He cometh by the evil Angels, or rather by vile and wicked n - as his inſtruments, 7udzs and the Soldiers. He doth not ay where, | fore he came, burit is eaſily underſtood: 6 and he hath nothing in : me that he can juſtly fault, and rake advantage againſt me for, he , findeth no guilt in me, to give him any advantage againſt me; If - die as an innocent perſon, and be cut off, but riot for my ſelf, (xi; , | was Prophecied of the Meſiah, Dan. g. 26.) but (asit is there vy., f. ro finiſh tranſgreſſion, and to make reconciliationfor FNIqQuit),and tt bring + in everlaſting Righteouſneſs. _ 31 But that the world may know that I love thet:. Ch ther: and * as the Father gave me commandment, even' br ſo [ doc; Ariſe let us go hence 4. | in. c Idie notfor my own-ſin; but being found is faſhion «1 mam, 6, I humbled my ſelf, and became obedient unto death, even thi duth of 59 the Croſs, (as Phil. 2.8.) to let the World know, that I love the $0 Father, and am obedient to him, doing even ſo as he hath cams rol manded me. 4d Ariſe from Supper, (after which they were wont ug ſometimes to lengthen our diſcourſe) the Supper in Bethany as ſome --- think, but ro me it ſeems more probable (as I ſaid before) tobe apa the Paſſover Supper, and the Lord's Supper which immediately he followed that. And let #s go hence out of the gueſt chamber (where w_—_ the Paſſover was to be adminiſtred ) So as it is moſt probable, thi yu the diſcourſes in the two next Chapters were as they went alongin of the way to Mount Oliver. In this diſcourſe our Saviour hath mof aps _ plied himſelf to relieve his Diſciples upon their diſturbance, for thei vas want of our Saviour's*bodily preſence. Wo: CHAP. XV. o The #nien betwixt Chriſt and his Members aeſcribed under theparablesf 2 a Fine, 1—8. Exhorteth"em to keep his Commandment, 9—12. have Sheweth bis love to 'em by laying down his Life, 13. Tilith'em k they are his Priends and choſen, 14—17. Comforteth em again : 1 the hatred of the World, 18-—120. and leateth the Jews with er ou cuſt, 2125. andthat the Holy Ghoſt beareth witneſs of him, 26,2), 5.4 As onr Saviour in the former Chapter had chiefly ſpent his dil _ courſe for the relief of his Diſciples under their trouble for the want "5. of his bodily preſence ; ſo he ſeemeth in this chiefly to bend his Di: Chrin courſe for the comfort of them under their diſturbance, for feartley hs ſhould, rogether with the want of the comfort they had in his bot. fo may ly preſence, want alſo his ſpiritual influences; to prevent which, bt Codes compareth himſelf ro a Vine,' them to the Branches; and ſhewe Tn by that ſimilicnde, the near Union they had with him, and the in- | uence he would, and muſt have upon them, ſo long as they $7 did abide with him. From the Eighteenth Verſe to the end, he com- not t/ forts them by a variety of Arguments againſt chat black ſtorm of more perſecution which he had ſo often told them would ariſe after his de fTi parture from them, from the hatred of the World, of wicked men, Ka both Jews and Gentiles, that were enemies to the Croſs of Chil; cab and continueth his Diſcourſe of that nature alfo in the following 4s: Chapter. doube p || Am the true vine a, and my Father is the husband- nd Coy mans. ; oe. a Chriſt had but newly come from his laſt Supper, where 4 OY had ſanQified the fruit of the Vine, by ſetting ir apart, as one of ” wi ( Elements in that holy Sacramenr, and told them wer. 18. of th rn 224 Chap, of Luke, That he would no more drink of the fruit of cy \ & I Vine, until the Kingdom of God ſhould come. This (as ſome _ 6 wy : ns gave occafion' to this Parable, or Diſcourſe about the Yin: * - a | vc ” chiak that in his paſſage from the Gueſt-chamber to the Mount © _ | W. \ p he ſaw a Yixe, which gave occaſion to this diſcourſe, it _ hen him very ordinary to graft ſpiritual Diſcourſes upon ſenſibic 0 ME i "vey occaſionally occuring, as Chap. 4. he raiſed a Diſcourſe wht. n Ks ter upon the ſight of the water at Faceb's We#, and the m_ po ond Pg courſe about it: and Chap. 8, he founded another diſcouric by =
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XV.
Whatever the occaſion was (of which we can affirm nothing certain- Iy) certain It 15, that the Notion of a Vine, with reſpe&@ to the Roo? " Bugy of it (for he calls his Diſciples rlie Branches) excel- Jendly agreeth to Chriſt, whether in reſpett of his preſent low con- Jition, and mean appearance ro the World (as a Vine hatch leſs beau- ty than moſt Plants; ) or 1n reſpett of its exceeding fruictulneſs; + as it is the Baſs and Foundation of the Branches, in which they are, and chrive, and are fruicfal, which ſcemeth hers to be chiefly intended, as all the Branches are united to the Vine, in it *hey ive, bud, bear fruit. There are Three principal things which exxe Saviour teacheth us by this Similirude, 1. 7hat we have no ability 10 do good but from Chrift, 2. That believers have a true and rea! Union with the Lord Feſus , which while they uphold by faith and holi- eſe, they ſal not want hls influence upon them, nor his Father's care over them, in purging them, that they may bring forth much fruit. 4 That if any profeſſing him prove unfruitful, God will take them þabwgg they ſhall wither, be caſt into the fire and burned. He calls himſelf the r7ue Vine, to ſhew them, that rheir fruit was not in
themſelves but muſt be found in him; or that their f-4ait could not
-oceed from Moſes, the Obſervance of the Ritual or Moral Law given them by him 3 but it muſt flow from their ſpiritual Union with kim, and that influence of Grace which ſhonld flow from that U- nion, Ot elfe erue (as ſometimes 1c doth in Scripture) may fignifie excelent, As he compareth himſelf ro the rrue Vine, by which he ignifierh to us, that he 15 the true root and ſupport of our ſpiritnal tfe and. fruit ; ſo he compareth his Father to the Hu;bandman, to let us know, that his people are not only under his, but under his Fa- ther's care, which he afterwards more particularly openeth. He alſo, ver. 2, compareth Believers, or Members ofthe Church, to Branches in a Vine. : :