be openly preached Wheras the more euery one knoweth and féeleth the loue of God toward hym the more he will loue hym againe If the reprobate be offended with these thinges it is no maruaile for there is nothing at the whiche they are not offended 38. For I came downe from heauen not to do that I will but what he will vvhich hath sent me This is a confirmation of the sentence going before because christ is not sought of vs in vaine For faith is the worke of God by which he declareth that we are his and hath appoynted his sonne to be the worker of oure saluation But the sonne séeketh nothing else but to fulfill the will and commaundemente of his heauenly father he will neuer therefore reiect those which are sent of the Father Wherevppon it followeth that our faith shall not be in vayne M. But whereas he saith that he doth not his owne will but the will of his Father we must not wickedly stretch the same as Heretiques do but must simply vnderstand it in that scence in the which it is spoken C. For it is an Imitacion by whiche Christe doth frame hym selfe to his hearers B. For in very deede the Sonne hath not his wil by him selfe but his wyll and hys fathers wyll are all one Looke what the father willeth the Sonne willeth the same M. Therefore his purpose was to saye nothing else but that he is wholye addicted to the wil of his father and that according to the same he wyll saue those which come vnto him lest wée shoulde thinke that there is any thing done here by man A. But concerning this kinde of speache wée haue spoken before in the fifte Chapter and in the nintéene verse 39. And this is the Fathers will vvhiche hath sent mee that of all vvhiche hee hath geuen mee I shall loose nothinge but raise it vp againe at the last daye And this is the fathers M. Because it was obscure and vnknowen to the people what was that wil of God for the executing wherof he sayd he came downe from heauen he doeth more playnly explicat the same saying And this is the fathers will c. C. By whiche wordes he doeth testifie that this is the purpose of his Father that the faithful maye finde assured saluation in Christe Wherevpon it foloweth againe that they are reprobats whiche profite not in the doctrine of the Gospell Wherfore yf we sée that to manye it tourneth to their destruction there is no cause why we shoulde be discouraged because they willingly bring euel vppon them selues Let it suffice vs that the Gospell shall preuayle alwayes to gather together the electe to saluation I shall loose no thing M. This is the exposition of that whiche he had sayde I will not cast away So that our saluation is so committed to the sonne of God that we should not onely perishe if it were possible wée coulde perishe with our owne harme but also by his transgression Therefore as Christ cannot playe by collusion and transgresse his fathers will so he cannot destroy those whome he hath receyued of the Father to saue C. But he doth not meane that he is the keeper of oure saluation for one daye or for a tyme but that he hath care for the same euen to the ende that he maye at the last bringe vs out of prison euen to the hauen of rest and peace B. For because in the last daye and in the ende of the worlde our consummation is looked for this saying of our sauioure Christe is rightly vnderstoode of the last resurrection C. And this promise is more than necessary to suche as are in misery in this infirmitie of the fleshe the which euery one of vs feele and knowe well ynough Euery moment verely the saluation of the whole world might be made voyde and of none effecte if so be the faythfull béeing holden vp by Christes hand did not boldely looke for the daye of resurrection For another cause also he maketh mencion of the resurrection béecause so longe as our lyfe is hydden we are lyke vnto deade men For what doe the faithfull dyfferre from the wicked but onelye that they being ouerwhelmed with miseryes The daye of resurrection â—is comfort to the godly and being as shéepe appointed to be slaine haue alwayes one foote in the graue yea and are very nere to be swallowed vp of death There remayneth therefore one Piller to hope and patience if so bée we omitting the state of this present lyfe doe behold and consider that laste daye and doe passe by the mynifolde lettes of this worlde vntill the fruete of faith doe appeare that is to saye the saluation of our soules M. Let vs also noate that the generall resurrection doth depende vpon the will of God whiche is of all thinges moste sertaine Therefore as impossible it is that the will of God shoulde be made frustrate and that the perfect saluation of the sonnes of God whiche dependeth vpon Gods will shoulde be by any manner of meanes hyndered as it is impossible that there shal be no resurrection which Christe sayth he will bring to passe by his power when he affirmeth that he will rayse vp the faythfull For there is no other appoynted to be the executor of his fathers will but this Christe alone who shall fully performe and finish this oure redemption which he hath purchased with his deathe in the ende of the worlde insomuche that so soone as he is a perfect sauioure we also shal be fully and perfectly redeemed Of the which redemtion he speaketh in another place saying when ye shall see these thinges looke vp and lift vp your heades for youre redemtion draweth nere A. And although the reprobates shall rise againe in their bodies as wel as the electe of God yet neuerthelesse there shall be a large difference betwéene them as it is shewed in the fift Chapter going before M. Wée are also admonished that there is and end appoynted for this present worlde when we here mencion made of the latter daye whiche notwithstanding mockers and contemners of the word of God account for a fable 40 And this is the will of him that sent me that euery on which seeth the Sonne and beleeueth one hym hath euerlasting life and I will rayse hym vp at the laste daye M. There is nothing superfluous in this repetition if so be thou rightly consider those thing which are spoken C. He had sayde that the office of defending of oure saluation was committed to hym of the Father now also he sheweth the manner how This therefore is the waye to obtaine saluation if so be wée obaye the Gospell of Christ He touched this euen nowe but nowe againe he doth better expresse that whiche before he had spoken somwhat obscurely M. And he declareth that they are geuen to hym of hys Father which beleue in hym R. For in sauing men GOD obserueth this order and doth thus manifest that eternall election by
he which beléeueth in God beléeueth also in mée which am the true God of one essence power and glory with the Father C. But it is marueile why he placeth here fayth in the Father in the firste place For he shoulde rather haue sayde vnto his Disciples that they must beléeue in god so soone as they had béeleued in Christ Because as Christe is the expresse Image of the Father euenso firste of all they should haue beheld and considered him and for this cause also he descended vnto vs that our fayth beginning at him might reach vnto the Father But Christ had a farther meaning For there is no man but he will confesse that wée must beléeue in God and this is a generall Rule to the which all men without controuersie will subscribe and yet notwithstanding there is scarse one among a hondered which in verye déede doth beleue in him both because the bare maiestie of God is to farre from vs and also because Sathan doth set betwéene vs and it all the darcke clowdes hée can to kéepe vs from the syghte of the same And so it commeth to passe that our faith seking God in his heauenly lighte and glory vanisheth away Also the fleshe of her owne accorde bringeth a thousand Immaginations to drawe vs awaye from the right behoulding of God Therefore Christ setteth forth hym selfe as the scope and marck wherevnto if we direct our fayth it shall finde by and by where to rest For this is that true Immanuel who so soone as he is sought by faith aunswereth within vs. This is one of the Principall poynts of our faith that the same oughte to bee directed only vnto Christe and to bee reposed in him least it shake in temptations And this is a true triall of faith when we wil not suffer our selues at any time to be drawen awaye from Christe and the promises mad in him 2. In my fathers house are manye mansions If it were not so I woulde haue toulde you I goe to prepare a place for you Bv. He addeth nowe another place of consolation moste euident taken of that blessed kingdome and of the ende or fruite of the Lordes death C. Béecause the absence of Christ might be the of sorrowe he testifieth that hee doeth not therefore go from them to the ende he might abide from them still because there was place prouided for them in the kingdome of heauen For this suspition was to be taken awaye that Christ ascended to the father to leaue his Disciples in the earth carlesly behynde hym This place hath bene drawen amysse into another scence as though Christ had taught that there had béene seuerall degrees of honoure in his heauenly kingdome For he sayth there are many mansions not differing or one vnlike another but such as were and are sufficient for many euen as yf he should haue sayde There is place there not only for mee but for all you also R. There is noe cause then why ye shoulde be gréeued for my corporall departure for the kingdom of my Father is prepared for you from the beginning of the world and ye were chosen therevnto before the foundation of the worlde was layde Wherefore there is nothing that canne hurt you whether it be synne the world Death Ioh. 10.29 Hell or Sathan For no man can take the elect out of my Fathers hand Obiection But some will saye if so be we weare elected and had mansions prepared for vs from the beginning of the worlde what nede haue we then of Christ Or wherefore came he into this worlde I aunswere Aunsvvere we were elected before the foundation of the worlde but yet in Christ and by Christ For none is Adopted of the Lord to be his sonne but by Iesus Christ And thus dwelling places were prepared before the foundation of the worlde but by Christ the Mediatoure and Intercessoure Wherefore Christe came into this world to reueale those dwelling places vnto vs before prepared to open the gate of election and allso to make vs ready and apt by his holy spirite to receiue those mansions For what shall it profite to be elected and yet eyther to be Ignoraunt of the gate of election or else not to enter into the same But whereas there are sayde to be many mansyons whenas fewe are chosen as sayeth our sauioure in another place Mat 20.16 many are called but fewe are chosen We must not lightly ouerpasse it For there are sayd to be many in respect of Christ that this might be the scence Heauen is not prepared for me aloane I aloane am not elected from euerlasting of my father but many others hath my father elected by me the kingdome of heauen is prepared for many others by mee through the fayth which they haue in mée I aloane am the true and only sonne of God and only naturally elected of my Father from whome aloane the kingdome of heauen is prepared naturally but there also many others whom the Father hath chosen in mee and which shall possesse by me the kingdome of heauen prepared from the beginning insomuch that by me they are made the children of God by adoption and heyres of all his blessinges graces and benefites For I haue geuen al those power to bee the sonnes of God which beleeue in my name Jf it were not so J would haue tould you As if he should say C. If so be the kingdom of heauen were prepared for me aloane I would disapoynte you of youre hope I woulde therefore haue tould you that there is no place in heauen with my father but for me alone Notwithstanding heare a question maye be demanded Obiection what was the conditiō of the fathers before Christ ascēded into heauen For many Immagine that the soules of the righteouse were in Limbo beecause Christ sayeth that he will prepare a place by his ascension into heauen But aunswere is easily made here Aunsvvere that a place is sayd to be prepared against the daye of resurrection For mankinde is by nature banished out of the kingdome of God But the Sonne which is the only heire of heauen is gone to take possession for vs that by him we mighte haue accesse thether For in his person we possesse heauen already by hope Ephe. 2.3 as the Apostle Paule teacheth Here therefore he putteth not a difference between our state and the state of the Fathers after death because Christ prepared a place for boath together into the which he shall receiue all in the latter day Before the Reconciliation was finished the soules of the righteouse were as it were in a watch Towre wayting for the promised redemption and doe enioye blessed rest vntil the redemption be fulfilled 3. And if I go to prepare a place for you I will come again receiue you euen vnto my selfe that vvhere I am there may ye be also C. This conditionall sentence oughte to be resolued into an Aduerbe of tyme as if he had sayde after I am gone I
sonne of God And truelye faith ought not to rest in the presence of Christ onlye but to haue also a respect to his power and office For it shall profite litle to knowe who Christ is except we know also howe he will behaue him selfe towarde vs and to what ende he was sent of the Father But séeing the kingdome of Christ is moste large Question Psal 2 Reuela 17 in so much that he is called the King of Kinges and Lorde of Lords why doeth Nathanael cal him onely the King of Israel Surelye he doeth it Aunsvver because his confession is limmitted to the measure of fayth For he had not profited so farre as yet that he knewe him to bee a King set ouer the whole worlde or rather that the Children of Abraham shoulde bée gathered from all places that the whole worlde might be the Israel of the Lorde Let vs now by the example of Nathanael exercise our faith in the hearing of the woorde and let vs confyrme the same by all meanes possible and let it not lye hid but let it burst foorth into the confession of Christ to the glorye of God 50. Iesus aunswered and saide vnto him because I sayd vnto thee I sawe thee vnder the Figge tree thou beleeuest thou shalt see greater thinges then these B. The Lorde Iesus going about to confyrme the Faith of Nathanael and the rest of the Disciples added these wordes C. He doeth not reprehend Nathanael as one to light of credite but rather allowing his fayth promiseth vnto him and to the rest greater argumentes of confirmation By the which woordes hée lifteth vp theyr hope for the beholding and knowing of farther matter As if he shoulde saye If of so small beginninges thou hast receyued fayth I byd thée be of good cheare and hope to sée greater matters in time to come It was but a meane token truely of the diuine power in that Christ sayd here to Nathanael I sawe thee vnder the Figge Tree For wée reade of many suche thinges to bée done by Heliseus as in the storye of Gihesi and Naaman the Sirian 4. King 5 and. 6 Iohn 4 Suche a Myracle was that whiche wée reade of concerning the vnlawfull Husbande of the woman of Samaria These and suche like are but meane and indifferent thinges if they bée compared to those Myracles which followe but such notwithstanding as haue brought great increase of Faith by litle and litle By these woordes also of Christ Because I sayde vnto thee I sawe thee vnder the Figge Tree thou beleeuest We learne that faith commeth by hearing Rom. 10 and hearing by the worde of Christ 51. And hee sayeth vnto him Veryly verylye I say vnto you hereafter shall ye see heauen open and the Angels of GOD ascending and descending vppon the sonne of man A. Touching the opening of the heauens it is already spoken of in the third Chapter of Saint Mathew In that Christ speaketh of the opening of the heauens and of the ascending and descending of the Angels vppon the Sonne of man many referre it to the resurrection of Christ to his ascention and to the sending of the holye Ghost C. But it rather signifieth a certaine continuance whiche shoulde alwayes bée extant in his kingdome It is most certayne that Angelles appeared sometimes vnto the Disciples whiche at this daye are not séene it is certaine also that there was another maner of reuelation of the heauenlye glory when Christ ascended into Heauen than we nowe sée But if we well waye and consyder of the matter wee shall finde that the same which was done then is abiding for euer For the kingdome of Heauen being shut vp against vs at the first Actes 7 Math. 17 Luke 24. was trulye opened againe in Christ Of this matter as well Stephen and thrée other Disciples in the Mounte had a visible sight as also other of the Apostles in the ascention of Christ But all the signes by the whiche the Lorde sheweth him selfe to bée present with vs do pertaine to the opening of Heauen specially where he doth communicate him selfe vnto vs to life The Angelles are sayd to ascende and descende as they are Ministers vnto vs of Gods wyl Therefore by these words the mutuall communication betwéene God and men is noted And we must be thankefull vnto Christ for this benefite because without him ther is rather mortal enmity betwéene the Angels and vs than a familiar care to helpe Therefore they are sayde to ascende and descende vppon him not that they doe onely minister vnto him but because in respect of him and for his honour they holde vp by theyr care the whole bodye of the Church Gene. 28 And there is no doubte but that hée hath some respect vnto the Ladder whiche was shewed to the Patriarke Iacob by a vision For the same which that vision shadowed is truelye declared and shewed in Christ To be shorte the summe of this place is that where as all mankinde was banished from the kingdome of God now the gate of the kingdome of Heauen is opened vnto vs that we maye bée Citizens with the Saintes and fellowes with the Angelles and they being ordained to be kéepers of our sauing health may come downe from theyr blessed rest to helpe our miseryes B. For the seruice of Angelles pertayneth to all those that trust in the Lorde as well as vnto Christ according to that which is written in the Psalme Psal 91. and 34 He hath geuen his Angelles charge ouer thee c. For they are all Ministering spirites sent to serue them which haue theyr inheritaunce in the kingdome of Heauen Heb. 1 M. So that nowe man with God and the earth with heauen are set at peace For so sayeth the Apostle It pleased the Father that in him all fulnesse shoulde dwell And by him to reconcile all thinges to him selfe Collos 1 and to set at peace through the blood of his crosse by him both the thinges in earth and thinges in heauen ⧠The second Chapter 1. And the thirde daye there was a Mariage in Cana of Galilee and the mother of Iesus was there HITHERTO the Euangelist hathe shewed howe and in what order the Reuelation of Christe began to bée manifested by the testimonies of Iohn and who they were which claue vnto him nowe consequentlye hée addeth howe by the light of Myracles he beganne partlye to confirme his Disciples whiche as yet were but weake and partlye to reueale his glorye to Israel C. For this storye doth contayne a declaration of the first Myracle that Christ wrought and for that cause it becommeth vs to bée the more diligent to consider of the same Howbeit as wée shall sée hereafter there are other causes which do commend the same vnto vs. M. Therefore the Euangelist going about to describe the beginning of the Miracles of Christ to the ende he might bring credite vnto the Historye putteth downe vnto vs both the time the place and
the aucthoritye of the Gospell might be deminished through the ingratitude of the people For because a verye fewe imbraced the Doctrine of trueth and the most parte of the worlde reiected the same it must be brought from contempt least the Maiestye thereof be therefore the lesse regarded because almost the whole worlde despiseth the same So that we may out of this place note twoo speciall Lessons The first is that we ought not in any poynt to dislike of the Gospell although it hath fewe disciples on earth As if Christ should haue sayde Howe so euer ye refuse my Doctrine it abydeth neuerthelesse firme and stable because the hardnesse of heart and incredulitye that is in men shall neuer bring to passe but that God shall for euer abide iust and true Rom. 3.3 The second is that they shal not escape vnpunished which at this daye séeke to discredite the Gospell séeing it is the sacred and most excellent trueth of God With this Buckler it behoueth vs to bée garded Fayth founded vpon God that wée maye goe forwarde in the obedience of the Gospell against the obstinacie of men And we must holde this as a most certaine trueth that our faith is founded vpon God but so soone as we haue God our aucthour we ought bouldlye as men caryed aboue the Heauens rather to despise the whole world than that the infidelity of some should trouble vs. M. Also it is a plaine argument of miserable blindnesse that the testimony of those men which testifye nothing but those things which they know for a certaine trueth should bée reiected Lyes preferred before trueth when as there is no lye so impudent and notable which in this world is not receiued And this of al other is the most iust iudgemeÌ„t of God that they which receiue not the doctrine of truth brought vnto them by the Ministers of God should imbrace the illusions of certaine lies brought in by the Apostles of Satan 2. The. 2.11 as the Apostle Paul teacheth Of the which we haue a horrible example in King Achab who gaue credite to spirites of errour after he had taken displeasure against the Prophete of God and would not heare him because hée tolde those thinges which rather displeased 1. King 22.29 than pleased him yet notwithstanding they were true 12. If I haue tolde you of earthly thinges and ye beleeue not howe shall ye beleeue if I tell you of heauenly thinges R. By earthly thinges Christ vnderstandeth the Doctrine of the lawe or else those rustical earthly similitudes which he was wont to vse by heauenly things he vnderstaÌ„deth the doctrine of wholsome strong meate which appertaineth onely to such as be strong For so the Apostle Paul sayth that he taught the Corinthians saying 1. Cor. 3.1.2 I coulde not speake vnto you brethreÌ„ as vnto spiritual but as vnto carnal euen as vnto babes in Christ I gaue you milk to drink not meate c. C. Or as it pleaseth other some this may simplye be referred to the forms maners of teaching For albeit the whole Sermon of our sauiour christ were heauenly yet for all that he spake so familiarlye that the sermon after a sort may séeme earthly Furthermore these words ought not to be restrained to the Sermon alone For here the vsuall maner of teaching which our sauiour Christ vsed that is to saye the simplicitye of the common sort is coÌ„pared with pompe sumptuous shewes to the which ambitious men are to much addicted A. So Paule affirmeth that hée did not preache the Gospel to the Corinthians in a glorious shewe of wordes of humaine wisdome 1. Cor. 2.4 C. Therefore Christ concludeth that the faulte resteth in Nicodemus and in such as hée himselfe is if so be they profite not in the doctrine of the Gospell And this is a great faulte in many men who so curiouslye schoolelike séeke to instruct and teache others Herevpon it commeth to passe that the greatest part of men delight in hie and secret misteryes and speculations Herevppon also it commeth to passe that many men estéeme the lesse of the Gospell because they finde not in the same things delectable to their eares And therefore they will not vouchsafe to occupie themselues in the studie of this base and common doctrine But certainelye this is to muche wickednesse in vs that wée shoulde therefore the lesse estéeme of Gods worde because it hath pleased him to frame the same to our rudenesse Therefore Barborosnesse in the Scripture is for our weaknesse whereas the Lorde doth speake grosselye and barbarouslye in the Scripture let vs know that it is done for our sakes Whosoeuer he be that shal pretende to be offended at suche barbarietie in the Scripture because hée will not beléeue the same lyeth For he which wyll not imbrace God when he is néere vnto him will much lesse ascende vnto him aboue the clowdes Bv. Wée also gather that hereby it is lawfull for vs more sharpely to reprooue their dulnesse who when they haue both plentifullye and plainely hearde the doctrine of the truth by reason of their dull scencelessenesse cannot for all that comprehende or conceyue the same Mat. 15.16 A. So Christ spake vnto his Apostles when they vnderstoode not a matter of it selfe most plaine saying Are ye as yet without vnderstanding 13. And no man asceÌ„deth vp to heaueÌ„ but he that came downe from heauen euen the sonne of man which is in heaueÌ„ And no man ascendeth vp to heauen R. When our sauiour Christ had reproued sharpelye the whole order of the Pharisées he returneth to the argument of the disputacion shewing from whence wée mâ—â—â— fetche true righteousnesse C. And againe he exhorteth Nicodemus not to trust to him selfe nor to his dexteritye of wit for so much as no mortall man by his owne industrye can pearce the heauens but hée which is guided thither by the Sonne of God B. The Heauen signifieth the light that no man can attaine vnto in the which God dwelleth 1. Timo. 6.16 and the reuealed brightnesse of the Diuine Maiestye C Therfore the ascending into Heauen signifieth the pure knowledge and light of Gods misteries and of Spirituall vnderstanding Hither as no man coulde knowe the Father but the onelye begotten sonne of God so none coulde ascende but hée For Christ teacheth the same here which the Apostle doth in another place saying Mortall man doth not vnderstande those thinges which belong to God 1. Cor. 2.14 Therfore hée separateth all humaine vnderstanding and wisdome from deuine matters because it cannot sufficiently reache vnto God But wée must note the wordes that only Christ which is celestial ascendeth into heauen and all others to be shut out of the same For in the first part he doth humble vs when as he excludeth the whole world from heauen 1. Cor. 3.18 The Apostle Paule willeth euery one to be a Foole in his owne eyes if he desire to be
wise with GOD. But wée are to nothing more vnwilling therfore wée must embrace the sentence of our Sauiour Christ here namelye that all our scences doe vanish awaye and fayle vs when wée come to the déepe consideration of GOD. But after our Sauiour hath excluded vs from the kingdome of heauen hée straightway offereth to vs a remedye when hée addeth saying that it is giuen to the Sonne of man which is denied to all other Christ ascended into heauen to leade vs thither For whereas he ascended into heauen he did not thyther ascende for his owne priuate sake alone but that hée might be vnto vs a guide and a director or preparer of the waye And for this cause hée hath called him selfe The Sonne of man B. That is to saye perfect man least we shoulde doubt to haue entraunce with him thyther who therefore tooke vpon him our fleshe that hée might make vs pertakers with him of all good thinges Séeing therfore he is the onely Counsellor of his Father Esay 9.6 he admitteth vs to the knowledge of his secret misteries which otherwise shoulde lye hidde And to this effect pertaine the wordes of the Euaungelist before where hée sayth No man hath seene GOD at any time Iohn 1.18 the onelye begotten sonne which is in the bosome of the Father Iohn 14.6 hee hath declared him And in an other place our Sauiour Christ sayth I am the way the truth and the life No man commeth to the Father but by mee R. For hée is the treasury of Gods wisdome and knowledge nay hée is the wisdome of God it selfe which reuealeth himselfe to Babes Obiection M. But howe doth Christ affirme that no man hath ascended into heauen but the sonne of man 2. King 2. seing it is written of Elias that he ascended by a whirle wind into heauen I answere Aunsvvere That Christ speaketh not here of a Corporall ascention but of that ascention by which men come to the light of the diuinitie that cannot be attained vnto and to the knowledge of the heauenlye misteries of Godes will Elias at the firste although hée were in bodye caught vp into heauen yet notwithstanding hee knewe not the secretes of the heauens onelye knowne to GOD Ephe. 3.10 and hidden from the verye Angelles But he that came downe from heauen Now our sauiour beginneth to direct his speache to make declaration of the reason of the Dispensation and Incarnation which he had taken in hand This discention or comming downe from heauen is the Incarnation of the worde by which the onelye begotten Sonne of God was made the Sonne of man Euen the same which is in heauen C. There is no cause why this saying should séeme harde and absurde vnto vs in that he affirmeth him selfe to be in heauen when as he dwelt on earth because in Christ by reason of the vnitie of the person that which is proper to the nature of one is transferred giuen to another The which is very often vsed in the Scripture as when it is sayde That GOD hath purchased himselfe a Churche by his blood Christ therfore which is in heauen tooke vpon him our fleshe Acts 20.28 that by reaching to vs his brotherlye hande hée might lifte vs vp with him into heauen 14. And as Moyses lyfted vp the Serpent in the wildernesse so must the Sonne of man be lifted vp M. These wordes and those which followe containe an exposition of the dispensation which hée had taken vppon him whereby hée being the onely begotten Sonne of his father descended from heauen into this worlde to redéeme mankinde C. Therefore Christ here more plainely declareth Christ our enterance into heauen wherefore hée sayde that the kingdome of heauen was open to him alone namely that he might bring all those thither which will follow him theyr leader and guide For hée affirmeth that hée must plainely and openlye be offered to all men that hée maye powre out his vertue and power vppon all Num. 21.8 The storye whiche here is rather touched than expounded is written in the Booke of Numbers Bv. Where wée reade that Moyses prayed for the people which were afflicted with strange Serpentes for their murmuring and hardenesse of heart But the Lorde commaunded Moyses to erect and set vp a Brasen Serpent for a signe by the sight whereof those that were stong with the Serpent were healed C. To be exalted here signifieth to be set and placed in a plaine and high place that all men may sée This is done by the preaching of the Gospell For where as some vnderstande these woordes to be spoken of the exalting and lifting vp of our Sauiour Christ vpon the Crosse it agréeeth not with the text and is very farre from the purpose of Christ Therefore the simple sence and meaning of these words is That Christe shoulde be set vp and displaied like an Ensigne by the preaching of the Gospell whom all men shoulde behold with their eyes as Esayas before had Prophesied saying Esay 2.2 It shall be in the last dayes that the mountaine of the house of the Lorde shall be prepared in the toppe of the mountaines and shall be exalted aboue the hilles and all nations shall flow vnto it Of this exaltation the lifting vp of the brasen Serpent by Moyses was a type or figure the sight whereof was a present remedye to all those which were mortallye stong with Serpents Wherefore Christ maketh mention of the same in this place to this ende and purpose namely to teache that the doctrine of the Gospell must be set before all men to beholde and consider the same that so many as beholde him with the eies of fayth may attaine to eternall saluation Whereby wée may gather that Christ is plainely set before our eyes in the Gospell least any man shoulde complaine or finde faulte with obscuritie and that this manifestation or reuelation of Christ is common to all men Fayth most effectually beeholdeth Christ Galath 3.1 who by fayth may sée him as effectuallye as if hée were present before their eyes euen as the Apostle sayth that hée is described before our eyes when hée is truely preached And this similitude is not impertinent or farre fetcht For as the Serpent of Brasse was but an externall shewe of a Serpent Christ the brasen serpent our saluation and contayned nothing within that was hurtfull or venemous Bv. Euen so Christ tooke vpon him the forme and similitude of sinful fleshe in all thinges hauing our true and carnall substaunce in euerye point most disagréeing and far from all sinne C. to the ende hée might heale that deadlye wounde of sinne that is in vs. Bv. For that olde Serpent did sting verye foore our father Adam in Paradise and euerye one of vs also which are borne of Adam hée hath so infected with his Pestiferous Poyson that in all the rase of our life wée are whole addicted and geuen to selfe loue and to the desire
Math. 11.11 because among womens Children there arose not a greater than Iohn the Baptist For hée shall be counted for euer as a good faythfull and true witnesse of the Sonne of God and yet not for the Messias as manye then thought him to bée But for a faythfull Forerunner and Minister of the Messias The which I woulde to God they woulde dilligentlye noate and consider which at this daye make much prating of the intercessions and worship of Saintes R. By this sentence also wée are admonished that all the auctorities dignities offices righteousnesse wisdome and power of men must fall downe that the aucthority dignitie office righteousnesse wisdome and power of Christ may be established 31. Hee that commeth from an highe is aboue all he that is of the earth is earthly and speaketh of the earth He that commeth from heauen is aboue all He that commeth from an high Bv. Thus farre Saint Iohn hath remoued the sinister and false opinion which the people had conceyued of him now hée declareth his minde and iudgement concerning Christ C. and sheweth by another similitude howe much Christ differeth from all other men and howe greatly hée excelleth them For he compareth him to the King and moste excellent Gouernor who speaking from his high throne is to be hearde for the reuerence of his Emperies sake But hée teacheth that it is sufficient for him to speake from of his footestoole Bv. As if hée shoulde saye This man is not a man onelye as ye thinke but God also and hée commeth from an high and hath béene from the beginning by whome all thinges were made and therefore hée teacheth thinges both heauenlye and deuine Why then shoulde not all men come vnto him Therefore hée sayth that Christ came from an high not onlye in that hée is God but also because in him there is nothing to be séene but that which is full of maiestie and heauenlye M. And whereas it is sayde that Christ descended from aboue it is no otherwise to be vnderstoode than of the prerogatiue of the originall by which he came into this worlde not onelye from heauen but also from God the Father being the onely begotten sonne of God For otherwise the Angelles come from heauen to whome notwithstanding that dignitye doth not belong which is here giuen to Christ Who sayth I went out from the father and came into the world Ioh. 16.28 B. Furthermore to the ende hée might most euidently set before the eyes of all men the dignitie and excellency of the sonne of God and might alure the whole world and his Disciples to worship to heare to embrace and to receiue him hée addeth that Christ Js aboue all M. That is to saye aboue all mortall men and aboue all creatures yea aboue the very Aungels Hée sayth not He shall be aboue all But he is aboue all because hée doth not declare of what estimation Christ was among the Iewes to whom hée was the outecaste of the people Esay 53.3 Psal 22.7 a worme and no man yea and the reproch of men but how he was estéemed in the sight of God his Father Heb. 1.2 Bv. For all thinges are subiect vnto him hée is the Lorde of all and is subiect to none according to his deuine substaunce but he is equall with his Father and ruleth ouer all Hee that is of the earth is earthlye C. That is to saye He that is of the earth sauoureth of his originall and according to the condition of his nature stayeth himselfe vppon the order of heauenlye thinges Christ onlye speaketh from Heauen This therefore hée affirmeth to bée proper onelye vnto Christ to speake from an high because hée speaketh from heauen Therfore hée calleth Christ heauenlye 1. Cor. 15. euen as the Apostle calleth him in that collation in the which hée compareth him to Adam And by these wordes mannes nature is extenuated and abased to the ende all fleshe may learne to abase and humble it selfe before GOD. Euen so must mans nature be humbled and abased when it is compared with that which is deuine and celestiall So Abraham when hée talked with the Angell of God sayde Gen. 18.27 I haue begonne to speake with GOD and am but dust and asshes Euen so so often as wée are drawne vnto pride wée must bée put in mind of our owne imbecility basenesse and corruption as first from whence wée are namely from the earth secondlye what wée are namelye terrestrial and earthlye thirdelye what wée are able to doe or what are those thinges which wée speake thinke and doe as of our selues namelye terren and earthly Therfore whosoeuer shall consider these thinges dilligentlye and with his heart Mans corrupt nature beateth downe his Pride hée shall not boast nor exalte himselfe neyther against man nor against GOD. B. And if it fortune that mans dignitie at anye time be extolled it is so extolled and commended in respect of the Image of God which hée hath ingraued in man But because Psa 49 1◠when hée was in honour hée vnderstoode not therefore hée is compared to the Beastes that are without vnderstanding and is made lyke vnto them And therefore it is néedefull that he shoulde bée alwayes put in minde of his basenesse and of his profite Question C. But it may be demaunded if Iohn the Baptist came not also from heauen in respect of his vocation and office and was therfore to be hearde the Lorde speaking by his mouth For he séemeth to be iniurious to the heauenly doctrine which hée preached M. For séeing hée speaketh generallye of all men and putteth himselfe without all doubt in the same number howe can that belong vnto hym which he sayth And speaketh of the Earth Are those thinges which hée preached and the testimonies which hée bare vnto Christ and the Baptisme wherewith he baptized Christ earthlye If they bee earthlye how can the Euaungelist saye Iohn 1.6 There was a man sent from God whose name was Iohn In like manner Mat. 21 2◠howe doth Christ argue and affirme that the Baptisme of Iohn was from heauen Luke 7 3◠Also in another place he calleth the Baptisme of Iohn the Counsell of God despised of the Pharisées If these thinges are not of the earth but heauenly how then doeth he saye here of him selfe Hee which is of the earth is earthlye Aunsvvere and speaketh of the earth C. Aunswere here vnto maye thus bée made This which Iohn here speaketh is not simply spoken but comparatiuelye If wée consider of Ministers by them selues they speake as it were from Heauen with great aucthority that which is commaunded them of God but so soone as they beginne to apose them or compare them with Christ we ought not So the Apostle comparing the Lawe with the Gospell sayeth Hebr. 12.25 If they escaped not which refused hym that spake on earth muche more shall wee not escape If we turne awaye from him that speaketh
hath spoken of Fayth and the vertue thereof To the ende therefore hée might shewe that the faith of the Godlye is not in vaine whiche is reposed in Christe hée declareth that all power to saue is wholye geuen to the Sonne because hée is loued exceedinglye of the Father M. Iohn Baptiste had hearde the Heauenlye voyce by which the Father spake from Heauen saying Math. 3.17 This is my welbeloued Sonne in whome I am well pleased Nowe the whole inheritaunce cannot but belong to the welbeloued sonne Therefore when Iohn was about to saye And hath geuen all thinges into his hande Hée verye well added first The Father loueth the Sonne Question C. But what is the meaning of this reason Doeth hée hate all others Aunswere is made herevnto Aunsvvere that hée speaketh not here of the common loue with the which God loueth men and other workes of his handes but of that singuler and speciall loue which beginning at the Sonne floweth from thence to all other Creatures For this loue of God by which hée louing his Sonne loueth vs also bringeth to passe that hee doeth communicate vnto vs by his hande all good thinges Bv. Wherevppon the Apostle Paul sayeth He loued vs in his welbeloued Sonne Ephe 1.6 And hath geuen all thinges into M. These fewe woordes appertaine greatlye to our Faith by which wée depende vpon Christ as vpon the Lord of all Bv. For all thinges as well visible as inuisible and whatsoeuer else without exception hath the father geuen vnto him M. to be in his power in his proper possession and in his disposition gouernmēt Bv. I say he hath geuen vnto him all thinges not that in respect of his Diuine nature he wanted them at any time or that hée was not equall with the Father in omnipotencye For hée sayth Glorifye me nowe O Father with thy selfe with the same glorye which I had with thee before the beginning of the world CYR. but because when the fulnesse of time was come the Son of God was incarnate and made man and was humbled to the death euen to the death of the Crosse therefore God hath exalted him according to the nature which he hath taken is sayd to haue receiued some what not as from another but as his owne proper right M. and he is sayd so to haue receyued the same not to refer that to him selfe alone which he hath receyued but liberallye to dispence the same to others In consideration whereof he calleth all men vnto him saying Come vnto me all ye that trauayle Mat. 11.27 c. Also he sayeth All power is geuen to me Mat. 28.18 both in heauen and in earth Go ye therefore vnto al Nations Neyther tooke he this power by force or violence nor yet dyd he buie the same the which happeneth as we sée in the kingdome of Antichrist but tooke the same naturallye of the Father as the onely begotten and welbeloued Sonne of God Bv. The which is done for our sakes For as it is sayde hée hath receyued all those thinges for vs and distributeth them vnto vs and maketh them subiect vnto our power that wée might bée Lordes of Life of Death of Men of Deuils and of al other thinges according to the saying of the Apostle VVhether it bee Paul or Apollo 1. Cor. 3.22 or Cephas eyther the worlde eyther life eyther death whether they be present things or things to come al are youres And ye are Christes and Christ is Gods Of the lyke benefite of God Psal 8.7 and of the same glory appertayning to men speaketh the Prophete Dauid in his Psalmes 36. He that beleeueth on the Sonne hath euerlasting life hee that beleeueth not the Sonne shall not see lyfe but the wrath of God abydeth on him He that beleeueth on the Sonne C. Hée addeth this to the ende wée might not onelye knowe that all grace and goodnesse is to bée sought in Christ but also that we might knowe howe to gette and enioye the same He sayeth that the waye to enioye grace and euerlasting lyfe is by fayth Faith obtaineth saluation in Christe and not without good reason because by the same we possesse Christ who bringeth with him righteousnesse and lyfe the fruite of righteousnesse M. He sayeth not simplye Hee that beleeueth but He that beleeueth in the Sonne By the which note the Christian faith is distinguished from the fayth of other Nations yea from the faith of the Iewes because we beléeue in the sonne of God Christ Iesus whome the whole worlde contemneth and derydeth This is our foolishnesse in this worlde Hath euerlasting life Bv. Hée speaketh here in the present tence Life euerlasting in this life saying Hee hath he sayth not Hee shall haue for he possesseth already euerlasting life wayting in hope for that which hée is assured he shall haue Moreouer the faithfull féele in this carnal life Vitall motions of the Spirite and life it selfe Gala. 2.20 the Apostle witnessing I liue yet nowe not I but Christ liueth in me and the life that I nowe liue in the flesh I liue by the faith of the sonne of God which loued me and gaue him selfe for mee Life is set against Death against Malediction and Condemnation signifying Iustification absolucion happinesse and euerlasting blessednesse He that beleeueth not the Sonne C. As he propounded life in Christ to allure vs vnto him by the swéetenesse of the same euen so nowe hée denounseth vnto them eternall death which beléeue not in Christ Hée sayeth not simplye Hee which beleeueth not but He which beleeueth not the Sonne For all vnbeléefe is not condemned but that onelye which despiseth the Sonne of God He which beléeueth none of the Fathers nor the Bishoppe of Rome is not vnder this sentence of condemnation so that he beléeue the Sonne of God C. Also this sentence doeth properly pertaine vnto them as it is sayde in another place which reiecte the Gospell preached vnto them For although all mankinde is wrapped in lyke destruction yet notwithstanding greater vengeaunce shal fall vpon those which refuse the Sonne of God to be theyr deliuerer Shall not see life That is to saye he shall neuer enioye life M. By this manner of speache Life and enteraunce into the Kingdome of Heauen is not denied to the vnbeléeuing without an Emphasis as if hée shoulde saye He which beléeueth not shall be so farre from hauing euerlasting life that he shall neuer enioye so much as the sight of the same Bv. So sayde our Sauiour Christ to Nicodemus Iohn 3.3 Except a man bee borne againe hee can not see the Kingdome of GOD. Also hée sayeth Except ye beleeue that I am hee Iohn 8.24 ye shall dye in your sinnes But the wrath of God abideth on him The wrath of God is here apposed against life therefore it comprehendeth all miserye Calamitye Vnhappinesse Sicknesse Pouertye Vengeaunce Death Sinne Malediction Punishment and torment AVG. He sayeth not The
M. This is to be vnderstoode of those thinges which Christ dyd at that time and which hée intended to doe afterward vntyll his ascention C. For he declareth by these woordes that the myracle which hée had shewed in healing the sicke man was not the chéefest of those works which the father had committed vnto him For we must note that he had geuen there a taste onelye of that grace of the which he was properly both a Minister and the aucthour namelye that he might restore lyfe vnto the worlde B. Therefore where he speaketh here of greater thinges he meaneth the raysing againe of men from death to life the which was a liuely Image both of the generall resurrection of all men which should be in the latter day and also of the internal iustification of the elect by faith both which we shal enioye by his power as hereby he hath declared What greater workes than these can the father do Because ye should maruaile Here he doth geue a secrete nyp to their ingratitude because they despised that so manifest a shewe token of the power of God As if he should say Although ye bée dull and sencelesse yet those things which God shall doe hereafter by mee shall make ye to maruayle whether ye wyll or no. Notwithstanding this seemeth not to bée fulfilled séeing yee knowe that in séeing they sawe not according to the saying of the Prophete Aunswere is made Esay 6.9 that Christ spake not here of theyr affection but onely noted howe magnificently hee would within a while after declare him selfe to bée the Sonne of God M. Wherefore hée sayde not That yee might beleeue but he sayde That yee might maruaile because the wicked of whome hée speaketh here would easylye bee caused to wonder but would not in any wyse bee brought to fayth They maruayled when Lazarus being raysed vp they sayde This man doeth many signes Ioh. 11.47 but they dyd not herevpon by and by beléeue on him but consulted the more to kyll him AVG. They maruailed therefore but they were not conuerted M. But this kinde of admiracion brought to passe that they had no excuse for theyr mallice and impietye as wée shall sée in the two and twentye verse of the fiftéene Chapter following 21. For lykewyse as the Father raiseth vp the dead and quickeneth them euen so the Sonne quickeneth whome he wyl For as the Father rayseth vp Bv. By euident actes or by operation hée prooueth that the Father and the Sonne doe all one thing and are therefore equall in the vnitye of substaunce being one true God C. Therefore briefelye hée here declareth what office was committed vnto him of the Father For although hée séemeth to chose one kinde yet notwithstanding his Doctrine is generall in the which hée Preacheth him selfe to bée the aucthour of lyfe For it contayneth in it Lyfe Righteousnesse all the gyftes of the holye Ghost al the partes of our Saluacion Bv. As if hée shoulde saye It is proper to the higher substance to rayse from the dead to preserue and to quicken but I rayse from the dead preserue quicken I differ nothing therefore from the substance of the Father Yea by what meanes and power soeuer the Father doeth quicken by the same doe I make alyue also But wée must note howe Christ bringeth lyfe vnto vs for hée founde vs all dead therefore we must néedes beginne at the resurrection Neuerthelesse it is not superfluous that hée ioyneth these twoo wordes to rayse and to quicken togeather because it is not sufficient that wée are deliuered from death except Christ fullye and perfectlye restore vnto vs lyfe M. Furthermore wée ought not to gather out of these woordes that the father rayseth vp some and the Sonne othersome from death when as they are not onelye equall but also doe worke a lyke as is sayde afore Wherevpon Iohn 11.41 when hée raysed vp Lazarus he lyfting vp his eyes towarde Heauen gaue thankes to his heauenly Father to the ende wée maye beholde in that worke not onelye the power of the sonne but the power of the Father also Bv. This Parcell Whome hee wyll doeth chalenge vnto the Sonne not onelye full and frée power but also noteth the order of redemption and Saluacion C. For hée maketh not this life appertayning to all men but signifieth that he doth specially bestow this grace vpon the elect Thhe beleeuing are the elect Bv. And they are the elect and chosen of God which beléeue A. Therefore as Christ when hée was vpon the earth coulde haue raysed all the dead to lyfe agayne if it had so pleased him and yet notwithstanding Math. 9. is read to haue raysed onelye a fewe as Iairous Daughter the Widdowes sonne and Lazarus Luke 7. Iohn 11. euen so although hée hath free and full power in him selfe to quicken yet notwithstanding he vseth the same onely towarde the elect for the Sonne quickeneth whome hée wyll 22. Neyther Iudgeth the Father any Man but hath committed all Iudgement to the Sonne C. Nowe hée more plainlye expoundeth the whole affyrming that the Father in the personne of the Sonne doeth gouerne the worlde and by the same ruleth all thinges B. For it is méete that as God made all thinges by his word euen so also he doth iudge rule and gouerne all thinges by the same C. For the Euangelist taketh iudgement for Rule and Power according to the Phrase of the Hebrewe tongue Nowe wée haue the same namelye that Christe hath receyued the Kingdome of Heauen of the Father to gouerne and rule Heauen and Earth at his pleasure A. For all thinges are geuen to him of the Father Also all power is geuen to him in Heauen Mat. 11.27 and in earth C. But this is not spoken so muche in respect of GOD Mat. 28.18 as of menne least any man shoulde Imagine that the Father hauing resigned his imperiall ryght shoulde bée idle as a priuate man in Heauen But there is nothing chaunged in the Father in that hee hath made Christ King and Lorde of all Christ Lorde of Heauen and earth with the Father Colo. 1.15 for hée is in the Sonne and worketh in him But so soone as we séeke to ascende vnto GOD all our sences fayle vs Christ is set before our eyes as the liuelye inuisible Image of God in whose face GOD the Father who otherwyse is farre from vs appeareth vnto vs least the bare Maiestye of GOD by his excéeding brightnesse shoulde ouercome vs. M. But the Bishoppe of Rome that Antichrist the Sonne of perdition doeth not without blasphemye chalenge to him selfe this power of iudging all men and with great impudencye being a sinnefull man neyther Iudging iustlye nor being exempted iustlye from the iudgement of other men The Bâ—shoppe oâ— Rome 〈◊〉 blasphemeâ— sayth that hée ought to bée iudged of no man A. This is his Sacrilegious Tyrranny by which hée is not ashamed to take that to him selfe which belongeth
onely to the Sonne of God As though Christ ascending into Heauen had vtterlye forsaken this office and ought not rather to raygne vntyll hée haue put all his enemies vnder his féete M. If therefore Christe bée appointed of the Father Psal 110.1 to bée the Iudge of all menne 1. Cor. 15.25 hée must néedes bée most wyse and suche a one as no man can deceyue Herevppon hée is sayde to bée a knower of secréetes and a searcher of heartes M. that wée hauing gotten suche a Iudge maye learne to walke before him all the dayes of our lyfe in sinceritye of the heart euen as if wée were alwaye before his face and in his sight 23. Because that all men shoulde honour the Sonne euen as they honour the Father Hee that honoureth not the Sonne the same honoureth not the Father whiche hath sent him Because that all men R. As the father hath geuen all power of Iudgement to the sonne so he will be honoured in the person of his sonne C. For he doth not so raigne in the person of Christe as though hée him selfe liued idelye in heauen as slouthfull Kinges are wount to do but béecause he might declare his mightie power presence in Christ For what other thing signifieth these woordes Because that all men shoulde honour the sonne then that the father would bee knowne and woorshipped in the Sonne God the Father in Christe Therefore it is our parte to séeke God the father in Christe there to beholde his power and there to worship him For the father hath wholly poured him selfe into the sonne To what ende Surely to the ende that al men might honour the Sonne that is to saye that whosoeuer will attaine to saluation in God worship God and beléeue in God hée might do this by his sonne Christe For no man can obtaine saluation in God without Christe Saluation onely in Christe because Gods sauing health is placed wholly in Christ In like manner no man can worship God but by Christe because Christe is the wisdome and power of God Moreouer Iohn 10.9 Iohn 14.9 no man can beléeue in God but by Christ because Christ is the Dore the waye the truth the life Wherefore He that honoreth not the sonne the same honoreth not the Father C. All men will confesse that God ought to be worshipped insomuch that we haue this féeling and vnderstanding ingraffed in vs by nature there is no man that dare deny this honour vnto God Yet neuerthelesse mens minds erre and go astraie in seking after God Hereuppon come so many false Gods hereuppon commeth such abhominable Idolatry Therefore we shall fynde the true God no where else then in Christ neither shall we otherwise rightly worship him then in kissing his deere sonne Psal 2.12 as the Prophet Dauid teacheth Bv. Therefore if any man woulde worship the father without the Sonne as do the Iewes and Turkes as though he hadde not a sonne like and coequall with him in all thinges he misseth the worship of the father For he cannot be a father which wanteth a sonne R. We must note therefore that the name of God when it is separated from Christ is nothing else but a vaine fantasie and Imagination Wherefore whosoeuer he bée that desireth to haue his worship acceptable vnto the true God let him not depart from Christe R. For whosoeuer reiecteth Christ by infidelitie reiecteth God The Ethnicke also affirmeth that he worshippeth God the creator of heauen earth the Iewe also saith the like of him selfe and the wicked man which is a Christian onely in name braggeth of the same but because Christ to the Ethnike is foolishnes to the Iewe an offence and to the wicked contempte 1. Cor. 1 23. none of them do truely beléeue in God neither truely worship God for he will not be worshiped but by Iesus Christe C. Whereuppon the Euangelist Sainct Iohn saith in his Epistle 1. Ioh. 2.22 The same is Antechriste which denieth the father and the sonne And the Apostle Paule writeth that it is the will of God that euery tongue shal confesse that the Lorde is Iesus Christe to the glory God the father Philip. 2.11 C. Neither was the condicion of the fathers otherwise vnder the Law For although they had an obscure sight of Christ vnder shadowes yet notwithstanding God neuer reuealed him self without Christ But now so soone as Christ was exhibited in the fleshe and was appoynted to bee our King all the world ought to haue submitted it selfe vnto him as vnto God the Father For séeing the father hath commaunded him to sit on his right hand whatsoeuer he be that imagineth a God without Christ he maymeth one halfe of him R. But what honour is that which appertaineth to the sonne It followeth 24. Veryly Verylye I saye vnto you He that heareth my woorde and beeleeueth on him that sent mee hath euerlasting life and shal not come into Iudgement but is escaped from death to life Verily Verilie I saye vnto you C. Here is expressed what manner of honour is required lest any manne shoulde thinke that the same consisteth in some external right only or in vaine ceremonies R. For Christ séeketh not externall honour which superstitious men geue vnto him but hée séeketh for faith because to beléeue is to geue the greatest honour that maye bée to the father and the sonne The Gospel is the the Scepter of Christ C. Whereuppon the doctrine of the Gospell is as a Scepter vnto Christ by which he gouerneth the faithfull whome the father hath made subiect vnto him And this definition is firste of all worthy to bée noted Nothing is more vsuall and common then the false profession of Christianisme For the Papistes which are the moste sworne enemies vnto Christe doe notwithstanding too impudently bragge and boast of his name but here Christe requireth of vs no other honour then that we shoulde obey his Gospel Whereuppon it followeth that what honour soeuer hipocrits geue vnto Christ it is nothing els but a Iudas kisse How often tymes soeuer they call him a king they do nothing but spoile him of his kingdome and power so long as they beléeue not the gospell M. Therefore hée which heareth not the woorde of Christe that is to saye which receiueth it not as the worde of the sonne of God sent into this worlde of the father for our saluation he it is which greatly dishonoureth the sonne and the Father Ioh. 4.44 He said that a Prophet was not without honour sauing in his owne country It is a Discredite to the Prophet sent of God yf so be his word be not beléeued And in another place this discredit is said to be vnbeliefe the which happened to the sonne of God among the Nazarites R. Moreouer Mar. 6.6 because to beléeue séemeth to many to be a thing so easy In somuch that they thinke they beleeue when they only heare this name thinking that to beléeue is
nothing else then to vnderstande to remember to knowe and to thinke Faith is not an opinion M. we muste note that to beléeue Christe is by fayth to receaue his worde and to beléeue the father is to beléeue that hée sente his sonne into this worlde to bée the redéemer of the same Therefore we must beléeue God not symplye as God of the which faith the Iewes bragge but as the father in the sonne and as the sender in him that sent He which wanteth this faith may bée reckened among the blinded Iewes not among Christians He that heareth my woorde Bv. Therefore the firste thing in the order of saluation iustification is to heare the worde but not euery ones worde but the wordes of Christe onely our Iustifier sauiour And herein is required preaching Ro. 10.14 For how shal they heare with out a preacher It is necessary therefore that the worde of Christ doe make vs redy to heare when as the Inuentions of men and the constitutions of the fathers are excluded For faith cleaueth to the word of God not to the worde of men C. Christ afterward commendeth the fruite of obedience saying Hath euerlasting life Life eternall the frute of faith to the ende we might be the more readye and willing to perfourme the same For who can be so flinty harted but that he can be contented willingly to submit him selfe vnto Christe when hée séeth the rewarde of euerlasting life set before him And yet notwithstanding we sée howe fewe he winneth vnto him by this clemencie Such is our wickednes that we hadde rather willingly perishe then to geue our selues to the obedience of the sonne of God that through him we might bée saued Furthermore the aucthoritye of the Gospel is confirmed by these wordes of our sauiour Christ For Christ testifieth that he came from God and not from man Euen as in another place he affirmeth that hée speaketh not of him selfe but that which the Father hath committed vnto him Ioh. 14.10 M. And it ought not to deminish anye thing of the sonnes honour that hée is sent of the father as the Ambassadour of the Emperour is inferiour to him that sent him Bv. But in that the sonne is sent it belongeth rather to dispensation then to Imbecillitie M. The Ambassadour hath deseruedly lesse honour then the Emperour because he is neither the Sonne nor the Lorde nor yet of suche power as the Emperour is but a Minister and a seruant But Christ was sent into this worlde not as a seruant of his Lorde but as a sonne of his father not as one of lesse power but as his equal in al thinges not as of another nature and substaunce but as coequall and coeternall with him in euery condition Christe equall to the father touching the Godhead and therfore worthy to be no lesse honoured then the father yf the father hadde taken vppon him our fleshe and descended from heauen as he hath done Bv. For therfore the father sent the eternal word that in him he might manifestlye declare him selfe vnto vs. For the sonne is a most proper Character of the Fathers substance Heb. 1.3 AVG. Therefore the Sonne is sent of the father but not separated from the father And shall not come into iudgement M. Because God hath not sent his sonne into the world to Iudge the world but that the worlde might bée saued through him Iohn 3.17 Christe here confirmeth the sentence going before concerning eternall lyfe Math. 1.21 For he came to saue his people from their sinnes And sinnes being taken awaye the power of death is at an ende Rom. 6.23 1. Cor. 15.56 because the rewarde of synne is death and the sting of death is sinne C. We therefore are out of the perill of death because we are deliuered by the benefite of Christe Bv. as the Apostle teacheth in the eight chapter to the Romanes But is escaped from death to lyfe Our sauiour Christe doth not without déepe consideration affirme that we are alredye escaped from death because the séede of life by which we are called 1. Pet. 1.23 is incorruptible in the Sonnes of God and because they are already through hope with Christe in the heauenlye glory Ephe. 2.6 Luk. 17.21 and also haue within them the kingdome of God For although their life is hidden with God in Christe Colos 3.3 yet notwithstanding they ceasse not to possesse the same through faith and in that they are deliuered from death and do knowe them selues to bée in safetye through the protection of Christ they do not therfore ceasse to be in peace Neuerthelesse let vs remember that the faithful are so in life in this present world that they alwaies carrye about with them the matter or cause of death But the spirit which dwelleth in them is life which at the length shall abolishe the reliques of death 1. Cor. 15 26 For that saying of Paul is most true The last enemy that shal be destroyed is death And yet in this place the full deliuerance from death or the perfite exhibition of life is not handeled But although that lyfe is but begon in vs yet neuerthelesse Christ pronounceth the same to be so certaine to the faithful that they ought not to be afraid of death no maruaile they being ingraffed in him which is the bottomlesse wel of lyfe M. This place also maketh verye much to the confuting of their opinion which most impudently affirme that the soules of such as dye dye togeather with their bodies and of their opinion also which say that they slepe after death vntil the day of iudgement For that which Christe speaketh here cannot be vnderstoode of the body The soule passeth frō death to life because it passeth from death to the graue but of the soule which passeth from the death of the body to life Euen as Christ in plaine woordes sayde to the Théefe This day shalt thou bee with me in Paradise And the Apostle Paul saith Luk. 23.43 Philip. 1.23 I desyre to be dissolued and to bee with Christ euidently shewing that it will come to passe that he should be in spirite with Christe so soone as hée should be discharged and loosed from the bondes of the body Otherwise Christe lyued in him insomuch that he had no neede so greatly to desire the dissolution of the body to this thing Galat. 2.10 except he had beléeued that his spirite being entered after death into euerlasting life shoulde spéedyly come vnto Chiste A Howbeit this place ought properlye to be vnderstoode and expounded of that escaping and passage from death to lyfe which is by faith as we haue declared alredye Bv. For so soone as a man truelye beléeueth the word of Christ he passeth from death to life Christ beginneth to liue in him which is the life of the soule R. Therefore death in the faithful shal be swallowed vp and made the gate
lyfe is onely to be sought for in the kingdome of GOD. Moreouer truth in this place is not compared with figures as oftentymes else where it is but Christ respecteth what is the true lyfe of man namelye by whiche hée differeth from brute Beastes and by which hée excelleth among creatures Bv. Moyses truely gaue corporal meate which nourished mens bodyes and not their soules preseruing the lyfe natural but nothing profiting the lyfe spirituall neyther came the same â—ut of heauen but rayned onely out of the clowdes But my father giueth you C. As if he should say The Manna which Moyses gaue did profite nothing to heauenly lyfe but now the true breade of heauen is offered to you A. Before he had sayde VVhich the sonne of man shall giue vnto you and nowe hée maketh the Father rather aucthor of this gift than himselfe but hée meaneth that the same is giuen by his hande So the Antithesis or comparison is not béetwéene God and Moyses but betweene Moyses and Christ But Christ nameth the Father héere for more reuerence sake as if hée shoulde saye Acknowledge me to bee the Minister of GOD by whose hande hee will féede your soules to euerlasting lyfe Bv. For the Father sent the sonne into the earth for thk accomplishing of mans saluation So that no creature can giue the true breade of life to men So impossible it was that Moyses shoulde giue the same by corporall meate 2. Cor. 10 C. But this séemeth to disagrée with the doctrine of Paule For the Apostle calleth man spirituall foode But wée aunswere Christ speaketh here according to their capasitie wyth whome hée had to doe Rom. 4.11 neyther is thys vnwoonted and siledome founde in the Scripture Wée sée howe diuerselye Paule himselfe speaketh of circumsition when he handeleth the Institution of the same Hée confesseth that it was the Seale of Fayth but when hée contendeth with false Apostles hée rather maketh it the seale of malediction Let vs here consider what was obiected to Christ namelye that hée was not prooued to bée the Messias except he did supplye the want of corporall foode Therefore hée doth not sette before their eyes of what thing man was a figure but denyeth this to be the true breade with the which Moyses filled mens bellies 33. For the breade of GOD is hee which commeth downe from heauen and giueth lyfe to the worlde For the breade of God is hee Bv. Nowe more playnelye and fully hée explayneth that whiche hée had spoken euen nowe concerning the breeade C. And hée reasoneth thus The same is the bread of heauen whiche came downe from heauen to geue lyfe to this worlde In Manna there was noe suche thinge Therefore the same was not the heauenly breade Neuerthelesse he confirmeth that whiche he sayde before that he was sent of the Father to feede men after a farre more excelent manner then Moyses did Manna descended not from Goddes kingdome Man descended from the visible heauen that is to saye out of the clowdes but not from the euerlastinge kingdome of GOD from whence lyfe floweth vnto vs wherefore it was not the true breade of heauen as was this breade whome GOD sent for the lyfe of the worlde He calleth nowe that the breade of-GOD whiche before he called the bread of heauen not that the same proceded from any other then from GOD who sustaineth vs with breade in this present lyfe but because he is iudged diuine whiche quickeneth soules to blessed immortality B. For this bread is GOD who alone by his spirite and by his and the knoweledge of the Father feedeth to lyfe that is to saye causeth men to liue for euer in blisse VVhiche commeth doune from heauen C. In the descendinge from heauen two thinges are to be noated firste that we haue diuine lyfe in Christe because he is come from GOD that he might be to vs the authour of life secondly because the celestiall lyfe is nere vnto vs insomuche that we shall not neede neyther to ascende aboue the cloudes nor sayle ouer the sea to seeke the same For therefore Christ descended to vs because no man coulde assende to hym And giueth lyfe to the worlde This place teacheth that the whole worlde is dead to God Life onely in Christ so farre forth as the same is not quickened by Christ because life shall neuer be founde in anye other than in him So that here all manner of worshippe belonging boath to the Iewes and also to the Gentiles is reiected all the Philosophye and wisdome of the Gentiles and all the rites and ceremonyes of the Iewes with the whole Lawe haue no manner of power to quicken otherwise GOD had sent his Sonne in vaine which is this heauenlye breade to quicken and to saue the worlde M. All men here for the most parte by this worde worlde vnderstande the elect euen as they doe in this place also Iohn 3 16. So GOD loued the worlde that he gaue his onelye begotten Sonne that all that beleeue in him shoulde not perishe but haue life euerlasting 34 Then sayde they vnto him Lorde euermore giue vs thys breade C. There is no doubte but that they speake Ironice that is to saye meaning the contrarye thereby to noate Christe of vanity because he boasted that he woulde geue the breade of life M. As yf they shoulde haue sayde we are so farre from gainsaying this breade of the which thou speakest that we desire allwayes to receyue the same of thee that we may neuer die but liue for euer R. Verely yf thou wouldest euer geue vs this bread we would then acount thée to be that great Messias and woulde worshippe thée for Christ For if thou wouldest performe that which thou doest promise wée shoulde prosper well wée should not sweat with labour but should liue in most pleasaunt ease But canst thou giue that to vs whiche thou thy selfe wantest Thou promisest breade of lyfe and yet thou wantest boath a Garner and Wheate to bake corporall breade with all howe then canst thou giue vs that more precious breade Bv. After this manner spake the woman of Samaria Lorde giue me this water that I thirst not nor come hither to draw Euen so fleshe and bloode derideth the Gospell because the same being in outwarde shewe verye base and contemptible promiseth all euerlasting goodnesse when as in the meane time it suffereth the faythfull to hunger to thirst to pine with colde to be banished and to be slayne Mat. 27.42 Luk. 4.23 So also it was sayd to Christ He saued others but himselfe he coulde not saue And in another place Phisition heale thy selfe Euen so wicked men when they reiect the promises of God being not content with this one wickednesse make Christ the cause and aucthor of theyr infidelity 35. And Iesus sayde vnto them I am the bread of life hee that commeth to me shall not hunger and he that beleueth on me shall neuer thirst I am the bread of lyfe
things This had béene the parte of reasonable men But they doe none of these things but according to the disposition of fleshe they murmure because the Lorde sayde that he came downe from heauen For this is the lot of Christes doctrine that it shall sooner finde such as shall murmure gainst it and contemne and deride it béefore they know it than suche as shall rightly vnderstande it and when they vnderstande it earnestlye imbrace it 42. And they sayde Is not this Iesus the sonne of Ioseph whose Father and mother wee know How is it then that hee sayeth I came downe from heauen Is not this Jesus Bv. They looked for some mightie and victorious Messias to raigne ouer them as did Salomon Cyrus and Alexander therefore they dispised the humilitie of Christ not perceyuing howe this base man discended from heauen M. For they thought that hée had so spoken of his discention from heauen as though hée had denyed himselfe to haue béene borne in this worlde among men but euen as hée was present before them to haue fallen as some Aungell from Heauen Herevppon it commeth that they saye Is not this Iesus the sonne of Ioseph As if they should haue said doth he think vs to be so dule scenelesse that wée will suffer our selues to be perswaded that hée came downe from heauen séeing we knowe from whence hée came who he is of what stocke and kindered and with whome hée was brought vp what rashenesse then is this that hée sayth he descended from heauen as though he spake to straungers and to such as did not know him C. They had therefore a double let The one was whiche they fayned to themselues by a false opinion when they sayde This is the sonne of Ioseph whose Father mother we know Two â—bling â—kes to â—ewes The other was the which proceded of a wrong Iudgement because they did not thinke Christe to be the Sonne of God for that he descended to men taking vpoÌ„ him our fleshe But wée are to to wicked if so be wée therefore despise the Lorde of glory because hée did abase and emptye himselfe for our sakes taking vpon him the forme of a seruant For this was rather a manifest signe of his vnspeakable loue toward vs and also of his wonderfull grace Furthermore the deuine Maiestie of Christ did not so lye hidde vnder the base and contemptible shewe of the fleshe but that the bright beames of the deuine glorye appeared but those grose and scencelesse men wanted eyes to beholde the same Bv. So at this daye when Iesus is preached and the same crucefyed when mortification regeneration is taught the preaching is contemned of prowde men of couetous ambitious Carnall Gospellers follow Christ for gaine and luxurious men which crye from whence haue we this newe doctrine which these newe Apostles set before vs Let vs noate therefore in this place the nature of fleshe and bloode which followeth the Gospell so long as there is hope of gaine but that hope being taken away it starteth aside M. Moreouer the corrupt nature of fleshe and bloode is to stande vppon externall thinges and to iudge after the outwarde apparaunce not onely of the Sonne of God but also of all the elect of whome it iudgeth not according to the qualitie of the minde whiche is heauenlye but according to the humility and basenesse of the fleshe It doth not beléeue that those whome it séeth in this worlde to be poore Idiots vnlearned base weake contemned abiectes and knowne according to the natiuitye and conuersation of the fleshe are borne of GOD and are sonnes of the heauenlye kingdome This thing S. Iohn expoundeth in another place in these wordes saying Behoulde what loue the Father hath bestowed on vs that wee shoulde be called the sonnes of GOD. 1. Iohn 3.1 For this cause the worlde knoweth you not because it knoweth not him 43. Iesus answered and sayde vnto them Murmure not among your selues Bv. Murmuration against God and the truth braules also and contentions and strifes in religion are very displeasant to God the same are oftentimes gréeuously punished Wherfore the lord giuing good aduice to the multitude exhorteth them not so to murmure and grudge C. Notwithstanding hée layeth the blame of murmuration vpon them as if hée shoulde saye my doctrine contayneth no matter of offence but because ye are reprobates it proueth your poysoned mindes and is therefore vnsauorye because your mouthes are out of taste M. The wisedome of the Lorde is here to be considered by which hée is very circumspect least if hée should hold his peace at those things whereat they murmured among themselues they might thinke that they had iustly murmured Let vs followe this wise dilligence by which wée must beware least they whiche murmure against the truth murmure not without reason 44. No man can come to me except the father which hath sent mee draw him and I will rayse him vp at the last daye No man can come to mee M. Hée repeateth that which hée had sayd but in other wordes For hee had sayd All that my Father giueth mee shall come vnto mee and now hée sayth No man can come vnto me except my Father which hath sent mee draw him As if hée shoulde saye ye murmure without reason of this that I sayde I came downe from heauen For it is no meruell if ye knowe not mée but are offended at this humilitie of my fleshe Did not I saye vnto you that they shall come to mée whome my father hath giuen mée Why doe ye not rather murmure of that amonge your selues Nowe I confirme the very same vnto you namely that it is impossible that anye man should knowe who I am from whence and to what ende I am come except he be drawne to me by grace from my Father R. But your bellye draweth you vnto mée and not my heauenlye father It is no meruell therefore if ye beléeue not my wordes C. Here Christ openly pronounceth that the doctrine of the Gospell although it be preached to all men alyke cannot notwithstanding be of al men receiued but they must first be renewed in minde in vnderstanding Fayth therefore commeth not by the will of man but by the will of GOD. Bv. To come to Christ is to béeléeue and to cleaue vnto Christ to receyue Christ and to depende onelye vpon him as we haue hearde in the fiue and thirtie verse going before C. Hée sayth they are drawne whose mindes God doth illuminate and whose heartes hée bendeth and frameth to the obedience of Christ R. For GOD draweth in that order as before wée haue described For hée hath chosen some before the foundation of the worlde was layde and those whome hée hath elected hée hath called and doth call by Christ through the preaching of the Gospell And there is no cause why thou shouldest faine and Imagine to thy selfe any heauenly voyces and descentions of the holye Ghost which shoulde happen beside
to bée in others at this daye let not their pryde trouble our fayth Bv. Those grosse hearers not vnderstanding as yet what Christ had taught murmure against the Diuine teacher saying VVho can abyde the hearing of it C. But the hardnesse wherewith all they founde faulte was rather in their heartes than in the worde But thus are the reprobate wont to gather togeather heapes of stoanes out of the worde of GOD to throwe at others And when they resist Christ with theyr stubbornesse and hardnesse of heart they complaine that his word is harde which rather ought to mollifye them For whosoeuer humblye submitteth him selfe to the Doctrine of Christe shall finde nothing in the same intollerable or harde but to the vnbeléeuing which stubbornlye withstande the same it shall be as a maule or hammer that breaketh the stoanes Ier. 32.29 as sayeth the Prophete And seeing there is by nature the same hardnesse in euerye one of vs if wée iudge after our owne scence of the doctrine of Christ euerye woorde shal be vnto vs a darke sentence Wherefore euery one of vs must commende our selues to the dyrection of the holye Ghoste that hée maye wryte the same in our hearts which otherwyse wyll not enter in at our eares M. Notwithstanding for consolations sake this also is to bée noated that hée sayeth not All but Many of his Disciples were offended Apostacy Although many were offended yet notwithstanding some remaine which are edifyed and saued through the grace of God for whose sake the Ministers of the worde must constantlye abide in the office of Preaching although the number of them bée small in comparison of those which goe backe For if the Aungelles of GOD in Heauen reioyce ouer one sinner that repenteth more than ouer ninety and nine Iust persons and if so bée the good Shéepherd leauing nintye and nine in the wildernesse goeth to séeke that which is gone astray and hauing founde it bringeth it home with ioye of howe great waight ought the saluation of a fewe yea of one man to bée to the Ministers of Christ Let him therefore reioyce more at the Fayth sinceritye and constancye of a fewe whiche are Gods elect than of the Inconstancye of a greate many whiche are Reprobates B. For wée sée howe rare a thing it is to fynde a sincere and true Disciple of Christ and howe hard a thing it is to finde any assemblye without Hipocrites M. This complaynt whiche the Disciples made concernyng the hardnesse of the woordes of Christ was full of arrogancye contempte and rashnesse For they ascribe the faulte of theyr vnbeléefe not to them selues but to the wordes of Christ saying Who can abide the hearing Such wisedome Industrye Honesty and Godlynesse they ascrybe to them selues that they woulde haue no man to vnderstande those thinges whiche they them selues vnderstoode not But they which are of a modest nature humble disposition if they bée offended in any matter knowing theyr owne Imbecillitye doe fyrst of all suspect theyr owne dulnesse and negligence and doe rather laye the faulte vppon this than vppon that whiche they heare not doubting but that a great many can comprehend those thinges whiche they them selues cannot 61. Iesus knewe in him selfe that his Disciples murmured at it and he sayde vnto them Doeth this offende you B. Iesus according to his wonted clemencye séeking to helpe their offence and fowle errour knowing the cogitacions and secréetes of their hearts knew strayte waye also what it was that drewe away those his hearers C. Christ knewe that the offence which the Reprobates had conceyued coulde not bée taken awaye For hée doeth not so much wounde them with his doctrine as hée doeth detest the poysoned mallice which laye hyd in their heartes Yet notwithstanding hée thought hée would séeke by all meanes possible whether there were any curable among those that were offended and to stoppe the mouthes of the reste saying Doeth this offend you Hée speaketh thus by Interrogation to signifye vnto them that it séemed straunge vnto him that they should bée offended at this his doctrine and also that they might vnderstande that they were offended without cause C. séeing the doctrine it selfe contained no matter in it of offence M. And there is no doubte but that hée had this communication apart from among the assemblye of the Sinagogue as it is manifest that hée dyd in diuers other places Otherwyse it had not béene conuenient that hée shoulde haue gone about openlye in the foresayde assembly to haue corrected and reproued his murmuring Disciples 62. What and if ye shal see the Sonne of man ascende vppe thyther where hee was before C. Christ here séemeth not so much to take awaye the offence as hee doeth séeme to increase it notwithstanding if any man waye the cause of the offence throughlye hée shall finde that it was in this that they had conceyued an opinion that hée ought to do nothing but that which should please them The simple and base condicion of Christ which they beheld with their eyes was a let vnto them that they coulde not geue place to the power of his diuinitye but nowe drawing aside as it were the curtaine or vaile hee bringeth them to the sight of his Heauenly glorye B. As if hée shoulde saye This offendeth you that I take so much to my selfe that I attribute so muche to the eating of my fleshe that I affirme that I am the breade of lyfe which descended from Heauen C. and because I am without honour among men yée despise mée and acknowledge no diuine power to bée in mée But shortlye it shall come to passe that GOD by his mightye power shall exalt me from this contemptible state of mortall lyfe aboue the heauens For in the resurrection of Christe there appeared suche power of the holye Ghoste as openlye proued him to bée the sonne of God Also when it is sayde Psal 2.7 Thou art my sonne to day haue I begotten thee the resurrection is set foorth as a playne shewe token whereby this glorye of Christe ought to bée knowne as the Apostle Paul doeth interprete the same Acts. 13.33 And the ascencion into Heauen was the fulfylling of his glorye Ascention of Christ into heauen confirmed M. Let vs here noate howe the Articles of the Lordes ascencion is confirmed in the Faith of the Sonne of God by which wée beléeue that this Iesus the Sonne of man is the Sonne of the lyuing GOD whiche came downe from heauen for our saluation For his Ascention doth confirme his descention His descention into this worlde was séene of no mortall eye It was méete therefore that his Ascention that is to saye his returne to his Father should bée séene of such as shoulde testifye of the same whereby his descencion which was inuisible might bée confirmed Iohn 3.13 For no man ascendeth vp to Heauen but hée which came downe from Heauen euen the Sonne of man which is in Heauen And that hée
no man gaynsaying hym A. This bouldnesse of speache he promised to his Apostlles that being armed by their example so often as wee shoulde preache the trueth at the commaundement of Christe Ephe. 6.19 wée shoulde not consider so muche before whome we speake as in whose name we speake Act. 4.29 This bouldnesse also the Apostle Paule desyered to be geuen hym 27. Howe be it wee knowe this man whence hee is but when Christe commeth no man knovveth whence hee is R. As yf they had sayde we marueile greatly at the silence of our Phariseis who now suffer him publiquely freely to preache whome before they laye in wayte to snare and intrappe peraduenture they them selues are become Christianes and confesse this man to bée Christ But yet wée cannot thinke that they are so farre out of their wittes that they beléeue this man to be Christ For some reporte that Christe shal be vtterly vnknowen when he commeth insomuche that no man shall knowe from whence he commeth but we know that this is the Sonne of Ioseph and that his kynsemen dwell in Nazareth Howe then can he be that Messias promised by the Prophetes and looked for of the people Here wée sée not only howe greate the blyndnesse of men is when they come to Iudge of deuine matters Blindenes in vnderstanding but also that this is a fault naturaltally ingraffed in them namely that they are very skilfull and wise to stoppe and staye them selues from comming to true and perfecte knoweledg Often tymes by the crafte and subteltie of the Deuell it commeth to passe that there ar stombling blockes whiche driue many awaye from Christe but if the waye were neuer so playne and euen yet notwithstanding euery man woulde make a stombling blocke to hym selfe So longe as the Rulers of the people were alienate from Christ onely their Incredulitie was a lette to this people nowe that impediment béeing taken awaye they fayne vnto them selues a newe cause that they might not come to the Fayth Yea when it was méete that they shoulde be monished by the example of the Rulers they are so farre from following that which is right that they willingly stomble in the firste steppe Euenso men are wonte to fall awaye which beginne well except the Lord do directe their stoppes euen till the ende They tooke occasion of offence hereof B. because all thinges whiche were in the Loede were so humble and base that nothing séemed worthy of admyration and because all men knewe from whence he was Hereby wée are taught what a daungerouse thing it is to rent and wrest the Scriptures and so to deuide Christ him selfe that halfe of that which belongeth vnto hym is not Iudged his God promised a deliuerer to come of the séede of Dauid and Christe in diuers places challengeth this to him selfe Therfore it was méete that it shoulde be God manifested in the fleshe whiche shoulde bée the Redéemer of his Churche Mich. 5.2 So Mycheas nameth the place where Christe shoulde be borne but by and by after hée prophesieth of more high degrée but yet the same to be secrete and hid B. Herevppon therefore they looked for Christe to bée suche a one as his comming should be vnknowen and whose power and workes shoulde be from the beginning of the worlde But these miserable men respecting nothing in Christe but that whiche might be séene rashly gather that he was not the same whiche was promised R. Esay 42.1 Esay 53.3 Esay 62.11 Zach. 9.9 Dan. 9.26 They shoulde haue red the reste of the Prophets whiche foreshewed many thinges concerning the humilitie of oure sauioure Christe C. Let vs learne therefore so to behoulde the humilitie of Christ in the fleshe that the same humilitie whiche the wicked despise maye bring vs to his heauenly glory So Bethlehem where he was appoynted to be borne man shall be a gate to vs where wée maye enter into the euerlasting Kingdome of God 28. Then Cryed Iesus in the Temple as he taught saying yee boath knowe me and whence I am ye knowe and I am not come of my selfe but hee that sent mee is true whome ye knowe not Then cryed Jesus M. Nowe the Euaungelist addeth the wordes of Christe by whiche he aunswered to the Iudgement of the Citizens of Ierusalem concerning hym Bv. Shewing who and from whence he is the which he doeth with a more loude voyce that not only they whiche were nere but also all that were in the Churche might playnly heare For that place was verie féete to preach forth the glory of God C. But he doeth with sharpe wordes inuey against their rashnesse because they proudly pleasing them selues in their false opinion excluded them selues from the knowledge of the trueth As if hee shoulde saye ye knowing all thinges knowe nothing And verily there is not a worse plague then when the perswation of a little knowledge which men haue doth so bewitche them that they carelesly reiecte whatsoeuer they in their owne sence vnderstand He speaketh Ironice or meaning the contrary when he sayeth Ye both know me and whence I am ye know B. For he meaneth that they are deceiued and that they know not the same whereof they boasted namely from whence he was And J am not come of my selfe C. Hée opposeth that which is true against the false opinion whiche they had conceyued As if hée shoulde saye While ye fasten youre eyes so stedfastly vppon the earth ye thinke also that ye ought so to looke vppon mée and so yée despise me as a base Sonne of the earth But God shall testifie that I came from heauen Wherefore how soeuer ye reiecte me God will accknowledge mée to bée hys Sonne M. This is a very familliar saying of Christ by whiche he testifieth that the Father sent hym to the ende we might knowe that there is nothing in him but that whiche is deuine But he that sent me is true C. He calleth God true in that sence in the whiche the Apostle calleth hym faythfull If we be vnbeleeuing sayth he he abideth faithfull who cannot denie hym selfe For his meaning is 2. Tim. 2.13 that the credite of the Gospell is neuer a white the lesse howesoeuer the worlde goeth about to frustrate the same and that Christe abydeth whole howesoeuer the wicked go aboute to deuide hym and to detract from hym because the trueth of God doth alwaye abyde sounde and like it selfe Christe séeeth hym selfe to bée contemned and therefore hée beareth not with them but mightely withstandeth their arrogancie With this inuincible and heroicall fortitude all the faithfull ought to be indued yea our Fayth shall neuer be stable and firme except wée make a scorne of the peruerse frowardenesse of the wicked when they rebell against Christe But specially it is mete that Godly teachers being hereby incouraged shoulde goe forwarde in defending wholesome doctrine yea though the whole worlde striue againste the same So Ieremy so Esay and so Paul thought it
to all men M. At other tymes for the most parte he was wont to sit and teache Now because the ende of the feaste was come and because that solemne and Catholique Sermon of Israell was to be dissolued he is more feruent and doth with a strong and serious crye commend to the people which were ready to depart that which they should carry home with them more déepely to consider and to ruminate Bv. For his crying now was not only a playne and sencible speache but also a loude voyce thereby declaring that the matter was so great that all men ought to geue eare to the same C This also is very profitable for vs that the Euangelist bringeth in christ crying here with full mouth that all which thirst should come vnto him For herby wée gather that not one or two are called with some softe voyce secretly but that this doctrine is so openly proclaimed to all men that no man can be ignorant of the same but he which willingly stoppeth his eares and will not heare so loude and shrill a crye Jf any man thirste M. Christ comprehendeth the whole summe of our saluation in a Parabolicall kynde of speache For Christ speaketh not of bodily thirste which is quenched with water but of the thirste of soules and of heauenlye grace For the thirste of soules is that gredye desier of heauenly grace Thirste which belongeth to soules by which consciences burthened with sin are afflicted and troubled C. Therefore he exhorteth all to the participation of his goodnesse so that they knowing and feeling their owne nede desyer to be holpen For we are all nedy bare and voyde of goodnesse but the feling of that nede doth not mooue al men to séeke for remedy Herevppon it commeth to passe that many not once moouing their foote doe miserably perishe naye many féele not their néede vntill the Spirit of God with his heate doe cause a hongar and thirst to arise in their hartes Therefore the office of the holy ghoste is to make vs to desier his grace Hée rather calleth those that thirste than the hongary Bv. For wée can worse abyde thirste than hongar because the heate whiche is within vs whereby the thirst is kindled doth more vex and bite vs than drynesse whereby hongar dyeth and is more weakened Very well and conningly therefore is the affliction of a troubled conscience oppressed with sinne thus described Morouer there is nothing that doth so much recreate and refreshe a man pyning and withering awaye with thirste as doeth cleare water drawen out of a liuely spring euenso that Ioye of the minde whiche the faithfull man receiueth by the consolation of the Gospell cannot be sufficiently expressed in wordes C. There is no doubt also but that he alludeth to the place of the Prophete All ye that thirste come vnto the water c. Esay 55.1 For that which the Prophete there attributeth to God was necessary to be fulfilled in Christe Euen as the blessed virgine Mary soong that the riche and full he sente empty awaye Therefore he calleth all men directly vnto hym as if he shoulde saye that he aloane is sufficient to quenche the thirste of all men and that they are deceyued which séeke for the leaste drop from any other to quenche their thirst M. For he sayth not if any man thirste let hym Apostles but let him come to mee And hée sayeth not If any man thyrst let him goe to my Father from whome notwithstanding wée haue euerye good thing comming downe from the Father of lyghtes Iam. i. 17. Because Christ speaketh here as the onelye Mediatour betwéene God and man whome the Father hath sent into this worlde that wée might al receyue of his fulnesse grace for grace to whome wée haue testimony from heauen saying This is my well beloued Sonne Mat. 17.5 in whome I am well pleased heare him hée whiche commeth vnto him commeth vnto God himselfe A. For hée is the onely waye to the Father euen as he him selfe testifyeth saying No man commeth to the Father Ioh. 14.6 but by mee C. Let no man therefore complayne as vncertayne what hée shoulde doe to obtaine saluation Christ the well of lyfe calleth here all men to him saying If any man thyrst let him come to mee and hee shall drinke To the which exhortacion hee addeth this promise And drinke By these wordes Christ declareth that hée is not a drye spring but a déepe and bottomlesse well which geueth drinke plentifullye to all men Wherevpon it followeth that our desyre shall not bée in vayne if so bée we séeke for that of him which is wanting in vs. M. Seeing therefore we haue Christ the true well of lyfe let vs take héede that we do not frame to our selues voide Sesternes which wyll holde no water to quenche our Thyrst euen as the Lord casteth the people in the téeth by the Prophete Ieremy Ier. 2. i3 And the Apostle saith If any man sinne wee haue an aduocate with the Father Iesus Christ the righteous and hee is the propiciation for our sinnes i. Ioh. 2. i. and not onely for our sinnes but for the sinnes of the whole world 38. Hee that beleeueth on mee as sayeth the Scripture out of his bellye shall flowe Ryuers of water of lyfe M. Nowe Christ sheweth howe those that are a thyrste shoulde drinke of the well of water of lyfe teaching that to come and to drinke is to beléeue Euen as hee sayeth in another place He which commeth vnto mee shall not hungar Ioh. 6.35 and hee which beleeueth in mee shall neuer thyrst Also it is sayde I wyll powre water vppon the thyrstye and flooddes vppon the drye ground Esai 44.3 I wyll poure my Spyrite vpon thy seede and my blessing vppon thy buddes C. Therefore wée must come in Fayth and not with our féete For to beleeue in Christ is to imbrace him so as the Gospell setteth him foorth vnto vs full of wisdome vertue righteousnesse puritye lyfe and all other giftes of the spirite As sayeth the Scripture Bv. There is some contencion among the Interpretours wherevnto this parcell As ought to be referred Some restrayne it to the former member namely to the worde Beleeueth as if hée should haue sayd The scripture teacheth to beléeue in me for it testifyeth of mée Therefore hée that beléeueth in me as the scripture teacheth out of his belly shal flowe Ryuers of water of lyfe But it is extended to the whole sentence Furthermore Christ doeth not here name any certaine place of Scripture but taketh his testimony out of the commen Doctrine of the Prophetes For so often as the Lorde promising the aboundaunce of the spirite doth compare the same to lyuing water Water of lyfe is Christ hee hath speciall respect to the kingdome of Christ and thyther directeth the mindes of the faithfull Therefore what Prophesies soeuer there bée extant concerning lyuing waters they are fulfilled in Christ because hée aloane
the séede of Abraham but yet frée that they might be reckoned the heires of lyfe whome hee sanctifieth with his holy Spirite M. But séeing the Fayth of Abraham is so greatly commended Question that it shoulde be as an example for all other beléeuers to followe why doth Christe rather propounde his workes then his fayth For he sayth not If ye weare the children of Abraham ye would haue the Fayth of Abraham but if ye were the Children of Abraham ye woulde doe the déedes of Abraham I aunswere Because Abrahams fayth was not deade and voyde Aunsvvere but liuely and effectuall the Lord speaketh not of the workes of Abraham which were done without faith but he maketh mencion of the workes of Abraham as of frutes witnesing and declaring his faith because he purposed by manifest Argument to prooue that his aduersaries were degenerate from the pietie of Abraham For if they had had the fayth of Abraham they would haue declared the same by such workes as differeth not from the pietie of Abraham A good trée is knowen by good frute 40. But nowe yee goe aboute to kill mee a man that hath toulde you the truth which I haue heard of God this did not Abraham C. By the effect he declareth that they are not the children of Abraham because they resiste God For what notable thing is commended in Abraham but the obedience of Fayth This therefore is noate of difference so often as wee must put a difference betwéene Straungers and the Sonnes of God For vain titelles howsoeuer the world do estéeme of them are of no estimation with God M. Christ might haue obiected many other workes to the Iewes which they had committed whereby they declared them selues to be degenerate and vnlaufull children For Abraham was liberall but they were couetouse Abraham was sounde and perfect but they were ypocrites Abraham worshipped God aright but they made the howse of the Lordes worshippe a denne of théeues they deuoured widdowes howses which Abraham neuer did Christ I saye might haue obiected some of these thinges but leauing all these thinges he only obiecteth this that they went aboute to kill him For this was such a haynouse dede that no other was comparable vnto the same Wherevpon also in the parable of the vinyarde which was let out vnto the husband man in the latter ende of the same it is sayde that they went about to kill the Sonne which the Father sent vnto them as the heire of the vinyarde Mat. 21.38 Furthermore we are taught by this place that the mynde and purpose to doe any worke is accounted for the worke it selfe yea if thou consyder well the intent to doe any euell thing is worse then the worke it selfe and the intent to doe any good worke is better then the worke it selfe Intent to kil is worse thē slauter it selfe Better is the desyer to doe good to those that are in misery then the almes dede it selfe and the Intent to kill is worse than the murder it selfe The Almes dede maye be so done that it maye displease God concerning the which reade the fyrst of Mathewe A murderouse déede maye be so done that it maye please God as may appeare in the Leuites in Phineis in Iehu and so refused that God maye be displeased for the not dooing of it as wee maye sée in Agag Amalech whome Saule kept aliue Exod. 32 29 Num. 25.7 4. Kin. 10. 1. Kin. 15 8. 3. King 20.42 in Benadab king of Asciria whome Achab sent a way aliue But the desire and intent to doe good cannot displease God euen as the desyer to kill cannot please him A man that hath tould you the truth This oure Sauioure Christe addeth to shewe the wicked Ingratitude of the Iewes and to make it openly knowen that they are the Children of the Deuell because they were such sworne and mortall enemies to true and wholesome doctrine This did not Abraham M. What Did not Abraham kill a man We reade that he slue fower kinges and deliuered his kinsman Lotte out of their handes But the simple mening of Christes wordes is that Abraham was not so cruell as to kill an Innocent man Gen. 14 15 and that he was not so vnthankful as to kill one which instructed him in the truth and so wicked as to kill the Ambassodoure of God as did his posteritie 41 Yee doe the dedes of your father Then sayde they to hym we be not borne of fornication wee haue on father euen God M. We maye behoulde here great moderation in our sauioure Christ As yet he spareth them not by and by openly affirming that the Deuill is their Father the whiche notwithstanding he afterwarde did when they did not onely malapertly saye that they were the sonnes of Abraham but also the children of God Let vs also immitate this modesty that so long as it maye be done with the glory of God we may spare the wicked and to take héede that we do not styrre and mooue them so much as wee maye But rather let vs with méekenesse instruct them yf at any time it may please God to geue vnto them repentaunce and grace to knowe and beeléeue the truth We bee not borne of fornication Bv. These men styll obstinately goe forewarde to mayntaine their nobillitye speciallye when they perceiued by the order of Christes woordes that hée assigned the Deuyll to bée theyr Father Therefore nowe on the contrarye parte they doe not onelye boast themselues to bée the children of Abraham but also the children of God C. Howbeit they accounted it all one thing to be the children of Abraham and the children of GOD. But in this they dyd greatlye erre that they imagined God to bée tyed and bound to the séede of Abraham For thus they reason God chose the séede of Abraham to him selfe therefore séeing wée come of the séede of Abraham we must néedes be the children of God Now we sée how they thought that they receyued holynesse euen from their Mothers wombe because they came of a holye stocke Moreouer they goe about to proue them selues to be the Church of God because they had their originall of the holy Fathers euen as at this daye the continuall succession from the Fathers doeth puffe vp the Papistes and make them too swelling prowd With suche delusions Sathan beguileth them that they might deuide GOD from his worde the Church from the Faith and the kingdom of Heauen from the spirite But if so be the aunswere of Christ were auailable to refell the Iewes it is of no lesse force to conuince them at this daye For Hipocrites wyll alwayes falsefye the name of God but they shall neuer bring to passe but that they shal be accounted lyers of suche as leane to the iudgement of Christ M. We sée here that the wycked aduersaryes of Christ knew well inough that the impietye of false worship was spirituall whoredome and that the same was filthye and to be detested of the
menne for filthye lucers sake to extinguishe the Gospell But wée haue here a sheaphearde set before vs not the Bishoppe of Rome yea neyther Peter nor Paule but Christe the onelye begotten Sonne of God Bv. Furthermore they whiche gather vppon this place that there shal be one daye a mutuall consent and agréement amongst men in the whole world insomuche that none shall remaine an Infidell or vngodlye do erre and know not the Scriptures neyther doe consider what is the state and drifte of this place R. Againe there are some whiche gather of this place that after the last day of Iudgement all both good and euell shal be gathered togeather into one place of eternall lyfe but the opinion of these men is most foolishe For then shall the shéepe bée seperated from the Goates Mat. 25.46 and the iudgement of the shéepe shal be one and the iudgement of the Goates another as the Scripture plainelye testifyeth 17. Therefore doth my Father loue mee because I laye dovvne my life that I might take it againe B. This is a digression by which hée declareth howe hée woulde geue his life for his sheepe not that hee ought death any thing but because he would wyllinglye suffer the same that hée might take his lyfe vnto him agayne by his owne power Wherevpon it commeth that he sayth Herein is the loue of my Father declared in mee Herein it is certaine that I am loued of my Father that I geue my life to take it to me againe For this is deuine power the whiche being séene in mée who wyll not thinke thereby that I am greatlye loued of my Father C. There is also another farther cause why the Father loueth the Sonne For this voice was not heard in vaine from Heauen This is my well beloued Sonne in whome I am wel pleased But because for our sakes also hée was made man and because the father loued him to this ende that he might reconcile vs vnto him it is no maruaile if he affirme that he is therefore loued because our saluacion was dearer vnto him than his owne lyfe Bv. Hereby certainlye it is euident that the Sonne dyed with the good wyll of his Father and that the wyll and purpose of them boathe was all one in redéeming the worlde C. This therefore is a wonderfull commendation of the goodnesse of God which geueth vs iust occasion to wonder at him in that hée doeth not onely powre out his loue into vs but also referreth the same vnto vs as to the fynall cause And verilye Christ had no néede to take vppon him our fleshe in the which hée shoulde bée beloued but onelye that in redéeming of vs it might be a pleadge of his Fatherly mercy M. And it is not without cause that the Lorde maketh mencion here of his fatherlye goodnesse For hée went about to beate downe the mallice of the Phariseis whiche went about to perswade the blinde man that Christ was not of a God but a sinner that therewithall they might perswade that whatsoeuer he spake or dyd was not acceptable vnto God That I might take it to me againe C. Because the hearing of Christes death might not a litle greeue the Disciples and might also greatelye assaye their Faith he comforteth them with the hope of the resurrection which should strayte after followe as if hée shoulde saye that he dyd not dye to bee swallowed vp of death but that he might by and by after aryse a conquerour of death R. As if he shoulde saye Therefore hath GOD the Father glorifyed mée aboue all Creatures because I am obedient to him Phil. 2.8 to the death euen to the death of the Crosse For because I haue descended into the lower partes of the earth and am made the moste abiecte and contemptible performe therefore I wyll ascende aboue all the Heauens and God shall geue vnto mée a name whiche is aboue all names and shall greatlye honour me M. And whereas he arose not straite after hee had suffered the death of the Crosse but tarryed vntyll the thirde daye it was done to take awaye the suspicion of a fayned death and to set forth the glory of the vnwonted and miraculous resurrection Therefore in these wordes he declareth that his death was not after the common manner of menne but dispensatorye because lyfe shoulde presentlye followe death C. And it becommeth vs at this daye so to thinke of the death of Christ Resurrection of Christ that therewithall we remember the glorye of the resurrection So we knowe that he is lyfe because hee hauing fought with death hath mightely ouercome the same and made a noble triumphe A. For by death hee hath destroyed him which had power of death that is to saye the Deuell Heb. 2 i5 and hath made them free which all their lyfe time were meere bondslaues 18. No man taketh it from mee but I laye it downe of my selfe I haue power to laye it downe and haue power to to take it agayne this cōmaundement haue I receyued of my Father No man taketh it from mee M. If so bée to laye downe his lyfe signifyeth nothing else but to dye euen as to take awaye the lyfe is to kyll Howe then sayth he that no man taketh away the same from him Dyd not the Iewes kyll him Yes verilye If then they killed him they also tooke away his lyfe from him In déede they tooke it awaye but they dyd not extorte it from him by violence and against his wyll For they coulde not haue taken the same from him except he would wyllinglye haue dyed Herevppon he addeth this saying But J laye it downe of my selfe The which is not so to bée vnderstoode as if hée woulde kyll him selfe A. as the wicked Iewes obiected vnto him M. but because the laying downe of his lyfe was not in any mannes power but hée him selfe of his owne accorde layde downe the same C. Therefore hée doeth not onely deny that men haue power in them selues to kyll vnlesse hee suffer them but also exempteth him selfe from all force of necessitye But it is otherwise with vs who of necessitye are subiect to death by reason of sinne Christ also him selfe was borne a mortall man but this was voluntarye submission and not violent constraint This therefore pertaineth to the consolacion of the Disciples least when they shoulde sée him shortlye after to bée carried vnto death they might bée discouraged as though he had béene oppressed of his enemies but might know that the same came to passe by the wonderfull prouidence of God that he should suffer death to redéeme the flocke And this is alwayes a profitable doctrine that therefore the death of Christ was a satisfaction for sinnes because it was a voluntarye sacrifice according to that saying of Paule by the obedience of one man many became sinners I haue power to laye it downe R. This is euen the same which hée sayde before namelye that hée therfore suffered because so it
she had beene voide of faith Vpon iust cause therefore he sayeth not If thou beléeue thy Brother shall rise againe but Thou shalt see the glorye of God C And that not onely because faith doeth open our eyes that we maye beholde the glorye of GOD shyning in his workes but because our Fayth maketh awaye for the power and goodnesse of GOD to offer it selfe vnto vs as we maye reade in the fowre score and one Psalme beginning at the eleuenth verse So againe vnbeleefe stoppeth the accesse vnto God and doeth as it were kéepe his handes fast shut for the which cause it is sayde in another place Iesus coulde shewe no signe there Mat. 13.58 because of thier vnbeleefe Not that the power of God is tyed to the wyll of menne but because they which doe withstand the same by their wickednesse so muche as they can are vnworthy to haue him reuealed vnto them M. He sayeth The glorye of God when hee might haue sayde my glorye for it was meete that the Sonne also shoulde bee gloryfied by this miracle as is sayde before but Christ thought it better to vse this modestye that he might seeme rather to seeke his Fathers glory than his owne although his Fathers glorye and his are alwaye ioyned togeather 41. Then they tooke away the stoane from the place where the dead vvas laide And Iesus lyfte vp his eyes and saide Father I thanke thee that thou hast heard mee Then they tooke C. Nowe Martha being contented with this seconde saying suffereth the stoane to be moued She sawe nothing as yet but because she heareth that the sonne of God doeth not commaunde the same in vain she willingly obeyeth him Where the dead was layde M. The Euangelist thought that he could not sufficientlye inculcate the death of Lazarus that thereby he might make the glorye o◠the power of Christ which is boath the resurrection and the lyfe the more manifest And Jesus lyft vp his eyes Christ talketh with his Father before he commaundeth the dead man and that he might declare that he talked with the Father he lifted vp his eyes towardes heauen Bv. to the ende that by the very gesture of his body he might declare to the standers about him that the same which he dyd was by the power of God who is the aucthour and geuer of all good thinges C. This therefore is the signe of a good minde disposed to praye For if so bée a man wyll truly call vpon God he must be ioyned with him the which cannot bée except he be lyfted vp from the earth and ascende aboue the heauens The which a man cannot doe by lifting vp his eyes onely For the hypocrites also doe the like who being ouerwhelmed in the fylthynesse of the fleshe do séeme by lifting vp of their eies and by wrything of their faces to drawe heauen vnto them but that which they do hipocritically the children of GOD must do sincerely Notwithstanding he which lyfteth vp his eyes towarde heauen ought by his cogitacion to include God there who being in euery place fulfilleth both heauen and earth but because mens mindes cannot be frée from groase imaginations but that they wyll imagine some groase and base thing to bée in God except it be when they are lyfted vp aboue the worlde the scripture calleth vs thither and testifieth that the heauen is Gods seate Esay 66 i But this lyfting vp of the eyes is not such a ceremonye that true prayer shall not bée acceptable without the same for the Publican no doubte which looked downe to the grounde dyd neuerthelesse by his faith pearce the heauens And yet this gesture is profitable for it styrreth vp men to séeke God and moueth the affections For there is no doubte but that Christ when hee lifted vp his eyes towards heauen was rapte thyther with greate vehemencye Father I thanke thee that thou hast heard me Bv. The Sonne is not so heard of the Father as we are hearde but after a more certaine speciall manner For the Father heareth the Sonne that is to say he is of the same wyl and power that he is of The Sonne wylleth not any thing contrary to his father neyther stādeth hée in néede of any other forreyne or externall helpe C. Nowe therefore he beginneth with thankesgeuing when as he had asked nothing but although the Euangelist make no mencion that he prayed yet notwithstanding there is no doubte but that he first made his peticion for otherwise he coulde not bee heard And it is verye credible that among those groaninges of the which the Euangelist speaketh he prayed Nowe hauing obtained Lazarus lyfe hée geueth thankes to the Father And in that hée arrogateth not this power to him selfe but attributeth the same to his Father as receiued from him he declareth him selfe to bée the Minister of the Father For to frame him selfe to the capacitye of menne one whyle he proouing and confirming his diuinitye challengeth vnto him selfe whatsoeuer belongeth vnto God another whyle being contented with the personne of a man he geueth the whole glory of the diuinitye to the father 42. Howbeit I knowe that thou hearest me alwaies but because of the people which stande by I sayde it that they maye beleeue that thou hast sent mee B. He was sure already that his Father would at his request restoare Lazarus to life Therefore that he might séeme to doe all thinges by the wyll of his Father he gaue him thankes C. And when he addeth that he knewe the same before he so doeth least any man shoulde thinke that he was in so small fauour with the Father that hée could not doe what miracles he woulde at the first without staye Therefore he declareth that there is suche a consent betwéene him and the father that nothing is denied vnto him and that hee néeded not to haue prayed séeing he dyd that thing onely which hée knewe was commaunded to him of the Father but to the ende it might the more euidently appeare vnto men that this was a diuine worke in déede he therefore called vppon the name of the Father B. To be short he geuing thankes vnto the Father in the presence of the people testified that hée wrought all thinges by the power of his father that he is alwayes heard of the Father and that his wyll and the Fathers wyll are all one C. If any man obiect and say Why then dyd he not rayse vp all those that were dead Wée aunswere that God by his wisedome and counsaile appointed so many miracles to be wrought and no moe than should serue for the approbation confirmation of the Gospel That they might beleeue B. Let vs knowe that all the words and déedes of our sauiour Christ belonged to this ende that we might beléeue Iesus to be the sonne of God our sauior They which stóode by might in some sort knowe the Father and yet be ignoraunt of the Sonne therefore hée prayeth before them that they might knowe
with him know thou therfore that I and he are all one in diuinitie and deuine maiestye which cannot be seene with corporall eyes 10. Beleeuest thou not that I am in the father and the Father in me the words that I speak vnto you I speake not of my selfe but the father that dwelleth in mee is he that doth the workes C. Some refer this to the deuine essence of Christ C. But they do better which refer it to the maner of reuelation For Christ in respect of his secret dietie is neuer a whit more knowne vnto vs than the father But he is sayd to be the expresse Image of God because God hath wholy reuealed himselfe in hym by his exceeding goodnesse wisedome and power Neither haue the ancient Fathers done amisse which bringe testimonye from hence to defende the Diuinitie of Christ but because Christe doth not simplye dispute who he is in him selfe but whom we ought to acknowledge him to be it is rather a tytell of his power than of his essence The father therefore is sayde to be in Christ because the ful diuinitie dwelleth in hym and agayne Christ is sayd to be in the father because by his diuine power he declareth him selfe to be all one with him The wordes that I speak Vnto you B. He proueth of the effecte that God ought to be sought for in no other than in him M. As if he should saye My very doctrine proueth me to be in the father and the father in me For it is not humane but deuine and such that it playnly setteth foorth the sone of God Also you your selues haue confessed before that I haue in me the woordes of eternall lyfe and that ye knewe and beléeued that I am the sonne of God R. Yf therfore my woord be the worde of my father and my works the works of the Father he whiche wyll know the Father muste of necessitie beléeue my word and behould my works in faith For no man knoweth the father but by the son and no man knoweth God but by his word C. Yf any man obiect against this that all the Prophetes are to be counted the sonnes of God because they spake by the inspiration of the spirit and had God the author of their doctrine we may easly answer that we must consider what the doctrine containeth For the Prophetes sende their Disciples to an other but Christ retaineth them in hym selfe We must also remember what the Apostle wrighteth namely how that God speaketh nowe from Heauen by the mouth of his son who speake as it were out of the earth by Moyses By workes he vnderstandeth not onely Myracles but also the declaration of his diuine power 11. Beleeue mee that I am in the Father and the Father in mee or els beleeue mee for the workes sake C. Fyrst of all he requireth his Disciples to beléeue his testimony when he affirmeth himselfe to be the son of God Notwithstanding because they had bin hitherto to slow he doth priueli nip their negligence Yf so be saith he my affirmation be not of credit inough with you and yf ye make so small account of mee that ye thinke my wordes are not to be beléeued at the lest consider my power whiche is the visible Image of the presence of God It was very strange that they should not depend vpon the mouth of Christ séeing that euery word which he spake ought to haue binne beleeued without doubtyng But Christ here reprehendeth his Disciples for that they being so often toulde of one thing profited so litle He doth not teach what is the nature of Faith but testifieth that he hath that which may suffice to reproue the vnbeleeuers In that he sayeth agayne I am in the father and the father in me It is not superfluous for we sée by dayly experiēce how nature pricketh vs forward to vaine curiositie 12 Verely verely I say vnto you he that beleueth on me the works that I do the same shal he do also and greater workes than these shal hee doe because I goe vnto the father B. The purpose of Christe in these wordes is that he might perswade his Disciples not to be sorye for his departure from them which should hapen vnto them for the best but rather to prepare them selues stoutly and dilygently to discharge the office of the Gospell C. For what so euer Christe had spokē of him selfe hitherto vnto his disciples it was tēporal in respect of them Therefore without the adding of this part the consolation had not bin full and perfect specially séeing in remembring the benefites our memory is fraile In the which matter we néede no other examples For when God hath heaped vpon vs all manner of benefites yf he cease but halfe a month we wyll thinke that he is dead In consideration of this Christ doth not only speake of his present power which his Apostles at that time behelde with their eyes but also promiseth that they shall haue a perpetuall féelinge of the same euer after And verely he dyd not onely while he was on the earth declare his diuinitie but also after he was gone vnto the Father the faithfull had experience of the same But we are either dull or so wycked that we nether consider God in his works nor Christ in the workes of God And greater works then these shal he do A These words are diuersly expounded by Interpreters Some restrayne these workes vnto the myracles whiche the Apostles wrought after the resurrection of Christe the which that they might proue to be greater then those that Christ wrought they alledge that which Luke writeth of the shaddow of Peter But the rising of Lazarus was a more wonderful woorke than the simple helyng of sicke persons Other some referre it to the number of myracles sayinge that the Apostles wrought greater miracles because they wrought more in nomber Act. 15.16 both in Hierusalem in other parts of the worlde they affirme this place to agrée with that in Marke And these signes shall follow them that beleeue Mat. 16 i7 In my name they shall caste out Deuills c. C. But this is the simple meanyng of Christ that his power was so little tyed to that presence of his bodye by whiche he proued him selfe to be the son of God that the same should be set forth by more and greater experimentes he being absent For straight after the assention of Christ followed the wonderfull conuersion of the world in whiche the diuinitie of Christ more mightely declared it selfe than whan he liued among men Thus we see that the approbation of the diuinitye of Christe was not shutte vp in his parson but spread throughoute the whole body of the Churche But to doe this of the which he speketh here is neither proper to the Apostells aloane nor common to all the Godly but belongeth to the whole body of the Church Because I go to the father C. The reason why the Apostles should do greater
that euell Where hée sayeth that they haue ouercome who are as yet in the middest of the skyrmyshe But our condition differeth far from theyrs which fight vnder the standerdes of men For Mars to them is doubtfull and the successe of the battaile vncertaine but wee before wée encounter with the enemye are conquerours because our head Christ hath once ouercome the whole worlde for vs when he ouercame Satan the Prince of this world So that hée maye paraduenture afflicte the children of God but hee can neuer haue the victorye for that the cause belongeth to Gods kingdome By the name of the world in this place Christ reprehendeth all that is contrarye to the saluation of the Godlye in speciallye all corruptions the whiche Sathan abuseth to intrappe and beguile vs. B. Therefore the worlde is so ouercome by Christ that it maye onelye profite vs but not hurte vs yf so bée through Faith which is the victorye of the worlde wée cleaue faste vnto Christ to the end ⧠The .xvij. Chapter 1. These wordes spake Iesus and lyfte vp his eyes to heauen and sayde Father the houre is come glorifye thy sonne that thy sonne also maye glorifye thee R. HITHERTO from the thirtéen Chapter Christe hath taught that he was sent of the Father into this world and that hee woulde goe to the Father againe Beside this he confirmed with many comfortable consolalations all those that beléeue in him against the offence of the Crosse specially with the last comfortable precept in the Chapter going before Be of good cheere I haue ouercome the worlde For wherevnto soeuer thou haue respect whether it bée vnto corporall thinges or spirituall thinges the Crosse is alwaye obiected C. Wherefore the comming of the holye Ghost being promised by him he made them to haue better hope and also debated the matter at large concerning the glorye and excellencye of his kingdome R. And nowe he prayeth his Father fyrst that his Father would glorifye him seeing that the Ministerye of the Gospell was now fulfilled and the power of his glorifycation come Then he prayeth for his Apostles And last of all for all such as should beleeue through the Preaching of the Apostles M. Therfore Christ addeth a Prayer to that doctrine by the which he instructed and confirmed his Apostles and such a prayer as agreed with the present cause of the which he had spoken so largely This is a most excellent order and dilligentlye to bée obserued and noated not onelye of all the Ministers of Christ but also of the Faithfull that they turne from Doctrine to prayer For doctrine wyll be coulde except the same bée made effectuall by God Wherefore hee geueth an example to teachers not onelye to bée painefull in Preaching the worde but also by vsing prayer therewith to call for helpe from God that it woulde please him by his benediction to make the same fruitefull M. For whether thou teache or bée taught wée must not looke to receiue encrease and fruite by man but we must make our humble prayers vnto GOD who geueth boath to him that teacheth and to him that heareth increase and profite C. To bée short this prayer of Christ 1 Cor 3 7 was as it were a sealing of the former doctrine boath that it might bée fyrme in it selfe and also that the Disciples might geue credite therevnto and stedfastly beléeue it C. And in this Chapter Christ manifesteth his Priesthoode of whome it is written Thou art a Priest for euer after the order of Melchisedech Also Psal ii0 4 In the dayes of his fleshe hee offered vp prayers and supplications with strong crying and teares vnto God Heb. 5 2 which could saue him from death and he was hearde out of the feare M. Christ taught before nowe he prayeth Prayer preaching ioyned togither shortlye after he purposed to offer vp him selfe an acceptable sacrifice to God his Father C. And wheras Iohn sayth that Christ prayed lyfting vp hys eyes vnto heauen it was a token of greate feruencye in prayer For by thys Iesture he declared that hys minde and affection was rather in heauen than in earthe that leauing men he myght haue familliare talke wyth God Also he looked vppe to Heauen not because God is included ther who replenisheth the whole earth but because hys Maiestie there specially appeareth Ierem. 27. But concerning thys matter we haue spokē more in the eleuenth Chapter goyng before begynning at the fourty and one verse Father the houre is come M. In that Christ prayed openly and in the heareyng of hys Disciples it was not done wythout cause He loueth sylence and secrete prayer Math. 6.6 as Christ him selfe not onely in wordes but also by his owne déede taught in goynge aparte when he woulde praye into the wildernesse Math. 14.23 or else into some solitarye place but that kinde of prayer which the Lord vsed here was not onelye done for prayers sake but also for consolation and instruction And thys maner of open praier did not onelye perfite the Disciples but hath also brought vnto vs great consolation and instruction C. Fyrste of all Christ prayeth that hys owne kingdome might be glorifyed that he againe might set foorth the glory of hys Father He sayeth the hower is come bycause althoughe he was manifested by miracles and by all maner of power to bée the Sonne of God yet notwythstanding as yet hys spirituall kingdome was obscure which shortlye after gloriouslye shined Also he sayeth that the hower was come not which man had appoynted but the hower which was decreede by God R. But some wyll saye what meaneth thys that Christe prayed beyng assured of hys glorification I aunswere that assuraunce is the principall cause of hys prayer For except thou be sure certayne to obtayne thou prayest in vayne Prayer if it be effectuall proceedeth from faith For effectuall prayer muste spring from fayth and fayth is dyrected to the fyrme and stable promyse of God Wherefore except fayth be annexed to the vndoubted promyse it cannot bee that thou shouldest obtayne Math. 6.12 Thus we praye daylye Forgiue vs our dettes as wee forgiue our detters when as Christ purchased vpon the Crosse remission of our dettes many yeares before C. Therefore thys prayer was not superfluous because Christ so dependeth vppon the wyll of God that notwythstandyng be knewe that he must pray for that which was promised vnto hym sertainelye to come to passe God vndoubtedly wyll bring that to passe which he hath decrede though the whole worlde doe gaynesaye and resiste the same but yet neuerthelesse it is our parte to craue that at hys handes by prayer which hée hath promised bycause thys is the vse of promyses to styrre vs vppe to praye M. Furthermore we must consider that he saith not God glorifye me but Father glorifye thy sonne Fyrst of all it expresseth a trust and prerogatiue of the Sonne towardes the Father then it putteth a difference betwene the
calleth him self a disciple not a doctor who notwitstanding farre excelled all the Doctors and teachers in the worlde Let then those greedy hunters after vain glorie blushe and be ashamed who are contented with no tytels bee they neuer so honourabie and large Iohn the Baptiste called hym selfe a voyce crying in the wildernes Peter and Paul which are the lightes of the whole world name them selues the Seruantes and Ministers of Iesu Christe But Iohn also calleth hym selfe a witnes bicause the Lorde had saide ye shall be witnesses of these thinges A witnes speaketh nothing of hys owne but faithfully doth declare those things onely which he hath eyther seene or hearde Wherefore that which he had heard of the Lord and had séene hym do and suffer simplely and trulye euenas they were spoken and done he hath vttred and declared M. This therefore is the very same disciple whome hee hath so often sayde was specially beloued of the Lorde and yet hathe he not once in all his booke sette to his name lest he might incurre the suspicion of arrowgancy Yet notwithstanding it is not too be forbidden that the names of aucthors shoulde be set vnto theire bookes the which may stand too very good vse and purpose so that vayne glory be not sought And we knowe that hys testimony is true Bv. Nowe Saincte Iohn very-seriously affirmeth that he hath faythfully and truely deliuered the pure simple truthe Euen as in another place also That which we haue hearde which we haue seene vvith our eyes which we haue looked vppon â–ª and our handes haue handled of the worde of lyfe wee shewe vnto you For his meaning is that the Apostolicall doctrine is moste true and approued euen as sayd Peter we haue not followed deceitfall fables when we opened vnto you the power and comming of the Lorde Iesus but with our eyes we sawe hys Maiestie A. Concerning the reste which may be brought to the exposition of this place reade the .35 verse of the .19 chapter before For there he geeueth the lyke testimony to that which he hath writen 55. There are also many other thinges whiche Iesus dyd the which if they shoulde bee written euery one I suppose the worlde coulde not contayne the bokes that should be written Iohn 20.30 Bv. This place agréeth with that which the Apostle sayd before how that not al the signes of the Lordes resurrectioÌ„ were written but those onely which were sufficient to perswade men to beleeue in the Lorde Iesus that by him they attayne to life euerlasting and true blessednes M. The very same he séemeth now to repeate agayne but yet not without some differeÌ„ce Before he spake of the signes after the Resurrection but here hee speaketh of those signes generally whiche Christe wrought and shewed from the fyrst to the laste all the which he sayth are not written neyther in this booke nor in any other C. Therefore leste any man should suspecte his word as one speaking pertially bicause he was loued of Christe he cutteth off this obiection saying that he hath omitted ouerpassed more than he hathe written Neyther doth he speake of euery action of Christ but of those which appertayned to his publique office M. And the reason hereof he sayth is the innumerable multitude of Christes deedes saying that the whole worlde woulde not contayne those bookes which should be written if all perticulers were written By which hiperbolicall speacke his mind was to expresse that multitude of bookes which muste be written if all the actions of Christe were to be written Hiderbole is an excessiue speach eyther in aduauncing or deâ—â—praesting any thinge C. Neither ought we to Iudge this an absurd Hiperbole seeing we beare with many thinges in prophane wryters We must not only consider the number of Christes workes but also we muste way the weighte and greatnes of them The diuine maiestie of Christe which to mans sence and vnderstanding â—s infinite did in those his works wonderfully shine If the Euangelist hauing respecte vnto this as one astonished exclameth that the whole worlde is not able to conceiue and comprehende a iust and full narration who will maruell B. And verely seeing the actes of Christe were almoste infinite who coulde haue remeÌ„bred or wayed al things with fruite To what end then should they haue béen written For it had not beene meete that we should haue neglected them C. Furthermore he is not to be repreheÌ„ded for vsing an olde and accustomed figure to coÌ„mend the excellency of the workes of Christe Bv. Furthermore who seeth not that the same is a full and perfecte kynde of doctrine which leadeth bringeth vnto that ende to the whiche it is ordeyned and appointed But the EuaÌ„gelical history was ordeyned to shew vnto vs a way how we might obtayne eternall life the which we obtayne by fayth in Christe the whiche way it doth most playnely and plentifully teach vs. Therefore it followeth that the Gospel is a most perfect kynd of doctrine and that the Euangelists haue put a suÌ„me in writing which may suffice to instructe vs in the fayth and also to leade vs in the waye to euerlasting life although they haue not deliuered vnto vs worde for worde all thinges that Christe both spake and did B. Those thinges therefore are written whiche beeing well wayed are plentiful inoughe to instruct vs in al godlynes I wold to God they were so exactly discussed to imbrace Godlynes as they are narrowly sifted stretched to maintayne contencions and braules C. Wherfore he is sufficiently learned and instructed whiche hathe profited in the reading of this Scripture And verely séeing the Apostles ar ordeined of God to be witnesses vnto vs as they haue faythfully done their duetie so also is it our parte wholly to depend vppon their testimony and too desire no more than they haue vttred specially seeing their pennes haue beene dyrected and gouerned by the assured prouidence of God lest withouermuch matter they should oppresse our weake capacitie and yet notwithstanding hauing choyse might deliuer so much vnto vs as he which is only wyse and the welspring it selfe of Godes wisedome knewe to bee expedient for vs. A. But to make an ende of this exposition of S. Iohn let vs note that we haue here described truly offred vnto vs our Lorde and Sauiour Iesus Christ that true and naturall sonne of God consubstantiall and coequall with the Father in all things but in the fulnesse of time according to the Prophets he was incarnate for vs he suffered he truely dyed and was vndoubtedly raysed agayne from death and was made King and Lorde of all things This Christ seeing he is appoynted of God the father and geuen vnto vs to be the fulnesse of all grace and truth that Lambe of God which taketh away the sinne of the worlde that Ladder and gate of heauen that exalted Serpent which maketh the deadly poyson hurtlesse that water refreshing the thirstie that Sonne reconciling vs to the Father that bread of lyfe that lighte of the worlde that Shepheard of the shéepe the doore the resurrectioÌ„ the lyfe the growing wheat corne the Conqueror of the prince of this worlde the example of lyfe the waye the truthe the true and fruitfull vine to be short the redemption saluation satisfaction and righteousnesse of all the faythfull in the whole world Séeing I say Christe is the plentiful treasurie of all these riches and graces vnto vs let vs giue thanks vnto God the Father of the same Iesu Christ who hath not spared his onely sonne but hath giuen him for vs to redeeme vs from all iniquitie and to make vs a holye and acceptable people vnto him selfe deuoutly giuen to all good workes that béeing now deliuered by the bloud of Christ from the hande of all our enemies we might serue him in holynesse and righteousnesse before him all the dayes of our lyfe To him be Glory Empire and Dominion now and for euer Amen FINIS Laus Deo ¶ IMPRINTED AT LONDON by Thomas Marshe dwelling in Fleetstreete neare vnto Sainct Dunsions Church
daye and shewed himselfe aliue againe to his Disciples after that ascending into the heauens that so fayth increasing by little and litle there might be a way made to receyue the more hie documents of the diuinitie of Christ But there be manie that thinke that John was speciallie led to wirte to this ende and purpose namelie that he might defende the diuinitie of Christ against the wicked blasphemyes of Ebion Cerinthus and Carpocrates But what soeuer occasion hee had then to write there is notwithstanding no doubt but that GOD had a farther regarde to his Churche He did therefore so guide the pen of the Euangelist to write that the partes being deuided amongst them he might bring the whole bodie to a perfect worke And whereas they haue placed John in the fourth seate it was done vpon the consideration of the time in the which hee wrote namelie when he was in exile or when hee was called backe againe as some affirme from the death of Domitian ⧠A CATHOLIKE EXPOSItion vpon the Gospell of Saint JOHN The first Chapter IN the beginning was the Worde and the Word was with God and God was the Worde Jn the beginning was the woorde CHR. ALL THE other Euangelistes beginning at the incarnation Iohn pretermittyng the Conception Natiuity Education and growing of christ setteth before vs euen at the first his eternal generation saying In the beginning was the worde B. For to the ende he might expresse the diuinity of the Lorde Iesus he called him in his Epistle also the worde of life which was from the beginning 1. Ihon. 1 C. And by this exordium or preface he doth declare the eternall diuinitie of Christ to the ende we may know that God is eternal which was made manifest in the fleshe 1. Timo. 3 But this is the purpose of the Euangelist to shewe that the restoring of mankinde to the fauour of GOD and to euerlasting righteousnesse must néedes be brought to passe by the sonne of God séeing by his power all thinges were created as well in heauen as in earth both thinges visible and inuisible whether they bée maiestie or Lordeshippe eyther rule or power séeing he alone breatheth life and strength into all creatures and continueth them in their estate Collos 1 and specially in man himselfe hée hath made a singuler shewe and proofe both of his power and also of his grace insomuch that although Adam fell and transgressed yet for all that he ceassed not to be louing liberall and mercifull vnto his posteritie R. And this is the purpose of the Euangelist vntill he commeth to these wordes contayned in the sixt verse There was a man sent of GOD. c. In the which hée doth first of all teache the diuinitie of Christ by the which all things are created and then he setteth before vs his humanitie the which to the faythfull is the waye of recreation or creating againe For it doth verie well agree that they which are created by Christ shoulde also by him be created againe C. But wheras he calleth the sonne of GOD the word this séemeth to bée the true and simple cause namelie for that first of all he is the eternall wisedome and will of God secondly the verye expresse Image of his purpose and counsell For as the worde is sayd to be the Caracter or declaration of the mynde in men euen so this is not without cause also attributed vnto GOD that hee shoulde be sayde to expresse himselfe by his worde A. Therefore whether yée call the worde Logon in Gréeke or as Erasmus hath Sermonem beware lest you thinke that his proper essence is trulie as it is in it selfe expressed by this appellation M. For it is a Metaphoricall speache which being applied to our capacitie and vnderstanding maye describe vnto vs some shadow of that thing of the which he mindeth here to speake For it is taken of the similitude of our minde the whiche although it ruleth the whole man yet notwithstanding it is inuisible and vnknowen except the purpose and counsel which it hath conceyued bée bewrayed and made manifest vnto others by worde by whiche in déede a certaine Image of our minde is set before others to beholde Euen so God also whiche is that omnipotent power the creatour and preseruer of al thinges who for that he perceth all thinges is called of the Greekes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 theō is compared so far as that incomprehensible nature of the deuine Maiestye maye bée shadowed to the minde by whiche all this worlde is gouerned and the Lorde Christ his onely begotten sonne is compared to the word because by him the knowledge of God is reuealed to mortall men Colos 1. So Paul calleth Christ the Image of the inuisible God So Christ him selfe sayd Iohn 14. Philip he which seeth mee seeth my Father also And againe No man commeth to my Father that is to saye to the knowledge and fellowship of the Father but by me Iohn 11. Also it is sayde No man hath seene God at any time The sonne which is in the bosome of the Father hath shewed him vnto vs. C. Therefore as God did manifest him selfe in sauing the worlde by this worde euen so he had the same in his will and purpose at the first that there might bée a double relation the first to God the seconde to men A. Lest any man should with Seruetus imagine that this eternall word had his beginning when it was pronounced and put foorth in the creation of the worlde As though in déede it were not before that time that his power was knowen by the eternall worke But our Euangelist teacheth here another maner of matter not assigning to the worde any beginning of time but saying that it was from the beginning he goeth beyond all Ages and times For hée sayeth In the beginning was the worde R. In what beginning Eyther we must simplye vnderstande In principio or in the beginning to be that beginning which the Latines call Inprimis or at the first eyther without the preposition In as Principio or Primum and so to haue it limitted and comprehended in time Or else to saye In the beginning that is to saye The worde is without the compasse of time incomprehensible and vnspeakeable and so the worde was with that beginning in the whiche GOD sayde Fiat lux Let there be light Howbeit hée was neuer without being Gene. 1 there was neuer any time in the whiche he was not For hée is the brightnesse of the glorye of his Father Hebr. 1. and the expresse Image of his substance He was neuer absent from the Father nor neuer out of his sight For thus he sayth in Salomon Prou. 8. The Lord hath possessed me in the beginning of his waye I was before his worke of olde I was set vp from euerlasting from the beginning and before the earth B. In the which place Salomon by the name of wisedome meaneth the power
he is sayde to rest the Seuenth daye from all his worke it is no otherwise to bée vnderstoode than that he ceassed from the creation of the Heauen and Earth which we sée not that hée lefte of to gouerne the same and to preserue it For hee beareth vp all thinges by his mightye worde Heb. 1 The which thing ought to bring no small consolation to the mindes of the Godly For so they learne to rest stay them selues on Gods prouidence without the which not so much as one héere of their heade can perishe Luke 21 R. For hée which féeleth by faith that all thinges depende vpon God he beléeueth also that he falleth into the handes of God when he forsaketh al thinges and entereth into death A. We are also here admonished that theyr opinion is peruerse and wicked which thinke this worlde to be euerlasting We learne hereby also that the Sonne of God was neyther made nor created séeing by him all thinges were made as sayth our Euangelist And without it was made nothing that was made R. This is an exposition of the sentence going before For all thinges were so made by the worde that without the same there was no creature made Now if all thinges were made by the worde it followeth then that the worde was not made Wherefore the worde is God and not a creature as Arrian dreameth And because Satan goeth verye much about to derrogate the glory of Christ it séemed good to the Euangelist preciselye to affirme that of all thinges that were created none ought to be excepted A. For God created all thinges by his sonne christ M. But we must not thinke that as one Idle hée made all things by his worde as by his seruaunt and therevppon to gather that Christ is lesse then the Father God forbid For he made al thinges by his worde not as by a seruaunt but as it were by his wisedome and power Neyther must we thinke that the Father being vnable of him selfe to make and create did set his sonne to finishe this worke God fobid For although it be written that he made all things by his worde that is to say by his onely begotten sonne yet the Father is not therby excluded from the worke nor made vnable but is ioyned to the sonne both in omnipotencye in glory and in all other thinges Therefore this place admonisheth vs that so often as wée beholde the heauen the earth the Sea and al thinges in them contayned we should consider the omnipotencye of God in them waying in our mindes that all these thinges were made without any labour without any paine without any difficultye without any other helpes by the worde onelye By this consideration the faithful may very much comfort them selues and may arme theyr mindes with this faith against all the enemies of God For when they consider the singuler omnipotencye of God in this that by the power of his worde hée made all thinges they are taught that there is nothing harde or impossible vnto God to be done which with his word onlye can make all thinges But wée must take héede that wée thinke not those thinges onely which are profitable and séeme in our iudgement to be the best to be made of GOD by Christ and not the other also which we haue in small reputacion or thinke to be hurtfull AVG. He made all thinges from the Aungell to the worme that crepeth on the grounde M. There be many thinges in the Creatures of God of the which we are ignoraunt and for that cause to the vnskilfull they séeme to be good for nothing There be many thinges which are iudged of vs to be hurtfull as Serpentes Woolues and suche kinde of wilde Beastes and therefore they are thought not to be made of God But we must thus thinke that God hath created nothing without great wisedom and speciall consideration If we be hurt with the Creatures as with Beastes with Water with Fyre with Windes we must not blame the maker but our sinnes and the naturall pride which is in vs to tame and bring vnder the whiche Flyes Lyce Fleas Woormes and such lyke were created The which we maye beholde in Pharao Herode and in others which were eaten with Lice woormes A. Therefore the woorde of God is the aucthour of all thinges 4. In it was life and the life was the light of men Jn it was life C. Hitherto the Euangelist hath taught that all thinges were made by the worde and now he attributeth the conseruation also of those thinges whiche are created vnto the same as if he shoulde saye that not onelye his sodaine power and vertue which by by passed awaye appeared in the creation of the world but also is euident to be séene in this that the order of nature abideth stable and firme But this life wherof the Euangelist speaketh may eyther be extended to those thinges that haue not life which notwithstanding liue after theyr manner Trees haue a kind of life whiche is called Vita vegetatiua although they want sence or else it may be expounded of those thinges only which haue life It maketh no great mater to which we referre it for the simple sence and true meaning of the place is this that the word of god was not only the originall of life to all creatures that they might beginne to be that which as yet they were not but also that it came to passe by his quickening power that they now continue in their estate For except his cōtinual inspiration of life should vphold the world it must needes come to passe that whatsoeuer hath life must néedes decaye and come to nothing B. According to the Psalmist Psa 104. If thou hide thy face they are troubled If thou take awaye their breath they dye and are turned againe to their dust For hée affirmeth that all life dependeth vpon the spirite that is to saye vpon the power of GOD and vpon the worde by the which all thinges beeing made consist and are preserued C. And that which Paule ascribeth to God saying In him wee liue mooue Actes 17. and haue our beeing Saint Iohn affirmeth to bée done by the benifite of the worde It is GOD therfore which doth quicken vs but by his eternall worde M. This also pertaineth to the Diuinity of Christ that he is written of the Euangelist to be the life yea and that which is more to be the wel of life Psal 36. as also in the Psalm For what thinges soeuer are made by him haue theyr life from no other than from him But no man ought to gather of the wordes of Saint Iohn that the Sonne of God after the Creation of the worlde lefte of to be the life For those thinges which are in GOD are euerlasting The life whiche is in Christ is euerlasting not onelye that temporall life whiche is in the creatures of this worlde but also that whiche shal be in the worlde
the blindenesse of man is M. They were the people of God a chosen people out of all nations to this people hée came by incarnation who other wise by his deuinitie is and hath béene alwayes in the worlde and was neuer from the Father To this people hée was promised a Messias of the séede of Abraham and Dauid and was made a Minister of the circumcision for the truth of God Rom. 15 to confirme the promises made vnto the Fathers R. And hée was not onely reiected of them but also Crucified and put to death The knowledge of Christ is lesse among none than among the wise and mightie men of this world For Christ is to the Mightye and Wise of this worlde foolishnesse and a stone to stumble at M. But why doth the Euangelist vrge this same so often that Christ was not receyued For sayth he The darkenesse comprehended him not The world knew him not His own receiued him not Surely he doeth it least any man should saye Thou dost preache vnto vs a great light which is come already into the world but why came he so late why did he neglect the first world He aunswereth he came not to late but alwayes shyned hée was alwayes in the world but the worlde knewe him not And his also to whome by great benefites hée had ioyned him selfe to whom he came with singular grace and fauor to whome he shoulde haue béene best knowen receyued him not So thicke truelye and palpable are the darkenesse euerye where of this worlde He doth also take away that stumbling blocke by the which many were moued for that hee wrappeth the Iewes in the same darcknesse that the world was in So sayth Paul Blindnesse fell vpon Israel To the same effect pertayneth that complaint of God by the mouth of Esay Rom. 11 saying The Oxe knoweth his owner and the Asse his Maisters Cribbe but Israel hath not knowen mee Esay 1 For although hée hath the rule of the whole world yet notwithstanding hee maketh him selfe the peculiar Lorde of Israel whome he had chosen to bée as it were his deare Shéepefolde This place also serueth to make vs feare that we bée not careles of Christ when he is reuealed and Preached For we are not therefore iust because we heare the woord and because Christ commeth but bicause we beléeue and worke according to the measure of fayth A. The Iewes had no regard to the Lawe and the Prophetes and therfore they stumbled and fell at the Stone of offence and were reiected for theyr vnbeléefe M. Furthermore it shoulde not séeme straunge to any man if the sonnes of GOD which are in Christ bée not receyued of this worlde seeing that light was receyued neyther afore nor after the incarnation neyther of the Gentiles 1. Ihon. 3.4 nor of the Iewes The world receyueth that which is his owne 12. But as many as receyued him to them he gaue power to be the sonnes of God euen to them that beleue in his name But as many as receyued him Therfore that which is spoken before And his own receiued him not Is not so to be vnderstode that none of al the Iews receyued Christ for many receyued him but because he was not receyued by a generall consent Euen as if thou shouldest saye The Gospell came into England and England receyued it not How can Englande bée sayd not to receyue the Gospell seeing there are so many Christian Englishmen that receyue the same Surelye it maye be truely sayde not to receyue it bycause it doth not receyue it with a generall commen consent all men agreeing to the same R. To receyue Christ as Iohn interpreteth the same is to beléeue in the name of Christ And the name of Christ is wisedome righteousnesse sanctification and redemption If any man therfore geue him selfe to the righteousnesse of Christe or to his redemption 1. Cor. 1 sinnes shall not remaine death shall vanishe awaye and Hell fire shal be quenshed For men shal be made suche as Christe him selfe is if they geue and bequeathe them selues wholly vnto him According to that which followeth To them he gaue power to be the sonnes of God C. Least this let should hinder or stay any man that the Iewes cōtempned christ the Euangelist lifteth vp the mindes of the godly which beléeue in him aboue the Heauen For hee sayth that this glory to bée the Sonnes of GOD must bée obtayned by faith And in this vniuersalitie as manye is contayned a secret comparison For the Iewes were puffed vp with a blinde vaine glorie as though they alone had GOD tyed vnto them The Euangelist therefore pronounceth that the lot is altered because the Iewes being forsaken the Gentiles are chosen in their stéede For it is asmuche as if the right of adoption should be transported to straungers And this is that which Paule sayth The destruction of one people was the life of the whole worlde Rom. 11 because the Gospell being expulsed as it were of them beganne nowe to be spredde euen throughout the whole worlde CHR. Therefore whether they be bonde or frée whether they be Barbarous or Scithians wise or foolish men or women Children or olde men all are worthie of one honour of the which it is sayde Hee gaue them power to be the sonnes of GOD. C. The Papistes by this place gather that it is in our power eyther to choose or to reiect this grace But the text it selfe doth plainelye ouerthrowe this false collection For straight after the Euangelist addeth that they are made the sonnes of GOD for he sayth To them he gaue power to be made the sonnes of God but specially by the next verse following This making commeth not by the will of flesh but by the will of God by the benefit of regeneration Wherfore if faith doe regenerate vs that we maye be the sonnes of God and if God from heauen doe enspire the same into vs it is manifest that the grace of adoption is not only offered to vs of Christ in power but also euen in the verye acte Moreouer in this Christ hath woonderfullye set foorth his grace that he hath giuen this honour to vncleane and prophane men yea to suche as lie in the shadowe of death that they should now sodenlye begin to be the sons of God Notwithout cause therfore doth the Euangelist extol the greatnes of this benefit Ephe. 2 euen as S. Paul saith to the Ephesians Euen to them that beleeue in his name C. He doth briefelye note the maner of receyuing of Christ namelie when men beléeue in him Therefore we being by fayth ingraffed into Christ do attaine the right of adoption that we maye be the sonnes of God And certainelye séeing hée is the onelye begotten sonne of God this honor pertayneth nothing at all vnto vs were it not that we are his members M. To beléeue in the name of Christ as wée shewed euen now is to receyue him as the sonne of
to saye that onlye Sacrifice Christ Iesus So we reade that this Lambe was slaine from the beginning of the worlde Reuela 13 C. Saint Iohn therefore goeth about to shewe that there remayneth nothing nowe for sinners but that they flée vnto Christ theyr refuge to the ende he might ouerthrowe all satisfactions offeringes and redemptions of men being nothing but false and forged collusions of Satan our enemye This woorde taketh awaye maye be twoo manner of wayes expounded 1. Peter 2 Esay 53. eyther that Christ hath taken vppon him selfe the burthen wherewith wée were oppressed or else that hée quite abolisheth sinnes CHR. Furthermore in that hée sayeth Taketh in the present tence the continuall action of taking awaye is ment For the offering which he once made alwayes standeth of force Let vs knowe therefore that wée now at the last for Christ his sake are reconciled vnto God the Father if wée take the right waye vnto his death and if we doo beléeue that hée was the onelye Sacrifice nayled to the Crosse which taketh away our sinnes R. Furthermore Christ doth not so take awaye sinnes that it maye bée lawfull for euerye man licentiouslye to liue as him lysteth as the carnall falsely gather but that we should liue vnto God Rom. 6 and to righteousnesse For wheresoeuer sinnes are taken awaye by faith there in stéede thereof succedeth the Spirite mortifying from thencefoorth the dreags of sinne Touching the exposition of the nexte verse reade that whiche is spoken of in the fifteenth verse going before 31. And I knewe him not but that he should be declared to Israel Therfore am I come baptizing with water And I knewe him not C. Least men should thinke this testimonye to bée geuen eyther for fauour or friendship hée preuenteth that doubte affirming that he hath no other knowledge of Christ than that which came from heauen to him M. Although therfore hée knewe him to be in the middest of Israel yet for all that he knewe him not by face for there was no familiaritye betwéene them Christ had led his life in Nazareth of Galilee being there with the Carpenter Ioseph and nowe at the first he came from Nazareth to Iordan But Iohn liued in the wildernesse among the beasts and inhabitauntes of the Wildernesse Least therfore by a wrong suspicion and doubte the testimony should be discredited which was geuen to Christ he addeth saying And I knewe him not But that he should be declared to Israel He came to Baptize for this principall cause though this was not the onelye cause He came truelye to Iordan preaching the Baptisme of repentaunce that by this occasion he might knowe him whome before he knewe not that being knowne of him he might reueale him to Israel He Baptized also to this ende that he might bring the heartes of the Israelites to repentaunce and by this meanes might prepare the waye of the Lorde which was at hande Notwithstanding he sayeth well that he came to this ende that Christ might be made manifest vnto Israel For vnlesse this be done al the rest profiteth nothing This thing ought al the Ministerie of Iohn the Apostles to do Moreouer except repentaunce be ioyned vnto it Christ is declared in vaine C. And séeing it was necessarye that Iohn should be sent of GOD that hée might lawfullye Baptize we maye gather herevppon that no man hath libertye of him selfe to institute Sacraments for this right onelye pertayneth to God Euen as our Sauiour Christ in another place to prooue the Baptisme of Iohn demaundeth whether it was from Heauen or of men Math. 21 For the exposition of the twoo verses following reade the thyrde Chapter of Mathew 34. And I sawe and bare recorde that he is the sonne of God M. Although Iohn knewe Christ whome hée had shewed to bée present and of whome he had Preached before this time to be the Sonne of GOD yet notwithstanding by the foresayde Heauenlye inauguration contayned in thirtye and twoo and thirtye and thrée verses he knewe this Iesus whome before hée knewe not to bée the Sonne of God And he knewe this not by the vision onelye but by the voyce also of the Father which came from Heauen saying This is my beloued Sonne Math. 3. C. So that this signe was added because of confirmation and that not so muche in respect of Iohn as for all our sakes M. But séeing Christ is in the Scriptures called the sonne of Dauid Question why doeth not Iohn say And I sawe and testifyed that he is the sonne of Dauid Aunsvver Because that although hée hadde made noe lye yet notwithstanding he shoulde not sufficiently haue set foorth the glory of Christ And this is worthy to be nooted that he witnessed Christ to be the sonne of God because Christ shoulde be the gyuer of the holy Ghost and because the honour office of reconcilyng men vnto God belongeth to no other beside him M. And this knowledge and faith of the Sonne of GOD as it springeth of the diuine reuelation so it maketh a man blessed as Christ plainelye declared to Peter in the sixtéenth chapter of Mathew Math. 16 35. The next daye after John stode againe and two of his disciples B. By litle and litle the Euangelist passeth by narration from the testimonyes of Iohn to the testimonies which his owne déedes and sayinges gaue to the Lorde And séeing it was the office of Iohn to reueale Christ vnto Israel hath he thus farre foorth made mention of that story passing ouer without doubt many thinges which Iohn preached concerning the Lorde The other thrée Euangelistes haue more largelye written of that which hée hath omitted with the which the Godly are satisfied M. But this is the last testimonye of Iohn concerning Christ among those whiche the Euangelist meant to repeate Who in affirming Iohn to stand commendeth his diligence in reuealing Christ as one that sought al occasion to fulfill his office C. Here furthermore we sée howe base and simple the beginning of the Churche was Iohn truelye prepared Disciples for Christ but Christ nowe beginneth him selfe to prepare his Church 36. And behelde Iesus as hee walked by and sayeth Beholde the Lambe of God M. From whence and whyther hée walked the Euangelist sheweth not But it is likelye that Christ according to the great humilitye of his minde as hée vouchsafed to receyue Iohns Baptisme so also he was contented to heare his Sermons which he communicated to the people and so it came to passe when the Sermon was ended because it was nowe almost euentide that hée went to that place where he meant to rest all night But it appeareth by this appellation of Christ that Iohn oftentimes called Christ the Lambe of God taking away the sinnes of the worlde and that notwithout cause for it is the office of a good teacher not once onely but oftentimes to inculcate those thinges into the eares of his auditours which are necessarye for them to
to lyfe 25. Verylye Verylie I saye vnto you the houre shall come and nowe is when the dead shal heare the voyce of the Sonne of God and they that heare shal liue Verilie Verilie J saie vnto you the houre shall come M. Now againe the thirde tyme he vseth this earnest affirmacion whiche greatly expresseth his minde first of all speaking not onely seriously and constantly but also of serious certaine and and waighty matters secondly requiring of the hearers an vndoubted faith also C. For the Euangelist so often times setting before vs the sonne of God swearing in the cause of our saluation we may thereby perceiue fyrst of all howe carefull he is for vs and secondly how néedefull it is that the credit of the Gospel be established and confyrmed The effect of faith of the which Christ here speaketh séemeth to be incredible Therefore by an othe hée affirmeth that the voice of his Gospell is of such quickening power that it is able to raise vp the dead B. There are some whiche vnderstand this worde of Christe of the resurrection or life of mens bodyes go about to proue the same by the example of Lazarus of the widdowes sonne C. but it is euident enough by the text that Christe doth speake of spirituall death Fyrst of al Christ admonisheth vs that we are all dead before he doth quicken vs. And hereby it appeareth what the whole nature of man is able to dooe concernyng the attaynyng to saluation It is verye true that there remayneth in the soule of man some remnant of lyfe for vnderstanding iudgement will and all the sences are partes of life but because there is no part which may aspire to life eternall it is no maruaile yf the whole man so farre forth as appertaineth to the kingdome of God be counted deade And of this death the Apostle speaketh in more wordes when he saith that we were farre from the pure and sincere reason of the mind and in the cogitacion of our hartes enemies to God and his righteousnes and being blind erred in darcknesse were geuen to euyll concupiscence If this corrupt nature haue no strength to attayne to righteousnesse it foloweth that the life of God is extinguished in vs. The grace of Christ the resurrection from death And so the grace of Christ is the true resurrection from death Also this grace is giuen to vs by the Gospel Not that the externall preaching of the same is of suche force which often times goeth in at one eare and commeth out at the other but because Christ speaketh within to our hartes by his holy Spirite that we may by faith receiue the lyfe offered vnto vs. R. Therefore to heare the voyce of the Sonne of God is not onely to heare those carnall wordes with our bodilye eares but to beléeue with the hart Wherfore they that beléeue are iustified For to beléeue with the heart maketh a man righteous Faith iustifieth Rom. 10.10 Gen. 15.6 Abacc 2.4 Also it is sayde Abraham beleeued God and that was imputed to him for righteousnesse Againe it is sayd the iust shall liue by faith For Christe doth not speake here of dead men but he only vnderstādeth the elect whose eares God doeth open that they may receiue the voyce of his Sonne which can restoore them to life Yea Christe distinctly in his wordes commendeth vnto vs two kyndes of grace when he sayth that the dead shall heare the voyce of the sonne of God Two kyndes of grace and liue For it is no lesse against nature for the dead to heare then to be restoared to lyfe from which they were fallen Therefore both these belong to the secrete powere of God A. For experience teacheth vs that the Reprobates haue eyes Esay 6.9 but yet they cannot see they haue also eares but yet they cannot heare and the Gospell of Christ is to thē a sauioure of death vnto death 2. Co. 2.16 When he sayth The houre shall come and nowe it is he speaketh as of an vnwonted and straunge thing And verily the preaching of the Gospell was the new and sodaine resurrection of the worlde A. Wherevppon when Christ taught Mar. 1.17 many sayde VVhat newe doctrine is this And Paul Preaching the resurrection of the dead some sayde Acts. 17.18 This man seemeth to bee a tydinges bringer of newe Deuilles C. If any man demaund whether the word of God hath not alwayes geuen lyfe to men aunswere maye bée made that the Doctrine of the Lawe and the Prophetes being ordayned for Gods people had rather this propertye and office to maintaine those in lyfe which were begotten to GOD The office of the lawe and gospel then to reduce from death But the office of the Gospell was to bring the Gentiles which before were banished menne from the kingdome of God enemies to God and voyde of all hope of saluacion into the society of life R. as also the Apostle teacheth in his Epistle to the Ephesians Ephe. 2.11 26. For as the Father hath life in him selfe so lykewise hath hee geuen to the Sonne to haue lyfe in him selfe M. In these woordes hée geueth a reason why he sayd that the dead should bée raysed vp and quickened by the voyce of the Sonne of God C. and withall he sheweth whereof it commeth that his voyce hath so great efficacye namelye because he is the well of lyfe and poureth the same into men by his voyce For lyfe coulde not flowe vnto vs out of his mouth except the cause and originall thereof were in him Neyther is God sayde to haue lyfe in him onely because hee alone lyueth by his owne proper power and vertue but because he contayning in him selfe the fulnesse of lyfe quickeneth all thinges And this belongeth properlye to God alone euen as it is sayde VVith thee is the well of life Psal 36.9 Hereby wée gather that this title is properlye ascribed vnto Christ in that hée was manifested in the fleshe M. and this hée receyued of the Father when the worde was made fleshe Iohn 1.14 Therefore in that hée is the sonne of God hée hath all thinges of him selfe but in that hée is the sonne of man he hath receyued all thinges from the Father 27. And he hath geuen him power also to iudge because he is the sonne of man And he hath geuen him power C. Againe he repeateth that power is geuen to him of the father that he might haue full power of all thinges both in Heauen and in earth for this worde Iudge is taken for rule and empyre as before But wée must principallye note the reason which hée nowe addeth Because he is the sonne of man M. To bée the sonne of man according to the phrase of Scripture is nothing else than to be a verye man euen as in that he is sayde to bée the sonne of God is meant that he is verye God for euery one is that naturallye which he is when hée
is borne C. The meaning of Christ is that he came foorth vnto men adorned with such power that he might communicate and bestowe that vppon them which hée had receyued of his Father And in that hée is man he was ordained by the Father to bée the aucthour of lyfe least we should seeke him a farre of For Christ hath not receyued any thing whereof he him selfe stoode in néede but rather to make vs ritche with his abundaunt treasure The summe and meaning is that in the man Christ the same is reuealed vnto vs which was hidden in God and the lyfe which men before could not attaine vnto is nowe at hand M. Also it is worthy to be noted that when he might haue sayde Because he is man he chose rather to saye Because he is the sonne of man Let this serue our faith against those which teach that Christ tooke fleshe not of the vyrgin Mary that is to saye of the séede of Abraham whiche the whole Scripture teacheth but that he brought the same with him from heauen But Christ here plainelye calleth him selfe the Sonne of man and not man onely 28. Maruaile not at this for the houre shall come in the which all that are in the graues shall heare his voyce Maruaile not at this B. It was great and wonderful which Christ arrogated to him selfe the admiration whereof that he might somewhat diminishe and might cause the same to bée beléeued hée affyrmed that he would do that which was much more wonderfull namelye that he woulde with his voyce that is to saye with his power raise all the dead to lyfe in the last daye R. Before hée spake of the resurrection which is by fayth Resurrection by fa◠and the resurrection by the fle◠which is by iustification and nowe he speaketh of the fleshe C. But hée séemeth to reason verye vnfitlye when he bringeth the confirmation of that which he had spoken before from the last resurrection Obiection For it is no greater worke to rayse mennes bodyes than it is to rayse theyr soules To this aunswere maye be made Aunsvvere that there is not here of the matter it selfe comparison made which is greater and which is lesse but of humane sence and vnderstanding For men as they are carnall doe wonder at nothing but that which is externall and visible Herevppon it commeth that they careleslye omit the resurrection of the soule but haue the resurrection of the fleshe in great admiration Moreouer this our grosse desire bringeth to passe that those thinges do make more to the confirmation of fayth which are séene with the eye than those thinges which maye bée conceyued by fayth onelye Because hée speaketh nowe of the last daye hée addeth not this restraint And nowe it is as he doeth before in the fiue and twentye verse but doeth simplye pronounce that the tyme shall come Jn the which they that are in the graues M. This is not so to bée stretched that wee should vnderstande that they onely shal be raysed vp in the latter day whose bodyes are buried in Graues and Sepulchers and to exclude those which eyther are drowned in the water burnt to Ashes in the fyre or deuoured of wyld Beasts as we haue read of diuers Christian Martyrs who haue thus ended their lyues C. But because the dead are commonly for the most part buryed by a figure called Synecdoche hée vnderstandeth all which were dead and this is of greater force than if hée had sayd the dead onely Shall heare his voyce M. By these few wordes the faith of Christians is deserued from the faith of the Iewes For the Iewes beléeue the general resurrection of our bodies but they doe not beléeue that the same shal be by the power of the voyce of Christ the sonne of God But this is here plainely affyrmed in these words when he saith Shal heare his voyce This voyce the Apostle attributeth to the Archangel as to the Minister of Christ 1. Thess 4 16. saying For the Lorde him selfe shall descende from heauen in a shoute and in the voyce of the Archangell and in the Trumpe of God and the dead in Christ shall ryse first For this worke he shall bring to passe and finishe by his power Mat. 12.30 Mat. 24.31 but yet hée wyl vse the Ministerye of Aungelles as appeareth in Mathew And the Apostle maketh mencion of the last Trumpe at the sounde whereof the dead shall ryse Therefore the voyce of Christ is that Angelicall Trumpet which by the name and power of Christ shall raise vp the dead Euen as that is the voyce of the King which is proclaimed by the Harold in the Kinges name so is that the voice of Christ which by the Gospell of grace is preached throughout the whole world in the name of Christ M. Also this is not sleightly to bée passed ouer that the houre of the last Iudgement is sayde to come The last day of iudgment This Iudgement while we are séeking to enioye the vanitye of this world and spend the time commeth on a pace Let vs therefore bée careful and vigilaunt in the exercise of godlynesse first because wée heare that the houre of Iudgement shall come secondlye because wée knowe not the time thereof A. The which two thinges are to bée considered Luk. 21.36 that wée maye learne howe wée ought to stande before the sonne of man For wée must all bée brought before the Tribunall seate of Christ that euery man may receyue the workes of his body according to that he hath done whether it be good or bad as Christ consequently sheweth saying 29. And shal come forth they that haue done good vnto the resurrection of lyfe and they that haue done euyll vnto the resurrection of dampnation And shall come forth R. Because the resurrection of the fleshe is common to all men as well to the vngodlye as to the Godly Christ nowe maketh a difference speaking of the state of both in this resurrection and bée pointeth out the faithfull by theyr good workes euen as hée teacheth in a nother place that Mat. 7.7 the Trée maye be knowne by his fruite And hée commendeth their workes in the which they began to exercise themselues from the time of their calling For the Théefe to whome Christ promised lyfe which all his life time was giuen to wickednesse aspired at the last cast to godlinesse But because hée is become a newe man and beginneth of a bondeslaue of sinne to be a seruaunt of righteousnesse God calleth not the whole rase of his former life to an account Moreouer those sinnes which the godly dayly committe are not imputed to thē For without pardon and forgiuenesse there was neuer any man in the whole worlde which can be thought to haue liued well Good workes without grace are euill workes Naye there can be no good woorke reckened to be in any man but in him alone whose sinnes GOD hath forgiuen forasmuch as our best déedes
from thence maye drawe the same vnto them Lyfe is included in the flesh of Christ It is the wonderfull counsayle of God verily that he hath set before vs lyfe in that fleshe in the which before there was nothinge but the matter and cause of death And thus he prouideth for oure infir mitie when he calleth vs not to séeke lyfe aboue the clowdes but offereth the same vnto vs in the earth no lesse then if hée shoulde lyfte vs vp to the gates of his kingdome Neuerthelesse he correcting the pride of oure nature proueth the humillitie and obedience of faith when he commaundeth suche as are lyke to perishe to seeke lyfe in hys fleshe whiche in outwarde shewe is contemtible and base B. For the saluation of the Sainctes coulde not be finished except he had geuen hys fleshe for vs to death As therfore he did profite and accomplish oure saluation by death and was truelye made oure redéemer euenso the Fayeth of Christe cannot stande except wée beleeue in the death crosse and passion of Christe Wherevppon the Apostle testifieth that he woulde not seeme to knowe any other thing than Iesus and the same crucefied For the satisfaction of oure synnes was made vppon the Crosse the which was the satisfaction of Gods righteousnesse the appeasing of the Fathers wrath and the gate of immortalitye Herevpon to shewe howe he woulde finishe oure saluation and with what fayth we must eate him he sayth that the breade which he will geue vnto those that are hys is his owne fleshe C. But this séemeth not to belong to the nature of fleshe that it shoulde quicken and geue lyfe to mens soules I answere although this vertue doth come from some other thinge then from fleshe yet notwithstanding there is no let but that thys name maye be aptly geuen to the same For as the eternall worde of God is the well of lyfe euenso hys fleshe as a water pipe doth poure lyfe into vs which resteth in the diuinitie And in this sence it is called liuing or quickening because it doth geue vnto vs that lyfe whiche it doth borrowe from another M. And we must noate that Christ speaketh not hereof all maner of fleshe but onely of his owne And the breade which I will giue sayth hee is my fleshe Therefore lyfe consisteth not neither in the oblations of beastes neither in any mortall mans fleshe but only in the fleshe of Christ C. This word Geue is dyuerslye taken the firste geuing of the whiche Christe at the firste made mencion is dayly to be séene so often as Christe offereth hym selfe to vs In the second place he noateth that donation onely whiche was made vppon the Crosse when he offered him selfe a sacrifice to the Father and an oblation of a swéete smell vnto God Ephe. 5.2 C. For then he gaue hym selfe to death for the lyfe of men and nowe he inuiteth vs to taste the frute of hys death For that offering once offered shoulde nothing at all profite vs except wée did nowe eate the same in the holy supper Bv. Therfore when he sayth that he will geue the same for the lyfe of the worlde his meaning is this I will geue my selfe too death that the worlde by my death may lyue For the worlde is deade in sinnes but the sonne of God dyed in the fleshe least the second death should raigne ouer the faithful And thus the sonne of God doeth quicken C. And this is to bée noted that Christ taketh vnto him the part of offering vp his fleshe Whereby it appeareth what abhomination the Papistes doe commit when they vsurpe that to them selues in theyr Masse whiche belongeth to that highe Priest onely M. For it could bée done of no other than of him who offered vp his fleshe to GOD his Father once for all 52. The Iewes then contended among them selues saying Howe can this fellowe geue vs his fleshe to eate Bv. There aryseth againe another contencion among the hearers or auditorye of Christ by reason of his wordes which were not rightly vnderstoode M. For alway those that are carnall carnallye vnderstand the wordes of Christ and therfore they are oftentimes offended and being offended fall to contencion among them selues For it offended them that he had sayd that hée would geue his fleshe for the lyfe of the world C. And the Euangelist nameth the Iewes againe not for honors sake but rather to cast in their téeth theyr incredulitye for that they receyued not the familiar doctrine concerning euerlasting lyfe or at least because they do not modestly enquire of a matter doubtfull as yet and obscure vnto them for this is a signe of piuishe frowardnesse and contempte whereas hée sayth that they contende among them selues And they which thus contentiously dispute do hynder them selues from attayning to the knowledge of the truth Bv. They murmured before because the Lord had sayd that hée descended from heauen and that hée was the sonne of God and now they openlye contende because hée sayd And the breade which I wyl geue for the lyfe of the world is my fleshe Euen as if his meaning had béene that his fleshe ought to bée eaten as men eate fleshe which they bye in the Shambles Therfore they crye Howe can this fellowe geue vs his fleshe C Notwithstanding this is not simply to bée reprehended in them that they enquire after the maner howe for then Abraham and the blessed Virgin shoulde deserue the same reprehension Therefore they are eyther deceyued by ignoraunce or else they doe amisse who forsaking braules and contencion which the Euangelist onely condemneth debate curiously discusse this question Howe as though the Iewes ought not to haue enquired of the manner of eating But verily this ought rather to be imputed to slouthfull negligence than to the obedience of Faith if so bée wyttingly and wyllingly wée kéepe the knots of doubtfulnesse vnknit which are dissolued by the word of the Lorde Wherefore wée may not onely enquire of the manner of eating of the fleshe of Christ but also apprehend and take holde of him so farre foorth as the Scripture offereth him vnto vs. Away then with that vaine pretence of humillitye Wée must onely obserue this moderation in the secreete workes of God least we desire to know more than hée hath set downe to vs in his worde B. It is lykelye that the Iewes tooke holde of that onelye which might geue them most easelye occasion to cauill For they dyd not thinke in verye déede that the Lord woulde geue his fleshe to bée so eaten as men eate béefe yet notwithstanding they contende and speake euen as Christ had so meant But this greatlye troubled them that Iesus by his allegoryes affirmed him selfe to bée Christ to bée God and the geuer of eternall life and that hée being the Sonne of man would geue the same fleshe blood which they sawe and moreouer which sounded yll in their eares that hée woulde geue the same by that his
ascended what is it else but that he descended first into the lower partes of the earth Hée which descended is euen the same also which ascended aboue all heauens Eph. 4.9 to fulfyll all thinges C. In that hée sayeth hée was first in Heauen it doeth not properlye agrée to his humanitye and yet notwithstanding hée speaketh of the Sonne of man But this is no vnwonted maner of speaking when twoo natures in Christe doo make one person and to attribute that to one which is proper to another 63. It is the Spirite that quickeneth the fleshe profyteth nothing The wordes that I speake vnto you are spyrite and lyfe It is the Spyrite that quickeneth M. This parcell contayneth a declaracion of those thinges at the which the Disciples were offended because they séemed harde C. For Christ teacheth that the Iewes receyued no profite by his Doctrine because the same being spyrituall they were but carnall hearers of the same But because this place hath béene diuersly expounded first of all it is needefull that wée haue the true and proper sence of the wordes whereby wée shal easely vnderstand the purpose of Christ In that hée denyeth the fleshe to profite any thing some doe amisse referre the same to the Iewes which were carnall Neyther doe they well whiche affyrme that the fleshe of Christe doeth profite vs nothing in that it is eaten but in that it is Crucifyed but wée must rather eate the same that it maye profite vs when it is Crucified B. Othersome vnderstande this of the Spyrite which the Apostles should receyue after the resurrection and Ascention of Christ affyrming that they had then the true sence of Christes wordes when that most excellent teacher of the trueth had replenished them with most ample knowledge of Christ But their opinion séemeth far better which thinke that these wordes Aloane or Of it selfe ought to bée ioyned therewith as if Christ should haue sayde The fleshe aloane or of it selfe profiteth nothing the which is agréeable to the matter it selfe C. For Christe hath simplye respecte to the manner of eating Hée doeth not therefore so speake as though there were no profite at all to bee receyued by his fleshe Flesh with out the spirite profiteth not but onelye pronounceth the same to bee vnprofitable if it bée remoued from the fleshe For whereof commeth it that the fleshe hath quickening power but because it is spyrituall Therefore whosoeuer stayeth in the terrestriall nature of the fleshe shall finde nothing in the same but that whiche is dead but they which lyft vp theyr eyes to the power of the Spyrite with the which the fleshe is endued shall féele by by theyr affection and by the experience of Fayth that it is not called quickening in vaine Nowe let vs sée how the fleshe of Christ is meate in déede and yet profiteth nothing Surelye it is meate because wée thereby haue gotten lyfe because in it God is pleased because in it wée haue all the partes of saluation complete it profiteth nothing if so bée we iudge and estéeme the same according to the nature and originall thereof For the seede of Abraham which of it selfe is subiect to death doeth not giue lyfe but it doeth receyue of the spyrite to geue vnto vs. Wherefore it doeth become vs also that wée maye bée truelye fed by the same to bring with vs the spyrituall mouth of Fayth The wordes which J speake vnto you are spirite M. Hée doeth not speake of the externall sounde of these wordes but of the sence and meaning of them and hée declareth that hée spake not carnallye of the carnall eating of his fleshe in the which there is no lyfe but spyrituallye of the power of the quickening Spyrite in the which there is lyfe C. In fewe wordes hée teacheth that his Doctrine is spyrituall for this word Spyrite is put for the Adiectiue spyrituall And that worde is called spyrituall which calleth vs vpwarde that the holye Ghoste being our guyde wee maye seeke Christ by Fayth and not in carnall sence in his heauenlye glorye For wée knowe that nothing of those thinges which are spoken can bée comprehended but by Faith It is also worthy to bée noted that hée ioyneth the Spirite with lyfe Hee calleth his worde lyfe of the effecte but he teacheth that the same shall geue lyfe to none but to him who spyritually receyueth the same for whosoeuer receyueth the same otherwise rather draweth to him selfe death than life To the godly this is a most sweete tytle of the Gospel that they are certifyed that the same is ordained for them to saluation they are notwithstanding herewithall admonished to shewe them selues méete Disciples For the woordes being receyued by fayth profite but without faith profite nothing at all 64. But there are some of you that beleeue not For Iesus knewe from the beginning which they were that beleeued not and who should betraye him But there are some of you M. The Lorde is wont to vpbrayd men with theyr vnbeléefe because there can no greater iniurye bée done to God than for men to doubte of his Fayth and trueth Christ againe blameth these men because they being deuoyde of the Spyrite doe wickedly depraue and corrupt his doctrine and by this meanes turne the same to theyr owne destruction For they might haue otherwise obiected and sayde Thou braggest that thy wordes are able to geue lyfe but wée sée no suche thing Hee sayeth therefore that they are a let vnto them selues For vnbeléefe as it is alwaye proud◠shal neuer reape any fruite in the words of Christ Vnbeleefe contemneth Christ because it doeth contemptuouslye despise them Hée sayeth not There are some of you which vnderstande not but hée sheweth the cause wherfore they vnderstand not There are sayth hée some of you which beléeue not and therefore they vnderstande not because they beléeue not By fayth wée are coupled togeather and by vnderstanding wée are quickened fyrst let vs sticke fast throughe Fayth that there maye bée somewhat to geue lyfe by vnderstanding For hée which stycketh not fast resisteth and hée which resisteth doeth not beléeue For howe shall he bée quickened whiche beléeueth not C. Whereas hée sayth onely some of them are vnbeleeuing when as almost euery one of them had his faulte hée séemeth so to saye to this ende least if there were any which as yet were curable they might thereby bée brought to dispayre M. Hée meant therefore by more gentle admonition to bring them to a better minde and not so to cast them of that euery one of them might bée made carefull to obtayne the gyft of Fayth For Jesus knewe from the beginning Bv. This the Euangelist putteth downe to amplifye the aucthoritye and magistye of Christ C. Least any man shoulde thinke that Christ dyd rashlye iudge of his auditors Many professed them selues to bée of his flocke but their sodaine falling awaye bewrayed theyr hipocrisie But the Euangelist sayeth that theyr vnbeléefe whiche was
God some saide that they were full of newe Wine Actes 2.7 because they vnderstoode not the power of the holy Ghoste Wherefore wee beeing warned by these examples let vs learne to geue vnto god more reuerence then commonlye we do in considering his workes R. Here therfore appeareth the contempt which we reade of in other places Is not this the Carpentors Sonne is not his mother called Mary Mat. 13.56 and his brethren Iames and Ioses and Simon and Iudas Euenso in this place they saye Mar. 6.3 howe can this fellowes doctrine be receiued as holy when he hath receiued no degrée of scoole He is not oure Rabby he is not our mayster how then shoulde his doctrine be worthie of credite M. Here wee are admonished that the doctrine of Christ was not dispenced with humane knowledge but with diuine power B. But he whiche neclecteth learning when he maye attaine to the same by meanes is vnthankful slouthfull And he which in prouiding ministers to teach the Church preferreth rudenesse before learning contemneth the gift of God and is not mooued with that spirite with the which Paule was mooued when he woulde haue the mistery of the Gospell to be committed to men méete to teache Tit. 1.9 and with the whiche Aquila and Priscilla were mooued when they taught Apollo béeing an elloquent man and mightie in the Scriptures that hée might be more méete to teache Act. 18.24 To this effecte also pertayneth that admonition whiche saint Paule geueth to Timothy 2. Tim 3.14 For this is agréeable to mans nature that one man should teache another As therefore no man will thus reason Moyses Elias and Christe liued for a tyme contrary to the condition of mans nature without meate therefore wée must refuse bodely foode and agayne the Israelites in the wildernesse were fed from heauen withoute tilladge and the benefite of mens labour therefore wée muste vse no laboure nor till the earth euenso verily by this example of Christ no man will infer that the stoody of holy learning is to be despised and that wée lyuing Idelly ought to looke to be taught by miracle 16. Iesus aunswered them and sayde my doctrine is not mine but his that sent me R. The Iewes doe extenuate and dispraise the authority of Christes doctrine bycause of his humility wherfore Christe challengeth the same from the authority of his father whiche sent hym brefely remoouing such wicked suspition and shewing howe he came by his learning and that his doctrine proceded neither from man nor from the Deuel but from God the father whose wisdom worde and Sonne he was My doctrine sayth he is not mine that is of man but of God who hath sent me of whose nature and substaunce I am Wherevppon it is no marueile if so be I am taught and learned with oute mans erudition If then ye desyer to heare God heare me for I am the voyce the speache the worde and the doctrine of God the Father C. In that he denieth the doctrine of his Father to be his he hath respecte vnto the capascitie of his hearers who thought hym to be no better then a man Therefore by concession he requireth to be accounted so much differing from the Father as bringing notwitstanding nothing but that which the Father hath commanded him R. Wherefore thou haste no occasion here to expounde this place of the humane nature of Christe by which he teacheth other matter then deuine thinges For his doctrine doth differ nothing from the doctrine of his father but most symply in these words he doeth declare that he doeth not bring any forged or counterfeit matter but that which is deuine committed in charge to him by the Father C. The summe is this that séeing he teacheth in the Fathers name his doctrine is not of man nor procéeding from man so that the contemners thereof can not escape vnponished Bv. By this place we are taught what doctrine the ministers of the worde ought to bring not humayne but that which is diuine not taken from men but fetcht out of the word of God For they are the messengers and Legates of the moste high God and of the Sonne of God Christ Iesus C. But that which the Iewes accounted For an offence Christ teacheth rather to be a Ladder which should carry them vpwarde to behoulde the glory of God As yf he shoulde saye when ye see a teacher not trayned vp in the Schoole of men knowe ye that he is instructed from aboue For therefore the Father of heauen would haue his Sonne rather to procéede out of the Handicraftes Shop than out of the scooles of the Scribes to the ende the originall of the Gospell might more manifestly appeare lest any man shoulde thinke the same to be framed in earth or shoulde faine some mortall man to be the author of the same So Christe also chose vnto hym rude and ignoraunt Apostles and suffered them for the space of thrée yeres to be in grosse Ignoraunce that he might bring them forth in a moment learned men and as it were Aungels come from heauen Neuerthelesse Christ sheweth from whence we must séeke the authority of spiritual doctrine namely from God aloane 17. If any man will doe his will he shall knowe of the doctrin whether it be of God or whether I speake of my selfe Bv. This séemeth to be a very conuenient aunswere to an obiection that might be secretly made For the Iewes might haue obiected thou verely sayest that thy doctrine is deuine and come from heauen but howe wilt thou proue it we denying the same R. Wée heare thee speak but whether thou speak the trueth or noe that we knowe not C. What doest thou bragge vnto vs of the worde of God from whome we doe not know whether thou art come or no Why doest thou tel vs that thou teachest nothing without his commaundement the which he will not graunt thée Christ therfore here sayth that true Iudgement commeth from the feare and reuerence of God and that therefore yf their myndes were endued with the feare of God they shoulde easily knowe whether it were true or no whiche he preached By which also he ouerthwartly nippeth them For howe came it to passe that they could not vnderstande but only because they were without the principall poynt of the true vnderstanding that is to saye pietie and desire to obay God Bv. This therefore shall be a rule to iudge of doctrine A rule to iudge of doctrine by first wée must reiect all our affections then we must beléeue the worde of God for fayth is true obedience R. and last of all we must frame our selues to the obedince of Gods word The which if wee doe we shall easily iudge what is true what is false which is true religion and which not Illumination commeth by faith For God doth illuminate our vnderstanding through fayth Wherevpon the Apostle Paule sayde if anye man seeme to bee spirituall let him knowe
be encouraged reuerently to worship Christ by these voyces sounding from heauen Psal 2.12 Psal 96.8 Phil. 2.10 Math. 17.5 Gen. 49.10 Kisse the sonne Let all the Angelles worship him Let euery knee bow to him Heare him The people shall be gaehered vnto him 55. And yet ye haue not knowne him but I know him and if I say I know him not I shall be a lyer lyke vnto you but I know him and kepe him saying M. Because he knew that his aduersaries boasted and bragged of the knoweledge of God whenas notwithstanding they were voyde of the same C. Hée wresteth from them the false pretence of the name of God Bv. As if he shoulde saye As by false Religion ye worship God so ye falsly chalenge to your selues the knowledge of him He is spirituall but ye sauoure nothing but that whiche is carnall C. By this place we learne what is the lawfull profession of faith namely that which procéedeth from true knoweledge and wherof commeth that knowledge but of the word Therefore whosoeuer bosteth of the name of God without the worde of God they doe nothing else but lye But I knowe him Christ opposeth or setteth the truste of his conscience against the peruerse péeuishnesse of his aduersaries And thus ought all the seruauntes of God to bee minded and to houlde them selues contented with this that they haue God on their syde yea though the whoale world ryse vp against them Thus Inuincible stoode all the Prophetes and Apostles a gainste the Terrible assaultes of the worlde But where the perfecte knowledge of God is wanting nothing maye staye and vphoulde vs. And if I saye J knowe him not Bv. As if he shoulde say I am constrayned to speake these things with so great an oath C For the necessitie of my office forceth mée to speake because silence is a false betraying of the trueth A notable place by which we are taught that God doeth reueale hym selfe vnto vs to this ende that wée might professe the fayth of the harte with the mouth so often as néede requireth And this ought not a litle to terrifie vs that they which dissemble to please men and doe eyther deny Gods trueth or doe counterfeyte the same with wicked deuises are not lightly reprehended but are sent to the Children of the Deuell 56 Youre Father Abraham was glad to see my daye and sawe it and reioyced C. Nowe He maketh aunswere to that which they had obiected concerning Abraham and he graunteth to them in worde only that which before he had denyed namely that Abraham was theyr Father shewing that Abraham was saued by fayth Bv As If he shoulde saye Ye thinke that your Father Abraham is dead And I séeme vnto you to speake that which is wicked in affirming that they which kéepe my worde shall liue for euer and neuer dye but I saye truely that Abraham lyueth and that all his lyfe tyme he desireth nothing more then to se my kingdome florishe he desyered me béeing absent and ye despise me beeing present C. That which Christ speaketh heare of Abraham aloane belongeth to al the Saintes But yet this Doctrine hath more wayght and force in the Person of Abraham because he is the Father of the whoale Church This worde Daye in this place signifieth the time of Chistes kingdome from the which Christ hauing taken vpon him our fleshe appeared vnto the worlde to fulfill the office of a redéemer Some will haue it to signifie eternitie and othersome the Crosse of Christ And this place nothing disagréeeth with that where it is sayde Many Kings and prophetes desiered to see those daies which ye see and haue not seene them because Luk. 10.24 séeing faith in the behoulding of Christ hath his degréese it came to passe that the oulde Prophetes behoulde Christ a farre of euen as he was promised vnto them yet notwithstanding he might not bée seene present as hée reuealed hymselfe familiarly to men when he descended from heauen Let all the godly learne heare by the example of Abraham to staye them selues vppon Christ aloane and alwayes to haue respect vnto him that they maye haue continuall occasion of reioysing with a godly Father 57. Then sayde the Iewes thou art not yet fiftie yeres oulde and haste thou seene Abraham M. The promises of God séeme foolishe to humayne reason The Iewes againe according to their wonted mallice make no aunswere to those thinges which concerning them selues but are so geuen to cauill that they take hould only of those thinges out of the wordes of Christ which might haue any shewe to serue their tourne to cauill C. They go aboute to confute the saying of Christ by an Impossibilitie because hee made him selfe equal in age to Abraham which was dead many yeres before and he him selfe not yet fiftie yeres of age For although Christ was not as yet fowre and thirtie yeres oulde yet notwithstanding they graunt vnto him mo yeres lest they might séeme to deale with him to exactly and precisely As yf they shoulde saye Thou verely canst not make thy selfe so oulde that thou canste Boaste thy selfe to be fiftie Bv. Behould therefore thy great impudencie in lying séeing all men knowe howe that Abraham dyed many yeres agoe 58. Iesus sayde vnto them verely verely I saye vnto you before Abraham was I am M. That which the Iewes did falsely discredite as vnreasonable and as a monsterouse lye Christ himselfe constantly mayntayneth C. And because the vnbéeleuing and Carnall Iudged after the aspect and apperaunce only Hée putteth them here in mynde that he hath somewhat greater and higher than humayne shewe and reason the whiche being hidden from the vnderstanding of the fleshe is beheld with the eyes of Faith only Therefore by these wordes Christ exempteth hym selfe from the common sorte of men and chalengeth to him selfe a deuine and heauenly power the sence and féeling whereof hath béene shedde forth vppon all ages euen from the béeginning of the worlde Also this place agréeeth with that saying of the Apostle Christ yesterdaye to daye and for euer Heb. 13.8 For he was knowen to be a mediatoure from the beginning in whome God the father should be pleased In that notwithstanding the grace of the mediator hath béene shewed forth in all ages this dependeth vpon his eternall diuinitie So that this saying of Christ containing a notable commendation of the deuine essence CHR. And the verbe of the present tence or time maketh it of the more wayght For it signifieth that the same state was equall alike from the beginning to the ende B Therfore that which hée saieth here signifieth the same Iohn 1.1 that this place doth In the beginning was the word 59. Then tooke they vp stoanes to cast at him but Iesus hyd him selfe and went out of the Tempell M. They perceiued that the Lorde spake that of him selfe which as it was not humayne so it sette forth the glory of his diuinity And therefore to make him to
detracteth his prayer whiche he knewe was againste his callynge and wisheth to suffer any thinge rather than he should not fulfill that which was enioyned to him of his Father lastly he beinge contented with the glory of God onely he forgetteth all other things and counteth them as nothing But this seemeth to be vnméete for the son of God that he should vnaduisedly make his prayer the whiche he muste by and by renounce to obay his Father We confesse verelye that this is the foolishnesse of the Crosse whiche is a stumbling blocke of offence Affections in Christe vvere pure A. Is it is sayd in the firste Chapter of the fyrst Epistle to the Corinthians But the more the Lord abaced himselfe the more his vnspeakable loue towards vs is manifested Moreouer we must remember what was spoken of before that the humaine affections from the which he was not fre were pure in hym and voyde of Sinne the reason is because they were framed and tempered to the obdience of God For there is no let but the Christe should feare naturally death and yet notwithstandinge desire to obay God but in diuers respectes Herevpon came the correction when he sayeth that therefore he came into this howre For how soeuer he feared death notwithstanding because he waied wherfore he was sent and what the office of a redeemer required he offereth the horror conceiued of the sence of nature to his father to be corrected or rather that the same beinge restrayned he might make him selfe frée and at libertye to excute the commaundement of God Wherefore if so be the affections of Christ whiche were pure from al sinne ought so to be restrayned that he might be obedieÌ„t to his Father Affections in man enemies to God how diligently ought we to séeke to suppresse our affections séeing there is not one of them but they are enemies vnto God Let this therefore be the meditation of the godly to striue against them selues vntyll they haue denyes themselues We must also noate howe that not only those affections are to be brideled which are contrary to the will of God but also which do hinder the course of our calling although otherwise they are neyther hurtfull nor vitiouse To the ende thys maye more euidently appeare we must place the will of God in the first degrée in the second degree the pure and sincere will of man as the same was geuen of God to Adam and as the same was in Christ In the last degrée our will which is infected by the contagion of sin The wil of God is a Rule to the which whatsoeuer is inferiour to the same must bée subiect Now the pure wil of nature shal not of it selfe be rebelliouse vnto God howebeit man hath many impediments though he be framed and bent neuersomuch to the right way vnlesse he subdue hys affections vnto God Christ therfore had one simple battaile that he might feare no more that thing which naturally he feared when he knewe otherwise to please God but we haue a double battaile because we muste fight against the stubbornnesse of our fleshe Herevppon it commeth to passe that the most valiaunt souldiers do neuer get the victory without a wound Wee must also learne to obserue this order that so often as we are vexed with feare or opressed with sorrowe we by and by lift vp our hartes vnto God There is nothing worse or more hurtful than to foster that within vs which doeth vexe vs. And this is the iust punishment of slouth and negligence in all those which will not come vnto God 28. Father glorify thy name Then came there a voyce from heauen saying I haue boath glorifyed it and will glorify it againe Father glorify thy name B. These are abrupt and broken sentences and not spoken without silence and consealing of somwhat that shoulde haue ben vttered the which are often vsed of such as haue troubled mindes C But in these wordes he testifieth that he preferreth the glory of his father before all other thinges yea before his owne lyfe B. As if he shoulde saye for this cause that I might cause thy name O father to be gloryfied euery where by my death I came into this howre graunt mee of thy goodnes that this maye alway come to passe To haue the name of God gloryfied is to haue God the Father hym selfe in many places preached and acknowledged This began to be done more excelently then at any time before after the death of Christ when the holy Ghoste was sent for so it ought to appeare what the death of Christe brought vnto the world C. This therfore is the true moderation of our prayers yf so be wee so defyer the glorye of God that in them we prefer them before all other things I haue boath glorified it and will glorify it This is as much as if he had sayde I wil finish that which I haue begonne For God doth not forsake the worke of hys handes B. The father had glorifyed his name when he wrought such notable miracls by the Lord that in flesh he declared the testimonies of his goodnes againe hée woulde glorifie the same by sending the Comforter which should preach the gospell of grace to the vttermost partes of the earth and should cause many to beléeue the same Or to speake more large he glorified it when Christ was borne of a virgine when he wrought miracles when he was worshipped of the Magi guided by a Starre when he was acknoweledged of the saints ful of the holy Ghost when he was reuealed by the descending of the holy ghost in the likenes of a Doue when he was declared by a voyce sounding from heauen when hee was transfigured on the mountain And he will glorify the same when Criste shoulde ryse againe from the dead when death should neuer after haue any more power ouer him when he should be exalted aboue the heauens and his glory aboue al the earth when he should power out the holy ghost vpon all fleshe and by the preaching of the Apostles shoulde tourne the whâ—ale world vnto him Bv. Also the oracle or voyce from heauen might thus be vnderstood hytherto thou arte my naturall consubstantiall and equall Sonne from the beginning and euerlasting but when in the fulnesse of tyme thou hadest taken vpon thée mans nature thou didest loose nothing thereby of thy deuine maiestie as I will declare Thou shalte dye in déede as man but hauing ouercome sinne death and hell thou shalt ryse againe as God and shalt be worshipped with me throughoute the whoale worlde Moreouer because it was the purpose of God to salue the offence of the Chrosse to take away the stombling stoane of the fame the father doth not only promise that the death of Christ shal be gloriouse but doeth also promise to adourne the same so much as â—uer it was adorned before M. Wée haue also to noate in this place that the prayers of the children of God cannot
but be heard of God so that they â—ende to the glory of his name 29. The people therefore that stoode by and hearde it sayde that it thoundered other sayde an Aungell spake to him C. This verily is wonderful that the people which stoode by should be amazsed at so manifest a miracle Som lyke deafe men Iudged that to be a confused sound which God spake plainly other some not so senceles and dull yet notwithstanding diminishing much the maiestie of the diuine voyce faine an Aungell to be the aucthoure of the same But the very same also is to be seene at thys daye among men For God speaketh playnly ynough in the Gospell and the force and power of the spirite sheweth it selfe which ought to shake both heauen and earth but the doctrine thereof is so could with many euen as though it came from a mortall man only to other some the word of God is stammering speache a barbarouse voyce and as it were a thonder But yet that voyce was not heard without profite For besyde the apostles there were some which did not interpret much amis But the Euaungeliste thought good to noat bréefely what is wont to be done generally in the world namely for that the greater parte hearing God to speake plainly and effectually heareth not Therefore that which the Euaungeliste attributeth heare to this multitude belongeth vnto the same but in parte only 30. Iesus aunswered and sayde This voyce came not beecause of mee but for your sakes M. The hearers thought that this voyce came to comfort hym He therefore expoundeth vnto them the cause of the same saying This voyce came not because of me C. But had Christ no néede of comfort and confirmation or had the Father lesse care for him than for vs Wee muste houlde this principle as Christ for our sake tooke vpon hym our fleshe euen so what good thing soeuer he receiued of the Father the same was bestowed for our sake Furthermore this also is true that the voyce came from heauen because of the people For he had no néede of any external myracle Also this is a secrete reprehension béecause the Iewes were as deaf as a stone to heare the voyce of God For seing God spake for their sakes their ingratitude is voyde of excuse seeing they apply not their eares to heare 31. Nowe is the Iudgement of this worlde nowe shall the Prince of this worlde be caste oute M. Christ in these wordes séemeth to expound the heauenly voyce which had sayd I haue both glorified it and will also glorifie it againe For what else is it to glorify the name of God in this worlde then to beate downe and ouerthrow the kingdome of Sathan the Prince of this worlde C. Therefore the Lord hauing ended the battaile already doth triumphe not only as the ouercommer of feare but also as the conqueror of death For notably he setteth forth the fruite of hys death which might haue bene to the disciples the cause of feare and trouble of minde This word Iudgement signifieth in some mens opinions reformation to othersome damnation But the first signification is best as that the world shal be reformed and restoared to hys lawful order For we knowe that without Christ there is nothing but confusion in this world And although Christ had begoone already to erect the kingdome of God yet notwithstanding his death was the true beginning of a princelye state in déede and the full reformation of the worlde Notwithstanding wee must noate that this reformation of the worlde could not be made before the kingdome of Sathan were abolished fleshe trodden vnder foote and whatsoeeuer else was against the righteousnes of God Finally it was necessary the mortification should go before the renuing of the world Wherefore Christ pronounceth that the Prince of this world must be caste forth because hereof commeth confusioÌ„ deformity that while Sathan vsurpeth tyranny Iniquitie doeth abounde Therefore Sathan béeing caste forthe the worlde is called from defection to bée subiecte to the gouernmente of God B. For in Iudgement matters are wonte to bée altered and reformed Luk. xi.xxi. In the worlde Sathan had quietly exercised his tyranny till a stronger than he came and spoyled him C. If any man demaunde howe Sathan was caste foorth in the death of Christ Question who dayly maintayneth warre against the flocke of Christ â—unsvvere we aunswere that this eiection is not restrayned to any shorte tyme but that the notable effecte of the death of Christ is described whiche dayely appeareth A. Therefore we must dayly fight against the sondery assaultes of Sathan for hée séeketh lyke a roring Lyon continually whome hé maye deuowre notwithstanding wee must so fight that by Christ wée maye assure oure selues of the victory Sathan the Prince of this world by Rapine Psal 24 M And hée is called the Prince of this worlde not because hée is the Lawefull Prince of the same but by rapine by which hée hath made mankynde subiecte vnto him by synne Otherwyse the earth is the Lordes and all that therein is the compasse of the worlde and they that dwell therein 1. Cor. 4.4 Ephe. 2.2 The Apostle Paule calleth him the God of this worlde which worketh in the children of vnbeléefe by whome they are helde captiue to his will and pleasure M. For his kingdom is in the harts of the vnbeléeuing but by the power of Christ he is cast out of the harts of mortall men And nowe wée must take héede lest hée gette enteraunce againe into hys ould seate Christ and the Princes of this worlde cannot raygne together Christ béeing let in erpelleth Sathan and Sathan béeing receiued Ioh. 10.16 Christ departeth For there is no agréement betwéene Christ and Beliall 32. And if I were lift vp from the earth I will drawe all vnto mee In that oure sauioure speaketh here so generally that by his death he wil draw all men vnto him it is to be referred to the sonnes of God whiche are of the flocke Also hée vsed this generall speache because the church of God was to be gathered boath out of the Gentiles and also out of the Iewes 2 Cor. 6.16 according to this place There shal be one Shepheard and one Shepfoulde 33. This hee sayd signifying what death hee should dye There is no doubte therefore but that the scence and meaning of this place is that the Crosse shal be lyke vnto a Chariot by which he should carry all the faithfull with hym to his Father as if Christ should saye B. ye shall exalte me and set me in my true glory when yée lifte me vp vppon the Crosse Ye shall lifte vp my body from the earth that it maye dye with great Ignominy and so ye shall thinke not only to caste mée downe but also vtterly to destroye mée Of the which your purpose ye shall so faile that by the very same death yée shall exalt me in déede from the earth into the kingdome of
peace of Christ is benediction saluation iustification prosperitie health peace of conscience constancie in aduersitie and the spirite of the Lorde it selfe pacefying and confirming our heartes M. Herevpon the bestower of so greate a benefite Ecay 9 â—â— is called the Prince of peace And they which enioye this peace Bv. howsoeuer Sathan doth rage and the worlde sturre yet notwithstanding they shall be in saftie in the middest of the garboyle M. Of this peace the Apostle speaketh when hee sayth VVe being iustefyed by fayth Rom 5.1 Phil 4.7 haue peace with God thorowe our Lorde Iesus Christ A. And in another place The peace of God which passeth all vnderstanding keepe your hearts and mindes through Iesus Christ oure Lorde This peace the worlde can neither giue nor take away Let not your hartes be greeued C. Againe he seeketh to take from them that griefe which his Disciples had conceyued of hys departure M. For it is not méete that they shoulde be greeued or feare which are consecrated to the kingdome of God and garded and protected by the highest Againe the feare of the hearâ— causeth Gods cause often times to be forsaken whereas a stoute and inuincible minde iâ— apt for the kingdome of god and constantly serueth him 28. Ye haue hearde how J sayde vnto you I go away and come againe vnto you Yf ye loued mee ye would verely reioyce because I saide I goe vnto the Father for the Father is greater than I. C. He denyeth that they haue anye cause to feare because they wanting only his corporall presence had neuerthelesse his true presence by the spirite Bv. As if Christ shoulde haue sayde Ye vnderstande that I go awaye and why I go awaye namely for your saluation and that by my death and departure I will neither forsake you nor neglect you For I will come vnto you by my resurrection shewing my selfe vnto you a liue againe And although then I shal be with you onely the space of fortye daies and shall straight after ascende into heauen yet notwithstanding I will sende from thence the holy Ghost by whome I will abyde euen in the middest of you so that ye haue no cause to feare that I will leaue you comfortelesse C. With this kinde of presence let vs learne to houlde our selues contented and let vs not follow the fleshe which alwayes tyeth God to hir externall imaginations If yee loued me ye woulde verilie reioice R. Carnall loue taketh it verye gréeuouslye that a louing friende shoulde bée taken awaye but spiritual loue is otherwise affecte C. No doubt the Disciples loued Christ but otherwise than became them For they were somewhat carnall insomuch that they coulde not abide that he shoulde be taken from them Whereas if they had loued him spiritually they woulde haue desiered nothing more than his returne to the father For the father is greater than J. C. This place hath bene diuerselye wrested The Arians to prooue Christ to be a cartaine secondarie God obiected that he was lesse than the Father The auncient Fathers to cutte of all occasion of this cauill sayde that this ought to be referred to the humaine nature But as the Arians wickedly abused thys testimonye euen so the aunswere and solution of the Fathers was neyther true nor agréeing to the purpose of Christ For Christ speaketh here neyther of his humane nature nor yet of his eternall deuinytie but according to our weake capascity he made him selfe a meane betwene vs and God And because we are not able to reache vnto the highte of God Christ descended vnto vs that he might lifte vs vp vnto the same Yee should reioyce saith he for that I retorne to the Father because this is the laste marke where vnto ye ought to tende He doth not shew in those wordes what he differeth from the Fathere but wherfore he descended vnto vs namely to vnite vs vnto God vntill we be come vnto this we stande as it werein a race We also immagine but a halfe and torne Christ except he leade vs vnto God Like vnto this is that place of Paule where he saith That Christ hath deliuered vp his kingdome to God the Father that God might be all in all Christ verily raigneth not onely in humane nature but also as he was manifested God in the flesh How then shall he leaue his kingdome Surely thus because the Diuinitye which we maye nowe behoulde only in the face of Christ shall then bée openly sene in it selfe This is onely the difference for that Paule in that place describeth the laste perfection of the deuine glory and brightnes whose beames began to shine so soone as Christe ascended into heauen But to the end this mistrie may more euidently appere we must speake yet more grosely Christ compareth not here his Fathers diuinity with his neyther doth he compare his human nature with the diuine escence of the Father but rather the present state with the heauenlye glory into the which he was shortly after to be receyuid As yf he should saye Ye desire to haue me stil in the worlde but it is better for me that I ascende into heauen B. For his purpose was to giue them to vnderstande that GOD the Father was infinitelye greater than hée that is that he should enioye with him the most excelent felycity wher as he had liued here in misery and calamitye R. For by death hée entered into the kingdome of the Father C. Therefore let vs learne so to behould Christ abaâ—ed in the flesh that he maye bring vs to the well of blessed immortality For he is not made our Captayne and guide to leade vs onely to the speare of the Moone or Sonne but to make vs one with God the Father 29. And novve haue I shewed you before it come that when it is come to passe ye might beleeue M. What sayde hée All those thinges verely which hée had spoken concerning the Comforter of the true felicitie which they shoulde haue by him and of the vnspeakeable power by which they should doe greater workes than the Lorde him selfe had done C. It was méete that the Disciples shoulde be oftetnimes admonished concerning this matter because it was a misterye farre surmounting the capacitie of men And he saith that he foresheweth what shall come to passe that when it is come to passe they might beléeue For this was a profitable confirmation of theire Faith when they should call to minde the prophesies of Christ and should sée that with their eyes fulfiled which they had harde out of his mouth before As if he should saye R. I knowe that ye do not now enioye these thinges of the which I speake B. notwithstanding I thought good to foreshewe you of those thinges which shall happen vnto you after my departure and which shall profite you muche more than my carnall presence hath done that when they shall come to passe ye maye the more firmely beléeue that I am Christ the sauioure of the world C.
third day he wyll rayse vs vp and we shall liue in his sight C. Therefore because the Crosse of Christ hath alway included in it victory Christ doth very aptly compare the sorrow whiche is conceiued thereby to the sorrowe of a Woman traueilinge with childe Rom. ◠2 which sorrow is tourned to ioye by the reward of a Childe But because this is the state and condition of al creatures to trauaile and groane vntyll the last day of redemption let vs know that we must sighe and groane also vntyll such times as we being deliuered out of the continuall miseries of this present lyfe do plainly see the fruite of our faith For the faithful are lyke vnto a woman whiche hath brought foorth a Childe in that they are borne againe in Christ and are already entered into the celestiall kingdome of God and euerlasting lyfe but they are like vnto great bellyed and traueilyng Women in that as yet they are captiues in the prison of the fleshe wayting for that happy state whiche lyeth hid from their eyes When he saith that he will sée his Disciples againe he meaneth when he shall returne to visite them with grace of his Spirite that they may haue the sight of him for euer R. For christ séeth vs when he sendeth his holy Spirite by which as by a Seale he sealeth and confirmeth our harts that we may haue the ioye of the Spirite for euer euen as he addeth saying And your ioye shall no man take from you This perpetuity and euerlastinge continuance doth make the ioye more precious For herevppon it followeth that those sorrowes are lighte 2 Cor 4 i7 and patiently to be suffered whiche are momentany Also by these wordes Christe sheweth what is true ioye Ioyes of the vvorlde are transitorye It muste néedes be that the ioyes of the world are transitory and sodenlye vanishinge away for that they consist in corcuptible and momentanie thinges Therefore we muste come vnto the resurrection of Christ in the which there is eternall stabillitie and continuance Ioy euerlasting is Iesus Because therfore Christ himselfe is the ioye of the godly it is saide to be euerlasting For Christe dyeth no more Rom. 6.9 death hath no more power ouer him Therfore the faithfull neuer want true matter of ioy M wherfore that is not true sorrow which is tourned into euerlasting ioy neither is that true ioy which is conuerted into sorrow which shal neuer haue an endde The wicked then are moste vnhappye and miserable which ioye in this world and shall afterward sorrow weepe and lament for euer and contrariwise most blessed and happy are the children of god whiche mourne wéepe and lament in this life but in the life to come shal ioye for euer And that which christ saith here that there ioye shal be perpetuall agréeeth with that he sayd before 23. And in that daye shal ye ask me no question verely verely I saye vnto you whatsoeuer ye shal aske the father in my name hee wyll geue it you C. After that Christ had promysed ioye vnto his Disciples which shoulde come of inuincible fortitude and constancye now he promiseth vnto them another grace of the Spirite that is to say suche light of vnderstandyng as by the same they should reach vnto heauenly mysteries At this time when Christe talked with them there was such great dulnes in them that euery scruple caused them to stay an◠to doubt For as children whiche learne but their Primer cannot reade on verse through without stops and staies euen so in euery word of Christ almost there was one offence or other whiche made the Disciples to staye but within awhile after being illuminated by the holy Ghoste they had no more stayes and lettes but were famylierly acquainted with the wisedome of God insomuche that they wente forwarde withoute stoombling through the secret misteries of God M Moreouer there are some who by that daye of the which Christ maketh mencion here vnderstand that time whiche passed betwéene the day of his resurection and his assention into heauen Othersome more truly extend the same vnto the ende f the worlde from that time in the which the holy Ghoste was sent vnto the Apostles For the Apostls differing nothing from children naye being more lyke vnto blockes then men how sodenlye they were chaunged by the instruction of the Spirite of God we may playnly sée in the Actes of the Apostles Act 2 i7 Therfore whereas he denieth that they shall aske any thinge he hath this meaning Ioel ◠8 R. In that day in the which I wil send vnto you the holy Ghoste all these thinges shall be reuealed vnto you of the which I haue tould you C. Not because the Apostles did cease euen when they were moste wise to demaunde at the mouth of Christe but there is onely here a comparison of a double state as if Christ should say that their rudenes should be corected in such wise that they which dyd stut and stammer in euery small thing should easely attaine to all perfection To this agréeth the saying of Hieremy And they shal teach no more euery man his neighbore saying Know the Lorde for they shal all know me from the least of them vnto the greatest He doth not take away prophesie neyther doth he abolish that doctrine which ought to florish in the kingdome of christ but he rather denieth that groase ignoraunce shall take place when all men are taught of God the which ignoraunce possesseth the mindes of men vntyll such time as Christ the sone of righteousnes illuminateth them by the bright beames of his Spirite Whatsoeuer ye shall aske the father A. For the exposition of this place read the 13. and 14. verses of the 14. Chapter goyng before 24. Hitherto haue yee asked nothing in my name aske and ye shal receiue that your ioye may be full A. This séemeth at the firste fight very absurde that the Apostles asked nothing before that time in the name of Christ when as Luke maketh mencion that they desired Christ to teach them a for◠of prayer Teach vs say they to pray a Iohn taught his Disciples Agayne it is not lyke that they were so long conuersaunt with Christ but that they obserued that rule and forme of prayer which the lawe prescribed Beside this it is very probable that they vsed to pray though for temporal things onely seeing Christ taught them first to séeke the kingdome of God and the righteousnesse therof The which they performed afterwarde as may appeare by this their petition Lorde encrease our faith But Christe by these wordes sought to bring his Disciples to the knowledge of the true mediator C. For he had allredy sufficiētly declared him selfe vnto them to be the very same mediatour but their knowledge was so obscure that they could not as yet frame their prayers aright in his name And it is no absurditie to saye that they prayed vnto God vpon trust of the
being before the world beganne who afterwarde when the fulnesse of tyme came abasing himselfe and taking vpon him the forme of a seruaunt Gal 4 4 was made man Whome at the laste God set on his right hande in heauenlye places farre aboue all rule power and mighte and dominion and euery name that is named Ephe i 20 not in this worlde onely but also in the world to come Therefore it is euident that hée is not a newe or temporall God For if so bée his glorye be eternall himselfe also must nedes be sempiternall Moreouer wee haue here a manifest didistintion betwene him and the person of the Father Where by wee gather not onely that God is eternall but also that the worde of God is eternall begotten of the Father before all worlds The Lorde sayth he hath possessed mée in the begynning of hys wayes Proue 8 22 I was before hys workes of oulde I was set vp from euerlasting from the beginning and before the earth Therefore he prayeth not to receyue any new thing but that againe the forme and glorye of God which for a time lay hid myght be manifested in him by the resurrection R. By thys example wee also are taught that when wee are deliuered vnto the Crosse and doe sustayne ignominye and reproche wée bende our eies to that glorye of the Children of GOD Mat 25 34 which wée shall haue with the Father prepared before the beginning of the worlde Rom. 8 i8 For so Chryst maketh mention of hys kingdome that it was prepared before the beginning of the worlde for all the faithfull Also the Apostle Paule sayth that the afflictions of thys tyme are not worthy of the glorye which shall be shewed vppon vs and hée sayth that God hath predestinate vs that we might be made lyke vnto the Image of his sonne 6. I haue declared thy name vnto the men whiche thou gauest me out of the world thine they were and thou gauest them me and they haue kept thy woorde M. Thus farre Christ hath prayed for the glorifying of him selfe and of his father and nowe he beginneth to praye vnto the father for his Disciples Fyrste this place sheweth that Christ is a setter forth and glorifyer of the fathers name A. And the name of God in this place is not a sertaine bare word but the very same which we ought to think know beléeue and preach concerning God as of the moste louing Father and onelye preseruer of mankynd that to manifeste his name and to manifeste him or to make him knowen may be all one The name of God is mercy remission of sinnes goodnesse righteousenesse redemption and saluation All these are made manyfest are reueled concerning God through the Gospell The Iewes had heard much of God before the comming of Christ but yet notwithstanding they knowe not this his name which was manifested by Christ but as they receiued the same at the mouth of Christ By these wordes of Christ also we artaught that the name of th◠father is not reuealed but only to the electe He had taught and wrought myracles openly but yet for all that none knew the name of the father but onlye the elect C. There wanted no dilligence in Christ to call all men vnto God but his labor was onely profitable and effectuall to the elect His preaching was heard of all men which preaching manyfested the name of God neyther did he lette to defende his glory before the obstinate Why then doth he saye that he manyfested hym selfe onlye to a fewe but only beecause the elect alone do profite by the inward instruction and reuelation of the spirite Vnderstand therefore that not al to whome the Gospell is preached are truely effectually taught but they only whose mindes are illumined The cause hereof Christ assigneth to Gods election because he putteth no other difference why he omitting some manyfested hys fathers name to othersome but onelye because they weare geuen Faith proceedeth frō predestination Wherevppon it followeth that fayth springeth from Gods eternall predestination and that it is not generally geuen to al men because all appertayne not vnto Christ Whē he addeth saying out of the world he playnly teacheth that his Apostles were sometime of the world as were also the rest of the elect and geuen vnto Christ The father might haue geuen Aungels from heauen to his Sonne Christe by whose meanes he might haue manifested his name to the worlde but hée thought it better to choose sertayne oute of the world that is to saye oute of the nomber of them which were conceyued in synne and subiecte to death and so geue them vnto Christ to be his Disciples in whome there might appeare a sertayne vewe of the Heauenlye grace For they were as were others also by nature the children of wrath But concerning this we haue spoken more in the fiftéene chapter before Thine they were and thou gauest them mee M All thynges belong vnto God the father but two manner of wayes All thinges are his in that he is Creatoure and Lord of all thinges whether in heauen or in the earth thus the wicked and reprobate are his Agayne all they are his specially whome he hath elected and receiued into his fauoure These are chosen to life he gaue them vnto his sonne the only sauiour and Mediatoure to be saued when by the preaching of the Gospell hée called them to fayth in hym Therefore in these words is noated the eternitie of election and also bowe we ought to consider of the same Christ declareth that they were alwayes the electe of God Wherefore GOD discerneth them from the reprobate not by fayth or by any merite but by his méere and frée grace because when they weare farthest from him yet in his secret counsayl and purpose he accounted them for his The assurance and safety consysteth in this that he hath geuen al those to his sonne to kepe whom he hath chosen least they shoulde perish and herevnto we must bende our eyes that we may know for sertayne that we are in the number of Gods children For in him is Godes predestination hid and in Christ onelye the same is reuealed R. For he will saue none but suche as beleeue in Christ For hee hath appoynted Christ to bee a Mediatour an intercessor and a iustefier Wherevpon hée sayth They were thine that is to say they were elected of thée and thou haste geuen them vnto me that is thou hast so ordayned that they shoulde be saued by mée Wherefore I woulde not haue thée first to séeke thy selfe in God but in Christ in whome if thou finde thy selfe by fayth be thou sure that God hath predestinate thée to lyfe And they haue kept thy worde M. Hée sayth not sympely And they haue hearde thy worde but And they haue kept thy worde It is one thing to heare with oure eares the worde of truth and another thing to feele and retaine the same with our hearte This onelye
Lambe And S. Iohn taketh this as graunted vnto him that the same Lamb was a signe of the true and only sacrifice by which the Church should be redéemed Neyther maketh it any matter that the same was offered for a remembraunce of the redemption alreadie made For so god would haue that benefite celebrated that it might promise spirituall deliueraunce vnto the Church in time to come Wherfore without all controuersie the Apostle Paule applieth that forme of eating the Pascal Lambe which Moses prescribeth vnto Christ By this analogie and similitude fayth gathereth no small fruite because the same shall beholde saluation offered in Christ in all the Ceremonies of the Lawe 37. And agayne another Scripture saith They shal loke on him whoÌ„ they pearced This place is taken out of the twelfth chapter of the prophesie of Zacharie B. Deut. 32.35 And it agreeth with that whiche is written in Deutronomie wher it is said Vengeance is mine and I will repay By whiche places séeing the punishemente of the wicked is deferred for a long time to come the spirite signifyeth that the wicked shall preuaile and haue the vpper hande in thys worlde but yet so that they shall sley them selues with their owne sworde For the more they prosper in their euill dooinges the more iuste their cause is thought of them to be Therefore béeing blynded they runne headlong into the greeuous iudgemente of God Therefore they whiche goe aboute too expounde this place concerning Christe according to the letter do too violently racke the same For the Euangelist doth not alleage the same to that ende but rather to shewe that Christe is that God whiche long agoe complayned by Zachary that the Iewes had perced him to the harte For there God speaketh after the manner of men signifying that he is wounded with the wickednes of the people but specially with the wicked coÌ„tempte of his worde euen as that man is wounded to death whose harte is perced Now bicause Christ Iesus is God manifested in the fleshe Esay 6.10 Saincte Iohn sayth that the same was openly fulfylled in his visible fleshe which his diuine maiesty according to that manner whiche it might suffer suffered of the Iewes Not that God is subiecte to the iniuries of men or that the reproches and slaunders of mortall men can reache from the earth vnto him but bicause he woulde expresse by this manner of speach of how great sacriledge the impietie of man was giltie when proudly and presumptuously it extendeth it selfe to heauen And rightly S. Ihon ascribeth that to the Iewes which was done by the hand of a Romaine souldiour Euen as in another place they are sayd to haue crucifyed the Sonne of God although they touched not his body with their fynger They shall see him M. As touching this séeing some therby vnderstand the conuersion of the Iewes Act. 2.3.9 Act. 3.15 of the which we haue an example in the second of the Actes of the Apostles R. For then they began to haue respect vnto him whom they pearced in mourning and repentaunce Othersome interprete the same of the punishemente of the wicked to come as we sayde before Both which are comprehended in this place if we wel consider of the same namely that a remnante shall be gathered by God from amonge this loste nation shal also shewe his horrible punishment and vengeance vpon all the contemners of his grace For we knowe that they were wont to scorne the Prophets no lesse than if they had tolde a tale without the commandemeÌ„t of God This sayth the Lord shal not escape vnpunished bicause he will him selfe defende his owne cause Concerning the rest of this chap. reade the .27 of Mat. 56. vers The twentith Chapter 1. The first day of the Sabbaths came Mary Magdalene early when it was yet dark vnto the sepulcher and sawe the stone taken away from the graue HItherto wee beholde nothing in the passioÌ„ of Christ outwardly in Christ Rom. 1.4 thaÌ„ a very abiect maÌ„ forsakeÌ„ of God But nowe by the resurrectioÌ„ it is manifestly declared that he is the sonne of God And first of al we must haue a consideration of the works of God by the resurrectioÌ„ For as God began the resurrectioÌ„ in Christe by a cleane coÌ„trary worke that is say Death the beginning of life by deiecting casting down into the extreme pit of hell euen so he beginneth ioy with sorow glory with ignominy shame and life with death C. But bicause the resurrection of Christ is the principall Article of our faith without which the hope of euerlasting life lieth dead therefore the Euangelists do stand the more vpon â—he probatioÌ„ of the same Rom. 4.25 Roma 6.4 1. Cor. 15.3 Euen as this our Euangelist gathereth many testimonies by which we may be certified that Christe rose agayne from the dead A. The vertue of whose resurrection the Apostle Paule in diuers places sheweth at large but specially in his Epistle to the Romanes C. But it may seeme very absurde that S. Iohn doth not bring more approued and credible witnesses for he beginneth with a woman But thus this saying was fulfilled 1. Cor. 1.7 that God hath chosen the weake foolish and conteÌ„ptible things of this world to confound the wisdome power and glory of the fleshe A. And in that there seemeth to be some varietie betweene this our EuaÌ„gelist and the other thrée reade our Commentarie vpon the .28 of Matth. the first verse and there you shall see a playne reconciliation of those places which séeme to varie 2. Then she ran and came to Simon Peter and to the other disciple whoÌ„ Iesus loued and sayth vnto them They haue taken away the Lorde out of the graue we can not tell where they haue layde him R. Althogh this woman was not as yet endued with a perfect fayth yet notwithstanding she rightly endeuoured her selfe to manyfest the glory of the sonne of God M. Mary therefore runneth with speede to Peter and Iohn eyther for that they were best knowen vnto her or els because they were gathered into one companie She maketh hast by running béeing feruently affected by the spirite And bicause she found the graue emptie contrarie to her expectation forgetting the woordes of Christe shee conceyueth a wrong suspition in hir minde that the body of the Lord was translated into some other more seemly decent sepulchre the other being but rude and inconuenient though peraduenture fitte for the purpose of the Iewes beeing neere vnto mount Caluerie where he was crucified or els she iudged that the body of Christ was remoued for some other cause which shee knew not of R. Therefore wéeping and crying she commeth to Peter and Iohn saying They haue taken avvay the Lorde out of the graue She speaketh of the body of the Lorde and she calleth him hir Lorde thoughe he were buried so she was affected towarde the Lorde Iesus But this woman rather suspected
them bicause they sought him too superstitiously Let vs learne also by this exāple to kéepe vs within our bounds in sorrowfull and obscure matters vntill by the grace of God better thinges come to lighte 11. Mary stoode without at the Sepulcher weeping So as she wept she bowed hir self into the Sepulchre 12. And seeth two angels clothed in whit sitting the one at the head the other at the feete where the body of Iesus was layde C. Now the Euangelist beginneth to shew how Christ appeared to testifie his resurrection Resurrection of Christ confirmed aswell to the women as to his Disciples And although there be mētion but of one Mary yet notwithstanding it is likely that there were mo women with hir For wheras other think that they were gone for feare it is against reason They séeke to auoyd repugnancie where there is none Nowe whereas the women abide by the sepulchre the Disciples being gone into the Citie there is no cause why they should be greatly cōmended for the same more than the other For the other go away with ioy and consolation and these tarry and occupie them selues with vayne and superfluous wéeping To be short they stayed at the sepulcher superstitiously and with carnall affection And seeth two angels Bv. It seemeth that Mary the Disciples beeing returned home came agayne to the Sepulchre For as she stoode without at the doore of the Sepulchre and did nothing els but weepe after the maner of women the presence of Angels which were in the sepulcher broughte to passe that stouping downe she might sée into the Sepulcher where she saw two Angels with a ioyfull and glorious countenance keeping that place where the body of the Lord was layde C. Wonderfull was the sufferance and goodnes of the Lorde which forgaue Mary and hir fellowes so many vices For he doth them no small honour in sending his Angels and in manifesting him selfe vnto them the whiche was not graūted vnto the Apostles For although the Apostles and the women were all in one fault yet notwithstāding theyr blindnesse was lesse excusable who beeing so plainly taught had profited so litle Christ chose the women that he might fyrst reueale him selfe vnto them not with shame to the Apostles M. Notwithstanding it is vncertayne whether Mary knew them to be Angels yea or no or whether shee thought them to be men Most thinke that she toke them for mē But so often as we reade that Angels appeared in the vsible shew of men and clothed in mens apparel it was bicause of the grosse rudenesse of men Also there is no doubt but that they had sometime true bodies giuen vnto them But whether these two Angels had only the fourme of bodies or no it is superfluous to enquire It suffiseth vs that the Lord gaue vnto them a humaine forme in so much that the women coulde both see and heare them but they were beautified so straungely that they seemed rather to be come from heauen than from among men Bv. And certaynely God at this time had ordeyned these Angels to testifie of the resurrection of the sonne The one at the head the other at the feete Whereas in Matthew we haue mention made only of one Angell it differeth nothing from the Narration of Iohn For bothe spake not at once to Mary but one of them to whome the message was committed C. And in that the Angels kéepe and watche this place we haue to note that Christe thus began the glory of his kingdome For in that the Angels honor his Sepulchre the ignominy of the crosse is not only therby taken away but the Maiestie of Christ also shineth 13. They say vnto hir womā why wepest thou She saith vnto thē for they haue taken away my Lord I wot not where they haue laide him M. The Angels knew wherfore Mary wept but they kept the same secrete awhile vntill Christ made them ioyfull by appearing vnto them C. But by the other Euangelists we may gather that the Angels spak more but S. Iohn only noteth the same briefly bicause this was sufficient to testifie the resurrection of Christe This speach conteyneth both reprehensiō and consolation The Angels reprehende the vntimely wéeping of Mary notwithstanding withal they mixe ioy in denying that there is any cause to weepe for that Christ was risen She sayth vnto them bicause they haue takē Mary being exceeding sorowfull wayed not what these two men appearing in white apparell and sitting in the emptie sepulchre might meane A. And therefore simply she cōplayneth that the body of the Lorde Iesu was taken away euen as a little before she complayned to the Disciples with the rest of the women 14. When she had thus said she turned hir self backe and sawe Iesus stāding and knew not that it was Iesus C. But how was Mary thus blynded and deceyued that she knewe not Iesus who ought to haue béene familiarly acquaynted with him Some think that he appeared in another fourme But it is more likely that the fault was in the womans sight euen as it is sayde of the two Disciples in the .24 of Luke Therefore let vs not say that Christe did alter and chaunge his face as the Poets fayne of Proteus who transformed him selfe into diuers shapes but rather let vs say that it is in the pleasure and power of God which hath giuen eyes vnto men to dasel them when it shall seeme good vnto him that in séeing they might not sée And in Mary we haue a common example of the errours of mans minde For althoughe Christ offereth him selfe to be séene yet nethelesse we imagine that he hathe diuers fourmes in so muche that our sence and reason conceyueth any thing sooner than true Christ For séeing the sighte of our minde is of it selfe deceytfull it is also blinded and bewitched by Satan and the world that it might discerne no truth 15. Iesus saythe vnto hir Woman why wepest thou whome seekest thou Shee supposing that he had ben a Gardener saith vnto him Sir if thou haue borne him hēce tell me wher thou hast layd him I will fetche him M. The Lorde him selfe speaketh vnto hir as a stranger demaundeth the cause of hir wéeping as moued with cōpassion Syr. C. She calleth him Syr according to the maner of hir countrey For the Iewes saluted husbandmen and other base personages by the name of Syr. If thou haue borne him hence M. Bicause she thought that he had hard hir speake those things which she had answered to the two men sitting vppon the sepulchre she sayth not I séeke my Lord but simply If thou haue borne him hence tell me vvhere thou hast layde him that I may go and fetche him and burie him in a condigne place C. Heere we see that Mary sauoreth nothing but that which is from the earth She only desireth to haue the dead carkasse of Christ that she might kepe the same in a sepulchre but she thinketh not vpon the diuine
doctrine bringeth a double profit The first is that al they which wil not erre in seeking Christ must lift vp their minds to heauen The second is Col. 3.1 that al they which come to him must cast off from thē carnal affections euē as the Apostle Paule teacheth But go vnto my brethrē M. Christ sēdeth Mary vnto his Apostles whom he calleth his brethren For they wer sons of the same God the father whose only begotten son he was C. But the inestimable goodnes of Christ doth shine in this that he ordaineth appointeth women to be witnesses vnto the Apostles of his resurrection For the Ambassage which is committed vnto them is the only foundation of our saluation conteineth the principal point of heauenly wisdom Howbeit we must also note that this was extraordinary and as it were accidentall I ascende vnto my father and your father By the name of ascending he confirmeth the doctrine of that which we spake euen now namely that he therefore rose againe not to abide vppon the earth but to enter into the heauenly life to drawe all the faithfull thither with him Therefore ther is a great emphasis force in this word I ascend bicause Christ reacheth his hande vnto his disciples lest they should seke felicitie in any other place then in heuen For where our treasure is there also it is méete that our heart shuld bée But Christ saith that he doth ascend therfore we also must ascend except we wil be seperated frō him Mat. 6.21 Moreouer when he saith that he doth assend to God he doth put away all sorow and griefe which the Apostles might conceiue by his deperture For he geueth thē to vnderstand that he will alway be present by his deuine presence with those that are his By his assending the distance of the places is noted But although Christ be absent in bodye yet notwithstanding bicause hée is God hys power euerye where shed foorth doth playnlye declare hys spirituall presence For to what end doth he ascend vnto god but only that he sitting at his right hande might reigne in heauen and in earth M. Also this is to be noted that he doth not onely say I ascende vnto my Father and my God but added also And to your Father and your God Therfore they which are Christes haue the same God and the same Father that he hath C. For this is an inestimable benefite that the faythfull may surely truste and beléeue that the God of Christ is their God and Father also This trust beeing founded vpon Christe is no rashnesse Moreouer Christe calleth the Father his God in respect of his humanitie he hauing taken vpon him the fourme of a seruant This therfore is proper to his humane nature but yet it is referred to the whole person in respecte of the vnitie because he is both God and man We haue also here to note that Christ is the Sonne of God by nature but we by adoption onely but suche is the stabilitie of grace whiche we haue by him that the diuell with all his force shall neuer be able to shake the same but that we shall alwayes call him our Father who hath adopted vs in his only begotten sonne A. Christe therefore is so called oure brother that therewithall also wee must account him our Lord and Prince 18. Marye Magdalene came and tolde the Disciples that she had seene the Lorde and that hee had spoken suche things vnto hir A. So soone as the Lord commaunded Mary Magdalene obeyed who notwithstanding as it is like was muche greeued that she should departe from him And she tolde vnto the Disciples two things according to the Lordes commaundement The one is that she shad seene the Lorde She sayth not that the Lord was rysen but that she had seene him that she might bring tidings of that whiche was playne and euident This was very necessarie to be tolde vnto the Apostles by hir who before had made them suspecte the remouing away of the Lordes body The other is that he sayde vnto hir Go vnto my brethren and tell them I ascend vnto my father c. Let vs consider that it is not without cause that he commaunded Mary to tell the Disciples not only that he was risen agayne but also that he was about to ascende into heauen to his Father They were to be called from an earthly opinion as well as Mary the which they coulde hardly put away hauing conceyued the same in their myndes before his Passion Wherefore Luke reporteth that they sayde Lorde vvilte thou at this tyme restore the kingdome of Israell 19. The same day at night which was the first of the Sabbaths whē the dores were shut where the Disciples were assembled together for feare of the Iewes came Iesus and stoode in the middest and saith vnto them Peace be vnto you M. Sainct Iohn omitteth many things which are to be read in the other Euangelistes C. He nowe beginneth to shewe heere howe that by the sighte of Christe the Disciples were confirmed in his Resurrection Bv. For he setteth his liuely body before his ten Disciples to bee seene and touched C. And it came not to passe without the prouidence of God that they came altogither in one place that the credite of the matter myghte be the more sure and manyfest Bv. The Apostles were miserably dispearsed by the crosse of Christe euen as the Lorde himselfe by the mouth of the Prophet Zacharie had tolde them it should come to passe but now taking vnto them a good courage againe they come togither loking now for more happie successe Wherfore if so be at any tyme the tempest of afflictions do disperse vs let vs retourne againe vnto our fellowship for we shal not wante the grace of God C. Christ verely delte most gentelly with them bycause he helde them in suspence but till the euening When the doores were shut M. The manner of this people was not to shut their doores in the day tyme. For this cause the Euangelist sayth that the Apostles came together in a secrete assembly beeing afearde of the fury and outrage of the Iewes C And in that they came together it was a signe of faith or of Godly affection but in that they shut vp them selues in secret we do acknowledge that there was some infirmitie in them For the stoutest and most valiant mē sometime are afrayd but notwithstāding we may perceiue that the Apostles were so afearde that they bewrayed the infyrmitie of their fayth R. The Apostles feared the Iewes as yet bicause their harte was not yet sealed with the spirite of God but afterwarde the spirite beeing reuealed the doores were not onely opened but also the Apostles preached Christ publiquely abroade fearing neyther thretninges nor death nor hell nor Sathan but deryded them euen as tryfles and sporte Of so greate power is the consolation of the holy Ghost C. And we haue here an example worthy to be noted For although