through the Ministerie of the Apostles should bee liuing to the ende of the worlde That the Lord would blesse them and by his prouidence guarde them And so both the matter of the Sermone and Prayer is wonderous excellent and in them both wee may see not onelie Diuine knowledge foreseeing and fore-telling those thinges that were to come to passe which if hee had beene onelie man hee could neuer haue done but also a loue vnspeakable and more than wonderfull in that when the wrath of God was persuing him for the sinnes of the Elect when the bitter Cuppe of the Passion was to be propined vnto him when the terroures of Death were nowe before his eyes when Sathan and all the power of darknesse was nowe to assaile him when all rankes of men were to raile vpon him and all his owne were to bee offended at him when Peter should denie him Herode should mocke him Pontius Pilate should condemne him in a manner hee was forgetfull of all those thinges that should come to himselfe and mindfull alwayes to offer joye and consolation vnto his owne Nowe this matter so excellent haue manie learned and godlie men comfortablie and fruitfullie handeled and amongst the rest that famous and worthie Minister of Iesus Christ in the Kirke of EDINBVRGH M. ROBERT ROLLOK of happie memorie for his painfull and comfortable trauels therein and for his manifolde other graces deserueth to bee praysed with the first For hee was a man whom God beautified with manie rare gifts and graces and whome the Lord made manie wayes to bee steadable to his Kirke his vntimelie death when the Lord first called him did manie lament and when their teares were spent they entertained dolour and griefe in their heartes Yea euen nowe the faythfull seriouslie considering these dayes of decaye wherein that Antichristian rabble set themselues to smoare the Trueth and to bring in darknesse againe and wherein by some Religion is mocked and disdained and some are content with a bare showe and outward profession without power and vigour thereof and a life answering therevnto are compelled to sigh for the great wound and losse that the Kirke suffered as in the death of manie others so namelie in the death of that most faythfull man of GOD. Through his death this Citie lost a good Citizen the Flocke a good Pastor the Colledge a good Rector his Brethren a faythfull Fellow-labourer wandering sinners a wise guide and in a worde what sorte of people found not some losse and had not their interesse in his death Who was more carefull than hee to haue GOD glorified Who walked more carefullie with GOD Who was more crucified to the worlde Who was more seuered from all entangling worldlie pleasures and commodities Who more had their conuersation in Heauen Who more carefull to gaine soules to the Kingdome of GOD publicklie and priuatelie by voyce and by penne by worde and by writ at home and abroade aliue and dead And his conuersation was so answâ—rable to his profession and calling that the verie malicious Aduersaries and enemies themselues could not nor durst not charge him with anie imputation But wee neede not Syr to prayse him vnto you who knew him so well and who was so familiarlie conuersant with him and his wordes doe speake sufficientlie to others who knew him not Nowe Syr thâ—se his LECTVRES wee graunt are not so absolute as manie would require and wee our selues would wish for neither deliuered hee them of purpose that they should see the light neither sawe hee them euer after hee had deliuered them neither did his Schollers receiue them from his mouth on the purpose but onelie for the helping of their owne memories And yet wee trust that such as regarde more matter in edification than delicate language and plauâ—ible wordes shall finde no small comfort in perusing of them For not onelie for the duetie wee ought to the Author our louing Master but also for your cause and earnest request to whome wee are so much obliged haue wee taken some yea no small paines heerein as they who are accustomed with such cases may easilie consider that his owne matter might bee sette downe in his owne phrase and stile so neare as possiblie wee could that with the greater liking and approbation they might bee perused by such as seeke â—o bee edified And so much the more carefull were wee heerein because wee found that his other LECTVRES published by vs before as on the COLOSSIANS THESSELONIANS and other seuerall Textes of Scripture and narâ—lie the Lectures last published vpon the Passion and Resurrection euer receiued with great liking and contentment of manie who acknowledge themeselues to bee greatlie edified thereby Nowe Syr these last LECTVRES and our laboures therein wee present vnto you to bee published abroade vnder your protection because moste justlie in all respectes they belong vnto you For first fewe are ignorant howe louing and alwayes beneficiall you were to the Author himselfe from the first time yee knewe him euen to the houre of his death and thereafter to his Wife and nowe you continue the same kindnesse to his posthume Daughter Next as while hee liued hee acknowledged and professed himselfe to bee mâ—re oblieged to you than to anie so at the houre of his death in his latter Will hee ordained that whatsouer of his workes thereafter should see the light should come out in your Name that where his workes were read your deseruinges might bee knowne and that they who gotte fruite of them might also esteeme of you and giue you thankes therefore Thirdlie for the great Paines Exspences and Trauelles that yee haue bestowed in making them to come to the light For by you they were gathered in from the handes of SCHOLLERS that wrote them and by your exspenses they were written ouer and ouer againe without you they had neuer beene reuised and corrected without you they had not beene made meet for the PRESSE Fourthly because as the Lord hath blessed you with many worldly comforts with an honorable estaâ—e good account in the worlde so hath hee indued you with graces of his Spirit inwardlie with true Pietie and Religion in the soule and outwardlie with an answerable profession and practise thereof vttered in the true loue which yee carrie to all Gods Children and namelie to those who carrie the Message of reconciliation in helping and furthering them both priuatelie and publikelie according to your power And finallie wee dedicate our laboures heerein to you as a testimonie that wee acknowledge our selues to bee manie wayes debt-bound to you for your vndeserued kindnesse vttered so manie wayes towardes vs and continuing so long without alteration Nowe the Lord who is infinite in mercie whose loue is constant without alteration and endlesse who hath hitherto giuen you plentifullie and aboundantlie manifolde tokens of his loue both for the vse of the bodie and this transitorie life and also for the weale and comfort of your soule in this your
time that the conscience be first sprinkled with the blood of Iesus and then the conscience being once thus sprinkled the soule will find such joy as no tongue can expresse Thus much for the eight argument The ninth argument is from that hatred wherewith the world persued his Disciples hated them The world hateth them therfore Father keep thou them they chase them here and there now Father be thou their refuge Alace it is a great misery to be chased hunted here there to be persued in the world in the mean time to get no rest in God when thou gettest no rest with God no rest in the world miserable is thy estate but when thou gettest rest in the bosom of God thou hast joy quietnes in thy hart this is it he recōmēdeth to the Father Father the world hateth them therfore let them get rest in thee because they are not of the world it hateth them the world loueth none but godles ill men now I haue giuen thy word to them it is thy word that hath sanctified them separated them frō the world for it is this word that will take thee out of the world if the word of Christ separate thee not from the pollution of the world thou shalt perish in the pollutiō stink of the world Then he compareth them with himselfe They are like vnto me thou shouldst loue them the better for the world loues them the worse that they loue me the word of Iesus as it makes vs vnlike the world so it makes vs like Iesus Christ if the word of Iesus make thee not holy nothing shal mak thee holy thē nothing shall euer mak thee like Iesus Christ but this holy word of Christ as it makes vs vnlike the world so it makes vs like our head Now he meanes that this likenes with him was the ground of persecution the world persecuted them becaus they were like him whom the world loued not for Brethren this is the ground of persecution to wit the hatred of God the hatred of the Light and the hatred of that Majestie of selfe Well then yee see the hatred and the persecution of this worlde is wrong vnderstood men thinke that when any man is persecuted or hated of the world that God hateth them also this is the judgement of the worlde when they see any man troubled for the cause of Iesus Christ they will saye God hateth this man Nowe this is so false a judgement that by the contrary the hatred of this world is the surest token that can be that God loueth thee If there were no more to tell thee but the sence and experience that godly men haue of Gods presence in the middest of the hatred of this worlde it will tell thee that God loueth them A man who is persecuted for Iesus Christ will feele such a presence in his heart of God that the tongue of man nor Angel cannot tell And when he is chased till he pant and bee breathlesse hee will feele such a presence that hee will count nothing of all the trouble of the world as Paul sayth Rom. 8. vers 31. Jf God bee with vs who can bee against vs And againe Who can separate vs from the loue of God in Iesus Christ Hee who feeleth this hee will stand vp and spit in the face of all the Tyrantes in the world he will defie the world the man who is farthest out of the worlde Iesus Christ is nearest him Goe out of the worlde goe out of Hierusalem bearing the reproach of Iesus and so thou shalt haue a sense of that joye the more thou conformest thee to the worlde the nearer man or woman is joyned with this cursed generation the moste cursed generation that euer was on the face of the earth thou shalt finde that thy God shall bee the farther from thee when thou liuest as they liue and speakest as they speake I appeale thy conscience if thou findest then the comfort and joye which thou foundest being from that societie And if thou sayest thou hast it thou liest If it were no more but that sense it may tell thee that this doctrine is true Nowe I shall ende the conclusion When he hath vsed this argument he subjoyneth I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the worlde but that thou shouldest keepe them from the euill of the worlde for I haue a worke to doe with them that is to sende them out to this cursed generation therefore Father keepe them this is the thing that I praye when I shall send them out to the world that thou leaue them not but in the middest of persecution keepe them till my worke bee ended He craueth not that they should be free of persecution for of before ye heard he sayth In the world yee shall haue oppression but bee of good comfort in me ye shall haue peace therefore hee craueth not that they should bee free of all persecution but that in the middest of persecution the Father should bee with them and make them victorious more than victorious euen to triumph Yee may marke in these words two remedies against the persecution of the worlde The godly haue two remedies against the persecution of the world the first is When the Lord taketh his owne out of this miserable world to dwell with himselfe in joy and felicity The other remedy against persecution is when the Lord letteth his owne still fight on in a battell and in the meane time keepeth them wonderfully in the middest of persecution so that the world will be compelled to wonder that a man or a woman who feeleth the Lordes presence will so triumph in affliction All this worlde hath no power to take their life so long as the Lord hath his worke in their hands All the Tyrants vnder the Heauen haue no power to harme them and namely a Preacher till he end his worke for the which the Lord set him in the world all the Tyrants in the Earth cannot take his life from him no they cannot touch the least hair of his head for they are numbred yea rather ere he get any harme the Lord will send his Angel out of Heauen as he sent him to Peter and pull him out of the throat of death Now Brethren looke to the order which the Lord vseth in these remedies he will not incontinent take his owne out of the world howbeit the world be vnworthy of them this world is not worthy of a good man he will let them tarry till his work be ended There is not one of vs when the Lord hath put a piece of work into our hands in our own calling that he will take out of this world till we end it to the glory of his holy Name As I told you of before it is a wonderfull thing how the Lord will keep his own and he will not at an instant take them out of this world Howbeit a man
will mourne and groane vnder the burthen as Paul did when he sayth J choose rather to flitte out of this bodie and to goe dwell with the Lord yet the Lord will haue him abyding a while Yea howbeit a man will haue an heauy heart in this his Pilgrimage yet the Lord will haue him to remaine a while here and in the meane time he will aboundantly comfort him and will hold vp his head as he did to Paul when he deliuered him out of the Lyons mouth that is from the bloody Tyrant Nero J am assured sayth he and I haue a confidence that the Lord shall deliuer mee and keepe me to his heauenly Kingdome There is the remedy he wil let thee bide still in the world yet an haire of thine head shall not fall without his will but he will keepe thee to that heauenly Kingdome and when he hath ended his worke with thee he shall make thee to rest in peace and shall bring thee to himselfe in his Kingdome Let no man thinke that so long as the Lord hath any worke adoe with any of his owne that he will let them be taken out of the world It is a vaine speaking when any man is taken out of the Common-wealth or taken away by death If this man had bene liuing this had not bene done and this euill had not come to passe Vnderstand this when the Lord taketh him the Lord hath done his worke with him the Lord knoweth there is no more adoe with him and therefore he taketh him The enemies of the trueth thinke that they get a great victory when a good man is taken out of the world O Fooles is not this the last deliuerance of the godly who glorified God in their mortall bodies For he shall glorifie them in despite of the world they shall triumph ouer the world No the sword the fire c. cannot hinder this their triumph Let wicked men come on their way let them essay and proue on their way they shall find in end that the godly shall triumph and in that Great day they shall see them glorified and then they shall say Thought we not once that these men were vtterly wracked whom now we see so glorious So not only shame and confusion shall light on them for their wickednes but also this shall wonderfully aggreadge their condemnation when they shall see them glorified whom they persecuted in the world Let vs rest in this hope and let vs labour in this world howbeit with hatred and with contempt and we shall get the last remedy the Lord shall take vs to himselfe and we shall cease from all labour and shall be glorified with him in the Heauens thorow Iesus Christ To whom with the Father and the holy Spirit be all honour praise and glory for euermore AMEN THE XXIII LECTVRE OF CHRISTES PRAYER BEFORE HIS PASSION IOHN CHAP. xvii VERS 16.17.18.19.20.21 16 They are not of the world as I am not of the world 17 Sanctifie them with thy trueth thy word is trueth 18 As thou diddest sende mee into the worlde so haue I sent them into the worlde 19 And for their sakes sanctifie J my selfe that they also may bee sanctified through the trueth 20 I pray not for these alone but for them also which shall belieue in mee through their word 21 That they all may bee one as thou O Father art in mee and I in thee euen that they may bee also one in vs that the worlde may belieue that thou hast sent mee THE LORD vsed sundry arguments welbeloued in the Lord Iesus to mooue his Father to keepe and preserue his Disciples and Apostles whom he was to leaue in the world behind him Hitherto we haue nine of them which we recounted the last day Now in the beginning of this Text we haue the tenth and last argument which he vseth in his petition which he maketh That the Father would keepe and preserue his Disciples Shortly to come to the words They are not of the worlde Then would he conclude Therefore Father keepe them What is this Not to be of the world Not to be of the world is To be borne againe to be regenerate and separate from the pollution and wickednesse of this world By what meanes this is done vnto vs we heard the last day to wit by the word of God For as Peter sayth the word of God is that immortall seed of the eternall God who liueth euerlastingly wherewith he begets vs of new again separates vs froÌ„ the world from the ignominie filthinesse and wickednesse wherein the worlde lieth naturallie for the worlde is drowned in filthinesse and wickednesse Then he recommendeth to the Father the estate of them who were separated from the world by a comparison with himselfe As I am not of the worlde so are they not of the world Looke this matter in the seuenth Chapter to the Hebrewes vers 26. Our high Priest is vndefiled that is The Lord Iesus is vndefiled separated from sinners and made higher than the Heauen Indeed it is true it is vnpossible for vs so long as we liue in this mortall body to be altogether separated from sinne and vncleannesse but he was out of measure holy and equall with the Father in glory Yet we are in some measure like vnto him Alwayes ye see in this that this recommendeth our estate that we are like the Sonne of God and this commendeth our separation from the world in that that in this separation from the world and the pollution thereof we are like the Sonne of God Brethren whatsoeuer our estate be so that in it we resemble him howbeit for his sake it be shamefull and ignominious in the sight of the world it is glorious if we be like to him in ignominie we shall be like to him in glory Our shame is neuer so great in the sight of the world if it be for his sake but it is better than all the honour and glory in the world But to leaue this The thing which I vnderstand is this shortly The farther that we be from the world the Lord hath the greater care ouer vs and keepeth vs the better And the nearer that we are to it the lesse is the care of our God ouer vs and we are the worse kept What is the keeping of God else but the drawing of vs out of this world and the seuering of vs from the company of it And when he hath drawne vs out of the world the keeping of vs out of it againe â—hat we meddle not with it and that we may be quite of it and deliuered from it This is not my meaning that any man should draw himselfe to liue as an Heremite and in the Wildernesse separated from the society of men as the Monkes doe This is nothing but the craft of the Deuill that men should draw to Cloysters liuing in Harlotry and in a Den of wickednesse liuing in a vaine speculation feeding their bellies and doing no good to
leadeth vs in the way of trueth and verity We are all out of the way till he leade vs in the way of saluation There is neuer man nor woman who is not naturally full of vanity and his heart full of lies no trueth chiefly in the way that leadeth to life and saluation The spirit of errour occupieth naturally the heartes of men and women vntill this blessed Spirite enter into their heartes The name is to bee marked First hee is called the Comforter Secondlie the Spirit of trueth The one of these is the cause of the other And the Spirite of GOD is the Comforter and ministreth comfort to the soules of men and vvomen because hee is the Spirite of veritie For Brethren this knowledge of God is the grounde of all comfort and vvithout the knowledge of our saluation there is no comfort in this life When the Spirite of God entereth into the soule of a man or woman he first beginneth to let the creature see the sinfulnesse that lieth in nature the miserie death and damnation that followeth on sinne The first knowledge we can haue is to knowe vvhat we are by nature So the first worke of the Spirit of Veritie is when he letteth a man or woman see that hee is but sinfull and dead vnder sinne The second point of knowledge that the Spirite vvill leade thee vntill hee vvill let thee see mercy in thy deliuerance from sinne and death The best sight that euer a miserable creature sawe and the ioyfullest this sight vvill bee accompanied vvith such a ioy as the heart of man cannot expresse As the sight of sinne was heauy so this sight of grace mercy in Iesus Christ is sweet yea the ioyfullest sight that euer the creature got The third point of knowledge he vvill leade thee vnto is hee vvill let thee see the vvay howe thou shouldest meete that mercifull God and vvhat shoulde bee thy duety for such a mercifull deliuerance If any man or vvoman haue this Spirit of Verity he must see these three things and if they see not these three they vvist neuer what vvas the Spirite of Verity Looke vvhat followeth on these three sights all the ioye in the vvorlde the heart vvist neuer vvhat ioye vvas vvhile then If one had all the riches in the vvorlde all the pleasures in the vvorlde if they vvant the Spirite they vvant that true ioye in death in life hee that vvanteth that Spirit can haue no ioy vvhen death commeth to him and the vvorld leaueth him how can he reioyce no he cannot So vvouldest thou haue ioye and chiefely in the houre of death and that is a sad houre when the vvorlde is leauing thee and thou leauing it for thou must leaue it Get this blessed sight and this Spirite of Verity and hee shall vvorke comfort in thy soule both in thy life and in the houre of death Now againe the second time he aggreageth this benefite for the benefite of the soule cannot bee aggreaged enough before he aggreageth it in that it should abide vvith them for euer Now he aggreageth it from the condition of the vvorld and hee sayth Hee is such a Spirit that the worlde cannot receiue The aggreaging of this benefite to the soule is by opposition to the vvorlde The vvorld sayth the Lord receiued not this Spirit of Verity vvhom yee shall receiue It hath a great force the Spirite of GOD vvhen hee vvoulde amplifie the grace that the Chosen gette in the vvorlde vseth to sette downe a grace opposite to the worlde vvho getteth not this grace but in place of it getteth miserie So in the threescore Chapter of Esay and the twelfth Verse hee sayeth The Lord shall rise vp and make the beames of his mercie to shine vpon his owne Hee setteth not downe this simplie but to let them see the greatnesse of the benefite hee subjoyneth an opposition And darknesse sayeth hee shall couer the Earth and grosse darknesse the people but the Lord shall rise vp to shine vpon thee with the beames of that his mercy and his glory shall bee seene vpon thee This is done that the godly should see the greatnesse of the mercy of God towards them One contrary will make another the better to be knowne Brethren wee see this all the aduersaries vse this argument against vs Your Kirke is contracted in little boundes and your Profession is but narrow and fewe imbrace it where yee finde one who professeth as yee professe ye will find an hundreth who contemne your Doctrine So say they because the multitude imbraceth it not it is not the true Light But these wordes condemne them The Lord sayeth The vvorlde cannot receiue the Spirite of Veritie They say The vvorlde must receiue the Spirite of Veritie or else it is not the Spirite of Veritie So to ende this Wee must bee so farre from that to count the lesse of this blessed Light and of these whome the Lord vsed as instrumentes after hee had taken them out of the darke Kingdome of the Antichrist to make this Light shine like the Sunne that euen by the contrary wee must count the more of it And it is an argument that it is the Trueth because the Lord will not communicate it with the multitude And woe is the soule that neuer saw this Light Precious thinges are but rare The more pecious a grace bee euermore since the beginning of the worlde it is the rarer No man getteth this Light communicated to them but those secret ones whom the Lord hath chosen And we one day shall blesse this Light that euer we saw it The worde is to bee marked The worlde cannot receiue him This worde importeth that the fault wherefore the worlde receiueth not this Spirite is not in the Spirite but the fault is in the vvorlde it selfe vvho vvanteth the hand and so neither will nor can receiue such a grace The Lord in his worde offereth to all men indifferentlie this Spirite and as it were by his vvorde knocketh at the heartes of men and women to receiue such a guest There is none of vs who heareth this glorious Euangel but the Lord knocketh at the doore of his soule to take in this Holy Spirit to dwell with him But looke howe hee is answered All receiueth not this Spirit and all hearts are not opened to take him in yea very fewe there bee who take in this Spirite in their heart when they heare this Euangel Take heed there is no grace nor welfare without this Spirit and howe can the heart bee glad without him Yet they are few who get him To speak the trueth There is no man nor woman who is naturally borne to receiue this Spirit of God The naturall man sayth Paul is not capable of the thinges that are of God 1. Cor. 2.14 So by nature all men and women are alike Then who maketh the difference sayth Paul to the Corinthians What hast thou that thou hast not receiued 1. Cor. 4.7 Then if there bee a
Christ was obedience to the Father When a man doeth a thing willingly because it is the will of God offereth vp his life willingly and dieth willingly there is obedience But let him die ten thousand deaths if he doe it not willingly it is none obedience I suppone that the Son of God had not suffered willingly wee would haue had no saluation the obedience standeth not only in suffering but in that he died so gladly suffered so willingly with such a loue to powre out his life for the world as yee may reade in the 53. Chap. of Esay Hee was like a Lambe before the Shearers So when wee looke to the death of Christ let vs not looke to his death so much as to his patience willingnesse In the last verse the Lord setteth downe the ende of his suffering wherefore he putteth himselfe into the handes of the executers I doe this that the worlde may know that I loue the Father This is the end Wee see first in this end the ground of the obedience and suffering of Iesus Christ What needed him to be so obedient and to deject himselfe so farre Yee may take it vp in one worde All this obedience proceeded of an vnspeakeable loue he bare to the Father It is true the loue of the saluation of man moued the Lord to this obedience also no doubt and this vnspeakeable loue moued him to giue his life for them But marke yet this place letteth vs see the chiefe ground of his obedience was not the loue of the world but the loue of the Father Paul 2. Philipp 5.6.7.8 speaking of the obedience of Iesus Christ letteth vs see and pointeth out that humiliation of Christ as proceeding of that loue he bare to the Father Let that affection sayth he be in you that was in Christ Iesus who being in the forme of God thought it no robbery to bee equall with God but hee manited himselfe and made himselfe of no reputation in taking vpon him the shape of a seruant and in that shape hee became obedient to the Father to the death of the Crosse That obedience then flowed from the loue he bare to the Father Yee would thinke it a great matter to two kinges the one of them as great as the other if one woulde serue the other in a worldly seruice yee woulde thinke it a great loue the one bare to the other The Lord Iesus being equall with the Father in glory humbled himselfe to the Father What followed on this obedience As hee dejecteth himselfe thorow loue to obey the Father so the Father loueth him vnspeakeably Paul 2. Philipp vers 9.10.11 letteth vs see the effect of this loue hee exalteth him to a wonderfull sublimitie and hee giueth him a Name aboue all the names of the worlde That at the Name of IESVS all thinges in Heauen and in Earth and vnder the Earth should bow their knee or else if they will not bow they should bee broken Now Brethren to draw this example to our selues wee haue this lesson to learne What is the ground of true humilitie I speake not of fained humilitie but of true lowlinesse which is the best vertue in a Christian man Learne of mee sayeth Christ that I am humble and lowly in heart Matth. 11.29 not only of obedience to Superiors for Christ biddeth thee bee obedient and seruiceable not onely to Superiors and equals but to inferiors and each one to another What is the ground of this humilitie Euen the loue of the heart and a man haue true loue in the heart hee will not care how lowlie he be in the world So when ye see a sober Christian point him out and say There is a louing hearted Christian Would yee knowe what followeth on humilitie and lowlinesse Obedience What followeth vpon obedience They who in loue humble themselues to exalt others and obey them shall find that God will meet them with loue and exalt them Wherein standeth the band of loue When euery one preferreth another to himselfe Heerein standeth humilitie humilitie beginneth with loue and endeth with loue By the contrarie What is the ground of pride A foolish selfe-loue when a man taketh pleasure in his owne corruptions and hath a conceit of himselfe and an hatred and disdaining of others Wherewith is it met With a mutuall hatred and disdaine That man who is proude stinketh both in Gods nose and mans and as humility intertaineth peace amongst men so pride breaketh the amitie and loue and rents the body of Christ so that pride is the most vnseemly thing in any man and it is a note of them who perteine not to Christ Striue euer to be like Christ in being humble and haue loue in thine heart But what is the chiefe ende of the suffring of Christ Iesus and of his humiliation The Lord sets it down in these words That the world may know that the Sonne loueth the Father Indeed this is one end yea the chiefest which we should all consider Another is that we may know that Iesus Christ hath loued vs. Looke in thorowe the body of Christ into the heart looke not to the nailes and to the woundes of his side but to that heart of his and chiefely to that infinit loue that the Sonne hath borne to the Father Thou mayst say What aduantage is it to mee to know that obedience of the Sonne to the Father and that loue When thou seest that Sonne of God equal with the Father how hee humbled himself so lowly that no creature in Heauen or in earth Angel or man euer humbled himselfe so as the Sonne It serueth thee to this ende to learne thee who is a creature and who is but a seruant to humble thy selfe before God and to glorifie thy God And indeede albeit there be many thinges to moue vs to humilitie yet and a man get not the sight of that humiliation of Iesus Christ he shall neuer be truely humbled Paul in his second Chap. to the Philipp to stirre vs vp to humilitie he bringeth in the example of the humilitie of the Sonne to the Father Ye will aske Haue we any profit of this that we be humbled to the Father Hast thou no profit in glorifying God Neuer one serued such a Master and neuer one got such a glory as they shall get who glorifie God Was Christ exalted highly Thou shalt bee also exalted I aske then Wherein standeth thy misery and wherein standeth thine happinesse There is the only joy that the creature hath when it hath humbled it selfe to the Father it obeyeth him it glorifieth the great God the Creator And herein standeth the happinesse of man euen to haue his heart loosed to glorifie the Lord The godly finde this in experience And by the contrary when the faythfull soule is locked vp and hath no pleasure to glorifie God for his graces albeit it had neuer so great aboundance of all things in the world yet it counteth the selfe to be in great misery Paul
useth is taken from the glorie of the Father In this is my Father glorified that yee bring out much fruite Surelie a moouing argument at least it shoulde mooue all soules to doe well seeing God is glorified in my well doing for I am set in the worlde to glorifie God Take vp the grounde Whome will this argument mooue Not euerie man Tell to a man who hath no zeale to God nor no sight of the glorie of God Doe well and glorifie God hee will not care for it But to tell a man who loueth God alace whome can hee loue and if hee loue not God tell him if hee will doe manie good workes hee will glorifie God hee will doe all that lieth in his power yea hee will suffer that he may glorifie God as Moyses and Paul wished to renounce Heauen to get their God glorified And if Paul could gette God glorified he cared neither for life nor death Then when wee come to the hearing of the word where such exhortations are giuen vs we shold bring hearts filled with zeale to the glory of God and if thou bring such an heart when thou hearest such an argument it will bee verie sweete to thee Yee see here in these wordes a faire effect following on good workes when a man doeth well the fairest effect that euer was followeth to wit the glory of God thy Creator The Papists think there can folow no gooâ— of good works except a man merit and get life by his works as though the Prophet had said The just shall liue by his good works No he said not so but The iust shall liue by faith Habac. 2.4 May not this serue them that God is glorified in well doing Yee see the wordes that are heere are borrowed from the Vine tree Then let vs take vp the comparison to make the matter more cleare Wee see by experience that the branches of the Vine tree doe not liue vpon the fruite nor take no sappe from the Berries the Berries doe not furnishe life to the branches Therefore can they conclude heereof that the Berries auaile nothing because they giue no sap nor food to the vine tree Hath not the berrie none other vse Yes it hath a better vse for it serueth chiefely to refresh and make chearfull the heart of man It is euen so with our good workes the good workes are not causes of our justification or life they are but the fruites of justification A man doeth not good workes to bee justified but is â—ustified to bring out good workes they haue their owne vse they are not onelie comfortable to them who worke them to confirme their election calling justification and life but also those who stand by and looke to them the Apostle sayeth they are edified by their on-looking as yee may reade in the first Epistle of Peter and the first Chapted Yea more edified by one worke than by a thousand wordes And not onelie are men edified but thereby God is glorified Christ sayeth Matth. Chap. 5. vers 16. Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good workes and maye glorifie your Father which is in Heauen So by good workes the God of Heauen is glorified and men are holpen The second argument Ye shall bee my Disciples As hee would say God shall not onlie be glorified but ye shall get good your selues yee shall bee my Disciples It is the same in effect with that which he said Chap. 13. vers 35. By this a man or woman is knowne to be the Disciple of Christ by mutuall loue Then let vs see what doctrine is taught in the Schoole of Christ there is the summe of the doctrine Doe well bring out much good fruite bring out many good workes All the doctrine that is taught of fayth is to the ende that a man may do well The Apostle to Titus chap. 2. vers 11. telleth vs what is the end of the Gospel to wit that the grace of Iesus Christ hath shined in the worlde that wee may liue soberlie temperatelie and godlilie in this present world So the end of the Gospel is that men and women should liue an holy and sanctified life and he who liueth an holy life he is indeed a disciple of Christ not he who knowes most but he who doth most is the best scholler and he who doth euill and deliteth in mischiefe hath no more to doe with Christ than the Deuill hath Ephes 4.20 After that hee hath set downe the life of the Gentiles that they gaue themselues to wantonnes and to commit wickednes with all kinde of griedinesse he turneth to the Ephesians and he saith Ye haue not learned Christ so whosoeuer leadeth an euill life vnder the name of a Christian they haue neuer heard Christ speaking to them by his Spirite in their soule Thou hast not learned at Christ to bee a murderer an adulterer and drunkard Then if thou wouldest shewe to the worlde that thou hast learned at Christ striue to doe much and not to speake much In one worde As thou wouldest shew thy selfe to bee a Scholler in the Schoole of Christ doe euer many good workes Then when hee hath exhorted to good works he commeth to the grounds of good works the grounds are two the loue of God and the loue of thy neighbour the whole Commandements are grounded on these two Then hee exhorteth his Disciples to loue It is not enough to begin to loue Christ but to continue Hee giueth the argumentes J haue loued you wherefore then should ye not loue me The best thing we can doe is to meete him with loue in some measure who hath loued vs so wel so dearlie and tenderlie I haue loued you therefore loue ye me And that they should not thinke this a common loue hee saith As the Father hath loued me so loue I you I loue you not as men loue men but as the Father loueth mee Then wee see here that Iesus Christ is not onlie aye the first louer for if we loue him it is because hee loueth vs first loue aye beginneth on the part of Christ ere wee beginne to thinke to loue him hee loueth vs but also wee learne more heere What kinde of loue Christ beareth to vs. 1. John Chap. 3. vers 1. What a loue hath the Father borne to vs that hath called vs his sonnes So the loue of Christ to vs is a tender loue such as the loue of the Father is to him what tongue can expresse the loue of the Father to the Sonne So all the tendernesse of the worlde is nothing to that loue that Christ hath to vs it is passing in tendernesse and passing in measure Indeede the Apostle speaketh of a great sense of this loue to men Rom. 5. where he sayth This loue of God is powred out from the Heauens and powred out in the hearts of men women Who doeth it The holy Spirit sheddeth it abroade in our heartes and indeede a man will feele the loue of
take heed to him in the mirrour of his word and to take a delite in it that we may get this blacke darknesse of the soule put away and get a sight of God through Iesus Christ To whom with the Father and the holy Ghost be all honour and prayse for euermore AMEN THE XIX LECTVRE OF CHRISTS PRAYER BEFORE HIS PASSION IOHN CHAP. xvi VERS 4.5 4 J haue glorified thee on the earth J haue finished the worke which thou gauest mee to doe 5 And nowe glorifie mee thou Father with thine owne selfe with the glorie which I had with thee before the world was WEe haue heard Welbeloued in the Lord Iesus sundry arguments that the Lord Iesus vseth in his Prayer to his Father to moue him to glorifie him For that is the petition Glorifie thy Sonne The first argument was froÌ„ the time of his death that was at hand The time is come sayeth the Lord therefore glorifie thy Sonne The second argument was from the glory that should redound to the Father if he should glorifie the Sonne Glorifie thy Sonne Father that thy Sonne may glorifie thee The third argument was from that life euerlasting that hee should giue to them whome the Father had once giuen to him if hee were once glorified Glorifie mee sayeth hee that J may giue life euerlasting to them whom thou hast giuen mee Then hee letteth vs see that it cannot bee possible that he can giue life to any man except he first bee glorified Life euerlasting standeth first in the knowledge of the Father that onely true God Then it standeth in the knowledge of the Sonne that hee is sent of the Father that hee is Iesus the Sauiour that hee is Christ anointed and the Mediatour betwixt God and man Now would he say to the Father Except thou glorifie mee neither thou nor I shall be knowne and therefore that life euerlasting may bee giuen to man it is needfull that I bee glorified Thus farre hitherto Nowe in the beginning of this Text which wee haue read wee haue the fourth argument from that glorie hee had giuen to the Father alreadie Father sayeth he J haue glorified thee on the earth J have ended the worke that thou gauest mee to doe what resteth but that thou glorifie mee There must bee a meeting heere The Sonne must glorifie the Father and the Father must glorifie the Sonne So yee see verie weightie argumentes of this petition from the beginning both the time craueth that the Father should glorifie the Sonne and then the great fruit that was to proceede thereof for the Father should want glorie and the worlde should want life if the Sonne were not glorified And last yee see that verie obedience that the Sonne gaue to the Father in the Earth requireth that the Father should glorifie him The Sonne had glorified the Father in the worlde and therefore the Father should haue glorified the Sonne in the Heauens But to come to the last argument J haue glorified thee sayeth the Sonne This argument leaneth to a promise which the Father made to the Sonne ere euer hee was manifested in the flesh As hee would reason thus Father thou hast promised that if I should glorifie thee thou shouldest glorifie mee but so it is Father that I haue glorified thee therefore glorifie mee This promise is often found in the olde Testament in manie places thereof Looke the hundreth and tenth PSALME there it is saide The Lord saide to my Lord that is the Father saide to the Sonne for both are the Lordes of this worlde sit thou at my right hand vntill the time that I make thine enemies thy foote-stoole There is that promised glorie That hee should make him King ouer the worlde and humble his enemies spirituall and temporall vnder his feete So this is the glorie that the Sonne craueth Nowe Brethren in verie deede the Sonne of God might haue claimed justlie that promise that the Father made to him vnder the condition of obedience because the obedience of the Sonne of God Iesus Christ was perfect which obedience being the ground of the promise justlie hee might claime that glorie by reason that the promise was perfectlie fulfilled But to come to vs There was no man since the fall of Adam that dare be bolde except they bee vtterlie impudent to claime anie life or grace of God by vertue of this condition of obedience and to say Lord I haue done this therefore Lord giue me life There is no fleshe no not the best renewed man that euer was that hath that freedome that can saye this By vertue of my merite giue mee life Looke what Paul a renewed man sayeth of himselfe Philipp 3. vers 9. I â—steeme all to bee but dongue that I may gaine Christ For why Brethren there is no flesh except that man Iesus Christ that euer hath had or will haue that perfect obedience which meriteth anie grace at Gods hands This shall stand though all the worlde would rise against it with the Pope and that whole rabble Therefore it commeth to passe that none either who is was or shall bee shall bee made righteous in the presence of God or gette life euerlasting but they who passe from the condition of workes that is called the Legall couenant and take them onelie to that promise made in the blood of Iesus Christ and seeke not life by vertue of their workes but onelie by vertue of the blood of Iesus Christ I denounce in the Name of Iesus Christ if thou seekest not life onelie by that blood thou shalt neuer see nor taste of life If thou begin to seeke grace by thy merites thou shalt neuer get it because thou treadest downe vnder thy feete the blood of Christ and renouncest it and takest thee to thy peltrie But yet let vs marke the words better I haue glorified thee Father that is I haue put an ende to that worke thou gauest me the faire worke of the redemption of man the fairest worke that euer was yea fairer than the creation of the worlde Nowe howe is this hee sayth I haue ended it seeing hee had not satisfied and was not crucified and the end of this worke was founded on the Crosse of Iesus Christ and that bitter suffering The answere is easie He speaketh of the worke to come as though it were past alreadie for the certainty of it for it was most sure he behoued to suffer and also for the nearnesse of it for his death latter passion was at hand Another question How is it that hee sayeth J haue glorified thee already in time past when as hee saide before Father glorifie thy Sonne that hee may glorifie thee in the time to come They stand very well together for the Sonne the Lord Iesus hee both glorified his Father before he was glorified by his Father and also when he was glorified by his Father both the times he glorified his Father But see the difference The Lord Iesus glorified the Father before hee was