Fruitful Lessons Upon the Passion Burial Resurrection Ascension, passion · Commentary 33
Doctrine and fruit.
THE laſt wordes which Ieſus ſpake vppon the croſſe, ought all faithful beleeuers wel to write in their hearts, and therein diligently to keepe them. Firſt, he ſpake a louing friendly word, a word ful of grace & ſweet comfort to al ſinners, ſufficient and enough to breake al hardnes of hart, and to prouoke fruitfull repentance: Father forgiue them. O how great goodnes and louing kindnes is this? how ready is Ieſus vntounto mercy? how well willing is hee to forgiue his louers, that ſheweth himſelfe ſo mild and gracious vntounto his enemies? No angrie word, no diſpleaſure poureth hee out againſt thoſe that crucified him: no vengeance nor plague deſireth he to fal vppon that vngracious people, but ſpeaketh moſt ſweet woordes, full of ardent louelove: O Father forgiue them &c.
In theſe words apeareth his exceeding great louelove with vnoutſpeakable ſoftnes of mind, which thorow no mallice might bee ouerome. They (like madde and bloud thirſtie men) cried: Away with him, crucifie him, crucifie him. O the wonderfull great lenitie of our Lord Ieſus Chriſt! They reuile and miſintreat him to the vttermoſt: he praieth for them, that they beeing conuerted from their wickednes, may acknowledge him the very true ſon of God to hauehave appeared in the fleſh.
Eſay. 53.Here is fulfilled that Eſay ſaid: hee hath borne the ſinnes of many, and made interceſſion for the tranſgreſſours, that they ſhould not periſh.
Who now being in ſinne, wil deſpaire in the merciemercy of God, when the great offenders, that crucified and ſlewe the giuer of all remiſsion, found ſo great grace and goodnes?
A ſtedfaſt hope therefore ought we to conceiue and to bee ſure of, howe great ſoeuer our ſinne be: The hope of life ſtandeth yet open, the bowels of merciemercy are yet readie prepared. OnelyOnly vntounto him let vsus reſort: full gratiouſly will hee receiue vsus, ſo far as wee giuegive ouer our ſelues vntounto him. Heere likewiſe by the example of our fore-goer, wee muſt learne to forgiue our neighbour, to pray alſo for our enemies, and for thoſe that do vsus harme. If we gladly forgiue that little, God will forgiue vsus the great. If we ſo do, we finde grace, and are the children of the heauenly Father. As for the recompencing of all deſpite, & taking of vengeance, wee muſt commit and refer that vntounto our Father, who iudgeth righteouſly.1. Pet 2.3.
O Ieſu, thou heauenly ſchoolmaſter, teach vsus this, and graunt vsus grace to doe it. GiueGive vsus alſo an aſſured hope of thy merciemercy and grace, that wee fall into no deſpaire through the multitude of our ſinnes: but with faithfull minds to conſider, that for to heale ſin, thou cameſt into this world, & haſt ſhed thy bloud. O graunt vntounto vsus free refuge and ſure defence, vnderunder the ſhadowe of thy winges, and vnderunder the inuincible token of thy holie croſſe. Receiue vsus poore ſinners, which vtterly truſt not in anie good deede or merit of our owne, but onelyonly in thy merciemercy, Amen.
Verie ſpitefull extremitie is ſhewed vntounto our Sauiour, in that he muſt beholde and ſee, how the vile vnthriftes part his clothes amongſt them. By this, is there ſet forth vntounto vsus a doctrine, how wee ought to behaue our ſelues, if our temporall goodes bee withdrawne and taken from vsus. Wee muſt bee readier to ſuffer temporal harme, than to bee reuenged, or with vnquiet ſuite at the law to require our owne. He that created the whole worlde, hath not a corner where to reſt his head. Hee that beautifieth and decketh all things, hangeth bare and naked himſelfe. Whereby we muſt learne to be pacient, if that which is ours be taken from vsus: wee muſt learne to bee content with few thinges, and to take in good part things of ſmall reputation, and not to grudge, but with quiet minds to be thankfull vntounto God.
O Lord, grant vntounto vsus, that we appeare not naked and bare before thee: cloth vsus with the wedding garment of faith and louelove, and when wee ſuffer wrong, giuegive vsus grace to followe thine example in patience: that no ſorrowe nor heauineſſe for loſſe of temporall goods, lead vsus away from thee, Amen.
THey that paſſed by, reuiled and blaſphemed him, wagging their heades, and ſaieng: ha, thou that breakeſt downe the temple, and ſettest it vp againe in three dayes, helpe now thy ſelfe, if thou be the Sonne of God, come downe from the croſſe. The high Priestes alſo mocked him, together with the Scribes and Elders, and ſaide amongſt themſelues: He helped others, can hee not helpe himſelfe? If he be Christ the choſen of God, the king of Iſraell, lette him come downe now from the croſſe, & we will beleeue him. He ſetteth his hope and trust in God, let him deliuer him, if hee will hauehave him, for hee hath ſaid: I am the Sonne of GOD. The murtherers alſo that were crucified with him, caſt the ſame in his teeth, and reuiled him. The people ſtoode there, and wayted, and the chiefe of them mocked him, and ſaide: Hath hee helped others, and cannot helpe himſelfe, and is Christ the choſen of GOD. The ſouldiers alſo mocked him, came and proffered him vineger, and ſaid: If thou be king of the Iewes, helpe thy ſelfe. One of the murtherers that hanged by him, reuiled him alſo, and ſaid: If thou bee Christ helpe thy ſelfe and vsus. But the other rebuked him, and ſaid: Feareſt thou not God, ſeeing thou art in the ſame damnation. As for vsus we are iustly puniſhed, for we receiue according to our deeds: but this man hath done nothing amiſſe. And he ſaid vntounto Ieſus: Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdome. And Ieſus ſaid vntounto him: Verely I ſay vntounto thee, this day ſhalt thou be with me in paradiſe.