Fruitful Lessons Upon the Passion Burial Resurrection Ascension, passion · Commentary 34 – Commentary 35
Doctrine and fruite.
IEſus for our ſake tooke vponupon himſelfe the moſt extreme ſhame, rebuke & deriſion, to deliuer vsus from eternall villainy, and that wee ſhould learne gladly to ſuffer reproch and ſhame, and to deſpiſe the vain-glorie of this world. He is mocked & contemned of high and lowe, of ſpirituall, temporall, and of euerie man. For they being ful of gal, bitternes, and poiſon, poure it out with their falſe tongues and outwarde geſtures, caſting out wicked ſlaundrous wordes, and ſharpening their venemous tongs againſt the innocent ſauiour. They rather ſhuld hauehave bewailed their owne great ſinnes: but there is no compaſſion nor merciemercy in them, their harts are ſtopt, Sathan hath the leading of them. Yet cannot their malice ouercome good Ieſus: Through their wickedneſſe and deſpite cannot his patience bee vanquiſhed. No opprobrious or vile word might cauſe him to omit the worke of our redemption: but hee continueth in louelove, and performeth it with an honorable ende. Euen as hee teacheth vsus to endure vntounto the end, ſo doth he practiſe it himſelfe,Math. 24. and declareth it vntounto vsus in deede and example.
We therfore that wil be followers of Ieſu Chriſt, ſhuld ſet before vsus this excellent example of our forgoer, and learne to contemne the world, and ſtoutlie to abide in our holie vocation and purpoſe. It is the worke of Chriſt that we hauehave in hand, and before vsus we hauehave an high perfect example giuer, of whom we ought to learne, euen Chriſt Ieſus, who for our ſakes was obedient to the Father, vntill the death of the croſſe.Phil. 2. Wherefore ſeeing we are become children of God throgh grace, we muſt be obedient to our heauenly father, looking to his good pleaſure, bidding the world farewell, deſpiſing the mocks and ſcorns therof, looking vp euer diligently vntounto the crucified Lorde Ieſus, who waiteth for vsus with outſtretched armes, calleth vsus louingly vntounto him, and for a ſhorte trauaile promiſeth vsus eternall rewarde, and ſaith: If thou ſuffer with mee, thou ſhalt raigne with mee: If thou dye with mee,…. Tim. 2. thou ſhalt alſo be crowned with mee.
O Lord Ieſu Chriſt, our fore-goer and protector graunt vsus grace ſtedfaſtly to continue in our holie, vocation, and to abide in thy ſeruice: that through no tediouſnes or ſlouth we ſhrinke or ceaſe from the feruentnes of good workes and holie exerciſes: that we being alway readie furniſhed with watching and praier, may ſtedfaſtly ſtand, and with a conſtant mind deſpiſe all bodily prouocations, ſhewing patience in aduerſitie, not fearing the ſlaunders and deſpitefull ſwordes of the people, neyther deſiring the prayſe and honour of this worlde: that in the onelyonly eternal wealth wee may ſette all our truſt, and neuer to goe backe from the croſſe for wealth nor woe: but that vnderunder the ſame banner through true patience, meekneſſe and obedience, wee may finiſh our life with a bleſſed ende, Amen.
In the offendor that receiued of Chriſt the promis of grace, there is ſet before vsus a comfortable example of the merciemercy and louelove of God: for, hee that afore had beene a murtherer, and now was become a penitent and repentaunt perſon, aſſoone as he acknowledged the treſpaſſe, and was vnfainedly ſorrie for his offences committed, confeſſing Chriſt the fountaine of life, there was promiſed vntounto him forgiueneſſe of his ſinnes, and entrance into ioy. Wherby wee ſee, that no true penitent commeth too late, and that no conuerſion is vnfruitfull, if it bee doone vnfainedly from out of the heart. Here ſhould we learne to goe into our ſelues, to acknowledge and confeſſe our ſinnes, to complaine vntounto GOD with lamentation, and to deſire grace at his hande: affirming alſo, that wee are well worthie of all rebuke and ſhame, all puniſhment, payne, and aduerſitie. Neuertheleſſe, in the conſideration of Gods eternal merciemercy, wee ought not to deſpayre, but to turne vsus vntounto the Biſhop and chiefe ſhepheard of our ſoules, and to ſaye: Lorde, remember vsus in thy kingdome, where thou ſitteſt at the right hande of GOD thy Father: ſo ſhall wee vndoubtedly heare this chearefull voice; To day ſhalt thou bee with mee in paradiſe. This word of conſolation, this gratious promiſe ſhall ſtrengthen & comfort our troubled hart in the carefull & terrible houre, ſo that we ſhal be able quietly to die, foraſmuch as Ieſus ſo friendly ſpeaketh to vsus, and receiueth vsus ſo graciouſly.
Great and vnſearchable is the merciemercy of God, that pardoneth ſo great a ſinner and offendour, and doth not caſt him off: neither will hee reiect our feruent praier, which we in true confidence make vntounto him. Hee deſireth not the death of a ſinner,Ezech. 18. but willeth that hee conuert and liue.Iohn. 3 So loued hee the worlde, that hee gaue his onelyonly begotten Sonne, that whoſoeuer beleeueth on him, ſhould not periſh, but hauehave euerlaſting life: neither came hee to call the righteous,Math 9. but ſinners.
O Ieſu, bee mindfull of thy promiſſe, thinke vponupon vsus thy ſeruantes: and when wee ſhall depart hence, ſpeake vntounto our ſoule theſe louing wordes: To day ſhalt thou bee with mee in ioy. O Lord Ieſu Chriſt, remember vsus thy ſeruauntes that truſt in thee, when our tongue cannot ſpeake, when the ſight of our eies fayleth, and when our eares are ſtopped. Suffer not the olde Serpent, and wicked enemie the Deuill, to finde anie thing in vsus, though hee ſubtilly tempt vsus, and craftily lay wayte for vsus. In thee ſhall we ouercome him, for in thee is our ſtrength: thou takeſt al our ſinnes vppon thy ſelfe, ſo that hee ſhall finde nothing in vsus, but muſt departe from vsus with ſhame. Lette them bee turned backe, and ſoone confounded: but lette our ſoule alway reioyce in thee, and bee ioyfull of thy ſaluation, which thou through thy death haſt purchaſed for vsus.
IT was neare hande about the ſixt houre. And beſide the croſſe of Ieſus ſtoode Marie his mother, and his mothers ſister Marie the wife of Cleophas, and Marie Magdalene. Now when Ieſus ſawe his mother, and the diſciple ſtanding whom he loued, he ſaid vntounto his mother: Woman, behold thy ſonne. Afterward ſaid hee to the diſciple: Behold thy mother. And from that houre foorth, the diſciple tooke her for his owne.
Doctrine and fruite.
IN the paſſion of Chriſt (as is mentioned afore) it ought to be conſidered, that he was moſt extremely reuyled, and ſuffered moſt great paine for our ſakes. This now appertaineth to the increaſing of his paine, that hee ſeeth his mother in all aduerſitie, who might not helpe him, neyther hee her. Nowe doth the ſworde that Simeon ſpake of, pierce thorow her heart.
But Ieſus ſeeing her in ſorrowe and heauineſſe, declareth his carefull louelove vppon the honour and worthineſſe of his dearely beloued mother, and giueth her a tutour, ſuch an one as will looke vntounto her. On both the parties maye wee perceyue great louelove, which wee ought to learne of the Lord, and to exerciſe towardes thoſe that bee committed vntounto vsus. Neither is it written of the Euangeliſt for naught, that ſhee ſtoode: for thereby we ſee, that though Marie was in verie greate heauineſſe and ſorrowe, yet behaueth ſhee not he…ſelfe vnſeemelie nor vndiſcreetly, as carnall men doe in aduerſitie manie times. Shee ſtandeth demurely and ſoberly, beeing fortified through the ſtrength of the ſpirite that ſtayeth her.1. Theſ. 4. Whereby wee may learne when our deare friendes die, not to bee ſorie for them beyond meaſure and diſcretion. But chiefly we learne, when aduerſitie commeth, one to hauehave reſpect to another, to care for our owne, faithfully to cōmit them vntounto others, that one may brotherly and truly looke to another: but ſpecially we ought to be carefull for thoſe which are deare vntounto God.
FRom the ſixt houre there was darkeneſſe vppon all the earth, till about the ninth houre, and the Sunne was darkened. About the ninth houre, Ieſus cryed with a lowd voyce, Ely, Ely, lama, ſabacthani? that is, My God, my God, why hast thou forſaken mee? Some ſtanding there, when they heard it, ſaid: He calleth to Helias. Immediately one of them ranne, and tooke a ſpunge, and filled it with vineger, and put it vppon a reede, and gaue him to drinke. Other ſaid, lette vsus ſee whether Helias will come and deliuer him.