Imágenes de páginas
PDF
EPUB

The Second Part of the Sermon of the Knowledge of holy Scripture.

IN the first part of this Sermon, which exhorteth to the know

ledge of holy Scripture, was declared wherefore the knowledge of the same is necessary and profitable to all men, and that by the true knowledge and understanding of Scripture, the most necessary points of our duty towards God and our neighbours are also known. Now as concerning the same matter you shall hear what followeth. If we profess Christ, why be we not ashamed to be ignorant in his doctrine? seeing that every man is ashamed to be ignorant in that learning which he professeth. That man is ashamed to be called a philosopher which readeth not the books of philosophy; and to be called a lawyer, an astronomer, or physician, that is ignorant in the books of law, astronomy, and physick. How can any man then say that he professeth Christ and his religion, if he will not apply himself, (as far forth as he can or may conveniently,) to read and hear, and so to know the books of Christ's Gospel and doctrine? Although other sciences be good, and to be learned, yet no man can deny but this is the chief, and passeth all other incomparably. What excuse shall we therefore make, at the last day before Christ, that delight to read or hear men's fantasies and inventions, more than his most holy Gospel? and will find no time to do that which chiefly, above all things, we should do, and will rather read other things than that, for the which we ought rather to leave reading of all other things. Let us therefore apply ourselves, as far forth as we can have time and leisure, to know God's word, by diligent hearing and reading thereof, as many as profess God, and have faith and trust in him. But they that have no good affection to God's word, (to colour this their fault,) allege commonly two vain and feigned excuses. Some go about to excuse them by their own frailness and fearfulness, saying, that they dare not read holy Scripture, lest through their ig norance they should fall into any errour. Others pretend that the difficulty to understand it and the hardness thereof is so great, that it is meet to be read only of clerks and learned men. As touching the first: ignorance of God's word is the cause of all errour, as Christ himself affirmed to the Sadducees, saying, that they erred, because they knew not the Scripture.* How should they then eschew errour, that will be still ignorant? And how should they come out of ignorance, that will not read nor hear that thing which should give them knowledge? He that now hath most knowledge, was at the first ignorant; yet he forbare not to read, for fear he

* Matt. xxii.

should fall into errour: but he diligently read, lest he should remain in ignorance, and through ignorance in errour. And if you will not know the truth of God, (a thing most necessary for you,) lest you fall into errour; by the same reason you may then lie still, and never go, lest, if you go, you fall into the mire; nor eat any good meat, lest you take a surfeit; nor sow your corn, nor labour in your occupation, nor use your merchandise, for fear you lose your seed, your labour, your stock, and so by that reason it should be best for you to live idly, and never to take in hand to do any manner of good thing, lest peradventure some evil thing may chance thereof. And if you be afraid to fall into errour by reading of holy Scripture, I shall show you how you may read without danger of errour. Read it humbly with a meek and lowly heart, to the intent you may glorify God, and not yourself, with the knowledge of it: and read it not without daily praying to God, that he would direct your reading to good effect; and take upon you to expound it no further than you can plainly understand it. For, as St. Augustin saith, the knowledge of holy Scripture is a great, large, and a high place; but the door is very low, so that the high and arrogant man cannot run in; but he must stoop low, and humble himself, that shall enter into it. Presumption and arrogancy are the mother of all errour; and humility needeth to fear no errour. For humility will only search to know the truth; it will search, and will bring together one place with another, and where it cannot find out the meaning, it will pray, it will ask of others that know, and will not presumptuously and rashly define any thing which it knoweth not. Therefore the humble man may search any truth boldly in the Scripture, without any danger of errour. And if he be ignorant, he ought the more to read and to search holy Scripture, to bring him out of ignorance. I say not nay, but a man may profit with only hearing; but he may much more profit with both hearing and reading. This have I said as touching the fear to read, through ignorance of the person. And concerning the hardness of Scripture; he that is so weak that he is not able to brook strong meat, yet he may suck the sweet and tender milk, and defer the rest until he wax stronger, and come to more knowledge. For God receiveth the learned and unlearned, and casteth away none, but is indifferent unto all. And the Scripture is full, as well of low valleys, plain ways, and easy for every man to use and to walk in; as also of high hills and mountains, which few men can climb unto. And whosoever giveth his mind to holy Scriptures with diligent study and burning desire, it cannot be, saith St. Chrysostom, that he should be left without help. For either God Almighty will send him some godly doctor to teach him, as he did to instruct the Eunuch, a nobleman of Ethiopia, and treasurer unto Queen Candace, who having affection to read the Scripture, (although he understood it not,) yet, for the desire that he had unto God's word, God sent his Apostle Philip to declare unto him the true sense of the Scripture that he read; or else, if

we lack a learned man to instruct and teach us, yet God himself from above will give light unto our minds, and teach us those things which are necessary for us, and wherein we be ignorant. And in another place St. Chrysostom saith, that man's human and worldly wisdom or science is not needful to the understanding of Scripture, but the revelation of the Holy Ghost, who inspireth the true meaning unto them, that with humility and diligence do search therefor. He that asketh shall have, and he that seeketh shall find, and he that knocketh shall have the door opened.* If we read once, twice, or thrice, and understand not, let us not cease so, but still continue reading, praying, asking of others, and so by still knocking, at the last, the door shall be opened; as St. Augustin saith, Although many things in the Scripture be spoken in obscure mysteries, yet there is nothing spoken under dark mysteries in one place, but the selfsame thing in other places is spoken more familiarly and plainly, to the capacity both of learned and unlearned. And those things in the Scripture that be plain to understand, and necessary for salvation, every man's duty is to learn them, to print them in memory, and effectually to exercise them. And as for the dark mysteries, to be contented to be ignorant in them, until such time as it shall please God to open those things unto him. In the mean season, if he lack either aptness or opportunity, God will not impute it to his folly: but yet it behooveth not, that such as be apt should set aside reading, because some other be unapt to read; nevertheless, for the hardness of such places, the reading of the whole ought not to be set apart. And briefly to conclude, as St. Augustin saith, by the Scripture all men be amended, weak men be strengthened, and strong men be comforted. So that surely none be enemies to the reading of God's word, but such as either be so ignorant, that they know not how wholesome a thing it is; or else be so sick, that they hate the most comfortable medicine that should heal them; or so ungodly, that they would wish the pcople still to continue in blindness and ignorance of God.

Thus we have briefly touched some part of the commodities of God's holy word, which is one of God's chief and principal benefits, given and declared to mankind here on earth. Let us thank God heartily for this his great and special gift, beneficial favour, and fatherly providence; let us be glad to receive this precious gift of our heavenly Father; let us hear, read, and know these holy rules, injunctions, and statutes of our Christian religion, and upon that we have made profession to God at our baptism; let us with fear and reverence lay up, in the chest of our hearts, these necessary and fruitful lessons; let us night and day muse, and have meditation and contemplation in them; let us ruminate, and, as it were, chew the cud, that we may have the sweet juice, spiritual effect, marrow, honey, kernel, taste, comfort, and consolation of them; let

[blocks in formation]

us stay, quiet, and certify our consciences, with the most infallible certainty, truth, and perpetual assurance of them: let us pray to God, (the only Author of these heavenly studies,) that we may speak, think, believe, live, and depart hence, according to the wholesome doctrine and verities of them. And, by that means, in this world we shall have God's defence, favour, and grace, with the unspeakable solace of peace, and quietness of conscience; and after this miserable life we shall enjoy the endless bliss and glory of heaven: which he grants us all, that died for us all, Jesus Christ, to whom, with the Father and the Holy Ghost, be all honour and glory, both now and everlastingly.

In every number of this Magazine, one, at least, of the Homilies, will be inserted: and as they contain the opinions of the first reformers of the English Church, upon all doctrinal points, before any differences arose upon subjects of less importance, it is presumed they will prove acceptable to all Protestant Churches; and especially to that Church which formally and explicitly adopts them among its standards.

SERMON.

Matthew xvi. 21.-From that time forth, began Jesus to show unto his disciples, how that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders, and chief priests, and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day.

THE saying of the prophet, that "the ways and thoughts of God are not like those of men," was never more remarkably verified than in that great event which we this day commemorate, the death and passion of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. "Without controversy, great is the mystery of godliness!" Wonderful in every part, but chiefly in the last acts of it, was the scheme of man's redemption! That the author of life should himself be made subject unto death-that the Lord of glory should be clothed with shame-that the Son of God's love should become a curse for sinful man-that his sufferings and humiliation should be made the manifestation of his glory-that by stooping to death he should conquer death-that the cross should lift him to his throne-that the height of human malice should but accomplish the purposes of God's mercy-that the devil, in the persecutions he raised against our Lord, should be the instrument of his own final ruin,these were mysteries in the doctrine of the cross, so contrary to the confirmed prejudices of the Jewish people, and so far above the reach of philosophical investigation, that they rendered the preaching of a crucified Saviour "a stumbling block to the Jews.

and to the Greeks foolishness." God foreseeing how improbable this doctrine would appear to men, was pleased in various ways to typify and predict our Saviour's passion, ages before it happened, that the thing, when it should come to pass, might be known to be his work and counsel; and our Lord himself omitted not, at the proper season, to give his disciples the most explicit warning of it, that an event so contrary to every thing they had expected, (for they were involved in the common errour of the Jewish nation concerning the Messiah,) might not come upon them by surprise. "From that time forth," saith the evangelist, "Jesus began to show to his disciples, how that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders, and chief priests, and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day."

"From that time forth."-The fact last mentioned was that conversation of our Lord with his disciples, in which Peter declared, in the name of all, that while the people in general were in doubt who Jesus might be-whether Elias, or Jeremias, or some other of the ancient prophets revived-they, his constant followers, believed him to be the Christ, the Son of the living God. "From that time forth," it seems, and not before, Jesus began to advertise his disciples of his approaching death. It was a thing not to be disclosed till their faith had attained to some degree of constancy and firmness, but when once it appeared that they not only esteemed and loved their Master as a wise and virtuous manthat they not only revered him as an inspired teacher of righteousness, but that they believed in him as the Christ, the Son of God, the Redeemer of Israel, it then became seasonable to remove the prejudices in which they had been educated, and to show them plainly what that deliverance was which the promised Messiah was to work-for whom, and by what means, it was to be effected. It was time to extinguish their hopes of sharing in the splendours of an earthly kingdom, and to prepare and fortify their minds against all that" contradiction of sinners" which they, with their Master, were in this world destined to endure. Now, therefore, he begins to show them how that he must go to Jerusalem, and, after much malicious persecution from the leaders of the Jewish people, he must be killed. The form of expression here is very remarkable in the original; and it is well preserved in our English translation. He must go he must suffer he must be killed-he must be raised again on the third day,—all these things were fixed and determined-must inevitably be nothing could prevent them; and yet the greater part of them were of a kind that might seem to depend entirely upon man's free agency. To go or not to go to Jerusalem was in his own power; and the persecution he met with there, arising from the folly and the malice of ignorant and wicked men, surely depended upon human will: yet, by the form of the sentence, these things are included under the same necessity of event as that which was evidently an immediate effect of divine power, without the concurrence of any other cause, the resurrection of Jesus from the dead. The words which in the ori

« AnteriorContinuar »