Twenty-Five Lectures Upon the Lords Last Sermon and Conference, Lecture 15
THE XV. LECTVRE, OF CHRISTES DOCTRINE BEFORE HIS PASSION.
IOHN, CHAP. xvi. VERS. 22.23.24.25.26.27.
22 And yee nowe therefore are in ſorrowe: but J will ſee you againe, and your heartes ſhall reioyce, and your ioye ſhall no man take from you.
23 And in that daye ſhall yee aske mee nothing. Verilie, verilie, I ſaye vntounto you, Whatſoeuer yee ſhall aske the Father in my Name, hee will giuegive it you.
24 Hitherto hauehave yee asked nothing in my Name: aske, and yee ſhall receiue, that your ioye may bee full.
25 Theſe thinges hauehave I ſpoken vntounto you in parables: but the time will come, when J ſhall no more ſpeake to you in parables; but I ſhall ſhewe you plainly of the Father.
26 At that day ſhall yee aske in my Name, and I ſaye not vntounto you, that I will pray vntounto the Father for you:
27 For the Father himſelfe loueth you, becauſe yee hauehave loued mee, and hauehave belieued that J came out from God.
FRom the thirteenth Chapter of this Goſpel, (Brethren) to the ſeuenteenth, the Lord holdeth purpoſe only with his Diſciples and Apoſtles: for hee had now ended all his ſpeaking and doing with the people of the Iewes. Hee hath hitherto giuen ſundrie exhortations vntounto them: and hee hath giuen them Cammandements, and inſtructed them, and giuen them ſundrie argumentes of conſolation, becauſe they were heauie for his departure; and ſo prepared them againſt the time hee was to goe his way, and to leaue them. Nowe his conference and ſpeach draweth to an ende, for it endeth with this preſent Chapter. In the ende of his ſpeach and conference, he recounteth to them particularlie, part by part, that felicitie and bleſſing that they ſhall hauehave after hee is gone away from them to his Father, to be glorified in the Heauens, by his comming again to them, not in the bodie, but in his Spirit: He hath ſaid immediately in the verſ. going before, When ye ſhall ſee mee againe, that is, when I ſhall come againe to you in my Spirite, after my glorious aſcenſion to the Heauen, then your heart ſhall reioyce, and no man ſhall take your ioye from you: all the world ſhall not bee able to twinne you and that joye, which my Spirite ſhall furniſh you. So then, Brethren, there is the joy which they ſhall hauehave, when the Lord ſhall come againe, they ſhall hauehave ioye, and ioye euerlaſtinglie; and ſpirituall ioy, and that for euermore.
This is the firſt part of their bleſſedneſſe: the wordes are eaſie, and I ſpake of them before, onelyonly this for the preſent: Wee muſt not thinke that this ioye which Chriſt promiſed to his Diſciples by his Spirite, went awaye, and died with the Apoſtles, when they departed out of this worlde: but it abideth in the Kirke of Ieſus Chriſt to the ende of the world: Euen as that holy Spirite whome the Lord ſent downe to the world, abideth in his Kirke, till Chriſt come againe, and ſupplieth as it were, the bodily preſence of Ieſus Chriſt: (for the Spirite of Chriſt, is the Vicare of Chriſt in the earth, and not the Pope, as the Papiſts ſay:) Euen ſo, I ſay, by that Spirit abideth here in the Kirke of God, ſolide ioye to the ende of the world: for whereſoeuer the Spirit is, there is ioye and inward conſolation: and that ſoule in whom the Spirite of God dwelleth, feeleth as ſenſibly as one feeleth with their hands, the ioy & peace of the holy Spirit: for that Spirit, is the Spirit of ioy & peace: and they who feele not the ſenſe of this ioye, alace, they want this Spirit. They who feele not ſpirituall ioy at anie time, hath matter of ſorrow and mourning, for they hauehave not the Spirit of Ieſus Chriſt: and they who want his Spirite, hauehave not adoe with Chriſt. Rom. 8. verſ. 9. and conſequently neuer ſhall taſte of ioye: but thou who haſt felt this ioy, haſt cauſe to reioyce, yea, as Paul ſayeth, to reioyce euermore, 1. Theſ. 5. verſ. 16. Paul recommendeth ioye vntounto vsus, not for an houre, or a day, or a monethmonth, or a yeere, but perpetually: meaning, that there is great matter of continuall ioy offered by that Spirit, who graciouſly lighteneth our ſoules, & aſſureth vsus of ſaluation. What ſhould mooue thee to ioy? Should not good tidings mooue thee to reioyce? Yet we reioyce not: & this want of ioy declareth that we make reſiſtance to the holy Spirit: wee will not ſuffer the Spirit to come in; & when he cōmeth in, we giuegive him ſober intertainment, but by our euill life, we cauſe him to depart with ſadnes.
Now to goe to that ſecond part of that bleſſedneſſe which they ſhall hauehave when the Lord ſhall returne to them by his holie Spirit: Jn that day yee ſhall aske mee nothing: that is, Yee ſhall not aye doubt: for yee heard before, when hee ſaide, Yet a little while, and yee ſhall not ſee mee: and againe, ye ſhall ſee mee: there they doubted what he meaned. Now, would he ſay, ye ſhall not doubt then, but the holy Spirit ſhall teach you, he ſhall inlighten the darknes of your ſoules, & make you to belieue. To apply this to our ſelues: Euē as I ſaid before, of the firſt part of the bleſſednes promiſed to the Apoſtles, ſo I ſay of the ſecond part of their bleſſednes, (for what recks vsus what light, or what knowledge the Apoſtles got, if we get not a part of it?) which ſtands in the inward teaching of the holy Spirit, by taking away the vaile from them, & opening vp of their blind eyes, to ſee ſaluation. This Spirit went not away out of the world with th' Apoſtles, but he abideth ſtil in the world, till Chriſt come again: Euen as the Spirit abides, ſo the inward teaching of the ſoul by the Spirit abides in the Kirke: for as the Spirit is the Spirit of ioye, ſo he is the Spirit of knowledge: he opens the eye of the ſoule, which is dark; & mollifies the hart, & that with ſuch a ſweetnes to receiue grace, as the tong neither of man, nor Angel, can expreſſe. And the godly, no doubt, at the preaching of the Goſpel of Chriſt, will feele that inward operatiō of the Spirit in their ſoule. Study ay to feele this by experiēce (for what auails Chriſt to vsus, if we feel him not?) they will feele a light ſhining in their ſoules, as the ſhining of the Sunne: & they will feele their heart, that was hardned before, with a ſweet conſolation to be mollified: as it is ſaid of Lydia the Purple ſeller, that by the preaching of the Goſpel, her hart was opened, Act. 16. And on the contrary, let the man or woman who wants this ſenſe, who ſeeth no light, nor finds no opening of the ſoule, blame thēſelues, and not the light: for Chriſt offereth himſelfe to all alike: the inlacke thereof proceedeth of the contempt of the word, & of that light that ſhineth ſo brightlie without thy ſoule, and goeth not in. And ſurelie, it is a fearefull thing to contemne this Light: for if thou contemne this light, I tell thee, long ſhalt thou ſit hearing, and ſhalt not bee the better, but ſhalt growe aye the harder, till thou bee ſo hardened and obdured, that thou canſt feele nothing at all.
Brethren, yee may thinke it a wonderfull thing, that a bodie, who ſitteth hearing continuallie, and who hath ſo cleare a light glancing aye before him, ſhould get no light at all, but ſhould go out of the Kirke more blind than when he came in: and yet indeed it is ſo; for many come in to heare, but becauſe they come in with colde and euill diſpoſed heartes, hauing no delight to heare the worde of God, they goe away more prophane, and worſe than when they came in: And therefore, for lacke of this, the miſerable worlde periſheth, the multitude goeth wholly to deſtruction. Therefore, for Chriſtes ſake, Brethren, learne to hauehave a pleaſure and ioye in hearing, and take in that Spirit into your ſoules. Wee hauehave hearde of the ſeconde part of the bleſſedneſſe which Chriſt promiſeth to his Diſciples, after his glorious Aſcenſion to the Heauen: to wit, the light and knowledge of the holy Spirit.
Nowe to come to the thirde benefite, or the thirde part of their happineſſe, wherein all grace is promiſed to them who aske: Hee beginneth very grauely, Verily, verily, Amen, Amen, J ſaye to you: that is, It is a true ſaying, and yee ſhall finde it true indeed, eſſay it when yee will: Whatſoeuer thing ye ſhall aske the Father in my Name, hee will giuegive it you. In one word, this is the third part of their bleſſedneſſe, All grace and mercy is to bee had for the asking: not by buying, for all grace is bought by the price of the blood of the Lambe onelyonly: ſeeing that is ſo precious a ranſome, no man hath neede to buy any thing at the handes of God: we hauehave no neede to buy any grace of God by our merites: for by that only merite and blood of Chriſt, all grace is bought. We hauehave need of asking: and if wee aske not in his Name, wee ſhall neuer get grace, for there is not another Name vnderunder Heauen (ſayeth the Apoſtle) by whome there is ſaluation, but onelyonly by the Name of Ieſus Chriſt, Act. 4. verſ. 12. So there is the third part of their bleſſedneſſe that is promiſed them: Euen all grace ſhall bee giuen them for the asking. To drawe this to our ſelues, (And the Lord giuegive vsus grace to doe it,) As by the Spirite all joye, all knowledge, and light abideth in his Kirke on earth, till the Lord IESVS come againe; Euen ſo, all grace, all mercy, abideth in this Kirke militant, till the Lord come againe: for if that Spirit of grace abide in this Kirke, of neceſsity all grace muſt abide with that Spirite. The faythfull in the Kirke, who are Chriſtians in heart, and not in worde, onelyonly they will finde in experience, that when they aske any grace, as righteouſneſſe, and ſanctification, life euerlaſting, and glorification, they▪ will not ſo ſoone open their mouth to aske it, but they will get it: And when they ſay, Lord, renewe mine affections, the word will not ſo ſoone bee ſpoken, but as ſoone they will finde the ſoule opened with ioye: and when they ſaye, Lord, giuegive mee that life for Chriſtes ſake, with the worde, the life of Ieſus will bee felt in the ſoule ſenſiblie. Therefore, preaſſe aye to finde by experience, that the preſence of Chriſt is no emptie winde. By the contrarie, if a man or woman finde in no meaſure, no grace, or no ſenſe of grace, in their ſoules, let them blame themſelues: for they want grace, for plaine fault of asking. Alace, that wee ſhould loſe ſuch grace for fault of ſeeking! Is hee not a fooliſh man, that will loſe life for a worde? But it is not ſo light a thing to aske as ſo, for euerie man, and euerie woman, hath not the gift of prayer: Except thou bee the ſonne of GOD, thou ſhalt hauehave no power to open thy mouth to call GOD Father: If thou bee a ſlaue, thou ſhalt hauehave no power to praye to GOD: for prayer is the proper note of the Childe of GOD: and except the Spirite of Adoption teſtifie vntounto thee, that thou art the ſonne of GOD, thou ſhalt hauehave no power to praye, but thy mouth ſhall bee cloſed: But when the Spirite will teſtifie to thee, that thou art the ſonne of GOD, then the heart will open, and the tongue wil ſay ſweetly, O Father! Therefore, the ground of all grace is the grace to aske: get once grace to praye, and then thou haſt all grace: And therefore, when the Lord ſayth, Knocke, and it ſhall be opened: aske, and thou ſhalt hauehave, &c. ſay, Lord, giuegive mee grace to aske. Take aye heed to the gift of prayer, for wee loſe all for fault of prayer, and for fault of begging. So I beſeech you all, Brethren to pray, as euer ye would ſee Heauen, or be partakers of life. In the words following, when hee hath ſet downe the thirde parte of their felicitie, That they ſhould praye vntounto the Father for grace, knowing the great neceſsitie they had to praye, and their great ſluggiſhneſſe on the other part, hee beginneth to allure them to pray, and to ſtir them vp to aske at the handes of the Father. And leſt they ſhould hauehave obiected, We hauehave asked, but we hauehave not beene anſwered; hee anſwereth to this, Hitherto ye hauehave ſought nothing at the Father in my Name: but in times comming, aske boldly, and looke for an anſweee, and yee ſhall get grace heaped vponupon grace, till your grace bee perfect: and the greater grace thou askeſt, the greater thou getteſt: and the more thou getteſt, the greater is thy ioye that thou haſt, when thou perceiueſt that grace: and thou who haſt gotten it, wouldeſt not giuegive it for all the worlde. This is the meaning of the wordes. Take vp heere what neceſsitie wee hauehave to praye: for if wee had no neede, the Lord would not hauehave ſtirred vp his Diſciples to praye: No, no, wee hauehave ſo great neede to praye, that except wee praye, wee gette nothing. A Beggar, who hath nothing but that which he beggeth, if he leaue off his begging, he ſhall die at dike ſide. If thou leaue off thy ſpirituall begging, yea, though thou were a King, and hadſt all the worlde, thou ſhalt die for euer: For what is a King in this life, but a Beggar? And woe be to him, if he be not a Beggar at the handes of Ieſus Chriſt.
Then marke the ſluggiſhneſſe in eueryevery man and woman, and how vnable we are to beg. A Beggar who hath nought, ere hee die, hee will crie and ſhout: but a poore ſinner, who is the pooreſt man, and the ſillieſt creature in the world, who wanteth all grace, hath not a mouth to aske, though he ſhould die. Now to ſtirre vsus vp to pray, the Lord ſayeth, Aske at the Father, and eſſay if ye get a deniall. Wee know all this, yet wee lie ſleeping in ſinne, and ſeeke no grace to be fred of it, howbeit grace be ſo freely offered to vsus by Ieſus Chriſt. It is a ſore thing, to bee a poore body, and to lie ſtill, and ſeeke nothing: We are poore bodies, ſleeping in a dead ſleep: and except we be wakened, we will not riſe out of it, or once open our mothes, to ſay, God helpe mee: And then, when wee hauehave opened our mouthes to ſpeake a word, it will be coldly and wearſhlie ſaide: this is our nature.
Then marke laſt, what mercifull care the Lord hath ouer vsus: we would for euer lie ſtill, and die in pouertie, if the Lord ſaide not, Waken, waken. The Lord Ieſus not onelyonly wakened his Diſciples, but, to the end of the world, he is euer wakening his owne, ſometimes by faire wordes, and ſometimes by boaſting, and ſometimes by afflictions, to moue them to pray in his Name. Sometimes outwardly the Lord will come and ſtrike thee: (what reckes of all the ſtrokes in the world, though thou ſhouldeſt be buffetted and beaten, yea, and pulled in pieces, and if it bee to free thee from Hell?) Sometimes inwardly hee will pricke thee, and ſtirre vp thy conſcience to accuſe thee, and he will open the eyes of thy ſoule, to ſee thine owne miſerie, and want. And when the Lord hath wakened thee, that thou beginneſt once to ſigh for grace, hee will bee at thy right hand, and ſtirre thee vp to praye: and then the ſigh for grace ſhall not ſo ſoone come out, but it ſhall aſcende to God: for that ſame ſigh, though it were neuer ſo ſmall, being raiſed from the heart by his owne holy Spirit, he cannot mis know it, but hee muſt ſende thee an anſwere: and then thine heart is kindled vp with a ſweet ſenſe of thy God: But ſhouldeſt thou then leaue off to pray? No, no, but then thou ſhouldeſt praye faſteſt: for a poore bodie, who hath gotten a pennie, will be very well content, and will giuegive many thankes: And thou who haſt gotten a part of Spirituall grace, wilt thou not giuegive thanks? Yea, thanke and thanke againe, for there is no time to leaue off prayer, but aye to praye and giuegive thankes. There are two thinges, thou haſt either a ſenſe of thine own miſery, or els a ſenſe of the grace of God beſtowed vpō thee: and then ſhouldeſt thou not praye? There is not an houre but wee ſhould praye: for Paul, Epheſ. 6. verſ. 18. recommendeth prayer vntounto them in this manner, Praying with all kinde of ſupplication, and at all times. Wee muſt bee aye fighting with our inwarde enemies, and thoſe ſpirituall powers of darkneſſe: there ſhould bee no reſt, no, not a moment: and as the battel hath no reſt, ſo wee ſhould neuer leaue off to praye: for and if thou leaue off to praye, thou ſhalt not ſtande, but yeelde, and giuegive thy ſelfe ouer to thine enemies. In one word, there is no time granted vntounto vsus, to be voyde of an heauenlie diſpoſition, and if thine heart bee well diſpoſed to praye: and thinke not that this will hinder thee of any worldly exerciſes: bee aye communing with God, in whatſoeuer thing thou doeſt: for it ſhall bee ſo farre from hindering thee, that it ſhall further thee: and when thou goeſt to doe any worke, ſaye, Lord, bleſſe this worke: and when thou enterprizeſt any thing, ſeeke aye the bleſſing of God: let thine heart be euer ſpiritually diſpoſed.
This is the cauſe why the worlde is ſo prophane, and hath ſo little minde of God, and hath ſo foule heartes, that will ſpeake ſo foule blaſphemies, and filthie purpoſes: the Adulterer will worke his vile adulterie, and the foule Murderer his murders, &c. becauſe they want prayer, and then the Lord leaueth them, and letteth them wallow in their miſchiefe, till at the laſt he giueth them ouer to the hands of the Deuill.
Now when he hath wakened them, hee commeth to the fourth part of the bleſſedneſſe they ſhall hauehave, when hee ſhall returne, Hitherto, ſayeth hee, I hauehave ſpoken in parables: that is, in obſcure and darke ſentences: But when J ſhall come againe, I ſhall ſpeake nothing in parables, but mith a great euidence, that ye ſhall not neede to doubt of one worde. Brethren, vnderſtand this; for when the Lord was into the worlde amongſt the Iewes, for the moſt part hee ſpake in parables, and his ſpeaches and preachings were obſcure: ſo it was harde to take vp his ſpeaches: and therefore yee may reade, in the thirteenth Chap. of Matth. that commonly he ſpake in parables: that is, all which he ſpake was not euident: and not only were his ſpeaches obſcure to the multitude, but to his Diſciples alſo: as this, A little while, and yee ſhall not ſee mee: and againe, a little while, and yee ſhall ſee mee. Yet he expounded the parables to his Diſciples, as ye reade in that ſame Chap. of Matth. And till he came againe out of the Heauēs to them by his Spirit, it was hard to vnderſtand him. What was the cauſe of this, that hee woulde ſpeake ſo obſcurelie, not onelyonly to the multitude, but alſo to his owne Diſciples? When Chriſt was in the world, the worke of the redemption of man was not wrought; Chriſt had not ſuffered, nor riſen againe, nor paſſed vp to the Heauen, he was not glorified: and therefore the ſpeaches of the redemption of man, being a thing to come, could not bee ſo plaine: but nowe all is paſt, and there are no more parables, but all are cleare ſpeaches of the redemption: the ſpeaches of the thinges to come, cannot bee ſo cleare as the ſpeaches of a thing done and ended. The Lord ſpake more clearly by the mouth of his Apoſtles, of the worke of our redemption, than hee did himſelfe with his owne mouth.
To drawe this to our ſelues: As the Lord hath giuen to vsus, to hauehave that ioye, and that knowledge, which was promiſed to the Diſciples, and all grace and mercy for the asking; Euen ſo, we hauehave in the Kirke of Ieſus Chriſt this daye, the ſame plainneſſe in ſpeaking of the Croſſe: and, as the Apoſtle ſayeth, The Lord Jeſus is crucified before our eyes. Speake not the Apoſtles clearly vntounto vsus in theſe Writs which are left? HaueHave wee not the foure Euangels? the beſt Booke that euer was, (make of it as yee will,) and thoſe Epiſtles of Paul, and the reſt of the Apoſtles, written in ſuch euidencie and plainneſſe, euen the ſame thing in effect which they preached? And in a manner wee hauehave the Apoſtles ſpeaking vntounto vsus, in that euidencie wherein they ſpake when they liued. And if a man woulde take thoſe Writs in his handes, and eſpy them well, he would perceiue the Spirite of God in them. And nowe alſo, the Lord raiſeth vp men to ſpeake with liuely words, and to builde on that foundation of the Prophets and Apoſtles: Not Hay nor Stubbles▪ but the Lord raiſeth vp men to builde on the foundation, (as the Apoſtle ſayeth,) Siluer, and Golde, and precious ſtones: and as Paul ſayth of himſelfe, and the reſt of the Apoſtles. 2. Corinth. 4. verſ. 3. Hee who worketh light out of darkneſſe, the ſame God cauſeth the light of his preſence to ſhine in our hearts thorow Ieſus Chriſt, to giuegive the light of knowledge of the worlde. Now by them there is no doubt, but the LORD ſhineth into the heartes of ſome men, that they may giuegive light vntounto others: light aboundantlie ſhineth into the worlde, ſo that none hauehave cauſe to bee darkened for fault of light: but as the Apoſtle Paul ſayeth, in the ſeconde Epiſtle to the Corinthians, the fourth Chapter, and thirde verſ. If the Goſpel bee hid, it is hid to them that periſh: So ſaye I, if thou bee not lightened, thou ſhalt die: and if thou getteſt not illumination by theſe ſame men, (count of them as thou wilt, and lightlie them as thou pleaſeſt,) die ſhalt thou euerlaſtinglie: and ſaye with thy ſelfe, And if I gette not illumination, I will die without remedie. And I denounce againſt thee, that if thou getteſt not illumination by this ſame Miniſterie, count of it as thou wilt, thou ſhalt die for euer.
The laſt part of that felicitie is this, A readineſſe and eaſineſſe of GOD, to heare their prayers night and daye, Yee ſhall aske in my Name, ſayeth the LORD, and J ſaye not, that I ſhall praye the Father for you. Indeede, would hee ſaye, I praye continuallie. And no doubt the LORD IESVS in the daye of his humiliation prayed: and neuer one prayed as he prayed, with ſuch a faith, ſuch a zeale, and ſuch a ſenſe: No, let him hauehave the degree aboue all that euer prayed from the beginning of the worlde: Hee felt beſt the miſerie of man, and pittied it: And when hee went thorowe the Streetes of HIERVSALEM, or whereſoeuer he went, hee behelde the miſerable bodies, and hee prayed for them vntounto his Father. And thou likewiſe, therefore, when thou goeſt thorowe the ſtreetes of EDINBVRGH, looke about thee vntounto the miſerable multitude, and ſee if thou haſt not cauſe to praye to GOD for them, that hee would bee mercifull to them. This ſhould bee thine exerciſe: and no doubt CHRIST was ſo exerciſed heere on earth: but nowe, when CHRIST is exalted to his glorie, to ſaye that hee will kneele downe on his knees, and praye to the Father, as the Papiſtes ſaye, it is but a dreame: for all that was a parte of his humiliation: The LORD IESVS is an euerlaſting Mediatour, and there is none ende thereof: And that Croſſe is as liuelie before the Father, as that ſame night wherein hee was crucified, and ſo are his prayers: for hee is an Aduocate, (not like our Aduocates,) hee is a crucified Aduocate: Looke to him, for there is no life but in the ſight of him. And as for his praying and humbling himſelfe, thinke not that all is vaniſhed: no, all abideth euerlaſtinglie: for that Prayer which yee ſhall heare in the CHAPTER following, and all his Prayers which hee made to his Father, abideth yet, and ſhall abide euerlaſtinglie.
Then, ſayeth hee, thinke not that I ſhall praye then for you, as I was wont to doe, but yee ſhall bee hearde, Becauſe the Father loueth you. Yee ſee, a man who loueth another, hee will heare him willinglie. And wherefore loueth hee you? Becauſe, ſayeth hee, yee louelove mee. GOD will requite louelove with louelove: yea, GOD will preuent thy louelove, with his infinite louelove: and then thine heart is drawne to him: And looke howe often thou wilt louelove him, hee will as often compaſſe thy louelove, with his louelove: and what is thy louelove, but a ſorie thing, in reſpect of that infinite louelove of his?
Then hee ſayeth, Yee hauehave belieued, that I am come out from GOD. Yee ſee the grounde of this readineſſe, is fayth in IESVS CHRIST. I will ende in one worde, and woulde to GOD this louelove could enter into our heartes: Wilt thou louelove the Sonne of GOD from thine heart, and not in worde onelie? (For louelove ſtandeth not in a worde,) and wilt thou belieue him, that hee hath died for thy ſinnes, and riſen for thy glorie? Then euerie daye and houre his eare ſhall bee readie to heare thy prayer. A man will thinke it no ſmall matter, to hauehave the eare of a King patent and readie when hee calleth: The LORD ſhall bowe his eare to thee night and day, if thou belieue in IESVS CHRIST. Is this anie ſmall thing, that the LORD of Heauen ſhall heare thee when thou ſhalt call vponupon him? So his eare through louelove, by faith in IESVS CHRIST, is euer patent to heare his owne. Yet there is an higher grounde of this: to wit, that wonderfull louelove which the Father beareth to the Sonne: If thou loueſt him, hee will louelove thee: and if thou bee an enemie to him, hee will bee an open enemie to thee: If there bee anie man who loueth not the LORD IESƲS, let him bee Anathema, and Anathema Maranatha, 1. Corinth. Chap. 16. Verſ. 12. That is, Curſed for euer. Hee who loueth the LORD IESVS, is bleſſed for euer: and he who hateth the LORD IESVS, is curſed for euer. Nowe would to GOD wee had an heart to ſaye with Paul, The man who loueth not CHRIST, let him be Anathema! From whence roſe this? From a wonderfull louelove which the Apoſtle bare to the LORD IESVS. And from whence roſe this louelove to CHRIST? Looke what the Apoſtle ſayeth, in the ſecond Epiſtle to the Corinthians, in the fifth Chapter, and the fourteenth Verſ. The louelove of CHRIST conſtraineth mee. Nowe, woulde to GOD that wee had the halfe of this louelove! and if it were ſo, wee woulde hauehave little patience, to ſee thinges as they are, and to ſee the enemies of CHRIST IESVS ſet vp the Altar of the Deuill, againſt the Altar of CHRIST: wee woulde not onelie make imprecations againſt the…, but wee woulde by all meanes hinder them: And this careleſneſſe which wee hauehave, teſtifieth, that wee louelove not CHRIST: and if wee louelove him not, an heauie judgement ſhall light vponupon vsus. Nowe therefore, ſeeing all grace is from the louelove of CHRIST, the LORD fill our heartes with that louelove; that wee may bee partakers of grace heere, and heereafter bee glorified with CHRIST: To whome, with the Father, and the holie Spirite, bee all praiſe, honour, and glorie, for euermore. AMEN.