John 14

The three ensuing Chapters, continue either one or more consolatory discourses of our Saviour to his Disciples, (as appeareth from the first verse of this Chapter) made as is probable to them in the guest chamber; (at least that part of them which we have in this Chapter) for we read of no motion of our Saviours, till we come to the last verse of this Chapter. That which troubled them was, what he had told them in the close of the former Chapter, that he was going from them; By our Saviours discourse in this and the two following Chapters, it should seem that there were three things that troubled them. 1. The sense of their loss as to his bodily presence. 2. The fear, that with the loss of that, they should also lose those Spiritual influences which they had received from him, and upon which their Souls had lived. 3. The prospect of those storms of troubles, and persecutions, which was like to follow his departure from them; for if we wisely consider what our Saviour says in these three following Chapters, it all tends to comfort them as to troubles that might arise in their spirits, upon one or other of these accounts: the general Proposition is laid down in the first verse of this Chapter.

LEt not your hearts be troubled Through grief, or fear, which are the Two Passions which ordinarily most disturb our minds; our Saviour himself was troubled, but not sinfully: his trouble neither arose from unbelief, nor yet was in an undue measure: it was (as one well expresseth it) like the mere agitation of clear water, where was no mud at the bottom; but our trouble is like the stirring of water that has a great deal of mu at the bottom, which upon the royling, riseth up, and maketh the whole body of the water in the vessel impure, ro led and muddy. It is this sinful trouble caused from these Two passions, and rising up to an immoderate degree, and mixed with a great deal of unbelief and distrust in God, against which our Saviour here cautioneth his Disciples; and the Remedy he prescribes against those afflicting passions, is a believing in God, and a believing on him.: ye believe in God The Two latter passages in the Verse, are so penned in the Greek, that they may be read Four ways; for the Verb Believe, twice repeated, may be read either indicatively or imparitively, or the one may be read indicatively, and the other imperatively; so as they may be translated, You believe in God, you believe also in me. And so they teach us, that there is no such Remedy for inward troubles, as a believing in God, and a believing in Jesus Christ; and those that do so, have no just Reason for any excessive heart-troubles. Or else they may be read, believe in God, believe in me: or else as we read them, ye believe in God, believe also in me: or believe in God, ye believe in me. But the Disciples Faith in Christ, as Mediator, and God-Man, being yet weak, and their weakness being what our Saviour has ordinarily blamed, not magnified, or commended, the best Interpreters judg the sense which our Translators give, to be the best sense; and judg that our Saviour does inculcate to them his Divine Nature, and again offer himself to them as the proper Object of their Faith. You (says he) own it for your duty to trust in God, as your Creator, and he that provideth for you., believe also in me Believe also in me, as God equal with my Father; and in me, as the Messiah, your Mediator and Redeemer; so as you have one to take care of all your concerns, both those of your Bodies, and those of your Souls also, so as you have nothing to be immoderately, and excessively, or distrustfully troubled for; therefore Let not your hearts be troubled; only without care or distust, commit your selves to me..

In my Fathers house are many mansions Our Lord's first Argument brought to comfort them from the place whither he was going, and the end of his going thither; the place whither he was going, was his Fathers house, so as they needed not to be troubled for him, he was but going home; nor was God his Father only, but theirs also, as he afterwards says, I go to my Father, and your Father; and here he tells them, that in his Fathers house there was not only a mansion that is, an abiding place for him, but for many others also. Our days on the Earth (says David) 1 Chron. 29.15. are as a shadow, and there is no abiding; but in Heaven there are, abiding places. We shall (says the Apostle) be ever with the Lord: and the Mansions there, are many; there is room enough for all believers. I would not have deceived you; if there had been no place in heaven but for me, I would have told you of it; but there are many Mansions there.; if it were not so, I would have told you: I go to prepare a place for you I go to prepare a place for you. The place was prepared of old; those who shall be saved, were of old ordained unto life. That Kingdom was prepared for them before the foundation of the world (that is, in the counsels and immutable purpose of God) These Mansions for believers in Heaven, were to be sprinkled with blood: The sprinkling of the Tabernacle, and all the Vessels of the Ministry, were typical of it, Heb. 9.21, 22, 23. but the heavenly things themselves, with better sacrifices than these, says the Apostle. By his Resurrection from the dead, and becoming the First Fruits of those that sleep; by his Ascension into Heaven, as our forerunner, Heb. 6.20. by his sitting at the right hand of God, and making intercession for us, he prepareth for us a place in Heaven. And thus he comforteth his Disciples (as to the want of his bodily presence), as from the consideration of the place whither he went, so from the end of his motion, which was to do those acts which were necessary in order to his Disciples inheriting those Blessed Mansions which were prepared for them from before the foundation of the world..

And if I go and prepare a place for you The Particle If in this place denoteth no uncertainty of the thing whereof he had before assured them; but in this place has either the force of altho, or after that; when, or after that I have died, ascended, and by all these acts, as also by my intercession, shall have made places in Heaven fully ready for you,, I will come again I will in the last day return again, as Iudg of the quick and the dead,, and receive you unto my self and take you up into Heaven, 1 Thes. 4.16, 17., that where I am, there ye may be also That you may be made partakers of my glory, Iohn 17.22. This is called, Rom. 8.17. a being glorified together with him; and elsewhere, a reigning with him. So as this is a Third Argument by which our Lord comforteth his Disciples as to their trouble conceived for the want of his bodily presence with them, from the certainty of his return to them, and the End and Consequent of his return: The End was to receive them to himself; the Consequent, their eternal abiding with Christ where he was..

And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know Christ, ver. 33. of the former Chapter, had dignified his Disciples with the familiar loving title of Little Children. It is pleasant to consider how he continueth his discourse to them in such a Dialect as a mother would speak to a little child crying after her, seeing her preparing her self to go abroad: The chi d cries; the mother bids it be still, she is but going to such a friend's house; it still cries, he lls it, she is but going to prepare a place for it the e h re it shall be much happier than it is at home: it is not satisfied; she tells it again, that tho she goes, she will come again, and then it shall go along with her, and she will part no more from it: the child is yet impatient; she again endeavoureth to still it, telling it, that it knoweth whither she goeth, and it knows the way, by which, if need be, it may come to her..

Thomas says unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest, and how can we know the way Reason tells every one, that he who knoweth not the term, whither a person is going, must needs be ignorant of the way. It is plain, that Thomas, and so (probably) divers others of the Apostles, notwithstanding what our Saviour had so plainly told them ver. 2. yet dreamed of some earthly motion our Saviour was making, which makes Thomas to speak thus; so dull are we, and hard to conceive of spiritual things. But will some say, Does not Thomas here contradict his Master, who had told them, ver. 4. that they both knew whither he went, and the way also? Ans. Some think that our Saviour meant no more than they ought to have known, both whither he went, and the way also. Active Verbs in Scripture-phrase, often signifying no more than duty, or ability. But possibly others answer better; they had some knowledg, but it was more confused and general, not distinct, particular, or certain.?

Jesus says unto him, I am the Way Christ was his own way to his Father, Heb. 9.12. By his own blood he entred in once into the holy place. See Luke 24 26. Phil. 2.8. but both the former words, where the Apostles spake of the way they should go, and the following words hint to us, that Christ is here speaking of their way, not his own. As to them, he says, I am the way; that is, the way by which those must get to Heaven who will ever come there. Christ is our way to Heaven by the Doctrine which he taught; by his Death, by which he purchased this heavenly inheritance for us; by his holy life and Conversation, setting us an example, that we should follow his steps; by the influence of his Spirit, guiding us to, and assisting us in those holy actions by which we must come unto glory., and the Truth He is the Truth; that is (say some) the true way to life eternal: but he is the Truth as to his Doctrine, the Gospel being the Word of Truth, Eph. 1 13. And as truth signifies reality and accomplishment, in opposition to the Prophesies and Promises, all being but words till they were in him fulfilled; in which sense we read of the true Tabernacle, and the true holy places, Heb. 8 2, and 9.24. Or as truth is opposed to falshood, as Truth is taken, Iohn 8.44. Rom. 3.7., and the Life And he is the Life, the Author and Giver of Eternal Life, Iohn 11.25. 1 Iohn 5.11. and the purchaser of it by his Death; he who by his Doctrine shows the way to it, and by his Holy Spirit begins it, and carrieth it on to perfection. The Iews thought the way to it was by the Law of Moses; but our Saviour beateth his Disciples out of that Opinion: for if the Law could have given Life, Christ had died in vain (as the Apostle argueth).: No man cometh unto the Father, but by me Therefore (says he) there is no coming to the Father but by me; no way for you, or any other to come to Heaven, but by receiving, and embracing, and believing in me..

If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also If ye had known me as you ought to have known me, as I am indeed the eternal Son of God, sent by my Father into the World, you should have known my Father, with whom I am equal, and one and the same God, so as in knowing one of us, you must have known both: but you stick in my outward form and appearance, while I appear to you in the form of a Man; and you stick in your prejudices suckt in from the Notion you have of the Messiah, expecting I know not what Temporal Prince: These things blind you as to my Divine Nature (personally united to my Humane Nature); that you see nothing of my Godhead, which if you had clearly known and believed, you would not have been at a loss to know the Father, the brightness of whose glory, and the express Image of whose person I am, tho my glory be vailed by my Humane Nature.: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him And if you will yet believe what I say, from henceforth, you do know the Father, and you have seen the Father so oft as you have seen me..

Philip says unto him, Lord, show us the Father, and it sufficeth us Still Philip understandeth not our Saviour, and further discovereth a very gross conception of the Divine Being, as if it could be seen with mortal Eyes; whereas God had told Moses, Exod. 33.20. Thou canst not see my face; for there shall no man see me and live. It is an hard thing to d e ine what degrees of ignorance are consistent or inc s ent with saving Grace in souls, the Resolution of which does much depend upon those degrees of Revelation, and means of knowledg which men have..

Jesus says unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me Philip Our Saviour still insisteth upon the Oneness of himself with his Father, and the personal Union of the Divine and Humane Nature in him: for otherwise the Apostles might have been with Christ a long time, and known him, and yet? He that has seen me has seen the Father not have seen nor known the Father.: and how sayest thou thou, Show us the Father But that supposed none that had seen Christ, but must have seen the Father also, there being but one God.?

Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me It is the opinion of Mr. Calvin, that these words are not here spoken so much to express his Divine Nature and Being (for so Christ is no more known to us than his Father), as to express his manner of revealing it. Yet is the Divine Nature of Christ fully proved from hence. Others judg, that these words do clearly signifie both the distinction of persons; for nothing is in it self; and also the Union of the persons in the Divine Being.? The words that I speak unto you, I speak not of my self He proveth his Union with the Father, because he spake not those words which he spake of himself; that is, not of himself solely; he revealed but his Father's Will, and declared his Father's Mind; and: but the Father that dwelleth n me, he does the works because the works which he did, he did not by his own sole power, without the concurrence of his Father's power in those Operations..

Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me: or else believe me for the very works sake Believe my words (for that is your duty); but yet if you will not believe m words, declaring to you my Union with my Father, ou see me doing such works as none but God me for their sake. It is true, that both the and the Apostles spake God's words, not their own to the Peo le, and also did many great and mighty works; but still their Doctrine led unto another, that was Christ; and their Miracles were not wrought in their own names, but in the name of Christ. Elijah raised the Shunamites dead child to life by prayer to God that he would do it; and the Apostles bid the lame man arise, and walk, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Christ's Doctrine terminated in himself; he call'd men to believe in him, and he wrought Miracles by his own power, and by a virtue proceeding out of, and from himself, tho by the power of his Father also, because he and his Father were one in Essence..

Verily verily I say unto you, He that believeth on me Not every individual soul that believeth in me, but some of those, particularly you that are my Apost es, and shall be filled with the Holy Ghost in the days of Pentecost;, the works that I do, shall he do also, and greater wrrks You shall preach the Gospel, and work Miracles, for the confirmation of the truth of the Doctrine of it. Yea, and you shall do greater Works than I have done; not more, or greater Miracles: the truth of that may be justly questioned; for what Miracle was ever done by the Apostles greater than that of raising Lazarus? Much less do I think that it is to be understood of speaking with divers tongues: It is rather to be understood of their successful carrying the Gospel to the Gentiles, by which the whole World, almost, was brought to the Obedience of the Faith of Christ. We never read that of Christ which we read of Peter, viz. his converting three thousand at one Sermon. than these shall he do: because I go unto my Father Because I go to my Father, he afterwards expoundeth, telling us, that if he did not go away, the Comforter would not come. The pouring out of the Spirit in the days of Pentecost, was the proximate cause of those great works. Now Christ's going to the Father had an influence upon that Mission of the Holy Spirit..

And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name The Whatsoever in this Text, must be limited by what the Will of God has revealed in other Texts, as to the matter of our prayers; viz. they must be things that are for our good; such things as we stand in need of, and as God has given us a liberty to ask; and indeed no other things can be asked in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ; for to ask in Christ's name, signifieth not only the making use of his sacred name in our prayers (tho the constant practice of the Church in Prayer, has evidenced it the general Opinion of Divines, that this is a part of the sense), but also in asking for his merits, and such things as shall be conformable to his will, and for his glory. Whatsoever (says he) you shall ask of this nature,, that will I do I will do. He does not say, my Father will do, but I will do it, to testifie his Divine Power, and Oneness in Power with his Father., that the Father may be glorified in the Son That the Father may be glorified in the Son. God has set up his Rest in Christ, and will be glorified in and through him; and has therefore given him all Power in Heaven and Earth..

If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it The words are doubled for the further confirmation of them, that we might not doubt when we put up our Petitions to God in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, according to the Will of God..

If ye love me, keep my commandments Do not show your love to me in mourning, and being troubled for my going from you; but show it by your Obedience to what I have commanded you. True love must not evaporate in complement, but discover it self in a strict observance of the Commandments of God..

And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter This Verse containeth a new Argument by which our Saviour relieveth his Disciples under their affliction for the want of his bodily presence; that is, the Mission of the Holy Spirit, another Comforter (as our Translation reads it); For this he says, that he will pray the Father; not that himself had no concern in the Mission of the Blessed Spirit; for himself telleth us, Chap. 16.7. that he would send him, only for the attestation of his Humane Nature; and 2. Of himself, as our Mediator: 3. Of his Father's concern as well as his own, in sending the Holy Spirit he here says, I will pray the Father, and he shall send you another comforter. That term, another, signifieth the personal distinction of the Third from the First and Second Person in the blessed Trinity. And the name here given to the blessed Spirit, (which we too narrowly translate Comforter), is a term exceeding proper to signifie all the Operations of the blessed Spirit in and upon the souls of his people. The same word, 1 Iohn 2.2. where it is applied to Christ (as here it is to the Spirit), is there much better translated Advocate; and it is most probable that our Translators here translate it Comforter, because he is here promised to the Disciples troubled, as fitted to their present distress. The Verb from whence the word deriveth, signifies not to comfort only, but to exhort, and to be an Advocate for another. Now it belongs to the Office of an Advocate to suggesi to his Client what may be for his advantage; which is also the Office of the blessed Spirit; if he seeth his Client in an error, to reprove, and to convince him; which is also the work of the Spirit, Iohn 6.7. If he seeth him weak, and discouraged, to uphold, strengthen, and encourage him; this is also the Spirit's work, Eph. 3.16. if he sees him running into an error, to restrain him; if he finds him dull, and heavy, to quicken him; if he seeth him ready to be rundown, to defend him; if he has any thing to do in the Court, to prepare, and dram it up for him, and as occasion serveth, to speak for him. All these things (as might be largely showed) fall within the Office of an Advocate, and under the comprehensive term here used., that he may abide with you for ever And (says our Saviour) he shall abide with you for ever. I shall be with you but for a while, but he shall abide with you to eternity (as some observe this word is constantly used by this Evangelist). So that the Promise of the Spirit is not to be restrained only to the Apostles and their Successors in the Ministry, or to be understood only of those extraordinary gifts bestowed on the Apostles, and first Ministers of the Gospel; but to be extended further, both with reference to persons and influences; and without doubt the influences of the Spirit, both as to Gifts and Graces, both upon Ministers and more private Christians, are much more plentiful since the sending of the Holy Ghost, after Christ's Ascension in the days of Pentecost, than ever they were before, not as to particular persons, a David, a Solomon: Or some particular persons might have greater measures than any, or the most have since had: but as to the generality of Ministers, and Christians, doubtless, since the pouring out of the Spirit in the days of Pentecost, there have been greater measures of the Gifts and Graces of the Holy Spirit given out, and will be to the end of the World, than ever was in any Age before Christ's Ascension, which is no more than what was prophesied, Isa. 44.3. Ioel 2.28. applied to the days of Pentecost, Acts 2.17. but not to be limited to that time or age, either for gifts or gracious habits, for as the extraordinary gifts and powers, held in some degree after the Apostles age, (if we may give any credit to Ecclesiastical history) so both in those ages, and e er since, as to the generality both of Ministers and Christians, (that is, such as are mentioned ver. 15. that love Christ, and keep his commandments) there have been fuller measures of gifts, of more constant standing use for the Church, such as those of Knowledge and Vtterance, &c. and also of inward graces, than ever before was.;

Even the Spirit of truth He here explaineth himself, and tells them, that by that other Comforter mentioned, ver. 16. he meant the Spirit, whom he here calls the Spirit of truth, either because he is a Spirit that declareth and revealeth the truth, as in 1 Iohn 5.6. or because he teacheth us truth, 1 Iohn 2.27. he guideth us into all truth, Iohn 16.13. Or in opposition to the lying Spirit of the Devil, 1 Kings 22.22. Most probably the holy Spirit is here called the Spirit of truth, because of the Efficiency he has as to it. It is he who has revealed all the truth contained in the Scriptures, to the World. Holy men wrote as they were inspired by him, Acts 1.16. 2 Pet. 1.21. It is he that more particularly and specially revealeth truth to the particular Soul, 1 Cor. 2.12. hence persons enlightned, are said to be made partakers of the Holy Ghost, Heb. 6.4. He leadeth his people into truth, Chap. 16.13. he sealeth and confirmeth truth to the Soul: hence we read of the demonstration of the Spirit, 1 Cor. 2.4., whom the world cannot receive This Spirit of truth, the World, that is, men of carnal hearts that are of the World, and in whom worldly lusts predominate, 1 Iohn 2.16. Chap. 17.9 This World,, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him through natural impotency, 1 Cor. 2.14. Through wisdom, 1 Cor. 10.21. through lusts and passions, cannot receive, that is, be made partakers of, because it neither seeth him, who is not to be seen with mortal Eyes, nor knoweth him affectionately, and experimentally; he being not to be know by men whose hearts are carnal and full of lusts,: but ye know him but ye know him believingly, experimentally, affectionately, savingly:, for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you for he dwelleth in you by a mystical union, Rom. 8.11. 1 Cor. 6.17. and he shall abide with you, by his dwelling in you, and influences upon you..

I will not leave you comfortless The word in the Greek is Orphanes, persons without father and mother, who for the most part are the most comfortless persons, therefore it is translated comfortless; Christ has a care, not only of the peoples Salvation and Life, but also of their comforts while they are here; he will not leave his people without proportionable comfort for their distresses., I will come to you In the Greek it is, I do come to you, to denote the certainty, and the suddenness of his coming, which is either to be understood of his Resurrection, which was (as we know) after the absence of three days: or which is more probable, (for after his Resurrection he stood with them but a few days) in and by his b essed Spirit, (for the Spirit is called the Spirit of Christ) who was to come, and to abide with them for ever. Tho it may also have a reference to his coming again to Judge both the quick and the Dead, to receive them to himself, that (as he said before) they might always be where he was; but the two former senses, are understood as more specially relating to their present distresses, upon account of his bodily absence from them..

Yet a little while, and the world seeth me no more The World seeth me now only with fleshly Eyes; it will be but a little while, and the men of the World shall be able to see me no more; I shall be crucified, and laid in the grave; and tho I shall rise again, yet I shall not be seen of them: (we read of no appearances of him after his Resurrection, but to his Disciples), but ye see me but ye see me, or shall see me; so they did often after his Resurrection with their bodily Eyes; or may be understood of a Spiritual sight by the Eye of Faith, or of a sight of experience; (as seeing often in Scripture signifieth enjoying): because I live: ye shall live also Because I live, that is, I shall live by my Resurrection from the Dead, and by my glorious Ascension into Heaven; you also shall live the Life of grace here; and tho your bodies must die, because of sin, yet your Souls shall upon the death of your bodies live; and in the Resurrection, both your Souls and bodies shall live, and together be glorified with me; all this grace and mercy shall flow out to you from me as Mediator, and because I live..

At that day Some understand our Saviour here speaking of the day of his Resurrection; others Interpret it of the days of Pentecost, when there should be such an effusion of the blessed Spirit: but the following words discover, that it is best Interpreted of the day of Judgment, and the general Resurrection; for ye shall know, that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you they speak of two great mysteries, which the Disciples should understand in that day, which is here spoken of; to wit, The personal Union of Christ with his Father, and the mystical Vnion of Believers with Christ; as to both which, tho the Apostles and Believers knew much more after Christs Resurrection, and the pouring forth of the Spirit in the days of Pentecost, than they knew before those times; yet it is a very imperfect knowledge they ever had, or yet have of those mysterious Unions; but in the Resurrection we shall understand these things clearly..

He that has my commandments and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me Our Lord here does repeat what he had before said, ver. 15 declaring that there is no infallibile indication of our love to Christ, but obedience, which is here exprest under two Notions. 1. Having Christs commandments and keeping them, they must both concur to make a true indication of our love to Christ: It is possible that men may have Christs Commandments in their Ears, in their Notion, in their mouths, and yet not keep them; they may hear them, they may know and remember them, they may talk of them, yet they may not keep them; for keeping them denotes universal, diligent, and industrious, steady, and constant obedience to them; and this alone will speak our love to Christ:: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him And if any man thus declareth his love to Christ, Christ declareth, that both he and his father, will take pleas e and delight in him to do him good: and will manifest my self to him and he shall not live only under the real benefits of his love to him, but under the sensible manifestations of it. Here is no mention of the Spirits coming with the Father and the Son, because the Son dwelleth in us by the Spirit..

Judas says unto im not Iscariot Iude the Brother of Iames, Iude 1. the Son of Alpheus, not Iudas the Son of Simon, who from the City whence he was, was called Iscariot, and was the Traytor; asks our Saviour, Lord, how is it that thou wilt ma i est thy self unto us, and not unto the world how it was, or wherefore it was that he would manifest himself to them, and not to t e world? This question either proceeded out of ignorance, not aright understanding of what manifestation of himself Christ here spake; or out of a pious desire, that all might be made partakers of the same grace with them; or out of the Apostles modest opinion of himself and his Brethren; as if he had said, Lord, what are we that thou shouldest speak of any more special manifestation of rhy love to us, than to the rest of the world? Or out of a deep admiration of Gods unsearchable Judgments in leaving some of the World, whiles he made choice of others to dignifie, with such special distinguishing favours, hiding those things from the wise and prudent, which he revealed to babes.?

Jesus answered, and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words If any man love Christ, he will keep Christs words; that is, he will study and endeavour to keep the Commandments of Christ; for if nothing evidenced a true love to Christ, but a perfect obedience to his will, none could comfort himself from his obedience, or conclude his love to Christ from it; but he that loveth Christ, will make it his busines to be obedient to him in those things that he has commanded, and are within his power. And my Father will manifest his love to him in further dispensations of his grace; for it cannot be understood of Gods Eternal love, nor yet of love in Iustification, and Regeneration: for till the man or woman be justified, and regenerated, he will never study and endeavour obedience to the Will of God. This love of God is the cause, not the effect of our obedience; but love in this verse must be expounded by manifesting in the former verse; and this is certain, that the manifestations of Divine love to our Souls, depend upon our walking with God.: and my Father will love him f, and we will come unto him This is also meant by God the Father, and Christs coming to those that love him, and keep his commandments; viz. a coming in the sweet influences of Divine grace, suted to the Souls various necessities:, and make our abode with him nay, our Lord promiseth, not only his and his Fathers coming to, but their making an abode with such as love him, and keep his Commandments. Here the abiding of the first and second person in the Trinity with Believers, ver. 16. the abiding of the third person with them is also promised, which all make that presence of God with them, so often promised to them in holy Writ: Thus our Saviour answereth one part of what Iudas said, How is it that thou wilt manifest thy self to us? because says our Saviour, you love me and keep my words; for tho no love, no works of ours foreseen or seen, be the cause of eternal love, or the first grace; yet it is so much a cause of further grace, especially in the sensible manifestations of it, that no Soul must expect it that does not love Christ, and keep his words. He also further gives them a reason, as to the second thing he asked, why he did not manifest himself to the World?.

He that loveth me not, keepeth not my sayings Because they did not love him, nor keep his sayings, their sin was aggravated; because, and the word which you hear is not mine the words which he spake, were not his Will only, but the Fathers which sent me but the will of his Father who had sent him into the World, to reveal his Will to the Sons of men..

These things have I spoken unto you, being yet present with you That is, as to his bodily presence: for more than three years I have been fulfilling a ministry amongst you, and have spoken many things to you..

But the Comforter, which is the holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my Name The word is the same, which was so translated before; (see the import of it, ver. 16, 17) he is either called the Comforter, and the Spirit of truth here, the Holy Spirit. The Father here is said to send in the name, that is, with the Authority, and upon the Mediation of the Lord Jesus Christ: and two pieces of the Spirits work besides Comforting, are here expressed., he shall teach you all things He shall more fully explain to you all things: three of the Apostles themselves had already in this Chapter discovered great degrees of ignorance as to the Doctrine of the Trinity, Christs Union or Oneness with his Father, &c. You shall not be left (says our Saviour) in this ignorance; for when the holy Spirit shall come, he shall more fully and perfectly instruct you in all things, which I have already instructed you, and which are necessary for you to know in order to your eternal happiness:, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you and shall bring to your remembrance the things I have taught you, so as you shall more fully and clearly understand them; and tho you may have forgotten them, yet they shall by the holy Spirit be received in your memories, so as they shall not be like water spilt on the ground, which cannot again be gathered up, but like seed sown in the Earth, which tho it may at present rot, and die under the clods, or at least not Spring up; yet it shall spring up, and bring forth desired fruit. It is one great work of the holy Spirit, to bring the revelations of holy Writ to our remembrance, and withall to clear to us the sense of them, and confirm our faith in them, and chiefly quicken us to practice what is our duty: but it is to be observed, that the Spirit does not make revelations of new Notions; it only brings to our remembrance what Christ has said, and further revealeth what was before in the word revealed, tho possibly particular persons were ignorant of such revelations of the word: so things may be new, and newly revealed to us, which in themselves are not so. There are no new truths, but particular persons may have new discoveries of old truth, which they had before misappr ensions of..

Peace I leave with you Peace be with you, or to you, was the Iewish common salutation, 1 Sam. 25.6. under that general name, they comprehend all manner of good: With this good wish they both saluted their friends when they met them, and took their farewell of them when they left them. Christ being now about to take his leave for a time of his Disciples, wisheth them Peace; nay, he does not only wish it to them, but he leaves it to them, he giveth it them as a legacy, and that in another kind of peace, and in another manner than was common, my peace I give unto you He therefore calls it his Peace revealed in the Gospel, Eph. 6.15. purchased with his blood, Rom. 5.1. brought to the Soul by his Spirit, by which we are sealed to the day of Redemption: Christs peace is either Union, or Reconciliation with God, or the copy of it, which is a quiet of conscience, and assurance of his love: Or an union with men by Brotherly love, so often commended and pressed by Christ.: not as the world giveth, give I unto you Nor does Christ give this peace as the men of the World giveth peace, who often wish peace earnestly, never considering what it is they say; often, falsly, formally wishing peace, when they are about to strike those to whom they wish it, under the fifth rib, and when they are most serious with it, but cannot give it: Christ leaves it to his Disciples for a legacy, giveth it to them as a gift; if they want it, it is their own fault; therefore. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid as in the first verse, so here again, he says, Let not your heart be troubled; and adds, neither let it be afraid. Fear is one of those passions which most usually and potently does disturb the hearts and minds of men; but there was no reason it should have this ill influence on Christs Disciples, because he had left them Peace for his legacy, and the gifts of God are without epentance; and if God be for us, says the Apostle, who, or what can be against us?.

Ye have heard how I said unto you, I go away, and come again unto you They had heard our Saviour saying so, ver. 3.. If ye loved me, ye would rejoyce, because I said, I go unto the Father It is of the nature of true love, to rejoice in the good of the object beloved, as much as in its own, nay before its own; (says our Saviour) if you loved me, that is, as ye ought to love me, for our Lord had before owned, that they did love him, giving it as a reason why he rather revealed himself, and manifested himself to them, than to the World, (ver. 23) you would (says our Saviour) not have been so unreasonably disturbed at my telling you, that I shall leave you; because I not only told you, that I would come again to you, but because I told you, that I was going to my Father, ver. 2. from whom tho I was never separated, as I am God over all blessed for ever yet my human Nature was yet never glorified with him, so that I shall be there much happier than here; being highly exalted, and having a name given me above every name, Phil. 2.10: for my Father is greater than I For my Father is greater than I; not greater in Essence, (as the Arrians and Socini ns would have it): he had many times before asserted the contrary; but greater, Either as the order amongst the Divine persons, because the Father begat, the Son is begotte; the Father is he from whom the Son proceeded by Eternal generation: in which sense, divers of the Ancients, amongst whom Athanasius, Cyril, and Augustine, and some modern Interpreters understand it. Or 2. as a Mediator sent from the Father, so he is greater than I. Or 3. In respect of my present state, while I am here in the form of a servant and in my state of humiliation, which seemeth to be the best interpretation, if we consider the words before; You would rejoice, because I say unto you, I go unto my Father: for the true reason of that joy must have been, because Christ in his glorious state of Exaltation, would be much more happy than he had been in his state of Humiliation, while he was exposed to the scoffs, reproaches, and injuries of men, the temptations of Satan, &c..

And now I have told you before it come to pass, that when it is come to pass, ye might believe Evils that surprize us are always the most heavy, and load our spirits (says our Saviour); before these things come to pass, I have given you notice of them, that when you see them come to pass, you might not be overwhelmed with sorrow, and trouble, to the hinderance of your faith in me; but understanding that I have told you the truth, before the thing come to pass, you may be assured that I am not mere man, but truly God, and receive, and imbrace me, and rest upon me as your Saviour..

Hereafter I will not talk much with you I shall not have much time hereafter to reveal my mind to you, my suffering is very near, the Devil who is the Prince of this World, Chap 12.31. (see the notes there) Chap. 16.11. Eph. 6.12. He cometh by the evil Angels, or rather by vile and wicked men, as his instruments: Iudas and the Souldiers. He does not say wherefore he came, but it is easily understood:; for the prince of this world cometh a, and has nothing in me and he has nothing in me that he can justly fault, and take advantage against me, for he findeth no guilt in me, to give him any advantage against me; I shall die as an innocent person, and be cut off, but not for my self, (as it was Prophecied of the Messiah, Dan. 9.26) but (as it is there ver. 24.) to finish transgression, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting Righteousness..

But that the world may know that I love the Father: and as the Father gave me commandment, even so I do I die not for my own sin; but being found in fashion as a man, I humbled my self, and became obedient unto the death, even the death of the Cross (as Phil. 2.8.) to let the World know, that I love the Father, and am obedient to him, doing even so as he has commanded me.; Arise, let us go hence Arise from Supper, (after which they were wont sometimes to lengthen our discourse) the Supper in Bethany as some think: but to me it seems more probable, (as I said before) to be the Passover Supper, and the Lords Supper which immediately followed that; and let us go hence, out of the guest chamber (where the Passover was to be administred). So as it is most probable, that the discourses in the two next Chapters were as they went along in the way to Mount Olivet. In this discourse our Saviour has most applied himself to relieve his Disciples upon their disturbance, for their want of our Saviours bodily presence..