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JOHN.

CHA P. XIII. himself, and fhall ftraightway glorify him.

33 Little children, yet a little while I am with you. Ye fhall feek me: and as I faid unto the Jews, Whither I go, ye cannot come; so now I fay unto you.

34 A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.

35 By this fhall all men know that ye are my difciples, if ye have love one to another.

36 Simon Peter faid unto him, Lord, whither goeft thou? Jefus answered him, Whither I go, thou canst not follow me now; but thou fhalt follow me afterwards.

37 Peter faid unto him, Lord, why cannot I follow thee now?

that will quickly come to pafs, fuch as have not yet bin feen. O my beloved Dif ciples, I have yet a little time to be converfant with you; and as I told the obstinate Jews (Chap. 39.) fo I now tell you, whither I am going, you cannot immediately come. In the mean time I charge you to obferve this new Command I leave with you Have a mutual Love for one another, and that with the fame degree of affection I have shown you; for this fhall be the diftinguishing Mark that you are my Difciples, by which you may be known from the Difciples of other Mafters.

Peter after this ask'd Jefus, whither he defign'd to retire, fince he told them his 'Apoftles could not come where he was going? Jefus answer'd; Whither I am going you cannot yet come, but you fhall hereafter. Then Peter ask'd him why he could not immediately follow him. Jefus thus replied: Know, that the Evil Spirit has requefted God to permit him to make a fevere Trial of thy Conftancy, but I have befought him not to fuffer thy Fidelity to be quite overpower'd, and therefore

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35 And he said unto them, When I fent you without purfe, and fcrip, and fhoes, lacked ye any thing? And they faid, Nothing.

36 Then faid he to them, But now he that hath a purse, let him take it, and likewife his fcrip: and he that hath no fword, let him fell his garment, and buy one.

37 For I fay unto you, that this that is written, must yet be accomplished in me, And he was reckoned among the

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charge thee, when thou haft recover'd thy ftrength, to confirm the rest of my Difciples in their Allegiance to me by thy Example. Peter wondering at what he heard; Sir, faid he, I am ready to follow thee, not only into Prifon, but to fuffer death alfo for thy fake: Yet, faid Jefus, before the Cock crows twice thou shalt this day thrice deny that thou haft any acquaintance with me.

Then turning his Difcourfe another way, that he might forewarn his Apoftles of the Perfecution which should fhortly befal them, he ask'd them whether, when he fent them forth without any preparation for a Journy, they wanted any thing, or came by any misfortune? Chap. 30. They replied, they wanted nothing. But now, faid he, that the number of your Enemies is increas'd, whoever has Mony let him keep it: Whoever has a Scrip let him fiy it with Provifions before he undertakes a Journy; whoever has no Sword, let him purchase one at any rate. Which words Jefus fpoke, not as if he commanded them to get all these things, but to intimate that the Jews would profecute them with fo deadly a hatred, that they could no longer expect any manner of fuccor from their Countrymen; concluding that the time was now come in which he was to finish the Business he came into the World about; and as foon as the Prophecy of Ifaiah, Chap. 53. 12. He was

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Јони.

I

L

CHA P. XIV.

ET not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.

2 In my Fathers house are many manfions: if it were not fo, I would have told you: I go to prepare a place for you.

3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto my felf, that where I am, there ye may be also.

4 And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know.

Thomas faith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goeft, and how can we know the way?

reckon'd among the Tranfgreffors, that is, treated like a Criminal, was accomplish'd, he fhould have nothing left to do here on Earth. The Apoftles, not fufficiently understanding what he faid, told him that they had two Swords by them. Jesus, who was now taken up with other Concerns, did not at that time difcover their Error to them, knowing they would hereafter be acquainted with his meaning by the Event. He therefore made anfwer, It is enough; willing to break off that Difcourfe, and comfort the minds of his Difciples, who he faw were melancholy and terrified.

Be of good Comfort, as Men fupported by the Divine Affiftance. From your infancy you have believ'd on God, nor can you refufe to believe on me who am fent by him: Do not defpond then, but confider who it is that bids you be of good Comfort. My Father's Houfe is fpacious, and able to contain not only you, but all Be-. lievers allo; I would elfe have told you, and not permitted you to undergo any fruitlefs Labour upon my account. And now I go to prepare a place for you, being Shortly to return and introduce you when the time appointed by the Divine Wif dom is come, that you may be with me for ever in that happy Region. I have already fufficiently acquainted you with the place whither I am going, and the way

to it.

Thomas here interrupting him, told him that his Apostles knew not whither he

defign'd

MATTHEW.

MARK.

LUKE.

Јони.

CHAP. XIV.

6 Jefus faith unto him, I am the way, and the truth, and the life: no man cometh to the Father but by me.

7 If ye had known me, ye fhould have known my Father also and from henceforth ye lenow him, and have seen him.

:

8 Philip faith unto him, Lord,. fhew us the Father, and it fufficeth us.

9 Jefus faith unto him, Have I been fo long time with you, and yet haft thou not known me, Philip? he that hath feen me hach feen the Father; and how fayeft thou then, Shew us the Father?

10 Believeft thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father. in me? the words that I fpeak. unto you, I speak not of my self: but the Father that dwelleth in: me, he doth the works.

I Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me ::

defign'd to go, nor the way to it. Jefus replied, The way to Bleffednefs, that faluta-ry Truth which fhall be attended with Life eternal, is no where to be found but in the observation of my Doctrine, nor can any one enter into thofe Seats of Blifs where my Father is always prefent, and whither I fhall very fhortly go, but he who conforms his Actions according to my Doctrine. If you knew my Doctrine exactly, you would alfo know what 'tis my Father expects from you: nay you have already known him, and feen him.

Philip faid, Lord fhow us the Father, and we will no longer importune thee: Jefus anfwer'd, Have I been fo long with you, and are you ftill ignorant who I am? O Philip, I am Ambaffador from my Father to Mankind, who is indeed. himself invifible; but whoever has feen me, may juftly be efteem'd to have feen the Father alfo. Wherefore doft thou defire to fee the Father? as if thou doubtedit of my being truly fent from him: Doft thou not believe that I am conicious of all my Father's Counfels, and that I have receiv'd ample Authority from him? I have not invented what I deliver to you, and only execute the Orders I have re-ceiv'd from my Father. Believe me when I affure you I act by God's Authority, and that I am acquainted with the Divine Determinations; reflect on the ftupen-

dous

MATTHEW.

MARK.

LUKA.

Јони.

CHA P. XIV.

or else believe me for the very works fake.

12 Verily verily I fay unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do, fhall he do alfo, and greater works than these fhall he do; because I go unto my 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 fhall ask any thing in my name, I will do it.

15 If ye love me, keep my commandments.

16 And I will pray the Father, and he fhall 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 feeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him, for he dwelleth with you, and fhall be in you.

18 I will not leave you com fortless; I will come to you.

dous Miracles I have wrought, and from them firmly conclude that you cannot dittrult my Sayings. Whoever gives that Credit to my Doctrine which he ought, thall be endued with a Power by God of working the fame Miracles, and greater than I have shown; for I must return fhortly to my Father: and whatever you fhall ask of him in my name, not doubting but your Petitions fhall be heard by reason of your being my Difciples, fhall be given you: I fay, whatever you shall require by reafon of your being my Difciples, fhall be moft affuredly granted to you.

If you love me fincerely, obferve diligently the Rules I have prefcrib'd you, fuch an Obedience being the only certain fign of your Love to me.

After I am gone to the Father, I will pray him to fend another to defend and fupport you here on Earth (as I have done hitherto) and to abide with you for ever. This Comforter is the Spirit, the Guide in the fearch of Truth, whom thofe that are enflav'd to the Affairs of this Life cannot receive, as not knowing him, nor having any affection for him: But you love him; for which reafon he is at present, and thall continue with you. I will not leave you as Orphans for ever; and not long after my Departure I will return unto you. After a little while men generally

fhall

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