The Autumn Part from the Twelfth Sunday after Trinity, Gospel 3
The Gospell.
LVKE 17. 11.
And it chanced as Iesus went to Hierusalem, that he passed thorow Samaria and Galile: and as he entred into a certaine towne, there met him ten men that were lepers, &c.
COncerning Christs diligence, going about to doe good: obedience, sending the lepers vntounto the Priests of the Law: power and pity curing such an incurable disease. Concerning also the faith and fact of the lepers in confessing and adoring Christ, I hauehave spoken enough in mine exposition of the Gospell, allotted for the third Sunday after Epiphanie. There remaineth in all this historie, but one point only to be further examined, and that is the gratitude, rather ingratitude of these lepers, in which obserue
The Number of the thanksgiuers: one among ten, and that one not a Iew, but a Samaritane.
The Nature of the thanksgiuing: adorned with many cōmendable vertues, as
Obedience.
Desire to be with Christ.
Praising of God.
Humilitie.
LoueLove.
Faith.
One of them when hee saw that he was cleansed] zCulman. Sarcerius. Aretius.Hence wee may learne that the number of true beleeuers is but a aLuke 12 32.small flocke, and that among much bMatth. 13.stonie, more thornie, there is but a little good ground. Many men in the world cDiez. Co…er.resemble dDan. 2.Nabuchadnezzars Image, whose head was of fine gold, his breast and his armes of siluer, his thighes of brasse, his legges of iron, and his feet part of iron, and part of clay: the beginning of all these lepers was golden, and their proceedings as purified siluer; all beleeued, all prayed, all obeyed Christ: but their end was dirtie, forsaking the word, and embracing the world. Hypocrites are like the Plaice, which hath a blacke side so well as the white: when once their turnes are serued by the white, they can and will instantly shew the blacke. While these men had their grieuous disease, they came to Christ, and cry to Christ, Iesus Master, hauehave mercy on vsus. But feeling themselues healed, they forget him, and that which is worse, they side with the Priests against him. Among ten one man only was thankfull, and continued faithfull vntounto the end. And this one was a stranger and a Samaritane. Wherein our Euangelist doth taxe their ingratitude, by eCaluin. Ia…sen.comparing one with nine, and a Samaritane with a Iew. fTheophylact.Teaching vsus also not to boast of our progenie though neuer so godly, nor to despaire though neuer so wicked. In the businesse of our saluation oft it comes to passe gLuke 13. 30.that the first are the last, and the last are the first. In hGalat. 3. 28Christ there is neither Iew nor Grecian, but in iActs 10. 35eueryevery nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousnesse is accepted with him.
The thankfulnesse of the Samaritane is accompanied with many notable vertues, as first obedience; for although he knew that he was, as hee went cleansed of his leprosie: yet according to Christs expresse commandement hee shewed himselfe to the Priests. And when he was with them, he was not seduced of them as the rest of his companie. For whereas the Priests (as kLyra. Culman. Aretius.it is thought) had corrupted and perswaded those other nine that they were cured by the Lawes obseruation, and not by Christs either might or mercy: the Samaritane beleeued vnfainedly that Christ was a Priest for euer after the order of lHeb. 7. 17.Melchisedec, euen an high Priest which is touched with the feeling of our infirmities, Hebr. 4. 15. and therefore leauing the legall Priests, hee was desirous to bee with Iesus his Sauiour. EueryEvery man goeth astray, but the good man is mBertrandu… in loc.regredient, returning againe to Christ, which is the way. Being now come to Christ, hee performes his dutie to God, and man. To God, in praising him with a loud voyce, which argueth his nLudolph.deuotion, and in falling on his face at Christs feet, which argueth his oPanigarol.humilitie. To man, for whereas Christ said vntounto him, Are there not ten cleansed? but where are those nine? hee made no reply, but held his peace; pIansen. C…ster. Pon…an.signifying hereby that hee came backe againe to remember his owne thankes, and not to tell tales of others ingratitude. These good things arising from a liuely faith, are well▪pleasing to God: and therefore Christ dismissed him accordingly, Goe thy way, thy faith hath made thee whole.
Let vsus imitate the Samaritane in his qMelancthon.perseuerance, being neuer rGalat. 6. 9.wearie of well doing. The which one poynt (as sSer. de orat. Dom.Cyprian and tDe b…no perseu…rantiae, cap. 2.Augustine hauehave noted) is almost all the contents of our Lords prayer. For in saying, hallowed be thy name, thy kingdome come, thy will be done, &c. what doe we desire, but that Gods name may bee sanctified of vsus alwaies, his kingdome propagated alwaies, his will fulfilled alwaies. If at any time we fall into sinne, we must returne againe by faith and repentance to Christ, humbling our selues at his feet, and seruing him in holinesse and righteousnesse all the daies of our life.
The Gospell and Epistle parallel, for sinne is a spirituallu See postil. cum gl…ssis: & …erus ser. 5. Dom. 15. post Pen…ecost. leprosie, the spots whereof are adulterie, fornication, vncleannesse, Idolatrie, &c. Christ is the Physitian of our soule, who came into the world to saue sinners, 1. Tim. 1. 15. I, euen I (saith the Lord) am he that putteth away thine iniquities, Esa. 42. 25. The Preachers of his word are his mouth, as it were, to xZepper. con. 1. in loc.pronounce, that all such as truly repent and vnfainedly beleeue his holy Gospell, are cured of their leprosie: but himselfe alone y1. Iohn 1. 7.cleanseth vsus from all sinne. Giuing vsus his sanctified spirit also whereby we put off the old man, and walke in newnesse of life. For as leprous z2. King 5. 14.Naaman after he washed in Iorden, had new cleane flesh in stead of his old rotten flesh; euen so such as are Christs, and are led of his spirit, in the places of their ancient vices hatred, variance, sedition, enuying, murther, &c. hauehave contrarie vertues, as louelove, ioy, peace, long suffering, gentlenesse, &c. If Iob blessed God for a wound giuen; what thankes owe wee to God for our wounds healed, and our sinne forgiuen? aAugust. medit. cap. 7.O ineffabilis mysterij dispositio, peccat iniquus & punitur iustus, delinquit reus, & vapulat innocens, offendit impius & damnatur pius, quod meretur malus patitur bonus, quod committit homo sustinet Deus.
Pro seruis Dominus moritur, pro sontibus insons. Proaegrotomedicus, pro grege pastor obit.
Pro populo rex mactatur, pro milite ductor; Pro opere ipse opifex, pro homine ipse Deus.
Quid seruus, sons, aegrotus, quid grex populùs que , Quid miles, quid opus, quid homo soluet? amet.