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and greater works by their hands, after I have ascended, than those which I have here done in person upon earth: because I, going to my Father, shall and may, in that glorious condition of mine, so much more manifest my Divine Power, by this means, unto the world.

XIV. 16, 17. And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; Even the Spirit of Truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.

I have hitherto been a true Comforter unto you; but it is not for me, to make my personal abode amongst you in respect of my visible presence, I must leave you; but be not therewith dismayed, for I, that am the Mediator for my Church, will pray to my Father, and he will send you another Comforter, even his Holy Spirit, which shall abide with you for ever; That Holy Spirit of mine, who is the Author and Teacher of all Truth, whom the world hath no understanding of, as being led by sense, and not acknowledging ought that it sees not or conceives not by the dim apprehensions of corrupt reason: but ye know him, by the light of your faith, and the experience of his working in you; for he dwelleth in you, and shall, in a more full measure, take up your hearts in his sanctifying and miraculous graces.

XIV. 18. I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.

It cannot be, but ye must be afflicted with my departure; but I will not leave you comfortless, though I must leave you for the time there is another presence of mine, which I must and will make good unto you, even the presence of my Spirit.

but

XIV. 19. Yet a little while, and the world seeth me no more; ye see me: because I live, ye shall live also.

Ere long, indeed, I shall be taken away from the sight of the world; but yet I shall be still and ever present with you, and ye, by the eye of your faith, shall see and acknowledge me: for, both I shall live, and ye, by the virtue of my life, shall live also this life of faith before me; and, in that state of your spiritual life, shall see and enjoy me.

XIV. 20. At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you.

And, at that time of my effectual illumination, ye shall know and understand that holy and mystical union, which is betwixt my Father and Me, and my Church; and how that divine virtue is communicated from the Father to Me, and by Me to you Believers.

XIV. 21. He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me.

VOL. IV.

He, that is rightly instructed in my commandments, and apprehended them aright, and conscionably endeavours to keep and observe them, he it is, that loves me really and truly.

XIV. 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.

I must bid you farewell, and wish you all peace and happiness; not according to the fashionable compliment of the world, but seriously and with effect, as bestowing upon you that good which I wish: let not your hearts be dismayed at my valediction; neither be discouraged with the fear of those evils, which shall follow after my departure.

XIV. 28. If ye loved me, ye would rejoice, because I said, I go unto my Father: for my Father is greater than I.

If ye did so spiritually love me as ye ought, ye would rejoice, because I said, I go unto the Father; for the glory, wherewith my Father is eternally invested, is greater than that, which this human nature and life of mine is capable of: it is infinitely therefore for my advantage, that I go to the Father; and therein, also for yours.

XIV. 30, 31. Hereafter I will not talk much with you: for the prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing in me. But that the world may know that I love the Father; and as the Father gave me commandment, even so I do. Arise, let us go hence.

I have not many words more to speak unto you: I am now drawing near unto my end: Satan, the great ruler of this wicked world, is now working his utmost against me, and is stirring up my enemies and conspirators to my ruin; but he neither doth nor can find any the least advantage against me, except that, which I shall voluntary yield for the working out of man's redemption: he shall not find in me, either sin or impotence; so as, whatever I shall suffer, it shall be out of my will, not out of his power or constraint; That herein the world may know, that I love the Father, in that, out of my obedience to his will, who hath decreed me to be the propitiation for the sins of the world, I do yield myself over to death; and, in this passion of mine, shall cheerfully fulfil all that, which the eternal counsel of my Father hath fore-determined to be done and undergone by me, &c.

XV. 1, 2. I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman. Every branch in me that beareth not fruit, he taketh

away.

As the natural vine is to the branches, so am I spiritually to my Church: I give juice and sap unto them that are mine; and all the moisture that they have, and the fruit that they bear, is received only from me, as the original thereof; so as I

am the true spiritual Vine-stock to my faithful branches, and my Father is as the careful owner and dresser of this vine, in that he is ready to tend it at all assays, and to lop off all those superfluous twigs that yield no fruit answerable to the nourishment received. Every branch therefore, that is professedly in me, and yet bears not fruit, but is utterly barren, he taketh away by his just censures and judgments.

XV. 3. Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you.

Ye, my disciples, have had experience of this spiritual husbandry, and the efficacy thereof: for now ye are pruned and purged from your evil and corrupt affections, through the power of that word, which I have spoken unto you; and of my Spirit working therewith.

XV. 4. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.

Hold fast the grace that ye have received: be careful that no inconstancy or weak fears slacken your hold on me: abide ye in me, and be firm to me; for I am stedfast unto you, and will abide in you for ever.

XV. 6. If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.

If any man, that professeth my Name, shall revolt from me, and abandon that grace which he hath received, not persevering therein unto the end; he is justly cast forth, in a deserved punishment of his levity and unthankfulness, as a superfluous and sear branch, that is lopped from the stock, is cast aside for the fire.

XV. 10. If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love.

I would not have you propound any other pattern to follow, than mine ye see how studiously and exactly I have kept the commandments of my Heavenly Father, and with how infinite love he embraceth me; do ye so therefore: there is no way to continue in my love, but by keeping of my commandments; thus do ye, and ye shall be sure never to fail thereof.

XV. 11. These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.

These things have I spoken unto you, that the joy of my Holy Ghost might remain in your hearts, constantly; and that your joy in me might be exquisite and perfect.

XV. 15. For all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you.

For all that part of my Father's counsel, which it concerns you to know, and all that is in any way requisite to your salva

tion, I, as the only Doctor of my Church and the Word of my Father, have imparted unto you.

XV. 22. If I had not come and spoken unto them, they had not had sin but now they have no cloak for their sin.

It is their obstinate infidelity and wilful contempt, that shall procure their just and deep damnation: if they had not had means sufficient offered unto them, yea if I had not come to them in person and spoken unto them and tendered to them the means of salvation, their sin had been the less; but now, they have no excuse for their sin, no colour of extenuation. So also verse 24.

XV. 24. But now have they both seen and hated both me and my Father.

But now, have they seen in me the clear proofs of the Godhead of my Eternal Father, with whom I am one; and have maliciously opposed themselves against me, and that Divine Power whereof they have been convinced.

XVI. 5. But now I go my way to him that sent me; and none of you asketh me, Whither goest thou?

But now, I am going to heaven from whence I came, to the repossession of my Father's glory; and none of you so asks after the issue and success of my departure, as to establish his heart with abundance of comfort, in the assurance of that happy provision, which I shall there make for him and my Church.

XVI. 7. Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto

you.

It is for your benefit and advantage, that I remove my bodily presence from you; for, except I go away from you, ye shall not have the Holy Ghost, who is the True Comforter of my Church, sent down upon you in that abundant measure, which you shall shortly find: for it is the decree of mine Eternal Father, which in all things must be obeyed and fulfilled, that, until mine Ascension into heaven, the Holy Spirit shall not, in the plentiful store of his graces, be sent down upon the earth.

XVI. 8. And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment.

And this Spirit, which I will send, shall, in the powerful preaching of that Gospel which shall be committed unto you, and by his secret co-operation therewith, convince this wicked and sinful world, both of their own sin, and of my righteousness and judgment:

XVI. 9. Of sin, because they believe not on me;

Of their Sin, wherewith they abound every where, and which

shall be most justly imputed to them, because of their unbelief; for could they believe in me, that faith would work repentance, and that faith and repentance would have purged them from all

their sin:

XVI. 10. Of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and

ye see me no more.

Of my Righteousness, wherein both I have approved myself perfectly answerable to the will of my Heavenly Father; and whereby only I do and can justify all that believe in me, notwithstanding all their unworthiness; because, as having overcome sin and death, I ascend triumphantly to the glory of my Father:

XVI. 11. Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged.

Of my righteous Judgment, in the moderation of the world, and ordering all the affairs of my Church; redressing the enormities thereof, suppressing and punishing the enemies of it, maintaining and vindicating the truth professed in it, and reducing all things therein to a right order; because Satan, the Prince of the World, is by me despoiled of his power, and restrained, and confounded in his devices and attempts.

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

I have yet many things to speak unto you, concerning the future estate of my Church, which, through your weakness, ye are not as yet meet to receive.

XVI. 13. For he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things

to come.

The lying spirits of false teachers speak, as of themselves, their own vain imaginations and erroneous doctrines; but the Holy Spirit, which I shall send, as he proceeds from the Father and Me his Eternal Son, so he speaks also as from God the Father and the Son: and whatsoever he hath from us received, that will he inspire you with, and inform you in; and shall reveal unto you those things, which concern the future condition of my Church.

XVI. 14. He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you.

He shall not set up any new kingdom, different from mine; but shall establish that glory and government, which is put upon me by the Father: he shall confer the blessings and benefits, that arise from my incarnation, suffering, redemption, justification, sanctification, upon you my faithful ones; and shall reveal unto you the knowledge of those things, which I have willed ye should be informed in; and shall enrich you with those heavenly treasures of wisdom and knowledge, which are laid up in me.

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