The Disabled Debtor Discharged, Part 2
[And Ieſus ſaid unto him.]
Our Saviour much affected this Parabolicall way of teaching, the Reaſons I have acquainted you withall, on ſome other Parables, one or two here ſhall ſuffice to give, why our Saviour ſo ordinarily opened his mouth in Parables.
Firſt, he uſed this kind of teaching (then much in uſe in the place he taught) for the botter Inſtruction of the ſimple, with whom a Parable doth often more prevaile then a Sillogiſme. Thus Marke 4 33. It is ſaid that with many ſuch Parables ſpake he the Word unto the people, as they were able to beare it. Saint Matthew numbers ſeven, Chap. 13. at the ſame time delivered. Saint Marke adds further, that without a Parable he ſpake not unto them; Endeavouring to help the Soule by the Body, the Ʋnderſtanding by the Senſe, and by earthly Objects to raiſe up our ſoules to heavenly Meditations.
Secondly,Innata nobis via eſt ut a notioribus ad minus nota vobis progrediamur. Ariſt. in lib. 1. Phy c. 1 Obſcura & diffi…ilia in Scripturis magna ingenia exercent, & ſomnum oſcitantiam que diſcutiunt, ut ad fructum intelligentiae perveniant. Aug. in Pſal 140. Vſe. for the better ſtirring up of the affections, and quickning the attention of the willing. Truthes are conveyed to the Underſtanding with the more delight in Parables; and make a willing mind more inquiſitive after knowledge. Thus an edge was ſet upon the deſires of the Diſciples by Parables; they come to their Maſter, and deſire him to acquaint them further with the myſteries of the Kingdome.
Thirdly, he uſed this Method, for the better Conviction of the Impenitent and Obſtinate. So Mat. 21.41. They are enforced to paſſe their own ſentence: and Simon here is fetcht in, ere he be aware and made to paſſe ſentence againſt himſelfe, for her, whom he before condemned.
Let us delight in reading of theſe Parables and ſtudying of them. God hath furniſhed his Word with many, even with ſo many as there are weeks in the yeere (as ſome obſerve.) How willing is Chriſt to bring us unto Heaven who thus uſeth the help of Art for that end,Mat. 13. Coelorum regnū idcirco terrenis rebus ſimile dicitur, ut ex ijs quae animus novit, ſurgat ad incognita, quae non novit. Quatenus exemplo viſibilium, ſe ad inviſibilia rapiat & per ea quae uſu didicit, quaſi confricatus incaleſcat, &c. Greg Hom 11. in Evang. Text. and ſpeakes to us in ſuch a Dialect, of the Myſteries of his Kingdome as we may beſt underſtand? We know what ſowing ſeed is; ſuch a thing is the Kingdome of Heaven; what a Pearle is, what a Treaſure, what a graine of Muſterd ſeed, what Leaven, &c. Why the Kingdome of Heaven (ſaith Chriſt) is like to theſe. In the ſight and uſe of theſe earthly things raiſe up your thoughts. Of this ſee more on the Parable of the Loſt ſheep, Luk. 15.3, and on The good Samaritane, Luke 10.30.
Anſwering] Here the Evangeliſt acquaints us with the Occaſion of propounding the enſuing Parable, which was a Queſtion or doubt before ariſing in the mind of Simon; ſo we read in the foregoing verſe, Simon ſaid within himſelfe. Now he anſwers, non ad verba ſed ad cogitationes, quas in Phareſaei animo proſpexerat, (ſaith Maldonat) not to the words, (for we read not that the Phariſee ſaid any thing at all) but to the thoughts of his heart Chriſt anſwered: Audivit enim Dominus Phariſaeum cogitantem, ſaith Saint Auſtin. So then
Doct. The heart hath a Tongue. Thoughts are foreign, the words of the mind; what we think we ſpeake.
Thus we ſpeake to God, as did Hannah, 1 Sam. 1.13. So did Moſes, Exod. 14 15.
And to our ſelves, Pſal. 10.6, 11, 13. & 14.1. & 53 1. Eccleſ. 2.15, Mat. 3.9. & …4 48. Luke 16.3. Rom. 10.16.
Vſe. Make Conſcience of Thoughts,Quicquid pudet dicere, pudeat & cogitare. Hier. in Epiſt. ad Demetriadem. as well as of your words, and what you are aſhamed to ſpeake be aſhamed to think. They onelyonly want a Shape, to be audible to Others, which the Tongue gives them: Could men know them, and convince them, they ſhould be no leſſe liable to cenſure, then if they came forth clothed with words: God knowes them, and judgeth of them accordingly; yea he knowes them and underſtands their language better then our ſelves, Deut. 31.21.Aug. Confeſſ. lib. 10. c. 27. Saint Auſtin ſpeaking unto God ſaith thus, Intus tu eras & ego foris, Thou wert within and I was without,Jer. 4.15. Quum reproborum mentibus occaſio perperrandi peccati deeſt, deſideriorum cogitationes eorum cordibus nullatenus defunt: & quam non ſemper Diabolum ſequuntur in orere, valde tamen ſe illi alligant in cogitatione. Greg. mor. 14. Si quid cogitaveris, cito apparebit: converſantibus: bene cogitata ſi excidunt non occidunt. Seneca in Proverbijs. thou kneweſt my ſecret thoughts when I my ſelfe was ignorant of their meaning. Give no way to wickedones; think it not lawfull to range in conceit upon any folly or luſt. Play not with the divell in Imagination (as Gregory ſaith ſome do) for this kind of ſport is an unlawfull game. After that the Froggs of Aegypt have got into the chambers of your hearts, the Caterpillers of Aegypt will ſoone deſtroy the fruit of your land. Be we more abundant in Good ones; make pretious account of them with David, Pſal. 94 19. They are Good Companions; whence it is that God ſpeaking of his Commandements, Deut. 6.6, 7. & 11.19. ſaith, They ſhall be in thy heart, and thou ſhalt ſpeake of them when thou ſitteſt in thy houſe, and when thou walkeſt by the way; when thou lyeſt downe, and when thou riſeſt up. Now this ſpeaking and talking is not onelyonly (though principally) to be underſtood of outward conference with others, (for many a man walkes alone, and lyes alone, &c) But alſo of talking with our ſelves, according to that of Salomon, Prov. 6.22. When thou awakeſt it ſhall talke with thee, that is, when thou and it are alone, it ſhall teach thee, and finde thee good diſcourſe; this ſhould make us count good thoughts pretious.
Doct. Secondly, Obſerve, God hath an Anſwer for the words of the Minde as well as for the words of the Mouth. The very Thoughts of our hearts expect to have met withall, Mat. 9.3, 4. & 12.25, Luke 5.22. & 6.8. & 11.17. & 24.38.
Vſe 1 It is a poore peece of pollicie to come before the Lord, as Ieroboams wife did, diſguiſed: Who will ſay what they thinke? with what a deale of faire pretence do men cover their hypocriſie and guile of ſpirit? Yet God hath a Candle that gives light into all the Bowells of the belly; he hath no need that any man ſhould teſtifie of man,Pro. 20.27. for he knowes what is within man, Ioh. 2.24. And he hath fitted his Word, and framed it of purpoſe (by his All-ſeeing Spirit) that it may diſcover what is hid, and converſe ſecretly in the boſomes of men, Heb. 4. verſe 12. daily experience maketh this good.
Whilſt the Word is Preaching it doth ſo ranſacke the heart,1 Cor. 14.25. that ſuch as heare it cannot but be perſwaded the Miniſter is acquainted with their ſins, and that he aimes at them; Willfully, being ignorant of this, that the Word will ſearch them, though the Miniſter never ſaw their faces. The Bow is drawne at an adventure by our hand; It is God that guides the flight into Ahabs boſome; he anſwers you according to the Idolls in your hearts, Ezek. 14.4. When you come to a Sermon know you come to a narrow Searcher, which will tell you of your Adulteries, Oppreſſions, &c. And reveale unto you (as Eliſha did to the King of Iſrael) whatſoever is done privily in your private chamber.
Vſe 2 And it may encourage humble Chriſtians to reſt on the Word for anſwer to thoſe doubts they are not willing to make knowne. Hardly can there be an Objection in a mans mind, but, if he conſtantly attend to the Word, it will meet with it. How often hath the Lord met with the ſecret Objections of our ſoules before we were aware? And guided the Tongue of his ſervants to the very point that troubled us? God can ſtrangely be our Phyſitian, and yet no creature know our diſeaſe. But this is not ſpoken as if men ſhould repreſſe or ſmother doubts; for if the Lord doth not anſwer otherwiſe, we are to propound them to the Wiſe and Learned, who are able to reſolve us.
We now come to the words of our Saviour to Simon, which are very inſinuative: He windes into his Affections, in naming of him ſo lovingly; and prepares his Attention in craving Audience. Simon muſt be anſwered, and reprooved for the thoughts of his heart; yet not in Iudgement (as the obſtinate and malicious were,) but in Mercy, in a gentle convictive way. He comes not on him as the Syrians did on Gilead, Amos 1.3. threſhing him with a flayle of yron; nor ſcourging him (as Rehoboam threatned to ſcourge Iſrael) with Scorpions, 2 Chron. 10.11. but with all meekneſſe and moderation of ſpirit according to the nature of his error, knowing it to be through ignorance and weakneſſe. From his Example learne we
Doct. To anſwer our Brother (not ſinning preſumptuouſly) with the ſpirit of meekeneſſe.
So exhorts the Apoſtle, Gal. 6.1. If any be fallen into any fault, (i.e. through infirmity) yee that are ſpirituall reſtore ſuch a one foreign,Nihil probat ſpiritualem virum, ſicut peccati alieni tractatio: quum liberationem ejus potius quam inſultationem, potiuſ que auxilia, quam convitia meditatur, & quantum facultas tribuitur ſuſcipit. Aug. ſur. Epiſt. ad Galat. in the ſpirit of meekeneſſe. Looke as Chyrurgions and Bone-ſetters (for to them the Apoſtle doth allude) in reſtoring and ſetting right a diſlocated joynt, doe it with all the tenderneſſe that may be, ſo tenderly ſhould we go about this buſineſſe of Reprehenſion, having to do with a weak and flexible delinquent.
Upon which words of the Apoſtle, Martin Luther, though his ſpirit were as the ſpirit of Elias; fiery, and vehement, (the hotteſt burning Taper that ever yet ſhined in the Church of Germanie,) delivers and commends this Doctrine to our wiſeſt Conſiderations, in as much as the contrary hereunto ſavours too much of that Popiſh racking and tormenting of the conſciences of men, for every ſmall offence committed, and too little of that Spirit of Chriſt, by the Apoſtle there commended; which (not in the zeale of ſevere Juſtice, but) in lenity and mildneſſe lifteth up them that be fallen, and gently reſtoreth that which is decayed, either through the deceit of Satan, or the weakneſſe of ſinfull fleſh.
And as there were ſome in his daies (of whom he there complaines) ſo are there in ours, who when they ſhould refreſh and comfort thirſtie conſciences, they give them gall to drink, as Davids enemies did him, and the Jewes Chriſt.
Their Reproofes are like the thoughts of jealouſie, Cant. 8 Implacable and Cruell, as the Grave; and under the cloake of friendly Reproofe they caſt forth their flames and brands of conſuming heate, as if that Mars and Saturne were in ſome fiery conjunction over their tongues.
Qui blando ver…o caſtigatus non corrigitur, acriùs neceſſe eſt arguatur: cum dolore ſunt ab ſcindenda quae leniter ſanari non poſſunt. Ibid de Sum: beno. foreign Luke 13.32.16.15. Mat. 23.13. Acts 7.52.I would not be miſtaken, as if hereby I would inſinuate, that alwaies milde, and gentle Reproofe is to be uſed; Sharp Reproofe hath his place al…o, and is as neceſſary and fruitfull as the other, (being done with diſcretion and regard) 1 Cor. 4.21. 1 Cor. 13.10. Thoſe evill Beasts and Slow-bellies the Cre…ians, (who were alwaies word ſignifies.) Tit. 1.13. Thus did our Saviour at other times Reproove. He called Herod Fox, and the Maſter of the Synagogue, Hypocrite: and the Scribes and Phariſees, Vipers ana the ſonnes of the divell. Saint Steven calls the Jewes Traytors and Murtherers. And Saint Paul the Galathians, Sotts and Fooles. But ſuch cutting Reproofes are for rotten Sinners: a weake Doſe will but ſtirre up and anger their ill humours, not purge them away: there muſt be thundering, and a tempeſt of words, where ſins are crying: Gods Word muſt be as the fire, and Hammer to breake the ſtone: But having to deale with more flexible diſpoſitions; (and for infirmities and frailties) we muſt obſerve another method, after our Saviours owne example; who finding the Jewes to buy and ſell in his Fathers Temple, for the firſt time, reprooved them mildly, Ioh. 1.16. but finding them preſumptuouſly to tranſgreſſe a ſecond time, he ſaid (not as before, you have made my Fathers houſe a houſe of Merchandize, but) you have made it a Den of Theoves, Mat. 21.13.
And yet withall, as the likeneſſe of Amber came out of that fire that compaſſed the cloud, Ezek. 1.4. So ſhould love ſhine out of this fire of zeale, which we bring with us to conſume the black cloud of ſin: If true Love have not a part in this Scene, we doe but act a Tragedy; and with Hazael under pretence of eaſing Benhadad, we do but ſtifle our Brother with a thick cloth dipt in water, 2 Kings 8.15.
Should we come upon our Brother in Heat and Choler, as Eliah came on David, 1 Sam. 17. we ſhould at beſt but do what the Jewes blaſphemouſly charged Chriſt withall, caſt out Satan by Satan, nor will theſe harſh and galling reprehenſions ever work kindly on a tender diſpoſition. The wrath of man (ſaith S. Iames) worketh not the righteouſneſſe of God. James 1.18.A furious and rayling reprehenſion doth never ſo perſwade a man as to bring him to God or goodneſſe.
It was not the heat, but coole of the day, when God came with a Reproofe to Adam: It was a ſtill and milde voice, wherein God appeared to Elijah. Hier. ad Theop.And as Saint Hierom ſpeakes, Chriſtus non fulminans & tenans, ſed in preſepi vagiens, & tacens in cruce ſalvavit humanum genus. A gentle fire (they ſay) makes the beſt diſtilled waters.
Never let my tongue enter into their reſt, who repoſe themſelves with Shomei in Bahurim, that when David paſſeth by, they may fling their anſwers, like ſtones, at him, and ſay it was done onelyonly in Love: being not aſhamed to imprint this golden ſtampe of loving Reproofe upon the baſe iron and eating Canker of fowle Accuſation. This fly of Envie is that which makes this pretious ointment of Reproofe to ſtink.
But on the other ſide the incenſe of our Lips will be ſweet when this ſpice of Myrrhe and Cinomon,Exod. 35.23. & 30.23. Love and Mildneſſe is mingled with the annointing …yle: How faire art thou, ſhew me thy ſight, and let me heare thy voice, for it is ſweet: Thy Lips drop as honey combs, honey and milke are under thy tongue? And the ſavour of thy garments is as the ſavour of Lebanon. And thus much in generall. Come we now to a more particular Examination of the words.