any other felicity and therefore they were woe at such speaches for they were more carnall than spirituall and tooke more heede to that carnall than spirituall ioy So this is our nature that if we can get in the world such aboundance of riches pleasure honour and such companie as we would we would neuer desire to goe out of this world but ay to remaine And when wee heare tell that wee must slit out of this worlde the rememberance of death will sting vs to the heart the Disciples were sad because the Lord was to goe from them It is the hardest thing in the worlde to gette the soule disseuered from the world and to get the eye set vpon Heauen and to get an hope of that Life Woe to that soule that getteth not hope to reach aboue this worlde that soule is in an euill estate And the Lord knowing this hee will take awaye from vs that companie that will drawe vs from him and piece and piece hee will take vs vnto himselfe for no man getteth the desire of Heauen in a moment but a man piece and piece stealeth out of the worlde and goeth to Heauen Thinke not thou therefore them happie who haue the worlde at their will No no it is well for that creature whom the Lord draweth out of the worlde by taking from them the thinges of the worlde For miserable are wee if ou◠hope bee not extended beyonde all earthlie yea spirituall comfortes that euen can befall vs in this life as Paul saieth Of all men wee are moste miserable if in this life onely wee haue hope in Christ 1. Cor. 1. vers 19. I goe forward As before hee gently reprooued them so in the next vers hee comforteth them Jt is expedient for you that J goe away for it J goe not away the Comforter shall not come to you but if J goe away I will sende him to you Heereby wee see that the holie Spirit commeth by the Resurrection and Glorification of IESVS CHRIST and therefore it is saide The holie Spirite was not giuen because Iesus was not as yet glorified Chap. 7. vers 39. And whatsoeuer grace was of the holie Spirite into the worlde was by vertue of that Resurrection of Christ to come and all this consolation wee haue floweth out of his Resurrection Glorification for out of his fulnesse we receiue a part he is full of glorie his soule is repleat and passeth all the Angels in glorie and so out of his fulnesse all grace floweth vnto vs and euerie one of the members of Christ hath a measure of that Spirit as hee thinketh meete and therefore Paul saieth Hee ascended on high and gaue giftes to men Ephes 4. vers ◠And so wouldest thou haue joy cast vp thine eye to heauē and fasten thy faith on Iesus Christ thou shalt find a portion of that Spirit Wee see two sortes of the presence of Christ One bodilie as the Disciples saw another spirituall Howbeit hee bee distant from vs in the Heauen yet he sendeth down his holie Spirit by that Spirit he worketh a feeling in the hearts of his owne and they will heare his voyce and will see him with the eyes of their soule And they will haue this sense with such a joye that the tongue of him who findeth that joye is not able to expresse the thousand part of it Both these presences are very good and they who saw him had a great benefit Many Kings longed to see him but they saw him not as Dauid and Abraham The men who saw him when hee was an Infant thought they gotte a greater grace than if all the worlde had beene giuen them But for all this the other presence is better for hee saieth Jt is good that I goe away from you It had beene good for the Iewes that they had neuer had his bodily presence because they had not the spirituall presence of the Lord in their hearts But as for that spiritual presence in all respectes it is to bee preferred to his bodily presence in the dayes of his humiliation because by vertue of that presence albeit so farre distant from vs wee receiue the holy Spirite and all his graces Looke to Heauen and see him glorified that presence is the chiefe presence and as soone as wee see that glory in that day the beames of his glory shall transforme vs and catch vs vp in the clouds So great is the glory of the Lord that it will not remaine within the Heauens with our Head but of necessity it must flowe to his members vpon earth Nowe when thou findest grace and joye and pleasure into thine heart And thinke not thou hast joy enough howbeit thou hadst all the pleasures in the world except thou haue that joye of Christ then assure thy selfe that Iesus Christ thine Head is glorified in the Heauens And if wee finde such a pleasure that wee will bee rauished aboue the worlde being now so farre distant from Christ what shall bee that joy and pleasure wee shall conceiue in our heart when wee shall see him face to face The tongue cannot tell it but the heart that hath felt it can best testifie it The Lord grant that while as wee are in the earth wee may walke as Citizens in the Heauens euer waiting that these vile bodies may bee transformed and made conformable to that glorious body of Iesus Christ Now to goe forward After he hath fore-warned his Disciples of the afflictions which after his departure they shold suffer That they should bee excommunicate and also slaine And after hee hath set downe the ende wherefore hee fore-warned them to wit that they should not be offended but confirmed And after he hath reproued them gently that they rejoyced not when he tolde them that he was to depart And after he hath begun to comfort them by letting the◠see that is was for their weale that hee was to depart from them For thorow his blessed Ascension they should bee partakers of the holy Spirit and his graces which if hee did not ascend to his Father they would not get In the words following he falleth out vpon another head of doctrine instructeth them concerning the office of the Spirite which hee was to discharge in the worlde during the time of his absence and this office is in respect of the world and chiefely of the obstinate Iewes who would not belieue in Christ when hee was present with them When hee shall come that is when that Spirite of trueth shall come after that I am gone away he shall rebuke the world that is the faythlesse and obstinate in the worlde hee shall conuict them But yee may saye No man heareth the voyce of the Spirite speaking with his owne mouth howe shall the Spirite then rebuke the worlde The meaning is The Disciples whome that Spirite shall comfort shall by their Ministerie rebuke the worlde Wee haue then two effectes of the Spirite heere The first is in respect
pilgrimage and who hath honoured you with manie good turnes and namelie with loue and kindnesse towardes Gods Children for his cause make you more and more finde the loue of God shed abroad in your soule so that you neuer wearie in well-doing but that yee may daylie goe on forward in the course of sanctification that yee seeking fearing louing and alwayes seruing him and being comfortable to his Sainctes on Earth yee may bee assured when this short life is ended the Lord shall crowne you with eternall Glorie in Heauen with all his Saincts in JESVS AMEN Yours in the Lord H. C. W. A. THE FIRST LECTVRE OF CHRISTES DOCTRINE BEFORE HIS PASSION IOHN CHAP. xiiii VERS 1.2 LEt not your heart bee troubled yee belieue in God belieue also in mee 2 Jn my Fathers house are many dwelling places if it were not so J would haue told you I goe to preparé a place for you IN the CHAPTER immediately going before Brethren the LORD fore-warned his Disciples of his departure and taking away of his bodily presence out of the world that moued his Disciples exceedingly for they had no will hee should goe from them Therefore the Lord in this and in the next two CHAPT continueth in speaking to his Disciples to comfort and confirme them after his departure and taking away of his bodily presence from them And in the beginning of this CHAPTER hee layeth downe the proposition of this comfort Let not your heart bee troubled Thereafter hee subjoyneth sure argumentes to comfort strengthen an I confirme them when hee should goe away Hee saith Let not your hearts be troubled knowing well that when hee should depart they should be like as many Lambs among Wolues in the middest of this wicked world and so they would be troubled in mind when he should go away therefore the LORD warneth them before his departure that their hearts should not be troubled The Disciples faile in this that they thought that if the LORD had taken away his body and should absent himselfe out of their eyes they should haue no more comfort nor grace of him Ye see the Lesson ariseth here of their example As the presence of the LORD IESVS ministreth joye peace â—nd tranquillitie to the heart of the sinner euen so when he draweth away his presence from a sinner from a miserable creature then there is no joye no comfort no peace no rest to the heart It may be indeed and it coÌ„meth oft to passe that men and women will be lullud vp in a carnall security deliting themselues in the vain pleasures comforts of this world in eating and drinking c. It may be some be occupied they will haue a quite life they will lie downe and sleepe quietly they will rise and be wanton but in very trueth they haue no true peace if they finde not the Lord Iesus present in their heart when they lie downe and when they rise howbeit they had all the worlde they haue no peace No peace to the wicked saith the Lord Esay 57.21 Howbeit they seeme to haue peace they haue none As for the godly that haue once founde his presence and haue once tasted of that joye which is in his face of that light which commeth from his face and once he be taken from them giue them all this world and all the pleasures of this worlde they shall haue no pleasure they will neuer bee blythe till they get a sight of their Lord their soule dieth without his face and when he commeth againe it quickeneth and liueth This is the true joye thinke neuer yee haue true rest without the countenance of the Lord without the which all the pleasures and comforts of the world are but vaine for all shall leaue you and ye with them shall perish No question the Disciples when they began to feele that joye which they founde in his presence rather than they had wanted his company they would haue wanted all the world Now when he hath set downe this proposition of comfort hee leaueth them not so but knowing well how harde a thing it was to a comfortlesse heart to receiue comfort he subjoyneth sundrie arguments and reasons to hold them in a good courage and comfort And first he saith Yee belieue in God belieue also in mee There is an argument wherefore they should not bee troubled The first comfort hee ministreth to their comfortlesse heartes is Fayth in Christ The meaning is Howbeit when I goe away yee shall not see me yet settle your hearts vpon me follow me with the eye of your soule and looke afarre off to the Heauen and looke that ye rest and repose vpon mee by a true and liuely faith Well then yee see the first remedie against the taking away of the Lorde Iesus and withdrawing â—f his bodily presence is faith in him howbeit he were neuer so farre away let thy soule goe thorow the clouds and take holde on the Lord Iesus where hee sitteth at the right hand of God his Father sticke till him bee sure of him gripe him by the hand of faith and then in the middest of all the confusions of this world which ye see now fall out in these latter dayes thou shalt get comfort and ease to thy soule and it shall bee holden vp among all troubles of this world For why this is the nature of faith in Christ it will make things absent to be present As the Apostle saith to the Heb. 11.1 It maketh things hoped for to be present with vs it will let thee see that felicity that life that glorie which is laide vp in the Heauens for thee which we cannot see with the eyes of our mortall bodies so long as we are here Then so long as thou art absent from him belieue in him that thou mayeâ—t finde euer comfort till thy faith bee turned in sight and then thou shalt find that both sight of the soule the sight of the body into the Heauens shall be perfected then we shall see that clearly which we saw before obscurely and wee shall see him no sooner but our joy shall be full and wee shall bee into his glory with him and as his face shineth so shall ours shine also So ye see the chiefe thing that holdeth vs vp in all troubles of this world is the blinke we haue of Christ by faith Nowe hee proponeth not this argument barely but by way of comparison for he saith as Ye belieue in God so belieue in me for as he said I and the Father am one howbeit the Father and the Sonne be sundry persons yet they are but one blessed Majesty one God in one nature and one substance faith in one of them prejudgeth not another as thou belieuest in the Father so belieue in the Son so belieue in the holy Ghost because they are one in nature and substance they are coessentiall coequall coeternall if the Father and the Sonne were different in substance so that the Father were one
the power of any creature What Angel or what man can worke such thinges If my works bee not aboue all works belieue not in â—ee but if it be otherwise belieue in mee And there were nonâ— other argumâ—nt in the worlde to moue men to belieue that the Lorde â—esus is the God of glory and that in his Manhood the Godhead dwelleth the very effects the words the works the deed testifie and â—hee is able to conuict all the conscienceâ— of men and Angels and make them say The Lord Iesus is the God of glory Yea Brethren and there were no more to peswade vs that Iesus is the God of glorie but the word wee haue of Iesus this power of the word of the Crosse and this grace and Majesty that shines in the Scriptures it testifieth plainly that the Lord the Author of that worde is the God of Heauen for it hath such a power in the soules of men and women that either it conuicteth them or else it conuerteth them and therefore it is called the power of God And it were the word of man that worde coulde neuer haue such power to conuict the worlde or to bring the soules of men to saluation So the effectes that come from the Lord testifie to the world that he is God and is able to conuict the consciences of all the enemies in the worlde yea euen of the Deuill himselfe But and there bee no more they will neuer bring thee to saluation Therefore if thou wouldest haue that solide fayth in Iesus Christ and that taste of his sweetnesse in thine heart thou must haue another witnesse â— the holy Spirite must concur with the outwarde worde and the outwarde works drawing alluring and perswading thee by renewing thine heart and that bringeth with it the greatest joye and sweetnesse in the world When the Spirit is inwardly in the heart draweth it to Christ as the eye seeth the workes the soule beginneth to rest and repose vpon the Lord with a joy vnspeakeable Therfore euer preasse to get the presence of that Spirite or otherwise the works will but conuict vs and make vs inexcusable in that great day Yet he insists he bringeth another argument to allure them to belieue Verilie verilie sayth the Lord belieue mee that I am in the Father if ye belieue this it shall be for your owne weale it shall not only bee for my glory but for your weale Yee thinke my workes great but belieue in me and I shall make you worke these workes and greater than these So this argument is taken for their owne weale Who getteth greatest vantage in the honouring of God Who getteth greatest vantage in belieuing Is it the Lorde No he may want thee and all thy well-doing and not an haire the more bee impaired of his glory All the vantage commeth to the creature and the glory of the creature standeth in glorifying the Creator The felicity of man and woman in earth is in belieuing Christ Iesus So wilt thou be blessed belieue In a word and thou belieue the best is thine owne and all the profite redoundeth to thee What vantage bringeth fayth with it There is not a man or a woman that will once belieue in the Lord Iesus but as soone his heart will be filled with that Spirit and with all good things and with power to worke all manner of good works surmounting all the powers of nature So a poore body belieuing in Christ Iesus will haue more power to doe good than all the Kinges in the world that haue no more but nature So it is saide of Steuen that he was full of fayth and of the Spirit and of power And what followeth he was so powerful in reasoning that the Pharisees could not resist him he had a wonderous working with him And in the Primitiue Kirke after the Lorde had suffered and when hee was glorified they who did belieue in him got such a power that was marueilous to the world Looke the Actes and the last Chapter of Marke So they who belieue in Christ surpasse the worlde It is true those extraordinary and miraculous workes cease now but yet the power that followeth on the fayth in Christ abideth effectuall if not in such miraculous works as were to cast out Deuils to speake with Tongues c. which were in the Primitiue Kirke Yet in such workes as the worlde cannot worke The wordes of a sinfull man are powerfull to regeneration and to renewe a dead soule And it is no lesse wonder to raise vp a dead soule than to raise a dead man out of the graue yea it is a greater work And if ye wil go to works fayth maketh vs meete to work the works of charity And I say it is better to worke a charitable worke than such miraculous workes the one is more excellent and precious than the other Iudas wrought wonders but hee could not worke the works of charitie These works of charity are as as many witnesses of our election and they bring greater joye with them than all miraculous works When the Disciples returned to Christ rejoycing that they had wrought great miracles through his Name the Lord saieth vnto them Rejoyce rather in this that your names are written in the Heauens Luke 10.17 If vvee finde the power of fayth in working charitable workes wee may thinke vs well for we are lifted aboue this world and are become Citizens in Heauen awaiting for that redemption to come So I say fayth is powerfull in worde and deede and hee who wanteth this fayth hee wanteth power in word and deede and so blessed is he who hath this fayth Now there ariseth a question in the words Some would thinke this a marueilous thing that the Lorde will giue power to his Disciples to worke greater workes than himselfe wrought I answere It is true indeed the Disciples of Iesus Christ after his Ascension wrought greater workes than the Lord did in his owne person but it was not so much the Disciples as it was the Lorde of glory that wrought these works by the Disciples hee vttered his power vsing them as ministers Yet should not the Lorde haue wrought greater workes himselfe in his owne person than hee wrought by his Disciples Should he not himselfe haue wrought greater works when he was in the earth than hee wrought by his Disciples when he was in Heauen I answere No for the Lord so long as he was in the earth was but humble that diuine power did keep it self close vttered not it selfe in the full measure and so it behoued to be that the Godhead should not vtter the selfe in his humiliation Buâ— when he is glorified in the nature of man in the Heauen then the power of that Godhead in him vttered it self in greater power than in the earth And if there were no more to proue that Christ glorified wrought greater thinges by his Apostles than he did in his owne person when hee was humbled this one
argument were sufficient that after his Ascension by their Ministerie the vvhole vvorlde vvas conuerted vvhich came not to passe vvhilest hee himselfe was on the Earth because the Godhead kept the selfe close But to come to the wordes following The Lord layeth downe the ground of this I goe to my glory and I am passing to the Father and therefore my glory shall vtter it selfe The power of Iesus Christ must appeare in the vvorlde at that time of his Ascension vvhen hee went to his Father to Heauen then the power striketh wonderfully vpon the Earth from the Heauen When we haue the Lord Iesus nowe glorified in the Heauen wee haue a more glorious power of the Lord Iesus than the Iewes who had his bodily presence So the reason is Because hee was to passe vp to the Father So ye see Brethren this gift the Disciples should get that they should worke greater workes than hee did is nothing prejudiciall to the glorie of our Sauiour Howbeit it pleaseth the Lord to worke more glorious works by such vveake instrumentes than hee did in his owne person it is not prejudiciall to his power If the instrumentes of themselues had done these workes it would haue prejudged his glorie but seeing they did them by his power it hindereth nothing his glorie Yea I say his glorie seemed the more in the worlde by their working because it testified that hee who was so base in the worlde had such a power in him when hee ascended Hee commeth to another ground of working of greater workes What euer yee shall aske in my Name yee shall get it That is Sende vp your prayers to mee to the Heauen when I am glorified and what yee shall aske in my Name it shall be granted So this is another ground wherfore the Apostles wrought greater works after his Ascension They prayed to him and drew downe his power out of Heauen by prayer It is a power incomprehensible that is in the Lord Iesus Now if any man or woman would bee partaker of that power hee must sende vp his prayer to Heauē by faith in him to draw down that power to the world Wee see the Apostles Act. 4. pray earnestly that by their handes hee would worke signes and wonders and they obtained it It is a pittie that there should bee so great a power in IESVS CHRIST to life and we miserable creatures hauing so great need and want of it should haue no part of it the fault lieth not in CHRIST for there is power and vertue enough in him to saue a thousand worldes But this is the fault Men and women cannot pray because they want faith So all the want that is in vs that vvee vvant Heauen and life euerlasting all the fault is in our selues that cannot praye and saye Lorde there is a vvonderfull power in thee and thou canst saue a thousande vvorldes Therefore Lord by thy power saue mee It is a foule shame that this should inlake on our parte that vve cannot open our mouthes to seeke grace seeing such aboundance such an infinite power and treasure is in him And if there vvere a great treasure to bee dealt so that euerie man might haue his parte hee vvoulde condemne himselfe vvho vvent not to gette a share Nowe there vvas neuer such a treasure as is life eternall and hee vvho getteth not a share of it but lieth behinde sleeping hauing no care to gette it hee is vvorthie a thousand deathes So vve should seeke this grace by prayer and chiefelie that vvee maye haue the Spirite of prayer for all men cannot seeke Heauen It is a sore thing to vs to vvant a share of that rich treasure for fault of heartes to seeke it Hee repeateth this promise twise Jf yee aske anie thing in my Name I will doe it And indeede hee did it in effect for vvhen the Lord had ascended they pray that they should worke miracles and so they did So hee is true in all his promises And marke it Brethren hee sayeth hee will doe it and not they shall doe it for Christ by his owne power worketh miracles the which power he communicateth not to his instruments but hee reserueth it to himselfe and by the ministery of men powreth foorth his giftes vpon others Then hee setteth downe the end of all the wonders That the Father may be glorified All the power of the Lord serueth to the glory of his Father All the power hee hath gotten it diminisheth not the glory of his Father but augmenteth it and the glory of the Father standeth in the power of the Sonne because he is the splendor of his glory And the Sonne bee not glorified the Father wanteth glory and hee who will not glorifie the Sonne hee will not glorifie the Father This is not to be omitted While hee is speaking of the vttering of his power forgetteth he the Father No he setteth downe the Fathers glory as the end of his power When the Lord Iesus was in the world he spake neuer a word but he had a respect to glorifie the Father And so hee sayth when hee was to goe out of the world Father glorifie me for I haue glorified thee Blessed is he that can with a good cōscience protest this that he euer had an eye to the glory of God can say Thou wast mine only But and whether I ate or I dranke or what euer I did it was all to thy glory Wee should preasse to doe this howbeit wee cannot come to a full perfection certainly that man shall bee partaker of his glory that in all his actions can holde his eye on the glory of God By the contrary that man what euer hee bee and hee were a King or a Prince who desireth not to glorifie God if hee continue so hee shall neuer see that glory This shall stande and all the worlde shall not bring it backe Let this bee our marke in all our callinges that wee may haue power to glorifie God in them And if wee doe not this and though wee should make all the vantage in the worlde and heape vp great riches gold and treasures c. wee shall perish miserably Therefore the Lord giue vs grace since there is no vantage but in the God of glory that wee may glorifie him and bee glorified with him through Iesus Christ Now wee come to the next exhortation which is contained in these wordes Jf yee loue mee keepe my Commaundementes As hee exhorted them before to belieue in him so now hee exhorteth them to bee obedient to him or to doe his will Fayth and obedience are chiefe groundes of Christianitie If one woulde bee a Christian first hee must belieue in the LORD IESVS Then next this fayth must not bee ydle but it must burst foorth in the effectes they must striue to doe his vvill to bee charitable that is the LORDES vvill In the thirteenth Chapter and the thirty foure verse the Lord spake these vvordes to his Disciples A newe Commaundement giue
I to you That euerie one of you loue another Being to depart out of this vvorlde this is the speciall Commandement hee leaueth to his Disciples That in his absence euerie one of them shoulde loue one another So this is the chiefe Commaundement the LORD hath left vs till his comming againe That euerie one of vs shoulde loue one another and euerie one of vs shoulde beare the burthen of another If vvee doe not this in the absence of the LORD vvhen hee commeth againe vvee shall not bee able to abide a triall of him or to render an account to him of our doing But to come to the Commaund The meaning is as the Lord would say As ye would protest before the worlde yee loue mee make it knowne in mine absence by keeping my Commaundementes Nowe Brethren to insist vpon this matter more at large Yee knowe this A seruant who loueth his Master well hee will bee about to doe all thinges that can pleasure his Master his vvhole endeuour will bee to doe the will of his Master and chiefely in the absence of his Master when hee hath gone farre from home at that time chiefely hee will kythe his loue to his Master in doing his turnes with pleasure Howbeit loue as the Apostle sayeth 1. Thessal 13. bee painfull yet if a man haue a true loue in his heart hee will haue a great pleasure also Loue hath paine but with the paine it hath pleasure It will not take care what paine or what tribulation it haue So this seruant doing the will of his Master in his absence will testifie to the worlde that hee loueth his Master To draw this to our purpose Brethren The Lord Iesus the Lord of the worlde is gone out of the worlde as it were to a farre Countrey to the Heauen and hath left vs all behinde him yea hee hath left vs here in the Earth and hee is absent from vs in the Heauen Hee is a gracious Master and woe to him vvho is not his seruant Then wee being his seruants and we loue him there will bee nothing that is his will but wee will bee about to doe it and hee that loueth him heere in the Earth because the LORD is absent according to his bodie in the Heauen hee will bee the more earnest to pleasure him in his calling and to doe the turnes of the Lord Iesus in his absence Hee who loueth him will employe his whole senses and force and power to pleasure him as Paul sayd 2 Cor. 5.14 The loue of the Lord Iesus constraineth mee and bindeth vp my soule I say more In suffering all extreamities for the Lord the Fire the Sworde and it were a thousande deathes hee will haue a greater joye and pleasure than anie man will haue in doing anie turne for a man whome hee loueth well Then woulde anie man kythe that loue hee heareth to the Lord Iesus in his absence And vvho amongst vs vvill not saye Wee loue the Lord Iesus Wouldest thou then kythe this loue Doe heartilie his will It is not enough to loue in worde but indeede Loue not in worde onelie sayth the Apostle Iohn in his first Epistle Chap. 3. Vers 18. for it is the heart must doe the Lord seruice So and thou wouldest loue the Lord Iesus doe his will and that is Loue thy neighbour And thou bee a murderer of thy neighbour and then saye I loue the LORD IESVS I saye thou lyest and the Lord sayeth it also Wilt thou oppresse the poore members of the Lord Iesus and say thou louest the Lord Iesus I say thou art a lyar Good works kythe the loue in the heart The groūd of Murder hatred c. that is betwixt man man is the hatred of the Lord Iesus So the groūd of all sin is the hatred of the Lord in the heart Matth. 24.40 vvhere the Lord speaketh of good seruants and euill seruants hee sayth The good seruant who in the absence of his Master preassed to doe all thinges to pleasure his Master when his Master commeth home at that houre he knew not so the Lord will come when we looke not for him and findeth the good seruant doing his will will blesse him and make him Ruler of all his goods Blessed is hee who serueth the Lord in a small vocation What doeth the other seruant He is striking the rest of the Familie Woe to that seruant saith hee he will bee casten out and his part will bee with the hypocrites who was but an hypocrite in his Masters house If we bee well occupied and wayting aye for the home-comming of the Lord Iesus if we be well occupied in directing our life to him and his glory blessed shall wee be and wee shall get a portion with him in glory But if we be euill occupied in oppression and in wickednesse he shall cast vs out of his Familie To put an end to this mater In any vocation we should al go about to pleasure our Master in the Heauen and preasse to kythe it in our workes that in our hearts we haue loued the Lord Iesus Wordes will not auaile and thou couldest tell all the Scriptures it auaileth not without doing Let vs all therefore striue to make manifest that wee haue not only an outward shew and profession of loue but that it is fixed and setled in our hearts as euer wee would desire to finde comfort and joye in that great day of the appearance of our Lord Iesus To whome with the Father and the Holy Spirite bee all prayse honour and glory now and foreuer Amen THE FIFT LECTVRE OF CHRISTES DOCTRINE BEFORE HIS PASSION IOHN CHAP. xiiii VERS 16.17.18 16 And I will pray the Father and hee shall giue you another Comforter that hee may abide with you for euer 17 Euen the Spirit of Trueth whome the worlde cannot receiue because it seeth him not neither knoweth him but yee knowe him for hee dwelleth with you and shall bee in you 18 I will not leaue you comfortlesse but I will come to you WEE haue heard Beloued Brethren in this Chapter how the Lord Iesus being to leaue the world to ascend to his Father hath set himselfe partly to comfort his Disciples who were sad for his departure and sundry argumentes of consolation hath hee giuen them and partly to exhort them The first exhortation ye heard was That they should belieue in him and that the Father was in him and hee in the Father That is that hee and the Father were one in substance glory and Maiestie and that the Godhead dwelt in the nature of man bodilie And to proue this hee vsed an argument taken from the workes that hee wrought At least belieue mee sayeth hee for the verie workes sake which I worke That is Supposing there vvere none other argument to mooue you to belieue that I am in the Father and the Father in mee yet let the verie workes wherein the properties of God are so clearlie manifested mooue you to belieue Another
argument hee subjoyneth more perswasiue If yee belieue in mee sayeth the LORD yee shall worke the workes that I worke And I saye more Yee shall worke greater workes than yee haue seene mee working Thereafter hee layde downe the grounde of this For I goe sayeth hee to my Father and I shall come againe in my full power to you and so worke greater workes by you than I wrought by my selfe Then hee layde downe another grounde of the great and wonderous workes that they shoulde worke The grounde is Prayer whereby they should draw out of Heauen that wonderfull power and whatsoeuer they shoulde aâ—ke of him they shoulde gette it Thereafter hee came to the next exhortation To obey him and keepe his Commandements Now when he hath craued obedience at the handes of his Disciples hee letteth them see in the wordes which we haue read that they shall not serue him for nought No man serueth the Lord for nothing but hee getteth a thousande times better than hee giueth What shall I doe to you sayeth the Lord when ye shall be doing this I shall meete you and I shall pray my Father and hee shall giue you a Comforter to comfort you euen the Spirit of Trueth and that not for a daye or a yeere but for euermore to abide with you while I come againe Then he telleth who it is that comfortes them It is the Spirit of God Now because these are great and weighty wordes let vs consider them I marke first here that these words import this The Lord Iesus so long as hee abode with his Disciples and gaue them his bodily presence comforted his Disciples they had consolation in the sight of his bodily presence Ioh 6.67 vvhen the multitude had fallen away the Lord saith Will ye leaue me also Peter said Lord vvhere shall vve go to for thou hast the words of eternal life So it appeareth that all the joye the Disciples had in the worlde vvas the sight of their Lord because they saw more than other men in him Iohn sayeth chap. 1. vers 14. We saw him full of grace truth And his words were so sweete that they conceiued an vnspeakeable joye vvhen they heard him speake So I say he vvas their comfort so long as hee vvas among them What did hee more It appeareth vvell hee kept them as they had beene Children from the assaultes of the Deuill and from the malice and affliction of men This appeareth well in the ninth Chapter of Matthew and the fifteenth verse in the complaint of the Disciples of Iohn the Baptist We say they fast and mourne continually but your Disciples are in joye The Lord answereth Can it bee that the Children of the Marriage Chamber can mourne so long as they see the Bridegroome That is so long as they haue mee they shall not mourne they shall haue joye and they shall feele no persecution Another thing yee maye see heere When the Lord Iesus vvas taken out of the vvorlde the Disciples beganne to bee afflicted and to bee tossed to and froe for the vvordes importe this They shall gette another Comforter than mee So if they shall get another Comforter they shall haue neede of another Comforter The time shall come sayeth the Lord vvhen the Bridegroome shall depart and then they shall gette leaue to fast and mourne And to drawe this to vs Nowe vvhen the Lord is absent the Deuill and the Wicked in the vvorlde maketh their vantage of it The Deuill seeing the Lord Iesus in the Heauen and his poore members heere in the Earth goeth about like a roaring Lyon to deuour them And the Wicked of the vvorlde striue to cutte off the members of the Lord Iesus before his comming And the Deuill vvas neuer more busie than nowe hee is and howe farre hee hath preuailed in the absence of the Lord miserable experience can testifie nowe in the dayes of Antichrist when darknesse hath croppen in so into the Kirke of Iesus Christ And this Age telleth vs howe busilie the Deuill worketh by his members to suppresse the Gospel of Iesus Christ in his absence But we learne this comfort out of this place Howbeit the Lord bee absent from vs according to his bodily presence yea hee is as farre from vs as the Heauen is from the Earth yet the Lord leaueth not his owne without a Comforter This is generall There are none that appertaineth to him but if hee take one comfort from them hee will giue them another This is vnpossible That the members of the Lord can want all comfort if he take away one he shall giue thee another and if hee take away thy Children or Wife or Husband or Friends hee shall giue thee another comfort as the Lord comforted his Disciples in his absence So I say howbeit he be in the Heauen he will not leaue his owne without comfort but hee sendeth downe his Spirite to worke joye in the heartes of men and women and the more glorious he is sitting at the right hand of the Father the more powerfull will his Spirite bee When the Lord was in the Earth his glorious power appeared not but as soone as the Lord Iesus passed vp to Heauen and entered into that place of Majesty then it mightily appeared So nowe the power that commeth out from the Lord Iesus is more powerfull than when he was in the Earth And as the force of his holy Spirit becommeth greater it must followe that that consolation that commeth from him nowe must bee greater than the comfort that the Disciples found when he was walking with them bodily To open this more deeply All comfort that commeth from Christ it is all by his Holy Spirit This is a sure ground The comfort that al the Fathers had before the Lord came in the nature of man it was all by the holy Spirit That Spirit of Christ gaue that comfort to Abraham to Dauid and to the rest Come to the time when hee came into the worlde The comfort the Disciples had was by his Spirite and Doctrine and they in whome the Spirite wrought not had no comfort in his sight The Iewes the Pharisees had no comfort in him Come on yet After his Ascension we knowe all this by experience The comfort wee all haue is by his holy Spirite and none haue joye but they that haue this Spirite And to come on yet farder When wee shall come to Heauen the joy we shall haue shall be by the working of his holy Spirit In a word All the joye of the creature shall bee by the holy Spirit It is not so much the presence of the Lord as it is the holy Spirit that worketh joye in the heart Then this must followe The greater force and effect the Spirite hath the greater is the joye This is true But after the passing vp of the Lord Iesus to Heauen in full glory his Spirite had a greater force than before For before it was saide The Spirit was not yet giuen And
that that denunciation perteined not to them because they were liuely members they were cleane through the worde which hee had spoken to them Our lesson is When thou hearest a denunciation of judgemeÌ„t or promise of mercy make euer application to thy selfe and say Lord perteineth this judgement to me and O Lord perteineth this mercy to mee Without this application there is no generall doctrine can do good or edifie thee So when we heare of this that some are liuing branches some dead we shold enter in triall with our selues whether we are to abide with Christ or to be cut off and casten into the fire It is true we haue not Christ to speak with vs and to resolue vs of such doubts yet the Lord hath neuer left anie faithful man or woman so destitute but he gets a certification assurance that he is a liuely member The Lord if he be in any man or woman he shall make that person know that he liueth in them The most sensible thing in the worlde is the life of Christ as sensibly wâ—l the creature feele the life of Christ in their harts as they wil feel this natural life Besides this if the sap of Christ be in a ma the fruit wil burst out if thou wouldst know a man look to his life good works let his life testify whether he be a liuely meÌ„ber or not if their life testify otherways I testify to thee in the Name of God they are no liuely meÌ„bers Certainly Christ caÌ„not dwel within one but he must vtter himself in the hand tong Now hereafter he subjoynes the reason wherfore they are clean how they are made cleane By the words saith he that J haue spoken ye are made cleane wherefore spake I so much to you but to make liuelie members of you who were drie branches The way to make a man a liuely branch is the worde of Iesus it cleanseth the soule which is foule My word is Spirit and Life John 6. vers 63. It is the force of the Spirit to purge the soule The worde sayeth Peter is that immortall seede of regeneration 1. Epist Chap. 1. vers 23. Our seede is mortall and so if wee haue not another seede of God wee are but dead It is no maruell that the word of God purgeth because it is Life and Spirit Looke but to that experience that godlie men haue in hearing the worde of Iesus Christ and that joye that riseth in the heart What meaneth this Will the vvordes of anie man worke this joye in the heart No but when men heare these promises of life and of grace and consolation O what consolation what peace what rest what joye will the sinner get And this testifieth that the worde is powerfull to worke in the soule that life of God The houre shall come sayeth the Lord that the dead shall heare the voyce of the Sonne of God and they that shall heare shall liue John 5. vers 25. 1 Pet. 1. vers 22. Our soules are purged by the hearing of the worde If this bee the meane the Lord hath ordained to get life let vs take pleasure to heare the worde And I saye that man that hath not a pleasure in some mâ—asure to heare the word but coÌ„temneth it is no meÌ„ber of Christ and hath neuer beene truely ingraffed in Christ nor got neuer of that sappe which is in Christ and neuer wist what Iesus Christ was As thou therefore wouldest liue and as thou wouldest bee sanctified in this life glorified with the Lord in the HeaueÌ„s take pleasure to heare this word if thou would taste any sweetnes of Christ grow in holinesse and chiefely seeing thou must leaue this world begin to liue this life which neuer shall haue an end Now in the next words after he hath laide down the grounds he commeth to the first exhortation Abide in mee and I in you The meaning of the exhortation is this Ye haue begun to be joyned with me in Spirit and in fayth as yee haue begun so continue in that vnion to the ende He sayth not Abide still with me and I with you but abide in mee These wordes haue a greater signification than the other they signifie a straiter vnion with Christ for Brethren yee must marke the members of Iesus Christ not onelie abide with him here and dwell with him but euery one of them abideth in him and dwelleth in him as yee sâ—e the branches of the tree they are not sayde so much to abide with the tree as to abide in the tree so are we in him And on the other part the Lord Iesus is not said only to abide with his Kirke on the earth but howbeit hee bee in the Heauens to dwell in his Kirke and in euery member who belieueth in him yea in all their hearts euen as yee see the tree abideth in her branches so the Lord Iesus the Vine tree abideth in his branches This place requireth that wee speake somewhat of this vnion the members haue with Christ and hee with them This conjunction betwixt Christ and his members who are faythfull ye must not imaginate to be a bodily and naturall conjunction as ye see is betwixt creatures as the head with the body it is not so grosse a conjunction there is no conjunction bodily so neare so strait as that conjunction of Iesus Christ nowe in the Heauens with his members the heade is not so surely joyned with the body by nearnes as the Lord Iesus our Head is joyned with euery member who belieueth in him vpon this earth The body and the head may bee seuered but the members of Iesus Christ once truely ingraffed in him by his Spirit and by fayth shall neuer be cut off all the powers of Heauen and Hell shall not separate them What shall separate vs from the loue of Iesus Christ shall hunger and sworde c. yea in these wee are more than victorious Rom. 1.35.37 So yee see this conjunction is not to bee imagined to bee a grosse conjunction as the Papistes imagine but I leaue them But this conjunction is spirituall and mysticall I call that a spirituall vnion and conjunction that we haue with him because it is wrought after an heauenly and spirituall manner and is made not with bodily bandes as ligamentes and sinewes but with spirituall and heauenly bandes the one of them is called the Spirit of Iesus Christ the other is called Fayth To make that coniunction betwixt vs and him hee sendeth out of the Heauens his holy Spirit into our hearts and wee getting that Spirit sende vp to the Heauens againe to him our fayth Then yee see two bands to make this conjunction this conjunction must be mutuall so that as hee sendeth downe his Spirite to vs so wee must sende vp our fayth to him The order of the working of these two bandes would bee considered Wee neuer begin first no man beginneth first to gripe Christ but
his life for his friendes 14 Yee are my friendes if yee doe whatsoeuer J commaund you YEE heard the last day Beloued in the Lord Iesus the first exhortation of the Chapter was That his Disciples should abide in that vnion with him and he with them Wee haue sundry arguments of this purpose The first Except yee abide in mee and in that vnion with me yee can bring foorth no fruit nor doe no good in this world The second is That if yee abide in me and I in you ye shall bee full of good workes The third If a man abide not in mee and I in him hee shall bee casten out of the Kirke and once being casten out he shal wither for out of Christ there is no sap of life and then being dried vp hee shall bee gathered vp like a drie sticke and casten into the fire to burne So the argument in this Hee who cannot abide in Christ he shall bee casten into the fire of Hell these arguments wee haue heard Now in this Text the Lord goeth forwarde in the argumentes and first he giueth the fourth reason wherefore they should abide in him then he passeth to other exhortations Then the fourth and last argument is this If ye abide in me and my words in you then what euer ye aske or seeke ye shall haue it Note the wordes If yee abide in me and my words in you Before hee sayd If I abide in you But all is alike the Lord Iesus abideth in the heart by the worde and by fayth so all is alike But to come to the argument What euer shall be your desire aske and ye shall haue it that is If ye abide in me all your petitions shall be granted This argument is very alluring to tell a man what euer he desireth he shall haue Before hee threatned now he allureth Ye see how the Lord tempereth his arguments But Brethren marke this in respect of whom is this argument alluring and whom moueth it Not euery one tell this to a man or woman who hath no sense of their need they will answere when they heare this Wee haue no need to aske tell this to a senselesse sinner he will answere he hath no need what need hath the whole of the Phisicion but tell it to them who haue felt the weight of sinne and who haue felt their want and knowe they are depriued of the glory of God and strangers from the life of God as the Apostle sayth it shall be the joyfullest and sweetest hearing that euer they heard hee will be moued when he heareth this sweete promise Then when wee come to heare of the promises of grace in Christ let vs prepare our selues this way and say I am voyde of al grace therefore I will goe heare these faire promises of grace Now the thing I marke here Yee see how a sinner getteth grace and yee see by what degrees hee commeth to grace The first and immediate meane to get grace and mercy is to seeke aske and thou shalt haue Heauen is little worth and if it bee not worth the asking beg Heauen and thou shalt haue it But who is it can doe this Can all men doe it Looke what must goe before asking ere a man can aske grace there must bee a thirst and a desire looke that the heart bee hungry Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousnesse for they shall bee filled The worlde is full of want yet they haue not a sense of want or an heart to seeke Howe riseth the desire in the heart The desire riseth of a feeling in the heart of a wonderfull inlacke and misery when a sinner feeleth hee is voyde of all grace with this sense together with a sadnesse godly sorrow for it hath euer sadnesse for who wanteth these earthly things but they will bee sad So the want of these Heauenly things hath a sadnesse with it Paul sayth 2. Corinth 5. vers 4. Wee being burthened with sinne wee sigh for sadnesse Whosoâ—uer feeleth this burthen of sinne and mortality will sigh and sob But from whence commeth the feeling and dolour The sinner cannot haue it of himselfe for flesh and blood that is the corrupt nature will not feele this sense but it commeth of the Siprit of God Paul Rom. 8. â—ers 26. saith The Spirit of God intercedeth for vs with sighs vnspeakable And againe We who haue gotten the first fruits of the Spirit sigh So it is the Spirit who raiseth vp these sighes in the heart and without the Spirit thou canst not once giue a sigh Thou mayst sigh like a man but not like a Spirituall man And how gette wee the Spirit Belieue in Iesus Christ faith in Christ furnisheth vs the Spirit Ephes 1. vers 13. After yee haue belieued yee are sealed vp with the holy Spirit of promise for faith draweth out of Christ into the heart that Spirit The grace of all grace is to belieue in Iesus Christ and hauing him thou shalt get the Spirit I grant the Spirite must goe before and worke faith but it is true also that by faith wee gette a fuller measure of the Spirit So faith in the blood of Iesus is the fountaine of all grace for all grace floweth from that blood and the merit therof and by the power of the Spirit which accompanieth that blood grace is applied till vs. Then yee see that faith is the beginning of grace the holy Spirit followeth faith after the holy Spirite followeth a sense of our misery and want vpon this sense followeth an earnest desire vpon the desire followeth asking by asking grace is obtained So looke thou stand in Christ if thou wouldest haue grace Out of this place yee may aske this question Will a man get all that hee seeketh of Christ Hee answereth here If yee abide in mee and my wordes abide in you aske conforme to this worde and thou shalt obtaine it if thou aske any Spirituall grace thou shalt get it Vndoubtedly Heauen and Earth shall perish ere thou want it As for earthly thinges he will not aye giue them according to thy desire but as hee thinketh meet for his owne glory and thy weale And howe can they want who getteth the Kingdome of Heauen The Lord shall giue them so much as shall content them The Lord shall giue thee so much as is necessary to a Pilgrime Nowe wee goe to the seconâ—e exhortation which is to good workes The first was to stande in that vnion with Christ The second is to bring out good works Herein is my Father glorified that ye beare much fruit and in this ye shall be knowne to be my Disciples There are the two thinges hee sayeth not Bring out fruite but Bring out much fruite that is doe much A man should striue not to bring out fruite but much fruite and indeede if wee continue in that vnion with Christ wee shall grow in that regeneration and so wee growe in good workes The first argument hee
but that thou art bought with the blood of Iesus Christ and when thou feelest that Spirite within thee thou shalt finde most sweete and comfortable motions yea motion vpon motion rising in thine heart As hee calleth him Father so hee calleth himselfe his Sonne hee sayeth not Father glorifie mee but Father glorifie thy Sonne Euen as the first stile conciliateth the loue of the Father to the Sonne so this stile reconciliateth the loue of the Sonne to the Father So Brethren let all the stiles wee vse in prayer to God sauour of the loue we haue to God whether wee name God or call him Father let that stile smell of that sonly loue we beare to God or whether wee stile our selues to God let that stile shew the loue wee beare to God and then when these two affections meete our affection going vp to him to the Heauens and his sweete affection comming downe to vs there is the tenderest and sweetest meeting that euer was and bee assured and if it were but a little affection that thou bearest towardes him hee will meete it with an infinite loue yea hee will sende downe out of the Heauens by his holie Spirite such loue to thy soule as the tongue of no creature can expresse Haue yee not experience of this that the loue that the LORD beareth to vs in JESVS CHRJST is the sweetest thing that euer was The LORD hath giuen vs leaue to bee homelie with him through CHRIST and they who want CHRJST dare not bee homelie The Pagans and the Iewes who denie the LORD JESVS haue not this familiaritie with GOD. Through JESVS CHRIST wee haue this wonderfull libertie to come to GOD and call him Father But to come to the matter Father sayeth hee glorifie thy Sonne Thâ—n what is it that he seeketh of the Father He seeketh glorie He hath bene humbled exceedingly and layde downe the tongue of man nor Angell cannot tell howe lowe the Lord was layde so being humbled at the pleasure of the Father nowe when hee hath neare finished the worke which hee should haue done hee seeketh againe his owne glory and good reason were he sayth Glorifie me Father with that glory which I had with thee from all eternitie The Sonne with the Father haâ— equall glorie Paul in the Epistle to the Philippians Chap. 2. vers 6.7.8.9 hath a notable place to this purpose and hee pointeth out three thinges of Christ in that place First hee letteth vs see the glorie which hee haâ— before hee came into the world Secondly he letteth vs see how hee humbled himselfe to the Father And thirdly hee letteth vs see how hee recouered againe that glory which hee haâ— from all eternity as comfortable a place of Iesus Christ as is in all the Scripture This then was his glory when as hee was in the forme of God hee thought it no robbery so to be equall with God for he was equall with his Father in glory in all respects Then hee telleth vs of his humiliation But he himselfe of his free will made himselfe of no reputation At the will of the Father the Sonne of God commeth downe from the Heauen and layeth downe that glory and taketh vpon him the vile habite of a seruant the habit of man that is the next degree and being in the habit of man he is made obedient to the death the vildest death that could bee an accursed death the death of the Crosse this was all done at the pleasure of the Father Last he commeth to the recouery of this glory God exalted him in a wonderfull sublimenes highnes he gaue him a name aboue all names that at the Name of IESVS all knees should bee bowed of all things in Heauen and in earth and vnder the earth and that all tongues should confesse that IESVS was the Lord to the glory of the Father In the first to the Ephes also hee speaketh of this his glory saying He raised him vp from the dead he placed him at his right hand in the Heauens farre aboue all empire principality and power and he subjected all things vnder his feet and hee made him head ouer all euen ouer the Kirke it selfe Whose heart is able to tell the glory that the Lord Iesus who was so farre humbled got after his humiliation I recommend often these places to you for if we loue our Sauior it should be our joy to reade of the glory and exaltation of him which he hath in our flesh for his glory is our glory and as he was exalted so shall we be What glory is this which he seeketh The Lord Iesus is very God verie man Now whether seekes he the glory of the Godhead which dwelt in him bodily as Paul saith Col. 2. vers 9. or the glory of the humane nature or the glorie of them both The answere is easie The Lord Iesus is that eternall high Priest and Mediatour betwixt God and man And as hee is Mediatour being both God and man no doubt he seeketh at the Father the glorifying of both the natures The glorifying of the Sonne of God as he was equall with the Father to be restored to him againe and the glorifying of the humane nature to be giuen him of new which hee had not afore but principally the glory of the Godhead Glorifie mee with that glorie saieth hee which J had with thee from all eternitie So chiefely hee seeketh the glory of the Sonne of God that glory he had from all eternity for why As yee heard Philipp 2.6 the Sonne of God had passed farre and layde downe that glory which hee had with the Father therefore Iesus sought the glory of the Godhead As for the glory of the manhood it is but the consequence of the other What is the glory of the manhood vnto the glory of the great God The glory of the nature of man in Christ is nothing but the beames of that glory which commeth from the Godhead The glory of the nature of man in Iesus Christ howbeit it passeth all the glory of Angels and man is nothing in respect of that glory of God which dwelleth in Iesus Christ To tell this more plainely wee see howe the glory of God vttered it selfe in Christ when that blessed body was in the graue and when hee was lying earthed closed in a Tombe then that glorious God beginneth to vtter himselfe for God left him neuer but kept him still in the graue that he corrupted not and the first thing hee doeth hee raiseth vp the dead bodie out of the graue and when hee raised that bodie hee carrieth it vp to the Heauens and setteth it at the right hand of the Father that glorious Godhead shal vtter it selfe in conuoying that bodie at the terrible day of judgement and shall set down that man Christ in the aire as a Iudge to judge both the quicke and the dead As in the first to the Romanes hee declared that he was the Sonne of God mightilie in that
Turkes c. that will say they will get a sight of the Father without the Sonne no no man shall see him without the Sonne For why neuer man sawe the Father at any time it is the onely begotten Sonne who is in the bosome of the Father who hath reuealed him Iohn 1. vers 18. Except we gette a sight of the Sonne who is the splendor of the Father and the ingrauen forme of his person wee shall neuer see that glorie Hebr. 1. vers 3. So except wee see the Sonne of God the seconde person of the glorious Trinitie there shall bee no life for man nor woman in this world And there is no sight of that glorious person of the Sonne who dwelleth in that light vnaccessable as hee is God hee is as incomprehensible as his Father hee is not seene I saye but vnder a cloude wee must see him thorowe this nature of ours There is no Angell in Heauen that dare abide to looke on the Son but thorow a vaile and this is the vaile of our fleshe if thou takest awaye that vaile the sight of that Majestie shall deuour thee No if thou gottest a sight of the Sonne of God without the sight of his manlie nature wherein hee died for our sinnes and rose for our justification thou wouldest bee destroyed and confounded thereby But by the contrary that is the pleasandest sight that euer thou sawest when thou seest that tabernacle of thy nature that glorious person cloathed with the nature of man The knowledge of Christ must be first as he is sent next as he is Iesus and last as he is Christ His sending is as hee is manifested in the flesh And hee is Iesus and Christ as hee is God and man So wee must looke thorowe that vaile of man and thorowe that tabernacle of our nature ere wee see that glorious Majestie And this is joye and life and our heauen into this earth Yee shall marke a notable lesson of this which I haue spoken See howe knowledge goeth vp thorowe to the Father and see by what degrees life commeth downe from the Father There are the degrees and order of our knowledge and howe it passeth vp thorowe First our eye striketh on the vaile of our nature wherein that glorious Majestie sitteth Then thorowe the vaile the soule pierceth in to that glorious Sonne of God and then when the soule hath gotten that sight of the Sonne it passeth forwarde to the glorious sight of the Father and then our knowledge resteth there for it is the Fountaine of life Faith neuer resteth till it come to the Father and then it resteth on him and there is the joye of it Nowe looke howe wee gette life As soone as our soule commeth to that Fountaine the Father that Fountaine breaketh out in liuing waters Looke the power of Fayth Fayth breaketh vp that Fountaine and then spirite and life beginneth to flow Life commeth first from the Father to the Sonne of GOD and then it commeth from the Sonne to our nature and thorowe our nature that Spirit and that life floweth into our soules There is the difference knowledge beginneth at the nature of man in Christ but life beginneth at the Father Againe knowledge passeth vp and life commeth downe from the Father Well then if life euerlasting stand in knowledge of GOD in Iesus Christ then it must follow first as a man or a woman groweth in knowledge and in fayth so they growe in life euerlasting and as they growe in life so they grow in fayth and in what measure thy knowledge is in that measure thy life is and in what measure thy life is in that measure thy fayth is And when that day shall come when we shall see the Lord Iesus face to face as our knowledge shall be perfected so shall our life and joye and in one word our Heauen shall be perfected The perfection of life euerlasting and knowledge standeth in the sight of the face of Iesus Christ And if our life euerlasting stand in knowledge then death euerlasting standeth in ignorance and where there is ignorance of God in Iesus Christ there death taketh place and their Hell is begunne here and that darknesse which is in thy soule shall bee turned into vtter darknesse and the more ignorant thou bee of God in Iesus Christ the greater shall thy damnation bee Paul to the Ephes Chap. 4. vers 18. joyneth these two together speaking of the Gentiles and their estate before Christ came into the worlde sayeth hee they had their mindes darkened with a cloude of ignorance and they were aliantes from the life of God Meaning that when as ignorance reigned amongst the Gentiles they were all casten out from the light of Heauen Where there is nothing but darknesse there is not a sponke of the life of Christ there Though thou werest a King and hast but a naturall life I count thee worse than a Dogge howbeit thou canst passe the time and hunt and haulke and eate thy meate c. thou art deader than a Carrion Seeing then life standeth in the sight of God through Iesus Christ and seeing death standeth in the ignorance of the soule this shoulde bee our care night and daye to warble thorowe that cloude of darknesse which hideth vs from that Sonne of God and â—o get away this foule vaile for if it be not put away it groweth aye till it come to an hard scroofe There is no standing for thee but thou shalt either grow in light or in darknesse This should be our care to put awaye darknesse and get light Wee should aye labour to cast off this vaile vnder the which wee lie till the Lord deliuer vs fully from that blindnesse of the minde which is a blacke and cloudy couering The way to bee fredde of this is to holde vp thine eye to gette a sight of the face of Iesus Christ In the face of Iesus thou seest the glory of the Father Knowest thou how thou shalt gette it in this life Seeke it in the worde All the sight that we haue here is but in a mirrour and by an aenigma as th'Apostle sayth or by a parable in respect of the sight which wee shall haue in the life to come And this mirrour is the glorious Gospel To end in a worde As thou wouldest see Iesus and bee quite of darknesse as thou wouldest haue life and be quite of death set thine heart to heare the Gospel of Iesus Christ that is the only way for thee to gette a sight of him in this life Striue to heare this worde preached Ye shall haue Christ crucified in the Gospel and Christ glorified in the Gospel And begin once to take pleasure in hearing and I shall promise thee in the Name of God Heauen and Earth and all shall goe together ere thou gettest not light and consequently Heauen in this life otherwayes I giue thee ouer Now seeing Christ is our light and our life the Lord giue vs grace to
of man Looke to this and in the meane time gather howe much wee are beholden vnto him What King would haue humbled himselfe so No there is no King who would haue put on a Beggars weed for a slaues cause let bee to humble himselfe so far Now looke how we are indebted to him yea if it were a thousand liues it is too little to giue for him who hath so humbled himselfe for vs. Nowe last yee see in what sense and meaning the Sonne of God seeketh this glory Hee seeketh not a glory which hee had not the time that he sought it for he had iâ—â—â—wayes from all eternity He sought not also to bee quite of the nature of man for then hee should not haue bene our Sauiour Hee seeketh not to be quite of the first cloude but of the second He seeketh to be quite of death and hee seeketh that that Godhead should glorifie the Sonne of man that the beames of that Godhead should strike out and glorifie the nature of man And indeede howe soone that Godhead that dwelt in him began to vtter it selfe when his head was lying low in the graue then the man getteth vp and life commeth into our nature And next when the Godhead vttered it selfe in that nature then that man is lifted vp to the Heauens And last when the Godhead vttered it selfe the man Christ is placed at the right hand of the Father and that nature of man shineth in such sort that it passeth all the glory of the Angels This is very comfortable Thou wilt say What recks me of all this glory and what is that to mee Howbeit that that man be glorified yet I abide here in the earth a vile body what recks mee if the worlde were glorified if I got not a share of it Now wilt thou take but once holde of that nature of man and once fix thine eye vpon it that is Wilt thou belieue in Iesus Christ God and man set thine heart on him that he first died for thee and secondly that he rose for thee belieue that all this was once done for thee then certainly as sure as the nature of man in Iesus died and was glorified as sure thou shalt bee glorified and as soone as thou touchest him the glorie shall strike out and ouershaddow thee in this life when thou lookest into the mirrour of his Gospel for wee see him here but in a mirrour it shall ouer-shaddow thee I say but when faith shall be changed into sight and wee see him face to face and sit fore-anent him and looke to his glorious face those glaunces which shall proceede from him as it is saide to the Philippians CHAP. 3. VERS 21. shall transforme thy vile bodie and shall conforme it to his glorious bodie There is such an effectualnesse in his power whereby hee subdued all thinges that if thou shalt gette a sight of him hee shall chaunge thy bodie in a moment and hee shall make it to shine more brighter than the Sunne Onelie belieue so long as thou art heere A man who hath faith in him shall see this glorie If thou gettest not a sight of Christ by fayth in this worlde thou shalt neuer see him heereafter to life and glorie So let vs belieue and stirre vp euerie one of vs another with exhortations that as euer wee would see glorie wee belieue in Iesus Christ To whome 〈◊〉 the Father and holie Spirit bee all honour glorie and pray 〈◊〉 world without ende AMEN THE XX. LECTVRE OF CHRISTES PRAYER BEFORE HIS PASSION IOHN CHAP. xvii VERS 6.7.8 6 I haue declared thy Name vnto the men which thou gauest mee out of the worlde thine they were and thou gauest them mee and they haue kept thy worde 7 Nowe they knowe that all thinges whatsoeuer thou hast giuen mee are of thee 8 For I haue giuen vnto them the wordes which thou gauest mee and they haue receiued them and haue knowne surelie that I came out from thee and haue belieued that thou hast sent mee HItherto Welbeloued in the Lord IESVS in this Prayer the Lord hath prayed for himselfe that the Father would glorifie him To this purpose hee vsed sundry argumentes First sayeth hee The houre is come that is The houre of my death is at hand therefore Father glorifie mee Then hee sayeth Father if thou wilt glorifie mee I will glorifie thee therefore glorifie mee Yet farder If thou wilt glorifie mee J wll giue life euerlasting to these whome thou hast giuen mee therefore Father glorifie mee Yet marke I haue glorified thee on the Earth and I haue ended that worke which thou gauest mee to doe What resteth then sayeth hee But that thou O Father shouldest glorifie mee Then hee concludeth Therefore Father glorifie mee with thy selfe not in the Earth but in the Heauens with that glorie which I had with thee before the worlde was Nowe in the next parte of his Prayer the Lord prayeth for his Apostles eleuen in number Hee prayeth not for Iudas because hee was a reprobate There are two thinges which hee seeketh at the Father for them The first â—s That when hee shoulde goe his waye to the Heauen the Father shoulde keepe them from all euill in the worlde The seconde is That the Father shoulde sanctifie them to that worke which they were appointed vnto There are sundrie argumentes and reasons of this first parte of this Petition for his Disciples That the Father woulde keepe them and saue them Hee heapeth in the beginning manie argumentes as namelie from their calling and vocation from their election from that they were the Fathers from that they were giuen to him from that that they belieued the Worde and from that that hee was going to the Father He heapeth together these arguments reasons in praying for them that the Father would keepe and saue them But let vs marke the words narrowly and goe thorow euery argument and obserue such doctrine as shall be to our edification as God shall giue the grace He begins sayth first J haue declared thy Name vnto the men which thou gauest me out of the world So the first reason wherewith he moueth the Father to keepe them is from that hee had manifested vnto them the Name of the Father That is to saye That hee had called them by the Preaching of the glorious Euangel of IESVS CHRIST So our vocation and calling standeth in the manifestation of GOD in IESVS CHRIST by the preaching and hearing of the Gospel Wee are called when God and his will is manifested to vs by the preaching of the Gospel of Iesus Christ Well then if the Lord Iesus vseth this as an argument and reason to moue his Father to keepe them and to saue them now certainly when any person findeth that GOD calleth on them by the preaching of the Gospel as he is calling on you this day Then certainly they haue an argument and token that that God who calleth on them wil keepe and saue them both in this
time that the conscience be first sprinkled with the blood of Iesus and then the conscience being once thus sprinkled the soule will find such joy as no tongue can expresse Thus much for the eight argument The ninth argument is from that hatred wherewith the world persued his Disciples hated them The world hateth them therfore Father keep thou them they chase them here and there now Father be thou their refuge Alace it is a great misery to be chased hunted here there to be persued in the world in the mean time to get no rest in God when thou gettest no rest with God no rest in the world miserable is thy estate but when thou gettest rest in the bosom of God thou hast joy quietnes in thy hart this is it he recōmēdeth to the Father Father the world hateth them therfore let them get rest in thee because they are not of the world it hateth them the world loueth none but godles ill men now I haue giuen thy word to them it is thy word that hath sanctified them separated them frō the world for it is this word that will take thee out of the world if the word of Christ separate thee not from the pollution of the world thou shalt perish in the pollutiō stink of the world Then he compareth them with himselfe They are like vnto me thou shouldst loue them the better for the world loues them the worse that they loue me the word of Iesus as it makes vs vnlike the world so it makes vs like Iesus Christ if the word of Iesus make thee not holy nothing shal mak thee holy thē nothing shall euer mak thee like Iesus Christ but this holy word of Christ as it makes vs vnlike the world so it makes vs like our head Now he meanes that this likenes with him was the ground of persecution the world persecuted them becaus they were like him whom the world loued not for Brethren this is the ground of persecution to wit the hatred of God the hatred of the Light and the hatred of that Majestie of selfe Well then yee see the hatred and the persecution of this worlde is wrong vnderstood men thinke that when any man is persecuted or hated of the world that God hateth them also this is the judgement of the worlde when they see any man troubled for the cause of Iesus Christ they will saye God hateth this man Nowe this is so false a judgement that by the contrary the hatred of this world is the surest token that can be that God loueth thee If there were no more to tell thee but the sence and experience that godly men haue of Gods presence in the middest of the hatred of this worlde it will tell thee that God loueth them A man who is persecuted for Iesus Christ will feele such a presence in his heart of God that the tongue of man nor Angel cannot tell And when he is chased till he pant and bee breathlesse hee will feele such a presence that hee will count nothing of all the trouble of the world as Paul sayth Rom. 8. vers 31. Jf God bee with vs who can bee against vs And againe Who can separate vs from the loue of God in Iesus Christ Hee who feeleth this hee will stand vp and spit in the face of all the Tyrantes in the world he will defie the world the man who is farthest out of the worlde Iesus Christ is nearest him Goe out of the worlde goe out of Hierusalem bearing the reproach of Iesus and so thou shalt haue a sense of that joye the more thou conformest thee to the worlde the nearer man or woman is joyned with this cursed generation the moste cursed generation that euer was on the face of the earth thou shalt finde that thy God shall bee the farther from thee when thou liuest as they liue and speakest as they speake I appeale thy conscience if thou findest then the comfort and joye which thou foundest being from that societie And if thou sayest thou hast it thou liest If it were no more but that sense it may tell thee that this doctrine is true Nowe I shall ende the conclusion When he hath vsed this argument he subjoyneth I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the worlde but that thou shouldest keepe them from the euill of the worlde for I haue a worke to doe with them that is to sende them out to this cursed generation therefore Father keepe them this is the thing that I praye when I shall send them out to the world that thou leaue them not but in the middest of persecution keepe them till my worke bee ended He craueth not that they should be free of persecution for of before ye heard he sayth In the world yee shall haue oppression but bee of good comfort in me ye shall haue peace therefore hee craueth not that they should bee free of all persecution but that in the middest of persecution the Father should bee with them and make them victorious more than victorious euen to triumph Yee may marke in these words two remedies against the persecution of the worlde The godly haue two remedies against the persecution of the world the first is When the Lord taketh his owne out of this miserable world to dwell with himselfe in joy and felicity The other remedy against persecution is when the Lord letteth his owne still fight on in a battell and in the meane time keepeth them wonderfully in the middest of persecution so that the world will be compelled to wonder that a man or a woman who feeleth the Lordes presence will so triumph in affliction All this worlde hath no power to take their life so long as the Lord hath his worke in their hands All the Tyrants vnder the Heauen haue no power to harme them and namely a Preacher till he end his worke for the which the Lord set him in the world all the Tyrants in the Earth cannot take his life from him no they cannot touch the least hair of his head for they are numbred yea rather ere he get any harme the Lord will send his Angel out of Heauen as he sent him to Peter and pull him out of the throat of death Now Brethren looke to the order which the Lord vseth in these remedies he will not incontinent take his owne out of the world howbeit the world be vnworthy of them this world is not worthy of a good man he will let them tarry till his work be ended There is not one of vs when the Lord hath put a piece of work into our hands in our own calling that he will take out of this world till we end it to the glory of his holy Name As I told you of before it is a wonderfull thing how the Lord will keep his own and he will not at an instant take them out of this world Howbeit a man
loued the faythfull as thou hast loued mee Wouldest thou knowe that God loueth the faythfull and that hee showeth mercie joyne thee to the bodie There are the two endes of the conjunction and joyning together of the members The first is the glorie of the Sonne the second is the glorie of the Father for by this conjunction it is knowne howe dearelie the Father hath loued the Sonne and by this it is knowne that the Father hath loued the world not with a common loue hee hath not loued the worlde onelie as a workeman loueth his worke-man-ship but as the Father hath loued the Sonne that is with a Fatherlie loue that is another sort of loue than a common loue What auaileth it to thee to knowe that God loueth thee as his creature if thou bee not assured that hee loueth thee with that entire loue wherewith he loued his Sonne and that hee loueth thee with that Fatherlie loue and with the bowels of pittie And if he loue thee as his Son he sheweth it in this That hee gaue his Sonne for thee for except the Father had loued thee as his Sonne with that Fatherlie loue hee had neuer sent Iesus Christ to redeeme thee The sending of Iesus Christ testifieth that hee loued thee with a Fatherlie loue Wee see heere wherefore God hath a Kirke in this worlde Wherefore is there a communion and conjunction of soules heere in this Earth Thinke not that a Kirke is gathered for none end Wherefore is it then that there is a Kirke In a worde It is that the glorie of the Father should shine in that societie and coniunction of the Sainctes in the Earth Iesus Christ is glorified in his Kirke and the Father of Iesus Christ is also glorified in it They who diuide and disseuer the Kirke of Iesus Christ in the Earth they doe nothing else but to deface the glorie of Iesus Christ and the glorie of the Father Wilt thou slay and persecute the Kirke of Christ What doest thou Nothing but defacest and scornest the glorie of Iesus Christ What are these men doing that persecute the Kirke that the Lord hath gathered in this Land Nothing but smoaring the glorie of the Father and the Sonne and the Lord shall turne their glorie to shame and confusion I giue them their doome The Father of Heauen shall turne them and all that shall conioyne with them to shame and confusion Marke the order howe the glorie of the Father and of the Sonne is knowne First wee knowe that the Sonne is sent from the Father for vs and our redemption Next by the sending of the Sonne for vs wee knowe tne vnspeakeable loue of the Father towardes vs. Nowe I goe forwarde When hee hath prayed for this coniunction and vnitie of the faythfull on the Earth that they may bee ioyned in one bodie hee is not content with this but hee seeketh more Father sayeth hee where I am I will that they bee there that they may see that glorie that thou hast giuen mee The Lord seeketh not onelie glorie to the faythfull in this life but glorie in the life to come Hee intercedeth not onelie for thee that thou mayest haue glorie in this life but also that thou bee glorified in the Heauens after this life For Brethren the Lord Iesus considered very well that our felicitie is not bounded within the compasse of this Earth That is a miserable happinesse that is bounded within this life thou art but a catiue if thou lockest for none other happinesse as PAVI sayeth in the first Epistle to the Corinthians Chap. 15. Vers 19. Jf our fayth bee onelie in this worlde of all men in the worlde wee are the most miserable So if thou hast this grace onelie in this life thou art miserable for all the graces that thou gettest if thy felicitie reach not beyonde this worlde and beyond all eternitie thou art miserable Felicitie hath none ende the blessednesse of the faythfull man or woman hath none ende it is not drawne within the compasse of this Earth but it passeth aboue the Heauens and extendeth it to all eternitie Nowe our happinesse standeth in this coniunction and vnion partlie with our Head and our God and with our Neighbour to make one bodie to Iesus Christ In these two partes standenth our felicitie Thou beginnest this coniunction in this life but it shall neuer bee ended the perfection shall bee in Heauen when wee shall come to Heauen meete with him there then our coniunction with Christ and with the members of his body men and Angels shall be perfect The thing that worketh this coniunction and bringeth out charitie and ioyneth thee with thy neighbour is faith in Christ for we liue by faith and not by sight when thou castest thine eye afarre off to Christ for he is as farre from thee as the Earth is from the Heauen howbeit thou be in heauinesse and languor thou shalt once get peace and ioye when thou lookest to Heauen It is but a farre sight to looke thorowe the clowdes to see thy Redeemeer at the right hande of the Father but this is not the perfection the accomplishment is by a full and cleare sight when wee shall pierce the Heauens and shall see him not in a mirrour but face to face then the members shall bee perfected when wee shall see him and the glorie that the Father hath giuen vnto him This is common But O that thou couldest feele it sensiblie in thine heart to thy ioy and consolation J will that they be where I am that they may see the glorie that thou hast given mee before the foundation of the worlde Ere euer wee gette the presence of IESVS CHRIST ere wee see him face to face wee must chaunge our dwelling place wee will not gette the sight of Christ heere in this Earth Looke not to gette the sight of that glorie heere in the Earth thou must flitte out of the Earth to the Heauen Whatsoeuer soule would see his glorie that soule must flitte and before euer wee chaunge our dwelling place wee must first be chaunged wee must haue a chaunge of our selues There is neuer anie man nor woman that shall gette entrie into that SAnctuarie where the LORD IESVS sitteth in glorie but hee who is chaunged in himselfe It is impossible for a man or a woman to enter into Heauen with this mortalitie or with this death or with this corruption What are vvee but dead and mortall creatures Then thou must chaunge corruption into corruption and thou must chaunge thy mortall bodie into a glorious bodie Nowe this chaunge of man and woman cannot bee but by death What striketh more terrour to thine heart than death Yet there is no chaunge but by death or else that which shall stande vs in steade of death as when Christ shall come the clowdes in the latter day wee must bee chaunged in the twinkling of an eye This doctrine tendeth to this that wee abhorre not death altogether
leadeth vs in the way of trueth and verity We are all out of the way till he leade vs in the way of saluation There is neuer man nor woman who is not naturally full of vanity and his heart full of lies no trueth chiefly in the way that leadeth to life and saluation The spirit of errour occupieth naturally the heartes of men and women vntill this blessed Spirite enter into their heartes The name is to bee marked First hee is called the Comforter Secondlie the Spirit of trueth The one of these is the cause of the other And the Spirite of GOD is the Comforter and ministreth comfort to the soules of men and vvomen because hee is the Spirite of veritie For Brethren this knowledge of God is the grounde of all comfort and vvithout the knowledge of our saluation there is no comfort in this life When the Spirite of God entereth into the soule of a man or woman he first beginneth to let the creature see the sinfulnesse that lieth in nature the miserie death and damnation that followeth on sinne The first knowledge we can haue is to knowe vvhat we are by nature So the first worke of the Spirit of Veritie is when he letteth a man or woman see that hee is but sinfull and dead vnder sinne The second point of knowledge that the Spirite vvill leade thee vntill hee vvill let thee see mercy in thy deliuerance from sinne and death The best sight that euer a miserable creature sawe and the ioyfullest this sight vvill bee accompanied vvith such a ioy as the heart of man cannot expresse As the sight of sinne was heauy so this sight of grace mercy in Iesus Christ is sweet yea the ioyfullest sight that euer the creature got The third point of knowledge he vvill leade thee vnto is hee vvill let thee see the vvay howe thou shouldest meete that mercifull God and vvhat shoulde bee thy duety for such a mercifull deliuerance If any man or vvoman haue this Spirit of Verity he must see these three things and if they see not these three they vvist neuer what vvas the Spirite of Verity Looke vvhat followeth on these three sights all the ioye in the vvorlde the heart vvist neuer vvhat ioye vvas vvhile then If one had all the riches in the vvorlde all the pleasures in the vvorlde if they vvant the Spirite they vvant that true ioye in death in life hee that vvanteth that Spirit can haue no ioy vvhen death commeth to him and the vvorld leaueth him how can he reioyce no he cannot So vvouldest thou haue ioye and chiefely in the houre of death and that is a sad houre when the vvorlde is leauing thee and thou leauing it for thou must leaue it Get this blessed sight and this Spirite of Verity and hee shall vvorke comfort in thy soule both in thy life and in the houre of death Now againe the second time he aggreageth this benefite for the benefite of the soule cannot bee aggreaged enough before he aggreageth it in that it should abide vvith them for euer Now he aggreageth it from the condition of the vvorld and hee sayth Hee is such a Spirit that the worlde cannot receiue The aggreaging of this benefite to the soule is by opposition to the vvorlde The vvorld sayth the Lord receiued not this Spirit of Verity vvhom yee shall receiue It hath a great force the Spirite of GOD vvhen hee vvoulde amplifie the grace that the Chosen gette in the vvorlde vseth to sette downe a grace opposite to the worlde vvho getteth not this grace but in place of it getteth miserie So in the threescore Chapter of Esay and the twelfth Verse hee sayeth The Lord shall rise vp and make the beames of his mercie to shine vpon his owne Hee setteth not downe this simplie but to let them see the greatnesse of the benefite hee subjoyneth an opposition And darknesse sayeth hee shall couer the Earth and grosse darknesse the people but the Lord shall rise vp to shine vpon thee with the beames of that his mercy and his glory shall bee seene vpon thee This is done that the godly should see the greatnesse of the mercy of God towards them One contrary will make another the better to be knowne Brethren wee see this all the aduersaries vse this argument against vs Your Kirke is contracted in little boundes and your Profession is but narrow and fewe imbrace it where yee finde one who professeth as yee professe ye will find an hundreth who contemne your Doctrine So say they because the multitude imbraceth it not it is not the true Light But these wordes condemne them The Lord sayeth The vvorlde cannot receiue the Spirite of Veritie They say The vvorlde must receiue the Spirite of Veritie or else it is not the Spirite of Veritie So to ende this Wee must bee so farre from that to count the lesse of this blessed Light and of these whome the Lord vsed as instrumentes after hee had taken them out of the darke Kingdome of the Antichrist to make this Light shine like the Sunne that euen by the contrary wee must count the more of it And it is an argument that it is the Trueth because the Lord will not communicate it with the multitude And woe is the soule that neuer saw this Light Precious thinges are but rare The more pecious a grace bee euermore since the beginning of the worlde it is the rarer No man getteth this Light communicated to them but those secret ones whom the Lord hath chosen And we one day shall blesse this Light that euer we saw it The worde is to bee marked The worlde cannot receiue him This worde importeth that the fault wherefore the worlde receiueth not this Spirite is not in the Spirite but the fault is in the vvorlde it selfe vvho vvanteth the hand and so neither will nor can receiue such a grace The Lord in his worde offereth to all men indifferentlie this Spirite and as it were by his vvorde knocketh at the heartes of men and women to receiue such a guest There is none of vs who heareth this glorious Euangel but the Lord knocketh at the doore of his soule to take in this Holy Spirit to dwell with him But looke howe hee is answered All receiueth not this Spirit and all hearts are not opened to take him in yea very fewe there bee who take in this Spirite in their heart when they heare this Euangel Take heed there is no grace nor welfare without this Spirit and howe can the heart bee glad without him Yet they are few who get him To speak the trueth There is no man nor woman who is naturally borne to receiue this Spirit of God The naturall man sayth Paul is not capable of the thinges that are of God 1. Cor. 2.14 So by nature all men and women are alike Then who maketh the difference sayth Paul to the Corinthians What hast thou that thou hast not receiued 1. Cor. 4.7 Then if there bee a
I charge thee till thou gettest that life without the which there is no quietnesse thou mayest be quiet for a while but blacke shall bee thy wakening and say thou Lord liue in my soule for and he liue not heere in thy soule thou shalt not get that life to come Now to draw to an ende Hee letteth them see what vantage they shall haue of that sight It is no small vantage to see Christ In that day would the Lord say what shall yee see vvhen yee see mee Yee shall see two thinges two vnions in the sight of which standeth the joye of the creature The first is the vnion betwixt me and the Father J am in the Father that is I am God with the Father And next ye shal see yourselues to stand in this societie That is That yee are in mee and I in you to your joye and comfort One may aske Howe shalt thou see him vnited with the Father A man or vvoman shall not so soone set the eye of the soule vpon Iesus Christ shall not so soone belieue in him but as soone they shall knowe and belieue the vnity of the essence and glory of the Father and of the Sonne By fayth in Christ they shall gripe an infinite power Who is he that belieueth in Iesus Christ vvho findeth not in his heart an infinite power and an infinite mercy And vve feele not this vvee feele nothing And vvee feele not by fayth an vnspeakeable loue vvee feele nothing In one vvord vvhen one belieueth in Christ they shall see in him an infinit Majesty othervvayes fayth could not rest on him for fayth can rest on nothing but on God I remember Paul to the Ephesians Chap. 1. Vers 18.19 hee prayeth the Lord to illuminate the hearts of the Ephesians to see heauenly thinges and among the rest to see that excellent greatnesse of power There is none that belieueth in Christ but they finde an excellent power Then if fayth finde the Majesty of God in him the man vvill lay this conclusion and say I see my Sauiour is God and is one vvith the Father And there the soule getteth a sweet repose to rest vpon So ye see as soone as the soule belieueth in Christ it feeleth an vnspeakeable power and Majesty and so gathereth hee is God and one vvith the Father Except hee were God and one with the Father it coulde not bee that one belieuing in Christ coulde haue such joye and peace in the heart This is the Trueth and hee were not God mine heart could not haue joye in belieuing in him So this power wee finde striking from the Lord in belieuing telleth vs that the Lord is God Nowe to speake of the second vnion Howe is this that when wee looke to Christ by fayth wee finde vs joyned with him in that blessed society The eye shall not so soone bee set on Christ and gette a blinke of him but in him it shall finde the satiety of joye In the face of Christ is all light and joye as Paul sayeth Turne the heart till him the vaile shall vanish awaye and the minde shall bee illuminated because the Lord is a Spirit 2. Cor. Chap. 3. vers 16.17 When thou belieuest in him his face shall shine in thy soule thou shalt see no light but in him Is this the effect of fayth What then shouldest thou gather Thou vvouldest neuer finde ioye except the Spirit had vnited thee and him All this light power and ioye which is in our soules floweth from that vnion of Christ with vs. Then Brethren the sight of Christ will let vs see the two ioyfullest sightes that euer wee saw First that vnion betwixt him and his Father and so thou wilt see thy Sauiour to bee God equall with the Father in glory and Maiesty The next is Thou shalt see thy selfe to stand in that societie with the Father and the Sonne Men would be in honest societie What more gracious yea what more blessed societie woldest thou haue than to be in societie with the blessed Trinitie in glory for euer For this is the felicitie of man to bee ioyned with that blessed Trinitie euen with the Father with the Sonne and with the holy Spirit To whom be praise and honour foreuer and euer Amen THE SEVENTH LECTVRE OF CHRISTES DOCTRINE BEFORE HIS PASSION IOHN CHAP. xiiii VERS 21.22.23.24.25.26 21 Hee that hath my Commandements and keepeth them is hee that loueth mee and hâ—e that loueth mee shall bee loued of my Father and I will loue him and will shew mine owne selfe to him 22 Judas saide vnto him not Iscariot Lord what is the cause that thou wilt shew thy selfe vnto vs and not vnto the world 23 Jesus answered and said vnto him If any man loue mee hee will keepe my word and my Father will loue him and wee will come vnto him and will dwell with him 24 Hee that loueth mee not keepeth not my words and the word which yee heare is not mine but the Fathers which sent mee 25 These thinges have I spoken vnto you being present with you 26 But the Comforter which is the holy Ghoste whome the Father will send in my Name hee shall teach you in all thinges and bring all thinges to your remembrance which I haue tolde you WEE haue heard welbeloued Brethren how Christ hath insisted much with his Disciples to assure them that after his departure out of this world he would giue them another Comforter to wit the holy Spirit the Spirit of Trueth and he would giue them his presence from the Heauen Hee hath repeated his promise often to assure them of the trueth thereof Nowe hee returneth vnto that seconde exhortation and exhorteth his Disciples of newe to keepe his Commandementes in his absence Hee sayeth the Lord who hath my Commandements and keepeth them is hee who loueth mee As he would say Wouldest thou know the man who loueth me when I am in the Heauens It is hee who keepeth my CoÌ„mandements here on earth Ye see the Lord is very earnest to exhort his Disciples to keep his CoÌ„mandemeÌ„ts as they vvould testifie to the vvorld that they loue him The Lord knew vvell enough the hypocrisie of this vvorlde and in this latter age chiefely that men vvomen vvould haue a pretence of loue and faith and haue none indeed in their heart and therfore he insisteth vvith his Disciples that men should kythe it indeede The babler and the speaker onely is not the louer but the doer Iohn in his first Epistle Chap. 3. vers 18. saith My little Children let vs not loue in word neither in tounge but in deed and trueth They who belieue are not those who speake most but those who doe most James Chap. 2 vers 18. saith Let me see thy fayth by thy workes and I will shew thee my fayth by my works Christ is not a voyce or a sound sounding in mens eares but the Lord Iesus is in deede and effect and there are none who haue Christ
of sharpnesse as it were So Dauid in the 42. Psal vers 11. vvhen he findeth himselfe carried away with a vehement affection of sorrowe and ouer farre casten downe in his exile he sayth Why art thou casten downe my soule and why art thou disquieted within mee vvait on God for I will yet giue him thankes c. So wee should presse downe the affection with a reproofe as the Lord doth here Hee layeth downe the ground of his reproofe I tolde you J would goe away and I tolde you I would come againe in my Spirit and now I am to depart to my Father Now he saith yee loue me not because ye rejoyce not that I am to goe to glorie vvith my Father for my Father is greater than I that is I goe to be partaker of that glory which the Father hath and when as yee are sad at my departure ye vtter that yee enuy my glory Marke the wordes Heretickes who aâ—leadged that Christ was a God but created in time and not equall with the Father Though they got a great vantage out of this place The Father is greater than J The Fathers of olde exponed this place well That it was to be vnderstood of the humane nature and not of the diuine Yet there is another exposition of this that is That this place is not so much to bee vnderstood of the nature of Christ as of his office The Godhead of the Lord Iesus the Sonne being equall with the Father taketh an office vpon him by the which he becoÌ„meth inferiour to the Father to wit hee becoÌ„meth Mediator The office standeth in this He taketh vpon him the flesh of a seruant Next he becoÌ„meth obedient yea euen to the death of the Crosse in that nature so in respect of this office he maketh himselfe inferior to the Father By this we must not gather that he was inferior to the Father in person Majesty or essence howbeit in office hee was vnequall inferior to the Father For as that reuerent Father Cyrillus sayeth Missiò obedientia non tollunt aequalitatem potentiae essentiae Therefore ye see the Heretickes as namely Arrius out of this place haue no ground for that blasphemous heresie But consider yet more narrowly what the Lord saith And ye loued me ye would haue reioyced in that I said J would depart As he would say The very wordes that yee turne to your discomfort sorrow should haue bene mater of joy and comfort There is neuer a word that the Lord speaketh to his owne no neuer one but in them all is matter of joye howbeit the words will seeme sharpe yet all the words of the Lord that he speaketh to his tende to their joye and consolation and all they that loue the Lord Iesus should construct all the deeds words of the Lord to their comfort let him take away worldly riches honour health friendes life it selfe c. all should work comfort to them But brethren we are so corrupt blind by nature that we see not the Lords purpose what he is doing to vs we make the words of the Lord wherin we should take pleasure ioy to be mater of displeasure I speak not this to take away sense of the sharpnesse of the Lord to coÌ„mend Stoâ—ke senslesnes but herin we fail that sadnes is without ioy coÌ„solatioÌ„ Now the Lord craues this that with bitternes we should taste sweetnes indeed heauines is the comliest thing that can be in a Christian sadnes becoÌ„meth a sinner well but in the mean time there should be joy in the soule 1. Thes 5.16 Reioyce euermore He findeth no fault with them that they were sad but because they would receiue no comfort He saith Jf ye loued me ye wold reioyce because I said I go to the Father One who loueth another truly will reioyce in the weale of the other Loue bringes a rejoycing he or she that loues Christ that gets greatest joy in the hart as enuy eats vp the hart of man or woman in whom it is one who loues another will reioyce at the good estate of the other at his prosperity riches honor one who loues the Lord Iesus well rejoyces to see him glorified that shold be our joy to see the Lord Iesus glorified his kingdome aduanced cursed be thou who laughs at the down-throwing of the kingdom of the Lord Iesus no they who loues God will curse all their kin as he sayes here himself they who loue the Lord Iesus their delite shall bee to see him glorified Th' Apostles not taking such ioy as they oght to see him glorified their loue was preposterous no doubt they loued him intierly Peter loued him Iohn loued him the rest loued him yet the Lord shewes that their loue was with a great ignorance the flesh was mixed with it it was not sincere So let vs tak heed to our loue not only to that loue we beare to Christ but euen to men man to wife parents to children we should take heed that it be a true loue and not a preposterous loue I call it not a true loue that hath nothing but sadnes with it for the death of another wheÌ„ a Christian goes to ioy and when we are sad for them then we vtter an enuy in our heartes of their glory Indeede wee should not want naturall affection and wee may haue displeasure for the want of our brother but looke that displeasure bee not for thy brothers joye and that hee is participant of that glorie with Christ and the hope of that Resurrection The remembrance of the assembling of the Sainctes of God to meete their Head in the Cloudes should cause thee rejoyce The Lord lift vp our heartes to the Heauen from this earth whereon we are so fixed and make vs to waite continually for that blessed assembly of the Sainctes that when hee commeth in the cloudes we may be carried to remaine with him in ioy for euer Now in the words following the Lord setteth downe the ende of his speaking to his Disciples and chiefely of this that he forewarneth them that hee was to depart Heere is the chiefe ende That they should belieuâ— in him that hee was that promised Messias the Sonne of God when they should see the accomplishment of all his sayings that they should belieue The whole word of God leads vs to this that men should belieue in Iesus Christ there is not a word spoken in the Scripture but it leads vs to Christ whether the Lord speak of things to come as in the Prophets or of things done as in the Evangels all tendeth to this to leade vs to Iesus Christ to belieue in him They who get not this end in the word they get no fruit of the word Hee sayth not These things I tolde you before the hand that ye should belieue But he addeth I haue told you them before the hand that when they come to passe ye should
loue the Lord and thou shalt finde such a joye as the worlde knoweth not loue Christ and thou shalt haue a good conscience and a good conscience bringeth with it joye rest and peace So the ende of all is joye to the heart of a sinner the vnion with Christ bringeth with it an vnspeakeable joy Reade 1. John 1. vers 4. After he hath beene speaking of the communion with the Father and the Sonne hee subjoyneth These things write I vnto you that your ioye might bee full And if wee bee not in societie with that blessed Trinitie wee haue no matter of ioye and therefore we should euer striue to get a communion with that blessed Trinitie for therein standeth the happinesse of man Nowe to marke the wordes more narrowly hee tearmeth it first His joye then hee tearmeth it Their joye so it is both the ioye of Christ and also of his Disciples but in diuerse respectes It is the ioye of Christ because hee is the giuer of it all ioye proceedeth of Iesus Christ It is our ioye because it belongeth to vs and is giuen vs. So then what is the ioye of a Christian man Learne it heere It is nothing but the participation of that heauenly ioye that is in God God is full of ioye and his whole nature is ioye the ioye that one hath who belieueth in Christ is a part of that diuine nature 2. Epist of Peter Chap. 1. vers 4. of that ioye that passeth all vnderstanding there is the felicitie of man to get apart of that infinite ioye The Philosophers disputed much about the felicitie of man some of them placed it in pleasure the generall is not euill but here they failed that they placed it in a beastly pleasure Indeede it standeth in the participation of that ioye of God begun in this life and perfected in the Heauen when wee shall see Christ Iesus face to face The ioy we haue here is mingled with sorrow and for one ioyfull houre we haue aye ten sad but then all teares shall be wiped away from our eyes when God shall bee all in all and shall be filling the soules of his owne with ioye In the next verse hee commeth to the other grounde of good works The loue to man the first was the loue of God thinke not that thou canst doe a good thing and if thou loue not thy neighbour The wordes are This is my Commandement That yee loue one another as I haue loued you Loue will not stand on one side onely but it must bee mutuall otherwayes thou canst not stand in that societie either with God or with man Yee heard before this of the Lord If ye abide in my Commandements ye shall abide in my loue So the loue of Iesus Christ is to keep his Commandements This Commandement is not so much the CoÌ„mandement of the first Table as the CoÌ„mandement of the second Table The true touch-stone whereby is tried whether thou louest God or not in thine heart as is coÌ„manded in the first Table is the loue to thy neighbour which is coÌ„manded in the second Table so that if thou wilt stand vp say I loue God God will answere Louest thou thy neighbour if â—e find an hatred in thine heart to thy neighbour he will answere Thou louest me not Hee who hateth his neighbour hateth God Well let men continue on in murder wrongfull dealing stand vp say We loue God they lie Mark another thing there appears here a wonderfull loue the Lord beares to his members on earth no tong can expresse it That loue the creature would vtter to him he will haue it turned ouer on his members in the earth I meane not as though the Lord would haue none of our loue to himselfe or regarded it not so bade vs loue one another No for he deliteth exceedinglie to be loued by vs But that loue wee beare to him hee biddeth vs kythe it on his members and doe good to them And what is the cause that the Lord biddeth vs loue his members The Lord himselfe is perfect Our Head is full of all felicitie but as for the members they haue great need of things spirituall and temporal So the Head is not to bee benefited by vs but the best member though hee were a King hath neede to be holpen and the beggar may helpe him And so seeing He hath no need he turneth the benefite of our loue ouer to vs his members who haue need therof Dauid professeth this Psal 16. vers 2.3 Help me Lord he saith And lest the Lord should answere What good canst thou doe mee he meeteth this I cannot doe thee good my well-doing extendeth not to thee thou art all sufficient but Lord keepe mee to thy Sainctes on the earth howbeit my good cannot helpe thee yet Lord keepe me to thy Saincts Farder ye see he requireth mutuall loue for except loue be mutuall men cannot bee united the members of that body are conjoyned with loue albeit thou bee loued yet if thou loue not againe thou art not of the body When he hath exhorted them to loue one another hee setteth downe his owne example As I haue loued you euery one of you loue another Seeing hee loued them so well why should not they loue one another As before when he exhorted them to loue him that is to loue God hee laide downe before them his owne example so now hee exhorteth them to loue their neighbour by his example Wee learne by this the Lord Iesus is the liuely example of all true loue either to God or to man and the example of the loue of Christ is needefull to moue vs to loue man in this worlde so that except we sensibly find that loue of his in our heartes there shall bee no spunke of true loue to man in the heart for why all this loue we beare to God and to man ariseth vpon the feeling of that loue of Christ shed abroad in our hearts hee must warme our heartes by his loue and then shall arise the loue of God and of man Except a man feele that God loue him hee cannot loue for our loue is but a repercution of that loue wherewith hee striketh on our hearts Then in the next verse he layeth out the loue he bare to them in the owne greatnesse and that by comparison No man can haue a greater loue than this that he lay downe his life for his friend but I haue laide downe my life for you there yee see what a loue I beare to you The greatest token of loue in the worlde is when a man is content to lay downe his life for another Indeede it is a great token of loue when a tender friende will laye downe his life for his friend Rom. 5. vers 7. Scarcely will a man lay downe his life for the just but when a man will be content to giue his life for his enemy that is a greater token of loue there is not such a token
word is as Peter saith 1. Epist. Chap. 2. vers 1.2 This place letteth vs see that it was not onely a part of the trueth that was committed to the Ministerie they receiued not an imperfect doctrine but the whole Mysterie of saluation was reuealed and laid before them and that which they receiued they deliuered againe faithfully Paul saith Act. 20. vers 27. I haue not hid any thing from you but I haue showne you the whole counsell of God And whatsoeuer thinges the Apostles preached in the world with their mouth all in effect and substance they wrote with their hands to the weale of the Kirke and there is not one point which either concerneth Gods glory or mans saluation but in effect we haue it registrated in the Olde and New Testament Away with the vnwritten verities whatsoeuer was preached all is registrated to the weale of the people And If all the Apostles were this daye preaching they woulde not preach one worde in effect but that which wee haue already registrated I will affirme that before God the holy Spirite will not teach any thing to the heart but that which is written in the Old and Newe Testament Yea more true fayth will drinke in none other thing but that which is within this compasse of the worde and if thou drinkest in any other thing than this I affirme before God thou neuer hadst true fayth Let no Spirit bee pretended to this let no fayth be pretended to this Away with those Papists who commend so highly the vaine traditions of men and vnwritten verities they haue no true fayth It is only the Spirit who leadeth vs in all verity Then he giueth them the reason Because that Spirit shall not speake of himselfe but whatsoeuer hee shall heare that shall hee speake As if hee had said Yee will credite me and I assure you that Spirite will speake nothing but that which hee hath receiued of mee Whatsoeuer the Spirite of God teacheth the world while as hee is in the Heauen hee receiueth it out of the mouth of Iesus Christ And farder whatsoeuer thing the Lord spake during the time he was in the world hee receiued it out of the mouth of the Father Looke this harmonie of teaching among the glorious persons of the Trinitie He saith not one thing and he another as men doe The Father beginneth and hee speaketh then the Sonne speaketh the same and the holy Spirit speaketh nothing but that which the Father and the Sonne haue spoken Looke the worde and decreet of our saluation It is a conclusion giuen out by all the three persons of the Godhead If it bee so certainly the worde of the Gospel of Iesus Christ it must be a thing of great authoritie For that decree which is laide in the Kings Counsell hath a great authoritie among the Subiectes and the worde of the Counsell is greater than the word of the King only If this be among Kinges in the earth of what authority should this be that commeth from the decree of the glorious Counsell of that blessed Trinitie in respect whereof all the Kinges of the earth are but drosse Nowe would to God the heartes of men could see this great authority of this worde So this worde must craue a great fayth The King would be angry if his decree were not credited then what judgement shall abide vs wormes if wee belieue not the decree of the glorious Trinitie I saye this before God The contempt of the Gospel of Iesus Christ bringeth on with it the heauiest iudgement in the worlde And if such a contempt of the worde in this Land continue an heauy iudgement no question shall light vpon them who haue not credited such a decree Iohn 12. vers 44. Therefore seeing the word of the Gospel is of such authoritie let all men who would see Heauen striue to belieue it in their hearts or else if they belieue not an heauie judgement shall ouer-take them let them beware In the ende of the vers hee bringeth in more particularly what the Spirit shall teach Hee saieth Hee shall shew you the thinges to come that is The thinges which shall followe after my departure mine ascension and glorification the thinges which were acquired by his death and applied by his resurrection as remission of sinnes justification and life eternall hee shall teach you them inwardlie and hee shall seale them vp into your heartes For after the Lord had suffered in the earth then grace came downe then remission of sinnes came downe that free righteousnesse of Christ came downe and life euerlasting came downe as also extraordinarie gifts came downe as the gift of Prophesie the gift of healing of working of miracles of speaking sundry languages c. for why when the Lord Iesus was filled with glory of that fulnesse the members heere in the earth receiued their part and grace for grace came downe as it was prophesied Hee went vp on high and led captiuitie captiue and gaue giftes vnto men And all these things gaue he by the holy Spirit illuminating the mind and working powerfull in the heart for other wayes what auaileth it to haue remission of sinnes life glory and happinesse for euer effected Except the Spirit of Iesus Christ accompany the word illuminate and mollifie the heart all shall bee of none auaile Therefore againe I bid you as yee would liue striue to feele that Spirite working into you Now in the next vers hee taketh vp summarily the effect of all that the Spirit shall teach them He shall glorifie me What is it the Spirit is doing and what is it wee are doing and whereto is all this preaching All is to glorifie Christ If thou bee not an instrument to glorifie Christ Iesus thou shalt haue no part of glorie with him He giueth the reason wherefore the Spirit shall glorifie him Because the thing hee shall shew you hee shall haue it in commission from me If the speaches of an Ambassadour be not to the honour of his Prince hee is but a Traitor The Sonne was sent as an Ambassadour from the Father therefore hee glorified the Father as he speaketh Chap. 17. vers 7. So the holy Spirit is sent from the Sonne therefore hee speaketh all to the glory of the Sonne But this would be well vnderstood how the Spirit of Christ glorifieth Christ vpon the earth Who giueth the Spirite who seeth him or who heareth his voyce How then glorifieth the Spirit the Lord The Spirit glorifieth the Lord Iesus by the Ministerie of the Gospel and by the mouthes of simple men thinke of them as yee will except by the mouthes of men yee shall neuer finde the Spirit glorifying the Sonne seeke where yee will If wee speake anie thing wherein God is not glorified say wee are but liars and the Spirit of Christ is not into vs. If wee begin to speake of Purgatorie and of the merites of men of intercession of Sainctes saye wee are but lyars If wee drawe you from
that onelie merite of Christ saye that the Spirit of God speaketh not by vs but the spirite of Antichrist for heereby are the spirites discerned hee that teacheth Christ onelie speaketh by the Spirit of Christ but hee who teacheth anie thing besides Christ hath the spirit of the Antichrist 1. Ioh. 4. vers 2.3 And this is the spirit that teacheth the Pope and his Clergie and therefore goe away from them or else yee will bee deceiued and one day yee shall see this justified and this day yee should heare with your eares the Lord crying Away out of Babylon as thou wouldest bee safe and see Heauen I haue cryed this oftentimes It might haue beene saide Shall not the Spirit reueale that doctrine hee hath receiued of the Father Hee meeteth that now and saith Whatsoeuer things the Father hath are mine Marke this It appeareth verie well out of this place that the holy Spirit is sent immediatelie of the Sonne and that he hath his direction of the Sonne our Sauiour this may comfort vs indeed the Father sendeth him but by the Sonne and therefore it is saide Hee shall sende him in my Name and againe Whom I shall send from the Father Now that which I speake of the Spirit of Iesus Christ I vnderstand it of the Apostles and of all the faithfull Ministers in the Kirke Wee haue all our commission immediatelie from our Lord Iesus Christ so the silliest Minister that is faythfull hath not his calling from the Father immediatelie but from the Sonne Ephes Chap. 4. vers 11. Hee therefore gaue some to bee Apostles and some Prophets and some Euangelistes and some Pastours and some Teachers And Paul speaking of himselfe calleth himselfe the Apostle of Jesus Christ and he addeth to by the will of the Father whereby hee telleth vs that hee was sent immediatelie from the Sonne and mediatelie from the Father What is the grounde of this The Father hath giuen his Sonne all power in Heauen and in Earth hee hath kept nothing from him All thine is mine as it is said in the next Chap. vers 10. And vpon this it commeth to passe that the holie Spirite commeth immediately from the Sonne and all the Apostles and Ministers in the Kirke are immediately from him and euen now hee sitteth like a King at the right hande of the Father I speake not this as if I affirmed that the Father had put off all power from himselfe wee must not thinke so no no for afterwardes hee saith All mine is thine so this hurteth not the Father And therefore these thinges which are giuen to the Sonne remaine in the Fathers handes But the Sonne is the Store-house of all grace and when the Father would giue grace hee taketh it out of the treasure of the Sonne and giueth it to vs by the hand of the Sonne The Father hath his glorie the Sonne hath his glorie and the holie Ghost hath his glorie but wee glorifie the Father as the Fountaine of all benefites the Sonne as Mediatour and the holie Spirite as our Sanctifier and wee giue them all one equall glorie amongst themselues because they are equall in Glorie and Majestie Therefore let vs glorifie the Father the Sonne and the holie Ghost in this blessed Trinitie who liueth and reigneth world without ende Nowe to goe forwarde After hee hath fore-warned his Disciples of his departure and hath comforted them against that time promising that after his departure they should receiue the Comforter to wit the holie Spirite and therefore hee hath spoken much of the holie Spirite that shoulde come vnto them Nowe in these wordes hee continueth on in the same purpose and hee fore-warneth them of his departure and hee sayeth A little while and yee shall not see mee meaning that hee was to depart out of this worlde Then hee comforteth them in the next wordes Againe a little while and yee shall see mee meaning that after his departure hee should come againe in his Spirite and by his Spirite hee should giue them his presence and hee giueth the reason of this his presence for saieth hee J goe to my Father that is I am to passe vp to the Heauen and am to bee glorified and the Heauen shall not containe my glorie but it shall come downe to the Earth my Spirit wherewith I shall be filled shall come downe to you For albeit that Christ merited by his death all benefites to vs yet they come not to vs but by vertue of his Resurrection Ascension and Glorification for hee merited all thinges to vs as a Priest humbled on the earth but hee communicateth to vs the benefites which hee merited as a glorious King Nowe Brethren yee may see this of these wordes That the LORD hee neuer taketh his presence from his owne altogether if hee will take awaye his bodilie presence as indeede presentlie wee haue not his bodilie presence hee will recompence it with his spirituall presence for this is a sure thing The Godlie heere on the Earth cannot want some sight of CHRIST they cannot liue without some presence of IESVS CHRIST No there cannot bee a Kirke without some presence of him For first Howe is the Kirke made heere vpon the Earth Who maketh the separation Who but IESVS CHRIST Hee letteth such a number haue his presence and sanctifieth them by his holie Spirite and so maketh a Kirke And if there were not a continuance of his presence the Kirke coulde not stande There is not a member of the Kirke that coulde stand in holinesse if it pleased the LORD to withdrawe his presence Wee haue holinesse not of our selues but of the Spirite of the LORD IESVS CHRIST and if hee withdraw his Spirit from vs wee would become as prophane as the most wicked of this worlde So all our grace and all our standing commeth of the Spirit of Iesus Then marke this By what vertue receiue wee the Spirit of Iesus and that presence of Christ by his Spirit Wee receiue it in a word by vertue of his glorious Resurrection Ascension and Glorification in the Heauens for nowe being in the Heauens hee is full of glorie All the Angels in Heauen are nothing comparable to him in glory the Heauens are not able to containe his glory Now the head being full of glory a portion commeth downe from him and in some measure glorifieth the members And as Iohn sayeth Of his fulnesse wee all receiue a part Chap. 1. vers 16. And to the Ephesians Chap. 4. vers 8. Hee passed vp to the Heauens and filled vs all with his grace and so by the passing vp of Christ to the Heauen wee receiue the holy Spirit Therefore when thou considerest the Resurrection and Ascension of Iesus Christ it should moue thee to take a triall whether thou hast gotten the fruit of his Resurrection and glorification to see if thou hast gotten his holy Spirite in some measure or the graces of his holy Spirite for the Apostles by his Resurrection and
harder till thou bee so hardened and obdured that thou canst feele nothing at all Brethren yee may thinke it a wonderfull thing that a bodie who sitteth hearing continuallie and who hath so cleare a light glancing aye before him should get no light at all but should go out of the Kirke more blind than when he came in and yet indeed it is so for many come in to heare but because they come in with colde and euill disposed heartes hauing no delight to heare the worde of God they goe away more prophane and worse than when they came in And therefore for lacke of this the miserable worlde perisheth the multitude goeth wholly to destruction Therefore for Christes sake Brethren learne to haue a pleasure and ioye in hearing and take in that Spirit into your soules Wee haue hearde of the seconde part of the blessednesse which Christ promiseth to his Disciples after his glorious Ascension to the Heauen to wit the light and knowledge of the holy Spirit Nowe to come to the thirde benefite or the thirde part of their happinesse wherein all grace is promised to them who aske Hee beginneth very grauely Verily verily Amen Amen J saye to you that is It is a true saying and yee shall finde it true indeed essay it when yee will Whatsoeuer thing ye shall aske the Father in my Name hee will giue it you In one word this is the third part of their blessednesse All grace and mercy is to bee had for the asking not by buying for all grace is bought by the price of the blood of the Lambe onely seeing that is so precious a ransome no man hath neede to buy any thing at the handes of God we haue no neede to buy any grace of God by our merites for by that only merite and blood of Christ all grace is bought We haue need of asking and if wee aske not in his Name wee shall neuer get grace for there is not another Name vnder Heauen sayeth the Apostle by whome there is saluation but onely by the Name of Iesus Christ Act. 4. vers 12. So there is the third part of their blessednesse that is promised them Euen all grace shall bee giuen them for the asking To drawe this to our selues And the Lord giue vs grace to doe it As by the Spirite all joye all knowledge and light abideth in his Kirke on earth till the Lord IESVS come againe Euen so all grace all mercy abideth in this Kirke militant till the Lord come againe for if that Spirit of grace abide in this Kirke of necessity all grace must abide with that Spirite The faythfull in the Kirke who are Christians in heart and not in worde onely they will finde in experience that when they aske any grace as righteousnesse and sanctification life euerlasting and glorification they will not so soone open their mouth to aske it but they will get it And when they say Lord renewe mine affections the word will not so soone bee spoken but as soone they will finde the soule opened with ioye and when they saye Lord giue mee that life for Christes sake with the worde the life of Iesus will bee felt in the soule sensiblie Therefore preasse aye to finde by experience that the presence of Christ is no emptie winde By the contrarie if a man or woman finde in no measure no grace or no sense of grace in their soules let them blame themselues for they want grace for plaine fault of asking Alace that wee should lose such grace for fault of seeking Is hee not a foolish man that will lose life for a worde But it is not so light a thing to aske as so for euerie man and euerie woman hath not the gift of prayer Except thou bee the sonne of GOD thou shalt haue no power to open thy mouth to call GOD Father If thou bee a slaue thou shalt haue no power to praye to GOD for prayer is the proper note of the Childe of GOD and except the Spirite of Adoption testifie vnto thee that thou art the sonne of GOD thou shalt haue no power to praye but thy mouth shall bee closed But when the Spirite will testifie to thee that thou art the sonne of GOD then the heart will open and the tongue wil say sweetly O Father Therefore the ground of all grace is the grace to aske get once grace to praye and then thou hast all grace And therefore when the Lord sayth Knocke and it shall be opened aske and thou shalt haue c. say Lord giue mee grace to aske Take aye heed to the gift of prayer for wee lose all for fault of prayer and for fault of begging So I beseech you all Brethren to pray as euer ye would see Heauen or be partakers of life In the words following when hee hath set downe the thirde parte of their felicitie That they should praye vnto the Father for grace knowing the great necessitie they had to praye and their great sluggishnesse on the other part hee beginneth to allure them to pray and to stir them vp to aske at the handes of the Father And lest they should haue obiected We haue asked but we haue not beene answered hee answereth to this Hitherto ye haue sought nothing at the Father in my Name but in times comming aske boldly and looke for an answeee and yee shall get grace heaped vpon grace till your grace bee perfect and the greater grace thou askest the greater thou gettest and the more thou gettest the greater is thy ioye that thou hast when thou perceiuest that grace and thou who hast gotten it wouldest not giue it for all the worlde This is the meaning of the wordes Take vp heere what necessitie wee haue to praye for if wee had no neede the Lord would not haue stirred vp his Disciples to praye No no wee haue so great neede to praye that except wee praye wee gette nothing A Beggar who hath nothing but that which he beggeth if he leaue off his begging he shall die at dike side If thou leaue off thy spirituall begging yea though thou were a King and hadst all the worlde thou shalt die for euer For what is a King in this life but a Beggar And woe be to him if he be not a Beggar at the handes of Iesus Christ Then marke the sluggishnesse in euery man and woman and how vnable we are to beg A Beggar who hath nought ere hee die hee will crie and shout but a poore sinner who is the poorest man and the silliest creature in the world who wanteth all grace hath not a mouth to aske though he should die Now to stirre vs vp to pray the Lord sayeth Aske at the Father and essay if ye get a deniall Wee know all this yet wee lie sleeping in sinne and seeke no grace to be fred of it howbeit grace be so freely offered to vs by Iesus Christ It is a sore thing to bee a poore body and to lie still
of the worlde Now by them there is no doubt but the LORD shineth into the heartes of some men that they may giue light vnto others light aboundantlie shineth into the worlde so that none haue cause to bee darkened for fault of light but as the Apostle Paul sayeth in the seconde Epistle to the Corinthians the fourth Chapter and thirde vers If the Gospel bee hid it is hid to them that perish So saye I if thou bee not lightened thou shalt die and if thou gettest not illumination by these same men count of them as thou wilt and lightlie them as thou pleasest die shalt thou euerlastinglie and saye with thy selfe And if I gette not illumination I will die without remedie And I denounce against thee that if thou gettest not illumination by this same Ministerie count of it as thou wilt thou shalt die for euer The last part of that felicitie is this A readinesse and easinesse of GOD to heare their prayers night and daye Yee shall aske in my Name sayeth the LORD and J saye not that I shall praye the Father for you Indeede would hee saye I praye continuallie And no doubt the LORD IESVS in the daye of his humiliation prayed and neuer one prayed as he prayed with such a faith such a zeale and such a sense No let him haue the degree aboue all that euer prayed from the beginning of the worlde Hee felt best the miserie of man and pittied it And when hee went thorowe the Streetes of HIERVSALEM or wheresoeuer he went hee behelde the miserable bodies and hee prayed for them vnto his Father And thou likewise therefore when thou goest thorowe the streetes of EDINBVRGH looke about thee vnto the miserable multitude and see if thou hast not cause to praye to GOD for them that hee would bee mercifull to them This should bee thine exercise and no doubt CHRIST was so exercised heere on earth but nowe when CHRIST is exalted to his glorie to saye that hee will kneele downe on his knees and praye to the Father as the Papistes saye it is but a dreame for all that was a parte of his humiliation The LORD IESVS is an euerlasting Mediatour and there is none ende thereof And that Crosse is as liuelie before the Father as that same night wherein hee was crucified and so are his prayers for hee is an Aduocate not like our Aduocates hee is a crucified Aduocate Looke to him for there is no life but in the sight of him And as for his praying and humbling himselfe thinke not that all is vanished no all abideth euerlastinglie for that Prayer which yee shall heare in the CHAPTER following and all his Prayers which hee made to his Father abideth yet and shall abide euerlastinglie Then sayeth hee thinke not that I shall praye then for you as I was wont to doe but yee shall bee hearde Because the Father loueth you Yee see a man who loueth another hee will heare him willinglie And wherefore loueth hee you Because sayeth hee yee loue mee GOD will requite loue with loue yea GOD will preuent thy loue with his infinite loue and then thine heart is drawne to him And looke howe often thou wilt loue him hee will as often compasse thy loue with his loue and what is thy loue but a sorie thing in respect of that infinite loue of his Then hee sayeth Yee haue belieued that I am come out from GOD. Yee see the grounde of this readinesse is fayth in IESVS CHRIST I will ende in one worde and woulde to GOD this loue could enter into our heartes Wilt thou loue the Sonne of GOD from thine heart and not in worde onelie For loue standeth not in a worde and wilt thou belieue him that hee hath died for thy sinnes and risen for thy glorie Then euerie daye and houre his eare shall bee readie to heare thy prayer A man will thinke it no small matter to haue the eare of a King patent and readie when hee calleth The LORD shall bowe his eare to thee night and day if thou belieue in IESVS CHRIST Is this anie small thing that the LORD of Heauen shall heare thee when thou shalt call vpon him So his eare through loue by faith in IESVS CHRIST is euer patent to heare his owne Yet there is an higher grounde of this to wit that wonderfull loue which the Father beareth to the Sonne If thou louest him hee will loue thee and if thou bee an enemie to him hee will bee an open enemie to thee If there bee anie man who loueth not the LORD IESVS let him bee Anathema and Anathema Maranatha 1. Corinth Chap. 16. Vers 12. That is Cursed for euer Hee who loueth the LORD IESVS is blessed for euer and he who hateth the LORD IESVS is cursed for euer Nowe would to GOD wee had an heart to saye with Paul The man who loueth not CHRIST let him be Anathema From whence rose this From a wonderfull loue which the Apostle bare to the LORD IESVS And from whence rose this loue to CHRIST Looke what the Apostle sayeth in the second Epistle to the Corinthians in the fifth Chapter and the fourteenth Vers The loue of CHRIST constraineth mee Nowe woulde to GOD that wee had the halfe of this loue and if it were so wee woulde haue little patience to see thinges as they are and to see the enemies of CHRIST IESVS set vp the Altar of the Deuill against the Altar of CHRIST wee woulde not onelie make imprecations against theâ— but wee woulde by all meanes hinder them And this carelesnesse which wee haue testifieth that wee loue not CHRIST and if wee loue him not an heauie judgement shall light vpon vs. Nowe therefore seeing all grace is from the loue of CHRIST the LORD fill our heartes with that loue that wee may bee partakers of grace heere and heereafter bee glorified with CHRIST To whome with the Father and the holie Spirite bee all praise honour and glorie for euermore AMEN THE XVI LECTVRE OF CHRISTES DOCTRINE BEFORE HIS PASSION IOHN CHAP. xvi VERS 28.29.30.31.32.33 28 I am come out from the Father and came into the world againe J leaue the world and goe to the Father 29 His Disciples said vnto him Loe now speakest thou plainly and thou speakest no parable 30 Now know we that thou knowest all things and needest not that anie man should aske thee By this we belieue that thou art come out from God 31 Jesus answered them Doe you belieue now 32 Beholde the houre commeth and is alreadie come that yee shall bee scattered euerie man into his owne and shall leaue mee alone But I am not alone for the Father is with mee 33 These thinges haue J spoken vnto you that in mee yee might haue peace in the world yee shall haue affliction but bee of good comfort J haue ouercome the world BEfore in this Chapter Brethren the Lord fore-warned his Disciples that hee was to depart but hee spake to them in a parable
and obscurely Yet a little while and yee shall â—oâ— see mee and againe yee shall see me they vnderstoode him not nor wist not what hee spake Nowe the Lord warneth them of his departure in plaine speaking and hee sayeth in plaine wordes I am come out from the Father and came into the world againe J leaue the world and go to the Father Nowe Brethren take heede and yee shall marke a difference betwixt this fore-warning of the Disciples which is plaine and euident to their vnderstanding and the former forewarning which was obscure and not plaine to their vnderstanding Before hee proponed the matter in plaine talke hee proponeth sundrie consolations to prepare them against his departure that they might heare of his departure the more gladlie for it was an heauie thing for them to heare of his departure with whome they were so well and had such joye and such intertainment in this earth The Lord is verie loath Brethren to make the heartes of the Godlie sadde Hee is not onelie loath to make their heartes sadde and grieue them by death by afflictions and by crosses but hee is loath to speake the worde that would grieue them though it were but a worde to make them heauie hee is loath to vtter it vnto them and therefore ere euer hee doe to them anie thing grieuous sadde or heauie the Lord vseth to prepare their heartes to beare with it patientlie and to furnishe their heartes with comfort against crosses and tribulations that when persecution and affliction and sadde and heauie wordes should come they should beare all thinges the more patientlie and gladlie This is the Lordes custome So all men should beware to grieue the heart of anie man and chiefelie of the Godlie I warne thee bee loath to make the Godlie sadde rather we should incline to make the heart of the miserable creature joyfull than sadde I see euer thorow Paul in his writs this illumination hee euer inclineth to stirre vp the Godlie to rejoyce Reade him and yee shall see this Ye haue a notable example of him in the 2. Epistle to the Corinthians Chap. 1. vers 23. they accuse him verie sharplie that hee came not to them Hee answereth them with a great attestation Nowe the LORDE beare witnesse against my soule that I woulde not come to you to spare you And in the next CHAPTER hee sayeth That J should not make you sad for there was great matter of sadnesse amongst the Corinthians by reason of their euill behauiour for if I should make you sad who is there to make mee to reioyce So in a word we should incline to make the heart of a sinner joyfull and if wee should bee inforced to speake sad words as oftentimes wee are in this Countrey by reason of the manifolde and grosse sinnes reigning in it yet they should bee throwne out of vs Let them all bee in lenitie that in the matter of sadnesse they who heare them may finde loue in them Paul in the Epistles to the Corinthians and to the Galatians seemeth to bee sharpe against them at the beginning and progresse but in the end of the Epistles he vttereth a marueilous loue to them to raise vp their heartes to rejoycing Now to marke the forme how he proponeth this sad newes of his departure Hee sayeth not barely I will goe my way but first I come downe from the Father being equall with him in glory And nowe I goe to him againe to take vp my glory which I had with him before all beginning and it shall be for your good that I goe my way to Heauen to my Father for I shall sende you that Comforter In telling them this hee giueth them withall to vnderstand that they shall bee so farre from dammage and sadnesse when the Lord shall goe his waye that they shall rejoyce for hee shall goe to Heauen to the Father and bee more busie to doe them good than when he was with them in the earth So we learne here a forme of proponing sad newes vnto the godly we should propone them with such a conuoy that euen in sad wordes wee should present to the hearers some matter of joye and in reproofe loue and lenitie should appeare I will vse a familiare example now certainly we haue this day an occasion to tell heauy tidings and as Christ told to his Disciples that he was to depart shortly so wee may tell for ought wee see the glorious tidinges of the Euangel is to depart The Gospel is to depart there is sad tidings but howe shall I tell them in this forme that I haue saide for the comfort of the godlie The glorious Gospel of Christ shall shortly depart for the ingratitude of this Land there is sad newes But well is them who loueth Christ and is sad and mourneth for his departure for they shall rejoyce And so on the contrary woe is them who is not sad at the departure of Iesus Christ and woe to them who loueth not this glorious Euangel and woe to them who putteth it away and are the authors thereof Woe to the Noble men and lords of this Land howbeit they bee leaping through senselesse securitie in their pride yet their judgement was neuer so neare them for pride goeth before destruction Now thus much for the words of the Lord. In the words following we haue the answere of the Disciples vnto the Lord He hath spoken plainly to them that hee will goe his way Now say they thou speakest plainly thou speakest no parable thou speakest plainly that thou wilt goe thy waye that any man may vnderstand This is the first part of the answere They vnderstand nowe when hee speaketh plainly but they wist not what hee spake before when he spake in parables Well Brethren it is good to speake of Christ and of the waye to saluation plainly that the poorest that heareth may vnderstand It is not enough that thou takest heed to deliuer sound and true doctrine but plain doctrine and that this doctrine which is sound and true bee spoken in such words as becoÌ„meth Thou oughtest not only to look that the mater bee sound but also to take heede to the words as Paul 1. Cor. 2. We speake those things that God hath gratified in Jesus Christ we speak them not in humane words but in powerful words of the Spirit The Spirit hath ay his own mater as the mater is heauenly so the words must sauour of HeaueÌ„ of the Spirit for as the Spirit hath his own mater so hath he his own words The words must be euident plain that the vnlearned may be capable of them We haue many places of Paul agreeing to this In that Chap. vers 4. going before What was my language wheÌ„ I came to you saith he it was not in humane eloqueÌ„ce but in spirituall power that is I spake so that I made an oculare demonstration And 2. Cor. 3. vers 12. Hauing such confidence we speak plainlie And Chap.
reprobate Looke the fifth Chapter of this Gospel The Father hath giuen the Sonne all authoritie and judgement and by him doeth adjudge to life the chosen and to death the reprobate So there is neuer a soule exempted from his judgement The Lord himselfe in the 28. Chapter of Matth. vers 18. hee extendeth his authority larger The Father sayth he hath giuen mee all authoritie in Heauen and in Earth So that Iesus Christ hath not only authority ouer man and woman but ouer the Angels in Heauen he hath power ouer them all and ouer the Deuils and at the Name of IESVS all knees must bow of things Heauenlie and Earthlie if they bow not they shall bee broken I shall tell you more which is very comfortable This authority which the Lord hath gotten in Heauen and in Earth is not as he is God onlie bowbeit principally it be as he is God but this power that hee hath gotten ouer the Angels is euen as hee is man howbeit they bee glorious and farre more glorious that men yet they are not so glorious as the man the Lord Iesus So I saye euen as he is man he is head and King of the Angels Looke the 5. Chapter of Iohn vers 27. The Father hath giuen the Sonne all authoritie and judgement as he is the Sonne of man not onely hath hee this power as he is God but euen that nature of ours wherewith he is clad hath this power It is a worthie thing to bee marked what the Lord gathereth of this authoritie In the 28. Chap. of Matth. vers 18. The Father hath giuen mee all authoritie in Heauen and Earth Theâ—fore goe out saith he and preach and baptize all Nations in the Name of the Father of the Son and of the holie Ghost So ye see on that princelie authoritie which the Sonne hath he sendeth out his Disciples to preach And all that the Apostles did in the worlde in preaching and baptizing they did it on the authoritie of Christ Iesus their Lord. There was neuer an Ambassadour that went with such a power as the Apostles of Iesus Christ had in the world And Brethren to come to our selues I say euen this day all this preaching of the Gospel and all this ministring of the Sacraments and Discipline all proceedeth of this princely and kingly authority of the Lord Iesus Marke it The closing vp of Heauen and the opening vp of Heauen to penitent sinners whether it bee by word or discipline all is grounded on an higher authoritie than all the authoritie of the worlde There was neuer a King or Prince that had so great authoritie as this whereon the Discipline according to the worde of GOD and exercise of Religion is grounded And they who contemne this preaching of the Gospel and ministring of the sacramentes and Discipline they contemne not the ordinance of man it were better for them to contemne all the authoritie of Kinges but they contemne the authoritie of the great GOD for in the Kirke there is none authoritie but Christes authoritie and all that is done is founded on this auâ—hority We say not on the authority of Kings or of the Pope The Lord hath not translated this authority to any creature and therefore the Pope hath but an vsurped authority As for the Minister he hath no authority in his own person but onlie in the Lord Iesus And this is the difference betwixt the Kirke and the Policie The Lord Iesus hath giuen a part of his authority to the King or to the Magistrate but the Lord Iesus hath not giuen any part of his authoritie to any of the Kirke In the Policie there are Kinges but in the Kirke there is none but the Lord Iesus And all that tyrannie in the kingdome of the Antichrist is but vsurped there is not a minute of the word of GOD that can be a ground to it When he hath layde downe the ground of life hee telleth who will get this life Will euery one get this life No no neuer one getteth this life from him but the soule that the Father hath pulled out of this world and put into his hand The Lord will know well to whom he will giue this life euerlasting It may be he will throw a Kingdome to a man and giue him these earthly things in great aboundance but hee will not giue to euery one the Kingdome of Heauen If ye will weigh the words ye shall see distinctlie the part of the Father and of the Sonne in the worke of saluation The Father giueth men to the Sonne that is the part of the Father J will giue them life euerlasting that is the part of the sonne First the Father of the Lord Iesus choosed out so manie as hee would haue safe in his Sonne Christ Iesus and then in time hee calleth on them whome hee hath chosen hee knoweth them well enough hee calleth them by his worde and draweth the soules of them vnto him for if they bee not drawne they will not come as hee sayeth in the sixt Chapter of this Gospel vers 44. No man commeth to mee but them whome the Father draweth Hee draweth them by his holie Spirite to the Sonne and then hee and the Sonne keepeth them to the daye of their full redemption and giueth them life euerlasting So yee may see in this place and in the Epistle of Iude at the beginning that all who are safe in Iesus Christ are first called by the Father To them sayeth Iude who are called and sanctified by GOD and are saued by IESVS CHRIST I marke on this what is the grounde of this authoritie where hee sayeth These a home thou hast giuen mee J will giue them life euerlasting Hee ascribeth this authoritie to the Father and hee sayeth hee will saue none but these whome the Father hath giuen him All the Brethren reade of IESVS CHRIST the Sonne of GOD in this Euangel and thorowe out the whole Gospel yee shall neuer reade of him where hee speaketh of anie thing that hee is doing hath done or shall doe but hee giueth the whole glorie of it to the Father What meaneth this This is the ground of it He had his commission from the Father He came from the Heauen to the Earth out of the bosome of the Father he was an Ambassadour sent from his Father Nowe it is good reason that an Ambassadour sent in an Ambassadrie not only in deed but also in worde honour his Prince otherwayes hee is but a traytor The LORD IESVS was an Ambassadour sent from the Father therefore in all his actions and in all his wordes hee honoureth his Father There is not one of vs all but wee haue a commission from GOD and is placed in a calling and there is not one of vs high nor lowe but wee are borne to doe some thing Then if the Sonne of God equall with God hauing a calling of his Father sought to glorifie God so let vs also in word and deed
take heed to him in the mirrour of his word and to take a delite in it that we may get this blacke darknesse of the soule put away and get a sight of God through Iesus Christ To whom with the Father and the holy Ghost be all honour and prayse for euermore AMEN THE XIX LECTVRE OF CHRISTS PRAYER BEFORE HIS PASSION IOHN CHAP. xvi VERS 4.5 4 J haue glorified thee on the earth J haue finished the worke which thou gauest mee to doe 5 And nowe glorifie mee thou Father with thine owne selfe with the glorie which I had with thee before the world was WEe haue heard Welbeloued in the Lord Iesus sundry arguments that the Lord Iesus vseth in his Prayer to his Father to moue him to glorifie him For that is the petition Glorifie thy Sonne The first argument was froÌ„ the time of his death that was at hand The time is come sayeth the Lord therefore glorifie thy Sonne The second argument was from the glory that should redound to the Father if he should glorifie the Sonne Glorifie thy Sonne Father that thy Sonne may glorifie thee The third argument was from that life euerlasting that hee should giue to them whome the Father had once giuen to him if hee were once glorified Glorifie mee sayeth hee that J may giue life euerlasting to them whom thou hast giuen mee Then hee letteth vs see that it cannot bee possible that he can giue life to any man except he first bee glorified Life euerlasting standeth first in the knowledge of the Father that onely true God Then it standeth in the knowledge of the Sonne that hee is sent of the Father that hee is Iesus the Sauiour that hee is Christ anointed and the Mediatour betwixt God and man Now would he say to the Father Except thou glorifie mee neither thou nor I shall be knowne and therefore that life euerlasting may bee giuen to man it is needfull that I bee glorified Thus farre hitherto Nowe in the beginning of this Text which wee haue read wee haue the fourth argument from that glorie hee had giuen to the Father alreadie Father sayeth he J haue glorified thee on the earth J have ended the worke that thou gauest mee to doe what resteth but that thou glorifie mee There must bee a meeting heere The Sonne must glorifie the Father and the Father must glorifie the Sonne So yee see verie weightie argumentes of this petition from the beginning both the time craueth that the Father should glorifie the Sonne and then the great fruit that was to proceede thereof for the Father should want glorie and the worlde should want life if the Sonne were not glorified And last yee see that verie obedience that the Sonne gaue to the Father in the Earth requireth that the Father should glorifie him The Sonne had glorified the Father in the worlde and therefore the Father should haue glorified the Sonne in the Heauens But to come to the last argument J haue glorified thee sayeth the Sonne This argument leaneth to a promise which the Father made to the Sonne ere euer hee was manifested in the flesh As hee would reason thus Father thou hast promised that if I should glorifie thee thou shouldest glorifie mee but so it is Father that I haue glorified thee therefore glorifie mee This promise is often found in the olde Testament in manie places thereof Looke the hundreth and tenth PSALME there it is saide The Lord saide to my Lord that is the Father saide to the Sonne for both are the Lordes of this worlde sit thou at my right hand vntill the time that I make thine enemies thy foote-stoole There is that promised glorie That hee should make him King ouer the worlde and humble his enemies spirituall and temporall vnder his feete So this is the glorie that the Sonne craueth Nowe Brethren in verie deede the Sonne of God might haue claimed justlie that promise that the Father made to him vnder the condition of obedience because the obedience of the Sonne of God Iesus Christ was perfect which obedience being the ground of the promise justlie hee might claime that glorie by reason that the promise was perfectlie fulfilled But to come to vs There was no man since the fall of Adam that dare be bolde except they bee vtterlie impudent to claime anie life or grace of God by vertue of this condition of obedience and to say Lord I haue done this therefore Lord giue me life There is no fleshe no not the best renewed man that euer was that hath that freedome that can saye this By vertue of my merite giue mee life Looke what Paul a renewed man sayeth of himselfe Philipp 3. vers 9. I â—steeme all to bee but dongue that I may gaine Christ For why Brethren there is no flesh except that man Iesus Christ that euer hath had or will haue that perfect obedience which meriteth anie grace at Gods hands This shall stand though all the worlde would rise against it with the Pope and that whole rabble Therefore it commeth to passe that none either who is was or shall bee shall bee made righteous in the presence of God or gette life euerlasting but they who passe from the condition of workes that is called the Legall couenant and take them onelie to that promise made in the blood of Iesus Christ and seeke not life by vertue of their workes but onelie by vertue of the blood of Iesus Christ I denounce in the Name of Iesus Christ if thou seekest not life onelie by that blood thou shalt neuer see nor taste of life If thou begin to seeke grace by thy merites thou shalt neuer get it because thou treadest downe vnder thy feete the blood of Christ and renouncest it and takest thee to thy peltrie But yet let vs marke the words better I haue glorified thee Father that is I haue put an ende to that worke thou gauest me the faire worke of the redemption of man the fairest worke that euer was yea fairer than the creation of the worlde Nowe howe is this hee sayth I haue ended it seeing hee had not satisfied and was not crucified and the end of this worke was founded on the Crosse of Iesus Christ and that bitter suffering The answere is easie He speaketh of the worke to come as though it were past alreadie for the certainty of it for it was most sure he behoued to suffer and also for the nearnesse of it for his death latter passion was at hand Another question How is it that hee sayeth J haue glorified thee already in time past when as hee saide before Father glorifie thy Sonne that hee may glorifie thee in the time to come They stand very well together for the Sonne the Lord Iesus hee both glorified his Father before he was glorified by his Father and also when he was glorified by his Father both the times he glorified his Father But see the difference The Lord Iesus glorified the Father before hee was
glorified of the Father in that most humble obedience he gaue to his Father there was neuer a man humbled vnder the Father as he In that obedience he gaue to the Father the mercy loue of the Father shined in the world in his humility The worlâ—e wondered that euer there should haue beene such a mercy and such a loue of God to man And they who wil look to this humble man the Lord Iesus they will wonder that euer there should haue beene such a mercy to man If thou look wel to the obedience and humblenesse of the Son thou shalt wonder at the loue of the Father toward vs who humbled his owne Son not onely as a seruant but to the vile death the accursed death of the Crosse for our cause as Christ himselfe sayth Iohn 3. vers 16. The Father hath so loued the worlde that hee hath giuen his onelie begotten Sonne for it that all that belieue in him should hee saued and none perishe What man will giue his onelie begotten sonne to saue another Nowe this commendeth the loue of God sayeth Paul Rom. 5. vers 8. that when wee were enemies Christ died for vs. Who is hee that will die for his enemie or what father will giue his sonne for him So neither man nor Angel is able to comprehende the thousande parte of the loue which the Father bare to the worlde in humbling his onelie begotten Sonne So the Sonne glorified the Father in his humiliation Then againe when the Sonne was glorified of the Father after he was raised from the dead and ascended to the Heauens and set at the right hand of his Father in that glory incomprehensible the Sonne glorified the Father in that exaltation as hee glorified him before in his humiliation so doeth he in his exaltation and hee glorified the Father in his exaltation by reason that there appeared such a wonderfull power in God in exalting Christ in our nature that was so humbled in the graue And when the worlde saw that the body of the man Iesus Christ was raised vp so gloriously they wondered that euer there should haue beene such a power in GOD All the Angels in Heauen gotte neuer such a Reuelation of the power of GOD as then when the LORD IESVS was raised vp from the death to life Not onelie raised hee a dead man vp from death but hee raised him vp in such a wonderfull highnesse that he made him King ouer all kinges and aboue all Angels and gaue him such a Name that at the Name of Iesus all knees should bow of men and Angels of all things vnder the earth and aboue it and that all tongues should confesse that Iesus Christ is the Lord of Lords and God of all glory Paul to the Ephesians Chap. 1. vers 20. when hee speaketh of this power hee will not simply call it a power but he saith this According to the effectualnesse of his strong power which hee vttered in Christ when hee raised him from the dead that is the first degree and placed him at his right hand that is the second degree There appeareth the power of God in exalting him in our nature to so high a glory It appeared not so great at the creation as then when hee exalted the Man Iesus Christ Wouldest thou knowe the power of God Looke to that exaltation and thou shalt see it shine in a greater measure than in any thing that euer was wrought Men by nature would see things to rauish them to admiration but I tell thee if thou wouldest wonder at any thing wonder at these things at the humiliation of Iesus Christ and at the exaltation of Iesus Christ the wonderfullest doctrine that euer sounded in the worlde So when thou hearest of the death of Christ and of his exalting wonder for such a wondering shall worke saluation Let vs see all the wonders of the world neuer one of them shall worke life or saluation but that wonder The answere may bee otherwayes The Lord when he was in the world hee glorified the Father in his prophesie and Priesthood hee is that annointed Prophet Priest and King So he being Prophet Priest and King hee glorified the Father in the Earth chiefely in his prophesie hee teached aye in the world he glorified also the Father in his Priesthood he aye suffered neuer a day passed by from his birth vntill his latter breath without some suffering But in his Kingly office hee glorified the Father when hee was exalted and raised vp to the Heauen and set downe at the right hand of that Majesty and that is the office in this houre in the which the Sonne of God glorifieth his Father in sitting there as a King of Heauen and Earth reigning in the middest of his enemies with a great yron rodde battering them in pieces like a potte-shard and that same rodde of yron shall neuer leaue them till it bruise them downe There was neuer a King so glorious as he is at the right hand of the Father and when wee shall see him in that Princely Throne wee shall say wee neuer saw glory in this world to that glory And when the conquesse which the Lord Iesus is making in Heauen and in Earth for the enemies are not yet altogether subdued no the day passeth not but he maketh some conquesse when it shall bee ended I say hee shall render vp that Kingdome into the hands of the Father 1. Cor. 15. vers 24. When death is ouercome and the Deuill for death is not yet ouercome he shal render all into the hands of the Father and there shall not be an enemie but all shall be casten down and all the Chosen shall treade downe the neckes of Emperours Wee marke one thing ere we goe to the next vers for our vse to draw this to our selues This is the protestation which the Lord maketh a little before his death Hee protesteth that aboue all things in Heauen or in Earth hee sought the glory of his Father euen to his owne death Now well is that man who wheÌ„ the hour of death is drawn neare is able to say in any measure Lord I haue glorified thee and howbeit it be with great infirmity Lord I haue honoured thee in my life Yee see olde men will reckon of things past if they haue bene notable instruments in any thing they will talk say I haue done this and that But alas if thou hadst won kingdoms al auails not if thou canst not say Lord I haue sought to glorify thee Away with all the world and with all the felicity of it and all thou hast suffered and done in it if thou canst not say when thou art going out of this world I stroue at the least to glorifie thee And at the least if thou who hast bene a notable sinner canst not say Lord forgiue me I haue bene a sinner and haue not repented in time now I repent craue thee mercy if thou canst not say this wo is
thee if thou hadst conquessed as much as Alexander the great Monarch if thou hadst conquessed all the world I tell thee the trueth if thou goe out of the world without one of these two woe shal be to thee that euer thou came in the world thou shal neuer see life But there is a great difference betwixt the protestation of the Lord Iesus all the protestations that we can make J haue glorified thee saith the Son therfore glorify thou me The Son might haue soght glory because of the excellency of his person but as for vs wee may not craue glorification for our obedieÌ„ce to God because it is imperfect away awaye with that stinking merite of the Papistes awaye with the creature that will attribute such a stinking merite to it selfe Therefore thou must say Lord I craue nothing for my merite but onelie for grace for when thou hast done all that thou canst doe thou art but an vnprofitable seruant and saye I will creepe vnder the winges of thy mercie But if thou come to claime anie thing with a conceite of thy merite suppose thou hadst done workes to glorifie thy God builded Kirkes and made Bridges c. if thou acclaime anie thing for it and wilt stand vp and saye I haue done this thou shalt goe awaye without grace The Pharisie may stand for an example of this There was neuer such a pride as to a stinking creature to stand vp before that Tribunall with a conceit of his merite If thou standest vp so I pronounce the effect of that merite of thine shall bee condemnation When he hath vsed so many arguments to the Father to glorifie him then he concludeth his petition in these wordes Therefore Father glorify me with thy selfe that is to say Not in the Earth I haue glorified thee in the Earth but the glory that I seek is not in the earth but in the Heauens wherein I would reigne not in the Earth as an earthly Prince but in the Heauens at thy right hand The place maketh much It is vnpossible that there can be so much glorie in the Earth as in the Heauens The glory of all the Kinges in the world is nothing to that which we shall haue with Iesus Christ in the Heauens The glory which Adam had in that glorious and earthly Paradise was nothing in respect of that glory which wee shall haue when we shall be lifted vp in the Heauens Looke howe farre distance is betwixt Heauen and Earth as farre shall our glory shine aboue that glory no compare of the darkest Starre with the Sun So compare that glory of Adams with the glory we shal haue with Iesus Christ look how far the Sun passeth in glory aboue a Starre as farre we shall passe that glory and surmount aboue it What a glory is this he seeketh Glorify me with that glory Father which I had from all eternitie that is Glorifie me with that glorie of the Sonne of God the glorie of the second person of the Trinitie glorifie mee with thine owne glorie which is promised mee and glorifie mee with all thy glorie The Sonne may claime all the glorie of the Father and the Father hee communicateth not with the Sonne a parte of his glorie but the whole glorie of GOD. Now Brethren yee shall marke some things shortly Certainlie 〈…〉 no man nor no Angel that can bee capable of this matter that concerneth the incomprehensible glorie of the Father and of the Sonne and therefore wee marke this shortlie First wee see this what a glory this is that the Sonne seeketh of the Father this I tolde you in the beginning It is not so much the glory of the nature of man as it is that glory that the Lord had with the Father from all eternity Then yee see another thing yee see the Sonne of God the Lord Iesus ere euer he came down into this Earth he was in the forme of God and thought it no robberie to be equall with God Hee is the Sonne of God equall in power and Majesty with the Father Let the Heretiques hang themselues who would depriue the Lord Iesus of his Godhead our faiâ—h should not bee grounded on him if he would be no warrand to our faith and if he were not God blessed for euer Then yee see how the Lord Iesus the Sonne of God passed from that glory which hee had with the Father for a time and made himselfe as the Apostle sayeth of no reputation Wee would not bee content of this none of vs all to deject our selues altogether yea euen the filliest of vs yet the Sonne of God made himselfe of no reputation nor estimation Marke this thinke not that the Sonne of God the Lord Iesus euer renounced that glory which hee had with the Father no not then when hee was sorest humbled no not then when he was hanging on the Crosse he renounced not his glory as Cyrillus sayth Missio obedientia non tollunt aequalitatem potentiae essentiae that is The sending and obedience taketh not away the equalitie of glorie and essence Marke it well and be not deceiued Howe then passed hee from this glory This is an higher matter than we can consider yet wee shall expresse it in some measure The Sonne of God equall with the Father suffered for a time that glory to bee obscured with the habite of a seruant the habite of man the glory of the Sonne of God was made of no reputation thorow the taking on of a slough Howe agree these two the mortall and corrupt flesh and the glory of God Will not that slough of our nature obscure the glory of God Then againe the glory of God in the Sonne of God is obscured with the most vile death the death of the Crosse and this was the highest degree of his obedience Yet hee neuer quiteth himselfe of this glory I will vse a similitude Yee see the Sunne shineth faire and bright and if a thicke blacke cloude should passe in betwixt vs and the Sunne the Sunne abideth in his owne nature and the cloude taketh nothing away of the brightnesse of the Sunne only it obscureth the Sunne to our sight that we cannot perceiue the splendor of it It is euen so with the Sonne of God that glorious Sunne of righteousnesse when he taketh first vpon him the cloude of our nature and secondly the cloude of death the glory of the Sonne of God is no more impared by this than the Sunne is impared in his light by the cloude When the Sonne of God tooke vpon him the cloude of our nature for the saluation of mankinde hee kept himselfe close and he vttered not himselfe in that nature of God for if he had vttered himselfe in that force and glory proper vnto him he had beene glorified at his first incarnation and then the redemption of man had not bene done All the Iewes and Pharisees could neuer haue touched him if hee had not humbled himselfe in the nature
mirrour And seeing there is a sight and a knowledge required in faith the Lord passeth not ouer this but hee sayeth They haue knowne that all thinges which thou hast giuen mee are of thee There is the first the knowledge And that I came from thee there is the sight Nowe goe forwarde and yee shall see faith painted out It is not enough to knowe and to see if thou hast no more if thou hast but a knowledge and a sight of Iesus Christ onelie thou art not the nearer but the heart of man and woman must drawe in into it that thing which thou knowest and seest Thou seest and knowest Christ to bee the Redeemer the verie heart must gette out the arme and pull him in And therefore hee passeth not by this The wordes which thou gauest mee J haue giuen them vnto them Haue they knowne them onelie No but they haue also receiued them Is it enough to receiue them No that is not enough Then what must thou doe Thou must not haue Christ to night and bid him farewell to morrowe but as thou hast knowne him and receiued him so thou must keepe Christ euer in thine heart and thou must keepe all his graces thou must neuer lose him keepe him still dislodge him not dislodge rather all the worlde than thou dislodge him keepe him and let him not goe the happiest guest that euer came is when the Lord Iesus is in the heart hee is full of all joye hee is full of all peace and consolation the last that thou must keepe in thine heart is Iesus Christ So make vp faith of all these partes there are the partes of it To knowe God in Iesus Christ to vnderstand him in his worde and that which thou knowest to take it within thine heart Wee should not bee content of this onlie wee shoulde not bee content to gette CHRIST into our heartes by a piece of knowledge but sensiblie to feele him And last to keepe him who is the Treasure of all treasures and who hath giuen the treasure of all knowledge the most precious treasure in the worlde Yee will keepe vp Treasures and Hoordes in your Kistes nowe keepe rather CHRIST into your heartes than all the Hoordes in the worlde Marke againe in the argument the diuersitie of the thinges which wee belieue which are the objectes of fayth If yee marke the wordes well yee shall see this First wee must belieue in IESVS CHRIST and ere wee belieue in him wee must haue a sight and a knowledge of him and then wee must receiue IESVS CHRIST himselfe and this hee declareth when as hee sayeth Therefore haue they knowne that I came from thee And againe That I am sent from thee Wee must belieue the Mediatour the LORD IESVS to haue come from his Father And againe what is the next They haue knowne these thinges which thou hast giuen mee The next thing that they belieue is That all store of grace is in IESVS CHRIST The next thing that thy fayth shoulde reach vnto is That thou gripe into thine heart that store of grace and glorie that is in IESVS CHRIST The last thing that they belieue is the worde of GOD concerning CHRIST The Apostle Paul to the Corinthians Epist 2. Chap. 5. vers 7. sayeth Wee liue nowe by fayth and not by sight So long as wee liue Pilgrimes in this Earth and dwell in this tabernacle wee will not see the LORD IESVS face to face but when wee are once flitted out of this earthlie bodie wee shall see him face to face All the sight that wee haue of IESVS CHRIST in this life is but as in a mirrour euen as one woulde see a mans face in a mirrour And what is the mirrour wherein we see IESVS CHRIST It is nothing but this word of the Gospel and this glorious Euangel of the blessed GOD the fairest mirrour that euer man or woman looked in There they shall see the fairest sight that euer was Therefore the LORD he passeth not by this mirrour when he setteth out fayth to his Disciples They haue receiued those wordes sayeth hee which thou gauest to mee and they haue kept thy wordes The whole thing that is to bee belieued is First IESVS CHRIST and next That all joye is in him and that all store of grace is in him Last the worde of Iesus Christ in the which his glorious face is seene and shineth Contemne not this mirrour contemne not this Gospel preached for if thou contemne it it shall passe thy power to gette grace contemnest thou it thou shalt neuer taste of life in this life nor in the life to come Woe to the contemners of the Gospel they shall neuer see Christ in whome is all life all joye and all comfort c. Marke well Brethren when hee setteth out the fayth of the Disciples to the Father hee speaketh thereof in such sorte that he directeth all to the glorie of the Father Lord so deare the glorie of the Father was to the Sonne When hee speaketh of the Father hee attributeth all the glorie to the Father They haue knowne well sayeth hee that I am come from thee O Father Then againe They haue knowne that whatsoeuer thing thou hast giuen mee it is from thee There is the true knowledge of the grace of Iesus Christ when thou attributest all glorie to the Father when thou belieuest in Christ belieue that the Father sent him and that the Father gaue him to redeeme thee from death and that hee is risen and ascended to the Father belieue that the Father raised him The whole praise of faith in Christ redoundeth to the Father Whatsoeuer wee belieue in Christ as when wee belieue his death or his resurrection his glory in all fulnesse is the glory of the Father Wee knowe this by experience the faith that striketh on Christ passeth immediatly thorow that man the Lord Iesus thorow that glorious person neuer resteth till it leane on that Fountaine of all mercy and grace the Father of our Lord Iesus The Fountaine is the Father of our Lord. To speake it in one worde All this faith in Iesus Christ that wee haue redoundeth to the glory of the Father And therfore the last exhortation is That our faith be in Iesus Christ for when we belieue in the Mediator and leane vs ouer on him then the heart passeth into that light wherevnto there is none accesse where that glorious person doth dwell the Father of Iesus Christ Let not thy faith rest till it gette that sweete apprehension of that glorious person the Father and hee will saue thee and giue thee to his Sonne To whome bee alâ— honour and glorie for euermore AMEN THE XXI LECTVRE OF CHRISTES PRAYER BEFORE HIS PASSION IOHN CHAP. xvii VERS 9.10.11 9 I praye for them I praye not for the worlde but for them which thou hast giuen mee for they are thine 10 And all mine are thine and thine are mine and I am glorified in them 11 And
nowe am I no more in the worlde but these are in the worlde and J come to thee Holie Father keepe them in thy Name euen them whome thou hast giuen mee that they may bee one as wee are WElbeloued in the Lord Iesus in the seconde part of this Prayer the Lord prayeth for his Disciples whom hee was to leaue in the world behinde him when he should passe vp to the Heauens Hee vseth many arguments of his request and petition which hee maketh to his Father first from their calling out of the world by the Gospel from their election and choosing them from al eternity from this that they were the Fathers from this that they were giuen to him from this that they belieued in the Father and in him Now in the wordes which wee haue read first after many arguments yea a cloud of arguments all gathered together the Lord concludeth his petition and prayer and sayth O Father I pray for them As hee would saye Seeing so many thinges concur in them their vocation their election and the rest therfore I haue good cause to praye for them I praye for them O Father that thou wouldest keepe them it cannot be but thou must keepe them vpon whome thou hast showne so many graces Now happie are they on whom God beginnes to show any grace for on whom he begins to shew grace once there is none end of grace but continually grace vpon grace mercy followes mercy till at the last they bee glorified in the Heauens for euermore But to goe forward When he hath said I pray for them hee defineth them in speciall who they are for whom he prayeth J pray nor for the world sayth he not for the worlde that is not for the Reprobate and the wicked of the world but for them that thou hast giuen me these are they for whome hee prayeth hee excludeth the reprobates from his prayers he includeth only the Elect whom the Father hath giuen him for as the decreete of the election of God from all eternitie was limited and bounded al were not chosen all men and women were not written vp in that Booke of Life and euen as the gift that the Father gaue to the Sonne was limited and bounded hee gaue not all to the Son he gaue not euerie man and woman in this world but so many as hee had chosen to life euerlasting them hee gaue to the Sonne and no moe So I say as the decreet of election is bounded and as the gift of the Father to the Sonne is bounded euen so the intercession of the Sonne to the Father is bounded The Sonne intercedeth not with the Father for euery man and woman in this world and whether ye look to the intercession by prayer as ye see now he prayeth for the Chosen and for his Disciples in speciall whether yee looke to that intercession that was by his death and by that sacrifice the Lord he prayeth not for all that is a sure thing And when he died he died not for all but onlie for so many as the Father had chosen out from all eternity and hauing chosen them out he gaue them to his Sonne the mediator Only the Lord in the worlde made intercession for these Chosen that are giuen him So Brethren what shall wee say blessed is that man or woman that is of that chosen number and blessed is that person whom the Father hath put into the handes of the Sonne For for him the Sonne maketh intercession And woe is that soule that is not chosen and is not put into the hands of the Sonne to be kept and redeemed by him no intercession for that soule the prayer of the Lord Iesus appertaineth nothing to that soule nothing abideth that soule but anguishe and damnation euerlastingly So ye see how needfull a thing it is to haue assurance of our election to be assured perswaded in our harts that we are of that chosen number giuen to Iesus Christ This is the perswasion wee should seeke in this life if euer wee would haue comfort either in life or death and wee should aâ—e haue that respect of the life to come and set our hearts on another life than this life Therefore the thing that we should seeke most is to bee of the number of the Chosen and to be one of the number of them who are in the keeping of Iesus Christ But alas wee are so beastlie and senselesse that wee thinke there is no life no joye no glorie c. but in this life such is the blindnesse and beastlinesse of the nature of man Nowe Brethren and if yee marke againe the wordes well yee shall see a great difference betwixt the Prayer that Christ made and betwixt the Prayer of the faythfull in the worlde When wee pray for others our prayer is confused wee cannot separate the Reprobate from the Elect wee will praye for altogether good and euill because wee knowe not who is chosen and how is reprobate and casten awaye Then when wee pray for the Elect and for the Kirke our prayer is but confused and generall wee cannot praye for euerie particulare man or for euerie chosen one because wee knowe them not but generallie wee recommende vnto God the whole Kirke this is the manner of our prayer But it is farre otherwayes in this prayer which the Lorde maketh for his Disciples and for the Chosen The Lorde prayeth for his Elect but hee prayeth not for the Reprobate and particularlie heereafter hee excludeth Iudas because the Lord knewe who was elect and who was reprobate Then againe when hee prayeth for the Elect hee prayeth not confusedlie as wee doe but in his prayer his eye is set vpon euerie one of the Chosen particularlie There was neuer one of the Chosen that was that time that Christ was in the worlde or was since the beginning of the worlde or shall bee to the ende of the worlde but the LORD prayed for euerie one of them particularlie hee prayed for mee and hee prayed for thee and hee sawe euerie one of vs before the beginning of the worlde and nowe hee recommendeth vs to the Father Thinke not that the Lord Iesus prayeth confusedlie and generallie for all men no hee prayeth particularlie for the Chosen there is not one Chosen but the eye of the Lord is vpon them all Why The Lorde knewe who was chosen No there was not one little one yea the poorest vpon the face of the earth of the chosen number but in that time hee had his eye vpon them that the holie Spirit might flowe to them out of his death When the Lord died yee must not thinke that hee died for all hee died but for some hee died not for anie reprobate he separateth the Elect from the Reprobate by vertue of his death When hee offered himselfe to the death his eye was set vpon euerie one of the Elect that was in the worlde and when hee was going to death hee saide in his heart
followeth that whosoeuer findeth in their heartes that they haue glorified the Sonne in belieuing in him in confessing of him and in their life and conuersation that man or that woman may bee assured in their heart and saye The Father keepeth me and I am in his custodie I am assured that the Father hath a speciall care ouer mee because I finde my delite and pleasure to be set on Christ No no if the Father had not mee in his custodie I should not haue such a pleasure and delite to glorifie him The heart that findeth no delite nor pleasure to glorifie Christ Iesus in this life hath no warrand that it is in the keeping and custodie of the Father if thou findest no faith at no time and if thy life in some measure answere not to thy profession saye The care of the Father is not ouer me I am desolate I am not in Gods handes that is the most desolate creature in the worlde whome the Father hath not in his custodie yea though all the worlde should compasse him and guard him round about And by the contrarie whome the Father hath a care of they are better guarded than if all the Kings of the Earth were about them for Brethren yee may well know that the Father loueth that person well that loueth his welbeloued for he who loueth the Sonne the Lord Iesus he loueth the Father also and the Father loueth him and hee who honoureth the Sonne the Father shall honour him And by the contrary he who dishonoureth the Sonne the Father shall dishonour him and shame him in despite of all the worlde albeit all the world should honour him he will haue him shamed he shal set him vp to be an open shame to man and Angel he shall be Anathema yea and Anathema Maranatha that is cursed for euer who loueth not the Lord Iesus There is such a strait and narrow conjunction betwixt the Father and the Son that the honour of the Father is the honour of the Sonne and the honour of the Sonne is the honour of the Father and that the dishonour of the Sonne is the dishonour of the Father and the hatred of the Sonne is the hatred of the Father also Ye heard what Christ said Hee who honoureth me he honoureth him who sent me A Prince will thinke that his Ambassadour shoulde bee as well reuerenced as himselfe for all the honour that the Ambassadour receiueth commeth to the Prince who sent him Now the Sonne of God is more than an Ambassadour sent by the Father for he is not a simple Ambassador but also the Sonne of God equall with the Father who is more than all the Ambassadours in the world Will not then the Father thinke that the honour done to the Sonne whom hee hath sent is done to himselfe Yes certainlie But to leaue this Yet he continueth on and bringeth other arguments heapeth argument vpon argument to shew that great desire which he had that the Father should keepe and saue his Disciples who were in the world J am no more in the world I goe away and concerning my bodily presence I am no more with them they will abide still in the world therfore O Father keepe them in respect that I leaue them to thee and I am to goe out of the worlde and that shortlie therefore take thou the care of them Euen as a man dying leaueth them whom he loueth well to tender friendes Euen so the Lord Iesus leaueth his Disciples to his Father that he should take them in his custodie When I was with them saith hee I kept them but nowe I am going out of the worlde and I leaue them vnto thee therefore Father keepe them Brethren this absence of Christ in his bodie and our absence from him it is so farre from that to bee an argument that God hath left vs that by the contrarie this absence of Iesus Christ in his bodilie presence and the leauing of vs behinde him now in the Earth it is an argument to euerie one of vs that God is with vs and that the Father of Iesust Christ hath a speciall care of vs for looke the farder that Iesus Christ bee from vs in his bodilie presence the nearer is the Father vnto vs by his holie Spirite that Comforter So that yee woulde thinke it a wonderfull thing to consider the care that the Father hath of vs in the absence of Iesus Christ from vs. It is good for vs that Iesus Christ our Lord went to the Heauens in glorie And Christ sayeth himselfe If I goe not awaye that Comforter the Holie Spirite shall not come And this is sure the more desolate that anie bee in this Earth as the Fatherlesse Widdowes and Strangers c. if they bee Christes the greater is the care of God ouer them So yee will finde in the SCRIPTVRES hee will take into his hande and haue a speciall care of the Widdowes and Fatherlesse so that they bee Iesus Christes and once giuen to him If thou bee desolate looke that thou bee Iesus Christes and if thou wouldest not want the societie of Iesus Christ aboue all beware of Infidelitie which is nothing but the beginning of that euerlasting desolation Woulde wee haue joye or consolation in anie desolate estate in the worlde Woulde wee haue that presence of God and that consolation of the Holie Spirite No more but this See that thou bee Christes for Heauen and Earth shall goe together and all shall turne to nothing ere the Lorde bee not with thee to keepe thee and to guarde thy soule as the Apostle sayeth to the PHILIPPIANS with that peace with passeth all vnderstanding Hee will set that peace into thine heart when thou art in trouble and hee will set thine heart at rest and giue thee a greater peace than all the peace in the worlde Nowe when hee hath repeated these argumentes hee concludeth shortlie Holie Father keepe them in thy NAME them whome thou hast giuen mee that they maye bee one with vs as wee are one Marke Brethren these wordes which the LORD vttereth haue a great weight and also this petition which hee maketh to the Father it is full of affection and loue And it is full of affection first to the Father then to the Disciples for whom he prayeth It is full of affection to him whom to hee prayeth to them for whose cause he prayeth Looke when thou prayest that thy affectiō be to thy God to them also for whom thou prayest Hee sayeth Holie Father keepe them Will yee consider euerie worde and first these wordes Holie Father yee shall perceiue a great affection in the Sonne to the Father These wordes rise on two motiues the one is loue that is an affection which the Sonne bare to the Father When he calleth him Father he vttreth that wonderfull loue which he bare to the Father And then the other riseth on a great reuerence that Iesus Christ our Lord bare to his Father when
had giuen them him he was the more carefull of them and therefore it followeth that none was lost but Iudas Now let vs come to the conclusion Therefore Father I speake these thinges that is I recommende them vnto thee that thou shouldest keep them I come to thee I leaue them now here It would seeme that Christ when hee went out of this worlde hee left his owne so in the worlde that hee had no more the keeping and custodie of them and that as it were that hee denudeth his hands of them this would mooue anie man Now Brethren the Lord Iesus neuer denuded his hands of his Disciples he neuer gaue quite ouer them whom he once kept but this is the meaning of his wordes when hee died hee ceased to keepe them in that manner that hee kept them before when hee was in the worlde for when hee was with them in the world he kept them by his bodily presence and went before them and they followed after him This keeping ceased when Christ went out of the worlde but as for that keeping which is the spirituall keeping it neuer ceaseth to the ende of the world And the Lord now in the Heauen hee keepeth more surely his owne by his Spirit than he kept his Disciples when he was in the worlde with them And all this keeping that hee requireth at the Fathers hand is That he should keepe them by him No keeping of the Father but by the Sonne who is glorified in the Heauen at the right hand of the Father Wel Brethrē we see of this argument thus far They whom the Lord Iesus died for and they whom he kept in this world the Father of Iesus Christ keepeth them in the absence of Iesus Christ till the Lord come againe in his body Looke whome to the Lord had an eye when hee was in the earth humbled whosoeuer they were to whome hee had an eye the Father from his vp-going to the Heauen till his comming againe hath an eye to them and watcheth ouer them It is true wee who liue this day I meane the Elect wee were not then with Iesus Christ as his Disciples were and he kept not vs after the manner that he kept his Disciples because wee were not Yet there is not so much as one of the Elect that nowe are or yet shall bee heereafter to the ende of the worlde but Iesus Christ euen humbled had his eye vpon them and before they came into the world many yeeres he loued them and therefore it followeth if thy conscience will testifie to thee that Iesus Christ our Lorde when hee was humbled in the earth when hee prayed for sinners and when hee died in the earth if I say thy conscience will testifie vnto thee and say My Lord had an eye to mee as well as to Peter in his death and as hee had to Iohn Iames Matthew c. certainly thou mayest bee assured that the eye of the Father of Iesus Christ watcheth ouer thee till Iesus Christ come againe Paul was not conuersant with Christ as the rest were into the earth for Paul was called after the Ascension of Christ when he was glorified yet Paul sayeth The Sonne of God in whom he belieued loued him and gaue himselfe for him Galat. Chap. 2. vers 20. Meaning that Christ when he died hee had a respect to him The respect which Christ had in his death to Paul the same he had to euery chosen man and woman to the end of the world And therefore say thou that when Christ died he died for me and he loued me and his eye was vpon me If thou canst say this thou art in the custody and keeping of the Father till Iesus Christ come againe There is another thing to be marked here What maketh the Sonne so bold to stand vp before the Father and desire him to keepe his Disciples whom he should leaue behind him when he was going vp to Heauen Looke the argument I haue kept them faythfully therefore Father in mine absence keepe thou them Who dare be so bold to face God once to bid him keep them whom he hath concredited vnto them What King in the world dare be so bold to pray for his Subjects the King is bound aswell to pray for his Subjects as the Subjects are for the King or as a Minister is for his Flock say O Lord keep these Subjects And what Minister dare be bold to say Lord keep my Flock or Family None but he who hath a conscience that he did his duety and was diligent night day in keeping them No man dare recōmend any to God who hath not a care to keep them whom God hath cōcredited vnto him And therfore these careles bodies who rule Kirks Kingdoms or Families cannot pray And if they pray they scorne God in praying they are nothing but hypocrits with fained voyces What mooued Christ to pray for his Disciples A solicitude he had night day of their weale No ere any of them had died thorow his default he had rather died himself This made Dauid to watch so carefully ouer the people And Paul 2. Cor. chap. 12. when he hath recounted th' afflictions he suffered All is but outwarde saith he but there is one inward which presseth me like an army and that was a solicitude carefulnes he had for the Kirke of God planted in his time Who is afflicted saith he but J am afflicted that is No man is afflicted but I am also afflicted Who is offended but I am also burnt The offence of the Kirke is a skauding and burning to mee Of this care proceedeth prayer for the Kirke of God But as for vs in this Land we are like to lose the Kirke The King hath no care the Nobilitie are gone backe and haue no care the people and the whole estate are carelesse If this way we lie stil in security be carelesse of the weale of the Kirke what can we looke for at length but that the Kirke shall be wracked and come to confusion But to what end is it that he would haue the Father to keep them Look the words he saith That my ioy may be full in them Before he spake of another end to wit That they might bee one as the Father and the Sonne are one Then whomsoeuer the Father taketh into his custody he keepeth them to the end that both they may haue peace with others also in their own soules and consciences for this peace of conscience is that joye whereof now he speaketh But wherfore is it that he calleth this their joy his joy In what respect is it called the joy of Iesus Because this joy and peace of conscience that passeth all vnderstanding could neuer come into the soules of the Apostles or of any of GODS children since then but thorow the sprinkling of the blood of Iesus the Mediator betwixt God and man So there is no solide joy nor peace of conscience vntill the
and the leauing of this life that deat bee not so heauie to vs for howbeit nature abhorre it yet of a mortall bodie it maketh an immortall and it tendeth to take thee out of this Earth and to transport thee to that Heauenlie Paradise where Jesus Christ sitteth in glorie Yea and this I affirme There is no man nor woman that hath a desire to bee with Christ but hee groaneth vnder the burthen of mortalitie and would willingly imbrace death to bee with Christ yea the rememberance of his departure out of this life is ioyfull to him Fie vpon that man who hath his heart and affections knitee and glewed to the world euer seeking worldie honours or pleasures c. Thou souldest haue that disposition which Paul had looke what hee hee sayeth J desire to bee dissolued I haue confidence that J shall yet remaine with you but I choose rather to flitte out of this bodie and to goe and dwell with my Lord. Let vs not bee like Ethnickes who haue no blessednesse but beastlie blessednesse and looke for no blessednesse after his life If thou haue not an eye to Heaven and to that heauenlie blessednsse there is no blessednesse for thee This is to bee marked Who is it that will make this flitting from the Earth to Heauen Not euerie bodie but onelie so manie as the Father hath chosen from all eternitie Neuer one shall gette entrie to that Light and to that holie Sanctuarie but that soule whome the Father hath giuen to the Sonne If thou bee once giuen to the Sonne and once put into his handes howbeit thou bee a Pilgrime for while for thine inheritance is not heere howbeit thy bodie bee walking in sadnesse and heauinesse howbeit thou bee wandering farre from Christ on the Earth yet of necessitie thou shalt once dwell where Christ is This doctrine is verie common yet comfortable That bodie that is separated from his Lord and getteth not that fruition of his presence once hee shall goe where he shall get that presence howbeit not incontinent once hee shall bee lifted vp aboue the Earth and shall dwell in glorie with Iesus Christ The thing in the world that should be most perswaded of is That we are giuen to Iesus Christ There is no consolation for thee and thou needest not looke euer to dwell in Heauē with Iesus Christ if thou findest not this perswasion that Iesus Christ is become thy Lord and hath conquessed thee out of the handes of sinne and death There is none other consolation in life although thou shouldest liue ten thousande yeeres and much more in death without this thou shalt find no consolation but euen in death if thou findest this perswasion that thou lyest sleeping in the armes of Iesus Christ then thou shalt finde consolation and when the soule is departing out of the bodie it shall find in experience that joye Nowe yet the ende would bee marked There is the ende That they may see my glorie that thou hast giuen mee It is true indeede in this life the faythfull get a sight of the glorie of Iesus Christ for if there were not a sight of that glorie wherefore would all the pleasure of the worlde serue Thou wist neuer what joye meaned if thou gettest not a sight of that glorie But yet I say all the sight of Iesus Christ which wee haue in this life is as it were but in a mirrour and in a looking-glasse it is but a darke sight that thou hast of him This is by the Preaching of the Gospel wherein yee haue Christ first crucified and then glorified What is our Preaching but that Christ hath beene first crucified and nowe glorified at the right hande of the Father for the justification and sanctification of the worlde This is that darke sight which wee haue heere but one daye wee shall bee there where hee is and wee shall see him face to face and wee shall see such a glorious Majestie as wee would neuer haue looked for thou canst not looke for enough hope for as much as thou wilt when thou shalt bee with him it neuer entered into the heart of man that which once with the eyes of the bodie thou shalt see And therefore hee sayeth That they may see that glorie as though they sawe it neuer Wherefore shall it serue thee to see the glorie of Iesus Christ When once thou shalt see that Glorie face to face then perpetuallie tide and time thou shalt glorifie him What is the cause that wee cannot glorifie Christ in the Earth as wee shall doe in the Heauens Because wee haue not such a bright sight of his glorie in the Earth in this mortalitie as wee shall haue in the Heauens And if yee see a man yee will know him better than to heare speaking of him The greater sight thou hast of Christ the more thou shalt glorifie him A man that hath the smaller sight of him shall glorifie him the lesse but that man that hath no sight woe is him for hee will gette no glorie These dissolute men and women who haue no delight to glorifie him and haue gotten no sight of him shall gette no glorie Therefore when we shall gette the full sight euen that shining sight our delight shall bee to looke to our King and wee shall maruell that euer creature could see such a glorie and wee shall delight to glorifie him that sitteth vpon the Throne and when we shall see him then daye and night our Song shall bee as it is written in the Revelation Chap. 4. Vers 8. Holie holie holie is the Great GOD Almightie who was and who is and who is to come What is the cause of that Because of the brightnesse of the glorie which shall strike out from him vpon vs the crie shall neuer goe out of our mouth Well is that soule that will striue to glorifie him And that soule that can once studie to glorifie him that soule shall saye for euer Holie is the Lord. But shall wee not bee the better of it When thou lookest to a King in his glorie thou art neuer an haire the better But it shall bee farre otherwayes with thee when thou shalt see him So soone as wee shall see that glorie wee shall bee as soone transformed that bright face of the Sunne of Righteousnesse shall strike out the beames of his glory vpon thee and the beames shall goe to thine heart and shall illuminate thy soule and shall shoote out that darknesse and shall make thy bodie shine more brightlie that the Sunne So wee shall not so soone see him face to face after that glorious Resurrection but as soone thou shalt bee transformed to glorie and thou shalt shine like an Angel of Light Looke to the ende of the third Chapter of Paul in the 2. Epist to the Corinthians Wee with vncouered faces beholde as in a mirrour the glorie of the Lord and it transformeth vs into that same image from glorie to glorie The more that a man