Fruitful Lessons Upon the Passion Burial Resurrection Ascension, resurrection · Commentary 2
Doctrine and fruite.
THE Euangeliſts do moſt diligently ſet forth to vsus the reſurrectiō of Chriſt, as a thing neceſſary profitable and ioyfull vntounto all faithfull beleeuers. For in the reſurrection we ſee how Chriſt … ▪ and what hope we hauehave in him. But this reſurrection do the Euangeliſts teach, according as mans … …ſtanding may comprehend it. For if Chriſt had ſodainly at once opened himſelfe to his Diſciples, ſo that other exhortations & warninges were not gone before, then ſhould they hauehave taken it but for a plain fantaſie and viſion,Math. 14. as they did when the Lorde appeared vntounto them vppon the water. Therefore the Euangeliſtes deſcribe the matter verie diſtinctly and ſundrie wayes, ſo that no man can bee able to ſuſpect anie deceyte. Firſt, how the women and men came to the ſepulchre, looked and went in, and how they viewed euerie thing throughly, not once, but oft and manie times: the clothes wherein the Lorde was wrapped, the heade kerchiefe, euerie thing folden together in his ſeuerall place: and how they ſaw and perceyued, that the bodie was not there, that the Sepulchre was open, the ſtone rolled away, and how the Aungels and heauenly ſpirits teſtified, that hee was riſen agayne. Yet for all this, they are weak and beleeue it not ſtedfaſtly, but bee as yet in a doubt. Thus GOD permitteth them to wauer, and to bee feeble of beleefe, and doth not throughly perſwade them forthwith, and that altogether for our ſakes.
Hee might well ſodainely hauehave certified and aſſured Thomas and them at the firſt, but thus is it better both for them and vsus. For the more a ſicke man feeleth his owne diſeaſe and woundes, the more acceptable is the medicine vntounto him: The weaker that our beleefe is, the more cauſe hauehave wee to call vponupon God for the increaſe of faith: the more weakneſſe we find in our ſelues, the farther are we in debt and the more bound to praiſe God. When hee maketh vsus ſtrong, and ſeeing it is his onelyonly ſtrength that ſtaieth vsus, we ought the leſſe to reioyce in our owne. Chriſt in his life time had oft tolde them afore,Math. 20. of his reſurrection, but their mind was ſo dul, that they vnderſtood it not, neither perceiued they that great myſterie. The reſurrection of the bodies they could not comprehend, but alway vnderſtood it otherwiſe There was much written thereof, and that with euident woordes, in the Scripture (as in the ſixteenth Pſalme, and in the figure of Ionas) and yet could not they vnderſtand it. Which thing neuertheles to beleeue, Chriſt had giuen them occaſion ſundrie wais: As in that hee raiſed vp Lazarus & other which were dead, and made them aliue againe.Iohn. 11. In all his preaching and doctrine he declared, that this was vntounto him in no wiſe vnpoſſible, by reaſon of the diuine power working in him. For all this, the diſciples are yet ſo weake that they vnderſtand it not all.
Therfore doth the godly wiſedome lead them ſtill by little and little, to make them ſtronger, declaring vntounto them certaine aſſured euidences: as that the bodie was not in the ſepulchre, but that the clothes lay there wrapt together: for theſe were vndoubted tokens, that he was riſen vp againe. For if any man had taken him out of the ſepulchre (as Magdalen thoght) he could not hauehave had ſo much time and leiſure, as to looſe vp the bands, and to vndoo the clothes from the bodie, but had taken and carried awaie the clothes and bodie together. For the clothes dyd cleaue hard faſt to the bodie, partly by reaſon of the … ▪ and partly through the Aloes and Myrrhe than the bodie was dreſſed withall. But for all this, they are weake ſtill, and in doubt, vntill ſuch time as the Lord himſelfe doth ſtrengthen them. Therefore euen Marie alſo, as feruent as ſhee is, iudgeth not the bodie to be riſen againe, but to bee ſtollen and priuily carryed awaie: thus God openeth himſelfe vntounto whom and when hee will, for though wee ſee ſometimes many great and wonderfull workes, though wee reade and heare much of the Scriptures, yet remaineth our hart ſtill ignorant, neither doth the doctrine take effect, till Chriſt open it, and till he himſelfe be ſchoole-maſter within.
Who ſo would rather hauehave another and higher ſenſe or expoſition than this, it may bee vnderſtood that Chriſt appeareth vntounto thoſe which mourne and weepe, and ſtande in death with Chriſt in ſubduing of the fleſh, in mortifying of the body, in abiding of the croſſe. For while they bee in aduerſitie vnderunder the croſſe, and buried with Chriſt, the greatneſſe of the trouble cauſeth them to thinke, that Chriſt is not riſen againe, that is, they hauehave nothing but heauines, and ſorrowe. Notwithſtanding Chriſt appeareth vntounto them, comforteth and refreſheth them, and maketh them partakers of his reſurrection and ioy.
Heere may wee perceiue and ſee a great deſire and louelove vntounto Chriſt,Luke. 7. in the diſciples that runne, but ſpecially in Marie Magdalene: for ſeeing that much … forgiuen her, therefore was her louelove exceeding … Peter alſo and Iohn, which were more feruent … others in the louelove of Chriſt, and drew nee… … others did, when the Lorde was taken, although the one fled, and the other denied him: therfore vntounto them, as to the principall, was this opened, before others.
Marie loued Chriſt verie feruently, for many ſinnes were forgiuen her,The number of ſeauen for many. many deuils & vices were driuen out of her, therefore vntounto her dyd Chriſt firſt appeare. The croſſe and trouble was not able to bring Chriſt out of her heart,Mark. 16 it could not quench her louelove vntounto Chriſt: the ſeede of faith was in her heart, it had taken roote, although it were not yet ripe. Verie earneſtly and with great diligence ſeeketh ſhee him whome ſhee loueth, declaring her feruentneſſe by her weeping, and her zeale by tarrying ſtill at the ſepulchre, when the two Apoſtles were gone awaie alreadie. The Lorde therefore forſaketh her not, but inſtructeth her, and comforteth her by the Angell, appeareth vntounto her vnknowen, at laſt talketh with her, and maketh himſelfe knowen vntounto her.
The Angels which are miniſters for the wealth of the elect, diſſwade her from weeping and mourning, and bring her tidinges of great ioy: for herein nowe is no iuſt cauſe to weepe, but rather to reioyce, ſeeing that Chriſt hath ouercome death for vsus, deliuering and ſetting vsus free from the power thereof, and placing vsus in eternall lyfe. Lyke as the Aungels at the birth of Chriſt in this mortall life, did bring tidinges of ioy: ſo doe they heere alſo when Chriſt is riſen againe into an immortall life. And hervnto alſo ſerueth the brightnes of the countenance, and whitenes of the clothes: for all ſuch are tokens of ioy.
But ſome man might maruaile, why Chriſt will not ſuffer Marie to touch him, ſaying: hee would afterward bee touched of the other women, of the Diſciples, and of Thomas, yea he prouoketh Thomas and the Diſciples thereto.
It ſeemeth that Marie, with the ointment which ſhe brought with her, thought to annoint the bodie of Chriſt (as ſhe did afore in his life time) and to reuerence him, and to deale with him as with a mortall man: which thing Chriſt forbad her to do. Hereafter ſhall wee heare how hee offreth vntounto his Diſciples his hands, feete, and ſide, willing them to touch him. But with this inhibition, and that commandement he hath reſpect to one onelyonly thing: namelie, to deliuer Marie and the Diſciples from vnbeliefe, from weake faith and doubting. VntoUnto Marie hee will ſay: Touch mee not of a carnall deuocion, as though thou wouldſt anoint me. I need it no more. As for ſuch corporall ſeruice, it is not neceſſary to do it vntounto my body any more. The cauſe why I became man, was not that yee ſhould alway hang vppon my corporall fleſh, and honour me with bodely ſeruice. Thou ſhalt now ſhortly vnderſtand, that I hauehave like power with the father. I am in thy heart, not yet aſcended vp vntounto the father. That is: Thou haſt as yet no right knowledge of my Godhead, therefore canſt thou not now rightly touch me.
Thus learne wee alſo, to knowe and honour Chriſt nowe no more after the fleſh,2. Cor. 5 God is a ſpirit, with th… ſpirit will h… be worſhipped.and to ſhew no corporall outward ſeruice vntounto his perſon. In ſpirite will he be worſhipped, with the faith and louelove of the inward minde. If anie thing bodily be done of vsus, the ſame ſhould be done vntounto the poore, & to the neighbour that hath need thereof. Thus may faith & louelove well vſe ſome outwarde thinges, not to doo ſeruice therewith vntounto God, but vntounto our ſelues, or to our neighbour As when we take and miniſter bread and wine about in the ſupper, diſtributing and eating it, the ſame is not done principally, to the intent to declare a ſeruice vntounto God: but ſomewhat to prouoke our outward ſenſes and fleſh by the exteriour ſignes, that wee may the better conſider and ponder the grace of God declared vntounto vsus in the death of Ieſus Chriſt, and that wee may lifte vp our mindes vntounto Chriſt the heauenly foode and liuing bread, which inwardly feedeth vsus with his fleſh, and nouriſheth vsus with his bloud.
Thereto alſo hath our ſauiour Chriſt inſtituted the figuratiue tokens and ſacraments of his grace, to helpe our infirmitie: for Sacraments are gracious euidences of the faith that men hauehave or ſhoulde hauehave to God. In the which they comfortably exerciſe and practiſe themſelues towards Gods promiſes, wherein alſo they declare the obedience of theyr inwarde ſaith, and that they faithfully beleeue the words and promiſes of almightie God. For the token without beleefe is nothing profitable, but rather hurtfull. All bodyly ſeruice that the fleſh imagineth pleaſeth not God. Hee ſitteth at the right hande of GOD, there ought we to touch him with the lifting vp of a faithfull heart, and with the worſhip which hee through his ſpirite worketh and directeth into vsus: for therefore he dyed, roſe againe, and aſcended vp into heauen, that hee might fulfill all things, and raigne truely and ſpiritually in our heartes. Our heartes muſt wee lifte vp,Col 3. Phil 3. there as Chriſt ſitteth at the right hande of God, and our conuerſation ought to bee in heauen.
Whereas the Lorde willed his diſciples to touch him, it was done to baniſh theyr doubtfulneſſe, and to ſtrengthen theyr weake faith. Which touching was not required of them as a worſhippe, but that theyr fleſh through the outward handling of his bodie, might bee quieted & ſtilled: and ſo is it a proofe and teſtimonie (that hee verily roſe with the former bodie) rather than a worſhipping or ſeruice. Chriſt dyd not therefore take vppon him his fleſh, that we ſhould alwaie hang and depend thereon, but that we by his humanitie, ſhould aſcend vp to his godhead: for when wee knowe the high and holy myſterie of his Paſſion and Reſurrection (with the which hee hath ſerued our turne) wee ought to ſtirre vp our mindes to knowe the Godhead, wherein he is lyke vntounto the father.
Therefore vntounto Marie Magdalene alſo doeth Chriſt ſpeake of aſcending vp to the Father, which thing he commandeth to ſhew the Apoſtles, as if he would ſay, now ſhortly beginneth mine honor, that I, as concerning the humanitie receiued, ſhall be taken vp to the glorie, which I hauehave had from euerlaſting, that is, the fleſh which I hauehave taken vponupon me for your ſakes, ſhall ſitte at the right hande of my Father.
Oh how great a grace is this? Oh howe high is the glorie that heere is promiſed vntounto vsus in CHRIST? The onelyonly begotten ſonne of God, deſcended and became man for vsus, that wee (ſo much as were poſſible for our nature) ſhoulde aſcend vp vntounto his Godhead. Hee deſcended downe lowe, that when wee are humbled, hee might receiue and exalte vsus to his owne promotion. Hee that of nature is the Lorde, tooke vppon him the ſhape of a ſeruaunt, that of vsus which naturally were bond ſeruauntes, hee might make vsus Gods children.
Foraſmuch then as hee became man, to make vsus Gods, and children of godly grace. Hee tooke vponupon him that which is ours, to giuegive vsus and to parte with vsus that which is his.Pſal. 22. Therefore calleth hee vsus brethren, and maketh his owne father common vntounto vsus, ſo that hee is alſo our Father and our God: that ſame which hee hath of nature, doeth hee of grace giuegive vntounto vsus. For his ſpirite beareth recorde vntounto our ſpirite, that wee are the children of GOD,Rom. … for wee hauehave not receiued the ſpirite of bondage to feare, but the ſpirit of adoption, in the which wee cry, Father, Father.
Chriſt alſo calleth thoſe that bee his,Iohn. 15. not ſeruants, but friends and brethren: he will be our God, and wee his people:Iere. 31. our father, we his children: and his couenant which he hath made with vsus, ſhall bee euerlaſting, for it is ſealed and confirmed with the bloud of his onelyonly begotten ſonne. Now hauehave wee fellowſhippe and companie with God the father, the ſonne, and the holy Ghoſt.
But ſuch grace and glorie, is inwardly ſeene with the eyes of faith, and felte in the ſpirite, beeing hidde heere in time vnderunder the ſhape of the croſſe.The glory of the faithfull is hid vnderunder the croſſe. For Chriſt doth not ſtraight waie by and by declare himſelfe openly vntounto Marie Magdalene, as hee is in his glorie: but ſtandeth there as a gardener, and ſpeaketh vntounto hir, by the which voice ſhe knoweth him: he long deferreth the comfort, permitting her a good while to weepe and lament, that the ioy and conſolation afterward may bee the greater. But the cauſe why he ſo long delaieth his helpe and comfort from theſe that bee his owne, is, that their inward deſires may bee the more feruent and earneſt, and that hee may ſtirre vp and kindle their faith. Now when the fire is kindled inough, then commeth hee with his comfort, as it is euident heere in Marie Magdalene, and in the woman of Cananee. Matthew 26.
Moreouer, hee ſendeth Marie Magdalene from him; to bring the Apoſtles tidings of this glorious exaltation, whereas ſhee doubtleſſe had rather hauehave beene longer with him, and to hauehave had the comfortable fruition of the ſight of him. Howbeit hee directeth her forth, to declare that felicitie, and poynteth her to the work of charitable louelove, to the ſeruice of her neighbour. For here in time wee cannot as yet come to the beholding & ſight of God face to face, it ſhall firſt begin after this time. Now while we liue heere, wee muſt ſerue our neighbour in charitable louelove, and do him good.
O God, ſtrengthen thou our weake faith in the reſurrection of thy beloued ſon: that by it our conſciences being examined, may well anſwere: Illuminate our mindes, and expell out of vsus all darkeneſſe, thorow the light and brightnes of the glorious reſurrection:Rom. 6. O ſtrengthen our weaknes throgh the power of thy ſpirite. Raiſe vsus from the death of ſinne, in the ſame ſpirite and power wherein thou haſt raiſed vp thy ſon from the dead. Comfort and ſtrengthen vsus in aduerſitie, and make vsus conſtaunt therein: that we may preaſſe through the ſame in ſteadfaſt hope, to the ioyfull and bleſſed reſurrection. Kindle in vsus the fire of thy godly louelove, that with earneſt and feruent deſire wee may ſeeke and finde thee through Chriſt. Withdraw our hearts from all earthly louelove of creatures, and from filthines, vp to heauen-ward, where Chriſt ſitteth at thy right hand, that wee may lead a godly and heauenly life vponupon earth. Set vp the ſpirituall kingdome of Chriſt Ieſu in our hearts, that in vsus thy name may be ſanctified and thy will performed: that wee may become thy vertuous children, and neuer diſpleaſe thee our gracious father. that we continuing ſtil in thy mercifull couenant,1. Iohn. …. doe neuer fall away from the companie and fellowſhip of thee and thy ſonne. And where as thou haſt giuen vsus ſuch knowledge, grace, and vnderſtanding, graunt that we may make the ſame knowne vntounto many, beeing alway readie through charitable louelove to ſerue our brethren, Amen.
It followeth now further in the hiſtorie, how the women that firſt were with Marie Magdalene at the ſepulchre, and being afraid, fled away (no man ſaying ought vntounto them) returned now more ſtoutlie & boldly to the ſepulchre, to ſee what would come of that wonderfull terrible matter.
WHen the women came to the ſepulchre & found not the bodie of Ieſu, they were ſore troubled in their minds. And behold, two men ſtoode by them in ſhining garments. And as the women were afraide & bowed down their faces to the earth, they ſaid vntounto them; Why ſeeke ye the liuing among the dead? He is not heere, he is riſen. Remember how hee ſpake vntounto you, when he was yes in Galilee, ſaying: that the ſonne of man muſt bee deliuered into the hands of ſinful men, and be crucified, and the third day riſe againe. And they remembred the wordes of Ieſu, & returned from the ſepulchre, and told all theſe thinges vntounto thoſe eleuen, and to all the remnant. And as they went to tell his diſciples,Math. 28. behold, Ieſus met them, ſaying: All haile. And they came and helde him by the feete, and worſhipped him. Then ſaid Ieſus vntounto them: Bee not afraide. Go tell my brethren that they go into Galilee, and there ſhall they ſee me.
But when the women, namely; Mary Magdalene, & Ioanna, and Mary Iacob, and other that were with them, told theſe things vntounto the Apoſtles, their words ſeemed vntounto them fained things, neither beleeued they them.