Twenty-Five Lectures Upon the Lords Last Sermon and Conference, Lecture 25

Twenty-Five Lectures Upon the Lords Last Sermon and Conference · Lecture 25

p. 257THE XXV. LECTVRE, OF CHRISTES PRAYER BEFORE HIS PASSION.

IOHN, CHAP. xxvii. VERS. 25.26.

25 O righteous Father, the world alſo hath not knowne thee, but I hauehave knowne thee, and theſe hauehave knowne, that thou haſt ſent mee.

26 And J hauehave declared vntounto them thy Name, and will declare it, that the louelove wherewith thou haſt loued mee, may bee in them, and J in them.

WEE hauehave heard (Welbeloued in the LORD IESVS CHRIST) that the LORD in the laſt parte of his Prayer, which hee maketh to his Father, prayeth not onelie for his Diſciples, but generallie for the whole faythfull▪ to the ende of the worlde. Now in this TEXT which wee hauehave read, hee returneth againe to his Diſciples, and hee maketh a Prayer eſpeciallie for them, becauſe they had moſt adoe in the worlde, and were to bee ſent out into the worlde, to win others to the Kingdome of Heauen: Therefore the Lord moſt of all remembereth them in his Prayer, and moſt earneſtlie recommendeth them to the Father: for thoſe whome the Lord hath ordained to win others, of all men in the worlde they hauehave moſt neede of Prayer; becauſe if they bee not vpholden, not only are they loſt themſelues, but alſo in them ſtandeth the loſſe of the whole worlde, and of the whole Congregation of Ieſus Chriſt, to whome they are ſent. Therefore the Lord in all his Prayers, and eſpeciallie in this his laſt Prayer, is moſte earneſt in recommending of them to the Father.

Now in the laſt wordes, which were immediatelie before theſe wordes which we hauehave read, the Lord ſpeaketh of that louelove which the Father bare to him, ere euer the ground-ſtone, or foundation p. 258of the worlde was layde. And now in this petition that hee maketh for his Diſciples, hee beſeecheth his Father to communicate with them that louelove which hee bare vntounto him: For all graces, and of all ben…fites in the world, the louelove of God is the greateſt: and hee or ſhee, that hath gotten the louelove of God in their heart, and feel…th that God loueth them, hauehave the moſt precious Iewell that euer was: Therefore, the Lord beſeecheth the Father, in the ende of this Prayer, that the lou… that hee bare to him, hee would communicate it to his Diſciples, whome he was to leaue behinde him in the worlde. The argument that he vſeth, is taken from that ende both of the knowledge that the Sonne hath of his Father, and of that whole obedience that the Sonne gaue to the Father, as alſo of the knowledge that the Diſciples had of him: the ende of all this, is, That the Father ſhould louelove them: And therefore, ſeeing the ende of all, was, That the louelove of the Father ſhould bee in them; the Lord beſeecheth the Father to louelove them, in theſe wordes, O righteous Father. There is the ſtile which he giueth him, O righteous Father, the worlde hath not knowne thee, but I have knowne thee, and theſe hauehave knowne, that thou haſt ſent mee, and I hauehave manifeſted thy Name vntounto them, and ſhall manifeſt it farther: and all to this ende, That thy louelove may bee in them, and I in them. There is the whole TEXT: Hee ſtileth him Father, a warme word, and a louing ſtile: Hee ſtileth him, Righteous Father, reſpecting the petition which hee had in hand: It is a verie righteous and juſt thing, which hee ſeeketh of the Father: Therefore hee calleth him Righteous Father: Thou wilt graunt that thing which is righteous and good: but it is a righteous thing to the Father, to louelove them who know him, and belieue in Ieſus Chriſt: that the Father ſhoulde meete fayth in Chriſt with louelove, it is a juſt thing. So, conſidering this, hee ſtileth him, Righteous, and Iuſt Father.

Marke it, Brethren: Looke what thing thou wouldeſt hauehave GOD doing vntounto thee, and what worke thou wouldeſt hauehave him working, acknowledge him to bee ſuch in nature, qualitie, and condition, as is the thing that thou askeſt of him by thy prayer. Wouldeſt thou hauehave him doing anie worke of power? Then in asking, ſtile him according therevnto, and call him, GOD Omnipotent. Wouldeſt thou hauehave him working a worke of wiſedome? Then when thou askeſt that of him, ſtile him according therevnto, and call him, Onelie wiſe GOD: as DANIEL, ſeeking a Reuelation, and ſeeking out the knowledge of IESVS p. 259CHRIST, ſayeth, To thee appertaineth Power, O GOD, and Wiſedome. If thou wouldeſt hauehave a worke of merciemercy done, apprehende him in his merciemercy, and call him, Mercifull GOD, and ſaye, O moſte mercifull GOD, giuegive mee merciemercy. And wouldeſt thou hauehave him doing a worke of Iustice? Then looke that thou knowe him to bee a moſte juſt GOD, and giuegive him a ſtile conforme therevnto, and ſay, O moſte juſt GOD, and ſo foorth: For Brethren, except the heart of man in prayer, when he ſeeketh anie worke of GOD, as a worke of power, or a worke of merciemercy, or a worke of wiſedome, or of juſtice, &c. except, I ſaye, the heart of him that prayeth, take the apprehenſion of the nature of GOD, that hee is mercifull, that hee is Almightie, and that hee is juſt, and wiſe, and ſo foorth: except this apprehenſion of his nature be in thine heart, thy prayer can hauehave none effect. Howe canſt thou ſeeke him to worke a worke of merciemercy, or of wiſedome, and haſt none aſſurance, that hee is mercifull or wiſe?

So, the firſt thing in prayer, that wee ſhould ſtriue to, is, euer to hauehave a knowledge and confidence of thy GOD, and of his eſſentiall properties: otherwayes, the heart ſhall not bee aſſured, (thou mayeſt well pray for the faſhion,) except firſt of all thine heart and minde conceiue him, in his nature, to bee a mercifull, juſt, and powerfull GOD. And therefore, the thing in the worlde, that is moſte requiſite, is to knowe GOD, ſo farre as this little heart and minde can conceiue and gripe that infinite Majeſtie: It is needfull for thee to knowe that glorious Majeſtie, in thoſe eſſentiall properties, in his MercieMercy, Iustice, and ſo foorth: and to knowe him in all thoſe thinges in Ieſus Chriſt: for all the knowledge of GODS nature, and of his properties, without Ieſus Chriſt, ſhall neuer auaile. So the thing which we ſhould ſeeke, is to know our GOD in Ieſus Chriſt. This for the ſtile.

Now to goe forward: hee commeth to the ſetting out, firſt▪ of his knowledge of the Father, and then of the knowledge of the Diſciples, that they had of the Father, and of the Sonne. But before he ſpeaketh anie thing of theſe knowledges, he ſetteth down that misknowledge, and that wilful & obſtinate ignorance of the world: The world hath not knowne thee. Alace, that there ſhould be ſuch a multitude in the world, in ſuch darke ignorance of ſo bright and glorious a Majeſtie, that ſhineth in the worlde, in that glorious worde! and yet they hauehave no ſight of him. Wouldeſt thou eſchewe this ignorance? and gette a ſight of thy ſinne? For the p. 260miſerable world, howbeit the Sunne of Righteouſneſſe be ſhining into it, it ſeeth him not, neither can it gette any apprehenſion of him. Striue to get thine eyes opened, to ſee that glory, wherein ſtandeth thy ſaluation: No ſaluation to thee without that ſight of Ieſus Chriſt: if thine eyes abide cloſe, and ſee him not, they ſhall neuer bee opened, but ſhall remaine cloſe euerlaſtingly: and neuer a ſight ſhall doe thee good, to thy joy, but that ſight.

Now he ſetteth downe this wilfull ignorance of the world, and ſetteth it before the Father, to the ende the Father ſhould account the more of them that knewe him, conſidering that ſo many miſknewe him: for yee knowe the Prouerbe, Quod rarum, charum, That thing which is rare, is deare. That thing that fewe hath, it is precious: the rarer fayth is in the world, the more precious: the fewer they bee that are faythfull, the more precious, and the dearer are they in the ſight of God. I tell it againe, The fewer that the number bee, which truely belieueth in Ieſus Chriſt, the more precious are they, and the dearer in the ſight of God. The deareſt thing in the ſight of God is a faythfull man or woman in the worlde: and therefore, Brethren, this is a falſe concluſion of the Aduerſaries: The multitude with the Pope and his Clergie; the Kinges and the Princes of the world imbrace not your Religion; imbrace not the veritie of the Goſpel, which yee profeſſe; therefore your Religion is not to be counted of. By the contrary, it followeth, The worlde imbraceth it not, therefore the Lord accounteth the more of it. And if I were to make a Prayer for the profeſſours of the Goſpel, to the Lord, I would vſe this argument of the Lords, and I would ſay, Lord, the worlde ſeeth not this light, and fewe are they that ſee it; therefore I recommend them vntounto thee, for the few number are deare to thee. Let the Papiſtes holde this ſtill as a true note of their Kirke, Kinges, and Princes, and the great multitude, imbraceth their Religion: let them holde ſtill that Note, it ſhall deceiue them, it hath blind-folded them to euerlaſting destruction.

Then hee commeth firſt to his owne knowledge, and hee ſayeth, I hauehave knowne thee: As he would ſay, I am in thy boſome: for the Sonne is in the boſome of the Father: and I am one with thee, in eſſence, and in nature, and I ſit with thee in that eternall Counſell, and I ſee thy minde, and thine heart: all that is in the Father, the Sonne knoweth it. Now with this knowledge is vnderſtood that obedience and humble ſubjection the Sonne gaue to the Father: all tendeth to this, that the Father ſhould louelove his Diſciples, p. 261and the faythfull: All the obedience and knowledge of the Sonne to the Father, tendeth to this, That the Father ſhould louelove vsus. Well then, hee that prayeth for the Diſciples, hee is a good man, and knoweth God moſt perfectlie. And no queſtion, this knowledge which he alleadgeth, it is a great argument of this petition. The perſon of him that prayeth, and maketh interceſsion to the Lord for another, is much to bee regarded: hee draweth a great weight with him, if hee bee a man that feareth God, a good man, and one that knoweth God, and belieueth in Ieſus Chriſt: in a worde, if hee bee ſuch a one as the Lord accepteth of, and fauoureth, certainlie the Prayer of that man, either for himſelfe, or for anie other, is powerfull: as IAMES ſayeth, The prayer of a just man auaileth much, if it bee feruent. Iames, Chapter 5.Verſ. 16. Is it the Prayer of euerie man that will auaile? No: It is the Prayer of the juſt man, who hath the Spirite of Prayer. It is a wonderfull thing, to conſider, howe piercing the Prayer of that man will bee, and howe it will paſſe vp, and pierce thorowe the viſible clowdes, and all theſe viſible Heauens, and neuer reſt till it come to the eares of the Lord: It will paſſe thorowe that light which hath none acceſſe. That Spirite that conuoyeth thy Prayer to the Heauens, is not thy ſpirite, or the ſpirite of a man: but it is his owne Spirite, and the Lord knoweth what is the ſenſe of his owne Spirite.

That thing I ſpeake of Prayer, I vnderſtand it of all the works, and of all the turnes that proceede of the man that is acceptable to God: if hee hauehave that holie Spirit, whatſoeuer hee doeth, it is as a ſweete ſmelling Sacrifice in the eyes of the Lord. All that proceedeth of that man, who hath the holie Spirite, and whoſe perſon is acceptable in the ſight of God, is ſo ſweete to the Lord, that hee accounteth much of it. And by the contrarie, Brethren, A man, or a woman, whoſe perſon is not acceptable to God, and whome God liketh not of, no, bee what hee will, although hee were a King of the worlde, the Lord will not looke vponupon anie thing that will proceede from that man, or that woman, though it had neuer ſo faire an outwarde ſhowe. Looke to ABEL, and KAIN: When ABEL offered an Offering to the LORD, the LORD▪ looked on ABEL, and his Offering: he accepted firſt of the man, and therefore of the Offering. Come to KAIN: I thinke hee had as good an Offering, and largelie better; yet the LORD would not looke to the Offering, becauſe p. 262hee would not looke on him that offered it. The LORD hated KAIN, and therefore becauſe the perſon was not acceptable, hee would not looke vponupon the Offering.

This is a neceſſarie Leſſon: If thou wouldeſt doe anie thing in this worlde, or ſpeake or praye for thy ſelfe, anie thing elſe, looke that God hauehave a liking of thy perſon: looke that thou bee acceptable, and in the fauour of thy God: ſtudie to bee approoued of God: ſtudie to ſanctification, and holineſſe of heart, and ſticke to Ieſus Chriſt: for fayth in him maketh thee pleaſant vntounto God: wanteſt thou fayth, thou ſtinkeſt in his ſight, and the Lord will not looke vponupon thee, no more than on a dead carion, if thou bee not clad with that innocencie of his. So, let euerie one of vsus take heede to our ſelues.

Now to goe forward: When he hath ſet downe his knowledge, hee commeth to the knowledge of his Diſciples: And they knowe, that thou haſt ſent mee, and I hauehave reuealed thy Name vntounto them, and will reueale it more, that thy louelove, wherewith thou haſt loued mee, may bee in them, and J in them. Heere is a promiſe of the thing to come. If yee will conſider the wordes, the knowledge of his Diſciples, which hee ſetteth downe before the Father, it is partlie preſent, and partlie to come. The knowledge preſent, is partlie of the Sonne, That the Father ſent him, and partlie of the Father himſelfe. Concerning the Sonne, They knowe, that thou haſt ſent mee: That is to ſaye, Father, they hauehave knowne, that I am thy Sonne, and thine onelie begotten, equall with thee from all eternitie, and in time ſent to this miſerable worlde: and, that I am the Fathers Ambaſſadour: and, that I am the Redeemer of the worlde. The Leſſon is this: Hee recommendeth his Diſciples to the Father, and that, from the knowledge which the Diſciples had firſt of the Sonne, and then of the Father. I ſayde before, that the perſon of him who maketh prayer, is of great weight in the ſight of God: I ſaye the ſame of him, for whome one prayeth: if hee bee one that hath the knowledge of God, and hath fayth in Ieſus Chriſt, one whome the Lord regardeth, and who is acceptable to God, ſurelie the Lord verie readilie will heare prayers for him: for (Brethren) there is ſome folke in this worlde, that if all the prayers of the worlde were powred foorth for them, and if all the worlde ſhould praye for them, it ſhall neuer auaile in the ſight of God: as it is ſayde in the fifteenth Chap. of Ieremie, Though Moſes and Samuel ſhould pray for ſome men, hee would not heere: If p. 263Noah, Daniel, and Iob ſhould intercede: that is, though all the godlie of the worlde ſhoulde pray for ſuch men, yet the Lord would not heare them: becauſe there are ſome men in this worlde, whom the Lord hath no liking of: and all the prayers in the worlde will not auaile for them, for the Lord hath caſten them off. It is a good thing, once to gette one grace of God, for thou wilt verie readilie gette another: if it were but the grace of Election: the bodie that is choſen, the Lord will verie readilie heare prayer for him. Hee who is juſtified in the blood of Chriſt, the Lord will accept of him: and hee who is ſanctified by the holie Spirite, the Lord will giuegive him life euerlaſting. But that man, that neuer yet hath gotten grace in Ieſus Chriſt, alace! all the prayers in the worlde will not auaile him, if hee bee not once juſtified, and ſanctified. It may well bee, that the Lord will caſt vntounto him a temporall benefite, as a man will caſt a bone to a Dogge: but as for Spirituall grace, as Life euerlaſting, Iustification, Sanctification, &c. that man will not gette one of thoſe, as it is ſayde, Hee that hath not, let all bee taken from him: and to him that hath, let it bee giuen. Haſt thou one Spirituall grace in Ieſus Chriſt, thou ſhalt gette moe: and thou who haſt none, that that thou haſt, that is , which thou conceiteſt to hauehave, ſhall bee taken from thee. Then, as euerthou wouldeſt hauehave the prayer of the godlie, to doe thee good at the handes of God, take heede that thou ſtand in the fauour of God: take heed that thou ſtand in grace: for if that thou bid anie pray for thee, and in the meane time thou bee graceleſſe, and a contemner of grace, all the prayers of the worlde ſhall not auaile thee. Would to God, men would take heede to this, and chiefelie they who are in high rowmes, as Kinges, who would hauehave the prayers and ſupplications of others, and for whome the Subjectes of duetie are bound to praye. It is not enough for them to take their paſtyme, and to hauehave the ſillie people vnderunder them, praying to GOD for them. I praye to GOD that our KING maye take good heede to this, that hee maye bee acceptable, and gracious, in the ſight of GOD, or elſe all our prayers, that we will make for him, will bee of little auaile.

Nowe, BRETHREN, there is another thing heere to bee marked: What is the grounde of our knowledge? And, howe is it builded vp? and howe goeth it forwarde? Firſt of all, hee beginneth at the knowledge of the SONNE, I hauehave knowne thee. And then hee commeth forwarde, They hauehave knowne, p. 264that thou haſt ſent mee: And then, I hauehave manifeſted thy Name vntounto them. What is the ground of our knowledge in this life? The knowledge of Ieſus Chriſt, the Sonne of God, which he hath of the Father. What if hee had not knowne the Father? Wee would neuer hauehave gotten a ſight of God. For why? All the knowledge that wee hauehave, is by the reuelation of the Sonne of God▪ hee is not borne on the face of the Earth, that hath, or euer ſhall gette, the ſight of God, but by the reuelation of the Sonne. So manie as the Sonne reuealed him vntounto, gotte the ſight of the Father: But on the contrarie, whome to the Sonne reuealed not the Father, hee gotte neuer, nor neuer ſhall gette, a ſight of him. Firſt the Sonne knoweth, and then the Sonne reuealed that knowledge vntounto vsus, in ſome meaſure. What is the knowledge that the Sonne hath reuealed vntounto vsus? Reuealeth hee vntounto vsus the Father immediatelie? No, no: The firſt thing that the Sonne reuealeth to vsus, is his own perſon: the firſt ſight that thou muſt ſee, is the Sonne: and therefore, when hee ſpeaketh of their knowledge, hee ſayeth, They hauehave knowne that thou haſt ſent mee. And then hee commeth to the other knowledge, the knowledge of the Father, J hauehave made manifest thy Name vntounto them. The firſt thing that the Sonne of God reuealeth, is the knowledge of himſelfe, That hee is that Ambaſſadour, and that Mediatour. And when hee hath reuealed himſelfe, then hee reuealeth the Father. And all the ſight that we hauehave of the Father, is in the perſon of the Sonne, for hee is the ſplendor of his glorie, and the expreſſe forme of his Father: and hee, by his holie Spirite, illuminateth the ſoules of men and women, to gette a ſight of that Majeſtie. So, the ground of our knowledge, is the knowledge that the Sonne hath of the Father: Therefore, as euer thou wouldeſt hauehave the ſight of that knowledge, addreſſe thy ſelfe to Ieſus Chriſt, and in him thou ſhalt ſee the Father, and his glorious face, and thou ſhalt ſee that glauncing and ſhining of merciemercy in him.

Now, he is not content to ſet down that knowledge which they hauehave already, but he promiſeth, that they ſhall hauehave it farther. Yee ſee then, the Diſciples got not the knowledge of the Father in a moment, and at once: but the Diſciples of Ieſus Chriſt, (euen the Apoſtles,) whom the Lord appointed to bee inſtruments of grace to vsus, whoſe works we hauehave, and who were the light of the world, grew in knowledge, and faith, piece and piece, and had not all re…ealed at once, but by his word, and Spirit, piece and piece GOD p. 265reuealed all to them. The knowledge of God is not gotten in an inſtant, in this worlde: and the Lord himſelfe, who is the giuer of that knowledge, he giueth it to no man nor woman in an inſtant, but piece and piece, the man, or the woman, groweth in knowledge: ſo long as wee are clogged with this mortalitie, ſo long the knowledge of God ſhall neuer bee perfect. Therefore, let euerie man, if hee hauehave a pleaſure to ſeeke God, trie that grouth that hee hath in knowledge. That is a vaine ſoule, and a miſerable ſoule, which will ſtand vp, and ſay, I hauehave knowledge enough, I will goe no farther. Knowledge muſt hauehave a grouth in this worlde. Woe is that man, that will ſaye, I will ſet downe my ſtaffe▪ as though hee would hauehave no more knowledge: Thou wiſt neuer what joye was in the knowledge of God, who wilt ſaye thus: if thou hadſt a louelove of it, thine heart would ſeeke to gette the full knowledge of God: for that heart will not bee content of a meane meaſure of knowledge, but goeth forwarde from knowledge to knowledge: Seeing it is Life, as the Lord ſayeth, This is Life eternall, to knowe thee, and whome thou haſt ſent, IESƲS CHRIST. If once thou taſtedſt of that knowledge of God in Ieſus Chriſt, thou wouldeſt neuer ſaye, I will ſet downe my ſtaffe. Let aye a continuall ſtrife bee, to knowe more and more, till this fayth bee turned into ſight: when wee ſhall meete with our Lord Ieſus Chriſt, then wee ſhall gette that ſweete and joyfull ſight, to ſee him face to face: therefore let vsus not reſt, till wee gette that full illumination.

Another thing is to bee marked heere: Whome once the Lord hath begunne to inſtruct, man or woman, hee leaueth not off. If Chriſt beginne to teach thee by his Spirite, hee teacheth not as men will teach, who will teach this yeere, and leaue off the next yeere: But if hee take a man or a woman in hande, continuallie hee teacheth them. And if this bee true, that continuallie hee reuealeth, and teacheth; that is alſo true, there is no man, nor woman, who hath begunne to gette knowledge by his teaching, but that man, or woman, muſt growe, and cannot goe backe. It is a vaine thing to ſaye, A man, or a woman, who hath gotten true fayth in ſome meaſure, (although it were no greater than a graine of Muſtard-ſeede,) that hee can loſe the fayth which hee hath once gotten. As Ieſus Chriſt cannot reſt in thy ſoule, but aye goe forwarde, till fayth bee turned into ſight: ſo I ſaye thus, (to refute thoſe, who ſay, that they who hauehave gotten true fayth, can loſe it,) hee that hath gotten the holie Spirite, can neuer loſe him.

p. 266When hee hath ſette downe before the Father, firſt, his knowledge of the Father: and ſecondlie, the knowledge that the Diſciples had of the Father: partlie that which they had preſentlie: and partlie that which was to come: nowe hee commeth to the ende, and ſayeth, All this is to the ende, That thy louelove may bee in them, and I in them. All this knowledge of God, and all this fayth in Ieſus Chriſt, looke to the ende of it, all tendeth to this ende, That God may louelove vsus, and wee may feele in our heartes this louelove of God. Therefore (Brethren) marke it well, Count not of knowledge, euen of the knowledge of God, except that thou feeleſt the louelove of God following vponupon it: looke that all thy knowledge of God bee with a ſenſe and feeling of this louelove, that God loueth thee. Whereto ſerueth the knowledge of God vntounto thee, if thou hauehave no ſenſe and no feeling of the louelove of God? Some men and vvomen will glorie, that they knowe this, and that, and thus farre of God: and in the meane time, they take no heede to that ſenſe of the louelove of God in the heart. I had rather hauehave a little knowledge, with the ſenſe of that louelove wherewith hee loueth mee, than all the knowledge vnderunder the Sunne, if mine heart bee voyde of that ſweete louelove. Count neuer of the knowledge of God, although thou hadſt all the Scripture per…uiere, if thou findeſt not this louelove flowing from that knowledge, and a ſweetneſſe and joye in thine heart, ariſing of this louelove. And aye the more wee know, the greater ſhould bee the ſenſe of the louelove of God. Therefore, let vsus ſtriue to feele the ſenſe chiefelie of that merciemercy, and that louelove: and then our knowledge ſhall bee joyfull and pleaſant vntounto vsus. But heere I aske a queſtion, Beganne God to louelove vsus then onelie, when wee beganne to knowe him? Beganne not God to louelove euerie one of vsus, before wee knewe him? Appearinglie in this place, as it would ſeeme, hee maketh the louelove of God to beginne and flowe of the knowledge of God. The aunſwere is eaſie: Looke the wordes: hee ſayeth, That thy louelove may bee in them. It is true, from all eternitie, ere euer wee were in the worlde, (I ſpeake of the Choſen,) hee loued vsus, and of louelove hee chooſed vsus: and hee loued vsus after wee came into the worlde: When wee were enemies to him, hee loued vsus.

But marke againe, Brethren, The louelove of God is neuer in vsus, but without vsus, till wee knowe him, and hauehave fayth in Ieſus Chriſt: That is the meaning, Neuer one feeleth in their heart, that God loueth them, but hee who knoweth God. Hee loueth p. 267thee, but thou feeleſt it not, till thou, haſt gotten knowledge: and then when thou haſt gotten knowledge, thou beginneſt to feele it, and to hauehave a ſenſe of that louelove in thine heart. And this is it that the Apoſtle ſayeth, Rom. 5. verſ. 5. The louelove of God is ſhed abroade in our heartes, through that holie Spirite which is giuen vsus. Before wee gette that knowledge, there is no ſhedding abroade of that louelove in the heart: But when thou getteſt the knowledge of God, and fayth in Ieſus Chriſt, then thou feeleſt that louelove, with a ſweetneſſe and joye vnſpeakeable. Experience may tell vsus this: Thou that haſt not gotten fayth in Ieſus Chriſt at anie time, and knoweſt not God, I appeale thy conſcience, if euer thou haſt felt the louelove of God? Sayeſt thou, that thou feeleſt Gods louelove? I dare ſaye, that thou feeleſt it not. And by the contrarie, when men and women knowe God, and finde fayth in Ieſus Chriſt, from whome all grace floweth, and diſtilleth into our ſoules, they ſhall finde in experience, with the knowledge, ſuch a ſweete ſenſe of louelove, that the tongue of man nor Angel cannot expreſſe. And therefore, as euer thou wouldeſt feele the louelove of God, (What pleaſure canſt thou hauehave without that ſenſe?) as euer thou wouldeſt hauehave joye and comfort in thine heart, in the middeſt of the miſeries of this world, learne to know God: aſſuring thy ſelfe, that before thou get the ſight and knowledge of God in Ieſus Chriſt, thou ſhalt neuer get the ſenſe of louelove. Striue to ſee God, & hauehave faith in Ieſus Chriſt: and the farther ſight thou getteſt of him, thy delight ſhall bee to pierce in more and more into the myſterie of thy ſaluation: and I promiſe thee in his Name, that ſenſe and feeling ſhall increaſe: and the more thou ſeeſt and knoweſt, the more thou ſhalt feele that louelove of God. So, wouldeſt thou hauehave joye and comfort, ſtriue to ſee Chriſt, and thinke not that thou canſt ſee enough. Now, would to God wee had the halfe of that deſire, to looke into the face of Ieſus Chriſt, that we hauehave of worldly things▪ For al our bleſſednes and comfort, ſtandeth in this, to look into the face of Ieſus Chriſt, that the beams which ſtrike out from him, may ſhine in our ſouls.

In the laſt words, he ſayth, And I in them. He commendeth this preſence of the louelove of God in their harts, by the preſence of Chriſt himſelfe, who accompanieth it: as if hee had ſayde, So ſhall it bee ſeene, if thy louelove bee in them, that I am in them. Theſe two are inſeparable Companions, the louelove of the Father, and the preſence of the Sonne, in the heart. Is the louelove of the Father in thine heart? Then IESES CHRIST is there. And by the contrarie: is p. 268IESVS CHRIST into thine heart? then the louelove of the Father is into thine heart: theſe two goe inſeparable together, and where the one lodgeth, the other muſt bee there alſo. Bleſſed are they that feele the louelove of God, for Chriſt is with them in their heartes: for one grace draweth on another: And if thy God louelove thee, the glorious Spirite ſhall bee with thee. A queſtion here may bee moued: There are two Companions heere, the louelove of the Father, and the preſence of the Sonne: but which of them is firſt? Whether is the preſence of the Sonne, or the louelove of God in thine heart, firſt? I anſwere: Howbeit they bee in thine heart together, in one moment of time, yet the one in order, is before the other: And firſt, Ieſus Chriſt taketh poſſeſsion in thine heart, ere the louelove of the Father bee in thine heart: And becauſe Ieſus Chriſt is entered into thine heart, therefore the louelove of the Father is into thine heart. Before Chriſt came into thine heart, there was neuer grace in it: all the grace, all the peace, and all the joy, and all the comfort that is in the heart of a ſinner, followeth on Chriſt: Chriſt commeth firſt, and then all grace commeth in after him: Hee is neuer him alone, but peace, joye, and gladneſſe accompany him: then followeth that joye when hee commeth. Looke Rom. 5. verſ. 5. hee telleth vsus this order, when hee hath ſaid, Becauſe, when wee were enemies, Chriſt died for vsus: Becauſe Chriſt died for thee, hee loued thee. And thinkeſt thou, that thou wouldeſt feele that louelove of God, if Chriſt had not died for thee, and except thou imbrace in thine heart that death, by a liuelie fayth? Goe to experience. What is hee, or ſhee, that will feele that louelove of God, that endleſſe comfort, or that peace, or joye, who belieueth not in Ieſus Chriſt? It ſhall paſſe thy power, to feele anie joye, before thou feele that Chriſt died for thee. Therefore, I beſeech thee, gripe greedilie to Ieſus Chriſt, that hee may dwell in thine heart.

Nowe yee may aske at mee, Howe is Chriſt in the heart? Is not Chriſt bodilie preſent at the right hand of the Father? How then ſayeth hee, And I in them? Howe can thine heart gette him, vvho is in Heauen? The anſwere is eaſie. The Lord Ieſus dwelleth in the heart of man, and woman, by fayth. Belieueſt thou in him? Reacheth thine heart thorowe the Heauens, to get a gripe of him? If thou belieue, (as Paul ſayeth, Epheſ. 3. verſ. 17.) Chriſt dwelleth in thee, if thine heart bee ſet on him, and if thou belieue that hee died, and is riſen for thee, thou haſt him dwelling in thee.

p. 269And thinke yee, Brethren, that CHRIST can bee in any man or woman, but they feele him? No, where CHRIST is, hee is liuing in the heart, and that is a glorious life: If hee bee in thine heart by fayth, there hee is liuing: and as hee is liuing in thee, ſo ſhall hee make thee to liue another life than this life: hee ſhall make thee to liue an Heauenlie and Spirituall life: as the Apoſtle PAVL ſaith in the ſecond CHAPTER to the GALATIANS, and the twentieth VERS. I liue no more, ſayeth hee, it is not I that liueth, I am dead, but IESVS CHRIST liueth in mee. And what more? The life that I liue in the fleſhe, and in this mortall bodie, I liue it by fayth in the Sonne of GOD, who hath loued mee, and giuen his owne ſelfe for mee. Is IESVS CHRIST in thine heart by fayth? looke the effectes: firſt, thou art dead, this mortall life is mortified, the olde man is ſlaine. If IESVS CHRIST bee in thee, hee will ſlaye this ſinfull life: for our life naturallie, is but a pudling in ſinne and wickedneſſe: when hee liueth within thee, hee beareth the rule, and not the olde man. And what more? As hee liueth within thee, ſo hee giueth thee another life, an Heauenlie and a glorious life. Hee beginneth within thee that life which thou ſhalt liue with him in the Heauens, where there is no more mortalitie, nor no corruption. So, all tendeth to this, Wouldeſt thou hauehave life? wouldeſt thou hauehave grace in thine heart? wouldeſt thou feele that vnſpeakeable louelove in thy vaine heart? For that is a vaine heart, which is not reformed, and lieth dead in ſinne, and is not reuiued, and quickened with the life of IESVS CHRIST. Wouldeſt thou hauehave all this in this life, and in that life euerlaſting? In a worde, Wouldeſt thou reigne in glorie? Striue to gette IESVS CHRIST in thine heart; and when thou haſt gotten him, keepe him well: and if once thou getteſt him, thou ſhalt gette one of the moſte glorious thinges that euer was; euen the louelove of the Father, wherein is all ſweetneſſe. That louelove of the Father ſhall flowe downe to thee: and with the ſame louelove, wherewith the Father loueth the Sonne, the Father of IESES CHRIST ſhall louelove thee. Well, howe commeth all grace vntounto vsus? Euen by IESVS CHRIST: the Father powreth on all grace vponupon the Sonne our Head. Nowe, hee bieng the Head, and wee the bodie, that precious ointment, and fulneſſe of all grace, which is on him, floweth downe on vsus. So that grace is firſt powred out on the Sonne thine Head; and then p. 270it floweth from the Head, to the members: ſo that there is not one member of that bodie, but it getteth a ſhare, though it were neuer ſo ſober a member, and if it were but a foote.

Nowe, bleſſed is hee, or ſhee, that is a member of that bodie▪ And bleſſed is the ſoule, that hath in it the louelove of the FATHER, in IESVS CHRIST: To whom, with the FATHER, and the Holy SPIRIT, bee all Honour and Prayſe, for euermore.

AMEN.

ΤΩ ΘΕΩ ΔΟΞΑ.

A H

End of the text · Robert Rollock, Twenty-Five Lectures Upon the Lords Last Sermon and Conference (1619)