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
consider the deepnes of this glorie yet wee may knowe that all glorie commeth of the Father and passeth on the Sonne and on the holie Spirit and as it were in a circle the beames of that glorie commeth backe againe glancing on the Father and the glorie of the Father is not diminished but euer hee remaineth infinitelie glorious and the Sonne and the holie Spirite are nothing inferiour in power majestie or glorie vnto the Father for they differ nothing except in order The Father is first and the Sonne is the seconde person of the glorious Trinitie begotten of the Father and the blessed holie Spirite the thirde person proceedeth of the Father and the Sonne all alike glorious Nowe I will leaue this There is euen such a meeting betwixt God and man in a manner for all the glorie which wee haue commeth of the Father for what is the glory of a King but a little small beame of that infinite glorie So the glorie of the creature redoundeth to God Looke to the Heauen and to the Earth there is great glorie in them yet the glorie of them shall all come to him againe and Heauen and Earth shall perish ere he want a jote of his glorie Rom. 11. By him thorow him and to him are all thinges So that to him redoundeth all glorie in ende all commeth home againe till him as in a circle And marke this he saith not this That thou mayst be glorified in the Sonne but That the Sonne may glorifie the Father If anie man hath gotten a sparke of that glorie let him not thinke that that glorie shall onelie come backe againe to God but let him bee the conuoyer of it and let him say yea if he bee a King who hath gotten a Crowne Lord I wil take this Crowne and with as good will as thou hast giuen it to mee will I giue it to thee againe for wee haue nothing but that which commeth from this God And so if thou hadst nothing but this life say Now Lord with as good will as I gotte it with as good will will I render it to thee otherwayes hee will bee glorified in thee whatsoeuer thou doest doe what thou canst but thy life shall bee turned into death and thine honour into shame and ignominie Therefore whensoeuer it pleaseth him to seeke our liues euen with heart and good will we should render them vnto him for if he take them from vs he will giue vs life euerlasting and if hee take a Crowne from a King hee will giue him the Crowne of life euerlasting And if hee take this worldly riches from thee hee will giue thee that rich treasure of glory in Iesus Christ and so with all other worldly things but if we giue them not with good will he will take them from vs wil giue them to others and we shall get shame and ignominie So in despite of thine heart God shall be glorified in whatsoeuer thing hee bestoweth on thee Therefore let euery one of vs whatsoeuer wee receiue of God bee so disposed that if it please God to haue our life riches or whatsoeuer commodities of this world we render all vnto God willingly as Job saieth The Lord giueth the Lord taketh blessed bee the Name of the Lord. As hee would say I haue gotten all from thee and I will giue all to thee againe What got Iob for rendring all to the Lord He gaue him the double Euen so thou shalt get the double Nowe the Lord prepare vs to offer vp this life willingly vnto him and to spende it thankfully for his glory and seruice being assured that wee shall gette a better life layde vp in the Heauens for vs through IESVS CHRIST To whom with the FATHER and the holie SPIRIT bee all Prayse Honour and Glorie world without ende AMEN THE XVIII LECTVRE OF CHRISTS PRAYER BEFORE HIS PASSION IOHN CHAP. xvii VERS 2.3 As thou hast giuen him power ouer all flesh that hee should giue eternall life to all them that thou hast giuen him And this is life eternall that they knowe thee to bee the onelie verie God and whom thou hast sent Iesus Christ WEE shewed you the last daye Welbeloued in the Lord Iesus Christ that this Prayer which the Lord made to his Disciples before his death standeth in three parts First hee prayeth for himselfe and his owne glory Secondly he prayeth for his Apostles and for their preseruation Last he prayeth for the whole Faythfull the whole Kirke that should bee on the face of the earth to the ende of the worlde The last day we entered into the first part His petition in the first part was Father glorifie thy Sonne The first argument of his petition was The houre is at hande that is to saye The houre of my death is at hande therefore it is time that I should be glorified Let mee not lie for euer would hee he say in that terrible and ignominious and offensiue death but after the death after that shame and ignominie that I shall suffer immediately glorifie me Then the next argument was Glorifie thy Sonne Father that thy Sonne may glorifie thee I shall glorifie thee againe would hee saye and in mine exaltation and glorifying me thou shalt be glorified and so the whole glory shall redounde to thee therefore Father glorifie me In this Text which wee haue nowe read followeth the thirde reason of his petition why hee desireth that the Father should glorifie him The thirde reason is That I may giue life euerlasting to them that thou hast giuen to mee As he would say Father glorifie mee and I shall giue life euerlasting to thy Chosen it shall not bee for nothing but as my glory shall redounde to thy glory so it shall redounde to the saluation of thy Chosen to the ende of the world Ere he come to the argument he layeth downe the ground of it which is the authority that the Father had giuen to him Thou hast giuen mee authoritie ouer all flâ—sh sayth the Lord. This ground of the gift of life euerlasting is a power and authority which the Father hath giuen to the Sonne Whosoeuer giueth life hee must haue a great authority and a greater than all this earth hath All the Kings in the worlde haue not authority to giue life to a gnat Indeede the authority of a King may take away the life but they haue no power no if it were but to giue this life naturall let bee life euerlasting And so that power must be great to giue life euerlasting So this Princely and Kingly authority the Lord Iesus hath receiued of his Father Ye know his offices his Kingly office his Priestly and Propheticall office Life euerlasting and the gift of it is grounded on that Kingly authority which the Lord hath gotten from his Father But howe farre extendeth it Thou hast giuen mee authoritie ouer all flesh Neuer man nor woman is exempted from the Kingly power of Iesus Christ whether they be chosen or
of CHRIST To vvhome vvith the Father and vvith the Holie Spirite bee all prayse honour and glorie for euermore Amen THE FOVRTH LECTVRE OF CHRISTES DOCTRINE BEFORE HIS PASSION IOHN CHAP. xiiii VERS 11.12.13.14.15 11 Belieue me that I am in the Father and the Father in mee aâ— the least belieue mee for the verie workes sake 12 Verilie verilie I say unto you Hee that belieueth in mee the workes that J doe hee shall doe also and greater than these shall hee doe for J goâ— vnto my Father 13 And whatsoeuer yee aske in my Name that will I doe that the Father may bee glorified in the Sonne 14 If yee shall aske anie thing in my Name I will doe it 15 If yee loue mee keepe my Commandements WEE haue heard in this Chapter Beloued Brethren how Christ comforted his Disciples against the time hee should haue vvithdrawne his bodilie presence out of this vvorld hee began and saide to them Be not troubled let not your hearts be troubled As he vvould say When I goe away ye vvill find matter of trouble be not troubled with all the things ye shall find And thereafter he furnishes them arguments of comfort The first is Fayth in him Belieue in me howbeit yee will not haue my bodily presence in earth yet send your fayth to Heauen and fasten your selues vpon mee The seconde argument I goe away not for your hurt but for your weale to prepare a place for you in my Fathers house therefore be not troubled The third argument When I haue passed away I will not abide for euer away but I shal come againe and take you to my selfe and place you in Heauen with my selfe The fourth argument is Comfort your selues with the knowledge that ye know the place where I goe to and the way Pilgrimes that wander in a strange Countrey are comforted in the meane time of their Pilgrimage that they vnderstande the way and the place where they shall repose themselues Euen so the Lord would say Comfort your selues with this that yee know the place and the way while I come and take you with me After the Lord hath comforted his Disciples Thomas first and Philip next beginneth to doubt and vtter their ignorance chieflie concerning the place and the way Thomas beginneth and hee first vttereth his ignorance first of the way The Lord answereth him and instructeth him and sayth I am the Way the Verity and the Life no man coÌ„meth to the Father but by me Secondly coÌ„cerning the place to wit the Fathers dwelling place If ye had known me sayth he ye would haue known the Father in misknowing the Father ye vtter an ignorance of me Philip vttereth his ignorance and he sayth Let vs see the Father and that shall suffice vs. The Lord answereth Philip as hee answereth Thomas with a reproofe Philip sayth he hee that hath seene me hath seene the Father how then sayest thou Shew vs the Father Then hee proueth this that hee who hath seene the Sonne it behoued him to see the Father I am in the Father and the Father in me wee are but one in Maiesty substance and glory he therefore who hath seene me hath seene also the Father So the Lord hath brought his Disciples to the first ground of the knowledge of the Father the ground is The Sonne is one with the Father and he is the Image of the Father When hee hath reasoned this waye with them and comforted them in this Text we haue read hee entereth into an exhortation hee leaueth nothing off that may serue for their weale And in this Text hee exhorteth them to two thinges The first is to fayth in him to belieue him that God dwelleth in his manly nature the Majestie and the glorie of God dwelleth in him bodilie The seconde is in the last verse wee haue read and it is that they should keepe his Commaundementes if they loued him To come to the first Belieue mee sayeth the Lord that J am in the Father and hee in mee As if hee would saye Belieue this I haue beene speaking That I and the Father are one in nature in substance glorie and Majestie Let not this base and infirme nature of man that I am clad with in the world stay your fayth Looke in the thorowe the vaile of my flesh and see the Majestie of the great God The Lesson wee haue is this The Lorde is verie earnest with his Disciples in this pointing out of himselfe that vnder that vaile of the nature of man his Disciples shoulde see the glorious Majestie of the great God of Heauen This earnestnesse letteth vs see it is one of the hardest thinges in the worlde for man and woman to take vp and see that Majestie and Godhead that dwelleth in IESVS CHRIST And it is harde for fleshe and bloode yea it passeth the reach of all men to belieue it except there bee another waye than by the eyes of nature by the eye of nature the soule will neuer perceiue nor take vp the glorious GOD to dwell in so base a lodging The LORD sayeth to Peter in the sixteenth Chapter of the Euangel of saint Matthew and the seuenteenth verse when hee confessed him to bee the Sonne of the liuing OOD Blessed art thou Simon the sonne of Iona flesh and blood hath not reuealed that to thee but my Father which is in Heauen So I saye to see the Majestie of GOD dwelling in earth it behooueth man and woman to bee raysed aboue nature to the Heauens to haue a Spirituall eye and the Spirite of the great GOD to see that glorious Majestie Now another thing foloweth here on this earnestnesse to wit A necessitie to knowe the Father that wee maye gette saluation Had not the LORD knowne that it was a needefull thing for his Disciples and for the vvhole vvorlde that they might get life to know that the nature of God dwelt in him hee would not haue bene so earnest in this point It is a thing that the world must knowe or then there is no saluation The third thing followeth seeing it is so harde a thing to a naturall man to see the glory of God in Iesus Christ and seeing it is so necessary a thing to saluation that except wee see him to bee God as well as man there shall bee no life If euer wee would enjoy life euerlasting and Heauen wee must bee lifted vp aboue nature and in a manner wee must be supernaturall and heauenly And this change be not made in this life let neuer man looke to see Heauen that is the necessitie that is laide vpon thee looke to it as thou wilt When he hath proponed his exhortation hee bringeth reasons to cause them belieue this The first argument hee vseth is in the ende of the verse At the least belieue me for the very works sake And there were not another argument to cause you to belieue this that God dwelleth in me looke to my workes and see if they passe nâ—t
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
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
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
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
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
The second argument is taken from their owne weale My departure is to prepare a place for you in Heauen if I goe not before you yee can get no place there for neuer man either got getteth or shall get place there but onely by the vertue of the Ascension of Christ It was not for his owne cause he entered into Heauen but for vs he passed with blood before vs to get vs an entry by his blood He by his Ascension opened vp to vs all the yates of Heauen that we might goe in there His Ascension to Heauen is of such force that it is able to prepare a dwelling place and it were for a thousand worldes if men could haue faith in him Now I come to the third argument wherby he comfortes them which is taken from the second coÌ„ming to Christ to glorify them fully And this of all other argumeÌ„ts brings greatest comfort to the soule The former arguments are indeede very comfortable faith worketh a great joy in the heart of a sinner because faith makes Iesus to bee present to the soule euen then when it is absent from the Lord and walking yet in this pilgrimage here on the earth Againe it is a greater comfort to the soule when we heare that Christ hath prepared a place for vs in Heauen wherein faith shall be changed in sight we shall see him face to face and glorifie him without any stay or intermission yet none of these wil furnish vs perfect ioy if there be no more for the conscience of our owne weaknesse and the sight and feeling of sinne within vs maketh vs oftentimes to doubt brangleth our faith and stayeth our full consolation And albeit we heare that Christ hath prepared a place for vs and opened the Heauen to vs yet our own weaknesse and infirmity telleth vs we cannot be able to come there to enter into the possession of the inheritance prepared for vs But here is matter of perfect ioy and full consolation when we heare that Christ will come again in his own person take vs to the HeaueÌ„s to the place hee hath prepared for vs whereunto otherwise in respect of our weaknes we could neuer come Jf saith Christ I goe to prepare a place for you I will come again receiue you vnto my self that where J am there may ye be also As if he had said I depart not from you to remain absent from you for euer I purpose not so to do but I will come again to you to take you vp to the place that I haue prepared that ye may remain with me in the Heauens be partakers of my glory for euer No question this was a great matter of comfort and ioy to the Disciplis when they heard that Christ would come again to them take them with himself to glory doubtles this made them after Christs Ascension to haue their eys hearts affections lift vp to Heauen waiting for his blessed appearance Brethren it is the coÌ„mon custome of all the Saincts when they heare belieue that Christ is to come again out of the Heauens to take them to that place of joy which he hath prepared for them te reâ—oyce vnder the hope of that glory with a joy vnspakeable gloâ—ious to set their hearts aboue to haue their conuersation in Heauen from whence they looke for our Sauiour to come to change our vile bodies that they may be like his glorious body c. Indeede it is true our hope waiting for Christ is ay coÌ„joyned with sighing sobbing because we haue not as yet gotteÌ„ the ful fruitioÌ„ of our inheritaÌ„ce And therfore Paul saith Wee who haue gotten the first fruits of the Spirit euen we sigh in our selues waiting for the adoption euen the redemption of our bodie Rom. 8.23 There ye see with waiting he conjoyns sighing indeed the sorow sighing of the godly is exceeding great while as they are absent froÌ„ their Lord But it is also true that with this sighing sadnes they find a ioy vnspeakable glorious yea such a ioy as all the ioyes and outward comforts in the world cannot be able to furnish vnto men The naturall man who seeks to haue ioy in outward thinges neuer wist what true ioye meaned thou that seeks ioy in thy riches thou neuer knew true ioy thou who seekes ioy in honour or preserment thou finds but a shadow of ioy thou who seeks ioy in the pleasurs of the flesh thou finds nothing in the end but displeasure in stead of ioye But the godly in waiting for the comming of their Sauiour find such a ioy that the heart of no naturall man is able to conceiue and if thou found but one sparke of this ioy into thy heart thou would count nothing of all worldâ—ie ioyes in respect of it yea thou would bee content to renounce all worldly pleasures that thou might bruik it Now Brethren if our ioy be so great euen now while we are absent froÌ„ the Lord and are only waiting for his blessed appearance O how great shall our ioy be when our faith shall be turned in sight when we shall see him face to face and when hee shall put vs in the full possession of that inheritance which now wee are hoping and longing for But leauing this I goe forwarde to the fourth argument of their consolation which hee taketh from the knowledge they had both of the place where he was going to likewise of the way which led them to that place For saith he whither I goe ye know and the way ye know As if he had said In the mean time while I am come again to you let this comfort you that both ye know the place wherevnto now I am going first and wherevnto next ye shall follow me and also that ye know the way wherein ye shal walke that ye may come to that place yee knowe both the one and the other And if there were none other thing but this knowledge it may serue to comfort you the time of mine absence from you while I come againe and take you to that place with my selfe Marke the Lesson Brethren It is a great comfort to a man who is absent from the Lorde and woulde faine bee present with him to knowe the place where the Lord is and likewise to knowe the way howe hee may come to that place where hee may find the Lord and enioye his blessed presence Ye know this by experience that if a Pilgrime bee wandering in his iourney and in the meane time knowe no place where at length hee maye come to rest in it will bee a sore griefe to him and againe yee knowe howbeit hee knewe a place where to find rest and yet knew not the way how to come to that place he will be very based and exceedingly casten downe But by the contrary if the Pilgrime in his iourneying knowe both the place wherin to rest and likewise the way
to bee Himselfe I am the Waye the Veritie and the Lâ—fe In a worde the waye to Heauen and the waye to the Father is the Lord Iesus and that because hee is the Trueth and Veritie and because hee is the Life Therefore all who would haue accesse to Heauen must enter in by the Lord Iesus first as he is Veritie and then as hee is Life they must belieue that the Lord Iesus the Sonne of God is Trueth and Life it selfe and that all our life spirituall floweth from him as from a Fountaine and we belieue not these two let vs neuer looke to see Heauen Then hee sayeth Except they enter in by this way they shall neuer come to the Father and thou goe in by another by-path besides the Lorde Iesus thou shalt neuer see Heauen with thine eyes This is thy doome No man from the King to the Beggar shall come to the Father but by him Now when he hath pointed out the way then hee beginneth and instructeth Thomas and the rest concerning the place where hee was to goe and these instructions are giuen by way of reproofe Hee findeth fault with Thomas and the rest that being so long with him they knew not the Father they might haue knowne the Father in him for they who see the Sonne may perceiue in him the Father If saith hee yee had knowne me ye should haue knowne my Father also As he would say Ye neuer knew me because ye know not the Father There is a necessitie that is laide on euery soule that commeth into this world if euer they would haue joy in this worlde and if euer they would dwell in Heauen that the creature knowe the glorious Creator Thou must know God if euer thou wouldest dwell with him Thou must know God not only the Creator but also the Redeemer of the lost world This necessity and burden is laide vpon our backe wee are straited to knowe God the Father for heerein standeth our felicitâ—i Now Brethren it is an hard thing to get a sight of that Majestie The Lord dwelleth in a light that hath none accesse 1 Tim. 6.16 Neuer man saw him Paul sayth He is a God that cannot bee seene the eye of the creature cannot be able to look vpon that passing glory So it is an hard thing to see God to know him therfore let neither man nor woman who preasseth to get a sight of God striue to pierce immediately thorowe that light Then howe shall wee see him The Lord perceiuing our infirmity hath prepared a way wee founde it not out but the Lord hath found it out What is the waye to see the Lorde in his infinite justice power wisedome glory and chiefely in his mercy And thou see him not in his mercy all is but in vaine and thou seest nothing howbeit thou shouldest see all the worlde The Lord hath found out the meane The Lord Iesus his owne Sonne his owne Image representeth vnto vs all the glorie of his Father and hee is the Image of the inuisible God the splendor of his glorie and the imprinted marke of his person Col. 1.15 and Heb. 1.3 The Lord hath ordained that in the Son euen in the nature of man humbled in the flesh wee should see that glory And this is the ende wherfore the Lord Iesus came into the world euen that we might see the glory of the Father in him This is so true that hee who seeth the Sonne seeth also the Father that when in the Gospel thou hearest and seest Iesus Christ humbled and glorified except in him thou see the Father his nature his justice his power his wisedome and his mercie thou canst not bee saide to haue a sufficient knowledge of the Sonne himselfe for hee himselfe sayeth heere If ye had knowne me yee should haue knowne my Father also Then he saith by way of correction No saith he Thomas thou knowest the Father and so I speake of the rest and thou hast seene him say what thou wilt say there is the meaning Vpon this speach two things arise The first the Apostles disciples of Iesus Christ they knew the Father The secoÌ„d they wist not that they knew him How can these two stand They knew him and saw him for Iohn saith We saw him vvith our eyes but they vvist it not What is the grounde of this ignorance that seeing the Sonne they knewe the Father and yet they wist it not It riseth on this they were ignorant that the Father and the Sonne were one in substance essence glory and Majesty And howbeit they sawe the Father and and the glory of God in the Sonne yet being ignorant of this ground they wist not that they knew the Father Nowe Brethren as concerning this seeing there is no solide comfort nor rest in the heart but in the sight of God keepe this sight night and day and sleepe on it for it vvill bee a blacke vvakening and vve rest not on him Wee may vvell rest on these pleasures on these Kingdomes c. but yet miserable shall be thy vvakening vvhen the soule shall bee taken from the body it shall tell thee that there is no rest but in him and thou shalt curse the time that euer thou restedst on any thing in the world There is no joy but in the sight of God Next except a man or woman knowe God to bee God vvhen they see his power and verity to appeare in the world aboue all things his mercy to sinners except they take vp God in these thinges and chiefely in his mercy except they knowe him to be God they vvill neuer haue solide comfort A man vvho hath bene out of his Fathers sight long vvhen hee seeth him and knoweth him not he vvill haue no comfort But then vvhen vvee see him and knowe him to bee our mercifull Father there is our joye When the sinner seeth God in Iesus Christ and knoweth him to bee his Father there is the chiefe joye But how shall we come to the knowledge of this We must know first of all that the Sonne is the splendor of his Father thou vvilt get no accesse to the Father but by the Sonne and therefore seeing the glory of the Father shineth in the Sonne vvhen thou commest to heare the Lord Iesus preached say thus In the Lorde Iesus vvhose Euangel I am to heare I shal see the glory of the Father And vvhen euer ye heare the Euangel striue to get that sight of the Father through the Sonne and then thine heart shall get exceeding joy into it This must euery one of vs doe if vve vvould goe to Heauen When Thomas hath spoken and the Lord hath answered him another of the Disciples spake for they vvere ignorant till the Lordes resurrection Philip speaketh next Lord saith he once shew vs the Father As he vvould say Once let vs see him and vve shall be contented Marke in this question there is one thing commendable and another thing discommendable not that
the power of any creature What Angel or what man can worke such thinges If my works bee not aboue all works belieue not in â—ee but if it be otherwise belieue in mee And there were nonâ— other argumâ—nt in the worlde to moue men to belieue that the Lorde â—esus is the God of glory and that in his Manhood the Godhead dwelleth the very effects the words the works the deed testifie and â—hee is able to conuict all the conscienceâ— of men and Angels and make them say The Lord Iesus is the God of glory Yea Brethren and there were no more to peswade vs that Iesus is the God of glorie but the word wee haue of Iesus this power of the word of the Crosse and this grace and Majesty that shines in the Scriptures it testifieth plainly that the Lord the Author of that worde is the God of Heauen for it hath such a power in the soules of men and women that either it conuicteth them or else it conuerteth them and therefore it is called the power of God And it were the word of man that worde coulde neuer haue such power to conuict the worlde or to bring the soules of men to saluation So the effectes that come from the Lord testifie to the world that he is God and is able to conuict the consciences of all the enemies in the worlde yea euen of the Deuill himselfe But and there bee no more they will neuer bring thee to saluation Therefore if thou wouldest haue that solide fayth in Iesus Christ and that taste of his sweetnesse in thine heart thou must haue another witnesse â— the holy Spirite must concur with the outwarde worde and the outwarde works drawing alluring and perswading thee by renewing thine heart and that bringeth with it the greatest joye and sweetnesse in the world When the Spirit is inwardly in the heart draweth it to Christ as the eye seeth the workes the soule beginneth to rest and repose vpon the Lord with a joy vnspeakeable Therfore euer preasse to get the presence of that Spirite or otherwise the works will but conuict vs and make vs inexcusable in that great day Yet he insists he bringeth another argument to allure them to belieue Verilie verilie sayth the Lord belieue mee that I am in the Father if ye belieue this it shall be for your owne weale it shall not only bee for my glory but for your weale Yee thinke my workes great but belieue in me and I shall make you worke these workes and greater than these So this argument is taken for their owne weale Who getteth greatest vantage in the honouring of God Who getteth greatest vantage in belieuing Is it the Lorde No he may want thee and all thy well-doing and not an haire the more bee impaired of his glory All the vantage commeth to the creature and the glory of the creature standeth in glorifying the Creator The felicity of man and woman in earth is in belieuing Christ Iesus So wilt thou be blessed belieue In a word and thou belieue the best is thine owne and all the profite redoundeth to thee What vantage bringeth fayth with it There is not a man or a woman that will once belieue in the Lord Iesus but as soone his heart will be filled with that Spirit and with all good things and with power to worke all manner of good works surmounting all the powers of nature So a poore body belieuing in Christ Iesus will haue more power to doe good than all the Kinges in the world that haue no more but nature So it is saide of Steuen that he was full of fayth and of the Spirit and of power And what followeth he was so powerful in reasoning that the Pharisees could not resist him he had a wonderous working with him And in the Primitiue Kirke after the Lorde had suffered and when hee was glorified they who did belieue in him got such a power that was marueilous to the world Looke the Actes and the last Chapter of Marke So they who belieue in Christ surpasse the worlde It is true those extraordinary and miraculous workes cease now but yet the power that followeth on the fayth in Christ abideth effectuall if not in such miraculous works as were to cast out Deuils to speake with Tongues c. which were in the Primitiue Kirke Yet in such workes as the worlde cannot worke The wordes of a sinfull man are powerfull to regeneration and to renewe a dead soule And it is no lesse wonder to raise vp a dead soule than to raise a dead man out of the graue yea it is a greater work And if ye wil go to works fayth maketh vs meete to work the works of charity And I say it is better to worke a charitable worke than such miraculous workes the one is more excellent and precious than the other Iudas wrought wonders but hee could not worke the works of charitie These works of charity are as as many witnesses of our election and they bring greater joye with them than all miraculous works When the Disciples returned to Christ rejoycing that they had wrought great miracles through his Name the Lord saieth vnto them Rejoyce rather in this that your names are written in the Heauens Luke 10.17 If vvee finde the power of fayth in working charitable workes wee may thinke vs well for we are lifted aboue this world and are become Citizens in Heauen awaiting for that redemption to come So I say fayth is powerfull in worde and deede and hee who wanteth this fayth hee wanteth power in word and deede and so blessed is he who hath this fayth Now there ariseth a question in the words Some would thinke this a marueilous thing that the Lorde will giue power to his Disciples to worke greater workes than himselfe wrought I answere It is true indeed the Disciples of Iesus Christ after his Ascension wrought greater workes than the Lord did in his owne person but it was not so much the Disciples as it was the Lorde of glory that wrought these works by the Disciples hee vttered his power vsing them as ministers Yet should not the Lorde haue wrought greater workes himselfe in his owne person than hee wrought by his Disciples Should he not himselfe haue wrought greater works when he was in the earth than hee wrought by his Disciples when he was in Heauen I answere No for the Lord so long as he was in the earth was but humble that diuine power did keep it self close vttered not it selfe in the full measure and so it behoued to be that the Godhead should not vtter the selfe in his humiliation Buâ— when he is glorified in the nature of man in the Heauen then the power of that Godhead in him vttered it self in greater power than in the earth And if there were no more to proue that Christ glorified wrought greater thinges by his Apostles than he did in his owne person when hee was humbled this one
the like whereof thou neuer sawest euen the illumination of the soule So he dwelling and working within thee thou shalt know him Our Lesson is Dwell with vs who so will and let vs dwell with whome wee vvill in this worlde and if it were with Kinges and wee dwell not with the Spirite of CHRIST and hee dwell not into vs againe vvee are but miserable in our dwelling So let men looke what euer they bee doing that the Spirite of CHRIST bee with them sleepe they vvake they goe they to their bedde looke that hee bee with them And in one worde looke that hee bee a companion with thee for otherwayes and thou hadst all the vvorld with thee thou art but a miserable solitary body The wordes following I will not leaue you Fatherlesse but I will come to you It is the same thing in effect hee spake of before to confirme them I will not leaue you like Fatherlesse Children And man wanted Father and Mother and all his Kinne and all moyen worldly look how precious a thing it is to haue the Spirit of Christ and hee were casten out into the Wildernesse and he haue the Spirit of God hee is not alone hee wanteth not a good guide in this worlde the Spirit of Iesus is with him and hee shall loue him that in the greatest dangers in the worlde hee shall saue him and suppose hee lose his life hee shall get a better life and suppose hee haue a battell hee shall triumph and suppose hee die and the body bee dissolued into dust the Spirit shall not leaue the dust till hee lift vp the body and place it in the Heauen Dauid Psal 146. vers 5. sayeth Blessed is he who hath the God of Iaakob for his helpe vvhose hope is in the Lord his God It followeth not thou hast not a Father therefore God will bee thy Father or thou wantest a Mother therefore God will bee thy Mother It will not followe It will not bee vvant that will make GOD to bee thy Defender this must bee that Dauid sayeth Ere euer GOD bee the GOD of the Fatherlesse the Fatherlesse must hope in him and the Widdow must leane to him Woulde the Stranger and the Fatherlesse haue God with them let them leane vpon God and the Heauen shall fall ere this leaning stocke fall Our hope must bee in God Now on the other part Brethren this riseth on these vvordes Let a man haue his Father and his Mother and all the vvorld yet vvant he this companion the Spirit of Christ to accompany him to goe with him hee is euer Fatherlesse And hee were a King and hee were riding in the middest of his troupe and Gunnes and Canons about him hee is but solitary and Fatherlesse and vvithout a Guarde and a preye to the Deuill and to his enemies Experience teacheth vs this in all ages the greatest men haue fallen down miserably vvho vvanted this Spirit to be their guarde In one vvorde Let all the vvorlde guarde a man and GOD guarde him not hee hath no guarde All thinges are nothing vvithout GOD and GOD is all thinges As yee vvould bee saued in this life and in that life to come neuer rest night nor day vvithout yee finde the companie of this Spirite and say and it vvere but this vvorde vvhen yee rise LORD let thy Spirit rise vvith mee and accompany mee the vvhole daye and LORD let mee haue his blessed society that I may bee defended from mine enemies In this broken band should vvee not take vs to him vvho hath power to defende vs and should vvee not bee acquainted vvith him vvho vvill not leaue vs And seeing there is none of vs vvho findeth not in our selues a thousand vvantes and that vvee are subject to many dangers and seeing hee hath promised the presence of his Spirite to all vvho vvanteth and crieth for grace vve ought euery one in these troublesome dayes to seeke the presence of this Spirit to supplie all our vvantes To this Spirit vvith the Father and the Sonne bee all honour and glory for euermore Amen THE SIXT LECTVRE OF CHRISTES BEFORE HIS PASSION IOHN CHAP. xiiii VERS 19.20 19 Yet a little while and the world shall see mee no more but yee shall see mee because J liue yee shall liue also 20 At that day shall yee know that I am in my Father and you in mee and J in you WEE heard Beloued in Christ the Lord beeing shortly to leaue this worlde and to take his bodily presence from it and from his Disciples hee not onely comforteth them against that time but hee exhorteth them to doe their duety in his absence The first exhortation was to fayth Belieue mee sayeth hee that I am in the Father and the Father in mee The seconde was to the keeping of his Commaundementes The argument was first in keeping his Commandementes they should testifie before the worlde that they loued him in his absence None loueth the Lord Iesus in his absence but they who striue to keepe his Commandements till his comming The next was a mouing argument If they should keep his Cōmandements he should recompense his absence and whereas when hee was present with them he was their Comforter if they should keepe his Commandements in his absence hee should send them another Comforter out of the Heauens who should abide with them He calleth him the Spirit of Trueth whom the worlde could not receiue because it knew him not nor saw him not but they knew him because they were familiar with him Then hee maketh a farder promise to them that the Spirit should be in an higher measure present with them after his Ascension than euer hee was before his Ascension Then hee repeateth this same promise in other wordes and hee sayeth I shall not leaue you comfortlesse but I shal returne againe to you Not as hee shall come in the daye of judgement but in his Spirit and in his power So if yee marke well yee will see the Lord hath promised three times his Spirite to comfort them and to abide with them First he said That he should pray the Father and he should giue them another Comforter Secondly That that Spirit should bee into them Thirdly That that Spirit should not leaue them In the beginning of the Text wee haue read hee repeateth the fourth time the same promise in effect Yet a little while and the world shall not see mee but yee shall see mee That is in my Spirit and in that Spirite yee shall see mee more effectually than euer I vvas of before during the time of my bodily presence What meaneth this oft repetition of the promises of the Spirit Had it not bene enough once to haue promised this Spirit Brethren it is an hard matter for sinners to receiue comfort to miserable creatures to look for grace or mercy they will be casten in such perplexitie difficulty that in a maner they will see no outgate all the words in the world will
Iesus but the Father hath them all numbred they are all in his eyes Ye remember in the parable of the Marriage banquet Mat. 22.11 it is said when they were all come in the King commeth in also to view the banquâ—t what meaneth this but the care of the Father that he hath of his branches who are ingraffed in Christ The King is the Father of Heauen he who is married is the Son they who are called are the branches The eye of the Father is vpon all the members good bad yea that hypocrit who wanted the wedding garment was soone seene by him Let him be an hypocrit who wil king or beggar the Lord wil point him out in his own time Now last the husbandman in the own time will dresse the vine tree he taketh away the vnfruitfull and purgeth the fruitful Euen so the Father of our Lord Iesus goeth to his vine tree vieweth the branches in his own time wil come with his snedding knife will cut off the hypocrit he will purge the fruitfull the next yeere it will bring forth more fruit The Father cutteth off hypocrits this we haue seene And then againe in the faithfull he augments regeneration and grace Mark this Text well ye shall see the pleasandest vine tree that euer was in the worlde with the roote the body of the tree the branches the fruits budding forth in euery branch the root of this vine tree is the Father who is the Fountain of all life the body of the vine tree is the Son the braÌ„ches are men women ingraffed by faith in the body the fruit of the tree is good works the sap of life is in the Father he is the grouÌ„d of al grace sendes this his sap to the body of the tree the Son the Son hath all the grace that is in the root then the body of the tree sendes sap to the branches then the braÌ„ches being filled with sap bring forth fruit as necessarily as a vine tree can bring foorth fruite So if yee would take vp the nature of these works ye shal vnderstand that good works spring not from flesh and blood they come not from the power of men women from nature and free-wil So foolish Papists will say that men will doe good workes of nature and of free-will No no these works proceede not of nature no there is not a good worke but it floweth from that life which is in the Father and is communicated to the Sonne there is not so much as a charitable or a good thought but it floweth from the life of God So all the good we doe is as fruits flowing from that roote And thou were not imped in Christ and so as a wild Oliue partaker of the sappe of that true Oliue it would passe thy power to thinke a good thought and thou wouldst do no more good than a withered stocke can Now marke this When as it pleaseth the Lord to transport vs from that rotten roote of Adam and to set vs in Iesus Christ the seconde Adam then whereas before wee brought foorth but stinking fruit and dead workes as the Apostle calleth them all is but filth and stinke without the life of God in Christ let be all these workes which are forbidden in the Law and it were a good worke hee polluteth it because hee medleth with it and there be nothing but nature being once ingraffed in Iesus Christ then the creature beginneth to drawe out so fruitfull sappe and so delicate that all the sappe of the Vine tree is nothing in comparison thereof And when wee haue gotten of that sappe then the fruit commeth out and floweth with a sweet smelling sauour fra once the heart begin to sucke of that life the verie smelling of the life of Iesus Christ wil appeare in the works in the words It is true indeed we may find it al there is euer in all our fruites in all our deeds and wordes that proceede out of our mouth some bitternesse sournesse in the best of vs all the cause is howbeit we be ingraffed in Christ yet that old life abideth intill vs all so the fruit we bring out as it hath a sauour of Christ so it stinketh of the old man the best worke that wee bring out is partly sweete and partly soure and the worde sauoureth of bitternesse but and we be highly displeased for the bitternesse then wee haue this comfort We may bee assured the Father is purging vs and this hope That when we shall bee with Christ our fruits shall all sauour of that life of God in Christ and this should augment our joye Next wee see whaâ— neede wee haue euen to bee purged and to make a perpetuall progresse in regeneration if the Father should leaue off to cleanse the liuely branches that are in the Lord Iesus as soone the liueliest should turne in rottennesse and then the naturall corruption should ouer-goe vs except hee were euer snedding vs and of liuely members wee should become dead All our standing and perseuerance is of him Another thing as vnpossible as it is that the Father of the Lord Iesus Christ should leaue off to purge the members of Christ euen as vnpossible is it that that meÌ„ber can fal away if it were possible that the Father should leaue off his office then it might be possible that men should fall away No the Father can neuer leaue off his office they who are once ingraffed in Iesus Christ shall neuer be cut off It is a false doctrine of the Papists who say that a man once sanctified may become vnsanctified it is an horrible blasphemie and a lie against the holie Ghost The last thing I marke Looke how needfull is it that the Father play the part of an husbandman in purging as needfull it is that euery branch grow in holinesse sanctification the Father cannot purge the branches in vain but as he purgeth the branches from their own nature so the branches must bring out berries So if they who professe themselues to be Christians make no grouth neuer mend in holinesse it is a tokeÌ„ that the Father of our Lord Iesus purgeth them not and then they are not branches So take heed Men will hunt greedily after honor riches and pleasure but this is the thing thou shouldest chiefely striue to That thou make much grouth in Iesus that thou find thy soule in better disposition this yere than it was the last that thou may be a true member of Iesus Christ This for the denunciation of the sentence against the branches that bring foorth no fruit and the promise to them that bring foorth fruit These words might haue moued his Disciples to be feared and to haue heauy hearts therfore the Lord who saw all their cogitations meeteth them to comfort them Howbeit he speake not to vs he comforteth vs by his holy Spirit and he letteth them know
that that denunciation perteined not to them because they were liuely members they were cleane through the worde which hee had spoken to them Our lesson is When thou hearest a denunciation of judgemeÌ„t or promise of mercy make euer application to thy selfe and say Lord perteineth this judgement to me and O Lord perteineth this mercy to mee Without this application there is no generall doctrine can do good or edifie thee So when we heare of this that some are liuing branches some dead we shold enter in triall with our selues whether we are to abide with Christ or to be cut off and casten into the fire It is true we haue not Christ to speak with vs and to resolue vs of such doubts yet the Lord hath neuer left anie faithful man or woman so destitute but he gets a certification assurance that he is a liuely member The Lord if he be in any man or woman he shall make that person know that he liueth in them The most sensible thing in the worlde is the life of Christ as sensibly wâ—l the creature feele the life of Christ in their harts as they wil feel this natural life Besides this if the sap of Christ be in a ma the fruit wil burst out if thou wouldst know a man look to his life good works let his life testify whether he be a liuely meÌ„ber or not if their life testify otherways I testify to thee in the Name of God they are no liuely meÌ„bers Certainly Christ caÌ„not dwel within one but he must vtter himself in the hand tong Now hereafter he subjoynes the reason wherfore they are clean how they are made cleane By the words saith he that J haue spoken ye are made cleane wherefore spake I so much to you but to make liuelie members of you who were drie branches The way to make a man a liuely branch is the worde of Iesus it cleanseth the soule which is foule My word is Spirit and Life John 6. vers 63. It is the force of the Spirit to purge the soule The worde sayeth Peter is that immortall seede of regeneration 1. Epist Chap. 1. vers 23. Our seede is mortall and so if wee haue not another seede of God wee are but dead It is no maruell that the word of God purgeth because it is Life and Spirit Looke but to that experience that godlie men haue in hearing the worde of Iesus Christ and that joye that riseth in the heart What meaneth this Will the vvordes of anie man worke this joye in the heart No but when men heare these promises of life and of grace and consolation O what consolation what peace what rest what joye will the sinner get And this testifieth that the worde is powerfull to worke in the soule that life of God The houre shall come sayeth the Lord that the dead shall heare the voyce of the Sonne of God and they that shall heare shall liue John 5. vers 25. 1 Pet. 1. vers 22. Our soules are purged by the hearing of the worde If this bee the meane the Lord hath ordained to get life let vs take pleasure to heare the worde And I saye that man that hath not a pleasure in some mâ—asure to heare the word but coÌ„temneth it is no meÌ„ber of Christ and hath neuer beene truely ingraffed in Christ nor got neuer of that sappe which is in Christ and neuer wist what Iesus Christ was As thou therefore wouldest liue and as thou wouldest bee sanctified in this life glorified with the Lord in the HeaueÌ„s take pleasure to heare this word if thou would taste any sweetnes of Christ grow in holinesse and chiefely seeing thou must leaue this world begin to liue this life which neuer shall haue an end Now in the next words after he hath laide down the grounds he commeth to the first exhortation Abide in mee and I in you The meaning of the exhortation is this Ye haue begun to be joyned with me in Spirit and in fayth as yee haue begun so continue in that vnion to the ende He sayth not Abide still with me and I with you but abide in mee These wordes haue a greater signification than the other they signifie a straiter vnion with Christ for Brethren yee must marke the members of Iesus Christ not onelie abide with him here and dwell with him but euery one of them abideth in him and dwelleth in him as yee sâ—e the branches of the tree they are not sayde so much to abide with the tree as to abide in the tree so are we in him And on the other part the Lord Iesus is not said only to abide with his Kirke on the earth but howbeit hee bee in the Heauens to dwell in his Kirke and in euery member who belieueth in him yea in all their hearts euen as yee see the tree abideth in her branches so the Lord Iesus the Vine tree abideth in his branches This place requireth that wee speake somewhat of this vnion the members haue with Christ and hee with them This conjunction betwixt Christ and his members who are faythfull ye must not imaginate to be a bodily and naturall conjunction as ye see is betwixt creatures as the head with the body it is not so grosse a conjunction there is no conjunction bodily so neare so strait as that conjunction of Iesus Christ nowe in the Heauens with his members the heade is not so surely joyned with the body by nearnes as the Lord Iesus our Head is joyned with euery member who belieueth in him vpon this earth The body and the head may bee seuered but the members of Iesus Christ once truely ingraffed in him by his Spirit and by fayth shall neuer be cut off all the powers of Heauen and Hell shall not separate them What shall separate vs from the loue of Iesus Christ shall hunger and sworde c. yea in these wee are more than victorious Rom. 1.35.37 So yee see this conjunction is not to bee imagined to bee a grosse conjunction as the Papistes imagine but I leaue them But this conjunction is spirituall and mysticall I call that a spirituall vnion and conjunction that we haue with him because it is wrought after an heauenly and spirituall manner and is made not with bodily bandes as ligamentes and sinewes but with spirituall and heauenly bandes the one of them is called the Spirit of Iesus Christ the other is called Fayth To make that coniunction betwixt vs and him hee sendeth out of the Heauens his holy Spirit into our hearts and wee getting that Spirit sende vp to the Heauens againe to him our fayth Then yee see two bands to make this conjunction this conjunction must be mutuall so that as hee sendeth downe his Spirite to vs so wee must sende vp our fayth to him The order of the working of these two bandes would bee considered Wee neuer begin first no man beginneth first to gripe Christ but
of loue in the worlde as this Nowe to come to Iesus Christ The Lord Iesus died not for his friends he had neuer a friend in the world till he died and by his death he purchased friends No man euer loued the Lord Iesus but by vertue of his death Looke the fift Chap. to the Rom. vers 8. This commendeth his loue that hee died for vs sinners and enemies to him There was neuer such a loue as the loue of Christ to man who suffered so shamefull a death in the body and so great anguish in conscience Indeede all men will say in worde that that loue was wonderfull but all the difficultie is to feele in the heart the greatnesse of the loue of Christ and to apprehende it Except there be some sense in the heart the heart is but sicke and euill disposed And therefore this was a point of Pauls prayer for the Ephesians Chap. 3. vers 18.19 Hee prayeth for them on his knees to God that the Ephesians being rooted and grounded in loue might be able to comprehend with all the Saincts what the hope is of his calling and what the riches of his glorious inheritance is in the Sainctes and what is the breadth what is the length what is the infinitnesse of the loue of Christ that yee may knowe the loue of Christ which passeth all vnderstanding There is no saluation without that sense no peace no rest no joy for of all things vnder the Heauen wee should seeke to feele it the most and saye Lord as thou hast loued mee so let mee feele it If thou wouldest feele this loue get an assurance that the Lord hath died for thee when thou wast a sinner for therevpon shall rise such a sense in thy heart as thou neuer felt before First feele that thou wast condemned to die vnder sinne and the law then get an assurance that hee died for thee and shed his blood that thou mightest bee free That sinfull woman who washed the Lordes feet with her teares and dried them with the haires of her head and kissed his feete and anointed them with oyntment was filled with the sense of the loue of Iesus Christ Except the loue of Iesus Christ had loosed the heart of her shee had not had one teare Shee was a great sinner and hee sayeth Because much is forgiuen her shee loueth me the better Luke 7. vers 47. The moe sinnes that are forgiuen a sinner when be getteth this sense that Christ died for him he wil loue him the better Rom. 5. vers 5. Paul sayeth The loue of God in Christ is shed out into the heart ere euer that loue be shed out the blood of Christ must bee shed out and the heart must gripe to his death and bee washen with his blood and bathed in it and when the sinner feeleth that then floweth that sweetnesse of his loue and there is a mutuall loue betwixt the heart of the sinner and Iesus Christ and the sinner will feele such an exceeding loue that he will defie all the world as Paul sayth Rom. 8. vers 35. The Disciples might haue said We see thou doest for thy friendes and shewest a great loue to thy friends are we thy friends The Lord meeteth this Yee are my friendes but vnder this condition If ye loue mee and doe my will ye are my friendes Surely when wee heare such conditions as these That the Lord hath laide downe his soule for his friends we should search to know if we be of that number and should say to our hearts I see the Lord hath died for his friendes am I one of the friendes of Iesus Christ There is no life without his death and he died for none but for his friends and euery one of you who heareth me this day should trie your selues if yee bee the friendes of the Lord Yee shall knowe it by this if yee bee his friends ye shall not be fectlesse What serueth a fectlesse profession for in the mouth whē the heart is contrarious What serueth sucha a friend for as is a friend in the mouth a foe in the heart Look if thou hast an heart bent to doe his will take heede to thy tong and to the motions of thine heart that they bee sanctified and if thy tong be soule and thine hand be bathed with murder if thou seest this thine heart will testifie to thee that thou hast nothing to doe with Christ the loue of Christ hath nothing adoe with thee but that carcage of thine and that soule of thine shall bee dragged to Hell if thou abide in that estate But if thou finde in some measure a delite to pleasure him who hath pleasured thee died for thee Fie on him who will not striue to pleasure him If thou find in some measure good actions fall out of thine hand then thou mayest haue a good conscience and the heart will get a piece of that rest and peace which passeth all vnderstanding When a creature seeth that hee hath beene doing nothing all day but euill sleepe as thou wilt and wake as thou wilt thou hast the curse of God vpon thee Blessed is the man who hath good workes for they are tokens vnto him that hee is sealed vp in the blood of Christ Wee must not gather out of this place that because we were friends to Iesus therefore hee died for vs for by the contrary because hee died for vs therefore he made vs his friends Hee had neuer a friend till by his death hee acquired them And if thou finde the force of his death in thee thou must bee his friende and must preasse to pleasure him To whome with the Father and Holy Spirite bee all prayse honour and glory for euermore AMEN THE ELEVENTH LECTVRE OF CHRISTES DOCTRINE BEFORE HIS PASSION IOHN CHAP. XV. VERS 15.16.17.18 15 Hencefoorth call J you not seruantes for the seruant knoweth not what his Master doeth but J haue called you friendes for all thinges that I haue heard of my Father haue I made knowne to you 16 Yee haue not chosen mee but I haue chosen you and ordained you that yee goe and bring foorth fruit and that your fruit remaine that whatsoeuer yee shall aske of the Father in my Name hee may giue it you 17 These thinges command J you that yee loue one another 18 If the world hate you yee know that it hated mee before you HItherto in this Chapter Beloued in the Lord Iesus wee haue heard of sundrie exhortations which the Lord being to depart out of this world giueth to his Disciples who are to abide in this world behind him First hee exhorteth them to abide in that vnion with him Then hee exhorteth them to good workes Therefore hee commeth to the groundes of all good workes There are two groundes The first is the loue of God the next the loue of man Therefore hee exhorteth them first to the loue of God next to the loue of man He setteth downe his
so long as he liueth Amongst all the Armour he saith Euer pray with all manner of prayer There cannot be a standing without there be a continuance in prayer night and day There is nothing more requisite if thou wouldest doe well than to continue in prayer for why all grace is in Heauen except wee gette grace drawne out of Heauen from God wee cannot doe any good turne and the only way to draw grace from Christ for hee is full of grace is first to belieue in him and to bee grounded on him then next with open mouth and heart to pray in his Name to the Father centainly Heauē earth shal go together ere thou want grace ere God deny thee thy prayer al shal be turned vpside down thou shalt get that grace he thinks meet for thee in this life and Heauen at length In the next verse as before he hath enarmed his Disciples whom hee was to send out to the world with a piece of armour to wit prayer so here he enarms them with another I command you to loue euery one another How needful it is that euery man woman who would do wel should haue loue Paul 1. Cor. 13. shews Let a man do all the things in the world yea giue his body to be burnt if there be no loue in the heart alauailes not But chiefly to come to a Minister of all men it is most requisite that a Minister haue loue in his hart otherways all is nothing all his language preaching auailes nought if the heart haue not a loue of the saluation of man and woman So the thing he regardeth is that loue be in their heart Yee knowe what a loue Paul had he had so great a loue to the safety of his kinsmen that he would haue wished to be Anathema for them looke what a loue he vttereth 2. Cor. 6. vers 11. he saith O Corinthians our mouth is open to you our heart is made large yee are not kept straite in vs but yee are kept straite in your owne bowels So there are manie graces required in a Minister but chiefelie loue and if hee haue no loue hee will not care by howe manie perishe Yet farder they should not onelie haue loue to their people but also Pastors should haue mutuall loue amongst themselues they shoulde haue vnitie of heart goe where they will There is nothing that serueth more for making vp of that bodie of CHRIST than the sweete agreeing of the Labourers when they agree the worke of the Lord goeth forward as workemen when they worke together in one vnion the worke goeth forwarde And a man who carrieth enuie in his heart hee shall neuer preach Christ truelie but hypocriticallie Paul in the first Chapter to the Philippians vers 15. hee speaketh of two sortes of Preachers Some saith he preach to increase mine affliction some of loue Then he saith What then yet CHRIST is preached all maner of wayes whether it be vnder a pretence or sincerely and I therein joy yea will joy He speaks this in his bands So whosoeuer hath contention against his fellow-labourer preach as they will preach they make the Gospel a cloake to couer their malice and hypocrisie Vpon the other part they onely who haue intiere loue to their fellow-labourers teach Christ sincerely Wee see the Apostles when they make mention of their fellow-labourers howe honourably they stile them what great affection they vtter vnto them as Paul when hee speaketh of Timothie Titu◠and others Now I goe forward If the world hate you yee know that it hated mee before you This is the third part of the Chapter wherein he comforteth them against the hatred and persecution of the world and so hee warneth them to goe out after his departure I knowe well enough the world will hate you Then he comforteth them with his example Haue they not hated mee before you There is the ground The seruant is not greater than his Master The Lord Iesus is worth all the Apostles and Ministers that euer were Shall the seruant start and runne when he is hated seeing the great hatred and malice the Lord suffered No man in the worlde suffered so great persecution as the Lord and so patiently And had it not beene that the Lord Iesus tooke on that euill thou shouldest haue suffered more than the hatred of the world that is the very wrath of God So to moue them to patience hee layeth downe his owne example as before he proponed his example to loue God to keep his Commandements and loue their neighbour So hee commendeth neuer a thing to them without his owne example There is nothing that the Lord will bid thee doe but hee will let thee see that same first done by him Hee setteth himselfe before vs as a patterne And as concerning this patience in suffering it is needefull that this example of Iesus Christ bee euer before the eyes of any that woulde suffer for it is against our nature to suffer anie waye Yea it is so needefull that there was neuer a man or woman who suffered if they had not had that suffering of Iesus before them that could suffer patiently The example of all the patience in the worlde will not cause one to suffer patiently except thou get a sense of that suffering for faith in Christ Iesus is the ground of all well doing Iesus Christ must be in thine heart ere there bee any good vertue in thine heart for it is faith in Christ Iesus that reformeth the heart Except wee haue him in the heart there is no good in it Therefore Paul when he recommendeth any vertue vnto vs hee vseth to set before vs the example of Christ as a moste forcible argument as when hee exhorteth vs to modestie hee saieth Let the same minde bee in you which was in Iesus Christ Philip. Chap. 2. verse 5. And when hee commendeth patience in bearing the infirmities of weake brethren hee bringeth his example For Christ also saieth hee would not please himselfe Rom. Chap. 15. vers 3. Then if thou wouldest haue loue or meeknesse or anie vertue into thine heart haue the Lord into thine heart and cast thine eye vpon him In one word belieue in Iesus Christ and getting a sight of him thou shalt finde a sweete change of thy nature then thou shalt bee an holie liuer and a patient sufferer and thou shalt growe in all good vertue and that through Christ Iesus To whom with the Father and the Spirit of Trueth bee all praise honour and glorie foreuermore AMEN THE TWELFTH LECTVRE OF CHRISTES DOCTRINE BEFORE HIS PASSION IOHN CHAP. xv VERS 19.20.21.22.23.24.25.26.27 19 Jf yee were of the world the world would loue his owne but because yee are not of the world but I haue chosen you out of the world therefore the world hateth you 20 Remember the word that I saide vnto you The seruant is not greater than his Master if they haue persecuted mee they will persecute
There is neuer a soule that is condemned or goeth to Hell that can pretende ignorance because their ignorance is voluntary It is true that ere euer a man goe to Hell he is blinded and the eyes of him are taken away by his owne corruption But it is also true that ere euer a man die his mouth shall bee closed and hee shall not haue a worde to speake in the daye of judgement No damned soule shall haue a word to speake in that day when that voyce is pronounced against them they shall passe awaye with the greatest shout that euer was because they dare not pretende ignorance for his ignorance shall bee inexcusable Any man would thinke that if any were excused for ignorance that the Gentiles would be excused yet the Apostle saieth Rom. 1. vers 21. There is not a Gentile that died but their conscience shall make them inexcusable because of the light of nature that they had into them Looke then to the sharpnesse of the judgement of God And if thou hadst no more but the light of nature all these creatures shall stande vp against thee condemne thee though there were no more to condemne thee If that light of nature make men inexcusable in that great day let vs take heed how we heare the Scriptures for if the Gentiles were inexcusable what shall bee the estate of the people who haue not onely the light of nature but that spirituall light from Heauen reuealed by the mouth of Iesus Christ Shall that soule speake a word in that day Therefore I beseech you in the bowels of Iesus Christ to receiue knowledge or else it were better for vs that wee had neuer heard of Christ and better shall it be with the Gentiles and with Sodome and Gomorrha than with vs the greater light the greater condemnation Therefore as wee would see Heauen let this light shine in our heartes that wee may bee transformed from the course of the world and shine before Christ in newnesse of life Nowe in the next wordes hee giueth the seconde argument of that hatred and aggreageth it more They who hate mee hate the Father also And he is speaking of the obstinate Iewes who pretended a loue to God We heard heretofore that the hatred of the world against the Disciples of Christ was against Christ himselfe the hatred that extended to the one part extended also to the other Now we heare that the hatred of the world against Christ extendeth to the Father also and that hee who hateth Christ hateth God also And euen as the Iewes hated the Disciples because they sawe some grace of Christ in them and because they were indued with his Spirite for the worlde will neuer hate one that is his owne so for that same cause hateth the world Christs members yea the hatred of the world against Christ himselfe was for none other cause but because they saw God dwelling in him bodily they saw that glorious Godhead dwelling in the nature of man howbeit they cast vp his kinred to him yet they hated him not because of the fleshe but because God dwelt in him The thing that the men of this world hate most is the God of Heauen if they hate any creature of God it is for Gods cause It is a wonderfull thing that such a thought can be in the hart of the creature against the Creator Let vs then see the cause God is light saith Iohn 1. epist 1. vers 5. And whatsoeuer man in the world doth wickedly he hateth the light deadly yea if it were but the day light and the light of the Sun hee hateth it because it craueth a decent behauiour Rom. 13. vers 13. And the wicked soule craueth aye filthinesse and much more they hate the light of the worde of God because it pierceth into the consciences of men it stingeth them and then most of all they hate God himselfe who is the light when hee beginneth to shine vpon their consciences they find such an horror dread our that they would wishe him out of the worlde so vehementlie they hate him they can abide to see the Deuil or any creature but they cannot abide the sight of God Now looke our nature darknes light sight not so much heat cold fight not so much together as God and our nature and this battell shall neuer haue an ende no not when the miserable catiue is in Hell Whereon riseth Hell but vpon the dissention betwixt the Creator and the creature So this battell shall neuer take an ende except it please God of his grace who made light to shine out of darknesse to inlighten and to reforme the soule and to scatter this palpable darknesse wherein wee are wrapped I goe forwarde to the thirde argument If I had not wrought such works among them which none other man in this world did they wold not haue had sinne The argument then is taken from his workes They sawe Iesus Christ to bee such a man as there was neuer the like of him They sawe that diuinitie in him and this sight aggreageth their hatred By the workes I vnderstand all the prooues the Lord gaue of his Diuinitie to the worlde whether they were the miraculous workes in restoring the blinde to sight the lame to limmes the deafe to eares or it was his holy life in the worlde Neuer man liued so holily and heauenly as he for he saith Iohn 5. vers 36. My works testifie of â—e that I am not a man only And indeede not only those who were his friendes and his Disciples and seruantes tooke this vp Iohn saith We saw him full of grace and veritie and wee saw his glorie like the glorie of the onely begotten Sonne of God John 1. vers 14. but also his very enemies saw it when as the souldiours came to take him they said Neuer one spake as he speaketh John 7. vers 46. His words bound the mens hands and the Pharisees who were his enemies were compelled to say If he had beene a sinner he could not haue healed the blind John 9. vers 16. And so we who now liue howbeit we see him not bodily working wonders in the world thereby to perswade or to conuince vs yet by this worde of the Crosse preached which to his owne is the power and wisdome of God we are perswaded that Christ is the only Sonne of God there is such a Majesty in it And so if there were no more to testifie vnto vs but this word of the Gospel it conuinceth the consciences of all men that the Lord of whom it is spoken is not man only but God also Then hee saieth They haue both seene and haue hated both mee and my Father There is a maruell that they knowing God they hated God it would seeme tollerable if they knewe not God to hate him but to know him and hate him it is a thing not to bee comporteth with It was saide of before that the worlde who hated
manifesteth himself visibly Thereafter he comforteth them another way for he sayth Yee shall also witnesse of mee So he honoureth them to make them witnesse-bearers to him The greatest honour in the world when a man is sent to beare witnesse to Christ howbeit thou shouldest die into the message thou hast gotten an honour aboue all honours It is true this cause wherefore they bare witnesse of him was because they saw him and heard him and handled him with their handes and this was a great helpe But take vp heere the chiefe ground in bearing witnesse of Christ when he sendeth into the heart the Spirit of comfort And I say suppose neuer a man saw Christ as we this day see him not bodily or neuer handled him yet if it please the Lord to sende that Spirit into the heart he will demonstrate Christ vnto him as euidently as though he had beene in Heauen to see that grace Not onelie Ministers must doe this but all men must confesse Christ and so let vs preasse to gette that Spirit for as Paul sayde No man is able to name the Lord without that Spirit 1. Corinth Chap. 12. vers 3. At the Name of IESVS all knees should bee bowed and the tongue shoulde bee loosed with such a grace of the heart that the heartes of men who heare should bee edified at the hearing of the worde And wee shoulde aye bee edified more and more till in the ende wee growe to perfection in Christ To whome with the Father and the Holie Spirite bee all prayse honour glorie power and dominion for euermore AMEN THE XIII LECTVRE OF CHRISTES DOCTRINE BEFORE HIS PASSION IOHN CHAP. xvi VERS 1.2.3.4.5.6.7.8.9.10.11.12 THese thinges haue J saide vnto you that yee should not bee offended 2 They shall excommunicate you yea the time shall come that whosoeuer killeth you will thâ—â—ke that hee doeth God seruice 3 And these things will they doe vnto you because they haue not knowne the Father nor mee 4 But these thinges haue J tolde you that when the houre shall come ye might remember that I tolde you them And these thinges saide I not vnto you from the beginning because J was with you 5 But now I goe my way to him that sent mee and none of you asketh mee Whither goest thou 6 But because I haue saide these thinges vnto you your heartes are full of sorrowe 7 Yet J tell you the trueth Jt is expedient for you that J goe away for if I goe not away that Comforter will not come vnto you but if I depart J will sende him vnto you 8 And when hee is come hee will reprooue the worlde of sinne and of righteousnesse and of judgement 9 Of sinne because they belieue not in mee 10 Of righteousnesse because I goe to my Father and yee shall see mee no more 11 Of judgement because the prince of this world is judged 12 I haue yee manie thinges to saye vnto you but yee cannot beare them nowe THe Lord being shortly to depart out of this world Beloued in the Lord Iesus continueth his speach with his Disciples from the beginning of the fourteenth Chapter to the seuenteenth exhorting them comforting them and instructing them in all things they should do after he was departed Now in the sixteenth Chapter he continueth in the same purpose In the beginning of the Chapter he concludeth that doctrine which he had in the latter part of the former Chapter that exhortation he gaue his Disciples to patience These things haue J spoken vnto you that ye should not be offended that is I haue spoken to you of the hatred of the world and of the persecution of the worlde for my cause that yee should not be offended at mee and at my Crosse The Lesson is Brethren Christ Iesus and the Crosse are things vnseparable Affliction followeth vpon the Euangel 1. Timoth. Chap. 1. vers 8. they are called the afflictions of the Euangel Bee not ashamed of the afflictions of the Euangel Now the thing in the worlde that nature abhorreth and can abide worst is the Crosse So if wee will looke to nature there is no accesse to Christ It is vnpossible for vs by nature to attaine to Christ except by an heauenly power we be sustained that we may passe thorow the sire of the Crosse wherewith hee is compassed The Lord Iesus is in a fire and without we passe thorow this fire wee cannot bee partakers of Christ and ere wee goe thorow the fire we must be raised vp by an heauenly grace for as fayth to belieue in Christ is of grace so affliction and suffering for Christ is of grace Philipp Chap. 1. vers 29. Vnto you it is giuen for Christ that not onelie yee should belieue in him but also to suffer for his sake Except a man be holden vp he is not able to abide the afflictions of the Euangel Well then in the time of calmnesse and while the Lord giuâ—th vs time to drawe our breath this should bee the chiefe thing wee should study to prepare ourselues for affliction knowing that affliction followeth on the Gospel Yea euery one who professeth the Lord and his Gospel should bee ready when it pleaseth the Lord to lay on the burden And chiefly this appertaineth to Preachers ay to fore-warne that affliction is to come that at that day of affliction men women may be ready to suffer what the Lord will lay on them for as it is said Hee who is fore-warned is halfe armed And thou shouldest say euery day Lord as I professe thy Gospel so I am ready to suffer for it knowing that the ende of affliction is joy When he hath concluded the speach he hath had with them generally he commeth in particularly and fore-telleth of some afflictions which they should suffer The first is They shall excommunicate you The second The time shall come when they shall slay you and they shall thinke they serue God Hee layeth downe the ground Because they know not the Father nor me The Text is easie It is not one or two sorts of afflictions only that is joyned with Christ his Gospel but all kinde of affliction and at last it will come to death it selfe and what reck of a common death but death with exquisite torments Reade the Bookes of the Martyres the Apostles had experience of this they passed forwarde after Christ went away from affliction to affliction till at last they lost their liues they were scourged shot out of the Synagogue at last slain the afflictioÌ„s that follow on the Gospel are all kind of afflictions So if any man would suffer let him prepare himselfe to suffer though it were all the torments of the world Look what the Lord spake to Peter Ioh. 21.18 When thou wast a young man thou girdedst thy self walkedst whither thou wouldest but when thou shalt be old thou shalt stretch foorth thine hands and another shall gird thee and leade thee whither thou wouldest not That
any other felicity and therefore they were woe at such speaches for they were more carnall than spirituall and tooke more heede to that carnall than spirituall ioy So this is our nature that if we can get in the world such aboundance of riches pleasure honour and such companie as we would we would neuer desire to goe out of this world but ay to remaine And when wee heare tell that wee must slit out of this worlde the rememberance of death will sting vs to the heart the Disciples were sad because the Lord was to goe from them It is the hardest thing in the worlde to gette the soule disseuered from the world and to get the eye set vpon Heauen and to get an hope of that Life Woe to that soule that getteth not hope to reach aboue this worlde that soule is in an euill estate And the Lord knowing this hee will take awaye from vs that companie that will drawe vs from him and piece and piece hee will take vs vnto himselfe for no man getteth the desire of Heauen in a moment but a man piece and piece stealeth out of the worlde and goeth to Heauen Thinke not thou therefore them happie who haue the worlde at their will No no it is well for that creature whom the Lord draweth out of the worlde by taking from them the thinges of the worlde For miserable are wee if ou◠hope bee not extended beyonde all earthlie yea spirituall comfortes that euen can befall vs in this life as Paul saieth Of all men wee are moste miserable if in this life onely wee haue hope in Christ 1. Cor. 1. vers 19. I goe forward As before hee gently reprooued them so in the next vers hee comforteth them Jt is expedient for you that J goe away for it J goe not away the Comforter shall not come to you but if J goe away I will sende him to you Heereby wee see that the holie Spirit commeth by the Resurrection and Glorification of IESVS CHRIST and therefore it is saide The holie Spirite was not giuen because Iesus was not as yet glorified Chap. 7. vers 39. And whatsoeuer grace was of the holie Spirite into the worlde was by vertue of that Resurrection of Christ to come and all this consolation wee haue floweth out of his Resurrection Glorification for out of his fulnesse we receiue a part he is full of glorie his soule is repleat and passeth all the Angels in glorie and so out of his fulnesse all grace floweth vnto vs and euerie one of the members of Christ hath a measure of that Spirit as hee thinketh meete and therefore Paul saieth Hee ascended on high and gaue giftes to men Ephes 4. vers ◠And so wouldest thou haue joy cast vp thine eye to heauē and fasten thy faith on Iesus Christ thou shalt find a portion of that Spirit Wee see two sortes of the presence of Christ One bodilie as the Disciples saw another spirituall Howbeit hee bee distant from vs in the Heauen yet he sendeth down his holie Spirit by that Spirit he worketh a feeling in the hearts of his owne and they will heare his voyce and will see him with the eyes of their soule And they will haue this sense with such a joye that the tongue of him who findeth that joye is not able to expresse the thousand part of it Both these presences are very good and they who saw him had a great benefit Many Kings longed to see him but they saw him not as Dauid and Abraham The men who saw him when hee was an Infant thought they gotte a greater grace than if all the worlde had beene giuen them But for all this the other presence is better for hee saieth Jt is good that I goe away from you It had beene good for the Iewes that they had neuer had his bodily presence because they had not the spirituall presence of the Lord in their hearts But as for that spiritual presence in all respectes it is to bee preferred to his bodily presence in the dayes of his humiliation because by vertue of that presence albeit so farre distant from vs wee receiue the holy Spirite and all his graces Looke to Heauen and see him glorified that presence is the chiefe presence and as soone as wee see that glory in that day the beames of his glory shall transforme vs and catch vs vp in the clouds So great is the glory of the Lord that it will not remaine within the Heauens with our Head but of necessity it must flowe to his members vpon earth Nowe when thou findest grace and joye and pleasure into thine heart And thinke not thou hast joy enough howbeit thou hadst all the pleasures in the world except thou haue that joye of Christ then assure thy selfe that Iesus Christ thine Head is glorified in the Heauens And if wee finde such a pleasure that wee will bee rauished aboue the worlde being now so farre distant from Christ what shall bee that joy and pleasure wee shall conceiue in our heart when wee shall see him face to face The tongue cannot tell it but the heart that hath felt it can best testifie it The Lord grant that while as wee are in the earth wee may walke as Citizens in the Heauens euer waiting that these vile bodies may bee transformed and made conformable to that glorious body of Iesus Christ Now to goe forward After he hath fore-warned his Disciples of the afflictions which after his departure they shold suffer That they should bee excommunicate and also slaine And after hee hath set downe the ende wherefore hee fore-warned them to wit that they should not be offended but confirmed And after he hath reproued them gently that they rejoyced not when he tolde them that he was to depart And after he hath begun to comfort them by letting the◠see that is was for their weale that hee was to depart from them For thorow his blessed Ascension they should bee partakers of the holy Spirit and his graces which if hee did not ascend to his Father they would not get In the words following he falleth out vpon another head of doctrine instructeth them concerning the office of the Spirite which hee was to discharge in the worlde during the time of his absence and this office is in respect of the world and chiefely of the obstinate Iewes who would not belieue in Christ when hee was present with them When hee shall come that is when that Spirite of trueth shall come after that I am gone away he shall rebuke the world that is the faythlesse and obstinate in the worlde hee shall conuict them But yee may saye No man heareth the voyce of the Spirite speaking with his owne mouth howe shall the Spirite then rebuke the worlde The meaning is The Disciples whome that Spirite shall comfort shall by their Ministerie rebuke the worlde Wee haue then two effectes of the Spirite heere The first is in respect
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
What is the cause of this They neuer wist what Christ meaned they neuer wist what the Lord was and neuer felt of his sweetnesse and of the joye that is in his presence and therefore they haue no pleasure but when they want him And because they cannot gette their wicked will when Christ is present they hate him for where Christ is because he is the light of the world hee layeth open all wickednesse and maketh it manifest All the happinesse in the worlde is in the face of Christ therefore rest neuer till thou taste of him if thou wouldest be happy And againe miserable is that man who hath not tasted of that sweetnesse and of that grace that is in the Lord. Therefore as thou wouldest come to Heauen I warne thee yet againe rest neuer till thou gette that rest in Christ and that sweetnesse that is in him Let vs see the effect that followeth on his presence he saith Your sorrow shall be turned into joy He speaketh of that presence by his Spirit for after that Spirit is once entered into the soule hee worketh faith and openeth the eyes of the darke soule to see Christ as in a mirrour when the face of Christ is borne vp in the worde howbeit saith Pet. 1. Epist. Chap. 1. vers 8. we see him not yet belieuing we rejoyce with a ioye vnspeakeable and glorious So that darke sight of him worketh into the soule an exceeding joye when wee belieue I graunt indeede that as there is no joye in this life but it hath sorrowe with it so our joye in Christ hath heauinesse with it it is imperfect heere but it is better for thee to haue a meane portion of that joye than all the joyes in the worlde yea the very displeasure of the faythfull is so farre from that to hinder the joye that by the contrary it wakeneth vp the joye in the soule Looke the 2. Epist to the Cor. Chap. 5. when the soule is heauiest for sinne then it findeth such joye as they would not giue for all the joyes in the worlde and when this joye is wakened it swalloweth vp all sorrowes as in the 8. Chap. to the Rom. And in the end of the 15. Chap. of the 1. Epist to the Cor. saith the Apostle After this life mortalitie shall be swallowed vp of immortalitie and death shall be swallowed vp in victorie and all teares shall bee wiped away from their eyes Reuel 7. vers 17. And then they who haue sorrowe with joye heere shall haue joye without sorrowe for euer Looke about you looke within you or without you yee shall see nothing but matter of joye So yee see the effects of the departure of the Lord and of his returning againe Nowe heereafter hee maketh this doctrine of the sorrowe and joye of the godly more sensible by a familiare similitude and it is taken from a woman trauelling A woman when shee trauelleth sayth hee is in dolour because her houre is come but when shee is deliuered of the Childe shee remembereth no more her dolour for ioye that a man is borne into the worlde Then in the last vers hee applieth it Nowe yee are in heauinesse and yee are trauelling and that is because I am to depart from you The Disciples tooke heauilie with the away-going of CHRIST But I shall see you againe and yee shall see mee and get my presence by my Spirite and yee shall reioyce and it shall bee such a ioye that all the worlde shall not bee able to take it awaye The worlde maye take thy life from thee but neuer shall they take that joye from thee Who shall separate vs from the loue of Christ Two thinges are heere to bee marked the nature of the dolour of the godlie into this worlde wandring from their Lorde as Pilgrimes and the nature of their ioye The nature of their displeasure is like the dolour which a woman hath in trauelling So the Apostle Rom. Chap. 8. vers 21. he compareth the languor of the dumbe creatures and elementes after the comming of the Lorde Iesus to a woman trauelling The dolour of a woman trauelling is verie painfull but yet it is profitable Why Because that paine bringeth out a birth So a woman in trauell hath hope not onelie to bee saued from that paine but also to haue a Childe So hope in paine will haue joye mixed with it To applye this It is euen so with the displeasure of the godlie into this their Pilgrimage awaiting for their life which CHRIST will bring downe to them at his comming 2. Corinth Chap. 5. Looke what dolour Paul vttereth hee sighed vnder a burden hee desired to slit away and to goe to dwell with the Lord Albeit it be but a paine yet it tendeth to a pleasure in the ende to a birth and in the middest of dolour they haue an hope and with the hope they haue joye So a godly man in sorrowe will haue the greatest joye in the worlde albeit the joye of the godly bee with heauinesse yet that joye is vnspeakeable The displeasure of the vngodly is not so indeede the Scripture as in the first Epistle to the Thessal Chap. 5. compareth it vnto a woman trauelling but this is an hopelesse paine What recke if that soule had hope that that paine should cease but they shall neuer looke for a birth well were it to that soule that that body could bee turned to nothing after so manie thousand yeeres The sorrow of the godly is with hope and joye but the sorrowe of the wicked is without hope Iest not with Hell it is an horrible thing to fall into the handes of a consuming fire Hee sayeth When shee hath borne her birth shee remembereth not her trauell because shee hath borne her birth Euen so when wee addresse our selues to Heauen thronging thorowe this worlde wee must prepare our selues to goe thorowe thornes and brieres thorow temptations outwarde and inwarde a man who would goe to Heauen he shall not put downe his foote without a thorne or some offence But when wee are come to the Heauens then wee shall get such a birth of joye that wee shall remember no more the temptations of the worlde and then wee shall finde that saying of Paul to bee true 2. Corinth 4. vers 17. The momentaniall light afflictions shall worke an infinite weight of glorie the soule shall bee so occupied with joye into the Heauens that wee shall count nothing of all afflictions by-past This is true howbeit wee cannot feele it now sensiblie but once wee shall finde it in a full measure if wee appertaine to Christ The Lord therefore in the meane time graunt vs a fore-tasting of it that wee may ouercome all temptations and difficulties till wee obtaine the full possession thereof in Iesus Christ To whome with the Father and the holie Spirit bee all honour praise and glorie for euermore AMEN THE XV. LECTVRE OF CHRISTES DOCTRINE BEFORE HIS PASSION IOHN CHAP. xvi VERS 22.23.24.25.26.27 22
for the people so he being high Priest made intercession for his own people The intercession which the Lord made for his owne consisteth in two points to wit in prayer and in offering vp of a sacrifice Then as for the first part of this intercession when the Lord was in the world he prayed continually for the people hee neuer ceased night nor daye from prayer As for the other part of his intercession when he had bene in the world awhile at the last hee offereth vp that sweete Sacrifice of his owne body to the Father and so hee putteth an ende to all those sacrifices which were but types of him the true Sacrifice As for the Prayers whereby the Lord interceded betwixt God and man they were manie and made at sundry times But amongst all the rest it may bee easilie seene that this prayer in this Chapter was one of the moste excellent and so it hath pleased the holy Spirite to register this Prayer especially and to recommend it to the posteritie to the end of the worlde First this Prayer is no able in respect of the time in the which hee made it it was euen about that time when hee offered himselfe vp to the Father Next in respect of the vse it is notable because by this prayer he did consecrate and dedicate that blessed Sacrifice to the Father for sacrifices were dedicated to Goâ— by prayer Thirdly in respect of the subject and matter of it for as ye may see in the Chapter it selfe first the Lord prayeth for himselfe and for that eternall glory which he had with the Father from all eternity the fairest thing and the greatest matter that euer was was that which hee prayed for and this hee doeth in the first fiue Verses Then he commeth on and prayeth for his Disciples which he should leaue behinde him in the worlde that the Lord would take the custody of them after his Ascension vnto the Heauens and would preserue them from all perill and this hee doeth from the fifth Verse to the twenty And last hee prayeth for the whole Kirke for life euerlasting and justification and this he doeth to the ende of this Chapter So yee s ee it is a notable subiect Last of all will ye looke to the force of this Prayer yee shall see the excellencie of it The force was not for the present or for a time but the force of it abideth continually to the ende of the worlde And this same Prayer is a meane whereby all men and women who are safe and shall bee safe to the ende of the world obtaine saluation And so this Prayer may bee well called A ground wherevpon the Kirke standeth And as our saluation standeth on the Sacrifice of Iesus Christ so it standeth on that Prayer that was offered to his Father But to come to the Text When Jesus sayeth John the writer of the Gospel had spoken these thinges hee lifted vp his eyes to the Heauen and he said as followeth This is the entrie to the Prayer wherein Iohn first concludeth the Sermon which the Lord made to his Disciples When Iesus had spoken these thinges to his Disciples Then hee proponeth the Prayer that followeth Hee lifted vp his eyes to Heauen and said There is the proposition of the Prayer In the proposition he noteth narrowly the behauiour of Christ in his Prayer Hee lifted vp his eyes to Heauen So in the eleuenth Chapter of this Gospel he noteth this behauiour in praying when hee thanketh his Father that he heard him before he raise â— Lazarus from the dead he lifted vp his eyes to Heauen Nowe Brethren to speake of gesture in Prayer it needeth not much will ye reade the Scriptures yee shall reade these gestures to bee in prayer First Godly men haue humbled themselues before that Majesty It becommeth the best of vs all to bow vs before God They signified by the bowing of their knees the humbling of the heart Offer not if ye haue a proude heart to come before that Throne Then they were wont to haue their handes and their eyes lift vp to the Heauens that signified the lifting vp of the eye of the soule to God to looke to him and to see him thorowe all these cloudes and these visible heauens to come to that light that hath none accesse and this agreeth with the other There are many who shall see Heauen but with an humbled heart when the heart is humbled and brought lowe then it is conuoyed thorowe these heauens euen to that light of God It becommeth all Christians to bee humbled on their knees and to lift vp their eyes to Heauen but all standeth in the heart What recks of the outward disposition if the soule be not heauenly disposed If it haue a sense of Heauen then the outwarde gesture will followe then wee will bowe our knees and humble vs before that Maiesty An humbled heart will fall downe but a proude sinner who is not touched with a sense of his sinnes will hardly bow his knee Nowe wee come to the Prayer first hee maketh his petition for himselfe and why not the most precious thing in the worlde is the glory of Iesus Christ Hee sayeth Father glorifie thy Sonne There is his petition Marke the style it is a very warme and hearty stile that he giueth him speaking familiarly to God the heart of him warmeth sweetly with him and as a Sonne he calleth him Father The stile which he giueth him vttereth that he had a sense of that fatherly loue and affection towards him While as he nameth him Father hee vttereth that Sonly affection and loue that hee bare to him A Sonly loue craueth a Fatherly loue and conciliateth a Fatherly affection from Heauen Why should we not striue to be like the Lord Iesus and in Prayer chiefly Woulde any man or woman finde the Fatherly affection of God Would they haue that loue that Fathers beare to their Children Let them vtter in Prayer that affection that a Sonne or a Daughter shoulde haue to their Father If thou wouldest haue the Fatherly loue of God the sweetest thing in the worlde looke that the Names which thou gluest him testifie that thou louest him as a deare Childe loueth his Parentes and looke aye wee pray with that Spirite which is the Spirite of Adoption that testifieth to our soules that wee are adopted to bee the Sonnes and Daughters of God for it is that Spirite that giueth libertie to the heart and openeth the mouth and causeth thee as the Apostle sayeth to crie Abba Father And if thou haue not this holie Spirite of Adoption and if that Spirite open not thine heart and lowse thy tongue call him Father as thou wilt hee is nothing else to thee but a terrible Iudge to take vengeance on thee and thou art nothing els but a slaue to him and not a Sonne Looke aye therefore that thou haue that Spirite that shall testifie to thee that thou art not the childe of wrath
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
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
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
of man Looke to this and in the meane time gather howe much wee are beholden vnto him What King would haue humbled himselfe so No there is no King who would haue put on a Beggars weed for a slaues cause let bee to humble himselfe so far Now looke how we are indebted to him yea if it were a thousand liues it is too little to giue for him who hath so humbled himselfe for vs. Nowe last yee see in what sense and meaning the Sonne of God seeketh this glory Hee seeketh not a glory which hee had not the time that he sought it for he had iâ—â—â—wayes from all eternity He sought not also to bee quite of the nature of man for then hee should not haue bene our Sauiour Hee seeketh not to be quite of the first cloude but of the second He seeketh to be quite of death and hee seeketh that that Godhead should glorifie the Sonne of man that the beames of that Godhead should strike out and glorifie the nature of man And indeede howe soone that Godhead that dwelt in him began to vtter it selfe when his head was lying low in the graue then the man getteth vp and life commeth into our nature And next when the Godhead vttered it selfe in that nature then that man is lifted vp to the Heauens And last when the Godhead vttered it selfe the man Christ is placed at the right hand of the Father and that nature of man shineth in such sort that it passeth all the glory of the Angels This is very comfortable Thou wilt say What recks me of all this glory and what is that to mee Howbeit that that man be glorified yet I abide here in the earth a vile body what recks mee if the worlde were glorified if I got not a share of it Now wilt thou take but once holde of that nature of man and once fix thine eye vpon it that is Wilt thou belieue in Iesus Christ God and man set thine heart on him that he first died for thee and secondly that he rose for thee belieue that all this was once done for thee then certainly as sure as the nature of man in Iesus died and was glorified as sure thou shalt bee glorified and as soone as thou touchest him the glorie shall strike out and ouershaddow thee in this life when thou lookest into the mirrour of his Gospel for wee see him here but in a mirrour it shall ouer-shaddow thee I say but when faith shall be changed into sight and wee see him face to face and sit fore-anent him and looke to his glorious face those glaunces which shall proceede from him as it is saide to the Philippians CHAP. 3. VERS 21. shall transforme thy vile bodie and shall conforme it to his glorious bodie There is such an effectualnesse in his power whereby hee subdued all thinges that if thou shalt gette a sight of him hee shall chaunge thy bodie in a moment and hee shall make it to shine more brighter than the Sunne Onelie belieue so long as thou art heere A man who hath faith in him shall see this glorie If thou gettest not a sight of Christ by fayth in this worlde thou shalt neuer see him heereafter to life and glorie So let vs belieue and stirre vp euerie one of vs another with exhortations that as euer wee would see glorie wee belieue in Iesus Christ To whome 〈◊〉 the Father and holie Spirit bee all honour glorie and pray 〈◊〉 world without ende AMEN THE XX. LECTVRE OF CHRISTES PRAYER BEFORE HIS PASSION IOHN CHAP. xvii VERS 6.7.8 6 I haue declared thy Name vnto the men which thou gauest mee out of the worlde thine they were and thou gauest them mee and they haue kept thy worde 7 Nowe they knowe that all thinges whatsoeuer thou hast giuen mee are of thee 8 For I haue giuen vnto them the wordes which thou gauest mee and they haue receiued them and haue knowne surelie that I came out from thee and haue belieued that thou hast sent mee HItherto Welbeloued in the Lord IESVS in this Prayer the Lord hath prayed for himselfe that the Father would glorifie him To this purpose hee vsed sundry argumentes First sayeth hee The houre is come that is The houre of my death is at hand therefore Father glorifie mee Then hee sayeth Father if thou wilt glorifie mee I will glorifie thee therefore glorifie mee Yet farder If thou wilt glorifie mee J wll giue life euerlasting to these whome thou hast giuen mee therefore Father glorifie mee Yet marke I haue glorified thee on the Earth and I haue ended that worke which thou gauest mee to doe What resteth then sayeth hee But that thou O Father shouldest glorifie mee Then hee concludeth Therefore Father glorifie mee with thy selfe not in the Earth but in the Heauens with that glorie which I had with thee before the worlde was Nowe in the next parte of his Prayer the Lord prayeth for his Apostles eleuen in number Hee prayeth not for Iudas because hee was a reprobate There are two thinges which hee seeketh at the Father for them The first â—s That when hee shoulde goe his waye to the Heauen the Father shoulde keepe them from all euill in the worlde The seconde is That the Father shoulde sanctifie them to that worke which they were appointed vnto There are sundrie argumentes and reasons of this first parte of this Petition for his Disciples That the Father woulde keepe them and saue them Hee heapeth in the beginning manie argumentes as namelie from their calling and vocation from their election from that they were the Fathers from that they were giuen to him from that that they belieued the Worde and from that that hee was going to the Father He heapeth together these arguments reasons in praying for them that the Father would keepe and saue them But let vs marke the words narrowly and goe thorow euery argument and obserue such doctrine as shall be to our edification as God shall giue the grace He begins sayth first J haue declared thy Name vnto the men which thou gauest me out of the world So the first reason wherewith he moueth the Father to keepe them is from that hee had manifested vnto them the Name of the Father That is to saye That hee had called them by the Preaching of the glorious Euangel of IESVS CHRIST So our vocation and calling standeth in the manifestation of GOD in IESVS CHRIST by the preaching and hearing of the Gospel Wee are called when God and his will is manifested to vs by the preaching of the Gospel of Iesus Christ Well then if the Lord Iesus vseth this as an argument and reason to moue his Father to keepe them and to saue them now certainly when any person findeth that GOD calleth on them by the preaching of the Gospel as he is calling on you this day Then certainly they haue an argument and token that that God who calleth on them wil keepe and saue them both in this
the meanest thing whatsoeuer There is no flesh that hath power to keepe the least in their Family No a King hath no power to keepe a poore body in his Common-wealth except the LORD look down from Heauen and wait vpon that body which he hath concredited to his keeping And therefore seeing none of vs hath power to keep one except we haue power of God from Heauen then let euery man take heed to his speaking Let Kings take heed to their speaking let those that haue Families take heed to their speaking let them who are set ouer the Kirke take heed to their speaking let none say I haue done this let no flesh stand vp and say I haue brought such and such good works to perfection by my fore-sight wisedome and power The LORD shall take all power from thee and turne it into shame if thou glorifiest not him who hath giuen thee power and sayest not I haue kept them by the power of GOD. PAVL sayth I haue laboured more than they all But not I but the grace of GOD in mee So beware of your speaking blaspheme not the LORD in speaking when ye haue done it say GOD hath done it what was I but a poore Instrument raised vp by the power of GOD I go forward to the third circumstance whereby he amplifieth this keeping It is from the cause moouing him These whome thou gauest mee J kept The cause was The Father had put them into his hands that was the chiefest respect that he had in keping his Disciples Well Brethren there are many causes wherfore we should keep them whom GOD hath concredited vnto vs but surely this should be the chiefest that should mooue vs to wait on them and night and day to care for them because GOD hath put them into our hands deliuered them to vs to be kept by vs. We should ay remember on this The Lord hath put them in my hand and I must make answere for them at the Great day of the Lord. Yea if the least one of them perish through thy default the blood shall be required at thy hand Look the Acts of th'Apostles Chap. 20. vers 28. where Paul when he had called the Kirke together he coÌ„meth to the Elders of Ephesus and sayth Take heede to your selues and to all the flocke whereof the holie Ghost hath made you ouer-seers to feede the Kirke of God c. This is his exhortation The first band that he binds them with is this The holy Ghost hath made you ouer-seers for them and ye must make answere for euery one of them Night and day therefore take heed to them Another band which he binds them with is Hee hath shed his blood for them So if we would be carefull to keepe them whom GOD hath giuen vs this must be the first GOD hath concredited these and these to me therefore as I shall answere at that Great day I must keep them No thou darest not stand vp before that terrible Tribunall seat if thou keep them not faythfully whom the LORD hath concredited vnto thee It is no small matter for a King to keep a Common-wealth or for a Magistrat to keep them who are concredited vnto him Yea will the King make his pastime of it that he hath gotten such a care Will a Minister take his pastime who hath gotten the care of a Kirke Or a man or a woman who hath gotten a Family shall they take their pastime without regard Is this the end wherfore God hath concredited those to them No heauy shall thy judgement be if one perish through thy default the blood of that one shall be required at thy hands Now we come to the fourth circumstance The fourth circumstance is the effect that followed this carefull keeping of his Disciples The effect was this Neuer one was lost who was giuen to him of his Disciples who were twelue except one Judas the son of perdition that is a man addicted to destruction and wrack to the end that the Scripture might be fulfilled There is an higher cause than this that is To the end that that decree which God made concerning Iudas his perdition should stand The Scripture was but a reuelation of that Decree for as GOD is immutable so his Decree should stand that Iudas should be condemned Well Brethren ye see a faire effect that followeth a careful keeping None are lost because the Sonne keepeth them he glorifieth the Father in his keeping because the Father had concredited them vnto him and therfore it followeth wel that seeing he kept them none was lost but Iudas Where a man is faithfull in keping careful night day to preserue them who are concredited vnto him because God hath giuen them vnto him first he glorifies God in keeping them next by his faithfull keeping he procures the eye of God to be ay watching ouer them and last of all certainly that man will see a faire effect of his care keeping None shal be lost except those who are separate to be sons of perdition as Iudas was that is who are ordained to destruction from all eternity For Brethren those who are ordained to destruction made vessels of wrath perdition who are appointed to hell euerlastingly all the keeping in the world will not keep them all the careful attendaÌ„ce in the world wil not saue them Al the keeping of Christ who was more careful than any man in the world could not keep Iudas from destruction So who are ordained to destruction no keeping shall serue them but they shall perish euerlastingly It may be that the sonnes of perdition may be kept in an outward Discipline but at last they shall be manifested to be but hypocrites they seeme to be the Children of Light and who will put a difference betwixt them and those who are ordained to saluation Who will put a difference betwixt Iudas and the rest of the Disciples for a time Judas seemed an Apostle for the time as well as Matthew James and Iohn and the rest So for a time they who are ordained for death will seeme to be kept and they will heare the Preaching and who will be so earnest to take heed as they But howbeit they giue a faire show outwardly in their behauiour in the end behold there shall a shamefull destruction befall them and let them show to the world what they will they shall show themselues to be Apostates from Iesus Christ Therefore Brethren â—e neuer content of an outward profession till that ye find your selues on a sure ground and rest not till that by fayth and regeneration ye get an assurance of your election and till that ye be sure that God hath made a decree that ye shall haue life euerlasting And when ye see men and women who seeme to stand fall away make a foule defection it is an euill token This for the foure circumstances He kept them carefully and in the Name of his Father because the Father
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
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
the world But this is it that I meane That men euen liuing in the society of this worlde yet they should not liue as the worlde doeth they should separate their life from the society of the world Paul to the Philippians Chap. 2. vers 16. desireth them to liue like as many Lights Where Not in a backside but in the middest of this naughty and wicked generation bearing before them the word of life Thus should we liue as he sayth Philipp Chap. 3. vers 20. that while we be liuing we be Citizens in Heauen and howbeit our bodies be here that yet in the meane time our conuersation be in the Heauen and that we liue an Heauenly life as if we were not liuing in the Earth but in the Heauen with the Angels and with our Mediatour Now to goe forward shortly Hauing vsed this argument from their separation from the world in the next Vers he insisteth in it and of it he taketh the occasion of a new petition He hath prayed the Father to keepe his Disciples now he prayeth the Father to sanctifie them that is that as once the Father had begun to separate them from the world so he would continually separate them from the worlde till hee tooke them out of the worlde It is not enough to begin to bee sanctified that is to bee separated out of the world it is not enough once to begin to be holy but continually night and day wee must warble out of the pollution and filthinesse of this world and grow in holinesse of life and sanctification But wherewith shall they bee sanctified With the trueth It is the trueth of God in Iesus Christ that maketh man or woman holie Not euerie trueth maketh man or woman holie but the trueth of God in Iesus Christ who is the Way the Trueth and the Life This trueth is the worde of God which separateth thee from the world Well then it is the word that sanctifieth and maketh men and women holie for as the worde is the immortall seede whereby wee are borne againe so it is that sweete and sincere Milke as Peter sayeth whereby wee growe in him It is the worde that begetteth vs in him and maketh vs to growe on till wee see our Sauiour Wouldest thou begin to bee holy heare the word thou shalt neuer bee sanctified till thou heare the word Wouldest thou grow on here still that is the onlie meane that God hath appointed in this worlde Heare aye and grow on and at last thy glorie shall be perfected in Iesus Christ Brethren to mark somwhat here He prayeth that they may bee sanctified that is that more and more they may bee seuered from the world Then we must aye grow on in holinesse as ye reade in the Reuelation of Iohn Chap. 22. vers 11. Hee who is just let him bee just still and hee who is holie let him bee holie still c. Well it is a good thing to beginne to bee holie for he who beginneth truely to be holy he groweth on still Now the meane whereby we grow in holinesse is Prayer Ye see here the Lord he prayeth that his Disciples who were begun to be holy should grow on in holinesse and should be separated from the world So the speciall meane is Prayer Pray continuallie It is our sluggishnesse in prayer that causeth vs to want an holy hart and growth of that sanctification Wouldest thou be aye holy Pray euer If thou prayest not but loathest prayer thine holinesse shall faile Wouldest thou grow in holinesse Continue in prayer Now the instrument that maketh thee holy and that God hath ordained to take away the filth of thy nature and that the holy Spirit taketh in his hand as it were to wash away the pollution of thy nature is the word of Trueth As he vseth the meane of Prayer so he vseth the word of Trueth When the word of God is preached lay to thine eare to heare and pray still and heare on still How shalt thou heare In hearing pray that is when thou hearest the word of Trueth pray him that by the word of trueth he would sanctifie thee that is that by his holy Spirit that word may be effectuall in thy soule Say this wayes Now Lord as this is the only instrument appointed to sanctifie may soule and scoure away the corruption of my dead nature so let thine holy Spirit take it in his hand and conuoy it into my soule to sanctifie my soule Pray ay and heare euer and craue that the word may take effect to make thee holy When he hath made his petition to his Father to sanctifie and to separate his Disciples from the world and from the pollution of the world to this purpose he vseth one or two arguments in the words following The first is in these words As thou hast sent mee into the worlde so haue I sent them Father I haue sent them into the world therefore Father sanctifie them He declareth this by a comparison from himselfe As thou hast sent mee so haue I sent them Ye heard he made them like to himselfe in holinesse so now he maketh them like to himselfe in vocation It is a blessed thing to be like to Christ in many things And so by this likenesse with himselfe he recommendeth them to the Father The Disciples of Christ whom ye call the Apostles they were like Christ in calling and vocation The Lord Iesus was the great Apostle of our profession Hebr. 13. vers 11. and they were also sent by the will of the Father So they were in a manner like vnto him in calling and vocation but here is the difference The Lord Iesus was an Apostle immediately sent by the Father the Father sent him to the world immediately but the Apostles were not sent immediately by the Father but they were sent immediately by the Sonne The Lord Iesus as he was sent of the Father immediately so he sent his Apostles immediately yet at the will of the Father Looke the Epistles of Paul he calleth himselfe the Apostle that is the Ambassadour of Iesus Christ But how By the will of the Father So it fareth with the Pastors and Teachers in the Kirke of God No commission they haue from Iesus Christ but at the will of the Father As this is true that the Pastor or Teacher in the Kirke is immediately sent by the Sonne So it is true in al grace that commeth from Heauen to the Kirke all commeth immediately from the Sonne and not from the Father Whatsoeuer grace it be as vocation justification sanctification and life euerlasting or whatsoeuer gift it be all commeth immediately from the Sonne as in the fourth Chap. to the Ephes vers 10.11 where he citeth the testimony of Dauid Hee passed vp on high meaning of Christ that is to the Heauens hee ledde captiuitie captiue and hee gaue giftes to men that is the Lord Iesus who was humbled being exalted to glory sendeth downe grace on his Kirke he
gaue some to be his Apostles some to be Euangelists some to be Pastors and some to be Doctors The ground of all is this The Father hath giuen all power in Heauen and in Earth to the Sonne Thou shouldest vnderstand this well What is the Sonne of God He is the Treasure-house of all the grace and mercy of the Father Whosoeuer would haue grace and mercy from the Father let him addresse himselfe vnto him for in him is the fulnesse of all grace and passing knowledge and wisedome in him is the deepnesse and fulnesse of the Godhead bodily as Paul sayth to the Coloss Chap. 2. vers 9. and all grace immediately is powred out from him on the Kirke Let him that would haue any grace addresse himselfe to the Sonne and desire him that the Father would giue some portion of grace out of that Treasure-house Iesus Christ If thou passest by him thou shalt neuer taste of grace Seeke grace where there is fulnesse of all grace in the world The thing which I marke of this argument is this shortly To mooue his Father to sanctifie his Disciples he vseth this argument Father I send them out to the world Now ye see the Lesson that riseth Whosoeuer commeth to the world to draw this world out of that pollution and filthinesse wherein it lieth to sanctifie the world and to make this world holy of an vncleane world to make it cleane of necessity hee must bee sanctified Alace Brethren an vnfaithfull and vnholy man let him bee a Minister as for Apostles we haue none not separated from the world but in all things like the world is vnmeet to preach and to be an Instrument or Minister of God to sanctifie the wicked worlde or to win soules to Heauen An vnholy man and in no measure separated from the world but in life and conuersation like the worlde in all vanity let him not open his mouth to speake of Christ There is not one that the Lord Iesus sendeth but in some measure hee will make them holy and therefore that man that liueth like this worlde and hath his conuersation in all pointes like the worlde I say and I assure thee the Lord neuer sent that man So if a Minister would haue a good conscience in his calling and would goe out to the worlde to draw men to Heauen let him try himselfe if he be separated from the world or no And if hee finde that hee is separated from the world then with the better conscience hee may speake of Iesus Christ and then hee may put out his hand to miserable men and draw them piece and piece out of this sinful world otherwayes he can haue no boldnesse Nowe let vs come to the seconde argument The seconde argument which hee vseth is from the ende of his sanctification For their sakes I haue sanctifie my selfe To what end That they may be sanctified through thy trueth I haue sanctified my self that is I haue consecrated my selfe to the death to bee a Sacrifice that by my death and thorow it they should be made holy and that by the ministerie of the Crosse The ground of all our sanctification is the Crosse and death of Iesus Christ It is that blood and that Sacrifice that maketh vs holy and which is that meritorious cause that hath procured holinesse to euerie one of vs. Well Brethren as little as men will count of holinesse our holinesse is deare bought there is not one that hath a sponke of holinesse little or much but it is bought by the precious blood of the immaculate Lambe it is the dearest Merchandize that euer was bought in the worlde So the ground of holinesse is the blood of God But I say againe except that the Crosse of Christ and his blood and his death and Sacrifice be made thine and applied to thee and apprehended to thee and except so to speake it the Crosse of Iesus Christ bee in thine heart and thy conscience sprinkled with his blood the Crosse of Iesus shall neuer doe thee good to make thee holy Now yee see the meane and instrument whereby the death of Christ is made ours It is the worde of Christ euen the worde of the Crosse This same Gospel of Iesus Christ wherein the Lord in a manner is crucified and painted out to thine eye that is the meane which applyeth to thy soule that death that it may bee effectuall in thee to sanctification and holinesse of life It will not bee Christ and his Crosse without thee that will sanctifie thee except thou belieue in him and by fayth drawe Christ and his blood into thine heart thou mayest well bee worse and the Crosse of Christ may condemne thee but thou shalt neuer bee the better of him But if thou belieuest this worde of the Crosse and so make Iesus Christ and his Crosse thine by fayth then the blood of Iesus Christ shall gushe out to thy sanctification It cannot bee ydle but it must sanctifie and separate thee from the worlde and make thee an Heire of Life Looke howe yee should haue a sight of the Crosse of Christ thinke it not enough that Christ suffered and died for sinners except when thou hearest this worde of the Crosse thine heart griedilie gripe and drawe Christ in to thy selfe and this aye should bee our exercise in the hearing of the word of the Crosse of Iesus Christ to get such a solide apprehension of the Crosse that thou mayest say The Lord Iesus died for me the greatest sinner in the world Look that thou find the effect and fruit to flow of that Crosse to the sanctification of thy soule mortification slaughter of thy sinfull nature day night So heare not with the eares only but with the apprehension of the heart or els that Crosse shal neuer be effectual to saue thee but for all this benefit of the word of the Crosse of Iesus Christ euerlasting death and damnation shall be thine ende Bee not secure in hearing but drawe in to thy selfe Iesus Christ and there shall followe such a joye and consolation that all the tongues of men nor Angels cannot expresse there is no pleasure comparable to that pleasure which the heart of a faythfull man will finde Now hitherto hee hath prayed for himselfe first That the Father would glorifie him and next for his Disciples eleuen in number for Iudas hath no part of that Prayer Now last he extendeth his Prayer farder out beyonde all the Apostles to the whole faythfull that shall belieue in him to the ende of the worlde And this is the third part of this Prayer a Prayer for the whole faythfull that should belieue in him to the ende of the worlde But to come to the wordes Not for them onelie that is Not for my Disciples alone doe I pray But J praye also for all them that shall belieue in me through their Worde And vvhat prayeth hee for them That they may bee made vp in one bodie joyned with