308 clxxiv. John He that hath his commands, and keeps them, world cannot receive, you. 18 I will not leave come to you. 19 Yet a little while, me no more: but ye sce me: because I SECT. the blessed Spirit of truth and grace, whom the of truth, whom the beworld cannot possibly receive as a Comforter, because it seeth him cause it neither sees him nor knows him; being not, neither knoweth XIV. 17. altogether destitute of his sanctifying influences, him; but ye know him, and refusing to admit his testimony to me: but for he dwelleth with know him in some measure, even now, by his you, and shall be in ye powerful operations in you, and by you; for he already dwells with you in part, and shall quickly be more abundantly in you, by a much ampler communication both of his gifts and graces. 18 Encourage yourselves therefore with the pleasing expectation, and be assured that I will not you comfortless; I will leave you neglected, like a family of helpless orphans, who have no friend or guardian surviving; but I will come to you by my spiritual presence, and visit you by the most valuable to19 kens of my constant care. For it is but yet a little while, and the world seeth me no more, as it and the world seeth has done for some time past, though it knows me not; but after I have done conversing with live, ye shall live also. the world, I will appear again to you, and you shall see me in such a manner as to feel the blessed effects of my distinguishing regard to you; for because I live, you also shall live, by means of those Divine influences you shall derive from me, to cherish the workings of grace in your hearts, and to train you up to a growing meetness for sharing with me in eternal life. (Com20 pare 2 Cor. iv. 10, 11.) And in that day, when I fulfil this promise to you, you shall experimentally know, by the most evident and reviving tokens, that I [am] indeed in my Father, and that you also are in me, and I in you, by a 21 most intimate and inseparable union. But this will only be the privilege of such as evidence their love to me by an obedience to my word; for he that has my commandments discovered to him, and diligently keeps them, he it is that loveth me; but none besides have any title to this character, whatever specious pretences they may self to him. make to it: and he that thus shews that he loveth me, shall be loved by my Father, and I will also love him, and in a most condescending and endearing manner will manifest myself to him. Judas was very much surprised at this; not 22 I will not leave you orphans.] Elsner justly observes that the case of those who have lost the presence and patronage of some dear friend, though not in strict pro Judas 20 At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you. 21 He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me, shall be loved of my Father, and will manifest my and I will love him, 22 Judas saith unto him, The Father and Christ will love him, and come to him. Lord, how is it that thou wilt manifest thyself unto us, and not anto the world? 309 SECT. John him, (not Iscariot,) Judas Iscariot; for he, as it was said before, was gone out before our Lord began this discourse clxxiv. (chap. xiii. 31, sect. clxxi) and had he been there, he was always too much on his guard to XIV.22. have dropped any hint of his view to Christ's temporal kingdom; but another apostle of that name, who was also called Thaddeus and Lebbeus, the son of Alpheus, and the brother of James (see note on Mark iii. 18, Vol. VI. p. 282), a near relation to our Lord himself: this Judas, upon hearing Christ express himself in such a way, says to him, Lord, how is it that thou wilt manifest thyself to us, and not to the world? Dost thou not then intend to make a public appearance, which will be obvious to the eyes of all? him, and we will come our abode with him. 23 Jesus answered. Jesus answered and said to him, As to that, it 23 and said unto him, If a man love me, he will may be sufficient to tell you, that, as I said be. keep my words: and fore (ver. 21), If any man sincerely love me, he my Father will love will in an humble and obedient manner keep unto him, and make and observe my word; and if he shall be found to do so, my Father, who at all times has a tender regard to my honour and interest, will undoubtedly love him; and we will both of us come to him, by the favourable tokens of our presence, and will make [our] constant abode with him: you are therefore to understand what I said of manifesting myself to him that loves me, not of any corporeal and sensible appearance, but of such a spiritual and intimate correspondence as the invisible Father of glory and grace maintains with his people through me. But on the contrary, 24 he that does not really love me, does not observe 24 He that loveth me not, keepeth not my d Was always too much on his guard, &c.] It is observable, that Judas Iscariot was so finished a hypocrite, that we never find him saying one word of Christ's teraporal kingdom, though probably the hope of preferment and gain in it was the chief consideration which engaged him to follow our Lord.-Let the reader indulge me while I tell him, that he owes this remark to that incomparable person, the late reverend Mr. David Some, of Harborough; and let him join with me in lamenting the fatal modesty which engaged him with his dying breath to consign to the flames those writings which (unfinished as some of them might have appeared) would probably have been the means of spread. ing among thousands that spirit of wisdom, picty, and love, into which the whole and soul of the author seemed to be trans- e A near relation to our Lord himself.] 310 The Comforter would come and teach them all things. SECT. and keep my words with any constancy and reso- my sayings: and the clxxiv. lution; and therefore must expect no such spiri- is not mine, but the word which ye hear, tual and eternal benefits, whatever outward pri- Father's which XIV.24. vileges he may enjoy: see to it therefore, that me. John 25 you diligently hearken and attend to what I say: sent 25 These things have I spoken unto you, being yet present with you. ter, which is the Holy ther will send in my name, he shall teach Ghost, whom the Fa you. 27 Peace I leave And accordingly you know, that I have strongly insisted upon it as such; and these things I have spoken to you again and again, while I con26 tinued personally present with you: But when 26 But the Comfor. the Comforter, that I have promised you, is come; [even] the Holy Spirit, whom the Father after my departure will send in my name, to act as the great Agent in my cause, and to negotiate you all things, and bring all things to your the affairs of my kingdom; he shall teach you all remembrance, whatso things which it is necessary for you to know, ever I have said unto and remind you of all things which I have said to you, that you may not only recollect them in the fullest manner for your own instruction, but be able to record them for the edification of my 27 church in succeeding ages. In the mean time, with you; my peace as I am now departing from you, peace I leave give unto you: not as with you as my legacy; and, as a blessing of the the world giveth, give greatest moment and importance to you, my I unto you. Let not peace I give unto you; such a peace as none but bled, neither let it be I can impart, a peace with God and yourselves, afraid. as well as with your fellow-creatures, which will be the spring of solid and lasting happiness: and it is not as the world often gives and wishes peace, in an empty form of ineffectual, and often, perhaps, unmeaning compliment, that I give it unto you; but, as I most sincerely wish it, I will most certainly secure it to you. Let not your heart therefore be troubled at the thoughts of my departure, neither let it be afraid of what may befall you when I am gone; for I will help you to possess your souls in quietness and peace, and will establish it upon the firmest basis. 28 You need not then to be discouraged at the se- allay your heart be trou They should rejoice that he was going to the Father. tejoice, because I said I go unto the Father; for my Father is greater than I. 29 And now I have told you before it come to pass, that when it is come to pass, ye might believe. 30 Hereafter I will not talk much with you: for the prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing in me. 311 clxxiv. allay your sorrows in the mean time, and, how- SECT. soever you might have a mournful sense of your own loss, you would rejoice on my account, be- John cause, I said, I go to the Father; for my Father xiv. 28 whose servant I am as Mediator, is in this respect greater than me, and consequently it must be my honour and happiness to be in a state of greater nearness to him than the present world will admit. And now I have told you this, that 29 I have been discoursing to you concerning my own removal, my return to the Father, and the descent of the Spirit upon you, before it comes to pass; that when it does come to pass, you may more firmly believe, not only on account of the extraordinary nature of the events themselves, - but also on account of their exact and evident correspondence with these predictions of minef. It will be your wisdom the rather to observe 30 and review these things, as I shall not hereafter have time to discourse much more with you about them; for Satan, the prince of this apostate world, is coming to encounter me, and is raising a storm against me which will quickly separate us: nevertheless, I have this comfort, that he has nothing in me, no guilt of mine to give him. power over me, nor any inward corruption to 31 But that the take part with his temptation. But he is per- 31 world may know that mitted thus to attack me, and I contentedly subas the Father gave mit to my approaching sufferings, that the world commandment, may see and know, on the most substantial evieven so I do. Arise, dence, that I love the Father so well, as to refuse let us go hence. I love the Father; and me nothing whereby his glory may be advanced; You may more firmly believe, not only on account, &c.] It is very judiciously observed by Dr. Jenkin (in his excellent Defence of Christianity,) that when miraculous events, are also the accomplishment of prophecies, the degree of evidence aris IMPROVE ing from them is the greatest that can g Arise, let us go hence.] See nole a, 312 Reflections on the regard of Christ to such as love him. SECT. John XIV. IMPROVEMENT. SURELY, if we are not entirely strangers to the Divine life, elxxiv. we cannot read such discourses as these without feeling some warm emotions of love to Christ: and if indeed we feel them, let us consider how they are to be expressed. Our Lord directs us to 15, 21 do it in the most solid and the most acceptable manner, by a constant care to keep his commandments; and sure such commandments as his cannot be grievous to a soul that truly loves him : (1 John v. 3.) The more we live in the practice of them, the 16, 17 more cheerfully may we expect the abundant communications of his Spirit to animate and strengthen us. 18 If we are Christians indeed, let us not, in any circumstance of life, look on ourselves as helpless and abandoned orphans. Human friends may forsake us; but Christ will come to us; he will 31, 23 manifest himself to the eye of faith, though to the eye of sense he is invisible; and his heavenly Father will love us; and watch over us for good: yea, he will come and dwell in the obedient soul by the gracious tokens of his intimate and inseparable presence. And do we any of us experience this? We have surely reason to say that by way of admiration which the apostle said by way of in22 quiry, Lord, how and whence is it that thou wilt manifest thyself to us, and not to the world! What have we done to deserve these gracious and distinguishing manifestations! Nay, how much have we done to forfeit them! even more than many, from whom they are withheld ! 27 With unutterable joy let us review this rich legacy of our dying Lord: peace I leave with you; my peace I give unto you, Lord, evermore give us this peace with God, and with our own consciences! for if thou wilt give quietness, who can make trouble? (Job xxxiv. 29.) How serenely may we then pass through the most turbulent scenes of life, when all is quiet and harmonious within? Thou hast made peace through the blood of thy cross, (Col. i. 20.) may we preserve the precious purchase and inestimable gift inviolate, till it issue in everlasting peace! In this let our hearts be encouraged; in this let them rejoice; and not in our own happiness alone, but also in that of our now glorified and 28 exalted Redeemer. As the members of his body, we ought certainly to maintain a pleasing sympathy with our Head, and to triumph in his honour and felicity as our own. If we love Christ, we should rejoice, because he is gone to the Father. And the same consideration may in its degree comfort us when our pious friends are removed if we love them with a rational and : generous friendship, and are not too much influenced by selfish affections under that specious name, our joy for their exaltation will greatly temper the sorrow which our loss must give us. Our |