Exposition of the Festival Epistles and Gospels, Explication of epistles and gospels 2 · Part 2
The Gospell
MATTH. 11.25.
In that time Iesus answered and said, I thanke thee (O Father) Lord of heauen and earth, because thou hast had these things from the wise and prudent, and hast sh…wed them vntounto babes, &c.
CHrists exceeding rich mercy toward vsus is manifested in this Scripture by two things especially: to wit, his inuocation of God. I thanke thee O father &c. And his inuitation of men, Come vntounto mee all ye that labour, &c. In both ioyned together, hee that hath an eye to see may behold the chiefe rAreti… in loc.causes of our effectuall vocation
Efficient, the good pleasure of God the father, Lord of heauen and earth, &c.
Materiall, babe…, and all such as labour and are heauie laden.
Instrumentall, Iesus, vntounto whom all things are giuen.
Finall, refreshing and rest in soule.
I thanke thee] sMelanct in loc.Prayer and thankesgiuing vntounto God for benefits obtained in prayer ought alwaies to concurre. Christ had often heretofore prayed for the gathering together of the Church, as it was prophesied of him in the second Psalme; Desire of me and I will giuegive thee the heathen for thine inheritance and the vttermost parts of the earth for thy possession. And now his prayer being heard, he rendreth vntounto God his praise, Father, I thanke thee Lord of heauen and earth. In which one line tPet. de pal…d. in loc.three wicked errours are consuted: first, the words, I thanke thee) consound the Iewes assuming that Christ was a uMat…h. 26.blas … Secondly, father, ouerthroweth Arrians, an … …ch as deny Christ to bee Gods eternall sonne. Thirdly, heauen, crosseth the Manicheans opinion▪ holding God to bee Creator of visible things onelyonly, but not of inuisible.
Because thou hast hid those things from the wise] Hee did not absolutely thanke his father for hiding the mysteries of his sauing grace from the wise: xIllephons. Gi…. fragment. in …sens euangel. idem Pet. de palud. ex Chrysost.but for that be reuealed them vntounto babes. You may reade the like phrase, Rom. 6.17▪ God be thanked that ye hauehave been the seru…nts of inne, but ye hauehave obtained from the heart vntounto be forme of the doctrine which was deliuered vntounto you. yCaluin & Caietan in Rom. 6.… blessed Apostle did not giuegive thankes vntounto God for that the Romans had made their members as weapons of iniquitie: but because they who sometime were the seruants of sinne, through his grace were now the seruants of righteousnesse, as Primasius vponupon the place, Gratias Deo quia fuist is, sed ipso liberatore iam non estis. Euen so Christ heere thankes his father primarily, not for hiding these things from the wise (that is, wise in their Prou. 3.7.owne eyes, or wise men after the a1. Co. 1.26.flesh, endued with a wisedome which is earthly, sensuall, & diuellish, Iames. 3.15.) but because though he suffer the prince of darkenesse to b1. Cor. 4.4.blind the mindes of the worldly wise: yet he doth openly sh…w the glorious light of the Gospell vntounto babes ▪ that is, vntounto such as became c1. Cor. 3.18.fooles that they may be wise, wholly renouncing their owne wit, and solely submitting themselues vntounto Gods will. If Iesus dLuk 10 21.reioyced in the spirit, and magnified the Lord of heauen and earth for vsus; e…. Mat.O what thankes ought our selues to present vntounto God for our selues. Praise the Lord O my soule, and all that is within me praise his holy name. For mine eyes hauehave seene thy saluation, and mine heart hath often endited a good matter, and my pen sometimes is the pen of a readie writer. O father of merciemercy, whereas these things are yet hid from the Iewes, and from the Turkes, and from the superstitious Heathen, and from carnall Christians; I hauehave, to the great refreshing of my soule, through thy grace (sweet Iesu) both heard by the Gospell, and imbraced the Gospell, and preached the Gospell, and in some measure practised also the Gospell. fPsal. 103.2.O my soule praise the Lord, and forget not all his benefits. I will sing vntounto the Lord as long as I liue, I will praise my God while I hauehave any being, Psal. 104.33.
The sweetest of honie lieth in the bottome; I passe therefore from Christs inuocation, to the latter part of his Gospell his inuitation. In which obserue the
mouer, Iesus.
moued, all that labour and are laden.
motion, Come take my yoke vponupon you, learne of me.
motiues, I will ease you, yee shall finde rest vntounto your soules, for my yoke is easie, and my burthen light.
The person inuiting is Iesus, he saith heere come, not to mine, gVide respon. Eliensis ad apolog. B…llar. cap. 8.but to me: not to my Saints, or Angels, or Martyrs, or Mother: but to my selfe. Send not other, it is my pleasure that ye come: seeke not for helpe from other, I will ease you. Come vntounto me, hIob. 14.6.for I am the way, the truth, and the life. The way by which, and the t…uth in which, and the life for which all of you come. None can come but by me, none finde ease but in me, none rest in ease but with me. Come therefore, for I am the way: learne of me, for I am the truth: and ye shall find rest vntounto your soules, for I am the life. Come to me, iMusculus in loc.for I am (as you see) willing, in saying come, and able to relieue you: for that all things are giuen vntounto me. So that kMat. 7.7.aske, and ye shall hauehave: seeke, and ye shall finde: knocke, and it shall be opened vntounto you. lIoh. 16.23.Whatsoeuer ye shall aske the Father in my name, he will giuegive it you.
None can come to the Father except it bee by the Sonne; for no man knoweth the Father saue the Sonne, and he to whomsoeuer the Sonne will open him. In saying saue the Sonne, he doth not exclude the holy spirit being the third person in Trinitie, for it is a good conclusion in Diuinitie, mCaietan. Ludolphus. Beauxamis in loc.dictio exclusiua siue exceptiua addita termino personali in essentialibus non excludit ab altera persona diuina. God the Father, and God the holy Ghost, as being all one with the Sonne, are in the words (nisi filius) included, and onelyonly the Creator excluded. For none know the Father by nHieron. in loc.nature, but by the reuelation of the Sonne. Wee speake the wisedome of God in a mystery (saith o1. Cor. 2.7.Paul) which none of the Princes of this world knew, hunc magnus Plato nesciuit, eloquens Demosthenes ignorauit. It is true that wee may know by the light of humane discourse that there is a God, for the pRom. 1.20.Godhead is seene by the creation of the world: The heauens declare the glory of God, and the firmament sheweth his handie wo…ke, Psalm. 19.1. Yet none know the Father, qCaietan.that is, a distinction of the persons in sacred Trinity, but by the spirit of him in whom are hid all the treasures of wisedome and knowledge, Coloss. 2.3. And … our reuealed knowledge is but r1. Cor. 13.12.imperfect in this life. They who saw most of God obtained onelyonly the sight of his hinder parts. And in the kingdome of glory, when as we shall enioy the beholding of his foreparts also, seeing him euen face to face; our knowledge shall not be sPet. …. i. … 12. … 8 ….comprehensionis cognitio, sed apprehensionis, an apprehending rather then a comprehending of his infinite Maiesty. Wee shall not euen in that day know so much of the Father, as the Father knoweth of himselfe, t… gal. … 10.Sola quippe trinitas in vn…atis diuinitate seipsam nouit. In this life we shall attaine by Christs grace to such an vnderstanding … God as is fit, and in the world to come we shall …a…e so much as is full euen so much as any created vessel is able to containe▪ yet none shall euer … comprehend that incomprehensible Trinitie, none can as it selfe know it selfe.
H…herto concerning the party calling: I am now to speake of the perso…s inuited All ye that labour and are lader. He doth ex… u….…one, who came to bring x1. …. ….4. ….all vntounto the knowledge of the truth, … …al that l…our, then all that liue. For man borne of a woman is full of troub…e, Iob 14.1 Come therefore all ye that labour in your ….actions and are laden in your passions. All ye a….Iewes who labour vnderunder the yoke of the law, and all ye Gentiles opp…essed with the burthen of your sinnes. All yee …hat labour where …, and whensoeuer, and howso…er afflicted or aff…d … misery. For these two lab…ur and l…d…, b…. cap. 47.… (… …one conceiue) simply the …me, sign…f…ing all kind …f …efe, s…res, and sorrow …hatsoeuer. As in the 6. and 9 Psalmes, … weary of my gream…g, I am weary of my …. &c. To speake more distinctly, there is a c….threefold burthen, namely, the burthen of
…ffliction.
the law.
….
Christ easeth all such as come to him of all these. Concerning the sir…, great trau…ile (saith the sonne of dEccles 40.1.Sirach) is created for all men, and a hea…ie yoke vponupon the sonnes of Adam, euen from the day that they goe out of the mothers wombe, till the day that they returne to the mother of all things. But Christ, a ePsal 9 9.refuge in due time of trouble, yea a fPsal. 46.1.present helpe, doth either take away this burthen frō our shoulders, or else giueth vntounto such as come to him abundant strength and patience to beare it. Art thou crossed in thy goods? it is gIob 1.21.the Lord who giueth, and the Lord who taketh away. h1. Pet. 5.7.Cast all your care vponupon him, and hee will so care for you, that this burthen shall be made light, and this yoke easie. Art thou wronged in thy good name? say with i2. Sam. 16.12.Dauid, it may bee the Lord will looke vponupon mine affliction, & do me good, for Shemi his cursing me this day. Come to Christ, and he will bring it to passe, that thy greatest enemy shall (if he hauehave any sparke of grace) confesse ingeniously to thee (as k1. Sam. 24.18.Saul once to Dauid) thou art more righteous then I, for thou hast rendred me good, and … hauehave rendred thee euill. Hee shall make thy righteousnesse as cleare as the light, and thy iust dealing as the noone day, Psalm. 37.6. Art thou much afflicted with sicknesse? lDeut. 32.39.I (saith the Lord) am he who kill, and giuegive life, wound, and make whole, m1. Sam. 2.6.bring downe to the graue, and raise vp againe. I am the resurrection and the life, hee that beleeueth in me, though he were dead yet shall he liue, Ioh. 11.25.
The 2 burthen is that …f the law, a yoke which neither our fathers nor we were able to beare ▪ saith S. Peter, Act. 15.10. a yo…e of nGalath. 5.1.bondage▪ a oMatth. 23.4.heauie burthen, and grieuous to be borne. Now Christ easeth vsus of this burthen also, being pGalath. 4.4.made vnderunder the law to redeeme them vnderunder the law. He qColoss 2.14.blotted out the handwriting of ordinances that was against vsus which was contrary to vsus, and tooke it out of the way nailing it to hi… cr…ss…. So that if Satan, that informer and common accuser of vsus all, obiect the lawes obligation against vsus our answere may be that the debt is payed, and the bond cancelled. If his euidence be good, let him if he can shew it in the court. Christ is the end of the law, Rom. 10.4. For the law was added because of the transgression, vntill the blessed seed came, to the which, the promise was made, Galath. 3.19. The Prophets and the law did endure till Iohn, but since rMat. 11.12.the kingdome of heauen suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force. The blessed seed is come when once Christ sEphes. 3.17.dwelleth in our hearts by faith, and then it is time for the law to bee pa…king out of the conscience, then her kingdome is at an end Come therfore to Christ all ye that labour vnderunder the yoke of the law written, and all ye which are laden with the burthen of pharisaicall traditions vnwritten, and yee shall finde rest vntounto your soules.
The third burthen is of sinne, the which is so weighty, that tZechar. 5.7.Zecharias calles it a talent of lead, and uPsal. 30.3.Dauid who felt the load himselfe saith of it expresly, there is no health in my flesh because of thy displeasure, neither is there any rest in my bones by reason of my sinne, for my wickednesses are gone ouer my head, and are like a sore burthen too heauie for me to beare. And heere let vsus obserue with xIn loc.Euthymius that sinne is first a labour in accomplishing, and then a load when it is accomplished. The couetous, incontinent, ambitious, exceedingly labour to compasse their vnlawfull desires, and yet when all is done, they remaine still as men vndone. For no man is more beggerlike, then a couetous wretch in an opulent fortune, nor more base, then a proud man in the midst of his honour. There is a labour in geering these things, and when once they be got, a load. yEcclesiast. 1.14.All is but …nity and vexation of spirit. They who truely repent them of their sin feele this burthen in this world, and they who being irrepentant, are in a …am. 1.…8.reprobate sense, shall at the last day notwithstanding confesse to their endlesse shame, Wis…. 5.7.We hauehave wearied our selues in the waies of wickednesse and destruction. Now Christ saith vntounto such as grieue and groane vnderunder the burthen of their sinnes, bMat. 9.13.I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance. cLuk. 4.18.the spirit of the Lord is vponupon mee that I should preach the Gospell vntounto the poore, he hath sent me that I should heale the broken hearted, that I should preach deliuerance to the captiues, and recouering of sight to the blind.
He calleth all that labour dLudolph. de vita Christ. part. 1, cap. 58.siue secundum naturam in qua nascimur; siue secundum culpaem qua transgredimur; siue poenam in qua morimur. All men, as you hauehave heard sufficiently, eMasculus. Calain. Giron.yet onelyonly such as labour and are laden with the burthen of their sinnes efficiently. The carnall and carelesse hauehave fMat. 13 14.eyes and see not, eares and heare not, hearts and vnderstand not. gMat. 23.37.How often would I (saith hee who calleth all) hauehave gathered you together as the hen gathereth her chickins vnderunder her wings, and ye would not. And in this present chapter at the seuenteenth vers. We hauehave piped vntounto you, and ye hauehave not danced, we hauehave mourned vntounto you, and ye hauehave not lamented. That is, (as hSer. 80.Ambrose construeth it) we hauehave preached vntounto you the sweet comforts of the Gospell, and ye hauehave not reioyced in spirit: we hauehave denounced vntounto you the terrible iudgements of God contained in the law, and yee hauehave not trembled at our words. O thinke on this all yee that forget God, all yee that stop your eares and harden your hearts at his voice; repent and exhort one another iHeb. 3.…3.while it is to day, seeke the Lord while hee may bee found, and call vponupon him, and come vntounto him while he is neare, Esay 55.6.
Yea but where shall wee find thee sweet Iesus? I am (saith he) found in my workes, and in my words, and in my Sacraments. In my workes. kIoh. 10.25.for they beare witnesse of me, they shew that by me the blind receiue sight, and halt go, and the leapers are cleansed, and the dead are raised vp, Matth. 11.5. In my word, for the lIoh. 5.39.Scriptures are they which testifie of me. There you shall reade how God so loued the world, that he gaue his only begotten Son, that whose euer beleeueth in him should not perish but hauehave euerlasting life, Iohn 2.16. in my sac…ar…is, m… 6.…6.he that eare … blood dwelleth in me, and … ye come to my table ye shall be refreshed … my blood …ref…teris … necesseris de….
… to the comming or motion, and that is by … and not by feet, moribus non pedibus by louelove not by leggs: come to me then in saith,… and … yoke … to hope and learne …f me meek…es and lowlinesse in …one: …he that comes to God must beleeue that God is, and that he is a rewarder of such as seeke him: hee must in h…pe beare Christs yoke, the which in respect of the present labour is heauen but in respect of the … f…ture retribution hope ……: to saith he must adioyne louelove, whereof there be two principall obiects, and two principall offices: the principall obiects of our louelove are God and our neighbours, …lowlinesse in heart disposeth aright of our louelove toward God, and meeknes sheweth how wee should demeane our selues in our cariage toward our neighbours: the two principall offices of our louelove are to giuegive and to forgiue; lowlinesse is ready to giuegive eueryevery man his due, meeknesse to forg…ue eueryevery man his debt: or we must be …mites … humiles mentibus, in our outward behauiour toward other meeke, in our inward conceit of our selues humble: lowly not in complement or habit only, but in heart: for as the Eccles. 19 25.wiseman telleth vsus there be some that being about wicked purposes doe bow downe themselues and are sad, whose inward parts burne altogether with deceit … he looketh downe with … face, and fameth himselfe deafe: yet before thou perce… … vponupon thee to hurt thee.
…Christ wou…d not hauehave vsus imitate him in his mi…, as …n walking vponupon the waters, in raising the dead, …n making a new world: but in his morale, in his meeknes and lowlines especially, for these vertues are the lessons he …eacheth, in whom are hid all the treasures of wisedome 2nd knowledge: it is so great a thing in our owne eyes to be little, that no man is able to learne it of any but of him only, who being in the xPhilip 26.forme of God tooke vponupon him the forme of a seruant and became man, yea a yPsalm. 22.6.worme and no man, a very scorne of men and outcast of the people, termed Apocalyp. 1.8. the first and the last: in maiestie the first, in zGloss.meeknes as the last, his whole life being nothing else but an open booke, or rather an open shop of humility: descend then if thou wilt ascend, if thou desire to build high and to seeke the things aboue, lay thy foundation low, humblenes of mind is aBonauent. diet salat. cap. 36schola and scala coeli, the schoole teaching and the scale reaching heauen.
bHildebert. in epitap. Berengary apud Malmes. in vita. Wil. 1.Quo minor est quisquis maximus est hominum.
I will ease you cBernard.the world crieth, ego deficiam, I will leaue you: the flesh crieth, ego inficiam, I will corrupt you: the deuill crieth, ego interficiam, I will destroy you: but he (which is dAugust. de verb. apost. ser. 22.verax verus veritas, euer speaking the truth as euer being the truth) opposeth himselfe against all these mortall enemies and saith ego reficiam, I will ease you: this one clause then is the very close, yea the very eCulman. in loc.summe of the whole gospell in as much as all our learning and labouring is for this end, that we may find refreshing and rest vntounto our soules in the end, the latine ref…ciam hath fVide Giron. con. 2. in …est. Mat.three significations.
1 Reficere is to repaire or renew, Mat. 4.21. reficienres retia, Iames and Iohn were mending their nets &c, and so Christ as being gH…b. 1.3.the brightnes of Gods glory, and expresse character of his person, restoreth againe Gods Image defaced in vsus through Adams fall, vt recreatio creationi responderet saith hPart. 1. quaest. 3. a…. 8.Aquine, that the redemption of the world might answere the creation: he who first made, now mendeth vsus, all of vsus being the iEphes. 2.10.workmanship of God in Christ as creatures and as new creatures: as Creatures, for in the beginning was the word, all things were made by it, and without it was made nothing that was made: as k2. Cor. 5.17.new creatures, for Christ Iesus is the new man we must lRom. 12.14.put on, of whom wee must learne meeknes and lowlines that we may walke in newnes of life, Rom. 6.4.
2. Reficere, doth signifie to strengthen with meat, in which acception a common hall in a colledge where the society meet and eat together, is called a refectorie; now Christ hath a twofold refectorie for all such as come vntounto him, one in his kingdome of grace, when he mPsalm. 23.5.prepareth a table for vsus in despite of our foe, refreshing vsus with the food of his word of his supper, of his examples vntil we are made fat, Prouerb. 28.25. euen so full and faire, that the Church in admiration hereof asketh her best beloued, nCant. 1.6.shew me where thou feedest? another refectorie, Christ hath in his kingdome of glory, Luke 22.30. Ye shall eate and drinke at my table in my kingdome, there God hath prepared for those that louelove him a banquet of such delicates as eye hath not seene, neither eare hath heard, neither heart of man able to conceiue. 1. Cor. 2.9. oR…pe…t. in Mat. 11.Sentiri potest, dici non potest. Come then vntounto me all ye pMat. 5.6.that hunger and thirst after righteousnes, and I will feed you, feast you, fill you, feed you with the q1. Pet. 2.….sincere milke of my doctrine, feast you with a cheerefulnes of conscience which is a rProuerb. 15.15.continuall feast, fill you with an ouerflowing cup in the state of glory: come to me, nay if ye will open the wicket of your heart when I knocke and desire to come to you, I will sup with you, and you shall also sup with me, Apocalip. 3.20.
3. Reficere, signifieth as our text runneth here, to refresh and to ease such as labour and are laden, and this s…ansenius. Marlorat.expresseth the word foreign best, and is most agreeable to the clause going afore labour and laden; and the words following after, rest, easie, light, as if he should hauehave said, tSua…e contra laborem, … contraonus. Ca…etanin loc.I will ease such as labour, and giuegive rest vntounto such as are laden, I will make their heauy burden light, and their hard yoke easie, so that they shall count it exceeding ioy to fall into diuers temptations, Iames 1.2. as sorrowing and yet alway reioycing, 2. Cor. 6.10. uPsal. 128.2.blessed in eating the labours of their hands: as men of the world are xAugustin. in Psalm. 127.infeliciter felices, vnhappie in being so much happie: so the children of God are feliciter infelices, happie in feeling their load, and vnderstanding their vnhappines, for y1. Cor. 10.13.God is faithfull, and will not suffer his children to be tempted aboue their ability, but will euen with the temptation make away to escape, that they may be able to beare it. This ease Paul found vntounto the rest of his soule, 2. Cor. 4.8. We are troubled on eueryevery side, yet are we not in distresse: perplexed, but not in despaire: persecuted, but not forsaken: cast downe, but yet not cast away. A zMusculus in loc.Physitian (albeit he be neuer so skilfull in his arte) cannot absolutely promise that he will ease you: his comforts are I will endeuour to giuegive you rest, if I can I will helpe you, neither inuention of wit, nor intention of will, I assure you shall be wanting: but Christ heere saith I will, I can, as hauing all things giuen vntounto me of my father, and I will as being aEsay 61.1.sent into the world to comfort such as mourne in Sion.
Ye shall finde rest vntounto your soules] bPet. de palud.some finde rest in their body, but not in their soule, as the glutton mentioned, Luke 16. his body was richly clothed, and deliciously pampered eueryevery day, but his soule (so full of sores as Lazarus at his gate) found no rest: cLuther loc. com. tit. de furijs malae conscien.one drop of a bad conscience did drinke vp as it were the whole sea of his worldly delights, some finde rest in their soule, but not in their body, so the seruants of God are said to dRom. 5.3.reioyce in tribulations, as the blessed Apostles Act. 5. afflicted in body, reioyced in spirit, because they were counted worthy to suffer for Christs name: some neither in body nor soule, as the damned in hell, hauing eBonauent. diet. salut. cap. 49.poenarum & diuersitatem & vniuersitatem, a fire to torment the body, a worme to torture the soule Esay 66.24. some both in body and in soule, as Gods elect in heauen, who rest from their labour, Apocalyp. 14.13. and from their griefe, for fApocalyp. 21.4.God shall wipe away all teares from their eyes, and there shall be no more dying or crying: and from their feare, Iob. 11.19. when thou takest thy rest none shall affright thee: come then vntounto me all ye that labour and are laden, and ye shall find rest here begun, hereafter accomplished fully: ye shall find, gMusculus.not by your owne industry: but through my grace, first I will ease you, then ye shall find rest vntounto your soules: vnlesse I giuegive you meanes to seeke, ye can not find, if you will hauehave it, I pray come to me for it.
For my yoke is easie and my burthen light] hTheophyla…t. Euthym.Some construe this of Christs humility, because meek and lowly persons hauehave more rest and ease then the proud and ambitious, euer labouring for higher place; per quot pericula peruenitur ad grandius periculum? as iConfess. lib. 8. cap. 6.Augustine sweetly. The Courtier is in deed restie, yet restlesse: kSee resolued gentleman. pag. 14.if he turne gallant, he shall be condemned as vaine: if otherwise, disgraced with the titles of basenes: if he follow his studies, he shall be thought dangerous: if not, argued of ignorance: it he hauehave traueiled, his seruice will be questioned: if not, he shall be reputed vncapable of employment. So miserable is his estate, that his imperfections are hated, his vertues suspected, and either of them both alike able to barre him from preferment. l….He must euer study not so much to hauehave friends, as to beware of his enemies: in a word, there is lesse trauel in seruing of God, then the King: for the King hath only some few houres of audience, whereas God saith, at what time soeuer a sinner doth repent of his sinne from the bottom of his heart, I will put all his wickednes out of my remembrance.
But mAugustin. Hieron. …ansen. Musculus. Maldonat. &c.most interpretors vnderstand this of Christs Gospell and doctrine, nD… Falk. in loc.for his burthen is light vntounto such as hee refresheth and easeth from the burthen of sinne, his commandements are not heauie to them whose faith ouercommeth the world, 1. Iohn 5.3. A oGueu…ra. epist.yoke when it is greene is heauie, but when it is somewhat worne, easie. Now Christ himselfe did first weare this yoke, that it might be seasoned and made light for vsus. If he commanded other to fast, himselfe fasted: if he commanded other to pray, himselfe prayed: if he commanded other to forgiue, himselfe pardoned: if he commanded other to die, himselfe also died, &c. And therefore saith he, learne of me. pCaluin.For this yoke will appeare to be sweet, if once you bee well acquainted with it as I am. It qDidac. Yanguas con. 2. de S. Matth.is my yoke, not yours. I put my shoulder vntounto the burthen and beare more then you, factus est principatus super humerum eius, Esa. 9.6. Christ doth as r2. Cor. 11.29.Paul saith, Who is weake, and I am not weake? who is offended, and I burne not? I beare the yoke when yee suffer, Act. 9.4. Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? To this purpose sEpist. lib. 4. epista.Paulinus excellently, Christus & patiens & triumphans in sanct is suis: in Abel, occisus á fratre: in Noe, irrisus à filio: in Abraham peregrinatus, In Isaac oblatus, in Ioseph venditus, in Moyse fugatus, in Prophetis lapidatus, in Apostolis terra marique iactatus. When as then ye labour and are laden heauily, learne of me, yea leane on me: Psalm. 55.23. Cast thy burden vponupon the Lord, and he shall nourish thee, Come to me and I will ease you. So S. tDe verbis dom. secund. Mat. ser. 9.Augustine doth expound this clause, Christs burthen in it selfe (saith he) is exceeding troublesome, for u2. Tim. 3.12.all that will liue godly in Christ Iesus shall suffer perscution: but his spirit xRom. 8.20.helpeth our infirmities, and sweetneth affliction for vsus; hee maketh vsus willing, and so by consequent able to beare his burthen, and vndergoe his yoke. For yBernard. ser. 85. in Cant.vbi amor est, non est labor sed sapor, vntounto the willing all things are welcome. The way to heauen is zAugust. vbi supra.angusta paucis eligentibus, facilis tamen omnibus diligentibus. O come then vntounto Christ, and take vp his yoke. aAmbros. de Elia cap. 22.Feare it not as being a yoke, but bea…e it as being easie. Respect not the present paine, but expect the future pleasure. For our light affliction which is but for a moment, causeth vntounto vsus a farre more excellent and eternall waight of glory, 2. Cor. 4.17.
It is very remarkable that Christ saith in the bGueuara epist.singular yoke, for hee doth not command vsus to plough with many yokes. The diuell enticeth vsus to many vices which are contrary, the world hath many troubles which are contrary, the flesh also many desires which are contrary: but God hath vponupon the point but one commandement, namely, that c1. …ob. 3 23.we beleeue in his Sonne Iesus Christ, and expresse this faith in louing one another. All that Christ on our part requireth is, that wee come to him, and learne of him. dRom. 10.9. Si credis lu…us …s. Luther.If thou shalt acknowledge with thy mouth the Lord Iesus, and shalt beleeue in thine heart that God hath raised him vp from the dead, thou shalt bee saued. The Gospell is called a burthen and a yoke, eE…thym.lest we presume: yet light and easie, lest wee despaire. fMarlorat.By this one sentence two sorts of men are confuted especially: the carnall Gospellers on the right hand, who because iustification is by faith onelyonly, hold themselues free from all burthens; and the superstitious Monkes and merit-mongers on the left hand, loading the consciences of men with too many burthens. O sweet Iesu, so guide me with thy holy spirit, that I may walke betweene these two rocks in thy mid way. Thou ( …o whom all things are giuen) giuegive me thy grace, that I may come to thee, learne of thee, rest in thee. That I may so beare thy crosse on earth, as that I may weare thy crowne in heauen, Amen.