Whatever they ask in his name Christ will do it. works that I do, shall 305 bay unto you, he that you shall have, if possible, a yet stronger evi- SECT. believeth on me, the dence than what you have already received: for clxxiii. he do also: and greater he that believes in me", that is, many of my dis- John tworks than these shall ciples in these early ages, and each of you in XIV.12. he do; because I go particular, shall receive such an abundant com unto my Father. 13 And whatsoever ye shall ask in my that the Father may be name, that will I do, glorified in the Son. munication of the Spirit, that the miraculous And, in a word, you may depend upon it, that 13 A will do it. IMPROVEMENT. As we see in the beginning of this section that care of Christ Luke over his servants which may engage us cheerfully to trust him for xxii. 35, 38 providential supplies, when employed in his work, so we sec in the remainder of this, and in the following discourses, the most affectionate discoveries of the very heart of our blessed Redeemer, He that believes in me.] It is most evident, in fact, that though this promise be expressed in such indefinite language, it must be limited as in the paraphrase. • Whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, under the influence, &c.] As reason in over general requires some such limitation as is 306 Reflections on the benefits we have by Christ. SECT. Overflowing in every sentence with the kindest concern, not only clxxiii. for the safety but the comfort of his people. We see a lively image of that tenderness with which he will another day wipe away all tears from their eyes: (Rev. vii. 17.) Surely when he uttered these words he was also solicitous that our hearts might John not be troubled: and therefore has provided a noble cordial, the xiv. 1. strength of which shall continue to the remotest ages, even faith in his Father, and in him. Oh may that blessed principle be confirmed by what we have now been reading! Let us observe with what a holy familiarity our Lord speaks of the regions of glory; not, as his servants do, like one dazzled and overwhelmed with the brightness of the idea; but as accustomed 2 and familiarized to it by his high birth P. In my father's house are many mansions; (delightful and reviving thought!) and many inhabitants in them, whom we hope through grace will be our companions there, and every one of them increase and multiply the joy. It was not for the apostles alone that Christ went to prepare a place: he is entered into heaven as our Forerunner (Heb. vi. 20); and we, if we are believers indeed, may be said, by virtue of our union with him, to sit together in heavenly places in him. (Eph. ii. John 6.) Let us continually be tending thither, in more affectionate xiv. 4, 6. desires, and more ardent pursuits. We know the way; we hear the truth; oh may we also feel the life: By Christ, as the true and living way, may we come to the Father; that we may have eternal life, in knowing him, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom he has sent! (John xvii. 3.) In Christ may we see him, and have our eyes and our hearts open to those beams of the Divine glory which are reflected from the face of his only-begotten Son, who is full of grace and truth! (John i. 14.) Has he been thus discovered to us, as our Father, and our God, let it suffice us. Let it diffuse a sacred and lasting pleasure over our souls, though other desirable objects may be veiled or removed; and engage us to maintain a continual fellowship with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ. (1 John i. 3.) 9 8 To p With what a holy familiarity our Lord the weight of the subject: (compare Rom. speaks of the regions of glory, &c.] This viii. 18, 19; 1 Cor. ii. 9; xv. 50, & seq. is the remark of the pious archbishop of 2 Cor. iv. 17, 18; v. 1–9; xii. 2—4; Cambray, in his incomparable Dialogues on and 1 John iii. 2.) But Christ speaks of Eloquence (which may God put it into the it with a familiar ease and freedom; just as hearts of our preachers often and attentive- a prince, who had been educated in a splenly to read); and is much illustrated by ob- did court, would speak with ease of many serving how the apostles, when describing magnificent things, at the sudden view of the heavenly state, employ the most pomp- which a peasant would be swallowed up in ous and energetic language, and seem in- astonishment, and would find himself deed to labour for words, and to be almost greatly embarrassed in an attempt to exdazzled with the lustre and oppressed with plain them to his equals at home. • Thus Christ promises the Spirit as a Comforter. 307 clxxiii. To this we are invited by every declaration of his readiness to SECT. hear and answer our prayers: and though those miraculous powers of the Spirit are ceased, whereby the apostles were enabled to Ver. equal, or even to exceed, the works of their Master, yet as we have 13, 14 so many important errands to the throne of grace, in which the 12 glory of God and the salvation of our souls is concerned, let us come with a holy boldness to it, in dependance on Jesus, that great High priest over the house of God, who is passed into the heavens, and amidst all the grandeur of that exalted state regards his humble followers on earth, and ever appears under the character of their Advocate and their Friend. SECT. CLXXIV. Christ proceeds in his discourse with his disciples, recommending a regard to his commandments as the best proof of their love to him, promising his Spirit, and declaring his readiness to meet his approaching sufferings. John XIV. 15, to the end. JOHN XIV. 15. commandments. JOHN XIV. 15. IF ye love and keep. OUR Lord went on with his discourse to his SECT. apostles on this solemn occasion, and ob- clxxiv. serving the lively flow of their affection to him John in this tender conjuncture of circumstances, he xiv. 15 added, If you do indeed love me, express that love by a constant care to keep my commandments; for that will be a surer test, and more acceptable expression of your regard to me, than all your trouble and concern at parting 16 And I will pray with me. And thus you may depend on the 16 shall give you another correspondent expressions of my friendship to he you: and particularly that I will ask the Famay abide with you ther, and he will give you another Comforter", that he may more than supply the want of my bodily presence, and abide with you, not for a 17 Even the Spirit season only, as I have done, but for ever; [Even] 17 the Father, and he Comforter, that for ever; of Thus you may depend on the correspondent expressions of my friendship to you.] The connection may possibly intimate that they might hope for an abundant degree of the Spirit's communication, in proportion to the prevalency of their love to Christ. b He will give you another Comforter.] It is well known that the word waganan may signify a comforter, an advocate, or a monitor; and it is evident the blessed Spirit sustained each of these characters: but VOL. VII. the this being a consolatory discourse, I chose to 308 clxxiv. 13 He that hath his commands, and keeps them, world cannot receive, because it seeth him you, and shall be in 18 I will not leave come to you. 19 Yet a little while, me no more: but ye sce me: because I live, ye shall live also. SECT. the blessed Spirit of truth and grace, whom the of truth, whom the world cannot possibly receive as a Comforter, beJohn 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 ye know him in some measure, even now, by his you. 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. 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 surviv ing; 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 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 expe- in rimentally 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 me, and I in you. 21 He that hath my commandments, and that loveth me: and he that loveth me, shall be loved of my Father, and will manifest my keepeth them, he it is and I will love him, 22 Judas saith unto bim, priety a father, is elegantly and tenderly expressed by this word opgaves. (Compare 1 Thess. ii. 17, Gr.) See Elsner. Observ. Vol. I. p. 341. d Was The Father and Christ will love him, and come to him. 309 SECT. him, (not Iscariot,) Judas Iscariot; for he, as it was said before, was Lord, how is it that thou wilt manifest thy- gone out before our Lord began this discourse clxxiv. self unto us, and not (chap. xiii. 31, sect. clxxi ) and had he been unto the world? 23 Jesus answered and said unto him, If a him, and we will come our abode with him. John there, he was always too much on his guard to XIV.22. Jesus answered and said to him, As to that, it 23 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 temporal 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 spreading among thousands that spirit of wisdom, piety, and love, into which the whole and soul of the author seemed to be trans- e A near relation to our Lord himself.] |