A Complete History and Mystery of the Old and New Testament, Part 1 · Chapter 17
CHAP. XVII.
THere be many other Parables which Chriſt delivered as Oracles (full of ſweet ſignificancy, and moſt aptly accommodated to his various Auditors, as before) that might be accordingly gloſs'd upon (as this of the Sower) would it not ſwell up this Diſcourſe into too prodigious a Prolixity, &c. The brief account I can give of them here is this, beſides this Parabolical Sermon which he Preached to the People, March. 13, &c. (wherein he demonſtrates the divers effects of the Word Preached, the pretiouſneſs of it when rightly imbraced, and the ſtrict account that muſt at laſt be given of it): There be other Sermons of our Lord dreſs'd up both in Parables and Plainly. As,
Firſt, That to his Twelve Apoſtles (after his long and lively Sermon in the Mount, as above) when he ſent them forth (to gather up the loſt Sheep of the Houſe of Iſrael) after they had been as Probationers a Twelve-Month with him, to learn the Goſpel of the Kingdom from his Mouth, Mat. 10. per totum. and chap. 9. ver. 1. Mark 6. v. 7, 8, 9, 10, 11. and Luke 9.1, 2, 3, &c. which ſome calls Chriſt's Concio ad Clerum, his Sermon to the Clergy, inſtructing them what to do, how to teach, and the meaſures they muſt expect in their Miniſtry, &c.
Secondly, When Chriſt had done Documenting his Miniſters, then Preach'd He a vindication Sermon for the Miniſtry, both John Baptiſt's and his own, Mat. 11.1, 2, to the end. The End of his former Sermon was the beginning of this Latter, wherein he juſtifieth John's Perſon and Doctrine, and himſelf, &c. from the Cenſure of Cavillers, and Inviteth the Meek and Lowly to come and take his Yoke: Chriſt was never Idle and out of good action.
Thirdly, After this followed his Irenicon, or Sermon for compoſing differences, wherein the Authority of the Church is aſſerted, and an heavy doom denounced againſt thoſe that ſlight it, and will not be drawn by God's forgiving us, to forgive our Brethren, &c. Mat. 18. per totum, Mark 9.34, &c. Luke 9. from 46, to 51. Quaerunt non quarenda, they ſeek what is not to be ſought.
Fourthly, Then his ſharp Sermon againſt the Hypocritical Scribes and Phariſees, Mat. 23. wherein he denounceth eight direful woes to Thunder-ſlike thoſe Hypocrites, and to draw them down (as with this Chain of eight Links) to their own place (Hell) and there to leave them to the Day of Judgment. This inraged them to project his deſtruction.
Fifthly, His Prophetical Sermon about the Deſtruction of Jeruſalem and the end of the World. Mat. 24, & 25, &c. with the Day of Judgment, and the Manner of it, &c.
Sixthly, His Farewel-Sermon touched upon before, John chap. 14, 15, 16, &c. with 13.1, 17, 20, 33. where our Saviour begins and ſweetly proceeds to ſing out his Swanlike Song moſt Heavenly and moſt Harmoniouſly, which long lively Sermon he ends in a Seraphick Prayer, John. 17. N. B. Note well, Together with thoſe Sermons there is a lovely intermixture and a comely contexture of many other Parables. As, 1. That of the Good Seed ſown in the Field, but while Miniſters ſlumber the Devil Sows blaſted Corn (Hereticks and Hypocrites) which at the Harveſt yields no better than Duſt and Chaff, Mat. 13.24, 26, &c. 2. That of the Grain of Muſtard ſeed, (which ſoon pierceth the Noſtrils and Brain) to ſhew how quick and powerful the Word of God is in its operation, &c. Mat. 13.31, 32. (3) That of the Leaven (which ſoon diffuſeth it ſelf into the whole Lump) ver. 33. to ſhew that the Word of God is not bound, 2 Tim. 2.9. but Runs and is glorified, 2 Theſ. 3.1.4. That of the Treaſure hid in the Field; and the Pearl of price, Mat. 13.44, 45. to ſhew we muſt make our ſelves Maſters of Eternal Life by Chriſt, 'tis an excellent penny-worth whatever it coſt us, &c. 5. That of the Draw-net, ver. 47. wherein the Fiſhers are Goſpel-Miniſters, the Sea the World, the Net the Word, the Ship the Church, and the Fiſhes that are caught are Profitable Hearers. 6. That of the two Sons, Mat. 21.28, &c. to ſhew that Penitent Publicans did better than Proud Phariſees. 7. That of the Vineyard, ver. 33. to ſhew God's caſting off the Jews for their cruelty to Chriſt and his Miniſters, &c. 8. That of the Wedding Supper, holding forth the Jews Deſpiſing the Goſpel, for which they were Rejected, and the Gentiles Received, Mat. 22. from v. 1, to 15. So likewiſe that of the Fig-tree, of the Talents, of the Virgins, and many more too long to inſiſt on, for without a Parable Chriſt ſpake nothing to the Multitude, Mat. 13.34.
But paſſing by (for brevities ſake) all farther Deſcants upon Chriſt's Oracles, wherein he ſhew'd himſelf mighty in Word, let us now return to his Miracles wherein he ſhew'd himſelf mighty in deed, Luke 24.19. making only a curſory gloſs by the way upon the two Men that would follow him, Mat. 8.18, 19, 20, 21, 22. Or the three men who would do ſo, Luke. 9.57, to 62. which ſtory follows next in order of time, being the ſame day at Even, &c. Mark 4.35. When Chriſt had left Simon's Houſe, and taught in Parables upon the Lake of Tiberias or Genezareth, for the Town ſtood upon its banks; the Remarks whereof are theſe.
Firſt, The firſt that profeſs'd he would follow Chriſt whitherſoever he went, was a Scribe call'd foreign, a Letter-Man, or one in the Letter, not in the Spirit, therefore He wiſt not what he ſaid (as once Peter upon a miſtake did, Luke 9.33) for only Virgins (that love Chriſt with a chaſt love, and are undefiled with Idolatry) can follow the Lamb whitherſoever he goeth, Rev. 14.4. this Man (ſaith Athanaſius) doth fooliſhly compare himſelf with the Incomprehenſible Power of Chriſt, in promiſing what he could not poſſibly perform by any power of his own. However he ſhewed himſelf a Zealot above the Multitude diſmiſſed, calls Chriſt Maſter (when He was to Retire and Repoſe himſelf after much pains) and boldly offers to be his follower, never dreaming either of denying himſelf, or taking up the Croſs, Luke 9.23. but he ſought not to much the Maſter, as Gain by the Maſter, therefore Chriſt knowing the Heart) gives this Doctor of the Law a ſmart Repartee, reproving him for expecting Worldly Wealth by following me and my Miracles, and intimating in his ſharp anſwer, that the Foxes had Holes in his Heart, as he was deceitful, and the Birds had Neſts therein, as he was ambitious, and (ſaith Auſtin alſo) how can an unſound Soul follow ſimplicity, or Pride Humility? He would only follow Chriſt, as Samſon followed his Parents, till he met with an Honey-Comb, Judges 14.5, 8. or as a Dog doth his Maſter till he come to ſome. Carrion and there lurches him, Vix diligitur Jeſus propter Jeſum, Jeſus is rarely loved for Jeſus ſake, ſaith the Father. Iſaac loved Eſau for his Veniſon, and many followed Chriſt for his Loaves. Diſſembled Sanctity Rom. 16.18. & Jude v. 16) is double Iniquity, &c. or by ſubtle Foxes may be meant Carnal Temporizers, and by Flying Birds Aſpirers after Promotion. However, Chriſt diſcovers his Hypocriſie, ſaying, no Secular Honours would attend his Followers.
The Second Remark is, The next to this Doctor of the Law, who pretended to be Chriſt's Proſelyte, comes a Diſciple who intended it, only deſires Chriſt's excuſe for his abſenting from him for a while, till his Father was Buried in his preſence, Mat. 8.21. which Requeſt of his imports not that his Father was either now Dead, or very Sick, but that he thought himſelf bound (by the Fifth Commandment) not to leave his Father while he was living, but to nouriſh and cheriſh him, as Joſeph did Jacob, Gen. 47.12. as Obed. did Naomi, Ruth 4.15. which the Apoſtle commends as a duty not only laudable before Men, but alſo acceptable before God, 1 Tim. 5.4. Therefore Chriſt doth not reprove him for it, but regulates his requeſt, reſolving him, that good Duties of leſs moment are to be neglected for greater, and that offices leſs neceſſary muſt be let go, that the main may be minded. Chriſt call'd him now to his preſent Attendance of the Goſpel, which was of weightier Importance than turning his back of Chriſt (who was to tarry but a little while in the World) under the notion of returning home to ſupport his Father till he died, who poſſibly might out-live Chriſt himſelf: Therefore it cannot be ſuppoſed, our Lord gives no occaſion here for any undutifulneſs to Parents, but only that Natural Offices and Carnal Reſpects muſt give way to thoſe that are Spiritual and Heavenly, and that opportunities for Grace are haſty and headlong, ſo muſt be quickly caught as the Eccho catcheth the Voice. There is no uſe for after-wit. His Father might be Buried by other hands, v. 22. Let the dead in Sin bury their dead in Nature. Sinners are but breathing Ghoſts, &c. 1 Tim. 5.6. Be thou an Heir of Life, 1 Pet. 3.7.
The Third Remark is, Luke 9.57, &c. Mentions a third that proffer'd to be Chriſt's Follower, ver. 6, 62. but he muſt bid farewel to his Friends, Chriſt alludes in his Anſwer v. 62. to what Eliſha did, 1 Kin. 19.19. ſhewing, that Preaching the Kingdom of God was more neceſſary than all theſe excuſes, and he that look… back cannot make ſtraight Furrows with the Plow of the Goſpel, &c.