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self; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak; and he will shew you things to come.

He shall glorify me: for he shail receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you.

All this that the Father hath are mine; therefore said I, that he shall take of mine, and shall shew it unto you.

A little while, and ye shall not see me; and again, a little while, and ye shall see me, because I go to the Father.

Then said some of his disciples among themselves, What is this that he saith unto us, A little while and ye shall not see me and again, a little while and ye shall see me and, Because I go to the Father ?

They said therefore, What is this that he saith, A little while? we cannot tell what he saith.

Now JESUS knew that they were desirous to ask him, and said unto them, Do ye enquire among yourselves of that I said, A little while, and ye shall not see me: and again, a little while, and ye shall see me?

Verily, verily, I say unto you, that ye shall weep and lament, but the world shall rejoice: and ye shall be sorrowful, but your sorrow shall be turned into joy.

A woman when she is in travail hath sorrow, because her hour is come; but as soon as she is delivered of the child, she remembereth no more the anguish, for joy that a man is born into the world.

And ye now therefore have sorrow; but I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice, and your joy no man taketh from you.

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.

Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full.

These

These things have I spoken unto you in proverbs: the time cometh when I shall no more speak unto you in proverbs, but I shall shew you plainly of the Father. At that day ye shall ask in my name: and I say not unto you, that I will pray the Father for you:

For the Father himself loveth you, because ye have loved me, and have believed that I came out from Gov.

I came forth from the Father, and am come into the world: again I leave the world, and go to the Father. His disciples said unto him, Lo, now speakest thou plainly, and speakest no proverb.

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.

JESUS answered them, Do ye now believe?

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.

These things I have 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,

ANNOTATIONS AND REFLECTIONS.

Having informed his apostles of the opposition they must expect to meet with, our LORD told them, his motive for giving them this intimation was, that they might not, when the storm should arise, be discouraged, and driven to renounce their Christian profession. It was certainly true, that they would be persecuted as he described to them; and some of their persecutors would even affect to be led to the execution of such wicked deeds by zeal for the honour of GOD: but this would only prove their own ignorance in respect to the will of

GOD,

GOD, and that they neither knew the FATHER nor the MESSAIH. Our LORD added, that the reason he had not taught them these things at the beginning of his ministry was, that he, being always present with them, could be referred to on all occasions which required his direction; but he chose to give them previous intimation now of the reception his Gospel would meet with after. wards, that the remembrance of his predictions might be a confirmation of their faith when they saw the completion of it. Observing that the thoughts of his departure filled their hearts with sorrow, and that they did not at that time recollect he was going to heaven, he kindly reproved them for their forgetfulness, and assured them, it was more for their advantage that he should leave this world, than constantly abide in it: for unless he should appear before his FATHER as their High Priest, after having offered the sacrifice of his own life as an atonement for their sins, he could not convey for them the gift of the HOLY SPIRIT, which was appointed to be given by him in his glorified state. And when this Comforter, this heavenly Advocate, the HOLY SPIRIT, should come, our LORD said, he would abundantly display the power of divine grace, not only in comforting them under all afflictions, but also by effectually pleading the Christian cause to the world through their ministry; and thus convict unbelievers of sin for not receiving the MESSIAH. The HOLY SPIRIT would also, our LORD said, enable them to prove the innocence and righteousness of his life, by arguments drawn from his ascension to heaven, and his acceptance with Gon the FATHER: and shew, by the success of the Gospel, that CHRIST was invested with the power of executing judgment against Satan, who might be denominated the prince of this world, so long as the greatest part of mankind left their allegiance to GoD, and practised wickedness.

Our

Our LORD added, that there were many other things of considerable moment requisite for them to know in respect to the establishment of the GOSPEL, which, as they were not yet prepared to receive them, he should wave at present; but they might depend on finding a faithful guide in the HOLY SPIRIT, who would come, not to reveal any private doctrine of his own, or to set up another spiritual kingdom, but to teach them what was farther necessary to be done for the propagation of the GOSPEL, and likewise to reveal to them things that would be hereafter; and by this mean the Holy Spirit would glorify CHRIST, since his operations would be directed to the farther illustration of what CHRIST had originally taught.

The things which were to be revealed to the apostles by the HOLY SPIRIT, were certainly such as related entirely to the Christian dispensation, and might justly be appropriated by the MESSIAH; for the gifts of the Spirit, viz. speaking with tongues, prophesying, &c. had all a reference to the Gospel, and were such as GOD, in his eternal wisdom, ordained that his beloved Son should bestow: therefore, the HOLY SPIRIT would dispense them agreeably to the direction of CHRIST, as CHRIST Would act in conformity to the will of GoD THE FATHER.

To assure his disciples that he did not mean to be absent from them for ever, our LORD intimated, that though he should soon be taken from them, it would be but a little while before he should be with them again, because he should visibly go to his FATHER. Notwithstanding he had so often made use of the expression, "go to his FATHER," they had still such expectations of his establishing an earthly kingdom at his return, that they did not at the first apprehend his meaning;

our

our LORD, therefore, vouchsafed to explain to them what he meant by saying, "a little while, &c." He knew, that when he was taken from them they would weep and mourn, whilst his enemies would triumph; but that in a short time, when the hopes of his friends were at the lowest ebb, the scene would be changed, and they should rejoice in their turn; because they should not only see their LORD again, but be eye-witnesses of his ascension to his FATHER; which would give them true and lasting joy, such as the world, with all its train of persecutions, could not deprive them of; for it would mingle itself with their heaviest afflictions.

From the succeeding part of our LORD's discourse concerning "praying to his Father in his name," we may learn in general, that he promised his disciples access to Gon by means of prayer; but informed them, that their petitions must be made in his name, because salvation was given for CHRIST's sake, and could not be claimed on account of their own righteousness.

When the HOLY GHOST descended afterwards upon the apostles, their minds were so enlightened, that had our LORD been personally present they would have stood in no need of proposing questions to him, in any thing that related to their ministry. Then they understood the nature of CHRIST's office as the MEDIATOR, which he here intimated. But this part of our I ORD'S discourse is involved in some obscurity; but we may understand it by observing in the writings of the apostles how they worshipped the FATHER in the name of the Son; and what our LORD himself teaches us should lead us to rejoice, that the prayers of such imperfect creatures as men find acceptancewith theSUPREMEBEING,and resolve to present our petitions in the way pointed out to us by his

infinite

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