world but him who had the greatest power in the world And so in judging him the holy Spirit conuicteth the worlde That hee was the Iudge of the worlde Colloss 2. vers 15. it is saide When hee hung vpon the Crosse he sate most gloriously in a Chariot There was neuer an Emperour who was carried in such a glorious Chariot as the Lord howbeit hee was abject in the sight of the worlde In that Chariot hee taketh the Deuils and taketh all their power and leadeth them in triumph and maketh an open showe of them So there is his victory which hee gotte ouer the Deuill the prince of this world Indeede I grant that the Deuill as yet hath a great power in this worlde Ephes Chap. 2. vers 2. And hee runneth about like a roaring Lion yet he is ouercome and chained in darknesse Iud. 6. That is Hee is in chaines of terrible horrour and anguish howbeit hee will deceiue men women and make them to thinke that he is free to doe what he will be lies he is in a great horror Now the godly who find the mortification of that sinfull nature find that the Deuil is ouercome for except the Deuill were ouercome sinne would reigne in the worlde for the kingdome and tyranny of the Deuill and the kingdome of sinne and death are euer conjoyned So the godly who find that the old man is crucified finde that the Deuill is ouercome The vngodly also in whom the Deuill the prince of this world reigneth 2. Corint 4. vers 4. they are conuicted in their consciences That the Lord hath ouercome the Deuill The Murderers Blasphemers Adulterers c. are conuict by the light of the Gospel That Sathan whom they serue as as many slaues is but a slaue himselfe vanquished by Christ Iesus and bound with chains of darknesse albeit thorowe induration and malice of their heartes they prefer his bondage to the liberty of the Kingdome of Christ And I denounce In the Naâ—e of the Great GOD of Heauen If they continue their portion shall bee with the Deuill the Lord Iesus shall be auenged on them For albeit the Lord Iesus be in Heauen sitting at the right hand of that glorious Majesty yet hee leaueth not his poore members destitute of comfort As before hee said I will not leaue you comfortlesse as soone as he went to Heauen he sent downe his Spirit by whom hee reigneth in the worlde Nowe that Spirit is either conuerting the soules of men to Christ or else he is conuicting and condemming the obstinate And bee thou assured that if the holy Spirit conuert not thy soule by this worde hee shall conuict thee and stoppe thy mouth and keepe thee in chaines to that great Iudge the Lord Iesus and thou shalt bee so conuict in this world that thou shalt not haue a worde to saye in that great Day Paul speaketh of this 2. Cor. 10. vers 5. Those who will not bee conuerted but remaine disobedient I shall cause vengeance light vpon them and I shall bee the sauour of death vnto death to them So either shalt thou bee conuerted by the worde or else bee conuicted and condemned Now when he hath dipped into this doctrine hee cutteth off the speach and saieth J haue many moe things to speake to you but ye cannot beare them now That is ye are not capable of them now There were other causes no doubt that here vrged him to cut short his language as namely because the houre of his death was at hand as Chap. 14. vers 30. Another was because as hee saieth Chap. 15. vers 15. All thinges that I haue heard of my Father haue J made knowne vnto you and therefore now hee would not insist to repeate or expound theâ— heere but hee remitteth farder reuelation to the Spirite Foolishe therefore are the Papistes who grounde on this place their Traditions for all grace and power to vnderstand anie thing of Iesus Christ and of the saluation of man is of the Spirit The Lord knew well what power he hath giuen to euerie one to vnderstand the waye of saluation and according therevnto hee measureth his instruction hee submitteth himselfe to their rudenesse and capacitie If thou be an Infant hee will not giue thee solide and strong foode but Milke So hee willeth a Minister to measure the doctrine conforme to the grouth and power of the hearers The Ministers in euerie Congregation should know who are Infants and who are not and accordinglie vse discretion This worde is to bee marked I haue manie thinges to tell you and yet I will not tell you them now The Minister should instruct the soberest in meanest thinges and yet he should subjoyne this There is an higher mysterie if thou werest capable thereof that they may desire to growe in knowledge Some foolishe men will saye If I had the Creede and Pater noster and the Commandementes I care not for more knowledge that will not serue thee no no as thou gettest a sight of Christ so shouldest thou haue a great desire to receiue farder grouth and in-sight and striue to get a perfection for albeit wee appeare to our selues sometimes to haue cunning and knowledge enough yet it is but little which the best of vs hath in respect of that which wee should haue for heere wee see but in a part wee knowe but in a part Reade 1. Corinth 13. vers 9. We should therefore neuer be content of the knowledge we haue but should aye striue to get more and with all these Preachinges striue to get Iesus Christ and to see his face more and more as it were in a glasse till once our fayth bee turned into sight and then wee shall get sacietie of knowledge Howe dangerous a thing it is to a man who hath gotten but little knowledge there to bide the Apostle to the Hebrewes Chap. 6. vers 4. declareth for there he denounceth an heauie judgement against those who haue gotten a piece af knowledge and stand there yea and fall away from it hee saieth there is no place of repentance for them And indeed it is not possible but if a man gette once a solide taste and sight of those heauenlie thinges but hee will striue most earnestlie to haue a farder knowledge sight and fore-tasting of them night and daye euen till hee get full sacietie of joye and glorie 1. Petr. 2 vers 2. Therefore I beseech you neuer to rest till yee get a sight of Christ by and aboue all knowledge that in him yee may haue all perfection To whome with the Father and the holie Spirit bee all praise honour and glory worlde without ende So bee it THE XIV LECTVRE OF CHRISTES DOCTRINE BEFORE HIS PASSION IOHN CHAP. xvi VERS 13.14.15.16.17.18.19.20.21.22 13 Howbeit when hee is come which is the Spirite of trueth hee will leade you into all trueth for hee shall not speake of himselfe but whatsoeuer hee shall heare shall hee speake and hee will shew you the thinges to
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
FIVE AND TWENTIE LECTVRES VPON THE LAST SERMON AND CONFERENCE OF OVR LORD IESVS CHRIST With his Disciples immediately before his Passion Contained in the fourteenth fifteenth and sixteenth Chapters of the GOSPEL of Sainct IOHN As also vpon that most excellent PRAYER contained in the seuenteenth Chap. of the same Gospel Preached by that Reuerend and faythfull Seruant of God M. ROBERT ROLLOK Minister of the Kirke and Rector of the Colledge of EDINBVRGH EDINBVRGH Printed by ANDRO HART Anno 1619 TO THE RIGHT HONOVRABLE Their most louing Friende in the Lord SYR WILLIAM SCOT OF ELIE KNIGHT c. Grace in this life and euerlasting Glorie in the Life to come ALBEIT RIGHT HONOVRABLE the whole Scripture and euerie parte thereof bee of Diuine inspiration and profitable to teach to conuince to correct and to instruct in Righteousnesse Yet it is no absurditie to affiâ—me that some partes thereof for some respectes and causes are to bee preferred and more accounted of than others The Apostle giueth vs a sufficient proofe of this while he preferreth the Gospel to the Law 2. Cor vers 3. And the Euangelistes in setting downe in wâ—t sundrie thinges Iohn 20. vers 30. declare the same to be true in the Gospel and consequentlie amongst those thinges which are written the Spirite of God would haue vs to esteeme most of those thinges which hee hath more particularlie painfullie carefullie and at greatest length put in Register Amongst the which there are none to bee preferred vnto his last Sermone which hee made to his Apostles and his Prayer vnto his Father immediatlie before his departure The excellencie whereof and howe highlie the LORD would haue vs to regarde and account of them to speake nothing of the Author Iâ—â—â—S CHRIST because by his holie Spirit not onelie this but also the whole Scripture is dited shall more euidentlie appeare if we consider a little first the time of the vttering of them next the manner and thirdlie the matter therein contained The time was immediatelie before his Passion for after that by his owne example in washing his Disciples feete he had recommended vnto them Humilitie as a vertue most singular and beseeming a Christian hee vttereth these wordes partlie in the time of the Supper and partlie after the Supper And wee knowe that the speaches of men which immediatelie preceede death as they proceede of a moste holie and Heauenlie disposition for then all affections are layde aside nature reuiueth and reason getteth place then moste wiselie the soule resolueth concerning its owne estate and condition then hee testifieth most plainlie his will towardes his Children his Seruantes his Familie and other Friendes whatsoeuer so are they thought worthie to bee moste attentiuelie heard most carefullie receiued and most deeplie kept in memorie If wee consider the manner seeing the holie Spirit taketh more paines and is more plentifull and copious in penning heereof than of anie other Sermone whatsoeuer hee would haue vs to knowe howe precious a Iewell they are and howe highlie wee ought to account of them For if wee search all the Records of the LORDES Sermons in the New Testament wee shall finde none so particularlie and fullie set downe in register as this is Lastlie if wee consider the matter it is full of manifolde Heauenlie consolations It is true indeede sundrie times before the LORD in his Sermons hath comforted his Apostles and all penitent sinners but in no place at so great length and with such varietie of Heauenlie consolations For heere at length hee meeteth and re-encountereth almost with euerie griefe scandale and particular temptation that exercised and assailed their soules They were sadde and sorrowfull when they heard that hee was to leaue the worlde and to ascende vnto the Father Hee meeteth this by bidding them belieue in him and fayth in him should supplie his bodilie absence and hee telleth that the ende wherefore hee ascended was to prepare a place for them that where he was there they might bee also It was a griefe to them that they should want such a comfortable Guide who alwayes directed and conducted them This hee meeteth by telling them that hee would not leaue them comfortlesse but hee would giue them his Holie Spirit They feared that they should bee depriued of manifolde consolations which they found in his presence This hee meeteth by assuring them that howbeit in the worlde they should finde trouble yet in the middest of trouble hee should giue and leaue them that peace that the worlde should not take from them and if they belieue in him as the Vine-tree furnisheth the Branches so hee should furnishe vnto them solide and manifolde consolations and make them to bring foorth fruite aboundantlie And to the intent that they might haue the better warrand to looke and exspect for those graces in him as hee chargeth them by fayth to haue vnion with him so hee chargeth them by loue to haue communion amongst themselues The troubles and crosses that were to befall them in the worlde for CHRISTES sake after his departure might haue wonderfullie discouraged them and brangled their fayth This hee meeteth partlie by fore-warning them before they came to passe and partlie by exhorting them to patience and partlie by setting downe manie argumentes to establish them Hee telleth them that the worlde should hate them persecute them excommunicate them and put them to death Hee comforteth them partlie because hee hath fore-warned them and partlie because they had done so to him who was their Lord and Master and partlie for the goodnesse of the cause because it was for his Names sake Againe hee knew it would bee no small temptation vnto them to see his shamefull and ignominious handling to see him who was their Lord to bee so wonderfullie humbled to see him taken and bound by wicked and profane men to see him made a spectacle of derision first in the Hall of Annas and thereafter of Cajaphas to see all sortes and rankes of people crie out against him to see him at last to bee condemned and ignominiouslie crucified hee knewe that this temptation would bee so strong and so vehement to brangle their fayth that at the last all should bee offended in him and should flee away from him and leaue him Of this hee fore-warneth them and furnisheth consolation vnto them notwithstanding of their foule fall Now againe if yee looke to the Prayer it is wonderous Heauenlie and comfortable For after that as a Prophet hee hath instructed the people and the Apostles nowe before as an high Priest hee offer vp his owne bodie vpon the Crosse for the sinnes of the worlde hee prayeth most earnestlie for himselfe for his Apostles and for them who should belieue through their Ministerie For himselfe That the Father would nowe glorifie the Sonne when hee is going out of the worlde For his Apostles That the Father would alwayes haue a carâ— of them whome hee left in the worlde behinde him And thirdlie for all them that
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
haue entered into this way to the Father by Christ as he is the Trueth wee must next enter into the way to the Father by Christ as he is Life But how enter we into this way by him as he is Life How bringeth Christ vs to the Father as he is Life I answere Whilest we are going to the Father wee must stedfastly belieue and bee fully assured that Christ is Life and that all life is from him as from the Fountaine and that whatsoeuer life wee haue we haue it through him Then ye see Christ is the way to the Father first because he is the Trueth next because he is the Life If thou wouldest come to Life begin at the Trueth for the first leadeth vs to the second For this word of Trueth euen the Gospel of the Lord Iesus when it is preached if we heare it reuerentlie and stedfastly belieue it and let it settle deeply in our soules it will bee powerfull at the last to bring foorth life in vs Were thy soule neuer so dead in sinnes and trespasses yet receiuing this Word of Trueth thou shalt rise from death and liue The Lord in the sixt Chapter of Iohn and the 63. verse letteth vs see this great force of this Word when he saith The words that I speake to you are Spirit and Life that is they are a most powerfull meane to minister and furnish vnto vs that Spirite and that Life of God And in that same Chapter also vvhen the Lord asketh at the Apostles If they would leaue him as many of them did who had followed him before Peter answereth in the name of the rest To whom shall we goe thou hast the words of eternall life where ye see Peter out of his own experience affirmeth that the vvords vvhich hee heard of Christ vvere effectuall to vvorke eternall life vvhich made him and the rest of the Apostles vvith pleasure to remaine vvith Christ Thou that by the hearing of the vvord findest the life of God to bee conuoyed to thy soule vvilt easily bee perswaded that hee vvho is the Author of that vvord is life himselfe for how vvere it possible that there could be such a power in that vvorde to giue life except hee vvhose vvorde it is vvere the Fountaine and Well-spring of all life Then ye see by vvhat order vve come to the Father Wee must first begin at the Trueth then by the vvord of Trueth vve must be led to Life and then we must goe on piece and piece in that Life vvee must continue and perseuer in it and so doing it is not possible but at last vvee shall come into that eternall Life vvhich is hid vp in God and shall bee reuealed in that great day Then in a vvord vvouldest thou haue the summe of all that vve haue spoken in this matter This is it Euen that vvee belieue in the Lord Iesus Christ The vvay to the Father is Christ vvhen vvee belieue in him vvee are vvalking in this vvay vvhen our fayth increaseth piece and piece vvee goe on forward vve continue and perseuer in that vvay Now in the ende of the verse he preuenteth and answereth the thing that some might haue objected against this doctrine That he was the way for it might haue bene said to Christ Albeit thou bee the way to the Father yet thou art not the only way there are many other wayes beside thee To this the Lord answereth I am the onelie waye to come to the Father for sayeth hee None commeth to the Father but by mee That is I am so the waye to the Father that there is none other waye to come to the Father beside me And whosoeuer seeketh to come to the Father by another way beside me or whosoeuer seeketh to come to the Father any other way but by me he shall be disappointed he shall neuer find the Father thou that seeks to come to HeaueÌ„ another way nor by Christ I giue thee that doome thou shalt neuer see Heauen Men dreame to themselues another way to come to Heauen nor by Christ the Papists deceiue themselues and the whole worlde teaching them to seeke Heauen by their owne merits by their own works and to come to the Father by the mediation intercession of Angels of the Saincts departed c. But all this is folly for there is one only way to Heauen and that a very strait and narrow way by Iesus Christ Indeed the way to Hell is a very broade way that is there are many wayes that leade to damnation for there is not a sinne that thou committest against God but it leadeth thee to Hell Whoredome leadeth a man to Hell Murder leadeth a man to Hell Drunkennesse leadeth a man to Hell all the foule affections of thine heart leade thee to Hell But there is one only way to come to Heauen Fayth in Iesus Christ Therefore thou who wouldest come to Heauen and dwell with the Father for euer leaue all other wayes for they are but pathes that leade to damnation and take thee to that only one way belieue in the Lord Iesus Christ and through him thou shalt bee assured to get life and glory To this Lord Iesus with the Father and the holy Spirit be all prayse and honour for euer Amen THE THIRD LECTVRE OF CHRISTES DOCTRINE BEFORE HIS PASSION IOHN CHAP. xiiii VERS 7.8.9.10 7 Jf yee had knowne mee yee should haue knowne my Father also and from hencefoorth yee know him and haue seene him 8 Philip said vnto him Lord shew vs thy Father and it sufficeth vs. 9 Iesus said vnto him J haue beene so long time with you and hast thou not knowne mee Philip Hee that hath seene mee hath seene the Father how then sayest thâ—u Shew vs thy Father 10 Belieuest thou not that J am in the Father and the Father is in mee The wordes that I speake vnto you I speake not of my selfe but the Father that dwelleth in mee hee doeth the workes YEE heard Welbeloued in the Lord Iesus among the rest of the comforts that the Lord furnished to his Disciples that they should not bee troubled when hee should depart this was one and the last Yee knowe the place whither I am to goe first and where yee are to goe next in your time and also yee knowe the waye Therefore woulde hee saye comfort your selues with this knowledge while I come againe and take you to that place Vpon this last argument the conference falleth out betwixt Christ and his Disciples and first Thomas one of his Disciples speaketh and vttereth as it were a contradiction to the worde of the Lord Wee know not the place where thou art to goe sayeth hee and howe then can wee knowe the waye Vpon this speach of Thomas the â—ord taketh occasion to instruct Thomas and the rest in these pointes whereof they were ignorant concerning the place where hee was to goe and concerning the waye and first hee pointeth out the waye vnto them hee pointeth the waye
I to you That euerie one of you loue another Being to depart out of this vvorlde this is the speciall Commandement hee leaueth to his Disciples That in his absence euerie one of them shoulde loue one another So this is the chiefe Commaundement the LORD hath left vs till his comming againe That euerie one of vs shoulde loue one another and euerie one of vs shoulde beare the burthen of another If vvee doe not this in the absence of the LORD vvhen hee commeth againe vvee shall not bee able to abide a triall of him or to render an account to him of our doing But to come to the Commaund The meaning is as the Lord would say As ye would protest before the worlde yee loue mee make it knowne in mine absence by keeping my Commaundementes Nowe Brethren to insist vpon this matter more at large Yee knowe this A seruant who loueth his Master well hee will bee about to doe all thinges that can pleasure his Master his vvhole endeuour will bee to doe the will of his Master and chiefely in the absence of his Master when hee hath gone farre from home at that time chiefely hee will kythe his loue to his Master in doing his turnes with pleasure Howbeit loue as the Apostle sayeth 1. Thessal 13. bee painfull yet if a man haue a true loue in his heart hee will haue a great pleasure also Loue hath paine but with the paine it hath pleasure It will not take care what paine or what tribulation it haue So this seruant doing the will of his Master in his absence will testifie to the worlde that hee loueth his Master To draw this to our purpose Brethren The Lord Iesus the Lord of the worlde is gone out of the worlde as it were to a farre Countrey to the Heauen and hath left vs all behinde him yea hee hath left vs here in the Earth and hee is absent from vs in the Heauen Hee is a gracious Master and woe to him vvho is not his seruant Then wee being his seruants and we loue him there will bee nothing that is his will but wee will bee about to doe it and hee that loueth him heere in the Earth because the LORD is absent according to his bodie in the Heauen hee will bee the more earnest to pleasure him in his calling and to doe the turnes of the Lord Iesus in his absence Hee who loueth him will employe his whole senses and force and power to pleasure him as Paul sayd 2 Cor. 5.14 The loue of the Lord Iesus constraineth mee and bindeth vp my soule I say more In suffering all extreamities for the Lord the Fire the Sworde and it were a thousande deathes hee will haue a greater joye and pleasure than anie man will haue in doing anie turne for a man whome hee loueth well Then woulde anie man kythe that loue hee heareth to the Lord Iesus in his absence And vvho amongst vs vvill not saye Wee loue the Lord Iesus Wouldest thou then kythe this loue Doe heartilie his will It is not enough to loue in worde but indeede Loue not in worde onelie sayth the Apostle Iohn in his first Epistle Chap. 3. Vers 18. for it is the heart must doe the Lord seruice So and thou wouldest loue the Lord Iesus doe his will and that is Loue thy neighbour And thou bee a murderer of thy neighbour and then saye I loue the LORD IESVS I saye thou lyest and the Lord sayeth it also Wilt thou oppresse the poore members of the Lord Iesus and say thou louest the Lord Iesus I say thou art a lyar Good works kythe the loue in the heart The groūd of Murder hatred c. that is betwixt man man is the hatred of the Lord Iesus So the groūd of all sin is the hatred of the Lord in the heart Matth. 24.40 vvhere the Lord speaketh of good seruants and euill seruants hee sayth The good seruant who in the absence of his Master preassed to doe all thinges to pleasure his Master when his Master commeth home at that houre he knew not so the Lord will come when we looke not for him and findeth the good seruant doing his will will blesse him and make him Ruler of all his goods Blessed is hee who serueth the Lord in a small vocation What doeth the other seruant He is striking the rest of the Familie Woe to that seruant saith hee he will bee casten out and his part will bee with the hypocrites who was but an hypocrite in his Masters house If we bee well occupied and wayting aye for the home-comming of the Lord Iesus if we be well occupied in directing our life to him and his glory blessed shall wee be and wee shall get a portion with him in glory But if we be euill occupied in oppression and in wickednesse he shall cast vs out of his Familie To put an end to this mater In any vocation we should al go about to pleasure our Master in the Heauen and preasse to kythe it in our workes that in our hearts we haue loued the Lord Iesus Wordes will not auaile and thou couldest tell all the Scriptures it auaileth not without doing Let vs all therefore striue to make manifest that wee haue not only an outward shew and profession of loue but that it is fixed and setled in our hearts as euer wee would desire to finde comfort and joye in that great day of the appearance of our Lord Iesus To whome with the Father and the Holy Spirite bee all prayse honour and glory now and foreuer Amen THE FIFT LECTVRE OF CHRISTES DOCTRINE BEFORE HIS PASSION IOHN CHAP. xiiii VERS 16.17.18 16 And I will pray the Father and hee shall giue you another Comforter that hee may abide with you for euer 17 Euen the Spirit of Trueth whome the worlde cannot receiue because it seeth him not neither knoweth him but yee knowe him for hee dwelleth with you and shall bee in you 18 I will not leaue you comfortlesse but I will come to you WEE haue heard Beloued Brethren in this Chapter how the Lord Iesus being to leaue the world to ascend to his Father hath set himselfe partly to comfort his Disciples who were sad for his departure and sundry argumentes of consolation hath hee giuen them and partly to exhort them The first exhortation ye heard was That they should belieue in him and that the Father was in him and hee in the Father That is that hee and the Father were one in substance glory and Maiestie and that the Godhead dwelt in the nature of man bodilie And to proue this hee vsed an argument taken from the workes that hee wrought At least belieue mee sayeth hee for the verie workes sake which I worke That is Supposing there vvere none other argument to mooue you to belieue that I am in the Father and the Father in mee yet let the verie workes wherein the properties of God are so clearlie manifested mooue you to belieue Another
argument hee subjoyneth more perswasiue If yee belieue in mee sayeth the LORD yee shall worke the workes that I worke And I saye more Yee shall worke greater workes than yee haue seene mee working Thereafter hee layde downe the grounde of this For I goe sayeth hee to my Father and I shall come againe in my full power to you and so worke greater workes by you than I wrought by my selfe Then hee layde downe another grounde of the great and wonderous workes that they shoulde worke The grounde is Prayer whereby they should draw out of Heauen that wonderfull power and whatsoeuer they shoulde aâ—ke of him they shoulde gette it Thereafter hee came to the next exhortation To obey him and keepe his Commandements Now when he hath craued obedience at the handes of his Disciples hee letteth them see in the wordes which we haue read that they shall not serue him for nought No man serueth the Lord for nothing but hee getteth a thousande times better than hee giueth What shall I doe to you sayeth the Lord when ye shall be doing this I shall meete you and I shall pray my Father and hee shall giue you a Comforter to comfort you euen the Spirit of Trueth and that not for a daye or a yeere but for euermore to abide with you while I come againe Then he telleth who it is that comfortes them It is the Spirit of God Now because these are great and weighty wordes let vs consider them I marke first here that these words import this The Lord Iesus so long as hee abode with his Disciples and gaue them his bodily presence comforted his Disciples they had consolation in the sight of his bodily presence Ioh 6.67 vvhen the multitude had fallen away the Lord saith Will ye leaue me also Peter said Lord vvhere shall vve go to for thou hast the words of eternal life So it appeareth that all the joye the Disciples had in the worlde vvas the sight of their Lord because they saw more than other men in him Iohn sayeth chap. 1. vers 14. We saw him full of grace truth And his words were so sweete that they conceiued an vnspeakeable joye vvhen they heard him speake So I say he vvas their comfort so long as hee vvas among them What did hee more It appeareth vvell hee kept them as they had beene Children from the assaultes of the Deuill and from the malice and affliction of men This appeareth well in the ninth Chapter of Matthew and the fifteenth verse in the complaint of the Disciples of Iohn the Baptist We say they fast and mourne continually but your Disciples are in joye The Lord answereth Can it bee that the Children of the Marriage Chamber can mourne so long as they see the Bridegroome That is so long as they haue mee they shall not mourne they shall haue joye and they shall feele no persecution Another thing yee maye see heere When the Lord Iesus vvas taken out of the vvorlde the Disciples beganne to bee afflicted and to bee tossed to and froe for the vvordes importe this They shall gette another Comforter than mee So if they shall get another Comforter they shall haue neede of another Comforter The time shall come sayeth the Lord vvhen the Bridegroome shall depart and then they shall gette leaue to fast and mourne And to drawe this to vs Nowe vvhen the Lord is absent the Deuill and the Wicked in the vvorlde maketh their vantage of it The Deuill seeing the Lord Iesus in the Heauen and his poore members heere in the Earth goeth about like a roaring Lyon to deuour them And the Wicked of the vvorlde striue to cutte off the members of the Lord Iesus before his comming And the Deuill vvas neuer more busie than nowe hee is and howe farre hee hath preuailed in the absence of the Lord miserable experience can testifie nowe in the dayes of Antichrist when darknesse hath croppen in so into the Kirke of Iesus Christ And this Age telleth vs howe busilie the Deuill worketh by his members to suppresse the Gospel of Iesus Christ in his absence But we learne this comfort out of this place Howbeit the Lord bee absent from vs according to his bodily presence yea hee is as farre from vs as the Heauen is from the Earth yet the Lord leaueth not his owne without a Comforter This is generall There are none that appertaineth to him but if hee take one comfort from them hee will giue them another This is vnpossible That the members of the Lord can want all comfort if he take away one he shall giue thee another and if hee take away thy Children or Wife or Husband or Friends hee shall giue thee another comfort as the Lord comforted his Disciples in his absence So I say howbeit he be in the Heauen he will not leaue his owne without comfort but hee sendeth downe his Spirite to worke joye in the heartes of men and women and the more glorious he is sitting at the right hand of the Father the more powerfull will his Spirite bee When the Lord was in the Earth his glorious power appeared not but as soone as the Lord Iesus passed vp to Heauen and entered into that place of Majesty then it mightily appeared So nowe the power that commeth out from the Lord Iesus is more powerfull than when he was in the Earth And as the force of his holy Spirit becommeth greater it must followe that that consolation that commeth from him nowe must bee greater than the comfort that the Disciples found when he was walking with them bodily To open this more deeply All comfort that commeth from Christ it is all by his Holy Spirit This is a sure ground The comfort that al the Fathers had before the Lord came in the nature of man it was all by the holy Spirit That Spirit of Christ gaue that comfort to Abraham to Dauid and to the rest Come to the time when hee came into the worlde The comfort the Disciples had was by his Spirite and Doctrine and they in whome the Spirite wrought not had no comfort in his sight The Iewes the Pharisees had no comfort in him Come on yet After his Ascension we knowe all this by experience The comfort wee all haue is by his holy Spirite and none haue joye but they that haue this Spirite And to come on yet farder When wee shall come to Heauen the joy we shall haue shall be by the working of his holy Spirit In a word All the joye of the creature shall bee by the holy Spirit It is not so much the presence of the Lord as it is the holy Spirit that worketh joye in the heart Then this must followe The greater force and effect the Spirite hath the greater is the joye This is true But after the passing vp of the Lord Iesus to Heauen in full glory his Spirite had a greater force than before For before it was saide The Spirit was not yet giuen And
after hee saieth It is good I depart for otherwayes ye shall not get the Comforter So I say the Spirit hath greater force now than he had then because the Lord is in his full glory in the Heauen Brethren all this consolation we haue by the holy Spirit now shall be nothing in comparison of that that we shall get when we shall bee drawne neare hand him Then those beames of grace those glances of glory that shall strike from him vvhen wee shall get a sight of his glorious Majesty that ioye that shall shine from him shall surpasse a thousand times all the ioy we shall get in this world Lord how great a thing it is to be beside Christ glorified nowe in the Heauen The Lord vvill transforme the creature in that same glory as Paul speaketh 2. Cor. 3.18 So this is our joy to awaite on the fulfilling of that same ioye and it ministreth ioye vnto vs to vvaite for that perfection of glory and blessed is hee that hath this exspectation I vvarne you to looke for his comming and blessed is hee vvho looketh for his comming in glory Wee haue to note in the Text vvho it is that shall giue this Comforter Hee saith The Father shall giue another Comforter It is said in the next Chap. vers 26. The Sonne giueth the Comforter Howe is it then saide The Father shall giue him There is no contradiction for both these stand vvell together The holy Spirit commeth from the Father and from the Sonne but this is the difference the holy Spirit commeth from the Father as from the Fountaine for the Father is the Fountaine of the Godhead Next the holy Spirite commeth from the Sonne as the seconde person both the Father and the Sonne are at the giuiâ—◠〈…〉 Spirite but they differ in order and therefore the Lord himselfe saith That hee vvill send his Comforter from his Father It is to be marked heere The Lord attributeth to the Father the sending of the holy Spirit Yea I say farder Ye shall see in the vvhole Gospel the Lord speaking of the Redemption of man to ascribe it to the Father as to the Fountaine All the graces that proceede from him hee ascribeth them to the Father That is to learne the world All our Redemption and all our grace is from the Father Wee must vnderstand that all grace commeth from the Father as from the Fountaine that wee shoulde giue the glorie of all to him for hee vvho is the beginner of all grace hee must bee the ender The Apostle considering this hee sayeth Of him and thorow him and for him are all thinges to him be glorie and praise and honour for euer Rom. 11.36 The Lord Iesus goeth before and giueth the glory to the Father and biddeth vs giue the glorie of our Redemption to the Father but not forgetting the Sonne for the Father and the Sonne and the holy Spirite haue their owne glory in all their workes The Father as the Fountaine the Sonne as the Mediator the Holy Spirit as the Comforter Nowe let vs see howe the Spirit is giuen and howe hee is gotten Hee is gotten by the meanes of the Lord Iesus when hee was in the worlde hee was euer praying for grace and mercy to the world And in the seuenteenth Chap. ye shall see his prayer to the Father and that prayer shall remaine to the end of the world and it shall neuer goe out of the minde of the Father This grace of the Holy Spirite is gotten first by the death of Iesus Christ and next by the earnest prayer and intercession of IESVS Ere euer man or woman gotte that Spirite it behooued the Lord IESVS to buye him vvith his precious bloode And if God had not died the vvorlde had not gotten the Spirite What dow a man and hee vvere a King and hee gette not that Spirite The LORD meriteth that Spirite by his death Ere euer we gette that Spirite hee hath merited it yea and CHRIST must rise againe and must passe vp to Heauen and bee glorified and there hee must bee an Aduocate and there sitte at the right hande of the Father and make intercession to his Father to giue this Spirite to his owne Chosen before they can gette him So yee see howe harde a thing it is to gette the Spirite of GOD the vvorlde thinketh it none harde thing to gette that Spirite The Spirite of GOD vvill not come vpon a man sleeping No before that Spirite enter into the soule there must bee a seeking morning and euening to gette him So sayeth the LORD Blessed bee they who hunger and thirst for righteousnesse for they shall bee filled Matth. 5.6 Nowe to goe forwarde Hee commaundeth his Spirite to abide with them for euer As hee woulde saye Hee shall bee vvith you not for a daye or a weeke or a yeere onely but in all your temptations and in all your afflictions this Spirite shall bee vvith you hee shall neuer leaue you All the thinges in the vvorlde shall not separate thee from CHRIST and if thou haue this Spirite Howe shalt thou finde this None shall take your joye from you Iohn Chapter 16. Vers 22. If thou findest joye in thy calamitie that is a token of the presence of the Spirite There is no death can separate thee from CHRIST but the greater oppression thou lyest vnder and the greater the paine bee the more sure shalt thou bee of the Spirite the more shall hee comfort thee the greater shall thy joye bee The Martyres vvho haue beene burned in the fire haue felt this This is a false Doctrine that the Spirite of Christ can departe cleane awaye from them who haue once gotten him for as it is vnpossible that the death and intercession of Christ can bee of none effect so as vnpossible is it that the Spirite of God can bee taken awaye from them that haue once receiued him And as Iesus Christ vvho is that foundation vvherevpon all grace is builded for in him all the promises of God are Yea and Amen 2. Cor. Chap. 1 vers 20. cannot bee ouer-throwne no more can these graces that are builded vpon him be taken away The Spirit when he is angered and grieued in any person hee will hide and with-drawe himselfe for a while but neuer fully nor finally for thereafter by repentance he will vtter himselfe againe As wee may see in the person of Dauid Psal 51. This then is our comfort that the Spirit will neuer leaue vs And therefore let vs seeke to be in Iesus that thorow him wee may haue this Comforter to abide vvith vs for euer Nowe in the next vvordes the Lord sheweth to them who is this Conforter whome they shoulde haue in his absence and hee pointeth him out in his proper name and hee calleth him the Spirit of Trueth The Spirite of God is called the Spirite of Trueth because as wee haue heereafter hee instructeth men and women in all trueth And in the 16. Chap. vers 13. Hee
but they will bee fectfull There is not a man or a woman who deliteth in euill that hath Christ dwelling within them When the Lord hath pointed out the man who loueth him the Disciples might haue thought What vantage shal men then haue to loue thee for wee will doe nothing without vantage thy loue appeareth to be a burden till vs because thou chargest vs to keepe thy Commandements The Lord meeteth this and hee saieth Hee that loueth me shall be loued of my Father he shall not loue me for nothing my Father shall meet him with loue Whosoever loueth the Lord Iesus the Father loueth him vvhosoever hateth the Lord Iesus the Father hateth him There is nothing but hatred in God against the Iewes and Pagans vvho loueth not the Lord Iesus let him be Anathema It vvould seeme by these vvords Brethren that our loue preceedeth and passeth before the loue of God and because wee loue him first therefore hee loueth vs But this is not the beginning of loue that is meant here God beginneth the loue and then we loue him Thereafter hee meeteth vs with loue God loueth vs ay first vvhen we were his enemies he loued vs he loued vs ere euer we were or had any being and because he loued vs he chose vs. In this standeth loue fayth Iohn 1. Epist Chap. 4. vers 10. not that wee loued him first but that hee loued vs first to kythe this hee sent his only begotten Sonne to bee a propitiation for our sinnes So God beginneth first to loue vs ere euer wee begin to loue him Paul saith Rom. 5. The loue of God must bee shed abroad in our hearts the holy Spirit must testifie vnto vs of that fauour that God hath till vs and hee must water our drie heartes vvith a sense of that loue and then when the Lord letteth vs see that hee loueth vs and hath assured vs of the remission of our sinnes by the death of Christ then wee begin to meete him with loue So the loue vvee haue to God is nothing but like a little spring of vvater flowing from that great Fountaine of his loue Now vvhen the Lord seeth vs begin to loue him in some measure vve begin not to loue him so soone but as he began to loue vs hee commeth about and compasseth our loue He is euer the first louer and the last There is none heart able to comprehende the loue of the Lord The loue of the Lord to his owne is endlesse Paul sayeth to the Ephesians Chap. 3. vers 18. Yee being rooted and grounded vpon the loue of God there is our roote and our foundation vve stand vpon yee may be able to comprehend with all the Saincts vvhat is the breadth and length and depth and height of that loue The loue of God is infinite The heart vvill feele the loue of God But the heart of the sinner cannot comprehend it in full measure But to speake of our loue it is very sober it is nothing to speake of and except God meete this sponke of loue continually vvith that passing loue that sponke vvould soone be quenched except he continued his grace vpon vs our loue would soone vanish away Wee may finde this all by experience For vvhen God hath heaped his benefites vpon vs vvee meete him not aye vvith loue but our loue is like to die and euanish out of our heartes When God hath giuen a benefite vvho is it that at the recept of it hath his heart drawne to God When thou hast eaten and drunken and slept hast thou thine heart drawne to God The vvorlde forgetteth God vvhen it hath gotten the benefites of God In a worde Our loue is so small and weake that albeit hee preasse to intertaine it it is like to die and dwine awaye It should not bee so For it vvill not bee vvel vvith them and they vvere Kinges Lordes or Earles vvhen they gette the benefites of GOD vvho will not acknowledge him for them And thinke once of the loue of GOD thou shalt not loue him so soone but thou shalt finde that loue of GOD in thine heart Preasse to loue the LORDE and hee shall striue to loue thee and shall not rest to loue thee till hee glorifie thee in the Heauens Hee addeth to and hee sayeth Not onlie shall the Father loue him but the Son shall loue him also The loue of the Father and of the Son is vnseparable whom the Father loueth the Son loueth on the contrary whom the Father hateth the Sonne hateth also So and thou wouldest haue the loue of the Father haue the loue of the Sonne Howbeit these two loues bee set downe as sundry loues as though the Father had one loue and the Sonne another loue as wee see amongst men it is not so with the Father of Heauen and with the Sonne of God As there is but one essence of the Father and of the Sonne and one Majestie and as there is but one power and justice and wisdome so there is but one and that selfe same loue of the Father and of the Sonne and that same loue vvhich is the Sonnes is also the Fathers the nature of God is loue if there be but one nature of the Father and of the Sonne it must therefore followe there is but one loue of the Father and of the Sonne How then get wee the sense and feeling of this loue of God Experience telleth vs that all the sense of loue that is in the Father is all thorow the Sonne Neuer man yet got a sight or sense of the loue of the Father but by the Sonne Hee who neuer saw the Lord Iesus sawe neuer the loue of God because hee is the splendor of his glory and the image of the inuisible God The Iewes may striue to see the Father but neuer shall they see him till they turne them to the Sonne What man is hee that euer felt the loue of God without Christ And what dow a sinner without a sense of loue and mercy Looke if it will not passe thy power to haue any sense of the loue of God without Iesus Christ but when the heart is drawne to looke to him by fayth in Christ then thou shalt get such a sweetnesse rest and joy as cannot be vttered What meaneth this It meaneth that the mercy that is layed vp for sinners it is layed vp in Christ So let vs addresse our selues to Christ and thorowe him wee shall haue accesse to the deepnesse of that grace in God That then is the vantage they shall get who loueth him to wit they shall be met with a two-fold loue Now lest they should think this loue but fectlesse as is the loue of the creature he telleth them what fruit shall come to them there thorow If the Father shall loue you I then I shall show mine owne selfe to you I shall giue you mine owne presence So there is the profit that redoundeth of the loue of the Father and of
the Son Whateuer they bee that the Lord Iesus loueth they shall see him by his holy Spirit howbeit he be in the Heauens Men will thinke this a matter of no great importance but it is the happiest thing in the worlde though senselesse sinners thinke nothing of it and count it of none importance It is true they who know not what sinne meaneth they who haue a sleeping conscience will make a little account of it and giue them the sight of the world they shall neuer desire to see Iesus Christ but the joyfullest sight that euer a ladened wearied sinner got who seeketh him in any measure is the sight of Iesus Christ I shall make a supposition to you If there were a man condemned to die what would he desire so earnestly as to get a mercifull sight of the Prince Nothing for hee would haue hope of life Now what is the estate of vs all by nature Paul telleth vs it in a word Wee are but dead and we are all concluded vnder sinne and damnation And what is it to die that death eternall Paul telleth vs Rom. 1.18 The wrath of God is manifest against all vngodlinesse and vnrighteousnesse of men from the Heauen The sinner thinketh hee is free when hee sayth and doeth mischiefe but he is captiue to death and damnation and our only deliuerance there from standeth in that mercifull presence of the Lord Iesus by fayth in our soules Thou shalt die that death euerlastingly in Hell and thou get not a sight of Iesus Christ Therefore let vs all striue to see out owne filthinesse the fairest of vs all is filthie wee are all but rotten stockes meete for nothing but to be casten into Hell The first degree till happinesse to a sinner is to feele the sense of his owne misery A sicke body who feeleth not the sicknesse is in most danger A sinner that lieth vnder sinne and feeleth it not is most miserable but a sinner that feeleth sinne and groneth vnder the burthen of it getteth a gracious sight A sad sinner getteth the sight of the Lord Iesus his deliuerer Dauid was glorious yet hee counted nothing of all if hee wanted the sight of the face of God Lift vp the light sayth he Psal 4. vers 6.7 of thy countenance vpon me and giue mee a sight of thy face and I shall bee more joyfull in heart than they will bee when their Wheate and their Wine did abound Therefore preasse to feele sinne that thou mayest seeke the presence of Iesus When the Lord spake this one of his Disciples entred in conference with him named Iudas not the traytor but a kinsman of the Lord Iesus who wrote that Epistle of Iude which is nowe extant hee asketh a question Wherefore is it that thou wilt make thy selfe manifest to vs and not to the world As hee would saye Is there not grace enough is there not mercy sufficient in thee to the whole world Why art thou then so sparing of it that so many die without fayth Is there not grace enough in Iesus Christ to suffice a thousand worlds Why will then God make a choyse See the maruelling of the vvorld Men considering there is so great grace and mercy in Iesus Christ as maye saue a thousande worldes they say Why is it that so fewe are saued in the vvorlde The Lord is not carefull to answere the question because it was more curious than profitable The world wondereth at the same this daye but there is none occasion of wonder It was no wonder that God in his Iustice shoulde cast all men into Hell but the wonder is that God is so mercifull to miserable mankinde that hee should sende his onely Sonne to die for any And the Angels maruell at this and desire to looke in into that mystery 1. Pet. 1.12 And this is the wondering of the godly that euer they should get mercy And this was the wondering of Paul Wonder and thou gette Christ thou hast cause to wonder that euer hee shoulde haue saued thee Paul Rom. chap. 9. vers 19. vvhere he speaketh of the eternall election and the eternall reprobation hee sayeth I hated Esau and I loued Iaakob before the foundation of the worlde The reason of man commeth in and sayth Then God is vnjust what was in Iaakob more than in Esau There is our reason wee make No holde thy tongue sayth the Apostle It was the will of God hee giueth not another cause on whom he will he sheweth mercy and whom he will he casteth off Our Lesson is Whether in time after men bee come into the vvorld it pleaseth God to giue his presence to some and to denie his presence to some other We should not bee curious in this but glorifie God in his mercy to vs vvho haue found the presence of the Lord Iesus and in his justice towards the wicked Or vvhether thou goe higher and consider his election and reprobation from all eternity Be not curious to inquire or to reason but knowing that it was the will of God saye Blessed bee thy will O Lord thou made the creature glorifie thy selfe in the creature Reason not with him but count all that hee doeth just and thou vvho canst count reuerently of God thou shalt reigne with him The reprobate commonly chideth with God and is curious in these thinges But as for the regenerate man hee reuerenceth the vvill of God and giueth him all honour and glory in all his vvorkes vvhether from all eternity or in time albeit hee perceiue not euident causes thereof Therefore speake thou reuerently of thy God and thinke reuerently of hiâ— that thou with him mayst reigne in glory Now to goe forward In the words following he answereth Iudas and marke well hee will not giue a direct answere to the question but leauing to answere to that curiositie hee followeth foorth his exhortation and sayeth Hee who will loue mee will keepe my Commandements Least that should seeme a fectlesse thing to keep his Commandements he sayth J shall loue him and least this should seeme fectlesse hee sayth The Father shall loue him and I and the Father will come and dwell with him This all was exponed in effect alreadie The Lord hee giueth not an answere to this curious question Hereby he learneth vs that we haue nothing adoe to be curious in questions in searching out the secret will of God It is ouer presumptuous a thing to vs to inquire that which is not communicated to the Angels they will not get leaue to sit on his secrete counsell Doe as hee commandeth thee to doe aske not why hee biddeth thee To come to the purpose wee haue in hande Wee shoulde not bee so curious to aske vvhy will not the Lorde saue the vvorlde as to enter into the waye of saluation our selues and to see that wee keepe his Commaundementes and loue him that hee may loue vs and louing vs hee may come and abide with vs and that not for a short space but
for euer Wee shoulde enter into the way to get his presence Christian Religion standeth not so much in curiositie or in speaches as in the sense of the heart in a practising of that loue of the heart in the life and conuersation The Apostle Paul in the fourth Chap. to the Ephes vers 22.24 telleth vs what it is to learne Christ euen to put off the olde man and to put on the newe man This for the answere Yet hee insisteth in that that they should keepe his Commaundement No it cannot bee preached enough to keepe the Commandement of Christ because our nature is so backward And as before he pointed out the man who loued him so now he pointeth out the man who loueth him not and that is he who keepes not his Command and blessed word that he hath giuen for our weale Who is it then who loueth him not hee who keepeth not his Commandes Marke when yee see a man taking pleasure to displease God and leading a life directlie contrary to the will of God point out that man and saye This is a man who hateth God in his heart Iudge not of a man by his tongue and speaches for oftentimes hee vvho doeth vvorst speaketh best Aske at an hypocrite if hee bee a Christian or not hee will bee angrie with you because hee not seeing himselfe thinketh himselfe as good as any other It is an easie thing to the tongue to cloake the filth of the heart of the hypocrite And vvhat will his hand be doing then It will be vttering it selfe in a filthie life So take not vp the disposition of the heart of man or vvoman by the tongue but by the hand for the hand will saye to the tongue Tongue thou liest John 1. Epist Chap. 2. Vers 4. If any say I know God and keepe not his Command he is a lyar and the trueth is not in him And againe Chap. 4. Vers 20. If any man say I loue God and hateth his brother he is but a lyar Who is it that controlleth the tongue and testifieth before the world that the heart is but false It is the hande and the worke the tongue is but a cloake of falsenesse Marke a faythfull man by his hâ—nde and not by his tongue Our Lord sayeth in the seuenth Chap. of Matth. and the eighteenth vers It is vnpossible that an euill Tree can bring foorth good fruit Yet he insisteth in this matter for hee is very earnest to recommende this obedience to his Disciples and to vs all and hee furnisheth the last argument whereby they should be moued to keep his Commandement and he leadeth them vnto that Fountaine of all his wordes vvhich was that glorious Majestie of his Father The word sayth he vvhich yee heare is not mine but the Fathers vvhich sent mee Would yee haue the ground and fountaine of all fayth of all obedience of all well-doing and of all securitie in this life The ground of all is the onely mouth of the Father So that when a man vnderstandeth that word that hee should belieue into it is not the worde of man but that Verity that floweth from the mouth of the Majesty of God then the heart gripeth vnto it belieueth then the hand executeth it then there followeth obedience But when the heart is not perswaded that the word flowes from that mouth of God but from man then the heart will draw abacke it cannot belieue and the life will not follow it Then Christ learneth vs here If wee would haue the people belieuing and obeying his worde to drawe their eares to heare the Lord speaking and then the hearts of the faythfull will receiue it vvith joye and practise it Away with all the wordes of men of all creatures of all Angels they cannot bee a solide grounde to our fayth neither can the authoritv of the Kirke bee a ground to our fayth albeit the foolish Papists affirme that the cause wherefore vve belieue the Scripture is because the Kirke sayth it is the word of God for except the Scripture bare witnesse of the selfe that it vvere of God and the word of God truely the authoritie of the Kirke could neuer make vs belieue nor perswade vs the same For the ground of our fayth must bee the voyce and testimony of God himselfe speaking to vs. Onely this word of the Olde and Newe Testament vvherein God himselfe speaketh is able to establish our fayth The Lord when hee hath exhorted them perceiuing that his vvorde tooke not that effect in the heartes of his Disciples that it should haue done notwithstanding all his gracious speaking for he knew their hearts he meeteth this and he sayth J haue spoken these thinges being present with you And howbeit they bee not so effectuall in you for the present bee not discouraged for when I shall passe to the Heauen the Comforter which is the holy Ghost whome the Father will sende in my Name shall teach you all thinges and hee shall call these wordes to your remembrance which J haue tolde you We may learne here first the word hath none effect in the heart without the Spirit accompany it Let it bee the worde of God and flowe out of the mouth of God yet and hee concur not with the worde by his Spirit the word shall worke none effect in the heart There are two Doctors who teach vs one Doctor outwarde to the eare and another inwarde that is the Spirit vvho mollifieth the heart Let the outwarde Doctor sounde neuer so long in the eare if the inwarde concur not the worde shall doe no good And except that Spirite open the eye of the soule to see and open the heart as he opened the heart of Lydia Act. Chap. 16. vers 14. to receiue that seede of the worde the heart shall bee as a closed Booke and harder than it was of before Marke another thing The Spirit of the Lord Iesus will not accompany the worde at all times no not in the hearts of the faythfull themselues The Apostles were a proofe of this Howe much spake the Lord to them vvhen he was in the world and how little effect tooke it in them till he went to the Heauens In the 29. chap. of Esay vers 11. ye reade the word of the Lord is like a closed book to the vnfaithful Nowe this is true likewise the worde of God to the godly sometimes is like a closed booke and they will haue such a hardnesse at times that they will haue no sense of it not to indure them but to humble them And if euer there was maâ—ter of humiliation heere it is that when God speaketh thou wilt stande vp and not regarde him and receiue no fruite nor consolation of it Vpon this riseth the Lesson to vs all that the Lord Iesus gaue vnto his Disciples Howbeit at sometimes wee will finde an euill disposition of the soule a deafnesse a blindnesse and senselesnesse Take this consolation Be not discouraged altogether
Weigh the wordes for they are weighty Peace I leaue you sayeth the Lord No question hee alludeth to that common fashion of salutation that was vsed amongst the Iewest in their meetinges and departinges wherein they wished peace one to another by the which word they vnderstood all kind of prosperitie in thinges earthly and heauenly So the Lord would say I am now to depart from you but I leaue something behind mee to you to wit my blessing prosperity for euer Now least it should haue bene thought that he left peace vnto them no other wayes than the men of this world vse to do he subjoyneth My peace I giue you There is an emphasis in these wordes My peace and I giue you it As the Lord would saye Men may well wish peace to men but it lieth in no mans hands to giue peace there is no Angel in Heauen able to giue peace but I sayeth the Lord shall giue you it I am not only sayth the Lord a wisher but a giuer There is no man able to giue his owne peace because no man hath peace to giue Men may wish peace from God as to the Philipp 4.7 It is called the peace of God None of the Apostles will say My peace but the peace of God and therefore hee is called the God of peace Rom. 16.20 The Lord Iesus hath peace to giue as the Father hath peace Yea more he would signifie by this peace not a common sort of peace but an inwarde peace of conscience the rest to the soule of a sinner that peace that passeth all vnderstanding Philipp Chap. 4. Vers 7. The rest of the soule as ye may reade in Matthewes Gospel Chap. 11. Vers 29. where Christ sayeth Come vnto mee all yee that are weary and laden and I will ease you and yee shall finde rest to your soules Take this peace away there is no rest to the soule This peace is called Christes peace because it floweth from him immediately till vs that wee may haue a good conscience that we may haue assurance of the remission of our sinnes for herein standeth chiefelv a good conscience when it sayeth thy sinnes are freely forgiuen thee Wee knowe this good conscience standeth in fayth thorow the blood of CHRIST Take awaye the blood of CHRIST there is no conscience that is good Heb. 9.14 The blood of Christ purgeth our conscience from dead works to serue the liuing God that is it purgeth vs from our sins So ye see this that all the joy of the soule floweth from the blood of Christ Iesus and therefore worthily he calleth it his peace because it commeth thorow his blood vvithout the which peace there is no rest howbeit yee had all the peace of all the Princes of the worlde Let the Traytors haue the Kinges peace and let them vvant this peace let them passe as they will they haue no peace Yet he insisteth the third time and subjoyneth Not as the worlâ—e giueth giue I it He marketh the manner of the giuing and maketh an exposition of the giuing of it Worldly men will take vpon them to giue peace but the worldes peace is but for a fashion the mouth will wish peace and the heart will curse this is the peace of the world That peace of the world is so fectlesse that scarcelie vvill a man wish that peace from his heart As the Lord woulde say I speake not only with my mouth but from mine heart I wish it and I shall effectuate it indeede A man may wish well but it vvanteth effect Yee see now this three-folde repetition Will yee vveigh the words yee shall finde a wonderfull intier loue and vnspeakeable heartinesse vttered by the Lord in his Farewell These vvords let vs see that he not only leaueth peace and loue behinde him but his very heart Besides all the grace wee haue of Iesus Christ they who loue Christ they haue his heart Looke how tenderly he loueth faythfull men howbeit hee bee in the Heauen yet he leaueth them his very heart and inwarde affection there is an vnspeakeable loue Now when he hath taken his good-night he concludes Seeing I haue left you peace and I giue you it vvhat then needeth you to bee troubled Marke then this conclusion Where the peace of the Lord is not there the soule of man hath no rest there is nothing but trouble and griefe there It is true great sinners vvho vvill haue no part of Iesus Christ vvill haue some kind of rest and who vvill bee so merry as they Bloody murderers vvicked blasphemers and vile adulterers vvill by appearance haue peace But Brethren this is but a false peace and assuredly it is better a thousand times to haue an vnquiet and restlesse soule than to haue a secure life for a senselesse carnall security is a sure token of a sudden judgement to come Paul in his first Epistle to the Thessalonians Chap. 5. Vers 3. sayeth When they say there is peace and safety then shall come vpon them sudden destruction as the trauell vpon a vvoman with child and they shall not escape The loune will bid cloze the yates and bid watch let him bid as hee vvill the judgement of God shall not passe by him and his yates shall not holde out the wrath of God but it shall come on him as the paine commeth on a woman in the time of her birth So in one vvorde they who want this peace they haue no peace No peace to the wicked Isai 57. By the contrary vvhen the Lord Iesus giueth peace to the heart of a sinfull man or woman vvhose heart is troubled then the heart of a sinner hath peace I put the case that a man were in great danger euen at deaths doore yea and he were in the fire and the Lord Iesus giue him his peace and saye I giue thee my peace then the soule shall be in exceeding joye Tyrantes haue marueiled that the Martyres who suffered for Iesus should haue had such a joye as they had So if the Lord Iesus will once say My peace I giue you then the soule will rest on him with such a joye as is vnspeakeable So the Apostles felt this indeede In one vvorde the peace of Iesus Christ guardeth the soule and maketh it sure as Paul sayeth to the Philipp Cha. 4. Vers 7. Thus farre now hath the Lord comforted his Disciples Nowe in the next Verse hee beginneth to speake more sharply and hee as it were findeth fault with them that they loued him not well enough and they vttered it in that they were so grieued and displeased at his departure This forme that the Lord vseth teacheth vs this that in comforting of heauy hearted sinners Who should bee comforted but the heauy hearted thou vse gentle reproofes for the heart that is heauy and sad vvill hardly take consolation but will delite in sadnesse Looke howe yee shall comfort them not to holde vp the heart aye with comfort but reproue it with some piece
belieue The perfection of fayth standeth not in fore-telling but in accomplishment It is true the fore-speaking of the thinges of Christ to come hath force to worke fayth in the heartes of men and women All the godly men and women before Christ had nothing but fore-telling of Christ that hee was to come into the vvorld and vpon these fore-tellings they belieued So the predictions of Christ in all time wrought fayth in the heartes of the Fathers of olde But fayth then is confirmed and made stronger vvhen the euent answereth to the prediction And therefore wee vvho nowe liue haue greater matter of fayth and consolation than they had who liued vnder the Lawe they had but the predictions of Christ but we now vnder the Gospel haue not only the predictions but also the accomplishment of all that was spokon fore-told by the Prophets And therefore Christ comparing vs to the people of old Luke 10.23 sayeth Blessed are the eyes that see these things which ye see I say to you Many Kinges and Prophets desired to see these things that ye see and yet saw them not And againe Abraham longed to see my dayes John 8.16 In very deede vvee haue a great blessing vvho are come into the worlde since Christ came But here is the fault We cannot apprehend that joye and happinesse The Apostle considering this hee sayeth Rejoyce continually 1. Thessal 5.16 Wee neuer consider the graâ—e vvhich we haue vnder the Gospel When he hath set downe this ende the Lord appearingly concludeth this conference with his Disciples Heereafter I will not speake may thinges to you And hee giueth the reason for why The Prince of this worlde commeth My speach is cut off because the Deuill is come against mee vvith all his force and hee is come like a Burrio to execute that which the Father ordained to be done from all eternity Marke as the houre drewe neare vvhen the Lord should haue laide downe his life for the world so the Deuils drew neare vvho were appointed to execute that turne and they began to assault him very busily and assault him not only by the wicked instrumentes as Iudas Pilate and the Iewes but the Deuill and all the whole force of Hell in their owne persons rushed out vpon Christ and especially when the Lord Iesus hung vpon the Crosse at that time chiefelie hee had his combate with the Deuils Bee not deceiued Hee suffered not onelie that paine in bodie and wrath of his Father but at that instant hee had a battell with all the Deuils in Hell for they thought to haue wracked him then and to haue triumphed ouer him and by his wracke to haue wracked all men and to haue disgraced the glory of God for in Iesus Christ is all the glory of God and all saluation of man Paul in the second to the Coloss Vers 15. sayeth That Christ vpon the Crosse triumphed ouer the powers of Hell and made an open shewe of them and this importeth that they rushed on him on the Crosse that they might ouer-come him Christ fighteth with all the powers of Hell on the Crosse and taketh all the power from them and openlie in the sight of the worlde hee leadeth them captiue after the manner of a victorious Conquerour Yet ere wee leaue this we see another thing As the houre drewe neare as the Deuils drewe neare with the houre of Iesus Christ What doeth hee Goeth hee to eschewe them Goeth hee out of Hierusalem as hee did of before Goeth hee to hide himselfe No no But as the houre drewe neare and as the Deuils drewe neare so the Lord Iesus meeteth death and the Deuill and draweth neare to them and willinglie putteth himselfe into their hands knowing it was the will of his Father Hee is as readie to die offer himselfe and put himselfe into their hands as they were bent to seeke him This is our lesson When the Lord giueth vs tokens that Death is at hand as Age sicknesse or afflictions for they are summondes to warne vs What shoulde wee doe Should wee abhorre from it No goe forwarde and bee readie to imbrace death goe to him and meete him and take a gripe of him as hee imbraâ—eth thee so imbrace thou him for death is nothing else but a passage to joye when thou abhorrest death thou abhorrest that porte to glorie and eternall life Now I goe forward It might haue beene saide by his Disciples What Hath the Deuill such a power ouer thee Art thou so vanquished by him that thou must breake of speach The Lord meeteth this and sayth He hath nought in me That is For all his coÌ„ming against me he haâ—h no power or jurisdiction ouer me thinke not that the prince of this world hath ought ouer me the prince of this world or rather the tyrant with his tyranny coÌ„meth in by sinne Sinne entereth not so soone but as soone hee begaâ— to reigne where sin is there is his power But would the Lord say in me he shall find no matter of his kingdome therefore hee hath no power ouer me Another generall It is not seemly that the inferior should haue power ouer the Superioâ— But so it is the Lord Iesus is God and the Deuill is his inferior therefore hee hath no power ouer me He assaileth him because he had our burden vpon him Nowe marke one thing The holy Spirit in the Scripture New and Old vvhere he speaketh of the suffering of Christ he is very carefull to note these circumstances that Christ suffered nothing but that which God decreed In the Acts 24. Chap. What could they doe to him but that which thy counsell had decreed Another vvhen it commeth to the execution of the decree the Spirit maketh God to bee the Agent vvho decreed it Looke the eight Chapter to the Romanes Hee spared not his owne Sonne but hee gaue him to the death What was the Deuill but an instrument in the hande of God The holy Spirit telleth vs this also that the Lord Iesus suffered willingly as willing was the Lord Iesus to suffer as was the Father to giue him Iohn 10. vers 18. No man taketh my life from mee I haue power to lay downe my life and to take vp my life againe Gal. 1.2 Heb. 9. Hee offered himselfe Wherefore is it that the suffering of Christ is set downe with these particular circumstances The first reason is The Spirit of God will let vs see that in the suffering of Christ there is no disgracing of the glory of God indeed if he had suffered against Gods will and his decree then God had beene disgraced but when wee knowe it was not against Gods will there is no disgracing of the glory of God Another is If the Crosse of Christ had bene against Christs owne will it had bene a great discomfort to men and women and had beene a great offence to the worlde Last the willingnesse of the Sonne to suffer letteth vs see that the suffering of Iesus
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
Iesus but the Father hath them all numbred they are all in his eyes Ye remember in the parable of the Marriage banquet Mat. 22.11 it is said when they were all come in the King commeth in also to view the banquâ—t what meaneth this but the care of the Father that he hath of his branches who are ingraffed in Christ The King is the Father of Heauen he who is married is the Son they who are called are the branches The eye of the Father is vpon all the members good bad yea that hypocrit who wanted the wedding garment was soone seene by him Let him be an hypocrit who wil king or beggar the Lord wil point him out in his own time Now last the husbandman in the own time will dresse the vine tree he taketh away the vnfruitfull and purgeth the fruitful Euen so the Father of our Lord Iesus goeth to his vine tree vieweth the branches in his own time wil come with his snedding knife will cut off the hypocrit he will purge the fruitfull the next yeere it will bring forth more fruit The Father cutteth off hypocrits this we haue seene And then againe in the faithfull he augments regeneration and grace Mark this Text well ye shall see the pleasandest vine tree that euer was in the worlde with the roote the body of the tree the branches the fruits budding forth in euery branch the root of this vine tree is the Father who is the Fountain of all life the body of the vine tree is the Son the braÌ„ches are men women ingraffed by faith in the body the fruit of the tree is good works the sap of life is in the Father he is the grouÌ„d of al grace sendes this his sap to the body of the tree the Son the Son hath all the grace that is in the root then the body of the tree sendes sap to the branches then the braÌ„ches being filled with sap bring forth fruit as necessarily as a vine tree can bring foorth fruite So if yee would take vp the nature of these works ye shal vnderstand that good works spring not from flesh and blood they come not from the power of men women from nature and free-wil So foolish Papists will say that men will doe good workes of nature and of free-will No no these works proceede not of nature no there is not a good worke but it floweth from that life which is in the Father and is communicated to the Sonne there is not so much as a charitable or a good thought but it floweth from the life of God So all the good we doe is as fruits flowing from that roote And thou were not imped in Christ and so as a wild Oliue partaker of the sappe of that true Oliue it would passe thy power to thinke a good thought and thou wouldst do no more good than a withered stocke can Now marke this When as it pleaseth the Lord to transport vs from that rotten roote of Adam and to set vs in Iesus Christ the seconde Adam then whereas before wee brought foorth but stinking fruit and dead workes as the Apostle calleth them all is but filth and stinke without the life of God in Christ let be all these workes which are forbidden in the Law and it were a good worke hee polluteth it because hee medleth with it and there be nothing but nature being once ingraffed in Iesus Christ then the creature beginneth to drawe out so fruitfull sappe and so delicate that all the sappe of the Vine tree is nothing in comparison thereof And when wee haue gotten of that sappe then the fruit commeth out and floweth with a sweet smelling sauour fra once the heart begin to sucke of that life the verie smelling of the life of Iesus Christ wil appeare in the works in the words It is true indeed we may find it al there is euer in all our fruites in all our deeds and wordes that proceede out of our mouth some bitternesse sournesse in the best of vs all the cause is howbeit we be ingraffed in Christ yet that old life abideth intill vs all so the fruit we bring out as it hath a sauour of Christ so it stinketh of the old man the best worke that wee bring out is partly sweete and partly soure and the worde sauoureth of bitternesse but and we be highly displeased for the bitternesse then wee haue this comfort We may bee assured the Father is purging vs and this hope That when we shall bee with Christ our fruits shall all sauour of that life of God in Christ and this should augment our joye Next wee see whaâ— neede wee haue euen to bee purged and to make a perpetuall progresse in regeneration if the Father should leaue off to cleanse the liuely branches that are in the Lord Iesus as soone the liueliest should turne in rottennesse and then the naturall corruption should ouer-goe vs except hee were euer snedding vs and of liuely members wee should become dead All our standing and perseuerance is of him Another thing as vnpossible as it is that the Father of the Lord Iesus Christ should leaue off to purge the members of Christ euen as vnpossible is it that that meÌ„ber can fal away if it were possible that the Father should leaue off his office then it might be possible that men should fall away No the Father can neuer leaue off his office they who are once ingraffed in Iesus Christ shall neuer be cut off It is a false doctrine of the Papists who say that a man once sanctified may become vnsanctified it is an horrible blasphemie and a lie against the holie Ghost The last thing I marke Looke how needfull is it that the Father play the part of an husbandman in purging as needfull it is that euery branch grow in holinesse sanctification the Father cannot purge the branches in vain but as he purgeth the branches from their own nature so the branches must bring out berries So if they who professe themselues to be Christians make no grouth neuer mend in holinesse it is a tokeÌ„ that the Father of our Lord Iesus purgeth them not and then they are not branches So take heed Men will hunt greedily after honor riches and pleasure but this is the thing thou shouldest chiefely striue to That thou make much grouth in Iesus that thou find thy soule in better disposition this yere than it was the last that thou may be a true member of Iesus Christ This for the denunciation of the sentence against the branches that bring foorth no fruit and the promise to them that bring foorth fruit These words might haue moued his Disciples to be feared and to haue heauy hearts therfore the Lord who saw all their cogitations meeteth them to comfort them Howbeit he speake not to vs he comforteth vs by his holy Spirit and he letteth them know
God in Christ more than the tongue can tell Looke Ephes 3. vers 18.19 No Paul nor all the Apostles could not tell the loue that Christ beareth to men and women that are sinners and in this life we cannot be capable of it nor yet in the life to come when we shal haue a thousand times a greater sense for it is infinit then we shal bee astonished and wonder at it but wee shall bee filled with it there where God shall bee all in all Abide and walke in fayth till thou meet with him and thou shalt find this to be true Nowe I shall ende Lest they should haue thought that the loue they should beare to Christ should bee fectlesse and should bee closed in and smoared in the heart and not shine into world the Lord saieth If yee keepe my Commaundementes yee shall abide in my loue Thinke not that the loue of Christ can bee in the heart of a man or woman and then bee ydle and if wee loue a person wee must doe him good So if a man or woman loue Christ they will goe about night and daye to please him and to obey his blessed will and his Commaundementes And if a man haue no will to obeye God it is sure there is no loue in the heart Well I say thou who liuest not an holie life in that great daye that will testifie against thee that thou neuer louedst Iesus Christ So take heede our hand bee answerable to our profession of loue that good deedes maye followe it for if thou bee ydle thou hast no loue One thing I marke heere Vpon what grounde doeth our obedience to Christ arise The first ground the loue that a man beareth to Christ bringeth out obedience Yet there is an higher ground J haue loued you saieth Christ therefore abide in my loue The loue that Iesus Christ beareth to a sinner bringeth out that mutuall loue wee beare to him When yee see a man set to keepe the Commaundementes of God and blessed is that soule that so doeth I saye surelie yee may by all appearance conclude that that soule loueth Christ And farder surely it appeareth of this obedience that God loueth this person well and that is a better loue and a stronger ground than is all his loue to God and certainlie the Lord will loue that man exceeding well whome hee will imploy in his seruice Blessed is that creature whome the Lord will imploy in his seruice in this life whatsoeuer calling it be into and of all blessinges in this life there is the first when wee know the Lord hath chosen vs to such a turne and giue him thanks therefore 1. Timoth. Chap. 1. vers 12. Paul being imployed in that Ministerie saieth I thanke my God that hee hath counted me faithfull to imploy me in that Ministerie So blessed is the seruant who can serue Iesus Christ yea hee is more happie that can serue Iesus Christ than he were a King of the worlde whosoeuer serueth him whomsoeuer he imployeth in his seruice he shall giue him a rich rewarde Let this therefore bee the strife and endeuour of euery one of vs to serue him Nowe in the latter parte of the tenth verse to the end that they should shew that loue they bare to him by keeping his Commandementes hee layeth out his owne example As I sayeth hee haue kept the Commaundementes of my Father and abide in his loue that is Loue mee as I haue loued my Father the loue that I beare to my Father is obedience to him so bee ye obedient to mee if ye loue me So yee see Brethren hee layeth out his example of loue and obedience to his Father to bee followed by his Disciples Marke this The Lord Iesus is the liueliest example of loue and obedience that euer was or shall be in the world There was neuer such a loue as the Sonne bare to his Father neuer one so obedient as he wasâ— he obeyed his equall Philip. 2. vers 6.7.8 He being in the forme of God he thought it no robbery to be equall with God Yet hee thought it no shame to humble himself to become humble to the death of the Crosse Yea hee not onely submitted himselfe to his equall but also to his inferiours Hee washed his Disciples feete John 13. Hee humbled himselfe to the world to serue the world Rom. Chap. 15. vers 3. As the Lord is the true patterne of loue and obedience so is it needefull that his example bee aye laide out before our eyes for except wee see it there is not such a thing that any man can bee truely humbled to obey God for it is the obedience of Iesus Christ and fayth in him that reformeth the heart of a sinner and maketh of a proude heart an humbled heart and if thou take not a gripe of that Crosse by fayth thine heart shall abide vnreformed till it bee put into Hell The tongue of man is not able to tell what grace we haue in the obedience of Christ We haue not onely saluation and justification thorow his obedience but we haue also his obedience to learne vs what obedience wee should giue to him and what we should giue to God Learne at me to be humble sayth the Lord Matth. 11. vers 29. Marke another thing concerning this matter Whilest he is exhorting to loue and to the keeping of his Commandement hee giueth himselfe an example most liuely of that thing wherevnto hee exhorteth them This is a lesson for all others who teach into the Kirke of Christ whatsoeuer doctrine they teach let them not onely bee speakers but doers of that which they teach otherwayes they will destroy more with their life than they are able to build vp with their doctrine In the next verse hee concludeth all this and setteth downe the end of his exhortation These thinges haue I spoken to you thay my joye might abide in you and that your joye might bee full All is for your weale that ye may be replenished with joy all mine exhortations tend to your joy The end of Christ is joy indeed hee beginneth with a sadnesse and heauinesse Learne how yee shall come to him the first step by the which the sinner commeth to Christ is by repentance by the sight of sinne and that bringeth sadnesse vvith it but frae once the sinner hath gotten that sight of Christ then the heart is full of joy and departeth with joy and all the speach the Lord speaketh to a sinner is to put joye into the heart of the sinner whatsoeuer displeasure the sinner hath in the meane time yet all is for this that in the ende hee should rejoyce And the ende of the speaches hee speaketh to his Disciples exhorting them to that vnion and good workes and loue and obedience and societie and communion with Christ is joye Good workes bring joye in the ende The loue of Christ filleth the heart vvith joye there was neuer the like of it essay it and see
of loue in the worlde as this Nowe to come to Iesus Christ The Lord Iesus died not for his friends he had neuer a friend in the world till he died and by his death he purchased friends No man euer loued the Lord Iesus but by vertue of his death Looke the fift Chap. to the Rom. vers 8. This commendeth his loue that hee died for vs sinners and enemies to him There was neuer such a loue as the loue of Christ to man who suffered so shamefull a death in the body and so great anguish in conscience Indeede all men will say in worde that that loue was wonderfull but all the difficultie is to feele in the heart the greatnesse of the loue of Christ and to apprehende it Except there be some sense in the heart the heart is but sicke and euill disposed And therefore this was a point of Pauls prayer for the Ephesians Chap. 3. vers 18.19 Hee prayeth for them on his knees to God that the Ephesians being rooted and grounded in loue might be able to comprehend with all the Saincts what the hope is of his calling and what the riches of his glorious inheritance is in the Sainctes and what is the breadth what is the length what is the infinitnesse of the loue of Christ that yee may knowe the loue of Christ which passeth all vnderstanding There is no saluation without that sense no peace no rest no joy for of all things vnder the Heauen wee should seeke to feele it the most and saye Lord as thou hast loued mee so let mee feele it If thou wouldest feele this loue get an assurance that the Lord hath died for thee when thou wast a sinner for therevpon shall rise such a sense in thy heart as thou neuer felt before First feele that thou wast condemned to die vnder sinne and the law then get an assurance that hee died for thee and shed his blood that thou mightest bee free That sinfull woman who washed the Lordes feet with her teares and dried them with the haires of her head and kissed his feete and anointed them with oyntment was filled with the sense of the loue of Iesus Christ Except the loue of Iesus Christ had loosed the heart of her shee had not had one teare Shee was a great sinner and hee sayeth Because much is forgiuen her shee loueth me the better Luke 7. vers 47. The moe sinnes that are forgiuen a sinner when be getteth this sense that Christ died for him he wil loue him the better Rom. 5. vers 5. Paul sayeth The loue of God in Christ is shed out into the heart ere euer that loue be shed out the blood of Christ must bee shed out and the heart must gripe to his death and bee washen with his blood and bathed in it and when the sinner feeleth that then floweth that sweetnesse of his loue and there is a mutuall loue betwixt the heart of the sinner and Iesus Christ and the sinner will feele such an exceeding loue that he will defie all the world as Paul sayth Rom. 8. vers 35. The Disciples might haue said We see thou doest for thy friendes and shewest a great loue to thy friends are we thy friends The Lord meeteth this Yee are my friendes but vnder this condition If ye loue mee and doe my will ye are my friendes Surely when wee heare such conditions as these That the Lord hath laide downe his soule for his friends we should search to know if we be of that number and should say to our hearts I see the Lord hath died for his friendes am I one of the friendes of Iesus Christ There is no life without his death and he died for none but for his friends and euery one of you who heareth me this day should trie your selues if yee bee the friendes of the Lord Yee shall knowe it by this if yee bee his friends ye shall not be fectlesse What serueth a fectlesse profession for in the mouth whē the heart is contrarious What serueth sucha a friend for as is a friend in the mouth a foe in the heart Look if thou hast an heart bent to doe his will take heede to thy tong and to the motions of thine heart that they bee sanctified and if thy tong be soule and thine hand be bathed with murder if thou seest this thine heart will testifie to thee that thou hast nothing to doe with Christ the loue of Christ hath nothing adoe with thee but that carcage of thine and that soule of thine shall bee dragged to Hell if thou abide in that estate But if thou finde in some measure a delite to pleasure him who hath pleasured thee died for thee Fie on him who will not striue to pleasure him If thou find in some measure good actions fall out of thine hand then thou mayest haue a good conscience and the heart will get a piece of that rest and peace which passeth all vnderstanding When a creature seeth that hee hath beene doing nothing all day but euill sleepe as thou wilt and wake as thou wilt thou hast the curse of God vpon thee Blessed is the man who hath good workes for they are tokens vnto him that hee is sealed vp in the blood of Christ Wee must not gather out of this place that because we were friends to Iesus therefore hee died for vs for by the contrary because hee died for vs therefore he made vs his friends Hee had neuer a friend till by his death hee acquired them And if thou finde the force of his death in thee thou must bee his friende and must preasse to pleasure him To whome with the Father and Holy Spirite bee all prayse honour and glory for euermore AMEN THE ELEVENTH LECTVRE OF CHRISTES DOCTRINE BEFORE HIS PASSION IOHN CHAP. XV. VERS 15.16.17.18 15 Hencefoorth call J you not seruantes for the seruant knoweth not what his Master doeth but J haue called you friendes for all thinges that I haue heard of my Father haue I made knowne to you 16 Yee haue not chosen mee but I haue chosen you and ordained you that yee goe and bring foorth fruit and that your fruit remaine that whatsoeuer yee shall aske of the Father in my Name hee may giue it you 17 These thinges command J you that yee loue one another 18 If the world hate you yee know that it hated mee before you HItherto in this Chapter Beloued in the Lord Iesus wee haue heard of sundrie exhortations which the Lord being to depart out of this world giueth to his Disciples who are to abide in this world behind him First hee exhorteth them to abide in that vnion with him Then hee exhorteth them to good workes Therefore hee commeth to the groundes of all good workes There are two groundes The first is the loue of God the next the loue of man Therefore hee exhorteth them first to the loue of God next to the loue of man He setteth downe his
is thy suffering shal be in the will of thine enemies BrethreÌ„ the most exquisite torments as racking burning such others wil not excuse thee if thou deny Christ for the paine therefore we should make vs for the most exquisit torments this is one comfort the Lord will not lay more vpon thee than thou mayst beare he will giue thee power to beare it out he who sends the tentation wil giue thee a faire joyfull out gate So Paul saith The momentaniall and light afflictions of this present life worketh out an euerlasting weight of glorie 2. Cor. 4.17 Looke 1. Pet. 1.7 Now followeth the cause of persecution They who will persecute you they shall thâ—nke they serue GOD. The forest persecution is vnder the cloake of Religion and seruice of God The fairest cloake to doe a wicked turne is the cloake of Religion and so the forest crueltie is vnder the cloake of Religion There was neuer such a crueltie as the Papistes vse vnder the pretence of Religion Inquire about that holy house of Spaine and that Massacre of Paris which shall neuer bee forgotten before God that blood of the Sainctes is crying for vengeance from the HeaueÌ„s all the pretences they can make shall not saue them from it Nowe marke the ground of their persecution These thinges they shall doe to you because they knew not the Father nor mee The ground of all well-doing is light when the eye of the soule is illuminate to see GOD and IESVS CHRIST and the Father in the face of the Lord Iesus when the mind is illuminat then the judgement is vpright when the judgement is vpright the hart the affections are wel inclined when the hart is well inclined then the hand and the outward instrumentes are well occupied Matth. 6. vers 22. Jf the eye see the whole body is lightened that is if the eye of the soule be lightened then the soule is wel disposed So when the mind is set vpon Iesus Christ lightned by that light it is a joyfull thing but if the mind which is the eye of the soule bee blinded and see not the face of Iesus Christ then all the powers of the soule are blinded the judgement is blind the hart is euill disposed the affections peruerse then the hand is doing euill a blind body is ay doing euil if the eye be blind the whole body is blind if the light bee put out then there is great darknesse if the eye of the soule bee put out then a man is but a lumpe of darknesse and nothing abideth that creature but that outward darknesse Wherfore serueth darknesse but to be casten into darknesse Therefore as thou wouldest haue an vpright iudgement striue to haue an illuminate soule and as thou wouldest doe well keepe aye a cleare eye in thy soule Neuer let the face of Iesus depart from thine eye for it is onely that face that holdeth the eye in a clearnesse and giueth light to the soule He is the light of the world and take him away there is nothing but darknesse in the world When he hath fore-warned them of the afflictions he sets downe the end wherefore he fore-warneth them to wit that they should remember the Lord had fore-warned them of afflictions therefore that they should prepare theÌ„selues for trouble But wheras they might haue said Wherfore forewarned thou vs no sooner he answers to this I fore-warned you not of this from the beginning because I was with you but now I am to depart therfore I forewarn you One of the best preparations wee can haue is to heare much for this preaching will not abide ay therefore let vs heare well so long as we haue occasion of hearing of the word which we preach to you for why in the day of affliction that holy Spirit shall call to thy rememberance that which thou hast heard and so comfort thee And in the day of affliction the holy Spirit will be more effectuall to call to thy rememberance that which thou hast hearde better than when thou first heardest it For why the worde of God and the Spirit of God hath not the speciall effect euer when the word is heard but when the body is in most necessity and of all times in the worlde in the time of affliction or in the houre of death the word will be most sweete Therefore heare in time if it were in the houre of death that at least in the hour of death thou mayst haue ioy in thine hearr Another thing here beholde how the Lord loued his Disciples in this world certainly so long as hee was with them he loued them wondrous tenderly and let be that he would not let them suffer he wold not once let them heare of the crosse And this is the thing that the Disciples of Iohn the Baptist come to Christ and complaine of Mat. 9. vers 14. saying Why do we and the Pharisees â—ast oft and thy Disciples fast not The Lord answereth Can the Children of the Marriage Chamber mourne so long as the Bridegrome is with them But the dayes will come when the Bridegrome shall bee taken from them and then they shall fast And nowe when the Lord is with them hee fore-warneth them of their afflictions and of death it selfe and so indeed they felt it when hee departed The ground of this is because the Disciples of Christ had a time of grouth granted to them into the worlde and so long as the Lord abode into the worlde they were not ripe and their strength was more outwarde than inwarde But now when hee goeth away they growe ripe he sent his Spirit vpon them as ye see Act. Chap. 2. they had a greater consolation by that Spirit in Christes absence than they had during all the time that Christ was with them So wee haue our owne time in growing and the Lord when hee seeth wee are not able to suffer hee will not lay the Crosse vpon vs but hee will spaâ—e vs. Then we haue a time when we come to ripenesse that is when wee get that Spirit and then the Lord will laye on the burden Nowe as for vs wee haue had a long time to ripen and it is a wonder that the Lord hath giuen vs so long a time and spared vs so long But Brethren the time is comming wherein wee shall suffer and afflictions abide vs for the Gospel And I praye the Lord that hee may finde some ripenesse and maturity and chiefely in vs the Ministers of the Gospel that we may seale vp the Gospel with our blood if need require He falleth out in the vers following in a gentle reproofe of his Apostles I am to depart and none of you asketh where I am to goe but saith hee your heartes are full of sorrowe The Disciples of Christ when hee was among them so acquiesced vpon his bodily presence and thought they had such an ease with him that they thought not of
any other felicity and therefore they were woe at such speaches for they were more carnall than spirituall and tooke more heede to that carnall than spirituall ioy So this is our nature that if we can get in the world such aboundance of riches pleasure honour and such companie as we would we would neuer desire to goe out of this world but ay to remaine And when wee heare tell that wee must slit out of this worlde the rememberance of death will sting vs to the heart the Disciples were sad because the Lord was to goe from them It is the hardest thing in the worlde to gette the soule disseuered from the world and to get the eye set vpon Heauen and to get an hope of that Life Woe to that soule that getteth not hope to reach aboue this worlde that soule is in an euill estate And the Lord knowing this hee will take awaye from vs that companie that will drawe vs from him and piece and piece hee will take vs vnto himselfe for no man getteth the desire of Heauen in a moment but a man piece and piece stealeth out of the worlde and goeth to Heauen Thinke not thou therefore them happie who haue the worlde at their will No no it is well for that creature whom the Lord draweth out of the worlde by taking from them the thinges of the worlde For miserable are wee if ou◠hope bee not extended beyonde all earthlie yea spirituall comfortes that euen can befall vs in this life as Paul saieth Of all men wee are moste miserable if in this life onely wee haue hope in Christ 1. Cor. 1. vers 19. I goe forward As before hee gently reprooued them so in the next vers hee comforteth them Jt is expedient for you that J goe away for it J goe not away the Comforter shall not come to you but if J goe away I will sende him to you Heereby wee see that the holie Spirit commeth by the Resurrection and Glorification of IESVS CHRIST and therefore it is saide The holie Spirite was not giuen because Iesus was not as yet glorified Chap. 7. vers 39. And whatsoeuer grace was of the holie Spirite into the worlde was by vertue of that Resurrection of Christ to come and all this consolation wee haue floweth out of his Resurrection Glorification for out of his fulnesse we receiue a part he is full of glorie his soule is repleat and passeth all the Angels in glorie and so out of his fulnesse all grace floweth vnto vs and euerie one of the members of Christ hath a measure of that Spirit as hee thinketh meete and therefore Paul saieth Hee ascended on high and gaue giftes to men Ephes 4. vers ◠And so wouldest thou haue joy cast vp thine eye to heauē and fasten thy faith on Iesus Christ thou shalt find a portion of that Spirit Wee see two sortes of the presence of Christ One bodilie as the Disciples saw another spirituall Howbeit hee bee distant from vs in the Heauen yet he sendeth down his holie Spirit by that Spirit he worketh a feeling in the hearts of his owne and they will heare his voyce and will see him with the eyes of their soule And they will haue this sense with such a joye that the tongue of him who findeth that joye is not able to expresse the thousand part of it Both these presences are very good and they who saw him had a great benefit Many Kings longed to see him but they saw him not as Dauid and Abraham The men who saw him when hee was an Infant thought they gotte a greater grace than if all the worlde had beene giuen them But for all this the other presence is better for hee saieth Jt is good that I goe away from you It had beene good for the Iewes that they had neuer had his bodily presence because they had not the spirituall presence of the Lord in their hearts But as for that spiritual presence in all respectes it is to bee preferred to his bodily presence in the dayes of his humiliation because by vertue of that presence albeit so farre distant from vs wee receiue the holy Spirite and all his graces Looke to Heauen and see him glorified that presence is the chiefe presence and as soone as wee see that glory in that day the beames of his glory shall transforme vs and catch vs vp in the clouds So great is the glory of the Lord that it will not remaine within the Heauens with our Head but of necessity it must flowe to his members vpon earth Nowe when thou findest grace and joye and pleasure into thine heart And thinke not thou hast joy enough howbeit thou hadst all the pleasures in the world except thou haue that joye of Christ then assure thy selfe that Iesus Christ thine Head is glorified in the Heauens And if wee finde such a pleasure that wee will bee rauished aboue the worlde being now so farre distant from Christ what shall bee that joy and pleasure wee shall conceiue in our heart when wee shall see him face to face The tongue cannot tell it but the heart that hath felt it can best testifie it The Lord grant that while as wee are in the earth wee may walke as Citizens in the Heauens euer waiting that these vile bodies may bee transformed and made conformable to that glorious body of Iesus Christ Now to goe forward After he hath fore-warned his Disciples of the afflictions which after his departure they shold suffer That they should bee excommunicate and also slaine And after hee hath set downe the ende wherefore hee fore-warned them to wit that they should not be offended but confirmed And after he hath reproued them gently that they rejoyced not when he tolde them that he was to depart And after he hath begun to comfort them by letting the◠see that is was for their weale that hee was to depart from them For thorow his blessed Ascension they should bee partakers of the holy Spirit and his graces which if hee did not ascend to his Father they would not get In the words following he falleth out vpon another head of doctrine instructeth them concerning the office of the Spirite which hee was to discharge in the worlde during the time of his absence and this office is in respect of the world and chiefely of the obstinate Iewes who would not belieue in Christ when hee was present with them When hee shall come that is when that Spirite of trueth shall come after that I am gone away he shall rebuke the world that is the faythlesse and obstinate in the worlde hee shall conuict them But yee may saye No man heareth the voyce of the Spirite speaking with his owne mouth howe shall the Spirite then rebuke the worlde The meaning is The Disciples whome that Spirite shall comfort shall by their Ministerie rebuke the worlde Wee haue then two effectes of the Spirite heere The first is in respect
word is as Peter saith 1. Epist. Chap. 2. vers 1.2 This place letteth vs see that it was not onely a part of the trueth that was committed to the Ministerie they receiued not an imperfect doctrine but the whole Mysterie of saluation was reuealed and laid before them and that which they receiued they deliuered againe faithfully Paul saith Act. 20. vers 27. I haue not hid any thing from you but I haue showne you the whole counsell of God And whatsoeuer thinges the Apostles preached in the world with their mouth all in effect and substance they wrote with their hands to the weale of the Kirke and there is not one point which either concerneth Gods glory or mans saluation but in effect we haue it registrated in the Olde and New Testament Away with the vnwritten verities whatsoeuer was preached all is registrated to the weale of the people And If all the Apostles were this daye preaching they woulde not preach one worde in effect but that which wee haue already registrated I will affirme that before God the holy Spirite will not teach any thing to the heart but that which is written in the Old and Newe Testament Yea more true fayth will drinke in none other thing but that which is within this compasse of the worde and if thou drinkest in any other thing than this I affirme before God thou neuer hadst true fayth Let no Spirit bee pretended to this let no fayth be pretended to this Away with those Papists who commend so highly the vaine traditions of men and vnwritten verities they haue no true fayth It is only the Spirit who leadeth vs in all verity Then he giueth them the reason Because that Spirit shall not speake of himselfe but whatsoeuer hee shall heare that shall hee speake As if hee had said Yee will credite me and I assure you that Spirite will speake nothing but that which hee hath receiued of mee Whatsoeuer the Spirite of God teacheth the world while as hee is in the Heauen hee receiueth it out of the mouth of Iesus Christ And farder whatsoeuer thing the Lord spake during the time he was in the world hee receiued it out of the mouth of the Father Looke this harmonie of teaching among the glorious persons of the Trinitie He saith not one thing and he another as men doe The Father beginneth and hee speaketh then the Sonne speaketh the same and the holy Spirit speaketh nothing but that which the Father and the Sonne haue spoken Looke the worde and decreet of our saluation It is a conclusion giuen out by all the three persons of the Godhead If it bee so certainly the worde of the Gospel of Iesus Christ it must be a thing of great authoritie For that decree which is laide in the Kings Counsell hath a great authoritie among the Subiectes and the worde of the Counsell is greater than the word of the King only If this be among Kinges in the earth of what authority should this be that commeth from the decree of the glorious Counsell of that blessed Trinitie in respect whereof all the Kinges of the earth are but drosse Nowe would to God the heartes of men could see this great authority of this worde So this worde must craue a great fayth The King would be angry if his decree were not credited then what judgement shall abide vs wormes if wee belieue not the decree of the glorious Trinitie I saye this before God The contempt of the Gospel of Iesus Christ bringeth on with it the heauiest iudgement in the worlde And if such a contempt of the worde in this Land continue an heauy iudgement no question shall light vpon them who haue not credited such a decree Iohn 12. vers 44. Therefore seeing the word of the Gospel is of such authoritie let all men who would see Heauen striue to belieue it in their hearts or else if they belieue not an heauie judgement shall ouer-take them let them beware In the ende of the vers hee bringeth in more particularly what the Spirit shall teach Hee saieth Hee shall shew you the thinges to come that is The thinges which shall followe after my departure mine ascension and glorification the thinges which were acquired by his death and applied by his resurrection as remission of sinnes justification and life eternall hee shall teach you them inwardlie and hee shall seale them vp into your heartes For after the Lord had suffered in the earth then grace came downe then remission of sinnes came downe that free righteousnesse of Christ came downe and life euerlasting came downe as also extraordinarie gifts came downe as the gift of Prophesie the gift of healing of working of miracles of speaking sundry languages c. for why when the Lord Iesus was filled with glory of that fulnesse the members heere in the earth receiued their part and grace for grace came downe as it was prophesied Hee went vp on high and led captiuitie captiue and gaue giftes vnto men And all these things gaue he by the holy Spirit illuminating the mind and working powerfull in the heart for other wayes what auaileth it to haue remission of sinnes life glory and happinesse for euer effected Except the Spirit of Iesus Christ accompany the word illuminate and mollifie the heart all shall bee of none auaile Therefore againe I bid you as yee would liue striue to feele that Spirite working into you Now in the next vers hee taketh vp summarily the effect of all that the Spirit shall teach them He shall glorifie me What is it the Spirit is doing and what is it wee are doing and whereto is all this preaching All is to glorifie Christ If thou bee not an instrument to glorifie Christ Iesus thou shalt haue no part of glorie with him He giueth the reason wherefore the Spirit shall glorifie him Because the thing hee shall shew you hee shall haue it in commission from me If the speaches of an Ambassadour be not to the honour of his Prince hee is but a Traitor The Sonne was sent as an Ambassadour from the Father therefore hee glorified the Father as he speaketh Chap. 17. vers 7. So the holy Spirit is sent from the Sonne therefore hee speaketh all to the glory of the Sonne But this would be well vnderstood how the Spirit of Christ glorifieth Christ vpon the earth Who giueth the Spirite who seeth him or who heareth his voyce How then glorifieth the Spirit the Lord The Spirit glorifieth the Lord Iesus by the Ministerie of the Gospel and by the mouthes of simple men thinke of them as yee will except by the mouthes of men yee shall neuer finde the Spirit glorifying the Sonne seeke where yee will If wee speake anie thing wherein God is not glorified say wee are but liars and the Spirit of Christ is not into vs. If wee begin to speake of Purgatorie and of the merites of men of intercession of Sainctes saye wee are but lyars If wee drawe you from
and obscurely Yet a little while and yee shall â—oâ— see mee and againe yee shall see me they vnderstoode him not nor wist not what hee spake Nowe the Lord warneth them of his departure in plaine speaking and hee sayeth in plaine wordes I am come out from the Father and came into the world againe J leaue the world and go to the Father Nowe Brethren take heede and yee shall marke a difference betwixt this fore-warning of the Disciples which is plaine and euident to their vnderstanding and the former forewarning which was obscure and not plaine to their vnderstanding Before hee proponed the matter in plaine talke hee proponeth sundrie consolations to prepare them against his departure that they might heare of his departure the more gladlie for it was an heauie thing for them to heare of his departure with whome they were so well and had such joye and such intertainment in this earth The Lord is verie loath Brethren to make the heartes of the Godlie sadde Hee is not onelie loath to make their heartes sadde and grieue them by death by afflictions and by crosses but hee is loath to speake the worde that would grieue them though it were but a worde to make them heauie hee is loath to vtter it vnto them and therefore ere euer hee doe to them anie thing grieuous sadde or heauie the Lord vseth to prepare their heartes to beare with it patientlie and to furnishe their heartes with comfort against crosses and tribulations that when persecution and affliction and sadde and heauie wordes should come they should beare all thinges the more patientlie and gladlie This is the Lordes custome So all men should beware to grieue the heart of anie man and chiefelie of the Godlie I warne thee bee loath to make the Godlie sadde rather we should incline to make the heart of the miserable creature joyfull than sadde I see euer thorow Paul in his writs this illumination hee euer inclineth to stirre vp the Godlie to rejoyce Reade him and yee shall see this Ye haue a notable example of him in the 2. Epistle to the Corinthians Chap. 1. vers 23. they accuse him verie sharplie that hee came not to them Hee answereth them with a great attestation Nowe the LORDE beare witnesse against my soule that I woulde not come to you to spare you And in the next CHAPTER hee sayeth That J should not make you sad for there was great matter of sadnesse amongst the Corinthians by reason of their euill behauiour for if I should make you sad who is there to make mee to reioyce So in a word we should incline to make the heart of a sinner joyfull and if wee should bee inforced to speake sad words as oftentimes wee are in this Countrey by reason of the manifolde and grosse sinnes reigning in it yet they should bee throwne out of vs Let them all bee in lenitie that in the matter of sadnesse they who heare them may finde loue in them Paul in the Epistles to the Corinthians and to the Galatians seemeth to bee sharpe against them at the beginning and progresse but in the end of the Epistles he vttereth a marueilous loue to them to raise vp their heartes to rejoycing Now to marke the forme how he proponeth this sad newes of his departure Hee sayeth not barely I will goe my way but first I come downe from the Father being equall with him in glory And nowe I goe to him againe to take vp my glory which I had with him before all beginning and it shall be for your good that I goe my way to Heauen to my Father for I shall sende you that Comforter In telling them this hee giueth them withall to vnderstand that they shall bee so farre from dammage and sadnesse when the Lord shall goe his waye that they shall rejoyce for hee shall goe to Heauen to the Father and bee more busie to doe them good than when he was with them in the earth So we learne here a forme of proponing sad newes vnto the godly we should propone them with such a conuoy that euen in sad wordes wee should present to the hearers some matter of joye and in reproofe loue and lenitie should appeare I will vse a familiare example now certainly we haue this day an occasion to tell heauy tidings and as Christ told to his Disciples that he was to depart shortly so wee may tell for ought wee see the glorious tidinges of the Euangel is to depart The Gospel is to depart there is sad tidings but howe shall I tell them in this forme that I haue saide for the comfort of the godlie The glorious Gospel of Christ shall shortly depart for the ingratitude of this Land there is sad newes But well is them who loueth Christ and is sad and mourneth for his departure for they shall rejoyce And so on the contrary woe is them who is not sad at the departure of Iesus Christ and woe to them who loueth not this glorious Euangel and woe to them who putteth it away and are the authors thereof Woe to the Noble men and lords of this Land howbeit they bee leaping through senselesse securitie in their pride yet their judgement was neuer so neare them for pride goeth before destruction Now thus much for the words of the Lord. In the words following we haue the answere of the Disciples vnto the Lord He hath spoken plainly to them that hee will goe his way Now say they thou speakest plainly thou speakest no parable thou speakest plainly that thou wilt goe thy waye that any man may vnderstand This is the first part of the answere They vnderstand nowe when hee speaketh plainly but they wist not what hee spake before when he spake in parables Well Brethren it is good to speake of Christ and of the waye to saluation plainly that the poorest that heareth may vnderstand It is not enough that thou takest heed to deliuer sound and true doctrine but plain doctrine and that this doctrine which is sound and true bee spoken in such words as becoÌ„meth Thou oughtest not only to look that the mater bee sound but also to take heede to the words as Paul 1. Cor. 2. We speake those things that God hath gratified in Jesus Christ we speak them not in humane words but in powerful words of the Spirit The Spirit hath ay his own mater as the mater is heauenly so the words must sauour of HeaueÌ„ of the Spirit for as the Spirit hath his own mater so hath he his own words The words must be euident plain that the vnlearned may be capable of them We haue many places of Paul agreeing to this In that Chap. vers 4. going before What was my language wheÌ„ I came to you saith he it was not in humane eloqueÌ„ce but in spirituall power that is I spake so that I made an oculare demonstration And 2. Cor. 3. vers 12. Hauing such confidence we speak plainlie And Chap.
hee rose from the dead So that Godhead declared it selfe that it left him not after this life was exspired but raised him from corruption Then hee commeth to his argumentes to mooue his Father the first is Father the houre is come therefore Father glorifie thy Sonne the houre of death appointed from all eternitie that I should offer vp the Sacrifice for the redemption of man seeing this death approacheth neare let glorie follow that ignominious death my death will bee verie offensiue both to the multitude and to my Disciples as hee saide This night yee will all bee offended at mee and as hee would say O my Father leaue mee not in that ignominious death but out of death raise mee to glorie Christ Iesus all the time that hee was in the worlde the onlie thing which he sought was the glorie of Heauen for our life standeth in that Resurrection And if CHRIST had not beene raysed sayeth Paul all our preaching should bee in vaine and yee should lie still in your sinnes So during all the time that hee was in this worlde this was aye his prayer to his Father and chiefelie when hee sawe the houre of death hee was instant and earnest in seeking that glorie Wee may learne heere a lesson The nearer and the nearer wee are to death deceiue not our selues with a false life the more earnest wee should bee with GOD that hee would giue vs life and men and women as they growe in age and drawe nearer death they should bee the more instant to seeke life and when they growe to graye haires it is a great shame to see an olde bodie prophane they should prepare themselues for the houre of death for death is a dangerous thing death is not to bee jested with All men will say I will die but if thou diest once woe is to thee if thou gettest not life for why death is a port whereby wee either passe to that euerlasting death or then to euerlasting life Looke for no Purgatorie when as the soule is loosed from the bodie it seeth an horrible darknesse if in this present life it had not a fore-tasting of a better life Therefore during the time of grace when â—â— wee haue space in our life let vs seeke that life of Heauen not onâ—â—ie in our olde age but euen in our youthhood we should cast vs to seek life and happie is that young bodie that entereth into that race to life and aye goeth forwardes with the Apostle Paul neuer sitting downe but aye striuing to apprehende that Butte and Marke which is the Crowne of glorie in IESVS CHRIST Whether thou bee man or woman happie art thou who lookest for that life and sayest before the death drawe neare I must flitte So during this life heere wee shoulde aye groane to feele that life and fasten heart and hande to finde that life but then chiefely when we are drawing neare the doore of death and daylie we gette manie warnings to flitte and remooue out of this life And the Lord sayeth by these sicknesses and calamities Flitte flit but then greedily wee should gripe to Iesus Christ and fasten to him who is life and if wee gette a gripe of him that death which is terrible otherwayes it will bee turned to a sweet sleepe Paul sayeth Those who sleepe in him he shall rayse them vp there death is but a sweete sleepe Woe to them that haue no gripe of Christ for at the last houre death shall bee terrible vnto them Euen as I beganne so I ende Thinke not lightlie of death and if thou bestowest thy life looke that thou bestowe it well and for a good cause and if thou flittest and if thou changest this house of claye bee sure that thou gette a better and if this tabernacle of the bodie bee dissolued bee thou assured in thy soule that thou shalt bee cloathed with the glorie of Iesus Christ Paul in the seconde Epist to the Corinthians and the fifth Chapter was sure of this after the dissolution of his bodie from the soule when as hee sayeth I knowe perfectlie if once the earthlie house of this tabernacle were dissolued I shall gette a lodging not made with the handes of men but eternall in the Heauens Before yee flitte out of an house heere yee will bee sure of another to dwell in O foole art thou so wise in the thinges of this worlde and art not sure to bee cloathed with that building of the Heauens Therefore before thou losest this life see howe thou bestowest it and see that thou diest in a good cause and looke that thou haue a gripe of Iesus Christ and if thou wouldest die giue this life to him who is able to giue thee a better life And seeing the time of triall draweth neare for ought we see and the time will declare who will die with Iesus Christ and offer their liues vp to him the Lord giue euerie one of vs grace to die for Iesus Christ and saye in thy selfe Lord if it shall please thee to bring on that triall prepare mee to giue thee this life which thou hast giuen mee for I knowe assuredlie that I shall receiue a better of thee Well is the soule which is this wayes prepared And well is them who die for the cause of Iesus Christ for this glorious Gospel And woe is them who die in the contrarie parte The second argument is That thy Sonne may glorifie thee also This is the reason If thou glorifie mee Father I shall glorifie thee for the knowledge of thee standeth in the knowledge of mee if the worlde see not mee they cannot glorifie thee If the creature see not the glorie of the Sonne hee will neuer see the Father Yee see a sweete meeting heere betwixt the Father and the Sonne howe euerie one of them joyneth together in glorie the Father who is the Fountaine of all glorie beginneth and communicateth his glorie with the Sonne and the holie Spirite the Father hath not his glorie of them but he beginneth and communicateth his glorie with the Sonne and the holie Spirit the glorie of the Sonne and the holie Spirit redoundeth backe againe to the Father And that glorious Trinitie deliteth in glorifying one another for the glorie commeth from the Father vpon the Sonne and from the Sonne to the holie Spirit and back againe from the holie Ghost to the Sonne from the Sonne to the Father euen as the Sunne maketh reflexe from a mirrour towardes himselfe againe No words are able to expresse this for it is a thing incomprehensible to see that glorie betwixt the Father the Sonne and the holie Ghost The consideration of this woulde confounde all the creatures both men and Angels howe the Father putteth on the beames of his glorie vpon the Sonne and from the Sonne to the holie Spirit and then it coÌ„meth about from the holie Spirit and striketh on the Son on the Father Of this we are not capable nor no Angel can sufficientlie
reprobate Looke the fifth Chapter of this Gospel The Father hath giuen the Sonne all authoritie and judgement and by him doeth adjudge to life the chosen and to death the reprobate So there is neuer a soule exempted from his judgement The Lord himselfe in the 28. Chapter of Matth. vers 18. hee extendeth his authority larger The Father sayth he hath giuen mee all authoritie in Heauen and in Earth So that Iesus Christ hath not only authority ouer man and woman but ouer the Angels in Heauen he hath power ouer them all and ouer the Deuils and at the Name of IESVS all knees must bow of things Heauenlie and Earthlie if they bow not they shall bee broken I shall tell you more which is very comfortable This authority which the Lord hath gotten in Heauen and in Earth is not as he is God onlie bowbeit principally it be as he is God but this power that hee hath gotten ouer the Angels is euen as hee is man howbeit they bee glorious and farre more glorious that men yet they are not so glorious as the man the Lord Iesus So I saye euen as he is man he is head and King of the Angels Looke the 5. Chapter of Iohn vers 27. The Father hath giuen the Sonne all authoritie and judgement as he is the Sonne of man not onely hath hee this power as he is God but euen that nature of ours wherewith he is clad hath this power It is a worthie thing to bee marked what the Lord gathereth of this authoritie In the 28. Chap. of Matth. vers 18. The Father hath giuen mee all authoritie in Heauen and Earth Theâ—fore goe out saith he and preach and baptize all Nations in the Name of the Father of the Son and of the holie Ghost So ye see on that princelie authoritie which the Sonne hath he sendeth out his Disciples to preach And all that the Apostles did in the worlde in preaching and baptizing they did it on the authoritie of Christ Iesus their Lord. There was neuer an Ambassadour that went with such a power as the Apostles of Iesus Christ had in the world And Brethren to come to our selues I say euen this day all this preaching of the Gospel and all this ministring of the Sacraments and Discipline all proceedeth of this princely and kingly authority of the Lord Iesus Marke it The closing vp of Heauen and the opening vp of Heauen to penitent sinners whether it bee by word or discipline all is grounded on an higher authoritie than all the authoritie of the worlde There was neuer a King or Prince that had so great authoritie as this whereon the Discipline according to the worde of GOD and exercise of Religion is grounded And they who contemne this preaching of the Gospel and ministring of the sacramentes and Discipline they contemne not the ordinance of man it were better for them to contemne all the authoritie of Kinges but they contemne the authoritie of the great GOD for in the Kirke there is none authoritie but Christes authoritie and all that is done is founded on this auâ—hority We say not on the authority of Kings or of the Pope The Lord hath not translated this authority to any creature and therefore the Pope hath but an vsurped authority As for the Minister he hath no authority in his own person but onlie in the Lord Iesus And this is the difference betwixt the Kirke and the Policie The Lord Iesus hath giuen a part of his authority to the King or to the Magistrate but the Lord Iesus hath not giuen any part of his authoritie to any of the Kirke In the Policie there are Kinges but in the Kirke there is none but the Lord Iesus And all that tyrannie in the kingdome of the Antichrist is but vsurped there is not a minute of the word of GOD that can be a ground to it When he hath layde downe the ground of life hee telleth who will get this life Will euery one get this life No no neuer one getteth this life from him but the soule that the Father hath pulled out of this world and put into his hand The Lord will know well to whom he will giue this life euerlasting It may be he will throw a Kingdome to a man and giue him these earthly things in great aboundance but hee will not giue to euery one the Kingdome of Heauen If ye will weigh the words ye shall see distinctlie the part of the Father and of the Sonne in the worke of saluation The Father giueth men to the Sonne that is the part of the Father J will giue them life euerlasting that is the part of the sonne First the Father of the Lord Iesus choosed out so manie as hee would haue safe in his Sonne Christ Iesus and then in time hee calleth on them whome hee hath chosen hee knoweth them well enough hee calleth them by his worde and draweth the soules of them vnto him for if they bee not drawne they will not come as hee sayeth in the sixt Chapter of this Gospel vers 44. No man commeth to mee but them whome the Father draweth Hee draweth them by his holie Spirite to the Sonne and then hee and the Sonne keepeth them to the daye of their full redemption and giueth them life euerlasting So yee may see in this place and in the Epistle of Iude at the beginning that all who are safe in Iesus Christ are first called by the Father To them sayeth Iude who are called and sanctified by GOD and are saued by IESVS CHRIST I marke on this what is the grounde of this authoritie where hee sayeth These a home thou hast giuen mee J will giue them life euerlasting Hee ascribeth this authoritie to the Father and hee sayeth hee will saue none but these whome the Father hath giuen him All the Brethren reade of IESVS CHRIST the Sonne of GOD in this Euangel and thorowe out the whole Gospel yee shall neuer reade of him where hee speaketh of anie thing that hee is doing hath done or shall doe but hee giueth the whole glorie of it to the Father What meaneth this This is the ground of it He had his commission from the Father He came from the Heauen to the Earth out of the bosome of the Father he was an Ambassadour sent from his Father Nowe it is good reason that an Ambassadour sent in an Ambassadrie not only in deed but also in worde honour his Prince otherwayes hee is but a traytor The LORD IESVS was an Ambassadour sent from the Father therefore in all his actions and in all his wordes hee honoureth his Father There is not one of vs all but wee haue a commission from GOD and is placed in a calling and there is not one of vs high nor lowe but wee are borne to doe some thing Then if the Sonne of God equall with God hauing a calling of his Father sought to glorifie God so let vs also in word and deed
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
glorified of the Father in that most humble obedience he gaue to his Father there was neuer a man humbled vnder the Father as he In that obedience he gaue to the Father the mercy loue of the Father shined in the world in his humility The worlâ—e wondered that euer there should haue beene such a mercy and such a loue of God to man And they who wil look to this humble man the Lord Iesus they will wonder that euer there should haue beene such a mercy to man If thou look wel to the obedience and humblenesse of the Son thou shalt wonder at the loue of the Father toward vs who humbled his owne Son not onely as a seruant but to the vile death the accursed death of the Crosse for our cause as Christ himselfe sayth Iohn 3. vers 16. The Father hath so loued the worlde that hee hath giuen his onelie begotten Sonne for it that all that belieue in him should hee saued and none perishe What man will giue his onelie begotten sonne to saue another Nowe this commendeth the loue of God sayeth Paul Rom. 5. vers 8. that when wee were enemies Christ died for vs. Who is hee that will die for his enemie or what father will giue his sonne for him So neither man nor Angel is able to comprehende the thousande parte of the loue which the Father bare to the worlde in humbling his onelie begotten Sonne So the Sonne glorified the Father in his humiliation Then againe when the Sonne was glorified of the Father after he was raised from the dead and ascended to the Heauens and set at the right hand of his Father in that glory incomprehensible the Sonne glorified the Father in that exaltation as hee glorified him before in his humiliation so doeth he in his exaltation and hee glorified the Father in his exaltation by reason that there appeared such a wonderfull power in God in exalting Christ in our nature that was so humbled in the graue And when the worlde saw that the body of the man Iesus Christ was raised vp so gloriously they wondered that euer there should haue beene such a power in GOD All the Angels in Heauen gotte neuer such a Reuelation of the power of GOD as then when the LORD IESVS was raised vp from the death to life Not onelie raised hee a dead man vp from death but hee raised him vp in such a wonderfull highnesse that he made him King ouer all kinges and aboue all Angels and gaue him such a Name that at the Name of Iesus all knees should bow of men and Angels of all things vnder the earth and aboue it and that all tongues should confesse that Iesus Christ is the Lord of Lords and God of all glory Paul to the Ephesians Chap. 1. vers 20. when hee speaketh of this power hee will not simply call it a power but he saith this According to the effectualnesse of his strong power which hee vttered in Christ when hee raised him from the dead that is the first degree and placed him at his right hand that is the second degree There appeareth the power of God in exalting him in our nature to so high a glory It appeared not so great at the creation as then when hee exalted the Man Iesus Christ Wouldest thou knowe the power of God Looke to that exaltation and thou shalt see it shine in a greater measure than in any thing that euer was wrought Men by nature would see things to rauish them to admiration but I tell thee if thou wouldest wonder at any thing wonder at these things at the humiliation of Iesus Christ and at the exaltation of Iesus Christ the wonderfullest doctrine that euer sounded in the worlde So when thou hearest of the death of Christ and of his exalting wonder for such a wondering shall worke saluation Let vs see all the wonders of the world neuer one of them shall worke life or saluation but that wonder The answere may bee otherwayes The Lord when he was in the world hee glorified the Father in his prophesie and Priesthood hee is that annointed Prophet Priest and King So he being Prophet Priest and King hee glorified the Father in the Earth chiefely in his prophesie hee teached aye in the world he glorified also the Father in his Priesthood he aye suffered neuer a day passed by from his birth vntill his latter breath without some suffering But in his Kingly office hee glorified the Father when hee was exalted and raised vp to the Heauen and set downe at the right hand of that Majesty and that is the office in this houre in the which the Sonne of God glorifieth his Father in sitting there as a King of Heauen and Earth reigning in the middest of his enemies with a great yron rodde battering them in pieces like a potte-shard and that same rodde of yron shall neuer leaue them till it bruise them downe There was neuer a King so glorious as he is at the right hand of the Father and when wee shall see him in that Princely Throne wee shall say wee neuer saw glory in this world to that glory And when the conquesse which the Lord Iesus is making in Heauen and in Earth for the enemies are not yet altogether subdued no the day passeth not but he maketh some conquesse when it shall bee ended I say hee shall render vp that Kingdome into the hands of the Father 1. Cor. 15. vers 24. When death is ouercome and the Deuill for death is not yet ouercome he shal render all into the hands of the Father and there shall not be an enemie but all shall be casten down and all the Chosen shall treade downe the neckes of Emperours Wee marke one thing ere we goe to the next vers for our vse to draw this to our selues This is the protestation which the Lord maketh a little before his death Hee protesteth that aboue all things in Heauen or in Earth hee sought the glory of his Father euen to his owne death Now well is that man who wheÌ„ the hour of death is drawn neare is able to say in any measure Lord I haue glorified thee and howbeit it be with great infirmity Lord I haue honoured thee in my life Yee see olde men will reckon of things past if they haue bene notable instruments in any thing they will talk say I haue done this and that But alas if thou hadst won kingdoms al auails not if thou canst not say Lord I haue sought to glorify thee Away with all the world and with all the felicity of it and all thou hast suffered and done in it if thou canst not say when thou art going out of this world I stroue at the least to glorifie thee And at the least if thou who hast bene a notable sinner canst not say Lord forgiue me I haue bene a sinner and haue not repented in time now I repent craue thee mercy if thou canst not say this wo is
thou art the Sonne of God by Adoption and that thou art an Heire of Heauen and shalt reigne with God as an Heire of God and as a fellow-Heire with Iesus Christ Take heede the Sonne of God loueth vs in his heart when he findeth that we haue his Spirit and that we are chosen to life In these things wee should bee occupied most if euer wee would gette life wee should be busie to seeke our warrand of Heauen Alace he that hath a bit of Heritage or a bit of Land hee will bee busie night and daye to seeke a warrand for it and yet wee will not bestowe any time to seeke a warrand for life euerlasting But nowe I shall goe forwarde to the fourth argument The fourth argument is in these wordes Thou hast giuen mee them therefore Father saue and keepe thine owne gift Father thou hast giuen them to mee not to lose but to saue Well then Brethren as I saide before if this bee a reason that the Lord vseth to mooue his Father to keepe and saue his Disciples certainlie then euery soule who findeth that the Father hath giuen them ouer into the handes of the Sonne that God hath put them in the hands of the Mediator the Lord Iesus hath a sure argument that the Father will keepe them euerlastingly If thou bee giuen once to the Mediator it is a thing vnpossible that thou canst bee lost The gift of the Father is not like the gift of men When they haue giuen the gift they care not for it what to doe haue they with it it is not theirs But when the Father giueth the Chosen once to the Sonne his eye will be euer vpon that gift and he will see that that gift of the Sonne be kept and saued Ye must vnderstand this that when the Father resigneth vs ouer to the Sonne he hath a care of vs and we are still the Fathers as wel as the Sonnes and this is euident by Christes wordes is this same Chapter All mine is thine and thine is mine sayth Christ he resigneth vs not whollie as though he had no care of vs for we are his gift and his property and he quiteth him neuer of vs but euen when hee hath giuen vs to the Sonne wee remaine the Sonnes gift and the Fathers property and that gift neuer impareth that loue which the Father beareth towards vs nor his carefull prouidence ouer vs Yea by the contrary this is a meane to saue vs. Wherefore putteth hee thee in the hands of the Sonne Euen to the end that he should redeeme thee and saue thee with his blood So this is the meane yea the only meane to saue thee euerlastingly But marke this Brethren See how mutually the Father and the Sonne recommende the Chosen one to another the heart of man is not able to comprehende this care which the Father and the Sonne haue ouer the Chosen First the Father giueth them to the Sonne that hee should redeeme them and then when the Sonne hath gotten them hee maketh intercession to the Father that the Father would keepe them and saue them And whome the Father hath giuen he hath a care of them Seest thou not the groundes of thy saluation which is the mutuall recommending of thee from the Father to the Sonne and from the Sonne to the Father The Father giueth vs to the Sonne the Sonne againe maketh intercession for vs to the Father Howe can it bee possible that those can perish whom both the Father and the Sonne haue such a care of If thou be chosen how can it bee possible that thou canst perishe Seeing our saluation is so wonderfully grounded that all the power of Heauen and Earth is not able to shake off the groundes of it But alace Brethren heere is all the fault There is such a blindnesse and doubtfulnesse in our hearts that we cannot see nor feele the established groundes whereon our saluation standeth and therefore we haue not yet solide joye and consolation for all the joye of this life is the confidence of these groundes of our saluation for except a man or a woman gripe into that saluation they haue no joye Now would to God we could learne to see and feele our saluatiō we shold feel see wonderful things we shold find such a solidnes that we wold defy al the deuils of hel Now hitherto we haue heard four very strōg reasons wherby the Father shold be moued to saue the Disciples both in this life and in the life to come Now Brethrē mark these reasōs which we haue heard they are all without vs the manner of our vocation is without vs our election is without vs that that wee belong to God is without vs that we are giuen to Iesus Christ by the Father is without vs Yet all these outward graces of God will neuer auaile thee to life and saluation if thou gettest not the inwarde feeling of them in thine heart before thou be taken out of this life if thou gettest not the inwarde grace in thine heart to apprehende thy vocation and thine election if thou gripe not in thine heart first that thou art Gods property secondly that thou art Iesus Christs all the grace that thou shalt get in this life shall serue thee for nothing Nowe Brethren this feeling of grace in the heart is nothing but faith What is this faith that euery man hath in his mouth but that feeling of the grace of God The feeling of our vocation of our election and of that mercy which God giueth vs in Iesus Christ is nothing but an inwarde sight and apprehension of them all therefore the Lord leaueth all outwarde graces and commeth to the inwarde apprehension that is to faith and sayeth O Father they belieue all that J spake vnto them and therefore O Father keepe them Ye see Brethren amongst many arguments which we haue there is the most speciall when God stampeth in our heartes a feeling of grace getting once that stampe that wee are called by faith in God and in Iesus Christ then the Charter of our election is sealed for our election is but a Charter then wee haue our warrande in our bosome that wee shall neuer perishe but haue life euerlasting It is vnpossible that anie man or woman who findeth this can perishe for they haue the earnest-pennie of their saluation who haue once gotten fayth But Brethren if wee would marke the wordes which the Lord Iesus vseth in setting downe this faith they are many and weightie and great consolation in them faith must haue a knowledge for if thou hast no knowledge and sayest then that thou hast faith thou liest if thou bee an ignorant bodie and knowest not Iesus Christ and wilt stande vp and saye I haue faith thou liest faith must haue an eye a sight and a knowledge The first thing in faith is sight thou must see God and that in that glorious face of his Sonne Iesus Christ howbeit afarre off as in a
mirrour And seeing there is a sight and a knowledge required in faith the Lord passeth not ouer this but hee sayeth They haue knowne that all thinges which thou hast giuen mee are of thee There is the first the knowledge And that I came from thee there is the sight Nowe goe forwarde and yee shall see faith painted out It is not enough to knowe and to see if thou hast no more if thou hast but a knowledge and a sight of Iesus Christ onelie thou art not the nearer but the heart of man and woman must drawe in into it that thing which thou knowest and seest Thou seest and knowest Christ to bee the Redeemer the verie heart must gette out the arme and pull him in And therefore hee passeth not by this The wordes which thou gauest mee J haue giuen them vnto them Haue they knowne them onelie No but they haue also receiued them Is it enough to receiue them No that is not enough Then what must thou doe Thou must not haue Christ to night and bid him farewell to morrowe but as thou hast knowne him and receiued him so thou must keepe Christ euer in thine heart and thou must keepe all his graces thou must neuer lose him keepe him still dislodge him not dislodge rather all the worlde than thou dislodge him keepe him and let him not goe the happiest guest that euer came is when the Lord Iesus is in the heart hee is full of all joye hee is full of all peace and consolation the last that thou must keepe in thine heart is Iesus Christ So make vp faith of all these partes there are the partes of it To knowe God in Iesus Christ to vnderstand him in his worde and that which thou knowest to take it within thine heart Wee should not bee content of this onlie wee shoulde not bee content to gette CHRIST into our heartes by a piece of knowledge but sensiblie to feele him And last to keepe him who is the Treasure of all treasures and who hath giuen the treasure of all knowledge the most precious treasure in the worlde Yee will keepe vp Treasures and Hoordes in your Kistes nowe keepe rather CHRIST into your heartes than all the Hoordes in the worlde Marke againe in the argument the diuersitie of the thinges which wee belieue which are the objectes of fayth If yee marke the wordes well yee shall see this First wee must belieue in IESVS CHRIST and ere wee belieue in him wee must haue a sight and a knowledge of him and then wee must receiue IESVS CHRIST himselfe and this hee declareth when as hee sayeth Therefore haue they knowne that I came from thee And againe That I am sent from thee Wee must belieue the Mediatour the LORD IESVS to haue come from his Father And againe what is the next They haue knowne these thinges which thou hast giuen mee The next thing that they belieue is That all store of grace is in IESVS CHRIST The next thing that thy fayth shoulde reach vnto is That thou gripe into thine heart that store of grace and glorie that is in IESVS CHRIST The last thing that they belieue is the worde of GOD concerning CHRIST The Apostle Paul to the Corinthians Epist 2. Chap. 5. vers 7. sayeth Wee liue nowe by fayth and not by sight So long as wee liue Pilgrimes in this Earth and dwell in this tabernacle wee will not see the LORD IESVS face to face but when wee are once flitted out of this earthlie bodie wee shall see him face to face All the sight that wee haue of IESVS CHRIST in this life is but as in a mirrour euen as one woulde see a mans face in a mirrour And what is the mirrour wherein we see IESVS CHRIST It is nothing but this word of the Gospel and this glorious Euangel of the blessed GOD the fairest mirrour that euer man or woman looked in There they shall see the fairest sight that euer was Therefore the LORD he passeth not by this mirrour when he setteth out fayth to his Disciples They haue receiued those wordes sayeth hee which thou gauest to mee and they haue kept thy wordes The whole thing that is to bee belieued is First IESVS CHRIST and next That all joye is in him and that all store of grace is in him Last the worde of Iesus Christ in the which his glorious face is seene and shineth Contemne not this mirrour contemne not this Gospel preached for if thou contemne it it shall passe thy power to gette grace contemnest thou it thou shalt neuer taste of life in this life nor in the life to come Woe to the contemners of the Gospel they shall neuer see Christ in whome is all life all joye and all comfort c. Marke well Brethren when hee setteth out the fayth of the Disciples to the Father hee speaketh thereof in such sorte that he directeth all to the glorie of the Father Lord so deare the glorie of the Father was to the Sonne When hee speaketh of the Father hee attributeth all the glorie to the Father They haue knowne well sayeth hee that I am come from thee O Father Then againe They haue knowne that whatsoeuer thing thou hast giuen mee it is from thee There is the true knowledge of the grace of Iesus Christ when thou attributest all glorie to the Father when thou belieuest in Christ belieue that the Father sent him and that the Father gaue him to redeeme thee from death and that hee is risen and ascended to the Father belieue that the Father raised him The whole praise of faith in Christ redoundeth to the Father Whatsoeuer wee belieue in Christ as when wee belieue his death or his resurrection his glory in all fulnesse is the glory of the Father Wee knowe this by experience the faith that striketh on Christ passeth immediatly thorow that man the Lord Iesus thorow that glorious person neuer resteth till it leane on that Fountaine of all mercy and grace the Father of our Lord Iesus The Fountaine is the Father of our Lord. To speake it in one worde All this faith in Iesus Christ that wee haue redoundeth to the glory of the Father And therfore the last exhortation is That our faith be in Iesus Christ for when we belieue in the Mediator and leane vs ouer on him then the heart passeth into that light wherevnto there is none accesse where that glorious person doth dwell the Father of Iesus Christ Let not thy faith rest till it gette that sweete apprehension of that glorious person the Father and hee will saue thee and giue thee to his Sonne To whome bee alâ— honour and glorie for euermore AMEN THE XXI LECTVRE OF CHRISTES PRAYER BEFORE HIS PASSION IOHN CHAP. xvii VERS 9.10.11 9 I praye for them I praye not for the worlde but for them which thou hast giuen mee for they are thine 10 And all mine are thine and thine are mine and I am glorified in them 11 And
nowe am I no more in the worlde but these are in the worlde and J come to thee Holie Father keepe them in thy Name euen them whome thou hast giuen mee that they may bee one as wee are WElbeloued in the Lord Iesus in the seconde part of this Prayer the Lord prayeth for his Disciples whom hee was to leaue in the world behinde him when he should passe vp to the Heauens Hee vseth many arguments of his request and petition which hee maketh to his Father first from their calling out of the world by the Gospel from their election and choosing them from al eternity from this that they were the Fathers from this that they were giuen to him from this that they belieued in the Father and in him Now in the wordes which wee haue read first after many arguments yea a cloud of arguments all gathered together the Lord concludeth his petition and prayer and sayth O Father I pray for them As hee would saye Seeing so many thinges concur in them their vocation their election and the rest therfore I haue good cause to praye for them I praye for them O Father that thou wouldest keepe them it cannot be but thou must keepe them vpon whome thou hast showne so many graces Now happie are they on whom God beginnes to show any grace for on whom he begins to shew grace once there is none end of grace but continually grace vpon grace mercy followes mercy till at the last they bee glorified in the Heauens for euermore But to goe forward When he hath said I pray for them hee defineth them in speciall who they are for whom he prayeth J pray nor for the world sayth he not for the worlde that is not for the Reprobate and the wicked of the world but for them that thou hast giuen me these are they for whome hee prayeth hee excludeth the reprobates from his prayers he includeth only the Elect whom the Father hath giuen him for as the decreete of the election of God from all eternitie was limited and bounded al were not chosen all men and women were not written vp in that Booke of Life and euen as the gift that the Father gaue to the Sonne was limited and bounded hee gaue not all to the Son he gaue not euerie man and woman in this world but so many as hee had chosen to life euerlasting them hee gaue to the Sonne and no moe So I say as the decreet of election is bounded and as the gift of the Father to the Sonne is bounded euen so the intercession of the Sonne to the Father is bounded The Sonne intercedeth not with the Father for euery man and woman in this world and whether ye look to the intercession by prayer as ye see now he prayeth for the Chosen and for his Disciples in speciall whether yee looke to that intercession that was by his death and by that sacrifice the Lord he prayeth not for all that is a sure thing And when he died he died not for all but onlie for so many as the Father had chosen out from all eternity and hauing chosen them out he gaue them to his Sonne the mediator Only the Lord in the worlde made intercession for these Chosen that are giuen him So Brethren what shall wee say blessed is that man or woman that is of that chosen number and blessed is that person whom the Father hath put into the handes of the Sonne For for him the Sonne maketh intercession And woe is that soule that is not chosen and is not put into the hands of the Sonne to be kept and redeemed by him no intercession for that soule the prayer of the Lord Iesus appertaineth nothing to that soule nothing abideth that soule but anguishe and damnation euerlastingly So ye see how needfull a thing it is to haue assurance of our election to be assured perswaded in our harts that we are of that chosen number giuen to Iesus Christ This is the perswasion wee should seeke in this life if euer wee would haue comfort either in life or death and wee should aâ—e haue that respect of the life to come and set our hearts on another life than this life Therefore the thing that we should seeke most is to bee of the number of the Chosen and to be one of the number of them who are in the keeping of Iesus Christ But alas wee are so beastlie and senselesse that wee thinke there is no life no joye no glorie c. but in this life such is the blindnesse and beastlinesse of the nature of man Nowe Brethren and if yee marke againe the wordes well yee shall see a great difference betwixt the Prayer that Christ made and betwixt the Prayer of the faythfull in the worlde When wee pray for others our prayer is confused wee cannot separate the Reprobate from the Elect wee will praye for altogether good and euill because wee knowe not who is chosen and how is reprobate and casten awaye Then when wee pray for the Elect and for the Kirke our prayer is but confused and generall wee cannot praye for euerie particulare man or for euerie chosen one because wee knowe them not but generallie wee recommende vnto God the whole Kirke this is the manner of our prayer But it is farre otherwayes in this prayer which the Lorde maketh for his Disciples and for the Chosen The Lorde prayeth for his Elect but hee prayeth not for the Reprobate and particularlie heereafter hee excludeth Iudas because the Lord knewe who was elect and who was reprobate Then againe when hee prayeth for the Elect hee prayeth not confusedlie as wee doe but in his prayer his eye is set vpon euerie one of the Chosen particularlie There was neuer one of the Chosen that was that time that Christ was in the worlde or was since the beginning of the worlde or shall bee to the ende of the worlde but the LORD prayed for euerie one of them particularlie hee prayed for mee and hee prayed for thee and hee sawe euerie one of vs before the beginning of the worlde and nowe hee recommendeth vs to the Father Thinke not that the Lord Iesus prayeth confusedlie and generallie for all men no hee prayeth particularlie for the Chosen there is not one Chosen but the eye of the Lord is vpon them all Why The Lorde knewe who was chosen No there was not one little one yea the poorest vpon the face of the earth of the chosen number but in that time hee had his eye vpon them that the holie Spirit might flowe to them out of his death When the Lord died yee must not thinke that hee died for all hee died but for some hee died not for anie reprobate he separateth the Elect from the Reprobate by vertue of his death When hee offered himselfe to the death his eye was set vpon euerie one of the Elect that was in the worlde and when hee was going to death hee saide in his heart
I will die for this sinner and this sinner c. His eye was vpon euerie one of them Paul to the Galathians Chap. 2. vers 20. knewe this well The life I liue nowe in the fleshe sayeth the Apostle I liue by faith in the Sonne of God who hath loued mee and giuen himselfe not for the Chosen in generall but particularlie for mee Well then sayeth Paul this wayes that hee died for him particularlie And the Lord sayde before his death I haue a particulare eye to Paul And howbeit hee was an enemie to Christ at that time persecuting him in his members yet hee sayeth I will die for Paul Then euerie one of vs shoulde saye as Paul sayde Not generallie the Lord loued the worlde that Lord gaue himselfe for the Elect but particularlie the Lord loued mee and the Lord loued thee and the Lord died for thee and died for mee and the Lord had an eye to mee in his death and a respect to mee in his prayer c. This particulare respect which the Lord had to mee furnisheth great comforte when I consider it for if the Prince had a respect to anie particulare person hee woulde bee greatlie comforted and shoulde not this particulare respect of the LORD IESVS King of all kinges comfort vs No there is not one Chosen in this life but the Sonne of God in his death had a particulare respect vnto them not generallie but particularlie His eye was on euerie one of vs hee bestowed not confusedlie a common benefite vpon vs without regarde who gotte it No hee knewe well to whome the least sparke or droppe of that bloode shoulde appertaine Nowe to goe forwarde But J pray sayeth the Lord for them that thou hast giuen mee For all mine are thine and thine are mine and I am glorified in them It might haue beene sayde If thou hast gotten them what haue I to doe with them The LORD meeteth this No they are thine not onelie were they thine but Lorde they are thine yet and shall remaine thine euerlastinglie Whomsoeuer thou hast giuen mee I take them not out of thine hande but euer they continue thine So Brethren hee reasoneth generallie All mine are thine and thine are mine whatsoeuer thing I haue is thine and whatsoeuer thing thou hast is mine therefore I take them not out of thine hande for they are thine as well as mine The wordes are plaine wee vse to say commonlie All thinges are common amongst friendes And PAVL alledgeth in his EPISTLE to PHILEMON That friendshippe amongst men will make the goods which they haue to bee common amongst them Yee see by experience Matrimonie maketh common geare betwixt the man and the woman but there is an higher and straiter conjunction betwixt the Father and the Sonne that maketh all thinges betwixt them more common than anie conjunction in this world That conjunction is in one nature and in one essence The Father and the Sonne is but one God blessed for euermore Amen There is an higher conjunction than anie that can be found amongst the creatures And as this conjunction is of one nature and of one essence so is it also of one glory power and majesty It is true they differ in persons the Father is the first person of that glorious Trinitie and the Sonne is the second person of that glorious Trinitie yet they are both one God in essence and in substance Now thorow this conjunction it commeth to passe that that which is the Fathers is the Sonnes and that which is the Sonnes is the Fathers so all is common betwixt them the whole world is as it were common good betwixt them the Elect are common as it were common good betwixt them But here is the difference marke it Brethren the first right is the Fathers I meane the first right by order all appertaineth first to the Father because hee is the first person in order of that glorious Trinitie Then the next right of all things is the Sonnes and it is equall with the Fathers right but a seconde right because the right that the Sonne hath it is by conjunction the Father hath all of himselfe he hath it not from the Sonne because he is the fountaine of the Trinitie All that which the Sonne hath is of the Father euen that glorious essence it selfe let bee the thinges of the worlde Looke whatsoeuer the Sonne hath gotten he hath gotten it by gift of the Father Yet the Father hath not so resigned all quite ouer to the Sonne that hee hath denuded himselfe of all howbeit all be common betwixt them but the thing which is the Fathers hee keepeth it still yet by gift hee maketh it the Sonnes So that donation taketh nothing awaye of the right of the Father because that donation is not so much a donation as a communication Not only giueth hee all things readily to the Sonne but hee communicateth all thinges with the Sonne so this is rather communication than donation for whatsoeuer thing the Father giueth to the Sonne the Father keepeth still the same euerlastingly As for vs Brethren what shal we say more but this Nowe blessed is that man or woman that is of this communitie and of this common good betwixt the Father and the Sonne For he or she that is of that common good betwixt the Father and the Sonne let them bee assured that the common care of the Father and of the Sonne shall watch ouer them euerlastingly the Father shall keepe them and the Sonne shall keepe them euerlastinglie as I spake before it is a wonderfull thing to consider the grounds of our saluation and what care and prouidence the Father and the Sonne haue of the chosen ones and howe fast our saluation standeth so if wee had a sure perswasion and a liuely faith of the grounds of our saluation we would not bee so tossed with doubting as we are concerning our saluation but pleasantly and sweetlie we would repose vpon the care which the Father and the Sonne haue ouer vs But alace there is such a slough of sinne vpon our soules and wee are so senselesse that wee cannot see the groundes wherevpon our saluation standeth But to goe forward Yet he continueth in argumentes and reasons to mooue his Father to keepe his Disciples wee haue heard fiue now hee beginneth the sixth I am glorified in them that is in my Disciples therefore Father keepe them as thou respectest my glory O Father so keepe them because I am glorified in them they haue glorified me by faith in me by confession of me and in their life and conuersation These are the wayes wherein the Sonne is glorified by faith in him by confession of his Name and by an holy life and conuersaâ—ion before the worlde without the which all thy profession is but counterfaite and al is vanity if thy life answere not to thy profession So if this bee an argument that the Sonne vseth to his Father to moue him to keepe his Disciples certainely it
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
gaue some to be his Apostles some to be Euangelists some to be Pastors and some to be Doctors The ground of all is this The Father hath giuen all power in Heauen and in Earth to the Sonne Thou shouldest vnderstand this well What is the Sonne of God He is the Treasure-house of all the grace and mercy of the Father Whosoeuer would haue grace and mercy from the Father let him addresse himselfe vnto him for in him is the fulnesse of all grace and passing knowledge and wisedome in him is the deepnesse and fulnesse of the Godhead bodily as Paul sayth to the Coloss Chap. 2. vers 9. and all grace immediately is powred out from him on the Kirke Let him that would haue any grace addresse himselfe to the Sonne and desire him that the Father would giue some portion of grace out of that Treasure-house Iesus Christ If thou passest by him thou shalt neuer taste of grace Seeke grace where there is fulnesse of all grace in the world The thing which I marke of this argument is this shortly To mooue his Father to sanctifie his Disciples he vseth this argument Father I send them out to the world Now ye see the Lesson that riseth Whosoeuer commeth to the world to draw this world out of that pollution and filthinesse wherein it lieth to sanctifie the world and to make this world holy of an vncleane world to make it cleane of necessity hee must bee sanctified Alace Brethren an vnfaithfull and vnholy man let him bee a Minister as for Apostles we haue none not separated from the world but in all things like the world is vnmeet to preach and to be an Instrument or Minister of God to sanctifie the wicked worlde or to win soules to Heauen An vnholy man and in no measure separated from the world but in life and conuersation like the worlde in all vanity let him not open his mouth to speake of Christ There is not one that the Lord Iesus sendeth but in some measure hee will make them holy and therefore that man that liueth like this worlde and hath his conuersation in all pointes like the worlde I say and I assure thee the Lord neuer sent that man So if a Minister would haue a good conscience in his calling and would goe out to the worlde to draw men to Heauen let him try himselfe if he be separated from the world or no And if hee finde that hee is separated from the world then with the better conscience hee may speake of Iesus Christ and then hee may put out his hand to miserable men and draw them piece and piece out of this sinful world otherwayes he can haue no boldnesse Nowe let vs come to the seconde argument The seconde argument which hee vseth is from the ende of his sanctification For their sakes I haue sanctifie my selfe To what end That they may be sanctified through thy trueth I haue sanctified my self that is I haue consecrated my selfe to the death to bee a Sacrifice that by my death and thorow it they should be made holy and that by the ministerie of the Crosse The ground of all our sanctification is the Crosse and death of Iesus Christ It is that blood and that Sacrifice that maketh vs holy and which is that meritorious cause that hath procured holinesse to euerie one of vs. Well Brethren as little as men will count of holinesse our holinesse is deare bought there is not one that hath a sponke of holinesse little or much but it is bought by the precious blood of the immaculate Lambe it is the dearest Merchandize that euer was bought in the worlde So the ground of holinesse is the blood of God But I say againe except that the Crosse of Christ and his blood and his death and Sacrifice be made thine and applied to thee and apprehended to thee and except so to speake it the Crosse of Iesus Christ bee in thine heart and thy conscience sprinkled with his blood the Crosse of Iesus shall neuer doe thee good to make thee holy Now yee see the meane and instrument whereby the death of Christ is made ours It is the worde of Christ euen the worde of the Crosse This same Gospel of Iesus Christ wherein the Lord in a manner is crucified and painted out to thine eye that is the meane which applyeth to thy soule that death that it may bee effectuall in thee to sanctification and holinesse of life It will not bee Christ and his Crosse without thee that will sanctifie thee except thou belieue in him and by fayth drawe Christ and his blood into thine heart thou mayest well bee worse and the Crosse of Christ may condemne thee but thou shalt neuer bee the better of him But if thou belieuest this worde of the Crosse and so make Iesus Christ and his Crosse thine by fayth then the blood of Iesus Christ shall gushe out to thy sanctification It cannot bee ydle but it must sanctifie and separate thee from the worlde and make thee an Heire of Life Looke howe yee should haue a sight of the Crosse of Christ thinke it not enough that Christ suffered and died for sinners except when thou hearest this worde of the Crosse thine heart griedilie gripe and drawe Christ in to thy selfe and this aye should bee our exercise in the hearing of the word of the Crosse of Iesus Christ to get such a solide apprehension of the Crosse that thou mayest say The Lord Iesus died for me the greatest sinner in the world Look that thou find the effect and fruit to flow of that Crosse to the sanctification of thy soule mortification slaughter of thy sinfull nature day night So heare not with the eares only but with the apprehension of the heart or els that Crosse shal neuer be effectual to saue thee but for all this benefit of the word of the Crosse of Iesus Christ euerlasting death and damnation shall be thine ende Bee not secure in hearing but drawe in to thy selfe Iesus Christ and there shall followe such a joye and consolation that all the tongues of men nor Angels cannot expresse there is no pleasure comparable to that pleasure which the heart of a faythfull man will finde Now hitherto hee hath prayed for himselfe first That the Father would glorifie him and next for his Disciples eleuen in number for Iudas hath no part of that Prayer Now last he extendeth his Prayer farder out beyonde all the Apostles to the whole faythfull that shall belieue in him to the ende of the worlde And this is the third part of this Prayer a Prayer for the whole faythfull that should belieue in him to the ende of the worlde But to come to the wordes Not for them onelie that is Not for my Disciples alone doe I pray But J praye also for all them that shall belieue in me through their Worde And vvhat prayeth hee for them That they may bee made vp in one bodie joyned with
a bande of loue if thou bee not vnited by that bande with the members looke for nothing but death Then hee setteth downe the ground of our conjunction Euen that they may bee also one in vs. What is the ground of the coniunction of the members amongst themselues but the coniunction of the members in the Head If thou bee not joyned with the Head the Lord Iesus by fayth thou canst not dwell with thy neighbour in loue and charitie Hee who is joyned with the Kirke hee must first bee ioyned with Christ Hee commeth to the argumentes of this coniunction and the first is from the ende which is this That the worlde may knowe that I am sent from thee that is that the world seeing that vnion of the faythfull amongst themselues and that binding vp of their mindes and hearts by that band of loue may know me from whom that conjunction proceedeth and they may take me vp not as they doe to be a wicked man but to haue come downe from the Father and to be the Sonne of God Then Brethren there is not a thing in the world no not an effect in the world where in that vertue of Iesus Christ appeareth more than in this conjunction of the members of the Kirke in the Earth So wouldest thou showe before the worlde that Iesus is God equall with the Father bee at one with thy neighbour Wouldest thou glorifie Iesus Christ and professe him before the worlde and honour him liue in peace vnitie and concord Wouldest thou dishonour him and shame him before the world be at variance haue no peace and no loue If thou wouldest set thy selfe to make the worlde thinke that Iesus Christ is not one with the Father haue no peace with thy neighbour This conjunction and making vp of one body is no small effect of the vertue of Iesus Christ there is no power in Heauen nor in Earth but this power of God that will make vp that band all the Kinges in the Earth will not make thee loue thy neighbour truely no power can make thee loue thy Wife truely no not thy Children but onely that power that floweth from Iesus Christ the infinite power of that Godhead which floweth from him to thy soule is able to turne thine hatred into loue and to sanctifie thee So wouldest thou glorifie Christ in this world and liue in this world to the glory of him and professe that he is God and that the fulnesse of the Godhead dwelleth in him bodily striue so farre as lieth in thee to keepe peace with all men and bee knitte vp in loue with thy neighbour as thou wouldest glorifie him in this life and haue part of that euerlasting glorie purchased by the blood of Christ To whome with the Father and the holie Spirit bee all prayse honour and glorie for euermore AMEN THE XXIV LECTVRE OF CHRISTES PRAYER BEFORE HIS PASSION IOHN CHAP. xvii VERS 22.23.24 22 And the glorie that thou gauest mee J haue giuen them that they may bee one as wee are one 23 I in them and thou in mee that they may bee made perfect in one and that the world may know that thou hast sent mee and hast loued them as thou hast loued mee 24 Father J will that they which thou hast giuen mee bee with mee euen where I am that they may beholde that my glorie which thou hast giuen mee for thou louedst mee before the foundation of the world IN the last part of this PRAYER Wel beloued in the Lord Iesus the Lord after that hee hath prayed for himselfe that the Father would glorifie him and after that hee had prayed for his Disciples to wit the eleuen for hee prayeth not for Judas because hee was the sonne of perdition at last he conceiueth a Prayer for the whole faithfull to the ende of the worlde I pray not sayeth the Lord for them onelie that is for my Disciples but I pray for all them that will belieue in mee through their word The thing which he prayeth for the whole faithfull is this That they may bee one in this worlde joyned in one heart and minde to make vp in this Earth that glorious bodie of Iesus Christ that is the thing hee prayeth for The first argument yee hearde the last daye which was from the ende of that vnion of men and women in the Kirke of God and of the making vp of the bodie of Iesus Christ Then the world shall know that Christ is sent of the Father In that conjunction and vnion they shall see that Iesus Christ is the Messias sent of the Father to the worlde for the redemption of the world that is the first argument Now wee goe forward in this present Text to the second argument of his petition for the whole faythfull to the ende of the world The second argument is taken from the end of that glorie which the Father hath giuen to the Sonne and that the Sonne hath giuen to the faythfull the ende of all this is That there should be an vnion and conjunction amongst the members of one bodie of Iesus Christ in the Earth The glory that the Father gaue to the Sonne and the glorie that the Sonne gaue to vs tendeth to this end that we be joyned together in the Earth to make vp the bodie of Iesus Christ Seeing that all the glorie that thou hast giuen mee and I haue giuen them serueth to this that they may bee one as we are one this is the thing I pray for That they may bee vnited in one bodie The glorie sayeth the Lord that thou hast giuen mee I haue giuen it vnto them That is to the whole faythfull not to his Disciples onlie but to the whole faythfull to the end of the worlde What is the glorie that the Father hath giuen to the Sonne The next word expoundeth it and maketh it cleare The glorie that the Father giueth to the Sonne standeth in this that the Father is in the Sonne I in them and thou in mee The Father is in the Sonne the Father hath giuen himselfe to the Sonne This is high but I shall make it plaine to you In the eternall generation wherein the Father begot the Sonne from all eternity without beginning the Father communicated with the Sonne that whole glorious substance and nature and as soone as hee communicated with the Sonne his whole glorious nature and substance so soone the Father and the Sonne became one in nature and substance And therefore considering this communication of the nature and substance of the Father and the Sonne it is saide that the Father is in the Sonne to wit in nature and substance and that the Father hath giuen to the Sonne his glorie For Brethren what is the glorie of God Nothing but the glorious essence and nature of God and this is the glorie that he giueth to the Sonne What is meant againe by this glorie that the Sonne giueth to the Father The wordes in the next Vers