Fruitful Lessons Upon the Passion Burial Resurrection Ascension, passion · Commentary 11 – Commentary 12
Doctrine and fruite.
IN theſe wordes doth Chriſt ſhew vsus the office of the holy Ghoſt, and what he worketh by his diſciples,1. Iohn 5. and by all faithfull beleeuers in the worlde. The whole world is ſette vponupon wickedneſſe and iniquitie, and when that is rebuked, it hateth and perſecuteth thoſe that rebuke it. Whereout it followeth oftentimes, that through imbecillitie and weakeneſſe of the fleſh, we ceaſe from rebuking of vice and ſinne.
Now when we find it to be thus, that the infirmitie of our fleſh, and the terrible threatening of the world will hinder vsus, or vtterly drawe vsus backe from the free rebuking of vice: wee ought to praye vntounto God our Father, for to giuegive vsus the ſpirit of his ſonne, that he may powre out louelove into our hearts, and expell all feare, that with ſtoute ſtomacks and wordes,1. Ioh. 4. we may reprehend the vyces of the world, and valiantly reſiſt them. This ſpirit ſhall teach vsus the thing, that neither our fleſh nor the world is inſtructed in. All we of nature doe erre,Iſa. 53. and eueryevery one wandreth his owne waie, that is, eueryevery one foloweth his owne purpoſe and intent: and if we beleeue not in Chriſt, we periſh in our ſinnes.Ioh. 8. And this is the greateſt ſin of all, wherein the world is wrapt, afore it receiue the truth. Not to beleeue in Chriſt, is a ſinne, out of the which, all vyce and wickednes dooth grow….Vnbeliefe is the originall of all vices. How great this ſinne is, no man is able to knowe, onelyonly the ſpirit of God openeth it: therefore the ſpirite teacheth vsus, how farre we goe aſtray. And if we come to Chriſt, from this erronius waie of vnbeliefe, all ſinnes are forgiuen vsus through Chriſt, and not imputed vsus to our damnation.
Neither is it enough to knowe, that wee hauehave erred, or doe yet erre, but wee muſt know alſo which is the right waie, wherein (when error is forſaken) wee muſt walke to attaine vntounto godlines and bliſſe. This right waie,Ioh. 14. 1. Cor. 1. doth the ſpirit alſo ſhewe to be euen Chriſt, who is our waie, our righteouſnes and goodnes: which waie neuertheles the world will not goe. To beleeue in Chriſt, is the true way to attaine vntounto righteouſnes and ſaluation: who ſo now departeth not from the erroneous waie of vnbeliefe and vice, and will not walke in Chriſt, the way of all vertue and goodnes, (which all the world alas ſo abhorreth) the ſame is conuict, that the iudgement of eternall paine doth righteouſly fall vponupon him, ſeeing the light is ſet before him,Ioh. 3. and he will rather abide & periſh in darkneſſe. But is not this a iuſt iudgement, that the world ſhould periſh in ſinne, and be puniſhed for euer, conſidering that God hath graciouſly ſent vntounto them his owne ſonne, promiſing euerlaſting lyfe and ſaluation in him, who with his bloud hath waſhed awaie our ſinnes, mightily ouercome death, ſin, and the prince of this worlde, deliuered vsus out of his power and heauie yoake, and taken poſſeſſion of the kingdome and glorie with his father: And yet they will not know, receiue, nor honour Chriſt, as theyr chiefe king and Lord, but ſtill ſerue the prince of this world in vice & ſin, & not ſubmit themſelues vnderunder the eaſie yoake of Chriſt, & of his louelove and vertues.
O deare children, let vsus departe out of the kingdome of darknes,Col. 1. into the kingdome of Ieſus Chriſt the ſonne of God: let vsus regarde his word with diligence: let vsus hearken what God ſpeaketh in vsus, and though there bee many things that as yet we knowe not,Pſal. 84. many that we do not vnderſtand and perceiue, we will earneſtly praie vntounto God for his ſpirite, who is the right ſchoolmaſter and teacher. Hee ſhall lead vsus into all truth,Ephe. 4. he ſhall renue vsus in the ſpirite of our minde, and teach vsus to vnderſtand, what the good, acceptable,Rom. 12 and perfect will of God is. He ſhall plant and roote vsus in louelove, that we may comprehend with all Saints,Ephe. 3. what is the length, the breadth, the height, and deapth, that wee may alſo knowe the exceeding louelove of the knowledge of Chriſt, that we might bee filled in all godly perfectnes. Thus the ſpirite teacheth vsus all truth, when he poureth louelove into our harts.
This ſchoolmaſter teacheth all beleeuers here in time, euerie one as much as he can comprehend, and kindleth ſpirituall hearts with greater deſire. He that nowe increaſeth in louelove, that is, who ſo loueth that whereof God giueth him knowledge, and deſireth to know that which as yet he knoweth not, him doth the ſpirite leade into al truth. For the more that louelove groweth, the more perfect is knowledge. And in this ſchoole of the louelove which the ſpirit poureth into our hearts, the faithfull beleeuer learneth more, than all bookes and all men can teach him: but the more a man learneth & can, the more muſt he acknowledge and confes, that he can nothing towards that which we ſhall know,1. Cor. 13. when we ſhall cleerely and perfectly ſee God face to face. VntoUnto vsus ſhall it bee inough and ſufficient, that we in ſpirit and in the truth knowe Ieſus Chriſt, which was crucified,1. Cor. 2. 2. Cor. … Iohn 4 2. Cor. 4 & that he ſhine and be glorified in our mortall body, in our harts, mouth and in our whole life.
AFter a while ye ſhall not ſee me, & again after a while ye ſhall ſee me, for I go to the father. Then ſaid ſome of his diſciples among themſelues: What is this that he ſaith vntounto vsus, After a while ye ſhal not ſee me, & againe, after a while ye ſhal ſee me, & that I go to my father? They ſaid therfore, what is this that he ſaith, after a while? We cannot tel what he ſaith Ieſus perceiued that they would aske him, and ſaid vntounto them: This is it that ye enquire off betweene your ſelues, that I ſaid, After a while ye ſhall not ſee me, & again after a while ye ſhal ſee me. Verily, verily I ſay vntounto you▪ yee ſhall weepe and lament, but the world ſhall reioyce: yee ſhall ſorrowe, but your ſorrow ſhall be turned into ioye. A woman when ſhe trauaileth hath ſorrow, becauſe her houre is come: But when ſhe is deliuered of the childe, ſhe remembreth no more the anguiſh, for ioye that a man is borne into the world. And yee now therefore are in ſo…rowe: but I will ſee you againe, and your heart ſhall reioyce, and your ioye ſhall no man take from you.
Doctrine and fruite.
AN excellent comfort doth Chriſt giuegive here vntounto his Diſciples, who by reaſon of his deparparting, were in great ſorrowe and heauines. But like as the Diſciples of Chriſt, becauſe of his paſſion, abode for a little ſeaſon in great combrance, feare, and trouble, and yet receiued great ioye out of the Reſurrection, when hee ſhewed himſelfe vntounto them: euen ſo in aduerſity ought not we to be faint-hearted, but comfort our ſelues in this, that the Lord doth not long leaue thoſe that are his. Though hee hide himſelfe for a time, he ſhall ſhortly ſhewe vsus his gratious countenance againe, & refreſh vsus with rich comfort. The aduerſities of faithful beleeuers are not only ſhort, but alſo they end with vnſpeakeable ioy. After aduerſitie and death, foloweth euerlaſting ioye and eternall life. We are here with Chriſt our head, in trouble and on the croſſe, where the world laugheth at vsus, and reioyſeth. For all this ought not wee to be vnquiet in our ſelues. Very ſhortly will the matter change and turne vpſide downe: ſo that their laughter and ioy, ſhal be altered into weeping and eternall ſorrow. But our heauineſſe ſhall God ſhortly end with great fruit and ioye, and the ſame ioy ſhall no man be able to take from vsus, when we with Chriſt our head, ſhall euerlaſtingly bee gladde and reioyce, when all teares ſhall bee wiped away from our eyes, and wee diſcharged of all trauaile and labour of this time.
IN that daie ſhall ye aske me no queſtion. Verily, verilie I ſaie vntounto you: Whatſoeuer yee ſhall aske the father in my name, he will giuegive it you. Hetherto hauehave ye asked nothing in my name: Aske, and ye ſhall receiue, that your ioy may be full. Theſe things hauehave I ſpoken vntounto you in Prouerbs, but the time will come, when I ſhall no more ſpeak to you in prouerbes, but I ſhall ſhew you plainly of my father. At that day ſhall ye aske in my name. And I ſaie vntounto you, that I will praie vntounto the father for you: for the father himſelfe loueth you, becauſe ye hauehave loued mee, and hauehave beleeued, that I am come out from God. I went out from the father, and came into the world, & I leaue the world againe and goe to the father. His diſciples ſaid vntounto him, Lo, now ſpekeſt thou plainly, and thou ſpeakeſt no prouerbe. Now are we ſure, that thou knoweſt all things, and nedeſt not that anie man ſhould aske thee anie queſtion. Therefore beleeue wee, that thou cameſt from God. Ieſus anſwered them, Now ye do beleeue, beholde the houre draweth nigh and is alreadie come, that ye ſhall be ſcattered, euerie man into his owne, and ſhal leaue me alone, & yet I am not alone, for the father is with me. Theſe words hauehave I ſpoken vntounto you, that in mee yee might hauehave peace. In the world ſhall yee hauehave tribulation, but bee of good cheere, I hauehave ouercome the world.