Thirteenth Sunday After Pentecost The Gospel Luc. 17 v. 11. Thursday Meditation: A Plaine Path-way To Heaven Thomas Hill 1634


GOSPEL Luke 17:11-19
At that time, as Jesus was going to Jerusalem, he passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee. And as he entered into a certain town, there met him ten men that were lepers, who stood afar off. And lifted up their voice, saying: "Jesus, Master, have mercy on us." Whom when he saw, he said: "Go, shew yourselves to the priests." And it came to pass, as they went, they were made clean. And one of them, when he saw that he was made clean, went back, with a loud voice glorifying God. And he fell on his face before his feet, giving thanks. And this was a Samaritan. And Jesus answering, said: "Were not ten made clean? And where are the nine? There is no one found to return and give glory to God, but this stranger?"And he said to him: "Arise, go thy way; for thy faith hath made thee whole."

THURSDAY

Whom when Jesus saw &c. Forasmuch, as there is not any creature as St Paul saith, invisible, or hidden from the sight of God, unto whom all things lye naked and open: Forasmuch I say, as our all seeing God hath this perfect, and exact knowledge of all our works, words, and thoughts, and much more exact then we can express of imagine, & not only when they are in being, but before; what is the reason it is here said, these ten lepers (whom when Jesus saw) as if he had not seen or known them before? 

The reason here of is nothing but this, that these lepers seeing Jesus past by had a singular faith & trust in him, that he could and would cure them, which they had not before, whereof followed, as inseparable companions, Obedience, and Love, which yet all proceeded from the gift of God; a fit preparation and disposition of their part for Christ to cure them: and therefore he said unto one of them, Thy faith hath made thee whole. 

This Christ did see in them, which was not in them before, and he did see and know it, with approbation thereof, and this is the reason of these words (whom when Jesus saw) as if he had not seen them before, because though he knew them, & all these their good preparations unto this cure, from all eternity; yet he knew them not experimentally, and actually in them before, & therefore Christ was said then to see, and behold them with a special eye of commiseration, and vouchsafing to cure them of their disease. 

Hereby we may learn, that though the eyes of God be always upon us, yet especially when we are in prayers and our minds well prepared, and the eyes of our attention so fixed upon him, that we can say with the Prophet David: As the eyes of a serving man, are in the hands of his Master, and the eyes of a handmaid, in the hands of her Mistress so are our eyes unto our Lord, in the time of prayer.

Another good disposition of these lepers was, they did beg not every one for themselves, but every one for all, not crying out, (Jesus Master) have pity upon me, in the singular number; but, have pity upon us, in the plural number. Which was more charitable then to be every one for himself alone, St Paul telling us, that Charity doth not seek ones own good, but the good of others, that is to say, not ones own alone, but of others also; especially of those that are in the same case we are
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