A Paraphrase on the New Testament, John · Chapter 14
CHAP. XIV.
LET not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe alſo in me. 2. In my Fathers houſe are many Manſions; if it were not ſo, I would have told you; I go to prepare a place for you.
1. Let not my departure trouble your hearts: truſt God and truſt me with your Souls and Bodies. In my Fathers houſe there are Rooms enough to receive all mine as well as me: If it were not ſo, I would not have drawn you to hope for it in vain, but have told you the truth: I go before you to prepare for your entertainment.
3. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto my ſelf, that where I am, there ye may be alſo.
3. Fear not that I ſhould leave you deſolate: I do not prepare a place for you in vain, but will come again and take you and all believers to my ſelf as a glorified Society. N. Did not many other Texts aſſure us of the Souls reception to Chriſt at our death, this would be ſad to us, and make us think he would not take us to himſelf till his return to judgment. But it being then that our felicity will be conſummate, in the conſummation of the whole Church in one body, therefore Chriſt putteth this promiſe of the fulleſt perfection for their comfort.
4. And whither I go, ye know, and the way ye know.
4. And you are not utter ſtrangers to the God and Place that I go to, or to the way.
5. Thomas ſaith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goeſt: and how can we know the way? 6. Jeſus ſaith unto him, I am the way, and the truth, the life: no man com…th unto the Father but by me.
5, 6. It is to the Father I am going: And think not carnally of the place or ſtate or way: I am your way and Guide, and I am the Truth ſignified by all ceremonial ſhadows; and I am your Life both efficiently, directively and finally: you muſt come to God as your end, by me as the only way, if ever you will be happy.
7. If ye had known me, ye ſhould have known my Father alſo? and from henceforth ye know him, and have ſeen him.
7. You ſee me in my bodily preſence: But if you had known me better in my ſpiritual Being, and in the works which I have done by my Fathers power; you would better have known my Father alſo. But as you have ſeen him in me and my works, ſo henceforth you ſhall know him more.
8. Philip ſaith unto him, Lord, ſhew us the Father, and it ſufficeth us.
8. If we might but ſee the Father, it would ſatisfie us. N. Man in fleſh would fain live by ſight as more ſatisfying to him than meer faith.
9. Jeſus ſaith unto him, Have I been ſo long time with you, and yet haſt thou not known me, Philip? He that hath ſeen me, hath ſeen the Fathet: and how ſayeſt thou then, Shew us the Father? 10. Believeſt thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? The words that I ſpeak unto you, I ſpeak not of my ſelf: but the Father, that dwelleth in me, he doth the works.
9, 10. God is inviſible, and to be ſeen only in his works, effects and appearances: And in what or whom canſt thou expect to ſee him more apparently than in me? Have I been ſo long with you and haſt thou not ſeen and known me? If thou haſt ſeen me, thou haſt ſeen the notifying appearance of the Father? And what other ſight of the Father canſt thou expect? Believeſt thou not that God the Father is ſo in me and I in him, as that he appeareth to the world by me? and (though his Greatneſs ſhine more conſpicuouſly in Sun and Stars, Heaven and Earth, yet) his Holineſs, Wiſdom, and ruling Will, and his ſaving Love to ſinful man ſhew themſelves moſt in me, in the words that I ſpeak and the works that I do, which it is the Father that worketh in me.
11. Believe me, that I am in the Father, and the Father in me: or elſe believe me for the very works ſake. 12. Verily, verily I ſay unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do, ſhall he do alſo, and greater works than theſe ſhall he do; becauſe I go unto my Father.
11. If you will not believe my own teſtimony, believe me for my Works, that I am in the Father and acted by him, and he is in me, and his Power acteth by me. And this Power ſhall be ſo manifeſted, that I will enable thoſe that believe in me, to do greater Miracles than I have done, when I aſcend to my Father and ſend down my Spirit on them, by which you ſhall ſee that I was acted by the Power of the Father.
13. And whatſoever ye ſhall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14. If ye ſhall ask any thing in my name, I will do it.
13. And you ſhall find by experience in the anſwer of your Prayers, that I am in God and actuate you by his Power; For whatever you ask in my name, which is fit to be asked and received, I will do it as the Mediator between the Father and you, that the Father may be glorified in and by the office of my Mediation and Adminiſtration. When you find that asking in my name procureth your d…ſire, you may know that it is by me.
15. If ye love me, keep my commandments. 16. And I will pray the Father, and he ſhall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever. 17. Even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, becauſe it ſeeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him, for he dwelleth with you, and ſhall be in you.
15, 16, 17. If you do but love me, and ſhew it by ſincere keeping my commandments, I will pray the Father, and he ſhall give you the Holy Ghoſt in an eminent peculiar manner, to be a Paraclet, or an Agent and Advocate, and Interceſſor between me and you, pleading my Cauſe with you and the World, and pleading your Cauſe in Prayer with me and my Father; To which end he ſhall as a vital Principle abide with you for ever. Even Gods Spirit of Truth, who ſhall teach you the Truth, and confute the lying Deceiver; The World cannot receive him as an Illuminater and Comforter, becauſe not knowing him, and being prepoſſeſſed with contrary malignant inclinations, it reſiſteth him: But he hath in ſome meaſure taken poſſeſſion of you already, and ye know and obey him, and he dwelleth with you, and ſhall be in you, as ſent by me, and as my Witneſs.
18. I will not leave you comfortleſs, I will come to you.
18. Let not my departure too much trouble you, I will not leave you as deſtitute Orphantes, but I will riſe and ſee you, and when Aſcended I will come to you by my Spirit, and at laſt come and take all the Church unto my Glory.
19. Yet a little while, and the world ſeeth me no more: but ye ſee me, becauſe I live, ye ſhall live alſo.
19. Though I ſhall ſhortly depart out of the ſight of this World, yet ye ſhall ſee me: For I am your Head and Principle of Life, and as I ſhall live with God in Glory, ſo ſhall ye live by Communication of Life from me. Note, Here we have ſecurity for the Souls Immortality, and Heavenly felicity. If Chriſt live we ſhall live.
20. At that day ye ſhall know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you.
20. In that meaſure that this Spirit of Life is from me communicated to you, ye ſhall Experimentally find that as I am in the Father and act by his Power, ſo you are in me acted by my Love and Power, and I in you thus acting you by my Spirit.
21. He that hath my commandments and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me ſhall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifeſt my ſelf to him.
21. This Holy Spirit which I promiſe you, is the Spirit of Love: And he that loveth and keepeth my Commandments, is he that truly loveth me: And (though with a Love of benevolence and beneficence I Love many Enemies to their Converſions, yet) it is only they that thus Love me that ſhall be Loved of my Father with Complacence and Felicitation. And I will delight, bleſs and glorifie them with my Love, and make my ſelf fuller known to them.
22. Judas ſaith unto him, not Iſcariot, Lord, how is it that thou wilt manifeſt thy ſelf unto us, and not unto the world? 23. Jeſus anſwered and ſaid unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.
22, 23. The manifeſtation of my ſelf, is not to be by Monarchical outward Pomp, which the World expecteth, but by Spiritual Gifts and Comforts, and Rewards: And none are prepared for theſe but they that love me and keep my words: Theſe my Father will Love, and my Father and I will come to him by the Spirit, and make our aboad with him for ever.
24. He that loveth me not, keepeth not my ſayings: and the word which you hear, is not mine, but the Fathers which ſent me.
24. But the World that Loveth me not, keepeth not my words: And it is the Fathers word and not mine only which they reject.
25. Theſe things have I ſpoken unto you, being yet preſent with you. 26. But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghoſt, whom the Father will ſend in my name, he ſhall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatſoever I have ſaid unto you.
25, 26. I tell you all theſe things with my own Mouth, while I am preſent with you: But they ſhall be better underſtood, and take deeper rooting in your Memory and Affections, by the work of the Paraclets, the Holy Ghoſt, whom my Father will ſend in my Name, my Agent, Advocate and Witneſs; he ſhall more fully teach you all things, and bring all things that ever I ſaid to your remembrances, that you may teach and record them to the World.
27. Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.
27. And taking my farewell of you, I do not only wiſh, but give and leave with you my Grace and Benediction: Not ſuch an uneffectual or deluſory peace in Sin as the World giveth: But the beginning of everlaſting Felicity. Therefore let not your hearts be troubled or afraid at my departure as if ye were deſerted
28. Ye have heard how I ſaid unto you, I go away, and come again unto you. If ye loved me, ye would rejoyce, becauſe I ſaid, I go unto the Father: for my Father is greater then I.
28. Ye have heard with trouble my words that I go away and come again to you. If ye underſtood this aright, your Love to me would make you rejoyce, becauſe as I told you, it is my Father that I go to. And he is greater than I whom he hath made Mediator; And the preſence of his Glory is better than this baſe wicked World.
29. And now I have told you before it come to paſs, that when it is come to paſs, ye might believe.
29. I have foretold you of my departure, and my ſending the Spirit, that when its come to paſs, your Faith may be helped by remembring my Predictions.
30. Hereafter I will not talk much with you: for the Prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing, in me.
30. I ſhall not ſpeak much more to … my death: For the Devil the Prince of the … and the Romiſh and Jewiſh Powers, his Agents are ready to Execute what I came to ſuffer, but ſhall find in me no guilt or deſert of ſuffering.
31. But that the world may know that I love the Father; and as the Father gave me commandment; even ſo I do. Ariſe, let us go hence.
31. But that I may ſhew to Mankind, that my Love to my Father, and my perfect Obedience to his Commands, are more Powerful in me than the love of this Life, I ſhall willingly ſuffer for Man an undeſerved curſed death. Ariſe, and let us go to the place where I know Judas will come to apprehend me.