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
the like whereof thou neuer sawest euen the illumination of the soule So he dwelling and working within thee thou shalt know him Our Lesson is Dwell with vs who so will and let vs dwell with whome wee vvill in this worlde and if it were with Kinges and wee dwell not with the Spirite of CHRIST and hee dwell not into vs againe vvee are but miserable in our dwelling So let men looke what euer they bee doing that the Spirite of CHRIST bee with them sleepe they vvake they goe they to their bedde looke that hee bee with them And in one worde looke that hee bee a companion with thee for otherwayes and thou hadst all the vvorld with thee thou art but a miserable solitary body The wordes following I will not leaue you Fatherlesse but I will come to you It is the same thing in effect hee spake of before to confirme them I will not leaue you like Fatherlesse Children And man wanted Father and Mother and all his Kinne and all moyen worldly look how precious a thing it is to haue the Spirit of Christ and hee were casten out into the Wildernesse and he haue the Spirit of God hee is not alone hee wanteth not a good guide in this worlde the Spirit of Iesus is with him and hee shall loue him that in the greatest dangers in the worlde hee shall saue him and suppose hee lose his life hee shall get a better life and suppose hee haue a battell hee shall triumph and suppose hee die and the body bee dissolued into dust the Spirit shall not leaue the dust till hee lift vp the body and place it in the Heauen Dauid Psal 146. vers 5. sayeth Blessed is he who hath the God of Iaakob for his helpe vvhose hope is in the Lord his God It followeth not thou hast not a Father therefore God will bee thy Father or thou wantest a Mother therefore God will bee thy Mother It will not followe It will not bee vvant that will make GOD to bee thy Defender this must bee that Dauid sayeth Ere euer GOD bee the GOD of the Fatherlesse the Fatherlesse must hope in him and the Widdow must leane to him Woulde the Stranger and the Fatherlesse haue God with them let them leane vpon God and the Heauen shall fall ere this leaning stocke fall Our hope must bee in God Now on the other part Brethren this riseth on these vvordes Let a man haue his Father and his Mother and all the vvorld yet vvant he this companion the Spirit of Christ to accompany him to goe with him hee is euer Fatherlesse And hee were a King and hee were riding in the middest of his troupe and Gunnes and Canons about him hee is but solitary and Fatherlesse and vvithout a Guarde and a preye to the Deuill and to his enemies Experience teacheth vs this in all ages the greatest men haue fallen down miserably vvho vvanted this Spirit to be their guarde In one vvorde Let all the vvorlde guarde a man and GOD guarde him not hee hath no guarde All thinges are nothing vvithout GOD and GOD is all thinges As yee vvould bee saued in this life and in that life to come neuer rest night nor day vvithout yee finde the companie of this Spirite and say and it vvere but this vvorde vvhen yee rise LORD let thy Spirit rise vvith mee and accompany mee the vvhole daye and LORD let mee haue his blessed society that I may bee defended from mine enemies In this broken band should vvee not take vs to him vvho hath power to defende vs and should vvee not bee acquainted vvith him vvho vvill not leaue vs And seeing there is none of vs vvho findeth not in our selues a thousand vvantes and that vvee are subject to many dangers and seeing hee hath promised the presence of his Spirite to all vvho vvanteth and crieth for grace vve ought euery one in these troublesome dayes to seeke the presence of this Spirit to supplie all our vvantes To this Spirit vvith the Father and the Sonne bee all honour and glory for euermore Amen THE SIXT LECTVRE OF CHRISTES BEFORE HIS PASSION IOHN CHAP. xiiii VERS 19.20 19 Yet a little while and the world shall see mee no more but yee shall see mee because J liue yee shall liue also 20 At that day shall yee know that I am in my Father and you in mee and J in you WEE heard Beloued in Christ the Lord beeing shortly to leaue this worlde and to take his bodily presence from it and from his Disciples hee not onely comforteth them against that time but hee exhorteth them to doe their duety in his absence The first exhortation was to fayth Belieue mee sayeth hee that I am in the Father and the Father in mee The seconde was to the keeping of his Commaundementes The argument was first in keeping his Commandementes they should testifie before the worlde that they loued him in his absence None loueth the Lord Iesus in his absence but they who striue to keepe his Commandements till his comming The next was a mouing argument If they should keep his Cōmandements he should recompense his absence and whereas when hee was present with them he was their Comforter if they should keepe his Commandements in his absence hee should send them another Comforter out of the Heauens who should abide with them He calleth him the Spirit of Trueth whom the worlde could not receiue because it knew him not nor saw him not but they knew him because they were familiar with him Then hee maketh a farder promise to them that the Spirit should be in an higher measure present with them after his Ascension than euer hee was before his Ascension Then hee repeateth this same promise in other wordes and hee sayeth I shall not leaue you comfortlesse but I shal returne againe to you Not as hee shall come in the daye of judgement but in his Spirit and in his power So if yee marke well yee will see the Lord hath promised three times his Spirite to comfort them and to abide with them First he said That he should pray the Father and he should giue them another Comforter Secondly That that Spirit should bee into them Thirdly That that Spirit should not leaue them In the beginning of the Text wee haue read hee repeateth the fourth time the same promise in effect Yet a little while and the world shall not see mee but yee shall see mee That is in my Spirit and in that Spirite yee shall see mee more effectually than euer I vvas of before during the time of my bodily presence What meaneth this oft repetition of the promises of the Spirit Had it not bene enough once to haue promised this Spirit Brethren it is an hard matter for sinners to receiue comfort to miserable creatures to look for grace or mercy they will be casten in such perplexitie difficulty that in a maner they will see no outgate all the words in the world will
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
leadeth vs in the way of trueth and verity We are all out of the way till he leade vs in the way of saluation There is neuer man nor woman who is not naturally full of vanity and his heart full of lies no trueth chiefly in the way that leadeth to life and saluation The spirit of errour occupieth naturally the heartes of men and women vntill this blessed Spirite enter into their heartes The name is to bee marked First hee is called the Comforter Secondlie the Spirit of trueth The one of these is the cause of the other And the Spirite of GOD is the Comforter and ministreth comfort to the soules of men and vvomen because hee is the Spirite of veritie For Brethren this knowledge of God is the grounde of all comfort and vvithout the knowledge of our saluation there is no comfort in this life When the Spirite of God entereth into the soule of a man or woman he first beginneth to let the creature see the sinfulnesse that lieth in nature the miserie death and damnation that followeth on sinne The first knowledge we can haue is to knowe vvhat we are by nature So the first worke of the Spirit of Veritie is when he letteth a man or woman see that hee is but sinfull and dead vnder sinne The second point of knowledge that the Spirite vvill leade thee vntill hee vvill let thee see mercy in thy deliuerance from sinne and death The best sight that euer a miserable creature sawe and the ioyfullest this sight vvill bee accompanied vvith such a ioy as the heart of man cannot expresse As the sight of sinne was heauy so this sight of grace mercy in Iesus Christ is sweet yea the ioyfullest sight that euer the creature got The third point of knowledge he vvill leade thee vnto is hee vvill let thee see the vvay howe thou shouldest meete that mercifull God and vvhat shoulde bee thy duety for such a mercifull deliuerance If any man or vvoman haue this Spirit of Verity he must see these three things and if they see not these three they vvist neuer what vvas the Spirite of Verity Looke vvhat followeth on these three sights all the ioye in the vvorlde the heart vvist neuer vvhat ioye vvas vvhile then If one had all the riches in the vvorlde all the pleasures in the vvorlde if they vvant the Spirite they vvant that true ioye in death in life hee that vvanteth that Spirit can haue no ioy vvhen death commeth to him and the vvorld leaueth him how can he reioyce no he cannot So vvouldest thou haue ioye and chiefely in the houre of death and that is a sad houre when the vvorlde is leauing thee and thou leauing it for thou must leaue it Get this blessed sight and this Spirite of Verity and hee shall vvorke comfort in thy soule both in thy life and in the houre of death Now againe the second time he aggreageth this benefite for the benefite of the soule cannot bee aggreaged enough before he aggreageth it in that it should abide vvith them for euer Now he aggreageth it from the condition of the vvorld and hee sayth Hee is such a Spirit that the worlde cannot receiue The aggreaging of this benefite to the soule is by opposition to the vvorlde The vvorld sayth the Lord receiued not this Spirit of Verity vvhom yee shall receiue It hath a great force the Spirite of GOD vvhen hee vvoulde amplifie the grace that the Chosen gette in the vvorlde vseth to sette downe a grace opposite to the worlde vvho getteth not this grace but in place of it getteth miserie So in the threescore Chapter of Esay and the twelfth Verse hee sayeth The Lord shall rise vp and make the beames of his mercie to shine vpon his owne Hee setteth not downe this simplie but to let them see the greatnesse of the benefite hee subjoyneth an opposition And darknesse sayeth hee shall couer the Earth and grosse darknesse the people but the Lord shall rise vp to shine vpon thee with the beames of that his mercy and his glory shall bee seene vpon thee This is done that the godly should see the greatnesse of the mercy of God towards them One contrary will make another the better to be knowne Brethren wee see this all the aduersaries vse this argument against vs Your Kirke is contracted in little boundes and your Profession is but narrow and fewe imbrace it where yee finde one who professeth as yee professe ye will find an hundreth who contemne your Doctrine So say they because the multitude imbraceth it not it is not the true Light But these wordes condemne them The Lord sayeth The vvorlde cannot receiue the Spirite of Veritie They say The vvorlde must receiue the Spirite of Veritie or else it is not the Spirite of Veritie So to ende this Wee must bee so farre from that to count the lesse of this blessed Light and of these whome the Lord vsed as instrumentes after hee had taken them out of the darke Kingdome of the Antichrist to make this Light shine like the Sunne that euen by the contrary wee must count the more of it And it is an argument that it is the Trueth because the Lord will not communicate it with the multitude And woe is the soule that neuer saw this Light Precious thinges are but rare The more pecious a grace bee euermore since the beginning of the worlde it is the rarer No man getteth this Light communicated to them but those secret ones whom the Lord hath chosen And we one day shall blesse this Light that euer we saw it The worde is to bee marked The worlde cannot receiue him This worde importeth that the fault wherefore the worlde receiueth not this Spirite is not in the Spirite but the fault is in the vvorlde it selfe vvho vvanteth the hand and so neither will nor can receiue such a grace The Lord in his worde offereth to all men indifferentlie this Spirite and as it were by his vvorde knocketh at the heartes of men and women to receiue such a guest There is none of vs who heareth this glorious Euangel but the Lord knocketh at the doore of his soule to take in this Holy Spirit to dwell with him But looke howe hee is answered All receiueth not this Spirit and all hearts are not opened to take him in yea very fewe there bee who take in this Spirite in their heart when they heare this Euangel Take heed there is no grace nor welfare without this Spirit and howe can the heart bee glad without him Yet they are few who get him To speak the trueth There is no man nor woman who is naturally borne to receiue this Spirit of God The naturall man sayth Paul is not capable of the thinges that are of God 1. Cor. 2.14 So by nature all men and women are alike Then who maketh the difference sayth Paul to the Corinthians What hast thou that thou hast not receiued 1. Cor. 4.7 Then if there bee a
followeth that whosoeuer findeth in their heartes that they haue glorified the Sonne in belieuing in him in confessing of him and in their life and conuersation that man or that woman may bee assured in their heart and saye The Father keepeth me and I am in his custodie I am assured that the Father hath a speciall care ouer mee because I finde my delite and pleasure to be set on Christ No no if the Father had not mee in his custodie I should not haue such a pleasure and delite to glorifie him The heart that findeth no delite nor pleasure to glorifie Christ Iesus in this life hath no warrand that it is in the keeping and custodie of the Father if thou findest no faith at no time and if thy life in some measure answere not to thy profession saye The care of the Father is not ouer me I am desolate I am not in Gods handes that is the most desolate creature in the worlde whome the Father hath not in his custodie yea though all the worlde should compasse him and guard him round about And by the contrarie whome the Father hath a care of they are better guarded than if all the Kings of the Earth were about them for Brethren yee may well know that the Father loueth that person well that loueth his welbeloued for he who loueth the Sonne the Lord Iesus he loueth the Father also and the Father loueth him and hee who honoureth the Sonne the Father shall honour him And by the contrary he who dishonoureth the Sonne the Father shall dishonour him and shame him in despite of all the worlde albeit all the world should honour him he will haue him shamed he shal set him vp to be an open shame to man and Angel he shall be Anathema yea and Anathema Maranatha that is cursed for euer who loueth not the Lord Iesus There is such a strait and narrow conjunction betwixt the Father and the Son that the honour of the Father is the honour of the Sonne and the honour of the Sonne is the honour of the Father and that the dishonour of the Sonne is the dishonour of the Father and the hatred of the Sonne is the hatred of the Father also Ye heard what Christ said Hee who honoureth me he honoureth him who sent me A Prince will thinke that his Ambassadour shoulde bee as well reuerenced as himselfe for all the honour that the Ambassadour receiueth commeth to the Prince who sent him Now the Sonne of God is more than an Ambassadour sent by the Father for he is not a simple Ambassador but also the Sonne of God equall with the Father who is more than all the Ambassadours in the world Will not then the Father thinke that the honour done to the Sonne whom hee hath sent is done to himselfe Yes certainlie But to leaue this Yet he continueth on and bringeth other arguments heapeth argument vpon argument to shew that great desire which he had that the Father should keepe and saue his Disciples who were in the world J am no more in the world I goe away and concerning my bodily presence I am no more with them they will abide still in the world therfore O Father keepe them in respect that I leaue them to thee and I am to goe out of the worlde and that shortlie therefore take thou the care of them Euen as a man dying leaueth them whom he loueth well to tender friendes Euen so the Lord Iesus leaueth his Disciples to his Father that he should take them in his custodie When I was with them saith hee I kept them but nowe I am going out of the worlde and I leaue them vnto thee therefore Father keepe them Brethren this absence of Christ in his bodie and our absence from him it is so farre from that to bee an argument that God hath left vs that by the contrarie this absence of Iesus Christ in his bodilie presence and the leauing of vs behinde him now in the Earth it is an argument to euerie one of vs that God is with vs and that the Father of Iesust Christ hath a speciall care of vs for looke the farder that Iesus Christ bee from vs in his bodilie presence the nearer is the Father vnto vs by his holie Spirite that Comforter So that yee woulde thinke it a wonderfull thing to consider the care that the Father hath of vs in the absence of Iesus Christ from vs. It is good for vs that Iesus Christ our Lord went to the Heauens in glorie And Christ sayeth himselfe If I goe not awaye that Comforter the Holie Spirite shall not come And this is sure the more desolate that anie bee in this Earth as the Fatherlesse Widdowes and Strangers c. if they bee Christes the greater is the care of God ouer them So yee will finde in the SCRIPTVRES hee will take into his hande and haue a speciall care of the Widdowes and Fatherlesse so that they bee Iesus Christes and once giuen to him If thou bee desolate looke that thou bee Iesus Christes and if thou wouldest not want the societie of Iesus Christ aboue all beware of Infidelitie which is nothing but the beginning of that euerlasting desolation Woulde wee haue joye or consolation in anie desolate estate in the worlde Woulde wee haue that presence of God and that consolation of the Holie Spirite No more but this See that thou bee Christes for Heauen and Earth shall goe together and all shall turne to nothing ere the Lorde bee not with thee to keepe thee and to guarde thy soule as the Apostle sayeth to the PHILIPPIANS with that peace with passeth all vnderstanding Hee will set that peace into thine heart when thou art in trouble and hee will set thine heart at rest and giue thee a greater peace than all the peace in the worlde Nowe when hee hath repeated these argumentes hee concludeth shortlie Holie Father keepe them in thy NAME them whome thou hast giuen mee that they maye bee one with vs as wee are one Marke Brethren these wordes which the LORD vttereth haue a great weight and also this petition which hee maketh to the Father it is full of affection and loue And it is full of affection first to the Father then to the Disciples for whom he prayeth It is full of affection to him whom to hee prayeth to them for whose cause he prayeth Looke when thou prayest that thy affectiō be to thy God to them also for whom thou prayest Hee sayeth Holie Father keepe them Will yee consider euerie worde and first these wordes Holie Father yee shall perceiue a great affection in the Sonne to the Father These wordes rise on two motiues the one is loue that is an affection which the Sonne bare to the Father When he calleth him Father he vttreth that wonderfull loue which he bare to the Father And then the other riseth on a great reuerence that Iesus Christ our Lord bare to his Father when
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
not giue them comfort But to ripe vp the mater more deeply to cleare how he is said to come there appeares in this Chap. in other places three coÌ„mings of the Lord Iesus The first was when he came into the world humbled into the nature of man a very base coÌ„ming into the world this was the coÌ„ming that the Fathers of old looked for All the Fathers froÌ„ Adam till Christ looked ay for that first coÌ„ming of the Messias and it was a very hard thing to the Fathers to look for such a grace to come in the worlde All the grace of the worlde is in the comming of the Lord Iesus his presence bringeth joye into the vvorlde And take him awaye there is no grace in the vvorlde The thing in the vvorlde that Abraham vvould fainest haue seene was Christ and it is saide hee longed to see that daye and hee sawe him and hee rejoyced but hee sawe him but afarre off Faine vvoulde the Kinges and the Prophets of olde haue seene him Now considering this hardnesse they had in looking for such a grace the Lord had respect to it In time of olde and from the beginning till his comming the promise of his comming vvas repeated to Adam Abraham and Iaakob to the people by the Prophets it was driuen into their eares continually till the Lord came and put an ende till all and fulfilled all the promises The second comming is the comming in his Spirit After his glorious Ascension he came to his Disciples in the full measure of his Spirit Act. 2. Now as it appeareth in this place the Disciples thought it hard enough to looke for this second comming of the Lord in his Spirite and therefore this promise is oft repeated to them J shall pray the Father and hee shall giue you another Comforter The Spirit shall be in you I shall not leaue you comfortles the worlde shal see me no more but ye shal see me What meanes this This frequent repetition means that it was an hard thing to cause the Disciples to look for this secoÌ„d coÌ„ming of the Lord in his Spirit there are two coÌ„mings past done the coÌ„ming of the Lord in his body the coÌ„ming of him in his Spirit is nowe come to passe for all the grace we haue is froÌ„ him in his Spirit Rests his last coÌ„ming when he shal come in proper person perfectly glorified not coÌ„ming like the first for then hee came in humility but hee shall come more glorious than any King Emperor or Monarch or any creature in heaueÌ„ or in earth Yee see by experience in so many miseries it is a very hard thing to looke for so great a grace and deliuerance for he shall bring with him that rich reward and euerlasting redemption and a thousand impediments will bee casten in to stay vs to looke for that comming to cause vs misbelieue it There is no man that euer hath set his mind on that comming who findeth not these impediments No there is none who will set their eyes on that comming but they shall find a cloud of darknesse to couer their eyes to cause them misbelieue that glorious comming The Lord hath considering this well and knowing this hardnesse hee hath doubled tripled the promises of his comming in the New Testament And it is the will of the Lorde that they who preach this Gospel to the world should driue in the eares of the people that the Lord Iesus shall come once in glory Let scorners saye what they will one day he shall come againe and when hee commeth hee shall bring the full redemption of his owne In a worde all our preaching should bee of the last comming of the Lord Iesus to cause the faythfull raise vp their hearts to heauen to await for that comming For in that second comming standeth the full joye and felicity of the faythfull So wee should euer keepe in our hearts this promise that the Lord Iesus will come and take vs to himselfe that we may haue joy And he who hath not this joy in waiting for the comming of the Lord he wanteth the true joye And this should be the joy of a Christian and hee should sigh and long for it Now to come to the Text Ere he come to the repeating of the promises of the comming of the Spirite hee setteth downe what shall be the estate of the world The world sayth hee shall see mee no more let me once go out of the world the Iewes the Pharises who contemned me shall neuer see me againe but ye shall see me This is an accustomable thing to the Spirit of God to the end the grace of God should appeare the greater to set it downe in opposition to the world so that when we see that wee get a grace that the worlde getteth not wee should make much of it Wee shoulâ—â— make much of this Gospel for the world hath not gotten it great Nations want it it should make vs very loath to want this light and to be carefull that it slip not away Woe to our Princes and to our lordes and woe to all the estates of this Land and they let this light goe out seeing the Lord hath beautified vs with such grace and light as he hath denied to other Nations better than wee are wee are vnworthie of it To come to the words The world shall see me no more meaning the Scribes Pharisees malicious Iewes As he would say They haue seene me once contemned me Well for this contempt when I shall goe away they shall neuer see me again Once contemne any presence of Christ when that presence shall bee taken out of thy sight thou shalt neuer get another presence The Iewes had him amongst them and might haue seene him howbeit hee was base yet full of grace and verity if they had looked well to him they might haue seene him the God of glorie but they would not looke to him but contemned him fra once he was taken away they neuer got a sight of him againe This is the thing wherewith hee threatneth the Pharisees so oft Yee would faine haue mee away Well I shall goe but where I goe yee shall not come Brethren we haue a presence of the Lord Iesus howbeit not in his body yet in Spirit he shines in his word wee find that power and Majesty to come downe from the Heauen and worke in vs by his worde wilt thou contemne this presence darest thou contemne it Be thou King Lorde Barron c. I shall giue thee this wearde Thou shalt neuer see his last presence in his glory but to thy shame Brethren the worlde beguiles themselues they will contemne the word and that base kind of the presence of Christ in the Gospel and they will not deinzie the word with their presence and if they will be present they comtemne it and will driue ouer their dayes in security and if ye aske at them if they will goe to Heauen they will
Let not the Minister leaue off to preach and let not the people leaue off to heare but let euer the sâ—ede bee sowne and let euer the heart receiue the seede and holde euer vp the eare and in despite of thine heart when thine heart would loathe it euer heare and striue to holde vp thine eares and abide in patience till the Lord send better Peter in his first Epist chap. 1. vers 23. he calleth the seed of the word an immortall seed It will neuer die it may be choaked holden down It can no more die saith Peter than God can die So of necessity in the ende when it shall please God to waken that word by his holy Spirit in the heart then it shall afford solide joy and consolation till vs these sentences shal be called to our remembrance which wee heard before without fruit and edification We haue found this in experience wheÌ„ man or woman hath most adoe in affliction this same very Comforter will come to the heart and renew the remembrance and will cause them to haue a joy in that word which they heard before with deafe eares And this is true that at the last hee shall comfort his owne with that worde which they hearde with deafe eares for the worde cannot passe awaye without some effect Hee sayeth The holy Spirite shall teach them all things We know he who teacheth is called a Teacher yet when he sayth The holy Spirit shall teach he calleth him not a Teacher but a Comforter because al his doctrine tendeth to consolation There is no comfortable doctrine but that doctrine of the holy Spirit inwardly working in the soule We will say Men will teach comfortable doctrine but all the comfortable doctrine we heare proceedeth of this that the holy Spirit accompanieth their doctrine and worketh comfort inwardly If thou hast anie consolation inwardlie by teaching thou mayest rejoyce and bee assured that thou hast a glorious Doctour euen the third person of the Trinitie in thine heart There is no consolation in the outwarde Teacher without him whome the Father shall sende in my Name The Father sendeth the holie Spirite in the Name of the Sonne and sendeth that Spirit by his Sonne as Mediator The Spirite and all his graces floweth till vs from the Father but mediatelie thorowe the Sonne as a mediate person There commeth not a grace till vs but thorow the Sonne All power is giuen to him and thorow him immediately all joye is conuoyed to the creature The Iewes and Paganes passe ouer this and thinke to climbe vp to God the Father without the Messias but they shall neuer see him for the God of Heauen hath placed in him as in a store-house all grace vvhich he shall bestow vpon the vvorld as Iustice Mercy Sanctification Ioye Peace and tranquility of Conscience and hee hath bought them by no lesse price than by his Blood they are all bought by the blood of the immaculate Lambe of God Thou vvho hast gotten a sponke of that grace thou hast gotten a greater grace than if thou hadst gotten all the Kingdomes of the vvorlde But what shall he teach you All things Not all the fantasies of men not the inuentions of the Pope but all things J haue tolde you The Lord be mercifull to this worlde vvhich wandereth after the inuentions of men And blessed art thou who restest vpon that vvord which the Spirit hath told Marke hath the vvorde preached none effect but by the Spirit conuoying it Not Euen so on the other part the Spirit will teach nothing but that which hath come out of the mouth of Iesus Christ Bee not deceiued What call I the word of Christ That is the word of Christ that â—he Prophets spake of olde as Peter testifieth for the Prophets spake by the Spirit of Christ Next I call the word of Christ that which he spake himselfe in the worlde Thirdly that which the Apostles spake Last I call the worde of God the Scriptures of the Olde and New Testament vvhich the Lord hath registrated in his mercie And take it awaye miserable darknesse shall come vpon the vvorlde Let it stand giue it the owne power it shall shine like light vnto the worlde They will saye it hath not all that Christ spake and that the Apostles spake I answere The Lord Iesus spake nothing nor his Apostles spake nothing but all in effect is contained in this written word There is not a word that the Spirit of Iesus shall speake vnto thy soule but onely that which is registrated in the Olde and New Testament That Trueth shall stand inspite of the world This place therefore confuteth all them that are enemies to the Scriptures Mahomet began said the Scripture was imperfect The Pope brought in mens Traditions to supply the wants of the Scriptures Others as the Anabaptistes awaite on that reuelation of the Spirit besides that reuelation of Iesus Christ in his worde But inspite of them they shall get none other reuelation nor the Spirit shall accompany no word but that which Iesus hath spoken left in register Now Lord if we with whome hee hath let his light remaine shoulde praise him The Lord accompany his worde with the presence of his Spirite that Comforter in our soules inwardly till his comming in the Cloudes and we see him face to face To whom bee praise honour and glory for euer and euer Amen THE EIGHT LECTVRE OF CHRISTES DOCTRINE BEFORE HIS PASSION IOHN CHAP. xiiii VERS 27.28.29.30.31 27 Peace J leaue with you my peace I giue vnto you not as the world giueth giue I vnto you Let not your heart bee troubled nor feare 28 Yee haue heard howe I saide vnto you I goe away and will come vnto you Jf yee loued mee yee would verily reioyce because J saide I goe vnto the Father for the Father is greater than I. 29 And now I haue spoken vnto you before it come that when it is come to passe yee might belieue 30 Heereafter will J not speake manie thinges vnto you for the prince of this world commeth and hath nought in mee 31 But it is that the worlde may knowe that I loue my Father and as the Father hath commanded mee so I doe Arise let vs goe hence IN the beginning of this Chapter Brethren Christ began to comfort his Disciples against the time hee was to with-drawe his bodily presence from them and he continued a while in comforting them and then after he beginneth to exhort them First to belieue in him and next to obedience to keepe his Commaundementes and hee insisted chiefely in this That they should keepe the worde hee spake vnto them in his absence Now in the beginning of these wordes wee haue read the Lord returneth againe to that consolation that he began with to wit That they should not bee troubled in his absence The arguâ—ent is taken from that peace hee leaueth with them Seeing I leaue peace with you what need yee to bee troubled
that that denunciation perteined not to them because they were liuely members they were cleane through the worde which hee had spoken to them Our lesson is When thou hearest a denunciation of judgemeÌ„t or promise of mercy make euer application to thy selfe and say Lord perteineth this judgement to me and O Lord perteineth this mercy to mee Without this application there is no generall doctrine can do good or edifie thee So when we heare of this that some are liuing branches some dead we shold enter in triall with our selues whether we are to abide with Christ or to be cut off and casten into the fire It is true we haue not Christ to speak with vs and to resolue vs of such doubts yet the Lord hath neuer left anie faithful man or woman so destitute but he gets a certification assurance that he is a liuely member The Lord if he be in any man or woman he shall make that person know that he liueth in them The most sensible thing in the worlde is the life of Christ as sensibly wâ—l the creature feele the life of Christ in their harts as they wil feel this natural life Besides this if the sap of Christ be in a ma the fruit wil burst out if thou wouldst know a man look to his life good works let his life testify whether he be a liuely meÌ„ber or not if their life testify otherways I testify to thee in the Name of God they are no liuely meÌ„bers Certainly Christ caÌ„not dwel within one but he must vtter himself in the hand tong Now hereafter he subjoynes the reason wherfore they are clean how they are made cleane By the words saith he that J haue spoken ye are made cleane wherefore spake I so much to you but to make liuelie members of you who were drie branches The way to make a man a liuely branch is the worde of Iesus it cleanseth the soule which is foule My word is Spirit and Life John 6. vers 63. It is the force of the Spirit to purge the soule The worde sayeth Peter is that immortall seede of regeneration 1. Epist Chap. 1. vers 23. Our seede is mortall and so if wee haue not another seede of God wee are but dead It is no maruell that the word of God purgeth because it is Life and Spirit Looke but to that experience that godlie men haue in hearing the worde of Iesus Christ and that joye that riseth in the heart What meaneth this Will the vvordes of anie man worke this joye in the heart No but when men heare these promises of life and of grace and consolation O what consolation what peace what rest what joye will the sinner get And this testifieth that the worde is powerfull to worke in the soule that life of God The houre shall come sayeth the Lord that the dead shall heare the voyce of the Sonne of God and they that shall heare shall liue John 5. vers 25. 1 Pet. 1. vers 22. Our soules are purged by the hearing of the worde If this bee the meane the Lord hath ordained to get life let vs take pleasure to heare the worde And I saye that man that hath not a pleasure in some mâ—asure to heare the word but coÌ„temneth it is no meÌ„ber of Christ and hath neuer beene truely ingraffed in Christ nor got neuer of that sappe which is in Christ and neuer wist what Iesus Christ was As thou therefore wouldest liue and as thou wouldest bee sanctified in this life glorified with the Lord in the HeaueÌ„s take pleasure to heare this word if thou would taste any sweetnes of Christ grow in holinesse and chiefely seeing thou must leaue this world begin to liue this life which neuer shall haue an end Now in the next words after he hath laide down the grounds he commeth to the first exhortation Abide in mee and I in you The meaning of the exhortation is this Ye haue begun to be joyned with me in Spirit and in fayth as yee haue begun so continue in that vnion to the ende He sayth not Abide still with me and I with you but abide in mee These wordes haue a greater signification than the other they signifie a straiter vnion with Christ for Brethren yee must marke the members of Iesus Christ not onelie abide with him here and dwell with him but euery one of them abideth in him and dwelleth in him as yee sâ—e the branches of the tree they are not sayde so much to abide with the tree as to abide in the tree so are we in him And on the other part the Lord Iesus is not said only to abide with his Kirke on the earth but howbeit hee bee in the Heauens to dwell in his Kirke and in euery member who belieueth in him yea in all their hearts euen as yee see the tree abideth in her branches so the Lord Iesus the Vine tree abideth in his branches This place requireth that wee speake somewhat of this vnion the members haue with Christ and hee with them This conjunction betwixt Christ and his members who are faythfull ye must not imaginate to be a bodily and naturall conjunction as ye see is betwixt creatures as the head with the body it is not so grosse a conjunction there is no conjunction bodily so neare so strait as that conjunction of Iesus Christ nowe in the Heauens with his members the heade is not so surely joyned with the body by nearnes as the Lord Iesus our Head is joyned with euery member who belieueth in him vpon this earth The body and the head may bee seuered but the members of Iesus Christ once truely ingraffed in him by his Spirit and by fayth shall neuer be cut off all the powers of Heauen and Hell shall not separate them What shall separate vs from the loue of Iesus Christ shall hunger and sworde c. yea in these wee are more than victorious Rom. 1.35.37 So yee see this conjunction is not to bee imagined to bee a grosse conjunction as the Papistes imagine but I leaue them But this conjunction is spirituall and mysticall I call that a spirituall vnion and conjunction that we haue with him because it is wrought after an heauenly and spirituall manner and is made not with bodily bandes as ligamentes and sinewes but with spirituall and heauenly bandes the one of them is called the Spirit of Iesus Christ the other is called Fayth To make that coniunction betwixt vs and him hee sendeth out of the Heauens his holy Spirit into our hearts and wee getting that Spirit sende vp to the Heauens againe to him our fayth Then yee see two bands to make this conjunction this conjunction must be mutuall so that as hee sendeth downe his Spirite to vs so wee must sende vp our fayth to him The order of the working of these two bandes would bee considered Wee neuer begin first no man beginneth first to gripe Christ but
he must gripe vs first all thinges begin at him and his affection is to vs first ere we loue him hee loueth vs and because he imbraceth vs so friendly with his loue therefore wee loue him and the sense of the loue of God in Iesus Christ were not in vs first wrought wee would neuer loue him Euen so is it in that conjunction if he neuer conjoyned himselfe with vs first we would neuer gripe him Paul to the Philippians Chap. 3. Vers 12. he striueth to get a gripe of him by whom he was first griped And this should bee our strife To striue euer to gripe Christ and if this bee not thy strife miserable shall bee thine ende as it is in that conjunction so it is in the perseuerance No man can perseuer in that loue and in that fayth except it please the Lord to abide with vs by his Spirit In one worde all grace beginneth at Christ and if we haue any grace all floweth from him Our Lesson is When we heare the Lord exhorting vs after this manner Abide in mee and I in you answere Abide in mee Lord and I shall abide in thee Lord except thou abide in me I will fall and such like when the Lord sayeth Belieue in me say Lord take a gripe of mee by thy Spirit first So when it is said Loue mee answere Lord loue thou mee first for the loue I haue to thee floweth from the loue thou hast to me Now wee come to the reasons the Lord vseth to moue his Disciples to abide in that vnion with him The first argument hee vseth is from good works and a sanctified life and this is the argument Except yee abide in that vnion with me there cannot bee such a thing that any of you can bring foorth fruit Therefore as thou wouldest liue an holy life abide in me and sticke fast by me He declareth this b◠a comparison Except the branch abide in the Vine tree it can bring foorth no fruit So except yee be ingraffed in me and abide in me the true Vine tree no more can yee produce good works Marke it this reason craueth a consideration of an higher ground the ground is this There is a necessitie laide vpon euerie man and woman in the worlde to liue an holie life as euer they would see the face of God Nowe this necessitie being laide come to the reason But so it is No man can liue an holie life except he abide in Christ Therfore as euer any man wold taste of life let him striue to bee in Christ and neuer let Christ depart from him not a foot breade Ye see in this reason the way to strait any man to belieue in Iesus Christ first thou who wouldest belieue in Christ hast a necessity laid on thee that thou leade an holy life thou must be changed thou must haue a new life otherwayes take thee thy doome thou shalt neuer see the face of God I pronoūce in the Name of the great God that if thou liue not an holy life in some measure thou shalt neuer see the face of God The Lord saith to Nicodemus Ioh. 3. Except a man be borne againe he cannot see the Kingdome of God The next ground Without Christ Iesus there is no power to doe good without him thou canst not think a good thought without him thou art but a drie sticke without anie sappe Then I aske how can the Papistes who affirme that we haue free-will naturallie to doe good how can they I say perswade a man to belieue in Christ They deceiue the worlde Can this bee a good doctrine No I pronounce in the Name of the great God of Heauen Except a man denude himselfe of nature except hee stand vp naked and say Lord there is no power in me to anie good whatsoeuer hee shall neuer get Christ Except wee bee perswaded that without Christ we can doe nothing and that wee are but drie stickes the soule shall neuer cleaue till him But when the soule shall heare and knowe this then it shall runne with griedinesse to gripe him This for the first argument The next argument taken from good workes is in these words in the next verse I am the Vine tree and yee are the branches And if ye abide in mee yee will bring out much fruite They might aske Is it not possible to bring foorth fruite without thee Hee answereth Without mee yee can doe nothing The argument If ye abide in mee yee shall bring out much fruite Not onelie fruit but much fruite The longer a man bee in Christ the holier hee is Take vp another ground of fayth and an alluring argument to drawe the heart to Iesus Christ this is the ground That if a man would belieue in him they should not onelie be holie and leade an holie life but growe in holinesse This ground differeth from the other the former straiteth the soule as for this it is not a binding argument but a secret alluring argumēt If thou shalt belieue in Christ thou shalt abound in holinesse Whom moueth this Only those who see themselues withered and faine would haue that sappe of life in Iesus Christ Tell the soule who seeth the owne misery that and if it bee in Christ it shall liue and will get the sappe of life it will rejoyce it will not moue them who delite in a filthie and polluted life Marke our nature for the Lord knoweth it well and according to it he setteth down arguments in order there is not one but ere they come to Christ they must be straited and necessitie laid vpon their backe otherwayes we wil neuer seek to Christ because we are stubborn by nature That necessitie that was laid vpon Nicodemus must be told to vs all there is neuer one of vs but wee are straited with the same straite and when wee are straited this way except wee bee obstinate wee will run to Christ Next it is not enough to boast a man if there bee but boasting onelie there will bee no beliefe The Lord knewe this well and therefore hee subjoyneth to this a faire alluring argument Wee must not begin with faire words but we must strait men as they would liue to belieue in Christ and then come on with sweete promises If the Lord moue vs not with faire promises wee will bee obstinate for euer Surelie when a man seeth hee must doe such a thing and if hee doe it hee will get such a rewarde that hee shall bee filled with sappe to bring foorth an holie life well will hee say I see not onlie a necesitie to belieue but I see also that if I doe it I shall b◠made a fruitfull branch whereas I was but a rotten sticke to be casten into the fire and then he wil say to his soule My soule belieue in Christ and sticke vpon him and thou shalt see a blessed end Now another thing I gather I see heere hee counteth much of good works which he calleth fruits
him knewe not the Father Howe can these two stand They stand both well for first of all there is a certaine knowledge of God by the which the most wicked in the worlde knoweth God but then the canker of the heart expelleth this knowledge and on this commeth ignorance and on ignorance commeth hatred Marke by what degrees sinne riseth vp and euery one of vs may finde this in some measure there is no sinner who doeth a great sinne but first they haue a knowledge of God of good and of euill Paul Rom. 1. vers 21. speaking of the Gentiles saieth they knew God There is such a bitternesse and maliciousnesse in the heart that that maliciousnesse blotteth out the knowledge in the heart A wicked man will stoppe both his fingers in his eyes that he should not see The Apostle afterward says They not taking pleasure to intertain the knowledge of God they put out knowledge knowledge departed blacke ignorance coÌ„meth in by the judgement of God then farewell conscience then they lose all feeling and being blind and past sense they run headlonges to all mischiefe And that is it the Apostle speaketh Ephes 4.19 So yee see that all this mischiefe that men committeth in the world falleth out immediatly of blindnes ere euer one go to doe wickednes ignorance coÌ„meth in first then commeth in a want of conscience Durst a man goe out so boldly before God to doe wickednesse if hee had a conscience And thinke yee that wicked men in this Countrey who take pastime in murder in filthinesse c. and aboue all those men who haue committed such hainous things against God against Religion against their owne natiue Countreye and the Crowne thinke yee they woulde haue such a boldnesse if they stopped not their fingers in their eyes and blunted the conscience I pronounce in the Name of God they are bound in the chaines of darnesse loose them who will if they repent not The last thing I mark what is the thing that maketh all sinne inexcusable Knowledge closeth the mouth of the sinner knowledge taketh away all excuses it taketh awaye ignorance and ignorance shall excuse no man in the daye of the Lord and the greater the knowledge bee the lesse excuse is there for sinne I saye more Knowledge not onely maketh sinne inexcusable but knowledge doubleth sinne Murder is sinne but murder with knowledge is double sinne and the greater the knowledge is the greater the sinne shall bee in the daye of Iudgement And if thou hadst but the knowledge of the elements thou shalt be inexcusable And if the Lord speake out of Heauen to thee thy sinne shall bee tripled and well were it with thee who nowe sinnest vnder the light of the Gospel without repentance that thou hadst bene one of Sodome in that great day and thou thy selfe shalt wish in that daye that so it had beene There is no tongue can tell the judgement that shall fall vpon that man who heareth this worde and abideth in sinne Yet the worlde will not bee wakened Crie on them they are not the better Thus much for the second argument In the verse following lest it shoulde bee thought or objected that the obstinate Iewes should haue done this in despite of God the Lord meeteth this saith All this is done that the word might be fulfilled that is written in their Lawe They hated mee without a cause The place is in the 35. Psalme vers 19. It is called the Lawe because all Prophecie is a pendicle to Moyses Lawe and all the Prophets were vnder the Law This is a complaint of Dauid of his enemies who hated him without a cause There was a great cause of loue in Christ and not of hatred Then this yee will see commonly that when the Spirit in the Scripture maketh mention of crosses troubles and persecution of Christ which are euill things he speaketh so warily of them that nothing bee derogate to Gods glorie hee saith The Lord ordained them from all eternitie And there is not a thing yea not the moste vnworthie thing that is done to the faythfull of Christ this daye but it commeth by that eternall Decree it was preordained and if it had not beene so the godly had cause to sorrowe and the God of Heauen woulde bee disgraced And marke this that the ordinance of God shall not excuse thee who is the instrument when thou doest anie thing against his reuealed will The Murderer may saye What haue I done but the will of God O murderer say I thou art not to bee excused thou hast not done the will of God reuealed and so say I to the Adulterer and to all others that commit sinnes which God hath forbidden After that he hath aggreaged this hatred of the Iewes against his Disciples he leaueth it and returneth to his Disciples to comfort them The last thing hee comforteth them with Hee shall sende them that Comforter from the Father for hee commeth first from the Father and the Father sendeth him by the Sonne he calleth him the Spirit of trueth and He shall testifie into your heart of mee As if hee would saye The testimony these Iewes got it was but outwardly but to you I shall sende my Spirit an inward witnesse The Lesson is Wee see heere two sortes of witnesses the one outwarde the other inwarde to wit the Spirit The first is his word his miracles and it is good to heare the worde but and if the Spirite bee not present it were better for thee neuer to haue heard the worde And supposing wee had CHRIST with vs euen in the middest of vs as hee was amongst the Iewes if it pleased him not to sende his Spirite into our heartes it woulde doe vs no good And therefore thinke it not enough to saye And if wee had CHRIST as the Iewes had him wee woulde belieue and wee woulde bee well No no If thou hadst not the Spirite all woulde not auaile thee Bee not content to bee hearers onelie for all that will serue but to daâ—nation except thou feelest that Comforter to worke in thine heart to reforme thine heart and to worke fayth into thee And therefore let this bee thy prayer in hearing that worde LORD let thy Spirit worke into mine heart And if hee bee into thine heart hee will let thee feele such a comfort and such a peace and such a rest into thine heart that the worlde cannot tell what it meaneth This is to be considered that he saith he will send the Comforter to them from the Father for it importeth That the Spirit floweth first from the Father then from himselfe So he said in the Chapter preceeding thaâ— the Father should sende the Spirit in his Name for the Father sendeth the Spirit by the Sonne ere the Sonne sende him from the Father Seeing then he proceedeth from them both he must beare witnesse both of the Father and of the Sonne but of the Father by the Sonne in whom the Father
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
of the godlie and those who belieue in Iesus Christ the Spirite entereth into their heartes and worketh the greatest joye and consolation that euer was There was neuer a soule that knewe what true joye meaned but those that felt the Spirite The other effect is in respect of those who abide rebellious against Christ In respect of them the holy Spirite is aye rebuking and threatning them to their damnation and that by the Ministerie of poore men for hee will set them vp and make them stand vp and rebuke all the obstinate yea euen the Kinges of the earth if they will not belieue All these reproofes that come out of the mouthes of the seruauntes of IESVS CHRIST howe simple soeuer they bee they proceede not so much from the mouthes of men as from the holie Spirite and they contemne the holie Spirit who contemne those men his Ministers and the Lord of Heauen will bee auenged on them in that great Daye But to come to the particulars Hee shall rebuke the worlde and conuict it of three thinges The first is Hee shall conuict the worlde of sinne Next Of righteousnesse And thirdlie Of judgement The first of these three concerneth the faythlesse vvorlde and the other two concerne the Lord Iesus Hee shall conuict the world that the Lord Iesus is not only holy and righteous but also the great and glorious Iudge of the world First he saith The holy Spirit when hee shall come hee shall conuict the world of sinne Then hee sheweth the ground Because the world belieueth not in me The sinne is infidelitie in that they belieue not in Iesus Christ the heauiest sinne that can fall vpon any man for it bringeth on the greatest guiltinesse and condemnation that euer was Hee who belieueth not in mee saith Christ he is condemned already Iohn 3. vers 18. Looke how soone thou sinnest if thou refuse to turne thine heart to the Lord Iesus as soone thou art condemned the Lord delayeth not the sentence to the last daye but when thou hast sinned the Lord immediately ascendeth as a Iudge to his Tribunall and giueth out the sentence of wrath against thee because thou belieuest not in the onely begotten Sonne of God So there is no greater sinne than infidelity for where it is all sinnes are imputed as by the contrary the greatest righteousnesse that any man in this world can haue is to belieue in Christ it is such a righteousnes that taketh away all the sin whatsoeuer where it is no sinne is imputed Art thou a Murderer a Blasphemer an Adulderer c. belieue in Christ that he died for thee and thy sins shal not be laid to thy charge for the righteousnes of Christ cloatheth a guilty man with righteousnes And this moued a notable seruaÌ„t of God to say There is no sin without infidelity no righteousnes without faith Meaning that of al the sins in the world the sin of infidelity is the greatest for if thou belieue not the least euil thought that thou canst think shal abide before God coÌ„tinually so long as infidelity abideth all sin abideth take it away all thy sins shall be taken away This is then the meaning would ye haue proofe of this how the holy Spirit shal reproue the world of sin look Paul 1. Cor. 14.24 there ye will find the experience hereof for hee saieth Jf a man prophesie conforme to the worde if an idiote commeth in at the doore oâ— an vnlearned man that belieueth not hee is rebuked of all and is judged of all and so are the secretes of his heart made manifest to wit that infidelitie that laye in his heart is made manifest and then hee falleth downe on his face and worshippeth GOD and sayeth plainlie GOD is in you indeede We haue the experience of this in our own selues when Iesus Christ is preached there are none that heare and are guiltie but their heartes are conuicted there is none of you but ye find this for if thou be an harlot when thou hearest harlotry preached thou art conuicted except thou be conuerted by the holy Spirit and canst come to God and say Lord for Christes sake haue mercy on mee for that person that doeth so is not onelie vnconuicted but also is comforted by the Spirite And happie is that soule which findeth this wrought into it Nowe What is the next thing when the Spirite shall come whereof he shall conuict the world and vnbelieuing Iewes Hee shall conuict the world saith the Lord of justice that is He shall conuict the worlde and the vnbelieuing Iewes That the Lord Iesus was that holy One for the Iewes counted him the most vnjust man that was in the world they put him in the ranke of thieues they preferred Barabbas to him But the Spirit of God when hee shall come hee shall conuince the worlde That hee was the holiest man in the world as hee is called Act. 7. vers 52. The ground of the conuiction is this Hee passed vp to the Father It appeared that he was the justest man in the worlde seeing hee passed vp to Heauen after his glorious resurrection For if he had bene a sinner hee had neuer entâ—ed into that Heauenly Sanctuary No vnholy thing can enter into Heauen if a man haue but so much as one spot of sinne he cannot come there So then there was neuer soule that gotte entry into Heauen that got accesse to the Majesty of God but the Lord Iesus first And then so many as shall bee washen from their sinnes by faith in his blood so many onely shall enter into that Sanctuarie as shall bee clad with the righteousnesse of Christ If thou wouldest goe to Heauen striue to bee clad with that garment that is Haue faith or else thou shalt neuer haue entresse into Heauen The proofe of this That the Lord was the holiest man in the world appeared soone after Christ ascended An example yee haue in the second Chapter of the Acts of the Apostles vers 23. where Peter or rather the Spirit of God by the mouth of Peter immediately after Christes ascention objecteth to the Iewes that him whome they had slaine with wicked handes the Lord had raised him from the dead and glorified him in the Heauens Whereby the holy Spirite so conuicted and pricked their heartes that they saide to Peter and the rest Men and Brethren what shall wee doe That is How shall we be cleansed from that innocent blood So nowe it appeareth that Christ was the justest man that euer liued in the worlde thorowe the working of the Spirit that conuicteth them thereof The thirde point whereof the holy Spirite shall reprooue the world is of judgement So as the Lord is just so is hee the glorious Iudge of the worlde On what ground shall this passe Because the prince of this worlde is judged The LORD IESVS is the Iudge of the worlde in that hee hath condemned the Deuill hee hath not judged the silliest and the weakest in the
And yee nowe therefore are in sorrowe but J will see you againe and your heartes shall reioyce and your ioye shall no man take from you 23 And in that daye shall yee aske mee nothing Verilie verilie I saye vnto you Whatsoeuer yee shall aske the Father in my Name hee will giue it you 24 Hitherto haue yee asked nothing in my Name aske and yee shall receiue that your ioye may bee full 25 These thinges haue I spoken vnto you in parables but the time will come when J shall no more speake to you in parables but I shall shewe you plainly of the Father 26 At that day shall yee aske in my Name and I saye not vnto you that I will pray vnto the Father for you 27 For the Father himselfe loueth you because yee haue loued mee and haue belieued that J came out from God FRom the thirteenth Chapter of this Gospel Brethren to the seuenteenth the Lord holdeth purpose only with his Disciples and Apostles for hee had now ended all his speaking and doing with the people of the Iewes Hee hath hitherto giuen sundrie exhortations vnto them and hee hath giuen them Cammandements and instructed them and giuen them sundrie argumentes of consolation because they were heauie for his departure and so prepared them against the time hee was to goe his way and to leaue them Nowe his conference and speach draweth to an ende for it endeth with this present Chapter In the ende of his speach and conference he recounteth to them particularlie part by part that felicitie and blessing that they shall haue after hee is gone away from them to his Father to be glorified in the Heauens by his comming again to them not in the bodie but in his Spirit He hath said immediately in the vers going before When ye shall see mee againe that is when I shall come againe to you in my Spirite after my glorious ascension to the Heauen then your heart shall reioyce and no man shall take your ioye from you all the world shall not bee able to twinne you and that joye which my Spirite shall furnish you So then Brethren there is the joy which they shall haue when the Lord shall come againe they shall haue ioye and ioye euerlastinglie and spirituall ioy and that for euermore This is the first part of their blessednesse the wordes are easie and I spake of them before onely this for the present Wee must not thinke that this ioye which Christ promised to his Disciples by his Spirite went awaye and died with the Apostles when they departed out of this worlde but it abideth in the Kirke of Iesus Christ to the ende of the world Euen as that holy Spirite whome the Lord sent downe to the world abideth in his Kirke till Christ come againe and supplieth as it were the bodily presence of Iesus Christ for the Spirite of Christ is the Vicare of Christ in the earth and not the Pope as the Papists say Euen so I say by that Spirit abideth here in the Kirke of God solide ioye to the ende of the world for wheresoeuer the Spirit is there is ioye and inward consolation and that soule in whom the Spirite of God dwelleth feeleth as sensibly as one feeleth with their hands the ioy peace of the holy Spirit for that Spirit is the Spirit of ioy peace and they who feele not the sense of this ioye alace they want this Spirit They who feele not spirituall ioy at anie time hath matter of sorrow and mourning for they haue not the Spirit of Iesus Christ and they who want his Spirite haue not adoe with Christ Rom. 8. vers 9. and consequently neuer shall taste of ioye but thou who hast felt this ioy hast cause to reioyce yea as Paul sayeth to reioyce euermore 1. Thes 5. vers 16. Paul recommendeth ioye vnto vs not for an houre or a day or a moneth or a yeere but perpetually meaning that there is great matter of continuall ioy offered by that Spirit who graciously lighteneth our soules assureth vs of saluation What should mooue thee to ioy Should not good tidings mooue thee to reioyce Yet we reioyce not this want of ioy declareth that we make resistance to the holy Spirit wee will not suffer the Spirit to come in when he cōmeth in we giue him sober intertainment but by our euill life we cause him to depart with sadnes Now to goe to that second part of that blessednesse which they shall haue when the Lord shall returne to them by his holie Spirit Jn that day yee shall aske mee nothing that is Yee shall not aye doubt for yee heard before when hee saide Yet a little while and yee shall not see mee and againe ye shall see mee there they doubted what he meaned Now would he say ye shall not doubt then but the holy Spirit shall teach you he shall inlighten the darknes of your soules make you to belieue To apply this to our selues Euē as I said before of the first part of the blessednes promised to the Apostles so I say of the second part of their blessednes for what recks vs what light or what knowledge the Apostles got if we get not a part of it which stands in the inward teaching of the holy Spirit by taking away the vaile from them opening vp of their blind eyes to see saluation This Spirit went not away out of the world with th' Apostles but he abideth stil in the world till Christ come again Euen as the Spirit abides so the inward teaching of the soul by the Spirit abides in the Kirke for as the Spirit is the Spirit of ioye so he is the Spirit of knowledge he opens the eye of the soule which is dark mollifies the hart that with such a sweetnes to receiue grace as the tong neither of man nor Angel can expresse And the godly no doubt at the preaching of the Gospel of Christ will feele that inward operatiō of the Spirit in their soule Study ay to feele this by experiēce for what auails Christ to vs if we feel him not they will feele a light shining in their soules as the shining of the Sunne they will feele their heart that was hardned before with a sweet consolation to be mollified as it is said of Lydia the Purple seller that by the preaching of the Gospel her hart was opened Act. 16. And on the contrary let the man or woman who wants this sense who seeth no light nor finds no opening of the soule blame thēselues and not the light for Christ offereth himselfe to all alike the inlacke thereof proceedeth of the contempt of the word of that light that shineth so brightlie without thy soule and goeth not in And surelie it is a fearefull thing to contemne this Light for if thou contemne this light I tell thee long shalt thou sit hearing and shalt not bee the better but shalt growe aye the
harder till thou bee so hardened and obdured that thou canst feele nothing at all Brethren yee may thinke it a wonderfull thing that a bodie who sitteth hearing continuallie and who hath so cleare a light glancing aye before him should get no light at all but should go out of the Kirke more blind than when he came in and yet indeed it is so for many come in to heare but because they come in with colde and euill disposed heartes hauing no delight to heare the worde of God they goe away more prophane and worse than when they came in And therefore for lacke of this the miserable worlde perisheth the multitude goeth wholly to destruction Therefore for Christes sake Brethren learne to haue a pleasure and ioye in hearing and take in that Spirit into your soules Wee haue hearde of the seconde part of the blessednesse which Christ promiseth to his Disciples after his glorious Ascension to the Heauen to wit the light and knowledge of the holy Spirit Nowe to come to the thirde benefite or the thirde part of their happinesse wherein all grace is promised to them who aske Hee beginneth very grauely Verily verily Amen Amen J saye to you that is It is a true saying and yee shall finde it true indeed essay it when yee will Whatsoeuer thing ye shall aske the Father in my Name hee will giue it you In one word this is the third part of their blessednesse All grace and mercy is to bee had for the asking not by buying for all grace is bought by the price of the blood of the Lambe onely seeing that is so precious a ransome no man hath neede to buy any thing at the handes of God we haue no neede to buy any grace of God by our merites for by that only merite and blood of Christ all grace is bought We haue need of asking and if wee aske not in his Name wee shall neuer get grace for there is not another Name vnder Heauen sayeth the Apostle by whome there is saluation but onely by the Name of Iesus Christ Act. 4. vers 12. So there is the third part of their blessednesse that is promised them Euen all grace shall bee giuen them for the asking To drawe this to our selues And the Lord giue vs grace to doe it As by the Spirite all joye all knowledge and light abideth in his Kirke on earth till the Lord IESVS come againe Euen so all grace all mercy abideth in this Kirke militant till the Lord come againe for if that Spirit of grace abide in this Kirke of necessity all grace must abide with that Spirite The faythfull in the Kirke who are Christians in heart and not in worde onely they will finde in experience that when they aske any grace as righteousnesse and sanctification life euerlasting and glorification they will not so soone open their mouth to aske it but they will get it And when they say Lord renewe mine affections the word will not so soone bee spoken but as soone they will finde the soule opened with ioye and when they saye Lord giue mee that life for Christes sake with the worde the life of Iesus will bee felt in the soule sensiblie Therefore preasse aye to finde by experience that the presence of Christ is no emptie winde By the contrarie if a man or woman finde in no measure no grace or no sense of grace in their soules let them blame themselues for they want grace for plaine fault of asking Alace that wee should lose such grace for fault of seeking Is hee not a foolish man that will lose life for a worde But it is not so light a thing to aske as so for euerie man and euerie woman hath not the gift of prayer Except thou bee the sonne of GOD thou shalt haue no power to open thy mouth to call GOD Father If thou bee a slaue thou shalt haue no power to praye to GOD for prayer is the proper note of the Childe of GOD and except the Spirite of Adoption testifie vnto thee that thou art the sonne of GOD thou shalt haue no power to praye but thy mouth shall bee closed But when the Spirite will testifie to thee that thou art the sonne of GOD then the heart will open and the tongue wil say sweetly O Father Therefore the ground of all grace is the grace to aske get once grace to praye and then thou hast all grace And therefore when the Lord sayth Knocke and it shall be opened aske and thou shalt haue c. say Lord giue mee grace to aske Take aye heed to the gift of prayer for wee lose all for fault of prayer and for fault of begging So I beseech you all Brethren to pray as euer ye would see Heauen or be partakers of life In the words following when hee hath set downe the thirde parte of their felicitie That they should praye vnto the Father for grace knowing the great necessitie they had to praye and their great sluggishnesse on the other part hee beginneth to allure them to pray and to stir them vp to aske at the handes of the Father And lest they should haue obiected We haue asked but we haue not beene answered hee answereth to this Hitherto ye haue sought nothing at the Father in my Name but in times comming aske boldly and looke for an answeee and yee shall get grace heaped vpon grace till your grace bee perfect and the greater grace thou askest the greater thou gettest and the more thou gettest the greater is thy ioye that thou hast when thou perceiuest that grace and thou who hast gotten it wouldest not giue it for all the worlde This is the meaning of the wordes Take vp heere what necessitie wee haue to praye for if wee had no neede the Lord would not haue stirred vp his Disciples to praye No no wee haue so great neede to praye that except wee praye wee gette nothing A Beggar who hath nothing but that which he beggeth if he leaue off his begging he shall die at dike side If thou leaue off thy spirituall begging yea though thou were a King and hadst all the worlde thou shalt die for euer For what is a King in this life but a Beggar And woe be to him if he be not a Beggar at the handes of Iesus Christ Then marke the sluggishnesse in euery man and woman and how vnable we are to beg A Beggar who hath nought ere hee die hee will crie and shout but a poore sinner who is the poorest man and the silliest creature in the world who wanteth all grace hath not a mouth to aske though he should die Now to stirre vs vp to pray the Lord sayeth Aske at the Father and essay if ye get a deniall Wee know all this yet wee lie sleeping in sinne and seeke no grace to be fred of it howbeit grace be so freely offered to vs by Iesus Christ It is a sore thing to bee a poore body and to lie still