Fruitful Lessons Upon the Passion Burial Resurrection Ascension, passion · Commentary 20
Doctrine and fruit.
CHriſt the worthy and ſtrong Captaine, when he hath whollie giuen ouer himſelfe, ſteppeth forth weaponed, going manfully and ſtedfaſtlie againſt the prince of this world and his miniſters, yeelding and offering himſelfe willingly to ſuffer for vsus,Eſa. 53 as Eſay ſaith, quia voluit: for ſo was it his will. No man had beene able to take him, or put him to death, if hee had not ſo willed himſelfe: for hee had power to leaue his owne life. Many times afore, did hee giuegive place to their fury,Iohn. 10 and got himſelfe out of the way: but when the houre apointed of the father was come, he goeth himſelfe willingly & meeteth death by the way. Heere ought we alſo to learne, willingly and ſtoutly to goe into aduerſity, if it bee the will of our father, if Gods honour and our neighbours welfare ſo require. For like as the father ſuffreth not his ſon to die till the houre of death come: euen ſo ſtandeth our life in his hand. The limits that hee hath ſet vntounto vsus, may we neither preuent, nor ouer paſſe: neither lieth it in the power of our enemies, to kill vsus when they will themſelues. Chriſt careth for thoſe that are his: the enemies are able to doe vsus no harme at all,Iob. 2 no neither in bodie nor goods, till the Father giuegive them leaue. Therfore he ſayth, Let theſe go. The father, according to his greate merciemercy and gracious will, thruſteth vsus into aduerſitie with Chriſt his deare beloued ſonne, in ſuch wiſe, ſo much, and at what time he will himſelfe. Againſt his will ought we not to ſtriue, but patiently and with obedience ſubmit our ſelues wholy vntounto it.
Oh what an vnſpeakable great louelove is heere! The ſhepheard dieth, to ſaue the lyfe of the poore ſheepe: the Lorde goeth vntounto death, to the intent that the ſeruants ſhould not die: the creator ſpareth not himſelfe to ſaue his creature. If the ſonne of God nowe doeth not abhorre to ſuffer death for vsus, why would wee then bee aſhamed, to ſuffer and die for hys ſake.
And though he be verie God, and ſheweth his enemies the brightnes of his godly ſtrength, in that he ſo throweth them to the grounde, yet will not he in the ſame houre vſe ſuch his diuine power to deliuer himſelf: albeit he admoniſheth them therby, to ceaſe from their conceiued mallice, for his godly ſtrength caſteth them downe, his merciemercy & grace lifteth them vp again. Out of the which great myracle, they ſhuld hauehave learned, not to laie hande on him malitiouſly, they ſhoulde hauehave conſidered, that if it had beene his pleaſure, hee might well hauehave eſcaped their handes, ſo that they had not beene able to holde him, but the vnbeleeuing rable are blinded, indurate, and hardned, that neither myracle nor kindnes can moue them.
Oh the high maieſtie of Chriſt! how ſhall vnbeleeuers be able to ſtand before him, when he ſhal appeare in the iudgement, whereas before his weakneſſe and humilitie (when hee was now to bee iudged himſelfe) they were not able to ſtand? If his louing voice wherewith hee ſpeaketh ſo gentlie vntounto them (and ſaith: I am hee) dooth ſo feare them and throw them down. What wil then the horrible voice of the Iudge doe, when hee ſhall ſay: depart yee curſed into euerlaſting fire? O how innocently and godly ought we to liue before him, who is among vsus, and in vsus, heareth all our words, ſeeth all our workes, ſercheth and looketh thorow all our thoughts, howe ſecret ſo euer they be? Chriſt at this time withdrew his high power, and in weaknes of the fleſh, and in wonderfull high patience, ſtept he forth to ſuffer. By his enſample muſt wee learne, not to take vsus to our high eſtate, but with patience and humblenes of mind to meet the enemie.
Like patience and gentlenes vſeth he alſo towards his traitour, whome hee goeth to meet, not ſpeaking rough wordes vntounto him, brawleth not with him, rateth him not, (as he was well worthy) but receiueth him with all ſoftnes of mind, and gentlenes, whereas yet hee came to deliuer & betray him into the hands of the wicked, and vntounto death. Neither dooth the Lorde denie him ſo much as the kiſſe, the token of friendſhip: but louingly alſo talketh he with him: albeit he alſo maketh mention of his vnfeined and diſſembling friendſhip, telling him of it: admoniſhing him (if he had not bene hardened) to ceaſe from his conceaued treaſon. Wherefore, we alſo muſt learne of Chriſt (ſo far as concerneth our owne perſon and eſtimation) with all mildneſſe, ſoftneſſe of mind, patience and greateſt louelove, to meete thoſe that hate vsus and betray vsus:Math. 5: Rom. 12.if peraduenture with ſuch louelove and gentlenes of minde. wee may bring them away from their malice and wickednes.
Heere alſo with great feare & dread ought we to conſider of the iudgement God in Iudas. that he being one of the twelue and elect Diſciples, dooth betray and ſell the Lord Ieſus his gratious louing Maiſter. Whereby wee are taught, how that amongſt all men there is nothing throughly perfect and whole, ſeeing that in ſo holy and ſmall number there is one man ſo greatly ſtuffed with wickedneſſe. Therefore he that ſtandeth, let him looke that he fall not. Lette couetouſnes blind no man: let the deſire of temporall good poſſeſſe and rule no mans heart: for out of couetouſnes the roote of all vice, groweth nothing but treaſon and deſpaire. No righteouſneſſe, no fidelity, no truth, no honeſty, can be in that hart wherin greedie couetouſnes hath taken root. Iudas for verie greedines of money, giueth ouer God & all louelove: and hee that afore was a fellowe and companion of the holy congregation of Gods children, is become a mate, companion and Captaine of the wicked & vnbeleeuers: hee that was choſen to the preaching of the Goſpell, is become an enemie, perſecutor, and traitour againſt the truth. O from how high & great honour, to what ſhame, diſhoneſtie, and vile ſtate falleth Iudas, who hauing woluiſh conditions vnderunder ſheepes cloathing, doth vnderunder the token of louelove, practiſe treaſon againſt the trueth? From Ieſus the true health. hee ſeperateth himſelfe to the children of the Deuill: hee getteth him amongſt the bloud-thirſtie, yea euen he that hitherto in outward appearaunce had confeſſed the trueth. Thus goeth it when temptation breaketh in, when the truth commeth into perill and aduerſitie: then the enemies of the truth declare themſelues, and hypocrites get them to the aduerſaries againſt Chriſt: then may wee learne to know them.
Of theſe (the more pittie) there bee at this daie in the church of God many, which vnderunder the pretence and colour of truth, fight againſt the truth, and that taking the name of Chriſt in their mouth, betraye Chriſt, yea with the ſword of their venemous tungs kill Chriſt, and in ſheeps cloathing are very wolues, falſe teachers, and moſt noyſome enemies, whome couetouſnes and vaine glorie blindeth. And wheras they are not able to roote out Chriſt with the truth, they vndertake to do it with weapons and ſwords, & ſet the princes and powers of the worlde, to defende their falſhood and tyranny. Yea, many there bee of thoſe that rebuking Iudas acte, doo euen as hee did themſelues: feyning the trueth, when in very deede they perſecute the truth.
O our great ſlothfulnes! whereof wee are admoniſhed in the Diſciples that ſleepe, when wicked Iudas in his vngratious worke ſo diligently watcheth, and earneſtly runneth about. O that the louelove & zeale of God might doe as much in vsus, as the vngratious will in the wicked! O that wee which are choſen into the ſeruice of Chriſt, were ſo diligent to miniſter vntounto our Father and Lorde, as the children of this world are to wait vponupon Sathan their maiſter! for nothing doo they omit, that may ſerue to the perſecution of the truth.
O mercifull God, graunt vsus poore feeble men patience in aduerſitie, that ſodaine wrath ouercome vsus not, and that bitterneſſe and deſire of vengeance, kindle vsus not to vſe vncharitable wordes, and to doe hurt, when enemies fall vponupon vsus, and bragge againſt vsus, telling vsus our faultes, whereof wee thinke our ſelues vnguiltie. Graunt vsus euer louingly to receiue all aduerſitie: and that wee may knowe thoſe to bee our beſt friendes, which ſpeake vntounto vsus, and rebuke vsus hardeſt of all. Lette no wicked roote of enuie, malice, and euill will growe in vsus: no tediouſnes, nor ſlouth. GiueGive vsus ſtrength to bee willing and patient, and with feruent deſire to ſuffer yet more greeuous thinges for thy ſake. Pull vp the wicked root of couetouſneſſe, and the falſe ſhine of feyned ſpiritualtie out of vsus. Oh ſaue vsus, that Sathan bring vsus not into temptation Graunt vsus louelove towardes friendes and enemies: that we may follow the nature of thee our Father, and the example of thy onelyonly begotten Son Ieſus Chriſt, Amen:
THen came they and laide handes on Ieſus, and tooke him. But when they that were with him ſawe what would come of it, they ſaid vntounto him: Mayſter, ſhal we ſmite with the ſword? Ieſus anſwered, & ſaid: Suffer ye thus farre forth. Simon Peter had a ſword, which he drew out, & ſmote the ſeruant of the high Prieſt, & cut off his right eare. And the ſeruantes name was called Malchus. Then ſayde Ieſus vntounto Peter: Put thy (word into the ſheath. Wilt thou not that I ſhall drinke the cuppe which my Father hath giuen mee? All they that drawe the ſworde, ſhall periſh with the ſword. Thinkest thou not, that I might pray my father to ſend me now more than twelue legions of Angels? But how ſhould the Scriptures be fulfilled? It must needes be thus. And when Ieſus touched his eare, he healed it. Then began Ieſus to ſpeake vntounto the multitude (that were come to him) and to the high Priests, and to the chiefe rulers of the temple, and to the elders, and ſaid: Ye are come foorth as to a murtherer with ſwords and ſtaues, to take me. whereas I yet being daily in the temple, ſate and taught, and yee tooke mee not. But this is your houre, and the power of darkneſſe. All this commeth to paſſe, that the Scriptures ſhould bee fulfilled. Then the Diſciples forſooke him, and fledde all from him. There was a yong man that followed after, who had a white linnen cloth vponupon the bare, and him they tooke. But he left the linnen cloth behind him, and ranne away naked. The multiude, and the captaine and Ministers of the Iewes, apprehended Ieſus, took him, bound him, & lead him first to Annas the chiefe Priest: for he was Father in lawe vntounto Caiphas, which Caiphas was high Priest, and was the ſame Caiphas which gaue counſaile vntounto the Iewes, that better it were one man to die, than the whole people to periſh. And all the Priestes, and Scribes, Phariſies, and Elders came together.