Fruitful Lessons Upon the Passion Burial Resurrection Ascension, passion · Commentary 17 – Commentary 18
Doctrine and fruite.
AFter that Ieſus hath eſtabliſhed his Diſciples in faith and louelove, comforting and ſtrengthening them againſt aduerſitie and trouble to come in this world, promiſing alſo vntounto them, the ſpirit, louelove, defence, and protection of his father: hee goeth now to meet his traitour and enemies, and beginneth the worke of our redemption. Awake vp nowe, O thou faithfull and deuout ſoule, and go after thy redemer, followe his foot-ſteps, gather vp diligently the drops of his bloud, and ſprinckle them with a true faith in thine heart: take vp the bundle of mirrhe, and lay it at thy breaſt, O thou noble bride and ſpouſe of Chriſt: his paſſion that he ſuffereth for thee, write then in thy minde, learne to die from all ſinne, from thy ſelfe, and from the world: that thou maieſt bee crucified vntounto the world, and the world vntounto thee.
Death is vgſome, and very terrible vntounto the fleſh, but ioyfull and welcome is it vntounto all ſuch as are inſtructed in the ſecrete ſcience of God, namely, that death vntounto faithfull beleeuers, is an ende of all trouble, an enteraunce into a better and eternall lyfe.
Chriſt in that he goeth forth to meete death, declareth that he wil ſuffer, not of compulſion, but willingly, whereby he comforteth vsus. But whereas he is heauie, and trembleth before his diſciples, and confeſſeth howe hee feareth death: the ſame is done for our wealth, to declare vntounto vsus the weakneſſe and feebleneſſe that our fleſh receiueth at the ſight of aduerſitie,Heb. 2. for in all things (ſinne except) it was his good pleaſure to become lyke vntounto vsus his brethren, hee would take vponupon him a true man, who felte our aduerſitie in his owne fleſh, and ſo coulde hauehave compaſſion on vsus. Beſides this, hee ſheweth alſo to whom our weakneſſe ought to reſort for comfort and helpe in aduerſitie, namely, to our father in heauen, before whome wee muſt fall downe with deuout and feruent praier, and vntounto him diſcloſe and open our anguiſh and trouble.
To this praier, he ſeeketh and chooſeth out a place meete and conuenient for the ſame: for prayer is a lifting vp of the minde in GOD, which among the multitude of men, and confuſion of worldly matters cannot well bee done. Therefore Chriſt ſheweth vsus, what greate diligence wee ought to vſe in prayer, when the enemie falleth in, that the minde maye cleaue vntounto GOD conſtantly and without ſhrinking, and what ieſture the bodie ought to ſhewe in praier, Chriſt alſo declareth, in that hee falleth downe to the earth vppon his face, and praieth with the voyce and words. God hath no need of our praier: but vntounto vsus is nothing more profitable and better, than oft and feruently to pray. And the greater the aduerſitie is, the more ardent and earneſt ſhould the praier bee: as we ſee heere in Chriſt our head, whoſe paſsion is verie great in bodie and in minde, for the which cauſe alſo, as a verie true man, he ſheweth the fame his paſsion, and heauines to his Diſciples.
The ſtrongeſt of all, is weake: and the comforter of all harts, hath need of comfort himſelfe: hee that expelleth all terror and feare, doth himſelfe feare and tremble. But al this cōmeth to paſſe for our learning, that whē we be in temptations, we ſhould not doubt in the helpe of God: and that none of vsus (beeing in daunger and aduerſitie, and feeling himſelfe loth to ſuffer, or penſiue and ſlow to tame the motions and wickednes of the fleſh) ſhould therefore ſhrinke and bee faint harted: but with a conſtant faith to reſorte vntounto God, complaining to him of his trouble, with hartie praier: that he will bring the hard and painful beginning, to a bleſſed and ioyfull ende: that in all aduerſitie we may conſider, as well the excellent and great fruit which proceedeth thereof, as alſo the gratious good will of our heauenly Father, to whom we ought wholly and perfectly to giuegive ouer, and offer vp our ſelues: that neither through the multitude of ſinnes, neither through the greatnes of aduerſitie, we deſpaire nor fall away: but with his helpe and aſſiſtance, manfully to go through.
IEſus came againe to his Diſciples, and founde them ſleeping. Then ſaide hee vntounto Peter: Simon, ſleepeſt thou? Couldest thou not watch with mee one houre? Watch yee and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the ſpirit is willing, but the fleſh is weake.
Doctrine and fruite.
THE louelove of Chriſt towardes vsus, is feruent, earneſt and great: but our fleſh is ſo weake, that we not onelyonly conſider it not, but are alſo ſo ſlow, that wee ſleepe, and feele not for whoſe ſakes Chriſt hath ſuffered ſo great things Oft times is there in vsus a ready will to take great matters in hande, as Peter and the other Diſciples did: but at the laſt wee miſſe, and hauehave many a ſore fall. Therefore Chriſt (who knoweth vsus better than we our ſelues) willing to expell frō vsus all pride and preſumptuouſnes, teacheth vsus to bee lowly minded and humble, to bee euer watching, & with continual praier to cleaue only vntounto him, without whom we are able to do nothing, and in whome we may do all things and euen ſo doth he alſo in his feeblenes, which aſſaulted him as a very true man: to the intent, that wee alway remembring our owne weaknes, might vnderſtand how to tame the rebellious fleſh, & in no caſe to truſt it: and that wee might bee carefull and vigilaunt, leaſt the ſubtill enemie in temptations, come behind vsus, fall vppon vsus, and oppreſſe vsus. It is no time to ſleepe, the battaile is yet a fighting, the enemie is yet aliue, and as yet beſeegeth hee our caſtle that Chriſt hath in keeping. All is full of ſnares and dangers, which no man is able to eſcape ſaue onelyonly hee, which in feruent beleefe and prayer doth earneſtly watch and ſtoutly fight, yea, and that continually vntounto the end.
Neither the preſent anguiſh and trouble, nor yet Chriſtes exhortation can bring ſo much to paſſe in the Diſciples, as to keepe them from ſleepe: ſo little it helpeth, where the ſpirite giueth not life. Neuertheleſſe Chriſtes talke and admonition vntounto his Diſciples is not vtterly vnprofitable, for that they nowe vnderſtand not, the ſame afterwardes (when the ſpirite commeth) is made playne and euident vntounto them, and then are they feruent and earneſt in godly prayer. Wherefore wee ſhould neuer ceaſe from comforting and exhorting the feeble and weake: for though it helpe not at this preſent, the houre ſhall come, that the ſpirite will make it to hauehave life, and to be fruitfull in them.
HE went foorth the ſecond time, and praied like as afore: My father, if this cup may not paſſe except I drinke it, thy wil be done. Then came he againe, and found them ſleeping, for their eies were heauie, & they knew not what anſwere to make him. So he left them againe, and went and praied the third time like as afore, and kneeled downe and ſaid: Father, if thou wilt, take away this cuppe from me: Neuertheleſſe, not my will, but thine be done. And there appeared vntounto him an Angell from heauen comforting him: and when he was in the agonie (diſtreſſe and conflict) he praied the longer: and his ſweat was like droppes of bloud trickling downe to the ground. And when he roſe vp from praier, and came to his Diſciples, hee found them ſleeping for heauines, and hee ſaid vntounto them: What? Sleepe ye? Sleepe on now, and take your rest. It is enough, vppe and pray that ye enter not into temptation. Behold the houre approcheth, and the ſon of man is betraied and giuen into the hands of ſinners. Vp, let vsus goe: beholde, hee that betraieth me is at hand.