Joel ii.

Jer. xxxi.

Matt. xi.

1 Cor. xii. Isai. xi.

"Brethren, these are not drunken, as ye suppose: for why? the time doth not permit; it is yet too early in the morning." Immediately upon the same, he proceedeth forth to admonish them of the excellent graces and gifts, which the God of mercy hath promised before, and now performed them. But this satisfaction concerning drunkenness, and this instruction of the ignorant, is made with all meekness, and yet with sincerity and stedfastness, not lordly or braggingly; although he was highly endued with the Holy Ghost.

Thus we that be ministers of Christ, and teachers of his congregations, ought not by reason of our office or high gifts to take too much upon us, that with bragging or arrogancy we would out-face the weak; but worthily and valiantly, with sincerity and truth of scripture, to instruct such as be ignorant and out of the way. Our mouth is an instrument of the Holy Ghost and of the truth, not of any lightness, bragging, or presumption.

This word "prophesy" is taken not only to tell and shew before of godly and high things, but also to hearken unto the same and to perceive them; and this maketh for the understanding of this place. For the Holy Ghost declareth by Joel, and promiseth also, as he doth by Jeremy, that the knowledge of God should be common in all the world, and that from the least unto the most every one should be instructed in God's knowledge, through the guiding of the Spirit: which knowledge before time was common only to the Jews and scribes, but by Christ is such abundant and plentiful knowledge of God poured out in all the world through his holy Spirit, who worketh in the church until the end; not only in scribes, from whom such high mysteries of God's wisdom are oftentimes hid, but unto simple and unlearned fishers, and to others that in the sight of the world are not esteemed.

Yea, richly poureth he out of his holy Spirit upon all flesh, unto every one his measure, as it best pleaseth him : no man excludeth he from his grace; his knowledge suffereth he to flow over all the earth as a water-flood, unto all those that are his servants and handmaids. This is the dear and excellent treasure, which, instead of it that was given before, by the incarnation of Christ is now offered, that the knowledge of God, which by the Holy Ghost is the preaching, of the gospel, is come forth into all the world; whereas before

Isai. xl.

it was manifest only amongst the Jews. For after the death Ps. Ixxvi. of the Lord finished upon the cross, was the gospel published in all the world, by the which preaching the children of God Johnxi dispersed abroad are gathered together. The Holy Ghost also, who was before in the godly, did by his gifts and operations work much more mightily and strongly after the death and ascension of Christ, than before: by the which Jere. xxxi. Holy Ghost the captivity of the law and ceremonies is taken away, and heavenly freedom given to the children of God.

Forasmuch as to know Christ and his kingdom, it ministereth true godliness and eternal life, Peter in his oration travaileth especially to this end, that the Jews being there present, which held Christ for a wicked doer, and put him to death, might know him to be the true Saviour of the world, and to be risen again from death; and therefore he allegeth the prophecies which in Christ were fulfilled. As if he would say: Behold, Joel told before of the time that these your children should prophesy; now ye see it performed in them. Whereby ye may well perceive, that the kingdom of Messias, which is a spiritual thing, is now begun already. In the which kingdom must be not only Jews, which have the outward temple and ceremonies, but all as call upon the name of the Lord, wheresoever they be in the world. Unto the Jew was promised a Saviour; nevertheless such one as should not only save them, but also the whole world, and whose kingdom should be everlasting; that he also should deliver and bring them, yea, all mankind, from the captivity of the prince of this world. Of these things there were amongst the Jewish people many signs and figures, whereby in bodily and corporal things God did partly set forth these things spiritual: which they also which are spiritual and elect amongst the people of the Jews, understood right well, though darkly; in that they with the eyes of inward faith had a further respect than to gaze only upon the outward corporal things. Thus God the Holy Ghost by visible things led and taught them, (even as a young scholar is first taught by letters and syllables under the schoolmaster,) until the time that the glorious kingdom came, that in Christ the true Messias all things were reformed, and became spiritual.

Thus had the Jews the corporal kingdom of David,

Luke xxiv.

and of other kings; and thus for their sins they were brought unto Babylon into captivity. By the which captivity was figured the grievous bondage and thraldom of mankind under the violent power of the devil. But when they were in captivity at Babylon, God, comforting them by his prophets, promised to bring them thence, and to restore them to their own land; in the which deliverance was figured the redemption of the world by Christ. This custom had all the prophets, that when they told the people beforehand, and promised of God's behalf deliverance out of the captivity before they came into it, they always made mention also of the punishment of the sins that should go before. Prosperity shall come, (said they ;) but first there must be an horrible plague for sin, the justice of God must first be satisfied. Thus doth Joel here also: in whom partly we learn, that God will not suffer our sins to pass without punishment; as we see also in the grievous captivity of all mankind, that God will have the sin so worthily satisfied, that even his only-begotten Son, by whom no sin was committed, must therefore die, and by his innocent death pay for our sins. If God now spared not his only-begotten Son, how may we then think that he will suffer our vile and sinful life to pass without punishment? But if we patiently and with good will bear the just punishment of our sins, sent unto us of God; and converting from our sins, do turn us to the gracious Father that beateth us, God undoubtedly shall send us grace, prosperity, and welfare, and help us out of all misery. Once we must either live a godly and innocent life, and throughly amend ourselves; or else sin must be punished, and every unclean thing must in the fire and punishment of God's wrath be consumed. Again, though we were virtuous and godly, yet is God of this nature, that he maketh his chosen to be like-fashioned unto the image of his Son, and by much adversity and trouble he leadeth them unto joy; even as it behoved Christ to suffer, and so to enter into his glory. The punishment of sin is hard, and the judgment of the Lord, as often as he cometh to recompense sin, is sharp; which the prophet partly by bodily things doth describe, as other prophets do also. Isai. xiii. Jerem. xv. Amos viii. "The sun shall be turned into blood, &c. ;" and even so is it in the opinion of those, that must bear the judgment of God.

Forasmuch now as the apostle Peter, according as the matter required, did necessarily allege testimony out of the prophet, concerning the Holy Ghost, who is given to the good children. of God; he thought also to specify that which was written in the prophet, as touching the punishment of the wicked, that despise the grace of God; giving a warning thereby unto the Jews, to cease from their unbelieving and shameful life; declaring unto them, that if they proceed forth in wickedness, it should happen unto them, as it did before unto their forefathers, unto whom Joel opened the punishment of God. Whereby we must learn, patiently to bear it, and to take it in good part, when our sins are rebuked, our vices spoken against, and we told that the punishment is at hand. For this custom had the apostles in their preaching and declaring of the gospel, that they not only made mention of the grace of God offered unto the world by Christ, but therewithal likewise they threatened sore punishment to those, that either despised such excellent grace, or having knowledge of the truth did cleave unto vice; which thing in the word of Peter is yet more evident.

The gospel also preacheth amendment of life, and not remission of sins only through the blood of Christ. But now at this present time there be many dainty Christians, as certain princes and senates in the countries and cities, whose opinion is, that the grace of the gospel is to be preached, yea, and they permit Christ and his grace gently and worthily to be spoken of. But if the false gods' service, as the honouring of images, and all that is crept in and erected up in the papistry against God's word, be reproved; or if the preacher speaks against their tyranny, unjust acts, their malicious violence and wilfulness, whereby they oppress poor widows and fatherless children, doing right unto no man; or if the preacher touch them on the galled backs for their excessive pomp and pride, for their rioting, whoredom, adultery, gluttony, drunkenness, fighting, and extortion; if such vices, I say, wherein they still lead their lives, be touched to the quick, then is all favour gone; then, Burn these preachers,' say they, drown them, they be seditious fellows; they will set us together by the ears, and bring the common people in our necks.' But such men should consider, that unto this office of the preacher it belongeth to cry against vice, lest

[COVERDALE.]

26

Ezech. iii.

:

Isai. Ivi. Ivii. he be called of God a blind watchman, a dumb dog, and lest all the souls which perish through his silence be required at his hands their wilfulness, pride, and vain life they should forsake, and reform themselves, and so needed not the preacher to cry out against them. Now considering that the prophets used, as I said before, to make mention of the kingdom of Jesu Christ, and of the calling of the heathen to the grace and knowledge of God, especially in their orations when they speak of captivity, and deliverance from the same; Joel in his prophecy doth also keep that order. For seeing that the Jews were ever still continually a stiff-necked, rebellious, and unbelieving people, unthankful to the grace of God; the Holy Ghost foresaw their rejection, declaring it by the prophets, and that another people, namely, the heathen, should be received in their stead. For inasmuch as they despised the grace of God, which first was offered unto them, it was meet that "the kingdom of God should be taken from them, and given to another nation." Seeing they thought scorn to come to the marriage, and to the royal feast whereunto they were bidden, it behoved others to be called unto the same. Therefore is Peter earnest upon this sentence: "Whosoever calleth upon the name of the Lord shall be saved." As if he would say: "O ye Jews, brag not of circumcision, of Abraham, of the temple, or of other ceremonies; think not that ye only are the people of God; the time is now come, that God will bestow his grace upon those whom ye esteem to be unclean. God is no accepter of persons, but among all people whoso calleth upon him shall be saved.'

Of this sentence doth Peter now take occasion more manifestly to speak of the kingdom of Christ: for much more pithily and with more evidence doth the apostles describe the kingdom of Christ, than do the prophets. Whoso calleth upon God's name must know God. Now can no man know God but by Christ. Therefore in this little word, "to call upon the name of the Lord," is comprehended the whole sum of the christian faith: like as oftentimes in the prophets be these, "to swear by God," is contained his whole religion. But forasmuch as the Jews knew not Christ, by whom cometh the true knowledge of God, therefore beginneth Peter, and

1

[ Perhaps by or in these.]