Fruitful Lessons Upon the Passion Burial Resurrection Ascension, passion · Commentary 1
Now followeth the doctrine and meditation.
HEre ſhould we children of beleefe, diligently ponder and conſider, what Chriſt hath done for our ſakes: namely, that hee, when hee had fulfilled his miniſtration committed to him of the father, and nowe would offer vp himſelfe vponupon the croſſe for the ſinnes of the world, and with his owne death deliuer mankind frō the captiuity of Satan, and from eternall death declared, how he loued his owne vntill the end,Iohn. 13. Luk. 22. and with what deſire he longed to eate the Eaſter lambe with his diſciples, before hee ſuffered. Giuing them thereby to vnderſtand,1. Cor. 5. Eſay. 53. Iohn. 1 that he was the true paſcal lambe, which being ſlaine for vsus, ſhuld take awaie the ſinnes of the world, that the figures of the olde Teſtament might bee reduced into the truth. That like as the Iews (to whom with a preſcribed ordinaunce it was commaunded, yeerely to eate the Eaſter lambe) did the ſame for a memoriall of their deliuerance out of Aegypt:Exod. 12. So we beleeuers alſo, might in the new Teſtament, hauehave a remembrance and exerciſe of the gracious redemption, whereas we by his death are deliuered from the power of darknes, of the deuil, & of ſinne, & brought to eternall life.
And to the intent now that the remembrance of ſuch excellent benefits, grace, and merites of the paſſion of Chriſt, might euer be freſh and new with his diſciples and all beleeuers, our Lorde Ieſus Chriſt, when he now would go vntounto death, and paie the ranſome for the ſinnes of all the world, he then did eate the Eaſter lambe with his Diſciples, to finiſh the ſhadowe of the olde Teſtament: and that he might bee remembred thereby, he inſtituted the bread & wine, for a ſacrament and memoriall of his ho…ie body and bloud.
Seeing then, that wee are cleanſed, deliuered, and redeemed with ſo deare & worthie a treaſure; namely,… 67. with the pretious bloud of Ieſus Chriſt, the vndefiled lambe:1 Pet. 1. 1. Iohn 1. 1. Cor. 11. 1. Cor. 9. wee ought neuer to forget ſuch an high benefite, but at all times with thankfulnes to remember, that Chriſt our Paſchall lambe, was ſlayne and offered vp for vsus vponupon the croſſe,1. Pet 2. that we from hence forth ſhould walke in pureneſſe, ſinglenes and innocencie of life: and that when wee in the Supper, by true faith do eate his bodie, and drinke his bloud, we might through him be ſo ſtrengthened and fedde to eternall life, as to abide and liue in him for euer. For he is the bread of life that came downe from heauen,Iohn. 6. to nouriſh and ſtrengthen our weake and hungrie ſoules, yea to make vsus dead to liue againe.
But then eate we his fleſh, and then drinke we his bloud, when wee through true beleefe do ponder & conſider, what hee hath doone and ſuffered for our ſakes: then are we partakers of his ſupper & feaſt, whē we for his ſake do liue, as he did for his Fathers ſake. He gaue himſelfe whole vntounto vsus: ſo ought we to giuegive our ſelues whole vntounto him, and to our neighbour. To him through beleefe, to our neighbour through charitable louelove. Through faith we abide in him:Iohn. 15. by working louelove hee abideth in vsus. The more wee louelove, the more enioy we of this meate: the more wee beleeue, the more we louelove. In this ſhall all men knowe that we are his Diſciples, if we louelove one another.Iohn. 13. 1. Ioh 2.3.4 God is louelove, and hee that abideth in louelove, abideth in God,Iohn. 15. & God in him. What greater louelove can there be, than to giuegive his owne life for vsus? The death of Chriſt ought neuer to come out of our heartes: that wee may doe and ſuffer all thinges for his ſake that dyed for vsus.
The ſecond part.
WHen ſupper was ended, after that the deuil had put in the heart of Iudas Iſcarioth Simons ſon, to betray him: Ieſus knowing that the father had giuen all things into his hands, & that he was come frō God, & went to God, he roſe from Supper, and laid aſide his vpper garments, & took a towel & girt himſelfe. After that poured he water into a Baſon, and began to waſh his Diſciples feet, and to wipe them with the towell wherewith he was girt. Then came hee to Simon Peter, and Peter ſaid vntounto him: Lord, dost thou waſh my feet? Ieſus anſwered and ſaid vntounto him, what I doe thou knoweſt not now, but thou ſhalt know heereafter: Peter ſaid vntounto him, thou ſhalt neuer waſh my feet. Ieſus anſwered him: If I waſh thee not, thou haſt no part with me, Simon Peter ſaid vntounto him: Lord, not my feet onelyonly, but alſo my hands and my head. Ieſus ſaid vntounto him, Hee that is waſhed needeth not ſaue to waſh his feete, but is cleane eueryevery whit: and ye are cleane, but not all, for hee knew who ſhould betray him: therefore ſaid he, ye are not al clean. So after he had waſhed their feete, and receiued his clothes, and was ſet downe, he ſaid vntounto them againe: w…t you what I hauehave done to you? Ye call me maister and Lord, and ye ſay well, for ſo I am. If I then your Lord and maiſter hauehave waſhed your feet, ye alſo ought to waſh one anothers feet: for I hauehave giuen you an enſample, that yee ſhould doe as I hauehave done to you. Verely verely I ſay vntounto you: The ſeruaunt is not greater than his maister, neyther the meſſenger greater than he that ſent him. If yee vnderstand theſe thinges, happie are ye, if ye do them.