Twenty-Five Lectures Upon the Lords Last Sermon and Conference, Lecture 6
THE SIXT LECTVRE, OF CHRISTES BEFORE HIS PASSION.
IOHN, CHAP. xiiii. VERS. 19.20.
19 Yet a little while, and the world ſhall ſee mee no more, but yee ſhall ſee mee: becauſe J liue, yee ſhall liue alſo.
20 At that day ſhall yee know that I am in my Father, and you in mee, and J in you.
WEE heard (Beloued in Chriſt) the Lord beeing ſhortly to leaue this worlde, and to take his bodily preſence from it, and from his Diſciples, hee not onelyonly comforteth them againſt that time, but hee exhorteth them, to doe their duety in his abſence. The firſt exhortation was to fayth, Belieue mee, ſayeth hee, that I am in the Father, and the Father in mee. The ſeconde was, to the keeping of his Commaundementes. The argument was firſt, in keeping his Commandementes, they ſhould teſtifie before the worlde, that they loued him in his abſence. None loueth the Lord Ieſus in his abſence, but they who ſtriue to keepe his Commandements till his comming. The next was a mouing argument, If they ſhould keep his Cōmandements, he ſhould recompenſe his abſence: and whereas when hee was preſent with them, he was their Comforter, if they ſhould keepe his Commandements in his abſence, hee ſhould ſend them another Comforter out of the Heauens, who ſhould abide with them. He calleth him the Spirit of Trueth, whom the worlde could not receiue, becauſe it knew him not, nor ſaw him not; but they knew him, becauſe they were familiar with him. Then hee maketh a farder promiſe to them, that the Spirit ſhould be in an higher meaſure preſent with them after his Aſcenſion, than euer hee was before his Aſcenſion. Then hee repeateth this ſame promiſe in other wordes, and hee ſayeth, I ſhall not leaue you comfortleſſe, but I ſhal returne againe to you. Not as hee ſhall come in the daye of judgement, but in his Spirit, and in his power. So, if yee marke well, yee will ſee the Lord hath promiſed three times his Spirite to comfort them, and to abide with them: Firſt he ſaid, That he ſhould pray the Father, and he ſhould giuegive them another Comforter. Secondly, That that Spirit ſhould bee into them. Thirdly, That that Spirit ſhould not leaue them.
In the beginning of the Text wee hauehave read▪ hee repeateth the fourth time the ſame promiſe in effect: Yet a little while, and the world ſhall not ſee mee, but yee ſhall ſee mee. That is, in my Spirit, and in that Spirite yee ſhall ſee mee more effectually, than euer I vvas of before, during the time of my bodily preſence. What meaneth this oft repetition of the promiſes of the Spirit? Had it not bene enough once to hauehave promiſed this Spirit? Brethren, it is an hard matter for ſinners to receiue comfort: to miſerable creatures to look for grace or mercy: they will be caſten in ſuch perplexitie & difficulty, that in a maner they will ſee no outgate: all the words in the world will not giuegive them comfort. But to ripe vp the mater more deeply, & to cleare how he is ſaid to come: there appeares in this Chap. & in other places, three cōmings of the Lord Ieſus: The firſt was, when he came into the world, humbled into the nature of man, (a very baſe cōming into the world) & this was the cōming that the Fathers of old looked for: All the Fathers, frō Adam, till Chriſt, looked ay for that firſt cōming of the Meſſias: and it was a very hard thing to the Fathers, to look for ſuch a grace to come in the worlde: All the grace of the worlde, is in the comming of the Lord Ieſus: his preſence bringeth joye into the vvorlde: And take him awaye, there is no grace in the vvorlde. The thing in the vvorlde that Abraham vvould faineſt hauehave ſeene, was Chriſt: and it is ſaide, hee longed to ſee that daye: and hee ſawe him, and hee rejoyced: but hee ſawe him but afarre off. Faine vvoulde the Kinges, and the Prophets of olde, hauehave ſeene him.
Now conſidering this hardneſſe they had, in looking for ſuch a grace, the Lord had reſpect to it. In time of olde, and from the beginning till his comming, the promiſe of his comming vvas repeated to Adam, Abraham, and Iaakob: to the people, by the Prophets: it was driuen into their eares continually, till the Lord came, and put an ende till all, and fulfilled all the promiſes.
The ſecond comming, is the comming in his Spirit: After his glorious Aſcenſion, he came to his Diſciples, in the full meaſure of his Spirit, Act. 2. Now, as it appeareth in this place, the Diſciples thought it hard enough, to looke for this ſecond comming of the Lord in his Spirite: and therefore this promiſe is oft repeated to them, J ſhall pray the Father, and hee ſhall giuegive you another Comforter: The Spirit ſhall be in you: I ſhall not leaue you comfortles: the worlde ſhal ſee me no more, but ye ſhal ſee me. What meanes this? This frequent repetition means, that it was an hard thing to cauſe the Diſciples to look for this ſecōd cōming of the Lord in his Spirit: there are two cōmings paſt & done: the cōming of the Lord in his body: the cōming of him, in his Spirit, is nowe come to paſſe: for all the grace we hauehave, is frō him in his Spirit. Reſts his laſt cōming, when he ſhal come in proper perſon, perfectly glorified: not cōming like the firſt: (for then hee came in humility) but hee ſhall come more glorious, than any King, Emperor, or Monarch, or any creature in heauē, or in earth. Yee ſee by experience, in ſo many miſeries, it is a very hard thing to looke for ſo great a grace, and deliuerance, (for he ſhall bring with him that rich reward, and euerlaſting redemption) and a thouſand impediments will bee caſten in, to ſtay vsus to looke for that comming, to cauſe vsus misbelieue it. There is no man, that euer hath ſet his mind on that comming, who findeth not theſe impediments. No, there is none, who will ſet their eyes on that comming, but they ſhall find a cloud of darkneſſe to couer their eyes, to cauſe them misbelieue that glorious comming. The Lord hath, conſidering this well, and knowing this hardneſſe, hee hath doubled, & tripled, the promiſes of his comming in the New Teſtament. And it is the will of the Lorde, that they who preach this Goſpel to the world, ſhould driue in the eares of the people, that the Lord Ieſus ſhall come once in glory. Let ſcorners ſaye what they will, one day he ſhall come againe: and when hee commeth, hee ſhall bring the full redemption of his owne. In a worde, all our preaching ſhould bee of the laſt comming of the Lord Ieſus, to cauſe the faythfull raiſe vp their hearts to heauen, to await for that comming: For in that ſecond comming, ſtandeth the full joye and felicity of the faythfull. So, wee ſhould euer keepe in our hearts this promiſe, that the Lord Ieſus will come, and take vsus to himſelfe, that we may hauehave joy: And he who hath not this joy, in waiting for the comming of the Lord, he wanteth the true joye: And this ſhould be the joy of a Chriſtian, and hee ſhould ſigh and long for it.
Now to come to the Text: Ere he come to the repeating of the promiſes of the comming of the Spirite, hee ſetteth downe what ſhall be the eſtate of the world: The world, ſayth hee, ſhall ſee mee no more: let me once go out of the world, the Iewes, the Phariſes, who contemned me, ſhall neuer ſee me againe: but ye ſhall ſee me. This is an accuſtomable thing to the Spirit of God, to the end the grace of God ſhould appeare the greater, to ſet it downe in oppoſition to the world: ſo that when we ſee that wee get a grace, that the worlde getteth not, wee ſhould make much of it: Wee ſhoul… make much of this Goſpel, for the world hath not gotten it: great Nations want it: it ſhould make vsus very loath to want this light, and to be carefull that it ſlip not away. Woe to our Princes, and to our lordes, and woe to all the eſtates of this Land, and they let this light goe out, ſeeing the Lord hath beautified vsus with ſuch grace and light, as he hath denied to other Nations, better than wee are: wee are vnworthie of it.
To come to the words: The world ſhall ſee me no more: meaning the Scribes, Phariſees, & malicious Iewes: As he would ſay. They hauehave ſeene me once, & contemned me: Well, for this contempt, when I ſhall goe away, they ſhall neuer ſee me again. Once contemne any preſence of Chriſt; when that preſence ſhall bee taken out of thy ſight, thou ſhalt neuer get another preſence. The Iewes had him amongſt them, and might hauehave ſeene him, (howbeit hee was baſe,) yet full of grace and verity: if they had looked well to him, they might hauehave ſeene him the God of glorie: but they would not looke to him, but contemned him: fra once he was taken away, they neuer got a ſight of him againe. This is the thing wherewith hee threatneth the Phariſees ſo oft, Yee would faine hauehave mee away: Well, I ſhall goe, but where I goe, yee ſhall not come.
Brethren, we hauehave a preſence of the Lord Ieſus, howbeit not in his body, yet in Spirit, he ſhines in his word: wee find that power and Majeſty to come downe from the Heauen, and worke in vsus by his worde: wilt thou contemne this preſence? dareſt thou contemne it? Be thou King, Lorde, Barron, &c. I ſhall giuegive thee this wearde, Thou ſhalt neuer ſee his laſt preſence, in his glory, but to thy ſhame.
Brethren, the worlde beguiles themſelues: they will contemne the word, and that baſe kind of the preſence of Chriſt in the Goſpel, and they will not deinzie the word with their preſence: and if they will be preſent, they comtemne it, and will driue ouer their dayes in ſecurity: and if ye aske at them, if they will goe to Heauen? they will ſay, it is a fooliſh queſtion, I will bee there as ſoone as any Miniſter of them all; howbeit they contemne this worde, and this preſence of the Lord. This is like to prophane Eſau, who ſolde his part of Heauen, for the filling of the belly of him: vvhat doeth he in the meane time? paſſeth ouer the time and thinketh, he hath his Birth-right: hee looketh for that bleſsing: but vvhen it commeth to the bleſsing, it is taken from him, and it is giuen to Iaakob. So men will not thinke, that this contempt of the Spirit will cloſe Heauen from them, vntill that latter ſentence. Eſau mourned and wept, when the bleſsing was giuen to Iaakob: but mourne as he would, hee could not get that bleſsing, but lay ſtill with the curſe on him. So, at that day, ſore ſhall the lamenting be, and we ſhall heare them, roaring, howling, and crying, vvho contemne this worde. But let them howle, and they were kinges, they ſhall neuer mend themſelues, or free themſelues from that eternall fire. So, as wee would ſee Chriſt comming in that day to our joye, let vsus make much of this worde, in the which Chriſt is preſent: Or elſe, I giuegive thee doome, and thou do it not, thou ſhalt neuer ſee him, but to thy ſhame.
When hee hath ſet downe the eſtate of them who contemne him, next hee layeth downe the eſtate of his Diſciples, who contemned him not: But, ſayth he, yee ſhall ſee mee: Howbeit that this ſight that now yee hauehave, bee taken away, yet ſhall yee get another ſight more comfortable. This ſight is the ſight of Ieſus in his Spirit, thorowe his worde. The Spirit is not without the worde. And there bee no word, there is no Spirit. Contemneſt thou the word? thou contemneſt the meane that the Lord hath appointed to get that Spirit. Then the word of the Goſpel, and the Spirit that followeth on the word, letteth a man or woman ſee Chriſt. Haſt thou heard the worde preached? and by the worde haſt found conſolation? thou haſt ſeene Chriſt, thou haſt felt and griped him. The Spirit of Chriſt, by the worde and Sacramentes, entereth into the ſoule of man and woman, and filleth the ſoule, and bringeth Chriſt into the ſoule, and filleth the whole ſenſes with him. The hands wil feele him, the eyes will ſee him. Get this Spirite, thou ſhalt get himſelfe: and when thou heareſt that worde out of the mouth of a weake inſtrument, thou ſhalt heare his owne voyce, and thine heart ſhall gripe him, euen as ſenſibly, as thine handes will gripe a ſenſible body, and thou ſhalt hauehave more joy, ſweetneſſe, and peace, than all the world can giuegive thee. HaueHave ye euer heard him or taſted him, then hauehave yee felt this joy. Howbeit wee ſee him not, yet as Peter ſayth, wee belieue, and rejoyce with a joye that is vnſpeakable. So this fayth wee ſpeake of, and this Goſpel, is not vaine wordes that paſſe away, not a ſuperficiall thing, but the moſte effectuall thin… … the world to our conſolation. The Chriſtian Religion is the moſt ſolide and moſt joyfull thing of all thinges in the worlde; all other Profeſsions are but vanity, they hauehave no ſolidity: But to belieue in CHRIST, both in life and death, is moſt comfortable. And once thou get that Spirite, thou mayeſt feele that Spirite better, than all the things in the world: And we want this joy, the fault is not in the Spirit, but in vsus, who cannot apprehend him. He ſubjoynes the reaſon why they ſhould ſee him: this is it, There is nothing that can ſlay this ſight, but death: and hee prooueth that death cannot ſtaye it: If death could ſtaye it, it muſt bee either your death, or my death, but ſo it is I liue, and yee ſhall l…ue, yee ſhall not die, therefore death ſhall not ſtaye it: as for me, I hauehave life eternally, I hauehave the life of God: a… for you, yee ſhall liue by the life which is in mee. The manner of ſpeaking would be marked: Ye ſhall liue, becauſe I liue. He ſayth not, I ſhall liue: but J liue: This is a weighty ſpeach: the meaning is, I liue from all eternity, my life had neuer a beginning. The forme of ſpeaking importeth a life from all eternity, a life by gone, a life preſent, and a life to come. And the Lord liueth not as the creatures, but he is life it ſelfe, and the Fountaine of all life: therefore he liueth by himſelfe. In the end of the eight Chapter hee ſpeaketh ſuch like, Ere Abraham was, I am: that is, I had my beginning from all eternity: As in the Reuelation, Chap. 1 verſ. 4. I am hee, who is, was, and ſhall bee. And there were no more to teſtifie that Chriſt is God, and one with the Father, this is an argument to tell vsus, that our Lord is God. There is no creature, man nor Angel, can ſay, I am: it is proper to God. Exod. 3.14. This phraſe importeth a being by himſelfe: and by him we liue, moue, and are. Act. 17.28. No creature can ſaye, I liue: onelyonly the Lord can ſay it. So this word importeth neceſſarily, that the Lord is God of Heauen. The thing I note on this argument, is, Wee may ſee the ground of ſight, is life: and no man can ſee, except hee bee liuing: What can the eye of a dead body ſee? The ground of the naturall ſight, is naturall life: So they who would ſee heauenly thinges, muſt hauehave life: A dead man will neuer ſee Heauen. This life, what a life muſt it be? Muſt it be a naturall life? No… And thou hadſt ten thouſand naturall liues, thou wilt neuer ſee Chriſt, without another life. I ſay more: This life naturall is ſo defiled with ſinne, that it hindereth vsus from the ſight of Heauen: And the more powerfull the natural man be in his own ſight, the more are his eyes cloſed frō Heauen: As Paul ſayth, The naturall man is not capable of Spirituall things, for they are fooliſhneſſe to him. The naturall man will thinke the Croſſe of Chriſt is but ſcorne: It is an harde thing for a naturall witted man, to receiue Chriſt, becauſe his head is full of naturall wit. So, ere a man get a ſight of that life, there muſt be a mortification of this corrupt nature, and wiſdome of the fleſh. And thou wouldeſt be heauenly wiſe, be a foole to the world, that thou mayeſt be wiſe. 1. Cor. 3.18▪ Thou muſt learne to make this worldly wit, a ſeruant to this Heauenly knowledge. So this life, which is the cauſe of ſight, muſt be the life of Chriſt: there ſhall neuer one ſee Chriſt, but he who hath this life into him in ſome meaſure. A man who hath gotten a ſponke of the life of Chriſt, hee will ſee Chriſt, for hee liueth not by himſelfe, as Paul ſayeth, but hee liueth by Chriſt. Gal. 2.20. As yee would ſee Ieſus Chriſt, bee not content to hauehave a naturall life, occupied in the things of the world: but ſee thou find that life of Ieſus be in thee. Reſt not night nor day, as thou wouldeſt liue, I charge thee, till thou getteſt that life, without the which there is no quietneſſe: thou mayeſt be quiet for a while, but blacke ſhall bee thy wakening: and ſay thou, Lord, liue in my ſoule: for and he liue not heere in thy ſoule, thou ſhalt not get that life to come.
Now, to draw to an ende: Hee letteth them ſee what vantage they ſhall hauehave of that ſight: It is no ſmall vantage to ſee Chriſt: In that day, would the Lord ſay, what ſhall yee ſee, vvhen yee ſee mee? Yee ſhall ſee two thinges, two vnions, in the ſight of which ſtandeth the joye of the creature: The firſt is the vnion betwixt me and the Father: J am in the Father: that is, I am God with the Father: And next, ye ſhal ſee yourſelues to ſtand in this ſocietie: That is, That yee are in mee, and I in you, to your joye and comfort. One may aske, Howe ſhalt thou ſee him vnited with the Father? A man or vvoman ſhall not ſo ſoone ſet the eye of the ſoule vponupon Ieſus Chriſt, ſhall not ſo ſoone belieue in him; but as ſoone they ſhall knowe and belieue the vnity of the eſſence and glory of the Father, and of the Sonne: By fayth in Chriſt they ſhall gripe an infinite power. Who is he that belieueth in Ieſus Chriſt, vvho findeth not in his heart an infinite power, and an infinite mercy? And vve feele not this, vvee feele nothing. And vvee feele not by fayth an vnſpeakeable louelove, vvee feele nothing. In one vvord, vvhen one belieueth in Chriſt, they ſhall ſee in him an infinit Majeſty: othervvayes, fayth could not reſt on him: for fayth can reſt on nothing, but on God. I remember, Paul to the Epheſians, Chap. 1. Verſ. 18.19. hee prayeth the Lord to illuminate the hearts of the Epheſians, to ſee heauenly thinges: and among the reſt, to ſee that excellent greatneſſe of power. There is none that belieueth in Chriſt, but they finde an excellent power. Then if fayth finde the Majeſty of God in him, the man vvill lay this concluſion, and ſay, I ſee my Sauiour is God, and is one vvith the Father: And there the ſoule getteth a ſweet repoſe to reſt vponupon. So ye ſee, as ſoone as the ſoule belieueth in Chriſt, it feeleth an vnſpeakeable power and Majeſty, and ſo gathereth, hee is God, and one vvith the Father: Except hee were God, and one with the Father, it coulde not bee, that one belieuing in Chriſt, coulde hauehave ſuch joye and peace in the heart: This is the Trueth, and hee were not God, mine heart could not hauehave joye in belieuing in him. So this power wee finde ſtriking from the Lord in belieuing, telleth vsus, that the Lord is God.
Nowe to ſpeake of the ſecond vnion: Howe is this, that when wee looke to Chriſt by fayth, wee finde vsus joyned with him, in that bleſſed ſociety? The eye ſhall not ſo ſoone bee ſet on Chriſt, and gette a blinke of him, but in him it ſhall finde the ſatiety of joye. In the face of Chriſt, is all light and joye: as Paul ſayeth, Turne the heart till him, the vaile ſhall vaniſh awaye, and the minde ſhall bee illuminated, becauſe the Lord is a Spirit, 2. Cor. Chap. 3. verſ, 16.17. When thou belieueſt in him, his face ſhall ſhine in thy ſoule: thou ſhalt ſee no light, but in him. Is this the effect of fayth? What then ſhouldeſt thou gather? Thou vvouldeſt neuer finde ioye, except the Spirit had vnited thee and him. All this light, power, and ioye, which is in our ſoules, floweth from that vnion of Chriſt with vsus.
Then, Brethren, the ſight of Chriſt will let vsus ſee the two ioyfulleſt ſightes, that euer wee ſaw: Firſt, that vnion betwixt him, and his Father: and ſo thou wilt ſee thy Sauiour to bee God, equall with the Father in glory and Maieſty. The next is, Thou ſhalt ſee thy ſelfe to ſtand in that ſocietie with the Father and the Sonne. Men would be in honeſt ſocietie: What more gracious, yea what more bleſſed ſocietie woldeſt thou hauehave, than to be in ſocietie with the bleſſed Trinitie, in glory for euer? For this is the felicitie of man, to bee ioyned with that bleſſed Trinitie: euen with the Father, with the Sonne, and with the holy Spirit: To whom be praiſe, and honour, foreuer and euer, Amen.