and seeke nothing We are poore bodies sleeping in a dead sleep and except we be wakened we will not rise out of it or once open our mothes to say God helpe mee And then when wee haue opened our mouthes to speake a word it will be coldly and wearshlie saide this is our nature Then marke last what mercifull care the Lord hath ouer vs we would for euer lie still and die in pouertie if the Lord saide not Waken waken The Lord Iesus not onely wakened his Disciples but to the end of the world he is euer wakening his owne sometimes by faire wordes and sometimes by boasting and sometimes by afflictions to moue them to pray in his Name Sometimes outwardly the Lord will come and strike thee what reckes of all the strokes in the world though thou shouldest be buffetted and beaten yea and pulled in pieces and if it bee to free thee from Hell Sometimes inwardly hee will pricke thee and stirre vp thy conscience to accuse thee and he will open the eyes of thy soule to see thine owne miserie and want And when the Lord hath wakened thee that thou beginnest once to sigh for grace hee will bee at thy right hand and stirre thee vp to praye and then the sigh for grace shall not so soone come out but it shall ascende to God for that same sigh though it were neuer so small being raised from the heart by his owne holy Spirit he cannot mis know it but hee must sende thee an answere and then thine heart is kindled vp with a sweet sense of thy God But shouldest thou then leaue off to pray No no but then thou shouldest praye fastest for a poore bodie who hath gotten a pennie will be very well content and will giue many thankes And thou who hast gotten a part of Spirituall grace wilt thou not giue thanks Yea thanke and thanke againe for there is no time to leaue off prayer but aye to praye and giue thankes There are two thinges thou hast either a sense of thine own misery or els a sense of the grace of God bestowed vpō thee and then shouldest thou not praye There is not an houre but wee should praye for Paul Ephes 6. vers 18. recommendeth prayer vnto them in this manner Praying with all kinde of supplication and at all times Wee must bee aye fighting with our inwarde enemies and those spirituall powers of darknesse there should bee no rest no not a moment and as the battel hath no rest so wee should neuer leaue off to praye for and if thou leaue off to praye thou shalt not stande but yeelde and giue thy selfe ouer to thine enemies In one word there is no time granted vnto vs to be voyde of an heauenlie disposition and if thine heart bee well disposed to praye and thinke not that this will hinder thee of any worldly exercises bee aye communing with God in whatsoeuer thing thou doest for it shall bee so farre from hindering thee that it shall further thee and when thou goest to doe any worke saye Lord blesse this worke and when thou enterprizest any thing seeke aye the blessing of God let thine heart be euer spiritually disposed This is the cause why the worlde is so prophane and hath so little minde of God and hath so foule heartes that will speake so foule blasphemies and filthie purposes the Adulterer will worke his vile adulterie and the foule Murderer his murders c. because they want prayer and then the Lord leaueth them and letteth them wallow in their mischiefe till at the last he giueth them ouer to the hands of the Deuill Now when he hath wakened them hee commeth to the fourth part of the blessednesse they shall haue when hee shall returne Hitherto sayeth hee I haue spoken in parables that is in obscure and darke sentences But when J shall come againe I shall speake nothing in parables but mith a great euidence that ye shall not neede to doubt of one worde Brethren vnderstand this for when the Lord was into the worlde amongst the Iewes for the most part hee spake in parables and his speaches and preachings were obscure so it was harde to take vp his speaches and therefore yee may reade in the thirteenth Chap. of Matth. that commonly he spake in parables that is all which he spake was not euident and not only were his speaches obscure to the multitude but to his Disciples also as this A little while and yee shall not see mee and againe a little while and yee shall see mee Yet he expounded the parables to his Disciples as ye reade in that same Chap. of Matth. And till he came againe out of the Heauēs to them by his Spirit it was hard to vnderstand him What was the cause of this that hee woulde speake so obscurelie not onely to the multitude but also to his owne Disciples When Christ was in the world the worke of the redemption of man was not wrought Christ had not suffered nor risen againe nor passed vp to the Heauen he was not glorified and therefore the speaches of the redemption of man being a thing to come could not bee so plaine but nowe all is past and there are no more parables but all are cleare speaches of the redemption the speaches of the thinges to come cannot bee so cleare as the speaches of a thing done and ended The Lord spake more clearly by the mouth of his Apostles of the worke of our redemption than hee did himselfe with his owne mouth To drawe this to our selues As the Lord hath giuen to vs to haue that ioye and that knowledge which was promised to the Disciples and all grace and mercy for the asking Euen so we haue in the Kirke of Iesus Christ this daye the same plainnesse in speaking of the Crosse and as the Apostle sayeth The Lord Jesus is crucified before our eyes Speake not the Apostles clearly vnto vs in these Writs which are left Haue wee not the foure Euangels the best Booke that euer was make of it as yee will and those Epistles of Paul and the rest of the Apostles written in such euidencie and plainnesse euen the same thing in effect which they preached And in a manner wee haue the Apostles speaking vnto vs in that euidencie wherein they spake when they liued And if a man woulde take those Writs in his handes and espy them well he would perceiue the Spirite of God in them And nowe also the Lord raiseth vp men to speake with liuely words and to builde on that foundation of the Prophets and Apostles Not Hay nor Stubbles but the Lord raiseth vp men to builde on the foundation as the Apostle sayeth Siluer and Golde and precious stones and as Paul sayth of himselfe and the rest of the Apostles 2. Corinth 4. vers 3. Hee who worketh light out of darknesse the same God causeth the light of his presence to shine in our hearts thorow Iesus Christ to giue the light of knowledge
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
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
Ascension had hope that they should receiue the holy Spirite and his graces and so they did in effect And if thou find that thou hast not gotten the Spirit in no measure no illumination no reformation of thy corrupt nature sore may thine heart be for in respect of thee in vaine is hee risen and glorified Therefore as thou wouldest bee partaker of his glory striue to gette his holie Spirite ere thou goest out of this worlde or else thou shalt neuer get light nor life in the world to come Farder hence wee may see the Lord leaueth neuer altogether his owne Kirke for if hee giue not his bodilie presence yet hee will giue his spirituall presence for without his presence his Kirke his Sainctes on earth cannot â—aue a being for by reason of his presence the Kirke hath her beginning for what I pray you is the Kirke else but a societie of men and women seuered from the rest of the worlde by the presence of that holie Spirit whereby they are sealed Thus farre hath he partlie fore-warned them of his departure partly comforted them It followeth in the Text Then saâ—d some of his Disciples amongst themselues What is this that hee sayeth vnto vs A little while and yee shall not see me c. They are mooued at these wordes and some of them begin to whisper amongst themselues at the wordes which the Lord spake Yee see here a marueilous ignorance of the Disciples of Christ hee hath beene speaking to them so long and yet they vtter a great ignorance It is a wonderfull thing to see how blinded and how hardened a man will be before hee haue receiued the holie Spirit at the preaching of the Gospel euen at such voyces as would pierce stocks and stones Yet a man hearing with reason sense will conceiue no more of things heauenly than the stockes and stones I tell you this that no wordes no preaching if there be no more but wordes and preaching can make any man to conceiue heauenly thinges yea no admonition no threatning no iudgement if there be no more shall make the hardned heart to be the better The blindest thing in the world is the heart of man So except the inward Teacher come out of the Heauens illuminate mollify the heart al the preaching of the world shall do the hart no good but rather euil so that thou mayst see this to be true that the naturall man is not capable of the things that are of the Spirit of God but wheÌ„ it pleases the Lord t' accoÌ„pany his word with his Spirit theÌ„ two words shall do more good than a whole preaching before th' Apostles of Christ after they got this Spirit profited more in one day than all their dayes before So albeit thou heare many preachings except thou haue that inward Doctor into thine heart all auails not Therfore carry that inward teacher into thine hart chaÌ„ge him neuer so if thou want him run to this preacher or that if thou wast hardned before thou shalt be so still A sound in the eare wil do no more good than a blast of wind without the Spirit It follows Now Iesus knew c. He perceiues them wel enough and of what thing they were debating He answereth them gentlie I know would he say what ye are thinking and inquiring and then hee teacheth them more gently Might not the Lord haue bene angry with them who vnderstood him not at the end of the Preaching But the Lord as it was prophesied of him Isay 42. hee quenched neuer the smoaking Flaxe nor brake the bruised Reede he was euer about to intertaine grace and not to put it out All Teachers may take their Lesson here they ought not to cast off people howbeit they get no fruit of Preachinges let euer that worde bee driuen into their eares and let aye that seede bee sowne for he hath the Spirit and he will giue him when hee pleaseth and let both the auditor and the Preacher pray to God to giue the Spirit It is true indeede the seede of the worde of God will lie long lurking into the heart but at last the Spirit will put to his hand to the worde as yee heard Iohn 14. vers 16. and will make the worde to fructifie and to bud out not onely to the illumination of the soule inwardly but also to good workes outwardly Bee thou euer sowing that blessed seede bee euer preaching and then commit the successe of all to God When hee hath made a preface to them yee see thereafter with what great lenitie hee instructeth them both concerning his departing and concerning his returning Hee instructeth them by the effects both of the one and the other and they are these The first is Yee shall weepe and lament The other is The worlde shall rejoyce These are the effects of his departing Then he declareth his returning by the effect But your mourning shall bee turned into ioye That is I shall come againe and then ye shall haue matter of joye Ye see here a very effectuall kinde of teaching Hee spake this of before but nowe hee speaketh the same thing more effectually To speake of things barely and to propone them simply it is not so effectuall to mooue the mindes of the hearers as to declare the same by the effectes following that taketh a greater roote and impression in the heart As for example When wee are fore-telling that by all appearances the Lord Iesus is to depart out of this Land for wee are not worthie of him albeit this mooue vs yet this mooueth vs more when it is said It shall come to passe that thou shalt mourne thy selfe thou shalt weepe nowe laugh on as thou wilt woâ—full shall be thine ende and shame and confusion shall light vpon thee I denounce this to thee in the Name of God And againe yee thinke it a light thing to saye The Lord Iesus shall come but to saye Thou who mournest shalt rejoyce when hee shall come that mooueth more But nowe to come to the matter Yee shall weepe and lament and the world shall rejoyce Some shall be weeping and some laughing this is the difference Yee see the departure of Iesus Christ is a sorrowfull thing to the godly when Christ is awaye the godly are in sorrowe the pleasure of the godly is aye in the presence of Iesus Christ and therefore when they see that they want his presence they see nothing but matter of sorrowe and giue them all the pleasures of the worlde if they misse the Lord awaye they will haue no joye And by the contrary place them in all the sorrowes in the worlde if they get a sight of Iesus Christ they gette joye enough But on the other side the wicked and the vngodly who neuer tasted how sweet the Lord was neuer rejoyce but when they want the Lord Iesus out of their sight they haue no pleasure in his presence they haue neuer pleasure to heare of Christ
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
of man Looke to this and in the meane time gather howe much wee are beholden vnto him What King would haue humbled himselfe so No there is no King who would haue put on a Beggars weed for a slaues cause let bee to humble himselfe so far Now looke how we are indebted to him yea if it were a thousand liues it is too little to giue for him who hath so humbled himselfe for vs. Nowe last yee see in what sense and meaning the Sonne of God seeketh this glory Hee seeketh not a glory which hee had not the time that he sought it for he had iâ—â—â—wayes from all eternity He sought not also to bee quite of the nature of man for then hee should not haue bene our Sauiour Hee seeketh not to be quite of the first cloude but of the second He seeketh to be quite of death and hee seeketh that that Godhead should glorifie the Sonne of man that the beames of that Godhead should strike out and glorifie the nature of man And indeede howe soone that Godhead that dwelt in him began to vtter it selfe when his head was lying low in the graue then the man getteth vp and life commeth into our nature And next when the Godhead vttered it selfe in that nature then that man is lifted vp to the Heauens And last when the Godhead vttered it selfe the man Christ is placed at the right hand of the Father and that nature of man shineth in such sort that it passeth all the glory of the Angels This is very comfortable Thou wilt say What recks me of all this glory and what is that to mee Howbeit that that man be glorified yet I abide here in the earth a vile body what recks mee if the worlde were glorified if I got not a share of it Now wilt thou take but once holde of that nature of man and once fix thine eye vpon it that is Wilt thou belieue in Iesus Christ God and man set thine heart on him that he first died for thee and secondly that he rose for thee belieue that all this was once done for thee then certainly as sure as the nature of man in Iesus died and was glorified as sure thou shalt bee glorified and as soone as thou touchest him the glorie shall strike out and ouershaddow thee in this life when thou lookest into the mirrour of his Gospel for wee see him here but in a mirrour it shall ouer-shaddow thee I say but when faith shall be changed into sight and wee see him face to face and sit fore-anent him and looke to his glorious face those glaunces which shall proceede from him as it is saide to the Philippians CHAP. 3. VERS 21. shall transforme thy vile bodie and shall conforme it to his glorious bodie There is such an effectualnesse in his power whereby hee subdued all thinges that if thou shalt gette a sight of him hee shall chaunge thy bodie in a moment and hee shall make it to shine more brighter than the Sunne Onelie belieue so long as thou art heere A man who hath faith in him shall see this glorie If thou gettest not a sight of Christ by fayth in this worlde thou shalt neuer see him heereafter to life and glorie So let vs belieue and stirre vp euerie one of vs another with exhortations that as euer wee would see glorie wee belieue in Iesus Christ To whome 〈◊〉 the Father and holie Spirit bee all honour glorie and pray 〈◊〉 world without ende AMEN THE XX. LECTVRE OF CHRISTES PRAYER BEFORE HIS PASSION IOHN CHAP. xvii VERS 6.7.8 6 I haue declared thy Name vnto the men which thou gauest mee out of the worlde thine they were and thou gauest them mee and they haue kept thy worde 7 Nowe they knowe that all thinges whatsoeuer thou hast giuen mee are of thee 8 For I haue giuen vnto them the wordes which thou gauest mee and they haue receiued them and haue knowne surelie that I came out from thee and haue belieued that thou hast sent mee HItherto Welbeloued in the Lord IESVS in this Prayer the Lord hath prayed for himselfe that the Father would glorifie him To this purpose hee vsed sundry argumentes First sayeth hee The houre is come that is The houre of my death is at hand therefore Father glorifie mee Then hee sayeth Father if thou wilt glorifie mee I will glorifie thee therefore glorifie mee Yet farder If thou wilt glorifie mee J wll giue life euerlasting to these whome thou hast giuen mee therefore Father glorifie mee Yet marke I haue glorified thee on the Earth and I haue ended that worke which thou gauest mee to doe What resteth then sayeth hee But that thou O Father shouldest glorifie mee Then hee concludeth Therefore Father glorifie mee with thy selfe not in the Earth but in the Heauens with that glorie which I had with thee before the worlde was Nowe in the next parte of his Prayer the Lord prayeth for his Apostles eleuen in number Hee prayeth not for Iudas because hee was a reprobate There are two thinges which hee seeketh at the Father for them The first â—s That when hee shoulde goe his waye to the Heauen the Father shoulde keepe them from all euill in the worlde The seconde is That the Father shoulde sanctifie them to that worke which they were appointed vnto There are sundrie argumentes and reasons of this first parte of this Petition for his Disciples That the Father woulde keepe them and saue them Hee heapeth in the beginning manie argumentes as namelie from their calling and vocation from their election from that they were the Fathers from that they were giuen to him from that that they belieued the Worde and from that that hee was going to the Father He heapeth together these arguments reasons in praying for them that the Father would keepe and saue them But let vs marke the words narrowly and goe thorow euery argument and obserue such doctrine as shall be to our edification as God shall giue the grace He begins sayth first J haue declared thy Name vnto the men which thou gauest me out of the world So the first reason wherewith he moueth the Father to keepe them is from that hee had manifested vnto them the Name of the Father That is to saye That hee had called them by the Preaching of the glorious Euangel of IESVS CHRIST So our vocation and calling standeth in the manifestation of GOD in IESVS CHRIST by the preaching and hearing of the Gospel Wee are called when God and his will is manifested to vs by the preaching of the Gospel of Iesus Christ Well then if the Lord Iesus vseth this as an argument and reason to moue his Father to keepe them and to saue them now certainly when any person findeth that GOD calleth on them by the preaching of the Gospel as he is calling on you this day Then certainly they haue an argument and token that that God who calleth on them wil keepe and saue them both in this
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
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
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
argument were sufficient that after his Ascension by their Ministerie the vvhole vvorlde vvas conuerted vvhich came not to passe vvhilest hee himselfe was on the Earth because the Godhead kept the selfe close But to come to the wordes following The Lord layeth downe the ground of this I goe to my glory and I am passing to the Father and therefore my glory shall vtter it selfe The power of Iesus Christ must appeare in the vvorlde at that time of his Ascension vvhen hee went to his Father to Heauen then the power striketh wonderfully vpon the Earth from the Heauen When we haue the Lord Iesus nowe glorified in the Heauen wee haue a more glorious power of the Lord Iesus than the Iewes who had his bodily presence So the reason is Because hee was to passe vp to the Father So ye see Brethren this gift the Disciples should get that they should worke greater workes than hee did is nothing prejudiciall to the glorie of our Sauiour Howbeit it pleaseth the Lord to worke more glorious works by such vveake instrumentes than hee did in his owne person it is not prejudiciall to his power If the instrumentes of themselues had done these workes it would haue prejudged his glorie but seeing they did them by his power it hindereth nothing his glorie Yea I say his glorie seemed the more in the worlde by their working because it testified that hee who was so base in the worlde had such a power in him when hee ascended Hee commeth to another ground of working of greater workes What euer yee shall aske in my Name yee shall get it That is Sende vp your prayers to mee to the Heauen when I am glorified and what yee shall aske in my Name it shall be granted So this is another ground wherfore the Apostles wrought greater works after his Ascension They prayed to him and drew downe his power out of Heauen by prayer It is a power incomprehensible that is in the Lord Iesus Now if any man or woman would bee partaker of that power hee must sende vp his prayer to Heauē by faith in him to draw down that power to the world Wee see the Apostles Act. 4. pray earnestly that by their handes hee would worke signes and wonders and they obtained it It is a pittie that there should bee so great a power in IESVS CHRIST to life and we miserable creatures hauing so great need and want of it should haue no part of it the fault lieth not in CHRIST for there is power and vertue enough in him to saue a thousand worldes But this is the fault Men and women cannot pray because they want faith So all the want that is in vs that vvee vvant Heauen and life euerlasting all the fault is in our selues that cannot praye and saye Lorde there is a vvonderfull power in thee and thou canst saue a thousande vvorldes Therefore Lord by thy power saue mee It is a foule shame that this should inlake on our parte that vve cannot open our mouthes to seeke grace seeing such aboundance such an infinite power and treasure is in him And if there vvere a great treasure to bee dealt so that euerie man might haue his parte hee vvoulde condemne himselfe vvho vvent not to gette a share Nowe there vvas neuer such a treasure as is life eternall and hee vvho getteth not a share of it but lieth behinde sleeping hauing no care to gette it hee is vvorthie a thousand deathes So vve should seeke this grace by prayer and chiefelie that vvee maye haue the Spirite of prayer for all men cannot seeke Heauen It is a sore thing to vs to vvant a share of that rich treasure for fault of heartes to seeke it Hee repeateth this promise twise Jf yee aske anie thing in my Name I will doe it And indeede hee did it in effect for vvhen the Lord had ascended they pray that they should worke miracles and so they did So hee is true in all his promises And marke it Brethren hee sayeth hee will doe it and not they shall doe it for Christ by his owne power worketh miracles the which power he communicateth not to his instruments but hee reserueth it to himselfe and by the ministery of men powreth foorth his giftes vpon others Then hee setteth downe the end of all the wonders That the Father may be glorified All the power of the Lord serueth to the glory of his Father All the power hee hath gotten it diminisheth not the glory of his Father but augmenteth it and the glory of the Father standeth in the power of the Sonne because he is the splendor of his glory And the Sonne bee not glorified the Father wanteth glory and hee who will not glorifie the Sonne hee will not glorifie the Father This is not to be omitted While hee is speaking of the vttering of his power forgetteth he the Father No he setteth downe the Fathers glory as the end of his power When the Lord Iesus was in the world he spake neuer a word but he had a respect to glorifie the Father And so hee sayth when hee was to goe out of the world Father glorifie me for I haue glorified thee Blessed is he that can with a good cōscience protest this that he euer had an eye to the glory of God can say Thou wast mine only But and whether I ate or I dranke or what euer I did it was all to thy glory Wee should preasse to doe this howbeit wee cannot come to a full perfection certainly that man shall bee partaker of his glory that in all his actions can holde his eye on the glory of God By the contrary that man what euer hee bee and hee were a King or a Prince who desireth not to glorifie God if hee continue so hee shall neuer see that glory This shall stande and all the worlde shall not bring it backe Let this bee our marke in all our callinges that wee may haue power to glorifie God in them And if wee doe not this and though wee should make all the vantage in the worlde and heape vp great riches gold and treasures c. wee shall perish miserably Therefore the Lord giue vs grace since there is no vantage but in the God of glory that wee may glorifie him and bee glorified with him through Iesus Christ Now wee come to the next exhortation which is contained in these wordes Jf yee loue mee keepe my Commaundementes As hee exhorted them before to belieue in him so now hee exhorteth them to bee obedient to him or to doe his will Fayth and obedience are chiefe groundes of Christianitie If one woulde bee a Christian first hee must belieue in the LORD IESVS Then next this fayth must not bee ydle but it must burst foorth in the effectes they must striue to doe his vvill to bee charitable that is the LORDES vvill In the thirteenth Chapter and the thirty foure verse the Lord spake these vvordes to his Disciples A newe Commaundement giue
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
leadeth vs in the way of trueth and verity We are all out of the way till he leade vs in the way of saluation There is neuer man nor woman who is not naturally full of vanity and his heart full of lies no trueth chiefly in the way that leadeth to life and saluation The spirit of errour occupieth naturally the heartes of men and women vntill this blessed Spirite enter into their heartes The name is to bee marked First hee is called the Comforter Secondlie the Spirit of trueth The one of these is the cause of the other And the Spirite of GOD is the Comforter and ministreth comfort to the soules of men and vvomen because hee is the Spirite of veritie For Brethren this knowledge of God is the grounde of all comfort and vvithout the knowledge of our saluation there is no comfort in this life When the Spirite of God entereth into the soule of a man or woman he first beginneth to let the creature see the sinfulnesse that lieth in nature the miserie death and damnation that followeth on sinne The first knowledge we can haue is to knowe vvhat we are by nature So the first worke of the Spirit of Veritie is when he letteth a man or woman see that hee is but sinfull and dead vnder sinne The second point of knowledge that the Spirite vvill leade thee vntill hee vvill let thee see mercy in thy deliuerance from sinne and death The best sight that euer a miserable creature sawe and the ioyfullest this sight vvill bee accompanied vvith such a ioy as the heart of man cannot expresse As the sight of sinne was heauy so this sight of grace mercy in Iesus Christ is sweet yea the ioyfullest sight that euer the creature got The third point of knowledge he vvill leade thee vnto is hee vvill let thee see the vvay howe thou shouldest meete that mercifull God and vvhat shoulde bee thy duety for such a mercifull deliuerance If any man or vvoman haue this Spirit of Verity he must see these three things and if they see not these three they vvist neuer what vvas the Spirite of Verity Looke vvhat followeth on these three sights all the ioye in the vvorlde the heart vvist neuer vvhat ioye vvas vvhile then If one had all the riches in the vvorlde all the pleasures in the vvorlde if they vvant the Spirite they vvant that true ioye in death in life hee that vvanteth that Spirit can haue no ioy vvhen death commeth to him and the vvorld leaueth him how can he reioyce no he cannot So vvouldest thou haue ioye and chiefely in the houre of death and that is a sad houre when the vvorlde is leauing thee and thou leauing it for thou must leaue it Get this blessed sight and this Spirite of Verity and hee shall vvorke comfort in thy soule both in thy life and in the houre of death Now againe the second time he aggreageth this benefite for the benefite of the soule cannot bee aggreaged enough before he aggreageth it in that it should abide vvith them for euer Now he aggreageth it from the condition of the vvorld and hee sayth Hee is such a Spirit that the worlde cannot receiue The aggreaging of this benefite to the soule is by opposition to the vvorlde The vvorld sayth the Lord receiued not this Spirit of Verity vvhom yee shall receiue It hath a great force the Spirite of GOD vvhen hee vvoulde amplifie the grace that the Chosen gette in the vvorlde vseth to sette downe a grace opposite to the worlde vvho getteth not this grace but in place of it getteth miserie So in the threescore Chapter of Esay and the twelfth Verse hee sayeth The Lord shall rise vp and make the beames of his mercie to shine vpon his owne Hee setteth not downe this simplie but to let them see the greatnesse of the benefite hee subjoyneth an opposition And darknesse sayeth hee shall couer the Earth and grosse darknesse the people but the Lord shall rise vp to shine vpon thee with the beames of that his mercy and his glory shall bee seene vpon thee This is done that the godly should see the greatnesse of the mercy of God towards them One contrary will make another the better to be knowne Brethren wee see this all the aduersaries vse this argument against vs Your Kirke is contracted in little boundes and your Profession is but narrow and fewe imbrace it where yee finde one who professeth as yee professe ye will find an hundreth who contemne your Doctrine So say they because the multitude imbraceth it not it is not the true Light But these wordes condemne them The Lord sayeth The vvorlde cannot receiue the Spirite of Veritie They say The vvorlde must receiue the Spirite of Veritie or else it is not the Spirite of Veritie So to ende this Wee must bee so farre from that to count the lesse of this blessed Light and of these whome the Lord vsed as instrumentes after hee had taken them out of the darke Kingdome of the Antichrist to make this Light shine like the Sunne that euen by the contrary wee must count the more of it And it is an argument that it is the Trueth because the Lord will not communicate it with the multitude And woe is the soule that neuer saw this Light Precious thinges are but rare The more pecious a grace bee euermore since the beginning of the worlde it is the rarer No man getteth this Light communicated to them but those secret ones whom the Lord hath chosen And we one day shall blesse this Light that euer we saw it The worde is to bee marked The worlde cannot receiue him This worde importeth that the fault wherefore the worlde receiueth not this Spirite is not in the Spirite but the fault is in the vvorlde it selfe vvho vvanteth the hand and so neither will nor can receiue such a grace The Lord in his worde offereth to all men indifferentlie this Spirite and as it were by his vvorde knocketh at the heartes of men and women to receiue such a guest There is none of vs who heareth this glorious Euangel but the Lord knocketh at the doore of his soule to take in this Holy Spirit to dwell with him But looke howe hee is answered All receiueth not this Spirit and all hearts are not opened to take him in yea very fewe there bee who take in this Spirite in their heart when they heare this Euangel Take heed there is no grace nor welfare without this Spirit and howe can the heart bee glad without him Yet they are few who get him To speak the trueth There is no man nor woman who is naturally borne to receiue this Spirit of God The naturall man sayth Paul is not capable of the thinges that are of God 1. Cor. 2.14 So by nature all men and women are alike Then who maketh the difference sayth Paul to the Corinthians What hast thou that thou hast not receiued 1. Cor. 4.7 Then if there bee a
difference of men it is not by nature for by nature all men refuse this Spirite The Lord of Heauen who offereth this Spirite to the worlde in some hee will make him to worke effectually with ioy in others when he offereth the Spirit he maketh the heart hard and vvhen the worde beateth at it it will resist and fight with both the handes to holde backe the worde So Steuen Act. 7. vers 51. saith of the Iewes Yee resist euer the holy Spirit The multitude euer striueth to holde out the Spirite out of their heartes and the more the Spirit bee offered the harder is their heartes Well it lieth in no mans hand to giue this Spirite or to take it There is no free will in the heart but it is of the free will of God So when wee heare the worde our whole endeuour shoulde bee to looke to him from whom the Spirit commeth and say Lord it lieth not in my power of my selfe to receiue this Spirit but Lord open thou mine heart as thou openedst the heart of Lydia to receiue this Spirit Now to goe forwarde Hee setteth downe the cause wherefore the world was not able to receiue this Spirit Hee sayth The world cannot receiue him because it seeth him not not knoweth him not When wee know a thing perfectly it is good for vs the knowledge will waken a desire in our heartes to haue it and to brooke it Againe by the contrary And it were neuer so good a thing and neuer so meete for vs and we haue no knowledge of it wee will not haue a desire of it yea and it were Heauen it selfe for the common saying is true Ignoti nulla cupido The Lord sayth to the Samaritane woman Iohn 4.10 And thou knewest that gift of God that is offered to thee this day and thou knewest him who asketh thee drinke thou wouldest seeke of him the water of life The Lord meaned shee asked not the water of life because shee knew it not but when she knew the sweetnesse of that water and tasted of it that Well of Iaakob which shee thought so precious before she left it behind her and ran into the Towne and proclaimed that grace But to come to the particular And a man knew how great a grace the Spirit were he would giue all the things in the worlde for a gripe of him and for a taste of his sweetnesse But a man who knoweth not the Spirit of Christ for the worlde knoweth not what grace is in that Spirite of Christ so the misknowledge of the Spirit maketh the contempt of the Spirit that man hath no desire of him Woe to that soule that cannot saye Lord indue mee with thine holy Spirit for it is a sure thing that those who want this Spirite they haue not Christ for Christ is possessed by his Spirite and when hee is out of the heart there Christ is away Euer seeke knowledge of God and of Iesus Christ and of the holy Spirit as yee would bee saued hereafter And euer when yee heare any speaking of this blessed Trinitie bee busie to vnderstand what is spoken Knowledge worketh a thirst of grace and sayeth the Lord Matth. 5.6 Blessed is hee who hungereth and thirsteth for righteousnesse for he shall be filled What would a man seeke but his fill In this life they shall get a taste of that water of life and heereafter they shall get a satietie For as Dauid sayth Psal 16.11 In thy face is fulnesse of joy and at thy right hand are pleasures for euermore So striue to get a knowledge for it worketh a desire and knowledge growe not desire cannot grow When hee hath laide downe the grounde wherefore they were not able to receiue the Spirit of God the Disciples who looked to the estate of the worlde might haue saide This estate of the world is miserable What Lord is our estate Lie we in blindnesse and ignorance as the worlde doeth The Lord meeteth this and sayeth Yee knowe him and the worlde knoweth him not And hee addeth the reason He bideth with you And he then maketh a promise to them of a farder acquaintance of the Spirit of God with them he sayeth Hee shall bee in you And then in the verse following to confirme vs hee repeateth it and sayth J shall not leaue you comfortlesse That is I shall come againe to you in my Spirit The first thing wee haue to marke When the Disciples haue heard of the miserable estate of the worlde they are carefull to vnderstand their estate whether they bee like to the worlde or not and as they are carefull to vnderstand so the Lord is carefull to make them vnderstand it This vvorld is miserable now the multitude is hardened lying without the sheepe-folde of the Lord So when we heare of the darknesse of the worlde as of the Iewes the Turkes and Pagans yea euen to amplifie and extende this to the kingdome of Antichrist and of the Papistes also for they are but miserable I say and I proclaime in the Name of the great God of Heauen and in the ende they shall see it glory in their knowledge as they will they shall be casten out in darknesse When wee heare of this I say should we heare of it securely as if it belonged not to vs Or should wee set our eyes only vpon the worlde No wee should set our eyes vpon our selues and trie our owne estate and saye Lord what am I Haue I sought grace Shall I get Heauen This should be our care to see that we be not like the world And if we be carefull as the Disciples were to search our estate and to trie our knowledge of the holy Spirit the Lord will be ready to answere as he answered them he will speake to thee by thy conscience Thou art not like to the worlde Blessed art thou thou hast the knowledge of the holy Spirit When we heare of the world all is but misery multitudes lying in blindnesse and ignorance when we heare of this wee should not rejoyce of this but wee should bee carefull of our selues and say Lord let me not bee like the world but let mee haue a knowledge of the Lord. No wee should not rejoyce in the misery of the multitude but lament for it The second thing I marke is the waye to come to the knowledge of the Spirit of Christ Wee know all this Brethren when a man is acquainted with another man and haunteth with him the man will knowe his familiar and knowe his power and let them speake they will know other So acquaintance will make knowledge Well wouldest thou know the Spirit of Iesus Christ be acquainted with him for there is no knowledge without familiaritie and hee must dwell with thee night and day ere thou knowe him Barrest thou him out thou wilt neuer know him So the way to know him is onely dwelling with thee hee must dwell in thine heart and then he will let thee see such a power
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
but they will bee fectfull There is not a man or a woman who deliteth in euill that hath Christ dwelling within them When the Lord hath pointed out the man who loueth him the Disciples might haue thought What vantage shal men then haue to loue thee for wee will doe nothing without vantage thy loue appeareth to be a burden till vs because thou chargest vs to keepe thy Commandements The Lord meeteth this and hee saieth Hee that loueth me shall be loued of my Father he shall not loue me for nothing my Father shall meet him with loue Whosoever loueth the Lord Iesus the Father loueth him vvhosoever hateth the Lord Iesus the Father hateth him There is nothing but hatred in God against the Iewes and Pagans vvho loueth not the Lord Iesus let him be Anathema It vvould seeme by these vvords Brethren that our loue preceedeth and passeth before the loue of God and because wee loue him first therefore hee loueth vs But this is not the beginning of loue that is meant here God beginneth the loue and then we loue him Thereafter hee meeteth vs with loue God loueth vs ay first vvhen we were his enemies he loued vs he loued vs ere euer we were or had any being and because he loued vs he chose vs. In this standeth loue fayth Iohn 1. Epist Chap. 4. vers 10. not that wee loued him first but that hee loued vs first to kythe this hee sent his only begotten Sonne to bee a propitiation for our sinnes So God beginneth first to loue vs ere euer wee begin to loue him Paul saith Rom. 5. The loue of God must bee shed abroad in our hearts the holy Spirit must testifie vnto vs of that fauour that God hath till vs and hee must water our drie heartes vvith a sense of that loue and then when the Lord letteth vs see that hee loueth vs and hath assured vs of the remission of our sinnes by the death of Christ then wee begin to meete him with loue So the loue vvee haue to God is nothing but like a little spring of vvater flowing from that great Fountaine of his loue Now vvhen the Lord seeth vs begin to loue him in some measure vve begin not to loue him so soone but as he began to loue vs hee commeth about and compasseth our loue He is euer the first louer and the last There is none heart able to comprehende the loue of the Lord The loue of the Lord to his owne is endlesse Paul sayeth to the Ephesians Chap. 3. vers 18. Yee being rooted and grounded vpon the loue of God there is our roote and our foundation vve stand vpon yee may be able to comprehend with all the Saincts vvhat is the breadth and length and depth and height of that loue The loue of God is infinite The heart vvill feele the loue of God But the heart of the sinner cannot comprehend it in full measure But to speake of our loue it is very sober it is nothing to speake of and except God meete this sponke of loue continually vvith that passing loue that sponke vvould soone be quenched except he continued his grace vpon vs our loue would soone vanish away Wee may finde this all by experience For vvhen God hath heaped his benefites vpon vs vvee meete him not aye vvith loue but our loue is like to die and euanish out of our heartes When God hath giuen a benefite vvho is it that at the recept of it hath his heart drawne to God When thou hast eaten and drunken and slept hast thou thine heart drawne to God The vvorlde forgetteth God vvhen it hath gotten the benefites of God In a worde Our loue is so small and weake that albeit hee preasse to intertaine it it is like to die and dwine awaye It should not bee so For it vvill not bee vvel vvith them and they vvere Kinges Lordes or Earles vvhen they gette the benefites of GOD vvho will not acknowledge him for them And thinke once of the loue of GOD thou shalt not loue him so soone but thou shalt finde that loue of GOD in thine heart Preasse to loue the LORDE and hee shall striue to loue thee and shall not rest to loue thee till hee glorifie thee in the Heauens Hee addeth to and hee sayeth Not onlie shall the Father loue him but the Son shall loue him also The loue of the Father and of the Son is vnseparable whom the Father loueth the Son loueth on the contrary whom the Father hateth the Sonne hateth also So and thou wouldest haue the loue of the Father haue the loue of the Sonne Howbeit these two loues bee set downe as sundry loues as though the Father had one loue and the Sonne another loue as wee see amongst men it is not so with the Father of Heauen and with the Sonne of God As there is but one essence of the Father and of the Sonne and one Majestie and as there is but one power and justice and wisdome so there is but one and that selfe same loue of the Father and of the Sonne and that same loue vvhich is the Sonnes is also the Fathers the nature of God is loue if there be but one nature of the Father and of the Sonne it must therefore followe there is but one loue of the Father and of the Sonne How then get wee the sense and feeling of this loue of God Experience telleth vs that all the sense of loue that is in the Father is all thorow the Sonne Neuer man yet got a sight or sense of the loue of the Father but by the Sonne Hee who neuer saw the Lord Iesus sawe neuer the loue of God because hee is the splendor of his glory and the image of the inuisible God The Iewes may striue to see the Father but neuer shall they see him till they turne them to the Sonne What man is hee that euer felt the loue of God without Christ And what dow a sinner without a sense of loue and mercy Looke if it will not passe thy power to haue any sense of the loue of God without Iesus Christ but when the heart is drawne to looke to him by fayth in Christ then thou shalt get such a sweetnesse rest and joy as cannot be vttered What meaneth this It meaneth that the mercy that is layed vp for sinners it is layed vp in Christ So let vs addresse our selues to Christ and thorowe him wee shall haue accesse to the deepnesse of that grace in God That then is the vantage they shall get who loueth him to wit they shall be met with a two-fold loue Now lest they should think this loue but fectlesse as is the loue of the creature he telleth them what fruit shall come to them there thorow If the Father shall loue you I then I shall show mine owne selfe to you I shall giue you mine owne presence So there is the profit that redoundeth of the loue of the Father and of
for euer Wee shoulde enter into the way to get his presence Christian Religion standeth not so much in curiositie or in speaches as in the sense of the heart in a practising of that loue of the heart in the life and conuersation The Apostle Paul in the fourth Chap. to the Ephes vers 22.24 telleth vs what it is to learne Christ euen to put off the olde man and to put on the newe man This for the answere Yet hee insisteth in that that they should keepe his Commaundement No it cannot bee preached enough to keepe the Commandement of Christ because our nature is so backward And as before he pointed out the man who loued him so now he pointeth out the man who loueth him not and that is he who keepes not his Command and blessed word that he hath giuen for our weale Who is it then who loueth him not hee who keepeth not his Commandes Marke when yee see a man taking pleasure to displease God and leading a life directlie contrary to the will of God point out that man and saye This is a man who hateth God in his heart Iudge not of a man by his tongue and speaches for oftentimes hee vvho doeth vvorst speaketh best Aske at an hypocrite if hee bee a Christian or not hee will bee angrie with you because hee not seeing himselfe thinketh himselfe as good as any other It is an easie thing to the tongue to cloake the filth of the heart of the hypocrite And vvhat will his hand be doing then It will be vttering it selfe in a filthie life So take not vp the disposition of the heart of man or vvoman by the tongue but by the hand for the hand will saye to the tongue Tongue thou liest John 1. Epist Chap. 2. Vers 4. If any say I know God and keepe not his Command he is a lyar and the trueth is not in him And againe Chap. 4. Vers 20. If any man say I loue God and hateth his brother he is but a lyar Who is it that controlleth the tongue and testifieth before the world that the heart is but false It is the hande and the worke the tongue is but a cloake of falsenesse Marke a faythfull man by his hâ—nde and not by his tongue Our Lord sayeth in the seuenth Chap. of Matth. and the eighteenth vers It is vnpossible that an euill Tree can bring foorth good fruit Yet he insisteth in this matter for hee is very earnest to recommende this obedience to his Disciples and to vs all and hee furnisheth the last argument whereby they should be moued to keep his Commandement and he leadeth them vnto that Fountaine of all his wordes vvhich was that glorious Majestie of his Father The word sayth he vvhich yee heare is not mine but the Fathers vvhich sent mee Would yee haue the ground and fountaine of all fayth of all obedience of all well-doing and of all securitie in this life The ground of all is the onely mouth of the Father So that when a man vnderstandeth that word that hee should belieue into it is not the worde of man but that Verity that floweth from the mouth of the Majesty of God then the heart gripeth vnto it belieueth then the hand executeth it then there followeth obedience But when the heart is not perswaded that the word flowes from that mouth of God but from man then the heart will draw abacke it cannot belieue and the life will not follow it Then Christ learneth vs here If wee would haue the people belieuing and obeying his worde to drawe their eares to heare the Lord speaking and then the hearts of the faythfull will receiue it vvith joye and practise it Away with all the wordes of men of all creatures of all Angels they cannot bee a solide grounde to our fayth neither can the authoritv of the Kirke bee a ground to our fayth albeit the foolish Papists affirme that the cause wherefore vve belieue the Scripture is because the Kirke sayth it is the word of God for except the Scripture bare witnesse of the selfe that it vvere of God and the word of God truely the authoritie of the Kirke could neuer make vs belieue nor perswade vs the same For the ground of our fayth must bee the voyce and testimony of God himselfe speaking to vs. Onely this word of the Olde and Newe Testament vvherein God himselfe speaketh is able to establish our fayth The Lord when hee hath exhorted them perceiuing that his vvorde tooke not that effect in the heartes of his Disciples that it should haue done notwithstanding all his gracious speaking for he knew their hearts he meeteth this and he sayth J haue spoken these thinges being present with you And howbeit they bee not so effectuall in you for the present bee not discouraged for when I shall passe to the Heauen the Comforter which is the holy Ghost whome the Father will sende in my Name shall teach you all thinges and hee shall call these wordes to your remembrance which J haue tolde you We may learne here first the word hath none effect in the heart without the Spirit accompany it Let it bee the worde of God and flowe out of the mouth of God yet and hee concur not with the worde by his Spirit the word shall worke none effect in the heart There are two Doctors who teach vs one Doctor outwarde to the eare and another inwarde that is the Spirit vvho mollifieth the heart Let the outwarde Doctor sounde neuer so long in the eare if the inwarde concur not the worde shall doe no good And except that Spirite open the eye of the soule to see and open the heart as he opened the heart of Lydia Act. Chap. 16. vers 14. to receiue that seede of the worde the heart shall bee as a closed Booke and harder than it was of before Marke another thing The Spirit of the Lord Iesus will not accompany the worde at all times no not in the hearts of the faythfull themselues The Apostles were a proofe of this Howe much spake the Lord to them vvhen he was in the world and how little effect tooke it in them till he went to the Heauens In the 29. chap. of Esay vers 11. ye reade the word of the Lord is like a closed book to the vnfaithful Nowe this is true likewise the worde of God to the godly sometimes is like a closed booke and they will haue such a hardnesse at times that they will haue no sense of it not to indure them but to humble them And if euer there was maâ—ter of humiliation heere it is that when God speaketh thou wilt stande vp and not regarde him and receiue no fruite nor consolation of it Vpon this riseth the Lesson to vs all that the Lord Iesus gaue vnto his Disciples Howbeit at sometimes wee will finde an euill disposition of the soule a deafnesse a blindnesse and senselesnesse Take this consolation Be not discouraged altogether
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
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
Iesus but the Father hath them all numbred they are all in his eyes Ye remember in the parable of the Marriage banquet Mat. 22.11 it is said when they were all come in the King commeth in also to view the banquâ—t what meaneth this but the care of the Father that he hath of his branches who are ingraffed in Christ The King is the Father of Heauen he who is married is the Son they who are called are the branches The eye of the Father is vpon all the members good bad yea that hypocrit who wanted the wedding garment was soone seene by him Let him be an hypocrit who wil king or beggar the Lord wil point him out in his own time Now last the husbandman in the own time will dresse the vine tree he taketh away the vnfruitfull and purgeth the fruitful Euen so the Father of our Lord Iesus goeth to his vine tree vieweth the branches in his own time wil come with his snedding knife will cut off the hypocrit he will purge the fruitfull the next yeere it will bring forth more fruit The Father cutteth off hypocrits this we haue seene And then againe in the faithfull he augments regeneration and grace Mark this Text well ye shall see the pleasandest vine tree that euer was in the worlde with the roote the body of the tree the branches the fruits budding forth in euery branch the root of this vine tree is the Father who is the Fountain of all life the body of the vine tree is the Son the braÌ„ches are men women ingraffed by faith in the body the fruit of the tree is good works the sap of life is in the Father he is the grouÌ„d of al grace sendes this his sap to the body of the tree the Son the Son hath all the grace that is in the root then the body of the tree sendes sap to the branches then the braÌ„ches being filled with sap bring forth fruit as necessarily as a vine tree can bring foorth fruite So if yee would take vp the nature of these works ye shal vnderstand that good works spring not from flesh and blood they come not from the power of men women from nature and free-wil So foolish Papists will say that men will doe good workes of nature and of free-will No no these works proceede not of nature no there is not a good worke but it floweth from that life which is in the Father and is communicated to the Sonne there is not so much as a charitable or a good thought but it floweth from the life of God So all the good we doe is as fruits flowing from that roote And thou were not imped in Christ and so as a wild Oliue partaker of the sappe of that true Oliue it would passe thy power to thinke a good thought and thou wouldst do no more good than a withered stocke can Now marke this When as it pleaseth the Lord to transport vs from that rotten roote of Adam and to set vs in Iesus Christ the seconde Adam then whereas before wee brought foorth but stinking fruit and dead workes as the Apostle calleth them all is but filth and stinke without the life of God in Christ let be all these workes which are forbidden in the Law and it were a good worke hee polluteth it because hee medleth with it and there be nothing but nature being once ingraffed in Iesus Christ then the creature beginneth to drawe out so fruitfull sappe and so delicate that all the sappe of the Vine tree is nothing in comparison thereof And when wee haue gotten of that sappe then the fruit commeth out and floweth with a sweet smelling sauour fra once the heart begin to sucke of that life the verie smelling of the life of Iesus Christ wil appeare in the works in the words It is true indeed we may find it al there is euer in all our fruites in all our deeds and wordes that proceede out of our mouth some bitternesse sournesse in the best of vs all the cause is howbeit we be ingraffed in Christ yet that old life abideth intill vs all so the fruit we bring out as it hath a sauour of Christ so it stinketh of the old man the best worke that wee bring out is partly sweete and partly soure and the worde sauoureth of bitternesse but and we be highly displeased for the bitternesse then wee haue this comfort We may bee assured the Father is purging vs and this hope That when we shall bee with Christ our fruits shall all sauour of that life of God in Christ and this should augment our joye Next wee see whaâ— neede wee haue euen to bee purged and to make a perpetuall progresse in regeneration if the Father should leaue off to cleanse the liuely branches that are in the Lord Iesus as soone the liueliest should turne in rottennesse and then the naturall corruption should ouer-goe vs except hee were euer snedding vs and of liuely members wee should become dead All our standing and perseuerance is of him Another thing as vnpossible as it is that the Father of the Lord Iesus Christ should leaue off to purge the members of Christ euen as vnpossible is it that that meÌ„ber can fal away if it were possible that the Father should leaue off his office then it might be possible that men should fall away No the Father can neuer leaue off his office they who are once ingraffed in Iesus Christ shall neuer be cut off It is a false doctrine of the Papists who say that a man once sanctified may become vnsanctified it is an horrible blasphemie and a lie against the holie Ghost The last thing I marke Looke how needfull is it that the Father play the part of an husbandman in purging as needfull it is that euery branch grow in holinesse sanctification the Father cannot purge the branches in vain but as he purgeth the branches from their own nature so the branches must bring out berries So if they who professe themselues to be Christians make no grouth neuer mend in holinesse it is a tokeÌ„ that the Father of our Lord Iesus purgeth them not and then they are not branches So take heed Men will hunt greedily after honor riches and pleasure but this is the thing thou shouldest chiefely striue to That thou make much grouth in Iesus that thou find thy soule in better disposition this yere than it was the last that thou may be a true member of Iesus Christ This for the denunciation of the sentence against the branches that bring foorth no fruit and the promise to them that bring foorth fruit These words might haue moued his Disciples to be feared and to haue heauy hearts therfore the Lord who saw all their cogitations meeteth them to comfort them Howbeit he speake not to vs he comforteth vs by his holy Spirit and he letteth them know
that that denunciation perteined not to them because they were liuely members they were cleane through the worde which hee had spoken to them Our lesson is When thou hearest a denunciation of judgemeÌ„t or promise of mercy make euer application to thy selfe and say Lord perteineth this judgement to me and O Lord perteineth this mercy to mee Without this application there is no generall doctrine can do good or edifie thee So when we heare of this that some are liuing branches some dead we shold enter in triall with our selues whether we are to abide with Christ or to be cut off and casten into the fire It is true we haue not Christ to speak with vs and to resolue vs of such doubts yet the Lord hath neuer left anie faithful man or woman so destitute but he gets a certification assurance that he is a liuely member The Lord if he be in any man or woman he shall make that person know that he liueth in them The most sensible thing in the worlde is the life of Christ as sensibly wâ—l the creature feele the life of Christ in their harts as they wil feel this natural life Besides this if the sap of Christ be in a ma the fruit wil burst out if thou wouldst know a man look to his life good works let his life testify whether he be a liuely meÌ„ber or not if their life testify otherways I testify to thee in the Name of God they are no liuely meÌ„bers Certainly Christ caÌ„not dwel within one but he must vtter himself in the hand tong Now hereafter he subjoynes the reason wherfore they are clean how they are made cleane By the words saith he that J haue spoken ye are made cleane wherefore spake I so much to you but to make liuelie members of you who were drie branches The way to make a man a liuely branch is the worde of Iesus it cleanseth the soule which is foule My word is Spirit and Life John 6. vers 63. It is the force of the Spirit to purge the soule The worde sayeth Peter is that immortall seede of regeneration 1. Epist Chap. 1. vers 23. Our seede is mortall and so if wee haue not another seede of God wee are but dead It is no maruell that the word of God purgeth because it is Life and Spirit Looke but to that experience that godlie men haue in hearing the worde of Iesus Christ and that joye that riseth in the heart What meaneth this Will the vvordes of anie man worke this joye in the heart No but when men heare these promises of life and of grace and consolation O what consolation what peace what rest what joye will the sinner get And this testifieth that the worde is powerfull to worke in the soule that life of God The houre shall come sayeth the Lord that the dead shall heare the voyce of the Sonne of God and they that shall heare shall liue John 5. vers 25. 1 Pet. 1. vers 22. Our soules are purged by the hearing of the worde If this bee the meane the Lord hath ordained to get life let vs take pleasure to heare the worde And I saye that man that hath not a pleasure in some mâ—asure to heare the word but coÌ„temneth it is no meÌ„ber of Christ and hath neuer beene truely ingraffed in Christ nor got neuer of that sappe which is in Christ and neuer wist what Iesus Christ was As thou therefore wouldest liue and as thou wouldest bee sanctified in this life glorified with the Lord in the HeaueÌ„s take pleasure to heare this word if thou would taste any sweetnes of Christ grow in holinesse and chiefely seeing thou must leaue this world begin to liue this life which neuer shall haue an end Now in the next words after he hath laide down the grounds he commeth to the first exhortation Abide in mee and I in you The meaning of the exhortation is this Ye haue begun to be joyned with me in Spirit and in fayth as yee haue begun so continue in that vnion to the ende He sayth not Abide still with me and I with you but abide in mee These wordes haue a greater signification than the other they signifie a straiter vnion with Christ for Brethren yee must marke the members of Iesus Christ not onelie abide with him here and dwell with him but euery one of them abideth in him and dwelleth in him as yee sâ—e the branches of the tree they are not sayde so much to abide with the tree as to abide in the tree so are we in him And on the other part the Lord Iesus is not said only to abide with his Kirke on the earth but howbeit hee bee in the Heauens to dwell in his Kirke and in euery member who belieueth in him yea in all their hearts euen as yee see the tree abideth in her branches so the Lord Iesus the Vine tree abideth in his branches This place requireth that wee speake somewhat of this vnion the members haue with Christ and hee with them This conjunction betwixt Christ and his members who are faythfull ye must not imaginate to be a bodily and naturall conjunction as ye see is betwixt creatures as the head with the body it is not so grosse a conjunction there is no conjunction bodily so neare so strait as that conjunction of Iesus Christ nowe in the Heauens with his members the heade is not so surely joyned with the body by nearnes as the Lord Iesus our Head is joyned with euery member who belieueth in him vpon this earth The body and the head may bee seuered but the members of Iesus Christ once truely ingraffed in him by his Spirit and by fayth shall neuer be cut off all the powers of Heauen and Hell shall not separate them What shall separate vs from the loue of Iesus Christ shall hunger and sworde c. yea in these wee are more than victorious Rom. 1.35.37 So yee see this conjunction is not to bee imagined to bee a grosse conjunction as the Papistes imagine but I leaue them But this conjunction is spirituall and mysticall I call that a spirituall vnion and conjunction that we haue with him because it is wrought after an heauenly and spirituall manner and is made not with bodily bandes as ligamentes and sinewes but with spirituall and heauenly bandes the one of them is called the Spirit of Iesus Christ the other is called Fayth To make that coniunction betwixt vs and him hee sendeth out of the Heauens his holy Spirit into our hearts and wee getting that Spirit sende vp to the Heauens againe to him our fayth Then yee see two bands to make this conjunction this conjunction must be mutuall so that as hee sendeth downe his Spirite to vs so wee must sende vp our fayth to him The order of the working of these two bandes would bee considered Wee neuer begin first no man beginneth first to gripe Christ but
he moueth them to belieue from this argumeÌ„t of good works The end of faith is a sanctified life and the end of that vnion with Christ is good works As the grace of God in Christ is to make a regenerate man and of a dead sticke to make a liuelie branch and Christ came into the worlde to repare that lost image of God in man the ende of election is to liue an holy life Ephes Chap. 14. The ende of our vocation of our justification is to liue an holie life To Titus Chap. 2. vers 11.12 The grace of GOD that bringeth saluation to all men hath appeared and teacheth vs that vvee shoulde denie vngodlinesse and vvorldlie lustes and that vvee shoulde liue soberlie righteouslie and godlily in this present world There is the whole end of the grace of God and of the Gospel So if a man haue not good works in some measure he felt neuer the grace of Christ the grace of God may shine in their faces but not in their hearts Now followeth the third argument Except a man abide in me first hee shall bee taken and casten out out of the Vineyarde and next as it were an vnfruiâ—full branch hee shall wither then when it is withered wherefore serueth it Shall it be imped againe No but it shall bee casten into the fire The fire of Hell is for them who will not come to Christ A man goeth not to Hell at once but by degrees Hee who hath not adoe with Christ hee is casten out of the Kirke that is the societie of the Lords Elect that is the true and inuisible Kirke howbeit for a season they remaine in the visible Kirke outwardly Another degree Being out of that societie hee withereth and the last degree he is casten into the fire If faire offers will not moue a man to belieue in Christ Iesus then let the fire of Hell moue him If thou wilt not belieue for faire promises thou shalt see nothing but horrible judgement and as the Apostle speaketh to the Hebrewes an vnquenchable fire Tell a man nowe of beliefe in Christ and of a sanctified life if they will belieue in him it will not moue them because their delite is in murther filthinesse and adulterie Then I tell thee in the Name of the great God thou who art not moued with these promises the fire of Hell abideth thee tell them this Indeede it is true the godliest man that liueth hath euer need to be holden in Christ by a flame of fire we are so inclined to infidelitie Knowing sayth the Apostle of himselfe 2. Corinth Chap. 5. the terriblenesse of the Lord wee bring men to Christ that is to say Wee doe our duetie in our calling And if hee had neede to bee holden in awe much more had wee The godlie who haue a wakened conscience will finde this as soone as they beginne to fall away a flame of fire striketh vpon them for without Christ there is nothing but fire and the wrath of God seaseth vpon the necke of the sinner and neuer leaueth him till it bring him to destruction and shoote him into the fire of Hell Indeede men and women will bee out of Christ where there is one who belieueth there are ten who belieue not and it is a rare thing truelie to belieue in Christ Some there bee who denie Christ altogether and some who are prophane hypocrites and yet the very infidels will finde rest into this worlde and who will bee so wanton as they the greatest infidels the wantonnest But thinke not howbeit they bee at rest that the wrath of God leaueth them No the wrath of God is most vpon them when they are least sensible of it and perceiue it least for the wrath of God striketh first the heart with a deafnes stupidity and next followes the bitterest dririest wakening that euer was When the wicked cries peace then that judgement comes on suddenly as the pains on a woman trauelling in birth and then driery sorowfull shall that wakening be Now to end take vp here the way to Hell and that step by step The first step of all misery is infidelity when a man is without Christ and hath no part with him So when one departeth from Christ either to the one hand or to the other he is in a step to Hell The second fra he fall away from Christ he is taken and flung ouer the Dike as hauing no society with the members of Christ I vnderstand the number of his secret ones if the Lord in the Heauen excommunicate him The third degree Once casten ouer the Dike then they begin to wither and drie vp and all grace goeth away There is no grace no mercy no life but to them who are in that blessed society Last wherefore serue they when they are rotten and drie In that great day they are gathered together and casten into the fire of Hell If any man would eschew the last degree to Hell thinke not Hell a Bogill for it is the sorest burning in the world beware of the first degree beware thou neuer swerue from Iesus Christ in any step but striue to bind thy selfe in that vnion When thou risest in the morning looke that hee be with thee and thou with him and so when thou liest downe at euen looke euer thou bee in Christ and if thou finde the heart sweruing from him and coldnesse to grow in it and thee to growe slacke striue euer to claime till him againe and say Lord holde mine heart still that I decline not an ihtch from thee Therefore striue euer to holde thee with Christ and let not thy heart be blyth except thou feele him againe in thy soule and euer grow in holinesse be exercising thee this way and thou shalt find in stead of feare an infinit joy in Christ And I promise to you if ye will belieue in Christ the joyfullest end that euer was Only belieue and seeing it standeth in no mans handes to belieue say to the Lord in your hearts Lord worke thou that fayth in vs for Christes sake To whom with the Father and the Spirit of Trueth be all praise honour and glory for euermore AMEN THE TENTH LECTVRE OF CHRISTES DOCTRINE BEFORE HIS PASSION IOHN CHAP. XV. VERS 7.8.9.10.11.12.13.14 7 If yee abide in mee and my wordes abide in you aske what yee will and it shall bee done to you 8 Heerein is my Father glorified that yee beare much fruite and bee made my Disciples 9 As the Father hath loued mee so haue J loued you continue in that my loue 10 If yee shall keepe my Commaundementes yee shall abide in my loue as I haue kept my Fathers Commaundementes and abide in his loue 11 These thinges haue J spoken vnto you that my joye might remaine in you and that your joye might bee full 12 This is my Commaundement That yee loue one another as I haue loued you 13 Greater loue than this hath no man when anie man bestoweth
his life for his friendes 14 Yee are my friendes if yee doe whatsoeuer J commaund you YEE heard the last day Beloued in the Lord Iesus the first exhortation of the Chapter was That his Disciples should abide in that vnion with him and he with them Wee haue sundry arguments of this purpose The first Except yee abide in mee and in that vnion with me yee can bring foorth no fruit nor doe no good in this world The second is That if yee abide in me and I in you ye shall bee full of good workes The third If a man abide not in mee and I in him hee shall bee casten out of the Kirke and once being casten out he shal wither for out of Christ there is no sap of life and then being dried vp hee shall bee gathered vp like a drie sticke and casten into the fire to burne So the argument in this Hee who cannot abide in Christ he shall bee casten into the fire of Hell these arguments wee haue heard Now in this Text the Lord goeth forwarde in the argumentes and first he giueth the fourth reason wherefore they should abide in him then he passeth to other exhortations Then the fourth and last argument is this If ye abide in me and my words in you then what euer ye aske or seeke ye shall haue it Note the wordes If yee abide in me and my words in you Before hee sayd If I abide in you But all is alike the Lord Iesus abideth in the heart by the worde and by fayth so all is alike But to come to the argument What euer shall be your desire aske and ye shall haue it that is If ye abide in me all your petitions shall be granted This argument is very alluring to tell a man what euer he desireth he shall haue Before hee threatned now he allureth Ye see how the Lord tempereth his arguments But Brethren marke this in respect of whom is this argument alluring and whom moueth it Not euery one tell this to a man or woman who hath no sense of their need they will answere when they heare this Wee haue no need to aske tell this to a senselesse sinner he will answere he hath no need what need hath the whole of the Phisicion but tell it to them who haue felt the weight of sinne and who haue felt their want and knowe they are depriued of the glory of God and strangers from the life of God as the Apostle sayth it shall be the joyfullest and sweetest hearing that euer they heard hee will be moued when he heareth this sweete promise Then when wee come to heare of the promises of grace in Christ let vs prepare our selues this way and say I am voyde of al grace therefore I will goe heare these faire promises of grace Now the thing I marke here Yee see how a sinner getteth grace and yee see by what degrees hee commeth to grace The first and immediate meane to get grace and mercy is to seeke aske and thou shalt haue Heauen is little worth and if it bee not worth the asking beg Heauen and thou shalt haue it But who is it can doe this Can all men doe it Looke what must goe before asking ere a man can aske grace there must bee a thirst and a desire looke that the heart bee hungry Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousnesse for they shall bee filled The worlde is full of want yet they haue not a sense of want or an heart to seeke Howe riseth the desire in the heart The desire riseth of a feeling in the heart of a wonderfull inlacke and misery when a sinner feeleth hee is voyde of all grace with this sense together with a sadnesse godly sorrow for it hath euer sadnesse for who wanteth these earthly things but they will bee sad So the want of these Heauenly things hath a sadnesse with it Paul sayth 2. Corinth 5. vers 4. Wee being burthened with sinne wee sigh for sadnesse Whosoâ—uer feeleth this burthen of sinne and mortality will sigh and sob But from whence commeth the feeling and dolour The sinner cannot haue it of himselfe for flesh and blood that is the corrupt nature will not feele this sense but it commeth of the Siprit of God Paul Rom. 8. â—ers 26. saith The Spirit of God intercedeth for vs with sighs vnspeakable And againe We who haue gotten the first fruits of the Spirit sigh So it is the Spirit who raiseth vp these sighes in the heart and without the Spirit thou canst not once giue a sigh Thou mayst sigh like a man but not like a Spirituall man And how gette wee the Spirit Belieue in Iesus Christ faith in Christ furnisheth vs the Spirit Ephes 1. vers 13. After yee haue belieued yee are sealed vp with the holy Spirit of promise for faith draweth out of Christ into the heart that Spirit The grace of all grace is to belieue in Iesus Christ and hauing him thou shalt get the Spirit I grant the Spirite must goe before and worke faith but it is true also that by faith wee gette a fuller measure of the Spirit So faith in the blood of Iesus is the fountaine of all grace for all grace floweth from that blood and the merit therof and by the power of the Spirit which accompanieth that blood grace is applied till vs. Then yee see that faith is the beginning of grace the holy Spirit followeth faith after the holy Spirite followeth a sense of our misery and want vpon this sense followeth an earnest desire vpon the desire followeth asking by asking grace is obtained So looke thou stand in Christ if thou wouldest haue grace Out of this place yee may aske this question Will a man get all that hee seeketh of Christ Hee answereth here If yee abide in mee and my wordes abide in you aske conforme to this worde and thou shalt obtaine it if thou aske any Spirituall grace thou shalt get it Vndoubtedly Heauen and Earth shall perish ere thou want it As for earthly thinges he will not aye giue them according to thy desire but as hee thinketh meet for his owne glory and thy weale And howe can they want who getteth the Kingdome of Heauen The Lord shall giue them so much as shall content them The Lord shall giue thee so much as is necessary to a Pilgrime Nowe wee goe to the seconâ—e exhortation which is to good workes The first was to stande in that vnion with Christ The second is to bring out good works Herein is my Father glorified that ye beare much fruit and in this ye shall be knowne to be my Disciples There are the two thinges hee sayeth not Bring out fruite but Bring out much fruite that is doe much A man should striue not to bring out fruite but much fruite and indeede if wee continue in that vnion with Christ wee shall grow in that regeneration and so wee growe in good workes The first argument hee
useth is taken from the glorie of the Father In this is my Father glorified that yee bring out much fruite Surelie a moouing argument at least it shoulde mooue all soules to doe well seeing God is glorified in my well doing for I am set in the worlde to glorifie God Take vp the grounde Whome will this argument mooue Not euerie man Tell to a man who hath no zeale to God nor no sight of the glorie of God Doe well and glorifie God hee will not care for it But to tell a man who loueth God alace whome can hee loue and if hee loue not God tell him if hee will doe manie good workes hee will glorifie God hee will doe all that lieth in his power yea hee will suffer that he may glorifie God as Moyses and Paul wished to renounce Heauen to get their God glorified And if Paul could gette God glorified he cared neither for life nor death Then when wee come to the hearing of the word where such exhortations are giuen vs we shold bring hearts filled with zeale to the glory of God and if thou bring such an heart when thou hearest such an argument it will bee verie sweete to thee Yee see here in these wordes a faire effect following on good workes when a man doeth well the fairest effect that euer was followeth to wit the glory of God thy Creator The Papists think there can folow no gooâ— of good works except a man merit and get life by his works as though the Prophet had said The just shall liue by his good works No he said not so but The iust shall liue by faith Habac. 2.4 May not this serue them that God is glorified in well doing Yee see the wordes that are heere are borrowed from the Vine tree Then let vs take vp the comparison to make the matter more cleare Wee see by experience that the branches of the Vine tree doe not liue vpon the fruite nor take no sappe from the Berries the Berries doe not furnishe life to the branches Therefore can they conclude heereof that the Berries auaile nothing because they giue no sap nor food to the vine tree Hath not the berrie none other vse Yes it hath a better vse for it serueth chiefely to refresh and make chearfull the heart of man It is euen so with our good workes the good workes are not causes of our justification or life they are but the fruites of justification A man doeth not good workes to bee justified but is â—ustified to bring out good workes they haue their owne vse they are not onelie comfortable to them who worke them to confirme their election calling justification and life but also those who stand by and looke to them the Apostle sayeth they are edified by their on-looking as yee may reade in the first Epistle of Peter and the first Chapted Yea more edified by one worke than by a thousand wordes And not onelie are men edified but thereby God is glorified Christ sayeth Matth. Chap. 5. vers 16. Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good workes and maye glorifie your Father which is in Heauen So by good workes the God of Heauen is glorified and men are holpen The second argument Ye shall bee my Disciples As hee would say God shall not onlie be glorified but ye shall get good your selues yee shall bee my Disciples It is the same in effect with that which he said Chap. 13. vers 35. By this a man or woman is knowne to be the Disciple of Christ by mutuall loue Then let vs see what doctrine is taught in the Schoole of Christ there is the summe of the doctrine Doe well bring out much good fruite bring out many good workes All the doctrine that is taught of fayth is to the ende that a man may do well The Apostle to Titus chap. 2. vers 11. telleth vs what is the end of the Gospel to wit that the grace of Iesus Christ hath shined in the worlde that wee may liue soberlie temperatelie and godlilie in this present world So the end of the Gospel is that men and women should liue an holy and sanctified life and he who liueth an holy life he is indeed a disciple of Christ not he who knowes most but he who doth most is the best scholler and he who doth euill and deliteth in mischiefe hath no more to doe with Christ than the Deuill hath Ephes 4.20 After that hee hath set downe the life of the Gentiles that they gaue themselues to wantonnes and to commit wickednes with all kinde of griedinesse he turneth to the Ephesians and he saith Ye haue not learned Christ so whosoeuer leadeth an euill life vnder the name of a Christian they haue neuer heard Christ speaking to them by his Spirite in their soule Thou hast not learned at Christ to bee a murderer an adulterer and drunkard Then if thou wouldest shewe to the worlde that thou hast learned at Christ striue to doe much and not to speake much In one worde As thou wouldest shew thy selfe to bee a Scholler in the Schoole of Christ doe euer many good workes Then when hee hath exhorted to good works he commeth to the grounds of good works the grounds are two the loue of God and the loue of thy neighbour the whole Commandements are grounded on these two Then hee exhorteth his Disciples to loue It is not enough to begin to loue Christ but to continue Hee giueth the argumentes J haue loued you wherefore then should ye not loue me The best thing we can doe is to meete him with loue in some measure who hath loued vs so wel so dearlie and tenderlie I haue loued you therefore loue ye me And that they should not thinke this a common loue hee saith As the Father hath loued me so loue I you I loue you not as men loue men but as the Father loueth mee Then wee see here that Iesus Christ is not onlie aye the first louer for if we loue him it is because hee loueth vs first loue aye beginneth on the part of Christ ere wee beginne to thinke to loue him hee loueth vs but also wee learne more heere What kinde of loue Christ beareth to vs. 1. John Chap. 3. vers 1. What a loue hath the Father borne to vs that hath called vs his sonnes So the loue of Christ to vs is a tender loue such as the loue of the Father is to him what tongue can expresse the loue of the Father to the Sonne So all the tendernesse of the worlde is nothing to that loue that Christ hath to vs it is passing in tendernesse and passing in measure Indeede the Apostle speaketh of a great sense of this loue to men Rom. 5. where he sayth This loue of God is powred out from the Heauens and powred out in the hearts of men women Who doeth it The holy Spirit sheddeth it abroade in our heartes and indeede a man will feele the loue of
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
manifesteth himself visibly Thereafter he comforteth them another way for he sayth Yee shall also witnesse of mee So he honoureth them to make them witnesse-bearers to him The greatest honour in the world when a man is sent to beare witnesse to Christ howbeit thou shouldest die into the message thou hast gotten an honour aboue all honours It is true this cause wherefore they bare witnesse of him was because they saw him and heard him and handled him with their handes and this was a great helpe But take vp heere the chiefe ground in bearing witnesse of Christ when he sendeth into the heart the Spirit of comfort And I say suppose neuer a man saw Christ as we this day see him not bodily or neuer handled him yet if it please the Lord to sende that Spirit into the heart he will demonstrate Christ vnto him as euidently as though he had beene in Heauen to see that grace Not onelie Ministers must doe this but all men must confesse Christ and so let vs preasse to gette that Spirit for as Paul sayde No man is able to name the Lord without that Spirit 1. Corinth Chap. 12. vers 3. At the Name of IESVS all knees should bee bowed and the tongue shoulde bee loosed with such a grace of the heart that the heartes of men who heare should bee edified at the hearing of the worde And wee shoulde aye bee edified more and more till in the ende wee growe to perfection in Christ To whome with the Father and the Holie Spirite bee all prayse honour glorie power and dominion for euermore AMEN THE XIII LECTVRE OF CHRISTES DOCTRINE BEFORE HIS PASSION IOHN CHAP. xvi VERS 1.2.3.4.5.6.7.8.9.10.11.12 THese thinges haue J saide vnto you that yee should not bee offended 2 They shall excommunicate you yea the time shall come that whosoeuer killeth you will thâ—â—ke that hee doeth God seruice 3 And these things will they doe vnto you because they haue not knowne the Father nor mee 4 But these thinges haue J tolde you that when the houre shall come ye might remember that I tolde you them And these thinges saide I not vnto you from the beginning because J was with you 5 But now I goe my way to him that sent mee and none of you asketh mee Whither goest thou 6 But because I haue saide these thinges vnto you your heartes are full of sorrowe 7 Yet J tell you the trueth Jt is expedient for you that J goe away for if I goe not away that Comforter will not come vnto you but if I depart J will sende him vnto you 8 And when hee is come hee will reprooue the worlde of sinne and of righteousnesse and of judgement 9 Of sinne because they belieue not in mee 10 Of righteousnesse because I goe to my Father and yee shall see mee no more 11 Of judgement because the prince of this world is judged 12 I haue yee manie thinges to saye vnto you but yee cannot beare them nowe THe Lord being shortly to depart out of this world Beloued in the Lord Iesus continueth his speach with his Disciples from the beginning of the fourteenth Chapter to the seuenteenth exhorting them comforting them and instructing them in all things they should do after he was departed Now in the sixteenth Chapter he continueth in the same purpose In the beginning of the Chapter he concludeth that doctrine which he had in the latter part of the former Chapter that exhortation he gaue his Disciples to patience These things haue J spoken vnto you that ye should not be offended that is I haue spoken to you of the hatred of the world and of the persecution of the worlde for my cause that yee should not be offended at mee and at my Crosse The Lesson is Brethren Christ Iesus and the Crosse are things vnseparable Affliction followeth vpon the Euangel 1. Timoth. Chap. 1. vers 8. they are called the afflictions of the Euangel Bee not ashamed of the afflictions of the Euangel Now the thing in the worlde that nature abhorreth and can abide worst is the Crosse So if wee will looke to nature there is no accesse to Christ It is vnpossible for vs by nature to attaine to Christ except by an heauenly power we be sustained that we may passe thorow the sire of the Crosse wherewith hee is compassed The Lord Iesus is in a fire and without we passe thorow this fire wee cannot bee partakers of Christ and ere wee goe thorow the fire we must be raised vp by an heauenly grace for as fayth to belieue in Christ is of grace so affliction and suffering for Christ is of grace Philipp Chap. 1. vers 29. Vnto you it is giuen for Christ that not onelie yee should belieue in him but also to suffer for his sake Except a man be holden vp he is not able to abide the afflictions of the Euangel Well then in the time of calmnesse and while the Lord giuâ—th vs time to drawe our breath this should bee the chiefe thing wee should study to prepare ourselues for affliction knowing that affliction followeth on the Gospel Yea euery one who professeth the Lord and his Gospel should bee ready when it pleaseth the Lord to lay on the burden And chiefly this appertaineth to Preachers ay to fore-warne that affliction is to come that at that day of affliction men women may be ready to suffer what the Lord will lay on them for as it is said Hee who is fore-warned is halfe armed And thou shouldest say euery day Lord as I professe thy Gospel so I am ready to suffer for it knowing that the ende of affliction is joy When he hath concluded the speach he hath had with them generally he commeth in particularly and fore-telleth of some afflictions which they should suffer The first is They shall excommunicate you The second The time shall come when they shall slay you and they shall thinke they serue God Hee layeth downe the ground Because they know not the Father nor me The Text is easie It is not one or two sorts of afflictions only that is joyned with Christ his Gospel but all kinde of affliction and at last it will come to death it selfe and what reck of a common death but death with exquisite torments Reade the Bookes of the Martyres the Apostles had experience of this they passed forwarde after Christ went away from affliction to affliction till at last they lost their liues they were scourged shot out of the Synagogue at last slain the afflictioÌ„s that follow on the Gospel are all kind of afflictions So if any man would suffer let him prepare himselfe to suffer though it were all the torments of the world Look what the Lord spake to Peter Ioh. 21.18 When thou wast a young man thou girdedst thy self walkedst whither thou wouldest but when thou shalt be old thou shalt stretch foorth thine hands and another shall gird thee and leade thee whither thou wouldest not That
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
come 14 Hee shall glorifie me for hee shall receiue of mine and shall shewe it vnto you 15 All thinges that the Father hath are mine therefore saide I that hee shall take of mine and shew it vnto you 16 A little while and yee shall not see mee and againe a little while and yee shall see for I goe to the Father 17 Then saide some of his Disciples among themselues What is that hee sayeth vnto vs A little while and yee shall not see mee and againe a little while and yee shall see mee and For J goe to my Father 18 They saide therefore What is this that hee sayeth A little while wee know not what hee sayeth 19 Now Iesus knewe that they would aske him and saide vnto them Doe yee inquire among your selues of that I saide A little while and yee shall not see mee and againe a little while and yee shall see mee 20 Verily verily I say vnto you that yee shall weepe and lament and the world shall reioyce and yee shall sorrow but your sorrow shall bee turned into ioye 21 A woman when shee trauelleth hath sorrowe because her houre is come but as soone as shee is deliuered of the childe shee remembreth no more the anguish for ioye that a man is borne into the world 22 And yee now therefore are in sorrow but J will see you againe and your heartes shall reioyce and your ioye shall no man take from you WEE heard the last daye Beloued Brethren howe the Lord in that long discourse and speach which he continueth with his Disciples a little before his departure out of this worlde after hee had forewarned them of their afflictions and had gentlie reprooued them and comforted them by telling them that it was good for them that hee did ascend for then hee should send them the holy Spirit hee entered into a profound doctrine concerning the holy Spirit whome hee was to sende to his Disciples after his departure to Heauen Hee shewed them what the Spirite should doe chiefely in respect of the obstinate worlde and the Iewes who would not belieue when hee shall come hee shall conuict them of three thinges The first is of that sinne the greatest sinne in the worlde the sinne of Infidelitie The next is that Iesus Christ whome they esteemed to bee an vnjust man the holy Spirit shall conuict them that that Christ is the holiest in the world The third thing that he is not only just and holy but he is the glorious Iudge of the worlde And that shall appeare in this chiefely that he hath condemned the Deuils When he hath dipped into this doctrine hee cutteth it off saying I haue manie things to speake to you whereof ye are not capable Then lest the Disciples should haue beene offended with him that hee would not goe forwarde in teaching them in the first wordes of this Text the Lord meeteth this and hee comforteth them with a promise That when that Spirit shall come which is the Spirit of trueth he should leade them in all kind of trueth and instruct them in all those thinges which the Lord spake not to them In this Text the Lord continueth his speach of the holie Spirite and of those thinges hee should doe in the worlde This appeareth of the first wordes wee haue read that the Lord would haue his Disciples to vnderstand that the holy Spirit should be a more profitable Teacher to them than Christ himselfe was by his owne voyce before his Passion and therefore hee remitteth farder doctrine to the Spirite It is better to haue the Spirite of Christ without Christes bodilie presence than to haue the presence of Christ not teaching thee inwardlie by the Spirite Yea I saye more It is better to haue the voyce of a poore simple man speaking to thee in the Name of Iesus Christ together with the holie Spirit than to haue the presence of Iesus Christ himselfe and his outward voyce if thou haue not the Spirite What auailed it to the obstinate Iewes who belieued not into him that they sawe him and heard him It had bene better that they had neuer knowne him It is not the voyce that doeth the turne but the powerfull working of the holie Spirite the holie Spirite reformeth the mindes If the voyce of CHRIST were sounding among you this daye as sweete as it is it would doe you no good without the Spirit Therefore take not so much heede to the man who teacheth outwardlie as to the Spirite and as yee would be safe as yee heare that outwarde teaching striue to feele the Spirit of Christ instructing illuminating and mollifying your hearts other wayes it were far better for you neuer to heare a word Yet to marke the words more narrowlie hee saieth That Spirit which is the Spirite of trueth shall leade you in all trueth that is Concerning your saluation In stiling the Spirite hee giueth an argument wherefore hee shall teach them the trueth Because he is the Spirite of trueth the true Spirite can teach nothing but the trueth If a man or woman therefore woulde bee instructed by that Spirite of Trueth and woulde bee ledde into all Trueth then let this bee setled into their heartes That that Spirite which speaketh is true Yee knowe that no man will credite another in weightie matters without hee knowe hee bee true Euen so if this opinion bee not setled into thine heart that he is true thou will neuer belieue the Scriptures of God To goe to an higher ground If one would be instructed in the trueth by the Spirite hee must haue a loue to the verity and desire to knowe the verity where there is no loue of the trueth there must be an hatred of the trueth Hee who is not with mee is against mee And where the Deuill findeth such an heart hee is effectuall in it in all vanities because as Paul saieth 2. Thessal 2. vers 9. where men haue not a loue of the trueth God giueth them ouer to belieue lies that they might bee condemned and carried into perdition So as thou wouldest liue hunger for the trueth as a man hungereth for temporall foode then when this appetite is wakened settle this perswasion in thine heart that that holy Spirit who speaketh is true then the heart of man and woman will drinke in the doctrine of the trueth with greater sweetnesse and joye than euer any hungry man hath had in eating Meat Yet the words would be better marked He saith not simply he shall leade them in the trueth but in all trueth there shall bee no point of trueth but hee shall instruct you therein It will not bee a piece of the trueth that will fill the heart but the sinner that wold be safe would vnderstand the whole way to saluation hee can neuer be satisfied to drinke in the trueth and the more hee drinketh in he desireth aye to drinke more This is the disposition of a sinner who hath tasted how sweete that Milke of 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
And yee nowe therefore are in sorrowe but J will see you againe and your heartes shall reioyce and your ioye shall no man take from you 23 And in that daye shall yee aske mee nothing Verilie verilie I saye vnto you Whatsoeuer yee shall aske the Father in my Name hee will giue it you 24 Hitherto haue yee asked nothing in my Name aske and yee shall receiue that your ioye may bee full 25 These thinges haue I spoken vnto you in parables but the time will come when J shall no more speake to you in parables but I shall shewe you plainly of the Father 26 At that day shall yee aske in my Name and I saye not vnto you that I will pray vnto the Father for you 27 For the Father himselfe loueth you because yee haue loued mee and haue belieued that J came out from God FRom the thirteenth Chapter of this Gospel Brethren to the seuenteenth the Lord holdeth purpose only with his Disciples and Apostles for hee had now ended all his speaking and doing with the people of the Iewes Hee hath hitherto giuen sundrie exhortations vnto them and hee hath giuen them Cammandements and instructed them and giuen them sundrie argumentes of consolation because they were heauie for his departure and so prepared them against the time hee was to goe his way and to leaue them Nowe his conference and speach draweth to an ende for it endeth with this present Chapter In the ende of his speach and conference he recounteth to them particularlie part by part that felicitie and blessing that they shall haue after hee is gone away from them to his Father to be glorified in the Heauens by his comming again to them not in the bodie but in his Spirit He hath said immediately in the vers going before When ye shall see mee againe that is when I shall come againe to you in my Spirite after my glorious ascension to the Heauen then your heart shall reioyce and no man shall take your ioye from you all the world shall not bee able to twinne you and that joye which my Spirite shall furnish you So then Brethren there is the joy which they shall haue when the Lord shall come againe they shall haue ioye and ioye euerlastinglie and spirituall ioy and that for euermore This is the first part of their blessednesse the wordes are easie and I spake of them before onely this for the present Wee must not thinke that this ioye which Christ promised to his Disciples by his Spirite went awaye and died with the Apostles when they departed out of this worlde but it abideth in the Kirke of Iesus Christ to the ende of the world Euen as that holy Spirite whome the Lord sent downe to the world abideth in his Kirke till Christ come againe and supplieth as it were the bodily presence of Iesus Christ for the Spirite of Christ is the Vicare of Christ in the earth and not the Pope as the Papists say Euen so I say by that Spirit abideth here in the Kirke of God solide ioye to the ende of the world for wheresoeuer the Spirit is there is ioye and inward consolation and that soule in whom the Spirite of God dwelleth feeleth as sensibly as one feeleth with their hands the ioy peace of the holy Spirit for that Spirit is the Spirit of ioy peace and they who feele not the sense of this ioye alace they want this Spirit They who feele not spirituall ioy at anie time hath matter of sorrow and mourning for they haue not the Spirit of Iesus Christ and they who want his Spirite haue not adoe with Christ Rom. 8. vers 9. and consequently neuer shall taste of ioye but thou who hast felt this ioy hast cause to reioyce yea as Paul sayeth to reioyce euermore 1. Thes 5. vers 16. Paul recommendeth ioye vnto vs not for an houre or a day or a moneth or a yeere but perpetually meaning that there is great matter of continuall ioy offered by that Spirit who graciously lighteneth our soules assureth vs of saluation What should mooue thee to ioy Should not good tidings mooue thee to reioyce Yet we reioyce not this want of ioy declareth that we make resistance to the holy Spirit wee will not suffer the Spirit to come in when he cōmeth in we giue him sober intertainment but by our euill life we cause him to depart with sadnes Now to goe to that second part of that blessednesse which they shall haue when the Lord shall returne to them by his holie Spirit Jn that day yee shall aske mee nothing that is Yee shall not aye doubt for yee heard before when hee saide Yet a little while and yee shall not see mee and againe ye shall see mee there they doubted what he meaned Now would he say ye shall not doubt then but the holy Spirit shall teach you he shall inlighten the darknes of your soules make you to belieue To apply this to our selues Euē as I said before of the first part of the blessednes promised to the Apostles so I say of the second part of their blessednes for what recks vs what light or what knowledge the Apostles got if we get not a part of it which stands in the inward teaching of the holy Spirit by taking away the vaile from them opening vp of their blind eyes to see saluation This Spirit went not away out of the world with th' Apostles but he abideth stil in the world till Christ come again Euen as the Spirit abides so the inward teaching of the soul by the Spirit abides in the Kirke for as the Spirit is the Spirit of ioye so he is the Spirit of knowledge he opens the eye of the soule which is dark mollifies the hart that with such a sweetnes to receiue grace as the tong neither of man nor Angel can expresse And the godly no doubt at the preaching of the Gospel of Christ will feele that inward operatiō of the Spirit in their soule Study ay to feele this by experiēce for what auails Christ to vs if we feel him not they will feele a light shining in their soules as the shining of the Sunne they will feele their heart that was hardned before with a sweet consolation to be mollified as it is said of Lydia the Purple seller that by the preaching of the Gospel her hart was opened Act. 16. And on the contrary let the man or woman who wants this sense who seeth no light nor finds no opening of the soule blame thēselues and not the light for Christ offereth himselfe to all alike the inlacke thereof proceedeth of the contempt of the word of that light that shineth so brightlie without thy soule and goeth not in And surelie it is a fearefull thing to contemne this Light for if thou contemne this light I tell thee long shalt thou sit hearing and shalt not bee the better but shalt growe aye the
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
this that they had a peartnesse and boasting of faith it were sufficient In the 26. Chap. of Matth. vers 33.34 when the Lord saith Verilie verilie yee shall all bee offended in mee this night what saieth Peter in the name of the rest Shall wee leaue thee Wee shall die with thee So hee and the rest boasteth of their faith Well sayeth the Lord Peter thou boastest now remember that ere the Cocke crow thou shalt denie mee thrise So though there were no more but this boasting of faith it testifieth that their faith was more fleshly than spirituall for worldly fleshly confidence is ay proude so all this cōfidence is with pride but that spirituall faith and confidence is aye with lowlinesse And O how lowly a faithfull man will be he will aye feare and feele his owne weaknesse Hee that hath the greatest faith in Christ Iesus hath the greatest lowlinesse and feare for the greater the faith bee hee will haue the greater sense of his owne weaknesse Yee see howe Paul in the 11. Chap. to the Rom. vers 20. speaking to the Gentiles saieth Bee not proude thou standeth by fayth stand with feare where feare is not there is no faith in Iesus Christ the man who hath a sense of his owne weaknesse gripeth fastest to Christ So yee reade of the man in the Euangel when as the Lord said vnto him Belieuest thou He saith J belieue Lord helpe mine vnbeliefe So hee or shee that belieueth in Christ will haue a sense of weaknesse for the power of God is aye with a feare and dread dread I saye of their weaknesse lest in this battell which wee haue against nature nature preuaile ouer the Spirit This is the nature of him or her who hath true faith in Iesus Christ Marke the words hee sayth Beholde the houre commeth and is already come that yee shall bee scattered euerie man to his owne and shall leaue mee alone Yee would maruell hee was euen nowe comforting them and nowe hee driueth them downe and sayeth to them Yee shall leaue mee that is euery one of them should depart from him and seeke their owne shelter This is great matter of dejectour Brethren looke howe needfull it is to raise vp an heart which is casten down and to giue comfort to a comfortlesse soule as needfull is it to cast downe the heart which is puffed vp with vaine conceit and if the proude heart bee casten downe in mercy it is for the weale of the creature There is nothing more meete in this worlde to prepare vs against the daye of triall than the dejection of the soule for heere the Lord is preparing his Disciples against the day of affliction that their faith should be grounded not on the workes but on the words of Iesus Christ There is nothing more needfull than to trie thy faith wel and ay look down to thine heart and looke well to this that thy confidence rise not on flesh and blood There are many whose confidence leaneth on flesh and blood and on nature thinking that they are strong and stout Take heede that thy confidence bee not on flesh and blood but on the Spirite of Iesus Christ and there is nothing better against the daye of persecution than to put a difference betwixt the motions of the fleshe and the motions of the Spirite and the strength of the fleshe and the strength of the Spirite For what was Peters bragging but the strength of the flesh For the strength of the flesh will beguile a good man So prepare thy selfe this way in trying thy selfe for and if thou doest not this thou shalt neuer willingly suffer Yea when thou shalt bee brought before the fire then thou shalt start abacke Therefore striue aye to haue a sense of the weaknesse of thy nature I will glorie in my weakenesse sayeth Paul There is none strong in God but they who are weake in themselues And if thou bee strong in thy selfe in fleshe and bloode thou hast no strength of GOD and doubtlesse at one time or other thou shalt fall But when thou feelest thy weaknesse and sighest and gronest vnder the burthen thereof thou art strong Yee heare that after Paul seeking to be fred of his weaknesse which hee felt had gotten this answere My shrength sayeth Christ is perfected infirmitie Then sayeth hee I will glorie in mine infirmitie 2. Corinth 12. vers 9. Nowe in the next wordes left it should haue seemed grieuous to them that they should leaue him alone hee subjoyneth by waye of correction But I am not alone for the Father is with mee The thing which riseth of this is plaine and I propone it in as manie wordes The LORD IESVS was neuer left himselfe alone euen when hee was in greatest extreamitie and when the horrours of death were vpon him vpon the Crosse and when hee saide My GOD my GOD why hast thou forsaken mee His GOD had not left him Indeede it is true GOD kept himselfe close for a time and let the nature of man in soule and bodie suffer all extreamitie yet hee ceased not in the meane time to holde vp that nature of man vnder the infinite weight of dolour and wrath or else hee coulde not haue stoode and borne out that burthen to the ende Yet the LORD IESVS was left comfortlesse on the Crosse and a verie Martyre who suffereth for the trueth will haue greater joye in suffering than CHRIST had when he was on the Crosse This is true looke to Paul in the seconde Epistle to Timothie Chap. 4. vers 16. and 17. Howbeit hee was in great trouble yet the LORD gaue him comfort In my defence sayeth hee no man was with mee but all against mee GOD graunt it bee not layde to their charge yet GOD was with mee and strengthened mee and deliuered mee and shall keepe mee till his Kingdome So Paul had a wonderfull comfort when hee was brought before the Tyrant Nero. The cause of this difference is The LORD IESVS was punished for our sinne which he tooke vpon him The Lord Iesus was left comfortlesse because the Lord punished him for our sinnes When the Lord punisheth there is no consolation Will the Lord sende on thee sicknesse crosses afflictions c. to punish thee and take vengeance on thee for sinne thou shalt haue no joye but if hee be chastening thee thou shalt haue joy So the Lord Iesus because he suffered for thy sinne had no consolation for he had the paines of Hell on him and there is no joye in Hell essay it when thou wilt As for the Martyres that which they suffer is no punishment for sinne they suffer for the testimonie of the trueth and they haue a good conscience and the good conscience will bring joye with it for the Martyres will haue a greater joye in extreame affliction and exquisite tormentes than without affliction Now in the last Vers hee concludeth this communing with his Disciples and these are his words These thinges haue J spoken
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
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
liâ—e and in the life to come for all this preaching and hearing of the Gospel of Iesus Christ is not for nothing and the Lord neuer calleth man nor woman by the preaching of the Gospel for nothing by calling he vttereth that he wil keepe them as this day if hee call on you inwardly by his Spirit hee vttereth that he will keepe and saue you both in this life and in the life to come So that when one findeth that the Lord calleth them and offereth this Gospel vnto them they may conceiue an hope into their heart that the Lord will saue them Why Because the Lord is calling on them by his word This is a token say thou that hee will keepe mee in this life and in the life to come And if Brethren any that is called in this life man or woman attaine not to saluation and that the Lord keepe them not the fault is in themselues because when the Lord called on them they would not answere No not one of you wee saye shall perishe for fault of preaching but because ye made your selues vnworthie when the Lord cried yee would not heare him Ingrate and foolish soule thou shalt perishe because thou wouldest not obeye the Lord so fairelie and gentlie calling on thee But if when thou art called to life by the preaching of the Gospel wilt say Lord I am here if the heart will resound and say Lord I am here if thou wilt answere that is belieue the word preached and bee ready to obey the same that is as sure an angument that the Lord will saue thee euerlastinglie as euer was in the world Now to goe forward to the rest of the arguments I haue sayth he manifested thy Name to thesâ— men whom thou gauest mee being chosen out of the worlde There is the second reason Father thou hast chosen them for thy selfe from all eternitie therefore good reason is it that thou shouldest keepe them Why should hee not keepe his owne Elect. Well then if the Lord vse this argument to the Father to moue him to keepe and saue his Disciples nowe certainly that person that seeth himselfe one of the chosen and elect of God to that life from all eternitie that person who findeth in his heart that he is one of that number hath a sure and infallible warrand that that God who hath chosen him shall warrand him Seeke aye to know your election for if ye be sure of your election ye haue a sâ—ale of your eternall saluation It is vnpossible that a man or woman who is chosen to life can perishe and that hee whose name is once written vp in the decree of God should be lost Ye may aske at mee Seeing it is vnpossible that the Chosen from all eternitie can perish or be lost wherefore then prayeth the Sonne to the Father that hee should keepe his Disciples chosen to life from all eternitie if of necessitie the Chosen must liue though all the world had sworne it wherefore is it then that the Sonne prayeth the Father so earnestly to keepe those who were chosen what neede had hee to pray for them seeing the Chosen must be saued The answere is easie It is true indeede that those who are chosen from all eternity must be safe liue of necessity but it is also true again Brethren he who chooses them to life ordaines them to liue of necessity the same very God from all eternity ordained such middles as prayer sayth good works such other meanes that by them we should attaine to life He who ordaineth life hee ordaineth prayer if thou want the meanes thou shalt neuer enter into life if thou want faith and prayer and good works say with thy selfe thou wast neuer ordained to life deceiue not your selues So Brethren we should take heed to these middles as necessarilie as the Lord hath appointed thee to life as necessarily thou must belieue as euer thou wouldest liue after this life for as necessarily the Lord hath chosen thee to doe good works from all eternitie as he hath chosen thee to life And then when we finde these middles and an heart to pray take heed he will keepe vs saue vs both in this life and in the life to come And when we finde good turns in our hands and faith in Iesus Christ then sayth Peter we confirme our election all these middles confirme our election for the Lord hath chosen vs to these aswell as to the end it selfe If we want these means we haue no warrand that euer the Lord appointed vs to life I will leaue this He coms forward heapeth arguments together to the Father that he would keepe saue them Thine they werâ— there is the reason they were thine own property by vertue of election whomsoeuer the Lord chooseth from all eternity they are the propertie of the Lorde by vertue of election So sayeth the Sonne to the Father They were thine by vertue of election therefore keepe and saue thine owne Whome wilt thou keepe if thou keepe not thine owne whome thou hast chosen Therefore keepe them Well Brethren vseth the Sonne of God these argumentes to mooue his Father to keepe and saue his Disciples now surely that man or that woman who findeth that they belong to God and that they are chosen from all eternity that may saye I am Gods I am his inheritance and property that person hath a sure warrand that God to whome they appertaine will keepe and saue them euerlastingly Get me this knowledge once that thou art Gods and thou shalt knowe assuredly in thine heart that God whome to thou appertainest shall neuer let thee bee lost yea Heauen and Earth shall goe together ere thou perish But yee will say Howe shall I knowe that I am Gods Marke it Brethren The man or the woman that appertaineth to God that God whome to they appertaine ere they slit out of this worlde hee will giue them aduertisement and will let them knowe and feele either one time or other early or late that they are his Paul in the eight Chapter to the Romanes vers 9. hath a notable saying Those who haue not the Spirite of Iesus they are not his On the contrary the man or woman who feeleth this Spirite are his Wouldest thou knowe whether thou be Gods or not If thou findest in thine heart that blessed Spirit that worketh redemption grace mortification of sinne quickening of the newe life and all blessednesse if thou findest him saye I am Gods for God will giue to none his holy Spirite but to his owne secret ones who are chosen from all eternity and so made the property of God Wouldest thou know the Spirite I shall giue thee a token which the Apostle setteth downe Rom. 5. vers 5. If the Spirit dwell in thee he will shed abroade and powre out that sweet loue of God into thine heart he will let thee feele sensibly in thine heart that God loueth thee and testifie to thee that
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
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
will mourne and groane vnder the burthen as Paul did when he sayth J choose rather to flitte out of this bodie and to goe dwell with the Lord yet the Lord will haue him abyding a while Yea howbeit a man will haue an heauy heart in this his Pilgrimage yet the Lord will haue him to remaine a while here and in the meane time he will aboundantly comfort him and will hold vp his head as he did to Paul when he deliuered him out of the Lyons mouth that is from the bloody Tyrant Nero J am assured sayth he and I haue a confidence that the Lord shall deliuer mee and keepe me to his heauenly Kingdome There is the remedy he wil let thee bide still in the world yet an haire of thine head shall not fall without his will but he will keepe thee to that heauenly Kingdome and when he hath ended his worke with thee he shall make thee to rest in peace and shall bring thee to himselfe in his Kingdome Let no man thinke that so long as the Lord hath any worke adoe with any of his owne that he will let them be taken out of the world It is a vaine speaking when any man is taken out of the Common-wealth or taken away by death If this man had bene liuing this had not bene done and this euill had not come to passe Vnderstand this when the Lord taketh him the Lord hath done his worke with him the Lord knoweth there is no more adoe with him and therefore he taketh him The enemies of the trueth thinke that they get a great victory when a good man is taken out of the world O Fooles is not this the last deliuerance of the godly who glorified God in their mortall bodies For he shall glorifie them in despite of the world they shall triumph ouer the world No the sword the fire c. cannot hinder this their triumph Let wicked men come on their way let them essay and proue on their way they shall find in end that the godly shall triumph and in that Great day they shall see them glorified and then they shall say Thought we not once that these men were vtterly wracked whom now we see so glorious So not only shame and confusion shall light on them for their wickednes but also this shall wonderfully aggreadge their condemnation when they shall see them glorified whom they persecuted in the world Let vs rest in this hope and let vs labour in this world howbeit with hatred and with contempt and we shall get the last remedy the Lord shall take vs to himselfe and we shall cease from all labour and shall be glorified with him in the Heauens thorow Iesus Christ To whom with the Father and the holy Spirit be all honour praise and glory for euermore AMEN THE XXIII LECTVRE OF CHRISTES PRAYER BEFORE HIS PASSION IOHN CHAP. xvii VERS 16.17.18.19.20.21 16 They are not of the world as I am not of the world 17 Sanctifie them with thy trueth thy word is trueth 18 As thou diddest sende mee into the worlde so haue I sent them into the worlde 19 And for their sakes sanctifie J my selfe that they also may bee sanctified through the trueth 20 I pray not for these alone but for them also which shall belieue in mee through their word 21 That they all may bee one as thou O Father art in mee and I in thee euen that they may bee also one in vs that the worlde may belieue that thou hast sent mee THE LORD vsed sundry arguments welbeloued in the Lord Iesus to mooue his Father to keepe and preserue his Disciples and Apostles whom he was to leaue in the world behind him Hitherto we haue nine of them which we recounted the last day Now in the beginning of this Text we haue the tenth and last argument which he vseth in his petition which he maketh That the Father would keepe and preserue his Disciples Shortly to come to the words They are not of the worlde Then would he conclude Therefore Father keepe them What is this Not to be of the world Not to be of the world is To be borne againe to be regenerate and separate from the pollution and wickednesse of this world By what meanes this is done vnto vs we heard the last day to wit by the word of God For as Peter sayth the word of God is that immortall seed of the eternall God who liueth euerlastingly wherewith he begets vs of new again separates vs froÌ„ the world from the ignominie filthinesse and wickednesse wherein the worlde lieth naturallie for the worlde is drowned in filthinesse and wickednesse Then he recommendeth to the Father the estate of them who were separated from the world by a comparison with himselfe As I am not of the worlde so are they not of the world Looke this matter in the seuenth Chapter to the Hebrewes vers 26. Our high Priest is vndefiled that is The Lord Iesus is vndefiled separated from sinners and made higher than the Heauen Indeed it is true it is vnpossible for vs so long as we liue in this mortall body to be altogether separated from sinne and vncleannesse but he was out of measure holy and equall with the Father in glory Yet we are in some measure like vnto him Alwayes ye see in this that this recommendeth our estate that we are like the Sonne of God and this commendeth our separation from the world in that that in this separation from the world and the pollution thereof we are like the Sonne of God Brethren whatsoeuer our estate be so that in it we resemble him howbeit for his sake it be shamefull and ignominious in the sight of the world it is glorious if we be like to him in ignominie we shall be like to him in glory Our shame is neuer so great in the sight of the world if it be for his sake but it is better than all the honour and glory in the world But to leaue this The thing which I vnderstand is this shortly The farther that we be from the world the Lord hath the greater care ouer vs and keepeth vs the better And the nearer that we are to it the lesse is the care of our God ouer vs and we are the worse kept What is the keeping of God else but the drawing of vs out of this world and the seuering of vs from the company of it And when he hath drawne vs out of the world the keeping of vs out of it againe â—hat we meddle not with it and that we may be quite of it and deliuered from it This is not my meaning that any man should draw himselfe to liue as an Heremite and in the Wildernesse separated from the society of men as the Monkes doe This is nothing but the craft of the Deuill that men should draw to Cloysters liuing in Harlotry and in a Den of wickednesse liuing in a vaine speculation feeding their bellies and doing no good to
a bande of loue if thou bee not vnited by that bande with the members looke for nothing but death Then hee setteth downe the ground of our conjunction Euen that they may bee also one in vs. What is the ground of the coniunction of the members amongst themselues but the coniunction of the members in the Head If thou bee not joyned with the Head the Lord Iesus by fayth thou canst not dwell with thy neighbour in loue and charitie Hee who is joyned with the Kirke hee must first bee ioyned with Christ Hee commeth to the argumentes of this coniunction and the first is from the ende which is this That the worlde may knowe that I am sent from thee that is that the world seeing that vnion of the faythfull amongst themselues and that binding vp of their mindes and hearts by that band of loue may know me from whom that conjunction proceedeth and they may take me vp not as they doe to be a wicked man but to haue come downe from the Father and to be the Sonne of God Then Brethren there is not a thing in the world no not an effect in the world where in that vertue of Iesus Christ appeareth more than in this conjunction of the members of the Kirke in the Earth So wouldest thou showe before the worlde that Iesus is God equall with the Father bee at one with thy neighbour Wouldest thou glorifie Iesus Christ and professe him before the worlde and honour him liue in peace vnitie and concord Wouldest thou dishonour him and shame him before the world be at variance haue no peace and no loue If thou wouldest set thy selfe to make the worlde thinke that Iesus Christ is not one with the Father haue no peace with thy neighbour This conjunction and making vp of one body is no small effect of the vertue of Iesus Christ there is no power in Heauen nor in Earth but this power of God that will make vp that band all the Kinges in the Earth will not make thee loue thy neighbour truely no power can make thee loue thy Wife truely no not thy Children but onely that power that floweth from Iesus Christ the infinite power of that Godhead which floweth from him to thy soule is able to turne thine hatred into loue and to sanctifie thee So wouldest thou glorifie Christ in this world and liue in this world to the glory of him and professe that he is God and that the fulnesse of the Godhead dwelleth in him bodily striue so farre as lieth in thee to keepe peace with all men and bee knitte vp in loue with thy neighbour as thou wouldest glorifie him in this life and haue part of that euerlasting glorie purchased by the blood of Christ To whome with the Father and the holie Spirit bee all prayse honour and glorie for euermore AMEN THE XXIV LECTVRE OF CHRISTES PRAYER BEFORE HIS PASSION IOHN CHAP. xvii VERS 22.23.24 22 And the glorie that thou gauest mee J haue giuen them that they may bee one as wee are one 23 I in them and thou in mee that they may bee made perfect in one and that the world may know that thou hast sent mee and hast loued them as thou hast loued mee 24 Father J will that they which thou hast giuen mee bee with mee euen where I am that they may beholde that my glorie which thou hast giuen mee for thou louedst mee before the foundation of the world IN the last part of this PRAYER Wel beloued in the Lord Iesus the Lord after that hee hath prayed for himselfe that the Father would glorifie him and after that hee had prayed for his Disciples to wit the eleuen for hee prayeth not for Judas because hee was the sonne of perdition at last he conceiueth a Prayer for the whole faithfull to the ende of the worlde I pray not sayeth the Lord for them onelie that is for my Disciples but I pray for all them that will belieue in mee through their word The thing which he prayeth for the whole faithfull is this That they may bee one in this worlde joyned in one heart and minde to make vp in this Earth that glorious bodie of Iesus Christ that is the thing hee prayeth for The first argument yee hearde the last daye which was from the ende of that vnion of men and women in the Kirke of God and of the making vp of the bodie of Iesus Christ Then the world shall know that Christ is sent of the Father In that conjunction and vnion they shall see that Iesus Christ is the Messias sent of the Father to the worlde for the redemption of the world that is the first argument Now wee goe forward in this present Text to the second argument of his petition for the whole faythfull to the ende of the world The second argument is taken from the end of that glorie which the Father hath giuen to the Sonne and that the Sonne hath giuen to the faythfull the ende of all this is That there should be an vnion and conjunction amongst the members of one bodie of Iesus Christ in the Earth The glory that the Father gaue to the Sonne and the glorie that the Sonne gaue to vs tendeth to this end that we be joyned together in the Earth to make vp the bodie of Iesus Christ Seeing that all the glorie that thou hast giuen mee and I haue giuen them serueth to this that they may bee one as we are one this is the thing I pray for That they may bee vnited in one bodie The glorie sayeth the Lord that thou hast giuen mee I haue giuen it vnto them That is to the whole faythfull not to his Disciples onlie but to the whole faythfull to the end of the worlde What is the glorie that the Father hath giuen to the Sonne The next word expoundeth it and maketh it cleare The glorie that the Father giueth to the Sonne standeth in this that the Father is in the Sonne I in them and thou in mee The Father is in the Sonne the Father hath giuen himselfe to the Sonne This is high but I shall make it plaine to you In the eternall generation wherein the Father begot the Sonne from all eternity without beginning the Father communicated with the Sonne that whole glorious substance and nature and as soone as hee communicated with the Sonne his whole glorious nature and substance so soone the Father and the Sonne became one in nature and substance And therefore considering this communication of the nature and substance of the Father and the Sonne it is saide that the Father is in the Sonne to wit in nature and substance and that the Father hath giuen to the Sonne his glorie For Brethren what is the glorie of God Nothing but the glorious essence and nature of God and this is the glorie that he giueth to the Sonne What is meant againe by this glorie that the Sonne giueth to the Father The wordes in the next Vers
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
Iames Chapter 5. Vers 16. Is it the Prayer of euerie man that will auaile No It is the Prayer of the just man who hath the Spirite of Prayer It is a wonderfull thing to consider howe piercing the Prayer of that man will bee and howe it will passe vp and pierce thorowe the visible clowdes and all these visible Heauens and neuer rest till it come to the eares of the Lord It will passe thorowe that light which hath none accesse That Spirite that conuoyeth thy Prayer to the Heauens is not thy spirite or the spirite of a man but it is his owne Spirite and the Lord knoweth what is the sense of his owne Spirite That thing I speake of Prayer I vnderstand it of all the works and of all the turnes that proceede of the man that is acceptable to God if hee haue that holie Spirit whatsoeuer hee doeth it is as a sweete smelling Sacrifice in the eyes of the Lord. All that proceedeth of that man who hath the holie Spirite and whose person is acceptable in the sight of God is so sweete to the Lord that hee accounteth much of it And by the contrarie Brethren A man or a woman whose person is not acceptable to God and whome God liketh not of no bee what hee will although hee were a King of the worlde the Lord will not looke vpon anie thing that will proceede from that man or that woman though it had neuer so faire an outwarde showe Looke to ABEL and KAIN When ABEL offered an Offering to the LORD the LORD looked on ABEL and his Offering he accepted first of the man and therefore of the Offering Come to KAIN I thinke hee had as good an Offering and largelie better yet the LORD would not looke to the Offering because hee would not looke on him that offered it The LORD hated KAIN and therefore because the person was not acceptable hee would not looke vpon the Offering This is a necessarie Lesson If thou wouldest doe anie thing in this worlde or speake or praye for thy selfe anie thing else looke that God haue a liking of thy person looke that thou bee acceptable and in the fauour of thy God studie to bee approoued of God studie to sanctification and holinesse of heart and sticke to Iesus Christ for fayth in him maketh thee pleasant vnto God wantest thou fayth thou stinkest in his sight and the Lord will not looke vpon thee no more than on a dead carion if thou bee not clad with that innocencie of his So let euerie one of vs take heede to our selues Now to goe forward When he hath set downe his knowledge hee commeth to the knowledge of his Disciples And they knowe that thou hast sent mee and I haue reuealed thy Name vnto them and will reueale it more that thy loue wherewith thou hast loued mee may bee in them and J in them Heere is a promise of the thing to come If yee will consider the wordes the knowledge of his Disciples which hee setteth downe before the Father it is partlie present and partlie to come The knowledge present is partlie of the Sonne That the Father sent him and partlie of the Father himselfe Concerning the Sonne They knowe that thou hast sent mee That is to saye Father they haue knowne that I am thy Sonne and thine onelie begotten equall with thee from all eternitie and in time sent to this miserable worlde and that I am the Fathers Ambassadour and that I am the Redeemer of the worlde The Lesson is this Hee recommendeth his Disciples to the Father and that from the knowledge which the Disciples had first of the Sonne and then of the Father I sayde before that the person of him who maketh prayer is of great weight in the sight of God I saye the same of him for whome one prayeth if hee bee one that hath the knowledge of God and hath fayth in Iesus Christ one whome the Lord regardeth and who is acceptable to God surelie the Lord verie readilie will heare prayers for him for Brethren there is some folke in this worlde that if all the prayers of the worlde were powred foorth for them and if all the worlde should praye for them it shall neuer auaile in the sight of God as it is sayde in the fifteenth Chap. of Ieremie Though Moses and Samuel should pray for some men hee would not heere If Noah Daniel and Iob should intercede that is though all the godlie of the worlde shoulde pray for such men yet the Lord would not heare them because there are some men in this worlde whom the Lord hath no liking of and all the prayers in the worlde will not auaile for them for the Lord hath casten them off It is a good thing once to gette one grace of God for thou wilt verie readilie gette another if it were but the grace of Election the bodie that is chosen the Lord will verie readilie heare prayer for him Hee who is justified in the blood of Christ the Lord will accept of him and hee who is sanctified by the holie Spirite the Lord will giue him life euerlasting But that man that neuer yet hath gotten grace in Iesus Christ alace all the prayers in the worlde will not auaile him if hee bee not once justified and sanctified It may well bee that the Lord will cast vnto him a temporall benefite as a man will cast a bone to a Dogge but as for Spirituall grace as Life euerlasting Iustification Sanctification c. that man will not gette one of those as it is sayde Hee that hath not let all bee taken from him and to him that hath let it bee giuen Hast thou one Spirituall grace in Iesus Christ thou shalt gette moe and thou who hast none that that thou hast that is which thou conceitest to haue shall bee taken from thee Then as euerthou wouldest haue the prayer of the godlie to doe thee good at the handes of God take heede that thou stand in the fauour of God take heed that thou stand in grace for if that thou bid anie pray for thee and in the meane time thou bee gracelesse and a contemner of grace all the prayers of the worlde shall not auaile thee Would to God men would take heede to this and chiefelie they who are in high rowmes as Kinges who would haue the prayers and supplications of others and for whome the Subjectes of duetie are bound to praye It is not enough for them to take their pastyme and to haue the sillie people vnder them praying to GOD for them I praye to GOD that our KING maye take good heede to this that hee maye bee acceptable and gracious in the sight of GOD or else all our prayers that we will make for him will bee of little auaile Nowe BRETHREN there is another thing heere to bee marked What is the grounde of our knowledge And howe is it builded vp and howe goeth it forwarde First of all hee beginneth at the
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