owne example to them to mooue them to loue The greatnesse of his loue to them hee setteth downe in comparison I layde downe my life for you then there cannot bee a greater loue than that I beare to you And lest they should doubt of his friendship Yee are my friendes sayeth hee and therefore my death appertaineth vnto you And lest that friendship shoulde seeme to stande in worde onelie hee subjoyneth a condition Keepe my Commaundement if ye would be my friendes In this Text we haue read in the beginning thereof it might haue bene said by the Disciples they were rather to be called seruants than friends The Lord meeteth this and sayth Hencefoorth call I you not servantes for why this is the condition of a seruant he knoweth not the will of his Master the Master will not call him to his counsell but I whatsoeuer thing I haue heard of my Father being in the bosome of the Father I haue reuealed it to you and therefore I call you friendes The meaning of the Text is easie I obserue this It is true indeed the Disciples of Iesus Christ they were seruants and will bee seruantes to him foreuer If yee will seeke the ground of it it is not onely the creation for the creature is a seruant all the Angels of Heauen are creatures therefore seruants but the chiefe grounde why they were seruants was by vertue of that redemption When they were solde to sinne and to the Deuill the Lord payed for them a precious ransome Rom. 14. vers 9. The Lord died for vs and reuiued and all to this ende that hee should haue dominion ouer the quicke and the dead and bee Lord ouer them whom hee hath redeemed 2. Corin. 5. vers 15. Paul sayeth Considering the Lord hath died for me and risen from hencefoorth I will not liue to my selfe but to Christ So thus the Apostles were seruantes to Christ another way also they were his seruantes by their calling were they not Ambassadours of Christ Nowe an Ambassadour is aye a seruant to him who sendeth him The Apostles of Christ were seruants by creation by redemption and by vocation But by this manner and kind of seruice that they are seruants by redemption and vocation they are not seruants only but friends Whosoeuer they be that are redeemed by the blood of Iesus Christ they are not onely seruantes but friendes they sit in counsell with the Lord whome the Lord hath redeemed they get leaue to come in to the Chamber of the Bridegrome And as Iohn the Baptist sayth Chap. 3. vers 29. As friendes to the Bridegrome they stand in the Bridegromes Chamber and heare him and rejoyce they heare him sweetly Yea hee counteth vs more than friendes the Lord maketh vs his Brethren They are Sonnes of adoption and as they are Sonnes they get the Spirit of adoption testifying to them that they are Brethren Rom. 8. vers 15. They crie Abba Father But yee will aske Wherefore is it then that the Lord will not call them seruants but friendes I answere The Lord hath respect of the common sort of seruantes or rather of slaues In those dayes the Masters communicated not their counsell to them but commanded them vnder such a paine to doe their will Hee respecteth this and hee denieth such seruitude to his Disciples It is true in this world there are not onlie seruants that are brethren to the Lord but the Lord hath manie slaues men and women 2. Timoth Chap. 2. vers 20. In a great house there are not onlie vessels of golde and siluer but also of wood and of leame some to honour some to dishonour All this world is the House of the Lord and in this worlde hee hath some seruantes in an honourable ranke and manie slaues yea moe than seruantes who are free the world is full of slaues Now these slaues they are bound to seruice by vertue of creation so is the Deuill As for the redemdtion these slaues haue no part of it and so it followeth that hauing no part of that redemption they haue no friendship with him and being no friendes they are no brethren they gette not that blessed Spirite but that Spirite which in the eight Chapter to the Romanes is called the Spirite of bondage and slauerie which maketh them to feare for vengeance They serue Christ but all that seruice is euill they are murthering men they committe adulterie their mouthes are full of blasphemie all their seruice is to euill and it is but the breaking of the Lordes Commaundement yet it is his seruice In the second Chapter of the Actes of the Apostles and the thirteenth verse and Chap. 4. vers 28. The Deuill and all his instruments can doe nothing but that thy hand hath ordained The Lord hath decreed all to be done they shall gette their rewarde for doing The Disciples were free seruants of the Lord as for slaues they were not Seeing all must bee his seruantes wee ought carefullie to consider what sort of vessels and in what ranke of seruantes wee are The Apostle Paul when hee hath tolde of this difference whereof wee shewe in the great house in the second Epistle of Timothie Chap. 2. vers 30. hee subjoyneth a token whereby a man shall know whether hee bee a vessell of honour or dishonour Men shall well know whether they bee ordained to slauerie or not Looke if they bee cleansed from the filth of this worlde looke if they be sanctified vessels to work good in the house of the Lord and if thou bee a foule vessell who can doe no good saye with thy selfe I haue no warrand that I haue to doe with the Lord Iesus and saye that thou art a vessell to destruction And blessed is that soule that feeleth some piece of desire with joye to doe well for they haue a warrande that they are vessels of honour and that they shall bee in Heauen with the LORD So sanctification is the most infallible token of our election and justification Whereas hee sayeth All thinges that I haue heard of my Father haue I made knowne to you I marke this That Christ who came out of the bosome of his Father reuealed to his Disciples the whole counsell of God concerning the saluation of the worlde which the Apostles preached thereafter fully to the worlde for the holy Spirit called all thinges to their remembrance which they had heard of the Lord Iohn 14. vers 26. And Paul Act. 20. vers 27. professeth that he had kept nothing backe but hee had shewed them all the counsell of God It may be asked whether all thinges that Christ himselfe preached and that the Apostles thereafter preached bee fully set downe in writ I answere All things according to the matter and substance albeit not in as many wordes are left in register and wee affirme That if Christ himselfe were here present hee would say no more write no more change nor alter nothing according to the substance In the next verse
for the people so he being high Priest made intercession for his own people The intercession which the Lord made for his owne consisteth in two points to wit in prayer and in offering vp of a sacrifice Then as for the first part of this intercession when the Lord was in the world he prayed continually for the people hee neuer ceased night nor daye from prayer As for the other part of his intercession when he had bene in the world awhile at the last hee offereth vp that sweete Sacrifice of his owne body to the Father and so hee putteth an ende to all those sacrifices which were but types of him the true Sacrifice As for the Prayers whereby the Lord interceded betwixt God and man they were manie and made at sundry times But amongst all the rest it may bee easilie seene that this prayer in this Chapter was one of the moste excellent and so it hath pleased the holy Spirite to register this Prayer especially and to recommend it to the posteritie to the end of the worlde First this Prayer is no able in respect of the time in the which hee made it it was euen about that time when hee offered himselfe vp to the Father Next in respect of the vse it is notable because by this prayer he did consecrate and dedicate that blessed Sacrifice to the Father for sacrifices were dedicated to Goâ— by prayer Thirdly in respect of the subject and matter of it for as ye may see in the Chapter it selfe first the Lord prayeth for himselfe and for that eternall glory which he had with the Father from all eternity the fairest thing and the greatest matter that euer was was that which hee prayed for and this hee doeth in the first fiue Verses Then he commeth on and prayeth for his Disciples which he should leaue behinde him in the worlde that the Lord would take the custody of them after his Ascension vnto the Heauens and would preserue them from all perill and this hee doeth from the fifth Verse to the twenty And last hee prayeth for the whole Kirke for life euerlasting and justification and this he doeth to the ende of this Chapter So yee s ee it is a notable subiect Last of all will ye looke to the force of this Prayer yee shall see the excellencie of it The force was not for the present or for a time but the force of it abideth continually to the ende of the worlde And this same Prayer is a meane whereby all men and women who are safe and shall bee safe to the ende of the world obtaine saluation And so this Prayer may bee well called A ground wherevpon the Kirke standeth And as our saluation standeth on the Sacrifice of Iesus Christ so it standeth on that Prayer that was offered to his Father But to come to the Text When Jesus sayeth John the writer of the Gospel had spoken these thinges hee lifted vp his eyes to the Heauen and he said as followeth This is the entrie to the Prayer wherein Iohn first concludeth the Sermon which the Lord made to his Disciples When Iesus had spoken these thinges to his Disciples Then hee proponeth the Prayer that followeth Hee lifted vp his eyes to Heauen and said There is the proposition of the Prayer In the proposition he noteth narrowly the behauiour of Christ in his Prayer Hee lifted vp his eyes to Heauen So in the eleuenth Chapter of this Gospel he noteth this behauiour in praying when hee thanketh his Father that he heard him before he raise â— Lazarus from the dead he lifted vp his eyes to Heauen Nowe Brethren to speake of gesture in Prayer it needeth not much will ye reade the Scriptures yee shall reade these gestures to bee in prayer First Godly men haue humbled themselues before that Majesty It becommeth the best of vs all to bow vs before God They signified by the bowing of their knees the humbling of the heart Offer not if ye haue a proude heart to come before that Throne Then they were wont to haue their handes and their eyes lift vp to the Heauens that signified the lifting vp of the eye of the soule to God to looke to him and to see him thorowe all these cloudes and these visible heauens to come to that light that hath none accesse and this agreeth with the other There are many who shall see Heauen but with an humbled heart when the heart is humbled and brought lowe then it is conuoyed thorowe these heauens euen to that light of God It becommeth all Christians to bee humbled on their knees and to lift vp their eyes to Heauen but all standeth in the heart What recks of the outward disposition if the soule be not heauenly disposed If it haue a sense of Heauen then the outwarde gesture will followe then wee will bowe our knees and humble vs before that Maiesty An humbled heart will fall downe but a proude sinner who is not touched with a sense of his sinnes will hardly bow his knee Nowe wee come to the Prayer first hee maketh his petition for himselfe and why not the most precious thing in the worlde is the glory of Iesus Christ Hee sayeth Father glorifie thy Sonne There is his petition Marke the style it is a very warme and hearty stile that he giueth him speaking familiarly to God the heart of him warmeth sweetly with him and as a Sonne he calleth him Father The stile which he giueth him vttereth that he had a sense of that fatherly loue and affection towards him While as he nameth him Father hee vttereth that Sonly affection and loue that hee bare to him A Sonly loue craueth a Fatherly loue and conciliateth a Fatherly affection from Heauen Why should we not striue to be like the Lord Iesus and in Prayer chiefly Woulde any man or woman finde the Fatherly affection of God Would they haue that loue that Fathers beare to their Children Let them vtter in Prayer that affection that a Sonne or a Daughter shoulde haue to their Father If thou wouldest haue the Fatherly loue of God the sweetest thing in the worlde looke that the Names which thou gluest him testifie that thou louest him as a deare Childe loueth his Parentes and looke aye wee pray with that Spirite which is the Spirite of Adoption that testifieth to our soules that wee are adopted to bee the Sonnes and Daughters of God for it is that Spirite that giueth libertie to the heart and openeth the mouth and causeth thee as the Apostle sayeth to crie Abba Father And if thou haue not this holie Spirite of Adoption and if that Spirite open not thine heart and lowse thy tongue call him Father as thou wilt hee is nothing else to thee but a terrible Iudge to take vengeance on thee and thou art nothing els but a slaue to him and not a Sonne Looke aye therefore that thou haue that Spirite that shall testifie to thee that thou art not the childe of wrath
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
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
FIVE AND TWENTIE LECTVRES VPON THE LAST SERMON AND CONFERENCE OF OVR LORD IESVS CHRIST With his Disciples immediately before his Passion Contained in the fourteenth fifteenth and sixteenth Chapters of the GOSPEL of Sainct IOHN As also vpon that most excellent PRAYER contained in the seuenteenth Chap. of the same Gospel Preached by that Reuerend and faythfull Seruant of God M. ROBERT ROLLOK Minister of the Kirke and Rector of the Colledge of EDINBVRGH EDINBVRGH Printed by ANDRO HART Anno 1619 TO THE RIGHT HONOVRABLE Their most louing Friende in the Lord SYR WILLIAM SCOT OF ELIE KNIGHT c. Grace in this life and euerlasting Glorie in the Life to come ALBEIT RIGHT HONOVRABLE the whole Scripture and euerie parte thereof bee of Diuine inspiration and profitable to teach to conuince to correct and to instruct in Righteousnesse Yet it is no absurditie to affiâ—me that some partes thereof for some respectes and causes are to bee preferred and more accounted of than others The Apostle giueth vs a sufficient proofe of this while he preferreth the Gospel to the Law 2. Cor vers 3. And the Euangelistes in setting downe in wâ—t sundrie thinges Iohn 20. vers 30. declare the same to be true in the Gospel and consequentlie amongst those thinges which are written the Spirite of God would haue vs to esteeme most of those thinges which hee hath more particularlie painfullie carefullie and at greatest length put in Register Amongst the which there are none to bee preferred vnto his last Sermone which hee made to his Apostles and his Prayer vnto his Father immediatlie before his departure The excellencie whereof and howe highlie the LORD would haue vs to regarde and account of them to speake nothing of the Author Iâ—â—â—S CHRIST because by his holie Spirit not onelie this but also the whole Scripture is dited shall more euidentlie appeare if we consider a little first the time of the vttering of them next the manner and thirdlie the matter therein contained The time was immediatelie before his Passion for after that by his owne example in washing his Disciples feete he had recommended vnto them Humilitie as a vertue most singular and beseeming a Christian hee vttereth these wordes partlie in the time of the Supper and partlie after the Supper And wee knowe that the speaches of men which immediatelie preceede death as they proceede of a moste holie and Heauenlie disposition for then all affections are layde aside nature reuiueth and reason getteth place then moste wiselie the soule resolueth concerning its owne estate and condition then hee testifieth most plainlie his will towardes his Children his Seruantes his Familie and other Friendes whatsoeuer so are they thought worthie to bee moste attentiuelie heard most carefullie receiued and most deeplie kept in memorie If wee consider the manner seeing the holie Spirit taketh more paines and is more plentifull and copious in penning heereof than of anie other Sermone whatsoeuer hee would haue vs to knowe howe precious a Iewell they are and howe highlie wee ought to account of them For if wee search all the Records of the LORDES Sermons in the New Testament wee shall finde none so particularlie and fullie set downe in register as this is Lastlie if wee consider the matter it is full of manifolde Heauenlie consolations It is true indeede sundrie times before the LORD in his Sermons hath comforted his Apostles and all penitent sinners but in no place at so great length and with such varietie of Heauenlie consolations For heere at length hee meeteth and re-encountereth almost with euerie griefe scandale and particular temptation that exercised and assailed their soules They were sadde and sorrowfull when they heard that hee was to leaue the worlde and to ascende vnto the Father Hee meeteth this by bidding them belieue in him and fayth in him should supplie his bodilie absence and hee telleth that the ende wherefore hee ascended was to prepare a place for them that where he was there they might bee also It was a griefe to them that they should want such a comfortable Guide who alwayes directed and conducted them This hee meeteth by telling them that hee would not leaue them comfortlesse but hee would giue them his Holie Spirit They feared that they should bee depriued of manifolde consolations which they found in his presence This hee meeteth by assuring them that howbeit in the worlde they should finde trouble yet in the middest of trouble hee should giue and leaue them that peace that the worlde should not take from them and if they belieue in him as the Vine-tree furnisheth the Branches so hee should furnishe vnto them solide and manifolde consolations and make them to bring foorth fruite aboundantlie And to the intent that they might haue the better warrand to looke and exspect for those graces in him as hee chargeth them by fayth to haue vnion with him so hee chargeth them by loue to haue communion amongst themselues The troubles and crosses that were to befall them in the worlde for CHRISTES sake after his departure might haue wonderfullie discouraged them and brangled their fayth This hee meeteth partlie by fore-warning them before they came to passe and partlie by exhorting them to patience and partlie by setting downe manie argumentes to establish them Hee telleth them that the worlde should hate them persecute them excommunicate them and put them to death Hee comforteth them partlie because hee hath fore-warned them and partlie because they had done so to him who was their Lord and Master and partlie for the goodnesse of the cause because it was for his Names sake Againe hee knew it would bee no small temptation vnto them to see his shamefull and ignominious handling to see him who was their Lord to bee so wonderfullie humbled to see him taken and bound by wicked and profane men to see him made a spectacle of derision first in the Hall of Annas and thereafter of Cajaphas to see all sortes and rankes of people crie out against him to see him at last to bee condemned and ignominiouslie crucified hee knewe that this temptation would bee so strong and so vehement to brangle their fayth that at the last all should bee offended in him and should flee away from him and leaue him Of this hee fore-warneth them and furnisheth consolation vnto them notwithstanding of their foule fall Now againe if yee looke to the Prayer it is wonderous Heauenlie and comfortable For after that as a Prophet hee hath instructed the people and the Apostles nowe before as an high Priest hee offer vp his owne bodie vpon the Crosse for the sinnes of the worlde hee prayeth most earnestlie for himselfe for his Apostles and for them who should belieue through their Ministerie For himselfe That the Father would nowe glorifie the Sonne when hee is going out of the worlde For his Apostles That the Father would alwayes haue a carâ— of them whome hee left in the worlde behinde him And thirdlie for all them that
haue entered into this way to the Father by Christ as he is the Trueth wee must next enter into the way to the Father by Christ as he is Life But how enter we into this way by him as he is Life How bringeth Christ vs to the Father as he is Life I answere Whilest we are going to the Father wee must stedfastly belieue and bee fully assured that Christ is Life and that all life is from him as from the Fountaine and that whatsoeuer life wee haue we haue it through him Then ye see Christ is the way to the Father first because he is the Trueth next because he is the Life If thou wouldest come to Life begin at the Trueth for the first leadeth vs to the second For this word of Trueth euen the Gospel of the Lord Iesus when it is preached if we heare it reuerentlie and stedfastly belieue it and let it settle deeply in our soules it will bee powerfull at the last to bring foorth life in vs Were thy soule neuer so dead in sinnes and trespasses yet receiuing this Word of Trueth thou shalt rise from death and liue The Lord in the sixt Chapter of Iohn and the 63. verse letteth vs see this great force of this Word when he saith The words that I speake to you are Spirit and Life that is they are a most powerfull meane to minister and furnish vnto vs that Spirite and that Life of God And in that same Chapter also vvhen the Lord asketh at the Apostles If they would leaue him as many of them did who had followed him before Peter answereth in the name of the rest To whom shall we goe thou hast the words of eternall life where ye see Peter out of his own experience affirmeth that the vvords vvhich hee heard of Christ vvere effectuall to vvorke eternall life vvhich made him and the rest of the Apostles vvith pleasure to remaine vvith Christ Thou that by the hearing of the vvord findest the life of God to bee conuoyed to thy soule vvilt easily bee perswaded that hee vvho is the Author of that vvord is life himselfe for how vvere it possible that there could be such a power in that vvorde to giue life except hee vvhose vvorde it is vvere the Fountaine and Well-spring of all life Then ye see by vvhat order vve come to the Father Wee must first begin at the Trueth then by the vvord of Trueth vve must be led to Life and then we must goe on piece and piece in that Life vvee must continue and perseuer in it and so doing it is not possible but at last vvee shall come into that eternall Life vvhich is hid vp in God and shall bee reuealed in that great day Then in a vvord vvouldest thou haue the summe of all that vve haue spoken in this matter This is it Euen that vvee belieue in the Lord Iesus Christ The vvay to the Father is Christ vvhen vvee belieue in him vvee are vvalking in this vvay vvhen our fayth increaseth piece and piece vvee goe on forward vve continue and perseuer in that vvay Now in the ende of the verse he preuenteth and answereth the thing that some might haue objected against this doctrine That he was the way for it might haue bene said to Christ Albeit thou bee the way to the Father yet thou art not the only way there are many other wayes beside thee To this the Lord answereth I am the onelie waye to come to the Father for sayeth hee None commeth to the Father but by mee That is I am so the waye to the Father that there is none other waye to come to the Father beside me And whosoeuer seeketh to come to the Father by another way beside me or whosoeuer seeketh to come to the Father any other way but by me he shall be disappointed he shall neuer find the Father thou that seeks to come to HeaueÌ„ another way nor by Christ I giue thee that doome thou shalt neuer see Heauen Men dreame to themselues another way to come to Heauen nor by Christ the Papists deceiue themselues and the whole worlde teaching them to seeke Heauen by their owne merits by their own works and to come to the Father by the mediation intercession of Angels of the Saincts departed c. But all this is folly for there is one only way to Heauen and that a very strait and narrow way by Iesus Christ Indeed the way to Hell is a very broade way that is there are many wayes that leade to damnation for there is not a sinne that thou committest against God but it leadeth thee to Hell Whoredome leadeth a man to Hell Murder leadeth a man to Hell Drunkennesse leadeth a man to Hell all the foule affections of thine heart leade thee to Hell But there is one only way to come to Heauen Fayth in Iesus Christ Therefore thou who wouldest come to Heauen and dwell with the Father for euer leaue all other wayes for they are but pathes that leade to damnation and take thee to that only one way belieue in the Lord Iesus Christ and through him thou shalt bee assured to get life and glory To this Lord Iesus with the Father and the holy Spirit be all prayse and honour for euer Amen THE THIRD LECTVRE OF CHRISTES DOCTRINE BEFORE HIS PASSION IOHN CHAP. xiiii VERS 7.8.9.10 7 Jf yee had knowne mee yee should haue knowne my Father also and from hencefoorth yee know him and haue seene him 8 Philip said vnto him Lord shew vs thy Father and it sufficeth vs. 9 Iesus said vnto him J haue beene so long time with you and hast thou not knowne mee Philip Hee that hath seene mee hath seene the Father how then sayest thâ—u Shew vs thy Father 10 Belieuest thou not that J am in the Father and the Father is in mee The wordes that I speake vnto you I speake not of my selfe but the Father that dwelleth in mee hee doeth the workes YEE heard Welbeloued in the Lord Iesus among the rest of the comforts that the Lord furnished to his Disciples that they should not bee troubled when hee should depart this was one and the last Yee knowe the place whither I am to goe first and where yee are to goe next in your time and also yee knowe the waye Therefore woulde hee saye comfort your selues with this knowledge while I come againe and take you to that place Vpon this last argument the conference falleth out betwixt Christ and his Disciples and first Thomas one of his Disciples speaketh and vttereth as it were a contradiction to the worde of the Lord Wee know not the place where thou art to goe sayeth hee and howe then can wee knowe the waye Vpon this speach of Thomas the â—ord taketh occasion to instruct Thomas and the rest in these pointes whereof they were ignorant concerning the place where hee was to goe and concerning the waye and first hee pointeth out the waye vnto them hee pointeth the waye
of CHRIST To vvhome vvith the Father and vvith the Holie Spirite bee all prayse honour and glorie for euermore Amen THE FOVRTH LECTVRE OF CHRISTES DOCTRINE BEFORE HIS PASSION IOHN CHAP. xiiii VERS 11.12.13.14.15 11 Belieue me that I am in the Father and the Father in mee aâ— the least belieue mee for the verie workes sake 12 Verilie verilie I say unto you Hee that belieueth in mee the workes that J doe hee shall doe also and greater than these shall hee doe for J goâ— vnto my Father 13 And whatsoeuer yee aske in my Name that will I doe that the Father may bee glorified in the Sonne 14 If yee shall aske anie thing in my Name I will doe it 15 If yee loue mee keepe my Commandements WEE haue heard in this Chapter Beloued Brethren how Christ comforted his Disciples against the time hee should haue vvithdrawne his bodilie presence out of this vvorld hee began and saide to them Be not troubled let not your hearts be troubled As he vvould say When I goe away ye vvill find matter of trouble be not troubled with all the things ye shall find And thereafter he furnishes them arguments of comfort The first is Fayth in him Belieue in me howbeit yee will not haue my bodily presence in earth yet send your fayth to Heauen and fasten your selues vpon mee The seconde argument I goe away not for your hurt but for your weale to prepare a place for you in my Fathers house therefore be not troubled The third argument When I haue passed away I will not abide for euer away but I shal come againe and take you to my selfe and place you in Heauen with my selfe The fourth argument is Comfort your selues with the knowledge that ye know the place where I goe to and the way Pilgrimes that wander in a strange Countrey are comforted in the meane time of their Pilgrimage that they vnderstande the way and the place where they shall repose themselues Euen so the Lord would say Comfort your selues with this that yee know the place and the way while I come and take you with me After the Lord hath comforted his Disciples Thomas first and Philip next beginneth to doubt and vtter their ignorance chieflie concerning the place and the way Thomas beginneth and hee first vttereth his ignorance first of the way The Lord answereth him and instructeth him and sayth I am the Way the Verity and the Life no man coÌ„meth to the Father but by me Secondly coÌ„cerning the place to wit the Fathers dwelling place If ye had known me sayth he ye would haue known the Father in misknowing the Father ye vtter an ignorance of me Philip vttereth his ignorance and he sayth Let vs see the Father and that shall suffice vs. The Lord answereth Philip as hee answereth Thomas with a reproofe Philip sayth he hee that hath seene me hath seene the Father how then sayest thou Shew vs the Father Then hee proueth this that hee who hath seene the Sonne it behoued him to see the Father I am in the Father and the Father in me wee are but one in Maiesty substance and glory he therefore who hath seene me hath seene also the Father So the Lord hath brought his Disciples to the first ground of the knowledge of the Father the ground is The Sonne is one with the Father and he is the Image of the Father When hee hath reasoned this waye with them and comforted them in this Text we haue read hee entereth into an exhortation hee leaueth nothing off that may serue for their weale And in this Text hee exhorteth them to two thinges The first is to fayth in him to belieue him that God dwelleth in his manly nature the Majestie and the glorie of God dwelleth in him bodilie The seconde is in the last verse wee haue read and it is that they should keepe his Commaundementes if they loued him To come to the first Belieue mee sayeth the Lord that J am in the Father and hee in mee As if hee would saye Belieue this I haue beene speaking That I and the Father are one in nature in substance glorie and Majestie Let not this base and infirme nature of man that I am clad with in the world stay your fayth Looke in the thorowe the vaile of my flesh and see the Majestie of the great God The Lesson wee haue is this The Lorde is verie earnest with his Disciples in this pointing out of himselfe that vnder that vaile of the nature of man his Disciples shoulde see the glorious Majestie of the great God of Heauen This earnestnesse letteth vs see it is one of the hardest thinges in the worlde for man and woman to take vp and see that Majestie and Godhead that dwelleth in IESVS CHRIST And it is harde for fleshe and bloode yea it passeth the reach of all men to belieue it except there bee another waye than by the eyes of nature by the eye of nature the soule will neuer perceiue nor take vp the glorious GOD to dwell in so base a lodging The LORD sayeth to Peter in the sixteenth Chapter of the Euangel of saint Matthew and the seuenteenth verse when hee confessed him to bee the Sonne of the liuing OOD Blessed art thou Simon the sonne of Iona flesh and blood hath not reuealed that to thee but my Father which is in Heauen So I saye to see the Majestie of GOD dwelling in earth it behooueth man and woman to bee raysed aboue nature to the Heauens to haue a Spirituall eye and the Spirite of the great GOD to see that glorious Majestie Now another thing foloweth here on this earnestnesse to wit A necessitie to knowe the Father that wee maye gette saluation Had not the LORD knowne that it was a needefull thing for his Disciples and for the vvhole vvorlde that they might get life to know that the nature of God dwelt in him hee would not haue bene so earnest in this point It is a thing that the world must knowe or then there is no saluation The third thing followeth seeing it is so harde a thing to a naturall man to see the glory of God in Iesus Christ and seeing it is so necessary a thing to saluation that except wee see him to bee God as well as man there shall bee no life If euer wee would enjoy life euerlasting and Heauen wee must bee lifted vp aboue nature and in a manner wee must be supernaturall and heauenly And this change be not made in this life let neuer man looke to see Heauen that is the necessitie that is laide vpon thee looke to it as thou wilt When he hath proponed his exhortation hee bringeth reasons to cause them belieue this The first argument hee vseth is in the ende of the verse At the least belieue me for the very works sake And there were not another argument to cause you to belieue this that God dwelleth in me looke to my workes and see if they passe nâ—t
the power of any creature What Angel or what man can worke such thinges If my works bee not aboue all works belieue not in â—ee but if it be otherwise belieue in mee And there were nonâ— other argumâ—nt in the worlde to moue men to belieue that the Lorde â—esus is the God of glory and that in his Manhood the Godhead dwelleth the very effects the words the works the deed testifie and â—hee is able to conuict all the conscienceâ— of men and Angels and make them say The Lord Iesus is the God of glory Yea Brethren and there were no more to peswade vs that Iesus is the God of glorie but the word wee haue of Iesus this power of the word of the Crosse and this grace and Majesty that shines in the Scriptures it testifieth plainly that the Lord the Author of that worde is the God of Heauen for it hath such a power in the soules of men and women that either it conuicteth them or else it conuerteth them and therefore it is called the power of God And it were the word of man that worde coulde neuer haue such power to conuict the worlde or to bring the soules of men to saluation So the effectes that come from the Lord testifie to the world that he is God and is able to conuict the consciences of all the enemies in the worlde yea euen of the Deuill himselfe But and there bee no more they will neuer bring thee to saluation Therefore if thou wouldest haue that solide fayth in Iesus Christ and that taste of his sweetnesse in thine heart thou must haue another witnesse â— the holy Spirite must concur with the outwarde worde and the outwarde works drawing alluring and perswading thee by renewing thine heart and that bringeth with it the greatest joye and sweetnesse in the world When the Spirit is inwardly in the heart draweth it to Christ as the eye seeth the workes the soule beginneth to rest and repose vpon the Lord with a joy vnspeakeable Therfore euer preasse to get the presence of that Spirite or otherwise the works will but conuict vs and make vs inexcusable in that great day Yet he insists he bringeth another argument to allure them to belieue Verilie verilie sayth the Lord belieue mee that I am in the Father if ye belieue this it shall be for your owne weale it shall not only bee for my glory but for your weale Yee thinke my workes great but belieue in me and I shall make you worke these workes and greater than these So this argument is taken for their owne weale Who getteth greatest vantage in the honouring of God Who getteth greatest vantage in belieuing Is it the Lorde No he may want thee and all thy well-doing and not an haire the more bee impaired of his glory All the vantage commeth to the creature and the glory of the creature standeth in glorifying the Creator The felicity of man and woman in earth is in belieuing Christ Iesus So wilt thou be blessed belieue In a word and thou belieue the best is thine owne and all the profite redoundeth to thee What vantage bringeth fayth with it There is not a man or a woman that will once belieue in the Lord Iesus but as soone his heart will be filled with that Spirit and with all good things and with power to worke all manner of good works surmounting all the powers of nature So a poore body belieuing in Christ Iesus will haue more power to doe good than all the Kinges in the world that haue no more but nature So it is saide of Steuen that he was full of fayth and of the Spirit and of power And what followeth he was so powerful in reasoning that the Pharisees could not resist him he had a wonderous working with him And in the Primitiue Kirke after the Lorde had suffered and when hee was glorified they who did belieue in him got such a power that was marueilous to the world Looke the Actes and the last Chapter of Marke So they who belieue in Christ surpasse the worlde It is true those extraordinary and miraculous workes cease now but yet the power that followeth on the fayth in Christ abideth effectuall if not in such miraculous works as were to cast out Deuils to speake with Tongues c. which were in the Primitiue Kirke Yet in such workes as the worlde cannot worke The wordes of a sinfull man are powerfull to regeneration and to renewe a dead soule And it is no lesse wonder to raise vp a dead soule than to raise a dead man out of the graue yea it is a greater work And if ye wil go to works fayth maketh vs meete to work the works of charity And I say it is better to worke a charitable worke than such miraculous workes the one is more excellent and precious than the other Iudas wrought wonders but hee could not worke the works of charitie These works of charity are as as many witnesses of our election and they bring greater joye with them than all miraculous works When the Disciples returned to Christ rejoycing that they had wrought great miracles through his Name the Lord saieth vnto them Rejoyce rather in this that your names are written in the Heauens Luke 10.17 If vvee finde the power of fayth in working charitable workes wee may thinke vs well for we are lifted aboue this world and are become Citizens in Heauen awaiting for that redemption to come So I say fayth is powerfull in worde and deede and hee who wanteth this fayth hee wanteth power in word and deede and so blessed is he who hath this fayth Now there ariseth a question in the words Some would thinke this a marueilous thing that the Lorde will giue power to his Disciples to worke greater workes than himselfe wrought I answere It is true indeed the Disciples of Iesus Christ after his Ascension wrought greater workes than the Lord did in his owne person but it was not so much the Disciples as it was the Lorde of glory that wrought these works by the Disciples hee vttered his power vsing them as ministers Yet should not the Lorde haue wrought greater workes himselfe in his owne person than hee wrought by his Disciples Should he not himselfe haue wrought greater works when he was in the earth than hee wrought by his Disciples when he was in Heauen I answere No for the Lord so long as he was in the earth was but humble that diuine power did keep it self close vttered not it selfe in the full measure and so it behoued to be that the Godhead should not vtter the selfe in his humiliation Buâ— when he is glorified in the nature of man in the Heauen then the power of that Godhead in him vttered it self in greater power than in the earth And if there were no more to proue that Christ glorified wrought greater thinges by his Apostles than he did in his owne person when hee was humbled this one
I to you That euerie one of you loue another Being to depart out of this vvorlde this is the speciall Commandement hee leaueth to his Disciples That in his absence euerie one of them shoulde loue one another So this is the chiefe Commaundement the LORD hath left vs till his comming againe That euerie one of vs shoulde loue one another and euerie one of vs shoulde beare the burthen of another If vvee doe not this in the absence of the LORD vvhen hee commeth againe vvee shall not bee able to abide a triall of him or to render an account to him of our doing But to come to the Commaund The meaning is as the Lord would say As ye would protest before the worlde yee loue mee make it knowne in mine absence by keeping my Commaundementes Nowe Brethren to insist vpon this matter more at large Yee knowe this A seruant who loueth his Master well hee will bee about to doe all thinges that can pleasure his Master his vvhole endeuour will bee to doe the will of his Master and chiefely in the absence of his Master when hee hath gone farre from home at that time chiefely hee will kythe his loue to his Master in doing his turnes with pleasure Howbeit loue as the Apostle sayeth 1. Thessal 13. bee painfull yet if a man haue a true loue in his heart hee will haue a great pleasure also Loue hath paine but with the paine it hath pleasure It will not take care what paine or what tribulation it haue So this seruant doing the will of his Master in his absence will testifie to the worlde that hee loueth his Master To draw this to our purpose Brethren The Lord Iesus the Lord of the worlde is gone out of the worlde as it were to a farre Countrey to the Heauen and hath left vs all behinde him yea hee hath left vs here in the Earth and hee is absent from vs in the Heauen Hee is a gracious Master and woe to him vvho is not his seruant Then wee being his seruants and we loue him there will bee nothing that is his will but wee will bee about to doe it and hee that loueth him heere in the Earth because the LORD is absent according to his bodie in the Heauen hee will bee the more earnest to pleasure him in his calling and to doe the turnes of the Lord Iesus in his absence Hee who loueth him will employe his whole senses and force and power to pleasure him as Paul sayd 2 Cor. 5.14 The loue of the Lord Iesus constraineth mee and bindeth vp my soule I say more In suffering all extreamities for the Lord the Fire the Sworde and it were a thousande deathes hee will haue a greater joye and pleasure than anie man will haue in doing anie turne for a man whome hee loueth well Then woulde anie man kythe that loue hee heareth to the Lord Iesus in his absence And vvho amongst vs vvill not saye Wee loue the Lord Iesus Wouldest thou then kythe this loue Doe heartilie his will It is not enough to loue in worde but indeede Loue not in worde onelie sayth the Apostle Iohn in his first Epistle Chap. 3. Vers 18. for it is the heart must doe the Lord seruice So and thou wouldest loue the Lord Iesus doe his will and that is Loue thy neighbour And thou bee a murderer of thy neighbour and then saye I loue the LORD IESVS I saye thou lyest and the Lord sayeth it also Wilt thou oppresse the poore members of the Lord Iesus and say thou louest the Lord Iesus I say thou art a lyar Good works kythe the loue in the heart The groūd of Murder hatred c. that is betwixt man man is the hatred of the Lord Iesus So the groūd of all sin is the hatred of the Lord in the heart Matth. 24.40 vvhere the Lord speaketh of good seruants and euill seruants hee sayth The good seruant who in the absence of his Master preassed to doe all thinges to pleasure his Master when his Master commeth home at that houre he knew not so the Lord will come when we looke not for him and findeth the good seruant doing his will will blesse him and make him Ruler of all his goods Blessed is hee who serueth the Lord in a small vocation What doeth the other seruant He is striking the rest of the Familie Woe to that seruant saith hee he will bee casten out and his part will bee with the hypocrites who was but an hypocrite in his Masters house If we bee well occupied and wayting aye for the home-comming of the Lord Iesus if we be well occupied in directing our life to him and his glory blessed shall wee be and wee shall get a portion with him in glory But if we be euill occupied in oppression and in wickednesse he shall cast vs out of his Familie To put an end to this mater In any vocation we should al go about to pleasure our Master in the Heauen and preasse to kythe it in our workes that in our hearts we haue loued the Lord Iesus Wordes will not auaile and thou couldest tell all the Scriptures it auaileth not without doing Let vs all therefore striue to make manifest that wee haue not only an outward shew and profession of loue but that it is fixed and setled in our hearts as euer wee would desire to finde comfort and joye in that great day of the appearance of our Lord Iesus To whome with the Father and the Holy Spirite bee all prayse honour and glory now and foreuer Amen THE FIFT LECTVRE OF CHRISTES DOCTRINE BEFORE HIS PASSION IOHN CHAP. xiiii VERS 16.17.18 16 And I will pray the Father and hee shall giue you another Comforter that hee may abide with you for euer 17 Euen the Spirit of Trueth whome the worlde cannot receiue because it seeth him not neither knoweth him but yee knowe him for hee dwelleth with you and shall bee in you 18 I will not leaue you comfortlesse but I will come to you WEE haue heard Beloued Brethren in this Chapter how the Lord Iesus being to leaue the world to ascend to his Father hath set himselfe partly to comfort his Disciples who were sad for his departure and sundry argumentes of consolation hath hee giuen them and partly to exhort them The first exhortation ye heard was That they should belieue in him and that the Father was in him and hee in the Father That is that hee and the Father were one in substance glory and Maiestie and that the Godhead dwelt in the nature of man bodilie And to proue this hee vsed an argument taken from the workes that hee wrought At least belieue mee sayeth hee for the verie workes sake which I worke That is Supposing there vvere none other argument to mooue you to belieue that I am in the Father and the Father in mee yet let the verie workes wherein the properties of God are so clearlie manifested mooue you to belieue Another
argument hee subjoyneth more perswasiue If yee belieue in mee sayeth the LORD yee shall worke the workes that I worke And I saye more Yee shall worke greater workes than yee haue seene mee working Thereafter hee layde downe the grounde of this For I goe sayeth hee to my Father and I shall come againe in my full power to you and so worke greater workes by you than I wrought by my selfe Then hee layde downe another grounde of the great and wonderous workes that they shoulde worke The grounde is Prayer whereby they should draw out of Heauen that wonderfull power and whatsoeuer they shoulde aâ—ke of him they shoulde gette it Thereafter hee came to the next exhortation To obey him and keepe his Commandements Now when he hath craued obedience at the handes of his Disciples hee letteth them see in the wordes which we haue read that they shall not serue him for nought No man serueth the Lord for nothing but hee getteth a thousande times better than hee giueth What shall I doe to you sayeth the Lord when ye shall be doing this I shall meete you and I shall pray my Father and hee shall giue you a Comforter to comfort you euen the Spirit of Trueth and that not for a daye or a yeere but for euermore to abide with you while I come againe Then he telleth who it is that comfortes them It is the Spirit of God Now because these are great and weighty wordes let vs consider them I marke first here that these words import this The Lord Iesus so long as hee abode with his Disciples and gaue them his bodily presence comforted his Disciples they had consolation in the sight of his bodily presence Ioh 6.67 vvhen the multitude had fallen away the Lord saith Will ye leaue me also Peter said Lord vvhere shall vve go to for thou hast the words of eternal life So it appeareth that all the joye the Disciples had in the worlde vvas the sight of their Lord because they saw more than other men in him Iohn sayeth chap. 1. vers 14. We saw him full of grace truth And his words were so sweete that they conceiued an vnspeakeable joye vvhen they heard him speake So I say he vvas their comfort so long as hee vvas among them What did hee more It appeareth vvell hee kept them as they had beene Children from the assaultes of the Deuill and from the malice and affliction of men This appeareth well in the ninth Chapter of Matthew and the fifteenth verse in the complaint of the Disciples of Iohn the Baptist We say they fast and mourne continually but your Disciples are in joye The Lord answereth Can it bee that the Children of the Marriage Chamber can mourne so long as they see the Bridegroome That is so long as they haue mee they shall not mourne they shall haue joye and they shall feele no persecution Another thing yee maye see heere When the Lord Iesus vvas taken out of the vvorlde the Disciples beganne to bee afflicted and to bee tossed to and froe for the vvordes importe this They shall gette another Comforter than mee So if they shall get another Comforter they shall haue neede of another Comforter The time shall come sayeth the Lord vvhen the Bridegroome shall depart and then they shall gette leaue to fast and mourne And to drawe this to vs Nowe vvhen the Lord is absent the Deuill and the Wicked in the vvorlde maketh their vantage of it The Deuill seeing the Lord Iesus in the Heauen and his poore members heere in the Earth goeth about like a roaring Lyon to deuour them And the Wicked of the vvorlde striue to cutte off the members of the Lord Iesus before his comming And the Deuill vvas neuer more busie than nowe hee is and howe farre hee hath preuailed in the absence of the Lord miserable experience can testifie nowe in the dayes of Antichrist when darknesse hath croppen in so into the Kirke of Iesus Christ And this Age telleth vs howe busilie the Deuill worketh by his members to suppresse the Gospel of Iesus Christ in his absence But we learne this comfort out of this place Howbeit the Lord bee absent from vs according to his bodily presence yea hee is as farre from vs as the Heauen is from the Earth yet the Lord leaueth not his owne without a Comforter This is generall There are none that appertaineth to him but if hee take one comfort from them hee will giue them another This is vnpossible That the members of the Lord can want all comfort if he take away one he shall giue thee another and if hee take away thy Children or Wife or Husband or Friends hee shall giue thee another comfort as the Lord comforted his Disciples in his absence So I say howbeit he be in the Heauen he will not leaue his owne without comfort but hee sendeth downe his Spirite to worke joye in the heartes of men and women and the more glorious he is sitting at the right hand of the Father the more powerfull will his Spirite bee When the Lord was in the Earth his glorious power appeared not but as soone as the Lord Iesus passed vp to Heauen and entered into that place of Majesty then it mightily appeared So nowe the power that commeth out from the Lord Iesus is more powerfull than when he was in the Earth And as the force of his holy Spirit becommeth greater it must followe that that consolation that commeth from him nowe must bee greater than the comfort that the Disciples found when he was walking with them bodily To open this more deeply All comfort that commeth from Christ it is all by his Holy Spirit This is a sure ground The comfort that al the Fathers had before the Lord came in the nature of man it was all by the holy Spirit That Spirit of Christ gaue that comfort to Abraham to Dauid and to the rest Come to the time when hee came into the worlde The comfort the Disciples had was by his Spirite and Doctrine and they in whome the Spirite wrought not had no comfort in his sight The Iewes the Pharisees had no comfort in him Come on yet After his Ascension we knowe all this by experience The comfort wee all haue is by his holy Spirite and none haue joye but they that haue this Spirite And to come on yet farder When wee shall come to Heauen the joy we shall haue shall be by the working of his holy Spirit In a word All the joye of the creature shall bee by the holy Spirit It is not so much the presence of the Lord as it is the holy Spirit that worketh joye in the heart Then this must followe The greater force and effect the Spirite hath the greater is the joye This is true But after the passing vp of the Lord Iesus to Heauen in full glory his Spirite had a greater force than before For before it was saide The Spirit was not yet giuen And
after hee saieth It is good I depart for otherwayes ye shall not get the Comforter So I say the Spirit hath greater force now than he had then because the Lord is in his full glory in the Heauen Brethren all this consolation we haue by the holy Spirit now shall be nothing in comparison of that that we shall get when we shall bee drawne neare hand him Then those beames of grace those glances of glory that shall strike from him vvhen wee shall get a sight of his glorious Majesty that ioye that shall shine from him shall surpasse a thousand times all the ioy we shall get in this world Lord how great a thing it is to be beside Christ glorified nowe in the Heauen The Lord vvill transforme the creature in that same glory as Paul speaketh 2. Cor. 3.18 So this is our joy to awaite on the fulfilling of that same ioye and it ministreth ioye vnto vs to vvaite for that perfection of glory and blessed is hee that hath this exspectation I vvarne you to looke for his comming and blessed is hee vvho looketh for his comming in glory Wee haue to note in the Text vvho it is that shall giue this Comforter Hee saith The Father shall giue another Comforter It is said in the next Chap. vers 26. The Sonne giueth the Comforter Howe is it then saide The Father shall giue him There is no contradiction for both these stand vvell together The holy Spirit commeth from the Father and from the Sonne but this is the difference the holy Spirit commeth from the Father as from the Fountaine for the Father is the Fountaine of the Godhead Next the holy Spirite commeth from the Sonne as the seconde person both the Father and the Sonne are at the giuiâ—◠〈…〉 Spirite but they differ in order and therefore the Lord himselfe saith That hee vvill send his Comforter from his Father It is to be marked heere The Lord attributeth to the Father the sending of the holy Spirit Yea I say farder Ye shall see in the vvhole Gospel the Lord speaking of the Redemption of man to ascribe it to the Father as to the Fountaine All the graces that proceede from him hee ascribeth them to the Father That is to learne the world All our Redemption and all our grace is from the Father Wee must vnderstand that all grace commeth from the Father as from the Fountaine that wee shoulde giue the glorie of all to him for hee vvho is the beginner of all grace hee must bee the ender The Apostle considering this hee sayeth Of him and thorow him and for him are all thinges to him be glorie and praise and honour for euer Rom. 11.36 The Lord Iesus goeth before and giueth the glory to the Father and biddeth vs giue the glorie of our Redemption to the Father but not forgetting the Sonne for the Father and the Sonne and the holy Spirite haue their owne glory in all their workes The Father as the Fountaine the Sonne as the Mediator the Holy Spirit as the Comforter Nowe let vs see howe the Spirit is giuen and howe hee is gotten Hee is gotten by the meanes of the Lord Iesus when hee was in the worlde hee was euer praying for grace and mercy to the world And in the seuenteenth Chap. ye shall see his prayer to the Father and that prayer shall remaine to the end of the world and it shall neuer goe out of the minde of the Father This grace of the Holy Spirite is gotten first by the death of Iesus Christ and next by the earnest prayer and intercession of IESVS Ere euer man or woman gotte that Spirite it behooued the Lord IESVS to buye him vvith his precious bloode And if God had not died the vvorlde had not gotten the Spirite What dow a man and hee vvere a King and hee gette not that Spirite The LORD meriteth that Spirite by his death Ere euer we gette that Spirite hee hath merited it yea and CHRIST must rise againe and must passe vp to Heauen and bee glorified and there hee must bee an Aduocate and there sitte at the right hande of the Father and make intercession to his Father to giue this Spirite to his owne Chosen before they can gette him So yee see howe harde a thing it is to gette the Spirite of GOD the vvorlde thinketh it none harde thing to gette that Spirite The Spirite of GOD vvill not come vpon a man sleeping No before that Spirite enter into the soule there must bee a seeking morning and euening to gette him So sayeth the LORD Blessed bee they who hunger and thirst for righteousnesse for they shall bee filled Matth. 5.6 Nowe to goe forwarde Hee commaundeth his Spirite to abide with them for euer As hee woulde saye Hee shall bee vvith you not for a daye or a weeke or a yeere onely but in all your temptations and in all your afflictions this Spirite shall bee vvith you hee shall neuer leaue you All the thinges in the vvorlde shall not separate thee from CHRIST and if thou haue this Spirite Howe shalt thou finde this None shall take your joye from you Iohn Chapter 16. Vers 22. If thou findest joye in thy calamitie that is a token of the presence of the Spirite There is no death can separate thee from CHRIST but the greater oppression thou lyest vnder and the greater the paine bee the more sure shalt thou bee of the Spirite the more shall hee comfort thee the greater shall thy joye bee The Martyres vvho haue beene burned in the fire haue felt this This is a false Doctrine that the Spirite of Christ can departe cleane awaye from them who haue once gotten him for as it is vnpossible that the death and intercession of Christ can bee of none effect so as vnpossible is it that the Spirite of God can bee taken awaye from them that haue once receiued him And as Iesus Christ vvho is that foundation vvherevpon all grace is builded for in him all the promises of God are Yea and Amen 2. Cor. Chap. 1 vers 20. cannot bee ouer-throwne no more can these graces that are builded vpon him be taken away The Spirit when he is angered and grieued in any person hee will hide and with-drawe himselfe for a while but neuer fully nor finally for thereafter by repentance he will vtter himselfe againe As wee may see in the person of Dauid Psal 51. This then is our comfort that the Spirit will neuer leaue vs And therefore let vs seeke to be in Iesus that thorow him wee may haue this Comforter to abide vvith vs for euer Nowe in the next vvordes the Lord sheweth to them who is this Conforter whome they shoulde haue in his absence and hee pointeth him out in his proper name and hee calleth him the Spirit of Trueth The Spirite of God is called the Spirite of Trueth because as wee haue heereafter hee instructeth men and women in all trueth And in the 16. Chap. vers 13. Hee
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
I charge thee till thou gettest that life without the which there is no quietnesse thou mayest be quiet for a while but blacke shall bee thy wakening and say thou Lord liue in my soule for and he liue not heere in thy soule thou shalt not get that life to come Now to draw to an ende Hee letteth them see what vantage they shall haue of that sight It is no small vantage to see Christ In that day would the Lord say what shall yee see vvhen yee see mee Yee shall see two thinges two vnions in the sight of which standeth the joye of the creature The first is the vnion betwixt me and the Father J am in the Father that is I am God with the Father And next ye shal see yourselues to stand in this societie That is That yee are in mee and I in you to your joye and comfort One may aske Howe shalt thou see him vnited with the Father A man or vvoman shall not so soone set the eye of the soule vpon Iesus Christ shall not so soone belieue in him but as soone they shall knowe and belieue the vnity of the essence and glory of the Father and of the Sonne By fayth in Christ they shall gripe an infinite power Who is he that belieueth in Iesus Christ vvho findeth not in his heart an infinite power and an infinite mercy And vve feele not this vvee feele nothing And vvee feele not by fayth an vnspeakeable loue vvee feele nothing In one vvord vvhen one belieueth in Christ they shall see in him an infinit Majesty othervvayes fayth could not rest on him for fayth can rest on nothing but on God I remember Paul to the Ephesians Chap. 1. Vers 18.19 hee prayeth the Lord to illuminate the hearts of the Ephesians to see heauenly thinges and among the rest to see that excellent greatnesse of power There is none that belieueth in Christ but they finde an excellent power Then if fayth finde the Majesty of God in him the man vvill lay this conclusion and say I see my Sauiour is God and is one vvith the Father And there the soule getteth a sweet repose to rest vpon So ye see as soone as the soule belieueth in Christ it feeleth an vnspeakeable power and Majesty and so gathereth hee is God and one vvith the Father Except hee were God and one with the Father it coulde not bee that one belieuing in Christ coulde haue such joye and peace in the heart This is the Trueth and hee were not God mine heart could not haue joye in belieuing in him So this power wee finde striking from the Lord in belieuing telleth vs that the Lord is God Nowe to speake of the second vnion Howe is this that when wee looke to Christ by fayth wee finde vs joyned with him in that blessed society The eye shall not so soone bee set on Christ and gette a blinke of him but in him it shall finde the satiety of joye In the face of Christ is all light and joye as Paul sayeth Turne the heart till him the vaile shall vanish awaye and the minde shall bee illuminated because the Lord is a Spirit 2. Cor. Chap. 3. vers 16.17 When thou belieuest in him his face shall shine in thy soule thou shalt see no light but in him Is this the effect of fayth What then shouldest thou gather Thou vvouldest neuer finde ioye except the Spirit had vnited thee and him All this light power and ioye which is in our soules floweth from that vnion of Christ with vs. Then Brethren the sight of Christ will let vs see the two ioyfullest sightes that euer wee saw First that vnion betwixt him and his Father and so thou wilt see thy Sauiour to bee God equall with the Father in glory and Maiesty The next is Thou shalt see thy selfe to stand in that societie with the Father and the Sonne Men would be in honest societie What more gracious yea what more blessed societie woldest thou haue than to be in societie with the blessed Trinitie in glory for euer For this is the felicitie of man to bee ioyned with that blessed Trinitie euen with the Father with the Sonne and with the holy Spirit To whom be praise and honour foreuer and euer Amen THE SEVENTH LECTVRE OF CHRISTES DOCTRINE BEFORE HIS PASSION IOHN CHAP. xiiii VERS 21.22.23.24.25.26 21 Hee that hath my Commandements and keepeth them is hee that loueth mee and hâ—e that loueth mee shall bee loued of my Father and I will loue him and will shew mine owne selfe to him 22 Judas saide vnto him not Iscariot Lord what is the cause that thou wilt shew thy selfe vnto vs and not vnto the world 23 Jesus answered and said vnto him If any man loue mee hee will keepe my word and my Father will loue him and wee will come vnto him and will dwell with him 24 Hee that loueth mee not keepeth not my words and the word which yee heare is not mine but the Fathers which sent mee 25 These thinges have I spoken vnto you being present with you 26 But the Comforter which is the holy Ghoste whome the Father will send in my Name hee shall teach you in all thinges and bring all thinges to your remembrance which I haue tolde you WEE haue heard welbeloued Brethren how Christ hath insisted much with his Disciples to assure them that after his departure out of this world he would giue them another Comforter to wit the holy Spirit the Spirit of Trueth and he would giue them his presence from the Heauen Hee hath repeated his promise often to assure them of the trueth thereof Nowe hee returneth vnto that seconde exhortation and exhorteth his Disciples of newe to keepe his Commandementes in his absence Hee sayeth the Lord who hath my Commandements and keepeth them is hee who loueth mee As he would say Wouldest thou know the man who loueth me when I am in the Heauens It is hee who keepeth my CoÌ„mandements here on earth Ye see the Lord is very earnest to exhort his Disciples to keep his CoÌ„mandemeÌ„ts as they vvould testifie to the vvorld that they loue him The Lord knew vvell enough the hypocrisie of this vvorlde and in this latter age chiefely that men vvomen vvould haue a pretence of loue and faith and haue none indeed in their heart and therfore he insisteth vvith his Disciples that men should kythe it indeede The babler and the speaker onely is not the louer but the doer Iohn in his first Epistle Chap. 3. vers 18. saith My little Children let vs not loue in word neither in tounge but in deed and trueth They who belieue are not those who speake most but those who doe most James Chap. 2 vers 18. saith Let me see thy fayth by thy workes and I will shew thee my fayth by my works Christ is not a voyce or a sound sounding in mens eares but the Lord Iesus is in deede and effect and there are none who haue Christ
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
of sharpnesse as it were So Dauid in the 42. Psal vers 11. vvhen he findeth himselfe carried away with a vehement affection of sorrowe and ouer farre casten downe in his exile he sayth Why art thou casten downe my soule and why art thou disquieted within mee vvait on God for I will yet giue him thankes c. So wee should presse downe the affection with a reproofe as the Lord doth here Hee layeth downe the ground of his reproofe I tolde you J would goe away and I tolde you I would come againe in my Spirit and now I am to depart to my Father Now he saith yee loue me not because ye rejoyce not that I am to goe to glorie vvith my Father for my Father is greater than I that is I goe to be partaker of that glory which the Father hath and when as yee are sad at my departure ye vtter that yee enuy my glory Marke the wordes Heretickes who aâ—leadged that Christ was a God but created in time and not equall with the Father Though they got a great vantage out of this place The Father is greater than J The Fathers of olde exponed this place well That it was to be vnderstood of the humane nature and not of the diuine Yet there is another exposition of this that is That this place is not so much to bee vnderstood of the nature of Christ as of his office The Godhead of the Lord Iesus the Sonne being equall with the Father taketh an office vpon him by the which he becoÌ„meth inferiour to the Father to wit hee becoÌ„meth Mediator The office standeth in this He taketh vpon him the flesh of a seruant Next he becoÌ„meth obedient yea euen to the death of the Crosse in that nature so in respect of this office he maketh himselfe inferior to the Father By this we must not gather that he was inferior to the Father in person Majesty or essence howbeit in office hee was vnequall inferior to the Father For as that reuerent Father Cyrillus sayeth Missiò obedientia non tollunt aequalitatem potentiae essentiae Therefore ye see the Heretickes as namely Arrius out of this place haue no ground for that blasphemous heresie But consider yet more narrowly what the Lord saith And ye loued me ye would haue reioyced in that I said J would depart As he would say The very wordes that yee turne to your discomfort sorrow should haue bene mater of joy and comfort There is neuer a word that the Lord speaketh to his owne no neuer one but in them all is matter of joye howbeit the words will seeme sharpe yet all the words of the Lord that he speaketh to his tende to their joye and consolation and all they that loue the Lord Iesus should construct all the deeds words of the Lord to their comfort let him take away worldly riches honour health friendes life it selfe c. all should work comfort to them But brethren we are so corrupt blind by nature that we see not the Lords purpose what he is doing to vs we make the words of the Lord wherin we should take pleasure ioy to be mater of displeasure I speak not this to take away sense of the sharpnesse of the Lord to coÌ„mend Stoâ—ke senslesnes but herin we fail that sadnes is without ioy coÌ„solatioÌ„ Now the Lord craues this that with bitternes we should taste sweetnes indeed heauines is the comliest thing that can be in a Christian sadnes becoÌ„meth a sinner well but in the mean time there should be joy in the soule 1. Thes 5.16 Reioyce euermore He findeth no fault with them that they were sad but because they would receiue no comfort He saith Jf ye loued me ye wold reioyce because I said I go to the Father One who loueth another truly will reioyce in the weale of the other Loue bringes a rejoycing he or she that loues Christ that gets greatest joy in the hart as enuy eats vp the hart of man or woman in whom it is one who loues another will reioyce at the good estate of the other at his prosperity riches honor one who loues the Lord Iesus well rejoyces to see him glorified that shold be our joy to see the Lord Iesus glorified his kingdome aduanced cursed be thou who laughs at the down-throwing of the kingdom of the Lord Iesus no they who loues God will curse all their kin as he sayes here himself they who loue the Lord Iesus their delite shall bee to see him glorified Th' Apostles not taking such ioy as they oght to see him glorified their loue was preposterous no doubt they loued him intierly Peter loued him Iohn loued him the rest loued him yet the Lord shewes that their loue was with a great ignorance the flesh was mixed with it it was not sincere So let vs tak heed to our loue not only to that loue we beare to Christ but euen to men man to wife parents to children we should take heed that it be a true loue and not a preposterous loue I call it not a true loue that hath nothing but sadnes with it for the death of another wheÌ„ a Christian goes to ioy and when we are sad for them then we vtter an enuy in our heartes of their glory Indeede wee should not want naturall affection and wee may haue displeasure for the want of our brother but looke that displeasure bee not for thy brothers joye and that hee is participant of that glorie with Christ and the hope of that Resurrection The remembrance of the assembling of the Sainctes of God to meete their Head in the Cloudes should cause thee rejoyce The Lord lift vp our heartes to the Heauen from this earth whereon we are so fixed and make vs to waite continually for that blessed assembly of the Sainctes that when hee commeth in the cloudes we may be carried to remaine with him in ioy for euer Now in the words following the Lord setteth downe the ende of his speaking to his Disciples and chiefely of this that he forewarneth them that hee was to depart Heere is the chiefe ende That they should belieuâ— in him that hee was that promised Messias the Sonne of God when they should see the accomplishment of all his sayings that they should belieue The whole word of God leads vs to this that men should belieue in Iesus Christ there is not a word spoken in the Scripture but it leads vs to Christ whether the Lord speak of things to come as in the Prophets or of things done as in the Evangels all tendeth to this to leade vs to Iesus Christ to belieue in him They who get not this end in the word they get no fruit of the word Hee sayth not These things I tolde you before the hand that ye should belieue But he addeth I haue told you them before the hand that when they come to passe ye should
belieue The perfection of fayth standeth not in fore-telling but in accomplishment It is true the fore-speaking of the thinges of Christ to come hath force to worke fayth in the heartes of men and women All the godly men and women before Christ had nothing but fore-telling of Christ that hee was to come into the vvorld and vpon these fore-tellings they belieued So the predictions of Christ in all time wrought fayth in the heartes of the Fathers of olde But fayth then is confirmed and made stronger vvhen the euent answereth to the prediction And therefore wee vvho nowe liue haue greater matter of fayth and consolation than they had who liued vnder the Lawe they had but the predictions of Christ but we now vnder the Gospel haue not only the predictions but also the accomplishment of all that was spokon fore-told by the Prophets And therefore Christ comparing vs to the people of old Luke 10.23 sayeth Blessed are the eyes that see these things which ye see I say to you Many Kinges and Prophets desired to see these things that ye see and yet saw them not And againe Abraham longed to see my dayes John 8.16 In very deede vvee haue a great blessing vvho are come into the worlde since Christ came But here is the fault We cannot apprehend that joye and happinesse The Apostle considering this hee sayeth Rejoyce continually 1. Thessal 5.16 Wee neuer consider the graâ—e vvhich we haue vnder the Gospel When he hath set downe this ende the Lord appearingly concludeth this conference with his Disciples Heereafter I will not speake may thinges to you And hee giueth the reason for why The Prince of this worlde commeth My speach is cut off because the Deuill is come against mee vvith all his force and hee is come like a Burrio to execute that which the Father ordained to be done from all eternity Marke as the houre drewe neare vvhen the Lord should haue laide downe his life for the world so the Deuils drew neare vvho were appointed to execute that turne and they began to assault him very busily and assault him not only by the wicked instrumentes as Iudas Pilate and the Iewes but the Deuill and all the whole force of Hell in their owne persons rushed out vpon Christ and especially when the Lord Iesus hung vpon the Crosse at that time chiefelie hee had his combate with the Deuils Bee not deceiued Hee suffered not onelie that paine in bodie and wrath of his Father but at that instant hee had a battell with all the Deuils in Hell for they thought to haue wracked him then and to haue triumphed ouer him and by his wracke to haue wracked all men and to haue disgraced the glory of God for in Iesus Christ is all the glory of God and all saluation of man Paul in the second to the Coloss Vers 15. sayeth That Christ vpon the Crosse triumphed ouer the powers of Hell and made an open shewe of them and this importeth that they rushed on him on the Crosse that they might ouer-come him Christ fighteth with all the powers of Hell on the Crosse and taketh all the power from them and openlie in the sight of the worlde hee leadeth them captiue after the manner of a victorious Conquerour Yet ere wee leaue this we see another thing As the houre drewe neare as the Deuils drewe neare with the houre of Iesus Christ What doeth hee Goeth hee to eschewe them Goeth hee out of Hierusalem as hee did of before Goeth hee to hide himselfe No no But as the houre drewe neare and as the Deuils drewe neare so the Lord Iesus meeteth death and the Deuill and draweth neare to them and willinglie putteth himselfe into their hands knowing it was the will of his Father Hee is as readie to die offer himselfe and put himselfe into their hands as they were bent to seeke him This is our lesson When the Lord giueth vs tokens that Death is at hand as Age sicknesse or afflictions for they are summondes to warne vs What shoulde wee doe Should wee abhorre from it No goe forwarde and bee readie to imbrace death goe to him and meete him and take a gripe of him as hee imbraâ—eth thee so imbrace thou him for death is nothing else but a passage to joye when thou abhorrest death thou abhorrest that porte to glorie and eternall life Now I goe forward It might haue beene saide by his Disciples What Hath the Deuill such a power ouer thee Art thou so vanquished by him that thou must breake of speach The Lord meeteth this and sayth He hath nought in me That is For all his coÌ„ming against me he haâ—h no power or jurisdiction ouer me thinke not that the prince of this world hath ought ouer me the prince of this world or rather the tyrant with his tyranny coÌ„meth in by sinne Sinne entereth not so soone but as soone hee begaâ— to reigne where sin is there is his power But would the Lord say in me he shall find no matter of his kingdome therefore hee hath no power ouer me Another generall It is not seemly that the inferior should haue power ouer the Superioâ— But so it is the Lord Iesus is God and the Deuill is his inferior therefore hee hath no power ouer me He assaileth him because he had our burden vpon him Nowe marke one thing The holy Spirit in the Scripture New and Old vvhere he speaketh of the suffering of Christ he is very carefull to note these circumstances that Christ suffered nothing but that which God decreed In the Acts 24. Chap. What could they doe to him but that which thy counsell had decreed Another vvhen it commeth to the execution of the decree the Spirit maketh God to bee the Agent vvho decreed it Looke the eight Chapter to the Romanes Hee spared not his owne Sonne but hee gaue him to the death What was the Deuill but an instrument in the hande of God The holy Spirit telleth vs this also that the Lord Iesus suffered willingly as willing was the Lord Iesus to suffer as was the Father to giue him Iohn 10. vers 18. No man taketh my life from mee I haue power to lay downe my life and to take vp my life againe Gal. 1.2 Heb. 9. Hee offered himselfe Wherefore is it that the suffering of Christ is set downe with these particular circumstances The first reason is The Spirit of God will let vs see that in the suffering of Christ there is no disgracing of the glory of God indeed if he had suffered against Gods will and his decree then God had beene disgraced but when wee knowe it was not against Gods will there is no disgracing of the glory of God Another is If the Crosse of Christ had bene against Christs owne will it had bene a great discomfort to men and women and had beene a great offence to the worlde Last the willingnesse of the Sonne to suffer letteth vs see that the suffering of Iesus
Rom. 7. feeling this rebellion in him thorow the remains of sinne crieth out Miserable man that I am who shall deliuer me froÌ„ this body of death Indeed if thou make rebellion to God if thou hadst all the pleasures in the world thou art miserable Felicity is when the heart is loosed to serue God for the end of gifts spirituall temporall is to glorifie him and misery is whâ—n the heart is locked vp in hardnes rebellion to God God giue vs grace to see this that we may be instant with God to get oâ—r hearts loosed to glorifie him and so haue that felicity which is only true felicity through Iesus Christ To whom with the Father and the Spirit of grace be all praise honour and glory for euer Amen THE NINTH LECTVRE OF CHRISTES DOCTRINE BEFORE HIS PASSION IOHN CHAP. XV. VERS 1.2.3.4.5.6 I Am that true Vine and my Father is that Husband-man 2 Euerie branch that beareth not fruit in mee hee taketh away and euerie one that beareth fruite hee purgeth it that it may bring foorth more fruite 3 Now ye are cleane through the word which J haue spoken vnto you 4 Abide in mee and I in you as the branch cannot beare fruite of it selfe except it abide in the Vine no more can yee except yee abide in me 5 I am that Vine yee are the branches hee that abideth in mee and I in him the same bringeth foorth much fruit for without mee can yee doe nothing 6 If a man abide not in mee hee is casten foorth as a branch and withereth and men gather them and cast them into the fire and they burne WEE heard alreadie Brethren in the fourteenth Chapter of this Gospel the Lord a little before his departure out of the world his conference onlie with his Disciples and partly comforteth them partly exhorteth them Nowe in this Chapter and the next hee insisteth in that same purpose partlie exhorting partly comforting them â—â—rst in this Chapter hee exhorteth his Disciples to that vnion with him Secondly to that brotherly loue last hee returneth to that consolation begun in this Chapter comforting them against the hatred and persecution of the worlde Before hee come to the exhortation to that vnion with him hee premitteth in the beginning of the Chapter a generall doctrine wherein he denounceth an heauy judgement The cutting away of such members who bring foorth no fruite and hee promiseth an increase of grace to them who would bring foorth fruit so he prepareth them to that vnion wherevnto he exhorteth them He setteth down these grounds as coÌ„mon both to the denuntiation and to the promises First that he himselfe is the true Vine tree Secondly that the Father is an Husbandman On this ground hee deduceth a judgement to those who will not bring foorth fruite and mercy to them who will bring foorth fruit The Lord when he was in the worlde was wont to stand vp in the middest of the people and with an high voyce to point out the fulnesse of grace that was in himselfe and that serued to life and that by similitudes and comparisons taken from thinges earthly seruing to the comfort of this life Sometimes hee sayth I am that Bread of Life as in the sixt Chap. of this Gospel Vers 48. Sometimes hee sayeth I am the Light of the worlde as in the eight Chap. vers 12. Sometimes he sayth J am the Way the Trueth and the Life as in the 14. chap. vers 6. The Lord then is the Bread and the true Bread that feedeth the soule to life euerlasting the Lord is the only Light that illuminateth the dead soule the Lord is only that Way that leadeth to Life the Lord is that Vine tree which furnisheth all sap juyce and sustentation to all them who as branches are ingraffed in him and take him away all men are drie like a sticke and no man without him can bring foorth fruit no more than a withered sticke can bud out in flowres In comparison of other thinges hee is sayde to bee the true Bread the true Light the true Vine c. because he substantially and essentially is so the creatures are onely so accidentally and by way of participation The second ground My Father is an Husbandman The comparison betwixt the Father of our Lord Iesus and the husbandman standeth not in all points the husbandman giueth not the sap and nourishment or life to the Vine tree the Vine tree of the own nature hath the sap within it only the husbandman intertaineth the sap and life which is in the tree But this Husbandman the Father communicateth with his Son the whole sap of life which is himselfe As the Father hath life in himselfe so hath he giuen to the Sonne to haue life in himselfe Ioh. 5.26 The Father in that eternal generation communicateth his life with his Son but the comparison standeth in this As the husbandman in time of yeere cutteth downe the vnfruitfull vine tree and cherisheth that which is fruitful so the Father of our Lord Iesus dresseth his vine trees cutteth away rotten members purgeth the fruitfull that they may be more fruitfull Take vp this ground shortly The Father of our Lord Iesus is such an husbandman as neuer one was first he giueth sap to his Son then thorow him all sap coÌ„meth to all men women all sap floweth out of the Lord Iesus which is the Vine tree to all his owne children Now we come to the denuntiation Euery branch that bringeth not foorth fruit in me the Father will cut away The promise is Euerie one who is ingraffed in me beareth fruit the Father will purge them so that they may be able to bring foorth more fruit Wee haue to marke what are these branches what is this fruit By these braÌ„ches I vndersand the whole visible Kirkes in the world whether they bee ingraffed truly or not in the Lord Iesus whether they be corn or chaff sheep or goats true Christians or hypocrits they are called branches By the fruit is vnderstood good works It is as needful to them who are ingraffed in the Lord Iesus to bring foorth good works as to the vine tree to bring forth wine berries being filled with sap But for the farder clearing of this mater we shal speak somthing of this comparison as the husbandman who hath a vineyard wil haue all his care set vpon the vineyard because it is both his pleasure his profit so the whole care of the Father is vpon Iesus Christ his Son for he is his vine tree the whole joy glory of the Father is in the Son all the care the Father hath is in the Son in him he acquisces is well pleased Next if there be a vine tree in the vineyard that the husbandman loueth wel he wil haue al the branches numbred of that tree he wil not let them go out of his eye So there is not in all this world a seruant of the Lord
you also if they haue kept my word they will also keepe yours 21 But all these thinges will they doe vnto you for my Names sake because they haue not knowne him that sent mee 22 If I had not come and spoken vnto them they should not haue had sinne but now haue they no cloake for their sinne 23 Hee that hateth mee hateth my Father also 24 Jf J had not done workes among them which none other man did they had not had sinne but now haue they both seene and haue hated both mee and my Father 25 But it is that the worde might bee fulfilled that is written in their Law They hated mee without a cause 26 But when that Comforter shall come whome I will sende vnto you from my Father euen the Spirit of trueth which proceedeth of the Father hee shall testifie of mee 27 And yee shall witnesse also because yee haue beene with mee from the beginning AFter the Lord Iesus beloued in him hath giuen sundry exhortations to his Disciples at last in the 16. vers he giueth a direction to them that after his ascension to Heauen they should passe out into the world and teach all Nations baptize them The words here are that they should go bring out fâ—uit that is win soules to the kingdome of Heauen Secondly he sets down the ground of his ordinance he sets downe what right he hath to giue it I haue chosen you ye haue not chosen me saith he I preuented you when there was no such thing in your mind therfore I haue just right to giue you this ordinance After he hath giuen this ordinance he begins to furnish them inarme theÌ„ against the time they shold passe out the first piece of armour was prayer they shold pray to the Father But how In his Name Look they heart in prayer be grouÌ„ded by faith in Iesus Christ The next piece of their armour is loue chiefly that loue which euery one should beare to another they ought not only loue him whom they teach but the fellow labourers should loue mutually when the fellow-labourers agree among themselues then the work of the Lord goes forward pleasantly The third piece of armour is patience that they should suffer patiently all the hatred of the world Now he insisteth vpon this place and vseth sundry arguments The first he had was from his owne example hee saieth Haue they not hated mee before you then why should yee take it heauily that the worlde hate you for the seruant is not greater than his Master I goe forward In the beginning of this Text we haue the second argument whereby the Lord moueth his Disciples to beare patiently the hatred of the world If yee were of the world the world would loue his owne saith he but because ye are not of the worlde but I haue chosen you out of the worlde therefore the worlde hateth you The meaning is this in effect If the world hate you it is a good token that I haue chosen you out of the vvorlde and relieued you from that damnation which ye were subject to Ye see in this argument when the world loueth any man certainlie it is a token that there is little good in that man for the wicked worlde ordained for damnation will loue no man without a cause except it find a conformitie with it And as Paul saieth Rom. 12. vers 2. except it find a likenesse in humour and affection it will not loue a man It is true wicked men will loue a good man but neuer for any good neuer for Gods cause but for some particular respect as kinred alliance blood or some policie But for a good cause wicked men will neuer loue a good man By the contrarie when the worlde hateth a man it is a token there is some good in that man Ere euer the worlde beginne to hate a man God loueth him Ere euer the worlde beginne to shoote that man out of the worlde the Lord hath exempted him out of the worlde It is true indeede the worlde will hate a wicked man as a man who doeth great and horrible murders committeth adulterie and incest c. but the worlde will neuer hate wickednesse for wickednesse cause because it is an offence to God but for some priuate hurt and dammage as because he is noysome to the Common-wealth and troublesome to the peace of the Countrey and such like This same which I speake of men may bee well drawne to Religion That Religion which the multitude of the worlde runneth after is not most to be approued No the Lord saue me from it Neither that Religion which the world detesteth is to be rejected No the hatred of the Deuill and of the world is a good to ken When the world hateth godly men there is matter of patience and of joye and it is a sure token the hatred of the worlde shall not so soone touch the heart but as soone the Lord shall meet it with his loue and the greater the hatred bee the greater shall the loue of God be Rom. 5. vers 3. Faith worketh patience patience experience to wit of the fauour and loue of God which hee saith afterward is shed abroad by his holy Spirit into our hearts I goe forward The third argument Remember saieth the Lord the word that I saide to you The seruant is not greater than his Master Looke what they did to me they will doe the same to you As hee would say It may suffice you to be in that estate that I was in before you for why yee are but seruantes and I am the Lord and therefore it may suffice you well to bee in that estate that I haue bene in before you He calleth them to remembrance of that word which he spake before in the 13. Chap. and 16. vers when he exhorted them to humilitie Would any man or woman after the example of Christ be humbled lowly and obedient and patient let them euer holde their eyes vpon Iesus Christ and vpon that highnesse and Lordship wherein hee sitteth at the right hand of the Father and then when thou seest howe high hee is looke downe to thy selfe and thou shalt see the fardest that thou canst claime to is this To be but his seruant though thou werest a King and woe be to thee if thou be not a seruant of Christs Then looking vp to Christ and downe to thy selfe reason thus Hath my Lord who is aboue me suffered many things patiently shall not I who am a seruant suffer something patiently And then the soule shall say Suffer patiently for him and I shall count it honour to be partaker of his suffering for of all the honours of the world it is the greatest to suffer for Christ Were not the Apostles blythe while they suffered for Christ Reade Act. 5. vers 41. there it is said They departed from the Councill reioycing that they were counted worthie to suffer rebuke for his Name Paul Phillip
1. vers 29. saith To you is giuen for Christ not onelie to belieue in him but also to suffer for his sake They who suffer for Christ may thinke they haue gotten a great gift Farder of this argument I marke this The hatred and loue of men is common to Iesus Christ with his members so that they who loue Iesus Christ they loue also his seruantes and they who are foes to Christ they are foes also to his seruantes But it is well to bee marked that this hatred and fauour of men beginneth euer at Christ ere euer one loue the seruant hee must loue the Master and hee that hateth the seruant hee hateth the Master first Hatest thou him who beareth the Message of Christ thou hatest Christ who sent him saye what thou wilt and thou who louest Christ thou wilt loue the silliest member of Christ Nowe I come to the fourth argument and it is from the cause which they had in hande Whatsoeuer the worlde should doe vnto them it shoulde bee for a good cause it shoulde bee for my Names sake and for my Fathers sake Hee letteth the Disciples see farder than the worlde sawe in their hatred to the Disciples for Christ in all his speaking chiefelie with the Scribes and Pharisees hee letteth them see with whome they had to doe they had to doe first with the Father of Heauen all their persecution was a misknowledging of the Father The malicious persecution of men striketh first vpon the GOD of Heauen first ere it bee on the Sonne it must strike on the Father As the Iewes then that woulde boast that they loued God and hated his Disciples had in their heartes first the hatred of the Father so nowe men will saye in the middest of the hatred of the seruantes of Iesus Christ that they loue Iesus Christ but the Spirite of Iesus Christ sayeth They lie and the ground of their hatred is the hatred of Christ Bee not deceiued I will laye downe this as a sure ground It is vnpossible for one to loue Christ or his Father and to raile vpon the seruantes of Christ This for the fourth argument wherein wee may see the first thing required in a Christian is patience Among all the argumentes to moue a man to patience this suffering for a good cause is principall for it bringeth with it great joy Whē a man suffereth as an euil doer as a thiefe an adulterer or murderer he will not suffer patiently joyfully The Lord will not let joy come of sin but if they haue joy that comes vpon the assurance their sinnes are forgiuen them which caused them to hold down their head Blessed is the man who suffereth for a good cause and the best cause is to suffer for Iesus Christ and if euer one found joy in suffering they found the greatest joy for as it is said 1. Pet. 4.14 of those who suffer for Christ the Spirit of glory of God resteth vpon them the Spirit of Christ sits downe in the soule resteth holdeth vp the soule with joy No words can teach this so wel as experience the Martyrs were witnesses herof who in most exquisit torments were patient rejoyced wonderfully what was the cause thereof Euen because that the Spirit of Christ filled their soules with joy and that joy ouercame ate vp all the pain Therfore if thou wouldest suffer look that it be for a good cause let it be for the cause of Iesus Christ that our suffering may be joyfull in laying down of this life we may be assured that we shal be transported to that blessed life Blessed saith Christ Matth. 5.10 are those who suffer for righteousnesse sake for theirs is the Kingdome of God Now lest the ignorance of the Father shold haue bene thought to haue bene a simple ignorance he saith Jf I had not come and spoken vnto them he meaneth of the Scribes Pharisees they should haue had no sinne that is If I had not reuealed the whole secret of the Father their ignorance had bene tollerable but now they haue no pretence to cloake their ignorance but their mouth shall bee closed vp Nowe yee see in these wordes howe hee bringeth this persecution of his Discilples to the head grounde First There is the hatred of the Disciples Secondly there is the hatred of the Sonne And thirdlie there is the misse-knowledge of the Father The ground of this is the bitternesse of the heart So it is called Act. 8. vers 23. when Peter speaketh to Simon Magus The ground then of ignorance was the roote of bitternesse in the heart resisting the holy Spirit From this maliciousnesse sloweth the ignorance of God the hatred of the Sonne and the hatred of the Disciples All persecution commeth of malice first and then of ignorance All the persecuters that euer were in the world were like as many blind men Indeed I grant that all persecution will not proceede in alike measure from malice and the gall of bitternesse albeit there is none ignorance but it is joyned with some malice of the heart but the malice is not alike great for in some hearts there is nothing but venome and a bag of gall and some there are who haue lesse and that persecution proceedeth of a blinde zeale more than of bitternesse Looke what Paul speaketh of himselfe 1. Timoth. 1. vers 13. hee had such a blind zeale that hee persecuted the Kirke and when he was going to Damascus he had a kinde of zeale but afterwarde when hee saw Christ hee called that zeale a madnesse and woodnesse So there is some persecution that commeth of a blind zeale some there is that commeth of maliciousnesse altogether And as these two differ in grounds so they differ in mercy also Paul 1. Timoth. 1. saith Before I was a blasphemer a persecuter and an oppressour but God had mercy on me for I did it ignorantly thorow vnbeliefe and therefore the Lord laid it not to my charge But as touching the other persecution that cōmeth of maliciousnesse against the holy Spirit woe to that persecuter for surely it is a rare thing for such a man to gette grace And hee who is obdured in maliciousnesse for it is the ground of sinne against the holy Ghost very hardly obtaineth saluation because with great difficultie is it rooted out of the soule Take heed there is none of vs but there is a piece of venome in vs and wee spoute out venome So wee knowing that God despiteth that venome wee should trauell to gette it away by prayer to God as we feele it for there is no power in Heauen nor in earth that can purge vs but that holy Spirit and he who hath this Spirite of Christ when hee feeleth this bitternesse in the heart will loathe at it and then he will haue his refuge to Christ Take vp in this last verse that Christ and his Gospel serueth to make the world inexcusable for their ignorance is wilfull
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
any other felicity and therefore they were woe at such speaches for they were more carnall than spirituall and tooke more heede to that carnall than spirituall ioy So this is our nature that if we can get in the world such aboundance of riches pleasure honour and such companie as we would we would neuer desire to goe out of this world but ay to remaine And when wee heare tell that wee must slit out of this worlde the rememberance of death will sting vs to the heart the Disciples were sad because the Lord was to goe from them It is the hardest thing in the worlde to gette the soule disseuered from the world and to get the eye set vpon Heauen and to get an hope of that Life Woe to that soule that getteth not hope to reach aboue this worlde that soule is in an euill estate And the Lord knowing this hee will take awaye from vs that companie that will drawe vs from him and piece and piece hee will take vs vnto himselfe for no man getteth the desire of Heauen in a moment but a man piece and piece stealeth out of the worlde and goeth to Heauen Thinke not thou therefore them happie who haue the worlde at their will No no it is well for that creature whom the Lord draweth out of the worlde by taking from them the thinges of the worlde For miserable are wee if ou◠hope bee not extended beyonde all earthlie yea spirituall comfortes that euen can befall vs in this life as Paul saieth Of all men wee are moste miserable if in this life onely wee haue hope in Christ 1. Cor. 1. vers 19. I goe forward As before hee gently reprooued them so in the next vers hee comforteth them Jt is expedient for you that J goe away for it J goe not away the Comforter shall not come to you but if J goe away I will sende him to you Heereby wee see that the holie Spirit commeth by the Resurrection and Glorification of IESVS CHRIST and therefore it is saide The holie Spirite was not giuen because Iesus was not as yet glorified Chap. 7. vers 39. And whatsoeuer grace was of the holie Spirite into the worlde was by vertue of that Resurrection of Christ to come and all this consolation wee haue floweth out of his Resurrection Glorification for out of his fulnesse we receiue a part he is full of glorie his soule is repleat and passeth all the Angels in glorie and so out of his fulnesse all grace floweth vnto vs and euerie one of the members of Christ hath a measure of that Spirit as hee thinketh meete and therefore Paul saieth Hee ascended on high and gaue giftes to men Ephes 4. vers ◠And so wouldest thou haue joy cast vp thine eye to heauē and fasten thy faith on Iesus Christ thou shalt find a portion of that Spirit Wee see two sortes of the presence of Christ One bodilie as the Disciples saw another spirituall Howbeit hee bee distant from vs in the Heauen yet he sendeth down his holie Spirit by that Spirit he worketh a feeling in the hearts of his owne and they will heare his voyce and will see him with the eyes of their soule And they will haue this sense with such a joye that the tongue of him who findeth that joye is not able to expresse the thousand part of it Both these presences are very good and they who saw him had a great benefit Many Kings longed to see him but they saw him not as Dauid and Abraham The men who saw him when hee was an Infant thought they gotte a greater grace than if all the worlde had beene giuen them But for all this the other presence is better for hee saieth Jt is good that I goe away from you It had beene good for the Iewes that they had neuer had his bodily presence because they had not the spirituall presence of the Lord in their hearts But as for that spiritual presence in all respectes it is to bee preferred to his bodily presence in the dayes of his humiliation because by vertue of that presence albeit so farre distant from vs wee receiue the holy Spirite and all his graces Looke to Heauen and see him glorified that presence is the chiefe presence and as soone as wee see that glory in that day the beames of his glory shall transforme vs and catch vs vp in the clouds So great is the glory of the Lord that it will not remaine within the Heauens with our Head but of necessity it must flowe to his members vpon earth Nowe when thou findest grace and joye and pleasure into thine heart And thinke not thou hast joy enough howbeit thou hadst all the pleasures in the world except thou haue that joye of Christ then assure thy selfe that Iesus Christ thine Head is glorified in the Heauens And if wee finde such a pleasure that wee will bee rauished aboue the worlde being now so farre distant from Christ what shall bee that joy and pleasure wee shall conceiue in our heart when wee shall see him face to face The tongue cannot tell it but the heart that hath felt it can best testifie it The Lord grant that while as wee are in the earth wee may walke as Citizens in the Heauens euer waiting that these vile bodies may bee transformed and made conformable to that glorious body of Iesus Christ Now to goe forward After he hath fore-warned his Disciples of the afflictions which after his departure they shold suffer That they should bee excommunicate and also slaine And after hee hath set downe the ende wherefore hee fore-warned them to wit that they should not be offended but confirmed And after he hath reproued them gently that they rejoyced not when he tolde them that he was to depart And after he hath begun to comfort them by letting the◠see that is was for their weale that hee was to depart from them For thorow his blessed Ascension they should bee partakers of the holy Spirit and his graces which if hee did not ascend to his Father they would not get In the words following he falleth out vpon another head of doctrine instructeth them concerning the office of the Spirite which hee was to discharge in the worlde during the time of his absence and this office is in respect of the world and chiefely of the obstinate Iewes who would not belieue in Christ when hee was present with them When hee shall come that is when that Spirite of trueth shall come after that I am gone away he shall rebuke the world that is the faythlesse and obstinate in the worlde hee shall conuict them But yee may saye No man heareth the voyce of the Spirite speaking with his owne mouth howe shall the Spirite then rebuke the worlde The meaning is The Disciples whome that Spirite shall comfort shall by their Ministerie rebuke the worlde Wee haue then two effectes of the Spirite heere The first is in respect
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
word is as Peter saith 1. Epist. Chap. 2. vers 1.2 This place letteth vs see that it was not onely a part of the trueth that was committed to the Ministerie they receiued not an imperfect doctrine but the whole Mysterie of saluation was reuealed and laid before them and that which they receiued they deliuered againe faithfully Paul saith Act. 20. vers 27. I haue not hid any thing from you but I haue showne you the whole counsell of God And whatsoeuer thinges the Apostles preached in the world with their mouth all in effect and substance they wrote with their hands to the weale of the Kirke and there is not one point which either concerneth Gods glory or mans saluation but in effect we haue it registrated in the Olde and New Testament Away with the vnwritten verities whatsoeuer was preached all is registrated to the weale of the people And If all the Apostles were this daye preaching they woulde not preach one worde in effect but that which wee haue already registrated I will affirme that before God the holy Spirite will not teach any thing to the heart but that which is written in the Old and Newe Testament Yea more true fayth will drinke in none other thing but that which is within this compasse of the worde and if thou drinkest in any other thing than this I affirme before God thou neuer hadst true fayth Let no Spirit bee pretended to this let no fayth be pretended to this Away with those Papists who commend so highly the vaine traditions of men and vnwritten verities they haue no true fayth It is only the Spirit who leadeth vs in all verity Then he giueth them the reason Because that Spirit shall not speake of himselfe but whatsoeuer hee shall heare that shall hee speake As if hee had said Yee will credite me and I assure you that Spirite will speake nothing but that which hee hath receiued of mee Whatsoeuer the Spirite of God teacheth the world while as hee is in the Heauen hee receiueth it out of the mouth of Iesus Christ And farder whatsoeuer thing the Lord spake during the time he was in the world hee receiued it out of the mouth of the Father Looke this harmonie of teaching among the glorious persons of the Trinitie He saith not one thing and he another as men doe The Father beginneth and hee speaketh then the Sonne speaketh the same and the holy Spirit speaketh nothing but that which the Father and the Sonne haue spoken Looke the worde and decreet of our saluation It is a conclusion giuen out by all the three persons of the Godhead If it bee so certainly the worde of the Gospel of Iesus Christ it must be a thing of great authoritie For that decree which is laide in the Kings Counsell hath a great authoritie among the Subiectes and the worde of the Counsell is greater than the word of the King only If this be among Kinges in the earth of what authority should this be that commeth from the decree of the glorious Counsell of that blessed Trinitie in respect whereof all the Kinges of the earth are but drosse Nowe would to God the heartes of men could see this great authority of this worde So this worde must craue a great fayth The King would be angry if his decree were not credited then what judgement shall abide vs wormes if wee belieue not the decree of the glorious Trinitie I saye this before God The contempt of the Gospel of Iesus Christ bringeth on with it the heauiest iudgement in the worlde And if such a contempt of the worde in this Land continue an heauy iudgement no question shall light vpon them who haue not credited such a decree Iohn 12. vers 44. Therefore seeing the word of the Gospel is of such authoritie let all men who would see Heauen striue to belieue it in their hearts or else if they belieue not an heauie judgement shall ouer-take them let them beware In the ende of the vers hee bringeth in more particularly what the Spirit shall teach Hee saieth Hee shall shew you the thinges to come that is The thinges which shall followe after my departure mine ascension and glorification the thinges which were acquired by his death and applied by his resurrection as remission of sinnes justification and life eternall hee shall teach you them inwardlie and hee shall seale them vp into your heartes For after the Lord had suffered in the earth then grace came downe then remission of sinnes came downe that free righteousnesse of Christ came downe and life euerlasting came downe as also extraordinarie gifts came downe as the gift of Prophesie the gift of healing of working of miracles of speaking sundry languages c. for why when the Lord Iesus was filled with glory of that fulnesse the members heere in the earth receiued their part and grace for grace came downe as it was prophesied Hee went vp on high and led captiuitie captiue and gaue giftes vnto men And all these things gaue he by the holy Spirit illuminating the mind and working powerfull in the heart for other wayes what auaileth it to haue remission of sinnes life glory and happinesse for euer effected Except the Spirit of Iesus Christ accompany the word illuminate and mollifie the heart all shall bee of none auaile Therefore againe I bid you as yee would liue striue to feele that Spirite working into you Now in the next vers hee taketh vp summarily the effect of all that the Spirit shall teach them He shall glorifie me What is it the Spirit is doing and what is it wee are doing and whereto is all this preaching All is to glorifie Christ If thou bee not an instrument to glorifie Christ Iesus thou shalt haue no part of glorie with him He giueth the reason wherefore the Spirit shall glorifie him Because the thing hee shall shew you hee shall haue it in commission from me If the speaches of an Ambassadour be not to the honour of his Prince hee is but a Traitor The Sonne was sent as an Ambassadour from the Father therefore hee glorified the Father as he speaketh Chap. 17. vers 7. So the holy Spirit is sent from the Sonne therefore hee speaketh all to the glory of the Sonne But this would be well vnderstood how the Spirit of Christ glorifieth Christ vpon the earth Who giueth the Spirite who seeth him or who heareth his voyce How then glorifieth the Spirit the Lord The Spirit glorifieth the Lord Iesus by the Ministerie of the Gospel and by the mouthes of simple men thinke of them as yee will except by the mouthes of men yee shall neuer finde the Spirit glorifying the Sonne seeke where yee will If wee speake anie thing wherein God is not glorified say wee are but liars and the Spirit of Christ is not into vs. If wee begin to speake of Purgatorie and of the merites of men of intercession of Sainctes saye wee are but lyars If wee drawe you from
that onelie merite of Christ saye that the Spirit of God speaketh not by vs but the spirite of Antichrist for heereby are the spirites discerned hee that teacheth Christ onelie speaketh by the Spirit of Christ but hee who teacheth anie thing besides Christ hath the spirit of the Antichrist 1. Ioh. 4. vers 2.3 And this is the spirit that teacheth the Pope and his Clergie and therefore goe away from them or else yee will bee deceiued and one day yee shall see this justified and this day yee should heare with your eares the Lord crying Away out of Babylon as thou wouldest bee safe and see Heauen I haue cryed this oftentimes It might haue beene saide Shall not the Spirit reueale that doctrine hee hath receiued of the Father Hee meeteth that now and saith Whatsoeuer things the Father hath are mine Marke this It appeareth verie well out of this place that the holy Spirit is sent immediatelie of the Sonne and that he hath his direction of the Sonne our Sauiour this may comfort vs indeed the Father sendeth him but by the Sonne and therefore it is saide Hee shall sende him in my Name and againe Whom I shall send from the Father Now that which I speake of the Spirit of Iesus Christ I vnderstand it of the Apostles and of all the faithfull Ministers in the Kirke Wee haue all our commission immediatelie from our Lord Iesus Christ so the silliest Minister that is faythfull hath not his calling from the Father immediatelie but from the Sonne Ephes Chap. 4. vers 11. Hee therefore gaue some to bee Apostles and some Prophets and some Euangelistes and some Pastours and some Teachers And Paul speaking of himselfe calleth himselfe the Apostle of Jesus Christ and he addeth to by the will of the Father whereby hee telleth vs that hee was sent immediatelie from the Sonne and mediatelie from the Father What is the grounde of this The Father hath giuen his Sonne all power in Heauen and in Earth hee hath kept nothing from him All thine is mine as it is said in the next Chap. vers 10. And vpon this it commeth to passe that the holie Spirite commeth immediately from the Sonne and all the Apostles and Ministers in the Kirke are immediately from him and euen now hee sitteth like a King at the right hande of the Father I speake not this as if I affirmed that the Father had put off all power from himselfe wee must not thinke so no no for afterwardes hee saith All mine is thine so this hurteth not the Father And therefore these thinges which are giuen to the Sonne remaine in the Fathers handes But the Sonne is the Store-house of all grace and when the Father would giue grace hee taketh it out of the treasure of the Sonne and giueth it to vs by the hand of the Sonne The Father hath his glorie the Sonne hath his glorie and the holie Ghost hath his glorie but wee glorifie the Father as the Fountaine of all benefites the Sonne as Mediatour and the holie Spirite as our Sanctifier and wee giue them all one equall glorie amongst themselues because they are equall in Glorie and Majestie Therefore let vs glorifie the Father the Sonne and the holie Ghost in this blessed Trinitie who liueth and reigneth world without ende Nowe to goe forwarde After hee hath fore-warned his Disciples of his departure and hath comforted them against that time promising that after his departure they should receiue the Comforter to wit the holie Spirite and therefore hee hath spoken much of the holie Spirite that shoulde come vnto them Nowe in these wordes hee continueth on in the same purpose and hee fore-warneth them of his departure and hee sayeth A little while and yee shall not see mee meaning that hee was to depart out of this worlde Then hee comforteth them in the next wordes Againe a little while and yee shall see mee meaning that after his departure hee should come againe in his Spirite and by his Spirite hee should giue them his presence and hee giueth the reason of this his presence for saieth hee J goe to my Father that is I am to passe vp to the Heauen and am to bee glorified and the Heauen shall not containe my glorie but it shall come downe to the Earth my Spirit wherewith I shall be filled shall come downe to you For albeit that Christ merited by his death all benefites to vs yet they come not to vs but by vertue of his Resurrection Ascension and Glorification for hee merited all thinges to vs as a Priest humbled on the earth but hee communicateth to vs the benefites which hee merited as a glorious King Nowe Brethren yee may see this of these wordes That the LORD hee neuer taketh his presence from his owne altogether if hee will take awaye his bodilie presence as indeede presentlie wee haue not his bodilie presence hee will recompence it with his spirituall presence for this is a sure thing The Godlie heere on the Earth cannot want some sight of CHRIST they cannot liue without some presence of IESVS CHRIST No there cannot bee a Kirke without some presence of him For first Howe is the Kirke made heere vpon the Earth Who maketh the separation Who but IESVS CHRIST Hee letteth such a number haue his presence and sanctifieth them by his holie Spirite and so maketh a Kirke And if there were not a continuance of his presence the Kirke coulde not stande There is not a member of the Kirke that coulde stand in holinesse if it pleased the LORD to withdrawe his presence Wee haue holinesse not of our selues but of the Spirite of the LORD IESVS CHRIST and if hee withdraw his Spirit from vs wee would become as prophane as the most wicked of this worlde So all our grace and all our standing commeth of the Spirit of Iesus Then marke this By what vertue receiue wee the Spirit of Iesus and that presence of Christ by his Spirit Wee receiue it in a word by vertue of his glorious Resurrection Ascension and Glorification in the Heauens for nowe being in the Heauens hee is full of glorie All the Angels in Heauen are nothing comparable to him in glory the Heauens are not able to containe his glory Now the head being full of glory a portion commeth downe from him and in some measure glorifieth the members And as Iohn sayeth Of his fulnesse wee all receiue a part Chap. 1. vers 16. And to the Ephesians Chap. 4. vers 8. Hee passed vp to the Heauens and filled vs all with his grace and so by the passing vp of Christ to the Heauen wee receiue the holy Spirit Therefore when thou considerest the Resurrection and Ascension of Iesus Christ it should moue thee to take a triall whether thou hast gotten the fruit of his Resurrection and glorification to see if thou hast gotten his holy Spirite in some measure or the graces of his holy Spirite for the Apostles by his Resurrection and
of the worlde Now by them there is no doubt but the LORD shineth into the heartes of some men that they may giue light vnto others light aboundantlie shineth into the worlde so that none haue cause to bee darkened for fault of light but as the Apostle Paul sayeth in the seconde Epistle to the Corinthians the fourth Chapter and thirde vers If the Gospel bee hid it is hid to them that perish So saye I if thou bee not lightened thou shalt die and if thou gettest not illumination by these same men count of them as thou wilt and lightlie them as thou pleasest die shalt thou euerlastinglie and saye with thy selfe And if I gette not illumination I will die without remedie And I denounce against thee that if thou gettest not illumination by this same Ministerie count of it as thou wilt thou shalt die for euer The last part of that felicitie is this A readinesse and easinesse of GOD to heare their prayers night and daye Yee shall aske in my Name sayeth the LORD and J saye not that I shall praye the Father for you Indeede would hee saye I praye continuallie And no doubt the LORD IESVS in the daye of his humiliation prayed and neuer one prayed as he prayed with such a faith such a zeale and such a sense No let him haue the degree aboue all that euer prayed from the beginning of the worlde Hee felt best the miserie of man and pittied it And when hee went thorowe the Streetes of HIERVSALEM or wheresoeuer he went hee behelde the miserable bodies and hee prayed for them vnto his Father And thou likewise therefore when thou goest thorowe the streetes of EDINBVRGH looke about thee vnto the miserable multitude and see if thou hast not cause to praye to GOD for them that hee would bee mercifull to them This should bee thine exercise and no doubt CHRIST was so exercised heere on earth but nowe when CHRIST is exalted to his glorie to saye that hee will kneele downe on his knees and praye to the Father as the Papistes saye it is but a dreame for all that was a parte of his humiliation The LORD IESVS is an euerlasting Mediatour and there is none ende thereof And that Crosse is as liuelie before the Father as that same night wherein hee was crucified and so are his prayers for hee is an Aduocate not like our Aduocates hee is a crucified Aduocate Looke to him for there is no life but in the sight of him And as for his praying and humbling himselfe thinke not that all is vanished no all abideth euerlastinglie for that Prayer which yee shall heare in the CHAPTER following and all his Prayers which hee made to his Father abideth yet and shall abide euerlastinglie Then sayeth hee thinke not that I shall praye then for you as I was wont to doe but yee shall bee hearde Because the Father loueth you Yee see a man who loueth another hee will heare him willinglie And wherefore loueth hee you Because sayeth hee yee loue mee GOD will requite loue with loue yea GOD will preuent thy loue with his infinite loue and then thine heart is drawne to him And looke howe often thou wilt loue him hee will as often compasse thy loue with his loue and what is thy loue but a sorie thing in respect of that infinite loue of his Then hee sayeth Yee haue belieued that I am come out from GOD. Yee see the grounde of this readinesse is fayth in IESVS CHRIST I will ende in one worde and woulde to GOD this loue could enter into our heartes Wilt thou loue the Sonne of GOD from thine heart and not in worde onelie For loue standeth not in a worde and wilt thou belieue him that hee hath died for thy sinnes and risen for thy glorie Then euerie daye and houre his eare shall bee readie to heare thy prayer A man will thinke it no small matter to haue the eare of a King patent and readie when hee calleth The LORD shall bowe his eare to thee night and day if thou belieue in IESVS CHRIST Is this anie small thing that the LORD of Heauen shall heare thee when thou shalt call vpon him So his eare through loue by faith in IESVS CHRIST is euer patent to heare his owne Yet there is an higher grounde of this to wit that wonderfull loue which the Father beareth to the Sonne If thou louest him hee will loue thee and if thou bee an enemie to him hee will bee an open enemie to thee If there bee anie man who loueth not the LORD IESVS let him bee Anathema and Anathema Maranatha 1. Corinth Chap. 16. Vers 12. That is Cursed for euer Hee who loueth the LORD IESVS is blessed for euer and he who hateth the LORD IESVS is cursed for euer Nowe would to GOD wee had an heart to saye with Paul The man who loueth not CHRIST let him be Anathema From whence rose this From a wonderfull loue which the Apostle bare to the LORD IESVS And from whence rose this loue to CHRIST Looke what the Apostle sayeth in the second Epistle to the Corinthians in the fifth Chapter and the fourteenth Vers The loue of CHRIST constraineth mee Nowe woulde to GOD that wee had the halfe of this loue and if it were so wee woulde haue little patience to see thinges as they are and to see the enemies of CHRIST IESVS set vp the Altar of the Deuill against the Altar of CHRIST wee woulde not onelie make imprecations against theâ— but wee woulde by all meanes hinder them And this carelesnesse which wee haue testifieth that wee loue not CHRIST and if wee loue him not an heauie judgement shall light vpon vs. Nowe therefore seeing all grace is from the loue of CHRIST the LORD fill our heartes with that loue that wee may bee partakers of grace heere and heereafter bee glorified with CHRIST To whome with the Father and the holie Spirite bee all praise honour and glorie for euermore AMEN THE XVI LECTVRE OF CHRISTES DOCTRINE BEFORE HIS PASSION IOHN CHAP. xvi VERS 28.29.30.31.32.33 28 I am come out from the Father and came into the world againe J leaue the world and goe to the Father 29 His Disciples said vnto him Loe now speakest thou plainly and thou speakest no parable 30 Now know we that thou knowest all things and needest not that anie man should aske thee By this we belieue that thou art come out from God 31 Jesus answered them Doe you belieue now 32 Beholde the houre commeth and is alreadie come that yee shall bee scattered euerie man into his owne and shall leaue mee alone But I am not alone for the Father is with mee 33 These thinges haue J spoken vnto you that in mee yee might haue peace in the world yee shall haue affliction but bee of good comfort J haue ouercome the world BEfore in this Chapter Brethren the Lord fore-warned his Disciples that hee was to depart but hee spake to them in a parable
vnto you that in mee yee might haue peace All tendeth to this ende that yee maye enjoye that peace and rest that gladnesse and joye thorowe the holie Spirite This joye bringeth with it a verie great ease and quietnesse Well there are manie eases in the worlde but neuer one wist what ease was in the soule but hee who findeth this ease that is thorowe a good conscience in CHRIST and that peace which commeth of the forgiuenesse of sinnes Woulde yee haue the true estate of a Christian man or vvoman There it is in one word That they are peaceable hearted and they are joyfull hearted The true Christian man hath the wonderfullest peace and joye in the soule that can be And this was the end of all the speaking of the Lord Iesus to his Disciples and this is the ende of the Gospel and of all our preaching to haue a good conscience and that peace and rest in the soule Nowe they neuer knew what rest and peace was but they who knowe what it is to haue a sore heart for sinne And O howe sore the conscience will bee tossed when it hath the taste of the judgement of God â— that body would giue a thousand worlds for a word of that peace for what is the peace in Iesus Christ It is the beginning of Heauen if thou beginnest not that peace heere thou shalt neuer see peace hereafter And this is the ende of all our sanctification and justification to get this peace in Christ And what is Heauen It is peace and rest with God that is our Heauen So that if thou haue no peace and rest in the soule and neuer findest that true peace in Iesus Christ and that Spirit of joye all this preaching is vaine to thee all is vaine to thee if thou gettest not that peace Take heed to it as yee would see this life in Christ and when thou hearest of this worde of peace looke thou preasse to goe home with a peaceable soule and if thou canst not get this peace bee sadde and mourne for it and thou shalt get it another time Bee this wayes exercised that thou mayest feele the fruites of this word Nowe lest they should thinke that this peace which hee promised them should want sorrow and that they should neuer be troubled he putteth this out of their mind and sayeth In the worlde yee shall haue affliction your peace shall be without peace The rest of a Christian is no rest your joye shall bee with sadnesse and your comfort with heauinesse inwardly yee shall haue joye but outwardly ye shall haue heauinesse This heauinesse which the godlie haue is so farre from that that it taketh away their pleasure that their joye riseth of tribulation and then they haue greatest joye when they are sorest vexed and in greatest tribulations Take heed to it came not the same to passe in the Disciples they had neuer such a joye as they had then when as soone after Christ departed and was glorified in the Heauens they were brought in before the Councill and scourged for the Name of Iesus Christ and commanded straitly that they should neuer speake in the Name of Iesus then they went out with joye that they were counted worthie to suffer for that Name They had not such ioye all the time that they were with Christ in the world Yet he giueth them a comfort against these tribulations Yet bâ—â— of good comfort all these afflâ—ctions shall haue an ende they shall ende with victory to you J haue ouercome the world If we looked not for an ende of these troubles howbeit wee had aye this peace with troubles yet it would be heauy to vs therefore the Lord comforteth them with this that in the end they shall haue a solide joy and all teares shall bee wiped away and they shall get the victory not in themselues but in him that hath gotten the victory The Lord Iesus is the only Conquerour and he it is that is only victorious and hath ouercome the worlde and the Deuil But as for vs his members 1. Epist Iohn Chap. 5. vers 4. this is the victory that hath ouercome this worlde euen our fayth Fasten thee on him who hath gotten the victory and then the Battell is perfected To speake it properly we haue not a battell with the Deuill to get the victory but to keepe Christ by fayth for the Deuill and all our enemies are ouercome and the battell is stricken and the fielde is wonne Christ sitting on the Crosse vanquished the Deuil and tooke him and ledde him captiue in a triumph all the Deuils are reserued in chaines to that great day So we haue not a battell for the victorie is wonne already but all our victory is to keepe fayth in him who hath ouercome our enemies and purchased the victory to vs and all the battels of the Deuill are to twin vs and Christ and all the battels wee haue with him are about fayth for if the Deuill be able to twin vs and this fayth we haue done with Christ and therefore al the exhortations of the Apostles are to stand in faith Looke the 6. Chap. to the Ephesians What then should I exhort you to or what shoulde bee our exhortations to them who are fighting And woe to them who are not fighting against these deadly enemies wee should all bee sweating in the battell Let euery one crie to another Sticke fast to Christ hold the gripe and let it not goe and hold on the way and striue on a little while and thou shalt brooke Iesus Christ and all his graces and thou shalt leaue ouer and repose and rest vpon him sweetly vntill that daye that he come and deliuer thee from all trouble then thou shalt be crowned with that Crowne of glory which hee hath purchased with his blood To him therefore with the Father and the holy Spirit be all praise honour and glory for euermore AMEN THE XVII LECTVRE OF CHRISTS PRAYER BEFORE HIS PASSION IOHN CHAP. xvii VERS 1. THese thinges spake Iesus and lift vp his eyes to Heauen and saide Father that houre is come glorifie thy Sonne that thy Sonne also may glorifie thee WEE heard Welbeloued in the Lord Iesus Christ the large Sermon which the Lord hath to his Disciples from the beginning of the fourteenth Chapter of this Gospel to this present Chap. which is the seuenteenth Now in the seuenteenth Chap. he endeth his Sermon with an earnest Prayer to the Father For the better vnderstanding of this Prayer wee haue to know thus farre The Lord Iesus when he was in this world manifested in the fleshe abiding amongst the Iewes and conuersant with his Disciples he abode amongst them as an high Priest that eternall high Priest of whome all the high Priestes amongst the Iewes before his comming were onely but types and figures and when he came he put an end to all the types being the very bodie it selfe Nowe as it became the high Priest to make intercession
but that thou art bought with the blood of Iesus Christ and when thou feelest that Spirite within thee thou shalt finde most sweete and comfortable motions yea motion vpon motion rising in thine heart As hee calleth him Father so hee calleth himselfe his Sonne hee sayeth not Father glorifie mee but Father glorifie thy Sonne Euen as the first stile conciliateth the loue of the Father to the Sonne so this stile reconciliateth the loue of the Sonne to the Father So Brethren let all the stiles wee vse in prayer to God sauour of the loue we haue to God whether wee name God or call him Father let that stile smell of that sonly loue we beare to God or whether wee stile our selues to God let that stile shew the loue wee beare to God and then when these two affections meete our affection going vp to him to the Heauens and his sweete affection comming downe to vs there is the tenderest and sweetest meeting that euer was and bee assured and if it were but a little affection that thou bearest towardes him hee will meete it with an infinite loue yea hee will sende downe out of the Heauens by his holie Spirite such loue to thy soule as the tongue of no creature can expresse Haue yee not experience of this that the loue that the LORD beareth to vs in JESVS CHRJST is the sweetest thing that euer was The LORD hath giuen vs leaue to bee homelie with him through CHRIST and they who want CHRJST dare not bee homelie The Pagans and the Iewes who denie the LORD JESVS haue not this familiaritie with GOD. Through JESVS CHRIST wee haue this wonderfull libertie to come to GOD and call him Father But to come to the matter Father sayeth hee glorifie thy Sonne Thâ—n what is it that he seeketh of the Father He seeketh glorie He hath bene humbled exceedingly and layde downe the tongue of man nor Angell cannot tell howe lowe the Lord was layde so being humbled at the pleasure of the Father nowe when hee hath neare finished the worke which hee should haue done hee seeketh againe his owne glory and good reason were he sayth Glorifie me Father with that glory which I had with thee from all eternitie The Sonne with the Father haâ— equall glorie Paul in the Epistle to the Philippians Chap. 2. vers 6.7.8.9 hath a notable place to this purpose and hee pointeth out three thinges of Christ in that place First hee letteth vs see the glorie which hee haâ— before hee came into the world Secondly he letteth vs see how hee humbled himselfe to the Father And thirdly hee letteth vs see how hee recouered againe that glory which hee haâ— from all eternity as comfortable a place of Iesus Christ as is in all the Scripture This then was his glory when as hee was in the forme of God hee thought it no robbery so to be equall with God for he was equall with his Father in glory in all respects Then hee telleth vs of his humiliation But he himselfe of his free will made himselfe of no reputation At the will of the Father the Sonne of God commeth downe from the Heauen and layeth downe that glory and taketh vpon him the vile habite of a seruant the habit of man that is the next degree and being in the habit of man he is made obedient to the death the vildest death that could bee an accursed death the death of the Crosse this was all done at the pleasure of the Father Last he commeth to the recouery of this glory God exalted him in a wonderfull sublimenes highnes he gaue him a name aboue all names that at the Name of IESVS all knees should bee bowed of all things in Heauen and in earth and vnder the earth and that all tongues should confesse that IESVS was the Lord to the glory of the Father In the first to the Ephes also hee speaketh of this his glory saying He raised him vp from the dead he placed him at his right hand in the Heauens farre aboue all empire principality and power and he subjected all things vnder his feet and hee made him head ouer all euen ouer the Kirke it selfe Whose heart is able to tell the glory that the Lord Iesus who was so farre humbled got after his humiliation I recommend often these places to you for if we loue our Sauior it should be our joy to reade of the glory and exaltation of him which he hath in our flesh for his glory is our glory and as he was exalted so shall we be What glory is this which he seeketh The Lord Iesus is very God verie man Now whether seekes he the glory of the Godhead which dwelt in him bodily as Paul saith Col. 2. vers 9. or the glory of the humane nature or the glorie of them both The answere is easie The Lord Iesus is that eternall high Priest and Mediatour betwixt God and man And as hee is Mediatour being both God and man no doubt he seeketh at the Father the glorifying of both the natures The glorifying of the Sonne of God as he was equall with the Father to be restored to him againe and the glorifying of the humane nature to be giuen him of new which hee had not afore but principally the glory of the Godhead Glorifie mee with that glorie saieth hee which J had with thee from all eternitie So chiefely hee seeketh the glory of the Sonne of God that glory he had from all eternity for why As yee heard Philipp 2.6 the Sonne of God had passed farre and layde downe that glory which hee had with the Father therefore Iesus sought the glory of the Godhead As for the glory of the manhood it is but the consequence of the other What is the glory of the manhood vnto the glory of the great God The glory of the nature of man in Christ is nothing but the beames of that glory which commeth from the Godhead The glory of the nature of man in Iesus Christ howbeit it passeth all the glory of Angels and man is nothing in respect of that glory of God which dwelleth in Iesus Christ To tell this more plainely wee see howe the glory of God vttered it selfe in Christ when that blessed body was in the graue and when hee was lying earthed closed in a Tombe then that glorious God beginneth to vtter himselfe for God left him neuer but kept him still in the graue that he corrupted not and the first thing hee doeth hee raiseth vp the dead bodie out of the graue and when hee raised that bodie hee carrieth it vp to the Heauens and setteth it at the right hand of the Father that glorious Godhead shal vtter it selfe in conuoying that bodie at the terrible day of judgement and shall set down that man Christ in the aire as a Iudge to judge both the quicke and the dead As in the first to the Romanes hee declared that he was the Sonne of God mightilie in that
hee rose from the dead So that Godhead declared it selfe that it left him not after this life was exspired but raised him from corruption Then hee commeth to his argumentes to mooue his Father the first is Father the houre is come therefore Father glorifie thy Sonne the houre of death appointed from all eternitie that I should offer vp the Sacrifice for the redemption of man seeing this death approacheth neare let glorie follow that ignominious death my death will bee verie offensiue both to the multitude and to my Disciples as hee saide This night yee will all bee offended at mee and as hee would say O my Father leaue mee not in that ignominious death but out of death raise mee to glorie Christ Iesus all the time that hee was in the worlde the onlie thing which he sought was the glorie of Heauen for our life standeth in that Resurrection And if CHRIST had not beene raysed sayeth Paul all our preaching should bee in vaine and yee should lie still in your sinnes So during all the time that hee was in this worlde this was aye his prayer to his Father and chiefelie when hee sawe the houre of death hee was instant and earnest in seeking that glorie Wee may learne heere a lesson The nearer and the nearer wee are to death deceiue not our selues with a false life the more earnest wee should bee with GOD that hee would giue vs life and men and women as they growe in age and drawe nearer death they should bee the more instant to seeke life and when they growe to graye haires it is a great shame to see an olde bodie prophane they should prepare themselues for the houre of death for death is a dangerous thing death is not to bee jested with All men will say I will die but if thou diest once woe is to thee if thou gettest not life for why death is a port whereby wee either passe to that euerlasting death or then to euerlasting life Looke for no Purgatorie when as the soule is loosed from the bodie it seeth an horrible darknesse if in this present life it had not a fore-tasting of a better life Therefore during the time of grace when â—â— wee haue space in our life let vs seeke that life of Heauen not onâ—â—ie in our olde age but euen in our youthhood we should cast vs to seek life and happie is that young bodie that entereth into that race to life and aye goeth forwardes with the Apostle Paul neuer sitting downe but aye striuing to apprehende that Butte and Marke which is the Crowne of glorie in IESVS CHRIST Whether thou bee man or woman happie art thou who lookest for that life and sayest before the death drawe neare I must flitte So during this life heere wee shoulde aye groane to feele that life and fasten heart and hande to finde that life but then chiefely when we are drawing neare the doore of death and daylie we gette manie warnings to flitte and remooue out of this life And the Lord sayeth by these sicknesses and calamities Flitte flit but then greedily wee should gripe to Iesus Christ and fasten to him who is life and if wee gette a gripe of him that death which is terrible otherwayes it will bee turned to a sweet sleepe Paul sayeth Those who sleepe in him he shall rayse them vp there death is but a sweete sleepe Woe to them that haue no gripe of Christ for at the last houre death shall bee terrible vnto them Euen as I beganne so I ende Thinke not lightlie of death and if thou bestowest thy life looke that thou bestowe it well and for a good cause and if thou flittest and if thou changest this house of claye bee sure that thou gette a better and if this tabernacle of the bodie bee dissolued bee thou assured in thy soule that thou shalt bee cloathed with the glorie of Iesus Christ Paul in the seconde Epist to the Corinthians and the fifth Chapter was sure of this after the dissolution of his bodie from the soule when as hee sayeth I knowe perfectlie if once the earthlie house of this tabernacle were dissolued I shall gette a lodging not made with the handes of men but eternall in the Heauens Before yee flitte out of an house heere yee will bee sure of another to dwell in O foole art thou so wise in the thinges of this worlde and art not sure to bee cloathed with that building of the Heauens Therefore before thou losest this life see howe thou bestowest it and see that thou diest in a good cause and looke that thou haue a gripe of Iesus Christ and if thou wouldest die giue this life to him who is able to giue thee a better life And seeing the time of triall draweth neare for ought we see and the time will declare who will die with Iesus Christ and offer their liues vp to him the Lord giue euerie one of vs grace to die for Iesus Christ and saye in thy selfe Lord if it shall please thee to bring on that triall prepare mee to giue thee this life which thou hast giuen mee for I knowe assuredlie that I shall receiue a better of thee Well is the soule which is this wayes prepared And well is them who die for the cause of Iesus Christ for this glorious Gospel And woe is them who die in the contrarie parte The second argument is That thy Sonne may glorifie thee also This is the reason If thou glorifie mee Father I shall glorifie thee for the knowledge of thee standeth in the knowledge of mee if the worlde see not mee they cannot glorifie thee If the creature see not the glorie of the Sonne hee will neuer see the Father Yee see a sweete meeting heere betwixt the Father and the Sonne howe euerie one of them joyneth together in glorie the Father who is the Fountaine of all glorie beginneth and communicateth his glorie with the Sonne and the holie Spirite the Father hath not his glorie of them but he beginneth and communicateth his glorie with the Sonne and the holie Spirit the glorie of the Sonne and the holie Spirit redoundeth backe againe to the Father And that glorious Trinitie deliteth in glorifying one another for the glorie commeth from the Father vpon the Sonne and from the Sonne to the holie Spirit and back againe from the holie Ghost to the Sonne from the Sonne to the Father euen as the Sunne maketh reflexe from a mirrour towardes himselfe againe No words are able to expresse this for it is a thing incomprehensible to see that glorie betwixt the Father the Sonne and the holie Ghost The consideration of this woulde confounde all the creatures both men and Angels howe the Father putteth on the beames of his glorie vpon the Sonne and from the Sonne to the holie Spirit and then it coÌ„meth about from the holie Spirit and striketh on the Son on the Father Of this we are not capable nor no Angel can sufficientlie
consider the deepnes of this glorie yet wee may knowe that all glorie commeth of the Father and passeth on the Sonne and on the holie Spirit and as it were in a circle the beames of that glorie commeth backe againe glancing on the Father and the glorie of the Father is not diminished but euer hee remaineth infinitelie glorious and the Sonne and the holie Spirite are nothing inferiour in power majestie or glorie vnto the Father for they differ nothing except in order The Father is first and the Sonne is the seconde person of the glorious Trinitie begotten of the Father and the blessed holie Spirite the thirde person proceedeth of the Father and the Sonne all alike glorious Nowe I will leaue this There is euen such a meeting betwixt God and man in a manner for all the glorie which wee haue commeth of the Father for what is the glory of a King but a little small beame of that infinite glorie So the glorie of the creature redoundeth to God Looke to the Heauen and to the Earth there is great glorie in them yet the glorie of them shall all come to him againe and Heauen and Earth shall perish ere he want a jote of his glorie Rom. 11. By him thorow him and to him are all thinges So that to him redoundeth all glorie in ende all commeth home againe till him as in a circle And marke this he saith not this That thou mayst be glorified in the Sonne but That the Sonne may glorifie the Father If anie man hath gotten a sparke of that glorie let him not thinke that that glorie shall onelie come backe againe to God but let him bee the conuoyer of it and let him say yea if he bee a King who hath gotten a Crowne Lord I wil take this Crowne and with as good will as thou hast giuen it to mee will I giue it to thee againe for wee haue nothing but that which commeth from this God And so if thou hadst nothing but this life say Now Lord with as good will as I gotte it with as good will will I render it to thee otherwayes hee will bee glorified in thee whatsoeuer thou doest doe what thou canst but thy life shall bee turned into death and thine honour into shame and ignominie Therefore whensoeuer it pleaseth him to seeke our liues euen with heart and good will we should render them vnto him for if he take them from vs he will giue vs life euerlasting and if hee take a Crowne from a King hee will giue him the Crowne of life euerlasting And if hee take this worldly riches from thee hee will giue thee that rich treasure of glory in Iesus Christ and so with all other worldly things but if we giue them not with good will he will take them from vs wil giue them to others and we shall get shame and ignominie So in despite of thine heart God shall be glorified in whatsoeuer thing hee bestoweth on thee Therefore let euery one of vs whatsoeuer wee receiue of God bee so disposed that if it please God to haue our life riches or whatsoeuer commodities of this world we render all vnto God willingly as Job saieth The Lord giueth the Lord taketh blessed bee the Name of the Lord. As hee would say I haue gotten all from thee and I will giue all to thee againe What got Iob for rendring all to the Lord He gaue him the double Euen so thou shalt get the double Nowe the Lord prepare vs to offer vp this life willingly vnto him and to spende it thankfully for his glory and seruice being assured that wee shall gette a better life layde vp in the Heauens for vs through IESVS CHRIST To whom with the FATHER and the holie SPIRIT bee all Prayse Honour and Glorie world without ende AMEN THE XVIII LECTVRE OF CHRISTS PRAYER BEFORE HIS PASSION IOHN CHAP. xvii VERS 2.3 As thou hast giuen him power ouer all flesh that hee should giue eternall life to all them that thou hast giuen him And this is life eternall that they knowe thee to bee the onelie verie God and whom thou hast sent Iesus Christ WEE shewed you the last daye Welbeloued in the Lord Iesus Christ that this Prayer which the Lord made to his Disciples before his death standeth in three parts First hee prayeth for himselfe and his owne glory Secondly he prayeth for his Apostles and for their preseruation Last he prayeth for the whole Faythfull the whole Kirke that should bee on the face of the earth to the ende of the worlde The last day we entered into the first part His petition in the first part was Father glorifie thy Sonne The first argument of his petition was The houre is at hande that is to saye The houre of my death is at hande therefore it is time that I should be glorified Let mee not lie for euer would hee he say in that terrible and ignominious and offensiue death but after the death after that shame and ignominie that I shall suffer immediately glorifie me Then the next argument was Glorifie thy Sonne Father that thy Sonne may glorifie thee I shall glorifie thee againe would hee saye and in mine exaltation and glorifying me thou shalt be glorified and so the whole glory shall redounde to thee therefore Father glorifie me In this Text which wee haue nowe read followeth the thirde reason of his petition why hee desireth that the Father should glorifie him The thirde reason is That I may giue life euerlasting to them that thou hast giuen to mee As he would say Father glorifie mee and I shall giue life euerlasting to thy Chosen it shall not bee for nothing but as my glory shall redounde to thy glory so it shall redounde to the saluation of thy Chosen to the ende of the world Ere he come to the argument he layeth downe the ground of it which is the authority that the Father had giuen to him Thou hast giuen mee authoritie ouer all flâ—sh sayth the Lord. This ground of the gift of life euerlasting is a power and authority which the Father hath giuen to the Sonne Whosoeuer giueth life hee must haue a great authority and a greater than all this earth hath All the Kings in the worlde haue not authority to giue life to a gnat Indeede the authority of a King may take away the life but they haue no power no if it were but to giue this life naturall let bee life euerlasting And so that power must be great to giue life euerlasting So this Princely and Kingly authority the Lord Iesus hath receiued of his Father Ye know his offices his Kingly office his Priestly and Propheticall office Life euerlasting and the gift of it is grounded on that Kingly authority which the Lord hath gotten from his Father But howe farre extendeth it Thou hast giuen mee authoritie ouer all flesh Neuer man nor woman is exempted from the Kingly power of Iesus Christ whether they be chosen or
Turkes c. that will say they will get a sight of the Father without the Sonne no no man shall see him without the Sonne For why neuer man sawe the Father at any time it is the onely begotten Sonne who is in the bosome of the Father who hath reuealed him Iohn 1. vers 18. Except we gette a sight of the Sonne who is the splendor of the Father and the ingrauen forme of his person wee shall neuer see that glorie Hebr. 1. vers 3. So except wee see the Sonne of God the seconde person of the glorious Trinitie there shall bee no life for man nor woman in this world And there is no sight of that glorious person of the Sonne who dwelleth in that light vnaccessable as hee is God hee is as incomprehensible as his Father hee is not seene I saye but vnder a cloude wee must see him thorowe this nature of ours There is no Angell in Heauen that dare abide to looke on the Son but thorow a vaile and this is the vaile of our fleshe if thou takest awaye that vaile the sight of that Majestie shall deuour thee No if thou gottest a sight of the Sonne of God without the sight of his manlie nature wherein hee died for our sinnes and rose for our justification thou wouldest bee destroyed and confounded thereby But by the contrary that is the pleasandest sight that euer thou sawest when thou seest that tabernacle of thy nature that glorious person cloathed with the nature of man The knowledge of Christ must be first as he is sent next as he is Iesus and last as he is Christ His sending is as hee is manifested in the flesh And hee is Iesus and Christ as hee is God and man So wee must looke thorowe that vaile of man and thorowe that tabernacle of our nature ere wee see that glorious Majestie And this is joye and life and our heauen into this earth Yee shall marke a notable lesson of this which I haue spoken See howe knowledge goeth vp thorowe to the Father and see by what degrees life commeth downe from the Father There are the degrees and order of our knowledge and howe it passeth vp thorowe First our eye striketh on the vaile of our nature wherein that glorious Majestie sitteth Then thorowe the vaile the soule pierceth in to that glorious Sonne of God and then when the soule hath gotten that sight of the Sonne it passeth forwarde to the glorious sight of the Father and then our knowledge resteth there for it is the Fountaine of life Faith neuer resteth till it come to the Father and then it resteth on him and there is the joye of it Nowe looke howe wee gette life As soone as our soule commeth to that Fountaine the Father that Fountaine breaketh out in liuing waters Looke the power of Fayth Fayth breaketh vp that Fountaine and then spirite and life beginneth to flow Life commeth first from the Father to the Sonne of GOD and then it commeth from the Sonne to our nature and thorowe our nature that Spirit and that life floweth into our soules There is the difference knowledge beginneth at the nature of man in Christ but life beginneth at the Father Againe knowledge passeth vp and life commeth downe from the Father Well then if life euerlasting stand in knowledge of GOD in Iesus Christ then it must follow first as a man or a woman groweth in knowledge and in fayth so they growe in life euerlasting and as they growe in life so they grow in fayth and in what measure thy knowledge is in that measure thy life is and in what measure thy life is in that measure thy fayth is And when that day shall come when we shall see the Lord Iesus face to face as our knowledge shall be perfected so shall our life and joye and in one word our Heauen shall be perfected The perfection of life euerlasting and knowledge standeth in the sight of the face of Iesus Christ And if our life euerlasting stand in knowledge then death euerlasting standeth in ignorance and where there is ignorance of God in Iesus Christ there death taketh place and their Hell is begunne here and that darknesse which is in thy soule shall bee turned into vtter darknesse and the more ignorant thou bee of God in Iesus Christ the greater shall thy damnation bee Paul to the Ephes Chap. 4. vers 18. joyneth these two together speaking of the Gentiles and their estate before Christ came into the worlde sayeth hee they had their mindes darkened with a cloude of ignorance and they were aliantes from the life of God Meaning that when as ignorance reigned amongst the Gentiles they were all casten out from the light of Heauen Where there is nothing but darknesse there is not a sponke of the life of Christ there Though thou werest a King and hast but a naturall life I count thee worse than a Dogge howbeit thou canst passe the time and hunt and haulke and eate thy meate c. thou art deader than a Carrion Seeing then life standeth in the sight of God through Iesus Christ and seeing death standeth in the ignorance of the soule this shoulde bee our care night and daye to warble thorowe that cloude of darknesse which hideth vs from that Sonne of God and â—o get away this foule vaile for if it be not put away it groweth aye till it come to an hard scroofe There is no standing for thee but thou shalt either grow in light or in darknesse This should be our care to put awaye darknesse and get light Wee should aye labour to cast off this vaile vnder the which wee lie till the Lord deliuer vs fully from that blindnesse of the minde which is a blacke and cloudy couering The way to bee fredde of this is to holde vp thine eye to gette a sight of the face of Iesus Christ In the face of Iesus thou seest the glory of the Father Knowest thou how thou shalt gette it in this life Seeke it in the worde All the sight that we haue here is but in a mirrour and by an aenigma as th'Apostle sayth or by a parable in respect of the sight which wee shall haue in the life to come And this mirrour is the glorious Gospel To end in a worde As thou wouldest see Iesus and bee quite of darknesse as thou wouldest haue life and be quite of death set thine heart to heare the Gospel of Iesus Christ that is the only way for thee to gette a sight of him in this life Striue to heare this worde preached Ye shall haue Christ crucified in the Gospel and Christ glorified in the Gospel And begin once to take pleasure in hearing and I shall promise thee in the Name of God Heauen and Earth and all shall goe together ere thou gettest not light and consequently Heauen in this life otherwayes I giue thee ouer Now seeing Christ is our light and our life the Lord giue vs grace to
thou art the Sonne of God by Adoption and that thou art an Heire of Heauen and shalt reigne with God as an Heire of God and as a fellow-Heire with Iesus Christ Take heede the Sonne of God loueth vs in his heart when he findeth that we haue his Spirit and that we are chosen to life In these things wee should bee occupied most if euer wee would gette life wee should be busie to seeke our warrand of Heauen Alace he that hath a bit of Heritage or a bit of Land hee will bee busie night and daye to seeke a warrand for it and yet wee will not bestowe any time to seeke a warrand for life euerlasting But nowe I shall goe forwarde to the fourth argument The fourth argument is in these wordes Thou hast giuen mee them therefore Father saue and keepe thine owne gift Father thou hast giuen them to mee not to lose but to saue Well then Brethren as I saide before if this bee a reason that the Lord vseth to mooue his Father to keepe and saue his Disciples certainlie then euery soule who findeth that the Father hath giuen them ouer into the handes of the Sonne that God hath put them in the hands of the Mediator the Lord Iesus hath a sure argument that the Father will keepe them euerlastingly If thou bee giuen once to the Mediator it is a thing vnpossible that thou canst bee lost The gift of the Father is not like the gift of men When they haue giuen the gift they care not for it what to doe haue they with it it is not theirs But when the Father giueth the Chosen once to the Sonne his eye will be euer vpon that gift and he will see that that gift of the Sonne be kept and saued Ye must vnderstand this that when the Father resigneth vs ouer to the Sonne he hath a care of vs and we are still the Fathers as wel as the Sonnes and this is euident by Christes wordes is this same Chapter All mine is thine and thine is mine sayth Christ he resigneth vs not whollie as though he had no care of vs for we are his gift and his property and he quiteth him neuer of vs but euen when hee hath giuen vs to the Sonne wee remaine the Sonnes gift and the Fathers property and that gift neuer impareth that loue which the Father beareth towards vs nor his carefull prouidence ouer vs Yea by the contrary this is a meane to saue vs. Wherefore putteth hee thee in the hands of the Sonne Euen to the end that he should redeeme thee and saue thee with his blood So this is the meane yea the only meane to saue thee euerlastingly But marke this Brethren See how mutually the Father and the Sonne recommende the Chosen one to another the heart of man is not able to comprehende this care which the Father and the Sonne haue ouer the Chosen First the Father giueth them to the Sonne that hee should redeeme them and then when the Sonne hath gotten them hee maketh intercession to the Father that the Father would keepe them and saue them And whome the Father hath giuen he hath a care of them Seest thou not the groundes of thy saluation which is the mutuall recommending of thee from the Father to the Sonne and from the Sonne to the Father The Father giueth vs to the Sonne the Sonne againe maketh intercession for vs to the Father Howe can it bee possible that those can perish whom both the Father and the Sonne haue such a care of If thou be chosen how can it bee possible that thou canst perishe Seeing our saluation is so wonderfully grounded that all the power of Heauen and Earth is not able to shake off the groundes of it But alace Brethren heere is all the fault There is such a blindnesse and doubtfulnesse in our hearts that we cannot see nor feele the established groundes whereon our saluation standeth and therefore we haue not yet solide joye and consolation for all the joye of this life is the confidence of these groundes of our saluation for except a man or a woman gripe into that saluation they haue no joye Now would to God we could learne to see and feele our saluatiō we shold feel see wonderful things we shold find such a solidnes that we wold defy al the deuils of hel Now hitherto we haue heard four very strōg reasons wherby the Father shold be moued to saue the Disciples both in this life and in the life to come Now Brethrē mark these reasōs which we haue heard they are all without vs the manner of our vocation is without vs our election is without vs that that wee belong to God is without vs that we are giuen to Iesus Christ by the Father is without vs Yet all these outward graces of God will neuer auaile thee to life and saluation if thou gettest not the inwarde feeling of them in thine heart before thou be taken out of this life if thou gettest not the inwarde grace in thine heart to apprehende thy vocation and thine election if thou gripe not in thine heart first that thou art Gods property secondly that thou art Iesus Christs all the grace that thou shalt get in this life shall serue thee for nothing Nowe Brethren this feeling of grace in the heart is nothing but faith What is this faith that euery man hath in his mouth but that feeling of the grace of God The feeling of our vocation of our election and of that mercy which God giueth vs in Iesus Christ is nothing but an inwarde sight and apprehension of them all therefore the Lord leaueth all outwarde graces and commeth to the inwarde apprehension that is to faith and sayeth O Father they belieue all that J spake vnto them and therefore O Father keepe them Ye see Brethren amongst many arguments which we haue there is the most speciall when God stampeth in our heartes a feeling of grace getting once that stampe that wee are called by faith in God and in Iesus Christ then the Charter of our election is sealed for our election is but a Charter then wee haue our warrande in our bosome that wee shall neuer perishe but haue life euerlasting It is vnpossible that anie man or woman who findeth this can perishe for they haue the earnest-pennie of their saluation who haue once gotten fayth But Brethren if wee would marke the wordes which the Lord Iesus vseth in setting downe this faith they are many and weightie and great consolation in them faith must haue a knowledge for if thou hast no knowledge and sayest then that thou hast faith thou liest if thou bee an ignorant bodie and knowest not Iesus Christ and wilt stande vp and saye I haue faith thou liest faith must haue an eye a sight and a knowledge The first thing in faith is sight thou must see God and that in that glorious face of his Sonne Iesus Christ howbeit afarre off as in a
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
had giuen them him he was the more carefull of them and therefore it followeth that none was lost but Iudas Now let vs come to the conclusion Therefore Father I speake these thinges that is I recommende them vnto thee that thou shouldest keep them I come to thee I leaue them now here It would seeme that Christ when hee went out of this worlde hee left his owne so in the worlde that hee had no more the keeping and custodie of them and that as it were that hee denudeth his hands of them this would mooue anie man Now Brethren the Lord Iesus neuer denuded his hands of his Disciples he neuer gaue quite ouer them whom he once kept but this is the meaning of his wordes when hee died hee ceased to keepe them in that manner that hee kept them before when hee was in the worlde for when hee was with them in the world he kept them by his bodily presence and went before them and they followed after him This keeping ceased when Christ went out of the worlde but as for that keeping which is the spirituall keeping it neuer ceaseth to the ende of the world And the Lord now in the Heauen hee keepeth more surely his owne by his Spirit than he kept his Disciples when he was in the worlde with them And all this keeping that hee requireth at the Fathers hand is That he should keepe them by him No keeping of the Father but by the Sonne who is glorified in the Heauen at the right hand of the Father Wel Brethrē we see of this argument thus far They whom the Lord Iesus died for and they whom he kept in this world the Father of Iesus Christ keepeth them in the absence of Iesus Christ till the Lord come againe in his body Looke whome to the Lord had an eye when hee was in the earth humbled whosoeuer they were to whome hee had an eye the Father from his vp-going to the Heauen till his comming againe hath an eye to them and watcheth ouer them It is true wee who liue this day I meane the Elect wee were not then with Iesus Christ as his Disciples were and he kept not vs after the manner that he kept his Disciples because wee were not Yet there is not so much as one of the Elect that nowe are or yet shall bee heereafter to the ende of the worlde but Iesus Christ euen humbled had his eye vpon them and before they came into the world many yeeres he loued them and therefore it followeth if thy conscience will testifie to thee that Iesus Christ our Lorde when hee was humbled in the earth when hee prayed for sinners and when hee died in the earth if I say thy conscience will testifie vnto thee and say My Lord had an eye to mee as well as to Peter in his death and as hee had to Iohn Iames Matthew c. certainly thou mayest bee assured that the eye of the Father of Iesus Christ watcheth ouer thee till Iesus Christ come againe Paul was not conuersant with Christ as the rest were into the earth for Paul was called after the Ascension of Christ when he was glorified yet Paul sayeth The Sonne of God in whom he belieued loued him and gaue himselfe for him Galat. Chap. 2. vers 20. Meaning that Christ when he died hee had a respect to him The respect which Christ had in his death to Paul the same he had to euery chosen man and woman to the end of the world And therefore say thou that when Christ died he died for me and he loued me and his eye was vpon me If thou canst say this thou art in the custody and keeping of the Father till Iesus Christ come againe There is another thing to be marked here What maketh the Sonne so bold to stand vp before the Father and desire him to keepe his Disciples whom he should leaue behind him when he was going vp to Heauen Looke the argument I haue kept them faythfully therefore Father in mine absence keepe thou them Who dare be so bold to face God once to bid him keep them whom he hath concredited vnto them What King in the world dare be so bold to pray for his Subjects the King is bound aswell to pray for his Subjects as the Subjects are for the King or as a Minister is for his Flock say O Lord keep these Subjects And what Minister dare be bold to say Lord keep my Flock or Family None but he who hath a conscience that he did his duety and was diligent night day in keeping them No man dare recōmend any to God who hath not a care to keep them whom God hath cōcredited vnto him And therfore these careles bodies who rule Kirks Kingdoms or Families cannot pray And if they pray they scorne God in praying they are nothing but hypocrits with fained voyces What mooued Christ to pray for his Disciples A solicitude he had night day of their weale No ere any of them had died thorow his default he had rather died himself This made Dauid to watch so carefully ouer the people And Paul 2. Cor. chap. 12. when he hath recounted th' afflictions he suffered All is but outwarde saith he but there is one inward which presseth me like an army and that was a solicitude carefulnes he had for the Kirke of God planted in his time Who is afflicted saith he but J am afflicted that is No man is afflicted but I am also afflicted Who is offended but I am also burnt The offence of the Kirke is a skauding and burning to mee Of this care proceedeth prayer for the Kirke of God But as for vs in this Land we are like to lose the Kirke The King hath no care the Nobilitie are gone backe and haue no care the people and the whole estate are carelesse If this way we lie stil in security be carelesse of the weale of the Kirke what can we looke for at length but that the Kirke shall be wracked and come to confusion But to what end is it that he would haue the Father to keep them Look the words he saith That my ioy may be full in them Before he spake of another end to wit That they might bee one as the Father and the Sonne are one Then whomsoeuer the Father taketh into his custody he keepeth them to the end that both they may haue peace with others also in their own soules and consciences for this peace of conscience is that joye whereof now he speaketh But wherfore is it that he calleth this their joy his joy In what respect is it called the joy of Iesus Because this joy and peace of conscience that passeth all vnderstanding could neuer come into the soules of the Apostles or of any of GODS children since then but thorow the sprinkling of the blood of Iesus the Mediator betwixt God and man So there is no solide joy nor peace of conscience vntill the
the world But this is it that I meane That men euen liuing in the society of this worlde yet they should not liue as the worlde doeth they should separate their life from the society of the world Paul to the Philippians Chap. 2. vers 16. desireth them to liue like as many Lights Where Not in a backside but in the middest of this naughty and wicked generation bearing before them the word of life Thus should we liue as he sayth Philipp Chap. 3. vers 20. that while we be liuing we be Citizens in Heauen and howbeit our bodies be here that yet in the meane time our conuersation be in the Heauen and that we liue an Heauenly life as if we were not liuing in the Earth but in the Heauen with the Angels and with our Mediatour Now to goe forward shortly Hauing vsed this argument from their separation from the world in the next Vers he insisteth in it and of it he taketh the occasion of a new petition He hath prayed the Father to keepe his Disciples now he prayeth the Father to sanctifie them that is that as once the Father had begun to separate them from the world so he would continually separate them from the worlde till hee tooke them out of the worlde It is not enough to begin to bee sanctified that is to bee separated out of the world it is not enough once to begin to be holy but continually night and day wee must warble out of the pollution and filthinesse of this world and grow in holinesse of life and sanctification But wherewith shall they bee sanctified With the trueth It is the trueth of God in Iesus Christ that maketh man or woman holie Not euerie trueth maketh man or woman holie but the trueth of God in Iesus Christ who is the Way the Trueth and the Life This trueth is the worde of God which separateth thee from the world Well then it is the word that sanctifieth and maketh men and women holie for as the worde is the immortall seede whereby wee are borne againe so it is that sweete and sincere Milke as Peter sayeth whereby wee growe in him It is the worde that begetteth vs in him and maketh vs to growe on till wee see our Sauiour Wouldest thou begin to bee holy heare the word thou shalt neuer bee sanctified till thou heare the word Wouldest thou grow on here still that is the onlie meane that God hath appointed in this worlde Heare aye and grow on and at last thy glorie shall be perfected in Iesus Christ Brethren to mark somwhat here He prayeth that they may bee sanctified that is that more and more they may bee seuered from the world Then we must aye grow on in holinesse as ye reade in the Reuelation of Iohn Chap. 22. vers 11. Hee who is just let him bee just still and hee who is holie let him bee holie still c. Well it is a good thing to beginne to bee holie for he who beginneth truely to be holy he groweth on still Now the meane whereby we grow in holinesse is Prayer Ye see here the Lord he prayeth that his Disciples who were begun to be holy should grow on in holinesse and should be separated from the world So the speciall meane is Prayer Pray continuallie It is our sluggishnesse in prayer that causeth vs to want an holy hart and growth of that sanctification Wouldest thou be aye holy Pray euer If thou prayest not but loathest prayer thine holinesse shall faile Wouldest thou grow in holinesse Continue in prayer Now the instrument that maketh thee holy and that God hath ordained to take away the filth of thy nature and that the holy Spirit taketh in his hand as it were to wash away the pollution of thy nature is the word of Trueth As he vseth the meane of Prayer so he vseth the word of Trueth When the word of God is preached lay to thine eare to heare and pray still and heare on still How shalt thou heare In hearing pray that is when thou hearest the word of Trueth pray him that by the word of trueth he would sanctifie thee that is that by his holy Spirit that word may be effectuall in thy soule Say this wayes Now Lord as this is the only instrument appointed to sanctifie may soule and scoure away the corruption of my dead nature so let thine holy Spirit take it in his hand and conuoy it into my soule to sanctifie my soule Pray ay and heare euer and craue that the word may take effect to make thee holy When he hath made his petition to his Father to sanctifie and to separate his Disciples from the world and from the pollution of the world to this purpose he vseth one or two arguments in the words following The first is in these words As thou hast sent mee into the worlde so haue I sent them Father I haue sent them into the world therefore Father sanctifie them He declareth this by a comparison from himselfe As thou hast sent mee so haue I sent them Ye heard he made them like to himselfe in holinesse so now he maketh them like to himselfe in vocation It is a blessed thing to be like to Christ in many things And so by this likenesse with himselfe he recommendeth them to the Father The Disciples of Christ whom ye call the Apostles they were like Christ in calling and vocation The Lord Iesus was the great Apostle of our profession Hebr. 13. vers 11. and they were also sent by the will of the Father So they were in a manner like vnto him in calling and vocation but here is the difference The Lord Iesus was an Apostle immediately sent by the Father the Father sent him to the world immediately but the Apostles were not sent immediately by the Father but they were sent immediately by the Sonne The Lord Iesus as he was sent of the Father immediately so he sent his Apostles immediately yet at the will of the Father Looke the Epistles of Paul he calleth himselfe the Apostle that is the Ambassadour of Iesus Christ But how By the will of the Father So it fareth with the Pastors and Teachers in the Kirke of God No commission they haue from Iesus Christ but at the will of the Father As this is true that the Pastor or Teacher in the Kirke is immediately sent by the Sonne So it is true in al grace that commeth from Heauen to the Kirke all commeth immediately from the Sonne and not from the Father Whatsoeuer grace it be as vocation justification sanctification and life euerlasting or whatsoeuer gift it be all commeth immediately from the Sonne as in the fourth Chap. to the Ephes vers 10.11 where he citeth the testimony of Dauid Hee passed vp on high meaning of Christ that is to the Heauens hee ledde captiuitie captiue and hee gaue giftes to men that is the Lord Iesus who was humbled being exalted to glory sendeth downe grace on his Kirke he
that band of perfection of charitie and loue And howe As thou and I am one Thou art in mee and I am in thee so they may bee one in vs that is Through their fayth in vs and that to this ende that the worlde may belieue in mee that thou hast sent mee Yee see howe this Prayer of Christ extendeth it selfe it beginneth narrowlie and then piece and piece it groweth It beginneth first at himselfe onelie and hee prayeth That the Father would glorifie him And then farther hee maketh his petition for his Disciples That hee would first keepe them and then sanctifie them Then he extendeth it farther out to the whole belieuers that shall belieue in him to the ende of the worlde So Brethren it is not contained within that Age in the which Christ was in the Earth this is a great consolation it pertaineth not onelie to those Iewes and Gentiles that were at that time but the Prayer of Iesus Christ euen this same Prayer wherewith hee did consecrate himselfe to the death of the Crosse it reacheth out to vs in this Age And looke howe manie of vs hath fayth in Iesus Christ wee may bee assured that that Prayer which Christ made was made for vs and euerie one that belieueth And when wee reade this Prayer and these wordes I pray not for them onelie but for them that shall belieue there is not one who findeth a sponke of fayth but hee may saye Christ made this Prayer for mee as assuredly as hee prayed for Peter and Iames and the rest of the Apostles For when the Lord prayed his eye was vpon euerie soule that should belieue in him to the ende of the worlde hee recommended euerie soule to his Father in this Prayer Not generallie but the Lord Iesus being God and man hee had euerie soule before his eye that euer was chosen and called or shall bee called to the ende of the worlde and he prayed particularlie for euerie soule So if thou findest fayth in thine heart thou mayest say The Lord made intercession for me as well as hee did for Peter and Paul or the rest But Brethren this is well to bee marked for whom it is that hee prayed not for euerie man and woman but for them who haue fayth for those that belieue in him Neuer soule got part of that Prayer or of his death or of his blessed resurrection or of that glorie that belieueth not Therefore let vs belieue as euer wee would haue anie grace for no grace shall euer appertaine to any soule but to that soule that belieueth It is not for scant of grace that the worlde perisheth The Prayer of Iesus Christ might extende it selfe to a thousande worldes Howe falleth it out then if hee might saue a thousande worldes that the worlde perisheth It is not for scant of vertue in the Prayer or in the death of Christ that the worlde perished but for want of fayth wee are not capable of the vertue of his death no soule is capable of that death but that soule that is faythfull that man that is faythfull is made partaker of all the Prayers of Iesus Christ and the vertue of that death shall strike out to his saluation Onelie belieue and thou shalt finde the effect of that Prayer but if thou belieuest not that Prayer shall not serue to thy saluation But this is to be marked How is this fayth gotten Those sayth hee who shall belieue in mee through their worde Fayth in Iesus Christ is ***** not gotten by euerie worde and euerie dreame and euerie vnwritten verity and fantasie of man The enemies haue filled the world with dreames and giue out fantasies and dreames to bee belieued The inuentions of the Pope and Cardinalls will not breede fayth in thine heart Looke the wordes They who belieue in mee through their worde No worde will breede fayth but the worde of the Apostles Christ will so honour them that hee will neuer worke fayth in the heart of man but by their worde onelie And so to the ende of the worlde no worde is to bee belieued but the worde of the Apostles and Prophets For this excludeth not the worde of the Prophets but the traditions of me If thou settest thine heart to seeke fayth by the worde of the Antichrist thou shalt neuer gette fayth in thine heart If thou wilt haue fayth heare this worde of the Apostles and if thou turnest thine eare from it all the wordes in the worlde shall not worke fayth in thine heart The thing which hee requireth would bee marked What requireth hee Hee requireth That they all may bee one So the thing which hee asketh for vs all to the ende of the worlde it is That wee bee joyned together in that conjunction of loue and made vp in one bodie and one newe man whereof the Head is the LORD IESVS and knitte vp with that band of perfection which is loue Without IESVS CHRIST there is no bodie there is no coniunction with the members no the sibbest conjunction in the worlde is not worth a pennie without IESVS CHRIST No the conjunction of man and woman which is a neare conjunction and the conjunction betwixt brother and sister and in a word all conjunction is nothing but a dispersion which is without Iesus Christ it is nothing but a variance This naturall life is nothing without Iesus Christ I might drawe this matter from the grounde After Adam had fallen and was seuered from God Adam and Eue had no true conjunction nor none of their posterie after them Then Brethren howe get wee our conjunction againe Euen by Iesus Christ and by that vertue in him for except in him nature and all these bandes bee sanctified by them men cannot bee joyned together amongst themselues For in him there is made a gathering together of all thinges both which are in Heauen and which are in Earth Ephes 1. vers 10. Coloss 1. vers 20. He insisteth vpon that vnion and he recommendeth it vnto vs and amplifieth it from the similitude between the Father and the Sonne The Father is in the Sonne and the Sonne is in the Father that is they are one by a wonderful and vnspeakable conjunction in a diuine nature and essence The thing in the world wherein we resemble moste that glorious Trinitie the Father the Sonne and the holie Spirit is this vnion Wouldest thou bee like the Father and like the Sonne and like the holie Ghost then bee vnited in heart and loue with the members of Iesus Christ There is no likenesse with the Father without this vnion A man full of malice in the heart is no more like to Iesus Christ and to the Father than the Deuill is and that is the thing which the Deuill seeketh moste of all to make men vnlike to God For as vnion with God bringeth life euerlasting so vnlikenesse with God and disseuering from him bringeth death euerlasting None shall bee safe in that Great daye but so manie as are vnited with
maketh it plaine I in them The glorie that the Sonne hath giuen vs is nothing but himselfe it standeth in this That the Sonne is in euerie one of the faythfull To make it more plaine In our Regeneration and newe birth the Sonne of God Iesus Christ communicateth to euerie one of the faythfull borne anewe againe his holie Spirit and so as Peter speaketh 2. Epist Chap. 1. vers 4. he maketh vs partakers of that diuine-nature There is not one of vs that hath gotten that holie Spirit of Iesus Christ but in a manner wee are made partakers of that diuine nature Yea in our Regeneration the Sonne of God giueth vnto vs himselfe This is a great prerogatiue to thy soule to get God to dwell in thee for where the holy Spirite is there is fayth for the Spirite breedeth fayth in the heart and where fayth is there is Iesus Christ Hast thou fayth thou hast Christ The saying of the Apostle PAVL to the Ephesians must bee true Christ dwelleth in the heart by fayth Hast thou fayth in Iesus Christ thou hast Iesus Christ the Sonne of God and if thou hast fayth thou hast the holie Spirite in thine heart and if thou haue the Sonne thou hast the Father and if thou haue the Father thou hast the glorious Trinitie in thee the Father the Sonne and the holie Spirite Well then Brethren consider this giuing of Christ wherein hee giueth himselfe vnto vs by this Regeneration the Lord is in euerie faythfull man and woman that is the meaning As the Father communicateth himselfe to the Sonne so the Sonne communicateth himselfe to euerie one of vs and as it were hee communicateth that diuine nature vnto vs in this life and much more in the life euerlasting But to come to the ende of the glorie that the Father giueth to the Sonne and that the Sonne giueth to the faythfull that is That they may bee one as wee are one The Father being in the Sonne the Father and the Sonne becommeth one in that glorious substance and nature and then the Sonne the Lord Iesus Christ being in vs there riseth not onelie a conjunction of vs and him together a conjunction of the bodie and the head but there riseth also another to wit a conjunction with the rest of the members of his bodie in the Earth For Brethren where the Spirite of Iesus is where Fayth is where Christ is in the heart of anie man or woman there of neede force loue must bee fayth and charitie are vnseparable Where that bande of perfection is as the Apostle PAVL calleth it in the third Chapter to the Colossians Vers 14. Where fayth in Christ is in thine heart thou must bee joyned with the Kirke of God and with thy neighbour And this is our perfection that euerie one of vs is joyned with another in this bande of loue There is no perfection of a member in this worlde when it is sundered from the rest of the members Cutte off a member from the bodie it doeth no good but perisheth Cut off the hand from the bodie whereto serueth it Or cut off the foote what perfection shall it haue Take the eye out of the head whereto serueth it So the perfection of euerie one of vs standeth in the conjunction of vs together in the bodie of Iesus Christ Wouldest thou bee perfect Bee thou an hande or a foote or some member yea if it were but a little Toâ— of the bodie of Iesus Christ that is of the Kirke or elsâ— thou art but a rotten member If hee were a King if hee bee separated from the Kirke of God hee is but a stinking vilde member and serueth for no vse and in ende shall bee casten into the fire The doctrine which wee see heere Brethren is That vertue which commeth from Iesus Christ For all grace and life floweth from him and commeth to vs by vertue of that conjunction betwixt him and vs the vertue is not to make a man perfect in himselfe and absolute with all sorte of graces that is not the vertue of IESVS CHRIST to make anie man so absolutelie perfect that hee shall not haue neede to begge anie thing at his neighbour But this is the vertue that commeth from IeSVS CHRIST our Head to make all one man and not to make one member the whole bodie but to make one an eye in the bodie and another an hande and another a foote c. And not to set vp anie one man no not the Emperour nor the King to make him the whole bodie Then Brethren this grace of IESVS CHRIST is to make a conjunction amongst the members and not to giue vnto him or her all grace Yea though it were the Emperour or the King the LORD will giue him but parte of grace And hee will giue that grace to the soberest Subject in the Lande which hee will not giue vnto the King And againe hee will giue vnto the King that which hee will not giue vnto the Subiect For hee will giue to one to doe the office of a Foote and to another to doe the office of an Eye and to some other to doe the office of the Hande c. Nowe the Foote cannot bee the Hande nor the Hande the Foote So it is with the members of IESVS CHRIST And wee see by experience yee shall neuer see that one man hath gotten all graces but hee who hath gotten one grace hee wanteth another and his neighbour hath gotten that which he wanteth This the Lord doth that there may be a conjunction of the members to make thee ioyne with thy neighbour because hee hath the grace that thou wantest for if euerie man had all graces euerie man would misknow another The man that will stand vp in a prowde conceit of himselfe and will mount aboue the Kirke and contemne anie member of that bodie howbeit it were the silliest member of Iesus Christ hee is nothing and hee shall haue no portion of grace If thou joynest not thy selfe with thy neighbours and with the members of Iesus Christ thou hast no grace Yet he insisteth in the commendation of this conjunction for it is a blessed conjunction to bee joyned with the Kirke of Iesus Christ in this world of all blessinges it is the greatest if thou be a true member in the Kirke if it were but the foote thou hast gotten a greater blessing than thou hadst gotten all the Kingdomes of the worlde As therefore thou wouldest bee partaker of that life to come looke that thou be a member of the bodie of Iesus Christ if thou bee not the eye thinke it a great thing to bee the foote or to bee a Toe of that glorious bodie Hee commendeth it from two endes the first is The worlde shall knowe that J am sent from thee as hee saide Vers 21. Wouldest thou know that Iesus Christ is the Messias bee conjoyned in that bodie of Iesus Christ Another is The worlde shall knowe that thou hast
heareth of the Gospel the soule is the more illuminate and the bodie that will take heede will finde the glorifying of the soule in some measure and then when wee shall see him out of the bodie when we shall blinke on that glorious countenance then both bodie and soule shall bee glorified He draweth the glorie which the Father hath giuen him from the ground Because thou hast loued mee before the foundation of the worlde was laid The glory the Father giueth to the Sonne is of an infinite loue and vnspeakeable Would yee measure the glorie of the Sonne and the greatnesse of it and when it beganne Looke to the loue the Father bare to the Sonne in greatnesse it is infinite thine heart is not capable of the thousand part of that loue It is infinite Who can tell it How can my finite heart tell it If the loue be infinite then the glory is infinite He sayd his Father loued him from all eternitie that loue had neuer a beginning therfore the glory had neuer a beginning as hee sayth himselfe before in the 5. vers of this Chap. Wouldest thou know the end It hath none ende It is not like the loue of man the loue of the Father to the Sonne it is euerlasting and therfore the glory of Iesus Christ it shall neuer haue an end howbeit it was obscured for a time Farder ye may perceiue when he speaketh of his glory he draweth in the loue of the Father to himselfe This is an argument that in speaking of that glory he hath a sense of that infinite loue So the joye and the glory of the Sonne of God wherein standeth it His ioy and glory standeth in that he hath gotten it not with reafe or robbery but with the loue of the Father Wouldest thou possesse any benefit of God with pleasure wouldest thou haue ioy with it What if thou hadst all the world and hadst no pleasure nor ioy in it All gifts are from the Father of Heauen the Father of Iesus Christ Wouldest thou then haue pleasure in the gift Looke that the giuer loue thee striue to feele that hee giueth thee it in loue and then though the gift bee neuer so small yea if it were but a Dinner or a fill of Meat thou shalt haue more ioy in the participation of it if thou take it because he loueth thee than if he wold cast vnto thee a Kingdome if thou feelest not his loue Hee will throwe a Kingdome to a Loune to a wicked man c. as who would throw a bone to a Dogge But as for thee wheÌ„thou gettest any thing looke thou get it not in anger or els it shall neuer doe thee good if thou wouldest haue it to bee vnto thee an ernest-pennie of heauenly things looke that thou findest the loue of the giuer otherwayes esteeme nought of it thou mayest well haue it but it shall be for thy destruction but if thou gettest it of loue he will warne thee he will make the holy Spirit to powre into thine heart a greater sweetnesse of his loue than thou canst finde in the participation of the benefit it selfe Therefore in all benefites thou receiuest euer cast thee to feele that God loueth thee in Iesus Christ who hath died and risen for thee And if thou haue a sense of that loue that Spirit shall worke in thy soule an vnspeakeable ioye which shall bee the earnest-pennie of that eternall ioy which thou shalt get in the Heauens through Iesus Christ To whome with the Father and the holy Spirit be all honour and prayse for euermore AMEN THE XXV LECTVRE OF CHRISTES PRAYER BEFORE HIS PASSION IOHN CHAP. xxvii VERS 25.26 25 O righteous Father the world also hath not knowne thee but I haue knowne thee and these haue knowne that thou hast sent mee 26 And J haue declared vnto them thy Name and will declare it that the loue wherewith thou hast loued mee may bee in them and J in them WEE haue heard Welbeloued in the LORD IESVS CHRIST that the LORD in the last parte of his Prayer which hee maketh to his Father prayeth not onelie for his Disciples but generallie for the whole faythfull to the ende of the worlde Now in this TEXT which wee haue read hee returneth againe to his Disciples and hee maketh a Prayer especiallie for them because they had most adoe in the worlde and were to bee sent out into the worlde to win others to the Kingdome of Heauen Therefore the Lord most of all remembereth them in his Prayer and most earnestlie recommendeth them to the Father for those whome the Lord hath ordained to win others of all men in the worlde they haue most neede of Prayer because if they bee not vpholden not only are they lost themselues but also in them standeth the losse of the whole worlde and of the whole Congregation of Iesus Christ to whome they are sent Therefore the Lord in all his Prayers and especiallie in this his last Prayer is moste earnest in recommending of them to the Father Now in the last wordes which were immediatelie before these wordes which we haue read the Lord speaketh of that loue which the Father bare to him ere euer the ground-stone or foundation of the worlde was layde And now in this petition that hee maketh for his Disciples hee beseecheth his Father to communicate with them that loue which hee bare vnto him For all graces and of all benâ—fites in the world the loue of God is the greatest and hee or shee that hath gotten the loue of God in their heart and feelâ—th that God loueth them haue the most precious Iewell that euer was Therefore the Lord beseecheth the Father in the ende of this Prayer that the louâ— that hee bare to him hee would communicate it to his Disciples whome he was to leaue behinde him in the worlde The argument that he vseth is taken from that ende both of the knowledge that the Sonne hath of his Father and of that whole obedience that the Sonne gaue to the Father as also of the knowledge that the Disciples had of him the ende of all this is That the Father should loue them And therefore seeing the ende of all was That the loue of the Father should bee in them the Lord beseecheth the Father to loue them in these wordes O righteous Father There is the stile which he giueth him O righteous Father the worlde hath not knowne thee but I have knowne thee and these haue knowne that thou hast sent mee and I haue manifested thy Name vnto them and shall manifest it farther and all to this ende That thy loue may bee in them and I in them There is the whole TEXT Hee stileth him Father a warme word and a louing stile Hee stileth him Righteous Father respecting the petition which hee had in hand It is a verie righteous and just thing which hee seeketh of the Father Therefore hee calleth him Righteous Father Thou wilt graunt that thing
knowledge of the SONNE I haue knowne thee And then hee commeth forwarde They haue knowne that thou hast sent mee And then I haue manifested thy Name vnto them What is the ground of our knowledge in this life The knowledge of Iesus Christ the Sonne of God which he hath of the Father What if hee had not knowne the Father Wee would neuer haue gotten a sight of God For why All the knowledge that wee haue is by the reuelation of the Sonne of God hee is not borne on the face of the Earth that hath or euer shall gette the sight of God but by the reuelation of the Sonne So manie as the Sonne reuealed him vnto gotte the sight of the Father But on the contrarie whome to the Sonne reuealed not the Father hee gotte neuer nor neuer shall gette a sight of him First the Sonne knoweth and then the Sonne reuealed that knowledge vnto vs in some measure What is the knowledge that the Sonne hath reuealed vnto vs Reuealeth hee vnto vs the Father immediatelie No no The first thing that the Sonne reuealeth to vs is his own person the first sight that thou must see is the Sonne and therefore when hee speaketh of their knowledge hee sayeth They haue knowne that thou hast sent mee And then hee commeth to the other knowledge the knowledge of the Father J haue made manifest thy Name vnto them The first thing that the Sonne of God reuealeth is the knowledge of himselfe That hee is that Ambassadour and that Mediatour And when hee hath reuealed himselfe then hee reuealeth the Father And all the sight that we haue of the Father is in the person of the Sonne for hee is the splendor of his glorie and the expresse forme of his Father and hee by his holie Spirite illuminateth the soules of men and women to gette a sight of that Majestie So the ground of our knowledge is the knowledge that the Sonne hath of the Father Therefore as euer thou wouldest haue the sight of that knowledge addresse thy selfe to Iesus Christ and in him thou shalt see the Father and his glorious face and thou shalt see that glauncing and shining of mercie in him Now he is not content to set down that knowledge which they haue already but he promiseth that they shall haue it farther Yee see then the Disciples got not the knowledge of the Father in a moment and at once but the Disciples of Iesus Christ euen the Apostles whom the Lord appointed to bee instruments of grace to vs whose works we haue and who were the light of the world grew in knowledge and faith piece and piece and had not all reâ—ealed at once but by his word and Spirit piece and piece GOD reuealed all to them The knowledge of God is not gotten in an instant in this worlde and the Lord himselfe who is the giuer of that knowledge he giueth it to no man nor woman in an instant but piece and piece the man or the woman groweth in knowledge so long as wee are clogged with this mortalitie so long the knowledge of God shall neuer bee perfect Therefore let euerie man if hee haue a pleasure to seeke God trie that grouth that hee hath in knowledge That is a vaine soule and a miserable soule which will stand vp and say I haue knowledge enough I will goe no farther Knowledge must haue a grouth in this worlde Woe is that man that will saye I will set downe my staffe as though hee would haue no more knowledge Thou wist neuer what joye was in the knowledge of God who wilt saye thus if thou hadst a loue of it thine heart would seeke to gette the full knowledge of God for that heart will not bee content of a meane measure of knowledge but goeth forwarde from knowledge to knowledge Seeing it is Life as the Lord sayeth This is Life eternall to knowe thee and whome thou hast sent IESVS CHRIST If once thou tastedst of that knowledge of God in Iesus Christ thou wouldest neuer saye I will set downe my staffe Let aye a continuall strife bee to knowe more and more till this fayth bee turned into sight when wee shall meete with our Lord Iesus Christ then wee shall gette that sweete and joyfull sight to see him face to face therefore let vs not rest till wee gette that full illumination Another thing is to bee marked heere Whome once the Lord hath begunne to instruct man or woman hee leaueth not off If Christ beginne to teach thee by his Spirite hee teacheth not as men will teach who will teach this yeere and leaue off the next yeere But if hee take a man or a woman in hande continuallie hee teacheth them And if this bee true that continuallie hee reuealeth and teacheth that is also true there is no man nor woman who hath begunne to gette knowledge by his teaching but that man or woman must growe and cannot goe backe It is a vaine thing to saye A man or a woman who hath gotten true fayth in some measure although it were no greater than a graine of Mustard-seede that hee can lose the fayth which hee hath once gotten As Iesus Christ cannot rest in thy soule but aye goe forwarde till fayth bee turned into sight so I saye thus to refute those who say that they who haue gotten true fayth can lose it hee that hath gotten the holie Spirite can neuer lose him When hee hath sette downe before the Father first his knowledge of the Father and secondlie the knowledge that the Disciples had of the Father partlie that which they had presentlie and partlie that which was to come nowe hee commeth to the ende and sayeth All this is to the ende That thy loue may bee in them and I in them All this knowledge of God and all this fayth in Iesus Christ looke to the ende of it all tendeth to this ende That God may loue vs and wee may feele in our heartes this loue of God Therefore Brethren marke it well Count not of knowledge euen of the knowledge of God except that thou feelest the loue of God following vpon it looke that all thy knowledge of God bee with a sense and feeling of this loue that God loueth thee Whereto serueth the knowledge of God vnto thee if thou haue no sense and no feeling of the loue of God Some men and vvomen will glorie that they knowe this and that and thus farre of God and in the meane time they take no heede to that sense of the loue of God in the heart I had rather haue a little knowledge with the sense of that loue wherewith hee loueth mee than all the knowledge vnder the Sunne if mine heart bee voyde of that sweete loue Count neuer of the knowledge of God although thou hadst all the Scripture perâ—uiere if thou findest not this loue flowing from that knowledge and a sweetnesse and joye in thine heart arising of this loue And aye the more wee know the greater should
bee the sense of the loue of God Therefore let vs striue to feele the sense chiefelie of that mercie and that loue and then our knowledge shall bee joyfull and pleasant vnto vs. But heere I aske a question Beganne God to loue vs then onelie when wee beganne to knowe him Beganne not God to loue euerie one of vs before wee knewe him Appearinglie in this place as it would seeme hee maketh the loue of God to beginne and flowe of the knowledge of God The aunswere is easie Looke the wordes hee sayeth That thy loue may bee in them It is true from all eternitie ere euer wee were in the worlde I speake of the Chosen hee loued vs and of loue hee choosed vs and hee loued vs after wee came into the worlde When wee were enemies to him hee loued vs. But marke againe Brethren The loue of God is neuer in vs but without vs till wee knowe him and haue fayth in Iesus Christ That is the meaning Neuer one feeleth in their heart that God loueth them but hee who knoweth God Hee loueth thee but thou feelest it not till thou hast gotten knowledge and then when thou hast gotten knowledge thou beginnest to feele it and to haue a sense of that loue in thine heart And this is it that the Apostle sayeth Rom. 5. vers 5. The loue of God is shed abroade in our heartes through that holie Spirite which is giuen vs. Before wee gette that knowledge there is no shedding abroade of that loue in the heart But when thou gettest the knowledge of God and fayth in Iesus Christ then thou feelest that loue with a sweetnesse and joye vnspeakeable Experience may tell vs this Thou that hast not gotten fayth in Iesus Christ at anie time and knowest not God I appeale thy conscience if euer thou hast felt the loue of God Sayest thou that thou feelest Gods loue I dare saye that thou feelest it not And by the contrarie when men and women knowe God and finde fayth in Iesus Christ from whome all grace floweth and distilleth into our soules they shall finde in experience with the knowledge such a sweete sense of loue that the tongue of man nor Angel cannot expresse And therefore as euer thou wouldest feele the loue of God What pleasure canst thou haue without that sense as euer thou wouldest haue joye and comfort in thine heart in the middest of the miseries of this world learne to know God assuring thy selfe that before thou get the sight and knowledge of God in Iesus Christ thou shalt neuer get the sense of loue Striue to see God haue faith in Iesus Christ and the farther sight thou gettest of him thy delight shall bee to pierce in more and more into the mysterie of thy saluation and I promise thee in his Name that sense and feeling shall increase and the more thou seest and knowest the more thou shalt feele that loue of God So wouldest thou haue joye and comfort striue to see Christ and thinke not that thou canst see enough Now would to God wee had the halfe of that desire to looke into the face of Iesus Christ that we haue of worldly things For al our blessednes and comfort standeth in this to look into the face of Iesus Christ that the beams which strike out from him may shine in our souls In the last words he sayth And I in them He commendeth this presence of the loue of God in their harts by the presence of Christ himselfe who accompanieth it as if hee had sayde So shall it bee seene if thy loue bee in them that I am in them These two are inseparable Companions the loue of the Father and the presence of the Sonne in the heart Is the loue of the Father in thine heart Then IESES CHRIST is there And by the contrarie is IESVS CHRIST into thine heart then the loue of the Father is into thine heart these two goe inseparable together and where the one lodgeth the other must bee there also Blessed are they that feele the loue of God for Christ is with them in their heartes for one grace draweth on another And if thy God loue thee the glorious Spirite shall bee with thee A question here may bee moued There are two Companions heere the loue of the Father and the presence of the Sonne but which of them is first Whether is the presence of the Sonne or the loue of God in thine heart first I answere Howbeit they bee in thine heart together in one moment of time yet the one in order is before the other And first Iesus Christ taketh possession in thine heart ere the loue of the Father bee in thine heart And because Iesus Christ is entered into thine heart therefore the loue of the Father is into thine heart Before Christ came into thine heart there was neuer grace in it all the grace all the peace and all the joy and all the comfort that is in the heart of a sinner followeth on Christ Christ commeth first and then all grace commeth in after him Hee is neuer him alone but peace joye and gladnesse accompany him then followeth that joye when hee commeth Looke Rom. 5. vers 5. hee telleth vs this order when hee hath said Because when wee were enemies Christ died for vs Because Christ died for thee hee loued thee And thinkest thou that thou wouldest feele that loue of God if Christ had not died for thee and except thou imbrace in thine heart that death by a liuelie fayth Goe to experience What is hee or shee that will feele that loue of God that endlesse comfort or that peace or joye who belieueth not in Iesus Christ It shall passe thy power to feele anie joye before thou feele that Christ died for thee Therefore I beseech thee gripe greedilie to Iesus Christ that hee may dwell in thine heart Nowe yee may aske at mee Howe is Christ in the heart Is not Christ bodilie present at the right hand of the Father How then sayeth hee And I in them Howe can thine heart gette him vvho is in Heauen The answere is easie The Lord Iesus dwelleth in the heart of man and woman by fayth Belieuest thou in him Reacheth thine heart thorowe the Heauens to get a gripe of him If thou belieue as Paul sayeth Ephes 3. vers 17. Christ dwelleth in thee if thine heart bee set on him and if thou belieue that hee died and is risen for thee thou hast him dwelling in thee And thinke yee Brethren that CHRIST can bee in any man or woman but they feele him No where CHRIST is hee is liuing in the heart and that is a glorious life If hee bee in thine heart by fayth there hee is liuing and as hee is liuing in thee so shall hee make thee to liue another life than this life hee shall make thee to liue an Heauenlie and Spirituall life as the Apostle PAVL saith in the second CHAPTER to the GALATIANS and the twentieth VERS I liue no more sayeth hee it is not I that liueth I am dead but IESVS CHRIST liueth in mee And what more The life that I liue in the fleshe and in this mortall bodie I liue it by fayth in the Sonne of GOD who hath loued mee and giuen his owne selfe for mee Is IESVS CHRIST in thine heart by fayth looke the effectes first thou art dead this mortall life is mortified the olde man is slaine If IESVS CHRIST bee in thee hee will slaye this sinfull life for our life naturallie is but a pudling in sinne and wickednesse when hee liueth within thee hee beareth the rule and not the olde man And what more As hee liueth within thee so hee giueth thee another life an Heauenlie and a glorious life Hee beginneth within thee that life which thou shalt liue with him in the Heauens where there is no more mortalitie nor no corruption So all tendeth to this Wouldest thou haue life wouldest thou haue grace in thine heart wouldest thou feele that vnspeakeable loue in thy vaine heart For that is a vaine heart which is not reformed and lieth dead in sinne and is not reuiued and quickened with the life of IESVS CHRIST Wouldest thou haue all this in this life and in that life euerlasting In a worde Wouldest thou reigne in glorie Striue to gette IESVS CHRIST in thine heart and when thou hast gotten him keepe him well and if once thou gettest him thou shalt gette one of the moste glorious thinges that euer was euen the loue of the Father wherein is all sweetnesse That loue of the Father shall flowe downe to thee and with the same loue wherewith the Father loueth the Sonne the Father of IESES CHRIST shall loue thee Well howe commeth all grace vnto vs Euen by IESVS CHRIST the Father powreth on all grace vpon the Sonne our Head Nowe hee bieng the Head and wee the bodie that precious ointment and fulnesse of all grace which is on him floweth downe on vs. So that grace is first powred out on the Sonne thine Head and then it floweth from the Head to the members so that there is not one member of that bodie but it getteth a share though it were neuer so sober a member and if it were but a foote Nowe blessed is hee or shee that is a member of that bodie And blessed is the soule that hath in it the loue of the FATHER in IESVS CHRIST To whom with the FATHER and the Holy SPIRIT bee all Honour and Prayse for euermore AMEN ΤΩ ΘΕΩ ΔΟΞΑ A H
hee calleth him Holie for as hee loued him so hee reuerenced him Holinesse craueth reuerence And that holie God what reuerence ought hee to haue Hee should not bee named nor thought on but with reuerence of the heart Then hee sayeth And keepe them in thy Name that is by thy diuine power This worde riseth on a confidence of a wonderfull power in the Father that hee was able to defende and keepe them in none other Name but in his owne Nowe looke the disposition of the heart of Iesus Christ In praying the heart is disposed with a wonderfull reuerence and loue to his Father And Brethren I count this argument of all the argumentes that yee haue hearde howbeit they were verie manie mightie and strong this same disposition of the heart I say to bee one of the most forciblest to mooue the Father The inwarde disposition of the heart of the Lord Iesus in loue and reuerence is moste forcible to mooue the Father to keepe his Disciples Looke in prayer to the disposition of thine heart for when wee praye to God what do we all argumentes Wherefore auaileth it to heape on argumentes to mooue God if thou hast no good disposition in thine heart in prayer Wherefore vsest thou wordes when thou hast an vnbelieuing heart and when thou hast no loue nor reuerence nor no confidence in God And then againe when the heart of man or woman is well disposed in praying with an holie affection to God in Iesus Christ with a reuerence and with a confidence in him then fewe wordes and fewe argumentes will serue It is better to haue fewe wordes in praying with loue and faith and with an holie disposition than to praye all the daye without the inwarde disposition James sayeth Chap. 5. vers 16. The prayer of a faithfull man auaileth much if it bee seruent He sayeth not If hee vse manie reasons or wordes but if hee haue a zeale to the glorie of God in prayer then it is acceptable This is knowne by experience they who knowe the disposition of the heart they will account more of it than of all the worlde So yee see this disposition in the heart of Iesus Christ is the chiefe argument to mooue the Father hee had no sinne in him his heart was cleane and his loue was perfect without anie mixture of hatred or anie other sinfull infirmitie All our affection our loue and our confidence is full of sinne and all is troubled in our heartes and if wee gette anie libertie it is but small Alace this is the foulenesse of our soule but well is that soule that getteth anie loue or anie confidence or anie reuerence c. Nowe to come to the affection to them for whome the Lord prayeth J praye euen for them whome thou hast giuen mee No question when hee sayeth Whome thou hast giuen mee hee taketh them into his heart hee imbraceth them into the affection of the heart the affection gripeth to them when as hee calleth them his No if the Lord Iesus call thee his hee will take thee into his heart and his affection will gripe thee Nowe certainelie as the affection to his Father was a great argument in the sight of the Father so when wee praye to God for others the affection towardes others is a great argument to mooue God And as wee respect the one hauing a zeale and an affection to God so wee should respect the other hauing true loue towardes others Looke that thine heart hate not the person of him for whome thou prayest otherwayes thou scornest God in thy prayer and when thou prayest for anie looke that thou loue that person for the loue of God and the loue of the person for whome thou prayest is aye joyned together If thou louest not the person for whome thou prayest it is sure thou louest not God Farder it is to bee considered heere that since the beginning of this prayer this argument is oft repeated Them whome thou hast giuen mee This is the thirde time that it is repeated The first is in these wordes J haue declared thy Name vnto the men which thou gauest mee out of the worlde And then I praye not for the worlde but for them whome thou hast giuen mee And againe Holie Father keepe them in thy Name euen them whome thou hast giuen mee c. Hee hath not so often repeated anie other argument as this They are thy Chosen they are called by the preaching of the Gospel but hee hath doubled and tripled this argument there is some grounde of this this must bee the moste speciall thing that mooued the LORD to praye for his Disciples because they were giuen to him and the Father had concredited them vnto him and put them into his handes And therefore hee letteth it neuer goe out of his heart that the Father had giuen them vnto him Father sayeth hee thou hast giuen them vnto mee therefore Father keepe them There is not a faythfull man or woman but if GOD will concredite anie to their care and protection the moste speciall thing that will mooue them to haue a care of them is That GOD hath concredited them vnto them Therefore they will praye vnto GOD for them And euen by the contrarie they who haue not a respect to them who are concredited vnto them for this cause that GOD hath put such persons into their handes to prouide for them that person sayeth the Apostle Paul is worse than an Infidell That person who hath gotten a Familie to care for and neglecteth it is worse than an Infidell So this shoulde mooue vs to care for others because the LORD hath concredited them vnto vs And in the daye of Iudgement it shall bee asked at thee Where is the care that thou hadst of them whome I concredited vnto thy charge And then terrible shall it bee for them who haue neglected those whome the LORD hath giuen vnto them As hee vseth this argument to mooue the Father so the Father must haue a care on that which hee hath giuen to CHRIST And that person that will take care of their Familie or of the Kirke or Common-wealth the LORD shall meete him and haue a care ouer him So that whosoeuer hath gotten the charge of soules or of Families or of Common-wealthes they shoulde haue a care ouer them for let bee that it is vngodlie not to bee carefull it is an vnnaturall thing Woe to the men that will runne out and drinke and leaue their Familie and runne and rashe and fill themselues and haue no care of them whom GOD hath put vnder their handes Woe to them that runne and leaue their Kirke Woe to that man that hath no care ouer them that GOD hath concredited vnto his charge Hee sayeth That they may bee one as wee are one Keepe them that they may bee like vs. No all our blessednesse is to bee like the Father the Sonne and that Holie Spirite Wherein standeth it It standeth in an vnitie to wit
That as the Father and the Sonne are one not onelie in that mutuall loue but in that verie Godhead substance and essence that is that vnitie one GOD the Father the Sonne and the Holie Spirite so wee also are one Nowe it is not required that wee bee one in essence but one in heartes and soules that is to saye Let euerie one of vs loue another let peace bee amongst vs and in this point wee must represent GOD and this is that vnitie that our heartes bee joyned with others in loue No man is knitte to CHRIST or yet to the Father but in loue and when wee are knitte vnto them our heartes are knitte euerie one to another So in one worde when wee see loue amongst men and especiallie amongst Christians when wee see their heartes joyned in loue wee may saye The Father keepeth these because they are in vnitie one with another and hee hath a care ouer them or else they coulde neuer haue this vnitie of minds in loue And where there is nothing but dissention and euerie one byting and backe-byting another they are not in the custodie of GOD for if they were in his keeping they woulde bee one as the Father and the Sonne are one So in one worde the LORDES care is not ouer those Therefore as euer yee woulde bee sure that the LORD hath a care ouer you looke that yee haue an vnitie amongst your selues And this is it that the Apostle Paul moste recommendeth vnto vs an vnitie of minde So as wee woulde testifie vs to bee the members of IESVS CHRIST let vs bee in vnitie with our neighbour for by this wee testifie to the worlde that wee are GODS and giuen to IESVS CHRIST and where there is no loue no amitie there the members are not joyned with the Head and wee haue no part with CHRIST for where fayth is there is loue and where fayth is there the members will concur together in vnitie of minde The LORD giue vs fayth in IESVS CHRIST in whome standeth all our happinesse and felicitie and to whome with the Father and the Holie Spirite bee all honour prayse power and dominion for euermore AMEN THE XXII LECTVRE OF CHRISTES PRAYER BEFORE HIS PASSION IOHN CHAP. xvii VERS 12.13.14.15 12 While J was with them in the worlde I kept them in my Name those that thou giuest mee haue I kept and none of them is lost but the childe of perdition that the Scripture might bee fulfilled 13 And nowe come J to thee and these thinges speake I in the worlde that they might haue my joye fulfilled in themselues 14 I haue giuen them thy worde and the worlde hath hated them because they are not of the world as I am not of the world 15 I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the worlde but that thou keepe them from euill IN the second part of this Prayer Welbeloued in the Lord Iesus the Lord being to depart out of this life and to rise againe and to ascend vp to the Heauens he recommendeth his Disciples whome he was to leaue behinde him to the keeping and preseruation of the Father To this purpose hee hath sundry arguments and reasons First sayeth he I haue manifested thy Name to them therefore Father keepe them Then Thou hast chosen them out of the worlde from all eternitie therefore Father keepe them Then They were thine therefore Father keepe thine owne And againe Thou hast giuen them to mee therefore keepe them And againe They haue kept thy worde and belieued in mee that thou hast sent mee therefore keepe them And againe I am glorified in them therefore keepe them And last of all I am to leaue them behinde mee in the worlde therefore keepe them These arguments and reasons wee haue heard Nowe hee goeth forwarde and addeth to the eight reason beginning at the Text which wee haue read The eight reason is from his owne keeping of his Disciples while hee abode with them in the world While J was with them in the worlde I kept them in thy Name and saued them And those whome thou gauest to mee I haue kept so that there is not one of them lost saue one the sonne of perdition meaning Iudas that the Scripture might mee fulfilled euen that Scripture which fore-tolde of his destruction therefore I kept them so long as I was with them Now Father I recommende them vnto thee and I put them into thine hand Yet the words would bee better weighed This keeping of his Disciples he amplifieth by sundry circumstances The first circumstance is A carefulnesse diligence and earnestnesse in keeping them This carefulnesse appeareth in doubling of the words hee is not content to say once J haue kept them but he sayth it ouer again The Sonne of God the Lord Iesus whom he keepeth hee keepeth them faithfully and carefully not slackly but diligently night and day his eye is vpon them and as hee himselfe sayth O Hierusalem as the Henne gathereth her Birdes vnder her winges so would I haue done to thee And no doubt the Lord gathereth his owne vnder the wings of his grace and keepeth them after a most tender and intiere fashion of keeping So wee may learne at his example those whom God hath concredited vnto vs to be kept in this world by vs whether they bee in our Familie whether they be in the Kirke of God or whether they bee in the Policie or Commonwealth wheresoeuer they be one or moe how many or how few they be who are concredited vnto vs and giuen out of the hand of God to be kept and defended in this world by vs. Wee learne heere by the example of Christ to keepe them so carefullie and faithfullie that they lose not in our hand The Prophet sayeth Woe to them that doeth the worke of the Lord negligentlie and slacklie Ierem. 48. vers 10. There hee meaneth Who slayeth not and wracketh not as the Lord commandeth to slay and wracke Therefore much more shall woe curse appertaine vnto them who keepeth not them faithfully whom the Lord hath concredited vnto them and commandeth them to keepe If woe was denounced against them who slewe not and wracked not at the commandement of the Lord a double woe shall appertaine vnto them who neglecteth them whom the Lord hath concredited to their charge Nowe I come to the seconde circumstance J haue kept them in they Name that is to say By thy vertue and power All the power that the Sonne hath hee hath it giuen him of the Father and all the power that the Sonne hath is the power of the Father and therefore he acknowledgeth the keeping of these Disciples to be by the power of the Father and so he glorifieth his Father in Heauen The Sonne in any thing that he doth he euer glorifieth the Father Who is he in this world who is able to keepe a soule by his owne power Who hath power in his own hand to keepe a body or a Child or