Fruitful Lessons Upon the Passion Burial Resurrection Ascension, resurrection · Commentary 4
Doctrine and fruite.
THE longer the more, is ſet foorth vntounto vsus the vnoutſpeakable louelove and truſtie faithfulnes of Ieſus Chriſt our lord, who forſaketh not thoſe that anie thing louelove to talke of him. For look whom he admitteth into his ſchoole, thoſe hee teacheth ſtill continually (how weake ſoeuer they bee) vntill hee bring them to perfect vnderſtanding, and expell all doubtfulnes out of their hearts. Foraſmuch now as theſe his Diſciples ſpeake of him in the way, hee getteth him to them, albeit hee holdeth their eyes that they knowe him not: that by the meanes thereof, they themſelues with their own words might knowledge & confeſſe their doubtfull wauering, & weaknes of faith: that they might open their diſeaſe vntounto him, & hee to giuegive a conuenient medicine for theyr vnbeleefe: that through the long delay, frendly talk, and opening of the ſcripture, their harts and deſires might more and more bee kindled and ſette on fire: that their doubtfulnes might bee taken away, and theyr weake fayth ſtrengthened. For though they helde Ieſus for a great and principall Prophet, and and for an innocent good man, yet ſpeake they vncertainely of the matter, and their heart wauereth: yet were not they aſſured that hee had ouercome death, and by his owne death purchaſed life for all the world, that hee was riſen againe into an immor… … made vsus vndoubtedly partakers of the … and ioyfull reſurrection, and eternall life in himſelfe.
Now for as much as they gladly talke and willingly holde of him (how feebly and vnperfectly ſoeuer it bee) yet the gratious and louing Lorde approcheth neare vntounto them, and inſtructeth them. It ſhall neuer bee vnfruitfull, it ſhall neuer paſſe without profite, but aſſuredly doo good, where Chriſt is gladlie and with a good heart ſpoken of. Where two or three bee aſſembled in his name, there is hee in the middeſt among them, and infourmeth them. That he doth to the Diſciples in the way by mouth, the ſame declareth hee alway vntounto vsus inwardly by his ſpirite in our harts, and outwardly with the ſcripture and word, and with the teachings of good godly men. He that well and faithfully vſeth the little talent, ſhall not be denied a greater, if he earneſtly deſire it.
Whereſoeuer he is earneſtly & feruently thought vponupon, and talked of, there is he preſent, & inſtructeth and teacheth the ignorant. For he is not aſhamed to reſort vntounto thoſe that lacke knowledge, and be in errour, and to talke with them.
This lowlie and gentle condition ought wee to learne of our head, that we ſhame not to repayre vntounto ſuch as are not yet right inſtructed, that wee may infourme them, and commune with them. We ſhould deſpiſe no man, that with a ſingle hart ſeeketh God, though as yet wee perceiue much wauering and weake faith in him. For if the eternall … was not aſhamed to humble himſelfe, and … the ignoraunt, much more ought wee to doo… …ing we are neither ſufficiently inſtructed in the ſcripture, nor yet diligent and carefull to doe that which we know.
Luke. 24.THen ſaid Ieſus vntounto them: O ye fooles and ſlow of hart to beleeue all that the Prophets hauehave ſpoken. Ought not Chriſt to hauehave ſuffred theſe things, and ſo to enter into his glorie? And hee began at Moſes and all the Prophets, and interpreted vntounto them in all Scriptures which were written of him. And they drewe nigh to the towne that they went vntounto: and he made as though he would hauehave gone further. And they conſtrained him, ſaying: Abide with vsus, for it draweth toward night, and the day is far paſſed, and he went in to tarrie with them. And it came to paſſe as he ſate at meate with them, he tooke bread and bleſſed it, and brake and gaue to them, and their eyes were opened, and they knew him, and he vaniſhed out of their ſight. And they ſaid betweene themſelues. did not our heartes burne within vsus, while he talked with vsus by the way, and opened to vsus the ſcriptures? And they roſe vp the ſame houre, and returned againe to Hieruſalem, and found the eleuen gathered together, and them that were with them, ſaying: The Lorde is riſen indeed, and hath appeared vntounto Simon. And they told what things were done in the way, and how they knewe him in breaking of bread.