JOHN. CHA P. XIV. 19 Yet a little while, and the world feeth me no more: but ye fee me because I live, ye fhall live alfo. 20 At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you. 21 He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me fhall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifeft my self to him. 22 Judas faith unto him, not Ifcariot, Lord, how is it that thou wilt manifeft thy felf unto us, and not unto the world? 23 Jefus answered and faid unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come to him, and make our abode with him. 24 He that loveth me not, keepeth not my fayings and the word which you hear, is not mine, but the Fathers which fent me. fhall not fee me, but you shall behold me, for I fhall return again to Life. At that time you shall have most certain tokens of my being confcious of all my Father's purposes, like as I have imparted mine to you, and am acquainted with all your Refolutions. Whoever fhall obey my Doctrin fhall be look'd on as a Lover of me, fhall be beloved by the Father and me, and fhall fee me after my Refurrection. Then faid Judas (not he that was firnam'd Ifcariot) Lord, wherefore wilt thou manifeft thy felf to us only, and not to the promifcuous Multitude, who might perhaps by this means be reclaim'd and converted? Jefus anfwer'd: Whoever loves me, and demonftrates his Love of me by his Obedience to my Commands, fhall be requited with infallible marks of my Father's and my favour. But they who have exprefs'd no affection on their part by the obfervation of the Divine Laws, cannot expect to be rewarded with the like Benefits. Wouldst thou know who they be that do not truly love me? They are those that neglect my Doctrin, which I have not invented of my felf, but deliver'd as I have received it from my Father. JOHN. CHA P. XIV. 25 These things have I fpoken unto you, being yet prefent with you. 26 But the Comforter, which is the holy Ghoft, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have faid unto you. 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. 28 Ye have heard how I faid unto you, I go away, and come again unto you. If ye loved me, ye would rejoyce, because I faid, I go unto the Father: for my Father is greater than I. 29 And now I have told you before it come to pass, that when it is come to pass, ye might believe. 30 Hereafter I will not talk much with you for the prince These things I have my felf frequently inculcated, as you must needs remember. Nevertheless, that Holy Spirit whom the Father, as I have told you, will fend to you to be your Patron and Defender, who is as it were my Spirit, and will therefore be call'd the Spirit of the Meffiah, he, I fay, will inftruct you fully in whatever is neceffary for you to be acquainted with, and will remind you of every thing I have told you. By the Authority deriv'd to me from the Father, I bequeath Peace and Safety to you, not after the manner of the World, who frequently deceive by a formal outward fhew of Friendship; or if they with never fo fincerely, are not able to effect their well-intended purpofes. Be not then difheartn'd at my departure, nor dread the worst of Evils, as knowing that I fhall fhortly return unto you. You have no reafon to diftruft what I have fo often repeated; and if you had that real affection for me that you ought to have, you would be glad to hear of my return to my Father, fince he is greater than me, from whom I have received all things. Thefe things I have foretold you, that when you fee the accomplishment of them, you may the more firmly rely upon my Promifes. I fhall not now enlarge upon this Subject; thofe that are inftigated by the evil Spirit to feize me are at hand, by the Divine per: permiffion, not because I am condemn'd by God of any Crime, but that it may be manifefted to Mankind how great is my affection and refignation to the Divine appointment. Arife, let us retire from the City. CHAP. LXI. Jefus, together with his Apostles, goes to the Mount of Olives. He exhorts them to obferve conftantly his Laws, and efpecially to have a mutual affection for one another: Foretels the Calamities that should befal them upon the account of the Gospel, and comforts them with most gracious affurances, and particularly promifes the speedy Miffion of the Holy Ghoft. After which he prays to God for them. AFTER thefe Difcourfes in the Room where they had eat the Pafchal Lamb, Jefus concluded the Supper with a Hymn generally us'd upon that occafion, and then departed with his Apoftles to the Mount of Olives; in which place he thus addreft himfelf to his Difciples. I and my Difciples may be juftly term'd a Vine, and my Heavenly Father the Dreffer of it. If this Vine has any unfruitful Branch, that is, if any profefs himfelt my Disciple, and bring forth no fruit of Virtue, my Father will cut off that Branch, and not esteem fuch a one as my Difciple; Qq9 2 where MATTHEW. MARK. LUKE. JOHN. CHAP. XV. and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit. 3 Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you. 4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of it felf, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. s I am the vine, ye are the branches. He that abideth in me, and I in him, the fame bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. 6 If a man abide not in me, he is caft forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and caft them into the fire, and they are burned. 7 If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye fhall ask what ye will, and it fhall be done unto you. 8 Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit, fo fhall ye be my difciples. whereas he only prunes the bearing Branches, that is, fuffers the fincere Lovers of Truth and Virtue to be fpoil'd of the various conveniences of this Life, that their Virtue may grow the stronger, and shine the brighter. But you who have bin a confiderable while my Difciples, are freed from fuperfluous vain Defires. Take care therefore on your part conftantly to obferve my Precepts, and I will moft affuredly perform what I have promis'd you on mine. As no Branch that is lop'd off can bear fruit, fo neither can you continue in the way of Virtue, if you renounce my Difcipline. I am, as I have told you, the Vine, of which you are the Branches: He that obferves my Precepts does conftantly adhere to me, and fhall bring forth fruit in abundance, but if you defert me, 'twill be in vain to think of being other than a dead fruitlefs Branch. He that forfakes my Doctrin will refemble a Branch cut off, which confequently being dried and wither'd, is no longer fit for any thing but Fewel; for thus fhall he be expell'd the Seats of Blifs, and condemn'd to fuffer torment in everlasting Flames. On the contrary, if you fquare your Actions conftantly by the Rules I have prefcrib'd, whatever you fhall ask of me you fhall be fure to receive, and not meet with any repulfe. By thus bearing Fruit, you will pay the honor due to God, and be truly my Disciples. MATTHEW. MARK. LUKE. JOHN. С НА Р. XV. 9 As the Father hath loved me, fo have I loved you: continue ye in my love. 10 If ye keep my commandments, ye fhall abide in my love: even as I have kept my Fathers commandments, and abide in his love. 11 These things have I spoken to you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full. 12 This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you. 13 Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. 14 Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you. 15 Henceforth I call you not fervants; for the fervant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father, I have made known. unto you. 16 Ye have not chofen me, but I have chofen you, and ordained you, that you should go and bring forth fruit, and that Like as my Father has loved me, fo alfo have I loved you, and will continue to do fo while you render not your felves unworthy of it by neglecting the Rules I have fet you: for this reafon 'tis my Father has always loved me, namely, because I have kept his Commandments. These things I have forewarn'd you of, that my Joy in you might be compleat, and that yours may continue and increafe, without the leaft alloy of Sorrow. Now the chiefeft of my Commands is this, That you love one another with the fame affection I have exprefs'd for you, than which none certainly can be greater; nor can there be a furer demonftration of the reality of it than the laying down one's Life for a Friend. Such Friends fhall I efteem you, if you do whatsoever I command you. Henceforth I call you no longer Servants, who are not made privy to their Masters defigns; but I have ftil'd you my Friends, and treated you as fuch, by revealing to you the Determinations of my Heavenly Father. You have not firft chofen me for your Mafter, but I have pitch'd on you to be my Apoftles, and the Minifters of my Gospel, that you might not be without Fruit, and fuch as will * profit: |