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of the Son? Gal. iv. 6. Why is he here called to be sent by the Son? The Comforter whom I will send unto you from the Father. And if the Spirit doth not proceed from the Son, what personal relation can we conceive betwixt the Son and the Spirit? Observe, 3. That it is the highest dignity and honour of the apostles, and ministers of Christ, that the Spirit beareth no testimony unto Christ, but with and according to the testimony given by them; for here it is conjoined, He shall testify of me; and ye shall also bear witness, who have been with me from the beginning.

CHAP. XVI.

THESE things have I spoken unto you, that ye should not be offended. 2 They shall put you out of the synagogues: yea, the time cometh, that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service. 3 And these things will they do unto you, because they have not known the Father nor me. 4 But these things have I told you, that, when the time shall come, ye may remember that I told you of them. And these things I said not unto you at the beginning, because I was with you.

In the close of the foregoing chapter, our blessed Saviour had acquainted his disciples with the hatred and hard usage which they were like to meet with in the world, and here he intimates to them the reason why he did so much insist upon that subject: namely, not to sadden their hearts, and grieve their spirits, before their sufferings came, but that they might not be offended, discouraged, or scandalized at them, when they came, but prepared for them, and armed against them. Hence learn, 1. That all afflictions, but especially persecutions, are so searching and trying, that the best of Christians have need to be guarded against them, that they may not be offended at them. 2. That it was the great design of Christ to arm his disciples against the scandal of the cross, lest, stumbling at what they expected not, they should fall from the profession of Christianity. These things have I spoken unto you, that ye should not be offended.

Observe, 2. How our Saviour instances

in two particular sorts and kinds of sufferings, which his disciples were to expect in the world, and from the world; namely, excommunication and martyrdom, ver. 2. They shall put you out of the synagogues;

that is, exclude them from all their assemblies, both civil and religious, and shall not only think it lawful, but a very acceptable service to God, to put them to death: whosoever killeth you, will think that he doeth God service. Observe, 3. How Christ discovers to his dear disciples the cause and ground of the world's hatred against them, and enmity towards them; namely, Their ignorance of the Father and of himself, ver. 3. These things will they do, because they have not known the Father nor me. From whence we may learn, That all the persecutions of the saints do speak in persecutors an ignorance both of God the Father, and of Jesus Christ his Son. All persecution springs

from ignorance, as well as from malice.

And men, who continue ignorant of God and Christ, are in danger of turning persecutors, if they had a temptation to it. Observe, 4. How our Lord again forewarns his disciples of their approaching sufferings, to the intent that they might rethem, and would not fail to support them member that he had foretold them of under them. He had often told them in general of persecutions and troubles which they must expect to meet with, but did not till now intimate the kinds and degrees of those sufferings, with respect to their weakness; and because whilst he was with them, he himself bore the brunt of all, the world's rage falling upon him, letting them alone; but after his ascension, when the malice of Satan and wicked men could not reach him, then did the storm fall upon them. Learn hence, 1. That Christ is so tender of his disciples' weakness, that he will not put them upon the hardship of sufferings, till they be trained up and prepared for them. 2. That it may encourage the saints in and under their sufferings, that Christ himself is the great object of the persecutors' malice, and they only so for his sake; for, could they reach him, they would not concern themselves with them. Learn, 3. That the saints of God, after long exemption and freedom from sufferings, must expect that storms will arise, clouds gather thick, and trials come on apace; and their being under one trial will not hide or shelter them from another.

5 But now I go my way to him that sent me; and none of you asketh me, Whither goest thou? 6 But because I have said these things unto you, sorrow hath filled your heart.

Observe here, How our Saviour again intimates to his disciples his speedy departure from them, and reproves them

for being so saddened at it, and concerned for it, without considering the end and design of it, and the benefit and advantage they were to receive by it. Here we see how the disciples' thoughts were wholly taken up about themselves, what they should do for want of Christ's bodily presence, without being instant with him, to know whither he was going, and what || benefit he should reap, and they might expect, from his departure. Learn hence, That Christ's disciples ought not so much to have lamented the loss of his bodily presence, as to have rejoiced in his glorious exaltation, and in their advantages by his death, resurrection, and ascension: None of you asketh me, Whither goest thou? But sorrow hath filled your heart.

7 Nevertheless, I tell you the truth; it is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you: but if I depart, I will send him unto you.

In these words our Saviour urges his disciples to submit to his departure, as that which would make way for his sending the Comforter to them; which, he assures them, would be of more advantage to them than his own stay and continuance amongst them. Thence learn, That the presence of the Holy Spirit with us is a greater comfort and advantage to us, than the presence of Christ in the flesh amongst us. Christ's bodily presence was comfortable, but the Spirit is more intimately a Comforter than Christ in his fleshly presence; because the Spirit can comfort all believers at once, in all places; but Christ's bodily presence can comfort but few, and that in one place only at once. Christ did converse with his disciples outwardly, but the Spirit possessed himself of their hearts inwardly. Now for the Spirit to dwell in us, is more advantageous than to have Christ dwell in the flesh amongst us. The benefit of Christ's conversation was great; but the advantage of the Spirit's renovation and holy inspiration is much greater: the one encourages and incites us to be holy, but the other quickens and enables us to be holy. Therefore well might Christ say, It is expedient, or highly necessary or advantageous for you, that I go away. He subjoins a reason: If 1 go not away, the Comforter will not come; but if I depart, I will send him to you. Whence we learn, That Christ's ascension was indispensably necessary, in order to the Spirit's mission; the Spirit could not have descended, if Christ had not first ascended;

the Spirit could not come, but by the gifts and mission of the Mediator. Now the sending of the Spirit being a part of Christ's royalty, as Mediator, it was not convenient that the Spirit should be sent, till Christ was crowned, and set down on his throne in his kingdom; then the Spirit was to make application to us, of the redemption purchased for us.

8 And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment. 9 Of sin, because they believe not on me: 10 Of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more: 11 Of judgment, because the prince of the world is judged.

In these and the following verses our Saviour acquaints his disciples with the advantages that will redound by the coming of the Comforter. First, The advantage to the world. Secondly, To the apostles. And, thirdly, To himself. To the world, 1. He shall convince them of sin, righteousness, and judgment. Of sin, that is, of their sinful state and nature, of the large extent of sin, and particularly of the sin of unbelief. Learn hence, 1. That the Spirit of God is the author of conviction of sin, and that all convictions of sin do either mediately or immediately flow from him. 2. That unbelief is a sin of the greatest malignity against Christ, and of the greatest danger to a Christian's soul; He shall convince the world of sin, because they believe not on me. Secondly, Of righteousness; that is, of the insufficiency of all human righteousness, and of the necessity of the righteousness of a Mediator; by which alone we are to expect acceptance with God; or of a complete and perfect righteousness in me, imputable to sinners for their perfect justification; and that it is so, appears, Because I go to the Father, and ye see me no more. As if Christ had said, "Hereby you may be satisfied that by my active and passive obedience I have fully satisfied my Father's justice for you, and you shall never be charged or condemned; because, when I go to heaven, I shall abide there in glory with my Father, and never be sent back again; ye shall see me no more, as I must have been if any thing had been omitted by me." Note farther, That none are convinced of righteousness who are not first convinced of sin. None will come to Christ by faith, till convictions of sin have awakened and distressed them. Thirdly, Of judgment: that is, the Spirit shall convince the world that

Jesus is both Lord and Christ, that he had power to judge Satan the prince of the world, and that he did by his death put down the kingdom of darkness. Learn hence, 1. That Satan is a prince, who by unjust usurpation, and sinners' voluntary consent, has exercised a tyrannical power over the world. 2. That Christ by his death did judge, condemn, and overcome, this mighty prince, and hath made his conquest evident to the consciences of men, by the convictions of his Holy Spirit: The Spirit shall convince of judgment; that is, that Satan the prince of this world is judged.

12 I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot hear them now. 13 Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth :

The second benefit which our Saviour declares was to be expected by the coming of the Holy Spirit, relates to the apostles themselves: He shall guide you into all truth; that is, into all truth necessary for you to know in order to salvation. This is a principal text which the Papists bring for their doctrine of infallibility; but groundlessly. For this promise was made to all the apostles, as well as Peter; nay, not only to the apostles, but to all their successors; yea, not to the apostles only and their successors, but to all believers also; for they are led by the Spirit of God, and that into all truth too; not absolutely, but into all necessary truth; and so far as a private Christian follows the conduct and guidance of the divine Spirit, he is more infallible than either pope or council, who follow the dictates of their own spirits only.

-For he shall not speak of him: self; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak; and he will shew you things to come.

That is, he shall not teach you a private doctrine, or that which is contrary to what ye have learned of me, but whatsoever ye shall hear of me, and receive from me, that shall he speak; and he shall shew you things to come. This affords an argument to prove the Holy Spirit to be God: he that can show us things to come, he that clearly foreseeth and infallibly foretelleth what shall be, before it is, is certainly God. But this the Holy Spirit doth: He shall shew you things to come. Men and devils may guess at things to come, but none can show things to come, but he that

is truly and really God; therefore the Spirit is so.

14 He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you. 15 All things that the Father hath are mine: therefore said I, that he shall take of mine, and shall shew it unto you.

Here Christ shows the advantage which would redound to himself by the coming of the Comforter; he declares that the gifts, and miracles, and shall in all things Spirit should glorify him by his testimony. accord with him, and thereby evidence that he hath his mission from him: He shall receive of mine, and shall sherr it unto you. And all things that the Father hath the union in essence amongst the Persons in the Trinity is the same, yet the order of their subsistence and operation is distinct; the Son being from the Father, and the Holy Ghost from the Father and the Son: For all things that the Father hath are mine, and the Spirit shall take of mine, and shall shew it unto you. Observe farther, That these words afford a strong ar gument to prove the divinity of Christ: All things which the Father hath are mine. Where Christ challenges to himself the incommunicable attributes of God, and consequently that essence which is inseparable from them. Doth the Father know the secrets of all hearts so doth Christ, Rev. ii. 23. All the churches shall know that I am he that searcheth the reins and hearts. Is the Father eternal? so is Christ, Prov. viii. 23, I was set up from everlasting, &c.

are mine. Hence learn, That, although

16 A little while, and ye shall not see me and again, A little while and ye shall see me; because I go to the Father. 17 Then said some of his disciples among themselves, What is this that he saith unto us, A little while, and ye shall not see me : and again, A little while, and ye shall see me: and, Because I go to the Father? 18 They said therefore, What is this that he saith, A little while? We cannot tell what he saith. 19 Now Jesus knew that they were desirous to ask him, and said unto them, Do ye enquire among your selves of that I said, A little while, and ye shall not see me; and again, A little while, and ye shall see me? 20 Verily, verily, I say unto you, That

ye shall weep and lament, but the world shall rejoice: and ye shall be sorrowful, but your sorrow shall be turned into joy. 21 A woman when she is in travail hath sorrow, because her hour is come; but, as soon as she is delivered of the child, she remembereth no more the anguish, for joy that a man is born into the world. 22 And ye now therefore have sorrow: but I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice, and your joy no man taketh from you.

In these words our holy Lord proceeds to comfort his disciples with a promise, that, however he was now to be removed from them, yet they should shortly see him again; namely, after his resurrection; it being impossible that he should be held by death, but must arise and go to his Father. His disciples not understanding what he meant, but labouring under the prejudices of their national errors concerning the temporal kingdom of the Messias, knew not what to make of those words, A little while and ye shall not see me. Our Saviour therefore explains himself to his disciples, telling them, that they should have a time of sad sorrow and grief of heart, during the time of his sufferings and absence from them; but their sadness shall soon be turned into joy, when they shall see him alive again after his resurrection. This he illustrates by the similitude of a travailing woman, who

soon forgets her sorrow after she hath brought forth a child. Thus will their hearts revive upon the sight of him risen from the grave: and no man shall be able to take away their joy from them, because he shall die no more, but go to heaven, and there live for ever, to make intercession for them. Learn hence, 1. From the apostles not understanding Christ's words concerning his departure, though so often inculcated upon them; A little while, and ye shall not see me, because I go to the Father. Hence note, How unreasonable it is to arrogate to man's understanding a power to comprehend spiritual mysteries, yea, to understand the plainest truths, till Christ enlightens the understanding; let the doctrine be delivered never so plainly, and repeated never so frequently, yet will men continue ignorant, without divine illumination. How often had this pain doctrine of Christ's departure to the Father been preached to the disciples by Christ's own mouth? Yet still they say, What is this he

saith, we cannot tell what he saith. Learn 2. The different effects which Christ's absence should have upon the world, rejoice, but ye shall weep and lament. Note, and upon his disciples; The world shall 1. That it is the wretched disposition of the world to rejoice in the absence and want of Christ out of the world. When I

am gone, the world will rejoice. 2. That nothing is the cause of so much sorrow and sadness to sincere disciples, as Christ's absence and removal from them; such is their estimation of the worth of him, so great is their apprehension of the want of him, that there is no loss comparable to his absence and removal from them. Ye shall weep and lament at my departure, though the world will rejoice. Learn, 3. That the believer's sorrow for Christ's absence, though it be very great, yet it shall not be perpetual: Ye have now sorrow: but I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice, and your joy shall no man take from you. The joy of the saints may be interrupted, it shall never be totally extinguished; it is a permanent joy, of which they shall never be totally deprived, till they enter into the ocean of eternal joy, Your joy no man taketh from you.

23 And in that day ye shall ask me nothing. Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you. 24 Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be

full.

At the first reading of the 23d verse there seems to be a contradiction in the words. Christ tells them in the former part of the verse, that they shall ask him nothing in that day; and yet promises that whatever they ask shall be given them, in the latter part of the verse. To resolve this, know that there is a two-fold asking, one by way of question, the other by way of petition. The former is asking that we may know, or be informed in what we doubt; the latter is asking that we may receive, and be supplied with what we want. Now when Christ saith, In that day ye shall ask me nothing; it is as much as if he had said, “At present you understand but little of the mysteries of religion, and therefore ye put questions about many things; but in that day, when the Comforter comes, ye shall be so clearly enlightened by him, that ye shall not seek to ask me any more questions." But when Christ saith, Whatever ye ask of the Father in my

name, he will give it; the meaning is, "Ining, when he would by the Holy Ghost that day when I have left the world, and clearly enlighten their understandings in ascended to my Father, you shall not need the knowledge of the divine mysteries, to address your prayers to me, but to my and the things pertaining to the kingdom Father in my name." But what is it to of God, and particularly in the knowpray in the name of Christ? Answer, It ledge of God as his Father, and their Fais more than to name Christ in prayer; it ther in him. Hence learn, 1. That the is easy to name Christ in prayer, but no clearest truths will be but parables, proeasy thing to pray in the name of Christ. verbs and dark mysteries, even to disciTo pray in the name of Christ, is, 1. To ples themselves, till the Holy Spirit enlook up to Christ, as having purchased lightens their understandings. 2. That for us this privilege, that we may pray; the clear and full manifestation of divine for it is by the blood of Christ that we truth was reserved till the coming of the draw near to God, and that a throne of Comforter, who did communicate it to grace is open to us. 2. To pray in the the apostles, and by them to the church or name of Christ is to pray in the strength body of Christians: I, by him, will shew of Christ, by the assistance of his grace, you plainly of the Father. and the help of his Holy Spirit. 3. To pray in the name of Christ, is to pray by faith in the virtue of Christ's mediation

and intercession, believing that what we

ask on earth, he intercedes for and obtains in heaven. To pray thus is no easy matter; and unless we do pray thus, we do not pray at all. Ver. 24. Hitherto have you asked nothing in my name: that is, explicitly and expressly in my name, or by me as Mediator betwixt God and man, and with respect to my merits. Do this after my death, resurrection, and ascension to the right hand of God, and you shall receive such answers as will fill you with joy. For the saints of God under the Old Testament, and the apostles themselves under the New, had hitherto put up all their petitions in the name of the Messiah; though not in the name of Jesus. But now he exhorts them to eye his mediatory office in all their addresses to God, and promises them whatsoever he had purchased of the Father by his sufferings, and satisfaction, they should obtain it, for the sake of his prevailing intercession. Learn hence, That it is a mighty encouragement to prayer, that now, under the gospel, the person of the Mediator is exhibited in our flesh, has satisfied divine justice in our nature, and in that nature intercedes as Mediator, for whatever he purchased as our surety.-Hence is the encouragement, Whatever ye ask of the Father in my name, he will give it you.

25 These things have I spoken unto you in proverbs: but the time cometh when I shall no more speak unto you in proverbs, but I shall shew you plainly of the Father.

Here our Saviour tells his disciples, That although he had spoken many things to them in dark parables and figurative expressions, yet now the time was approaching, namely, the Comforter's com

26 At that day ye shall ask in my name: and I say not unto you that I will pray the Father for you; 27 For the Father himself loveth you, because ye have loved me, and have believed that I came out from God.

At that day ye shall ask in my name: that is, after I am ascended into heaven, and have sent down the Holy Ghost upon you, you shall put up all your prayers and requests to God in my name: And I say not that I will pray the Father for you: for the Father himself loveth you. That is, I need not tell you, (though I shall certainly do it,) that I will intercede with the Father for you, for he himself is kindly disposed and affected towards you, for my sake. When Christ says, I do not say that I will pray the Father for you; the meaning is not, that he will lay aside his office as intercessor for believers, but that they had not only his intercession, but the Father's love, upon which to ground their hope of audience. Learn hence, 1. That the Christian prayers put up in Christ's name, cannot fail of audience and acceptance for the sake of the Mediator's intercession and the Father's love. 2. That in our prayers we ought so to eye and look up to Christ's intercession, as not to overlook or forget the Father's love, but ground our hopes of audience upon both: "I say not that I will pray the Fa ther for you, (though I shall assuredly do it,) for the Father himself loveth you, because ye have loved me."

28 I came forth from the Father, and am come into the world: again, I leave the world, and go to the Father. 29 His disciples said unto him, Lo, now speakest thou plainly, and speakest no proverb. 30 Now are we sure that thou knowest all things,

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