S. Jo H. XV. 7. If ye abide in me, and my Words abide in you, ye fhall ask what ye will, and it fhall be done unto you. 1. Something is here required or supposed; 2. Something promised. I. What required or fuppofed? 1. What is meant by our abiding in Him? This is called partaking of Him, Hebr. iii. 14. and implies in it our 2. us? 1. Being in Him, Rom. viii. 1. 2 Cor. v. 17. 1. What are we to understand by His 2. How do these Words abide in us? 1. Knowing them, S. Joh. x. 4, 5. 2. Believing 2. Believing them, S. Joh. xiii. 19. xvii. 8. viii. 45. S. Matt. xxiv. 35. Rom. X. 10. Hebr. iv. 2. 4. 3. Remembring them, S. Joh. xv. 25. Perfevering in the Obfervance of them S. Mar. xiii. 13. S. Luk. viii. 15. Rev. ii. 26. 3. What is the Effect of their abiding in us? 1. They purify us, S. Joh. xv. 3. and xvii. 17. 2 Cor. V. 17. 2. They bring forth Fruit in us, S. Matt. xiii. 23. S. Joh. xv. 5. II. Here is something promised for the Encouragement of those who thus abide in Chrift, and have His Word abiding in them; a great, a gracious Promife, a Promife full of Joy and Comfort, and which is well worth all the Pains they can be at, to partake of it; namely, that let them ask what they will, they fhall be fure to obtain their Request. For fo it follows, Ye shall ask what ye will, &c. S. Matt. vii. 7. they fhall be fure not to meet with a Disappointment, for these two Reasons; 1. Because they Will only according to GOD's Will, 1 Sam. iii. 18. herein following the Example of their Bleffed Lord and Saviour, S. Matt. xxvi. 39, 42. fubmitting with thofe in Act. xxi. 14. and praying as our Lord directs, S. Matt. vi. 10. 2. Because they ask according to His Will, and fo are fure to be heard upon this Account, 1 S. Joh. v. 14, 15. Particularly they ask, 1. Nothing but what is lawful,S.Matt.vii. 11. avoiding the Folly abovemention'd, Pfal. 1. 21, 22. 2. And only to a good End, S. Jam. iv. 3. X 3 3. They 3. They take a right Method in asking; praying, 1. In Faith, S. Matt. xxi. 22. S. Jam. i. 5, 6, 7. 2. With Fervency and Devotion, Rom. i. 9. I Cor. vi. 20. 3. In Humility, S. Luk. xviii. 9, &. Pfal. cxxxviii. 6. 4. From a clean and pure Heart, Isa. i. 11, 16, 17, 18. 1 Tim. ii. 8. 5. With Conftancy and Perfeverance, Luk. xviii. 1. and xi. 8, 9, 10. Ephes. vi. 8. 6. In the Name, and through the Merits and Mediation of our Lord Jefas Chrift, S. Joh. xiv. 13, 14. USES. 1. Here is Comfort to thofe that have Chrift's Words abiding in them, that they can want Nothing, but what they may have upon asking it, S. Joh. XV. 16. and xvi. 23, 24. 2. What Care therefore ought every one to take, that these Words of Christ may abide in Him? 1. To be heartily defirous of them, 2 S. Pet. ii. 2. 2. To prepare Himfelf for the Hearing and Reading them, 2 S. Pet. ii. 1. S. Jam. i. 3. 21. To attend to them seriously, S. Luk. viii. 18. 4. To believe and retain them in Mind, S. Joh. xii. 47, 48. 5. To put them in Practice, S. Jam. i. 22,23, 24, 25. S. Joh. xiii. 17. S, JOH. S. JOH. XV. 26. But when the Comforter is come, whom i will fend unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of Truth, who proceedeth from. the Father, He shall testify of Me. DOCTRINE I. THE Spirit is of itself. - • Spiritum Dei, id eft, ipfum Deum; Tertull. ad Marc. lib. 2. c. 9. Σὺ ν μάνθανε ὅτι ἐν ὅτι τὅτι τὸ ἅγιον πνεῦμα, ἀδιαίρετον, πολυδύναμον, πολλὰ μὲ ἐνεργῶν, αὐτὸ ἢ μὴ μεριζόμθμον, S. Cyril. Hierof. Catech. 4. 13'. 'Enggoάu avτῷ τὸ φρικωδες αζον αὐτό πνεύμα]Θ- εκπεσεῖν, εἰ μὴ σέβο τὸ πνεῦμα μετὰ πατρὸς καὶ δ, ὡς ὁμούσιον καὶ ὁμότιμον, Greg. Naz. Orat. 20. p. 365. Nunc vero cùm dixiffet, aufus es mentiri Spiritui Sanito, cum ille fe putaret hominibus fuiffe mentitum, ipfum Spiritum San&tum Deum effe monftravit, fubjungens, non hominibus mentitus es, fed Deo, B. Aug. Quaft. fuper Exod. b. 2. c. 59. S. Mar. xii. 36. Act. xxviii. 25. Rom. xv. 19. 1 Cor. xii. 4, &c. Rom. viii. 26. Ephef. iv. 30. II. DOCTRINE. He is a diftin&t Perfon from the Father and the Son, S. Matt. xxviii. 19. 2 Cor. xiii. 14. 1 S. Joh. V. 7. 1. He proceedeth from the Father, fo fays the Text, υ το πα]εὸς ἐκπορεύεται. 2. He is fent by the Son, rizw wipfw. III. DOCTRINE. He proceeds from the Father and the Son, Rom. viii. 9. Gal. iv. 6. Phil. i. 19. S. Joh. xiv. 26. Καὶ γιὰ ὁ ̓ΑπόςολΘ λέγει, καὶ τὸ παρὸς, καὶ τὸ 4ς ἔν τὸ πνεῦ 2. He communicates His whole Effence to the Son, S. Joh. v. 26. 3. The Father and the Son communicate the fame to the Holy Spirit; Firmiffimè tene, & nullatenus dubites, eundem Spiritum Sanctum, qui Patris & Filii unus eft Spiritus, de Patre & Filio procedere, S. Aug. de Fide ad Petrum Diaconum, c. 11, Et qui poteft intelligere in eo quod ait Filius, ficut habet Pater vitam in femetipfo, non fine vita exiftenti jam Filio vitam dediffe, fed ita eum fine tempore genuiffe, ut vita quam Pater Filio gignendo dedit, coaterna fit vita Patris qui dedit; intelligat ficut habet Pater in femetipfo, ut de illo procedat Spiritus Sanctus, fic dediffe Filio ut de illo procedat idem Spiritus Sanctus, & utrumque fine tempore; atita dictum Spiritum Sanctum de Patre procedere, ut intelligatur, quia etiam procedit de Filio, de Patre effe & Filio; Idem de Trinitate, l. 15. c. 26. que The Conftantinopolitan Bishops put à Patre into the Creed; the Western Churches Filioque, efpecially the Spanish and French; Leo III put it out, and Nicolaus put it in again, and fo arofe the Schifm. IV. DOCTRINE This Perfon the Son promifes to fend after His Afcenfion, S. Job. xiv. 26. and xvi. 7. S. Luk. xxiv. 49: |