Fruitful Lessons Upon the Passion Burial Resurrection Ascension, passion · Commentary 8
Doctrine and fruit.
OH how excellent great conſolation is this to vsus all, which beleeue in Ieſus Chriſt,Entirely doth Chriſt louelove thoſe that are his. and are vndoubtedly aſſured in ourſelues, that Chriſt loueth vsus as his owne children and diſciples, howſoeuer the world iudge vsus to be forſaken of him? If this louelove came right into our heart, oh how earneſt and feruent ſhould we be to louelove him agayne, to further his honour, to keepe his commaundementes, and in charitable louelove to ſerue our neighbors? Then ſhould all good workes and keeping of Gods commaundements, flowe out of faith: namely, when we beleeue that God is fauourable and louing vntounto vsus, yea, that he is our father, and our ſonne Ieſus Chriſt our king,Iohn. 4. head, and brother. This faith worketh through louelove: for wee coulde not louelove God, if hee had not loued vsus firſt. His grace, louelove, and merciemercy preuenteth vsus.
Therefore doth Chriſt euer ſtill ſet forth his louelove before vsus, as a light torch, to kindle vsus in louelove towardes him and our neighbours. If wee beleeue this grace, committing vsus cheerfully vntounto his louelove, which he hath declared, & cōtinually doth practiſe towards vsus, if we ſtill abide therein: then ſhall this faith vponupon the louelove of God, worke great things in vsus, and by vsus, and ſhall moue vsus, with good will gladly and cheerefullie to obſerue his commaundements. And if wee keepe his commaundements,LoueLove is an euidence of faith. euerie man ſhall hauehave an aſſured token, that wee bee, and continue in the louelove of God: that is, that we keepe our ſelues vntounto his louelove.
What foloweth out of the louelove of God.Seeing then that hee loueth vsus exceeding much, and we finding the ſame in our hearts, through faith, doe comfort our ſelues thereupon, there muſt needs followe louelove to our neighbours, ioye, peace, ſoftneſſe of minde, gentlenes, patience, &c. Gal. 5.
Now that Chriſt doth not ſlenderly, but moſt notably louelove his Diſciple,Tokens of Gods louelove to vsus. and all in them, hee proueth it himſelfe diuerſe waies. Firſt, in that hee giueth his life for vsus, and dyeth for vsus vponupon the Croſſe: for greater louelove hath no man, than to dye for his friend. Thus Chriſt with his death and blood, ſealeth his louelove towards vsus.
Secondly, in that hee counteth and eſteemeth vsus, not as ſeruants,Iohn. 1. but as deare friendes, bretheren, and heires with him. And the ſame declareth hee in this, that all things which hee hath heard of his father, and ſuckt out of that fatherly heart, he openeth them vntounto vsus, and writeth the ſame through his holy ſpirit,1. Cor. 2. in our hearts. All his ſecret, his godly will, he giueth vsus to vnderſtād. For we which be in Chriſt, do know through an vndoubted faith, & feele it alſo in our hearts, that God is our father through Chriſt, & that in him he hath admitted & choſen vsus, that he is reconciled with vsus through the bloud of his deare Sonne, that he loueth, preſerueth, and defendeth vsus.Rom. 5. Therefore doe wee alſo paciently and chearefully beare all aduerſitie in this time for his ſake, conſidering wee knowe, that ſo is the good pleaſure of our deareſt Father.
Thirdly,Epheſ. 1. Rom. 5. Chriſt declareth his excellent louelove towards vsus, in that he did chuſe vsus afore the world was created, & loued vsus when we were yet his enemies,We are choſen to bring forth fruit. calling vsus by his worde, and appointing vsus to bring forth fruit vntounto him.
Fourthly, in that we obtaine at the fathers hand, all that we pray and deſire in the name of Ieſu. Are not theſe ſure tokens of an exceeding louelove of God towards vsus?We ought to indure in louelove. After that we once hauehave perceiued ſuch louelove, ô that we alwayes remained therein. Which commeth to paſſe, when wee applie ourſelues vntounto his commaundements, and when wee in obedience and patience are content to bee at his will, as hee for our ſake was obedient vntounto his Father,Phil. 2. euen vntill the death of the croſſe. Now that wee might knowe what his commandements be, he concludeth them in a ſhort ſumme, and ſaith: LoueLove yee one another together, as I hauehave loued you. As if he would ſay,The commandement of God, is louelove. ſeeing I hauehave declared my louelove ſo worthily, ſo notably, and with ſo great faithfulneſſe towardes you, that I hauehave nor refuſed to die for you: therefore is it my will (and ſo is it reaſon alſo) that yee likewiſe ſhewe ſuch louelove one towards another: for I hauehave giuen you example afore, that ye ſhould do as I hauehave done,Iohn. 13. 1. Pet. 2. and follow my foot-ſteppes.
This ſhall not onelyonly bee very ſeemely vntounto you, but much profite alſo and greate honour ſhall it bring you. For like as my Father (as yee ſhall ſhortlie ſee) ſhall after my paſſion bring mee vntounto glorie, ſo ſhall hee alſo doe vntounto you, ſo farre as yee endure ſtedfaſt in aduerſitie, and continue in louelove one towards another. Like as I with great trauaile and labour hauehave ſhewed you the way and will of GOD my Father, and therefore goe nowe vntounto death, to make you liuing: ſo ought yee alſo to bee minded one towardes another. Looke that yee ſerue one another in louelove, lead all men vntounto God: and the grace of God which he giueth vntounto the world through me, publiſh ye vntounto all men, though yee muſt looſe your life therefore.
IF the world hate you, yee know that it hated mee before it hated you. If yee were of the worlde, the world would louelove his owne. Howbeit, becauſe yee are not of the worlde, but I hauehave choſen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you. Remember the word that I ſaid vntounto you: the ſeruaunt is not greater than the Lord. If they hauehave perſecuted mee, ſo will they perſecute you. If they hauehave kept my ſayings, they will alſo keepe yours. But all theſe things will they do vntounto you for my names ſake, becauſe they knowe not him that ſent mee. If I had not come and ſpoken vntounto them, they ſhould not hauehave had ſinne: but now hauehave they nothing to cloake their ſinne withall. Hee that hateth mee, hateth my Father alſo. If I had not doone workes amongst them, which none other man did, they had not had ſinne: but nowe hauehave they ſeene, and hauehave hated both mee, and alſo my Father, euen that the ſaying might bee fulfilled, which is written in theyr owne lawe: They hauehave hated mee without anie cauſe.