The Good Samaritan, Part 1 – Part 2
And Ieſus anſwering ſaid] Text.
Doct. The Author of this Parable is Ieſus Chriſt, the wiſdome of the Father. Parables have God for their Author as well as any other part of holy Scripture, 2 Tim. 3.16. Mat. 13.10, 53 and 21.45. Mar. 4.34.
Their fullneſſe, fitneſſe, purity, preſervation, together with the Churches acceptation and confirmation puts it out of doubt.
Vſe 1 Wherfore acknowledge we Gods goodneſſe who doth not onelyonly teach us what is neceſſary for our ſalvation by plaine Principles, and affirmative Concluſions, but condeſcendeth to our capacities in a more familiar and delightfull way, ſo as to teach us by Compariſons and Similitudes, the better to imprint in our hearts and memories what ſo nearely concerns us. This God would have his Church take notice of for a ſpeciall favour. Hoſ. 12.10.
Vſe 2 And it may juſtifie the practiſe of ſuch Miniſters, who keeping within the bounds of modeſty and ſobriety, take paines in opening and applying divine Parables to their hearers. If all Scripture be profitable to teach, improve, &c. 2 Tim. 3.16. then theſe Scriptures; (without queſtion) Paſſe wee from the Author to his Manner of delivery.
Text. [Anſwering ſaid] foreign, ſuſpiciens autem Jeſus dixit (ſo the Vulgar reade) As if Chriſt ſhould make Anſwer with his eyes lift up to heaven: malè quidem legerunt ſuſpiciens (ſaith Barradus) legendum enim ſuſcipiens: (And ſo doe our beſt Interpreters) Some of our later (Excipiens) Eraſmus, Reſpondens: So wee render it; and that aptly for foreign ſignifieth ſometimes to anſwer, or to begin a ſpeech foreign Plutarch de deſ…orat.
He ſaid] Oratoris eſt dicere, vulgi loqui. There is no little difference betwixt ſpeaking and ſaying: Speaking comes by Nature; Saying by Art: Children ſpeake, the Learned ſay: Chriſt ſo ſpake, as if he ſaid. He ſpake, and anſwered. Firſt obſerve.
Doct. Teaching by word of mouth is the moſt effectuall kind of teaching.
Thus Exo. 20 1. God ſpake, ſaying, therefore Act. 7.38. they are called verba viventia, lively oracles: or as ſome copies have it, foreign, ſermonem vivum.
For further confirmation of this Poſition, read 1 Kin. 19 11. Rom. 10.14.17. Act. 10.44. 1 Cor. 1.21. Pro. 28.9. Gal. 3.2.
What thinke you then of that poſition of Papiſts:De Imagie: 10. Images are Laymens books? And that of Bellarmine melius interdum docet pictura quam Scriptura.
And what of the conceit of Anabaptiſts, Familiſts, and ſuch like; who are of opinion, that the publike miniſtery is needleſſe, they are to depend on Apparitions and Revelations, &c.
As for us, attend we to the Word read and preached; Chriſt enters in by the Dore, not Window, he leaves that to the hireling. Be ye open ye everlaſting dores that the King of glory may enter in.
Anſwering ſaid. Text
An anſwer is made either to the neceſſity of the matter, or to the deſire of the hearer.
As it is made to the former; ſo Chriſt is ſaid ſometimes to anſwer when no queſtion went before, ſo Mat. 11.25. thus it is an Hebraiſme.
Uſually it is a reply to ſome queſtion before propounded, And ſo here: You read before there was a queſtion made by a certaine Lawyer; proud, though learned: Learned he ſhewed himſelfe to be in forbearing all circumlocutions; and in abridging the ten Commandements into two (taking the firſt, out of Deut. 6. and the ſecond out of Lev. 6.) whereby it appeares he was well read in Moſes law. Proud he was, in that he went about to juſtifie himſelfe, ver. 29. He hearing himſelfe praiſed for his wiſdome was ambitious alſo of the praiſe of Righteouſneſſe; for which end he propounds this caſe to Chriſt, Who is my Neighbour? thinking no Samaritane was to be taken for a Neighbour, but the Iew alone, whom he durſt boldly ſay he loved as himſelfe. Our Saviour upon this occaſion anſwers as followeth. Obſerve we hence.
Doct. Chriſt hath an anſwer ready to our demands. If we make the Queſtion, he will find an Anſwer. Mat. 11.4, 25. and 12.38, 39, 48. and 13.11, 27. Mark. 10.3, 5, 20, 24. Ioh. 3.3, 5, 10. Amongſt many other proofes that one Mat. 22.46. would not be forgotten. He was ſo ready and prompt a reſpondent, as that his adverſaries durſt ask him no more Queſtions.
Reaſon Firſt, he muſt make good his name. Iſa. 9 6. Councellour, and being our Councellour he will anſwer our Quaeres.
Secondly, he is Full; ſometimes counſell muſt demur; Chriſt needs not, he can ſoone tell us what is good in Law.
Thirdly, he hath promiſed that if we ſeek we ſhall find, Mat. 7.8. And therfore,
Vſe In all our doubts have we recourſe to him, he will be as plentifull in Reſolution, as fleſh and blood can be in Queſtioning.
Obje. But Chriſt is in Heaven▪
Reſp. Yet his anſwer is neare thee. Rom. 10.8. even in his Word, and in thy Heart.
Sometimes in his Word God anſwers us, as he did of old by Ʋrim and by Thummim; guiding his Miniſters tongue for that very purpoſe. Mich. 2.7.
And as we have his anſwer from his Word, ſo not ſeldom from his Spirit, eſpecially in Prayer. Iſay. 30.19. Ier. 33.3. So that an anſwer may be had if ſincerely ſought.
Obje. But ſome have ſought, and yet have not bin anſwered; So Saul who asked counſell of God, and yet in depth of ſorrow complained, Deus receſſit a me, &c. The Lord hath forſaken me, and anſwereth me no more, neither by Prophets nor by dreames. 1 Sam. 18.15.And Mich. 3.7. Nulla exauditio Dei▪ There is no anſwer from the Lord?
Reſp. Saul ſought to ſerve his owne turne againſt the Philiſtines, and not to pleaſe the Lord; neither God nor his Glory were regarded: By ſuch indeed God will not be inquired of, Eze. 20.3, 31. or if he be, he will not anſwer them; or if he do, it ſhall be in wrath and not in mercy, Eze. 14.4, 7.
Quest. What then muſt be done if we would be anſwered?
Reſp. Be ye ſuch as anſwer Gods demands. Zac. 7.17. ſee that anſwer of a good conſcience be made by you ſpoken of. 1 Pet. 3.21.
Secondly, take heed ye bring not Idols in your hearts: let there not be any beloved ſin lodged or harboured within; for then the Lord will not anſwer you; or if he do, even according to the multitude of your Idols will he anſwer you, Eze. 14.3. You ſee it true in Balams caſe Numb. 22.
Thirdly, ſee that you bring with you an humble ſpirit, willing to deny your ſelfe, and receive what anſwer ſoever God ſhall pleaſe to give; to enquire of God, and yet to follow your owne counſell is a ſinne of a provoking nature. Ier. 6.16. and 23.35, 36. thus do and doubt not of an anſwer.
Vſe 2 Againe, it may ſatisfie the great diſputer of the world, 1 Cor. 1.20. who turneth all his Religion into unprofitable Ʋtrums. God hath an anſwer for theſe, as well as other. To be ſhort, there are foure principall Queſtions, which ſhall not goe unreſolved.
The firſt is, An ſit Deus? this the Atheiſt makes, but God will give him to underſtand, there is a God. The ſecond is, Quid ſit Deus? this the Papiſt ſhall be reſolved of, and made to know that ſtocks and ſtones are no gods.Pſal. 58.11. Jer. 2.11. — 5 7. Exo. 34.7. The third is, Quotuplex Deus? this ſhall be fully reſolved againſt deſperat and preſumptuous ſinners, the preſumer ſhall feele that God is juſt as well as mercifull, and the deſperat behold that God is mercifull as well as juſt.Pro: 16.4. The fourth is, Propter quid Homo? All wicked ones ſhall find that God made man for his own Glory, and the wicked for the day of Judgement.
Vſe 3 And it may further ſerve to teach us, after Chriſts example, and the Apoſtles precept, To be ready alwayes to give an anſwer to every man that asketh; 1 Pet: 3.15.be they Believers, or Ʋnbelievers. True it is there is more than ordinary skill required to anſwer well: Perſons, Time, Place, Occaſions muſt be obſerved. One kind of anſwer ſuits not with every ſort of men: After one manner we anſwer Great-men; after an other manner Learned-men; after an other Ordinary men; after an other way the Captious, &c. But yet this skill we muſt endeavour to attain unto, Coloſ. 4.6. God is he that can inable us, Pro. 16.1. And hath Promiſed to inable us, Math. 10.19. Seek we to him (as Habbakuk 2.1.) bringing with us in our Prayers, Faith in Gods Promiſes, as did David, Pſalm. 119.41, 42. So ſhall we not need to feare to give an anſwer before Kings or Princes being called therunto.
Obj. But we read Mat. 27.12, 13, 14. Nihil reſpondit, Chriſt anſwered nothing to the accuſations of the Prieſts and Elders, nor to the demand of Pilate, Iohn 19.9.
Reſp. Chriſt was at no time without an anſwer, when God might have glory by it, as appeares, Math. 26.63. But at this time he forbore, for divers reaſons. 1. To fullfill Propheſies, as that, Eſay. 53.7. 2. To ſhew his readineſſe, and willingneſſe to ſuffer death for us. 3. To leave us an example of Humility and Patience, in caſe of ſlander, 4. For that at this time an anſwer needed not, Pilate was uncapable of the doctrine of the Trinity: Nor was it a time now, to reveale his Deity. The reſt were unreaſonable and malicious. who though they knew him to be innocent, yet would they accuſe him, and (by his words) ſeeke to inſnare him: In the like caſe it is lawfull (nay behoovefull) we ſhould be ſilent:Amos 5.13. Intelligens illo tempore ſilebit (ſaith the Prophet) quum tempus mali erit: That time is an evill time and enjoynes ſilence.
A ſecond thing to be obſerved is,
Doct. God turnes the ſinnes of men to the advantage of his Church.
It was a captious queſtion which the Lawyer made and that occaſioned this Parable. Thus Davids fall occaſioned the penning of many a ſweet Pſalme, which els we might have bin without. So the running away of Oneſimus from his Maſter, the writing of that Epiſtle to Philemon.
Vſe Which (in a word) ſhould teach us to admire the wiſdome and power of the Lord, who cauſeth Light to ariſe out of Darkeneſſe, and bringeth hony unto us out of a dead carkaſe. St. Austin ſaid of Adams fall, it was Foelix culpa (in regard of the happy conſequences therof to the Elect) ſo we may ſay (in the ſame reſpect) of many of the ſins and fals of others, we had never injoyed ſo many ſweet inſtructions, and conſolations, but for their fowle offences.
Laſtly in that our Saviour thus anſwers this captious caveller by a Parable, we may conclude.
Doct. It is a good way by Parables. to anſwer the proud and captious.
Chriſt could ſimply and directly have anſwered his queſtion, but this way he rather chuſeth,Cal: in Loc. the better to convince and ſilence him. Wherfore, as our Saviour ſaith in an other caſe, He that can receive it, let him receive it. And ſo much briefly for the Introduction. Come we now to the Narration.