John 15

God's glory is more worth than the salvation of all men's souls. This should be our design to raise the trophies of God's glory, and how can we do it more than by growing in grace (John 15:8): Hereby is my Father glorified, if you bring forth much fruit. Though the least dram of…

This is to be tender of God's glory. 5. We glorify God by fruitfulness (John 15:8): Hereby is my Father glorified, if you bring forth much fruit. As it is a dishonor to God to be barren, so fruitfulness does honor him (Philippians 1:11): Filled with the fruits of righteousness,…

These admonitions do not imply the saints can fall away, but they are preservatives to keep them from falling away. Christ told some of his disciples they should abide in him, yet he exhorts them to abide in him (John 15). His exhorting them was not in the least to question thei…

It must be as the motion of the pulse, always beating. The wind blows off the fruit; our fruits of obedience must not be blown off by the wind of persecution (John 15:16). I have chosen you that you should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain.

No man can say, If I had known the will of God, I would have obeyed; no, you are inexcusable, O man, God has given you a rule to go by, he has written his law with his own finger, therefore now if you do not obey, you have no apology left. If a master leaves his mind in writing…

That he should love us more than the angels: he loves them as his friends, believers as his spouse. He loves them with such a kind of love as God the Father bears to him (John 15:9). As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you.

To sin ignorantly does something extenuate and pare off the guilt. John 15:22: If I had not come, you would have had no sin. That is, your sin would have been less.

5. 'Tis an evil world, as it is a maligning world. It does disgust and hate the people of God (John 15:19). Because you are not of the world, therefore the world hates you.

Now, if any man ask, how comes it to pass, that the world should slander them so, and think so vilely of them; Answer. First, because they be taken out of the world, in regard of state and condition in grace, John 15:19, therefore the world hates them, John 15:19. Secondly, the…

And the Prophet Amos says; Surely the Lord will do nothing, but he revealeth his secrets to his servants the Prophets. So saith our Saviour Christ to his Disciples, Ye are my friends; and he giveth a reason, because (saith he) I have revealed unto you all that I have heard of my…

Now this is not a prerogative of Prophets alone, or of such as were extraordinary men as Abraham was: but the secrets of the Lord are amongst such as fear him, Psalm 25:14. All that fear the holy name of God; are God's friends, and of his Counsel: and therefore not Abraham only…

A natural man has no power, a gracious man has some — though not sufficient — and that power he has depends upon the exciting and assisting strength of Christ. Grace within us is indebted to grace without us (John 15:5): 'Without me you can do nothing.' So much of the matter of…

That God the great Party offended should come so low to recover the despicable Parties offending; and that even while they were rank enemies to him? God commends his love to us, says the Apostle (Romans 5:8), that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us; And says himself, J…

Who made you to differ, or what have you, O man, that you have not received? It's election that makes the difference, and it's sure, for their salvation is founded on God's purpose and decree, which is the solid rest of a believer; kindness began not on our side but on God's, as…

(Romans 5:5) God commends his love to us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. (John 15:13) Greater love has no man than this, that a man should lay down his life for his friends. There is a world of reprobates whom Christ never loved with peculiar love, and su…

Use 1. See here a great evidence of the love of God and of the Mediator; Behold what manner of love this is, that when it was not required, he should offer and freely give himself to death and to the grave, this is the love of a friend and beyond it, that he should have so loved…

We say in short, as to the first, that there must first be a leaning to His merit, for the buying, or procuring of our peace, and a betaking of ourselves to it for that end. Second, when temptations recur, and when new challenges arise, there must be a constant daily betaking of…

That when they were considered with all their debt lying on their heads, He undertook this soul-travel for them, to procure them salvation from wrath and justice; This is more than His giving them His Word for it, though that had been enough; it's more than the giving them His O…

3. Does not the Scripture hold forth his death, and the shedding of his blood, as the great demonstration of his special love to his own elect people? As is clear elsewhere, so particularly (John 15:13), "Greater love than this has no man, than that a man lay down his life for h…

Christ was both free of sin, and self-happy; what then could have made him stir his foot out of heaven, so excellent a land, and come under the pain of a troubled soul, except free, strong and vehement love, that was a bottomless river impatient of banks? Infinite goodness makes…

2. It's not single weakness, but wicked and willful impotency, that keeps men from Christ: as a beggar would be a king, he has no positive hatred of the honor, riches, pleasures of a king; but he has no legs, nor arms to climb so high, as to ascend to a throne. But the natural m…

Verse 32. And I if I be lifted up from the earth, I will draw all men. This drawing of sinners to Christ is bottomed on Christ's dying on the cross, and his dying on the cross is an act of extreme and highest love (John 3:16; John 15:13; 1 John 4:9-10). Hence let us consider a l…

But it may be said, they have not all heard the Gospel preached — this must certainly excuse the Gentiles if they believe not, having never heard of Christ, how can they believe, as it is verse 14. It's a rational excuse, I cannot sin in not believing the Gospel, says the Gentil…

And as in us, when we shall be in heaven, though Faith shall faile, and Hope vanish, yet Love shall continue, (as the Apostle speaks) so does this love in Christ's heart continue also, and suffers no decay; and is shewne as much now in receiving sinners, and interceding for them…

Part 2.) of a double capacity of Glory, or a double fullness of Joy which Christ is ordained to have: The one Natural, and so due to his person as in himself alone considered; The other Additionall, and arising from the compleated happiness and glory of his whole Church, (wherew…

Doubtless these books being their Law, they were known among the body of the people; and what did the Priests, if they did not read the books of the Law, were they only to offer sacrifice to the Calves? I doubt not the people did not do it, neither was it usual to offer any of t…

And this league of friendship implies not only preservation of affection, but it requires a kind of secret communication one to another, and a doing one for another. God grants our petitions for us as a friend, and we do his commandments as a friend out of the integrity of our h…

Christ must be received as God gives him, we must acknowledge there is no life in any grace, but in Christ (Hosea 14:8). On me is your fruit found, and without me can you do nothing (John 15:5). Now then carry this truth home with you, and gather from hence a true estimate of yo…

2. Carry it fruitfully, otherwise you obstruct the kindness of the Lord. He proves us, that we may be fruitful (John 15:2). Every branch in me that bears not fruit, he takes away; and every branch that bears fruit he purges it, that it may bring forth more fruit.

And Christ under the title of the law, comprehends not only the books of Moses, but also the Psalms. John 15: But it is, that the word might be fulfilled which is written in their law: They hated me without a cause. Verse 22-23. For it is written, that Abraham had two sons, one…

So is the doctrine which teaches that men after their conversion, must still remain in suspense of their salvation: and that pardon of sin, is necessarily annexed to confession in the ear, and to satisfaction for the temporal punishment of sin in this life, or in purgatory. On t…

Lastly, we are here to be put in mind, that we lose no time in hearing of the word; for it is a means whereby we are cleansed and renewed. Every branch that brings forth fruit, God purges it by his word and other means, that it may bring forth more fruit (John 15). It is a thing…

For our faith and love are both imperfect: and faith is imputed for righteousness without works (Romans 4:6): and therefore without charity. For this is charity to keep the commandments of God (John 15:10). Paul says, that the righteousness whereby we are justified, is by, or th…

The best vine in the vinyard must be lopped and cut with the pruning knife, that it may beare the more fruit. Ioh. 15. Againe, we must take heede least there be any hidden corruptions raigning in our hearts: and we must labor to be indeede that which we appeare to be.

We that are by nature wild branches, must be taken out of old Adam, and set into Christ: and after our inscition draw a new sappe and life from Christ, namely, his spirit, and then our actions shall be fruits of the spirit, and consequently acceptable to God. Lastly, hence it fo…

Therefore in regard of the new manner of fulfilling it, it is called a new commandment. 2. Because he abrogating the ceremonial law, and many judicials, only renewed this precept of the moral law, in commanding it as his law to the Church (John 15), This is my commandment, that…

And yet he contents not himself with this, but as if that were too little, he honors him yet further, and adorns him with the title of Friend. Now that which is here said of Abraham belongs to all the faithful, which Christ declares at large (John 15:15): I call you not servants…

Let us therefore renounce all opinion of merit which is not to be found in us, that so we may wholly attribute all to God's free grace, who shows us no mean or common favor, when he vouchsafes to entitle us precious. In which respect he also calls us his firstborn (Exodus 4:22),…

Contrariwise, let the wicked, profane contemners of the word, and all hypocrites tremble; for when Christ shall accuse them, all their defenses will not be worth a rush, neither shall any be able to absolve them from his just sentence of condemnation. We must look to it then tha…

But here we must call that to mind which I have touched before, namely, that the Prophet disputes not in this place of the hidden and secret essence of Christ, but of that virtue which he manifested towards us. He calls him not Counselor then because he knows and understands all…

By this expression, I have no doubt, Mark conveys to us the instruction, that it was to the unmixed grace of Christ, and not to any excellence of their own, that they were indebted for receiving so honorable an office: for, if you understand him to say, that those were chosen, w…

In another passage, the Apostles are called reapers, as compared with the Prophets, because they have entered into their labors, (John 4:38,) and it is enjoined on all the ministers of the word, that they should bring forth fruit, and that their fruit should remain, (John 15:16.…

Hezekiah appeals to God, as one that knew that he had walked before him in truth and with a perfect heart, 2 Kings 20:3. Jesus Christ, in his dying discourse with his eleven disciples, in the 14th, 15th and 16th chapters of John, (which was as it were Christ's last will and test…

We know that whosoever is born of God, sins not; but he that is begotten of God, keeps himself, and that wicked one touches him not. John 15 verse 14. Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you.

Without him we can do nothing. For without Christ we cannot, Joh. 15. 5. And by him alone is the Grace of Christ communicated to us, and wrought in us.

Who is able to make all Grace abound towards us, that we may alwayes have All-sufficiency in all things abounding to every good work, Chap. 9. 8. But without Christ we can do nothing, John 15. 5. For it is God which workes in us both to Will and to Do of his good Pleasure, Phil.…

For he quicknes us by his Spirit, Rom. 8. 10. And our Spiritual Life as in us consists in the Vital Actings of this Spirit of his in Us; for, without him we can do nothing, John 15. 3. By Vertue hereof we walk in newness of Life; Rom. 6. 4.

But for Grace and Holiness we have infallible Assurance, that the Being, Life, Continuance, and all the Actings of it in any of the Sons of men, depend meerly and only upon their Relation to that Spring and Fountain of all Grace which is in Christ, and the continual Supplyes of…

And we may rather expect seas and fields, beasts and trees, to sing his triumphant song, and chant his praises, than those men whose hearts are not attuned to his government, and who are yet under the dominion of another Lord, not being yet by the law of the spirit of life in Ch…

But the consideration of the perseverance of faith, cannot be excluded out of this congruity or fitness, for it is congruous that he that believes in Christ should have an interest in Christ's righteousness, and so in the eternal benefits purchased by it, because faith is that b…