Fruitful Lessons Upon the Passion Burial Resurrection Ascension, passion · Commentary 7
Doctrine and fruite.
VNderUnder this fayre ſimilitude, doeth Chriſt teach his Church, that without him wee can do nothing, but in him all things. Now foraſmuch as hee through his grace, hath incorporated vsus vntounto himſelfe, wee ought with great diligence to apply our ſelues, that we may abide in him, and beare fruit. For as long as wee are in him, wee liue, that is,To abide in Chriſt. we receiue liuely vertue and ſappe of him, namely, his ſpirite. For who ſo cleaueth vntounto the Lorde, and is incorporated vntounto him through faith, the ſame is become one ſpirit with him, the firſt Epiſtle to the Corinthians, and the ſixt Chapter. For heereby knowe wee, that wee are in him, and hee in vsus, in that hee hath giuen vsus of his ſpirit, the firſt of Iohn and fourth Chapter. For why? the vineyard, the branches are of one nature and kinde. Thus the onelyonly begotten ſonne of GOD tooke our nature vppon him, is become man, and giueth vsus of his ſpirite, and maketh vsus to be of a godly mind and ſpiritual nature. Out of the ſame pith and ſap, doe all manner of godly vertues and good workes breake forth. Gal. 5. Pſal. 85. For through his grace, are we his operation and worke in Chriſt Ieſu,Eph. 2 created vntounto good workes, wherein we are bound to walke. And ſeeing we hauehave receiued Ieſus Chriſt of God the father, we ought to walke in him, that in him we may be well rooted and ſtand faſt.Col. 2.
What it is to abide in Chriſt.But heereby knowe we that we are in him, if we walke as he hath walked. For who ſo ſaith, that he abideth in him, then euen as hee walked, ſo muſt wee doe. 1. Iohn. 2. But if we woulde ſaie, that wee were in him, and had fellowſhippe with him, and yet would walke in darkneſſe (ſeeing hee is the light, wherein is found no darkneſſe at all) then were wee lyars, and went not about with the truth. But if wee walke in light, as he is light, & we children of light, then hauehave we fellowſhip and companie with him, & the bloud of Chriſt purgeth vsus from all ſinne. 1. Iohn. 1.
In Chriſt Ieſu may no man be idle and without fruit.Puniſhment of vnthankfulnes. 2. Theſ 3. who ſo now is vnthankful to the grace of God, & doth not practiſe himſelfe in good works, to Gods glorie, the ſame is cut off, and as an vnfruitfull drie branch, throwen into the fire & burnt. Faith grafteth vsus into Chriſt, LoueLove declareth, that wee are planted in, & it knitteth the members with the head. Where the ſpirite of Chriſt followeth from the head into the members, from the ſtock into the branches; there are fruites of the ſpirite: for by the fruit is the tree knowen.…
Chriſt through his worde and ſpirit hath pacified vsus: that is,How the faithfull are cleane. he hath called and ſeparated vsus from the world, and from the filthines of the fleſh vntounto good workes. And into his owne ſeruice, and ſchoole of godly nurtor hath hee admitted vsus, and written vp our names. He hath begonne to purge and clenſe vsus from carnall luſtes, and from all vncleannes of the world: accepting vsus into the number of thoſe that dye from the world, and that now from hence forth will liue vntounto him, and bring forth fruite.1. Pet. 1. Faith bringeth fruite. But that is not enough: we muſt alſo obediently waite vponupon the grace that hee hath placed vsus in: applying our diligence, watching, and praying, that from ſo high a vocation, from ſo excellent grace and honour, wee fall not away againe. 1. Cor. 10. It is not enough to hauehave begonne, there muſt be a ſtedfaſt continuance. Hee that forſaketh the head againe, hath neither ſpirit nor vertue: for without him wee are able to doe nothing. Therefore through faith and louelove ought wee to abide in him, hauing reſpect vntounto him in all thinges: ſo ſhall wee bring forth much fruite vntounto him. Then abyde wee in him, when wee doe that hee commaundeth vsus, and louelove that which hee promiſeth vsus.The good workes are not open. Howbeit, theſe fruites that wee bring forth are not ours, but the fathers: to him ought wee to bring them foorth, vntounto his honour muſt they extend, Matth. 5.28.
For when Gods light doth appeare and ſhine in our conuerſation, & many folkes thereby are drawn vntounto God. The father of heauen is honoured, his name is hallowed, and then are we his diſciples. For wee hauehave learned of him, howe Chriſt was obedient vntounto the father, and ſought his glorie in all things, & ſo do we likewiſe.
What wee ought to p…a…e.Heereunto ought all our praiers to extend, that we may bring and winne much vntounto Chriſt. Therein is the father praiſed, whē we bring vntounto him much fruit, but that might wee not, if God had giuen vsus his ſonne, that wee might bee his branches, and hee our vine.
Where faith is, there is the holy Ghoſt, which teacheth to wiſhe and praie for that onelyonly, which may ſerue to Gods honour, and that is the cauſe, why he that prayeth, obtayneth all his deſire: for GOD may not giuegive ouer his glorie. Who ſo vndertaketh to further that, him doeth hee aſſiſt and helpe.
AS the Father hath loued mee. ſo hauehave I loued you. Continue ye in my louelove. If ye keep my commandements, ye ſhall abide in my louelove, as I hauehave kept my fathers commaundementes, and abide in his louelove. Theſe things hauehave I ſpoken vntounto you, that my ioy might remaine in you, and that your ioy might be full. This is my commandement, that yee louelove together, as I hauehave loued you. Greater louelove than this, hath no man, that a man beſtowe his life for his friendes. Yee are my friendes, if yee doo whatſoeuer I commaund you. Henceforth call I you not ſeruauntes, for the ſeruant knoweth not what his Lord doth. But you hauehave I called friends, for all things that I hauehave heard of my father, hauehave I opened vntounto you. Yee hauehave not choſen mee, but I hauehave choſen you, and ordained you, that ye goe and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit remain, that whatſoeuer ye ask of the father in my name, he may giuegive it you. This command I you, that ye louelove together one another.