Fruitful Lessons Upon the Passion Burial Resurrection Ascension, resurrection · Commentary 11
Doctrine and fruite.
IT is not ſufficient to hauehave begunne, except the ſoul ſhepheard continue in his office and faithfulneſſe.
For to take the cure and charge of the ſheepe, bringeth great danger, loſſe, trauaile, and labour with it. Many a time muſt a faithfull ſhepheard ieoperd his life for his ſheepe. Such perrill doth Chriſt promiſe vntounto Peter, namely, that hee muſt die, and with what death. Afore-time when hee was young, he ſought that which pertained to the fleſh, he might not away with the croſſe: but nowe after the receiuing of the holy ghoſt, he is ſtout, and dieth for Chriſts ſake, and for his ſheepe. Beholde, ſuch an end had Peter, that of louelove he dieth for him, with whome to die he raſhlie promiſed afore. But neceſſarie it was, that Chriſt ſhould firſt die for Peters health, and that Peter afterward ſhould ſuffer death for his names ſake.
The preſumption and headines of man would hauehave ſet the cart before the horſe, but the euerlaſting truth hath appointed this order. Peter thought he would hauehave ieoperded his life for Chriſt, & hauehave redeemed the redeemer: but Chriſt came to giuegive his life for his ſheepe, of whom Peter was one. Now after that Chriſt died for thoſe that bee his, there is ſtrength giuen in the hearts of ſuch ſhepheards and ſheepe as be faithful, to ſuffer death for Chriſts ſake. Death is not now ſo to be feared of vsus, that we wold therefore goe backe from the truth: for by death do not wee loſe life, yea Chriſt hath made death to bee the way vntounto life: And by his Reſurrection he hath ſet forth vntounto vsus an example of another life, which is immortall. Peter was firſt afraide and feared death, and would hauehave diſſuaded Chriſt that he ſhould not die:Math. 16. but now that the precious treaſure of Chriſtes bloud is ſhed, hee followeth his redeemer, yea euen vntounto the death of the croſſe goeth hee after him, therefore is hee nowe no more a ſatan, but a Peter.Petrus of the rocke.
But from whence commeth ſuch ſtrength into a feeble man? Euen from God who dwelleth in the hearts of the faithfull, for elſe is the nature and fleſh of man impotent and weake, beeing afraid of death: which feare (naturall heate being abated) is the greater in them that are olde. And though we all wiſh to to be with Chriſt, and be deſirous of eternall life, yet would we faine hauehave it without any griefe of death, if it might be. Thus came the conflict of death euen vponupon Chriſt, whereby hee declared himſelfe verie man, but the wil of God had the maſtry aboue mans in the wraſtling: Peter alſo went not with his wil to death, but with his will he both ſuffered it, and ouercame it. Chriſt likewiſe, to comfort vsus, was heauie: who neuertheles came vponupon earth, that he wold die: neither was it neceſſitie that moued him to die,Iohn. 10 but his owne good will and louelove: for hee had power to giuegive his ſoule, and take it agayne.
Now though the feare of death be great in nature yet is it ouercome through the ſtrength and greatneſſe of the louelove,2. Cor. 5. which wee beare vntounto him who is our life, euen Ieſus Chriſt. And albeit he was the life it ſelfe, yet pleaſed it him to ſuffer death for vsus. Seeing then that hee alone dyed for vsus, wee ought not to be aſhamed, neither ſhould it grieue vsus to die alſo for him, ſpecially conſidering that the publiſhing of ſo excellent grace is committed vntounto vsus. When the ſhepheard dyeth for the ſheepe, it is no great matter if the ſheepe die for the ſhepheards ſake. Foraſmuch now as the faithfull ſhepheard with his louelove, directeth and encourageth many of the ſheepe, to die for his names ſake: how much more meete is it, that the ſhepheards bee the firſt which ieoparde theyr liues, ſtriuing for the truth, and euen vntounto bloud to reſiſte ſinne, when Chriſt hath put them in truſt to feed his ſheepe? This is now the occaſion why our Sauiour Chriſt telleth Peter of his death afore hande, and ſtrengtheneth and incourageth him therevnto: for though the will bee conſtaunt in the ſaints, yet is the fleſh feeble and weake.Rom. 7. Math. 26. No man dieth without paine and griefe: which thing is appointed vntounto vsus by the wiſedome of God, to the intent no man ſhould kill himſelfe: For ſeeing the deuill doth now and then perſwade ſom to murther themſelues, how ſhould it go, if the ſoule were not ſo loth to depart frō the body? With theſe words therefore thought nor Chriſt to make Peter afraid, or to diſcourage him, but to furniſh him, and make him ripe. For Peter had a good deſire to ſuffer ſomewhat for Chriſts ſake: neuertheleſſe, beeing yet young, hee could not follow: but when he was olde, he followed him: therefore will Chriſt perfourme his deſire. As if Chriſt would ſay: Peter, thou haſt hitheto bin weake & fearful, but I wil ſtrengthen thee: ſo that hence forth thou ſhalt deny mee no more, but manfully die for mee. Thou haſt bene tender, in that thou waſt afraid at one womans voyce: but now ſhalt thou ſtretch forth thy hand to the croſſe to be bound. For by the ſtretching out of the handes, hee vnderſtandeth and ſignifieth with what death hee ſhould die, namely, vponupon the croſſe. Which death afore time was moſt ſhamefull: but after that Chriſt was hanged vponupon the croſſe, it is now an honorable and glorious death, with the which the faithfull doe glorifie God: and therefore ſaith the Euangeliſt, that the Lord would thereby ſignifie, with what death Peter ſhould glorifie God.
For in Gods quarrell, and for Chriſts ſake to die, is the higheſt honour, whereof no man ought to be aſhamed. This ought all ſoule ſhepheards to ponder and conſider, that they faithfully and conſtantly following Chriſt the Lord,2. Tim. 4. go not from that they hauehave taken in hand, but proceed and bring their courſe to an honourable ende, keeping fidelitie and truſt with their Lord, and being fully appointed in themſelues, to die for the ſheepe of Chriſt. Therfore ſhould they conſider afore hand, what things they muſt ſuffer for the truth: leaſt they deſtroy that, which they hauehave of long time builded and taught.
O gracious father: ſtrengthen thou vsus in thy worke and in thy truth: that in the thing which thou haſt begun in vsus, we may ſteadfaſtly continue to the end. Expell out of vsus the feare of death, & ſtabliſh vsus thorow thy holy ſpirite, that wee manfully may deſpiſe & ieoperd this life, for the life eternall. Grant O God to the ſhepheards of thy ſheepe, a feruent louelove to the truth and thy glory: ſtrengthen them with thy ſpirit that they valiantly ſtanding by the flocke, may euen with their death confirme thy people in the truth.
PEter turned about and ſaw the diſciple whom Ieſus loued, following (which alſo leaned on his breaſt at Supper, & ſaid: Lord, who is he that betraieth thee?) when Peter therefore ſaw him, he ſaid to Ieſus: Lord, what ſhal he heere doe? Ieſus ſaith vntounto him: If I will hauehave him to tarrie till I come, what is that to thee? Follow thou me. Then went this ſaying abroade among the brethren, that that Diſciple ſhould not die. Yet Ieſus ſaid not to him, he ſhall not die, but if I wil that he tarry til I come, what is that to thee? the ſame diſciple is he, which testifieth of theſe things, & wrote theſe things, and we know that his teſtimony is true. There are alſo many other things that Ieſus did, which if they ſhould bee waitten euerie one, I ſuppoſe the world could not contain the bookes that ſhould be written.