CHAP. XIV. And Jefus comforts his Difciples before his Departure, with the Promife of preparing them a Place in Heaven, ver. 1. of their having their Prayers heard, ver. 12. And of the Holy Spirit's being speedily fent unto them, ver. 16. Obe dience and Perfeverance, the necessary Condition upon which all Spiritual Bleffings depend, ver. 15, 21. Why Jefus manifefted himself to certain particular Perfons rather than to the rest of the World, ver. zz. He takes his Leave of bis Difciples. ver. 27. I. THEN Jefus continued his Difcourfe to the Difciples, faying: Be not affrighted and difconfolate, because I have told you that I muft pafs through great Sufferings, and be taken away from you for a Time. Ye have been taught all your Lives to believe in God, who is the Almighty Preferver and Governour of all Things; and to rely upon him for Deliverance, in Time of Affliction and Diftrefs. Learn now in like manner to believe in Me, who have all Power committed to me, as Preferver and Head of my Church; and trust in Me to accomplish fully all the Things that I have promised you. 2. Which if you do indeed; perfifting ftedfaftly in the Belief of my Doctrine, and in the Obedience of my Commands; nothing that the World can bring upon you, no not Perfecution, or even Death it felf, fhall be able to hinder you from attaining the Happiness I have proposed to you. For in Heaven, my Father's Houfe, there is Room abundant to receive you: Otherwife I would not have raised in you a Hope and Expectation of Happiness. But now, fince there are Manfions fufficient fufficient for you in another State; therefore ye may with Confidence and Affurance hope for a full Accomplishment of my Promises, notwithstanding whatever this prefent World may contrive or act against you. And ye ought alfo to bear patiently my Departure from you at this Time; fince 'tis only in order to open an Entrance for you into those eternal Habitations, where I shall be ever with you; and to prepare a Place for you there. for you 3. When I have prepared a Place in that eternal State; I will return again, and take you unto my felf. And fo ye fhall continue for ever with me, in the full Participation of my eternal Glory and Happiness, in the Kingdom of God. 4. Thus I think I have both plainly enough told you, whither I am going; And ye have also been fully and abundantly inftructed, in the Way that leads thereto. 5. But the Difciples, whofe Minds were not yet wholly weaned from the Expectation of Temporal Power and Glory, understood not this Difcourfe of Jefus. Thomas therefore, in particular, replied: Lord, we do not at all know whither you are going: And if we be utterly ignorant of the Place, much more must we needs be ignorant of the Way. 6. Jefus answered him: I my felf, as I have often told you, am the true and only Way to Life. Imitating my Example, and obeying my Commands, is the Way to go whither I am going; which is, to my Father, and to the Enjoyment of his eternal Happiness: And no Man can go thither by any other Way. 7 If ye had known me, ye fhould have known my Father alfo: and from henceforth ye know him, and have feen 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, hath 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 fpeak not of my felf, but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doth the works. 1 7. Now if you fay, you do not know my. Father: I tell you, no Man who knows Me, can be ignorant of my Father, of his Will, and the Means to please him, and of the Way to attain the highest Happiness in the Enjoyment of Him. For my Father and I, are in effect one and the fame. So that you know Me, you cannot but know my Father alfo. As, indeed, ye do know him, and have been fufficiently inftructed in his Will. if 8. Philip anfwered: Lord, Show us but the Father once, and we shall be fully fatisfied. 9. Jefus replied: Have I been thus long continually with you, and do you not yet know Me, Philip? I tell you, I and my Father are in effect one and the Same; fo that, to know one of Us, is to be acquainted with Both. What do mean then by defiring to fee the Father; as if you could ftill be ignorant of Him, after you have been fo long acquainted with Me? you 10. Do you not believe, that the Father and I are in Effect one and the fame? Affuredly, whatfoever I fpeak, is the Declaration of his Will; and whatfoever I do, is the Operation of his Power. 11. Believe me, that the Father and I are in effect one and the fame. And if you will not believe me upon my own Affirmation, yet at leaft let my Works convince you, which carry in them undeniable Evidences of a Divine Power. 12. Here *See Ver. 12. Here then is, as I faid, fuffi1. &c. of cient Matter of comfort for you to this Chap. fupport your Spirits under the Thoughts of my Departure from you. Ye have abundant Reason to believe that I have Power to perform all the Promises I 13. And whatsoever ye fhall ask of of his Son. 14. Whatsoever, I say, ye fhall ask in my Name, I will take Care, when I am returned to my Father, that it fhall be granted you. 15. Only ye muft remember, as the one neceffary Condition upon which all depends, that ye be careful above all things to continue fted faft and unmoveable in your Obedience to my Commands. This is the only true Mark ye can give of the Sincerity of your Love towards me; more than your 15 And I will pray the Father, and grieving at my Departure, or any other outward Sign of Zeal whatsoever. 16. Continue in the Practice of this Obedience; and I will pray my Fahe shall give you another, and He fhall fend you, when I ther Comforter, that he may abide with am gone, another Advocate and Comforter; who fhall abide with you, not you for ever; for a small Time, as I have done, but for ever. 17. He shall send you, I fay, another Advocate and Comforter; even his Holy Spirit, the Author and Teacher of Truth; who fhall guide and direct, affift and comfort you in all Cafes. This Spirit, the fenfual and corrupt World cannot receive; having no Knowledge of him, nor Difpofition to be governed by him. But Ye know him, and are difpofed to entertain. him. He is already in you, by his fecret and invisible Efficacy; and fhall hereafter appear in you openly, by great and visible Manifeftations of himself. 18. Thus, though I muft depart from you, yet I do by no means leave you comfortless. I leave with you a Promise of the Holy Spirit; and I leave you in expectation also of my own Return. 19. For though, after a very little while, I fhall appear no more to the World; yet to you I will appear again. For I fhall live again; and ye also fhall live with me. 20. Then, when I have conquered and triumphed over Death, ye fhall understand more fully, and it fhall appear more vifibly by great and manifeft Effects, that I act in all Things agreeably to my Father's Will, and am perfectly invefted with his Power: and that ye in like manner 4 have my Power |