Twenty-Five Lectures Upon the Lords Last Sermon and Conference, Lecture 24
THE XXIV. LECTVRE, OF CHRISTES PRAYER BEFORE HIS PASSION.
IOHN, CHAP. xvii. VERS. 22.23.24.
22 And the glorie that thou gauest mee, J hauehave giuen them, that they may bee one, as wee are one,
23 I in them, and thou in mee, that they may bee made perfect in one; and that the world may know, that thou haſt ſent mee, and haſt loued them as thou haſt loued mee.
24 Father, J will, that they which thou haſt giuen mee, bee with mee, euen where I am, that they may beholde that my glorie, which thou haſt giuen mee: for thou louedſt mee before the foundation of the world.
IN the laſt part of this PRAYER (Wel beloued in the Lord Ieſus) the Lord, after that hee hath prayed for himſelfe, that the Father would glorifie him; and after that hee had prayed for his Diſciples, to wit, the eleuen, (for hee prayeth not for Judas, becauſe hee was the ſonne of perdition,) at laſt he conceiueth a Prayer for the whole faithfull to the ende of the worlde: I pray not, ſayeth the Lord, for them onelie, that is, for my Diſciples, but I pray for all them that will belieue in mee, through their word. The thing which he prayeth for the whole faithfull, is this, That they may bee one in this worlde, joyned in one heart and minde, to make vp in this Earth that glorious bodie of Ieſus Chriſt: that is the thing hee prayeth for. The firſt argument yee hearde the laſt daye, which was from the ende of that vnion of men and women, in the Kirke of God, and of the making vp of the bodie of Ieſus Chriſt: Then the world ſhall know, that Chriſt is ſent of the Father: In that conjunction and vnion, they ſhall ſee that Ieſus Chriſt is the Meſsias, ſent of the Father, to the worlde, for the redemption of the world: that is the firſt argument.
Now wee goe forward in this preſent Text, to the ſecond argument of his petition, for the whole faythfull to the ende of the world. The ſecond argument is taken from the end of that glorie which the Father hath giuen to the Sonne, and that the Sonne hath giuen to the faythfull: the ende of all this, is, That there ſhould be an vnion and conjunction amongſt the members of one bodie of Ieſus Chriſt in the Earth. The glory that the Father gaue to the Sonne, and the glorie that the Sonne gaue to vsus, tendeth to this end, that we be joyned together in the Earth, to make vp the bodie of Ieſus Chriſt: Seeing that all the glorie that thou haſt giuen mee, and I hauehave giuen them, ſerueth to this, that they may bee one, as we are one▪ this is the thing I pray for, That they may bee vnited in one bodie. The glorie, ſayeth the Lord, that thou haſt giuen mee, I hauehave giuen it vntounto them: That is, to the whole faythfull: not to his Diſciples onlie, but to the whole faythfull to the end of the worlde. What is the glorie that the Father hath giuen to the Sonne? The next word expoundeth it, and maketh it cleare: The glorie that the Father giueth to the Sonne, ſtandeth in this, that the Father is in the Sonne: I in them, and thou in mee. The Father is in the Sonne: the Father hath giuen himſelfe to the Sonne. This is high, but I ſhall make it plaine to you: In the eternall generation, wherein the Father begot the Sonne from all eternity, without beginning, the Father communicated with the Sonne that whole glorious ſubſtance and nature: and as ſoone as hee communicated with the Sonne his whole glorious nature and ſubſtance, ſo ſoone the Father and the Sonne became one in nature and ſubſtance: And therefore, conſidering this communication of the nature and ſubſtance of the Father and the Sonne, it is ſaide, that the Father is in the Sonne, to wit, in nature and ſubſtance, and that the Father hath giuen to the Sonne his glorie: For, Brethren, what is the glorie of God? Nothing but the glorious eſſence and nature of God: and this is the glorie that he giueth to the Sonne. What is meant againe by this glorie that the Sonne giueth to the Father? The wordes in the next Verſ. maketh it plaine, I in them: The glorie that the Sonne hath giuen vsus, is nothing but himſelfe: it ſtandeth in this, That the Sonne is in euerie one of the faythfull. To make it more plaine: In our Regeneration and newe birth, the Sonne of God, Ieſus Chriſt, communicateth to euerie one of the faythfull, borne anewe againe, his holie Spirit: and ſo, as Peter ſpeaketh, 2. Epiſt. Chap. 1. verſ. 4. he maketh vsus partakers of that diuine-nature: There is not one of vsus, that hath gotten that holie Spirit of Ieſus Chriſt, but, in a manner, wee are made partakers of that diuine nature: Yea, in our Regeneration, the Sonne of God giueth vntounto vsus himſelfe. This is a great prerogatiue to thy ſoule, to get God to dwell in thee: for where the holy Spirite is, there is fayth: for the Spirite breedeth fayth in the heart: and where fayth is, there is Ieſus Chriſt. Haſt thou fayth? thou haſt Chriſt. The ſaying of the Apoſtle PAVL to the Epheſians muſt bee true, Christ dwelleth in the heart by fayth. Haſt thou fayth in Ieſus Chriſt? thou haſt Ieſus Chriſt, the Sonne of God: and if thou haſt fayth, thou haſt the holie Spirite in thine heart: and if thou hauehave the Sonne, thou haſt the Father: and if thou hauehave the Father, thou haſt the glorious Trinitie in thee, the Father, the Sonne, and the holie Spirite. Well then, Brethren, conſider this giuing of Chriſt, wherein hee giueth himſelfe vntounto vsus: by this Regeneration the Lord is in euerie faythfull man and woman: that is the meaning. As the Father communicateth himſelfe to the Sonne, ſo the Sonne communicateth himſelfe to euerie one of vsus: and, as it were, hee communicateth that diuine nature vntounto vsus in this life, and much more in the life euerlaſting.
But to come to the ende of the glorie that the Father giueth to the Sonne, and that the Sonne giueth to the faythfull, that is, That they may bee one, as wee are one. The Father being in the Sonne, the Father and the Sonne becommeth one, in that glorious ſubſtance and nature: and then the Sonne, the Lord Ieſus Chriſt, being in vsus, there riſeth not onelie a conjunction of vsus and him together, a conjunction of the bodie and the head, but there riſeth alſo another, to wit, a conjunction with the reſt of the members of his bodie in the Earth: For, Brethren, where the Spirite of Ieſus is, where Fayth is, where Chriſt is in the heart of anie man or woman, there, of neede force, louelove muſt bee: fayth and charitie are vnſeparable: Where that bande of perfection is, as the Apoſtle PAVL calleth it, in the third Chapter to the Coloſſians, Verſ. 14. Where fayth in Chriſt is in thine heart, thou muſt bee joyned with the Kirke of God, and with thy neighbour. And this is our perfection, that euerie one of vsus is joyned with another in this bande of louelove. There is no perfection of a member in this worlde, when it is ſundered from the reſt of the members: Cutte off a member from the bodie, it doeth no good, but periſheth: Cut off the hand from the bodie, whereto ſerueth it? Or, cut off the foote, what perfection ſhall it hauehave? Take the eye out of the head, whereto ſerueth it? So the perfection of euerie one of vsus, ſtandeth in the conjunction of vsus together, in the bodie of Ieſus Chriſt. Wouldeſt thou bee perfect? Bee thou an hande, or a foote, or ſome member, (yea, if it were but a little To…,) of the bodie of Ieſus Chriſt, that is▪ of the Kirke, or elſ… thou art but a rotten member. If hee were a King, if hee bee ſeparated from the Kirke of God, hee is but a ſtinking vilde member, and ſerueth for no vſe, and in ende ſhall bee caſten into the fire.
The doctrine which wee ſee heere, Brethren, is, That vertue which commeth from Ieſus Chriſt: For all grace and life floweth from him, and commeth to vsus, by vertue of that conjunction betwixt him and vsus: the vertue is not to make a man perfect in himſelfe, and abſolute with all ſorte of graces: that is not the vertue of IESVS CHRIST, to make anie man ſo abſolutelie perfect, that hee ſhall not hauehave neede to begge anie thing at his neighbour: But this is the vertue that commeth from IeSVS CHRIST our Head, to make all, one man; and not to make one member, the whole bodie: but to make one, an eye in the bodie, and another an hande, and another a foote, &c. And not to ſet vp anie one man, no, not the Emperour, nor the King, to make him the whole bodie.
Then, Brethren, this grace of IESVS CHRIST, is to make a conjunction amongſt the members, and not to giuegive vntounto him, or her, all grace: Yea, though it were the Emperour, or the King, the LORD will giuegive him but parte of grace: And hee will giuegive that grace to the ſobereſt Subject in the Lande, which hee will not giuegive vntounto the King: And againe, hee will giuegive vntounto the King, that which hee will not giuegive vntounto the Subiect. For, hee will giuegive to one, to doe the office of a Foote, and to another to doe the office of an Eye, and to ſome other, to doe the office of the Hande, &c. Nowe the Foote cannot bee the Hande, nor the Hande the Foote: So it is with the members of IESVS CHRIST: And wee ſee by experience, yee ſhall neuer ſee that one man hath gotten all graces: but hee who hath gotten one grace, hee wanteth another, and his neighbour hath gotten that which he wanteth. This the Lord doth, that there may be a conjunction of the members, & to make thee ioyne with thy neighbour, becauſe hee hath the grace that thou wanteſt: for if euerie man had all graces, euerie man would misknow another. The man that will ſtand vp in a prowde conceit of himſelfe, and will mount aboue the Kirke, and contemne anie member of that bodie, howbeit it were the ſillieſt member of Ieſus Chriſt, hee is nothing, and hee ſhall hauehave no portion of grace. If thou joyneſt not thy ſelfe with thy neighbours, and with the members of Ieſus Chriſt, thou haſt no grace.
Yet he inſiſteth in the commendation of this conjunction: for it is a bleſſed conjunction, to bee joyned with the Kirke of Ieſus Chriſt in this world: of all bleſsinges it is the greateſt, if thou be a true member in the Kirke, if it were but the foote, thou haſt gotten a greater bleſsing than thou hadſt gotten all the Kingdomes of the worlde. As therefore thou wouldeſt bee partaker of that life to come, looke that thou be a member of the bodie of Ieſus Chriſt: if thou bee not the eye, thinke it a great thing to bee the foote, or to bee a Toe of that glorious bodie. Hee commendeth it from two endes: the firſt is. The worlde ſhall knowe, that J am ſent from thee, as hee ſaide Verſ. 21. Wouldeſt thou know that Ieſus Chriſt is the Meſsias? bee conjoyned in that bodie of Ieſus Chriſt. Another is, The worlde ſhall knowe, that thou haſt loued the faythfull, as thou haſt loued mee. Wouldeſt thou knowe, that God loueth the faythfull, and that hee ſhoweth merciemercy? joyne thee to the bodie. There are the two endes of the conjunction and joyning together of the members: The firſt is, the glorie of the Sonne: the ſecond is, the glorie of the Father: for by this conjunction, it is knowne, howe dearelie the Father hath loued the Sonne: and by this, it is knowne, that the Father hath loued the world: not with a common louelove: hee hath not loued the worlde onelie as a workeman loueth his worke-man-ſhip; but as the Father hath loued the Sonne: that is, with a Fatherlie louelove: that is another ſort of louelove than a common louelove. What auaileth it to thee to knowe, that God loueth thee as his creature, if thou bee not aſſured that hee loueth thee with that entire louelove, wherewith he loued his Sonne: and that hee loueth thee with that Fatherlie louelove, and with the bowels of pittie? And if he louelove thee as his Son, he ſheweth it in this, That hee gaue his Sonne for thee: for except the Father had loued thee as his Sonne, with that Fatherlie louelove, hee had neuer ſent Ieſus Chriſt to redeeme thee. The ſending of Ieſus Chriſt teſtifieth, that hee loued thee with a Fatherlie louelove.
Wee ſee heere, wherefore God hath a Kirke in this worlde. Wherefore is there a communion and conjunction of ſoules heere in this Earth? Thinke not that a Kirke is gathered for none end. Wherefore is it then, that there is a Kirke? In a worde, It is, that the glorie of the Father ſhould ſhine, in that ſocietie and coniunction of the Sainctes in the Earth. Ieſus Chriſt is glorified in his Kirke, and the Father of Ieſus Chriſt is alſo glorified in it: They who diuide and diſſeuer the Kirke of Ieſus Chriſt in the Earth, they doe nothing elſe, but to deface the glorie of Ieſus Chriſt, and the glorie of the Father. Wilt thou ſlay and perſecute the Kirke of Chriſt? What doeſt thou? Nothing but defaceſt, and ſcorneſt the glorie of Ieſus Chriſt. What are theſe men doing, that perſecute the Kirke that the Lord hath gathered in this Land? Nothing but ſmoaring the glorie of the Father, and the Sonne: and the Lord ſhall turne their glorie to ſhame and confuſion: I giuegive them their doome, The Father of Heauen ſhall turne them, and all that ſhall conioyne with them, to ſhame and confuſion.
Marke the order, howe the glorie of the Father, and of the Sonne, is knowne: Firſt, wee knowe, that the Sonne is ſent from the Father, for vsus and our redemption. Next, by the ſending of the Sonne for vsus, wee knowe tne vnſpeakeable louelove of the Father towardes vsus. Nowe I goe forwarde: When hee hath prayed for this coniunction and vnitie of the faythfull on the Earth, that they may bee ioyned in one bodie; hee is not content with this, but hee ſeeketh more: Father, ſayeth hee, where I am, I will that they bee there: that they may ſee that glorie that thou haſt giuen mee. The Lord ſeeketh not onelie glorie to the faythfull in this life, but glorie in the life to come. Hee intercedeth not onelie for thee, that thou mayeſt hauehave glorie in this life, but alſo that thou bee glorified in the Heauens after this life. For, Brethren, the Lord Ieſus conſidered very well, that our felicitie is not bounded within the compaſſe of this Earth. That is a miſerable happineſſe, that is bounded within this life: thou art but a catiue, if thou lockeſt for none other happineſſe: as PAVI▪ ſayeth, in the firſt Epiſtle to the Corinthians, Chap. 15. Verſ. 19. Jf our fayth bee onelie in this worlde, of all men in the worlde, wee are the moſt miſerable. So if thou haſt this grace onelie in this life, thou art miſerable: for all the graces that thou getteſt, if thy felicitie reach not beyonde this worlde, and beyond all eternitie, thou art miſerable. Felicitie hath none ende: the bleſſedneſſe of the faythfull man, or woman, hath none ende: it is not drawne within the compaſſe of this Earth, but it paſſeth aboue the Heauens, and extendeth it to all eternitie.
Nowe our happineſſe ſtandeth in this coniunction and vnion, partlie with our Head, and our God, and with our Neighbour, to make one bodie to Ieſus Chriſt. In theſe two partes ſtandenth our felicitie. Thou beginneſt this coniunction in this life, but it ſhall neuer bee ended: the perfection ſhall bee in Heauen: when wee ſhall come to Heauen, & meete with him there, then our coniunction with Chriſt, and with the members of his body, men and Angels ſhall be perfect. The thing that worketh this coniunction, and bringeth out charitie, and ioyneth thee with thy neighbour, is faith in Chriſt: for we liue by faith, and not by ſight: when thou caſteſt thine eye afarre off to Chriſt, (for he is as farre from thee as the Earth is from the Heauen) howbeit thou be in heauineſſe and languor, thou ſhalt once get peace and ioye, when thou lookeſt to Heauen. It is but a farre ſight, to looke thorowe the clowdes, to ſee thy Redeemeer at the right hande of the Father: but this is not the perfection: the accomplishment is by a full and cleare ſight, when wee ſhall pierce the Heauens, and ſhall ſee him, not in a mirrour, but face to face: then the members ſhall bee perfected, when wee ſhall ſee him, and the glorie that the Father hath giuen vntounto him. This is common: But, O that thou couldeſt feele it ſenſiblie in thine heart, to thy ioy and conſolation! J will, that they be where I am, that they may ſee the glorie that thou haſt given mee, before the foundation of the worlde. Ere euer wee gette the preſence of IESVS CHRIST, ere wee ſee him face to face, wee muſt chaunge our dwelling place: wee will not gette the ſight of Chriſt heere in this Earth: Looke not to gette the ſight of that glorie heere in the Earth: thou muſt flitte out of the Earth, to the Heauen: Whatſoeuer ſoule would ſee his glorie, that ſoule muſt flitte: and before euer wee chaunge our dwelling place, wee muſt firſt be chaunged: wee muſt hauehave a chaunge of our ſelues: There is neuer anie man, nor woman, that ſhall gette entrie into that SAnctuarie where the LORD IESVS ſitteth in glorie, but hee who is chaunged in himſelfe: It is impoſſible for a man or a woman to enter into Heauen, with this mortalitie, or with this death, or with this corruption. What are vvee but dead, and mortall creatures? Then, thou muſt chaunge corruption, into corruption; and thou muſt chaunge thy mortall bodie, into a glorious bodie. Nowe, this chaunge of man and woman cannot bee but by death: What ſtriketh more terrour to thine heart than death? Yet there is no chaunge, but by death or elſe that which ſhall ſtande vsus in ſteade of death: as when Chriſt ſhall come the clowdes in the latter day, wee muſt bee chaunged in the twinkling of an eye. This doctrine tendeth to this, that wee abhorre not death altogether, and the leauing of this life, that deat bee not ſo heauie to vsus: for howbeit nature abhorre it, yet of a mortall bodie, it maketh an immortall, and it tendeth to take thee out of this Earth, and to tranſport thee to that Heauenlie Paradiſe, where Jeſus Chriſt ſitteth in glorie: Yea, and this I affirme, There is no man, nor woman, that hath a deſire to bee with Chriſt, but hee groaneth vnderunder the burthen of mortalitie, and would willingly imbrace death, to bee with Chriſt: yea, the rememberance of his departure out of this life, is ioyfull to him. Fie vponupon that man, who hath his heart and affections knitee and glewed to the world, euer ſeeking worldie honours, or pleaſures, &c. Thou ſouldeſt hauehave that diſpoſition which Paul had: looke what hee hee ſayeth, J deſire to bee diſſolued: I hauehave confidence, that J ſhall yet remaine with you, but I chooſe rather to flitte out of this bodie, and to goe and dwell with my Lord. Let vsus not bee like Ethnickes, who hauehave no bleſſedneſſe, but beaſtlie bleſſedneſſe, and looke for no bleſſedneſſe after his life. If thou hauehave not an eye to Heaven, and to that heauenlie bleſſednſſe, there is no bleſſedneſſe for thee.
This is to bee marked: Who is it that will make this flitting from the Earth, to Heauen? Not euerie bodie, but onelie ſo manie as the Father hath choſen from all eternitie. Neuer one ſhall gette entrie to that Light, and to that holie Sanctuarie, but that ſoule whome the Father hath giuen to the Sonne. If thou bee once giuen to the Sonne, and once put into his handes, howbeit thou bee a Pilgrime for while, (for thine inheritance is not heere:) howbeit thy bodie bee walking in ſadneſſe and heauineſſe, howbeit thou bee wandering farre from Chriſt on the Earth, yet of neceſſitie thou ſhalt once dwell where Chriſt is. This doctrine is verie common, yet comfortable: That bodie that is ſeparated from his Lord, and getteth not that fruition of his preſence, once hee ſhall goe, where he ſhall get that preſence, howbeit not incontinent, once hee ſhall bee lifted vp aboue the Earth, and ſhall dwell in glorie with Ieſus Chriſt. The thing in the world that ſhould be moſt perſwaded of, is, That we are giuen to Ieſus Chriſt. There is no conſolation for thee, and thou needeſt not looke euer to dwell in Heauē with Ieſus Chriſt, if thou findeſt not this perſwaſion, that Ieſus Chriſt is become thy Lord, and hath conqueſſed thee out of the handes of ſinne and death. There is none other conſolation in life, (although thou ſhouldeſt liue ten thouſande yeeres,) and much more in death, without this, thou ſhalt find no conſolation: but euen in death, if thou findeſt this perſwaſion, that thou lyeſt ſleeping in the armes of Ieſus Chriſt, then thou ſhalt finde conſolation: and when the ſoule is departing out of the bodie, it ſhall find in experience that joye.
Nowe yet the ende would bee marked: There is the ende, That they may ſee my glorie that thou haſt giuen mee. It is true indeede, in this life the faythfull get a ſight of the glorie of Ieſus Chriſt: for if there were not a ſight of that glorie, wherefore would all the pleaſure of the worlde ſerue? Thou wiſt neuer what joye meaned, if thou getteſt not a ſight of that glorie: But yet, I ſay, all the ſight of Ieſus Chriſt, which wee hauehave in this life, is, as it were, but in a mirrour, and in a looking-glaſſe: it is but a darke ſight that thou haſt of him: This is by the Preaching of the Goſpel, wherein yee hauehave Chriſt, first crucified, and then glorified. What is our Preaching, but that Chriſt hath beene firſt crucified, and nowe glorified, at the right hande of the Father, for the juſtification and ſanctification of the worlde? This is that darke ſight which wee hauehave heere: but one daye wee ſhall bee there where hee is, and wee ſhall ſee him face to face, and wee ſhall ſee ſuch a glorious Majeſtie, as wee would neuer hauehave looked for: thou canſt not looke for enough: hope for as much as thou wilt, when thou ſhalt bee with him, it neuer entered into the heart of man, that which once with the eyes of the bodie, thou ſhalt ſee. And therefore hee ſayeth, That they may ſee that glorie, as though they ſawe it neuer. Wherefore ſhall it ſerue thee to ſee the glorie of Ieſus Chriſt? When once thou ſhalt ſee that Glorie face to face, then perpetuallie, tide and time, thou ſhalt glorifie him. What is the cauſe that wee cannot glorifie Chriſt in the Earth, as wee ſhall doe in the Heauens? Becauſe wee hauehave not ſuch a bright ſight of his glorie, in the Earth, in this mortalitie, as wee ſhall hauehave in the Heauens. And if yee ſee a man, yee will know him better than to heare ſpeaking of him: The greater ſight thou haſt of Chriſt, the more thou ſhalt glorifie him. A man that hath the ſmaller ſight of him, ſhall glorifie him the leſſe: but that man that hath no ſight, woe is him; for hee will gette no glorie. Theſe diſſolute men and women, who hauehave no delight to glorifie him, and hauehave gotten no ſight of him, ſhall gette no glorie: Therefore, when we ſhall gette the full ſight, euen that ſhining ſight, our delight ſhall bee to looke to our King: and wee ſhall maruell, that euer creature could ſee ſuch a glorie: and wee ſhall delight to glorifie him that ſitteth vponupon the Throne: and when we ſhall ſee him, then daye and night our Song ſhall bee as it is written, in the Revelation, Chap. 4. Verſ. 8. Holie, holie, holie, is the Great GOD Almightie, who was, and who is, and who is to come. What is the cauſe of that? Becauſe of the brightneſſe of the glorie, which ſhall ſtrike out from him, vponupon vsus: the crie ſhall neuer goe out of our mouth. Well is that ſoule that will ſtriue to glorifie him! And that ſoule that can once ſtudie to glorifie him, that ſoule ſhall ſaye for euer, Holie is the Lord. But ſhall wee not bee the better of it? When thou lookeſt to a King in his glorie, thou art neuer an haire the better: But it ſhall bee farre otherwayes with thee, when thou ſhalt ſee him. So ſoone as wee ſhall ſee that glorie, wee ſhall bee as ſoone transformed: that bright face of the Sunne of Righteouſneſſe, ſhall ſtrike out the beames of his glory vponupon thee, and the beames ſhall goe to thine heart, and ſhall illuminate thy ſoule, and ſhall ſhoote out that darkneſſe, and ſhall make thy bodie ſhine more brightlie that the Sunne. So wee ſhall not ſo ſoone ſee him face to face, after that glorious Reſurrection, but as ſoone thou ſhalt bee transformed to glorie, and thou ſhalt ſhine like an Angel of Light. Looke to the ende of the third Chapter of Paul in the 2. Epiſt. to the Corinthians: Wee, with vncouered faces, beholde, as in a mirrour, the glorie of the Lord; and it transformeth vsus into that ſame image, from glorie to glorie. The more that a man heareth of the Goſpel, the ſoule is the more illuminate: and the bodie that will take heede, will finde the glorifying of the ſoule in ſome meaſure: and then, when wee ſhall ſee him out of the bodie, when we ſhall blinke on that glorious countenance, then both bodie and ſoule ſhall bee glorified.
He draweth the glorie which the Father hath giuen him from the ground, Becauſe thou haſt loued mee before the foundation of the worlde was laid. The glory the Father giueth to the Sonne, is of an infinite louelove, and vnſpeakeable. Would yee meaſure the glorie of the Sonne, and the greatneſſe of it, and when it beganne? Looke to the louelove the Father bare to the Sonne: in greatneſſe it is infinite: thine heart is not capable of the thouſand part of that louelove: It is infinite. Who can tell it? How can my finite heart tell it? If the louelove be infinite, then the glory is infinite. He ſayd, his Father loued him from all eternitie: that louelove had neuer a beginning, therfore the glory had neuer a beginning, as hee ſayth himſelfe before in the 5. verſ. of this Chap. Wouldeſt thou know the end? It hath none ende. It is not like the louelove of man: the louelove of the Father to the Sonne, it is euerlaſting: and therfore, the glory of Ieſus Chriſt it ſhall neuer hauehave an end, howbeit it was obſcured for a time. Farder, ye may perceiue, when he ſpeaketh of his glory, he draweth in the louelove of the Father, to himſelfe. This is an argument, that in ſpeaking of that glory, he hath a ſenſe of that infinite louelove. So the joye, and the glory, of the Sonne of God, wherein ſtandeth it? His ioy, and glory, ſtandeth, in that he hath gotten it, not with reafe or robbery, but with the louelove of the Father. Wouldeſt thou poſſeſſe any benefit of God with pleaſure? & wouldeſt thou hauehave ioy with it? What if thou hadſt all the world, and hadſt no pleaſure nor ioy in it? All gifts are from the Father of Heauen, the Father of Ieſus Chriſt. Wouldeſt thou then hauehave pleaſure in the gift? Looke that the giuer louelove thee, ſtriue to feele that hee giueth thee it in louelove: and then, though the gift bee neuer ſo ſmall, yea, if it were but a Dinner, or a fill of Meat, thou ſhalt hauehave more ioy in the participation of it, if thou take it becauſe he loueth thee, than if he wold caſt vntounto thee a Kingdome, if thou feeleſt not his louelove. Hee will throwe a Kingdome to a Loune, to a wicked man, &c. as who would throw a bone to a Dogge. But as for thee, whēthou getteſt any thing, looke thou get it not in anger, or els it ſhall neuer doe thee good: if thou wouldeſt hauehave it to bee vntounto thee an erneſt-pennie of heauenly things, looke that thou findeſt the louelove of the giuer: otherwayes eſteeme nought of it: thou mayeſt well hauehave it, but it ſhall be for thy deſtruction: but if thou getteſt it of louelove, he will warne thee, he will make the holy Spirit to powre into thine heart, a greater ſweetneſſe of his louelove, than thou canſt finde in the participation of the benefit it ſelfe. Therefore, in all benefites thou receiueſt, euer caſt thee to feele that God loueth thee in Ieſus Chriſt, who hath died and riſen for thee: And if thou hauehave a ſenſe of that louelove, that Spirit ſhall worke in thy ſoule an vnspeakeable ioye, which ſhall bee the earneſt-pennie of that eternall ioy which thou ſhalt get in the Heauens, through Ieſus Chriſt: To whome, with the Father, and the holy Spirit, be all honour and prayſe, for euermore. AMEN.