Bible Heaven/Bible Heaven.iso/online/mhcc03/v03550

Text File | 1994-03-02 | 10KB | 169 lines

03552
 #28-31 Christ raises the expectations of his disciples to
 something beyond what they thought was their greatest happiness.
 His time was now short, he therefore spake largely to them. When
 we come to be sick, and to die, we may not be capable of talking
 much to those about us; such good counsel as we have to give,
 let us give while in health. Observe the prospect Christ had of
 an approaching conflict, not only with men, but with the powers
 of darkness. Satan has something in us to perplex us with, for
 we have all sinned; but when he would disturb Christ, he found
 nothing sinful to help him. The best evidence of our love to the
 Father is, our doing as he has commanded us. Let us rejoice in
 the Saviour's victories over Satan the prince of this world. Let
 us copy the example of his love and obedience.
03556
 * Christ the true Vine. (1-8) His love to his disciples. (9-17)
 Hatred and persecutions foretold. (18-25) The Comforter
 promised. (26,27)

 #1-8 Jesus Christ is the Vine, the true Vine. The union of the
 human and Divine natures, and the fulness of the Spirit that is
 in him, resemble the root of the vine made fruitful by the
 moisture from a rich soil. Believers are branches of this Vine.
 The root is unseen, and our life is hid with Christ; the root
 bears the tree, diffuses sap to it, and in Christ are all
 supports and supplies. The branches of the vine are many, yet,
 meeting in the root, are all but one vine; thus all true
 Christians, though in place and opinion distant from each other,
 meet in Christ. Believers, like the branches of the vine, are
 weak, and unable to stand but as they are borne up. The Father
 is the Husbandman. Never was any husbandman so wise, so
 watchful, about his vineyard, as God is about his church, which
 therefore must prosper. We must be fruitful. From a vine we look
 for grapes, and from a Christian we look for a Christian temper,
 disposition, and life. We must honour God, and do good; this is
 bearing fruit. The unfruitful are taken away. And even fruitful
 branches need pruning; for the best have notions, passions, and
 humours, that require to be taken away, which Christ has
 promised to forward the sanctification of believers, they will
 be thankful, for them. The word of Christ is spoken to all
 believers; and there is a cleansing virtue in that word, as it
 works grace, and works out corruption. And the more fruit we
 bring forth, the more we abound in what is good, the more our
 Lord is glorified. In order to fruitfulness, we must abide in
 Christ, must have union with him by faith. It is the great
 concern of all Christ's disciples, constantly to keep up
 dependence upon Christ, and communion with him. True Christians
 find by experience, that any interruption in the exercise of
 their faith, causes holy affections to decline, their
 corruptions to revive, and their comforts to droop. Those who
 abide not in Christ, though they may flourish for awhile in
 outward profession, yet come to nothing. The fire is the fittest
 place for withered branches; they are good for nothing else. Let
 us seek to live more simply on the fulness of Christ, and to
 grow more fruitful in every good word and work, so may our joy
 in Him and in his salvation be full.
03564
 #9-17 Those whom God loves as a Father, may despise the hatred
 of all the world. As the Father loved Christ, who was most
 worthy, so he loved his disciples, who were unworthy. All that
 love the Saviour should continue in their love to him, and take
 all occasions to show it. The joy of the hypocrite is but for a
 moment, but the joy of those who abide in Christ's love is a
 continual feast. They are to show their love to him by keeping
 his commandments. If the same power that first shed abroad the
 love of Christ in our hearts, did not keep us in that love, we
 should not long abide in it. Christ's love to us should direct
 us to love each other. He speaks as about to give many things in
 charge, yet names this only; it includes many duties.
03573
 #18-25 How little do many persons think, that in opposing the
 doctrine of Christ as our Prophet, Priest, and King, they prove
 themselves ignorant of the one living and true God, whom they
 profess to worship! The name into which Christ's disciples were
 baptized, is that which they will live and die by. It is a
 comfort to the greatest sufferers, if they suffer for Christ's
 name's sake. The world's ignorance is the true cause of its
 hatred to the disciples of Jesus. The clearer and fuller the
 discoveries of the grace and truth of Christ, the greater is our
 sin if we do not love him and believe in him.

03581
 #26,27. The blessed Spirit will maintain the cause of Christ in
 the world, notwithstanding the opposition it meets with.
 Believers taught and encouraged by his influences, would bear
 testimony to Christ and his salvation.
03583
 * Persecution foretold. (1-6) The promise of the Holy Spirit,
 and his office. (7-15) Christ's departure and return. (16-22)
 Encouragement to prayer. (23-27) Christ's discoveries of
 himself. (28-33)

 #1-6 Our Lord Jesus, by giving his disciples notice of trouble,
 designed that the terror might not be a surprise to them. It is
 possible for those who are real enemies to God's service, to
 pretend zeal for it. This does not lessen the sin of the
 persecutors; villainies will never be changed by putting the name
 of God to them. As Jesus in his sufferings, so his followers in
 theirs, should look to the fulfilling of Scripture. He did not
 tell them sooner, because he was with them to teach, guide, and
 comfort them; they needed not then this promise of the Holy
 Spirit's presence. It will silence us to ask, Whence troubles
 come? It will satisfy us to ask, Whither go they? for we know
 they work for good. It is the common fault and folly of
 melancholy Christians to look only on the dark side of the
 cloud, and to turn a deaf ear to the voice of joy and gladness.
 That which filled the disciples' hearts with sorrow, was too
 great affection for this present life. Nothing more hinders our
 joy in God, than the love of the world, and the sorrow of the
 world which comes from it.

03589
 #7-15 Christ's departure was necessary to the Comforter's
 coming. Sending the Spirit was to be the fruit of Christ's
 death, which was his going away. His bodily presence could be
 only in one place at one time, but his Spirit is every where, in
 all places, at all times, wherever two or three are gathered
 together in his name. See here the office of the Spirit, first
 to reprove, or to convince. Convincing work is the Spirit's
 work; he can do it effectually, and none but he. It is the
 method the Holy Spirit takes, first to convince, and then to
 comfort. The Spirit shall convince the world, of sin; not merely
 tell them of it. The Spirit convinces of the fact of sin; of the
 fault of sin; of the folly of sin; of the filth of sin, that by
 it we are become hateful to God; of the fountain of sin, the
 corrupt nature; and lastly, of the fruit of sin, that the end
 thereof is death. The Holy Spirit proves that all the world is
 guilty before God. He convinces the world of righteousness; that
 Jesus of Nazareth was Christ the righteous. Also, of Christ's
 righteousness, imparted to us for justification and salvation.
 He will show them where it is to be had, and how they may be
 accepted as righteous in God's sight. Christ's ascension proves
 the ransom was accepted, and the righteousness finished, through
 which believers were to be justified. Of judgment, because the
 prince of this world is judged. All will be well, when his power
 is broken, who made all the mischief. As Satan is subdued by
 Christ, this gives us confidence, for no other power can stand
 before him. And of the day of judgment. The coming of the Spirit
 would be of unspeakable advantage to the disciples. The Holy
 Spirit is our Guide, not only to show us the way, but to go with
 us by continued aids and influences. To be led into a truth is
 more than barely to know it; it is not only to have the notion
 of it in our heads, but the relish, and savour, and power of it
 in our hearts. He shall teach all truth, and keep back nothing
 profitable, for he will show things to come. All the gifts and
 graces of the Spirit, all the preaching, and all the writing of
 the apostles, under the influence of the Spirit, all the
 tongues, and miracles, were to glorify Christ. It behooves every
 one to ask, whether the Holy Spirit has begun a good work in his
 heart? Without clear discovery of our guilt and danger, we never
 shall understand the value of Christ's salvation; but when
 brought to know ourselves aright, we begin to see the value of
 the Redeemer. We should have fuller views of the Redeemer, and
 more lively affections to him, if we more prayed for, and
 depended on the Holy Spirit.

03598
 #16-22 It is good to consider how near our seasons of grace are
 to an end, that we may be quickened to improve them. But the
 sorrows of the disciples would soon be turned into joy; as those
 of a mother, at the sight of her infant. The Holy Spirit would
 be their Comforter, and neither men nor devils, neither
 sufferings in life nor in death, would ever deprive them of
 their joy. Believers have joy or sorrow, according to their
 sight of Christ, and the tokens of his presence. Sorrow is
 coming on the ungodly, which nothing can lessen; the believer is
 an heir to joy which no one can take away. Where now is the joy
 of the murderers of our Lord, and the sorrow of his friends?