The Autumn Part from the Twelfth Sunday after Trinity, Gospel 2
The Gospell.
LVKE 10. 23.
Happie are the eies which see the things that yee see, &c.
THis Text hath two parts:
One concerning the Gospell: containing a
Proposition: Happie are the eies, &c.
Reason: For I tell you, &c.
Another touching the Law: wherein foure points are remarkable:
1. A supplication: Master what shall I do? &c.
2. A replication: What is written in the law? how readest thou? &c.
3. An explication: A certaine man descended, &c.
4. An application: Goe and do thou likewise.
Happy are the eyes which see the things that yee see] Christ in the words immediatly going afore deliuered this doctrine: No man knoweth who the Sonne is, but the Father: neither who the Father is, saue the Sonne, and he to whom the Sonne will reueale him. And then turning about to his Disciples he said secretly, Blessed are the eies which see the things, dTheophylact. Idem Cyril. a apud Veg. in loc.that is, these things hidden from the wise and learned, but opened vntounto you: for this is eIoh. 17. 3.eternall life, to know God, and whom he hath sent Iesus Christ. fArdens. Granaten. Zepper.Some did see Christ onelyonly with corporall eies of the flesh, as Iudas and the Iewes who persecuted him. Other onelyonly with spirituall eyes of faith, as the Patriarkes in old time: Iohn 8. 56. Abraham reioyced to see my day▪ &c. and all true beleeuers in our time, faith being an euidence of things not seene, Heb. 11. 1. But the Disciples heere saw Christ with both, and therefore blessed were their eies, &c. Such as beheld Christ onelyonly with their carnall eye, were g….not happy therefore, but the worse: for, saith our Sauiour in the h…. 15. 22.Gospell, If I had not come and spoken vntounto them, they should not hauehave had sinne, but now hauehave they no cloake for their sinne, Such as see Christ onelyonly with the spirituall eye be more happy; for iIohn 20 29.Blessed are they that hauehave not scene, and yet hauehave beleeued. Such as looked vponupon Christ spiritually and corporally too were most happie. The first sort saw Christ, but they did not beleeue: kAretius in loc.they considered him as a meere man, but they did not conceiue that hee was the onelyonly begotten sonne of God Iohn 1. 14. they reputed Christ on the Crosse to bee lAmbro. ser. 45… us, not Deus, a sinner, not a Sauiour. The second sort beleeue, but not see: they beleeue that which was from the beginning, but they cannot say with Saint m1▪ Epist. 1. 1.Iohn which wee hauehave heard, which wee hauehave seene with our eies, which wee hauehave looked vponupon, and our hands hauehave handled of the word of life. The third sort did see more then the first, and beleeued so much at the least as the second: and therefore Christ might say well, Happy are the eyes, &c.
For I tell you, that many Prophets and Kings hauehave desired to see those things which yee see] That ought to bee respected highly, which great men and good men affect: but I tell you, that many Princes and Prophets hauehave desired to see those things which yee see, and hauehave not seene them, and to heare those things which yee heare, and hauehave not heard them. For the Messias is called in holy Scripture, The nVide R…ber. in Hag. 2. num. 29 Gal. de arcanis lib. …. cap. 9. L…rin i… 1. Pet. 1. 10. 11.desire of all Nations: Haggai 2. 8. Of whom the Prophets inquired, searching when or what time the spirit which was in them should declare the sufferings that should come to Christ, and the glorie that should follow: 1. Pet. 1. 10. 11. When Balaam had prophecied of Christ, oNumb 24. 17.There shall come a Starre of Iacob, and a Scepter shall rise of Israel, &c. hee brake forth into this passion; Alas, who shall liue when God doth this? As if hee should hauehave said; Happy men are they, who shall see that glorious Starre and Sunne of righteousnesse, comming out of his chamber as a Bridegroome, giuing light to such as sit in darknesse, and in the shadow of death. Oh that thou wouldest breake the heauens and come downe, said the Prophet pCap. 64. 1.Esay. Good old qL…ke 2. 25.Simeon waited for the consolation of Israel. rPontan. in euang. Dom. 13. p…st Trin.Augustine wished hee might hauehave seene three things especially, Rome in her glory, Paul in the pulpit, and Christ in the flesh. If the s1. King. 10. 8.Queene of Sheba reputed the seruants of Salomon happy, for that attending about his throne they heard his wisedome, discoursing of trees t1. King. 4. 33.from the Cedar that is in Lebanon, euen vntounto the Hyssop that springeth out of the wal: how blessed and happy were the disciples in hearing a uMatth. 12. 42.greater then Salomon, and in seeing him who was xPsal. 45. 3.fairer then the sonnes of men, in whom are hid all treasures of wisedome and knowledge? Coloss. 2. 3.
Heere the Gospell and Epistle meete: Happie are the eies which see those things which yee see; for Christ is the promised seed of Abraham, in whom all the nations of the world are blessed. And for application it fits our text, and time, to say, Blessed are our eies, and blessed our eares, in this great light of the Gospell. For wee now yVide Chrysost. Homil. 24. in 1. Cor.see Christ in his Sacraments, and heare Christ in his word. Hee liueth at this houre, zCoster in loc.non solum inter nos, sed etiam intra nos: not among vsus onelyonly, but in vsus also, dwelling in our hearts by faith, Ephes. 3. 17. Galat. 2. 20. The Scriptures are as a prospectiue glasse, wherein hee that hath eyes of beleefe is able to behold Christ crying in his cradle, dying on his crosse, buried in his graue, raised from the dead, transfigured on the mount, ascended farre aboue all heauens, and there sitting as our Aduocate with God the Father. O that men would therefore declare the goodnesse of God, in aPsal. 67. 1.shewing vsus the light of his countenance, reuealing the b1. Tim. 3. 16.great mysteries of godlinesse, which in cEphes. 35.other ages was not opened vntounto the sonnes of men after such a manner as it is now. For I tell you many good Clerkes, and great Kings of England hauehave desired in old time to see those things which yee see, and hauehave not seene them: and to heare those things which yee heare, and hauehave not heard them. And at this day there bee many learned men among the Iewes, and mightie men among the Turkes, and gooly men among the barbarous and superstitious nations of the world, which vnderstand not as yet those things which appertaine to their peace.
And behold a certaine Lawyer stood vp and tempted him saying: Master what shall I doe to inherite eternall life?] A dP. Fagius capitul. pat. pag. 81.wittie Rabbine was wont to say, that he learned much of his master, more of his fellowes, but most of his schollers. And so surely this ambitious Doctor might hauehave got somewhat by questioning, albeit hee tooke Christ happily for his inferiour. But his intent was not to bee taught, but to tempt, foreign, eAretius.vsing all possible meanes, and all plausible cunning to snare Christ in his conference. For as fMath. 2. 4. 7.Herod the fox asked the Priests, and inquired of the Magi diligently when and where Christ was borne; not to worship, but to worrie that innocent lambe: so many men heare the word, and in reading the Bible mooue many doubts vponupon the text, not to consult, but insult. As gPontá….one notes vponupon this place, non vt sciant, sed vt▪ sciantur. The Lawyers preamble was courteous, Master, and his quaere not idle, like the contentions of many Lawyers in our time, De lana caprina, touching the tithing of mint and rue: but concerning our eternall inheritance, what shall I doe to inherite euerlasting life? but his spirit was proud, and his heart false, standing vp to tempt, hauing Master in his mouth, hatching mischiefe in his minde. I will therefore turne that old ryme vponupon him:
M…lin ore, verbalactis.
Felin corde, fra…s in factis.
What is written in the Law? how readest thou?]hCon▪ in Euangel. Dom. 12. post Pentecost. Didacus de la Uega, who was a Spanish Frier of Toledo, notes heere that the Bible teacheth all things exactly, which are necessary to saluation, in his owne Text. Sacrapagina docet nos perfectissimè quae sunt ad salutem necessaria. The I… suit Costerus in his sermon preached vponupon this Gospell, affoords also the Scripture this praise, that it is speculum & regula vitae. Christ therefore sent the Lawyer vntounto the Law for the resolution of his doubt; What is written? how readest thou? So Luke 16. 29. They hauehave Moses and the Prophets, let them heare them. And Esay 8. 20. To the Law, to the testimony. De rebus fidei persuadere debemus ex literis fidei, saith iLib de praescript. aduers. haeret.Tertullian. It is an old prouerbe, that the letters of Princes are to be read thrice, but the Scripture (which is kGregor. epist. lib. 4. Epist. 84.Gods Epistle) must be read lLuther. loc. com. tit. de sa…. script.seuen times thrice, yea seuenty times seuen times. Infinities, as Luther speakes in the words of a mHorat.Poet, Nocturna versate man…, versate diurna. That delighting in the Law of the Lord, we may meditate thereon day and night, Psal. 1. 2. For it is not sufficient to read cursorily, nCoster in loc.sine delectn, & intilectu: we must oActs 17. 11.examine the Text, and pIohn 5. 39.search the Scriptures. And therefore Christ heere said not only, what is written in the law? but, how readest thou? That is, how doest thou vnderstand and construe Gods holy word?
LoueLove the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soule, and with all thy strength, and with all thy minde] This commandement is the qMatt. 22. 38.first and the greatest of all the Law: wherein
Two points are regardable:
The cause why God is to be loued, and that is rHeming.because
Dominus Deus, the Lord.
T…us, thy Lord.
The manner how, with all thy
Heart.
Soule.
Strength.
Minde.
The saying of sTract. d… diligendo de…m prin,Bernard is true: Causa diligendi deum deus est: as being most louing, and louely. Louing, in that he loued t1. I…h. 4 19.vsus first, euen in our election and creation, when wee could not; in our redemption, when we would not, louelove him. uBernard vbi sup a.Ipse dilexit nos & tantus & tautùm, & gratis tantillos & tales. Louely, being indeed the xVega.center of all our louelove; for wee must louelove nothing but good, and eueryevery good is from oboue, comming downe from the Father oflights. As then y1. Kin. 18. 21.Eliah said, If the Lord be God, follow him: in like manner if the Lord bee God, louelove him. Againe, thou must louelove the Lord, because thy God: for eueryevery man loueth his owne; his owne children, his owne friendes, his owne goods, his owne conceit. Non quia vera, (quoth zConfess l. 12. cap. 25.Augustine) sed qui… sua. Now nothing is so properly thine owne as God, being aPsal. 73. 25.thy portion for euer. It is obserued by bV… Diez. con. 2. Dom 12. post. Pentecost.Picus Mirandula subtilly, that in the creation of the World, God gaue the Water vntounto the Fish, Earth vntounto the Beasts, Ayre vntounto the Fowles, Heauen vntounto the glorious Angels: and then after all these goodly seates were bestowed, almighty God made man according to his owne likenesse and Image, that hee might say with the Prophet, Psalme 73 24. Whom hauehave I in Heauen but thee? and there is none vponupon Earth that I desire in comparison of thee. Thou Lord art my lot, and inheritance, the strength of my heart, and saluation of my soule. cAugust tract. 13. in Ioan.Si …suris, panis tibi est; si sitieris, aqua tibi est; si in tenebris es, lumen tibi est, &c.
The manner how to louelove God, is, with all thy heart, with all thy soule, with all thy minde. That is, as dDe doctrina Christ. lib. …. cap. 22. & de spirit. & anima cap. 35. Idem …ombard. 3. sent. dist. 27.Augustine, with all thy vnderstanding, eMichael, di Hang. F…r. 9.neuer speaking or thinking of him erroneously: with all thy will, neuer contradicting him obstinately: with all thy memorie, neuer forgetting him obliuiously: louing him fHeming.perfectly, purely, perpetually. Or as gSer. de diligendo deo. Idem Ludol. de …ita Christi, part. 2. cap. 36.Bernard, with all …hy heart wisely, resisting the subtile suggestions of the diuell: with all thy soule sweetly, mortifying all carnall lusts of the flesh: with all thy minde constantly, ouercomming all crosses and troubles of the world. Or as hLib. de hominis op…f. cap. 8.Gregorie Nyssen, with all the faculties of thy soule, vegetatiue, sensitiue, ratiocinatiue, for in him wee liue, and mooue, and hauehave our being, Acts 17. 28. Hee gaue all, and therefore good reason hee should hauehave all. Or as iPsal. 103. 1.Dauid ioyntly, with all that is within thee. kTheophylact. Gregor. Are…ius.For the multiplying of so many termes, heart, soule, strength, minde, is onelyonly to shew that wee must perfectly louelove God aboue all, euen with all the lBernardinus de bustis Rosar. part. 2. serm. 5.strength of all our heart, soule minde. Modo sine modo, saith B…rnard, tract▪ de di…igendo Deo.
Happily some will obiect, if wee must louelove God with all our heart, soule, minde, mig…t, it is not lawfull to louelove any thing else beside him. Answere is made, that we may louelove something, praeter Deum, sed omnia propter Deum: mLuther. post maior in loc. Idem Thom. 22 q aest 44. art. 4 & … ra in 3. sent. dist 27.Other things beside God, if we louelove them in God and for God. As the words following intimate, Thou shalt louelove thy neighbour as thy selfe.
In which obserue nHeming.the
Causes, of our louelove toward our neighbour.
Measure, of our louelove toward our neighbour.
Order, of our louelove toward our neighbour.
The causes are two:
Commandement in Scripture: Ioh. 13. 34. and 15. 12. This is my commandement, that you louelove one another.
Bond of nature, because man is neighbour to man, in respect of creation and conuersation. Angels fight not against Angels, but against the fell oApoc. 12. 7.Dragon. Birds of a feather flie together. One beast is not cruell vntounto another of the same kinde. For Cocks (as many coniecture) fight not out of malice, but magnanimitie▪, rather out of iealousie then antipathie. Most vnnaturall then is it for one man to wrong another of his owne kinde, yea kinne. For whereas almighty God made not all Angels of one Angell, nor all beasts of the great Elephant, nor all fish of the huge Whale, nor all birds of the maiesticall Eagle; hee made all mankind of one Adam, pAug. de bono Coniuga… …p 1. & …ombard. 2. sent. dist. 18.hereby teaching vsus to louelove as brethren, and to bee all as one, because wee did proceed all from one.
For the measure of thy louelove the text saith heere, thou shalt louelove thy neighbour as thy selfe. Now the qThom. ab A… gentin. & R…. de m…dia … in 3. sent. dist. 29. Idem Thom. 22. quaest. 6. art. 4.schoole Diuines obserue, that as is a note of similitude, not equalitie. The Law doth require that thou louelove thy neighbour as thy selfe for the manner of thy louelove: rIa…sen. con. cap 81.but not as much as thy selfe, for the measure of thy louelove: because charitie begins with it selfe, making a man to louelove first himselfe, then his neighbour as himselfe, that is, sIacob. de Vorag. serm. 2. in loc. Idem Lombard. 3. sent. dist. 27.in quo seipsum & ad quod seipsum, in that, and for that hee loues himselfe, namely louing him in God, and wishing him all good. Other tCaluin. ap…d Marlorat. in Matth 22. 39.Interpreters hauehave gone further, affirming, that according to the rigour of law thou must louelove thy neighbour as thy selfe, not onelyonly with the same louelove, but also with the same degrees of louelove. Now then how thou louest thy selfe, thou doest know best thy selfe. But howsoeuer some learned Authors hauehave denied degrees of intention, all acknowledge that there bee degrees of extention in our charitie. For, as God is the God of louelove; so likewise the God of order: And therefore whereas all men in the world can not bee partakers of our temporall goods and spirituall graces alike, uAug. de doc. Christ. lib. 1. cap. 28.such as are neerest ought to bee dearest vntounto vsus. I say neerest, in xHeming.spirituall or carnall alliance: For the first, it is said expresly, yGalat. 10. 6.doe good to all, especially to those which are of the houshold of faith, of Gods owne family the zCaictan.Church, among whom the Ministers of the word are the a…tchiefest. According to this rule Christ in the Gospell honoured his spirituall allies afore his naturall brethren and kindred; for when one told him, behold thy mother and thy brethren stand without, desiring to speake with thee, Christ stretched forth his hand towards his Disciples and said, bMat. …2. 49.behold my mother and my brethren: for whosoeuer shall doe my fathers will which in heauen, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother. cLombard. 3. sent. dist. 29.Est enim sanctior copula cordium, quàm corporum.
Yet dAltissiodor. aur. sum. s…l. 141. ex Amb.(all other things being alike) wee must affect and respect our owne wife before our owne children, our children before kinsmen, our kinsmen before such neighbours as are not of our blood, our neighbours before strangers, and strangers of our owne countrey before forreiners of another nation. Of this order in our louelove wee find a precept in e1. Tim. 5. 8.Paul, Hee that prouideth not for his owne, namely for them of his houshold, is worse then an Infidell: An example in Ioseph, who preferred Beniamin his owne brother by father and mother too, before the rest of his vnkind brethren: in his seast, Beniamins messe was fGen. …3 34.fiue times so much as any of theirs: at his farewell, other had change of rayment and money, but vntounto Beniamin gGen. 45. 22.hee gaue three hundred peeces of siluer and fiue suites of apparell. Our blessed Sauiour himselfe being the true Ioseph, euen the truth and the way, loued his owne disciples more then other men, and S. Iohn more then other of his disciples, termed in the hIoh. 19 16. 20 2 21. 7. 20.Gospels historie, the disciple whom Iesus loued. I conclude in the words of iVbi s…p.Lombard, Omnes homines diligendi sunt pari affectu, sed non pari effectu. See Thom. 2. 2…, quaest. 26. art. 6. 7. 8. Caietan. & Dominic. Ban. ibidem. Altissiodor. Thom. ab Argentina. Ric. de media villa, reliquosque sententiarios in 3. sent, dist. 29.
Thou hast answered right, doe this and thou shalt liue] For the better vnderstanding of this clause [doe this and thou shalt liue] consider I pray, to what, and to whom Christ made this reply. First, to what. kD…. Fulke, & Sarcer. in loc.It is not demanded here by what meanes a man might obtaine life euerlasting, but by what doing, or by what kind of works; and therefore Christ answered accordingly; what is written in the Law? doe this, and thou shalt liue. Secondly, to whom, hee did now deale with a Doctor of the Law, with a Pharisee, with one who was willing to iustifie himselfe: he did therefore send him vntounto the Law, not vntounto the promise. lHeming.But speaking of eternall life to penitent sinners, hee saith, mIohn 14. 6.I am the way: promising in generall, nMat. 11. 28.Come to mee all yee that are wearie and laden, and I will ease you: performing his word in particular; O woman, thy faith hath saued thee, Luke 7. 50. Christ then in saying, Doe this and thou shalt liue, shewes the Lawyers oMelanct. Sarceriu…, Zepper.hypocrisie, who thought hee could doe this: and not a possibilitie to doe this: pLuther.as if hee should say, thou diddest neuer in all thy life fulfill the whole law, nor yet one letter thereof as thou shouldest perfectly: thou must therefore thinke of qAretius.another way to the kingdome of Heauen. Heere the Gospell and Epistle meete againe. The Law cannot giuegive life (saith Paul.) the Leuit and Priest of the Law, did not helpe the wounded man halfe dead (saith Christ.) The Scripture concludeth all things vnderunder sinne, that the promise by the faith of Iesus Christ, should bee giden to them that beleeue, saith our Epistle. Christ sends a Iustitiarie to the law, that seeing his owne wretchednesse and wickednesse in it, hee might come to Christ the louing Samaritane, to binde vp his wounds and to powre wine and oyle into them, as it is in our Gospell. If Papists in olde time were not impotent in conioyning these two Scriptures as parallel, assuredly the rRhem. & Po…tan. in loc. Non quid credendo, sed quid faciend….Papists in our time are somewhat impudent in making the doctrines of these two so contrarie: that which God and the Church hauehave coupled together, let no man put asunder.
A certaine man] The Doctors of the law construed the Commaundement, louelove thy neighbour, thus: sMat. 5. 43.louelove thy friend, and hate thine enemie. Christ therefore shews by this parable that eueryevery man is our neighbour, of what condition or country soeuer, euen our greatest enemy For the tIob. 4. 9 vide Ioseph antiquit. lib: 1…. cap 7. & 8.Iew did hate the Samaritane, accounting him as a dogge, and yet the Samaritan performed all neighbourly duties vntounto the Iew, for that hee did not commit any worke of cruelty, nor omit any worke of mercy toward him.
In an uAmbros. Euthym. Luther. Melanct. Aretius & alij.allegory, this man is eueryevery man, who sinning in Adam, descended from Ierusalem to Iericho: that is, from Gods Citie to the dominions of Sathan. And fell among theeues: into manifold tentations and noysome lusts. Which robbed him of his rayment: of his xEphes. 4. 24.righteousnesse and holinesse, wherewith Almighty God in his creation adorned him. And they wounded him and departed. For sinne wounding the conscience leaues a man in a desperate case. The Priest and the Leuite looking one him passed by. For the Law being the ministration of y2. Cor. 3. 7.death, is rather a corasie then an healing medicine, procuring rather sorrow then solace to the distressed soule. But a certaine Samaritan tooke compassion, &c. Christ zHeb. 4. 15.touched with the feeling of our infi…mities, out of his pity aEsay 61. 1. Ezech. 34. 16.bound vp his wounds, and powred in Oyle and Wine: preaching repentance, which as wine doth search; and grace, which as Oyle doth supple our soares. Hee set him on his owne beast: bPhilip. 2. 7.hee tooke on him our owne nature, c1. Pe…. 2. 24.bearing our owne sinnes, in his body, suffering for vsus in the flesh. And brought him to a common Inne. That is, the Church, as a common Inne receiuing all sorts of men, being trauellers and d1. Pet. 2. 11.Pilgrims on earth, albeit their ePhilip. 3. 20.Burgeship be in heauen. And made prouision for him. As long as hee liued among vsus, hee did good, and fAct. 10. 38.healed all that were oppressed of the d…uell. On the morrow when he departed: leauing the world and ascending vp on high, hee committed the wounded man vntounto the Host; namely, to the Preachers of his word, gEphes. 4. 11.appointing Apostles, Prophets, and Euangelists, and Pastors and Teachers. VntoUnto which hee gaue two pence, that is, the two testaments, as hIn loc. Idem Ambros. Th…ophylact. Emis.Euthymuis; or as iAretius.other, the two Sacraments: or as kAugust. ap…d Th…m in ….other, the two great Commandements: or as lPangarol. h…m. in Euang. d…m. 12. post Pen. part. 2.other, wholesome doctrine and holy conuersation: or mIaem ibid.iurisdiction and order: nIdem ibid.or the word and the Sacraments: all which are Gods ordinary meanes vntounto saluation. And said, take care of him. He doth not inioyne the Minister to cure, but only to take care for the wounded man. As oLib. 4. de considerat.Bernard excellently, Petitur a te cura, non curatio. For if the wounded man, as pIer. 51. 9.Babylon, will not be cured, qEz…ch. 33. 9.he shall die for his iniquity, but thou hast deliuered thy soule. Thou hast done thy part, and thou shalt assuredly receiue thy reward. As Christ himselfe promiseth here, When I come againe I will recompence thee; Then he will say to the good Steward, rMat. 25. 23.It is well done trusty seruant, thou hast beene faithfull in little, I will make the Ruler ouer much, enter into thy masters ioy.
Goe and doe likewise] For if thou know this, and doe not this accordingly, sEuthym.thou dost not louelove thy neighbour as thy selfe, and he that loues not his neighbour as himselfe, cannot louelove God with all his heart, with all his soule, &c. Let vsus therefore be followers of Christ tEphes. 5. 1.as deere children, louing his as he loued vsus: opening our bowels of compassion toward all such as mourne in Sion, binding vp the wounds of his distressed members vnderunder the crosse, u1. Cor. 10. 24.seeking not our owne, but one anothers good, that when hee comes to iudgement we may heare and hauehave that happy doome: Come ye blessed of my Father, inherit ye the Kingdome prepared for you. For I was an hungred, and ye gaue me meate; I thirsted, and ye gaue mee drinke; I was a stranger, and ye lodged mee; I was naked, and ye clothed me, &c. For in as much as ye hauehave done it vntounto one of the least of these my brethren, ye hauehave done it vntounto me.