The Treasure of the Church, Lecture 14
The foureteenth Lecture.
Verse 20. I pray not for these alone, but for them also which shall beleeue in me.
NOw followeth the second part of our Sauiours prayer for his Church, namely, for those which would afterward beleeue in him vntounto the worlds end. First it is shewed for whom he prayeth, ver. 20. then what he prayeth for: first for their vnitie and perfection in this life, from vers. 20. to 24. Secondly, for their euerlasting saluation, from vers. 24. to the end.
First we learne▪ that to our great comfort the prouident care and mercifull louelove of Christ is extended,Doct. 1. not vntounto that age only then present,Christ praieth for all beleeuers to the end of the world. but to all the companie of beleeuers in all ages, so long as the world endureth.
1. So our Sauiour saith. Other sheepe I hauehave also, which are not of this fold, them also must I bring, and they shall heare my voice, and there shall be one sheep-fold and one shepheard, Iohn 10. 16.
2. Of this sheep-fold were the Eunuch, Acts 8. Cornelius, Acts 10. Lydia, Act. 16. that were cōprehended vnderunder this prayer of Christ, and by the holy vertue and force thereof conuerted to the faith, and gathered vntounto Christs sheepe.
3 For like as the waters of Iordan came not together, till all the people of Israell were cleane gone through, Ios. 3. 17. so the Lord hath purposed to continue the world, and to suspend the dissolution thereof, till the number of Saints be fulfilled. And as the people both before and following after Christ riding to Ierusalē, cryed, Hosanna, saue vsus Lord. Mat. 21. 9. so both the faithfull people before the incarnation of Christ, and the Church also succeeding, hauehave their part of saluation in him.
4 For as the Apostle saith, speaking by way of comparison of the fathers vnderunder the law: God prouiding a better thing for vsus, that they without vsus should not be made perfect, Heb. 11. 40. So also God hath prouided for all beleeuers which should follow in the world, that without them, no not the faithfull which then liued, could be compleat and perfect: seeing we all make but one bodie in Christ, which is not full and compleat, if any of the parts and members thereof be wanting.
5 First, this is a great comfort to as many as do beleeue in Christ, that our blessed Sauiour hath prayed for them, and they are all comprehended in his prayer. Let not any man say, would God that I had liued in Christ time, that he might hauehave laid his hands vponupon me, and prayed ouer me: that I might hauehave seene him, and heard him speake. What would we more? Christ hath prayed for vsus, and by this his prayer we liue and are preserued. Was Thomas onelyonly blessed, because he thrust his hand into Christs side, and felt the print of the nailes? Did not our Sauiour pronounce all those also blessed, that hauehave not seene, and yet hauehave beleeued, Ioh. 20. 29.
Secondly, we are taught by this example of our Sauiour, that we should not only care for the present age, but as much as in vsus lyeth prouide for posteritie, when we are gone. As the Lord testifieth of Abraham: I know he will commaund his sonnes and his housho…d after him, that they keepe the way of the Lord, Gen. 18. 19. he had a care to transmit ouer to his posteritie the true worship of God.Care of posteritie. So Saint Peter saith: I will indeuour alwaies, that ye may be able to hauehave remembrance of these things after my departure, 2. Pet. 1. 15. So shold Christian Princes and Magistrates, faithfull Ministers and godly Parents lay such a foundation while they liue, that their subiects, people, and posteritie may feare God when they are gone. Many parents themselues are well affected to religion and godlinesse, but they are carelesse of their children. Such an one was Ely, that himselfe fearing God, had no great care to plant the same in his children, suffering them to hauehave their owne mind. Ambrose saith well: I…rsa partus suos ad sui fingit similitudinem, tu filios instituere tui similes non potes? The Beare formeth her young ones to her own shape, and by licking bringeth them to fashion; and canst not thou frame thy children to be like vntounto thee in good things?
Which shall beleeue in me through their word] By the word then and preaching of the Apostles,Doct. 2. men are brought to faith and beleefe.
1 Thus the Apostle testifieth: Faith is by hearing, and hearing by the word of God, Rom. 10. 17. The word of God preached and by attentiue hearing receiued, is that which ingendreth faith.
2 There was reading of the Scriptures vsually vponupon the Sabbath in Nazareth, but till Christ preached vntounto them, and opened the Scripture, they vnderstood it not: but then hearing him preach: They all bare witnesse, (and gaue consent to his doctrine) and wondred at the gracious words which proceeded out of his mouth. The Eunuch did reade in the Prophet Isay, but he vnderstood him not, neither beleeued, till Philip had expounded the Prophet to him, Act. 8.
3 Like as a medicine helpeth not, vnlesse there be also a skilfull man to apply the same, and giuegive direction how it shold be vsed, as the Prophet ioyneth them both together: Is there no balme at Gilead, is there no Phisitian there? Ier. 8. 22. it profited not to hauehave precious balme, without a Phisitian, that should prescribe the receipt thereof: So the word of God worketh not that effect, where by preaching it is not applyed. The Samaritans said to the woman: We beleeue now, not because of thy saying, for we hauehave heard him our selues, Ioh. 4. 42. The reading of the Scripture is like the bare and naked report of the woman; the preaching is as the powerfull hearing of Christ himselfe.
4 For the word of God (the Spirit working by it) doth in preaching declare it selfe to be mightie in operation, and sharper then a two edged sword, which entreth throughly vntounto the deuiding asunder of the soule and the spirit, the ioynts and the marrow, and is a discouerer of the thoughts and intents of the heart, Heb. 4. 12. This operation t… Apostle ascribeth to the word preach If they all prophecie, &c. the secrets of his heart are made manifest, &c. 1. Cor. 14. 25.
5 First, if the word of the Apostles hauehave this property to beget faith, then we need not maruell,Faith a rare thing, where is no preaching. that faith is so rare a thing where there is no preaching: as in many places, where yet there is a dumbe and vnpreaching Ministerie, or else mens traditions are preached and vrged, and not the word of the Apostles onelyonly, as in the Romish Church. Such doctrines the Apostle saith, they hauehave foreign, a shew of wisedom: but they are of no value, foreign: vponupon which words Ambrose saith: Religio appellatur, cùm sit sacrilegium, quia, quod contra authorem est, sacrilega mē te inventum est▪ It is called religion, being a sacriledge: for whatsoeuer is against the author, sheweth a sacrilegious mind of the inuenter.
Secondly, whosoeuer is a contemner and neglecter of the word of God, cannot possiblie attaine vntounto faith or beleefe. If any man (as Iehoiakim) deface the Scriptures, who caused the booke to be cut and mangled, and then cast into the fire, Ier. 36. 23. or stoppe their eare against it, as the Iewes against Stephen, Act. 7. or preferre worldy matters before it, as the Gergesenes, Mat. 8. 34. they may liue long enough before euer they shall meet with faith. For the wise man saith: If thou seekest for her as siluer, &c. thou shalt find the knowledge of God, Prou. 2. 4. 5. They then which seeke not for her, shall not find her.
That they all may be one, Doct. 3.as thou ô Father in me, and I in thee, &c. that they also may be one in vsus] Our Sauior prayeth here for the vnion and communion of Saints; their vnion with God, their cōmunion among themselues. Whereby this is gathered, that we cannot be one among our selues, vnlesse we be one with God: they cannot hauehave peace in the world, that are not at peace with God.
1 Therefore the Angels thus sing in that their heauenly song: Glorie to God on high, peace in earth, Luk. 2. 14. The way to obtaine peace in earth, is to giuegive glory to God in heauen.
2 Dauid first reconciled himselfe to God: I acknowledged my sinne vntounto thee: then he is assured of the louelove and fauour of his Church: therefore shall eueryevery one that is godly, make his prayer vntounto thee, Psal. 32. 5. 6. then the faithfull will be readie for their parts to giuegive thankes vntounto God for him. The contrarie appeareth in Cham, who first being cast off from God, and separated by his sins, which he felt heauier then he could beare, findeth no comfort in earth, he was afraid, lest eueryevery one that met him, should kill him, Gen. 4.
3 Christ saith: HaueHave salt in your selues, hauehave peace one with another, Mark. 9. 50. We must first be inwardly seasoned with the salt of Gods grace, before we can hauehave peace without: Gods grace is the salt, peace is the sweet rellish or sauour, that followeth vponupon this seasoning. The Prophet Dauid saith: They came about me like Bees, and are quenched as a fire of thornes: but in the name of God I will destroy them, Psal. 118. 12. Faith and confidence in the name of God, doth allay strife and contention, as when the sting of the Bee is doubled or pulled foorth, or as the crackling fire of thornes is extinct and put out.
4 Our Sauiour mooueth vsus to vnitie, by his example: because he and his Father are one: where he speaketh not of the essentiall vnion and consociation which he hath with God; but of his dispensation & mediation, who as he was man, cohered and cōsented with his Father in all things. We therefore should be in vnitie, consent and agree together, because Christ our Lord▪ euen as man, is of one accord and consent with his Father: and the like mind should be in vsus, that was in Christ, Phil. 2.
5 If then the vnion with God, and cō munion with the Saints do concurre together (for peace with the world followeth not peace with God: but the more we are loued of God, the more the world hateth vsus. But our Sauiour speaketh of that vnion and society, which the Church hath with it selfe) they then do deceiue themselues, which thinke they are at peace with God, and are not in louelove and fellowship with the Church of Christ: whether Schismatickes, that deuide themselues from the peace of the Church, or prophane persons, that regard not the fellowship of the Saints: against whom the Apostle speaketh: Not forsaking the fellowship that we hauehave among our selues, as the manner of some is, Heb. 10. 25. Like vntounto Ismael, whose hand was against eueryevery man, and eueryevery mans against him. So some there are that think wel of none, nor none thinke wel of them: but it is a true saying, No… habet Deum patrem, Augustine.qui non habet Ecclesiam matrem: He cannot hauehave God to his father, that hath not the Church for his mother. He cannot hauehave vnitie with God, that regardeth not the societie of his Church, nor seeketh the louelove thereof.
That the world may beleeue that thou hast sent me. Doct. 4.The first reason of this petition for vnitie, is taken from the fruites or effects, that the world and worldly men may be drawne to confesse, seeing the concord, vnitie, & sanctity of the seruants of Christ, that he is the true Messiah whom they worship.
1. So our Sauiour saith, Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good workes, and glorifie your father which is in heauen, Mat. 5. 15.
2. By this reason Moses perswadeth God not to destroy Israel: Wherefore shall the Egyptians say, he hath brought them out maliciously, for to slay them in the wildernes? Exod. 32. 12. He feared lest the heathen might hauehave taken occasiō hereby to blaspheme God: for this S. Paul reproueth the Iewes, because the name of God was duplicate page duplicate page blasphemed of the Gentiles through thē, Rom▪ 2. 24. They by their euil conuersatiō made the Gentiles more obstinate.
3. Like as then the outward deliuerance of the Israelites was famous among the heathen, and made them stand in awe: as the idolatrous Priests said to the Philistims: Wherfore should ye harden your hearts as the Egyptians and Pharao hardened their hearts? 1. Sam. 6. 7. and as the heathen praised God for the returne of the people from captiuitie, Psa. 126. 2. So much more occasion of praise is raised among the nations for the spirituall deliuerance of his Church, and redemption from sinne.
4. Two reasons may be yeelded hereof why God would hauehave made knowne to the world the godly conuersation of his Church:Why God would hauehave the holy life of his faithful knowne to the world. one for their conuersion, that they which obey not the word, may be wonne without the word, by the conuersation of your wiues, 1. Pet. 3. 1. The other for their confusion, to be a iudgement vntounto them, that they may be left without excuse, if by the contemplation of the creatures, much more by the conuersation of the faithfull. Rom. 1. 20.
5. They therefore are to be reproued, which by their vngodly life do hinder the beleefe of the Gentiles: what will Iewes and Turkes say, when they see or heare of the malice, drunkennesse, extortion, vncleannesse, that raigneth among Christians? Can they thinke that we worship▪ the true God, or that we are true worshippers being giuē ouer to such great enormities? If a man did but sinne against his brother, or do him wrong, it would aske recompence: but now such sinne against God, causing his name to be euill spoken of. If a man did by his owne sinne but slay his owne soule, it were an heauy case: but now drawing other after them by their euil example, or causing them to start aside and go backe, greater must needs be their condemnation.Mat. 18. 6. Our Sauiour saith, It were better a milstone were hanged about his neck and he drowned in the sea, then he should offend the litle ones, the poore seruants of Christ.The dange… of giuing of…ence. It were better for thē to be drowned without recouerie, because it is but the death of the bodie; whereas now by offences, they indanger their soule: it were better for other, because they should hauehave no rub in their way, or blocke to stumble at. Origene hereunto agreeably saith: Qui scandali conscius est, animam dabit pro anima eius, quem scandalizauit: He that is guiltie of offence, shall giuegive his soule for his soule whom he hath offended: It is good therefore for eueryevery man to take heede of offences.