, and it auailed hir nothing, but she became much worse. Whereby she was made bis misera (saith cParaph. in loc.Erasmus) or as dPostil in loc.Hemingius, many waies vnhappy. For hir sicknesse brought hir to weaknesse, hir weaknesse to physicke, physicke to beggery, beggery to contempt. And happily remorse of conscience made these wordly grieuances more bitter: for whereas the eEccle. …8. 15.wise▪ man affirmes, Hee that sinnetb before his maker, shall fall into the hands of the Physitian: shee might per aduenture conceiue that God had cast hir away. This (as you see) was hir hard case, vexed in minde, troubled in body, beggered in hir estate, despised in hir place.
From hence we may note first against fLib. de Solem…ne cap. 5. la…m alij sc… tivant apud …udolphum de vita Christi, part 1. c. p. …9.Ambrose that this afflicted woman was not Martha the sister of Mary, gBeauxamis Har. Tom. 1. fol. 160.because Martha was rich, as we finde in the hIoh. cap. 11. & 12.Gospels history, whereas this Haemorrhousa had wasted all hir wealth vponupon Physitians.
Secondly, by this example you see, iK…llius in loc.what an inestimable ie well health is, in that this Haemorrhousa willingly became a begger in hir estate to be better at ease. Uitanon est viuere, sed valere; it is more comfortable to die quickely, then to liuesickly. kIn loc.Theophylact, lH…st. l. 7. c. 14.Eusebius and mZozomen & … apud Vegam, & Zepperum in loc.other report, that this woman healed of hir bloody flux, and returned home to Caesarea Philippi, did erect against hir own doores a brasen image of Christ, in perpetuall remembrance of this great benefit. It is our duty likwise to blesse God alway for his blessings in this kinde.
Thirdly, in that our father in heauen, after long sickenesse sendeth at the last happy deliuerance to his children: it may teach vsus in all our distresse, neuer to distrust his mercy, but to say with nIob 13. 15.Iob, though he slay me, yet will I trust in him. And with oGen. 32. 26.Iacob, I will not let thee goe, except thou blesse mee. pTobit …. 14. 2.Toby was blinde eight yeeres, and then the Lord restored his sight againe. Saint Luke reports in his qLuk. 13. 11. 12.Gospell, how a crooked woman after she was bowed together eighteene yeeres in such sort, that she could not lift vp hir selfe in any wise, was made straight and loosed from hir infirmity. Kilius in his explication of this text, saith he was acquainted with a man, who lay twenty yeeres bedred, and of those twenty, fourteene vponupon one side, who notwithstanding afterward married, and begat children, and liued in perfect health a long time. Saint rCap. 5 v. 59Iobn mentioneth a certaine man made whole, which had beene diseased eight and thirty yeeres. And Acts 3. we read of a Creeple from his mothers wombe, whose fecte and ancle-bones receiued strength in so great measure, that hee could stand, and walke, and leape. Here this woman had a bloody flux twelue yeeres, and yet Christ assoone as shee touched his vesture, said, Daughter be of good comfort, thy faith hath made thee whole, &c.
Hitherto concerning hir grieuances: I come now to hir graces, and they be principally three: Faith, Inuocation, Humility. Which sCaten. Aurea in l….Aquin notes out of three words in the text, Credidit, dixit, tetigit: quia his tribus, fide, verbo, & opere omnis salus acquiritur. Hir faith was so great, that shee certainely perswaded hir selfe, if shee might but touch onelyonly the hemme of Christs garment, shee should attaine hir former health. Our blessed Sauiour cried often in the tProu. 1. 21.streetes among the people, uMatt. 11. 28.Come to me all that are laden, and I will ease you. Now xHeming.surely this woman heard this gratious promise, beleeuing it to be true in generall, and applying it to hir selfe in particular. He calleth all men, and promiseth he will refresh all such as are combred; I am one of that all, one of those which are heauie laden, I therefore verily beleeue that he will heare mee and heale mee. Let vsus in like sort stirre vp our faith in all aduersity, when any trouble without, or terror within assaulteth vsus, and it alone shall yEphes. 6. 16.quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. Happily some will obiect, This woman had Christ in hir eye, present at hir fingers end, but I poore soule, may complaine with zIoh. 20. 2.Mary Magdalene, They hauehave taken away the Lord, and he is now gone farre from vsus. Against this tentation of the flesh, oppose the word of Christ vntounto aIob. 20. 29.Thomas his Apostle, Blessed are they which hauehave not seene and hauehave beleeued, and his promise to all his followers, bMatt. 28. 20.I am with you alway vntill the end of the world, with vsus in his Sacraments, in his word, by his power and spirit and grace: being a cPsal. 46. 1.very present help in all affliction vntounto such as call vponupon him, I say such as call vponupon him faithfully. Wherefore dIames 4. 8.draw neere to him, and he will draw neere to thee; come to him, and call vponupon him (as this woman here) with a stedfast hope, no way doubting of his might and mercies, and his spirit shall eRom. 8. 16.assure thy spirit, that thou art his childe, and that thy faith hath made thee safe.
The second vertue noted in this woman, is hir invocation or manner of praying. The Ruler in my text worshipped Christ, and said, my daughter is euen now deceased, &c. The fMatt. 15. 2Cananite called after him, HaueHave mercy vponupon me, O Lord the sonne of Dauid. And blind gMark. 10. 48Bartimaeus also cried vntounto him, O sonne of Dauid, and being rebuked, he cried much more, Sonne of Dauid hauehave mercy on me. But this a hB. Latymer.shame…ast woman, iEut…ym. in 8 L…c. & Theophylact. in l…c.as blushing to publish hir vncleannesse afore the whole multitude, and fearing happily that shee should hauehave beene thrust out of the company for impurity, speakes not a word to Christ openly, but prayeth onelyonly to hir selfe in secret: If I may but touch euen his garment I shall be whole. Wishes are hir words, and sobs hir sacrifices, and yet Christ heares hir groanes and grants hir hearts desire, saying, Daughter be of good comfort, &c. Insinuating kHeming.heereby that the prayer which pearceth the clouds is not a wagging of the lippes, nor a babling of the tongue: but rather an humble lPsalm. 25. 1.lifting vp of thy soule to God, Offer then vntounto Christ a mI…l 2 15.rent and a nPsal. 51. 17.broken heart, in seeking thy Sauiour heartily, praying heartily, repenting heartily; that hee may turne to thee, and turne his iudgements away from thee, saying to thy soule, oPsal. 35. 3.I am thy saluation.
The third vertue commended in this woman is hir discreet pCalman. Ludolphus. Aretius.humility, who knowing hir owne vnworthinesse, and considering hir lothsome sicknesse, did not presume to come before, but behind Christ, as it were qB. Latymer.stealing hir health. And this hir relike is worth our obserueuing also: for as pride is the first stop; so lowlinesse the first step vntounto blessednesse. It is an eminent grace for a man speaking with the tongues of Angels to transport his audience with the winde of words, and flouds of eloquence whither he list: and yet if learning be not seasoned with humility, it rather r1. Cor 8. 1.bloweth vp then buildeth vp, and as the sAristotle.Philosopher said, is no better then a sword in a mad-mans hand. Prophecying is an excellent gift, but if any preach themselues, and goe before Christ tIerem. 23. 16.auouching the vision of their owne hearts, and not following after Christ in deliuering out of his mouth his errand faithfully: what are they but as a u1. Cor. 13. 1.sounding brasse or as a tinkling cymball? In running after delight, riches, honour: come behind Christ, euermore treading in his waies, and touching the hemme of his vesture.
The persons afore whom, are the Ruler, verse 18. the Disciples, verse 19. and a great multitude, Marke 5. 24. Christ acted this myracle before Iairus, xTheophylact. in loc. & Euthym. in Luc. 8.for the strengthning of his weake faith; encouraging him heereby to belceue, that he could recouer his daughter, as well as cure this woman. Afore the Disciples and the multitude, for the confirmation of his doctrine, shewing yLudolphusheereby that he knew the secrets of all hearts, as also zChrysost. Theophylact. E…thym.that the liuely faith of this Haemorrhousa might not be concealed, but openly commended as an example for all men. And therfore Iesus inquired immediatly, aMarke 5 30. Luk 8. 45.who hath touched my clothes? and he looked round about, to see hir, and when the woman saw that shee was not hid, shee came trembling, and fell downe before him, and told him afore all the people, for what cause she had touched him, and how shee was healed instantly. The briefe whereof is recorded here by S. Matthew, When he saw hir, he said, Daughter be of good comfort, thy faith hath made thee whole. Propounding hir as a bB. Latymer.Schoole-mistresse to all the world, to learne by hir how to trust in God, and to come to Christ in all manner of afflictions.
The person by whom, is Christ, and in him obseruo what he said, and what he did. His words cZepper. Con. 1. in▪ loc.containe consolation, Daughter be of good comfert: and commendation, thy faith hath made thee safe. The word Daughter, is dIacob. de Vorag. ser. 2. in ioc.magnae familiaritatis: be of good comfort, magnae securitatis: Thy faith hath made thee safe, magnae iocunditatis. Heere then are set downe three notable effects of a liuely faith: it maketh vsus the children of God, Daughter: it brings comfort, be of good cheere: it procures saluation of body and soule, thy faith hath made thee whole.
Christ said in the eIoh. 20. 17.Gospell, Iaescend to my father, and vntounto your father. VntoUnto my father by fTheophylact. Euthym. C…ietan. in Ioan. 20.nature, but vntounto your father by grace: gAugust▪ tract. 121. in Ioan.non ait, ascendo ad patrem nostrum: aliter ergo meum, aliter vestrum: naturâ meum, gratiâ vestrum And this adoption of the Father electing, of the Son redeeming, of the holy Ghost assuring vsus that we are the children of the most high: is on our part, by faith only. For hIohn 1. 12.vntounto such as receiued him, he gaue power to be the sons of God▪ euen to such as beleeue in his name. Ideo f…a, quta fides tua te saluum fecit, as S. Hierome vponupon my text. This woman is Christs daughter in that her faith made her whole. Here then obserue that a Christiā is most honorable, being son to a King, iHeb. 2. 11.brother to a King, kR…m. 8. 17.heire to a King, yea to the King of lPsal. 24. 7.glory, to the King of all Kings mEcclesiast. 5 7higher then the highest. He were a foolish poore man that were ashamed of the kinred which the King did challenge of him: nDeering. lect. 10. Heb.hee is more foolish though he were a King himselfe, that is ashamed of the sonne of God, when he doth offer himselfe vntounto him. For Christ is the oLuke. 2. 25.consolation of Israel, as it followeth in the next clause to be considered, he brings comfort to his children, Daughter be of good cheere. The reprobate account the children of God vnhappie wretches, euen pWisd. 5. 4.mad men, hauing them in derision as the q1. Cor. 4. 13.filth of the world. But as rLib. 1. de guber. dei.Saluianus truely, nemo miser alieno sensu, sed suo. Men are not miserable for that other think so, vnles themselues feele it so. The children of God then hauing the s1. Tim. 4. 8.promises of this life and that which is to come, cheered in conscience while they liue, filled with eternal ioy when they be dead, hauehave both hereafter and here such comfort as tPhilip. 4.passeth all vnderstanding.
The last effect of a liuely faith is saluation of bodie and soule, Thy faith hath made thee safe. For whereas it is said here, The woman was made whole euen the same time: wee must expound it (as uEnarrat. in loc.Anselme and xZapper con. 1. loc.other intimate) not that she was healed at that houre when Iesus turned about to her, and spake, but in the same moment of time, wherein she touched his vesture. yHi…ron. in loc.Non enim dixit fides tua te saluam factura est, sed saluam te fecit: in eo enim quod credidisti, iam salua facta es. It was then her trust and not hir touch, hir faith and not hir finger, which haled vntounto hir this health and helpe. For the multitude thrust Christ, and trode on him (as S. Luke reports) and yet only this woman is said to touch him. And zFerus Con. 3. Granat. Con. 2. & Zepper. Con. 1. in loc.so when we come to diuine seruice, sermon, or sacrament without liuely faith, hearty deuotion, holy reuerence; wee touch his outward element, but take not his inward grace to the comfort of our soule. We doe tangere panem domini touch his hemme, but not contingere panem dominum touch him. And the reason hereof is plaine, for that our faith and our fingers goe not together. And therefore when any tread in the courts of the Lord, hearing his word, and receiuing his sacraments: I say when any come to the Church, and yet feele no vertue to come from Christ: it is assuredly for that aEsay 29. 13.their lips are neere him, as it were, pressing among the multitude: but their heart farre from him, not attending, much lesse attayning his sauing grace.
From bLatymer. Fulk. Zepper. in loc.hence we may learne (against Arboreus, Maldonate, Beauxamis, and other Popish authors in their Commentaries vponupon this place) not to put any trust in the reliques of Saints, or impute any saving vertue to the vestments of our Sauiour. For the vertue which healed hir went not out of the coate, but out of Christ immediatly: hee said not there is vertue proceeded from my vesture, but I perceiue that vertue is gone out of me, Luke 8. 46. There was no great or extraordinary vertue in his garments after his death, when the souldiers had parted them among them: nor in his life when he wore them, for the people that thronged him, receiued no benefit by them, but onelyonly she and they that touched him by faith. And therefore cFerus serm. in loc.some by Christs garment vnderstand the scriptures, in which our Sauiour is wrapped: but if a man vnfold them, he shal behold the best Crucifix that euer he saw: for Christ crucified is the end of all the Law, scope of all the Prophets, and as it were hemme of all the Bible. dApud Thom. in locRabans and eAnsel. in loc.other affirme, that this garment was Christs humane nature, for he fPhilip. 2. 7.tooke on him the shape of a seruant, and put on our ragges that he might clothe vsus with his robes. Now the hemme of his humane nature was his passion, and his passion was a gHeb. 9. 14.sacrifice for our sinne: so that to touch the hemme of his garment, is nothing else, but to beleeue with h1. Tim. 1. 15Paul, that Christ Iesus came into the world to saue sinners, of whom I am chiefe. Yea but happily some will obiect, it was neither the womans finger nor faith that made hir whole? but Christs owne vertue, Luke 6. 19. The whole multitude sought to touch him, for there went vertue out of him, and healed them all. He might hauehave said then it was my vertue, not thy faith? It is true, that Christs owne vertue and grace doth onelyonly cure the sinnes of our soule, and sores of our body: but his vertue is not apprehended but by the finger of faith. And therefore Christ (as we read in Saint iCap. 6. …. 5. 6.Marke) could doe no great workes in his owne country, because of their vnbeliefe, because they wanted an hand to touch his vesture. kCyprian, apud Granat. Con. 1. in loc.Quantum enim vas fidei capacis afferimus, tantum gratie inundantis haurimus. Hence you may know both how Gods grace, and our faith is said to iustifie. Yee are saued by grace through faith, Ephesians 2. 8. by grace effectiue, by faith apprehensiue: See Epistle 17. Sunday after Trinity.
Now faith in respect of it obiect, is called in lGalat. 3. 22.scripture the faith of Iesus Christ: but in respect of the subiect in which it is mAretius in loc.inherent, my faith and thy faith. As our text here, thy faith hath made thee whole. By this which Christ said, is shewed also what he did, he spake the word and it was done, hee commanded and it was effected, euen the same time the woman was made whole. In generall, to confirme his Gospell; in particular, intimating that all physicke is in vaine, nB. Latymer. Kilius. Zepper.except the great Physitian of the world (who visiteth and redeemeth his people) blesse it. So much of the parts and persons of the first miracle. Let vsus now come to the second, and in it (according to the texts order) inquire first of Iairus.
In whom obserue,
First, his fashion, in that he was a
Ruler, as our Euangelist.
Ruler of a Synagogue, as Marke and Luke.
Ruler of a Synagogue in Capernaum, as may bee collected out of them all.
Then his faith, and the fruits thereof.
1. His fatherly louelove toward his daughter, in desiring helpe for her at Christs hand.
2. Inuocation, and worshipped him.
3. Hope, Come, and lay thine hand vponupon hir, and she shall liue.
Acertaine ruler] I hauehave shewed oGospel 3. Sun. after Epiphan. Trinit. Sund. & 21. after Trinitoften, how many great men hauehave beene good men, and that the Pharisies obiection is false, pIohn 7. 48.Doth any of the rulers beleeue in Christ? For he that keepeth Israel, hath in eueryevery qSee Beauxamis. Har. tom. 1. sol. 160.age stirred vp as well Ecclesiasticall as Ciuill gouernours to fauour his children, and further the businesse of the Gospell. I will vponupon this occasion adde one thing only to the perpetuall honour of England, namely, that Constantine the Great our countriman was the first Christian Emperour, Lucius our countriman the first Christened King, Henry 8. our countriman the first Catholike Prince that vtterly shaked of the Popes vnlimited iurisdiction in his dominions, and our King Iames of blessed memory the first of his ranke who did oppose that Antichrist of Rome with his owne pen in the quarrell of religion.
This Iairus was a ruler of a Synagogue. Now that yee may the better vnderstand what office this was, I must informe you, that there was in all Iewry but one Temple, rDeut. 16.where the people were commanded to celebrate their solemne feasts, and offer vp their sacrifices vntounto God. And there was only but one, for the preseruation of sMelanct. postil. in loc. Idem Hospinian. de origine templorum, cap. 4.vnitie in piety, that there might bee but one only religion, of one only God, in one only Temple. Where by the way note, that vniformity in discipline is an hedge to vnitie and doctrine. Where Canons and Iniunctions of order are despised, and eueryevery man left vntounto himselfe: There many times are so many sects as Cities, and almost as many Gospels as gossips. On the contrary, when all things in the Church are done t1. Cor. 14. 40.orderly, when the Christian Magistrate enioies in outward ceremonies one kinde of discipline for the publike worship of God: there for the most part, an vnion in law breeds an vnion in louelove, a conformity in fashion an vniformity in faith, uEphes. 4. 3. 15.endeuouring to keepe the vnity of the spirit in the bond of peace, following the truth in louelove. This I take to bee the true reason, why Gods Israel had but one Tabernacle and one Temple.
But there were Synagogues in xVide Sigon. de repub. Heb lib. 2 cap. 8. & Hospinian vbi sup.eueryevery towne, where diuine praiers and Gods holy word was read and expounded eueryevery Sabbath, as Saint Luke recordeth, Acts 15. 21. And for this purpose there was a yMelanct post in loc.Couent, or Colledge of students, and sonnes of the Prophets, among which our Iairus heere was a ruler: as zSer. vponupon this Gospell.Bishop Latymer imagineth a Church-warden: or as other, aMa…donat. in loc.expounder of the Law and the Prophets, as it were publike Professour in Diuinity, the b Melanct.cDiez con. 1. in loc.Prior of the place, the dKilius.Rector of the Schooles. Heere then obserue both antiquity and vtility of Colledges and Vniuersities, as being in eVide Hospinian. de origine scholarum, cap. 4. 5.all ages the Nurseries of Gods vine-yard, out of which Impes of hope hauehave beene translated into the Church and Common-weale. So then if thou wish well vntounto thy Countrey, speake well and (as occasion is offered) doe well vntounto the schooles of the Prophets, in that they bee Seminaries of learning and fountaines of holy religion. If thy sonne bee fit, and thy selfe be fitted also for meanes and money, send him vntounto Iairus the ruler of the Synagogue. If hee bee fit, I say, for when a man is out of his proper calling in any society, it is as much as if a ioint were dislocated in the body. To make thy sonne a trades-man, if hee bee most apt for learning; or to send him to the Court, when hee is fitter for the Cart: is as much as if a man should applie his toes to feeling and not his fingers, and to walke on his hands and not on his feet. It was a memorable fact of that famous Bishop▪ of Lincolne, Robert Grosthead, fSir George Paul in the life of Archbishop Whitgift. p. 85.who being vponupon a time solicited to preferre his poore kinsman, and thereupon enquiring what condition of life hee followed, and vnderstanding that he was an husbandman: Why then (answered he) if his plough be broken, I will repaire it, or rather then faile bestow a new vponupon him, whereby hee may go on in his course: but so to dignifie him, as to make him forsake his calling and trade wherein he was brought vp, I meane not to doe.
Now that a father may the better accommodate his child with a fit calling: hee gSee Perkins treatise of Callings.must obserue both his inclination and naturall gifts. EueryEvery childe euen in his infancy, doth affect some one particular occupation or condition of life more than another: and therefore the iudicious hNazian. epist. ad Eudoxum.Athenians afore they placed their children in any calling, vsed to bring them into a publike place where tooles and instruments of all sorts were laid: and then accurately to mark with what kind of instrument they took delight, applying them afterward to the like Art with good successe. And it is not amisse for Christians to follow Heathens in this, or any like commendable practise.
Secondly, parents must obserue the naturall endowments of their children, applying such as excell in eminent gifts of the minde vntounto courses of learning: and other which excell in gifts of the body to trades and mechanicall occupations. iMagdeburg. Cent. 3. col. 250Origen that great Clerke when he was a child, vsed to question with his father Leonides about the sense of the Scripture, whereupon he was made a scholler. Athanasius also was first put to learning (as kApud Magde. cent. 4. col. 1027Ruffinus and Zozomene report) for that hee was found by the sea side doing the part of a Bishop among a company of little children like himself, examining and baptizing them according to the solemne order vsed in the congregation. Archbishop Whitgift the lCamden. Britan▪ in Comit. Lincoln.peerelesse Prelate in our age for learning and pietie, mIdem Camd. in comit. Cant.consecrating his whole life to God, and his painefull labours vntounto the Churches happie peace, was applied first vntounto the Schoole, for nSir George Paul vbi supra pag. 2.that his Vnkle Robert Whitgift Abbot of the Monastery of Wellow, found an extraordinary towardlinesse in him. And because many parents are ignorant, and most parents exceeding partiall in iudging of their owne childrens inclination and ingenuity: the best way for them is to be directed heerin by some iudicious friends, and then out of mature iudgement, to giuegive vntounto Caesar, the things appertaining to Caesar, accommodating such vntounto secular courses as are most apt for the Common-wealth: and vntounto God the things which belong to God, committing them vntounto Iairus, and consecrating them vntounto the sacred function of the Ministerie.
That Iairus was a ruler of the Synagogue in Capernaum, is insinuated Luke 8. 41. and in the first verse of this present chapter of our Euangelist, as I hauehave copiously prooued in the beginning of mine Exposition, Gospell Sunday 19. after Trinity. Capernaum then had a good oMelanct. …m. in loc.Pastour, and as we read, Matth. 8. 5. a good Captaine, and Christ the best of all often resided in that Citie: yet notwithstanding (as truth it selfe pMatth. 11. 23witnesseth) it was a very wicked and dissolute place, deseruing greater damnation in the day of iudgement than the land of Sodome and Gomorrah. Let not then any vigilant Minister, or diligent Magistrate bee discouraged in his place, for that his people bring not foorth any fruits of righteousnesse answerable to the meanes of their instruction: for qEzech. 3. 19.if thou warne the wicked, and he turne not from his wickednesse, nor from his wicked way, hee shall die in his iniquity: but thou hast deliuered thy soule.
Hauing thus examined the fashion of the ruler, it remaines I should treat of his faith, and fruit thereof also. But for as much as I hauehave spoken of these vertues in the woman afflicted with the bloody flux, and other like petitioners vntounto Christ often elsewhere: I thinke that I hauehave a Supersedeas out of the Chancery to meddle no more with him at this time, and a Capias corpus as it were, for his deceased daughter. Concerning whom I note with rCom. in loc.Aretius the pregnant circumstances of hir death, and the true demonstrations of hir rising againe from the dead. Saint sCap. 5. v. 23.Marke reports indeede the petition of the Ruler otherwise, My little daughter lieth at the point of death, &c. and Saint tCap. 8. v. 42.Luke, shee lay a dying: not as our Euangelist here, my daughter is euen now deceased. And yet all agree, for Iairus happily said his daughter was dead coniecturally, uTheophylact. Euthym. Beauxamis.because hee left hir at home so desperatly sicke. And xAugustin. de consensu. Euangelist l. 2. c. 28.so Marke and Luke set downe what Iairus said, but Matthew what Iairus thought. Or as yEnarrat in loc.Anselm, it may be that the Ruler said both, and made two requests: one that he would lay his hands on hir, and heale hir malady, for that shee was a dying: another, (being informed certainely that shee was euen now deceased) that he would come, and lay his hand vponupon hir, and restore hir to life. So that the first euidence to proue hir dead, is hir fathers owne confession. A second is Christs assent, instantly following Iairus. A third, the relation of certaine comming from the Rulers house, meeting Christ and him vponupon the way, Marke 5. 35. Thy daughter is dead, why diseasest thou thy master any further? A fourth argument is the derision of the tumult in Iairus house, when Iesus said, the damosell is not dead, &c. They laughed him to scorne, knowing that shee was dead. A fifth inuincible proofe was the preparation for hir funerall, as the multitude weeping, and the minstrels playing ouer the dead; a fashion in zAmbros. in Luc. 8.old time crept in among Gods people from the Gentiles, according to that of the aOuid. 4. fast.Poet,
Cantabat maestis tibia funeribus.
The demonstrations of hir rising againe from the dead, are Surg…t, Ambulat, Edit. The damosell arose, saith our Matthew, and walked, as Saint Marke reports, and eat, as Saint Luke. The witnesses hereof are Peter, and Iames, and Iohn, and the father and the mother of the maide. For Iesus thrust out of the doores (at bMusculus.least out of the chamber where the damosell lay) the minstrels and all the rude company making a noise, cHieron. Chrysost. Hilarius.because they were not worthy to see mysterium resurgentis qui resuscitantem indignis contumelijs deridebant. Or happily to dAretius.shunne vaine ostentation and popular applause. Or for eMaldonat.that he would not as yet hauehave this great my racle knowne, as Marke and Luke intimate.
In the Physitian Iesu, note first his facility, who would instantly come, verse 19. then his faculty, who could instantly cure the deceased Damosell, according to the request of hir owne father, verse 25. For whereas Iairus said, Come, and lay thine hand vponupon hir, and shee shall liue: Christ arose, followed him, and tooke the Damosell by the hand, and raised hir againe from the dead. Mystically, fLudolphus.Christus venit per gratiam praeuenientem, manum imponit per gratiam concomitantem, & tunc anima viuit per gratiam cooperantem.
And they laughed him to scorne] gMusculus. Heming.The world is blinde, and cannot iudge aright of Christs doctrine and doing, the wisedome of the flesh is at enimity with God. And therefore lest vnhappily wee turne scorners with the world, let vsus beleeue the Gospell, especially that article (which is our chiefe comfort) the resurrection of the dead. And by hB. Latymer.Christs example we may learne to be content when we be despised in this world, that wee may be glorified with him in yonder world, as also to iLudolphus.proceed in doing any good office, notwithstanding the scoffes of malitious and ignorant people. Nam kLipsius reiect…ncula Sannionis cujusdam ad finem. l. de Di… Sichemiensi.vt ignis paleam exurit, aurum nitidius reddit: sic istae calumniae vanum aut vacuum aliquem absumant, verâ virtute granem illustrant. On the contrarie, to be praised of naughtie folkes, is almost as great a shame as to be praised for naughtinesse. Remember the sweet aduice of mDe ser. Dom. in monte, lib. 2. in prin.Augustine: Si homines inter quos viuis, te rectè viuentem non laudauerint, illi sunt in errore: si autem laudauerint, tu in pe…ieulo.
So much of the literall exposition of these two miracles. In a mysticall, nIacob. de Vorag. ser. 1. in loc.eueryevery sinner is like the woman infected with an issue of blood. Osea. 4▪ 2. By swearing and lying, and killing, and stealing, and whoring they breake out, and blood toucheth blood. Where oRupert, & Caluin. in Hos…ae cap. 4. Idem Greg mag, in multis locis v…i Ribera num. 3. in Hoseae 4.Diuines vnderstand by blood, sinne. pHieron. in loc. Hoseae.As if he should say, the wicked heape sinne vponupon sinne, adding new sinnes vntounto their old. For when a man runnes from one foule fault vntounto another, blood toucheth blood. As when a wicked thought issueth into some wicked act, and act to custome, custome to necessitie, necessitie to desperation. And then as a man desperate in sicknesse, cares not what meat he doth eat: so the man rechlesse in sinning, qEphes. 4. 19.giuen ouer to commit all vncleannesse euen with greedinesse, careth not what villanies he deuoureth, vntill Christ the Physitian of his soule stop his bloody flux, directing him with his word which is holy, and sanctifying him also with his spirit which is holy. Nay the deuout people liuing in blind poperie, rLuther. post. maior in loc.could neuer hauehave their conscience truly quieted (although they spent almost all their wealth vponupon Monkish Doctors, healing by the doctrine of satisfaction and merit) till they did vnderstand that iustification is onelyonly by faith, and that it alone maketh a man whole. sPostil. in loc.Melancthon deliuereth another allegorie: This woman (saith he) doth aptly resemble the Iewish Synagogue, vexed a long time with many mischieses and miseries, especially tortured with vnconscionable Princes, and vnskilfull Priests or Physitians of the soule, the Pharisies and Sadduces, on whom she wasted all her strength and goods, and yet she was not a whit the better, but rather much worse, till the blessed Lord of Israel, her Sauiour in his owne person came to visit and redeeme her. And so Iairus is a tBeauxamis ex Emisseno.type of all the Patriarkes and holy Prophets u1▪ Pet. 1. 10. 11.expecting Christ, and earnestly desiring that he would xEsay 64. 1.breake the heauens and come downe, and lay his hand vponupon the Synagogue being at the point of death, and heale hir. Saint yIn Luc. 8.Ambrose, zCom. in loc.Hierome, aIn loc.Rupert, Anselm, and cF…rus ser. 3. …. 25. post Pent.other affirme, that this woman and this wench are plaine figures of the Gentiles and Iewes. The woman a Gentileb In loc. had hir disease twelue yeeres, and the rulers daughter a …ew raised heere was twelue yeere old. The woman fell sicke when the wench was borne: so the Gentiles went their owne waies into superstition and idolatry, when the Iewes in Abraham beleeued. Againe, as Christ heere went to raise the wench, and by the way the woman was first healed, and then the wench reuiued so Christ came to the Iewes, as being sent to the dMatt. 15. 24.lost sheepe of Israel especially, but the Gentiles beleeued first, and were saued, and in the end the Iewes also shall beleeue.
Christ eMelanct. in Matth. 9.in the three yeeres of his preaching raised three sorts of dead. The first yeere the Widowes sonne in Naim, Luke 7. the second yeere Iairus daughter, mentioned in this scripture: the third yeere Lazarus, Iohn 11. Now fSoarez tract. 3. in Matth. 9.Iairus daughter raised in hir fathers house resembleth the Iewes; the Widowes sonne carried out of the Towne gate resembleth the Gentiles, gEphes. 2. 12.altanss from the common-wealth of Israel, and strangers from the couenants of promise vntill Christs comming, as it were shut out of the Citie of God. Lazarus who laid in his graue foure daies, is a figure of the Iewish remnant, which asore the worlds end shall be raised out of the pit of ignorance and incredulity, wherein they hauehave lien dead many hundred yeeres, and at the length acknowledge Christ Iesus (whom their fathers crucified) to be their Messias and Sauiour. Esay 10. 21. The remnant shall returne, euen the remnant of Iacob vntounto the mighty God. For though thy people, O Israel, be as the sand of the sea, yet shall the remnant of them returne. And Saint hRom. 11. 25.Paul saith, I would not that yee should be ignorant of this secret (lest ye should be arrogant in your selues) that partly obstinacy is come to Israel, vntill the fulnesse of the Gentiles become in, and then all Israel shall be saued, as it is written, the deliuerer shall come out of Sion, and shal turne away the vngodlinesse from Iacob. When the woman is fully cured which was diseased, the damosel shall be raised which was deceased. When the fulnesse of the Gentiles is past, almighty God remembring his old merciemercy shall graft the Iewes in againe, and conuert them vntounto the Christian faith.
It is well iRelation of religion vsed in the West parts of the world. sect. 53.obserued, that beside the Iewes naturall and inrooted obstinacy, there be three great impediments which hinder their conuersion: First, the scandals of vsus Christians, as the most vnbrotherly dissentions among Protestants, and most abominable superstition and grosse worshiping of Images among the Papists. Secondly, want of meanes to teach and instruct them, because the Papists among whom they liue, will not suffer the new Testament in the vulgar tongue. Thirdly, losse, which the Papists by their conuersion shall incurre, and (it should seeme by their toleration of Iudaisme) they had rather hauehave the crownes, then saue the soules of the Iewes, it was necessary that the sonne of man should suffer, as it is written of him, and yet kMatt. 26. 24.woe be to that man by whom the sonne of man is betraied: it had beene good for that man if hee had neuer beene borne. So it is necessary that the Iewes should persist in their vnbeliefe for a time; but woe be to them whose scandals are hindrances to their conuersion. For the houre shal come, when Iairus daughter shall be raised againe, she is not dead, but sleepeth. Albeit the Iewes are in a dead sleepe, the Lord in his due time will rouse, yea raise them vp againe from their incredulity.
For conclusion of the whole, by the goodnesse of Christ in restoring the sicke woman vntounto health in the way, raising the dead wench vntounto life in hir fathers house; wee may learne lFerus Con. 1. in loc. Sanitas in via, vita in patria.what to looke for at his hand: namely grace, while we be pilgrimes in this our short, yet troublesome race; but glory, when as we shall rest in heauen, our euerlasting home. According to that of Dauid, mPsal. 84. 12.The Lord will giuegive grace and glory, and no good thing will he withhold from such as walke vprightly.