Fruitful Lessons Upon the Passion Burial Resurrection Ascension, passion · Commentary 38 – Commentary 39
Doctrine and fruit.
THE life of all liuing dieth after the fleſhe, thorow the painefull torment of death doth Ieſus depart: But by his death hee openeth vntounto vsus the way of life, and taketh from vsus euarlaſting death. This is a precious, dear, and victorious death, which hath ſlaine our death, and conquered vsus life againe. Let this death euermore continue in our hearts, and let our death bee conſidered in the conſideration of his death. This ſhall bring vsus comfortable truſt and hope, when our death ſtriueth in vsus, ſo that we ſhall neither be afraid, nor deſpaire, if wee ſteadfaſtly beleeue that Chriſt died for vsus, and that hee through his death, hath opened vntounto vsus euerlaſting life.
Let vsus with deuout heartes conſider the death of him that hath redeemed vsus, and reſtored vsus againe. The gracious innocent Lorde Ieſus dieth miſerable and naked, ſo poore, ſo deſtitute as no man els: And yet vntounto God is none ſo deare, although of men hee he moſt vilely intreated. This is euen the reward of the worlde, to deſpiſe the children of God, and to recompence euil for good. If the like happen vntounto vsus, we muſt not thinke it ſtraunge, for the ſeruant is not aboue the Lord. The Lorde hangeth on the croſſe, hard pearced, not onelyonly with nailes, but alſo with ardent louelove towards vsus: ſore beaten and hurt in euerie place, without ſuccour, without helpe, without comfort, euen as a dead man, who is forgotten and out of minde. Ponder well, O thou good ſeruant of Chriſt, who and how great hee is, that crying with a loud voyce, giueth vp the ghoſt: Verilie euen the ſonne of GOD, as Centurio likewiſe dooth teſtifie.
O deare brethren, let vsus conſider, how great our ſinnes are, for the which the innocent ſonne of God dieth. Iuſtly ought all the world to be dead vntounto vsus in Chriſt, and wee vntounto the world. And what is our life but a bleſſed death? Hee that learneth not to die in his life, is afraide when the houre of death commeth. EueryEvery day goe wee one daies iourney vntounto death: therefore ought wee ſo to watch, ſo to ſpeake, and ſo to worke, as if we would die euen now out of hand. Before death wee muſt learne to die, leaſt hee ſodainlie take holde vppon vsus, and make vsus afraide. Death vntounto thoſe that faithfully beleeue, is through the death of Chriſt, become the gate to life, for their comfort and ſtrong hope is in the woordes of Ieſus,Iohn. 11, when he ſaith: he that beleeueth on me, though hee were dead, yet ſhall hee liue Item: who ſo heareth my word, and beleeueth on him that ſent me,Iohn. 3. hath euerlaſting life.
In this promiſe ought we to liue and die, caſting away all impediments and ſuch thinges as hinder vsus from his louelove, beeing with heart and minde ſeperated from the world, and vndefiled from the filthines thereof.
Out of the paſſion of Chriſt, we muſt picke out vntounto our ſelues comfortable helpe and medicine, ſo that obediently in al patience we offer vp our ſelues vntounto our heauenly father, committing our ſoules into his handes. In life and in death, let the death of Chriſt be our comfort, and let vsus ſet it againſt al fearfull temptations, and between the wrath of God and our ſinnes.
O Lord Ieſu Chriſt, who in the feeble nature of man haſt ſuffred death for vsus vnworthie ſinners, graunt vsus grace, feruently in our hearts to beare the pain and louelove of thy moſt bitter death, and through the ſubduing and ouer-comming of al vice and wickedneſſe, to vſe and exerciſe our ſelues daily, in following thy footſteppes and dying with thee: And when the end of our life draweth nie, that wee then may depart in thy merciemercy and grace, and receiue the ioy of paradiſe. Aſſiſt thou vsus when we die, and defend vsus from the olde enemie, whom thou through thy death haſt ouer-come. O Father, wee commit our ſpirite into thy hand, thou haſt redeemed vsus O God of truth. Let theſe be our laſt wordes, when we depart hence. Amen.
AND behold the vaile of the temple rent into two peeces, from aboue till beneath: and there was an earthquake: the ſtones claue aſunder: the graues opened: they that had ſlept roſe vp, and went out of the graues, and came after his reſurrection into the holie Cittie, and appeared vntounto manie. The captaine, and they that were with him which kept Ieſus, when they ſaw the earthquake, and that he gaue vp the ghost with ſuch a crie (and other thinges that there happened) they were afraid verie ſore, and ſaide: Verely, this was Gods Sonne. Centurio likewiſe praiſed God, & ſaid: Verely this was a righteous man. And all the people that were there and ſaw it, ſmote vppon their brestes and returned.
Doctrine and fruite.
THe Iewes alway required tokens of Chriſt, and of ſuch there hapned manie nowe in the death of the Lord: for the very earth quaketh at their wickednes and blaſpheming of God: the hard ſtony rockes with their cracking and cleauing aſunder, expreſſe a lamentation on their makers behalfe: the vaile in the temple renteth, for a declaration, that the olde couered thinges in the olde Teſtament are laid away, and the hidde ſignifications of Chriſt expreſſed and opened: for he is the holy true oblation, that taketh away the ſinnes of the world: he is the vndefiled lambe of God: hee is the true high Prieſt,Heb. 10. that entreth within the vaile into the ſanctuary, for the way of holy thinges is opened through his bloud: hee is the high Prieſt that once entred in, and with one onelyonly ſacrifice doth perfectly cleanſe and ſanctifie. The graues opened for an euidence of his reſurrection. Centurio knowledgeth that, which the harde harted Iewes would not confeſſe.
O good faithfull beleeuers: let vsus not bee harder than the ſtones: let our hearts rent aſunder in repentance and ſorrow for our ſinnes, that we may enioye the fruite of the Lords death.
ANd a farre of ſtood all his acquaintance, among whom were many women, that came vp from Galilee, & followed him, and miniſtred vntounto him: among whome was Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of Iames the leſſe, and Ioſes, & the mother of Zebedes children, with manie other that were come to Hieruſalem.
The Iewes then, becauſe it was the Sabaoth euen, that the bodies ſhoulde not remaine on the croſſe vppon the Sabaoth day (for that was the great Saboth day) beſought Pilate that their legges might be broken, and that they might be taken downe. Then came the ſouldiors, and brake the legges of the first, and of the other which was crucified with him. But when they came to Ieſus, and ſaw that he was dead alreadie, they brake not his legges, but one of the ſouldiours with a ſpeare thrust him into the ſide, and forthwith came there out bloud and water. And he that ſaw it bare record, and his record is true. And he knoweth that hee ſaith true, that yee alſo might beleeue. Theſe thinges were done, that the Scripture might b…e fulfilled:Exod. 12. Zach. 11. Yee ſhall not breake a bone of him. And againe, another Scripture ſaith: They ſhall looke on him whom they pierced.