Back to the index.
Our Lord, in a very kindly manner, in the former chapter, has been comforting his disciples against the deep grief and sorrow of heart, that they had conceived by reason of his telling them that he must depart from them; his presence being as life to them, and his absence as death. After that he has comforted them against that grief, in the former chapter, in this chapter he exhorts them they would look well to that union and conjunction that was between him and them; telling them that albeit there was a distance of place between them, and that a very large distance, even as far as between heaven and earth, yet, for all that, the union mystical that was between him and them should neither be abolished, nor should it be impaired by that, but it should rather be increased, to his greater glory and their further comfort. Now, to persuade them to continue in this union, he uses two strong and forcible arguments. 1. He says, When I am from you now in body, if so be that ye abide not in me, by that spiritual union and conjunction, then ye will be but as fruitless branches—ye will do no good. As if he had said, There is a necessity for all to do good, but especially for you; but if ye be separate from me, remember that I tell you ye can do no good. 2. The second argument that he uses is, from telling them of that great misery that shall come upon them, if they abide not in him, and from the promise of a notable blessing, if they will abide in him. The misery that shall come upon them who abide not in him is, “If any man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch that is withered; and then men gather them into the fire, and they are brunt.” So if ye abide not in me, ye will be cast out of heaven, and ye will be cast into hell eternally. And then he makes a promise to them, if they will abide in him; and this is it which I have read to you. As if he said, If ye will be careful to keep this union between me and you, then I will say this much to you, ask what ye will that may tend to your good, assure yourself it shall be given unto you. I know such a promise as this is much thought of by some, when great men speak it, and more when they set down write for it, that they will give them what they will ask, if so be that they will do such a thing for them. And it will gar (make) them go on into that course, although it be corrupt and unlawful; it tickles them up to go on, to say this, they shall have what they will ask, to do it. And is it not wonderful that when we have such a promise of God for doing a good turn, that it will not move us to do it? But as disobedience to the commandments of God is natural to us, so also is unbelief of the promises of God. We cannot obey his statutes, nor do we receive the promises in faith.
Ye shall consider of the two points contained in this text. 1. The duty that is required and enjoined; “If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you.” 2. The large and liberal promise made to them who do so; “Ask what ye will, and it shall be given unto you.” These two are here joined together, first, performance of the commandment of God, and then he subjoins the promise; for the only way to get the promise that is made fulfilled, is to keep the commandment that is enjoined. And surely if this promise will not move us to obey the commandment of God, to have all our asking granted us, I know not what will move us. The argument that is used before, it is strong indeed,—either to abide in him, or else we shall do no good; and if we do no good, then we shall get hell for our reward: but this, to have all our petitions granted to us, is an exceeding forcible argument to move any to obey.
I. Concerning the duty required, there are three things to be considered in it. 1. There is something presupposed to be, and that is, our being in Christ. 2. We must abide in him. 3. His words must abide in us.
The first, which is our being in Christ, is necessarily presupposed to be; for how can we abide in Christ except we be in him? and upon this his being in us, and we in him, is it that this necessary union is expressed, which is craved to be between Christ and us. It is not enough for us to be with Christ, but we must be in Christ; Christ can have no union with us, except e be in us, and we in him: and so there must be a mutual habitation, one of us with another. We cannot be partakers of his benefits, except we be in him; nor does he commnunicate his goodness to us, except he dwell in us. This union that is betwixt Christ and us is diversely expressed in scripture. By the similitude of a house that is builded upon a rock; and the house has a chief corner-stone. We are the walls, or building of this house; Christ is the rock, or the foundation whereupon it is builded; and he is the head-stone, or the chief cornerstone thereof. It is expressed by that union which is between the head and the members, and by that union which is between the head [stock] and the branches. And there is a expression of it by that conjunction which is between the husband and the wife, between the master and the domesticks, and the father and the children; so is it between Christ and us, for not only is God the Father called the Father, but the Son is called the everlasting Father,Isaiah 9:6. And between masters and servants: we must be servants to men in our bodies, but not in our souls; but in our souls we must be subject to Christ, and be servants to him. And whereto is it, beloved, that I do mention all these? That ye may understand that the Spirit of God in scripture has considered of all these conjunctions, and yet has not thought all of them sufficient to express this conjunction. For what is there in the world to express a conjunction? Things artificial, these are expressed by the similitude of a house; things natural, that are joined together by consent of nature, these are expressed by the head and members, the vine and branches: things civil, expressed by a king and his subjects; all these are not enough: things domestick, expressed by a husband and his wife, parents and their children, which are great bands: and yet all these are not enough to express this union. For this does surpass them all, first, in the kind and quality thereof; secondly, in the quality thereof; thirdly, in the durableness of it. 1. For the kind and quality of this union, it is spiritual. All these other unions are but either artificial, natural, civil, or domestick. And there be three strong bands binding fast in this union. First, there is the Spirit of God, the Holy Ghost; by working powerfully, Christ is so joined to us to be our head, and we to be his members. Secondly, there is the band of faith. For the first, which is the band of the Spirit, it runs down to our hearts, and draws them to Christ; but for this band of faith, it runs up to heaven, and knits Christ to us: and so the one end of the chain is at our heart, and the other is knit to Christ. Thirdly, There is the band of love; and that runs from both, and joins all together. And so there is not the like of this union to be found; there may be a representation of it in some things, but not comparable in kind and quality. 2. They are not comparable because of the excellency of this above all others. All other unions serve only for this life: houses are but only tabernacles, and they will fall; they may indeed stand longer nor a man, but they will fall to ruin at last, though they were never so strong. 3. And lastly, this constancy should especially be taken heed to,—that this union remains when the world, and all that is in it, ceases. The kirk does always depend upon Christ, and so remains. There will be a separation between friend and friend; husband and wife, albeit they have been fifty or sixty years married together, and albeit there be no intention of a divorce between them, nor never a bad thought of that kind in any of their hearts, yet they will be separate: and parents and children shall be separate, that the child shall see his loving parents no more. And, which is a more near conjunction than any of these, even thy soul and thy body must be separate, and one member of thy body from another. But this union shall remain, when all these ceases; and this is the proper comfort of the Christian, that when all other unions ceases, then it is that this union is perfected, and we are fully in Christ. When Christ was laid into the grave, there was a separation between his body and his soul; yet none of them was separated from the Godhead; so that it might all that time [have] been said, This soul belongs to God, and is joined to him, and this body belongs to God, and is joined to him also, albeit soul and body was not aye joined together. And so, albeit thy soul and body be separate, if they belong to Christ, yet none of them are separate. This is one of the three eternal unions: there is a eternal and inseparable union of the three persons in one Godhead: there is a eternal union of two natures in one person; albeit this union was not from all eternity, yet it remains to all eternity: and ye may take in this as a third eternal union, to remain as inseparable as either the persons of the Godhead, or the two natures in one person; for this is as sure as any of them, if so be that we be in Christ by his Spirit, and we have apprehended him by faith, and each one of us another by mutual love. I say no more cof this, but since this union is of so high a strain, and is so excellent, and also so permanent, let us be earnest with God that this union be made sensible to us,—that we are in Christ, and Christ is in us.
Ques. How shall I know whether I be in Christ, or not? I do not affirm that every Christian may know it, at what time this was begun first, and Christ first entered into them, or when he was first joined to Christ. It may be that it was in the womb of thy mother, (the Lord can do this); it may be at thy birth; it may be after thy birth; it may be longer or it may be shorter; but this is necessary for every Christian, to know that they are partakers of Christ, and that they are in him. And therefore this is the thing that specially thou should be careful for, and not to vex thyself albeit thou knows not at what time it was begun, nor by what means it was begun. Howsoever, indeed, the Lord, he makes these periods to be very sensible to some,—what was the time that grace was begun in them, what man was the speaker of that which began it, at what preaching or prayer, etc.; yet these things are not necessary for every one to know; but this is necessary for every one to know, that they are in Christ. How shall I know this? Ans. 1. Certainly if we be in Christ, and Christ be in us, there will be a mortification of sin: I say not that there will be a total abstinence from sin, and mortification thereof; but we will not have such strong and bended desires to sin, as we were wont to have before. And because thou may think this to be but sophistical, arising from some other ground, as from old age, poverty, etc., but if thou be in Christ, and examine the matter rightly, thou shall find reasons for that which thou does, and that it is the Spirit of God that moves thee to do it. Thou will say, I see the judgment of God following upon this sin, I see God forbids me to do it, etc., and therefore I will forsake it; and so, upon spiritual reasons, thou shall be forced to acknowledge that thou art not so bent to sin as thou was wont to be. And it is to thy great sorrow that thou cannot come such speed in mortifying sin as thou wishes, and would be at. 2. A second mark whereby to know if Christ be in thee, and thou in him;—If that be, there will be activity in thee; notonly a willingness, but even an ability for doing spiritual duties, both private in thy cabinet, and publick, either in thy family or in the congregation; so that thou will be forced to say, I find something in me more than my own spirit, I find something now that has been a stranger to me, A Christian who is in Christ will find this sometimes, albeit not always. 3. It is a mark that we are in Christ, and Christ in us, [if], when we find that there are branches in us spreading out another way than to him, then the Lord, he takes the snedding (pruning) knife in his own hand, and sneds off these, that so we may only grow upward to heaven. When we find the Lord doing this to us,—cutting off our superfluities, it is as sensible and evident a token as any of the other two, either mortification of sin, or vivification to righteousness. If we knew the excellency of this union,—to be in Christ, and to have Christ in us, all the world beside would be but base in our eyes; and it would make us to study very earnestly for mortification to sin, and to be zealous of good duties, and to labour for patience, when the Lord is afflicting and snedding us; that so we might get evidence thereby, that we are in Christ, and that Christ is inus. O but that be a sweet thing when God afflicts thee, and then makes thee to pray to him in that affliction! For there is a double comfort in affliction then: first, it is a mortification of sin in thee; and secondly, it brings thee back again to the root, to see that thou art united to Christ, and that Christ is united to thee.
II. But this that we have spoken concerning our being in Christ, it is but only presupposed. There is, secondly, the thing that is expressed. It is not enough for us, and he has not thought it enough, once to be in Christ; but being in him, we must abide in him. And wherefore is this added?
For three causes especially. 1. Because, albeit we have been in Christ, if so be we abide not in him, then when the Lord comes to visit us with distress any way, while we are in this life, or comes to visit us with death, or to call upon us to judgment at that great day, we cannot be able to stand, but we must fall, if so be that we abide not in Christ. And therefore the Apostle to the Philipians1 sweetly says, “I desire to be found in Christ, not having my own righteousness, which is by the law, but the righteousness of Christ, which is by faith.” As if he said, I would fain know what case Christ will find me in when he comes, for I know not when he will come; and therefore 1 would then be in Christ. And that is sure, we cannot be in Christ, except we abide in him, and so there is a necessity of abiding in Christ because of this. 2. He says this to shew us that we but deceive our own souls, in saying that ever we have been in Christ, if so be that we abide not in him. Their apostasy and falling away from Christ, (as some blasphemously call it), declares that they were never in him. 1 John 2:9, “They went out from us, because they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would not have gone from us.” These who are once in Christ, and in the true fellowship of the saints, they cannot, they are not able to get away again. Matthew 7:22-23 “Depart from me:” and why? “I know you not.” Then shall the wicked say, Lord we wrought miracles; we cast out devils in thy name, etc.: then shall he say, “Depart from me: I never knew you;” —That is, even when ye were doing these things mn my name, I knew you not, (that is, I knew you not in mercy); for ye had false hearts then: I was not in you by my Spirit, nor were ye i me by faith, and one of us in another by love. And as he says at the closing of that sermon,—he brings in a comparison from the house builded on the rock, and the house builded on the sand; the house that is builded on the sand, when it is a fair sunny day, all the windows of it will glister, and it will seem to be very glorious to look to; but when the storm comes, and beats upon it, then it falls fearfully, and all the splendour of it is gone, because it was not builded upon a sure foundation: but these who are builded on Christ are builded upon the rock, which is the sure foundation, and so bydes (abides) the storm. And in the parable of the sower, there is but a good ground, and that is the honest heart where Christ abides in it, and they abide in him. So these who are temporary believers were never in Christ; for once in Christ, and aye in Christ. So labour to testify the truth of thy being in Christ by thy abiding in him. 3. He adds this, because these who are in Christ, they use all means whereby their union may be made sensible to them, and they may abide in him. And this is one means whereby it is made sensible to thee, when this is preached and told to thee, that thou must abide in Christ, then thou begins to try whether or not thou be in Christ, and to make it sure.
Then, when we hear of this doctrine, that we must abide in Christ, let us not make this use of it, That there may be a defection and a falling away of these who are once in Christ from him again. No; but this is the use of it, To shew us that it is not enough for us to be in Christ, but we must abide in him; and to shew us that we have never been in Christ, except we abide in him; and to make us use all means to know that we are in him, and to keep us still in him. Howbeit we know that these who are once in him cannot fall away, yet we must use all means; for if we do not so, it testifies that we are not in him. As Hezekiah, when it was revealed to him that he should live fifteen years, yet he refrained not from meat, drink, sleep, etc., more than others did, so the child of God evermore uses the means, and so he lies not in security that way. There is a twofold security wherein men lie in affliction. First, because of the end that is to follow upon their affliction: Christ has promised them an outgait (deliverance), and therefore they live secure under it: this security should not be. Secondly, there is a security in respect of using the means; that we will not use means. This should not be: we should use the means whereby it is likeliest that we may be safe. For God has used security in respect of the end, and the use of means; and therefore let not us separate that which God hath conjoined.
“And my words abide in you.” This is urged here upon us as a duty required of us, if so be we would have our prayers heard of God: and this is a duty which the Lord will have us to do. For Christ will have us to abide in him; and if we abide in him, then his words, they will also abide in us. But this seems to be his meaning, as the apostle writes to Timothy, “Let no man despise thy youth;” now might not Timothy say, How can I hinder any one to despise my youth? But this seems to be the meaning of it, So carry thou thyself in thy youth as no man have cause to despise thee: and if thou carry thyself so, then it shall come to that, that no man shall despise thee. So would our Saviour say here, Do not quench nor resist the Spirit of God, but lay up my words in thy heart; and if thou will do so, then Christ shall abide in thee, and thou in him. Now he says not, “If Christ abide in you,” as in another place before, but “If my words abide in you:” for this is the cause why Christ abides in us, and it is a declaration that he is in us, if so be that his words abide in us.
Consider here what is the order of our union with Christ, and Christ with us. First, when the word is spoken to thee, and enters into thy heart by the power of the Spirit, then Christ enters in thee also by that Spirit. And so these who has the word in them, as it is dyted (indited) by the Spirit, they have Christ in them also: and having the word and the Spirit abiding in thee, then Christ abides in thee. Then separate not those things which God has joined together; for these are all conjoined,—God in Christ, the Spirit, and the word. There are many who thinks they know God, and yet in the meantime they know not Christ. It is a pitiful thing that even many of you are ignorant of Christ. And Turks and Pagans, they will say that they depend upon God, and they will speak much of him; and yet, for all that, they are altogether ignorant of Christ. They profess no knowledge of him, and so their knowledge is but a comfortless knowledge: these who know not God in Christ, they know him not aright. And then again a number will say, Why, know not I Christ? indeed I know him, and believes in him, and will give obedience to him. But this is a mark whereby to know that. If ye be joined to Christ, then ye are joined to the Holy Spirit also; Romans 8:9 “If ye have not the Spirit of Christ, then ye are not in Christ.” Then if so be that thou have no other spirit but thy own natural spirit, then thou neither knows God nor Christ. Some again will say, I pray for Christ, and I pray for his Spirit also. Then I say, if thou do that aright, then his words will abide in thee; and if so be that thou have not Christ’s words, thou has not himself nor his Spirit. And it is strange that some who will seem to themselves and to others in the world to keep God and Christ and his Spirit, and that they will promise to themselves [to do so]; and yet in the meantime will be careless in keeping the word of God, or in taking pains to get it, But we know no other mean, by (beside) the sacraments and prayer, how God and Christ and the Spirit is to be gotten, but by getting of the word, and keeping of it. And we will find in the Scripture that whatever affection God has required of his children, they have bestowed it upon the word of God. If they feared God, then they feared his word also: if they loved God, then they have made his word their delight; and David says, “I hate them who love not thy word.” And Psalm 119, ye will see it to be full of the commendation of the word of God; their joy, fear, sorrow, etc., all of them are set upon the word of God. And by this the child of God makes it evident that his affections are set upon God, Christ, and his Spirit.
III. “Ask what ye will, and it shall be given unto you:” this is the promise that is made. He says not, What ye will shall be given unto you, but, Ask what ye will, and it shall be given unto you: and thus he takes in prayer as a necessary mean to the end, that whatever they seek may be granted. Albeit ye belong to Christ, yet ye must pray to him for anything ye want; ye must not only feel your want, and desire to have it supplied, but ye must pray for the supply thereof. Many will be very earnest in their desires, and yet, for all that, they will not pray to God: as it is Psalm 4:6 “Many will say, Who will shew us any good?” There they desire to have good; and many will desire this or that which is good, but they go not to God to pray for it: they take not David’s part of it, to say, “Lord, lift up the light of thy countenance upon me.” Balaam desired to die the death of the righteous, but prayed not to God for it; but David, Psalm 106:47, he not only desired that they might be delivered from the heathen, but he prayed to God for it. Certainly, if we be God’s bairns, that which we need we will seek it of him by prayer.
Qu. What is the reason that we must pray to God? I this because God knows not what we stand in need of till we seek it? It is not so; for God knows what we stand in need of, whether we seek it or not. Or is this, that by our prayer God changes his purpose which he was once upon, and gives that which before he was not minded to give? No certainly, our prayer changes not God’s purpose in anything. Men will turn, and return again: angels will turn, but when they are turned, they do not return again: but for God, he neither turns nor returns;—he stands aye constant at his first mark. Or can it be said properly that we move God to grant us anything which he was purposed to give, by our prayers? No, although it may be said in a borrowed form of speech. But this is rather the meaning of it, that upon our praying to God, he gives us that which before he was resolved to give: as if he said, This I resolve to give to such a people, or to such a person; and when they ask it of me, then I will bestow it upon them.
There is a threefold use wherefore prayer to God is necessary.
First, because it serves greatly for God’s honour. Is not that very comfortable to us, that even when we are seeking from God then we are doing honour to him? As David says, “I will exalt thee, O God, in my prayers.”2 Because, when we pray for anything to God, we acknowledge that the inexhaustible treasures of all things are with God. Not only do we honour God when we sing a psalm, or praises him after meat, but even when we pray to him before it, and craves a blessing toit. Not only do we honour to God when we praise him in the morning for the favours of the night, or in the evening for the favours of the day, but even when we pray to him for anything we stand in need of, either for soul or body. Yea, all our praising of God is nothing else but abomination in his sight, if so be we do not pray to him.
Secondly, prayer, it is also necessary because thou thyself gets much good by praying to God. When thou prays to God it makes thy disposition more heavenly than at other times; when thou takes hold of prayer, to draw down a blessing from God, then God takes hold of thy heart to draw it up to him by faith; and so thy heart is made better than it was before. And, indeed, there is no grace of the soul but it is exercised, (if so be that thou pray as thou ought), when thou art praying to God. Thy humility, in making thee humble in thyself before God; thy faith, in believing his promise; thy hope, in gripping fast to God; and then thou art joined to him in patience, patiently to wait upon his appointed time. And so there is no grace in the soul but it is exercised when prayer is right exercised. As when the great wheels of the clock are stirring, they make all the little wheels to move; even so when prayer is set on work, then with it all the rest work also, understanding, will, etc., and that indeed is a sweet motion, when thou finds something of the oil of God’s grace making thee to move.
The third thing wherefore prayer is necessary. When thou prays to God, then thou gets the thing which thou seeks from him. “Ask what ye will, and it shall be given unto you.” This is a large promise, indeed, that Christ, by any of his servants, or himself, should speak such a word as this: and seeing that he has spoken it, of necessity it must be so. He says first, “If ye abide in me;” that is, If ye abide in the estate of grace; and then, “If my words abide ~in you;” that is, If ye propone (propose) your petitions according to the word of God, then, whatever the Lord has promised to his people, (and he has promised to them all things pertaining to life and godliness, for grace here and for glory hereafter), all shall be granted to you, and there is no limitation of nothing here. But ye may not seek that God would destroy your soul, nor may ye seek unlawful things; for ye have no warrant from Christ’s words to seek such things as these: and therefore, if ye seek such things as these, his words abides not in you. “But if ye abide in Christ, and his words abide in you, then ask what ye will, and it shall be given unto you.” He who has done all things, and does all things for thee, why shall he not be ready to answer thy prayers, when thou prays to him?
Now to consider of this, how our prayers are granted when we have prayed to God, it is a laborious point, and would take a large time to speak of it. There is much spoken and written of prayer itself, and it is true that we get many things by prayer, but there is but little spoken of this, how our prayers are answered again. We consider what we ourselves do when we pray; but we consider not what God does to us when he answers our prayers. Certainly, beloved, this much I may say, If the kirk of Scotland, (at least so many in it as knows what the power and virtue of prayer means), has been praying to God that he would pity our case, and that he would turn the course of defection, which was so fast going on into this land, and now the Lord is begun to pity us, and to stay their course which was going on so fast as there was no staying, and when their pleugh was going all the fastest, he has cutted their cords, and made them to stand still; so that they can make no more red land at this time; if so be, I say, that they who knows what prayer means has found this to be done, should not they be as careful to take this as an answer of their prayers, as before they were to pray to God, and acknowledge that the Lord has heard their prayers, and has done this as an answer to them, and be careful to return praises to God for that which he has begun to do? And, indeed, this would make us the more confident to pray for time to come. Experience, I will assure you, is the best subsidy that can be to stir up to prayer, except faith; and having this assurance that the Lord has begun to answer our prayers, then we may assure ourselves, if so be we will insist in prayer, that the Lord shall do great things for us, and so we shall be glad. For this cause 1t was that I made choice of this text, at this, time, and I have insisted more upon yon part, which is the first part of the text, than I have done upon the last part, which is God’s part in hearing of prayers; for I fear not but God will fully perform his part in every point of it, if so be that ye will do your part.
Then if ye have once entered in Christ, abide in him, that so he may abide in you. And quench not, nor grieve not his Spirit; but let his words abide in you: for ye are but strangers to him, and to his Spirit also, if his words abide not in you.3 For the word and the spirit are joined together. Thess.: if ye have the one, then ye must have the other also. And if so be that ye will do this, then ask what ye will, either for the kirk of God, or for your own souls, and it shall be performed, to the honour of God, and to your great comfort, through Jesus Christ. To whom, etc.