Fruitful Lessons Upon the Passion Burial Resurrection Ascension, passion · Commentary 32
Doctrine and fruit.
HEere ought we with deuout hearts to behold our Sauiour Ieſus, how meekely he taketh the croſſe vppon him for our ſakes, and patientlie beareth it, to bring the loſt ſheep again vpō his ſhoulders. Heere we ſee our king beare his kingdome vponupon his ſhoulders,Eſay. 9. as Eſay the prophet ſaith. He is is not onelyonly led foorth, but it is done with great teproch, euen as if he were a ring-leader of murtherers and vnthrifts. O how was the king of glorie blaſpemed and miſintreated for our ſakes? Hee taketh our ſins vponupon him, and diſchargeth vsus of our burthen.
In the conſideration of this his reproch, we ſhold not weepe ouer him, but ouer our ſelues. For if this be done to the innocent ſonne of God, what are we then worthie of?1. Pet. 3. By this alſo muſt wee learne, patiently to beare our croſſe, in folowing our fore-goer: for he ſheweth vsus an example before, that we ſhould follow his fooſteps, euen to the death. And if we ſo conſider our croſſe, it ſhall be light and eaſie vntounto vsus. We hauehave ſworne vnderunder the croſſe, from the which we muſt not ſhrinke, if we will follow the Lord. The louelove of Ieſu Chriſt ſhal make all aduerſitie ſweet and acceptable vntounto vsus. Our ioy and comfort ought to bee chiefly in the croſſe of our Lord Ieſus Chriſt, by whome the world muſt be crucified vntounto vsus,Gal. 5. and we vntounto the world. He ſhall cauſe our ſlouthfull fleſh to bee quicke and diligent, and ſhall kindle our colde heart. Hee goeth before vsus in the narrowe waie, and is a companion of our pilgrimage, a helper in all trouble, a comforter in all aduerſitie, a worker with vsus in the grieuous trauaile that wee ſuffer for his ſake.
O Lorde helpe vsus to beare the heauie burthens: that wee maye bee diligent and apt vntounto all good workes. Aſſiſt vsus with thy power and grace, helpe vsus according vntounto thy accuſtomed merciemercy: teach vsus to breake, and vtterlie to leaue our owne will. Make vsus true Croſſe-bearers and followers of thee: Take from vsus all worldlie luſt and wilfulneſſe, what ſo euer hindereth vsus in thy louelove, that in obedience and patience wee may alwaie followe thee, and find reſt with thee after aduerſitie. Thou Lorde waſt ſtripped out of thy apparell, and ſpoyled thereof: that wee with vertues might be cloathed. The ſame that was put vppon thee to rebuke and ſhame, is vntounto vsus become the higheſt honour. Thou waſt lift vppe from the earth, that thou mighteſt drawe the heartes of thy faithfull beleeuers vntounto thee from all earthlie thinges, and kindle them in the louelove of hie heauenly things: that thou thorow thy death mighteſt reconcile & fully reſtore all that is in heauen and earth.
O ye righteous and faithfull, that delite to ſerue God, behold with the eies of your hart, how our God, Lord, king, and redeemer hangeth on the croſſe for vsus. let vsus conſider our louer, who for our ſakes hangeth naked and bare in great ſhame & reproch before the world. He ſpreadeth out his armes, to call and receiue vntounto himſelfe, vsus poore ſinners & loſt children, ſaying,Math. 11. Come to me all ye that labour and are laden, and I will refreſh you. He ſheweth his woundes, out of the which floweth the plentifull riuer and fountaine of his precious deare bloud, to the waſhing awaie of all our filthyneſſe.Zach. 13 Hee boweth downe his head, to ſpeake friendly vntounto vsus. Boldly therfore with great comfort and confidence, ought al ſinners to reſort vntounto him, where they ſhall find help & conſolation, defence and protection: there ſhould they laie downe the heauie burthens of theyr ſinnes. VntoUnto vsus muſt al the world be a croſſe, and we vntounto the world: onelyonly let Chriſt the Lord be our life, and to die with him, our greateſt aduantage. Farre bee from vsus all reioycing, ſaue onelyonly in the croſſe of Ieſus Chriſt, farre be from vsus al confidence in our owne workes & merites, for all our health conſiſteth in the croſſe of Ieſus Chriſt, wherein vndoubtedly we may well ſet all our hope. By him commeth forgiueneſſe of ſinnes, out of him floweth the riches of all deſeruing: with him is the reward of all righteouſnes. Through the contempt of our ſelues, and of all temporall things, let vsus barely, nakedly, and ſimply followe the naked and crucified Lord.
Teach vsus (O God) to hauehave delight in contemning our ſelues, and all temporal things: and when other folkes are in trouble, to be ſorrie and praie for them. Grant vsus grace to wiſh good vntounto thoſe that hurt and puniſh vsus: let vsus not truſt in men, for there bee fewe faithfull and conſtant friends.
Heere alſo ſhould we learne, not to be grieued, if we hauehave few louers and many enemies: for ſo happened euen vntounto Chriſt our head. He had many foes to whome yet he did none euil but much good, and receiued great vnthanke for his labour. Sweete and acceptable ſhould it bee vntounto vsus, to ſuffer reproch of the world, and to be deſpiſed for his ſake: yea, to auoyd all voluptuouſnes and ioy of the world, ſaying we are faſtned vntounto the croſſe with Chriſt. To ſeeke much paſtime & pleaſure of the world, becommeth not him that muſt ſuffer aduerſitie. All this learne we in the paſſion of Chriſt, and in the croſſe. Bleſſed is hee that directeth his daily exerciſe and his whole life there after:Apoc. 2. Pſal. 83.… hee ſhall enioy the fruit of the tree of life for euer.
O GOD heauenlie Father, looke vppon the face of thine annointed, who hanged for vsus vppon the croſſe: Be merciful vntounto vsus poore ſinners, which bee laden with great and greeuous ſinnes: forgiue vsus for the moſt worthie merites ſake of thine onelie begotten deare ſonne, who for our ſinnes was beaten and wounded: Let him ſatisfie thee for all our ſinnes.
He is our ſuretie in thy ſight, our faithful aduocat and mediatour: him thou gladly heareſt O father of merciemercy, and graciouſlie accepteſt his interceſſion for all ſinners.
O gracious Lord Ieſu, ſonne of the eternall God, who of verie louelove towards vsus, tookeſt vponupon thee our weake fleſhe (vndefiled from all ſinne) and diddeſt offer vp the ſame fleſh vntounto thy father vponupon the Altar of the croſſe for the ſafegard of the worlde, hauehave mercy vppon vsus thy ſeruauntes, for thy euerlaſting goodnes, and for the infinite merites ſake of thy holie paſſion: For thy deſeruing excelleth al mens ſins, and much greater is the aboundance of thy merciemercy, then all our wickedneſſe. Therefore flie wee vntounto thee vnderunder the protection of thy holy croſſe, & with ſighing hearts ſeeke we helpe, grace, and remedy for our woundes.Pſal. 119. Receiue vsus that are fledde vntounto thee: Heale vsus that be ſick, make vsus iuſt and righteous that be ſinners. Drawe thou vsus vppe an high O Lord Ieſu from all worldlie thinges, binde vppe our fleſhe with thy feare, wound vsus with thy ſweet louelove, that nothing els take holde of our heart, ſaue onelyonly Ieſus Chriſt.
Out of the woundes of Ieſu, and out of the running out of his bloud, doe wee receiue hope: There finde wee medicine for our ſoules, aboundance of grace, and perfect forgiueneſſe. Whatſoeuer we receiue of ſinfull vices, whatſoeuer wee commit with bodily ſenſualitie, the ſame is altogether waſhed and refourmed in the fountaine of Chriſts bloud. O the vnoutſpeakable louelove, which the ſonne of God beareth towards his Church, that he waſheth and clenſeth it with his owne bloud,Epheſ 5. with the bloud of the new Teſtament, that it may be holy, pure, and without ſpot.3. Pet 1. Not with ſiluer and golde doth GOD redeeme his creature, but with the precious bloud of his owne ſonne. O deare children, let vsus not tread vnderunder foote the bloud of the holie Teſtament: let vsus not be vnthankefull vntounto our Sauiour.
Heb. 10.Thy holie bloud O Ieſu, make vsus pure and cleane from all ſinne, and ſanctifie vsus thoroweout, that our ſpirite, ſoule, and bodie, may cheerefullie waite for thy comming, and liue with thee for euer.Theſ. 5.
IESVS ſaid: O Father forgiue them, for they knowe not what they doe. Pilate wrote a ſuperſcription of the matter, and faſtened it aboue at the head of the croſſe. The ſuperſcription was written in the Greeke, Latine, and Hebrew with theſe woordes: Ieſus of Nazareth king of the Iewes. This ſuperſcription did many of the Iewes read, for the place where Ieſus was crucified, was neere vntounto the Citie, and the ſuperſcription was written in Greeke, Latine, and Hebrew. Then ſaid the high Prieſtes of the Iewes vntounto Pilate: write not king of the Iewes, but that he called himſelfe king of the Iewes. Pilate anſwered: What I hauehave written, I hauehave written. The ſouldiers when they had crucified Ieſus, they tooke his garmentes and made foure parts, to eueryevery ſouldier one part, and alſo his coat. The coat was without ſeam, wrought vponupon thorow out. Then ſaid they together: let vsus not deuide it, but caſt lottes for it, who ſhall hauehave it: that the ſcripture might be fulfilled, ſaying: They hauehave parted my raiment among them, and for my coat they caſt lots.Pſal. 22. And the ſouldiers did ſuch things in deed. Then ſate they downe and kept him. There ſtood alſo much people, and beheld.