The Third Part from John Baptists Nativity, Part 12
The Gospell.
MAT. 18. 1.
At the same time …ame the Disciples vntounto Iesus, saying, who is the greatest in the kingdome of heauen?
THere be two parts of this text
1. A question verse 1. wherein obserue
1. When it was asked, at the same time.
2. By whom, the Disciples.
3. Of whom, they came vntounto Iesus.
4. What, who is the greatest in the kingdome, &c.
2. An answere to the same verse 2. 3. &c. The summe whereof is briefly this, cHeming. pos…it. in loc.he that in Christs Church is most seruant is the greatest, and he that is most Lordly the least: dArdens.or he that is least in his owne conceit, is the greatest in Gods eye; the least in eMaldonat.this kingdome of heauen which is present, shall be the greatest in that kingdome of heauen which is to come. The which one point is pressed by the great Doctor of humility with a great deale of earnestnes: for 1. (as S. fMarke 9. 35.Marke reportes) he sat downe: 2. He called the twelue: 3. When they▪ were called together hee taught them by spectacle to their eye, so well as by precept to their eare, he set a childe in the midst of them, and said: 4. He vsed a vehement asseueration, verily I say vntounto you: 5. A commination, except ye turne, and become a… children, ye shall not enter into the kingdome of heauen.
At the same time] the occasion of this question among the Disciples (as gIn loc,Hierom and hChrysost. Theophylact, Druthmarus.other learned Doctors write) was vponupon emulation toward Peter, whom alone they saw preferred before the rest in the payment of the tribute, by these words of Christ in the former Chapter at the last verse, that take and pay to them for me and thee. But S. Marke relates Chap. 9. verse 34. that this contention began in the way, before they came into the house where Christ appointed Peter to pay tribute for them both, and iD. Fulke. Musculus.therefore the question here for maiority was not vponupon that occasion, it was happily kMarlorat, Maldonat.cherished by it, but engendred in their mindes long before, for that Christ had admitted none of his Apostles to the sight of his lMat. 17. 1.transfiguration, and the raising of mLuke 8. 51.Iayrus daughter from the dead, saue Peter, and Iames, and Iohn. Or it may bee this emulation arose, for that Christ had said vntounto Peter, Mat. 16. 19. I will giuegive vntounto thee the keyes of the kingdome of heauen, &c. But what neede we so curiously to seeke for the reason of this quaere; nMusculus.seeing these two things are certaine: 1. A desire to be like Gods on earth is an in-bred sinne deriued from the transgression of our first parents Adam and Eue: 2. The Diuell is euer most busie to nourish this ambitious humor in the ministers of the word, as it is apparent in the oMat. 20. 21. Marke 10. 37. Luke 22. 24.Gospell and pLegantur epist. decretales & gesta conciliorum.Churches history. What a deale of time was vsually spent in the Councels about precedence of Bishops, and in our age the question of the Popes primacie is termed by Cardinall qPraefat, in libros de Rom. pont.Bellarmine, Summa rei Christianae.
Came the Disciples vntounto Iesus] In whom are hid rColoss. 2. 3.all the treasures of wisdome and knowledge, and this fact of theirs is sOrigen▪ apud Thom. in loc.imitable, for when any doubt ariseth in our mindes concerning the kingdome of heauen, it is our best way to come vntounto Iesus, who tIohn 1. 9.lighteth eueryevery man that commeth into the world. If any lacke wisdome (saith S. Iames in …is Epistle cap. 1. verse ….) let him aske of God, for God is only wise, Rom. 16. 27. Come therefore to his uEsay 8. 20.law, to his testimony, xIohn 5. 39.search his Scriptures which are able to teach, and instruct, and to make the man of God absolute, 2. Tim. 3. 16. 17. And for the better vnderstanding of the dead letter come to his liuing Oracles and walking Bibles, I meane the true Prophets and learned Preachers of his word, for he cals them expresly yMat. 5. 14.the light of the world, and their zMalac. 2.lips should preserue knowledge, aHierom epist. ad Paulin.praeuij sunt & monstrantes s…mitam in script…ris▪ Come to Iesus, come to the word of Iesus, come to the Preachers of the word of Iesus, least happily the Lord say to you as he did once to the Iewes, ye hauehave not asked at my mouth, Esay, 30. 2.
Who is the greatest in the kingdome of heauen] It is certaine that there arose a disputation among bLuke 9. 46.them which of them should be greatest, and cCaietan.yet to cloake their ambitious pride, they doe not aske who shall be greatest among vsus, but indefinitly who is the greatest in the kingdome of heauen, dMelanct. Musculus, Marlorat.vnderstanding by the kingdome of hea…en, the kingdome of Christ in this world, for they carnally conce…ed that Christ after his resurrection would eActs 1. 16.restore the kingdome of Israel, and so reigne as a Monarch vponupon earth, and therefore they make suite to fMat. 20. 21.sit next to him at his right hand and on his left in his kingdome. I know gApud Thom. in loc.Chrysostome construeth it of the kingdome of heauen in that other world, condemning the men of his age, because they did not attaine to the defects of the Disciples, all our question is (saith he) who shall be greatest in the kingdomes vponupon earth, and not who shall be greatest in the kingdome of heauen. But by Chrysostomes leaue to contend who shall be greatest in heauen is charity, not vanity. Luke 1…. …4. Striue to enter in at the straite gate. As in the A…ke there was three hGen. 6. 16.lofts one aboue another: euen so there be many mansions in Gods house, Iohn 14. 2. There bee degrees among the Saints in heauen, as there be degrees among Angels: there is a Prophets reward, and a Disciples reward, Mat. 10. 41. 42. We should therefore striue to bee greatest in heauen, out-stripping one another in goodnes, as they who runne in a race, 1. Cor. 9. 24.
Againe it is apparent by Christs answere both in our present text, and also Mat. 20. and Luke 22. That his Disciples expected a kingdome after the fashion of this world, iMelanct. Heming.dreaming that he should reigne as a Soueraigne, and themselues domineere like Dukes and Lords vnderunder him. They call it indeed the kingdome of heauen, in kAretius.imitation of their master often tearming his kingdome the kingdome of heauen; lIansen. concord. cap. …0.or for that they thought his kingdome (though vponupon earth) should notwithstanding be diuine and heauenly, see Gospell on S. Iames, and on S. Barthelomewes day.
Iesus called a childe vntounto him] Iesus seeing the thoughts of his Disciples, and vnderstanding the causes of their errour, m….heales the desire of glory with the contention of humility, in reading of his lecture. S. Marke reports that he sat downe: now we finde in the Gospels history that the Doctors among the Iewes in their teaching vsed sometime to stand, and sometime to sit; nActs 1. 15. & 2. 14.Peter in Hierusalem, and oActs 13. 16.Paul at Antiochia preached standing, but the Scribes and the Pharisees are said to sit in Moses chaire, Mat. 23. 2. So Christ himselfe sometime taught standing, as Luke 6. 17. And sometime sitting both in the pMat. 5. 1.mount and in the qIohn 8. 2.temple. It may bee therefore that it was the Iewes custome rSee Panigarol h…m. in fest. om. sanctorum & Lorin. in Act. 1. 15.partly to stand and partly to sit, for Christ (as it is apparent in the sVerse 16. 20.4. Chapter of S. Luke) preaching at Nazareth in the Synagogue stood vp when he read his text, and sate downe when he did expound it. Whatsoeuer the Iewes order was, at this instant there was no… fitter gesture for Christ then sitting, for this (as tLib. 1. deser. d…m. in monte.Augustine notes) shewed that hee taught as one which had authority. When he was sate downe he called all the twelue, doubtles hee knew who they were which ambitiously contended to be greatest in his kingdome, uMusculus in loc.yet he called all his Apostles, as being assured that his lesson of Humilitie was exceeding necessarie for them all. It is reported in the 20. chapter of this Gospell, how Iames and Iohn only desired to sit on his right hand and on his left in his kingdome: yet Christ admonished them all, and said, Yee know that the Princes of the nations hauehave dominion ouer them, and they that are great exercise authoritie vponupon them: it shall not be so with you, but whosoeuer will be chiefe among you, let him be your seruant. Now the reason why Christ, and after him his Church, vse generall admonitions in rebuking of particular malefactors which are worse then the rest, is two-fold. First, That the delinquents may the better admit that checking which is common, and not particular or personall. 2. That such as hauehave not offended in that kind, may learne to be more carefull in their waies, and to hate the garment spotted by the flesh, as S. Iude speakes. Often hauing in mind the saying of Augustine, Aut sumus, aut fuimus, aut possumus esse quod hic est.
When Christ had called his Apostles vntounto him, he set a childe in the midst of them, as it followeth in our present text. He set him by him according to the record of xLuke 9. 47.S. Luke; and tooke him in his armes as yMarke 9. …6.S. Marke, yet all agree, for it may be (saith zCom. in loc.Euthemius) that Iesus first set him in the midst of them as S. Matthew; then afterward set him beside him as S. Luke; and last of all embraced him in his armes as S. Marke. aAnselm. Iansen. post. ma… cum glossis et figur is in loc.Some think that this childe was one Martialis, afterward a famous Bishop in France, but this idle tradition is beside the text, and therefore not of the necessitie of faith. bHierom. in loc.Other imagine that Christ himselfe might be this little one being among his Disciples as a seruant, Luke 22. 27. but this opinion is against the text. Iesus called a childe, and set him by him, and tooke him in his armes, it saith, he set a childe in the midst of them, but what child it doth not say not a great boy, but a little child, foreign, which Erasmus translates puellum, Beza, puerulum, the vulgar Latine paruulum, as Musculus vponupon our text, Oportet imitaripuellos anniculos, & fortè bimulos. And so c1. Epist. 2. 2.S. Peter exhorteth vsus to be like new borne babes: and surely dDiez. con. 1. festo Michael.parents are commonly so negligent in instructing their children, as that Christ hardly could find any yongling aboue three or foure yeares old of such innocent behauiour, of whom he might say, Whosoeuer humbleth himselfe as this child, and except yee turne and become as children.
Let vsus examine therefore wherein we must be like to children, and wherein vnlike. First, We may not be like to children in eTheophylact.ignorance, so Paul 1. Cor. 14. 20. In malice be yee children, but in vnderstanding men. 2. Not like to children in vnconstancie, fEphes. 4. 14.wauering and carried about with eueryevery wind of doctrine. 3. Not weake in faith as children; which are not able to discerne spirituall things for want of yeares of discretion. 4. Not like to children in gHeming. post. in festo Michael.seeking after vntoward things, because their senses are not yet setled, our hCollos. 3. 2.affections are to be set on things which are aboue, hauing our conuersation in iPhilip. 3. 20.Heauen, and therefore we may not imitate children in eating dirt, & in padling in the mire. The child plaies with the light of the candle till his finger be burnt, and kDiez. con. 2. in festo Michael.so the reprobate-wicked plaies with Hell fier, reputing it a fable, till at the last he comes to be tormented in that vnquenchable flame. The child doth esteeme an apple more then his fathers inheritance; so the witlesse worldling prefers things temporall in this life, before the things eternall in the kingdome of Heauen. In these childish humors and the like, we may not be like to children.
But we must be like children, 1. As being lClemens strom. 4.mundi corpore, sancti animo, chast in bodie, pure in mind. 2. Like to children in mHeming.obedience, for good children stand not reasoning what manner of thing it is that their father commands, but instantly they follow his will and word as their rule to work by. So faithfull Abraham at Gods commandement was readie to sacrifice his only begotten sonne Isaac, he stood not arguing the case, the death of my child can doe no good vntounto God, and it will procure much euill vntounto me, but rather he thought that it is my father in Heauen who commands, and I will obey.
nDu Bartas hist. of Abraham.Hees loath (alas) his tender sonne to kill,
But much more loath to breake his fathers will.
3. Like to children in respect of merit, for as children can not boast of their owne deseruings against their parents: euen so the followers of Christ may not brag of their merits before God, but acknowledge themselues to be babes, able to doe nothing without his fatherly fauour.
4. As little children commit themselues altogether vntounto the tuition of their parents and guardians: euen so Christians ought to o1. Pet. 5. 7.cast all their care on Christ, as looking for eueryevery good gift at his hand.
5. Like to children as concerning p1. Cor. 14. 20.malice, both qCulman.innocentia & ignoscentia: for as little children being iniured take not any reuēge, but only make complaint either to their father or mother: euen so, when any wrong vsus we may not rRom. 12. 19.auenge our selues in recompensing euill for euill, or s1. Pet. 3. 9.rebuke for rebuke, but only complaine to God our father in Heauen, or to the Church our mother on earth. It is written that vengeance belongs vntounto God, and therefore we must humbly call vponupon him in our persecutions, as the tPsalm. 35. 1.Prophets did, O Lord, plead thou my cause with them that striue with me, and fight against them that fight against me. uPsalm. 43. 1.GiueGive sentence with me O God, defend my cause against vngodly people. And Psalme 80. 1. Heare thou sheepheard of Iraell, thou that leadest Ioseph like a sheepe, shew thy selfe thou that sittest vponupon the Cherubims. And Psalme 83. 1. Hold not thy tongue O God, keepe not still silence, refraine not thy selfe, for thou Lord hast been our xPsalm. 90. 1.refuge from one generation to another.
I hauehave ySir Ric. Barckley tract. of felicitie lib. 5. pag. 451.read of a reuerend and religious Archbishop of Mentz, who (being a long time depraued, and in fine depriued of his dignities and office by two corrupt Cardinals his Iudges, and a false harted Aduocate his familiar friend) out of the bitternesse of his spirit made this appeal from them vntounto the Lord of Heauen. God knoweth (vntounto whom all things are naked) that I am vniustly condemned, yet I will not appeal here from your sentence, for that I know yee shall sooner be beleeued in your lying, then I am in speaking the truth; and therefore I receiue this heauie censure for the rebellions of my youth and other sinnes; Neuerthelesse I appeal from your iudgement to the Iudge eternall, and only wise, which is Christ Iesus, before whom I summon you. The Cardinals fell into a laughing, and said, That if he would goe before, they would follow. It hapned that the poore Bishop hauing withdrawen himselfe into a Monasterie dyed within a yeare and halfe after, and the Cardinals hearing thereof, in a scoffing manner said one to another, that they must goe seeke the Archbishop. Now within a few dayes after one of them was bloudily slaine, and the other grinding his teeth, eat vp his owne hands and dyed mad. And lastly the Iudas who betrayed him (I meane his false friend placed in his roome) was so mortally hated of all men for his sedition and crueltie, that being assaulted in a Monasterie, he was there butchered, and his carcase cast into the towne ditch, where lying three dayes, all sort of people both men and women vsed all maner of despite vponupon it. An example verie remarkable, teaching vsus not to despise one of these little ones, because in heauen their angles alway behold the face of our Father which is in Heauen.
Againe, we may complaine to the Church our Mother, as in this present Chapter at the 17. verse, If thy brother trespassing against thee, will not vouchsafe to heare thy selfe alone, nor yet thy witnesses and arbitrators: Tell it to the Church. He that commits his cause to the Magistrate ciuill or ecclesiasticall, giues place to diuine Iudgement, for as much as all higher powers are zRom. 13. 1.Gods ordinance, substituted Iudges and deputies in his place. See Epist. 3. Sund. after Epiphan.
Lastly like to children (as Christ expounds himselfe) in humblenesse and harmelesnesse. In humblenesse, v. 4. Whosoeuer humbleth himselfe as this child &c. In harmlesnesse, vers. 6. Whosoeuer offendeth one of these little ones &c. So aSer. 10.S. Ambrose, bin loc.Theophylact, cin loc.Euthymius and other as well ancient as moderne writers. As dIansen. Druthmarus.if Christ should hauehave said, Except ye turne from your ambition and indignation, and become like to children, little ones in your minds, as they be little ones in their bodies; vnlesse ye become that by grace, which children are by nature, ye shall not enter into the kingdome of Heauen. I say by grace, for eueryevery good gift is from aboue, descending from the Father of lights, and therefore Christ here said not (as eDiez.one notes) Nisi efficiatis vos sicut par…los, sed nisi efficiamini. To become like to little children in humblenesse is not in our power, it is the worke of Gods hand and help. fPontan. ser. in festo Michael.Yet to shew that we must (as we may) worke with his preuenient grace, Christ addeth in the next clause, Whosoeuer humbleth himselfe: according to the saying of Gregorie, The good which a man doth, is both the worke of God, and the worke of man; of God, as being author in giuing grace; of man, as being an actor in vsing grace, yet so that he co-operate with grace by grace. See Epist. Sun. 11. and 14. after Trinit. and Gospell on S. Markes day.
Whosoeuer humbleth himselfe] gIansen.That is, humbleth his heart, for as Plato said, eueryevery mans soule is himselfe: it is not sufficient that our words are humble, our gestures humble, our habits humble (though I see that be more then many professors in our age will afford) vnles our soules and our selues are humble. Lord (said hPsalm. 131.Dauid) I am not puft in minde, I doe not exercise my selfe in great matters which are too high for me, but I refraine my soule and keepe it low, like as a childe that is weyned from his mother, yea my soule is euen as a weined childe. Men of great wits are commonly state-criticks, ouer curious eaues-dropers of the Counsaile table, prying into the secrets of court and Prince so long vntill in fine they complaine with Actaeon, cur aliquid vidi? for when our hearts are sowred with the leauen of our pride, there ariseth often times a bitternes out of the stomacke into the mouth, so that we cannot forbeare to speake i2. Pet. 2. 10.ill of such as are in authority, yea prophanely of the Kings sacred Maiesty; the spirit of wisdome giueth another rule, k1. Thessal. 4. 11.studie to be quiet, and to meddle with your owne busines. A priuate person hath a common wealth of his owne, let him intend the gouernment thereof in l1. Tim. 5. 8.prouiding for his houshold, in m1. Cor. 13. 14.laying vp for his children, in nEcclesiast. 9. 9.reioycing with the wife of his youth, abounding with all workes of piety toward God and pitty toward his neighbour. He that thus humbleth himselfe as a little childe, the same doubtles is a good subiect vntounto the King, and shall hereafter proue the greatest in the kingdome of heauen.
All they which are drunken are not drunken with wine saith oCap. 29. 9.Esay, for there is a drie drunkennes as well as a wet; ambition is a drie drunkennes making such as are giuen ouer to humours of vaine glory to stagger often in the way, and sometime reele out of the way. This kinde of drunkennes made Lucifer reele out of heauen, Adam out of paradice, Saul out of his kingdome, Nabuchadonozer out of mens society to conuerse with beasts. It is impossible that great ones (I meane such as are drunken with their owne greatnes) should either walke in the pMat. 7. 14.narrow path, or enter in at the straite gate, only little ones are great ones in Gods kingdome. So the text here whosoeuer humbleth himselfe as a little childe, the same is greatest in the kingdome of heauen: So the text elsewhere, blessed are the poore in spirit, for theirs is the kingdome of heauen; theirs is the kingdome of grace, which is heauen on earth: and theirs is the kingdome of glory, which is heauen in heauen. See Gospell on all Saints day.