They lamented his going, but it was for their advantage. doth God service. 3 And these things will they do unto you, know the Father, nor because they have not me. 323 clxxvii. John you, will think that he able] service to God: to so mad a rage shall SECT. their zeal arise, and so thick is the darkness with which their minds are veiled. And all these cruel things they will do unto you, because they XVI. 3. have not known either the Father, or me: which if they had done, instead of injuring me, and exercising such inhumanities towards you, my apostles, they would have received us with the greatest pleasure and thankfulness. But I have 4 spoken these things plainly to you, and forewarued you of them, that when the season comes in which they shall happen, you may remember them. And these that I told you of them; and so may turn what you at the beginning, has so discouraging an aspect into a further with confirmation of your faith. And I did not indeed say these things to you from the beginning 4 But these things have I told you, that when the time shall come, ye may remem ber that I told you of things I said not unto because I was you. 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. of my ministry because I was then with you, to the high priest, as if it were meritorious rather than criminal; (Acts xxii. 14, 15). And to such sort of facts these words of our Lord may peculiarly relate.-Permit me to digress so far as to add, that I apprehend, in other cases, after they were thus disarmed of the power of life and death, they had (as I may elsewhere prove) a dependance upon the interposition of providence to add that fficacy to their censures which their power, infringed as it was, could not give: in reference to which this highest sentence of excommunication was in the decline of their state called Anathema Maran-atha, or a sentence which the Lord would remarkably come to execute, though they themselves could not carry it into effect. St. Paul therefore, with a peculiar beauty and propriety (but never, so far as I can find, fully explained), applies it to a crime not capable of conviction before any human judges; eyen the want of a sincere love to Christ, VOL. VII. But though under a Christian profession. See b Shall think that he offers [an acceptable] 324 SCECT. lxxvii. The Spirit will convince of sin, righteousness, and judgment. pedient for you that I you; but if I depart, I But I tell you the exact truth of the case, when 7 Nevertheless I tell I say that it is on the whole advantageous to you the truth; it is exJohn you, as well as proper for me, that I should go go away, for if I go XVI. 7. away, considering the agreement made between not away, the Comforthe Father and me in the counsel of peace be- ter will not come unto tween us; for if I do not go away, and appear will send him unte in heaven under the character of the great High- you. Priest, the Comforter will not come to you, since the gift of the Spirit is the fruit of my purchase, and is appointed to be consequent upon my being glorified, (John vii. 39. sect. ci.) but when I go from hence, I will not fail to send him to 8 you. And when he comes, he will abundantly display the efficacy of his grace, not only in the the world of sin, and comforts he will give you under all your trou- of righteousness, and bles, but in the wonderful success with which of judgment: he will enable you to carry on my cause; and will effectually convince the world, by your mimistry, of sin, and of righteousness, and of judg 8 And when he is come, he will reprove 9 Of sin, because 10 Of righteousness, because I go to my Fa ther, and ye see me no more: 9 ment. He will convince the world of that 11 heaven, and received into glory. And he will 11 Of judgment, be c He will convince the world.] So the word y properly signifies. Compare John vii. 9. 46. 1 Cor. xiv. 24. Tit. i. 9. and Jam. ii. 9.-For the illustration of this, and the following verses, see Archbishop Tillotson's Works, Vol. III. p. 287-289. d Buf Reflections on the ends for which the Spirit should be sent. 325 12 I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now. 13 Howbeit, when is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak and he will shew you things to come. clxxvii. propagated through the world, and a full proof SECT. XVI.11 I have yet many other things to say to you, 12 with relation to matters of considerable moment in the settlement of my church; but I wave them at present, because I know that you are not able to bear [them] now, and are not yet prepared to receive them. But when he, [even] 13 the Spirit of truth, is come, according to the promise I have given you, he, as a faithful Guide, will lead you into all necessary truth: for he will not exceed his commission, and, like a careless or unfaithful messenger, speak merely of himself; but,like a wise and good Ambassador, whatsoever he shall hear and receive in charge, [that] will he speak; and he will shew you things to come as far as may be necessary to prepare and qualify you for the great work you shall be called to: and will acquaint you with future events, the prediction of which, as delivered by you, may be a lasting testimony to the truth of my gospel. 14 He shall glorify And he shall indeed glorify me in the most sig-14 me: for he shall re- nal manner; for he will take of mine, or of those ceive of mine, and doctrines which relate to me, and those benefits which I procure and bestow, and will reveal and shew [it] to you, in the most clear and attractive 15 All things that light. And indeed all things whatsoever the 15 the Father hath are Father hath are mine; and therefore, to express mine; therefore said I, that he shall take the whole system of evangelical truth, I said of mine, and shall unto you, that he will take of mine, and will shew shall shew it unto you. shew it unto you. [it] to you; since whatsoever he reveals to you IMPROVEMENT. How great is the ignorance and folly of them that persecute Ver. 2 their brethren in the name of the Lord, and kill his dear children d But you are not able to bear them now.] Those other things to which our Lord refers might probably relate to the abrogation of the ceremonial law, to the doctrine of justification by faith, the rejection of the Jews, the calling of the Gentiles, and the like; which might have given some offence to the under disciples, till their remaining prejudices, 326. elxxvii. Christ tells them, in a little time they should not see him; SECT. under the pretence of offering him an acceptable sacrifice! Thus were the apostles treated by those that knew not the God for whom 3 they professed all this burning zeal. Let us bless God that we are providentially sheltered from those effects of it which might otherwise bear so hard upon us: and let us diligently watch over our hearts, that no irregular affections may work there, and no uncharitable sentiments be harboured. When, like the apostles, our hearts are filled with sorrow let us be cautious that they may not be stupified by it, so that any call of duty should pass unheard or any opportunity of religious advancement unimproved; and 5, 6 let us not be indolent in our inquiries into the meaning of those dispensations which we do not understand; but seriously con-ider whether we are not sorrowful for that which is indeed designed for our advantage, and in the issue will be matter of rejoicing to 7 9, 10, 11 us. We hear to what purposes the Comforter was sent. His coming was designed in a peculiar manner for the advantage of the apostles 5 and was of greater service to them than the continuance of Christ's presence with them in the body would have been, not only to support and comfort them under all their trials, but to acquaint them with all necessary truth, and fully to instruct them in the myste8 ries of godliness. And he came also for the conviction of an apostate world; for the important errand he was sent upon was to awaken men's minds, and to convince them of their own guilt, and of Christ's righteousness, and of that awful judgment which should be executed on the most inveterate of his enemies. Let us often think of the force of the Spirit's testimony to the truth of Christianity, and endeavour to understand it in all its extent. Let us bless God that the gospel, and the character of his Son, were thus vindicated; and rejoice in the views of that complete conquest, to which Satan is already adjudged. In the mean time let us earnestly pray that the influences of the Holy Spirit may be communicated to us in such a manner that Christ may be glorified 14, 15 in us, and we in him; and that the things of Christ may be taken, and shewn to us by that Spirit; for it can only be done by means of his influence and operations. 13 SECT. clxxviii. John XVI. 16. SECT. CLXXVIII. Our Lord concludes his discourse with assuring his disciples that his separation from them would not be final, but that he would still act in their favour as their Guardian, and make them finally victorious. John XVI. 16. to the end. OU JOHN XVI. 16. JOHN XVI. 16. UR Lord continued and concluded this ex- A Little while and ye cellent discourse to his apostles in words to shall not see me: and and again, while and ye shall see me, because I go to the Father. Intimating thereby his death and burial. 327 clxxviii. John a little to the following purpose: It is yet but a little SECT. 17 Then said some themselves, What is But their thoughts were so taken up about 17 of his disciples among other things, and they had still such expectations this that he saith unto of his establishing an earthly kingdom, that, us, a little while and notwithstanding what he now had said was far ye shall not see me; from being obscure, they did not at first peneand again, a httle while and ye shall see trate into the meaning of it: [some] of his disme; and because I go ciples therefore said one to another, What is this that he says to us? A little while and ye shall not see me; and again, a little while and ye shall see me; and why does he add, Because I go to the Father? They said therefore among them- 18 selves. What is this little while of which he speaks? we know not what he says, and cannot apprehend what he means by it. to the Father? 18 They said therefore, What is this that we cannot tell what he he saith, A little while? saith. a Intimating-he would bring them to an eternal abode, &c.] As this sense is evidently much more important, so it appears to me more natural and easy than that of Mons. Le Clerc, who under tands it as if Christ had said, Though I am quickly to disappear from you, and be lodged in the grave, I shall soon come again, and make you another visit of some length, before I return to heaven by my ascension." His going to the Father was no proof of this, though it strongly proved his ability to introduce them to the heavenly world. I apprehend that the whole joy which Christ's resurrection and ascension, as connected with each other, gave them, is referred to in the following discourse, which therefore is so paraphrased as to include all that is pertinent and material in the explication above. b What is this that he says, &c.] There are so many passages in the preceding parts of this discourse which relate to Christ's going to his Father, (chap. xiv. 2, 12, 28. xv. 26. xvi. 10) that it is a strange instance of the dulness of the apostles that they did not understand him here. Perhaps it is recorded on purpose to shew what an alteration the Spirit afterwards made Now in them.-It is indeed difficult to imagine © Ye |