Daily Sermons Upon Jonah, Exposition 2 – Exposition 3
Ʋerſ. 2 ¶For the truthes ſake which dwelleth in vsus, and ſhalbe with vsus for euer.
Pelicanus.FOr the truthes ſake) He meaneth the truth of the Goſpell, which they by the preaching of the word had learned as if he ſhoulde ſaye. Not for any other cauſe doo the godly and faythfull which are with vsus louelove thy ſonnes, but becauſe they vnderſtande, that the ſinceritye of the profeſſion of the goſpel, pell, which wée followe, doth dwell in you. In this place maye we obſerue the difference betwéene worldlye louelove and Chriſtian louelove.Marlorat. The differēce between Chriſtian & worldlye louelove. Imlerus. Who hath the truth. Many, louelove other men for their ritches ſubſtaunce honour and goods which they hope to receyue at their hands. Such louelove is not true louelove, but foreign, ſelfe louelove, But Chriſtian louelove, euen as it is founded in Gods verity, reſpecteth firſt, the only glory of God, and ſecondly, the profit of his neighbor Therfore is this trueth alwayes ioygned with the feare of God, ſo that no man can truly boſte of this truth, but he which hath geuen ouer himſelfe obedient to the wil of of God.Bullinger. Morlorat. It followeth: VVhichWhich dwelleth in vsus. That is which is firme & true among vsus, of the which none of vsus can doubt. If ſo be that we moſt ſtedfaſtlye holde Chriſte ſpeaking to the Father, with his owne mouth vttered: Thy worde is trueth. Ioh. 17.17 Oecum. Marlorat.It foloweth, And shalbe vvith vsus for euer. Theſe words pertayne not ſo muche, to the confirmation of the doctrine, as vntounto the certaintie of their perſeueraunce. Here the Elder affirmeth, both himſelfe and the reſt of the faythfull amongſt whome he was conuerſant, to perſeuer in the truth. Which thing ought not to bring a little comfort to all godly men. For lytle were it, that we are placed in the waye of trueth, except we had hope of perſeuering to the ende.Who maye ſay, they ſhal perſeuer to the ende. But they which are indowed with the celeſtiall ſpirite, and being taught of Chriſt, hauehave learned the trueth, doo knowe for certaintie that they are not called in vaine into the flocke of Chriſt, that is, not for this cauſe onelie, that they may heare the voyce of the Paſtor Chriſte, but that they maye folowe him vntounto the ende: as he ſayde: My sheepe heare my voice, Ioh. 10.27and I knowe them, and they follow me. And in another place:Imlerus. Iohn. 14.23 Morlorat. If a man louelove me, he will keepe my worde, and my father will louelove him, and we will come vntounto him, and dwell with him. And when he ſpeaketh of the holie ghoſt, who him ſelfe teacheth this trueth, I (ſayth he) will praie the father, and he shal geue you another comforter, that he maie abide with you for euer, euē the ſpirit of truth, Iohn. 14.16.17whome the worlde cannot receiue, becauſe in ſeeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye knowe him, for he dwelleth in you, and shalbe in you. Wherevnto alſo pertayneth that moſt excellent promiſe of Chriſt. Beholde I am with you alwaies, Mat. 28.20 Obiectio. Iohn. 6.66 1 Tim. 14.1 2. Tim. 4.10euen to the ende of the worlde. Beholde howe the trueth dwelleth alwayes with the faythful. If a man obiect, that there be many which depart from the flocke of Chriſt, euen as we may gather out of many places of ſcripture, we hauehave a ready aunſwere, that they neuer truely beléeued, nor acknowledged the trueth. Wherfore the ſpirite of God thinketh them not of the number of the faithfull, but rather when it ſeemeth him good, he abiecteth them out of ye ſacred flocke of God, as vnprofitable outcaſtes, and méere hypocrites: Whervpon Iohn ſpeaking of Antichriſts, ſayth: They went out from vsus,1. Iohn. 219 but they were not of vsus. For if they had bene of vsus, they had remained together with vsus: but this commeth to paſſe, that they might appeare that they are not all of vsus. For the holie Apoſtle knewe right well, what Chriſte had ſayde of the Electe ſhéepe: I geue vntounto them life eternall, neither shall they perish for euer, neither shall any man take them out of my hande. Iohn. 10.28My Father which gaue them vntounto mee, is greater then all: and no man can take them out of my Fathers hande. They therfore which truely belong vntounto the flock of Chriſt, ſhal in him perſeuer vntounto the ende: according to that ſaying of Paule the Apoſtle, I am perſwaded of this ſame thing, that he which hath begune this good worke in you,Philip. 1.6 wyll performe it vntyll the daye of Ieſus Chriſt.
Ʋerſ. 3 ¶Grace merciemercy and peace from God the Father, and from the Lorde Ieſu Chriſt,Some read: Grace. &c. be with you. the ſonne of the Father ſhalbe with vsus in trueth and louelove.
GRace, &c. He wiſheth to the faithfull, Grace, which is geuen to vsus by Chriſte: wherein alſo he declareth himſelf to be the faithfull diſpenſor of the myſteries of God.Imlerus. Grace. And he comforteth vsus when he ſayth, that Grace ſhal continue with vsus, whereby we are ſaued through fayth. For by the worde, Grace, he ſignifieth the fauour of God, which he ſheweth towardes vsus for his ſonnes ſake:Marlorat in that he imputeth not our ſinnes vntounto vsus, but remitteth them for our mediatour Ieſus. MercieMercy. This is the cauſe of that Grace into the which God receyueth vsus:MercieMercy concerning the which Peter wryteth. Bleſſed be God, euen the Father of our Lorde Ieſus Chriſt, which according to his abundaunt merciemercy,1. Pet. 1.3 hath begotten vsus againe into a liuelie hope, by the reſurrection of Ieſus Chriſt from the dead.Tit. 3.5 And Paule: Not of the workes of righteouſneſſe which we had done, but according to his merciemercy he ſaued vsus. Peace. Peace Imlerus. Eſai. 46 10. Numb. 23 16. Ioh 14.27 Pſal. 119 165. From God the Father.This alſo ſpringeth of the grace of God. That Peace, ſayth he, wherewith God the Father reconciled vsus vntounto him ſelfe, ſhall continue for euer: for the counſaile of God is firme and ſtedfaſt, and is not chaunged as a man. This Peace, Chriſte wiſheth and leaueth with his Diſciples. They therfore that louelove the Lawe of the Lorde, ſhall hauehave great peace, and ſhall hauehave no hurt. And bleſſed ſhall they be, becauſe they confeſſe Chriſte the true Peace, and retaine him for the author of their fayth. But from whome are all theſe thinges to be looked for, From God the Father. For he is the fountaine and originall of all goodneſſe, as Iames teſtifieth, ſaying:Marlorat. Iames. 1.7 Oecumenius. Imlerus Marlorat. Imlerus Mat. 16.…6 Bullinger. Euerie good geuing, and euerie perfect gyfte is from aboue, deſcending from the Father of lyghtes, with whome is no variableneſſe, neyther ſhadowe of turning. And onelie he alſo properlie is a Father, as you maye reade, Math. 23.9. and Heb. 12.9. It foloweth: And from the Lorde Ieſu Christe. Here hauehave you a manifeſt teſtimony of ye diuinity of Chriſt. For euen by this place it is euident, that the Sōne is of lyke power with the father, becauſe he is ye author of thoſe things which onelyonly God hath power to performe. He addeth moreouer, The Sonne of the Father, That he might agree with that confeſſion of Peter. Thou art Christ the Sonne of the liuing God. It foloweth: In trueth and louelove. He adioyneth thereto, Trueth and louelove, and wyſheth that in theſe they might walke & perſeuer, He openeth Trueth, againſt hipocriſie, error, and lyes, that nothing elſe might be, but the verie true fayth. LoueLove comprehendeth all the offices of pietie.