profit you to all Eternity: Virtue alone is the Fruit I mean, which will avail you when this mortal Life is ended, and to which if you conftantly adhere as becomes thofe that profefs to be my Difciples, there is nothing you fhall ask of God, which thro my interceffion fhall not be granted you. And this one Command I repeat again to you: Love one another. If the generality of men, whofe minds hanker only after the petty concerns of this Life, hate and defpife you for being my Difciples, remember that your Mafter met with the fame treatment, and you will contemn that Malice which I have fhewn you how to conquer. If you were like minded with them, they would for that reafon love you; but I have called you to another ftate of Life, and this diverfity between you is the true ground of their hatred of you. Remember the admonition I gave you formerly: The fervant must not value himfelf above his Mafter; nor muft you refufe to undergo what I my felf have endured. As they have treated me like an Enemy, fo alfo will they treat you; nor will they have greater regard for your Sayings than they have had for mine. Expect then to be perfecuted by them for declaring your felves my Difciples; for they know not by whofe Authority I have preach'd unto them. Tis true, if I had not plainly declar'd my Father's Will to them, they would not have bin blame-worthy in this

par

particular, they would have pleaded want of information, and the impoffibility of attaining to the Truth without it; whereas having fo evidently demonstrated my Divine Commiffion, they have not the leaft fhadow of excufe to extenuate their Guilt. Whoever hates me is an Enemy at the fame time to God that fent me, by refufing Obedience to those Laws I in his name tender to them. If I had not confirm'd the truth of my Doctrin by Miracles far greater than ever had bin wrought before among them, they could not have bin accus'd of Obftinacy in not believing me upon my bare word; but having bin Eye-witneffes of thofe Miracles, 'tis manifeft they not only are at enmity with me, but with my Father alfo. Thus have I experienc'd what the Prophet David complain'd of in these words: Pfal. 35. 19. They hated me without a caufe. But when the Comforter, whom I will fend you from the Father, who proceeds from the Father, is come, the Holy Spirit, the fure Guide in the fearch of Truth, will clearly manifeft my Divine Commiffion, and how undeservedly I have bin rejected by the Jewish Nation: And ye alfo who have bin conftant attendants on me from the time I firft began to enter upon my Ministry, fhall bear witness to me.

These things have I foretold you, that you do not defert my Doctrin out of ap prehenfion

prehenfion of the Perfecutions you will meet with.

JOHN.

CHA P. XVI.

2 They fhall put you out of the fynagogues: yea, the time cometh, that whofoever killeth you will think that he doth God fervice.

3 And these things will they do unto you, because they have not known the Father, nor me.

4 But these things have I told you, that when the time fhall come, ye may remember that I told you of them. And these things I faid not unto you at the beginning, because I was with you.

5 But now I go my way to him that fent me, and none of you asketh me, Whither goeft thou?

6 But because I have faid these things unto you, forrow hath filled your heart.

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 fend him unto you.

8 And when he is come, he

For they will not only excommunicate you out of their Societies, but the time will come when they will kill you, and think they do God acceptable fervice. Thus will they act thro their ignorance of what God requires from them, and having obftinatly refus'd the means of information I offer'd 'em on his part.

These things I have foretold you, that you might be prepar'd courageoufly to encounter the Perfecutions you must expect to meet with, as mindful of the gracious Promifes I have made you. If I did not at first fo clearly acquaint you with them, the reafon was, becaufe I was always prefent to fuccor and direct you. But I refolv'd to forewarn you now, being about to leave you, and return to God who fent me, altho none of you inquire after the place whither I am going, as might be expected from you. I perceive you are fill'd with forrow at the news of my departure; however, be affur'd that it is your intereft I fhould now go take poffeffion of my Heavenly Kingdom, that I may fend the Comforter to you according to the power with which my Father has invested me. When he hall arrive, he will

accuse

accufe and convince the fews of their ignorance of three things relating to me: firit, The Crime they have committed against me; 2ly, My Innocence; and 3ly, The Condemnation and Punishment that fhall be inflicted on him who is my greateft Adverfary. The Crime they have bin guilty of is, their obftinate Infidelity, and the cruel confequences of it. My Innocence fhall be manifeft by my return to my Father, to whom you fhall fee me afcend till I am quite out of fight. Laftly, the condemnation of the evil Spirit, by whofe afliftance I have bin flanderoully reported to have wrought my Miracles, fhall be plainly feen by the total everfion of his Kingdom, while you shall every where preach the Gospel, and bring over fuch as were enflav'd to him to that Allegiance which they ow'd to God. All which fhall be perform'd after the defcent of the Holy Spirit: for the Miracles you will then be enabled to do will demonftrate that the obftinate Infidelity of the Jews is wholly inexcufable: for had I not really bin, what I pretended, fent by God, it would be impoffible for me in my abfence to confer fuch eminent Gifts on my Difciples. And my Afcenfion into Heaven, to which you (after receiving the Holy Ghoft) will be able to bear an irrefragable teftimony, will plainly fhew my Innocence, and that I am accepted by God. Laftly, the Gospel which you will then publish (the whole defign of which tends only to recommend the practice of Virtue, and to reduce Mankind to the Worship of the true God) will then undeniably evince that my aim was all along to overturn that Empire which the Devil had eftablished among men, by rooting up the Foundations on which it was fupported, Vice and Idolatry. I have not, as I told you, conceal'd any of my Father's Decrees from you, but you have not understood many things I have delared to you, which therefore I should repeat and unfold, were your Minds freed from thofe Prejudices which hinder the due reception of them. But when the Holy Ghoft, the Comforter, fhall come, he will fhew you the truth of all I have faid. That infallible

Rrr

Guide,

JOHN."

CHAP. XVI.

fhall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he fhall hear, that fhall he fpeak: and he will fhew you things to come.

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

15 All things that the Father hath, are mine: therefore faid I, that he fhall take of mine, and shall shew it unto you.

16 A little while, and ye fhall not fee me and again, a little while, and ye fhall fee me, because I go to the Father.

17 Then faid fome of his difciples among themselves, What is this that he faith unto us, A little while and ye shall not fee me: and again, a little while and ye shall see me : and, because I go to the Father?

18 They faid therefore, What is this that he faith, A little while? We cannot tell what he faith.

19 Now Jefus knew that they were defirous to ask him, and faid unto them, Do ye enquire among your felves of that I faid, A little while and ye fhall not fee me and again, a little while and ye shall fee me?

Guide, with which you fhall be then infpir'd, will bring no new Doctrin, but explain whatever was obfcure in that which I deliver'd. He fhall alfo fhew you what will hereafter come to pafs. He fhall demonftrate who I was, while he reminds you of what I before inftructed you in, and does as it were repeat and illuftrate to you. If he reveals any thing else to you (for example, things to come) I may justly term them mine, inafmuch as they are the Decrees of my Father which he has communicated to me. A little while hence you will not fee me, and not long after you fhall fee me again, tho for a very fhort space; for I muft afcend to my Father.

The Apoftles here ask'd one another what was the meaning of his laft words, in which Jefus not obfcurely fignified his Refurrection and Afcenfion into Heaven; not comprehending particularly what that short space meant, and defirous to ask their Mafter concerning it. Jefus taking notice of their concern, Do you ask, faid he, the meaning of my laft words? Are they not plain of themselves? I tell you of