[2.] From the evil thing, that is, the evil of persecution ; keep them
VeR. 16.] SERMONS UPON JOHN XVII. 403
from being destroyed till they have accomplished their ministry. Ob- serve, God keepeth his saints temporally, till their work is ended, by a special providence. He delivers them from diseases and from the fury of men as long as he hath any service for them in the world. Therefore, whenever you have escaped any visible and sensible danger, when you are come out of a terrible disease, or kept from the fury of men, improve it accordingly ; it is for service.
But rather it may be understood of the evil of sin ; keep them from the evil. And so the note is, that sin is the greatest evil. Christ doth not say, Keep them from trouble. No ; let them ride out the storm ; but keep them from the evil of sin.
SERMON XXV
TheTf are not of the ivorld, even as I am not of the loorld. — John XVII. 16.
In this verse Christ repeateth the argument used in the 14th verse. This repetition is not idle and of no use ; it is Christ that speaketh. The reason of the repetition may be conceived either with respect to the disciples, the persons for whom and in whose hearing he prayed, and so it is to inculcate their duty ; or with respect to God, the person to whom he prayed, and so he urgeth their danger. For in the 14th verse he showed this was the cause why the world hated them ; now he maketh it the reason wliy he prayetli for them, that they may be kept : ' Keep them from the evil : they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.'
In the general observe, that repetitions of the same point are sometimes necessary : Phil. iii. 1, ' To write the same things to you, to me it is not grievous, but for you it is safe.' Repetition of the same things is tedious and irksome to nature, but profitable to grace. It is tedious to nature, partly out of an itch of novelty. Most men have but an adulterous love to truth ; they love it while it is new and fresh ; there is a satiety that groweth by acquaintedness ; the Israelites grew weary of manna, though angels' food. Partly out of the impatiency of guilt ; sores cannot endure to be rubbed again and again ; frequency of reproof and admonition is like the rubbing of a sore, grievous to a galled conscience : John xxi. 17, Peter was grieved that he should say to him the third time, ' Lovest thou me ? ' as reviving his apostasy, bringing to remembrace his threefold denying of Christ, questioning his fidelity. Sinners do not love to be suspected or urged much ; it reviveth guilt, and maketh it fly in the face of conscience. None are weary but they that cannot endure to be remembered of their duty. But it is profitable to grace— (1.) To cure weakness; (2.) To further duties.
First, To cure weakness. Our knowledge is little, our affections changeable, our memories weak, our attention slight.
1. Our knowledge is little. Narrow-mouthed vessels take in liquor by drops, so do we divine truths, and therefore you have need to hear
404 SERMONS UPON JOHN XVII. [SeR. XXV.
the same things often, that your understandings may grow familiar and acquainted with these notions : Isn. xxviii. 10, ' For precept must he upon precept, precept ui)on precept, line upon line, line upon line, here a little and there a little.' They must be taught as little children are wont to be taught when they learn to read and write, to know letter after letter, and to draw line after line ; we must go over it again and again, that you may understand it more. Frequent inculcation maketh us to observe every part and point ; you take it in by degrees.
2. Our attention is small. We do consider it when we understand it. Since the fall, we have lost our settled and solemn thoughts ; the roving vanity of our minds needeth this outward cure. "When truth is again brought into the view of the understanding, the mind is set a-work ; first we learn, and then we meditate. If christians would observe their hearts, they would find it hard to go along with the preacher at first hearing ; but when they go over it in their thoughts, then it worketh spiritually, and they consider it with affection upon a review. Mary ' kept all these sayings in her heart,' Luke ii. 51. We mind things but slightly, there must be apprehension before musing ; study tindeth out a truth, meditation improveth it.
3. Our memories are weak. We liave a short memory in the best things. A man needeth no remembrancer to put him in mind of worldly gain, and to revenge injuries; but as to good things, our memories are as a bag with holes, or as a grate or sink, that retaineth the mud, and lets the running water go : Heb. ii. 1, ' Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip.' We are as sandy ground or leaky vessels ; we have much lost the practical memory, have few actual thoughts of truths in the season of them. Men forget what we have told them of God's justice, his omnipresence, the day of judgment. Wiien we are about to faint under afflictions, Heb. xii. 5, ' Have ye forgotten the exhortation that speaketh unto you as unto children ? ' ' My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, neither faint when thou art rebuked by him.' It is a main office of the Spirit to remem- ber us of truths in their season : John xiv. 2G, ' The Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, what- soever I have said unto you.' It is one thing to know, anotlier thing to remember; seasonable thoughts are a great relief in temptation: 2 Tim. iv. 2, ' Preach the word, be instant in season, out of season,' evKulptDi, iiKaipci)^. We may press truths when there is no such express need of them, in season press them again ; it is a great advantage.