Fruitful Lessons Upon the Passion Burial Resurrection Ascension, resurrection · Commentary 8
Doctrine and fruite.
LIke as Chriſt, while hee yet liued, did miracles before his death, to declare his godly power: euen ſo after his riſing again from death, he worketh manie tokens in the preſence of his Diſciples, to proue his reſurrection in the fleſh. Some of the ſame are deſcribed of the Euangeliſts, not of anie curioſitie, or for vaine glorie, but to confirme our ſayth therewith. To write all, Iohn thought it not needful: for who could hauehave written all? Or who could hauehave faſtened and borne them all in minde? Who ſo will not beleeue theſe few that are written, ſhall neuer beleeue a greater multitude. A faithfull beleeuer is well ſatisfied with theſe. For theſe that be written of him, are therefore written, that wee ſhould beleeue, that Ieſus is Chriſt the Sonne of GOD, and that we through his fayth might hauehave eternall life. Seeing then that all thinges which are written, doo extende and ſerue to this ende, that wee might beleeue in him, and bee ſaued by him, what lacke wee then? Or what can we deſire more? So that hereby we learne, with great diligence to reade, to conſider, and to applie into our owne lyfe, whatſoeuer the Euangeliſtes hauehave written of Chriſt: as they hauehave written nothing but that which is altogether excellent, deare holie and godlie, and ſuch thinges as doe liuely deſcribe, ſette foorth, and print Chriſt vntounto vsus: that our fayth, hope, louelove, patience, meekneſſe, and all good thinges might growe with bleſſed fruite: that wee in our life might become thankfull for ſuch an excellent grace, and in no wiſe to contemne or deſpiſe it.
A ſcornefull thing is it, and the euidence of a greate vnbeleefe, whereas ſome thinke by theſe wordes to prooue, that for as much as all thinges are not written in the booke, it is lawfull for certayne men to adde the reſt, and to deuiſe and ordayne what they will. For in theſe thinges that are written, doth Iohn comprehend the whole ſum of fayth: which conſiſteth in this, that Ieſus is the ſon of the liuing God, who for our ſaluation came downe from heauen, died, roſe againe, & purchaſed for vsus eternal life▪ Ieſus the ſon of Mary, is the annointed king and high Prieſt, the ſauior of the world promiſed of God, & ſpoken of afore by the Prophets. And euen hee it is, who being of the heauenly father annointed king euerlaſting, was to come after Dauid, & to raigne for euer. This king is the redeemer and ſauiour of mankind, & the very true ſonne of God. If we beleeue in Chriſt, we beleeue in the true God▪ one onelyonly God we honor, one onelyonly God we worſhip. Seeing now that we honor & worſhip Chriſt, we worſhip God, for only God is to be worſhipped. Foraſmuch now as we worſhip the ſonne no leſſe than the father, it is certaine, that Chriſt is of one nature with the father: yea this ought we to beleeue, & that he came downe into this world to die for vsus, to waſh and wipe away our ſins, & to kill ſin in our mortal fleſh, when he maketh vsus partakers of his paſſion, & mightily worketh in vsus by his ſpirite, in mortifieng our carnall deſires. We muſt alſo beleeue, that he by his godly power aroſe againe from death, to a new, glorious & immortall life. For if we thought that hee died, & beleeued not that he were riſen againe to life, wee ſhould hauehave no life in him. For vsus he died, for our ſakes hee roſe againe, for our welfare reigneth he for euer. A newe godly & bleſſed life worketh hee in vsus with his reſurrection, and after this life hauehave we in him life euerlaſting.
AFterward did Ieſus ſhew himſelfe againe at the ſea of Tiberias. And on this wiſe ſhewed he himſelfe. There were together Simon Peter, and Thomas (which is called Did…us) and Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, & the ſons of Zebedee, and two other of his diſciples. Simon Peter ſaith vntounto them: I will go a fiſhing▪ They ſay vntounto him: We alſo will go with thee. They went their way, and entred into a ſhippe immediately, and that night caught they nothing. But when the morning was now come, Ieſus stoode on the ſh…e: but the Diſciples knewe not that it was Ieſus. Ieſus ſaith vntounto them: Children, hauehave ye any meat? They anſwered him no. And he ſaith vntounto them; Cast out the net on the right ſide of the ſhip, and ye ſhal find. They cast out therfore, and anone they were not able to draw it for the multitude of fiſhes. Then ſaid the Diſciple (whom Ieſus loued) to Peter: It is the Lord. When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he girt his coate vntounto him (for he was naked) and ſprang into the ſea. The other Diſciples came by ſhippe, for they were not farre from lande, but as it were two hundred cubites, and they drew the nette with fiſhes. As ſoone then as they were come to land, they ſawe hote coales, and fiſh layde thereon, and bread. Ieſus ſaith vntounto them: Bring of the fiſh that yee now hauehave caught. Simon Peter went vp, and drew the net to the land full of great fiſhes, an hundred and three and fiftie. And for all there were ſo many, yet was not the net broken. Ieſus ſaith vntounto them: Come and dine. And none of the diſciples durst aske him: What art thou? For they knew that it was the Lord Ieſus then came, & tooke breade, and gaue them, and fiſh likewiſe. This is now the third time that Ieſus appeared to his Diſciples after that he was riſen againe from death.