Fruitful Lessons Upon the Passion Burial Resurrection Ascension, passion · Commentary 15
Doctrine and fruite.
THIS praier of our high Prieſt and mediatour Chriſt Ieſus, is feruent, earneſt, full of the fire of godly louelove, ful of great ſecrets and ſpirituall inſtructions. Herein may we learne to know, what hie honor, dignitie, and power, Chriſt by his obedience and patience, hath obtained with his father: wherein conſiſteth our peace, ioy, & welfare. What care and louelove Chriſt beareth towardes thoſe that are his, and how he committeth them vntounto his father. Firſt, hee praieth for his Diſciples, whome hee did chooſe to publiſh his truth: afterward praieth he for all ſuch as ſhould come to the faith by their preaching vntil the worldes end. And for aſmuch as the Diſciples had a great waightie matter in hand, full of danger and aduerſitie, for they muſt needs procure to themſelues great hatred of the world, hee firſt praieth for them, that the Father will ſtrengthen, comfort, and preſerue them thorow his power, & defend them from all euill.
In this are we taught diligently, chiefly, and ſpecially to pray for thoſe vntounto whome is committed the preaching of the Goſpell:How the Miniſters of the word ſhould be praied for. for a chargeable and great worke carry they vppon their ſhoulders, by meanes whereof (among all others) they hauehave ſpeciall neede of the grace, helpe, & aſſiſtance of God. But our prayer ought we to frame, as Chriſt hath framed his. Firſt we muſt in our praier to God, make ſpeciall mention of his owne grace and merciemercy, whereby hee chuſing them to ſuch an office, hath giuen them vntounto Chriſt his ſonne. Foraſmuch then as they are the Miniſters of him and of his Sonne, and ſeeing the Sonne is ſo deare, worthie & beloued vntounto the Father, our prayer muſt bee, that hee for his Sonnes ſake will defende and preſerue them, as in him, and by him they are worthie.
Secondly, conſidering that for his ſake and his word, which they declare, they are perſecuted of the worlde, it is requiſite that God preſerue them in his owne worke. For great need hauehave they of his fatherly protection, while they yet liue in the weake feeble fleſh, and are mortall men.
Thirdly, their office ſerueth to many mens health and welfare, their office is neceſſary and profitable to the whole world, which walketh in blindneſſe and darknes: for they are the light of the world,Math 5. that thorough doctrine and liuing, muſt ſhine to manie mens life: which without the aſſiſtance and helpe of God cannot come paſſe.
Thus ought wee to praye for the miniſters of the word, & to deſire, that God throgh his holy name, & power, will defend, ſtrength, comfort, and preſerue them in all aduerſitie: but principally that hee will giuegive them grace to bee one, coupled together in the band of peace, louelove and vniformitie: that they may be of one ſpirite, and of one mind: that in one ſpirite they may further and plant the honour of God:Ephe 4. Phil. 2. that like as Chriſt neither ſpake nor did anie thing but that which was acceptable and wel pleaſing vntounto the father, they alſo in their ſayinges and dooinges may hauehave reſpect vntounto Gods glorie: and that they being rooted and fortified in louelove,Col. 2. bee not vanquiſhed nor ouercome of the pleaſures or threateninges of this world.
Secondly, that in all their labour and trauaile, in al aduerſitie and perſecutions, hee will put into theyr hartes, his owne comfort and ſpirituall ioy. For the worlde hath manifolde mirthes, paſtimes, and pleaſures: much bragging and wilfulneſſe vſeth it in the riches and fleſhly voluptuouſnes thereof.Iohn. 15. But the true Miniſters of Chriſt (ſeeing hee hath ſeuered them from the worlde) muſt and ought to refraine and abſent themſelues from all worldly ioy and voluptuouſnes: yea, it is they, that ought to diſwade the worlde from ſuch wantonneſſe and vanitie: by meanes of whoſe faithfull admonition, there falleth much hatred and trouble vponupon them: Neither were it to the furtheraunce of Gods honour and our commoditie, to hauehave them vtterlye taken away out of this worlde. Therefore dooth Chriſt deſire (and ſo muſt wee with him) that from euill, namely from the Deuill the Prince of this worlde, who ſtirreth the world againſt them, they may of the father in the world be defended and kept.
Thirdly, that he will ſanctifie and cleanſe them afore other men, that they may be holy and pure veſſels in the houſe and temple, that is, in the Church of God, for they are means & inſtruments, by whō God miniſtereth his grace and truth vntounto men, therfore is it alſo conuenient, that they be pure and holy.1. Cor. 4. This commeth throgh the truth that God putteth in their mouth and heart by the holy Ghoſt, which inwardly purifieth them. But then are they holy when they teach truth, and liue godly. Into the worlde hath Chriſt ſent thē, as the father ſent him into the world. The father ſent Chriſt into the world, that he ſhould deſtroy the kingdome of the deuill and of the world, that he ſhould declare vntounto the world, the grace and merciemercy of God towardes mankinde, that he ſhoulde bring men from ſinne, and from falſe idolatriſh faith, to the true liuing God, and to a vertuous conuerſation, that he with the light of truth, ſhould ſhine vponupon thoſe which ſate in darknes: that he ſhould bring the knowledge of God into the world, & exhort men to the amendement of life. Euen this hath Chriſt giuen in commiſſion to his Apoſtles, and to all miniſters of the worde to doo. This is their office, this is their miniſtration, vntounto this hauehave they greate neede of the grace, power, and aſſiſtance of God, therefore ought we moſt earneſtly to praie for them, for if they fail or fal, it hurteth the whole Church: yea, out of the ſame there groweth ſlaunder vntounto the name of God in the ſight of the vnbeleeuers, and an occaſion of falling,Ezech. 36 to ſuch as are weake of faith. Therefore Chriſt alſo offered himſelfe to the father for them, and ſanctified them, that they might bee pure and holy: not in outward apparance, but from the heart, and in the truth, that through their vniformity & louelove, through the word of truth, which they preach, through the holynes of their doctrine and liuing, all men and the whole world might know and vnderſtand, that God hath ſent them, yea, that God ſent his ſon Chriſt into the world, vntounto whome they with mouth and life beare record, and who alſo eueryevery where ſhineth out of them with wordes and deeds.
Not onelyonly for them hath Chriſt praied, but alſo for vsus, as many as hearken and beleeue the worde of truth preached by them. Wherein firſt wee may perceiue and ſee, the louelove, faithfulnes, and great care of Chriſt for vsus, how earneſtly the truſtie ſhepheard of our ſoules, committeth his poore ſheepe into his fathers protection, how faithfully our mediatour and aduocate praieth for vsus, whereby alſo he ſetteth forth a doctrine vntounto vsus, how and what we ſhal pray of the heauenly father.
Firſt, that he will make vsus one by his holy ſpirite, in the truth, in the vnitie of faith, and in louelove vnſeparable,Phil 2. Ephe 2. that we all may be of one mind, one body, and one ſpirit in Chriſt Ieſu our head, and to keepe the vnitie of the ſpirit in the bond of peace, that we all being illuminated by his ſpirit, may in word and deed, yea in our whole life, ſeeke and further the glorie of our heauenly father, that we all may bee one among our ſelues & with God,Iohn. 13. whereby all the worlde may ſpie, ſee, and perceiue, that we are Gods children and Chriſts diſciples
Secondly, that of his fatherly goodnes, he will defend, ſaue & preſerue vsus his own poore ſheep, which be in the midſt among wolues & manifold dangers:Math. 10. And ſeeing we being yet in the world, do not liue after the world, that it will pleaſe him to keepe vsus from the euill, namely, frō the prince of of this world, that thogh the ſame our enemie doth tempt & plague vsus, he neuer yet hauehave power to preuaile againſt vsus.
Thirdly, that inaſmuch as we being in ſin conceiued and borne, hauehave hetherto liued in ſinne,Pſal. …3. & ſeeing that albeit we are cleanſed alreadie by his word and faith, yet the vncleannes of the fleſh and of the world doth daily defile vsus, it wil pleaſe him throgh his truth to purge and ſanctifie our bodies, our ſoules,1. Cor. …. 2. Cor. 6 and our whole life, that wee may become an holy temple of his grace, pure, cleane, & holy veſſels, conſecrated & ſanctified to Gods own vſe. He hath once purified & hallowed vsus through the bloud of his ſon, and vntounto the father hath Chriſt ſanctified and offered vp himſelfe an holy acceptable ſacrifice for our ſins: but the deuill, the world, and our fleſh, is euer buſie to lead vsus away againe from God & from true holines. Therefore muſt wee daily pray vntounto him, that through his holy ſpirit, & through his holy truth, he wil continually purge, clenſe, & ſanctifie vsus, that we be not diſſē bling hypocrites, but godly and vnfained euen from our harts, & that we be not ſtained in the filthines of this world, but to refraine from all vncleannes,Iames· … thorogh the aſſiſtāce of his grace, that we may alſo offer vp our bodies an holy acceptable ſacrifice to …od the Lord, as he offered vp himſelfe vppon the croſſe for our ſakes.
Iohn. 17FAther, I will, that they which thou hast giuen me, be with me where I am, that they may ſee my glory, which thou haſt giuen me, for thou louedſt me before the making of the world. O righteous father, the worlde alſo hath not knowen thee, but I hauehave knowen thee, & theſe hauehave knowen that thou haſt ſent me. And I hauehave declared vntounto them thy name, and will declare it, that the louelove wherewith thou haſt loued me, may be in them, and I in them.