Twenty Fifth Sunday After Pentecost (5th Sunday After Epiphany) The Gospel Matt.13:24-30. Thursday Meditation: A Plaine Path-way To Heaven Thomas Hill 1634

GOSPEL Matt. 13:24-30 

At that time, Jesus spoke this parable to them, saying: "The kingdom of heaven is likened to a man that sowed good seed in his field. But while men were asleep, his enemy came and oversowed cockle among the wheat and went his way. And when the blade was sprung up, and had brought forth fruit, then appeared also the cockle. And the servants of the good man of the house coming said to him. 'Sir, didst thou not sow good seed in thy field? Whence then hath it cockle?' And he said to them: 'An enemy hath done this.' And the servants said to him: 'Wilt thou that we go and gather it up?' And he said: 'No, lest perhaps gathering up the cockle, you root up the wheat also together with it. Suffer both to grow until the harvest, and in the time of the harvest I will say to the reapers: 'Gather up first the cockle, and bind it into bundles to burn, but the wheat gather ye into my barn.' "

THURSDAY MEDITATION

The propriety of goodness is to communicate, and defuse it self to others; and so much the more, by how much the more excellent, and perfect it is; and if it be an infinite goodness desireth to communicate, and diffuse it self in infinite measure if any creature were capable thereof.

Christ, as he is God, is an infinite good thing, or rather goodness it self: and under this name of good all his other perfections in generally are contained as in a total Sum; his particular perfections are but declarations or expressions of that, as a Commentary is of the Text. 

And as he is man, and the redeemer, and mediator of mankind, his office is to communicate his goodness unto us, as he is God, and the goodness of God the father, and the holy ghost: and therefore he took upon him the name of Jesus at his Circumcision - which signifieth a Saviour of mankind, and as is bis name, so is his praise, in performing it.

For of this his name the Scripture saieth thus, Thy name is like oyle poured out, whose nature is to diffuse it self into every thing it toucheth, and as it were to incorporate itself into it, so that it can hardly begotten out: according whereunto Christ here calleth himself the son of man, not so much for that he hath made him self the natural son of man by his mother; as for that he dedicated himself wholly to the service of man diffusing a his divine goodness unto so ample by that means, that he maketh us children of his Kingdom, as we are here called, if children then heirs, Saint Paul inferred, He maketh us partakers of his heavenly glory, by sowing his grace in our souls which is the proper seed of glory: yea be maketh us. (as Saint. Peter saith isine nature. 

How could this infinite goodness diffuse, and communicate it self more? sowing his grace in souls which is the seed of glory, and everlasting joy, and happiness in heaven? 

And therefore we may well call him the seed man. But as the husband man, though he sow never so good seed, yet unless the ground be well plowed and prepared, it will not bring forth corn:  and if it do, yet unless it be well fenced it will be eaten up, and devoured: Even so although God sow the good a seed of his grace in our souls, ac firſte , gratis or freely: it having once howed it, unless we cooperate, and work with it ourselves, it will not bring forth the fruit of glory. 

For though we can do nothing of ourselves as of ourselves worthy of the Kingdom of heaven, without the grace of God not so much as think a good thought: yet (S. Augustine saieth ) he that made us, without us will not save us with out us, therefore let us like good husband men, prepare, and dispose our souls to receive the seed of grace; let us fence it from pride, vainglory and hypocrisy, that will drown the corn as it cometh up: let vs persevere in  this care, and industry, till the harvest: so shall we be made those, whom Christ calleth here the children of the Kingdom, that is to say of the Kingdom of heathen, of which more in the next meditation.