I will send him to you. Whence we learn, That Christ's ascension was indispensably necessary, in order to the Spirit's mission; the Spirit could not have descended, if Christ had not first ascended; the Spirit could not come, but by the gifts and mission of the Mediator. Now the sending of the Spirit being a part of Christ's royalty, as Mediator, it was not convenient that the Spirit should be sent, till Christ was crowned, and set down on his throne in his kingdom; then the Spirit was to make application to us, of the redemption purchased for us.

8 And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment. 9 Of sin, because they believe not on me; 10 Of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more: 11 Of judgment, because the prince of the world is judged.

In these and the following verses our Saviour acquaints his disciples with the advantages that will redound by the coming of the Comforter. First, The advantage to the world. Secondly, To the apostles. And, thirdly, To himself. To the world, 1. He shall convince them of sin, rightcousness, and judgment. Of sin, that is, of their sinful state and nature, of the large extent of sin, and particularly of the sin of unbelief. Learn hence, 1. That the Spirit of God is the author of conviction of sin, and that all convictions of sin do either mediately or immediately flow from him. 2. That unbelief is a sin of the greatest malignity against Christ, and of the greatest danger to a christian's soul: He shall convinee the world of sin, because they believe not on me. Secondly, Of rightcousness; that is, of the insufficiency of all human righteousness, and of the necessity of the righteousness of a Mediator; by which alone we are to expect accept ance with God; or of a complete and perfect righteousness in me, imputable to sinners for their perfect justification; and that it is so, appears, Because I go to the Father, and ye see me no more. As if Christ had said, “Hereby you may be satisfied that by my active and passive obedience I have fully satisfied my Father's justice for you, and you shall never be charged or condemned; because, when I go to heaven, I shall abide there in glory with my Father, and never be sent back again; ye shall

see me no more, as I must have been if any thing had been omitted by me." Note farther, That none are convinced of righteousness who are not first convinced of sin. None will come to Christ by faith, till convictions of sin have awakened and distressed them. Thirdly, Of judgment: that is, the Spirit shall convince the world that Jesus is both Lord and Christ, that he had power to judge Satan the prince of the world, and that he did by his death put down the kingdom of darkness. Learn hence, 1. That Satan is a prince, who by unjust usurpation, and sinners' voluntary consent, has exercised a tyrannical power over the world. 2. That Christ by his death did judge, condemn, and overcome, this mighty prince, and hath made his conquest evident to the consciences of men, by the convictions of his Holy Spirit: The Spirit shall convince of judgment; that is, that Satan the prince of this world is judged.

12 I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now.

13 Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth :—

The second benefit which our Saviour declares was to be expected by the coming of the Holy Spirit, relates to the apostles themselves: He shall guide you into all truth; that is, into all truth necessary for you to know in order to salvation. This is a principal text which the Papists bring for their doctrine of infallibility; but groundlessly. For this promise was made to all the apostles, as well as Peter; nay, not only to the apostles, but to all their successors; yea, not to the apostles only and their successors, but to all believers also; for they are led by the Spirit of God, and that into all truth too; not absolutely, but into all necessary truth; and so far as a private christian follows the conduct and guidance of the divine Spirit, he is more infallible than either pope or council, who follow the dictates and directions of their own spirits only.

himself; but whatsoever he shall For he shall not speak of hear, that shall he speak; and he will shew you things to come.

That is, he shall not teach you a private doctrine, or that which is contrary to what ye have learned of me, but whatsoever ye

cerning his departure, though so often inculcated upon them; A little while, and ye shall not see me, because I go to the Father. Hence note, How unreasonable it is to arrogate to man's understanding a power to comprehend spiritual mysteries, yea, to understand the plainest truths, till Christ enlightens the understanding; let the doctrine be delivered never so plainly, and repeated never so frequently, yet will men continue ignorant, without divine illumination. How often had this plain doctrine of Christ's departure to the Father been preached to the disciples by Christ's own mouth? Yet still they say, What is this he saith, We cannot tell what he saith. Learn, 2. The different effects which Christ's absence should have upon the world, and upon his disciples; The world will rejoice, but ye shall weep and lament. Note, 1. That it is the wretched disposition of the world to rejoice in the absence and want of Christ out of the world. When I am gone, the world will rejoice. 2. That nothing is the cause of so much sorrow and sadness to sincere disciples, as Christ's absence and removal from them; such is their estimation of the worth of him, so great is their apprehension of the want of him, that there is no loss comparable to his absence and removal from them. Ye shall weep and lament at my departure, though the world will rejoice. Learn, 3. That the believer's sorrow for Christ's absence, though it be very great, yet it shall not be perpetual: Ye have now sorrow: but I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice, and your joy shall no man take from you. The joy of the saints may be interrupted, it shall never be totally extinguished; it is a permanent joy, of which they shall never be totally deprived, till they enter into the ocean of eternal joy, Your joy no man taketh from you.

23 And in that day ye shall ask me nothing. Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you. 24 Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be

full.

At the first reading of the 23d verse there seems to be a contradiction in the words. Christ tells them in the former part of the verse, that they shall ask him nothing in that day; and yet promises that whatever

they ask shall be given them, in the latter part of the verse. To resolve this, know that there is a two-fold asking, one by way of question, the other by way of petition. The former is asking that we may know, or be informed in what we doubt; the latter is asking that we may receive, and be supplied with what we want. Now when Christ saith, In that day ye shall ask me nothing; it is as much as if he had said, " At present you understand but little of the mysteries of religion, and therefore ye put questions about many things; but in that day, when the Comforter comes, ye shall be so clearly enlightened by him,. that ye shall not need to ask me any more questions." But when Christ saith, Whatever ye ask of the Father in my name, he will give it; the meaning is, "In that day when I have left the world, and ascended to my Father, you shall not need to address your prayers to me, but to my Father in my name." But what is it to pray in the name of Christ? Answer, It is more than to name Christ in prayer; it is easy to name Christ in prayer, but no easy thing to pray in the name of Christ. To pray in the name of Christ, is, 1. To look up to Christ, as having purchased for us this privilege, that we may pray; for it is by the blood of Christ that we draw near to God, and that a throne of grace is open to us. 2. To pray in the name of Christ is to pray in the strength of Christ, by the assistance of his grace, and the help of his Holy Spirit. 3. To pray in the name of Christ, is to pray by faith in the virtue of Christ's mediation and intercession, believing that what we ask on earth, he intercedes for and obtains in heaven. To pray thus is no easy matter; and unless we do pray thus, we do not pray at all. Ver. 24. Hitherto have you asked nothing in my name: that is, explicitly and expressly in my name, or by me as Mediator betwixt God and man, and with respect to my merits. Do this after my death, resurrection, and ascension to the right hand of God, and you shall receive such answers as will fill you with joy. For the saints of God under the Old Testament, and the

apostles themselves under the New, had hitherto put up all their petitions in the name of the Messiah; though not in the name of Jesus. But now he exhorts them to eye his mediatory office in all their addresses to God, and promises them whatsoever he had purchased of the Father by his sufferings and satisfaction, they should

obtain it, for the sake of his prevailing intercession.. Learn hence, That it is a mighty encouragement to prayer, that now, under the gospel, the person of the Mediator is exhibited in our flesh, has satisfied divine justice in our nature, and in that nature intercedes as Mediator, for whatever he purchased as our surety.-Hence is the encouragement, Whatever ye ask of the Father in my name, he will give it you.

25 These things have I spoken unto you in proverbs: but the time cometh when I shall no more speak unto you in proverbs, but I shall shew you plainly of the Father.

Here our Saviour tells his disciples, That although he had spoken many things to them in dark parables and figurative expressions, yet now the time was approaching, namely, the Comforter's coming, when he would by the Holy Ghost clearly enlighten their understandings in the knowledge of divine mysteries, and the things pertaining to the kingdom of God, and particularly in the knowledge of God as his Father, and their Father in him. Hence learn, 1. That the clearest truths will be but parables, proverbs, and dark mysteries, even to disciples themselves, till the Holy Spirit enlightens their understandings. 2. That the clear and full manifestation of divine truth was reserved till the coming of the Comforter, who did communicate it to the apostles, and by them to the church or body of christians: I, by him, will show you plainly of the Father.

26 At that day ye shall ask in my name and I say not unto you that I will pray the Father for you; 27 For the Father himself loveth you, because ye have loved me, and have believed that I came out from God.

At that day ye shall ask in my name : that is, after I am ascended into heaven, and have sent down the Holy Ghost upon you, you shall put up all your prayers and requests to God in my name: And I say not that I will pray the Father for you: for the Father himself loveth you. That is, I need not tell you, (though I shall certainly do it,) that I will intercede with the Father for you, for he of himself is kindly disposed and affected towards you, for my sake. When Christ says, I do not say that I will pray the Father for you; the meaning

is not, that he will lay aside his office as intercessor for believers, but that they had not only his intercession, but the Father's love, upon which to ground their hope of audience. Learn hence, 1. That the christian prayers put up in Christ's name, cannot fail of audience and acceptance for the sake of the Mediator's intercession and the Father's love. 2. That in our prayers we ought so to eye and look up to Christ's intercession, as not to overlook or forget the Father's love, but ground our hopes of audience upon both: "I say not that I will pray the Father for you, (though I shall assuredly do it,) for the Father himself loveth you, because ye have loved me."

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28 I came forth from the Father, and am come into the world: again, I leave the world, and go to the Father. 29 His disciples said unto him, Lo, now speakest thou plainly, and speakest no proverb. 30 Now are we sure that thou knowest all things, and needest not that any man should ask thee: by this we believe that thou camest forth from God.

Here observe, 1. A proof of our Saviour's godhead: He came forth from the Father into the world. He came out from the Father in his incarnation, and came into the world to accomplish the work of our redemption. Learn hence, That Jesus Christ is true God, equal with the Father; for he was not only sent by him, but came forth from him: I came forth from the Father. Observe, 2. That it pleased Christ, out of love to his people, to leave the Father, and come into the world: not by being separated from the Deity, but by obscuring the Deity with the veil of our flesh, in order to the finishing the great and glorious work of redemption for us: I came forth from the Father, and am come into the world. Observe, 3. That Christ having finished his suffering work here on earth, ascended into heaven, and sent down the Holy Spirit to apply unto his church the redemption purchased by his blood: again, I leave the world and go to the Father. Observe, lastly, How the apostles argue from the knowledge of Christ's omniscience to the certainty of his divinity: Now are we sure that thou knowest all things: by this we believe that thou camest forth from God. The knowledge and experience of Christ's

omniscience, may and ought fully to confirm us in the belief of his deity; for that attribute of the Deity cannot be communicated to any person without the communication of the divine nature.

31 Jesus answered them, Do ye now believe? 32 Behold, the hour cometh, yea, is now come, that ye shall be scattered, every man to his own, and shall leave me alone; and yet I am not alone, because the Father is with me.

In the foregoing verse, the apostles made a full profession of their faith in Christ's divinity, and in Christ's omniscience: Now are we sure that thou knowest all things, and that thou camest forth from God. In this verse Christ intimates to them, that their faith should be put upon a great trial very shortly, namely, when his sufferings came on; and that then they should all forsake him, and take care of themselves: Ye shall be scattered, and leave me alone. Learn hence, 1. That Christ was forsaken and left alone by his own disciples in the day of his greatest distress and danger. 2. Then when the disciples left Christ, they were scattered every one to his own. 3. That when all forsook Christ, and left him alone, he was far from being simply alone, because God was with him: Ye shall leave

me alone; and yet I am not alone, because the Father is with me. God was with Christ, and will be with christians in a suffering hour, in his essential presence, in his gracious and supporting presence: "He that sent me (says Christ) is with me; the Father hath not left me alone; for I do always those things that please my Father."

33 These things have I spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.

These words are the conclusion of our Saviour's farewell sermon to his disciples, in which he declares to them, 1. The inevitable necessity of the world's trouble: In the world ye shall have tribulation; that is, while ye have to do with the men of the world, while ye have any thing to do with the things of the world; nay, while you have a being in the world; you must look for trouble, both from within and from without, from friends and foes, in body, soul, name, estate; heart-breaking troubles,

soul-rending troubles, such troubles as will make the heart to break, and the back to bend; and you, my disciples, must expect it as well as others: In the world ye shall have tribulation. Hence learn, That the must expect and look for trouble. Observe, disciples of Christ in this world may, yea, 2. The remedy provided by Christ against this malady: In me ye shall have peace, when in the world ye have tribulation. Ye shall have peace: that is, serenity of mind, a quiet and calm temper of spirit within, when the world, like a Learn thence, That though in the world tempestuous air, is full of storms without. Christ's own disciples must look for and expect troubles, yet he has taken effectual care that, amidst all their troubles, in him they may have peace; Christ's blood has purchased peace for them, his word has promised it to them, and his Spirit seals it upon their souls. Observe, 3. The cordial provided by Christ for the support of his disciples' spirits, under the sinking burden of the world's tribulations and troubles: the world. I have taken the sting out of But be of good cheer, I have overcome every cross, and the venom out of every arrow. Learn hence, That it is a great comfort to a christian, under all the troubles of this world, to consider, that Christ has overcome the world, that is, all things in the world, which may hinder his people's comfort and consolation here, and their eternal happiness and salvation hereafter; namely, the prince of the world, the rulers of the world, the wicked men of the world, the troubles of the world, the temptations of the world, the corruptions that are in the world through lust. Now Christ having overcome the world, all persons and things in it are at his disposal, and can do nothing but by his permission; and as he has overcome the world himself, so he will enable us through faith in him, to overcome it also. 1 John v. 4. This is the victory over the world, even our faith.

CHAP. XVII.

THESE words spake Jesus, and lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, Father, the hour is come: glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify thee:

Our blessed Saviour having ended his consolatory and valedictory sermon, contained in the three foregoing chapters; in