The Treasure of the Church, Lecture 9
The ninth Lecture.
Vers. 11. And now am I no more in the world, but these are in the world, &c.
NOw followeth the petition it selfe, which Christ maketh for his Apostles, that God would keepe them: and of this request diuerse reasons are giuen by our Sauiour. First, frō their present necessitie, because Christ was to leaue them concerning his humanitie. Secondly, from the end or effect, that they being thus kept, might be ioyned together in amitie and louelove: that they may be one, as we, &c.
First then this truth is here deliuered,Doct. 1. that Christ as touching the presence of his flesh is gone out of the world.Christ not present now in the world in his flesh.
1. So Saint Peter further witnesseth: Whom the heauens must receiue till the time that all things be restored, Act. 3. 21. Christ is not to be expected from heauen till his second coming to iudgement.
2. Stephen saw Iesus standing at the right hand of God, but in heauen: Behold, I see the heauens open, and the sonne of man standing at the right hand of God, Act. 7. 56 Paule also as he went to Damascus heard the voice of Iesus, but speaking from heauen: for he saith: Suddenly there shone a light from heauen round about me, Act. 22. 6. Paule further saith, I saw him, saying vntounto me, &c. but he was in a traunce in the temple: he saw him onelyonly in vision or in spirit, Act. 22. 17. as Peter saw the foure cornered vessell let downe from heauen, Act. 10. 11. For in both places the same word foreign, an Ecstasie or traunce, is vsed.
3. Then like as after Elias was taken into heauen, the Prophets and Disciples supposed he had bene conueyed to some other place, and sought him three dayes but were deceiued: so they which suppose to find Christ in the earth, are erroniously seduced.
4. Diuerse reasons of Christs absence in the flesh,The reasons of Christs bodily absence. in the Scriptures are alleadged: first, because of the present expediencie for the Church of God, Ioh. 16. 7. It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the comforter will not come. Secondly, because of the future vtilitie: I go before to prepare a place for you, Ioh. 14. 2. Thirdly, the Angels said to the women: Why seeke ye the liuing among the dead? Luk. 24. 5. It was not conuenient for our immortall and euerliuing Sauiour to be conuersant still among mortall and sinfull men, and to cōuerse with those which are dead in sinne.
5. First, the Popish fantasie is here discouered concerning Christs carnall presence in the Eucharist. For if the heauens must still receiue and containe him, how can his bodie be out of heauen,Against the carnall presence in the Sacrament. if it be alwaies in heauen? vnlesse they will make Christ to hauehave many miraculous bodies: for his naturall bodie it cannot be, which is but in one place at once. The words also of this text are euident, that Christ in his flesh is no more in the world: so that it is neither visible nor inuisible here: for if either, then it were vntrue that Christ saith, I am no more in the world. And therefore Origen soundly writeth: Secundum diuinitatis suae naturam non peregrinatur Christus, sed peregrinatur secundum dispensationem corporis, &c. sicut homo ergo peregrinatur: Christ is not a stranger or a pilgrim in his diuine nature, but he is a stranger in the dispensation of his bodie, &c. therefore as a man he is a pilgrime and a stranger fr… vsus.
2. We are taught, that seeing Christ is gone out of the world, we in affection and desire should follow after him: and as the Apostle saith: Seeke those things that are aboue, Our desires must be in heauen.where Christ sitteth at the right hand of God, Coloss. 3. 1. Where a mans treasure is, there will his heart be, and where the carcasse is, thither will the Eagles be gathered together. If Christ be our treasure, if Christ be our desire, our affections must be set vponupon heauenly, not vponupon earthly things: that we may say with the Prophet: The desire of our soule is to thy name, and to the remembrance of thee; with my soul hauehave I desired thee in the night, and with my spirit within me, will I seeke thee in the morning, Isa. 26. 8. 9.
I come vntounto thee] Christs comming to his Father here,Doct. 2. is by prayer:Our comming to God is by prayer. so then by faithfull prayer we draw neare vntounto God.
1. So our Sauiour saith: Where two or three are gathered together in my name, there I am in the midst of them, Mat. 18. 20. Christ cometh to vsus in prayer, and we come vntounto him: then specially is our conuersation in heauen, as the Apostle saith, Phil. 3. 20. when our minds and affections in prayer are set vponupon heauenly things.
2. Thus Peter while he prayed fell into a traunce, he was rapt in the spirit, and saw an heauenly vision. Saint Paule was taken vp in spirit to the third heauen, 2. Cor. 12. But these examples may seeme to be extraordinarie: but that of Hanna is vsuall to all the faithfull, who is said to pray before the Lord, 1. Sam. 1. 12. And Salomon when he had made an end of that effectuall prayer made at the dedication of the temple, said: These my words which I hauehave prayed before the Lord, be neare vntounto the Lord our God night and day, 1. King. 8. 59.
3. Like as, when the woman that had the bloudie issue, came in the preasse behind and touched Christs cloathes, and Christ asked who had touched him; that woman onelyonly is said to touch Christ, because she did it in faith, wheras al the multitude did throng him, and many touched his cloaths beside outwardly, Mar. 5. 30. 31. So although in respect of his power he be present to al, yet they which draw nere vntounto him in faith, are specially said to come into Gods presence.
4. Because God is a spirit, and will be worshipped in spirit and truth, Ioh. 4. 24. they therefore do come vntounto God, which draw neare in spirit. God being a spirit, is onelyonly discerned and appoched vntounto in spirit: and they onelyonly see him, whose eyes are annointed with the eye-salue, Reuel. 3. 18. which is faith.
5. This doctrine reproueth two sorts of men: first, prophane persons, that hauehave no care nor desire to enter into Gods presence, which very seldome remember to pray vntounto God. When we heare in Scripture that Dauid praysed God seuen times a day,Against neglect or discontinuance in prayer. and Daniel (notwithstanding the great affaires of so large a kingdome) yet could find time thrice a day to pray vntounto God, what shall we thinke of those men that pray not seuen times in so many daies; nay, some not thrice in so many weekes. O good God, how is the Christian exercise of prayer neglected! as though men neither knew any God to pray vntounto, nor had any Mediator to pray by. The Euchites were condemned, because they did nothing but pray: but men now adayes are more to be misliked, because they neuer pray. If they which call vponupon the name of the Lord shall be saued, I doubt whether they that call not vponupon God, can be saued. How should a man thinke his labour can prosper, which beginneth not with prayer? how should a mans meate do him good, that is not blessed with prayer? How can a man thinke, that wife, children, and seruants should do their duties, not being exercised and trayned vp in prayer?
Secondly,Against hypocriticall prayers. the prayer of hypocrites is condemned, which pray with their lippes but draw not neare vntounto God in their hearts. As the Lord by his Prophet complained of the old Israelites: This people honoureth me with their lippes, but their heart is farre away from me, Isa. 29. 13. such are the superstitious prayers of ignorant Papists, praying vponupon their beades in Latine without vnderstanding: such are their prayers that hauehave an ordinarie stint, morning and euening to runne ouer, hauing no deuotion or holy feeling at all.Conc. 2 in Psal. 33. Augustine saith well: Ad Deum acceditur fide sectando, corde inhiando, charitate currendo: we come vntounto God following by faith, desiring in heart, and running in charitie: these are the feet which the Preacher biddeth vsus to looke vntounto, when we come into the house of God, Eccl. 4. 17.Doct. 3.
Keepe them in thy name, euen thē whom thou hast giuen me, &c.] Then we hauehave no power of our selues to be kept from euill, but our strength and preseruation must proceed from God.Man hath no power of himselfe to keepe himselfe.
1. So the Prophet saith: Thou ô Lord, hast wrought all our workes for vsus, Isa. 26. 12. Saint Paul saith, The Lord will deliuer me from eueryevery euil worke, and preserue me to his heauenly kingdome. 2. Tim. 4. 18.
2 The Lord saith to Abimelech king of Gerar, who had taken Abrahams wife into his house, I kept thee also that thou shouldest not sinne against me, therefore suffered I not thee to touch her, Gen. 20. 6. Abimelech was not preserued by his owne power frō the sin of adulterie, but by Gods generall grace, which yet is much different from the grace of renouation and sanctificatiō: for as Abimelech here, so diuers of the heathē had this general grace of restraint, whereby they were kept from notorious sinnes, as of oppression, iniustice, adultery, murder, and such like, though they wanted the true worke of regeneration. Dauid by a greater gift and grace confesseth that the Lord kept him from laying his hand vponupon the Lords annointed. 1. Sam. 24. 7. 26. 11.
3. For like as Peter had sunke downe into the waters, if Christ had not stayed him with his hand: so the flouds of temptation are like to ouerwhelme vsus, if we be not vpheld by Gods grace: Our owne nature is such a guide and nurse vntounto vsus, as Mephiboseths nurse was to him, that let him fall, as she fledd away, and thereupon he became lame, 2. Sam. 4. 4. If we stay vponupon the direction of nature, we shall be deceiued.
4. For seing all the imaginations of the thoughts of mans hart, are onelyonly euil continually, Genes. 6. 5. what help is to be expected from our nature? And least any man should thinke, that it is otherwise with vsus now, then it was with the old world: the Apostle in himselfe sheweth, that we are by nature of the same mould. I know that in me, that is in my flesh, dwelleth no good thing, Rom. 7. 18.
5. First then that popish doctrine of free will is here refelled,Against free will. who doe ascribe vntounto man by nature great strength to apprehend that is good, to beleeue, to doe many workes morallie good, contrarie to the scripture: for our Sauiour saith: without me yee can do nothing, Iohn. 15. 5.
Secondly, we are taught to depend vponupon God for his direction in all our actions, and to giuegive him thanks, that he preserueth vsus from the great offences of the world: This was the praier of the prophet Dauid: te…ch me the way of thy statutes, direct me in the path of thy commaundements, incline my heart vntounto thy testimonies, Psal. 119. 33. 35, 36. all our direction, instruction, and inclination is from God. Augustine well saith, Deus sanctum in me semper opus spira vt cogitem, compelle vt faciam, suade vt diligam te, confirma vt teneam, custodi ne perdam:De Ecclesiast. docum. c. 56. Lord inspire me to thinke well, compell me to do well, perswade me to louelove thee, confirme me to hold thee, keepe me not to loose thee.
That they may be one as we are] not that there can be in eueryevery respect such vnion between the members,Doct. 4. as there is between Christ and his Father, which is a substantiall and identicall vnion, but our vniting and knitting is in affectiō, not in the same substantiall condition. But here is a limitation and qualification of vnitie, that it must hauehave relation to God; for peace and vnitie, vnlesse it be in the truth, is no true vnitie.
1. Saint Paul therefore saith,The louelove of Christians must be in the truth. foreign, following the truth in louelove, Ephes. 4. 15. and S. Iohn saith, whom foreign, I louelove in the truth, Epist. 2. 1. We must then louelove in the truth, and truth it in louelove: louelove without truth is erronious, and truth without louelove is not efficacious.
2. Thus Iehu well answered Iehoram, who asked if it were peace: What peace (saith he) while the whoredomes of thy mother Iesabel and her witchcrafts are in great number, 2. King. 9. 22. There is no peace with the wicked. So Iehosophat was chastised of God, his ships were broken, because he ioyned himself with Ahaziah the idolatrous king of Israel. 2. Chron. 20. 37.
3. The confederacie of the wicked is compared to the mixture of iron and clay, which cannot be tempered together, Dan. 2. 43. like vntounto the ropes wherwith Sampson was bound, which he brake in sunder as burnt towe. Iud. 16. 9.
4. For whatsoeuer is not of faith, is sinne. Rom. 14. 23. therefore the peace of the wicked being not seasoned with faith, can not be pleasing or acceptable vntounto God.
5. Let vsus therfore louelove in truth. Nothing ought more to moue vsus to vnitie, then that we professe one God, one faith, one baptisme. Ephes. 4. 6. nunquam vidimus trinitatem litigantem, we neuer saw the trinitie at variance, as Augustine saith: neither ought we, that worship one God, to be at variance among our selues.