♦ Matt, xviii. 20. f Ps. cxix. 105.
t This ' Prayer ' appeared first in edition b of the ' Two Sermons.' It forms an item in Bishop Patrick's defence of 'printed ' and 'read' prayers. See ' Continua- tion of the Friendly Debate ' (Pt. ii., Works, vol. v. pp. 630-2). The authority on which Patrick rests in his statement that Silsbes used above single form of prayer does not bear him out. He refers to Geree (Vindicise Ecclesise Anglicanaa, 4to, 1644), but his words are, ' In prayer men many times limit themselves, as Doctor Sibbs is said to use one form of prayer before his sermons printed by Mr Goodwin and Mr Nye.' It is very improbable that Sibbes thus limited himself; and certainly neither Goodwin nor Nye make such an assertion. — G.
VOL. vn. y
THE FIRST SERMON.
Let not your hearts be troubled : ye believe in God, believe also in me. — John XIV. 1.
Holy men, as they be ' trees of righteousness,' Isa. Ixi. 3, and desire to be fruitful at all times, so most especially towards their end ; having but a short time to live in the world, they be willing to leave the world with a good savour. So it was with Jacob. So with Moses, as appears in his excellent Song made before his death. You may see it in Kiiig Solomon and David before their deaths. But especially in our Saviom\ The nearer to heaven, the more heavenly-minded. When gi'ace and glory are ready to join, the one to be swallowed up of the other, then grace is most glorious. All the passages of Christ are comfortable ; but none more comfortable than those sermons of his, that were deUvered a little before his death. Of aU words that come from loving men to those they love, such are most re- markable as be spoken when they be ready to die ; because then men are most serious, they being about the most serious business. Then they be wisest, and best able to judge ; for the consideration of their end' makes them wise. And therefore, saith God, ' 0 that my people were wise to consider their latter end ! ' Deut. xxxii. 29. And, ' teach me to number my days, that I may apply my heart to wisdom,' saith Moses, Ps. xc. 12. And indeed there is no wisdom to that ; for it teacheth men to pass a right judgment upon all things in the world. They be no longer drunk with the prosperity of the world ; they be no longer swayed with opinion, but they pass an estimation of things as they are.
Besides, love at that time is especially set on work. Therefore our blessed Saviour being now to oiler himself a sacrifice on the cross, he sweetly deUvereth these words before his departure, * Let not your hearts be troubled.' Let us hear them therefore, as the dying words of our Saviour to his disciples, and in his disciples, to us all, as in the 17th of St John. ' I pray not for them only, but for all such as shall beheve in me, through then- word,' ver. 20. For his comforts concern us all, as his prayers did.
This chapter is sweetly mixed of comforts, counsels, and gi-acious promises ; but especially it affords matter of comfort. Mark who it is that gives this comfort, — our blessed Saviour, And at what time, — when he was to sacri- fice himself.
What admirable love, and care, and pity is in this merciful high Priest of
FIEST SERMON,
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ours, that should so think of comforting his disciples, as to forget himself, and his own approaching death ! It is the nature of love so to do ; and we should imitate our blessed Saviour in it. You see how ho laboureth to strengthen them, especially towards his end. He knew they would then need it most, and therefore he endeavoureth by all means to strengthen them, both by counsel, as here ; by the passovei', and by a newly instituted sacrament, 1 Cor. xi. 23.
But what need we wonder at this in our blessed Saviour, who so regarded us, as he left heaven; took our nature ; became man; put himself under the law ; became sin ?
The words contain a dissumioii from over-much trouble, and then a direction to believe in God, and Christ. Comforts must be founded on strong reasons. For we are reasonable and understanding creatures ; and God works on us answerably to our principles. He stays om* spirits by reasons stronger than the grievance. For what is comfort but that which establisheth and upholds the soul against that evil which is feared or felt, from a greater strength of reason which overmastereth the evil ? If the grievance be but even with the comfort, then the consolation works not. But Christ's com- forts are of an higher nature than any trouble can be. For he not only dis- suades from trouble, but also persuades to confidence, ' Be of good comfort, I have overcome the world,' John xvi. 33.
The occasion of this comforting them, and of removing their discourage- ments, was this. In the former chapter, he had told them, that he should leave them, and that they should leave him ; the best of them all, even Peter, should take offence at him, and deny him, and that all the rest should leave him. From whence they might gather, that the approaching trouble should be great, that should cause Peter to deny him, and them all to for- sake him. And thence must needs arise great scandals. Our Saviour saw by the power of his Godhead into their hearts, and like enough, in their looks he saw a spirit of discouragement seizing on them, for his departure, and Peter's fall, their forsaking of him, and the persecutions that would follow. And therefore Chiist discerning this dejection of their spirits, he raiseth them by this, ' Let not your hearts be troubled.' The heavenly Physician of our souls applieth then the remedy, when it is the fittest season.