Fruitful Lessons Upon the Passion Burial Resurrection Ascension, passion · Commentary 13
Doctrine and fruit.
MAny times doth Chriſt promiſe vsus, whatſoeuer wee praie, to obtaine the ſame of the father of heauen, whereby he may ſtirre vp our hearts, faithfully to crie vntounto God, the gracious and louing father, whoſe louelove towardes vsus is exceeding great, neither can he ſaie vsus nay, that hath giuen and beſtowed vppon vsus his owne ſonne: yea, not onelyonly hath hee ſent downe vntounto vsus his deare and onelyonly begotten ſonne, to take the nature of man vppon him, and to die for vsus, but hath alſo into our hearts giuen his holy ſpirite, with whome hee hath ſealed vsus, and certefied vsus of his louelove, pouring the knowledge and louelove of Chriſt into our heartes. How can wee then doubt of his louelove and faithfulneſſe? How is it poſſible, that in all our trouble and heauineſſe, we ſhould not vntounto him onelyonly hauehave recourſe, ſeeking helpe and comfort at his hand? The ſonne for our ſake, came forth from the father, humbled and made himſelfe of no reputation, tooke all reproch, ſhame and trouble vppon himſelfe for our welfare. To the father was he obedient, vntil the death of the croſſe, and after that he through his bloud had waſhed awaie our ſinnes, and finiſhed the worke of our ſaluation, he aroſe againe from death, through the power & might of his father, ouercame death for vsus, and with his aſcenſion, opened heauen, and prepared an enterance vntounto God, carrying vp our nature and fleſh vntounto the honor and glorie, which he had from euerlaſting, & giuing vsus therein a hope and ſure comfort, that wee alſo ſhal with him hauehave euerlaſting ioy and glory for euer.
Seeing then that he came out from the father, we ought to hearken vntounto him, and not to deſpiſe his word: he is the eternall wiſedome of God, he is the truth, no falſe teacher can he bee, foraſmuch as hee commeth from God, and is his onelyonly begotten ſon.Heb. 1 To contemne ſo deare an embaſſadour and meſſenger of God, muſt needs hauehave great puniſhment, and though we are not able, in moſt perfection to vnderſtand his doctrine, truth, and louelove (for heere in this time is our knowledge vnperfect) yet ſhuld we conſider, that the father loueth vsus,1. Cor. 13 and faithfully ought we to crie and praie vntounto him for his ſpirite, that ſhal teach vsus all truth, ſo much as is neceſſarie and profitable for vsus: which knowledge from daie to daie ſhall increaſe, till we ſhal ſee him face to face, and hauehave the perfect knowledge of him. Our nature is weake and feeble, the nature diuine is high and incomprehenſible: we are full of darknes, God is the cleere & farre paſſing light, but when our darke miſt is taken away, then in cleere brightneſſe ſhall the godly light open vntounto vsus.
Some firſt fruits and beginnings of Gods knowledge hauehave we receiued alreadie. God hath caſt and planted a litle ſeed of knowledge in our harts, which through his grace and moiſture, ſhall daily grow, increaſe, and proſper. Of ſuch knowledge as we hauehave of God, we may not preſume, neither of our weak faith, nor yet aſcribe too much vntounto our own ſtrength He that ſtandeth, let him looke that he fall not. We think many times that we are verie ſtrong in faith, but aduerſitie ſheweth how feeble we bee, and how ſoone we ſhrinke. Therefore in all trouble and diſtreſſe of this world, we ought to comfort our ſelues, and truſt onelyonly in the grace and ſtrength of Chriſt. In him ſhal we finde peace and quietneſſe, in him ſhall we ouercome all our enemies: for his ouercomming is our victorie, his power is our ſtrength. The world is not able to hurt and plague vsus, more than of our gracious father is permitted vntounto them for our wealth.
While we liue here, we are in miſerie, affliction, & diſtreſſe: but ſeeing the head hath ouercome, the members ought not to doubt of the victorie. Let vsus with ſtedfaſt beleefe looke vntounto Chriſt the fountaine of life, our foregoer, and finiſher of our faith, & let vsus ſtoutly ſtep forth after him: let vsus go the waie that he is gone, and hath troden, & made before. Afflictions ſhall ſerue vsus vntounto high honor, as they ſerued Chriſt the Lord vntounto glorie. In Chriſt we finde the peace & reſt of our conſciences and ſoules: in him we knowe and find the goodnes & louelove of God the father: out of him receiue we power, ſtrength, comfort, & eternall life: only let vsus loke that we turne not the eies of our heart, & faith, away from him. Our welfare conſiſteth in the ſtedfaſt beleefe and louelove of Ieſus Chriſt the ſonne of God. Though we many times ſtumble, fall, and be proued by ſundry temptations and afflictions, yet is the ſame good and profitable for vsus, that we may the better learn to know our own weaknes, and againe, the ſtrength and grace of God. If it were not profitable for vsus, Chriſt had not ſuffered his Diſciples to fall ſo greeuouſly. But in all diſtreſſe, he putteth his hand vnderunder vsus, and in aduerſitie he leaueth vsus not alone, as hee alſo left not his owne Sonne alone. Though all men flie away from vsus, yet hauehave we God with vsus.
THeſe wordes ſpake Ieſus, and lift vp his eyes to heauen, and ſaid. Father, the houre is come:Iohn. 17. glorifie thy Sonne, that thy Sonne alſo may glorifie thee, as thou haſt giuen him power ouer all fleſh, that he ſhould giuegive eternall life to as manie as thou haſt giuen him. This is life eternall: that they know thee the onelyonly very true God, & whom thou haſt ſent Ieſus Chriſt. I hauehave glorified thee on the earth. I hauehave finiſhed the worke which thou gauest me to doo. And now glorifie me thou Father with thine owne ſelfe, with the glorie which I had with thee ere the worlde was. I hauehave declared thy name, vntounto the men which thou gauest me out of the world. Thine they were, and thou gauest them mee, and they hauehave kept thy ſayings. Now they knowe, that all thinges whatſoeuer thou hast giuen me, are of thee: for I hauehave giuen vntounto them the words which thou gauest me, and they hauehave receiued them, and know ſurely, that I came out from thee, & do beleeue, that thou didst ſend me.