. 242 The NEW asid COMPLETE difturbed and perplexed about what I told you ? Is it a thing fo very hard to be un- derftood, that I Paid, within a very little time I Ihould be taken away from you, and that within a very little time more, I fhould appear to you again? Verily, verily, I tell you I muff foon depart out of this world : and when the world, who are your enemies, will rejoice and triumph over you, as if they had deltroyed me, and wholly fuppreffed you ; ye for your parts will be overwhelmed with grief and forrow ; but, within a ¡port time, I will return to you again, and then your for- row ¡hall be turned into exceeding great joy : even as a woman, when, fhe is in labour, hath great pain and forrow for the prefent, but, as foon as fhe is delivered, forgets all her fufferings, and rejoices greatly at the birth of her fon ; fo ye, while ye are under the immediate appre- henfion of my departure from you, and during that time ofdifirefs and temptation, which fhall befall you in my abfence, will be full of forrow and anxiety of mind ; but when I return to you again, then ye ¡hall rejoice with joy unfpeakable and full of glory, and the caufe or continuance of it, no power or malice of man, ¡hall ever be able to take from you any more. However, though I ¡hall return to you again, and your hearts 'will thereupon be filled with inexpre¡fible joy, and which never fhall be taken from you anymore; yet there will be no necellity that I Ihould then continue long with you in perfon, to inflrua you upon every occafion, as I have now done with my own mouth: for be- fides that the Holy Spirit will be fent to inflruEa you in all things neceffary, my Father himfelf alto will hear your petitions, and be ready to grant you whatfoever you ¡hall defire ofhim in my name, as being my difciples. Hitherto ye have afked no- thing ofGod in my name; but from hence- forth put up your petitions in my name, andwhatfoever ye (hall fo alk for the glory of God, and in order to enable you to go through the work of your miniftry fucceff- 2 LIFE of Oser BLESSED LORD fully, ¡hall certainly be granted you ; that your joy, which will begin at my appear- ing to you again after my death, may be completed by the wonderful fuccefs and efficacyof your own miniftry. Thefe things I have told you, at prefent, imperfe& and obfcurely, according as your capaci- ties are able to bear them ; but the time is coming, when your prejudices being re- moved, I will fpeak to you with more opennefs, freedom, and plainnefs, the whole will of my Father, concerning the nature and eftablifhment of my kingdom, and what things ye ought to pray unto him for, and in what manner. Ye ¡hall, at that time, with firm alfit- rance pray to my Father in my name, for what ye want ; and I need not tell you, that I will intercede with the Father on your behalf: for befides the love he has for me, and the power and authority my prayers have with him, he has moreover, of himfelf, a great love for you, and a ready difpofition to grant your prayers, becaufe ye are become grateful and ac- ceptable to him, by your love towards me, which ye have ¡hewn, in embracing will- ingly that holy doarine which I have re- vealed to you from him. Now to conclude: the fum of what I have told you, is briefly and plainly this ; I came down from heaven from God my Father, and have lived upon earth in the Elate of frail and mortal man, that I might reveal to mankind the will of my heavenly Father, and the way to attain eternal life and happinefs ; and now having finifhed this great work, I am about to leave' this world, and return again to my Father, from whence I at firft carne. Thefe Jail words ofJESUS, being fomewhat more plain and exprefs, than any he had before fpoken, fo that now the difciples clearly perceived, that the departure he had fo often men- tioned, was rio other than his afual going out of this world, they replied, Now Lord, thoufpeakefl plainly, andwithoutany figure ; fo that we apprehend fully what thou means. And now that our curiofity is fatisfied, thou haft ra7,,A^-".. a... -. ,
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