Paraphrase of the Hard Texts of Scripture, Scripture 36 · Chapter 22
CAP. XXII.
9 Goe yee therefore into the high wayes, and as many as yee shall finde, bid to the marriage.SInce the Jewes, my selected people will not obey these gratious invitations, nor approve themselves worthy of this mercy; goe ye to the despised Gentiles, and call them to this spirituall marriage feast.
10 So those servants went out into the high wayes, and gathered together all as many as they found both good and bad.So those my Apostles, and Evangelists, went to call those that are without; the contemptible heathen, that lay by the high wayes, and hedge-rowes of the world, as unworthy of the house-roome of my Church, and gathered them, &c.
11, 12, 13. And when the King came in to see the guests, he saw there a man which had not on a wedding garment, and he saith unto him; friend how camest thou in hither, not having a wedding garment? and he was speechlesse: then said the King to the servants, Binde him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into utter darkenesse, there shall be weeping & gnashing of teeth.But though God vouchsafed to call even the Gentiles to the participation of the privileges of his Church, yet he will not abide that they should dishonour his holy vocation by their knowne filthinesse and pollution; the King of glory, the God of his Church, takes notice of his guests, and markes how they come dressed and habited to his spirituall feast; and if hee see a man, who professing Christ, shall notwithstanding continue in the old rags, and filth of his naturall corruption; he cannot but bee highly offended with this foule hypocrisie and presumption; and after a sharpe expostulation, shall adjudge that man to a just and heavie damnation.
14 For many are called, but few are chosen.For, thinke not that all who are outwardly called by the sweet invitations of the Gospell, are made partakers of grace and salvation. God calleth all sorts of men, and men of all sorts, and they doe outwardly answer this voyce of God; but his inward and effectuall calling, and the election of grace is but of few.
16 And they sent out unto him their disciples, with the Herodians, saying; Master, we know that thou art true, and teachest the way of God in truth, neither carest thou for any man, for thou regardest not the person of men.And they sent unto him their disciples, together with them which were of the faction, and clientage of Herod; messengers divided both in opinion and affection? the one part standing for the liberty of the Jewes, the other part for the impositions of Caesar and Herod, saying; Master we know that thou art true, and without all respects to the persons of one side or other, teachest unpartially the way of God in sincerity and truth.
Tell us therefore, What thinkest thou of this point?17 Tell us therefore, what thinkest thou, is it lawfull to give tribute unto Caesar or not? Thou knowest that God hath imposed upon us a sacred tribute to bee paid unto himselfe; now, our Romane usurpers require us to pay this very tribute unto their cofers; who doe justly challenge to be Gods free people; now then, what saist thou? Is it lawfull for us thus to yeeld unto their exactions, and abdicating their just privileges, to pay this tribute unto Caesar or not?
And Jesus,18, 19, 20, 21. But Iesus perceived their wickednesse & said; Why tempt ye me, yee hypocrites: shew me the tribute mony. And they brought unto him a pennie, and hee saith unto them; Whose is this image and superscription? they say unto him, Caesars; then saith hee unto them: Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesars; and unto God the things which are Gods. who knew the very secret thoughts of their hearts, perceiving their wicked conspiracie against him, said; Why doe yee thus seeke to intrap me, under a colour of respect and reverence to me, O ye hypocrites; Ye thinke, yee now have mee in a snare; for if I say, it is not lawfull, yee Herodians are ready to accuse me as seditious; if I affirme it lawfull, ye disciples of the Pharises are ready to load mee with the envie of the people: But ye shall well see how easily I can avoid this net, yee have laid for me; Shew mee the tribute money. And they brought him a Roman penny (to the valew of seven pence halfe-penny of the present coine:) And hee saith unto them, Whose is this image and superscription, which is stamped upon this mettall? They say to him, Caesars; then saith hee unto them; Yee have answered your selves, this very coine convinces you; yee stand upon your freedome from the subjection to the Roman empire; yet in this very stampe ye reade your owne subjection; yee are mistaken if ye thinke that your spirituall interest in my Father or me, discharges you from obligations and duties to your earthly Princes; your soule doth or should beare the image of God, and therefore is justly claimed by him, as his; your coine is stamped with Caesars image, to shew his claime unto such part of it, as pertaineth unto him. Give therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesars, and unto God the things that are Gods.
Ye Sadduces doe erre grossely,29 Iesus answered, and said unto them; Yee doe erre, not knowing the Scriptures, nor the power of God. and damnably in this your mis-conceit of the resurrection; and the ground of your errour, is your ignorance both of the Scriptures, which have clearly revealed the truth thereof, and of that omnipotent power of God, whereby onelyonly this (otherwise impossible) worke shall be effected.
As for that absurdity,30 For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are as the Angells of God in heaven. which yee suppose would follow upon the certainty of a resurrection, compared with the Law of Moses; had ye any true insight into the state of heavenly things, ye would easily see, how it vanisheth of it selfe.
For in the resurrection, and life to come there is no such matter as marrying, and giving in marriage; no more than there is now among the Angells in heaven; for the condition of the Saints shall then bee like unto that of the celestiall Spirits, equally free from all these earthly relations, and carnall respects.
32 I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Iacob; God is not the God of the dead, but of the living.Hee doth not say, I was the God of Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob; or, I am the God of Abraham that once was; but, as implying his owne eternall being, and the certaine being of those holy Patriarchs; he saith; I am the God of Abraham, &c. Now God is not the God of those that are not, and have no existence at all, but of those that have a being; so as, ye Sadduces are in this palpably disproved, whiles yee grossely hold, that the soules of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, are utterly extinct, and have ceased to bee; they are, and expect the full accomplishment of that happinesse and glory, which God by vertue of his covenant hath assured unto them.
42, 43, 45. Saying, what thinke ye of Christ; whose sonne is hee; they say unto him, the sonne of David, he saith unto them, how then doth David in spirit call him Lord, saying, If David then call him Lord, how is he his sonne.I shall need no other proofe of the Deitie of the Mediator then your owne mouthes, and your owne attestation to this very Scripture. Ye grant that the Christ is, and must bee the sonne of David, according to the flesh, as I am: this is assurance enough of his humanity; the truth of this deitie is sufficiently evicted by that title and compellation which David gives him, in calling him (by the direction of the unfaileable spirit of God) my Lord: how can he (being Davids sonne) be Davids Lord, if herein David meant not to acknowledge the Messias for his God.
44 The Lord said, &c. sit downe on my right hand, &c.See Psal. 110. verse. 1.