I will not leave you orphans, I will come to you.

“(viii. de Trin) Or He means by this, that whereas He was in the Father by the nature of His divinity, and we in Him by means of His birth in the flesh; He on the other hand should be believed to be in us by the mystery of the Sacrament: as He Himself testified above: Whoso eateth My flesh, and drinketh My blood, dwelleth in Me, and I in Him. (supr. 6:54)”

“(Tr. lxxv. 1) That no one might think, because our Lord was about to give the Holy Spirit, that He would therefore not be present Himself in Him, He adds, I will not leave you comfortless. The Greek word ὀρφανοὶ signifies “wards.” Although then the Son of God has made us the adopted sons of the Father, yet here He Himself shews the affection of a Father towards us.”

“Above, the Lord promised the Holy Spirit as Consoler. But because the apostles had not risen very far toward knowledge of the Holy Spirit, and were greatly attached to the presence of Christ, this sort of consolation seemed to them slight; and therefore in this part he first promises them his return, and second his gifts, at the place "these things I have spoken to you while remaining with you," and so on. Concerning the first, he first promises them a renewed visitation; second, he assigns the reason, at the place "he who has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me"; third, he excludes the disciple's doubt, at the place "Judas said to him," and so on. Concerning the first, he first makes known to them his return; second, he makes known the manner of his returning, at the place "yet a little while, and the world sees me no more"; third, he foretells the fruit of his return, at the place "in that day you shall know," and so on. Concerning the first, he first shows the necessity of returning; second, he promises the return. Now the necessity of returning is that the disciples should not remain orphans; and this is what he says: "I will not leave you orphans." For "orphani" in Greek are "pupilli" in Latin; and these are called little ones lacking a father, according to that word of Lamentations 5:3: "We are become orphans without a father, our mothers are as widows." Now it must be considered that a man can have a threefold father. Namely, a father of origin, Hebrews 12:9: "we have had indeed fathers of our flesh," and so on. Likewise a father of wicked imitation; above, John 8:44: "you are of your father the devil." Likewise a father of gratuitous adoption; Romans 8:15: "you have received the spirit of adoption of sons." But those who imitate the devil as father, God does not adopt as sons, because "there is no agreement of light with darkness," as is said in 2 Corinthians 6:15. Likewise not those who are excessively carnally attached to their parents, because it is said in Matthew 10:37: "he who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me." Whoever, then, is an orphan — that is, one who has cast off the affection of sin, and abandons carnal affection toward parents — that one God adopts to himself as a son; Psalm 26:10: "for my father and my mother have left me, but the Lord has taken me up." And much more so him who leaves them behind; Psalm 44:11: "forget your people and your father's house, and the king shall desire your beauty." But it must be noted that Christ presents himself to his disciples as a father: for although this name "father," taken personally, is proper to the person of the Father, yet taken essentially it belongs to the whole Trinity. Hence above, in chapter 13:33, he said to them: "little children, yet a little while I am with you." He promises them his coming, saying "I will come to you." Christ had already come to them, by assuming flesh, 1 Timothy 1:15: "Christ Jesus came into this world." There remained, then, a threefold coming of his, of which two are bodily: one, namely, after the resurrection and before the ascension, namely when, having departed from them through death, Jesus came after the resurrection and stood in the midst of the disciples, as is said below in chapter 20. The other will be at the end of the world, of which it is said in Acts 1:11: "as you have seen him going into heaven, so shall he come"; Luke 21:27: "they shall see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with great power and majesty." But the third is spiritual and invisible, namely when he comes to his faithful through grace, in life or in death; Job 9:11: "if he comes to me, I shall not see him." He says, then, "I will come to you," referring after the resurrection to the first coming; below, chapter 16:22: "but I will see you again." Likewise at the end of the world; Isaiah 3:14: "the Lord shall come to judgment." Likewise in death, to receive you to myself; above, in the same place, "I will come to you, and take you to myself." Likewise, "I will come to you" by visiting spiritually; below, in the same place, "we will come to him, and make our abode with him." Here he sets forth the manner of his visitation, showing that this visitation is to be shown to the apostles in a singular way. And because they might believe that he would still return to them existing in mortal condition, therefore he consequently excludes this, saying "yet a little while, and the world sees me no more." To explain first concerning the return after the resurrection: then the sense is: "yet a little while" — that is, for a little time I am with you in this mortal flesh, and then I shall be crucified; but afterward "the world sees me no more." And this is because after the resurrection he did not manifest himself to all, but to witnesses foreordained by God, namely his disciples, Acts 1:8; and therefore he says "but you shall see me," namely in a glorified and immortal body. He assigns the reason for these things, saying "because I live, and you shall live." Here he removes a doubt. For the disciples might say: how shall we see you, who will die, and we too will die with you? And therefore he says that this will not be so, "because I live" — that is, I shall live after the resurrection, Revelation 1:18: "I was dead, and behold I am living for ever and ever." "And you shall live," because you will not be killed now along with me; below, chapter 18:8: "if you seek me, let these go their way." Or "I live," through the resurrection, "and you shall live" — that is, you shall rejoice therefrom, because below, chapter 20:20: "the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord." Living is taken in this way in Genesis 45:27: "when Jacob had heard that Joseph reigned in the land of Egypt, his spirit revived," namely on account of joy. But against this exposition Augustine objects: because from the fact that the Lord says "yet a little while, and the world sees me no more," it follows that the men of the world will never see him, which is false, because at the judgment they will see him, according to Revelation 1:7: "every eye shall see him." To which it could be said that it is true concerning the men of the world: (...) "yet a little while" the world will not see him in this mortal flesh; and for this reason Augustine explains this "yet a little while," referring it to the second coming, in which he will come to judge. And that time up to the judgment is called "little" in comparison to eternity. For "a thousand years before your eyes are as yesterday, which is past": Psalm 89:4. And in this way the Apostle in Hebrews 12:26-27 calls that time little, explaining that word of Haggai 2:7: "yet a little while, and I will move heaven and earth," and so on. "And the world sees me no more," because further, after the judgment, the men of the world who are lovers of it and wicked will not see him, going into eternal fire. Hence Isaiah 26:10, according to another reading, it is said: "let the impious be taken away, that he may not see the glory of God." "But you," who have followed me and have remained with me in my temptations, "shall see me" in perpetual eternity; Isaiah 33:17: "they shall see the king in his beauty"; 1 Thessalonians 4:16: "we shall always be with the Lord." And this is so "because I live, and you shall live" — as if he were to say: just as I have glorious life in soul and in body, so also you shall have; Philippians 3:21: "he will reform the body of our lowliness, made like to the body of his glory." And he says this because our glorious life is created from the glorious life of Christ; 1 Corinthians 15:22: "as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all shall be made alive." But of himself he speaks in the present tense, "I live," because his resurrection was not to be deferred after his death, but was to follow immediately; according to Psalm 107:3: "I will arise early," because, as is said in Psalm 15:10: "you will not allow your holy one to see corruption." But of the disciples he says "you shall live," in the future, because the resurrection of their bodies was to be deferred until the end of the world, according to Isaiah 26:19: "your dead shall live, my slain shall rise again." Here is set forth the fruit of the visitation, which is the knowledge of those things which the apostles did not know. For as was said above, Peter did not know where Christ was going; hence he said: "Lord, where are you going?" Thomas too did not know this, nor the way by which he was going; hence he said: "we know not where you are going, and how can we know the way?" Philip, moreover, did not know the Father; hence he asked, saying: "Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us." These things indeed were caused by ignorance of one single thing: namely, from the fact that they did not know how the Father is in the Son, and the Son in the Father; hence he also said to Philip: "do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father in me?" The knowledge of this, then, the Lord promises them, saying here "in that day you shall know that I am in my Father," and so on. From which all doubt is excluded from the hearts of the disciples. This can be explained both of the coming at the time of the resurrection, and of the coming to judgment. But a twofold knowledge of the mysteries of the divinity must be distinguished. One is imperfect, which is had through faith; the other perfect, which is had through vision (species); concerning which it is said in 1 Corinthians 13:12: "we see now through a glass in a dark manner," as to the first, "but then face to face," as to the second. He says, then, "in that day," after my resurrection, "you shall know that I am in my Father" — and this by the knowledge of faith, because then, seeing him risen and being with them, they had most certain faith concerning him, especially those who received the Holy Spirit, who taught them all things. Or "in that day" of the final resurrection at the judgment, "you shall know," namely openly through vision (species); 1 Corinthians 13:12: "then I shall know even as I am known." But what will they know? Two things which he says above: one, namely, that "the Father remaining in me, he himself does the works"; and as to this he says "that I am in my Father," namely through the consubstantiality of nature. The other, that he says he will do works through the disciples, saying: "he who believes in me, the works that I do, he also shall do"; and as to this he says "and you in me, and I in you." Here it must be noted that, because the Lord here seems to posit a similar relation of himself to the Father and of the disciples to himself, the Arians wished that, just as the disciples are lesser than Christ and not consubstantial with him, so the Son would be lesser than the Father, and of another substance than he. And therefore it must be said that this, when he says "I am in my Father," is said by reason of the consubstantiality of nature; above, chapter 10:30: "I and the Father are one"; and above, chapter 1:1: "the Word was with God." But this that he says, "and you in me," and so on, is understood, in one way, that the disciples are in Christ. For that which is protected by someone is said to be in him, as the contained is in the container; and in this way it is said that the things which are in the kingdom are in the king. And according to this it is said in Acts 17:28: "in him we live, and move, and are." And "I am in you," by remaining within, and working, and dwelling within through grace; Ephesians 3:17: "that Christ may dwell through faith in your hearts"; and 2 Corinthians 13:3: "do you seek a proof of him who speaks in me, Christ?" In another way, according to Hilary: "you in me," supply: you will be in me through your nature, which I assumed; for in assuming our nature, he assumed us all; Hebrews 2:16: "for nowhere did he take hold of the angels, but he took hold of the seed of Abraham." And "I am in you," through the receiving of my sacrament: because he who receives the body of Christ, Christ is in him; above, chapter 6:57: "he who eats my flesh, and drinks my blood, abides in me, and I in him." In another way, "you in me, and I in you," supply: we are, through mutual love: because this is said in 1 John 4:16: "God is love: and he who abides in love, abides in God, and God in him." And these things were unknown to you, but nevertheless in that day you shall know them. Here is assigned the reason for the visitation. And the Lord gives a twofold reason why the Lord is seen by the faithful, and not by the world. The first is their true love toward God; the second is the love of God toward them, at the place "but he who loves me shall be loved by my Father." As to the first he says "he who has my commandments, and keeps them, he it is who loves me." Here it must be noted that that is true love which shows and proves itself in work; for by the exhibiting of work, love is manifested. For since to love someone is to will good to him and to desire the things which he himself wills, one who does not do the will of the beloved, nor carries out what he knows him to will, does not seem truly to love. Whoever, then, does not do the will of God does not seem truly to love him; and therefore he says "he who has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me" — that is, who has true love toward me. But note that someone has the commandments of God, first indeed in the heart, through memory and continual meditation; Psalm 118:11: "in my heart have I hidden your words, that I may not sin against you." But this does not suffice, unless one keeps them in work; Psalm 110:10: "good understanding to all that do it." Some, indeed, have them in the mouth, by speaking and exhorting; Psalm 118:103: "how sweet are your words to my mouth." And these too must keep them in work: because "he who shall do and teach, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven": Matthew 5:19. Hence they are reproved by God who say and do not, Matthew 23. Some, moreover, have them in the ear, hearing them gladly and diligently; above, John 8:47: "he who is of God, hears the words of God." Nor does this suffice, unless they keep them: because "not the hearers of the law, but the doers, shall be justified": Romans 2:13; above, John 6:27: "labor not for the food which perishes, but for that which endures unto life everlasting." Therefore whoever thus has the commandments of God keeps them in some fashion, but it is still further required of him that he keep them by persevering. Hence Augustine says: "he who has them in memory and keeps them in life, who has them in speech and keeps them in conduct, who has them by hearing and keeps them by doing, who has them by doing and keeps them by persevering, he it is who loves me." As to the second he says "but he who loves me shall be loved by my Father." But this at first glance seems absurd. For does God love us because we love him? Far from it. For it is said in 1 John 4:10: "not as though we had loved God, but because he first loved us." And therefore it must be said that we have the understanding of this from the things which were said above, namely, "he who has my commandments, and keeps them, he it is who will love me." For it is not said there that he therefore loves because he keeps the commandments; but because he loves, therefore he fulfills the commandments. And it must be said in the same way here, that someone therefore loves Christ because he is loved by the Father, and not therefore is he loved because he loves. We love the Son, therefore, because the Father loves us. For true love has this property, that it draws the beloved to the love of the one who loves; Jeremiah 31:3: "with an everlasting love have I loved you, therefore have I drawn you, taking pity on you." But because the love of the Father is not without the love of the Son, since the love of both is the same — for "whatever things the Father does, these the Son likewise also does": above, chapter 5:19 — therefore he adds "and I will love him." But since the Father and the Son love all things from eternity, why does he say "I will love," in the future? It must be said, then, that love, considered as it is in the divine will, is thus eternal; but considered as it is manifested in the execution of the work and effect, it is temporal. And therefore the sense is "and I will love him" — that is, I will show the effect of my love, namely because I will manifest myself to him — because it is to this end that I will love, that I may manifest. Now it must be known that the love of someone toward another is sometimes in a qualified sense (secundum quid), sometimes simply (simpliciter). In a qualified sense, indeed, when he wills to him some particular good; but simply, when he wills to him every good. Now God loves all things caused by him in a qualified sense, because to every creature he wills some good, even to the demons themselves — namely, that they live and understand and are, which are certain goods. But he loves simply those to whom he wills every good, namely that they may have God himself, whom to have is to have the truth, because God is truth. But truth is then possessed when it is known. Those, therefore, he loves truly and simply to whom he manifests himself, who is the truth. And this is what he says, "I will manifest myself to him," namely in the future through glory, which is the ultimate effect of future beatitude; Job 36:33: "he declares concerning it to his friend, that it is his possession." Wisdom 6:14: "he anticipates those who desire him." But someone could say: will not the Father manifest himself? Indeed, both the Father and the Son: for the Son manifests both the Father and himself at the same time, since he is the Father's Word; Matthew 11:27: "neither does anyone know the Father except the Son," and so on. And yet, if in the meantime the Son manifests himself to someone in some way, this is a sign of divine love. Hence this too can be the reason why the world will not see him — namely, because he will not manifest himself to it; and this is because he does not love it.”

“I will not leave you orphans , &c. Forasmuch as Christ called His disciples sons , He now says to them, 1 will not leave you orphans, i.e. without a Father. Because, although I am going away from you to the Father, I will send you another Comforter in My stead. It is not that going away I will desert you, but that going away I will return, and will come unto you. Christ did this — 1. And especially, when after the resurrection He appeared to His apostles in bodily presence, and taught them, and made them glad. 2. He did it, when at Pentecost He visibly sent them the Holy Ghost in the appearance of tongues of fire. 3. He did it invisibly, by often spiritually visiting them from heaven, and communicating to them His heavenly gifts. 4. He will do it visibly in the day of judgment when He will make His Apostles assessors with Himself. All this Christ further explains in what follows. Digitized by CnOOQle IOO”

“When friends are parting, it is a common request they make to each other, "Pray let us hear from you as often as you can:" this Christ engaged to his disciples, that out of sight they should not be out of mind. I. He promises that he would continue his care of them (Joh 14:18): "I will not leave you orphans, or fatherless; for, though I leave you, yet I leave you this comfort, I will come to you." His departure from them was that which grieved them; but it was not so bad as they apprehended, for it was neither total nor final. 1. Not total. "Though I leave you without my bodily presence, yet I do not leave you without comfort." Though children, and left little, yet they had received the adoption of sons, and his Father would be their Father, with whom those who otherwise would be fatherless find mercy. Note, The case of true believers, though sometimes it may be sorrowful, is never comfortless, because they are never orphans: for God is their Father, who is an everlasting Father. 2. Not final: I will come to you, erchomai - I do come; that is, (1.) "I will come speedily to you at my resurrection, I will not be long away, but will be with you again in a little time." He had often said, The third day I will rise again. (2.) "I will be coming daily to you in my Spirit;" in the tokens of his love, and visits of his grace, he is still coming. (3.) "I will come certainly at the end of time; surely I will come quickly to introduce you into the joy of your Lord." Note, The consideration of Christ's coming to us saves us from being comfortless in his removals from us; for, if he depart for a season, it is that we may receive him for ever. Let this moderate our grief, The Lord is at hand. II. He promises that they should continue their acquaintance with him and interest in him (Joh 14:19, Joh 14:20): Yet a little while, and the world sees me no more, that is, Now I am no more in the world. After his death, the world saw him no more, for, though he rose to life, he never showed himself to all the people, Act 10:41. The malignant world thought they had seen enough of him, and cried, Away with him; crucify him; and so shall their doom be; they shall see him no more. Those only that see Christ with an eye of faith shall see him for ever. The world sees him no more till his second coming; but his disciples have communion with him in his absence. 1. You see me, and shall continue to see me, when the world sees me no more. They saw him with their bodily eyes after his resurrection, for he showed himself to them by many infallible proofs, Act 1:8. And then were the disciples glad when they saw the Lord. They saw him with an eye of faith after his ascension, sitting at God's right hand, as Lord of all; saw that in him which the world saw not. 2. Because I live, you shall live also. That which grieved them was, that their Master was dying, and they counted upon nothing else but to die with him. No, saith Christ, (1.) I live; this the great God glories in, I live, saith the Lord, and Christ saith the same; not only, I shall live, as he saith of them, but, I do live; for he has life in himself, and lives for evermore. We are not comfortless, while we know that our Redeemer lives. (2.) Therefore you shall live also. Note, The life of Christians is bound up in the life of Christ; as sure and as long as he lives, those that by faith are united to him shall live also; they shall live spiritually, a divine life in communion with God. This life is hid with Christ; if the head and root live, the members and branches live also. They shall live eternally; their bodies shall rise in the virtue of Christ's resurrection; it will be well with them in the world to come. It cannot but be well with all that are his, Isa 26:19. 3. You shall have the assurance of this (Joh 14:20): At that day, when I am glorified, when the Spirit is poured out, you shall know more clearly and certainly than you do now that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you. (1.) These glorious mysteries will be fully known in heaven; At that day, when I shall receive you to myself, you shall know perfectly that which now you see through a glass darkly. Now it appears not what we shall be, but then it will appear what we were. (2.) They were more fully known after the pouring out of the Spirit upon the apostles; at that day divine light should shine, and their eyes should see more clearly, their knowledge should greatly advance and increase then, would become more extensive and more distinct, and like the blind man's at the second touch of Christ's hand, who at first only saw men as trees walking. (3.) They are known by all that receive the Spirit of truth, to their abundant satisfaction, for in the knowledge of this is founded their fellowship with the Father and his Son Jesus Christ. They know, [1.] That Christ is in the Father, is one with the Father, by their experience of what he has wrought for them and in them; they find what an admirable consent and harmony there is between Christianity and natural religion, that that is grafted into this, and so they know that Christ is in the Father. [2.] That Christ is in them; experienced Christians know by the Spirit that Christ abides in them, Jo1 3:24. [3.] That they are in Christ, for the relation is mutual, and equally near on both sides, Christ in them and they in Christ, which speaks an intimate and inseparable union; in the virtue of which it is that because he lives they shall live also. Note, First, Union with Christ is the life of believers; and their relation to him, and to God through him, is their felicity. Secondly, The knowledge of this union is their unspeakable joy and satisfaction; they were now in Christ, and he in them, but he speaks of it as a further act of grace that they should know it, and have the comfort of it. An interest in Christ and the knowledge of it are sometimes separated. III. He promises that he would love them, and manifest himself to them, Joh 14:21-24. Here observe, 1. Who they are whom Christ will look upon, and accept, as lovers of him; those that have his commandments, and keep them. By this Christ shows that the kind things he here said to his disciples were intended not for those only that were now his followers, but for all that should believe in him through their word. Here is, (1.) The duty of those who claim the dignity of being disciples. Having Christ's commandments, we must keep them; as Christians in name and profession we have Christ's commandments, we have them sounding in our ears, written before our eyes, we have the knowledge of them; but this is not enough; would we approve ourselves Christians indeed, we must keep them. Having them in our heads, we must keep them in our hearts and lives. (2.) The dignity of those that do the duty of disciples. They are looked upon by Christ to be such as love him. Not those that have the greatest wit and know how to talk for him, but those that keep his commandments. Note, The surest evidence of our love to Christ is obedience to the laws of Christ. Such is the love of a subject to his sovereign, a dutiful, respectful, obediential love, a conformity to his will, and satisfaction in his wisdom. 2. What returns he will make to them for their love; rich returns; there is no love lost upon Christ. (1.) They shall have the Father's love: He that loveth me shall be loved of my Father. We could not love God if he did not first, out of his good-will to us, give us his grace to love him; but there is a love of complacency promised to those that do love God, Pro 8:17. He loves them, and lets them know that he loves them, smiles upon them, and embraces them. God so loves the Son as to love all those that love him. (2.) They shall have Christ's love: And I will love him, as God-man, as Mediator. God will love him as a Father, and I will love him as a brother, an elder brother. The Creator will love him, and be the felicity of his being; the Redeemer will love him, and be the protector of his well-being. In the nature of God, nothing shines more brightly than this, that God is love. And in the undertaking of Christ nothing appears more glorious than this, that he loved us. Now both these loves are the crown and comfort, the grace and glory, which shall be to all those that love the Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity. Christ was now leaving his disciples, but promises to continue his love to them; for he not only retains a kindness for believers, though absent, but is doing them kindness while absent, for he bears them on his heart, and ever lives interceding for them. (3.) They shall have the comfort of that love: I will manifest myself to him. Some understand it of Christ's showing himself alive to his disciples after his resurrection; but, being promised to all that love him and keep his commandments, it must be construed so as to extend to them. There is a spiritual manifestation of Christ and his love made to all believers. When he enlightens their minds to know his love, and the dimensions of it (Eph 3:18, Eph 3:19), enlivens their graces, and draws them into exercise, and thus enlarges their comforts in himself - when he clears up the evidences of their interest in him, and gives them tokens of his love, experience of his tenderness, and earnests of his kingdom and glory, - then he manifests himself to them; and Christ is manifested to none but those to whom he is pleased to manifest himself. 3. What occurred upon Christ's making this promise. (1.) One of the disciples expresses his wonder and surprise at it, Joh 14:22. Observe, [1.] Who it was that said this - Judas, not Iscariot. Judah, or Judas, was a famous name; the most famous tribe in Israel was that of Judah; two of Christ's disciples were of that name: one of them was the traitor, the other was the brother of James (Luk 6:16), one of those that were akin to Christ, Mat 13:55. He is called Lebbeus and Thaddeus, was the penman of the last of the epistles, which in our translation, for distinction's sake, we call the epistle of Jude. This was he that spoke here. Observe, First, There was a very good man, and a very bad man, called by the same name; for names commend us not to God, nor do they make men worse. Judas the apostle was never the worse, nor Judas the apostate ever the better, for being namesakes. But, Secondly, The evangelist carefully distinguishes between them; when he speaks of this pious Judas, he adds, not Iscariot. Take heed of mistaking; let us not confound the precious and the vile. [2.] What he said - Lord how is it? which intimates either, First, the weakness of his understanding. So some take it. He expected the temporal kingdom of the Messiah, that it should appear in external pomp and power, such as all the world would wonder after. "How, then," thinks he, "should it be confined to us only?" ti gegonen - "what is the matter now, that thou wilt not show thyself openly as is expected, that the Gentiles may come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising?" Note, We create difficulties to ourselves by mistaking the nature of Christ's kingdom, as if it were of this world. Or, Secondly, as expressing the strength of his affections, and the humble and thankful sense he had of Christ's distinguishing favours to them: Lord, how is it? He is amazed at the condescensions of divine grace, as David, Sa2 7:18. What is there in us to deserve so great a favour? Note, 1. Christ's manifesting himself to his disciples is done in a distinguishing way - to them, and not to the world that sits in darkness; to the base, and not to the mighty and noble; to babes, and not to the wise and prudent. Distinguishing favours are very obliging; considering who are passed by, and who are pitched upon. 2. It is justly marvellous in our eyes; for it is unaccountable, and must be resolved into free and sovereign grace. Even so, Father, because it seemed good unto thee. (2.) Christ, in answer hereto, explains and confirms what he had said, Joh 14:23, Joh 14:24. He overlooks what infirmity there was in what Judas spoke, and goes on with his comforts. [1.] He further explains the condition of the promise, which was loving him, and keeping his commandments. And, as to this, he shows what an inseparable connection there is between love and obedience; love is the root, obedience is the fruit. First, Where a sincere love to Christ is in the heart, there will be obedience: "If a man love me indeed, that love will be such a commanding constraining principle in him, that, no question, he will keep my words." Where there is true love to Christ there is a value for his favour, a veneration for his authority, and an entire surrender of the whole man to his direction and government. Where love is, duty follows of course, is easy and natural, and flows from a principle of gratitude. Secondly, On the other hand, where there is no true love to Christ there will be no care to obey him: He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings, Joh 14:24. This comes in here as a discovery of those that do not love Christ; whatever they pretend, certainly those do not love him that believe not his truths, and obey not his laws, to whom Christ's sayings are but as idle tales, which he heeds not, or hard sayings, which he likes not. It is also a reason why Christ will not manifest himself to the world that doth not love him, because they put this affront upon him, not to keep his sayings; why should Christ be familiar with those that will be strange to him? [2.] He further explains the promise (Joh 14:23): If a man thus love me, I will manifest myself to him. First, My Father will love him; this he had said before (Joh 14:21), and here repeats it for the confirming of our faith; because it is hard to imagine that the great god should make those the objects of his love that had made themselves vessels of his wrath. Jude wondered that Christ should manifest himself to them; but this answers it, "If my Father love you, why should not I be free with you?" Secondly, We will come unto him, and make our abode with him. This explains the meaning of Christ's manifesting himself to him, and magnifies the favour. 1. Not only,I will, but, We will, I and the Father, who, in this, are one. See Joh 14:9. The light and love of God are communicated to man in the light and love of the Redeemer, so that wherever Christ is formed the image of God is stamped. 2. Not only, "I will show myself to him at a distance," but, "We will come to him, to be near him, to be with him," such are the powerful influences of divine graces and comforts upon the souls of those that love Christ in sincerity. 3. Not only, "I will give him a transient view of me, or make him a short and running visit," but, We will take up our abode with him which denotes complacency in him and constancy to him. God will not only love obedient believers, but he will take a pleasure in loving them, will rest in love to them, Zep 3:17. He will be with them as at his home. [3.] He gives a good reason both to bind us to observe the condition and encourage us to depend upon the promise. The word which you hear is not mine, but his that sent me, Joh 14:24. To this purport he had often spoken (Joh 7:16; Joh 8:28; Joh 12:44), and here it comes in very pertinently. First, the stress of duty is laid upon the precept of Christ as our rule, and justly, for that word of Christ which we are to keep is the Father's word, and his will the Father's will. Secondly, The stress of our comfort is laid upon the promise of Christ. But forasmuch as, in dependence upon that promise, we must deny ourselves, and take up our cross, and quit all, it concerns us to enquire whether the security be sufficient for us to venture our all upon; and this satisfies us that it is, that the promise is not Christ's bare word, but the Father's which sent him, which therefore we may rely upon.”

“I will not leave you comfortless,.... Gr. "orphans", or "fatherless". Christ stands in the relation of a Father to his people, and they are his children, his spiritual seed and offspring; and so the disciples might fear, that as Christ was going from them, they should be left as children without a father, in a very desolate and comfortless, condition: to support them against these fears, Christ promises that he would not leave them thus, at least not long: I will come to you; in a very short time, as he did; for on the third day he rose again from the dead, and appeared to them, which filled them with great joy. So among the Jews, disciples, and the world too, are represented as fatherless, when their doctors and wise men are removed by death. Says R. Aba, (x) and so sometimes others, concerning R. Simeon ben Jochai, "woe to the world when thou shall go out of it, woe to the generation that shall be in the world when thou shall remove from them, , "and they shall be left fatherless by thee".'' And in another place (y); "afterwards R. Akiba went out and cried, and his eyes flowed with water, and he said, woe Rabbi, woe Rabbi, for the world is left, "fatherless by thee".'' (x) Zohar in Num fol. 96. 3. & in Lev. fol. 42. 3. & in Exod. fol. 10. 3. & 28. 3. (y) Midrash Hannealam in Zohar in Gen. fol. 65. 4.”

“I will not leave you comfortless - Literally, orphans. The original word ορφανος, is by some derived from ορφνος, obscure, dark, because, says Mintert, an orphan (one deprived of father and mother) is little esteemed, neglected, and is obliged to wander about in obscurity and darkness. Others derive it from the Hebrew חרף charaph, to strip or make bare, despoil, because such a child is destitute of comfort, direction, and support, and is a prey to misery and disease, to sin and to death. The disciples of a particular teacher among the Hebrews called him father; his scholars were called his children, and, on his death, were considered as orphans. Christ calls his disciples children, beloved children, Joh 13:33; and, now that he is about to be removed from them by death, he assures them that they shall not be left fatherless, or without a teacher; for in a little time he should come again, (rise from the dead), and, after his ascension, they should be made partakers of that Spirit which would be their comforter, advocate, teacher, and guide for ever.”