That without feare being delivered from the hand of our enemies, we may serve him,
75In holines and ″ justice before him, al our dayes.
76And thou child, shalt be called the Prophet of the Highest: for Mal. 3, 1.* thou shalt goe before the face of our Lord to prepare his wayes.
77To give knowledge of salvation to his People, unto remission of their sinnes,
78Through the bowels of the mercie of our God, in which the Zac. 3, 9. 6, 12. Mal. 4, 2.* Orient, from on high, hath visited us.
79To illuminate them that sit in darkenes, and in the shadow of death: to direct our feet into the way of peace.
80And the child grew, and was strengthned in spirit, and was [1] in the deserts until the day of his manifestation to Israel.
ANNOTATIONS.
Chap. 1.
Sacred writers & holy Councels.3. Having diligently atteind.) Hereby we see, that though the Holy Ghost ruled the penne of holy Writers that they might not erre, yet did they use humane meanes to search out and find the truth of the things they wrote of. Even so doe Councels, and the President of them, Gods Vicar, discusse and examine al causes by humane meanes, the assistance of the Holy Ghost concurring and directing them into al truth, according to Christes promise Jo. 16, 13: as in the very first Councel of the Apostles them selves at Hierusalem is manifest. Act. 15, 7. and 28. Againe here we have a familiar preface of the Authour as to his friend or to every godly Reader (signified by Theophilus) concerning the cause and purpose & manner of his writing, and yet the very same is confessed Scripture, with the whole booke folowing. The second booke of the Machabees.Marvel not then if the Authour of the second booke of the Machabees 2 Mac. 2. & 15. use the like humane speaches both at the beginning and in the later end; neither doe thou therfore reject the booke for no Scripture, as our Heretikes doe; or not thinke him a sacred Writer.
6. Just before God.) Against the Heretikes of this time, here it is evident that holy men be just, not only by the estimation of men, but in deed and before God.
True justification by observing the commandements.6. In al the commandements.) Three things to be noted directly against the Heretikes of our time. First, that good men doe keepe al Gods commandements: which (they say) are impossible to be kept. Againe, that men be justified not by only imputation of Christes justice, nor by faith alone, but by walking in the commandements. Againe, that the keeping and doing of the commandements is properly our justification.
Corrupt translation of Heretikes.6. Justifications.) This word is so usual in the Scriptures (namely in the Psal. 118) to signifie the commandements of God, because the keeping of them is justification, and the δικαιωματα.Greeke is alwayes so fully correspondent to the same, that the Heretikes in this place (otherwise pretending to esteeme much of the Greeke) blush not to say, that they avoid this word of purpose against the justification of the Papists. And therfore one useth Tullies word forsooth, in Latin constituta: Beza in Annot. no. Test. 1556.and his scholers in their English Bibles say, Ordinances.
14. Joy and exultation.) This was fulfilled, not only when he was borne, but now also through the whole Church for ever, in joyful celebrating of his Nativitie.
The continencie of Priests.23. He departed.) In the old Law (saith S. Hierom) they that offered Hostes for the People, were not only not in their houses, but were purified for the time, being separated from their wives, and they dranke neither wine nor any strong drinke, which are wont to provoke concupiscence. Much more the Priests of the new Law that must alwayes offer Sacrifices, must alwayes be free from matrimonie. Li. 1. c. 6. 19. adv. Jovin. and ep. 50. c. 3. See S. Ambrose in 1. Tim. 3. And therfore if there were any religion in Calvins Communion, they would at the least give as much reverence in this point, as
- ↑ Marke that he was a voluntarie Eremite, and chose to be solitarie from a child, til he was to preach to the People, in so much that antiquitie counted him the first Eremite. Hiero. in vit. Pauli.
