The Third Part from John Baptists Nativity, Part 13 – Part 14
The Epistle,
2. TIM. 4. 5.
Watch thou in all things, suffer afflictions, &c.
THis Epistle was written by Paul at qEuseb. hist. lib. 2. cap. 22. Idem Primasius, Anselm, Lombard.Rome in his last apprehension and imprisonment there, for so we may gather out of these wordes, Cap. 1. verse 16. Onesiphorus was not ashamed of my chaine, but when hee came to Rome carefully sought me, and found me, &c. It is an admonition vntounto Timothy to rCap. 1. 6.stirre vp the gift of God in him by the putting on of handes, and sAretius in dispositione huius epist.that is done by preaching sound Doctrine painefully, and by suffring for the same patiently. This our text then is a short abridgement of the tBullinger apud Marlorat in loc.chiefe points in the whole letter, for Paul exhortes Timothie to diligent preaching of the truth, in saying watch thou in all things, doe the worke of an Euangelist: and to Martyrdome for the truth, in saying suffer afflictions: and to both, in saying fulfill thine office vntounto the vttermost: all which exhortations are hedged in as it were with a forcible reason at each side.
1. Timotheus ought to bee vigilant in executing his office thoroughly, because the time will come when as men shall not endure wholesome Doctrine, &c.
2. Because Paul cannot any longer continue to helpe him, I am now ready to be offred, and the time of my departing is at hand, &c.
Watch thou in all things] The time will come when as men will not endure sound doctrine, but hauing their eares itching, shall after their owne lustes get them a… heape of teachers, and shall turne away their eares from the truth, and shall be giuen vntounto fables. And therefore uLombard.while thou hast time, xTheophylact.before this dangerous time come, that yActs 20. 29.greiuous wolues enter in among you, be watchfull ouer the flocke committed vntounto thy charge: such as hauehave itching eares are like to proue scabby sheepe, and therefore zOecumen.preuent that mangie disease by possessing their eares with a a2. Tim. 1. 13.forme of sound wordes. bAnselm.Before they turne away from the truth and giuegive themselues vntounto fables, c2. Tim. 2. 25.instruct them in meeknes, d2. Tim. 4. 2.preach the word in season, and out of season; reproue, rebuke, exhorte, be watchfull, in eLombard.discipline and doctrine, yea vigilant in all things, fPrimasius, Claudius, Espencaeus.that is, in all things which are profitable for thine hearers: gAretius.or in all the workes of an Euangelist and offices of thy calling vse watchfulnes: or foreign, may be construed of all hAquin, Lombard, Espencaeus.men, as if he should hauehave said, the time will euen shortly come, when as many shall not endure wholesome doctrine; but endeauour thou to conuert all sortes of men vntounto the truth, according to that, Mat. 28. 19. Goe teach all nations, and Marke 16. 15. Preach the Gospell vntounto eueryevery creature, teach all men, and that by all meanes, doe the worke of an Euangelist thoroughly, that is, as he speakes i1. Tim. 4. 12.elsewhere, be to them an ensample both in word and in conuersation, in louelove, in spirit, in faith, in purenes. Many which are called lights of the world are kArdens hom. in Euangel. in festo S. Luc.fumantes magis quàm flammantes, affording more smoake then flame; but let your light shine before men, that they may see your good workes, and glorifie your father which is in heauen; instruct thy flocke by good deedes as well as holy doctrine. Thoroughly to do the worke of an Euangelist, lPrimasius, Anselm, Caietan.is to preach well and to liue well, hee that doth both executes his office vntounto the vttermost.
The perillous times instant in the dayes of Paul, are become extant in our age. This prophesie (beloued) is fulfilled among vsus in the Church of England, for albeit I confesse to Gods glorie, that there may be found a righteous Abraham in Caldea, a iust Lot in Sodom, a godly Daniel in Babylon, a patient Iob in the land of Husse, a deuout Tobias in Nineu…e, a zealous Ananias in Damasco. Though I say there be found wheat among tares, and corne among chaffe, and a pearle in a dunghill, and a lilie among thornes. Albeit there be manie good professors and true Christians among vsus m1. Cor. 15. 58.abundant alwaies in the work of the Lord; yet I feare that there be moe, which either reuolt to poperie, Turning away their eare from the Truth vntounto fables, attending the spirits of n1. Tim. 4. 1.errour, and doctrines of Deuils: or else start aside to schisme, hauing itching eares, and getting vntounto themselues after their owne lusts an heap of such irregular and hypocriticall instructors, as shall doe nothing else but increase their itch by clawing: or else falling into foul Epicurisme, will not endure the wholsome words of our Lord Iesus Christ, and the doctrine which is according to godlinesse, 1. Tim. 6. 3.
Our Bishops and pastors therefore need to be watchfull in all things, doing thoroughly the works of Euangelists, and executing their office to the full. The patriarke oGen. 31. 40.Iacob commending his pastorall care to Laban, said, I was in the day consumed with heat, and with frost in the night, and my sleep departed from mine eyes. In which obserue with pProlog. in 2. Epist. ad Tim.Aquine three remarkable vertues in a good Pastor, Assiduitie, Patience, Solicitousnesse: Assiduitie, looking to his flock night and day without intermission. He that is a watchman ought continually to stand vponupon his watch-tower in the day time, and to set in his watch eueryevery night, Esay 21. 8. feeding his sheep in the day, praying for his sheep in the night: Patience, both enduring the heat of present persecution, and the frost of future seare: Solicitousnesse, in that his sleep departed from his eyes.
Now seeing our calling is so good, and our charge so great, it behoueth all people to qHeb. 13. 7. 17.remember and obey those which hauehave the ouersight of them, and submit themselues, because they watch for their soules, as they that must giuegive accompt, that they may giuegive it with ioy, and not with griefe.
Suffer afflictions] All that will according to the rules of Christianitie liue godly, shall suffer r2. Tim. 3. 12.persecution, especially the preachers of righteousnesse, to whom it belongeth ex offici… to reproue, to rebuke, to exhort with all long suffering and doctrine, 2. Tim. 4. 2. to pluck vp, and to root out, and to throw downe, Ieremy 1. 10. in a word, to lift vp their voice like a trumpet, shewing Gods people their transgressions, and to the house of Iacob their sinnes, Esay 58. 1. When our blessed Lord sent foorth his Apostles to preach, he said, sMat. 10. 16.Behold, I send you foorth as sheep in the midst of wolues, and when he sent his Disciples to preach (as it is in the Gospell appointed to be read this day) he said, Goe your waies, I send you foorth as lambes among wolues. Bishops succeeding th' apostles are like sheep among wolues, inferiour Ministers succeeding the Disciples are like lambs among wolues, not as wolues among wolues, or sheepheards among wolues, or sheep about wolues: but as sheep among wolues, harmlesse and innocent lambes in the midst of hurtfull and hungrie wolues. And Matth. 23. 34. Behold, I send vntounto you Prophets, and wisemen, and Scribes, and of them yee shall kill, and crucifie, and of them yee shall scourge in your Synagogues, and persecute from citie to citie. So that (as tHom. 6. de laudibus Pauli.Chrysostome said) a man should not enter into this high and holie calling, except he be willing to suffer a thousand deathes, as Paul 1. Cor. 15. 31. I dye daily. uMat. 11.Iohn Baptist came neither eating nor drinking, and yet the people said he had a deuill. Christ himselfe came both eating and drinking, and they said he was a glutton, and a wine-bibber. xIohn 13. 16.The seruant is not greater then his master, neither is an Embassador greater then he that sent him. yMat. 10. 25.If they hauehave called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more them of the houshold? That Timothie therefore may fulfill his office, doing thoroughly the work of an Euangelist, he must suffer afflictions as a good souldior of Christ, euer readie to beare bloudie blowes of open enemies, and drie bobs of false friends. The resolute doctor Martine Luther, opposing the Deuill and the Pope, who doth exalt himselfe z2. Thessal. 2 4.against all that is called God, in the midst of his trouble for the Gospell, vsed merily this by-word, aLoc. com. tit. antidota contra curas in qualibet vocatione.Mitte mundum vadere sicut vadit, nam vult vadere sicut vadit. Art thou called to preach, execute the work of an Euangelist vntounto the full, and leaue the successe to God. If the world doe not beleeue, What is that to thee, said bIohn 21. 12.Christ vntounto Peter in the like cause, follow thou me, cLuther vbi sup.Tu me, me, me sequere, non tuas quaestiones aut cogitationes. And a reuerend Bishop in our age, who hath had his part in afflictions, often repeates this disti…hon:
Spernere mundum, spernere nullum, spernere sese, Spernere se sperni, quatuor ista beant.
dLuther loc. com. tit. de ministerio verbi.O economical labour is great, Politicall greater, Ecclesiasticall greatest of all, eVbi sup.as Luther speakes, to preach the Gospell as we should, is to stir vp all the furies of Hell against vsus. And yet let not any Timothie be discouraged in his office, seeing after his fight is ended, and his course finished, a crowne of righteousnesse is layed vp for him, and shall be giuen vntounto him at the comming of our Lord Iesus vntounto iudgement.
Fulfill thine office vntounto the vttermost] fMarlorat.As if he should hauehave said, thou canst not execute thine office to the full, vnlesse thou be watchfull, and suffer afflictions. Or by these things thou shalt make gErasmus.proofe of thy ministrie to the whole world, when as they shall see thy doings and suffrings answerable to thy doctrine and sayings. Painfully to preach, and patiently to perseuere, doing the workes of an Euangelist, and suffring affliction for the Gospell, are true hCaluin.notes of a true pastor.
I am readie to be offred, and the time of my departing is at hand] EueryEvery true Christian offers vp himselfe an holie iRom. 12. 1.sacrifice to the Lord, kAre…. in loc.the which is begun in our baptisme, continued in our life, finished at our death. And surely (beloued) if all be blessed who dye lApocalyp. 14. …3.in the Lord, much more they who dye for the Lord, mPsalm. 116. 13.right deare in the sight of the Lord is the death of such his Saints. The glorious Martyr Polycarpus like a notable Ramme picked out of a great flocke, fit for an acceptable burnt sacrifice to God, vsed nEuseb. hist. lib. 2. cap 15. Diuerse other holy Martyrs vsed the like forme of prayer, apud Fox Martyrol.this prayer when he was offered vp: O father of thy well beloued and blessed sonne Iesus Christ, thorough whom we hauehave knowen thee; O God of the Angels, and powers, and of all sortes of iust men that liue in thy presence: I thanke thee that thou hast gratiously vouch safed this day and this houre to allot me aportion among the number of Martyrs, among the people of Christ, vntounto there surrection of euerlasting life both of body and soule in the incorruption of the bo…y Ghost, among whom I shall be receiued in thy sight this day as a fruitfull and a well pleasing sacrifice, &c. How death is called a departing, see Nunc dimittis in the Liturgie: how our life is a fight, Epist. 1. Sun. after Easter, and Epist. 21. Sun. after Trinity; how a course or race, Epist. on Sept…agesima Sunday.
There is laid vp for me a crowne of righteousnes] Almighty God rendreth heauen as a iust iudge, oD. Fulke, Marlorat, Piscator.not to the worthines of our workes, but to the merits of Christ, and as due to vsus by his promise freely made in Christ, in respect of vsus it is a garland of fauour only; but in respect of Christ who meritoriously purchased it for vsus, it is a crowne of iustice. So S. pLib. de grat. & liber… arbitri… cap. 6. & 7. Tom. 7. fol. 890.Augustine construeth our text, cui redderet coronam iustus iudex, sinon donasset gratiam misericors pater? & quomodo esset ista corona iustitiae, nisi praecessisset gratia quae iustificat impium? quomodo ista debita redderetur, nisi prius illa gratuita donaretur. How should he repay as a iust Iudge, vnlesse he had first giuen as a mercifull father? and how should this be a crowne of iustice, if grace had not gone before which iustifieth the vngodly man? dona sua coronat Deus, non merita tua, siergo dei dona sunt bona merita tua, non Deus coronat merita tua tanquam merita tua, sed tanquam dona sua. See Gospell on Septuagesima Sunday.
The Gospell.
LVKE 10. 1.
The Lord appointed other seuenty, &c.
IN this Scripture two points are to be considered especially
Vox domini, Christs word and ordination of his Disciples, the Lord appointed other seuenty, &c. To whom hee said, goe your wayes, behold, I send you forth, &c.
Via discipuli, the Disciples worke and condition, as labourers in an haruest, as lambes among wolues.
Of all which I hauehave treated often elsewhere, but of the most obseruable notes hereof especially, Gosp. 1. Sun▪ after Easter, and Gosp. on S. Andrewes and Ascension day. The reason why the Church allotted this Epistle for this festiuall, is because S. Luke was (as qEpiphan. h…res. 51.some thinke) one of the seauenty Disciples, and the reason in appointing our Gospell is for that S. Luke was an Euangelist.