Exposition of the Festival Epistles and Gospels, Explication of epistles and gospels 2 · Part 14 – Part 15
The Gospell
MARK. 16.14.
Iesus appeared vntounto the eleuen as they sat at meate, &c.
qConfess. Heluel. post cap. 24.ALbeit religion be not tied vntounto time, yet can it not be planted or exercised, without a due diuiding and allotting out of time for it. EueryEvery Church therefore chuseth vntounto it selfe a certaine time for publike prayers, and for the preaching of the Gospell, and for the celebration of the Sacraments. And for as much as it is kindly to consider eueryevery great blessing of God in the day wherein it was wrought: it is well ordered by the true Churches, as well rVide August. epist. 118 cap. 1. & lib co…t. Adi…a it cap. 16ancient, as moderne, to solemnize the memoriall of Christs natiuity, circumcision, passion, resurrection, assension, and sending of the holy Ghost on certaine set holy daies eueryevery yeere, ne volumine temporum ingrata subrepat obliuio, saith sDeci…it. …ci. lib. 10. cap. 4.Augustine, lest happily the maruelous workes of our gratious Lord, should be forgotten in a while, which ought to be had in a perpetuall tPsalm. 111.4.remembrance.
Now Ch…ists assension is the consummation of all that which he did, and taught, whilest hee dwelt among vsus, aptly tearmed by uSer.… in … dom.Bernard, F…lix clausula totius lienerar… sily Dei, the very x…aulin ser. 2. in ascens. dom.Sabbath of all his labour in the working of our redemption. He laboured six daies, and then he rested on the seuenth. His natiuity was the first; his circumcision was the second; his presentation in the Temple the third; his baptisme the fourth; his passion the fifth; his resurrection the sixth; and then followed his ascension, in which hee was receiued into heauen, and now sitteth at the right hand of God, as hauing finished the whole worke for which hee came into the world. Dauid saith of the naturall Sunne, it reioyceth as a Grant to runne his course, yPsal. 19 6.it goeth forth from the vtter most parts of the heauen, and runneth about vntounto the end of it againe, and there is nothing hid from the heate thereof. The which (as zLib. 2. contra. lit. …. c…. …2.Augustine and … de … 1. de a …other hauehave noted) may be well applied vntounto the supernaturall Sunne Iesus Christ the sonne of bMaloc 4.2.righteousnesse. As a G…ant he did runne his course, there you hauehave his incarnation, and peregrination in the flesh: his circuit was from the vttermost part of heauen vntounto the end of it againe. There you hauehave his resurrection and ascension: nothing is hid from his beate, there you hauehave his sending of the holy Ghost in the forme of fiery tongues, Act.2.3. As a Giant he ran his race, for he first descended into the lowest parts of the earth, and then ascended from aboue all heauens, that he might fulfill all things, Ephes. 4.9.10. Wherefore seeing Christs ascension is the complement of all his doings, and of all his doctrines, our Church is worthie to be honoured, in making this festiuall one of the chiefe holidaies in the whole yeere.
In the Gospell allotted for this holy Thursday, two points are most obseruable: namely,
Christs goodnesse toward his Apostles, in his
Apparition, Iesus appeared vntounto the eleuen.
Correction, and cast in their teeth, &c.
Commission, Goe ye into all the world &c.
Consolation, These tokens shall follow, &c.
Ascension, So when the Lord had spoken vntounto them, hee was receiued into heauen, &c.
The Apostles obedience toward Christ, and they went forth, and preached eueryevery where, &c.
Iesus appeared vntounto the eleuen] Hee had often appeared vntounto his followers after his resurrection, and now he manifested himselfe, to the eleuen Apostles as they sat at meate. Wherein hee did appeare like himselfe, full of meekenesse and mercy, giuing vsus assurance that he will be present with vsus, cBernard. ser. 1. in ascen. dom.orationi incumbentibus, at our meetings in the Temple, Quando nec recumbentibus quidem dedignatur adesse, seeing he vouchsafed his companie to his Apostles in their meates at the table. It is reported, Luk. 24.43. that he did eate with them also; now this comestion (as the dVide Suarez. in 3. Thom. disput. 47. sect. 5.Schoolemen out of the Fathers hauehave disputed) was not egestatis, but potestatis. He did eate to feed our soules, and not to fill his owne bodie, being after his resurrection immortall and impassible. That which he did eate was not (as Durandus imagined) turned into the substance of his body, for as eMoral. lib. 14. cap. 31.Gregorie the great, disputes out of S. Paul, Rom. 6.9. Christ being raised from the dead dreth no more, death hath no dominion ouer him, his glorified body needed no sustenance to preserue life. Neither was this eating (as fAyud Suarez. vbisup.other thinke) a seeming onelyonly to take bread, and fish, and honie: but it was a true comestion, albeit assuredly there followed no digestion, or ordinarie eiection. And so by consequence he did not eate to nourish his owne flesh, gGregor…n euang. hom. 29.but onelyonly to cherish our faith, in that great article concerning the truth of his resurrection. hArdens hom. in loc.Or hee did in this appearing eate with his Apostles at the table familiarly, that he might hereby the better imprint in their hearts a memoriall of his sweet louelove toward them. Or he did appeare to his Apostles at meate, iRaulin. ser. 4. i… ascen. dom.to signifie that he giueth our food in due season, and that he filleth all things with his plenteousnesse. Psal. 145.15.
And cast in their teeth their vnbeleefe] The Patriarks, and Prophets, and Apostles instruct vsus, not only by their vertues, but also by their infirmities. As there the Disciples vnbeleefe turned in fine to the confirmation of our Creed. kLes ser. 1. de ascen. dom.Dubitatum est ab illis, ne dubitaretur à nobis, vndoubtedly some did doubt (the diuine prouidence sweetly so disposing) that all other might bee put out of doubt. And therefore lGregor. vbisup.Thomas in beleeuing Christs resurrection so flackly, did vsus hereby more good then Mary Magdalene in beleeuing so quickly, because Christs correction of his fault occasioned further direction for our faith, mAugust. ser. 156. de temp.Infidelit as bona quae seculorum fidei militauit. See Gospell on Saint Thomas day.
The world doth exalt first, and then humble, Prou. 14.13. The end of the worlds mirth is heauinesse. nDiez. con. 1. in ascen. dom.But God on the contrary first humbleth, and then exalteth. As Christ here first humbled his Apostles in rebuking their vnbeleefe, and hardnesse of heart, and then he doth exalt them, in making the whole world their Dioces, Euntes in mundum, oniner sum praedicate, &c. Hee being the true oLuk 10.34Samaritane, powred into their wounds oyle and wine; first pRausin. vbi sup.vinum tribulationis, and then …leum consolationis, he qHeb. 12.6.chasteneth all such as he loueth, and he scourgeth eueryevery sonne that he receiueth.
In Christs commission or grant to his Apostles obserue two things especially,
1. Their warrant, goe and preach; for rRom. 10.15.how shall they preach except they be sent; hee that runneth of his owne accord, without a calling, is a false Prophet, Ier. 23.21. See Gospell 1. Sund. after Easter, and 8. after Trinitie.
2. The… worke, in respect of their
Dioces where they must preach, in the whole world to e…ery creature.
Doctrine what they must preach, and that is said expresly, to be the Gospell.
Concerning their Dioces, sGrego…. Beda. Arden….it is not the meaning of our blessed Sauiour that his Apostles should preach vntounto liuelesse stones, or senselesse plants, or witlesse beasts; but he doth vnderstand by (all creatures) onelyonly men, as being an abridgement of all the creatures. Stones hauehave a being, but not a life; plants hauehave both a being and a life, but not sense: beasts hauehave being, life, sense, but they want vnderstanding: Angels hauehave being, life, sense, vnderstanding. Now man as being a little world, and as it were the compendious Index of Gods great booke in folio, participates a being with stones; life, with plants; sense, with beasts; vnderstanding, with Angels: and therefore fitly called eueryevery creature, as hauing the chiefe perfections of eueryevery creature. tAr…tius. Ranlin.Or man may bee called all creatures, as being that excellent c…eature for whom all other creatures were made, Psalm 8.6. Thou make…t him to hauehave dominion ouer the workes of thine hands, and thou hast put all things in subiection vnderunder his feet. Or preach the Gospell vntounto all creatures, vnderstanding onelyonly such as are capable to receiue the Gospell. So Christ uIohn 15.15.elsewhere said, all things that I hauehave heard of my father hauehave I made knowne vntounto you, that is, all things which are necessary for your saluation, and are fit for you to know. And Ioh. 12.17. If I were lif… vp from the earth, I will draw all men vntounto mee, that is, all which are to be drawne. So x1. Cor. 13.7.Paul, LoueLove suffereth all things, beleeueth all thi…gs, hopeth all things; that is, all which are to be suffered, and beleeued, and hoped▪ yIansen. Piscator. Maldonat.Or preach the Gospell vntounto all creatures, that is, all nations, for so Saint Marke may be well expounded by S. Matthew, who relating this commission saith, Euntes ergo docete omnes gentes, goe and teach all Nations. Hereby repealing a former edict, Matth. 10.5. Goe not into the way of the Gentiles, and into the Cities of the Samaritans enter ye not. That commission is determined; now therfore goe into all the world, and preach the Gospell vntounto all creatures, to men of all countries and conditions whatsoeuer. This vnlimited extraordinarie commission is expired and hath his end; for now the successors of the Apostles, as Bishops and Pastors hauehave their peculiar prouinces, and proper Pa…ishes assigned for their cure; zDr. … to the … at f…l. 21….yet so, …hat they may preach the Gospell of Christ in other places also where need requireth, albeit the same be not particularly committed vntounto them. And therefore the Church of England a…. 15.enioyneth eueryevery learned P…stor sometime to preach in Chapels and Chu…c…es r…ioyning neare to his benefice.
A… for their w…ke, bA…dens.they must employ their time … in secular actions of the world, nor yet in idle specula…ions of the S. hoole: but apply themselues vntounto pre…hing▪ goe ye into the world and preach. And they … not their owne wisedome but the Gospel, it … man speake, let him deliuer c1. …. 4.1….oracles of God, d1. Tim. 63.consenting to the wholesome words of our Lord Iesus Christ, and to the doctrine which is according to godlines. And for as much as the the Law, the Psalmes, and the Prophets are nothing else but as it were a preface to the booke of the generation of Iesus Christ; I say for as much as Christ is the supplement of the Prophets, and end of the Law: they must especially preach vntounto the world the glad tidings of saluation, making this sentence the period of all their Sermons, eEsay 9.6.vntounto vsus a child is borne, vntounto vsus a son is giuen: or that of Christ himselfe, fIohn 3.16.So God loued the world, that he gaue his onelyonly begotten sonne, that whosoeuer beleeueth in him should not perish, but hauehave euerlasting life. To the preaching of the Gospell, administration of the Sacraments is adioyned, and enioyned also, Matth. 29.19. Go teach all Nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and the Sonne, and the holy Ghost. The which our Euangelist implieth here, when hee saith, hee that beleeueth and is baptized shall be saued, but he that beleeueth not shall bee damned. Concerning Baptismes necessity, see Gospell on Trinity Sunday.
And these tokens shall follow them that beleeue] These words are to bee digested with a little salt, to bee construed with a great deale of caution, otherwise the simple soule will obiect, how shall I know that I beleeue, seeing I worke no miracles. If wee take them (as many learned and ancient gGregor. hom. 29. in Euangel. Bernard. ser. 1. in ascen. dom. Ardens. bom. in loc. Iansen. concord. cap. 149.Diuines hauehave done) mystically, then eueryevery true beleeuer in Christs name casteth out of his heart diuels, that is, euils; for eueryevery foule sinne is a foule fiend to man: and then his soule being sound, his mouth hMat 12 34.ex abund. intia cordis, out of the hearts abundance speakes with new tongues. His communication heretofore was im …ious toward God, and vncharitable toward his neighbour, his iPsalm. 14 5.6.throte an open sepulchre, his tongue d e ceiuing, his lips kPsalm. 12.2.flattering, his mouth full of cursing and bitternesse. But now hauing put on the new man, he speakes in a new language words of truth and sobernes, Acts 16.25. Words of meekenesse and courtesie, Titus 3.2. Words agreeable to the wholsome words of our Lord Iesus Christ and to the doctrine which is according to godlines, 1. Tim. 6.3. After this compunction in his heart, and confession of his mouth, if any venemous temptation be suggested he shall hauehave power to dri…e away serpents and if he drinke any deadly thing, it shall not hurts him, although he taste of it a little, yet he shall not in any case swallow it downe to his vtter destruction. And lastly, he shall impose his hands vponupon the sicke, and they shall recouer, that is, he shall out of his louelove beare the lRom. 14.1infirmities of his weake brethren, and m… 15.20.hide a multitude of their sinnes, his exhortation and doctrine (the Lord wor…ing with them, as it is in the last words of our text) shall heale the sicke, yea raise the very dead in sinne to newnes of life.
If we take Christs promise (these signes shall follow them that beleeue) literally, then it must of necessity bee construed with a few limitations and exceptions. As first in respect of the time, nGregor. Ardens lansen. vbi sup. Idem August. de …tilitate credendi cont. Manichaeos cap. 16.miracles are not necessarie for a Church already planted, but only for a Church in planting. So Paul 1 Cor. 14.22. Strange tongues are for a signe not to them that beleeue, but to them that beleeue not: a yong plant must often be watered at the first setting; but after it is once thoroughly rooted in the ground it will easily sprout and spring without irrigation; euen so the Church primitiue was a while watered by signes and tokens in those who did beleeue: but being now perfitly grounded in Christ, it may nor say thy wonders O Lord, but thy oPsal. 119.105.word O Lord is a lanterne vntounto my sect and a guide to my pathes.
The second limitation is in respect of the persons, pAretius in loc. & Marlorat. in Mat. 28.19.all beleeuers in the primitiue time were not workers of wonders, but only some few, whereof eueryevery one had a seuerall gift, as S. Paul teacheth expresly, 1. Cor. 12. …0. Are all doers of miracles? hauehave all the gifts of healing? do. …ll speake with tongues? it is said indefinitly (them that beleeue) because these tokens were wrought at the first preaching of the Gospell vntounto eueryevery creature for the common good of such as beleeue; but eueryevery true beleeuer was not endued with a gift actually to worke these signes himselfe. Iohn the Baptist albeit he was qMat. 11.9.more then a Prophet, yet he did no miracle, Iohn, 10.41. Hee had as rMaldonat.one distinguisheth vponupon this text potestatem faciendi miracula, sed non actum, a power to hauehave done many wonders if need had bin, but hee did act none. The meaning then of these comfortable words vttered by Christ vntounto his Apostles are plaine, though I goe now to my father, and so leaue you, yet in executing your ministry ye shall hauehave power to worke signes and tokens, your preaching of my Gospell vntounto the world shall eueryevery where be confirmed with miracles. I hauehave done many strange things among you, yet sIohn 14.12.I say vntounto you verily, verily, he that beleeueth in me, the workes that I doe he shall doe also, yea greater then these shall he doe. And he did performe so much as he did promise, for we reade that his Apostles in his name did cast out deuils, Acts 16.18. And spake with new tongues, Acts 2.4. And driue away serpents, as Paul, Act. 28.5. shooke off a viper from his hand into the fire and felt no harme: and heale the sicke, as Peter Acts 9.34. There was a certaine man at Lydda named Aeneas, which had kept his bed eight yeares, and was sicke of the palsie, to whom Peter said, Aeneas, Iesus Christ maketh thee whole; arise, and make vp thy bed, and he arose immediatly. Yea they did greater signes in Christs name then Christ himselfe, greater in tAretius. Arboreus in Ioan. 14.number, for whereas Christ wrought all his workes either about the borders, or else within the boundes of Iudea: his Apostles preached vntounto all the world, and had the word confirmed eueryevery where with miracles. uAugustin. Beda. Rupert. …in Ioan. 14.Other thinke that they did greater workes in nature, maius est enim vt sanet vmbra, quam fimbria saith xTract. 71. & 72. in loan.Augusti…e, it was a greater miracle that the very shadow of Saint Peter as hee walked in the streete should heale many sicke, Acts 5.15. Then that the hem of Christs vesture should heale one woman, who hauing an issue of blood, Mat. 9.22. But here you must obserue yTheophys…st. …. Maldanat. in Ioan. 14.that Christ said not hee that beleeueth in me shall doe greater workes then I can, or then I will doe; but only greater then these which I hauehave done. Hereby signifying that they should not doe greater workes out of thir owne power, but only thorough his helpe. Hoc (saith Euthymius) est demonsiratio potentiae eius qui signa dedit, non eius qui signa edit. And Augustin. tract. 72. in Ioan. Maiora quam ipse fecit dicit eosesse facturos. sed in eis, vel per eos se faciente, non ipsis tanquam ex seipsis. He saith zIohn. 15.5.elsewhere without me can ye do nothing, but in my name they shall cast out deuils, and speake with new tonques, &c. aMat. 10.24.The seruant is not greater then his Lord, nor the disciple greater then his master, nor man greater then his maker. In the beginning he made bIohn. 1.3. Heb. 1.2the world without them, and hee made cPsalm. 100.2them also without them, and in vouchsafing to be man he made himselfe without them, dAugustin. tract. 71. in loan.ipse sine ipsis fecit hunc mundum, ipse sine ipsis fecit eos, ipse sine ipsis fecit & seipsum: but alas what hauehave they without him, excepting sinne. Christ then in saying (he that beleeueth in me shall doe greater workes then I doe) eVide Marlorat. & Hil…donat. … loct. 14.meaneth vndoubtedly this, if our heart be so troubled, that ye can not now beleeue that I am in the father, and the father in me: yet when I am gone to the father, and shall in his kingdome sit at his right hand, ye shall euidently see that I am God, and that fIohn 10.30I and my father are one, for I will in my corporall absence from you, doe greater workes in you, and by you, then euer I did hitherto before you. So himselfe doth interpret himselfe in the words immediatly following, whatsoeuer ye aske in my name, that will I doe, that the father may bee glorified in the sonne: and againe, if ye shall aske any thing in my name, I will doe it. The which is agreeable to the tenour of our text, verse 17. In my name they shall cast out deuils, &c. and vers. 20. The Lord wrought with them, and confirmed the word with miracles following.
He was receiued into heauen] Saint gScr. 157. de temp.Augustine, hHom. 4. in Ezechiel.Gregorie the great, and iRupert. Aretius. Meyer. in Apocalyp. 4.other Diuines obserue, that the foure beasts mentioned Ezechiel 1. & Apocalyps 4. mystically represent the 4. chiese actions of Christ in his working of our redemption. The 1. beast had a face like a man, the 2. like a bullocks, the 3. like a lyon, the 4. like a flying Eagle. So Christ in his incarnatiō was found as a man, in his passion as a sacrificed Bullocke, in his resurrection like a lyon, in his ascension as a flying kVide didat. de yanguas con. 2 in ascen. dom.Eagle mounting aboue the cloudes, and sitting at the right hand of God in the highest heauens. And therefore S. Marke relating here the glorious ascension of Christ, addes to the name Iesus, the title Dominus: so when the Lord had spoken vntounto them, hee was receiued into heauen, lFerus ser. 2. in ascen. dom. & Aretius. in Act. 1.hereby shewing that he was Lord of all things, able to command the cloudes in heauen, as well as the cloddes on earth. He manifested himselfe to be Lord of the seas, in mMat. 14.25.walking on the water without a ship, and in nMat. 8.26.calming the stormy waues when he was in a ship. He manifested himselfe to be Lord of the land, in commanding the graue to giuegive forth her prisoner oIohn 11.44.Lazarus which had bin dead foure dayes. He manifested himselfe to be commander of hell, in casting out pMat. 8.32.Deuils, and when he did ouercome Sathan in his temptations, and qLuke 11.22.take from him all his armour wherein he trusted, and diuided his spoiles, openly triumphing ouer him and his, on the crosse, Coloss. 2.15. And now to shew that he was Lord of heauen, and rPhilip. 2.6.equall with God, hee did ascend sEphes. 4.10.farre aboue all heauens, and is (saith our text) on the right hand of God. To sit (as Ardens vponupon the place pithily) quiscentis, regnantis, & Iudicantis est, ergo bene redemptor noster post passionem ascensionemg, suam sedere describitur; quia post laborem requiescit, post pralium regnat, & postquam indicatus est iudicat.
Is Christ ascended on high? then let vsus tColoss. 3.1. See August. ser. 174. de temp. & Greg. hom. 29 in Euang.seeke those things which are aboue, where Christ sitteth at the right hand of God. Albeit our bodies be tied with the fetters of flesh on earth, yet let our soules ascend with the winges of faith into heauen, euen to the place from whence commeth al our helpe and hope. Saluator noster ascendit in coelū, non ergo turlemur in terra: ibi sit mens, & hic erit requies, as uSer. 175. de temp.Augustine sweetly. The way to make a ladder vp to heauen (as the same father teacheth in his 3. sermon preached on this day) is to trample sin vnderunder our feet, de viti…s nostris scalum nobis facimus, si vitia calcamus, tread pride vnderunder thy feet, and thou shalt instantly passe one step, xLuke 18.14.he that humbleth himselfe shall be exalted: tread couetousnes vnderunder thy feet, and it will proue another step, yMat. 10.24.how hard is it for them who trust in riches to enter into the kingdome of God: tread maliciousnes vnderunder thy feet, and thou shalt approach as yet neerer vntounto heauen, for z1. Iohn 4.6.God is louelove, and hee that dwelleth in louelove dwelleth in God, and God in him.
Grant we beseech thee almighty God, that like as we doe beleeue thine only begotten sonne our Lord to hauehave ascended into the heauen: so wee may also in heart and mind thither ascend, and with him continually dwell. Amen.
The Epistle,
ACTS 10.34.
Then Peter opened his mouth, &c.
THe former part of this text is expounded on Easter M…nday, the contents of the latter on Whitsunday.