in this mountain nor yet at Jerusalem worship the Father 22 Ye worship ye know not what we know what we worship for salvation is of the Jews 23 But the hour cometh and now is when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth for the Father seeketh such to worship him Here we have our Saviour's Answer to the foregoing Question which consists of two Parts 1. Concerning the Place of Worship 2. Concerning the Worship it self As to the Place of Worship our Saviour tells her that though the Jews had heretofore by warrant of God's Word regularly worshipped at Jerusalem and the Samaritans superstitiously worshipped at Mount Gerizim yet the Hour was coming namely at his Death when all difference of Places for God's Worship should be taken away and therefore she need not trouble her self about the Place of God's Worship to know whether of the two Places were holier and the better to serve God in for ere long the Service of God should not be confined more to one Place than another Hence learn That since the death of Christ the Religious Difference of Places is taken away and the Worship of God not confined to any one particular Place or Nation 2. Our blessed Saviour resolves her concerning the Worship it self namely that the Ceremonial Worship which the Jews and Samaritans used should shortly be abolished and instead thereof a more spiritual Form of Worship should be established more suitable to the Spiritual Nature of the great and holy God and containing in it the Truth and Substance of all that which the Jewish Ceremonies prefigured and shadowed forth Learn hence That the True Worship of God under the Gospel doth not consist in the external Pomp of any outward Ceremonies but is Spiritual and Substantial No Worship is acceptable to him that is the Father of Spirits but that which is truly Spiritual 24 God is a Spirit and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth God is a Spirit that is he has no Body nor bodily Parts He is not a bare spiritual Substance but a pure and perfect Spirit and therefore his Worshippers must worship him in Spirit and in Truth Where Spirit is opposed to the Legal Ceremonies and Truth to the Jewish Rites not to Hypocritical Services for the old Patriarchs did worship God in Spirit and in Truth As Truth is taken for Sincerity they served him with a sincere Conscience and with a single Heart But our Saviour's Business is to shew That a Worship without Legal Rites and Jewish Ceremonies is proper to the times of the Gospel In the Words Observe 1. The Nature of God declared God is a Spirit 2. The Duty of Man inferred therefore they that worship him must worship him in Spirit and in Truth From the whole Note 1. That God is a pure Spiritual Being When bodily Parts Hands and Eyes c. are ascribed to him it is only in Condescension to our weakness and to signifie those Acts in God which such Members do perform in us Note 2. That the Worship due from the Creature to God is spiritual Worship and ought to be spiritually performed The Jewish Ceremonial Worship was abolished to promote the Spirituality of Divine Worship yet must not this be so understood as if God rejected bodily Worship because he requires spiritual under the Gopsel for Jesus Christ the most spiritual Worshipper worshipped God with his Body Besides God has appointed some Parts of Worship which cannot be performed without the Body as Sacraments In a Word God has created the Body as well as the Soul Christ has redeemed the Body as well as the Soul and he will glorify the Body as well as the Soul therefore it is our Duty to worship and glorify God with our Bodies and with our Spirits which are his 25 The woman saith unto him I know that Messias cometh which is called Christ when he is come he will tell us all things 26 Jesus saith unto her I that speak unto thee am he Observe here 1. What a General Expectation there was in the Minds of all Persons at the time of our Saviour's appearing of one whom the Jews called the Messiah I know that Messiah cometh This Woman though a Samaritan yet knew that the Messiah should come and that he was now expected Observe 2. What the Work and Office of the Messias was apprehended and believed to be namely to reveal the whole Mind and Will of God to a lost World When the Messias is come he will tell us all things Learn thence That the Lord Jesus Christ the promised and true Messias being called and appointed by God to be the great Prophet of his Church hath fully and perfectly revealed all things needful to be known for our Salvation John 15.15 All things that I have heard of the Father I have made known unto you Observe Lastly How freely and fully Christ reveals himself to this poor Woman he tells her plainly that he was the Messias When the Jews asked him John 10.24 If thou be the Christ tell us plainly Christ did not in plain Terms tell them who he was Nay when John Baptist sent two of his Disciples to ask him whether he were He that should come he gave them no direct Answer Yet behold he makes himself plainly known to this poor Woman he discerning her Humility and great Simplicity that she was willing to be instructed by him and did not come to him as the Jews and Pharisees did captiously with a design to entangle and enspare him Hence learn That the Lord Jesus Christ delights to reveal himself and make known his Mind and Will to such as with an humble Mind and an honest Simplicity of heart do desire to know him and understand their Duty to him 27 ¶ And upon this came his disciples and marvelled that he talked with the woman yet no man said What seekest thou or Why talkest thou with her 28 The woman then left her water-pot and went her way into the city and saith to the men 29 Come see a man which told me all things that ever I did is not this the Christ 30 Then they went out of the city and came unto him Observe here 1. How the Providence of God so ordered and disposed of things that the Disciples did not return to Christ till he had finisht his Discourse with this poor Woman An humbled sinner may meet with such Satisfaction and sweet Refreshment in Christ's Company that the presence even of Disciples themselves the best and holiest of Saints may be lookt upon as injurious to it and an interruption of it This poor Woman had so sweet a time with Christ that an end being put to the Conference by the coming of the Disciples might be Matter of Grief and Resentment to her Yet the Providence of God so ordered that the Disciples did not come to break off the Conference till Christ had made himself known as the Messias to this
give it a Civil Salutation but especially a Christian and Spiritual Salute wishing them Mercy Grace and Peace 3. He encourages his Apostles in the want of Success if they hear you not Shake off the Dust of your Feet This Action was Emblematical and signified That Almighty God would in like manner shake off them and esteem them no better than the vilest Dust Note That those who despise the Message which the Ministers of the Gospel bring shall hereafter find the Dust of their Feet and the Ashes of their Grave to give a Judicial Testimony against them in the Day of CHRIST Where-ever the Word is Preached 't is for a Testimony against them for if the Dust of a Minister's Feet bear Witness against the Despisers of the Gospel their Sermons much more 16 Behold I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves be ye therefore wise as serpents and harmless as doves Our Saviour in this and the following Verses arms his Apostles against all the Difficulties Dangers and Discouragements which they might meet with in the Course of their Ministry He tells them he sent them forth as Sheep amongst Wolves intimating thereby unto them that the Enemies of the Gospel have as great an Inclination from their Malicious Nature to devour and destroy the Ministers of Christ as Wolves have from their natural temper to devour Sheep He therefore recommends to them Prudence and Innocence Be wise as Serpents to avoid the World's Injuries and Harmless as Doves in not revenging them The Ministers of Christ must not be altogether Doves lest they fall into Dangers nor altogether as Serpents lest they endanger others For as Piety without Policy is too simple to be safe so Policy without Piety is too subtil to be good Our Saviour in this Text teaches us That Wisdom and Innocency should dwell together 17 But beware of men for they will deliver you up to the councils and they will scourge you in their synagogues 18 And ye shall be brought before governours and kings for my sake for a testimony against them and the gentiles 19 But when they deliver you up take no thought how or what ye shall speak for it shall be given you in that same hour what ye shall speak 20 For it is not ye that speak but the spirit of your Father which speaketh in you Here our Saviour lets his Apostles know that for their Owning Him and Preaching his Gospel they should be brought before all sorts of Magistrates and in all kinds of Courts But he advises them when they are brought before Kings and Princes not to be anxiously thoughtful what they should say for it should be given in that Hour what they should Answer Learn hence That tho' Truth may be opposed yet Truth 's Defenders shall never be ashamed and rather than they shall want a Tongue to plead for it GOD himself will prompt them by his Spirit and suggest such Truths to their Minds as all their Opposers shall not be able to gainsay 21 And the brother shall deliver up the brother to death and the father the child and the children shall rise up against their parents and cause them to be put to death 22 And ye shall be hated of all men for my Names sake but he that indureth to the end shall be saved Our Saviour goes on in a farther Discovery of the World's Hatred and Enmity against the Gospel and the Preachers of it and gives all Christians in general and his Ministers in particular to understand That such is the Enmity of the World against Holiness and the Professors of it that it will overcome and extinguish even the Natural Affection of the nearest and dearest Relations towards each other Grace teaches us To lay down our Lives for the Brethren but Corruption teaches Brother to take away the Life of Brother The Brother shall deliver the Brother to Death Yet Observe Our Saviour comforts his Disciples that there will be an end of these Sufferings and assures them That if their Faith and Patience did hold out unto the end they should be saved This is our Comfort that if our Sufferings for Christ end not in our Life-time they will end with our Lives 23 But when they persecute you in this city flee ye into another for verily I say unto you Ye shall not have gone over the cities of Israel till the Son of man be come Our Saviour here directs his Apostles to a prudent Care of their own Preservation and allows them to flee in time of Persecution assuring them That before they had gone through all the Cities of the Jews Preaching the Gospel he would certainly come in Judgment against Jerusalem and with Severity destroy his own Murtherers and their Persecutors Learn That Christ allows his Ministers the liberty of Flight in time of Persecution that they may preserve their Lives for future Service Surely 't is no Shame to fly when our Captain commands it and also practises it Matth. 2. Christ by his own Example has Sanctified that State of Life unto us and by his Command made it Lawful for us 24 The disciple is not above his master nor the servant above his lord 25 It is enough for the disciple that he be as his master and the servant as his lord if they have called the master of the house Beelzebub how much more shall they call them of his houshold Our Saviour here teaches all Christians but especially Ministers how unreasonable and absurd it is for them to expect kinder Usage from an unkind World than he Himself met with Are we greater holier or wiser than He Why then should we expect better Usage than he Was he hated persecuted reviled murthered for the Holiness of his Doctrine and the Vsefulness of his Life Why then should any of us Think strange of the Fiery Tryal as if some strange thing had befaln us 1 Pet. 4.12 Is it not enough That the Disciple be as his Master and the Servant as his Lord but must he hope to be above him 26 Fear them not therefore for there is nothing covered that shall not be revealed and hid that shall not be known 27 What I tell you in darkness that speak ye in light and what ye hear in the ear that preach ye on the house tops Christ here exhorts his Disciples to a free Profession and open Publication of the Doctrine of the Gospel from this Consideration That whatever they say or do shall be brought to light proclaimed and published to the World As Wicked Men have cause to fear because their Evil Deeds shall be made evident so Good Men have cause to rejoice because their Goodness and Good Deeds shall be made manifest Let it be our Care to do Good and it shall be CHRIST's Care to discover the Goodness which we do to vindicate it from Misconstruction and set it in its clearest Light 28 And fear not them which kill the body but are not able to kill the soul
all sides by Reviling Tongues Why should we expect better Treatment than the Son of GOD 25 And Jesus knew their thought and said unto them Every kingdom divided against it self is brought to desolation and every city or house divided against it self shall not stand 26 And if Satan cast out Satan he is divided against himself how shall then his kingdom stand 27 And if I by Beelzebub cast out devils by whom do your children cast them out therefore they shall be your judges 28 But if I cast out devils by the Spirit of God then the kingdom of God is come unto you 29 Or else how can one enter into a strong man's house and spoil his goods except he first bind the strong man and then he will spoil his house 30 He that is not with me is against me and he rhat gathereth not with me scattereth abroad Our Blessed Saviour to clear his Innocency and to convince the Pharisees of the Unreasonableness of this their Calumny and False Accusations offers several Arguments to their Consideration 1. That it was very unlikely that Satan should lend him this Power to use it against himself As Satan has a Kingdom so he has Wit enough to preserve his Kingdom and will do nothing to weaken his own Interest Now if I have received my Power from Satan for Destroying him and his Kingdom then is Satan divided against himself 2. Our Saviour tells them they might with as much Reason attribute all Miracles to the Devil as those that were wrought by Him There were certain Jews amongst themselves who cast out Devils in the Name of the GOD of Abraham Isaac and Jacob Christ asks the Pharisees By what Power these their Children Cast them out They acknowledged that those did it by the Power of GOD and there was no Cause but their Malice why they should not acknowleledge that what he did was by the same Power If I cast out Devils by the Spirit of God then the Kingdom of God is come unto you that is the Messias is come because he wrought these Miracles to prove that he was the Messias 3. Another Argument to prove That the Miracles which Christ wrought were by the Power of God and not by the Help of Satan is this The Devil is very strong and powerful and there is no Power but God's only that is stronger than his Now says Christ if I were not assisted by a Divine Power I could never cast out this strong Man who reigns in the World as in his House It must be a stronger than the strong Man that shall bind Satan and who is he but the GOD of Strength 31 Wherefore I say unto you All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men but the blasphemy against the holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men 32 And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man it shall be forgiven him but whosoever speaketh against the holy Ghost it shall not be forgiven him neither in this world neither in the world to come Obs 1. How our Saviour makes a Difference betwixt speaking against the Son of Man and speaking against the Holy Ghost By Speaking against the Son of Man is meant all those Reproaches which were cast upon our Saviour's Person as Man without reflecting upon his Divine Power as GOD which he testified by his Miracles Such were their reproaching him with the Meaness of his Birth their censuring him for a Winebibber and a Glutton and the like But by Speaking against the Holy Ghost is meant their Blaspheming and Reproaching that Divine Power whereby he wrought his Miracles which was an immediate Reflection upon the Holy Spirit and a Blaspheming of him Observe 2. The Nature of this Sin of Speaking against the Holy Ghost It consisted in this that the Pharisees seeing our Saviour work Miracles and cast out Devils by the Spirit of God contrary to the Conviction of their own Minds they maliciously ascribe his Miracles to the Power of the Devil charging him to be a Sorcerer and Magician and to have a Familiar Spirit by whose Help he did those Mighty Works when in truth he did them by the Spirit of God Observe 3. That this Sin above all others is called Unpardonable and upon what Account it is so The Case of such Blasphemers of the Holy Spirit is not only dangerous but desperate because they resist their last Remedy and oppose the best Means for their Conviction What can God do more to convince a Man that Jesus Christ is the True Messiah than to work â—â—â—â—cles to that purpose Now if when Men see plain Miracles wrought they will say it is not God that works them but the Devil as if Satan would conspire against himself and seek the Ruin of his own Kingdom There is no way left to convince such Persons but they must and will continue in their Opposition to Truth to their inevitable Condemnation 33 Either make the tree good and his fruit good or else make the tree corrupt and his fruit corrupt for the tree is known by his fruit These Words may either referr to the Pharisees or to Christ himself If to the Pharisees the Sence is You hypocritical Pharisees shew your selves what you are by your Words and Actions even as the Fruit sheweth what the Tree is If they referr to Christ then they are an Appeal to the Pharisees themselves to judge of our Saviour and his Doctrine by the Miracles which he wrought If he wrought by the Devil his Works would be as bad as the Devil 's but if his Works were good they must own them to be wrought by the Power of God The Expression implies That a Man may be known by his Actions as a Tree may be judged by his Fruit yet not by a single Action but by a Series of Actions not by a particular Act but by our general Course 34 O generation of vipers how can ye being evil speak good things for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh Note here 1. The Fervency and Zeal of our Saviour's Spirit in the Compellation given to the Pharisees he calls them a Generation of Vipers intimating that they were a venemous and dangerous sort of Men. Learn thence That it is not always Railing and Indiscreet Zeal to call Wicked Men by such Names as their Sin deserves Obs farther From our Saviour's Saying that Out of the Abundance of the Heart the Mouth speaketh that the Heart is the Fountain both of Words and Actions and according as the Heart is so are the Current of Mens Words and Actions either good or evil 35 A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things Obs here A double Treasure discovered in the Heart of Man 1. An Evil Treasure of Sin and Corruption both Natural and Acquired from whence proceeds Evil Things Now this is called a Treasure not for
the Truth and desire to obey it the Spirit gives you an Affective Operative and Experimental Knowledge not barely to know these things but to believe them and feel the Power of them in and upon your own Hearts But the Generality of Hearers do satisfie and content themselves with a bare Notional Knowledge of what they hear a Parable therefore is well enough for them Learn 1. That the Doctrines of the Gospel are Mysteries 2. That it is a matchless and unvaluable Priviledge practically and savingly to understand and know Gospel-Mysteries 3. That this Priviledge all are not Sharers in nor Partakers of but only those to whom it is given Vnto you it is given to know the Mysteries of the Kingdom but to them it is not given 12 For whosoever hath to him shall be given and he shall have more abundance but whosoever hath not from him shall be taken away even that he hath That is whosoever improves the Measures of Grace received shall obtain farther Measures and Degrees of it But from him that doth not improve what he has already received shall be taken away that which to himself or others he seemeth to have his Common Gifts and Moral Endowments Learn That where there are Beginnings of True Grace and a right and wise Improvement of it God will make rich Additions of more Grace to the present Stock which we have received 13 Therefore speak I to them in parables because they seeing see not and hearing they hear not neither do they understand 14 And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias which saith by hearing ye shall hear and shall not understand and seeing ye shall see and shall not perceive 15 For this peoples heart is waxed gross and their ears are dull of hearing and their eyes they have closed lest at any time they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears and should understand with their heart and should be converted and I should heal them These Words of our Blessed Saviour as I conceive have a peculiar Reference and Relation to the Pharisees who attended upon Christ's Ministry not with an honest simplicity of Mind to be instructed by it but to carp and cavil at it Our Saviour tells them he had formerly spoken things very plainly and clearly to them and also wrought Miracles before them to convince them of the Divinity of his Person and of the Verity of his Doctrine But they would not believe either his Person or his Doctrine to be from God and therefore he would now speak to them in dark Parables that they may be Judicially Blinded they shut their Eyes against the clearest Light and said they would not see and now Christ closes their Eyes and says they shall not see Learn hence To acknowledge the Divine Justice which speaks darkly to them that despise the Light Such who see and yet see not they shall see the Shell but not the Kernel they shall hear the Parable but not understand the Spiritual Sence and Meaning of it When wilful Blindness of Mind is added to Natural Blindness it is a just and righteous thing with God to superadd Judicial Blindness and to give them Obstinacy of Heart His Curse unto them 16 But blessed are your eyes for they see and your ears for they hear 17 For verily I say unto you that many prophets and righteous men have desired to see those things which ye see and have not seen them and to hear those things which ye hear and have not heard them Here our Saviour pronounces such of his Disciples and Followers Blessed who received the Truths of the Gospel so far as they were already taught them he assures them that they shall receive farther Light and fuller Measures of Spiritual Illumination Blessed are your Eyes for they see Learn That such as have received the least Measures of Spiritual Knowledge and Saving Illumination and do improve it they are in an happy and blessed Condition for as they are capable of farther Measures of Divine Knowledge so shall they be Partakers of them 18 Hear ye therefore the parable of the sower 19 When any one heareth the word of the kingdom and understandeth it not then cometh the wicked one and catcheth away that which was sown in his heart this is he which received seed by the way-side 20 But he that received the seed into stony places the same is he that heareth it and anon with joy receiveth it 21 Yet hath he not root in himself but dureth for a while for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word by and by he is offended 22 He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word and the care of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choak the word and he becometh unfruitful 23 But he that received seed into the good ground is he that heareth the word and understandeth it which also beareth fruit and bringeth forth some an hundred fold some sixty some thirty As if our Lord had said You my Disciples who are not satisfied with a Sound of Words I will explain to you the Sence and Signification of this Parable The Scope of which is to shew the different Effects which the Word of God has upon Mens Hearts and the Reason of that Difference The Seed is the Word the Sower is the Preacher the Soil is the Heart and Soul of Man Now our Saviour assures us that the Hearts of some Hearers are like Highway-Ground in which the Seed is not covered with the Harrow of Meditation others are like Stony-Ground in which the Word has no Root no Root in their Understandings Memories Conscience Will or Affections But They are offended either at the Depth and Profoundness of the Word or at the Sanctity and Strictness of it or at the Plainess and Simplicity of it Again some Hearers our Lord compares to Thorny-Ground Thorns are Covetous Desires which choak the good Seed shadow the Blade when sprung up keep off the Influences of the Sun and draw away the Fatness of the Soil from the Seed All these Effects have Thorns in and among the Seed And the like Effects have Worldly Affections and Covetous Desires in the Heart of Man rendring the Word unfruitful and unprofitable But the good Christian hears the Word attentively keeps it retentively believes it stedfastly applies it particularly practises it universally and brings forth Fruit with Patience and Perseverance Fruit that will redound to his Account in the Great Day of Account Learn 1. That no Hearers are in Christ's Account Good Hearers of the Word but such as bring forth the Fruits of an holy humble and peaceable Conversation 2. That a Person may be a good Hearer of the Word if he brings forth the best Fruit he can tho' it be not in so great a Proportion as others do As some Ground brings forth Thirty some Sixty and some an Hundred-fold In like manner do all the sincere Hearers of the Word they all
Judgment to come and the Devils are in Chains of Darkness reserved to the Judgment of that great Day But some by these Words Art thou come to destroy us understand as much as are thou come to restrain us from the Exercise of our Power Learn we thence That the Devil thinks himself destroyed when he is restrained from doing Mischief Obs 5. The Title which the Devil puts upon our Saviour Jesus of Nazareth the Holy One of God Altho' there was Ground for the common People's calling Christ Jesus of Nazareth because he was bred and brought up there and lived there during his private Life till about 30 Years of Age Tho' he was not born there but at Bethlehem yet it is conceived that the Devil gave this Title to our Saviour in Policy to disguise the place of Christ's Nativity that so the Jews might not believe him to be the true Messiah because he was of Nazareth whereas the Messiah was to come out of Bethlehem Therefore to the Intent that the Jews might be at the greater Loss concerning Christ and in Doubt of his being the true Messiah the Devil here calls him not Jesus of Bethlehem but Jesus of Nazareth But how comes the next Title out of the Devil's Mouth The Holy One of God Could an Apostle Could Peter himself make a Profession beyond this But how comes the Devil to make it For no good End or Purpose we may be sure For he never speaks Truth for Truths sake but for Advantage Probably 1. He made this Profession that so he might bring the Truth profess'd into Suspicion hoping that a Truth which received Testimony from the Father of Lies would be suspected 2. It might perhaps be done that the People might believe that our Saviour had some Familiarity with Satan and did work Miracles by his Help because he did confess him and seem so much to honour him From this Instance and Example Learn That it is possible for a Person to own and acknowledge Christ to be the true and only Saviour and yet to miss of Salvation by him If a speculative Knowledge and a verbal Profession of Christ were sufficient to Salvation the Devil himself would not miss of Happiness Obs 6. How our Saviour rebukes the Devil for this Confession and commands him Silence And Jesus rebuked him saying Hold thy Peace But why was this Rebuke given the Devil when he spake the Truth Ans 1. Because Christ knew that the Devil confess'd this Truth on purpose to disgrace the Truth 2. Because the Devil was no fit Person to make this Profession A Testimony of Truth from the Father of Lies is enough to render Truth it self suspected Yet the Devil's Evidence that Christ was the Holy One of God will rise up in Judgment against the wicked Pharisees who shut their Eyes against the Miracles and stopt their Ears against the Doctrine of the Holy One of God Obs lastly How the unclean Spirit obeys the Voice of Christ tho' with great Reluctancy and Regret When the unclean Spirit had torn him and cried with a loud Voice he came out Christ is Lord over the wicked Angels and has an absolute Power and Authority to over-rule them and command them at his Pleasure If Christ says to the evil Spirit Come out out he must come Yet observe the Devil's Spight at parting he tears the Man tortures his Body throws him violently from Place to Place shewing how loth he was to be dispossessed Where Satan has once gotten an hold and setled himself for a time how unwilling is he to be cast out of Possession yea it is a Torture and Vexation to him to be cast out it is much easier to keep him our than to cast him out Satan may possess the Body by God's Permission but he cannot possess our Hearts without our own Consent and Approbation it will be our Wisdom to deny him Entrance into our Souls at first by rejecting his wicked Motions and Suggestions for when once entered he will like the strong Man armed keep the House till a stronger than he casts him out 28 And immediately his fame spread abroad throughout all the region round about Galilee 29 And forthwith when they were come out of the synagogue they entered into the house of Simon and Andrew with James and John 30 But Simons wives mother lay sick of a fever and anon they tell him of her 31 And he came and took her by the hand and lift her up and immediately the fever left her and she ministred unto them The second Miracle which our Saviour wrought in this Chapter to confirm the Truth and Authority of his Doctrine was his raising up of Peter's Wives Mother from her Bed of Sickness Where Note 1. That St. Peter now a Disciple and afterwards an Apostle was a married Person Neither the Prophets of the Old Testament nor the Ministers of the New did abhor the Marriage Bed nor think themselves too pure for an Institution of their Maker The Church of Rome by denying the Lawfulness of Priests Marriage makes her self wiser than God who says Heb. 13.4 Marriage is honourable amongst all Men. Obs 2. Peter tho' a good Man and his Wives Mother probably a gracious Woman yet is his Family visited with Sickness Strength of Grace and Dearness of Respect even from Christ himself cannot prevail against Diseases God's own Children are visited with Bodily Sicknesses as well as others Obs 3. The charitable Care of St. Peter and the other Disciples forthwith to acquaint Christ with the Condition of this Sick Person Anon they tell him of her The Care of our fellow-Christians especially when of the number of our near and dear Relations in a time of Sickness is not to be deferred or delayed Outward Help for their Bodies and the Spiritual Help of our Prayers for their Souls are both straightway to be afforded them Obs 4. Christ's Divine Power manifested in this miraculous Cure He no sooner took her by the Hand but the Fever left her The Miracle was not in curing an incurable Distemper but in curing an ordinary Distemper after a miraculous manner namely 1. By a Touch of the Hand 2. The Recovery was instantaneous and sudden Immediately the Fever left her 3. The visible Effects of her Recovery instantly appeared She arose and ministred unto Christ and his Disciples That she could arise argued her Cure miraculous that she did arise and did administer to Christ argued her Thankfulness Learn thence That after Christ has graciously healed any of us it ought to be our first Work and Care to administer unto Christ That is to employ our recovered Health in the Service of Christ and to improve our renewed Strength to the Honour and Glory of Christ 32 And at even when the sun did set they brought unto him all that were diseased and them that were possessed with devils 33 And all the city was gathered together at the door 34 And he healed many that were sick of divers
Christ and in the Profession and Practice of the true Religion is a Note indeed of the true Church But Unity in opposing Christ his Person his Doctrine his People is so far from being a Mark of the true Church that it is the Badge of the Antichristian Synagogue Obs 2. The prudent Means which our Saviour uses to preserve himself from the Rage of the Pharisees he withdrew himself from them Christ's Example teaches his Ministers their Duty in a time of Danger to fly from Persecution and to endeavour to preserve their Lives unless when their Sufferings are like to do more Good than their Lives Obs 3. The great Zeal and Forwardness of the People in flocking after our Saviour's Ministry People come now at first from all Places and Countries from Judea from Idumea from beyond Jordan from Tyre and Sidon to hear his Doctrine and see his Miracles The People came from all parts when our Saviour first began to preach His Ministers find it thus At their first coming amongst a People their Labours are most acceptable and they do most Good our Peoples Affections are then warmest and perhaps our own too Obs 4. What sort of People they were which attended thus zealously upon our Saviour's Ministry they were the common and ordinary People the poor received the Gospel whilst the Pharisees and other Men of most Account the mighty the noble and the wise Men after the Flesh despised our Saviour's Person slighted his Ministry and sought his Life The ordinary and meanest sort of People ever have been more zealous and forward in embracing the Gospel than ever the Great the Rich and the Honourable part of the World have been It is a sad but a certain Truth Heaven is a place where few comparatively of the great Men of the World are like to come their Temptations are many their Lusts are strong and their great Estates thro' their own Abuse become Fuel to their Lusts Obs 5. The Behaviour of the unclean Spirits the Devils towards our Saviour and our Saviour's Carriage towards them They fall down at the very sight of him they cry out and confess him to be the Son of God but he sharply Rebukes them and charges them that they should not make him known Not that our Saviour would have the Knowledge of his Person supprest but because the Devils were no fit Persons to preach Jesus Christ A Truth out of the Mouth of the Father of Lies is enough to render Truth it self suspected Besides the time appointed for the full and clear Manifestation of the Godhead of Christ was not yet come This was not to be done till after his Resurrection the Divine Nature was to lye hid under the Veil of Christ's Flesh during his state of Humiliation and Abasement 13 And he goeth up into a mountain and calleth unto him whom he would and they came unto him 14 And he ordained twelve that they should be with him and that he might send them forth to preach 15 And to have power to heal sicknesses and to cast out devils 16 And Simon he sirnamed Peter 17 And James the son of Zebedee and John the brother of James and he sirnamed them Boanerges which is The sons of thunder 18 And Andrew and Philip and Bartholomew and Matthew and Thomas and James the son of Alpheus and Thaddeus and Simon the Canaanite 19 And Judas Iscariot which also betrayed him and they went into an house As the Jewish Church arose from Twelve Patriarchs so the Christian Church became planted by Twelve Apostles the Person commissioning them was Christ None may undertake the Work and Calling of the Ministry but those whom Christ appoints and calls The Persons commissioned were Disciples before they were Apostles to teach us That Christ will have such as preach the Gospel to be Disciples before they are Ministers trained up in the Faith and Doctrine of the Gospel before they undertake a publick Charge Observe farther The Holy Preparative which our Saviour uses in order to this Election of his Apostles he goeth up into a Mountain to pray upon that great Occasion So says St. Luke 6.12 He went up into a Mountain to pray and spent the night in Prayer to God And when it was Day he called his Disciples and of them he chose Twelve In this Prayer no doubt he pleaded with his Father to furnish those that were to be sent forth by him with all Ministerial Gifts and Graces Learn thence That as Prayer is a necessary Preparative to all Duties so more especially before the publick Election and Ordination of the Ministers of the Church solemn Prayer is to be used by such as are to ordain and choose them our Lord's Practice is to be a standing Rule herein to all Church Officers Observe again Tho' Christ called his Apostles now yet he did not send them forth now He ordained Twelve that they should be with him That is that they might converse with him and be Eye-witnesses and Ear-witnesses of his Life Doctrine and Miracles And having been thus with Christ and fitted and prepared by him for their Work afterwards they went forth Thence Learn That such as are to take upon them the Office of the Ministry ought first to be fitted and prepared for it then solemnly called to it before they enterprize and undertake the Execution of it if the Apostles here who were called and qualified extraordinarily were to spend some Time with Christ to receive Direction and Instruction from him before they went forth to preach how much more needful is it for such as are ordinarily called to be well-fitted and furnished for the Ministerial Service before they undertake it Observe next How the several Names of the Apostles are here Registred and Recorded God will honour those that honour him and are the special Instruments of his Glory Of these Apostles Peter is named first and Judas last Peter is named first because probably elder than the rest or because for Order-sake he might speak before the rest From whence may be inferr'd a Primacy but no Supremacy a Priority of Order not a Superiority of Degree As the Foreman of a Grand-Jury has a Precedency but no Preheminency he is first in order before the rest but has no Authority or Power over the rest Judas is named last with a Brand of Infamy upon him that he was the Traditor the Person that betrayed his Lord and Master Whence Learn That tho' the Truth of Grace be absolutely necessary to a Minister's Salvation yet the want of it doth not disannul his Office nor hinder the Lawfulness of his Ministry Judas tho' a Traytor was yet a Lawful Minister Observe lastly That our Saviour sirnamed James and John Boanerges Sons of Thunder St. Jerome thinks this Name was given them because being with Christ in the Mount at his Transfiguration they heard the Father's Voice out of the Cloud like Thunder Others think them so called because they were more vehement and earnest than the
Futurities to know things that shall come to pass hereafter and when that hereafter is to come to pass Oh! how happy were we if as forward to obey the Declarations of God's revealed will as we are to pry into the hidden Counsels of his secret Will Tell us say the Disciples when shall these things be 5 And Jesus answering them began to say take heed lest any man deceive you 6 For many shall come in my Name saying I am Christ and shall deceive many 7 And when ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars be ye not troubled for such things must needs be but the end shall not be yet 8 For nation shall rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom and there shall be earthquakes in divers places and there shall be famines and troubles These are the beginnings of sorrow 9 But take heed to your selves for they shall deliver you up to Councils and in the Synagogues ye shall be beaten and ye shall be brought before Rulers and Kings for my Sake for a Testimony against them 10 And the Gospel must first be published among all Nations Here and in the following Verses our Saviour gives his Disciples the Signs which should Fore-run the Destruction of Jerusalem the first of which was this that there should arise false Christs false Prophets and Seducers such as Theudas and others under the Name and Person of the Messias some affirming themselves to be Christ Personal or the promised Messiah others to be Christ Doctrinal affirming their Erroneous Opinions to be the Mind and Doctrine of Jesus Christ Learn hence That as there will be many Seducers before the end of the World for Jerusalem's Destruction was a Type and Emblem of the World's Destruction and many will be seduced and misled by them So it is the Duty of Christ's own Disciples to take heed lest they being also led away by the Error of the Wicked do fall from their own stedfastness Take heed says Christ That no man deceive you for many will come in my Name saying I am Christ and will deceive many The Second Sign of Jerusalem's Destruction was Wars and Rumours of Wars that is Civil Broyls and intestin Commotion amongst themselves as also Famine and Earth-quakes Whence Note That War and Fire Earth-quakes and Famine are Judgments and Calamities inflicted by God upon a sinful People for their Contempt of Christ and Gospel-Grace 2. That although these be very Terrible Judgments and desolating Calamities yet to an incorrigible and irreclaimable People are they the Fore-runners of worser Judgments These are says Christ the beginning of Sorrows The third Sign of this approaching Destruction was a general Persecution of the Ministers of the Gospel for Preâ—ching the Doctrine of the Gospel to a lost World Ye shall be beaten and brought before Kings for my sake for a Testimony From whence Note That the Preaching of the Gospel where ever it comes it will be for a Testimony to them to whom it comes either a Testimony for them or against them to the Humble it is a Testimony for to Despisers and Scorners it is a Testimony against if the Dust of the Ministers Feet bear Witness against the Despisers of the Gospel their Sermons much more The word of God delivered in the Scriptures and dispensed in the Ministry thereof hath its divers and contrary Effects upon different and contrary Subiects from both which yet Almighty God knows how to Raise his own Glory to the Humble and Teachable the Gospel is in Adjutorium to the Scorners and Despisers it will be in Testimonium to some the Savour of Life unto Life to others the Savour of Death unto Death 11 But when they shall lead you and deliver you up take no thought before hand what ye shall speak neither do ye premeditate But whatsoever shall be given you in that Hour that speak ye for it is not ye that speak but the Holy Ghost 12 Now the Brother shall Betray the Brother to death and the Father the Son and Children shall rise up against their Parents and shall cause them to be put to Death 13 And ye shall be hated of all Men for my Names sake but he that shall endure to the end the same shall be Saved Here our Saviour Acquaints his Disciples That for Preaching the Gospel they should be brought before Kings and Rulers but Advises them when they should be so brought not to be Anxiously Thoughtful and Sollicitous what they should say for it should be suggested to them by the Holy Ghost what to say in that Hour Learn thence That though the Truth of Christ may be opposed yet the Defenders of it shall never be ashamed for rather than they shall want a Tongue to plead for it God himselâ— will prompt them by his Holy Spirit and suggest such Arguments to them as all their Enemies shall not be able to gainsay Observe farther How our Saviour describes the bitter Enmity of the World against the Preachers of the Gospel to be such as would over come and extinguish even the Natural Affection of the nearest Relations one towards another The Brother shall betray the Brother tâ— Death Grace Teaches us to lay down our Lives for the Brethren but Corruption in General and Enmity to the Gâ—spel in particular teaches Brother to take away the Life oâ— Brother The Brother shall betray the Brother to Death Observe Lastly how our Saviour Comforts his Disciples that there would be an End of these their sharp and bitter Sufferings assuring them that if their Faith and Patience did hold out unto the end they should be Saved this is our Comfort Our Sufferings for Christ may be sharp but they shall be short if our Sufferinâ—s for Christ end not in our Life-time they will end with our Lives 14 When ye shall see the Abomination of Desolation spoken of by Daniel the Prophet standing where it ought not let him that readeth understand The sense is When ye shall see the Roman Army which is an Abomination to you and an occasion of great Desolation wherever it goes when you shall see that Abominable Desolating Army Begirting the City of Jerusalem in order to her Ruin and being laid waste Then call to mind the Prophecy of Daniel which primarily respected Antiochus but secondarily Titus the Roman Emperour and shall now be fully Compleated for the Siege shall not be Raised till both City and Temple be Razed to the Ground From whence Learn 1. That God has Instruments ready at his call to lay waste the strongest Cities and to Ruine the most Flourishing Kingdoms which do reject his Son and refuse the Tenders of his Grace 2. That God can and sometimes doth make use of those very Persons whom Sinners most abhor to be the Instruments oâ— their Punishment and the occasions of their Destruction The Roman Army which was an Abomination to the Jews did God destroy them by 15 Then let them in Judea flee to the Mountains and let him
to the Devil he is called the Vnclean Spirit The Devils those wicked Spirits of Hell are most impure and filthy Creatures impure by reason of their original Apostacy impure by means of their actual and daily Sins such are Murder Malice Lying and the like by which they continually pollute themselves and impure by means of their continual desire and endeavours to pollute Mankind with the Contagion of their own sins Lord how foul is the nature of Sin which makes the Devil such a foul and filthy such an impure and unclean Creature Obs 3. The Substance of the Devil's out-cry Let us alone What have we to do with thee art thou come to destroy us that is to restrain us from the exercise of our power the Devil thinks himself destroyed when he is restrained from doing Mischief Obs 4. The Title given by the Devil to our Saviour he stiles him The Holy one of God How comes this Acknowledgment out of the Devil's Mouth could an Apostle make a Profession beyond this but how comes Satan to make it for no good end and with no good intention we may be sure for the Devil never speaks Truth for Truth-sake but for advantage-sake probably 1. he might make this Profession that so he might bring the Truth profest into question hoping that a Truth which received Testimony from the Father of Lies would be suspected or 2. it might perhaps be done to make the People believe that our Saviour had some familiarity with Satan and did work Miracles by his help because he did confess him and seem to put honour upon him Hence we may Learn That it is possible for a Person to own and acknowledge Christ to be the True and Only Saviour and yet to miss of Salvation by him If a Speculative Knowledge and a verbal Profession of Christ were sufficient to Salvation the Devil himself would not miss of Happiness Obs 5. How our Saviour rebukes the Devil for this Confession and commands him Silence Jesus rebuked him saying hold thy peace But why was this Rebuke given the Devil and his Mouth stopt when he spake the Truth Answer 1. Because Christ knew that the Devil confest this Truth on purpose to Disgrace the Truth 2. Because the Devil was no fit Person to make this Profession a Testimony of Truth from the father of Lies is enough to render Truth it self suspected Yet the Devil's Evidence that Christ was the Holy One of God will rise up in Judgment against the wicked Pharisees who shut their Eyes against the Miracles and stopt their Ears against the Doctrine of the Holy One of God Observe lastly How the unclean Spirit obeys the voice of Christ but with great Reluctancy and Regret when the unclean Spirit had thrown him in the midst he came out Where Observe The Devil's spite at parting he tares the Man throws him violently from place to place shewing how loth he was to be dispossessed Where Satan has once gotten an hold and settled himself for a time how unwilling is he to be cast out of Possession Yea it is a Torment and vexation to him to be cast out It is much easier to keep Satan out then to cast him out Satan may possess the Body by God's Permission but he cannot possess our Hearts without our own Consent and Approbation it will be our Wisdom to deny him Entrance into our Souls at first by Rejecting his wicked Motions and Suggestions for when once entered he will like the strong Man Armed keep the House till a stronger then he casts him out 38 And he arose out of the Synagogue and entred into Simons house and Simons wives mother lay sick of a fever and they besought him for her 39 And he stood over her and rebuked the fever and it left her and immediately she arose and ministred unto them Here Observe 1. That St. Peter a Disciple yea an Apostle was a Married Person Neither the Prophets of the Old Testament nor the Apostles of the New did abhor the Marriage-Bed nor judge themselves too pure for an Institution of their Maker The Church of Rome by denying the Lawfulness of Priest's Marriage makes her self wiser then God who says Heb. 13.4 Marriage is Honourable amongst All men Observe 2. Peter tho a Good Man and his Wifes Mother probably a Gracious Woman yet is his Family visited with Sickness Strength of Grace and Dearness of Respect even from Christ himself cannot prevail against Diseases God's own Children are visited with Bodily Sickness as well as others Observe 3. The Divine Power of Christ manifested in this miraculous Cure He stood over her says St. Luke he took her by the hand and lift her up says St. Mark Here was an ordinary Distemper cured after an extraordinary manner by a touch of Christ's hand in an instant Immediately the Fever left her and she arose and ministred unto them That she could arise argued her Cure Miraculous that she could and did arise and administer to Christ and his Disciples argued her Thankfulness After Christ had healed any of us it ought to be our first care to Administer unto him that is to employ our Recovered Strength in the Service of Christ and to improve our Restored Health to the Honour and Glory of Christ 40 Now when the sun was setting all they that had any sick with divers diseases brought them unto him and he laid his hands on every one of them and healed them 41 And Devils also came out of many crying out and saying Thou art Christ the son of God and he rebuked them and suffered them not to speak for they knew that he was Christ The Evangelist here declares sundry other Cures wrought by our Saviour he healed the Sick and dispossessed the Devils In our Saviour's time we read of many possessed with Devils and but of few either before or afterward Probably 1. Because Satan perceiving the Messiah to be come in the Flesh to destroy his Kingdom did rage the more and discover greater Malice and Enmity against Mankind 2. Perhaps Almighty God suffered Satan at that time to possess so many that Christ might have occasion to manifest his Divine Power by casting Satan out And accordingly we find our Saviour dispossessing all that were possest by Satan It is added That he suffered not the Devils to speak because they knew him that is Christ would not be made known to be the Son of God by the Preaching of the Devil lest the World should from thence take occasion to think that our Saviour held a Correspondency with those wicked Spirits and that the Miracles which he wrought were performed by the Devil's Assistance as being one in Combination with him Possibly from the Devil 's owning Christ to be the Holy one of God the Pharisees concluded that there was a compact and agreement betwixt them and thereupon their Affirmation was Grounded he casteth out Devils by Belzebub the Prince of Devils 42 And when it was day he departed and went
to keep in Heavens way for fear of Hell 't is good to bid a Friend fear when that fear tendeth to his good 6 Are not five Sparrows sold for two farthings and not one of them is forgotten before God 7 But even the very hairs of your head are all numbered fear not therefore ye are of more value than many Sparrows Obs here 1. The Doctrine which our Saviour Preaches to his Disciples and that is the Doctrine of the Divine Providence which concerns it self for the meanest Creatures Even the Birds of the Air and the Hairs of our Heads do fall within the Compass of God's protecting Care Observe 2. Tha use which our Saviour makes of this Doctrine namely to fortify his Disciples Spirits against all Distrustful fears and distracting cares Learn hence 1. That the Consideration of the Divine Care and Gracious Providence of God over us and ours ought to Antidote our Spirits against all distrustful fears whatsoever If an hair from the Head falls not to the ground without a Providence much less shall the Head it self If the very excrements of the Body such are the Hair be taken care of by God surely the more Noble parts of the Body but especially the Noblest part of our Selves our Souls shall fall under his particular Regard 8 Also I say unto you whosoever shall confess me before men him shall the Son of man confess before the Angels of God 9 But he that denieth me before men shall be denied before the Angels of God Note here 1. That not to confess Christ is in his account to deny him and to be ashamed of him 2. That whosoever shall deny oâ— be ashamed of Christ either in his Person in his Gospel or in his Members for any fear or favour of Man shall with shame be disowned and eternally rejected by him at the dreadful Judgment of the great day Christ may be denied three ways Doctrinally by an erroneous and heretical Judgment verbally by oral expressions vitally by a wiâ—ked and unholy Life but wo to that Soul that denies Christ any of these ways 10 And whosoever shall speak a word against the Son of man it shall be forgiven him but unto him that blasphemâ—th against the Holy Ghost it shall not be forgiven Altho' never Man Preached or Lived as Christ did yet there were those that spake against him the Person of Jesus was contemned and reproached for the meanness of his Birth for the poverty of his Condition for the freedom of his Conversation but this sin did not exclude the hope of pâ—rdon Whosoever shall speak a word against the Son â—f Man it shall be forgiven him all the Reproaches cast upon Christ as Man were pardonable But whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost it shall not be fsrgiven him that is whoever affirms that Divine power by which I do all my Miracles to be the power of the Devil such Blasphemy will be unpardonable because it is to resist the last Remedy and to oppose the best Means for Mens Conviction For what could be done more to convince Men that Christ was the True and Promised Messias then to work so many Miracles before their Eyes to that purpose Now these Miracles tho' evidently wrought by the power of God the Pharisees ascribed to the Power of the Devil which our Saviour calls Blasphemy against the Holy Ghost and a Sin unpardonable 11 And when they bring you into the Synagogues and unto Magistrates and Powers take ye no thought how or what ye shall answer or what ye shall say 12 For the Holy Ghost shall teach you in the same hour what ye ought to say Here our Saviour acquaints his Apostles that for Preaching his Doctrine and professing his Religion they should be brought before all sorts of Magistrates and into all kinds of Courts but advises them when they should be so brought not to be anxiously thoughtful or sollicitously careful what they should say for it should be suggested to them by the Holy Ghost what they should speak in that Hour Thence Note That tho' the Truth of Christ may be opposed yet the Defenders of it shall never be ashamed for rather then they shall want a Tongue to plead for it God himself will prompt them by his Holy Spirit and furnish them with such Arguments to defend the Truth as all their Adversaries shall not be able to gainsay In that hour the Holy Ghost shall teach you what ye ought to say 13 And one of the Company said unto him Master Speak to my brother that he divide the Inheritance with me 14 And he said unto him Man Who made me a judge or a divider over you Whilst our Saviour was thus instructing his Disciples and the rest of his Auditors in things appertaining to the Kingdom of Heaven one of the Company being more intent as it seems upon his Temporal then his Eternal Concerns desired him to speak to his Brother to divide the Inheritance with him Christ tells him he would neither be judge nor arbitrator in any civil Affairs or secular Concerns This Work as if Christ had said belongs to the civil Magistrate to divide Inheritances and decide Controversies betwixt Man and Man But my work is of another Nature namely to preach the Gospel to a lost World and to direct Men how to secure an Inheritance in Heaven not to divide Inheritances here on Earth Teaching us That matters of Civil Justice do not belong to those whom Christ sends forth to preach the Gospel that work alone is sufficient for them The proper Work of a Minister is work enough one branch of which is to manage a perswading task betwixt Neighbour and Neighbour to prevent Differences and to compose them but as Christ's Commissioners and Ministers of the Gospel they have no Authority to intermeddle in civil Judgments Who made me a judge over you said our Great Master that is a Judge in Civil Affairs 15 And he said unto them Take heed and beware of Covetousness for a mans Life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth Our Saviour upon the occasion given him in the fore-going Verses admonishes all his Disciples and Followers to take heed and beware of the Sin of Covetousness assuring them that neither the Comfort nor Continuance of Man's Life doth consist in an Abundance for tho' something of this World's Goods is necessary to the Comfort and Happiness of Life yet abundance is not necessary Here Observe 1. The manner of our Lord's Caution he doubles it not saying take heed alone or beware only but take heed and beware both this argues that there is a strong inclination in our Natures to this Sin the great danger we are in of falling into it and of what fatal Consequence it is to them in whom this Sin Reigns Observe 2. The matter of the Caution or the Sin which our Saviour warns his Hearers against and that is Covetousness Take heed and beware of Covetousness where under
Foundation of Ruine in the most flourishing Cities and Kingdoms Jerusalem the Glory of the World is here by sin threatned to be made a Desolation 2. That the Threatnings of God are to be feared and shall be Fulfilled whatever appearing Improbabilities there may be to the contrary 'T is neither the Temples Strength nor Beauty that can oppose or withstand God's Power 7 And they asked him saying Master But when shall these things be and what sign will there be when these things shall come to pass A double Question is here propounded to our Saviour namely when the Destruction of Jerusalem should be â—nd what would be the signs of it From whence Learn What an itching Curiosity there is in the best of Men to know Futurities and to understand things that shall come to pass hereafter and when that hereafter is come to pass oh how happy were it if we were as forward to obey the Declarations of God's Revealed Will as we are to pry into the hidden Counsels of his secret Will Tell us say the Disciples when shall these things be 8 And he said take heed that ye be not deceived for many shall come in my name saying I am Christ and the time draweth near go ye not therefore after them 9 But when ye shall hear of Wars and Commotions be not troubled for these things must first come to pass but the end is not by and by 10 Then said he unto them Nation shall rise against Nation and Kingdom against Kingdom 11 And great Earthquakes shall be in divers places and famines and pestilences and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from Heaven Observe here Christ does not gratify his Disciples Curiosity but acquaints them with their present Duty namely to watch against Deceivers and Seducers who should have the Impudence to affirm themselves to be Christ saying I am Christ Some Christ personal or the Messias others Christ Doctrinal affirming their erroneous Opinions to be Christ's Mind and Doctrine Take heed that ye be not deceived for many shall come in my Name saying I am Christ Observe farther the signs which our Saviour gives of Jerusalem's approaching Destruction namely the many Broyls and Commotions the Civil Discords and Dissentions that should be found amongst the Jews immediately before You shall hear of Wars and Commotions and see fearful Sights and great Signs from Heaven Josephus declares that there appeared in the Air Chariots and Horsemen Skirmishing and that a Blazing Star in fashion of a Sword hung over the City for a year together Hence Learn That War Pestilence and Famine are Judgments and Calamities inflicted by God upon a sinful People for their Contempt of Christ and Gospel-Grace Ye shall hear of War Famine and Pestilence 12 But before all these things they shall lay their hands on you and persecute you delivering you up to the Synagogues and into prisons being brought before Kings and Rulers for my names sake 13 And it shall turn to you for a Testimony 14 Settle it therefore in your Hearts not to meditate before what ye shall answer 15 For I will give you a mouth and wisdom which all your Adversaries shall not be able to gainsay or resist 16 And ye shall be betrayed both by parents and brethren and kinsfolks and friends and some of you shall they cause to be put to death 17 And ye shall be hated of all men for my names sake 18 But there shall not an hair of your head perish 19 In your patience possess ye your Souls Our Saviour here goes on in giving farther Signs of Jerusalem's Destruction he declares 1. The sharp Persecution that should fall upon the Apostles themselves They shall lay their hands on you and persecute you Learn thence That the keenest and sharpest edge of Persecution is usually turned upon the Ambassadors of Christ and falls heaviest on the Ministers of God 2. He acquaints them that for Preaching his Holy Doctrine they should be brought before Kings and Rulers but advises them not to be anxiously thoughtful or exceedingly sollicitous what they should say for it should be suggested to them by the Holy Ghost what they should say in that hour Learn thence That tho' the Truth of Christ may be opposed yet the Defenders of it shall never be ashamed for rather then they shall want a Tongue to plead for it God himself will prompt them by his Holy Spirit and suggest such Arguments to them as all their Enemies shall not be able to gainsay I will give you a mouth and wisdom Observe 3. How he describes the bitter Enmity of the World against the Preachers of his Gospel to be such as would overcome and extinguish even the Natural Affection of nearest Relations Ye shall be betrayed both by Parents and Brethren Grace teaches us to lay down our Lives for the Brethren but Corruption in General and Enmity to the Gospel in Particular will put Brother upon taking away the Life of Brother and cause Parents to hate and persecute their own Bowels Observe Lastly Our Saviour's Admonition In your patience possess your Souls There are three Degrees of Christian Patience the first consists in a silent Submission to God's Will the Second in a thankful Acceptation of God's Fatherly Rod the third in serious chearfulness under sorrowful Dispensations Rejoycing in Tribulation and counting it all joy when we fall into divers Temptations by this Patience we possess our Souls as Faith gives us the Possession of Christ so Patience gives us the possession of our selves an impatient Man is not in his own hand for what Title soever we have to our own Souls we have no possession of them without Patience In your patience possess your Souls 20 And when ye shall see Jerusalem compassed with Armies then know that the Desolation thereof is nigh 21 Then let them which are in Judea flee to the Mountains and let them which are in the midst of it depart out and let not them that are in the Countries enter thereinto 22 For these be the days of Vengeance that all things which are written may be fulfilled 23 But wo unto them which are with Child and to them that give Suck in those days for there shall be great distress in the Land and wrath upon this People 24 And they shall fall by the edge of the Sword and shall be led away Captive into all Nations and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles until the time of the Gentiles be fulfilled 25 And there shall be Signs in the Sun and in the Moon and in the Stars and upon the Earth distress of Nations with perplexity the Sea and the Waves roaring 26 Mens hearts failing them for fear and for looking after those things which are coming on the Earth for the powers of Heaven shall be shaken 27 And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory 28 And when these things come to pass then look up and lift
Person that Suffered three Days ago when his Death doth so well agree with the Predictions of the Prophets who fore-told that the Messias should be cut off but not for himself and be smitten for the iniquities of his People Here we may Observe The great Wisdom and Grace of God who makes sometimes the Diffidence of his People an occasion of farther clearing up the choicest Truths unto them Never did these Disciples hear so Excellent an Exposition of Moses and the Prophets concerning the Messiah as now when their sinful distrust had so far prevailed over them 2. Observe The Doctrines which Christ instructs his Disciples in namely in the Necessity of his Death and Passion and of his Glory and Exaltation Ought not Christ to Suffer and to enter into his Glory Learn 1. That with Respect to God's Decree and with Relation to Mans Guilt the Death of Christ was Necessary and Indispensable 2. That his Resurrection and Exaltation was as Necessary as his Passion 3. That there was a Meritorious Connexion between Christ's Sufferings and his Glory his Exaltation was Merited by his Passion He was to drink of the Brook in the way and then he should lift up his head Observe 4. Christ did not only put Light into these his Apostles Heads but Heat also into their Hearts which burned all the while he Communed with them Did not our Hearts burn within us while he opened to us the Scriptures Oh what an efficacious Power is there in the word of Christ when set home upon the Hearts of Men by the Spirit of Christ 33 And they rose up the same Hour and returned to Jerusalem and found the Eleven gathered together and them that were with them 34 Saying The Lord is Risen indeed and hath Appeared to Simon 35 And they told what things were done in the way and how he was known to them in Breaking of Bread 36 And as they thus spake Jesus himself stood in the midst of them and saith unto them Peace be unto you 37 But they were Terrified and Affrighted and supposed that they had seen a Vision 38 And he said unto them Why are ye troubled and why do Thoughts arise in your Hearts 39 Behold my Hands and my Feet that it is I my self handle me and see For a Spirit hath not Flesh and Bones as ye see me have 40 And when he had thus spoken he shewed them his Hands and his Feet 41 And while they yet believed not for joy and wondered he said unto them Have ye here any Meat 42 And they gave him a piece of a Broyled Fish and of an Honey-comb 43 And he took it and did eat before them 44 And he said unto them These are the words which I speak unto you whilst I was yet with you That all things must be Fulfilled which were written in the Law of Moses and of the Prophets and in the Psalms concerning me Observe 1. That these Two Disciples at Emmaus being fully satisfied in the Truth of Christ's Resurrection by his Appearing to them in Breaking of Bread they arose presently and went from Emmaus to Jerusâ—lem It must needs be late at Night being after Supper and Seven Miles Distance Yet considering the Sorrow that the Disciples were under these Two leave all their Private Affairs and hasten to Comfort them with the glad Tidings of our Lord's Resurrection Teaching us That all Secular Affairs all private and particular Business must give place to the Glory of God and the Comfort and Salvation of Souls Observe 2. The great Endeavours which our Saviour used to confirm his Disciples Faith in the Doctrine of the Resurrection He comes and stands in the midst of them and says Peace be unto you Next he shews them h s pierced Hands Side and Feet with the Scars and Marks which he yet retained that they might see it was their Crucified Master After all this He eats before them a piece of broiled Fish and Honey-comb Not that he needed it his Body being now become Immortal but to assure them that it was his own Person and that he had still the same Body Yet so slack and backward were they to Believe that Christ was Risen that all the Predictions of the Scripture all the Assurances they had from our Saviour's Mouth and the several Appearings of Christ unto them were little enough to establish and confirm their Faith in the Resurrection of our Saviour Observe 3. The highest and fullest Evidence which our Saviour offers to Evince and Prove the Certainty of his Resurrection Namely by Appealing to their Senses Handle me and see Christ admits the Testimony of our Senses to assure it be his Real Body And if the Church of Rome will not allow us to believe our Senses we shall loose the best External Evidence we can have to prove the Truth of the Christian Religion Namely the Miracles of Christ For how can I know that those Miracles were True but by the Judgment of my Senses Now as our Senses tell us that Christ's Miracles were True so they assure us that the Doctrine of Transubstantiation is False 45 Then opened he their Understandings that they might understand the Scriptures 46 And he said unto them Thus it is Written and thus it behoveth Christ to Suffer and to Rise from the Dead the Third Day 47 And that Repentance and Remission of Sins should be Preached in his Name among all Natitions beginning at Jerusalem 48 And ye are Witnesses of these things Note here That the opening of the Mind and Heart effectually to Receive the Truths of God is the peculiar Prerogative and Office of Jesus Christ Then opened he their Vnderstandings Namely by the Illuminations of his Holy Spirit One of the greatest Miseries under which Lapsed Nature Labours is Spiritual Blindness Christ has the only Eye-salve which can Heal and Cure it Revel 3.18 And there is no worse Cloud to Obscure the Light of the Spirit than a proud Conceit of our own Knowledge Observe 2. The Special Charge given by our Saviour to his Apostles to Preach Repentance and Remission of Sin to Preach it in Christ's Name to Preach it to all Nations beginning first at Jerusalem Where Note The Astonishing Mercy of Jesus Christ Although Jerusalem was the Place where he lost his Life the City that Barbarously Butcher'd and Inhumanely Murthered him yet there he will have the Doctrine of Repentance Preach'd nay first Preached there the Gospel-Combination must first begin That Repentanâ—e and Remission of Sin be Preached beginning at Jerusalem Lord How unwilling art thou that any should Perish when thou not only prayedst for thy Murtherers and offeredst up thy Blood to God in the Behalf of them that shed it but Requiredst thy Ambassadors to make Jerusalem the first Tender of Remission upon Condition of Repentance That Repentance and Remission of Sin should be Preached among all Nations beginning at Jerusalem 49 And behold I send the Promise of my Father upon you but tarry ye
Devil's Slaves to become Christ's Free Men. 37 I know that ye are Abrahams seed but ye seek to kill me because my word hath no place in you 38 I speak that which I have seen with my Father and ye do that which ye have seen with your father 39 They answered and said unto him Abraham is our father Jesus saith unto them If ye were Abrahams children ye would do the works of Abraham 40 But now ye seek to kill me a man that hath told you the truth which I have heard of God this did not Abraham The Jews boasting again that they were Abraham's Seed and bearing themselves much upon it our Saviour tells them he knew they were so his natural Children according to the Flesh but not his genuine Children according to the Spirit This he proves because they did not tread in Abraham's steps and do his works for if either the Temper of their Minds or the Actions of their Lives were agreeable to Abraham they would not seek as they did to destroy and kill him only for bringing the Doctrine of Salvation to them which he had heard and learned of the Father Hence learn 1. How prone we are to glory in our outward Priviledges and to reâ—y upon them Whereas these are Arguments of God's goodness towards us but no evidences of our goodness towards him 2. That it is very dangerous and unsafe to pride our selves in and depend upon any external priviledges and prerogatives whatsoever As our being Born within the pale of the visible Church our descending from Pious Parents and Holy Progenitors for unless we be followers of their Faith admirers of their Piety and imitate their Example we are none of their Children but belong to another Father as our Saviour tells the Jews in the next Verses 41 Ye do the deeds of your father Then said they to him We be not born of fornication we have one Father even God 42 Jesus said unto them If God were your Father ye would love me for I proceeded forth and came from God neither came I of my self but he sent me 43 Why do ye not understand my speech even because ye cannot hear my word 44 Ye are of your father the devil and the lusts of your father ye will do he was a murderer from the beginning and abode not in the truth because there is no truth in him When he speaketh a lie he speaketh of his own for he is a liar and the father of it In the former Verses the Jews made their Boast that they were the Children of Abraham in these that they are the Children of God We have one father even God This our Saviour disproves Telling them that if God were their Father they would love him as proceeding from him by eternal Generation and in his Office imployed by him as Mediatour Also if God were their Father they would understand him speaking from God whereas now they were so transported with Malice that they could not endure his Doctrine with patience tho' it came from God All which were undeniable proofs that they were not the Children of God Hence learn That none can justly pretend any Interest in God as his Children but they that love Christ as being the Express Image of his Father's Person and do hear and receive his Doctrine as coming from God This the Jews did not do therefore says Christ They are not the Children of God Observe farther Having told them whose Children they are not our Saviour tells them plainly whose Children they were Ye are of your father the Devil This appears by their being Acted by him by their Resembling and Imitating of him their Inclinations Dispositions and Actions being all to fulfil the Lusts of the Devil Now as his Servants we are whom we obey so his Children we are whom we resemble Learn hence That Men's sinful Practices will prove them to be Satan's Children let their Profession be what it will if in the Temper of their Minds and in the Actions of their Lives there be a Conformity to Satan's Disposition and a ready Compliance with his Temptations they are certainly his Children what pretences soever they make of being the Children of God None could pretend higher to the Relation of God's Children than these Jews did yet says Christ Ye are the Children of the Devil for his workâ— ye do 45 And because I tell you the truth ye believe me not 46 Which of you convinceth me of sin And if I say the truth Why do ye not believe me 47 He that is of God heareth Gods words ye therefore hear them not because ye are not of God 48 Then answered the Jews and said unto him Say we not well that thou art a Samaritan and hast a devil 49 Jesus answered I have not a devil but I honour my Father and ye do dishonour me 50 And I seek not mine own glory there is one that seeketh and judgeth Here Observe 1. The free Reproof which Christ gave the Jews for their obstinate Unbelief Because I tell you the Truth ye Believe me not 2. The Challenge which he gives the worst of his Adversaries Which of you convinceth me of Sin So perfectly pure Innocent and Spotless was the Doctrine and Life of Christ That altho' his Enemies loaded him with Slander and false Accusation yet none of them could justly convince him of much less condemn him for the least known Sin Observe 3. The Jews being enraged at this free Reproof fell a railing at his Person charging him with being a Samaritan possessed with an Evil Spirit Our Saviour meekly replies That he did not deal with the Devil but was honouring his Father in what he did and said And therefore his Father would take care of his honour and judge between him and them Here Note That tho' Christ used some sharpness in Reproving the Jews and Representing them to themselves yet he answers with wonderful mildness and meekness when he discovers his Resentments of his own Reproaches How cool was Christ in his own Cause but hot enough in Gods 51 Verily verily I say unto you If a man keep my saying he shall never see death 52 Then said the Jews unto him Now we know that thou hast a devil Abraham is dead and the prophets and thou sayest If a man keep my saying he shall never taste of death 53 Art thou greater then our father Abraham which is dead and the prophets are dead whom makest thou thy self 54 Jesus answered If I honour my self my honour is nothing it is my Father that honoureth me of whom ye say that he is your God 55 Yet ye have not known him but I know him and if I should say I know him not I shall be a liar like unto you but I know him and keep his saying Observe here 1. The blessed Fruit and effect of observing our Saviour's Doctrine He that keeps my saying shall never see Death that is Shall be secured from Eternal Misery and enjoy Eternal
chearful Obedience a pleasing and an acceptable Obedience A constant and Abiding Obedience All other motives without Love are servile and base and beget in us the drudgery of a Slave but not the Duty of a Son he that fears God only is afraid of smarting but he that Loves God is afraid of offending Learn hence That the best and surest evidence we can have of our Love to the Lord Jesus Christ is an humble chearful universal and persevering Obedience to his commands keep my Commandments that is endeavour it without reserve for tho' we cannot keep the Commandments to a just satisfaction yet we may perform them to a gracious acceptation And the Word My My Commandments is a sweetning and alleviating Word Moses's Law an unsupportable Load but Christ's Law an easie Burthen The Law from Sinai dreadful the Law from Sion Gracious it pardons weakness and accepts sincerity 16 And I will pray the Father and he shall give you another Comforter that he may abide with you for ever 17 Even the Spirit of truth whom the world cannot receive because it seeth him not neither knoweth him but ye know him for he dwelleth with you and shall be in you Christ comforteth his Disciples here with a promise of the Mission of the Holy Spirit to supply the want of his Bodily presence Where Observe The procurer of this Blessing 1. And that is Christ by his prevailing Prayer and powerful Intercession I will pray it runs in the future Tense and so 't is a promise of Christ's continual Intercession As long as Christ is in Heaven a Christian shall not want a supply of Comfort and Consolation here on Earth Observe 2. The Author and Donour of the blessing and that is God himself I will pray the Father and he shall give The Father that is my Father your Father and he that is the Father of Comfort and all Consolation I will pray and he will give 'T is an expression of great assurance Observe 3. The blessing it self the Holy Ghost called here Another Comforter Where note 1. The Divinity of the Holy Ghost he that will supply the Comforts of Christ's presence must be as Christ is the God of all Comfort Note 2. The person of the Holy Ghost he is a Divine person not a Divine quality or operation then we might call him a Comfort but not a Comforter Note 3. The Office and Imployment of the Holy Ghost He is a Comforter that is an Advocate and Intercessour to sue for us an Encourager and one that Administers Consolation to us and as he is an Holy Spirit so are his Comforts Holy Comforts Observe 4. The stability of this Blessing That he may abide with you for ever The best of our outward Comforts are sudden flashes not lasting flames but the Consolations of the Holy Spirit are strong Consolations they are abounding Consolations and everlasting Consolations especially the Holy Spirit will be the Comforter of good Men in the day of Affliction in the day of Temptation and at the hour of Death when all other comforts flag and fail Observe lastly The additional Title given to the Holy Ghost he is called the Spirit of Truth partly in opposition to Satan who is called a Lying Spirit partly because he teacheth and revealeth the Truth leadeth his People into all Truth and sealeth and confirmeth Truth to the Souls of Believers he is the Spirit of Truth both in his Essence and in his Operations Learn hence That as the Holy Spirit is True in his Essence and Nature so is he True in his Office as a Comforter to good Men. All his Consolations being real and solid and free from imposture and delusion 18 I will not leave you comfortless I will come to you Here Observe 1. The Condition which the Disciples were in upon the account of Christ's removal from them and that was sad and Comfortless Fatherless or Orphans as the word signifies Hence learn That Christ's Departure or the loss of his gracious Presence is very sad and Comfortless to a Pious Soul well might the Disciples here lament and mourn upon the occasion of Christ's leaving of them seeing thereby they should be deprived of his Doctrine and Instructions of his Advice and Counsel and of the Benefit of his Holy and Instructive Example Observe 2. The care of Christ for his Disciples in reference to this their sad and disconsolate Condition He would not leave them Comfortless Where Note He doth not say I will not suffer you to be comfortless but I will not leave you so that is he will not desert or disown them in their comfortless Condition he will not leave them either in point of Affection or in point of Activity he will not cease to Love them nor cease to bestir himself for them Learn hence That Christ will not leave his Friends in a sad and Comfortless state and Condition tho' for a time they may be brought into it I will not leave you Comfortless I will come unto you Christ's coming here unto them is to be understood of his coming to them by his Holy Spirit in the Gifts of it in the Graces of it and in the Comforts of it thus he did not long leave them Comfortless but at the Feast of Pentecost came again to them 19 Yet a little while and the world seeth me no more but ye see me because I live ye shall live also 20 At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father and you in me and I in you Here our Saviour foretels his approaching Death that within a little time the Men of the World should see him no more for tho' he arose again the World saw him no more after his Death for we Read of no Appearances of him after his Resurrection to any but to his Disciples only indeed the hour is coming when the World shall see him again Namely At the Day of Judgment when every Eye shall behold him with Terror and Amazement Observe farther The Consolation given to his Disciples Ye shall see me and because I live ye shall live also Because I am raised from the Grave I will quicken your Dead Bodies in the Grave and ye shall live also and as I live by my Ascension into Heaven so shall you my Disciples live a Life of Grace here and a Life of Glory with my self hereafter Learn hence That a Believer's Spiritual Life is derived from Christ who by his Spirit Communicates a quickening vertue to all his Members because he lives they shall live also Observe lastly A farther priviledge ensured to Believers after Christ's Ascension and the Spirits Mission they should more perfectly understand the Essential union betwixt Christ and the Father and the Mystical Union betwixt Christ and his Members At that Day ye shall know that I am in my Father c. The knowledge which the Saints now have of the Mysterious and Mystical Union is but dark and imperfect but in Heaven they shall
understand these things clearly 21 He that hath my commandments and keepeth them he it is that loveth me and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father and I will love him and will manifest my self to him Our Blessed Saviour in these words repeats what he had before injoined at Verse 15. Namely to evidence the sincerity of our Love to him by the Universality of our Obedience to his Commands He that hath my Commandments and keepeth them he it is that loveth me Where Note 1. The Necessity of Knowledge in order unto Practice 2. The Necessity of Practice in order unto Happiness we must first have Christ's Commandments before we can keep them we must have them in our Understandings and Judgments in our Wills and Affections not have them only in our Eyes to read in our Ears to hear or in our Mouths to talk of them but to hide them in our Hearts that we may not Sin against Christ in the wilful violation of them Farther we must keep as well as have these Commandments This denotes an universal diligent and persevering Obedience to them Hence Learn That altho' many loose Professors pretend love to Christ because they hear read know and can talk of his Commandments yet in Christ's Account none do truly love him but those who make Conscience of their Obedience to him He that hath my Commandments and keepeth them he it is that loveth me Observe next The gracious Promise of Christ to such as thus express their Love unto him 1. He shall be loved of my Father and of my self And shall he not be loved of the Holy Ghost too Yes no doubt But why is not he named then Because the Son dwelleth in us by the Spirit and sheds his Love abroad in our Hearts by the Holy Ghost 2. I will manifest my self unto him that is such Obedient Christians shall not only injoy the Fruit and Benefit of my Love but they shall injoy the Sense of my Love and experience the sensible manifestations and inward diffusions of my Love in their own Souls Learn hence That the only way to have Christ Love us and to let out his Love upon us and to know that he Loves us is to look diligently to our Obediential walking with him and before him We may as rationally think to nourish our Bodies with Poison as to injoy the manifestations of Christ's Love in a way of Sin 22 Judas saith unto him not Iscariot Lord how is it that thou wilt manifest thy self unto us and not unto the world Some understand these words of a Temporal manifestation and think that Judas the Brother of James who spake them still expected that Christ should be a Temporal Prince and have such a Kingdom as should be Conspicuous to all the World and therefore puts the question how he could possibly shew himself to his Disciples and the World not see him Others understand it of a Spiritual manifestation as if he had said Lord who or what are we thy Disciples that we should enjoy more special manifestations of thy Love to us than to the rest of the World why should we be dignified with such distinguishing favours above others Learn thence 1. That there is a real difference put by Christ betwixt his own Children and the World in the matter of special Manifestations 2. That there being no cause from the Creature why Christ should make this difference his discriminating Grace is matter of just and great Admiration well might the Apostle out of a deep Admiration say Lord how is it that thou wilt manifest thy self to us and not unto the World 23 Jesus answered and said unto him If a man love me he will keep my words and my Father will love him and we will come unto him and make our abode with him 24 He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings and the word which you hear is not mine but the Fathers which sent me Observe here How our Saviour still goes on to direct and encourage his Disciples to evidence the sincerity of their Love to his Person by the universality of their Obedience to his Commands and tells them how great their Advantage would be by so doing For First the Father will love them that is manifest his favour to them in farther dispensations of Grace and Comfort Learn thence That all the Manifestations of Divine Love to the Souls of Believers depend upon their close walking with God in the paths of Holiness and strict Obedience Secondly We will make our abode with him He shall have Father and Son's Company an Allusion to a Parent that has many Children he will be sure to live with them that are most Dutiful to him and most observant of him The expression of making their abode with us denotes that sweet and intimate fellowship which shall be betwixt God and us and the perpetuity and constancy of it at all times till we are taken up by him into Heaven he will make his abode with us by the indwelling presence of his Holy Spirit the Graces and Comforts whereof shall abide with us for ever 25 These things have I spoken unto you being yet present with you 26 But the Comforter which is the holy Ghost whom the Father will send in my name he shall teach you all things and bring all things to your remembrance whatsoever I have said unto you Here we have a repeated Promise of the Mission of the Holy Ghost called the Comforter and his special Office declared Namely To teach and to bring to remembrance what Christ had taught He shall teach you all things As the Spirit of God is the great Comforter so he is the special Teacher of his Children he Teacheth condescendingly stooping to the meanest capacities he Teacheth efficaciously inclining the Heart to receive Instruction as well as opening the Ear to hear it he Teacheth plainly and â—learly unerringly and infallibly he is Truth it self and therefore his teachings are most True And as the Holy Spirit is the Saints Teacher so is he also their Remembrancer He shall bring all things to your Remembrance that is all Truths needful to be known and necessary to Salvation Here Note That the Holy Spirit Teaches nothing but what Christ himself Taught the Spirit Teaches in the word and by the word but never Teaches any thing contrary to the word He shall Teach and bring to Remembrance whatsoever I have said unto you 27 Peace I leave with you my peace I give unto you not as the world giveth give I unto you Let not your heart be troubled neither let it be afraid As if our Lord had said Whatever outward Trouble the World gives you be not afraid of it before it comes nor troubled at it when it is come for I will give you inward Peace in the midst of all your outward Troubles Not as the world giveth give I unto you Where Note That Christ's Peace is vastly different from that Peace which is given or enjoyed
our Lord again forewarns his Disciples of their approaching Sufferings to the intent that they might remember that he had foretold them of them and would not fail to support them under them He had often told them in general of Persecutions and Troubles which they must expect to meet with but did not till now intimate the kinds and degrees of those Sufferings with respect to their Weakness and because whilst he was with them he himself bear the brunt of all the Worlds Rage falling upon him letting them along But after his Ascension when the Malice of Satan and wicked Men could not reach him then did the Storm fall upon them Hence learn 1. That Christ is so tender of his Disciples Weakness that he will not put them upon the hardship of Sufferings till they be trained up and prepared for them 2. That it may encourage the Saints in and under their Sufferings that Christ himself is the great Object of the Persecutors Malice and they only so for his sake for could they reach him they would not concern themselves with them Learn 3. That the Saints of God after long Exemption and Freedom from Sufferings must expect that Storms will arise Clouds gather thick and Trials come on a pace and their being under one Trial will not hide or shelter them from another 5 But now I go my way to him that sent me and none of you asketh me Whither goest thou 6 But because I have said these things unto you sorrow hath filled your heart Observe here How our Saviour again intimates to his Disciples his speedy departure from them and reproves them for being so sadded as it and concerned for it without considering the End and Design of it and the Benefit and Advantage they were to receive by it Here we see how the Disciples Thoughts were wholly taken up about themselves what they should do for want of Christ's bodily Presence without being instant with him to know whither he was going and what Benefit he should reap and they might expect from his departure Learn hence That Christ's Disciples ought not so much to have lamented the loss of his bodily Presence as to have rejoyced in his Glorious Exaltation and in their own Advantages by his Death Resurrection and Ascention None of you ask me Whither goest thou But sorrow hath filled your heart 7 Nevertheless I tell you the truth It is expedient for you that I go away for if I go not away the Comforter will not come unto you but if I depart I will send him unto you In these words our Saviour urges his Disciples to submit to his Departure as that which would make way for his sending the Comforter to them which he assures them would be of more Advantage to them than his own stay and continuance amongst them Thence learn That the Presence of the Holy Spirit with us is a greater Comfort and Advantage to us than the Presence of Christ in the Flesh amongst us Christ's bodily Presence was comfortable but the Spirit is more intimately a Comforter than Christ in his fleshly Presence Because the Spirit can comfort all Believers at once in all Places but Christ's bodily Presence can comfort but few and that in one Place only at once Christ did converse with his Disciples outwardly but the Spirit possess'd himself of their Hearts inwardly Now for the Spirit to dwell in us is more advantagious than to have Christ dwell in the Flesh amongst us The Benefit of Christ's Conversation was great but the Advantage of the Spirit 's Renovation and holy Inspirations is much greater The one encourages and excites us to be Holy but the other quickens and enables us to be Holy Therefore well might Christ say It is expedient or highly necessary and advantagious for you that I go away He subjoyns a Reason If I go not away the Comforter will not come but if I depart I will send him to you Whence we learn That Christ's Ascension was indispensably necessary in order to the Spirit 's Mission the Spirit could not have descended if Christ had not first ascended the Spirit could not come but by the Gift and Mission of the Mediator Now the sending of the Spirit being a part of Christ's Royalty as Mediator it was not convenient that the Spirit should be sent till Christ was Crowned and sate down on his Throne in his Kingdom then the Spirit was to make Application to us of the Redemption purchased for us 8 And when he is come he will reprove the world of sin and of righteousness and of judgment 9 Of sin because they believe not on me 10 Of righteousness because I go to my Father and ye see me no more 11 Of judgment because the prince of this world is judged In these and the following Verses our Saviour acquaints his Disciples with the Advantages that will redound by the coming of the Comforter First The Advantage to the World Secondly To the Apostles And Thirdly To himself To the World 1. He shall convince them of Sin Righteousness and Judgment Of Sin that is of their sinful State and Nature of the large extent of Sin and particularly of the sin of Unbelief Learn hence 1. That the Spirit of God is the Author of Conviction of Sin and that all Convictions of Sin do either mediately or immediately flow from him 2. That Unbelief is a Sin of the greatest malignity against Christ and of greatest danger to a Christian's Soul He shall convince the World of Sin because they believe not on me Secondly Of Righteousness that is of the insufficiency of all humane Righteousness and of the necessity of the Righteousness of a Mediator by which alone we are to expect acceptance with God Thirdly Of Judgment that is the Spirit shall convince the World that Jesus is both Lord and Christ that he had a Power to judge Satan the Prince of the World and that he did by his Death put down the Kingdom of Darkness Learn hence 1. That Satan is a Prince who by unjust Usurpation and the Sinners voluntary Consent has exercised a Tyrannical Power over the World 2. That Christ by his Death did judge condemn and overcome this mighty Prince and hath made his Conquest evident to the Consciences of Men by the Convictions of his Holy Spirit The Spirit shall convince of Judgment that is that Satan the Prince of this World is judged 12 I have yet many things to say unto you but ye cannot bear them now 13 Howbeit when he the Spirit of truth is come he will guide you into all truth The second Benefit which our Saviour declares was to be expected by the coming of the Holy Spirit relates to the Apostles themselves He shall guide you into all Truth that is into all Truth necessary for you to know in order to Salvation This is a principal Text which the Papists bring for their Doctrine of Infallibility but groundlesly For this Promise was made to all
the Apostles as well as Peter nay not only to the Apostles but to all their Successors yea not to the Apostles only and their Successors but to all Believer also for they are led by the Spirit of God and that into all Truth too not absolutely but into all necessary Truth And so far as a private Christian follows the Conduct and Guidance of the Divine Spirit he is more infallible than either Pope or Council who follow the Dictates and Direction of their own Spirits only 13 For he shall not speak of himself but whatsoever he shall hear that shall he speak and he will shew you things to come That is he shall not teach you a private Doctrine or that which is contrary to what ye have learned of me but whatsoever he shall hear of me and receive from me that shall he speak and he will shew you things to come This affords an Argument to prove the Holy Spirit to be God He that can shew us things to come he that clearly foreseeth and infallibly foretelleth what shall be before it is is certainly God But this the Holy Spirit doth he will shew you things to come Men and Devils may guess at things to come but none can shew things to come but he that is truly and really God therefore the Spirit is so 14 He shall glorifie me for he shall receive of mine and shall shew it unto you 15 All things that the Father hath are mine therefore said I that he shall take of mine and shall shew it unto you Here Christ shews the Advantage which would redound to himself by the coming of the Comforter he declares that the Spirit should glorifie him by his Testimony Gifts and Miracles and shall in all things accord with him and thereby evidence that he hath his Mission from him He shall receive of mine and shall shew it unto you And all things that the Father hath are mine Hence learn That although the Union in Essence amongst the Persons in the Trinity is the same yet the Order of their Subsistence and Operation is distinct the Son being from the Father and the Holy Ghost from the Father and the Son For all things that the Father hath are mine And the Spirit shall take of mine and shall shew it unto you 16 A little while and ye shall not see me and again a little while and ye shall see me because I go to the Father 17 Then said some of his disciples among themselves What is this that he saith unto us A little while and ye shall not see me and again a little while and ye shall see me and Because I go to the Father 18 They said therefore What is this that he saith A little while we cannot tell what he saith 19 Now Jesus knew that they were desirous to ask him and said unto them Do ye enquire among your selves of that I said A little while and ye shall not see me and again a little while and ye shall see me 20 Verily verily I say unto you that ye shall weep and lament but the world shall rejoyce and ye shall be sorrowful but your sorrow shall be turned into joy 21 A woman when she is in travail hath sorrow because her hour is come but assoon as she is delivered of the child she remembreth no more the anguish for joy that a man is born into the world 22 And ye now therefore have sorrow but I will see you again and your heart shall rejoyce and your joy no man taketh from you In these Words our Holy Lord proceeds to comfort his Disciples with a Promise That however he was now to be removed from them yet they should shortly see him again namely after his Resurrection it being impossible that he should be held by Death but must arise and go to his Father His Disciples not understanding what he meant but labouring under the Prejudices of their national Errors concerning the Temporal Kingdom of the Messias knew not what to make of those Words A little while and ye shall not see me Our Saviour therefore explains himself to his Disciples telling them that they shall have a time of sad sorrow and grief of Heart during the time of his suffering and absence from them but their Sadness should soon be turned into Joy when they shall see him alive again after his Resurrection This he illustrates by the Similitude of a travailing Woman who soon forgets her Sorrow after she has brought forth a Child Thus will their Hearts revive upon the sight of him risen from the Grave and no Man shall be able to take their Joy away from them because he shall die no more but go to Heaven and there live for ever to make Intercession for them Learn hence 1. From the Apostles not understanding Christ's Words concerning his Departure tho' so often inculcated upon them A little while and ye shall not see me because I go to the Father Hence Note How unreasonable it is to arrogate to Man's understanding a Power to comprehend Spiritual Mysteries yea to understand the plainest Truths till Christ enlightens the Understanding let the Doctrine be delivered never so plainly and repeated never so frequently yet will Men continue ignorant without Divine Illumination How often had this plain Doctrine of Christ's departure to the Father been preached to the Disciples by Christ's own Mouth yet still they say What is this he saith We cannot tell what he saith Learn 2. From the different Effects which Christ's absence should have upon the World and upon his Disciples The World will rejoyce but ye shall weep and lament Note 1. That it is the wretched Disposition of the World to rejoyce in the absence and want of Christ out of the World When I am gone the World will rejoyce 2. That nothing is the cause of so much Sorrow and Sadness to sincere Disciples as Christ's absence and removal from them Such is their Estimation of the worth of him so great is their Apprehension of the want of him that there is no loss comparable to his absence and removal from them ye shall weep and lament at my departure tho' the World will rejoyce Learn 3. That the Believers Sorrow for Christ's absence tho' it be very great yet it shall not be perpetual Ye have now sorrow but I will see you again and your heart shall rejoyce and your joy shall no man take from you The Joy of the Saints may be interrupted it shall never be totally extinguished it is a permanent Joy of which they shall never be totally deprived till they enter into the Ocean of eternal Joy Your Joy no Man taketh from you 23 And in that day ye shall ask me nothing Verily verily I say unto you Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name he will give it you 24 Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name ask and ye shall receive that your joy may be full At the first reading of the
23d Verse there seems to be a contradiction in the words Christ tells them in the former part of the Verse That they shall ask him nothing in that Day and yet promises that whatever they ask shall be given them in the latter part of the Verse To resolve this know that there is a twofold asking one by way of Question the other by way of Petition The former is asking that we may know or be informed in what we doubt the latter is asking that we may receive and be supplied with what we want now when Christ saith In that day ye shall ask me nothing it is as much as if he had said at present you understand but little of the Mysteries of Religion and therefore ye put Questions about many things But in that Day when the Comforter comes ye shall be so clearly inlightned by him that ye shall not need to ask me any more Questions But when Christ saith Whatever ye ask the Father in my name he will give it The meaning is In that day when I have left the World and ascended to my Father you shall not need to address your Prayers to me but to my Father in my name But what is it to pray in the name of Christ Answer It is more than to name Christ in Prayer it is easie to name Christ in Prayer but no easie thing to pray in the name of Christ To pray in the name of Christ is 1. To look up to Christ as having purchased for us this Priviledge that we may pray for it is by the Blood of Christ that we draw near to God and that a Throne of Grace is open for us 2. To pray in the name of Christ is to pray in the strength of Christ by the assistance of his Grace and the help of his Holy Spirit 3. To pray in the name of Christ is to pray by Faith in the Virtue of Christ's Mediation and Intercession believing that what we ask on Earth he interceeds for and obtains in Heaven To pray thus is no easie matter and unless we do pray thus we do not pray at all 24 Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name That is explicitely and expresly in my name for the Saints of God under the Old Testament and the Apostles themselves under the New had hitherto put up all their Petitions in the name of the Messiah tho' not in the name of Jesus But now he exhorts them to Eye his Mediatory Office in all their Addresses to God and promises them that whatsoever he had purchased of the Father by his Sufferings and Satisfaction they should obtain it for the sake of his prevailing Intercession Learn hence That it is a mighty encouragement to Prayer that now under the Gospel the person of the Mediatour is exhibited in our Flesh has satisfied Divine Justice in in our Nature and in that Nature interceeds as a Mediatour for whatever he purchased as our Surety Hence is the encouragement Whatever ye ask the Father in my name he will give it you 25 These things have I spoken unto you in proverbs the time cometh when I shall no more speak unto you in proverbs but I shall shew you plainly of the Father Here our Saviour tells his Disciples That although he had spoken many things to them in dark Parables and figurative Expressions yet now the time was approaching Namely The Comforter's coming when he would by the Holy Ghost clearly inlighten their Understandings in the Knowledg of Divine Mysteries and the things pertaining to the Kingdom of God and particularly in the Knowledge of God as his Father and their Father in him Hence learn 1. That the clearest Truths will be but Parables Proverbs and dark Mysteries even to Disciples themselves till the Holy Spirit inlightens their Understandings 2. That the clear and full manifestation of Divine Truth was reserved till the coming of the Comforter who did communicate it to the Apostles and by them to the Church or Body of Christians I by him will shew you plainly of the Father 26 At that day ye shall ask in my name and I say not unto you that I will pray the Father for you 27 For the Father himself loveth you because ye have loved me and have believed that I came out from God At that day shall ye ask in my name that is after I am Ascended into Heaven and have sent down the Holy Ghost upon you ye shall put up all your Prayers and requests to God in my name And I say not that I will pray the Father for you for the Father himself loveth you That is I need not tell you tho' I shall certainly do it that I will interceed with the Father for you for he of himself is kindly disposed and affected towards you for my sake When Christ says I do not say that I will pray the Father for you the meaning is not that he will lay aside his Office as Intercessour for Believers but that they had not only his Intercession but the Father's Love upon which to ground their hope of Audience Learn hence 1. That the Christians Prayers put up in Christ's name cannot fail of Audience and Acceptance for the sake of the Mediatour's Intercession and the Father's Love 2. That in our Prayers we ought so to eye and look up to Christ's Intercession as not to over-look or forget the Father's Love but ground our hopes of Audience upon both I say not that I will pray the Father for you tho' I shall assuredly do it for the Father himself loveth you because ye have loved me 28 I came forth from the Father and am come into the world again I leave the world and go to the Father 29 His disciples said unto him Lo now speakest thou plainly and speakest no proverb 30 Now are we sure that thou knowest all things and needest not that any man should ask thee by this we believe that thou camest forth from God Here Observe 1. A proof of our Saviour's God-head He came forth from the Father into the World he came out from the Father in his Incarnation and came into the World to accomplish the work of our Redemption Learn thence That Jesus Christ is true God equal with the Father for he was not only sent by him but came forth from him I came out from the Father Observe 2. That it pleased Christ out of Love to his People to leave the Father and come into the World not by being separated from the Deity but by obscuring the Deity with the vail of our Flesh in order to the finishing the great and glorious work of Redemption for us I came forth from the Father and am come into the World Observe 3. That Christ having finished his Suffering work here on Earth Ascended into Heaven and sent down the Holy Spirit to apply unto his Church the Redemption purchased by his Blood Again I leave the World and go to the Father Observe lastly How the Apostles