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vering obedience to them. Hence learn, That although many loose professors pretend love to Christ, because they hear, read, know, and can talk of his commandments; yet in Christ's account none do truly love him, but those who make conscience of their obedience to him: He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me. Observe next, The gracious promise of Christ to such as thus express their love unto him. 1. He shall be loved of my Father, and of myself. And shall he not be loved of the Holy Ghost too? Yes, no doubt. But why is he not named then? Because the Son dwelleth in us by the Spirit, and sheds his love abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost. 2. I will manifest myself unto him; that is, such obedient christians shall not only enjoy the fruit and benefit of my love, but they shall enjoy the sense of my love, and experience the sensible manifestations and inward diffusions of my love in their own souls. Learn hence, That the only way to have Christ love us, and to let out his love upon us, and to know that he loves us, is to look diligently to our obediential walking with him and before him. We may as rationally think to nourish our bodies with poison, as to enjoy the manifestation of Christ's love in a way of sin.

22 Judas saith unto him, (not Iscariot,) Lord, how is it that thou wilt manifest thyself unto us, and not unto the world?

Some understand these words of a tem. poral manifestation, and think that Judas the brother of James, who spake them, still expected that Christ should be a temporal prince, and have such a kingdom as should be conspicuous to all the world, and therefore puts the question, how he could possibly show himself to his disciples, and the world not see him? Others understand it of a spiritual manifestation; as if he had said, "Lord! who or what are thy disciples, that we should enjoy more special manifestations of thy love to us, than to the rest of the world? Why should we be dignified by such_distinguishing favours above others ?" Learn hence, 1. That there is a real difference put by Christ betwixt his own children and the world, in the matter of special manifestations. 2. That there being no cause from the creature why Christ should make this difference, his discriminating grace is matter of just

Well might the

and great admiration.
apostle, out of a deep admiration, say,
Lord, how is it that thou wilt manifest
thyself to us, and not unto the world?

23 Jesus answered and said unto
him, If a man love me, he will keep
my words: and my Father will love
him, and we will come unto him,
and make our abode with him.
He that loveth me not, keepeth not
my sayings: and the word which
ye hear, is not mine, but the Father's
which sent me.

24

on to direct and encourage his disciples to Observe here, How our Saviour still goes evidence the sincerity of their love to his dience to his commands: and tells them person, by the universality of their obehow great their advantage would be by so doing. For, First, The Father would love them; that is, manifest his favour to them in farther dispensations of grace and comfort. Learn thence, That all the manifestations of divine love to the souls of believers, depend upon their close walking with God in the paths of holiness and strict abode with him. He shall have Father obedience. Secondly, We will make our and Son's company. An allusion to a parent that has many children; he will be sure to live with them that are most dutiful to him, and most observant of him. The expression of making their abode with us, denotes that sweet and intimate fellowship which shall be betwixt God and us, all times; till we are taken up by him into and the perpetuity and constancy of it at heaven, he will make this abode with us, by the indwelling presence of his Holy Spirit, the graces and comforts whereof shall abide with us for ever.

25 These things have I spoken unto you, being yet present with you. 26 But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.

Here we have a repeated promise of the mission of the Holy Ghost, called The Comforter, and his special office declared; namely, to teach, and to bring to remembrance what Christ had taught: He shall teach you all things. As the Spirit of

God is a great comforter, so he is the special teacher of his children; he teacheth condescendingly, stooping to the meanest capacities; he teacheth efficaciously, inclining the heart to receive instruction, as well as opening the ear to hear it; he teacheth plainly and clearly, unerringly and infallibly; he is truth itself, and therefore his teachings are most true. And as the Holy Spirit is the saints' teacher, so is he also their remembrancer: He shall bring all things to your remembrance; that is, all truths needful to be known, and necessary to salvation. Here note, That the Holy Spirit teaches nothing but what Christ himself taught; the Spirit teaches in the word, and by the word, but never teaches any thing contrary to the word: He shall teach and bring to remembrance whatsoever I have said unto you.

27 Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give 1 unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

As if our Lord had said, "Whatever outward trouble the world gives you, be not afraid of it before it comes, nor troubled at it when it is come, for I will give you inward peace in the midst of all your outward troubles: Not as the world giveth, give I unto you." Where note, That Christ's peace is vastly different from that peace which is given or enjoyed by the world: the world may wish peace yet never obtain it; or they may wish it, yet not be able to give it; but Christ's peace is real and effectual, solid and substantial; the world's peace is only a freedom from outward trouble, but Christ's peace is a deliverance from inward guilt and though it doth not give us an exemption from outward troubles, yet it gives us a sanctified use and improvement of them, and assures us of a joyful issue and deliverance out of

them.

28 Ye have heard how I said unto you, I go away, and come again unto you. If ye loved me, ye would rejoice, because I said, I go unto the Father: for my Father is greater than I.

That the disciples of Christ might neither be overset with fears, nor overwhelmed with grief, he tells them, that they ought

to entertain the news of his departure rather with joy and exultation, than with sorrow and dejection; If ye loved me, ye would rejoice, because I go to the Father. True love to Christ will make us rejoice in his advancement and exaltation, although it be our own disadvantage. These words, My Father is greater than I, must be understood with reference to his human nature as Mediator; for so he was the Father's servant, and the Father, as God, was greater than he, as man. Again, the Father may be said to be greater than Christ, in regard of his paternity, as being the fountain of the deity; the Father is of himself, but the Son is begotten of the Father: but being of the same substance with the Father, he is consequently God, as the Father is God; for the inequality arises not from the essence, but from the order and manner of subsistence. Thus the Father is greater than he; Greater than he as to his original, the Son being begotten by him; and greater is he that gives, than he that receives; but, as to his essence, they are both one God, and so equal. Three ways the Father was greater than Christ: 1. With respect to his human nature. Who can doubt but a dependent is inferior to that Almighty Being that made him? 2. With respect to the eternal generation of his divine Person; as he was begotten of the Father, who is therefore called the fountain of the deity. 3. With respect to his office as Mediator, for thus he was the Father's servant. O wonderful condescension! Word, who, as such, was equal with the Father, should, in compassion to us, accept a station, and sustain a character, in which the Father was greater than he! Now, though under each of these considerations God the Father is greater than the Son, yet none of them are inconsistent with the Son's being God by nature.

that the eternal

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cause evils that surprise us suddenly, do sink our spirits sadly; whereas what we fear, for that we prepare. Accordingly our Lord arms his disciples against all disquietude, and overwhelming sorrow for his departure from them: I have told you before, that when it comes to pass, ye might believe; that is, Be assured that I am not mere man, but truly and really God, and depend upon me for life and salvation. Observe, 2. How our Saviour points out the cause of his suffering; namely, Satan, and his instruments: The prince of this world cometh; that is, by Judas, the soldiers, and the high priests: but he hath nothing in me: that is, " He will find no sin or corruption in me to side with his temptation, or no guilt upon me to give him any advantage against me, for I shall die as a perfectly innocent person." Christ, in suffering for our sins, did not only conflict with the wrath of God, but with the rage of men and devils; yet all the power and policy, all the malice and cruelty of Satan, cannot prevail against Christ, any farther than he voluntarily yields and submits himself unto it: The prince of this world cometh, but hath nothing in me. Observe, 3. That it was Christ's love and obedience to his Father, that carried him forth so cheerfully to the work of sufferings, supported him under it, and carried him through it: That the world may know that I love the Father: and as the Father gave me commandment, even so I do. True love to God will draw all men to obedience in the hardest service and sufferings; the grand motive of Christ's sufferings was love to his Father, obedience to his commands, and a regard to his glory. Lord, let thy love and obedience to thy Father, in all thy sufferings, be the subject of our admiration, and the matter of our imitation also. As the Father gives us commandment, so let us always do.

CHAP. XV.

AM the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman. 2 Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away; and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.

Observe here, How our blessed Saviour, under the metaphor of a vine, elegantly sets forth himself in his relation to his visible church, showing under that similitude what

his Father meant to do with Judas, and with all unfruitful branches like unto him, even take them away, cut them off, and throw them into the fire; but such as are fruitful, he purges by his word and Spirit, by ordinances and providences, by mercies and afflictions, that they may be more abundantly and abidingly fruitful. Learn hence, 1. That Jesus Christ in his office for, and relation to, his people, doth most fitly resemble a vine. As the vine is weak, mean, and small in outward appearance, not like the cedar for height, or like the oak for strength; so was Christ in his state of humiliation; there was no beauty in him, Is. liii. As the vine is a fruitful plant though it has little pomp, yet it has much plenty, and is only useful for fruit-bearing, and brings forth both plenty and variety of sweet fruit to make glad the heart of man: thus the fruits of Christ's death, resurrection, ascension, and intercession, are many and great, delightful and sweet. In a word, as the fruit of the vine is pressed, that it may be drink unto men, so Christ submitted to be trod in the wine-press of God's wrath, that thereby the sweetest fruit and benefit might redound to his people. Finally, as the vine is the root from which all the branches derive their nourishment and fruitfulness; in like manner is Christ the stock into which all his members are ingrafted, the root in which they all subsist, and the fountain from whence their spiritual life and fruitfulness doth proceed and flow. Learn, 2. That as Christ is the Vine, so his Father is the Husbandman : he ingrafts and implants all the branches into this vine; the plants of righteousness are of his own planting; he takes notice what store of fruit every branch doth bring forth; and it is his daily care to dress and dung, to purge and prune, to support and shelter, his vineyard, that it may bring forth fruit abundantly. Learn, 3. That there are two sorts of branches in this vine, some fruitful, others unfruitful; some have the visibility, but not the reality of branches; some are branches only by external profession, others are so by real implantation. Learn, 4. That the true touchstone whereby to discern one sort of branches from another, is not by the fair leaves of profession, but by the substantial proofs of an holy and righteous conversation. Learn, 5. That in the most fruitful branches, in the best and holiest christians, there remains much corruption to be purg ed out, in order to future and farther fronts

fulness. Learn, 6. That the Husbandman's hand (God the Father's) manages the pruning-knife of affliction, in order to his people's improvement in grace and holiness; he had rather see his vine bleed, than see it barren. Lastly, That such branches as, after all the Husbandman's care and cost, remain unfruitful, shall be finally cut off, and cast away, as was Judas here; who, in this discourse of our Saviour, seems particularly and especially to be aimed at: he was a branch in him that bare no fruit, who was shortly after taken away, and went to his own place.

3 Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you. 4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. 5 I am the vine, ye are the branches: he that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.

Our Saviour having in the former verses distinguished his disciples into two sorts: some that were members of his body the church, and branches of him the true Vine, by outward show and visible profession only; others that are spiritually ingrafted into him, and do bring forth much fruit. Now in this third verse Christ tells his disciples which number they were of: Now, saith he, ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you; that is, now that Judas the traitor, that dead, rotten, fruitless branch, is cut off and cast out, ye are all clean through the cleansing power and virtue of my word and doctrine. Learn hence, 1. That such as are justified by the blood, and sanctified by the Spirit, of Christ, are in Christ's account clean, notwithstanding their many spots and manifold imperfections: Now are ye clean. 2. That as the blood of Christ is the meritorious, and the Spirit of Christ the efficacious, so the word of Christ is the instrumental, cause of a believer's purification and cleansing Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you. Abide in me, and I will abide in you. That is, abide in me not only by an outward and visible profession, but by a real fiducial adherence, and I will abide in you by the influences and operations of my Holy Spirit.

The union and conjunction between Christ and his members is mutual: they abide in him by faith and dependence, and he abideth in them by the indwelling presence of his grace and Spirit: Abide in me, and I will abide in you. Observe farther, The reason which Christ gives, why they should thus abide in him: because without union with him, without interest in him, without influences of grace derived from him, they could bring forth no fruit for him, nor do any thing that is truly acceptable and wellpleasing to him: As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine, no more can ye, except ye abide in me for without me ye can do nothing: that is," As branches severed from the vine cannot live and bear fruit, so neither can christians separated from Christ, and without deriving virtue from him, do any thing spiritually good and well-pleasing in the sight of God."-Learn hence, That not only unregenerate men do labour under an impotency to have that which is spiritually good, but even disciples themselves, without daily dependence upon Christ, and without constant communications of grace from him, can do nothing in a lively and acceptable way and manner unto him: Without me ye can do nothing; you that are branches of me the true Vine. As christians, without me, that is, without my Spirit, abiding in you, and uniting you to me your head, you can do nothing acceptable to me, or worthy of my gospel. Again, as apostles, it may denote, that, without the gifts and powerful assistance of the Holy Spirit, they could do nothing to convert the world to christianity. In both respects might Christ truly say, Without me ye can do nothing.

6 If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is. withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.

Here our holy Lord discovers the sad and deplorable condition of such professors, who, pretending relation to Christ, do yet bring forth no fruit unto him; he calls them withered branches, fit only for the fire. Learn hence, That such as have had a long standing in God's vineyard, and contented themselves with a withered profession, are in great danger of having God's blasting added to their barrenness. All their parts, and gifts, and common graces, will wither, and their fair blossoms of profession will drop off, and at the great day the angels

will gather these fruitless branches together, and cast them into hell fire.

7 If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.

Observe here, 1. A glorious privilege declared: Ask what ye will, it shall be done unto you. Not that we are hereby warranted to ask what we please at God's hand, but our will must be limited by the word and will of God; we must pray in faith, and in the name and mediation of Jesus Christ, and with a single eye to the glory of God. Observe, 2. The condition upon which this privilege is attainable: If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, that is, practically and experimentally. If my doctrine and commands abide in your hearts, and dispose you to an holy fruitfulness in your lives, then shall all your just requests be granted. Learn, That such as by faith embrace the promises, and by obedience live up to the precepts of the gospel, may in prayer humbly ask of God what they will, with a due submission to the wisdom and will of God.

8 Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.

Our Lord here exhorts his followers to an holy fruitfulness in good works, by a double argument. One drawn from the glory of God: Herein is my Father glorified. The other from their own advantage; So shall ye be my disciples; that is, hereby ye shall evidence and prove yourselves to be my disciples. Learn hence, That a christian's abounding fruitfulness in good works will abundantly conduce to the honour and glory of God, and also to his own peace and comfort, by being the best evidence of his discipleship.

9 As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you; continue ye in my love.

Lord, what a comparison is here! As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you. He doth not say, As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved him; but, so have I loved you. Nor doth he say, As God hath loved me, so have I loved you; but, As the Father. It is verbum dilectionis, a word importing dearness of

affection. Nor doth he say, The Father hath loved me, and I love you; but, As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you. Nor doth he say, As the Father hath loved me, so will I love you; but so have I loved you. This shows the priority of Christ's love, that he loved us first, and also denotes the invincible constancy of his love, and the indubitable certainty thereof; I have loved you. Follow me from heaven to earth, and from earth to heaven again, and you will find that every step I have taken hath been in love. Learn, 1. That the Lord Jesus Christ hath given full and ample demonstration of his great and wonderful love unto his church and people. 2. That it is the duty, and ought to be the singular care, of every christian, to preserve the sweet sense and inward diffusions of Christ's love in their own souls: Continue ye in my love.

10 If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's command. ments, and abide in his love.

Christ had told his disciples in the foregoing verse, that he had loved them, even as the Father had loved him; that is, with an eternal love, with a real and operative love, with an immutable and constant love. In this verse he directs them how they may continue in the sense of his love; namely, by their constant obedience to his commands, as his obedience to his Father's commands had secured him a continuance in his Father's love: If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; that is, in the sense of my love, and under the sweet apprehensions of it. Learn hence, That as our obedience to Christ is the best evidence of our love to him, so is it the best means to preserve and keep us in the sense and assurance of his love to us.

unto

11 These things have I spoken you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.

In these words our Saviour declares the ground and reason why he did so earnestly press and urge the duty of being universally fruitful upon his disciples, and that was two-fold. 1. That his joy might remain in them; that is, That the joy which he had in their holiness and obedience might remain with him: nothing is more desired by Christ, than that he may have cause

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