"26. At that day ye fhall ask in my "name: and I fay not unto you, that I "will pray the Father for you:

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27. For the Father himself loveth 66 you, because ye have loved me, and "have believed that I came out from "God.

"28. I came forth from the Father, " and am come into the world: again, I "leave the world, and go to the Father."

Our Saviour, left the disciples should misunderstand him, here points out to them his meaning, when he said of the holy Spirit, He shall take of mine, and fhew it unto you; namely, that the Father and the Son being one, it was precisely the fame as if he had faid He shall receive of the Father, but that they might know that he was in the Father, and the Father in him. He then proceeds to prepare them for that extreme forrow they were to endure, from the time of his death to that of his refurrection; a period during which the world would triumph 4 B 2 and

and infult over them for their credulity, and rejoice in their own supposed fagacity. But how fhort are the triumphs of the wicked! The rejoicing of the world, as he here prophefies, was foon turned into shame and confufion; whilft the troubles of the difciples were changed into the utmost fatisfaction and joy, which was not confined to the apoftles alone, but extended to all believers. As Chrift was now about to leave them, he directs them to pray to the Father, in his name, for whatever they might stand in need of, whether temporal or spiritual, and it should be granted. The duty of prayer is not enjoined us because the Almighty is ignorant of our wants, or inattentive to them, but to keep up in our minds a conftant remembrance of our entire dependance upon him. Whilft their Lord and Master was with them, they could want nothing; but with what joy must they have received the affurance that, when they were deprived of that advantage, they might apply, with full confi

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dence of fuccefs, to the Father; who loved them for their faith in, and attachment to, his Son!

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29. His difciples faid unto him, Lo, now speakest thou plainly, and speakest "no proverb.

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30. Now are we fure that thou "knowest all things, and needest not that

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any man should ask thee: by this we "believe that thou cameft forth from "God.

"31. Jefus answered them, Do ye now "believe?

32. Behold, the hour cometh, yea, is "now come, that ye shall be scattered,

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every man to his own, and shall leave me alone and yet I am not alone, "because the Father is with me.

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33. These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. "In the world ye shall have tribulation : but be of good cheer; I have overcome "the world."

The

The difciples could not misunderstand our Lord's present discourse; as he now thought fit to speak in the plainest terms, without figure or metaphor. The faith of the apostles, respecting their master, had undergone frequent changes; but seems now to have been firm and steady ; fince St. Peter, who generally spoke in the name of the whole, declares their perfect conviction that he came from God. We have a fimilar paffage, in St. Matthew, (chap. xvi. ver. 15. 16. 17. 18.): "He "faith unto them, But whom fay ye that "I am? And Simon-Peter answered and faid, Thou art the Chrift, the Son of the

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living God. And Jefus anfwered and "faid unto him, Bleffed art thou, Simon Bar-jona: for flesh and blood hath not "revealed it unto thee, but my Father "which is in Heaven. And I fay also unto

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thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this

rock I will build my church; and the

gates of hell fhall not prevail against it.' I have introduced the above quotation from St. Matthew, not only as it furnishes another

another inftance of the faith of the apostles respecting their Master, but as it affords likewise, to all those who do not reject Christianity altogether, a new proof of his divinity. Had the reply of St. Peter been founded in error, our bleffed Lord, who honor to God gave upon every occafion the Father, would have set him right; but fo far is he from correcting him, that he declares him to be blessed, in that God had condefcended to reveal to him a truth which he could never have known from man. Our Saviour adds, That upon that rock, (that is, faith, which we all know is the very effence of Chriftianity,) he would build his church, against which all the powers of hell fhould not prevail to destroy it. Such, at least, appears to me to be the obvious meaning of a paffage which has been wrefted to fupport the wildest and most abfurd doctrines.

Great respect and attention is, most affuredly, due from us to the apostles and their fucceffors, as God's faithful and zealous fervants: but let us always remem

ber