AN EXPOSITION WITH NOTES, Unfolded and Applied On JOHN 17 th'. Delivered in Sermons Preached Weekly on the LORDSDAY, to the Congregation in TAUNTON MAGDALENE. By GEORGE NEWTON Minister of the Gospel there. LONDON, Printed by R. W. for Edward Brewster, and are to be sold at the Crane in Pauls-Church-yard, 1660. To the Honourable Colonel JOHN GORGES, Governor of the City of London-Derry, and the Castle of Cullmore in IRELAND, My duly honoured and dearly beloved Brother. SIR, NOW you have wrested the following Lectures out of my hands, I do but fairly leave them there, whence I cannot recover them. So that this which I prefix, is not so properly a Dedication as an Abdication. I must confess I never knew you guilty of Extortion but in this Act. I loathe their Cunning, who by debasing and disabling, secretly design to raise the price of their own labours: And do it this way, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉; 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 (as the Orator speaks, though somewhat in another case) with much more Artifice, than professed Hucksters do. But verily these Sermons (being preached, by such an one as I do really account and know myself to be, in my constant weekly course upon the Lord's Day, and indeed a great part of them twice a day, when I had no Assistant with me, having besides the Wednesdays Lecture on my weak shoulders, and many other Ministerial Employments, not without frequent Avocations and diversions, which in so great a place are unavoidable) will be adjudged by discerning men unfit to have appeared to the world, in such a way as this is. And herein I shall hearty agree with them. Now seeing you alone are faulty here, I Dedicate the Book and Blame to you: And, if the Sword of wounding tongues be bend at me, as being troubled with the Epidemical distemper of the Times, an itch of being seen in public; you ought in justice to step in between, and say as Nisus in the Poet, Virg. lib. 9 Aeneid●s. Me, me, adsum qui feci: in me convertite ferrum. And, I am confident you will be my Compurgatour in this, that no Opinion of any thing in these poor labours worthy of the Press hath had any Influence on this Publication. There is besides an apparent disadvantage, which I am very sensible of, Mr. A●th. B●rges. viz. That in this Tract I follow One of so great Accomplishments: who being next the Light, and of a far more perfect Stature then myself, must needs cast back a shadow on me: Unless I be so far behind him, that his shadow will not reach me. But if it do, I shall (as jonah in another case) rest very quietly in that shadow. The Subject handled is a choice and precious One, as any in the Book of God without Exception. This Prayer being as it were a little piece, that dropped off from the heart of Jesus Christ (as once Eliahs' Mantle from his body) as he was taking leave of his Apostles and the World together. When He was even going forth to suffer, He (Swanlike) sung this dying Song, and poured out this precious Prayer, being about to pour forth his very blood and life with it. And this he did not for his Apostles only then about him, but for us also: even for us, who should in aftertimes believe through their words. A man would think our blessed Saviour, when He had such a Task to undergo, and such a business to dispatch, should have been wholly taken up with the preapprehension of his instant Death and Passion: That this should have detained or diverted Him from other thoughts; especially from taking care of such poor Worms as we are. But that when he was drawing near to such a Conflict with the Wrath of God, and the Indignities and Wrongs of men, He should have us in his heart: That our dear Friend, who loved us and gave Himself for us, should think of us, and pray for us, and speak of us to God the Father with so high affection when his own Soul was heavy to the very Death: Such a Prayer made by such a Mediator, at such a time as that was, must needs be worthy of the choicest and exactest Observation of the Church in every Age to the end of the world. Some Antiquaries tell us of the Diptyches, Lindan. Annot. in Liturg. S. Petri. pag. 39 much in use in the Primitive Church: Which were two leaves or tables bound together, on the one of which was a Commemoration of divers famous and renowned Worthies departed in the Faith of Christ; and on the other a Commemoration of the like Personages yet alive. Much Honoured Sir, Joseph. Vicecom. Obfervat. Ecclesiae. Dae Missae Apparatu. Tom. 4. lib. 7. cap. 17. I shall present you here with a new sort of Diptyches, the Tables more exactly answering one another. The one containing a Commemoration of a dying Christ, and showing how He prayed on Earth: In which you may also see what is contained in the other Table; and how he prays for us in Heaven, who ever liveth to make Intercession for us. So that if you desire at any time to know, how Christ pursues the business, and pleads the causes of his poor Church at the right hand of his Father, you shall do well to have recourse to this Chapter, which may be very fitly called a Counterpart of our Saviour's Intercession. And truly, for my own part, I must freely and ingenuously profess, that I had never known so much of Christ and of his tender Care and Love of poor sinners, had I not studied these Emanations and Effluxes of his precious Soul, had I not seen his Breast open in this Chapter, and the Names of the twelve Tribes transcribed out of the Breastplate of the Typical into the heart of the Typified High Priest. Fox Act. & Mon. ad Annum 1558. And as the Queen of England sometimes said, That if they opened her when she was dead, they should find Calais written on her heart: So when I had the happiness to open Christ in this Prayer, (though with a most unskilful hand) I found the Church engraven deeply on his Heart, and saw such things as cannot be uttered. The Lord give you and me to know more of that Love which passeth knowledge, and to return more Love to Him, who prayed for us, and died for us. We may easily exceed in loving other things and persons. We may love more than we are loved, we may love more than we should love. But here our hearts may take their full swing, there is no fear of overloving Jesus Christ. For as Bernard sweetly speaks of our Love to God, Bern. De diligendo Deo. Modus Deum diligendi est sine modo diligere: The same may I as truly say of our Love to Christ; The measure of loving Christ, is to love him out of measure: So hath he loved us, ☞. and so should we love him. There are especially two great Boons which Jesus Christ begs of his Father for Believers in this Prayer: That they may be one here, and that they may be in one place hereafter. This Nation seems not to be under the dint of the Influence of this Prayer at this time, in which the Lord hath suffered such a spirit of Division (a spirit that our Saviour never prayed for) to possess his own people: So that his Body lies a bleeding, the members being miserably rend into pieces. He bled indeed sufficiently upon the Cross in his Natural Body, but there was suddenly a Consummatum est to that. When will there be a Consummatum est to this, in his Mystical Body? When will Christ say, It is enough? When will the stream of blood that ran there, stop this which runs here? When will there be an end of these 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, these after-afflictions of Christ, which now he is sat down at rest on the right hand of the Father, pursue him thither, and will not suffer him to be quiet in his glory? It's true, the Body of our Saviour in these Nations, bleeds not now by cruel Persecutors hands, as it hath done in former Ages, blessed be the Lord for ever. But, which is more unnatural and doleful, Bella per Aemathios plusquam Civilia campos. Luca●. lib. 1. it bleedeth by itself: one Member bleedeth by another; one member bites and devours another, and it seems they will do so, until they be devoured together. Though Jesus Christ hath made them nigh to God, and nigh to one another, by his blood, as the Apostle shows at large, Ephes. 2 12, 13, 14. This Cement (woe alas!) this rich and costly Cement will not hold. A trifle, a Conjecture, a suspicion, an opinion, a notion raised by Art and fancy will do more to sever, than the blood of Christ to solder. All the wit, and art, and skill, that God hath given men for better purposes and higher ends, is now laid out by some to make or to maintain parties. Bern. in Ca●●. Serm. 33. I will not say as Bernard doth, Omnes amici, & omnes inimici; omnes necessarii, & omnes adversarii; omnes domestici, & nulli pacifici. But surely it is much at this rate. Now the God of Peace himself give us Peace always, and by all means. And Jesus Christ the Prince of Peace, who doth so often and so importunately beg it of his Father for his people, as you may see in this Chapter, give us to reap, in our days, the blessed fruits of this Prayer: That they that are but one Body (according to the first branch of our Saviour's Prayer) may have but one Heart and one Soul in that Body, that there may be no Schism in the Body. And they that are to be in one place (according to the second Branch) may keep in one way to that place, that they may not fall out by the way, so far at least as to divide, to part Companies, and part ways; that they may neither fail of coming in the end to one place; nor lose the benefit and comfort of one another's Company and sweet Communion in the way thither. And in that blessed place I hope ere it be long to meet you. And though the Sea divide us each from other for a little time on earth, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for an hours space, and that in face or sight, and not in heart, as the Apostle speaks: 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. 1 Thess. 2.17. Facie non Cord. Ambrosian. yet through the red Sea of the blood of Christ, leaving all our sins behind us (as Israel the Egyptians) drowned there, and dead upon the shore of this world, we shall pass on to the Heavenly Canaan, where Jesus Christ our Head is, and where he prays so earnestly that we may be. Amen, Amen. Now in the mean time till we get thither, because I find by many warnings, that I am like to go before you and prevent you, as the Apostles phrase is, I put this Book, such as it is, into your hands. And as our Saviour, when He was no more in this world, as his own expression is, being as good as gone already, did leave behind him this Divine Prayer, as a Memorial of his tender Love to all his people: Sic parvis componere magna solemus. Virg. Eclog. 1. So (if it be not odious to compare things of so vast a disproportion) I shall desire to leave behind me (who am even going too) this my unworthy Exposition of the same Prayer, as a Memorial of his dear respects to you, who is resolved to live and die Your most affectionate Brother And humble Servant, in, and through, and for Christ, George Newton. The Analysis and Context of the Prayer and Chapter, pag. 1, 2, 3. Ver. 1 Doctr. The words of Christ very remarkable, p. 4. Reasons. In respect of the Author whose they were, as being the words of him that was 1. The Father's Son and wisdom. 2. Our great Prophet and Preacher. p. 5. Matter what the words were, as being 1. Gospel-words. 2. Spiritual words of life and Salvation. p. 6. Manner how they were spoken; viz. with grace, authority and power, p. 7. 1. Use. Therefore Christ's words to be highly valued, in his Gospel, Messengers, p. 8. 2. Doctr. The very gesture and utterance of prayer and such like circumstances to be considered, p. 10. Reas. 1. Being apt to promote and further spiritual service, p. 11. 2. Express and testify the affections of the heart. 1. Use. Condemns the neglect of outward bodily worship, p. 12. 2 Direct. 1. We are not bound to the same gestures as they of old, p. 13. 2. Reverend gestures should be most observed in public. 3. Use such as may further, not hinder spiritual service. 4. Take heed of hypocritical gestures. 2. Vocal prayer when necessary and requisite, p. 14. 3. Doct●. God the Father of Christ, and so apprehended by him in prayer. Expos. Sons by Creation, p. 15. Adoption, p. 15. 1. Use. Consol. Being Sons of God in Christ. 1. He will hear us. 2. He will provide for us, p. 17. 3. He will protect us. 2. Use. We must therefore obey him as Lord, as being our Lord by 1. Creation. 2. Redemption. 3. Covenant-obligation. p. 19 3. Use. Wonder at his love that would give his Son. 4. Use. Learn we to apprehend God as Father. 1. Motive. This assurance will advance our Confidence. 2. Will increase our importunity with God. 3. Will make us hopeful of audience and success. 4. Will comfort us against our defects and imperfections in prayer, p. 22. 5. Marks of God's Children. 1. They are like him in holiness, mercy, etc. 2. Have the Father's Spirit. Signs of that— p. 24. 4. Doctr. God hath his set time of doing: and we should know that to be the fittest time, p. 28. 1. Use. Condemns those who appoint a time to God for the execution of his works, p. 29. 2. Use. Be not hasty with God but wait. 1. For he waits for us. 2. Is not slack but active. 3. The fault is in us. 4. God's hour will come, p. 30. 5. D ctr. It hath been the Father's design and purpose to glorify his Son Christ, p. 32. Confirm. 1. From the Titles given to Christ. 2. From his names in reference to Christ. 3. Place at his right hand. 4. Authority and Power given him. 5. From his offices of highest honour; King, Priest and Prophet. All good to the Church being by him only 1. Procured. p. 34. 2. Revealed. p. 34. 3. Dispensed. p. 34. 6. From his being qualified with fitting gifts, p. 35. Reas. As the Recompense of his sufferings. 2. That the Father may be glorified in the Son, p. 36. 1. Use. Terror to those that dishonour Christ. 1. To Unbelievers that refuse him. 2. To self-seekers and unsanctified persons, p 39 3. To them that slight the Spirit of Christ. 4. His M●ssengers, p. 40. 5. To those that forsake Christ and fall away from him. 2. Use. Comply with God to glorify Christ. Not only with but against our own honour, p. 42. Motives 1. All things made to that end. 2. It is the way to be honoured. 3. It is most acceptable to God, p. 44. 6. Doctr. Christ's desire to glorify the Father, is to this end, that he may bring glory to the Father, p. 46. Reas. He was therefore Mediator, and the Father's servant. 2. As God, he is one with the Father, p. 48. Use. Desire good things, but in reference to God's glory. 1. Then we may be sure to speed, God himself being concerned, p. 49. 2. Christ will intercede for us, p. 49. 2. Use. Give God the honour of our gifts. " How Christ hath power over all fl●sh, by his Legislative power, p. 53. Judiciary power, p. 53. 7. Doctr. All mankind under the authority of Christ, as he is man and Mediator of the Church, p 52. Christ hath power of passing sentence upon all flesh. executing sentence upon all flesh. Use. They taxed who submit not to Christ's Authority and Law. As 1. Unbelievers, their 1. Sin. Against God, Christ, p. 56. 2 Danger. 2. The Uncharitable or Disobedient, p. 58. Arguments against them, p. 59 None free from the Law, p. 60. Believers are under the power of the Law, p. 61, 62. The Law how not given to the Righteous, p. 63. 2. Use. Christ being our only Lawgiver doth not discharge our obedience to men, p 64. Our faith and conscience not subject to men. 3 One man not to censure and judge another without Authority. 4. Use. Against private revenge, p. 66. Direct. against self-revenge. Put away 1. Carnal lusts. 2. Carnal reasons and provocations, p. 68 Thereby you 1. Invade Christ's property. Hinder Christ from doing vengeance. 3. Give place to the Devil. 4. Provoke Christ to take vengeance on you, p. 67. 6. Use. Comply with Christ's authority and endeavour to please him. p. 69. 7. Use. Terror to wicked men; Comfort to the godly, p. 70. 8. Doctr. Christ's authority over all Fesh is chief for the benefit and salvation of his own people, p 72. Reas. His Mediatorship was to that end. 2. The wicked might have been destroyed, but not his people otherwise saved, p. 74. 3. The Father out of love invested him with this power. 4. His authority remains but so long till his people reap good by it, p. 75. 1. Use. Our encouragement to stoop to this authority of his. 2. Ministers directed how to use their power received from Christ's, p 76. 3 Use. His Judgements executed not so much for the destruction of Enemies, as the preservation of his friends, p. 77. 4. Let the wicked have better thoughts of Christ, that he came not for their destruction, p. 79. 5. Believe the certainty of salvation. 6. Use. How we are bound to be thankful to the Father and the Son, p. 81. 9 Doctr. They that are Christ's have life from Christ, p. 82. Life of Sanctification, p 83. Justification, p. 83. Use. Examination. 1. Quickened by Christ are strangely altered. 2. Long after spiritual food. 3. Are acted by the principles of that life. 4. They live to Christ, not unto themselves, p. 85. 2. Use To be thankful to Christ. Ver. 2 1. Doctr. The life which Christ bestows upon his people is eternal. Confirm. 1. For it hath no inward principles of frailty. 2. No outward force can prevail against it to destroy it, p. 87. 1. Use Supports us against temptations and fears of failing. 2. Comfort against the frailty of natural life, p. 89. 3. Use. Not content with this life, seek for that which is eternal by 1. Endeavouring for the light of knowledge. 2. Saving faith. 3. Attending to the Gospel. 2. Doctr. Eternal life is Christ's free gift, p. 91. Reas. that life being by those that are his 1. Unbought, p. 92 2. Unsought, p. 92 3. Unthought, p. 92 1. Use. It should encourage all to come to Christ for life. 2. Fear not to lose this life. Ver. 2 3. Doctr. God the Father gives some to Christ in special manner, p. 97. Reas. All the world is the Fathers by Creation. Use. Strange that the Father should give, and Christ should accept of such a gift. 2. Use. The Elect cannot perish. 1. Such a gift being not vain. 2. Christ will not lose or reject such a gift. 4. Doctr. Christ as Mediator hath power to give life to such as are so bestowed, and to none else, p. 101. Reas. He being the Father's Minister and Servant. Use. 1. Despair not of those that are dead in sins, p. 103. 2. Be not proud of their Prosperity and high condition in the world, nor cast down with affliction, p. 104. 3. Use. Christ came not to quicken and save all men. Ver. 3" Knowledge, how life eternal. Doctr. The life of Grace which is eternal, is begun in holy Knowledge, p. 108. Confirm. For the great impediment to life is ignorance. 2. Christ the Efficient gives it by working in us Knowledge. 3. Knowledge and the Gospel the instrumental means of life. 4. God's first work in us is the englightning our understanding, p. 109. 1. Use. Learn to value Knowledge. 2. Sad condition of the ignorant. 3. Labour for holy knowledge. Fellow Christ in his Gospel— Ordinance, p. 114. Grace, p. 114. Duty, p. 114. 4. Use Do what you can to instruct others, Preaching Faith. 2. Doctr. The knowledge in which eternal life consists, is the Knowledge of God and Christ too, p. 116. 1. We must so know God as to fear and obey him. 2. That is but vain without the knowledge of Christ, p. 117. Reason. 1. For that is but the knowledge of our Creation, in which we were lost. 2. Without this we know not God as reconciled, p. 119. 3. Without knowledge of Christ we know him not as ours. 4. We do but know him without Faith, p. 120. Use. 1. The dangerous state of Heathen people. 2. Let Ministers instruct their people, in such a knowledge, p. 122. 3. Labour to know Christ. Motives 1. Till than you can be assured of no blessing from God. 2. You can have no blessing in love, 123. 3. No duty you do to him can be accepted. 4. You can hope for no pardon of sin. 5. Cannot come to God with boldness, 124. " What meant by the only true God, p. 126. viz. the whole Essence of the Godhead. 3. Doctr. That the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost is the only true God, p. 128. Reason. For he only hath being of himself. 2. He is the living God. 3. None can do that which he doth. 4. He only is Eternal. 1. Use. Be stirred up to confirm your faith of this. Motives. 1. For then the more and better we shall walk with him. 2. Serve and obey him. p. 130. Direct. 1. Give full assent to the Scriptures. 2. Know him to be above all other Gods. 3. Be resolved & not doubtful of this point. 4. Pray for faith in this particular, p. 133. 2. Use. Obey, serve and honour him as the true God, p. 134. 3. Use. Let us have no other God but him only, p. 135. Serve the Lord and not Idols, p. 136. Times, p 138. Lusts; neither your own, nor that of others, p. 139. 2. Fear none but him. 3. Trust in him alone, p. 140. 4. Use. Learn from hence to be at unity among ourselves. 5. Learn to see our happiness of having chosen him for our God, p. 141. 4. Doctr. That Christ is the Apostle or Messenger of God, p. 142. Explication. 1. Sent from God and from heaven. How possible, p. 143. 2. Into the world. 3. The errand on which he was sent, viz. to make peace. preach peace. 4. Therefore fitly qualified with 1. Authority. 2. Ability. Fullness of Merit to make peace, p. 145. Spirit to preach peace, p. 145. 1. Use. Admire the mercy of the sender. 2. Of him that would be sent. Void of fear and constraint, p. 147 2. Be all entreated to receive and entertain him: For 1. His errand is your business. 2. It's for your good and advantage. 3. The Father expects you should honour his Ambassador and Son. 4. He will avenge the refusers of him. 5. This Messenger can prevail with God for you, p. 149. Direction. 1. Receive him so as to hearken to him. 2. To believe in him. 3. To obey him, p. 150. 5. Doct. Whoever will be glorified with God in heaven, must glorify him first on earth, p. 152 Reason. It is the everlasting counsel and decree of God. Use. 1. Against vain expecters of future glory, p. 153. 2. Use. Learn to glorify God here. 1. By a vocal declaration. 2. By a real representation in what you 1. are, p. 154. 2. do. p. 154. God's glory how to be our aim in all. Ver. 4 1. Doctr. That Christ was ordered by his Father in the work he did in this world, p. 156. Expl. Christ was so ordered in his works of Satisfaction. His obedience Active, p. 157. Passive, p. 158. Application. p. 158. As by the 1. Promulgation of the Word. 2. Internal operation of the Spirit, p. 159. Reas. 1. Christ was the Father's creature. 2. The Father's servant, p. 160. 1. Use. Admire the humble condescension of Christ. 2. Learn to be humbled in like manner, and to suffer willingly, p. 161. 3. Use. Some do the good, others the evil which God hath not given them to do, p. 162. Danger of neglecting God's order, p. 164. " How Christ had finished the work before his Passion, p. 165. 2. Doct. Christ did not do his work by halves, but went through with it, p. 166. Sufferings of Christ's body Natural, Mystical. 1. Use. Who guilty of adding to the works of Christ. 2. Let us persevere in our work and finish it. Five Motives hereunto, p. 169. Ver. 5" What glory Christ prayed for. Doct. Christ as Man in some measure partaker of the divine glory. 1. By the grace of union. 2. By the grace of dispensation from the Father, p. 173. 1. Use. Know the advancement of our nature in the Person of Christ. 2. Their personal advancement that belong to Christ, partly in 1. Fruition. 2. Assured expectation. 3. This should make us despise the shame of this world. 2. So to walk as not to be a shame to Christ, p. 174. Ver. 6" How Christ had manifested God's Name. Doct. Christ made an absolute and complete discovery of his Father to the people; 1. By his Personal appearance in the flesh. 2. By his Word and Gospel. 3. By his Spirit, p. 178. 2. Q. Why Christ only makes this discovery? R. 1. None but he is able. 2. None but he is fit to make this discovery, p. 180. 3. Q. Why the discovery he makes is so full and absolute. R. 1. As being the faithful Prophet of his Church. 2. That the discovery may be effectual. 1. Use. The ignorant inexcusable. 2. Learn to bless his Name for this discovery. 3. Grow up in the knowledge of this Name made known, p. 182. 4. Use. Be satisfied with the discovery which Christ hath made; search not beyond it. Pride, Sin, Danger, vanity thereof, p. 184. 5. Use. Walk worthy of this discovery. i e. Despair not under sin or misery, p. 185. 2. Doct. Some the Father giveth to Christ out of the world. 2. A certain number of them. 3. Being once the Lords, they are no longer of the world. Confirm. 1. The actual members of Christ are dead with Christ; and of another world, as are their kindred and alliance, p. 190. 3. Their habitation is spiritual, so is their action and traffic. 1. Use. Therefore the world storms and rageth at men's being given up to Christ. 2. Examine. Are we given up to Christ? p. 192. Marks. 1. They are not conformable to this present world. 2. They speak the language of another world, p. 193. 3. They dearly affect their Countrymen. 3. Use. Think not strange of ill usage in the world, p. 194. 4. Use. Regard not the things of this world. 5. Fellow not a multitude to sin. It's safe and honourable to be retired. 6. Be not troubled at worldly troubles. 3. Doct. All Christ's people were first belonging to the Father, p. 197. 1. The Father essentially taken. 2. All belonged to God; 1. By Creation. 2. By Election. 3. Christ's people not so his as not the Fathers. 1, Use. Christ will tenderly keep those that are so given him. Word of God Inward and Essential, p. 202. Outward and Declaratory. p. 202. 4. Doct. They whom the Father gives to Christ keep his word, p. 203. Christ's Word is kept In the memory, by retaining. In the heart, by believing. In the affections, by loving. In the life, by obeying with obedience Active. Passive. Use. Exam. Are we so given up to Christ, that we keep his Word? p. 205. 2. Use. Direct. For helping memory. 1. Be intent, and fix your mind on the Word. 2. Get a good understanding. 3. Value the Word. 4. Strengthen the memory by meditation, repetition, conference. 5. Set instantly to practise the truth you hear. 6. Pray for the Spirit to do his Office. 3. Use of Examination. Do we keep Christ's word by Faith? Some believe none of it. 2. Some but part of it, p. 208. 3. Some believe not the threaten. Marks. They that believe the threaten, quake and tremble at them. 2. Take some course to avert them. 4. Some believe not the promises. 1. The sad and fearful. 2. They that are troubled with doubts, cares, distractions. 3. The wavering and inconstant. 4. They that will suffer nothing for it. Cautions. 1. You are not to believe all that is presented under the title of God's Word. 2. It's no sign of Infidelity to move questions. 3. Nor to have some doubtful thoughts concerning clear truth, p. 212. 3. Exam. Have we kept the Word in our affections by loving it! p. 213. Marks. 1. Lovers of the Word desire on all occasions to converse with it. 2. Hear as often as they may. 3. Exercise themselves in the reading and meditation of it. 4. Endeavour to be inwardly acquainted with it. 5. Will not easily quarrel with and disobey it. 6. Will hardly part with it. p. 216. 4. Motives to love the Word; As being 1. the means of conversion. 2. A light of direction. 3. A Teacher to inform you. 4. Means to confirm you. 5. To comfort. 6. To save you. p. 218. 5. You must keep the word by obeying it. 1. Not by partial, but by a total obedience. p. 220. 2. With a cordial obedience. 3. Constantly to the end. Directions. 1. Pray God to teach you. 2. Find out and mortify the lusts that hinder you. p. 223. 5. Doctr. To entertain the Word as we ought, we must know for certain that it is the Word of God. p. 224. Reason. 1. Then we shall receive it with holy fear. 2. That we may give it full credit and belief. 3. That we may yield full resignation and submission. 4. That we may allow it absolute and universal obedience. 1. Use. See the cause of men's slighting and disobeying the Word. p. 229. 2. Use. Learn how to entertain the Word aright, viz. By believing that it is Gods. Scriptures proved to be the Word of God. 1. By the evident accomplishment of promises. 2. By the joint testimony of the Church. 3. By consent of the Writers. 4. By the effectual and mighty working of it on men's hearts and souls. 5. By the blood of many Martyrs, sealing it with their lives. p. 231. 2. The Spirit of God assures us that the Scripture is God's Word. 1. By removing impediments. 2. By giving grace fitting us to receive. Ver. 7 Doctr. Christ hath approved himself a faithful Prophet, and Messenger to his Church. p. 234. Confirm. 1. As having added nothing to his message. 2. That he hath taken nothing from it. How Christ did, and did not tell them all. p. 236. 1. Use. Diligently observe and hear this Prophet. 2. Trust him. 3. Try other Prophets. p. 237. 4. Use. Not a word of his must be nelected or slighted. 5. Seek no further for direction in matters of Salvation. p. 239. 6. Let Ministers learn to be so faithful. 1. Adding nothing; as doth 1. the superstitious. 2. Sceptic. 3. vainglorious Teacher. p. 241. 2. Not mincing or diminishing the Word. 1. Otherwise they are guilty of the blood of souls. 2. Diminish their own mercy. 3. Expose themselves to the ignominy and contempt of men. 4. To the injuries of men. Q Why ungodly men have prevailed? p. 243. Ver. 8 2. Doctr. The faithfulness of God's Messenger availeth much to commend him and his message to the people. p. 244. Use. Hence so many Ministers slighted, because unfaithful. 2. A Minister shows himself faithful, 1. In the right delivery of his message. 2. To a right end. Not satisfying their own passions: nor aiming at their own respects. 3. In a passive way. 3. Doctr. The good reception of the message depends upon the people's good opinion of the Messenger. p. 247. Use. Do not rashly judge of God's Messengers. You may judge of him; 1. by his entrance. 2 By his ability. 3. By his readiness to love. Ver. 9 1. Doctr. Christ intercedes for none but his own people. p. 250. Reas. He is a Priest and Mediator only for them. 1. Use. Christ died not for all without limitation. 2. Use. The sad condition of those without the Church. 3. Use. Happiness of those that belong to Christ: Having union with him that is so near to God. 2. Son near to you. 3. That can never die. p. 253. This gives us boldness in address. 2. Supports us in the sense of our imperfections. 3. Assures the success of our Petitions. 4. Keeps from despair under sin. 2. Doctr. That all Christ's people belong to God the Father. Confirm. As being more his by being Christ's. 1. For he hath none to share with him but Christ. 2. His title to them being strengthened and enlarged. 3. By unity. 1. Use. Therefore Christ's people excellent and precious. 2. Walk worthy of such a relation. For 1. your sins dishonour him more. 2. They are sharply and sooner chastised for their sins, p. 257. 2. Use. The Saint's comfort. 1. They shall be the more surely heard. 2. God doth more dearly love them. 3. God will tender their wrong, either 1. Defending; Or 2. Avenging them. 4. God will provide for them. 5. He will not lose them, p. 257. Ver. 10 1. Doctr. Christ is glorified in all that belong to him. Confirm. For the present life he is glorified in their Grace, p. 261. future he is glorified in their Glory, p. 261. 1. Use. They who live to Christ's dishonour are none of his. 2. It should quicken and stir us up to labour; 1. For grace and holiness here. 2. After glory hereafter, p. 263. How Christ absent from the Father, p. 265. 2. Doctr. Christ as Man is gone out of this world to the immediate presence of his Father, p. 266. Reas. 1. That his humiliation might be recompensed with honour. 2. Because he hath no more to do here. 3. Hath much to do there. 1. He was to triumph there over his enemies and ours. 2. That he might send down his Spirit to his people. 3. Intercede for them. 4. To prepare a place and make heaven ready for us. 5. Christ is gone, that he may now virtually draw us after him. 1. Use. Expect him not here till he return from heaven. 2. Make much of his spiritual presence among us: Therefore 1. take heed of grieving his Spirit: Either by unkind slighting, or stubborn resistance. 2. Take singular and mighty comfort in his Spirit. 3. Receive and entertain the graces of this Spirit, p. 271. 3. Use. Fellow Christ in our spirits; As 1. by our thoughts and meditations. 2. By our affections. 3. By our desires and anhelations of the Spirit, p. 273. 3. Doct. The world always an uncomfortable place to Christ's Disciples, p. 274. 1. Here they are continually exposed to many trials and troubles. 2. Vexed with the sins of others, but chief their own. 3. Banished from Christ, p 273. 1. Use. Look not for joy and quietness from the world; but provide for evil. 2. Think it not strange. 3. Love not the world, nor to continue in it, p 277. Ver. 11 1. Doctr. God holy in himself, and so looked on by Christ, p. 280. 1. Use. We are so to apprehend God in our prayers as Christ did; that he is holy: For 1. It puts our heart into the best fame. 2. It will make us come cleanest from sin. 3. It will help to humble us in our Confessions, p. 283. 4. Will encourage us in our Petitions for the cure of sin. 5. Will make us more thanful for holiness, p. 284. 2. Doctr. They that belong to Christ, are kept by the Almighty power of God, p 285. 1. By the power of God assisting and strengthening them against temptations. 2. Guarding and defending them by his immediate or p. 287. mediate power, p. 287. Reas. 1. Only his power can keep them. 2. His power is engaged; 1. By his Sons Prayers. 2. By his own promise. 1. Use. We are strong, not in ourselves, but in God. 2. Use. That we cast not away our confidence in any condition; be our danger Inward, p. 290. Outward, p. 291. 3. Use. In any distress have recourse to this Name; Seek him 1. Early, 2. Humbly, 3. Hearty, 4. Reformedly, 5. Constantly. p. 293. 3. Doctr. Christians unity, a matter of greatest difficulty and concernment, p. 295. 1. Because they have in them much fleshly corruption. They are 1. Proud; 2. Selfish; 3. Of divers tempers and constitutions, conditions, Interests. 2. Of high concernment; 1. To their growth and thriving. 2. To their comfort. 3. To their peace with God. 4. To their preservation. 5. Furtherance of the Gospel, p. 303. 1. Use. Let us labour and strive for unity. 1. By mortifying inward lusts. 2. Chase away quarrelsome reasonings. 3. Avoid quarrelsome persons. 4. Be furnished with much wisdom from above. 5. Let the virtue of peace rule in us. 6. Be earnest in prayer for it, p. 307, 308. Ver. 12 Doct. Christ keeps them safe that are bestowed on him by the Father, p. 311. 1. Some given to Christ by Election. 2. By actual union. How are they kept? 1. Not from suffering. 2. Not from all sin. 3. But from perishing. 1. Use. That Christ can lose any, a doctrine prejudicial; 1. To the honour of Christ. 2. To the comfort of his people. 2. Use. You that are Christ's, he will keep safe, out of love, and out of duty to the Father; in reference to his Injunction, p. 316. Intention and expectation, p. 316. That this Doctrine doth not breed security and negligence, p. 319. 3. Use. That Magistrates and Ministers be Shepherds like to Christ, p. 320. 2. Doct. In the eternal Decree some designed to destruction. Whether from fore-seen works. Some arguments against Universal conditional Election. Objections answered, p. 328. 3. Doct. What ever is foretold in Scripture shall be accomplished, p. 332 1. The Author of Prophecies unchangeable. Threaten have an implicit condition. 2. The Author of all Scripture true. 3. So the Word. 1. Use. Terror to threatened sinners. 2. Comfort to the Church. 3. Use. Believe both threaten and promises, p. 336. 4. Doct. Christ the Author and Original of his people's joy, p. 338 1. As he is their Prophet to instruct them. 2. As their King to rule them. 1. Subduing their enemies he gives them peace. 2. His Spirit. 3. Rewards. 3. As he is their Priest; 1. By his Sacrifice reconciling them to God. 2. Interceding for them, p. 340. 1. Use. They that are out of Christ have no true Joy. 2. Hence let us fetch our Joy, p. 341. Ver. 13 2. Doct. Christ would have his people to be full of holy Joy, p. 342. For this end, 1. He gives them the Gospel of Salvation and Consolation. 2. Precious promises. 3. Glorious Ordinances. 4. Clear discoveries and revelations of himself. 5. Sends the Comforter unto them. 6. Gives them deliverance. 7. Purchased heaven for them. Reason. 1. Out of self-respect. He shares in their comfort. 2. To recompense their sorrows. 3. That they may abound in duty, p. 346. 1. Use. woe to those that vex and grieve his people. 2. It taxeth those that will abide in heaviness and discontent, p. 347. Direct. 1. Be conversant in the Word of Christ. 2. Meditate on the Joys of heaven. 3. Take heed that sin and Satan steal not away this Jewel. Marks of spiritual Joy. 1. It is chief moved with spiritual things. 2. Proceeds from a good Conscience. False Joy, p. 351. 3. Doct. Knowledge of Christ's Intercession, a special means to fill us with Joy, p. 352. 1. Comfort against outward and inward Enemies. 2. Against Satan's accusations. 3. Against our weaknesses and imperfections in prayer. 4. Against the defects of all our graces. 5. Assures us of his love and care. Use. Therefore study this point, p. 356. Ver. 14 Doct. The world is wont to hate Christ's Disciples. Divers exceptations of the word World, p. 359 They that entertain the Word cross the world. 1. In their Judgements. 2. In their Wills. 3. In their lives and conversations, p. 360 1. Use. The Disciples of Christ therefore commonly vilified. 2. Admire the mercy and power of God that keeps them against so many enemies. strong enemies. bitter enemies. 3. Use. Christian's ought to be cautious how they walk in the midst of such; apt to Misconstrue things doubtful, p. 363. Aggravate the least offence, p. 363. Blaspheme God and Religion, p. 363. 4. Use. Think not strange to be so used in the world. But think; 1. That God and Christ love you. 2. That Christ was in the same condition, p. 364. 3. that the hatred of the world is no impediment to your blessedness. (i.e.) Our Interest and Communion with Christ. 2. Much less to that happiness to come. Ver. 15 Doct. Removal out of this world, is not the proper subject of Petition, p. 366. Reason. Because not simply and in itself a blessing. Desire of death unlawful in the Saints. Use. That we pray not to be rid of troubles by death. 1. Being that life, though in troubles, is a mercy. 2. We may have the mercy to outlive troubles. 3. In the worst of times you may be serviceable to the Church of Christ. 4. More instrumental to God's glory then in better times. p. 370. 2. Doct. God can and will preserve those that belong to Christ from all all evil, p 371. 1. From the assault of temptation. 2. From the prevalency thereof. 3. From the hurt of the temptation. So from the 1. Act. 2. Gild. 3. Hurt of Corruption, 374 3. Keeps them from Affliction; 1. That it touch them not. 2. That it stay not too long with them. 3. By way of preservation and delivery in it. 4. From the hurt of it. 4. Doth them good by Affliction. 1. Thereby awakening them. 2. Humbling them. 3. Drawing them nearer to himself. Use. Happiness of all in Christ, 379 Ver. 16" Vain Repetitions. Christ's Disciples; that they are of another world, are in this like unto him, p. 381. Christ living here was of another world. 1. As coming from above. 2. Because he lived in another world. 3. Was going to another. So his Disciples, p. 383. 1. Use. Exam. 1. Strangers to this world are not conformable thereunto. 2. Love those of the other world. 3. Have another language. 2. Use. No wonder that they are made a gazing stock. 3. Use. Live like heavenly Citizens. 4. Use. Regard not this world nor vanities thereof, p. 386, 5. Use. Do not desire or fancy long continuance here. 6. Use. Why should we be unwilling to part from hence, p. 387. 2, Doct. The Word of God is the ordinary means of Sanctification. Explicat. 1. The work is begun. 1. Preparatively by the Law. 2. Really by the Gospel, p. 389. 2. So it is carried on. 1. Use. Let Ministers be instant and diligent in preaching. 1. Though the fruit of their endeavours be not always manifest. 2. Though they want success, they must labour still. 3. So they shall not want recompense. 4. The Elect are thereby brought to heaven, 391. 2. Use. Let people be persuaded to hear the Word. 3. Use. People thrive not in grace, because they wait not on this Ordinance. 4. Attend upon the Word. 5. Use. That ye may profit by the Word; Remove 1. Pride, 2. Unbelief. 3. Strong Passion. 4. Prejudice against the Teacher. 5. Labour to digest it. 6. Use earnest prayer. Ver. 17 Doct. The Word of God, especially the Gospel, is the Truth. 1. The Word of God is all Truth. 2. The Gospel is the Truth, p. 396. Gospel-Truth the most excellent. 1. Christ being the most precious subject thereof. 2. The most delightful Subject. 2. For the manner of revelation most perspicuous. 3 For the confirmation. 4. For the operation; 1. Works grace. 2. Infuseth life, p. 398. 1. Use. The whole Word to be believed. 2. Use. Let us give it the preferment. 1. In our Inquisition. 2. In our Acceptation, p. 401. 3. Use. The Gospel-truth must be accordingly maintained; 1. By our Arguments and Reasons. 2. By our sufferings. 3. Must be obeyed. The disobedient reproved. Ver. 18 Doct. The Apostles and Ministers of Christ are sent by him. Cant. Not only by him: But 1. By the Father and Holy Spirit. 2. By the Church, p. 407 1. Use. They blamed who take this honour upon themselves. 2. Use. Therefore the Pastor's power but ministerial. 3. They must deliver his message. p. 410. for his Ends. p. 410. 4. Use. Let the Church prove those that pretend to the Ministry. Whether furnished with competent Ability. 1. Of Knowledge. 2. Of Utterance. 3. Whether furnished with propensity and readiness to use their gift. 4. Whether qualified with Sincerity, p. 412. 5. Use. Entertain his Ministers; 1. With double honour. 2. Give them audience. 6. Use. Bear with their plainess and sharpness of Reproof, p. 413. 2. Doct. Ministers Commission not restrained to any Nation or Country. Reas. 1. His Kingdom to be erected. 2. Churches to be planted over all the world, p. 416. 1. Use. Ministers justified in their propagating the Church in America. Promote it with our Prayers. 2. Use. Matter of joy and thanksgiving, p. 423. 3. Doct. The resemblance of Christ's Mission with that of the Apostles. The similitude and dissimilitude of their sending; In regard of 1. their Authority and Power. 2. In regard of Qualification. 3. In relation to the Message. 4. To the end for which they were sent, p. 426. Ver. 19 1. Doct. Christ did willingly set himself a part to be an Offering and a Sacrifice to the Father. Reason. There was no power able to overcome him, p. 432. 1. Use. As the greater was his love, so should be our praise. 2. Let us learn as willingly to offer up ourselves, and all we have, p. 433. 2. Doct. Christ did offer himself for our Sanctification. Reason. His Design being not only to preserve and justify, but to save us too, and glorify himself in us. 1. Use. Abuse not this grace. 2. Be stirred up to strive after holiness. 3. A terror to ungracious wretches. 3. Doct. Christ's Intercession extended to those that shall believe. Use. This should encourage us to pray for the unconverted, p. 438. 4. Doct. Christ the object of true believers faith. Expl. How the Word. 2. God. 3. Heaven and Salvation the objects of faith, p. 440. 1. Use. Be not satisfied with a general assent unto the Word. 1. Endeavour to know Christ aright. 2. Believe that Christ is such a one. 3. Embrace this truth in the heart. 2. Use. Hence appears the imperfection of inherent righteousness. 3. The perfection of imputed righteousness and Justification. 4. Rely on Christ's for salvation. p. 442 Ver. 20 Doct. The Gospel the instrumental means of faith. Expl. The Law prepareth, not worketh faith. 1. Use. The sad condition of those that want the Gospel. 2. Use. Revelations and new discoveries no ground of faith. 3. Let unbelievers duly hear the Gospel, p. 445. 2. Doct. It is the will of Christ that his Disciples should be one among themselves, and one in God. Though distant, they are one. 1. As having one Spirit. 2 One faith. 3. One heart and affection. God and Christ are one. 1. By Hypostatical union. 2. By dear affection. 3. By unexpressible agreement and consent. So the Disciples are one in both. 1. By mystical union, etc. 1. Use. Know the glorious privilege of Christ's Disciples. It implying 1. Intimate Communion with God. 2. Special interest in him. 3. It imports great acquaintance with them both. 1. They know God more immediately than others do. 2. More distinctly, p. 452. 3. That they have more easy and familiar access to him. 4. More immediate enjoyment of all comforts and content. 5. The best safety. 2. Use. Admire God's goodness pleased so highly to advance and honour us. 3. Use. Walk worthy of such an honour. For 1. This aggravates sin, committed in him. 2. Makes it specially observed by him. 3. To be more severely chastised, p. 457. 3. Use. Let true believers use this their interest in all exigencies and nulls. 4. Let those without God not molest and hurt believers, p. 58. 5. Use. Let true believers be knit to God and Christ in love. Direct. 1. Pray earnestly for it. 2. Increase your knowledge of God. 3. Have daily more Communion with him. 4. Put away the love of worldly things. 5. Frequent the company of those that love God. 6. Use. Agree with God and Christ in all respects every way. Else you are 1. Irregular. 2. Undutiful. 3. Agreement among ourselves is nothing worth. Ver. 21" World what it signifies. Doct. Unity of Christ's Disciples makes the world have better thoughts of their Master, p. 466. Use. Divisions of the Church, make Christ, the Gospel and Religion to be undervalved and little set by. Ver. 22 1. Doct. Christ communicates his glory to true believers. 1. His Titles. 2. Sitting at the right hand. 3. Authority and power. 4. His three Offices. 5. Gifts, p. 473. Ver. 23" Christ in believers, and God in him, for the union of all. Doct. This is the perfection of believers union, p. 477. Use. The defective union of worldly men. 2. Doct. The Father loves believers as he doth Christ. Reas. For he loves them; 1. In Christ. 2. Through Christ. 1. Use. Depend on him. 1. Without doubting. 2. By real love. 3. Use. Comfort to all true believers. In that 1. He will uphold them as he did Christ. 2. Assist us in his service. 3. Reward his own work in us. 4. Hear us. 5. Provide for us. 3. Doctr. Christ's will is even a Law with the Father. Reas. 1. Being the only Son. 2. The Beloved. 3. Never asks amiss. 4. Sueth for nothing but what he deserver, p. 491. Use. How to make Christ our Advocate. Ver. 24 Direct. 1. To prepare their hearts, they must be 1. Purged. 2. Humbled. 3. Fixed. 4. Awakened. Then 2. For Matter of prayer, search the promises, p. 496. Manner. Pray without wrath. 2. Doubting. 3. With much zeal. 2. If we pray acted by Christ's Spirit, 1. There will be zeal. 2. Desire's spiritual. 3. For spiritual things chief, Not to be spent on lusts. 4. We shall pray constantly. 2. Doct. It is Christ's will that they who are given him should be in heaven. Reas. He loves them with a love, 1. Of benevolence. 2. Of Complacency. 3. To see his glory. 3. Doct. God hath loved Christ from all Eternity. Reas. Being like him both as God and Man. Use. woe to them that hate Christ. They hate Christ. 1. Who willingly obey sin. 2. Who love and hate that which Christ doth not. 3. Who are friends to the Enemies of Christ, & Contra, p. 513. 2. Use. God therefore loveth them that love Christ. Christ is amiable and worthy of our love. 1. In respect of his perfections, p. 515. 2. In respect of our Interest and propriety in him. 3. Of his great love to us. 4. Of that he hath done for us. 3. Use. Admire that he should so use him as he did for our sakes. 1. Giving him up to the hands of sinful men, and to his own wrath. 2. So using him for such as we are, p. 517. 4. Use. Comforts to those that belong to Christ; that they are loved from everlasting. 4. Doct. God is a very just and righteous God. Confirmed 1. From the largeness of his Jurisdiction. 2. The Immensity of his presence. 3. From his inward propensity and disposition. 1. Use. This should settle our minds amidst the confusions and disorders of the world. 2. Use. Comfort to those that are abused and oppressed. 3. Use. Come into him and become his subjects. 4. Use. Terror to the ungodly 5. Use. Comfort to the righteous, even in God's Justice. 6. Use. Admonition to Magistrates. Persuasions to execute Justice. 1. It will settle the land. 2. Be amiable to God. 3. Beneficial to yourselves, p. 526 7. Use. Meditate on God's righteousness. It will 1. help us against sin. 2. Strengthen our faith in prayer, p. 528. Ver. 25 Doct. Unbelievers and unsanctified persons know not God in such manner as they ought, p. 531. 1. Know him not so as to delight in him. 2. Nor so as to serve and obey him. 3. Nor so as to know him in Christ. Reason. 1. Unbelieving Heathens want the means of knowledge. 2. Unbelieving Christians want the Spirit to unveil 1. The understanding. 2. The Gospel. 3. In every unbeliever there's something 1. Redundant, to repel divine Truth. 2. Wanting to receive it. viz. The Spirit of God. 4. They are unwilling to know God, p. 535. 1. Use. The misery of unsanctified unbelievers. 2. Use. Admire God's mercy in vouchsafing us the means of knowledge, p, 537. 2. Doct. That Christ alone knows God immediately, and others by his means, p. 539. Use. None saved by his own natural knowledge. 3. Doct. The most saving knowledge hath defects and imperfections, standing in need of farther declaration, p. 541. Reason. Christ doth not show them all at once. 1. Because they are not capable. 2. That he may keep them humble. 1. Use. Be not proud of your knowledge. 2. Use. Comforts to the humble. 1. A sign that thy knowledge is right and sound. 2. It's the measure which Christ hath allotted thee. 3. The time is coming when these thy defects shall be supplied. 4. We shall be rewarded according to our practice; not our knowledge. Ver. 26 Doct. Christ will be making farther declarations of his Father's Name to the world's end, p. 546. 1. By his written Word and Ministers in all ages. 2. By his holy Spirit, p. 548. 1. Use. Believe what he hath spoken. 2. Expect the execution of his promise. 3. Thereunto strive with Christ in prayer, p. 549. 2. Doct. The Love which is in true believers, comes from God. Reason. For it cannot be Originally in, of or from ourselves; yet not without means. Use. If we want it, have recourse to God. Love is the chiefest thing 1. That comes from God, p. 554. 2. That conformeth us to God, p. 554. 3. Doct. Declaration of the Father's Name is a special means to work love in them. Reason. 1. Beauty is a part of his Name. 2. Goodness. 3. Mercy. 4. Love, p. 557. 4. Doct. Where Love is, there Christ is. Reason. 1. For where Love, there the Spirit. 2. Faith. 3. God is, p. 560. 1. Use. Misery of those that love not God and his children. 2. Comforts to those that have love in them. They have Christ; and therefore 1. Have intimate Communion with him. 2. Have free access to him. 3. Have the confluence of all Accommodations. 4. Are secure. 2. Let Christ live quiet in your hearts. Excellency of Christ's prayer. An Alphabetical Table of the Chief Heads contained In this TREATISE. A ADopted children, page. 15 Admire the love of God and of Christ, page. 20, 98, 146, 161, 361, 455, 537 Affections of the heart testified by outward gesture, page. 11 Affliction should not dismay us. See Tribulation, page. 104, 195, 290, 291, 367 Abilities of Christ, page. 145 Active Obedience of Christ, page. 157 Our Advancement in Christ, page. 174 The Apostle and Messenger of God is Christ, 142, 149, 234, 235, other Apostles, page. 407 our Affections are to keep Christ's word, page. 204, 213 Apostates from Christ, page. 41, 210 Application of Christ, page. 158, 441 Assurance: Means and benefit thereof, page. 22 our Active and Passive obedience, page. 203 Authority, grace and power of Christ's words, page. 7. 473 Authority of Christ over all men, 52, 144. for the benefit and Salvation of his people, page. 72, 73 Agreement with God and Christ necessary, page. 465 Agreement. See Unity. The benefits thereof, page. 303 304 All things revealed by Christ, in what sense, page. 236 Aimiableness of Christ, page. 514, 515 Adding to the work of Christ, page. 168 word of Christ, page. 241 Absence of Christ from the Father, page. 265 Ascension of Christ, 266. End, fruit, and benefits thereof. page. 267 B PArtial Believers, page. 208, ●99 Belief. See Faith. Wrought by the Gospel, page. 443, 444 Believers not free from the Law, page. 61, 62 Believe the Trinity, page. 130, 132 the Scriptures, page. 133, 399 in Christ, page. 149, 150, 441 Christ's word, 204. 559, not all that is so called, page. 211 Believers privileges, page. 256, 379, 450, 451. 479, 480, 561 Their sins more heinous, page. 257 Have many enemies, and why, page. 360, 363, 458 Object of Believers faith, Christ, page. 439 The Word, God, Heaven, and Salvation, page. 440 Believers loved as Christ, page. 478, 479 Body of Christ Natural and Mystical, page. 167 Bodily outward worship not to be neglected, page. 12 Rules and directions for it, page. 13 C Certainty of salvation, page. 80, 314, 315 Christ, the Father's Son and Wisdom, page. 5, 16 Our great Prophet and Preacher, ib. 339 Glorified by the Father, page. 32 Author of all good to the Church, page. 34. 72, 123, 124 To be glorified by us, and how, page. 42, 44 One with the Father, page. 48 Came not to quicken and save all men, page. 105 Must be known, page. 119, 120, 123 Comforts to the sons of God in Christ, page. 17, 22 Comforts to the godly, page. 17, 22, 70, 253, 257, 342, 452, 518 Against injuries of the world, page. 194, 258, 352 To the distressed, page. 290, 291, 365, 524 Our Conscience and Faith not subject to men, page. 65 Conference, page. 206 Sons by Creation, page. 15, 19 By Creation all the world is the Fathers, page. 98, 199 Knowledge of our Creation, page. 119 Christ the Father's Creature, page. 160 Curiosity condemned, page. 183, 445 Sinfulness thereof, page. 184 D. DEath not to be prayed for, page. 366, etc. Believers Dead to the world, page. 190 Comforts against Death, page. 89 93, 387 Desire good things, page. 49 Dishonourers of Christ, page. 38, 39, etc. 262 Disobedient condemned, page. 59, 70, 162, 164. 404 Despair not of those that are dead in sin, page. 103, 185, 255, 438 Disorderly walkers, page. 162, 163 Divine glory communicated to Christ, page. 173 Discovery of the Father. See Manifestation. Doubtful are unbelievers, page. 210, 212 Disobedience to the word whence it proceeds, page. 229 Discord, the causes thereof, page. 296 Evils and inconveniencies thereof, page. 467 E. WHo the Elect, page. 192, 197 Elect cannot perish, page. 99, 312 End of all is God's glory, page. 43, 154 Eternal God, 129. Eternal love of God, page. 509 Eternal life from Christ, page. 86 What it is, page. 87 To be sought after, and how, page. 90 Christ's free gift, page. 90 Unbought, unsought, untaught, page. 92, 93 How it consists in knowledge, and begun therein, page. 108 Enemies outward and inward, page. 353, 360, 363 Evil. How Christ preserveth from all Evil, page. 371, 372, etc. Excellency of Christ's people above others, page. 257 Of the Gospel above other Truths, page. 397 F FAith, page. 90, 120, 129, 133, See Belief. Father. God to be apprehended under that notion; page. 15, 21 The Father glorified by Christ, page. 46 Fears of failing, page. 88, 185 God must be feared, page. 117, 140 Fearful are unbelievers, page. 211 Father essentially taken, page. 198 Free love and mercy of God and Christ, page. 91, 92, 147 Faithfulness of Christ and his Ministers, 244, 246. Signs, page. 247 Christ's word to be kept by Faith, page. 207, 208, 226 To be heard with Fear, page. 225 G. GIft of Christ wonderful, page. 98, 516, 517 Some given to Christ in special manner, page. 97, 189 Outward fitting Gestures in prayers requisite, page. 12, 13 Gifts of Christ, 35. See Qualification, page. 412, 413 Glory of Christ, page. 32, 33, 170, 472 Gospel the subject of Christ's words, page. 6, 8 To be attended, 90. 114. The Instrument of life, page. 109, 398 Means to Sanctification, page. 389 The Truth, page. 396 God not slack, page. 30 Glorifieth Christ, page. 32 Only true God, page. 126 Godhead of the Trinity, page. 128 They that have made choice of God, happy. page. 141 They must glorify God here, who will be glorified hereafter, page. 152 Vain expecters of future Glory, page. 153 How God is to be glorified here, page. 154 The Glory that Christ prayed for, page. 170, 171 Christ Glorified in those that are his, page. 261, 472 H. HAters of Christ, page. 512, 513 Hearers, how they may profit by the Word, page. 395, 396 Hearing necessary, page. 392, 445 Heathen people in dangerous state, page. 121, 251, 534 Heavenly conversation, alliance, kindred, 190, 191. Marks thereof, page. 385 Honour of God to be aimed at, page. 49, 50, 154 Honour from honouring Christ, page. 44 Hour of God, page. 28, 29, 30 Hope of Heaven, page. 174 Hindrances to obedience, page. 223 We must be Humble as Christ was, page. 162 Humiliation of Christ, page. 161 Hypocritical gestures in prayer, page. 13 Humility commended, page. 542, 543 Holiness of God, page. 280 Knowledge thereof very profitable, page. 281, 282 Holiness to be laboured for, page. 435 I. IDols not to be served, 136. Causes of Ignorance, page. 531, 533 Ignorance an impediment to life, page. 109 Ignorant persons sad condition, 113, 444 inexcusable, page. 182, 533, 534 For the Instruction of others, page. 115, 122 Incarnation of Christ, page. 178 Impatient are unbelievers, page. 209, 210 Intercession of Christ, page. 250, 252, 253, 267 340, 352, 438 Judging and censuring others unlawful, page. 65. 248 Judgements sent not so much for the destruction of enemies, as preservation of friends, page. 77 How to Judge of true Ministers, page. 248, 249, 411, 412 Imperfections of the Saints, page. 296, 374, 441, 541 Joy, Christ the Author and Original, page. 338 None to those that are out of Christ, page. 341 Means and matter of Joy, page. 343, 348 Marks of spiritual Joy, page. 350 False Joy, page. 351 Justification, page. 442 Justice commended, page. 526 Justice and righteousness of God, page. 519, 520, to be meditated, page. 528 A comfort to the righteous, page. 523, 524 K. CHrist Keepeth those that are given him, page. 201 Word of Christ how Kept, in the memory, heart, page. 204 Power of God Keepeth those that belong to Christ, page. 285 How they are Kept, and why? page. 286, 287, 312, 313 Knowledge to be laboured for, page. 90, 108, 109, to 114 The beginning of eternal life, page. 108, 109 Knowledge of God and Christ too, necessary, page. 116, 536, 537 Knowledge of the Father without the knowledge of Christ is but vain and insufficient, page. 117, 118 The most perfect Knowledge here imperfect, page. 541, 543 L. LAnguage suitable for Christians, page. 193, 385 Law, none free from it, page. 60 Believers under the binding power of the Law, page. 61, 62 How given to the righteous, page. 63 Lawgiver, none but Christ, page. 64 Life from Christ, page. 82 Life of Sanctification and Justication, page. 83 Christ our Lord by Creation, Redemption, Covenant, page. 19 Life not be valued, 89, 93, a mercy, page. 367 Come to Christ for Life, page. 93 Love towards God; how to get and increase it, page. 460, 461, 552, 553 Love of God and Christ to be admired, 20. See Admire. Love unto the Word, 213. Marks thereof, page. 214, 216 Loveliness of Christ, page. 515, 516 Lusts of our own or others not to be obeyed, page. 139 Where Love is, there is Christ, page. 558, 559 Misery of those that have no Love to God or his children, page. 561 M. MAgistrates to execute Justice, page. 525, 526 Marks Of faith, page. 209 Of living by Christ page. 84, 85 Of God's children, page. 24 Of being given up to Christ, page. 192, 193, to 212 Mediator Christ, page. 47, 52, 73, 101, 145, 250 Messengers and Ministers of Christ not to be slighted, page. 40, 413 How they ought to use their delegated power, page. 76, 406, 408, 414 Their faithfulness required, page. 245, 246, 390 Their duty, page. 391 Message and errand of Christ, page. 148, 410 Manifestation of the Father by Christ, page. 177 Wherefore by Christ alone, page. 180 Memory, means to strengthen it, page. 206, 207 Meditation, page. 206, 215, 272 N. NAme of the Father declared a special means to work love in those that hear it, page. 556, 557 Name of God is beauty, mercy, goodness, love, page. 557 Name of God manifested by Christ, page. 176 Have recourse to it in any distress, page. 292 Natural knowledge insufficient, page. 539, 540 Natural life how frail, page. 89, 387 A blessing, page. 367, 368 Nearness of Christ to God, page. 33, 48, 253, 256, 265 Nearness of believers to God, page. 446, to 450, 453, 474, 562 Nobility of true christians, page. 257, 448, 454 O. OBedience due to Christ, page. 19, 69, 76, 150, 203 Due to men also, 64, to the Word, page. 220 Offices of Christ, page. 34, 181, 236, 250, 339, 473 Obedience of Christ active and passive, page. 157, 158 One God, page. 129, 130 Omnipotent, page. 129 How to Obey and serve God, page. 130, 134 God Only to be served, page. 134 136, 138 Our Obedience ought to be total, cordial, constant, page. 220, 221, 228 Our Obedience active and passive, page. 203 Christ Ordered by the Father in his works, page. 156, 157, etc. P. MAtter and manner of Prayer, page. 496, 497 Preparation of the heart for Prayer, page. 492, 493 Passion of Christ, page. 158, 165, 166, 433 Perfect manifestation of the Father, page. 180 Perfection of Christ's work, page. 168, 169, 181, 442 Words, page. 239, 241, 242, 445 Peace of Christ, page. 145 Power of God doth preserve believers, page. 286, 287 Power of Christ Legislative, page. 53, 432 Judiciary, page. 53, 432 Prayer, the outward gesture and utterance thereof to be considered, page. ●10 Vocal when necessary and requisite, page. 14, 154 Prayers of whom sure to be heard, page. 17, 22, 49, 254, 354 Pride, page. 104, 296, 393 Praise vocal, page. 154 real, page. 154 Propagation of the Gospel, page. 416, 548 Preservation. See Keeping, page. 361 Preaching of Christ, page. 4, 159, 178, 546, 548 Practice a help to the memory, page. 206 Perseverance. Motives thereunto, page. 169 People of Christ are the Fathers, page. 198, 255 Promises to be believed, 209, who believe them not, page. 210 Our great Prophet is Christ, page. 234, 236, etc. Prophecies shall be accomplished, page. 332, etc. Q Who Quickened by Christ, page. 84, 85 Qualification of Christ, page. 144, 425 Questioning proves not want of faith, page. 212 R. THat Christ ought and how to be Received, page. 149, 150 Receive and entertain the Spirit, page. 271, 272 Private Revenge condemned, page. 65, 66, 67. Sinfulness thereof, ibid. Remedies and rules against Revenge, page. 67, 68 Repetition, page. 206, 380 Reproof, page. 413 Resignation to the Word, page. 228 S. SAnctification, means thereof, page. 388 End of Christ's Office; page. 434 Satisfaction of Christ, page. 157 Christ the Father's Servant, page. 47, 102, 160 Scriptures to be believed and assented to, page. 132, 444, 445 Scriptures proved to be the Word of God, page. 230, 231 Sons by Adoption, page. 15 Creation, page. 15 Sons of God, 15, 16, 17, their comfort, ib. Signs. page. 23, 24 Spiritual desires how discerned, page. 498, 499 Spiritual service promoted by gesture and utterance, page. 11 Signs of the Spirit, 24, 500 Of Spiritual Joy, page. 350 Spirit of Christ slighted, page. 40, 270, 271 Service of God, 134. See Obedience. Sending of Christ, 142, 145, etc. Of Ministers, page. 406, 425, 426 Spirits operation, page. 159, 178, 206, 233, 548 Shame of the world, page. 174 To Christ, page. 175 Our Strength is in God, not in ourselves, page. 289, 290 Sufferings of Christ glorious, page. 36, 161, 433 Society to be made choice of, page. 459, 460 Solitude, page. 195 Helps and remedies against Sin, page. 283, 284 Sins of Christians more sinful then of others, page. 257, 456, 457 Sooner and more sharply chastised, ibid. How the Saints are kept from Sin, page. 373, 374 How to follow Christ in our Spirits, page. 273 How we are to Seek unto God, page. 293 Security, page. 319, 563 Believers ought not to be Sorrowful, page. 342, 347 T. Threaten have an implicit condition, page. 333 Threaten to be believed, 209. Comfort to the Church, page. 338 Thankfulnsss due to God and Christ, page. 81, 86, 182, 284, 423, Set Time of God the fittest, page. 28 Time not to be prescribed to God, page. 29 Time-servers condemned, page. 138 Titles of Christ, 33, communicated to believers, page. 473 Temptation, how we are kept from it, page. 372 Tribulation. See Affliction; Benefits thereof, page. 370, 378, 379 How we are kept from it, page. 373 Trial of Prophets, page. 237, 411 True God, page. 128, 129, 133, 335 Clear Truths may be questioned and doubted, page. 212 Truth the whole word, but especially the Gospel, page. 396, 397 To be maintained, how, page. 402 To be obeyed, page. 403 Trust in God alone, page. 140, 237 Trials and troubles of this life, page. 275, 277 V. VEngeance. See Revenge, page. 67 Unbelievers dishonour Christ, page. 39 unbelievers sin and danger, page. 56, 208, 395, 531, 537 Uncharitable, page. 58, 59 , 70. See Wicked; why they have prevailed, page. 243 Their destruction not intended by Christ, page. 72, 77, 79 Unity of the Trinity, page. 128, 130, 173 Unity to be studied and put in practice, page. 141 A matter of great difficulty and concernment, page. 295, etc. Benefits of Unity; and means conducing, page. 307, 308, 459, 466 Union of believers, page. 446, 447, 474 How one as God and Christ are one, page. 448 Defective Union of worldly men, page. 478 Universal Redemption, page. 251, 328 Understanding, page. 109 Vocal prayer, page. 14 Vocal praise, page. 154 W. Wait God's time. Motives thereunto, page. 30 Will of Christ a law with the Father, page. 490, 491 That they who are given him should be in heaven, page. 501 We must suffer Willingly, page. 161, 433 Wicked men dishonour Christ, page. 39 Words of Christ worthy of our observation, page. 4, 5, 6, 7, 401 To be highly valued, page. 8, 149, 206, 214, 216, 218, 238 How kept in the heart, memory, etc. page. 203, 205 To be loved, and the signs thereof, 213, 214. Motives, page. 218 Word of God inward and essential; outward and declaratory, page. 202 Gods Word must be known to be his, page. 224, 225 Work of Christ how finished before his Passion, page. 165 Is full and perfect, page. 166, 167 World's shame to be despised, page. 174, 194 True believers are of another world, page. 90, 193 World rageth at true Converts, page. 191, 360 This World to be undervalved and contemned, page. 195, 196, 277, 386, 459 This World an uncomfortable place to Christ's Disciples, page. 274 Vexations and troubles thereof, page. 275 World's hatred and enmity against Christians, page. 359, 360 Christians as Christ was, are of another world, page. 381, 383 Signs and Marks thereof, page. 384 Z. ZEal to be used in prayer, page. 497 Zeal and fervency will accompany the Spirit, page. 498 Courteous Reader, be pleased to take notice that these Books following are Printed for, and sold by Edward Brewster, at the Crane in Paul's- Churchyard, 1660. 1 Mr. Elton his Commentary on the seventh, eighth and ninth of the Romans, folio. 2 Mr. Hildersham his 108. Lectures on John 4. folio. 3— His Lectures on Psalm 51. folio. 4 Dr. Jermin, his Paraphrastical Meditations by way of Commentary on all the Proverbs, folio. 5 Dr. William's Right way to the best Religion, wherein at large is explained the Principal Heads of the Gospel, folio. 6 Mr. Leighs Annotations on Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Canticles, folio. 7 The Largest Church-Bible, folio. 8 Mr. Birkbecks' Protestants Evidence, folio. 9 Mr. Prius Hidden Works of Darkness brought to light, folio. 10 Mr. Balls Treatise of the Nature and life of Faith, quarto. 11— His large Catechism with Exposition; octavo. 12— His small Catechism, octavo. 13 Mr. Benthams christian's Conflict, showing the Difficulties and Duties, Armour and spiritual Graces to be exercised by every Christian Soldier, quarto. 14 Mr. Baxter Of Crucifying the world by the Cross of Christ, quarto. 15 D. Burgess, his several select Sermons, quarto. 16 A Collection of several Sermons preached upon select Occasions by Mr. Edmond. Calamy, quarto. 17 A Collection of several Sermons preached before the Parliament, quarto. 18 Mr. Caudrey of the Inconsistency of the Independent way, with Scripture and itself, quarto. 19— His answer to G. Firmin about Infant's Baptism, quarto. 20 The Agreement of the Associated Ministers of Essex, quarto. 21 The Agreement of the Associated Ministers of Chester, quarto. 22 Canaan's Calamity, or the Destruction of Jerusalem, quarto. 23 Mr. Cook's learned Treatise of Infant's Baptism, quarto. 24 Mr. Collier of the Sabbath, and against free admission to the Sacrament, quarto. 25 Several Sermons of Mr. Paul Bayn. 26 Mr. Barlows Guide to Glory, quarto. 27 Mr. Calvin on Jeremiah, quarto. 28 Mr. Dod on the Commandments, quarto. 29 Mr. Negus of Faith and Obedience, quarto. 30 Mr Jenkins, his Sermons, quarto. 31— His Answer to I. Goodwin, in two Books, quarto. 32 Galeni Opusculum, Variae Annotat. D. Gulstoni Gr. Lat. quarto 33 Mr. Gattaker against Lily, quarto. 34 Spelmani Consilia, folio. 35— Psalterium Saxonicum, quarto. 36 Mr. Ger●● against Bishops. 37— against the Anabaptists, quarto. 38— His Catechism, octavo. 39 Mr. joselyns State of the Saints departed; Gods Cordial to comfort the Saints remaining alive, octavo. 40 A short History of the Anabaptists of high and low Germany, quarto. 41 Mr. Randoll on Romans 8. quarto. 42— On the Church, quarto. 43 D. Holidays Motives to a Godly life in ten Sermons, quarto. 44 Mr. rutherford's Divine Right of Church-Government and Excommunication, quarto. 45 D. Potter of the number 666. 46 Mr. Stalham against universal redemption, quarto. 47— Against the Anabaptists, quarto. 48— Against the Quakers, quarto. 49— Cathechism, octavo. 50 D. Sclator on Malachy, quarto. 51— On Romans 4. quarto. 52 Mr. Udall on the Lamentations, quarto. 53 Mr. Jeremiahs' Whittakers Sermons, quarto. 54 Vindication of the Presbyterian Government and Ministry, quarto. 55 D. Twiss Vindicia Gratiae, quarto. 56 The Assemblies Confession and Catechism, with proofs at large, quarto. 57 Mr. Ley of the fury of war, and folly of sin, quarto. 58— A Monitor of Mortality in two Sermons. 59— General Reasons against the payment of the fifth part to sequestered Ministers. 60— A Debate concerning the English Liturgy, quarto. 61 Mr. Abbot against Brownists, octavo. 62 Mr. john Brewens' Life and Death, octavo. 63 Mr. Birkbecks' quatuor novissima, or a Treatise of Death, Judgement, Heaven and Hell, octavo. 64 Mastersons Arithmetic. octavo. 65 Wingats Logarithms, octavo. 66 Mr. Palmers Gospel-new Creature, octavo. 67— Against free admission to the Sacrament. 68 Mr. Angiers help to better hearts for better times, 12ᵒ. 69 Mr. Roger's Righteous Man's Evidence for Heaven, 12o. 70— His good News from Heaven, 12ᵒ. 71 Mr. Abbot's four Sermons, 12ᵒ. 72 Mr. byfield's Light of Faith, 12ᵒ. 73— Signs of a Godly Man, 12ᵒ. 74— Essays concerning assurance of God's love and man's salvation. 75 Mr. Moulins Christians Combar, 12ᵒ. 76 The Marrow of Alchemy, octavo. 77 Mr. Yarrows Comforts for troubled Consciences, 12ᵒ. 78 Mr. Belks Scripture Enquiry or Helps for memory in duties of Piety, octavo. 79 Mr. Lawson of the Sabbath, 12ᵒ. 80 Mr. Typping of the Life of the Lady Hall, 12ᵒ. 81— The Preachers plea in defence of Tithes. 82— The Father's Counsel to his Son. 83 Major General Skippon of the Promises, 12ᵒ. 84— Observations and Resolutions, 24ᵒ. 85— Of Vows, 24ᵒ. 86 Wits Recreations, octavo. 87 Mr. jellinger Christ and his Saints spending their time together day and night, 12ᵒ. 88 Mr. Paul Bains Directions to a Godly life, 12ᵒ. 89— His Christian Letters, 12ᵒ 90 Mr. jemmats Rock or a settled heart in unsettled times, 12ᵒ. 91 The Doctrine of the Bible, 12ᵒ. 92 Mr. Nirmans' Watch-charged; or, A warning to God's Watchmen; a Sermon preached at a solemn Ordination and General Meeting of the Associated Ministers at Bridgwater, octavo. 93 Mr. Chetwind Christ's Commission Officer, or the Preachers Patent cleared, and people's plea considered, in a Sermon preached before the Associated Ministers of Christ, in the County of Somerset at a solemn Ordination. 94 Mr. Hartlibs Complete Husbandman, or a Discourse of the whole Art of Husbandry, both Foreign and Domestic, quarto. 95 English Presbyterian and Independent reconciled, quarto. 96 Gregorii Cura Pastoralis, octavo. 97 Willis Meditations, 12ᵒ. 98 Raleighs Meditation, 12ᵒ. 99 Ward de Magnete, 12ᵒ. 100 Dr. Burges Preservative against Popery, 12ᵒ. 101 Dents Path line for Parents, octavo. 102 Elegies on the Lord Vere, octavo. 103 Baxters Call to the Unconverted in Welch. 104 The Assemblies Catechism in Welch, octavo. 105 Catelyns Catechism in Welch, octavo. School Books. 106 Danelii Grammatica, quarto, 107 Herodianis Historia, octavo. Gr. Lat. octavo. 108 Brinslys Translation of Corderius, octavo. 109— Paeriles Confabulat. octavo. Engl. 110 Farnaby on Ovid. Metamorph. octavo. 111— On Juvenal, octavo. 112— Epigrammata selecta, octavo. Gr. Lat. 113 Gears Troposcematologia, octavo. 114 Viccars Rhetoric, 12ᵒ. 115 Helvici Colloquia, 12o. 116 Stockwodi Disputationes, 12o. 117 Skickardi Horologium Hebraicum, octavo. 118 Possel●i Apothegmata, 12o. 119 Ciceronis Epistolae selectae, 12o. 120 Aesopi Fabulae, 12o. Gr. octavo. Gr. & Lat. 121 Hesiodus Notis Schritelii, octavo. Gr. Lat. Books printed for, and sold by Joseph Cranford, at the Sign of the Castle and Lion, in St. Pauls-Church-yard. Books in Fol. THe Works of Joseph Hall, Bishop of Norwich. Dubartas' Divine Weeks and Works. Lexicon Anglo-Graeco-Latinum. Nov: Test. or a complete Alphabetical Concordance of all the words contained in the New Testament, both English, Greek, and Latin, in three distinct Tables, viz. The 1 English, 2 Greek, 3 Latin, whereby any word may be rendered into Greek and Latin, English and Latin. Greek and English. Together with the several significations, etymons, derivations, force, and emphasis, and divers acceptations, in Scripture of each word, as also the divers readings in English, Greek, and Latin, each annexed to their proper tables. By Andrew Sympson. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, or Divine Characters, in two parts, acutely distinguishing the more secret and undiscerned differences, between 1. The Hypocrite in his best dress of seeming Virtues and formal Duties, and the true Christian in his real grace and sincere Obedience; as also between 2. The blackest weeds of daily infirmities of the truly godly, eclipsing saving grace, and the reigning sins of the unregenerate, that pretend to that godliness they never had. By Samuel Crook, B. D. late Pastor of Wrington in Somersetshire, the Author of The Guide to true Blessedness. Remains of the Reverend Mr. William Fenner, Minister of Rochfort in Essex, being 1 A continuation of his Alarm to drowsy Saints. 2 A Treatise of effectual calling. 3 The kill power of the Law. 4 The Spiritual Watch. 5 The New Birth. 6 A Christians engrafting into Christ. 7 A Treatise of the Sabbath. In Quarto. Jus Divinum Ministerii Evangelici, or the Divine Right of the Gospel Ministry, by the Provincial Assembly of London. Bethshemeth clouded, or Animadversions on the Rabbinical Talmud of Rabbi John Rogers, wherein you have his Spirit Anatomised, Principles examined, and reasons in some measure refuted. By Zachariah Crofton, Minister of the Word at Buttolph's Algate, London. Refreshing streams flowing from the fullness of Jesus Christ, in several Sermons. By William Colvil, Minister of God's Word in Edinburgh. The Husband's Authority unveiled, wherein is moderately discussed, whether or no it be lawful for a good man to beat his bad Wife. The Crucifying of the World by the Cross of Christ. By Richard Baxter. A Treatise of Self-denial. By Tho. Wilson. The Crown of Righteousness, a Sermon at the Funeral of Tho. Hodges' Esq By Tho. Watson, Minister of God's Word at Stephens Walbrook, London. A late great Shipwreck of faith, a Sermon Preached by Daniel Cawdry, of Great Billing in Northamptonshire. Self-denial, A Sermon Preached to the Assembly of Divines, By Edward Reynolds D.D. Peace of Church, a Visitation Sermon, By Edward Reynolds D.D. Animalis Homo, five concio-lat. habita ad Academicos Oxonienses. Edwardo Reynolds. The Quakers Jesus, or the unswadling of that Babe James Naylor, which a wicked Toleration hath Midwived into the world, discovering the Principles of the Quakers in general; a Narrative of the substance of his Examinations, and his Disciples, as it was taken from his own mouth in their answer before the Magistrates of Bristol, also the management of it in Parliament. By William Grigge, Citizen of Bristol. An Exposition with practical Observations on the eighteenth, nineteenth, twentieth, and one and twentieth Chapters of the Book of Job, being forty two Lectures delivered in Magnus' Church near the Bridge. By Jos. Caryl preacher of the Word, and Pastor of the Congregation there. A Dispute between Walter Roswel and Richard Coppin. The Agreement of the Associated Ministers of Norfolk and Norwich concerning the public, and their resolutions to revive it in their several Congregations, together with some Explanatory discourses, declaring the particular grounds moving to the Agreement, expressed in the several Articles. An Exhortation to the members of their respective Congregations, exciting them to a submission to, and mutual Assistance of their Ministers in this Method of Instruction. quarto. The first General Epistle of St. John the Apostle, Unfolded and Applied in 37 Sermons, preached at St. Dyonis Back church by Nath. Hardy. The Second Part. A sad Prógnostick of Approaching Judgement. A Sermon preached at St. Gregory's. By Nath. Hardy. The Pilgrims Wish, or the Saints Longing. A Sermon preached at the Funeral of Mris Anne Dudson, Jan. 11. 1658. By Nath. Hardy. Man's last Journey to his Long home. Preached at the Funeral of the Right Honourable Robert Earl of Warwick, who died May 30. 1659. By Nath. Hardy. Several Sermons preached before the Parliament, By Alexander Henderson. George Gillespy— Miles Corbet.— A Paraphrase on the Canticles. By George Sands. The King's Cabinet opened. Large Octavo. Enchiridion Medicum, containing thr causes, signs, and cures of all those Diseases which do daily afflict the body of man, together with a Treatise De facultatibus medicamentorum & dofibus. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, or the sum of Practical Divinity, preached in the Wilderness, and delivered by our Saviour in his Sermon on the Mount, being observations on the fourth, fifth, sixth, and seventh Chpaters' of St. Matthew, to which is prefixed Prolegomena, or a Preface by way of Dialogue, wherein the perfection and perspicuity of the Scriptures is vindicated from the calumnies of Anabaptists and Papists. By Tho. White, Preacher of God's Word. Piscator in omnes Pauli Epistolas. God's Fearers are Gods Favourites, several Sermons. By Antho. Tucker. A practical Discourse of Prayer. By Tho. Cobbet. Records Arithmetic. Small Octavo. A Treatise of the power of godliness, consisting of three parts. 1. Wherein it consists. 2. Cautions against, and discovery of several mistakes and hindrances most common to the people of God. 3. Several means and helps for the attaining of it. By Tho. White. Directions and persuasions to a sound Conversion, for prevention of that deceit and damnation of Souls, and of those Scandals, Heresies, and desperate Apostasies, which are the consequents of a counterfeit and superficial change, being the first of those Books mentioned in the Call to the unconverted. By Richard Baxter. Confirmation and Restauration the necessary means of Reformation and Reconciliation, for healing of the corruptions and divisions of the Churches, submissively, but earnestly tendered to the consideration of the Sovereign Powers, Magistrates, Ministers and People, that they may awake, and be up and doing in the execution of so much as appears to be necessary, as they are true to Christ, his Church, and Gospel, and to their own and others Souls, and to the peace and welfare of these, and as they will answer the neglect to, etc. at their peril. By Richard Baxter. A Prospect of Eternity, or man's everlasting condition, opened and applied. By john Wells, Minister of Olaves jewry, London. Ovid's Festivals. The Arcadian Princess. By Rich. Brathwait Esq Truth's manifest. The Golden mean, or some serious considerations for a more full and frequent administration of, though not free admission unto the Sacrament of the Lords Supper. By Stephen Geree, Minister of Abinger in Surrey. In large twelves. Boccace's Tales, or the Quintessence of Wit, Mirth, Eloquence, and conversation framed in ten days out of an hundred curious Pieces, by seven Honourable Ladies, and three Noble Gentlemen, preserved to posterity by the renowned john Boccacio, the first refiner of the Italian prose. A Pattern of patience in ●he example of holy job, being a Paraphrase on the whole Book, as an expedient to sweeten the miseries of these never enough to be lamented times. The Abridgement of Christian Divinity. By Wolleb. Englished and enlarged by Alexander Ross. The Vanity of the Creature. By Edward Reinolds. In small twelves. A Call to the unconverted, to turn and live, and to accept of Mercy whilst mercy may be had, as ever they will find mercy in the day of their extremity, from the living God. By Rich. Baxter. Saint's solace. The sum of all. By Chibbal. Helvius Colloquies. The Protestants practice, or the Complete Christian▪ being the true and perfect way to the Celestial Canaan, necessary for the bringing up of Youth, and establishing the Old Christians in the faith of the Gospel. By a reverend Father of the Church of England. A method and instruction for the Art of Divine Meditation, together with instances of the several kinds of solemn meditation. By Tho White. The Church-sleeper awakened in two Sermons. By Ios. Eyre's, of Cork in Ireland. There is now in the Press a Practical Treatise of Mr. john Brinsly of Yarmouth, Entitled The drinking of the Bitter Cup, or the Hardest Lesson in Christ's School, learned and taught by himself, viz. Passive Obedience, wherein besides divers Doctrinal Truths of great Importance, many practical truths are held forth for the Teaching of Christians how to submit to their heavenly Father in suffering his Will both in Life and Death, patiently, obediently, and willingly, in octavo. AN EXPOSITION WITH NOTES Unfolded and Applied On JOHN 17. JOHN 17.1. These words spoke Jesus, &c▪ THE Words of such a friend who is likely to continue, take not so deep impression as his who is dying or departing. The last farewell of such a one as is dear in our affections is most observed, and best remembered. A secret winning and commanding power accompanies such parting passages; and hence our Saviour Christ was frequent in them, when he was ready to be offered up, and to be finally withdrawn from his disciples. They who left all for him; must needs be very much dejected to be left by him; And therefore he was wise and merciful to give them Comfort while he was among them, and to dispatch them down a Comforter from heaven when he was departed from them. Upon the first of these he spends no less than four chapters, all tending to confirm and fortify their hearts against the bitter trials and afflictions which they were to meet withal when he was gone. And this he doth by speaking to them, and by speaking for them. Both ways he seeks to strengthen them; by speaking to them in a way of consolation; by speaking for them in a way of supplication. The first of these he ends with the foregoing chapter, the latter he pursues in this; which I intent (with God's assistance) to go through withal; as I shall have ability and opportunity. And therefore in the entrance of this chapter it is said with reference to those which go before, These words spoke Jesus, These words he spoke to his disciples in a way of consolation. And then immediately is added what he spoke for his Disciples in a way of supplication. These words spoke Jesus, and lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, Father the hour is come, etc. So that this Chapter which I am to handle is the Lords prayer. From the beginning of it to the end, nothing but the Lords prayer. Not the Lord's prayer which he taught us, but the Lords prayer which he made for us. Not that which he propounded to us, as our pattern; but that which he presented for us, as our privilege. Whether this were the very prayer which he uttered in the garden, when he was in an Agony, is much disputed. Some think it was the very same for substance; and that it is set down more largely here, by John then by the rest of the Evangelists, because none of them were present, when Christ made that prayer, but he took Peter, James and John with him, as you may see, Mark 14.33. But this is but a mere fancy. For in the first verse of the following chapter, it is manifest that Christ went not to the garden till he had ended this prayer, john 18.1. When he had spoken these words, that is, the very prayer we are entering on, He went forth with his Disciples over the brook Cedron; where was a garden, into which he entered. Nor is it probable that our Evangelist, if he had given us the sum of that prayer, would wholly have omitted that which was the main petition in it, and which is so exactly mentioned by all the rest of the Evangelists, Father if it be possible let this Cup pass from me. Of which we have not the least hint in this Chapter: Besides it is to be observed, that our Saviour made that prayer in the garden lying prostrate upon the earth, as you may see, Mat. 26.39. He fell upon his face and prayed: Whereas the prayer we are now about to handle, was made, with face and eyes erect, and lifted up to Heaven. These words spoke jesus, and lift up his eyes to Heaven, and said, Father the hour is come, etc. So that this prayer of our Saviour was evidently, and unquestionably made, before his coming to the garden of Gethsemane, just as he was about to go thither. He had been swanlike singing out his dying song in the ears of his Disciples, for the space of three Chapters, and speaking many things to comfort them, being at the point to leave them. And having finished what he had to say, he shuts up all with this prayer, These words spoke jesus, and lifted up his eyes to Heaven, and said; which having ended, immediately away he goes, and is betrayed; As you may see in the beginning of the following chapter. You see then what a Subject we have now to handle; A prayer, and a prayer made by Christ, the great Highpriest, the Advocate and Intercessor of his people, and the last public, Solemn prayer that he made with his Apostles, and Disciples, just as he was about to suffer. He took his last farewell of them in this prayer, and therefore you must think it was a Spiritful, a zealous, and a pithy one. When he was going to be crucified, he took his leave in a long oration to them, which having done, he prayed among them, and so left them. And truly such a prayer made by such a one as Jesus Christ, at such a time, and on such an occasion, and among such a company, must needs be heavenly and ravishing, and therefore will deserve our best intention, both in handling, and in hearing. Christ was in heaven in his thoughts and his affections, when he made it, These things spoke jesus, and lifted up his eyes to heaven and said; The Lord in mercy grant that we may be in heaven, while we hear it. To make way to the handling of it, I shall consider three things; First, the transition to it. Then Secondly the gesture, and the carriage of our Saviour in it. Thirdly the substance, and the matter of it. First the transition to it, from the former chapter, These words spoke Jesus, these words expressed in the long discourse before. Then Secondly the gesture, and the carriage of our Saviour in it, he lifted up his eyes to heaven while he made it. Thirdly the substance; and the matter of it, and it is wholly for the Church, either for himself the head of the Church, in reference, and with relation to the Church, or for the members of the Church First, for himself the head of the Church, he desireth glorification, Father glorify thy Son, in the first verse of the chapter, and this in reference and with relation to the Church, as is apparent at verse 24. That they may behold his glory. Then Secondly, for the members of the Church, he desireth confirmation, and that either for the Apostles and Disciples then about him, the members of the present Church; Or else for those who were after to be called by their preaching, the members of the Church to come. In the first place he prays for the Apostles and Disciples then about him, the members of the present Church, who were already called and sanctified, at the sixth, and following verses, whom God had given him out of the world, I pray for them (saith he) I pray not for the world. In the Second place he prays for those who were after to be called by their preaching, the members of the Church that was to come, ver. 20. and so on to the conclusion of the Chapter, Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe in me through their word. So that this prayer of our Saviour Christ you see, is very full. It is for himself the head of the Church, And it is for the Church which is his body, of which alone he is the Saviour and the Intercessor. It is for the present Church, it is for the Church to come. It is for the Apostles and the Ministers, the officers and teachers of the Church. And it is for the ordinary members of the Church, who believe through their words. So that whoever appertaineth to the Church, let him live in what time he will, be he of what condition or estate he will, he hath a share in this prayer. We must begin with the transition to it, These words spoke Jesus. These words, what words? the words in the three Chapters next before, all tending to establish his Apostles and Disciples, which the Evangelist relates exactly for the comfort and confirmation of the Church of Christ, even to the world's end: and having done with the relation, he shuts it up with this, These word spoke Jesus, and so goes onward to his supplication. The point apparently suggested to us here, is this. DOCTRINE. The words that Jesus spoke are very fit to be commended to the choicest observation of his Church and people. And here they are so carefully, and so exactly gathered up by the Evangelist, and knit together in a chain, every Link of which is precious. And having laid them all together, he writes this under them, These words spoke Jesus. q●d. Take heed that you observe, and mark them well, they are the words, not of an ordinary man, but of the blessed Son of God, the great Prophet of the Church. These words were breathed from the lips of Jesus Christ himself, and therefore see that you take notice of them, and value them accordingly. These words spoke Jesus; indeed the sum and substance of the four Evangelists is but the history of Jesus Christ, of his words, and of his actions, and therefore Luke reduceth all that he hath written in his Gospel to these two heads, Acts 1.1. The former Treatise have I made O Theophilus of all that Jesus began both to do and teach. His treatise (as you see) consisted of these two things, either that which Jesus did, or else that which Jesus spoke; So that his sayings (as you see) are very memorable and remarkable, being by special revelation and direction of the Spirit put in writing, and so left upon record for the instruction and the consolation of his people to the world's end. You may observe what care is taken to gather up the words of Jesus, as they dropped from him upon all occasions, that none of them might perish and be lost; by which it is apparent they were things of worth and use, and fit to be preserved for posterity. And it is noted to the praise of Mary, that she kept his Say when others lost them, yea she kept all his say, and she kept them in her heart, that was the Cabinet in which she put them, when others valued them as things of nothing, and looked upon them but as lose words; And therefore she is set in opposition to them, john 2.5. They understood not the say which he spoke to them, but Mary kept all these say in her heart. She laid them near her heart as choice things. It was the promise of our Saviour Christ to his disciples, and one of the last he made them, and therefore certainly it was a precious one, that if they should forget the words that he had spoken to them, he would dispatch them down his spirit out of heaven, and this should be one great part of his business with them, to mind them of such words of his as were slipped out of their minds, joh. 14.26. The Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost shall come, and he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to remembrance whatsoever I have said to you. By which it is apparent that the words which Jesus spoke are very fit, etc. And this will yet appear more fully and distinctly to you, if you consider but these three things: First whose the words were. Then what the words were. Thirdly, the manner how the words were spoken. As for the first of these, if you consider whose the words were, you will discern them to be very fit to be commended to the choicest observation of the Church. The author of them, if you look no further, will purchase them so much credit. They are the words that Jesus spoke, as you have in my text; And shall that which Jesus spoke, any thing which he delivered, be thought unworthy of the notice of his people? Why what was Jesus, that the words that dropped from him must be so highly valued, and esteemed? My brethren, if you look upon him upwards, with relation to the father; or if you look upon him downwards, with relation to the Church, you will see enough for this, on all hands. 1. If you look upon him upwards, with relation to the father, you will see reason why his words should be Commended to the choicest observation of his Church and people. He is the fathers own son. But you will say, wise fathers have very often weak children. But Jesus Christ is so his father's son, that he partaketh with him of his wisdom, it is poured out into him in abundance. And therefore he is sometimes called the wisdom of the father in the abstract, as see, 1 Cor. 1.24. jesus Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God. And if he be so very wise you may be sure he spoke wise words, and wise words are worth the marking. In him are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge, Col. 2.3. And out of question what he bringeth forth is of the treasure that is hid in him. 2. But in the next place, if you look upon him downwards, with Relation to the Church, you will see further reason why the words that Jesus spoke, should be so exactly noted, and so carefully observed. As he is the father's wisdom, so he is made to us wisdom, as the Apostle Paul speaks, 1 Cor. 1.30. His father hath appointed him to be the great Prophet of of his Church. The great preacher, the greater revealer of his truth and will to men, and therefore out of question he can speak well, and his words are worth the marking. You may be sure the father would not send out such a Prophet to the Church as were not worth the listening to. No, no, God hath anointed me to preach, faith Christ himself, Luke 4.18. not appointed me to preach, but anointed me to preach, endued me with abilities and gifts for that office, God who in former times (saith the Apostle) spoke to the fathers by the Prophets, hath in these latter days spoken to us by the Son. He was designed, you see, to be the spoksman for the father to the world, to tell them what his mind is, and to preach the Gospel to them. We that are ordinary preachers of the Gospel, we that are underlings to Christ in this business, must be enabled with some competent ability in this respect, or else we are not fit for this work. And therefore when our Saviour sent out his disciples, he promised to give them wisdom, and a mouth; that is, matter and expression, Luke 21.15. wisdom within, together with a mouth to utter and to bring forth that wisdom. To show that both of these must go together in a preacher of the Gospel. I know there is a latitude to be admitted and allowed in this regard, but yet a competent ability to speak so as the people may be edified by it, is indisputably required. And if the under-ministers of Christ must have such a faculty, how great ability then must their Master have? Who was designed to be the great Preacher, the great Prophet, and (as the Apostle styles him) the chief Bishop of our Souls. And if he had such a transcendent faculty to speak, then certainly the words he spoke are fit to be commended, etc. Then secondly, if you consider as whose the words were, so in the next place what the words were; you will allow them to be worthy of our choicest observation. What the words were that Jesus spoke, either for the matter of them, or for the efficacy of them, let us a little weigh them in their order, and we shall see they both help to this business. 1. The words of Jesus, for the matter of them, commonly were Gospel words. Such were the words to which my text alludes, in the three chapters next before, full of nothing else (my brethren) but Gospel-sweetness, Gospel-Promises, and Gospel-consolation against approaching troubles and afflictions, these were the words that Jesus spoke. Christ in a sense (my brethren) was the first, and certainly the chiefest preacher of the Gospel; this great Salvation, at the first, began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed afterwards by them that heard him, Heb. 2.3. And hence the Gospel, (as you know) is called Christ's saying, John 8.51. The Law was the father's saying. God spoke these words. The Gospel is the Sons saying, This was spoken by the Son. And hence saith Christ in the fore-alledged text, if a man keep my saying he shall never see Death. So that the say and the words of Jesus are very fit to be considered: For his; you see, are Gospel-saying, and Gospel say are worthy of all acceptation, as the Apostle tells you, 1 Tim. 1.15. Indeed Law-saying are not so readily attended to, and entertained. You know (my brethren) on mount Sinai, at the giving of the Law, there were thunderings, and lightnings, and terrible voices, and the event, and issue was, the people fled, and would not hear, they were not able to endure the noise. But Gospel-saying on the other side allure affection, and invite attention. Upon mount Tabor where our Saviour was transfigured there was a shining Sun, a bright cloud, a gentle and a pleasing voice, and the Disciples said, Edificemus Domine, Let us build here, etc. 2. And as the words of Jesus for the matter of them were Gospel-words, so for the efficacy of them, they were saying words; and so in that respect, the words that Jesus spoke are very fit to be commended etc. The words that I speak, saith our Saviour to the Jews, are spirit and life, John 6.63. they are so in their operation and effect, they give Spirit, and they work life: And who would not attend unto, and entertain such words as these are? His saying, if it be received and kept, will surely save a man from death, yea, from eternal death. We may depend upon it, he binds it with a strong asseveration, which he repeats twice for the more Surety, john 8.51. Verily verily I say unto you, if a man keep my saying, he shall never see death Death is not visible, the meaning is, he shall not be annoyed and hurted by it; as you have the like Expression, Jer. 5.12. We shall not see sword nor famine. And should not such words be commended to the Church, and embraced by the Church, as save from death, and bring eternal life with them? The setting down of which upon Record in holy Scripture, and leaving them to aftertimes, hath been the life of many souls, and will be yet of many more in every age, even to the world's end. If you consider in the last place, as whose the words were, and what the words were that Jesus spoke, so the manner how he spoke them; you will see further reason yet, why they should be commended, etc. For this you may depend upon, Never man spoke like him. It is the attestation that is given him, John 7.46. Which coming from his enemies, the officers that went to take him, is of the more validity, Never spoke man like this man. Grace was poured into his lips, as the expression is, Psalm 45.2. to show us that the grace there mentioned, is a gift of utterance, and a faculty of speech whereof the lips are instruments. They are the lips that form the words we speak, and bring them forth to those that hear them; and hence this gift of utterance which the Psalmist calls a Grace, is said there to be poured into the Lips of Jesus Christ. There was a stream of holy eloquence continually flowing there, which sometimes even drowned them that heard him. He spoke with power and authority; his words had the command of men's affections, so that he carried them where he pleased. Indeed he carried them beyond themselves in wonder, and astonishment, to hear him speak sometimes as he did, Mar. 1.22. They were astonished at his doctrine, not only at the matter of it, though that were admirable too, but at the manner of delivery, For he taught them as one that had authority, and not as the Scribes. And Luke informs us that all men bore him witness, and gave testimony to him, he was so famous and renowned for this gift of his; and wondered at the gracious words that proceeded out of his mouth, Luke 4.22: You heard but now that grace was poured into his lips, and here you see, that grace was poured out of his lips. God poured it in, and he as freely poured it out, so as the people wondered at the gracious words that proceeded out of his mouth. Such were the words that Jesus spoke, and such words you will say, are very fit for choicest observation, and attention. The gift of eloquence (my brethren) calls for audience, especially such heavenly and Holy eloquence as Christ's is. And thus much shall suffice for Confirmation, etc. Now is it so (my Brethren) that the words that Jesus spoke are very fit to be commended, etc. Use. Then let them be received with choicest observation by his Church, and People. Let them not undervalue any of the words that Jesus spoke, but let them entertain them with a very high esteem. There have been some of late who have slighted those words, who have been bold to call them inky divinity, a dead letter, and the like; And yet our Saviour Christ himself tells us, The words that I speak are Spirit and Life, john 6.63. Oh (my beloved) I beseech you let every one of us be far from giving way to any mean account, or slight thoughts of any words that Christ spoke; Let us keep up our observation, our estimation, our admiration of them to the very highest. It's true (my Brethren) we should carefully attend, and duly mark all Scripture words, For all the Scripture is given by inspiration of God, 1 Tim. 3.16. And all the Scripture is profitable for ourselves, for Doctrine, for Correction, for Instruction, to make the man of God perfect, as it is added there in that place. But the words that Jesus spoke are the choicest part of Scripture, and therefore must have choicest observation. Never man, and what if I should say, never inspired man spoke like to him, they came not fully home to his measure: They had the spirit indeed, and so had he, but he received not the Spirit by measure as they did. He was anointed with that oil above his fellows; though not without them, yet above them, as the chief Prophet, and they the under-Prophets of the Church. And therefore when we read, or hear, or meet with any words that Christ spoke, let us take special notice of them, let us fix and dwell upon them, and let them rest and dwell in us. Let the words of Christ dwell in us Richly, let us have an eye to mark them, an ear to hear them, and a heart to keep them, as Mary had, of whom it is observed that she kept all his say in her heart. How carefully did the Apostle keep that which our Saviour spoke, though it be not where mentioned in the Gospel, and wishes other men to do so too, Acts 20.35. Remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, It is more blessed to give then to receive, and so he mindeth the Corinthians in a special manner of that which Christ himself spoke with his own voice, not by the Ministry of others, 1 Cor. 7.10. To the married I command, and yet not I, but the Lord, not I as an Inspired Apostle, but the Lord with his own mouth when he was conversant upon the earth: as if the words that dropped immediately from his lips did challenge singular regard. And such regard, my brethren, let them have from us when we meet with his prayers, his sermons, his say, let us set Asterisks in the Margin, and the finger of a hand to point them out to special observation. Let us write under them, as the Evangelist doth in my Text, These words spoke Jesus▪ Its true (my brethren) we have not the happiness as some have had in former times to wait upon the Lips of Jesus Christ, nor to hear the graci● words that dropped thence: yet we may hear him in a sense at this Day●●e may hear him in his word, and in his Gospel, and there may be Partan of these streams of holy Eloquence which flowed from his mouth▪ and 〈◊〉 may hear him in his faithful Ministers, concerning whom the Lord himself hath said, He that heareth them, hears me: And out of question, that Injunction of the father, yet takes hold upon us, This is my bes●ed Son, hear him. Hear him in his writing, and hear him in his Messen●ers, although you cannot hear him in his own person. And therefore I beseech you let us hear him, and let us hear him so, as to be obedient to him. Let us remember what a dreadful curse there is gone forth against the men that will not hear this Prophet, which will assuredly take hold upon them, Acts 3.23. Every Soul that will not hear that Prophet, shall be destroyed from among the people. It was a dangerous thing (you hear) to refuse to hear Moses: He that despised Moses Law was to die without mercy. But it is much more dangerous to refuse to hear Christ, there is a sorer punishment for such, as it is added there, Heb. 10.28. It went very hard with those who refused the word that was spoken by Angels (that is) the Law that was delivered by the Ministry of Angels. But if we refuse the word that was spoken by Christ, (that is) the Gospel, and do it finally, there is but one way with us, we are gone without recovery. For if the word spoken by Angels was steadfast (for the execution of it) and every transgression and disobedience, etc. How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation, which was spoken by the Lord! And therefore I beseech you let us hear this great Prophet; if we hear him not, we die, and that without mercy too. But if we hear him, and obey him we shall live, and that for ever. The words that he speaks are spirit and life, and if we keep his say, we shall never see Death. John 17.1. And lift up his eyes to heaven and said. AND thus of the transition to our Saviour's Supplication, These words spoke jesus. The manner of presenting it to God the Father, or if you will, the carriage of our Saviour in it, comes now in order to be handled. He lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said. And here you have his gesture, and expression. His gesture first, he lifted up his eyes to heaven while he made it. And in the next place his expression, he did not meditate, or think it only, but he said it, his Prayer was not mental only, but it was a vocal prayer, He lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said. As for the first of these (my brethren) it was usual with our Saviour to pray with eyes erected, and lift up to heaven; as I might give you many instances out of the Scripture. And out of question it proceeded from the zeal and earnestness of his affections, and from the fixedness, and the intention of his thoughts, he being as it were, withdrawn from the earth, and from those lower things, and wholly taken up to heaven, while he prayed. He was no longer here below, no, he was above with God, while he was exercised in this duty. Indeed it is observed of the Publican, that he was contrary to Christ, in this regard, viz. in the external gesture of his body. Our Saviour prayed, as you have heard, with eyes erected, and lift up to heaven; The Publican with eyes dejected and cast downward to the earth, and yet this carriage also seems to be approved, Luke 18.13. The Publican (says the Evangelist) would not lift up so much as his eyes to heaven, but smote his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a Sinner. And truly both these gestures have their use in prayer, the one to manifest a repentance, the other to declare our faith. The one to show that we are cast down in ourselves, the other to discover that we are raised, and lifted up to God. But it became not jesus Christ to pray in such a posture as that wretched creature did, because he had no sin in him, and consequently no shame, nothing to cast him down or hinder him from looking up with boldness, and with confidence to God the Father. And hence he prayed not like the Publican in a dejected way, but lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said. That leads us to the second thing considered, Christ did not meditate, or think his prayer only, but he said it. His prayer was not mental only, but it was a vocal prayer, he lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, Father, the hour is come, and so on: It's true indeed that as a man may say, and yet not pray, he may utter good petitions, and speak a form of Specious words to God, and yet he may not pray indeed, so as to find acceptance and success with God: So on the other side, a man may pray, and yet yet not say, that is, not use the voice at all, nor utter any words to God in prayer. And therefore it is said of Moses, that he cried to God, when he was silent. And the Apostle speaking of the Spirit tells us that he makes request to God sometimes, with sighs and groans, that are not, yea, that cannot be expressed, Rom. 8.26. So that a man may make request to God without expression, as well by meaning as by speaking: And therefore it is added in the following verse, God knows the meaning of the Spirit, that is, he understands it, and accepts it. David prefers the meditation of his heart, as well as the petitions of his mouth, Psal. 19 ult. Let the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart, etc. And therefore in another place, he saith of God, Lord, thou hast heard the desire of the humble, Psalm 10.17. So that you see that Prayer is not tied to the expression of the tongue; For even Ejaculations that are swift, and sudden wishes darted from the heart to God, the inward anhelations, thirstings, long, meditations, meanings of the Soul, are honoured in the Scripture with the name of prayer. Such mental prayers we have cause to think our Saviour sometimes offered to his Father when he was alone. But here his prayer, it should seem, was vocal, he uttered it aloud that his Apostles and Disciples who were about him, at that time, might hear it. He lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said. Now, this you see the Holy-Ghost takes special notice of, as a remarkable, and a memorable thing. He doth not only tell us, that our Saviour prayed, and what his prayer was, from the beginning of it to the end. But he acpuaints us also with the manner, and the circumstances of his prayer. He shows us what his gesture was, he tells us how he placed his eyes, and how he used his voice in prayer. These things may seem but small matters, and we may look upon them as petty, inconsiderable things: But wherefore doth the Holy Ghost so carefully take notice of them, and set them down in writing for the Church, unless they be of some weight, and some consideration? Methinks he intimateth thus much to us. DOCTRINE. That there should be Consideration had, not only of the matter, but even of the circumstances, the very gesture, and the utterance of a prayer. The Spirit of God, you see, doth not let pass such things as these, no, he observeth them exactly; And therefore surely, so should we too. He sets them down for our use, and there is somewhat to be learned from them; For whatsoever things are written, are written for our learning, as the Apostle Paul speaks. And therefore it is usual in the Scripture, not only to express the prayers that the Saints have made, and that Christ himself hath made, but also to describe their outward carriage, and behaviour in them, which shows that there is something even in that too. Sometimes our Saviour Christ is noted to cast himself prostrate upon the earth in prayer, as you may see, Mat. 26.39. he fell upon his face, and prayed. And sometimes to look up to heaven, as you have it in my text; So also when he raised Lazarus, John 11.41. he lifted up his eyes; and when he healed the deaf man, he looked up to heaven, Mark 7.34. Sometimes he only sigheth to himself in prayer, and we hear of no expression in the sore-alleadged text. He Sighed, you must conceive in some petition which he then put up to God, and said to the deaf man, Epphatah, be opened. Sometimes he utters words also, which are audible to others, as I might give you divers instances out of his story in the Gospel. So for the Saints, sometimes we find them represented sitting, as holy David, 2 Sam. 7.18. Sometimes standing up, as, Neh. 9.2. and sometimes kneeling in their Prayers, as that is very usual in the Scriptures. Sometimes we find them speaking words in prayer, and sometimes using meditation only, as David so divides his prayer in the fore-alleadged text, into the words of his mouth, and the meditations of his heart, and prays that both may find acceptance with the Lord, Psal. 19 ult. And all these ways the holy Ghost takes special notice of, and leaves upon record for our instruction, by which he teaches us that there should be consideration had not only of the matter, but even of the circumstances, etc. What then, it may be you will ask me, do our gestures, or doth the manner of presenting our requests to God, the outward manner with the voice, or otherwise, fall under the command of God? Are we expressly bound to pray in such a posture, in such a way, or manner of expression? Do these external circumstances appertain to God's worship? I answer, No, in no case, the difference is wide between the bodily exercise, and the Spiritual service. We are not under any ceremonial Law that binds us to an outward circumstance, to a place, or to a posture, as the Jews of old were. And yet there should be due consideration had, not only of the matter, but even of the circumstances, etc. and that especially upon these two grounds. For, These outward circumstances may in case promote the spiritual service. Reason 1 The very gesture, or the utterance of a prayer, may help sometimes to raise and quicken the affection, which is the life and Soul of prayer. Our hearts are naturally dead, and stupid, and profane, and stand in need of all good outward helps to stir up zeal, and reverence, and devotion in them. And to this end, they have been used by the Saints in Scripture, and that not only in their public, but even in their private, and their secret prayers, when their submiss and humble gestures could have no influence upon other men; And consequently had no other use, but to help their own hearts. As Daniel was exact in this, even in his chamber, and it is carefully recorded, Dan. 6.10. He kneeled upon his knees three times a day and prayed. He prayed three times a day, and still he was in this posture. And it is noted of our Saviour that he kneeled down and prayed, Luke 22.10. and this was in Private too. So that he did it not with reference to others; and therefore a most eminent and worthy man observeth, that undoubtedly he saw he needed it himself: And if that be admitted, assuredly we need such helps and furtherances much more. These outward circumstances if they do not further, yet they express Reason 2 the spiritual service. They testify the sorrow, the humility, the affection, and the devotion of the heart, and the reverence of the soul. As in my text, our Saviour's lifting up his eyes to heaven, discovered where his heart was. And therefore, humble gestures are especially required in public worship, because God will be honoured in the sight of others, yea, they are sometimes put for all his service, Rom. 14.11. As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me. And seeing hypocrites in matter of the worship and the service of the Lord, are always ready to pretend they have as good hearts as the very best; Therefore the Lord is wont to call so often, and so earnestly for the external Service of the body, and that in the new Testament as well as in the old, as you may see that place for instance, 1 Cor. 6.20. Glorify God (saith the Apostle there) and that not in your Spirit only, but in your body also, which is Gods. Use 1 Now is it so, that there should be consideration had not only of the matter, but even of the circumstances, etc. Then, First it serves to let them see their error, and mistake, who utterly neglect such things as these are; who take no notice of their outward carriage in such holy duties, but rather look upon it as a thing below the observation of a Christian, who should be wholly, and entirely taken up with their spiritual service; And yet as you have heard, the Holy-Ghost takes notice of a gesture, a cast of the eye in Prayer; and sets it down in white and black, we need not doubt, for our information. I must confess the great defect is on the other side, men are employed so much about the form, the surface, and the outside of religious duties many times, that they neglect the main business; Their thoughts are exercised so far about the gesture of their body, the composure of their words, the framing of their voices, and the like, especially in public prayer, that they have no regard at all to the inward and spiritual service. The outward work is infinitely more easy, and there is much more ostentation in it: And hence it is that the greater part of men are wholly taken up with that which they themselves can do, and being done, procure them most applause from other men. But yet their placing all in forms, and outsides, and minding nothing else in holy duties, doth not justify at all our running off to the Extreme upon the other side. No it is possible that even as hypocrites and rotten-hearted wretches may be so intent upon the outside, that they have no regard unto the inside; So on the other side the holiest and sincerest Christians, may be so intent upon the inside, that they have no regard at all unto the outside. They may so far look after the affection, and the zeal, and the devotion of the heart (which is indeed the main thing to be looked to) that they may have no thought at all of the External circumstances of their prayers, the gesture, or the manner of their utterance, which are Considerable notwithstanding (as I have made it plain enough) and therefore to be wholly careless of them is a failing, yea though it should be in the best of God's people. Use 2 And therefore in the second place, let me persuade you to think such outward circumstances worthy of your thoughts, the very gesture, and the utterance of your prayers. Let there be due consideration had of such things as these are. I would by no means hinder you from having your especial eye on that whereon the eye of God is most, when you are making your approaches, and addresses to him. I mean the carriage of the soul and spirit, the inward fervour and humility, affection, and devotion of the heart, without which all the rest is worth nothing; But yet let not the gesture of your bodies, the utterance of your voice in prayer be utterly neglected by you, concerning both of which, because I find them in my Text, I shall give you some directions. As for the gesture of your bodies, I shall commend these few things. We are not bound to all the selfsame gestures, which were in use among the people of the Lord of old; we read that Joshua and the Elders when they were routed at the Siege of Ai, and came before the Ark of God to pray, they rend their and put dust upon their heads, Joshua 7.16. And Hezekiah when he came into the house of God to pray, at the time when Senacherib besieged Jerusalem, he rend his , and put on Sackcloth, Isa. 37.1. And this they did, not that these fashions were appropriated to the worship of the Lord, but because they were in use in those times and those places, to express their grief by; So in the selfsame place in Joshua, they fell down to the ground upon their faces when they prayed. And so did Jesus Christ himself, as you may see, Mat. 26.39. Not that this gesture was peculiar to this piece of service, but it was taken from the civil usage of the Country, because this was their way of showing reverence to superiors, as you may see, Ruth 2.10. And therefore we do well and suitably to the directions and examples of the Scripture, that we take up such gestures only in our prayers as are usual in our Country, to express our sorrow and dejection, or else our civil reverence and respect by. Those reverend gestures which we use in prayer should be most observed in public. There may more liberty be taken in private, and in secret, then there may in public and open prayer, both in the use of outward gesture, and in the forbearance of them. Some gestures may be used in private prayer which would become us ill in public, in which we should not go remarkably beyond the rest of the Assembly for fear and danger of hypocrisy: And gestures on the other side may be forborn in some case in private prayer, which yet in public ought not to be so; For evermore in public (as far as it is possible) our gesture must be such as may express some reverence, and devotion, that we may honour God before the People, and that our outward posture may not carry in it an appearance of a sleight esteem of God, and of his service; whereas in private there is greater freedom, because indeed there is no need of such Caution. But thirdly this must be continually heeded both in public, and in private, that the gestures which we use be such, as that we do not hinder, but rather further the spiritual service. It were far better to abate of the reverence of our gesture, than the affection of our heart. It were far better for a man to stand in prayer, then that by the disease and trouble of the other posture he should be distracted, and consequently his devotion, and his heart should fall. That may be allowed the weak in this regard, which would not be convenient in the strong. The bodily exercise; be it of what kind it will, is but a means to the spiritual service. The end is better than the means; and must be more regarded than the means. I must not use the means but for the end, so far as they are serviceable to the end. And much less, must I use the means against the end. We must be very wary that the outward gesture (especially in public prayer) do not exceed the inward affection, and that we make not show of more without then there is indeed within; for if we do, there is hypocrisy; Such duties are not done in truth, when there is more in show, and in appearance, than there is in substance. If either of the two be lower than the other, it were far better that the outward expression were lower than the inward affection, then that the inward, etc. It were far better that the gesture came short of the heart, then that the heart, etc. It is not good to compass God about with lies, mere shows do never please in his service. This for the gesture of your bodies when you pray: A word or two for your direction touching the use, or the omission of the voice in prayer, etc. And here the first thing that I offer is, Those prayers that are public, whether in the family, or the assembly, wherein one is the mouth of many to the Lord, must of necessity be vocal: so was our Saviour's in my text, you see, he prayed with his Apostles and Disciples, and therefore did no only form a prayer in his heart, but expressed it with his mouth; he did not only think, but speak, that they might hear. He lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said. The voice is not of absolute necessity in private prayer; For however men, who having bodies are endued with ears and senses, know not our meaning, otherwise then by our words, yet God who is himself a spirit, knows the meaning of our spirits. Sighs may find audience, and acceptance with him; inward and mental supplications may be in some case more fit than vocal. But yet, if other circumstances will permit, in which your Christian prudence must direct you, use your voices. We shall observe it to have been the usual practice of the Saints to speak in prayer, yea, in private prayer, as our Saviour did, Mark 10.39. God made the tongue aswel as other members of the body, and therefore will be served with this, as well as them. And so the Prophet David praised God with the best member that he had, which some expound to be his tongue. And therewith bless we God, saith the Apostle James 3.9. It is sometimes a quickening to the heart, and stirreth up the dead affections to greater fervency, and zeal, which by continuing in a mental supplication would be apt to languish and decay; It keepeth in the heart from wand'ring, by binding it to give exact attendance on the tongue, to furnish it with matter and expression; whereas in mental prayer, it is more apt to slide away, and run a roving unobserved. Howbeit here I shall not peremptorily prescribe; in certain cases to omit the voice is more expedient, and therefore I shall shut up all, and leave it to your Christian prudence to direct you, to pitch upon that way and method of presenting your requests to God, which ye will find most to conduce to the affectionate, spiritual and heavenly performance of the duty. And thus of the transition to our Saviour's supplication, together with the manner of presenting it to God the Father, both his gesture and expression. Proceed we now to enter on the Prayer which he makes; and here I shall take notice only of these two things, the Object of it, and the parts of it. The Object of it, or the Person whom he presents it to, you see, is God the Father: or to come a little nearer, God his Father, so he styles him in the entrance of his Prayer, Father, the hour is come, etc. and the same phrase he uses all along, as you shall see, if you survey it from the beginning of it to the end. Indeed, he gives him once the attribute of Holy, and once the attribute of Righteous Father, but this is still the appellation that he uses, and from whence he never varies. If he calls him any thing, he calls him Father. And in this notion he considers him, while he is putting up his prayer to him; and therefore this you see (my brethren) is the first word that he uses, when he sets himself to pray, Father, the hour is come, etc. I make these addresses to thee, as a Father, I look upon thee as a Father still, while I am pouring out my prayer to thee; and therefore he reviews the appellation ever and anon, on all occasions; so that the point to be observed is this. DOCTRINE. God is the Father of the Lord Christ, and so he apprehended him, and looked upon him, when he was making his Petitions to him. The point, you see, hath two branches: First, God is the Father of the Lord Christ; then Christ did look upon him as a Father, and apprehend him as a Father, when he was making his Petition to him. God is the Father of the Lord Christ; I shall not waste away my time to prove it, it is so clearly, and expressly taught in Scripture every where: you shall observe them often owning one another under the relation of a Father, and a Son. Sometimes the Father owns our Saviour for his Son, and this he doth by an immediate attestation out of heaven itself, Mat. 3.17. Lo, a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son: Me thinks he seems to point him out, to special observation, This is he. Sometimes our Saviour on the other side acknowledges, and owns the Father, and this is very usual upon all occasions. But how is God the Father of the Lord Christ? or in what sense doth he call him Father here? no otherwise then we do? this will need a little opening. To clear it to you in a word or two, you must consider, that God the Father hath two sorts of sons, either he hath sons made, or else he hath sons begotten. He hath sons made, and that both by Creation and Adoption. First, he is said to be a Father by Creation; and thus he hath a kind of universal Fatherhood to all the Creatures. And therefore the Apostle styles him, the Father of all, Eph. 4.6. He is in this regard, the Father of our bodies, and the Father of our Spirits; The Father of our bodies mediately and virtually Created, in the loins of Adam. The Father of our Spirits, immediately, and actually infused by himself; with this distinction only, that there are men, who, under him, are the Fathers of our Flesh; but he himself alone is the Father of our Spirits, as the Apostle lays it down, Heb. 12.9. And in this sense, he is the Father of the Angels, who were immediately framed, and created by his own Almighty hand, and therefore are called the sons of God, Job 1.6. This Fatherhood of God (as I have said) is universal, and all the Creatures have a share in it; so that even all of them may call him Father too, as well as we, and use the Prophet's words, Mal. 2.10. Have we not all one Father? hath not one God created us? And thus, our Saviour as a Creature, hath an interest in the Fatherhood of God. And here he hath an Interest above others, though not an interest without others, For he is the firstborn of every Creature, as the Apostle Paul speaks, Col. 1.15. And as this Father hath his Sons made by creation, so he hath Sons made by Adoption, by which a remnant of Mankind are set apart, out of the free and undeserved Grace of God, to be the children, and the heirs of God. And here I see not, why our Saviour Christ, as Man, should not come in for one of the Adopted Sons of God; for one (I mean) above the rest, though not for one among the rest; so that he hath his Privilege in this regard, as the Apostle intimates, Eph. 1.5. God hath predestinated us to the adoption of Children by jesus Christ. Perhaps the meaning may be this, first he hath adopted Christ as man, and as a creature, and then he hath adopted us by him, as part of Jesus Christ, and as Members of his body. And as this Father hath his Sons made, both by creation, and adoption: so he hath his sons begotten, and his sons born; for both of these expressions we shall find in Scripture. He hath begotten us, saith the Apostle Peter, 1 Pet. 1.3. Of his own will begat he us, Jam. 1.18. And whosoever loves him that begat, loves him that is begotten, 1 John 5.1. And thus, our Saviour also is begotten of the Father; and here he hath his privilege, and his pre-eminence as well as in the rest; For he is the first-begotten of the Father, Heb. 1.6. when he bringeth in the first begotten into the world: herein he is above Men, yea he is above Angels: For unto which of the Angels said he at any time, Thou art my Son, this day, etc. And when he bringeth in, &c, he saith, And let all the Angels, etc. It's true, that even we that are his Children are begotten, as Christ is; he is begotten from eternity, but we in time. He is begotten so that he partaketh of his substance, and of his very essence, that begets him: We are indeed partakers of the Divine nature, but not by communication of the Essence of God, but by participation of the properties of God. He is begotten of the Father personally taken, whereas none of us are so. It's true we are the Sons of God, begotten by an Act without, but we are not the Sons of God the Father (taken as distinct from both the other persons of the Godhead) begotten by an act within, as Christ is. He is begotten by a proper and peculiar act of God the Father, in an unspeakable communication of the Essence of the Godhead from the Father to the Son, which we are better able to admire then to express; for as the Prophet saith, who can declare his generation? And this for clearing of the former member of the point, God is the Father of the Lord Christ. Now for the second, that Christ did look upon him as a Father, and apprehend him as a Father when he was making his Petitions to him. You see it evidently, and demonstratively in my Text. This is the appellation that he gives him in this prayer, all along, as I have noted to you heretofore. It's true, that God is frequently in Scripture styled the God of Christ, as see the place, etc. Psal. 45.7. God even thy God; and Christ doth sometimes call him his God, as john 20.17. I ascend to my God, but to the best of my remembrance he never calls him so in prayer. He comes not to him by the name of his God, but by the name of his Father, that is the sweet, and precious name that he delights to call him by, when he is pouring out his prayers to him. I shall add no more for proof, the point is plain, God is the father of the Lord Christ, and so he apprehended him, etc. Is God the Father of the Lord Christ? this then may serve for sweet Use. 1 and precious consolation to the Saints, and to those that are in Christ. For if God be Christ's Father, than he is their Father too: And this our Saviour Christ himself acknowledges to his Disciples for their comfort. I ascend to my Father, and your Father. My Father, but so that he is yours too: first mine, and then yours. My interest indeed, in this respect, is somewhat higher and above yours, but it is not without yours: nay, to say truth, my interest is for yours. God is my Father that he may be yours in me. Oh my beloved, what melting joy and comfort is here for every member of the Lord Christ, in regard of this relation; I give you but a hint in three particulars. First, being the sons of God in Christ, we may be sure that he will hear us in, and by, and through Christ. He always hears his son Christ, and never puts him off with a denial; Thou art my son, this day, etc. Ask of me, and I will give thee. Psal. 2.7. and this our Saviour Christ himself professes, Iohn ●1. 4. and as the Father always hears his son Christ, so he doth always hear his Sons in Christ. And truly, if the first be once admitted, the latter follows avoidable. For Christ the eldest Son is intercessor for his brethren; in all their regular requests he never faileth to put in with them: so that they cannot be denied, unless he be denied too; Christ and they must either stand or fall together. Secondly, being Sons of God in Christ, we may be confident he will provide for us. He hath provided very well for Christ, he is not his Son only, but he is his Heir too; yea, he is heir of all without exception, Heb. 1.2. And as Christ is the Son and Heir of God, so we are sons and heirs of God in Christ: there is not a younger brother of us. Thou art no more a servant but a son, Gal. 4.7. And if a son, than an heir of God through Christ. If Sons of God through Christ, than Heirs of God through Christ too. If we be sons, than also heirs, Rom. 8.17. yea we are heirs of all as Christ is; and therefore it is added presently, Heirs of God, joint-heirs with Christ. Jesus Christ as Mediator, is not Heir to any thing, but we are joint-heirs, and have a joynt-right with him; there is an Inventory of our riches, 1 Cor. 3.21. Thirdly, being Sons of God, we may be confident he will protect us; Fathers use to protect their children, if they can; God can, and therefore will. As Naomi laid ruth's child in her bosom, Ruth 4.16. so God lays his children, Isa. 4.11. and that is certainly a safe place. And as the Eagle spreads her wings over her young, and carries them upon her wings, Prov. 32. 1●. so God throws his children under the wings of his protection, and carries them above the reach of danger. This is very sweet comfort; be your troubles what they will, you have a Father that is able to secure you, that is very tender of you, that hath set a guard upon you, Heb. 1. ult. Psal. 34.7. John 17.1. Father the hour is come. Use. 2 IS God the Father of the Lord Christ? And consequently Christ the Son of God the Father? Why then I say, as the Apostle, He is the Lord of all, Gal. 4.1. He is not a servant in the house, but a Son over the house, Heb. 3.6. And therefore he must be obeyed, and served, according to the Psalmists Exhortation, Psal. 2.11. Serve the Lord. Well then, my brethren, let us think of this, and let us hearken to that Counsel and advice of Christ himself, Take my yoke, my service on you. Brethren let me engage you all this day for this Lord, and his service, let me persuade you to receive him for the Lord your righteousness. Not to call him Lord only, but to take him for your Lord, and to use him as your Lord, and to yield him all that service and obedience which the name calls for. Ah, my Beloved, let us not do in this regard as the greater part of Christians in name and in profession do. Let us not wear the badge and cognizance of Jesus Christ, and say, he is our Lord and Master, and the like; and in the mean time never do his will, nor take any pains at all in his service: For this is but to deal with Christ as the perfidious Jews did, to put a purple robe upon him, and to bow down before him, and to call him, Hail Master, and in the selfsame breath to buffet him, and spit upon him. But as we call him Lord, so let us carry and demean ourselves towards him as our Lord and Master, and let us yield to him that obedience which is due to him. And to this end, let us consider what engagements lie upon us to draw us, and to hold us to the service of this Lord: which I shall briefly lay before you as motives to persuade. The first is an Engagement of Creation, he is the image of the invisible God, saith the Apostle, Col. 1.15. The first born of every creature, that is, the Lord of every creature, for the first born is Lord of all. And why the Lord of every creature? You have the reason in the following words, For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth. All things were made by him, and therefore it is fit that all should serve him. Nay, my Beloved, they were not made by him only, but they were made for him too, as it is added there in that place; all things were created by him, and for him. By his power, and for his use. And therefore if we be not useful to him, if we do not serve him, we cross the very end of our creation. The brutish, and unreasonable creatures serve him in their kind and measure, and therefore David saith, that all things serve him. But we are bound to serve him much more, because in our Creation we received more from him. He made us Lords of all his creatures, ●●at we might have no Lord but him. He made the whole creation to be serviceable to us, that we might be the more engaged, and the better able to be serviceable to himself; that we might serve him for it all, that we might serve him with it all. He put all things under us, and truly we are bound the more (my Brethren) to be under him, and subject to him; he made us men, he gave us reason, which he gave not to other creatures; the greater reason have we to obey him, and to improve our parts and gifts in his service. Indeed we cannot choose but see that it is all the reason of the world, that as we have all from him, so we should use all for him. The next is an engagement of Redemption which binds us to the service of the Lord. As he is the Lord that made us, so he is the Lord that bought us, as the Apostles phrase is, 2 Pet. 2.1. He purchased us (my Brethren) us I mean, that are his own, at a very dear rate, and therefore it is just that we should serve him; especially since it is evident that this was his intention in his purchase. He bought us out of Sins and Satan's hands, not that we might be absolutely free from all commands, but that we might be his servants. He gave himself for us, saith the Apostle Paul, Tit. 2.14. that was the purchase that he made, a very dear one you will say: He gave himself for us: to what end? that he might reedeem us from all iniquity, from the dominion and power of sin. And what now, are we masterless? And are the reins upon our own necks? Now mark what follows presently, And purify us a peculiar people himself; a people to himself to serve him, and to do his work, and to be very earnest in it too; and purify to himself a peculiar people Zealous of good works; And so being free from sin, we are not left at large (my Brethren) but we became the servants of Christ, Rom. 6 22. This was the End that he intended and propounded to himself in our Redemption; he died for us, that we which live, should henceforth live no longer to ourselves, but to him that died for us, 2 Cor. 5.15. He hath performed the mercy promised, he hath remembered, etc. he hath saved us from, etc. Luke 1.74. What, that we might from henceforth be our own men, and live at liberty, and walk according to our own wills? Oh no (my Brethren) but on the other side, that we might serve him, who hath saved us, in holiness and righteousness all the days of our lives. The third is an Engagement of Covenant-obligation; we are his Covenant servants, and therefore we are bound to serve him; if we run away from him, we are Covenant-breakers with him. Indeed we that are born of those that are in Covenant with him, are born his Covenant-servants in a sense: For such as the condition of the Parent is, (Beloved) such is the condition of the child, as to outward privilege, and as to outward duty too. And hence it is perhaps that David saith to God, Psalm 116.16. O Lord, saith he, I am thy servant. My servant, might the Lord reply, Why how so? why saith the Psalmist, I am the son of thy handmaid. So we whose parents were within the Covenant, were born to Christ in some respect, for we were born within his family, and so (to outward view and cognizance) belong to his household. But this is but an outward thing, some of us have gone further yet, and made a Covenant with the Lord to serve him, we were in Covenant all of us with sin by nature, and so with death and hell we were at an agreement too. But some of us have utterly dissolved that Covenant, and entered into Covenant with the Lord Christ. We are bound, let us obey, now we have made this Covenant with him, we are the more engaged to serve him, and the greater is our sin if we run away from him. Use 3 Is God the Father of our Lord Christ? The greater is his love to us, that he should give Christ for us. If he had given but a servant, or a friend, it had been much that he should part with either of them for an enemy; but that he should give us his son, his own begotten son, to shame, to punishment, to death for us; here is love, and here is mercy with a witness. The Evangelist (me thinks) knows not which way to express it, and therefore leaves it to the largest heart, and the vastest understanding to guests at it, John 3.16. God so loved the world. So, how? I cannot tell you, it swallows up my apprehensions and expressions: And therefore I must leave it to yourselves to think of it, and reach after it. And truly (my Beloved) did we weigh it well in our advised and deliberate thoughts, we should be carried out beyond ourselves in an Ecstasy of wonder. What (my Beloved,) that when the Father had but one begotten Son by nature, and one that was so well like him, the very picture of his Father, etc. one whom he loved dearly, in whom his very soul delighted, that he should give him forth out of his bosom for such wretches as we are? That he could not spare his Son, that he might spare his Enemies; behold what love the Father hath declared in this! Here is love to be spoken of, and to be wondered at in all ages. And thus far of the uses of the former member of the point. Proceed we now to make some application of the latter. Use. 1 Is it so (my Brethren) that as God is the Father of the Lord Christ; So Christ did apprehend him as a Father, and look upon him as a Father when, etc. Then let us also apprehend him so, and look upon him so, who are the sons of God in Christ, when we come to God in prayer: Let us present our supplications to him under the notion of a Father, as Christ did; Christ is in this respect our Pattern and Example, whom we ought to follow. We are required, you know, to be followers of Christ, viz. in all his imitable actions, and this is one of those actions. We ought to walk as he walked, and to pray as he prayed. And therefore as his manner was to pray to God himself in this language, to come to God as to a Father: So he hath taught us also so to pray in the very same language, to come to God as to a Father, as he did, Mat. 6.9. After this manner pray ye, Our Father which art in heaven. So that we have in this, you see, the Precept and Example of the Lord Christ; his Precept in the cited place, and his Example in my Text. And therefore let us learn this lesson of him, since he is pleased to teach us both ways, both by Precept and Example. When we are making our addresses to the Lord in prayer, let us endeavour to apply unto ourselves the love and fatherhood of God in Jesus Christ. Let us not satisfy ourselves with a general persuasion that he is a gracious Father to all his sons and daughters in the Lord Christ. But let us strive for a distinct and a particular assurance that he is our own Father, that he is so to us in special, and that we are among the number of his children. That we may look upon him so, and confidently call him so, when we are pouring out our prayers to him, and so expect the love and mercy of a Father from him. And to this very End, as the Apostle tells us, The Spirit of the Son is sent abroad into our hearts. To what End? Why, to make us cry Abba Father, Gal. 4.6. That is to make us pray to God, as to a Father, while others come to God as to a stranger, with whom they have no acquaintance, and to whom they have no relation. So that you see, we have not only the Precept of Christ, and the Example of Christ, but we have also the Spirit of Christ, that we may pray in this manner: And therefore in this Faith and confidence, the Saints of God have prayed in Scripture. So did the Church, as you may see, Isa. 63.16. Doubtless, say they, thou art our Father, though Abraham be ignorant of us, and Israel acknowledge us not, thou art our Father. It is repeated twice you see, and bound with an asseveration too, to show the strength and certainty of their assurance: And in the same persuasion we find them praying in the following Chapter, in Vers. 8. But now Oh Lord thou art our Father, we are the clay, and thou the Potter, we are the work of thy hands: And in the same assurance also let us pray, when we are making our addresses to the throne of grace, let us apply ourselves to God as to a Father. The benefit and profit of it will be very great, as I shall represent it to you in a few particulars, which you may look upon as Motives to persuade. This assurance will make us bold and confident in our approaches to the throne of grace, it will make us come to God full of holy resolutions, whereas if we be destitute of this persuasion when we are drawing nigh to God, and know not whether we may call him father, yea or no, we shall be fearful to approach his presence, we shall make but faint prayers. And therefore the Apostle tells us, that by faith in Christ, in whom alone God is a Father to his children, that is by this assurance that he is so to us in special; we have boldness, we have access with confidence to God, Eph. 3.11. And this was that which heartened up the Prodigal, and filled his languishing and fainting heart with resolution, I will arise (said he) and go to my Father: he had been long debating, it should seem, and ruminating on the business in his wavering thoughts: His late miscarriages, no question, were a great disheartening to him, so that he knew not what to do. But at last he comes to this, I will arise and go to my Father; he is my Father, and I am his own Son, and there is pity and compassion in a Father to a Son, at least to a returning Son, though an unworthy one, as I have been: And therefore let my faults, and my discouragements be what they will, I will arise, and go to him: And truly while we apprehend the Lord to be a Judge, and not a Father; or if a Father, not to us, but other men, we find but small encouragement to come to him. But when we look upon him as a Father, yea, as our Father, in the Lord Christ, this makes us come with boldness to him. This causes us to delight in the Almighty, and not to look divertedly, but to lift up our face to God, as Job speaks. As this assurance will make us bold and confident, so it will make us earnest and importunate with God; It will enable us to pray and not to faint. When we consider, we are dealing with a Father, we shall hang about him; when he seems to throw us off, we shall tug, and wrestle with him, we shall take no denial from him. Oh Lord thou art our Father, we pray thee hear us, pity us, relieve us, for we are thine own children. A man is never earnest and importunate with one, of whose affections he hath no persuasion, and they that have not this assurance, present but cold and spiritless petitions and requests to God. But they that look upon him as a Father, as one that hath so near relation, and such dear affection to them, as one whose bowels of compassion yern towards them in their miseries and wants, they will keep no silence, they will give him no rest, till he have answered them in mercy, till he have given them the desire of their hearts. This assurance will make us hopeful of audience, and success with God. Can a woman forget her child, and not have compassion on the Son of her womb? saith the Prophet, Isa. 99.65. Can she deny him when he begs and hangs about her? It is possible she may; there may be such a mother in the world, but God is no such Father. No, he hath infinitely more compassion on his children. Oh what a matchless and unconquerable ground of hope is here, to those that have this sweet assurance that God is their Father! What man is there, who if his son asketh bread (saith Christ) will give him a stone, or if he ask a fish will give him a Serpent? though the poor child perhaps cannot distinguish the one from the other: If ye then being evil; know how to give good things unto your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good things to them that ask him? And lastly, this assurance will hold us up with matchless comfort respectively to the defects and imperfections of our prayers. Suppose your little tender child should come to any of you that are Fathers, with a lisping stammering tongue, moaning for something that he longs to have, would you look angrily upon him, would you chide, and rate him off, and send the harmless infant crying from your presence? Consult with your own hearts and bowels; could you do it? and is not God as pitiful to his, as you are to your children? Alas, he is as tenderly affected to them, that he sees not their defects, so as to slight them, and reject them, or their weak endeavours for them. No, as a Father pities his Children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear him, Psal. 103.13. They are without blame before him in love, Ephes. 1.4. Though they have many failings, yet he doth not blame them; so great is his love to them, when they look upon their prayers, and find this fault, and that fault, (as truly they have cause enough) the comfort is, that God finds no fault; he saith that it is well done. And thus he dealt with holy David, as himself observeth, Psalm 77.2, 3. He was in such distress, that he was troubled to remember God; his very heart was overwhelmed within him: a poor prayer you may think that any man could make in such a case as that was: And yet that very prayer found acceptance with the Lord; as he shows in that place, I cried unto the Lord (saith he) in the first ver. of that Psalm; and mark what follows, he gave ear to me. And thus when we do bungle at his service, the Lord is apt to take it in good part, if we do but what we can; and that because he is our Father; which if it be considered, cannot choose but be a very great encouragement and comfort to us. But you will interpose and say, perhaps here is encouragement indeed, and precious comfort, if we can come to God in prayer with this assurance, that he is our Father: but how shall we attain to this assurance? What are the evidences that we may rely upon in this particular, which if we find them in ourselves, we may be confident to speak to God as to a father; we may be bold to cry Abba Father to him? I shall lay down a few, and make them as distinguishing, and clear as I am able, to help you in this great business. If God be your Father, and you be his children, you are very much like him, you resemble God your Father; Jesus Christ his eldest son is the very picture of him, as we are wont to say, the express of his father's person. They are so like in all respects, that he that knoweth one of them, cannot but know the other too. The resemblance is so perfect and so absolute in all respects, that in seeing one of them, you see the other. And hence said Christ to Philip, John 14 19 He that hath seen me, hath seen the Father also. And truly we that are the younger sons of God, though we be not so like him, yet we are very much like him. And therefore we are said to be renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created us, Col. 3.10. And the new man is said to be renewed after God in holiness, Ephes. 4.24. And are you thus conformed to God? do you bear his Image? so that every one that sees you, and observes you, may judge who is your father: Are you holy as God is? and are you merciful as God is? and are you perfect in desire, and endeavour, as your Father that is in Heaven is perfect? do you love your enemies? do you bless them that curse you? and pray for them that despitefully use you? that you may show yourselves to be the children of your Father, who makes his Sun to shine, his rain to fall upon the evil and the good, Mat. 5.44. are you freely merciful, lending and doing good to those where there is nothing to be hoped for, but unkindness for your good will? that you may make it to appear you are the children of the highest, who is kind to the unthankful and unkind, Luk. 6.35. These are good evidences of your interest in the Fatherhood of God. But if you be profane, and vicious, and cruel, and unmerciful, as the greater number are; I may say to such as you are, as once our Saviour to the wicked Jews, You are of your Father the Devil, and his works you do. If God be your Father, as you bear your Father's Image, see you have your Father's Spirit. The Spirit of the Father, is that which the Apostle calls the Spirit of Adoption, whereby we cry, Abba Father, Rom. 8.15. So that if we be Sons, we have this Spirit poured out upon us. But you will say, that every one almost pretendeth to the Spirit; and it is evident that many are deceived in this particular. How shall we know infallibly, whether the spirit which we think we have, be the spirit of the Father, yea, or no? Why (my beloved) the Spirit of the Father i● an active Spirit, where it is, it leadeth men even where it will, it carries them, and guides them in its own way. And as many as are led by this Spirit, they are Sons of God, Rom. 8.14. Well then, thus far we are clear, if we be the Sons of God, as we have his spirit, so we are led by his Spirit; we walk not after the flesh, but after the spirit. The flesh calls, and the spirit calls, This is the way, walk in it. The flesh would have us follow it, the spirit would have us follow it. And the event is this, if we be the Sons of God; we leave the flesh, and go after God's Spirit: We walk not after, etc. So then, if you would know whether you be the Sons of God, examine whether you be guided by his spirit, yea, or no? And this may be discovered by the course you take, and by the path in which you walk. God's Spirit guides and leads you always in the way of God, which is prescribed and chalked out before you in the word of God. And this is clearly and expressly taught us, in that alledgement of the Covenant mentioned, Exod. 36.27. I will put my Spirit upon you, saith the Lord to his people. And what shall this Spirit do? it shall cause you to walk in my Statutes, and to keep my Commandments, and do them. It shall not give you new directions; it shall not show you new ways, and new paths, other than those which are beaten out in Scripture, but it shall cause you to walk in my Statutes. If then you err, and wander from the ways of God's Statutes, and walk on in your own ways, as the Apostle speaketh of the Gentiles: the way of your own hearts, which of yourselves you choose and follow; your ways of drunkenness▪ uncleanness, profanation of God's holy day, etc. if you walk in the way of Cain, a way of cruelty and malice, and run greedily after the error of Balaam for a reward, as Judas speaks, ver. 11. A way of covetousness and unlawful gain you are not guided by the Spirit of the Father, but by the spirit of the wicked one, which ruleth in the children of disobedience. But if you keep the ways of God, the ways of truth, and love, and holiness, and peace; the way that is so evilly spoken of by lewd, profane and vicious men; And are no sooner swerved from it in the least degree, but you are crying to the Lord with Moses, Lord show us thy way: with David, I am gone astray, Lord seek thy servant; enquiring of your brethren to direct you, and striving to get in again; you are guided by the spirit of your father, and may be confident that you are the sons of God. If God be your Father, and you be his children, you are a company of singular and choice people: As you are like your Father, and consequently like your brethren too: so you are unlike other men: you dwell alone, and are not like to other people. And as the sons of Kings and Nobles, differ from the sons of other men, they have another kind of garb, and habit, and behaviour: Even so the Sons of God, the King of Kings, do manifestly differ from the children of the world. The Lord hath singled them, and drawn them out, and put them in another way; so that they are men of wonder in the world, their ways are of another fashion. And this declareth them to be the children of the High God; he owns them only upon this condition, as you may see, 2 Cor. 6.17, 18. Come out (saith God) and be ye separate, and I will be a father to you, and you shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord God almighty. Now (my beloved) are you thus come out and separated from the world? which lies in wickedness, as the Apostle speaks; have you left your old haunts, your old courses, your old Companions and Associates with whom you ran out formerly to the same excess of riot? are you accounted gazing stocks, and wonders to the world, because you are so different from them in all your ways? And can you say in the uprightness of your hearts, that this your singular and holy walking, is not in show, and in hypocrisy, but in sincerity, and truth? you may assure yourselves, you are the sons and daughters of the Lord God Almighty. But if you walk according to the course and fashion of the world, if you be carried down the stream with the times, and with the places where you live; if you have fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, hear what the Apostle says, 1 John 3.10. you have discovered whose you are, and to whom you appertain. By this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the Devil. He that doth not righteousness is not of God: he is none of God's children. If God be your Father, and you be his children: you have a dear affection to those who are his children, as yourselves are. There is a tender Love, a sweet agreement between you and your fellow brethren. If any difference fall out, then say as Abraham once to Lot, Let there be no strife between us, for we are brethren, Gen. 13.18. Let brotherly love continue, Hebr. 1.12. And the defect of this affection, on the other side, is an apparent evidence of non-adoption, as you may see, 1. Joh. 3.10. he that doth not righteousness is not of God (saith the Apostle) the meaning is, he is not the child of God, and he that loveth not his brother: what think we then of those, whose sons are they, who hate and trouble and disquiet those, who are indeed the Sons of God, and work them all the woe and mischief they can, and that because they are so like God, because they bear the image of God, and the clear impressions of his Holiness upon them? If they will know their pedigree, they are the Children of the Devil; they are the seed of the old Serpent, between whom and the woman's seed, the Lord hath put an unreconcilable and Endless Enmity and Opposition. And therefore let not such (while they continue in this way of opposition to the Saints) presume to come to God, and call him Father. For if they do, they fall into the sin of Ananias in another way, Acts 5.4. they lie to God. And they have cause to fear that he will even strike them dead before him. But if you find within you working and warm affections to your fellow-brethrens, if your hearts be mightily and vehemently carried out to such, and that because you see the Image of your Father shining in them, and even as God is, even such are they in this world; They are so like him whom you love transcendently, and incomparably more than all the world besides, that you cannot choose but love them, and affect them dearly too, for his sake, and in reference to him: So that your delight is in them, yea all your delight is in them: You find no pleasure, or complacency in any other Company but such as theirs is: I say (my brethren) if you love them thus, and upon this account, it is a comfortable sign that God is a Father to you, and you may look upon him as a Father, when you are making your petitions to him. John 17.1. The hour is come, etc. ANd thus far of the object of our Saviour's prayer, or the person to whom he presents it to, and that as you have heard, is God the Father. Proceed we to the parts of it, which have been noted to be two according to the paties whom he prays for. In the first place he prayeth for himself the Head of the Church. And in the second place he prays for the inferior Members of the Church. First, For himself the Head of the Church, he desireth glorification; Then for the Members of the Church he desireth confirmation: and that for the Apostles and Disciples then about him, the Members of the present Church: or else for those who were after to believe by their word, or to be called by their preaching, the Members of the Church to come: as I have showed you formerly, when I drew up a short Analysis, or resolution of the whole Chapter. We are at this time to begin with that part of our Saviour's prayer which concerns himself; In which you may take notice with me of these three things: the rise of it, the matter of it, and the reasons of it. First. You have here the rise of it, from whence our Saviour takes occasion to present it to his Father; The hour is come. Secondly, You have the matter of it, or the thing which he desireth of the Father, and this is that he may be glorified: Father, glorify thy Son. Thirdly, you have the reasons of it, with which he presseth and enforceth this request of his, and they are many and of great importance, as God assisting, you shall see at large hereafter. At this time I shall fasten on the first Particular, the rise of this Petition of our Saviour, from whence he takes occasion to present it to his Father: The hour is come. The hour is come; What hour is come? the hour in which the Father had decreed and fore-appointed to glorify his Son Christ: that hour was come, and therefore he desires his Father to execute his purpose now, seeing this was his own time. But you will say, the hour which was now at hand, was the hour of Christ's Passion, in which he was abased and humbled, as you may see he was betrayed almost as soon as he had done this prayer. And how then could this be the hour, in which he was appointed to be glorified of the Father? To this I answer, that Christ was glorified in some respect, even while he suffered, he triumphed upon the Cross, as the Apostle Paul speaks, Col. 2.15. blotting out the hand-writing that was against us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his Cross; And having spoilt Principalities and Powers, he made a show of them openly, triumphing over them in it, that is in the same Cross. The word that the Apostle uses there, alludeth to the fashion of the Roman Conquerors, whose manner was to lead their vanquished Captives bound before their Chariots in a glorious way, the people gratulating their heroic acts and Victories with loud and joyful acclamations. Our Saviour having spoilt Principalities and Powers, did somewhat Analogical to this, and hence the terms by which those ancient Roman Triumphs were expressed, are attributed to him, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, he made a show of them openly, that is, he brought them to extreme dishonour, and made them spectacles of ignominy and reproach, and gazing-stocks of shame, to men and Angels: and this he did upon the very Cross. It's true that to a carnal Eye, this was the place of his humiliation; but to an eye of faith, it was the place of his triumphant Exaltation. The world sees nothing but dishonour in the Cross of Christ, but they that are enlightened, see the great work of man's redemption finished there, sin and his kingdom broken there, and the Devil vanquished, and led captive there, to Christ's eternal honour, and their eternal ignominy and confufion. So that even with respect to this, (this time of suffering on the Cross) our Saviour Christ might say, The hour is come, Father, glorify thy Son. Or if you look a little further, to the time of his ascension and entrance into glory, that hour was not far off; and that perhaps our Saviour Christ might aim at in my Text. However, this is evident, that that which he desireth here, he prays may be effected, and accomplished in his Father's time. And this he makes the ground of his Petition, Father, the hour is come, the time which thou hast fore-appointed to glorify me in; And therefore I beseech thee do it now; thou hast a time for this great work of thine, and this is the very time, the very hour, the hour is come. Were it not so, I would not seek it, or desire it of thee, but seeing this is thy season, now Father glorify thy son. So that the Point suggested here, is this. DOCTRINE. God hath his time to do his Actions in, and he should not be desired to do them any other time. First, He hath his times to do his actions in, that is the first thing in the Point. He hath his hour, a certain set and fixed season for any business that he hath to do: he hath a time for works of Justice, and you see that place for instance, Jer. 51.33. It is time to thresh her (saith the Lord of Babylon.) And so their feet shall slide in due time, speaking of ungodly men, Deut. 32.35. He hath his time for works of Mercy, as it is observed of Joseph, Psal. 105.18, 19 his feet they hurt with fetters, he was laid in irons, until the time which God had fore-appointed came. And as soon as that was come, the Lord so ordered things, that the King sent and loosed him; the Rulers of the people let him go free, as it is added there in that place. And hence the Lord is said to wait in Scripture that he may be gracious, as in that known place, Isa. 30.18. Now he that waits to do a thing, looks for a fit time: Thou shalt arise and have mercy upon Zion; saith the Psalmist, Psal. 102.13. For the time to favour her, yea, the set time is come; so that you see God hath his time to do his actions in. Now for the second Member of the point, He should not be desired to do them any other time. This is apparently suggested in this Petition of our Saviour's in my Text. Father, the hour is come, now glorify thy Son: q. d. If thy appointed season were not come, I would not seek to have thee glorify me at this time: I would not have thee do it for me now, unless this were thy hour; But since the constituted hour is come, Lord, bring thy purpose into act and execution. Our Saviour is in this our pattern, whom we ought to follow. And hence the Saints in their Petitions have left God to his own time, and sought for mercies from him in his own season. As Daniel, when he found by books, that is, the Book of Jeremy, and other Books, that the appointed return of the Jews out of the Babylonian thraldom and Captivity was near at hand, he set himself to seek the Lord at that time, Dan. 9.3. And David in the fore-alledged Text, he prays for mercy to be showed to Zion. But when? when the set time was come. I would not spend my time in the further confirmation of so clear a truth. Let me but add two Reasons; God hath his time to do his actions in, and he should not be desired to do them any other time. For, First, Let our desires be what they will, he will not be prevailed withal to do them any other time. Or Secondly, if we could prevail with him, it were not best that he should do them any other time. Let our desires be what they will, God will not be prevailed withal, to do his works in any other time then that which he hath fore-appointed and decreed: so that it were a vain and idle thing to labour to divert him from his own season. We that are men, are often turned from our purpose; we do not that which we resolve to do, or else we do not act it then when we resolve to do it, because our resolutions alter; we are persuaded and convinced that some other season will be better. But God for his part is not changeable, he is not as man that he should lie, nor as the son of man that he should repent; Numb. 23.19. That he should so repent as man, by changing of his mind, or varying from his former resolution. And this is that the Psalmist beats upon, Psal. 102. He observes all other things and persons in the world, and finds that they are variable and inconstant, they are on, and off again; But as for God, he finds it otherwise with him; though they be changeable, he is not so: No, saith the Prophet there, thou art the same; and what doth he infer upon it? why therefore all the good, and all the mercy that he hath resolved upon, with reference to his people, he will accomplish in the set time. Thou shalt endure O Lord (saith he) and that for ever. And what follows? Thou shalt arise, and have mercy on Zion, for the set time is come. God hath his set time to do his actions in, and he should not be desired to do them any other time; because if we could prevail in such a case, it were not best that he should do them any other time. He always pitcheth on the fit, best, and the opportunest seasons for his Works: As he hath his times for them, so those times are the best times, whether they be Works of Justice, or of Mercy. And hence the season and opportunity in which he doth them both, is styled the due time. For Works of Justice, their feet shall slide in due time; Deut. 32.35. For Works of Mercy, in due time you shall reap, if you faint not: Gal. 6.9. We that are men do usually mistake our time, we miss our opportunity: Man knoweth not his time, saith Solomon, Eccles. 9.12. and therefore he is snared in an evil time, that falls suddenly upon him: He knoweth not the good time, and therefore he is snared in an evil time, that comes upon him suddenly, as a snare upon a Bird, in which he is entangled, and involved, and so is disappointed of his purpose. But it is not so with God, he knows his time, and fixes on it, so as none but he can do it. And hence is that Expostulation, Jer. 49.19. Who will appoint me the time? q.d. whoever doth it, will be very much mistaken: The time which I appoint is best, and none can do it like me: and therefore certainly if we were able, it were not best to turn him from it, nor to prevail with him to do his work in any other time. This shall suffice for clearing of the Observation; proceed we now to Application. And this may serve for Reprehension in the first place to check and Use 1 censure those who take upon them to appoint God a time for execution of his Works of Mercy, or his Works of Justice. They do not come to God as our Saviour in my Text, Father, the hour is come, now glorify thy Son: now show mercy to thy Church; now execute thy wrath upon the persecutors and oppressors of the Church: No, he must do it presently, whether his time be come, or no: they have not so much patience and humility to wait upon him, and leave him to his own time: they cannot tarry for him one hour. This was the Mistake of Mary; she would needs direct our Saviour when to work his Miracles, before his hour, or time was come. John 2.4. And we poor Creatures are so saucy, and so bold sometimes, to tell the Lord when he must show us such a favour, when he must give us such a mercy: if he delay, and if he linger beyond the time that we appoint him, we are gone, we cannot wait upon him any longer: We send for his assistance, as it were by Post, and prescribe the Lord a day, as the Bethulians. And so upon the other side we appoint him when to deal against the enemies and persecutors of his people. We set him down a time, and we order him a season to wreak his vengeance, and his wrath upon them. But what saith God? to me belongeth vengeance and recompense. This is a business that belongs to me, it appertaineth not to you to meddle with it. Their feet shall slide in due time; for the day of their calamity is at hand, and the things that shall come upon them make haste. We are so earnest many times, that we would have him strike them presently, and tread down all his enemies that rise against him, and his cause and people; and take an order with them out of hand; But God is of another mind, he designs another time, and we do very ill to go about to turn him from it. It is a bold intrusion on the property of God, on that which appertaineth and belongeth to him in the fore-alledged text. A snatching of the times and seasons out of his hands. And it is a high presumption; for while we carry matters thus, we do at least imply that we are wiser than the Lord, that we can choose out fit seasons for the accomplishment of his designs than he doth; which is a Blasphemy to be abhorred and trembled at by every Christian. Use 2 And therefore in the second place (my brethren) since God hath his time to do his actions in it, and should not be desired to do them any other time: Let us be hence instructed how to regulate our prayers and desires in this regard: Let us subscribe to him for the accomplishment of all his purposes of wrath against the wicked, of mercy to his own people. And let us freely leave him to his own time. If the prefixed and the constituted time be manifest and revealed to us, as to our Saviour in my Text, then let us pray as he, the hour is come. If it be hid, then let us pray, Father, when the hour is come, do this or that against thy Enemies, do this or that for thy people; but still let us comply with his time, for the performance of any thing that we desire of him. And this because in many cases it may seem to linger, and we may be apt to faint, I shall briefly set before you two or three Considerations, to uphold your hearts till your father's hour comes. Consider that the Father waits for the good hour as well as you. Do you wait to receive mercy? He waits to show mercy. Do you wait that he may be gracious? He waiteth that he may be gracious too, Isa. 30.18. Why are you so impatient then? Why should not you be well contentted and pleased to wait as well as he? Shall all the waiting be on his side, none of yours? see if this be good reason. Consider that till the Father's hour of mercy come, he is preparing you for mercy, and preparing mercy for you. He is not slack, as men count slackness, he hastens such a work of mercy as he seemeth to defer. Many times the work is great, and there are many wheels that turn in it, and they must move about in time; too quick a motion would disorder all. The Lord hath many things to bring about in such a business, and therefore he goes onward with it slowly, by degrees, and so at length he brings it to perfection; He means to make a goodly structure, and therefore he is laying the foundation deep and low, that he may raise the frame of mercy and salvation which he means to build upon it high and firm, that it may never be removed again. Let us consider if the hour of mercy linger, that the fault is in ourselves. Alas, God labours hard about us, but we are knotty pieces, we will not suddenly be brought to any frame. We are not qualified for a cure and extraordinary mercy by and by. Oh what a task God hath to humble us, to make us sensible of undeservingness, to qualify us so, that we may prise the mercy, and use the mercy as we ought to do; So the while he is moulding us, and fitting us, he may complain of us, as once he did of Israel, Will you never be made fit? when will it once be? We have such strong Corruptions in us that they will not be subdued: we have such proud and stubborn hearts that they will not be brought down; So that if God be long about us, and if he keep us under hand, we have cause to thank ourselves and the perverseness of our own hearts. Let us consider that the father's hour will come, in which he will show us mercy. He will arise and have mercy on Zion. The needy shall not always be forgotten, nor the expectation of the poor fail for ever, Psal. 9.18. Though he hid himself, yet he will be a Saviour notwithstanding; And therefore this let us depend and settle on, let us keep our hearts to this, with the poor afflicted Church, Isa. 25.9. Lo, this is our God, we have waited for him, and he will save us; we will be glad in his salvation. You see how confident she is, she stands not upon Ifs and Ands. It is not peradventure, or it may be, or the like, but he will save us, and we will be glad, etc. The more the father's hour lingers, the greater mercy it will bring with it: the more will it abound with multiplied overflowing comfort, when it comes. God's manner is to measure and proportion comforts to afflictions, to cherish and revive his people according to the days in which he hath afflicted them, and according to the times in which their souls have seen sorrow, Psal. 90.15. That Proclamation is remarkable, Isa. 40.1. Comfort. etc. comfort ye my people. It is repeated twice you see And why so? The reason is annexed, she hath received at the Lords hand double for her sins, she hath had double sorrow, and therefore now she shall have double comfort. And thus far of the rise of that part of our Saviour's prayer which concerns himself, the ground on which he takes occasion to present it to his Father: The hour is come. Proceed we to the matter of it, or the things which he desireth of the Father; and this is that he may be glorified. Father glorify thy Son. There is no difficulty considerable in the words. To glorify is properly to make glorious. But usually and in the ordinary acceptation of the Scripture, to Render glorious in the eyes of others, whether it be thing or person. And this is Evident by that which Christ desireth of his Father, under this expression. He had abased himself you know, and made himself of no reputation, as the Apostle Paul speaks, Phil. 2.7. and now he prays the Father, that he would advance him, and honour him again, that he would show him forth in Lustre and in Splendour to the world. And that because the time of his abasure and humiliation was now drawing to an end, and the time of his advancement and exaltation was at hand, Father the hour is come, Glorify thy Son. Now this petition of our Saviour intimates at least the Father's purpose to glorify his Son, etc. That he was resolved upon it, and the hour in which to do it: both upon the thing, and time. The hour is come in which thou hast decreed to glorify me, and therefore I beseech thee Father, do it now, fulfil thy resolution and intention. The hour is come, glorify thy Son. So that the point apparently suggested here is this. DOCTRINE. It hath been the Design and purpose of the Father, to glorify his Son Christ. The Father's resolution appeareth in the Sons Petition. For that which Christ's desires, the Father wills. Indeed he hath declared himself in this particular, that he would have him honoured with the self same honour, the same for nature, and the same for measure, which belongs to him, John 5.23. That all men should honour the Son even as they honour the Father. And therefore he himself hath honoured Christ exceedingly, as you may see in the first Chapter of the Epistle to the Hebrews, almost from the beginning to the end. For that is the intention, and the purpose of the whole Chapter. God hath in these latter days spoken to us by his Son, whom he hath made heir of all things, by whom he also made the world, who is the brightness of his glory, and the express, etc. being made better than the Angels; for unto which of the Angels said he at any time, Thou art my Son, etc. And again when he bringeth, etc. And of the Angels he saith, he maketh his Angel's Spirits and his Ministers a flame of fire. But of the Son, he saith, Thy throne Oh God is for ever, etc. And to which of the Angels said he at any time, Sat thou on my right hand, etc. you see the scope and drift of all is to advance and set up Jesus Christ transcendently, not only above other Creatures, but above the very Angels: and the Apostle tells us to the same effect, that God the Father exalted him, for that is the expression, Phil. 2.9. Now this design and purpose of the Father to glorify his Son Christ, appeareth evidently divers ways, which I shall briefly set before you. It appeareth by the honourable titles that he gives him, that he hath a mind to dignify him, and to set him up. Sometimes he calls him Prince, and great Prince, Michael the great Prince, Dan. 12.1. Sometimes King, his King, Yet have I set my King saith God the Father, Psal. 2.6. You see this is the name he gives him, and it is written on his thigh and on his vesture, that he that runs may read it, Apocalypse. 19.16. King of Kings, and Lord of Lords. Sometimes he calls him God, as you may see in the forealleged place, Heb. 1.8. Unto the Son he saith, (the Father saith,) Thy throne, Oh God, is for ever and ever. And sometimes Lord, not Elohim, or Adonai, which name is frequenlty applied to men, but Lord Jehovah, which name is proper and peculiar to the Living God only, and which he seriously professeth that he will not give to any other, and yet this name he gives to jesus Christ, Jer. 23.6. And he would have us call him by it too this is the name whereby he shall be called, Jehovah (so is the expression there) the Lord our righteousness. So that no marvel that the Apostle tells us that he honoured him in this respect exceedingly, transcendently; he hath highly exalted him. How so? And given him a name above every name, that at the name of jesus every knee should bow. According to the Counsel of the Psalmist, Psal. 45.11. He is thy Lord, and worship thou him. And hence it is that the Apostle saith, he is made so much better than the Angels, as he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they. It appears that God hath a design to honour Christ, as by the names he gives to Christ, so by the names which he himself assumes in reference to Christ: as he delights to call himself the Lord of Christ, and the Father of Christ, and the Master of Christ, as being taken very much that he hath such a Son, and such a servant: for so he seemeth to express himself, This is my beloved Son, Mat. 3.17. take notice of him, this is he: So in another place, Behold my Servant, Isa. 42.1. There look upon him, and observe him well, and see if any of you have such a servant as I have. In the Old Testament the Lord was wont to call himself the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob; he was honoured by those names, the Lord their God that brought them out of the Land of Egypt. But now in the New Testament, he calls himself the God and Father of the Lord Jesus Christ; as you may see that place for instance, Ephes. 1.3. I might give you many more; the God that brought again from the dead the Lord Jesus Christ. Thus striving to exalt him, and to set him up, that the eyes and thoughts of men might be taken up with him. 3. It appears, etc. By the place in which he sets him, and that is at his own right hand. It is observed in Solomon, by the holy Ghost himself, as a great honour which he did his Mother, 1 Kings 2.19. He sat down on his throne, and caused a seat to be set for the King's Mother, and she sat on his right hand. This honour God hath done Christ, as the Apostle tells us, Eph. 1.20. He raised him from the dead, saith he, and set him at his own right hand, in heavenly places. That is, he set him above all other things or persons, in the next place to himself: And therefore it is added presently, he set him at his own right hand in heavenly places, far above all principalties, and powers, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but in that which is to come: this is very great honour. It appears that God hath a design to honour Christ by the authority that he hath endowed him with, and that is his own authority, yea, all his own authority, as Christ himself acknowledges, Mat. 28.18. All power is given to me both in heaven and in earth: not some, but all power: The father judgeth no man, saith our Saviour, but he committed all Judgement to the Son, John 5.22. He hath done in this respect, as great men sometimes use to do: if they have any title, office, or place of honour, they are contented to convey it over to their eldest Son, that they may credit him, and raise him to esteem and reputation in his Country: and it delighteth them as much to have him honoured as themselves. Just so hath God the Father done by Jesus Christ; The Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgement to the Son. He will be judge no longer by immediate execution, but he hath made his Son the Judge of all the world; And why so? that he may compass the design of his, for glorifying of his Son Christ, That all men should honour the Son, as they honour the Father, as it is added in the next verse. And as he hath (in the sense that we have said) resigned up his judiciary power abroad to jesus Christ, so the private Government of his family at home. He hath made his eldest Son the Lord of all, he hath set him over his house, Heb. 3.6. The Son of God hath got a match, though a poor one, I confess, and now the Father gives up the house-keeping wholly to him. And hence saith the Apostle Paul, Eph. 3.14, 15. I bow my knees unto the Father of the Lord Jesus Christ, of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named. The whole family of heaven and earth is named from Christ, whether the upper family of heaven, or the lower family on earth, whether the Church triumphant or the Church militant, it is Christ's family and Christ's Church, and Christ's household. God you see, hath two houses, and yet he doth not govern one himself, and leave the other to his Son, he commits the government of both to Jesus Christ; that he may be all in all, that he may be the more honoured. It appears that God hath a design to glorify his Son Christ, by the great offices of dignity, and trust, and honour which he hath advanced and raised him to: For he hath crowned him with glory and honour. Three offices there are which have been always looked upon as full of honour: The office of a King, of a Priest, and of a Prophet. Of a King in the Commonwealth, and of a Ptiest, and Prophet in the Church. And all of them concur in Jesus Christ; he is anointed to them altogether. And this is singular to Jesus Christ, it is peculiar to himself alone, no other man was ever thus advanced besides himself. Some other men have had one of these offices, or two at most, but never any man had all three, but Christ only: So that he is in this respect; transcendently advanced you see, and God hath glorified him beyond measure, and beyond pattern. And that you may the better see the honour that is done to jesus Christ, in that he hath these three great Offices altogether in his hands: I shall represent it to you in a few Particulars. First, By this means whatsoever good is purchased for the Church, is procured by him only; The Father, that he may advance, and honour Christ the more, will have the Church beholding unto none but him for any good that she enjoys or looks for. He must purchase peace, and he must purchase grace for her: the grace of righteousness, and the grace of holiness: he must satisfy, & he must sanctify: he must obtain her absolution, and he must obtain her sanctification, and he must obtain her glorification: he must renew her right in outward things which she forfeited in Adam. And he must do all this alone, there must be none besides him, none with him. No, he must tread the wine-press of his Father's wrath alone. By once offering of himself, he must perfect for ever them that are sanctified. The Lord hath given us no other King to subdue our enemies, and to get peace for us; No other Priest to satisfy his wrath, and to obtain Grace for us. No other Mediator between God and man either of Redemption, or Intercession; either of Redemption to purchase grace, or of Intercession to sue out that which he hath purchased; All lies on Jesus Christ, you see, that he may be all in all, that all the glory may redound to him. As whatsoever good is purchased for the Church is procured by him only, so it is revealed by him only. As he, and he alone must get it so he, and he alone must tell us of it. It is an honour to be sent with good news, and God hath done his Son this honour; The Gospel, as you know, is glad tidings of great Joy, and Christ is he that makes it known to men. He brings it forth out of the bosom of the Father. And therefore it is called the word of Christ Not only because Jesus Christ is the author and the Subject matter of it, but the revealer of it too. God in these latter days hath spoken to us by his Son, saith the Apostle, speaking of the revelation of the Gospel, Heb. 1.2. He had good news to tell the world, and he sent his Son with it. He sent Moses with the Law, which was a Message full of terror; Moses was good enough for that. The Gospel was a Message full of sweetness and full of Comfort, and Christ must have the honour to reveal that to the world. Indeed my brethren whatsoever good we know of God, or of his favour and good will towards us, or of the work of our redemption, and reconciliation, and atonement, all comes out by Jesus Christ. Christ is the only Prophet of the Church; and if we ask the question which the Psalmist mentions, Psal. 4.6. Who will show us any good? The answer must be, None but jesus Christ can do it, or those that are sent out by him with his Message, and in his Name. As whatsoever good is purchased for the Church is procured by Christ only, and revealed by Christ only, so it is dispensed by Christ only. God doth not give it out immediately himself, but he communicates it to us, in, and by, and through Christ, as the Expression of the Scripture is, The grace of God is shed on us abundantly, through Jesus Christ our Lord, Titus 3.6. As all comes by his means, so all goes through his hands. And therefore he is said to have received gifts for men, Isa. 68.18. God doth not give his gifts directly, and immediately to men himself, but Jesus Christ receieth their endowments for them of the Father, that of his fullness they may all receive. He is the Treasurer of his Father's grace, that every one may come to him. God hath exalted him to be a Prince to his People, and so to give them as a King (as once Araunah said to David) in a Magnificent and Royal way. And this he hath done to advance him and to make him glorious, that as all comes from him, so all may be ascribed to him. It appears that God hath a design, etc. as by the offices in which he puts him, so by the gifts, and the abilities which he endues him with for the discharge of those places. To put a person in an office, who is not qualified and fitted for it, who is not able to discharge it, is to dishonour him, and make him despicable in the eyes of others. God doth not so with Jesus Christ; and therefore as he makes him King, and Priest, and Prophet, so he enables him to the performance and execution of these offices. As he appoints him to them, so he anoints him with gifts, and graces, and abilities, that he may go through with them with credit, as we use to say, both to the honour of his Father and himself. He is the head of the body the Church (saith the Apostle) Colos. 1.17. And to this end it pleased the Father that in him should all fullness dwell, as it is added there in that place. It appears that God, etc. in that he makes the fullness of the Godhead dwell in him; Others are Partakers of the divine nature but he is partaker of the Divine Essence. Others are Partakers of the properties of God, but he is partaker of the Godhead itself. Others are partakers of the grace of God, but he is partaker of the God of grace. And therefore the Apostle saith not, that in Christ dwelleth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, that is the Divinity, but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is the Deity. In him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily, Col. 2.9. Not that the Godhead is confined, or circumscribed within the narrow limits of our Saviour's flesh, or that his body is co-extended with the Godhead, as Ubiquitaries dream. But the Godhead dwells in Christ, as Bernard speaks, not Vmbrative, not by external signs and shadows, and tokens of his presence, as once he dwelled in the material Temple; not effective, by the powerful operation of it, not only by the Graces of it, as it dwelleth in the bodies of his Saints, who therefore are called the Temples of God; But in him dwells the Godhead bodily, that is, it is really united to the humane nature, to the body of Jesus Christ, And herein Christ hath no Peer. It is a high and unmatchable honour, which no other Creature is capable of, by which he is advanced above all other things and persons in the world besides. John 17.1. Glorify thy Son. Reas. 1 IT hath been the design and purpose, etc. that he might make him some requital for the abasures and indignities which he suffered in the world. A great part of our Saviour's passion (my beloved consisted in the great dishonour that was done to him, and in the scorn, and the derision, and the contemptuous usage which he suffered, even from the vilest, and the worst of men. If you survey it in the Gospel story, and lay it altogether, all the affronts, and jeers, and taunts, and uncivil imputations that were put upon him, you will admire that the glorious Son of God should ever stoop so low for our sakes: yet this he did for the accomplishment of that great work, to which he was appointed by the Father: And therefore God in recompense hath set him up again, and raised him to the height of dignity and glory. And that he did it on this very ground, we learn from the Apostle Paul, Phil. 2.7, 8. and following verses. He made himself (saith the Apostle there) of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a Servant, and being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself; And what of this? why therefore God hath highly exalted him, exalted him, and exalted him highly, as it is added in the next words, therefore because he was abased. And hence our Saviour useth this as an enforcing argument when he desireth to be glorified by his father, viz. Because he had been formely dishonoured, and brought low. For this is clearly intimated in the words, John 17.4, 5. I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do, and now, O Father, glorify me with thyself. The works of Christ were some of Ministry and service, and abasure in the office of obedience and suffering for the Church; and some of power, and majesty, in the protection and exaltation of the Church; and those were to forego these. He ought to suffer and so enter into glory, Luke 24.26. There was a necesse in it, a necessity of God's decree who had appointed, and designed it to be so, of God's justice which must be satisfied by obedience, before he would be pacified with men, or in the person of their head and advocate advance them to his glory. Of God's word in the prediction of the Prophets, who had fore-shewed, and prophesied that it must be so. And hence saith Christ in the forecited text, I have finished my work, the work of my humiliation, and therefore now I pray thee glorify me with thyself. Let my exaltation follow. I should not look to be exalted if I had not first been humbled. But seeing I have done the service, let me have the recompense: since I have undergone the one, let me be raised to the other. It hath been the design, etc. that he himself might be glorified by it. Reas. 2 His utmost aim is that he may be honoured in the honour of his Son. Brethren, the Lord in all his works (I speak it reverently) is a self-seeker, he seeks himself in every thing he doth, and it is very fit he should, because there is no end above himself, nor better than himself. And if we had no higher end (my brethren) than ourselves, we might seek ourselves too. In all his actions, he hath an eye upon his own glory. And so he hath in this which we are speaking of, the exaltation, and advancement of his Son. And therefore with this Argument our Saviour urgeth this desire of his, Father glorify thy Son. Why should I glorify thee (might the father say) what shall I get by it? Thou shalt get honour by it (saith our Saviour) and therefore I beseech thee to glorify me upon this account; Father glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify thee. I cannot glorify thee much in this abasure, and contempt; but if thou glorify me once, it shall come back again upon thee by reflection; I will be sure to honour thee again; And therefore I beseech thee do it for thy own sake, and in relation to thy own glory. Now is it so, my brethren, that it hath been the design, etc. then certainly Use 1 it is a bold adventurous part for any man to dishonour Jesus Christ, and to cast contempt upon him: Whoever doth it, runs a very great hazard. He doth what lies in him to cross the Lord in that which he is most intent upon, on which his heart is wonderfully set. Great men cannot endure (you know) to be crossed in their wills, or hindered of their purposes; and how think you, will the great God endure to be affronted, and opposed, and crossed in such a thing as this is? From all Eternity he hath determined with himself to glorify his Son Christ, he hath had it in his heart from everlasting, he hath resolved he shall be honoured; and that not by men alone, but by the very Angels too, those eminent and glorious Creatures. It is the Father's pleasure that it shall be so, as the Apostle tells us, Heb. 1.6. When he bringeth in his first begotten into the world, he saith, and let all the Angels of God worship him. Not serve him, and obey him only, but worship him with divine, and with religious adoration, which is the height and top of honour, with the same honour that belongeth to the Father, as Christ himself expresseth it, john 5.23. And if he must have honour, such transcendent honour from the very Angels, must he not have it from inferior creatures, who are far below Angels? Yes, Gods expects it, that at the name (that is) the power and authority of Jesus, every knee should bow, not of things in heaven only, but of things in earth too, that is, not of Angels only but of men. So that you see the father looks for this at our hands, he looks we should do honour to his Son. He saith as in the Parable, They will reverence my Son. Though they have slighted and abused other messengers that I have sent among them, yet they will surely reverence my Son. It is impossible they should be so unworthy to contemn my own Son. And what then do we think of those who dishonour and contemn him notwithstanding? will the father who hath sent him to this End, that he might be honoured, take this well at their hands, to be thus crossed in such a great design of his by wretched men? To see his own begotten Son despised, and scorned, whom he hath done so much to honour? Why, you will say, what need you be so earnest upon this particular? Who doth dishonour Jesus Christ? Who doth despise him, or contemn him? do we not all acknowledge him to be our Lord and Saviour, and the like? yes we do all acknowledge him in words, indeed we call him Lord. But many of us buffet him, and spit upon him in the very same breath. There are abundance of us (my beloved) who in name are Christians, who do exceedingly dishonour Jesus Christ, whatever their pretences and protestations be, and I will show you briefly who they are. All unbelievers do dishonour Christ exceedingly in this respect, that they do not close with him; That when he is proposed and offered to them in the Gospel, they do not take him, and receive him on the terms that he is offered, but put him off with a denial. This is a great dishonour to the Lord Christ. It is no less than an implicit scorning and despising of him. As if he were so poor a gift that he were not worth the taking. Ah, my beloved, do but think upon it, that after Christ hath undergone so much as he hath done for our salvation, and after comes a begging to our own doors, beseeching us that we will entertain him, and receive him, and accept of him, and that not for his own advantage or profit that accrues to him, but merely for our own good; That he should stoop so low, even by entreaties to impose himself upon us, and we should be inexorable to him, and basely thrust him quite away from us, and refuse to meddle with him. Oh what a horrible indignity is this to Jesus Christ? What an unspeakable debasing of him? Yet thus all unbelievers use him. All, I mean where Christ is preached. And that may be applied to them which the Evangelist affirmeth of the Jews, john 1.11. He came unto his own, his own friends, his own Kindred, his own acquaintance, his own nation, yea people of his own Country: But though they were his own, they would not own him nor embrace him. He came unto his own, and his own received him not. And so he comes to these men, and that with obsecrations, and entreaties too, and they clap the door against him, and shamefully g●ve him the repulse. They tell him in effect that he may go to those that need him, and look after him, or care for him. For their parts, they will none of him, than which there cannot be a viler, or more ignominions usage in the world. They that despise and slight the blood of Christ, they dishonour Christ himself. His blood you cannot choose but think is dear to him, and the contemptuous usage of it reflects with high disparagement upon him. But you will say who de pisces Christ's blood? are any so unworthy and so base among us? yes there are some such among us who use the blood of Christ as if they did account it an unholy thing, as if it were but common blood, the blood of any ordinary creature which they might freely undervalue at their pleasure; And so in doing this, they tread underfoot the son of God, as the Apostle speaks, Heb. 10.29. they throw him down, and tread him under foot, as if he were but dust, or dung, or some such base unworthy thing, which is the horriblest contempt that can be. They tread under foot the Son of God, while they account his blood an unholy thing. But who accounts it so you will demand? Why they that use it so, do in effect account it so, and truly there are multitudes of such among us. When ordinary blood is shed, as the blood of any beasts, you know, we make no reckoning of it, we look not after it, we spend not any thought upon it, it is shed and there's an end. And verily my brethren, there are many who make no more of the blood of Christ himself, then if it were but common blood, then if an Ox, or any other beast were slain, and so account it an unholy thing. They never think upon it, unless it be to swear by it, they never meditate upon the end for which he shed it, or the use which they ought to make of it. He shed his blood for us (saith the Apostle) that we should live no longer to ourselves but to him that died for us. And yet how many are there who live wholly to themselves notwithstanding all this, who seek themselves, their own ends, their own things, and not the things of Jesus Christ? He loved his Church, and gave himself for it, that he might sanctify and cleanse it, Eph. 5.25. that he might wash it in his own blood. Apoc. 1.5. And yet what multitudes are here among us, who are not cleansed, or washed to this day, but tumble in the Kennel still, wherein the swine of this world wallow? and so they make the Son of God, as much as in them lies, to suffer and to die in vain, they spill his precious blood upon the ground, as if it were of no value: Christ shed his blood to this end that his people might be holy, and they will be impure still, and wallow in their lusts still. They care not what become of it, let it be shed in vain for them, they reckon not. Oh what a high contempt is this to Jesus Christ! These men as the Apostle speaks, tread underfoot the Son of God, they trample on him in Disdain; and put him to the greatest shame that can be. They that despise and slight the spirit of Christ, dishonour Christ himself; the Comforter the holy Spirit is the messenger of Christ, he is instead of Christ to his people, he represents him absent to the soul. And therefore he is said in Scripture to be with them, in that his holy Spirit is with them. Behold I am with you always, viz. by my Spirit to the end of the world, Mat. 28. ult. I will not leave you comfortless saith Christ to his Disciple, I will come to you, john 14.18. he meaneth not by himself, but by his Spirit. So that when the Spirit comes, Christ comes; and therefore it is added presently, At that time you shall know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you. So that if this sweet Messenger of Jesus Christ, who is to us instead of Christ, be ill-entreated by us, it is apparently a very great indignity to Christ himself. And yet how often do we damp the holy motions of this Spirit in our hearts? When good desires and gracious purposes are raised and kindled there, how often do we smother them and put them out again? how frequently do we misuse him, who comes with counsel, and with comfort, and with grace, from such a choice and precious friend as Christ is? How do we slight the seasonable caveats that the spirit gives us, either for our information, or else for our consolation, and what is this upon the matter, but to despise and slight Christ? They that despise and slight the Messengers and the Ambassadors of Christ, they dishonour Christ himself. He is in this respect at the same hand that Princes are, the wrongs and the indignities that are done to those they send, they take as offered to themselves; and truly so doth Jesus Christ. His Ministers, the Preachers, and Dispenser's of his Gospel, are his Ambassadors to men, they are instead of Christ, as the Apostle Paul's expression is, 2 Cor. 5.20. Now than we are Ambassadors for Christ, we pray you in Christ's stead; and they that injure or dishonour those that are for Christ, and that are in Christ's stead, must needs dishonour Christ himself. Our Saviour is express and plain for this to his Apostles, Luke 10.16. He that despiseth you despiseth me; and he that despiseth me, despiseth him that sent me. q. d. My Father sent me, and therefore he that despiseth, me despiseth him. And I send you, and therefore he that despiseth you, despiseth me: I shall say little of this Argument, for fear of misconstruction, I shall but leave it to yourselves to judge whether Christ be in this respect despised and dishonoured, yea, or no. Whether he be abused in those whom he hath sent, whose labours he hath blessed, and to whom he hath given the seals of their Ministry, I hope they will not much complain to any, but to Christ that sent them, and if he be resolved to bear it, I make no question he will give them grace and strength to bear it too, and to profit much by it. They that fall away from Christ after some acquaintance with him, they dishonour and disgrace him. For in deserting him, they seem to tell the world that there is nothing in him why we should desire him. They have tried him, and they find him by experience to be such a one as is not worth the keeping any longer. And therefore the Apostle, speaking of Apostates, saith that they put Christ to open shame, for that is his expression, Heb. 6.9. if they fall away, saith he, they crucify the Son of God afresh, and put him to open shame. A servant looks upon it as a shame and a disparagement if he be put away: So if a Servant leave his Master (if the reason be not known) it is some disgrace to him. Men are very apt to think that he is a hard Master, that he is faulty in some kind or other, and that he deals not well with those that serve him. And so when men forsake the service of the Lord Christ, they make the world believe that he is an ill Master, that there is better wages, and more content and satisfaction to be had in the service of sin then the service of Christ; And is not this a great dishonour to him? And yet how many are there in these latter times, who bring disparagement to Jesus Christ by this means, and make his service despicable in the eyes of others? How many have withdrawn from Jesus Christ of late, given over waiting on his holy Ordinances, and left performing of those duties to him which they were wont exactly, and constantly, and duly to discharge. They talk of Christian Liberty, and this they take to be from the service of Christ, whereas it is indeed from the service of sin: And so they are more lose, and careless, and remiss, and negligent than they have been in former times. These men disgrace Christ, whom God hath set himself to honour, and so they cross him in his great design. Now, I beseech you, think upon it, you that dishonour Christ, in any of the ways forementioned, or in any other way, let it be what it will: Remember that it is the purpose and design of God to glorify his Son Christ; and what then will become of you, who thwart with him, who seek as much as lies in you to hinder him from execution of that which he is so intent upon? Will he take it at your hands? Nay, if he send his Son among you, and say, as in the Parable, Luke 20.13. They will reverence my Son, and you upon the other side, neglect him and contemn him, and abase him every way, he will be out of patience with you, to be thus crossed by wretched men; he will certainly destroy you, he will make you know the price of slighting and despising him, whose honour is as dear and tender to him as his own. Is it so, that it hath been the design, & c? Then be we all exhorted to Use 2 comply with God, in this great design of his, and to promote it to the utmost of our power. Let us endeavour every way to help him in that which he is so intent upon, the glorifying of his Son Christ. It's true, God needs not any of our help, he can do his own work, and bring his own design and purposes to pass without us; he can glorify his Son, whether we poor simple Creatures will or no: but yet in any case wherein we may be instrumental to him, wherein we may be useful any way to further that which he intendeth, he expects that we should come to the help of the Lord, as the expression is, though in another case, Judg. 5.23. and therefore let us seriously consider what our duty is, and let us set up Jesus Christ, and glorify him to the utmost of our power. And here I shall propound two things, which I shall orderly pursue; First, let us advance his glory, when it is without our own: and Secondly, let us advance his glory, when it is against our own. Let us set up his glory when it is without our own, when we have no glory by it, when we have no glory with it. There be many in the World, that seem to glorify the Lord Christ, when his glory and their own concur, and come together in a Line: When Christ, and they may be set up together, when they advance and raise themselves in raising and advancing him, they are very well content. As this was Jehues' case, you know, his interest and Gods did meet, in rooting out the Line of Ahab, so that he seemed to be zealous for the Lord of Hosts, when he was zealous only for himself, and for the greatness and the glory of his own house. But when the glory of the Lord comes single, and alone, and naked to them, so that they have nothing to quicken and encourage them to such a work, to such a duty, but his honour only; as for their own part, they are like to get disparagement among the greater part of men, and to be disgraced by it, they will not stir, they will do nothing in such a case as this is. A Magistrate it may be will be very earnest in taking course with those exorbitancies and abuses which dishonour Christ, as long as he himself may attain to honour by it, and be applauded every where for his integrity, and zeal, and courage, and uprightness. But when he meets with scoffs and taunts on every side, when he comes to be affronted and disgraced, and blasted for his forwardness, and to be looked upon as a pragmatical, and busy man, he thinks it better to give over and be quiet. A Minister, it may be, will be painful in his Calling, very diligent in Preaching in season and out of season, while he may be commended and admired; but when he misses his expected honour and applause, he is like a becalmed Ship at Sea, and stirs no longer than the breath of people drives him. And so a private person, it may be, will be very holy and precise, very constant, and very diligent in duty, very exact in waiting on the Ordinances, and the like, as long as those things gain him reputation and esteem with those to whom he would approve himself. But when they come once to be looked upon as matter of disparagement, and when he is disgraced for them, he hath done with these courses. These men do glorify themselves, and not Christ, at least they glorify him with relation to themselves, and make his glory but a means to the attainment of their own; so that their utmost end is really their own glory; so that however it may seem, they do not truly join with God in the accomplishment of this design of his, touching the glorifying of his Son Christ. Now, I beseech you, my Beloved, let us not be like these men, let us advance the Son of God single, let us set up his glory when it is without our own. Nay, to go further yet, let us set up his glory where it is against our own, which is the second thing proposed; when we are no gainers by it, but rather losers in our own honour. And thus the Saints of God have done, as I shall give you divers instances out of the Scripture, because the thing is difficult, and will need the more enforcing. John the Baptist was much cried up among the people, as if he had been the Messiah: Many men, if they had been in his place, would have nourished these conceits, and taken to themselves those foolish attributions: But he is so far from this, that he endeavours every way to put them off from him, There comes one after me, who is mightier than I, the latchet of whose I am not worthy to stoop down and unloose, Mar. 1.8, 9 I indeed have baptised you with water, but he shall baptise you with the holy Ghost. q.d. You question whether I be Christ or no, and thus you magnify me, and applaud me, and attribute that to me which indeed belongs to Christ. But I must tell you plainly, I am not the Christ (as in another place he doth) I am no body to him, I am not worthy to untie his shoes, to do the meanest Office that belongs to him: And for the Ministry, my Art is outward, and not to be compared with his, I indeed baptise, etc. And in another place he shows the very same temper, john 3.30 He must increase, but I must decrease. q.d. It must be so, and I am very well content, so he increase, and so his glory grow, I care not though I wane and whither in my honour, and in the reputation and esteem which I have among the people. So the Apostles, when the people ascribed the Miracle which they had done to them, how did they shake away this honour from them? Acts 3.12. Ye men of Israel, why look you so earnestly on us, as if by our own power or holiness, we had made this man whole: no, God hath done it to glorify his Son Christ, in prosecution of this great design, as it is added there in that place. And when was Paul in such a heat, as when the people took Barnabas and him for gods, and would have offered sacrifice unto them? Act. 14.13. When they heard what was done, they rend their , and ran in among the people, crying out, and saying, Sirs, why do ye these things? you think us to be Gods, but we are men of like passions with yourselves, and preach unto you that you should turn from these vanities, unto the living God. You see they labour to advance the Lord, by taking off those high conceits which the people had of them. Now I beseech you my beloved, let the same mind be in us that was in these men. Let us not regard a jot what becomes of our honour, so the design of our God go forward touching the glorifying of his Son. And let us say as jacob in another place, So Christ be glorified, we have enough. You that are in any office, do not consider with yourselves how you may carry matters, so that you may be commended and approved, for moderate, and meek, and quiet men; but how you may extirpate sin, which dishonours Jesus Christ, and root out evil doers from the City of the Lord: and if you be abused for this, if lose contentious people tax you, and run out upon you; if Drunkards in their Ale make Songs upon you, do you despise the shame as Christ did, so you may bring him any glory? So we that are the Ministers of Christ, let this be our endeavour to advance and set up Christ; let us study such a way, and follow such a course as will glorify him most, though it redound not to our own honour. Let us not make this our aim, how we may carry matters, so that we may be admired and magnified, that we may be accounted eloquent and learned, and the like; but that the people may be edified, and that they may be won to Jesus Christ: That way of preaching, be it what it will, which serveth best to these ends, let us endeavour after, yea and though it should be prejudicial to our own glory, though it should eclipse us. What saith the Apostle Paul, 2 Cor. 4.5. I preach not myself, but the Lord jesus Christ. It is not my intention to set up myself, that I may be looked upon, that my abilities may be applauded and admired; no, I regard not though I be concealed, though I be hid among the crowd, so as Jesus Christ appear, so as the affections and thoughts of men be set on him, so he be represented to the people in his glory: I preach not myself, but the Lord jesus Christ, and myself your servant for Jesus his sake. And so for private Christians, let us seriously consider what the Lord expects from us, and how intent he is on this business, and let us strive to serve him, and be instrumental to him in this great design of his. Let us make this our work and business, how we may glorify the Lord Christ, become what will of our esteem and reputation in the world. And this, because it is a hard lesson, I shall excite you to the learning and the practising of it, with a few motives. Consider wherefore you were made and placed in the world; what, to set up yourselves, and to advance your own honour? No, but to glorify the Lord Christ; this was the end of your Creation; All things were created by him, and for him, saith the Apostle, Col. 1.16. As they were created by him, so they were created for him. Now a thing may be made either for the need and conveniency, or else for the honour and glory of him for whom it is made. As great men in their houses, have been always wont to have some things for use, and others for pomp. Now Jesus Christ made nothing in the world for need; he needs not us for any thing that we can do; for he was absolutely full and perfect, and complete, before we had a being in the world; or had it not been so, undoubtedly he would have made us sooner, he would not have remained so long without us. So then he made us for his glory, that was the end he aimed at in our Creation: And therefore it concerneth us to see that we answer this end, and that we glorify the Lord Christ: Or if we do not so; first, our sin is very great, we sin against the great, the utmost end of our Creation: And secondly, our danger is very great, and we are in extremest peril of destruction. Any thing that is unuseful, or unserviceable to the end that it was made, is fit for nothing else but ruin. We make a fire to warm us, and to dress our meat, but if it fall a burning of the house, we put it out if we be able: A hatchet or a knife is made to cut, but when it comes to have no edge at all, so that it will not do the business that it serveth for, we throw it by into a corner, and provide another. A Potter makes a vessel to keep liquid things, but if it have a crack, or hole in it, so that it will not serve for that purpose, he even dashes it in pieces. So Jesus Christ hath made us for himself, his own glory; but if we be unserviceable to this end, and if he find we do not glorify him, but dishonour him, and shame him, he will break us with a rod of iron, and dash us in pieces like a Potter's vessel. We will not serve his turn, nor the end for which he made us, and therefore he will cast us away; for what shall he do with us? If any of us have an instrument that is very useful to us, we will be very chary of it, and very careful that we do not lose it; but if it be of no use, we reckon it of no value, yea many times we break it, or we burn it in a passion, and there is an end of it. So Jesus Christ will deal with us my Brethren; if we be serviceable to the end for which he made us, he will keep us, and preserve us: But if we be unuseful to him, or if we do not glorify him, he will ruin and destroy us. Consider Christ will make you recompense for any honour that you bring to him, you shall have it back again, and that with profit and advantage. If you honour Jesus Christ, he will do as much for you, he will honour you again; it is his Promise, and he will be faithful in it, 1 Sam. 2.30. Them that honour me, I will honour. Men are exceedingly, and almost universally deceived in this particular: they think the ready way to honour, is to set up themselves, and to bristle their plumes, to strut and swell, and swagger in the world; to take all ways that they can think upon, to make themselves seem great and honourable in the eyes of others; but in the mean time they neglect Christ, they take no course at all to advance his glory. Alas, these men are quite out, if they would have true honour, their business and their work must be to set up Christ, and then he will be sure to set up them again. If we take care to honour him, he will take care to honour us; if we do the one of them, we need not doubt to trust him with the other. So that you see my Brethren, if we would be honoured and esteemed, we have no more to do but only this, to glorify the Lord Christ, to magnify him, and to make him great, and then he is engaged to take care of our esteem and credit in the world. But on the other side if we dishonour and despise him, let us do what we can to raise ourselves, and get ourselves a name, it shall be all to no purpose, when all is done he will cast ignominy and contempt upon us, as he tells us in the fore-alledged Text, They that honour me, I will honour; and they that despise me, shall be lightly set by. Consider with yourselves how you will gratify (if I might express it so) or rather please the Father, in glorifying of his Son Christ. It is a thing that fathers take delight and pleasure in, to see their sons advanced to honour; and truly so doth God the Father in reference to Jesus Christ. He loves to see him set up, and to see him made glorious, and that not only as he is his Son, in whom his very soul delighteth, but as it hath been his decree and purpose from eternity to have him glorified. You hear it hath been the design of God to glorify his Son Christ, and a design on which his heart is set; and so the promoting of it by your means, must needs be very pleasing to him: you may be sure that he will vote it to be acceptable service. And even as they that hinder and oppose this great business are opposites to God: so they that further and promote it, close with him, and carry on his business, and he will take it very kindly at their hands, to have a thing which he is so intent upon brought to pass by their means. These things may stir us up, my Brethren, to comply with God in this great Design of his, touching the glorifying of his Son Christ. John 17.1. That thy Son may also glorify thee. SO we have done with the two first particulars considered in our Saviour's Prayer, so far as it concerns himself, the rise of it from whence he takes occasion to present it to his Father, together with the matter of it, or the thing which he desireth of the Father, That he may be glorified. And we are now arrived at the third and last, the Reasons with which he presseth, and enforceth this request of his, and they are many, and of great importance. The first is taken from the end, why he desireth to be glorified, or to have glory from the Father, viz. that he might be enabled to bring glory to the Father; Father glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify thee. The second Argument is drawn à congruo, from the congruity; it was but meet and congruous that he should be glorified, or that he should have glory from the Father, seeing he had power from him. He had received power from him, and therefore it was fit that he should have glory too; for power and glory ought to go together: And therefore on this ground our Saviour urgeth it, you see; Father glorify thy Son, as thou hast given him power over all flesh. As thou hast given him power, so be prevailed withal to give him glory too, the concomitant of power. The third is drawn from the deserving Cause: Christ had glorified the Father, and therefore thinks himself worthy to have glory from the Father; I have glorified thee on earth, I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do: And now, O Father, glorify me with thyself, and so on. At this time, I shall pitch on the first Argument, with which our Saviour presseth this request of his, and it is taken from the end, why he desireth to have glory from the Father, viz. That he may be enabled to bring glory to the Father, Glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify thee. Me thinks he seems to intimate he could not glorify him much in the condition he was in at present, he was in such a state of ignominy, and abasure, and contempt, in relation to the world, that he was not capable of bringing in the Father any considerable honour, while he remained in this case: And therefore he entreats the Father to raise him, and advance him, that he may do as much for him again, Father glorify thy Son, that thy Son also, etc. So then as we have formerly observed, that it is the Design of God the Father to glorify his Son; so hence we may observe, DOCTRINE. That it is the desire of Christ to have glory from the Father, to this end, that he may bring glory to the Father. You see he begs it only upon this account, Father glorify thy Son: What, that he may detain and keep it to himself? No, that he may return it to the Father, That thy Son also may glorify thee. If thou wilt glorify me, thou shalt be no loser by it; no, thou shalt have it back again, and that with profit, and advantage too; thou shalt be glorified by me; I will not keep the glory which thou layest out upon me in my own hands, but I will give it up entire, and undiminished to thyself again: It is not for my own sake that I beg it, but for thine. There were some rays of glory which God was pleased to dart forth upon the Son in his condition of abasure: and if you mark his carriage in the Gospel Story, you shall find that he was always careful to make them to reflect on God again. As when he did his Miracles, which was a means to set him up (you know) in the eyes of all that saw them, he was extremely cautious that the honour might be rendered to his Father. And hence he was not wont to do them in his own name, nor in appearance by his own power, though both were suitable enough to his condition, being God as well as Man; but in the name, and by the strength and the assistance of the Father. And therefore when he raised Lazarus, he did not seem to do it of himself (though that he might have done as God) but lift up his eyes and prayed his Father, that he would show himself in that business, that so the glory might be his, john 11.42. and addeth, that he did it for the people's sake that stood by, that they might know that God had sent him. That they might understand that he performed such works as these, as one that was subservient to the Father, in them, and that was sent out by him. And therefore he is always minding them on all occasions of his Mission from the Father, that so if any thing praiseworthy did appear in him, or were done by him, it might be rendered and ascribed to the Father. The sixth of John is full of such insinuations; I come (saith he) to do the will of him that sent me, and not to do my own will, at ver. 38. And in another place he tells them that he honoured not himself, but his Father honoured him, joh. 8.54. He honours me, and I honour not myself; I do not keep his honour to myself; but I honour him again, with which accordeth that expression, john 13.31. Now is the Son of man glorified: and what follows, and God is glorified in him. So that you see the Son takes glory from the Father, to this end, that he may bring glory to the Father. And it is very congruous that it should be so, because as Man, and Mediator, Reason 1 he is the Servant of the Father; he was sent down by him from heaven upon his errand, and upon his business, and to do the work which he appointed him to do. It was our Saviour's own acknowledgement, when he had done and ended all, I have finished the work, said he, which thou gavest me to do, Joh. 17.4. q.d. I have approved myself a faithful Servant to thee, I have done thy work, and I have done it fully and completely: And he is often speaking of his being sent out by the Father, and that to do his will, and not his own, his work and not his own, to signify that he was in the state and the condition of a servant to the Father. Now a servant must not seek his own honour, but the honour of his Master. As he must do his Master's will, his Master's work, and not his own; so he must do it for his Master's ends, and not his own. If his Master set him up, he must improve it to his Master's commendation: And so our Saviour Jesus Christ being as Man and Mediator in the condition of a Servant to his Father, it was his duty in the execution of his Mediatorship to aim at his Master's glory, to do all things for his end, viz. his glory. Or otherwise in doing his Father's work, his Father's will, he might even serve himself, and not his Father. If any honour did accrue to him in the performance of his Office, he was bound to ascribe it to the Father; it was his duty as a servant so to do, and so accordingly he did, and this was one ground of it, why he did not otherwise desire to have glory from the Father, but that he might bring glory to the Father. Reason 2 There may a second reason be assigned as he is God, for so he and the Father are one, and consequently his glory and the Fathers are one. So that no marvel that he desire as God to bring glory to the Father, seeing in doing so he brings glory to himself; As on the other side it is no marvel, that the Father takes occasion still to glorify the Son, seeing in doing so, he glorifies himself. You shall observe that they are always setting one another up; the Father he is always setting up the Son; the Son upon the other side is always setting up the Father; and it is no wonder that it should be so, because in setting one another up, they do indeed set up themselves. If the Son were to lose the glory that he gives the Father, we need not doubt he would be loath enough to part with it: So if the Father were to lose the glory that he gives the Son, he would not let him have it neither; for he hath said, He will not give his glory to another. But here's the business now my Brethren, when he gives glory to the Son, he doth not give it to another, but himself. And so the Son when he gives glory to the Father, he doth not give it to another, but himself. They are so absolutely one in all respects, as God, that the glory of the one is the glory of the other: And therefore it is said that God is glorified in the Son, john 13.31. Mark that expression, Not by the Son, but in the Son; for he is glorified in that the Son is glorified. The glory that may seem to be imparted to the Son, darts back again upon him by reflection; it is doubled by this means, and consequently he is not a loser by it, but a gainer. If he glorify his Son, his Son also glorifies him; so that no marvel if there be such an exchange of glory continually between the Father and the Son, and putting of it always over to the other. That place is very notable to this purpose. John 12.28. if it be read as some have rendered it, and the Original will fitly bear; saith Jesus Christ, Father glorify thy Name; the Father answers by a voice from Heaven, I have glorified thee (not glorified it, as in our last Translation, but) glorified thee, and I will glorify thee again; the Son he prays not, Father glorify me, but thyself, thy own name, Father glorify thy name: the Father answers not, I have glorified my name, myself; but, I have glorified thee; Neuter sibi, uterque alteri gloriam attribuens, as one notes upon the text. The Son desires the Father, that he will glorify himself, and not him; the Father tells the Son that he hath glorified him, and not himself; or if you will, that he hath done what he desires; he hath glorified himself in glorifying him: so that the one is glorified in the glory of the other. Use. Now, is it so my Brethren, that it is the desire of Christ to have glory from the Father to the end, etc. I shall apply it in the first place my beloved, to persuade you to learn of Christ in this particular, as he himself hath taught you in another case, Learn of me, for I am meek: Learn to be as I am, learn to do as I do: So be you followers of Christ in this thing, and do you learn of him, when you desire or seek for any thing at God's hands, any place, or any gifts that will advance or set you up among men, that you desire it for no other end, but this, that you may glorify the Lord with it. It is a usual thing with many of us; we would get up into some place of dignity, we would have extraordinary parts and gifts, we would be eminent in knowledge, and in grace; we would have God to honour us with these things, and we are very earnest and importunate with him about it; but can we say in the uprightness of our hearts, as Christ doth? Father, we pray that thou wouldst honour us with these things, that we also may glorify thee: That by this means we may be capable of bringing thee the more glory. It is not to set up ourselves that we desire this dignity, or these accomplishments in any kind, but that we may advance thee. Do we not know that we desire such things as these too many of us, merely for our own ends, for the attainment of our own glory, that we may get ourselves a name, that we may be accepted, and reputed, and esteemed? Do not our hearts accuse us, that we have such low aims as these are? Now I beseech you, my Beloved, let us conform ourselves to Christ in this particular; any thing that we desire that will be honourable to us, let us desire it in reference to God's glory: if we would have more knowledge, and more grace, and more ability to holy duties, let it not be to this end that we may be some body among the Saints, and that our names with david's may be much set by: If we would have more wealth, and more power, let it not be that we may strut and swell, and swagger in the world: but that if God shall honour us in this regard, we also may glorify him, that having had such honour from him, we may bring the more to him. And truly, if we seek it to this end, we have the greater hope to speed with God in our Petitions, and to obtain the gifts and blessings that we seek for, and that upon a double ground which I shall briefly set before you, as inducements to persuade. If we desire that which will honour us, that we may honour God with it, we may be like to have it upon this account, that he himself, in some respects, is interessed and concerned in it. It will be advantageous to himself, and therefore he will give it us: he sees that we will lay it out for him, and therefore he will lay it out on us. He will entrust us with the talon, which he perceives we mean to use for his profit; and this is one especial cause why many men want those abilities, and those endowments which they eagerly desire and thirst after, because he knows they desire them out of pride, that they may glorify themselves with them. The Lord resists the proud, but gives his grace unto the humble, 1. Pet. 5.5. He will not have his gifts to be the stales and prostitutes of our corruptions, the oil to feed our base humours. If we desire that which will honour us, that we may honour God with it, we may be like to have it upon this account, that Jesus Christ will intercede for it; he never intercedes for any thing but only in these two cases, when that which is desired, if it be granted, will promote his Father's glory or his people's good; and this you see is the first and great Case. If he perceive that we intent to glorify his Father with the abilities, or gifts, or blessings that we sue for; then instrikes he with us in our Petition, and seconds our request to God. He tells his Father there is such a Suit of such a Member, or of such a Saint of mine, I pray thee hearken to it, and dispatch it, for it concerns thine own honour. Here he would have a little more grace, but I assure thee (for I know his breast) it is not to be proud, or to lift up himself with it, but to advance and lift up thee. Poor soul, he thinks he never honours thee enough, and therefore he would fain have more grace, that he may bring thee more glory: Come I beseech thee, set thy treasure open, and give him out a large share, for thou thyself will be a gainer by it: If thou honour him, he will also glorify thee. Use 2 If any honour come to any of us, from any gifts, or graces, or abilities, that God hath bestowed upon us, let the same mind be in us that was in this respect in Jesus Christ. If God have glorified us in any kind, let us also glorify him. If any honour do accrue to any of us from our created, or acquired, or infused abilities, from any thing that we have done, from any thing that we have suffered, let us not keep it in our own hands, but return it back to God. If men at any time applaud us, or commend us for our gifts, if they admire our graces, or abilities in any kind, and say you have done this or that incomparably well, and our hearts begin to rise, as they are apt to do on such a score, let us not appropriate this honour to ourselves; let us not be unwilling to forgo it all again, and to spare it all to God: Assoon as he hath honoured us, let us be sure to glorify him; let us put it all away, and shake it off, and say as David did, Not unto us, I say again, not unto us, but to the name of God be all the glory. It was he that wrought all our works for us, that put all those gracious words into our minds (the matter was not of our own invention but of his suggestion) that did all in these duties. We laboured, we confess, but yet not we, not we only, not we chief, but the grace of God that was in us. And therefore when these Crowns of honour shall at any time be set upon our heads, let us with the four and twenty Elders cast them down before the throne of God, acknowledging with them, that unto him alone belongeth honour and glory and praise: And we should be the more cautious of arrogating any of this honour to ourselves, which indeed belongs to God, because he is so infinitely jealous of his glory: he hath professed it is a thing that he will never part withal; he will not give it to another; so that if we presume to keep it when it comes into our hands, we shall be losers by it in the end, the Lord will certainly recover it upon us to our own shame. There is a sad example of it in proud Herod, who being much applauded and admired by the People for a certain Speech he made to a popular Assembly, insomuch that they cried out, The voice of God, and not of man; because he gave not God the glory, which the people gave him, he was eaten up of worms, and died a very ignominious and base death. Well then, the glory that is given us by men, in any case let us be sure to give to God, that we may say to him, not much unlike as Christ doth, Thou hast glorified us, and we have glorified thee. And thus of the first Argument with which our Saviour presseth and enforceth this request of his, which hath been taken from the end why he desireth to be glorified, or to have glory from the Father. The second follows now in order to be handled, and it is à congruo, from congruity; it was but meet and congruous that he should have glory from the Father, seeing he had power from him. Father glorify thy Son, as thou hast given him power over all flesh. The force and vigour of this second Reason of our Saviour (as I take it) lies in this, That power and glory ought to go together. He looks upon it as a reasonable thing, that he that is endued with power, should be adorned with glory. And hence he knits them both together in the Lord's Prayer by the connective particle, the power and the glory. So here he had the power, and therefore thinks it fit that he should have the glory. He tells his Father, that he had received power from him, and therefore it was congruous that he should have glory from him. And on this ground he presseth it in this Petition to his Father, q.d. As thou hast given me power, so be prevailed withal to give me glory, Father glorify thy Son as thou hast given him power over all flesh. Three things we have to be considered in the words. 1. The thing in itself with which our Saviour is invested and endued, and this you see is power over all flesh. 2. The means by which he comes to be invested with it, viz. by free donation and dispensation from his Father; he had this power because his Father gave it him, As thou hast given him power over all flesh. 3. The end for which he was invested with it, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him. Begin we with the first particular, the thing itself with which our Saviour is invested and endued. And here you may take notice in the first place of the nature of it, and in the next place of the measure and extent of it. First you have here the nature of it, suggested in the name our Saviour gives it, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 power. And then you have the measure and extent of it, it is not over some, but over all flesh, As thou hast given him power over all flesh. As for the first of these, my Brethren, you must know that there are two sorts of power. There is either 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, either potentia, or potestas: Or to be plain, either power of ability, or power of authority. Power of ability, by which he that enjoys it, is enabled to do things de facto: Power of authority, by which he that enjoys it is enabled to do things de jure. This latter is apparently intended in my Text, As thou hast given him, saith our Saviour, not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. Our last Translation reads it power; it would have been more clear and easy, if they had rendered it authority: as thou hast given him authority over all flesh. Now this authority you see is of a very large extent, it is over all flesh. You must conceive it over all mankind. It is a usual form of speech, as I might give you divers instances out of the Scripture: God looked, and behold all flesh had corrupted his way, Gen. 6.12. The corruption there is sinful, of which no other flesh is capable, but that of mankind only: So Luke 3.6. All flesh shall see the salvation of God: And in this sense you are to apprehend the same expression in my Text: Father glorify thy Son, as thou hast given him power over all flesh; over all humane flesh, or the whole race of Mankind. And this authority you must conceive him to enjoy and exercise, as he is Man and Mediator of the Church; for that Authority which he enjoys as God, he had from all eternity as coequal with the Father. He had it not made over to him by the Father; no, it was his own original, and primitive, and native right, together with the Father. Whereas the power intended in my Text, is that which he received by way of dispensation, and donation from the Father, As thou hast given him power over all flesh: You see the meaning of the Words, the Point is clear. DOCTRINE. That all mankind is under the authority of Jesus Christ, as he is Man, and Mediator of the Church. His Jurisdiction, as you see, is of a very large extent, no creature is exempted from it; he ruleth over all, as David speaks, Psal. 103.19 And he is king of all the earth, Psal. 47.7. He hath dominion from sea to sea; and from the river to the ends of the earth, Psal. 72.8. His Father (the Apostle tells us) hath set him over the works of his hands, Heb. 2.7. You must conceive it over all without exception; and hath put all things in subjection to him, as it is added presently: So that you see, my Brethren, there is nothing left that is not under his dominion. He hath advanced him far above all principality, and power, and might, and every name, not only in the present world, but in that which is to come, and hath put all things under his feet, Eph. 1.22. And in another place, His Father loves him, and hath put all things into his hands, Joh. 3.35. These two may seem to clash and interfere, he hath put all things into his hand, and he hath put all things under his feet: But the fence and meaning is, he hath put all things of one sort into his hands; conceive it, all his people and his friends, concerning whom our Saviour saith, No man can pluck them out of my hand. He hath put all things of another sort under his feet: conceive it, all his enemies, concerning whom the Father saith unto the Son, Sat thou at my right hand, until I make thy enemies thy foot stool: So that you see apparently, Christ hath an universal Jurisdiction; he hath all things in his power, under his dominion: some things in his hand, to honour them, and some things under foot to shame them: Some things in his hand to keep them, and some things under feet to tread upon them, and to ruin them for ever. If any were without the verge of the authority of Jesus Christ, the Kings and Princes of the earth might seem to have the strongest plea for this exemption: But God hath made him his firstborn, higher than the kings of the earth, as you may see, Ps. 89 27. Not higher in regard of dignity of nature only (for so the Angels, as you know; are higher than the greatest earthly Princes) but higher in regard of Jurisdiction too; and hence he hath that name upon his vesture written in great Capitals, Apoc. 19.16. King of Kings, and Lord of Lords: So that the point you see is fully proved. That all mankind, etc. Now to unfold the point a little to you, that you may see it in the latitude, and in the full dimension of it: There is a twofold power of Jurisdiction or Authority, which Jesus Christ as Man and Mediator of the Church is vested with, and exerciseth over all flesh. A Legislative power, and a Judiciary power: A Legislative power to give Laws; and a Judiciary power, to execute the Laws that he hath given. First then Christ hath an universal Legislative power, a power of giving Laws to all flesh. And hence it is, that the Apostle styles him the Lawgiver, Jam. 4.12. and that exclusively; he tells us, that here is but one, and that is Christ. There is one such, and no more; the universal Legislative power is in himself alone, and not in any other, either with him, or besides him: It is his own prerogative, it is a flower of the Imperial Crown of heaven which he communicateth not to any other, to give Law to all flesh. And hence the Law is said in Scripture to come out of Zion, as you may see that place fore-instanced, Isa. 2.3. for out of Zion shall go forth the Law, which is the Seat of Christ's Kingdom: It is not said to be imposed on Zion only, to be restrained to Zion only, but out of Zion to go forth to all flesh: Because our Saviour, though he be King of all the earth, yet he keeps his Court in Zion, in the Church; there is his place of residence, and thence he dates and sendeth forth his Royal Proclamations, and Edicts, Witness ourselves at Zion. Now Christ by virtue of this Legislative power of his, gives Laws both to the outward and the inward man. Both to the members, and the conscience, and that without restraint of all flesh. Christ hath an universal Legislative power, a power of giving Laws to all mankind, so as to bind their members, and their outward man. And hence the Moral Law, which is an universal Law, which no man is exempted from, which takes hold on all flesh, which all men shall be judged by, as the Apostle tells us, is called the Law of Christ, Gal. 6.2. Bear you one another's burden, and so fulfil the Law of Christ, that is, the Law of love; for that, my Brethren, is the Law of Christ. A new Commandment give I unto you; Novum quia renovatum, A new Commandment give I unto you, that you love one another: And what is love but the fulfilling of the Moral Law, as the Apostle speaks? And yet this same Apostle speaking of this Law of love, calls it not the Law of nature, but the Law of Christ, Bear ye one another's burden (which is a special act of love) and so fulfil the Law of Christ: So that the Moral Law you see, my Brethren, is the Law of Christ: and therefore he is pleased to own it, and to call it his Commandment, John 15.12. to fortify it with his own authority (as in the Sermon on the Mount) and to impose the precept of it on the people. And that this Moral Law is universal, and extends to all flesh, appears by this, that it is not imposed alone upon the members of the Church, but on the very heathen too, upon the Kings and Princes of the earth, as you may see, Psal. 2.2. The Kings and Princes of the earth set themselves, and the Rulers take Counsel together against the Lord and his Christ, saying, Let us break their bond● asunder, and cast away their cords from us, that is the Precepts and Commandments, not of the Gospel only, but also of the Moral Law: Which is the Law of nature, and obliged not the Jews alone, but all the Nations of the world: So that no marvel though they both conspire together to rid themselves of these bonds. The Heathen rage, the people of the Jews imagine, the Kings and Rulers (not of Jews only, but) of all the earth, stand up and say, Let us break these bonds asunder, and cast away these cords from us. These bonds and cords which are imposed and laid upon us all, with which we all of us do find ourselves restrained and bound, that is, the Precepts and Commandments of the Moral Law: So that you see, Christ by his Legislative power gives Law to all flesh, as to the outward man, and to the Members. He gives Law to all flesh, as to the inward man, and to the conscience. The Law of Jesus Christ is Spiritual, as the Apostle Paul tells us, Rom. 7.14. not only in the nature of it, but also in the subjects of it. It takes hold upon the souls, the spirits, and consciences of men: It captivates their very thoughts, 2 Cor. 10.5. And herein Jesus Christ is singular, and manifesteth such authority as no one exerciseth but himself. It's true, that men do oftentimes give Laws unto the outward man, and to the members in politic and civil things, and then they do it too as Christ's Vicegerents and his Deputies, they do it under him, and by authority from him. But it is Christ, and he alone that gives Laws unto the Conscience in holy and religious things. He delegates the former power to Magistrates, who in the same respect are styled the Ministers of Christ: But this authority he makes not over to any of the sons of men: And yet he exercises this authority over all the sons of men, so that there is not one of them exempted from his Power. As Jesus Christ hath a Legislative power, so a Judiciary power. As he hath a Legislative power to give Laws, so a Judiciary power to execute the Laws that he hath given: And this is universal too, my Brethren, as the other is. As he gives his Laws to all, so he executes his Laws on all flesh. And therefore he is called a Judge very often in the Scripture: I need not give you instances, for they are known: yea, he is styled the Judge of all, and not alone of all that are alive, but even of those that are departed and deceased, as you may see that place for instance, Acts 10.42. where he is styled the Judge of the quick and dead. It's true that other Judges in the world can judge the quick, they can deal well enough with those that are alive; but if they die, they are gone out of their hands for ever. But Jesus Christ is Judge of all flesh, quick flesh, and dead flesh, Judge of quick and dead too. Death cannot rescue men out of his hands; no, my Beloved, he can pursue them to eternity, and follow them into another world, and there can execute the rigour of his wrath upon them to the very utmost. And as he is the Judge of all persons, so he is Judge of all cases: All judgement is committed to him, not some, but all judgement, Job 5.22. whether the case be manifest and open, or whether it be hid and secret, all is one, Christ is Judge of both these; and this is singular to Jesus Christ. Men can do nothing in a case that is absolutely secret. If a murder be committed, and nothing be discovered any way; no, not so much as by a circumstance, or by some grounds of strong suspicion, what can an earthly Judge do? He knows the Law is broken, but yet he cannot execute the sentence of the Law, because he is not able to discover the Offender. Now Jesus Christ is not to seek in such Cases. To him all things are naked and uncovered. And therefore he brings every work to judgement, and every secret thing, Eccl. 12.14. And the Apostle tells us of a day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ, according to his Gospel, Rom. 2.16. So that you see no flesh can escape his judgement, let the man be what he will, and let the cause be what it will. Now this Judiciary power of Christ's consists of two things; in passing sentence upon all flesh; in executing the sentence after it is past. A word or two of these in order. Christ hath the power of passing sentence upon all flesh. All mankind is under his authority in this respect: and they must all appear before the Judgement Seat of Christ, as the Apostle Paul speaks, 2 Cor. 5.10. there to receive their last doom, either of absolution or condemnation. Sometimes he passeth sentence on them in the Court of Conscience here, he sealeth up men's condemnation to them, and makes it to become a certain thing: They are condemned already, in themselves, and there remaineth nothing to them but a certain looking for of judgement, as the expression is, Heb. 10.27. And on the other side, he sealeth up men's absolution, he sealeth Pardons to the conscience: This he hath power to do, and this he doth sometimes on earth, Mat. 9 6. The Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins. At utmost, in the last and dreadful day, all the dead both great and small, appear before him, and receive a sentence from him, either the one way or the other, as you may see, Apoc. 20.12. And as he hath the power of Passing, so the power of Executing Sentence upon all Flesh. All mankind is under his authority in this respect: And therefore the Apostle having spoken of his Legislative power before, he comes to this judiciary Power, James 4.12. There is one Lawgiver, (saith he) And what can he but give the Law? yes, he can execute the Law too: and therefore it is added presently, Who is able both to save, and to destroy: to save those that are acquitted by the Law, and to destroy those that are condemned by the Law. Sometimes he executeth his sentence partly here: The works of some men go before to judgement, (as the Apostle Paul speaks, 1 Tim. 5.24.) Christ punisheth the wicked, and rewards the Godly in this present world; but the full retribution of them both, he keepeth and reserveth to the day of his appearing, when both of them shall have their full reward. Behold I come quickly, and my reward is with me, (saith our Saviour) He sends not his reward before him, he leaves not his reward behind him, but brings it with him, to dispense it when he comes: And then he will discover it to all the world, that he hath power over all flesh, for he will then dispose eternally of all flesh, either in heaven or in hell. John 17.2. As thou hast given him power over all Flesh. Use 1 NOw is it so, that all mankind is under the authority of Jesus Christ, under his Legislative power, so as to give Law to them? Then first of all, they are severely to be censured, who submit not to the authority of Jesus Christ, who do not yield obedience to the Law he gives them; let him lay what commands he will upon them, they are at a point for that, they will not be obedient to them: they break the bonds of Christ in sunder, and cast away his cords from them. Now the Delinquents here are twofold, according to the twofold Law which the authority of Jesus Christ imposeth on his Subjects. I say, there is a twofold Law which the authority of Jesus Christ imposeth upon men; the Law of Faith, and the Law of Love. We read of both these (my Brethren) in the Gospel, and of both as his Laws. And so accordingly there are two sorts of men, who stoop not to the Legislative power of Jesus Christ; I shall proceed with them in order. The first of them are unbelievers; they violate the Law of faith, and so submit not to the power which God hath given him over all flesh. You must know that Jesus Christ requireth all men to believe. You believe in God, (saith he to his Disciples) believe also in me, John 14.1. And therefore the Apostle tells us of the Law of faith, and setteth it in opposition to the Law of works, the Moral Law, as you may see, Rom. 3.27. Now the great thing which this Law of faith requires, is, the receiving of the Son of God upon the terms that he is offered in the Gospel, as you have been often showed. And it requires it on the greatest penalty, even everlasting condemnation, which is as certain to the unbelievers, as if it had already past upon them. He that believeth not, is condemned already, John 3, 18. And yet alas, how many are there who submit not to this Law of faith; who though Christ be proposed and tendered to them in the Gospel, though he be even forced and pressed upon them, though Christ command them to believe, yet they will not be obedient! Indeed if he had no authority to impose this Law upon them, they had reason to stand out: but God hath given him power to do this, yea, he himself requires the very same thing. This is his Commandment that we should believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ, 1 Joh. 3.23. so that you see (my Brethren) this is the Commandment of the Father, and this is the Commandment of the Son, both join in this Law; and therefore they are deeply to be censured, who are refractory to so great a Law as this. And that it may the better work and take upon them, I shall show them, first the sin, and secondly the danger of their disobedience. That it is a sin not to believe in Jesus Christ, is evident by that which hath been said, because it is the violation of a Law, the Law of faith. But more than so, it is a very great sin. It is a sin of no ordinary size; no, (my beloved) it is a sinning sin, it is abundantly, and out of measure sinful. It is a sin indeed to violate the Law of works which the Apostle styleth Moses Law, because it was delivered by the hand of Moses: But it is a greater sin to violate the Law of faith, and that both with relation to the Father and the Son. First for the Father, it is an horrible indignity to him; it is the basest undervaluing and despising of his love that can be; he gives his Son out of his bosom, to suffer shame and death for poor Creatures, and having done it, he sends his Messengers to mind men of the danger they are in without Christ, and to exhibit and propose him to them as the means, the only means of their salvation: and as endeavouring to overcome men with his goodness, he doth in love and pity beg them, and beseech them to accept of it; And what is the event of this? why (my beloved] when he hath abased himself so low, and stooped so much below himself as to become a suitor to them to receive his Son, they carry matters so as if he stood in need of them; as if he came to make a motion to them for his own advantage; as if he knew not what to do, if they should refuse his Son. Is not this good usage? that when he hath descended so in ways of mercy, they should shake him off, and tell him in effect, that his proffered wares stink, and that they do not need him, nor his Son neither: he may go offer him to them that have a mind to him. Oh what abuse of love is this! Oh what an high indignity! what an unsufferable provocation! even to incense the Lord so far, as to cause him to resolve that he will never stoop so low again; that he will never prostitute his Son again to the disdain and the refusal of a company of base unthankful men; that he will make them rue the time that ever they contemned this mercy to them. Then for the Son (my Brethren) in the second place, it is an high affront to him, and so in that respect a great sin. It cost him dear to purchase and obtain remission and salvation for a company of lost creatures; indeed his dearest life, his dearest blood. And is it not an horrible indignity to slight and to despise so great salvation? to trample under foot the son of God: to scorn such rich and precious mercy? yet this all unbelievers do, if not in their intention, yet in the issue and event. Truly their sin in this respect, is greater than the sin of Devils, whose nature Christ hath not assumed (he took not on him the nature of Angels, but the seed of Abraham) for whom he never suffered, and to whom he was never offered; They will have something to excuse themselves withal, something to plead before the Lord in the great and dreadful day. Al●s, may Devils say, there was no possibility of our recovery; there was no Mediator between God and us, to purchase and obtain our peace; there was no pardon tendered to us; but you had the eternal Son of God to die for you, (for you mankind) to shed his blood, and to lay down his life for you; and yet when all was done, and when he came and brought a pardon to you, sealed with his blood, and besought you to accept of it, you even shut him out of doors, you would not look upon him, nor receive him; you baffled him, and dodged with him; Ah, (my beloved) what heart if it be truly touched, can hold from breaking under the sight and sense of such abominable and prodigious wickedness as this is? And as the sin is great, so in the second place, the misery and condemnation will be great also. There will be no avoiding of it; for how shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation! Heb. 2.3. There will be no enduring of it, it will be infinitely heavy; it will be easier for Turks and Pagans in the day of judgement then for such wretches. Alas poor souls, that as if their condemnation were not deep enough already, the incarnation, and the passion, and the offer of a Saviour, the richest mercies in themselves, that ever were bestowed upon the Creature, should accidentally increase it. That Christ should die and shed his blood, to sink men deeper into hell, then if he had not died at all (for this is the event and issue of it) this is a lamentable thing indeed. The second sort of such as stoop not to the authority of Jesus Christ, and to his Legislative power, are such as violate the Law of Love; I mean the Moral Law, the decalogue, the ten Commandments, for that (my Brethren) is the Law of love. And therefore the Apostle tells us that love is the fulfilling of the Law; he means apparently the Moral Law. Rom. 13.10. and he that loveth another hath fulfilled the Law: see the eighth verse of that chapter: in which respect our Saviour Christ himself divides the Law into these two Commandments: Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and the neighbour as thyself: what then? it may be you will say, Doth Christ by his authority impose the moral Law on men, the ten Commandments of the Decalogue? The Law of faith is his indeed, but is the Law of works his too? Yes the Law of works is his; for he requireth works as well as faith. And the faith which he bestows upon his members, works by love. And love is his own commandment, so he calls it, John 15.12. This is my Commandment that ye love one another. Indeed he rules his Subjects by the Moral Law, that is, the precepts and commandments of it are the Statutes of his Kingdom. It's true, when it was first delivered to Adam in the state of innocency, it came to him but in the hand of the Creator only; But it comes to us (my Brethren) in the hands of the Redeemer, and of the Mediator Jesus Christ, who was typified by Moses at the delivery of the Law, the second time upon Mount Sinai, Gal. 3.19. And hence the precepts of it, are styled not the bonds of God only, but the bonds of Christ too; Psal. 2.2. Let us break their bonds asunder, and cast away their cords from us. The Gospel all men yield, is Christ's; he is in a peculiar way the author of the Gospel, and therefore it is called the word of Christ. Now the Commandments of the Law, are all of them revived in the Gospel. The whole of what the Law requires, is for the manner and measure of obedience exacted also in the Gospel; there is no duty which the Law enjoins, but it is taught us in the Gospel. The Gospel teacheth to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts, and to live soberly, and righteously, and godlily in this present world: Titus 2.12. soberly towards ourselves, righteously towards our Brethren, and piously towards our God. And these Particulars apparently involve and comprehend all the Commandments of the Moral Law from the beginning of it to the end; There being nothing in the Decalogue, the Ten Commandments, interdicted, or required, but may be reduced to one of these three heads. So than you see my Brethren, not the Law of faith only, but the Law of works too, is Christ's Law; or if it be not Christ's Law, it can be no Law at all; The Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all Judgement to the Son. And consequently he that violates this Law of works, resisteth the authority of Jesus Christ, and the power with which he is invested by his Father to give Law to all flesh. And yet alas how many are there who live in the resolved, and the constant breach of all the precepts and commandments of the Law of Christ, who in their practice daily break these bonds asunder, and cast away these cords from them, who are not subject to the Law of Christ nor indeed can they be! If it be pressed home upon them, to bind them to the good behaviour, and to restrain them from their sinful and ungracious courses, they are out of all patience. If the commands of Christ be laid upon them, to hold them fast to duty and obedience and to abridge them of their carnal liberty, if they be told they must no take their old courses, but they must hear and pray, and fast, and sanctify Gods holy day, and live strictly, they will be very much incensed; The Law of Christ is too severe and strict for them, it curbeth and abridgeth them too much, and therefore they will shake it off from them; And as the Lunatic who was restored by our Saviour to his reason, broke all the bonds and cords with which they bond him, so these unreasonable Creatures deal with Christ's Law; nothing will hold them to obedience. Let him lay what command he will upon them, they will surely break it, that they may live at liberty, and walk according to their own humours. Yea, sin in such by the Commandment becomes exceeding sinful, as the Apostle speaks, Rom. 7.13. Not by way of declaration (for that is not the purpose and intention of the place) but by way of Irritation; When the Commandment labours to lay hold on sin, to bind him, and to chain him up, than sin gins to lay about him, to struggle for his liberty, and so by accident to be the more sinful. When we press home the precepts of the Law, and urge them hard on wicked men, as there are some that yield themselves up to the binding power and to the obligation of it: so there are others that stand out against the Law, and they are much the worse for it, and become the more vicious. What? bind and curb, and limit them? tell them that they must not swear, and they must not be unclean? They will not be restrained and hampered; they! no they will swear the more and drink the more and be unclean the more. They are resolved with the rebellious Jews, we will not hear, we will not do but we will do as we have done; I will fetch wine, and we will fill ourselves with strong drink, and to morrow shall be as this day, and much more abundant. Well my beloved, if any of you be at this hand, hear but a few particulars before we part. Consider Christ is infinitely tender of his Authority, and of his Law. He will not easily endure it to be slighted and infringed. He came not to destroy the Law himself; no▪ he was far from any such intention in his coming, nor will he suffer any other to destroy it neither. Heaven and Earth shall pass away before one jot or tittle of his Law shall pass away, Mat. 18.5. He had as lief that Heaven and Earth should come to nothing as that his Law should be dissolved. And judge you then how great their provocation is, who violate and break the precepts of it day by day, as Samson did his green cords, as if they had no strength or force at all in them. Can they set Heaven and Earth on fire and consume it into ashes, they could not anger Christ so much, nor vex him as they do by this their cursed violation of his blessed Law. And there is extraordinary peril in the wrath of Christ; If once he be incensed there is very great hazard, and hence saith David, Psalm 2. ult. Kiss the son lest he be angry, and you perish. Consider that the Law as it hath a commanding power that requireth us to do, so it hath a threatening power that obligeth us to suffer, in case of disobedience to the Law. As it bindeth men to do the things that are commanded in it, so in case they do them not (and have no interest in Christ by faith) it bindeth them to suffer all the things that are denounced in it; For every one that doth not every thing that is contained in the Law, is exposed to the curse, as you may see, Gal. 3.10. There's not a curse contained in the book of God from the beginning of it to the end, but such a man lies open to it, and if he persevere without repentance, he shall be sure to feel it to his pain. Well then, my brethren, you may perhaps outstand the precept, but are you able to outstand the threatening? You may decline the duty, but are you able also to avoid the curse? Here Christ commands, & you reply, We will not hear, we will not do: But when he shall pronounce the sentence of the Law upon you, in the great and great dreadful day, will you reply We will not bear, we will not suffer? Will you tell him to his face, We will not go to hell, we will not be condemned by the Law, as you have told him here, We will not be obedient to the Law? Alas it is not all men's scorns and haughty looks, it is not all their pride and sturdiness that will prevail at that time. No, no, the haughtiness of men shall be brought low, and Christ alone shall be exalted in that day. Consider Christ hath ability to back and second his authority. All power is given to him, all kinds & all degrees of power, power of authority, and power of ability. Power of authority alone is but an empty and a despicable thing; he that hath it may command, and they whom he commandeth (if they please) may, disobey, he cannot force them to obedience, nor punish them for disobedience. The hazard is not great of disobeying such power. But where ability goes with authority, there the despising of it must be full of danger. Now so it doth in Jesus Christ, and therefore he is peremptory, Rom. 14.11. As I live, saith the Lord, that is, the Lord Christ as you may see by the coherence, every knee shall bow to me, willingly, or by compulsion. If it bend not willingly, I will make it bow, or break. Christ will be King though the earth be never so unsteady, and the haters of the Lord shall be subject unto him. How? shall his haters be his Subjects? yes they shall be subject to him either one way or another. For though they be not subject to his grace, they shall be subject to his power. They that will not be ruled by him, shall be broken by him. We read of some that break his bonds asunder, Psal. 2, 3. but presently he breaks their bonds asunder. If they be good at breaking, Christ will fall a breaking too. He will break them with a rod of Iron, and dash them in pieces like a Potter's Vessel. The authority of Christ, as it hath some that stoop to it, so it hath others that oppose it. And such are they of whom we read, Luke 19.19. His Citizens hated him, & sent a message after him to tell him to his teeth we will not have this man to rule over us. They were in haste, they could not tarry till he came about again, but they must send this saucy Message after him. But see now what becomes of these men, and whether it be all as they will, ver. 27. But these my Enemies that would not have me to rule over them, bring them forth and slay them before me. Oh think on this, you that will not be ruled by Jesus Christ, who when his will is manifested to you, and when you are acquainted with the Laws and Statutes of his Kingdom, regard it not at all, but make light of all this. Oh, be advised to be wise and serve the Lord. Kiss the son, he hath authority, and therefore do him fealty, lest he be angry and you perish. Is it so that all mankind is under the authority of Jesus Christ? they are mistaken then who think that some men are exempt from his authority and from his Legislative power, and that they are not bound to the obedience of the Laws he gives. I am very apt to think that Infidels & heathens who never had the Gospel preached to them, who never heard of Jesus Christ, are no way bound to the obedience of the Law of faith, so that they sin in not believing in the Lord Christ, and taking him to be their Saviour whom they have no means to know. The Law of faith (I mean of justifying faith) the Commandment to believe, is not a natural, but a positive Law, and consequently promulgation is absolutely necessary to the obligation of it. But the Decalogue, the Moral Law, the Law of works, is written in the heart of man by nature, and therefore bindeth all men to obedience. Yea, but say some, believers are exempted from the obligation of it; the faithful are not bound to the obedience of the Moral Law. It's true I must confess they are not bound to the obedience of it so as to be justified and saved by this obedience. They are not bound to the obedience of it so as the condition of a Covenant of works. But they are bound to the obedience of it so as to testify their faith and love, and thankfulness, and service to the Lord Christ, who hath imposed this Law upon all flesh, so that all men, yea even believers, are under the commanding power of this Law. Yea, but it will be said by some, that Jesus Christ hath made us free, Object. that he hath purchased liberty for all his members, which liberty they are commanded to maintain, Gal. 5.1. And this they think, and teach to be even from the obligation of the Moral Law. True, Christ hath made us free indeed, but from the servitude of sin, Sol. not from the service of himself; and from the Law of sin as the Apostle calls it, Rom. 7.23. not from his own Law. Why should we think that Christ hath shed his blood to free his people from the obligation of his own Law? Indeed my Brethren, if the Moral Law, the Law of love, the Law of works, were not the Law of Christ, as the Apostle calls it, Gal. 6.2. I should be easily persuaded to believe his people are exempted from the binding power of it. It seemeth reasonable that his members should be freed from any Law but that which he himself gives. But the commandment of the Moral Law which is fulfilled in love, is his Commandment, John 15.12. strengthened with his authority, delivered in his hand and name to men, and who can think that he should not impose his own Law, upon his own people? Mark that of the Evangelist, Luke 1.74, 75. He hath saved us from our enemies and from the hands of all that hate us. that we might serve him who hath saved us, in holiness to God, and in righteousness to man; which is indeed the sum, and substance of the Moral Law. So that the liberty which Christ hath purchased for his people, is liberty to keep, not liberty to break the Law; and that is liberty indeed, as David thinks, Psal. 119.32. I will run the ways of thy Commadments, when thou hast set my heart at liberty. To say it in a word my Brethren, there is a twofold liberty, a twofold freedom, the one enjoyed under sin, and the other under Christ. Under sin we are free to do any thing but good; under Christ we are free to do any thing but evil. Of the first sort of freedom speaks the Apostle Paul, Rom. 6.20. When you were the servants of sin ye were free from righteousness; and of the second faith the same Apostle in ver. 22. of that Chapter, Being the servants of God ye are free from sin. Well then our Saviour Christ hath brought us from the former to the latter sort of freedom, so that we are at liberty from sin, and not at liberty to sin. We are at liberty to serve him, and obey him and to keep his Law. Object. But it is objected further out of these words of the Apostle to the believing Romans, Rom. 6.19. where he tells them ye are not under the Law, but under Grace. And if believers are not under it, why then how are they subject to the obligation of it? Sol. To this I answer, that believers are not under it respectively to the coaction of it, for they willingly obey it. They are not under it respectively to the severe exaction of it, for they are delivered from it; it comes to them with Evangelical allay, and Gospel mitigation. They are not under it respectively to the malediction and the condemnation of it, for they are not accursed, they shall not be condemned by it. But they are under the commanding and the binding power, the obligation of it notwithstanding, because from this they are not neither can they be delivered. For if you look upon the substance of the Moral Law, it is an everlasting, an eternal Law, as David calls it, Psal. 19.7. It showeth what is good, and what is evil in itself, and in its nature. So that the things that are commanded there, are not good because they are commanded, but are commanded because they are good. And so the things that are forbidden, they are not evil because they are forbidden, but are forbidden because they are evil. And hence this Law is never charged (as the Law of the forbidden fruit, and as the Ceremonial, and Judaical Laws) no, it is steadfast, as the Apostle Paul speaks, Heb. 2.2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, the word that was spoken by Angels, that is, the Moral Law that was delivered by their Ministry, is steadfast. Indeed this Law, the Law of nature, was written in the heart of Adam in the state of innocency, and Christ intendeth not to blot out any thing that was engraven there, but promises to write it out again more fairly (for it was much obliterated by the fall) in the hearts of his people. So runs the tenor of the New Covenant, jer. 31.33. The last Objection that I shall insist upon, Object. is taken from those words of the Apostle, 1 Tim. 1.9. The Law, saith the Apostle there, is not given to the Righteous. And if it be not given to them, why then it seems that it belongs not to them any way. To this I answer that the Apostles purpose is not that the righteous are not under the command and obligation of the Law; for mark it, Sol. Adam was exactly righteous, and yet it was a Law to him even in the state of innocency itself. But this is that which the Apostle means; the Law is not given to the righteous so as to force him to obedience, so as to be against a righteous man. It is not given for his hurt and condemnation. He doth not say 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, Lex non est lata, but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lex non est posita; which intimates an action or a plea against a man. So that the Moral Law is not the action or the plea of God against a righteous man to bring him under judgement, and to oblige and bind him over to damnation. And so it is the same in sense with that which is delivered by the same Apostle in another place, speaking of such as are guided by the spirit, and express the fruits of it in their lives and conversations, Gal. 5.23. He doth not say to such a one, but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 against such there is no Law. Indeed the Moral Law, so far as it is against believers, is not imposed but removed by Christ. He hath blotted out the hand writing of Ordinances that was against us, that was contrary to us, and took it out of the way; nailing it to his Cross, Col. 2.14 even the hand writing of Moral ordinances, so far as it is against us, and contrary to us, Christ hath taken out of the way. It is against us in the rigour; and in the curse and malediction of it, and consequently, so far it is taken off by Christ in relation to believers. But it is not against believers in the commands and precepts of it requiring them to love God and serve God, etc. No, these things suit with their spirits, they are written in their hearts, and therefore they are not destroyed, but rather strengthened, and confirmed by Christ. Is it so that all mankind is under the authority of jesus Christ, under Use 3 his legislative power? Then certainly believers must not stoop to any other legislative power, to the prejudice of his. And this is that which the Apostle presseth hard on the Colossians, Col. 2.20. In the foregoing verse he setteth forth the authority of Christ; and showeth that he is the head and ruler of his people, and presently comes in with this Interrogation, and why, saith he, are you subject to Ordinances? by which he doth not mean the Laws of God, but the decrees, and constitutions and commands of men. And so himself explains it afterward in the succeeding words, that by those Ordinances he intendeth nothing else but the Commandments and doctrines of men. As if he should have said, if you be under the authority of Jesus Christ, Why are you subject to the Ordinances and commands of men? What then, doth the authority of Jesus Christ, Quest. discharge his people from obedience to any ordinances, or commands of men? and are they to be subject to him so, that they be subject to no other governor's or ruler's in the world? Is the authority and power of Magistrates dissolved by this means? Answ. To this I answer, No, by no means; and therefore you must know that when the Apostle saith, be ye not servants of men, be ye not subject to the ordinances and commands of men: he doth not mean it absolutely, as if we ought not to be subject to them any way. It was not his intention to bring in such confusion, and such Anarchy into the world. For in another place he tells us, that we must needs he subject to the Magistrate, Rom. 13.5. And the Apostle Peter's Exhortation goes a little further, and is a little more large, 1 Pet. 2.13. Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man, and that for the Lord sake; And it is necessary that we should do so, saith he; for so is the will of God, verse 15. of that Chapter. These two do seem apparently to contradict and clash with one another. Be ye not the servants of men, and Ye must needs he subject to men; be ye not subject to the ordinances and commands of men, And yet submit yourselves to every ordinance of man; and therefore I shall clear it in a word, or two, both with relation to the outward man, and to the conscience. For the outward man, that ought not to be subject to the Injunctions & commands of men, where they cross the law of Christ, there are some commands of men that meddle only with such things as are not comprehended in the Law of Christ, but are left by him indifferent, neither commanded nor forbidden. To such as these we may and aught to yield obedience; there is no question but the Lawful Magistrate hath power concerning things indifferent, to interdict them, or require them for Politic and civil ends, and in relation to the better government or profit, and emolument of those who are subjected to his power. And however I am under the authority of Christ, I am not free in such a case as this is. There are other Laws of men which concur with Christ's Laws, commanding that which they command, forbidding that which they forbidden; As when Christ forbids to swear, & when the Magistrate forbids to swear too; when Christ forbids us to profane the Sabbath, and when the Magistrate forbids us to profane it too; There is no scruple touching such commands as these; for here the Magistrate and Christ do close, and therefore in obeying one of them, we obey the other too. But when the Laws of men do contradict the Laws of Christ, forbidding that which they command, commanding that they forbidden; when their Injunctions clash with his, we ought not to subject ourselves to them. The authority of Christ is the greatest in the world: his Father (as you have it in my text) hath given him power over all flesh. And therefore he must rather be obeyed then any fleshly power, if once they come in competition, and if they cannot be obeyed together, in such a case as this, my brethren, when the same thing shall come to be commanded in the Law of Christ, forbidden in the Law of man, and so upon the other side, we have a certain rule to walk by, Act. 5.29. It is better to obey God then men, in such a case we cannot be the servants of men, because if we be so, we cannot be the servants of Christ; for in obeying them, we throw off the authority of Jesus Christ. And as we ought not to subject our outward man to the commands of men in such a case: so in the second place we ought not to subject our Conscience to the commands of men in any case. The Conscience is the Lords peculiar, none h●th authority on that but he only. And therefore Christ condemns it in the Scribes and Pharises, They taught for doctrines the commandments of men, Mat. 15.9. They were but constitutions and commands of men, and yet they vented them for Doctrines, and imposed them on the Conscience; This they ought not to have done; or if they did so, they ought not to be yielded to in so doing. We ought not to be subject to the commands of men, upon such terms as these are. The Lord complains of this in Israel as a grievous sin, for which he thunders out a heavy doom against them, a Judgement so remarkable, that it should come the next step to a miracle, because their fear to him was taught by the precepts of men, Isa. 29.13. For this the Apostle chideth the Corinthians, 2 Cor. 11. ●0. Ye suffer if a man devour you if a man bring you into bondage, which is not meant of the enthralling of the outward man, but of the captivating of the Conscience, in the chains of humane constitutions and decrees, which these deceitful workers mentioned in the former verses juggled on upon it. Well then since Christ hath such authority upon us, let none of us subject our Conscience and our faith to men; let them not be Lords of these, for they belong to Christ and him only. He suffers magistrates indeed to rule without, over the outward man, but he alone must rule within over the conscience. If any go about to take command on that, or to give Law to that, you must stand fast in the Liberty wherewith Christ hath made you free, as the Apostle counsels you, Gal. 5.1. Is it so that all mankind is under the authority of Jesus Christ? Then Use 4 let not one man censure and condemn another. It is the inference that the Apostle makes upon the very same ground, James 4.12. There is one Lawgiver (saith he) that is able both to save, and to destroy. And what of that? Who art thou that judgest another? What authority hast thou to pass sentence on thy brother? you are both under the power, and the authority of Jesus Christ, and therefore let him judge you both, and do not you judge one another. Why you will say, may not one man judge another without any derogation from the authority of Christ? yes, if he do it by authority from Christ, and according to the rules prescribed by Christ. So one man may judge another and condemn another too, having received power from Christ in the Church, and Commonwealth. But if one man judge another of himself, without any Lawful power, and without any real ground, if one man judge another in or about such things as are reserved to the authority of Christ, as secret things and the final state of men, and such like, it is a prejudice to the authority of Christ and to the power which God hath given him over all flesh. And yet, how usual is it with men to judge, and censure one another, when they are not called to it, when they have no right to do it, when they have no sufficient ground for it? They will judge the hearts of men, they will judge the ends of men which are known to none but God, having neither evidence nor warrant for these censures. If they be out with any man, presently he is an Hypocrite, a rotten-hearted wretch, and what not? if he do any doubtful action, they will be sure to construe it the worst way; if he do any action clearly good, than he hath ill ends in it, nothing can scape their hard censures. Nay some will pass their doom upon the final state of men, which none but Christ himself can judge of. Now, I beseech you, (my beloved) consider whose authority you violate in this, and whose office you assume. Remember, Christ hath power over all flesh; he is the Lawgiver, who is able both to save and to destroy; who knows whom he will save, and whom he will destroy: let him judge all, and do not you judge one another. John 17.2. As thou hast given him power over all flesh. Use 5 IS it so that all mankind is under the authority of Jesus Christ? Then let them not avenge themselves in any case, but let them have recourse to Jesus Christ for right, when any wrong or injury is done to them. Whoever doth it, he is under the authority of Jesus Christ, he is within the verge & compass of his Jurisdiction; his Father hath invested him with a power over all flesh: so that let the wrong doer be of what condition, or estate, or place he will, let the wrong be what it will, it falls within his cognizance, and he can right it, if he please, and he will right it in his own time. Indeed, if there were none to seek unto when we are injured and abused, if there were none to do us justice, there were some colour then, why we should avenge ourselves. If there were none but the servants in a Family, (if such a thing might be supposed) and there were no Common Master over all, it could not be avoided, but they would brawl among themselves; For every one in such a case would look to be his own Judge, there being none superior to him and his fellow to decide the quarrel. But when they have a Master to complain to, who hath power to take an order with any of them that offend, it were a great indignity to him and his authority for any of them to correct their fellow-servants. (Beloved) we have all one Master, we are all under the power and the authority of Jesus Christ; and therefore if our fellow-servants wrong us, let us not undertake to right ourselves, but let us patiently commit our cause to him that judgeth righteously. I say (as the Apostle Romans, 12.19.) Dear beloved, avenge not yourselves. Take heed that you be neither overcome of evil in your passions, Romans 12. ult. nor render evil for it in your actions, 1 Thes. 5.15. There are not many sins to which we are so mightily inclined, as we are to this, nor which we are so hardly able to resist. And truly I am much afraid, that in the prosecution of the great affairs of this time, there is in many too much of the private grudge, and self-revenge, who make the public cause a cover for their own malice. Now, I beseech you, (my beloved) let us not study to avenge ourselves on any man, but let us lay aside all self-respects. If we have been abused and wronged by any, let us forgive them, and forbear them, (as the Apostle Paul exhorts) Col. 3.13. Forgiving one another, and forbearing one another, if any man have a quarrel against any. There is much in that Text: forgiving one another in regard of inward malice, and forbearing one another in regard of outward revenge. And that not only in conceited and imaginary, but in true and real wrongs: For so the Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 rendered quarrel or complaint imports: Not a quarrel picked or raised upon no ground at all, but justa conquerendi causa, (as Zanchius reads it) a just occasion of complaint. So that when we are injured, so as the abuse is evident and clear, it is our duty to forgive and to forbear: And that who ever offer the abuse to us, let him be what he will, if any man have a quarrel against any, of what condition or degree soever, none exempted, yet we must forgive still, and we must forbear still. And this because it hath a world of difficulties in it, I shall set on with a few Considerations. Consider you entrench on Jesus Christ, in self-revenge, invade his proper and peculiar right, you do that which belongs to him, which is a very high presumption. And this the Psalmist intimates in his petition: Psal. 94 1. O God to whom vengeance belongeth, O God to whom vengeance belongeth, show thyself: he speaks it there exclusively, vengeance belongs to him, and none but him: To none but him originally, primitively, though he make over power to execute it, to his Deputies and Vicegerents: who though they cannot do it of themselves, and by their own authority, yet they may do it as the Ministers of Christ, (as the Apostle Paul intimates, speaking of the Magistrate) Rom. 13.4. He is the Minister of God, (saith he) and an avenger. A Minister of God, and by that means, by virtue of his deputation a revenger, to execute wrath on him that doth evil. So that when our abuses are unsufferable, and when they wound the name, or the estate so deep that they are not to be born, if we go to the Magistrate to right us, and avenge us, we go to Jesus Christ in him, because he hath appointed him, and set him up for that purpose. But if we avenge ourselves, we wrist the sword out of the hands of Jesus Christ, and do as much as in us lies, to dis-invest him of that power which God hath given him over all flesh. And with this argument it is that the Apostle Paul dissuades them from self-revenge in the fore-alledged Scripture, Rom. 12.19. Dear beloved, avenge not yourselves, and why so? because in so doing, you enter on the right of Christ; for it is written, vengeance is mine, it is not yours, no, it is mine, and I will repay it, either by myself, or by my ordinance. By self-revenge, as you invade the right of Christ, so you stay and hinder Christ from taking vengeance for you on your enemies. You give not place to his wrath, (as the Apostle Paul expresseth it in the forecited Scripture, Rom. 12.19.) He would avenge you, and you would not suffer him, but you will do it with your own hands. He offers to step in and right you, and you will not give him the place; no, you justle him aside by a revengeful righting of yourselves. And therefore it is just with him to leave you to yourselves in this business: and truly this among the rest, may be the cause why many men lie under such unsufferable wrongs; why they are so abused and oppressed without any remedy; why Christ forbeareth to avenge them, because they will not give him way; they will get into the seat, they will be meddling with his office and authority, and therefore he stands by and looks on. As therefore we desire that he that hath authority to right us, should put to his own hand, let us acquit our hearts and hands (as much as it is possible) of self-revenge. I say to every one of you, as Solomon, Prov. 20.22. Say not I will render evil, I will revenge; but wait on Christ, and he will save you. And thirdly, as by self-revenge you give no place to Christ, so you give place to the Devil; you deny the place to Christ, and you let the Devil have it. And therefore the Apostle Paul having dissuaded us from wrath which tendeth to revenge, Let not the Sun go down upon your wrath, adds this immediately in the succeeding words, neither give place to the Devil, Eph. 4.27. And is not this a fearful thing to justle jesus Christ aside, that we may let the Devil in? to make room for such a guest as Satan is, and that by putting Jesus Christ by? For it is Satan (my beloved) that makes such work in men's hearts, and stirs them up to such unwarrantable practices as these are. Lastly, By taking vengeance on our Brethren, we do exceedingly provoke Christ to take vengeance upon us. We take vengeance upon others, and all that we gain is this, we cause the Lord to take vengeance on ourselves: we do not only hinder him from executing wrath for us, but we provoke him to execute his wrath upon us. Because that Edom hath dealt against the house of Judah, (saith the Lord) by taking vengeance, what follows? I will take vengeance upon Edom, Ezech. 25.12. If Christ come in and find his family together by the ears, he will be in a rage too, and he will take an order with them altogether. Manasseh against Ephraim, and Ephraim against Manasseh, and they together against Judah. And what is the event of these contentions? why the Lord is against them all. For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still: Isa. 9.21. He deals with us, (my Brethren) as we deal with others: with the froward (saith the Psalmist) thou wilt show thyself froward, Psal. 18.25. If we be unjustly froward to our Brethren, he will be justly froward toward us: If we lay on upon our brethren, he will lay on upon us. Let these considerations keep us from revenge: And because it is a very hard thing to forbear, especially when opportunities are put into our hands; For if a man find his Enemy at an advantage, will he let him go free? 1 Sam. 24.20. I shall give you two directons which will be very helpful to you, to cause you to abstain from self-revenge: First, you must put away those carnal Lusts: and in the next place you must put away those carnal reasons, which incline you to revenge. You must put away those carnal lusts, which incline you to revenge: you must subdue and mortify them to the utmost of your power; These are the true real causes of it, they are within, and not without you. Whereas there is strife among you, (saith the Apostle Paul to the Corinthians) are you not carnal? 1 Cor. 3.3. Is it not very manifest that there is much corruption, much flesh in you? It may be you may think it to be otherwise; but mark what the Apostle saith, Jam. 4.1. From whence come wars and fightings among you? whence is it, that it is but a word and a blow? an injury and a revenge? whence is it? why hence it is, will some men say; I am so troubled and molested, I am so wronged and abused, that I cannot suffer it: No, no, (saith the Apostle) thou art very much deceived; it is thy pride, self-love, envy, passion, that are the true and real causes why thou canst not hold thy hands: from whence come wars and fightings among you? even from your lusts; If there were no wars within, there would be no wars without. If these corruptions and unruly lusts within were throughly mortified and subdued, these outward provocations would never cause such hot contentions as they do. You must put away those carnal reasonings that incline you and provoke you to revenge: For these, if you will give them entertainment, will set your hearts on fire of hell. And therefore you must do as Abraham did, when there was like to be some difference between him and his Nephew Lot: It's probable he was assaulted with such thoughts as these; What wilt thou yield and stoop to him? it is his duty to submit to thee; shall Lot thy Nephew have his choice of all the Land, and thou his aged Uncle be content to take the boys leave? But Abraham hearkens not to such suggestions. So Moses, when he was contemned, vilified, and set at nought, no doubt he had his passions in him, though he were a meek man, and they were apt enough to work, and stir, and secretly to egg him on to this or the like purpose, What, wilt thou suffer such a gross abuse? shall they go smooth away with such a bold affront, and base indignity, as this is? No, let them know that they have mis-behaved themselves towards their betters: But Moses patiently allays and stills such thoughts as these, and meekly puts up all without distemper. I might exemplify in David, when he was abused by Shimei, who was his Subject, and that in such a base, unworthy, and unsufferable way: no doubt he had his inward rise, and he had one at hand that was an end to take revenge for him: and yet he calms all, we hear no more but this, Let him curse, etc. So when our thoughts begin to work apace in any injury or provocation that is offered to us, and to tell us strange things, let us smother and suppress them: let us consider that, and think on that which may provoke to love, and not to malice and revenge. Is it so, that all mankind is under the authority, etc. Then surely we Use 6 have all great reason to comply with him, and to endeavour what we can to please him to the utmost of our power. You know it is the fashion of the world, to do what they are able to keep in with those who are in place, and under whose authority and power they are: How will they bend, and stoop, and yield, and bring themselves to any thing almost to please such men! beloved, we are all under the power of Jesus Christ, under his Legislative power, and under his judiciary power: He gives us Law now, & he will pass sentence on us according to his Law hereafter, if we be disobedient and rebellious; and therefore we have reason to keep in with him, to kiss the Son, to do him homage, lest he be angry, and we perish. We labour, (saith the Apostle) that whether present or absent, we may be accepted of him. And why so? For we must all appear before the judgement-seat of Christ, as it is added in the next words, 2 Corinth. 5.10. The time is coming when he is to sit upon us, and to judge us, and to dispose of us for ever, either in heaven, or in hell; and therefore it concerns us infinitely to please him in the mean time, that he may be propitious to us when that time comes. We pity such a malefactor, who being shortly to be tried before an earthly Judge, upon a point of life or death, doth rather take a course to anger and provoke him, then appease him; and yet so desperately foolish are a multitude of men, who strive not to approve themselves to Christ, nor to be accepted of him, before whose judgment-seat they must appear to be acquitted or condemned: And so according to his doom, to live or die, and that for ever. Oh but think upon that last and dreadful day, remember at whose mercy you must stand, and so endeavour to demean yourselves, that whether you be present in the body, or whether you be absent from the body, that both in life, and death, and judgement, you may be accepted of him. Use 7 Is it so that all mankind is under the Judiciary power of Christ? that he hath power to pass the sentence, and to execute the sentence on them? this serveth then for matchless terror to the wicked, and for incomparable comfort to the godly; a word or two to each of these, etc. How can the thought of this but strike amazement and astonishment to the hearts of wicked men! What mercy can they look for at his hands whom have they pierced through, whose grace they despised, whose Law and Gospel they have disobeyed, whose Spirit they have grieved, and despighted, whose blood they have trodd upon? Oh what a fearful thing it is that they should be in the power of Jesus Christ, that he and none but he should judge them. Did John fall down at the presence of an angel? did Faelix tremble before Paul, when he did but discourse of Judgement? Did the Officers and Soldiers of the Jews fall backwards at the voice of Christ? and that while he was in a state, and condition of abasure? What will ungodly wretches do, when he shall come in Majesty and glory, to pass sentence on them? when he shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty Angels, etc. what can they look for in that day, but eternal condemnation? And how can this but infinitely cheer the Saints to think, that they are in the power of Jesus Christ, who is their Brother, their Mediator, their Redeemer; that he who shed his blood for them, and none but he, shall judge them too! How will they lift up their heads to see him coming with the clouds to judge the world? Oh how will they be ravished to behold their Saviour whom they have loved so dearly all their lives, but never had the happiness to see till now, for whose appearance they have longed, thirsted, prayed, waited, etc. How will they melt upon him, think you, when they see him? This is he that died for me, that shed his blood for me, they would look through him if they could: and how can they expect but that he that died for them, should absolve them, and acquit them? Assuredly my brethren, he that hath power over all flesh, will never hate and destroy his own flesh, nor condemn his own members. No it is well for them that this power is in Christ's hands: for now they may be confident that he will save them, that he will give eternal life to them. And thus far of the first particular considered in the words, the thing itself with which our Saviour is invested and endued, and this you see, is power over all flesh. The second follows now in order to be handled, The means by which he comes to be invested with it, viz by free donation from his Father. He hath this power, because his Father gave it him; As thou hast given him power over all flesh 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, as thou hast given. He saith not, As thy Son hath taken power over all flesh, as he hath entered on it, and assumed it to himself; But as thou hast invested and endued him with it. By which he shows apparently, that he comes to it by his father's act, and by his Father's gift, and not by his own intrusion, as thou hast given him power over all flesh. So that hence I might observe, That Jesus Christ did not intrude himself on the authority with which he is invested over all flesh, but was admitted to it freely by his Father. He did not take this honour to himself, as the expression is, though in another case, Heb. 5.4. but it was put upon him. See Psal. 2.6. Note 3. But this I do but point at in my passage by. Proceed we to the third and last Particular considered in the words, viz. the end for which he is invested with this vast authority. That he may give eternal life to as many as God hath given him. So that you see, (my Brethren) here is giving upon all hands: The Father gives the Son, that the Son may give to others: The Father gives to him power, that he may give to others life. First, Let us look upon this end in general, before we take it into parts. And here let us consider, whether this be the only end for which the Father gives the Son power; whether he have no other aim in putting this authority upon him over all flesh; but only that he may bestow eternal life upon his own people; what need he have so large authority for this end? Authority over all flesh, that he may give eternal life to some flesh, to the least part of flesh, to as many as God hath given him, who are comparatively but a small number. What use hath this authority in reference to other flesh, to whom he doth not give eternal life, if this be all the end of it? For clearing of this, (my Brethren) you must know that this is not the only end, but it is the chief end; for it is very manifest in Scripture, that the authority of Jesus Christ, as it extends to all flesh, so it is exercised one way or another upon all flesh. It is bestowed upon him by his Father, as well that he may give eternal death to some, as eternal life to others. And so accordingly he executes this power, and this authority of his, as well in passing sentence of condemnation upon unbelievers, as of salvation upon believers. In judging some (and that the most of men) to death, as well as other some to life. The Father (saith our Saviour) hath committed all judgement to the Son: judgement as well of condemnation, as of absolution. So that the giving of eternal life to as many as God hath given him, is not the only end of the authority of jesus Christ: but it is the main end, the prime end, the chief end. This end is principally in the eye of God, and Christ; the other end is not considerable in regard of this. And therefore that is not so much as hinted at, you see; but this is clearly and expressly mentioned. As who should say, This was the end indeed, for which his Father gave him power over all flesh; this was the thing he chief aimed at, that he might give eternal life to as many as God had given him. So that the Point to be observed, is this. DOCTRINE. That the authority of Jesus Christ, with which he is invested over all flesh, is chief for the benefit and the salvation of his own People. It hath another end indeed, but this is the great end; he hath it not so much for the hurt of wicked men and unbelievers, as for the good of his Members. Not so much to destroy them, as to save these. And hence his Father who gave him this authority, gave him such a name withal, as shows us why he took upon him this authority as man: why he became a Priest, a Prophet and a King, as you may see, Mat. 1.21. Saith the Angel there to Joseph, speaking of the Virgin Mary, She shall bring forth a Son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus: And why so? to show the end for which he came into the world, for he shall save his people from their sins. Not so much to destroy ungodly men, as to save his own people: In which respect his Father would not have him called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Destroyer (the name imposed upon the King of Locusts mentioned Apoc. 9.11. though he be so to many men, yea to the greatest part of men, whom he will punish with everlasting destruction; But Jesus, a Saviour: its true indeed that Christ is set (as that is the Expression, Luke 2.34.) that he is appointed by his Father for the fall and rising again of many in Israel: as for the rising of believers, so for the fall of unbelievers. But this is but by accident, and besides the main intention either of God in sending, or of Christ in coming. He doth not cause the fall of such as perish directly, as he doth the raising of such as are saved by him. And this is not obscurely mentioned in that place which is parallel to this, Isa. 8.14. He shall be for a Sanctuary, (saith the Prophet there) that is the main end which he serveth for, to be a place of refuge to his people: and therefore that which follows is added with a But, as coming in upon the by, besides his purpose. He shall be for a Sanctuary, but for a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence to the house of Israel: and many among them shall stumble, and fall, and be broken. Though he be in himself a Sanctuary, yet this shall be the issue and event to some men: Indeed he came into the world to save sinners, (as the Apostle Paul speaks, 1 Tim. 1.15.) not to destroy Sinners. It's true that Sinners are destroyed by him, but this was not the end of his coming. God did not send his Son into the world, (saith the Evangelist) joh. 3.17. to condemn the world, but that the world by him might be saved. And so our Saviour (Christ himself professeth, John 12.47. I came not to judge the world, but to save the world. And therefore if you look upon his story, you shall find that he was frequently employed in works of mercy, of helping, and of saving people every way; but when his hot Disciples would have the Samaritans destroyed by fire from heaven, you know he would not hear of it. You shall observe that he absolved and acquitted many in the days of his flesh, Be of good cheer, your sins are forgiven you. But whom did he condemn, or whose sins did he bind upon him? No not the woman that was taken in adultery, yea in the very act, to show how much this was besides his purpose. And therefore when he delegated his Authority to his Apostles, you may see the drift of it, Mat. 28.19, 20. It was to bring in his Elect to him, that they might be saved by him, having told them that all power was given to him both in heaven and in Earth. Immediately by virtue of that power, he gives them their Commission, that they should go preach the Gospel, and convert men to the faith, and baptise them in his name. He doth not say to them, as God doth to the Prophet, jer. 1.10. I have set you over the Nations, and over the Kingdoms, to root out, and to pull down, and to destroy: but I have sent you to the Nations, to teach them, and to save them, Go teach all Nations, baptising them. So that the point you see is fully proved. That the authority of Jesus Christ with which he is invested over all flesh, is chief for the benefit and the salvation of his own people. And it must needs be so, as I shall make it evidently and demonstratively to appear to you; For, First, His very Mediatorship is chief for the benefit and salvation of his Reas. 1 people, and therefore the authority which he enjoys, and which he is invested with as man and Mediator, must needs be for the same End: why was the Son of God incarnate, why was he made the Mediator? not for the hurt of wicked men, but for the good of his chosen; Not to bring them out, or to keep them out, but to bring these in: not to make enmity, or war for them, but to make amity and peace for these. And consequently his authority must have the same aim. He took our nature on him, he took upon him to be the Mediator between God and man: and so accordingly assumed the Oeconomical, and the dispensatory Kingdom too, and the authority whereof we speak, for the sake of his people. He had not been a Mediator, he had not been a King as man, but for his people. They are the end of his Kingdom and of his power; and hence the Execution of it is carried wholly and throughout with relation to the Saints All the authority he exercises is for them, and all the judgements that he executeth are for them. That which he doth as King, and as a judge, against the world, is for them: If he rebuke the great ones of the world, it is for them, (as you may see, Psal. 105.10. He suffered no man to do them wrong, but reproved Kings for their sakes: and therefore he is called the King of Saints, Apoc 15.3. True, he is King of all the world, his power is over all flesh, but this Authority of his relates especially to his people. He is peculiarly the King of Saints: yea when he walks in ways of wrath, and judgement, and revenge towards his Church's Enemies, he doth this as the King of Saints, with relation to the Saints. And hence those Sinners in the fore-alledged Text behold him in that act of pouring out the vials of his wrath upon the Beast, they look upon him as the King of Saints: And therefore they applaud him by no other name, but this, they pick and cull out this to magnify him by. They might have said, Just and true are thy ways, O Lord jesus, O Lord Christ, O Emmanuel, or the like. But they make choice of this Expression, just and true are thy ways, O thou King of Saints. To intimate that he did execute those judgements upon Antichrist, and his Adherents, not as King of the world so much, but as the King of his people; and for the better government, the greater ease, and peace, and quiet of his people. His aim was not so much at the destruction of his Enemies, as at the relaxation of his Church. He did it not so much out of hatred to the wicked, as out of love to his people. I dear love my Saints, whose King I am; and they are not to be preserved in tranquillity, and peace, they will be always vexed, and troubled, and diisturbed, unless I take this rigid course with such incorrigible wretches as these are. The authority of jesus Christ, with, etc. must needs be chief for the salvation of his own people, and not so much for the destruction of the wicked, because the wicked might have been destroyed, though he had never been invested with this authority as man, but his own people could not have been saved. The reprobate would certainly have gone to hell, though all mankind had not been under the authority of Christ as Man and Mediator, but under the authority of God only. But the Elect and chosen had not gone to heaven. It could not have been so, but I make the supposition, if it had been so: So that his Father need not to have given him this power, that wicked wretches might be punished with Eternal death; that would have been done of course: but that his own might have Eternal Life, which they could not have had without Christ. That other End had freely been accomplished and attained if Christ had never been incarnate; if he had never been invested with this power as man, the wicked had been damned. But it was absolutely necessary to this end, that the Godly might be saved, that their Head and Mediator should have power to give Eternal life to them. All the world had been destroyed, they had been plunged in Eternal death, if Christ had not been thus authorized to deliver his, and save his. And therefore this authority is put upon him by his Father, that some might have Eternal life; that he might give eternal life to as many believe in him. The authority of Jesus Christ, etc. must needs be chief for the good and the salvation of his own people, and not so much for the destruction of the world, because he is invested with it by his Father, out of love to mankind; and that which is done in Love, must needs be for a good end. God did not send his son into the world, and put such power upon him, out of hatred to it, but out of pity and compassion to his own chosen; God so loved the world, that he gave his own son, John 3.16. he did it out of much love, and the End is answerable, that whosoever believeth in him, should not perish, but have life everlasting; (as it is added in the next words) This is annexed you see that suits with love: whereas if he had done it that unbelievers might be ruined and destroyed, if that had been his main intention, it had proceeded from another principle, a principle of wrath and anger. But this he disavows in the succeeding verse, God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world by him might be saved. And that God did not send his Son, and give him power over all flesh out of hatred and displeasure, but out of favour and good will, and so by consequence, his aim must be especially and chief at the good of his people. The authority, etc. must needs be chief, etc. because he exerciseth this authority so long, and but so long as they have any good to reap by it, and when it is no further useful to his people, he in some sense resigns it up to him from whom he had it. And therefore certainly it is for them and their profit. As long as there is an Enemy to hinder the good, and comfort, and salvation of his people, either within them, or without them, he keeps this power in his hands to curb them, and to keep them down. And so as the Apostle tells us, He must reign, till all those enemies be under foot, 1 Cor. 15.25. till they be utterly subdued. And then when this is done, when there is none to trouble, or molest his people any longer, when he hath passed the sentence of eternal condemnation on the wicked, and sent them packing unto hell, and seemed to say unto his Saints, These Enemies which you have seen to day, you shall see them again no more for ever; when he hath cast out every thing that offendeth, that is offensive to his people, and made an everlasting separation, between the wicked and the godly: when he hath cast the wicked into the Lake that burns with fire and brimstone which is the second death; and given eternal life to all his people: when he hath done them all the good that they are capable of, and when there is no further use of his authority for their advantage, he even yields it up to him that gave him power over all flesh 1 Cor. 15.28. By which it is apparent, that he took this power upon him principally for his people's sake. Is it so, that the authority of Jesus Christ with, etc. is chief for the Use 1 benefit and the salvation of his people? This than may be one great encouragement among the rest, to all his people, to stoop to this authority of his, and to yield obedience to it. If it were managed to their hurt and disadvantage, they had reason to avoid it, and to decline submission to it to the utmost of their power. Who would be under such authority as aims at nothing else but the undoing of the Subject? But since the end of the authority of Jesus Christ, is the good of his people, they have great reason to submit to it. Ah, (my beloved) how should this sweeten the authority of Christ, and make it amiable, and desirable, and pleasing to his Subjects? How should the Children of Zion be joyful in their King, (as the Prophet David speaks) Psal. 109.2. how should the members of the Church triumph and be exceeding glad that they are so well provided! that they have Jesus Christ to be their Sovereign! that they have such a Governor as he, who manages his whole authority for their profit and advantage! This is a joyful thing indeed, The Lord reigneth, saith the Psalmist, Psal. 97.1. and what doth he infer upon it? Let the Earth rejoice, let the multitudes of the Isles be glad of it. And truly we that are the people of the Lord of this Isle, (as well as other Isles and quarters of the world) have reason to be glad of this, that Christ rules, and that we are his Subjects. We are afraid continually of new storms, and new troubles, but here is our comfort in the midst of all this, that the reins of government are in the hands of Jesus Christ, who is a King for our sake, who is invested by his Father with authority, yea with supreme authority, such as none can overtop, for our good, and for our safety. We may apply the Prophet's speech, Isa. 33.20. Look upon Zion, the City of our solemnities: thine eyes shall see Jerusalem a quiet habitation, a tabernacle that shall not be taken down; not one of the stakes thereof shall ever be removed, neither shall any of the cords thereof be broken: But the glorious Lord will be to us a place of broad rivers. And why so; For the Lord is our Judge, the Lord is our Lawgiver; the Lord is our King, and he will save us. So that however we be rend and torn with sad divisions, however we be shaken with continual fears; yet when we look to Jesus, and consider, Is not he out Lawgiver, and is not he our Judge? is not the supreme authority in his hand? we may conclude that he will save us, that he will do us good, and that because he hath received his power and his authority for this End. John 17.2. That he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him. Use 2 IS it so, that the authority of Jesus Christ, with which, etc. chief for the good, etc. Then let the Ministers of Jesus Christ be hence directed, and advised how to use the power, which they have received from Christ. As God hath sent the Son, so Jesus Christ hath sent his Ministers and his Ambassadors. It is his own expression to his own Apostles, John 20.21. As my Father hath sent me, so I send you. And as God hath given power to Jesus Christ whom he hath sent, so Jesus Christ hath given power to his Ambassadors whom he hath sent. And therefore it is added presently in the fore-alledged Scripture, whosesoever sins ye remit, they be remitted, and whosesoever sins, ye retain, they are retained. You must conceive it either in the preaching of the word, or else in the administration of the censures of the Church. And this is that which the Apostle calls the power which Christ hath given him, 2 Cor. 13.10. Now all that have this power from Jesus Christ, are here directed how to manage it, and what use to make of it. It is apparent they must use it to the very same end, to which Christ doth use his; For even as Christ hath his Commission from the Father, so they have their commission from Christ. And even as Christ hath his authority from the Father, so they have their authority from Christ. And therefore even as the authority of Christ is managed chief for the good, and the salvation of his people, so must they manage theirs too for the very same end; they must not aim at the destruction, or the hardening of the people, they must not preach the Gospel to them for such purposes as these; though this by accident, be the effect sometimes. No, they must make this their business, how they may save themselves, and them that hear them, how they may bring about the conversion and salvation of the people, how they may draw in souls to jesus Christ, and make proselytes for heaven; this aught to be the great thing which they aim at. It is true, they must be sons of thunder now and then, as well as sons of consolation: They must preach the Law sometimes, as well as the sweet comforts of the Gospel: They must threaten men sometimes with wrath, and hell, and eternal condemnation: But then they must do it so as wishing that these things might might not come upon them, but rather that they might avoid them: They must threaten them with wrath, that they may fly from the wrath to come: and they must threaten them with hell, that they may escape the damnation of hell: They must preach the Law to them with Gospel-purposes and Evangelical intentions: They must send out the avenger of blood to dog them at the heels, that they may fly to the city of refuge: They must use sharpness, now and then; it cannot be avoided: But it must be for the same end which the Apostle speaks of in the fore-alledged place, 2 Cor. 13.10. where he mindeth the Corinthians, that in case he must use sharpness according to the power the Lord hath given him, he hath authority from Christ to do it; but mark in the succeeding words to what end, to edification, and not to destruction: According to the power the Lord hath given me to edification, and not to destruction. And therefore it is very notable, that when our Saviour Christ had said to his Disciples, All power is given to me both in heaven and in earth, and having put a part of this authority and power of his on his Apostles, he doth not bid them to go out and preach damnation to the people, but go and preach the Gospel to them, and baptise them that they way be saved: And the Apostle speaking of the execution of this power in the administration of the censures of the Church, saith, he would give a foul offender up to Satan, for no other end then this, even for his good and his salvation, 1 Cor. 5.3, 4. I have already judged (saith he) concerning him that hath so done this deed, with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ, to deliver him to Satan, for the destruction of the flesh, (the carnal part) that the spirit might be saved in the day of the Lord. So that when we threaten judgement, when we retain the sins of men, when we give them up to Satan, either in preaching, or in Church-censures, when we say of any person, Take him Satan, our aim must be that Christ may have him, that his corruption may be mortified, and that he may be saved by this means. And therefore let the Ministers of Jesus Christ have this continually in their eye, how they may reach this great end. Let all his under-officers in the administration of the power which Christ hath put upon them drive at that, for which Christ received his, that they may bring his people to eternal life, as you have it in my Text. Is it so that the authority of Jesus Christ with which, etc. is chief Use 3 for the good, etc. Then let us apprehend it to be so, and let us look upon it so, when he is executing this authority and this judiciary power of his upon the enemies of his people, even to their utter ruin and destruction. When he destroys his Church's enemies, when he consumes them that they may not be, (as this he doth sometimes by virtue of this power which God hath put into his hands, and we have seen it in these latter days) let us consider that he doth not this so much for their hurt, as for the good of his people. That his aim is not so much at the destruction of the one, as at the preservation of the other. When he is laying on upon them with his keen and glittering sword, let this be our meditation, Now Christ is doing something for his poor people. And this the Saints of old have done; And therefore David, or whoever else it be, that is the author of Psal. 136. recording many judgements of the Lords which he had brought upon the Church's enemies, makes this the running verse between continually, For his mercy endureth for ever. He smote all the first born of Egypt, For his mercy endureth for ever. He overturned Pharaoh and his Host in the red Sea, For, etc. He smote great Kings and slew famous Kings, as Sihon King of the Amorites and Og, etc. For his mercy endureth for ever. A man would think he should have rather said, he did such things as these, because his anger and his wrath endures for ever. What mercy was it for the Lord to slay Kings and to destroy Nations? truly it was none to them that were destroyed, but it was sweet and precious mercy to them for whom they were destroyed. And Christ would have it known that in the execution of his vengeance on the wicked, he hath not an aspect so much upon the misery he brings the wicked to; no, his thoughts are taken up with the mercy and the love he manifests to his people; And when he lays about him, and slashes down the enemies in heaps, he seemeth to forget the hatred that he bears to them, and to think of nothing else but mercy, mercy to his Saints, Thus I kill them and destroy them, because my mercy, etc. And therefore let us learn to look upon it so, to have such thoughts and apprehensions upon such occasions. And that the rather, because there is an inconveniency in it many times, when we behold Christ in another way. We look upon the Judgements which he wreaks and executes upon the Enemies and persecuters of the Church, as if he brought them on them out of such a hatred to them, as we ourselves are apt to have. And so our hearts are carried out in ways of malice, and we make Christ upon the matter, but the instrument of our revenge. Whereas if we did apprehend him as aiming not so much at the destruction and ruin of the wicked, as at the good and preservation of his people, and as administrations of his power which he sees necessary for the peace, and welfare of the Saints, our hearts would be in a more sweet and holy temper, than they are sometimes in such cases. For than my brethren, we should see the Love of Christ in all these dispensations of his wrath: the more his anger is declared at any time against the wicked, the more we should be taken up with thoughts and apprehensions of his love to us. The greater fury and displeasure he reveals against them, the more we should be led to contemplation of his mercy to ourselves. Oh, what are we that he should have such dear respects to us? That he should be so angry with poor creatures, and execute such heavy judgements on them for our sakes. Use 4 Is it so that the authority, etc. is chief for the Good, etc. This than methinks, should prevail with wicked men, yea though they perish, to have better thoughts of Christ, and milder apprehensions than they have. For you must know, my brethren, that Christ hath many Enemies; there are abundance in the world that hate him whose very hearts do rise against him. And whence is this, but because they look upon him as one that aims at their destruction, as one that means to have their blood, to ruin them, and damn them in the pit of hell for ever. Now I beseech you, my beloved, do not so mistake yourselves; think not so hardly of the Lord Christ. Believe it, Jesus Christ hath other purposes then these, whatever you conceive of him; he came not to judge the world, but that the world by him might be saved. He came not to destroy you, but to save his own people. And therefore if you be destroyed, thank yourselves, and not him. Your help if you have any, is of him; but your destruction is of yourselves. Do but consider, I beseech you, what Christ hath done, what means he hath afforded you for your salvation. He hath assumed your nature who are reprobates, as well as yours who are elect. He hath laid down a price of worth sufficient in itself for your salvation, so that there is not one of you excluded from it, because it will not reach to you as well as others, because it is too narrow and too scant to satisfy for all, if all should apprehend it, and lay hold upon it. No, he hath ordered matters so, that there is enough put in, not for believers only, but for them that perish too. And that which is put in, as it is sufficient for you, so it is applicable to you as well as others. As it was paid in your nature, so any of your nature may partake it, if they will lay hold upon it. It is a satisfaction which nothing but your unbelief and your refusal can make you uncapable of. And hence the Lord will have a tender of it to be made, the Gospel to be preached to you as well as others; so runs the tenor of his own Commission, Go, preach the Gospel to every creature; Tell every man without exception, that there is good news for him, that Christ is dead for him if he embrace him. Yea Christ himself doth by his Messengers persuade, you, yea entreat you, and beseech you to accept him. Yea, more than so, he works upon you by some kind of operation of his Spirit, and you resist the Holy Ghost. He waits upon you many days, yea many years, even till his head be full of dew, and his locks wet with the drops of the night, he exercizeth much long-suffering to you, he is patiented, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. All this he doth; and doth this look as if it were his aim to damn you, as if he sought your ruin and destruction? It's true indeed you are by accident in the worse case for Christ; you will have one day cause to wish (if you continue in your unbelief) that Christ had never been Incarnate, that you had never heard of him. But I beseech you, whose fault is all this? is it Christ's, or is it yours? you had been damned if Christ had never come; and when he came, he came to you as well as others. And he came not to destroy you, he came not to condemn the world (alas that was not his intention) but that the world by him might be saved. And therefore I beseech you, do not thinks amiss of Christ in this business. If he should condemn you, yet do not you condemn him, as if your condemnation were the thing he looked for. If you will perish, think not the worse of Jesus Christ, but justify him, and applaud his mercy when you are sinking into hell. Give testimony to the truth, and say, he hath done much to save me, but he hath done nothing to damn me. He came into the world to save sinners; that was indeed the end of his coming; but I, by my rebellion, and my obstinacy, and my unbelief, have made him do that which he came not for, even to destroy me. It was not Jesus Christ; no, it was my own perverseness and incredulity, that hath undone me, and everlastingly, and brought me to this place of torment. Use 5 Is it so, that the authority, etc. is chief for the good, etc. Then certainly they shall be saved, they may rely and rest upon it as an unquestionable thing. Christ hath received his power and his authority for this end, his Father hath bestowed it on him for this end, that he may give eternal life to as many as God hath given him; and certainly they will not both be disappointed of their main intention; They will not be crossed in that which is their great design. It's true, the carrying on, and the accomplishment of the work of our salvation is a very hard business, it meets with many difficulties, and with many oppositions. But Christ you see is absolutely and completely furnished to go through with it, and to save us to the utmost. If he were only vested with authority and power over the flesh which he intends to save, it would fall short in this business: For there is other flesh that would resist, and hinder their salvation. There is flesh within them, and there is flesh without them, that would oppose this great work. The people of the Lord Christ have all of them much flesh, and much corruption in them. And there is much flesh without them, a multitude of wicked and ungodly men. And both of these, this flesh within them, and this flesh without them, are mighty obstacles, and great impediments to the great end propounded in my text, the giving of eternal life to them. The flesh without them, I mean the world and worldly men will seek to terrify them, or allure them, or persuade them from the ways of God, and will deceive, if it were possible, the very Elect. The flesh within them will close with that which is without on all occasions, and labour to withdraw them from the living God. So that, as I have said, if Christ were only vested with authority and power over the flesh which he intends to save, it would fall short in this business. But God you see hath given him power over all ●●esh, that he may give eternal life to as many as he hath given him. Not only power over the flesh to which he means to give eternal life, but power over all flesh, that he may give eternal life to them. That other flesh may not resist and hinder him in this business. And therefore let us cheer and comfort up our hearts in sweet assurance of salvation, as many of us as belong to Christ. We are discouraged now and then perhaps when we perceive how strong the flesh within us is, how mighty and how violent, and how prevailing our corruptions are. We are afraid the wicked world, the flesh without us, will overcome us in the end; either by honours and preferments, or else by threats and persecutions, and so will hazard our salvation. But here's our never failing comfort, Christ hath power over all flesh, that he may give us eternal life. He hath power over the flesh within us, he can subdue and master our corruptions when he pleases, he can pluck down those strong holds. He hath power over the flesh without us, he can overcome the world, yea he hath overcome the world. And therefore let us be of good cheer, let us be confident we shall have eternal life at last; for God hath given him full power to this end, and to this purpose, that he may give it, and that none may hinder it. Is it so, that the authority of Jesus Christ with, etc. is chief, etc. Use 6 Oh, how much are we bound to God and Christ? to God the Father, that he hath given? to God the Son, that he hath taken this authority for this End? That both of them have been so careful, that the authority of Christ might be sufficient to go through with the business, and all this for our sakes. Oh, what are we that God and Christ should have such dear respect unto us, that they should honour us so far, that our salvation should be the end of the authority of Jesus Christ! It is but fit that we should be for him; that all that we are, or have, should be for Christ. But that all that Jesus Christ as Man and Mediator hath, should be for us; that all his power and his authority over the world should be for us; that we and our eternal happiness should be the end, as it is made in this place; and Jesus Christ, and his authority in this respect should be but a means to this end; this is a mercy and an honour, which we cannot reach to see the bottom of it any way. And that we should have the preferment here, that the authority which Christ hath over all flesh, should not be for them but us, that he may give to us eternal life, who are a little remnant of worthless inconsiderable men; That Christ should have so great authority for such a little petty company, this is mercy with a witness: Let us sit down and wonder at it, and be thankful for it while we have a day to live. And thus far of the end of the authority of Jesus Christ; for which he is invested with it by his Father, considered in the lump and in the gross. Proceed we now to take it into parts. It is in general, as you have heard, that he may be enabled to dispense to his people, that which is for their everlasting welfare and salvation, that he may give eternal life to as many as God hath given him: Particularly we have here to be considered, First the thing itself to be dispensed by virtue of this power and this authority of Jesus Christ, and that is life, yea life eternal. Secondly the manner or the way of dispensation, it is to be dispensed as a gift, in the nature of a gift, in a way of free donation, that he should give eternal life. Thirdly the objects of this dispensation, or the persons to whom this life here mentioned is to be dispensed, and that is not to all men, but to as many as the Father hath bestowed on Jesus Christ; As thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him. Begin we with the thing itself to be dispensed, by virtue of this power, and this authority of Jesus Christ: And here let us take notice of the nature of it, and of the adjunct of it. First of the nature of it, it is life: Then of the adjunct of it, it is life eternal. As for the first of these, my Brethren, you must know that naturally, and originally we are all dead men. We are all dead born, we came into the world, my Brethren, in a state of death and condemnation. And in this sad condition we continue of ourselves, we are not able to put life into ourselves. No, we can no more raise ourselves to the life of grace, than a dead man can raise himself to the life of nature. And therefore God, because he would have such a number quickened as he hath resolved upon, hath given power to Jesus Christ to this end, and to this purpose, that he may give life to those who of themselves are utterly void of it, and no way able to attain it. And that his mercy may be full, he hath appointed him to give them such a life as is uncapable of dissolution. The life that Adam in the state of innocency enjoyed, the life of righteousness; and the life of holiness, you know, was perishable in itself, and so accordingly was left of God. His state in this condition was mutable, and accordingly he fell from it, from a state of grace and life, to a state of sin and death. But now God hath invested Jesus Christ with power to give his people such a life as shall be durable, as shall, in this respect, transcend the life that Adam had, even in the state of innocency itself; that he may give eternal life to as many as God hath given him. The points to be observed are two: First, They that are Christ's have life from Christ; and secondly, The life which they have from him is eternal. DOCTRINE. They that are Christ's, have life from Christ. He giveth life to as many as God hath given him. The life which they enjoy, they have from him, they have it not originally in themselves; he is the author and the fountain of it. And therefore he is said to be a quickening Spirit, 1 Cor. 15.45. because he quickeneth and enliveneth all his members. And he is called our life very often in the Scripture, I am the way, the truth, and the life, saith our Saviour of himself, John 14.6. When Christ who is our life, saith the Apostle, shall appear, then shall we appear with him in glory, Col. 3.4. When Christ who is our life, that is, the author, the efficient of our life. And hence, saith the Evangelist, he that hath the Son, hath life, 1 John 5.20. This may serve to prove the point, They that are Christ's, have life from Christ. Now to open it a little before we come to application, there is a twofold life which all Christ's people have from Christ, according to the twofold death which they are under out of Christ. For as there is a twofold death in sin: The death in sin with relation to the reign and dominion of it, the death in sin with relation to the guilt and obligation of it to damnation: So on the other side there is a twofold life of grace opposed to these, the life of grace inherent, and the life of grace imputed. The life of holiness, and the life of righteousness. The life of Sanctification, and the life of Justification. And both of these, they that are Christ's, receive from him, he gives his people both these. First, Christ's people have from him the life of holiness, or the life of Sanctification, which is opposed to the dominion and the reign of sin; before they are revived by him, they are under this dominion, and so in that respect are dead, as the Apostle Paul intimates to the Romans, Rom. 6.12. ye are alive to God, saith he, through Jesus Christ our Lord. And what doth he infer upon it? Let not sin reign in your mortal bodies; by which he intimates expressly, that while sin reigns in any man, so that he voluntarily resigns and yields himself up to the rule and the dominion of it, as Subjects to their Sovereign and anointed Prince, he is not alive to God; he is indeed a dead man, he hath no life of holiness or grace in him. But when the reign of sin is once abolished and dissolved within him, so that he doth no longer willingly obey it in the lusts thereof, but yieldeth up himself to God, than he is alive to God, than he lives the life of God; the life of holiness and grace. And this life he hath from Christ; And therefore it is added presently, ye are alive to God through Jesus Christ our Lord: And of this life it is that the Apostle speaks, Gal. 2.20. and makes Christ the Fountain of it: I live, saith he, that is, I live the life of grace; and yet not I, but Christ liveth in me, and this life which I live, I live by the faith of the Son of God who loved, etc. Secondly, Christ's people have from him the life of righteousness, or the life of Justification, which stands in opposition to the death in sin, with relation to the guilt. While the guilt of sin remains upon a man, so long that person is a dead man, so long he is dead in Law, as we express it commonly, he is bound over to eternal death and condemnation. And thus it is with every man while he continues in the state of nature. He is condemned to die, and so in that respect is dead in the sentence of the Law: although the sentence be not executed on him, as our Saviour speaks John 3.18. He that believes not is condemned already: But when a man is justified, absolved, and acquitted from the guilt of all his sins, he is no longer dead in Law, but as a Malefactor that is pardoned, his life is given him, as we use to say. And therefore it is styled in Scripture the justification of life, because it brings life to the person justified, viz. that life that is opposed to condemnation, the sentence or the doom of death; For of that speaks the Apostle, Rom. 5.18. the free gift came upon all to justification of life. And this is made the gift of Christ, and he is said to be the author and the fountain of this life, in that place. As by the offence of one (that is of Adam) judgement came upon all men to condemnation, so by the righteousness of one (that is of Christ the second Adam) the free gift came upon all to justification of life. Now is it so, my Brethren, that they that are Christ's have life from Use 1 Christ? here then examine in the first place, whether you be Christ's or no. If you belong to him (I mean by real calling and incorporation) you have received life from him. You hear he hath received power from God the Father to this very end, that he may give eternal life to as many as God hath given him. And out of question he is not unfaithful in the administration of this power and the discharge of this trust. Well then, if you be his, he hath given you this life, he hath quickened you, and raised you with himself, you are partakers of his resurrection. And therefore I beseech you search a little whether it be thus with you or no. It is a thing which may be known in some degree, if you be diligent; for the Apostle knew that the Ephesians and the Romans were alive, that they were quickened from the death of sin: And this he did by outward evidence and by the signs of life which he observed in them. And we may much more know our own Condition and estate in this respect if we be not very wanting to ourselves. And therefore prove yourselves, my brethren, whether you have the life of Christ in you, and you may do it by these symptoms following. First if you have received life from Christ, you are strangely altered men; some little alteration there may be in some respects, and yet a man may scarcely note it, or observe it in himself. But when so great a change as this shall pass upon him, it is impossible almost but he should feel it. There be many alterations that may happen to a man in the passage of his life, as custom and experience make a change, and honour and preferment make a change, a great change in some men, especially in weak spirits; and age, and time, and place, and many other things do make a change. But this infusion of the life of Christ into a person that was dead before, is the greatest change of all. It makes a man a new creature, and that in all respects too, which is a very great matter. Old things are done away, all things are become new, 2 Cor. 5.17. He hath new thoughts and new affections, new pleasures and delights, studies, desires, ends, purposes, companions and acquaintance; So that he is not now the same man that he was before. When his old lusts, his old temptations, his old companions and acquaintance come to call upon him, and think to find him as they did in former times; he may answer them and say You are deceived, for I am altered, I am another man, another creature, I am not in the temper nor of the disposition that I was before. Secondly, If you have received life from Christ, you have within you sharp desires after the food by which this life is nourished and preserved. The word of God (my brethren) is the milk that feeds it, which every child of God delights to suck, 1 Pet. 2.2. And have you quick and stirring appetites to this milk? do you as new born babes desire it? do you thirst and long for it? do you hunger after it, so that you cannot be content without it? is it pleasing to your palate, delicious to your taste to feed upon? it is an evidence of life. But if there be no stomach to this kind of food, if you be well content without it, if you be never hungry, if you find no taste at all in the good word of God, but say of this as Israel of the Manna once, Our souls loathes this light bread, there is no weight, no substance in it, it is a sign you have not yet this light of Christ in you. Thirdly, If you have received life from Christ, you are moved, you are acted by the principles of that life. Every kind of life (my brethren) hath principles agreeable to it, inclining it to turn to that which suits with it, and on the other side to turn from that which is destructive and contrary to it. So hath the vegetative life, the life of plants; so hath the sensitive, the life of beasts; so hath the reasonable life, the life of men, and so hath the life of Christ, the life of Saints. Now this life of Christ my brethren, hath principles exceedingly above the principles of any of those other sorts of life. And so accordingly, they that have this life from Christ, do live by higher principles, (I will not say then those of plants or those of beasts, but, than those of men too; those who are merely men, and no more; who are not holy, sanctified men. Some men there are you know, who live like beasts, who melt away in sensual and voluptuous pleasures and delights, who eat, and drink, and sleep, and lust, and satisfy their lusts, and there is all. And therefore they are said in Scripture to be brutish, because the brute part in them over-powers the rational, because they live and walk by brutish principles, by the principles of beasts. They do just as beasts do, and many of them worse too, as if they were to have the same end that beasts have. And some of late have vented such doctrine as if the souls of men did perish with their bodies, as the souls of beasts do. Others there are who live like men indeed, but it is like mere men, as the Apostle speaks of the Corinthians, 1 Cor. 3.3. Are ye not carnal, and walk as men? They live at best no higher than the principles of reason carry them, and that is but a litt e way. They bring them at the very utmost no further than the young man which our Saviour speaks of, to be not far from the Kingdom of heaven, or not so far as many others are, but they can never bring them home. But they that have received life from Christ, my brethren, live by nobler and diviner principles than these are, such as are full of light and beauty, such as carry on the soul to supernatural and spiritual things, for the attaining and enjoying of the highest good. They know what it is to live above the principles of beasts, above the principles of men, they live by principles of faith of spiritual men: which are far more above the principles of reason, than the principles of reason are above the principles of sense. Fourthly, if you have received life from Christ, you live to Christ; and therefore it is called the life of Christ, because as it comes from Christ, so on the other side, it tends to Christ, from whom it comes. It causes us to live no longer to ourselves, but to him that died for us, that is to Christ, as the Apostle speaks, 2 Cor. 5.15. All other men who have not this life in them, live to themselves, and not to Christ; they have no higher end than self in all their actions; They make themselves, their pleasures, or their profits, or their honours the scope and centre of their motions; Yea in the very holy and religious duties they perform, they look no further than their own ends; And so in the performance of them, they are but servants to their own Lusts. But now they that have life from Christ, they live no longer to themselves; no, they have nobler aims in all their ways; and while unsanctified men, who live the life of nature only, do make themselves their end, even in their holy and religious duties; the Saints who live the life of Christ, do make the Lord their end, even in their ordinary, and their Common actions. In every thing his glory is continually in their eye, even in their worldly and their secular employments, while in these they do not seek their own things, but the things that are of Jesus Christ. Use 2 Is it so, that they that are Christ's have life from Christ? that the life which they enjoy they have from him; if then you find upon examination that you have received this life from Christ, the life of righteousness, and the life of holiness, consider with yourselves what thanks you should return to him. Ah my beloved, what cause have we to magnify and to admire the grace of Christ, that he should give us this life; That he should raise us from our graves of sin, having loosed the powers of death, that we might not beholden of them! We think that we can never be sufficiently thankful to one that hath saved our lives and rescued us out of the jaws of death. Now Jesus Christ who is our life, hath done this for us; we were condemned persons, we were dead in Law, and he (by virtue of the power, and the authority with which he is invested by his father) hath given us our lives, he hath sealed a pardon to us: So that now we may walk abroad at large, and need not fear that the sentence of the Law, the doom of death will be executed on us; Ah my beloved, what shall we return to Christ? how shall we melt our souls into sufficient celebrations of his goodness to us? We were dead, but are alive: we were lost, but are found. Oh let us say as Hezekiah did, The living, the living, they shall praise thee as we do this day. And let us do as the Apostle did, Rom. 7.25. who having, in the former verse, cried out, Oh wretched man that I am, who shall deliver me from this body of death, had presently suggested to his thoughts that Christ had done it, and then cries out, in a way of gratulation, as he had done before in a way of lamentation, I thank my God through Jesus Christ our Lord. John 17.2. That he should give eternal life. DOCTRINE. The life which Jesus Christ bestows upon his people is eternal. SO it is styled in my text: you see that he should give eternal life to as many as God hath given him. Such is the life which Christ gives: it is a Lasting and enduring life, a life that is above the power of death, that is uncapable of dissolution. The life of nature as you know, and see my brethren, is a perishable life. It is obnoxious to decay, it may be cut off in the twinkling of an eye, and we are gone. But now this life of Christ, the life of grace is the beginning of the life of glory, and therefore is an endless life, as the Apostles phrase is, Heb. 7.16. And as the seed by which this life is generated in a man, is incorruptible seed, as you may see, 1 Pet. 1.23. even so the life itself which is generated by it, is incorruptible too. It may be said of every Saint who hath received life from Christ, and who is raised by him from the death of sin, as it is said of Christ himself, Rom. 6.9. Being raised from the dead, he dies no more, death hath no more dominion over him. He hath eternal life abiding in him as our Saviour speaks, John 6.54. He doth not say that he shall have it, but that he hath it in him, even in this present world, a Life that is eternal and that is abiding in him. So that the point is plain you see, The life which Jesus Christ bestows upon his people, is eternal. To clear it yet a little further to you, my beloved, no life can end in death, or come to dissolution, and destruction, but one of these two ways, viz. either by some inward principles of frailty in itself, or else by some outward force that overcomes it, and prevails against it. If it be destroyed by death, it must be either by a natural, or a violent death. Now the life of Jesus Christ which he bestows upon his people, is utterly uncapable of dissolution either way, and consequently is an everlasting life, as I shall show you briefly and in order. First, the life which Jesus Christ bestows upon his people, hath no principles of frailty, and dissolution in itself, it hath no seeds of mortality in it. It comes from Christ not only as the giver of it, but also from him as the fountain of it; with him is the fountain of Life, as the Prophet David speaks, Psal. 33.9. And the Rivulets and streams are always of the self same nature with the fountain. And consequently if the life that is in Christ, be lasting and enduring, as it is, the life that is from Christ, is so too. If it be not perishable in the spring, assuredly it is not perishable in the stream. This life of grace, my brethren, is communicated and derived from Christ the root, to us the branches, from him the head to us the members; and if it fail not in the head, and in the root, how should it fail in the members and the Branches. Indeed my brethren if the life of grace were radically and originally in ourselves, and from ourselves, it must have principles of dissolution in it. For what that is in us, and comes from us, can be eternal in its own nature? But our life is in Christ, and comes from Christ, it is hid with Christ in God, as the Apostle Paul speaks, Col. 3.4. and therefore certainly it is in this respect like him from whom it comes. We stand not now upon our own bottoms, as Adam did it in Paradise; no we are branches of such a Vine as never withers, & we are members of such a head as never dies. So that undoubtedly, the life of Jesus in us, although it be not privileged from abatements and temptations, yet it hath nothing in it that tends to utter dissolution. Secondly, the life which Jesus Christ bestows upon his people, as it hath no inward principles of dissolution in itself, so neither is there any outward force that can prevail against it to destroy it, Christ will preserve and maintain it in us, in spite of any opposition. The world may set upon us, and endeavour to extinguish this life of holiness and grace in us, she may assault us with her violent tentations every way, with promises, and sweet insinuations on the one side, with threats and bloody persecutions on the other; But this we may rely upon, the world shall never overcome us, for Christ hath overcome the world. And we must know, that Christ hath overcome the world, not for himself alone, but for his members. And as he overcame it for us, so he doth overcome it in us too, by his grace, as the Apostle intimates, 1 John 5.5. This is the victory that overcomes the world even your faith. The Devil is a far more subtle and pernicious adversary than the world, but yet he cannot overthrow this life of grace, in any of the Saints. The gates of Hell cannot so far prevail against them. The Serpent can but bruise the heel of Christ, and those that appertain to Christ, he cannot touch the head or breast, he cannot wound us in the vital parts, or take away our life from us. The flesh is the worst enemy of all in this respect, because it is an inward Enemy, and a mortal enemy. Either that must die or we, as the Apostle Paul insinuates, Rom. 8.13. But here's our Comfort now, the the flesh shall die, and we shall live; Christ will destroy the flesh in us, and he will put the Spirit into us, and maintain the Spirit in us. And by this Spirit we shall live, and this life shall be eternal, We shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting, Gal. 6.8. So that the point you see is fully cleared, The life which Jesus Christ bestows, etc. For first it hath no inward principles of frailty in itself; And secondly there is no outward force that can prevail against it to destroy it. But here it may be you will interpose those words of the Apostle Judas, in the 12th. v. of his Epistle, where he speaks of some Revolters who were twice dead, for that is his expression there; they are trees whose fruit withereth, Object. twice dead plucked up by the roots. And how were they twice dead? They were not dead at all in regard of their outward and natural life, for they were then alive, and working mischief in the Church; and therefore out of question, his intention must be this, First they were dead in trespasses and sins. Then for a while in some respect or sense, they lived the life of Grace. And afterwards they died again, and so they were twice dead, and how then is the Doctrine true, The life which Christ, etc. For resolution of the Scruple, you must know my brethren, that a man may live the life of grace, either in deed and truth, or else in show and appearance only. The Church of Sardis lived in show, she had a name, Answ. (our Saviour tells her) that she was alive, but she was dead, Rev. 3.1. There was but a name of life, she had a name that she did live, but there was the reality of Death, she was dead. Now they that live in name only, who have the show and the appearance of the life of Christ, may die in show and in appearance too. And therefore the Apostle speaking according to the common apprehension, and conceit of men, saith they were twice dead. Once indeed and really, before they gave so much as any outward evidence of life. And then again in show, and in appearance, when they lost that life of grace, which both to others and themselves they seemed to enjoy. Now is it so, that the life which Jesus Christ, etc. This than should stay Use 1 us and support us, against the fear of those tentations which threaten us with the destruction of the life of grace. It is a great affliction to the Saints, sometimes when they are mightily assaulted by Satan, and their own corruptions, and even ready to be overcome, they cry out with relation to their spiritual, as Job with respect to his natural life, What is my strength that I should hope? What grace have I, that I should hold out against such violent Encounters as these are? How should I hope to live, when my life is thus assaulted with such fiery darts without, with such distempers, noxious humours, and such lusts within? Oh but remember, my beloved, Christ gives eternal life to his people, a life that is not subject to destruction, either by inward weakness, or outward violence: If ever once you have it from him, you can never lose it. He that once lives the life of Christ, can never die, death hath no more dominion over him. Is it so, my brethren, that the life of, etc. This than may clear and Use 2 comfort us against the frailty and dissolution of the life of nature. It's true, my brethren, that is subject to decay, it is a perishable life, but this is an eternal life; That may and will be lost indeed, but this endures to all eternity. And why then are we so afraid of death? why doth it terrify us and affright us so? when it hath done its utmost, we shall live for ever. Why are we grieved and troubled when they die the death of nature, who have the life of Christ in them? Truly my brethren, we may say of such as our Saviour of the Damsel, they are not dead. As Christ to Martha, when she bewailed the loss of her dear brother Lazarus, John 11.26. Whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die; He shall never die the death that overthrows the life of Christ, the life of Grace; for so you must conceive him there in that place; q. d. Lazarus is a believer, and therefore whatsoever thou mayst apprehend, he is not dead. He is not dead in reference to that which is a Christians life indeed; no true believer is capable of dying so; whosoever liveth and believeth in me can never die. It's true my brethren, such may lose the life of nature, but that alas is but an image, and a shadow and a show of life. The life of grace and holiness is life indeed; he that liveth in sin is dead while he lives; he that lives in holiness is alive when he dies: and if the life of nature be not worth the name of life, then certainly the death that overthrows no other but the life of nature, deserveth not the name of death. And hence the death of true believers, which strips them only of the life which stands in union of the body and the soul together, and not of that which stands in union of them both to Christ, is styled a rest, a sleep, in Scripture, not a death. They only die indeed which go down quick to hell as the prophet David speaks, who are cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, which is the second death, who after many pangs and tortures suffered in the separation of the body from the soul, are separated everlastingly from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power. Is it so that the life which Jesus Christ, etc. Oh how doth it concern Use 3 us then my brethren, not to satisfy ourselves with the frail life of nature, which may expire upon a sudden, and let us sink into Eternal death; but to make out after the life of Jesus Christ, the life of grace which is above the reach and power of death, which will not fail us but endure for ever? We all have sparks of immortality within us, and we have thoughts aspiring to Eternity, we would not die if we could choose. Oh let us labour then, my brethren, for the life of grace, and this is an eternal life. The life of nature is a fading thing, it may be gone upon a sudden. And it is a sad and dreadful thing for an eternal soul, to have nothing else between it and eternal woe and torture but such a fickle and perishable life, which the next minute may be done, and let him drop away to hell for ever. Oh how suddenly may such perish, and come to a fearful End! but if we live the life of Christ, that is a lasting and abiding life. And though the natural life decay, and though the body die and rot, and turn to dust and putrefaction, yet this will flourish and grow stronger still, till it be perfected and made consummate in the life of glory. And why then are our labours and endeavours wholly spent to nourish and maintain this transitory life, with things that perish in the using, which yet when all is done will fail, and come to dissolution, but never strive for the attainment of that life which is eternal? It is a lamentable thing, my brethren, that the divine intentions of eternal minds should be laid out on nothing else but perishable things. Now that you may attain this lasting and enduring life of grace, I shall but give you two or three directions. First, You must strive for saving knowledge and seek to get your minds enlightened with the beams of truth. The life of holiness and grace consists in light. And hence saith the Evangelist, that light, viz. the light of saving knowledge from the son of God revealed and manifested in the Gospel, was the life of men, john 1.4. And in the words immediately adjoined to my text, that he may give eternal life, etc. and this is life eternal that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent. It's true indeed there may be light of knowledge without any life of grace: But there can never be the life of grace without the light of holy knowledge: And therefore the Apostle speaking of the Gentiles, saith, they were strangers from the life of God: they lived the life of men, but they were strangers from the life of God, the life of grace, by reason of the ignorance and darkness that was in them. And surely, if we ever look to rise up from our graves of sin, and stand up from the dead, we must have light from Jesus Christ, as the Apostle Paul insinuates, Eph. 5.11. Secondly, You must endeavour after faith, which is the instrument and means of life, by which it is conveyed from Christ to all his members. And therefore we shall find that faith and life, believing and living are joined together, the one as the fruit and effect of the other. Whosoever liveth and believeth in me, saith our Saviour, joh. 11.26. (id est) Whosoever liveth by believing in me shall never die. He that believeth in him that sent me, hath eternal life, saith Christ, john 5.24. and shall not come to condemnation, but is passed from death to life. These things are written that ye might believe that jesus Christ is the Son of God, and that believing ye might have life, Joh. 20. ult. I live saith the Apostle Paul, and yet, etc. and the life which I live I live by the faith of the Son of God. So that the grace of faith you see my brethren, is the instrument of life, it is the bond of union between Christ and all his members, it is the Artery by which his Spirit is conveyed into us. And therefore if you ever look to live, you must labour after faith. Thirdly, that you may attain to saving knowledge and to justifying faith, and consequently to this life of Christ, you must attend upon the voice of Christ, in the preaching of the Gospel. For that is an effectual means when God is pleased to concur, to raise men from the death of sin, and to make them live to God. And this is clearly intimated to us by our Saviour Christ himself, John 5.25. The hour cometh, saith Christ there, when the dead (the dead in sin) shall hear the voice of the Son of God, (conceive it in the powerful preaching of the Gospel) and they that hear it shall live. And hence the word of Christ is called the word of life. You see then what you are to do; I say to you, my Brethren, as the Prophet to the Jews, Isa. 55.3. Hear with an obedient ear, a flexible and yielding heart, hear and your souls shall live. And thus far of the thing to be dispensed by virtue of the power and the authority of Jesus Christ with which he is invested by the Father; And this as you have heard is life, yea it is Eternal life. The manner or the way of dispensation comes next in order to be handled; it is to be dispensed as a gift, in the nature of a gift, in a way of free donation, that he should give Eternal life. Not that he should communicate it, or confer it only, but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, that he should give. So that you see, my Brethren, all is free both on the Father's side, and on the Sons. The Father he is free to him, that he may be free to others. The Father gives him power, that he may give his people life. As thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him. There is no difficulty in the terms, the point is obvious. DOCTRINE. That Jesus Christ doth freely give eternal life to his people: They have it from him as a free gift. He doth not sell, they do not buy it, or if they do, it is as his own offer is, without money, and without price. They have it from him out of bounty, and not out of merit or desert: As a gift, and not a purchase; or if a purchase, as his purchase, not their own. It is our Saviour's own expression with reference to his people, John 10.28. I give unto them eternal life, and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. And therefore it is called a Gift; and Christ is made the next and the immediate Donor and Dispenser of it, Rom. 6.23. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, The gift of God is eternal life, through Jesus Christ our Lord. And the Antithesis between this latter and the former parcel of the verse, is very much to be observed, as being pertinent to our purpose. The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life. As if in other words our Apostle should have said, It's true indeed, Death is the Consequent of sin, and life Eternal is the Consequent of holiness, and of obedience. But mark it well, not upon the same terms. Death follows sin as the deserved stipend, and the wages of it: A man earneth death by sin; as a workman earns his wages by his labour. But life Eternal doth not follow holiness in such a way; it is not merited by our obedience, as death is by our disobedience: and therefore this is a gratuity, a gift, though that be wages. The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life. And in another place, our last translation speaketh it a free gift, Rom. 5.18. The free gift came upon all men (all that are Christ's members, or upon all men universally, if you respect the tender of it) the free gift came upon all men to justification of life. With which accordeth that which goes immediately before, they which receive abundance of grace, and of the gift of righteousness, shall ragn in life by one, and that is Christ. I shall close up the proofs with our Saviour's proclamation, Apoc. 21.6. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, and I will give to him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely; if any be athirst, if he have vehement and strong desires, he shall have life, and he shall have it from the fountain. I will bestow it on him, and I will do it freely too. I will give him of the water of life freely. So that the point is plain you see, That Jesus Christ doth freely give Eternal life. Now that you may the better see the freeness of this gift of his, and that it is bestowed upon his people without the least desert of theirs, I shall lay it open to you in a few particulars; Jesus Christ must needs be free in giving life to his members, because on their parts, it is first unbought, and secondly unsought, nay thirdly unthought. They do not purchase it, or buy it of him; nay nor so much as seek it or desire it of him; nay nor so much as think of having such a mercy from him: And therefore it must needs be absolutely free in all respects, it must come from him as a free gift. First, Jesus Christ must needs be free in giving life to his people, because it is by them unbought. Life is not their purchase, and therefore it is his gift. True, it is bought by Christ for us, but it is not bought of Christ by us. For let us seriously consider with ourselves, What could we give or do to procure this life from Christ? We are not able to redeem our natural life, which yet is in comparison of no value, nor pay a ransom to the Lord for it. It is too great a price for us to pay, and therefore it must cease for ever, as the Psalmist speaks. And how much less than are we able to redeem our spiritual life, which is infinitely precious, when we are under the Condemnatory sentence of the Law, when we are dead in trespasses and sin, both with relation to the reign and to the guilt, when we are subject every moment to be cast into the lake that burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death; what can we give now to obtain our pardon? we cannot purchase it; and therefore certainly we have it freely. Indeed Christ buys a pardon for us, because we cannot buy it for ourselves. He gives his blood and life for us, that he may give life to us. And therefore he is called our life, to show that he is all in all in that business. And when we first receive his quickening grace, we are described to be in such a case, that there is nothing upon our parts to procure it, as you may see, Ezek. 16.5, 6. Cast out into the open fields, to the loathing of our persons, polluted, in our own blood, and weltering in our own gore. And then, yea then he gives life to us. It is repeated twice in that place, as a remarkable & choice thing, that we may take especial notice of it. I said unto thee when thou wast in thy blood live, yea I said unto thee when thou wast in thy blood live. As if he should have thus expressed himself, Observe it well, I gave thee life at such a time when there was nothing in thee to deserve it at my hands, when one would even have loathed to touch thee, or to meedle with thee: when thou hadst nothing else but blood and gore to give me, than did I breathe this life into thee; So that you see Christ freely gives this life to his people, in this respect, that it is by them unbought. And as it is by them unbought, so it is by them unsought. As they do not purchase it and buy it of him, so neither do they seek it, or desire it of him. As they do not pay for it, so neither do they pray for it. We count a thing is very free, if we have it for the ask. If it be but ask and have, it's a very cheap bargain. The life of Christ is yet more free than this comes to: to all his members he gives it them before they ask it. He is found in this respect of them that seek him not, and ask not for him; as the Prophet speaks, Isa. 65.1. It is the disposition of us all by nature, we will not come to Christ, that we may have life from him, as he himself complaineth, John 5.40. and therefore he is fain to draw us. Did Lazarus when he lay dead and stinking in his grave, address himself to Christ, beseeching him to raise him up? No more do any that are dead in sin No, Christ is fain to seek them out, to come to the grave himself, and there to call them to come forth, and to put life into them, that they may answer that call; he is forced to do all. Did the lost sheep seek the Shepherd? Did the lost groat seek the Owner? When Adam being fallen had brought himself into a state of death and condemnation, did he seek God, or did God seek him? Did he call God, or did God call him? You see the offer was on God's part, not on his. And so if Christ should leave us in a state of death, till we sue to him for life, we should die eternally. But he preventeth us with mercy, and with loving kindness. And he commands the blessing, even life for evermore, as the Prophet David speaks, Psal. 133.3. They do not beg it and entreat it, but he commands it. So that you see Christ freely gives this life to his people, in this respect, that it is by them unsought. And as it is by them unbought and unsought, so it is by them unthought. They are so far from seeking it, that they do not once so much as think upon it. It comes not once into their heads that they are dead in trespasses and sins; That there is life in Jesus Christ; that he is ready to bestow it, and to give it out to lost creatures. When he breathes this life of grace into any of his people, it is as much unthought of to them, as saul's Crown was to him, when he sought his Father's Asses. What can a dead man plod and study of a resurrection? Doth he lie in his grave expecting when he shall be quickened, and looking when he shall be raised up? What did the Disciples think of their Conversion till Christ called them? Matthew was in the midst of his Extortion, Peter was busy at his trade, when Christ inspired the quickening life of grace into them. Little did either of them think that life and mercy was so near to them. And thus he deals in this respect with all his people. So that which way soever we consider it or look upon it, Jesus Christ doth freely give Eternal life to his people, they have it from him, etc. Use 1 Now to descend to Application; Is it so that Jesus Christ doth freely give, etc. This than may be a great encouragement for every one of us to come to Jesus Christ for life. It is confessed that he hath enough in him; but yet if he were loath to spare it, if he did very hardly part from it, if he did not give but sell it, and sell it at a dear rate, it could not but exceeingly dishearten those that want it, and have no means to get it, nor any thing to give for it. But now consider for your comfort and support, that Jesus Christ is appointed by his Father, and inclined of himself to give Eternal life to his people. He doth not deal with it as a commodity which he means to gain by, but as a favour which he is willing graciously to bestow upon a company of lost creatures. He stands and cries, He every one that thirsteth, come and drink of the water of life freely; I ask you not a penny for it, come and buy without money and without price; Now I beseech you, my Beloved, set your hearts to this business; consider seriously what you have to do; I say to you as jacob to his sons, when they were about to starve, when they were about to die with famine, Gen. 42.1. Why do you look one upon another? Why do you die and perish in your sins, when there is life enough in Jesus Christ, and where it is so easily to be obtained from him? Oh you will say, we are unworthy to have life from Christ; who are we that Christ should look upon such dead dogs as we are! Ah, but remember he doth not bargain for it, he doth not sell it, but bestows it freely. He gives it out to those sometimes who least deserve it, he looks for nothing in, or from you, but the receiving of it at his hands. Why then will you stand off when he calls? Why will you refuse life when Christ offers, and when he offers it so freely? Why will you give the Lord of life occasion to complain, as john 5.40. You will not come to me that you may have life, you will not come when you may have it for the fetching. Why you will say, perhaps, you cannot come; True, I confess you cannot in your natural estate; but yet the greatest matter is, you will not come. And this appears, because you do not many of you what you can, and what is in your power to do. You do not wait upon the word of life, the word by which he worketh life in his people, but shamefully neglect it many of you, when the word is nigh you, when it is just without your doors. Christ speaks in life unto the souls of men, the words that he speaks are life, as 'tis hiw own expression, and you will not hearken to them that your souls may live, john 6.63. you do not yield yourselves up to the operation of the words of Christ. When he gins to stir you, you resist the work of it. When it gins to quicken you, and raise you up, you close your eyes, and lie down in your graves of sin again. Now, I beseech you, Brethren, when you feel a little stirring, a little quickening by the word, O let this word of life have a perfect work upon you. When life is offered in the Gospel, do not put it from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of Eternal life, lest Christ say to you in displeasure, Nay, if you will not live, then die for me, and die for ever. And if you will not rise out of your graves, there lie, and rot, and stink for me, till you be raised to receive your last doom, and to be cast into the Lake that burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death. Is it so, that jesus Christ doth freely give, etc. This than may serve us Use 2 as an Antidote against the fear of losing the life which we receive from Christ, and that upon a double ground. For First, if Jesus Christ give it, he himself will not withdraw it, but continue and increase it. He doth not use to give a thing and take a thing; no my Beloved, his gifts and callings are without repentance. It's true, that the duration of this life depends upon continual animation and supply from Christ. If once the vital influence which we have from him be interrupted and withheld, we are surely dead men. But wherefore should we doubt that he will fail to animate us, or that he will withhold the influences of this life from us? Nothing without himself did induce him first to give it. And therefore on the selfsame ground, he will uphold it and maintain it. He gave it freely, and therefore certainly he will continue it as freely too. Yea he will be so far from lessening and extinguishing this life of his, in any of his Saints, that he will increase it still. As it shall be a lasting and enduring, so it shall be a growing and increasing life. This was the end of his coming, as his own expression is, joh. 10.10. I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. If they have a little more, they shall not have less, but more. Christ gives his people the fountain of life, Apoc. 21.6. not the stream only, but the fountain too. The stream may fail, but the fountain cannot fail. At least the stream might fail, but that it is continually fed and nourished by the fountain. Secondly, if Christ give his people life, as he himself will not withdraw it, so he will not suffer it to be destroyed by any other. He will undoubtedly maintain his own act, his own gift, against the power of hell itself. Depend upon it, you that have received life from Christ, the second death shall have no power upon you. It may assault you and attempt you, but it shall not overcome you. I give my sheep eternal life, saith Christ, john 10.28. and what follows? Why as I give it, so I will maintain it too; I will make good this gift of mine, against the greatest opposition. And therefore it is added presently, and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. Is it so, that Christ jesus doth freely give, etc. the greater thankfulness Use 3 is due to him from all that have received this life from him. If he had sold it, our gratitude had been prevented. If we had purchased it, or deserved it, we might have thanked ourselves, and not Christ. For who will give another thanks for that which he paid for? But now the business is contrived and managed so that Christ may have much praise and much glory. If he give you life, do you give him thanks, expressed by holiness and by obedience. Less than this you cannot tender, and more than this Christ doth not expect from you. John 17.2. To as many as thou hast given him. AND thus far of the thing itself to be dispensed by virtue of the power and the authority of Jesus Christ with which he is invested by his Father, and that is life, yea, it is Eternal life. As also of the manner or the way of dispensation, it is to be dispensed as a gift, in the nature of a gift, in a way of free donation, That he should give eternal life. The objects of this dispensation, or the persons to whom this life here mentioned is to be dispensed, comes now in order to be handled, and they are such, only such, and all such, as God the Father hath bestowed on Jesus Christ, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him. My text you see is still upon a strain of giving, God gives the Son power, that the Son may give life to those whom God gives him; to as many as God hath given him. I do not hear that Jesus Christ hath power to give Eternal life to all the world, to all men, but only to a certain, pitched, selected Company of men. And they my brethren, are so far from being all, that they are not said expressly to be many, but as many, and they may be no great number. That he should give Eternal life to as many as God hath given him, who are comparatively, but a few. Many are called indeed, but few are chosen, and consequently few are saved. They are not many then, if you compare them with the rest that are not made partakers of this glorious privilege to have life from Jesus Christ, but yet they are as many as God hath given him. So the persons are described who are to have this life from Christ, not by their own internal quality or disposition, not by their own external action, but by the act of of God upon them, or concerning them, his giving them to Jesus Christ. Let them be what they will in all considerations and respects besides, it matters not in this regard; of what Nation, or of what condition, or of what station, or of what disposition, or of what conversation, if God have given them to Jesus Christ, they shall in his appointed time have life from him: But then we must distinguish of the Father's giving to the Son. The Father gives men to his Son Christ, either for outward ministration, or else for inward Union and incorporation; either to be his servants, or to be his members. In the first sense Judas himself was given to the Lord Christ to be his Minister, and his Apostle, as Christ himself acknowledgeth expressedly to his Father in the 12th. verse of this very Chapter. Those whom thou gavest me I have kept, saith he, and none of them is lost but the Son of Perdition. Now they who in this sense are given to the Lord Christ, to be his Ministers and servants only, not his members, have not eternal life from him, as is apparent from the former instance. Judas was given to him so, and yet he was a lost Creature, yea, he is styled in the fore-alledged place the Son of perdition. None of them whom thou gavest me is lost, but the son of perdition. One of them was lost then, though there were but one lost. The Father gave him to the Son, and he lost him. And therefore he, judas I mean, though he were given him, had not eternal life from him. But now there are another sort, whom God the Father gives to Jesus Christ for inward union, and incorparation, whom he bestows upon him to be members of his body, and they must needs have life from him, or else how shall they be his members? If there be union with him, there must be animation from him. As many as are given thus to Christ, shall certainly be quickened by him, he hath received authority and power for this End. As thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give Eternal life to as many as thou hast given him. You see the meaning of the words: the points suggested here are two. First there are a certain company of men, whom God the Father, in a special manner gives to Jesus Christ. And secondly, That Jesus Christ hath power to give eternal life to such and all such as are bestowed upon him by his Father, but he hath no power at all to give this life to any other. At this time of the first of these. DOCTRINE. There are a certain company of men whom God the father in a special manner gives to jesus Christ. Some have this privilege above the rest of lost mankind, that God the Father gives them to his son Christ: and gives them to him in a special manner, as I shown you even now, not to be his servants only, but his members too. He bestows them upon Christ to be his own peculiar people. And this is clearly intimated in that profession of our Saviour, john 6.39. this is my Father's will, saith he, that of all which he hath given me, I should lose nothing. The thing admitted there is clear by this, that some are given him by his Father, and given him so that they are not to be lost. And consequently, in another way than judas was, who was bestowed on Christ as you have heard, and yet he was the son of Perdition. So, in the 37. verse he hath the same. Expression, where he speaks of all those whom his Father gives him. And on this ground it is that Jesus Christ lays claim to such viz. by virtue of donation from his Father: Here am I, and the children which thou hast given me. Thine they were saith Jesus Christ, john 17.6. Mark that Expression, Thine they were, as who should says, Now they are thine no longer. They have been thine, I must acknowledge, but now the property in some respect is altered, they are no longer thine, but mine. Why, which way came you by them? might the Father say. The Son replies, by thy own free gift. Thine they were, and thou gavest them to me. So that you see there are a company of men whom God the Father gives to Jesus Christ. And further yet, They are a certain company of men: they are just thus many, not a person more or less, That he should give eternal life to as many as God hath given him, so that the number of them is precisely and exactly known to God: he knows how many there be of them to a man. He hath determined absolutely, and unalterably with himself, that Christ shall have such a number, so many millions, or the like. And he hath also peremptorily resolved, that such particular and individual persons known to him from everlasting, shall make up the number. Whom he fore-knew, them did he predestinate, saith the Apostle, Rom. 8.29. Those very men and no others. And hence our saviour speaks of such as if he knew them every one by name. I pray for them. I pray not for the world, but for them whom thou hast given me, john 17.9. So that our Saviour Christ distinguishes, you see, he knows who are his own by free donation of his Father, and for them he prays. He knows who are not given up to him, but continue in the world & of the world, and for them he prays not. The point is plain you see, and needs no further confirmation. There are a certain company of men, etc. Reason. If you desire to know the reason why God the Father gives them to his Son Christ, it is very manifest: because else he could not have them. He could have none to be his own peculiar people, he could have none to be his members unless he had them by donation from the Father; For you must know that primitively and originally all the world, and all the people in it, are the Fathers. Jesus Christ as he is man, and as he is Mediator and Redeemer, hath not right to one person, unless it be devolved over to him from the Father. Indeed he made the world as he is God, or God the Father made it by him, as the Scripture-phrase is: but as the Mediator of the Church he is not the Creator of the world. Creation is most properly the act of God the Father, as Redemption of the Son, and consequently all the world are primitively God the Fathers. His they are, for he made them. It is the greatest reason in the world that he that makes a thing should own it too, that it should be his that made it. That he that gives a thing being, should have a title to it, while it hath a being, unless he voluntarily and freely make it over to another. But how shall Christ as he is a Mediator have a people then to be his members, and to make up the Church a body for him, if all originally be the Fathers? Why truly either he must create new people, and that as man he cannot do: as God incarnate and manifested in the flesh he is not come to do: or else he must have some considerable number, that are already made, from God the Father. And thus the Father is content to yield to him; rather than he should want a company of men to be his members, he will spare him some of his, and others he will keep for other purposes to execute his wrath, and manifest the glory of his Justice on. God will prepare a body of him, and bestow a body on him, of those that appertain to him: Which is perhaps in part the sense of that Expression of our Saviour, Heb. 10.5, When he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldst not, but a body hast thou prepared me, not only a Natural but a Mystical body. Well then, you see, my brethren, how the matter comes about; Christ must have some to be a body and to be a people to him, or wherefore did he take our flesh upon him, why did he come into the world? As man and Mediator he hath none originally of his own. And therefore God the Father gives him some. There are a people for thee, saith the Father, thou shalt have such and such, and such, I give them freely to thee that thou mayst give Eternal life to them. So many thou shalt have among the Jews: and if that be not sufficient, thou shalt have as many more as thou wilt ask among the Gentiles, Psal 2.7. Ask of me and I will give thee the heathen for thine inheritance. And hence our Saviour speaking of his people acknowledgeth they were his Father's first, and that they came to him by his gift. Thine they were; They were thine, though the case be altered now, for thine are mine, as you may see, John 17.10. Now is it so, my brethren, that there is a certain company of men, Use 1 etc. Then in the first place here is matter of astonishment, that God the Father should bestow upon his Son such a gift as this: that he should have no better thing to give him then a Company of poor wretched lost creatures, That Jesus Christ should accept of such a gift as this is: truly, my brethren, there is so much wonder in it, that it is able to amaze the man that thinks upon it. Why, who are we, that God the Father should think us fit to be made over by a deed of gift to Jesus Christ? What worth is there in us that we should be so much as thought upon for such a purpose? As if Christ stood in need of us, as if we might be an addition and advantage to him any way. Whence is it that our Saviour should receive us at his Father's hands? that he should have the least regard to such poor inconsiderable stuff as we are, so far as to accept of us? hath he not got a great purchase? And yet the Father seems to value us so far that Jesus Christ is fain so ask us too, before he have us: Ask of me, and I will give thee the heathen for thy own possession, otherwise I will not. And Christ is very well content to stoop to this, to beg us a special boon of God the Father, to become a Suitor to him, that he may have such and such to be his people. Good Father give me such a man or such a woman: I reckon not of others: take them who will for me: but these I am desirous of, and therefore I beseech thee to bestow them on me. And having gotten us, he seems to glory in us, and to be so tender of us, as if we were some rich purchase, as if we were of very great use to him, as you may see in this Chapter all along. Sometimes he shows the Father what a high esteem he hath of those whom he hath given him: how carefully he teacheth them, and showeth them all his Father's name, how tenderly he keeps them, how dearly he affects them, and how his heart is set upon them. Sometimes he begs his Father for them to preserve them, to sanctify them, to make the world know that he loveth them, even as he loveth Jesus Christ himself, to make them one among themselves, and one with him; to bring them to the same place where Christ is, as if he could not live in Heaven without them. Ah, my beloved, did we follow on this mercy, as far as we could reach it in our thoughts, we should at length (finding no end or bottom in it) cry out as the Apostle, Oh the depth of the riches etc. Are there a certain company of men whom God the Father gives to Jesus Use 2 Christ? then surely they that have the happiness to be of this selected company, are in a very good case. It is impossible that they should perish, and that upon a double ground. For, First, If God the Father give them to his Son Christ, you may be sure that Christ will have them; the gift of God the Father shall not be in vain to him, he will not lose his end in this business. If he give them to his Son, he will see his Son shall have them. If he bestow them upon Christ to be his members, he will see they shall, in his appointed time, be joined to him, and nothing in the world shall keep them off from him. It may be many of them who belong to Christ, in the eternal Counsel and decree of God, are yet without; but God will surely bring them in, in his season. Let them be as averse from Christ and from his ways as it is possible for men to be: let them stand never so far off, the Father who hath given them to Christ, will certainly take care that they shall come in to him, or else his gift were nothing worth. And this is that which Christ himself takes notice of, john 6.37. all that the Father giveth to me, shall come to me. Let them be never so unwilling of themselves by nature, let them be never so entangled in the snare of Satan, so mightily withheld by him, yet however they shall come. But what if Christ should not receive them when they come? then they may perish notwithstanding. Yes, if the Father give them, and cause them thereupon to come, Christ will certainly receive them, All that the Father giveth me shall come to me. And what follows? And him that cometh to me, I will in no wise cast out. Secondly, If God the Father give them to his Son Christ, as you may be confident that Christ will have them, so may you depend upon it that he will keep them when he hath them. What do you think that Christ will lose that which his Father gives him? That he will not be chary of us for his sake that bestowed us on him? We would not lose the gift of a friend, especially if he be dear to us: and much less would we lose a Father's gift: we would keep such a thing with all care, especially if he bestow it on us with this Condition that we keep it for his sake; If he tells us that his will and pleasure is we should not lose it, we will be very wary how we part with it. Now God hath given us to Christ on these terms, as he himself acknowledges, john 6.39. This is the Father's will, saith he, That of all which he hath given me, I should lose nothing. And he came down into this Lower world, to do the will of him that sent him, as he professeth very often; and therefore certainly he will be careful of this special charge of his, he will observe it very strictly. He will be infinitely wary that he lose not any of his Father's things which he hath given him to keep. So that if we be given to the Lord Christ, however of ourselves we are apt to fall away, we may resolve that he will have us, and keep as unto life eternal. DOCTRINE. That Jesus Christ as Mediator hath power to give eternal life to such and all such as are bestowed upon him by his Father, but he hath no power at all to give this life to any other. The point holds forth both the extent, and limitation of the authority of Jesus Christ, in this respect. The former is expressly mentioned, the latter is apparently insinuated in my text. First you have here expressly mentioned the extent of the authority of Jesus Christ as Mediator of the Church: It is that he may give Eternal life to as many as God hath given him. Be they as many as they will, be they more, or be they less, he hath power to quicken them, to raise them from the death of sin to the life of grace and glory. This he can do de facto, as he is God, and this he may do de jure, as he is God and man, as he is Mediator, to as many as are bestowed upon him by his Father. And then we have apparently suggested too, the limitation of the authority of Jesus Christ in this respect: For when it is affirmed here that Christ hath power to give Eternal life to as many as God hath given him, it is employed that he can give it to no more. There are the bounds of his authority, the restraint of his Commission; So far it reaches, and no further. I shall endeavour to evince and clear them both in order. First Jesus Christ as Mediator, hath power to give eternal life to such, to all such as are bestowed upon him by his Father. He hath received commission from his Father, to forgive their sins and heal their natures, and to become the Prince of Life to them, by giving them the life of Justification, and the life of Sanctification, and the life of Glorification. He came into the world for this end as you may see, Joh. 10.10. I am come that they might have life. They, Who? why, his sheep, as he explains it, both before and after. I am the door of the sheep. I am come that they may have life: and at the 27th. verse, My sheep hear my voice, and I give unto them Eternal life. But how comes Christ by these sheep? Why by his Fathers own gift. And therefore it is added in the very next words, My Father which gave them me, is greater than all. So that it is as if our Saviour Christ had said, I am come down into the world to give life to the sheep my Father hath bestowed upon me. To all them, and no others. The Father loves the Son, saith John the Baptist, and hath given all things into his hand, John 3.35. You must conceive it, all things of one sort he hath bestowed upon him, so that he hath put them into his hand, to honour them, to keep them, and preserve them, all his elect and chosen people. For all things of another sort, he hath (as the Apostle speaks) put under his feet, to shame them, and to ruin, and destroy them. But what doth Jesus Christ with those his Father gives him in the former way? Why he bestows eternal life upon them, as it is added in the following words, He that believeth on the Son, (as they do all, and only they whom God the Father gives him, as before) hath everlasting life. This shall suffice in brief for confirmation of the former member of the point, That Jesus Christ hath power to give eternal life to all such as are bestowed upon him by his Father. The second follows; He hath no power at all to give this life to any other. It is not in the power of Jesus Christ as Mediator to save a man who is not given him by his Father. If he have not bequeathed them over to the Lord Christ, it is beyond the reach of his authority as Mediator to infuse this life into them. The execution of his power in this regard, you see, is confined to such only. As thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many, and but as many as God hath given him. Thou shall call his name jesus saith the Angel unto joseph, Mat. 1.21. for he shall save his people from their sins. Those whom his Father gives him for a people by Election those he is designed to save, and no others. Our Saviour Christ, as he is man is not to choose whom he will quicken to the life of Grace and Glory, (For if he had been free in this regard, there is no doubt he would have pitched upon his own Countrymen, his own Allies, his own Kindred before others; whereas, as the Evangelist observes, he came to his own, among them he began his Ministry, and his own received him not) but he must take such as his Father chooses, and gives him to be quickened by him. Those whom his Father gives him, only those and all those, he must keep and raise up and give them everlasting life, as you may see, john 6.39.40. So that you see as Mediator Christ hath no power to give Eternal life to any but those who are bestowed upon him by his Father. Reason. And it must needs be so, because as Mediator he is sent out by the Father; he is the Father's Minister, the Father's Servant: so he calls him, Isa. 42.1. Behold my servant whom I uphold. And servants are to do their Master's will, and not their own. No doubt the will of Jesus Christ as he was man, would have carried him to save those whom his Father and himself as God had appointed to destruction. But he must stood in this to the will of him that sent him; he must be satisfied with those his Father hath appointed for him to become a people to him. It is to be considered that the Father having called him Servant, speaks of him so as one that would in every thing be ordered by him, Mat. 12.18. which is indeed a Parallel of that in Isa. 42.1. Behold my servant whom I have chosen (speaking of our Saviour Christ) he shall show judgement to the Gentiles, he shall not strive, nor cry, neither shall any hear his voice in the street. A bruised read shall he not break, and smoking flax he shall not quench. This and this he shall do, and this he shall not do, saith God the Father; he is my servant, and I will order him at my pleasure: And so our Saviour Christ himself professeth upon all occasions, that he will be obedient to his Father, and that he can do nothing otherwise then he will have him. And hence it is that he can quicken none but those that are bestowed upon him by his Father to be quickened by him. It is not that he hath not power as he is God to quicken whom he will, as his own Expression is, john 5.21. In this respect he is equal to his Father. For as the Father raiseth up the dead, and quickeneth them, so the Son quickeneth whom he will. It's act that he hath not in himself enough of merit, or enough of Spirit to raise up all the people in the world, to the life of grace and glory. It is not that his grace is not sufficient to subdue and overcome the greatest obstinacy and rebellion in the hearts and wills of men, the most extreme indisposition: though they be as dry tones, yet he can gather them together, and make them to stand up and live: but it is because as Mediator he is a servant to the Father, and must do his Father's will, and he will have him give this life to none but those whom he makes over to him by a deed of gift to be his members, whom he elects in him, as the Expression is, Eph. 1.4. Our Saviour puts all this together, in that place so often cited, john 6.37, 38. All that the Father giveth me shall come to me, and I will raise them up, and give them everlasting life, as afterwards, all them, and only them. And why so? For I came down from heaven not to do my own will, but the will of him that sent me: My own will, as I am man, would carry me to give life to a greater number, but I am come to do my Father's will, and not my own. And therefore I must be content with those whom he is pleased to allot to me, to quicken them, and make them living members of my body mystical, and no others. And this for clearing of the observation. Proceed we to the Application, according to the branches of the point in order. Is it so, that jesus Christ hath power to give eternal life to all that are Use 1 bestowed upon him by his Father? This than may serve to comfort us, at least to keep our hearts from sinking with reference to those who yet are dead in trespasses and sins. It may be some of them are near us in the flesh, they are our parents, or they are our Children, or they are our kindred and acquaintance: they are it may be in our beds, and in our bosoms, and when we look on such dead souls, our bowels even turn within us, we pity them, and melt upon them. They have been in their graves so long, and Christ hath called so long upon them in the preaching of the Gospel, and yet they come not forth to this day. There have so many powerful and effectual means been used in vain, that we are out of hope of them, and this even breaks our very hearts with sorrow. Why my beloved, it may be they belong to Jesus Christ in the eternal Counsel and decree of God; they are bestowed upon him by the Father in election, though yet they are not given to him by real union, and incorporation. And if they appertain to Jesus Christ, though they be never so untoward and indisposed and averse, depend upon it, he hath power to give Eternal life to them; I say to every one of you, my brethren, that hath such a wife, or such a husband, or such a child, or such a friend, as Christ to Martha, when he had told her that he was the resurrection and the life, that he could raise up any man, though he were dead, and make him live, john 11.26. Believest thou this? It may be you will say, as she: Alas, my Brother, or my Father, or my Child hath been dead so many days, so many years, he hath laid buried in his grave of sin a long while, so that by this time he stinketh. Why yet believe that Jesus Christ can raise him up, and make him live the life of grace and glory. He hath received power to give eternal life to all that are bestowed upon him. If they belong to that number, be they as dead as it is possible for men to be, and as averse from being quickened, the power of Jesus Christ shall master them, and overcome them, and raise them up out of their graves of sin: that you shall say with admiration, See what jesus Christ can do upon a poor dead Creature! And therefore when you look upon such souls as those, and seem to have the question put you that the Prophet had, when he saw the dry bones, Ezek. 37.3. Can these dead souls live? do you give the same answer, O Lord God thou know'st. If they belong to jesus Christ, he hath power enough to raise them, and he will surely do it in his own time. Use 2 Is it so that jesus Christ hath power to give eternal life to all that, etc. This than should teach us two things. First, Not to be lifted up upon the contemplation of our high condition; and Secondly, Not to be cast down upon the contemplation of our low condition in the world. You see the men who are to have this life from Christ, are not described to be of such a quality, of such a station or condition, but only to be given to him by the Father. So that let them be what they will, in all considerations and respects besides, if God have given them to Christ, they shall assuredly have life from him. He hath received power for this End, that he should give, etc. So that it matters not in this respect whether we be high, or low, rich or poor, bond or free, we are not any whit the nearer to the life of Christ, my brethren, for the one, nor any whit the further from it for the other. Be not lifted up upon the contemplation of your high Condition in the world. Admit that you be wealthy, admit that you be noble, learned, honourable, and the like, admit that you be any way advanced, and raised above your brethren, you have no cause at all to swell with these prerogatives, or to be proud of these things. Indeed they have their use and worth, and therefore are not utterly to be contemned; but yet we must withal consider that be their excellency what it will, they are of no avail at all, to bring us to the life of grace and glory. In that which is the point of highest consequence, matter of life and death, yea of eternal life and death, they will not steed us in the least degree; and therefore certainly there is no cause at all why they should be so magnified, and admired as they are. If outward wealth and pomp, or dignity did further us: if outward baseness did hinder us in this business, how is it that the base things of this world and things that are despised are chosen? and that the poor in purse as well as spirit, do receive the word of life? when yet not many mighty, not many noble in the world are called, 1 Cor. 1.25. If outward wisdom, learning, policy did further, or weakness or unlearnedness did hinder us in point of having life from Christ, how is it that the weak and foolish things are chosen many times, and that the Law of God gives understanding to the simple, that the unlearned rise, and take the kingdom as it were by force, that is, with earnestness and with affection: when yet not many wise, not many learned men are called? Why are we so exalted upon these outward privileges and preferments in the world? What is it that you stand upon? What, that which will promote or further you to life Eternal? Alas they are of no avail in this respect. All these prerogatives with which men swell even till they burst again, are such as they may carry with them into Hell. Let us not be cast down upon the contemplation of our low condition in the world. You that are simple, poor and mean, that have not any outward thing to glory in, no wealth, no parts, no honour, or preferment any way: be not dejected and disheartened; for as external privileges and advancements are of no avail to further you, so outward means and abasure is of no avail to hinder you from receiving life from Christ. He gives it to as many as God hath given him, let them be of what condition or estate they will. There is no other thing required in this respect, but that they be bestowed upon him by the Father. And he bestows upon him poor and weak men many times: yea, most times. And therefore be not out of heart; for hadst thou all the wealth and honour in the world, thou wert not any whit the nearer to this life of Christ, nor art thou any whit the further from it by thy low condition: That will be no impediment, but that he may give thee life; the life of grace in this world, and the life of glory in the world to come. Is it so, that Jesus Christ hath no authority to give Eternal life to any but those who are bestowed upon him by his Father? They are mistaken then, who Use 3 hold that he came into the world to give life to all men. He came as you have heard to do his Father's will, and this is his Father's will, that he should give Eternal life to as many as he hath given him, and not to a man more. This he hath given him authority and power to do: further than this his Commission doth not reach. So that it is not in the power of Jesus Christ to quicken all and save all, it is apparent that he cannot do it. Indeed as God he can do all things but those that are impossible; Either absolutely being such as are not to be done; or else impossible upon condition, by reason of a contrary Decree, by which he hath confined-himself. But as man and Mediator, he can do no more than God will have him, he can save no more than God hath given him, and put into his hands to save. And therefore you shall find it in his story, that as man he was extremely troubled at the unbelief and hardness of the people's hearts. He wept over Jerusalem with many tears: Why, you will say, perhaps what needed this? he might have wrought upon them, and put the life of Grace into them. No my Beloved, he could not work on many of them; he could not raise them to the life of Grace, they were not given him by his Father, and yet as man he pitied and lamented their condition, as we should do in such a case, he being in all things like unto us, sin only excepted. And this methinks should melt the hearts of Reprobates themselves to Christ, and make them to relent towards him. Alas, he pities you, and mourns over you, his very bowels yearn towards you, He delights not in your ruin and destruction; No, it is troublesome and grievous to him. But why then doth he not relieve and help us, you will say? Why, if you be not given him by the Father, it is not in his power to do it. It's said indeed that he gives life unto the world, as it is in his own expression, john 6.33. But that is but in opposition to the Jews; not to the Jews alone, but to the world, to men of all conditions, and of all Nations in the world. But to the world in general he doth not, nay, he cannot give it. So that the fault is not in him, if any of you perish, and that you have not life from him; you see he is confined and bound up by his Father to a certain number, to give this life, but to as many as the Father gives him. JOHN 17.3. And this is Life Eternal. AND thus we have at length dispatched the End for which our Saviour is invested with so large and ample Power over all flesh; That he may give Eternal Life to as many as God hath given him. But what is Eternal Life? what is there comprehended under that expression? As when our Saviour once discoursed of Truth, he had this question put to him, what is Truth? So having spoken here of Life Eternal; if any of you now should put the question, what is life Eternal? you have the resolution in the following verse which I am now to enter on, And this is life Eternal, if you desire to understand it, this it is, to know the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom he hath sent. So that these words you see are an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, an Explication of that which is delivered in the former verse, in which our Saviour shows expressly what he intendeth by Eternal Life, and wherein it consists, in the Knowledge of the Father and the Son, or of the Father in the Son. And here I shall take notice only of these two Particulars, viz. the thing explained, and the way of Explication. The thing explained is life Eternal. As for the way of Explication, he doth not show you quare sit, why this life Eternal is, he doth not open and unfold it by the Causes of it; I say he doth not here, though he doth in other places, but he shows you quid sit, what this Eternal life is. This saith he, is Life, Eternal life. This is it; what is it? why, it consists you see in holy Knowledge, which is set forth both by the Act and Object of it. The Act, that they might know. The Object of it, God the Father, the only true God, and Christ the Son, Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent. This is life Eternal, that they might know thee, etc. What then? Doth there go nothing else to life Eternal but the knowledge of the Father and the Son? Doth it consist in this, and this only? This is a scruple that is very variously resolved by those that writ upon the Text. Some think that knowledge here is put for faith, by which we live the life of Grace, which is Eternal, as the Apostle speaks, The life which I live, I live by the faith of the Son of God. And so it is, as if our Saviour Christ had said, this is Eternal life, so to know as to believe in thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent. Others conceive that life Eternal here importeth nothing else but the way to Eternal life, the ready path that leads to it: And that our Saviour shows us here how he brings those to life Eternal, who are bestowed upon him by his Father, viz. by giving them the saving Knowledge of his Father and himself; That he should give Eternal life to as many as thou hast given him. And this is life Eternal, this is the way to it, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent. As far as I can apprehend, the scruple might be cleared best by a distinction. Eternal life is either Inchoate, or consummate. Eternal life Consummate consists especially in the complete and perfect knowledge of God, which Schoolmen all Beatifical vision. And hence our Saviour Christ himself sets forth our happiness, of which we shall be made partakers in the world to come, by this, that there we shall see God. Mat. 5.8. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God, that is, we shall know God, as knowledge ordinarily is set forth by the sense of seeing in the Scripture. Yea, we shall know him clearly and distinctly, we shall see him face to face. And this is that which the Apostle makes the main of the Beatitude and glory prepared for the Saints at the time of Christ's appearing, 1 john 3.2. We shall see him as he is: now we see him as we can, than we shall see him as he is: we shall know him as we are known, viz. of God, 1 Cor. 13.12. We shall know God, even as God knows us. As we are known of God distinctly, clearly, perfectly, so we shall know God. He knows us perfectly according to his nature now, and we shall know him perfectly according to our nature then, as far as our created nature is capable of. So we shall know as we are known: for as there is a note of Similitude and not of Equality. And this shall be our happiness in Heaven, and our glorious life there, that we shall see the very face of God, and not his back parts only as we have done in this world. That we shall have him fully and completely. So that this is Eternal life (you see) consummate in the Heavens, to know the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom he hath sent. But as I take it, the life Eternal mentioned in my Text, is that of which the Saints are made partakers in this present life, and which our Saviour gives them here in this world. As in another place he tells us, My sheep hear my voice (saith he) and I give unto them Eternal life. He doth not say, I will give them Eternal life hereafter, but I give it them for present, and therefore it is added in the words immediately annexed, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hands, john 10.27, 28. And this I do, this Eternal life I give them, by teaching and instructing them, and making them to hear my voice: as who should say, by working knowledge in them, My sheep hear my voice, and by this means I give unto them Eternal life. And this Expression in my Text looks much the same way. As thou hast given him power ever all flesh, that he should give Eternal life to as many as thou hast given him. And this is life Eternal to know thee the true God, and so on. This is the way to give them life Eternal, by making them to know thee. And this I have begun to do already, as he addeth afterwards, I have made known thy Name (that is) thy Nature and thy Attributes to the men which thou hast given me. So that this life Eternal here is not, or not so much that which is perfect and Consummate in the Heavens, as that which is begun in this world, and which the Saints are made partakers of while they are here: for even here they have Eternal life abiding in them. And this, this inchoate Eternal life consists especially in saving knowledge. This is Eternal life, this is it in the beginning, to know thee the only true God, and jesus Christ whom thou hast sent. So that the Point to be observed is this; DOCTRINE. That Life Eternal, or the life of Grace which is Eternal, is begun in holy Knowledge. Christ gives Eternal life to us at least in the beginning of it, when (as the Prophet of his Church) he teaches us, and causes us to know his Father and himself. When he makes known his Father's Name, and his own Name to us, he causes us to pass from death to life. In him was life (saith the Evangelist,) 1 John 4. and the life was the light of men. This Life communicated to the sons of men, was the Light of saving knowledge which he made to shine into them. He gave them life, in that he gave them light and knowledge, who were before in darkness, and so by Consequence in the shadow of death, as the Scripture phrase is. And hence saith the Apostle, Awake and rise up from the dead, and Christ shall give thee Light, Eph. 5.14. Indeed, as long as we are ignorant and in the dark, we are all dead men, we know not what the life of God means: And therefore the Apostle speaking of the Gentiles, saith, That they were strangers from the life of God. They live the life of men indeed, but they were strangers from the life of God, the life of Grace, by reason of the Ignorance and blindness that was in them, Eph. 4 18. The Grace of God is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, saith the Apostle, 2 Tim. 1.10. who hath abolished death. But how hath he done this? by bringing life and Immortality to light; as it is added in the next words, by bringing life and immortality. The latter as I take it, is the Explication of the former. q. d. by bringing such a Life as is immortal, as is above the power of Death, as the life of Grace is; By bringing this to men, by shining on them with the bright and glorious light and lustre of the Gospel: I might be very copious here, but this may satisfy to clear the Point, That life Eternal, etc. And this appeareth further divers ways. It will appear that life Eternal, or the life of Grace which is Eternal, is begun in holy knowledge, if we consider what it is that is the great Impediment of Life, and what it is that holds men, and detains men in a state of Death. It is apparently their want of knowledge, the ignorance and error that is in them. How came sin, and with it death into the world, but by cozenage and deceit? The woman being deceived was in the transgression; as the Apostle Paul speaks, 1 Tim. 2.14. She fell into it by a mere cheat. And how are men continued in this state of sin and death? They are corrupt according to deceitful lusts, Eph. 4, 22. Look as their lusts deceive them more or less, so are they more or less corrupt. And therefore they that sit in darkness, are said to fit in the shadow of death. And which way then shall life Eternal be begun in men, but by dispelling this darkness by the light of holy Knowledge, and by translating men out of the power of darkness, as the Expression is, Col. 1.14. Out of ignorance and darkness which hath such a power upon them to hold them under sin and death, and to keep them still in a condition of estrangement from the life of God, as the Apostle Paul insinuates in the cited place, Eph. 4.18. If it be ignorance that keeps men from the life of Grace, then surely it is holy Knowledge that gins it, and that brings men to it. It will appear that the life Eternal, or the life of Grace which is Eternal, is begun in holy Knowledge, if you consider who it is that is the principal Efficient of it, and the way which he works it. The Principal Efficient of this Life is Jesus Christ, and therefore he is called our Life very often in the Scripture. And he is said to give it in the words which I have finished, that he should give Eternal life. And which way doth he give it to his people, but by working knowledge in them? And therefore it is added in my Text, This is Eternal life (this is the life which he gives) to know thee the true God. Indeed he gives it to us as a Prophet; he purchases and gets it for us I acknowledge, as a Priest, by his Invaluable satisfaction. But he begets and works it in us, by his effectual Teaching and instruction as a Prophet: And therefore he is said to speak in life to his people, john 6.63. The words that I speak unto you, they are Life. To show us that he quickens us in a way of Information; for to what End doth speaking tend, but to make us understand? Thou hast the words of eternal life, saith Peter to our Saviour Christ, john 6.68. That is, the words that work life; and which way can they work it, but by conveying knowledge to the mind of him that hears them? So that you see that Jesus Christ is the Efficient Cause of the life of Grace in his people, by teaching them, by working saving knowledge in them, by turning them from darkness to light. He gets it for them as a Priest, He giveth it to them as a King, He works it in them as a Prophet. It will appear that life Eternal is begun in holy Knowledge, Because the Instrumental means of Life is the means of knowledge to. Yea, it is the means of Life, in that it is the means of Knowledge. The Instrumental means of Life you know (my Brethren) is the Gospel. And therefore it is called the word of Life, Phil. 2.16. holding forth the word of Life, that is the Gospel & the Ministry of life, 2 Cor. 3.7. in opposition to the Law, which is the Ministry of death and condemnation. And which way doth the Gospel work life, but by instilling knowledge into men, by making them to understand that which they never knew before, that they are naturally dead in trespasses and sins, that they are in a state of death and condemnation, that there is life enough in Jesus Christ, that he is ready to dispense and give it out to all that come to him for it? And so convincing them that it is necessary for them to go to him that they may have Life; Till they come to know this there is no life of Grace in them. And it is by Gospel-Teaching that this life is infused into them. It will appear unto you that the life of Grace is begun in holy Knowledge, if you consider with what part the Lord gins, when he puts this Life into us. He gins not with the members, he gins not with the will, but he gins with the mind and understanding, by Illuminating that, and by endewing that with saving knowledge; And therefore we are said to be transformed, or to be changed from the state or life of nature to the state or life of Grace, by the renewing of the mind, Rom. 12.2. No doubt the will and members are renewed too, for the change is universal. But there the work gins my Brethren, in the mind and understanding, we are renewed first in the spirit of the mind, Eph. 4.23. and from that it goes on to the inferior faculties, and to the outward conversation. And consequently it gins in knowledge, of which the mind is capable, which is the proper object of it. And therefore saith our Saviour, sanctify them with thy Truth, Renew them, make them holy, work the life of Grace in them by revealing Truth to them. It is apparent that the life of Grace gins in Knowledge, because all other grace is brought into the soul by it, and therefore this must be the first Grace. The first I mean in order, and in course of nature, not of time. As long as there is no knowledge, there is no grace at all, and so no Life in such a person. But when knowledge once comes in, I speak of sanctified Knowledge, it brings all saving Grace with it; This is the prime work of Grace and the Foundation of the rest. The New man is renewed in Knowledge, Col. 3.10. why so it is in Faith, and Love, and other graces. But it is first renewed in knowledge, there is the rise & the original of all. And even as in the first, the old Creation, the Lord began with natural Light, Gen, 1.3. so in the second or the New Creation, he gins with spiritual Light, with supernatural and saving Knowledge; and gives us other graces by this means. To which effect is the Apostles prayer, 2 Pet. 1.2, 3. Grace be multiplied upon you through the knowledge of God: and after more expressly to our purpose, As he hath given us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him. So that we have this Life, the life of holiness and grace, through knowledge; without it we have no Grace, but with it all Grace. It is the seed from whence all other graces grow; it is the means by which they are begotten in the soul. Holy Knowledge will bring forth heavenly Affections and desires. If a man know God, and know Christ, his will shall close with him, and his affections shall be carried out to him: it will effectually restrain a man from sin and reform the Conversation. They shall not hurt, neither destroy in all my holy Mountain saith the Lord, Isa. 11.9. And why so? for the earth shall be full of the Knowledge of the Lord. If you have been taught by him, as the Truth is in Jesus, why then you will put off the old man. It will draw a man to practice and obedience, if it be sound and saving Knowledge; as holy David intimates in that request of his, Psalm 119.34. Give me understanding, saith he, And what then? why, I shall keep thy Law, yea, I shall observe it with my whole heart. So that you see, all holiness and Grace is brought into the soul by Knowledge: and therefore certainly the life of Grace gins in it. Use 1 Now is it so, that life Eternal, or the life of Grace which is Eternal, is begun in holy Knowledge? This than may serve to teach us in the first place, how to value Knowledge, and what account and estimate to put upon it. Why truly, as we value life, yea everlasting Life, so we ought to value Knowledge at the very same rate: For this is life Eternal to know the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom he hath sent. We all of us do make a very great account even of our temporary Lives, which yet when all is done must perish and decay, and come ro nothing; we are ready to Redeem them, if there be no other way, with the loss of all things else. Though yet even then when all is done, we know we can enjoy them but a few years, and are not certain to enjoy them one hour. How is it then that we despise and undervalue holy Knowledge in which Eternal life consists, which if we can attain, we have Eternal life abiding in us, a life which is above the power of death and dissolution: Alas, how miserably is it slighted by the greater part of men, yea by the greater part of Christians! Christians I mean, in name and in profession. Though it be offered them, they will not take it, but say in effect to God, Depart from us, for we will not have the knowledge of thy ways. When light is tendered them, they even shut their eyes against it that they may not see. So that it may be said of such, as God complains of some in Israel: their eyes have they closed, lest they should see with their eyes, and understand with their hearts, and be converted, and be healed. And the Apostle Peter's charge must needs fall home upon them, they are wilfully ignorant. They enjoy the means of Knowledge, but they will not wait upon them, they take no care at all to profit by them. They need not to ascend up into heaven to bring Christ down from above, nor to descend into the deep, to bring up Christ again from the dead, as the Apostle speaks, Rom. 10.6. that they may be acquainted with him; the word is nigh them, as it is added there in that place. The Word that manifesteth and revealeth God and Christ, is nigh to them. They need not to go far to hear it, and to hear of God in it. But many will not spend an hour, they will not step without their doors to meet with God, and to be acquainted with him: as if the Knowledge of the Lord were worth nothing, as if it were of no value; Ah, my Beloved, do you know what it is that you despise, and set at nought in this fashion? Is life worth any thing? Is life Eternal worth any thing? Why in contemning Knowledge, you contemn no less than this; for this, as you have heard, is life Eternal. And how deservedly may you be left to perish in Eternal Death, who put the means of knowiedge from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of Eternal life! Is it so, that life Eternal, or the life of Grace, which is Eternal, is begun Use 2 in holy Knowledge? See here the sad Condition and estate of those who are ignorant of God, have no acquaintance with him, who know him not the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom he hath sent. They are absolutely dead, the life of holiness and Grace is not yet begun in them; They have not yet the least Degree, the least spark of this life: No they are strangers to the life of God, through the ignorance that is in them, in the place so often cited. They are so far from being quickened to this life of Grace, that they are mere strangers to it. They know not what this kind of life means; And are there not a multitude of such among us, who are almost as ignorant of God and Christ as the very beasts that perish? Who besides some common names and notions of God, and of a Jesus and Saviour, and the like, which it may be they can talk a little of, because they hear them every day, know nothing of the one, or of the other: Examine them and sift them well, and you shall find that they have nothing but a form of words at utmost, of which they can give no more account than if they were some strange Language. And are not these men in a sad case? Truly my Brethren, they are but walking Ghosts, and ghastly shadows, they have no true life in them, no not so much as the beginning of it, for life Eternal is begun in Knowledge. I know it is a Common fancy, that if a man profess the true Religion, if he have been baptised, and come to the Assemblies, and hear and pray as others do, he is in a good Condition; but be assured of this, if he be ignorant of God and Jesus Christ whom he hath sent, he is no better than a dead man. It is a cooling word my Brethren, and that which one would think should astonish and amaze you; Suppose a Messenger should come to any of you from them that have the power of life and death, and with a serious and composed look should tell him that he is a dead man, how would it strike him to the heart? how would his colour come and go? how would the powers of his soul tremble? Now we are Messengers dispatched from him who hath the Keys of Hell and Death, to tell you who are ignorant of God and Christ, that you are in a state of death and condemnation, and that you are in danger every hour of being cast into the lake that burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second Death. It may be you will take no notice of it, but chase away the meditation of it from your thoughts. You will (as many do) delude yourselves with this conceit, that though you die in this condition, yet God notwithstanding will be merciful to you. But as you tender the salvation of your precious souls, I beseech you to observe that Gods own Word is peremptory and express for this. That none that is devoid of knowledge, and continues so, shall have any share in the mercy of God, or in the glory of the world to come. Oh continue thy loving kindness to them that know thee, (to them and none but them,) saith David, Psalm 36.10. It is a people of no understanding, saith the Prophet of the Jews, Isa. 27.11. And what follows? Therefore he that made them will not have mercy upon them. It is the common apprehension of the vulgar sort that he that made them cannot choose but save them too. No, saith the Prophet there, if they be grossly ignorant, Then God that made them will have no mercy upon them. They have not known my ways, saith God, unto whom I swore in my wrath, that they should never enter into my rest. The time is coming when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from Heaven with his mighty Angels in flaming fire, rendering vengeance unto them that know not God. And therefore I beseech you do not slight it, but lay it seriously to heart, while yet the pardon may be gotten, while the condemnatory sentence which the Law hath put against you, may be yet revoked. Use. 3 Is it so, that life Eternal is begun in holy Knowledge? You see then what you are to do, and what course you are to take, if you would live Eternally. Originally we are all dead men, we are in a condition and a state of death. And if you yet continue as you came into the world, this is surely your case. Now my Beloved, are you sensible of this? would you come out of this condition? do you desire to live, and live for ever? Labour after holy Knowledge; And this is life eternal, to know the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom he hath sent. Though this as I have showed you, be not all that goes to life Eternal, yet this is the beginning of it; and therefore if you mean to live Eternally, this is the first thing that you are to do, this is the first step that you are to make. Till saving knowledge be attained in some degree, the soul continues in a state of death; as soon as this comes once into the soul, Eternal life comes in with it. The Exhortation of the Wise man seems to go far, Prov. 2 4. Seek for knowledge as for silver, and search for her as for hidden treasure. But we must go a great deal further, seek for it as for life, yea as for Eternal Life; Struggle for knowledge as it were for life and death. But you will ask me, which way shall we come to know God, and know Christ? To this I answer, that you cannot know him by innate and inbred light, by any self-ability, let it be what it will, it is incompetent and insufficient to reveal God to you: though much of him be manifested in the Book of the Creation, his Wisdom, his eternal power and Godhead, and though there be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 something to be known of God as the Apostle speaks, by studying in this Book, you cannot know him savingly by this means. No, neither can you know him so by studying in the Book of Scriptures neither, though there he be revealed more fully than he is in the book of Creatures, unless some other help go with it; Nay more than so, you cannot know him fully and completely any way by any means in this life. As he is in himself, he is not to be known of any but himself. And hence t●● Scripture tells us, that no man hath seen God at any time, John 1.18. It is very full you see, no man at any time But though he doth not, yet he may. No, saith the Apostle Paul, 1 Tim. 6.16. He dwells in light that no man can approach unto, whom no man hath seen, nor can see. Indeed we see him darkly here, as the Apostle speaks, 1 Cor. 13.12. And therefore this is called the seeing of the backparts of the Lord. As when we see the backparts of a man, we know him but by guests only, we know him not so perfectly and distinctly as when we come to see his face. Such a sight of God is that which we attain in this life. And however it may seem by some expression in the Scripture, that God hath fully manifested and made known himself to some here, as to Jacob, Gen. 32.30. and to Moses, Num. 12.8. To him will I speak (saith God) by vision, not in darkness, and he shall see the similitude of God. This must be understood comparatively of the Lords more clear and full revealing of himself to Jacob, and to Moses, then to other men. But as for perfect light and knowledge of the Lord, my Brethren, this was not imparted, neither to Jacob, nor to Moses. Thou shalt not see my face, saith God to Moses, Exod. 33.10. That is, the fullness of my glory: for none shall see my face and live. But which way may we come to know him, so far as he is to be known in this life? Truly there is but one way of coming to the knowledge of him, and this way is Jesus Christ. No man hath seen God at any time, saith the Evangelist, joh. 1.18. What then, is he not to be seen, not to be known at all, by any means? Yes, though he be not to be seen or known immediately in himself, yet mediately in and by the Son he may be known; for he hath manifested and revealed him to us. No man hath seen God at any time, the only begotten Son which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him. And therefore when our Saviour was Incarnate, it is said, that God was manifested in the flesh, 1 Tim. 3.16. In which respect it is, that when Philip was so earnest to have the Father shown him, our Saviour bids him to behold himself, and addeth presently, he that hath seen me, hath seen the Father also. Indeed it was the business of our Saviour Christ into this Lower world, to bring God down to us, that we might be acquainted with him: And therefore if you do indeed desire to know him, go to Christ, and use his help in this business. If you ever see God, and have that knowledge of him, which is life Eternal, you must have light from Jesus Christ to see him by. I am the light of the world, saith he, joh 8.12. without me there is no light in all the world, none but that which comes from me, and which I am the Fountain of. He that follows me shall have the light of Life, that is the light which is life. And therefore if you would have this light follow Jesus Christ for it, and follow him three ways, or in the use especially of three Means: follow him in a Gospel-Ordinance, a Gospel grace, a Gospel-duty. Fellow him in the Gospel-ordinance of preaching; there it is that Christ shines, that he gives out the light, by which he shows his Father to his people. It's true indeed that Moses shown him in the Law as a Judge and an Avenger. But it is Jesus Christ that shows him in the Gospel as a Father and a Saviour. He is not manifest in a saving way anywhere but in the Gospel. The Knowledge of him as he is discovered there, and none but that is life eternal. And therefore wait on that discovery, if you mean to live for ever; where there is any Gospel-preaching, say Christ shows his Father there, and follow him, that so you may have life by this means. I say as Solomon, Prov. 4.13. Take fast hold of Instruction, keep her, for she is thy life. Fellow him in a Gospel-grace, and that is faith; by this it is that we come to see God, and know God; as by it we believe the Revelations and Discoveries that are made of God, which other men may read and hear, and yet because they have no faith to give belief and credit to them, they get no sight, no knowledge of the Lord by them. It is by faith that we see him who is invisible, as the expression is, Heb. 11.27. There are some things that must be first believed before they can be fully understood: if you believe them not, you can never understand them. And hence saith the Apostle in the third ver. of the forecited Chapter, by saith we understand the world to be created by the word of God. A man would think he would have said, by faith we credit and believe it, and not by faith we understand it. But the Creation is a thing that is above Philosophy: and therefore is not to be fully understood, unless it be believed first. It is our faith that helps us to the perfect Knowledge of it, and so by faith we see and know God, because by faith we give assent to the discoveries that are made of God in Scripture; and having once believed them, we come to see and understand the nature of the Lord in them. We see the Lord in his Allmightiness, his All-sufficiency, his Omni-presence, etc. which a man that hath not faith can never do: we bring him near us, by believing his Immensity, and that he filleth all places, (as he is said to do in Scripture) we look upon him now as just by us, and so we have a clear and distinct sight of him. Fellow Christ in a Gospel-duty, and that is Prayer; beseech him to reveal God to you, make your address to him as Philip doth, john 14.9. Show us the Father: we cannot see him of ourselves, Lord show him to thy poor servants. If Christ withdraw himself and step away, go after him, follow him, and you shall have the light of Life. If he stop his ears against you, cry the louder, as the Direction is, Prov. 2.3. Cry after Knowledge, lift up your voice for Understanding: and what then? Then shall you understand the fear of the Lord, and find the Knowledge of God. Is it so that life Eternal, etc. If then you desire to save men from Eternal Use 4 death, to bring men to Eternal Life, instill the Knowledge of the Lord into them? It may be you have Children, it may be you have Friends or servants, whom you look upon as dead, they have no life of grace in them: well, Would you have them quickened? Would you have them live for ever? Do what you can, by all the means that you can think upon to make them know God. Instruct them, bring them to the means of grace; examine them how they thrive and profit by them. Oh do not see them sink away to hell, and die for ever, for want of any help that you can yield them, of any pains that you can bestow upon them. Have compassion upon them, save them with fear, pulling them out of the fire, out of the fire of hell by this means. Oh pity such a Child, or such a Friend, or such a servant as you see Ignorant of God, let your bowels earn upon him, Ah poor dead soul! And if you can be Instrumental to instill the Knowledge of the Lord into him, you shall do a great work, you shall save a soul from death, yea from Eternal death you shall bring it to Eternal life. JOHN 17.3. That they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, etc. AND thus far of the thing Explained, and that as you have heard, is life Eternal, together with the way of Explication: our Saviour shows not quare sit, but quid sit, what this life Eternal is? This saith he is life Eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent. So that as you have heard, it consists in holy Knowledge. Proceed we now to look a little more particularly and distinctly on the Knowledge in which Eternal life consists, as it is here described by the Object of it, God and Christ, Thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent. So that here is a double Object of the Knowledge mentioned, and each of them is set forth by a Title and an Attribute. The Title of the former God, the Attribute the true God, yea, the only true God. The Title of the latter Jesus Christ, the Attribute whom God hath sent. Thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent. And here the first thing that I shall observe, is, the communication of this double Object of the Knowledge wherein Eternal life consists, God and Christ. You see my Brethren, they are closely knit together by the conjunctive particle And, to show us that they may not be divided in this great business. That it is not sufficient to salvation to believe in God, unless we believe in Christ to. To know God, unless we know Christ too. Our Saviour saith not, this is life Eternal to know the only true God; no, he doth not stop there. The knowledge which proceeds no further, will never bring a man to life Eternal. There is another Object of this saving Knowledge, which must with all be jointly apprehended by us if we mean to live for ever, and that is Jesus Christ whom God hath sent. And then my Brethren, if we take them both together, we are right, It is impossible that we should perish. This is life Eternal, to know thee the only true God, and jesus Christ whom thou hast sent. Not thee alone, but thee and Christ. So that the Point to be observed is this; DOCTRINE. The Knowledge which is life Eternal, in which Eternal life consists, is the Knowledge both of God and Christ too, not of the former only, but the latter also. You see my Brethren, both of them are jointly made the Object of it in my Text. So that the Knowledge which neglecteth either of them, is in-sufficient to salvation. If it stay and rest on God, and go not on to Jesus Christ, it will never reach home. This only, this is life Eternal, to know God and Jesus Christ, not divided, but together. First, it is true, that it is absolutely necessary to Eternal life to know God; The ignorant of him are made the Objects of a dreadful Imprecation. jer. 10.25. Yea, more than so, the ignorant among the heathen who were deprived of the means (though not of all, yet) of the saving Knowledge of him: and yet as you may see the Prophet prays, Pour out thy fury upon the heathen that know thee not. Indeed, the men that have their understandings darkened by reason of their ignorance of God, whether they have means or none, are alienated from the life of God, Ephes. 4.18. They do not live the life of Grace in this world, nor shall they live the life of Glory in the world to come. And the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from Heaven with his mighty Angels, rendering vengeance unto them that know not God, 2 Thes. 1.7. So that without the knowledge of him, there is no escaping everlasting wrath and vengeance. There is no possibility of coming to enjoy him, unless we be acquainted with him. Nec cum potes aut amare quem nescias, aut habere quem non amaveris: thou canst not love him whom thou knowest not, nor have him whom thou lovest not. Nay, let me go a little further, that Knowledge of the Lord, and only that, is life Eternal, which bringeth forth obedience to him. You may see this evident in both the parts of godliness, both in eschewing evil, and in doing good. As for the first, hear what the Lord himself saith, Job 28.28. The fear of the Lord, that is Wisdom, and to departed from evil is understanding. To know him so to fear him, to fear to disobey him and to sin against him: this only is the right Knowledge. As for the other part of godliness, which consists in doing good, see that of the Prophet David, Psalm 111.10. A good understanding have they that do his Commandments. They only understand and know the Lord effectually and savingly, that obey the will of God. Others may have understanding, but it is no good understanding. That alone is good and right, which makes a man to do his Commandments: and this the Lord himself observes of the knowledge of josiah, jer. 22.16. He judged the cause of the poor and needy, was not this to know me saith the Lord? q.d. This was knowledge to the purpose, this was true and real knowledge of the Lord, which made him strict and careful in the practice of his duty. And therefore because this is life Eternal, God hath bound himself by Covenant to give them whom he means to save, such a knowledge of himself. His Covenant is to give them Understanding; see the abridgement of it, jer. 31.34. They shall all know me, saith God there. But how shall they know God? Why, they shall know him so as to serve him and obey him. And therefore it is said before, I will put my Law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts. They shall not have it only in their minds to know it, but in their hearts to practice and obey it, And so they shall all know me. So that you see the Knowledge which is saving, in which Eternal life consists, hath God for the object of it. Secondly, but though it have him for the Object of it, it hath him not for the sole and only Object: if our knowledge go no further it will never reach home; it will never bring us up to Life and Glory. The Knowledge which is life Eternal (you have heard) in which Eternal life consists, is the knowledge both of God and Christ too. Not of the former only, but of the latter also. To know God without Christ, is not to know him savingly, as I shall show you more at large hereafter. And therefore the Apostle Peter presses those whose salvation he desires, that they would grow in the knowledge of the Saviour jesus Christ, 2 Pet. 3.18. And the Apostle Paul desireth God in behalf of the Ephesians, that he would give them the spirit of wisdom and Revelation in the knowledge of him, that is, of Christ jesus. Indeed, this is the great thing that we must desire to know, if we mean to live for ever. And therefore Christ is made sometimes the only Object of a Christians knowledge, as if there were no other knowledge necessary to that great End. When Christ ascended up on high, he gave gifts unto men, saith the Apostle, Eph. 4.8. and what was the intent and aim of those gifts? Why, to bring men to the knowledge of the Son of God. God is not mentioned there, but the Son of God only. And the Apostle Paul taught the Corinthians nothing else but Christ, and yet his aim was that they might be saved. I determined to know nothing among you, saith he, 1 Cor. 2.2. that is, I resolved so to manage and carry the course of my Ministry, as if I knew nothing but jesus Christ and him crucified. And in the same respect it is, that he prefers the knowledge of Christ before all other things, yea before all other knowledge, as being of the greatest use, Phil. 3.8. He doth not only say that it is good, but that it is Excellent, beyond compare there is an excellency in it. Yea doubtless; I esteem all things but loss for the excellency of the Knowledge of Christ jesus my Lord: yea life itself but loss, (for that you see is not excepted) in regard of that Knowledge which bringeth us to life Eternal. And hence it was, that though he spoke with Tongues more than they all, though he abounded and excelled in all sorts of Learning, yet he gloried in nothing but in the knowledge of our Lord jesus Christ, Gal. 6.4. as intimating that especially to be considerable in the main business, to make him everlastingly and truly happy. But why is not the knowledge of the only true God sufficient of itself to life Eternal, unless we also know jesus Christ whom he hath sent? Let us see the reasons of it. Reason 1 If we know God and not Christ, we know him but as a Creator, and a common Saviour, a Preserver, not as a Sanctifier or Redeemer. We know him but in such a way, (and very short of such a measure) as Adam did in the state of Innocency. And which way should we come to life Eternal by such a knowledge as this is? If we look that God should save us upon this account, that he hath made us, we are upon a wrong ground. Indeed, did we continue in the state in which he made us, he would be sure to save us too. Can we serve him and obey him so absolutely and exactly as Adam could and did, while he remained in his first Integrity, I must acknowledge than it were enough to life Eternal to know him too in such a way as Adam did in that state; there were no other knowledge of him necessary to make us everlastingly and truly happy. But we are lost you know in the Creation, there we are dead and gone, and theretore it is necessary now to know the Lord under another Notion, if we mean to live for ever, viz. as a Repairer of the ruins of decayed and lost mankind; as a healer of the Natures, and a Forgiver of the sins of his people. And thus we cannot know him out of Christ, and so by Consequence, unless we know Christ too. The old and the first frame and Fabric of salvation was overthrown and over-turned by the fall. And if we mean to build it up again, we must begin upon another ground, a new Foundation; God was the only Object of Fundamental knowledge then. Christ is at the least the next and the mediate Object of fundamental knowledge now. You know my Brethren, that confession of the Apostle Peter, Mat. 16.16. Thou art Christ the Son of God, is made by Jesus Christ himself, the Rock on which the Church is founded. And other Foundation no man can lay, saith the Apostle Paul to the Corinthians, Eph. 1.3, 11. that is, no other sound and solid Foundation then that which is said, which is Jesus Christ. It's true, the same Apostle elsewhere speaks of the foundation of the Prophets and Apostles, Eph. 2.20. That is the Foundation which the Prophets and Apostles laid, not making them the matter of it, but the layers of it; for so you must conceive his meaning in that Text, You are built on the Foundation of the Prophets and Apostles, that is, on the fundamental Doctrine which the Prophets and Apostles teach, of which foundation jesus Christ himself, although he be not all, yet he is the chief Cornerstone. The Knowledge of God was the chief point in Adam's foundation. The knowledge of Christ is the chief point in our foundation. Christ was not there at all as Mediator, but here he is in the first and chief place. There are other Corner-stones that rest upon him, but he, and he alone is the chief Cornerstone on which all the rest are set, and who supporteth all the building. And therefore he that fails of knowing him, must needs fail of life Eternal. Secondly, the Knowledge of God is not enough to life Eternal, unless Reason 2 we know Christ too. Because unless we know Christ, we know not God as Reconciled unto us. We know him only on the terms that he was with us when we fell, and that is upon terms of enmity and opposition. As long as we remain as Adam left us, un repaired and un-renewed, we are enemies to God, God is an enemy to us. And if we know him out of Christ, either we know him not aright, or else we know him on such terms as these are; Christ is the only Mediator betvveen God and man. He came down into the World, to take up all the breaches and the differences betvveen his Father and his people, and to make peace by the blood of his Cross. And how should Christ make peace for us, unless we know him, unless we be acquainted with him? unless we put our matter into his hands. So that if we know Christ, we may know God as a friend, in, and by, and through Christ. We may look upon him then as Reconciled to us, as pacified and appeased towards us. But if we know not Christ at all, we cannot know God otherwise then as an Enemy, and as a Judge, and an Avenger: and whether such a knowledge of him can be life Eternal, judge you? Thirdly, Knowledge of God is not enough to life Eternal, unless Reason 3 we know Christ too; because unless we know Christ, and know him in and through Christ, we know him without Interest; we know him, but as none of ours. We parted with the Lord in Adam, we lost him there, and all the right we had in him; and which way comes he to be ours again? but by a new, a second Covenant which he makes, the former being broken and dissolved. I entered into Covenant with thee, and thou becamest mine, saith the Lord to his people, Ezech. 16.8. And is not Christ the Foundation of the Covenant? Is it not made with him in Christ? Is not the condition of the Covenant, Faith in Christ? Mark what the Apostle saith, Gal. 3.16. The Covenant was not made to seeds, as many, but to seed, as one; that is, to Christ in aggregato, comprising all his members with him. It was not made immediately to us; no, it was made immediately to Christ our Head, and in and through him to us his members. So that the Lord is not in Covenant with us, he is not ours, we have no Title to him but in Christ. And hence the Interest of Christ in God is made the rise and ground of ours, I ascend to my God and your God, saith Jesus Christ to his Disciples, John 20.17. First mine, and then yours. God is our Master but in Christ; He is his first and chief servant, and we are his servants in him. God is our Father, but in Christ; he is his first begotten Son, and we are his sons in him. So that if we know Christ, there is a possibility that we may know the Lord as our God. But if we know not Christ at all, how can we know God in him? We may know him as a God, as Adam did between the fall and the renewing of the Covenant, but such a one as we shall fly from, and as we can by no means close withal, because we look upon him now as none of ours, as one in whom we have no Interest at all. And certainly Eternal life cannot consist in such a Knowledge of the Lord as this is. Fourthly, Knowledge of God is not enough to life Eternal, unless we Reason 4 know Christ too; because unless we know Christ, as we know God without Interest, so we know him without Faith; I mean without saving faith, if we know God without Christ; we may believe in God without Christ: we may believe in him as he is Omnipotent, and Almighty, and Eternal, and the like. But such a faith as this will never justify us in the present. Life, nor save us in the life to come. Even Turks, and Jews, and Arrians boast of faith in God, you know; and yet because they appehend not Jesus Christ, they catch at nothing but a shadow; and miserably lose their own souls. He that denies, and so by consequence believes not in the Son, can never have the Father, as you may see 1 John 2.28. But he that hath the Son, hath the Father also. Well then, if we will so believe in God as to come to life Eternal, we must believe in him through Christ. Such trust have we through Christ in God, saith the Apostle, 2 Cor. 3.4. And this we cannot do unless we know not God only, but Jesus Christ whom he hath sent. For distinct explicit Knowledge is absolutely necessary to the being of Faith: and perfect Ignorance in any point whatever it be, destroys all faith in that particular. And hence is the Apostles question, How shall they believe in him, of whom they have not heard? and consequently whom they have not known. So that if we know not Christ, we cannot believe in him, we cannot believe in God with a justifying faith. And he that believes not is condemned already: such a person is in a state of death and condemnation. But if we know both God and Christ too, and so as to believe in God through Christ; Eternal life consists in this Knowledge. This is life Eternal, to know the only true God, etc. Use 1 Now is it so, my Brethren, that the Knowledge which is life Eternal, in which Eternal life consisteth, is the Knowledge both of God and Christ too? Then in the first place, we may here behold the dangerous estate of Heathen Nations, who know not Jesus Christ, nor can they any way (in the condition they are in) attain to this Knowledge. How should they come to life Eternal, if this be life Eternal, to know the only true God, and jesus Christ whom he hath sent? It's true, that even they have means to know God, as the Apostle shows and proves, Rom. 1.19, 20. That which may be known (conceive it, that which may be naturally known) of God, is manifest in them, that is the Heathen, for God hath even showed it to them. For the Invisible things of him, from the Creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things which he hath made, even his eternal power and Godhead. So that there is an Image and Resemblance of him stamped upon the Creatures: there are apparent Characters and footsteps, and Impressions of the Godhead, of his Power, and of his Wisdom set upon the things that he hath made, which may be looked upon by every eye. How doth his Glory shine and glister in the Rare and admirable structure of the World, the glorious frame of Heaven and Earth? And hence it is that David saith, the Heavens declare the glory of God, and the Firmament showeth his handiwork, Psalm 19.1. Indeed, he tells us afterwards, the Law of the Lord is perfect: the Word of God, and that alone is a perfect, a complete and perfect help to bring us to the knowledge of God; but yet there is some declaration of him in the Creatures; the Heavens declare the glory of God; And the means the Heathens have, the creatures Catechise them and instruct them in the Knowledge of God, as Job shows, job 12.7, Ask now the beasts and they shall teach thee, the fowls of the heavens and they shall tell thee, or speak to the earth and it shall teach thee, and the fishes of the Sea shall declare to thee; who knoweth not in all these, that the hand of the Lord hath wrought this? and therefore the Apostle tells us, that even they the heathen know God as you may see, Rom. 1.21. But now they have no means to know Christ, and this is life Eternal to know both, both God and Christ too. So that in this respect they are cut off from life Eternal, which is a very sad case. This Knowledge is not written in the Creature-book, and they have not the Scripture-book, and how then should they come to it? It's true that God is written in the Creature-book as I shown you even now, but not a word of Christ there. Not a word I mean as Man and Mediator of the Church; as he is Christ whom God hath sent. He did not make the World as man, and so by Consequence as Man he is not represented in the Book of the Creation; God is written in the heart, but not a word of Christ there. The Law is written in the heart by nature, but there are no Impressions of the Gospel, which is the Word of Christ, as the Apostles phrase is, Col. 3.16. And hence it is, that all the Nations that dwell upon the face of the earth have groped after God, and found him too, as you may see, Acts 17.27. All people have acknowledged him. Let a man run from East to West, from North to South: let him ransack all Ages, and where he findeth any men, there he shall find some Worship, or Religion, by which they all acknowledge that there is a God. And though they differ in the manner of their Worship, they all agree in this, that there is a Deity that must be Worshipped. Within these hundred years you know my Brethren, there have been many Nations discovered, and many are discovered still, which were unknown in former Ages. Among them many have been found to live without Law, King, house, going naked, and wandering in the open field, yet none without some species of Religion, and some notice of a God, which shows us evidently, that it is not so natural a thing in man to love Society, to cover and to himself against the injuries of weather (which yet is very natural) as to acknowledge God. But now my Brethren, among which of all these Nations who never had the book of Scriptures, shall you find any notice of a Christ, any inkling of a Saviour or Redeemer? No, no, there is no hint of that among them, they have no glimpse, no crevice to give them any light of Jesus Christ. And how then can they come to life Eternal, since it consisteth in the knowledge both of God and Christ too? not of the former only, but the latter also. And therefore we have cause to pity them and bleed over them, and to importune God for them, that the Gospel may be preached where Christ as yet hath not been so much as named: that to the people that are yet in darkness there may shine a great light. That as they have some intimations of a God, they may know Christ too, and so may come to live for ever; for this is life Eternal, etc. Is it so my Brethren, that the knowledge which is life Eternal, etc. is the Use 2 Knowledge both of God and Christ too? Then let the Ministers, and the Ambassadors of Jesus Christ be hence advised, as they desire to save themselves and them that hear them, to bring their Hearers to Eternal life, so to instruct them and to bring them on-ward in the Knowledge not of God alone but of Jesus Christ too. Let it be their special labour and endeavour to acquaint them with the things of Jesus Christ, and to implant his Knowledge in their hearts, which is as I have showed so necessary to salvation. Paul was a very good Preacher, and see what was the special subject of his Ministry, Col. 1.26, 27. saith the Apostle there, the riches of the Glory of this Mystery, viz. the Gospel is Christ in you the hope of glory, whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ jesus. Out of Christ we can never make them perfect and accomplished to salvation; the knowledge of the Father will not serve the turn, and therefore we preach Christ to them, that in and through him they may be perfect. And though the same Apostle did so excel in knowledge, that he durst without vain glory, compare with the very chiefest Apostles, as you may see, 2 Cor. 11.5, 6. Though I be rude in speech, saith he, yet not in knowledge, but we have been throughly made manifest to you in all things, q. d. There was no point of knowledge in Religion needful for you to be instructed in, no difficult and thorny case of Conscience, that any of you had occasion to propound to me, but I was able fully and clearly to resolve you in; yea though he had received such abundance of Revelation from the Lord, that he was in great danger to be exalted above reason, as he himself acknowledges, 1 Cor. 12.7. yet he professes notwithstanding that he made no account of all his other Learning in comparison of this, to know jesus Christ and him crucified. This was the whole scope and drift of his Ministry, 2 Cor. 2.2. This was the high point of Learning that he gloried in. This was the Knowledge that he laboured in his preaching to bring the Corinthians to. And this he did advisedly, and upon mature Judgement; 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I determined, saith he, it was my settled and advised resolution before I preached to you, that this should be the highest point of Knowledge, that I would profess myself to be acquainted with, and to have skill in, and which I would in the whole course of my Ministry endeavour to instil into you. I determined to know nothing among you, not a title of any thing, but jesus Christ and him crucified. Oh that we were all of the Apostle Paul's mind! Oh that all Ministers and Preachers of the Gospel would do as this Apostle did: that they would not so much affect the knowledge of nice & intricate and curious speculations, and busy their own and other men's heads with unprofitable controversies with opposition of Science falsely so called, as the Apostle speaks, 1 Tim. 6.11. That they would not make this their glory to excel others in secular Learning, and in such points of knowledge as are vain as to the main and great business: but rather bend themselves to study this point better, and to strive to bring themselves and others to this skill, to know jesus Christ and him crucified. This were the way indeed to make them happy everlastingly, for this is eternal life, etc. Use 3 Is it so my Brethren, that the Knowledge which is life Eternal, in which, etc. Then be you all entreated, and prevailed withal my Brethren, to labour after this Knowledge. Not to content yourselves with this, that you have some degrees of the Knowledge of God, unless withal you know Christ too. Let this be your main Endeavour, to get an insight into those things which concern him, that you may know God in him: That you may look upon him through Christ, and so may see him as he is in Christ to his people. We preach not ourselves, but the Lord jesus Christ, saith the Apostle, 2 Cor. 4.5. It is Christ that we preach. What then might some man say, do you not preach God too? Yes, saith the Apostle there, we preach God, but we preach him in Christ: for God hath shined into our hearts, to give the light of the Knowledge of God in the face of jesus Christ, as it is added in the next words. So then my Brethren, we must have the light of the Knowledge of God, but it must be in the face of Christ. It must not shine immediately upon us, as it comes from God, for than it will overcome us: but it must shine upon us by Reflection on the face of Christ Jesus. If we would see God we must look on Jesus Christ, and we shall see God in him; and hence our Saviour said to Philip, when he entreated him to show him the Father, he that hath seen me hath seen the Father also: If we would know God, we must seek to know Christ, and we shall know God in him. And therefore let us set ourselves to this business, to know God, and jesus Christ whom he hath sent, yea, to know God in Jesus Christ: and to this I shall persuade with some Motives. First, till you know God in Jesus Christ, you can have no assurance of any blessing from God, either spiritual or temporal; that any thing comes to you in a Covenant-way, for all the Promises of God are made in Christ. They are the Promises of God indeed, as they are called, 2 Cor. 1.20. but they are made in Jesus Christ, they are in him Yea, and in him Amen, as it is added there in that place. So that if you know God and not Christ, you know him not as making any promise to you. You may know him as a threatener, this he doth with reference to Christ; but you can never know him as a Promiser, at least not as a Promiser to you in special. You have no Promise of the Lord for any thing, no Promise of the Lord will reach to you, to profit you, as long as you know not Christ the means of Conveyance. Look over all the book of God, consider all the precious Promises contained in it, from the beginning of it to the End; and this resolve, if you know not God, you have no right to in any one of them, nor shall you ever (if you so continue) be a whit the better from them: God hath made Jesus Christ his Steward, he hath put all things into his hand, as we may see, Mat. 11.27. All things are delivered unto me of my Father, saith our Saviour; so that they come not to us but through him, they go all through his hands. God hath made him heir of all things, as the Apostle speaks, Heb. 1.2. So that you see my Brethren, all is his, and Consequently we can have nothing but from and by, and through him. Till you know God in Jesus Christ, the Blessings which you have from God, you have them not in love and mercy: So that indeed you can find no true and kindly relish in them. For this is that which sweetens all the Blessings of the Lord, when a man can say as jacob of his Children, Gen. 33.5 These are the Children which God hath graciously given thy servant. As David being rescued out of danger, The Lord delivered me, saith he, because he delighted in me, 2 Sam. 22.20. Then are his Blessings and Deliverances sweet indeed, when we can relish love in them, when we can look upon them as the fruits of mercy. Alas, we know God poureth out his Blessings abundantly on many men, not in love, but in displeasure; He gave them their desire, saith the Psalmist of the Jews that perished in the Wilderness: but while the meat was in their mouths, the wrath of God went out against them, and slew the fattest of them, Psalm 78.31. they had the Blessing, but they had it with a curse. The Lord did curse their blessings to them, and so he doth to all that know him not in Jesus Christ, who is his first Beloved, and in whom he loves others. Christ is the only Way of Intercourse between God and our souls. He is the Way from God to us; He is the Channel and the Pipe in which the stream of God's love runs down to us. So that there is not one drop of Love from God to any soul, but it is conveyed and carried to it in, and by, and through Christ. Out of Christ we have no Love, and consequently nothing in Love. Till you know God in Jesus Christ, as he gives nothing in Love to you, so he takes nothing in Love from you. Do what you will, or what you can, he is never pleased with you. He accepts of no Duties, no service you perform to him. This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased, Matth. 3.17. Observe it well, for it is very notable; He doth not say with whom I am well pleased, but in whom I am well pleased. In whom I am well pleased with all, with whom I am well pleased, with all that are in him, and with no man out of him. If you know God in Christ, you may know him as a God well pleased with you, otherwise you cannot. He hath made us accepted in the Beloved, saith the Apostle, Eph. 1.6. First Christ is the Beloved of the Father, and then we are beloved and accepted in him. Till you know God in Jesus Christ, you know him not as one that pardons and forgives you, but as one that charges all your sins upon you. In him we have Redemption through his blood, saith the Apostle, even the forgiveness of our sins, Eph. 1.7. We have not pardon but in him. Him hath the Lord set forth as a propitiation through faith in his blood, saith the Apostle, Rom. 3.25. God hath made him the Mercy-seat, the seat of Mercy, from which Mercy is dispensed. And whereas formerly the Mercy-seat under the Law was placed within the Veil, and so was hidden both from the people and the Priests; the Highpriest only had access to it, and that but once a year neither. The Lord hath now set forth this Mercy-seat to the view of all men, that all may have access to it. And as the Highpriest came not to the Mercy-seat without blood, Levit. 16.14. even so may no man hope to have mercy from the Lord in the forgiveness of his sins, but through the blood of Jesus Christ; if he know not God in him, he can expect no pardoning mercies from him. Till you know God in Jesus Christ, you cannot come to God with any boldness, or with any confidence. No man cometh to the Father but by me, saith Jesus Christ, John 14.6. He must make our way to God. In him, saith the Apostle, we have boldness, and access with confidence; Ephes: 3.12. so that we can hold up our heads with courage, and lift up our faces to him, as the expression is, Job 22.26. But if we know not Jesus Christ, how can we be but flat and faint in our approaches to the throne of Grace? It is in his name that we must desire the blessings that we seek for at the hands of God; and whatsoever we ask the Father in his name, he will give it us, John 16.23. It is in his name that we must return the praise for blessings that we have received, giving thanks to God the Father by him, Col. 3.17. If we draw blessings down from God, we must do it through Christ. If we send praises up to God, we must do it through Christ. If we have no acquaintance with the Lord Christ, how shall we come to God with prayers? how shall we come to God with praises? with what heart or encouragement shall we draw nigh to God, either to get from him, or to bring to him? Till you know God in Jesus Christ, you can have no assurance to enjoy him, neither in this life, nor in that which is to come. By nature we are all afar off, we are without God in the world, as the Apostle speaks, Ephes. 2.12. But now in jesus Christ they who were far of, are made nigh through his blood, as it is added there in that place; yea, they are made one with God, as Jesus Christ himself insinuates, john 17.21. I pray for them, that they may all be one, as thou Father art in me, and I in thee, so that they also may be one in us. Well then, you see my Brethren, we are near to God in this world, but it is in Christ. We shall be nearer to him in the world to come, and that shall be in Christ too. We shall enter into the holiest, into heaven, into the place where God is, whereof the holiest in the Temple was a figure, but that shall be by the blood of Jesus, as the Apostle shows, Heb. 10.14. So that if we know not Christ, we may know God at a distance, as one that we shall never be partakers of. He and we must keep asunder: But if we know him in Christ, we know him then as one who is our own, and whom we shall enjoy for ever. JOHN 17.3. That they might know thee the only true God. AND thus far of the twofold object, of the knowledge wherein Eternal life consisteth, as they are both of them united and conjoined by the connective particle And. Thee the only true God, and jesus Christ whom thou hast sent. Proceed we now to handle each of them apart and distinctly by itself; beginning with the first. Thee the only true God: God, in opposition to the creature. True God, in opposition to the false. Only true God, in opposition to any other true God. Others are creatures, he is God. Others are false Gods, he is true. And he is the only true; all the rest, let them be what they will, are but pretenders: There is no other true God but he only. What then? is Jesus Christ excepted here from being God? Is this appropriated to the Father? So it seems this saith our Saviour, here is life Eternal, to know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent. This place was the great Fortress of the Arrians heretofore, it was sedes dogmatis, from whence they peremptorily concluded, that the Father only is the true God, and so by consequence that Jesus Christ whom he hath sent, is but a mere man, a mere creature. And because this wicked Tenent which overthrows the Divinity of Christ, and with it the whole work of man's redemption, hath been revived and set afoot in these times, (which seem to be the common sink, whereunto all the errors and heresies of former ages empty out themselves) there must the greater care and pains be taken in resolution of this great scruple. The Fathers of the Church who lived in or near the days of Arrius, perceiving how that error spread itself (for all the world became an Arrian, as one of their own expressions is) laboured exceedingly in this business. And truly, my Beloved, if some of them had not been so overbusy, the truth had not been so exceedingly entangled as it is. But now it is become much like a piece of silk, that hath been in many hands to be unravelled, and every one almost hath left it in a worse condition than he found it. I shall not trouble you with their perplexities, but come as briefly as I can to that which I conceive to be the intention of the words. Some have essayed to clear the doubt in such a way as this; say they, These words are so to be applied to God the Father, as to involve and comprehend the Son with him. Thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ. So that the Son is not excluded here from being God, but included with the Father. And Chrysostom allegeth such another manner of expression, 1 Cor. 9 only I, saith the Apostle there, and Barnabas; where Barnabas is not excluded, but comprehended in the word only; as if he should have said, I and Barnabas, and no other. So in this speech of Christ to God the Father, thou the only true God, and Jesus Christ: q.d. This is life Eternal to know the only true God, thee, and I, and no other. Or to make it yet more plain, as if the words had run thus, to know thee, and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent, to be the only true God. This would do very well as to the Godhead of the Son against the Arrians. But then the selfsame scruple will arise, as to the Godhead of the Holy Ghost, which some others have denied, for he is evidently left out. And there will be no help for that exception. For if it be admitted that Christ is comprehended with the Father in the word only, Thee and Christ the true God, yea the only true God, the Holy Ghost is plainly shut out. By this account he is not God at all, if this be the intention of the words, that God and Christ, the Father and the Son be the only true God. We have maintained the Godhead of the Son indeed, but we have clearly yielded up the Godhead of the Holy Ghost; And therefore we must needs shake hands with this, and look after some other Exposition. And that as some have apprehended, may be this: That God the Father is not said to be the only true God, in opposition to the Son or Holy Ghost, but to the Idols of the heathen. They are all false gods, he only is the true God. So that the meaning of our Saviour is but this, as if he should have said, this is Eternal Life to know thee who art the only true God, and not the Idols of the heathen, who are false gods. To turn from all those vanities, and to serve the living God. And I confess, if God essentially taken for the whole Godhead, as comprehending all the persons, were said to be the only true God in opposition to the heathen Idols, it would bear a clear construction. Or if God personally taken for the Father only, were said to be the true God, in opposition to those heathen gods, that would hold extremely well, and there would be no cause of scruple. But how shall God the Father as distinct from the Son and Holy Ghost, be the only true God? If he be the true God, this hinders not but that the Son may be the true God, the Holy Ghost may be the true God: Because though they be divers persons, yet they are but one Essence. But if the Father be the only true God, how can the Son, how can the Holy Ghost be true God? If either of them be the true God, than he which is another from them as he is another person, though he be not another substance, is not the only true God. For that which is affirmed of him only, cannot be said of any other. And therefore that of Calvin, as it seems to me, gives the clearest satisfaction. Saith he, Our Saviour in the Gospel, especially in this of John, speaking as man, and not as God, under the name of Father, intimates and comprehends the whole Godhead, and so he doth in this place. So then his Father here is not God personally taken for the first person of the Godhead only, but God Essentially taken for the whole Essence of the Godhead, as involving all the persons, and so he is apparently the only true God. To make this Exposition evident, I shall clear these two things, and it will be worth our labour, because it opens many other places of the Gospel. First that our Saviour in my text, as well as many other places, speaks as man and not as God. And then that by the name of Father, he intends the whole Godhead, of which himself as God is one person. As for the first of these, that our Saviour in my Text, as well as many other places, speaks as man, and not as God, is very plain. For he speaks as sent of God, thee the only true God, and jesus Christ whom thou hast sent. Now though Christ, who is God as well as man, be sent, yet he is sent most properly as man; for so, and only so he is inferior, he is the Servant and the Messenger of God. Besides he speaks in prayer in my Text, and prayer is a part of worship. And God doth not worship God: So that he speaks as man and not as God. Now speaking so, my Brethren, by the name of Father, he means not the first person only, but the whole Godhead, Father glorify thy Son, as thou hast given him power over all flesh, etc. And this is Life Eternal to know thee (him whom he calls Father) to be the only true God. Nor let this seem strange to you; for Christ as man is Gods Son. Not God the Father's Son alone, but the Son of the whole Godhead. Indeed as God, he is the Son of the first person only: but as man he is the Son of all the persons. As man he is a creature, and he is not God the Father's creature only, for the works of the Trinity without are undivided. And therefore Christ is made the Son of God in the same way that Adam is, Luke 3.33. He was the Son of Joseph, who was the Son of Eli, and so on, who was the Son of Adam, who was the Son of God. Now Adam you will grant, was not the son of God the Father only, but he was the son of God essentially taken, the son of the whole Godhead; and consequently so was Seth, and so was Enoch, and so along, and so was joseph, and so was Christ. And if Christ were the Son of God in that sense, I mean of all the three persons, than he might fitly call him Father in that same Notion. Why you will say then upon this account, Jesus Christ as he is God, is his own Father, as he is man. No, my Beloved, this is not that which I affirm; I do not say that Jesus Christ the second person in the Godhead, is the Father of his manhood. But the Godhead, whereof Jesus Christ himself makes one person, is really the Father of the same Christ, as he is man. And so he calls him in the first verse of this Chapter; and him he means in the words that I am handling, thee the only true God. And so there is no difficulty in the sense, q. d. Thou God who art my Father as I am man (meaning thereby the whole Godhead subsisting in the three persons) art the only true God. And thus I have explained and cleared the words, as well as I am able. The observation lies before you. DOCTRINE. That God the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost is true God, and the only true God; there is no other true God, but he only. That our God is the true God, is plentifully taught in Scripture. Reason will carry us to a God, but such an one as is unknown, who he is we cannot tell. And so it did the great Philosophers at Athens, which was an University, who therefore had an Altar with this Inscription, To the unknown God; as you may see Acts 17.23. But Scripture carries us to this God, who is indeed the true God; he is not so in show and in pretence alone, but he is so in deed and truth. And this is that which he affirmeth of himself, and confirmeth many ways; in that memorable place, Isa. 45.20, etc. And therefore the Evangelist doth set the finger of an hand against him as it were to point him out, in this respect, 1 John 5.20. We know, saith he, that the Son of God is come, and he hath given us understanding that we may know him that is true, (true in himself and in his nature, and true in his discovery and revelation of himself) and we are in him that is true, this is the true God. q.d. Take notice of him, and observe him well, this is the true God. And as he is the true God, so in the second place he is the only true God. There are other false gods, there is no other true God, but him only. I am God, saith the Lord, Isa. 45.22. and there is no God else besides me, a just God and a Saviour, there is none beside me. It is repeated twice for the better confirmation: And therefore Jeremy in this respect sets him in opposition to all other gods; jer. 10.8, 9 They are altogether brutish, saith the Prophet, the stock is a vain doctrine. Silver spread into plates, and Gold from Ophir, blue and purple is their clothing, they are the work of cunning men, but the Lord is the true God. The Prophet speaks it there exclusively, he is, and none but he; they are not, he is. The Holy Ghost affirms of Idols universally, without exception, that they are nothing in the world, 1 Cor. 8.4. nothing of that Idolaters conceit; they are not Numina indeed. And therefore it is added in that place, there is no other God but one. And howsoever they are often called Gods in Scripture, yet this is spoken according to the apprehensions and conceits of sottish men, because they think them to be so; and therefore this their Godhead is recalled again in other places, and they are styled false gods; and as a false man is no man, so a false god is no god. I speak not of a false man in his words and in his actions, (for such an one may be a man) but of a false man in his nature. Even as a painted man hath not the nature of a man, and so by consequence is no man. So Idols painted, or engraven gods, have nothing of the true and living God in them, and so by consequence are no gods as the Apostle shows, Gal. 4 8. Howbeit when ye knew not God, ye did service unto them who by nature are no gods. And hence an Idol is sometimes called a lie in Scripture, as jer. 10.11. his molten image is falsehood or a lie, because it hath not that divinity which it pretendeth to, & which it is supposed to have by those that worship and adore it. And because it doth not yield that succour which it seems to promise. You know what God affirmeth of the Idols of the Jews, that they are no gods, jer. 5.7. My people have forsaken me, and sworn by them that are no gods. An oath is taken there by a Synecdoche for all the parts of holy worship, as it is often in the holy Scripture, so that the sense and meaning is, q. d. My people have forsaken me the true God, and worshipped them that are no gods. So that the point is plain you see, our God is the true God, and the only true God. Now the Scripture proves it further yet, by Reason, and Uses, and Arguments in this present case; it will not be unprofitable if I hint them briefly to you. It appears that our God is the only true God, because he, and he only Reason 1 hath his being of himself: He was before all things, when there was nothing in the world besides him, and consequently could not have his being of another. Before the mountains were brought forth, before the earth or world was made, from everlasting to everlasting, he is God, Psal. 90.2. he is the Lord, the first and the last, Isa. 41.1. whereas the heathen gods are new, and have their being of another, and so indeed are no gods. You know how David reasons, They are not gods, saith he, and why so? they are the works of men's hands, Psalms 115.4. And Hosea to the same purpose, Hos. 8.6. The workman made it, therefore it is not God. Indeed it is so far from being God, that it is scarce a creature, it is nothing in the world. Or if it be a creature, it is of their own making. The workman made it, therefore it is not God. It appears that our God is the only true God, because he only is the Reason 2 living God: It is the Prophet's argument, jer. 10.10. The Lord is the true God. But how doth this appear? Why he is the living God, as it is added in the next words. Other gods are dead gods, they have tongues and cannot speak, they have feet but cannot walk: And hence is the Apostles Exhortation, to turn from such dead vanities as these unto the living God. Reason 3 It appears, that our God is the only true God, as by his being and his life, so by his operations and effects. As it appears by what he is, so it appears by what he doth. Among the gods there is none like thee, saith David, Psalm 86.8. how doth he prove this? neither are there any works like thy works. And therefore the true God upbraids the heathen gods in this respect, Isa. 41.24. Behold you are of nothing, and your work of nothing; that is, you are not able to do any thing, you can do neither good nor evil, as it is said in that place. Not to speak of the creation of the heaven and the earth, which is attributed to God in opposition to all other gods. What can the gods of heathen or of professed Christians, who make their honour or their wealth their gods, what can they do to save a man in the time of his distress? Riches deliver not in the day of death. So that as the Prophet saith to the Idolaters of his time, Isa. 45.20. Ye pray unto a God that cannot save. So we may say to these Idolaters of our times, ye trust in gods that cannot save: no, this is proper to the true God. There is no God besides me, saith the Lord, a just God and a Saviour; and therefore addeth presently, Look unto me and be you saved, for I am God, and there is none else. Reason 4 It appears, that our God is the only true God, by the duration of his being; as he is the first, so he is the last, Isa. 41.4. he holds out when all fail. For other gods they perish, jer. 10.11. Idols perish, riches perish; honours, friends, all perish; but God endures to all eternity. As he is from everlasting, so he is to everlasting, Psal. 90.2. All other things are subject to decay and dissolution, but he abides for evermore. They do all perish, saith the Psalmist, Psalm 102.26. but thou shalt endure for ever. They all wax old, etc. but thou art the same, etc. Use 1 Now is it so, that our God is the true God? Then let this serve in the first place to quicken us, and stir us up to strengthen and confirm our faith in this particular, and to endeavour to believe more fully and distinctly that our God is God indeed; and verily the best among us have need of confirmation here, for we are very apt to waver, and to have doubtful thoughts about it. And they that are most free from these, have yet defects and imperfections in their faith, of this as well as other parts of truth. They have not yet attained to such a pitch, but they must be adding to it, and endeavour to get on to further measures and degrees. And therefore let it be our labour and endeavour to increase our faith in this particular, and to grow up by full assurance of this fundamental truth, that our God is the true God. And to this I shall persuade and stir you up with some motives. The more undoubtedly and firmly we believe that our God is the true God, the more we will look to him, the more we will walk with him, and consequently we will converse the less among the creatures. For hence it is because we have some doubts and haesitations in our faith, of this particular, that we have so great an eye upon the creature in our ways: that we approve ourselves to men, and seek the approbation and applause of men, that we are afraid of men, afraid of Creatures, but are not afraid of God. Whence is it my beloved, but because we are not absolutely satisfied at all times, that our God is indeed the true God, but have thoughts arising in us, or cast into us, tending at least towards some scruple in this business: and have not always arguments at hand to put the matter out of all question, and to suppress such thoughts as these as soon as they begin to stir in us? Who art thou, that thou shouldst be afraid of a man that shall die, and of the son of man that shall be made as grass: And forgettest the Lord thy maker, that hath stretched out the Heavens, and laid the foundations of the earth? Esa. 51.12, 13. By which the Prophet intimates that we should never be transported so with sinful fears of men and creatures as we are, but that the great Creator is set by; either he is not in our thoughts, or which is worse, he is not in our faith. And when we come to this my Brethren, to have some scruples in ourselves, whether there be a God at all, or if there be, whether ours which we have chosen, be the right and true God, it is impossible but we should (so far as those doubts prevail upon us) go out from him, and apply ourselves to those things which are obvious to the sense, which we see and know to be. The more undoubtedly and firmly we believe that our God is the true God, the more perfectly and fully we shall serve him and obey him; the more we shall trust in him, the more we shall seek to him, the more we shall strive to please him; according to the strengthening or weakening of our faith in this particular, will be the measure of our service and obedience to him, of our reliance and dependence on him. For even as if a man believe there is no God at all, he will not serve him, he will not roll himself upon him whom he thinketh not to be. So if he believe it weakly, and with many haesitations that there is a God, or that the God which he hath chosen is the true God, he will fear him, and he will trust him very weakly and remissly. He will be on and off, and up and down, according to the ebbings and the flow of his faith. But if we have a strong and an unshaken confidence that our God is God indeed, than we will set ourselves to serve him fully and without halting. Then we will trust him perfectly, we will apply ourselves to please him, in all our ways and all our actions. But you will ask me then, how shall we do to put this matter out of all question, that our God is the true God, and what means shall we use to satisfy ourselves, and to confirm our faith in this particular, because it is a Point of such concernment, and hath such influence in our lives? I shall give you some Directions. First, Endeavour to the utmost of your power, to give complete and full assent and credit to the Scripture, admit not any doubt in that particular. One main thing that the Scripture doth, is to give testimony to the God whom we worship; and if we can but say that this witness is true, there is an end of this business. So far as we believe the Scripture, we cannot but believe (without any haesitation) that our God is the true God. If we be satisfied of the one, we cannot possibly have any scruple of the other. And therefore we should spend our thoughts upon such meditations as will settle us in this. We should consider with ourselves the strange Consent of Scripture-writers living in so many Ages; the strange accomplishment of Scripture-Prophesies, the strange effect of Scripture-admonitions, exhortations, threaten. Though it be carried in a low and easy stile, how it commands us, and prevaileth more upon us then all the Eloquence of men and Angels could ever do, were it united altogether. Especially we should observe (we that are God's I mean, (for to such I now speak) what admirable operation it hath had upon our own hearts; how it hath pierced in, and made a separation between our very joints and marrow. how it hath even told us all that ever we have done; how it hath cast us down with sorrow unconceivable, and then raised us up again with joy unspeakable and glorious; how it hath altered and changed us, and turned us clear about, and made us to renounce our profits, pleasures and delights, our wills, our reasons and desires, yea to deny ourselves, that we might walk by this Rule. Such things as these methinks, should mightily confirm us in the truth of this, that the Scripture is the very Word of God. And then this cannot choose but follow out of all dispute, that our God is the true God. Secondly, Examine all pretenders to the Godhead, and see if any of them have so good a Plea, so good a Title to the Deity as the God whom we worship. This I suppose is out of question with you, that there is a God; this is apparent by the current and the joint-consent of men in all times and in all places. For this is not a thing that hath been taught by this or that sect, or held by this or that people. But all sects, how much soever they have differed in all other things, have held this; and all Nations, how wide soever each from other in place or manners, have taught this. But now the thing we are upon; is, who this God is; whether ours or any other? And truly my Beloved, if this be once admitted, that there is a God, our God will carry it from any other that hath laid any claim to it. As for the Idols of the Heathen, stocks and stones, I know you will not think it worthy your consideration, whether any of them were the true God. And for the gods which the Barbarians worshipped, the Sun, the Moon, the very beasts themselves of every sort, they are no great pretenders neither; we need no more than ordinary reason to convince us that these can be no Gods. For to say truth, they are below men. The Roman gods are more considerable than the other, and yet they were but men, as Jupiter, and Saturn, and the like: Yea, to say truth, they were vile and wicked men, addicted to the grossest vices, and such as led most profane and lewd lives: Yea, they were mortal men, and therefore certainly they were not Gods. And hence their very Worshippers would show you in one place a Temple, and in another place a Sepulchre erected to the same God, which is a most apparent Contradiction. And truly if a man consider, who have pretended to the Godhead besides our God, and what poor things they were, it will exceedingly establish and confirm him in this business. You cannot think that if there be a God, as that is granted of all hands, he is concealed from the world till this time. And truly for the other gods that have been worshipped, if you will but examine them, you will apparently discover them to have deluded and deceived the world: so that you may exceedingly confirm your faith in this respect by an induction of particulars. This god and that god cannot be the true God, and so along in all the rest: And therefore our God is undoubtedly the true God. And you shall find the Lord to have such poor Competitors, that you will certainly cry out at last, as being fully satisfied, The Lord is God, the Lord is God. Be sure to sift this business to the full, when you set yourselves about it, and not to leave it undetermined in your own thoughts. Never give over till you be resolved, and till you be established in the present truth. It is the fault of many men (yea I believe of many good men) that when some thoughts of Atheism are cast in, and when they have some doubts arising in their hearts, whether the Lord be God or no, (as this the very best may have) they do not altogether scatter them before they leave them, but leave the business as it were in medio, in suspense; they pass to other thoughts, and do not fully satisfy themselves in this particular, whereas a man should never rest while there is any cloud upon his faith, any scruple in his conscience. Ah, my Beloved, will you be slight in such a matter as this is, of such infinite concernment? whether the God which you have chosen be the right or no? How can you but be slight accordingly in all the duties of his service? And therefore do not give it over till you be resolved. Think with yourselves, I must determine either on or off, either one way or the other. And if you be necessitated to resolve, our God will carry it from all the rest. They that have taken other gods, have taken them upon trust, they have received them from the custom of the places in which they have been born and bred. And most that worship our God, take him but in such a way as this is. But if you sift the business well, you will find cause to stick to him whom you have chosen. The more you prove him and examine him, the better you will like him. And therefore I beseech you, do not halt in this business, but come to some determination and decision: Do as Elijah counsels Israel; Be no longer unresolved: If Baal be God, then follow him; but if the Lord be God, then follow him. Rest not in opinion here, but sift it to the full. Bring yourselves to this disjunction: If any other god be true, why then there is no other way, but I must worship him, and serve him. But if our God be the right, than I must stick close to him. If you be at this hand, that you will absolutely satisfy yourselves before you leave, before you give the business over, (as this you are bound to do) you will not leave it any longer in suspense, nor suffer any doubtful thoughts within you unexamined (for then they will return again on all occasions) you will find that this will strengthen faith exceedingly in this particular. Our God will certainly be gainer, and have very great advantage by coming on the test with any other. Fourthly and lastly, set all the Grace, and all the strength you have on work in prayer, that God himself would satisfy you fully, and confirm your faith in this particular, That he would leave no doubt within you concerning such a principle as this is; which is the very Basis of Religion, the foundation that supports the Fabric of it, and beareth up the weight of all the building. A man will never come to God by faith, or by repentance, or obedience, unless he first believe that God is, Heb. 11.6. And therefore struggle with the Lord about it; if faith begin to waver, or to fail in any measure, say, as the Disciples did, O Lord, increase our faith, Lord strengthen us, Lord do not suffer us to shake in this fundamental truth; for this doth shake all with it. A man may get a common, an acquired faith, by arguments, and reasons, and the like; it may be brought into a man by custom; but that will never satisfy a man completely, constantly, unless he have infused faith, and that is the immediate gift of God himself. If he will show himself to any man, than he shall see, and know, and be assured, that he is the true God. But if he will hid himself, he can but only grope after him. Use 2 Is it so, that our God is the true God? and are you satisfied of this? do you know him to be so? then serve and glorify him as the true God. Let him have that worship, and that honour, and obedience which the sovereignty of a God calls for. If he be not the true God, then take your liberty, and walk according to your own lusts, and according to your own pleasures; abridge yourselves of nothing to which the bias of your nature carries you, take no pains in holy duties, hear no more, pray no more. But if he be indeed the true God, and you dare not to deny it, then live and walk as if you did believe him to be so. Stifle not these principles which you cannot contradict nor lay aside. Take heed of doing as the Gentiles did, Rom. 1.19, etc. they liked not to retain God in their knowledge; they had him there, but they liked not to retain him, because he was a trouble to them; fain they would put him out again: The apprehension of a God called upon them for some duty, and was a curb and a restraint from some evils. And therefore they were weary of such thoughts as these, and sought to chase them from their meditations: To say truth, they did not like them, and therefore would be rid of them: They knew God, (that they were not able to avoid) but yet they glorified him not as God. And truly this is just the case of many Christians: They do not serve, they do not glorify and worship God according to their knowledge of him. They walk not answerably to their principles, and to their light in this particular. They yield him to be God, and yet they do not trust in him, they do not live to him, they do not love, they do not fear him, and the like. They live without God in the world, and they do just as they would do, if there were no God at all. Now I beseech you, my Beloved, do but consider the extreme danger of such a course as this is. It is the ready way to be delivered up to strong delusions, and to vile affections, as you may see those Gentiles were in the very same case. Because when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, therefore God gave them up to strong delusions in their intellectual parts, that they were vain in their imaginations, and their foolish hearts were darkened; to vile affections in their sensual part, that they committed all uncleanness, and burned in their filthy lusts; their hearts were like an Oven heated by the Baker, they were set on fire of hell. And hath it not been thus with many men in our days? they know God in a speculative and discursive way at least; they were convinced that he was the true God, but they lived not according to their principles in this respect, they abated of their strictness and devotion, neglected duties which they had been wont exactly to perform, forsook the Ordinances and the Worship of the Lord, despised the Word of God, glorified him not as God, took carnal liberty against their knowledge, and against their conscience. And now how vain are they become in their imaginations? how foolish in their fancies, and opinions, and conceits? How hath God sent on many of them strong delusions to believe lies, that they might all be damned that believe not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness! They knew the truth, but they had pleasure in unrighteousness. They took delight in some unrighteous way or other, some secret way of wickedness or other, and now they are delivered and believe lies. It is a lie and a delusion, but it is a strong delusion, so that you cannot stir them from it. Do what you can, and bring what arguments you will, it is in vain, the deceit is strong upon them. And some are also given up to vile affections, and to those burning lusts, which the Apostle speaks of in the cited places. This is the formidable judgement of the Lord on those who know God, and do not walk according to their knowledge. And therefore as we own the true God, let us serve, and let us worship him as such a one, let us live and act for him, let us be taken up with him, let us make this our work to please him, let us in every thing so carry and demean ourselves, as they should do who have the Lord for their God. JOHN 17.3. Thee the only true God. IS it so, that God the Father, Son, etc. is the only true God? Then Use 3 let us have no other God but him only. Let us be able confidently to challenge any man in the words of holy David, Whom have we in heaven but him, and whom have we in earth but him? Is there any in the world, whom we set up to ourselves as a God but him only? Let us be always mindful of the first and great Commandment of the Law of God, which is indeed the very basis and foundation of the rest, Thou shalt have no other God before me. Thou shalt have a God, and thou shalt have me for thy God, and thou shalt have none but me for thy God. And that which is annexed is very much to be observed, If thou hast any God besides me, it will be before me. If we could go behind his back and take another god, there were the less iniquity, and there were the more safety; it were not such a heinous thing, it were not such a dangerous thing. But to go and take another god before his face, (as if a wife should go and take another Lover and commit uncleanness with him, even before her husband's face) what an horrid impudence? what an unsufferable provocation? What, saith the Lord, (as once Ahasuerus in the case of Haman) will he commit adultery before my face? for so idolatry is spiritual adultery; will he do it in my presence, and while I am looking on? Ah desperate wretch! nay then I see there is no hope of him, take him away, and carry him to execution. And therefore let us be extremely cautious, that we have no other God but him alone who is the only true God. But you will ask me now perhaps, what I intent when I exhort you to have no other God but him only? Truly, my Brethren, it involveth many things, but I shall draw them to a few heads. When I persuade you to have the Lord and none but him for your God, my meaning is, that you should serve him and none but him, that you should fear him and none but him, that you should trust in him and none but him. Then since he is the only true God, serve him and none but him. Serve the Lord so as to serve no other with him. So is his own express injunction, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve, Matth. 4.10. And here to be a little more distinct, serve the Lord and not Idols, serve the Lord and not Times, serve the Lord and not Lusts. First, serve the Lord and not Idols, they are all false gods, he is the only true God, and therefore see you serve him, and not them. It is a sin the Scripture very much dissuades from, and makes the worst of all corruptions, and most abominable to the Lord. And therefore this is often called the sin in Scripture by way of eminence above the rest, because it is a sin of the most infamous and odious rank. And Jeroboams drawing Israel to the worship of the calves, is frequently set forth by this expression, he made Israel to sin. He made them to commit the sinning sin, the sin which is abundantly and out of measure sinful. And God himself dissuading from it, speaketh of it as that on which his very heart did rise, which he abhorred to name, on which he could not think without extremity of detestation; O do not that abominable thing which I hate, Jer. 44.4. And otherwise indeed it cannot be: For it is the choosing of another god, that is the Holy Ghosts expression of it, saith he, they chose new gods, Judges 5.8. by which they made it to appear, that they were weary of the old, as if they had discovered some iniquity in God, as he expostulateth with the Jews upon the like occasion, Jer. 2.5. as if the Lord were found upon experience to be such a god, or were not worth the keeping any longer. This is a thing from which the very heathen are abhorrent and averse; the Nations will not change their gods, Jer. 2.11. though they be but false gods, and consequently no gods, as it is added there in that place. Oh what an odious thing is this, that the Church should change hers, who hath the true and everlasting Lord of heaven and earth for her God. They will not change their false gods for the true, and shall we change the true God for a false? Oh what an horrible indignity is this, what an unsufferable provocation? And therefore God is exceedingly incensed at this iniquity; it is a sin that kindles anger, great anger, yea the heat of great anger, Deut. 24.44. What means the heat of this great anger? And in the following, verses it is showed to be because they went and served other gods. Indeed Idolatry stirs up the jealousy of God, and therefore this is added as the reason of the prohibition of it, because he is a jealous God. And even as jealousy in man is (as the wise man notes) the rage of man; so jealousy in God (my Brethren) is the rage of God. To see his Wife the Church forsake him, and run a whoring after Idols, is such a thing as blows and kindles up the flames of his hottest indignation. In what a fearful rage was God on this occasion? behold and tremble at it, Exod. 32.9. when Moses hung about him, and besought him for the people, he fling him off; Let me alone, saith God, that so my anger may wax hot against them, and that I may consume them in a moment. And if you search the Scripture, you shall find that God hath executed and inflicted the heaviest of his plagues and judgements on those that have been guilty of this sin. Look on the monuments of his severest and most direful vengeance, and you shall find, that as the wrath of God hath been revealed from heaven against all unrighteousness of men; so especially against this hideous sin. And as a man transported with a jealous spirit, is apt to take unmerciful revenge; in which respect the wise man saith, He will not spare in the day of vengeance, Prov. 6.34. even so the Lord when he is stirred to jealousy on this occasion, is wont to measure out to such offenders an excess and overplus of wrath and vengeance, as you may see a sad example of it in the Jews. And therefore I shut up this Exhortation, as John doth his Epistle. Little children keep yourselves from Idols, Amen. Serve the Lord and not Idols. But you will say perhaps, what needs this? For who among us is inclinable to this sin? Or which of us doth serve Idols? To this I answer, That there is not in man a stronger inclination to any sin then that of Idolatry, as I could show you very plentifully and very clearly from the Scripture. And as for actual Idolatry, you must know, (my Brethren) that there is a gross and open, and there is a more subtle and secret Idolatry. The gross and open is the worshipping of heathen images and heathen gods, or else of Popish Crucifixes, and the like; from this perhaps you may acquit yourselves. But now besides, there is an inward and secret Idolatry, and this is very rife and common in the world, yea in the bosom of the Church itself. Professed Christians many of them, who have but one God in their mouths, have yet an hundred in their hearts. For you must know, my Brethren, that this inward Idol-worship is not committed only by conceiving an Idol or a creature under the notion of God, which was the error of the heathen, who thought that Jupiter and Mars were gods. But also by ascribing that to any creature which is peculiar to the Lord. In doing so we deify the creature, and set it up in God's stead: and this is very usual among those that would be taken to be Christians: some make Idols of themselves: either their belly is their God, as the Apostle speaks in his time, whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, Phil. 3.19. they take more care to please their appetites, and fill their bellies, then to please God. Or else they make their policy and wit their God, while they rely and rest upon it to bring their erterprises and designs to pass: and so accordingly attribute the effecting of them to their own skill, and to their own ability. These are the men that sacrifice to their own net, and burn incense to their own drag, as the Prophet speaks, Hab. 1.16. Others make Idols of their fellow Creatures, while they lay out that fear, and love, and confidence upon them, which belongs to God only. In this respect, the covetous and worldly wretch is styled an Idolater. Eph. 5.5. because he loves his riches more than God, and trusteth in his riches more than God. And the Apostle James speaking of such as love the world, calls them adulterers and adulteresses, Jam. 4.4. because they commit this inward Idolatry (which is spiritual adultery) with the things of this life. The like may be affirmed of the ambitious man, who loves his honours more than God; and of the voluptuous man, who loves his pleasures more than God. So that you see my Brethren, there is need of this advice even to professed Christians, to serve the Lord and not Idols. 2. Serve the Lord and not the times. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 & 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are words not very much unlike, neither in the writing of them, nor in the pronunciation of them; there is but a letter odds. And hence it is that some have put the latter for the former in that place of the Apostle, Rom. 12.11. And in stead of reading it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, serving the Lord, they read it by an easy change 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, serving the time. And so we find it in some Greek Copies. And truly there are many in these days of ours who seem to like extremely well of this change, who would have 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 put for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 still, and who would rather serve the time then serve the Lord. These are the men who fashion and apply themselves continually to the present garb, and to the present state of things. Like weather Cocks they turn with every blast, like Ships they set their sails to every wind. Brethren, this is an odious thing to mould ourselves (especially in points of Conscience and matters of Religion) to the times. Indeed it is observed of the men of Issachar, that they were wise to understand the times, and to know what Israel ought to do, 1 Chron. 12.31. And so I must acknowledge, it is wisdom so to observe the times, to know our duty what it is, and to perform it in the proper season. But to observe them so to serve them, is a very great evil. We must not serve the times but serve the Lord. 3. Serve the Lord and not Lusts; neither your own Lusts, nor the Lusts of others. First serve the Lord and not your own Lusts: if he be the only true God, he must be served, and not them. And yet how many are there who are slaves and vassals to their own Corruptions, who are not subject and obedient to the will of God, but to that which the Evangelist calls the will of the flesh, 1 John 13. They are a rule unto themselves, and walk according to their own counsels. That which they have a will and a desire to do, to which they are carried and swayed by their own inclinations and sensual affections, they freely follow and pursue; but for the will of God, they neither care to know it, nor obey it. I wish that such would seriously consider what a fearful thing it is for God to leave men to their own wills. He never doth it but in extremity of wrath and vengeance. When he will take severe revenge indeed, than he picks out this judgement: My people would not hearken to my voice, (saith God) and Israel would none of me. What must become of Israel now think you? you may behold it in the following verse, So I gave them up to their own lusts, to walk according to their own counsels. And certainly unless the Lord should send men quick to hell, a heavier Judgement cannot come upon them. Secondly, serve the Lord, and not the Lusts of other men; that is the basest and unworthiest service in the world, when men are not only subject to the regular and just commands of their superiors (for so they are in duty bound to be) but they are subject to their wicked humours. They are not only serviceable and obedient to their lawful wills, but they are Bawds and Panders to their Lusts: They will do any thing, rather than they shall be offended and displeased: They will serve them in their sins, and serve them in their base and wicked humours (though conscience grumble and recoil) they will comply with them in every thing, they will humour, and applaud them, and admire them for advantage, as the Apostle Paul speaks. They are resolved to please them, whether God be pleased or no. Let such remember that God will never own them for his servants, who prefer the favour and respects of men above him: Mark what the Apostle saith, Gal. 1.10. If I yet please men, if I seek to please them so that I regard not though I anger and displease the Lord Christ; If I yet please men in such a manner, in such a way as this, I cannot be the servant of Christ. If God be the only true God, then as you must serve him and none but him, so you must fear him and none but him. Sanctify the Lord of hosts himself, saith the Prophet, Isaiah 8.13. and let him be your fear and dread: The Prophet speaks it there exclusively, let him be your fear and none else. To which effect is our Saviour's admonition, Luke 12. Be not afraid of them that kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do: But I will forewarn you, whom you shall fear, fear him that after he hath killed, hath power to cast you into hell, I say unto you fear him. And therefore we are often rated in the Scripture for our fear of men and creatures as Isa. 51.12, 13. Who art thou that thou shouldest be afraid of a man that shall die, and of the Son of man that shall be made as grass? And truly we are very weak in this respect abundance of us. We are exceedingly afraid sometimes how men will use us if we fall into their hands, and if they come to have us in their power, we cannot eat, we cannot sleep, we are so infinitely troubled and perplexed. This violent and raging passion eats out all the comfort of our lives; And in the mean time we neglect the Lord, who is to be feared, as the Prophet David speaks. Why you will say then, May we not in any case fear creatures? No, my Beloved, not in any case make them the ultimate & terminative object of our fears. Fear them we may as instruments of God's anger, and then indeed we fear God in them. But to fear them for themselves, as if they could do evil to us of themselves, is even to set them up in God's stead. Indeed if they could do us any mischief without God, and which he could not fence us from, we had great reason then to fear them, and not him: But seeing of themselves they cannot strike us, and when they do they are but rods in God's hand, we should not eye the rod so much as the hand that strikes with it. God would not call for all our fear, if any creature could do us any damage without him. But seeing he alone is able of himself to save and to destroy, I say unto you fear him, and none but him. If God be the only true God, then trust in him and none but him, look not to other gods, as the expression of the Prophet is, Hosea 3.1. put not your trust and confidence in them. For that from which deliverance is expected by us, that is the thing to which we look, and on which our eye is fixed. I will lift up mine eyes to the hills from whence my help cometh, Psalm 121.1. Now this we may not do from any creature. For as it cannot hurt us, on the one side, so neither can it save us on the other; no, this is proper to the only true God. I am the Lord, saith he, and there is no God besides me, a just God and a Saviour: And therefore addeth presently, Look unto me and be you saved, all the ends of the earth, for I am God and none else. And therefore let not any of our hearts depart from God at any time, and step out to other Saviour's: Let us not make flesh our arm, nor place our confidence in earthly Saviour's. It's that which we are very apt to do, as it is manifest by this, that we are so disquieted and troubled in the want, and so secure in the enjoyment of these things, that our very hearts and spirits do even come and go with them. But what are they in God's stead, as once the King of Israel said, 2 Kings 5.7. that they should save us and procure our peace? Oh, my Beloved, be exceeding tender how you give his glory to another, how you attribute this to any means, how you expect deliverance from it. If God be the only true God, let nothing share together with him in your faith and confidence, but let him have this part of worship appropriated to him, to put your whole trust in him. Use 4 Is it so, that our God is the only true God, is there no other true God but him only? this than should teach us who have chosen him to be our God, to be at unity among ourselves. It's true indeed, my Brethren, there are many persons in the Godhead, but yet there is but one God. And therefore we, though we be many persons, should labour to be one, as he is one. The argument is the Apostles, who presseth us to unity upon the very same ground, Eph. 4.3. endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. And this is used as one inducement among the rest, to urge it, and enforce it on us, because there is but one God, one only true God, as you may see in the sixth verse of that Chapter. Indeed if there were many Gods, (I mean many true Gods) there were a manifest and just occasion of division. It were but reasonable that there should be rents and breaches among the worshippers of these Gods; That every one should vehemently contend for the God whom he fears. But if there be but one only true God, whom all of us do serve and worship, we may the better be at unity among ourselves. Yea we should strive the more to be at one, to keep ourselves in unity, that we may be the better like God. And this is that which Christ desireth in behalf of his Disciples, in the 11. verse of this Chapter, Holy father, keep through thy own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one as we are. By which he intimates expressly, that it is a thing very much to be desired, that the worshippers of God should be like God in unity. Not like in all respects, (for so it is impossible that they should be) but as God is one in Essence, so they should be one in heart and in affection. Oh let us labour for this Oneness, that we may be in this like God. Let there be no separations and divisions, but let the Lords Jerusalem be like a City that is at unity within itself. And truly there was never greater need to set on this Exhortation, than now when God hath suffered such a spirit of division to possess his own people; and when the worshippers of the only true God are of so many minds, and draw so many ways, and have such vehement and such hot contentions and disputes among themselves, that they are no way to be pacified and appeased. So that the Church had never greater reason to complain (as Rebecca sometimes did when she had parleys in her womb, and when the twins were struggling there) If it be so with me, why am I thus? Is it so, that our God is the only true God? Then let us see our happiness Use 5 in this regard, that we have chosen him for our God, and that we have not taken any other. The most part of the world (my Brethren) are mistaken in their god, they serve them who by nature are no gods, as Gal. 4.8. And what mistake is like this? Oh what an happiness is this, that we have not been left to this error! Now therefore let us say as David, Psalm 34.2. My soul shall make her boast in the Lord. Let us boast of our God, and let us glory over other men in this regard, that while they have false gods, we have the only true God for our God. So that we are not to be equalled for a God, by any people in the world besides, which is indeed the highest privilege that any creature is capable of. It is no sin to vaunt and pride ourselves in this prerogative, to make comparisons with others, as the Psalmist doth, Psalm 113.5. Who is like the Lord our God? there are other gods abroad, but what god is like ours? who can compare with us in this regard? who can show us such a God as we have? If we be miserable and unhappy as we apprehend in other things, Oh let our happiness in this, which is transcendent and incomparable; quiet all, and make us still: We have the greatest happiness imaginable and attainable, in that we have such a God: Happy are the people that are in such a case, saith David, that have outward peace and plenty. But infinitely happy are they who have the Lord for their God. And thus far of the Attribute of God, the firmer object of the knowledge wherein Eternal life consists, the only true God. The Attribute of Jesus Christ, the second object of it, mentioned here, comes now in order to be handled, sent of God; This is the Eternal life to know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent. The word in the Original importeth such an one as is dispatched upon the errand of another, upon the business that another sends him in. The theme from which it comes, is that from which Apostle comes. So that as the Apostles were to Christ, so was Christ to God the Father: Jesus Christ was God's Apostle, as the twelve were his Apostles. God the Father sent him, even as he sent them. And this is that which he expresses clearly to them, when he reneweth their Commission immediately upon his resurrection, Joh. 20.21. As my Father hath sent me, so send I you. By this you may a little guess at the intention of the phrase, I shall open it more fully when I come to Explication; In the mean time the point is this. DOCTRINE. That Jesus Christ is God's Apostle, he is a Messenger sent forth from God. So is his own expression of himself to his Father in my Text, This is Eternal Life to know thee the only true God, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent; or whom thou hast made thy Apostle. And therefore it is usual with him, when he hath occasion to make mention of his Father, to call him nothing else but him that sent him. He that receiveth me, saith Christ, receiveth him that sent me; and you know who that is, Luke 9.48. so to his own Apostles and Disciples, It is my meat and drink to do the will of him that sent me; or that hath made me his Apostle. And having done his will and business in the world, and dispatched the errand he employed him in, I go my way, saith he, to him that sent me, John 16.5. And God upon the other side, speaking of Jesus Christ, uses to call him, Him whom he hath sent, his Angel and his Messenger; you may see that place for instance, Mal. 3.1. there are two Messengers in that text; the first is John the Baptist, the Messenger of Christ, Behold I send my Messenger that shall prepare my way before me; the next is Christ himself, the Messenger of God, The Lord whom ye seek shall suddenly come, even the Messenger of the Covenant whom ye delight in. I might load you with quotations, but I shall add no more for confirmation of the point, that Jesus Christ is God's Apostle, he is a Messenger, etc. Indeed it needs not proof so much as Explication. Now that you may the better understand the drift and the intention of it, there are some Queries to be answered. First whence it is that Jesus Christ is sent, the terminus a quo, of this mission. Then in the next place whether he is sent, the terminus ad quem. Thirdly what errand and what business he is sent about. Fourthly how he is qualified for the delivery of this errand, and the dispatch of this business. As for the first of these, the terminus a quo, whence it is that Christ is sent. To this I answer, he is sent from the bosom of the Father, as that is the expression, John 1.18. he comes out of the Ivory Palace, Psalm 45.8. In plainer terms, my Brethren, he is sent from heaven; and therefore he is called the Lord from heaven, 1 Cor. 15.47. Not the Lord in heaven only, but the Lord from heaven too, and that not only with relation to his second, but also to his first coming. No man hath ascended up to heaven, saith our Saviour Christ himself, John 3.13. but he that came down from heaven. And who is that? even the Son of man who is in heaven▪ So then when he was incarnate, he came down from heaven in a sense, for of this our Saviour speaks in that place. And to this speech of Christ it is that the Apostle Paul alludeth, when speaking of our Saviour Christ's Ascension, Eph. 4.8 he addeth presently by way of Explication, Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also first descended into the lower parts of the earth. He that descended, is the same also that ascended, far above all heavens, that he might fill all things. So then, descend he did at first from heaven, as after he ascended up again to heaven. But you will ask me, How could Christ be sent from heaven? Object. and how could he descend from heaven? It could not be with relation to his manhood, for so when he came down, he had never been in heaven, his body had not been there. A man would think it could not be with relation to his Godhead, for that is everywhere, it filleth heaven and earth, as the Prophet's phrase is. The infiniteness and immensity of the divinity admits not motion, it cannot stir from place to place, because it is in all places: and so there is no other place into which it may remove. Well then, the Essence of the Godhead is immovable, neither is that the meaning when the Scripture saith that Christ descended, that he was sent down from heaven. And that of Christ in the forecited place is very notable to this purpose, John 3.13. No man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the son of man which is in heaven. He was then come down from heaven, he was then upon the earth, when he spoke these words, and yet he addeth, he was then in heaven too, even the son of man who is in heaven. He speaks not of his manhood, or his humane nature, that was not come down from heaven, for it had never been there at that time. And therefore he intends it manifestly of his Godhead in which he was come down from heaven, and yet he was in heaven too at the very same time. But how was he come down, if he were there? that is the great scruple. Not really, but in regard of declaration: Answ. He seemed to descend from heaven when he took our nature on him, assumed a despicable and a low condition, and walked up and down upon the earth like other men. It looked as if he had forsaken heaven, and was come down to dwell with men, as John 1.14. The word▪ saith he, was made flesh and dwelled amongst us. For there the Godhead is in Scripture said to be, where it appears, where it is manifested and declared to be. And therefore seeing Christ appeared in the flesh, and was God manifested in the flesh, who was till then in heaven, and did not show himself on earth, in such a manner and in such a way, he is said to have descended, to be sent down from heaven to earth: And so as Bernard speaks acutely, Non venit qui aberat, sed apparuit qui latebat. He came not who was absent, but appeared who was hid. And this prevents the answer to the second Querie, whither it was that Christ was sent, what was the terminus ad quem of this Mission? His Father sent him down (in the sense before expressed) into this lower world. And hence he calls himself, him whom the Father sanctified, and sent into the world, John 10.36. And the Apostle Paul accordingly affirms, that he descended into the lower parts of the earth, Ephes. 4.9. That is as Beza and some others understand it, he took up his abode and residence upon the earth, which is the lowest of the elements, the lowest part of this world. The great enquiry is, What errand and what business Jesus Christ is sent into the world about? with reference to which he is styled in my Text, Jesus Christ whom God hath sent. And this to say it in a word, my Brethren, he was sent to be a Mediator and a Reconciler between God and man, to make up all the breaches and all the differences between his Father and his people. So that you see he was dispatched upon a sweet errand. And here he had a double business, and a double work to do; To make Peace, and to preach Peace. First he was sent to make Peace, to do and suffer all that was necessary to compose the business between God and man: To satisfy his Father, and to pacify his Father, and so to make him friends with his people. And therefore God is said by him to reconcile even all things to himself, all things reconcilable, Col. 1.20. And he is said in the very same verse to have made peace by the blood of his Cross. This is the errand that he came upon. In this respect he is styled our peace, the Author and procurer of it. And he is called, the Messenger, the Angel of the Covenant, Mal. 3.1. to show us that the Message that his Father sent him in, was to bring men into a Covenant and agreement with himself. And this he did while he took all the matter of the Controversy between him and them out of the way, paid all the debts of his people, canceled all the bonds and bills that were against them, and nailed them to his Cross in the view of men and Angels, Col. 2.14. That all the world might know, that all the matters in debate between God and them were ended, and that he had no more against them. And when he had done this, he cried out, Consummatum est, The business which my Father sent me in, and which I came into the world about, is finished. Secondly, he was sent to preach Peace; As to procure and purchase it, so to reveal and publish it to his people. And truly if he had not done the latter, the former would have been to no purpose. And hence the Father hath dispatched him down into the world to do both; as to make Peace as a Priest, so to preach Peace as a Prophet. To let his people know there is a Peace obtained, or else how should it profit them if they should never hear of it? God hath anointed me to preach, saith Christ himself, Luke 4.17. To preach what? To preach the Gospel, which is the doctrine of atonement, to heal the , to preach deliverance to the captives, as it is added there in that place. Indeed he was appointed and designed to be the great Prophet, the great Preacher and Revealer of the will of God to men. And therefore the Apostle tells us, That God who in former times spoke to the Fathers by the Prophets, hath in the last days spoken to us by the Son. He was designed you see to be the Father's spokesman to the world, to tell them what his mind is, to preach the Gospel, the word of reconciliation to them. This was a great part of the errand which his Father sent him in, and therefore he is said to speak by him. And Christ himself acknowledges in this respect, My doctrine is not mine, saith he, but his that sent me, John 6.0. And when he had dispatched this part of his Embassy too, he told his Father, I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do: And what was that work? you have it in verse 6. I have revealed thy name, saith he, unto the men which thou hast given me out of the world. I have made known thy mercy to the Church, how ready and inclinable thou art to pardon them, and to be at peace with them. And now I have done this, the business thou hast sent me in is ended. I have no more to do in this world. And thus you see what business and what errand Christ is sent about. Now for the last thing, how he is qualified for the dispatch of this business, and the delivery of this errand, you must know that he is fully qualified every way. And you will easily conceive that God would never send his Son into the world, upon a business which he could not manage, and which he was not able to go through withal. And therefore as he hath sent forth his Son, so he hath qualified him absolutely for the business he hath sent him in, both with authority and with ability. He hath qualified him with authority, as his Ambassadors and Messengers must have, or else they are not capable of meddling with the affairs and the negotiations of their master. And therefore God hath furnished Jesus Christ with powers, with ample and complete authority for the Embassage he hath sent him in. All power is given to him without any limitation. You see he hath a large Commission, and consequently what he doth, concerning what he hath received in Commission, is as valid and effectual to all intents and purposes, as if God the Father did it. He hath not only set his seal to Christ's Commission, but he hath sealed Christ himself, Him hath God the Father sealed, john 6.27. So that he came into the world with the stamp, and with the seal of God upon him, that all men might receive him, as sent forth from him. As God hath qualified him with authority, so he hath qualified him with ability, for the effecting of the business, and the delivery of the errand which he sent him in. He hath made him fully able to go through with it, and to that end hath furnished him with a fullness of Merit, and a fullness of Spirit. A fullness of Merit to make Peace, and a fullness of Spirit to preach Peace. First as God hath sent him, so he hath furnished him with a fullness of Merit to make Peace. Made him able to the utmost, to satisfy his justice, and to obtain his pardon for his people. For he is God as well as man, in him dwelleth the fullness of the Godhead bodily. God, that his Merits might be valuable for us. Man, that his merits might be applicable to us. Secondly, as he hath furnished him with a fullness of Merit to make Peace, so of Spirit to preach Peace. The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, saith our Saviour, Luke 4.18. and by this Spirit he hath anointed me to preach the Gospel; as it is added there in that place. As he hath sent and appointed me to preach, so anointed me to preach. And therefore grace is said to be poured into the lips of Jesus Christ, Psal. 45.2. so that he spoke as never man did, john 7.46. That some were astonished at his doctrine, and all men bore him witness, and wondered, Luke 4.22. JOHN 17.3. And jesus Christ whom thou hast sent. Use 1 NOW is it so, that Jesus Christ is God's Apostle, a Messenger sent, etc. This than may teach us in the first place, to admire the mercy of the Lord; both of the Father and of the Son in this business. The mercy of the Father in sending Jesus Christ, and the mercy of the Son, in that he would be sent by him. In both of these the grace of God is eminent to admiration. Let us here observe and wonder at the mercy of the Sender. There was rich grace in this, that God the Father sent his Son into the world for our sakes. He is his Son, his only begotten Son, a Son that is extremely like him, the very picture of his Father, the express image of his person, a Son that never did displease him, a Son that he dearly loves, in whom his very soul delights, in which respect he lays him in his bosom, next his heart, as a choice and precious thing. And yet this Son of his he is content to part withal in some respect, that he and we might come together. To send him out of his bosom, and to dispatch him down into this lower world, there to continue for a while, that when he returned again, he might bring us up with him. Had God any need of us, that he should send his Son for us? Ah, my Beloved, he is self-sufficient, there is enough in him to make him happy everlastingly without us: But we must be for ever miserable without him. And therefore it was nothing else but free mercy that made him send down his beloved Son to us. Herein is love, saith the Evangelist, 1 john 4.10. not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son. Here is love, and here is mercy to be spoken of, and to be wondered at in all ages. Let us here take notice of the mercy of the Son, in that he would submit himself so far, as to become the Father's Messenger in this business. Though he be man, he is the Father's fellow notwithstanding, so he styles him, Zach. 13.7. Awake O sword against the man that is my fellow, saith the Lord of hosts. Though he be found in fashion as a man, he thinks it no robbery to be equal with God, every way as good as God, Philip. 3.6. And was it not an admirable condescension, that when the Father had a Message to dispatch into the world, for the recovery of lost creatures, Jesus Christ should say to him (as once the Prophet in another case) Here I am, send me. I am very well content to be sent of this errand. Especially if we consider, where and whither he was sent, from heaven to earth, yea to the lowest parts of the earth, as the expression is, Ephes. 4.9. In a sense to hell itself. From the bosom of the Father, if not into the place, into the state and the condition of the damned. In which respect, he saith, Thou shalt not leave my soul in hell, Psal. 16.10. He was sent to make peace, to reconcile us to his Father, as you heard before, in Explication of the point, and this he was to do by the blood of his Cross, as the Apostle shows us, Col. 1.20. By his extreme and bitter Passion, by suffering death itself, yea such a shameful and accursed death upon the Cross, accompanied with such ingredients, as made him roar, and sweat, and faint under it. And was it not a miracle of mercy, that Jesus Christ should yield himself to be sent on such an errand as this is? That he should willingly submit himself to be the Father's Messenger in such a business? We need not wonder, that he whose love and kindness was so full of wonder, should be called wonderful, Isa. 9.6. But you will say perhaps, Object. that this indeed was rare and admirable mercy, if Jesus Christ had willingly exposed himself to this for us. But it seems he was constrained, it was against his will. For he was afraid of it, Heb. 5.7. Yea more than so, he prayed against it, Mat. 26.39. Father if it be possible, saith he, let this cup pass from me. To this I answer, my Beloved, Answ. that Christ must be considered in a double notion and respect, either as a private man, or as a Mediator and a surety for his people. Take him as a private man who had assumed a nature to which death was an enemy, (especially so bitter and so sharp a death as he was now about to undergo) and so he justly feared it, and declined it. Take him as a public Surety and a merciful high-Priest, and so he willingly submitted to it. And this his willingness by reason of his Office was the greater, because his will by reason of his nature, could not choose but shrink from it. So that here was rich mercy: Had he done it by constraint, had he been enforced to it, there had been no such matter in it, (I confess) of admiration or thanksgiving. The praise had then been due to him that forced him, and not to him that was enforced. But that he should go forth of such an errand willingly for our sakes, that he should willingly expose himself to such a death for those who were not friends but enemies, both to his Father and himself. This was love, as the Apostle john speaks, Love in the height, and with a witness; love to astonishment and admiration. Is it so, that Jesus Christ is God's Apostle, a Messenger, etc. Then be Use 2 you all entreated to receive him, and to give him entertainment when he comes. Do not reject and slight a Messenger that comes from such a one as God is; you cannot but acknowledge that you own so much to any one whom God sends, as to give him fair quarter, and to show him all the kindness that you can. Indeed the carriage of the world to Jesus Christ in this respect is very shameful and unworthy. The Evangelist observes it, john 1.10, 11. that for the greater part he is neglected, slighted and despised on all hands. He came into the world, saith he, but they refused him, they did not account him worth the looking after. And why so? the cause is evident, they knew him not, as it is added there in that place. But yet the Jews, a man would think, who were his own, of whom he came according to the flesh, who knew the prophecies concerning him, should have received and entertained him. No, for the greater number of them, they were as bad, and as averse as it was possible for men to be. He came unto his own, his own friends, his own kindred, his own acquaintance, his own Nation, the people of his own Country; but though they were his own, they would not own him, nor embrace him; He came unto his own, and his own received him not. Yea more than so, it is observed, with reference to them, that God sent his Son among them, and they cast him out and slew him, Mat. 21.39. Now I beseech you, my Beloved, be not you like those men. Since Jesus Christ is God's Apostle and his Messenger, since he is sent from God to you, let him be received by you. When he comes to your doors, let him not stand knocking there, till his head be full of dew, and his locks with the drops of the night. No, open presently and let him in, and entertain him with such honour and respect as is agreeable and suitable to him who comes immediately from God, who is the Messenger and Ambassador of the great God of heaven and earth. And that you may the rather be prevailed withal, I shall present you with a few considerations. Consider Jesus Christ as he is sent forth from God, so he is sent on your business. The errand which he comes about concerns you, and therefore you have cause to look after him. If he were sent into the world about a matter that you had not to do withal, and that concerns you not at all, there were some colour that you should neglect him, that you should leave him to be entertained by those whose business he is come about. For what have you to do with him that comes upon a message to another man? But sure the errand and the business which our Saviour comes into the world about is yours, it is but reason that he should be entertained by you. And as the business which he comes about concerns you, so it concerns you for your good, and your advantage. It might be your business, and yet it might be but a bad business, such as you have no cause to hearken much after, nor to give any welcome entertainment to him that is employed about it. It might be for your hurt, and for your ruin, and your condemnation: But Jesus Christ is not sent into the world (at least he is not sent immediately and directly) upon any such errand. The Father disavows it, and saith, he did not send his Son into the world, to condemn the world, but that the world by him might be saved, John 3.17. And so doth the Son too, john 12.47. I came not to judge the world, but to save the world. So that you see Christ is the Messenger of God for good to you. He is not come to judge you and condemn you, but to save you. He comes not with a Writ of death, but with a Pardon, and a Pardon sealed with his own blood, and therefore you have cause to bid him welcome. He is sent to make Peace for you, and to preach Peace to you, as I have showed you formerly. The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, saith our Saviour, Isaiah 61.1. he hath anointed me to preach good tidings to the meek, he hath sent me to bind up the broken hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound, to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord. You see the errand he is sent upon is all sweetness, the message which he brings is nothing else but glad tidings of good things. And therefore let his very feet be beautiful, let his reception and his entertainment be answerable to his business. Consider that the Father, who hath sent the Son into the world, expects he should be well received and entertained by you. He looks for this at your hands, that you should honour his Ambassador, and use him with respect for his sake. Especially since he is not his Ambassador in ordinary; as he hath many such among you, every Minister is so. No, my Beloved, Jesus Christ is more than so, he is the Extraordinary Messenger and Ambassador of God, and therefore he will have him entertained with extraordinary honour and respect. And this is that which he suggesteth in the parable, Mat. 21.37. Last of all he sent his Son, saying, they will reverence my Son. He had sent many other Messengers before, and they despised and abused them, as you may see in that place. But last of all he sent his Son, the greatest and the best Ambassador he had to send, and said, though they have slighted other Messengers of mine, yet surely they will reverence my Son. Though they have abused my servants, they will not deal so with my Son, it is impossible they should be so unworthy to despise my Son. So that you see, my Brethren, when God sends his Son to you, he looks he should be well received and entertained by you. Consider, that if you deceive his expectation, he will take deep revenge upon you. If when he hath dispatched his own Son to you, you will not give him entertainment, but shut the doors against him, as it were, and turn him off with a refusal, it will fall heavy on you in the end. It is such a base affront, and high indignity to God and Christ, as he will never take from you. See the event of such a carriage in the close of the forecited parable, Mat. 21.41. He will miserably destroy those wicked men. Indeed the wickedness of those to whom Christ is never sent, is light and little in comparison of theirs. He is not sent to Heathen Nations, they hear not of him any way, God hath not favoured them so far as to dispatch his Son to them, to be a Mediator between him and them. And therefore their iniquity is comparatively small, and their Judgement will be easy. But Jesus Christ is sent to you, he is the Father's Messenger to you, and if you do not entertain him, your sin is great, and your damnation will be heavy: He will destroy others, but he will miserably destroy you: So that it will be easier for Tyre and Sydon, for Infidels and Heathens in the day of Judgement, then for you. Consider, if you receive this Messenger of God, and entertain him as you ought to do, he can do very much with God for you. You are all out with God by nature, he is an enemy to you, and you are enemies to him, your souls abhor him, and his soul abhors you, Zach. 11.8. Now Jesus Christ is sent to make peace, to make up all the breaches and the differences between God and his people. He can make you Gods friends, yea he can make you Gods children. This was the privilege of those that entertained him, john 1.12. To as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God. And this shall be your privilege, if you embrace him. And is it such a small thing in your eyes to be the children of the highest, to be the sons and daughters of the God of heaven and earth? Is it nothing to have free access to God by prayer and by supplication, to cry Abba Father to him? That whereas others live without God in the world, and have no refuge in their troubles, we have a Father to betake ourselves unto. Or is it nothing to have sure protection and defence, in such a time as this is? For can we think a Father, such a Father so powerful, and so merciful, will see his children sink and perish while he is able to relieve them? Or is it nothing to have such a great inheritance prepared for us, as God provideth for his children, that rich inheritance with Saints in light? All this we shall be sure to have, if we receive this Messenger of God. But you will ask me what I mean, when I persuade you to receive him? I will show you in a word, there go three things to it. You must so receive this Messenger of God, to hearken to him. An Ambassador you know is not received, unless the Prince or State to whom his Master sends him, give him audience. A Messenger is not received, unless you hear the message that he brings you. So Jesus Christ whom God hath sent, is not received unless you hear this Prophet, unless you hear him in his Ministers, unless you hear him in his Gospel-revelations of his mind and will to you. You must so receive him, to believe in him. This is indeed receiving of Christ. And therefore it is so explained, john 1.12. To as many as received him, to them gave, etc. As received him! what is that? even to them that believe in his name. So that receiving, is expounded by believing; as if the Holy Ghost had said, I mean not by receiving Christ, any friendly courteous entertainment that they give him, I do not mean receiving him into their houses, but I intent receiving him into their hearts by faith. And therefore by receiving, you must understand believing: So do you receive Christ. The only acceptable entertainment you can give him, is by faith, by believing in his name. The Messenger of God is ill received, unless he have the credit with us to be faithfully believed. You must so receive him, as to obey him. To hearken and to yield to him, in that which he delivereth to you in the name of him that sent him. You must not think to entertain this Messenger of God, as an underling to you, so as to rule him; no, you must be ruled by him. When he delivers his Embassage to you from his Father, and tells you what his pleasure is, as soon as you hear you must obey him. There must be no room for disputation or expostulation, but obedience. You must answer with the Jews, and with a better heart than they, All that the Lord commandeth we will do. And if you thus receive this Messenger of God, it will be a blessed time that he ever came to you. And thus we have at length dispatched two of the Arguments, with which our Saviour presses and enforceth the great petition that he makes to God the Father to be glorified by him. Whereof the former hath been taken from the end, why he desireth to have glory from the Father, viz. that he might be enabled to bring glory to the Father. Father glorify thy Son, that thy Son may also glorify thee. The second hath been drawn à Congruo, from Congruity: it was but meet and congruous that he should have glory from the Father, seeing he had power from him. As thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to, etc. And this is life, etc. The third remaineth to be entered on at this time, and this is drawn from the deserving cause. Christ had glorified the Father, and therefore thinks himself worthy to have glory from the Father. I have glorified thee on the earth, I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do: And now O Father, glorify me with thine own self. And here our Saviour doth these two things; he minds the Father what himself hath done, and then reminds him what he desireth him to do. First, He minds the Father what himself hath done, and that in two particulars; I have glorified thee on earth, I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do. And then reminds him hereupon, of that which he desireth him to do; And now O Father, glorify me with thine own self. As he had said before in the entrance of his prayer, Father, glorify thy Son: so that he reasons here from the desert to the reward, as he might do, though we cannot; for all the works of Christ were meritorious. This he had done for God, and therefore this he looks that God should do for him again. Begin we now with the first thing which our Saviour Christ had done, of which he minds the Father, as an inducement to glorify him with himself: I have glorified thee on the Earth. To glorify, is either really to make, or else to manifest, and to declare a person to be glorious. Christ could not make his Father glorious, because there was no time in which he was not infinitely and completely so. From everlasting he was absolutely glorious in himself: so that in this respect there could not be the least addition to him any way. The meaning is, that he had manifested and declared him to be glorious: that he had showed him in his glory to the world. And this is that which he expresses clearly in the following verse, saith he, I have made known thy name to the men which thou hast given me. And this he tells him he had done on earth. It was done in heaven before, the glory of the Lord was fully and immediately manifested there. And now saith Christ, it is done in earth too: I have glorified thee on earth. And hereupon he looks his Father should glorify him with himself in heaven, as it is added in the following words: So that the point to be observed is this. DOCTRINE. Who ever will be glorified with God in heaven, must glorify him first on Earth. Our Saviour Christ himself you see can have it on no other terms: And therefore he desires it only upon this account: saith he to God the Father, I have glorified thee on Earth, and now O Father, glorify me with thyself in heaven. According to his first desire in his beginning of his prayer, Father, glorify thy Son, q. d. I should not look for any glory from thee, unless I had brought glory to thee: I should be far from any expectation that thou shouldst glorify me with thyself in heaven, unless I were assured in myself, that I had glorified thee here upon the earth. But seeing I have done the former, I pray thee Father, do the latter: since I have glorified thee, let me be glorified by thee. And as it was with Christ the Head, so it must be in some degree with all the Members. No glory to be had in heaven, till they have glorified God on earth. It's true, they merit not the glory they receive from God, by that which they bring to God, as Christ did: but yet the one is not to be attained without the other. They that bring God no glory in the present world, shall have no glory from him in the world to come. The Lord indeed will render glory to every man that worketh good, and so glorifieth him; as the Apostle shows, Rom. 2.10. But unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, and so dishonour God in their lives and conversations, he will render nothing else but shame, and ignominy, and confusion. They shall be raised to everlasting contempt, Dan. 12.2. and be made spectacles of shame to men and Angels. Reas. 1 And the ground is evident, because so is the everlasting Counsel and Decree of God, which is not to be altered or reversed. Those whom he chooses for himself, whom he predestinateth to be glorified with him in the world to come: those he predestinateth also to bring glory to him in this present world. As he predestinateth such to the inheritance above, who is abundantly, and out of measure glorious, so he predestinates them also, that they should be to the praise of his glory, as the Apostle shows you, Eph. 1.11, 12. That he may manifest the riches of his glory in the vessels of mercy, which he had afore prepared unto glory: so that you see, as he prepares them unto glory, as he appoints them to be glorified themselves, so he prepares them, and appoints them to bring glory to himself, Rom. 9.23. To show forth the praises of him that hath called them to his Kingdom and glory: 1 Pet. 2.9. Thy people shall be all righteous, (saith the Lord of his Church) Isa. 60.21. The branch of my planting, the work of my hands, that I may be glorified. Not only that they may be glorified, but that I may be glorified too. And if this be the purpose and decree of God, will he not see it executed and fulfilled in all respects: as well with reference to his glory, as with reference to theirs? shall his Counsel be accomplished in the one, and not in the other? do you imagine that the Lord will be put off in such a fashion, that he will be disappointed of his end and of his purpose in such a business as this is? No, no, assuredly if he predestinate men, that they may be to the praise of his glory, as well as that they may be glorified by him: to his praise, and to his glory they shall be. And if they be not so at all, it is apparent they are not predestinated by him, and consequently they shall have no glory from him. Now is it so, my Brethren, that whoever will be glorified with God Use 1 in heaven, must glorify him first on earth: This than may serve to show the vanity of their conceit and apprehension, who look for glory in the world to come, and yet they bring the Lord no glory here. It is the miserable folly and delusion of the greater part of men, there is not one of us almost, but thinks that God will glorify him with himself hereafter. He is an extraordinary man that doth not feed himself with this fancy. And yet those very persons, many of them who are strong in this opinion, take no care to honour God in any of their ways, nor to bring him any glory: why, my beloved, how can you think now to be glorified with him? Jesus Christ, his own Son, the darling of his own bosom, could not have glory with him upon these terms. He did not once so much as look for it. Had he not glorified his Father here in this world, he would not have expected that he should have glorified him with himself in heaven; ye see he seeks it, and desires it only upon this account. And what now, do you think to speed better with the Father, than Jesus Christ, his own Son? do you imagine that you shall have glory from him, though you bring no glory to him? when Christ himself did not, could not obtain it upon such terms as these are; do you look in this regard to be preferred before Christ? to have the better of God himself? Ah my beloved do not gull your souls with this delusion. I beseech you think upon it; you, who by your lewd and vicious conversations dishonour God continually: you who lie in wickedness, and wallow in uncleanness, whose lives are full of nothing but profaneness, who are conscious to yourselves that God hath not a whit of glory brought him by you, unless ungodliness and sin will do it: To whom a man may truly say, as the Apostle doth to some, Rom. 2.24. The name of God is blasphemed by your means: do you expect that God should glorify you with himself in heaven, when you have done nothing else but dishonoured him on earth? believe it, he will be so far from this, that seeing he hath not been glorified by you, he will be glorified upon you. He made you for his glory, and glory he will have, either one way or another; he will not lose a farthing by you. And if he be not glorified by your holy conversation, he will be glorified in your damnation, and eternal ruin. And all the honour that you lose him here, he will fetch it out again, and have his pennyworths upon you in the world to come. There you must lie and burn, and there is no deliverance thence till you have paid the utmost farthing. Is it so, that whosoever will be glorified, etc. you then my Brethren, Use 2 that have thoughts aspiring to the glory of the world to come, and that desire to be partakers of it there, you see the course you are to take; you must make this your work and business, how you may glorify the Lord here, how you may set him up, and show him in his beauty, and his lustre to the world. And though you can make no addition to him in himself, yet let this be your endeavour all your days, to bring in some accruments to his honour among men, that they may honour him the more by your means: that so when you come to die, you may bespeak him, as our Saviour doth, when he was ready to be offered up. We have glorified thee on earth, and now O Father, glorify us with thyself. Now there are two ways especially, in which you may bring glory to the Lord; either in a way of vocal declaration, or in a way of real representation: And both these ways you must endeavour to bring glory to him here, if you desire to have glory from him hereafter. First, Glorify him in a way of vocal declaration; let your tongues be the Trumpeters of his glory, while you are speaking upon all occasions, of things that tend to the advancement of the honour and the praise of God. Any thing that you conceive will set him up, and raise him in the thoughts of those whom you discourse withal, be sure that you insist upon it, and enlarge it to the utmost; let the name, and let the attributes, and let the works of God lose nothing by your means. Glorify him, as Christ did by manifesting and by making known his name to men, by telling what he is, and what he doth, by setting forth his power, and mercy, and the like, that such as hear may magnify him, and admire him. Study God-exalting speeches, and expressions, and discourses, and enure your tongues to them, that you may have them ready upon all occasions, when there is any opportunity, for God's honour. Secondly, Glorify him also in a way of real representation; and here let him be glorified in what you are, and what you do. 1. Let God be glorified in what you are; let his glory shine upon you by reflection, according to the Prophet's Exhortation, Isa. 60.1. Arise, and shine, for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee. Be you the monuments of his praise, the emblems of his love, and of his mercy, the standing pillars on which his goodness is engraven, to be read and seen of men. Do you show forth the praises, or as we find it rendered in the margin, the virtues of him that hath called you, 1 Pet. 2.9. That every one that looks upon you, & observes you, may see the goodness, and the grace, and holiness of God in you. That they may say, if there be so much in the stream, what is there in the spring and in the fountain? If there be so much in the beam, what is there in the Sun of righteousness himself? If there be so much virtue in them that are called, what is there then in him that hath called them? This makes much for God's praise, and so indeed in showing forth the virtue, we show forth the praise and the glory of him that hath called us. He hath made me (saith the Church) a polished shaft, a choice, a special, and a polished piece of work, and said unto me, thou art my servant, in whom I will be glorified. When God makes such curious pieces, and hangs them forth in the view of all the world, he is glorified in them. 2. Let God be glorified, as in what you are, so in the second place, in what you do, yea, in every thing you do. Let this be the utmost aim of all your actions. Your acts of nature, as eating, or drinking, or the like, let these be done with reference to God's glory; as the Apostle Paul exhorts to eat and drink to the glory of God, 1 Cor. 10.31. Your civil actions, your trading, dealing, and commercing in the world, your buying, selling, giving, lending, your care and labour in your calling, let these have the same end; You see the rule is universal in the fore-alledged Text, whatsoever else you do. Your holy and religious duties, let those have this aspect and aim, that you may glorify the Lord, and not yourselves in them. That when men see your good works, your frequent hearing, praying, fasting, bounty to the poor Saints, they may glorify not you the doers of them, but your Father which is in heaven. And in a word, (my Brethren) no action is exempt from this direction. And hence saith the Apostle, 1 Pet. 4.11. If any speak, let him speak as the Oracles of God: if any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God giveth, that God in all things may be glorified, through Jesus Christ. What then, it may be you will interpose and ask, Object. may a man aim at nothing else but God's glory? may he propound no other end in any thing he undertakes? may he have no respect to others, to himself? this is a hard saying, who can hear it? The rule (as you have heard) is universal: Answ. but that you may the better understand the meaning of it, & that your conscience may not be entangled, you must know, that other ends may be propounded in our actions, in a way either of subordination, or else of opposition to the glory of God. A man may aim at nothing else, no other end, in opposition to his glory: all such must of necessity be laid aside. But other ends may be intended in subordination to it; they may be looked upon as far as they may be subservient to this, which ought to be the ultimate, the utmost end of all our actions. A man in his endeavours and painful labours in his calling, may aim at the increase of his Estate: Not that he may be lifted up above his brethren, not that he may consume it on his Lusts, or make it fuel to maintain his pride, or his intemperance, or the like. These may not be his ends, because they stand in opposition to the great and utmost end; but that God may be honoured, while he is not burdensome by his remissness and his negligence, (but rather hath to give to him that needeth.) And while he makes provision for his family, and those that have dependence on him: which he that provideth not for, is worse than an Infidel. Thus we must make the very duties of our callings pay tribute to the honour of our God, who keeps his servants, not as poor men do, for need; but as rich and great men do, for their magnificence, and state, and glory. And as the hatchet serves to make the pin, the pin to hold the timber, the timber to receive the tile, and all refers to this supreme and utmost end, to build the house: we may aim at divers ends, but all of them must be subservient, and helping onward to this utmost end, the glory of God. JOHN 17.4. I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do. AND thus far of the first thing which our Saviour Christ had done, of which he minds his Father, as an inducement to him to glorify him with himself. I have glorified thee on earth. The second follows now in order to be handled, which he proposes also for the very same end, I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do. And here I shall take notice only of these two things: First, what it was that Christ did, and then the manner how he did it. First, what it was that Christ did, the work which God the Father had committed to him, which he had put into his hands, which he had given him to do. And then the manner how he did it, he did it absolutely and completely. He did not enter on it and desist again, he did not give it over when he had begun; no, he followed and pursued it, till he had brought it to perfection. I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do. At this time I shall fasten on the first of these, what it was that Christ did, the work which God the Father put into his hands, which he had given him to do. To give, is sometimes nothing else but to ordain, or to appoint, or to impose a thing upon another. And therefore they that have the legislative power, are said with us to give Law. That is, by their authority to enact it and impose it on those that are subjected to their power. And to the same effect our Saviour Christ himself uses the very same expression, John 13.34. A new Commandment give I unto you: because he laid it on them now by his authority, as he was Mediator of the Church, and so accordingly the King and Ruler of his people. So in my Text, you see, he makes mention of the works which God had given him to do. That is, which he had laid upon him, and appointed him to do. The business which he had designed him, ordained him, and enjoined him to dispatch in this world. This was the work he was employed about, that which his Father ordered him to do, he did. I have finished the work, saith he, which thou gavest me to do. So that the point suggested here is this. DOCTRINE. That Jesus Christ was ordered by his Father, in the work he did in this world. The task which his Father set him, the work which his Father gave him, that he did. As he was Man and Mediator, he did not do things of his own head (if I may reverently express it so) not his eye was on his Father for direction. He looked to have his Warrant and Authority for what he did. His Father gave him works before he did them. And this is that which he professes very often, that he came down from heaven, not to do his own will, but the will of him that sent him, John 6.38. not to do his own works, but the works of him that sent him. Yea, more than so, he tells us plainly, that a necessity in this respect is laid upon him. I must work the works of him that sent me, john 9.4. And hence he calls the works he did, and which he was employed about, his Father's works, john 10.37. And is content that all the credit which he had or looked to have among the people, should be put to this issue, If I do not my Father's works, saith he, believe me not. So that the works he did, you see, were his Fathers, not his own. No doubt they were in this respect his own, that he was the immediate agent of them. But in another way they were his Fathers, in that he was the orderer and disposer of them. His they were, as being done by his direction, and by his command. That Text is full and home to this purpose, and parallel to this which I am handling, john 5.36. The works which the Father gave me, the same works I do. These very works and no other. So that you see, my Brethren, Jesus Christ was ordered, etc. To open this a little further, the works of Jesus Christ, as he was Man and Mediator, were principally and especially of two sorts. Either of satisfaction, or of application. His works of satisfaction, by which he fully and completely answered the Justice of his Father for the sins of all the world, if you respect the Merit and the Value of these works of his. His works of application, by which this satisfaction came to be applied, and so accordingly to be effectual to such particular and individual men. Now in both these works of his, he was ordered by his Father, as I shall show you briefly and in order. First he was ordered by his Father in his works of satisfaction; Those which he did to satisfy his Justice, and to pacify his anger, and so accordingly to reconcile him to his people. Now these works of satisfaction may be reduced especially to two heads: For they were either works of active, or else they were works of passive obedience. And I will show you that his Father ordered him in both these. 1. Jesus Christ was ordered by his Father in his works of active obedience. He did them by his Father's rule, and in subjection to his Fathers Law. For though, if you look downwards, he gave Law to others, and therefore he is called the Lawgiver; yet on the other side, if you look upwards, he received Law from God the Father. And therefore the Apostle saith that he was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, under the Law, Gal. 4.4. That is, as some translations read it, subject to the Law. Subject to the Ceremonial Law, and therefore circumcised. Subject to the Moral Law, and therefore conversant in all the works and duties of holiness to God, and of righteousness to man. And this not only as a Man, but as a Mediator and a Surety in our stead. He sanctified himself, and lived holily, and consequently in obedience to the Law and will of God for our sakes. What the Law could not do in us, it did in Christ, as the Apostle Paul intimates, Rom. 8.3. It could not make us perfectly obedient, but it made Christ so. It could not be fulfilled in us, but it was fulfilled in Christ, and by Christ, in our stead, and for our sakes. He lived exactly by his Father's Rule and Law in every thing; his works were always regulated by his Father's will, and therefore he is said to do them in his Father's name, John 10.25. that is, by his authority, and according to his pleasure and command. It is my meat and drink, saith he, when he was so intent upon the business of saving the poor woman of Samaria, to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work; John 4.34. 2. Jesus Christ was ordered by his Father, as in his works of active, so in his works of passive obedience: He did what he would have him do in both these. And therefore when he was about to suffer, and when the nature which he had assumed was averse, he came at length to this Conclusion, not my will, but thine be done: Mat. 26.39. Father, if it be possible, saith he, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt. Here it is evident, he did his Father's will, and not his own. And therefore it is said, He became obedient to the death, even the death of the Cross, Phil. 2.8. To show that he submitted to it, in obedience to the Father; And therefore when the Article of death was come, which was the compliment of his passive obedience, he cried out, It is finished— The work which I have undertaken, and which the Father imposed upon me, is accomplished and dispatched. Just as he tells the Father in my Text, when he was about to suffer; I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do. In this respect is that expression of our Saviour, John 16.10. The Spirit (saith he) will convince the world of righteousness, that is, full and perfect righteousness wrought out by me for all my people. And why so? because, saith he, I go to my Father, and ye see me no more. If I had not performed the work of my obedience absolutely and completely; if I had not done enough to satisfy the justice of my Father for the sins of all my Members, and so to justify them, and to make them fully righteous, you should be sure to see me again. If I had not done, and suffered all that I was appointed and designed to do before my going up to God the Father, he would be sure to send me down again among you; But now, because I go and stay with him; because I go to my Father, and you see me no more; you may be confident that all is well, that I have ended all the business that my Father hath ordered me to finish and dispatch in this world. So that you see, my brethren, Christ was ordered by his Father in his works of satisfaction: whether they were works of active, or whether they were works of passive obedience. Christ was ordered by his Father, as in his works of satisfaction, so in works of application: I mean, in those works of his by which that satisfaction came to be applied, and so accordingly to be effectual. Now this he doth, I mean, he makes it applicable and effectual (for he doth all in this business) by working faith in the hearts of his people. And faith he works, First, By the outward promulgation of the Word: and Secondly, By the inward operation of the Spirit. In both of which, while he was conversant upon the Earth, he was ordered by his Father. 1. First, In his outward promulgation of the Word, or in his preaching, Jesus Christ was wholly ordered by his Father. He appointed him precisely, both to whom he should preach, and what he should preach: First, He appointed him to whom he should preach, and that was not to the Gentiles, but to the people of the Jews only. And hence said Christ to the woman of Canaan, Mat. 15.24. I am not sent but to the lost sheep of the house of Israel: As he was sent by God the Father, so he appointed him to whom he should go, and what he should say: He was the Father's Messenger, the Father's spokesman to the world, and therefore he put words into his mouth: In which respect it is, that God is said to speak unto us by the Son, Heb. 1.2. The Son doth not speak himself, he doth not speak his own thoughts, as he is man and Mediator, but God speaks to us by him. So that he speaks his Father's mind, he publishes his Father's will and pleasure to the world. In which respect our Saviour saith, my doctrine is not mine, but his that sent me, John 7.16. See how the Father order him in this business: Mat. 12.18. A bruised reed shall he not break, and smoking flax shall he not quench, until he send forth judgement into victory. And so accordingly our Saviour tells us, that his Father had appointed him, both that he should preach, and what he should preach. He hath anointed me to preach, (saith he) Isa. 61.1. to preach, what? good tidings to the meek, to proclaim liberty to the Captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound, to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord. And this order of the Fathers he obeyed, and therefore it is much to be observed, that he begun his public Ministry with this; The first Sermon he preached in Nazareth, his own Country, was upon this Text, as you may see, Luke 4.18. 2. Secondly, Jesus Christ was ordered by his Father, as in that work of application of his satisfaction, which is done in the external promulgation of the Word: so in that work of application of it, which is done by the internal operation of the Spirit. He did not by his Spirit draw any to himself, nor work faith in the hearts of any, that so his satisfaction might be actually applied to them, but only those that were appointed to it by his Father. Those whom his Father gave him by Election, whom he designed him to justify, and sanctify, and save, those he saved, and no others. Our Saviour Christ as he was man, was not to choose whom he would make partakers of his satisfaction, to whom he would apply the merits of his passion: no, he must take such as his Father was contented to bestow upon him. That place is notable to this purpose, John 6.37, 38. All that the Father giveth me shall come to me, and I will raise them up, and give them everlasting life: all them, and only them. And why so? For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me. My own will as I am man, would carry me to justify and save a greater number. But in this I must be ordered, I must remember I am come to do my Father's will, and not my own, and therefore I must be contented with those whom he is pleased to allot me. I am come that they might have life (saith Jesus Christ) John 10.10. They, who? why his sheep, as he explains it both before and after, I am the do●r of the sheep, and I am come, that they may have life. And at verse 27. My sheep hear my voice, and I give unto them eternal life. But how comes Christ by these sheep? why by his Fathers own gift. And therefore it is added in the very next words, My Father which gave them me, is greater than all. So that it is as if our Saviour Christ had said, I am dispatched into the lower world, to save those whom the Father hath bestowed upon me. All them, and none but them. I must be wholly ruled by him in this business. By this time, I suppose, the point is fully cleared, That Jesus Christ was ordered by his Father, etc. And it was fit he should be so: the reasons of congruity are such as these. Reason 1 As Man, he was the Father's Creature, and therefore fit he should be ordered by the Father. It is but reason that the Creature should be in every thing disposed and regulated by the will of the Creator. That he that gives it being, should give it Law, to guide the motions and the operations of the being. That he that makes it, should govern it, and rule it too. And that it should be wholly at his pleasure and dispose, from whom it hath its esse, and its operari. And therefore seeing Jesus Christ, if you respect his humane nature, is a Creature, it stands with reason that he should be wholly regulated and disposed according to the pleasure of his Father. Reason 2 And as he is the Father's Creature, so in the second place, he is the Father's servant. So that he calls him, Isa. 42.1. Behold my servant. And servants are to do their Master's will, and not their own, they are in every thing to be ordered by their Master. And therefore it is very notable, that God the Father having called our Saviour servant, speaketh of him so, as one that would be regulated and disposed by him. Behold my servant, whom I uphold, he shall show judgement to the Gentiles, he shall not strive nor cry, etc. A bruised reed he shall not break, and so on. Thus and thus he shall do, and this he shall not do, saith God the Father: He is my servant, and I will order him at my pleasure; And so our Saviour Christ himself professes upon all occasions, that he will be obedient to the Father, as a servant ought to be, and that he will do nothing any otherwise then he would have him. Use 1 Is it so that Jesus Christ was ordered by his Father in the work he did in this world? And first of all in the work of satisfaction? Here than we may behold, and wonder at the admirable condescension of our blessed Saviour, that being God coequal with the Father, he should in his assumed nature stoop so low, and submit himself so far for our sakes. It's true my Brethren, as he was a man, he was wholly to be ordered in matter of obedience, by his Father's will, so far as it was manifested in the Law, which he hath universally imposed on all mankind. And this if he assumed the nature; he was not able to avoid. But this work of satisfaction by his bloody death and passion was another thing. It was not any way required of him by the Law of nature, nor did it lie upon him, as he was a man; but it was that in which he willingly submitted to be ordered by his Father for our redemption and salvation. And therefore he is said to give himself to death for us: as you may see that place for instance, Gal. 2.20. He loved us, and gave himself for us. To offer up himself, Heb. 7.27. To humble himself, and become obedient (conceive it passively obedient) to the death, yea, the death of the Cross. So that he was not forced in this respect, you see, to obey his Father's order. He was not humbled and made obedient, but he humbled himself, and became obedient, and that to the death. And this he clearly intimateth in that speech of his Joh. 10.18. No man takes my life from me, I have power to lay it down (that is, to lay it down of choice and free election, so that I cannot be constrained to it) and I have power to take it up again. And certainly if he had power to take it up again when he had lost it, than he had much more power to keep it while he had it. And hence his death is called a sacrifice, because he voluntarily submitted to it. He gave himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God. This death of his arose not out of the Condition of his Nature, neither was it inflicted on him by an excess of strength in those that brought him to it. But he submitted to it in obedience to his Father, and in love to his people. Ah, my Beloved, what a miracle of mercy was there in this Condescension? That Jesus Christ should stoop in this to be ordered by his Father. His obedience to the death, the death of the Cross, was not of necessary duty, as his obedience to the Law was, for that his very Nature called for, but it was of humility. He stooped below himself in this obedience, he humbled himself and became obedient. And now my Brethren should not we stoop, and should not we be humbled as Christ was? The Father ordered him to suffer for us, and he readily and willingly obeyed that order. Suppose he order us to suffer for our Saviour Christ again, shall we not willingly obey his order too as Christ did? Shall Christ take up his Cross for us, and shall not we take up our Cross for him? I do not say we should draw crosses and afflictions on ourselves, but if they come upon us for our Saviour's sake, we should not take them as imposed on us, but we should set our shoulders to them, and cheerfully submit ourselves to bear them. But oh the tenderness of men to suffer any thing for Christ? If crosses, and afflictions, and persecutions come upon them for his sake, how do they murmur and repine? Ah my Beloved, remember the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, who when he was equal to God, he humbled himself and became obedient, etc. And will you grumble at a little shame, a little trouble, a little loss of outward things for his sake? Oh my Beloved, learn at length to be ordered as Christ was. To suffer willingly for him, who suffered willingly for you. And to make you willing to it, I shall present you but with two Considerations. 1. First though you should suffer much, remember yet the time of suffering is not long. The season from our Saviour's Incarnation even to the final dissolution of the World, as some expound it, is but an hour, as the Apostle John calls it. And alas what are our lives, but as it were a little minute of that hour? And shall we be so facile and tender, to sink under so short a suffering? I say to you of suffering as once our Saviour Christ of watching. Can you not suffer with him one hour? What, is your patience out so soon, will it not hold for one hour? Are you so quickly weary of so short a Cross? Oh be ashamed of such unworthy Cowardice as this is. 2. Consider, if you suffer with him (conceive it willingly and in sincerity) you shall also reign with him, 2 Tim. 2.12. There is no ordinary way to come to reign with Christ hereafter, but by suffering with him here, and by suffering willingly as he did. For if you do it of necessity, and of constraint (as the Apostle tells us in another case) you have your reward. But if you suffer willingly as he did, than you shall reign as he doth. And though you be not worthy, yet you shall be counted worthy of the Kingdom for which you suffer, as the Apostle Paul speaks, 2 Thes. 1.5. Use 2 Is it so, that Jesus Christ was ordered by his Father as in his work of Satisfaction, so in his work of Application? Did he apply the merit and the virtue of his satisfaction to none but those to whom the Father ordered him? Let no man then find fault with Christ, that no more are saved by him; and that no more are made partakers of the benefit and profit of his passion. Alas, my Brethren, Jesus Christ as Mediator, is not to choose to whom he will apply the satisfaction which himself hath made, no, he must follow the direction and order of his Father in this business. The work which his Father giveth him to do, that he must do, and no other. If he bid him save a man, and apply his merits to him, he must do it. If he bid him pass him by, he must leave him in his sins, to perish and be damned for ever. I am come down from heaven, saith our Saviour, not to do my own will, but the will of him that sent me. And this is the Father's will, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, Joh. 6.39. I am precisely ordered to see that not a man of them perish. As for the rest they may, they must be lost for me, it is not in my power to help them. All that the Father gives him he can keep and save, further than this his Commission doth not reach. No doubt the will of Jesus Christ, as he was Man, would have carried him to save those whom his Father had appointed to destruction. But he must stoop in this to the will of him that sent him. There is no question if he had been free in this regard, he would have pitched upon his own Countrymen, his own Allies, his own Kindred before others. But the Evangelist observes, he came to his own (among them he began his Ministry) but he did no good there, his own received him not. And therefore you shall find it in his story, that as man he was extremely troubled at the unbelief and hardness of the people's hearts. He wept over Jerusalem with many tears. Why, you will say, what needed this, he might have wrought upon them, and converted them, and saved them. No my Beloved, he could not do it, he had no order for it from his Father. This belonged not to the work which he had given him to do. And yet as Man he pitied and lamented their condition, as we should do in such a case, he being in all things like unto us, sin only excepted. And certainly this pity over lost Creatures was no sin. Now this me thinks should overcome and melt the hearts of Reprobates themselves to Jesus Christ, and make them to relent towards him. Alas he pities you, and mourns over you: his very bowels yern towards you: he delights not in your ruin and destruction. No, he hath such a tender heart (though yours be hard) that it is troublesome and grievous to him. But why then doth he not relieve and help us, you will say? Why he hath no order for it. His Father hath appointed him to whom, and whom alone he shall apply the merits of his passion, and you perhaps are none of that number. So that it is not any of the business that he came into the world about to save you. The work of your salvation is not given him to do, and if it be not given him, he cannot do it; so that the fault is not in Jesus Christ, if any of you perish and be lost for ever. Neither is there any reason why you should be exasperated and incensed against him. Is it so, that Jesus Christ was ordered by his Father in the work, etc. Use 1 And why then should not we be ordered by him too in all the work we do in this world? Shall Jesus Christ be in subjection to the Father, more than we? Shall he be ordered by him, more than we? Shall he be at the Father's pleasure and command in every thing, and we be free? What an unreasonable and incongruous thing were this? Nay, my Beloved; should we not in imitation of our blessed Saviour stoop to God as he did? and do the work which he hath given us to do? and so walk as we have Christ for an Example? But alas, how do the greater number of us swerve from this pattern? Either we do the good, or else we do the evil which God hath not given us to do, I shall speak a word to either. First some do the good which God hath not given them to do; the work is good, but it is not their work. It is given other men, but yet it is not given them to do. The work that Vzziah did, was for the matter of it very good. The incense which he meant to offer was such as was prescribed in the Law, the place in which he meant to offer was the Temple, the Altar upon which he meant to offer, was consecrated to the Lord, the God to whom he went to offer was the true God. But he was not a person qualified and fit to offer, he was not called to that service. This good work was not given him to do. And therefore God was very angry with him, and he was stricken with a foul disease. The like we see exemplified in Saul, the error was not in the Sacrifice he offered, nor in the object of his offering, the person unto whom he offered, but only in the person that did offer; The work was good, but it was not his work, he had no order for the doing of it, and therefore he was utterly ejected from the Kingdom, 1 Sam. 13.13. There are some works that belong to some callings as proper and peculiar to them. Some works that are peculiar to the Magistrate, or else the Magistrate hath no distinct calling. Some works that are peculiar to the Minister, or else the Minister hath no distinct calling, For that is no distinct calling that hath not some distinct work. Some works there are which God hath given to the Magistrate, as a Magistrate, to do. Some works there are which God hath given to the Minister, as a Minister, to do, and these works, they that are not called to them may not do. Or if they do, when they have ended them, they cannot say to God as Christ doth, I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do. Secondly, as some do the good which God hath not given them to do, so some others do the evil which God hath given none to do. They do that usually which God commandeth not at all, neither comes it into his heart. They look not what the Lord hath ordered them to do. Their eyes are not upon him for direction any way, but what they have themselves a mind to do, that they are employed in. They are a rule unto themselves, and walk according to their own counsels. They follow the way of their own hearts, and the sight of their own eyes. They are not guided by the will of God, but by the will of man, and the will of the flesh, as it is called 1 Joh. 13. which stands in opposition to the will of God. God may order what he will, and they will do what they please. For tell me, my Beloved, when you swear, and when you are unclean, and when you run out to all excess of riot, when you profane the Sabbaths, and the Ordinances of the Lord, when you do things that are apparently and grossly evil, which admit of no excuse. Are these the works which God hath given you to do? Can you look him in the face and tell him so? When you lie, and when you cousin, and deceive, do you these things by his order? No my Beloved, no such matter: This is the will of God, even your sanctification, that as he who hath called you is holy, so you should be holy in all manner of conversation. And therefore while you wallow in your lusts, while you defile yourselves with every sin, you do not follow God's order, you do not walk by his rule, but are a rule unto yourselves. I wish that such would seriously consider but these two things. First, It is the fearfullest and the extremest judgement that God can bring on any man in this life, to give him so far over to himself, to neglect his order, & the direction he is pleased to give him, and to walk according to his own counsel: who when he permits men as he did the Gentiles, Act. 10.16. to wallow in their own ways, the ways which of themselves they choose and follow. This is a formidable thing indeed. And therefore he is wont to execute this in the close of all, as the heaviest of his judgements, as having nothing left but this to show the fierceness of his wrath and fury on a person, or a people. When he hath proved and tried men every way, and nothing will prevail with them, this is the last, the parting blow, he gives them over to themselves, and so he leaves them, And this is certainly the worst that the Almighty God can do to them. Secondly, If you will not be ordered by the Lord in one way, you shall be ordered by him in another. If you will not be ordered by the precept, you shall be ordered by the threatening. If you will not do his will, his will shall certainly be done upon you. If you submit not here to his commanding will, you shall be forced to submit to his condemning will hereafter. Here you say, you will not hear, you will not do, the Lord commands you this and that, but you resist and stand it out, and you will not be obedient. But tell me Brethren, are you able to outstand the curse and vengeance of the Lord, in the last and dreadful day, when he shall be revealed from Heaven with his mighty Angels? And when the Lord shall order you to go to Hell, and say, Depart you cursed into everlasting fire, will you be able to resist and to disobey that order? Will you be able to control him, and hinder him from executing the sentence of the Law upon you? No, no, you break the bonds and cords of God here, but then the Lord will bind you fast enough, in everlasting chains of darkness, break and rend them if you can. The haughtiness of men shall be brought low, and God alone shall be exalted in that day. And therefore I beseech you, my Beloved, eye the Lord in all your ways, and see what work it is that he giveth you to do. Be sure he give it you before you do it. And this indeed is to be men after Gods own heart, when you do Gods will. I have found David, saith the Lord, Psal. 89.20. called, Act. 13.22. A man after my own heart, who will do all my wills. And if you thus do, God will own you in the latter day, and liberally reward you too. After you have done the will of God, you shall receive the promise, that is, the happiness and mercy promised, Heb. 10.36. In doing of your own will, or the wills of other men, perhaps you may attain some transitory riches, pleasures, honours, poor fleeting things, which in the end will perish with you. But if you do the will of God, this will perpetuate and Eternize you, and make you to endure for evermore, 1 Joh. 2.17. The world passeth away, and the lusts thereof, but he that doth the will of God abideth for ever. JOHN 17.4. I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do. AND thus far of the first Particular considered in the words, what it was that Christ did, the work which God had given him to do. The Second follows now in order to be handled, viz. The manner how he did it; he did it absolutely and completely, I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, I have made an end of it. Now a work is ended then, when it is so dispatched, that there is no remainder of it to be done. When there is nothing left of it imperfect and unfinished. So that there can be nothing added to it any way, to make it more accomplished and complete. And this is that which Jesus Christ affirmeth of himself, in relation to the work that was committed to him of his Father, saith he, I have gone through with it, I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do, or I have brought it to a full end. But had he so completed it, and ended it indeed, when he put up this supplication to his Father? Was there no remainder of it to be done? Why, the great work of all was yet behind, the offering of himself upon the Cross, as an oblation and Sacrifice to God the Father. He had not yet laid down his life for his people. Yet this he was designed to do, his Father had appointed him to tread the Wine-press of his wrath, and to become an offering for sin. In which respect the holy Ghost affirmeth of him, that it behoved Christ to suffer. There was a necesse in it, because it was the Father's pleasure that it should be so, it was the work that he had given him to do, and how then saith our Saviour here, before his passion, and before his suffering, I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do. To this Interpreters give various answers, according to their various apprehensions of our Saviour's meaning in the words. Some think he speaks by way of prophecy, and so makes mention of that which was indeed to come, as if it had been past already, which is a very usual thing in Scripture; In such a manner spoke the holy Prophet David, as a Type or Figure of our Saviour, long before him, Psal. 22.16. They have pierced my hands and feet, my garments they have parted, and cast lots upon my vesture. They had not done it then, but it is spoken by anticipation. And so our Saviour, I have finished the work which thou hast given me to do. I am about it, and I shall as certainly go through with it, as if it were already perfect and consummate. Others conceive our Saviour's meaning to be only this, I have finished the work, viz. in purpose and in preparation. In that I have laid the groundwork and foundation of it, I have assumed the humane nature, I have preached the Gospel freely, I have by my Reproofs and Miracles, and many other ways sufficiently exasperated and enraged the Jews to crucify me, and so to make an end of this business. And consequently I have done as much as lies in me to finish it, and to bring it to perfection. The plainest and most genuine Exposition, (as it shows to me) is that of Calvin, which Beza and some others after him have rested in. And it is to this purpose, I have finished the work, that is, as if our Saviour Christ had said, I have as good as finished it. My death and passion is at hand, I am now ready to be offered up, so that my work is upon the matter ended. And thus because the Consummation of it was so near approaching, he minds his Father of it, as a thing that was already perfectly accomplished, and fulfilled. I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do. Well then, my Brethren, finish it he did, you see he pleads it to his Father, and so accordingly the Point on which I shall insist is this. DOCTRINE. That Jesus Christ did not do his work by halves, but he went through with the business that was committed to him by his Father. He did not enter on it and desist again, he did not give it over when he had begun, and leave it incomplete and inconsummate. No, he followed and pursued it, till he had made an end of it, till he had brought it to perfection. It is his own assertion of himself, who is the faithful and the true witness, and that in Prayer to his Father, I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do. So that we need no other testimony to induce us to believe it. He tells us in another place, that it was his meat and drink to do the the will of him that sent him, and to finish his work, Joh. 4.34. He was about the work of the Conversion of the woman of Samaria, and many of the people of the City with her, and he was so intent upon it, that he would neither eat nor drink, till he had done it. And as the Father put his work into his hands, to this end, that he might go through with it, and dispatch it, as he himself acknowledges, John 5.36. Where he styleth it, the work which God had given him to finish, so he did accordingly. And therefore when he came to die, he cried out, it is finished, john 19.30. The work of God's Commission, and of Man's Redemption and Salvation is accomplished, so that I have no more to do in this world. In which respect perhaps is that expression, Heb. 2.10. It became him for whom are all things (that is the Father) to make the Captain of our Salvation perfect through sufferings. Perfect as a Mediator, and as a reconciler between God and Man, because when he had suffered once, his work was perfect, so that there could be nothing added to it to make it more consummate and complete. The point is plain, etc. Yea, but it seems there was something yet behind, Object. there was a remainder, if not of the active, at least of the passive obedience of Christ, which was a part, if not the greatest part of his work. Or else what is the sense of the Apostle in those words of his, Col. 1.24. I now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions, or sufferings of Christ. All was not finished then it seems, it was not so completely ended, but there needed some addition. For clearing this, my Brethren, you must know there is a twofold passion of Christ, the one in his proper and natural, Answ. the other in his mystical Body. The one in his own flesh, the other in the flesh of his members. The one for the Redemption and the Reconciliation; the other for the Edification and Confirmation of the Church. The first sort of sufferings may be styled 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the former afflictions of Christ endured in his own flesh, of which we have read at the 22. ver. You hath he reconciled through death in the body of his flesh. The latter sort are called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, the after afflictions of Christ, endured in the flesh of his members, in the verse now cited. I fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh. Now, my Beloved, there is nothing behind of that first sort of sufferings of Christ, endured in his own flesh, for the Redemption of the Church. There is nothing wanting to them, there is no such indigency or failing in them, as to need a supplement or a supply by the after afflictions of Martyrs or Saints. No, my Beloved, the Passion of our Saviour is complete and full, he finished it himself upon the Cross. It was the last word that he spoke, before he yielded up his soul into the hands of God the Father. And since it was his last, his dying word, the sin were the greater, if we should not believe him. But there is much behind of the latter sort of sufferings of Christ, endured in the flesh of his members. And these are more and more completed every day. For even as the Father did determine the number and measure of the sufferings of Christ, which he should endure in his natural body, which he accordingly accomplished and fulfilled. So he hath also determined the number and measure of the sufferings of Christ in his mystical body, which they accordingly, must accomplish and fulfil. So that every persecution and affliction that any of his members suffer, abates the number and the tale, lesseneth the heap of those afflictions. And hence it was that the Apostle Paul rejoiced, because he filled up that which was behind of the sufferings of Christ in his mystical body. This comforts me and cheers me yet, that by the trials and the troubles that are now upon me, I make up the remainder of the sufferings which God the Father hath appointed Christ to undergo, although not in himself, yet in his members. I rejoice in my sufferings, because I fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh. Use 1 Now is it so, that Jesus Christ did not do his work by halves, etc. they are severely to be censured then, who come in with their additions to the works of Christ; and go about to botch it up with their supplies. As if he had not done what he professes to his Father in my Text, but had left his work imperfect: So that it needed any thing which they can either do or suffer, to finish it and make it perfect. And here the Papists are not only faulty, who make up the work of Christ, and fill it out with the invented superfluities of the sufferings of their Martyrs and the merits of their Saints. As if he had not done enough himself to make us perfect, to satisfy the justice of his Father for us. But even many of the Saints themselves sometimes, though they believe that Jesus Christ hath finished the work of their Redemption, and that it needs no Supplement in any kind, much less that any thing that they can do, can make the least addition to it, yet are insensibly betrayed, they know not how, into a kind of joining of their duties with him, in the work of their Redemption and Salvation. For this they do in some degree, while they expect to be accepted with the Lord, and to be justified and saved, the rather for their works and duties. And therefore when they seriously consider with themselves, how they shall have their sins forgiven them, how they shall be admitted into God's favour, they are not satisfied to look upon the work that Christ hath done, to make him all in all in this business, but they must also cast an eye on that which they themselves have done. And when they think upon their own enlargements; their deep humiliations, their earnest and incessant labours in the service of the Lord, they do, they know not how, put then in with Jesus Christ as joint Saviour's. Much hath been said of late against duty, so much, that it hath been more slighted and neglected then it ought to be. That which I speak is not against the doing of it, but against the mixing of it with the work of Jesus Christ. The setting of our posts by his posts, and our works by his works. Ah, my Beloved; let us be extremely of this, let us not so dishonour Jesus Christ, as if he had not done enough to justify us, and to gain acceptance for us: But since he hath finished the work himself, and done it perfectly; Oh let us trust him perfectly for Redemption and Salvation; let us rely on what he hath done, and resolve with the Apostle, that we are complete in him, Col. 2.10. so that we stand in need of no addition. When we are thinking how we shall be satisfied, sanctified, justified in this world, and saved in the world to come. Though we have lived like Angels, and done religious duties, as if we were in Heaven already, let us bid all this stand by, and cry out with the holy Martyr in the flames, None but Christ, none but Christ. Is it so, that Jesus Christ did not do his works by halves, etc. Then Use 2 let not us, my Brethren, do our works by halves neither, but let us finish them as Christ did. If we be entered on the work and service of the Lord, as many of us are, O let us not give over and desist again. Let not our righteousness be like the morning cloud, and early dew. If we have taken pains in holy Duties, and have gone onward in them many years, in Hearing, in Prayer, and in Fasting, and the like, let us be diligent and constant still, let us hold on our way; as Job saith, The upright man doth; Let us not give over all again, as some have done in these times. Let us not be weary of well doing; No, as we have begun to work, and as we have wrought hitherto, so let us work still, till we have finished all the work that God hath given us to do; and let our last work be more than our first. And to this end, I beseech you carefully to weigh these few things. First, If we finish not our work, and if we do not end well, it argues that we were not right, and sound in the beginning. They that are planted in the house of God, saith David, shall flourish in the Courts of our God, they shall bring forth more fruit in their age, Psalm 92.13, 14. And hence it is observed by the Holy Ghost of the best of God's servants, that they never shown such Zeal, and Faithfulness, and Diligence in the work of the Lord, as when they drew near their end, and when they saw their time was ready to expire. As Jacob, Moses, Joshuah, David, Peter shown more care of God's Church, and more zeal for God's Glory towards their end, than they had ever done before. Yea, Our Saviour Christ himself was never so much in prayer, so painful and affectionate in comforting, and in instructing his Disciples, as he was when he was ready to be offered up. He wrought the works of him that sent him while it was day, as his own expression is, While the day of life lasted, John 9.4. And therefore so let us too. His unwearied diligence is very notable. Luke 21.37, 38. In the day time he was teaching in the Temple, and at night he went into the Mount of Olives, where he retired himself to prayer. And all the people came early to him in the morning, in the Temple, for to hear him. If you finish not your work, and if you go not through with your business, you dishonour God. There is no way to glorify him, but by perseverance, as our Saviour Christ insinuates in my Text; saith he to God the Father, I have glorified thee upon the earth. How so, might God reply? Why, I have finished the work that thou gavest me to do; I have not entered on it only, and carried it along awhile, but I have brought it to perfection. God is never glorified, but by finishing his Works. To begin, and then fall back, is to put God and Christ to shame. Thirdly, If you finish not your work, as you dishonour God and Christ, so you shame yourselves too. This man began to build, but was not able to make an end. Nothing makes a man so base and despicable in the eyes of God, and gracious men, as to have been religious, zealous, earnest, hot in the beginning, and to become an Enemy, a Worldling, a lazy, idle Drone in the conclusion. The salt that hath lost its savour, is good for nothing, saith our Saviour, but to be cast out with contempt, and to be trodden under feet of all men, Mat. 5.13. You lose all that you have wrought, and all that you have done already, if you finish not your work. All your obedience both active and passive is utterly lost. Your active obedience is as it were forgotten with God, unless you continue, Ezek. 18.24. So is your passive, if you fail in Perseverance. Your sufferings are in vain, as the Apostle speaks to the Galatians, Gal. 3.4. In a word, It is constancy in doing and suffering that crowneth a Christian; It is not promised to Beginners, but to such as continue: Beloved, Here are many of you that have done many things, and suffered many things for God. Many that have taken pains in holy Duties, in Hearing, Praying, Fasting, etc. Oh let not all be cast away, let not all that you have done or suffered be in vain. I say as the Apostle, John 2.8. Lose not the things that you have wrought. It is a sad and lamentable thing to see a man come home even to Heaven-gate, and for want of one step more, to tumble back again into Hell. If you end your works well, you shall have very good wages, you shall receive a full Reward. He that continueth to the end, shall be saved, Mat. 24.13. If you be faithful to the death, you shall receive the Crown of life, Apoc. 2.10. And if you thus hold out in God's work, till the Period of your lives, when you shall come to die, you may conclude with God as Christ doth, I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do, and now O Father, Glorify me with thyself. And you may sing your dying song with the Apostle, 2 Tim. 4.7. I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, henceforth there is laid up for me a Crown of Righteousness, which God the righteous Judge shall give me. And thus we have at length dispatched three of the Arguments, with which our Saviour presseth, and enforceth the great Petition that he makes to God the Father. And we are now descended to the fourth and last, and it is drawn Ab aequo, from the Equity of that which he petitions for, and the right he had to it: Nay, He affirmeth, that he had not only Jus ad rem, but more than so, he had Jus in re too. He had not only Right and Title to the Glory which he prays he may be made Partaker of, but he had the possession of it, and that from all Eternity. JOHN 17.5. And now, O Father, Glorify me with thy own self, with the Glory which I had with thee before the world was. SO that our Saviour pleads Prescription for the Glory he desires, and for which he is a Suitor in my Text: he had it, as he tells the Father here, time out of mind, indeed before all time, before the world was. And therefore though he hath in some respect been out of the possession of it for awhile, he hopes he shall recover it again with his Father's good liking. The only difficulty lies in this, what Glory Jesus Christ intends in this place, whether the Glory of his Godhead, or the Glory of his Manhood, of his divine or humane nature. And it will be the harder to resolve, because against either of them there is appearingly a very strong exception. It should seem he could not mean the Glory of his Godhead, for that he had never lost. A man would think he would not mean the Glory of his Manhood, for that he never had, and therefore could not pray for the Recovery, or the Restitution of the one, or of the other; he could not say to God the Father, with relation to his Godhead, Glorify me with the Glory which I had with thee before the world was, because he had that Glory with the Father still; when he made that Prayer, he was coequal, coessential with him still, and consequently he was infinitely glorious with him still. He could not say with relation to his Manhood, Glorify me with the Glory which I had with thee before the world was, because the humane nature came to have a being but a little while ago. It was assumed by our Saviour many ages since the world was, and so could have no Glory with the Father before the world was. So that it cannot be intended of the Godhead, or the Manhood, if you take either of them severally and distinctly by itself. It's true the Godhead of our Saviour seemed to be devested of the Glory which it had from everlasting, when he assumed the mean condition of a servant, and so in that respect he might desire the restitution of it; but if you mark it well, the Godhead never lost the Glory which it had with God the Father, though it might seem to lose the Glory which it had with men. It was not humbled really, but in regard of declaration only, and that with reference to men, and not to God, who is not carried by appearances. And that which Christ desires, is, that his Father would glorify him with himself, with the same Glory which he had with him before the world was. Besides, Our Saviour prays as man, and not as God, (for God doth not worship God,) and 'tis incongruous that the Manhood should become a Suitor for any thing to be conferred upon the Godhead. And therefore to avoid the rocks on either side, the sum of this Petition of our Saviour to his Father must be this, that as his Godhead had been glorious with himself from everlasting, so now his Manhood might be glorious too. That the Glory which he had as God, together with the Father from Eternity, might be communicated to his Manhood, so far as it was capable of it, in such a measure as it could receive it. That God would raise him up, and set him in his humane nature, at his own right hand in heavenly places, and make him glorious, even as he was man, in the eyes of all the world. And this is clearly that which Christ intendeth in his Prayer here, And now O Father, Glorify me with thine own self, with the Glory which I had with thee before the world was: Glorify me with thyself as I am man, or as I am God-man, with the Glory I had with thee as I am God, before the world was. I was glorious with thyself, as I am God from Everlasting, and now let me be glorious with thee as I am God and Man too. In one nature I was glorious from Eternity, viz. in my divine Nature, and now let me be glorified in my divine and humane Nature too, let me be glorified in my person. Now this Petition of our Saviour (you must consider) did undoubtedly prevail with God the Father; for he was always heard in every thing that he desired of him; his Father never put him off with a denial. And then the point to be observed, is this. DOCTRINE. That even the Manhood of our Saviour participateth of the Glory whereof the Godhead hath been seized together with the Father from Eternity. Jesus Christ as he is man, shares in some measure and proportion in the Glory of the Godhead. There is a social Glory (as the Schoolmen call it) of our Saviour's humane Nature, which it partaketh with the Godhead, and which it could not have without it. The Glory which the Godhead had alone from Everlasting, is now communicated to the person, consisting of the two Natures, both of the Godhead, and the Manhood too. God hath highly exalted him, saith the Apostle, Phil. 2.9. Him, Who? why Jesus Christ both God and Man, in his divine and humane Nature. As for the former, his divine Nature, though that be utterly incapable of an intrinsical improvement of the Glory of it, yet so far forth as it was humbled for the Administration of his Office, so far it was accordingly advanced again. Now he abased himself as he was God, not by putting off his Glory, but by permitting it to be eclipsed and overshadowed with the similitude of sinful flesh, and to be humbled under the form of a servant, even as the brightness of a Candle is hidden in a dark and close Lantern; so that declaratorily he is in that respect exalted, he is declared to be the Son of God by Power, in rising from the dead, and returning to his Glory. As for the humane Nature that is properly exalted: For being joined to the Godhead, it hath an ample and immediate claim to all the Glory, which from the Godhead might be communicated to it, and conferred upon it. So that however, while our Saviour Christ continued here, the Exigence of the condition, and the office which he had assumed and undertaken, made him a man of sorrows and of sufferings, and intercepted as it were the beams of the divine Glory from shining in the other nature, so that there was no form nor beauty in him. Yet having finished that Dispensation, there was by virtue of the intimate Association of the Manhood with the Godhead, a giving out, or a Communication of all the Glory from the Deity which the other Nature was capable of. And this is that which Jesus Christ desireth of his Father in my Text: And even as by the Spirit of Holiness he was filled with Treasure of Wisdom, and Knowledge, and Grace, and thereby fitted for the office of a Mediator, and made the Head and Ruler of the Church. So likewise by the Spirit of Glory, he is filled with unmatchable perfections, beyond the Comprehensions of all other Creatures. Being not only full of Glory, but having in him all the fullness of Glory, which a created nature, joined to an infinite and endless fountain, could receive. The Godhead of our Saviour was at the right hand of the Father from Eternity. But now the Manhood of our Saviour is exalted to the same condition. I say not to the same measure, but to the same condition of Majesty and Glory with it. God hath raised him from the dead, (and that you know must be as he is man) and set him at his own right hand in heavenly places, Eph. 1.20. That is, he set him up above all other things or persons, in the next place to himself. And therefore it is added in the following words, Far above all Principality, and Power, and Might, and Dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but in that which is to come. In which respect it is that God will have him worshipped with divine and religious Adoration, and that by the very Angels, Heb. 1.6. Of which the humane Nature single is not capable, but that it shineth with the Godhead in this high Glory. Much might be added for the proof of this, that even the Manhood of our Saviour participateth of the Glory whereof, etc. Now to open it a little more particularly and distinctly to you. Beloved, you must know that the Manhood of our Saviour comes not by nature to partake of this Glory. Look upon the humane Nature as considered in itself, and so it hath no right to it. It is by Grace then that the Glory of the Godhead is communicated to it; and that by a double Grace, the Grace of Union, and the Grace of Dispensation. First, The Manhood of our Saviour participateth of the Glory of the Godhead by the Grace of Union. It comes to be Partaker of it by its unutterably near, and intimate Association with the Godhead in the same person. For so the God head and the Manhood as you know, are joined together in such a tie, as cannot fully be expressed. Not as a man and a wife are joined together, who notwithstanding their Conjunction continue two distinct persons. But as the body and the soul make one man, so God and man make one Christ. And as the glory of the soul, by reason of the nearness of the Union, redoundeth to the glory of the person, and consequently of the body too; even so the Glory of the Godhead redoundeth to the Glory of the Manhood in the person of our Saviour. So infinitely near is the Conjunction, that both the Natures cannot choose but share together. And as the Godhead was in some respect abased, in being joined to the Manhood, being eclipsed and shadowed with the meanness, and the imperfections of it. Even so the Manhood on the other side is honoured and advanced in being joined to the Godhead, and consequently shining with the Glory of it. Secondly, The Manhood of our Saviour participateth of the glory of the Godhead by the Grace of Dispensation from the Father. He hath made it to partake of that Glory. And therefore he hath raised it up, and set it at his own right hand. He hath highly exalted it, he hath crowned it with Glory and Honour. The Father, if you mark it, hath always had a mind to set up his Son Christ. Not so much as he is God, for so indeed he doth not need it. But as Man and Mediator he hath endeavoured every way to raise him, and advance him, and make him glorious in the eyes of all the world. And this is that which the Apostle Peter notes, Acts 3.13. The God of our Fathers hath glorified his Son Jesus, whom ye delivered up, and denied the holy one. Though you abused him, and abased him, yet God hath glorified him. It is by him, and his means that he is raised to such Glory. Use 1 Now is it so, that even the Manhood of our Saviour participateth of the Glory whereof the Godhead hath been? etc. Here then we may take notice of the high Advancement of our nature in the person of our Saviour. The very Glory of the Godhead is in a sense communicated to it. Our nature shareth with the Godhead in such incomparable and transcendent Glory, as can by no means be expressed. It is many ways advanced and set up in Jesus Christ; But this, my Brethren, is the height and top of all that in him dwelleth, the fullness of the Godhead bodily, as the Apostle speaks, Col. 2.9. Not that the Godhead is confined, or circumscribed within the narrow limits of our Saviour's flesh, or that his body is co-extended with the Godhead, as Ubiquitaries dream. But the Godhead dwells in Christ, as Bernard speaks, not umbratiuè, by external signs, and shadows, and tokens of his presence, as once Christ dwelled in the material Temple: not effectiuè, by the effects and operations of its Grace, as now it dwells in the bodies of the Saints, who in the same respect are called the Temples of God. But in him dwells the God head bodily, that is, really united to the humane nature, to the body of our Saviour; And herein Christ hath no Peer. It is an high and matchless honour, which no other Creature is capable of. By which our nature is advanced in him above all other things and persons in the world besides. Use 2 Is it so, that even the Manhood, etc. Then as we may take notice here of the advancement of the nature, so of our personal advancement too, as many of us as belong to Christ. For all the Glory of the Godhead, with which the Manhood shines, is for us, and our advantage. If he sanctify himself, it is for our sakes, as his own expression is. And so if he glorify himself, it is for our sakes too. It is for our sakes that he prays, And now, O Father, Glorify me with thyself, with the Glory, etc. For all his Mediatorship throughout is with some respect to us. And so it is for our sakes that this unparalelled and matchless Glory is conferred upon him. Why, you will ask me, what is our advantage by it? I answer, It is very great, for we poor men (if we be members of the Lord Christ,) do share in this incomparable Glory of the Manhood of our Saviour, and that partly in fruition, and partly in assured expectation. First, Partly in Fruition, for the present we share in this incomparable Glory of the Manhood of our Saviour. For as the Manhood of our Saviour shareth in the glory of the Godhead; so we, my Brethren, share in the Glory communicated from the Godhead to the Manhood of our Saviour, by reason of our Union to them both in the person of Christ Jesus. And even as we are punished, in that Christ is punished; and sanctified, in that Christ is sanctified; so we are glorified, in that Christ is glorified. We shine with the incomparable and dazzling Lustre of the Godhead, in that Christ shines with it. And as we sit in Christ in heavenly places, Eph. 2.6. so we are glorified in Christ with the same glory which he had with God the Father before the world was, because he is invested with it, as our Head in our flesh, on our behalf. In him God (having raised him up, and glorified him, he) hath glorified us with the very same glory. In him we took possession of it. So near and so indissoluble is the union between Christ and us, that the Divine and Godlike glory wherewithal he shines is truly ours. The members cannot choose but share in the glory of the head. Secondly, we share in this incomparable glory of the Manhood of our Saviour by assured expectation. For as his glory (in answer to the Prayer of our Saviour) is now already communicated to the Manhood, so far as it is capable of it. So we are certain that the glory of the Manhood of our Saviour shall one day be communicated to us, so far as we are able to receive it. We know that when he shall appear we shall be like him. And that these vile bodies shall be conformed to his glorious body, Phil. 3.21. And this should have a double operation and effect upon us. 1. First it should make us to despise the shame of this world, though we be trampled under foot, and made the dung and the offscouring of the Earth; as this is many times the portion of the Saints, our spirits should not droop or sink within us. No, we should bear them up, in spite of all the ignominy and contempt that men pour out upon us, and all the venom that they spit against us. We should endure the reproach, and despise the shame, while we think of this glory. We should not reckon of a little undeserved shame with men, while we consider that we shall shortly shine with the glory of God. 2. Secondly it should cause us so to walk, that we be not in any thing a shame to Christ, whom God hath made so glorious, and who will shortly make us so glorious. In whom the humane nature is advanced to such honour, as to partake of the glory of the Godhead. Mark what the Apostle saith, Shall I take the members of Christ and make them the members of an harlot? So may I say on this occasion, shall I take the nature of Christ, the Nature which our Saviour in his Person hath so highly dignified, and make it in my person, the nature of a Devil? Suppose a Prince should marry with a mean woman, would he endure to see those of her nearest kindred, her Brethren and her Sisters live like Scullions and like Strumpets in his own eye? Now Christ my Brethren hath assumed our Nature into a nearer union with himself then that of marriage, a union which death itself was not able to dissolve. For when the soul was separated from the body, the Godhead was not separated from the one or from the other. It was the Lord that lay buried in the grave, and he that ascended into heaven, was the same that came down from heaven. And shall we then defile this nature by wantonness, intemperance and vile affections, which Jesus Christ hath so honoured, to take into so near a union with himself, and to cause it to partake of the glory of the Godhead? Especially if we expect hereafter in our persons to partake of this glory. Oh let us learn to keep our vessels in all holiness and honour. And as we look hereafter to be like him, so in the mean time let us purify ourselves as he is pure. JOHN 17.6. I have manifested thy Name unto the men which, etc. WE have been very long upon the first Part of our Saviour's Prayer, and now at length it is ended and dispatched. Charity gins at home, and so our Saviour Christ began with his Petitions for himself. For that hath been the substance of his Prayer hitherto, that as he hath been humbled and abased with men, so now he might be glorified with his Father. And this he urges very hard with many pressing arguments; and so he ceases to solicit any further for himself. Charity gins at home, as I have said, but it doth not end there; Our Saviour is not satisfied to put up his Petitions to his Father for himself, but in the next place he becomes a Suitor also for his Church. And here he prays for his Apostles and Disciples then about him, the members of the present Church. And then for those who were after to be called by their preaching, the members of the Church to come. In the first place he prays for his Apostles and Disciples then about him, the members of the present Church, who were already called and sanctified, whom God had given him out of the world. I pray for them (saith he) I pray not for the world. In the second place, he prays for those who were after to be called by their preaching, the members of the Church that was to come, in vers. 20. and so on to the conclusion of the Chapter, Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also that shall believe on me through their word. I must at this time make a little entrance upon our Saviour's Prayer in behalf of his Apostles and Disciples, who were present with him. They were very near to him, they were waiting then upon him, they were converted immediately by himself, and called by his own word, and therefore they have the precedency and the preferment in his Prayer. And here we have to be considered, First the preparation to it, and secondly the matter of it. The preparation to this Prayer of our Saviour in the behalf of his Apostles and Disciples; Discovers first, what he himself had done in reference to them. And than what they had done in reference to him. What they were, both in relation to himself, and to his Father. And where they were, viz. In such a place wherein they stood in need of his Prayers. These things are interwoven and commixed, and we must take them in our progress as we find them. Only this would be considered, that all of them are premised by our Saviour, before he puts up one Petition for them, to show what cause there was why they should be remembered in his Prayers. Begin we with the first thing which our Saviour mentions by way of preparation to the Prayer which he makes for his Apostles and Disciples. I have manifested thy Name unto the men which thou gavest me out of the world. And here you may take notice with me of these two particulars. First; the action of our Saviour in reference to his Apostles and Disciples, of which he minds his Father here, I have manifested thy Name. Secondly, the description of the persons to whom he had made known his Father's Name, viz. the men which he had given him out of the world. For opening of the former, we must examine and resolve what is intended by the Father's Name, which Christ affirmeth here he had made known, I have manifested thy Name. Some think the meaning to be only this, that he had made him known to his Apostles and Disciples, under the notion of a Father. They knew him as a God before, and so did generally all the people of the Jews, but as a Father in his Son, they had no acquaintance with him. Now by this Name our Saviour had discovered him to those whom he had called and sanctified, he had brought them now to know him as a Father. This is the title he gives him all along from the beginning of his Prayer to the end, Father, Holy Father, Righteous Father, and the like. This is the name by which he represents him unto his Apostles and Disciples, and under which he would have them to conceive and apprehend him, as a Father to his Son, and as a Father to themselves in him, and this is that which he intends (as some conceive) in this profession, I have manifested thy Name, etc. This is something (I acknowledge) yea, this is very much of that which he intends, but yet I think it is not all. The Name of God in general is all that makes him known to men, wherein soever the nature, or the will of God, or whatsoever else of God can be imagined or conceived, is discovered and made known, all this is intimated by the Name of God. So that our Saviour in my Text, in saying he had manifested God's Name, saith in effect, that he had fully manifested and revealed his Father to his people. So that there was nothing of him necessary to be known, which he had concealed from them. He had not hid one letter of his Name from them. So that the point to be observed is this. DOCTRINE. That Jesus Christ hath made an absolute, complete and full discovery of his Father to his people. The Name of God sometimes imports his Nature, sometimes his Titles, sometimes his Attributes, sometimes his Ordinances, and sometimes his works, as I could give you instances of all these. And all of these our Saviour had laid open fully to his Apostles and Disciples, as he professes to his Father here, I have manifested thy Name unto the men which thou hast given me out of the world. And this is that which the Evangelist affirmeth of him, joh. 1.18. No man hath seen God at any time, the only begotten Son which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him. Observe it well, it is not said he hath declared something of him, but he hath declared him. Declared him wholly and completely, all that is declarable of him he hath made known to his people. The protestation which he makes to his Apostles, when he was about to leave them, runs very much to this purpose, Joh. 15.15. All that I have heard of my Father, not from my Father, but of my Father, I have made it known to you. Whatsoever I have been informed in concerning my Father, at least as Mediator, and as the Prophet of my Church, I have discovered it to you. I have been very faithful to you in the business, whatsoever hath been shown me of my Father, for your instruction and your information, I have not kept one whit from you. I shall add no more for proof, that I may have time to show you, How Jesus Christ hath made this full discovery, and then why Jesus Christ hath made this full discovery of his Father to his people. And in pursuance of the latter, I shall examine and resolve why Jesus Christ, and none but he hath made it. And in the second place, why the discovery he hath made is such an absolute and full discovery. As for the first of these, how Jesus Christ hath made such a discovery of his Father. This will be necessary to be known, for the distincter understanding of the point: And he hath made it principally three ways: by his Personal appearance in the flesh; by his Word; and by his Spirit. 1. First by his Personal appearance in the flesh, our Saviour Christ hath made some discovery of his Father. Jesus Christ as he is Man, and as he hath assummed our Nature, is the Image and resemblance of his Father. And this is that which the Apostle aims at, when he saith, He is the Image of the invisible God, Col. 1.15. by which he intimates expressly, that however God be in himself invisible, yet there is some resemblance of him in the Lord Christ, so that he may be seen in him. It's true indeed, that Jesus Christ as God is the invisible Image of God, and thus he is the very picture of the Father, Heb. 1.3. But as he hath assumed our flesh, he is the visible Image of God. And this is clearly the Apostles meaning when he saith, He is the Image of the invisible God. His purpose is not to declare how Jesus Christ is the invisible Image of God the Father from Eternity, but visible to us in time. And hence he saith not simply, who is the Image of God, but of the invisible God. In which there is a close Antithesis. q. d. Having assumed our Nature, he is now become the visible Image of the invisible God. That God who is invisible, is made visible in him. And this is that which is suggested, joh. 1.18. No man hath seen God at any time, you may conceive it with the outward eye, the Son of Man who came out of the bosom of the Father hath declared him. He hath discovered him in some respect to that eye. And therefore when our Saviour was incarnate, it is said, that God was manifested in the flesh, which is the object of the eye of sense, 1 Tim. 3.16. So that he that had looked upon him, might have seen the Father in him. In which respect it is, that when Philip was so earnest to have the Father shown him, our Saviour bid him to behold himself, and addeth presently, He that hath seen me hath seen the Father also, Joh. 14.9. This is the Vision mentioned in the Book of job, I know that my Redeemer, etc. yet in my flesh I shall see God. Not in my spirit, or my understanding only, but my flesh: yea, and I shall look on him, not with other, but with these same eyes. Which can be no other way, but in the glorified Body of Christ. 2. Secondly Christ hath made a discovery of his Father by his Word, and by his Gospel. There he hath showed him forth to men, so far as it is necessary that he should be known by them. And this is partly intimated in that speech of his to Philip, Joh. 14.9, 10. How sayest thou show us the Father? Believest thou not that I am in the Father; and the Father in me? The words that I speak unto you, I speak not of myself, saith Christ. My manner is not to be speaking to you of myself so much, as of my Father, nor to advance myself so much, as to set up my Father upon all occasions. And how then is it that you that have so long conversed with me, and have heard so much from me, are yet so unacquainted with my Father? If you observe the manner of our Saviour's teaching and discoursing, you shall find that he insisted very much on matters that concerned his Father, he was always talking of him, especially when he was drawing near his passion, and ready to departed from his Disciples, he laboured very much to make his Father better known to them. And when he was about to leave them, he professed that he had perfectly acquainted them with all things that concern his Father, so far as they were come to his knowledge for the instruction and the information of his people. Indeed the word of Christ, the Gospel, containeth in it all things that are necessary to be known of God the Father, whether his Nature, or his Will, or his Son, or his Spirit, etc. And therefore it is said, that it is able (of itself without addition) to make us wise unto salvation, 2 Tim. 3.15. This is a perfect and a full discovery, so that we need no other knowledge of the Lord to bring us to salvation then that which is revealed to us in the Scripture. 3. Thirdly Christ makes a full discovery of his Father by his Spirit. And this is that which is the Compliment of all in this business. Indeed there is a full discovery of him in the Word, materially there is nothing wanting there; But it is not full to us without the revelation of the Spirit. Christ shows his Father there, in all his glory, excellency, overflowing love to his people. But if the Spirit do not cure the blindness of our eyes, and open them, and take away the vail that is upon them, we can never see him. It is the Comforter the holy Ghost that teaches all things, conceive it efficaciously and with success, joh. 14.28. who comes out from the Father, and makes known the Father's Name to his people. Thus we have seen how Jesus Christ makes this discovery. Now let us see why Jesus Christ makes this discovery of his Father; And here you may remember I propounded two things. First why Jesus Christ and none but he makes this discovery: And secondly why the discovery which he makes, is such an absolute and full discovery. 1. First, as for the first of these, Why Jesus Christ and none but he makes this discovery. There are two weighty reasons for it: For first, none but he is able. And next, none but he is fit to make it. 1. First none but Jesus Christ is able to make this full discovery of his Father; For none but he is perfectly acquainted with him. Alas all men are strangers to the Father, the worst men absolutely and in all respects, and the best in some measure. And all the knowledge which any soul hath of him, it hath from Jesus Christ too. But now my Brethren, Jesus Christ hath the full knowledge of his Father, he doth not know him outwardly alone, but he knows his very heart, and the secrets of his bosom. And therefore he is said to lodge there, and so to be the only possible revealer of the Father to the world. No man hath seen God at any time, the only begotten Son which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him, Joh. 1.18. How is it possible for any one to make the Father known, unless he know him? Now this is proper and peculiar to the Son. No man knows the Father but the Son, that is, originally, primitively of himself, and therefore it is added presently, and he to whom the Son will reveal him, Joh. 11.27. 2. Secondly as none but Christ is able, so none but Christ is fit to manifest his Father to his people. He is the only Mediator between God and man, there is but one, as the Apostle tells us, and that is Christ, 1 Tim. 2.5. And therefore it is congruous that he should manage and transact the business, all the business between God and man, that all should go through his hands. He is to make God friends with us, and to make us friends with God, the peace must be on both sides. And how shall he effect the latter, but by revealing and making known his Father to us, in all his beauty, and his glory, and his excellency in himself; in all the tenderness and dearness of his love to us, and so to join our hearts to him. This latter is especially the Name of God, which Christ was (as a Saviour) to discover, viz. his attributes of Love and Mercy. This was the proper work of Christ indeed, to manifest this Name of God, all that is sweet and lovely in him to his people. This may suffice to let you know, why Jesus Christ and none but he makes this discovery of the Father to his people. We have but one thing yet behind, why the discovery that he makes is such an absolute and full discovery? I give you but two reasons of it, and I have done for this time: he doth it in the first place that he may be faithful, and in the next place that discovery which he makes may be effectual. 1. He makes a full discovery, that he may be faithful as the Prophet of his Church. For if he should not show his Father to us fully, if he should hid any thing of God from us, which it concerneth us to know, how should he be a faithful Prophet to us? And even as if he should not make complete and perfect satisfaction for us, he should not be a faithful Priest; So if he should not give complete instruction to us, he should not be a faithful Prophet. Indeed his Father hath appointed him, my Brethren, to make known his Name, every letter of his Name to his people, and hence he gives him this account, when he is even about to leave the world. I have manifested, etc. 2. He makes a full discovery of his Father to his people, that the discovery which he makes may be effectual. For if he should conceal the least particle, the least iota of his Father's Name, which is required to be known necessitate medii, to salvation, all the rest that he revealeth would be in vain, it would be to no purpose. If he make not a full discovery, (in the sense that I have said) it were as good that he made none at all. And therefore that he may attain the end for which he came into the world, for which he executes his Mediatorship in all the offices, and branches of it, even the Salvation of his people, he makes his Father so far known to every one of his, that nothing may be hidden from them; in the ignorance of which, whosoever dies, must perish. Now is it so, that Jesus Christ hath made an absolute, complete, and Use 1 full, etc. The less are they to be excused, and the more to be condemned, who yet continue ignorant of God, of his Nature, and his Will, notwithstanding this discovery. Though Jesus Christ hath done so much to make his Father known to them, yet they continue wholly unacquainted with him. They are mere strangers to the Father, they do not know so much as a Letter of his Name, which Christ hath made so manifest. And this is very evident, because they do not love him, they do not trust in him, which they would be sure to do, if they did know the Name of God. They that know thy Name will put their trust in thee, saith the Psalmist, Psal. 9.10. And so it may be said as well they that know thy Name will love thee, and they that know thy Name will fear thee. It is impossible but men's affections should be managed and moulded by their apprehensions, and that the principles which they have rooted in their understandings should have some influence, and operation on their hearts. So that if men did but know the wrath of God, it could not be but they would fear him, if they did know the power of God, and know it as engaged for them, it could not be but they would trust him and depend upon him. If they did know the love, and mercy, the beauty and the excellency of the Lord, it could not be but they would love him. But while they show forth none of this, it is apparent that the Father's Name (of which these are but divers Letters as it were) is utterly unknown to them. Now, my Beloved, when the Lord shall be revealed from heaven, with his mighty Angels, in flaming fire, to render vengeance unto them that know not God, what will become of those men? Alas their unacquaintance with him (now Christ hath showed his Name so plainly) will be void of all excuse. If Jesus Christ had kept his Father close, if he had hid his Name, his Love, his Power, his Mercy, and the like, and had not manifested it to men, they might have pleaded something when the day of reckoning comes. They might have said, alas it is no wonder that the Father is unknown to us, for which way should we come to be acquainted with him? He dwells in light, that no man can approach unto, whom no man hath seen, or can see. But then Christ Jesus will be ready to reply, it was a great part of my errand and my business down into the world, to help men to the sight of him, to manifest his Name to men. And I have done it fully and completely, and therefore if you know him not, your sin is wilful, and your damnation must be heavy. Is it so, that Jesus Christ hath made an absolute, etc. then let us bless Use 2 and magnify the Lord Christ, that he hath done this necessary work for us, that he hath showed his Father, and made known his Name to us. We are all of us by nature strangers to him, and of ourselves we have no means to be acquainted with him. Indeed by nature we may come to have some knowledge of a God, as the Apostle speaks at large, Rom. 1. But the knowledge of the Father in reference to Jesus Christ, and to his people, is another thing. To know God as a Father to his Son Christ, and in and through Christ to us, to know him by this Name of his, is unattainable by any light but that which we receive from Christ himself. So that unless he had discovered him, we had never known the Father, and so had perished everlastingly. No man knoweth the Father but the Son, and he to whom the Son will reveal him, Matth. 11.27. And therefore we are infinitely bound to Jesus Christ that he hath revealed him to us, that he hath made such an absolute and full discovery of his Father to his people, which if he had not done, they had continued strangers to him, both in this world, and in that which is to come. Indeed we might have known him as an angry and a powerful God, we might know him as a Judge and an avenger without any help from Christ. But as a sweet and gracious Father, we had never known him, if Christ had not discovered him in such a way, and under such a notion to us. This Name of his none but Jesus Christ could teach us, we could have learned to spell and understand it of no other Master in this world. And therefore we are bound the more to Christ, and his mercy is the greater, that he hath undertaken to instruct us, and make us perfect in this sweet Lesson, which is indeed the first and greatest in the primer of Religion, the Name of the Father. Use 3 Is it so, That Jesus Christ hath made an absolute, etc. Then let us be persuaded to address ourselves to the performance of that necessary duty, which this so large so ample a discovery of the Father calls for. viz. To grow up in the knowledge of him, and not to rest, till we be inwardly and throughly acquainted with him. That as the revelation of him in itself is very full, so it may be so to us too. Beloved, Jesus Christ hath done his work as he professes to his Father in my Text, I have manifested thy Name, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, I have brought it forth saith he, into the light, and set it in open view, for so much that word imports. By which he intimateth, that his Father's Name was like a rare and curious piece behind a curtain, like a rich treasure covered, or a glorious Image vailed. But now saith Christ, the vail is taken off, the covering is removed, the curtain drawn. I have exposed my Father's Name to the view of all my people. This Christ hath done, you see, and now let us consider what we are to do. No question he hath brought it forth that we might see it, that we might feed our eyes upon it, that we might grow up in the knowledge of his Father's Name, of the dearness of his love, and the sweetness of his mercy, the tenderness and the abundance of his compassions unto poor lost creatures. This is the Name which Jesus Christ hath manifested to us that we might be acquainted with it. Now I beseech you, my Beloved, let us not by neglecting this discovery, go about to frustrate Christ, and do as much as in us lies to disappoint him of his purpose. Oh let us labour that our knowledge of the Name of God, may be in some sort answerable to the revelation that Jesus Christ hath made of it. And that as we have (since our Saviour's coming in the flesh) a fuller, and a more complete discovery of it then they in former ages had, we may accordingly exceed and go beyond them in the knowledge of it too. We may know more of God, especially of his love, and of his mercy to his people in his Son, than they did. Or if it be not so, to what end is the pains that Christ hath taken to manifest his Father's Name to us? Oh let us be ashamed to come behind the Saints of the Old Testament in the knowledge of this Name, who came behind us in the means of this knowledge. Is it so, That Jesus Christ hath made an absolute, etc. Then let us satisfy Use 4 ourselves with the discovery he hath made. And let us not attempt or undertake to know more of the Father than he hath made known to us. Indeed if Jesus Christ had fallen short in this discovery, it were but reason that we should exceed and go beyond it. If he had not told us all that is fit for us to know, it were a congruous thing that we should strive to know more: But seeing the discovery he hath made is so complete and absolute in all respects, so that there can be nothing added to it, we have cause to rest in it, and to content ourselves with so much knowledge of the Father as he hath revealed to us. Indeed there is an itch in Nature to search into those things (especially concerning God) which are concealed and hid from us. Fain we would see his face, when Christ hath manifested but his backparts to us, we would know more of his Nature, of his Counsels and Decrees, the order of them, the measure of them, the objects of them, than he hath thought expedient to reveal to us. We would approach too nigh to gaze, we would intrude on those things which we have not seen, for which we have no revelation, as the Apostle speaks, Col. 2.18. And this my Brethren, is the evil Genius of these very times, men go beyond themselves in sifting into things concerning God, and beyond Christ too: I mean beyond any thing that he hath manifested of his Father to them. Indeed they tell us that Christ reveals it to them by his Spirit. But that is not the Spirit of Christ which shows us any thing beyond what he hath written in his Word. The business of the Spirit is not to bring us any other truths than those which are revealed in the Word, but to clear those to us. If any spirit bring us any thing, crossing with, or but so much as divers from the Scripture, if an Angel dropped from Heaven teach us any other Doctrine, he must not be believed, but accursed. To the Law and to the Testimony saith the Prophet, Isa. 8.20. If any man or Angel speak not according to this Word, let him pretend what light he will, it is because there is no light in him. And therefore let us satisfy ourselves with that which Christ hath manifested of his Father in his Word, and in his Gospel. Since his discovery is so full, let us not seek to go beyond it. That speech of God to Moses, who (whether he were curious or no) was very earnest to behold his glory, is observable, Exod. 33.19. I will make all my good go before thee, (that is) I will discover so much of myself to thee, as shall be good for thee to know. And this our Saviour Christ hath done completely. We need no further knowledge of the Father here to make us happy, to make us wise unto salvation. And therefore let us rest in it. And to this end I shall present you with a few Considerations. It is a fruit and evidence of pride to strive to know more of the Father's Name then Christ hath manifested to us. It proceeds from a desire to be observed, as having something more than ordinary in us, and this hath much prevailed with many men in these times; to know no more of God than Christ hath showed us in the Scripture, this is no such great matter, this will never make them famous. And therefore they must have their nice and curious speculations by themselves, beyond any written word, they must have hidden things discovered to them, which other men are not acquainted with, that they may be observed to be men of singular depth, and extraordinary intercourse with the Spirit of Christ. This the Apostle notes in those Impostors, Col. 2.18. Intruding into those things which they have not seen. But how comes this to pass? vainly puffed up by their fleshly mind. There is the cause of this intrusion. And hence the Prophet David, to show that he was not proud and haughty, makes this the evidence, Psal. 131.1. I do not exercise myself in things that are too high for me. It is a grievous sin to labour to know more of God than Christ hath manifested to us. It is no better than intrusion on the right of God himself, such a man doth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the fore-alledged Text, Col. 2.18. Intrudes upon another's right, enters on the possession of another. Now whose possession are these secret things? To whom do they belong? to God saith Moses, Deut. 29. ult. The secret things belong unto the Lord our God, but those things which are revealed belong unto us and unto our children. So that while we content ourselves with these revealed things, we are like honest-minded men, that keep and use their own, and love not to encroach upon their neighbours. But if we be not satisfied with the things which God hath manifested and revealed of himself, as thinking them too narrow and too mean a purchase for us, and so presumptuously go on to search, and dive, and pry into his reserved secrets which he hath locked and sealed up, we go beyond our own, and enter upon his possession. And this is that which the Apostle notes in these seducers, they entered and intruded into those things which they had not seen, for which they had no revelation from the Lord, no demonstration from the Scriptures, they were not things allowed for them to know, and so their meddling with them was intrusion. And as it is a sinful thing, so it is a dangerous thing to labour to know more of God than he hath manifested to us. It is a matter of extreme hazard. The people of the Jews you know had certain bounds and limits set them, at the promulgation of the Law, beyond which none of them might dare to step, no, not a foot to gaze or pry, Exod. 19.21. Their ground was measured out, and so was Gods; so much he allowed to them, and so much he reserved to himself; as long as they contained themselves within their compass they were safe. But if out of a curious disposition any man adventured into God's precincts, there was no other way but death. So God hath set us bounds and limits in our knowledge of himself, so much he allows to us, and so much he reserveth to himself. So long as we contain ourselves within the bounds of things revealed, we are safe, for they are ours, as Moses tells us. But if out of a vain desire to gaze and pry, we enter upon secret things, we have intruded upon God's peculiar, and we may justly fear his stroke. Consider it is a fruitless thing to labour to know more of God than he hath manifested to us, for more of him cannot be known. And to seek to know more, is the direct and ready way to lose that which we know already; to press too near to gaze upon him, is to have our eyes darkened, till at last we see nothing. Excellens visibile destruit sensum. He dwelleth in light that no man can approach unto, and therefore the Apostle Paul exhorting us to labour for the knowledge of the Lord, and of his will, advises us withal 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, not to be wise above that which is meet, Rom. 12.3. Adam had a mind to know as much of God, as God himself, and by this means he came to know nothing. And truly it is just with God to suffer such to err and wander in their vain imaginations, who would be so overwise, till they become mere fools, as the Apostle Paul speaks, Rom. 1.22. Is it so, that Jesus Christ hath made an absolute, etc. then let us live Use 5 and walk like men that have this rich discovery made to us. Like men that know the Father's Name. All people will walk, every one in the Name of his God, saith the Prophet Micah, Mic. 4.5. And why should not we add as he, and we will walk in the Name of our God for ever and ever. I shall persuade you to it especially in two Cases, in times of sinful and of penal misery. 1. First when we are under sinful misery, by reason of the guilt and power of our transgressions, let us walk like men that have the Father's Name made known to us. We are apt in such a case sometimes to cast away all hopes of pardon and forgiveness, to think that mercy is too narrow for us; to say to God as Peter to our Saviour, Depart from us, for we are sinful men. Why, my Beloved, do you know the Father's Name, the Name which he himself proclaimed to Moses, Exod. 34.6. The Lord, the Lord God, patiented and long-suffering, merciful and gracious, and abundant in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity, transgression and sin. All sorts, all kinds, and all degrees of sin. And can you doubt whether there be enough of mercy in him to cure your sinful misery? What do you want, or what can you desire that is not to be found in his Name? Are your sins many for the number of them, and great for the measure of them? The mercies of the Lord are more and greater, he is abundant in goodness and truth. Are they of divers sorts, and divers kinds? He forgiveth iniquity, transgression, and sin. Have they been long continued and held out against God? He is gracious and long-suffering. Somewhat there is in God's Name to answer all objections of the humble soul, and to keep it from despair, when iniquities do look most horrid, and most black upon it. 2. So in the second place when we are under penal misery, let us walk like men that have the Father's Name made known to us. What ever our distresses be, either personal or National, let us not give all for lost, as most are very apt to do. Oh we shall never be deliuèred. There is no other way, but we must sink in this affliction. Why, my Beloved, do you know the Name of God, do you know his power and mercy? How is it then that you have so little faith? That you depend no more upon him? mark what the Prophet David saith, Psal. 9.10. They that know thy Name will put their trust in thee. And therefore while you are so diffident and faithless, it is too apparent that you are not so well acquainted with the Father's Name, as you might and ought to be. Now I beseech you, my Beloved, take in the discoveries that Christ hath made of this Name. And when you are in any misery, in any sinful, in any penal misery, hid yourselves in the Name of the Lord your God. JOHN 17.6. Unto the men which thou gavest me out of the world. AND thus far of our Saviour's action, in reference to his Apostles and Disciples, of which he minds his Father here, I have manifested thy Name. Proceed we now to his description of the persons, to whom he had made known his Father's Name, The men which thou gavest me out of the world. The Father gives men to his Son Christ, either for outward administration, or else for inward union and incorporation. Either to be his servants, or to be his members. Our Saviour clearly speaks of those that were bestowed on him in the latter way, to be united to him as living members of his body. And this is very evident, because he saith, that they were given him out of the world. They that were bestowed upon him only for outward ministration as Judas was; Or only in regard of outward profession, as many others were, were given him. So that they were of the world still. They were a part of the unbelieving world, and of the wicked world, the world that lies in wickedness, notwithstanding this donation. But as for them who did in deed and truth believe in him, and were by faith incorporated into Jesus Christ, they were the men that were given him out of the world. That is, they were bestowed upon him. So that they were severed, separated from the world, they were no longer of the wicked unbelieving world, but of another party, that were divided and distinguished from the world. In the world they were indeed, but they were not of the world. And these are evidently they, of whom our Saviour speaks in this place. The men whom thou gavest me out of the world. Now to those he here affirmeth that he had manifested and made known his Father's Name. And you must understand it to be spoken by our Saviour here exclusively. I have manifested thy Name unto the men which thou gavest me out of the world, that is, to them and none others. Why, did not Christ make known his Father's name to all without distinction? Did he not Preach to all? Did he not open and unfold his Father's love and mercy, and the like, to all the multitude that came to hear him? He did indeed as to the outward Promulgation, but not as to the inward and effectual revelation. He did not manifest it by his Spirit savingly to all: No my Beloved, this was the Privilege but of a few, and in particular of those who were bestowed upon him by his Father to be Members of his body: So saith our Saviour to his Father here, I have manifested thy name unto the men which thou gavest me out of the world: To them, and not to others; or else at least to them so, as I have not done to others. They have a Privilege in this respect, which others are not made partakers of: I have made it known to them effectually and savingly, and not to others. You see the meaning of the words; the Points to be observed are two: First, There are some certain men, whom God the Father gives to jesus Christ out of the world. Secondly, that jesus Christ doth make his Father known effectually and savingly to them, and none besides them. At this time of the first. DOCTRINE. There are some certain men, whom God the Father gives to Jesus Christ out of the World. In prosecution of this Observation, I shall distinctly evidence and clear these four things. First, There are some men, whom God the Father giveth to Jesus Christ. Secondly, There are a certain number of them. Thirdly, They are of the World before the Father gives them to the Son: And Fourthly, After they are given up to Jesus Christ, they are of the world no longer. All these particulars are wrapped up in the Observation and the Text, as I shall show you briefly and in order. First, There are some men whom God the Father gives to Jesus Christ: So he himself describes the persons to whom he manifests his Father's name, not by their inward disposition, not by their outward action or condition, but by the Act of God upon them, or concerning them, his giving them to Jesus Christ. They are the men, saith he, whom thou gavest me: So that some have this privilege, you see, above the rest of lost mankind, that God the Father gives them to his Son Christ, and gives them to him in a special manner, as I shown you even now, not to be his Servants only, but to be his Members too. He bestows them upon Christ to be his own peculiar people. I will not stay on this, because it hath been largely handled heretofore. Secondly, Now for the second thing, there are a certain number of them; there are some certain men, whom God the Father gives to Christ: They are thus many, not a person more or less: The number of them is exactly known to God and Christ; he knows how many of them there be to a man. And hence our Saviour speaks of them in such a way, as being able to distinguish them from all the world besides. I have manifested thy name unto the men whom thou gavest me out of the world. And so he tells us that he knows his sheep that are given him of his Father, as his own expression is, John 10.27, 29. And yet he calls his sheep by name, ver. 3. and in the 9th. verse of this very Chapter; I pray for them, saith he, I pray not for the world, but for them whom thou hast given me. So that our Saviour Christ distinguishes you see; he knows who are his own by free donation of his Father, and for them he prays. He knows who are not given him, and for them he prays not. There are a certain number of them known to Christ. Thirdly, now this selected Company are of the world before the Father gives them to the Son: I do not mean before he gives them by Election, but before he gives them to him by actual union and incorporation: And therefore they are said expressly to be given to Jesus Christ out of the World; so that the World is always beforehand with Jesus Christ in this regard. The World hath the possession of them first, and afterwards they come to appertain to Jesus Christ. In the first place they are the worlds, as all unsanctifyed and unregenerated persons are, and then at length they come to be the Lords. Fourthly, and then when they are once the Lords, they are no longer of the world, which is the last thing in the point. They are given Jesus Christ out of the world, and consequently when he hath them once, they are not of it, they are no longer men of this World. As for the rest that are not actually bestowed on Christ, they are Inhabitants, Indwellers of the earth, as they are often styled in the Revelation; they are the men of this World, as the Prophet David calls them, who have their portion in this present life, Psal. 17.14. They are not of the Father, as the Apostle speaks, but of the World, 1 John 2.16. They are of the world, therefore speak they of the world, and the world heareth them, John 4.5. But they that are delivered up to Jesus Christ and become his Members, they are of the World no longer. And this the Saints in Scripture have confessed, that they were Strangers, Pilgrims, Sojourners in this World, and therefore looked for, and made towards their own Country, Hebr. 11.6. I am a stranger on the earth, saith David, Psal, 119.196. not in his place of banishment alone with the Philistims, but in the Land of Canaan too, yea in his house, yea in his bed, yea any where upon the earth, he was a Stranger, he counted not himself at home in any place but heaven only: To say the truth, the world lays no claim at all to those that belong to Christ; and therefore this will need no great proof: It doth not own them, or acknowledge them for hers: but rather casts them out and persecutes them, and doth them all the spite and mischief that it can. And this evinceth manifestly, that they are not the Worlds, as Christ himself informeth his Disciples upon the very same ground, Joh. 15.19. If ye were of the world, the world would love his own; but because you are not of the world; but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you. To open this a little further to you, because it is the great thing of the Doctrine and the Text, that they that are bestowed on Jesus Christ, are given him out of the world, and so are of the world no longer, I shall make it to appear in a few particulars. They that are actually given up to Jesus Christ to be his Members, are actually dead with Christ, and consequently they are out of this world. We use to say of men when they are dead, that they are gone, they are departed out of this world. The same may be affirmed (in a sense) of those who are dead with Jesus Christ. And this is that which the Apostle Paul insinuates, Col. 2.20. If ye be dead with Christ, saith he, (as that he takes for granted and supposed) why as though living in the world, are ye subject to Ordinances? He reasons there from the Condition and the state of the Colossians, on whom those worldly Ordinances were imposed: They were dead in relation to the world, they lived not in the world, and therefore were not to be burdened (in their consciences at least) with the inventions and constitutions of the world. Law is the rule of life and action, so that where there is a cessation of life, there is no further obligation of the Law, because there is no action in a dead man to be ordered by it. Know ye not saith the Apostle to the Romans, chap. 7.1. that the Law hath Dominion over a man so long as he liveth? So long and no longer; for assoon as he is dead he is loosed from the Law, as it is added there in that place. It were a senseless thing to lay Commandments on the carriages of men, and to exact obedience from them after they are dead. But ye are dead saith the Apostle, dead to the world, and therefore these unlawful Ordinances ought not to be imposed upon you by the world. They should not burden you with these things, for this is not the Country that you live in. And in another place the Apostle speaking of himself, saith he was crucified to the world, Gal. 6.6, 14. not only dead, but crucified to it, and so he was no more of this world. They that are actually given up to Jesus Christ to be his members, as they are actually dead, and so departed out of this world, so they are actually living in another world. You are dead saith the Apostle, Col. 3.3. and what follows? you are not so dead, that you do not live at all, but you do not live here, no you live above with God, You are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. Their conversation is indeed in heaven, as the same Apostle speaks, Phil. 3.20, their life is Angellike, they walk with God as Noah did, Gen. 6.9. They are with him in the Palace, Psal. 45.15. Others are abroad in the Town or in the Country, but these men are in house with him; they are without doors, but these are within; such faithful souls have fellowship with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ, as the Apostle speaks, 1 Joh. 1.3. They are far from God, and far from Jesus Christ by Nature, they dwell a great way from him, as the Prodigal in a strange Country, and so have no commerce with him. But when they are converted and given up to Christ, they are made nigh, as the expression is, Ephes. 2.13. When peace is once effectually preached to those that are afar off, they have access by one Spirit to the Father, and so they are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow-Citizens of the Saints and of the household of God. Indeed my Brethren, whatsoever they that are bestowed on Christ do in regard of their natural life, yet in regard of their spiritual life, they do not live so properly in this world, as in the other, and therefore in that respect are out of this world, as I shall show you in a few particulars. For 1. There is no life but is accompanied with some relation to those that have the same alliance, and descent and Original of life. Now true it is, that they that are bestowed on Jesus Christ, in regard of their natural life, have natural parents and kindred, and allies in this world. But in regard of their spiritual life, they have spiritual parents and kindred in another world: Their Father that begat them, God, is of another world; Their Mother that conceived and bore them, and gave them suck, the Church, is of another world. The new Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the Mother of us all, Gal. 4.26. Their Brethren and their special friends, that are united to them in the nearest bond and tie of grace, are of another world. So that their chief relations are above in heaven. And wheresoever they may sojourn for a Season, there they live where their Father, and their Mother, and their Brethren, and their choice Relations are. 2. There is no life but is accompanied with some place of habitation (though in some I must acknowledge it may be more unsettled then in others) and with some means of sustentation. Now it is very true, that they that are given up to Christ, in regard of their natural life may have an earthly habitation, and earthly means of sustentation, and so in that respect they may be yet in this world. But in regard of their spiritual life, their mansion house is in another world, as the Apostle tells us, 2 Cor. 5.1. They have a building with God, a house not made with hands, but eternal in heaven. The means which they subsist upon, by which this life is nourished, and maintained, are not any earthly things; They feed upon the bread which comes from heaven, which was prefigured by the Manna, with reference to which the Psalmist saith, that man did eat Angel's food. My Father gives you the true bread from heaven, saith our Saviour, John 6.32. And what is that? I am the bread, saith he, that came down from heaven, at ver. 41. This bread all they that appertain to Christ do eat, by faith, and of his blood do they drink, and so the life of grace is strengthened in them. And for the estate they live upon, the main possession, it lies not here but in another world. In Christ they have obtained an inheritance incorruptible, undefiled, etc. and so in him they sit already in heavenly places. 3. There is no life but is accompanied with some action. Now they that are bestowed on Jesus Christ, may in regard of their natural life, act in and with, and for this world. They may in many things do as worldly men do, they may labour in their callings, they may deal in the affairs, and trade in the Commodities of this world, for the procuring of subsistence here. But in regard of their spiritual life, their actings are in and for another world. Their minds and thoughts do work exceedingly on heaven and heavenly things. Their hearts are always running out to God and Christ, and the happiness above, and feeding upon such objects. They are too large to be contained within the narrow limits of this lower world; no, as the Psalmist speaks, they are continually with God. With the woman, Apoc. 12.1. They tread upon the Moon, this variable and inconstant world; they trample with an holy scorn upon these earthly things. They are aspiring still to heaven, walking and acting heaven-ward. Indeed they live in some respect in this world, but it is but as though they lived in the world, as the Apostle Paul's expression is, Col. 2.20. They use the world, but yet it is as though they used it not, as the same Apostle speaks, 1 Cor. 7.29. They lay not out the strength of their affections and endeavours upon these things: But on the matters of the other world, there they are intent indeed, there they are in good earnest, there they act with full vigour; 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 their Trading, their Commerce, their Dealing, their Negotiation is in heaven, Phil. 3.20. The word there used hath very much in it, and can hardly be expressed. Beza assays in many ways: The manner of our living is in Heaven, or which comes nearer yet, we carry and demean ourselves as Citizens of Heaven. As if Heaven were a City, and we (as being free there) do walk and act according to the Manners, and the Customs, and the Laws, and Constitutions of the City we belong to. So that the Saints you see do live as if they were in Heaven already, as being now no more of this world. Now is it so my Brethren, That there are some certain men whom God Use 1 the Father gives to Jesus Christ out of the world? Are they the worlds before they come to be the Lord Christ's by the donation of the Father? Here than you see the reason my beloved, why there is such a stir sometimes, when God is giving men to Jesus Christ, and why the business meets with so much heat and opposition. You cannot but take notice what a fray is often made, when any one is about to leave the world, and to close with Jesus Christ. Carnal Parents, Brethren, Sisters, Friends, Acquaintance, by and by are up as it were in arms against it. When the Apostles were bringing men to Jesus Christ, at Ephesus, you know my Brethren, it occasioned such an uproar in the City, and such a mutiny among the Tradesmen and Mechanics there, as you can hardly parallel in any story. You shall observe in the New Testament, when Christ began to gather people to himself, that wheresoever there were any numbers given to him by the Father, some were exceedingly disquieted & out of patience at it. It galled the Pharisees, and cut them to the very hearts, that Jesus Christ had such an harvest among the people there: why (say they in a great passion) the whole world runs after him: And so it is to this day, and will be to the world's end, when God is pleased to give in souls to Jesus Christ in any place, some will fret and storm at it. Nor is it any wonder that they should, for they are given him out of the world. And the world is loath to lose that which appertains to it, and which is its own possession. If God did give a people to his Son, to which the world had no right, and to which it could pretend no title, the world would like it well enough, it would never be against it. But this is that which vexes it, and troubles it, that God must give away that which is his (the worlds) to Jesus Christ. He cannot have a man, but the world must be a loser, who cannot keep his own for him: what hath any one to do to meddle with that which is the worlds known right, to fetch away that which hath many years (perhaps) belonged to him? This is an injury (as he conceives) that puts him out of all patience; and this is that which makes him strive and struggle as he doth. Christ enters upon every soul that is bestowed upon him by his Father, by dispossessing and disseazing him: so that it is no marvel though he be extremely startled, and though he labour every way by promises and by preferments on the one side, and by threatening, and by persecutions on the other, to keep that which he hath in his possession. Use 2 Are there some certain men whom God the Father gives to Jesus Christ out of the world? So that however they were once the worlds, now they are the worlds no longer. By this let us examine and resolve, whether we be given up to Christ or no? It is an admirable privilege, an high prerogative for any soul to belong to Jesus Christ, to be bestowed upon him by the Father. It carries in it all the happiness that is attainable by any Creature. Now would you know whether the Father have actually given you to Christ or no? Consider whether you be out of this world; whether it may be truly said of you, that you were once indeed of this world, you lived here, builded tabernacles here, your hearts, and your affections, and your chief delights were here. But now the case is altered with you, you are no longer of this world, but of another. Now that you may be able to discover this, I shall give you marks for trial. If you be out of the world, you are not fashioned and conformed to this world in the unlawful ways, and practices, and courses of it. You fashion not yourselves according to this world, as the Apostle speaks, Rom. 12.2. not as this world doth. As Turks and Spaniards are not like to English men, they have another kind of visage, another garb, another habit, and the like. So they that are given up unto Christ out of the world, they differ manifestly from the world. There is a clear distinction to be made between them and other men, by any man that eyes them well, there are none like them in the earth, their ways are of another fashion. Now my Beloved, is it so with you? do you differ from the world? do you live soberly, and righteously, and godlily in this present evil world? In a world of wickedness, are you singular in goodness? so that the same may be affirmed of you, that is recorded to the everlasting praise of righteous Noah, that he was just and perfect in his Generations. Gen. 6.9. and they were wicked and corrupt enough. Of holy Lot, that he was so far from joining with the vicious Sodomites in their vile abominations, that his righteous soul was vexed at their filthy conversation, 2 Pet. 2.8. This is a comfortable evidence that you are given up to Jesus Christ out of this world. But if you walk according to the course and custom of the world, as the expression is, Ephes. 2.2. if you have fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, if you run out with others to the same excess of riot, if you be also led away with the error of the world, and so fall from your own steadfastness, if you be carried down with the swinge, and with the current of the times, and of the places where you live, do not deceive yourselves, you are yet of this world. I must confess, it is a very strong temptation, when the stream runs in a wrong course, and often shakes the holiest Saints. But yet in such a case, they that belong to Jesus Christ, must consider with themselves that they are of another world, and therefore are not much to eye the fashion and the ways of this. They must behave themselves according to the fashion of their own Country. They must conclude with holy Joshua 24.15. If it seem evil to other men to serve the Lord, if they will forsake God, and forsake his worship, let them serve whom they will for me; as for my own part, I am at a point for that, I and my house will serve the Lord. And they must say in such a case as David did, Away from me ye wicked; I am not for your company, because I am not for your courses; away from me ye wicked, I will keep the Commandments of my God. If you be now no longer of this world but of the other, your language is not of this world but of the other. You speak the language of the world and of the Country you belong to. You are full of good discourse, your heart boyles with good matter, as the expression of the Prophet is, Psal. 45.1. It is like a boiling pot, for that is the similitude that is alluded to; it is always bubbling up and running over, and then it speaks of good things, as it is added there in that place. The heart within boils, and the tongue without speaks; and as the boiling Pot runs over with the self same matter which it hath within it, so it fares with such an heart. It bubbleth up with good matter, the matter which it hath conceived and meditated touching Christ, this is that which is so readily and freely uttered with the tongue. My heart is enditing of a good matter; I speak of the things which I have made touching the King. Such are the hearts and tongues of those that are of the other world; their speech is gracious, and either tends to glorify their God, or to edify their Brethren; this is the language of their Country. What think we then of those whose language is always vain and frivolous? it doth not benefit the hearers, it ministereth no grace, for there is no grace in it; or which is worse, it is wicked and pernicious. Their speech is rotten and corrupt, there is no salt to season it and make it wholesome: and hence their throat is likened to an open Sepulchre, Rom. 3.13. which breathes and steames up nothing else but odious smells and loathsome exhalations: or else at best, their speeches and discourses are of nothing else but earth and earthly things. Talk with them while you will, you hear of nothing else but worldly matters from them. Of what Country do you think are these men? The Apostle John tells you, 1 John 4.5. They are of the world, and they speak of ●he world. Shibboleth never descried so many Ephraimites as this doth worldly wrerches. They are of Galilee, they are of this world, for their speech bewrayeth them. Shall I believe they are Inhabitants of the Celestial Canaan, who cannot speak almost without an oath, whose tongues are always dipping in that blood which alone can cleanse them from all sin? Shall I say that such a man or woman is of heaven, whose tongue is set on fire of hell? Brethren do not deceive yourselves, if you cannot spoke the language, you belong not to that Country. If you be now no longer of this world, but of the other, you have a dear affection to your Countrymen, to those that are given up to Christ out of the world, as you are. If travellers and strangers meet with any of their Countrymen in a remote and foreign Land, how lovingly do they embrace them? what kindness do they show them? how are they knit together in a bond of love? Just so it is with those who are of the other world. If they light any time on any of that same world which they themselves belong to, they are extremely taken up with joy, although they never saw them nor had acquaintance with them in their lives before, and presently their hearts and their affections do wonderfully close together. And therefore they are gross dissemblers, who would be thought to be given up to Christ out of the world, and yet their bosom friends and their Companions are all of them of this world. These are the men which they converse withal, and which they take delight in: Nay which is worse than this, they hate the men whom Jesus Christ hath called and chosen out of the world. They persecute them with the hand and with the tongue, and do them all the spite and all the mischief that they can. Suppose thou wert in Italy or Spain, or any other foreign Land, and there shouldst meet an Englishman, wouldst thou mock and scoff at him? wouldst thou deride and jeer at the fashion of his , the manner of his compliment, his gate and carriage, and the like? wouldst thou procure him to be taken up, imprisoned, put to death? thy Earthly Country would not own thee, if thou shouldst be so unworthy: And truly heaven will not own the men, who deal thus basely and injuriously with the Inhabitants of that Country. Use 3 Are there some certain men whom God the Father gives to Jesus Christ out of the world? so that however they were once the worlds, now they are of the world no longer. You then that find you are given up to Jesus Christ, think it not much if you have but ill usage and untoward entertainment in the world. Truly my Brethren, if you consider whence you are, and to what Country you belong, there can no other be expected by you; if you were of the world, the world would love her own; but because you are not of the world, but Christ hath chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hates you: And it shall be your wisdom to look out and to provide for such usage. If Turks or Spaniards walk along the streets, every one will gaze upon them, they will wonder at their gate and at their habit, and the like. Every one will be ready to abuse them and to put them to the worst, for they are friendless, being in a strange Country. And are not you my Brethren of another Country, yea of another world? are you not men of singularity? are not your ways and fashions divers from the fashions of this world. No marvel then though you be men of wonder, as the Prophet speaks, though you be pointed at, and though you be made spectacles and gazing stocks: Though every one presume to injure you and wrong you, and deal unworthily and basely with you, while you remain as Sojourners in this Country. Use 4 Are there some certain men whom, etc. so that however they were once the worlds, now they are of the world no longer? Then do not you regard the world, nor the things of this world. We see that Travellers do not use to set their hearts on any thing they meet with in a strange Country. If they see stately houses, orchards, gardens, if they hear curious music, they are not taken up with these things, no they keep on their way and are not hindered, or withdrawn by the most pleasing avocations. Doth any stranger fall a building at his Inn? or doth he plant and sow as he travels by the way? And therefore seeing we are of another world; let us not set our hearts on these things. No let us use the world but as though we used it not: for necessity alone, not for delight, to further us in holy duties, not to stop us, to help us heaven-ward, not to hinder. Are there some, etc. so that however you were once, etc. This fits Use 5 you then with a reply to that usual argument with which the Saints of God are often pressed to sinful practices. Other men do thus and thus, and why will not you too? will you be singular, and will you go in a way by yourselves, and will you do as no body doth? Why what though other men do this? whence are those other men? they are not of the world that we are, and therefore they are no examples for us. We must not do as they do; no we must differ from them, we must come out from among them, and be separate, and touch no unclean thing. Though they handle it, we must not touch it. When Shadrach, Mesach, and Abednego refused to bow before the Golden Image which Nebuchadnezar the King had set up, they might have said to them, What will you do as no body doth? you see that all men universally fall down before it, and they no small ones neither, the Judges, Councillors, Princes, Rulers of the people, Dan. 3.3. And will you take upon you to be wiser than your betters? will you stand out alone, and be so stiff in your opinion? yet this did not one whit move them, neither must such an argument as this prevail with us. No we must keep the right way though we go alone, though all the world should leave us and forsake us. And to this end I propound two things. 1. It will be a safe course thus to reserve ourselves from the pollutions of the world, and the contagion of the times and places where we live. The Lord most commonly vouchsafes to such a special privilege of preservation, when dangers and calamities and troubles come; as he did to Lot, and Noah, and the Mourners in Ezechiel. And as they have not shared in common corruptions, so he exempteth them from Common desolations, etc. 2. And as it will be safe for us thus to reserve ourselves, so it will be honourable too. The veriest wretch may keep himself from wicked acts sometimes, when there are no examples, no temptations to withdraw him. But in a world of wickedness to be singular in goodness, is Christianlike indeed. It was Tully's Commendation of Muraena, Laudandus Muraena non tam quod in Asia vixerit, quam quod in Asia continenter vixerit. And Gods of Job, that there was none like him in the earth. Are there some certain, etc. And are you of that number? there is Use 6 no reason then why you should be so much distracted and disquieted to see such stirs and troubles, such alterations and confusions in the world. Why should you be so out of patience to see things turned upside down in such a Country where you do not live, to which you do not appertain? What need you care (I spoke of such a Care as eateth out the joy and comfort of a man) how matters go, what stirs and hubbubs and combustions there are here in this world, so long as all goes well at home in your world? Remember still in such a case that you are not of this world but of another. And why then should it startle you, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the Sea? Yea though the Kingdoms of this world be shaken, so long as your world and the Kingdom of it is not shaken, so long as that stands firm and sure, you have no reason to be swallowed up with overmuch fear, and overmuch sorrow: But rather on the other side, when you see all the world and all the Kingdoms of it in a flame, to bless and magnify the Lord that you are out of this world; that you are out of Gun-shot, out of the reach of these things. Indeed with reference to the men of this world, who have their Conversation and their portion here, whose friends, and means, and dwellings lie in this Country, we have reason to be troubled when Concussions and Confusions come upon the earth; for we should pity those who are of the self same nature with us, in their troubles and distresses. But for ourselves, we may behold the greatest tribulation and distractions that come upon the world, as things that do not much concern us, just as we do the wars in Italy; when we have peace, we pity the poor people there, and rejoice that we live not in that Country. So long as all goes well at home, as no ill tidings come from heaven, from our own Country, we are in a good Condition: It may be we may suffer some outward evils and extremities; we may be banished from the Country which we sojourn in, but then we are but banished from a place of banishment. We may be banished (if I may express it so) out of this world into the other, that is, we may lose our lives, but then at worst we are but banished home. They do but send us to the world that we are of, and that we belong to; men may deprive us of the Life by which we live in this world, but this is but a seeming Life, the shadow of a Life; it is but as though we lived in the world. But the life by which we live in the world that we are of, is an enduring and abiding life; It is a lasting and an endless life, it is above the reach of death and dissolution: And though the natural life decay, this life of grace will flourish and grow stronger still, till it be perfected in that of glory. JOHN 17.6. Thine they were, etc. thou gavest them to me. ANd thus far of the description of the persons to whom our Saviour had made known his Father's Name; not by their own condition, or their own action, but by his Father's act upon them, or in reference to them, his giving them to Jesus Christ out of the world. I have manifested thy Name to the men whom thou gavest me out of the world. The following words seem to be added to anticipate a scruple that might be raised in the hearts of those who heard him praying to his Father thus; or who in aftertimes might come to read this prayer of our Saviour, as it is here recorded in the Gospel. They might consider with themselves on this occasion; if jesus Christ have none belonging to him, none that are indeed his own, but those that are bestowed upon him by his Father; why then it seems all were the Fathers in the first place. For no one gives that to another which he hath not first himself. Nihil dat quod non habet. True, saith our Saviour, so it is indeed, they were my Fathers, and I had them all from him. Thine they were, and thou gavest them to me. So that you see the Observation lies before you. DOCTRINE. That all the people of the Lord Christ were first of all belonging to the Father. His they were in the first place, and he gave them to the Son. And indeed he could not give them, if they were not first his own: For he that gives a thing, altars the property of that which he bestows; passes away the right he had, and makes it over to another. And so doth God in reference to jesus Christ. He gives him all the people that he hath. jesus Christ hath not a man but by donation from the Father, and therefore they were his first. And this is that which jesus Christ acknowledges in this place, thine they were, and thou gavest them to me. And to the same effect he speaks, ver. 10. of this Chapter, Thine are mine, and I am glorified in them. They that were sometimes thine, are now mine. Thy interest was first, and mine in the second place by donation and conveyance from thyself. You see then all the People of the Lord Christ were first of all belonging to the Father. Now to unfold the point a little further to you, because indeed it needs not proof so much as explication; We will examine and resolve a few things. First, who the Father is, to whom the people of our Saviour Christ do first belong? Secondly, how and in what respect they do first belong to him? Thirdly, how far the Father parteth with the right he had in those whom he bestows upon our Saviour Christ? Whether he makes them over to him so, that he himself hath now no longer any right at all in them? Or whether only so, that Christ and he do share together, and have a joint and mixed right and interest in those people. And lastly, seeing all do first of all belong to God the Father, why he doth not keep them to himself, but makes them over to his Son Christ. These things would be a little looked into before we come to application. As for the first of these my Brethren, Who the Father is to whom the people of our Saviour Christ do first belong? We must be sure that we be right in this, or else we miss in the foundation of the whole business. I shall be brief upon the resolution of it now, because you may remember I have done it largely heretofore in another case, and on another occasion. This I desire you to take notice of, which Calvin also carefully observes, that our Saviour in the Gospel, especially in this of John, speaking as man and not as God, under the name of Father, intimates and comprehends the whole Godhead. Nor let this seem strange to you; for Christ as man is God's Son, not God the Father's Son alone, but the Son of the whole Godhead. Indeed as God, he is the Son of the first person only, but as man, he is the Son of all the persons. As man, he is a Creature, and he is not God the Father's Creature only, for the works of the Trinity without are individed. And therefore Christ is made the Son of God in the same way that Adam is, Luk. 3.33. etc. And it is very evident, that in my Text he spakes to God the Father, as a Creature and as a Man: for he speaks to him in prayer, and prayer is a part of worship, and God doth not worship God. And when as man he prays to God, you must not think he prays to the first person only and exclusively, but he prays to all the persons. And therefore when he saith to God in prayer, thine they were, the people which I have, were sometimes thine, he cannot mean that they were the first persons only, (for certainly one person prays not to another) but they were the whole Godheads. You see then who the Father is, to whom the people of our Saviour Christ do first belong. Not God personally taken for the first person of the Godhead, but God essentially taken for the whole essence of the Godhead, as subsisting in the persons. And God so taken is the Father of our Saviour Christ as he is man, and so he prays to him in this place. So that now the way is open to the second Quaere, how and in what respect the people of the Lord Christ were first of all belonging to his Father, that is to the whole Godhead, before they came to his hands as he is man and Mediator of the Church. Beloved▪ they were first of all belonging to his Father in that sense that we have said, especially in two respects; either as his Created one's; or as his Elected one's, as his Creatures, or his Chosen. 1. All the people of the Lord Christ were first of all belonging to his Father as his Creatures. His they were, for he made them. It is the greatest reason in the world, that he that makes a thing should own it too, that it should be his that made it; That he that gives a thing being, should have a title to it while it hath a being, unless he voluntarily and freely make it over to another. And by this means, God hath a primitive original and native right in all the world and all the people that are in it. Jesus Christ as he is man, hath not right to one person; I mean originally of himself. But how then shall he come to have a people to be his members, and to make up a Church a body for him? Why God his Father is content to furnish him out of his store. Rather than he shall want a Company of men to be his members, he will spare him some of his, and others he will keep for other purposes to execute his wrath and manifest the glory of his Justice on. There are a people for thee, saith the Father, thou shalt have such and such of mine. All the world are mine, thou knowest; and such a number I will give thee out of the world; So many thou shalt have among the Jews, and if that be not sufficient, thou shalt have as many more as thou wilt ask among the Gentiles. Ask of me and I will give thee, Psal. 2.7. And hence our Saviour speaking of his people, acknowledgeth they were his Father's first, I have manifested thy name unto the men which thou gavest me out of the world. Thine they were, and thou gavest them to me. 2. All the people of the Lord Christ were first of all belonging to his Father as his chosen. Not only as his Creatures, but as his Elect too. And thus he hath a nearer interest in those whom he bestows on Jesus Christ, than he hath in any other. All the world are his indeed, but then there are some certain people whom he chooses for himself in a peculiar and a special way. As he that is the Owner of a goodly Wood, all the Trees are his indeed, but yet there is a Tree or two, or more, which he chooses to himself and which he marks out to himself, and for his own particular and private use. So the earth is the Lords, and all the people that are in it; but yet there are some certain men whom he hath set a part from everlasting to be his, to be the Vessels of his own House, the Servants of his own Family. As it is said of Jacob, Psal. 135.4. The Lord hath chosen Jacob to himself, and Israel for his peculiar treasure. And therefore when he gives these up to Christ, and makes them actually his, no marvel though he answer him as in my text, thine they were, and thou hast given them to me. And here indeed the gift of God is most to be observed. He doth not give our Saviour all that are his by Creation, all the wicked; he gives him but some of them, and therefore he is said to give them out of the world. But he gives him all that are his by Election, he doth not keep one man from him. God hath a special interest in them above the rest, they are his own peculiar treasure, as you heard but now, and every one of them he gives to Christ. Jesus Christ hath all his treasure, take his trash who will. Now for the third particular, how far the Father parteth with the right he hath in those whom he bestows on Jesus Christ. A man would think, by the expression of our Saviour in my text, that he parted with it wholly. That he makes over all the interest he hath, in those whom he bestows on Jesus Christ. That when he gives them up to him, he utterly devests himself of all his former interest, so that he hath no longer any right at all in them. Thine they were, saith Jesus Christ, why then it seems they are not now; thine they were, but now they are no longer thine; for thou hast given them to me. But certainly we must not understand it in such an absolute and rigid sense, but with some grains of mitigation. For when the Father hath actually given men to Jesus Christ to be his members, they do not cease to be his Creatures, they do not cease to be his chosen, and therefore in a sense, my brethren, they are his still. And this our Saviour Christ acknowledgeth expressly, but a little after at ver. 9, 10. I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me, and mine are thine. Observe it well, he saith not to the Father, mine were thine, before thou gavest them to me, but mine are thine, notwithstanding thou hast given them to me. So that the Father doth so bestow his people on the Son, that after the donation, Christ and he do share together, and have a joint and mixed interest and right in those people; and however they that appertain to Christ, are styled his peculiar people. Tit. 2.14. which is a term that intimates not a right in common, but an unmixed and undivided right; you must not understand it in opposition to the Father, but to themselves, and to the world and to the Devil. They are his peculiar so, that though they were once their own, now they are their own no longer. Though they were once the worlds, now they are the worlds no longer. Though they were once the Devils, now they are his no longer. But they are not his peculiar so, that they are no more the Fathers. No, God and Christ do always share, as I have said, and as he himself confesseth, in the fore-alledged verse, All mine are thine, and thine are mine. And in this sense, you must conceive the Expression in my text, Thine they were. They were once wholly and entirely thine; now they are not so thine, for thou hast given them to me, and therefore I must strike in for a share with thee. Once they were thine only, now it is so no longer, for they are thine and mine too. There is one thing yet behind; That seeing all do first belong to God the Father, why he doth not keep them to himself, but makes them over to his Son Christ. And the reason is apparent, because if he should keep them to himself (as things are ordered) he must lose them: And therefore gives them up to Christ, that he may save them. First, Those that belong to God, are his created ones, or as his Creatures; if he should keep them still in that Condition, and should not give them up to Jesus Christ, there were no other way but they must perish. All that the Creator made, by Adam's fall have brought themselves into a lost condition. His work is wholly spoilt and marred by sin that is come in upon it, and hath defaced it, and destroyed it so that unless there be a reparation, all mankind is cast away and lost for ever. This reparation is the work of Jesus Christ; it is his business to repair the ruins of decayed mankind, and to restore them to that beauty and felicity from which they are declined and departed by the fall. If God the Father give him any broken piece to be amended and recovered by him, he doth his work upon him, and he saves him to the utmost. But if the Father keep him to himself as a created one, if he leave him in the condition of a Creature, and do not make him over to his Son, that he may be a redeeemed one, that he may be recovered and restored by him, he even remaineth in that miserable and undone estate wherein the whole race of mankind is involved by the fall. And therefore when the Father looks on the Creation, and sees his work is wholly spoiled, he considers with himself, I will not leave it all in this condition; no, some of it shall be repaired again, and that shall be my Son's business. And so accordingly he picks out such and such a soul, and brings it to the Lord Christ; There take that soul, and set it right again: I give it thee to this end that thou mayst repair it, and restore it to all the happiness which it hath lost by Adam's fall. Secondly they that belong to God as his Elected one's, or as his Chosen, if he should keep them still in that Condition, and should not give them up to Jesus Christ (this cannot be, but if this should be supposed,) there were no other way but they must perish; for it is not enough to the salvation of a soul, that it be chosen, unless withal it be delivered up to Jesus Christ, and made a real living member of his body. And therefore God Electeth every soul in Christ; he chooseth it in him, as the Apostle speaks, Eph. 1.4. That is, he looks on it in Christ, in the instant of Election, designeth it in time to be a part of Christ. And so accordingly when the appointed season comes, he brings this Chosen one of his to Christ, and gives it him, yea puts it into him; There take it to thyself (saith he) mine it hath been from everlasting by election, and now I make it thine by actual union and incorporation. I have done my part for it, and now do thou do thine. I have chosen it, do thou save it. This shall suffice for clearing of the observation. I shall but add a word or two of application. And is it so that all the people of the Lord Christ were first of all belonging Use 1 to the Father? then surely he will keep them for the Father's sake. Before he let them go, he will consider with himself, of whom he had them. Brethren, you may be confident that Jesus Christ will never lose his people, but that he will be infinitely chary and extremely tender of them, because he had them of his Father. How do we esteem a Ring, a piece of Plate or some thing else that was our Fathers? If any one desire it of us, if he offer money for it, no, will such a person say, I will not take an hundred times the value for it, it was my Fathers and I will not part with it. And do you think my Brethren, that Jesus Christ doth not love his Father, as well as we love ours? And therefore when the Devil or the world, do go about to get away his people from him, when they bid fair for them, when they pluck hard at them; No, saith our Saviour, it is in vain; I had these people; these precious Jewels of my Father, and therefore you may spare your labour. His they were, and he gave them to me, and I will surely keep them for his sake that gave them me, yea he gave them to me to this end, that I should keep them. So Christ himself acknowledges, John 6.39. This is the Father's will, that of all which he hath given me, I should lose nothing. His Father gave them to him, bequeathed them to him, by his will. And this was upon the Will, that he should not lose them too. O what a ground of confidence is here that Christ will keep us? though we be apt to fall away, though the Devil and the world pluck violently at us, we may depend upon it, they shall not get us out of Christ's hands. We were his Fathers, and he gave us him by Will, and that with this Condition that he should not lose us. And therefore let us rest upon it, he will be careful of his Father's Will, and he will keep us for his Father's sake. And thus far of the first particular whereof our Saviour minds his Father by way of preparation to the prayer which he makes for his Apostles and Disciples: that which he had done for them. I have manifested thy name to the men which thou gavest me out of the world, thine they were, and thou gavest them to me. The second follows now in order to be handled, that which they themselves had done in reference to God the Father, they have kept thy word. And here you may take notice with me of these two things, which show themselves to any one, that doth but look upon the words. First the act of these Apostles and Disciples of our Saviour, they have kept; And then the object of this act of theirs, the thing which he affirmeth they have kept, the word of God, They have kept thy word. And this our Saviour mentions (as he doth the rest) by way of preparation to his prayer for them, to show what cause there was, why they should be remembered in his prayers, what did induce him to pray and to be confident that he should speed with God in prayer for them, because they had been faithful and obedient. They had kept the word of God, and therefore they shall have his word to God in prayer for them, he makes no doubt, they shall have a word from God, by way of merciful return and gracious answer to his prayer. There is the inward and essential, and there is the outward and declaratory word of God. The inward word, the word God. The outward word, the word of God, or the word which comes from God: Though not immediately from God to us, yet mediately by his Prophets and Apostles, and Jesus Christ himself as he was man, whom he made his Scribes, and Heralds, and Ambassadors and Mouth, God spoke in times passed to the Fathers by the Prophets, Heb. 1.1. he spoke by the mouth of the holy Prophets, Luke 1.10. The Prophecy came not in old time by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Ghost. 2 Pet. 1.21. And so for the New Testament, the Apostle tell us, that in these last day's God hath spoken to us by his Son, Heb. 1.2. and that which God speaks, is God's word. Now it is called the word of God in my Text and elsewhere often, because it manifesteth and makes known the mind and will of God. For as the word of man discovers to us, what the man means, what he conceiveth in his mind and heart within, which else we were by no means able to imagine; so the word of God (my brethren) shows us the heart and mind of God, as far as he is pleased to express it, and to make it known to us; it shows us what his will and pleasure is. What he will have us to do, and what he means to do with us. And this word the Apostles and Disciples kept: that is the term our Saviour uses in my text. He made it known to them, he shown them what his Father's mind and will was, and they kept it. I have manifested thy name unto the men which thou gavest me out of the world, and they have kept thy word. What is intended by that phrase of keeping, shall be fully opened, when I come to explication of the point; in the mean time the observation shall be this. DOCTRINE. They whom the Father gives to Jesus Christ, do keep his word. You see it is the Character he gives of those that are bestowed upon him by his Father. Thine they were, and thou hast given them to me, and they have kept thy word. And after to the same effect, they have received thy word; It is usually set down as the property of those who belong to Jesus Christ, that they keep his say, John 14.23, if a man love me, saith our Saviour there, he will keep my words; and his words and the Father's words are all one. And hence there is a blessing poured out on such, Luke 11.28. Blessed are they that hear the word of God and keep it. But not to stay upon the proof in general, because the term is for somewhat dark, I shall proceed to show you more particularly and distinctly what it is to keep the word of God, which is the main thing in the observation, They whom the Father gives to Jesus Christ, do keep his word. Now this imports and carries in it divers things. To keep the word of God is to retain it in the memory, not only to receive it, but also to retain it there. To hold fast what we have received, as the expession is, Rev. 3.11. Reprobis effluit sermo dei, saith Calvin on my Text. The word of God flows away from reprobates and wicked men. It is like water shed upon the ground, which is gone upon the sudden. But it sticks with the Elect, it takes deep root there. It is observed to the praise of Mary, that she kept the say of our Saviour, all his say, Luke 2.50. Others lost them, but she kept them and therefore she is set in opposition to them. They understood not the say which he spoke to them, they knew not what he meant, and therefore it was quickly gone with them; for what you do not understand you shall be hardly able to remember. But Mary kept these say in her heart, while many others, who understood not these discourses of our Saviour, let them go. They valued them as things of nothing, and looked upon them but as lose words, and therefore had no mind to keep them. She laid them up with extraordinary care, as singular and choice things. And this is that which the Apostle Paul exhorts us to, Heb. 2.1. We ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, that is to the words of God, least at any time we should let them slip. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, lest we prove like leaking vessels that hold not what is poured into them, but leak it out again upon a sudden, Lest we forget the word of God. That is the first thing then, to keep the word of God, is to retain it in the memory. And those whom he bestows on Christ, do thus keep it. And as there is a keeping of it in the memory, so in the second place, there is a keeping of it in the heart. As in the memory by retaining, so in the heart by believing. And of this sort of keeping speaks our Saviour, John 8.51. Verily I say unto you, if a man keep my saying, he shall never see death. His saying is the doctrine of the Gospel which is more properly the word of Christ. He cannot mean if a man keep my saying, if he remember it, he shall never see death. But if a man keep my saying, if he believe it, if he keep it in his heart (for with the heart a man believeth to salvation) than he shall never see death. And so the words are parallel with those which he delivers in another place, John 11.2. Whosoever believeth in me shall never die. That is the second sort of keeping then, in the heart by believing. There is a keeping of the word of God, as in the mind by remembering, and in the heart by believing, so in the affections by loving. They are the Cabinet in which it is laid up, and it is very safe there. So David kept the word of God very dear in his affections, as he professeth very often; sometimes he saith that it is sweeter to him then honey or the hony-comb sometimes that is dearer to him then thousands of Gold and Silver; That he loves it above Gold, yea above fine Gold. He loves it not as Silver, but as Gold, not equal unto Gold, but above Gold. Not above ordinary base Gold, but above fine Gold. That place is notable in which he seems to be transported, Psal. 119.97. O how do I love thy Law! It is, out of all measure, it is so great that I am no way able to express it. There is a keeping of the word as in the mind by remembering, and in the heart by believing, and in the affections by loving, so in the life by obeying. And in this sense the phrase is usually taken in the Scripture; to keep and to obey is all one. And so the Lord himself explains it. Deut. 13.4. Ye shall walk after the Lord your God and keep his Commandments; And what is that? you shall obey his voice and serve him, as it is added in the next words. Now the word of God is kept as I shall show you very clearly both by active and by passive obedience. First it is kept by active obedience to it; and Secondly it is kept by passive obedience for it. 1. There is a keeping of the word of God by active obedience to it, by doing that which it commands, and by avoiding that which it forbids. This is the common acceptation of the term. This sense the Holy Ghost himself (the best Interpreter) gives of it, 1 John 5.22. Whatsoever we ask we receive of him, because we keep his Commandments. Keep his Commandments! how so? you have it clearly in the following words, And do those things that are pleasing in his sight And thus you must conceive the meaning of the Holy Ghost in the forealleged Scripture. Luke 11.28. Blessed are they that hear the word of God, and keep it, that is; that hear it, and obey it. 2. And as the word of God is kept by obedience active to it, so by obedience passive for it. And this is clearly intimated in the attestation that he gives the Church of Sardis, Apoc. 3.10. thou hast kept the word of my patience, that is, as thou hast kept my word in general, so more particularly thou hast kept those portions of my word, and those parcels of my truth which must have patience to the keeping of them. A man may keep some part of God's word without patience, as being as being universally received by all, opposed by none. But then there are some other portions of the Word and Truth of God, which if a man maintain and hold, and practise, he shall surely suffer, he shall be persecuted for them. A man might have gone clear along with some truth, even in the Marian days themselves. But if he held and openly professed the truth against the real Presence in the Sacrament, and so in many other things, he brought himself into extreme danger. And so in every age there are some passages of holy Scripture, and the truths delivered in them that are more opposed than others, so that whoever sticks to them, shall be sure to meet with trouble, and so to exercise his patience. And he that keeps these notwithstanding, that maintains them, and that yields obedience to them, he keeps the Word of God's patience. And therefore it is noted of the good ground that it receives the Word of God aright, and brings forth fruit with patience, Luke 8.15. That on the good ground are they, which in a good and honest heart having heard the Word keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience, That is, the Word is fruitful in them, notwithstanding persecutions and afflictions. So was it in the Thessalonians, as the Apostle testifies of them, 1 Epist. 2.13. When ye received the Word of God, said he, ye received it not as the word of man, but as it is in truth the Word of God, which effectually also worketh in you. And what was this effectual operation? Constancy in sharp sufferings, as you may see in the next verse. And yet they would not let it go, though they suffered much for it. That of the Prophet David is remarkable, Psal. 119.161. Princes have persecuted me without cause, but my heart standeth in awe of thy Word. He had rather have them against him, then have the Word of God against him. They threatened him if he obeyed and kept the Word. The Word on the other side that threatened him if he renounced and disobeyed it. Whom did he fear most? why, saith the Psalmist, My heart standeth in awe of thy Word. Though they be Princes, very great men, and though they threaten me, and persecute me too, yet I fear the Word of God more than I fear them. I dare not disobey it, how much soever I displease them, how much soever I may suffer from them. This is to keep the Word by obedience passive for it. Thus much shall serve for the Explication of the point. Now is it so, that they whom the Father gives to Jesus, Use. do keep his Word? Here is a touchstone then, my Brethrens, by which you may try yourselves, whether you be given up to Christ, or no. I have showed you heretofore of how great Consequence it is, for every one of us to be among the number of the men whom God makes over to his Son Christ. Indeed so great, that all our happiness both in the present life, and that to come, consists in it. If God the Father bestow us not on Jesus Christ, it had been infinitely better for us that we had never been born, that he had never made us. For we continue in the power and the possession of the Prince of this world, his we are, and with him must remain for ever. Now my Beloved, would you know whether you be yet made over to the Son of God, or no? Examine diligently whether you have kept the Word of God. Thine they were, saith Christ to God the Father, and thou gavest them to me, and they have kept thy Word. And is it so with you my Brethren? Consider it a little and proceed in the discovery according to the branches laid before in Explication of the point. Have you kept it in your memories? Abundance of you have read and heard much of the Word of God. These many years it hath been preached to you, you have had precept upon precept, and line upon line, here a little and there a little; you have not been overlaid and dulled ou● with long Sermons, but you had a little and a little. A little on a Sabbath day, and a little on a Lecture day. Your lessons have been short, that you might the better learn them. But what have you retained of all this? Indeed some of you have laid up these say in your hearts as Mary did, you have them sure and safe there. You have them ready and at hand to bring them forth on all occasions for the Direction and the Consolation of yourselves and of your Brethren; But for the greater number, they have lost all, nothing at all sticks by them. The Word of God hath come to them as the Apostle says, and they have let it go again. I must acknowledge there is difference in the memories of men, and some are subject to a natural defect, so that they fail them strangely in their own affairs, which are of most concernment to them. But when the memories of men are sure and faithful to them in all other things, but hold the Word of God no better than a Sieve holds water, that lets every drop go, this is a very sad case. It is a shrewd presumption that they are none of Christ's Disciples. But you will say, How shall we amend this, how shall we do that we may keep the Word of God in this respect? I will give you two or three Directions. 1. Keep your minds close to it, let them not rove and wander while you hear it; if they do, you lose all. This is the Apostles counsel to give earnest heed, to be intent upon the things we hear, to watch the words as they come forth out of the Preachers mouths, Heb 2.1. and why so? least at any time we let them slip. If we would remember well, there must not be the least diversion. 2. Get a good understanding in the Word of God. The observation of the Holy Ghost is notable for this purpose, Luk 2.19. They understood not the say which he spoke unto them. But Mary kept all these say in her heart. They kept them not, because they did not understand them; that which is not understood will very hardly be remembered. They are our understanding hearers that carry all away, while ignorant and sottish people keep nothing. 3. Value the Word of God more, and you shall find you will remember it the better. See the necessity, the excellency of it, and then you will be careful how you lose it. Esteem it as the Prophet David did above gold, yea, above fine gold. He whose memory is weakest, seldom forgets where he hath laid his gold. 4. Strengthen memory by meditation, repetition, conference of what you hear. If it be hard to take in holy Truths, chafe them in, rub them in, and settle them by this means. Let them be as a nail well fastened (as the expression of the Wiseman is) and set home with many strokes that they may not out again. 5. Set instantly upon the practice of the truth delivered to you; assoon as you hear it, act it. That which you do, you will remember. Mark that of the Apostle James 1.25. Not being a forgetful hearer but a doer of the Word; The doer than is no forgetful hearer. Many men remember nothing because indeed they do nothing. 6. When holy truths are gone with you, when they are slipped away, entreat the Holy Spirit to recall them. Mind him humbly of his Office, and of the end for which your Saviour sent him down into this lower world, to bring things to remembrance which have been taught you, Joh. 14.26. JOHN. 17.6. And they have kept thy Word. TO pass on to the Second branch of this discovery; Have you kept the Word of God in your Hearts by believing? This is a degree higher, and reaches further than the other. Many keep it in their memories, who do not keep it in their hearts. Many remember it, who do not believe it. And yet unless we do both, we can have no assurance that we belong to Jesus Christ by the donation of the Father. And is it so with you my Brethren? Do you believe the Word of God? Do your hearts say Amen to every particle and tittle of it? If God should come and put the question to you concerning those particulars of holy Truths which seem most hard to be believed, most difficult to be accomplished, as once our Saviour did to Martha, when he had said, I am the Resurrection and the life; he that believeth in me though he were dead, yet shall he live. And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this? Joh. 11.26. Can you return the same answer? yea Lord I believe, as she did; May not the same be charged on abundance of you, which God so sharply reprehends in Israel, Psal. 106.24. They believed not his Word, and harkened not to the voice of the Lord. Are there not multitudes among us, who give no credit to the Word at all? who when they hear the truths of God delivered to them, do not inquire with Nicodemus only, How can these things be? but even peremptorily determine they can never be. And here because they are of many sorts who do not keep the Word of God in their hearts by believing, I will set them in their ranks, and proceed with them in order. Some there are who question all the Word of God throughout, from the beginning of it to the end, do not believe one word of it; Either they throw it off, as false and vain, without Consideration, in a rash and wild way, or else they soberly resolve the Scripture to be nothing else but the invention and device of Politic and subtle heads, to keep fools in awe withal. And so they say, upon deliberation, as David in his haste and in his passion, All men are liars; the very Penmen of the Word of Truth itself. The Prophets, the Apostles, all are liars. As that blasphemous Pope who styled the Gospel, the Fable of Christ. These men are flat Atheists, what ever their professions be. We want not some in these times, who are so bold as to declare themselves in this particular, and openly to renounce the Word of God. And certainly however other men conceal themselves for shame, yet there are more of this opinion than we are ware of. They do not say with their tongues perhaps, but yet with David's fool, they say it in their hearts, the Scripture is not God's Word, yea there is no God at all, to be Author of the Scripture. Others there are who though they do not question all the Scripture, yet they do not believe it all, they give not absolute belief to every part and parcel of it. And since the Word hath in it precepts, promises, and threaten, and there are some that question one, and some another of them, we will proceed with them distinctly, and in order. 1. Some there are who do not give assent to the Divine Authority of all the Precepts of the Word of God. Some deny some certain Precepts ' and Commandments by themselves apart. The Papists they deny the second Precept. Vasques acknowledges that this Commandment interdicts not only the adoring of an Image under the notion of a God, but also the adoring of the true God in an Image. And further he confesses that they do the very thing that is condemned in this Commandment. What then? because it will not be obeyed, it must be canceled and repealed, and not admitted to have any place among the Moral precepts of the Law of God. It was saith he, a positive and Ceremonial Law, and therefore ceases now in our days. And thus they make the Commandment of the Lord of no effect, through their tradition. Others deny the fourth Commandment, and affirm that is also vanished with the Ceremonials, that it belongeth not to Christians, save only in regard of Moral equity, in which respect the Moral and Judicial Laws belong to us also. And yet the Lord you see hath placed it in the middle of the Decalogue, and hedged it in on every side with other precepts that it might be the safer from the violence of those who seek to raze it out of the Tables. But that which these men do by parcels and retail, there are another sort who do in gross, and as it were by whole sale, cast off all the Precepts and Commandments of the Law of God together, affirming they are all abolished, not only in regard of irritation, malediction, condemnation, but even in regard of obligation; And thus with those in David's time they make void the Law of God. These men cannot pray to God as David doth, Psal. 119.66. Teach me good judgement and knowledge, for I have believed thy Commandments. And verily if all that are bestowed on Jesus Christ do keep the Word of God in the heart by believing, they that renounce it thus, seem to be in an ill Condition, and they have reason to consider well whether they be given up to Christ or no. Others there are who give no credit or belief to the threaten of the Word, who when they hear them thundered out against them, say it is not be, with Israel, neither shall we see Sword nor Famine, Jer, 5.12. And are there not a multitude of this opinion? For tell me, my Beloved, when you that know yourselves to be unclean livers; have heard that dreadful commination, Whoremongers and Adulterers God will judge: when you that are so glued to the world, that nothing can divide you from it, have heard that flaming sentence, That no covetous person hath any inheritance in the Kingdom of God: when you that wallow in your filthiness, you that are liars, swearers, drunkards, enemies of all goodness, have heard that nothing that is filthy or unclean, shall come within the new Jerusalem; that without shall be liars and dogs that bark and snarl, and snap at holiness, that such shall have their portion in the lake, etc. have you believed these threaten? have you assented to the truth of them? Alas, my Brethren, it is Evident you have not. For 1. First, If you believe the threaten, you will quake and tremble at them. This disposition is observed in the Saints of God in Scripture, that as they had believing, so they had tender trembling hearts, in relation to his threaten. Such a heart had good Josiah, his heart was tender when he heard the words (that is, the threatening words) of God, his words against Jerusalem, 2 King. 22.19. not to it to instruct; nor for it to comfort; but against it to affright. Such a heart had holy David, Psal. 119.12. My flesh trembleth for fear of thee, and I am afraid of thy judgements. He speaks not of his Judgements actually inflicted, for they are felt, but of his judgements threatened only; and hanging in the Commination, for they eaten feared, I am afraid of thy judgements. Of such a temper was the Prophet, Hab. 3.16. when I heard, my belly trembled, my lips quivered at the voice, etc. And such a disposition they discovered, of whom the Propeht Ezra speaks, ch. 9 ver. 4. they feared the words of the God of Israel. That is, his threatening words, as appears by that which follows, because of their transgression. Nay the Apostle James affirmeth of the very Devils that even they believe and tremble, Jam. 2.19. They believe the Comminations, and they quake and tremble at them. And verily the same effect would they produce in men, if they did but believe them as the Devils do. But alas how many are there who have no such thing in them? who though they hear the wrath of God denounced, and though they see his vengeance executed on ungodly men before their eyes in a very dreadful manner, yet are not moved or troubled at it in any measure or degree, by which it is apparent that they have no faith in them. 2. Secondly if you believe the threaten, you will take some course or other, to avert the evil threatened. It is observed of the Ninvites; that they believed God, believed him in the threatening message he sent them by the Prophet, Jonah 3.5. And what followed? They proclaimed a Fast, and put on Sackcloth, and turned every one from his evil way, from the violence that was in his hands. They that are never troubled for the sins which God threatens, never endeavour reformation, but continue as they were, wicked and unclean still, do not believe his Comminations, they look upon them but as bruta fulmina, and empty Scare crows which though they may fright others so as to drive them out of their beloved sins, they are resolved they shall never scare them, so as to work the smallest change, or the least amendment in them. There are a third sort yet behind, and they are such as do not believe the promises of God. They do not act their faith upon them; They do not keep them in their hearts by believing. And truly there are multitudes that fail in this particular, as is apparent by these symptoms following, viz. 1. Because they are so full of fears, they walk so sadly and dijectedly. Faith in the promises will fill the heart with joy and comfort in the worst of times, and the sharpest of sufferings. Believing we rejoice with the Apostle, and that with joy unspeakable and glorious, 1 Pet. 1.8. You cannot think of any trial, any trouble, whether inward in the soul, or outward in the body, name, estate, but there is a promise for it, to clear and comfort and support the soul in it. And if the promise be believed, the soul cannot be void of comfort; It will revive the saddest heart. It is for want of faith that men are so oppressed with grief and sorrow. 2. It is too evident that men do not believe the promises of God, because they are so full of doubts and fears, so full of endless cares and troubles, and distractions. Brethren, there is no end of the cares and fears of men, of their questions and debates until they come to pitch upon the promises. Till they come to rest on this, God hath said it, I have God in bond for it, he hath undertaken it who lives for ever, in whom is everlasting strength; the soul will never be at quiet, it will be shaken as the trees in the Forest, as Isa. 7.2. Oh thinks a poor wretch, if I should live till I be blind, till I be impotent, till I have spent all, what should I do? What shall my wife and children do? What if I lose such a friend, or such a comfort? So rich men have as much trouble, What if the times should frown upon me? what if malicious men should swear against me? what if the Enemy break in upon me and plunder me? etc. and a thousand of these doubts and fears men have; And whence are all these? truly they are not so much from the greatness of their danger, as from the smallness of their faith: O you of little faith, wherefore do you doubt? whence are your doubtings, troubles and perplexities, but because you do not keep the word of promise in your hearts by believing? You do not act your faith upon that Word of God, that he will never fail you nor forsake you. Beloved, let a man look where he will, there is a greater power against him, than there can be for him, out of God. And all these outward things are so contingent, they lie so doubtful and uncertain, that a man can never be secure in them. And therefore if you would be settled and secured for the future, build on God, and on the Promise. Say not I have such a Parent, such a Friend, and he will provide for me, he will see I shall not want. I have such Income by the year, such a Trade, such an Estate, such a power on my side. The conclusion will not hold; but say rather I have such a God, and such a promise. God hath said that he will feed me, and therefore I shall be fed. God hath said that he will keep me, and therefore I shall be kept. God hath said that he will pardon me, and therefore I shall be forgiven. 3. It is apparent that men do not believe the promise, because they are inconstant and uncertain in their ways. They knew not what to do, nor where to live, nor what side to stick to. They are tossed to and fro, they are on and off again. And what is the cause of this? truly it is for want of faith upon the promise; for that would settle them and root them; but on the other side, saith God, and binds it with a strong asseveration too, If ye will not believe, surely ye shall not be established, Isa. 7.9. You will be thus unstable still, and fickle still, unless you pitch by faith upon the promise. 4. It is apparent that men do not believe the promise, because they will suffer nothing for it. They will not part with any thing, their liberty, their ease, their profit for the promise sake: whereas faith if it were acted, would have an admirable operation on them. And therefore the Apostle makes this the ground of the strange patience of the Saints. When they were tortured, tried with mockeries, scorn, bonds, imprisonment, when they were stoned, sawn asunder, what made them able to endure such things, and not to accept deliverance when it was offered, if they would have yielded and complied a little? It was their faith, as you may see, Heb. 11.33, 37. by faith upon the promise they attained to this strength, that they could not be overcome nor made to yield to adversaries when they endured such torments as were impossible for flesh and blood to suffer, but became Conquerors in them all, yea more than Conquerors, as the Apostle Paul speaks, Rom. 8.37. So when it is affirmed of the holy Martyrs, Apoc. 12.11. that they overcame the Dragon in all the persecutions that he raised against them, it is withal observed, that they did it by the blood of the Lamb; the faith they had in the blood of Jesus Christ enabled them to bear and overcome so bitter torments as they did endure. And so it will do any of us in the like case. This is the victory that overcometh the world, even our Faith, 1 Joh. 5.4. And therefore when we are so quickly overcome, and brought to choose sin rather than affliction, it is a sign we want faith. By this, you see there are too many who do not keep the Word of God in their hearts by believing. Now I beseech you, my Beloved, as you would have this assurance that you are of the number of those that belong to Christ by the donation of the Father, keep his words; if you observe your Faith to waver, or to fail in any point, abase and judge yourselves for it. And that you may the better know how far to judge, and how far to acquit yourselves in this particular, I shall give you some Cautions. 1. You are not bound to credit every thing that is presented to you, under the name and title of the Word of God; To give a sudden and inconsiderate assent to all that the best Minister delivers to you, because he teaches it, and you are well persuaded of the man. You may, nay more than so, you ought to try before you trust in this case. Prove every thing, saith the Apostle, 1 Thes. 5.21. and then hold fast that which is good. It is observed of the Bereans, that they were not so servilly addicted and engaged to any Teachers, how excellent soever their endowments were, as to receive upon their credit any thing that they delivered. No, their manner was to search the Scriptures, whether things were so, Act. 17.11. And yet it is notable that they are said to have received the Word of God with all readiness of mind for all this. The Lord requires no greater readiness of mind then this, in entertaining or believing any thing that is delivered in his Name, that is, to take it upon some trial. 2. It is no sign of infidelity to move some questions, with an aim at satisfaction concerning things delivered either in or from the Word. If it be done with holy reverence, and with an humble and sincere desire of satisfaction and instruction, it is a very good course. So did the blessed Virgin make a question concerning what the Angel had delivered to her, Luke 1.34. A question not of opposition, but of inquisition, How shall these things be? This way of making doubts and questions it seems was used in the Jewish Church, and Christ approved it by his Example, Luk. 2.46, 47. So it is said of the Apostle Paul that he reasoned with the Jews out of the Scriptures, Act. 17.2. And if such reasonings were more in use, not reasonings against the Word, but out of the Word, there would assuredly be more faith than there is at this day. 3. Nay (though it be a sign of weakness,) it is no sign of utter infidelity, to have some doubtful thoughts arising in our hearts concerning the most clear and pregnant Truths that are revealed in the Word of God. David had such thoughts as these, and yet he was a good man, though this indeed were no part of his goodness, Psal. 89.19, 37, 38. There you have first the Lord's assurance, that he will establish David and protect him. And at last he comes to swear that he will not lie to David, his Throne shall endure for ever, etc. And yet observe how David faileth in the very next words, but thou hast cast off and abhorred, thou hast made void the Covenant of thy servant. This was his great infirmity, and yet you see it was not incompatible with grace. It may befall a Saint, to have such unbelieving thoughts as these, provided that he pray against them, strive against them, and be humbled for them. As David was when he had motions to distrust the Providence of God, to question this great truth of God, as Psal. 73. this did so trouble him, that at vers. 21. he saith his very heart was grieved, and he was pricked in his reins because he was so foolish and so ignorant: And while it is thus with us, we need not thereupon, to doubt our interest in Jesus Christ. But if we entertain such thoughts as these, and bid them welcome when they come, etc. if we never pray, nor strive against our unbelief, nor grow up into any certainty in matters of Religion: If we resolvedly reject the Word of God, either in part, or in the whole, this is a very sad case. If I speak the truth saith Christ, why do you not believe me? Joh. 8.46. And mark what follows presently, ye therefore hear me not, that is, believe me not, because ye are not of my sheep, as I said unto you. So that it is a formidable thing you see not to believe the Word of Christ. It shows that men are none of Christ's. And therefore let us give assent to the whole Word of God, the precepts, promises, and threaten, that Christ may own us, that he may say concerning us to God the Father, Thine they were, and thou gavest them to me. And thus we have dispatched the first and second branch of the discovery. Proceed we to the third; Have you kept the Word of God in your affections by loving it? it is somewhat to remember it, it is more to give assent and credit to it, but it is most of all to love and delight in it. And yet unless you reach to this you can have no assurance that you belong to Jesus Christ, and that you are bestowed upon him by the Father. The very Devils know the Word of God, and think upon it, and believe it too; they are convinced of the truth of it, and yet they are so far from loving it or taking any pleasure in it, that they tremble at it. They perceive it is against them, they look upon it as an Enemy that speaks sad things to them, and so they are afraid of it. They fear it with a slavish fear, and slavish fear casteth out love. To say the truth, the more they credit it, the less they love it, and the more they tremble at it. And so it is in some degree with wicked and ungodly men. They give assent to the letter of the Scripture, they believe it to be true, but they have no affection to it; because it is no friend to them and their courses. It crosses them in every thing they have a mind to, and therefore they are at enmity with it, and their hearts rise up against it; they receive the knowledge, and in some sort the belief, but they do not receive the love of the Truth. But you my Brethren, must go further yet if you will clear your interest in Jesus Christ; you must go beyond Devils, yea you must go beyond the best of carnal and unsanctified men, you must not satisfy yourselves with this, that you know the Word of God, that you have it in your minds, that you are able to discourse of it; that you believe it to be true in all particulars. But more than so, your hearts must be carried out in dear affection to it. If this be wanting, all the rest is worth nothing: You may perish notwithstanding as pesons that are out of Christ, and be damned in hell for ever, unless you come to love the Word of God, as you may see in that remarkable Example, 2 Thes. 2.10. They received not the love of the Truth saith the Apostle there, and what follows? that they might be saved. No salvation unless the Word, the Truth of God be kept in the affections by the loving it. And therefore it is added presently, for this cause God shall send them strong delusions, that they might all be damned. Oh then as you desire to have this sweet assurance in your souls, that you belong to Jesus Christ, and that you shall be saved by him, examine whether you have kept the Word of God in this respect or no? whether you have it dear in your affections? And that you may the better try yourselves in this regard, I shall give you some discoveries. If you love the Word of God, you will desire on all occasions to converse with it. Desire of union and communion is always an effect and evidence of true affection. You shall observe it in the Prophet David, who was unparallelled in this respect, for infinite affection to the Word of God. It is a wonder to consider how his heart was set upon it. And hence it was, that when he was kept off from the enjoyment of the Word, he had such vehement and inflamed desires to be partaker of it. He panted and he gasped after it, even as the Hart panteth after the water-brooks. Oh when shall I appear before God? Psal. 42.2. when shall I be partaker of his Word, and of his Ordinances once again? when will it once be? So in another place, My soul longeth, yea even fainteth for the Courts of the Lord, where Ordinances were dispensed. My heart and my flesh cries out for the living God, Psal. 84.2. So that he envies the very Sparrows and the Swallows, who were freer than himself to be near that place. Yea, his longing was so great, that he was even heartbroken with it, Psal. 119.20. My soul breaketh for the longing that it hath to thy judgements at all times. And have you such affections, and such anhelations in you? Let us examine it a little in these two particulars. 1. Do you hear the Word of God as often as you may? not only now and then, when you have nothing else to do, and when you have no other business to withdraw you, but constantly on all occasions? do you attend upon it, as your main and chief business? do you for the love you bear it, neglect and set aside and undervalue other things? this is the Wiseman's admonition, Prov. 23.23. Buy the Truth and sell it not. Sell it not for a little profit, in the field or in the shop, but rather buy it and redeem it with your loss of outward things. Do you conceive that David of whose high affections you have heard, would neglect any opportunity, for being made partaker of the Word of God? Oh how did he bewail the want of it? How would he have struggled for it? How eagerly would he have taken it, with any outward disadvantage? And this is that which Christ commendeth Mary for, not for a work of supererogation, as doing more than she was bound to do, but for a regular account and estimation of the Word, setting aside her household business, that she might be partaker of it, Luk. 10.42. Not only they that will not hear the Word of God at all, but they that hear it seldom, that suffer every worldly business to withdraw them from it, will be found not to have loved it and esteemed it as they ought to do. How shall we escape saith Paul, Heb. 2.3. if we neglect so geeat salvation? 2. Do you exercise yourselves as in the hearing, so in the reading and in the meditation of it? Do you converse with the Word of God in private? Doth it dwell with you in your houses, as the Apostles phrase is? Col. 3.16. For this you must know, my Brethren, that though you should be ordinary hearers of the best Ministry beneath Heaven, yet you must not rest in that, but you must exercise yourselves in reading of the Word of God in private. It was the Lord's Commandment to the King himself, that though he might plead want of leisure more than many others, and though he had the ordinary help of the Levites, Priests, and Prophets more than others, as David had both Gad and Nathan, yet he must have his Bible still, and must be constant in the reading of it, as you may see, Deut. 47.49. And it was that which cheered and supported Job in his affliction, Job 23.12. that he could say uprightly in the presence of the Lord, I have esteemed the Word of his mouth more than my necessary and appointed food. More duly than he kept his meals, he tied himself to read and meditate in Gods-Word. Among the Jews under Antiochus it was made capital for any man to have the Book of God by him. And in Queen Mary's days, you know the danger was not less, and then how did they prise a little piece of Holy Writ, how did they value a few Chapters of the Bible? If a poor a man could get a leaf, or two, how safely would he keep them in his bosom, next his heart, as the most precious things he had? How would he wear them out with reading in them? God hath dealt more graciously with us, there is now no danger to have a Bible, and therefore if we be not constant in the reading and the meditation of it, we show not such affection to it as we ought to do. That is the first thing then; if you love the Word of God, you will desire on all occasions to converse with it, both in public and in private. 2. If you love the Word of God, you will endeavour to be inwardly acquainted with it; we converse with many men, with whom we are not intimate. And so there are abundance that hear and read the Word of God, and yet know little of the meaning of it. But if you love it as you ought to do, you will not satisfy yourselves with this, that you read so many Chapters in a day, that you attend on every Sermon that is preached, unless you find that you do in a measure understand the mind of God, and the mind of Jesus Christ, in those things. If I affect a man exceedingly, I shall endeavour what I can to get within him, as we use to say; not to know his face, and to hear his words only, but to be inwardly acquainted with his disposition, and the purpose of his heart. And so if you affect the Word, you will strive to get into the bosom of it; You will not be contented with a formal superficial knowledge of the letter of it, but you will dive into the very bowels of the Scripture, and never leave till you know the heart of it. And this is that which the Apostle Paul insinuates, Col. 3.16. Let the Word of God dwell in you richly, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, Let it dwell, let it be a houshold-guest, let it rise, and sit and walk, dine and sup, and lodge with you, let it be familiar to you. Be you as throughly acquainted with it, as any man that dwells in your house, with whom you have discourse and dealing every hour. And truly if you strive not thus to be acquainted with the Word of God, you do not love it as you ought to do. 3. If you love the Word of God, you will not easily fall out with it, when you find the meaning of it, and perceive it is against you in something that is naturally dear to you, you will not quarrel with it, your hearts will not rise up in enmity against it. No, your dear affections to it will make you quietly and meekly to submit to it. Indeed ungodly men cannot endure the Word of God; the Precepts and Commandments of it are like bonds and cords to them, they lay restraint upon them, they kerb them and they hold them in, and hence they are enraged against it. They endeavour what they can to break the bonds of God asunder, they are always contradicting and opposing, and gainsaying, and raising quarrels, and disputes against the Word, because they hate it. But now the Saints upon the other side are very much in Love with it, and hence it is that the Commandments of it are not grievous to them, they agree with their spirits, they are written in their hearts. Or if at any time it cross them, they are not angry with the Word, but with themselves, that their base hearts should not in every thing agree with it; Yea, when it is a little sharp and bitter, though their stomaches rise at first, yet in the issue they submit, and say as Hezekiah to Isaiah, Isa. 39.8. Good is the Word of the Lord, which thou hast spoken. They find a sweet and pleasing savour even in the sourest passage of the Word. There goes a savour with their knowledge of it, as the Apostle Paul's expression is, 2 Cor. 2.14. Carnal men may know abundance of the Scripture, more than a precious Saint of God; but here is the difference, they find no savour in their knowledge of it, at least not sweet and pleasing savour. No, it is distasteful to them, it doth not suit with their palates, it doth not fit their humours. A Drunkard knows it is a sin to be intemperate, to drink himself down to a beast; A wanton and lascivious person knows it is a sin to be unclean, but this doctrine doth not please him; and so it is in other cases: whereas the Truth is sweet to those that are in Christ, they look upon it as their friend, and love it, because it joins with them against their lusts who are their greatest enemies, whom they abhor and whom they hate with a perfect hatred. 4. If you love the Word of God, you will hardly part with it; you will not let it go from you, if you can keep it any way, by any means. And much less will you go from it. I have not departed from thy judgements, saith holy David to the Lord, Psal. 119.102. for thou hast taught me. Brethren, there are a sort of men who have a kind of knowledge of the Word of God, but they have no love to it, and hence it is that they are easily withdrawn from it, as multitudes have been in these times; while they that have it dear in their affections are rooted and established in the present truth, as 2 Pet. 1.12. They are not carried clean away with every new opinion and conceit as others are. They cleave unto the Truths of God, with full purpose of heart. They are settled in their judgements, and resolved in their minds, This is undoubtedly the Truth of God, I know it to be so, I find it to be so by sensible experience in my soul, and to this I mean to stick, even to the loss of goods and life, and all. I am resolved that I will not relinquish it, what ever hazard I may undergo to hold it, whatever Sophisters and sly Seducers object against it. 5. If you love the Word of God, you will be extremely troubled when it is slighted and abused; it will vex you to the heart, to see it undervalved and despised; You will be ready to reply in such a case, The Word is a good friend of mine, one whom I love dearly, from whom I have received much comfort: And I am no way able to endure, it wounds me to the very soul to see it used in this fashion. Beloved, these are times in which the Word of God hath suffered much from wicked and ungodly men. It hath been strangely scorned and contemned, and even trampled under foot: It hath been usual in these days of ours for men to speak against those things that are delivered from the Word, contradicting and blaspheming. Now, my Beloved, how have such things as these affected you, and wrought upon you? what tears have they drawn from you? what sorrow have they wrought in you? how often have they sent you overladen to your closerts, there to open all to God? It is observed by the Holy Ghost, that when Jehoiakim had cut the roll in pieces with a penknife which Jeremiah brought him from the Lord, and burned it in the fire upon the hearth, they that stood by were not afraid, neither did they rend their garments, nor manifest their sorrow, Jer. 36.23, 24. Beloved, some of you have seen as high contempt as this offered to the word of God, though not in the same kind. And truly if you have not rend your hearts, at least, if you have not been inwardly afflicted in your spirits, and done what you are able to the vindication of it, you have showed but little love to God's word. By these things you may try whether you have kept the word of God in your affections by loving it, and so have made it to appear that you belong to Jesus Christ, by the donation of the Father. Now in the last place, let me quicken you a little to the love of God's word; That if you love it not already, you may come to love it; Or if you love it, you may go on to love it yet more. And to this end I shall desire you to take notice of how great excellency and admirable use it is to you, as I shall lay it open in a few particulars. 1. Are you yet in your natural estate? the word of God is the means to convert you. The Law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul, Psal. 19.7. Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. Sanctify them saith our Saviour; How? By thy truth, thy word is truth, Joh. 17.17. That speech of Paul is apposite and full, God hath chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth, whereto, that is, to which sanctification and belief he hath called you by our Gospel, 2 Thes. 2.13, 14. 2. Are you wandering from the way? as who hath not his deviations? The word of God is a light to guide you; it is a Lantern to your feet, as David speaks, Thou shalt guide me with thy Counsel, Psal. 73.14. q. d. although thou do not lead me by the pillar of a cloud and fire, as once thou didst thy people in the Desert, although thou goest not with me in a visible appearance, yet thou hast left me such exact directions, such wholesome Counsel in thy word, that if I follow that exactly, it is impossible I should miscarry. 3. Are you ignorant? the word of God is a teacher to inform you, It giveth understanding to the simple, Psal. 119.130. And makes them wise unto Salvation, 2 Tim. 3.15. There is no knowledge indispensably required to salvation, nothing of necessary faith or practice, either to be believed or done, but is abundantly revealed in the Scripture. 4. Are you infirm and weak in grace? The word of God is a means to confirm you. This was the Instrument by which the Apostles confirmed the Churches, Act. 15.4. And as it is the usual means, by which the grace of God is begotten in the heart, in which respect we find it styled The word of grace, because it works it, Acts 20.32. so it is the instrument by which it is confirmed and increased. We grow by sucking the sincere milk of the word, 1 Pet. 2.2. And we are built up by it to Salvation. 5. Are you in any deep distress? The word of God is the means to comfort you. Through-comfort of the Scriptures we have hope, Rom. 15.4. And David to the same purpose, Unless thy Law had been my delight, I should then have perished in my affliction, Psal. 119.92. And in another place cries out, Remember thy word unto thy servant upon which thou hast caused me to hope; this is my comfort in my affliction, for thy Word hath quickened me, Psal. 119.49, 50. 6. Are you lost, as we are all of us by nature? The word of God is the means to save you: this is the saving doctrine, Act. 11.14. The word of life, Phil. 2.16. the word that brings men to life and glory. The Gentiles saith the Apostle Paul to the Ephesians, Ephes. 3.6. came to be fellow-heirs, and partakers of the promise by the Gospel. To sum up all, we have cause to love the word, to have it dear in our affections, for it is the word that guides us, it is the word that informs us, it is the word that confirms us, it is the word that comforts us, it is the word that saves us, that is the power of God unto salvation; with which agrees the Apostles valediction to the Elders of Ephesus, Act: 20.32. wherewith I take my leave of you at this time; I commend you to God, and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among them that are sanctified. JOHN. 17.6. And they have kept thy Word. WE have been long upon this use of trial and discovery whether we be given up to Christ, or no, by the donation of the Father. Three branches of it we have now dispatched, and are arrived at the fourth and last, which God assisting we shall finish at this time. Have we kept the word of God, as in our minds by remembering, and in our hearts by believing, and in our affections by loving, so in our lives by obeying? For all of these as you have heard, are comprehended under this expression. And this indeed, my Brethren, as it is the last, so it is the height, the upshot, and the sum of all, to keep the word of God in the life by obeying. Many there are that remember much of it, that give assent and credit to it, yea, that pretend a great deal of affection to the word of God, and are indeed much taken with many things that are delivered in it, and yet they fail in this which is the main business, they do not give themselves up to the practice and obedience of it. They leave the rule of God, and are a way and rule unto themselves. And this was Herod's temper right, he heard the word of God gladly, he took some kind of pleasure in it, and therefore out of doubt had some affection to it; but when it came to practice and obedience, there he failed. He did but many things at most, he did not all that was delivered to him from the word of God, and this was that which marred all, and made all the rest worth nothing. And so the second ground, the stony places in the parable, Matth. 13.20. they received the Word of God and that with joy, and there must be some love where there is delight and joy; and yet no fruit at all follows, as you may see in that place: And truly there are many such among us, who find some taste in the good Word of God, as the Apostle speaks, Heb. 6.5. There is a pleasing relish in it which they are delighted with, as there is something in the Word that may content a palate that is merely carnal, but they make it not their rule in their lives and conversation. They sit before the Preacher as the people sits, and listen with affection to his words perhaps, they are a pleasant sound to them, but their hearts are far from stooping to the obedience of the Word; no, they are for their covetousness, their uncleanness and their lusts still. Now I beseech you, my Beloved, see how it is with you in this regard: If you will have this sweet assurance in yourselves that you are given up to Jesus Christ, by the donation of the Father, you must keep the Word of God in your lives by obeying it: you must not rest in this, that you have (as you conceive) some love to it, and that you take some kind of pleasure and delight in it, (for this a carnal wretch, a reprobate may do) but you must yield obedience to it; you must be ruled and ordered by it in your ways: the Word of God must be a guide to you. When you have any thing to do, you must not think what is agreeable to your wills, humours, interests, ends, and so act accordingly. But you must seriously consider with yourselves what is agreeable to the direction of the Word of God, and to the rule which he hath there prescribed to you, and to that you must conform, how unsuitable soever it may be to your desires or to your aims. Thus you must keep the Word of God, (if you will clear your interest in Jesus Christ, in your lives by obeying it. And here that you may not be mistaken, and deceive yourselves, I shall desire you to take notice of a few things. You must keep it wholly and entirely, you must not keep some parts and parcels of the Word of God, and leave the rest out of your practice and obedience. No, you must keep it all throughout without restraint or limitation, if you will make it to appear that you belong to Jesus Christ. Thou hast given them to me (saith our Saviour in my Text) and they have kept thy Word. Observe it well; he saith not, They have kept some portion of thy Word, or They have kept it in some certain things, they have obeyed some rules and some directions of it, but they have kept thy Word, you must conceive it, all thy Word, without any reservation. They have not willingly allowed themselves in any disobedience to the least iota of it. And thus it is with those that are bestowed on Jesus Christ, they are obedient to the Word in all things, and so they make it to appear that they are men of proof indeed, that they are tried Christians, as the Apostle shows, 2 Cor. 2.9. To this end did I write to you, that I might have the proof of you, and whether you would be obedient in all things. They can say as David doth, Psal. 119.104. Through thy precepts I get understanding, therefore every false way I utterly abhor. Assoon as I get so much understanding from thy Word and from thy Law, to know that such a way is false, and leads not to the happiness and comfort which it seems to promise. I do not follow it and keep it as I did before; no I decline it and abhor it, yea, I abhor it utterly, I never touch more with it, let it be what it will, never so sweet, so pleasing, so delightful, so accustomed to me. Through thy Law I get understanding, therefore every false way I utterly abhor. And is it so with you (my Brethren)? Turn in upon yourselves a little, and consider how fare you are acquainted with the Word and Will of God, how far the Lord hath showed what is good, and what he requires of you, so that you are convinced of it; and then examine whether you fall short in nothing, whether you come fully up to the obedience and the practice of it: whether you keep the Word entirely, so that you do not fail in any thing advisedly and customarily, of which your understandings are informed, and which you know to be a duty. Tell me Beloved, is there no such thing? is the Conscience quiet now? doth it lay nothing to your charge? no neglect of any thing you should have done? doth it not tell you that in this and that particular you know the rule, and yet you have not walked accordingly? In such or such a thing you have gone quite and clean against it. Brethren, if your hearts accuse you, God is greater than your hearts, and knoweth all things. Go home and judge yourselves for it: Commune with your hearts and say, Herein I see I have been faulty; I have not kept the Word of God, my practice hath not been in every point according to the Rule; no, I have failed in this and that and the other thing: But now I am resolved in good earnest, by the grace of Jesus Christ to take another course as far as it is possible; I will not swerve a whit, nor vary in my conversation from the Word of God. This I acknowledge I have done, which I know well enough I ought not to have done. This, I confess, I have neglected, which I know I should have done, but now it shall be so no more. My aim shall be to keep the Word, as far as humane weakness and infirmity will suffer, wholly and entirely. Thus you must do if you will make it to appear, that Christ hath any share in you. As you must keep the Word wholly, so you must keep it cordially too. As you must obey it all, so you must obey it all with all the heart: Your obedience to the Word must flow from principles of heartiness and love with●n, and not from base respects and ends without. And this is that which the Apostle testifies of the Romans, Rom. 6.17. Ye have obeyed from the heart (saith he) the form of Doctrine that hath been delivered to you, or whereto you were delivered, as it is rendered in the margin; you have obeyed it, and you have obeyed it from the heart; so that your obedience was voluntary, free, delightful; you found complacency and pleasure in it; you needed nothing else to carry and incline you to it, but the inward motion, disposition, and affection of the heart: You had enough within you, to quicken you, and stir you up to the obedience of the Word of God. And thus it is with those that are bestowed on Jesus Christ; they obey it hearty, while others do it merely out of self-ends: All their motives and inducements to the obedience which they yield are from without; either they are drawn by force, or they are hired, or they are frighted to it. Their hearts merely of themselves do nothing with them in the business. Jehu was large enough in his obedience to the command and will of God, as to the matter of the things he did with reference to Ahabs' house. To say the truth, he did all, every thing that God would have him; But he failed in this particular, he did nothing hearty, nothing out of love to God, but all for his own ends, and therefore all he did was worth nothing. See what an ample attestation he received from God himself, 2 King. 10.13. Thou hast executed that which was right in my eyes, and hast done to the house of Ahab according to all that was in my heart. He had not omitted any particular, and yet because it was not cordially done for God, but merely for himself, that he might bring about his own designs, he met with a revenge instead of a reward, as you may see Hos. 1.4. How far doth Artaxerxes go? Ezra 7.23. Whatsoever is commanded by the God of heaven, let it be diligently done. You see to what a pass this Heathen Prince is brought, he will do any thing for God; any thing that he requires, let it be what it will, he will obey. But what is that which moves him to it? is it a principle of love to God, doth he do it hearty? No, it proceeds from noting else but fear of wrath and vengeance, as it is apparent in the latter member of the verse, for why should there be wrath upon the Realm of the King, and of his Sons? Now I beseech you, try yourselves in this particular; you obey the Word of God, yea, and it may be you are large in your obedience, as to the matter of the thing required. But do you (as it is observed of the Romans) obey it from the heart, or from some other principle? if there is nothing else to move you, would your hearts carry you to this obedience? Have you that within you still, that would hold you in from sin and stir you up to duty, if there were no inducement from without? Can you say as David doth? Psal. 10 8. Lord, I delight to do thy will, for thy Law is in my heart. Lord, we delight to pray, read, hear, perform religious duties; it is our meat and drink to do thy will, for thy Law is in our hearts; It is not written in our understandings only, but in our hearts and our affections, and this is that which makes obedience to it pleasing and delightful to us. So that if you might be free from the injunctions and directions of the Word (with the servant in the Law) you would not value such a liberty: You would not swear, and be unclean, and run out into all excess of riot, if you might because your spirits have by grace an inward contrariety and antipathy against it: you would not cease to pray, and hear, and perform religious duties if you might, because your spirits have an inward sweet complacency in these things. If you thus keep the Word, it is a sign that you are Christ's Disciples. As you must keep the Word wholly, and keep it cordially, so you must keep it constantly; you must keep it to the end, as the Prophet David speaks, Psal. 119.33. You must hold on in keeping it; you must persist in your obedience to it, even to your lives end: that Christ may say at last concerning you, when you depart out of this world, and appear before his Father, Thou hast given them to me, and they have kept thy word. And indeed to obey it for a time, and then to throw it off again, is not to keep it, but to lose it. Alas how many such are there among us, in these latter times, who for a while were very diligent, and Instant in the study of the Scriptures, seemed to be very cautious and exact to frame their lives in every thing according to the word of God, so that they would not vary from it in the least particular. Or if they found themselves at any time, in any thing to swerve from the direction of the Rule, they would judge themselves for it. But now the Word the rule itself is laid aside, as an unnecessary and a useless thing, as if it were not worthy the keeping any longer; there is no care at all to walk by it: when there are gross and horrid deviations from it, they are not looked upon as matter of Humiliation or Contrition in the least degree. I wish that such would seriously consider with themselves, how Christ shall own them in the latter day, how he shall plead before his Father for them, that they have kept his word. Now, my Beloved, lay these things to heart, and never rest till you have gotten this Character of those that are bestowed on Jesus Christ, by the donation of the Father. Never satisfy yourselves till you keep the Word of God in your lives by obeying it; till you keep it wholly, and till you keep it cordially, and till you keep it constantly: And then there is a blessing poured out upon you by the mouth of Christ himself, Blessed are they that hear the word of God and keep it, that is, that do not hear it only, but obey it. And to the same effect speaks the Apostle James, Jam. 1.23. If as you look into the Law the word of God, and understand it, so you continue in it, and are doers of the work, not forgetful hearers of it, but doers of the work, you shall be blessed in the deed: And that you may attain this blessedness that follows those that are obedient to the word, I shall give you some direction. 1. You must seek to God to teach you, though you may learn to know it, as that a Castaway may do, yet you can never learn to keep it any other way; you shall never keep the word in the obedience of your lives, unless God and Christ teach you. David was very sensible of this▪ and therefore poured out his prayer to the Lord, Psal. 119.33. Teach me O Lord the way of thy statutes, and I will keep it to the end. When thou thyself hast taught me once, and not before, I shall walk accordingly, I shall be obedient to it. It is not in the power of any in the world to teach a man to frame his life in every thing according to the word, unless God himself do it. But if he undertake it once, if he be pleased to be our Teacher, all is well. And this is that which the Apostle Paul insinuates, Ephes. 4.20. and in the following verse, ye have not so learned Christ, (saith he) viz. to say and to profess that you are Christians, and yet to live profanely and licentiously, and lewdly still, If so be that you have heard him, and been taught by him as the truth is in Jesus. Why what doth he intent? what is it to be taught by him? he tells us in the following verse, That you put off (touching the former conversation) the old man, and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and put on the new man. It is such a kind of teaching whereby we are transferred and brought to the obedience of it: And therefore if you do indeed desire to have your lives conformed to the rule and Word of God, seek to Christ himself to teach you. 2. Be sure to set yourselves to the obedience of it, out of hand; Procrastinations and delays will dash all. It is observed of the Colossians, that they obeyed the Word from the day they heard of it, Col. 1.6. So you my Brethren, do you grow practical from this day. It may be you are now convinced of many things, you think of this and that, in which your practice is not answerable to the rule; you have secret inward motions, and it may be resolutions to amend all, as David had, I have said that I would keep thy Word, saith he to God, Psal. 119.57. strike now while it is hot; do as the same holy Prophet did, I made haste and delayed not, saith he, to keep thy precepts, Psal. 119.60. Assoon as I resolved, I made haste and set about it. If you have holy resolutions wrought to practise any duty which you have hitherto neglected, up, and be doing presently; do not permit such resolutions to grow cold, and die within you, lest you never have them more. I am persuaded there are many souls in hell, who have purposed in many things to bring their practice to the Word, to abandon such a sin, and to set on such a duty; they were resolved upon the thing, but they could not do it yet, and so the Lord hath cut them off, and their delays have proved their ruin. 2. If you will keep the Word of God in your lives by obeying it, you must find out and mortify the lusts that hinder you in this business, or if you do not so, you may resolve on this and that, but surely it will come to nothing; and therefore if you have within you any holy purposes of coming nearer to the Rule, of leaving such a sin, or setting upon such a duty, think now what lust, or what corruption there is in you, that will be like to make this blessed resolution frustrated in you, and set the edge of your Petitions of your humiliation against this; for if you do not this, you do nothing. Many men have been very well resolved to walk according to the Word in many things; but when they come to act their resolutions, there is some lust or other that prevails against them, and this they do not mortify, and so are able to do nothing. Well then my Brethren, you have purposes perhaps to keep the Word of God in such and such particulars: You are extremely sensible that you have failed, but now it shall be so no more: I but there is some lust, or other, a lust of pride, or covetousness, or uncleanness, which if it be not mortified will blast all; strike that, and kill that, and then you may with comfort hope that you shall approve yourselves, such as are given up to Christ, in that you keep his Word. And thus we have at length dispatched the Character of those who are bestowed on Jesus Christ by the donation of the Father; they are such as keep his Word, that is, the Word of God the Father: So saith our Saviour here of his Apostles and Disciples, they have kept thy Word. Now in the following verses he proceeds to show how they were brought to keep the Word of God, and by what means it came to pass, that they receive it, and believed it, and embraced it, and obeyed it. Why saith our Saviour, they did it upon this account, because they were persuaded and convinced, that it was the very word which I received of my Father to deliver. They knew for certain that it was not any thing which I (as man) devised and invented of myself, but it was the very message which my Father put into my mouth, and therefore they gave heed to it. Now they have known that all things, whatsoever thou hast given me are of thee, for I have given unto them the words which thou gavest me, and they have received them, and have known surely that I came out from thee. Now this (if you observe it well) is both expressed and amplified. First it is nakedly expressed, Now they have known that all things whatsoever thou hast given me are of thee. Then it is amplified in the succeeding verse, For I have given unto them the words which thou gavest me, and they have received them, etc. And here our Saviour doth these two things: First, he declares his own fidelity in the delivery of his message from his Father to his people, for I have given to them the words which thou gavest me, those very words and no others. And then he shows the issue and event of this faithfulness of his in his Apostles and Disciples; and that especially in two respects: First with relation to the message which he brought, they have received them, saith he, that is, the words which I delivered to them in thy Name. Secondly, then with relation to himself the Messenger, they have known surely that I came from thee, and they have believed that thou didst send me. Let us at this time make a little entrance on this discovery of our Saviour as it is nakedly expressed. Now they have known that all things whatsoever thou hast given me are of thee. These words as I have hinted formerly, my Brethren, are annexed to those immediately before, which we have even now dispatched, to show the means and way by which our Saviour's hearers came to keep the Word which he delivered to them from his Father. Why, saith our Saviour, this was a great inducement to it, because they were persuaded that it was of thee, that it was thy word indeed, and not my own. If I had spoken to them in my own Name, or brought my own word to them, they would never have received it. But this was that which made them keep thy word, because they knew that it was thine. Now they have known that all things whatsoever thou hast given me, (you must conceive it to deliver or declare to my Disciples) or as it is explained in the following verse, all the words which thou hast given me are of thee. So that the point apparently suggested here is plainly thus: DOCTRINE. They that will give the Word such entertainment as it ought to have, must know for certain that it is the word of God. Had not our Saviour's hearers been convinced of this, had they conceived, and apprehended that it came from him merely as he was a man, they would never have believed it, or embraced it, and obeyed it as they did. But this was that which made them keep it in the sense that hath been said: because they knew that that which Christ delivered to them was the Word of God. And to this end it is that Christ is so exactly cautious to persuade his hearers still, that the message which he brings them is not of or from himself, but from his Father. My doctrine is not mine saith he, but his that sent me, Joh. 7.16. He that speaketh of himself, he seeks his own glory; but he that seeks his glory that hath sent him, the same is true, and no unrighteousness is in him. And in the following Chapter at the 28. verse, As my Father hath taught me, so I speak. Even as the Father said to me, so I speak, Joh. 12.50. The words that I speak unto you, I speak not of myself, Joh. 14.10. And this he beats so much upon, to gain the better credit, and respect and entertainment to his Message. By which he intimates that he could look for no acceptance, or regard among them, if that which he delivered to them were not God's Word. It is observable in Nicodemus, that this was that which made him come to Christ, to hear him, and be taught by him, because he was persuaded that he was a Teacher come from God, as his own expression is, John 3.2. that he had somewhat to deliver to him from the Lord. Had it not been for this persuasion he had never waited on him. And this was that which wrought upon the Thessalonians, and brought them to a meet receiving of the Word, because they looked upon it as the Word of God himself. So the Apostle testifies of them, 1 Thes. 2.13. when ye received the Word which ye heard of us, saith he, ye received it not as the word of man, but as it is in truth the Word of God. If you had apprehended it to be the word of man, and not of God, you would not have regarded it, and entertained it as you did. But this was that which drew your hearts to such an high account and estimation of it, because you were persuaded that it was in truth the Word of God; not in appearance only, and in the apprehensions and conceits of men, but really in deed and truth the Word of God. So that the point is plain, you see, They that will give, etc. And there is such reason for it, as amounts to demonstration, Reason. the clearest and most evident that can be, viz. because there is such entertainment due to it, as nothing else can draw us to, but this persuasion that it is the Word of God. If we conceive it to be nothing but the word of man, this apprehension will never raise the heart to such an estimation of it, to such an acceptation of it as belongs to it: This will never draw the heart, to give it greater credence, or greater reverence or obedience than appertaineth to the word of man. Now this is infinitely short of that which appertaineth to the Word of God. And therefore that we may come up to that, that we may give the Word such entertainment as it ought to have, we must know for certain, that it is the Word of God, and this I shall exemplify in many particulars. 1. Ye must know for certain that it is the Word of God, that we may give it such entertainment as it ought to have in point of reverence. The Word of God must be received with holy fear: This carriage of the heart is due to that which hath so great and so divine an Author as God is; we ought to tremble at the Word of God, Isa. 66.5. To hearken to it, not with an ordinary measure, but with a very high degree of fear; with such a fear as worketh trembling. So did the Prophet Habakkuk, as you may see, Hab. 3.16. When I heard, my belly trembled, my lips quivered at the voice, rottenness was in my bones, and I trembled in myself. And so the holy Prophet David, as he professeth of himself, Psal. 119.10. My heart trembleth for fear of thee, and I am afraid of thy judgements, (that is) of thy word, as some understand it. I fear and tremble at thy word, for that hath frequently the name of the Judgements of God, as you may see that place for instance, Psal. 19.8. Shall a Trumpet be blown in the City, and the people not be afraid? it is the Prophet's question, Amos 3.6. By the City understand the Church of God; by the Trumpet, the word of God; and by the people, the hearers of this word: So that it is as if the Prophet should have said, Shall the word of God be pronounced, and the hearers not fear? as who should say, that were a strange and an incongruous thing indeed; So that you see they that will give the word such entertainment as it ought to have, must hear it, and receive it with extraordinary fear and reverence. Now this they will never do, unless they know for certain, that it is the Word of God. If they be doubtful whether it be so, or if they look upon it as the word of man, they will be apt to disregard it, and to give it no respect at all. Nothing but this persuasion that it is the Word of the Almighty, and the glorious God himself, will raise the heart to such an high degree of fear and reverence as belongs to it. No other apprehension of it will prevail to this effect, but this alone will surely do it, as the Apostle Paul insinuates, 1 Cor. 14.24. If there come in an unbeleiver or unlearned person, he is convinced, he is judged, the secrets of his heart are manifested by the word, saith the Apostle there. And what follows? So falling down upon his face, he will worship God and say, that God is in you of a truth: when he perceives that God is in you, that you speak from God, that that which you deliver is the word of God, than he will fear and tremble and fall down and worship God. 2. We must know for certain that it is word of God, that we may give it such entertainment as it ought to have, in point of credit and belief. For you must know my Brethren, that we own this special and peculiar honour to the word of God, beyond the word of any man, to give complete and absolute assent and credit to it. Though it be never so unlikely, never so much against appearance and above reason; yet when the Lord hath spoken it, when we have his word for it, we ought to make no doubt or question of it. Those truths which own him for the Author of them, do not admit of any doubtful disquisition, but rather call for absolute belief: The very thoughts and cogitations must be captivated to faith, when it appears that God hath spoken. And therefore it is charged home on Israel, as a very great offence that they believed not his word, Psal. 106.24. And on the other side it is observed to the praise of Nineveh, that they believed God, that is, the word of God, his Message sent them by the Prophet Jonah, Jonah 3.5. And yet it was a most unlikely one. What probability that forty days should put a period to all the happiness and lustre of such a flourishing and famous City: However they believed it, because it was the word of God. You see then what our duty is in this respect, to hear the word with absolute belief, this is the entertainment which we ought to give it. Now this it will not find amongst us, unless we be persuaded that it is the word of God; the word of man can never challenge this from us, for men are liars, as the Prophet David speaks, they are deceitful on the balance. Though they give us good words, yet when we come to prove them, and to try them, many times they prove too light: Those that we think are best to be believed among them, may deceive us; so that there is no reason in the world why we should take what they deliver upon trust, because they deliver it. And therefore we are bid to sift the doctrines and to try the spirits, because there be that say, The Lord hath said, when the Lord hath not spoken. But when the word appears to be of God, this apprehension and persuasion is enough to silence all objections, that in appearance may be made against it. This alone will raise the heart, to entertain it with that absolute belief wherewith it ought to be received: while we remember that the God who is the Author of it, is the God of Truth, yea he is the Truth itself: His saying always is a faithful saying, 1 Tim. 1.15. because it is the saying of the faithful God, and therefore worthy of all acceptation. 3. We must know for certain that it is the word of God, that we may give it such entertainment as it ought to have, in point of humble resignation and submission to it. For this belongeth to the word of God, that we quarrel not against it, but that we justify it and submit to it. So it is said of John's hearers, Luk. 7.29, 30. All the people that heard him, justified God; yea the very Publicans, the worst among them, as it is noted there in that place. So holy David, I esteem all thy Commandments concerning all things to be right, Psal. 119.128. yea he will have him always to be justified when he speaketh, and clear even when he judgeth, Psal. 51.4. when it is hardest to acquit him, and to stoop to him. So that you see, my Brethren, we must justify the Lord in his reproofs and threaten, how sharp soever they may seem to be. As Rehoboam and the Princes did when they were sharply menaced be the Prophet, they replied not, they fretted not against him, but confessed the Lord is righteous, 2 Chron. 12.6. And Hezekiah when Isaiah dealt so roundly with him in the Name of God, Good is the word of the Lord which thou hast spoken, 2 King. 20.19. Yea, God requireth this of all his people, that they say Amen to every Curse of his, and that they set their seal to it, as you may see, Deut. 27.26. This is the entertainment which we ought to give the word of God in this respect, meekly and humbly to submit to it, even when it seemeth to be most against us; and not so much as once to mutter or repine at it. Now this we shall not do unless we look upon it as the word of God. Nothing but such an apprehension of it will bring the heart to such a temper, and put the spirit into such a frame as this is. That which comes to us under the notion of the word of man, will never be so yielded to; No, the heart will boil, and rage, and rise against it. But when it hath the stamp of God upon it, it stoops the spirit to submission. Such entertainment (you may see) it found in Eli upon this account, It is the Lord: when Samuel who was then a child, declared to him what the Lord resolved to bring upon him and his house, saith Eli, it becomes me to be humble and sumit to this, and not to murmur and repine against it; for it is the Lord, 1 Sam. 3.18. As Hezekiah, Isa. 38.15. What shall I say? for he hath said it to me. And so in every truth that is delivered to us, in every precept that is laid upon us, in every reprehension that is given us, in every Commination that is thundered out against us, if we consider with ourselves, whoever be the messenger, it is the Lord that speaketh this, it is the word of God and not of man, this and only this will make us in all humility to stoop to it. 4. We must know for certain that it is the word of God, that we may give it such entertainment as it ought to have, in point of obedience. Herein the word of God is singular, it must be absolutely and universally obeyed, and that not only with the outward but also with the inward man. It doth not only take command upon the members, but even the spirit and the conscience must be subject to it. And that without delay, without question, without exception, without reservation; assoon as that which is delivered to us, appears to be the word of God, there is no room for disputation, or expostulation, but obedience. All that the Lord Commandeth we must do, Exod. 1●. 8. if he command it, we must do it. This is the entertainment which we ought to give the word of God. The word of man can challenge no such honour and respect from us. All the commands of men are limited, and are to be obeyed so far, and but so far as they agree with the commands of God, or else at least as they are not repugnant to them. And consequently while we look on any word as that which comes from man, or as that which is of man, we cannot yield it such obedience as is peculiar to the word of God. But when we know once that it is of God, when we are certain that he is the Author of it, we shall no longer think ourselves at liberty to obey or disobey. No, this persuasion will convince us, that it is absolutely necessary to resign ourselves to the obedience of this word of his, who is such a Lawgiver as is able either to save or to destroy, and with whom every disobedience receiveth a just recompense of reward. JOHN 17.7. Now they have known that all things, etc. Use 1 NOw is it so, that they that will give the word such entertainment, etc. We see the reason then (my Brethren), why the word is so unworthily and slightly entertained by the greater part of men; why it hath no greater reverence, no greater credit, no more submission, no more obedience than it meets withal, from those that are the ordinary hearers of it. Alas, how is it disrespected and despise everv where? how little credit doth it find with me? how do their hearts and spirits rise against it, when it meeteth with corruptions, and crosses them in their ways and their humours? how far are they from yielding absolute obedience to it, in every thing that it requires of them? And what's the cause of all this? Truly the main and principal is this, that they believe it not to be indeed and truth the word of God. When it is read or preached to them, either they call the matter into question, and are in very great suspense whether it be the word of God or no; or else they peremptorily resolve as Israel did, It is not he, Jer. 5.12. It is not God that speaks to us, this is not the word of God, and then no wonder though it be neglected and despised by them. They hear a man, and so accordingly resolve that that which is delivered to them, is of man, and that it hath no higher Author than the man that speaks to them. And some of them will now and then express themselves, Preachers may say their pleasure in a pulpit, and the like. And hence it is, my Brethrens, that their respect and entertainment of it, is answerable to their apprehension of it, such as belongeth to the word of man and no more. They regard it and believe it and obey it just as fare as they themselves please. But you will say perhaps, if you could hear the Lord himself speak to you, Oh how would you fear before him, how would you stoop to him, how would you yield obedience to his voice! But who is this that you hear? a man such as yourselves are, whose weaknesses and failings and infirmities are known to you. Oh but remember that though you have this treasure in earthen vessels, yet it is a treasure still, and it is of God still; That all the messengers of God in their regular prescripts ought to be instead of God, and instead of Christ to you; That it is not they that speak, but the Holy Ghost himself that speaketh by them, Mat. 10.20. And therefore even as he that heareth them, heareth God; so on the other side, he that despiseth them, despiseth God himself, Luk. 10.16. They were but men that preached to the Thessalonians, the Apostle and his fellows; so that they might have made the same objection, and so have kept themselves from due and reverend entertainment of the word which they delivered: But they did otherwife, as the Apostle testifies of them to their commendation, 1 Thess. 2.13. The word which ye heard of us (saith the Apostle there) ye received it not as the word of men, though ye received it of us who are but men, yet ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is indeed the word of God. Is it so, that they that will give the word of God such entertainment Use 2 as it ought to have, must know, etc. You see then what you are to do, if you desire to entertain the word aright, and to receive it in such a manner as you ought to do; you find perhaps much slightness and irreverence and stubbornness and disobedience in your hearts against it; you cannot bring your hearts to such a temper, in the reading or the hearing of it, as you unfeignedly desire to do; your thoughts are wand'ring, or your hearts are unbelieving, or your lusts are struggling, or your corrupt and carnal reason is gainsaying, while you are attending on it. Something or other there is still that hinders you from a right receiving of it. And this is a continual grief and burden to you. Now, my Beloved, I will show you how you shall help all this at once: You must come to be assured, to know for certain that that which is delivered in or from the Scripture, is the word of God; If you have any secret unbelief of this, any doubt in this particular, do what you will in all respects besides, and labour what you can, you will never bring yourselves to give the word such entertainment as it ought to have. This one defect will hurt you more than all the means that you can use besides will help you. And truly Satan (knowing well of how great consequence it is) endeavours what he can, if not to overthrow us utterly, at least to weaken us in this assurance. And if he can but weaken us in this, and make as faint in this assurance, that that which is delivered in or from the Scripture is the word of God, he knows he doth much work at once: He weakens by proportion our Reverence, our Assent, Submission, and Obedience with it. And verily, my Brethren, though it may not be perceived, yet this is that which lies at the bottom, and is the main original of all that slightness, and incredulity and obstinacy, and disobedience, which many of the precious Saints of God discover in themselves, in relation to the word, and know not how to remedy. They are not firmly and inviolably settled and confirmed in this persuasion that it is the word of God. Their faith is weak in this particular, and so accordingly they are weak in all those things which concern the due and right receiving of it. For even as if a man believe it not to be the word of God at all, he will give it no fear, no faith, no submission, no obedience: So on the other side, if he believe it weakly, and with many hesitations, he will accordingly be weak in all these; he will be on and of, and up and down, according to the ebbings and the flow of his faith. And therefore I beseech you, my Beloved, strive and labour what you can to strengthen and fortify yourselves in this persuasion, which is of such concernment to you. And certainly the best among us have need of Confirmation here, for we are apt sometimes to waver and to have doubtful thoughts about it. And they that are most free from these, have yet defects and imperfections in their faith of this as well as other parts of holy truth. They have not yet attained to such a pitch, but they may be adding to it, and go on to further measures and degrees. And therefore let it be our labour and endeavour to increase our faith in this particular, and to grow up to full assurance of this inviolable principle, that That which is delivered in the Scripture is verily the word of God. Now that you may know this for certain, I shall do two things: First, I shall lay down such considerations as make it credible: And in the next place I shall show you what you are to do that it may be certain to you. As for the first of these, my Brethren, there are many things that make it very credible, that whatsoever is delivered in or from the Srripture, is the word of God. I shall name a few of them, as 1. The evident accomplishment of all the prophesies contained in it. I mean of all, excepting those the time of whose fulfilling is not come in. It hath been Ruled long ago, that De futuris contingentibus non datur determinata veritas. Man cannot certainly determine of future things that are contingent: He cannot do it of himself, and by his own foresight. Now this the Prophets and Apostles did (as by the issue and event is manifest) and therefore it appears that in their prophecies they were directed by the All-knowing and Omniscient God. 2. It is made credible by the harmonious testimony of the Church in every age who have assented to it, and acknowledged and received it, as that which comprehendeth and containeth the divine and holy Oracles of God himself. And however divers Churches have been at very sharp dissensions about divers other things, yet herein they have still agreed, and none of them have once so much as questioned, whether the Scripture be the word of God or no. 3. It is made credible by the almost incredible consent between the Scribes and Penmen of it; who writing in such divers places, tongues, and seasons, must needs unreconcileably have crossed and thwarted one another, had they been guided by their own spirits. We see how men that writ upon the Scripture differ in their Expositions of it, and speak directly one against another. How more would the Prophets and Apostles than have jarred, unless they had been all directed by the same Spirit? We know in reason, men would far more easily agree in Explicating Principles already made, then in composing those Principles and Rules themselves, if every man had liberty to frame what Axioms he thought good himself, and to set them down for text. And therefore certainly the Penmen of the Scripture were guided all by one, viz. the Holy Ghost himself who lead them into one Truth. 4. It is made credible by the effectual and mighty working of it on the hearts and souls of men, above all other writings whatsoever; For however it be carried in a low and easy stile, yet it commands us, and prevails upon us more than all the eloquence of men and Angels could possibly do, were it united all together. And herein I appeal to God's people, let them consider with themselves what wonderful effects it hath wrought upon their hearts; how it hath pierced in and made a separation between their very joints and marrow; how it hath even told them all that ever they have done; how it hath cast them down with unutterable sorrow; and then raised them up again with joy unspeakable and glorious. How it hath altered them and changed them, and turned them clean about, and made them to renounce their pleasures and delights, their wills, their reasons, their desires, yea, to deny themselves, that they might walk by this Rule. 5. The blood of many Martyrs gives testimony to the Scripture, that it is the word of God; who but for this divine and saving Truth, and by his power and might whose Truth it is, would hardly have endured the rage and fury of the flames, the violence of the tormentors. We read indeed that divers Heretics have suffered exquisite and horrid tortures for their gross opinions and conceits, as we have many instances in Church story. But it is to be considered that they did it for the Scripture, though falsely and corruptly apprehended and applied. Where hath been the Jew, or Turk, who for his Talmud or his Koran (which are the Scriptures they receive and use) hath put himself into the hands of the Tormentors. These and such things as these, do make it in itself extremely credible that that which is delivered in the Scripture is the word of God. But yet they may not so take hold upon us to convince us notwithstanding, they may not chase our scruples all away, nor clear up all doubts, unless some further thing be done, to make it credited by us, and to make us know for certain, that it is the word of God. This is the proper and peculiar work of God's Spirit. The self same Spirit which delivered it to the Apostles and the Prophets who were the Scribes and Penmen of the Scripture, and made them know that it was the word of God which they delivered, must satisfy us and convince us also that it is the word of God which we receive. No other means will do without this, but this and this alone will do it. This is an absolute and satisfying testimony of itself which carries all before it, and puts the matter out of question where it comes. Other things may make it credible; but this and this alone will make it clearly and demonstratively sure to us, that it is in deed and truth the word of God. Now if you ask me how the Holy Spirit doth this great work, which nothing else besides can do. I answer that it doth it principally two ways. First by removing those impediments which hinder this assurance; And secondly by giving us those gifts and graces, which make us able to receive it. First by removing those impediments that hinder this assurance. There is a double hindrance or impediment in every man by nature. First ignorance whereby our eyes are closed as it were. The word hath light enough, my Brethren, in and of itself to show itself to us, to manifest itself to us, as it is indeed; but we are blind and cannot see it. The second hindrance is corruption, by means of which, although we see it, we cannot of ourselves but hate it, and dislike it, and reject it. These two the Holy Spirit cureth and removeth by a double remedy. The first illumination, restoring our decayed understandings to some degrees and measures of their first light, opening our eyes that we may see the wonders of the word, and so be satisfied that it is the word of God. The next, Sanctification, infusing into our desires and our affections some degrees and measures of their first holiness. And by this work of God's Spirit, opening the eyes of our blind minds, that we may understand the Scriptures, and see those admirable rays and beams of divine and heavenly light that shine in them: And also rectifying our corrupt affections that we may love them and embrace them, we come to be assured that the Scripture is indeed and truth the word of God. So that you see the Spirit works not this assurance in us by adding any thing to God's word, by curing any failing or defect in it, but only by bringing it into the light, and representing it unto us as indeed it is. The Spirit doth not make it credible, for it is so in itself abundantly beyond all possibility, even of the best addition, but it makes it so to us, by curing and removing the impediments, and supplying the defects which are in us, by means of which we cannot apprehend it as it is. And I mention this the rather, because some have been apt to say of late, the Word without the Spirit is no more to them then any other Book, or any other piece of writing. Now if their meaning be to blame themselves in this, and to import that their corruption and their ignorance is such, that unless the Spirit help them they cannot come to understand it, or look upon it as better than another Book, it may receive a pretty fair construction. But if their intention be to undervalue and abase the Scripture, as if the proper and innate and real worth thereof depended wholly on the Spirits revelation, it is a horrid derogation from the precious Word of God. It's true indeed, without the Spirit it may be no more to us then any other book; such is the darkness and profaneness of our hearts; but yet it is more in itself, whether the Spirit show it us or no. The Spirit in this work of his doth not make it in itself to be the Word of God, but only to appear so. It makes no alteration in the Word, but in ourselves. When first it tells us and assures us that it is the Word of God, it was clearly so before, or else it certifies us of a falsehood and untruth, only it was not apprehended and believed to be so This is indeed the Spirits work, to make us know for certain that it is the Word of God, it is not to be done without it. And therefore that we may attain to this persuasion, we must do these two things. 1. We must cry to God to send down his Holy Spirit, to give in this assurance to us: To set his seal and testimony to it, that it is the Word of God; and so to put the matter out of all question, to satisfy us without any further scruple, that all that is delivered in it, is of God. 2. We must take in and cherish all the light, that from the Spirit shines upon the soul. Sometimes a beam breaks in upon us on a sudden, it makes us see and know for certain that it is the Word of God, so that all doubt is banished quite in that particular. But we neglect it, and permit our thoughts to be misled to other things, before we fix and settle upon this persuasion; and so our assurance fails, and our doubts return again. The Spirit offers clear illumination and conviction, and we take no notice of it, and therefore it is just it should be withdrawn again. And thus far of our Saviour's declaration of his Apostles and Disciples due and ready entertainment of the Word which he delivered, together with the ground of it, as it is barely mentioned only. Proceed we now to look upon it as it is amplified in the following verse, For I have given unto them the words which thou gavest me, and they have received them, and have known surely that I came out from thee, and they have believed that thou didst send me. And here as I have showed you formerly, our Saviour doth these two things: First he declares his own fidelity, in the delivery of his message from his Father to his people; I have given unto them the words which thou gavest me. And secondly, he shows the issue and event of this fidelity of his, in his Apostles and Disciples, and that especially in two respects: Both with Relation to the message which he brought, and also with relation to himself the Messenger. First, With Relation to the Message which he brought, They have received them, saith he, that is, the words which I delivered to them in thy name. Secondly, Then with relation to himself the Messenger, They have known surely that I came from thee, and have believed that thou didst send me. At this time the first thing which our Saviour doth, he pleads his own fidelity in the delivery of his Message from his Father to his people, I have given unto them the words which thou gavest me. The words which thou hast given me as the principal Author, I as the Messenger and the Ambassador from thee have given them. Those very words and no other: No less, no nor more. For both of those are clearly intimated here; I have given them the words which thou hast given me. No other words, but those only. I have not given them a word more. Nothing of my own devising, nothing of my own inventing; that which I have received from thee, and only that, I have declared to them, I have not added one word. And as I have not added, so neither on the other side have I diminished one word. I have given them the words which thou hast given me, every one of those words, I have not kept a word back, but have delivered all to them; That which thou hast given me, they have had without abatement, or diminution in the least degree. So that you see, my Brethren, DOCTRINE. Christ hath approved himself a faithful Prophet to his Church, a faithful Messenger from his Father to his people. He hath not failed either way by adding to, or taking from; by Addition, or Substraction: But hath been very just in his Embassage to a word. The words which by his Father were delivered to him, he hath delivered to his people, only those, and all those. And this he pleads and urges in my Text, you see, to show his faithfulness, and to make it appear how well he had discharged the trust that was reposed in him by his Father. I have given unto them the words which thou gavest me. That I may fully and distinctly clear the point, I shall evince that Christ hath showed himself a faithful Prophet, a faithful Messenger from his Father to his people: First in this respect, that he hath added nothing to his Message; And secondly in this respect, that he hath taken nothing from it. Both which are evidently intimated in the Text. Christ hath showed himself a faithful Prophet, a faithful Messenger from his Father to his people, in this respect, that he hath added nothing to his Message. So he affirmeth of himself you see, who is the truth itself, and cannot lie; I have given unto them the words which thou gavest me. He speaks it here exclusively, no other words but those only; We find our Saviour sometimes styled him whom God hath sent, the Angel and the Messenger of God, as you may see that place for instance, Mal. 3.1. Yea the Apostle, Heb. 3.1. Consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession Jesus Christ. And herein he hath done his part, that he hath been exact in the discharge of his Apostleship, and the delivery of his Errand to the Church. He hath not put in any thing, no not a word, that may be called his own, in opposition to his Father. He hath not gone beyond the bounds of his Commission in the least degree. And this he pleadeth very often in the Gospel, and beateth very much upon it, that he might be understood, and that he might not be mistaken, because it was of such concernment to the success and efficacy of his message; Even as the Father said unto me, so I speak, saith Jesus Christ, Joh. 12. ult. That [so] respecteth not so much the manner as the matter of his speaking, as you may easily discern, if you will look back to the words immediately before, What I speak, even as the Father said unto me, so I speak. The things which I deliver are the same which I received of my Father. That only I have said and nothing else, not a word besides that. And therefore he inculcates frequently, that he speaks not of himself, it is a phrase he useth often. His meaning is not, that he speaks not of his own strength, but that he speaks not of his own devising, he utters nothing but that which is committed to him by another. The words I speak, saith he, I speak not of myself, Joh. 14.10. but the Father that is in me. They come originally from my Father, and I do not add so much as one of my own words. And even as Christ hath showed himself a faithful Prophet, a faithful Messenger from his Father to his people in this respect, that he hath added nothing to his Message; So in this respect also that he hath taken nothing from it. He hath delivered it entire, declared it fully and completely to his people; I have given to them (saith he) the words which thou gavest me: you must conceive it All those words; I have not kept a word from them; with which accords his protestation to his Apostles and Disciples when he was about to leave them, Joh. 15.15. Henceforth I call you not servants, for the servant knows not what his Lord doth, but I have called you friends. And why so? For all things that I have heard of my Father, I have made known to you; In this respect I have used you like friends, that I have told you all my Father's Council, I have acquainted you with all, without any reservation. All that he hath delivered to me as the Prophet of the Church, and as a Messenger from him to you; I have exactly and completely made it known to you. But you will ask me how this accordeth with his own expression to his Apostles at another time, and in another place, Object. viz. the Chapter following, that even now alleged, Joh. 16.12. I have yet many things to say to you, but ye cannot bear them now, as if he should have added, therefore I will not speak them now; and how then could he say before, I have made known all things to you? Truly, my Brethren, he might say it very well. He had indeed made known all things to them, that were to be known by them: Answ. I mean as yet, in the Condition they were in at that time. All things which he heard from God the Father, with this intent that they should hear them, and be made acquainted with them, he had imparted to them to the very utmost: so that he had been faithful in the business. There is no doubt our Saviour Christ as man had many things revealed to him from his Father, which he instilled not into his Disciples; for he was perfect in regard of knowledge, and they were not so, nor could be so in this world. But whatsoever was communicated to him as the Mediator and the Prophet of the Church in that behalf, and for the information and behoof of his people, all this he manifested and made known to them again, as far as the estate which they were in would bear it, and their condition did require it: And this he clearly intimateth in the fore-alleadged place, I have yet many things to say to you, but ye cannot bear them now; And to what end should Christ say that which he knew they could not yet bear? why should he lay a burden on them, which was too heavy for their shoulders? But if he had said all before, how had he many things to say yet? He had said all that was to be said before, all that his Father had appointed him to say, and he had many things to say, that were not to be said yet, because they were not suitable to the condition they were in at that time. But did our Saviour say them afterwards? or if he had many things to say, and did not say them, how was he such a faithful messenger (as I have shown) from his Father to his people? For clearing this, we must distinguish of our Saviour's sayings; something he was to say to his Apostles and Disciples with his own immediate voice, while he was conversant upon the earth. Other things he was to say by his Spirit afterwards, and he was very faithful both ways. 1. What things he was to say to his Apostles and Disciples with his own immediate voice, he said all those things. He kept nothing back from them. He taught them lesson after lesson, still as they could learn. And so he carried them along, as long as he remained among them: So that he might have said at any time while he was with them, I have made known all to you, all that you are yet to know. And whereas he affirmeth in the cited place, I have yet many things to say to you, if they were such as he was himself to speak, to utter to them with his own mouth, there is no question to be made, he spoke them afterwards. before he left them, and ascended to his Father. And it is manifest, that after he was risen, he conversed with them forty days, talking of mysterious things, speaking of things pertaining to the Kingdom, Act. 1.7. The Kingdom which had been set up in the hearts of a few poor despised ones before, but was now to be erected in the Church. These and such things as these they could not hear till now, and therefore though our Saviour had these things to say, yet he said them not till now: And now he said them that he might be faithful, and that he might discharge the trust, that was reposed in him by his Father. 2. But there were other things which he was not to say to his Apostles and Disciples, by his own immediate voice, while he was conversant among them, but by his Spirit afterward, when he had left them. And these he said accordingly by that Spirit. And this is chief aimed at, and is the main intention of the fore-alleadged Text, I have yet many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them yet. But what then? did he say them afterwards? Yes, he said them afterwards by his Spirit, and what the Spirit said, he said. And therefore it is added presently, Howbeit when the Spirit of Truth is come, he will guide you into all truth; For he shall not speak of himself, but whatsoever he shall hear (viz. of me) that shall he speak. He shall receive of me, and shall show it unto you. While Christ was conversant with his Apostles in the flesh, they were capable of nothing in a manner. It was but little they could bear then, and therefore there was little to be showed to them. But when he was ascended once, their hearts were presently enlarged to a capacity of greater measures and degrees of knowledge. And Christ was now accordingly to show them (and the Church by them) much more by his Spirit: which he performed with all fidelity, as the event hath manifested and declared. The point you see is fully cleared; Christ hath approved himself a faithful Messenger from his Father to his people. For he hath added nothing to his message, and he hath taken nothing from it. All the words his Father gave him to deliver by himself and by his own immediate voice, he hath delivered. All that he gave him to deliver by his Spirit, all these he hath delivered too; and so he hath been absolutely and exactly faithful every way. Hath Christ approved himself a faithful Prophet to the Church, a Use 1 faithful Messenger? etc. Hath he not failed in speaking any thing that he should have concealed, or in concealing any thing he should have spoken? hath he not spoken so much as a word too little, or a word too much? This than may serve to teach us divers things; As 1. To hear this Prophet, and diligently to observe and mark all that he speaks to us: He hath no lose words, no vain expressions, nothing too little, or too much in that which he delivered to us, and therefore it must be the better noted, and the more valued. The words of men, yea, the exactest of them are sometimes defective, and sometimes redundant. The words of Christ are not so. I speak not this that you should do as some of the Church of Corinth did. I am for Paul, saith one, I am for Cephas, said another; I am for neither of them, said a third, I am for Christ only. That which Christ himself said, I will hear, and I will read, but I will hear no other man; I would not have you hear Christ, so as to hear none but him. But I would have you hear Christ, so as to hear none like him, for never man spoke like this man. And therefore when we meet with his words, let us take special notice of them, let us fix and dwell upon them, and let them rest and dwell in us. Let the word of Christ dwell in us richly: Let us have an eye to mark them, an ear to hear them, and a heart to keep them, as Mary had, of whom it is recorded, that she kept all his say in her heart. How carefully did the Apostle keep that which our Saviour spoke, though it be not where mentioned in the Gospel, and wishes other men to do so too! Act. 20.35. Remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, It is more blessed to give then to receive. And so he mindeth the Corinthians of that Christ himself spoke. To the married, I command, and yet not I, but the Lord, 1 Cor. 7.10. As intimating that the words which dropped from his lips, did challenge singular regard from them. And such regard, my Brethren, let them have from us, when we meet with his Prayers, his Sermons, his Say; let us hear this Prophet, and hear him so to be obedient to him. It was a dangerous thing you know, to refuse to hear Moses; he that despised Moses Law, was to die without mercy. But it is much more dangerous to refuse to hear Christ. There is a sorer punishment for such, Heb 10.28. It went very hard with those who refused the word that was spoken by Angels. But if we refuse the word that was spoken by Christ, and do it finally, there is but one way with us, we are gone without recovery: For if the word spoken by Angels was steadfast, (for the execution of it) and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompense of reward; How shall we escape if we neglect so great Salvation, which was spoken by the Lord? If we hear him not, we die, and that without mercy too. But if we hear him and obey him, we shall live, and that for ever. The words that he spoke are spirit and life: And if a man keep his say, he shall never see death. 2. This should teach us in the second place, to trust him; since he is such a faithful Messenger that he varies not a word, we may well rely upon him, and believe him to the utmost. His words are all heavenly, all of God; he hath given us those words, that are given him of the Father, all those, and none but those; and why then should we not depend upon them, for our direction, for our Consolation, and trust him perfectly in all cases? 3. To try other Prophets by this Prophet, other Messengers by this Messenger, and so accordingly to embrace them, or reject them. Other men that come from God really or in pretence, may speak more or speak less than he hath put into their mouths; Christ hath said neither more nor less: and therefore let us always try their Messages by his Message; if they agree with his, let us embrace them; but if they disagree, let us reject them. JOHN. 17.8. I have given unto them the words which thou gavest me. ANd thus far of the General Application. Proceed we now a little more particularly and distinctly to apply the divers branches of the point in order. Use 1 Hath Christ himself approved himself a faithful Messenger from his Father to his people, in this respect, that he hath added nothing to his Message? That he hath not delivered so much as a word more? Then surely not a word of his must be neglected by us, nor slightly passed over, without the most exact examination. All the words of Jesus Christ have weight in them, and therefore they must all be weighed, by them that handle them, or read, or hear them. Every word that he delivered comes from heaven, it is given him of his Father, as you have it in my Text. And do you think his Father would give down from heaven, so much as one vain word to be delivered by him to his Church and people? And if there be not one superfluous word in his Message, then certainly there is not one to be unadvisedly and lightly passed over by us. And therefore let it be our care to pry into, and study every word of Jesus Christ which he hath left upon record in Scripture, to sift it and to scan it to the very utmost, to seek to God by earnest prayer to open and unfold it to us, that nothing in it (as far as it is possible) may scape us unobserved. And truly, my Beloved, this deserves the more to be considered by us, because we know not what we lose sometimes by our neglect in this particular: by slight and careless handling, reading or hearing of the words of Christ; Oh the inestimable hidden worth that is wrapped up sometimes in one of his expressions, and we take no notice of it! Either we are ignorant of the Original, the Language and the Tongue in which he speaks, and so cannot: or else we are negligent and idle and remiss, and so do not dive in it. It is not to be imagined what a world of light and information in deep and mysterious things, of sweet direction, of precious Consolation we lose by this means. And therefore when we labour to expound the Scripture, when we read, or when we hear it, let us not look upon a sentence, or a verse in gross; and so endeavour to find out the general intent and drift and meaning of it, but let us scan and study every word. Were there any lose expressions, as there are in other writings, that carry nothing of solidity and weight in them, we might very well omit them, and not spend our thoughts upon them. But there is not a word to spare in that which Jesus Christ delivers from his Father to his people; nothing but what is necessary to express some matter of importance and concernment to us, and therefore let us value it and fist it well, that we may know the mind of God, and the mind of Christ in it. Hath Christ approved himself a faithful Messenger from his Father to Use 2 his people, in this respect, that he hath taken nothing from his message? Then let us seek no further for direction in matters that concern salvation, but let us satisfy ourselves with that which Christ hath brought us from his Father. Indeed if he were any way defective, there were some colourable reason then, why we should labour to supply him (as the Papists do) with their Traditions and unwritten Verities, and so botch up as well as we are able, that which he hath left unperfect. But since he hath delivered to us all that his Father put into his mouth, and hath not kept a word back; Oh let us rest in the discovery he hath made, as that which of itself is able to make us wise unto Salvation. Let us beware of itching after novelties, and harkening after new and strange discoveries, such as Christ hath never made, as many do in these days. Oh let not any of us who have heard and learned Christ, turn away from wholesome doctrine, and be turned after fables, as the Apostle Paul speaks; Let us not leave the Living Fountain, and go to broken Cisterns that will hold no water. But let us stick to Jesus Christ, and satisfy ourselves with that which he hath taught us in the Scripture, as comprehending in it all that is necessary to salvation. But here to clear myself a little that I may not be mistaken, I acknowledge that many necessary things are not expressly delivered to us by our Saviour from his Father; and yet his message is complete for all that: For though they be not clearly mentioned and set down disertis verbis, they may by manifest and necessary consequence be gathered and deduced from that which he hath taught us in the Scripture. And to this end I shall desire you to take notice of these three particulars. 1. Where generals are taught us, there all particulars comprised in them, and comprehended under them, are in the purpose and intention of our Saviour taught also; as when he interdicteth any sin, suppose it murder, or adultery, there all the sorts and kinds and measures and degrees of that corruption, are with it interdicted and condemned. 2. Where principles and causes are delivered to us, there the effects that flow and issue from them, and are caused by them, are intended and comprised, as virtually comprehended and contained in their causes. 3. Where we find one like taught, we must conceive alike of all the rest of like nature; Quia parium par ratio; and where there is par ratio, there is also par Lex: where things are like, there the reason is alike; and where there is like reason, there is also like law. And thus not any instance can be given, of any point of necessary faith or practice, that is not taught by our Saviour in the Scripture. So that we need to go no further, but may content and satisfy ourselves with his teaching. Use 3 Hath Christ appeared himself a faithful Messenger from his Father to his people in both respects, that he hath added nothing to, that he hath taken nothing from his message? Then let the Messengers and Ministers of Jesus Christ be faithful to him in the same respect. As Christ hath his Commission from the Father, so they have theirs from Christ. As the Father sends him, so he sends them. It is his own expression to his own Apostles, Joh. 20.21. As my Father hath sent me, so send I you. And therefore even as he is faithful to his Father, so they accordingly must be faithful unto him. And even as he delivers that which he hath received from his Father, so they must deliver too that which they have received from Christ. And that without addition, without diminution, as Christ doth. They must deliver it without addition; as Christ adds nothing to the message which his Father puts into his mouth, so they must add nothing neither to the message which Christ hath put into their mouths. They must not stray beyond the bounds of their Commission, and come with matters of their own devising and inventing to the people. They must not preach another Gospel, Gal. 1.8. another Doctrine, 1 Tim. 1.3. but must be able in uprightness to say as the Apostle doth to his hearers, 1 Cor. 11.23. That which I have received of the Lord, I have delivered unto you. Only that and no more. And here there are three sorts faulty; I shall but only name them to you, and go on. 1. The Superstitious Teacher; there were a multitude of such not long ago; but blessed be the Lord, their number now is well lessened; whose manner was to beat on nothing in the Pulpit but humane Observations, and Inventions and Traditions. They must stand up at Gloria Patri, they must bow before the Altar, and the like. These were the things that many Preachers dwelled upon, in which their greatest heat and zeal was shown, as if they were of greater consequence than Principles and Fundamentals of Religion. 2. The Sceptic Teacher, who doateth about foolish idle questions, which do not serve to edify, and which when all is done, have neither ground nor resolution in the Scriptures. And here the Schoolmen were extremely faulty who have filled the world with multitudes of needless and unprofitable scruples, and inquiries, concerning which our Saviour (the great Prophet of the Church) speaketh nothing of or on. Such were the points that many of them even spent themselves upon: which many Preachers tossed and canvassed in the Pulpit, by which they spoilt the people, as appears by the Egyptian darkness of those ages which they lived in. And truly there are many in these days of ours who spend their time and thoughts on idle questions, and disputes about words, and are extremely vain in their imaginations, and so are hindered from studying weighty things, and matters absolutely necessary to salvation. 3. The vainglorious Teacher, who stuffs his Sermons to the people with nothing else almost but humane Learning; as if that which Christ hath taught us, would not yield sufficient matter to deliver to the people. It's true, my Brethren, there may be in preaching, a lawful use of secular learning, but not a lawful ostentation of it. Use it we may, so far as it illustrates any thing of Christ, and helps us to the clearer explication, or better application of it to the hearers. But if we preach ourselves and not Christ, if we lay aside the perfect and the precious doctrine which he hath delivered to us, and study nothing else but how to vent our own wit, our own learning, our own fancies; this is dangerous to ourselves, and pernicious to the people. And as the Messengers of Christ must utter what they have received from him without addition, so without diminution. They must fulfil the Word of Christ as the Apostle speaks, Col. 1.25. declare it fully to the people: as Jesus Christ revealed fully what his Father put into his mouth, as we have plentifully shown you: so must the Messengers of Christ deliver fully what they have received from him; they must not mince it out of fear or favour, or any other base end. It was the strict injunction of the Angel to the Apostle Peter and his fellows, when he sent them forth to preach, Act. 5.20. Go, stand and speak unto the people all the words of this life. And God's immediate precept to the Prophet, Jer. 26.2. Speak all the words that I command thee, diminish not a word. And therefore let not any Messenger of Christ suppress and smother what he hath received, delivering so much as he thinks expedient and no more; so much as suits with his fancy or with his ends. Let him not upon any grounds, considerations, or pretences whatsoever, wrap up any thing in silence which Christ would have him to make known: But let all his Ambassadors resolve with faithful Micaiah, whatsoever the Lord shall put in our mouths, whether it be good or evil, whether the hearers will approve it or dislike it, that will we speak. I shall lay down a few Considerations, which though they may not seem so pertinent and proper for this Assembly, yet may be of some use; At least to make you bear with Ministers the better in their faithful dealing with you, when you see how much it lies upon them to be faithful: For 1. If they suppress and smother what they have received to deliver, they draw upon themselves the guilt of blood; yea, of the blood of souls; yea, of the souls of those whom they are bound to watch for, as those for whom they are to give up an account when the day of reckoning comes. And this appeareth evidently by the Apostles protestation to the Elders of Ephesus, Act. 20.26. I take you to record this day that I am pure from the blood of all men. How so? For I have not shunned to declare unto you all the Counsel of God; not some, but all his Counsel. They that hid any, are not pure from blood; no, not from the blood of souls, which is a formidable thing. The blood of bodies hath a voice, and cries aloud for wrath and vengeance upon them that shed it; The blood of souls speaks worse things, and cryeth louder than that of Abel. 2. If they suppress, etc. they do (in the desert) deprive themselves of any share in the mercy of the Lord. It is a dreadful sentence against such, which God himself doth not seem to speak so much as to thunder out against them, Apoc. 22.19. If any man shall take away (saith he) from the words of this book; Well, if he do, what then? the Lord shall take away his part out of the Book of life, and out of the holy City, and from the things that are written in this Book. If there be any happiness to be enjoyed in Heaven and in the new Jerusalem, which is above; if there be any mercy mentioned in the Book of God, in all the precious promises from the beginning of it to the end; if there be any privilege to have a part in the blessed Book of life; the man that takes away one word out of the Book of God (that so doth and so continues) is utterly cut off from all these. He that is able to diminish blessings, and to bring them down so low that nothing of them shall remain, will recompense them who diminish his word, and pay them home in the same kind wherein they sin. 3. If they suppress, etc. they expose themselves to ignominy and contempt with men. They think perhaps to gratify and please, and to be loved and honoured and esteemed by this means, viz. by hiding and concealing that which they imagine will not relish with the people. But God will meet with such in this preposterous way of theirs, and cross them so, that this shall make them despicable in the eyes of all men. I have made you (saith the Lord to the unfaithful Priests of Israel) contemptible and base before all the people. And why so? because you have not kept my ways, but have been partial in the Law. Some of it you have delivered, and some of it you have concealed, according as your hearers, and the times would bear, you have dealt partially with it. And thus you thought perhaps to get yourselves esteem and love among the people. But it is fallen out quite contrary, clean against your expectation; For all men look upon you now as self-seekers, men-pleasers, and time-servers: and so you are become contemptible and base by this means. And if you look on those at this day who are partial in the Law, and who apply it only against one side, who reprove and threaten none but those that are not of their own party, you shall find them of no great esteem among the people. 4. If they suppress, etc. as they expose themselves to shame, so to wrong from men too. They lay themselves by their unfaithfulness the more open to abuses and injuries and molestations from the people: Whereas if they be faithful, they are under God's protection; I have made thee (saith the Lord, encouraging the Prophet) a defenced City, and an Iron pillar and brazen walls against the whole Land, against the Princes thereof, against the Priests thereof, and against the whole land; and they shall fight against thee, but they shall not prevail; and what of this? Therefore gird up thy loins, and speak unto them all that I command thee, Jer. 1.17. withhold not any thing for fear that I would have thee to deliver, be bold and confident in my protection. Be not dismayed at their faces, lest I confound thee before them. The Lord hath always taken special care of them, who have been trusty in the delivery of his message. And hence the Prophet David having said, he suffered no man to do them wrong, but reproved even Kings for their sakes, discovers in the words immediately annexed, who they were that had this special interest in God's protection. Touch not mine anointed and do my Prophets no harm, Psal. 105.15. And that Prophetical Petition of Moses in behalf of Levi, is notable to this purpose, Deut. 33.11. Strike through the loins of them that rise against him, and of them that hate him, that they rise no more. Now if you ask me how it comes to pass that notwithstanding th' assurances in the Name of God himself, ungodly men have risen and prevailed against the faithful Messengers of Jesus Christ, sometimes to their utter extirpation. To this I answer in a word, It was not that the Lord was careless of their peace and welfare, but it was because they had dispatched the work which God had given them to do, they had finished their testimony, as the expression is, Apoc. 11.7. Or else because the Lord foresaw he should receive more honour by their suffering then their peace, Phil. 1.12. And thus far of our Saviour's faithfulness in the delivering of his Message, from his Father to his people. The issue and event of this fidelity of his, comes now in order to be handled, and that as I have showed in two respects. First with relation to the Message, which he brought, they have received them, saith he, (that is) the words that I delivered to them in thy Name; Secondly, then with relation to himself the Messenger, they have known surely that I came from thee, and have believed that thou didst send me. So that here is their good reception of the Message, and their good persuasion of the Messenger delivered in such plain expressions, that they will need no Explication. The only seeming difficulty lies in this, how Christ as Man and Mediator may be said to have come out from God, since in that Nature he was never with him, in regard of his immediate presence in the heavens. Truly, my Brethren, he came not from him locally, but he came from him Ministerially; he came not from him in respect of place, but he came from him in respect of mission, because he came of his Message, and of his Errand: and so our Saviour Christ explains himself by an Exegesis in the succeeding parcel of the verse, They have known surely that I came out from thee, that is, they have believed that thou didst send me. Now both of these particulars, importing the good carriage and behaviour of the Apostles and Disciples of our Saviour, both with relation to his message, and to himself the Messenger, may be considered two ways. Either in a joint dependence of both of them on that which goes before; Or else in a particular dependence of one of them, upon the other. If you consider them and look upon them, in a joint dependence upon that which goes before. So they are both of them the fruit and the effect of the faithfulness of Christ. He was exact in the delivery of his message to a word, as he declares himself in the foregoing parcel of the verse, which we have even now dispatched, and the event was this; That both his Message and himself were very well received and entertained among his hearers; So that here I might lay down this observation. DOCTRINE. The faithfulness of the Messenger of God, in the discharge and execution of his Office, is of very great avail, and efficacy to commend his Message, and himself unto the people. I shall but only touch at this, because though it be a truth, yet it is not a proper and a seasonable truth to be insisted on in this Assembly: You see the issue of it in our Saviour here, the chief Messenger of God; he was absolutely faithful in the trust that was reposed in him by his Father; and this was that which came of it, and followed it among his hearers. Their good reception of 〈◊〉 message, they received his words. Their good persuasion of himself the Messenger; they knew for certain that be came from God. And where did ever any Messenger of Christ, that was faithful in his place, miss altogether of success, and good esteem among the people? It's true, some will dislike him and oppose him, and hate him for his faithfulness, as Ahab did Micaiah. But the wisest and the best will value him, and love him, and respect him for it. There is a special blessing of the Lord on the fidelity of his Ambassadors, which is the cause and reason that they seldom fail of doing some good, and of finding some fruit, and of having some regard from those whom they are sent to. And there is something in their faithfulness itself, when it comes once to be observed by the people, to gain their hearts, and to win their good affections and submission to themselves and to their preaching. When they are once persuaded and convinced that their Minister is faithful, this hath a mighty operation on them, if they be not very stupid and profane, to make them hear him, and respect him, and obey him. So that to give you but a word of Application, Use. this points us with the finger to the true and real cause, why many that pretend themselves at least to be the Messengers of God, and the Messengers of Christ, do find no better entertainment with the people. Their persons are despised, their Ministry is slighted, themselves and their words are not regarded. What's the reason? the people find they are unfaithful, and hence it is that they have no opinion of them, no regard at all to them. And therefore they that would be well esteemed among their hearers, that would have their Ministry find some success, and fruit and efficacy in them, must show all good fidelity in the discharge and execution of their Office. But you will ask me, How may this be done, and wherein doth this consist? I will show you in a word, and pass on to another point of Observation. The Messenger of Jesus Christ, if he will be well received and well-approved, must show his faithfulness especially two ways. 1. In an active way he must show his faithfulness in two respects. First in a right delivery of his Message, as he receives it from his Master; and secondly in a delivery of it too for a right end, that is, for his Master's end, and not his own. 1. He must show it in a right delivery of his Message, just as he receives it from his Master. He must not alter it or change it in the least degree, to make it suit with the genius of the times, or the pleasure of Superiors, or the corruption of the people. For if they once perceive that he will screw the word to any interest, and make it to comply with any humour, though they may like it well enough, whose humours and corruptions he complies with, yet they will never like him, nor think the better of him, but the worse. No, they will look upon him as a man of no fidelity, of no conscience: and so accordingly will suspect and undervalue any thing that he delivers. Whereas if he deliver what he hath received without fear, without favour, and will not vary in the least degree, to comply with any man, they must take it as it comes, they will say of him as Ahab of Micaiah, 1 King. 22.8. I hate him, for he prophesies against me still; but yet he is a Prophet of the Lord: he crosses me and meets with me continually, but yet I must confess he is an honest and a faithful man. 2. As he must show his faithfulness in a right and just delivery of his Message, so in the second place in a delivery of it too, for right ends; conceive it, for his Master's ends and not his own. To advance Christ's glory, to build up Christ's Church, to save the souls of Christ's people; If we would be well received and entertained, our hearers must have no occasion to distrust, that that which we deliver (though for the matter of it right and sound) is to satisfy our own passion, or to promote our own ends. First, not to satisfy our own passions. They must not think that our seeming heat and zeal is for ourselves, and not for Christ: and this we must be very wary of in the great differences that are on foot at this time. Corruption will be apt enough (if there were nothing else) to make us sharp and bitter against those and their opinions, who are it may be violent against us; and if they apprehend us so, we shall never do them good: and therefore we should strive to carry matters so, that we may satisfy them, and convince them, that we speak nothing out of spleen against them. And to this end it would be prudence to forbear lose flings, and bitter girds at them. We must in no wise betray any truth of Jesus Christ, by our neglecting to appear and show ourselves for it, who ever set themselves against it; But we should rather do it in a way of reason and solid conviction, then in a way of passion and bitter opposition; and in this way undoubtedly we shall do Christ and it most service. Secondly, our hearers must have no occasion to distrust, that that which we deliver, aimeth at our own respects: That we seek ourselves in it; our own honour by vain ostentation of wisdom, and eloquence, and secular learning; Our own advantage by insinuation and pleasing, and flattery, so making merchandise of those that hear us, as the Apostles phrase is; we must be able to appeal for this as the Apostle did, 1 Thes. 2.3. Our exhortation was not of deceit or guile; but as we were allowed of God to be put in trust with the Gospel, so we speak, not as pleasing men, but God who tries our hearts. For neither at any time used we flattering words (as ye know) nor a cloak of covetousness, God is witness. If such a cloak as that be used by any that pretends himself a messenger of Christ, a cloak to hid and cover base ends, and once the people come to look under that cloak, and to see what is within, they will never like him more. And as the Messenger of Christ, if he would be well received, must show his faithfulness to Christ his Master, in an active, so in a passive way. As in a right delivery of his message both for the matter and the ends of it, so in a constant and a patiented suffering for that which he hath so delivered, if Christ shall call him thereunto. In the first place he must be sure that that which he delivers is indeed his Master's message; and then he must stand to it, even to the loss of liberty, and goods, and name, and life and all. For if the people see him flinch when he is called to this, if they perceive that he will suffer nothing for that which he hath preached to them with so much earnestness, with so much confidence, with so much seeming resolution, farewell their acceptation, their estimation of him any more. They will see he is a hireling (as Christ speaks of such a one) and so accordingly they will account of him. The good and faithful Shepherd, saith our Saviour, Joh. 10.11. gives his life for the Sheep. But he that is an hireling, and not the shepherd of the sheep, whose own the sheep are not, sees the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep. The hireling flieth because he is a hireling, etc. By which it is apparent, that it is the part but of a hireling and a mercenary man, who serves for nothing else but wages, to fly when trouble and when danger comes. And hence the faithful Messengers of Christ, have sealed their teachings with their sufferings, and their blood, as I might give you many instances out of the stories of the Scripture and the Church. And therefore they that will preserve the credit of their Ministry, and hold up the power and operation of it with the people, must be extremely circumspect that they deliver nothing but what they know to be the truth of Christ, for which they must rather suffer then revoke it; and then they must be valiant when the time of trial comes; For if they shrink in wetting, they are gone. It will not serve the turn to tell the people they were deceived and misled. For if they be confessedly mistaken once, they will be ready to conclude, they may be so a second time, and so a third, and so a long; and the end of all will be, that they will never give any great credit or esteem to them, or to their teaching any more. Thus by the way upon the observation hinted to us in the joint dependence of both particulars, considered in the Text on that which goes immediately before. Proceed we now to look upon them in a particular dependence, the one of them upon the other, viz. the latter on the former. First you have here their good reception of the message which our Saviour brought, They received it, saith the Text. And then you have their good persuasion of the Messenger, that he came out from God, was sent from God; and this persuasion, as I take it, was the ground of the reception, and under that respect is mentioned here; They received my words, saith Christ; but how came this to pass? They were persuaded that I came from God. The point is obvious. DOCTRINE. The good reception of the message by the people, depends upon their good opinion of the Messenger; their sure persuasion that he is sent to them from God. The words of Christ himself you see were entertained on this account, as he suggests in his expression to his Father here, I have given them the words which thou gavest me, and they have received them. How so? why they have known verily or surely, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, they have known it for a truth, that I came out from thee, and have believed that thou didst send me. If they had doubted this, my words had never found such entertainment and success among them. And hence it is that the Apostles when they began to deal with any people, the first thing that they do, is to show them their Commission and authority from God. You shall observe in the Epistles, how this is set upon the thresholds still, and in the very entrance of them, that so the Penmen of them might anticipate or meet with that in the beginning which would be prejudicial to the success and efficacy of their doctrine, and consequently leave the people free, to benefit by that which was to follow. Paul's wisdom is remarkable in this respect; in his Epistles you may see a taste of it, Gal. 1.1. Paul an Apostle not of men, nor by men, q. d. however the false Teachers tell you that I am called by men, as other ordinary Ministers and Pastors are, and so by consequence that I have no such Universal charge as I pretend, and that I thrust myself into the right of other men, to stand a meddling and a tampering as I do with all the Churches: yet I assure you, I do nothing else but that to which I am deputed and designed by my Commission from the Lord; For I am his Apostle called immediately by him: and Jesus Christ is very careful to and to convince his hearers that he came from God, as I might give you instances enough, but they are known. And this both he and the Apostles, because they did knew the people's good reception the message dependeth much, etc. Use. I might apply this to the Ministers, but I will rather turn it to the people. Is it so, that the good reception of the message by the people dependeth much upon their good opinion of the Messenger? Then let it be a Caution to you, that you do not overlightly entertain an ill opinion of those who come from God to you. For you yourselves will be the losers by it; it will hinder the success and efficacy of their teaching: And therefore follow the Apostles Counsel, 1 Tim. 5.19. Against an Elder receive not an accusation, but before two or three witnesses. If there be witnesses sufficient, and the fault deserve it, pursue it, follow it. But if not, do not receive it, let not your ears be open to it. Especially in such a time as this, when sides are violently one against another, and when reports are usually raised and aggravated very much by this means. But above all take heed how you drink in the least suspicion, whether the Minister be sent of God, or no, without a very sure ground; for this, if it be entertained, will altogether hinder the good reception of the message which he brings you. And that you may not be misled in this particular, I shall in a word or two, direct you how to judge of this business. 1. You may judge a little by his entrance; if he be sent of God, he comes in by the door, and not by the window. The door which Christ sets open to him, and not which he himself unlocks and opens with a false Key. So that if any question grow in this particular, he is able to appeal to all the people, as the Apostle sometimes did, 2 Thess. 2.1. You know our entrance: It was not in a clandestine and surreptitious way; you of the Church, you know it what it was; whether it were according to the rule, and as be seems a Minister of Christ, I leave it to yourselves to judge, I appeal to your verdict. You may discover somewhat whether a Minister be sent of God by his enablement to that Office. Whom God sends, he qualifies; he sends not his message by the hand of a fool. When Christ ascended up on high, he gave gifts unto men for the work of the Ministry: Ephes. 4.12. God makes able Ministers of the New Testament, 2 Cor. 3.6. As he makes them, so he makes them able too, endues them in a measure with ability of knowledge and utterance; gives them wisdom and a mouth. If they be competently able both ways, it is an evidence that they are of Gods making and of Gods sending. You may judge a little as by their ability, so by their propensity to do the Office of a Minister. And this is that which the Apostle calls a ready mind to feed the flock, 1 Pet. 5.2. A good will to deal out to the people the Gospel of Christ. 1 Thess. 2.8. Indeed my Brethren, when a Minister that hath a Competency both of knowledge and of utterance, regardeth not at all to stir up the gift of of God that is in him, or to use his abilities for the good of the Church, but is idle and remiss, prefers his pleasure and his ease, before the good and the salvation of the people's souls, you have great reason to suspect him, that he is not come from God. But if he be content to spend himself and to be spent, if he be like a burning and shining light, as it is said of John the Baptist, burning in his zealous Doctrine, shining in his holy life, and wasting while he shines to others; if it be his meat and drink to do the work that God hath put into his hands: such a Minister as this, so coming in, so qualified, so employed, beware how you suspect that he is not sent of God. JOHN. 17.9. I pray for them, and I pray not for the world. WE have not yet dispatched the Preface, or the preparation to our Saviour's Prayer in the behalf of his Apostles and Disciples; some think indeed, that he gins his Prayer for them in the following verse, which we are now about to enter on, I pray for them, I pray not for the world: But if you mark it, there is nothing in it, either of Confession, or Petition, or Thanksgiving; only our Saviour Christ lays down some leading Considerations which induce him to present this Supplication for them to his Father; And they are taken either from their relation, or from their condition. The first is drawn from their relation to his Father and himself, I pray for them, I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me, for they are thine. And all mine are thine, and thine are mine; by means whereof it comes to pass that I am glorified in them: the next is drawn from the condition they were in, and were likely to be in, they were at present in the world, and they were likely to be in it out of hand without Christ; I mean without his visible and corporal, and fleshly presence; And now I am no more in the world, but they are in the world, and I come to thee; as if he should have added, and I must leave them behind me; The greater need they had to be recommended by him in his prayers, which were the last he was to make with them in this world. These are the things that move him to become an earnest suitor to his Father for his Apostles and Disciples in a special manner, as he hints in the beginning, I pray for them, I pray not for the world. Now this he speaks exclusively, you see, as it is very manifest, even in the letter of the Text. A man would think it might have been sufficient for our Saviour to have said, I pray for them. For had he said but so, he had employed, that other men were not at all remembered, by him in his prayers: But he will be express and clear in such a business of such high importance; he will shut out the world from having any share at all in this incomparable privilege, in downright language, and in plain terms from being once so much as mentioned in his prayers, I pray for them, I pray not for the world. So that the point to be observed is plain. DOCTRINE. Christ is an Intercessor to his Father for none but his own people. He prays for them, and none but them; the world are utterly excluded from having share at all in our Saviour's Intercession. He intercedes for none that are without the pale that he sets up in this Text; he doth not speak one word to God for them: I pray not for the world, saith he, I meddle not with them at all in that business. But if he pray not for the world, who are they for whom he prays? I pray for them, saith Christ. For them, for whom? why, for them whom thou hast given me. So that they who are Christ's, you see, have a peculiar privilege in this regard; for all the Intercession of the Son of God, the great High Priest is spent upon them; If any sin, we have an Advocate with God the Father, saith the Evangelist, 1 Joh. 2.1. He speaks it there exclusively, we have, and no others. And therefore it is very much to be observed, that he saith not, If any sin, he hath an Advocate; for there are many sinners in the world, that have no Advocate with God the Father. But if any sin, we have an Advocate, we that believe, have Christ to intercede for us. And he may have an advocate if he believe; if he be one of us, let the man be what be will, and let his sin be what it will, Christ will be an Advocate and Intercessor to his Father for him: He ever lives (saith the Apostle speaking of our Saviour) to make intercession for them, Heb. 7.25. Them, whom? why them who come to God by him, as you may see if you reflect upon the former parcel of the verse; He is able to save them to the utmost who come to God by him, seeing he ever lives to make intercession for them: Still you see his intercession is confined to a selected company of men, and not extended to the whole world. He appears in Heaven for us, saith the Apostle, Heb. 9.24. Not for all without exception, but for us whom he hath taken into his special and peculiar love and care, who are comparatively but a small number. So that the point is plain you see, Christ is an Intercessor to his Father, etc. Reason. And the reason is apparent, because he is a Priest for none but them only, and Intercession is a part of his Priesthood. There are two branches (as you may know my Brethren) of the Priesthood of our Saviour; Sacrifice and Intercession; and they are both of them for his people. He offers Sacrifice for none but them, and so accordingly he intercedes for none but them neither; for both the branches of his Priesthood of necessity must go together. He is a Mediator for, and only for his own people; he makes peace for none but them. And even as he is not a Mediator of redemption for the world; so he is not a Mediator of Intercession for it neither. Indeed, my Brethren, all that he is, or doth as he is Man and Mediator, is for his people. Why was the Son of God incarnate but for them? why did he take our Nature on him but for them? why was he made a Mediator but for them? He is a King to rule them, a Prophet to instruct them, a Priest to sacrifice and intercede for them. He had never been a King as he is a Man, he had never been a Prophet, he had never been a Priest, but for the sake of his people. And hence it follows very clearly, that whatsoever he doth in the administrations of these Offices of his, he doth it (next to his own glory) for his Churches good. He carries it throughout in reference to them: and so accordingly the Execution of his Priestly Office in both the parts and branches of it is for them. He is an Intercessor to his Father for none but for, etc. Is Christ an Intercessor, etc. this may serve to satisfy us in the point Use 1 which some have vented in these latter times, that Christ is the Redeemer of the whole world; and that he died for all men universally without restraint, or limitation. What think you, my Beloved? is it a likely thing that Christ should die for those, for whom he will not pray? That he should offer up himself a Sacrifice for those, for whom he will not intercede? That he should spend his blood for those, for whom he will not spend his breath? That he should give his life for those, for whom he will not give his word? will he do that which is abundantly the greater for them, and then refuse to do the less? You see he saith expressly in my Text, I pray not for the world. And might he not have said as well, I die not for the world? and if our Saviour's intercession now in heaven be not vocal, as it is usually resolved, but a real presentation of the merits of his death, and the virtue of his passion to his Father: That as the blood of Martyrs cries for vengeance to be executed upon those that shed it, so on the other side, the blood of Jesus Christ the Mediator cries for mercy to be showed to them for whom he shed it. It claims it out of right and justice in the behalf of those for whom he died. Why then, it follows, that if he died for all, he cannot choose but intercede for all too. Or if he should be silent, his blood would cry for mercy for them, to whom it was intended and designed; and consequently, if he pray not for the world, he died not for the world neither. Is Christ an Intercessor, etc. Here than you see the sad condition of Use 2 those who are without the pale, that are not only in the world, but of the world; Christ never intercedes for them, let their cause be what it will, let their necessity be what it will. Christ even leaves them to themselves, and never interposes for them to his Father. There you may cry and howl yourselves, when you are in any strait, you may stand beging for yourselves, and all in vain; for Jesus Christ will not speak a word for you, nor any such as you are. Beloved, I beseech you think upon it, there come in heavy things against you every day at the bar of God's Justice. Sin cries, and the Law cries, all the Commandments which you break continually come in with open mouth against you, and importune God's Justice for wrath and vengeance to be executed on you. They cry How long Lord? and sin cries How long Lord? and Christ who is the only Mediator to avert wrath, and make peace, he sitteth still and saith nothing. Oh my Beloved, what should hinder now, but that the black decree for execution should go forth against you, when there is none to interpose and stand between you and the wrath of God when these complaints and cries of all the sins that you have done, of all the Oaths that you have sworn, of all the lies that you have made, etc. come in against you in the Court of heaven: and the Father puts the question to the Son the only advocate in that Court, What have you any thing to say for this man, why judgement should not pass against him? will you undertake for him? and Christ shall answer no, I have not a word to say for him; I intercede not for the world: Let Justice have its course against him, let it be executed on him to the utmost: I pray for my own people, and I desire they may be spared as in right they ought to be, for I have satisfied for them. But for the rest I even leave them to the vengeance and the wrath they have deserved, I will not hinder it, or stop it, in the least degree; Let Justice pay them home in full weight and full measure; Look how much they have sinned, and how much wickedness they have committed, so much torment and so much sorrow let it give them. Oh what a flood of horror and confusion, think you, will be poured out upon you, when once the day of vengeance and of visitation comes; when God comes forth against you as an Enemy with nothing else but war and death, and blood, and mine, and destruction in his looks, and there is none to pacify and appease him, none to speak a word for you; but Christ the only Mediator leaves you to the utmost of his fury, Oh consider this, etc. Use 3 Is Christ an Intercessor to his Father for none, etc. here then you may behold the matchless happiness of those who belong to Jesus Christ. In this respect they have a privilege above the world, that they have him to intercede for them, to be their Advocate, and to present their Supplications and requests to God. Brethren, I know not how you value it, or what account you make of it, but I assure you, it is a rich Prerogative that you have such an Intercessor with the Father, if you have eyes to see the worth of it. And that you may the better know your happiness in this regard, I shall lay it open to you in a few particulars. Your happiness is great, that you have Christ to be your Intercessor in this respect, that he is so near to God, and that he hath such interest in God. An interest of near union, for he is one with God, the Father; an interest of dear affection; he is his Son, his Son that is extremely like him, his Son that never did offend him, in whom his very soul delights, so that he can deny him nothing; it is but ask and have; ask of me, and I will give thee. And is it not a privilege to have such as he to speak for us? One that can do so much with God, that hath his ear and heart too; One that can surely carry any business for us in the Court of Heaven; for his Father hears him always, Joh. 11.4. and never puts him off with a denial. An Advocate that is not favoured; may speak much and plead hard, and yet he may prevail but little. But Jesus Christ is sure to speed in any suit, in any business that he undertakes. Oh the blessedness of those who are within the compass of this glorious privilege, and who have such a powerful Advocate as Christ is! Your happiness is very great that you have Christ to be your Intercessor, in this respect that he is near to you. As he is near to God, so he is near to you also, and so by consequence he is the fit to be an Advocate to God for you. It is a very great advantage to us, that he that is to plead our case with God the Father, is our near kinsman; He is Immanuel, God with us, God one of us, who took not on him Angels, but the seed of Abraham, who is of our own flesh and blood and bone, and therefore he will certainly be tender of us, and compassionate towards us. And therefore the Apostle Paul observes that we are very happy in a High Priest, He being such a one as cannot but be touched with our infirmities, as being of the self same nature with us, and having had himself experience of them, for he was in all things like unto us, sin only excepted; and therefore cannot but be very much affected with our sorrows and our sufferings, and very sensible when he is pleading for us to the Father. Our happiness is great, etc. in this respect, that he is not like to die, and so to leave the business that he undertakes imperfect. It is the case of other Advocates sometimes, they drop away in the middle of a business: they follow it and plead it very well a while, but die before they finish it, before they bring it to a Judgement; and then the Client knows not what to do, nor to whom to have recourse; for no man understands his business; he must go back again to the beginning. There is no fear of this in Jesus Christ our Advocate and Intercessor; we may depend upon it, he will go through with our business; he will not leave it till he have brought it to perfection; He will save us to the utmost, as the Apostle Paul speaks, Heb. 7.25. and why so? because he ever lives to make intercession for us, as it is added there in that place. So you see our happiness is great, it is a blessed privilege that we have Christ to be our Intercessor; and it may yield us singular encouragement, and precious comfort divers ways: As 1. It may encourage us and comfort us, in our addresses to the Majesty of God. Now we may go with boldness to the Throne of grace, having so good a friend with God as Christ is. If we were to go alone, and of ourselves, if we had none to make our way for us, it could not choose but be a great disheartening to us. But when we seriously consider that our Advocate is there, our friend is there, who will be ready upon all occasions to second us, to put in a good word for us; to help out us in any business, this is a ground of choice comfort. 2. It may support us in the sense of our many imperfections. However our petitions are put up in much infirmity and fear and weakness, yet if they be according to the will of God, we may remember still that they are seconded by Christ in heaven; That he puts in on our behalf, and demands the same things, that he excuses what is wanting in our prayers, and supplies it in his own. We are flat, but he is quick; we are dull, but he is lively; we are short, but he is full. 3. It may assure us of success in our Petitions, since we have Christ to intercede for us: We might stand begging long enough ourselves, and never speed. But if we be among the number of those for whom our Saviour undertakes to plead; if he will put in but a word for us, all is ended presently, and we have a gracious answer out of hand. God may deny us, while we are speaking for ourselves; but if Christ speak for us, he can never be denied; his Father always lets him have his own ask. 4. This may keep us from despair and sinking under the weight of all our sins. If we sin, we have an Advocate to plead for us, to answer all the accusations of the Law and of the Conscience. It is his Office to interpose between his Father and his people, to plead the causes of our souls before him. And this we may take special comfort in, that be our matters never so soul, never so inexcusable as considered in themselves, his very undertaking of them clears all, and sets us right even at the bar of God's justice. True, their iniquities are black and heinous, saith our Advocate; but, are they greater than my merits are? if so, let them be condemned; if not, let them be absolved: If all that I have done and suffered will acquit them, let them be acquitted. What cause have we to cheer our hearts, and bless our God, that we have such an Advocate as Christ is! And thus far of our Saviour's Declaration. Proceed we now to the Considerations that induce him to become a Suitor for them to his Father: Whereof the first is taken from the relation which they had, not to himself alone, but to his Father. I pray for them; I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me, for they are thine, and all mine are thine. So that the words indeed contain a reason of congruity why our Saviour should commend the case of his Disciples and Apostles in his Petitions to his Father; because as they were his, so they were his Fathers too, and it concerned him to take care of those that were his own, that appertained and belonged to him. As if our Saviour should have said, If they are mine and not thine, I had no such great inducement, or no such great encouragement at least to petition thee for them, or to expect a gracious answer and a merciful rerurn from thee in their behalf; But they are thine as well as mine. I pray for them; I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me, for they are thine. True, thou hast given them to me, but so, that they are thine still. Thou art not utterly devested by thy gift, of the right thou hadst in them, and therefore it is meet and congruous that thou shouldst still continue thy regard to them, and that thou shouldst be flexible to the Petitions that I make for them. Now this he clears a little further yet, that they were his Fathers still, though they were bestowed on him, because all that belonged to him were so; I pray for them whom thou hast given me, for they are thine. How so? might the Father say; if I have given them to thee, how are they mine? Why saith our Saviour, all that I have is thine; all mine are thine, and consequently they are thine too, notwithstanding this donation. So that the Conjunction And, they are thine, and all mine are thine, stands for the causal particle, as if he should have said, for mine are thine. And so we find it often used in the Scripture; you may take that place for instance, Psal. 60.11. Lord, do thou give us help from trouble, and vain is the help of man, so it is the Original; but in our last Translation it is rendered by the causal particle, for vain is the help of man: so in my Text, They are thine, and all mine are thine, that is, for all mine are thine, q.d. Father they must needs be thine, for indeed all mine are so, so that the point to be observed is this: DOCTRINE. That all the people of the Lord Christ do belong to God the Father. They are not his so, that they are not the Fathers too. Christ hath not a divided, but a mixed and common interest in all his people with the Father. And hence he wraps up both their rights together in my Text, They are thine, and mine are thine, and thine are mine. So that the Father doth not give his people so to Christ, that he doth wholly pass away his right in them; No, they continue his still; yea, let me say, that they are more the Fathers when he hath given them to Jesus Christ, and Christ hath taken and received them, than they were before he gave them, as I shall make it evidently to appear to you: For When Christ hath taken them for his, than he hath none but Christ to share with him: whereas before he had the Devil and the world, and themselves to share with him: before we come to appertain to Christ, we are our own, as we conceive; at least, we are not for the Lord, but for ourselves; we live not to the Lord, but to ourselves: we are the worlds; we are not only in the world, but we are of the world too; we are her own as Christ speaks, Joh. 15.19. The world will love her own: Yea more than so, we are the Devils, we are the things which he possesseth: We are the Devils own possession, we are Satan's freehold. But when we come to be the Sons by the donation of the Father, than we are our own no longer, as the Apostle tells us on the very same ground, Ye are not your own, saith he, 1 Cor. 6.19. We are the worlds no longer, as our Saviour Christ himself informeth his Disciples in the fore-alleaged place, If ye were of the world, the world would love 〈◊〉 own; but ye are not of the world, for I have called you out of the world: We are no longer Satan's neither; the Prince of this world is cast out, the strong man is bound, and spoiled of that which was before his own possession. So that you see my Brethren, Christ takes off all other sharers in his people, when once they come to be bestowed on him, and to be seized upon by him: He either buys them out by good purchase, or drives them out by plain force, and so they come to be the Fathers and his own, entirely and peculiarly; so that the Father is apparently a gainer by it, his interest is greater in them then it was before; for whereas there were many sharers in his people formerly, now there is none but Christ to share with him: He, and be alone is lest, and all the rest of the pretenders are cashiered. They are more the Fathers when he hath given them to Jesus Christ, and he accordingly hath seized upon them, than they were before he gave them, because his title now is strengthened and enlarged: Indeed before he had a title to them by creation; but now he hath a title to them by Creation and Redemption too: For Christ doth not redeem us for himself, as distinguished from the Father, but as one together with him: His Father gives a people to him for this very end, that he may purchase and redeem them not to himself alone, but to his Father too; He is the Father's Minister, the Father's servant in this business, in the great work of Redemption; his Father gives him, and his Father seals him, and his Father sends him; and consequently what he doth, he doth not for himself so much as he is man, but for his Father; and therefore when his Father hath bestowed them on him by Election, and he hath bought them by Redemption, his Father is so far from being outed of his right, that now he hath a better title to them, than he had before: Now he can say, not only as he could before, they are mine; for I have received them: but more than so, they are mine; for my own Son hath bought them, and brought them back again for me, when I had lost them. They are more the Fathers when he hath given them to Jesus Christ, and he accordingly hath seized upon them, than they were before, because now they are one with him: Before they did in some respect indeed belong to him, but now they are one with him; they are not only one with Christ, but they are one with God the Father too, in, and by, and through Christ; for being joined to Christ who is one with God the Father, they cannot but be joined to him whom Jesus Christ is joined to; and hence our Saviour speaking to his Father of his people, saith he, they are one in us, Joh. 17.21. not one among themselves alone, but one in us; not in me only, but in thee too: So that when God bestows a people on our Saviour, he brings them nearer to him than they were before: He doth not only make them his, but he makes them one with him; and an interest of union, is far beyond an interest of mere possession. So that ye see the point is clear, The people of the Lord Christ do belong to God the Father; and that the more because they are bestowed upon him by the Father. The Father's interest is so far from being weakened and abated 〈◊〉 that indeed it is strengthened and increased by this means. Use 1 Is it so, that all the people of the Lord Christ are belonging to the Father? Then certainly they are most excellent and precious people; for he will never own vile things. It is a frequent thing in Scripture, that admirable and eximious things are said to be the Lords; The hill of Zion, the hill of God, because the excellentest of all other hills, Psal. 68.15. The trees of Lebanon, the trees of the Lord, because the excellentest of all other trees. And so the Saints, the people of the Lord, because the excellentest of all other people; and surely that must needs be excellent which he owns: And therefore let us learn to value them aright, and as the Lord in this respect hath made them high above others, as he speaks of Israel, Deut. 26.18.19. God hath avouched thee to be his own peculiar people, to make thee high above all Nations. So let us have an high esteem of them: let us not slight and disrespect them as carnal men are apt to do, because they have a mere outside; but let us look upon them as the Fathers, as that which he peculiarly owns, and that not as his ordinary stuff, but as his Treasure and his Jewels, as they are often styled in the Scripture: And though they may be trodden under foot awhile, by wicked men, we may be confident the time is coming, when the Lord will make them up as it is said, Mal. 3.17. When he will make up his Jewels, when he will take them up out of the mire, and wipe them clean from those abasures that have lain upon them, to hid their beauty, and obscure their lustre, and show them in their brightness, and their splendour to the world. Is it so, that all the people of the Lord Christ do belong, etc. Then let Use 2 it be their care and their endeavour so to walk, and so to carry and behave themselves, as a people ought to do who have such near relation, both to God and Christ, both to the Father and to the Son: And hence the people of the Lord are exhorted to be strict, and to be holy in a peculiar manner, on this very ground, as you may see that place for instance, Leu. 20.26. You shall be holy to me, saith the Lord. And why so? For I have severed you from other people, that you should be mine: And so say I to you, my Brethren, you are the Lords own people, and he hath severed you from others to be his peculiar ones. Oh see now that you walk as it becometh those to do, who are the Lords, and that upon these two grounds: For 1. The sins of those who are his own, reflect with more disparagement upon him then the sins of others do. He suffers not so much in the exorbitancies of other men that appertain not to him, as he doth in yours, and therefore you should be the more wary. Oh let not wicked men have any cause to say of you, as the Heathen did sometimes of the people of the Jews, the only people of the Lord at that time, Ezek. 36.20. These are the people of the Lord, and they are gone out of his Land. They carried and demeaned themselves so ill, that he could not bear with them, but he was fain to cast them forth out of the Land which he had bestowed upon them: So let not wicked wretches say of you, These are the people of the Lord, and yet they are proud, covetous, worldly, wanton, lose, etc. Let not his name I pray you be dishonoured and blasphemed by your means; but think when you are tempted and enticed to any sin, Whether it be fit for those who are the Lords own people, to do such wickedness and sin against their God. 2. As your iniquities who are the Lords, dishonour him more, so he will chasten you, if you miscarry, sooner and quicker than he will do other men who are further off from him: & this should make you yet more cautious; that known place is home and apposite to this purpose, Amos 3.12. You only have I known of all the families of the earth, therefore I will punish you: For other families that are not mine, as you are, and that appertain not to me in such a special manner as you do, I shall not be so quick to exercise my Discipline upon them. But you are mine own household, and therefore if you do amiss, I will be sure to take a course with you. If God see many Aliens to him, doing any wickedness, he may bear with them long, for it concerns him not so much to deal against them; but if he spy out any of his own amongst them, doing as the rest do, he will be sure to single him and call him out from all the rest, and say, You are my own, you appertain especially to me; and what, will you do as these vile abominable wretches do? will you run out with them to the same excess of riot? Come I must order you, though I let the rest alone, I must not suffer you in such courses. Is it so, that all people of the Lord Christ do belong, etc. Here then is precious comfort for the Saints arising from the property and interest that God the Father hath in them. For it they be his own, and that in such a special and peculiar way, as we have showed, we may be confident, he will do very much for them, and that in divers cases; I will name a few of them. 1. If they be his own, the Father certainly will hear the Son for them; he will be easily entreated for those that have such near relation to him: If they were only Christ's, and not his, this were enough to make him facile, to the Intercession that his own Son makes for them, because they appertain to one that is so infinitely dear to him: But seeing they are Christ's and his too, this carries all before it; and this is that our Saviour urges in my Text, That those for whom he prayed and interceded, did aswell belong to his Father as himself: so that his Father was as much engaged to hear as he was to pray for them; I pray for them whom thou hast given me, for they are thine; q. d. I hope thou wilt not put me off with a denial; For they are thine as well as mine, whom I intercede for. 2. If they belong to God the Father, we may depend upon it, he doth love them, and love them very dearly too, as those that are so near to him: Property and interest is one special ground of love; we use to love our own, you know, yea many times to dote upon them out of measure, though there be nothing lovely in them. And certainly the Lord hath very dear affections to his own too; though they be black, yet they are comely in his eyes: His love towards them is so great, that it covers many faults, and many blemishes and spots in them: and the cause of all is this, the near and special interest he hath in them; this makes his love without measure and without end, Joh. 13.1. Having loved his own to the end he loves them. 3. If they belong to God the Father, he will be very tender of their wrongs; and this he will discover one of those two ways, either he will defend them, or avenge them. First if he see it fit, he will defend them, and protect them from the wrongs of those that seek to be abusive and injurious to them: They are his own, and therefore he will certainly take care of them. Beloved, these are times of some danger, and it is good to have a sure and safe keeper. And verily they that belong to God are in a very good condition, what ever alterations come upon the world; how ever matters go, he will be careful of his own; he will not be so ill a Master to abandon them to ruin, when they have most need of him: Or Secondly, if he defend them not from wrong, (as he may leave his own sometimes in the hands of wicked men, for causes which he best knows,) certainly he will avenge them: The property and interest he hath in them, will engage him to appear on their side, to take their quarrel into his hands, and to render wrath to those that are abusive and injurious to them. Especially if they make complaint to him, and if they cry because of the oppression, they are so near and dear to him, that he cannot choose but right them; Will he not avenge his own, when they cry day and night to him, Luk. 18.7. As who should say, Do you make a question of it? it is impossible but he should do it. 4. If they belong to God, he will provide for them: Will he not find his people meat and drink, and clothes, and other things that are expedient for them? Doth he keep so ill an house, to let his Family lack bread? Oh do not so dishonour him, to have such poor and low thoughts of him; it's that which troubles many that belong to God, of the meaner sort of people, they are afraid that they shall want; their charge increases and their Trade decays, and poverty gins to come upon them like an armed man, and now their hearts are quite down; they doubt their Master will not find them bread. Oh you of little faith, wherefore do you doubt? Why do you so distrust God? The earth is the Lords, and the fullness thereof. You are his who is the Lord of all the Earth, and all the fullness of provision that is in it. He feeds his enemies, and will he see his own want? Truly my Brethren, if you have not such provision as you would desire, it is because he sees it best to diet you, and knows that fullness and plenty of external things would not in any case be best for you. 5. If they belong to God, he will not lose them; what do you think the Lord will be so wretchless that he will not keep his own? No, no, he bought them at so dear a rate, that he will know how he foregoes them: His they are and he will keep them; and however sin and Satan and the world are always plucking at them, to get them (if it might be possible) away from God, he will hold them fast enough, that none shall pluck them out of his hand. JOHN 17.10. And I am glorified in them. AND thus far of the first consideration, that induced our Saviour to become a Suitor for his Apostles and Disciples to his Father: The joint relation which they had to himself and to his Father. Before he pass on to the next consideration, he adds a consectary that depends on this, and flows from this, the near relation which they had to him, to Christ himself; All mine are thine, saith our Saviour to his Father, and thine are mine. And what follows? Since they are mine, I am glorified in them. And this adds strength to the Consideration upon which it is inferred, and hath something in it farther to move our Saviour to be mindful of his Apostles and Disciples in his prayers, because as they were his own, so he was glorified in them. Many times we are dishonoured in those that are our own, and that have near relation to us, more than we are, yea more than we can be in those that are further off from us. Christ is not so in those that appertain to him; no, he is glorified in them: The more inclinable he is to tender them in his petitions to his Father; I pray for them, I pray not for the world, but for them whom thou hast given me; for they are thine, and mine are thine, and thine are mine, and I am glorified in them. And here the phrase our Saviour uses, deserves our careful and attentive observation: He doth not say, I am glorified by them, but I am glorified in them; not by them in an active way, but in them in a passive way, q. d. any thing that is commendable and praise worthy in them, tends to advance my praise, and to set forth my glory; I have the honour of any worth or excellency that is in them any way: and that by reason of the near relation which I have to them, and the interest I have in them. They are mine, and I am glorified in them. So that the point to be observed is this. DOCTRINE. That Jesus Christ is glorified in all those that belong to him. If they be his, he is glorified in them even as the Teacher is glorified in the Scholar, as the Master is glorified in the servant, or as the head is glorified in the members, so Christ is glorified in his people; he is the great Prophet, the great Teacher of his Church, and if his people learn well, if they thrive and grow in knowledge, it is a Commendation to their Teacher; he is the Lord and Master of his people, and if his servants do well, it is an honour to their Master: He is the head of his Church which is his body; and if his members thrive well, if they have any beauty in them, it is a commendation to their Head; Indeed, my Brethren, if they were the Scholars of another Master, the servants of another Lord, the members of another head, their proficiency and tractability, and beauty, were nothing to the Lord Christ. But seeing they belong to him, he hath the honour of any thing that is commendable in them. To clear the point a little more distinctly to you, Jesus Christ is glorified in all those that belong to him, either in the present life, or in that which is to come. First in the present life he is glorified in their grace. Then in the life to come, he is glorified in their glory. 1. In the present life he is glorified in the grace of all those that belong to him: Their grace is his glory: When they abound in faith, and love, and hope, and patience, and obedience, this is an honour to the Lord Christ, that he hath such people, so qualified, and so employed: when they believe in difficult and hard cases, they glorify him in believing, as it is said of Abraham, Rom. 4.20. He was strong in Faith, giving glory to God: when they are fruitful in the works of righteousness, these are also to the praise of his glory: Herein is he glorified, if they bring forth much fruit: For Jesus Christ is looked upon as the Original of all the good, the Fountain and the Spring of all the holiness that is in his people. And hence the praise of all returns to him, as the Apostle Paul insinuates, Rom. 11. ult. For of him are all things. And what follows? To him be glory for ever, Amen. If any of his people have a special gift of knowledge, they have learned it all of Christ: if they excel in other grace, they receive it all from Christ. If they have any choice ability to any holy and religious duty, it is Christ that makes them able, and it is Christ that strengthens them. They that have judgements exercised and are able to discern assoon as they discover any excellency in any kind in any of the Saints, they ascribe it all to Christ, because they know they had it all from him: See what Jesus Christ can do in, and for, and by those that have Originally nothing that is good in them. If any of them shine, the beams that make them glister, come from Christ, and they dart back to Christ again: He shines upon them, and he shines in them, as the Prophet insinuates, Isai. 60.1. Arise and shine, for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee. It is a glory to the Lord Christ that he hath such a beautiful and glorious people. And thus you see, my Brethren, he is glorified in the grace of those that belong to him. 2. As he is glorified in the grace, so he is glorified and shall be glorified in the glory of those that belong to him: especially in the great day, when he shall come to be glorified in his Saints, and to be admired in all them that believe, as the Apostle Paul tells us, 2 Thess. 1.10. to be glorified in them to wonder and to admiration. So that the world shall be astonished and amazed to see the matchless and unutterable glory that he shall adorn them with, and in their glory glorify himself. This shall transport beholders into wonder, it shall make them to admire them, and to admire Christ in them. It's true, Christ shall be glorified wonderfully on that day in the damnation and destruction of the wicked that belong not to him. The wrath of Jesus Christ shall be an admirable wrath; the judgements and the vengeance that he shall inflict upon them shall be full of wonder; that men shall be astonished and amazed to see, that Jesus Christ the Lamb of God, who in this life hath showed himself so meek and patiented, and long-suffering to abominable sinners, should be so out of measure wrath with them. Ungodly men themselves will wonder at his fury. The Saints will wonder at his glorious justice, and adore the righteousness of his proceed with all the wicked unbelievers of the world. Yea, their confusion and destruction in that great and dreadful day will be one special part of that admirable glory, whereby Christ will be wonderful in the eyes of all his people. Because for their sakes, and the wrongs and injuries that wicked men have offered them, shall their judgement be the heavier, and the deeper, and that to all eternity. Oh what an admirable thing is this (will the poor people of the Lord say) that Jesus Christ should have such dear respect to us, that he should be so angry with poor creatures and execute such heavy wrath upon them for our sakes! But there will be incomparably greater cause of glorifying Jesus Christ, and of wondering at his mercy in the salvation of his own people. For alas the wicked shall have nothing else but their deserts in that day. But this shall be the height of wonder that Jesus Christ should load his people with such an Hyperbolical and transcendent weight of glory without the least desert on their part, yea when they have deserved the same extremity of vengeance that is inflicted on the wicked. Oh what a glory must this be to Jesus Christ? how shall this fill the mouths of all the Angels and triumphant Saints in heaven with his praises? How shall his people wonder at their own glory, and at the glory of their fellow-Saints, and the transcendent love of Christ in it! How shall the great ones of the earth that have contemned and trampled under foot the poor despised Servants of the Lord Christ, stand amazed at their glory, beyond all that they looked for! Oh my beloved, how wonderful shall Jesus Christ be in that day to all the world, in the incomparable glory which then he will bestow upon his poor contemned and despised people! Use. 1 Now is it so that Jesus Christ is glorified in all those that belong to him? What think we then of those, and to whom do they belong, in in whom he is not glorified at all, who are perpetually a dishonour to him? We may be bold to say of such, who are so far from being to the praise of his glory, that while they have a being, they are a prejudice and shame to Christ, that they belong not to the Lord Christ, they are none of his people. Methinks the thought of this should even break the hearts of the wicked and ungodly men; you who lie in wickedness, and wallow in uncleanness, whose lives are full of nothing else but lewdness and profaneness, who are conscious to yourselves that Christ hath not a whit of honour by you, unless ungodliness and sin will bring it: to whom a man may truly say as the Apostle doth to some, Rom. 2.24. The name of Christ is blasphemed by your means; I beseech you seriously bethink yourselves what condition you are in; believe it for the present you are none of Christ's. Take notice of his own expression in my text, they are mine, and I am glorified in them. And therefore if he be not glorified in you, depend upon it, you are none of his. And is it nothing, my beloved, to be renounced by Jesus Christ, as men whom he will not own? Is it nothing for the Lord to shake a person off, to say unto him in displeasure, Sir, tell me not of any interest you have in me, for you belong not to me; I will not acknowledge you, I tell you plainly you are none of mine. Truly my brethren, however it may seem at present, the day will come when this will be a sad sentence. When men in the great day of separation shall strive to make a title to the Lord Christ, when they shall tell him, Lord, we have been acquainted with thee heretofore (as they did in the Parable) we have born thy name, and we have been called Christians, and have been accounted thine, and wilt thou not acknowledge us and own us now? And Christ shall answer them, depart from me, I know you not, go, get you over on the other side among the Goats, I tell you, you are none of mine. Ah my beloved, this will be a cooling and a kill word indeed. Is it so that Jesus Christ is glorified in all those that belong to him? Use 2 Both in their grace and holiness in this world, and in their glory in the world to come? This than should be a motive and inducement to us to strive and labour after both these, both after grace in this world, and glory in the world to come, both to be holy here, and happy hereafter. 1. This should quicken us and stir us up to labour after holiness and grace, that Jesus Christ may be glorified in us. If grace were only advantageous to ourselves and honourable to ourselves (as to be really and truly gracious, is indeed the greatest honour in the world) there were no such reason then why we should labour to attain it, and abound with it. For than you know we could have no higher aim then only to set up a poor Creature. But seeing Jesus Christ is honoured in the grace and holiness, and the obedience of his people, Oh how should this inflame us with restless and unsatisfied desires of these things! How should we covet and covet earnestly the best gifts, and labour that we may excel in inward grace and outward obedience, that we may set up Jesus Christ the more, and that his honour may be the more advanced by us. When we are seeking to the Lord for holiness and grace that he would give it out to us, and give it more abundantly, how should we press and quicken our petitions with this prevailing argument, that Jesus Christ will be advanced by it, and his glory more enlarged. Lord, give us more faith, love, hope, patience, zeal, power against corruption, strength to new obedience, that Christ may have the more glory. We seek not these things to promote our own esteem and reputation, and that we may be some body among the Saints, but that Christ Jesus may be all in all. It is thy great design to glorify thy Son Christ, and this is the ready way to accomplish the design on which thy very heart is set; if thou give us more holiness and more grace, he will have more glory. Thou wilt not honour us so much, but Jesus Christ thine own beloved Son will be glorified in us. And therefore we beseech thee set thy Treasure open to us, and give us out a large share. In such a manner the Apostle deals with God in his petitions, in that memorable place to this purpose, 2 Thes. 1.11, 12. We pray continually for you, saith the Apostle there, that God would count you worthy of this calling, and fulfil all the good pleasure of his goodness, and the work of faith with power. That he would carry on that work of grace upon your souls, till he hath brought it to perfection. And why so? to what end? That the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you; not that you may be honoured; but that Christ may be glorified in you. 2. And as this should stir us up to labour after grace in this world, so after glory in the world to come; Since Christ is glorified as in the grace, so much more in the glory of his people; For glory is complete grace, and therefore Christ is glorified in that to admiration, as we have showed you formerly in explication of the point. The Apostle speaks of some who seek glory. Rom. 2.7. he means the glory of the other world, as it is very evident by that which is joined with it, glory, and honour and immortality and Eternal life. And truly it is not unlawful for every one of us to seek glory, I mean our own eternal glory in the heavens, because while we seek that, we seek the glory of Christ in it. It's that which troubles many of the Saints, they think that they are scarce upright because they have so great an eye upon their own glory. They doubt their own sincerity, merely upon this ground. Indeed, my brethren, if your own glory and salvation went single and alone, it were a greater cause of scruple. But since the glory of the Lord Christ, is comprehended and involved in it, why should you not desire and seek it, as subservient to the great and high end? And therefore I beseech you my beloved, under this notion have respect to it, and draw encouragement and sweetness from it, amidst the many heavy labours and bitter sufferings of this present life. Look up man to the glory that is set before thee, press hard towards it, be diligent and patiented in the expectation of it, strive and labour to obtain it: while thou considerest with thyself that when thou art glorified, Christ will be glorified in thee. And so in aiming at thy own glory do thou intent and seek the glory of Christ. And this is that which thou mayst do, yea, this is that which thou must do. And therefore go on cheerfully, embrace the promise that is yet afar of, reach at the Crown of glory that is hung out to tempt thee and to toll thee on; And let this animate thee most of all, that when thou hast attained it, Christ will be glorified and admired in thee. He whom thy very soul loveth, will have one monument the more of his own praise and glory unto all eternity. And thus far of the first Consideration that induced our Saviour to become a Suitor for his Apostles and Disciples to his Father, viz. the near relation which they had to his Father and himself, by means of which it came to pass that he was glorified in them. The second follows now in order, to be handled, viz. the sad condition they were likely to be in, by reason of the near approach of his departure from them to the Father, and leaving them behind in an unquiet and malicious world. And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to thee. A doleful and heart-killing word, you must conceive, it was to his Apostles and Disciples, and now I am no more in the world. They who left all for him, must needs be very much dejected to be left by him. And to be left alone in such a wilderness in such a troublesome, unpleasing and a vexatious place, as the world hath always been to Christ's Disciples. As long as he was with them, he was a very great support, encouragement and comfort to them in all conditions and in all cases. And therefore now he is about to leave them, he thinks it necessary to commend them to the especial care and mercy and protection of his Father. There are two things suggested in this dying Song, this last farewell of our Saviour in my Text; his own departure, and his Disciples stay behind him. His own departure; and now I am no more in the world, but I come to thee; his Disciples stay behind him: but these are in the world, and are to continue so, for that is intimated in the words. Christ must go, and they must stay, so that a doleful separation is at hand. If Christ had been to have remained among them here, or if he would have taken them up with himself into the other world, it had been well, they had been together still. But Christ is now about to go, and they must not go with him. Begin we with the first particular suggested in the words, the departure of our Saviour, and now I am no more in the world, but I come to thee. And here you have the terminus à quo, the term from which he goes, and that is from this lower World: Now I am no more in the world. And the terminus ad quem, the term to which he goes, to the presence of his Father, but I come to thee. I am no more in this world, this lower world beneath Heaven. He speaks of that which is approaching and at hand, as if it were already acted and accomplished; for it is evident he was in this world, when he uttered these words. And it is usual with the Holy Ghost in the Scripture to speak of instant things as done already. And so our Saviour in my Text, I am no more in this world, q. d. I am as good as gone already, the time of my departure is at hand. Now this our Saviour doth not here affirm of himself as he is God, for so he doth not, neither can he go or come. He filleth every place at once, and consequently cannot move (in that respect) from place to place. But he speaks it of himself as he is man, and in relation to his bodily and fleshly presence: So he is now to be no more in this world, he is to leave it, and departed from it. But whether is he then to go, if he do not tarry here? Why to his Father, as you have it in the following words, I come to thee. Why, was he absent from his Father here? Was there a distance between his Father and himself while he remained in this World? Was not the Father present with him everywhere? Yes he was in his Father's presence every where, but not in his immediate presence, where he reveals and shows himself in the fullness of his glory, that is confined to the heaven of the blessed. And thither is our Saviour now about to go, to the Immediate presence of his Father, as accordingly he did in a short time after; I am no more in the world, but I come to thee. So that the Point to be observed is this. DOCTRINE. That Jesus Christ as he is man, is gone out of this lower world, to the immediate presence of his Father. Though he were once, yet he is now no more in this world: no, he is gone up far above all heavens, as the Apostle Paul speaks, Eph. 4.10. above all that we see, to the Heaven of the blessed. And therefore David speaking in the person of our Saviour, saith, Thou shalt not leave my soul in hell, neither shalt thou suffer thy holy one to see corruption; but shalt show me the path of life: in thy presence is fullness of joy, and at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore, Psal. 16.10, 11. Thither is our Saviour gone to the immediate presence, and to the right hand of the Father: And there are witnesses enough of this; while they beheld, saith the Evangelist, Acts 1.9. that is the Apostles assembled together, as you may see in the foregoing part of the Chapter: While they beheld he was taken up, and a cloud received him out of their sight. And that must be as he was man, in which respect alone he was in sight, before he was withdrawn from them. And after, Stephen saw the heaven opened, and the Son of man standing at the right hand of God, Acts 7.56. He saw Jesus Christ there in his Humanity, and as he is the Son of man. And there he must continue in his humane Nature, until he come again to Judgement, as the Apostles were certified by the Angels as soon as he was taken from them, Acts 1.11. Why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as you have seen him going into heaven. And this is that which the Apostle intimateth in his Sermon to the Jews, Acts 3.20, 21. He shall send Jesus whom the heaven must receive until the time of restitution of all things. Indeed, my Brethren, Christ was once manifested in the flesh, appeared in his humane Nature in the World, but now he is departed hence, and received up to glory, as the Apostle Paul speaks, 1 Tim. 3.16. So that the point is plain you see, That Jesus Christ as he is man, is gone out of this lower, etc. But wherefore did he not continue here? Why did he leave this lower World? Let us see the reasons of it, and they are many, and of great importance; some of them concern himself, and some of them concern his Church; we will survey them in their order. Reason 1 Jesus Christ as he is man is gone, etc. because it was expedient for himself that he should be exalted after he had been abased, and glorified after he had been dishonoured. This World you know, was the place of his abasure and humiliation, in which he was to be emptied of his glory, and to be made of no reputation. And so accordingly he was despised, and slighted, and scornfully entreated here. The other world, my Brethren, was the place in which he was to have his recompense for these abasures, and to be glorified after all the shame, and ignominy, and contempt which the world had poured upon him: And therefore when he had been throughly humbled here, it was expedient for him to be received up to glory, to be translated to the immediate presence of his Father, where his transcendent exaltation was to be. And this he intimates in his Petition, John 17.5. And now O Father, glorify me with thyself, q.d. I see there is no glory for me till I come to thee; this is the place of my abasure, and therefore I beseech thee take me to thyself, that I may have glory with thee. Reason 2 Jesus Christ as he is man is gone, etc. because he hath no more to do here. He came into the world about business, and that business he hath ended and dispatched, and why then should he tarry in it any longer? This world is not such a place, in which one would be willing to continue longer than he hath work to do in it. Indeed as long as Jesus Christ had any business to dispatch he was very well contented to stay here. But assoon as that was ended, he was desirous to be gone, and to return to him that sent him: And therefore this he urgeth very hard, when he enrreats his Father to receive him to himself; I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do, Joh. 17.4 q. d. If I had not done the work for which thou hast dispatched me down into this lower world, I should be willing to continue here: But I have gone through with it, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, I have made an end of it, so that I have no more to do in this world, and therefore I beseech thee let me come away to thee. Jesus Christ as he is man is gone, etc. because as he hath no more to Reason 3 do here, so he hath very much to do there, and therefore is gone thither, where his business lies: He is called his Father's servant very often in the Scripture; And truly my Brethren, he is a diligent and faithful one: assoon as he hath done his work in one place, away goes he unto another, he doth not love to stay and idle there where he hath no work to do, but where his business and employment is, there is the place that he desires to be. And hence it is my Brethren, that he went away into the other world, because he had much work to do there. But you will ask me what that work was? I answer. 1. He was to triumph there over his Enemies and ours: This was a necessary and important business, and it was not to be done completely here in this world, at least not till and in the very act of his departure; and this is that which the Apostle pointeth at, Ephes. 4.8. When he ascended up on high, he led Captivity captive; He did it not before, or after, but in that article of time, when he ascended, when he returned to his own Country, than he led his Captives with him: Even as those Conquerors of old among the Romans, when they returned back to Rome, after some glorious victory, were wont to bring their Captives with them which they had taken in the wars, and to lead them by their Chariots in a victorious and triumphant way. So Jesus Christ when he had conquered Sin, and Death, and Hell, and was returning out of this world to the immediate presence of his Father, to the Country whence he came, he did it in a glorious and triumphant way: He did not steal away out of the world, as if he had ashamed of that which he had done or suffered there, as if he had been overcome; No, he went away triumphing, as one that having absolutely conquered and beaten all that stood against him, brings along his prisoners with him. 2. Jesus Christ is gone away, etc. that he might send down his Spirit to his people: That was another work he had to do, the Spirit was not to come down, till he came up; and therefore he ascended, that the Spirit might descend abundantly upon his people. And this is that of which he mindeth his Apostles and Disciples when he was about to leave them, Joh. 16.7. It is expedient for you that I go away, and why so? For if I do not go away, the Comforter, the Holy Spirit will not come. While I am with you in the flesh, you are so taken up with carnal and fleshly apprehensions of me, that you are made incapable of great degrees & measures of the Spirit. And therefore I must even go away from you, that I may send the Spirit to you. And so accordingly he did, as the Prophet David takes notice, Psal. 68.18. He ascended upon high, and he received gifts for men (gifts to bestow on men) that the Lord God might dwell among them. A strange expression, he ascended from them to this end, that he might remain and dwell among them. Yes he ascended from them in his body, that he might dwell among them by his Spirit, or by those gifts which he received for men, in the preceding words. Well then, you see he is departed from us, not to forsake us, but to dwell among us. He hath withdrawn the presence of his Body, that he might dwell among us by the presence of his Spirit, According to that sweet and precious promise made to his Disciples, when he was ready to departed from them, Mat. 20.28. Behold I am with you always, etc. 3. Jesus Christ gone away, etc. that he might intercede for his people. Why you will tell me so he might, and so he did, while he was resident in this world, he offered up strong cries to God, and that not for himself alone, but for his Church, and members too. Yea, the Chapter we are handling is the Prayer of our Saviour in the behalf of his people; so that he might have interceded for them by vocal supplication, had he remained still in this world, and had he never gone hence. Yea, but he could not then have interceded for them by personal appearance, as he doth now. And therefore he is gone to heaven, that he may appear in the presence of God for us, Heb. 9.24. And is it not a comfort to us to consider that we have such a choice and precious friend there? That we have such an Advocate in Court continually at all times and in all causes? That he is always by his Father in his Body and his humane Nature, wherein he suffered for his people? You know he bore our sins in his body on the tree, and in that crucified body, he appeareth in the presence of his Father. So that he is at hand on all occasions, to show his Father all his wounds and all his scars, all the prints, and all the marks of his bitter bloody sufferings. Oh Father, may he say, (when there is any thing in agitation for his people, any supplication for them, or any accusation laid against them) remember what I have endured for them in this flesh of mine, what I have suffered for them, in this body here before thee, look upon these wounds and scars, and for my sake be gracious to them: do not deny them their Petitions, do not reject them for their unallowed and bewailed imperfections. 4. Jesus Christ is gone away, etc. to make heaven ready for us, that so we may be presently admitted when we come. And this our Saviour Christ himself, who best knows, yields as the reason of his departure from his Apostles and Disciples; when he was about to leave them, saith he, I go to prepare a place for you, Joh. 14.2. when our Saviour Christ entered heaven, and passed into the immediate presence of his Father, he took possession of it in our name and stead, and left it open after him to all his Members. He hath in this respect prepared it for us, that he hath made it ready to receive us; And when we are ready too, he will come and receive us to himself, that where he is, there may we be also, as it is added in the fore-alleadged place, Joh. 14.3. 5. Jesus Christ is gone away, etc. that in the mean time till he take us up to him to heaven personally, he may draw us up to heaven virtually. That till we follow him in person, we may follow him in heart and in affection, that may set them on the things that are above, where Christ also fits on the right hand of God. If Christ were still among us in the body, and in a visible and fleshly way, you are not able to imagine how much it would detain us here. We should not care much to look higher than the place where Christ is. But now he is departed from us into heaven this draws up our affections after him, who is so infinitely dear & precious to us; for where the treasure is there will the heart be also. This makes us to desire with the Apostle to be with him, to be dissolved and to be with Christ: This makes us keep him company, though at a distance: It makes us heavenly in our discourses, meditations, conversations, as the Apostle was, Phil. 3.30. Our conversation is in heaven, from whence we look for the Saviour, even the Lord Jesus Christ. JOHN. 17.11. And now I am no more in the world. IS it so that Jesus Christ, as he is man, is gone away out of this Use 1 lower world, etc. Then let us not expect to see him here, till he return again from heaven. It's true he shall so come again from heaven, as the Apostles saw him going into heaven, as you may see, Act. 1.11. He shall come down again in a remarkable, observable and visible way, Behold, he cometh with the clouds, and every eye shall see him, Apoc. 1.7. And in the mean time, my Beloved, the heavens must contain him, or confine him as to his bodily or fleshly presence, he must be comprehended there, Act. 3.21. I say then as our Saviour Christ himself upon the like occasion, Mat. 24.4. Take heed that no man deceive you, for many shall come in my name, saying I am Christ. And though it seem so gross a business, that there can be no danger in it, yet it is added presently, and they shall deceive many, so that there may be need of this Caveat. And therefore I beseech you, my Brethren, lay it up against the time of trial come, if it ever come upon you; For there shall arise false Christ's, and false Prophets, as the true Christ's tell us, Mat. 24.24. insomuch that if it were possible they shall deceive the very Elect. And therefore if they say unto you, Lo here is Christ, or there, believe them not. If they say he is in the Desert, go not forth; he is in the secret chambers, believe it not, as Christ adds in that place. If a seducing spirit tell you, Christ is in such, or such a place, such or such a one is Christ (as some have been so grossly impudent in these times) believe him not. If a Papist, or Ubiquitary tell you, Lo here is Christ, lo, he is corporally present in the Sacrament, the bread is really and truly changed into his body, believe him not. No, my Beloved, do you depend on that which Christ himself, affirmeth in my Text, and now I am no more in the world, as to my bodily and fleshly presence until you see him come again, as the Apostles saw him go away (for every eye shall see him when he comes) be confident he is not here in this world, I say as Christ in the fore-alleadged place, Take heed, I have foretold you. Use. 2 Is it so that Jesus Christ as he is man is gone away, etc. and that he hath withdrawn his corporal and fleshly presence from us? Then let us make the more of the presence of his Spirit by which he is still among us: If he be absent from us one way, it is good reason that we should the more improve his presence with us in another. The chief comfort of the soul consisteth in Communion with the Lord Christ, in having fellowship with him. Now Christ, as he is man, is ascended into heaven, and so in that respect he is no more in the world. We cannot yet go up to him, though we would gladly die and be dissolved, that we might be with Christ, yet it cannot yet be. But which way then shall we enjoy Communion with him? Why, my Beloved, because we are not able to go up to him, the Spirit will do so much for us, that he will bring him down to us; and thus though he be absent from us in the body, yet he is present with us in the Spirit, and will be to the world's end, according to his own promise, Matth. 28.20. Lo I am with you always to the end of the world; They are the last words of the Chapter, and the last words of the Book, and there is nothing added, but Amen, Let it be so: and sure it is a sweet close. Well then, my Brethren, let our work and business be to consider with ourselves, how we may the more enjoy him in the Spirit, because we can no longer now enjoy him in the body. How we may make the most of that we have. And I shall give you the best advice that I am able, in this great business. If you desire to make the most of the presence of your Saviour in the Spirit now he is absent from you in the body, you must be infinitely cautious, that you do not grieve that Spirit by which he is present with you: If you grieve and trouble him, he will withdraw and hid himself from you, and then Christ is wholly gone both in the Body and the Spirit too; you do not sensibly enjoy him neither one way nor the other, and so are in a very sad case. Since the presence of the Spirit is all that you enjoy of Christ; so that if he be gone, my Brethren, all is gone, you must be very wary that you do not vex the Spirit, and cause him to departed from you. But you will ask me, Which way do we vex and grieve the Spirit? we would know it, that so we might be careful to avoid it. I might speak much of this Subject, and draw out my discourse into abundance of particulars; but I will say it in a word; you grieve the Spirit when you deal unkindly with him any away. This is the specal thing that grieves friends, when one of them deals unkindly with another; and so it is between the Spirit and the soul; He comes to us from Christ, in much love and much kindness to supply his absence from us, and we are unkind to him, and this grieves him out of measure; Now we are unkind to him especially two ways, and that is either when we slight him, or resist him. 1. When we slight him, this is a very great unkindness, and that which friends can very ill bear. He makes tenders of himself, and we take no notice of him; he stands knocking at our doors, or rather Jesus Christ by him, and we let him knock still; He would be entertained by us, and we will not entertain him; or if we do, it is in such a careless, and in such a slight way, as if he were not worthy to be looked upon: The evil spirit comes, and he hath all the welcome that the house can make, he finds it swept and garnished; the Holy Spirit comes, and he is set behind doors. He offers holy motions to us, he stirs us up to read, to pray, to humble and afflict our souls, to meditate of holy things, and we neglect them, as if they were not worth the harkening to. He offers sweet and precious comforts to us, and we forsake our own mercy; we hanker after other pleasures and delights; the comforts of the Spirit will not relish with us, our souls loathe this light bread; we must have fleshly satisfactions and refreshments, spiritual will not serve the turn: Brethren, this is no good usage, the Holy Spirit grieves at this; He thinks (as well he may) he hath deserved better at our hands then this is: I have brought down Christ to them, and so have comforted and cheered them (thinks he) and now they slight and grieve me. 2. And as we deal unkindly with him when we slight him, so we deal more unkindly with him, when we oppose him and resist him, when we set ourselves against him; I know the Spirit of grace is irresistible in some respect, but yet ad luctam, he may be resisted, though he cannot ad victoriam; and so he is sometimes even by the Lords own people. Even they have flesh within them, that lusts against this Spirit, as the Apostle Paul speaks; That doth not slight it, and neglect it only, but lust against it. The Spirit will have this or that done: no saith the flesh, it shall not, the Spirit shall not be obeyed; the Spirit will have such a lust cast out that is always crossing him, and thwarting with him. No saith the flesh, it shall not go. The Spirit would have us set about such or such a holy duty; the flesh opposes and resists the motion; and we are well content (it may be) at present that it should do so, and so we sit still and let all alone, say the Spirit what he will. Brethren, the Spirit takes it very ill to be thus used by us; it makes him sad, that these whom he hath done so much for, should make him such a recompense, and that he should be wounded thus in the house of his friends: That they should keep and favour fellows there, and make them houshold-guests, that go to thrust him out of doors when he comes to lodge with them. I beseech you think upon it, and give him better entertainment, that so he may take pleasure to be with you. If you desire to make the most of the presence of your Saviour in the Spirit, now he is absent from you in the body; as you must not grieve him, so you must take singular and extraordinary comfort in him; for he is sent down as a Comforter (you know) in Christ's absence; and therefore this is the special use that you are to make of him. It is sad that Christ is gone; but it is comfortable that the Spirit is come down from heaven to supply his place, and therefore let us see that we take comfort in it. Ah, my Beloved, is not this a sweet and welcome Office of the Spirit to represent Christ to us, and so precious and so sweet a friend as Christ is? when he comes in and tells us, Christ is gone up indeed to heaven, and he will fetch you after him ere it be long, that where he is, there may you be also. And in the mean time he hath taken care of you, and he hath sent me down of purpose to be instead of him to you; and he would have you look upon me, as if he himself were with you. Ah, my Beloved, should not our hearts even leap within us, at such news as this? Doth not the Spirit comfort us? should it not be a ravishing, and a reviving thing to us, when he comes in Christ's stead, and supplies Christ's room, and Christ's place? Doth not our Saviour Christ himself propound it oftentimes to his Apostles and Disciples for their comfort, when they were in heaviness, and when their hearts were even about to break within them? come be not troubled, that I am about to leave you, I will send you another Comforter that shall abide with you for ever, Joh. 14.16. I have been a comfort to you I confess, but I will send you another Comforter, one that shall comfort you as much as I have done, and one that shall stick to you, and shall not leave you (as I am about to do) but shall abide with you for ever; I will not leave you comfortless, as Christ adds in the 18. verse. No, which way will you help it might they say? How can we but be comfortless when Christ is gone? why, this way I will help it, might our Saviour say, I will come to you, and be with you by my Spirit: And though the world can never see me while my body is withdrawn, and I am only present with you by my Spirit, yet you have eyes to see me present with you this way; and while you have this presence with you, I hope you have no reason to complain that you are left without comfort: So that the Spirit is a comforter you see by representing Christ to us; yea, it is a greater comfort that the Spirit is with us, then if Christ himself were with us: It is a greater comfort that Christ is present with us by his Spirit, then if he should be present with us by his body; then the comfort were more narrow, but now it is more large; then the comfort were more outward, but now it is more inward; then the comfort were more fleshly; but now it is more spiritual, and therefore let us take in this comfort. If you desire to make the most of the presence of your Saviour in the Spirit, now he is absent from you in the body, as you must take in the comforts, so you must take in the graces of the Spirit; for even as Christ is present with you by the comforts, so he is present with you by the graces of the Spirit: By these he dwells among us, though he be in heaven in the body, as the Psalmist intimates, Psal. 68.18. When he ascended up on high, he received gifts for men, the gifts and graces of the Spirit to bestow on men, that the Lord God might dwell among them, by those gifts and those graces: And therefore the Apostle prays for the Ephesians, that Christ might dwell in their hearts by faith, one of the principal of those graces, Ephes. 3.17. Well then, my Brethren, when Jesus Christ makes tenders of himself to you, by these graces, let him come in and dwell with you. Make the more of this way of his residence and habitation with you, because you cannot have him in the other. When he offers any grace, consider with yourselves, Now Jesus Christ draws nigh to me, he that is above in heaven, and with relation to his bodily and fleshly presence is no more in this world, is in another way coming into my soul; And therefore do not shut the doors against him, but bid him very welcome when he comes; when he offers more knowledge, faith, love, hope, patience, let not these offers be refused: Remember when you take in these, you take in Christ with them, in the presence of his Spirit: So much as you enjoy of these, so much you enjoy of Christ; and therefore seek and value every saving grace the more, and be the readier to receive and entertain it, because it brings Christ with it. Is it so, that Jesus Christ as he is man is gone away, etc. Then let us Use. 3 also go away out of the world to him, that we may be where he is; I say as Christ to his Disciples in another case, Arise, let us go hence. Jesus Christ is gone, you hear, and why then do we stay behind him? why do we tarry here, when Christ is gone? It's true, we cannot go to him in the body; but yet as Christ though he be absent from us in the body, yet he is present with us by his Spirit: so we upon the other side, though we be absent from him in the body, let us be present with him in the Spirit; and as he comes from heaven to us by his Spirit, though his body stay there; so let us go from earth to heaven to our Saviour in our spirits, though our bodies stay here. But you will ask me, How may this be done, or how may we be present with our Saviour in our Spirits? I Answer; 1. We may be present with him in the thoughts and meditations of the Spirit. These are the proper actings of the soul, the inner man; and if our thoughts be much upon him, we are in this respect much with him. And therefore I beseech you, my Beloved, let us feed ourselves continually with sweet and precious thoughts of Jesus Christ; though we be here below, and must continue so till Christ be pleased to take us to himself, yet let our minds ascend to heaven, and let our thoughts and meditations be where Christ is. Oh let us think upon him in the day and in the night; upon our beds when we are still, and have nothing to distract us; then let our hearts be filled with sweet soliloquies, with ravishing and transporting thoughts of Christ, that we may speak to him as David did, Psal. 104.34. How precious are the thoughts of thee, O Lord? How great is the sum of them? It passes my Arithmetic to cast them up. 2. Let us be present with our Saviour in the affections of the Spirit; let our spirits cleave to him, though we be absent from him in the body: Where Jesus Christ our treasure is, there let our hearts be also. That as Elisha said to Gehazi once, Went not my heart with thee? when at that very time he was sitting in his house, and Gehazi was abroad, 2 King. 5.26. So we may say to Jesus Christ, though in another way; However we be absent from thee in the body, yet is not our heart with thee? as the Apostle to the Thessalonians, We Brethren, being taken from you in presence, not in heart, 1 Thes. 2.17. so we to Jesus Christ; Oh Lord, though we be separated from thee in our bodies, we are not separated from thee in our hearts; They are continually with thee, nor shall they be divided from thee. 3. Let us be present with our Saviour in the desires and anhelations of the Spirit; let them be always mounting up where he is; he is gone, and in the mean time till he come again to us, let us long to go to him. Oh let us build no Tabernacles on the Tabor of this world, since our Saviour is not here: But let us look upon ourselves as banished men, as the Apostle did, knowing that while we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord, 2 Cor. 5.6, and so let us groan earnestly to get to Christ as he did. Let us be always breathing, gasping, fainting after Jesus Christ, and putting out our heads to see when he will come and receive us to himself, that where he is, there may we be also. And thus far of the first particular suggested in the words, the departure of our Saviour out of this lower world to the immediate presence of his Father; And now I am no more in the world, but I come to thee. The second follows now in order to be handled, and that is, his Disciples stay behind him; But these are in the world, and are where they are like to be, and where they are to tarry and remain when I am gone. The world in which our Saviour Christ's Apostles and Disciples were, and were to stay, must be conceived to be the very same which Christ himself was now about to leave, and from which he was ready to departed, viz. this lower world beneath heaven; that from which he was to go, in that were his Disciples and Apostles to remain. And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, the self same world in which I am to be no more. But why is this alleged by our Saviour to his Father here, that the Apostles and Disciples were to stay in this world? apparently to show what cause he had to mention them in his Petitions, and to commend them to the special care and mercy and protection of his Father. As in the words that are immediately annexed, Holy Father, keep them through thy own Name. q. d. I am even now about to leave them, and to leave them in the world, and thou knowest what a place the world is, how troublesome, unpleasing, and vexatious it hath continually been to my Disciples; and therefore I beseech thee, Father, keep them, have a special eye upon them who are to stay behind me in such a place as this is. So that the point apparently suggested here is this; DOCTRINE. The world hath always been, and is, an evil and uncomfortable place to Christ's Disciples. It is a sad and doleful place to live in, and hence our Saviour seemeth to bewail the case of his Apostles and Disciples in my Text; These are in the world, saith he, as if he should have added, and that is but an ill place. Now that I may the better clear it, and evince it to you, I shall show in what respects the world is such an evil and uncomfortable place to Christ's Disciples. It is in this respect an evil and uncomfortable place to Christ's Disciples, that it is a place of suffering: In which they are continually to be exposed to many trials and to many troubles. Though they be in the world, yet they are not of the world, and therefore they are hated by the world, as Jesus Christ himself informeth his Disciples, John 15.19. If ye were of the world, the world would love its own, but because ye are not of the world, therefore the world hates you. And hence it comes to pass that it pursues them, persecutes them, casts them out, creates them all the trouble and vexation that it can: so that they are not like to have a quiet hour almost in this world. Besides the evils and afflictions to which they are exposed by the necessity of nature, as man is born to trouble as the sparks fly upwards, Job 5.7. distempers and diseases in their bodies, loss of their estates and friends and earthly comforts and the like, ungodly men come in with their additions. The Church of Christ while she is here, is ill-seated, she grows in an ill place, as he himself affirmeth of her, 2 Cant. 2. as the Lily among thorns, so is my Love among the daughters. She is environed and begirt with them, so that she is annoyed and hurt and pierced on every side. She cannot stir but one or other of her thorny neighbours hath her by the sleeve. She dwells in Mesech while she dwells in this world, and hath her habitation in the Tents of Kedar, in the midst of wicked men, so that she is beleaguered as it were and hemmed about with those that hate her, and desire her ruin. This is the state and the condition of the Saints while they are here, they are continually vexed and troubled: So that no marvel though our Saviour tells his own Apostles, In the world you shall have tribulation. john 16.33. That is your portion, as long as you remain here. The world hath always been an evil and uncomfortable place to Christ's Disciples, in this respect, that it is a place of sinning. Indeed, my brethren, they are troubled with the sins of other men, their righteous souls are vexed with their filthy conversations. Rivers of waters run down their eyes because men keep not Gods Law. But they are chief troubled with their own sins, from which they are not to be wholly freed, while they remain in this world; As long as they continue here, they are perpetually in Satan's danger, who is the Prince of this world, and whose authority and power is confined to this life. There will never be an absolute and perfect cure of sin in any of the Saints, till this corruption have put on incorruption: And hence perhaps the corruptions of our natures are styled worldly lusts, Tit. 2.12. And our members that are upon the earth, Col. 3.5. because we cannot possibly be rid of them, while we are here upon the earth, and while we live in this world. The Apostle Paul compares himself and others of the Saints, to earthen Vessels, 2 Cor. 4.7. And earthen vessels when they were legally defiled, could not be made clean again, till they were broken all in pieces, as you may see Leu. 11.33. So we, my brethrens, are not to be fully cleansed, till we be shivered all in pieces. We are not to be wholly rescued from the bondage to corruption, till death translate is to another world. And then he that is dead, saith the Apostle, is free from sin, Rom. 6.7. So that no marvel though the world be a place of such disquiet and discomfort to the Saints; For how can they be fully comfortable here, while they are always sinning against God. He that hath entered into rest indeed hath ceased from his own works, as the Apostle speaks, Heb. 4.10. Till than he cannot wholly cease from those that are most properly his own works, but is in danger of offending God and falling into sin continually, and so can have no rest here. Nay, my beloved, no man knows how far the Lord may suffer him to fall in this world. Though it be a certain truth that they that are elect, can never wholly fall away from God, yet they may sin exceedingly, to the dishonour of the Lord, the scandal of their brethren, and the irreparable wounding of their name, while they have a day to live. And this they are in danger of, I mean of falling fearfully, so long as they remain here. What deadly falls have many of God's worthies taken in their latter times! It is observable that David's first ways are commended 2 Chron. 17.3. By which the Holy Ghost insinuates that his last ways were not answerable to them. He (speaking of Jehosaphat) walked in the first ways of his Father David. Indeed the latter ways of David were blemished with extremity of sin and scandal. The like is also noted of Solomon, 1 King. 11.9. And Asa, 2 Chron. 16.10. And Jehosaphat, 2 Chron. 20.35. And how then can the world but but be a doleful and uncomfortable place to Christ's Disciples, where they are in such hazard? How can they but complain as Rebecca sometimes did, though in another case, If I must still be troubled with my lusts, and my corruptions, if I must still be overruled by them thus, what good will continuance in the world do me? The world hath always been and is an evil, etc. in this respect, that it is a place of banishment from Jesus Christ, from him in whom their very souls delight. This makes it sad and grievous to them, that they have not Christ with them. And this is that at which our Saviour aimeth in my text, I am no more in this world, but these are in the world. There is the dolefulness of their condition, that they are to continue here without me. Indeed we are debarred of the immediate presence of the Lord, while we remain in this world. And therefore it is said expressly, 2 Cor. 5.6. That whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord. And is not this a grievous thing to be kept from the enjoyment of such a one as Christ is? Especially to him that knows him, and is well acquainted with him, and hath tasted of his sweetness? can you blame him if he be weary of the world, and if it be a trouble to him to continue here? if be be willing to be absent from the body, that so he may be present with the Lord? What holy heart can choose but find a weariness in that place (let it be otherwise as pleasant as it will) which keeps Christ and him asunder, and hinders him from the complete fruition of his blessed Saviour? Who would not gladly leave a place in which as long as he continues Christ and he must be asunder? Use 1 Now is it so, my brethren, that the world hath always been and is an evil, etc. Then let it be a Caveat to us, not to cast (as we are very apt to do) on too much joy and comfort here. Our manner is when things look a little well, and when we have some present quiet and content, to promise great and extraordinary matters to ourselves; To sing a requiem to our souls, with the rich man in the Gospel, take thine ease, eat, drink and be merry. It's true, the men of this world may have some content and quietness and satisfaction here. They have their portion here, and they receive their good things here. But as for Christ's Disciples, they must look for no such matter; And therefore he forewarns them when he is about to leave them what they are like to meet with in this world, persecutions, tribulations and afflictions, all the injury, and wrong, and malice, and despite, and evil usage that the world can pour upon them. There remaineth a rest to the people of God, Heb. 4.9. their rest remaineth for them, it is not to be had in this world. And therefore it shall be their wisdom to provide for trouble, and not to look the world should be a better place to them, than it hath been to Christ's Disciples that have gone before them. Oh my beloved, do not deceive yourselves in this particular, do not conceive the world will ever yield you any great content or quietness, or satisfaction; for this is that which makes affliction bitter when it comes. But when you live at greatest ease, when you enjoy the greatest calm, when all things look as if you were confirmed and settled in a prosperous state, as if your Mountain should not be removed, be sure that you provide yourselves for worse times, that so afflictions may not find you unprepared when they come. How often shall you hear it from the mouths of many, when any heavy cross is come upon them, Alas they never dreamt of this, they never looked to see this doleful and unhappy day! the weaker and unwiser they. Did they not know that they are here abiding in a vale of tears, and that the world hath always been an evil and uncomfortable place? And why should they expect it should be better to them than it hath been to others of the Saints, who have perhaps exceeded them in holiness and grace? And therefore in the midst of comfort and prosperity, let us be wisely casting on the day of trouble and distress. Let us not reckon upon much felicity and sweetness here, for certainly it is not to be had in this world. Is it so that the world hath always been and is an evil, etc. why then Use 2 if we find it so, let it not seem strange to us. Let us not look upon it as a thing to be admired or wondered at, if we meet with nothing else but tribulation and affliction, and vexations in the world, if we have very little quiet or content here. Let not the members of the Church think much of it, if they be always troubled and distressed, if they be always followed and pursued with one affliction or another, so that they cannot have a comfortable hour almost; but let them look upon it as an usual thing. The world hath always been such an uncomfortable place to Christ's Disciples; And therefore let them seriously consider, that they could expect no other living in such a place as they do; but this I do but glance at in my passage by. Is it so that the world hath always, etc. why then should Christ's Use 3 Disciples be so much in love with this world? and why should any of them be so desirous to continue in it as they are? It is the case of many that do indeed belong to Jesus Christ, they have a great unwillingness to leave the world. O what a cutting thing it is to many of them to think of coming forth out of their earthly tabernacles! it is a burden to them that they cannot bear. They say with Peter, it is good to be here, though their Saviour be not here, whereas they should say with Paul, It is better to be dissolved and to be with Christ. Though Christ himself make mention of it as a sad and doleful thing, that his Disciples were to stay in this world, they look upon it as a doleful thing that they are to remove from it. And this it seems was Hazekias case, when he heard that he must die, he turned to the wall and wept sore, yea he chattered like a Swallow, and mourned like a Dove. Our Saviour Christ forewarning Peter of his death, john 21.18. tells him, he should be carried where he would not. By which it is apparent, that even in the blessed Martyrs there may be a lothness to departed out of these earthly Tabernacles. Though the righteous soul of Lot were vexed every day, as long as he remained in Sodom, yet Oh how did he linger when the Lord would take him thence! Gen. 19.16. Even so the Saints of God, though while they live in the Sodom of this world, they have a sorry habitation, being continually vexed with the sins and with the persecutions of ungodly men; yet are they not so unwilling to departed and leave the world as they have cause to be. When Cyrus made a Proclamation to the Jews, that whosoever was disposed might return out of the Land of his Captivity, it is observed notwithstanding that none were willing to go out but those whose Spirits God had raised up to go. So though this world be nothing but a Babylon to us, the Land of our Captivity, an evil and a● uncomfortable place, yet till the Lord raise up our Spirits by his grace, we are loath to part with it, but are desirous rather still to serve in this bondage. Now I beseech you my beloved, you that have senses exercised, look about you; What do you see in this world, why you should be loath to leave it? There is great reason why you should be weary of it, why you should look upon it as a sad thing that you must yet continue in a place where you must always sin and suffer; there is no avoiding of it. But there is no such reason why you should be so unwilling to departed out of it. Use 4 And therefore on the last place let this persuade you, as many of you as are Christ's Disciples, to be always ready to be translated and removed out of this place, which is so evil and uncomfortable to you. Indeed you must not wish and long for a departure out of passion and impatience, add in a peremptory way, as being now no longer able to endure the evils and perplexities that are upon you; as thus it seems Eliah did when he fled from Jezabel, 1 Kings 19.4. And thus it is extremely probable that Moses did, when he conceived his burden was too heavy for him, Num. 1●. 10, 15. For it is said he was displeased, and in that angry fit he said to God, Wherefore ●●st thou afflicted me? I am not able to hear all this alone. And if thou deal thus with me, kill me I pray thee out of hand; and do not 〈◊〉 for my wretchedness. And this is apparent Jonah did, who being crossed in a punctilio in a point of honour, out of a p●●tish, fo●●sh, childish humour, will go dye forsooth, God must take away his life. But if you do it out of reason, and with submission to the will of God, that if he please to take you from a place that is so sad and so uncomfortable to you, by reason of your daily troubles, but especially and chief by reason of your sins against him, you shall look upon it as a mercy, this is not to be condemned. When Joseph was in prison, though he wanted nothing there, yet see how earnest and importunate he was with Pharaohs Butler to help him to his liberty, Gen. 40.14. Think on me when it shall be well with thee, and show me kindness, and help me out of this house. Brethren, our heavenborn souls are but imprisoned in these earthly Tabernacles; we have the manacles and fetters of our lusts about us. We cannot walk abroad with liberty and freedom, and enlargement, etc. Oh let us cry to Jesus Christ to show us kindness, and help us out of this house. JOHN 17.11. Holy Father, keep through thine own Name, etc. AND thus of the transition to our Saviour's supplication in the behalf of his Apostles and Disciples, consisting of a heap of grand considerations that induced him to become a suitor for them to his Father. Proceed we now to enter on the prayer which he makes for them. And here I shall take notice only of these two things; The object of it, and the parts of it. The object of it, or the person whom he presents it to, is mentioned by his title, and his attribute. His title here, you see, is Father, and his attribute is holy. Holy Father; The sweetest title, and the choicest attribute. As for the first of these, the title that gins the object of his supplication here, is Father. So he styles him in the entrance of his Prayer, and the same phrase he uses all along, as you shall see if you survey it, from the beginning to the end. Indeed he gives him once the attribute of holy, as you have it in my Text and once the attribute of righteous Father, at the 25. verse. But this is still the appellation that he uses, and from whence he never varies. If he call him any thing, he calls him Father; And in this notion he Considers him while he is putting up his prayer to him. And therefore this you see, my Brethren, is the first word that he uses when he sets himself to pray. Thus he gins his prayer for himself in the first verse of the Chapter, Father, glorify thy Son: And thus also he gins his prayer in behalf of his Apostles and Disciples in my Text, Father, keep them through thy own Name: So that you see our Saviour looks upon him as a Father still, when he is pouring out his prayer to him, either for himself, or others. And this would yield us matter of very good consideration, but that it hath been very largely handled heretofore. And therefore I shall pass on from the title Father, unto the attribute our Saviour gives him here, and that is holy. But wherefore doth our Saviour mention this rather than any other attribute of God, on this occasion why might he not have said aswell Almighty, or Eternal, or Merciful, or Gracious Father? the special reason why he chooses this Expression (as far as I conceive) cannot be clearly and undoubtedly resolved. Indeed he prays for holiness for his Apostles and Disciples afterwards, and therefore it was congruous he should seek it of his Father under the notion of a holy God, who is holy in himself, and who is also the hallower and sanctifier of his people. But seeing there are divers other things in his Petitions, this doth not seem of weight enough to bind him up to this Expression. Once, this is clear and manifest that he picks out this attribute of God among the rest; and whereas many other lay before him, he fixes upon this only; He comes to God in Prayer by the name of Holy Father. The thing is evident, though the particular consideration that induced him to it, be unknown. So that this observation we may safely pitch upon. DOCTRINE. As God it holy in himself, so Jesus Christ came to him as a holy God, and looked upon him as a holy God, when he was making his Petitions to him. The point you see, hath two branches. First, God is holy in himself; Then Jesus Christ came to him as a holy God, and looked upon him as a holy God, when he was making his Petitions to him. I shall pursue them in their order. God is holy in himself; so he is styled in my Text, you see, and that by Jesus Christ himself, who, of all others in the world, is best acquainted with his nature, for he came forth out of the bosom of the Father. Indeed it is the attribute that he delighteth in, and therefore he is called the Holy One 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, very often in the Scripture, to show that he excels in this regard; so that however there be many others that are holy in a measure, yet he is the Holy One; there is not one so holy as he is; And he is known in the Old Testament by the name of the Holy One of Israel, which is ascribed to him more than thirty times. The Seraphims which stood before the Throne, Isa. 6.3. cried out three times a row, Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord of Hosts. And so accordingly the Beasts that stand about the Throne, Apoc. 4.8. rest not day and night, saying, Holy, Holy, Holy Lord God Almighty. To show that God transcends in holiness, he is superlative in this regard; for so thrice holy in some Languages is most holy. To say the truth, this is the attribute that makes him glorious; He is great in power, fearful in praises, but he is glorious in holiness, Exod. 15.11. In this respect he is a None-such; none to be compared with him, none like him, not among men only, but among the Gods too. Who is like to thee O Lord, among the gods, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders! And hence he glories in his holiness, and swears by it. Even as the great men of the world are wont to swear upon their honour, because it is esteemed among them the most sacred and inviolable thing: So God you see, my Brethren, swears by his holiness, Psal. 29.35. Once have I sworn by my holiness, saith God: Once for all, and by my holiness, having no better or more precious thing to swear by. Let me no longer be esteemed a holy God, and that I would be very loath, than I inviolably keep the Covenant that I have made to David in my truth. So that you see the former member of the point is firm, God is holy in himself. Now for the second branch, that Jesus Christ came to him as a holy God, and looked upon him as a holy God when he was making his Petitions to him, you see it evidently in the Text, this is the appellation that he gives him, Holy Father; His thoughts are taken up it seems, more with the holiness of God, than any other of his attributes, while he is pouring out his prayers to him. I shall not undertake to show why he did so, he had his reasons in his own breast, and in his own bosom. Only this is probable, that he did it that he might be an Example, and a precedent to us, that we might learn of him to do as he did; That when we are approaching to the Throne of Grace we might be very much possessed with deep and serious contemplations of the holiness of God. I shall add no more for proof, but hasten to the Application. Now is it so, that even as God is holy in himself, so Jesus Christ came Use 1 to him as a holy God, and looked, etc. Then let us learn of Jesus Christ, how to behave ourselves when we are making our addresses to the Majesty of God, and pouring out prayers to him. We are exhorted very often in the Scripture to be followers of Christ, and so to walk and act as we have him for an Example. In all his imitable ways and actions, his practice ought to be a rule to us. And therefore let us labour to conform ourselves to Jesus Christ in this particular, when we are drawing nigh to God in prayer, let our thoughts be taken up with meditations of his holiness, let them work much upon this attribute of his. Indeed the Saints of the Old Testament, when they set God upon his Throne, and cloth him with his Majesty and glory, (as they use to do in the beginnings of their prayers) do seem to take more notice of other attributes of God, of his power, of his dreadfulness, his righteousness, his faithfulness, his truth, his mercy, than his holiness. But under the New Testament you know, God hath been served & worshipped in a more spiritual way, and here we have the High Priest of our profession Jesus Christ, the most unparallelled and matchless pattern teaching us by his example, to exercise our thoughts upon the holiness of God, when we are making our approaches to him: And therefore when at any time we set ourselves to pray, let us endeavour to affect ourselves, and to be taken up with deep considerations of this attribute of his. Let our most working apprehensions fix upon his holiness, and make a deep impression of it in our hearts, that we may carry it along throughout, from the beginning of our supplications to the end. It will be singularly useful to us as I shall show you in a few particulars. 1. It will help exceedingly to frame our hearts to put them into such a posture as the Lord delights in. It's true, the meditation of other of the attributes of God, hath its work upon our spirits when we are drawing nigh unto him: But this, me thinks, hath somewhat proper and peculiar to itself further and beyond the rest. It's true, the apprehension of the Mercy of the Lord will make us to have comfortable cheerful hearts; the apprehension of his truth and faithfulness will make us to have bold courageous hearts; the apprehension of his power and greatness will make us to have trembling and awful hearts: But now the apprehension of his holiness, will make us to have holy hearts, that so we may be like him whom we are making our addresses to: And holiness alone comprises all that hath been said, and much more; our cheerfulness, our confidence, our reverence in prayer, are all but parts of holiness: A holy frame of heart involves and comprehendeth in it all this, and more besides then we are able to express. Indeed what ever God takes pleasure in, as to the temper of his people when they are pouring out their prayers to him, is all contained under holiness: Let them come with holy hearts, and all is well; and this they shall the better do, if they consider with what an infinitely holy God they have to do. Oh, this will raise the heart if it be duly weighed, to such a sweet and precious frame, that it will be no longer earthly, it will be fit to have Communion with the holy God: And therefore David presses the Consideration of this attribute of God, in those whom he exhorts to worship him, by way of preparation to that great business, Psal. 99.9. Exalt the Lord our God, and worship at his holy hill, for the Lord our God is holy. 2. The meditation of the holiness of God, will quicken us, and stir us up as far as it is possible, to cleanse ourselves from every sin when we are making our approaches to him. For sin, my Brethren, is against his holiness, yea in directest opposition: And therefore it is known by the name of filthiness and uncleanness in the Scripture. Not only whoredom, and adultery, and fornication, and sins of that kind are unclean, as they are called uncleanness in the abstract, but sin is generally so, as you may see that place for instance, 2 Cor. 7.1. And hence it is, my Brethren, that it is so odious to the Lord, there being nothing in the world so contrary and so opposite to him and to his Nature, as sin is: No man in the world hates any thing, no man's heart abhors, and loathes, and rises against any thing, as the Lords against sin: By reason of his pureness and his holiness, he cannot brook it, Hab. 1.13. he is not able to endure it: He seems, me thinks, to shut his eyes, and to cry out to his people, Oh do not this abominable thing which I hate: And therefore when men will not hold, but commit it, the infinitely holy God is vexed and troubled out of all measure; so he is represented in the Scripture, Isa. 63.10. They rebelled against him, saith the Prophet, and they vexed his holy Spirit. Because he was so holy, he was vexed the more at sin, which was so filthy. And truly, my Beloved, if we did seriously consider the holiness of God when we are about to pray, we would not dare to bring this filthy thing into his presence, which is so contrary to this attribute of his, and consequently is so odious and detestable to him. At least we would endeavour to the utmost of our power to cleanse ourselves from all the filthiness of flesh and spirit, to wash our hands and hearts in Innocency (with holy David) and so to compass God's Atar, to offer up the Incense of our prayers to him. Oh we would shake and quiver every joint to think of coming to the Holy God, in the midst of our pollutions, unpurged and unhumbled for. We would consider with ourselves, What will the Lord say to me when he sees me in his presence, so defiled? How will he look on such a filthy and abominable wretch as I am? how is it possible but he should hid his eyes from me, when he perceives the hands that I spread forth before him are so full of gore and blood? how can he choose but loathe me and abhor me? Do I expect to find favour in his eyes, and come before him with that which he so abhors, as if I meant to vex him and provoke him? And therefore if we ever look to speed with God in prayer, let us consider what a holy God he is, and let us labour to be holy too. Let us be separate from the remainder of the world (as he himself advises us, 2 Cor. 6 17.) and touch no unclean thing, and then we have his promise, that he will receive us. The meditation of the holiness of God, as it will be very useful to prepare us, and to make us fit for prayer, so it will be very helpful to us, in the parts of prayer, and that both in confession, and petition, and thanksgiving. 1. It will help to humble us in the confession of our sins. While we consider that they are so filthy and unclean: and God upon the other side, whom we confess them to, so holy. This cannot choose (if it be duly weighed) but shame us wonderfully in the presence of the Lord, that we have been, and are so filthy before such an holy God. Indeed we ought to be ashamed to commit iniquity, being such an odious thing. The Lord hath planted shame in man, to be a bridle as it were to check him, to curb him, and to hold him in from sinful courses. But if we have not been ashamed in the commission, we ought especially to be ashamed in the confession, as God advises Israel, Be ashamed and confounded for your own ways. Ezek. 36.2. To review our sins with shame, and to cry out as Daniel doth, Dan. 9.8. to us belongeth confusion, etc. And Ezra in his sad confession, Ezra 9.6. Oh my God, I blush (saith he) and am ashamed to lift up my face to thee. We should remember our evil ways and our do that are not good, and loathe ourselves for our abominations, Ezek. 36.30. we should remember and be confounded, and never open our mouths any more because of our shame. We should cast ashes on our heads, and rend our hearts, and cry unclean unclean, Leu. 13.45. And there is no one thing that will confound and shame us more than the consideration of the matchless purity and holiness of God, whom by our sins we h●ve offended. Oh this will make us wonder that he should endure such filthy persons in his presence! 2. As it will humble us in the confession of our sins, so it will encourage us in our petitions for the cure of sin. As it will make us low in our confessions, so it will make us high in our petitions. For how is sin, which is uncleanness removed and cured in any of us, but by holiness? And is it not a comfort to us when we are making our requests for holiness, that we are praying to the Holy God? who is holy in himself, and who is the original of all the holiness that is communicated to the Creature, who is the Sanctifier of his people. Is it not comfortable that when we come to draw, that we are at the Wellhead? If you observe, it is the great petition that our Saviour hath to make in the behalf of his Apostles and Disciples, verse 17. Sanctify them with thy truth, and this he prosecutes throughout. And therefore he gins his prayer for them, Holy Father. 3. It will enlarge us in our thanksgivings to the Lord for holiness, when we consider whence it came, and by whom it was bestowed. We shall see what cause we have to praise the Lord, the Donor and Dispenser of it: As David intimateth in that memorable place to this purpose, Psal. 97.12. Rejoice in the Lord, ye righteous, (ye that are sanctified, ye that are holy,) and give thanks at the remembrance of his Holiness. And yet again, Psal. 30.4. Sing unto the Lord, O ye Saints of his, and give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness. And thus far of the Object of our Saviour's Prayer, as he is mentioned by his title Father, and his attribute Holy, Holy Father. Proceed we now to enter on the parts of it. There are two things especially for which our Saviour is a suitor to his Father, in the behalf of his Apostles and Disciples; Preservation and Sanctification. To these may be reduced and referred all that he desires for them, preservation in my text, and onward to ver. 17. Sanctification in the rest that follow. First he desireth preservation, Keep them through thy own name. And this desire of his, he backs especially with two reasons, and they are weighty and of great importance. First he would have his Father keep them now, because he himself had kept them, and kept them very safe till now. While I was with them in the world, saith he, I kept them; and none of them is lost, but the Son of perdition, but he who was designed to be lost. And now I come to thee, saith Christ, I am to be no more among them, and therefore I beseech thee now receive them into thy special care and tuition. Here I resign them safe, and whole, and sound to thee, I pray thee keep them henceforward as well as I have done to this time. Secondly he would have his Father keep them, because they were in such a dangerous place, where they were in great peril every day, and every hour, where they were hated and maligned upon all hand, and that for the truth's sake. I have given them thy word, and the world hath hated them, and so on. And therefore I beseech thee Father, look to them, and keep them from the evil, as it is added in the next verse. The evil of fault, and the evil of pain. Some other things are interposed and touched incidentally, which shall be handled in their places. The thing desired, is first in order to be handled, before we pitch upon the Arguments and Reasons with which our Saviour presseth and enforceth this desire of his; and this, as we have heard, is preservation. And here we have to be considered two things: First the means by which our Saviour here desires that his Apostles and Disciples might be kept, and that is by or through his Father's name. Holy Father, keep through thy own name, those whom thou hast given me. And Secondly the end for which he prays they might be kept, that they may be one as we are. So that you see the supplication of our Saviour Christ is full, he prays both for the Means and End, desireth that the end might be attained for them by the means. Begin we with the means by which our Saviour here desires that his Apostles and Disciples might be kept, and that is through his Father's name. Holy Father, keep through thine own name, those whom thou hast given me. The name of God is generally taken for any thing that makes him known to men, as one man is distinguished from another by his name: Particularly it imports sometimes the attributes of God, now one and then another of them. Sometimes his attribute of mercy, as that is called the name of God, Exod. 34.5, 6. The Lord descended in a Cloud, and there proclaimed the name of God. And what was that? The Lord, the Lord God merciful and gracious, and long-suffering, and abundant in goodness and truth: Keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity, transgression and sin. Sometimes his attribute of Justice, as that is also called his name in the very same place, who will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the Fathers upon the children, and upon the children's children, unto the third and fourth generation. Sometimes his attribute of Power is intimated by his name, as you may see that place for instance, Psal. 20.1. The Lord hear thee in the day of trouble, the name of the God of Jacob defend thee, that is, the power of God defend thee. And this is that by which our Saviour prays, that his, Apostles and Disciples might be kept, keep them through thy own name, that is; through thy own power. And so accordingly the point to be observed, is this. DOCTRINE. They that belong to Jesus Christ, as long at they remain in this world, are kept by the Almighty power of God himself. It is the prayer of our Saviour for them, in my text you see, Holy Father, keep them through thy own name, whom thou hast given me, and therefore out of question they are kept by that name, the almighty power of God. For Jesus Christ is always heard in every thing for which he is a Suitor to his Father. So that his people are as safe as the power of God can make them. They are committed by him to his Father's Custody, and he is able very well to keep that which is committed to him, as the Apostle Paul speaks, 2 Tim. 1.12. And this is clearly intimated in our Saviour's speech, John 10.29. with reference to his people, My Father which gave them me is greater than all. Greater, in what regard? greater in place and dignity? No my beloved, greater in power and in ability. And therefore it is added presently, and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand. Many are willing, but none is able because his power is infinitely greater than theirs is. So in another place, he shall be holden up, Rom. 14.4. he that is weak shall be held up; how so? For God is able to make him stand. And Judas to the same purpose, he is able to keep us from falling, verse 24. you see our preservation and support is still ascribed to the power and ability of God, by which it is apparent what guards us, that we are kept, and kept safe by that power. That of the Apostle Peter is express and full, so that we need to add no more for confirmation, we are kept by the power of God, saith he, through faith unto salvation, 1 Pet. 1.5. The point is plain, They that belong, etc. Now to open this a little, because you do not see it in the full extent of it, you must conceive that such as appertain to Jesus Christ, are kept by the almighty power of God; Especially two ways. Either by the power of God in them, or by the power of God for them. Either by the power of God assisting, or by the power of God protecting. Either by the power of God within them strengthening, or by the power of God without them guarding and defending. I shall speak to these in order. They that belong to Jesus Christ are kept by the Almighty power of God in them; assisting them and strengthening them, and fortifying them to stand, and to hold out, both in temptations and afflictions. Man is by nature 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a feeble and infirm thing. So weakened and enfeebled with his fail, that of himself he is able to do nothing. And therefore God communicates his own transcendent power to such as he intends to keep and to preserve, so far as they are capable of it. And thus however they be weak in themselves, yet they are strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might, as the Apostle speaks, Eph. 6.10. He stands by and strengthens them, 2 Tim. 4.17. And of this inward strengthening it is that the Apostle speaks. Col. 1.11. Strengthened with all might according to his glorious power, that is the power of God himself, which he gives in to his people, and so corroborates them, makes them strong as Oaks, to bear the burden that is laid upon them. For if you mark it, the Apostle saith not, the power of God bears our afflictions, resists and overcomes our temptations for us but we are strengthened by his glorious power to both these. And God is able, saith the same Apostle, to do abundantly according to his power that worketh in us, Eph. 3.20. Observe it well; not his power that worketh for us, but his power that worketh in us, and that makes us able. So that you see my brethren, it is an infused thing, there goes forth power and virtue from the Lord to us, and becomes inherent in us. Not as one friend may help another that is weak, with an external succour and support, bearing his heavy burden for him, but giving him ability himself to bear it. Even as a man that hath been much enfeebled with along sickness, and being now recovered in a measure, and his malignant humours purged away, increaseth every day in strength: So we my Brethren, having been enfeebled by the fall, God makes us sound and strong again, enables us to do and suffer what he calls us to So that it is an inward and habitual power that we partake, infused into the soul by God. And God in this respect is strong in us. His power is perfected, declared to be perfect in our weakness. Now my beloved, to follow this a little further, this glorious power of his the Lord conveyeth into a Christians soul through Jesus Christ. The Father hath anointed him with the Holy Ghost and with power, as the Apostle Peter speaks, Acts 10.38. And upon him the spirit of power doth rest, as you have it in the Prophet, Isa. 11.2. That so from him it might be given out to all his people. He is the Conduit-pipe through which the spirit and the graces of it run, obtaining them by virtue of his meritorious intercession from his Father, and so conveying them to every member, as he (by reason of his near communion with the manhood, being more deeply touched with the feeling of their wants) observeth their necessities to be. And so to every one of us is given grace; and what is grace but power to do, and power to suffer? power to stand out, and not to faint or yield in temptations or afflictions? Habitual grace is nothing but the inward strengthening of the soul. To every one of us, I say is given grace, according to the measure of the gift of Christ, Eph. 4.2. that is as he is pleased to distribute. And as this power proceeds originally from the Father by and through Jesus Christ, so it is wrought immediately by the Holy Ghost. And hence the strength infused into a Christians soul, is called the spirit of power, as you may see, 2 Tim. 1.7. Because indeed it is wrought in us by the spirit. That place of the Apostle Paul is clear and full to this purpose, Ephes. 3.16. where he desireth God in the behalf of that people, That he would grant them to be strengthened with all might in the inner man. How so? Why by his spirit, as you may see in that place. And thus you see both that, and how they that belong to Jesus Christ, are kept by the almighty power of God in them. They that belong to Jesus Christ, are also kept by the almighty power of God for them. For even as God is strong in them, so he is also strong for them. And as he makes them strong, so he shows himself strong in their behalf, as the Expression is, 2 Chron. 16 9 The eyes of the Lord run to and fro through the whole earth, to show himself strong in the behalf of those whose hearts are perfect with him. And thus they are preserved and kept, not only by the power of God strengthing and fortifying them within, but also by the power of God protecting them, and helping them without. And therefore it is said the name of the Lord, that is, the power of the Lord is a strong Tower, the righteous runneth to it and is safe, Prov. 18.10. Now security of any person that runneth to a Tower for shelter, consists not in his own strength, but in the strength of the Tower he runs to. A strong Tower will protect a weak man; if he can get within it he is safe. And such a stung Tower is the name, the power of God for the safeguard of his people. And thus you see, he keeps us through his own name, his own power (according to our Saviour's prayer in my text) in a way of protection, by giving outward help and succour, when we are in great danger. And this outward help he gives us two ways. First sometimes immediately by his own power: he helpeth us himself by his own almighty arm, without the use of second causes, and then his arm is made bare. He brings in succour to his people, as he made the world of nothing, and therefore he is said in Scripture, to create it, as you may see that place for instance, Isa. 65.18. Be ye glad and rejoice for ever, in that which I create, for behold I create Jerusalem a rejoicing, and her people a joy. And thus he kept his people in the fire, and in the water, and in the wilderness, where there were no means at all of preservation, he did it merely by his own name. Secondly, Sometimes he helps and keeps his people mediately by his power communicated for that end to second causes: He raises instruments of their delivery, and makes them able to relieve his people, as he did the Judges often. And as it is observed of David, when God was pleased to use him for the help of Israel, in a time of great distress, he furnished him with power sufficient to go through with the business which he had designed him to. And therefore saith the Lord of that instrument of his, Psal. 89.19, 20. I have laid help upon one that is mighty, I have exalted one chosen out of the people, I have found David my servant, with my holy oil have I anointed him. Mighty he is to help indeed, but it is because I have made him so, because I have laid help upon him. And so he stirs up some continually to favour and relieve his people; he makes the earth sometimes to help the woman, men that have nothing else but earth in them; but still the power by which they help them is from him. Their power is his power, and therefore when his people are preserved and kept by them, they are kept by his name, as you have it in my text, and his name must have the glory. This shall suffice for explication of the point, they that belong to Jesus Christ, are kept by the almighty power of God himself. And there is pregnant reason for it. For first of all, no other power but his will keep them, and his is every way sufficient. And secondly his power is mightily engaged to keep them. Reason 1 They that belong to Jesus Christ are kept, etc. because no other power but his will keep them. Kept they must be, and none but this alone will do it. Alas the adversaries power that is against them, is abundantly too strong for any power that can appear for them, but that of the almighty God himself. The power of all the world, and all the strong temptations that are in it, of pleasure, profit, honour, which is bend against the Saints, you will conceive to be a great matter: Yet this is nothing in comparison; this is the least part of their danger. What think you of the power of all the lusts and the corruptions that are in them, that are continually raging, warring? Who is able of himself to overpower and master these? What think you of the power of Satan, and his black confederates, the power of darkness, as it is styled in the Scripture? All the united strength of hell itself? nothing but the power of heaven is able to out wrestle this: and they that will struggle with it, had need be strengthened by that glorious power. And hence our Saviour places the security of his Disciples in this That they are kept by him that is greater than all, John 10.29. That is, of greater strength, as I have showed, so that none can pluck them out of his hand. Reason 2 They that belong to Jesus Christ, are kept, etc. because as no other power can keep them, so this is mightily engaged to be for them: And that especially two ways, by the Son's prayer, and the Father's promise. 1. By the Son's prayer, and that must not be denied; For this we need to go no further than my text; Holy Father keep them through thy own name. It was one of the last requests he made when he was taking leave of this world, and therefore certainly it was successful. Simon, Simon, saith our Saviour, Satan hath desired to winnow thee as wheat. But how is Peter kept now? Why by our Saviour's intercession, I have prayed for thee that thy faith fail not. 2. By the Father's promise; he hath engaged himself by promise to his people many times, that his power shall be for them. The Covenant is a Constellation, and a heap of promises, and he is a God in Covenant with them. So that as he himself is theirs, so all his attributes are theirs too. His mercy to forgive them, his justice to avenge them, his power to keep them. The Romans were in league with many people, and if those people were in danger, they were obliged in point of honour to defend them; And so they did with as much diligence and care as they did their own City. Even thus it is between the Lord and his people; he is in League and Covenant with them, and he hath undertaken their protection: And therefore if they be in any straight, he is bound in point of honour to set his power on work to save them: And hence it is that they are kept by the almighty power of God as long as they remain in this world. JOHN. 17.11. Keep them through thy own name, those whom thou hast given. IS it so that they that belong to Jesus Christ are kept, etc. Then in Use 1 the first place let it serve for information, to let us see where our strength and safety lies. We are in danger every day and every hour as long as we remain in this world; we have mighty enemies both without us and within us; we walk continually in the midst of traps and snares, and gins that Satan and his instruments do lay for us. How are we preserved now, and where is our security? Truly my brethren, not in our own wisdom, grace, strength, etc. but in the name of God himself. We are kept by his power, and not our own. Our blessed Saviour in his prayer doth not commit us to ourselves, or any thing that is in us, but to his Fathers own name, q. d. They cannot keep themselves by any grace or strength that is within them or without them; and therefore I beseech thee Father keep them through thy own name. Well then, my brethren, let none of us be strong in his own strength, let us not trust to our own abilities to support us and uphold us, to bear us up, and to safeguard us, in temptations and afflictions. But let us know that grace received and infused is not sufficient of itself to keep us, unless it be corroborated and supported still with new assisting grace and strength from God. And therefore he is said to keep us who are sanctified, that we fall not. And we are kept not by inherent faith alone, but by the power of God through faith unto salvation; 1 Pet. 1.4. And thus the Lord hath ordered it, that though we are endued with some degrees of grace and spiritual strength, we might be held to a perpetual necessary firm dependence on him, notwithstanding: And therefore when we rely on what we have received already, as if those measures which we have inherent in ourselves were strong enough to cope with a temptation, the Lord will let us see how weak it is, by the withdrawing of his succour from us. And this indeed was Peter's case, he was too bold and confident upon the strength of his inherent grace, he thought no doubt his faith was so impregnable, that no temptation could prevail so far against it, to cause him to deny his Lord and Master; No, not the fear of death itself: and therefore God deserted him in reference to his assisting grace, and so he fell in the temptation; let us be wary of the same error, lest we find the same issue. Use. 2 Is it so, That they that belong to Jesus Christ are kept, etc. This than should teach us to be bold and resolute in all cases, and not to cast away our confidence, how desperate soever our condition be: I say as the Prophet, Who is among you that feareth the Lord, that walketh in darkness and can see no light? let him trust in the Name of the Lord, that is, the great and Almighty power of God, and stay upon his God, Isa. 50.10. And this was that which Abraham trusted in, and stayed himself upon, in such a case wherein there was no likelihood, no probability at all to a humane apprehension. He staggered not at the promise of God, but was strong in faith, giving glory to God, Rom. 4.20. And whereupon did he repose and rest his faith? on the Almighty power of God, being fully persuaded that what he had promised, he was able to perform: And so let us, my Brethren, rest on this power in all extremities and straits, let us hid ourselves in the Name of God, and let us not be dashed, or permit our hearts to sink by reason of improbabilities, or want of means: But let us seriously consider with ourselves, that Jesus Christ hath, as it were, resigned us up into his Father's hands, to be kept by his Name. And by that name and power of his, let us be confident we shall be kept, what ever our distresses be. And more particularly according to the Explication of the point, let us be confident, that if the danger be within, we shall be kept by the Almighty power of God within us strengthening. If our danger be without, we shall be kept by the Almighty power of God without us guarding and defending. If our danger be within, by reason of temptations or afflictions that lie hard upon us, and are about to overcome us, let us take courage to ourselves, and resolve we shall be kept by this Almighty power of God within us, strengthening and supporting: And that we shall be strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power. Oh thy temptations or afflictions (thou wilt say) are a crushing burden to thee, thou art not able to sustain it: Thou wilt cry out as Job perhaps, Job 6.11. What is my strength that I should hope? Is my strength the strength of stones? or is my flesh of brass? But man consider, is it thy own strength that thou standest in? If it were so, I must confess thy case were very sad indeed. But if thou be supported by the glorious power of an Almighty God, why shouldst thou doubt or be discouraged? Thus far perhaps (although with many bitter pangs of fear) thou hast passed through the midst of thy temptations and afflictions; thou hast been shaken fearfully, but yet thou hast not utterly been overthrown and cast down, thou hast not yet denied the Holy One, as Job speaks; How hast thou been supported hitherto, but by the Name of God himself? was it not he that strengthened thee in those distresses, fears and agonies of thine? and cannot he uphold thee still? Is God's hand shortened, that he cannot help? is any thing too hard for the Almighty? Suppose thy burden shall be heavier yet, as that it may be is thy great fear: Is that any thing to God? is not his glorious Name sufficient to keep and bear thee up, as well in heavier as in higher trials, that hath kept thee hitherto (it must be yielded) or else thou hadst been overwhelmed in thy troubles? And what now will it be too weak, if thou be brought to greater exigencies and distresses? Indeed if thou were't kept by creature-strength, either within thee, or without thee, the difference were very great, I must confess, between a heavy and a light affliction. But now it matters not at all; it is all one to the Almighty power of God, that will be sufficient for thee, let the case be what it will, or what it can. It may be thou conceivest, that if thy burden were a little heavier, if but a grain or two were added to it, thou wert gone, thou must be overlaid, and crushed, and broken instantly. Oh but remember that of the Apostle, Ephes. 3.16. God is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we can either ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us. He is able by that power whereby he hath sustained thee so long, to strengthen and support thee still; what ever further trial come upon thee, beyond all that thou canst ask, yea beyond all that thou canst think, he is able to do more than thou art able to imagine. If our danger be without, from enemies that set against us with all their policy and power, and have reduced us to great extremities and straits; let us resolve we shall be kept by the Almighty power of God without us, guarding and defending. Let us say boldly as the Psalmist did in such a case, The Lord is my helper, I will not fear what man can do unto me. I must confess that we are apt to cast away our confidence, and to despair of succour and deliverance. It was the Prophet David's weakness, as himself acknowledges, Psal. 77.10. But if we fail at any time with holy David, let us come off as he did; let us ingenuously confess that it is our infirmity, and let us call to mind with him, the right hand of the most High. Oh let us think upon the great and the Almighty power of God; for that is intimated by his right hand, which commonly is stronger than the left, and so let us uphold our fainting spirits, when they are apt to sink within us. As Luther did, when one supposed that the Emperor with all his Forces would fall upon the Duke of Savoy, who was the great Protector of the Protestants at that time: And where, saith he, will Luther be then? That holy man returned this sudden answer, Aut in Coelo, aut sub Coelo, either in Heaven, or under Heaven, because he expected protection from Heaven as long as he lived, and knew he should have possession of heaven when ever he died. But may we rest upon it then, that we shall have protection from the Name of God in all dangers? That he will keep us through his own Name? To this I answer, if we belong to Jesus Christ, we may be sure we shall be kept by it, either one way or other, either from the outward danger, or else from the inward damage; either in a way of deliverance, or if not so, in a way of assistance. The Prayer of our Intercessor in my text shall not be in all respects in vain for us. It's true, the Lord may leave us sometimes in the outward danger, and may not keep us by his power for us; But than he will be sure to keep us by his power in us. If he take not off our burden, he will give us strength to bear it. And if he do not keep us from the evil, he will keep us in the evil. One way or other we shall have succour from his great Name. If it be not a shield to cover us and protect us, it shall be an arm to underprop us and support us; underneath us shall be the everlasting arms, as Moses speaks. Deut. 33 27. So that here is comfort still, in any trial or temptation: If we be not delivered from it, we shall be enabled to bear it. And here lest any of you should look on this as cold comfort. I must tell you that it is a richer mercy to be enabled by the power of God within, to bear a trial, then to be rescued and delivered from it by his power without; this latter we desire most; but out of doubt the first is best for us: For do but weigh it, my Beloved, outward help and outward succour and deliverance by the power of God, is but a common mercy, of which the worst of men partake; yea of which the beasts partake; in this respect he saveth man and beast. How often doth the Lord put forth his power to rescue the vilest of the sons of men, from outward danger; yea the vilest of the creatures! But he supports and strengthens by his grace within, none but his own people. It is the proper and peculiar privilege of those that are given up to Jesus Christ, to be kept this way by the Name of God. Paul was importunate you know, to be delivered from the Messenger of Satan that was sent to buffet him; For this thing▪ besought the Lord thrice, that is might departed from me, 2 Cor. 12.8. He could not speed in that Petition, he could not get deliverance, but he got support, which was abundantly the richest mercy: And when did God ever say to an ungodly wretch in such a case, as he doth there to the Apostle Paul, My grace is sufficient for thee, and my strength is perfected in weakness? He hath very often given wicked men sufficient outward succour, but he never gave them yet sufficient inward grace; this is peculiar to his own people. Use 3 Is it so, that they that belong to Jesus Christ are kept, etc. Then when you are in any danger or distress, have recourse to this power. Seek not so much to outward means and second helps, but say as David, Psal. 68.11. Lord, do thou give us help from trouble: If you be kept, it must be by the Name of God, to which you are committed by your Saviour. He saith not to the Father in my text, Let them be kept by humane strength, by worldly succours and accommodations; But keep them through thy own Name: And therefore when you know not what to do, run to this Tower, the Name of God: Seek the Lord, and seek his strength, as the Psalmist counsels you, Psal. 105.4. For you must know, my Brethren, it is not enough to make us capable of having sure protection in the name and power of God, that we belong to Jesus Christ; No, we may be so careless of our duty, that we may be deserted for the present of the power of God, and may not have it to relieve us and defend us: And this is that which Ezra intimates, Ezra 8.22. The hand, that is, the power of God, is upon all them for good that seek him: If we neglect him, we may miss of favour from him, as Asa did in such a case, the Lord would not put forth his power to heal him, because he sought not to the Lord, but to Physicians: And therefore when we are in danger any way, from within, or from without, let us lift up our hearts and cry to God, with the afflicted Church, Psal. 80.2. Stir up thy strength and come and save us; and let us see that we do it in the way that God would have us, and that we seek him in the due order, as the expression is, 1 Chron. 15.13. And to this end I shall give you some directions. 1. Seek him early while he may be found of you; you must not run through all your other holds, and fly to all your other stays, and when you find that you are disappointed in them all, then go to hid yourselves, and not till then in this Name, when you know not what to do; for then perhaps the Lord will shut the doors against you, and leave you helpless in your troubles: And truly it is just with God, that they that seek not to him, till they be driven out of all their shifts, should be neglected by him when they come. 2. Humbly, or else the Name of God will not be a refuge to you. You may come to him for shelter, but he will not receive you into his protection; No, he will resist the proud, he will keep them out of doors, he will leave them succourless in their distresses. They were so proud, and their stomaches were so high in prosperous times, that they looked not after God, God was not in all their thoughts, Psal. 10.4. And therefore now when they come running to him, because they know not how to live without him, the Lord will look as little after them; let them do what they will for God. But on the other side, my Brethren, there are many sweet and precious promises of mercy & protection to the humble person. 3. Hearty, with all the heart, and all the soul, for so is the direction, Deut. 4.29. you must not seek him feignedly with half a heart, with a divided spirit; for if you do, you may expect such entertainment as is threatened to those dissembling wretches mentioned Prov. 1.28. They shall call upon me, but I will not answer; they shall seek me early, but they shall not find me; and you may look to speed as hollow-hearted Israel did, Hos. 5.6 They shall go with their flocks and with their herds to seek the Lord, and shall not find him. 4. Reformedly, in a way of Reformation, and amendment. It is in vain for a profane and filthy person, so continuing, to run to the name of God in his distresses; He must not look for any shelter there, he shall not come near God, for God will be sanctified in all that come near him. He that cannot endure to look upon profaneness with his eye, will not shroud it with his wing. But to the Saints, to holy persons, the Lord will be a sure refuge; The Name of the Lord is a strong Tower, Prov. 18.10. the righteous runneth into it and is safe. 5. Constantly, we must hold out in seeking God, and that not only in the act, but also in the power and vigour of it: And as the Spouse, though she were long delayed, and though she met with many difficulties and disheartenings; yet she continued seeking still: She followed Christ through every lane and every street, and never left till she had found him: So we must follow God, my Brethren, through all the Ordinances, all the means, all the ways that lead to him, and though he fly away and hid himself, we must not faint, and languish, but continue and hold out, till we have found him. Use 4 Is it so, that they that belong to Christ are kept, etc. If then we have been kept in any dangers or distresses, let us look up to this Name: let us not rest in the external means, and secondary causes of our succour or deliverance; but let us look beyond them and above them, to the name of God. Let us see this Name of his engraven and enstampt upon them, as the Prophet counsels, Mich. 6.9. The man of wisdom shall see thy Name; and when we see it, let us acknowledge it to be the fountain of our help, the cause of all our succour and deliverance: Let us confess that God (according to our Saviour's Prayer in my Text) hath kept us through his own Name. And let his Name have all the glory. And thus far of the means by which our Saviour here desires, that his Disciples and Apostles might be kept, his Father's Name; Holy Father, keep through thy own Name those whom thou hast given me. The End for which he prays they might be kept, comes now in order to be handled, That they may be one as we are. A strange expression, if we look upon it with a superficial view. That the Disciples of our Saviour may be one in some respects, is very easy to imagine: But how they should be one, as God the Father and the Son are one, who are so one that they are the very same, the same essence, (for so the union is identical) though they be not the same person, this is hard to be conceived; yet this is the expression of our Saviour to his Father in my Text, That they be one as we are. Which that you may the better understand, my Brethren, you must know that [as] in Scripture is many times a note of similitude, and not of equality. It intimates the truth and the reality of that wherein the likeness stands, and not the measure and degree. I might give many instances wherein that particle is so taken; you may see that place for instance, Luk. 6.36. Be you merciful, as your Father also is merciful. It is impossible for any man to be merciful as God, if you look to the degree: For as the Heavens are higher than the Earth, so are his ways and thoughts above ours, in reference to mercy and forgiveness: But yet we may be merciful as God is, really and truly so, although not so in such a measure. We may be merciful as he, though not as merciful as he. So in my Text our Saviour prays in the behalf of his Apostles and Disciples to his Father, that they may be one (saith he) as we are, as thee and I are. The meaning is not, that they may be one as nearly (that is impossible) but that they may be one as truly as we are. Not that they may be one by a substantial and identical, but by a real union as we are. Not that they many be one in all respects, but that they may be one in some respects as we are. But you will ask me then, what those respects are? I will show you in a Word. God and Christ, the Father and the Son are two persons. And yet though they be two persons, they agree in every thing Though they be divers, yet they never differ; No, they do continually mind the same things, they will and nill the same things, they love and hate the same things: There is an unexpressible agreement and consent between them every way; even so it is exceedingly to be desired, that the Disciples of our Saviour, though they be many persons, yet they may be of one mind, and one heart, and one affection: That they may agree in all things, that there may be no difference, no divisions, no jars, no strifes, no rents among them; but that they may in this respect be one, even as the Father and Son are. And this, you see, is the great thing for which our Saviour is a suitor to his Father, in behalf of his Apostles and Disciples, that they might be at unity among themselves. This is the end for which he prays they may be kept by the Almighty power of God himself, that as far as it is possible for men to be, they may be one, even as the Father and the Son are one; Holy Father keep them through thy own Name, that they may be one as we are. So that the Observation clearly intimated here is this. DOCTRINE. It is a matter of wondrous difficulty, and of high Concernment, for Christ's Disciples to be at nearest unity among themselves. Both these particulars, I take it, are apparently suggested in the words, First, that it is a point of wondrous difficulty; Then that it is a point of high concernment, that all that are bestowed on Jesus Christ, should (as far as men may be) be one, as God and Christ are one. I shall clear them in order, from the Text and other Scriptures. It is a matter of wondrous difficulty, even for Christ's Disciples to be at nearest unity among themselves. Our Saviour saw it to be very hard for them in all things to agree together, and therefore he desires it may be brought about by the Almighty power of God himself; Holy Father keep them through thy own Name, that they may be one as we are. He prays his Father to set his own Almighty power about it, to effect it; by which he intimateth that it is no easy matter. It is observable how the Apostle struggles for it, 2 Thess. 3.16. The God of peace himself give you peace always by all means: So that there is no possibility of having peace, unless God himself bestow it; unless he bow the heavens and come down, and work it in the hearts of his people. It is beyond the power of any creature to keep the Saints themselves in unity and peace, unless God himself do it. And so the Apostle having well considered the wondrous difficulty of it, turns himself to God. Now the God of peace himself give it. q. d. I see no other means will do it, and therefore I beseech thee Lord, thou who art the God of peace, do thou thyself make unity among thy people. That phrase of the Apostle is notable to this purpose. Eph. 4.3. Endeavouring to keep the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, The word there used, imports the doing of a thing with much intention, with inward care, and outward diligence, and labour, and endeavour to the very utmost. The setting of one's self about a business strenuously, and with all his might, which would not need, if it were an easy matter. Endeavouring to keep the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace. So that you see it is a matter of wondrous difficulty, for Christ's Disciples to be at nearest unity among themselves. But you will ask me how it should be so? A man would think it should be no hard matter for Christ's Disciples to be all one: for them who are so closely and so nearly joined so many ways, and by so many ties; who are all one body, one spirit, who have all one Head, one God, one Lord, one faith, one hope, one baptism, to be at unity among themselves. Indeed it is a task almost insuperable to have peace with all the world. To say the truth, it is impossible, as the Apostle Paul insinuates in his exhortation, Rom. 12.18. If it be possible, as much as lies in you, live peaceably with all men. But to live peaceably with Saints and fellow members, for such to be at unity among themselves, what difficulty should there be in this! How cometh it to pass that this is such a hard matter, That the almighty power of God himself is called down from heaven about it? Why my beloved there be many things even in the Saints and Christ's Disciples, that make the matter difficult. And I shall draw them all that I shall mention, to these two heads. There are some things in which they are too much alike, and there are other things in which they differ overmuch; and both of them do make it wonderfully hard even for the Saints to be at unity among themselves. There are some things in which they are too much alike to agree among themselves. They are all (the holiest of them) too carnal, they have too much corruption in them easily to close together. And this is that the Apostle Paul observes in the Corinthians, 1 Epist. 3.3. Whereas there is among you strife, and envy, and division, are you not carnal? Is it not very manifest, that there is much corruption, and much flesh in you? And is not this the cause of these dissensions? It may be you are apt to think it to be otherwise, but mark what the Apostle saith James 4.1. From whence come wars and fightings among you? Whence do they come? Why hence they come, will some men say; I am so troubled and molested, I am so grossly injured and abused that I cannot live in peace. Never was any man so basely used, so vilely dealt withal, as I have been, and that by those that are accounted honest men. And hence it is that I cannot be at rest: No, no, saith the Apostle, thou art much deceived, I had as lief thou hadst said nothing. It is the wickedness and the corruption that is in thee, that is the true and real cause of all this. From hence come wars and fightings among you, even from your lusts that war in your members. And I will show you what those lusts are, which make it so extremely hard, even for the Saints to be at unity among themselves. 1. They are too proud: The wise man tells us this hath a stroke in all quarrels, Prov. 13.10. And if in all, then in the quarrels of the Saints too. And truly my beloved, were it not for this, there would not be such endless and implacable contentions about matters civil, as there are sometimes between those that are Christ's Disciples. It is their pride that neither side will stoop or bow; both are high and both are stiff, and so there can no possible accommodation or accord be made between them. And were it not for pride there would not be such endless and implacable contentions about matters doctrinal. This is the true and real cause, why men will not endure to be gainsaid and crossed in their opinion, but presently they fret and fume and fall into an everlasting strife about words, whereof cometh envy, railing, evil surmisings, and perverse dispute, as the Apostle shows, 1 Tim. 6.4, 5. Now would you have the character of such a person as carries matters in this fashion? saith the Apostle, he is proud, knowing nothing. He thinks himself a very knowing man, but this is nothing but his pride. And hence it comes to pass that men are so unalterable in their fancies and conceits, that having once asserted them and owned them, they will not lay them down again (not though they be convinced) for their honour's sake. Remarkable and exemplary is the resolution and humility of Job in such a case, Job 6.24. Teach me and I will hold my peace, and make me know wherein I have erred. In which ingenuous disposition, did those who differ in their judgements constantly agree, they might be quickly brought, if not wherein they err, to change their minds, yet to allay them so, with humility and love, that they should never break forth into bitterness against their brethren. But while they have such a deal of pride among them (while they are so alike in this regard) it is impossible they should agree together. 2. It is impossible, even for the Saints, to be in all respects at unity among themselves, because as they are too proud, so they are too selfish. Herein they are too near alike easily to close together. This is indeed the great makebate, it hath a special hand, and is a violent eager stickler in all the quarrels that are driven to and fro among men. From hence it is that men are so inflexible and so extremely stiff in their opinions, that they will abate nothing, nor yield to nothing for quietness and peace sake; it is their love, not to the truth, but to themselves, it is their self-love. And so it is the selfishness of men that makes them so intent upon their own things that they will have the utmost in a business, and urge extremity of right, and will not part with any thing almost to purchase precious peace. It is because they love themselves too well, and because there is so much of this even in the Saints, this makes it wonderfully hard for them to be at unity among themselves. I might name other things in which they are too much alike to close so nearly as they should, but these shall serve for that branch. It is a hard thing for the Saints to live at unity among themselves, because as there are some things in which they are too much alike: So there are other things in which they differ overmuch, so close so nearly as they should together. For differences make divisions many times, even among Christ's Disciples. And that you may the better look into the business, I will show you many things in which they differ many times, which render a conjunction and a perfect union infinitely hard to be made and kept among them. 1. They are of divers tempers and of divers constitutions, and those will hardly close together. As divers strings, unless they be of purpose tuned alike, will not be unisons, they will not be of one sound: They may be very sweet apart, but if you strike them all together, they will make a discord; So it is in this case: some of the Saints are of a melancholy sad, and others of a sanguine cheerful temper. The melancholy doth not like the cheerful, the cheerful doth not like the melancholy Saint. Or if he like him in his judgement, he cares not to converse with him, or not so much at least as with another, because he doth not suit his disposition. One Saint by reason of his constitution, (which grace doth never wholly alter,) is very hot and very active: Another Saint is very cold, and very dull. Those two being so unlike, will continually be disliking one another, and it may be censuring: so that it will be very hard to bring them to so near a close as should be between Christ's Disciples. 2. They are of divers stations and conditions, in the world, and in the Church. Some are high, and some are low, some are rich and some are poor. The high are ready to despise the low, the low are ready to envy the high. The rich are ready to despise the poor; the poor, etc. One of them will be apt on all occasions to be perking at the other. And this will make a perfect union extremely difficult between them. 3. They are of divers interests by reason of their callings, judgements, opinions, habitations, outward substance and estates; and differences will arise and grow from all these; So that it will be hard to keep them quiet, and to hold them close together. Meum and tuum, is the rise of all dissensions; it is this same thine and mine, that setteth men, yea the best men sometimes together by the Ears. This is my right, and that is thine; this is my place, and that is thine; this is my opinion, and that is thine. If the interest were one, they would be one; but sure it cannot be avoided, but it will be so different, in this world; there will be differences now and then even among the Saints themselves. It was upon the point of interest that Abraham and Lot fell out though they were both good men. And it is noted by the Holy Ghost himself as one especial reason of the strange consent and harmony that was among the primitive Saints, because their interest was one, Acts 4.32. The multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul. How so? They had all things common, neither said any of them that any of the things which he possessed were his own. The state of those times, my brethren, both admitted and required it, and we see the fruit of it. It is not so, and to say truth, cannot be so in our days, and therefore it is much the harder to keep perfect unity among the Saints. When once they shall come all to be in one place, in one condition, of one opinion, and to have one inheritance, and so to have one common interest among them all, when God shall be all in all, there will be no more divisions; but in the mean time it is impossible they should in every thing agree together. 4. They are of divers qualifications. There are diversities of gifts, saith the Apostle, 1 Cor. 12.4. Now these I must acknowledge are intended to beget union. But yet by accident, by reason of remainders of corruption in the Saints, they cause divisions. While some are of more judgement, and other some of more affection; while some are of greater, and other some of meaner gifts, here are occasions (I say not causes, but occasions) of dissension, while some are supercilious, and the other envious. As soon as the Apostle lays down the distinction between strong and weak Christians, Rom. 14.1. there follows disputation and division presently. The one despises, and the other judges. The strong Christian is ready upon all occasions to despise the weak. The weak Christian is apt upon the other side to judge the strong. The strong slights, and the weak censures, and so there is a woeful breach of unity and peace among them. By these things it is evident my brethren, that it is a matter of wondrous difficulty even for Christ's Disciples to be at unity among themselves. And truly if we seriously consider how like they are in regard of some corruptions, and how different they are in Constitutions, Stations, Interests and Qualifications, we will not wonder that the Almighty power of God is invocated by our Saviour to effect it. JOHN 17.11. That they may be one as we are. AND this for clearing of the former member of the point, It is a matter of wondrous difficulty for Christ's Disciples to be at nearest unity among themselves. Proceed we to the clearing of the second. It is a matter of high concernment for Christ's disciples to be at nearest unity among themselves. As of wondrous difficulty, so of very great concernment. It is the first thing that our Saviour begs in the behalf of his Apostles and Disciples, that they might be one: And prays his Father to effect it, by his own almighty power. Holy Father, keep them through thy own name, that they may be one as we are. By which he shows that as it is a hard thing, so it is a choice thing, a thing of special consequence, worthy the putting forth of the almighty power of God about it. And therefore the Apostle Paul would have us strain ourselves to get it and preserve it, to do as much as lies in us, even to the utmost, as much as it is possible for men to do, to set all our abilities and all our faculties a work to procure and keep peace, Rom. 12.18. And to this end having persuaded the Colossians to adorn themselves with mercy, kindness humbleness of mind, and with the habits and the acts of meekness and long-suffering as with glorious robes, he persuadeth them at length to put on love, which is an uniting grace, a bond of perfectness, the uppermost garment (as it were) and so the largest, fairest, richest, and most precious piece of the new clothing of a Christian: And therefore puts a special Emphasis upon his exhortation to it; Above all these things put on charity which is the bond of perfectness: which will unite and join you perfectly together. They are not graces of the meanest rank that Paul commends to the Colossians in the former verses. Yet having run through all of them, and being come at length to this uniting grace, as to the top and chief of all, he sets the finger of a hand against it, to point it out as supereminent: Above all these things put on charity which is the bond of perfectness. How is the Prophet David carried out beyond himself, and even ravished in the contemplation of this precious unity among the Saints, and therefore calleth others to join in admiration with him. Psal. 133.1. Behold how good and pleasant a thing it is for brethren to dwell together in unity! The admirable and surpassing excellency of it, is represented to us in the Scripture many ways. If God will promise any special mercy to the Church, it shall be this, Isa. 11.6. The Wolf and Lamb shall dwell together, the Leopard shall lie down with the Kid, and the Lion with the Calf, and a little Child shall lead them. And great shall be the peace of thy Children, Isa, 54.13. If he will give them any choice blessing, The Lord will bless his people with peace, Psal. 29.11. If we will pray for any favour worth striving for, it must be for Church-peace and unity among the Saints. Pray ye for the peace of Jerusalem, Psalm 112.7. that it may be like a City that is at unity within itself. And therefore the Apostle is so earnest for it, as it were for life and death, The God of peace give you peace always, and by all means. By which he intimateth that as it is a thing of wondrous difficulty, so of great concernment for Christ's Disciples to be at unity among themselves. And this I shall lay open to you in a few paaticulars. It is of great concernment to the growth of Christ's Disciples, and to their thriving in their spiritual estate. It is observed of the Church, Acts 4.32. that they were of one heart and one soul. And that which follows presently, is this, great grace was upon them all. It seems they were in the increasing and the thriving hand by this means. Where there is great peace among the Saints, there is great grace too. Much union brings forth much communion, and much Communion brings forth much holiness and much grace. When Christians walk on in a sweet and amicable way, they cannot choose but grow exceedingly. But when dissensions make them to reserve themselves, this is extremely prejudicial to the increase in holiness which otherwise would be among them. That place of the Apostle is very notable to this purpose, Col. 2, 19 And not holding the head from which all the body by joints, and bands having nourishment ministered and knit together, increaseth with the increase of God; being knit together it maketh increase. It is of great concernment as to the growth of Christ's Disciples, so also to their comfort, that they be at nearest unity among themselves; it is a notable expression of the Apostle Paul to this purpose, Col. 2.2. That their hearts might be comforted, being knit together in love: There is the mercy wished them, that their hearts might be comforted; and then the requisite condition and qualification to make them capable of this comfort, being knit together in love. Much union, much comfort; little union, little comfort; no union, no comfort: Indeed it is a pleasant thing for Brethren to live together in unity; but it is a bitter thing to live in discord and dissension; it eats out all the joy and comfort of a man, and fills his spirit with vexation: When men are over head and ears in Controversies and Contentions, especially Saints with Saints, it makes their lives unquiet and uncomfortable to them: You shall observe how restless such men are, who are embroiled in troubles, and who are deep in Controversies and Contentions; they cannot eat, they cannot sleep, they cannot talk, they can do nothing cheerfully and freely, they are so clogged and cumbered with their own impatient and perplexed thoughts: Listen to them, and you shall hear them ever and anon complaining that every one is vexing them, and troubling and molesting them, so that they cannot live in peace. Their wives, their children, and their servants cannot be at quiet for them, they are in such a pelting humour upon every light occasion: Their families are like the middle Region of the air, continually rend and torn with storms and thunders and tempestuous stirs, which rise at first of a thing of nothing, a thin invisible fume drawn up from the earth: And all this comes to pass by the dissensions that they have with others, which takes away the meekness of their spirits, and with that their quiet too: And therefore you shall find a meek and quiet spirit joined together, and made the chief adorning of a Christian, 1 Pet. 2.4. Whose adorning let it be that of the hidden man of the heart, even the adorning of a meek and quiet spirit: It it be meek, it will be quiet; if enraged, it will be troubled; it will be like the Sea that cannot rest, whose waters cast up mire and dirt. It is of so great concernment, as to the growth and comfort of Christ's Disciples, that they be at unity, etc. so also to their keeping in with God himself; they must have peace among themselves, if they will have peace with God; if they be angry one with another, God will be angry with them all. If he come in and find his family together by the ears, he will be in a rage too. Manasseh against Ephraim, and Ephraim against Manasseh, and both of them against Judah; and all these you must know, my Brethren, were within the verge and compass of the Church: There were rents and breaches there, they were divided into parties, they were up one against another. And what follows? For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still, Isa. 9.21. And is not this our case? Are not the members of the body mystical of Christ divided into factions, that struggle one against another (like the twins in Rebecca's womb) that by't, and even devour one another? And this I make no question, is one cause among the rest why the wrath of the Lord is not turned away. Our wrath is not turned away, and therefore his wrath is not turned way neither. Our hands are stretched out one against another still, and therefore his hand is stretched out against us all. We are not yet appeased one towards another, and therefore he is not appeased towards us: We are making and continuing breaches still among ourselves, and God is making and continuing breaches still among us: He deals with us just as we deal with one another; With the froward, saith the Psalmist, thou wilt show thyself froward, Psal. 18.25. We are unjustly froward to our Brethren, and he is justly froward towards us. As we have done, so God hath requited us; Because that Edom hath dealt against the house of Judah, saith the Lord, by taking vengeance, I will take vengeance upon Edom, Ezek. 25.12. Edom and Judah, you must know, my Brethren, came out of the same loins; And truly till we cease from taking our revenge, as we have opportunity, upon our Brethren, God will not cease from taking vengeance upon us. It is of great concernment to the preservation of Christ's Disciples, that they be at nearest unity among themselves. It is one special means to enable them to stand and to hold out against their common enemies both without them and within them. It is an easy thing to break them and destroy them one by one; but if they be united and bound up together, (as the Rods which the Roman gave his sons upon his deathbed) they will not be so quickly broken; they will find that their union is their strength and preservation; If they stand fast in one spirit, with one mind, striving together for the faith of the Gospel, they need to be in nothing terrified by their Adversaries, as the Apostle shows, Phil. 1.27. Indeed they will be terrible and dreadful to them. When Gods Jerusalem is as a City that is compacted within itself, when she is at unity, than she is terrible as an Army of Banners, Cant. 6.4. It's true indeed, that Christ's Disciples as they have the best friends, so they have the worst enemies. But let them be as many and as mighty as they will, if they could but hold together, and if they were resolved as Joab and his brother Abishai, If they be too strong for thee, I will come and help thee; and if they be too strong for me, thou shalt come and help me: If either of us be distressed, the other shall come in with all his succour; If thy corruptions, or temptations, or afflictions be too strong for thee, I will come and help thee with my Counsels, with my Comforts, with my Prayers, and thou shalt deal accordingly with me. If it were thus among the Saints, they would be impregnable against all the Oppositions that Earth or Hell could make against them. They are built up to a spiritual house, and if they were cemented well together, no storms would overthrow them. That is worth our observation, which Ferus writes of the Primitive Saints. They were wont, saith he, to meet together very often, and there to lay open their several temptations, their means of resistance, their gracious success and happy deliverance: And so to council, and to comfort, and to encourage, and confirm and strengthen one another. As for my own part, I take very much comfort in the great unity that is to be observed among God's people here in this place, and in the frequent meetings which they have together. It is a joyful thing to see their love in the truth, and I am confident they get much strength by it: while others who reserve themselves, refrain communion each with other, withhold their Counsels, Comforts, Prayers, are very weak by this means, and easy to be overcome. And therefore one observeth very well, upon this prayer of our Saviour in my text, that his Disciples are preserved and kept by unity. Holy Father, keep them through thy own name, and to this end let them be one as we are. As if the only way to keep them and preserve them, were to make them one among themselves. It is of great concernment to the furtherance of the Gospel that Christ's Disciples, etc. The work of Jesus Christ is not to be carried on with much knocking. As in the building of the old material Temple, there were no Axes, no Hammers, nor any other Tool heard, 1 Kings 6.7. so in the building of the Church of Christ, and carrying on the business of the Gospel, the less stir, the less noise, the more progress. If there were not such knocking as we have heard too much of late, this Church-work would go on the faster, and come the sooner to perfection. In the building of Babel, you know there was a confusion, etc. so the work was wholly hindered and laid by, Gen. 11.7. The workmen understood not one another's language, and so were forced to desist from that business. And truly there is a confusion happened in another sort of building in this land, the building not of Babel, but of Zion, which is a very great impediment to that work. The workmen understand not one another, and by this means the time which should be spent in laying is spent in knocking of the stones and timber, in making and upholding parties, and in maintaining endless controversies and disputes which tend to strife and variance and not a whit to edification. The Axe and Hammer is in use, but the Trowel is laid by. And verily, my brethren, while it so continues, the work of Christ will never go forward. Religion will not thrive among us as it should, till all that appertain to Christ, come to a nearer unity & a more firm accord among themselves. And therefore it is very notable that when our Saviour Christ ascended, and meant to propagate the Gospel, to amplify and to enlarge the Church, He gave some Apostles and so on for the perfecting of the Saints, and for the edifying of the body of Christ, till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, etc. Mark my beloved, when we come to unity, than the work goes on amain, than we thrive apace in knowledge, than we grow to perfectness, than the Church of Christ goes up: But till the stones be joined close together there will be no edifying, that is in English, no building. It is of great concernment to the entertainment of Christ Jesus in the world, that his Disciples be at nearest, etc. If they be always wrangling and contending, others will not come among them. No, they will stand off from them, and from the Master which they serve, if he be owned and followed by none but by a company of quarrelsome contentious people. And hence is that Petition of our Saviour in behalf of his Apostles and Disciples at ver. 23. of this Chapter. In my text he prays the Father that they may be one even as the Father and himself were one. And in the cited verse, he renews the same petition, that they may all be one, as thou Father art in me, and I in thee, that they may be one in us. And why so? That the world may believe that thou hast sent me. q. d. If my disciples be not one among themselves, if they be rend asunder by a spirit of division, the world will not believe that I came forth from thee who art the God of love and peace, that thou hast sent me down into the world to be a Mediator, and a Peacemaker, to make up all the breaches and the differences between thee and thy people. They will look strangely upon me, and I shall never bring them to believe, that I am come on such an errand as this is. And therefore I beseech thee Father, that I may be entertained under the Notion of a Mediator, that the world may believe that thou hast sent me on this business, do thou take care that my Disciples may be at unity among themselves. It is of great concernment to the happiness of Christ's Disciples that they be at nearest, etc. Among the eight beatitudes, the third in order falleth to the meek and peaceable, Mat. 5.5. And if the meek and peaceable be blessed, then certainly the fierce and furious are accursed. It is a pretty observation of Ludolphus out of Bede on that place, Heaven is promised to the pure, blessed are the pure in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven: Earth is promised to the meek, Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth; So there remaineth nothing else but hell for the contentious and impure spirit. Ah my beloved, would we avoid the curse, and would we be partakers of the blessing? would we have heaven and earth to be our portion? Let us be pure and peaceable, let us make and keep peace, and so the blessing of the God of peace will be upon us. And therefore David having broken out into a passionate and pithy commendation of the unity of brethren, behold how good and pleasant a thing it is for brethren to dwell together in unity! it is like precious ointment, etc. Psal. 133.2. he shuts up all with this conclusion, There the Lord commanded the blessing and life for evermore. There where brethren live in unity and love, there the Lord commands blessing; it cannot choose but come upon them, for the Lord himself commands it. And this blessing it is life, and this life it is eternal. There the Lord commanded the blessing and life for evevermore. Use 1 Now to proceed to application. Is it so my brethren, that it is a matter of wondrous difficulty and of great concernment for Christ's Disciples to be at nearest unity among themselves? Then let this quicken us and stir us up, who would be taken to be Christ's Disciples, to labour after this oneness, and to endeavour to the utmost of our power to get and keep the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace. You hear it is a matter of great concernment, and therefore it is worth the striving for: It is a matter of wondrous difficulty, and therefore is not to be had without striving. Now I beseech you my beloved, let us set ourselves to this business. There was never greater need them now, when God hath suffered such a spirit of division to possess his own people. And when the members of the body mystical of Christ are of so many minds, and draw so many ways, and have sometimes such vehement and hot contentions and disputes among themselves: So that the Church had never greater reason to cry out, as Rebecca sometimes did, when she had parties in her womb, If it be so, why am I thus? and therefore we had need to put some spirit into this persuasion, and you had need to put some spirit into your endeavours, and if the Lord will put his spirit of unity and peace into us, it may subdue and overcome the spirit of division which reigns too much abroad in these times. But you will ask me, How may we attain this? and what are we to do, that we may come to be at nearest unity among ourselves? Though it be very difficult as you have heard, it may be compassed notwithstanding by the blessing of the Lord, upon the use of these directions. You must endeavour to the utmost of your power to mortify those lusts and those corruptions that incline you to dissensions. I shown you formerly in explication of the point, that the cause of our divisions is within, and not without us; They do not come so much from outward provocations, as inward corruptions. If there were no lusts within, there would be no wars without, as the Apostle James insinuates. And verily if our corruptions, as pride, and passion, and self-love, were throughly mortified within, those outward provocations would never cause such woeful rents and such implacable contentions as they do. And therefore let us set ourselves effectually and throughly to subdue these lusts of ours; though they be naturally as dear and near as the members of our bodies, let us pursue them to the very death, as the Apostle Paul advises, Col. 3.5. Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth. Let nothing satisfy us, till we have the life of them. Let us not wound them only, but destroy them; that aught to be the Christians aim, as the Apostle shows, Rom. 6.6. that the body of sin may be destroyed. Our lusts seek our life, either they must die or we. And they seek God's life, Omne peccatum est Deicidium. And they have sought Christ's life, and brought him to a shameful and accursed death. And therefore let us seek their lives too, and never satisfy ourselves till we have the blood of them. Let it be far from any of us to nourish or to cherish our corruptions, to favour them, or to deal kindly with them any way. No let us dash this Babylonish brood against the stones, let us show them no mercy; And when they are once destroyed, our differences and debates will end with them. As we must mortify our carnal lusts, so we must chase away out of our hearts our carnal reasonings that foment and nourish discords and dissensions. For these, if we will give them entertainment, will set our hearts on fire of hell. And therefore when our thoughts begin to work apace in any injury or provocation that is offered to us, and to tell us strange things, that it is not to be born, and that it may not be endured, let us smother and suppress them, let us not give place to them, no not for an hour, no not for a moment. It is observed of Abraham that when the fowls came down upon his sacrifice, he drove them away, Gen. 15.11. so when such foul and noisome thoughts as these offer to pitch upon our heart, let them have no footing there; no, let us watch them narrowly, that we may suddenly chase them away: And let us follow the advice of the Apostle, Heb. 10.24. Let us consider one another to provoke to love. Let us consider that, and think on that which may stir us up to love; let our imaginations work and dwell upon such thoughts as these, and not those which lead on to Contestation and Dissension. As we should chase away the thoughts, so we should avoid the persons that make and nourish breaches and divisions. It is the Apostles Counsel that we should mark them that cause divisions, and offences, and avoid them, Rom. 16.17. Mark them, not to join with them, but to decline them and avoid them. Brethren, you shall observe that there are some of all hands whose work it is to make peace, and to compose breaches. And there are others on the other side who are as busy as it is possible for men to be, to make rents and separations and divisions. And it is our unhappiness that these dividers' work goes onward faster than the others. Indeed it is an easy thing for one to rip faster than two or three can sow. Alas how many are there in these wrangling times, who are continually meddling, and who make this their work and business, to see how they can set men one against another; how they can blow the coals of discord, and kindle them into a flame; how they can heighten the contention and the animosity that is too high already among those who are in name at least and in profession Christ's Disciples. Now I beseech you my beloved, as the Apostle doth the Romans in the fore-alledged Scripture, Mark these men; let them be of what side they will, if they be of this spirit, do you set a mark upon them, that you may know them another time, and that you decline them, and avoid them. It is a bitter imprecation of the Apostle Paul's, Gal. 2.12. I wish they were cut off that trouble you. Truly I wish that they who are the troublers of our Zions peace, the main and unwearied sticklers in our Church-divisions, who would not have things come to an accord and a friendly composition (for ends which they best know) I wish they were cut off from all communion with the Saints: That all the people of the Lord on all sides would look aloof upon them, and avoid them as the pests of this Nation. And certainly if all men would avoid them, and keep off from them, they would have the less work, and we should have the less trouble. If we would be at nearest unity among ourselves, we must be furnished with abundance of that wisdom which cometh from above, as the Apostle calls it, James. 3.17. For that is gentle, peaceable, easy to be be entreated, full of mercy and good fruits. Contentious persons may applaud their own wits, and think themselves extremely wise and subtle, in making good the quarrels which they undertake: But what saith the Apostle? ver. 14. if you have bitter strife and envy in your hearts, glory not, lie not against the truth. This wisdom descendeth not from above; And if it come not from above, from heaven, it cometh from beneath, from earth, from hell, it is earthly, sensual, devilish. What ever men's abilities, or parts, or reaches are, if they be always quarrelling and falling out, as many are, it is apparent that they want this blessed wisdom. To say the truth, my brethren, it is want of wit that is much of the cause of all this: Anger resteth in the bosom of fools; and so the wise man tells us, that every fool will be meddling, Prov. 20.3. It is an honour for a man to cease from strife, but every fool will be meddling. It is the property of every fool to do so. You have a sort of men, my Brethren, that will be at the end of every quarrel. If there be any difference or strife near them, they will be sure to have a finger in the pie, they will never sit out. Now would you know what kind of men these are? They are a company of fools, a company of busy meddling fools; and were it not for such Idiots we might have much more peace than we have at this day. If men were ballasted with wisdom, they would not be a tempering and a making variance as they do: And if indignities and wrongs were offered to them, they would easily digest them, and possess their souls in patience; and therefore let us labour after this wisdom, and let us follow the advice and counsel of our Saviour, Mar. 9 50. Have salt in yourselves, and have peace one with another. First let us have the salt of wisdom in ourselves, and then we shall have unity and peace with others. If we would be one, and if we would have peace the blessing, we must be under the commanding and the ruling power of peace the virtue: It must sit upon the throne in our hearts, as the Apostle Paul exhorts, Col. 3.15. Let the peace of God rule in your hearts. Brethren, when you are any way exasperated or provoked, so that your passions rise or swell, and are ready to break out into intemperate words or actions, when you are hardly able to contain yourselves, then let the ruling power of peace appear, by stilling and composing all again: And let this holy disposition be so strong within you, that neither pride, nor wrath, nor malice, nor any other lust may be able to control it. There is a story that the Swevians had a Law among them, that in a fray where swords were drawn, if a woman or a child did cry but peace a great way of, they were bound to end the quarrel, or else he died that struck the next stroke after peace was named. So if your passions be at war within you, (to use the Apostles phrase) if they be up in arms, and you do but think of peace, or any friend persuade to peace, let all be hushed and quiet presently, and let that passion die, let it be crucified that dares to stir when peace is mentioned: So let the peace of God rule in our hearts, let it triumph in all, and over all our provocations, that we may bear them all with an unmoved and undisturbed spirit. Let us be earnest with the Lord in prayer, that he would make and keep us one among ourselves: All other means that we can use will be of no avail at all, unless the Lord himself strike in, and interpose in this business. He is the donor and dispenser of this rare and precious blessing; and therefore he is called the God of peace; It is a name that he delighteth in, and therefore it is often used; and he is styled the God of peace, not only because he is formally so (if this expression be allowable) for Primum bonum summae Trinitatis est indivisio, but because he is effectively so, because he is the Author of peace, as the Apostle speaks, 1 Cor. 14.33. For God is not the Author of confusion, but of peace: And he makes wars to cease, saith David, Psal. 46.11. he breaks the bow, and cuts the spear asunder: And therefore the Apostle begs this peace of God in such a manner, as if it were to be obtained no where else, and our Saviour of his Father in my Text, Holy Father, keep them through thy own Name, that they may be one as we are. Well then, my Brethren, let us go to him for this blessing, let us not only strive for peace in the use of other means which have been formerly proposed, but let us pray for peace; so especially for the peace of Jerusalem: Oh let us pray, and pray hard for Church peace, for peace among Christ's Disciples, among Gods own people, for there he uses to bestow it: My peace I leave with you, saith our Saviour, and God will give his people the blessing of peace. Oh let us beg him now in these divided distracted times, to give this blessing to his own people; that though Jerusalem be not at unity, neither can be at unity with those that are without, yet she may be at unity with those that are within, that she may be at unity within herself; and to this end let us desire especially two things. 1. That God himself would govern all his own people, that he would rule them, and command them so, that they may not break the peace. By nature we are all of us inclined to divisions, destruction and unhappiness is in our ways, and the way of peace we have not known: And if the Lord himself should not appease those raging and tempestuous waves that are so apt to rise and swell, if he should not extinguish and put out the fire that is so apt to kindle in the hearts of men, yea of the best men, the world would flame with nothing else but discords and dissensions: And therefore let us earnestly beseech the Lord to do the work which none but he alone is able to perform. To rule and overrule the hearts (at least of his own people) and by his Kingly power to master and keep down those raging passions that are so apt to rise and swell, to the disturbance of the Church's peace; when his household are together by the ears, when they are in a tumult and combustion, let us entreat him to come in among them, and he will quickly make them still as Lambs, all will be hushed and quiet presently. It is his own most gracious promise, and therefore we may urge it with the greater confidence, that he will make the Wolf and Lamb to dwell together, etc. That he will quiet the tempestuous hearts of men, and make them tame: So that how furious and how fierce soever they were formerly by nature, yet they shall be so meek and gentle now, that they shall yield to any admonition or persuasion, yea a little child shall lead them, Isa. 11.6. How weak soever he may seem to be, he shall prevail and overrule them. 2. That God himself would teach all his own people, and the effect of this would be a strange agreement, and a sweet accord among them, even beyond imagination. One cause why they that are professed, and are it may be real Saints, agree no better; and why there are such breaches, and such rents among them, is, because they are not all of them, at least in all things, taught of God. Some of them in some particulars at least, are taught of men, and not of God, and other some are taught of God. And they that are taught of men, will not agree with them that are taught of God; and they that are taught of God, cannot agree with them that are taught of men; and so they are continually wrangling, and contending, and contradicting one another, they can never fadge together: But now when God shall come to teach them all in every thing, than they shall think and speak the same things, than they shall quarrel and contest no more, but they shall all of them agree, and live in unity and love together. And therefore let us earnestly beseech the Lord to do this, to leave his children now no longer out at School, but speedily to fetch them home, and to teach them all himself. That being all of one School, under one chief Master, and some Ushers under him, they may be all taught one way, and so may all agree together. We have the promise of the Lord for this too, Isa. 54.13. Oh let us urge it hard upon him in such times as these are; All thy children shall be taught of God, and mark what follows presently, great shall be the peace of thy children; Here is a time for such a promise to be put in suit, and therefore let us press it home, let us take no nay. Let the Lord have no rest, till he teach all his own children, and then he will have a great School, and we shall have great peace. JOHN 17.12. While I was with them in the world, I kept them in thy Name. THE words now read are part of the Lords Prayer, not of the Lords Prayer which he taught us, but as I shown in the beginning, of the Lords Prayer which he made for us: Not that which he propounded to us as our pattern, but that which he presented for us as our privilege; at least for his Apostles and Disciples, and in them for us also. In which have been considered two things: The matter of it, and the reasons of it. The things which Christ desires in the behalf of his Apostles and Disciples: And then the arguments with which he presseth and enforceth his desire: The matter of it, or the thing which he desireth in the behalf of his Apostles and Disciples, is preservation; Holy Father, keep them through thy own Name, which we have fully ended and dispatched. And now we are arrived at the reasons of the prayer, the arguments with which our Saviour presseth and enforceth this desire of his. Whereof the first is taken from his own effectual preservation of them, during the time that he had been among them; and therefore he would have his Father keep them now, because he himself had kept them very safe till now. While I was with them in the world, saith he, I kept them, and none of them is lost, but the son of perdition: And now I am even ready to withdraw my corporal and fleshly presence from them, and therefore I beseech thee Father, take them into thy tuition, receive them into thy especial custody and care; I had them from thee, and here I render and resign them up again safe, and whole, and sound to thee; I pray thee Father, keep them henceforward, as well as I have done to this day. This passage of our Saviour hath two considerable things in it; a general profession, and a particular exception. First you have here a general profession, that he had safely and entirely kept all those that were bestowed upon him by his Father; While I was with them in the world, I kept them in thy Name, those that thou gavest me I kept, and none of them is lost. And then you have a particular exception of Judas, who here is styled, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, the son of perdition. An Hebrew manner of expression, that is, perditioni destinatus & devotus, as Beza reads it, destinated and devoted to perdition. None of them is lost, but the son of perdition, who was designed and appointed to destruction. He is lost, and he only. In the general profession and assertion of our Saviour, I shall desire you to take notice with me of these three things, viz. whom he kept; in whose behalf he kept them; and how long he kept them. First whom he kept; those who were bestowed upon him by the donation of the Father, only those, and all those; Those whom thou gavest me I kept, and none of them is lost: Secondly, in whose behalf he kept them, in his Fathers. As he had them from the Father, so he kept them as the Fathers, I kept them in thy Name, saith he; though they were made over to him by a deed of gift, he kept them notwithstanding in his Father's Name, and not in his own. He keep them as his Father's goods, and as a servant in the business to his Father. As if he should have told the world, they are my Fathers, and for him I keep them. Thirdly, how long he kept them; while I was with them in the world, saith he; He speaks as if he were in heaven already, because the time of his departure was at hand, he was as good as gone into the bosom of the Father, while I was with them in the world I kept them. But did he keep them no longer than he was with them in the world? No, my Beloved, no longer in the way that he intends: No longer as God manifested in the flesh, and in a visible, and corporal, and fleshly way; and therefore in the verse before which I have finished, he yields them up to the tuition of the Godhead, and addeth this immediately; while I was with them (conceive it corporally) in the world, I kept them in thy Name, those whom thou gavest me I kept, and none of them is lost. You see, my Brethren, here are many weighty things, if I should undertake to handle all, I should over-grasp myself, and let fall more than I should hold. And therefore I shall fasten on the first particular observed, which though it be not first in place, and in the order of the words, yet it is first in reason to be handled: Whom our Saviour kept; and they, as you have heard, were those that were bestowed upon him by the Father; Those that thou gavest me I kept, and none of them is lost; and here the Observation lies before us. DOCTRINE. Christ hath been wont to keep them safe who are bestowed upon him by the Father. Those whom the Father gives him, he is sure to keep: So he did when he was conversant upon the earth among them; and so he doth now he is resident in heaven; for he is yesterday and to day the same for ever: Then indeed he kept them one way, and now he keeps them in another; then he was with them to preserve them in a visible and fleshly way, by the presence of his body: Now he is with them to preserve them in an invisible and spiritual way, by the presence of his Spirit: And however in the verse immediately before my Text he resigns them to the Father, as if he meant to take no further charge of them; that Father, my Beloved, is the whole Godhead, of which himself as God makes one Person: For Jesus Christ as he is man, is not the Son of the first Person of the Godhead only, but of all the three Persons. And in my text he speaks as man, for he speaks in prayer here; and prayer is part of worship, and God doth not worship God. And therefore when as man he yields up his Disciples to the Father (his Manhood being now to be withdrawn) he yields them to the whole Godhead, which is the Father of the Son as he is Man: And consequently Jesus Christ as Man, resigns them to himself as God aswell as to the other two Persons; and so in that capacity he keeps them to this day, and will do so to the world's end. Still you see he keeps them safe who are bestowed upon him by the Father. Now to evince and clear the point, I shall dispatch these two things. First I shall show you that, and how, the Father gives men to the Son. And then in what respects, and how far forth the Son preserves and keeps them safe who are thus bestowed upon him by the Father. As for the first of these, that some there are, some certain choice selected ones, whom God the Father in a special manner gives to Jesus Christ, this is apparent in the Text; Those whom thou gavest me I kept; Indeed, originally all the world, and all the people in it, appertain to God; his they are, for he made them: So that if Jesus Christ, as he is Man, have any people, it must be by donation from the Father: And therefore he is often said to give men to the Son in the Scripture, especially in the New Testament, according to his promise in the old, Psal. 2.7. Ask of me and I will give thee the Heathen for thine inheritance. And yet you must not apprehend that he doth so bestow them on the Son, that he doth utterly divest himself of all his interest, and wholly pass away his right in them: No, my Beloved, the Father gives men to the Son, just as a great Sheep-master gives his sheep unto his Shepherd, to keep them and to look to them, to save them and answer them again: So Jesus Christ who is the servant of the Father (as he calls him, Isa. 42.1. Behold my servant) receives men from him under that notion: And therefore he is said to keep them in his Father's Name, and as his Father's goods, as a shepherd and a servant to his Father. It is his own expression in my Text, While I was with them in the world, I kept them in thy Name; those whom thou gavest me I kept, and none of them is lost. They are his, you see, to keep them, not to sell them or to lose them; for he is always answerable for them to the Father. Now in this sense the Father gives men to the Son, especially in two respects. 1. In the first place he gives men to him by election; and this he doth from everlasting; He picks out such a certain company of men, and bestows them upon Christ in regard of the decree. There are a people for thee, saith the Father to the Son: So many thou shalt have among the jews; and if that be not sufficient, thou shalt have as many more as thou wilt ask among the Gentiles; Ask of me and I will give thee the Heathen for thine inheritance, Psal. 2.7. And therefore God is said to choose us in the Son, Eph. 1.4. as in our Head, and as by designation members of his body. He doth not choose us first, and then after choose Christ; No, he chooses Christ first; he is his first and chief Elect, and then he chooses as in him, appoints us to belong to him. It were unnatural the feet should first come out of the womb before the head; and therefore God observes this method; First Christ the Head comes forth out of the womb of his Decree, and then the others follow. First he electeth Christ to be the head of his Church, and then he electeth us to be the members of his body. And hence perhaps is that expression of our Saviour's to the Father, a body hast thou prepared me, or fitted me, as it is rendered in the Margin, Heb. 10.5. viz. in thy Predestination: Thou hast not only chosen me to be a Head, but in and by the fame decree thou hast prepared a body for me. Thou hast culled out a certain company of men, whom thou hast preordained to belong to me, whom thou hast chosen as it were in me, and whom thou hast bestowed upon me to be members of my body. 2. And as the Father gives men to the Son by the decree, so more expressly by the execution and accomplishment of the decree; as he bestows men on our Saviour by election, so further yet by actual union and incorporation. In the first he assigns them, in the second he delivers them, when he takes those very men whom he had preordained from everlasting and puts them into Jesus Christ: There, saith the Father, are the members which I appointed for thee from Eternity. So that now the Son receives them, and hath them in his own possession. And he may say to God the Father as the Prophet doth, Here am I, and the people which thou hast given me. Thine they were saith Jesus Christ, Joh. 17.6. They have been thine, I must acknowledge; but now the property is altered, they are mine. Why, which way came you by them? might the Father say. The Son replies, By thy donation, by thy own free gift; Thine they were, and thou hast given them to me, as it is added in the next words. So than you see, my Brethren, that, and how, the Father gives men to the Son. Now for the second thing proposed, in what respects and how far forth the Son preserves and keeps them safe, who are thus bestowed upon him by the Father, This will need a little opening, because indeed there is some difficulty in it. And that you may the better understand it, I shall show you in the first place, how far our Saviour doth not keep them, who are thus bestowed upon him. And in the second place how far he doth. 1. He doth not keep them that they do not suffer. Though Christ be with his own Disciples in the Ship, there may be a storm upon it, and a very dangerous one. They may be under heavy trials, and afflictions, both within them and without them. Christ may expose them, though they be his own, to bitter persecutions in the world; yea to the greatest miseries that humane cruelties can devise to inflict. And when in the extremity of their distresses they run crying to him, as they are about to sink, Master save us we perish, Christ may seem to be asleep, to wink at all this misery of theirs, to make as if he knew nothing, and as if he did not dream of the intolerable pressures that lie upon his poor people. 2. He doth not keep them that they do not sin; and that most grievously, sometimes with hideous circumstantial aggravations. How fearfully have many fallen, who have indeed belonged to Jesus Christ? We have very sad examples of it in the Scripture. Peter was one of them, concerning whom our Saviour tells his Father in my text, those whom thou gavest me I kept. And indeed he prayed for Peter in a special manner, that his faith might never fail, that it might not wholly fail, so as to be quite lost and utterly extinct in him. Yet after this you know, he fearfully sinned notwithstanding, so as in some respect to deny the Lord that bought him; and that in a stupendious way, with dreadful Oaths, yea, more than so, with bitter curses, and direful imprecations too. What sin almost may not Christ leave a person to commit, whom he hath taken into his tuition? 3. But now my brethren, in the third place, though Christ do not keep them that they do not suffer, and though he do not keep them that they do not sin, who are bestowed upon him by his Father, both by election and incorporation: yet he doth keep them that they do not perish. All that are so bestowed upon him he keeps so that they are not lost, as you have it in my text, Those whom thou gavest me, I kept saith he, and none of them is lost. They may suffer grievously, their sufferings may deprive them of the life of nature, but they cannot deprive them of the life of grace. They may be persecuted, but they cannot be forsaken totally and finally. They may be cast down, but they cannot be destroyed, as 2 Cor. 4.9. They may be destroyed as men, but they can never be destroyed as Saints. In this respect they are like Mount Zion that can never be removed. The wind may 〈◊〉 drive away the chaff; but all the storms of persecution shall never blow away one grain of good wheat. So they may sin exceedingly, but they can never sin to death. Any sin they may commit (if you respect the matter of it, for of that I speak, not of the manner of Commission) but that against that Holy Ghost. There is a sin to death, saith the Apostle, 1 John 5.16. to death, not in the merit of it only (for so is every sin to death if we look to the desert) but to death, in the event, so that eternal death and condemnation is the infallible and unavoidable effect and issue of it. And this Christ surely keeps his people from, so that they never fall into it. He gives his sheep eternal life, and they do never perish, as himself speaks, John 10.28. And though they be not kept in all respects to preservation, either from sinning, or from suffering, yet they are kept unto salvation, notwithstanding both these, 1 Pet. 1.5. And thus you see the point is clear, that Jesus Christ doth keep them safe who are bestowed upon him by his Father, in the sense before expressed. Not safe from sinning and from suffering, but safe from losing, whatever their afflictions, whatever their transgressions be. Those whom thou gavest me, I kept, saith he, and none of them is lost. Object. But you will interrupt me with our Saviour's own exception in the very next words, but the Son of perdition; none of them is lost but the Son of perdition, so that one of them was lost who was bestowed upon him by the Father. Sol. To this some answer, that the particle But is not exceptive, but adversitative, and so doth not at all imply that judas was bestowed upon our Saviour by the Father. Those whom thou gavest me I kept, and none of them, no not one of them is lost. But as for Judas, he indeed is gone, being none of that number. He is not given to me by election, but is indeed the Son of perdition. But if it be allowed to be exceptive, and so that Judas was in some respect bestowed upon our Saviour by the Father, it will not follow that he was so bestowed upon him as the rest were. Indeed the Father gave him Judas for outward Ministration as the rest of the Apostles, but not for inward union and incorporation as the rest. He gave him Judas for a Servant as the rest, not for a member as the rest; he was not bestowed upon our Saviour by election as the rest, for he was a reprobate, and therefore called the Son of perdition. But why then doth Christ except him? Because he was in some respect bestowed upon him as the rest, and for aught appeared then in all respects. And therefore though our Saviour Christ's exception be improper, as to the Grammar of the words, as Calvin very well observes upon the Text, yet it is not improper as to the sense of those that heard him. For any thing that they were able to discover, he was as much bestowed on Christ, as any of the rest of the Apostles. And therefore though this [but] might have been spared, if all things had been rightly understood, yet it was very necessary with respect to them who thought far better of that hypocrite than he deserved. None of them is lost saith Christ, but he who though he be accounted for the present of the number, yet he is indeed and will in time appear to be the Son of perdition. Use 1 Now is it so that Jesus Christ doth keep them safe who are bestowed upon him by the Father? They are exceedingly mistaken then who hold and teach, that Christ may and doth often lose those whom the Father gives him: And that not only for outward Ministration, but even for inward union and incorporation; That he that is in Christ to day, may be out of Christ to morrow; That he that is elect to day, may be reprobate to morrow; that he that is to day an heir of salvation, may be to morrow a child of perdition. A Doctrine infinitely prejudicial to the honour of our Saviour, as if he were regardless of that which is bestowed upon him by his Father, and looked upon it as not worth the keeping. As if he were unfaithful to the trust that is reposed in him by the Father. He commits a people to him to be kept and saved by him. The Father doth it to this very end, that he may give eternal life to as many as he hath given him, John 17.2. And what doth Jesus Christ abandon them to ruin and destruction notwithstanding? No, my beloved: mark what John the Baptist saith, John 3.35. The Father loves the Son, saith he, and hath given all things into his hands; you must conceive it, all things of one sort he hath bestowed upon him; so that he hath put them into his hand, to honour them and to keep and preserve them: all his elect and chosen people: for all things of another sort he hath (as the Apostle speaks) put under his feet to tread upon them and to ruin and destroy them. But what doth Jesus Christ with those his Father gives him in the former way? why as his Father would he should do: he keeps them and he gives eternal life to them, as it is added in the next verse. Yea they have everlasting life (as that is the expression there) they have it in the present world in regard of inchoation, and are as sure of the perfection of it in the world to come, as if they had it in their own possession. And to affirm that such may perish and be lost for ever, is to make the Son of God unfaithful to the Father, which is a horrid derogation. Or if not so, at least unable to preserve them from destruction; Save them he would, but it is not in his power. Whereas the Apostle tell us that he is able to save his people to the utmost, Heb. 7.25. And he himself who is the truth itself affirms, that none shall pluck them out of his hand, john 10.28. The world would, the devil would, the flesh would, many would, but none shall. He hath power to overtop them and to master and control them, so that they shall not have their will in this business. And as this Doctrine, that they may be lost whom God the Father gives to Jesus Christ, is very prejudicial to the honour of our Saviour, so to the comfort of his poor people. Alas, my brethren, what solid and enduring comfort will the best condition that they can be in, afford them, if they be not sure to keep it? Suppose they give all diligence to make their calling and election sure; yea, suppose they make it sure; Though they be sure they are elect, they are not sure they shall continue so; by this doctrine, they may be reprobates to morrow; suppose they prove themselves whether they be in Christ or no; Suppose they prove they be in Christ; they cannot prove they shall continue so; by this doctrine, they may be out of Christ to morrow. And is not this cold comfort? Ah my beloved, how will it sting the soul that is about to take her flight for another world to be at such uncertainty, when all the consolation she can have is only this, that for the present she belongs to Christ, but the next hour before she get away out of the world, he may lose her and disown her, and so she is undone for ever. John making mention of the Locusts that crawl out of the bottomless pit (and they are Antichristian Teachers) affirmeth that they shall torment men, Apoc. 9.5. and that with exquisite and horrid torture: it shall be like the torment of a Scorpion that striketh a man, as it is added in the next words: which torment they shall put men to by teaching Antichristian doctrine. And truly, my Beloved, this doctrine of the possibility of falling quite away from Christ, and being lost by him for ever, after the most sweet experience of his love, and after all his dearest kisses and embraces of a poor soul, is one of the most venomous and bitter stings with which these Scorpions strike men. Oh my Beloved, what exquisite and racking pangs and agonies of fear and horror, this may cast a soul into, in the sad hour of temptation, desertion and dissolution, no tongue of Men or Angels is sufficient to express. Use. 2 Is it so, that Jesus Christ doth keep them safe who are bestowed, etc. You then that are delivered up into the hands of Jesus Christ by the donation of the Father, triumph and be exceeding glad in the security of your Condition. Believe it, you can never perish, be your afflictions, or temptations, or corruptions what they will, or what they can: depend upon it, you are safe as to the main. If you belong to Jesus Christ, he hath undertaken for you to the Father, and he will see that you shall not miscarry. Let the flesh, and let the world, and let the Devil pluck at you with all their power, and might, it is in vain; they shall not get you off from Jesus Christ. They may pluck you, and pluck you violently in his hand, but they shall never pluck you out of his hand: No, my Beloved; he that hath received you from the Father, will be sure to answer you safe and sound to him again: And in the great day of account, he will bring you forth and say, Here am I, and the people which thou hast given me: Those which thou gavest me, I kept, and not one of them is lost. Indeed, my Brethren, if your preservation depended on your own care, strength, ability, you were in very great hazard: But seeing this depends upon the care and power, and faithfulness of Jesus Christ, what can be added to your safety? Now the better to assure you, & settle you in this particular, I shall lay down a few particulars as an foundation, upon which this comfortable truth is built, that Christ will surely keep them safe who are bestowed upon him by the Father. And they are of three sorts. Either such as respect the Father who bestows a people on the Son; or such as respect the Son on whom this people are bestowed; or such as respect the people who by the Father are bestowed upon the Son. As for the first of these, you may be sure that Christ will keep you safe, if you have been bestowed upon him by the Father; out of love, and out of duty to the Father. First he will keep you out of love to God the Father: What do you think that Christ will lose that which his Father gives him? we would not lose the gift but of an ordinary friend, especially if he be dear to us, as I have noted heretofore, and much less would we lose a Father's gift; we would keep such a thing with all the care and diligence we can. Now Jesus Christ loves his Father better than we can love ours; and therefore as he had us from the Father, so he will surely keep us for the Father's sake. Secondly, As he will keep us out of love so out of duty to the Father; For as Man and Mediator he is a servant to the Father; And as the Father hath bestowed a people on him, so he hath given him an express command to keep them, and he hath given him ample power that he may keep them: And consequently Jesus Christ will certainly preserve them, out of duty to the Father: in reference to his injunction that he may not disobey him: in reference to his intention and expectation, that he may not disappoint to him. First in reference to the injunction of the Father, Christ will surely keep us that he may not disobey him. For you must know, my Brethren, that the Father, as he hath given us to Jesus Christ, so he hath withal commanded him to look to us, and to see we do not perish. This is the Father's will, saith Christ, that of all which he hath given me, I should lose nothing, Joh. 6.39. And he came down into this lower world to do the will of him that sent him. And therefore certainly he will be very careful of this special charge of his: he will observe it very strictly and exactly. He will be infinitely wary that he lose nothing of the Father's goods, which he hath given him to keep, and required him to keep, that so he may approve himself a faithful servant. Secondly in reference to the intention of the Father, Jesus Christ will surely keep us, that he may not disappoint him: For as he hath received a strict command, so he hath withal received full and ample power to keep us: His Father hath bestowed it on him to this very end, as himself acknowledges, Joh. 17.2. As thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he might give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him, and consequently that they might not perish: So that this is the Father's aim, you see, which Jesus Christ will never frustrate; he hath bestowed upon him large authority and power to this purpose: Power over all flesh that he may give eternal life to some flesh, to as many as God hath given him. Indeed if he were only vested with authority and power over that flesh which God intends that he shall keep and save, it would fall short in this business; For there is other flesh that would resist and hinder our salvation. There is flesh within us, I mean our lusts and our corruptions; and there is flesh without us, I mean the world and worldly men that would oppose this great work; and therefore God hath qualified Jesus Christ with power sufficient to reach his end in this design of his. He hath not only vested him with power over the flesh to which he means that he should give eternal life: But he hath given him power over all flesh, that he may give eternal life to as many as he hath given him; that other flesh may not resist him and disappoint him in this great business; and therefore let the flesh without us, and let the flesh within struggle, we may be confident that we shall have eternal life, in spite of all their opposition: For God hath vested Jesus Christ with full power, to this end, and to this purpose, that he may give it, and that none may hinder it. As Jesus Christ will surely keep us for his Father's sake, so he will keep us for his own sake, and for the property and interest which he himself hath in us; For you must know, my Brethren, that we are not nakedly entrusted with our Saviour as a servant, in which respect he is engaged to keep us out of duty; but more than so, we are bestowed upon him as a Son, in which respect he is engaged to keep us out of property, and this is that which makes us safe indeed. If Jesus Christ were but an hireling, and if the sheep were not his own, he might leave them as a prey to the devouring and ravening Wolf, as he himself informs us in that same Similitude, Joh. 10.12. The hireling flees and leaves the sheep, because the sheep are not his own, and cares not for the sheep, and the Wolf catcheth and scattereth the sheep. But Jesus Christ is not the Shepherd only, but the owner of the sheep; he keeps them not for wages, but for love, and for the property he hath in them, and therefore certainly he will be careful of them to the utmost. Those whom the Father gives him, he will keep: Indeed they are the Sons portion, The Lord's portion is his people, Deut. 32.9. And what follows? He kept them as the Apple of his Eye. What do you think that Jesus Christ will lose his portion which his Father gives him? That he will be so wretchless, that he will not keep his own? his own goods: Nay, more than so; his own members, the very apples of his Eye. Will he suffer men or Devils to rend away his limbs from him, to pluck his very eyes out of his head? take this and take all. We may be sure that Jesus Christ will keep us safe, who are bestowed upon him by his Father, as for his Father's sake, and for his own sake, so for our sakes too: And that upon a double reckoning or account. For first of all we cost him dear; and secondly, we are very dear to him. 1. We cost him dear; he paid a great price for us, and therefore he will know how he goes from us. We cost him prayers; he hath not one of us among the Gentiles without ask: Ask of me, and I will give thee the Heathen for thine inheritance, saith the Father to the Son, Psal. 2.7. Otherwise I will not. Christ is feign to beg for us before he gets us of the Father. Nay, more than so, we did not cost him breath only, but we cost him blood too; He is the Lord that bought us, as the Apostle Peter calls him, and bought us not with gold and silver, and such corruptible things, but with his own most precious blood, 1 Pet. 1.19. And if he lose us in the end, he hath a very ill bargain. No, my Beloved, we may rest upon it, that Jesus Christ will never suffer the purchase of his prayers the purchase of his blood to perish; he never spent his breath, and much less will he spend his blood in vain. 2. And as we cost him dear, so we are very dear to him: His heart is infinitely set upon his Church and people; he loves them out of all measure, so that you may be sure he will be loath to see them perish. He looks upon them as his Jewels, Mal. 3.17. and as his own peculiar treasure, Psal. 135.4. And he will keep his Treasure and his Jewels safe, take his trash who will. And thus you have seen the grounds, on which you may be confident, that if the Father have bestowed you on the Son, he will not lose you; No, you are safe enough, depend upon it; it is impossible that you should ever perish, or miscarry. But you will interpose and say perhaps, Object. This Doctrine serves to make men negligent, and careless, and secure; For if they be preserved and kept so absolutely safe by Christ, they need to take no care to keep themselves. For answer, let it be considered, 1. Sol. That Christ doth keep men by themselves. And hence saith the Apostle James, This is Religion for a man to keep himself unspotted of the world, James 1.27. And Paul advises Timothy to keep himself pure, 1 Tim. 5.22. And 2. if any of you who belong to Christ, remit your watch and grow secure, and neglect to keep yourselves, though Christ will not lose you, yet you may lose Christ as the Church did when she lay upon her bed, and would not open, Cant. 5.6. You may be woefully deserted by him both in regard of grace and peace: And though you cannot fall away, yet you may fall most fearfully to the dishonour of the Lord, and of Religion, and the irreparable wounding of your Names while you have a day to live. Though you cannot wholly lose the inward habits of your graces, yet you may lose the exercise of them. And though you cannot lose the Essence, yet you may lose the sense and comfort of all the graces that you have: Though it be utterly impossible that you should perish in reality, yet you may perish in your own conceit and apprehension; you may be brought to such a sad condition, that you may look upon yourselves as reprobates and castaways, and think yourselves undone creatures: And though Christ will not suffer you to go to hell, yet he may make you cry in your heart and in your bones, as David did, and set you on the rack of such unutterable agonies, and horrors and affrightments, that you may feel a Hell in this world. Now for a last use of the Point, this may afford a seasonable admonition Use 3 to all the Deputies and under-Officers of Jesus Christ. If Christ who is the Father's servant, and the Father's Shepherd, do keep them safe who are committed to him by the Father; you then who are the Servants, and the Shepherds and the Officers of Christ, should learn of him, to keep them (safe as far as lies in you) who are committed to your custody, and care by Jesus Christ. 1. Ministers are Christ's Shepherds in the Church, as Christ is the Father's Shepherd; and as the Father commits his people to the Son to keep, so Christ commits them to his under-Officers, and to his Ministers to keep; and therefore it concerneth them to hearken to the advice of the Apostle to the Elders of Ephesus, Act. 20.28. Take heed to yourselves, and to all the flock over which Jesus Christ hath made you Overseers to feed the Church of Christ, which he hath purchased with his own blood; yea, to the admonition of Jesus Christ himself to Peter, Joh. 21.15. Simon son of Ionas, lovest thou me? dost thou love me? dost thou indeed? why if thou dost, Keep my Lambs, feed my Sheep; If you have any love to Christ your Master, see that none of his be lost by your default, by want of any pains you could have taken w●th them, in heat by day, and cold by night, for want of any admonition, or instruction that you could have given them: And be assured of th●s, that if any of them perish by your carelessness, and your neglect, you will have a very sad account to make when the day of reckoning comes; their blood will Jesus Christ require at your hands: Oh let it not be said of you that you do not Custodire gregem sed perdere, non pascere sed mactare. Not keep the sheep but lose them; not feed the flock, but feed upon it: Be sure that you be faithful to your great trust, that you may give up your account with joy; and that when Christ shall call you to a reckoning, you may say to him, as he doth to his Father in my Text, and say it truly, Those whom thou gavest me to keep I kept, and not one of them is lost by my means. 2. So Magistrates are Christ's servants, his Shepherds in the Commonwealth, as they are called 1 King. 22.17. And they must learn to keep them safe who are committed to them to be kept as Christ doth. They must be very careful of the sheep of Christ that none of them miscarry in their hands. And to this end they must do two things. 1. They must chase away the Wolves, that seek to prey upon the sheep of Christ: The Wolves that prey upon their persons or estates. These you must either make to fly, or break their jaws, as Job did, and pluck the prey out of their teeth. The Wolves that prey upon their souls, that bring in soul-destroying errors, damnable heresies, as the Apostle calls them, 2 Pet. 2.1. There are some errors which whosoever holds them and continues in them, suffers loss, but he himself is saved, as the Apostle speaks, 1 Cor. 3.15. But there are others in which if any man continue, he himself is lost for ever. Now they that bring in those, destroy the sheep of Christ: and therefore they that keep his sheep, must take course with such, according to the power which the Law of God and Man hath put into their hands. 2. They must be very tender of the sheep of Christ, which he hath given them to keep, as David was; Alas those sheep, what evil have they done? And as Hezekiah was, who, as a Type of Christ, is styled a hiding place from wind, and a covert from the Tempest, Isa. 32.2. where the poor sheep might fly for shelter, in a storm, and there find sure refuge. Now I beseech you honourable and respected, Preached at the Assizes. who are the Ministers of Christ, be you such to his people; Let them have protection from you, let them be kept safe by you: Oh do not see them injured and undone, if you can help them. Oh do not see them lost if you can save them: Keep them as you desire that Jesus Christ should keep you; let those who will assuredly find favour at the last day, at the bar of Jesus Christ, find favour at your bar now. I speak not this that you should bolster any out in any evil; God forbidden; but that you should be very careful that those who appertain to Christ, be not so far neglected by you, as to be overborn unjustly and maliciously by those who are the enemies of Christ and them, Oh be a covert and a hiding place to such. Make them ashamed who report (I hope untruly) that many times an honest man finds less respect and countenance then an enemy of Christ. And in a word, in all your actings, and administrations, have a careful eye upon the little flock of Jesus Christ, to fence it, and to mound it, and safeguard it, that no damage come to it: that when the Stewardship is out, and the counting time is come, you may not be dejected, and hang down your heads, but may appear before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy: that you may rejoice in Christ, and Christ may rejoice in you, to see how well and faithfully you have demeaned yourselves in his service. JOHN 17.12. But the Son of Perdition. AND thus of our Saviour's general profession, that he had safely and entirely kept all those that were bestowed upon him by his Father; Those whom thou gavest me I kept, and none of them is lost. Proceed we now to his particular exception of Judas; but the son of perdition; none of them is lost, but the son of perdition. How, and upon what account Judas is excepted here from the rest of the Apostles, you may remember I have showed you fully heretofore. And therefore I shall touch no more at the Exception. But I shall fasten on the appellation that is given him who is excepted here: The son of perdition. Now he is called the son of perdition, not only to imply that he was a lost creature, as considered in himself; but more than so, that he was destinated and appointed to be lost in the eternal Counsel and Decree of God, that he designed him to destruction. A manner of Expression very usual with the Hebrews, as Calvin and some others after him observe upon the Text. Now this our Saviour mentions, not to lay the fault of the destruction of this wretched man on God's Decree, or to take it off from Judas; But to make it to appear, that though he were a lost creature, yet the election of the Lord remained firm, and stood unalterable notwithstanding: For he was not elected, but reprobated and appointed to perdition. This being the intention of the phrase, the Observation clearly offered to us here is this. DOCTRINE. That God in his Eternal Counsel and Decree hath appointed and designed some certain special persons to destruction. This was the case of Judas in my Text; he was Perditioni destinatus ac devotus, destinated and devoted to perdition: And therefore when he was destroyed and lost, the Holy Ghost observeth of him, that he went to his own place, Act. 1.25. that is to Hell, the place which was appointed for him from Eternity: And therefore Bildad speaks of some whom God hath cast away, Job 8.4. And Job of some who are reserved to destruction, Job 21.31. The Wise man tells us that God hath made the wicked for the day of evil, Prov. 16.4. The Lord made all things for himself, his own glory; yea, even the wicked for the glory of his Justice to be declared and manifested on them in the evil day, the day which is so to them: That is, the day of judgement and perdition of ungodly men, as the Apostle Peter calls it, 2 Epist. 3.7. to which day they are reserved, as the same Apostle speaks; you must conceive it in the everlasting purpose and decree of God, 1 Pet. 2.9. As there are vessels of mercy ordained to glory, so there are vessels of wrath prepared to destruction, Rom. 9.22. Not only by their own misdeeds, but in some sense by the decree of God. Meritoriously indeed and in desert they are prepared for it only by themselves, and by their own sins. But in design they are prepared for it also by the Counsel and the fore-appointment of the Lord. And this indeed is specially intended in the place. Or else wherefore doth the Apostle for clearing of the Justice of the Lord in this particular, fly to his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, his absolute and sovereign power, which he hath over all his creatures, to bestow them at his pleasure, either to wrath, or to salvation: Even as the Potter is at liberty to mould his clay, to what shape and to what use he pleases, either to honour or to dishonour. The answer had been ready and at hand, if God had had no finger in the business, in preparing men to wrath, no not so much as by determination and decree, Paul need not have said he did it by his absolute and Sovereign power. No, if it had been so, he might have said, God did it not all, he prepared them not at all, ordained them not at all, but they prepared themselves to wrath and to destruction. But this he could not say; for it were quite against the saying of the holy Ghost, jude 4. where he makes mention of some certain men, who were before of old ordained to condemnation. Not only fitted for it by themselves, but preordained to it by another, and that is God. Yea the Apostle Paul doth clearly and expressly intimate that God appointeth some to wrath, in that memorable place to this purpose, 1 Thes. 5.9. where stirring up the Thessalonians to exemplary holiness of life, he quickens them with the consideration of the high preferment which he and they and others had in that which is indeed the richest and the choicest mercy of the Lord, For God hath not appointed us to wrath. Others he hath; but this is our prerogative that God hath not appointed us to wrath, (as he hath done many others,) but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. So that the Point is plain you see, that God in his Eternal Counsel and Decree, hath appointed and designed, etc. To open this a little to you, that so you may the more distinctly understand it, you must know, that there are two parts or acts of the decree of God, in reference to these whom he appointeth to destruction; viz. a negative, and a positive act. The first of these, the negative act, is nothing else but preterition, nonelection, Passing by, and not electing some particular and special men to that beatitude and glory which others are appointed to. This is that will of God, by which he hath determined not to save them, but even to leave them in their lost condition, that they may perish everlastingly. Now this, my brethren, is expressly and apparently employed and included in election. For when God chooses some, it follows evidently, that there are other some remaining, on which that act of choosing doth not pass. When David went to fight against Goliath, he chose him five smooth stones out of the brook; Who doth not presently conceive that he refused other some? If all be taken, it is no election: so that election carries in it the first act of reprobation, preterition, passing by. When some are chosen, there are other some refused; when some are taken, there are others left. 2. But now there is another act of the decree of God in reference to those whom he appointeth to destruction, which we have called a positive act. For as God leaves men, in the first place, in their sins, and in their lost condition, and doth not choose them to salvation: So in the second place, he resolveth with himself to condemn them and to destroy them for the sin in which he leaves them, and so to glorify his Justice in them. And this is that which some have styled predamnation, damnation in the purpose and decree of God. For it is one thing to decree the condemnation of such as are not chosen to salvation: and it is another thing actually to condemn them, by executing the decree upon them. Now of this second act of the decree of God it is that we speak in the conclusion we are handling, That God in his Eternal Counsel and Decree hath appointed and designed some certain special persons to destruction. But you will ask me, Why hath God done so? What is the reason of this Act of his? What doth induce him to ordain men to destruction? First, I will show you what is not the reason; And in the next place I will show you what it is. The sins of men are not the reason why God ordains men to destruction; they are the cause indeed why he destroys them, but not why he ordains them to destruction. It's true, sin is considered in this second act of reprobation, which we have styled predamnation. For as the Lord condemns men for their sins, in the great and dreadful day, so he accordingly decrees from everlasting to condemn them for their sins. He doth in time, as he decrees from all eternity; Just so and no otherwise. But mark it my beloved, however sin be thought upon in the decree, yet it is not the moving cause of the decree, but only of the execution of it. And as it is not the foresight of faith and holiness upon the one side that inclineth God to choose men: so on the other side it is not the foresight of infidelity and disobedience that inclines him to reject them and appoint them to damnation. Indeed God damns men for their sins, yea he decrees to damn men for their sins; but yet it is not for their sins that he decrees it. Sin is the Cause, and is considered as the cause of the accomplishment of the decree: but not of the decree itself. But if sin be not the reason then why God appoints men to destruction, what is the reason then? Truly there is no reason out of God, no moving or impulsive cause of the decree out of his own bosom. His 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is the only reason why he appointeth some to wrath, and others to salvation: the pleasure of his own will. He hath mercy on whom he will, and whom he will he hardeneth, as the Apostle speaks, Rom. 9.18. And therefore the Apostle in that very Chapter concludeth the decree of God, both of election, and of reprobation, to be absolutely free from any motive or inducement out of God himself, because it passed upon the children, jacob and Esau being yet unborn, having neither done good or evil, as you may see at large, Rom. 9.11, 12, 13. For the children being not yet born, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works but of him that calleth, it was said, The elder shall serve the younger, etc. As it is written, Jacob have I loved, that is to choose him; and Esau have I hated, to reject him. And consequently neither election not rejection was of works, not of any thing in them, seeing it took hold upon them before they had a being in the world. Yea but it will be said perhaps, though they were yet unborn, and though they had done neither good nor evil, yet God fore-knew, and God foresaw they would be born, and that in time they would do good or evil, and so accordingly he moulded his decree, electing him whom he foresaw would do good, rejecting him whom he foresaw would do evil. But how then was it not of works, if it were of works foreseen of the one side or the other? will works foreseen stand better with the freeness of the purpose and decree of God, then present works or works in being? Not a whit. And therefore this is clearly and apparently the force of the Apostles reason. The decree of God is free, and not of works: it is not caused by any thing that man doth: For it took hold of jacob and of Esau, being yet unborn, before they had done either good or evil, or were considered doing good or evil as a motive or inducement to prevail with God to choose the one or to refuse the other. So than you see the reason of the point. Some certain men God appointeth to perdition. Why? because he will, because it is his pleasure so to do. Object. But you will say perhaps, This is very hard measure, that God should preordain men to destruction, upon this account because he will. Sol. And is it not as hard measure, that the Creator should not be allowed to have his will upon his creature? If you could make a thing of nothing, you would look to have the free disposal of it at your own pleasure. Nay, my beloved, to use the instance the Apostle gives, the Potter looks to have the free disposal of his clay, and of the self same Lump to make one Vessel to an honourable, another to a sordid use. Or if he please, as soon as he hath finished them, to dash the one to shivers, and to save the other. If any ask a reason of him, it is enough for him to say that he doth this because he will, because it is his pleasure so to do. He made it, and he may destroy it; And yet he gives but form to what he makes, he works on matter made before by God. But God creates a thing of nothing; he gives it form and matter too; and why may not he dispose it as he will? Why should not his authority and power be yielded and allowed to be as great upon the creature which he makes of nothing, as the Potters on the clay which he could never make? And yet what ever Gods decree concerning any man may be, which he reserveth in his own breast and bosom, he never damneth or destroys a man till he deserve it. The Potter breaks a vessel it may be for no fault at all, but to satisfy his fancy, or to manifest his power, and to show what he can do. But God the great Creator of the world, doth never so with any creature; if he dash any man to pieces, it is because he hath deserved it very justly by his sins. If he condemn him, there is a meritorious cause. And he may truly say to such a person, Thy destruction is of thyself. But in the second place it will be said perhaps by some, Object. If this be so that God in his Eternal Counsel and Decree, hath appointed and disigned some certain special persons to destruction, it is in vain for such to hear and pray, and use the means of attaining to salvation. They were as good to fit still and do nothing: for all will be to no purpose. If they be reprobated, they must be destroyed: the Counsel of the Lord must stand. If they be reprobated? But who are reprobated, can they tell? Sol. Hast thou known the mind of the Lord? Art thou assured that thou art reprobated and appointed to destruction? If so indeed, there were some colour for thee to neglect the means of attainment to salvation. But know, my brethren, that it is impossible for any man to be infallibly assured of his reprobation without immediate revelation, as perhaps Saul was. It's true, he may be sure of his election: never of his reprobation. The Scripture urges and persuades men to assure the one, never to assure the other. It giveth marks and evidences of the one; it gives no evidences of the other. Indeed the sin against the Holy Ghost (where it is found) follows after of reprobation: but who is able to determine whether he be guilty of this sin against the Holy Ghost, or no? As for my own part, I am confident that God hath ordered matters so, that no man shall be able to determine that he is rejected by him; And that to this intent, that all men may be held in diligent attendance on the means of reconciliation and atonement with him, not knowing what the issue and event may be. And what then? wilt thou take that to be certain which is very doubtful, and on so weak a ground as this, neglect and slight the means, which may for aught thou knowest, be powerful to the salvation of thy precious soul for ever? Wilt thou conclude thou art rejected, and do as if this resolution were infallible, when yet it is apparently a most uncertain thing, of which thou canst not be assured? When the decree concerning reprobation is a secret and a doubtful thing; and the command requiring thee to make thy calling and election sure is a plain and certain thing: wilt thou neglect the precept and command that lies before thee, and walk by the decree that is obscure and hidden from thee? Shouldst thou not rather reason in the case in hand, as Merchants and Adventurers in worldly things are wont to do? Perhaps the Lord may have a blessing yet in store for me; Once I am sure he hath required me to use the means, and therefore though there be some hazard in it, I will not be behind in my endeavour; at his command I will let down the net. Even so perhaps the Lord may have appointed me to life and glory: once I am sure he hath commanded me to use the means of attaining to salvation: And therefore though I know not what the issue and event may be, I will attend upon them, be careful in the use and practice of them, to the utmost of my power. I know, if I neglect them, I must perish: if I use them, I may live eternally: And therefore I will rather give all diligence to make my calling and election sure, then thus adventure my immortal soul upon such hazard and uncertainty as this. And who can tell but that the Lord may yet be gracious that my soul may live? Use. 1 Is it so that God in his eternal Counsel and Decree hath appointed and designed, etc. hence than it follows that all men are not chosen to salvation; And consequently they are very much deceived, who hold and teach that God in his Decree, hath not perfectly precisely pitched on any special individual men, appointing them to life and glory: But that he hath elected all upon condition that they repent, believe and persevere in holiness and grace unto the end. And on the other side, that he rejecteth no man absolutely from salvation, but (as their own expression is) suspenso manet animo, si forte resipiscant, The Lord suspendeth his determination, expecting their repentance that they may be saved. A Doctrine evidently crossing with the truth which we have plentifully proved and confirmed from the Scripture, that there is a particular and special reprobation, and therefore cannot be an universal election. Now that you may not be misled in this particular, or drawn to think that God hath chosen all men to salvation on condition, leaving it wholly to themselves and to their own free wills, either to ratify it, or infringe it; so making his decree like a Noveriut universi, If men believe not, persevere not, than the election must be void. Otherwise, if they believe and continue to the end, it must remain in full power, strength and virtue. I say, that this corrupt opinion (which is so confidently vented now adays) may not take with any of you, I shall lay down some arguments against it, and answer others that are brought for it. This universal and conditional election overthrows the end of God, all which he aims in all his Counsels and Decrees, and in all his dispensations, viz. the glory of his free grace. This was that which the Lord had in his eye when he appointed men to glory, even that he might make known the riches of his own glory, on those which he prepared to glory, as you have it, Rom. 9.22. Now how shall he attain this end by choosing all men to Salvation, if they will themselves? how is the glory of his mercy magnified and advanced? where is the freeness of his grace more to one man then another? since he doth alike for all, electeth all alike to glory and salvation; prepareth heaven no more for one man then another: so that if any man be saved, he may thank himself, he may glory in himself, and not in God. And therefore it is very notable that the Apostle making this the end of the decree of God, viz. the glory of his grace, withal discovers that he electeth men to life, not according to their wills, as they will either choose it, or refuse it, but according to his own, Eph. 1.5, 6. Having predestinated us by Jesus Christ, to the praise of the glory of his grace. How so? according to the pleasure of his will. To show that he works freely in the business without impulsion or provocation from external causes. And so he must if he will atttain his end. If it be to the glory of his grace, it must be according to the pleasure of his will. So afterwards, ver. 11, 12. We are predestinated that we should be to the glory of his grace. And to this end we are predestinated according to his purpose who worketh all things after the Counsel of his own will. If he will glorify his grace in this business, we must be saved according to his will and pleasure, and not according to our own. His will must have the first and greatest stroke in this mercy. This universal and conditional election, as it overthrows God's end, Use. 2 so it hinders our duty. It cannot choose but wonderfully cool and dead our hearts in rendering thankfulness to God, when we consider with ourselves that he hath done no more for us in this business of election and salvation than he hath for all the world. Our Saviour Christ endeavouring to quicken his Disciples to thanksgiving, shows them the privilege and the preferment which they had in the mercy of the Lord, Mat. 11.25. and 13.16, 17. And the same course the Prophet David takes with Israel, Psal. 147.19, 20. He shown his word to Jacob, his statutes and his judgements to Israel. He dealt not so with other Nations, and therefore you are specially engaged to praise the Lord. And certainly that soul shall find itself most quickened and enlarged to the praises of the Lord, that sees his special and peculiar favour to itself, which millions are rejected from. Oh, will the soul consider with itself in such a case, Why hath God pitched on me neglecting others? whence was it that he took me into his decree? what did he see in me, more than in those whom he laid by? why he did choose me? In our elections who are men (beloved) there is something still that carries and inclines us to a choice. Some fitness in the object of it, some relation to ourselves, some motive or inducement that prevails upon us. But now my brethren, we are all alike to God in the act of his election; we lay together in the same corrupted Mass, all weltering in the same blood, and tumbling in the same gore; and when he came to choose a little number in comparison of those he left, Oh what a mercy was it that he should pitch on thee and me! which if he had not done, we had been lost for ever. Truly, my brethren, did we sit down and weigh it well in our advised and deliberate thoughts, it would transport and carry us beyond ourselves. It would make us to break out with the Apostle, Eph. 1.3, 4. Blessed be God who hath chosen us: us who deserved no more than others, who were no fit for his choice than others. And yet us, when he hath rejected others. Oh blessed be the Lord for this mercy. But now, my brethren, none of this, if all be chosen to salvation with this condition that they will accept it, they may have it if they will; The damned reprobate in hell by this account hath as much reason to be thankful as the triumphant Saint in heaven. Why, may this wretched Caitiff say, God did as much for me as him; only indeed I did not so much for myself. And may the glorified Saint in heaven say, The Lord hath done as much for those in hell, as ever he hath done for me. He hath elected them as well as me, and he hath assisted them as much as me; for he is to all alike; only they have not used their own free-wills as well as I have done; and this is the only cause that they are damned, and I am saved. And therefore I will ever thank my self and not God. At least I have no greater cause to think him, than the damned have. If there be any difference between them and me, it is not God that made it, but myself. God did for them and me alike. And that they are not in the same condition with me, the only reason is, because we did not for ourselves alike. And therefore they are every way as much obliged and bound to God as I am. Use. 3 This universal and conditional election doth in some respect set up man above God. God for his own part chooseth all men to salvation, he would have all men to be saved. How comes it then to pass, whence is it that they are not saved? Because they will not themselves. God will, and they will not; who carries it in this business? Their will takes place, and not Gods. The will of God you see, by this opinion, is ordered and disposed by the will of man. He chooseth all men on condition; but his final resolution and absolute determination is suspended upon the operation of the will of man; He is at liberty to make it good, or make it void at his pleasure: If he will be saved, he may; if not, he must be damned, though God for his part have ordained him to salvation. What is this but to make God in some respect an underling to man? to make the will of God subservient to the will of man, which is a most blasphemous derogation. Indeed by this opinion the Lord doth not so much in the business of election and salvation as man doth. God chooseth man upon condition if he do thus and thus; but man is he that strikes the stroke, and that makes it all sure: So that he elects himself much more than God doth; Whereas our Saviour saith to his Disciples, you have not chosen me; but I have chosen you, John 15.6. Not you me by your deserts and the good use of your free will; but I you of my free favour. I shall add no other arguments against universal conditional election: But proceed to answer such as the assertors of it bring for it. Object. They confidently urge that place of the Apostle, 1 Tim. 2.4. God will have all men to be saved: therefore he electeth all, appointeth all men to salvation. Sol. But what if we should understand it, not of his will of Counsel and Decree, but of his will of Precept and Command. God will have all men to be saved, that is, he wlleth and commandeth all men to repent and to believe the Gospel, that they may be saved. Or if we understand it of his Will of Counsel and Decree, that he appointeth all men to salvation, the meaning is not singula generum, but genera singulorum. Not all men universally without exception, but some of all sorts, of all callings, of all Nations, some of all. A manner of expression very usual, as I might give you divers instances out of the Scripture: It is said that all Judea went to John the Baptist and were baptised of him in jordan, that is, some of all parts; That Christ healed all diseases, that is, some of all kinds. So in the place forealledged, God will have all men to be saved, that is, some of all sorts. And this was necessary to be urged in opposition to the jews, to check their folly and presumption, who in a kind of envious pride, restrained election and salvation to themselves alone, as if no other people should be saved but they: And in savour of the Gentiles, over whom the jews insulted as a rejected and a lost people, forbade the Gospel to be preached to them, would not endure to hear of turning to the Gentiles: Therefore to check the one, and cheer the other, as the condition of the times required, the Apostle tells them, God will have all men to be saved, as well the Gentiles as the jews without exception. 3. Or if he would have all men to be saved, of all sorts and of all Nations, How is it that they are not saved? for who hath resisted his will? Assuredly, my Brethren, if God would have all men to be saved, all men universally, it is because he cannot save them, that they are not saved. The only cause why any one doth not what he desires and wills to do, is because there is a failing in his power; and were it not for want of this, there is no one in the world but would bring his will to pass. And therefore to affirm that God desires and wills that all men should be saved without exception, and that the reason why he doth not save them, is the obstinacy and perverseness of their wills, by which they finally resist the work of grace, and hinder God from doing his desire and will upon them, is to make God too weak for man, who hath the better of him in the contestation: which is blasphemous. It is objected further, If God elect not all men to salvation, he is partial, since Object. 2 all were in the same condition. To this I answer, why should he not be partial, if you will call it so, Sol. in the disposal of a free gift, preferring one before another? Why should he not do with his own what he pleases? this is not matter of debt, or matter of justice, but matter of mercy. Suppose he choose a few, what is he therefore bound to choose all? Indeed he is not bound to choose any. But if he choose a few only, and leave the rest who are incomparably the Object. 3 greater number, to perish in eternal flames and torments, though he be not partial, it may be thought that he is cruel. To this I answer, Sol. That he is infinitely unutterably merciful that he chooses any soul out of the corrupted mass, takes such a loathsome and polluted creature to himself. And that he leaves the rest in that forlorn condition whereunto they brought themselves, and from which he is no way bound to free them, he is manifestly just; and if he be but just, he is not cruel. Yea, but he doth not only leave them in their sins, but determines to condemn them for their sins in the pit of Hell for ever. And is not this a piece of justice to condemn them for their sins? Do not their sins deserve the Condemnation? So that if you look one way, he is merciful; and if you look the other, he is just: and if you lay them both together, mercy triumpheth over justice. The Lord is infinitely gracious that any are appointed to salvation; and he had been but righteous if all had been appointed to destruction. True, he rejecteth more than he electeth; but mercy is more glorious in electing one, than justice in rejecting all. For justice doth but take them as it finds them, but mercy makes them what it finds them not. There is a cause of justice in the creature; there is no cause at all of mercy. When God rejecteth men, he determines to condemn them for their sin & disobedience; but when he electeth them, he determines not to save them for their grace and their obedience. Somewhat moveth him to damn, nothing without him moveth him to save; so that if any be appointed to salvation, if all be not appointed to destruction, his mercy hath the hand upon his justice. Object. Yea, but God hath received a ransom and a price for all: So that if all be not designed by him to glory and salvation, he must be unjust to take the price of their deliverance from destruction, and all the while to appoint them to destruction. How can this agree together? Sol. To this I answer, God hath received a price for all indeed, a price of worth enough for all, but not intended to be paid for all, neither by him the giver, nor by Christ the sufferer: So that in property of speech the Lord hath not received a ransom for any reprobate: Christ paid it not for any such; he prays not for the world, and much less doth he pay for them; the Father took it not for any such, but only for his own Elect, who shall assuredly be made partakers of the glory purchased by is unto all Eternity. There are many more objections, but some are frivolous, and some blasphemous; the thoughts of men will work without measure, and without end upon such points as these are. But I must silence all of them with that of the Apostle in the same case, Rom. 9.20. Nay, but O man, who art thou that repliest, answerest again, disputest against God All the objections that are made almost against the point in hand, are against God too: against his mercy, justice, power, etc. If you have any thing to say for God, it is worth the harkening to; otherwise you have your answer, Who art thou that disputest against God? do but consider, who art thou? Use. 2 Is it so, that God in his Eternal, etc. How should this make us to admire at the transcendent riches of his grace, and love to us, whom he hath chosen to salvation! Paul makes it an especial aim of God in his Decree of Reprobation, To show the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, Rom. 9.23. And if we weigh it well, we shall easily discern that it doth strangely heighten the exceeding love of God. Had he ordained all men to salvation, even so his mercy had been out of measure great. But that he hath ordained any of us to salvation, when on the contrary he hath ordained so many millions to destruction, whose state in Nature was no worse than ours, whose strength in nature was as great as ours, to exempt them from damnation, whose care to be reconciled was no less than ours, till God was pleased in mercy to prevent us; how should this sweeten the favour of the Lord to us in this respect, and even ravish us with admiration of his free grace! The Lord delights to amplify his love by this, He took not Angels, but the seed of Abraham, Heb. 2.16. Was not Esau jacob's brother? saith the Lord; Yet I loved Jacob, and I hated Esau. Mal. 1.2, 3. Whose soul that hath tasted of it, can choose but be amazed at it? Hath God preferred me before Angels? before so many thousands in the world? Oh the unsearchable depth of his love to me! How doth it pass all knowledge! JOHN 17.12. That the Scripture might be fulfilled. AND thus of our Saviour's general assertion, that he had safely and entirely kept all those that were bestowed upon him by his Father; While I was with them in the world, I kept them in thy Name; those thou gavest me, I kept, and none of them lost. And likewise of his particular exception of Judas, who here is called the son of perdition. None of them is lost, but the son of perdition. Now in the following words, that none might be offended at the loss of Judas, or stumble at his ruin and destruction, our Saviour Christ goes on to show, that as it was designed and fore-appointed in the eternal Council and Decree of God, so it was foretell in Scripture. It was not only fore-ordained, but it was fore-shewed too: So that in his destruction there fell out nothing otherwise, then as it was expressly and apparently declared before in Scripture. The Scripture was not crossed and contradicted in it, but verified and fulfilled, None of them is lost, but the son of perdition, that the Scripture might be fulfilled. But you will ask me what Scripture? where did the Word of God foretell the ruin and destruction of this wretched man: I answer, David prophesied clearly and expressly of it many hundred years before, Psal. 109.8. Let Satan stand at his right hand. When he shall be judged, let him be condemned, and let his prayer become sin; Let his days be few, and let another take his office. Judas you know was self-condemned, and self-executed too, and so his days were few by that means. And when he had destroyed himself, his place and Office of Apostleship was supplied by another. But you will say perhaps, Judas is not named by David in the fore-alleadged Psalm. And therefore though the prophecy seem to agree to him and his condition, yet how are we assured that he is aimed at in particular in that prediction? Why, my Beloved, though the Prophet David do not name him, the Apostle Peter doth apply that Scripture to him, Act. 1.20. For having said in the foregoing verses, This Scripture must have been fulfilled, which the Holy Ghost by David spoke before concerning Judas: He comes at length to this in the alleged verse, For it is written in the Book of Psalms, Let his habitation be desolate, and let no man dwell therein, and his Bishopric, or Charge, or Office 〈◊〉 another take, so that when he was lost and fell from his Apostleship, y●● see, that Scripture was fulfilled. And yet you must not apprehend the loss of judas to be caused by that predication; as if the Prophecy concerning him, did really contribute any thing by way of active operation and efficiency to his destruction. Though I acknowledge the expression of my Text may seem to look a little that way, None of them is lost, but the son of perdition. And he is lost that the Scripture might be fulfilled. But you must know, my Brethren, that he had been lost, though his destruction had never been foretold in Scripture. He was not lost the rather because his loss was prophesied, but it was prophesied because he was before from all eternity appointed to perdition: And being prophesied, when the event fell out accordingly, it looked as if the prophecy had been the cause of his destruction: So that the particle [that] (as a very learned man observes upon the Text) judas was lost [that] the Scripture might be fulfilled, denoteth not the true, but the appearing cause only. Yet thus much it suggests withal, which shall be our observation; DOCTRINE. That whatsoever is foretold in Scripture, shall surely be accomplished and fulfilled. The issue and event shall answer the prediction every way, in all respects. And therefore it is often noted, not in my Text alone, but elsewhere frequently, that such and such things came to pass, that the Scripture might be fulfilled, as you may see that place for instance, Mat. 2.14, 15. Joseph arose and took the child, and departed into Egypt, That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Prophet, saying, Out of Egypt have I called my Son: And after in the following verse, Herod sent forth and slew the children from two years old and under: Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by the Prophet, saying, In Rama was a voice heard, Lamentation and weeping, and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children, and would not be comforted, because they are not. And so in many other places the Apostles very carefully observe the punctual and exact accomplishment of the ancient Prophecies; and speak sometimes in such a manner, as if things came to pass for no other cause but this, because they were foretold in Scripture, and that the Scripture might be fulfilled. Whereas indeed they had been done, though they had never been foretold, because they were foredetermined; only they would have us know, that whatsoever is foretold shall certainly be done in God's time: It is easier saith our Saviour, for Heaven and Earth to pass away, then for one title of the Word of God to fail, Luk. 16.17. that is, to miss of execution and accomplishment: Fail it may in the Letter and Paper of it, but not in the fulfilling of it; No, saith our Saviour, Heaven and Earth shall pass away, but my Word shall not pass away; Mat. 24, 35. Heaven and Earth are more inconstant and variable, than my Word is; and therefore the Apostle Peter, speaking of the Prophecies of Scripture, saith that they are sure, 2 Pet. 1.19. We have, saith he, a more sure Word of Prophecy, whereunto ye do we●●●hat ye take heed: Not as if the Prophet's words or writings were in themselves more sure than the Apostles, but to the Jews they were more sure; For they received the Prophet's words and writings, but they rejected the Apostles. Well, sure the writings and predictions of the Prophets are you see, we may rest safely upon them, and conclude, That whatsoever is foretold, etc. And it must needs be so my Brethren: For The Author of the Prophecies is unchangeable and true, and consesequently, whatsoever he foretells, or any Messenger of his from him, must surely be accomplished and fulfilled. 1. The Author of the Prophecies as well as other parts of Scripture is unchangeable, He is the Lord that changeth not, Mal. 3.6. He is yesterday, to day, the same for ever, Heb. 13.8. And therefore what be saith must come to pass; men say sometimes that they will do a thing to day, which yet they altar and revoke again to morrow. But if God say a thing to day, he will stand to it firm to morrow, he will not change his resolution; He is not as man that he should lie, and as the son of man that he should repent. But he hath seemed to repent, Object. and to change his resolution in many things foretold in Scripture: For instance, he foretold by Jonah that Nineveh should be destroyed, at the end of forty days, Jonah 3.4. yet when they were expired, he did not as he had foretold, so that he altered in appearance; yea it is said expressly, that he repent of his Commination, so that he brought it not to execution; God repent of the evil which he had said, that he would do unto them, and he did it not, Jonah 3.10. For clearing this, Sol. you may remember that universal rule which God lays down, for the better understanding of all Prophetical Predictions in a way of Commination, Jer. 18.7. The sum is this, that they have all of them annexed to them, or employed at least, if not an expressed condition: And so had this against the Ninivites; Yet forty days and Niniveh shall be destroyed; conceive it, if they be not humbled, that was the reserved condition. But they were humbled & repent; though they were preserved, God did not otherwise then he determined, and yet indeed he is said to have repent because he did so that he seemed to repent: For as a man if he have threatened that thus and thus he is resolved to do, and after do not so, if he have power, is said to change his mind, and to repent of what he said: Even so the Lord when he had threatened Niniveh, and had concealed the condition, because he spared it afterwards, and did not just according the letter of the Commination, is said to have repent, because he seemed to do that which in a man would have discovered change and alteration of his resolution. And even as anger is ascribed to the Lord, Non per affectum, sed per effectum, as the Schoolmen say; The passion or affection of it is not properly attributed to God, but the effect and fruit is, Vengeance is mine, and I will repay it. Even so repentance is not in the nature of the Lord, but the effect and issue of it is usually ascribed to him. The recalling or undoing of a thing which as far as we could judge by his words, or by his works, or our deserts, or any other evidence that was before us, seemed unto us to have been his intent and purpose to have done. 2. And as the Author of the Prophecies, as well as other parts of Scripture, is unchangeable, so he is true; Yea, He is the God of Truth, as the Prophet David styles him, Psal. 31.5. And therefore that which he foretells must be accomplished and fulfilled. Observe it well, my Brethren, the Prophet doth not say, He is the true God in himself, and in his nature, but he is the God of Truth in his discoveries, and in his revelation of himself to men. All that comes from him is truth; He is the faithful and the true witness, Apoc. 3.14. Not only true and faithful as a God, but true and faithful as a witness. In all the testimonies that he gives of himself, or of his Son, or of his works already done, or intended to be done, there is nothing else but truth. He cannot be the Author of a falsehood, it is impossible, as the Apostle tells you, Heb. 6.18. It is impossible that he should lie. He can assoon deny himself, put off his Deity, cease to be God, as father an untruth; and therefore that which he foretells must be accomplished in his season. And as the Author of the Prophecies is unchangeable and true, so the Word of God itself, of which the Prophecies are part, is so also. The Word of God is unchangeable and true, even as God himself is, and therefore all the Prophecies and the Predictions of it must be accomplished and fulfilled. 1. The Word of God is an unchangeable, an unalterable Word; when he hath said a thing, and said it absolutely, that must stand, there is no revocation of it in the sense that he hath said it. Thy Word, O Lord, saith holy David, is settled in heaven, Psal. 119.89. It is an Established thing, never to be removed again. And therefore it is said to be settled in heaven; There are great changes here below continually, but there is none above in heaven: and there the Word of God is settled above the reach of any alteration. All flesh is grass, saith the Apostle, 1 Pet. 1.24. all the glory of man, as the flower of grass; the grass withereth, and the flower thereof fadeth away, but the Word of the Lord endureth for ever. 2. And as it is unchangeable, so it is true; yea, it is the Word of Truth. It is an Epithet that is imposed upon it often: Thy Word is true from the beginning, saith the Psalmist to the Lord, Psal. 119.160. And so it shall be to the end. And therefore it is added presently, The judgements of the Lord endure for ever, not in their being only, but their truth. You know the Scripture is often called a testimony, or a witness: Either it is a testimony that the Father gives us of the Son, or that the Son gives us of the Father; either it is a witness to us of things that have been done, or else (which is a little stronger) it is a witness to us of things that shall be done. Now this is a condition absolutely necessary to a testimony or a witness, that it declare the truth and nothing else. Or else how shall it be depended and relied upon? and so how shall the Scripture be the Word of Faith, as it is called, unless it be the Word of Truth? How shall this testimony challenge faith from us, unless it utter truth to us? How shall it be believed, if it be not wholly true? and therefore truth is frequently ascribed to it as a witness: The testimonies of the Lord are sure, saith David, Psal. 19.7. That which they tell, hath been; and that which they foretell, shall surely be accomplished and fulfilled. Use 1 And this by way of use and application, may serve for terror in the first place unto those against whom there is any thing foretold in Scripture, in a way of Commination: for it shall surely be accomplished and fulfilled. How should they tremble for fear of God, and how should they be afraid of his judgements, though only hanging in the threatening? How should their hearts dissolve within them, when they hear his threatening words denounced against them? How should the Adulterer tremble when he hears that flaming Commination, Whoremongers and adulterers God will judge! how should the drunkard tremble when he hears those dreadful woes that are denounced to drunkards, up and down the Prophets everywhere? How should the wretched worldling tremble, when he hears that dreadful threatening, that no covetous person hath any inheritance in the Kingdom of Christ and of God? How should the liar, and the dog that barks and snarls and snaps at holiness, and the unclean wretch tremble when they hear that such shall have their everlasting portion in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone! And so for other sinners against whom there are heavy things foretold in Scripture, how should they shake and quiver, when they read and hear them! But alas there are abundance who steel and fortify their hearts against them, who give no credit to the threaten of the word, as if they were but bruta fulmina, but empty cracks: who when they hear them thundered out against them, say with Israel, Jer. 5.12. It is not he, neither shall evil come upon us, nor shall we see sword or famine. Oh my beloved, do not belie the Lord in this fashion; do not delude your own souls. Believe it, Judgement is towards you, as the Expression is, Hosea 5.1. although it be not actually upon you. The wrath of God cometh, it is a coming still, and in the end, depend upon it, it will come home. What do you think that if you do such things, you shall escape the vengeance of God? No, be assured that if you persevere without repentance, you shall feel it with a witness. There is not any thing denounced against you in the Scripture, but shall be fulfilled upon you to the utmost. And Secondly, it serves for sweet and precious comfort to the Use 2 Church, since all the good that is foretold in Scripture, shall surely be accomplished and fulfilled. You that are members of the Church, look over all the Book of God, collect together all the promises contained in it, from the beginning of it to the end; consider all the choice and precious mercies that are contained in those promises, and satisfy your souls with a certain expectation of them all. There is not one of all those promises shall fall unaccomplished to the ground, or fail of execution in the Lord's time. And therefore look on all the good things promised there as sure mercies, (so they are called the sure mercies of David) which shall not fail you when the season comes. And when you meet with any thing that specially concerns you in such a case or such a condition, that might be a support and comfort to you in affliction and the like, Oh give not way to one unbelieving thought, do not forsake your own mercies. Remember it is the word of the Lord, which (as the Angel said) shall be fulfilled in its season. And so for any good thing that is foretold in Scripture to the Church, as there are glorious things you know foretold concerning it in after times, that God will raise it to an admirable state of glory and felicity, which while the world continues, shall not be overthrown again: Let us not make any question but they shall absolutely and completely be accomplished and fulfilled. And therefore let us strengthen and confirm our hearts in the assured expectation of it, and let us put those promises in suit in our Petitions, as Isaiah in the same case, Chap. 62.1. And let us stand upon our watchtowers waiting for the execution of them. Let us account it our especial happiness, that we live under promises that shall surely be accomplished, though they should be never fulfilled in our time. Let us embrace them as the Fathers did, yea though they be afar off. Oh let us hug them and take especial joy and comfort in them. And though the Lord should take us hence, before he bring them into act and execution, yet let us cheer our hearts with the apprehension of the happiness and glory that shall be upon the Church, after we are dead and gone. And so die with our arms full of promises, and our hearts full of faith, and our souls full of comfort. Use 3 To pass on to a third use; Since this is so that whatsoever is foretold in Scripture, shall surely be accomplished and fulfilled: whatsoever is foretold in a way of Commination, or in a way of Consolation, by way of threatening or by way of promise: Let us endeavour to believe both, and act our faith upon them. Let us work up our hearts to give a firm and full assent to all the threaten, and to all the promises, though that which is delivered in the Scripture either way be never so improbable, never so much against corrupt reason, never so impossible to a humane apprehension. Let us depend upon it, that the word of God shall be fulfilled to the very utmost. Let us imitate the faith of the ancient Saints of God, as I shall give you some examples of it in reference to both of these, both to the threaten and the promises of Scripture. As for the threaten, That which the Lord denounced to Noah, that he might publish it to all the world, that he would utterly destroy all flesh from off the earth, and by a flood of water too, was as improbable as any thing almost could be, as like to be derided by the wise men of the world; Yet Noah being warned of God, believed it, and so accordingly prepared the Ark, as you may see, Heb. 11.7. And so that Commination by the Prophet Jonah was almost incredible, that Nineveh so flourishing, so glorious, and so great a City, should be destroyed in forty days; and yet it is observed, to the praise of Nineveh that they believed God, that is, the word of God, his threatening message sent them by the Prophet, Jonah 3.5. So for the promises of Scripture, how improbable soever, the Saints of old have closed with them. What an unlikely promise was it that was made to Abraham, that he should have a Son when he was full a hundred years of age, and a seed that should be as innumerable as the stars of heaven? and that by Sarah too, a withered and a barren woman? What strong objections might they both have brought against it? And yet they did not argue, but believed that it should be just as the Lord had spoken: as the Apostle speaks of Abraham, Rom. 4.20, 21. He staggered not at the promise of God, through unbelief, but was strong in faith, giving glory to God. Yea, and of Sarah too, though she were somewhat doubtful and incredulous in the beginning, yet even of her he saith, She judged him faithful that had promised. That great and Master promise of the resurrection of the body from the dust, is far above the principles of nature and philosophy, and therefore the Philosophers at Athens laughed at it. Yet Job believed this seeming Paradox, as he professes, Job 19.26. I know saith he, he uses such a word you see as intimates a full persuasion. I am confident of this, that though after miss kin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh I shall see God. And so let us, my brethren, whatsoever is foretold in Scripture, let us steadfastly believe that it shall surely be accomplished and fulfilled. And thus of the first argument or reason, with which our Saviour presseth and enforceth his petition to his Father, in behalf of his Apostles and Disciples, that he himself would undertake the keeping of them; Holy Father, keep them through thy own name. Which hath been taken, as you may remember, from his own effectual preservation of them during the time that he had been amongst them. And therefore he would have his Father keep them now, because he himself had kept them, and kept them very safe till now. While I was with them in the world I kept them. Before our Saviour adds a second reason to enforce this supplication and request of his, he interposes a discovery of the end, why he presents it, and why he is so earnest in it: Saith he, I put up this Petition to thee while I am resident in this world; I do it in the hearing of my Apostles and Disciples, that they might have their comfort much increased by this means. And now I come to thee, and these things I speak in the world, that they might have my joy fulfilled in themselves. So that the words you see are the account our Saviour gives his Father of the Petition which he makes for his Apostles and Disciples, or rather of the circumstances of the making of it. Why he makes it in the world, why he did not defer the making of it till he came to heaven; and sat down at the right hand of his Father, there to be an everlasting Intercessor for his people, but rather chose to make it here before he went, in the presence and the ears of his Apostles and Disciples, while they were by, and harkening to him. These things, saith he, I speak in the world, that they might have my joy fulfilled in themselves. And here we have two things to be examined and resolved. What our Saviour means by his joy, which he would have fulfilled in his Apostles and Disciples, why he calls it His joy, and not theirs. That they might have my joy fulfilled in themselves, not their own joy fulfilled, but my joy fulfilled in them. And, How this joy should be fulfilled by his presenting this Petition for them to his Father, in their hearing, before he left this world, which way this circumstance should tend so much, and be so available to the accomplishment of that joy. As for the first of these, our Saviour calls the joy which he would have to be fulfilled in his Disciples, his joy. Not that he was the subject of it, or that it was inherent in himself. But either, First, because he was the object of it, that they might have my joy, that is to say, the joy which they take in me, fulfilled in themselves. Or Secondly, as Calvin thinks, because he was the author of it. That they might have my joy, the joy which they have from me, fulfilled in themselves. But how should this presenting this Petition for them to his Father in their hearing, how should this circumstance conduce so much to the fulfilling of the joy within them? Truly, my brethren, it might be very helpful to it many ways. Either as it manifested Christ's affection to them, and his care of them, in which they could not but exceedingly rejoice. What he would do in their behalf, when he was come to heaven, was not so clearly known to them. But this he did before he went, in their hearing, he earnestly besought his Father to take special care of them, to keep them through his own name; they heard it with their own ears, how earnest and importunate he was, which could not choose but be an extraordinary comfort to them, that Jesus Christ should have such dear and singular regard to them. Or else it might fulfil their joy, as it assured them of their special preservation, after Christ was gone from them. There is no question to be made, they were in many doubts and fears when he was about to leave them. And had he gone without discovering any care of their safety, their sorrows would have been increased. If he had only prayed in secret for them to his Father, and desired him to keep them, this would have added to their safety; but what would this have added to their joy? But when they heard him being ready to departed, to yield them up in such a serious solemn manner to his Father, and to make this his last request to him while he was here in this world, that he would keep them, this could not but assure them that they should be kept, and so fill them full of joy. And hence our Saviour having put up that Petition for them, Holy Father, keep them through thy own name; And that because while I was with them in the world, I kept them; Adds this immediately, and now come, I to thee: and these things speak I in the world, before I come; I speak them here among them, that my Discples being ear-witnesses to my importunate and earnest intercession for them, may have the joy, either which they take in me, or which they receive from me, the more abundantly fulfilled in themselves. The words thus opened, yield us out three Observations. First, Christ is the Author and Original of the joy of his people. Secondly, Jesus Christ would have his people to be full of holy joy. Thirdly, Their perfect knowledge of his intercession for them, is one special means to fill them full of this joy. DOCTRINE. Christ is the Author and Original of the joy of his people. If they have any true and real joy, it comes from him, they have it from the Lord Christ: And therefore it is called his joy, because originally it is his, and comes from him to them by way of dispensation and communication, that they might have my joy fulfilled in themselves. So in another place he tells his Apostles and Disciples, that if they were obedient to him, they should abide in his love; And adds immediately, these things have I spoken to you, that my joy might remain in you, (that is to say) the joy that I give you, John 15.11. Indeed it is the fruit and the effect of Christ's kingdom, erected in the hearts of his people, as the Apostle shows us, Rom. 14.17. His Kingdom is not meat and drink, but righteousness and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost. You shall be sorrowful, saith Christ to his Disciples, but your sorrow shall be turned into joy, John 16.20. And who can turn it into joy but Christ only? But you will ask me how and in what respect is Christ the Author of the joy of his people? Beloved, I might instance in a multitude of things, but I shall draw them all to three heads. Christ is the Author of the joy of his people, As he is their Prophet to instruct them. The state of ignorance my brethren, is a state of darkness, so it is often styled in Scripture. And that is an uncomfortable state, full of fear, and full of sorrow. But when Christ comes with light, and information, and instruction, when he becomes a Prophet to them, he gives them extraordinary comfort. In that he gives them light, he gives them joy; for both of them are joined together, Psal. 97.11. Light is sown for the righteous, and joy for them that are upright in heart. As he is their King to rule them: you heard but now that his kingdom stands in joy. And hence his subjects are exhorted to rejoice in him, Psal. 149.2. Let the Children of Zion be joyful in their King. Now as a King, my brethren, he is many ways the author of the joy of his people, I will name a few of them. 1. As he subdues their enemies, and gives them peace. And this he doth, my brethren, for he is the King of Salem, and the Prince of peace. And when he doth it, he is an extraordinary comfort to his people. When he subdues their enemies within them, and so gives them inward peace. When he masters and brings under their stubborn and rebellious Lusts and strong corruptions which are such a daily trouble and vexation to them. O what a joy is it to his people, when (according to his Covenant) he saves them from those enemies! then they serve him without fear, Luke 1.75. and if without fear, then certainly with great joy: So when he saves them from their enemies without them, and so gives them outward peace, than he gives them joy too. Such times have still been celebrated and observed with extraordinary gladness and rejoicing. Especially when Babylon goes down, the arch-enemy of his Church and his people, than Christ hears many hallelujahs, for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth. Then they that stand upon the glassy sea, are in a very chearie frame, They sing the song of Moses and the song of the Lamb, Just and true are thy ways, O thou King of Saints. 2. As a King Christ is the Author of the joy of his people as he gives them his spirit. For this he doth under the notion of a King, and when he doth it, than he fills them full of joy. The Spirit is the Comforter, that is his name, so he is styled very often, to show us what his Office, work, and business is: And therefore joy is made a companion of the Spirit, to show us that they use to go together, Act. 13.52. The Disciples, saith the Text, were filled with joy, and with the Holy Ghost: and the Apostle tells us, that joy is one especial fruit of the Spirit, Gal. 5.22. The fruit of the Spirit is live, joy: And hence the Holy Ghost is called the Oil of gladness, Isa. 45.7. As it is the Oil of gladness, it makes glad the heart of man, and it makes his face to shine: And consequently when our King pours out this Oil upon his people, he pours out joy and gladness with it. Then his joy is fulfilled in them, because they have this oil from him; He is anointed with it above his fellows; it flows down from him the head, even to the lowest members of his body. 3. As a King Christ is the Author of the joy of his people, as he dispenses recompenses and rewards to them: For this he must do as a King too, and when he doth it, he makes them overflow with joy; and therefore he will have them to be out of measure glad, even in the expectation of it, Luk. 6.23. Rejoice and leap for joy, saith he: and why so? for great is your reward in heaven: And if they have such cause to be transported in the expectation, how much more in the fruition? When Christ shall say to every one of his, as Mat. 25.21. Enter thou into the joy of thy Lord, into the selfsame joy which I thy Lord and Master entered first into, and took possession of before thee: Then indeed the joy of Christ shall be communicated to them. Then they shall have his joy fulfilled in them to the very utmost. Christ is the Author of the joy of his people, as he is their Priest to sacrifice and intercede for them. Both ways he is the Fountain of their comfort. I shall a little touch them in their order. 1. As he is their Priest to sacrifice, he is the Author of their joy, for by this means he satisfies the justice of his Father for them, he frees them from the guilt of all their sins, he reconcileth them to God: And is he not in this respect the cause of extraordinary comfort to his people? Is it not a sad thing for a person to live at enmity with God who made him, and will judge him in the great day? If peace with God be so infinitely sweet, is not enmity with God full of fear, and full of horror? is it not a doleful thing for any person to be dead in Law, bound over to the everlasting wrath and vengeance of the great God; in danger every hour to be haled and dragged away to execution, and to be cast into the lake that burns with fire and brimstone? and is it not a joyful thing to be delivered out of such a state as this is? Now this our Saviour as a Priest hath done for his people, in a way of satisfaction, and so hath given them cause of exceeding great joy, as the Angel intimates when he informs the Shepherds where he was born, and what he was to do, Luk. 2.10. Behold I bring you good tidings of great joy. 2. As Christ is his people's Priest to intercede for them, he is the Author of their joy: It is an extraordinary comfort to them, that Christ appears in heaven for them in all causes, to offer up and to second their Petitions, to plead the causes of their souls before his Father; and therefore in my Text, he gives them as it were a taste of his future Intercession, that thereby they might guests what he would do when he was come to heaven; and that to this end he might replenish them with joy and comfort: These things speak I in the world, while I am yet among them, that they might have my joy fulfilled in themselves, That hearing what I do now, while I am here, they might a little guess what I am like to do hereafter, when I am once sat down at the right hand of my Father, and so might be full of comfort, yea though I am departing from them, while they consider with themselves, If he do so much now, surely when he comes to heaven, he will do much more. Is Christ the Author and the Fountain of the joy of his people? Then Use 1 certainly they that are out of Christ can have no true and solid joy, because they are divided from the Fountain of it: They cannot have his joy in them, because they have no union with him: and therefore they are frequently forbidden to rejoice in Scripture, let their case otherwise be what it will, or what it can: Go to ye rich men, weep and howl, saith the Apostle James, chap. 5.1. Why, might they say, why should we weep, for we have all things at our hearts desire? yet weep saith the Apostle there, although not for the present misery, yet for the misery that shall come upon you. There is no peace, and consequently no joy to wicked men: And therefore this me thinks should cast a damp upon the mirth and jollity of such people. There are very many of them, who though they be as lewd, and vicious, and profane as it is possible for men to be, yet they are out of measure cheerful, they give themselves to nothing else but mirth and joy. Now I beseech you seriously consider with yourselves, whence comes this joy? you have it not from Jesus Christ, who is the Fountain only of the joy of his people, and consequently it is feigned and unsound. And therefore say to this false joy of yours, as the Wiseman counsels you, What is it that thou dost? Is there any true cause why we should be thus over-merry? have we any reason for it? Examine it, and you shall find that it is mad laughter, as it is styled in the Scripture: For as a mad man laughs he knows not why, even so do wicked and ungodly men; they have no reason to rejoice, but rather to lament and howl, and melt away in sorrow. Is Christ the Author, etc. Then I beseech you my Brethren; do you Use 2 fetch your joy and comfort thence: Drink you out of the Fountain, and not out of broken cisterns. It is the fault of many, who do indeed belong to Jesus Christ, they draw not all their comfort from him, but too much from other things, perhaps from creatures: Nay, which is worse, sometimes from sinful and unlawful pleasures: and so they have much joy within them, which they never had from Christ, of which he is not the Author. However they be full of joy sometimes, his joy is not fulfilled in them, but their own. Oh, my Beloved, think upon it when you rejoice so much in worldly comforts, in houses, and estates, and means, and friends, and outward succours, is this the joy of Christ in you? did it come from Christ to you? be you sure you had it there? Nay, my Beloved, when you rejoice sometimes in sinful satisfactions and delights, is Christ the Author and the Fountain of this joy in you? Alas, this is an earthly, sensual, sinful joy. The joy of Christ which he bestows upon his people is an heavenly, spiritual, holy joy; such as no worldly thing can raise in you, such as the world can neither give nor take from you: And therefore I beseech you who are Christ's, go not to the world, and much less to the Devil for your joy: Fetch not your comfort from any of these things below; but go to Jesus Christ, and fetch it there, he hath enough in him, and that which he hath is right. Rejoice not in the creature, but in Christ, and then rejoice with exceeding great joy, with joy unspeakable and glorious; that when your hearts are dilated to the utmost, when they are full up to the brim, and even overflow with joy, it may be truly said of you, that not the joy of this world, and much less the joy of sin, but the joy of Jesus Christ, his joy is fulfilled in you. JOHN 17.13. That they might have my joy fulfilled in themselves. DOCTRINE. 2. That Jesus Christ would have his people to be full of holy joy. THis he declares to be his purpose and intention in my Text, the thing at which he aims in making this Petition in behalf of his Apostles and Disciples, while he was in the world among them, and while he was in their hearing: These things I speak in the world, that they might have my joy fulfilled in themselves. By which it is apparent, that Jesus Christ hath a singular regard to the comfort of his people, that he would have their hearts replenished with the consolations which they have from him. He is not satisfied that they have some degrees of joy begun; No, he desires to have this joy completed and fulfilled in them to the very utmost. And therefore in the Chapter next before, he gives them counsel and direction how they might attain to this, how they might come to have their heart's brim full of holy joy; by which he makes it to appear, that he for his part was willing that it should be so, Joh. 16.24. Ask and ye shall receive, saith he, that your joy may be full. The Apostle hath a phrase that looks much this way, 2 Cor. 1.5. As the sufferings of Christ abound much in us, so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ; q. d. The consolation which we have by Christ, which he dispenseth, and communicateth to us, is an abundant consolation. He doth not give us slight and slender comforts, his consolations are not small; No, it is usual with him when his hand is in, to exceed and to abound, to do over and above for his people; Be you glad and rejoice for ever, in that which I create, saith he, Isa. 65.18. For behold, I create Jerusalem a rejoicing, and her people a joy; Though there be no appearance of it for the present, no probability from whence it should arise, yet I will do it out of nothing: I will not only make them joyful, but a rejoicing and a joy; I will make them all joy. But not to rest in generals, I shall proceed to show you more particularly and distinctly, that Jesus Christ hath made it sufficiently to appear, that he would have his people to be full of joy: and this he hath done many ways. By publishing the Gospel to them, which as it is a Gospel of Salvation, so of Consolation; and therefore it is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, good news; or as the Angel tells the Shepherds, Luk. 2.10. good tidings of great joy. In which respect it is very notable, that when our Saviour was about to preach the Gospel, he was anointed with the Spirit, which is called the Oil of gladness. The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, saith our Saviour, because he hath anointed me, Isa. 61.1. And what follows? why than he preaches good tidings to the meek, he binds up the , proclaimeth liberty to Captives, and opening of the prison doors to those that are bound there, which is very joyful tidings: He comforts those that are in sorrow, appoints to those that mourn in Zion (not to those that mourn abroad, but to those that mourn in Zion, in the Church,) beauty for ashes, the Oil of joy for mourning, and the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness: So that you see, my Brethren, it is all joy, and all comfort. By which it is apparent, that our Saviour's special aim and drift in publishing the Gospel, is, that the people might be full of joy. And therefore it is much to be observed, that when our Saviour entered on his Ministry, assoon as he had been baptised and tempted, he preached his very first Sermon, upon this comfortable Gospel Text, Luk. 4.17. to show what was to be the main intent and drift of his ministry. Christ gives his people precious promises, and seals them with his own blood, that they might be full of joy. Indeed this is the great end, my Beloved, both of the promise, and of the confirmation of it. It's true, if Christ had been reserved, if he had kept his purpose and intention in his breast, and in his bosom; if he had made his people no promise, the execution of his merciful designs had not been less sure and certain in itself, but it had been less sure to us; we had not had the less benefit, but we had had the less comfort; For he would surely have fulfilled his own intentions to his people, though he had never been obliged by promise to perform them. So, when the promises were made, there is no doubt they would have been observed and kept, though they had never been confirmed: yet Christ hath ratified them with his own blood, as the Apostle shows us, Heb. 9.16. Not with the blood of Bulls and Goats, but with his own most precious blood. And why hath he done this? why doubtless, that there might be nothing wanting to his people's comfort. The promise is not made a whit more certain by our Saviour's sealing of it with his blood, but we are made the more certain: The promise is not made a whit the more sure, but we are the more assured, and so we have the more comfort. What do we think of God, that he who is the God of Truth, would not have kept his promises, that he would have broken with us, had they not been thus confirmed? No, certainly my Brethren, he would have been firm and constant, but we might have been assaulted with continual doubts and fears, we should not have attained to such unshaken and such sweet assurance. And therefore Christ hath set his seal to all the promises, he hath sealed them with his blood, to this end, that we might have strong consolation, as the Apostles phrase is, Heb. 6.18. He hath shed his blood you see, that our comfort might not be weak, but strong comfort; that our joy might not be imcompleat, but full joy. Christ gives his people glorious Ordinances, that they might be full of joy. For Ordinances are not for our profit only, but they are for our comfort too. Oh how was David taken with them? How did they fill his heart with joy? when he was banished from them for a time, how did he melt to think upon the overflowing Consolations he had sometimes found in them? How did his heart pant and gasp after them? Oh with what self-consuming wishes did he long to be restored to them? One thing have I desired of the Lord, saith he, Psal. 27.4. No question he desired many things, but one thing he desired above the rest, that he might dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of his life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to inquire in his Temple where public Ordinances were dispensed: Which shows the infinite delight he took in them. I might distinctly show how special Ordinances serve for the comfort of the Lords people; I will bring them to my Mountain, saith the Lord, and make them joyful in my house of prayer, Isa. 56.7. So for the word, Jer. 15.16. Thy word was to me, saith the Prophet there, the joy and the rejoicing of my heart. With joy shall ye draw water, saith the Lord, out of the wells of salvation, Isa. 12.3. Some understand the Ordinances by the wells in that place. You see particularly then what the end of Christ is, in giving Ordinances to his people, and what use they serve for. Not only to help onward their Salvation, but their Consolation too. By which it is apparent, that even in these dispensations he hath a great aspect upon their comfort. Christ gives his people clear discoveries and revelations of himself, that they might be full of joy: you may observe how they were overjoyed to whom he shown himself after his resurrection from the dead, they were not able to contain themselves. And so when Christ reveals himself to any soul at this day, when he comes in and shows himself to it, it is sometimes almost transported to an ecstasy of joy. Especially when he hath hid himself awhile, than such discoveries of himself are out of measure sweet and precious. When this Sun of righteousness hath been overcast awhile, so that the Saints have walked in darkness days and years, without a glimpse of this reviving light, Oh with what inward ravishment doth it break forth upon the soul again! The wife while she enjoys the constant presence of her loving husband, it may be thinks not much upon it, she is not much affected with it. But if he have been long away, so that she hath not heard for many years neither where her husband is, nor when he means to come again, and after all her fruitless expectations of him, hath resolved with herself, that out of question she shall never see him more, and then at last, when she is wholly our of hopes, in strikes her husband on a sudden at the door, she is not able to contain herself for joy, his presence is incomparably sweet and pleasing to her. Even so when poor distressed souls have waited long for Christ, and thought that they should never see him more with comfort, and then at length he comes and shows himself to them; his gracious presence is extremely precious; He makes them full of joy with his countenance, as the expression is, Acts 2.28. Christ sends the Comforter to his people, that they might be full of joy: when he promised him you know to his Apostles and Disciples, they were full of sorrow; and he did this as an antidote against it. Come, be not troubled, saith our Saviour, I will send you another Comforter that shall abide with you for ever, John 14.16. I have been a Comforter to you, I confess; but seeing I am ready to departed from you, I will not leave you comfortless; no, I will send you another Comforter, one that shall comfort you as much as I have done, and one that shall stick to you too, and shall not leave you, as I am about to do, but shall abide with you for ever. So that you see one special end of Christ in sending down the Holy Ghost into the hearts of his people; is to comfort them and cheer them; to be to them not only a spirit of Sanctification, but a spirit of Consolation, and so discovers that he hath a great regard to the joy of his people. Christ gives deliverance to his people, that they may be full of joy. He hath divers other ends why he becomes a Saviour to them in the day of their distress; but this is not the least of all, that he may put new joy into their hearts, and a new Song into their mouths. When he appears to the salvation of his people, in doing so he appeareth to their joy, as you may see, Isa. 66.5. That is the End and Drift of his Appearance. Christ hath purchased Heaven for his people, that they might be full of joy; For Heaven, as it is a place of the height of holiness, so it is a place of the height of happiness. Here indeed we are in Bochim, in a place of weeping; we go through a vale of tears, and dig up Wells, but they are of salt water, the rain also fills the pools. But when we are arrived at Heaven, we shall weep no more, but all our tears shall be wiped from our eyes. We shall not have a wrinkle in our faces, nor a tear upon our cheeks, nor a sad thought upon our hearts, but all shall be smooth and clear and sweet, and that for ever. Then we shall be full of joy; Christ's joy shall be fulfilled in us, yea we shall have the fullness of joy, Psalm 16. ult. Indeed full joy importeth nothing but enough to fill us, so much as we are capable of, as is commensurate to our capacity, as we are able to receive. But on the other side the fullness of joy importeth all the measures and degrees of it; So that there can be nothing added to it; there is nothing wanting to it to make it absolute in all respects; It is not to be raised higher any way; And this hath Christ prepared and purchased for us. By these things it is evident that Jesus Christ would have his people to be full of holy joy. But wherefore will he have it to be so? Why would he have his people to be full of holy joy? Out of self-respect he would have it to be so, because by reason of the Reason 1 nearness of his union with his people, he hath a kind of share in their comfort. As his joy is their joy, according to his own expression in my text, that they may have my joy fulfilled in themselves: So upon the other side, their joy is his joy. And as there is a social glory of the head and of the members; as the School-expression is; as Christ is glorified in the glory of his people, 2 Thes. 1.12. so there is a social joy of the head and of the members; Christ rejoiceth in the joy of his people. The Comfort of the members redoundeth also to the Comfort of the head. As Christ delights in the prosperity, so in the joy of his people. When they are joyful, he rejoiceth over them with joy, and joyeth over them with singing, as his own expression is, Zeph. 3.17. Reason 2 Christ would have his people to be full of holy joy, to recompense them for their sorrow. They are described to be such as mourn, Mat. 5.4. That uses to be first with them, they use to begin there; But than they do not use to end there. And therefore it is added presently, for they shall be comforted. Blessed are they that mourn for they shall be comforted: And Christ would have their comfort to be answerable to their sorrow: That as his sufferings have abounded in them, their consolation also may abound by him, as the Apostle speaks, 2 Cor. 1.5. Indeed they go forth weeping, bearing precious seed, as you may see, Psal. 126.6. They sow in showry weather, in a weeping time. In such a time did David sow the seed of true repentance for his sin; he wept so much that he made his bed to swimm, and watered his Couch with his tears: In such a time did Peter sow the same see; in a time of bitter weeping, Mat. 26. ult. But then the harvest makes them ample recompense, for all the dark and sad and showry weather in the sowing time. They come again with joy, and they bring their sheaves with them. They scatter it by grains, but they gather it by sheaves; they have twenty, thirty, forty, yea an hundred fold for one. So that if any now should ask me, You say that Christ would have his people to rejoice; but what? would he not have them mourn too? Yes he would have them mourn, but in order to rejoicing. Sorrow is an unperfect passion, and is not for itself, but for some higher use, as all the rest of the declining passions or affections are. As hatred is for love, and fear for confidence, so sorrow also is for joy, unto which it is subservient. As lancing is not for itself, but for ease and remedy: and as a potion is not properly for sickness (though it cause it for a season) but for health: so sorrow is for joy, and joy is the end of sorrow in the Saints. And Christ intends it to be so; You shall be sorrowful (saith Christ to his Disciples) but your sorrow shall be turned into Joy, John 16.20. He gives to them that mourn in Zion, beauty for ashes, the oil of gladness for mourning, and the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness, Isa. 61.3. The ransomed of the Lord go out lamenting, but they return to Zion with Songs and everlasting Joy upon their heads, Isa. 35. ult. Reason 3 Christ would have his people to be full of holy joy, that they may be large in duty. Sorrow is a kind of straightening the heart; a sad heart is a straigthned heart, it is shut up, it cannot pray, it cannot praise, it can do nothing with enlargement. And therefore the Apostle calleth mourning 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, a contraction of the heart, 2 Cor. 2.4. And I appeal for this to those whose spirits are oppressed with sadness and dejection, whether it do not make them indisposed to duty, unfit to hear, unfit to pray, and in a word unfit for any part of Christ's service. But holy joy upon the other side dilates the heart, it spreads it, and it widens it, and consequently doth not only make it fit for duty, but it makes it large in duty. It makes it to abound, and to exceed in every service that is suitable to joy; It carries it beyond the ordinary rate. And therefore Jesus Christ would have his people to be full of joy, that they may be full of fruit, and that they may abound in his service. Is it so that Jesus Christ would have his people full of holy Joy? Use 1 Then first it serves to censure those who seek to hinder the Joy of Christ's people, and to embitter all their comfort with spiteful molestations, and vexations; who like the Canaanites are thorns in their sides, and daggers at their hearts. Jesus Christ would have his people to rejoice, yea to be full of Joy as their very hearts can hold; but they will not suffer it, but always seek as much as lies in them to interrupt their comfort, and to disturb their peace and joy. They disturb them by their persecutions with the hand and with the tongue, and which is worse, they disturb them by their sins; They rail at holiness and holy men, blaspheme religion, and the name of Christ, of purpose to disquiet and to vex his people, who cannot choose but mourn and weep for these things. Just like the Sodomites of whom the Apostle speaks, 2 Pet. 2.8. who vexed the righteous soul of Lot from day to day with their filthy conversation. But yet this difference we may observe, they did not their prodigious villainies of purpose to disquiet Lot (for aught we find) What think we, shall their portion be, my brethren, then, who pass the Sodomites in villainy, whose wicked deeds are yet set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire? Is it so that Jesus Christ would have his people full of holy Joy? Use. 2 Then in the second place it taxeth such among the Lord's people who waste away themselves in heaviness and discontent, who are so far from promoting the design of Christ in this particular, that they rather strive to cross him, and even waste away their hearts in pleasing sadness and affected discontent; and surely there are many such among Christ's own people, who even give themselves over to sorrow, and wilfully thrust away this Joy from them. Now I beseech you my beloved, consider what the will of Christ is, and let him have his will in this business; use all means possible to have your hearts brimful of holy Joy; And to this end I shall prescibe you some directions. Be conversant and studious in the word of Christ. There is the fountain of living waters, whence every may draw sufficient to refresh his fainting soul in all his troubles and afflictions. The statutes of the Lord are right, saith David, rejoicing the heart, Psal. 19.8. Through comfort of the Scriptures we have hope, saith Paul, Rom. 15.4. (Philosophers indeed have taught us many ways to fence and fortify our hearts against sorrow.) But when the Lord shall set afflictions home upon the soul, and put a sting into them too, there is nothing in the world that can cement and cheer us, but the comfort that is fetched out of the scripture. We may run in our distress to other means as Saul when he was with a melancholy humour to the minstrel; but we shall find that nothing goes the right way, and that we grasp at nothing but some empty succours of contentment, unless we comfort ourselves with these words, as the Apostle Paul speaks, 1 Thess. 4. ult. David was cut short of nothing that the world could have afforded to revive his drooping spirit; yet he professeth freely, that he must have fainted unless he had been stayed with better comfort: Unless thy Word had been my comfort, I should have perished in my affliction, Psal. 119.92. And in another place he cries out, Remember thy Word unto thy servant, upon which then hast caused me to hope; this is my comfort, my only comfort in my trouble, Psal. 119.49, 50. And therefore at this Fountain let us draw if we mean to have comfort; but chief let us wait upon the public preaching of the Word of God, which is called the Ministry of reconciliation, in which there are divulged glad tidings of good things, which should carry something in the power and efficacy of it to work joy: For God doth commonly dispense it rather by the way of hearing them by the way of reading the Scriptures: And hence saith David, Make me to hear of joy and gladness, that so the bones that thou hast broken may rejoice, Psal. 51.8. It is the Public Ordinance, it is the Public Ordinance that is the Interpreter one of a thousand that comforts the dejected soul, as you may see, Job 33.23. Employ your serious thoughts upon the meditation and survey of that delicious place, where there is fullness of all joy and pleasures for evermore, into which you that are Christ's, assoon as you are passed through the veil of tears, shall enter, and there continue and abide for ever: There is the place where you shall sigh and weep, and mourn no more, where all your tears will be wiped away from your eyes; and surely did you think upon this joy with which you shall be filled there to overflowing, this would preserve you here from being swallowed up with overmuch sorrow; we rejoice, saith the Apostle. How? not in the fruition; No, in the hope of the glory of God, Rom. 15.4. Indeed the Saints of God while they compass and carry their afflictions according to their present state, are very pensive and disconsolate, and so at once they do an injury to Christ, who hath reserved such precious comforts for them in the world to come: And to themselves who have received good assurance that they shall certainly enjoy them in their season; but did they walk by faith, and not by sight; did they not look so much upon the difficulties that they meet with in the way, but on the things that are not seen, the invisible pleasures of which they shall be made partakers in the end, they should soon find cause enough of joy unspeakable and glorious; yea, even amidst the greatest tribulation of this present life; you see how frolic the poor Worldling is, if he have gotten a few thousand pounds, and built a goodly house, and bought a little earth about it; and yet his title to it is so uncertain and unsound, that the very following night for aught he knows, the Lord may turn him out of all, and take away his soul from him, and make him roar in Hell before the morning. But you who by the hand and seal, and earnest of the Lord himself, have a most certain title to that happiness and joy which neither tongue of men or Angels can express, if you have but a wicked disobedient child, a froward wife, a sickly body, or a low estate, do waste away your lives in heaviness and discontent, and so you undervalue heaven, and the incomparable riches of Christ's mercy to your souls. And whence proceedeth this, but from the fleshiness of your corrupt hearts, while you walk by sense only? and therefore I beseech you, take a little pains to make yourselves conceive and understand your happiness, and spend a little time upon the contemplation of the blessedness that is reserved for you in the heavens, and this will draw and swallow up your present sorrows and afflictions. Is it so that Jesus Christ would have his people full of holy joy? you Use 3 then who have your hearts replenished with it, take heed that neither sin nor Satan steal away this Jewel from you, which is the legacy that Christ bequeathed you when he was even about to leave this world. But first, before I press you any further in this kind, this caution would be fitly interposed; be sure the joy you have be Christ's joy, the joy which he works by his Spirit, which he would have you to be full of, and that you have his joy fulfilled in yourselves; for you must know my Brethren, that as there is a kind of joy that is a fruit and effect of the Spirit, as the Apostle Paul styles it, Gal. 5.22. so there is another kind that is a fruit and effect of the flesh; there is a laughter that is madness, a rejoicing that is not good, as the Apostle hath it, Jam. 4.16. And nulla est verior miseria quam falsa laetitia: There is no truer misery then false joy and feigned felicity. A very hypocrite may have his raptures and flashes of exceeding comfort. The second ground you know received the Word of God with joy; and those that followed John the Baptist, rejoiced in his sight; and such as after fall away, may find a kind of taste and sweetness in the Word of God, and in the powers of the world to come. And therefore we had need to prove the joy and comfort that we have, whether it be Christ's joy, the joy which he works in his people by his Spirit. The marks to try it may be such as follow. The joy of Christ which he works by his Spirit, is chief moved with spiritual things: It's true, there is a joy allowable for earthly blessings; as when the Lord vouchsafes us rain and fruitful seasons, and the like; in doing so he fills our hearts with joy and gladness, Act. 14.17. But this is as if we rejoiced not, as the Apostle Paul speaks, 1 Cor. 7.30. it is not worthy to be named with the joy that ariseth from the sense of the favour of God and spiritual blessings conferred on our souls. Here then examine, my Beloved, when your joy is most; when you are freed from some affliction, or when you have obtained conquest over some corruption? when inward grace, or else when outward wealth, when Corn and Wine, and Oil increaseth? Alas, how evidently do the greatest part of men discover the unfoundness of their joy? who take abundantly more comfort in these outward things, the thriving of their Trades, their speeding of their pleasures and pastimes, then in the thriving of the means of grace, or any other thing that most especially concerns God's glory or the Churches good? They make it to appear where lies the toot and Fountain of their joy, and consequently of what kind it is, which if they be deprived of their riches, or honours, their hearts like Nabal die within them, their joy is dashed, and their comfort gone. Whereas the Saint of Christ whose heart is filled with spiritual joy, retains it in a measure in the loss of earthly things, and professeth with the Prophet Habbakuk, chap. 3.17. Though the figtree shall not blossom, neither shall there be any fruit in the Vine, if the labour of the Olive fail, and the field yield no meat; if the Flock be cut off from the fold, and there be no Herd in the stall, yet I will rejoice in the Lord; yea, I will joy in the God of my salvation. The joy of Christ which he works by his Spirit, proceeds from a conscience testifying good, and not from a conscience testifying nothing. For our rejoicing, saith the Apostle, is this, the testimony of our conscience, 2 Cor. 1.12. There is as Barnard styles it, Conscientia mala & quieta, an evil conscience that is quiet, which being lulled asleep by Satan, saith nothing to disquiet him that owns it, and so he lives as jocund and as metry for a time as he whose heart most really acquitteth him from any thing that may disturb or interrupt his joy. But yet this kind of comfort, because it comes from nothing else but a Vacation in the Court of Conscience, (if I may call it so) a respite of the accusations there, is most uncertain and unfound. Assoon as term gins again, when Satan as he seethe occasion, shall set the sins of such a man before his face, when conscience shall awaken and accuse, that joy and comfort will be turned into sorrow, yea into such tormenting pangs of horror, that no tongue is able to express. But if thy joy arise from a conscience testifying good, that in simplicity and sincerity of heart, thou hast had thy conversation in the world, this is the joy that Christ would have fulfilled in thee. The joy of Christ which he works by his Spirit, hath its matter within, and not without the person rejoicing. There be many (my Beloved) That have nothing in themselves, whereof they have a just occasion to rejoice, and therefore seek it up and down without. And from this kind of joy the Apostle Paul dissuadeth as unsound, Gal. 6.4. Let every man prove his own work, and he shall have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another. Now men are said to rejoice in another, especially in two cases: As first, when they compare themselves with such as are extremely vicious and profane, and finding that themselves are not so bad as many others are, they cheer and comfort up themselves with this, as the Pharisee did, I thank thee God, saith he, that I am no extortioner, etc. I am not as other men are, nor as this Publican, Luk. 18.11. and yet they may be bad enough for all this. And secondly, when men take comfort only in the good opinion that others have conceived of them, and not in any good that hath a true and real being in themselves. And this St. Paul suggesteth is a false deceitful joy, and therefore presseth every man to prove his own work, to sift and try his own actions; and if on trial they be good indeed, than he hath ground and matter to rejoice in himself and not in another And now my Brethren, are there not too many such among us, who when they look on drunkards, whoremongers, blasphemers, and men of the most infamous and vicious lives, that pass them and exceed them in profaneness, take joy and comfort in themselves, but never prove their own works, their own lives. And thus while they compare themselves with others more lose and vicious than themselves, they rejoice in another and not in themselves; they think themselves are very good, because others are more evil. And even as Jerusalem justified Sodom, Ezek. 16.5. so drunkards and adulterers justify them, and are occasion of their joy. Others there are who finding that they have obtained a good opinion and repute with others, and that they are approved by men of judgement, and of conscience too, are comforted in this exceedingly; and here is the foundation of their Joy: Oh such a godly man, or such a Minister approves of them, and is familiar to them; and hence it comes to pass that when they once begin to lose the good opinion and conceit of men, they are like persons stracken in the head, their joy is blasted and their comfort gone, because the ground and matter of it was without, and not within. O then let us endeavour my Beloved, to have our comfort in ourselves; and if it have a spring and fountain in the heart, it will not fail; there will be a sufficient supply of joy and comfort there, though men neglect us, and cast away their good opinion of us: Whereas if it proceed from that which is without us, it will be like a standing Pool that is not nourished with the Spring, but with a sudden fall of rain; assoon as heat of Summer comes, away it drieth and is seen no more. And now my Brethren, having proved your joy, and found it to be right, the joy of Christ, which he would have to be fulfilled in you, preserve it as your lives, and see that neither sin nor Satan steal away this jewel from you; and to this end, you must especially beware of sinning against Conscience, which is the subject and the seat of joy. As long as you do well to Conscience, Conscience will say well to you; but if you wound your Conscience with the guilt of sin, Conscience will wound you with the horror and the sting of sin; and if by sinning against light you waste your Conscience in regard of grace, Conscience will waste you in regard of peace and comfort: yea, it may set you on the rack of such affrightments as no tongue is sufficient to express. What was the cause that David cried so often in his bones, and in his heart, that they were broken, that it was melted in the midst of his bowels, but because he sinned so grossly against the light of his own understanding, and the convictions of his own conscience? But if in sincerity you have your conversation in the world, this will be your rejoicing. And if you walk according to the rule, peace shall be upon you as upon the Israel of God. This joy of Christ shall be fulfilled in you, and your joy shall none take from you. And thus we have dispatched the first and second Observation; Christ is the Author and Original of the joy of his people; Jesus Christ would have his people to be full of holy joy. DOCTRINE 3. Their clear and perfect knowledge of his intercession for them, is one especial means to fill them full of this joy. It is the means our Saviour uses in my text, and certainly it is available to this end. That he might cheer the hearts of his Disciples, and replenish them with comfort, he lets them hear him pleading for them to his Father. He doth it in their presence, and while they are listening to him, as being very well assured that this will make their joy abound, and overflow the banks. And this is the account he gives his Father of the business, having been very earnest with him to keep them through his own name, as he himself had done, as long as he had been among them, and urged many things in their behalf. These things, saith he, I speak in the world, before I come away to thee, I speak them here among these men for whom I am a Suitor to thee, in the ears of my Apostles and Disciples, who are by and listen to me, that being witnesses themselves to my importunate and earnest intercession for them, they may by this means, have my joy fulfilled in themselves. True, you will say; this was an extraordinary comfort to them for the present; but what was this to them after Christ was gone from them? Or what it this to us in these times? Yes, my beloved, it was much to them, even after Christ's departure for the fulfilling of their joy: For when he was ascended into heaven, they could on all occasions, reflect upon the prayer that they heard him make in their behalf, while he was conversant upon the earth: when they were in any fear or any danger, when they were even ready to be overcome with grief and sorrow, they could consider with themselves, We perfectly remember that while our Master was among us, we heard him earnestly beseech his Father for us, that he would keep us, and that he would Comfort us, and that he would Sanctify us, and that he would save us, (as all those things and many more you shall observe along the Current of his prayer here,) and we shall surely find the fruit of it in such a time as this is. Yea, we have reason to believe that what he did for us, in a way of intercession, while he was here upon the earth, he doth the same in heaven to this day, and will do till we follow him to that place. And why then should we not be cheerful in the midst of these troubles? And this our Saviour clearly aims at in the words, These things speak I in the world, while I am yet among them, that they might have my joy fulfilled in themselves: That hearing what I do now while I am here, they might a little guess what I am like to do hereafter, when I am once sat down at the right hand of my Father to be an everlasting Intercessor or for them; and therefore might be full of comfort, yea though I am departing from them, while they consider with themselves, If he do so much now, surely when he comes to heaven, he will do much more. And as for us who live in these times, it is a means to fill us full of comfort too, Christ's speaking these things in the world, and so giving us a taste of his future intercession: For hence it comes to pass that this prayer of our Saviour being uttered in the ears of his Apostles, it is penned accordingly, and left upon record in Scripture. And so we have a specimen, a form, a model of our Saviour's intercession for his people, which he hath left behind him, for us to look upon on all occasions, and to gather comfort from. What he doth in heaven for us, we are not able fully and exactly to discover. But this he did on earth before he went; he did it openly, and there is a memorial of it, for ever, in the Church. And by this we may conjecture what he doth in heaven for his people at this day, and will do to the world's end. For certainly he is not less regardful of them now in Heaven (which is the most proper place of acting the second part of his Mediatorship which consists in intercession) than he was upon the earth. So that whatever our Condition be, how sad or sorrowful soever, if we would know our Saviour's intercession what it is for us in heaven, we may survey this counterpane thereof on earth, which is recorded for this very end, That we may have an exemplar, and a pattern of it continually lying by us in the Scripture to have recourse unto, and to fetch overflowing comforts from in all cases. Now to clear this a little further to you, I shall proceed to show you in a few particulars, that the perfect knowledge of our Saviour's intercession is one especial means to fill his people full of holy joy. It is a means to comfort them exceedingly in reference to all the oppositions of their enemies, whether without them or within them. Do you not think it was a comfort to the Host of Israel, when they had got a Champion to stand up for them, against the daring insolences of Goliath, who had so long defied the armies of the living God? It made them even shout for joy. And so it is a comfort to the poor soul, when he hath been long contending with the world which sets upon him mightily with all its blandishments and its allurements on the one side, and with its threats and persecutions on the other side, and with the Devil who furiously assaults him with his fiery darts, and his violent temptations, and with his own corruptions and his lusts, that war against the soul as the Apostle speaks: And when he is about to faint and sink away, he considers with himself, Why though I have all these against me, yet I have Jesus Christ for me, and he is pleading-hard on my behalf, that I may not have the worst in these Encounters, but that I may be more than a Conqueror. I seem to hear him saying to me, These enemies of thine have desired to winnow thee, and to destroy thee, but I have prayed for thee that thy faith may not fail; Thy courage and thy strength may fail a little, but thy faith shall never fail. When Christ was here upon the earth, he earnestly besought his Father for me, that he would keep me through his own name: and what he did on earth, I know he doth in heaven much more; and he cannot be denied. So that I am as safe as the Almighty power of God can make me. Oh what a matchless comfort and encouragement is this! The poor perplexed soul but now was tossing on the boisterous waters of violent temptations, and of raging passions, and of furious lusts, and even ready to be cast away: But now as David speaks, the soul is glad because it is at rest, and it is brought to the desired haven. Ah my beloved, when a man who is mightily assaulted by corruptions and temptations, and persecutions and afflictions, and when the stones and buffets are about his soul, can look up as Stephen did, Acts 7.56. and see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing at the right hand of God, this cannot choose but fill him full of comfort. Nay says the soul, If thou art there pleading for me to the Father, and standing up in my defence, I know it is impossible that I should perish or miscarry. The knowledge of our Saviour's Intercession for his people, is a means to comfort them in reference to all the accusations that are laid against us at the bar of God's justice. The Law comes in with a black bill against us, lays very heavy things to our charge, and taxes us with many grievous violations of it, which we are no way able to deny; Satan for his part, is the grand accuser of the brethren, and he objecteth heinous things against us, and lays it on with full load; And than our consciences perhaps accuse us, as fast as any of the other two. They are not able to gainsay the allegations, either of Satan or the Law, but are forced to acknowledge, that all the curses that are written in the Book of God, are very justly due to us. What shall we do, or how shall we keep up our hearts from sinking into utter desperation in such a case as this is? As for our parts, we have nothing to allege in, or of, or from ourselves, why the sentence of the Law should not be pronounced against us; But this is that which fills us full of Comfort, that Jesus Christ hath enough to say for us, and that he sits in heaven for this very end to make intercession for us, when any thing comes in against us there, to appear in our behalf, and to plead our cause. If any man sin, we have an Advocate with the Father, saith the Apostle, 1 John 2.2. and he is the propitiation for our sins. We have such an Advocate as is a propitiation: So that when Satan, and when sin accuses, and makes a dreadful noise against us, he can wipe all off again with one word: Saith he. This person hath offended, I confess; but what of that? There is a full propitiation made, it is well known that I have done it; and what hath any one to say to this man? If he have out-sinned my satisfaction, even let him be condemned. But if not, let him be acquitted; or what do I sit here for? How can this choose but ravish and transport the soul into an Ecstasy of joy, and make it to triumph with the Apostle, Rom. 8.33. Who can lay anything to my charge? who is he that condemneth? Let me but see the man that durst to do it. So that no marvel though our Saviour Christ be called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the forecited place, which signifieth both a Comforter and Advocate: To show that Jesus Christ doth comfort us exceedingly, by undertaking for us as an Advocate, and pleading for us with the Father. The knowledge of our Saviour's Intercession for his people is a means to comfort them in reference to the many weaknesses and imperfections of our own prayers. Oh how are we dejected and cast down sometimes, when we are dull and flat and cold and speechless in our addresses to the Majesty of God. When we are so deserted, and our hearts are so shut up, that (as Hezekiah once) we cannot speak in prayer, but only chatter like a Swallow, Isa. 38.14. when we know not what to say, nor what to plead, we are so barren; when we are destitute of matter and expression, this puts us many times into a very sad condition and overwhelms our hearts with sorrow; As David once complained in such a case, Psal. 77.3. I remembered God, saith he, I was troubled; I complained and my spirit was overwhelmed. But now, my brethren, is it not a matter of exceeding comfort to consider that we have an Intercessor to help us out with all this? That he puts in to God the Father for us, and takes our Suits into his hands; That he excuses what is wanting in our prayers, and supplies it in his own; That he is lively there where we are dull; that he is quick where we are flat; that he is full where we are short. My Client, saith our Advocate, means this and this; this is the meaning of the spirit in him. He is not able to express himself as many others can, but this is that which he intends and aims at. His words are not so ready and so apt, but he hath as sincere a heart as the most voluble and fluent of them all: and he is one for whom I have laid down my life, and shed my blood, for whom I have deserved all the good that he can ask and stand in need of; And therefore I beseech thee Father, let him have what he desires, give him a speedy and a gracious answer for my sake. Ah my beloved, is it not able to fill our hearts brimful of joy, when we remember that we have such an Advocate as this is? The knowledge of our Saviour's Intercession for his people, is a means to comfort them in reference to the defects of all our graces. For we come short in all of them, there is not one of them complete. There is much lacking in our faith, as the Apostle speaks, 1 Thes. 3.10. and so there is in all the rest which spring from faith. For if there be a failing in the root, there cannot choose but be a failing in the branches. And this is that which makes us walk so heavily and sadly many times, when we consider with ourselves how slender the degrees and measures of our graces are, so that we know not where to find comfort. What shall we do in such a case to keep our spirits from despondency? Why truly among many other ways, this is a very special one to fix our thoughts upon the intercession of our Saviour for us, and to consider seriously with ourselves, that this is one great business that he urges to his Father, that he would sanctify his people; That he would give them out more grace, and more holiness. This prayer of our Saviour in my text, as I have hinted formerly, is but a Counterpane of the perpetual intercession that he makes for his in heaven. And it consists especially of two branches, which comprehend the two main things that he desireth of his Father for his people, Preservation and Sanctification. The latter he is large upon, sanctify them with thy truth, and so on. They were sanctified before, for they were not of the world, and he desires they might be sanctified yet more; That they might have larger measures of all the graces of the spirit. And is not this an extraordinary comfort to those who are but meanly furnished, and who have but a slender stock of grace, that Jesus Christ is always interceding to his Father in their behalf for a more full supply? It was a suit that he begun on earth, and he is still pursuing it in heaven to this day, and will do to the world's end, he will never give it over; so that we may be confident we shall have such degrees of holiness and grace bestowed upon us, as are necessary for us. The knowledge, etc. as it assures us of his dear love to us, and his tender care of us. What our Saviour doth in heaven in a way of Intercession, if it were unknown to us, though it might profit us and benefit us very much, it could not comfort as at all. But when we know that Jesus Christ hath such a singular regard to us, and that his heart and his affections work towards us so sweetly, and so strongly now he is in heaven, at so great a distance from us (I mean as he is man) that he is always taking all advantages, to further and promote our business with his Father, and speaking to him upon all occasions for our good; and in a word, that he is so extremely kind and loving to us, so infinitely tender of our welfare every way; This cannot choose if it be duly weighed, but fill our hearts up to the brim, and make them overflow with joy. Use 1 Now is it so my Brethren, that the assured knowledge of our Saviour's Intercession is one, etc. If then we would abound in this heavenly affection, let us exactly study, and throughly p●y into our Saviour's Intercession, that we may know as much of it as we are able to attain to. We are here in an unquiet and unstable world, in which we meet with many causes of discomfort from within, and from without, and many times they take extremely deep upon us, so as almost to make our lives a burden to us. Now if we would be free from such distempers, let us endeavour to look more into our Saviour's Intercession. And if we understand it well, it will fill us full of comfort, that will swell high, exceedingly above all the afflictions of this present life. Indeed the intercession of our Saviour is of itself a large volume, too much for us to read over, and that Volume sealed too, shut up in heaven, that we cannot open it, or look into it: But he hath given us a brief compendium, and a short abridgement of it, in the Prayer that he made for his Apostles and Disciples, and in them for all the Church, that is or shall be to the world's end, that we may read it and acquaint ourselves with it: He spoke that prayer in the world, that they might hear it from him, and so might have his joy fulfilled in them: And that we might hear it from them, and so might have his joy fulfilled in us. In which regard, my Brethren, it is left upon record in public in the Church for ever, that all his people might have recourse thereto, on all occasions for their Comfort. And therefore when we are in any trouble, when sorrow seizes deep upon us, let us study this prayer in all the parts and branches of it, that from thence we may conjecture what he doth in our behalf, now he is fitting at the right hand of his Father. And this let us depend upon, that if he spoke one word in our behalf in any case while he was here upon earth, he speaks a hundred for us now he is heaven. And truly if this Counterpane of our Saviour's Intercession were dived into and studied more, there would be more holy joy among the Saints. Their troubles and their sorrows would be less, and they would be more full of comfort than they are. JOHN 17.14. I have given them thy Word, and the world hath hated them. AND thus of the first argument, with which our Saviour presseth and enforceth his Petition to his Father in behalf of his Apostles and Disciples, that he himself would undertake the keeping of them: Which hath been taken as you may remember, from his own effectual preservation of them, during the time that he had been among them: Together with the reason which he interposes why he made this Petition for them in the world. Proceed we to the second argument with which he backs it, and it is taken from the place in which he was about to leave them, wherein he was assured they would stand in need of special preservation from his Father: And therefore he desireth him to keep them through his own Name, because our Saviour for his own part, was even ready to departed from them, and to abandon them in such a place, where they would be in danger every day, and every hour, as being hated and maligned upon all hands, and that for the truth's sake. I have given them thy Word, and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. So that the words have in them a discovery of the condition and estate of Christ's Disciples in the world, together with the causes of it. First the condition and estate of Christ's Disciples in the world is mentioned here, although not in the first place: and it is such as cannot but be grievous and uncomfortable to them; For they are very ill beloved; yea, they are hated universally almost; the world hath hated them, saith Christ. And then the causes of it are annexed, by what means it comes to pass that they are so maligned in the world; and this is not for any evil that is in them, or done by them. But either first, because they receive the Word of God, not into their knowledge only, but into their practice and obedience too; I have given them thy Word, and the world hath hated them: So that it hates them for the Word, and for the Truth's sake. And secondly because they are not of this world, but of another; therefore the world is so envenomed, and so maliciously bend against them: The world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. They like them much the worse, because they are in this respect like me. At this time let us look into the condition and estate of Christ's Disciples in the world, the world hates them. The world is taken divers ways; I think more differently than any other phrase almost in Scripture. Sometimes we find it used for elect and sanctified; sometimes for reprobate and unsanctified persons. Sometimes for the elect and sanctified, as you may see that place for instance, Joh. 4.42. This is the Christ the Saviour of the world, that is, of all the chosen and elect of God, not limited to Jewry only, but wheresoever scattered over all the world. God was in Christ (saith the Apostle) reconciling the world to himself, 2 Cor. 5.19. Not all the world at large, but all his chosen people, whatsoever, or wheresoever living in the world. Sometimes the world is taken for reprobate and unsanctified men: So that, The world lies in wickedness, 1 Joh. 5.19. as Austin intimateth the distinction, there is mundus mundus, & mundus inmundus. Indeed it is so differently taken, that sometimes they that are hated, are the world; and sometimes they that hate them, are the world: And in this latter sense, you are to understand it in my Text: The world, that is, the reprobate and wicked of the world, hath hated them, saith: our Saviour to his Father; The●, whom? why them whom thou hast given me, as you may see, if you look a little back on the foregoing verses. Them whom thou hast bestowed upon me, and whom I have received and entertained for my Disciples, them hath the world hated. So that you see, DOCTRINE. It is the manner of the world to hate them that are Christ's Disciples. They that belong to Jesus Christ are usually but illbeloved among ungodly and unsanctified men. The world is generally set against them, to malign them and oppose them, and do them all the spite and mischief that they can. So it was in Christ's time, and so it will be to the world's end: And therefore it is made the Epithet of wicked men that they are such as hate the righteous; you may see that place for instance, Psal. 34.21. They are not only angry with them, but they hate them, and that to the very death. They desire their extirpatation and destruction, that they may have no more a being; no nor so much as the memorial of a being, if it might be possible, that their name may be no mere remembered, Psal. 83.4. And therefore you shall find the Saints complaining often of the hatred of the world, and of the rage and malice of ungodly men against them. And Christ forewarning his Disciples what they must expect in this world, You shall be hated, saith our Saviour, of all Nations, Mat. 24.9. That seems to be very much; yet in another place he goes further; You shall be hated of all men; you must conceive it of all worldly wicked men, Mat. 10.22. I shall add no more for proof; you see it is the manner of the wicked world, etc. But what should be the reason why they hate them so? It may be you will ask as David once, What hath the righteous done? what evil hath he wrought? what have Christ's Disciples done, that they are so maligned in the world? Why truly, my Beloved, if you would know the reason of it, it is not for any evil they have done, that they are so railed at, and that they have so much ill will on all hands; there is no just and real cause of all this hatred which they suffer from the world: No, my Beloved, as they hated Christ himself without a cause, as David once complained as his Type, Psal. 35.19. so they hate Christ's Disciples too, those that belong to Christ, without a cause, without any just cause. So that you see here is a Doctrine, of which no man in the world can give you one good reason. It is the manner of the wicked world to hate them that are Christ's Disciples; but it is without reason, without any good reason: However they have reasons to themselves, such as they are, of this hatred. And I might give you many such reasons, more than a good many: For though there be not any reasons why they should, yet there are many reasons why they do hate Christ's Disciples, and I might be large upon them: But I shall confine myself to those which Christ hath mentioned in the Text itself. The wicked world hates Christ's Disciples, because they entertain the Word of God, because they love it and obey it, and conform their lives to it; and this is the account our Saviour gives his Father of the business, I have given them thy Word, and the world hath hated them; as if he should have said for that cause: I have so given them thy Word, that they have entertained it as thy Word in their faith, and love, and practice, and obedience; and hence it is that they are so maligned, and despitefully entreated in the world. And so it is at this day; As long as men make no account and reckoning of the Word, as long as they profess it only, but are not very zealous for it, nor very careful to walk in every thing exactly by it, they may live pretty quiet with their neighbours: But if they come once to contend, and that with earnestness for every truth that is contained in the Word; if they will not in any case, by any means depart in any thing from that Rule, the world will be about their ears upon a sudden, and show a great deal of malignity and rage against them. But why should this exasperate the world against them, you will ask me? I cannot tell you why it should, but I will tell you why it doth: For by this means they cross the world, and they condemn and shame the world. And this is that which sets the world so much against them. By this means they cross the world; and this they are not able to endure, it makes their very hearts to rise against them: And they cross them three ways, they cross them in their judgements, and they cross them in their wills, and they cross them in their lives and conversations. 1. First by this means they cross them in their judgements and opinions. Till men receive the Word of God, they can in every thing conform their judgements and opinions to the world. They can think as they do, and they can speak as they do; they can agree and hold with them in every point, and so they walk on lovingly together; there grows no difference or debate between them. But when they come to entertain the Word to be their rule in every thing, both in opinion and in conversation, now they are forced to differ from the world, to clash with them, in many things to contradict and oppose them, and gainsay them. And this breeds disaffection and dislike, yea enmity and hatred against them: Nay, they are forced sometimes, if they will keep exactly to the Word of God, to cross the world in those opinions which they are most intent upon, and for which they are most eager; and this they can by no means bear from them: As they that entertained Christ to be the Son of God, and the Saviour of the world, when he was conversant upon the Earth, and in the times that followed next after his Incarnation, Passion and Ascension, they did exceedingly enrage the world against them: The generality of men would not endure to heat of Christ, or the Religion that embraced and worshipped him; and therefore whosoever undertook to own him and profess him, was sure to meet with all the violence and rage and malice that the world could pour upon him. He might have crossed the world in many other truths, and not have found so ill measure; but this drew out their rage and malice to the utmost: And this is that (as I conceive) which our Saviour Christ aims particularly at in my text, I have given them thy Word, thy Gospel Word; of that he speaks, and they have entertained it and embraced it, and therefore the world hates them. And if you look into the stories of the Church, you shall observe that whosoever closed with the Gospel in those early times, and professed the faith of Christ, from which the world was so exceedingly averse, he was exposed thereby to all the misery that humane cruelty, etc. could devise to inflict. But after when this Gospel-Truth came to be better settled and digested in the world, so that they were content to hear of Christ and his Religion with a little patience, than there risen up other things in which they would not be gainsaid: As to leap down to Luther, time, who ever stuck to him, and to the doctrine which he taught, against the Pope and his adherents, got the world about his ears. And so in every age, there are some passages of holy Scripture, and the truths delivered in them, against which the world is violently bend: and whosoever sticks to these, the world hates him out of measure, and doth him all the mischief that it can. And therefore this is called the Word of God's patience, Apoc. 3.10. Thou hast kept the Word of my patience; that is, thou hast not only kept my Word in general, but more particularly thou hast kept those portions of my Word, and those parcels of my Truth, which must have patience to the keeping of them. A man may keep some Truths delivered in the Word without patience, as being universally received by all, opposed by none: But there are others, which if a man maintain and hold them, he shall surely suffer, he shall be persecuted for them. And he that keeps these notwithstanding, keeps the Word of God's patience. The patience which God works in his people. 2. They that embrace the Word of God, as they cross the wicked world in their opinions, so they cross them in their wills: They cannot do in every thing as the wicked world would have them; they cannot yield to every thing, which they obtrude and force upon them, and this is another reason why they are so exasperated and enraged against them. Were it not for the Word of God, to which they are resolved to yield obedience, they might comply in every thing, and so the world and they might be very good friends. But when the Word forbiddeth what the world requireth, & that most vehemently too perhaps, they are forced to cross the world, and and so the Word brings the world and them out. These men, say they, are so precise and holy, that they must have Scripture for every thing they say or do, they will do nothing but what they have a warrant for out of the Word of God. But we will make them stoop and yield, and we will make them turn another leaf ere we have done: and when they cannot have their wills, because the other cannot bend or vary from the Word of God when they are crossed in that which they are so resolved upon, this heats the furnace of their wrath seven times hotter than ordinary: and this the Prophet David found, Psal. 119.161. Princes have persecuted me without a cause; but my heart standeth in awe of thy Word: Either he must have them against him, or the Word of God against him. They threatened him if he obeyed the Word: the Word upon the other side, that threatened if he disobeyed it. Whom did he fear most? why saith the Psalmist, My heart standeth in awe of thy Word; I fear it more than I fear them: And this was that which got him much hatred and bitter persecution too, as you may see in that place. 3. They that receive the Word of God, as they cross the wicked world in their opinions and their wills, so in their conversations too; they do not live and walk as they do; their ways are of another fashion, and this is another reason why the world is so maliciously bend against them. Were it not for the Word of God, and the rules that it prescribes, there need to be no difference between them and other men, and so there would be no dislike. But now they are not, neither can they be conformed and fashioned to the world, Rom. 12.2. they cannot walk according to the course and custom of the world Ephes. 2.2. The world runs out exceedingly into all licentious courses, but they run not out with them. They walk not as the Gentiles, Ephes. 4.17. they sleep not as do others, 1 Thess. 5.5. And this the world cannot abide them for, because they are so singular, and will not do as they do. They that receive the Word of God, as they do cross the world, so they condemn and shame the world: For while they walk exactly by the Rule, their holy and unblemished lives and conversations do make the vicious and licentious courses of ungodly men the more odious, and bring the more contempt upon them. And as the righteous is the more excellent, because he dwelleth by a bad neighbour; so on the other side, the wicked is the more abominable, because he dwelleth by a good neighbour; his vile and wicked actions show the worse, because there are so good examples just by. Thus we have seen the first reason of the point; the wicked world hates Christ's Disciples, because they entertain the Word of God, I have given them thy Word, saith Christ, etc. There is a second also added in the Text, It is the manner of the world Reason 2 to hate them that are Christ's disciples, because they are not of this world but of another. Therefore the world is so envenomed, and so maliciously bend against them. The world hath hated them, saith Christ, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world: If they were of their own society, and of their own Country, they would love them well enough, as Christ himself informeth his Disciples, Joh. 15.19. If ye were of the world, the world would love his own, but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. Use 1 Is it the manner of the wicked world, etc. Here than you see one especial reason why Christ's Disciples are so vilified and abused in the world. They dwell among a company of men that hate them, and that to the very death. And hence it is my brethren, that they do them all the mischief that they can: It is a wonder to us, many times, that all the world almost should be upon the skirts of the small number that belongs to Christ, that they should be continually perking at them, and raising scandalous reports upon them; we know not what to make of it. Why, what's the matter, think we, that they should be so ill-entreated, and so unworthily and basely used on all hands? Truly nothing else but this, the world hates them; and all these injuries, and wrongs, and molestations are the effects of that hatred. Use 2 Is it the manner of the wicked, etc. the greater cause there is of admiration at the power and mercy of the Lord that keeps them, and preserves them, notwithstanding this hatred. Though all the world be bitterly envenomed and enraged against them, they cannot have their will upon them; no, they are safeguarded still, as if a little Lamb were kept among a company of Wolves and Lions. 'tis not for want of multitude or malice in the enemies of Christ's Disciples, that they have yet a being in the world, but by the power and goodness of a gracious God, upholding them, and providing for their safety. This is the Lords doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes; And we shall marvel at it, and admire the Lord the more, if we consider yet a little more distinctly but these two things. 1. The disparity in number between Christ's Disciples and them that bear such mortal hatred to them; For Christ's Disciples they are very few, a little flock, a small number, a petty inconsiderable company of men. But they that hate them, and desire their ruin, are the world, a world of wicked and ungodly men. So that you see, there are enemies enough to eat up Christ's people, (as David said they did in his time, They eat up thy people, as a man would eat bread) to devour them, and to bring them all to nothing in a moment. And if you do compare them with the multitude that are against them, and consider what a deadly and envenomed hatred they bear against them, their preservation will appear to be a strange thing, the greater and more admirable is the power that keeps them and upholds them in such a posture and condition as this is. 2. And as there is a great disparity in number between Christ's Disciples, and them that bear such hatred to them, so in disposition too, which magnifies the power that keeps them yet more. For Christ's Disciples they are frequently compared to Sheep and Lambs, poor harmless things that are so far from being able or desirous to offend & hurt others, that they are no ways able to defend themselves. And they that hate them on the otherside, are compared to Dogs, and Wolves, and Bears, and Lions. How easy is it for such strong and cruel creatures to make a prey upon the silly Lambs? So Christ's Disciples are resembled to a Lily for their tenderness and softness; and they that hate them on the other side, to Thorns for their injurious and offensive quality, Cant. 2.2. They are sharp, and rough, and boisterous; and these alas are sweet and harmless, and how shall they subsist among them? They are not like to hurt the world, but the world is very like to hurt them. Thorns you know, are apt to prick, and rend and scratch; and on the other side, the Lily by reason of her tenderness, is very liable to wrong and very capable of such impressions. The Greater cause there is of admiration at the power of God, by which the Church of Christ is kept, in such a dangerous condition and estate as this is. Is it the manner of the wicked, etc. Then surely it concerneth Christ's Use 3 Disciples to be very cautious how they walk in the midst of such men. If they were among their friends, there needed not such curious circumspection. For friends will make the best of every thing, and construe matters in the mildest and most favourable way. But since they are amongst their enemies that hate them, it stands them very much upon to look exactly to their words and ways. And that upon a few Considerations. For, First, if there be any thing to be misconstrued, they will be sure to make an ill interpretation of it, they will mistake your words (as David speaks) and mistake your actions too, and turn them all the wrong way. Because they hate you, they will lie upon the the catch, that they may pick some matter of exception and reproach against you. And if there be but any show, or colour for it, they will glory out of measure as you may see Michal for an instance when David danced before the Ark. And therefore David calls them his observers, Psal. 5.8. for so the Hebrew word imports, and so you find it in the Margin. And if they once get any matter by the end, Oh with what Joy and exultation will they vent it! Aha, say they, our eyes hath seen it, our ear hath heard it. And therefore we have need of wisdom, yea the wisdom of an Angel, to know how to demean ourselves before such persons as these are. Seconly, And as by reason of their hatred of you, they will be very busy, and inquisitive, to catch at any thing against you. So if they find it in the least degree; they will be sure to make the most of it. They will be very careful that it shall not lose a Jot by their means. And therefore we have reason to be very wary of doing any thing that may be capable of misconstruction, yea though we know it to be Lawful; And to avoid the appearance of evil, That so these enemies of ours, who watch and hope to take us tripping, may be ashamed, as the Apostle speaks, Titus 2.8. as being disappointed of that which they expected and desired. For shame you know, is the fruit of disappointment, that they may be ashamed having no evil thing to say of you. If they can misinterpret any thing you say or do, they will not only wound your names with it, but the name of God himself, and the credit of religion. So that it is not a sufficient Plea to say, that we are very well persuaded that we have done no evil, and therefore if they make an ill construction of it, the fault is theirs, and we must bear it, we cannot help it, we must endure their scandals and reproaches; No, my beloved, this is not enough, it ought to be our care, as much as lies in us, to prevent those ill Constructions, and to take away occasion from those that long and seek for it. For these reproaches do not rest in us. If we alone did bear them, if they did reach no further than our persons, it were well. But God and his Religion, and his Gospel, are miserably wounded through our sides, by this occasion; and therefore we must see that we do nothing, as far as it is possible, from whence these enemies of ours may take advantage to wound such precious things as these are. And as they will take occasion, if there be any colour for it, to dishonour God's name, so to undo and damn their own souls. If they find weaknesses and flaws, ●n those who are Christ's Disciples, this sets them off the further from religion. If they see them to fall short, or take them tripping any way, in any thing that falls within their compass to discover, this strangely hardens them against profession. I am persuaded there are many souls in hell, who have been kept aloof from Christ, and from Religion, by the incircumspect and careless walking of those who have either been really, or have been taken to be Christ's Disciples. And therefore let it be our care, that while we go to heaven with our friends, no enemies of ours may go to hell by our means. Use. 4 Is it the manner of the wicked, etc. Then let it not seem strange to Christ's Disciples, if they be hated in the world, if they be wronged and injured and abused, on all hands. Let them not look upon it as a thing to be admired and wondered at, if they be very coursely used and very ill entreated here. If they be always troubled and distressed, if they be always followed and pursued with spiteful molestations, and vexations, let them not think much of it, but let them look upon it as an ordinary thing, and let them seriously consider that they could expect no other, living in such a place, and with such company as they do. Only to stay them and support them in such a troublesome condition, let them take notice of a few things. 1. God and Jesus Christ love you, and love you very dearly, though the world hate you. And whether do you think the love of God will do you most good, or the hatred of the world will do you most hurt? I beseech you my beloved, set the one in opposition to the other, and when you are disquieted at any time, to think how you are hated and maligned and abused in the world, consider on the other side, how you are beloved of God; how dear are you to Jesus Christ, who loved you and gave himself for you. And if you weigh the matter well, you will find infinitely greater cause to cheer your hearts with his love, then to deject them with the world's hatred. 2. Jesus Christ himself was in the same condition with you when he lived in the world. You far no worse than he did. And this is that which he himself propounds to his Apostles and Disciples to the very same end, John 15.18. If the world hate you, saith Christ, you know that it hated me before it hated you. Are you hated in the world? let not that seem strange to you; you know yourselves, it hated me before you, or else it hated me who am before you; It hated me 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It hated me prius, or it hated me priorem, for it may be both ways rendered. It hated me before you, in regard of time, or me who am before you in regard of Dignity, as Calvin very well observes upon the place. And should not this Consideration quiet us and make us patiented? we are hated in the world; why so was Jesus Christ himself. Why should we look to be exempted from that to which our blessed Saviour was exposed? yea, he was hated in the first place, and we are hated after him, and in reference to him; Though he were absolutely holy, harmless, separate from sinners, he was hated notwithstanding. Alas, my brethren, how unholy, how faulty, how injurious many times are we to others? And then what wonder is it that they take offence at us? Though Christ were far above us every way, though he were our Lord and Master, he was exceedingly maligned in the world. And why should we expect in this regard to be above him, to far better than he did? No, let it be sufficient for us, that we are no worse, no nor so ill intreat-as our Lord and Master was. 3. The hatred of the world is no impediment at all, no bar, no hindrance to your blessedness. Indeed, it fits you rather and qualifies you for it, as Jesus Christ himself insinuates, in his Sermon on the Mount, Mat. 5.12. Blessed are ye when men revile you, and persecute you, and say all evil of you falsely. And the Apostle Peter, to the same effect, 1 Pet. 4.14. saith he, If you be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are you. So that malignity and injury, and evil usage from the world, are no way inconsistent with our happiness, neither with our present nor our future happiness. 1. Our present happiness consisteth in the title that we have to Christ, the interest we have in him, and the Communion we have with him. Can the hatred of the world put an end to this Communion? No, saith the Apostle Paul, Rom. 3.35. Who shall separate us from the Love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? as it is written, for thy sake are we killed all the day long. Nay, in all these things we are more than Conquerors through him that loves as. For I am verily persuaded, that neither death nor life, nor Angels, nor principalities nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, not depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Nay, to say truth, Christ loves us most, and hath most communion with us, when the world is most against us. Then he is specially present with us, as he was with Paul, Acts 18.9. and with the Martyrs in the Dungeon, in the Stocks, in the flames. And it is certain that Christ doth then reveal himself most sweetly to his people, when the world discovers most malignity and rage against them. So that it is not all their hatred can keep a Christian from the love and fellowship of Jesus Christ, and so by Consequence it cannot keep him from his present happiness. 2. And for our happiness to come, it cannot hinder that neither. It doth not lie so lose, my brethren, that all the world can take it from us. No, it is in Gods keeping; he openeth and no man shutteth; he shutteth and no man openeth. He opened Heaven upon Stephen, when the world was showing the utmost of its rage against him. And verily a Christian is as near the compliment and the perfection of his happiness, when he suffers all the wrong and ignominy and contempt that the world can pour upon him, and sometimes nearer than he is at other times; for that may be the way to it. And hence, saith Christ in the fore-alledged text, Mat. 5.11. Blessed are ye when men revile you; Rejoice and be exceeding glad, And why so? For great is your reward in heaven. JOHN 17.15. I pray not that thou shouldst take them out of the world, etc. AND thus far of the second Argument with which our Saviour presseth and enforceth his Petition to his Father in behalf of his Apostles and Disciples, that he would keep them through his own name, viz. because our Saviour for his own part was even ready to departed from them, and to abandon them in such a place where they were hated universally almost; the world hath hated them, saith Christ. Why then a man would think the only way were to remove them out of such a place, where they are so ill beloved, and so maligned upon all hands. If the world hate them, because they are not of the world, what should they do there any longer? the best way were to take them thence, and to translate them to a place where they are likely to have more quiet. No, saith our Saviour, I disown that; that is not the intent and drift of my Petition, I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, etc. So that these words my brethren, are an Explication of that which is delivered in the former verse, that it might not be mistaken. Not that our Saviour was afraid his Father would mistake his meaning, but he knew they might mistake him, who heard him speaking to his Father. And therefore as a learned Writer notes upon the text, he speaks unto his Father as a man, for men's sake, because he speaks in their hearing. He tells them plainly and expressly what he doth not pray for, I pray not that thou shouldst take them out of the world. And then he tells him clearly what he doth pray for, but that thou shouldst keep them from the evil. Begin we with the first part of the explication, in which our Saviour tells his Father plainly and expressly what he doth not pray for; I do not pray that thou should take them out of the world. So that the point to be observed hence, is this. DOCTRINE Removal out of this world, is not the proper subject matter of Petition. You see our Saviour Christ disowns it clearly in my text, he would by no means have it thought that he desires his Father to remove his Disciples hence by death, to take them out of the world: No, saith our Saviour, that is not the thing I pray for; I pray not that thou shouldst take them out of the world: And even as he disowns it in his prayer, so should we; for we must walk in every imitable thing, as we have him for an example: And out of doubt, he speaks not this for the direction of his Father, that he might not be mistaken (as I noted even now) but on the other side, for the instruction of his Apostles and Disciples, who were by and heard him pray: That they might learn not to exceed their bounds in their petitions: And when they seriously consider how they are hated, and maligned, and abused in the world, they might not yet desire the Lord on this account, that he would take them hence, but rather that he would preserve and keep them here, as you have it in my Text; I pray not that thou shouldst take them out of the world, but that thou shouldst keep them from the evil. And the ground is evident. Reason. Removal out of this world is not the proper subject matter of Petition, because it is not simply in itself a blessing. Indeed by accident I must acknowledge death and departure hence, is turned exceed ngly to the advantage of the Saints. For by it they are freed from evils penal, and from evils sinful; from suffering, and from sinning; they are admitted to most near communion with him whom their soul loves, and whom their hearts do even gasp after, from whose immediate presence they are unavoidably debarred, as long as they remain in this world. But properly life and continuance in the body is the blessing, and therefore it is properly to be desired. We find it usually to be propounded in the promise, as the reward of holiness, and of obedience. And in this form we have it in the fifth Commandment, which is the first Commandment with promise, the only one that hath a promise of the second Table, the only one of all the ten that hath a distinct and particular promise. And now you will expect, I know, there should be some transcendent mercy comprehended in such a singular and extraordinary promise as this is. And yet it is but long life in this world, that thy days may be long in the land, etc. That promise is a pregnant one to this effect, Psal. 91. ult. with long life will I satisfy him, and show him my salvation. First I will satisfy him with long life, he shall live so long on earth, till he be full of days, even as the stomach that is full of meat, till he desire to live no longer, till nature be spun out to the uttermost extent, and after I will show him my salvation; I will bring him to the place where he shall live for evermore. And hence it is, because continuance here is properly and in itself a blessing (as on the other side the contrary thereto, the rooting out of the land of the living is properly and in itself a curse) that holiest Saints have deprecated taking hence: They have been so far from praying that God would take them out of the world, that they have rather prayed against it; Lord take me not away in the midst of my days, Psal. 102.24. How did they plead sometimes for their endangered lives, as a prisoner at the bar! and when the Lord was pleased to leave them in the world a little longer, they were exceedingly affected and enlarged to thankfulness: As Hezekiah was you know, who penned a Psalm of praise on this occasion, and this was the burden of it, The living, the living, they shall praise thee, as I do this day. Object. But you will interpose and say perhaps, Some of the choicest Saints of God have prayed expressly to be taken hence, and therefore it should seem to be the proper subject matter of Petition. Answ. 1. To this I answer, such as prayed aright, did not make their removal hence by death the proper subject matter of their prayers. They did not seek it simply and abstractly by and for itself, but in relation to some other thing which they could not have without it. It's true indeed, that the Apostle Paul desired to be dissolved and to be with Christ; he could not be with Christ (he knew) unless he were dissolved first; and therefore that he might enjoy him, he was contented to be dissolved for that end. Or otherwise he would have been far enough from desiring dissolution: And therefore in another place he speaks clearly, We would not be unclothed, saith he, viz. of life and of the body, 2 Cor. 5.4. that is not properly the thing that we desire; But we would be clothed upon with immortality in heaven. If it might be possible, we would be clothed upon with that, without the putting off of this. Indeed he saith before, in the Name of all the Saints, We that are in this Tabernacle do groan, being burdened. But yet it was not life considered in itself that was their burden; but with its evil adjuncts and associates which do continually cleave to it, and which cannot be severed from it in this world. So that if you take life, you must take that which comes with it. In this respect indeed, it is a burden to the holiest Saints, because it is accompanied with such a burden of corruption, as makes them groan and faint under it. But if it be considered simply and abstractly in itself, it is not a burden from which the Saints do groan to be delivered; no, it is a blessing rather, of which they groan to be deprived. 2. Most of the Saints who have desired God to take them hence, have failed and sinned in those desires of theirs. It was their weakness and infirmity, they did it out of fear and despondency of Spirit, out of passion and impatience. And thus it seems Eliah did when he fled from Jezabel, 1 King. 19.4. And thus it is extremely probable that Moses did, Num. 11.10, 15. For it is said he was displeased, and in that angry fit he said to God, Wherefore hast thou afflicted me? If thou deal thus with me, kill me I pray thee out of hand, and do not let me see my wretchedness. And thus it is apparent Ionas did, who being crossed in a punctilio, in a point of honour, out of a pettish, foolish, childish humour, will go die forsooth, God must take away his life; These imperfections of the Saints are left upon record in Scripture, not as marks to be aimed at, but as rocks to be declined. Use. Now to proceed, to make some Application of the point; My Brethren, is it so, that removal out of this world, is not the proper subject matter of Petition? Then let not any of us make it so, when we are putting up our supplications and requests to God. When we consider how the world hates us, how it pours contempt upon us, how it follows us with troubles, persecutions and afflictions; so that we see but little hope that we should ever live contentedly, and quietly, and freely here; it may be we are weary of it, and ever ready to desire the Lord that he would remove us from it. To wish with Israel, in a pang of discontent, Numb. 11.1. Would God we were dead. And with Eliah, It is enough, Lord take away our lives, 1 King. 14.4. It's that which many of us are too apt to do, when we are overladen with the cares and troubles of this world, to reach after deliverance, and redress, and ease by this means: And therefore when we find our hearts are running out in such a way as this is, let us call them in again, let us correct ourselves, and say as our Saviour in my Text, O Lord, we pray not that thou wouldst take us out of the world, we are far from such impatience, we are content to wait thy leisure to tarry till thy time come. And here to keep you from such extravagancies and irregular desires, I shall present you with a few things. It is a special mercy of the Lord to give us life, and to continue us in this world, though in a comfortless and sad condition. David was in a sorry case, afflicted, persecuted and oppressed when he put up that prayer to the Lord, Deal bountifully with thy servant, or be beneficial to thy servant, that I may live and keep thy Word, Psal. 119.17. He counted it a benefit to live, how troublesome soever his condition were. It's that which even Nature teaches us to reach after; Skin for skin, and all that a man hath will he give for his life. And yet a life with nothing else, some will count worth nothing. You know my Brethren, all that God himself did promise to some very gracious men in times of common trouble and calamity, was only this, they should have their lives for a prey, and that was all, for great things were not to be looked for, Jer. 39.38. and 45.5. And yet that was a great mercy. If we be not taken hence, perhaps we may enjoy the mercy to outlive troubles: It is mercy to live in them, but it is greater mercy to live beyond them; and this if we be quiet, and content, and patiented, for aught we know, may be our portion. And this was that which David promised to himself, when he was almost overcome and overwhelmed with his afflictions and distresses: I shall not die, but live, saith he, and declare the works of the Lord, Psal. 118.17. Me thinks he gathers up his spirits, when he was about to faint; why yet, saith he, I shall not die, but live for all this, as near as I am brought; yea I shall live to glory and triumph in God's works, in that which he shall do for me: to live in dangerous times, and to get through them, though but with an escape, is mercy. But to get through them with a conquest, is far greater mercy. To live in troubles, though in the end they overcome us, is an honour. But to live in them, so as in the end to overcome them; to be as the Apostle was, in deaths often, and yet to live and to triumph, this is happiness indeed. Consider, in the worst of times, and in the midst of greatest troubles, you may be serviceable to the Church of Christ. Perhaps more serviceable then in better times, because the Church may need you more. This caused Paul, who else had certainly desired dissolution, to pitch upon continuance in the body; For me, saith he, to die is gain, it is best to be dissolved and to be with Christ: But to abide in the flesh is more needful for you, Phil. 1.24. And therefore that I shall resolve upon, as David once, I shall prefer the Church before my own joy, yea, before my chief joy. And as you may be serviceable to the Church in the midst of greatest troubles; so you may be instrumental to the glory of the Lord, perhaps more instrumental then in better times. It was the weakness of Eliah, that God must take away his life, when by his own confession, there was none almost to stand up and appear for God and for his Truth against the great corruptions in those times, but he only: Then should he have desired to have lived, when God had greatest need of him: It's true, that death in such a case would be a benefit and ease to us; yea, but our life would be a glory to the Lord; and this we should desire before the other. This world is the proper place where we bring glory to the Lord; in the world that is to come, we are glorified by him; Oh let us be so ingenuous to desire to be a while where we may bring God glory, rather than where we may have glory from him. Let us not be so eager for our wages, for our rest, till we have finished our work, and served our generations, and when we have done so, then God will glorify us with himself for ever. And thus far of the first part of our Saviour's Explication, in which he tells his Father plainly and expressly, what he doth not pray for: I pray not that thou shouldst take them out of the world. The second follows now in order to be handled, in which he tells him what he doth pray for; But that thou shouldst keep them from the evil. There is no difficulty in the terms, requiring any tedious Explication. Some dispute indeed there is about the meaning of the word Evil, from which our Saviour prays his Father to keep those that belong to him. There want not some Expositors who understand this Evil here to be the world itself, which indeed is very evil, which lies in wickedness, as the Apostle speaks, 1 Joh. 5.19. As if our Saviour should have said, I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldst keep them from the world, which is evil in itself, and which will surely draw them into evil too, by her temptations, and her sugared baits, unless thou keep a watchful eye upon them, and take them into thy tuition. Others take evil in the ordinary notion of it, and so it comprehendeth and involveth in it all sin, and all affliction, according to the known distinction of it, into the evil of fault, and the evil of pain, whereof the latter is the fruit and issue of the former. So that our Saviour in their apprehension prays his Father, that he would keep his Apostles and Disciples from all the evil in the world; For all may be reduced to these two heads. Not that he would remove them from it, but that he would preserve them from the evil in it. Others conceive the Evil mentioned in my Text, to be the Devil. For he is often called the evil one in Scripture, as you may see that place for instance, 1 Joh. 5.18. Beza is very resolute for this interpretation: For 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 (as he conceives) is rather taken for a person then a thing: And besides, the Article, saith he, which is adjoined puts the matter out of question, That thou wouldst keep them, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, that is, from the wicked one. And so we find the same expression used by the Apostle, 1 Joh. 2.13. I writ unto you young men, because you have overcome 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, the wicked one, that is, the Devil. As for my own part, I see no reason to reject this, or either of the other Expositions, but to take our Saviour's prayer in the largest and most comprehensive sense, which will be most for the support and comfort of the Church. And so accordingly the Observation shall be this. DOCTRINE. God can and will preserve those that belong to Jesus Christ, from all evil as long as they remain in this world. Whether the evil be the evil of corruption, or the evil of affliction, the evil of sin, or the evil of punishment. Whether the evil be the world; as some conceive, or the Devil, as others think; God can and will preserve those that belong to Jesus Christ from all these in such a sense as I shall open to you by and by. Both these are manifest in this Petition of our Saviour's here; I pray, saith he, that thou wouldst keep them from the evil: From what evil? none is excepted, and therefore out of doubt, he means from all evil. He prays that God would so preserve them, that nothing that is really and truly evil (not in itself and in its nature only, but to them) nothing that is so to them, might come upon them. And seeing Jesus Christ desires it of his Father, it is very evident that he is able so to keep them, or else it were a vain Prayer; and it is as manifest, that he will keep them so, or else it were a fruitless and an ineffectual prayer. God can and will preserve those that belong to Jesus Christ from all evil. For clearing of the observation, I shall show you particularly and distinctly, that God can and will preserve them from the evil of temptation, and from the evil of corruption, and from the evil of affliction: And if he keep from these, he keeps from all; from the world and Devil too, though neither of them be expressly mentioned; for if the world, or Devil hurt us, it must be either by temptation or affliction. God can and will preserve those that belong to Jesus Christ from the evil of temptation. Whether you understand it of the temptation of the world, or the temptation of the Devil, or the temptation of our own hearts: God can and will preserve us from it, or the evil of it, as I shall show you evidently from the Scripture. Either he will preserve from the assault, or from the prevalence, or from the hurt of the temptation. 1. Sometimes the Lord preserves those that belong to Christ from the assault of the temptation. He doth not give the Tempter leave to tempt them: For you must know, my Brethren, that the Devil cannot once inject a wicked thought, or suggest a sinful motion, without allowance granted him from God: you may behold him bound and chained, Apoc. 20.2. and that to this end, that he may deceive no more, until the time and season of his chaining be expired, and after loosed at the Lords appointment. And he will lose him only when himself pleaseth. So that the Devil cannot tempt us when he will; he must confine himself within the compass of his chain. Indeed if God enlarge him once, he may go forth and entice us, and prevail, as you may see in that example, 1 King. ●2. 22. But if he limit him, he cannot move, nor meddle with us any way. This roaring Lion walketh up and down, saith the Apostle, 1 Pet. 5.8. seeking whom he may devour. Not whom he will, it is not so, but whom he may devour. There are some whom he may assault, and others whom he may not; some whom he may devour, and others whom he may not. 2. If God preserve, not those who belong to Jesus Christ from the assault, he uses to preserve them from the prevalence of the temptation. Perhaps he gives the tempter power to tempt them, but then he doth not give them up into the tempters power. And then the Devil or their own corruptions may entice them long enough, before they can prevail against them, unless he give them up to Satan, or their own lusts, unless he leave them, as it is said of Hezekiah in the same case, 2 Chron. 32.31. You know that Satan was permitted to set upon our Saviour Christ himself; but though he had obtained leave to tempt him, he had not leave to overcome him. So at his earnest motion he procured a commission from the Lord to worry Job. But he had only power to tempt him; Job was not given up to his power, and therefore though he did his worst, he could not fol him in the combat. So he desired to sift add winnow Peter, and so far forth, it seemeth, he obtained his desire, that he winnowed him indeed; But though he winnowed him, he could not hurt him, because he had a God to keep him, a Christ to intercede for him: Simon, Simon, saith our Saviour, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may winnow you as Wheat, Luke 22.31. But I have prayed for thee that thy faith fail not. We want not many sweet and precious promises to this effect dispersed and scattered up and down the Scripture, that God will either keep us from temptation, or if he suffer and permit us to be tempted, he will not give us up into the power of the temptation, but will preserve us so that the very gates of hell shall not prevail against us, Mat. 16.18. If Satan or the world desire to set upon us, the Lord will either save us and deliver us from the temptation, which he knoweth how to do, be the temptation what it will, as the Apostle Peter speaks, 1 Pet. 2.9. or else he will support us in it, according to his Covenant with us, for he is faithful and will not suffer us to be tempted above measure, as the Apostle shows, 1 Cor. 10.13. And though he do not free us from it, yet he will uphold us in it, as he did the Apostle Paul, 2 Cor. 12.9. who having received a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet him, and seeking earnestly to God that he would free him from this troublesome unpleasing guest, although he could not be delivered from it, yet he was fortified against it, and had this answer to his prayer, My Grace is sufficient for thee, and my strength is perfected in weakness. Or, 3. If the Lord preserve not those who belong to Jesus Christ, neither from the assault, nor from the prevalency of the temptation: at least he keeps them from the hurt of the temptation. He keeps them from the evil of it, according to our Saviour's prayer in my text, I pray that thou wouldst keep them from the evil. I must confess the holiest Saints in case may not be assaulted only, but overcome and foiled in a temptation. David a man who hath as large a testimony from the Holy Ghost himself for his uprightness as any man almost in sacred story, yet he was tempted of the Devil. 1 Chron. 21.1. yea, and not tempted only, but seduced and drawn away. And that which was David, case, that might be the case of any other. But then God suffers it for merciful and gracious ends which himself best knows. Perhaps to try them, as he permitted Hezekiah to be foiled for that end; God left him to try him, 2 Chron. 32.31. and thus he deals with many that belong to Christ. It may be they are apt to please themselves with a too good opinion of their own graces, because they look upon themselves at such a time when there is no temptation to discover what they are. And therefore God in such a case permits them to temptation for their good, and then they see those gross corruptions in themselves which they could not have imagined. Peter did little think till he was tried, he had been such a Coward as he proved. What, that the question of a silly Maid should make him flatly to deny his Lord, and Master, and that with oaths and execrations too! No, it is evident he thought himself a stout and valiant man, for he was resolute that death itself should never work so far upon him: And therefore he was brought to the encounter, that he might see how much he was mistaken of himself, and how far short his real graces came of his imaginary fancies and conceits. Sometimes God suffers those who belong to Jesus Christ to be foiled in a temptation, to make them the more humble, and the more watchful, and the more prayerful, and so by consequence the more holy, even all their lives after. And thus however the temptation doth them one way some hurt, yet in another way it doth them much more good, and so upon the whole they are better for it, not the worse. And thus God keeps them from the evil of temptation. And as God keeps them from the evil of temptation, so from the evil of corruption. Indeed he doth not keep them so that they have no corruption in them; for this is unattainable in this world; neither doth he keep them so, that this corruption doth not show itself at all in the outward conversation. No, it hath both its esse, and its operari in the holiest Saints. But yet he can and will preserve those that belong to Jesus Christ, either from the act and guilt or hurt of corruption that is in them. I shall a little touch upon them in their order. In a qualified sense he keeps them from the act of their corruption, so that they act it not at all (as thus, sometimes and in some certain things he keeps them and withholds them from) or not at least as other men. They also, saith the Prophet David, speaking of the Saints, do no iniquity, Psal. 119.3. They sin not saith the Apostle, 1 John 3.6. neither can they sin. Conceive it not so freely and so remorselesly as others; For the seed remaineth in them. The spirit lusts against the flesh, so that they cannot do the evil that they would, at least not all the evil that they would, Gal. 5.15. God keeps them by this means from much evil, which else they would fall into, as to instance in particulars. He keeps them wholly from the great and unpardonable sin, the sin against the Holy Ghost. There is a sin to death, saith the Apostle, 1 John 5.16. to death, not in the merit of it only, for so is every sin to death, if you look to the desert, but in the issue and event. And this God surely keeps them from, that belong to Jesus Christ, so that they never fall into it. 2. He keeps them usually from the grosser acts of sin, which the Apostle calls 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the defilements and pollutions of the world, 2 Pet. 2.20. being the common mire and kennel in which the filthy Swine of this world wallow, and which are termed by the Apostle Paul, the works of the flesh, which are manifest even to the the dimmest eye even to the light of nature itself, Chap. 5.19. Such are adultery, drunkenness, perjury, theft, and such like. Now from these foul and gross corruptions which cross the principles of common life and honesty, in which the lewdest and profanest wallow, God usually keeps them that belong to Jesus Christ. 3. He keeps them from committing any known sin, resolvedly and with full consent of will. Indeed there may be a velleity, an incomplete and an imperfect will to sin in those that belong to Christ; but a complete and perfect will there cannot be. For flesh and spirit being interwoven and commixed in every faculty, and consequently in the will, the will so far as it is sanctified and renewed, can never give allowance to the act of sin. And whereas wicked and ungodly men are totally addicted, and universally devoted to it, they act it wholly, and with every part and power, being nothing else but flesh: It is not so with those that are renewed. And hence saith Paul, it is not I that do it, Rom. 7.17. yet in the verse immediately before; he said, what I would not, that do I. So that there is a double I in Paul, I spiritual, and I carnal; I do it and I do it not. Not I that am spiritual, or in that part wherein I am spiritual, but I that am carnal, or in that part wherein I am carnal. It is not I that do it, but the flesh that dwelleth in me. And thus God keeps them from the acts of sin. Or if he do not always keep them from the acts, he always frees them from the guilt of sin; and so in that respect, he keeps them from the evil of corruption, and therefore he assures it to himself, as his peculiar, I, even I am he that blotteth out thy sin. It is God that justifies, saith the Apostle, Rom. 8.33. And with relation to this act of his, he is called a deliverer, Rom. 11.26. There shall come out of Zion the deliverer, and he shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob. For this is my Covenant with them when I shall take away their sin. God always keeps them that belong to Jesus Christ, from the hurt of the corruption that is in them; he turns their very sins against their nature, by accident to their advantage; if all things, than all these things work together for the best to them. God doth them good, even by their sins, and by their falls: he makes that to promote and further their salvation, which seemeth most directly to hinder it and to oppose it. Oh the riches of his mercy! Blessings and Ordinances, by accident, do hurt to wicked men; And even sins by accident do good to God's people. Thus we have showed you, that God can and will preserve those that belong to Jesus Christ, from the evil of temptation and corruption. And as God keeps those that belong to Jesus Christ from the evil of temptation, and from the evil of corruption, so from the evil of affliction; I must confess he doth not keep them so that they are utterly exempt from all affliction. They have their share and portion of it many times, as well as any other men. Many are the afflictions of the righteous, saith the Psalmist, Psal. 34.19. not of the wicked only, but the righteous too. Yea their afflictions oftentimes are more and greater than the afflictions of the wicked are. The Prophet David was too sensible of this, so that his spirit fretted at it, and he was envious at the foolish, as himself confesseth, Psal. 73.3. when he saw the prosperity of wicked men. Their strength is firm, saith he, there are no bands in their death. They are not in trouble like other men, nor are they plagued like other men, no nor like better men; Their eyes stand out with fatness, they have more than heart can wish: These are the wicked, saith the Psalmist, they prosper in the world. But how fares it with David all this while? why verily, saith he, I have cleansed my heart in vain, and washed my bands in innocency; for all the day long have I been plagued and chastened every morning. And this is that which Christ forewarned his Disciples of, that in the world they must have troubles, there would be no avoiding of it. But yet however, God keeps them from the evil of affliction in the sense that I shall open to you, in a few particulars. 1. Sometimes when he sees it best, he keeps them from affliction, that it doth not touch them for a considerable time together. He environs them with loving kindness round about, so that no trouble or calamity can find a way to enter and to seize upon them, according to that precious promise, Psal. 5. ult. For thou Lord wilt bless the righteous, with favour wilt thou compass him as with a shield. And thus he dealt a while with Job, as Satan enviously suggested to the Lord, Job 1.10. Hast thou not made a hedge about him, and about all that he hath on every side? thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the Land. So David, though he were a man of many troubles and afflictions, yet he had his Halcyon days. There was a time when God had made his Mountain of prosperity so strong that he was verily persuaded he should never be removed. And there are many promises of special preservation from dangers and distresses made to those who have an interest in God and Christ. I might heap up a multitude of such; but there is one Psalms of David that seems to be a short Compendium and abridgement of them all, viz. Psal. 91. He shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome Pestilence. He shall cover thee with his feathers, his truth shall be thy shield and buckler: thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night, nor for the arrow that flieth by day, nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness, nor the destruction that wasteth at noonday. A thousand shall fall at thy side and ten thousand on thy right hand, but it shall not come nigh thee. Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold it. Thou shalt see it seize on others, but for thy own part thou shalt be exempt from it. There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling; For he shall give his Angels charge over thee to keep thee. Now these and such like promises the Lord makes good to his, even in the very letter of them, when in the infiniteness of his love and wisdom he sees it most expedient for them. 2. Or if God do not keep them from affliction that it doth not touch them, he keeps them that it doth not stay too long with them. The rod of trouble though it strike them, yet it doth not rest upon them. It is on and off again in due time. It's true God often suffers those who belong to Jesus Christ to be brought into affliction, but then he doth not leave them there, his manner is to bring them out again. To deliver them from evil, according to that passage in the Lord's prayer. And therefore he is styled the deliverer of his people, and the God of their salvation. He that is our God, is the God of salvation, and to the Lord God belong the issues from death, not from inferior dangers only, but from death itself. And hence salvation is ascribed to him as his peculiar: It is of the Lord, saith Jonah, Chap. 2.9. Salvation belongeth to the Lord, saith David, Psal. 3.8. and his blessing upon his people. It is his work to save us from distresses and afflictions; the secondary means are subordinate to him, they move but as he acts them. And this is very usual with him; if he prevent not the afflictions of his people that they do not come upon them, yet he delivers them at length from those afflictions, assoon as they have done their work in them, yea, let them be as many as they will, Psal. 34.19. Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivereth them out of all. 3. Or if God do not keep them who belong to Jesus Christ from the evil of affliction, by way of preservation, or deliverance from it, he keeps them many times by way of preservation and delivery in it. So that though it seize upon them, it is no pain or trouble to them. And thus he kept the three Confessors, he did not save them from the furnace, but he saved them in the furnace, Dan. 3.27. The fire had no power upon their bodies, nor was a hair of their head singed, neither were their Coats changed, nor the smell of fire did pass upon them. According to that precious promise, Isa. 43.2. when thou passest through the waters I will be with thee, and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm thee, when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned, neither shall the flame kindle upon thee. Or if not thus, he qualifies his people so with inward peace, and comfort, and assurance, that they feel not what they feel. They are so ravished and transported to an ecstasy of holy joy, that they are in a sort insensible even of the greatest torment that humane cruelty can devise to inflict. Unto the righteous, saith the Psalmist, ariseth light in darkness, glorious comfort even in the midst of greatest troubles, Psal. 112.4. Thy light shall rise in obscurity, saith God, Isa. 58.10. And thy darkness shall be as the noonday; Such light did there arise to some of the blessed Martyrs, when it was darkest with them, in regard of outward comforts, so that they sung in the prisons, in the irons, in the flames; they were not able to contain themselves, by reason of the sudden flash of joy that came breaking in upon them, which made them to forget the miseries and torments which they suffered; yea, though the fire did kindle on them, and consume them into ashes: yet many of them warbled out melodious accents in the flames, professed that they were amidst the fire as in a bed of down and spices, where they felt nothing else but admirable joy and comfort. These men you see did more than conquer, they did triumph in the very midst of their unparallelled and matchless sufferings: so that they might have taken up that comfortable speech of the Apostle, Rom. 8.37. In all these things we are more than Conquerors. And what were those things? see at the 35. verse, In tribulation, and distress, and persecution, and famine, and nakedness, and peril and sword: than which there are no greater outward evils in the world: In all these things we are more than Conquerors through him that loved us. 4. Or if God do not keep his people from the smart, at least he keeps them from the hurt of their afflictions. The world indeed may persecute them, and that to the very death; they may take away their names, their estates, their lives from them; but though they kill them, they can never hurt them. God keeps them from the evil of all this, from the evil in the world, as you have it in my Text; what ever comes upon them, they are no losers in the main, but gainers rather. All things are for their sakes, saith the Apostle, 2 Cor. 4.15. for their profit and advantage; Yea, though the outward man perish, by reason of the length or violence of the affliction, the inward man is renewed day by day. Their afflictions work out for them a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory. They may suffer grievously, their sufferings may deprive them of the life of nature, but they cannot deprive them of the life of grace, or glory: They may be persecuted, but they cannot be forsaken totally and finally; they may be cast down, but they cannot be destroyed, 2 Cor. 4.9. They may be destroyed as men; but they can never be destroyed as Saints: In this respect they are like Mount Zion that can never be removed: The rain descended, saith our Saviour, and the floods came, and the wind blew and beat upon the house, and it fell not; for it was founded upon a rock, Mat. 7.25. q.d. Nothing can hurt or overthrow him that is built on Jesus Christ, he shall stand fast for evermore. Nay to go a little further, God doth not only keep them that belong to Jesus Christ from the hurt of their afflictions, but more than so, he doth them much good by them; that they may say as David doth when all is ended, It is good for me that I have been afflicted. I give you but a taste of this, and I have done with Explication. 1. Sometimes he awakens them by their afflictions; they are sleepy and secure, and God jogges and startles them, and rouzes them by this means; When men are bound in fetters, saith Elihu, and held fast in the cords of their afflictions, so that they are not able to unlooose themselves and get away: what then? why than he showeth them their works, and their transgressions that they have exceeded in: q.d. At such a time his manner is to represent their sins to them, with all their circumstantial aggravations: See an example of it in the Lords own people, Gen. 42.21. when joseph's Brethren saw themselves taken for spies in Egypt, and so in present danger of their lives, the sin they had committed many years ago, came as fresh into their minds, and lay as heavy on their Consciences, as if it had been newly done. I know that troubles and distresses, and the approach of death itself, hath not always this effect on all men; the Lord hath poured on some the spirit of slumber: but usually they have on God's people. 2. Sometimes God abates their pride by their afflictions: There is not any sin that makes a man more odious to the Lord than pride doth, or is a greater bar to his salvation; All that are proud in heart are an abomination to him, Prov. 16.5. neither is there are any man but hath some relics of this leaven in him, which puffeth up his heart, and makes him swell beyond measure: Yea, the choicest of the Saints, have mighty inclinations to it, especially if all things go on their side. As it is said of Hezekiah, when he was put into a prosperous estate, his heart was lifted up, 2 Chron. 32.25. and therefore God exposes them to sharp afflictions, that he may hid the pride of man, as the expression is, Joh 33.17. that he may lessen and abate, and wear it out, till it be not to be seen. 3. Sometimes God draws his people nearer to himself by their afflictions. In their affliction they will seek me early, saith the Lord of his people, Hos. 5.15. It seems they had been woefully regardless of the Lord in former times of happiness, and peace, and comfort; but saith the Lord, In their affliction they will hasten to me, they will be eager after me, and never rest till they have found me: And this you shall observe to be the disposition of the sons men; yea of the best and holiest of them; they look not after God so much at any time, as when they are in greatest exigencies and distresses. And as the sails, though they be some addition to the burden of the ship, yet they help it on the faster to the Haven: So crosses and afflictions, though they be a burden to us, yet they hasten us to God, and draw us on the faster to the port of happiness: And therefore God relating divers judgements which he was resolved to bring upon his own people, by which he meant to strip them naked of all outward comforts, at length concludes that this should be the issue of it, Isa. 17.7. At that day shall they look unto their Maker, and their eyes shall have respect unto the Holy One of Israel. It is a miserable thing, yet so it is, as long as we have any thing on earth to rest upon, we inquire not after God: With Noah's Dove, if we can find a twig to pitch upon, we are regardless of the Ark; and therefore God by heavy crosses and afflictions strips us of these outward helps, and strikes away the earthly things by which we stand, and when we know not what to do; when we are driven out of all our holes, than our eyes are upon God; when we look on every hand, and refuge fails us every way, and no man careth for our souls, than we address ourselves to God, and say to him, Thou art our refuge, Psal. 142.4. It seems that David, though he were a holy man, was very apt, while he was furnished with these outward favours, to rely too much upon them, so far as to neglect the Lord. But when the Lord by crosses and afflictions took them from him, or made him see the vanity and insufficiency of them, than he cried out, And now Lord, what wait I for? my hope is in thee; now I have tried how fickle, and how vain the creature is; now I perceive by sensible experience, that no help is in it; Now Lord what wait I for? etc. And thus I think I have sufficiently cleared the point; God can and will preserve, etc. To add a word or two for Application. Use. This serves to let us see the admirable and transcendent happiness of all that have an interest in Jesus Christ, in this respect that they are safe from all evil. God will withhold no good from them, as the Prophet David speaks; and then upon the other side, he will keep all evil from them, as you have it in my Text. Beloved, we are here in an uncomfortable place, a wicked world, in which we are exposed (as considered in ourselves) to all evil. We are exempt from no temptation; No not the blackest and the bloodlest, to the very worst of sins. We are secure from no affliction, no not the sharpest and the most extreme. If there be any worse than other, which we conceive would be most bitter and intolerable to us, it is going in the world, and it may seize on us as well as others: Yea, we are always bearing with us in our bosoms, that which is infinitely worse than both the other, viz. the evil of corruption: so that we seem to be in a very sad condition. But yet this comfort waits upon us still, the Lord will surely keep us absolutely free from the evil of them all. The worst of them may do us good, but it shall never do us hurt, as long as there is any virtue in our Saviour's Intercession, as long as he hath any interest in God the Father. And therefore when we look upon the world, and see it marching out against us with bloody persecutions and afflictions; when we look upon the Devil, and see him ready to assault us with his fiery darts, and fierce tentations; when we look inward to our own hearts, and see such swarms of hellish lusts and base corruptions there, and are ready to cry out in the anguish of our souls, Oh miserable men that we are, who shall deliver us! let us look up to Jesus Christ, and think upon his powerful Intercession with the Father, that he hath prayed him to preserve and keep us from all the evil in the world, and so let us be quiet and secure: Let us say as David once, Though I walk in the valley of the shadow of death, among men, among Devils, among temptations, and corruptions, and afflictions of all sorts, of all sizes, yet I will not be afraid; for Christ hath interceded for me to the Father, and he will certainly preserve me from the hurt of all these; He will keep me from every evil work, and preserve me to his heavenly Kingdom. JOHN 17.16. They are not of the world, even as I am not, etc. AND thus far of the Second Argument with which our Saviour presseth and enforceth his Petition to his Father, together with the Explication of it. To this he adds a repetition of that which he delivered word for word before, as you shall see if you compare them both together. They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. He said before, I have given them thy Word, and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. And here again, they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. So that you see my Brethren, Repetition of the self same thing, and in the self same words in Prayer, is not to be condemned in all cases. Our Saviour as he is our Mediator to pray for us, so he is our Master too, to instruct us how to pray; Master, say the Disciples to our Saviour, Luk. 11.1. teach us to pray as John also taught his Disciples. And he teaches us to pray not by his precept only, but by example too. And in the latter way he teaches us in this place, to fetch over things again that have been said before in prayer, yea, sometimes in the very same expressions. And in another place the Holy Ghost observeth of him, that he prayed a second and a third time, saying the very same words, Matth. 26.44. He could have varied, but he would not , because his judgement and affection led him into the very same tract wherein he had gone once or twice before. And so when repetitions are not of necessity, but out of choice, because the zeal and fervour of the speaker draws him and invites him to it, they are sometimes of very good use. Indeed our Saviour, I acknowledge, interdicteth repetitions: but mark, what repetitions my Beloved; Battologies, vain repetitions: When ye pray, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, use no vain repetitions, as the Heathens do, and as the Papists do, who use to babble over so many Pater Nosters, and so many Ave Maries, and think to be heard for their much speaking, as it is added there in that place, Mat. 6.7. Observe it well; our Saviour saith not, use no repetitions; but use no vain repetitions. And when they flow from the strength of the affection, that knows not which way to get off from some considerable and important thing, as you may note in David, and other Saints in Scripture, they are not vain, but to very good purpose. What was our Saviour's purpose in the repetition that he uses in my Text, is diversely conceived by those that writ upon it. Once this is evident to me, there is the same occasion for the repetition, that there was for the mention of the selfsame thing before. Before, the hatred to which they were exposed in the world, and here the evil which they were like to suffer from the world, of both which this was the true reason, because indeed they were not of this world but of another. There, saith our Saviour, the world hath hated them; how so? They are not of the world, even as I am not of this world. Here saith our Saviour, I pray thee Father, keep them from the evil of the world. Why, are they like to suffer evil from the world? how so? The same again, They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. And he would have it to be very well observed, that all the hatred and injurious dealing, to which his poor Disciples were exposed in the world, proceeded not from any fault of theirs, but it was merely upon this account, because they were not of the world, but were conformable to Christ himself in this particular: The world likes them much the worse, because they were in this respect like Christ. I shall not now insist upon the words as considered in dependence, and as they are a reason of the evil usage which Christ's Disciples use to meet withal in this world; For this I did when I last met with them; But I shall take them absolutely as considered in themselves: And so they yield us out this general Observation. DOCTRINE That Christ's Disciples are in this respect like Christ himself, that they are of another world as he is. There are two things in the point, which I shall clear distinctly and in order: First Christ himself is not of this world, but of another. Then Christ's Disciples are in this respect like him. They are like him many ways, in many things, and especially in this among the rest, That they are not of the world, as he is not of the world. As for the first of these, That Christ himself is not of this world, but of another, you see it is his own express assertion in my Text, I am not of this world: He doth not say, I am not in this world; for that indeed he could not say when he made this prayer; Nay, he saith the contrary but a verse or two before, These things speak I in the world. But I am not of this world, this he affirmeth here, and in divers others places: Though he were really a man, yet he was not like other men, at least not like worldly men in this regard, as he told the Pharisees, Joh. 8.23. Ye are of this world, I am not of this world. Now to open this a little, I shall show you particularly and distinctly that Jesus Christ when he was here in this world, yet he was not of this world, but of another, especially in these respects. As first because he came from another world. And secondly, because he lived in another world. And thirdly, because he went to another world; I shall follow these in order. 1. Jesus Christ when he was here in this world, yet he was not of this world, but of another, because he came from another world: And he was more properly of the world he came from, then of the world he sojourned in for a little space only. And thus he argues with the Jews, in the fore-alleadged Scripture, Joh. 8.23. Ye are from beneath, I am from above, saith he. And what doth he infer upon it? Ye are of this world, I am not of this world. You see both the clauses answer one another; Ye are from beneath, and therefore ye are of this world. I am from above, and therefore I am not of this world; In this respect he is called the Lord from heaven, 1 Cor. 15.47. Observe it, not the Lord in heaven, but the Lord from heaven: and that not only with relation to his second, but also to his first coming; No man hath ascended up to heaven, saith our Saviour Christ himself, Joh. 3.13. but he that came down from heaven. So that when he was incarnate, he came down from heaven in a sense; for of this our Saviour speaks in that place: And to this speech of Christ it is that the Apostle Paul alludeth, when speaking of our Saviour Christ's ascension, Ephes. 4.8. he addeth presently by way of Explication, Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also first descended into the lower parts of the earth? So then, descend he did at first from heaven, as after he ascended up again to heaven. And because he came from heaven, he is more properly of heaven, then of earth; as the Apostle Paul insinuates very clearly, when he calls him the Lord from heaven, heavenly, 1 Cor. 15.47, 48. Because from heaven, therefore heavenly, not of this world, but of another. 2. Jesus Christ when he was here in this world, yet he was not of this world, but of another, because he lived in another; Here he breathed, but there he lived; he did not live the life of this world, but the life of heaven; and that not in expectation, as we do, but in fruition; He lived the life of perfect righteousness and perfect holiness, the life of Angels; yea, a life above Angels while he was here in this world: That life which is to be attained by us, nowhere but in heaven only, Christ lived here in this world; and this perhaps was partly aimed at by our Saviour in that speech of his, Joh. 3.13. No man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven: He was then come down from heaven, he was then upon the earth when he spoke these words. And yet he addeth, he was then in heaven too, even the Son of man which is in heaven. And he was then in heaven, not only as the Son of God, but as the Son of man too. Virtually he was there, though he were not locally: His life did relish infinitely more of heaven then of earth. And therefore it is very notable that he disclaimed all meddling with these earthly things; he would not once so much as touch with them, neither as a Judge or a divider, as himself professeth, Luk. 12.14. nor as possessor neither. It's true, he was a King, as he implicitly acknowledges to Pilate; and he had a kind of Kingdom while he was here in this world, but it was not of this world; My Kingdom is not of this world, saith Christ himself, Joh. 18.36. And therefore he did nor erect it outwardly, with any outward policy and splendour among men, but he did only set it up in the hearts of a few despised people, to whom he said, My Kingdom is within you; Luk. 17.21. And so in every thing, my Brethren, he avoided such a conversation as might intimate him to be one of this world. 3. Jesus Christ when he was here in this world, yet he was not of this world, but of another, because indeed he was but going to another world; From another world he came, as you have heard before, and to another world he was about to go. Only he tarried here a little, about some weighty and important business which his Father sent him down into this lower world to do, and as soon as that was ended, he returned to heaven again. So that you see, brethren, he conversed here but as a Messenger from God the Father, whose errand he came down upon, and to whom he was to go, assoon as he had finished what he came for. And therefore he avoided any kind of setlement in this world, any way of making this his fixed habitation, as he told the Scribe that was about to follow him, Mat. 8.20. The Foxes have holes, and the Birds of the air have nests, but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head. Yea, he professed that he was not in the world, while he was here, because indeed he was not to continue here; he was shortly to departed, he was as good as gone already, as in this Chapter I am handling, ver. 11. And now I am no more in the world, but I come to th●e. And this for clearing of the former member of the point, that Christ himself is not of this world, but of another. Now for the second branch, that Christ's Disciples are in this respect like Christ himself, this lies before you in the letter of the text, They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. And this our Saviour often minds them of, as you may see that place for instance, to name no more at this time, John 15.19. Ye are not of the world, saith he, but I have chosen you out of the world. Indeed, as Christ is, so they are in this world, as the Apostle speaks, 1 John 4.7. So in this world, that they are not of the world. And that in all the three respects wherein we have clearly shown you that Christ is not of this world, but of another. 1. Christ's Disciples came from another world, and so in that respect they are not of the world, as Christ is not of the world. I say they came originally from another world, although not as they are men, yet as they are Saints and Christians: So they are from above of God, they are his offspring, as Paul said to the Athenians, God is their Father, for they are begotten of him, 1 John 5.18. And God is their Mother too, for they are born of him, 1 john 3.9. So that you see, they are no less than a divine and heavenly generation. And they are members of the New Jerusalem, which John saw coming down from heaven, Apoc. 21.2. They are only for a while let down from heaven in a sheet, as the creatures were to Peter in a vision, and so taken up again. 2. As Christ's Disciples came from another world, so they live in another world, and so in that respect they are not of the world, as Christ is not of the world; Their Conversation is in heaven, as the Apostle speaks, Phil. 3.20. With the woman, Apoc. 12. they tread the Moon, this variable and unconstant world under their feet. Trample with a disdainful and a holy scorn upon earth and earthly things. Honour's are too ignoble to command them, riches too poor to buy them, pleasures too fleeting to allure them. Sometimes they are transported (as it were) rapt and taken up into heaven in sweet Soliloquies, and in holy contemplations, ravished beyond themselves with clear and comfortable apprehensions of their Father's love. Indeed they get above the world, they soar higher than the earth, their treasure is in heaven, and there are their hearts also: Their life is Angellike: they live with men indeed, but walk with God, as Moses speaks of Enoch. They have their eyes on him (as Moses) they see him who is invisible, and they are taken up with him in all their ways and actions. They are acquainted very well with the Almighty, (to use the phrase of holy Job) they converse with God here, come very often to his house, now and then sup with him, speak with him twice a day at least, and that in a familiar way, until at length they be admitted to a more near and intimate enjoyment of the Lord for ever, 1 Thes. 4.17. till they be caught up (as they were first let down,) to meet him, and so to be for ever with the Lord. 3. Christ's Disciples are going to another world, and so in that respect they are not of the world, as Christ is not of the world, because the world is not their fixed habitation; It is the character of wicked wretches, that they are men of this world, and that they have their portion here, Psal. 17.14. In which respect the Prophet sets them in opposition to the Saints. And so ungodly men are styled the inhabitants and the indwellers of the earth, very often in the Book of Revelation. But now the Christian on the other side, is not a dweller but a stranger on the earth. And this the Saints of God have frequently professed in the Scriptures. The Fathers, they acknowledged (as the Apostle Paul observeth, Heb. 11.13.) that they were foreigners and pilgrims here. And Abraham, as the same Apostle notes, sojourned in the Land of promise. Observe it well, he did not dwell there, but sojourned as in a strange Country, Heb. 11.9. And why? because he looked for a City where he meant to dwell: he had it not, but he expected it and looked for it. And this is that which the Apostle Paul professeth in the name of all the faithful, that they had no continuing City here (no City that they meant to settle in) but they sought for one to come. This was the City that the Fathers saw a great way of, and made towards. And so despising all the happiness and glory of the present world, where they were strangers, and in which they were tarrying only for a little space, they set their eyes and hearts on this which was their own Country, Heb. 11.19. They desired a better Country which was an heavenly, where God had prepared for them a City. And the same disposition you may note in others of the faithful mentioned there in that Chapter. Use 1 Is it so that Christ's Disciples are in this respect like Christ himself, that they are of another world as he is? Then let us prove ourselves by this my brethren, whither we be Christ's Disciples, yea or no. If we be the indwellers of the earth, if we be at home here, if we have our portion here, no portion in the other world, we are none of Christ's Disciples. No, no; if we belong to him we are strangers in the earth, we are absent from our home while we are here; we are not of the world as Christ is not of the world; and whether we be so or no, we may discover by these evidences following. They that are not of this world, are not in all respects conformed to it; they fashion not themselves according to the world, Rom. 12.2. they walk not according to the course of this world, Ephes. 2.2. As Turks and Spaniards are not like to Englishmen, they have another kind of visage, another garb and habit, and the like: So they that are not of this world differ manifestly from it. There is a clear distinction to be made between them and worldly men, by any man that marks them well, and hath his Judgement exercised to discern. There are none like them in the earth; their ways are of another fashion then the ways of other men. Now I beseech you, my beloved, think upon it; If you be fashioned to this world, if you be carried with a swinge of the profane and vicious times and places where you live, if you run down the stream with others, if you sleep as others do, 1 Thes. 5.6. if you swear as others do, if you run out with others to the same excess of riot, you are surely of this world, and not the other. They that are not of this world, but of the other, have a very dear affection to those of the other world. If travellers and strangers meet with any of their Countrymen in a remote and foreign Land; how lovingly do they embrace them? What kindness do they show them? how are they knit together in a bond of love? Just so it is with Christ's Disciples; if at any time they light on those who are not of this world, but of the other as themselves are, they are taken up with joy, and presently their hearts and their affections, by a kind of sympathy do wonderfully close together. And therefore those dissemblers deal too grossly to deceive (si tamen Hypocrisis dici debeat, quae jam latere prae abundantia non potest, prae impudentia non quaerit, as Bernard speaks) who would be taken to be Christ's Disciples, while their companions and their bosom friends are the men of this world; yea Traitors to the place to which they would be thought to appertain. And others hate the very men whom Christ hath called out of the world: holiness wherever they find it being the object of their fury. Suppose thou wert in Italy, or in another foreign land, and there shouldst meet an Englishman, wouldst thou mock and scoff at him? wouldst thou deride and jeer the fashion of his Hat, and Cloak, and Suit, the manner of his Compliment, his Gate, and Carriage, & c.? wouldst thou procure him to be taken up, imprisoned, put to death? Thy earthly Country would not own thee, if thou shouldst be so unworthy: and truly Heaven will not own the men who deal thus basely and injuriously with the inhabitants of that Country. They that are not of this world, their language is not of this world but of the other: they speak the tongue of the heavenly Canaan, their speech is gracious, and usually to glorify their God, or to edify their brethren; But they that are of this world, they speak of this world, 1 john 4.5. Shibboleth never descried so many Ephramites as this doth worldly men. Of what place are they inhabitants whose language is so harsh and tart, whose mouths are full of curse and bitterness, the poison of Asps being under their lips? Where dwell they (Alas too near us) who cannot speak almost without an oath, whose tongues are always dipping in that blood which was shed for man's salvation? Are they inhabitants of the Celestial Canaan, whose tongues are keen as swords, and sharp as Arrows, to hue and wound their brethren's names? Shall I say that man or woman is of heaven, whose tongue is set on fire of hell? To what place do they appertain, whose speech is stuffed with filthiness and ribaldry, whose words are rotten? as the Apostles speaks. Brethren, do not deceive yourselves; if you cannot speak the language, you belong not to the Country. Use 2 Is it so that Christ's Disciples are in this respect like Christ himself that they are of another world as he is? No marvel then though they be made a gazing stock and a wonder in the world. If Turks or Indians walk along the streets, the common people use to gaze upon them, and so wonder at their habit and deportment, etc. And are not Christ's Disciples of another Country, yea of an other world? Are they not men of singularity? Are not their ways and fashions divers from the fashions of this world? No marvel then though they be men of wonder as the Prophet speaks, Zac. 3.8. though they be hooted at, and though they be made as spectacles and gazing stocks to worldly men. Use 3 Is it so that Christ's Disciples, etc. Then let them live like men of another world, shining as lights amidst a perverse and crooked generation that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death. Let Heaven appear in their discourses, and their Conversation. Here we may remain, and must, till God be pleased to call us hence; but our continuance here must be accompanied with a reserved exemption of ourselves from the Contagion of the times, and with an earnest and unwearied striving against the stream of the corruptions of the places where we live; not following a multitude to do evil. We must be separated from the world (my brethren) not in place but in affection and in Conversation. I pray not, saith our Saviour, ver. 15. of this Chapter, that thou wouldst take them out of the world, but that thou shouldst keep them from the evil. We must not on consideration of the notorious lewdness and profaneness of the inhabitants of this world, who vex our souls with their ungodly deeds, desire the Lord to carry us to Heaven in a fiery Chariot, as he did Elijah, to take us presently out of this world: but rather to preserve us in it, that we may keep our robes pure and undefiled among so many garments spotted with the flesh; That against the violent and restless oppositions and temptations of the world and worldly men, we may stand impregnable, showing ourselves the sons of God, by overcoming it and them. The veriest wretch may keep himself from grosser acts when he hath no occasions nor allurements to them. But in the midst of millions of enticements and commanding provocations, and in a world that lies in wickedness, to be singular in goodness, this is indeed like Christ's Disciple, who himself was holy, harmless, separate from sinners. It was Tully's commendation of Muraena, Non tam lauda●d●s Muraena quod in Asia vixerit, quam quod in Asia continenter vixerit. Muraena deserved not so much commendations that he lived in Asia, as that he lived continently there, amongst such a lose and effaeminate people, where his Chastity must of necessity suffer many encounters; And Gods, of Job, that there was none like him in the earth. Such must we strive to be, and come as near the pattern as we may. Use 4 Is it so that Christ's Disciples, etc. Then let them not regard this world nor the vanities thereof. We see that Travellers and Strangers do not set their hearts on any thing they meet with in the way: If they see stately Houses, Orchards, Gardens, if they hear curious music, etc. they are not taken up with these things. No, they keep on their way, and are not hindered nor withdrawn by the most pleasing Avocations. Doth any Traveller fall a building at his Inn? a planting or a sowing by the way? And therefore seeing we are of another world, and consequently strangers here, let us not set our hearts and our affections on the things that are beneath, but on the things that are above; let us use this world as though we used it not, for necessity alone, and not so much for profit or delight; to further us in holy duties, not to stop; us to help heavenward, not to hinder. O let us not by scraping up the dung of this world, disgrace our Country, and bring it to a low esteem with worldly men. Let it not be said to us, as Anacharsis said to Atticus, opbraiding him because he was a Scythian; Mihi inquit dedecori est patria, at patriae tu. My Country is a shame to me, but thou art dishonour to thy Country. No, let us honour it: let carnal wretches know that it is a wealthy place, that there we have a rich inheritance, and large possessions, and that our Father (who is king thereof) is well able to provide for all his children. Is it so that Christ's Disciples, etc. Then let us not desire nor fancy Use 5 to ourselves (my brethren) any long continuance here, but let us be preparing for our journey home. A stranger makes no long abode or residence in any place; he tarries for a night or so, and passeth onward to the Country where he dwelleth. And therefore seeing we are of another world, let us always be thinking of our journey home, and making preparation for it every day. I say as Moses, Deut. 32.29. O that men were wise, that they understood this, that they would consider their latter end! Is it so that Christ's Disciples, etc. Why are they so unwilling than Use 6 to leave this world? Why are they so averse from death and dissolution, and departure hence? Indeed for wicked and ungodly wretches who are the men of this world (as the Psalmist calls them) who have their portion in this present world, no portion in the other, it is no wonder that they should be loath die. O death, how bitter needs must thy remembrance be to him that lives at ease and rest in his possessions! But unto you who are of another world, I say as Christ to his Disciples, Arise let us go hence. Why (my beloved) what is the matter with you? What, are you loath to go home? Methinks you should consider with yourselves that when you die, you go to your own world, your own Father, your own friends, where you shall be as welcome as your hearts can wish: God your Father will receive you, Christ your brother will embrace you, Triumphant Saints and Angels will rejoice in you: And after all the troubles of a tedious journey, you shall sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, in the Kingdom of Heaven, feasting it in companies, feeding on the hidden Manna, and drinking deeply of the pure and Crystal River of Water of Life, proceeding from the Throne of God and of the Lamb. And who would willingly remain abroad in an unpleasing Pilgrimage, and not choose rather to come home to such sweet Company, and to such blessed Entertainment as this is! And thus we have at length dispatched the first part of our Saviour's prayer, in behalf of his Apostles and Disciples who were then about him, and in it the first main thing which he desireth for them, preservation. The second follows now in order to be entered on, and here the main thing, that he seeks in their behalf, is Sanctification. Sanctify them through thy truth, thy word is truth. And here we have two things to be considered. A Supplication, and an Explication. First, We have here our Saviour's Supplication to his Father, in behalf of his Apostles and Disciples, Sanctify them through thy truth. And then we have this Explication, in which he shows what he intends by truth, viz. the word of God. Sanctify them with thy truth, thy word is truth. Begin we with the Supplication, in which you may take notice with me, of these two particulars. First, the thing desired, Sanctification: Sanctify them, saith our Saviour; And then the outward instrumental means, by which he prays they may be sanctified, the truth of God, that is the word, as he explains it afterwards, Sanctify them through thy truth. Both yield us our this Observation. DOCTRINE. The word of God is the ordinary Means by which he Sanctifies his people. It is the instrument in God's hands, by which he doth this great work. He sanctifies them, he is the God of all grace, he calleth and he makes perfect, stablisheth, strengtheneth, settleth them. But he doth it by this means, according to our Saviour's prayer here, Sanctify them through thy truth. And here I shall distinctly clear these two things. First, that the word of God is the ordinary Means by which he sanctifies his people in a way of inchoation, by which he gins that work in them, by which he converteth them, regenerates them and makes them to become new creatures. And this we find abundantly exemplified in the times of the Apostle, how mightily the word of God prevailed to the Conversion of their hearers, and to the working of unfeigned faith, and grace in them. You may behold three thousand sinners wrought upon by one Sermon, Acts 2.41. And yet again, as if these had been a few, five thousand by another Sermon, Acts 4.4. And hence it is my brethren, that the word is called the word of grace, because it works grace in God's people. But whether this be the work of the Law, or of the Gospel, whether one or both of them be the ordinary means by which God sanctifies his people, will need to be a little further opened and resolved. And I shall show you from the Scripture, that both of them are instruments in God's hand, by which he sanctifies his people. 1. God sanctifies his people preparatively by the Law. The Law converts, and worketh grace by way of preparation. It shows a man his sin and his trangression, it emptieth him of all opinion of himself, it humbles him, and lays him low in apprehension of his own unworthiness: And so indeed, it makes him fit to entertain the grace of God; for he will give his grace unto the humble. John Baptists rough and rigid preaching of the Law you know, my brethren, must prepare the way for Christ. He must be like a Pioneer to go before him, to bring down every high exalted thought, to make the Mountains level with the Valleys; He must be like a Harbinger to ride before, and take up room for Jesus Christ, to write his name upon the heart, This heart is taken up for Christ; To cause these everlasting doors to be set open to him when he comes. And when the heart is thus prepared, thus emptied, and thus opened once, than it is fit for Jesus Christ with all the graces of his spirit to enter in and dwell there. And this is all that God doth by the Law, he sanctifieth men by way of preparation and predisposition only; But 2. The means by which he sanctifieth them indeed, and works the truth and the reality of saving grace in them, is the preaching of the Gospel; and therefore the Apostle puts the question to the renewed Galathians, Gal. 3.2. This only would I learn of you, saith he; received ye the spirit by the works of the Law, or by the hearing of faith? q. d. for this I appeal to you, I put the matter to your consciences, whether the saving graces of the spirit, were not first wrote in you by the hearing of faith: that is, by hearing the doctrine of faith, which is the Gospel. And hence the Gospel is sometimes called the grace of God, as you may see that place for instance, Titus 2.11. and that not formaliter, for so the Gospel is not, neither can it be the grace of God (neither that grace which is in God; I mean his free and undeserved favour; nor yet that grace which is communicated and dispensed from him to us; I mean the gifts of his spirit, whether they be such as appertain to edification, or sanctification,) but effective, as the Schoolmen speak, the Gospel is the grace of God, because the grace of God is the effect and issue of the Gospel. The Gospel is the instrumental means of grace and holiness which it effecteth under God, and worketh in the hearts of his people. And under this expression it is set in opposition to the Law. For as the Law doth not reveal the grace of God in Jesus Christ the Mediator and Redeemer as the Gospel doth: so neither doth it work the grace of God, I mean the saving gifts of his spirit: and therefore it is called the Ministration of the Letter, and not the Ministration of the Spirit, because there goes no spirit with it. Or if it carry any of the spirit with it, it is the spirit of fear and bondage, and legal humiliation, and not the spirit of adoption and sanctification. But on the other side, the Gospel carries spirit in the ministration of it, which it conveys into the heart of those that hear it and embrace it, as they ought to do. It operateth and begetteth the endowments of the spirit, and worketh grace and sanctification. And as the word of God is the ordinary means by which he gins the work of Sanctification: So it is the means also by which he carries on the same work to further measures and degrees. They were sanctified already for whom our Saviour makes this prayer in my text; the work was begun in them, they were his own Apostles and Disciples; and yet for them he prays, sanctify them with thy Truth, q. d. Sanctify them yet more fully, make them yet more gracious and more humble, and more holy, by a more full discovery of the Truth revealed in thy Word to them: Sanctify them with thy truth, thy Word is truth. Indeed the Word, my Brethren, as it is incorruptible seed, by which men are regenerate and born again to God, as the Apostle shows, 1 Pet. 1.23. Being born again, not of corruptible, but incorruptible seed, by the Word of God: so it is milk which nourishes and makes them thrive and grow, while they are but babes in Christ: and it is also strong meat on which they feed, until they come ad 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ. This for clearing of the point: proceed we to the Application. Use. 1 Is it so, That the Word of God is the ordinary means by which he sanctifieth his people in a way of inchoation? O then let Ministers be here entreated and prevailed withal, as they desire the Reformation and Conversion of their people, the working of unfeigned faith and grace in them, to be diligent and instant in preaching the Word and Gospel unto them, if they would have them turn from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God. Let them lay out themselves in indefatigable pains this way. Let them be instant (as the Apostle Paul exhorteth Timothy) in season and out of season, and spare no labour to accomplish such a blessed end as this is. Object. But some may say perhaps, That they have preached long and laboured hard, and yet they see no issue, no success of all their labours; Their people are not turned to the Lord, no grace appeareth in their lives and conversations, so that they are exceedingly discouraged and disheartened in the work of God. Sol. To this I shall reply in two or three particulars, and I shall be brief in them; for I am very sensible that other things will be more suitable to this Assembly. First, the fruit of their endeavours who faithfully dispense the Word of God, is not always manifest. Eliah thought he had been left alone, and yet even then there were seven thousand men that had not bowed the knee to Baal: Among the Rulers there were some who were indeed converted and believed in Christ; and yet because they were but novices, and newly entered, they were fearful to acknowledge and confess him; Grace is not always wrought with observation, as our Saviour showeth, Mat. 13.13. It is compared to Seed in Scripture, which after it is sown, lies hid and covered in the earth a while, and is not seen. And therefore faithful Teachers should not be disheartened because they cannot see the fruit of their endeavours; it may be they have sown the seed, that may spring up and flourish in another age. And they have laid the good foundation under ground, and out of sight, on which another faithful Minister may build, and raise a very goodly frame. And herein is that saying sometimes verified; (to use our Saviour's own word) Joh. 4.37. One soweth and another reapeth: The Prophets laboured, and the Apostles entered on their labours; and so it is at this day. Though their labour be in vain, respectively to their desired issue and success, the conversion of their people, they ought not to desist from it; No, they must work the work of God, they must continue preaching still, though no fruit at all should follow: Thou shalt speak my words unto them, saith the Lord unto EZekiel, chap. 2.7. whether they will hear, or whether they will forbear, for they are a rebellious house; And the Apostles exhortation is very apposite to this purpose, 2 Tim. 4.4. They shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables. What now, must Timothy desist from preaching any more unto them? No, saith the Apostle, watch thou in all things, endure affliction, make full proof of thy Ministry: Be diligent, perform thy duty, and leave the success to God; Waiting if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledgement of the Truth, and that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the Devil, by whom they are led Captive at his will. If they continue in their ministerial labours, though no apparent good be done by it, they want not great encouragement; They are to God a sweet savour in Christ, not in them that are saved only, but in them that perish too, 2 Cor. 2 15. Though they spend their strength in vain (with reference to the conversion of the people) yet their judgement is with the Lord, and their work is with their God: that is, the recompense and reward of it, Isa. 49.4. And they have their recompense secundum laborem, non secundum proventum, as Bernard speaks, according to their labour, and not according to the issue and success. But in the last place my Beloved, if after all their tiring pains and tedious expectation, God should be pleased so to bless their labours to make them happy instruments of bringing in his chosen to him, their comfort would be very great in this world, their recompense exceeding glorious in the world to come. For they that are not only wise themselves, but also are the instruments of making others wise too, shall have a great deal of glory, they shall shine as the stars in the Kingdom of God for ever and ever. And as the Ministers are hence encouraged to preach the Word, so in Use 2 the second place the people may be persuaded hence to hear it & attend upon it. If you be yet without the Covenant, and have not any saving grace in you, this is the ready way to have it wrought in your souls. It is the Word by which God sanctifieth in a way of inchoation; and if the Lord be pleased to concur with it, you may be sanctified by this means; you are not able to convert yourselves: My Brethren, you are not able to renew and sanctify yourselves; but the blessed Word of God, (if he be pleased to add virtue to it) may operate and bring about these great effects. The Law (that is the Word of God) converts the soul; the Truth, that is, the Word of truth (so is the Gospel called in opposition to the types and shadows of the Law) renews and sanctifies the heart, according to our Saviour Christ's Petition to his Father here in the behalf of his Disciples: Sanctify them with thy Truth, thy Word is truth: And therefore you that are strangers to the life of grace, be you entreated and prevailed withal to put yourselves under the powerful preaching of the Word and Gospel of the Lord Jesus; O wait upon the doors of Wisdoms house, be swift to hear, attend upon the Word of God, lay hold on every opportunity to be partakers of this holy Ordinance, and then perhaps it may in time become a word of grace unto you, you may be sanctified by this Truth. Use 3 Is it so, That the Word of God is the ordinary means by which he sanctifieth his people in a further measure, by which he works not only the beginnings, but also the increase of grace? which is the second member of the point. We see then what the reason is why many Christians do not grow, make no increase at all in holiness and grace; nay rather in a declining and abating hand; there may be many causes of it; and this is not the least of the decay of many men, because they do not wait upon the powerful preaching of the Word of God, which is the means to make them prosper and to thrive in grace. You may take notice of too many such, who while they constantly attended on the means, were zealous, lively, active, fruitful Christians, their gifts were always on the growing hand: But since they have remitted of their diligence in this respect, they are sensibly decayed, and they are nothing like the men that they were in former times. Fall into discourse with them, alas their wont faculty is gone; either you shall find them dead and stupid (as it were) not having any savoury word to say in any matter that concerns Religion, or else they talk is so far of, so barren, so unprofitable, that it administers no grace, no benefit at all to them that hear it. Fellow them into their houses, and there you shall observe that many holy exercises and religious household duties, which had been formerly set up, and constantly performed perhaps for divers years together, are either utterly neglected, or else discharged in such a cold and formal manner, that there is no life in them. Inquire of other men who knew them in their first beginning, and they will tell you all is gone; their wont heat, and zeal, and forwardness is come to nothing, and in them the Proverb is verified, The Dog is turned to his own vomit, and the Sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire. Use 4 Is it so, That the word of God is the ordinary means, by which he sanctifieth his people, not only in a way of inchoation, but also in a way of augmentation? Here than we see what we must do if we desire to thrive in holiness, to make a daily progress and increase in grace: We must attend upon the preaching of the Gospel: And truly there is little hope that we should ever grow (as Christians) without the use of this means. The tree that spreads and flourisheth, and brings forth much fruit, is said by David to be planted by the water side, Psal. 1.3. Even so the thriving and the growing Christian, must be planted by the means, he must be near the Word of God, those waters of the Sanctuary, as the Prophet calls them: That saving Doctrine must drop down upon him as the rain, it must distil upon him as the dew, and as the smaller rain upon the herbs, and as the showers upon the grass, as Moses speaks, Deut. 32.2. or else he will be like in time to whither, and decay, and come to nothing. Use 5 Is it so, That the Word of God is the ordinary means by which he sanctifieth his people not only in a way of inchoation, but also in a way of augmentation? Then certainly those men are in an ill condition, who though they constantly enjoy the preaching of the Gospel, yet do not thrive nor grow by it; they hear it Sabbath after Sabbath, yea and perhaps repeat it with their families, and yet are not a jot the better for it any way. Look at what point they were for knowledge, practice and obedience many years ago, at the very same they stay; they are the very same men, there is no alteration on them, they have not gained any ground on their corruptions, they are not grown a jot more constant and fervent in religious duties then in former times. What is the reason that the Gospel produceth not its genuine effect in these men, and that it bringeth forth no augmentation, no increase of inward grace, or outward obedience? the fault is not in the inefficacy of the Gospel, simply considered in itself, but in the hardness and deadness of their hearts; and as we use to say of ground that is manured and dressed, and watered much, if it yieldeth no increase, that it is very barren ground; just so we may conclude of these men: And certainly their case is fearful, if they so continue, as the Apostle shows us in the same Similitude, Heb. 6.7. The earth that drinketh in the rain that cometh oft upon it, and bringth forth herbs meet for them by whom it is dressed, receiveth blessing from God: But on the other side, that which bringeth briers and thorns is rejected and nigh unto cursing, whose end is to be burned: And therefore I beseech you my Beloved, as increase and growth in grace is one effect in God's Word, so let it bring forth this effect in you; and that it may so do, I shall prescribe you some directions. Remove those impediments that hinder growth and profiting by the Word of God, and they are principally such as follow. 1. The first is pride and loftiness of heart and spirit; for when a man is puffed up with a self opinion of his own sufficiency, and thinks he knows as much as all the Preachers in the world can tell him, how can he profit by the Gospel! He is so full that when the water of the Word is poured upon him, either it runneth over, and is spilt upon the ground, or else returneth back upon the face of him that poured it. If therefore you desire to thrive by it, come to hear it my Beloved with teachable and humble spirits; the Lord will teach the humble his ways. 2. Infidelity or unbelief; for if we give no credit to the Word of God, if we believe not the report of the Word of God, his arm will never be revealed to us, we shall not benefit, nor profit by it: And therefore this is yielded as the reason why the Jews were not a whit the better for the Word, Heb. 4.2. The Word did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it. 3. The third impediment is strong passion; for as obstructions in the stomach hinder growth by bodily and outward food; so vehement and headstrong passions do keep us from receiving growth and nourishment, and augmentation by the Word of God. You shall observe it commonly, that men that have such furious and unbridled passions in them, that will not be subdued by reason, nor by Scripture, do seldom profit by the preaching of the Gospel; no, it must be received with meekness if we mean to grow by it, Jam. 1.12. And therefore the Apostle yields it as the reason why the Corinthians could not bear strong meat, substantial solid truths, their stomaches were not able to digest them, they were so cloyed with these obstructions, 1 Cor. 3.2. 4. Prejudice against the gifts or person of the Teacher; this will exceedingly abate the power, and hinder the success and profit of his teaching: If once the heart be prepossessed with jealousies and sinister thoughts and disaffection to the Minister, there is but little hope of any benefit that such a man will reap by his labours. These are the lets which we must labour to remove, if we desire to thrive and grow by hearing of the Word of God. If we desire to grow and to increase by it, we must not hear it only, but labour to digest it too. A man shall never thrive and prosper by the meat he eats if he digest it not, unless there be concoction and assimilation of it to the substance of the person that is nourished. Let such a person feed as plentifully as he will, there will be no augmentation. So let us hear as much and as often as we will, if we do not digest the Word of God, the bread of life, by serious meditation, by application of it to our own particular estate, there will be no increase of grace by it. Lastly, Let us seek to God by earnest prayer, that he would bless his Word to us; that sucking this sincere milk, we may grow thereby: Paul may plant, and Apollo may water, but the success (if any be) must be from God, as the Apostle shows, 1 Cor. 3.6. and therefore must seek it at his hands: Before we go to hear him speaking to us in his Word, let him hear us speaking to him in our prayers, that he would sanctify his holy Ordinance, and make it by his blessing to become a means of our increase in holiness and grace, until we come to be complete in Christ Jesus: Seeing the Word is but an Instrument in his hand, let us pray that he would manage it, and wield it, and make it powerful and successful. Let us renew our Saviour's supplication in the Text, every time we go to hear, Lord, sanctify us with thy truth: thy truth alone and of itself will never do it, unless thou sanctify us by it, and therefore Lord do thou appear in this business: Sanctify us with thy truth, thy Word is truth. JOHN 17.17. Thy Word is truth. OUR Saviour as he is a Mediator of Redemption to his people, so of Intercession too. He finished the former (as his own expression is) and he began the latter, while he was here in this world. The Chapter is a model of it, wherein he gives his Apostles and Disciples a fore-taste, from which they might a little guess what he was like to do more fully for them, when he was ascended and sat down at the right hand of his Father, to be an everlasting Advocate and Intercessor for his Church and people. And here there are two things especially, which he desires in their behalf, to which at lest all the rest may be reduced, Preservation and Sanctification. He enters on the latter in the verse now read, and so did we the last occasion. And here we have as I have showed you, the Supplication and the Explication. The Supplication, Sanctify them with thy truth. The Explication, what is meant by truth, the Word of God, Thy Word is truth. The last Lordsday I dispatched the Supplication, so that the Explication comes to be insisted on at this time; Thy Word is truth. It seems to be an answer to the self same question which Pilate sometimes put to Christ himself, but would not tarry for a resolution. What is truth? So sanctify them, saith our Saviour, with thy truth. But what is truth? you have the answer in the following clause, Thy Word is truth. There is the Word God, and there is the word of God. The one is Christ the Son of God; for he is called the Word in Scripture, and he is the Word God, as you may see that place for instance, 1 Joh. 1. In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The other is the will of God revealed and manifested in the Scripture. And it is called the word of God, because as the words of men discover what their mind is, which else you were not able to imagine; so the Word of God, the Scripture, discovers to us what the mind of God is, so far as it is necessary to salvation. Now this Word, saith our Saviour here, is truth; Thy Word is truth. It is not only true, but truth itself; and so indeed is all the Scripture; the Law and Gospel both of them are all truth, conformable in all respects to the Idea of them in the mind of God. But yet the Gospel is the Truth by way of Excellency above the rest of holy Scripture. Not that the Law, or any other part of the Old Testament, is not so true as Gospel is; for there are no degrees in truth as truth. Words are either true alike; or some are true, and others false: But the Old Testament, and legal truths, are not be compared in some respects to the New Testament and Gospel truths: These have the odds and the advantage of the other; And therefore this, I mean the Gospel, is principally called the Truth in the language of the Scripture, as I shall show you more at large hereafter. And this at least is chief aimed at by our Saviour, when he saith, thy Word is truth; for of that truth he speaks apparently, which is the instrumental means by which God sanctifies his people. And that is not legal truth; God doth not sanctify men by the preaching of the Law, save only in a way of preparation and predisposition. The Gospel only works the truth and the reality of holiness and grace, as I have showed abundantly out of the former member of the Text. And therefore it is Gospel truth that is especially intended here, which is the only proper instrument of sanctification. Sanctify them with thy truth, thy Word is truth. So then the Observation lies before us. DOCTRINE. The word of God of God, especially the Gospel, is the Truth. In prosecution of the Point, I have two things to clear to you, before I come to application. First, That the word of God is all truth; there is no falsehood or deceit in it, and I shall be brief on that. Then that the Gospel is the truth by way of excellence, and in a specialty above the rest of Holy Scripture. I do not say the Gospel is more true than other things contained in the book of God, but it is truth of more concernment, and of more use, as I shall make it evidently and distinctly to appear to you. As for the first of these, the word of God is all truth; so it is styled in the letter of my text, without restraint or limitation, Thy word is truth. Whether it be the word of History, the things that are historically represented to us in the Scripture, or the word of precept, or the word of promise, or the word of threatening, all is truth. If you look to the intention of the Author of the word, God hath delivered nothing in it with a purpose to deceive. Or if you look to the matter of the word, the things themselves that are delivered in the Scripture, they are indeed as they are there expressed. The say of the Lord are true say, Apoc. 19.9. whether they be the say of the Father, or the say of the Son; For God the Father hath his saying, God spoke these words in the preface to the Law. And God the Son hath his saying, Verily I say unto you, if a man keep my saying, he shall never see death, John 8.51. And both of these, the say of the one and of the other, the say of the Father, the Law of works, the say of the Son, the Law of faith, are absolutely and exactly true, there is no falsehood or deceit in them; They are the true say of God. And they must needs be true, because they are the say of God. Thy word is truth, saith our Saviour in my text. It is thine, and therefore truth. For he that is the author of it, he is the God of truth, as the Prophet David styles him, Psal. 31.5. Observe it well, he doth not say he is the true God in himself, and in his nature, but he is the God of truth in his discoveries and revelations of himself to men. All that comes from him is truth. He is the faithful and the true witness, Apoc. 3.14. Not only true and faithful as a God, but true and faithful as a witness; And his word is his witness, not his ordinary saying only, but his witness to confirm us and assure us of that which is delivered to us, to work and strengthen faith in us. And therefore it is called the Testimony, or the witness of the Lord, I think no less than twenty times in Scripture. Now for the second branch, the Gospel is the truth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and in a specialty above the rest of holy Scripture. Thy word is truth, saith our Saviour in my Text, that is thy sanctifying word which is the Gospel, Sanctify them with thy truth, thy word is truth. The Law, (as far as I am able to remember) is nowhere called distinctly by itself the word of truth; but the Gospel commonly, not in my Text alone but elsewhere often. Indeed the Psalmist prays to God, Take not thy word of truth away out of my mouth; but he intends the promises for which he hoped, as you may see in that place, Psalm 119.43. And all the promises you know are Gospel, they are in Christ yea, and in Christ Amen. But on the other side the Law is mentioned as in some respect contradistinct to truth. The Law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ, 1 John 17. And yet you must not apprehend the Gospel to be truer than the Law, or any parts of Scripture. If it be truer, they are absolutely false. But it delivers truth of greater excellency than the rest of Scripture doth, as will appear if you consider either the subject matter of it, or the Revelation of it, or the Confirmation of it, or the Operation of it. Gospel truth excelleth for the matter of it. Christ is the subject matter of the Gospel, and therefore it is called the word of Christ, Col. 3.16. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, not of Christ the Author only, but of Christ the subject matter: and herein it surpasses and transcends, not all other Books only that handle other arguments, but even all other parts and parcels of the Book of God itself. For Christ is the most precious and delicious matter. He is the richest, and the sweetest subject in the world. 1. Christ the Subject of the Gospel is the most rich and precious subject. He is the wealth and treasure of the faithful soul; there is in him an endless Mine and infinite Mass of inestimable riches. And therefore the Apostle having spoken of the riches of the glory of the Gospel, adds in the words immediately annexed, which riches is Christ in you, Col. 1.27. In him are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge, Col. 2.3. A treasure is much, but treasures are more. But when all the treasures that are in the world, shall be gathered together, and laid in a heap, there must needs be vast and riches. And this transported the Apostle Paul and swallowed up his thoughts and words, as unable to conceive it or express it, yea even ravished him beyond himself, that he was entrusted to preach the unsearchable riches of Christ, Ephes. 3.8. He found no end, no bottom of them, he could not reach the height, and depth, and length, and breadth of those treasures, they had such immense and endless dimensions. 2. Christ the subject of the Gospel, is the sweetest and most delicious subject in the world. It was the only thing that weakened the delight that Austin took in reading of a certain work of Cicero's, because he could not find the name of Christ in it. That is a pleasant name indeed to every true believing soul; and wheresoever that is found, or whatsoever writing hath that high and holy person for the subject of it, whom to know is life eternal, should be read with full delight and high pleasure. And therefore that which treats of Jesus Christ, is styled Gospel, good news, and good tidings; yea good tidings of great joy. It tells us of a Jesus, a Saviour, a deliverer out of bondage to sin and Satan and damnation, out of the most sad and miserable thraldom in the world; and this is infinitely sweet. Oh with what melting, self-consuming wishes and desires doth the poor distressed Captive long to hear of a Redeemer? how welcome is this news to him? and such a one is Jesus Christ to us, and therefore it is sweet to hear of him. And as the Gospel tells us of deliverance out of bondage, so of admission to such incomparable privileges here, to such unutterable happiness hereafter, as cannot choose but melt the heart with ravishing delight that hath assurance of a share in them. As Gospel truth excelleth for the subject matter of it, Jesus Christ, so for the manner of the revelation of it. The truth in the Old Testament was covered with a Veil, not of Types and Shadows only, but of dark expressions too, so that it was obscure and hid: But now it is unvailed as it were, and therefore the Apostle tells us, that we behold it now with open face, 2 Cor. 3.18. There is nothing now to hid it; The truth of the Old Testament is likened to the glimmering twilight in the dawning of the day, or to the faint and dimmer twinkling of a star; But Gospel truth is likened to the shining of the Sun at noonday. And therefore we that live under Gospel-revelation are called the Children of the light and of the day, 1 Thes. 5.5. And the Apostle tells us that now the grace of God which brings salvation hath appeared, Tit. 2.11. It is a Metaphor in which the Gospel is resembled to a glorious Light, that having been obscured and masked awhile (even as the Sun when it is overcast and muffled with a dark and gloomy cloud) at length shines forth with admirable brightness and shows itself with darling splendour to the world. Though it were hid from ages and from generations, yet it is now made manifest unto the Saints, Col. 1.26. Gospel truth excelleth for the confirmation of it. It is better ratified then other truth. Truth may not be believed you know, it may not gain assent from those that hear it, for want of solid and substantial confirmation: But Gospel truth hath this preeminency, that it is now established to the very utmost, by the death of Christ himself. He hath sealed it with his blood, and therefore we have reason to believe it. Indeed the truth of the Old Testament was ratified and confirmed, yea it was confirmed in blood: But this was but the blood of Bulls and Goats; But now it is confirmed by the blood of Christ himself, which is a better and a more effectual confirmation. And this is that which the Apostle shows at large, Heb. 9.16. and in the following verses. So that the blood which ratified the Old Testament, was but the shadow and the Type of that which ratifies the new; and therefore this hath the advantage of the other. I must confess that the Old Testament was ratified by the death of Jesus Christ in destination, for so he was the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world: But this is ratified by the death of Christ in actual execution, which is if not in itself, to us at least, a clearer and a better confirmation. Gospel truth excelleth for the operation of it: it hath effects transcendently beyond all other truth that ever was revealed to the world. I shall name but two only suggested in those two great Gospel Epithets, the word of grace, the word of life. 1. Gospel truth works grace. Not common grace, and common sorrow, and humiliation, and repentance as the Law doth, but saving grace: And therefore it is called the word of grace, Acts 20.32. It is so exclusively, it worketh grace alone, without the help and the assistance of the Law in that business. Something the Law may do towards us indeed, but it doth nothing in the work of grace. Of his own will begat he us saith the Apostle, by the word of truth, that is the Gospel, James 1.18. That, only that is properly and strictly sanctifying truth, Sanctify them with thy truth. 2. Gospel truth infuseth life, and that no other truth can do. The Law indeed can kill, but it cannot make alive; It is the Ministry of death and condemnation. The Gospel only is the Ministry of life and of Salvation. And therefore this exceeds the other, and surpasseth it in glory, as the Apostle shows at large, 2 Cor. 3.6, 7, etc. In this respect we find the Gospel called the word of life, 1 John 1.1. because it is the word that worketh life. It is the quickening word that raises men from death to life, to the life of grace in this world, and to the life of glory in the world to come. And thus, I think we have sufficiently cleared the point, the word of God, especially the Gospel is the truth. Proceed we now to make some application of it, according to the divers branches of the point in order. I shall but touch upon the first, because I would not be prevented in the second. Is it so, my brethren, that the word of God is all truth? then certainly Use 1 it ought all to be believed. This truth on God's part calls for faith on ours. For what is faith but the belief of truth? as the Apostle Paul defines it, 2 Thes. 2.13. He hath chosen us to Salvation through Sanctification of the spirit, and belief of the truth. So that if the word be truth, it ought to be believed by us. And this our Saviour Christ insinuates in his expostulation with the Jews, John 8.46. If I say truth, why do you not believe me? Though that which is delivered in the word of God be never so improbable, never so much above corrupt reason, never so impossible to a humane apprehension, yet it admitteth not of doubtful Disputation and Expostulation, but rather calls for absolute belief. And therefore they are deeply to be censured, who give no credit to the word of truth, further than their private spirits close with it, who do not answer God's truth with their faith. They read it and they hear it preached, but they yield no assent to it. No, they oppose it and dispute against it, they are mere Sceptics in religion; There are a multitude of such in these times. They consent not to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the Doctrine which is according to godliness, as the Apostle Paul speaks, 1 Tim. 6.3, 4. Whereas they that have ever felt the saving power of God's word, have their thoughts captivated to it, and will say as the Apostle, we can do nothing, we can speak nothing against the truth, 2 Cor. 13.8. These men upon the other side, when they hear the truth of God delivered to them, speak against it, contradicting and blaspheming, as the stubborn Jews did; Acts 13.45. They do not only ask with Mary, how shall this be? A question not of opposition, but of inquisition, Luke 1.34. But even peremptorily determine they can never be. And thus they belie the Lord, like those of whom the Prophet speaks, Jer. 5.12. This in a word for application of the former member of the point. We shall now apply the latter. Use 2 Is it so that the word of God, especially the Gospel is the truth? Is Gospel truth excelling truth? Then let us give it the preferment before any other truth, both in our inquisition and our acceptation. Let us dive into it most, and let us value and prise it most. First, Let us give it the due preferment in our inquisition, let us dive into it most, and labour more to be acquainted with it then with any other truth. Let us read those books, let us hear those Preachers, and let us nourish those studies, which help us most to this knowledge; let us make this our main endeavour to be seen in Gospel truth: let us undervalue and neglect all other knowledge incomparison of this. It is the dangerous mistake of the greater part of men, who had rather be acquainted with the matters of the world, and to be skilled in secular and humane learning, then in the doctrine of the Gospel. How do abundance plod to dive into the secrets and depths of nature, and set their wits upon the tenterhooks, to search into the mysteries of Arts and Trades! how do they beat and work their brains to get abundance of experience and skill in worldly deal and employments! but take no pains at all in hearing, reading, meditation, to dive into the mysteries of Jesus Christ. Tell me my beloved, have you ever among all your earnest strive after insight either into humane knowledge, or into matters of the world, been half so studious and industrious to search into this Gospel truth, to be acquainted with Christ Jesus who is the subject of the Gospel, to know that he was born, and lived and died for you, to know him and the virtue of his resurrection, not by speculation only, but experience, raising you up to newness of life, to know that he loved you, and gave himself for you? Alas the hearts of a great many of you, cannot choose but tell you, that you have hardly ever spent a serious thought on this. And the very best among us cannot choose but say that we have been too slight and careless in our inquiries into this knowledge. Ah my beloved, had we the spirit of the Apostle Paul, or of those blessed Angels, who desire to peep and pry into the Gospel truth as you may see, 1 Pet. 1.12. we would not foolishly misspend so much of our precious time, in empty, frothy and unnecessary studies, nor waste away that Lamp of reason in our bosoms in unprofitable blazes, but we would set more time apart to look into the Patent of salvation, and to acquaint ourselves with Jesus Christ before hand, that when we come into his presence at the latter day, we may be entertained as friends and not as strangers. You hear that Gospel truth is the study of the Angels, they had a little inkling of it, and it was so ravishing, that they must dive and pry into it; they were not able to forbear it. Oh Fools and Idiots that we are that now the Lord hath made it plain to us we should be so careless of it, that now the knowledge of it is attainable, we should wilfully neglect that precious truth which was so studied and enquired into in Heaven, which Angels reached after, and yet when all was done, came short of the discovery. Secondly, Since Gospel truth excels all other truth, let us give it the preferment, as in our Inquisition, so in our acceptation, and let us value it and prise it above other truth. Every truth of God is precious, but this truth is most precious, and therefore should be most esteemed and laid up with most care. All the say of God are worthy of acceptation, but Gospel say are worthy of all acceptation; 1 Tim. 1.15. all that is possible to entertain them with. And therefore the Prophets call the time of the Gospel tempus acceptabile, the acceptable time, the year of the Lord, Isa. 16.2. And if we look into the Scriptures, my beloved, we shall see what worthy acceptation it hath found. Zacheus made haste and received our Saviour gladly into his house, Luke 19.6. So did the brethren at Jerusalem receive the Apostles because they brought the Gospel with them, Acts 21.17. So did the Bereans receive the Gospel itself with all readiness of mind, or forward affection, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, Acts 17.11. So did the Galathians receive the Apostle with the honour of an Angel, even as Jesus Christ himself, because he preached this excelling truth to them, Gal. 4.14. The Merchant in the Parable (you know) did dearly purchase it, the Saints did earnestly contend for it, and took the Kingdom of heaven by violence. And hath it found the like esteem with you my brethren? have you received and entertained it as a transcendent and excellent truth? have your souls been even ravished with the knowledge of it? have you preferred it in your thoughts and your desires before all other knowledge, yea before all other things? Alas how many are there that never valued it, who think it to be foolishness in comparison of that which brings them worldly profit or advantage! It is a miserable thing to see how this incomparable Gospel is slighted in the world. Now I beseech you my beloved; think upon it, what is it that you despise? The wisdom of God in a mystery which is adorned with so many glorious Titles in the Scripture to raise our hearts and our affections to it, without which all the wisdom and all the learning in the world is nothing else but loss and dung. And who is it that you despise in it? for the contempt and undervaluing of the Gospel carries in it more dishonour to every person of the Trinity, than any other sin. It is a shameful undervaluing of the Father's wisdom, which he hath showed in no one thing so much as in the revelation of the Gospel, and therefore it is called the wisdom of God, as if the Gospel were the short abridgement, the sum and the Epitome of God's wisdom. It is a fearful slighting of the Father's love, as if in all the business of our Saviour's passion he had but put himself to needless compassion, and shown such love to men, as he might very well have kept in his own bosom, for any thing we either need it, or care for it. It is an horrible contempt to Jesus Christ, to suffer him to stand waiting at our doors, even till his head be full of dew, and his locks with the drops of the night, to put in his fingers by the hole of the lock, to humble, empty and deny himself, to suffer the indignities and wrongs of men, the heavy wrath of God himself, and after all to have that precious blood which was drawn out with such woeful agonies, and with such exquisite and horrid tortures, counted no other than the blood of a common Malefactor, no more regarded nor looked after, no, though presented and offered to us, and that with obsecrations and entreaties too; who is able to express such baseness as this is! It is a high indignity to the blessed Spirit of grace to suffer him to wait in vain, to move, and to persuade in vain, to beg and to beseech in vain, till we do even weary him, and send him sad from us. Oh let us tremble of such contemptuous usage of the Father, of the Son, and of the Spirit, in the contempt of their Gospel; And henceforth let us receive it and embrace it as an excelling truth, as that which is of singular behoof and use, and consequently calls for singular esteem from us. Use 2 Is it so, That the Word of God, especially the Gospel is the truth: That Gospel truth is the truth, that it excels all other truth? Then certainly it lies on the professors of this truth to have a carriage answerable to it; to have an excellent carriage according to this excellent truth: that so it may not be disparaged and dishonoured by our unsuitable and unagreeing conversations. As it is glorious in itself, so it should be glorified by us, and among us, as the Apostles phrase is, 2 Thess. 3.1. As it is excellent in itself, so it should be presented to the world as excellent by us, while we adorn it by our holy lives, as the Apostle Paul exhorteth, Tit. 2.10. that we adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour in all things. And in a word, my Brethren, We must walk as becometh the Gospel of Christ, this excellent Gospel, Phil. 1.27. And to this end I shall commend unto you, but these two things: First you must maintain it as an excellent truth. Secondly, you must obey it as an excellent truth. This Gospel truth must be maintained by you as an excellent truth. Indeed (my Brethren) you must stand for all Truth, you must never be against it, but you must be always for it, as the Apostle Paul insinuates, 2 Cor, 13.8. I can do nothing against the truth, but for the truth. But you must stand for Gospel truth rather, and more than for any other truth, because it is of more concernment, and of more use. We are more eager and earnest in asserting the right and interest we have in things of worth, then in things of smaller value: That which is excellent, will have more to stand for it, then that which is comparatively mean and much inferior to it: and men will do it much more vehemently for a jewel then for a trifle: so let us in this case; and more particularly and distinctly let us earnestly maintain this excellent Gospel truth both by arguments and sufferings. 1. Let us earnestly maintain it by our Arguments and Reasons. The more excellent a truth is, the more we must appear for it, the more extremely tender we must be of any opposition that is made against it, the more we must endeavour to vindicate it and evince it, and to convince the gainsayers. It is no wisdom for a man to lay out all his strength and heat on points of small consideration, as many men who are as earnest and as hot in petty matters as it is possible for men to be, and strive as much about words (as the Apostles phrase is) as they will about things. But when the weighty points of Gospel truths come once in agitation, when they are contradicted and opposed (as they have been exceedingly of late days) than it behoves us to bestir ourselves, to draw up all the arguments that we are able, to call in all the reason that we have, to defend and to make good such excellent and precious things as these are: We must contend for such truths, for they are worth the striving for with all our might; so the Apostle Judas would have us, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, earnestly contend or struggle for the faith delivered to the Saints, Judas 2, 1. I think he doth not mean the grace of faith, but the doctrine of faith, which is the Gospel; and therefore it is added presently, for there are certain men crept in among you, turning the grace of God (which is the subject of the Gospel) into lasciviousness; so that you see my Brethren, Gospel truth must be contended for, and that with earnestness, even to an Agony; as once Apollo's convinced the dissenting Jews (who doubted of that great point of the Gospel, whether Jesus was that Christ or not) and he did it mightily, Act. 18.28. he did it as it were with all his might, being fervent in spirit, as it is said at the 25. verse; so that if any in these latter times have been too earnest and too vehement (as some have thought) in asserting Gospel truth, either in preaching, or discourse, they may the better be excused. 2. Let us earnestly maintain this excelling Gospel truth, as by our arguments, so by our sufferings, if God shall call us thereunto. It is an extraordinary honour and establishment to any truth, when some are raised up to suffer for it. As on the other side it is a shame and a disparagement when the professors of it give it over, and relinquish it assoon as times of trial come. Oh let not this dishonour come on the Gospel by our means: Let us stick to it, even to the loss of goods, and liberty, and life itself, let us seal it with our blood. Our Saviour Christ himself you know, did not think his blood too dear to ratify the New Covenant, and to establish and confirm the Gospel, to seal the truth of Gospel promises. Let us not think that our blood is ill bestowed, if it may serve in any measure to that end for which Christ shed his. And as we must maintain this Gospel truth as an excellent truth both by our arguments and by our sufferings: so we must obey it too as an excellent truth. And this way we shall honour it exceedingly, and hold it forth as excellent to all the world. Indeed it is a greater honour and advancement to the Gospel to obey it, then to defend it, and maintain it. We favour those sometimes whom we defend; we always honour those whom we obey: And this my Brethren is the greatest honour we can do the Gospel, to set it up as our rule in our hearts, and in our lives: For you must know, my Brethren, that the Gospel as it saves from misery, so it requireth duty too: And hence we read not only of obedience to the Law, but of obedience to the Gospel too, 2 Thess. 1.8. And do you yield it this obedience? Do you live, and do you walk by Gospel rules? Brethren, I make no question all of you expect salvation by the Gospel: but do you hearken to the counsel and instruction of the Gospel? You expect deliverance by it, but do you yield obedience to it? I pray stand still a little, and consider with yourselves, and accordingly resolve. When you profane Gods holy day, neglect the duties of his worship, either in public or in private, blaspheme his name, defraud and overreach your Brethren; when you please yourselves with actual or contemplative uncleanness; when you drink to drunkenness, or walk in any other sinful courses, be they what they will: what doth the Gospel teach you these things? I say as the Apostle, have you so learned Christ out of the Gospel? Doth the pure and holy Gospel of the Lord Jesus give any approbation to such courses? and do you think my Brethren, that the Gospel will ever save you, if it do not guide and rule you? that it will ever make you happy, if it do not make you holy? Now I beseech you my Beloved, ponder it and weigh it well, and look for no salvation by the Gospel, unless you yield obedience to the Gospel: For if you do, first you dishonour it; and secondly, you disappoint your selves. 1. First you do exceedingly dishonour it, you cast a blemish and a stain upon it, you do not walk as becometh the Gospel of Christ, but cause it to be evil thought, and evil spoken of by wicked men: as if Christ saved men that live and walk and persevere in lewdness and profaneness, as if he favoured and allowed of such courses; as if he fitted and provided heaven for swearers, drunkards and unclean persons. What kind of Doctrine may they think is that which holds out such beatitude to be expected and enjoyed by such wretches? Thus you prejudice the Gospel, you cast contempt upon it, and take away its excellency in the eyes of wicked men. 2. Whiles you expect salvation by the Gospel, and do not yield obedience to the Gospel, you strangely disappoint yourselves, and woefully delude your own souls; You may be confident of heaven while you persist in such courses; but when you come thither you will be ashamed, as Job speaks, chap. 6.20. Believe it Brethren, salvation and instruction will not be divided: you must take them both together; you cannot have the former, without obedience to the latter. If you will hear and learn and practice what the Gospel teacheth, you shall enjoy that which the Gospel offereth. If you will be obedient to the Gospel, you shall be saved by the Gospel, otherwise you cannot. As Christ is the Author, so the Gospel is the Instrument of life and salvation to them that obey it. Assoon those black Infernal Legions, that are already damned to everlasting chains and darkness, shall be saved by the Gospel, as they that cast behind their backs the precepts of the Gospel, and will not walk accordingly in their lives and conversations. It is a dreadful sentence to this purpose, able to break the hearts of wicked men, and to shake their joints in pieces, 2 Thess. 1.8. The Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty Angels in flaming fire, rendering vengeance to them that know not God, and obey not the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. Indeed as Gospel truth is most excellent, so disobedience to this Gospel truth is most dangerous; we know what a fearful doom and dreadful sentence the Apostle thunders out against it, Heb. 10.26. If we sin wilfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth (the Gospel truth) there remaineth no more sacrifice for sin. From which perversely wrested, though Novatus did extract that desperate Heresy of his, denying hope of pardon unto those who after they were once baptised, relapsed into sin: Yet (those uncomfortable inferences being laid aside) this is most evidently taught us in that Scripture, viz. That where the mind hath been enlightened once with Gospel truth, it tends exceedingly to the increase and aggravation of those sins that are committed after and against it. And therefore upon these considerations, labour to walk worthy of so glorious a Gospel, and so great a Salvation. JOHN. 17.18. As thou sent me into the world, etc. AND thus far of our Saviour's Prayer in the behalf of his Apostles and Disciples for Sanctification; Sanctify them with thy truth, thy word is truth. Proceed we to the arguments and reasons with which he urgeth and enforceth this Petition & request of his. And they are two. Whereof the first is taken from the business and employment that he is setting them about; viz. the very same (in some respect at least) which he himself hath hitherto sustained and undergone by the appointment of the Father; As thou hast sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world, I am now about to send them, it is as good as done already: (For yet they had not their Commission to preach the Gospel to all the world, to every creature.) And therefore thou hadst need to sanctify them, saith our Saviour to his Father, by a more full discovery of thy truth to them, that so they may be fitted and enabled for such a service as this is. It is extremely necessary that they should be qualified with all the gifts and graces of the Spirit to the very utmost, being to go upon the very self same errand and business on which thou hast employed me; Sanctify them, saith our Saviour. Why, might the Father answer, why so? Cause enough saith Jesus Christ; for as thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world. There are two things to be considered in the words. There is something positive, and there is in the second place something comparative. 1. There is something positive in these words, which Christ affirmeth positively of himself and his Apostles. That which he affirmeth positively of himself, is, that his Father hath sent him into the world. That which he affirmeth positively of his Apostles and Disciples, is, That he is sending them into the world. There is something Comparative, in which our Saviour Christ compares his Father's sending him with his own sending his Apostles; As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world. I shall but touch on that which Christ affirmeth positively of himself, and that as you have heard, is, that his Father hath sent him down into the world; He would not suffer him to stay in heaven, but sent him forth upon some weighty and important business; so that the point to be observed is this. DOCTRINE. That Jesus Christ was sent into the world, by the appointment and command of God the Father. The word in the Original importeth an authoritative sending, which is accordingly submitted to and yield to by the person that is sent. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, saith our Saviour to the Father; Thou hast sent me into the world, so sent, that I accordingly am come into the world, I have stooped to thy mission; But this hath for the substance of it been handled on the third verse, and therefore I shall wave the further prosecution of it here, and pass on to the following words. JOHN. 17.18. Even so have I also sent them into the world. AND thus of that which Jesus Christ hath affirmed of himself, in relation to his Father, Thou hast sent me into the world. Proceed we now to that which he affirms of his Apostles, and in them of his succeeding Ministers, in relation to himself, I also have sent them into the world. And here we have to be considered three things. First the author of the Mission I; I stands for Jesus, I have sent. Secondly, the term or local object of the Mission, the world, without restraint or limitation, all the world. I have sent them into the world. Not into Judea only, but into the world. Thirdly, the comparison, between our Saviour's mission of his Apostles and Ambassadors, and his Father's mission of himself, suggested in the word also, I also have sent them into the world; as thou sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them, etc. As the parts, so the Observations are three. First the Apostles and Ministers of Jesus Christ are sent by him, they are of Christ's own sending: Secondly, Christ doth not send them particularly, or restrictively to any Country, or to any Nation: But their Commission leaves them free to all the world. Thirdly, Jesus Christ sends his Apostles and his Ministers, even as his Father sent him. There is a great similitude between Gods sending Christ into the world, and Christ's sending his Apostles and Ministers into the world. I shall handle these distinctly, as God shall give ability and opportunity: Beginning with the first. DOCTRINE. The Apostles and the Ministers of Jesus Christ are sent by him, they are of Christ's own sending. For the Apostles they have their very name from sending. The word in the Original importeth such a one as is dispatched upon the errand of another, upon the business that another sends him in: And Christ is often said to send them. There are two memorable missions of them, mentioned in the Gospel story. The first a little after he had called them, Mat. 10.1, etc. When he had called his twelve Disciples (and they were his twelve Apostles, as they are styled, ver. 2.) he gave them power against unclean spirits. And these twelve he sent forth, ver. 1. and after at ver. 16. Behold I send you forth, saith he, as sheep among Wolves. The second memorable mission of them was a little after he was risen from the dead, and was even ready to ascend, Joh. 20.21. Even as my Father sent me, so send I you. And this is that which the Apostle Paul acknowledges, that he was sent by Jesus Christ, 1 Cor. 1.17. Christ sent me; what to do? not only, no not chief to baptise, but to preach the Gospel. And as for ordinary Ministers, I take the seventy Disciples to be such. And of them it is observed in the story, Luk. 10.1, etc. After these things the Lord appointed other 70. also, and sent them two and two before his face; and addeth presently, Behold I send you forth as Lambs among Wolves. It is a rule that the Apostle Paul lays down, Rom. 10.15. How shall they preach except they be sent? He doth not say unless they be gifted, but unless they be sent. How shall they do the work and business of the Ministers of Christ, unless they be sent by Christ? so that the point is clear you see, that the Apostles and the Ministers of Christ are sent by Christ. But lest I be mistaken here, I must interpose a caution. You must not understand that they are sent by Christ Exclusively, that is, by him, and none but him: Neither as to the sending of the Father and the holy Ghost, the other Persons of the Godhead: Nor yet as to the sending of the Church: Neither of them is excluded, when we say, That the Apostles and Ministers of Jesus Christ are sent by him. They are not sent by him Exclusively as to the sending of the other Persons of the Godhead, the Father and the Holy Ghost. The works of the Trinity without are undivided; and certainly it is their work as well as his, to send forth Ministers into the Church; and hence it is not only said, that Christ when he ascended up on high, he gave some Apostles, Prophets, Evangelists, and Teachers. Eph. 4.11. Some extraordinary, some ordinary Ministers in his Church: But it is also said, That God hath see some in the Church, first Apostles, secondarily Prophets, thirdly Teachers, etc. 1 Cor. 12.28. God hath sent them, and that not God the Son only, but God the Father, and Holy Ghost too. Indeed the Scripture is express for this, that all the three concurred in this business. The Father thrusts forth Laborers into his Vineyard, Mat. 9.38. The Son gives Ministers in the forecited Text, Ephes. 4.11. The Holy Ghost makes Overseers, Act. 20.28. Take heed to yourselves, saith the Apostle to the Elders of Ephesus, and to all the flock over which the Holy Ghost hath made you Overseers: So that you see, Christ sends not Ministers exclusively as to the sending of the Father and the Holy Ghost. 2. Nor doth he send them in the second place exclusively as to the sending of the Church: She also hath a hand (my Brethren) under Christ, and by authority from Christ in this mission. Election appertains to her, according to the rule of Christ, she chooses out fit men, Act. 6.3. So Ordination appertains to her; I mean, she doth it by her Officers, as Act. 14.23. And Ordination as it is a Designation to the Ministry, so it is at least a virtual and implicit sending forth to the work of the Minstry: And therefore Ministers are called the Messengers of the Churches, 2 Cor. 8.23. Not the Messengers of Christ alone, but of the Church of Christ too: They are not only sent by him, but they are sent by her also; she is the Wife, the Spouse of Jesus Christ, and so he suffers her to have a hand in sending of her own servants; For so are Ministers the Church's servants (though in some respects the Rulers, in other some the servants also) the servants of the Wife, and not the servants of the Husband only, as the Apostle insinuates, 2 Cor. 4.5. We preach not ourselves, but the Lord Jesus Christ, and ourselves your servants for Jesus' sake: This shall suffice for clearing of the Observation by way of Application; here are some things that concern the Ministers, and some things that concern the people; I shall proceed with them in order. Use 1 Is it so, That the Apostles and Ministers of Jesus Christ are sent by him? This than may serve to let them see their great mistake, who take upon themselves the Office of the Ministers of Christ, and yet are not sent by him: Concerning whom he may complain, as God complains of those in Israel, Jer. 23.21. I did not send them, yet they ran faster than a good pace: They were forward of themselves, but they were never sent by me. Brethren, men may not call themselves, or send themselves, because they think themselves sufficient; No, Jesus Christ will call and send whom he pleases: For though he call not men immediately from heaven now, as in the times of the Apostles, he calls and sends them mediately still, by the Church's suffrages, as you may see Act. 6.3. and by the laying on of the hands of the Presbyters, as the Apostles phrase is, 1 Tim. 4.14. And as it was a rule to the Levitical Priesthood under the Law, Heb. 5.4. No man takes this honour on him, no man doth de jure take it, but he that is called of God as was Aaron: So to the Ministry under the Gospel, no man takes this honour on him, but he that is sent of Christ. There may be many private Soldiers in an Army, that may be fit to be Commanders, every way it may be fit than some of them that do command, and yet they may not take upon them to be so, without a regular and due admission. There may be many in the Commonwealth that may be fit to be Justices of Peace than some of them that bear that Office, and yet they may not take upon them to be so, until they have received a Commission: Or if they should, it were impossible that their sufficiency should advantage the Army or the Commonwealth so much, as the ill precedent which they would give, and the disorder and confusion they would make, would do it hurt; and so there may be many private Christians, that may be fit to be Rulers and Pastors of a Congregation, than many that do rule and teach, and yet they may not take upon them to be either, until they be sent by Christ: For if one may call himself, and send himself, a second may, and so a third, and then they may be all Teachers, which is the thing that the Apostle implicitly at least forbiddeth, 1 Cor. 12.19. And if all were one member, where were the body? as the same Apostle speaks. And indeed, if any man put himself into an office merely upon this account, because he thinks himself sufficient, the weakest will be most forward and most conceited of their own sufficience: and on the other side the ablest men most modest, because they best know their own weakness. And if you look on those who call themselves to be the Teachers of public Congregations, and who impose themselves upon them by force, and by a strong hand, as some have done in these times, you shall not find them of the ablest and the most judicious sort of men; No, not of those who are it may of their own opinion. But you will interpose, and ask me then; What are not private Christians to employ their gifts for the common benefit? Yes, to the very utmost, my Beloved; As every man hath received the gift, so let him minister the same one to the other, as good stewards of the manifold graces of God, 1 Pet. 4.16. Their gift they have received to profit withal, and that not themselves alone, but others also; But still within their own sphere, within compass of their own calling: They may and aught as they are able, to teach, etc. as the Apostle speaks, Col. 2.12. in a way of conference; and this lies as a duty on them all, in some degree: For this is no Evangelical counsel, but an Evangelical precept; it is not permitted only, but required: But none of them may take upon him to be the public Teacher of the whole, without a due Vocation and Ordination thereunto. How shall they preach except they be sent? saith the Apostle, Rom. 11.15. How shall they do it lawfully? He doth not say except they be gifted, but except they be sent. Qualification is not enough, without mission: he must not go forth of himself, but must be sent forth by Christ. Is it so, That the Apostles and Ministers of Christ are sent by him? Use 2 This then may serve to let us see how far the power and the authority of Ministers extends in binding and in losing, and in proclaiming either war or peace. They do it but as servants in a ministerial way, and by a delegated power; and in the execution of it, they must exactly keep them by the rule and the directions which they have received from him that sent them. They may not act according to their own discretion, and as it seemeth good to them, but must proceed in every thing according to the orders and instructions of their Master. Or if they swerve a jot from these, they stray beyond the bounds of their Commission, and their authority is void. So that the power of Ministers in this regard, is Ministerial, and declarative: Yet this I add, because they do it by Commission from the Lord, and as Messengers of Christ, it comes from them, by reason of his Ordinance, with more assurance to the Conscience, then from any private person. Use 3 Is it so that the Apostles, etc. This than may serve to mind them what their duty is, and I shall give it you in two words. 1. They must do his work, and deliver his message, the errand which he sends them in. They must not bring their own devices to the people, their own fancies and conceits, the issue of their own brains, the froth of their own spirits, as many do in these times. No, they must speak the words of Christ, and speak them fully and completely. They must fulfil the word of God, as the Apostle speaks, Col. 1.25. They must without respect or fear, deliver all their Master's message, to any man to whom he sends them, how great soever he may be. They must not out of base and servile dread of any, suppress or mince their errand in the least degree, or deal so mannerly with men, that they become unfaithful to the Lord Christ. No, they must seriously consider that though themselves be mean and despicable persons, yet they are Ministers and Messengers of Christ himself, who is higher than the highest among men. And therefore as the Noble Roman said, non ita memor sum dignitatis vestrae ut obliviscar me esse consulem; So they must say when they are dealing with the great ones of the world; I am not mindful of dignity so far, as to forget that I am the Ambassador and Messenger of Jesus Christ. They must be bold and resolute, with this assurance, that he that sendeth them, will bear them out, according to his many precious promises which he hath made for their encouragement to faithfulness in his service. 2. And as they must deliver Christ's errand, and not their own, so for Christ's ends, and not their own; they must not seek their own profit, or their own honour, but the honour of their Master. As Christ who was the Father's messenger, glorified not himself, as the Apostle speaks, but him that sent him, Heb. 5.5. so they that are the messengers of Christ must not glorify themselves, but Christ that sent them. They must act for him, and woo for him, and win the souls of men to him. Their work must be to set him up, and to advance him that he may appear: They must with John the Baptist be contented to decrease, to whither in their reputation and esteem, so Christ may be in the increasing hand. They must not endeavour to take such a course in the work of the Ministry, that they may seem witty, and learned and eloquent, that men may admire them, and applaud their abilities, but that they may admire Christ, that the thoughts and affections of men may be carried to him; They must not preach themselves, but the Lord Jesus Christ as the Apostle did, 2 Cor. 4, 5. Use 4 Is it so, that Apostles, Ministers, etc. Then let the Church be here directed, and advised to prove those that pretend they are the Ministers of Jesus Christ, whether they be sent by Christ or no. The Church of Ephesus is much commended for her care and diligence in this regard, Apoc. 2.2. I know thy works, (saith Christ there) and thy labour, and thy patience, and how thou canst not bear them which are evil, etc. And thou hast tried them who say they are Apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars. They said they were the Messengers of Christ; and that they were sent by Christ (for that's the meaning of the word Apostle) but indeed they were not. The Church did not give them credit till she tried them, and so discovered them to be impostors and deceivers. And truly there are many such in these times, who say they come from Jesus Christ, when indeed he never sent them. They are Messengers of Satan, and not of Christ: and therefore it concerns the Church to prove them well who come with these pretences, and to sift them to the bottom, that they may know not the speech of these men only, but the power, as the Apostle speaks, 1 Cor. 4 19 And here you are not only to consider, whether they have obtained the election and ordination of the Church or no; for many reach to this who are never sent by Christ. But there are other things to be observed. I shall lay them down in order. They that are sent by Jesus Christ, are furnished with competent ability at least for the delivery of their message. You must not think that Christ will send by the hand of a fool. No, if there be a Messenger of Christ, he is one of a thousand for gifts and abilities. In the time of the Law when he raised up Prophets, what spirit, what power, what understanding was there in them? And is his hand shortened now, my beloved, in the days of the Gospel? He is ascended up on high, on purpose to give gifts unto men, for the work of the Ministry, Ephes. 4.12. He makes able Ministers of the New Testament, 2 Cor. 3.6. If he make them, they are able; and if they be not able, they are none of his making. Now this ability consists especially in two things. 1. Ability of knowledge. The Messenger of Christ is to deliver to the people the mind of Christ, the mysteries, the depth, the secrets of the Gospel; Such depths as the Angels desired to pry into, but could not find the bottom of them. And therefore Jesus Christ endueth them with more than ordinary understanding in these things. They may not upon pain of being guilty of the blood, conceal the very Counsel of God; they must be able to evince the truth, and to convince the gainsayers, Tit. 1.9. To clear the doubts of the erroneous, and satisfy the scruples of the tender conscience. They must be filled with knowledge, their lips must be a store-house of it, and at their mouths it must be sought for by the people, Mal. 2.7. They must be ready upon all occasion, to drop down the balm of Gilead, the sweet and precious comforts of the Gospel into the sores of those whom God hath wounded: To speak even to the hearts of God's people, to utter a word in due season, to which alone is required the tongue of the Learned, Isa 50.4. To preach Christ, and to deliver his errand with all wisdom, Col. 1.28. And therefore whomsoever Christ sends, he fitteth them accordingly in some measure. He gives them that which the Apostles calls understanding in the mystery of Christ, Ephes. 3.4. and makes them Scribes taught to the Kingdom of Heaven. 2. Ability of utterance. Behold I give you wisdom, and a mouth, said Christ to his Apostles, Luke 21.15. So when he sendeth forth his Messengers, he doth not only give them wisdom and understanding in the message that he sends them in, but he gives them a mouth too, to utter and communicate that wisdom to the people. Or else what doth their wisdom and their knowledge serve for, as Messengers or Ministers, unless they have a mouth to bring it forth and to declare it to the people? I do not say that all the messengers of Christ must have voluble tongues and fluent expressions. There was among the Prophets a stammering Moses, as well as a smooth and eloquent Aaron: A pla●● blunt Amos for the Country, as well as a Rhetorical Isaiah for the Court: among Gospel Ministers there was a chief speaker, Acts 14.12. But yet however all that are sent by Jesus Christ, have in a measure that which the Apostle calls a door of utterance, Col. 4.3. a faculty to speak to edification. The Priest of Old must have knowledge in his lips as well as in his head, as Mal. 2.7. And the reason is annexed, because he is the Messenger of the Lord of Hosts. And you know a Messenger or an Ambassador must not be dumb, but able in some handsome terms to utter and express the errand of his Master. And this is intended, when the Apostle speaking of a Minister, saith, he must be apt to teach, 1 Tim. 3.2. They that are sent by Jesus Christ, as they are furnished with ability, both of knowledge and of utterance: so they are qualified with propensity. And this is that which the Apostle calls a ready mind to feed the flock, 1 Pet. 5.2. and a good will to deal to the people the Gospel of Christ, 1 Thes. 2.8. Suppose he have ablility, yet if he have no mind to use it for the benefit and profit of the Church of Christ, no zeal to stir up the gift that is in him, but is remiss and idle, and prefers his ease and pleasure before the bringing in of souls to Christ, it is a shrewd presumption that Jesus Christ did never send him. But if he can be well content to spend himself and to be spent for the salvation of the people's souls; if as John Baptist, he be a burning and a shining light, wasting himself and burning out, that he may give the people light: If he account it (as his Master did) his meat and drink to do the will of him that sent him, John 8.34. so that he is not in his Element unless he be about his Ministerial work; If he resolve with the Apostle, this will I do if God permit, and think no peril nor no pains too great that he may finish his course with joy, and the Ministry which he hath received, it is very probable that such a one is of Christ's own sending. They that are sent by Jesus Christ are qualified with sincerity. I do not mean sincerity as Christians, but as Messengers of Christ, in the delivery of their message without addition or substraction, In doctrine showing uncorruptness, gravity, sincerity, sound speech that cannot be condemned, Tit. 2.7. And this is that which Paul himself professes he had done, 2 Cor. 2.17. We, saith he, are not as many that corrupt the word of God; but as of sincerity, and in the sight of God, speak we in Christ. The Steward and the Messenger of Christ, as he is wise, so he is faithful; a faithful and a wise steward. He doth not for his own ends adulterate the Message of his Master, or coin a Message from him, which he never sent him in. And hereby you shall know him from another, that was never sent by Christ. As Christ speaks of false Prophets, by their fruits you shall know them, Mat. 17.16. that is, by their fruits as Prophets, not as men; Not by the fruits of their persons, but the fruits of their doctrine: The same may be applied to the false Messengers of Christ, by their fruits you shall know them. If the doctrine which they teach, and the message which they bring, be not the same which they have received from Christ; if they speak not the words of Christ, but fancies and devices of their own; if they deliver that which is against Christ, against the Word and Spirit and Ordinances of the Lord Christ; which tends to looseness and licentiousness (as many do in these times) believe it they are none of Christ's sending. Is it so that Apostles and Ministers, etc. then certainly they ought to be Use 5 received by you, and so received, as those that come from such a one as Christ is. As Christ should be well entertained because the Father hath sent him, so the Ministers of Christ should be well entertained because he hath sent them. Oh how welcome should we bid them who come from such a dear precious friend as Christ is? How beautiful and lovely should their very feet, their uncomliest parts be? What are you come from Jesus Christ indeed? hath he sent you? are you come from our Master, our Husband, our Head? You are very welcome to us. And here to be a little more distinct, the welcome entertainment we should give them, consists especially in two things, to name no more at this time. 1. You must give them honour, as those that come from Jesus Christ; Yea double honour, the honour of reverence, and the honour of maintenance. The Messengers and the Ambassadors of Jesus Christ, must be received and entertained with all respects by you; Or if they be not, he esteemeth their dishonour as his own. He that despiseth you, despiseth me, saith Christ. And verily, if this be true, he was never more despised then in these days. Oh my beloved, what floods of ignominy and contempt and scorn are poured out upon the Messengers of Jesus Christ, those that are most faithful to him? so that abundance of them are hardly able to bear up against the venom that men spit upon them. 2. You must give them audience as those that come from Jesus Christ, considering that the message they deliver is Jesus Christ's and not their own: and therefore when at any time you are advised by them to come in and stoop to Christ, Oh think that Christ himself doth counsel you and call upon you. And when they offer peace and mercy and atonement, and beseech you to accept it; Oh think that Christ himself beseecheth and entreats you by them, and therefore do not baffle him and slight him, and put him off with a denial; for if you do, it is a most unsufferable provocation. O think as often as you hear them speaking to you, that you are hearing Christ himself from heaven, and then consider how you dare to slight them. For you despise not men but Christ, as the Apostle speaks in this case, 1 Thes. 4.8. Is it so that the Apostles, Ministers, etc. this than should teach you in Use 6 the last place to bear with all their earnestness and plainess, and not to stomach them and storm against them when they are free or sharp with you; Considering that they are but servants and cannot but deliver the message of their Master; it's that to which their place and calling, and the trust which Christ hath put into their hands doth bind them: which trust they must discharge and not betray, be the hazard what it will; and therefore be prevailed withal to take all in good part, and not to think them injurious to you, because they dare not to be unfaithful to Christ. JOHN 17.18. Even so have I also sent them into the world. DOCTRINE 2. Christ doth not send his Ministers particularly or restrictively to any Country, or to any Nation, but their Commission leaves them free to all the world. YOU see, he doth not tell his Father, I have sent them into Jewry only, or into any other Region of the earth, but I have sent them into the world; That is the local object of their Mission, the world at large without restraint or limitation, all the world. Indeed our Saviour once professed of himself, I am not sent but to the lost sheep of the house of Israel, Mat. 15.24. And so accordingly when first he sent forth his Apostles, his express injunction was, Go not into the way of the Gentiles, but go ye rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel, Mat. 10.5. At his ascension he appointed them to be his witnesses, first in Judaa and Jerusalem, Acts 1.8. This course and method the Apostles very carefully observed, as you may see, Acts 13 46. It was necessary (say Paul and Barnabas unto the Jews) that the word of God (the Gospel) should first of all be preached unto you. But if you mark it well, my brethren, the final and the last Commission of our Saviour was, Go ye into all the world, and preach the Gospel to every creature, Mark 16.15. Go ye and teach all Nations, Mat. 28.19. But you will say that this was a Commission proper to Apostles, and doth not any whit concern succeeding ordinary Ministers, and Pastors in the Church, who are restrained to special places, and fixed in special Congregations. I grant indeed that many ordinary Ministers are restrained and fixed so; but all are not so restrained, neither are any so restrained, but that they may in case remove to other places and to other Countries. And in that any are restrained and fixed, it is not merely as they are Ministers of Christ, but as they are the chosen Officers and Pastors of such a Congregation or of such a people. Their Commission as from Christ, doth not fix them anywhere, but leaves them free as I have said, to exercise their Ministry wheresoever they are called in all the world. Indeed the Apostle tells us that God hath set some in the Church, some Ministers of all sorts, as you may see, 1 Cor. 12.28. He hath placed and fixed them there. But that is out of all dispute the universal Church which is not limited to any Country, but is to be extended over all the world. For if you mark it, the Apostle saith not, God hath set some in the Churches, in the plural number, but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Church, and that in such a latitude as that it comprehendeth in it all gifts, all members, all officers of all sorts, which cannot be intended of the Church of Corinth, or any single Congregation, but only of the universal Church of Christ on earth. There Christ hath set his Ministers, not his Apostles only, but his ordinary teachers; and if they be confined to narrower limits, it is not properly by his Commission, but by a call from men, or by some other secundary means. And as for that Commission mentioned even now, Go ye and teach all Nations, though it were given immediately to the Apostles, it cannot be restrained to the Apostles, being evidently meant, in and with them, of all the Ministers and Preaches of the Gospel that should succeed them in the Church to the end of the world. And therefore it is added presently in the next verse. Lo, I am with you always to the end of the world. They were not to continue for their own parts, by many hundred years so long, and therefore it must also stretch to those who were to follow them in the office and work of Gospel-preaching, till it be published universally to all Nations: which was not done you know by the Apostles; it was but begun by them, and must be carried on till it be finished by other Ministers of Christ in ever age successively to the end of the world; So that the point is clear you see; Christ doth not send his Ministers particularly or restrictively to any Country or to any Nation, but their Commission leaves them free to all the world. And there are two great reasons of the Point, viz. because his Kingdom Reason 1 is to be erected, and his Church is to be planted over all the world in every Country and in every Nation, under heaven. And therefore Jesus Christ doth send his Ministers to all the world, for this purpose, for the erecting of the one, and the planting of the other. 1. His Kingdom is to be erected over all the world. It is not bounded or confined to any Country, or to any Nation, but it is to stretch and to extend itself to all places, and to all people. And hence the Kingdom of the Lord Christ is likened to a stone that swells into a Mountain, and in the end replenishes the world, as Dan. 2.35. The stone that smote the Image, became a great Mountain, and filled the whole earth. A very fit resemblance of our Saviour's Kingdom. First it is a little stone, it lies within a little compass, it is confined within very narrow limits; but yet at length it grows into a Mountain, yea a great Mountain, it stretches and extends out itself exceedingly, and in the end replenishes the whole earth. The beginnings are but small, a little stone, a man may put it in his pocket, but the stone becomes a Mountain, and the Mountain fills the world. And this is that which the same Daniel in his vision did foresee, as if it had been done already, Dan. 7.14. And there was given him, saith he, dominion, and glory and a Kingdom, (speaking of the Lord Christ) And what Kingdom shall he have? See in the following words; he shall have such a Kingdom, that all the people, Languages, and Nations in the world shall serve him. There is a Prophecy to this purpose, Psal. 22.27, 28. All the ends of the world shall turn to the Lord, and all the kindreds of the Nations shall worship before him; For the Kingdom is the Lords, and he is the Governor among all Nations, with which accordeth that, Psal. 72.8. He shall have Dominion from Sea to Sea, and from the River unto the ends of the Earth: and yet again, Psal. 86.9. All Nations whom thou hast made (and you know there is no Nation which he hath not made) shall come and worship before thee, O Lord, and shall glorify thy Name: This is the meaning of that famous Proclamation of our King himself, Mal. 1.11. From the rising of the Sun unto the going down of the same, my Name shall be great among the Gentiles, and in every place incense shall be offered to me, and a pure offering; for my Name shall be great among the Heathen, saith the Lord of Hosts: And when all these predictions shall be brought to execution, then shall that which was represented in a Vision unto John be really accomplished, Apoc. 7.9. I beheld, saith he, and lo a great multitude, which no man could number, of all Nations and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the Throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white Robes, and Palms in their hands: and then shall that triumphant voice take place, Apoc. 11.15. The Kingdoms of the world are become the Kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ, and he shall reign for ever and ever. Now how shall this be brought to pass, my Brethren, but by the preaching of the Gospel over all the world, which by our Saviour Christ himself is called the Gospel of the Kingdom? Mat. 24.14. because his Kingdom is erected by it; and that is the first reason, why Christ sends forth his Ministers to preach the Gospel over all the world, that so his Kingdom may be erected by it over all the world. This Gospel of the Kingdom (saith our Saviour in the fore-alledged place) that is, this Gospel by which my Kingdom is set up, and propagated and enlarged, shall be preached in all the world, to all Nations, and then shall the end come: When this is done, this Gospel preached, and this Kingdom thereby propagated unto all the world, than (saith our Saviour) and not till then shall the end come. 2. And as the Kingdom of our Saviour is to be erected, so Churches (in the second place) are to be planted over all the world: And that is another reason why Christ sends forth his Ministers to preach the Gospel over all the world; for Gospel preaching serves as to erect the one, so to collect and plant the other. The Church indeed was anciently shut up among the Jews, but now it is let out to all Nations, so that neither Jew nor Grecian, neither Scythian nor Barbarian, is excluded from the Church. Thou hast redeemed us by thy blood, say the Elders to our Saviour, Apoc. 5.9. not out of one, but out of every Kindred, Nation, Tongue and People. This enlargement of the Church is clearly taught us in the Prophecy of Hosea 2.23. which may serve instead of all; And I will sow her to me in the earth, saith God there, which is a Metaphorical or borrowed speech, by which the Lord foreshews the great extension of the Church in these latter Gospel days; For as the Husbandman that means to have his Corn increased and multiplied, first sows it in the ground, that so it may take root and spring and bear him many grains for one; so God affirming he will sow his Church, insinuates he will make it do as corn when it is sown, to grow and multiply exceedingly. So that from a very small, it shall increase to a great number. And hence he saith not I will sow her in the land of Canaan only, but in the earth at large without restraint or limitation. In former times, he made his breach in jewry only; his field the Church was but a little corner of the world; but here the Lord foreshews, that he will multiply her so, that she shall be dispersed over all the earth; And I will sow her to me in the earth: And for this reason, Jesus Christ sends forth his Seedesmen into all the Earth, that they may sow the Church in all Countries. This shall suffice for clearing of the point. And is it so that Jesus Christ doth not send his Ministers particularly, Use 1 or restrictively, etc. This than may serve my Brethren, in the first place at least to justify the practice of those Ministers of Christ, who for the propagating of the Church of Christ and elarging of his Kingdom, have done as the Apostle Paul professed he had strived to do, Rom. 15.20. saith he, I have strived to preach the Gospel not where Christ was named, lest I should build upon another man's foundation; but as it is written, To whom he was not spoken of they shall see, and they that have not heard shall understand. Preached when a Collection was made for propagation of the Gospel in New-England. You heard even now of many zealous Instruments of Christ, who have had the same design, viz, to preach the Gospel in America, where Christ was never named till within these few years. To lay the first stone of the Foundation of Religion there, to gather Churches, and to erect the Kingdom of the Lord Christ among the poor blind Indians, in the remotest quarter of the world, That so the Father's promise may at length be made good to Jesus Christ, Psal. 2.8. Ask of me and I will give thee the Heathen for thine Inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession. And verily in this my Brethren, they have not gone beyond their line, they have not strayed beyond the bounds of their Commission. Christ doth not send his Ministers, as you have heard, particularly or restrictively to any Country, or to any Nation, but their Commission leaves them free to all the world: Even the Commission, not of Apostles only, but of the ordinary Ministers of Christ, as I have showed before in Explication of the point: so that they are within their compass still, though they be among the Indians, even at the other end of all the Earth. And it is to be very much observed, that Christ hath given abundant testimony to this glorious work of theirs, in the incredible success of their endeavours there, so that poor naked souls come continually to Jesus Christ, stoop to the Government and Sceptre of his Kingdom, desire to be acquainted with his will, to be instructed in the way of his worship, to have their children brought up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord; And in a word, they shame us who have so long enjoyed the Gospel, that we are even weary of it, and begin to put it from us, and so to judge ourselves unworthy of eternal life. The Lord in mercy grant it go not from us to the Indians, who prise it more, are more eager after it, and more fruitful under it, according to their light, than multitudes of us professed Christians are. Now I beseech you my Beloved, cast an eye upon them, travail thither in your thoughts and meditations; there you shall see some Ministers of Jesus Christ, once our fellow-Labourers, spending themselves, undergoing difficulties without number or measure, to convert souls, and gather Churches among blind Heathens. There you shall see the Gospel blossoming, the Church enlarging her Tent, and stretching forth the Curtains of her habitation, the Doves flocking to the windows of the Ark, the Church of Christ, the fullness of the Gentiles now beginning to come in; and in a word, that great work going on, which is incomparably the most remarkable that Christ hath yet to do in this world. What shall we do now, my Beloved, and how shall we behave ourselves under such a dispensation? shall we (as many have done heretofore, and it may be yet do) condemn the Instruments, as if they went beyond themselves in this business? Shall we mock at these beginnings of the building of the Temple? shall we despise the day of small things? shall we as Gallio care for none of these matters? Truly the least that we can do, is to comply with Jesus Christ in this design of his, for which he sends his Ministers into the world, and to promote this glorious work to the utmost of our power. It is in the hands of those for whom (as you have heard) it is too heavy, so that they cannot manage it, they are not able to go through with it. They seem to call over to us, as the man of Macedonia, Come to America and help us. Oh let not such a work miscarry, and fail of being driven on, for want of any help that we can yield to it, a work that is so purely Christian as this is. But which way can we help it on? it may be you will say to me. Truly my Brethren, if no other way, we may promote and help it on at least without purses and our prayers. This we may do at this distance. I shall speak a word to either. 1. We may promote it with our prayers. This was the course the Prophet took as you may see, Isa. 62.1. In the precedent chapter he is very large, and eloquent on this business; showing the future glory of the Church, by the addition of the fullness of the Gentiles in all Countries and in all Nations. And having done with the description of it in two whole Chapters, me thinks he is an end to hasten the fruition of it: For Zions' sake I will not hold my peace, saith he, and for Jerusalem's I will not rest. So we, my Brethren, having heard of the beginning of this great work in America, let us do as Isaiah did, let us be always crying to the Lord, let him be hard beset on all hands, let him not have a quiet hour. The Lord hath set his Watchmen on the walls of his Jerusalem, to this purpose, Isa. 62.6. that they may watch such opportunities as these are. And lest he should forget this great work, when it is upon the wheel, he hath appointed some remembrancers to mind him of it, and therefore let us be continually minding God of this business, beseeching him to go on with this work, till he hath brought it to perfection, till the whole fullness of the Gentiles be come in, till Christ inherit all Nations. Let us remember that we have a little sister in America, and that now is the day of speaking for her, for now her case and business is in agitation; and therefore now let us be earnest with the Lord, let us pray and pray hard, let us not be cold or dead in such a suit as this is. We may promote it with our purses and estates: And this is that especially we have in hand at this time. There are very many things in that great business now on foot, that need pecuniary helps, as hath been said. The charge that lies on these that are the agents in it, is exceeding great, and indeed too heavy for them; and therefore we (me thinks) that share not in the difficulties and the labours that other of our Brethren undergo among the Indians, should be content to share a little in the costs; for who would willingly sit wholly out in such a blessed work as this is? Alas, my Brethren, how much idle money do we spend a hundred ways, that might be saved for such a purpose! And truly I believe, we never had occasion to lay money out to a better end than this. Now we may help, in a qualified sense, to purchase souls with money, to further the accomplishment of the Gospel promises with money; we may make temporal and earthly things serve spiritual and heavenly ends. And therefore I beseech you, my Beloved, enlarge your bounty more than ordinary, in such a choice and extraordinary work as this is. Let love to Christ and to his Church, compassion to those blind Americans, draw out your very hearts to them, that those poor Indian souls, whose Conversion and Salvation you may further by this means, may bless you. Thus make you friends of the unrighteous Mammon, that you may render up a good account when the day of reckoning comes. Is it so, That Jesus Christ sends forth his Ministers into the world, and Use 2 that (as I have said) to gather Churches, and erect his Kingdom over all the world? Then let this raise our hearts, my Brethren, in reference to this work, which is indeed the greatest and the most eximious that Christ hath yet to do in this world. Oh let our hearts be lifted up towards it, and that especially three ways, in faith, in expectation, in Petition. I shall speak to them in order. Let our hearts be lifted up in faith, with reference to this work; Let them be raised to a full and firm belief, that it shall surely be accomplished in the Lords own time. Christ hath sent forth his Ministers about it, and brought it on a great way, and therefore let us rest upon it, that he will surely finish it in his season. It may be you may look upon it as a thing almost impossible, that all the Nations of the world should turn to Christ, and receive him for their King. But if you will cast back your eye on the beginnings of this glorious work, you cannot but acknowledge, that it was as hard to bring it on to what it hath attained already in the world, as to perform that which remaineth to be done; All that which we expect is not so hard, as that which Christ hath done already. If you had seen him here upon the Earth, and his fishermen about him, you would not have imagined that so many Nations would ever have been brought in to him, as there are at this day. When he sent out a company of poor despised men to preach the Gospel, and to draw men in to him, by telling them they must deny themselves, and they must take up their Cross and suffer persecution for his sake; they must forsake all, leave all and follow him; you would have thought this had been an unlikely way to do very great matters. And yet by such improbable, unlikely means as these, hath Christ been entertained in many Nations, and many Countries, and multitudes of people have been brought to stoop to him. And therefore seeing he hath done so much already, and that in such a strange way, as you would never have believed, if you had not seen it done, you may the better cast yourselves upon him, with this assurance that he will overcome the difficulties that are yet behind, that he that hath begun the work, and prospered it so far as he hath done, will finish it until he hath brought in the fullness of the Gentiles to his Church and Kingdom, from one end of the earth unto the other. Object. But you will ask me now perhaps, What, would you have us to believe that all the people of the world shall accept of Jesus Christ, and receive him for their King, and be the Subjects of his Kingdom? Why then it seems there should be no tares, no Goats, no wicked when that time comes. Sol. No, my beloved, this is not the thing at which I aim: And therefore you may not be mistaken, you must remember that distinction of the Kingdom of Christ jesus, into the Kingdom of power, and the Kingdom of grace. The first of these indeed is universal, and doth already reach to all places and to all persons. Though all be not the subjects of the grace of Christ, yet all are subject to the power of Christ. And hence the Psalmist tells us, that his Kingdom rules over all, Psal. 103.19. And that he is the King of all the earth, Psal. 47.7. he is King of all the places in the earth, yea and of all the persons in the earth either one way or the other. Either he is a gracious King to rule them, or a powerful King to break them. And thus his Kingdom doth already reach to all Countries, and to all people. But now my brethren, for the second Kingdom which we have called the Kingdom of grace, that is also in a sense, to stretch and to extend itself to all places, and to all people. I shall clear it very briefly. 1. It is to stretch and to extend itself to all places and to all Countries. The Church of Jesus Christ is to be Catholic in this respect, and so by consequence his Kingdom too, it is to be erected and set up in all Nations. And hence the Holy Ghost affirmeth, that all the people, Languages, and Nations in the world shall serve him. And the Apostle tells us that in the business of sanctification, or setting up the Kingdom of Christ Jesus in the hearts of men, there is neither Greek nor Jew, neither Scythian nor Barbarian, but Christ is all in all. That is, the Jew is not preferred before the Greek, and neither of them is preferred before the Scythian and Barbarian, but all of them are one to Christ, and Christ is one to all of them: and he will have a Church and Kingdom as well among the Scythians and Barbarians, as among the Jews themselves. 2. And as this Kingdom is to stretch and extend itself to all places, and to all Countries, so it is also to extend itself to all people; That is, to all degrees and sorts of people, though not to all of those sorts. And as there is no Nation, so there is no condition or estate or rank of men excluded from the grace of Jesus Christ, nor barred from being subjects of his gracious Kingdom here, and of his glorious Kingdom hereafter. Let our hearts be lifted up in expectation of this glorious work. Since Christ hath sent forth his instruments about it, to gather Churches, and to erect his Kingdom over all the world, and since the work hath prospered very far, and now is going on amain among the Indians, let us not lie still and idle, as if we knew not what is a doing in the world. Now Christ's work is in his hand, let our eyes be in our heads, and let it raise up extraordinary expectations in us; The Prophet having had a glymps of this most excellent and glorious work in contemplation, when it was not yet begun, is on tiptoe presently, Isa. 62.1. And so let us, especially now we behold it in the execution, let us lift up our heads and look, let us get up on our watchtowers where we may have more advantage to see, if by any means we can discover more of it: and let our spirits be continually reaching after the fufilling of it, as being full of hope about it. Let our hearts be lifted up in supplication for the accomplishment of this work. Not that we can change the Lord by any means, or antedate his Counsels and Decrees; but yet if we would have such glorious works to come to execution, it is extremely necessary for us to do that on which the execution of them is suspended in the Scripture. I will build the ruined, and I will plant the desolate and desert places, saith the Lord, Ezek. 36.37. I will build the ruined Nation of the Jews, which was a Church in former times, and I will plant the desolate and desert places of the Gentiles; I the Lord have spoken it, and I will do it; But yet on this condition, that I will be enquired of by my people. The Lord will surely come (my brethren,) in his own appointed season, and gather Churches, and erect his Kingdom over all the world. But in the mean time he will have his people pray, Thy Kingdom come; he will have them hasten him and fetch him by their prayers, that he may say unto them, as the Angel did to Daniel, Dan. 10.12. From the first day that thou didst set thyself to understand, thy words were heard, and I am come for thy words, And here to quicken you a little, I shall present you with a few Considerations. 1. The Lord expects you should be very earnest and importunate with him this business. He hearkens after supplications; and looks that men should ply him hard. Thus saith the Lord, the holy one of Israel and his maker, Isa. 45.11. Ask of me things to come concerning my Sons, command you me. q. d. There are great things to come that I am doing for my Church; what is the reason that ye are so still, and that I hear of no Petitions from you touching these things? You are always plying me for present things, but I delight to hear you pleading with me for those glorious things to come, which I will surely do for my people. Come put in your Petitions and requests concerning them, and I will stoop so low to be commanded by your prayers. Ask of me things to come, concerning my Sons and concerning the work of my hands command ye me. 2. Consider in the second place, to quicken you in prayer, that this is such a business as is worth your earnestness; assure yourselves you cannot lay out too much heat and zeal upon it. When once the Lord hath gathered in a people to him over all the world, the Church shall have perfection of beauty. It is a very high expression, but you shall see it is applied to Zion, Psal. 50.2. And it is meant apparently (my bretrens,) of the Gospel Zion, of the Gospel Church; for in the following parcel of the Psalm, the Lord rejecteth Jewish worship. Indeed the Church's happiness shall be so great in those days, that it is called heaven very often in the Scripture. And so the Saints who are to be the Members of that Church, are said to dwell in heaven, Apoc. 13.6. Indeed my brethren, it shall be heaven upon earth. 3. Consider that the bringing in of people over all the world to Christ, will be an extraordinary honour to him: the enlargement of his Kingdom is the enlargement of his glory. It adds exceedingly you know, my brethren, to the Luster of a Kingdom, when it hath many people under it, and when the territories of it are amplified and enlarged. It's no such glory my beloved, to be the King but of a little City or a little Island or of a small and inconsiderable company of men. But to be the King of many Nations, and of many Kingdoms, to have a multitude of people in subjection, this is a glorious thing indeed. In this respect the Empire of Christ Jesus in the latter times shall be unparallelled, when once the Jews come in and bring the fullness of the Gentiles with them. And therefore out of love to Jesus Christ, and regard to his glory, we should be intent upon it. 4. Consider that the bringing in of people over all the world to Jesus Christ, will be very beneficial and advantageous to ourselves. Perhaps we do not apprehend it to be so: this Country is come in already to the profession of the Gospel, we are come in already, and what need we care so much for other Nations, and for other people? We are well enough ourselves, and why should we look after others? Yes, my beloved, we have reason to look after others: for till all others that belong to Christ of all the Nations of the world be gathered in, we are not in so good a case as we shall be afterwards; We are in Christ perhaps, and that is well for us indeed; but others of his people by election, of many other Countries, are as yet without: and we without them cannot be made perfect, as the Apostle shows, Heb. 11. ult. We without them are members in a sense of an imperfect body. We without them have but imperfect grace, nay though we were in heaven already, we could have but imperfect glory. Till all that appertain to Christ be gathered in of all Nations, so long as there is but a man without, there can be no day of judgement, and so no full reward, no compliment of our beatitude. And therefore we have reason to help on this glorious work to the utmost of our power, because till it be accomplished, it cannot be so well with us as it will be afterwards; we without them cannot be made perfect. Is it so that jesus Christ sends forth his Ministers to gather Churches, and to erect his Kingdom over all the world? Here then is matter of rejoicing and thanksgiving for us, the once rejected and neglected people of the Gentiles. There was a time my brethren, when we were set without the verge, the reach of mercy; When the poor Gentiles lived, and we too lived without God, without Christ, without a promise, without Gospel; when Christ did never send to them, to invite them to come in, and when he had no Sceptre but in Jewry, no subjects (in a manner) but among that people. Alas my brethren, Christ was a King in those days, to break the Gentiles by his power, but he was not a King to rule them by his grace. But now, my brethren, in these Gospel days, there is no such respect of persons with him, as the Apostle shows, Acts 10.34. In every Nation, and in every people he hath or shall have some to serve him, and to be accepted with him. And therefore whereas formerly, he sent his messengers to none but to V; see 3 the people of the Jewish Nation, and gave them an express Injunction, Go not into the way of the Gentiles: In which respect it was that Peter was scrupulous to preach the Gospel to Cornelius: Now he sends forth his Ministers to all the world to all Nations: now he enlargeth their Commission, Go preach the Gospel to every Creature; So that we Gentiles are included in it. All Countries, People, Callings, Nations, are alike to Christ in this respect; the publication of the Gospel and the tender of Salvation, belongeth to them all alike, and if they entertain it and embrace it, whether they be Jews or Gentiles: whether they be Males or Females, whether they be bond or free, they shall have salvation by him. How great a cause have we my brethren, that are Gentiles, of rejoicing and thanksgiving, that Jesus Christ should send to us, that the word is come to us as it is to all the world, that we should have the Gospel published and revealed to us! That we, who formerly were utterly shut out from the enjoyment of the means of our salvation, should have as full and free a title to them now, as the very jews themselves. Nay that we should have the preferment of the Jew, in that by the abundant blessing of the Lord upon the means, the Churches of the Gentiles (which were wholly desolate and barren heretofore) should be more fruitful, and have more increase of children than she that sometimes had an husband. Oh let us magnify the grace of jesus Christ, let us adore the infiniteness of his mercy that he hath cast us on these happy times, wherein he takes such care of poor Gentiles, wherein he sends to them, and wherein he looks after them as if they were some rich purchase. Ah, my beloved, did we follow this mercy as far as we could reach it in our thoughts, we should at length (finding no end or bottom in it) cry out with the Apostle, Oh the depth of the riches, both of the wisdom and goodness of Christ, etc. JOHN. 17.18. Even so have I also sent them into the world. DOCTRINE 3. There is a great similitude between the Father's sending Christ into the world, and Christ's sending his Apostles and Ministers into the world. THis is apparently suggested here in the particle as, and the particle also. As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world. My sending them is much like thy sending me. So he compares them each with other in another place, almost in the same words, john 20.21. As my Father hath sent me, so send I you. The thing is plain enough, that so it was in some respects. But wherein, and in what respects this likeness stood, will need to be explained with much Caution. Because as there was great likeness between the Father's sending Christ, and Christ's sending his Apostles and Ministers into the world, so there was a great unlikeness too. As the similitude was great, so certainly the dissimilitude was great too. And therefore while I show the likeness, I will show you the unlikeness, both of them at one view, That you may see the one the better for the other. As God the Father sent the Son with authority and power, so Jesus Christ sends his Apostles and Ministers with authority and power too: as God gives him power, so he gives them power. And therefore having said to his Apostles, All power is given to me both in heaven and in earth, Mat. 28.18. he adds immediately in the very next words, Go ye therefore and teach all Nations and baptise them. q. d. because I have received such ample power myself, therefore I give you this Commission, by which I put a part of this authority and power on you; Go forth and exercise it over all the world. And this is that which the Apostle calls the power which Christ hath given him, 2 Cor. 13.10. To intimate that he received his power and his authority by way of delegation from the Lord Christ, as Christ received his power and his authority (as he is man and Mediator) by way of delegation from the Father; and as the Father gives the Son a Key of power, as you may see in that remarkable place, Isa. 22.22. The Key of the house of David will I lay upon his shoulder, (that is, upon the shoulder of Eliakim who was in that respect a figure and a Type of Christ,) and he shall open and none shall shut, and he shall shut and none shall open: so Christ gives Keys of power to his Apostles and his Ministers, as you may see exemplified in Peter, Mat. 16.19. I will give thee (saith Christ) the Keys of the Kingdom of heaven, and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth, shall be bound in heaven, and whatsoever thou shalt lose on earth, shall be loosed in heaven, viz. either in the preaching of the word, or in the regular administration of the censures of the Church. Here is a great Similitude you see between the power with which the Father sendeth Christ, and the power with which Christ sendeth his Apostles and his Ministers into the world. As Christ hath power to shut and open from the Father, so have they from Jesus Christ; as Christ hath power to bind and lose from God the Father, so have they from Jesus Christ. As Christ hath power to remit sins, and to retain them from the Father, so have they from Christ; and therefore having said to his Apostles, As my Father hath sent me, so send I you, he adds immediately in the next verse save one, Whosesoever sins ye remit, they are remitted, and whosesoever sins ye retain they are retained. But yet as the similitude is great in this respect, so is the dissimilitude: The power which Jesus Christ received from God the Father, is an universal power. All power is given to me, saith our Saviour, both in heaven and in earth, Mat. 28.19. And in another place, he minds his Father, That he had given him power over all flesh, Joh. 17.2. But now that power which the Apostles and the Ministers of Christ received from him, is more particular and more confined. Jesus Christ hath all power, all sorts and all degrees of power; they have but some power, some sorts, and some measures. The power which Jesus Christ receives from God the Father, is a Kingly power; he sets him up as King upon his holy hill of Zion; and so accordingly he crowns him: The power which they receive from Christ, is but a Ministerial power. Christ hath a Legislative power to make laws, while they have but a Legis-narrative or Declaratory power to publish laws: Christ doth jus dare, and they do but jus dicere: Christ binds and loses, shuts and opens, remitteth and retaineth sins, authoritatively as a Sovereign Lord; they do it but declaratively as his Ministers and servants. There is a great similitude between the Father's sending Christ, etc. in regard of qualification: as Christ receives an unction from the Father to his Office, so they received an unction from the Son to their Office; as Christ is qualified with the Spirit, so are they: Let us compare them each with other, and we shall see it very clear: The Prophet speaking in the Person of our Saviour, saith, The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, he hath anointed me to preach, Isa. 61.1. And so accordingly when he first began to preach, he took this very Text to preach upon, as you may see, Luk. 4.18. Behold my servant (saith the Lord) whom I uphold, Isa. 42.1. and mine Elect in whom my soul delighteth; I have put my Spirit upon him, and that to qualify him for his Office, as is apparent in the following words; for it is added presently, That he shall bring forth judgement to the Gentiles. A bruised reed shall he not break, etc. And this is that which is suggested in the Prophecy, Isa. 11.2. The Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, and it shall rest upon him in those graces and endowments that fit him for the places to which he is designed. And hence it is immediately annexed, The Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of might, the spirit of knowledge, and the fear of the Lord. So then you see the Father as he sends Christ, so he endues him with the Spirit, to fit him for the business that he sends him in. But doth our Saviour so with his Apostles and his Ministers? yes, my Beloved, just so: he qualifies them with the Spirit too: and therefore having said to his Apostles and his Messengers, Joh. 20.22. As my Father hath sent me, so send I you. The very next words are, And when he had said thus, he breathed on them, and said unto them, receive the Holy Ghost. And so accordingly the Holy Ghost fell upon them abundantly to fill them and enable them for their Ministerial Office, even as they were about to go abroad and preach. Act. 2. Here is a greater similitude you see, between the Father's sending Christ into the world, and Christ's sending his Apostles and Ministers into the world, in regard of qualification. But yet as the similitude is great, so is the dissimilitude in this too. The unction which the Ministers of Christ received from him, though it be like the unction which Christ himself receiveth from the Father in the thing, yet it is nothing like it in the measure and degree. Though they be both the unction of the Spirit, Christ's is surpassingly, transcendently beyond theirs; He is endowed with all the graces of the Spirit of every sort, and every kind, so that not one of them is wanting in him: And therefore it is said in Scripture, that in him all fullness dwells; that is, the fullness of all graces whatsoever. But now, my Brethren, in the Ministers of Christ it is not so, in them there is a division of graces (though not of the graces of Sanctification) yet of the graces of Edification, and one is made partaker of a gift which another hath not. There are diversities of gifts, saith the Apostle, 1 Cor. 12. to one is given by the Spirit the word of knowledge, to another prophecy, etc. But all these concur and ●●er in Jesus Christ, so that he is in this respect enriched above them all. And as our Saviour is qualified by the Father, with all kinds and sorts of graces, so with all measures and degrees; As he hath all graces in him, so each of them is raised and intended to the highest measure, so that there can be nothing added to it, to make it more complete and perfect. Indeed, my Brethren, he received not the Spirit by measure from the Father, as the Evangelist observes, John 4.32. but beyond all measure. But now the Ministers of Christ receive from him but a measure of grace, as the expression is, Rom. 12.3. So much as he sees fit to qualify them for the work that he employs them in, as you may see, Eph. 4.8. When he ascended up on high, he gave gifts unto men, for the work of the Ministry, and for the edifying of the body of it. There is a great similitude between the Father's sending Christ into the world, and Christ's sending his Apostles and Ministers into the world, in relation to the Errand that both of them are sent in. Christ sends his Ministers into the world, upon the very same errand that the Father sent him into the world. For mark it, why did God the Father send Christ into the world? Truly my Brethren, to be his spokesman unto the world, as the Apostle shows, God who in times past spoke to the Fathers by the Prophets, hath in these last days, spoken to us by his Son; To preach the Gospel to the world: He hath anointed me to preach, saith Christ, Luk. 4.18. To preach what? to preach the Gospel to the poor, to heal the , to preach deliverance to the Captives, etc. And why did Christ send his Apostles and Ministers into the world? Why to preach the Gospel too. That is the sum of their Commission, Mar. 16.15. Go preach the Gospel to every Creature. The Ministers of Christ are separated to the Gospel, as Rom. 1.1. They must preach all Gospel, or else all for Gospel ends. They must preach Law with Gospel purposes, and Evangelical intentions. So that the Father sends the Son, and the Son sends his Apostles and Ministers upon very the same errand; here the similitude is very great. But then the dissimilitude is very great too, in that the Son whom God the Father sends, is transcendently above the Ministers whom Christ sends, in the very same business; both are Apostles, but Christ is the chief Apostle; both are Preachers of the Gospel, but Christ is the chief Preacher: He preaches it with such authority as they are not invested with, and with such efficacy too, as they can never reach to; He preaches by the Spirit to the heart and to the inward man; and so he doth it with infallible success: They can preach only to the ear, and to the outward man, and hence they often fail of the desired issue: they spend their strength in vain, as the Prophet once complained. Indeed the efficacy of their preaching dependeth wholly on the work and power of Christ. So that you see he is transcendently above them in the same business. And then besides, Jesus Christ is sent on business which they are not to touch with. He is sent about the work of man's Redemption, of satisfaction to the justice of his Father, by his bitter death and passion, which is too heavy and too hard for any Man or Angel to go through with, or to have a hand in. There is a great similitude between the Father's sending, etc. in relation to the end that both of them are sent for. Christ sends his Ministers into the world, for the very same end that God the Father sent him. For why did God the Father send his Son into the world? To save his people, as the expression is, Mat. 1.21. In which respect his Father would not have him called Apollyon, a destroyer, but Jesus a Saviour. It's true, that Christ is set and appointed by his Father, for the fall and rising again of many: As for the rising of believers, so for the fall of unbelievers. But this is but by accident, and besides the main intention of God in sending, and Christ in coming. He doth not cause the fall of such as perish, so properly and so directly, as the rising of such are saved by him. Indeed he came into world to save sinners, 1 Tim, 1.15. not to destroy sinners. It's true, that sinners are destroyed by him, but this was not the proper end of his coming. God did not send his Son to condemn the world, but to save the world, Joh. 3.17. And so our Saviour Christ himself professeth, Joh. 12.47. I came not to judge the world, but to save the world. Even so he sent his Ministers for the very same end, to work together with him in the Conversion and the Salvation of his people, by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe, 1 Cor. 1.21. To save themselves and those that hear them, 1 Tim. 4.16. Here the Similitude again is great, between the Father's sending Christ, etc. in relation to the end that both of them are sent for. But then the dissimilitude is great too, In that the Father sends the Son to save his people by his merit and his Spirit. The Son sends his Ministers to save them by the application of his merit and his Spirit to them in the preaching of the Gospel: The Father sends the Son to save them by dying for them; the Son sends his Ministers to save them by preaching to them, and so by crucifying Christ again before their eyes, as Gal. 3.1. The Father sends his Son to save his people meritoriously, and by way of effectual operation: The Son sends his Ministers to save them Ministerially, and by way of vocal Declaration; so that Christ only is the proper Saviour, and Ministers at most are but the Instrumental Saviour's of his people. Use. 1 Now is it so, my Brethren, That there is a great similitude between the Father's sending, etc. Here then, my Brethren, is a perfect pattern for all the Ministers of Jesus Christ: they must look on him that sent them, and see what power he was endued withal, what errand he was sent on, and for what ends, and so act accordingly. As God invested him with power, and sent him into the world to preach the Gospel, and to save his people: So Jesus Christ hath invested them with power to do the same thing, for the same end; So that they must not aim at the destruction and the hardening of the people; No, they must make this their business, how they may bring about their conversion and salvation. It's true, they must be sons of Thunder now and then, as well as sons of Consolation; they must preach the Law sometimes, as well as the sweet comforts of the Gospel; they must threaten men sometimes with wrath, and hell, and eternal condemnation: But then they must not do it so as wishing that these things might come upon them, but rather that they might avoid them. They must threaten them with wrath, that they may flee from the wrath to come; and threaten with hell, that they may escape the damnation of hell; they must preach the Law with Gospel purposes and Evangelical intentions; they must send out the avenger of blood to dog them at the heels, that they may fly to the City of refuge: They must use sharpness now and then, it cannot be avoided; But it must be for the same end that the Apostle speaks of, 2 Cor. 13.10. where having minded the Corinthians, that in case he must use sharpness, according to the power the Lord had given him, he had authority from Christ to do it; but mark in the succeeding words to what end; for edification, and not for destruction; according to the power the Lord hath given me for edification, and not for destruction: And therefore it is very notable, that when our Saviour Christ had said to his Disciples, All power is given to me both in heaven and in earth: and having put a part of that power and authority of his on his Apostles, having sent them as his Father sent him, he doth not say to them as God doth to the Prophet, Jer. 1.10. I have set you over the Nations, and over the Kingdoms, to root out and to destroy; but I have sent you to the Nations to teach them, and to baptise them, that they may be saved: He doth not make them rooters, but planters; he doth not bid them to go out, and preach damnation to the people in the first place; but go and preach the Gospel to them, that they may be saved. And the Apostle speaking of the execution of this Commission, and authority in the Administration of the censures of the Church, saith, he would give a foul offendor up to Satan, for no other end but this, even for his good, and his salvation, 1 Cor. 5.34. I have already judged, saith he, concerning him that hath so done this deed, with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ, to deliver him to Satan, for the destruction of the flesh, the carnal part, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord: So that when we threaten judgement, when we retain the sins of men, when we give them up to Satan either in preaching or in Church-censure, our aim is, that their corruption may be mortified, and that their spirits may be saved by this means: And all the Ministers of Christ ought to have this continually in their eye, how they may reach this great end; they must remember that Jesus Christ hath sent them, as God the Father sent him, and that was not to condemn the world, but that the world by him might be saved. And thus of the First Argument, with which our Saviour presseth and enforceth his Petition to his Father, in behalf of his Apostles for Sanctification, which hath been taken from the business and employment that he is setting them about, viz, the very same in some respect, which he himself hath hitherto sustained and undergone by the appointment of the Father. Sanctify them with thy Truth, thy Word is Truth. Why, might the Father answer, why so? Cause enough saith Jesus Christ; for as thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world; and therefore thou hadst need to sanctify them, that so they may be fitted and enabled for such a service as this is. JOHN 17.19. And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth. PRoceed we to the Second Argument with which he backs the same Petition, and it is taken from the end, for which he sanctified himself; And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth. q. d. It was the very end at which I aimed in sanctifying of myself that they might be sanctified; it was my scope and drift in that business; and therefore I beseech thee Father, let me not be disappointed of my purpose, let not this great design of mine be frustrated, but do thou sanctify them with the truth, because I sanctified myself for their sakes, with this intent, that they might also be sanctified through the truth. Two things we have apparently presented to us in the words; what our Saviour did, and why he did it. First, what our Saviour did, He sanctified himself: Secondly, then why he did it; and this is in the first place generally expressed, that it was for their sakes, for his Apostles and Disciples sakes, that he sanctified himself: And then it is particularly and expressly specified in what regard it was for their sakes, that they might also be sanctified through the truth. The difficulty of the text lies especially in this, how Christ is said to sanctify himself, and what he means by that expression, for their sakes I sanctify myself. To sanctify, is properly to make holy; now a person or a thing is made holy especially two ways, viz. by qualification, when holiness and grace is put into it, when a man is made partaker of the saving gifts and graces of the holy spirit, than he is said in Scripture to be sanctified; By consecration a person or a thing is made holy, when it is set apart for holy uses. In this respect the Sabbath day is holy, in this respect the Temple, the Utensils and Vessels of the house of God, in this respect the Priests were holy. Thus all the first born of the Jews were holy, and set apart for God. And therefore having charged Moses to sanctify the first born, thus he explains it afterwards; Exod. 13.2, 12. Thou shalt set them apart to God: and in a word, thus all the Sacrifices and oblations under the Ceremonial Law, were holy, they were consecrated things; For consecrated things are sanctified things, as I might give you instances enough in that particular. Thou shalt anoint them, saith the Lord, speaking of Aaron and his Sons, Exod. 28.4. and thou shalt consecrate and sanctify them that they may Minister unto me in the Priest's office. So after speaking of the Ramm of consecration, Aaron and his Sons shall eat it, saith the Lord, to consecrate them and to sanctify them, Exod. 29.33. Now all the question is, in which of these respects, our Saviour here is said to sanctify himself, whether by way of qualification, or of consecration. I must acknowledge, I have heretofore conceived it in the former way, as in a way of qualification, that he made himself holy, by the communication of the gifts and graces of the holy spirit, to his humane nature. For though it be a certain truth, that Christ was not, neither could be made holy of not holy privatively, as man who by the fall had wholly lost his holiness, is sanctified and made holy by regeneration, and the renewing of the Holy Ghost; Yet it is very manifest, that Christ was sanctified and made holy of not holy negatively; for there was once a time when Christ as man had not this holiness inherent in his humane nature, because there was a time, viz. before his incarnation, when his humane nature had not a being in the world. And thus Christ was sanctified for his Apostles and Disciples sake, his people's sake; That they might be sanctified, That is, he was endued abundantly with the gifts of holiness and the graces of sanctification to this end, that he might communicate them and dispense them to his people, and that they might be sanctified by this means, That of his fullness they might all receive, and grace for grace. So that this looks extremely well you see, as the meaning of the Text. And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth. But yet I find interpreters even universally running in another stream, and understanding it of being sanctified in a way of consecration. The former I suppose they leave, because indeed it is not consonant to Scripture phrase; For Jesus Christ to say (as man) that he sanctified himself in a way of qualification, That is to say, that he endued himself with the sanctifying gifts and graces of the holy spirit. It is usually affirmed that God the Father sanctified him, That it pleased the Father that in him should all the fullness of the holy spirit dwell, Col. 1.19. That God, even his God, did anoint him with the oil of his spirit, Psal. 45.7. And therefore he is called him whom the Father sanctified and sent into the world, John 10.36. Besides it seems not to be congruous that Christ should pray his Father to sanctify his Apostles and Disciples, because for his part he had sanctified himself with the graces of the spirit, to this end, that they might be sanctified by communication of those graces to them. And therefore I shall run down with the common stream of exposition, and understand our Saviour here to tell his Father that he sanctified himself by way of Consecration; That he set himself apart to be a Priest, an Altar, an Offering, and a Sacrifice to God the Father, for the sins of his people. And that to this end, that they might be sanctified by this means. Not only that they might be justified, but that they might be sanctified too. And sanctified through the truth, through the effectual revelation of the Gospel to them, which is called the truth in Scripture; Or truly sanctified, as it is rendered in the Margin; not only in the Type and Figure (as the Offerings and Sacrifices of the Ceremonial Law) but in reality and truth. And on this ground, our Saviour prays his Father, to sanctify his Apostles and Disciples, that he might not be disappointed of his great end for which he sanctified himself, and made himself an offering to his Father; Sanctify them with the truth. And why so? Why, for their sakes I sanctifice myself, I set myself apart to be a Sacrifice to thy justice, that they also might be sanctified with the truth. The words thus opened yield us out two Observations. First, Jesus Christ did willingly and freely set himself apart to be an Offering and a Sacrifice to God the Father. Secondly, he did this for his people's sakes, and that to this end, that they might be sanctified, by this means. DOCTRINE 1. Jesus Christ did willingly and freely set himself apart to be an Offering and a Sacrifice to God the Father. He was not forced to become an Expiation for the sins of men. No he did it of himself; and of his own accord, I sanctify myself (saith our Saviour in my text) by consecration. So he is said to offer up himself, Heb. 7.27. To humble himself and to become obedient (conceive it passively obedient) to the death, even the death of the Cross, Phil. 2.8. 'tis true indeed the death and passion of our Saviour was necessary if we look to God the Father, and his eternal Counsel and Decree; for he was slain in that respect, i. e. appointed to be slain from the beginning of the world. It was determined to be done, as the Apostle speaks, Acts 4.28. And therefore it behoved him to suffer, as himself speaks, Luke 24.46. and he must be lifted up upon the Cross; an unavoidable necessity was laid upon him, John 3.14. And as his death was necessary if we look to God the Father, so it was violent (my Brethren) if we look to men. With murderous and wicked hands they slew him, Acts 2.23. They killed and crucified the Lord of glory. But if we look to Christ himself, his death and passion was a voluntary thing, to which he willingly resigned and yielded up himself. His life was not extorted from him, but he laid it down himself, John 10.17. He was delivered up to death by God the Father, Acts 2.23. He was delivered up by Judas and the Jews too, Mat. 27.2. And yet he freely yielded up himself; he loved us and gave himself for us, Gal. 2.20. he gave himself for us an Offering and a sacrifice to God, Ephes. 5.2. He sanctified himself for our sakes, and set himself apart to this hard and sharp service, so that the Point is plain you see, That Jesus Christ did willingly and freely set himself apart to be a Offering and a Sacrifice to God the Father. Reason. And it must needs be so, my brethren; for (being God) there was no greater power than his to master him and overcome him. A man is never forced to any thing against his will, unless some outward violence prevail against him which he is no way able to resist. Now this was not the state and the condition of our Saviour; his death was not inflicted on him by an excess of strength in those that gave him up to it. His Father was not able to constrain him, for he was God: and therefore equally Almighty with the Father. And men had infinitely less ability to overrule him, and to force him to it, and therefore it must needs be voluntary of himself, and this he clearly intimateth in that speech of his in the fore-alledged Scripture, John 10.17. No man takes my life from me; the meaning is, no man can take my life from me, and therefore it is added in the following words, I have power to lay it down, that is, to lay it down of choice and free election, so that I cannot be constrained to it, and I have power to take it up again. And certainly if he had power to take it up again when he had lost it, than he had much more power to keep it when he had it and enjoyed it. So that you see he was not, neither could he be enforced to die, but of his own accord he willingly and freely gave himself to it. Use 1 Is it so that Jesus Christ did willingly and freely set himself a part to be an Offering and Sacrifice to God, the Father? The greater and the more unsearchable was the exceeding riches of his love to us, and the greater cause have we to magnify it and admire it. Had he done it by constraint, and had be been enforced to it, there had been no such matter in it, so no such cause of Admiration and Thanksgiving. The praise had then been due to him that forced him, and not to him that was enforced. But this was love, as the Apostle John speaks, love in the height and with a witness, this was unparallelled and matchless love that Christ should willingly and freely lay down his life for us. Had his life been taken from him for our sakes, this had been no great love, but that himself should lay it down freely of his own accord, here was love, and here was mercy to be spoken of, and to be wondered at in all ages. What? that he should abase himself, that he should not be made obedient by another, but that he should himself become obedient to the death, yea to that shameful and accursed death, that he should willingly expose himself to such abasures, to such indignities, reproaches, scorns, and to such unsufferable tortures, to such a heavy and intolerable burden of his Father's wrath, and all for those that were not undeserving only, but even ill deserving too, that were not friends but enemies; Oh, let us stand astonished at such a mercy. We need not wonder that he whose love and kindness was so full of wonder should be called wonderful, Isa. 9.6. Is it so that Jesus Christ did willingly and freely set himself apart to be Use 2 an Offering and Sacrifice to God the Father? Then let us learn of him (my brethren) as willingly (if it be possible) to offer up ourselves, our persons, our estates, our names, or lives and all to him, to suffer any thing for him again. What my beloved, did he suffer willingly for us, and shall we suffer grudgingly and unwillingly for him? did he consecrate himself to be an offering and sacrifice for us, and shall not we on our parts consecrate ourselves to be an offering and sacrifice for him if he shall call us thereunto? did he give himself for us, and shall not we as readily give ourselves for him again? did he take up his Cross and go before, and shall not we take up our Crosses too and follow him? I do not say we should draw Crosses and afflictions on ourselves; but if they come upon us for our Saviour's sake, we should not take them as enforced upon us, but we should freely set our shoulders to them and cheerfully submit ourselves to bear them. And thus far of the first conclusion mentioned. The second followeth. DOCTRINE 2. Christ did not set himself apart to be an Offering and a Sacrifice to God the Father for his own sake but for his people's sakes: and that to this end, that they might be sanctified by this means: Not that they might be justified only, but that they might be sanctified also. He did not do it for his own sake, for there was no sin in him, and so in that respect he need not to be made a Sacrifice for sin. There was no transgression in him, and why then should there be an expiation for him? But it was for his people's sake. To say the truth, all that he did, all that he suffered, was for their sakes. For their sakes he became man, for their sakes he became Mediator between God and man, for their sakes he became a King, a Prophet and a Priest. And as a Priest, so a sacrifice and offering to the Father, for he offered up himself. All was for their sakes. And that to this end, that they might be sanctified, by this means. Not only that they might be justified, but that they might be sanctified also. That which was the scope and aim of God's election, Ephes. 1.4. He hath chosen us in him, that is in Christ to this end, that we might be holy and unblameable before him; of God's Vocation, 1 Thess. 4.7. he hath not called us to uncleanness but to holiness: The same (my brethren) was the end of Christ's redemption. He sanctified himself, that is, he set himself apart to be a Sacrifice to God the Father for his people's sakes, that they also might be sanctified, as you have it in the Text. He loved his Church, and out of the abundance of this love of his he gave himself for her, as the Apostle speaks, Ephes. 5.25. What, that he might redeem and justify her only? No my beloved, more than this; that he might sanctify and cleanse her too through the washing of Water by the word, and that he might present her to himself a glorious Church, not having any spot or wrinkle, but being holy and without blemish. He bore our sins in his own body on the Tree, that we being dead to sin might henceforth live to righteousness, as the Apostle Peter speaks, 1 Pet. 2.24. he died for us, that we which live, should henceforth live no longer to ourselves, to our lusts, and to our ends, but to him who died for us. He hath performed the mercies promised, he hath remembered his holy Covenant, he hath saved us from our enemies, and from the hands of those hate us, Luke 1.74. What, that from henceforth we might be our own Masters, and live at liberty and walk according to our own humours? O no, but on the contrary, that we might serve him who hath saved us, in holiness and righteousness all the days of our lives: By one offering of himself, he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified, saith the Apostle, Heb. 10.14. Not them that are justified, but them that are sanctified. And hence the blood of Jesus which he shed when he was a made a sacrifice to God the Father, hath not a pacifying only but a purging quality in it. It hath not only a value to satisfy, but a virtue to sanctify. The blood of Jesus cleanseth us from all sin, 1 John 1.7. Completely from the guilt of all in justification, and inchoatively from the filth of all in sanctification. I might be copious in the proof, but this may satisfy to clear the point. Christ did not set himself apart to be an offering and a sacrifice to God the Father for his own sake, but for his people's sakes, and that to this end, that they might be sanctified by this means. Reason 1 And the grounds are evident: I shall but touch upon them only, and hasten to Application. For, first his scope and purpose in this work of his, was not only to preserve his people from destruction, but to bring them to salvation; not only to deliver them from hell, but to obtain their entrance into heaven. And truly had he not accomplished both of these, he had not been a perfect Saviour, he had not saved us to the utmost, as the Apostle Paul speaks. Now my beloved, had he justified us only from the guilt of our transgressions, he had done but one of these; for guilt is nothing but the obligation or binding over of the sinner to damnation; so that in quitting us of this, he had but saved us from the wrath to come (as the Apostle speaks) he had not brought us to the happiness to come. And therefore since he had a further aim, that he might bring his whole intent about, he hath not justified us only, and so delivered us from death and condemnation, but he hath sanctified us also, and so prepared us for life and salvation; For without holiness it is impossible to see the Lord; To be admitted as inhabitants into that holy habitation concerning which the holy Ghost hath said, There shall no unclean thing enter into it. Rev 21.27. And therefore our Redeemer sanctified himself to be a Sacrifice for us, not that we might be justified only, and so delivered from Hell and utter darkness, but that we might be sanctified also, and so made meet to be partakers of the inheritance with the Saints in light. Our Saviour sanctified himself to be a Sacrifice for us, not only that Reason 2 we might be justified, but that we might be sanctified also, because he had a purpose and design, not to glorify us only, but to glorify himself in this business. And more particularly and distinctly, to glorify himself in us, and to glorify himself by us. 1. It was the project and design of Christ in this great work of his, to glorify himself in us, and therefore it was necessary that he should not justify us only, but sanctify us too: For had he justified us only from the guilt of our transgressions, his glory had appeared indeed upon us, to wit, the glory of his mercy; but which way had his glory showed itself in us? But now by sanctifying us, and by enriching us with all the saving graces of his holy Spirit (which far exeeed the brightest and Orient Pearls both in lustre and in value) his glory shineth forth in us. Now he us glorified in his Saints, as the Apostle Paul speaks. The glory of his grace appeareth in them, and sparkles forth with dazzling lustre. And as in the Creation of the world is seen his wisdom and his power and Godhead, and the like: So in the renovation and the new creation of some certain persons in it, is seen the riches of his grace. He doth it that he might make known his glory, as the Apostle tells us, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, that he may declare it in the vessels of his mercy prepared by him unto glory, Rom. 9.23. And as the greatness and magnificence of any Prince is seen in the Revenues and the Titles and the Dignities of those whom he hath raised and advanced: So in our present gracious privileges and endowments, preparing us for glory in the world to come, are seen the unsearchable riches of Christ. 2. It was the project and design of Christ in this great work of his to glorify himself by us: And therefore it was necessary that he should not justify us only but sanctify us too: For had we not been sanctified, we should have dishonoured Christ in our whole Conversation. But being once regenerated and endowed with saving grace, and purified as a peculiar people to himself, than we glorify our Saviour; Then we show forth the virtues, and with them the praises of him that hath saved us. We cause our works to shine before men, and Jesus Christ (who strengtheneth us) to shine in them. Now is it so, my Brethren, that Christ did not set himself apart, etc. Use 1 for his own sake, but for his people's sakes, that so they might be sanctified by this means? My Exhortation shall be somewhat suitable to that of the Apostle on the like occasion, Gal. 5.13. Take heed you use not this incomparable grace and mercy of the Lord Christ, as an occasion to the flesh, by taking any kind of licence thence to give it satisfaction in the lusts thereof. It is a dangerous & desperate course of many men who apprehending, that they are delivered by the death of Christ from all their sins, and that the Justice of the Lord is satified and appeased for them, are by this means emboldened and encouraged on in their evil ways. And when they are reproved for their licentious courses, they satisfy themselves with this, that Christ hath satisfied for them; and that not only for their past and present sins, but for their sins to come also; so that they need not be afraid to act them, nor to be humbled for them, after they have done them. But I must tell them, Christ hath not satisfied for them, if he do not sanctify them. He hath not set himself apart to to be a sacrifice for them, if he do not set them apart to be a holy and peculiar people to himself. And unto such as turn this grace into licentiousness, I say as Moses did sometime to Israel, Do ye thus requite the Lord O foolish people and unwise! Oh Hellish people and profane! yea I protest against them, in the words of the Apostle, Gal. 5.2. that Jesus Christ shall profit them nothing. Use 2 Is it so, That Christ, etc. Oh, how should this provoke and stir us up to strive and labour after holiness, and to endeavour every way to cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit? What motive more prevailing can be tendered to our thoughts then this is? Ah my Beloved, were there nothing in the world but this alone, to quicken us and egg us on to purity and a holy conversation; no peace of conscience waiting on it, no inward joy and comfort of the Holy Ghost, no fruit of sanctity, no reward of it, neither in the present life, nor in that which is to come (whereas it hath the promises of both) I say my Brethren, were there nothing else to move us, this of itself were sufficient to persuade, viz. That Christ in all those torments, those abasures, those agonies and horrors which he suffered, when he sanctified himself and set himself apart to be a sacrifice to God the Father, aimed at this, that he might sanctify us to himself: that we for whom he suffered might be holy. And shall we now like base unthankful and unworthy wretches, endeavour to the utmost of our power, to thwart and cross him in his purpose, to frustrate and make void his end? Hath he laid down his life to this end, that we might be pure, and shall we notwithstanding be profane? Hath he shed his precious blood to this end that we might be holy, and shall we notwithstanding be unclean? Is this the reckoning that we make of all those exquisite and those unutterable pangs and tortures which our Saviour suffered, when not his body only, but his soul was made an offering for sin, that we regard not, though he suffer them in vain? I say to you my Brethren, as the Church, Lament. 1.12. Is it nothing to you all ye that pass by? Shall all those wounds, those stripes, those horrors he endured, those streams of precious blood be shed in vain? Oh think upon it you that rot away in your corruptions, and that by weltering in the gore of your abominable sins: and though you have been frequently advised & entreated & besought to wash you, and to make you clean, yet are resolved to be filthy still: For you make the Son of God (as much as in you lies) to suffer & to die in vain: you spill this precious blood and tread it under foot: And be assured of this, your sin is infinitely great, and your damnation will be heavy in the world to come. And therefore as King David once when his three Worthies had adventured to fetch him water from the Well of Bethel, with the apparent and extremest hazard of their lives, refused utterly to drink it, or to taste of it: Be it far from me saith he, for is not this the blood of these men? 2 Sam. 23.17. Even so say you when you are tempted and enticed by Satan or your lusts to any fin, to be drunken, or unclean, or to defraud, or overreach your brother, or the like; Oh be it far from me to do this thing: for is not this the blood of Jesus Christ? He shed his blood to purify me, and to make me clean from such sins as these are. Is it so, that Christ, etc. Oh, how should this astonish all profane Use. 3 and graceless persons? Me thinks, the thought of this should even break their hearts amidst their greatest earthly pleasures and contentments: For what do they imagine, that Christ will fail of his intention, or that he will attain but half his purpose? That since he sanctified himself to be a sacrifice to God the Father for his people, that they might be sanctified, he will ever justify and save them whom he never sanctifieth? That he will fall short of that which was his scope and aim in this business. Oh foolish fancy and absurd imagination! Nay Jesus Christ himself hath said, yea he hath sworn the contrary; and if you will not take his word, I hope you will believe his Oath: This the is oath that he hath sworn, that all they that are saved by him from the guilt and from the punishment of all their sins, shall serve him too in holiness: So that if any filthy and unsanctified person should be saved, Jesus Christ must be forsworn, which were blasphemous to imagine. And thus we have at length dispatched the first part of our Saviour's prayer for the Church; and are arrived at the Second. In the first place he prays, as I have showed you, for his Apostles and Disciples then about him, the members of the Church that then was, who were already called and sanctified, whom God had given him out of the world: I pray for them, saith he, I pray not for the world; and this part of the prayer he shuts up with the verse which we have even now ended. And now my Brethren, in the second place, he comes to pray for those who were after to be called by their preaching, or their writing, who were to be the members of the Church that was to come; Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also that shall believe on me through their word. And here we have in general these two main things to be considered: 1. Christ's description of the persons for whom he now becomes a Suitor to his Father, them which shall believe on me through their word. 2. The matter of the prayer which he makes for these persons, That they may all be one, as thou Father art in me, and I in thee, and so on. At this time we shall enter on the first of these, and that is Christ's description of the persons for whom he now becomes a suitor to his Father: and they in general are true believers, who are described three ways. First, by the time of their faith; they are not such as did believe when Christ put up his Supplication to his Father, but such as should believe in aftertimes. Secondly, by the object of their Faith, they should believe in Jesus Christ. Thirdly, by the instrumental means of this faith; they should believe in Christ through the Apostles word. I shall speak a word or two of the circumstance of time by which our Saviour here describeth those for whom he prays; they are not such as did believe, when Christ put up this supplication to his Father; but such as should believe in aftertimes; Neither pray I for these only, for my Apostles and Disciples who believe in me already, but for them also who shall believe on me through their word. So that you see, DOCTRINE. Our Saviour's Intercession is not confined to those who believe, but it extends to those who shall believe, though for the present they have no faith at all in them. It reaches to believers by Election, to all that are appointed to believe to the end of the world; I pray, saith Christ, for them also (for all them) which shall believe on me, through their word. And as God loves believers by Election, though for the present they be unbelievers, (as I have showed you very lately) so Christ prays for all such. Indeed he died for all such, for all such as shall believe (and not for such alone as do believe) and therefore he must needs pray for all such: For both the branches of his Priesthood must of necessity be co-extended: and so for whomsoever he is a Priest to sacrifice, for them also he is a Priest to intercede: as he hath offered up himself for them, so he hath offered up his prayers for them, and will do to the world's end. Use. And this (to give you but a touch of Application) may serve to hearten us exceedingly, when we are are putting up our prayers for them who are as yet without the pale, who have as yet no faith or grace at all in them; It may be they are near to us, Parents, Children, Husbands, Wives, and we are often carried out in prayer for them, that God would yet show mercy to them, that he would yet prevail upon them, and cause them to come in to Jesus Christ; That he would break their stubborn lusts, and work unfeigned faith in them; And while we are breathing out our souls to God in such a way as this is, we are surpized with distrustful thoughts, that we shall never speed in this request of ours, God will never be entreated: and so upon a sudden our affections cool, our hearts grow dead and flat within us; In such a case as this is, it may be some encouragement and comfort to consider that Jesus Christ (for aught we know) hath prayed, and may be praying to the Father for the very same person, though for the present he believe not, yet he may be such an one as shall believe, as is appointed to believe in aftertimes: And then he is (as you have heard) within the compass of our Saviour's Intercession: so that the prayers that we make for him are seconded by Christ in heaven. While we are ask such a child, or such a friend, of God, it may be Christ is ask him or her of God too, according to the Covenant of the Father with the Son, Ask of me and I will give thee. And therefore let us not grow cold or faint in such a suit as this is, but let us follow and pursue it to the utmost: Let us not cease to pray for such a person, let us not cast him out of our prayers, whom Jesus Christ hath not cast out of his; I pray, saith he, for such as shall believe; and this for ought we know, may be one of that number. And thus far of the first particular, by which our Saviour Christ describeth those for whom he prays, viz. the time of their believing. They are not such as did believe when Christ put up this supplication for them to the Father, but such as should believe in aftertimes. Proceed we to the second thing by which he sets them forth, and that is, by the Spirit of this faith of theirs, they should believe in Jesus Christ; Neither pray I for these alone, saith Christ here, but for them also which shall believe on me: He doth not say, for them which shall believe on God, or for them which shall believe the Word of God, but for them which shall believe on me; so that the point to be observed is this. DOCTRINE. That true Believers do pitch their Faith on Jesus Christ, and make him the object of it. Christ is the object of a true believing faith. So he is represented in my Text you see; The faithful do believe on him. It's true indeed, that faith in general (which even Reprobates and Devils have) looks with an equal eye on all the Book of God, assenteth to the truth of all in gross: But justifying faith, is the faith whereof we speak, picks out this special object Jesus Christ which is embraced and received. By him, saith the Apostle Paul (that is, by Christ, and none but him) all that believe are justified from all those things from which they could not have been justified by the Law of Moses, Act. 13.39. The Law will never justify us, but condemn us: No, we are justified by faith in Christ and him alone who is revealed and manifested to us in the Gospel: The Righteousness of God, that is the righteousness which makes us righteous; the righteousness of man will never do it; No, it must be the righteousness of God himself, This is ours by faith in Christ, as the Apostle shows, Rom. 3.22. He that believeth in the Son hath life, Joh. 3. ult. Observe it well, he saith not in the Father, nor the Holy Ghost, though certainly we must believe in both these; But Christ is the immediate object of the faith which justifieth, or of it as it justifieth. He that believeth in the Son hath life, the life of holiness, and the life of righteousness, for both of them are very clearly meant in that place. Object. But you will say perhaps, Is not the Word of God, and is not God himself, and is not everlasting life the object of our faith? how then is Christ as I have said, and Christ alone the next and the immediate object of it? Sol. To this, because it is compounded as it were of divers things, I must answer divers ways. 1. For the Word of God, that is not properly the object of the faith that justifieth, but is so called by a figure, because it holds forth and exhibits Christ who is indeed the proper object of this justifying faith. Or secondly the Word of God, although it may in some respects be called the object of faith that justifieth, yet not qua justificat, not as it justifieth, as the School speaks. It's true, that justifying faith believeth other things propounded in the Word of God. But faith as it justifieth, lays hold on Christ and him only, not knowing any other thing here but Jesus Christ and him crucified. 2. As for the second thing propounded in the Querie, True it is that God the Father is the Object of our faith (I mean the faith which justifyeth;) but not the next and the immediate Object of it. Christ must be first laid hold upon, and God in Christ. Such trust have we through Christ in God, saith the Apostle, 2 Cor. 3.4. Even Turks and Jews and Arrians boast of faith in God you know, and yet because they apprehend not Jesus Christ, they miserably lose their own souls. He that denyeth (and so by consequence,) believes not in the Son, can never have the Father, as you may see, 1 John 2.23. He is like a man goes about to grasp a thing that is too big for him, a large and smooth round-bodyed Cup, it slips away out of his fingers, whereas he might have held it by the handle. The faith which justifies us, my beloved, apprehendeth Christ, receiveth and layeth hold on him, and then as it is added in the fore-alledged Scripture, He that hath the Son, hath the Father also. 3. As for the third particular propounded whether salvation and eternal life be the object of our faith. To say the truth, salvation and eternal life is not so properly believed as hoped for. Nor can it be so fitly called the object, as the consequent and end of faith. So the Apostle calls it, 1 Pet. 1.9. Receiving the end, saith he, (Conceive it the perfection, or the reward of your faith) even the salvation of your souls. Salvation than you see my brethren, is the end, Christ is the object of our faith. Use 1 Is Christ the Object of a true believers faith? Then do not satisfy yourselves my brethren, with a general assent to sacred Revelation, neither do you rest in this that you believe the word of God in gross. Alas, how many men that have been throughly convinced of the truth of all the Scripture, are notwithstanding under everlasting Chains and darkness! the Devils themselves believe and tremble. They believe the word (historically you must understand it) and because it makes against them the greater their faith is, the greater is their fear. As therefore you desire to be absolved and acquitted from the guilt of all your sins which else will sink you down into the pit of Hell for ever, to be invested with the righteousness of Christ, without which you can never have admittance to the marriage of the Lamb, nor to those joys and pleasures at the Lords right hand for evermore, lay hold on Jesus Christ, and clasp the arms of faith about him: Men and brethren, to you is this salvation sent, and we declare unto you glad tidings, preaching through Christ the forgiveness of sins: and that by him all that believe are justified from all things from which they could not have been justified by the Law of Moses. We offer and exhibit Christ unto you, and we beseech you to accept him, that you may be saved. We stand and cry, Ho every one that thirsteth, came to this water. Now as you tender the salvation of your precious souls, let faith make out to Jesus Christ that comes towards her; let her fasten on her object. And that you may the better know what I persuade you to, I shall show you very briefly, that there are four acts of the soul in reference to Jesus Christ, wherein the essence and the being of justifying faith consists: Whereof the former two, are of the understanding, and the two latter of the will. I shall but only touch at them. 1. Well then, the first thing you are to do, you must endeavour to know Christ aright: distinct explicit knowledge of him in a measure, is necessary to the being of this justifying faith. And therefore knowledge is sometimes put for faith in Scripture; by his knowledge or the knowledge of himself, shall my righteous servant justify many, saith the Father of the Son, Isa. 53.11. And here to be a little more distinct, you must know that Christ is a complete and all-sufficient Saviour to free you from the wrath of God, and to bring you to eternal life; That he is offered by the Lord to you, as well as any other: for so the messengers of God have their Commission to make an universal tender of him to all to whom they preach without exception; Go preach the Gospel to every creature, Mark 16.15. And what is it to preach the Gospel to them, but to say as the Angel to the Shepherds, Luke 2.10, 11. I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people: for unto you is born this day in the City of David, a Saviour which is Christ the Lord? And as Peter to the Jews, Acts 2.39. The promise is to you and to your children, yea and to all that are afar off, as many as the Lord our God shall call. Yea you must know that Christ is offered to you, so that you are peremptorily commanded and required to believe in him. Come to me, saith our Saviour, Mat. 11.28. i e. Believe in me, (for so himself expounds the phrase as you may see, John 6.35.) all you that labour and are heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. This is the first thing requisite to justifying faith, of which Christ is the proper Object. 2. The second act is the Assent and Credit of the mind to this, that Christ is such a one indeed, and that God offers him indeed in such a way as hath been said. And that in this his gracious offer he intendeth as he saith: That Christ and all his merits will be yours if you accept him. This you must consent to; you must say with the Apostle, 1 Tim. 1.15. This is a faithful saying; and in relation to this act it is that faith is called believing, John 3.36. and elsewhere often in the Scripture. 3. The third act is the yielding of the Will to this external exhibition of the Son of God, this blessed offer of him in the Gospel, not only for the certain truth, but the incomparable excellency of it; when the heart accepteth of it, and embraceth it, and saith with the Apostle in the fore-alledged Scripture, 1 Tim. 1.15. This saying as it is a faithful one, so it is worthy of all acceptation. It is a faithful saying, saith the Understanding, and therefore I will give assent to it: It is a saying worthy of all acceptation, saith the will, and therefore I will close with it. So the faith of the Fathers is described, Heb. 11.13. in which all the three acts which we have mentioned are wrapped up together. They saw the promises; conceive it with the understandings eye, they knew them and they understood them. They were persuaded of them, they gave assent to them, and they received them and embraced them: for both these terms are there used, not the words and surface of them, but Christ in them. In which respect this act of faith is sometimes called receiving of Christ, as see John 1.12. To as many as received him, etc. So that believing and receiving are all one; this is the third act. 4. The fourth and last act, is a resting, a relying, and recumbency on Christ for mercy and salvation: this is the great act of the soul in faith: A rolling of itself on Jesus Christ, expecting life and happiness no other way, and by no other mean but him only: And this is that which is so often called believing in the Son of God, believing in his name, trusting in him, as the Apostle Paul's expression is, Ephes. 1.12. or trusting to him for all the good that we expect or look for. These are the four great acts of faith, and Christ you see is the immediate and proper object of them all: So that you easily perceive what I intent when I persuade you and exhort you to fasten on this object and to believe in Jesus Christ. Object. But you will say perhaps (as that is now a great Objection) the Creature is not able to believe: it is an impotent and dead thing: what can the Creature do? And why do you persuade it to believe? Sol. True my beloved, it can do nothing, and you would have it to do nothing by this Rule. Keep away the means from it, and when will it attain the end? It hath no faith: it is not able to believe: but faith comes by this means, by the persuasions and entreaties of the Gospel: Faith comes by hearing, Rom. 10.17. When the Apostles persuaded sinners to believe, (as that was very usual with them) might not a man have said to them, What do you speak to them? They cannot do what you persuade them to; and yet you know what multitudes sometimes were brought to believe by one Sermon. So that the word is not in vain, though men be dead and unable to believe, because when God is pleased to work with it, it quickens them, and begetteth faith in them. Use 2 Is Christ the Object of a true believers faith? Are we justified by faith as it lays hold on Christ, and on the Righteousness of Christ? This then discovers the defect and imperfection of inherent righteousness. This laying hold upon the Lord Jesus, this going forth out of ourselves to fetch Righteousness abroad to justify us in the sight of God, implies an emptiness and want of it at home. 'tis true indeed, had we continued in our first integrity, had we remained in that uprighteness and perfection which was at first bestowed upon us, there had been then no need at all of justifying faith. But when our own inherent righteousness was lost in Adam's fall, so that there was an utter failing of it, an absolute deficiency in ourselves, Faith was provided to supply us and to furnish us again, by fetching in the righteousness of Christ, so that this laying hold upon imputed, apparently implies the absence of inherent righteousness; And therefore when we shall be raised again to that perfection which we once enjoyed in Adam in the state of Innocency, which shall be done you know my brethren, in the other Paradise, in heaven, in the state of glory, this justifying faith shall cease, at least with reference to the receiving of Jesus the Lord our Righteousness, because we shall have righteousness enough in heaven of our own. And this is that which the Apostle meaneth in that memorable place, 1 Cor. 13. ult. And now abideth faith, hope and charity. Now they abide; conceive it in the present life; they all continue; for that is his intention there, but the chiefest of these is charity, the chiefest in regard of permanency and duration, because that never faileth as he affirmeth in the eighth verse of that Chapter, No not in heaven in the state of blessedness where justifying faith and hope shall fail, and be taken both away. Is Christ the Object of a true believers faith? This then as it discovers Use. 3 the defect and imperfection of inherent righteousness, so the perfection of imputed righteousness: as the defect of sanctification, so the perfection of justification. It is the righteousness of Christ which we fetch in by faith, and that you know is absolute and accomplished righteousness. And this administers incomparable sweet and precious comfort to the Saints, who are so far dejected with the sense and feeling of their wants as to conclude they are not justified in the sight of God, they are so full of imperfections and defects: Oh they come so far short, their graces are so small and weak, and their obedience is so slender, that they resolve the Lord will not accept and justify such wretched creatures as they are. Indeed my brethren, if our being justified and accepted with the Lord, depended on the height and the perfection of inherent righteousness, we had cause to be discouraged: But seeing we are justified by faith in Christ by laying hold on the Lord our righteousness, by fetching in the righteousness of Christ, and not by perfecting our own: if we have taken him, we are complete in him (as the Apostle speaks) amidst our many unallowed imperfections and defects; And though we should be humbled for our failings, with refererence to sanctification, yet we should not doubt ourselves and our estates, with reference to justification: for having once received Christ by faith we are complete in him, though imperfect in ourselves. If all the Righteousness which is in Christ will make us righteous, we are righteous; for he is made to us righteousness, 1 Cor. 1.30. Oh, how should this support their drooping spirits, who pine away in endless sorrow for their failings and defects! If they be sure they have laid hold on Christ by faith, they may conclude his righteousness is theirs, and that is perfect though their own be weak and wanting; And though they be discouraged in themselves, they may encourage and cheer up themselves in Christ's; And certainly in doing so they honour Christ, and advance his fullness. JOHN. 17.20. But for them also that shall believe on me through their word. WE are at length arrived at the third particular considered in the words, viz. The instrumental means of their believing, whom our Saviour prays for in my Text, Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also that shall believe on me through their word. There hath been noted, as you may remember, the time of their believing, not the present, but the future time, they shall believe; The Object of it Jesus Christ; The instrumental means of it, through their word. Through their word; through whose word? why through the Apostles word, for whom our Saviour is a Suitor to his Father in the foregoing parcel of his prayer, and addeth in my Text, Neither pray I for these only, but for them also that shall believe on me through their word. Their word, as the Publishers and Penmen of it, not their word as the Authors of it; For the Apostles were the Preachers and the Writers, though not the Authors of the Gospel. This word our Saviour makes the instrument of faith in this place. Mark it, not the Prophet's word, but the Apostles word; Their word. Them that shall believe on me through their word. So that you see DOCTRINE. It is the Gospel word that makes believers; the Gospel is the instrumental means of faith. If faith be wrought in any soul, it is by the Apostles word, the word of the New Testament, not of the Old; Of the New Covenant, not of the Old; In brief, not of the Law, but of the Gospel: And this is that which the Apostle shows expressly, Rom. 10.15, 16, 17. How beautiful are the feet of them, saith he, that preach the Gospel! But they have not believed the Gospel. For Isaiah said, Who hath believed our Report? So then faith comes by hearing, viz. by hearing of the Gospel. And hence the Gospel is said to be the power of God unto salvation, to every one that believeth, Rom. 1.16. Q. But what then, hath the Law no hand at all in the working faith? A. No hand in working it, but only in preparing to the work. Indeed it shows a man his sin and his transgression; it empties him of all opin on of himself; it humbles him, and lays him low, and so it makes him fit to close with Jesus Christ by faith, as the Apostle shows, Gal. 3.24. The Law was our Schoolmaster to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith. John Baptists rough rigid Ministry must prepare the way for Christ. He must be like a Pioneer to go before, to bring down every high exalted thought, to make the Mountains level with the Valleys. The Law must by't and sting men with the curses and the terrors of it, and so work inclinations in them to look up to Jesus Christ who is the brazen Serpent's Antitype erected in the Gospel. And this is all the Law can do, it can but fit a man for Jesus Christ, and prepare a man for faith, which is indeed and properly effected in him by the Gospel. This is the royal and triumphant Chariot in which the Son of God comes riding gloriously into the soul, and so dwelleth there by faith, as the Apostle Paul speaks, Eph. 3.17. And hence the Gospel hath the name of faith in Scripture, as you may see that place for instance, Gal. 1.23. because it worketh faith in the hearts of God's people. Is it the Gospel word that makes believers? Then surely they are in Use 1 an infinitely sad Condition who want the Gospel, who want it wilfully, as the Jews do, and have done many hundred years. They have it, but they put it from them, as the Apostle speaks. They receive the Prophet's words, but they receive not the Apostles words. And how then should they believe through their word? And there are others in the world who want it necessarily or of necessity, and through the just severity and righteous judgement of the Lord upon them. Many persons, many Nations are in this lamentable case to this day. They have no Gospel, and so no means at all to work faith in them, without which there is no salvation; No, they are shut up under unbelief, as the Apostle speaks, Rom. 11.32. God hath concluded them in that condition. There they are, and there is no coming out, the door of wrath is shut upon them, whose miserable case in bowels of compassion we have cause to pity, though they pity not themselves. Is it the Gospel word that makes believers? then certainly it is no Use 2 other word that is the means or ground of faith. We have a company of men in our times that believe strange things, that bottom faith upon a strange foundation, Revelations and discoveries of a spirit that hath no commerce at all, no agreement with the Gospel: let the Apostles word be what it will, if they have another word from that which they conceive to be the spirit of God, they believe that, and not this; whereas the spirit that brings men any other Gospel then that which the Apostles taught, though he come from heaven itself, ought not to be believed, but accursed. And yet alas how confident have many been in their assent to such discoveries as have been clear against the Gospel, and against the Apostles words? Ah, my beloved, this is not revelation, but delusion; this is not faith, but unbelief. Our Saviour speaking in my Text of all that should believe from that time in which he prayed to the end of the world, describes them to be such as should believe through the Apostles word. Not through any other word but that of the Apostles only, that which they preached, and that which they writ, which they have left recorded in the Scripture. If any man believe through any other word, or any other revelation that accordeth not with this, he is none of Christ's beleivers, none of them which he owns, none of them for which he prays; I pray for them that shall believe on me through their word; For them and none but them. He that believes through any other word, you see, is out of Christ's prayer. Use 3 Is it the Apostles word, the Gospel's word that makes believers? you then that are as yet without faith, be hence prevailed withal to hear it, and to attend upon it. This is that which the creature can do (I mean by general influence of common Providence without any supernatural grace) and therefore this do you do. It is the word of faith, as I have showed you formerly; and when the Lord is pleased to concur with it, it worketh faith in those that hear it. It's true, you are not able to convert yourselves, or to believe in Jesus Christ; but the Apostles word, the Gospel is a fit instrument for this purpose: Faith comes by hearing, and therefore hear that you may believe. You that are strangers to the life of faith, be you entreated and prevailed withal to put yourselves under the powerful preaching of the Gospel, as the Apostle speaks, be swift to hear, lay hold on every opportunity to be partakers of this holy Ordinance, and then perhaps it may in time become a word of faith to you: Wait diligently on the doors of Wisdoms house, listen attentively to them that teach you Apostolical doctrine, and who knows but you may yet believe through their word? And thus of Christ's description of the persons for whom he here becomes a Suitor to his Father: Them which shall believe on me through their word. Proceed we to the matter of the prayer which he makes for these persons; And there are two main things that he desires in their hehalf. First that they may be one; next that they may be in one place together. The first of these he proposes in the verse that I have read, and prosecutes in the succeeding verses. 1. He proposes it in the verse that I have read, that they may all be one as thou Father art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us. 2. And then he prosecutes this Suit of his with divers arguments and reasons to ver. 24. as (God permitting) we shall see hereafter. In the proposal of this Suit of his, you may observe that it is both expessed and amplified. First it is nakedly expressed in plain terms, that they may all be one. Secondly, than it is amplified by a Similitude in which our Saviour shows how he would have them to be one, as thou father art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us. A strange expression if you look upon it with a superficial view: That the Disciples of our Saviour may be one in some respects, is very easy to imagine. But how they should be one as God the Father and the Son are one: how they should be in God and Christ, as they are in one another, is very hard to be conceived: Yet this is the expression of our Saviour to his Father in my Text, That they may all be one, as thou Father art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us. For clearing this, beloved, you must know, that [as] in Scripture many times is a note of similitude, not of equality; It intimates the truth and the reality of that wherein likeness stands, and not the measure and degree. I might give many instances wherein that Particle is so taken. See Luke 6.36. Be merciful as your heavenly Father is merciful. It is impossible for any man to be as merciful as God is, if you look to the degree; For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are his thoughts above ours in this particular. But yet we may be merciful as he is, though not as merciful as he is. So in the Text our Saviour prays for his Disciples, That they may all be one as thou Father art in me and I in thee, that they also may be one in us. The meaning is not that they may be one as nearly (that is impossible) but, as truly as we are: That as we are in one another, so they may (in some respect) be all in us. How and in what respect they may be so, I shall show at large anon, in the mean time the point is this. DOCTRINE. It is the will of Jesus Christ that his Disciples should not only be one among themselves, but that they also should be one in God. Indeed it is the will of Jesus Christ that his Disciples should be one Use 4 among themselves: That they should be all one, as you have it in my Text: Indeed he shed his blood for this purpose, Eph. 2.14. that though they be of divers Nations (as for instance, Jews and Gentiles) yet they may be both one, as in the fore-alledged Scripture. He is our peace, saith the Apostle there, who hath made both one, having abolished in his flesh the enmity, to make in himself of twain (of Jews and Gentiles) one man. Though they be of divers places, some in heaven and some on earth; and though they that are on earth, are many of them many thousand miles asunder, yet he would have them to be all one. It is his project and design to gather all things into one, which are in heaven and which are in earth, as Ephes. 1.10. But you will ask me, How can this be done, that they that are so distant should be one? I answer, Very easily, because the bonds of this conjunction are not carnal but spiritual: So that they may be one, without a corporeal or local union. From him the head (saith the Apostle) all the body by joints and bands is knit together, Col. 2.19. Part of the body is in heaven, and part of it is on earth, and here some persons are in one, some in another quarter of the earth: yet all the body so divided and so distant as you see, by joints and bands is knit together. And you will easily conceive it, when you consider what these bands are. 1. They have all one spirit, and so in that respect are one. I speak not of the spirit or soul of a man, but of the spirit of the Lord Christ, which being one, dwells in all the Saints at once, and so makes them one too; yea let them be as distant as they will. And as the formal reason of the union of the members of the body natural, consisteth not so much in contiguity as animation by the same soul; so that if any part be mortified, and if the soul give over to enliven it, it is no more to be esteemed a member, notwithstanding its external and corporeal inherence to the body: So though the Saints be far from one another in regard of place, yet they are closely knit together by the same spirit, being joined to the Lord, they are all one spirit, and so indeed are all one. 2. They have all one faith, (one at least in fundamentals) and one faith makes one, as Ephes. 4.4, 5. They that are of many faiths in fundamentals, cannot come so close together to be all one; and therefore Jesus Christ when he ascended up on high, gave gifts unto men for the work of the Ministry, and for the edifying of the body of Christ, till we all come, all, both Jews and Gentiles come, in the unity of the faith, etc. So that there is a unity in the faith you see; and to say truth, my Brethren, faith will make a union at a distance, as well as if the persons joined were all together: What doth th' the corporal or local presence of the parties contribute to the union that is made by faith, which is a spiritual and invisible thing, and consequently joineth in a spiritual and invisible manner, which no division or distance in regard of place can hinder? 3. They have all one heart, and one affection, and so in that respect are one. The multitude of believers were of one heart, Act. 4.32. Though they were multitudes, yet they had but one heart; and when there is but one heart, there is a great Oness. The understanding is the principle of speculation, the heart the seat of love and of affection. And the Saints are so united and linked togther in affection, as if they had among them but one common principle of this affection, as if they had but one heart; and therefore the Apostle speaking of the faithful, saith, that they were knit together in love, Col. 2.2. The term there used importeth such a knitting as is between the divers parts and pieces of a building. For so the Saints, though there be Millions of them in the world, yet they are built up altogether to a spiritual house, 1 Pet. 2.5. And love is as it were the mortar and the pins, the ligaments and ties of the connexion; and elsewhere it is called a bond, Col. 3.10. Above all these things put on charity which is the bond of perfectness, with which we are perfectly joined together, 1 Cor. 1.10. Now love will make a union at a distance (as well as near at hand.) The nearness of the place (simply considered in itself) contributes nothing to the nearness and to the strength of the affection: No, love will reach a person at the other end of all the earth as well as if he were just by us, in the very next room, or in the very next dwelling. You see both that, and how, it is the will of Jesus Christ, that his Disciples should be one among themselves, which is the first thing in the point. But now there is a Second branch, he would not have them only to be one among themselves, but he would have them also to be one in God. This is the special thing for which he is a Suitor to his Father in my Text, That they may be all one, as thou Father art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: Not one among themselves alone, but one in us; which is indeed a very high thing. Now that you may the better know what Christ intends in this particular, you must consider that he speaks to God the Father, as man and Mediator in this place: For he speaks in prayer here; and consequently when he saith, As thou Father art in me, and I in thee; he speaks not of the union which is between his Father and himself as he is God: For in that consideration the Father and the Son are so in one another, that they are the very same; The same Essence (for so the union is Identical) though they be not the same Person: And in this sense it is impossible for Christ's Disciples to be so one in God and Christ, as God and Christ, the Father and the Son, are the one of them in the other. Well then our Saviour speaks here of the oneness which is between his Father and himself, as he is the Mediator, and as he is the Head of his Church: For so they are both one, as Jesus Christ himself speaks, Joh. 10.30. And in another place he uses the very same expression in my Text, and tells us that he is in the Father, and the Father in him, Joh. 14.10. Now the Father is in Christ as he is Mediator of the Church, and Christ is in the Father in the same respect, that is, they are both one, especially three ways. 1. By Hypostatical union of the Manhood to the Godhead in the Person of our Saviour; for the Manhood being joined to the Godhead in the Person of the Son, it must be mediately joined also to the Father, to whom the Son as God is joined in the nearest tye that can be. We have no higher phrase you know my Brethren, to express the closest union, then to affirm of two that they are one, they two are are one, and we cannot say more. There is a union between faithful friends, for there is one heart in two bodies, as the Philosopher expresses it: There is a nearer union between man and wife, for they two are one flesh, as the Apostle Paul speaks, Ephes. 5.31. and therefore they have one name. But there is the nearest union between the Father and the Son: for they two have one Essence, one Nature, one Name: And so the Godhead being joined to the Manhood in the Person of our Saviour, that Manhood by and through that Godhead must needs be nearly and indissolubly joined to God the Father. 2. God the Father and the Son are one by dear affection. Thus they are in one another, and they live in one another (as it were) by inexpressible and tender love, which they bear to one another. How doth the Father love the Son beyond expression, and that as he is Mediator? for under that capacity he speaks of him, Isa. 42.1. and he seems to glory in it, Behold my servant, mine Elect, in whom my soul delighteth! and in another place he gives this attestation out of heaven to him, Mat. 3 17. This is my Beloved Son in whom I am well pleased, q. d. I have some other children that I love well, but This is my Beloved Son above the rest, take notice of him, this is he. And hence he lays him in his bosom next his heart, Joh. 1.18. acquaints him with his counsels, tells his secrets to him, entrusts him with the revelation of them, sets him in the highest place next to himself, advances him above, yea far above all principalities, and mights, and Dominions, and puts more honour on him than he doth on all the creatures: And hence the Son is often speaking of the Father's love to him: and on the other side professes his affection to the Father, and he would have the world to know it too, Joh. 14.31. That the world may know that I love the Father, so do I. So that you see here is union of dear love. 3. The Father and the Son are one by unexpressable agreement and consent together. Though they be divers, yet they never differ; No, they continually mind the same things, they will and nill the same things, love and hate the same things; and this agreement is between the Father and the Son, not only as the Son is God, but as the Son is Man and Mediator too. The will of Jesus Christ as he is Man, in all respects accordeth and consenteth with the will of God the Father. Or if it were not so, it must be sinful and irregular; and therefore he submitted still, yea even in those things which were against the Nature that he had assumed; Not my will, but thine be done. And thus you see how the Father is in Christ as he is Man and Mediaator, and how Christ as Mediator is in God the Father, how they are both one, viz. by hypostatical union, by dear affection, by unexpressable agreement and consent together. Now we shall easily discover how he would have his Apostles to be one, in his Father and himself, which is the second thing to be unfolded in the point. It is the will of Jesus Christ, that his Disciples should not only be one among themselves, but that they also should be one in God, in the Father and the Son. This is the special thing for which he prays, That they may all be one, as thou Father art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us. 1. Then as the Father is in Christ as Mediator, and Christ as Mediator in the Father by the Hypostatical union: so Christ would have his Disciples to be in both of them by the mystical union: That as the Manhood of the Son is mediately in God the Father, in being joined to the Godhead of the Son, which is one with God the Father; so we should also be mediately in the Father, in being joined to the Godhead and the Manhood in the Person of Christ: That we should be in the Father by and through Jesus Christ: And so indeed are all the members of the body mystical, by reason of their union with the Lord Christ. Christ is one with God the Father, and we are one with Jesus Christ; and therefore (in a sense) we are one with God the Father; Jesus Christ is in the Father, and we are in Jesus Christ, Ephes. 1.10. We all are gathered into one in him; and therefore we are also mediately in the Father: And hence it is that all the Saints are said not only to be one among themselves, and to be one in Christ, but also to be one in God the Father, as in my Text you see, I pray for them, saith Christ, that shall believe on me, that they may all be one, as thou Father art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us; not one among themselves, but one in us. Not in me only, but in thee too; Not one in me, but one in us: So that you see, believers all of them are in the Father by the Son. 2. As God the Father and the Son are one by dear affection; so Christ would have all his Disciples to be one both with the Father and himself in the very same manner: He would not have them only to be one among themselves by love, but he would have them also to be one in God by love: He would have their hearts to live in his Father and himself by unexpressible and choice affection: That they should find no rest, no quiet anywhere but in God and Christ only: To be so closely and indissolubly joined to the Father and himself, that nothing in the world should be able to divide them, to separate them from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. 3. As God the Father and the Son are one by will and by consent; so Christ would have all his Disciples to be one with the Father and himself in the very same manner. And as the Father and the Son agree in every thing, and never differ in the least degree; that which one wills, the other wills: So true believers should agree in every thing, not among themselves only, but with God and Christ too. God and Jesus Christ and they should so accord in every thing, that they should be as it were all one. Look what God and Christ wills, assoon as it is manifested and revealed to them, they should will the very same, yea though it be against them in their honours, profits, pleasures, and delights. They should conform their wills in all respects to the will of God and Christ. And even as Christ said to the Father, Not my will, but thine be done: So we should say to the Father and Son, Not our wills, but yours be done. As you agree together, so we agree in you; and then indeed, my Brethren, we are like to agree among ourselves, when we agree in God and Christ, and when our wills are suitable to their wills: Or otherwise agreement without this is combination and not union. And therefore Christ desiring that his Disciples should be one among themselves, desireth also that they might be one in God, in his Father and himself, That they may all be one as thou Father art in me, etc. Now to descend to Application, and therein to proceed with all the Use 1 branches of the Explication in their order. First, Is it the will of Jesus Christ that his Disciples should be one in God, by the mystical union? Here than you see the glorious privilege of Christ's Disciples, of all that do indeed believe in him. The Scripture makes it a great matter to be nigh to God, and so it is indeed, my Brethren, a very blessed and a happy thing. What is it then, Beloved, to be in him, in the Father and the Son, as they are in one another? This is a privilege to purpose, and carries high and glorious things in it, such as we are not able to conceive, and much less are we able to express. I shall endeavour according to the light I have, to lay them open to you in a few particulars. This being in the Father and the Son, implies most intimate Communion with them both. It is very much, my Brethren, to be with them, to have fellowship with the Father and the Son, 1 Joh. 1.3. All of us are far from God, and far from Jesus Christ by nature: we dwell a great way from them in a strange Country, and so have no commerce with them; and when we are converted, we are said in Scripture to be made nigh to them, Ephes. 2.13. To have access by one Spirit, to the Father and the Son, vers. 17, 18. And this indeed importeth near and sweet Communion with them, such as the world is not acquainted with. But to be in them, importeth yet more near and close Communion: Indeed the nearest, and the closest, and most intimate that can be. It is much to be with God, with the Father and the Son; there must be heavenly communion if it were but so: But to be in them as they are in one another, this must needs be much more. This being in the Father and the Son, importeth special interest in God. The greatest interest that can be when we express the interest that any man hath in such or such a great man, we use to say that he is in with him. And truly it is much to say that we are in with God the Father, and with Jesus Christ, this is a very great matter; It shows that we have much of their regard and love; That God and Jesus Christ, and we are great friends; That while all the world are out with the Father and the Son, we are the only people that are in with them: This I confess is very much: But what is it then to say that we in them? That God and Jesus Christ, and we, are in a sense all one; That as the Father is in Christ, and Christ in him, so we are one in both of them. Here is interest indeed, such as is impossible to be expressed. This being in the Father and the Son, importeth great acquaintance with them both: They that are much with one another, are acquainted each with other; but they that are in one another, must be acquainted much more: They know not that which is without only, that which every one knows, but they know that which is within, which is obscure and hid from other men. They know God inwardly, for they are in him; They know the secrets of his heart, Psal. 25.14. and the mystery of his will, Ephes. 1.9. And even as Christ is said to be in the bosom of the Father, and so to be the only one that is acquainted with him fully, and can reveal him to the world, Joh. 1.18. No man hath seen God at any time, the only begotten Son which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him: So true believers are in the bosom both of God and Christ, and so are infinitely more acquainted with them, than any in the world besides. And here to be a little more particular, they know God more immediately, and more distinctly than others do. 1. They know God more immediately than others do: they do not know him at a distance, and at second hand, but they know him by himself; they have their knowledge of him at the Fountain head, for they are in him. Others hear of him by the hearing of the ear, but they see him, Job 12.5. and they taste him, which sense requires the nearest application of the object, 1 Pet. 2.3. They know him at first hand, they are taught of God himself; they do not only hear what others speak of God, and so accordingly discourse of him, as many do by memory: but they speak with God himself; God shows himself to them, as his own phrase is, and so accordingly are more immediately acquainted with him. 2. And as they know him more immediately than others, so they know him more distinctly than others; they have not a confused knowledge of him only as we have of strangers, or those whom we behold a far off: as when we see a person at a great distance, it may be we discover that it is a man, or a woman in the general, but are not able to distinguish whether it be such a man, or such a woman, whether it be such a friend, or such a one of our acquaintance, yea, or no: But they have a clear knowledge, they see God evidently, and distinctly, in a measure, for they are near enough to him, they are in him: so that they can distinguish God, and Christ, from any other that comes in his Name, or that pretends that he is God, or Christ. And therefore, my Beloved, when there are any such abroad (as some have been in our days) who say that they are Christ, you shall do well to call one of them who are in Christ, to tell you whether this be Christ indeed, or no. This being in the Father and the Son, importeth ready, easy, and familiar access to the Father and the Son. They are in one another, and therefore they must needs be much together. Believers need not to go far to speak with God, he is at hand continually, for they are in him: So that they have his ear and heart too, they can come to him and speak with him when they please. Others that are abroad, they hear him when he speaks in public, in the open Congregation, and when he cryeth in the place of concourse, as the wise man speaks: But alas they have no private talk with him as these have, when there is none but God and them together: And therefore they that are without, that live without God, and without Christ, are fain to use those that are in God and Christ sometimes to promote their suits to him. If they have any special business to prefer to God, they that are without must be beholding to them that are within, to tender their Petitions for them, as Pharaoh was in such a case; Send for Moses and Aaron, and let them use their interest in my behalf, let them pray to God for me. This being in the Father and the Son, doth carry in it a more immediate enjoyment of all the comforts, satisfactions, and contentments that the soul of man can reach after; For God involves and comprehendeth in him all the good that can be thought upon, and infinitely more than the poor narrow heart of man can reach to. We would think (abundance of us) that we were very well if we had all the happiness that all the creatures in the world could yield us: If we had such a wife, house, gardens, servants, income by the year, honours, pleasures and delights, as we would fancy to ourselves, than we would think that we were happy men indeed. Why, my Beloved, whatsoever good there is to please, or give us satisfaction in the creatures any way (if we had them all together) is eminently and transcendently in God. They had it all from him, and therefore certainly he hath it all in him; and that without dregs too; The spirits and the quintessence of all these comforts are in God, refined from the drossy part; so that in having him we have all. A naked God a naked Christ, is infinitely more to make a man completely happy, than all the comforts in the world without him. Or if it were not so my Brethren, our state in heaven would be worse than it is here upon the earth; the happiness of Heaven would be much below, and much inferior to our earthly happiness: In Heaven we shall have nothing else but God, no Sun, no Moon, Apoc. 21.23. The Creatures shall not give us comfort, as they do in this world; No, God shall be our Sun and Moon there: he shall be every thing to satisfy us, and content us, and to make us happy: He shall be all in all, 1 Cor. 15.18. Now if the Lord have not as much in him as all the creatures which we leave, when we are taken hence by death, we are losers by the bargain, whereas we know the height, and the perfection of our happiness is there where we have nothing else but God: And therefore certainly we stand in need of nothing else to make us absolutely and completely happy. And whensoever we have least of creatures, and most of God in this world, than we are nearest to that full beatitude. Now God we have, if we be in him, my Beloved, and so we have the Fountain of all happiness and satisfaction: He that is in God, in the Father and the Son, must needs have all that is in God, so far as it is necessary for him: And that indeed is all that can be. This being in the Father and the Son, doth carry in it admirable safety: He is secure enough from any hurt, that is in God; For what should seize upon him to annoy him there? You know the Lord is often called a house, a habitation in the Scripture; and to make up the Allegory, the Saints are said to dwell in God, 1 Joh. 3.24. He that keepeth his Commandments dwelleth in him, and he in him: So that believers are in God as in a house, where they are warm, and well, and safe, however matters go abroad, what ever storms there be upon land; they are not like to the Egyptian servants in the storm of hail: they are not left abroad in the woods and in the fields to be smitten and destroyed; No, God hath fetched them into house, into himself; they are in God, who is the habitation of his people, and there they are secure enough, as the Psalmist intimates, Psal. 91.1. He that dwelleth in the secret of the most High, shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty: So that when the storm is fiercest, he can stand quiet, and look out at window, and see others perish in the tempest. He is in the Ark, in God, and a few more with him, while all the world besides are drowned in the deluge: It matters not to him what waves and floods there are abroad, he is where he is safe enough. Nay, God is not resembled to an ordinary habitation only, but to a place of refuge and defence, Psal. 18.2. A Castle and a strong Tower, etc. So that they that are in God, are in a Castle and a strong Tower, that never was, and never will be taken by assault, and what need they fear there? They that are without indeed, are in very great danger, they are exposed to the mercy of the Enemy, because they know not whether to betake themselves for shelter; but they that are within, may say as David, when the Drums beat, and the bullets fly, I will lay me down in peace, and sleep, for thou Lord only makest me dwell in safety, Psal. 4. ult. and that because I am in thee: thou art thyself my Castle, and my refuge, and my strong Tower. This being in the Father and the Son, doth carry in it certainty of perseverance. What my Beloved, do you think that it is in and out? In God to day, and out to morrow, as Arminians teach. It is a most uncomfortable Doctrine which they have broached. Ah, my Beloved, what solid and enduring satisfaction will the best condition that they can be in afford them, if they be not sure to keep it? Now here Beloved, is the fullest and the best assurance against this discomfort that is contained in the Book of God. You hear that true believers are in God, in the Father and the Son, yea, they are so in God, so in the Father and the Son, as they are in one another; I pray for them, saith Christ, that they may all be one as thou Father art in me, and I in thee, so that they may be one in us: Now my Beloved, do but seriously consider, how is the Father in the Son? how is the Son in God the Father? What, so that they may be out again? and that they may part again? No, surely, they are so in one another, that they can never be divided each from other. Just so are true believers in them both: So that if God cannot be out of Christ, if Christ cannot be out of God, believers cannot possibly be out of either. When God and Christ are rend asunder each from other, believers shall be rend asunder from them both: When God and Christ do come to part with one another, believers must expect to part with both; and that would be a sad parting, if God the Father should go one way, and Christ another, and believers a third, never to come together any more: But in the mean time, while they stay together, believers shall continue with, and in them both: while God the Father is in Christ, and Christ in God the Father, believers shall be one in them. It is the will of Jesus Christ as he declares it to his Father, That as thou Father art in me, and I in thee, so that they also should be one in us; and he will surely have his will in this business. JOHN 17.21. As thou Father art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us. IS it the will of Jesus Christ, that his Disciples should be one in God Use 2 by the mystical union? Then in the second place, let us be hence instructed to admire and magnify the goodness of the Lord in this business, that he is pleased so highly to advance and honour us: That we poor wretches should be made not only nigh to God, but that we should be one in God, in the Father and the Son: That the great God of Heaven and Earth should take us up into himself, and thereby raise us to such glorious privileges as have been mentioned in the former use. My Brethren, doth it seem a small thing to you? consider it a little and resolve. Is it but a small thing, that God should take us into such union with himself? I know not how you apprehend it, but I assure you, my Beloved, it amazes me; That such transcendent honour should be put upon such worms as we are. Me thinks we should break out to admiration with Elizabeth, Whence is this to us? Why, is it possible, that God should ever honour dust and ashes thus? Whence is it? Oh, my Beloved, how humble and how thankful should we be? Let us not brag of this honour, as some do in these times, who never were advanced to it, who say that they are taken in to God, so that they are God himself, and thus they swagger and blaspheme beyond measure. Oh, my Beloved, let it not be so with us; let us not brag of this honour, but let us tremble to consider what a weight of duty and obedience lies upon us, to walk answerably to it: and how exactly pure and holy they should be who are in any sense in God, in the Father and the Son. And this conveys me to a third use, which shall be for admonition Use 3 to every one of us who are advanced to this glorious privilege, to live and act as men that are in God, in the Father and the Son. There is a suitable expression of the Apostle Paul to this purpose, Col. 2.6. As ye have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him. As you have taken him by faith, and so are made one with him, As you are in him, so walk in him. Even so say I to you, my brethren, As you are in God, in the Father and the Son, so walk in God; Take such a course in the whole tenor of your conversation, as they should do who are in God: And truly my beloved, that must be a strict, a holy and exact course: As far as it is possible there must be no exorbitancy, no uncleanness in it. It was the protestation of the Lord to Moses, which he repeats to Aaron, when his Sons were cut off for drawing nigh to God with strange fire, Leu. 10.3. Then Moses said to Aaron, This is that the Lord spoke saying, I will be sanctified in them that come nigh me. Ah, my beloved, will God be sanctified in them that are nigh him, and will he not be sanctified in them that are in him? And if they must be holy who are nigh him, how holy must they be, my brethren, that are in him? in the Father and the Son: How precisely and exactly must they live who live in God? And therefore I beseech you, my beloved, who are advanced to this high Prerogative, look narrowly to all your ways, and keep yourselves, as far as it is possible, from every sin; And that upon these three Considerations: For, 1. Your sin is strangely and unutterably heightened by the station that you have in the Father and the Son. It is such an aggravation as I am no ways able to express. What, my beloved, will you sin in God? shall God have wickedness counted in him, by your means? will you be intemperate, will you be wanton, and lascivious and unclean in any kind? will you be covetous and worldly? will you be unjust in God? you do what lies in you to draw the infinitely pure and holy God into Communion with you in your sin. Indeed sin cannot be committed by him, but by your means it is committed in him, which is a horrid and amazing thing to think upon. You do what lies in you, to defile and pollute the holy God with the impurest and uncleanest thing in all the world, (for so is sin) with that which is most against his nature, which is most odious and abominable to him, which he is no ways able to endure. And you are so audacious, that you do not only do it nigh him, and do it by him, but you do it in him. Ah, my beloved, me thinks your hearts should not be strong enough to bear up under that weight of such wikedness as this is, but that they should even faint and sink within you. Why my beloved, for those that are without God, and who are far from him (as wicked men are said to be) their sins do not so much concern God, they cannot be so grievous and so vexatious to him. But to have sin committed in him, this is a most unsufferable provocation; This goes very near him, because it is done so near him. I beseech you think upon it, and let it have a mighty operation on your hearts; The sins of other men are committed out of God, but yours are committed in him. 2. As they are committed in him, so in the second place they cannot choose but be observed by him: For God takes special notice of them, and their carriage and behaviour who are in him. So that they cannot do amiss, they cannot step awry in any thing, but he spies them, he knows their lying doing and rising up, takes notice of their very thoughts, observes them how they go to bed, and how they rise, whether they think of him, whether they call on him, or no; They are so near him that he cannot choose but mark them. For others that belong not to him, that are without God and without Christ in the world, he looks not so much after them: But for those that are within him, they cannot but be under his immediate care, and special eye: He searcheth out their ways: he doth not superficially observe them only, but he searcheth deep into them, he sees their very grounds and ends, so that they cannot fail in any thing, no not so much as in a circumstance, but he spies them. And this me thinks, should make us very circumspect in all our ways, and infinitely cautious that we sin not. That of the Prophet is remarkable, Jer. 8 19 Is not the Lord in Zion? is not her King in her? why then have they provoked him to anger? And I may say upon the other side, Is not Zion in the Lord? are not true believers in him, in the Father and the Son? why then have they provoked him to anger? They that are far away from God, perhaps may be the bolder to offend, because they may conceive (with those in Job) that he is shut up in the Clouds, and that he cannot see them at a distance; or if he do, he cannot reach them: But they that are in God, me thinks should be very circumspect; They should consider with themselves that it concerns them to be wary how they walk, and what they do, because he is at hand to spy their faults, and to observe their provocations. 3. And as the sins of those that are in God, cannot choose but be observed by reason of their nearness to him, so neither can they choose but be corrected and chastised. The Lord will take a course with them, if they miscarry, and if they misbehave themselves, sooner and quicker than he will with other men. And it concerns him so to do in point of honour; for their iniquities reflect with more disparagement upon him then the sins of others do, who are further from him. It would be much for God to suffer sin by him: but do you think that God will suffer sin in him? That he will let it nestle there without control, as if he liked it, and as if he took delight in it? Would not this be a very great dishonour to him, that God should not reform those that are in him? Assuredly, my brethren, if God will be sanctified in them that are nigh him, he will be sanctified in them that are in him; either one way or the other, in their holy Conversation, or in their visible Correction, as he was in David's case, that those that are without may not blaspheme, as if he suffered sin and approved it well enough in those that are near to him. No, they shall know, that he mislikes it most of all in them. If he see many aliens to him, doing any wickedness, he may bear with them long perhaps, for it concerns him not so much to deal against them; But if he spy one of his own among them, one of them that is in him, he will single such a one and cull him out from all the rest and say, You are in me, and in my Son, you are united to me in the nearest bonds; and what will you do as these vile abominable wretches do? Come, I must order you (though I let the rest alone) I must not suffer you in such courses. Use 4 If true believers be in God, in the Father and the Son? Then let them be enheartned hence to use their interest in God on all occasions, in all the straits and exigencies of the Church of God. You have the privileges and the advantage to be more then nigh him, to be in him, so that undoubtedly you may have audience with him when you please; and you may very much prevail with him. And therefore see that you improve the opportunity and the advantage that is put into your hands, by being God's remembrancers in all cases. If he seem to forget his Church at any time, to be asleep, while she is sinking, do you come to him when you are with him in his privy Chamber, and speak a good word for her. Mind him of her sad condition, and beseech him earnestly to think upon her and relieve her. They that are abroad, my brethren, cannot do it; They cannot have access to God, they have no interest in God at all. But you, my brethren, are not only in with him, but you are in him, so that you have his ear and heart: you can prevail exceedingly with God, and therefore see you be not wanting to promote the Church's cause with him. As it is said of Jacob, you have power with God, and therefore you must seek him more in straits, in difficulties, and in hard cases, because you can do more with God than others can. Brethren, there are some straits upon us at this time: we are involved in difficulties, more than every eye sees. I speak as unto wise men, judge ye what I say. And therefore you that are in God, that are more prevalent with him than others are, be sure that you plead hard before him, night and day in such a time as this is. The businesses that are in agitation now, are of a very great concernment, and therefore see that you improve all the respect and interest you have in God, about them. Use. 5 If true believers be in God, you then that are without God, be advised how you wrong them, and how you be vexatious to them. Take heed you do not injure and molest them for your lives: And that upon a double ground. For, 1. Being in God, they will have opportunity on all occasions to complain against you. Be wary how you wrong these little ones. For though they be of little reckoning and reputation in the world, and though they be of little power to make defence, or right themselves when they are injured, they are so near to God, that they are in him, and they will readily tell him of it. You that are men of earthly might, do not oppress them by your power, lest they cry and God hear: And he will very quickly hear them, being in him. You may abuse and injure others with infinitely less danger, for they are far from God, they are a great way of, and so may cry, yea cry aloud and not be heard: But they that are in God, are certainly within hearing. And therefore be advised how you meddle with them, and make them cry so close to God, lest the Lord hear and it displease him. 2. Being in God, he will certainly redress them when they make complaint to him. It cannot be but he must be extremely tender of those who are so near to him. What do you think that the Almighty God will suffer men to be abused in him? A wicked wretch may touch another man indeed, and yet never touch God, because he is without God, there is no union between God and him. But whosoever touches him that is in God, must touch God in touching him. And hence saith the Lord himself, Zac. 2.8. He that toucheth you, toucheth the apple of mine eye. In touching you, he toucheth me, and that in the most tender place, the very apple of mine eye. And do you think that God will ever suffer such audacious boldness as this is? That he will quietly sit still, and let ungodly wretches thrust their fingers into his eyes, and pluck the very apples of his eyes out of his head? Take this and take all. If true believers be in God, you then that are out of God, endeavour Use 3 to keep in with them. In any case make them your friends, and keep them so, and do not fall at any difference or odds with them; You know not what you lose, when you lose their love and their friendship. A friend in place (they say) is worth something. And certainly they are in place, that are in God, the best place that can be. And therefore it is good for those that are without, and live abroad, to have some friends in this place; you may far the better for them, and they may do you a good turn, and a good office there, when time serves. Wicked men have had advantage oftentimes by the friendship of believers; Moses did a good turn for Pharaoh more than once, when he knew not what to do, and when he could not help himself. Alas, poor miserable man, he was an alien, he lived without God in the world: and therefore sends for Moses still (who was in God) to speak a word for him: and he was ready to solicit hard in his behalf, and divers times prevailed for mercy, till in the end his heart was hardened to his utter ruin. And therefore if you love yourselves, make much of such friends as these are. And thus far of the application of the first branch of the Explication of the point. I shall be briefer on the other two. Is it the will of Jesus Christ, that true believers should be one in God, Use in the Father and himself by dear affection? You then that are believers, let your hearts be knit to God and Jesus Christ, by this indissoluble bond; Let love make you all one. And as the Father and the Son are one among themselves, so be you one in them by love. Let your affections to them be so high, as to unite you to the Father and the Son. And even as dear affection joins you to your fellow-Saints that you are knit in love (as the Apostle Paul's expression is) so let it join you much more to the Father, and the Son; for they are infinitely more to be beloved. Oh let your hearts no longer live in creature comforts, and in creature satisfactions (which do so often fail you and deceive you) but let them live in God, by inexpressable and choice love; There live, and there rest, and there dwell, and there nestle, as it were in the bosom of the Father and the Son. Mark that expression of the Apostle, John 1.4.16. God is love and he that dwelleth in Love, dewelleth in God, and God in him. God is love essentially: for whatsoever is attributed to God, is God. And he is the Original and fountain of the love that is Communicated to the Creature. All the Love with which we love him, or the Creature regularly, comes from him: It is a ray of the divinity, a beam of God, a part of the divine nature. And seeing God is love in the sense before expressed, essentially, originally, it follows thence, as the Apostle John infers, that he that dwells in love, must dwell in God. He that dwells, that is, continueth and abides in love, to fellow Saints and fellow-members, dwells in God: But he that dwells in love to God himself, dwells in God much more. And therefore I beseech you, let your hearts set up their rest in love to God and Jesus Christ; there let them fix and dwell; let not your love be scattered up and down among the creatures as it is, but let it be united all in God: and let it join and unite you all to God: that nothing in the world may ever separate you, or divide you from him. Brethren, you may be the losers by Love of other things, or other friends; For after your affections and your hearts are set upon them, they may forsake you, and be unfaithful and unkind to you. And besides, you must bestow some pains, and travail and expense on those who are indeed beloved by you. Or else it is but a dissembling, feigned love; for love where it is sound and real, is very bountiful and very active. And hence it is, my brethren, that there is so little true affection in the world. The love of men is for the greater part, in compliment, in show and in appearance only: they will do nothing, they will part with nothing for those whom they are pleased to call their friends, as they must do if they love in deed and truth. But now in loving God, my brethren, (though I acknowledge you must part with all for him) yet you shall be no losers by it. Though you forgo your friends, your houses, and estates, and all for him, you shall have him instead of all; Yea, you shall not have him only, but you shall be in him by this means. And therefore, I beseech you my beloved, grow up into this uniting grace in these divided and distracted times, which will not only make you one among yourselves, but one in God. But you will ask me how may this be done? I will give you some directions. 1. Let prayer struggle for it at the throne of grace. It cannot choose but be a pleasing lovely suit indeed to be importunate with God to make us love him, and to draw up our hearts to him. A man would think that such a sweet request as this, should not be turned off with a denial. It's true that prayer is the great Catholicon and universal means in all cases. But yet it is expedient in a special manner to the attainment and enlargement of this grace of love, which is a special gift of the spirit It is the great work of the spirit of God to make us love God, and to endear our hearts to him. I know that Hope and Patience, etc. are graces of the Spirit, but Love is a prime grace. It is a grace of the first magnitude, and therefore placed first by the Apostle in that Catalogue of his, Gal. 5.22. The Love of God is shed abroad into our hearts, saith the Apostle, Rom. 5.5. how so? by the Holy Ghost that he hath given us. And in another place he tells the Saints, Ye are taught of God; saith he, to love one another, 1 Thes. 4.1. None in the world can teach you this but God only. And if none but he can teach us to love our brethren whom we see, then much more none but he can teach us to love him whom we do not see, and therefore let us earnestly beseech him to help us to take forth this Lesson. 2. Let us endeavour to grow up in the knowledge of the Lord, and as we know him better, we shall love him more. That which one affirms of Learning, may be well applied to God, Non habet inimicum nisi ignorantem. He hath such matchless excellency and beauty in him, that he that knows him, cannot choose but love him. Indeed while we are unacquainted with him, the admirable worth and lustre that is in him, doth not take a whit upon us. The Philosopher will tell us, that the judgement must be first of all convinced of the worth and value of a thing, before the heart will close with it, and the affections cleave to it. Nec enim potes aut amare quem nescias, aut habere quem non amaveris, Thou canst not love him thou knowest not, nor have him whom thou lovest not. And hence it is that wicked and ungodly men love not God or Christ at all, because they know him not at all; Or if they know him any way, it is not under such a notion as makes him beautiful and lovely to them. Perhaps they know him as a Judge, or an Avenger, not as a Father, and a Saviour. And this is indeed the cause why the triumphant Saints in heaven love him more than the Saints militant on earth, because they have a fuller, clearer and distincter knowledge of him. We see him darkly in a glass, but they see him face to face. And this is the reason also why we love not God so much on earth, as we shall do in heaven, viz. because we know him not so well here, as we shall do in that place. So that our love to God you see, is answerable to our knowledge of him: as we know him more, or less, so we love him more, or less. And therefore if we do desire indeed to love him more, let us strive to know him more. 3. Another means to grow up in the love of God, is to have daily more communion and intimacy with him. And this, as I conceive it, is a means distinct from that which goes before: For it is one thing to know him, and another to have communion, and to be familiar with him. We know abundance with whom we have no intimacy in the world. No, we know them too well perhaps to be familiar with them. So we may have a speculative knowledge of the Father, and the Son, and yet may have no intimate acquaintance with them. And this is very necessary to increase love. To kindle and inflame affection (as the Philosopher observeth) there must be Convictus & crebra conversatio. They must dine and sup together, they must walk and talk together. And wheresoever there is strangeness, there can be no great love. And therefore if we would abound in the love of God and Christ, let us have more communion with them. Beloved if we be not wanting to ourselves, we may be very much with God. We may speak with him often in a day: we may talk with him face to face in our addresses to his holy Majesty, we may give him many visits; he doth not interdict us, but invite us to come and sup with him, and be acquainted with him throughly once; he is so precious and so sweet a friend, that we shall love him out of all measure. 4. Endeavour to the utmost of your power, to dispossess your hearts of the unlawful love of worldly things; for this is incompatible & inconsistent with the love of God. If any man, saith the Apostle, love the world, the love of the Father is not in him, 1 Joh. 1.15. Let him be what he will (my Brethren) if he love the world, he loves not God: And therefore ler not any covetous and wretched worldling make show of having any love to God; For certainly it is not in him. The friendship of the world, saith the Apostle James 4.4. is enmity with God. And therefore if we would be friends of God, we must dissolve this friendship with the world. Inordinate, irregular, unlawful love of worldly things, must be expelled: And as this love is cast out, the love of God will come in. 5. Be often in the company and fellowship of those that love God; Converse with those who are most endeared to him, and they will be continually speaking of him, and setting forth his excellency, beauty, love, and so will kindle and inflame your hearts towards him. They who are full of sweet affections to the Lord, if you be much among them, will work you to the same temper: You may observe it in Cant. 5.10. and the following verses, that when those daughters of Jerusalem who at first despised Christ, and wondered why the Church his Spouse should praise him so, and make such a stir about him, yet when they had a while conversed with the Church, and heard her speak of Christ with such affection, admiring and extolling him above the skies, they also fall in love with him, and they will go together with the Church to seek him out; Whither is Beloved gone? say they, O thou fairest among women, whither is thy Beloved turned aside, that we may seek him with thee? And thus you see, my Brethren, frequent intercourse and holy conference with those that love God, is one effectual means to fill and to inflame our hearts with love to him. 6. Labour to comprehend with all the Saints, the greatness of the love of God to you, and to assure it to your own souls. It is not all the beauty and the excellency in the world, that will allure us to the 〈◊〉 love one that we imagine doth not love us: But if we see and be assured of the love of God to us, this will kindle love to him, and make our hearts to melt towards him: When we consider with ourselves what kindness he hath showed to us, what he hath done for us, what matchless and unfathomed love he hath discovered to us, this will raise our affections high to him again, and make us even sick of love: And therefore I beseech you strive to be more and more assured of this; for at this flame you must kindle your fire. Here you must fetch your little spark of love (whereof the Saints are capable in this life) from the love of God to you: which being kindled in your hearts, it will never leave aspiring, and flying higher and higher still, till it have joined itself unto that infinite and endless flame from whence it issued and proceeded. And indeed, as Bernard very well observes, we cannot answer God or Christ so well in any thing as love. To say the truth, we must not answer him in other things. If he be angry, or displeased with us, we ought not be angry or displeased with him again. If he condemn and censure us, we ought not to condemn and censure him again; If he chide us, we ought not to chide him again. But if he love us, we may, we must love him again; Yea, he expecteth that we should return him love for love, for he loves to be beloved. Is it the will of Jesus Christ, that true believers should be one in God, Use. in the Father and the Son, by sweet agreement and consent? Then I beseech you, my Beloved, comply with Jesus Christ in this particular; As God and Jesus Christ agree in every thing, so do you agree with them. Bring your mind to the mind of God, and to the will of God, that you may be of one mind, and one will: Have you no judgement of your own, as different from Gods, but judge of things as God doth: Let his wisdom be your wisdom; his reason, your reason; and his determination, your determination: Have you no wills of your own, my Brethren, but let the will of God be your will, let it rule and order you: Let your will be so melted and resolved into the will of God, that as far as it is possible, God and you may have but one will; That he may never cross you, and you may never cross him: Consent to him in every thing; if he say any thing; true, Lord; if he do any thing; good, Lord; Yea, though it be against you in your ends, and in your natural desires; yet say as Hezekiah to the Prophet, when he received a heavy threatening, Good is the word of the Lord which he hath spoken. Take heed there be no difference between God and you in any thing; let not him say one thing, and you another; will one thing, and you another: But say you as God says, and will you as God wills, that so you may be swallowed up in God, and that you may be one in him: And to this end I propound three things. 1. If God and you agree not every way in all respects, you are out, and not he: And therefore it is best in all things to conform your minds and wills to his: His mind and his will is always right; and yours if they descent, are always crooked and obliqne; and therefore it is best to bring your minds and wills to his, and not to think to bring his to your own. The Malon when he tries the wall that he hath builded, by his rule, and finds them not to suit together, he doth not go and cut the rule and bring it to the wall, but he goes and mends the wall, till he have brought it to the rule. So if your minds and wills do not agree with God's, the fault is not in his, but yours; and therefore you must bend your minds and wills till you have brought them strait like his; and not endeavour to make his crooked like your own. 2. If God and you agree not every way, as you are irregular, so you are undutiful. You are his servants, and you are his creatures, and therefore ought in all things to be ruled by him. The Master's will must be the servants will, in lawful things; and therefore in the Civil Law the servant is accounted in the Master, and not as a distinct person: And much more the Creators will must be the creatures will. He gives it being, both the beginning and continuance of it; and he that gives being, may give Law to regulate the motions and the operations of the being that he gives, and may not be contested with in any particular. 3. If we agree not all in God, our agreement and accord among ourselves is worth nothing: So far it is to be approved, as it doth unite in God. Then it is good and right indeed; when as the Father and the Son agree together, so we agree with both of them in the very same things. If we be of one mind and heart, in things wherein the Father and the Son are not of one mind with us, it were better we did differ then unite; for we unite not in a right centre. But if as we be one among ourselves, so we be one in the Father and the Son, this is indeed a blessed union: If Brethren so dwell together in unity, that all of them do dwell together in this one God, this is a happy and a heavenly conjunction: And therefore I beseech you, my Beloved, let us look to this, that as we all agree, so we all agree in God and Jesus Christ. Let us examine still whether our consent in any thing do meet and unite with theirs: Let us see what their mind and will is, and let us all accord in that together; For though we be not one against another, if God be against us all, it is a very sad case. The Apostle John makes mention of love in the truth, 2 Joh. 15. Love in error is not to be accounted of, but to be avoided rather; but love in truth is very precious; consent in error is not to be rejoiced in, but consent in truth, my Brethren, is a comfortable thing: For this is consent in God, who is so often called Truth in Scripture. And if we so agree, and so consent, we may depend upon it, we have God's agreement and consent with us; and therefore let this be our great care, that Jesus Christ may have his will in this business, according to his prayer in my Text, That they may be one as thou Father art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us. JOHN 17.21. That the world may believe that thou hast sent me. WE are upon the matter of our Saviour's Prayer, for them who should believe in him by his Apostles word. And there are two main things, as I have noted formerly, that he desires in their behalf: First that they might be all one; Then that they might be all in one place. The first of these requests of his he propounds and prosecutes; propounds it in the verse which we have even now insisted on, That they all may be one, etc. And then he prosecutes it with divers arguments and reasons, in this and the succeeding verses. Whereof the first is taken from the furtherance, that this near unity of theirs would be, to the acceptance of our Saviour in the world; That the world may believe that thou hast sent me: That they may all be one, as, etc. Why so? That the world may believe, etc. For Explication of the terms, the difficulty lies especially in this, viz. what sort of people our Saviour Christ intendeth by the world here; For to say truth, the world is taken divers ways; I think more differently than any other phrase almost in Scripture: Sometimes we find it used for elect and sanctified, and sometimes for reprobate and unsanctified persons: Sometimes we find it taken for believers, and sometimes for unbelievers, as I could give you instances of both these. And when for unbelievers; sometimes for those who believe not for the present, but shall believe in after times; sometimes for those who neither do believe nor shall believe. Now all the question is, which of these three sorts of people our Saviour Christ denoteth by the world in this place. There is no colour to conceive that the world should here be taken for believers, for such as did then believe when Christ spoke these words; the very next word that he adds doth evidently cross and dash that; That the world may believe that thou hast sent me: So than the world in this place apparently importeth unbelievers. But whether such as believed not for the present, but should believe in after times: Or such as neither did believe, nor should believe: Whether elected unbelievers, or reprobated unbelievers, will need a little briefly to be enquired and resolved. Some of no small authority conceive, that by the world is meant elected unbelievers; such as did not then believe, but should believe in after times (conceive it with a saving and a justifying faith) and that the rather for Christ's Disciples unity among themselves. And hence he prays, That they may all be one as thou Father, etc. that the world may believe that thou sent me. But if our Saviour had intended justifying faith in these words, in probability he would have said, that the world may believe in me. They are but poor believers that come no further then barely to assent to this, that Jesus Christ is sent of God the Father; a reprobate may do this. Besides (which carries me exceedingly) me thinks the world is here apparently opposed to such as did believe, and should believe with a justifying faith. Our Saviour mentions it as opposite to both these. In the first place you know, he prays for such as did believe, when he made this prayer; and then for such as should believe in after times: Neither pray I for these only, but for them also that shall believe on me, that they may all be one, etc. That the world, who neither do believe, nor shall believe with a justifying faith, may yet by this means be so far convinced, as historically to assent to this, That thou hast sent me, q. d. This is that which I desire, that they who shall in after times believe by my Apostles word, may by their unity so far convince and work upon the world that never shall believe, as that they may be brought to this at least, to acknowledge that thou hast sent me: For so believing here is nothing else but knowing or acknowledging: and therefore in the 23. verse that word is used, I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one, that the world may know that thou hast sent me. You see the meaning of the words. The point to be observed is this: DOCTRINE. The unity of Christ's Disciples is one especial means to cause the world to have the better thoughts and apprehensions of their Master. Though this will not convert the world, and bring them to be true believers, yet this will very much convince the world, and make them look with a better eye on Christ, and on the Doctrine of the Gospel, when they that teach it and profess it, harmoniously agree among themselves: And hence is this Petition of our Saviour here, that they may all be one, etc. that so the world (although it be an enemy to me) yet seeing the consent and love, and unity of my Disciples, of them that own me and profess me, may be even forced to acknowledge and confess that I am sent of God, that my Doctrine is of God, and that I am not (as the world is apt to think) a seducer and impostor, q.d. If my Disciples be not one among themselves, if they be rend asunder by a spirit of division, the world will never yield that I came forth from thee, who art the God of love and peace; That thou hast sent me down to be a Mediator and a Peacemaker, to make up all the breaches and the differences between thee and thy people. They will look strangely upon me, and they will never be persuaded to acknowledge that I am come on such an Errand as this is. And therefore I beseech thee, Father, that I may be entertained under the notion of a Mediator, and that I may be looked upon as sent by thee; do thou take care that my Disciples be at unity among themselves. Now here I shall a little more distinctly show you, that the unity of Christ's Disciples in Doctrine and Opinion, and in Affection and in Conversation, is one especial means to cause the world to have the better thoughts of Christ himself. The unity of Christ's Disciples in Doctrine and Opinion is one especial means, etc. If they maintain and hold the same things, if they teach the same things, they will the sooner gain the approbation and assent of those that are without; But if they wrangle and contend, this will make them more averse from Jesus Christ & from the Gospel. And truly not one thing almost hath kept men more aloof from Christ, and the Doctrine of Salvation, in and by & through him, than the perpetual, hot and endless controversies and Disputes that have been among the Teachers of the Gospel. Nay, if they be not able to agree among themselves, say they that are without, even let them all alone, we will carry till they do. And therefore the Apostles still were very circumspect to manifest agreement and consent among themselves in that which they delivered to the people, because they knew of how great consequence it was to further the success & efficacy of their Doctrine. It is observable that Paul joins one or two together with himself in his Epistle, sometimes Sylvanus, sometimes Sylvanus and Timotheus, who were not inspired men (as it is probably conceived) and so could not add a whit to the divine authority of his Epistle: But yet he shows how they accorded all together, for the better satisfaction of the people. So the Apostles and the Elders and the Brethren go jointly all together in the Resolutions of the Synod at Jerusalem, Acts 15.23. that their decrees might find the readier entertainment among those to whom they sent them. And though it be a certain and confessed truth that the agreement and consent of teachers, neither doth, nor can work saving faith in any (The word itself, my brethren, as it is the Object, so it is the instrumental cause of faith:) yet it may prepare the heart and work it up to better thoughts and apprehensions both of Christ and of the Gospel. The unity of Christ's Disciples in affection and in conversation is one especial means, etc. If they live in unity and love and sweet accord together, they that are Aliens to religion, strangers to Jesus Christ and to his Gospel, will think the better of them for their sakes. But if they be continually brawling and opposing one another, this keeps others off from Christ. If he be owned and followed by none but by a company of wrangling, quarrelsome contentious people, they will never close with him. So that you see my brethren, it exceedingly concerns the honour of our Saviour Jesus Christ and of the Gospel, that they that appertain to him, avoid dissensions with their brethren, for they reflect with very great disparagement on him and it. And therefore the Apostle is so sharp with the Corinthians, because they shown their malice, and had their suits and controvesies each with other before unbelievers, 1 Cor. 6.1. By which it seems they set them off the further, both from Christ and from the Gospel. This shall suffice for the clearing of the Observation; proceed we to the application. Now, is it so my brethren, that the unity of Christ's Disciples is one Use 1 especial means to cause the world to have the better thoughts, etc. Here than we see the reason, my beloved, why Jesus Christ, and religion, and the Gospel, are so despised and undervalved and neglected, why they are so ill thought of in these times. As certainly Christ and the Gospel had never less esteem and credit in the world, than they have in these days; And this is one great cause of it, there is so little unity among Christians. Nothing but disputes and quarrels, and contests among them everywhere; whither we look upon the Teachers or the Professors of Jesus Christ and of the Gospel. If we look upon the Teachers, how strangely do they differ each from other everywhere! how do they cross and thwart with one another, as if there were many Christ's, and many Faiths, and many Gospels, and more ways than one to heaven! In the Apostles times it was Paul and Silvanus and Timotheus, they did harmoniously agree together. But now Paul is of one mind, and one way, and Timotheus of a second, and Silvanus of a third; So that the people are distracted, and in the end regard neither. They that are yet without, and to seek of their religion, know not what to pitch upon, but are the more estranged from Jesus Christ and from the Gospel. If the Trumpet give an uncertain sound, now here and now there: now this way, and now that: how shall the confused people gather themselves into a body, and come to be at one among themselves? If this Pulpit sound with one thing, another with that which is directly contrary to it; a third with that which contradicts both; where think you then shall poor unstable souls settle? how is it possible but they that have not senses exercised to discern, should be carried up and down and really adhere to nothing, as it is at this day? And thus our Gospel is exposed to contempt, our Religion undervalved, and Jesus Christ himself is slighted and despised. 2. If we look on the professors of Jesus Christ, and of the Gospel, how are they rend asunder into factions! Oh what a spirit of division is there up and down among them, such as never was abroad till these times! They are of so many minds, and draw so many ways, and have such vehement and such hot contentions and disputes among themselves, that they are no way to be pacified and appeased, unless the God of peace himself appear, and above all that we can think. All that time and pains, and heat, and zeal, and strength which was wont to be bestowed in private duties, in prayer, and examination, and humiliation, etc. and to be set a work about their own hearts, in mortifying, and subduing the corruptions and the lusts that are there, is now laid out in making and upholding parties, and in maintaining controversies, and disputes, in doting about frothy frivolous, and vain questions, that tend to strife and variance, and not one whit to edification. And this is that which alienates and keeps off those that are without from closing with religion. This takes away the beauty and the lustre of it, that may invite them, and allure them to it. When carnal men see nothing else but rents and breaches among professors of religion, the glory of it is extremely darkened in their eyes, and it is sure a stone of stumbling to them, and such a rock of scandal and offence as they cannot get over. When we show all our weakness in our passion, and in our violent and hot contentions, before the watchful eyes of scornful enemies: when we uncover ourselves in the sight of the wicked as a fool uncovers himself, they disdain us in their hearts, and with us our profession too. Nay if this be their Religion and profession, to brawl, to wrangle, and to quarrel thus, I am even at a point (saith the profane and graceless heart) I will have none of it. It is a choice and curious observation of the Holy Ghost (if you observe it) upon the difference that fell out between the servants of Abraham, and the servants of Lot, that at the very time when the contention grew, the Canaanite and Perezite was in the Land, Gen. 13.7. There was a strife between the Herdsmen of Abraham's Cattle, and the Herdsmen of Lot's Cattle, and the Canaanite and Perezite dwelled then in the Land. Their strife was much the more vile, and the more disadvantageous to religion, because it was before them. Use 2 And therefore in the second place, my brethren, since the unity of Christ's Disciples, is one especial means to cause, etc. Let this prevail exceedingly with every one of us, who are or would be taken to be Christ's Disciples to strive and labour after this oneness. There have been many Arguments and Reasons used heretofore often, to stir us up to this endeavour, but none like this, that Jesus Christ will be the more respected, and the better thought of in the world by this means. Now for the honour of Christ Jesus, leave your wrangling and contending, and agree among yourselves; Do not so carry and demean yourselves, as to persuade the world that he was never sent of God. He suffered shame and ignominy, and contempt for you; Oh, do not cause him now to suffer ignominy and contempt from you. You have seen the sad effects of breaches and divisions, many ways, and this way among the rest in these times: How much our blessed Saviour and the Gospel suffers by the hot contentions of those who call themselves Saints. Ah, my beloved, if you have any love to Jesus Christ, any regard at all to his esteem and credit in the world, if you would have him in account and reputation, make up your breaches and differences, deny yourselves for his sake. See how he begs his Father for it in my Text, Let them be one, saith he, as thou, etc. that the world may believe, etc. that they that are without may not be so ill persuaded of me as they are. And if Christ be so earnest for it, if he beg for it of his Father, with so much affection, will you slight it, and look upon it as a small matter? Oh labour to help onward that which he is so intent upon, that so without hypocrisy you may say Amen to this Prayer. And thus of the first Argument with which our Saviour prosecutes his suit to God the Father, that his Disciples might be all one: Which hath been taken from the furtherance that this near unity of theirs would be to his own entertainment in the world. JOHN. 17.22. And the glory which thou hast given me, I have given them: that they may be one even as we are one. THE second follows now in order to be handled. And it is taken from the end at which he aimed in glorifying his Disciples, in giving them the glory which he had received from God the Father, and this was that they might be one; And the glory which thou gavest me, I have given them, that they may be one, even as we are one. q. d. Since I have glorified them so much as I have done, to this end that they might be one, I pray thee Father, let me not be disappointed of my purpose, but let me have my end in this business. Two things we have to be considered in the words. First Christ's communication of the glory which he received from the Father to believers. The glory which thou gavest me, I have given them. And secondly the end of this communication, that they may be one, even as we are one. At this time I shall make a little entrance on the first of these, and that is Christ's communication of the glory which he received from the Father to believers. The glory which thou gavest me, I have given them. If there be any question what glory is intended by our Saviour here, whither that which he as God, enjoyed together with the Father from eternity; Or that which he as Man and Mediator of the Church, received from the Father: It is apparently resolved in the words themselves. The glory which thou gavest me. Christ hath no glory given him as he is God; but as he is Man, and Mediator, he hath much bestowed upon him by the Father. Now that which he receives as man, he communicates to men, he gives it out again in some sense and in some degree, to true believers, to all the living members of his body. As he affirmeth here expressly, the glory which thou gavest me, I have given them. Them, whom? Why them that believe on me, as you shall easily discern, if you observe the series of the Text; Neither pray I for those only, but, etc. That they may all be one, etc. And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them. So that we have two Observations clearly pointed at in these words. First, God the Father hath bestowed much glory on the Son, as he is Man and Mediator of the Church. Secondly, The self same glory which the Son as Man receives from God the Father, he communicates again, and gives it out in a sort to all believers. DOCTRINE 1. God the Father hath bestowed much glory on the Son as he is Man and Mediator of the Church. You see he hath the Son's receipt to show for it, the glory which thou hast given me, saith Christ; It is his own acknowledgement in writing here, that he hath glory given him by God the Father. Indeed my brethren, God the Father hath honoured Jesus Christ exceedingly, Heb. 1. per tot. for that is the intention of the whole Chapter, as I have showed you largely on the first verse, to which I shall refer you for further prosecution of this Point: and so I pass on to the second Observation. DOCTRINE 2. The self same glory which the Son as man receives from God the Father, he communicates again, and give it out in a sort to true Believers. That which he receives as man, he communicates to men; as he partakes it in the humane nature, so to the humane nature he dispenses it again to all the members of his body. This is the thing which he affirms expressly to his Father in my text, The glory which thou hast given me, I have given them, q. d. As thou gavest it me for them, so I have given it to them. I have not kept it in my own hands, but have as freely parted with it, as I did receive it. I have been true to thee and them in this business. Now for the through clearing of the Point, I shall review the glory which God the Father hath bestowed upon the Son as Man and Mediator of the Church, and that in all parts and branches of it. And then proceed to show you particularly and distinctly, that this very glory, in all the parts and branches of it, Christ hath dispensed again in some degree to true believers; And when I have done this, I hope it will be evident, that the self same glory, etc. Then the Son, as man, receives most honourable titles from the Father, as I have showed you formerly at large; he calls him King, he calls him Lord. Yea, not Lord Adonai alone, but Lord Jehovah; which is indeed the highest and most glorious Title that belongs to God himself. But doth Christ make these Titles over now to true believers? yes, my beloved, all of them without exception. As God makes him a Prince, so he makes them Princes; And as God makes him a King, so he makes them Kings, as the Church acknowledges, Apoc. 1.6. He hath made us Kings to God. As God calls him Jehovah, so he calls the Church Jehovah, at least she is so called by his means, by reason of her union with him: For even as Jer. 23.6. it is said of Jesus Christ, This is his name by which he shall be called, Jehovah our righteousness; so Jer. 33.16. it is said of true believers, of the Church which consists of true believers, This is her name, by which she shall be called, Jehovah our Righteousness. A man would think, Christ should have kept this glorious and transcendent title to himself, concerning which the Lord professes, Isa. 42.8. I am the Lord, I am Jehovah (for it is Jehovah there, not Adonai or Elohim) that is my name that is in a sense, my proper and peculiar name; and my glory, the glory of that name, will I not give unto another. But when the Father gives it unto the Son as Mediator, he doth not give it to another; for he is one with God the Father; and when the Son as Mediator, gives it to the Church, he doth not give it to another neither; She is so near him that he will have her one way or other, to partake with him in this high glory. The Son as man receives much glory from the Father, as in the Titles which he gives the Son, so in the Titles which himself assumes in relation to the Son. In the New Testament, as I have showed you, he calls himself no more the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the Father of Israel, but the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. He calls himself no more the Lord their God that brought them out of land of Egypt, but the God that brought again from the dead the Lord Jesus Christ. Now as he calls Christ so, so Christ makes him to call all true believers so. He will have them to share with him by any means in this honour. Is God the God of Christ? why Christ makes him the God of all believers. Is God the Father of Christ? why Christ makes him the Father of believers. Is he the God that brings again from the dead the Lord Jesus Christ? why he is the God too that will surely bring again from the dead all true believers, as the Apostle tells us, them that sleep in Jesus, will he also bring with him, 1 Thess. 4.14. Me thinks it is as if Christ should have said to him, That which thou art to me, thou shalt be to them too: That which thou dost for me, thou shalt do for them too. I will have none of this honour, unless they partake with me. The Son, as Man, receives much glory from the Father, in that he sets him at own right hand, in the next place to himself. Why now the self same glory doth the Son bestow upon the Church in that he sets her at his own right hand, in the next place to himself. If Jesus Christ be raised so high, how high is the Church raised? If Jesus Christ be so transcendently exalted in this, that he is set in the next place to God, how is the Church exalted then that she is set in the next place to Christ! Look upon Christ, and you shall see that God hath highly exalted him, and set him at his own right hand, Ephes. 1.21. and then look upon the Church and you shall see, that Christ hath highly exalted her, and set her at his own right hand, Psal. 45.9. On thy right hand did stand the Queen, (i) the Church. Now, my beloved, is the place of Christ high? How high then is the Church's place? Is Christ at the right hand of God? She is at the right hand of Christ. Is Christ in the next place to God? She is in the next place to Christ. Is there none above Christ but God? None is above the Church, but Christ and God. Is he exalted far above all principality and powers, might and dominion, not only in this world, but in that which is to come; not only above all principalities and powers on earth, but even above all principalities and powers in heaven too; above the very Angels, yea, the highest orders of them? She is exalted far above them. As Christ comes between them and God, so she comes between them and Christ, she is nearer Christ in union, nature and dignity. The Angels are but Ministers and servants whiles the Saints the members of the Church are heirs. Yea, they are Ministers to these heirs. They are all the best of them, ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation, Heb. 1. ult. So that no marvel, though our Saviour tells his Father here, The glory which thou gavest me I have given them. The Son as Man, receives much glory from the Father, in the vast authority and power which he hath vested him withal. Why now, the same power he dispenseth to the Church, to be executed by her Officers. And therefore having said All power is given to me both in Heaven and in Earth, Mat. 28.18. he adds immediately to his Apostles in the very next verse, Go ye, and teach all Nations, baptising them. q. d. the power which is given me, I give you in some measure. As God the Father hath given me all power, so I give you some power, so much as you are capable of. And as the government is put upon my shoulders by the Father as the Prophet speaks, Isa 9.6. so I put over some part of this Government to you my under-Officers, whom I depute to manage and negotiate the affairs of my Kingdom. As God the Father hath set me over his house, so I set you to be my Stewards under me, to whom I give the Keys of this house. As God the Father hath given me the King-key of David's Princedom which I keep myself, so that I shut and no man openeth, I open and no man shuts: so I give you the Ministerial Keys, which I intrust with you who are the Stewards and the guides of my household: To whom I give a special power to open and to shut the doors of my house, to let in and put out. And though it be my own prerogative, and a chief flower of that Imperial Crown which God the Father hath been pleased to set upon my head, to seal pardons, and to forgive sins, viz. to do it in the Court of heaven, and Conscience: yet I commit to you my Viceroys, and my under-Officers, a Ministerial power both to remit, and to retain sins in the outward Court, that is, the face and presence of the Church, in regard of declaration. Verily I say unto you, whatsoever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, etc. Mat. 18.18, 19 And in another place, whosesoever sins ye remit, they are remitted; and whosesoever sins you retain, they are retained. And in a word, as God the Father hath committed all judgement unto me, so I commit some judgement to you. And hence it is, my brethren, that the Church assisted by her Officers, judgeth them that are within, although she judge not them that are without, as Paul speaks, 1 Cor. 5.22. over whom no power is given her by the Lord Christ: But those that are within, she judgeth and condemneth too if there be cause, and casts them out, and gives them over to the Executioner; There take them Satan, disquiet them, afflict them, for the destruction of the flesh the carnal part, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord. The Son, as Man, receives much glory from the Father in the great offices of dignity and trust and honour, which he hath advanced him to. Why now the self same glory hath the Son communicated to believers, in that he hath advanced them to the self same Offices to which he is himself advanced by the Father. As God the Father hath made Jesus Christ a King, a Priest, and a Prophet to himself; so Christ doth make all true believers Kings and Priests to God his Father: for both those Offices are mentioned Apoc. 1.6. He makes them to become a royal Priesthood, 1 Pet. 2.9. A Priesthood, and a royal Priesthood. And as he makes them Kings and Priests, so he makes them Prophets too, to teach their families, and make known his ways to them: to teach their neighbours and acquaintance, and to admonish one another within the compass of their own Spheres, Col. 3.16. In which respect it is the Counsel of the Apostle in the cited place, Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, in you the people of Colosse, not in the learned Doctors only, but in the private members of the Church: So that you see Christ hath advanced all true believers with him, to all the offices to which he is advanced by the Father, and so hath made them sharers with him in the glory. None of the Types of Christ were so advanced in the figure. Melchizideck was both a King, and Priest, as you may see, Gen. 14.18. but he was no Prophet. David was a King and Prophet, 2 Sam. 23.2. but he was no Priest. Ezechiel was a Priest and a Prophet, but he was not King. But all believers are so advanced in the truth; they are Kings, and Priests and Prophets, all three as Christ is; and so they have the same glory that Christ receives from God the Father. The Son, as Man, receives much glory from the Father, as by the Offices which he hath received him to, so by the gifts and graces and abilities which he hath endued him with, for the discharge and execution of those Offices. The self same honour do believers receive in some degree from Christ again. As God the Father hath anointed him with the Holy Ghost and power, thereby enabling him to be an all-sufficient King and Priest and Prophet to his people; so God the Son hath given down some part of his anointing to believers, by which he hath enabled them to all those Offices to which he hath assumed them with himself: It runs down from him the Head to the skirts of his Garment: And hence, saith the Apostle, speaking to believers, ye, saith he, have an unction from the Holy One, 1 Joh. 2.20. Christ hath an unction from the Father, yea from Christ. Jesus Christ immediately from the Father; ye mediately in, and by, and through Christ. Indeed, my Brethren, all believers partake with Christ in this anointing of the Spirit. He suffered no man to do them wrong, but reproved even Kings for their sakes, saying, Touch not mine anointed, Psal. 105.15. But who were these anointed, you will ask me? They were not Kings as some expound it: for God reproved Kings for their sakes, saying, Touch not my anointed. But they were the Lords people, as you may easily perceive, if you survey the scope of that place. And hence the Prophet having said, God, even thy God hath anointed thee, he adds immediately above thy fellows, Psal. 45.7. so that Christ hath his fellows in the unction, although not in the measure of the unction: All believers share with him, though they do not share like him. And if they be his fellows in the unction, they must be his fellows too in the honour of the unction. They are partakers with him in the self same glory, which, etc. By this time I suppose the point is cleared; the self same glory which he receives from God the Father, etc. Use 1 Now, is it so, my Brethren, that the self same glory, etc. Here than you see what great regard he hath to them that do indeed believe in him, and what a mind he hath to honour them, even to the utmost: So that he doth not grudge them to be sharers with him in his own glory. Rather than they shall want it, they shall have of that which God the Father hath bestowed on him, to make him glorious in the world. It satisfies him not to shine alone; no, he must have believers shine with him and sparkle with him. O what an admirable thing is this, that Christ should have such singular regard to poor wretches! His glory is the thing which he is most tender of, which he is loathest to forego: And yet he is content, you see, to part with this to true believers, to give them of his own allowance from the Father. His blood was dear, but his glory is dearer; yet let it be dear and precious as it will, it is not too dear for them: If he have any, they shall have a part with him, and that in the same glory; not in another kind of glory, but the very same that he is endued with; so he tells his Father here; The glory which thou gavest me, I have given them, q. d. There let them take it with my heart, and much good may it do to them. Use 2 And therefore in the second place let this instruct us, as Christ gives us his glory, so to give him ours. Why should not we, my Brethren, be as willing to part with ours to him, as he is willing to part with his to us? you hear, the self same glory which the Son as man receives, etc. And therefore if at any time we receive any honour any way, let us not keep it in our hands, but let us give it up to Jesus Christ. If we have done any act that draws applause or commendation, if when we have performed any duty with more than ordinary zeal, or power, or profit, or success, men admire us, and advance us, let us not do as Herod did; Let not this glory cleave to our fingers; but let us shake it off from us, and say with David, Not unto us, not unto us, but to the Name of Christ be all the glory; And when these Crowns of honour are set upon our heads by men; O let us with the twenty four Elders cast them down before the throne of Jesus Christ. And as Christ saith to God the Father here, The glory which thou gavest, me I have given them: so let us say the same in sincerity to Christ, The glory which men gave us, we have given thee. JOHN 17.23. I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one. AND thus far of the Second Argument with which our Saviour prosecutes his suit to God the Father, that believers might be one; Which hath been taken from the end at which he aimed, in giving them the glory which he had received from God the Father: and this was that they might be one. The glory which thou gavest me, I have given them, that they may be one even as we are one. The third comes now in order to be handled: And it is taken from the end of Christ's inhabitation in believers, and of the Father's inhabitation in himself, and this is also that they may be one, yea, that they may be perfect in one, I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one. You easily discern that there is some word defective to make the sense complete in this place, I in them, and thou in me, what's that? Either it must be I am in them, and thou in me; or I have been in them, and thou in me; Or I shall be in them, and thou in me. Either all or one of these, or some such thing as this is. Modern Interpreters take little notice of it, that I can observe, and ancient Writers supply it diversely, according as their apprehensions lead them. As far as I can dive into it, it is thus expressed of purpose because our Saviour had no mind to bind it up either to the past, the present, or the future tense, but that it might be left indifferent to them all. If he had said expressly, I have been in them, and thou in me; this could not have been properly applied to those which then believed for the present, or should believe in after times. If he had said I am in them, and thou in me exclusively, this would not have been properly applied to them which had believed in former times (supposing that I am excludeth I have been) or should believe in after times. If he had said, I shall he in them, and thou in me, this could not have been properly applied to them which had believed, or did believe; So that which way soever he had fully set it down, he had seemed to exclude past believers, or present believers, or future believers, which he had no intent to do; And therefore he doth purpo ely express it so (as I conceive) that he might take in all of them, without exception, I in them, and thou in me, to which you may add, have been, are, and shall be. I have been in them that did believe, I am in them that do believe, and I will be in them that shall believe: That so they may be all of them by this means closely linked together; One special end of my inhabitation in believers past, present, and to come, of this inhabitation in myself, (the Mediator between thee and them) is this, That they may all be one; yea, that they may be perfect in one; & therefore I beseech thee Father, let us have our end in this business. For Explication of the words, we have three things to be enquired and resolved. First, how Christ as Mediator is in true believers. Secondly, how God the Father is in Christ as Mediator. Thirdly, how the Mediator being in believers, and God the Father's being in the Mediator, do serve to this great end whereof our Saviour speaks (viz.) to make believers one, yea, to make them perfect in one; I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one. I shall be brief upon the former two, because they are more easy to be apprehended; and the third indeed is the main thing in the Text. As for the first of these, How Christ as Mediator is in true believers, I suppose you are not to seek of this. He is in true believers by his Spirit; And that not by the Essence of the Spirit (for so he is no more in one man then another) but by the operation and effects, that is, the gifts and graces of the Spirit; and especially by faith, which is the grace that gives them the denomination of believers; And therefore Christ is said expressly to dwell in the heart by faith, Eph. 3.17. As for the second thing proposed, how God the Father is in Christ as Mediator; for clearing this you must remember that which hath been often hinted, that God the Father all along this prayer of our Saviour, is taken for the whole Godhead. Now in our Saviour's humane Nature the whole Godhead dwells, as the Apostle shows, Col. 2.9. In him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily. Others are partakers of the Divine Nature, as the Apostle speaks, 2 Pet. 1.4. but he is partaker of the Divine Essence. Others are partakers of the properties of God; but he is partaker of the Godhead itself: Others are partakers of the grace of God; but he is partaker of the God of grace; And therefore the Apostle saith not that in Christ dwelleth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, that is, the Divinity, but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, that is, the Godhead; And that the fullness, all the fullness of it; In him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily; Because it is indeed and really united to the humane Nature, to the body of Christ Jesus, as I have somewhere noted heretofore. You see how Christ is in believers, and how God is in Christ. Now for the third and last particular proposed, how their being each in other doth serve to this end mentioned in my Text, viz. to make believers one, yea, to make them perfect in one; I in them, and thou in me, that they may be perfect in one; This will need a little further Explication. That Christ is in believers by his Spirit, to this end, that they may be one among themselves, and with the Father and the Son, is very manifest in Scripture. But is God in Jesus Christ to this end? Yes, my Beloved, to this end. God had never been in Christ as Mediator, but that believers might be joined to himself, in, and by, and through Christ. True, my Beloved, the Father had been in the Son as God however, so he was from everlasting: But God had never been in Christ as Man and Mediator, but for effecting this union: so that as the Apostle saith, God was in Christ reconciling the world, the world of believers: so I may say as well, God was in Christ uniting the world, the same world of believers to himself. Originally they are disjointed and divided each from other, and which is worst of all, from God; But down comes Christ, and dwells in all of them together, and down comes God and dwells in Christ, that so they may be all one; I in them, and thou in me, that they may be perfect in one. Not only that they may be one, but that they may be perfect in one; what doth our Saviour mean by that expression, That they may be perfect in one? Truly nothing else but this, as I conceive, that they may so be one, that there may be a perfect union. There is a twofold perfection, a perfection of parts, and a perfection of degrees. The first of these is specially intended here, that there may be a perfect union in regard of parts, that is, that all the parts that should be joined may be joined together: Therefore am I in all of them, saith Christ here, and thou in me that am in all of them; I in them, and thou in me, that they may be perfect in one; that there may be such a union, to which no part that should be joined is wanting, so that there can be nothing added to it (in regard of parts at least) to make it more consummate and complete. If I were not in them (though they were never so indissolubly joined among themselves) that would not be a perfect union; for there would be Christ wanting. If thou were't not in me as Mediator (though I were never so indissolubly joined to them) that would not be a perfect union neither; for there would be God wanting. And therefore I in them (saith Christ) I have been in them that did believe, I am in them that do believe, and I will be in them that shall believe to the end of the world. And thou in me: thou hast been, art, and wilt be still in me; that they may be perfect in one; That they may be so one, that there may be a perfect union. You see the meaning of the words, as far as I have attained. There might be many things observed, which have been divers times insisted on from other places. The doctrine proper to the Text is this. DOCTRINE. That the perfection of believers union stands in this, that even as they are one among themselves, so God and Christ, or God in Christ is one with them. This is that which makes it perfect. There are three things required, you see, to this perfection, and all of them apparently suggested in the Doctrine and the Text. First, Gods being one with Christ, being in Christ as Mediator, thou in me. Secondly, Christ's being one with true believers, being in believers, I in them. Thirdly, believers being one among themselves, or each with other, that they may be one: And when all these are joined together, then there is a perfect union, perfect in regard of parts; there can be nothing added to it. I in them, and thou in me, that they may be perfect in one. For clearing of this, my Brethren, you must know that it hath been the project and design of God from everlasting, that all believers shall be joined among themselves, and joined to Christ as Mediator, and in and through Christ as Mediator, to himself: That Christ who is the middle party between God and men, God in Heaven, and men on earth, should reconcile, and reconciling join things in heaven and earth together; That in the dispensation of the fullness of time, he should gather into one all things in heaven and earth together in himself, Ephes. 1.10. So that till all these things be joined together, it cannot be a perfect union, because all things are not united, that are appointed to be joined together. I shall a little touch upon them in their order. 1. That there may be a perfect union, perfect in regard of parts, believers must be joined together all of them among themselves: As long as one believer by Election, is without, and is not gathered in to Jesus Christ (for in him they are knit together) it is not a perfect union, because there is a member wanting. The body mystical remains imperfect, in regard of integrals, as the Holy Ghost insinuates, Ephes. 4.13. And hence (saith the Apostle) we without them cannot be made perfect, Heb. 11. ult. We without them, are members, in a sense, of an incomplete body: But when all are once come in, when all, both Jews and Gentiles come in the unity of the Faith, unto the knowledge of the Son of God, than he is a perfect man (conceive it in his mystical Body) then is the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ: And therefore saith our Saviour, I in them, that they may be perfect in one: As I have been in them that did believe, and as I am in them that do believe, so I will be in them, in all of them that shall believe to the end of the world. And of these last especially he speaks, as is apparent by the scope; Neither pray I for these only, saith our Saviour, (for these only that believe) but for them also which shall believe on me through their word; for them, and all of them; I in them, in all of them; as I have been & am in all that do believe, so I will be in all that shall believe, even to the world's end: That all believers being joined together, past, present, and to come, there may be a perfect union; That they may be perfect in one, That is the first thing. 2. That there may be a perfect union: as believers must be joined together, all of them among themselves: so Christ must be united to them all; he must be in all of them, as you have it in my Text; For God hath given him to be the Head over all things to the Church, Ephes. 1.22. over all things of the Church, or that are members of the Church; And it is the Father's pleasure which he hath purposed in himself, That in the dispensation of the fullness of time, he might gather together in one, all things in Christ, Ephes. 1.10. so that if all believers could be gathered into one among themselves, and not into one in Christ, that would not be a perfect union, because they are appointed to be one in him; If all the members of the body mystical, could be completely joined among themselves, and not united unto Christ their Head, that would not be a perfect union, because God hath appointed him, and given him to be their Head: The joining of the members all together, you will say, will make but an unperfect and a maimed body, unless the Head be joined to them. 3. That there may be a perfect union, as believers must be one among themselves, and Christ must be one with them: so God must be one with Christ, and in and through Christ with them. I mean with Christ as Head and Mediator of the Church. Indeed the end for which Christ took upon him the Office of a Mediator, was to join God and man together, who were divided by the fall: Therefore God sent him down into the world, that he might be in Christ reconciling the world unto himself, 2 Cor. 5.19. Now suppose Christ could reconcile believers each to other, suppose that he could reconcile them and unite them to himself as man: if he could not reconcile them and unite them unto God, this were an unperfect union, there were a great defect in it. Where God, my Brethren, is left out, it is a very poor conjunction: And therefore God is in Christ reconciling the world of believers, that while Christ reconciles them to himself, he may eadem opera reconcile them unto God, who is in him, that so the union may be perfect, and there may be nothing wanting, as you have it in my Text; I in them, and thou in me, that they may be perfect in one. Now, is it so that the perfection of believers union stands in this, that Use 1 even as they are one among themselves, so God and Christ, or God in Christ is one with them? Then first it serves to let us see, how faulty and defective the union of the men of this world is. True, many of them are knit together in a knot, they are confederate together, they have all one mind, as the Holy Ghost speaks, Apoc. 17.13. they seem to be as firmly joined together in a bond of love, as it is possible for men to be. But God and Christ are not united with them, they are out of this conjunction: Nay my Beloved, they are so far from being one with them, that indeed they are against them. This is a most unhappy and accursed union. I wish all such would think upon it, who are as Simeon and Levi, brethren in iniquity, who are confederate against God, as David speaks, Psal. 85.5. who set themselves and take counsel together against the Lord, and against his Christ, Psal. 2.2. who combine themselves together, to oppose the truths of God, the ways of God, the servants of God, the glory of God, to do such things as are contrary to God. Is God and Christ in their confederation? Do God and Christ join with them, and combine together with them? They are all one among themselves; touch one and touch all: but is God and Christ one with them? Why, they are against God, and therefore certainly God is not with them, but against them, and that is a sad union. The peace, and friendship, and confederacy of such, is like the tempering of iron, brass and clay together, that will by no means solder or unite; The knot will certainly untie at last, the union will dissolve, if God and Christ be not engaged in it: And as the Hebrews note of the name of man and wife, Ish, and Ishah, that if you take away the letters 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which make the Name of God, there remains nothing else but Esh, and that is fire the fire of discord and dissension: So certainly if God be out of any union, yea let it be as near as that of man and wife, which is one of the nearest in the world, there will be fire among the parties to it, the fire of jealousy and rage, that will devour them and destroy them in the end: And it will prove like the unhappy combination between Abimelech and them of Shechem, concerning which the Holy Ghost foreshowed, Judg. 9.20. that fire should come out of Abimelech and devour the men of Shechem, and the house of Millo; And fire should come out from the men of, Shechem, and the house of Millo, and devour Abimilech. Use 2 Is it so, that the perfection of the union of believers stands in this, that even as they are one among themselves, etc. Then truly they have cause to bless the Lord that he is pleased to unite with them; to be one with such worms as they are, and so to make the union perfect. Ah, my Beloved, if God did not join with you, if he stood aloof from you, what would your Union or Communion each with other profit you, or comfort you? what would it do without God? But seeing God and Christ are in you, seeing they are one with you, this is indeed a perfect union, (all are joined that should be joined) this is a happy and a heavenly Conjunction. O my Beloved, I beseech you labour so to walk, that God and Christ may not withdraw from you. It's true, I must confess, he never really and totally and finally forsaketh those in whom he dwells: but he forsakes them sensibly, so that he seems to be no more with them: and therefore let it be your study and endeavour, to walk so humbly & so holily, that God and Christ may still delight to dwell with you, and to dwell in you, and to show themselves to you, that you may know that they are with you. Be sure you never join in any business, in which they will not join with you: Be sure you never venture upon any action that will provoke them to withdraw from you: Oh, do no wicked, no unclean thing that may offend the holy God: Allow no evil in your hearts, that may make his being in you uncomfortable and unpleasing to him. Do not defile the Temple that he dwells in, lest you cause him to resolve, as once he did in reference to Israel, Hos. 5. ult. I will go and return to my place, I will stay no longer with you. And thus of the Second Argument with which our Saviour prosecutes his suit, which hath been taken from the end at which he aimed in giving them the glory which he had received from God the Father. And likewise of the third, which hath been taken from the end of Christ's inhabitation in believers, and of the Father's inhabitation in himself, I in them, and thou in me, that they may be perfect in one. A fourth is added in the following words, That the world may know that thou hast sent me. But that is but a repetition of the very same that hath been used in the 21. ver. and in the very same words. Only this difference there is, in that knowing here is put for believing there: For there it is that the world may believe, and here it is that the world may know, etc. To show that Christ intends not justifying faith in that expression, but such a knowledge or acknowledgement of his being sent from God, as the very world themselves, who never did, nor never shall believe, are capable of: And in that sense I handled it in that place. I shall not here insist again upon it, but pass to the fifth Argument, with which our Saviour prosecutes the self same suit. And it is taken from another fruit that it would have in worldly men: It would convince them that believers are exceedingly beloved of God. If they observed them to live in nearest unity and peace together, they would be persuaded thence that they were very much in God's favour; That they may be perfect in one, that the world may believe that thou hast sent me, and that thou hast loved them as thou hast loved me. So that here I might observe: DOCTRINE. That it is an apparent evidence of God's love, when true believers live in unity and peace together. It is a sign he bears a singular regard to them, when he makes and keeps them one among themselves; yea, it is such a sign of God's love, as worldly men who have but half an eye to see, will mark and take special notice of. Let them be one, saith our Saviour in my Text; why so? That the world may know that thou hast loved them: If they be knit together in holy indissoluble love, the world will see, and be satisfied thereby, that they are much in thy affection, and that thou hast a very dear regard to them. And hereby you may see, my Brethren, Use; what a stumbling block it is to worldly men, when there are such perpetual rents and breaches, and discords and divisions between those who profess themselves to be believers, when they observe them to be always wrangling and contending one against another. Why, they conclude from hence, that certainly God doth not love them, nor any such as they are. Or if he did, he would unite them, and sweetly knit their hearts together: he would not suffer them to live in such a bitter and uncomfortable and unquiet way: No, out of question, saith the world, this cannot be the company of men whom God loves, and whom he bears such dear affection to above the rest, what ever their pretences be; and therefore we will never join with them. Whereas if there were nothing else but heavenly and holy unity and peace among them, the world would know that they are beloved of God, and look upon them as the most desirable society of people under heaven. But this I do but glance at in my passage by. The thing that I intent to fasten and insist upon, is the comparison our Saviour hints between his Father's love to true believers and himself: By which he intimates it to be much one; For if you mark it well, our Saviour saith not only, That the world may know that thou hast loved them; but that thou hast loved them as thou hast loved me. This out of question is a truth in some sense, or else he would not have the world to know it; How it must be understood, I shall show you by and by; In the mean time the point is this. DOCTRINE. That God the Father loves believers, even as he loves Christ himself. This is much, I must acknowledge: And yet you see it is the clear express assertion of the Text; Thou hast loved them, saith Christ, even as thou hast loved me. To make way to the opening of it, this must be premised as a thing to be fore-known, that Christ must here be looked upon as Man and Mediator of the Church: so he hath been considered all along this prayer. Now under this consideration, the Father loves believers, as he loves him. But you will ask me, How, as he doth him? what is the sense of that expression? there lies the weight of all indeed, and therefore I shall lay it open to you in a few particulars. 1. God the Father loves believers as really and truly, as he loves Christ; as he hath loved Christ, so he hath also loved them. He hath not loved Christ and not them, but he hath loved Christ and them. The one of them as well, that is, as truly as the other. And even as all the love which he declares to Jesus Christ is real, and from the very heart-root, (if I might express it so) so all the love which he discovers to believers is of the very same stamp. It is a love without dissimulation, in all respects as high and dear, and cordial, as it seems to be. 2. God the Father loves believers everlastingly, even as he loves Christ. And everlastingly he loves them upon both hands, à parte ante, and à parte post, from everlasting to everlasting. First, he loves believers from everlasting, even as he loves Christ; for as the time cannot be mentioned (look back as far as you are able) wherein the Father did not love the Son; so neither can the time be mentioned, wherein he did not love believers. You know Election was from everlasting, and therefore love must be from everlasting too, which is indeed the Cause and Fountain of Election, as Ephes. 1.5. Having predestinated us to be his children in Christ Jesus according to the good pleasure of his will: You see Election flows from the good pleasure of the will of God, that is, not only from that pleasure of his will which in itself is good; for so doth Reprobation too; but from the pleasure of his will which is good to us his creatures. It issues from his love, that is, his free and undeserved favour: So that you see he bears good will to true believers, even in the instant of Election, which is from all Eternity, and so by consequence, before they have a being in the world. And this he doth in Christ, as the Apostle shows, Ephes. 1.3. he chooses us in Christ. In the first place he chooses Christ, and then he chooses us in Christ. He loves and chooses him first, as Man and Mediator of the Church, and then he loves and chooses us in him, with the same love with which he loves him. Secondly, God the Father loves believers to everlasting, even as he doth love Christ; as he doth never cease to love Christ, so he doth never cease to love them: His love to them is like his love to Christ himself, immutable, he never altars it, nor takes it off again. The Mountains may departed, and the Hills may be removed, but his kindness shall not departed from his people: neither shall the Covenant of my peace be removed, saith the Lord that hath mercy upon thee, Isa. 54.10. No, it is an everlasting kindness, ver. 8. an everlasting love, Jer. 31.3. A mercy that endures for ever, Psal. 106. So that as he loveth Christ from the beginning to the end, so he loves believers too; He loveth them in this respect even as he loveth him. But hath not God been very angry, Object. and displeased with those whom he hath seemed to love in former times? have they not most bitterly complained of it? as the Church, Lament 5. ult. where she concludeth her discourse though not her misery with this woeful Epilogue, But thou hast utterly rejected us, thou art very wrath against us. And how then shall we take it for a truth, that God doth never cease to love believers, as he doth never cease to love Christ? True it is, the Lord is many times offended with believers, Sol. as he was with Christ himself. He was offended with our Saviour for believers sins: he is offended with believers, for their own sins. Iniquity, wheresoever he finds it, whether by imputation, or commission, makes him angry. But you must know my brethren, that it is one thing to be angry with a person, and another thing to hate him. It's true indeed that hatred cannot stand with love, for it desireth the not being of the object of it: but anger may consist with it. And even as we are angry many times with those we love best, and who are infinitely dear to us, so God was angry with his dearest Son, and he is angry with his dearest Saints, and with his best beloved people: and yet his love is firm, and constant, and unalterable to them notwithstanding, as will appear if you consider, First the shortness, Secondly the fruits of this anger. First, God's anger with his people is no lasting anger. There is so great a mixture of love and kindness and compassion in it, that it is overcome again upon a sudden, it is very quickly gone. Indeed his anger to the wicked, is an anger like his love to his people, everlasting: They are a people with whom the Lord is angry for ever. But his anger to his people is but short: It is but little, and that little is nothing, it is but for a moment, Isa. 54.8. and that is recompensed with everlasting kindness too. In a little wrath have I hid my face from thee for a moment, but with everlasting kindness will I have mercy en thee. It's true that David said in his distress, that God had cast him off, and that his love and mercy was clean gone for ever. But he corrects himself again in his advised and deliberate thoughts, and ingenuously confesses that he spoke the former in his haste, Psal. 31.22. and that the latter was his infirmity, Psal. 77.10. Secondly, as for the second, the effects of God's anger are such as relish strongly of his love to his people: They are not such as he is wont to show on reprobates and vessels of wrath: They are not rigorous punishments to satisfy his justice, but loving chastisements to hinder and prevent the execution of it. For when they are afflicted, they are (not punished in propriety of speech, but) chastened, and that to this end, that they may not be condemned, 1 Cor. 11.32. They are not such as fit them for destruction and border on damnation, as those which he inflicteth on the wicked, such as are given up to strong delusions, and to vile affections, and leaveing them to the hardness of their hearts to walk according to their own counsels; but such as make them fit for the inheritance with Saints in light, and work out for them, a far more exceeding and transcendent weight of glory. God the Father loves believers infinitely, even as he doth love Christ; his love is like himself, nay indeed it is himself; for whatsoever is affirmed of God, is God; And therefore the Apostle saith, that God is love, 1 John 4.16. so that if any ask Whether God love believers as much as he loves Christ? I answer, there are no degrees in that which is infinite. He loves believers out of measure, beyond measure, and just so he loves Christ. Indeed there are degrees in the effects and declaration of the love of God; and this way it is certain, God hath showed more love to Christ than he doth to true believers; and yet they share together with him in most of these expressions of his love to him; They share together with him in his grace; of his fullness they receive, and grace for grace; They share together with him in his glory, as I shown you very lately; And as his glory is eternal, so is theirs, an exceeding and an eternal weight of glory. God the Father loves believers under the same relations that he loves Christ and so in that respect it is the same love. He loves them even as he loves Christ. Doth he love Christ as his chosen and elect? for so he calls him, Isa. 42.1. why so he loves believers too. Doth he love Christ as his servant? so he loves believers too. Doth he love Christ as his Son? so he loves believers too. Nay to go beyond Relations, doth he love Christ as himself, because he is one with him? so he loves bevers too, for they are one with him in Christ. So that you see it plain enough that God the Father loves believers even as, etc. And it must needs be so. For, Reason 1 He loves them in Christ. Indeed my brethren, did he love them as distant and separate from Christ, than he might love them with another kind of love. But since he loves them as in Christ, and so loves Christ and them as one together; (not asunder, but together) both must have the same love. As he that loves his friend, cannot distinguish of the love he bears the head, and the remainder of the body; so Christ the head and Christ the body (as the Church is called with Christ) 1 Cor. 12.12. are both involved and wrapped up together in the same love. He loves them not asunder but together, and therefore certainly, he doth not love them differently (as to the kind of the affection) but alike. Christ is his beloved Son in whom he is well pleased; not with whom he is well pleased, but in whom he is well pleased with all that are in him, and that are members of his body. Whom he loves, he loves in him, and therefore whom he loves, he loves as him, even as he loveth him. Reason 2 As God the Father loves believers in Christ, so he loves them through Christ, and therefore loves them as Christ. His love goes through Christ to them; in the first place he love Christ, and then he loves them through Christ; so that is the same (for kind at least) wherewithal he loves Christ. He is the way from God to us, the pipe the mean, conveyance between God and us, and that which he receieveth from the Father, (as Head and Mediator of the Church) he conveyeth down to us: The very same and no other. The same grace which he receives from God the Father for himself and all his members, he conveyeth down to them. The same glory which he receives from God the Father, he bestows on them, as I have showed you: And so the same love which comes flowing from the Father into him, he carries down to them too; By which it is apparent, that God loves believers even as he loves Christ. JOHN. 17.23. And thou hast loved them as thou hast loved me. AND thus far we came on the last occasion, by way of explication of the Point. Proceed we now to the Application of it, according to the branches of the explication in their order. Is it so that God the Father loves believers as really and truly as he Use 1 loves Christ? This than should teach us in the first place, to depend upon him in all cases and not to doubt him, or distrust him, who is true and real to us. It's that which we are very subject to, when we are brought to straits and difficulties and distresses, our hearts are shaken presently, and our faith in God fails; we are afraid that God will serve us as unfaithful friends are wont to do, when the time of trial comes; That he will leave us succourless in our distresses. Oh, my beloved, I beseech you take heed how you wrong God, how you give way to one suspicious thought of him, who is so real in his love to you. It is an injury of which he cannot choose but be infinitely tender, and that the rather and the more, because his heart is so unfeignedly endeared to us. As friends who love us tenderly, if we be always jealous of them, it troubles them exceedingly, they know not how to take it at our hands; so do but think how grievous it will be to God (who loves us as he doth his own Son) to be suspected still on all occasions, and to have his love questioned. And therefore seeing God is such a faithful friend, let us commit ourselves, and all our ways to him, and let us cast ourselves upon him without fear in all cases; Seeing he loves us really, let us trust him perfectly: And let us so behave ourselves in all conditions, that we may make it to appear that we rely upon him fully without the least suspicion of his love to us. Is it so that God the Father loves believers as really and truly as he Use 2 loves Christ? This than should teach us in the second place to love him truly and really again: To be (as far as it is possible) as undissembled and sincere and cordial in our love to him, as he is in his love to us. Oh, my beloved, let us not answer true love with feigned love, nor real with pretended love; that would be an ill requital. We all profess a great deal of affection to the Lord, we say we love him: but if he should examine us, and sift us man by man, as once our Saviour did Peter, Lovest thou me? dost thou love me? dost thou indeed? could we reply with him Oh Lord thou knowest that we love thee; Thou knowest that our hearts are right to thee. If God should ask us, as Jehu did Jehonadab, 2 Kings 10.25. Is thine heart right as my heart is with thy heart? can you reply, as he? It is. So you may think indeed, and yet you may deceive your own souls. The Apostle speaks of some who love the Lord in sincerity, Eph. 6.24. by which he intimates that there are some who do not so, who love him hypocritically, not sincerely; whose love to God is like the love of many to their brethren, in word and in show, not in deed and in truth: and therefore it concerns us to examine whether the love we bear to God, be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, without dissimulation, yea or no, as the Apostles phrase is, Rom. 12.9. And thus far of the Application of the Point, in reference to the first branch of the Explication of it: Proceed we to the second. Use 2 Doth God the Father love believers everlastingly, even as he loves Christ? this then may cheer and comfort up the hearts of all believers, who though they have had sweet experience of the love of God to them, yet are inclinable to fear that it may be withdrawn again from them. And surely there are many such, who even waste and pine away themselves in such perplexed thoughts as these are; Oh they shall never persevere and continue to the end, they shall fall away at last from God's favour, and so they shall be lost for ever. Now I beseech you, quiet and secure yourselves in this particular; the Lord that hath begun to love you, will persist to love you on to all eternity; as he hath loved you from the beginning, so he will surely love you to the end. As he hath loved you from everlasting, so he will love you to everlasting, even as he loves Christ. When he gives over loving Christ, then and not till then, my brethren he will give over loving you; when he withdraws his heart from Christ, the darling of his own bosom, he will withdraw his heart from you too. Believe it, Jesus Christ and you must far alike in this respect, you must be hated or be loved together. And therefore do not fear of falling from the love of God, though you have many failings, many imperfections in you; do not doubt that they will cause the Lord to hate you. No, no, the love of God is large enough to cover a multitude of them, and none of them shall separate you from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord, as the Apostle speaks, Rom. 8.39. Observe it well, it is a love in Jesus Christ; he loveth us in loving Christ, as being part of Christ; we are involved and wrapped up together with him in the same love: so that if our infirmities should separate us from the love of God, they must separate Christ with us. If God and we part, God and Christ must part too. Oh think on this, my brethren, when your fears of losing God's favour are most prevailing with you, and have greatest power upon you. This take for all, and rest upon it, he can no sooner cease to love you, than you can cease to love Christ. Doth God the Father love believers infinitely even as he loves Christ? Use 3 Oh then, what may you not expect from such love as this is? A love that hath no bounds, no measures. What will not God do for you, in all conditions and in all cases? what will not God give you? what will not God forgive you? what can you want, if God love you in this manner? Let your hearts dwell upon the meditation of it, especially when you are in trouble. When penal miseries are desperate and extreme, when they are very sore upon you, that you know not what to do, Think with yourselves, Is it a likely thing that God will suffer you to perish or miscarry? the God that loves you infinitely even as he loves Christ himself? Indeed if he did love you only with an ordinary love, you had some colour then to doubt, that he might be regardless of you. But since he loves you so unmeasurably, as he doth, how can you think that he will stand and see you sink away to ruin, and not stretch out his hand to save you? Suppose Christ were in your case (if it were to be supposed) that he were brought to such an exigent as you are, how tender would the Father be of him? how would his bowels yearn upon him? how would he hasten to relieve him? What is it thou, saith God, that are brought to such distress? and art thou likely to be ruined and undone? what thou my dear and pleasant child, my own beloved son? Alas, I pity thee, I melt upon thee, I will help thee presently, I will not see thee to continue long in such misery as this is. Why my beloved, just as God would deal with Christ in such a case, even so will he deal with you; for he loves you, even as he loveth him. So when your sins lie heavy on you, and you are even afraid that God will never pardon you, your provocations are so many and so great, you vex him every day, and every hour without ceasing: you do not give him any breathing time: and therefore you are apt to think sometimes, his patience will be out at last, and you shall pay for all together. Indeed my brethren, if his love were but as the love of man, you had ground enough to fear it. For who is able always to forgive injuries without number, and without measure? But since his love is infinite, and there is no end of it, it cannot be too narrow, and too scant for you. What may you not expect from an infinite love? Oh my beloved, I beseech you, do not limit it, do not set bounds to it: do not think thus far the love of God may cause him to forbear us, and forgive us, but beyond this it will not go. Ah my beloved, if you be humble and believing souls, it is a bottomless and boundless love to you: it will go beyond all that you can think, further than you are able to imagine. And therefore do not cast away your confidence, but roll yourselves on this unmeasurable love of God in all cases. Your sins are finite: that is infinite: your sins have limits: that hath none. Doth God the Father love believers, under the same relations as he loves Use 4 Christ? doth he love them as his chosen, as his servants, as his children? This then administers incomparable sweet & precious comfort, to all that do in deed and truth, believe in Christ. The love of God to them is like to that he bears to Christ, under all these three relations. And this involveth blessed privileges and carries high things in it, as I shall show you in their order. Doth God the Father love believers as his chosen, even as he loves Christ? Then surely he will never cast them off again, as he will never cast off Christ. There are some whom God chooses out of a common love, to common privileges and advancements, whom in the issue he rejects again: he reputes that he hath chosen them to such a dignity, place, and office, and so he even casts them off again. And thus he dealt you know with Saul and Judas. But he chose Christ out of a special and peculiar love, never to be reversed again. And just so he chose us in and by and through Christ, out of the very same love, and with the very same intentions (in reference to revocation) that he chose Christ. And what will God cast away his people, whom he hath foreknown from everlasting? whom he hath chosen in his Son Christ, before the foundation of the world was laid, as the Apostle speaks, Eph. 1.4. No, no; his choice of us, is as unalterable as his choice of Christ himself. And when he casts away Christ, then and not till then (my brethren,) will he cast away us. Doth God the Father love believers as his servants, even as he loves Christ? Then surely he will deal with us in this regard, much as he dealt with Christ, as I shall show you in a few particulars. 1. He will uphold us, as he did uphold Christ. A Master will uphold his servant in any business or employment that he setteth him about: Especially a servant that he loves. So did God uphold Christ, and he seems to glory in it, and to call us to observe it, Isa. 42.1. Behold my Servant whom I uphold; I am resolved to bear him out, meddle with him he that dare. Indeed when the appointed time was come, he gave him up to suffer what he had designed him to. But in the interim, he bore him out, so that no projects, no attempts could take against him; they could not seize upon him, they could not hurt him (saith the Gospel story) because his hour was not yet come. Even so will God uphold us, until our hour be come too. For we are servants whom he loves even as he loved Christ. And as he is a loving, so he is an all-sufficient and almighty Master, as he said to Abraham, when he took him to be a Covenant-servant to him, Gen. 17.1. And therefore he will be not only a reward, but a shield to his servants; a shield and an exceeding great reward, as his own expression is, Gen. 15.1. A reward for their salvation, and a shield for their protection. 2. God will assist us in his service, as he did assist Christ. Christ had a piece of work you know in hand that was very difficult, so that he sweat, and that not ordinary sweat, but drops of blood trickling down upon the earth. Yea, more than so, he fainted, while he was about it: But God his Master that employed him, took a special care of him, and sent an Angel down from heaven of purpose to comfort him, and strengthen him, Luke 22.43. And when as man he feared how he should hold out and how he should go through with the business (as to any self sufficiency as a Creature) and so wept and cried to God, he had a very sweet return as you may see, Heb. 5.7. When in the days of his flesh he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears to him that was able to save him, he was heard in that he feared. Just so doth God support us in the work he calls us to; for we are servants whom he loves, even as he loved Christ. If he perceive the service that we have in hand, to be too difficult and hard for us, then in comes God, and puts his own hand to the work. What, canst thou not go through with it? Come let me help thee, saith the Lord. It is observed of the Levites, that God helped them, 1 Chron. 15.26. And the Apostle tells us, that the spirit helpeth our infirmities, Rom. 8.26. he stands against us, and bears up the burden with us. So that the weakest servants of the Lord need not fear the hardest service, or the heaviest burden, when he hath such a one to help him, and when those everlasting arms are underneath him, as the Prophet speaks, Deut. 33.27. What said the Lord to Paul, when he was hard bestead, and when he was about to faint? My grace is sufficient for thee. And this made Paul to say, I can do all things through Christ that strengtheneth me, Phil. 4.13. 3. Out of this love, God will reward us for the service that he enables us to do, as he did reward Christ. As soon as he had done his work, he had his wages down upon the nail, for he was heard in that prayer, John 15.4. I have glorified thee upon earth, I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do: and now Oh Father glorify me with thyself. And so as soon as we have ended and dispatched the business that God hath put into our hands, we shall receive our own reward according to our own labour. Having had the fruit to holiness, we shall receive the end eternal life. If we be faithful to the death, we shall receive the Crown of life, Apoc. 2.10. If we continue in the Vineyard to the Evening, we shall have our penny. If we hold out to the period of our lives, when we shall come to die, we may conclude with God, as Christ doth in the forealleged place, We have glorified thee on earth, we have finished the work which thou gavest us to do: and now O Father glorify us with thyself; and we may sing our dying Song with the Apostle, 1 Tim. 4.7. We have fought a good fight, we have finished our Course: henceforth there is laid up for us a Crown of righteousness which God the righteous Judge will give us. Doth God the Father love believers as his Children, even as he loves Christ? doth he affect them under that relation too, and that as he doth Christ? Then surely he will show himself a loving Father to them as he doth to Christ, and that especially in two respects. 1. He will hear them as he doth hear Christ. You know it is but ask and have, with Christ. Thou art my Son, saith God the Father to our Saviour, Psa. 2.6. this day I have begotten thee. And what follows? Ask of me and I will give thee. And this is that which Christ himself acknowledges, John 11.42. Father, I thank thee because thou hast heard me. Yea so he might in that particular, and yet he might deny him in another. But mark what follows presently, and I know thou hearest me always. Thou art my Father, and I am thy Son, and hence it is that thou art so inclinable to hear me, to let me have my own ask. Even so will God hear us in every thing that we desire according to his will, for we are Children also whom he loves, even as he loves Christ. And therefore as it was but ask and have with Christ, just so it is with us too. Ask and it shall be given you, Mat. 7.7. And that because he is our loving Father, as he is Christ's. Our heavenly Father will undoubtedly give good things to them that ask him. 2. He will provide for us, as he doth for Christ. You know he hath provided well for Christ. He is not his Son only, but he is his heir too. Yea, he hath made him heir of all things, Heb. 1.1. Why just so he hath done by us, for we are children whom he loves even as he loves Christ. As Christ is his Son and Heir, so we are heirs of God through Christ, Gal. 4.17. Joint heirs with Christ, Rom. 8.17. Not heirs divided and apart from Christ, but joint with Christ. And even as Christ is heir of all things, so we are heirs of all things too. All is ours, and we are Christ's, 1 Cor. 3.21. A man can have but earth and heaven: and we are heirs to both in Christ: The meek shall inherit the earth, saith the Psalmist, Psal. 37.11, etc. And as we are heirs to earth, so we are heirs of heaven too, and that by virtue of our Sonship: we are begotten to it, as the Apostle speaks 1 Pet. 1.3. He hath begotten us to an inheritance, etc. So that the child of God you see engrosseth all: earth is his, and heaven is his, and nothing else remains for other men but hell only. Oh the unutterable happiness of those whom God the Father loves even as he loves Christ! he gives his own Son nothing but they have a share with him. And thus far of the first main thing which Christ desires of God the Father in the behalf of true believers, that they may be all one: Which suit he prosecutes with many arguments, as you have heard. The second follows now in order to be handled, and this is, that they may be all in one place. They may be one by such an union as our Saviour means (a spiritual and a mystical union) though they be in divers places. But Christ is not content with this, you see; he will not only have them to be all one, but he will have them also to be all in one place, the same place where he is. Father, I will that they also whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am, etc. And here you may take notice with me of these two particulars. First, the manner how our Saviour Christ propounds this suit of his: And then the matter of it, or the suit itself. First the manner how our Saviour here propounds this suit of his, and that is boldly and confidently, as you see: Father, I will: he saith not, as in other places, Father, I pray, or I desire, or I beseech thee and entreat thee, that it may be thus: but I will have it to be thus. No more but so, Father, I will, that they whom thou hast given me. Secondly, And then you have the matter of the suit which he propounds, the thing which he will have to be, That they also whom thou hast given me be with me, where I am. Begin we with the manner, how our Saviour here propounds this suit of his, confidently as I said, Father, I will. I shall not hence conclude (as Austin did sometimes against the Arrians) the Son's equality with God the Father, because he speaks in such a peremptory manner to him, if I may express it so, Father, I will, or elsesaith he, he would have spoken in a supplicating and entreating, not in a willing and commanding way. That Christ as God is equal with the Father, is a certain truth, and manifestly to be proved from other Scriptures: But certainly it is not to be gathered hence: for in this Chapter all along he speaks as man, and as man he is inferior to the Father. And therefore usually before, he saith, I pray, or I entreat, he speaks in a submissive way, though here he uses such a term as seems to to carry more authority, Father, I will. Now since, he speaks as man and mediator, as that is very evident, we must understand him here in such a way as is agreeable to Christ in that capacity, and under that consideration. And consequently that he doth not here imperiously require of God the Father: and yet upon the other side, he doth so express himself, as being very confident that he shall have his own pleasure, and that his will shall surely carry it with God the Father, without any contradiction. If he will it, it is done without any more ado. Father, I will have it so, and there's an end. And so accordingly the point shall be. DOCTRINE. The will of Christ as Mediator, is as it were a law with God the Father, or Christ may have even what he will of God the Father. And therefore praying here that all believers might be together with him in the same place, he saith no more but this, Father, I will that they also whom thou hast given me be with me where I am: And this is that which Martha was so steadfastly persuaded of, that Christ was sure to speed with God in any suit that he would make to him: She had no doubt at all concerning this, as you may see, John 11.22. I know, saith she, that whatsoever thou wilt ask of God, God will give it thee. Let it be what it will, God will not turn thee off with a denial. And lest you should conceive that this was but a groundless confidence in her, you shall find it seconded by Christ himself, ver. 42. of the very same Chapter, which puts it out of all question. If you survey the supplications that he made while he was here upon the earth, you shall perceive what force they had with God the Father. The Apostle Paul observes that he was very earnest with him in a weighty business, Heb. 5.7. and what was the event and issue of it? he was heard as it is added presently, no more but so, he was granted out of hand. So in another place he prayed for Peter in a special manner, that his faith might never fa●l, Luke 22.32. that it might not wholly fail, so as to be quite lost, and utterly extinct in him. His faith was shaken after this indeed, but it was not overthrown: it fainted, but it did not fail; So that Christ had his full desire in that particular, I shall add no more for proof: you see the will of Christ as Mediator is, etc. And there are many Reasons of it. For, He is the Fathers own Son. And Fathers use to be indulgent to their Reason 1 Children to let them have their ears, yea and their very hearts too. Our Saviour calls him Father all along this prayer. Indeed he gives him once the attribute of Holy, once the attribute of Righteous Father. But this is still the appellation that he uses, and from which he never varies. If he call him any thing, he calls him Father: And therefore he presumeth much upon him, because of this relation to him, that he shall not be denied; he is the bolder, while he considers he is speaking to a Father, as that is his expression in my Text itself; Father, I will; Come, I must have my will in this particular, thou must not put me off with a denial; for I am thine own Son. Reason 2 Yet this is not sufficient that he is a Son: for there are sons whom fathers will deny in every thing almost, because they have deserved ill of them: and so they bear but little love to them. But Christ is not such a Son; no, as he is a Son, so he is a beloved son; it is the Father's attestation of him, Mat. 3.17, This is my Beloved Son in whom I am well pleased. And that is a second reason, why Christ may have even what he will of God the Father, because he bears such dear affection to him: And this is intimated also in the Text itself, saith Christ, in the words mediately before, which we have even now dispatched, thou hast loved me, saith he; and what follows? Father I will, q. d. I know thou will let me have my will, because thou lovest me. Reason 3 Yet this is not sufficient neither, that he is a Son, and a beloved Son too: For there are sons that are very well beloved, who yet will ask that of their fathers many times, which would be neither beneficial for them to receive, nor honourable for their fathers to bestow upon them; and God himself hath some of these sons, who now and then put up their supplications and requests for that which would be neither good for them to have, nor him to give; and therefore they receive the answer that the two Disciples did, Ye know not what ye ask. But Jesus Christ is none of those sons; he never faileth in the least degree, in the matter or the manner of his prayers. He never asketh what he should not ask: he never asketh what he should, in such a manner as he should not. And that is a third reason, why he may have even what he will of God the Father, because as he is a Son, and a beloved Son, so he is such a Son as never asketh any thing amiss; he never prays but just according to his Fathers own will. His will as he is Man and Mediator, agrees in every thing, and all respects with the will of God the Father; And therefore while the Father lets our Saviour have his will, he hath his own; and if he should not let him have his will, he should not have his own neither. We that are adopted sons, are many times mistaken in the supplications that we make to God; we do not ask according to his will; and hence it is, my Brethren, that he doth not always hear us. But Jesus Christ who is the Fathers own begotten Son, is never at a loss in this respect. He never misses of conforming his desires to his Fathers own pleasure; and hence it is that his Will is a law with God the Father. Reason 4 And then there is a fourth reason, which is more than all the rest, why Christ's Will is a Law with God the Father, because indeed he willeth nothing but that which he deserves of him. If he sue for any thing as Mediator in the behalf of his people, it is but that which he hath dearly bought and paid for: So that his Father ought not in justice to deny him, His Intercession, as Divines observe, is nothing else but the presenting of his merits to the Father. And this is that which makes him bold and confident, as you see him in my Text: Father, I will have it thus; That which I seek, I have purchased with my blood, and therefore let me not be wronged, but let me have what I have paid for. Father, I will that those whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am: q. d. Thou knowest that I have bought that place for them, and I have satisfied thee for it, to the very utmost, and therefore I will have them to be there, and I must not be denied. Now is it so, my Brethren, that the will of Christ is as it were, etc. Use. 1 The first serves to let us see their happiness who have Christ to speak for them. They who have him to be their Intercessor, and to present his supplications and requests for them, are in a very good Condition, for they can want no good thing. They might stand begging long enough themselves, and never speed: But if Christ do undertake to plead for them, if he put in a good word for them, all is ended presently, they have a gracious answer out of hand. God may deny them (as I shown you) while they are speaking for themselves; but if Christ speak for them, he can never be denied; he may have what he will of God the Father. O the the blessedness of those to whom this glorious privilege belongs, and who have such a powerful Advocate as Christ is. Is it so, that the will of Christ, etc. why then, if we have any suit Use 2 to make, or any supplication to present, let us not go directly to the Father, but let us get the Lord Christ to speak for us. And then we may be confident that all is sure. We may be denied, but he cannot. But how shall we make Christ to be our Spokesman, and our Advocate in all supplications that we make to God? I will give you two directions. 1. We must walk by his Rule, the Rule that he would have us guide our prayers and our supplications by. We must be sure to put up such petitions, and none but such as are agreeable to his will. For as the Father will not grant the suit that is not suitable to his will: if we ask any thing according to his will he hears us, otherwise he doth not: so Christ will not take the suit that is not suitable to his will. And to say truth, that is the reason why the Father doth not grant it, viz. because the Son doth not present it and pursue it; for if he do, it never fails of audience or success. If Christ undertake it once, his Father never puts it off with a denial. His will is as it were a Law with God the Father. Brethren, our Saviour is not such an Advocate as pleads for fees, and undertaketh any thing that any Client puts into his hands; No, what he likes, and what he hath a mind to, he pursues and prosecutes with God the Father, and never leaves till he obtain a grant from him; but if he mislike the suit, if it agree not with his mind, or will, he never speaks a word in it, and then it never speeds with God. For as the Father granteth all that Christ desires, so he denyeth all in which he doth not show himself an Intercessor. If Christ the Mediator do not own it, the Father never gives assent to it. And therefore he must be engaged and interested in every suit we make to God, by framing it agreeably to his will. 2. We must act by his Spirit, who knows his mind as the Apostle tells us, 1 Cor. 2.11. and what will surely take and relish with him. Beloved, if the Spirit draw up the Petition, Christ will present and follow it, and get it signed. But if the Spirit have no hand in it, Christ will have none neither. We have two Advocates and Intercessors to the Father. An Intercessor or an Advocate within us; an Intercessor or an Advocate without us: An Intercessor to plead in us, and to plead by us; and an Intercessor to plead for us. In the first sense, the Spirit is our Intercessor, so the Apostle calls him, Rom. 8.20. In the Latter Christ only. Now these two Advocates or Intercessors are agreed: you get not one of them without the other. Christ will not be your Lawyer, unless you make the Spirit your Attorney. And as the Father never grants that which Christ doth not present and plead before him: So our Saviour never pleads that which the Spirit doth not frame and draw up. If the Petition which you tender be of the Spirits forming in you, Christ entertains and urges it without any more ado, and so the Father gives assent to it. If then you would have Christ to be your Advocate, you must engage him by his Spirit; your Supplications and Petitions must be the voice of his Spirit in your hearts; the Holy Ghost must raise and frame them there: you must take heed they be not barely natural desires, as the Petitions of abundance are, which seek for nothing else but that which nature craves for, on natural principles, and for natural ends: And that they be not: only the voice of your own spirits, but that they be the voice of Christ's spirit; and if Christ's Spirit make you prayers, if he make Intercession in you with sighs and groans, Christ will make Intercession for you, and then the Father will be sure to hear you: For if he deny you, he must deny Christ too that pleads for you, and that he never doth, as you have heard. His will is as it were a law with God the Father, he may have what he will of him. JOHN 17.24. Father, I will that they also whom thou hast given me. AND thus far I proceeded on the last occasion, to discover to you how we may have Jesus Christ to be our Spokesman, and our Advocate in all Petitions that we make to God. We must walk by his Rule, and we must act by his Spirit. But now because the thing is weighty, and of very great concernment, and it is no easy matter for every one to judge and to determine, whether in his supplications he walk by Christ's Rule, and act by Christ's Spirit: I shall give you some directions in reference to both these. And in the first place, I shall show you how you may discover, whether in the Petitions that you make, you walk exactly by the Rule of Christ or no, whether you pray according to his will or no. And to this end, my Brethren, you must search the Scriptures in which the will of Christ is manifested touching this as well as other points of duty. And then compare your prayers with the Rule in all particulars, to see whether they agree with it, or descent from it; as the Apostle stirring up the Romans to offer up acceptable service to the Lord, Rom. 12.1. to this end in the following verse advises them to prove and to find out what the will of God is: the same advice I give you; See what the will of God and what the will of Christ is, and then examine how your prayers suit with it: whether they be framed and ordered by your own invention, or by his direction. And here you must take notice what the will of Christ prescribes touching the preparation to them; the matter, and the manner, and the ends of them; it regulateth all these. Well then, the first thing that you are to do, is to consider what the will of Christ is in reference to preparation, and how your practice suits with it: For you must know that Christ will have you pray with preparation. You must not rush into the presence of the Lord, like the Horse into the battle, not remembering where you go, nor what you are about to do. No, you must set about it seriously, and with much deliberation: so is the rule of Christ, Eccles. 5.2, 3. Be not rash with thy mouth, and let not thy heart be hasty to utter any thing before the Lord. Our hearts must be prepared to the duty, as the Prophet david's was. And this consists in divers things; I will name a few of them. 1. That our hearts may be prepared, they must be purged, they must be washed and cleansed from every known sin. If thou prepare thine heart, saith Zephar, Job 11.13. which preparation is to prayer, as it is apparent by the following words, and stretch out thine hands towards him. Well, if thou so prepare thyself, what must thou do then? Why, If iniquity be in thine hand, put it far away from thee, and let not wickedness dwell in thy Tabernacle, as it is added in the next words. And hence, saith David, If I regard iniquity in my heart, any known iniquity, if I do not commit it only in my life, but regard it in my heart, my heart is not fit to pray, the Lord will not hear my prayer, Psal. 66.18. The promise of acceptance with him, is made to such, and none but such as fear him, so far at least as to desire and to endeavour to departed from evil; He will fulfil the desire of such as fear him, he also will hear their cry and save them, Psal. 145.19. 2. That our hearts may be prepared, they must be humbled, both in the sense of the transcendent Majesty and Glory of the Lord, and of our unworthiness. We must endeavour to possess them with an awful apprehension of the greatness of the Lord, whom we are making our approaches to, that we may pray in reverence and holy fear, according to the Psalmists exhortation, Psal. 2.11. Serve the Lord with fear, saith he; and according to his practice and example, Psal. 5.7. in thy fear will I worship towards thy holy Temple. And hence the Saints in the beginnings of their prayers, when they have buckled to the duty, have been wont to set the Lord upon the Throne, and there to represent him in his greatness, by reckoning up his glorious attributes: And then to vilify and to abase themselves exceedingly before him: That they might bring their hearts by this means to a frame and temper fit for prayer. In such a disposition was the heart of the Centurion when he sought to Christ for mercy, Luk. 7.6, 7. He did not think himself worthy, that Christ should once come under his roof: And so the prodigal that said to his Father, I am not worthy to be called thy son, Luk. 15.21. 3. That our hearts may be prepared, they must be fixed. They must be settled upon God, and on the words we utter to him. They must not rove and wander up and down, as they are very apt to do. They must attend the business that they are about. In such a disposition was the heart of David, when he was about to praise the Lord; My heart is fixed O God (saith he) my heart is fixed, I will sing and give praise; Psal. 57.7. There hath been much talk of late concerning fixing arms: but surely this of fixing hearts is the most necessary business. 4. That our hearts may be prepared, they must be awakened: they are naturally dead and dull, and sleepy; especially at sometimes, by means of some corporal or spiritual distemper. They cannot watch to prayer one hour, and though the spirit is ready, yet the flesh is weak: And therefore we must quicken them, and rouse them up from drowsiness, before we set about the duty; and while we are in the performance of it, we must call upon our hearts as Deborah, Judg. 5.12. Awake, awake Deborah, awake awake, utter a song. And as David on his Harp, Awake Harp; so we, awake heart, I myself will awake early, Psal. 108.2. You see in brief, the Rule of Christ in reference to preparation. Now let us see what he prescribes both for the matter, the manner, and the end of prayer. As for the matter of your prayers, you must search the promises. You are to pray for nothing, but only what you have a promise; for not what you have a mind to, but what you have a promise for. It is the business and the work of prayer to put the promises of God in suit; not our desires, but his promises. And therefore we must study promises, if we would know how to make prayers, or how to judge of prayers after we have made them: If they agree not with the promises, they are but rash and inconsiderate desires: they are the sacrifice of fools, as they are called, Eccles. 5.1. And God will never look after them, nor show respect to them, as Elibu teaches us, Job 35.13. Surely God will not hear vanity, neither will the Almighty regard it. As for the manner of our prayers, the rule of Christ is very large here, and so accordingly directions might be copious, both how to form our supplications, which we are about to tender, and having tendered them, how to resolve whether they have been according to the will of Christ, or no. I shall but touch upon the principal. 1. It is in the will of Christ that we pray without wrath; for so is the express direction, 1 Tim. 2.8. I will therefore that men may pray , lifting up pure hands without wrath. We must not come to God with hearts distracted and disturbed with passion, but with composed, meek and quiet spirits. It was the fault of James and John, who when a certain Town of the Samaritans repelled Christ, and refused to receive him, would in a fit of rage and anger, have prayed for fire to come down from heaven to consume them, Luk. 9.54. And so when the malicious enemies of Christ, have done his cause or people any great mischief, it may be we are ready in a heat to call for vengeance out of heaven upon them. But if we pray in such a manner, we may look for such a censure as James and John had in the fore-alleadged Text, Ye know not what spirit ye are of; You think it may be you are zealous, but you are very much mistaken; you are choleric and angry; you do know not the temper and disposition of your spirits. Brethren we must not go to prayer in a fit of anger, and a pang of discontent, as it seems Eliah did, 1 King. 14.4. It is enough Lord, take away my life, for I am not better than my Fathers: And as it seems Job did, Job 6.8. Oh that I might have my request, and that God would grant me the thing that I long for; Even that it would please God to destroy me, that he would let lose his hand and cut me off: And as it is extremely probable that Moses did when he conceived his burden was too heavy for him, Numb. 11.10, 15. For it is said he was displeased, and in that angry mood, he said to God, Wherefore hast thou afflicted me? You see he calls the Lord to coram, to see how he can answer his proceed; Wherefore, etc. I am not able to bear all this alone: And if thou deal thus with me, kill me I pray thee out of the way, and do not let me see my wretchedness: And thus it is apparent Jonah did, who being crossed in a punctilio, in a point of honour, out of a pettish childish humour, will go die, God must take away his life: We must not come to God in such a temper, to empty and disgorge our choler, and to vent our passions to him; No, Tempus mansuetudinis, est tempus orationis. The time of meekness is the time of prayer. 2. It is the will of Christ that we pray without doubtings, and this is also added in the Text before alleged, 1 Tim. 2.8. Pray, lifting up pure hands without wrath or doubting. He would have us come to God with confidence and strong assurance, as it beseemeth those to do who are indeed in Covenant with him. You know a household servant, that is in Covenant with his Master, calls confidently for his breakfast, and his dinner, and his Supper, whereas a beggar or a stranger doth not so. So he that is in Covenant with the Lord, should come with boldness to the Throne of Grace, relying formerly on the promises of God, as David did, I cried and I hoped in thy Word, Psal. 119.147. Lord, I want faith, give it me; I want patience, let me have it; I find my heart is out of order, joint it, mend it, unite it to thyself. It is for those that are without, and that are strangers to the Lord, that live on nothing else but common providence, to come doubtfully to God, when their distresses force them to his presence. But if those that are his friends, and that are in Covenant with him, come in such a posture to him, he may justly say to such, Why, what's the matter that you are so strange, and that you are not bold with me, as you have wont to be? you shall far near a whit the better for coming to me after such a manner. And verily, my Brethren, unless we draw nigh to God in faith well grounded on the promises, we can have no hopes to speed in our petitions. He that would ask any thing of God, saith the Apostle James, chap. 1.6, 7, let him come in faith, nothing doubting. Otherwise let him not think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord. 3. It is the will of Christ that we pray with much zeal, that our Petitions be not formal, cold and drowsy prayers, but that there be some heat and fervour in them. You know the prayers of God's people are compared to Incense, Psal. 141.2. And Incense sends up no sweet savour till the fire come to it. It is the fervent prayer only that is effectual with the Lord, as the Apostle teaches us, Jam. 5.16. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. And hence saith David, Hear me, O Lord, and why so? I cry with my whole heart, Psal. 119.145. so runs the promise of the Lord to his people, Jer. 29.13. Ye shall seek and find me when ye search for me with your whole heart. And thus you see in brief what Christ prescribeth for the manner of your prayers. Now in the last place for the end of prayer, that must be his glory, we must aim at his ends, and not our own. If we seek any thing, my Brethren, merely for our own ends, to advance our own credits, or our own profit, we have no aim at all but self in our Petitions: If we would have gifts and graces for no other ends but this, that we may be applauded and observed; if we would have wealth and riches in the world for no other end but this, that we may strut and swagger, and satisfy our own lusts (and so accordingly we may conceive of other things) we have cause enough to doubt, that Jesus Christ will leave us in such suits as these are, yea though we be his own people. But if we would have nothing from the Father but in reference to Christ and to his glory, if we would have grace, and if we would have outward things that we may serve him the better, that we may honour him the more, we have good grounds to hope that Jesus Christ will second us, in such requests as these are. Now he will tell the Father, There is such a suit of such a member, such a Saint of mine, I pray thee hearken to it, and dispatch it out of hand, for it concerneth me aswell as him: Fain he would have more grace, but I assure thee (for I know his heart) it is not to be proud, or to be lifted up himself, but to lift up me with it, and to glorify my name. Poor soul he never thinks he gloryfieth me enough, and therefore he would have more strength from thee to do it. Thou seest how I am interessed in this suit of his, and therefore I beseech thee do not put him off, but answer him for my sake. It is thy great design to glorify me in the world, and if thou wilt but give this Saint of mine more grace, he will give me more glory. Come, let me set thy Treasure open, and give him out a large share, for I myself shall be a gainer by it. And thus far I have showed you, how we may have Jesus Christ to be our Advocate in our Petitions. We must walk by his Rule, and pray according to his Will, as I have laid it open to you, both in relation to the Preparation, and the Supplication, both for the matter, manner, and the end. If thus we do, we may be confident of the good word of Christ for us. But what if we fail in this? I answer in a word, and so an end. If we fail in the matter of our prayer, if that be not according to the will of Christ, such a Petition and request as this, we may resolve upon, is laid by. If we fail in the manner of our prayer, either it is a total failing, or a gradual failing. If it be a total failing, if we pray without faith, without any faith at all, without zeal, and the like, farewell to the success of such petitions. If it be but a partial failing, and that failing strived against, and prayed against, the case is very different. By Evangelical allay we do what we desire to do, in God's gracious acceptation: We pray in faith, if we desire to pray in faith: we pray with zeal, if we desire to pray with zeal: We pray according to the Will of Christ, if we desire to pray according to the Will of Christ, as to the manner of our prayers. And if we pray according to his Will (but in such a sense as this) Christ intercedes, and God hears. Our Advocate strikes in with us, and begs his Father to regard the matter, and not the manner of our prayers. He is an Intercessor for us to his Father, in reference to both these, both to the thing desired, and the manner of desiring, that he would give the one, and that he would forgive the other. And thus far of the first sort of directions, how to judge whether in the Petitions that we make we walk by the Rule of Christ or no. Proceed we to the second sort, how to determine whither we act by the Spirit of Christ, or no. If in our prayers we act by Christ's Spirit, there are some measures and degrees of fervency and zeal in them. The Holy Ghost is frequently compared to fire in Scripture; He shall baptise you (saith John the Baptist speaking of our Saviour) with the Holy Ghost, and with fire: that is, with the Holy Spirit, which is not like water only, but like fire too, in those that are baptised with it; so that where the Spirit is, there is an holy heat in those that are partakers of it, which shows itself in prayer as in other duties. They are fervent in spirit serving the Lord. And though their heat may be allayed and cooled sometimes, by outward means, like water cast on this fire, yet still there is an inward striving and disposition to be fervent. The Holy Ghost within them is like fire to this incense: I mean the incense of their prayers. And though it may be smothered sometimes that it cannot flame or burn up, either by afflictions, or temptations, or desertions, yet it is never utterly extinguished in the Saints. Although there be not flames perhaps, yet there are coals continually on the Altars of their hearts, which though they may be raked in the ashes now and then, yet at some other times they burn amain; Their hearts are hot within them, and the fire kindles, If we act by Christ's Spirit, our prayers are not purely natural, but spiritual desires. For you must know, my Brethren, that a man may pray, yea he may think that he is much assisted by the Spirit in his prayers, when all proceeds from his own Spirit, and all his prayers may be nothing else but merely natural desires. As when a man perceives himself to be in great distress, and sees no way or means to be delivered from it, and is convinced and satisfied that God can save him notwithstanding this extremity of danger; In such a case (these suppositions being made) he may enlarge himself to God in prayer, and yet he may be stirred and quickened to it by nothing but his own Spirit, which is naturally carried to the use of any means which it conceives may be effectual to such an end as this is: So that this man for all his earnestness, may not act by Christ's Spirit, but his own: as it is very manifest those wretches did, who when they saw themselves environed round about with dangers, and thought that none but God could help them, cried vehemently to the Lord, Exod. 14.10. and yet in the succeeding verse it appeareth what they were: They show themselves in their own colours. But when a man is carried high in prayer upon such grounds and reasons as his spirit naturally is not likely to suggest, because they do not any way concern him as a natural man: as when upon the apprehension of some great dishonour that will come to God, if such a thing should be denied, a man is much enlarged and quickened in his prayers; yea, when his prayers are against his natural desires; when he is earnest with the Lord in secret, to help him to pluck out a right eye, or to cut off a right hand, to mortify, and curse, and kill those lusts, and those corruptions which naturally are extremely dear to him, and that upon such grounds and motives, wherein there is no self respect: When he shall seriously and sincerely beg the Lord to give but a little wealth, a little honour, if he perceive that more will do him spiritual hurt, that it will puff him up and make him proud as Agur did, Give me not riches, feed me with food convenient for me, left I be full and deny thee, and say, Who is the Lord? this man is like to act by Christ's Spirit. If we act by Christ's Spirit in our prayers, we strive most for spiritual things. What do you think the Spirit of Christ will make us long more after earth and earthly things than Christ himself? that it will make us more importunate for wealth, than grace? more earnest after temporal and worldly blessings, then after those spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ Jesus, as the Apostle calls them? Ephes. 1.3. Is it a likely thing, my Brethren, that the Spirit should make us struggle more for bodily and outward things, then for those things that are more agreeable and suitable to it, more near to its own nature? I make no question, David acted by the Spirit, in that Petition and request of his, Psal. 4.6. There be many that will say, Who will show us any good? you must conceive it, any temporal or worldly good; many that look after this: But this is that which I desire, saith he, Lord, lift upon me the light of thy countenance, and when thou hast done this, Thou hast put gladness in my heart, much more than in the hearts of worldly men when their corn and wine increaseth. If we act by Christs-Spirit, we pray for temporal and worldly things in reference to spiritual ends. They that have the Spirit of Christ, and they that are devoid of it, do both pray for earthly blessings: For there are promises of these as well as of the other. But now the difference lies in this, both aim not at the same ends. He that hath the Spirit of Christ desires these outwards blessings moderately with submission, that he may serve God with them, that he may promote his ends; that he may be the abler instrument to help his Church, to support his people, to advance his glory, to appear for his cause. Even these desires of his are spiritual, although not for the matter of them, at least for the end of them. But now my brethren, on the other side, he that hath not Christ's spirit desires these outward blessings that he may consume them on his Lusts, as the Apostle speaks, Jam. 4.3. Ye ask and receive not, because you ask amiss that you may consume it upon your lusts; That you may make provision for the flesh with it, and that it may be oil to nourish and to feed the sinful flames that are within you. And thus it is my brethren, with a multitude of men: they pray to God for some thing to bestow upon their sensual appetite, to serve their carnal turns, to satisfy their brutish and voluptuous pleasures and desires: They would be in place and power, that they may raise their names and families, that they may swell and swagger over their inferiors, that they may plague their enemies, and pleasure those that are observant of them. They would have wealth and riches in abundance, that they may swimm in full delights, and far deliciously every day. Agur measures the conveniency or inconveniency of his outward state, as it would fit him more or less for God's service: Not poverty, lest I deny thee; not riches left I forget thee. But these men measure it by nothing but their sensual appetite: and so their prayers serve their lusts, and they would have God himself to serve them too, if they could prevail with him. And are such desires as these, like to be raised by the spirit of Christ? what will the spirit stir men up to pray for any thing to nourish and maintain the flesh, the carnal part, which is the spirits enemy. The flesh lusteth against the spirit, and the spirit lusteth against the flesh, for those two are contrary one to another: And will the spirit notwithstanding strive for that which shall uphold and feed those lusts against which the spirit lusteth? Believe it brethren, they that pray for any blessings to maintain their lusts with them, their pride, intemperance, etc. do not act by Christ's spirit. Object. But you will ask me then, How shall we know whether we pray for blessings to consume them on our Lusts? how shall we discern that? I shall give you some discoveries. 1. If you will observe & deal impartially and freely with yourselves, you shall know it by your thoughts. The end is first in the intention, and last in execution: and therefore certainly the heart works much upon it. Now my beloved, consider what runneth often in your thoughts; when you are sick, and pray for health and continuance of your lives, are your aims as david's were, that you may praise and glorify the Lord among the living? Psal. 6.5. as Hezekiahs' were? Loath he was to die, poor man: but wherefore was he so averse from death? The grave cannot praise thee, death cannot celebrate, Isa. 38.18. Or do you feed your minds with nothing but pre-apprehensions of the carnal pleasure and delight and satisfaction you shall have when you recover. So when you pray for outward things, do you entertain your spirits with pleasing dreams of honour and ambition? by this you may discover what your aims are. 2. You shall discern it by the manner of your prayers, whether you pray for blessings to consume them on your lusts, or no. If so, you will be absolute and peremptory in your prayers. Carnal desires will make the spirit of a man impetuous and impatient of denial. He that aims at satisfaction of his lusts, will not be at God's disposal, there will be no sweet submission to the will of God. No, he must have this or that, and he cannot bear a check: as Rachel must have children or she dies; when once the heart is set on any thing that serves to feed a sensual appetite, whether it be the lust of the flesh, or the lust of the eye, it is violently bend, and it must not be denied. 3. You shall discover it by the effect, I mean the use of those external blessings which you pray for: you pray for health, you pray for riches and the like, and you receive them at the hands of God, he gives you the desire of your hearts in these things; Well now consider with yourselves what use you put them to when you have gotten them, and what bills you bring in. What, so much health and so much strength bestowed upon the prosecution of your worldly and ambitious projects and designs? so much means and so much time upon riot and excess? Item, so much upon your pride, and so much upon your lusts, and so much upon the satisfaction of your malice and revenge: so much upon Hawks and Hounds, and Whores: but nothing upon God, his Cause, or his poor distressed servants. Are these the bills that you bring in to God? and will you own them in the latter day? Brethren, by your layings out you may discover to what intent you have prayed for outward blessings, whether to consume them on your Lusts, or no: And if that hath been your end, the spirit hath not been your principle in these petitions. If we act by Christ's spirit, we keep a constant course in prayer. We do not pray by fits and starts as Job observeth of the Hypocrite, who hath not Christ's spirit, Job 27.10. Will he delight in the Almighty? will be always call on God? No, he will be on and off in this duty. Our spirits are unconstant and unstable, my beloved: but Christ's spirit is 〈◊〉 not so. And hence it is that they that pray by their own spirits, are so uncertain in the duty many times. Sometimes their spirits stir them up to pray, and sometimes they do not: Though there be differences in this too: for some men's spirits naturally are more ready and more fixed than others are: And there may be other things as fear and strong conviction and the like that may hold some certain men almost to a continued practice of the outward duty; yet it is very rare that he is constant who acts by his own spirit. But now my brethren, he that acts by Christ's spirit, is a steady man in prayer: he can appeal to God as David doth, Psal. 40.9. I have not restrained my Lips, Oh Lord, thou knowest. Christ's spirit dwells in him: he doth not sojourn in him for a time, but he dwells in him as in his fixed and his settled habitation, and he dwells in him as a spirit of supplication; So the spirit of Christ is called, Zech. 12.10. And hence it is that he is always putting him upon the duty, upon all occasions, so that he is constant in it. Christ's spirit is at home still, though ours be wand'ring many times, even to the other end of all the earth. And though Christ's spirit seem to be given sometimes as a spirit of consolation, yet than he will be present as a spirit of supplication: He will set a Saint to prayer, even when he seems most indisposed and averse: he will not suffer him to lay it by, and wholly to neglect the duty, as is observable in David, I said that I am cut off from before thine eyes, saith he, Psal. 31.22. Nevertheless thou heardest the voice of my prayer. Even than I prayed to thee when I was in that temper; so in another place, from the end of the earth will I cry unto thee, even when my heart is overwhelmed, Psal. 61.2. And whence proceedeth this my brethren? surely these prayers of all others flow from Christ's spirit as the Apostle teacheth, Rom. 8.20. The spirit helpeth our infirmities: We know not what to pray for as we ought, but then the spirit itself makes intercession for us with sighs and groans that cannot be expressed. If we act by Christ's spirit, we come to God as to a Father, we cry Abba Father to him, as you have it, Gal. 4.6. Because ye are Sons, saith the Apostle, God hath sent forth the spirit of his Son into your hearts. And what doth that spirit there? you have it in the next verse, crying Abba Father. So that Christ's spirit, if he act in us, makes us address ourselves to God as to a Father. And that my brethren, carries two things in it. This spirit makes us come to God with the expectations of Children, and with the affections of Children. 1. If Christ's spirit act in us, he makes us come to God in prayer with Childlike expectations. Expecting from him all the mercy, pity, and compassion which a Child can look for from his own Father. He makes us to approach the throne of grace with great assurance of audience and acceptance and success there; commonly he doth this. 2. But yet I must confess An hypocrite may sometimes have these expectations, and a child of God may want them. The Jews had Childlike expectations, Jer. 3.4. they cried to God Thou art my Father, and wilt not thou that art my Father pity me and help me? sure thou wilt; and yet they had no Childlike affections, no care at all to please God, and therefore it is added in the next words, that they said and did as evil as they could. But now my brethren he that acts by Christ's spirit, as he hath Childlike expectations, so he hath Childlike affections, or if at any time he want his Childlike expectations, yet still he hath his Childlike affections. Though he be in such a case that he is verily persuaded for the present, that God will neither own him, nor regard him, nor look upon him as a Son, yet he loves God still. He hath a Child's heart to God, even when he thinks that God hath not a Father's heart to him. Though he seem to frown upon him, and to hid his face and to turn away his prayers, yet he hath dear affections to the Lord notwithstanding all this. And this appears by the trouble he is in at God displeasure: it grieves him so that he is sick of love, as the poor Church was, Cant. 2.5. when Christ withdrew himself a while, this was her grief, I sought him whom my soul loveth. I will go into the City and seek him whom my soul loveth. I said unto the watchmen, Did ye see him whom my soul loveth? And so when God withdraws himself from such a one as is endued with his spirit, the very soul of such a person loves him still: when he is very much afraid that he shall never find God more, that God will never show him favour more, when he hath lost his Childlike expectations, yet still he maintains his Childlike affections. JOHN. 17.24. That they also whom thou hast given me be with me, etc. AND thus far of the manner of our Saviour's prayer. Proceed we to the matter of it: And here we have the persons that he prays for, those whom thou hast given me: And then the thing that he desires in the behalf of those persons, that they also may be with me where I am. As for the persons whom our Saviour prays for, you see they are described here by the Father's giving them to Jesus Christ. Let them be what they will in all considerations and respects besides, it matters not in this, of what Nation, Condition, Station, Disposition or Conversation for the present, if God have given them to him, his will is that they be with him where he is. But then we must distinguish as we have done before of the Father's giving to the Son. The Father gives men to the Son either for outward Ministration, or inward union and incorporation; Either to be his servants, or to be his members. In the first sense Judas was himself given to the Lord Christ, to be his Minister and his Apostle, as Christ himself acknowledges, ver. 12. Those whom thou gavest me I kept, and none of of them is lost but the Son of perdition. Now they who in this sense are given to the Lord Christ to be his Ministers and Servants only, not his members, are not the men for whom he prays in this place, that they also may be with him where he is: because he knows they are appointed for another place. Judas was so bestowed upon him, and yet he was a lost Creature. The Father gave him to the Son, and he lost him (as you may see in the forecited Text) never to enjoy him more. But now there are another sort whom God the Father gives to Christ for inward union, whom he bestows upon him for to be members of his body. And they must needs be with him, who are in him: And therefore out of question these are they for whom he prays, Father, I will that they also whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am. But where was Christ when he spoke these words? Why he was upon the earth: he was here in the world: what then doth he desire that true believers might be with him here? Is that the aim of his petition? No, it is a higher thing for which he is Suitor here, their being with him in a higher and more glorious place. Only you must conceive him here to speak (as his usual manner is) as if he were in heaven already. As ver. 11. of this Chapter, And now I am no more in the world. So in my Text, Father, I will that they whom thou hast given me be with me where I am: That is, in heaven where I am to be, and whither I am now going: So that it is as if I were already there, it being such a certain near approaching instant thing: and in that place I would have all those to be, whom thou hast given me by election, and whom in thine eternal Counsel and Decree thou hast appointed to be members of my body. Father, I will, etc. So that the Point to be observed is this. DOCTRINE. It is the will of Jesus Christ that all that are his own by the donation of the Father, shall be in heaven where he is. There are two things in the Doctrine, which I might prove clear in order, before I come to Application. First, that there are some certain men, whom God the Father hath made over to the Son, that belong to Jesus Christ, and are his own by donation from the Father. Secondly, that it is the will of Christ, that they who are so his own, shall be in heaven where he is. There are some certain men who belong to Jesus Christ, who are his own by donation from the Father. And he gives them to the Son, by his Decree from everlasting, and by the execution of the same Decree in time. This I do but mention here, because it hath been largely handled on ver. 12. Now for the second branch, that it is the will of Christ, that they who are so his own, shall be in heaven, where himself is; you see it is the Suit he makes to God the Father in my Text, Father, I will that they whom thou hast given me be with me where I am, that is, in heaven where I am to be. In heaven where I am already in my Godhead, and where I am to be very shortly in my Manhood; there I will have them to be also. And for this end our Saviour Christ is gone to heaven, even to make heaven ready for his people, that so they may be presently admitted when they come. He yields it as one special cause of his departure from his Apostles and Disciples, when he was about to leave them; saith he, I go to prepare a place for you, Joh. 4.2. When he entered into heaven and passed in, to the immediate presence of his Father, he took possession of it in our name and stead, and left it open after him to all his members. He hath in this respect prepared it for them, that he hath made it ready to receive them; And when they are ready too, he will come and receive them to himself, that where he is, there may they be also, as it is added, Joh 14.3. And upon this account it was that the Apostle Paul desired to be dissolved, because he was assured that assoon as that was over, he should be with Christ, Phil. 1.23. and so he teaches us expressly in another place, that all that sleep in Christ Jesus, shall be for ever with the Lord, 1 Thes. 4.17. By which it is apparent, that it is the will of Christ, that all that are his own by the donation of the Father, shall be in Heaven where himself is. But you will ask me, Why will he have them to be there? To this I answer, that a man would think it necessary by reason of the union between Christ and them, that seeing they are one, they should be in one place. But you must know (my brethren) that the corporeal and local presence of the parties contributes nothing to the union that is made between Christ and his members, which is a spiritual and invisible thing, and which no nearness in regard of place can further, no distance in regard of place can hinder. So that Christ's people may be in him, though they be not with him (in the sense wherein I speak.) I mean not with him in the same place. Their being with him locally in heaven, is no way necessary to their union with him: Or were it so, the Saints on earth were in a very ill case. Well then, this cannot be the reason why Christ would have his people to be in one place with him: that they may be one with him. They may be this without the other. But there are divers other weighty reasons of the Point: I shall name a few of them. Reason 1 Christ would have his people be in heaven where himself is, because he hath a dear affection to them, his heart is carried out exceedingly in love to them. And more particularly and distinctly, he loves them with a love of benevolence, and he loves them with a love of complacency. 1. Christ would have his people be in heaven, where himself is, because he loves them with a love of benevolence: With such a love as makes him with them all the good that they are possibly capable of. Now my beloved, what greater good can be wished to true Believers, then to be with Christ in heaven? To be in heaven where they shall be absolutely and completely holy and happy, where they shall never sin, and where they shall never suffer any more: where holiness and happiness shall be both perfect: where there is fullness of joy and pleasure for evermore: and to be with Christ there, of whose immediate presence true believers are inavoidably debarred as long as they remain in this world: While they are at home in the body, they are absent from the Lord, as 2 Cor. 5.6. But when they come to heaven they shall be with him, they shall have the complete and full fruition and enjoyment of him, which is the greatest happiness that can be. To be with Christ is best of all, 1 Phil. 23. To be with Saints on Earth is good, though they be imperfect here, and though by reason of their imperfections they be the less delightful, and the less beneficial to us: To be with Saints in heaven is better, because they are perfect there: There are the spirits of just men made perfect: But to be with Christ there, is best of all. This is so good that there is nothing better; there is no higher happiness attainable by any creature. And therefore Christ would have his people to enjoy it, to be in heaven where himself is, because he loves them with a love of benevolence. 2. Jesus Christ would have his people to be in heaven where himself is, because he loves them with a love of complacency, because he takes delight in them: and friends that delight in one another, think it not sufficient to be present each with other by the presence of their hearts and spirits. No, if it be possible, they will be present each with other in their bodies too: as you may see in Jonathan and David, what shifts they made to come together. So Jesus Christ who loves his people out of measure, is not content that he is with them in his spirit, and that they are again with him in their spirits. No, this is not enough, but he must have their bodies with him too, he must enjoy their company in heaven, or else it is not well there. Christ is not fully satisfied till he enjoy the sweet Society of his beloved Saints in heaven, with whom he hath such intimate and dear acquaintance, while they are here upon earth. And hence he begs his Father for them to bring them to the same place where himself is, as if he could not live in heaven without them, Father, I will that, etc. 2. There is a second reason added in the Text, which I shall handle Reason 2 only under that consideration, Father, I will that they whom thou hast given me be with me where I am. And why so? might the Father ask him, Why that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me, as it is added in the next words. That they may see the lustre which I sparkle with. The glory of Christ's humane nature in heaven, is exceeding great. The Evangelist who saw it through the dim spectacles of humane frailty, endeavours as he can to set it forth: Saith he, his Countenance was as the Sun that shineth in his strength. Apoc. 1.16. But this was but a short resemblance: Our Saviour Christ who knew it better, carries it a little higher: The Son of man saith he, shall come in the glory of the Father, Mat. 16.27. In comparison of whose incomparable lustre and transcendent brightness the Sun itself is but a shadow: Now Christ would have his people be in heaven where himself is, that they may see this glory which he shines withal. But why would he have them see it? what shall they gain by it? 1. While they see it, they cannot but exceedingly rejoice in it. It cannot but transport them even to an ecstasy of joy, to see him whom they love so infinitely, sparkle forth with such dazzling rays of glory. Oh will the poor believer say, This is my head, my husband whom my soul loveth, that is become so out of measure glorious. There was a time when he was black, and when there was no form nor beauty in him, when wretched men made him vile and ignominious, and when they hid their faces, as if they were ashamed of him: But now he shines forth as the Sun that hath been masked with a gloomy cloud. This is he that died for me, that shed his blood for me, that loved me and gave himself for me. Oh how my heart is ravished to behold his glory. 2. While they behold it, as they shall rejoice in it, so they shall partake of it. And that especially two ways both by union and reflection. First they shall partake of it by union, for being one with Jesus Christ, they cannot choose but share together with him in his glory. And as the glory of the members, redoundeth to the glory of the head, in which respect it is that the Apostle saith that, Christ shall be admired in all them that believe: So on the other side the glory of the head, redoundeth much more to the glory of the members. Secondly, And as they shall partake hereof by union, so also by reflection, when they see Christ: while they behold the glory of the Lord they shall be transformed into the same image from glory to glory. Their vile bodies shall be conformed to his glorious body, Phil. 3.21. And while they see him as he is, they shall be like him, as the Apostle John insinuates, 1 Epist. 3.2. They shall bear the very image of the heavenly Adam, 1 Cor. 15.48. And as the face of Moses shined when he had been with God upon the Mount, so when we come to be with Christ in heaven, and to behold his glory there, we shall reflect it back again, and so shall shine together with him in the same glory. And this is another reason why Christ will have his people to be with him, that they may see his glory, and seeing, may partake of it, both by union and reflection. Use; Now to descend to application: Is it the will of Christ, etc. Here than you see the singular and extraordinary happiness of Christ's people. If they were always to remain, to set up their perpetual abode in this world, it would be very sad with them: It is a vale of tears, a most uncomfortable place, especially to Christ's people in which they are not like to have a quiet hour almost as long as they remain in it. But now the comfort is, that it is the will of Christ that they that are bestowed upon him by his Father, shall not always stay here, that he will have them come to heaven where himself is: That he will not always leave them in this vale of tears, but he will one day bring them to a place of joy, there to enjoy himself for ever: to keep no longer at a distance from him, but to be with him where he is. To be with Christ in any place must needs be sweet. It was a high expression of an holy man, that he had rather be in hell with Christ, (if it were possible) then anywhere besides without him. But to be in heaven with Christ, this is excellent indeed: To be in such a glorious place as heaven is, the blessedness of which no tongue of men or Angels is sufficient to express, and to be with Christ there: To behold his glory there, and to partake with him of the same glory: This is such happiness as neither eye hath seen, nor ear hath heard, nor can it enter into the heart of man to conceive. But who shall partake of it? who shall be raised to this high felicity? why they that are Christ's own people, as you have it in the point. It is the will of Christ that all that are his own, shall be in heaven where himself is: So that if you be Christ's people, if God have given you to Christ, and put you into him as members of his body, you are the men that shall be with him where he is. When other men are cast out, when they are punished with eternal perdition from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his power, you shall be admitted into nearest fellowship with Jesus Christ; when he saith to other men, Avaunt, be gone, in the sad day of separation, Depart ye cursed into everlasting fire, there to enjoy no better company than the Devil and his Angels, he will say to you Draw near, come, you are company for me, you must dwell with me for ever. Come ye blessed of my Father, sit down with me in my Kingdom. Ah, my beloved, this is a sweet and comfortable thing indeed. And thus far of the matter of our Saviour's prayer, or the thing which he desires in the behalf of true believers, that they may be with him where he is. Together with the reason of it why he would have them to be with him, that they may behold his glory: which we have handled also with relation to the point. In the remainder of the verse you have a reason of a reason. Our Saviour having spoken of the glory bestowed upon him by his Father, which he would have believers to behold: it might be questioned how he came by this glory, or what induced the Father to bestow it on the Son. Why saith our Saviour, he gave it me because he loved me from Eternity. Father, I will that they, etc. that they may behold the glory which thou hast given me; For thou hast loved me; mark it, thou hast loved me, and therefore thou hast given me this glory; That they may behold my glory which thou hast given me, for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world. There is no difficulty in the words, unless it be in that expression, before the foundation of the world; a phrase of speech very usual in the Scripture, and applied to many things, as I might give you instances enough: But it will be sufficient to observe, that it denotes Eternity wheresoever it is used. And that before, or from the foundation of the world, (for we meet with both expressions) is as much in Scripture language as to say from everlasting: For whatsoever was before the world was made, my brethren, was eternal; so that when our Saviour saith to God the Father, Thou hast loved me before the foundation of the world, It is as much as if he should have said, Thou hast loved me from Eternity, from Everlasting: And so accordingly the point shall be, DOCTRINE. That God the Father hath dearly loved Jesus Christ from all Eternity. There are two things in the point which I shall orderly pursue. First God the Father hath dearly loved Jesus Christ. Secondly, he hath done so from all Eternity, Before the foundation of the world was laid. As for the first of these, That God the Father loveth Jesus Christ, you see it is the clear express assertion of our Saviour in my Text. And therefore if you mark him, you shall find that he is often speaking of his Father's love to him, as Joh. 15.9. and in the 23. verse of this Chapter. And on the other side, the Father he professes his transcendent love to Christ, and that out of heaven itself, Mat. 3.17. This is my beloved Son. I have some other children that I love well, but this is my beloved Son above the rest, take notice of him, this is he, This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased. I shall not stand to prove so clear a truth, That God the Father dearly loveth Jesus Christ. But you will ask me, Why doth God the Father love him? Truly, my Brethren, there is cause enough why he should love him, Reason. and love him out of all measure. There are two things, my Brethren, that qualify an object, and that make it meet for love; Proportion, and Propriety; and both of these must meet together. Now both of these concur in Christ, so that he is completely fitted for his Father's love. For, There is Proportion, He is very like the Father, and that both as God and Man. 1. As God, he is extremely like the Father, he is the very picture of him as we use to say; The express Image of his Father's Person; not of the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, but of the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, Heb. 1.3. Indeed he representeth and resembleth him in every thing. The Father is Almighty, so is he; the Father is Eternal, so is he; the Father is Immutable and Omnipresent, etc. so is he; He is his express Image. Nay shall I go a little further? The Father as a Person distinguished from the Son, hath nothing proper and peculiar to himself, but is in some respect expressed and declared in the Son. His act of generation or begetting, is showed forth in the begotten: so that unless he were the Father, it is impossible he should be nearer to the Father, or better like the Father than he is. And if he were the Father, he could not be the Father's Image, he could not be like the Father; for Nullum simile est idem. Thus Christ as God you see my Brethren, is the most absolute and perfect Character of God the Father, like him in every thing in all respects, as one face answereth another in a glass: Having no other inward difference between them save only this, that by their relative properties, they are distinguished the one from the other. 2. As man our Saviour is extremely like the Father too; He is the Image of the invisible God, Col. 1.15. As he hath assumed our flesh, he is the very Image of the Father. And therefore the Apostle saith not simply, who is the Image of God, but of the invisible God: In which there is a close Antithesis, q. d. Having assumed our Nature, he is now become the visible Image of the invisible God; That God who is invisible, is made visible in him. And this is that which is suggested in that speech of John the Baptist, Joh. 1.18. No man hath seen God at any time; conceive it with the outward eye; The Son of man who is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him. He hath discovered him in some respect to that eye, because he is so very like him. So that if you see the Son, you shall see the Father in him; the resemblance is so great, that in seeing one of them, you see the other. And hence saith Christ to Philip once, Joh. 14.9. He that hath seen me, hath seen the Father also. So that our Saviour both as God and Man, is like the Father, and so in that respect is fitted for his Father's love. And as there is Proportion, so Propriety; as he is like the Father, so he is the Fathers own, and therefore meet to be beloved of him. Indeed there is an interest on both hands. God is Christ's God; God even thy God hath anointed thee, saith David, Psal 45.7. And Christ is God's Christ, Psal. 2.2. The Kings of the earth set themselves, and the Rulers take counsel together against the Lord, and against his Christ. Indeed he is the Father's Chosen, the Father's servant, the Father's Son; He is his Son as God by eternal generation, as man by union: He is his in all capacities, and under all considerations; take him which way you will, he is the Fathers: So that no marvel though the Father love him, and love him dearly too. We that are men are wont to love our own, yea many times we dote upon them, though they have little lovely in them. But Christ who is his Fathers own, is altogether lovely, so that he hath cause to love him. And this for clearing of the first branch, that God the Father loveth Jesus Christ. Now for the second branch, that he hath loved him from everlasting, This is expressly taught us also in the Text; Thou hast loved me, saith Christ, before the foundation of the world, that is, before time was. As the time will never be when God will not love Christ; So the time never was when God did not love Christ: That place is notable to this purpose, Prov. 8.22. The Lord possessed me in the beginning, etc. I was set up from everlasting, etc. I was as one brought up with him, and I was daily his delight. Observe it well, I was daily his delight. I, you will answer, he was so as God; But how was he so as man? Object. How could the Father love the Son as Man from everlasting, since he was not from everlasting? God is one pure act, Answ. he doth not that in time (as to internal immanent acts) which he did not from everlasting. Though things are past, present, and to come with us, yet they are not so with God. All things are present with him, at the same time; as Jesus Christ, in reference to God and his decree, was slain, so he was incarnate too, before the foundation of the world; and so he was beloved as man, and as incarnate before the foundation of the world: and under this consideration he speaks, especially to his Father in my Text; Thou hast loved me, saith he, viz. as Man and Mediator before the foundation of the world. Now is it so, That God the Father dearly loveth Jesus Christ? Use. then surely it is ill with them that hate him, and it is well with them that love him. If God love Jesus Christ so dearly, certainly he hates them that hate Christ, and he loves them that love Christ. 1. If God love Jesus Christ so dearly, he hates them that hate Christ: and he will surely be avenged on them to the very utmost. The love he bears to Jesus Christ, will stir him up to execute his fiercest wrath, and to take most severe revenge upon them. Believe it, brethren, God will not spare them in the day of vengeance, he will show no bowels of compassion to them who hate his dear Son Christ, to whom he bears such infinite affection. The more he loves Christ, the more he will hate them that hate him, and the more sharply will he deal with them. But you ask me, Are there any such that hate Christ? and if there be, Quest. which way may they be discovered? Some there are that hate Christ, Answ. and that not in Hell only (the Devil and the damned ghosts there) but on earth among men; yea, in the very bosom of the Church itself. He is not hated only of a company of men that are but foreigners and strangers to him, as the Heathen are, (for that is no such admirable thing, that they that know him not should hate him) but of his Citizens who are acquainted with him, and who are under his immediate Rule and Jurisdiction, Luk. 19.14. He is refused, not of the Heathen people only, but of divers in the Church, and some of them of greatest note, authority and learning there, to wit, the bvilders of the Church. He is the stone which they that would be counted Workmen, Master-workmen, stumble at and set aside, Psal. 118.22. There be that live in opposition and hostility against him, even where his Kingdom is set up; he ruleth in the midst of his enemies, as his Father speaks of him, Psal. 110.2. Where our Saviour hath a Church, there the Devil hath a Chapel, yea it may be a Cathedral. I know thy works, and where thou dwellest, saith our Saviour to the Church of Pergamus, even where Satan's seat is, Apoc. 2.13. Observe it well, where Satan's seat is: that is, where he is Bishop, where he keeps his residence, where his Episcopal Cathedral and his chair is. Christ can never want his enemies where Satan hath such interest, and such authority as this is. Indeed the greatest Enemy that Christ hath in the world (conceit it among mortal men) is in the Church, and that is Antichrist, a Bishop too, who hath his name from being opposite to Christ, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, as who should say against Christ. He sitteth in the Temple, in the Church, as the Apostle Paul speak, 2 Thess. 2.4. There were false brethren in the Church of the Philippians, who notwithstanding all their glorious protestations, were enemies to Christ, as the Apostle tells them plainly, Phil. 3.18. and he tells it them with tears, he was so much affected with it. And surely there are many everywhere, and in every Congregation, who pretend much worship and submission, and Ceremony, and respect to Christ: And yet such is the damnable hypocrisy and falseness of the hearts of men, they swell with inward rank or, rage, and hate against him. It is not every one that calls him Rabbi Master, as the false Herodians did, that kisses him, and bows before him, and salutes him with Hail Master, as deceitful Judas did, that is indeed a friend to Christ: No, men may make a flourish, and profess they love the Lord, and say that he is infinitely dear unto them, and yet may be as real enemies to him, and to his Kingdom, as Judas that betrayed him, the Judge and Officers and people that condemned, and scourged, and crucified the Lord of glory. And now my brethren, Will you say to me as the Disciples to our Saviour, when he told them, that one of them should betray him? Will you ask me man by man, Is it I? and is it I? No, I expect to hear you say, It is not I. What, I an enemy to Christ? I defy it; and they that are his greatest enemies will be as bold and resolute in the denial as any other. And therefore as our Saviour gave a sign to the Disciples, by which the Traitor might be known; so I will give you certain signs out of Scripture, by which the enemies of Christ may be discovered. First they that are willing to submit to sin, and are unwilling to submit to Christ, they are enemies to Christ. I will a little stand on either branch of this mark. They that are willing to submit to sin, they are enemies to Christ: 'Tis true indeed men may be taken captive by it, as Saint Paul was, they may be forced to obey it in some certain acts, notwithstanding all their striving, by the power of a temptation which they are no way able to resist, and yet may be the friends of Christ; they may unfaignedly and dearly love the Lord Jesus. But if they render up themselves to any lust, if they make a Covenant with it, as being willing and resolved to obey it; if not content that they are sold by Adam, they sell themselves to sin, as Ahab did, they are enemies to Christ: No man can serve two Masters, that are contrary, as God and Mammon, Christ and sin; for saith our Saviour, He will love the one, and hate the other, Mat. 6.24. So than if you be servants voluntarily engaged to any sin, as being willing to obey it in the lusts thereof. Whether it be drunkenness, or swearing, or uncleanness, or the like; If you resolve it is a sweet, it is a profitable sin, I will not strive nor pray against it, because I mean not to forsake it, you do indeed hate Christ. It may be you do think that you may serve a lust, and love the Lord Christ too: But you deceive your own souls; for the Truth of God hath said it, that he that loves the one, will hate the other: As they that serve Christ, hate sin; so they that serve sin, hate Christ. And for the second branch of this mark, as they that willingly obey sin, so they that are unwilling to obey Christ, they are enemies to Christ. You are my friends, saith Christ to his Disciples, if you do whatsoever I command you, Joh. 15.14. otherwise you are not. And hence he styleth those his enemies, who will not have him rule over them, Luk. 19.27. Observe it well, he saith not simply, Those that will not have me reign; but those mine enemies that will not have me reign over them, bring them forth and slay them before me. If then you will not stoop to Christ, and to the Sceptre of his Kingdom; if you will not have him rule you, if you will not do the things that he commands you, but are resolved to walk according to your own humours, and though you are informed what is good, and what the Lord requireth of you, yet you hate to be reform, and pluck away the shoulder, as the Prophet speaks, and say with those rebellious wretches, Psal. 2.3. Let us break his bonds asunder, and cast away his cords from us, that we may walk at liberty, and that there may be no restraint from any thing that seemeth good in our own eyes: be not deceived, for you are Adversaries of the Lord Christ. 2. They are enemies to Christ, that love that which Christ hates, and hate that which Christ loves. It is the property of near and bosom friends, to will and nill, to love and hate the same things; and enemies are just upon the other hand: and so it is in this case. They that are in love with sin, (which is the thing, the only thing which Christ hates) are surely out of love with Christ. They that love the Lord, hate evil, Psal. 97.10. and I may say as well, They that love evil, hate the Lord. It's true, that such as love him, may commit it, but yet they have a strange antipathy against it, they hate it with a perfect hatred, and every false way they utterly abhor. And hence it is that they endeavour to destroy it, to crucify it every day, to put it to the cruelest and basest death, and if they had it in their power, they would show it no mercy. You would not use a Turk, a Toad, as such a man would use sin. But when a man shall cocker it, and struck it, and delight in it, when he shall not endure to have it stricken with the hammer, or wounded with the Sword of God's Word, but shall be ready to do violence to any man that offers it a blow, or gives it but an ill word, the heart of such a person is not right towards Christ. And even as they are enemies to Christ, who love that which Christ hates, so also they who hate that which Christ loves, and that is holiness and grace, which he cannot choose but love, because it is a beam of his own light, a gift of his own spirit, a stamp of his own Image, a part of his own fullness, for of his fullness have we all received, and grace for grace. But you will say, Who hates this? I answer they that persecute and scorn and vex their brethren for their strictness and preciseness, because they follow that which good is, because they fear an oath, because they run not out with them to the same excess of riot, they are the men that hate grace. For it is holiness and grace you see that is the proper object, and indeed the formal reason of their hatred. And they that hate their brethren for their holiness and grace, which they have received from Christ, by which they are conformable and like to Christ, would hate him so much more than them, if he should come and live among them, by how much he is holier than they are. And therefore let not such as say they could affect and like of such a person well enough, but that he is so pure and so precise, he will not do as they do, pretend any love to Christ. For certainly the same affections of spite and malice and reproach which they discover against such men, they would with so much greater bitterness express against the Lord Christ, if he were conversant upon the earth, by how much he exceedeth and transcendeth them in holiness and grace. 3. They that are friends to the enemies of Christ, and enemies to the friends of Christ, are enemies to Christ himself. Be they who they will that close with those that live in enmity against Christ, and help them in their opposition to his truth and to his cause, and to his glory, they can never love Christ. No, if they did, they could never side with those that are professed adversaries to the Lord Jesus, and who endeavour to subvert and overthrow his worship and religion, and destroy his people. And certainly Christ cannot choose but take them for his enemies, and use them like his enemies, while they incorporate themselves with those that live in open opposition and hostility against him. And as the friends unto the enemies of Christ, even so the enemies unto the friends of Christ, are enemies to Christ himself. They that are adversaries to the Saints, who are as it is said of Abraham, the friends of God, the friends of Christ, must needs be adversaries to the Lord Jesus. There is a Covenant and a League of love between the Lord and them, and the league is not defensive only, but offensive too; he that toucheth them, saith Christ, toucheth the Apple of mine eye; touch them, & touch me, Zac. 2.8. Nay, they are not alone in Covenant with him, but more than so my brethren, they are one with him. And therefore they are called Christ, 1 Cor. 12.12. For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members are but one body, so also is Christ: conceive it Christ in aggregate, comprising all the Church with him; for, caput & corpus unus est Christus (as Austin speaks) the head and the body is but one Christ: and that which is the name of Christ, Jer. 23.6. This is his name by which he shall be called, The Lord our Righteousness, is the Churchss name too, Jer. 33.16. This is the name wherewith she shall be called, The Lord our Righteousness. Indeed his people are the members of his body, and he can never be a friend unto the head, who is an adversary to the members. Now if on trial by the former evidences, you find that you hate Christ, believe it God hates you. The dearer his affection to his Son Christ is, the greater is his hatred of the enemies of Christ. The union is so near, and the love so infinite between the Father and the Son, that God may truly say to Jesus Christ, Do not I hate them that hate thee? I hate them with a perfect hatred, as though they were mine enemies: And I will surely take a course with them, I will bring them low enough. Sat thou at my right hand, there sit thou still unmoved and undisturbed, till I have made thine enemies thy footstool. JOHN 17.24. For thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world. IS it so that God the Father dearly loveth Jesus Christ? hence than it Use 2 follows, that as he hates them that hate Christ, so on the other side he loveth them that love Christ. The dear affection that he bears to Christ draws out his very heart to all those that love Christ. And this is that which Jesus Christ himself teacheth, John 14.21. He that loveth me, saith Christ, shall be loved of my Father. Let him be what he will, of what condition or estate he will, never so poor and mean and despicable in the world, if he do really and truly love me, my Father loves that man, and loves him dearly for my sake. Nay saith the Father, this man is my Son's friend, he bears a very great affection to my Son Christ, and therefore I must needs esteem and love him for my Son's sake. I have always loved my Son, even from all eternity, and that out of all measure; and upon this account my love and my affection overflows to all those that love him. Oh how should this prevail with every one of us to love Christ, and love him dearly, since God the Father will requite us to the utmost for all the love we show to him; all the love that we lay out on Jesus Christ, he will pay us back again, and pay us in the same coin. We may depend upon it, that we shall have love for love. If we love Christ, the Father he will love us. And is the Father's love worth nothing? Ah, my beloved, it bringeth with it all the happiness and mercy that a poor soul is capable of: And therefore I beseech you let us love Christ: let Christ have our love, that we may have the Father's love. And here to warm your hearts a little, and to draw them out to Christ, take notice of these few things. 1. View him in himself, behold him in the choiceness and excellency of his own beauty; There is no spot, nor imperfection in him, in the very lest degree; He is fairer than the children of men, Psal. 45.2. than any of them all, let them be what they will: for they have blemishes, but he hath none. All the perfections in the world do meet in him, so that there can be nothing added to him. Indeed (my brethren) he is altogether lovely. All others have their imperfections and defects, something there is unlovely in them: but he is altogether lovely: And this is that which makes the Church so far in love with him: She is taken with his beauty, and the delicious savour of his ointments, the sweetness of the graces that are in him, Cant. 1.3. How is she ravished in the contemplation of him? Cant. 5.8. What is thy beloved more than another beloved? say the daughters to her there; What is he more? saith she: me thinks she is an end with that word: Why have you no eyes to see? He is transcendent, incomparable, and so describeth him from top to toe, and then concludes, This is my beloved O ye daughters, look upon him, this is he: As who should say, now judge you whether I have cause to love him, yea, or no. And therefore I am not ashamed to own it: and if you meet with my beloved, you may tell him that I love him, yea that I am sick of love. 2. Consider in the next place what he is to you, what interest and propriety you have in him. Why, my beloved, he is yours: I speak this to believers only. And this the Church and Spouse of Christ professeth often, I am my beloved's, and my beloved is mine: and yields this as the reason of the high and dear affection that she bears him. A woman, you will say, hath cause to love her own husband. Now Jesus Christ is the husband of the Church, she is his wife, his spouse, his second self, she is called by his name: We are thine (say the people of the Lord) the heathen are not so, nor are they called by thy name. So that the Saints in this respect, are infinitely more obliged to love him, than these that are without the pale, because they have not such relation to him. 3. Let the exceeding love of Christ to you, draw out your love to him again. Amor (they say) is C●s amoris. And so let his love be a whet to you. Consider he hath loved you, and therefore you have reason to love him again. This reason doth not hold on both sides: we cannot say that we have loved Christ, and therefore he hath cause to love us. For we never loved him till he loved us first, the love began on his side. But we may truly say, that Jesus Christ hath loved us; and therefore we have cause to love him. For he prevented us with mercy, and with loving kindness, as the Prophet speaks; and this should win our hearts to him. We love him (saith the Apostle in the name of all the faithful) 1 John 4.19. Why so? what is the cause of this love? you have it in the following words, because he loved us first. Our love is not the cause of his, but his love is the cause of ours. 4. Survey what Christ hath done for you, and see if it deserve not at the least a return of love from you. He hath made you (that is little: in comparison I mean) all things were created by him, Col. 1.16. but more than this, he hath redeemed you from sin, from death, from hell itself. You had been utterly undone, and lost for ever, had it not been for Jesus Christ. But he hath saved that which was lost. He hath raised you from nothing to a Kingdom, from poverty to matchless riches, yea from death to life itself: we were dead, but are alive; all this is Christ's doing. We use to love them who have saved our lives: and surely we have cause to love Christ▪ for he hath saved our lives, and that not from a temporal but from eternal death: Not from the first alone, but from the second death, where the worm never dies, and the fire is never quenched: And therefore he is called our life, that is, the cause and fountain of it, Col. 3.4. When Christ who is our life shall appear. So that we may truly call him in the Prophet's words, the God of our life; And therefore we have cause to make him the object of our love, and wholly to bestow our hearts upon him; to love him, by whom we live the life of grace, and look to live the life of glory. Is it so that God the Father dearly loveth Jesus Christ? The more Use 3 it is to be admired and wondered at that he should use him as he did for our sakes: That he should be angry with him, that he should hid his face from him, and forsake him in a sense: that he should load him with such a burden of his wrath, as made him weep and cry, and sweat and faint. Ah, my beloved, what an admirable thing is this? who can reach the utmost of it in his thoughts? had he not cared for Jesus Christ, had he born no affection to him, it had not been so strange, that God the Father should deal with him in this manner; But that he should be so extremely harsh to him in whom his very soul delights: that he should handle him so roughly whom he loves so dearly, whom he hath ever loved from all eternity, this is an admirable thing indeed. And that you may the better see the wonder of it, the miracle of mercy that is in it, let us consider a little more particularly and distinctly, how the Father used him, and for whose sake he used him so, who was so infinitely dear, etc. 1. Consider how the Father used him, who is so infinitely dear to him: he gave him up into the hands of sinful men, to deal with him as they pleased. There take the darling of my bosom (saith the Father) revile him, mock him, beat him, spit upon him, scourge him, pierce him, nail him, stretch his limbs upon the Cross, crucify him, kill him, shed his blood, take away his life from him; wreak all your malice on him to the utmost, and though he cry and roar, I will not save him, I will be far from helping him, and from the words of his roaring, as the expression is, Psal. 22.1. Though God doth love him infinitely, he left him in the hands of vile men, to use him at their own pleasure: and they used him bad enough, as you may see, if you survey the Gospel story. Oh the indignities, reproaches, and contempts that sinful wretches poured out upon the Lord of glory! In which respect, the Prophet saith, he was despised and rejected, and men hide their faces from him, as if they were ashamed of him, Isa. 53.3. I am a reproach of men (saith holy David, as a type of Christ, Psal. 22.6.) and despised of the people: all that see me laugh me to scorn. Oh the abasures that he suffered from persons viler than the earth they trod upon, and God the Father who so dearly loved him stood by, and made as if he saw nothing. Nay more than so, he suffered much even from his Fathers own hands, q He made him sin, that is a sacrifice for sin, and he made him a curse for us, that there was nothing visible upon him for a season but the severest and feircest wrath of a revenging Judge, as if he had been utterly accursed from his Father. He scourged him most bitterly, even till he blead and roared and sunk away under his hand. Thus it pleased the Father to bruise him; He spared not his own Son, Rom. 8.22. Though he were his own Son, he laid on and did not spare him. He remitted not to Christ the least jot of those exquisite & unsufferable tortures, that were in justice due to our transgressions. He drank off at his Father's hands the cup of fury, he drank the very dregs, and wrung them out. All this the Father did to Jesus Christ, and more than I am able to express, and yet he loved him infinitely all this while, and did from eternity, and therein lies the great wonder. 2. But secondly if we consider for whose sake the Father used him so who is infinitely dear to him, the wonder will be yet greater. It had not been so admirable, had it been for friends, but it was for enemies. This raises and commends the Love of God, saith the Apostle, Rom. 8.10. that we being sinners, yea being enemies, he reconciled us to him by his Son. He used a means, by giving up his Son to shame, to make up all the breaches between us and him, and herein lies the quintessence of this business, the sparkle in the jewel of the grace of God: That he should prefer the good, the glory, the salvation of his enemies who lived in open opposition, and hostility against him, before the ease, refreshment, safety, life of his own Son, whom he so dearly loved from all eternity: That he should rather choose that one whom he loved so exceedingly, should die, than they; should be made a curse, than they: should undergo the tortures and the pains of hell, than they: justice resolves they must be undergone either by his beloved Son, or his hateful enemies. It must and will be satisfied either by the one or by the other. Well then if it must be so, his dearest Son shall suffer, and his enemies go free; yea he shall suffer to the very death; rather than they shall be punished (saith the Father,) There go my poor harmless Lamb to slaughter in their stead; there go his blood and life and all: He shall bleed and bleed to death, that they may be healed and live. Oh the narrow hearts of men! how far short do they fall of comprehending such a miracle of mercy! Well may the Angels wonder at it, and desire to peep into it. Yea, the blessed Lord himself, whether as wondering at or willing to make us wonder at this admirable business, hath called the nane of Christ Wonderful. Use 4 Is it so that God the Father hath dearly loved Jesus Christ from all eternity? This than may serve for sweet and precious consolation to all them that belong to Christ: for they may be hence assured that God hath loved them from all eternity even as he did Christ. For if you mark it well, our Saviour speaks here of the love the Father bore him as man and Mediator, as the head of his Church; and so he loved him not alone, but he loved his members in him, and he loved his members with him. Indeed he loved him as Mediator in reference to those for whom he was to make peace: and loved him as a head in reference to those who were to be members of his body: and as he had not been a Mediator and a head, but for the working of their salvation, whom God appointed thereunto▪ so neither had he been beloved in that capacity, and under that consideration, but upon the same account: and consequently if he were beloved as man, and Mediator, and head of his Church from everlasting, his people and his members were beloved from everlasting too, without whom he was no head. They were designed to be members by the same decree by which he was designed to be head. And as they were elected in him, so they were beloved in him before the foundation of the world. But you will ask me, Which way doth this yield you out such precious comfort that you have been beloved of God from all eternity? 1. It is a comfort to consider that the great and glorious God of heaven and earth should think of such poor worms as we from everlasting, much more that he should set his love upon us. The world it may be looks upon us as not worth the speaking of, as not worth the thinking of, much less as worthy of the least respect: And this it may be troubles and dejects us now and then. But this may cheer us, and encourage us upon the other side, that God himself did think upon us, yea, and dearly love us too from all eternity: when we had not a being in the world, (save only in the Counsel and Decree of God) he made more of us, than these men do now we have a gracious being. 2. It is a comfort to consider, that God and we have been such old friends, that he hath loved us from all eternity. For it is like the love will hold, that hath been of such standing. We have a Proverb, Change not an old friend for a new, because the new is like to be more fickle. God hath been an old friend, time out of mind: And therefore he is like to be the more constant. From everlasting he hath loved us, and therefore we may safely rest and rely on his love. 3. If God have loved us from everlasting, than he hath loved us all along since that time. Before we had a being in the world, and since we had a being: before we had a gracious being, when we were dead in trespasses and sins: And if he loved us then, assuredly he will not cease to love us now, notwithstanding all our unallowed imperfections and defects: He will continue and go on to love us still, till he have lodged us with himself in glory. Oh how should this revive the hearts of those among the Saints, who are so apt to doubt the love of God, because they sin so often, and so much against him! Why man, God loved thee when thou didst sin against him more than now thou dost; he loved thee when thou hatedst him; and therefore certainly he will not hate thee now thou lovest him. No, he that loved thee from the beginning, will love thee also to the end. He that loved thee from everlasting, will love thee to everlasting, and nothing in the world shall separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. And thus we have at length dispatched the body of our Saviour's prayer, and are arrived at the close or the conclusion of it: In which his drift and purpose is, to render his Disciples (for whom he hath petitioned all along before) very acceptable and very gracious to his Father, and so to leave them in his hands: And that upon this account, because they only had the true and saving and affective knowledge of him; They only were acquainted with him, when as all the world beside were strangers to him. And it was reason he should rather do for them, then do for strangers. Oh righteous Father, the world hath not known thee, but I have known thee, and these have known that thou hast sent me, and I have declared unto them thy name. q. d. And now to shut up all, and to come to a conclusion, I pray thee Father to consider this, for close of all, That the world for whom I have not said a word in all my prayer, nay for whom I have professed not to pray, (I pray for these, I pray not for the world) yet they (the world) are wholly ignorant of thee, and unacquainted with thee. But I that have put up this prayer to thee, know thee very well, no one in the world better. And they for whom I have put up this prayer, know thee too by my means, for I have manifested and declared thee to them. And therefore I am confident, that thou wilt hear and answer me in their behalf: None know thee in the world but I and they: I that pray, and they for whom I pray. Remember that, and I have done: I say no more, but even leave thee to consider whether thou wilt hear and answer me for them, or no, Oh righteous, etc. the world, etc. In this conclusion of our Saviour's prayer, I shall consider but these two things: To whom he speaks, and What he speaks, for close of all. First, to whom he speaks, and that you see my brethren, is to God, whom he styleth righteous Father. Secondly, what he speaks in the remainder of the two verses, which may be very well divided, by the subjects of his speech, the persons that he speaks of, viz. the world, himself, and true believers, as we shall see at large hereafter. Begin we with the person that he speaks to, and him he mentions by his title and his attribute. His title here you see is Father, his attribute is righteous, righteous Father. As for the first of these my brethren, I have showed you more than once, that Father in this prayer of our Saviour is not personally taken for the first person of the Godhead: For the first person of the Godhead (though it be the Father of our Saviour Christ as God, yet) it is not so properly the Father of our Saviour Christ as man. And our Saviour Christ speaks as man in this place. And therefore Father here is essentially taken for the whole Godhead subsisting in the three persons. And even as we, by Father, mean the Godhead when we pray our Father which art in heaven: So doth our Saviour Christ too. As man he is in this respect like us, as the Apostle tells us, he is in all things like unto us, sin only excepted. Now the attribute he gives the Godhead, which he denotes by Father here, is righteous, Righteous Father. But wherefore doth he mention this, rather than any attribute of God, on this occasion? Why might he not have said as well Almighty, or Eternal, or Merciful, or Gracious Father? The special reason why he chooses this expression (as far as I conceive) cannot be clearly and undoubtedly resolved. Judicious Calvin thinks he doth it in opposition to the unrighteousness of men: So to comfort true believers, that however they were like to meet with nothing but injustice and unrighteousness in the world, yet he was now committing them into the hands and keeping of a righteous God. Others guess at other reasons. Once, this is clear and manifest, that he picks out this attribute of God among the rest, and whereas many others lay before him, he fixes upon this only: He comes to God in prayer, by the name of righteous Father: The thing is evident, though the particular Consideration that induced him to it be unknown. So that the Points to be observed here, are two. First God is a just and righteous God in himself and in all his dispensations. Secondly, That Jesus Christ came to him as a righteous God, when he was pouring out his prayers to him, or making his Petition to him. DOCTRINE. God is a very just and righteous God. None knew him better than our Saviour, and he calls him Righteous Father: So doth the Holy Ghost in Scripture very often. The Prophet David styleth him The Righteous God, Psal. 7.9 And Jeremiah, The Lord that judgeth righteously, Jer. 11.10. Indeed he doth not judge after the sight of his eyes, nor reprove after the hearing of his ears; that is, he is not deceived with the external show of things, with which the eyes of men are often taken. He is not misled and carried with reports to deal unjustly in the least degree: No, with righteousness he doth judge the poor, (who many times are overborn in lower Courts, by those that are too strong and mighty for them) and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth: Though they be meek, though they be not clamorous and troublesome, and though they do not wring out justice from him (as the poor widow in the Gospel did from the unrighteous Judge, by unweariedness, earnestness, and tiring importunity) yet they shall have it easily and readily, he will dispense it to them freely of his own accord. And this is that which holy David so applauds him for, and he will have it spoken to his praise among the Heathen, Psal. 96.10. Say among the Heathen, The Lord reigneth and he shall judge the people righteously. Let the Heavens rejoice, and let the Earth be glad before the Lord, for he cometh, for he cometh to judge the Earth. He shall judge the world with Righteousness, and his people with his Truth. So that you see the point is clear; That God is a very just and righteous God. And you will be the better satisfied in it; if you consider but these three things. First the largeness of his Jurisdiction and Dominion: His Government is universal and extends to all the world, and therefore he must needs be righteous. He is the judge of all the earth: And what (said Abraham) Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right? Gen. 18.25. The Supreme and Sovereign Judge before whose dread Tribunal all the World must stand, and at whose Bar they must be tried for that which most concerns them too, their precious souls; from whose determination no man can appeal with any hope of being righted in a higher Court, seeing there is none above it. Is God unrighteous? I say as the Apostle, Rom. 3.5. How then shall he judge the world? Indeed inferior Governors may be unrighteous and corrupt, and yet this universal frame continue and subsist, because they are perpetually subject to the Sovereign Judge, who standeth in the Congregation of the Mighty, and is a Judge among the Gods, as David speaks, Psal. 82.1. But if the universal Judge should be unjust, whom none can over-top nor call to an account, what could be looked for but confusion? Another ground of the righteousness of God, is the immensity and infiniteness of his presence. As he is Governor and Judge of all the world, so he is in all the world. The largeness of his presence is answerable to the largeness of his Jurisdiction and Dominion, and this contributes very much to the uprightness and the justice of his Government. Inferior Magistrates, although perhaps they have no mind to be unjust, yet they are often times misled by sinister information. They are not present everywhere, they see not every thing themselves, and therefore are necessitated to proceed secundum allegata & probata. And many times it comes to pass, that things which are untrue are testified and proved before them, and so they do injustum, though not injustè, by means of which the Innocent is injured and oppressed; See an example of it in Mephibosheth, who by the false suggestions of his wicked servant Ziba, was outed of his goods and his possessions, 2 Sam. 16.4. Had David known that good Mephibosheth had still remained loyal to him, had he not been abused by a forged information, how far would he have been from doing such apparent wrong as he did in that sentence? But he relied on Testimony for the truth of that which by reason of remoteness could not fall within the compass of his own notice, and so was led into that gross mistake which you have heard. Now there can no such Errors happen in the Government of God, because himself is present every where, and therefore cannot be misguided by finister information. He taketh nothing upon trust, upon suggestion, as all our Governors on earth do. No, my beloved, he sees all with his own eyes, he hears all with his own ears: nothing is said or done but in his presence. His eyes in every place behold the evil and the good, saith Solomon, Prov. 15.3. whether it be good or evil, whether it be near or far off, it is within his own view, his eyes behold it, he need not to depend upon a witness for the proof of it: So that in this respect he is not subject to such injustice in his government as other Kings and Rulers are. Thirdly, God must needs be righteous in his Administrations, because he is inclined to it by his inward Disposition: he hath a self propensity to righteous dealing; The righteous Lord loveth righteousness, Psal. 11.7. his very heart is set upon it; as he acteth without, so he affecteth it within. There are many in the world that do justice, who yet do not love justice: They execute it out of Politic respects and reasons only, or out of affectation of applause with men, not out of inward inclination and affection. The Judge of whom our Saviour Christ makes mention, Luk. 18.2. did the poor widow justice; and yet he calls him an unjust Judge, because he did not execute it out of love to justice, but himself; To wit, that he might quit himself, and rid his hands of the unwearied importunities of such a suitor as would not give him rest till he had done it: Because this widow troubleth me, I will avenge her; not because her cause is just: His aim was not to do her right, but obtain his own quiet. But herein God excels; he doth justice, and that because he loves justice: He doth not execute it by compulsion and constraint, or out of by-sinister ends: but out of the affection that he bears it, and the dear regard he hath to it. And this is that which he professeth of himself, Isai. 16.8. I the Lord love judgement. Use 1 Is God a very just and righteous God? This than may serve to quiet us, and calm our troublous and tumultuous thoughts about the great disorders and confusions that we discover in the world. It may preserve us from repining against God, and charging him foolishly. What though the wicked prosper in the world, what though their eyes stand out with fatness, while the people of the Lord are troubled, and afflicted, and distressed! Will you presume to question God's Justice! Rather conclude the Lord is righteous; and where you cannot fathom his proceed, cry out with the Apostle Paul, O the depth and the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God how unsearchable are his judgements, and his ways past finding out? Let David's error be your caution: I was envious at the foolish when I saw the prosperous state of wicked men, Psal. 73.3. They are not in trouble, neither are they plagued like other men. But as for me, I have washed my hands in vain: for all the day long I have been plagued and chastened every morning. It was no fair and equal dealing as it seemed to him; he knew not what to make of these proceed. And where was Jeremiah, when reasoning with him of his judgements, as he calls it, Jer. 12.1. he thus expostulateth the case; Wherefore doth the way of the wicked prosper? wherefore are all they happy that deal very treacherously? He could conceive no reason for it, and therefore takes upon him to call the Lord to coram, how he could warrant his proceed. If such blasphemous thoughts assault us, my Beloved, let us remember that of Austin, The judgements of the Lord are aliquando aperta, aliquando ecculta, semper justa: sometimes secret, sometimes open, always just: yea just when they are secret, when with the Prophet Jeremiah we cannot see the reason of his judgements: And let us have it always in our thoughts, that the time is drawing on, when the justice of the Lord (which in this present life is covered and obscured) shall be revealed and made barefaced to the world, to wit, at the great day of retribution, which is therefore called in Scripture, The day of Revelation of the just judgement of God: which here is hid in the prosperity of the wicked, and the pressures of the righteous. Is God a very just and righteous God? Then let it comfort and encourage Use 2 those who are abused and injured, and oppressed by them who are too strong and mighty for them, so that they know not which way in the world to help themselves against them. Consider with yourselves, you who are in this condition, though others do you wrong, yet God will surely do you right, and he will do it readily, for he takes delight in it; He hath prepared his Throne for judgement, and he shall judge the world in righteousness, saith David, Psal. 9.8. And what doth he infer upon it? He will be a refuge to the oppressed. And therefore let all those that are oppressed fly to this refuge, and let the righteousness of God support them, and uphold them, against the wicked and unrighteous dealing that they find from men. He loveth righteousness, and therefore he will surely do you right; he hateth iniquity, and therefore he will surely punish them that do you wrong: And therefore go and cry to him, tell him how you are used by those that overpower you in the world, and that you have no friends nor means to help yourselves, and so beseech him earnestly to show himself, and to appear for you: say as Hezekiah did, Isa. 38.14. O Lord I am oppressed, undertake for me; and be confident of this, that you cannot easily put any business into the hands of God, that he takes more delight to do; O it is a thing that pleaseth him exceedingly, he loves it dearly to do them right that suffer wrong, and to avenge the wrong they suffer, upon those that do it. He loveth righteousness, and hateth iniquity: yea, the less able you are to relieve and help yourselves, the more he loves to do you justice: And therefore takes upon himself the special care of those who are most destitute of earthly succour, as the fatherless and widows, and the like. A Father of the fatherless, and a judge of the widows, is God in his holy habitation, Psal. 68.5. Use 3 Is God a very just and righteous God? This than may be a motive and inducement to us, to stand no longer out against him, but to come in to him and become his subjects. It is a great advantage to the subject, and a special benefit, when he that is invested with Supreme authority and power, will not abuse it any way to the damage of his people; Our earthly Governors are very seldom so upright, but they will strain their power a little now and then, (and it may be, not a little) to encroach and to entrench upon the liberty, upon the property, upon the rights and privileges of the Subject. But God, my Brethren, is a righteous God; yea he is so incomparably just, that though he be Omnipotent, and doth what pleaseth him in heaven and earth, so that none can stay his hand, nor say unto him, What dost thou? By means of which Almightiness of his he might oppress his subjects at his own pleasure, and need not fear that they will rise against him to recover and resume their right from him: Yet he doth nothing else but right to them, he doth not injure them, or wrong them any way; Yea, he ruleth righteously, not out of politic respects and reasons only, but out of inward inclination and affection. O my Beloved, who would not be subject to such a King as this is? Why should we not rejoice to resign all to him, and to be under his authority and jurisdiction, as the Prophet counselleth us, Zach. 9.9. Rejoice greatly O daughter of Zion; and why so? because thy King cometh to thee, and he is just. (Even so say I to you my Brethren) God is a very just and righteous God, and he desires to be received and entertained by you: That you would set your gates open, that he may enter and sit upon the Throne in your hearts. Say to him now, Ride on Lord, because of thy righteousness; Come in Lord, and take command of us; We would willingly be ruled by such a just and righteous Prince as thou art. Use 4 Is God a very just and righteous God? Where then shall the wicked and ungodly appear? What will they do who are unrighteous, when the time of judgement comes, who have lived in the continued and voluntary breach of all his laws? what will they plead why they should not be condemned? Me thinks the justice and the uprightness of the Judge should astonish and affright them, who have so ill a cause, so bad a matter to be heard before him. If they whose hearts and lives are full of all unrighteousness be judged with just and righteous judgement, if they receive according to their works, what think you will their portion be? Ah, my Beloved, lay it seriously to heart, you that run out with the intemperate, you that oppress and grind the poor, that are abominable and disobedient, and to every good work reprobate, how will you hold up your heads when the day of reckoning cometh, and all your sins shall be laid open in their colours? when God shall bring every work to judgement, and every secret thing, when he shall rip up all your close abominations, and all your secret wickednesses, that never any eye saw, when the books shall be laid open, and all the black bills read; when God shall say to the Ministers of vengeance, Go give them now according as their works have been. Look how much they have sinned, and how much wickedness they have committed, so much sorrow and torment give them. Oh than what wring of hands, what renting of hearts, what cries and lamentations will there be? able to make a Rock relent, and a Flint to fall asunder; and yet God will stand out against them all; for he is a righteous God; nothing will bend him from the rule of Justice. And as this serves for terror to the wicked, so for comfort to the Use 5 righteous, that God is such a just and righteous God. But you will say, What reason have we to rejoice in this? Quest. For if we have but justice from him, we are certainly undone; for what have we deserved but death and ruin? To this I answer, If we have justice from him, we are well enough, Answ. and this we shall be sure to have, and therefore let us take comfort. I speak not now of such a justice as respects the merit of the work; for this we are delivered from; but I speak of such a justice as respects the truth of his promise, by which he hath engaged himself, that he will forgive our sins, that he will reward our labours, that he will punish all our enemies: and if he keep his word with us, (as he is bound to do in justice) I hope we are in a very good case. His righteousness lies at stake for all those, by reason of his Covenant and Engagement to us. Indeed before he made the Covenant he was free, he might have done according to his own pleasure; But having made it, he is bound, he is held to it, and may not vary. Now he must forgive our sins, or else he is unrighteous, as the Apostle John insinuates in 1 Joh. 1.9. He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins. Now he must reward our labours, or else he is unjust, as the Apostle Paul speaks, Heb. 6.10. The Lord is not unrighteous to forget our work and labour: He doth not say, the Lord is not unmerciful, but the Lord is not unrighteous; Now he must give us everlasting rest, and render everlasting trouble to our enemies, and that upon the same ground: And therefore saith the same Apostle, 2 Thes. 1.6. It is a righteous thing with him to render tribulation to them that trouble you; and to you that are troubled rest with us; So that you see the justice, and the righteousness of God, which is a ground of horror to the wicked; yet it is a ground of comfort to the godly. It is very ill for them, it is very well for us, that God is such a righteous God. It is their loss, and it is our gain. And the cause is manifest; for he proceeds with them according unto such a justice as respects the merit of the work; and he proceeds with us according unto such a justice as respects the verity and truth of his promise. And therefore though ungodly men have cause to fear and tremble at it, yet we have reason to rejoice at it. And this is clearly intimated by the Prophet David in the fore-alledged place, which indeed is very notable to this purpose, Psal. 96. ult. Let the heavens rejoice, saith he, and so on. And why so? for he shall judge the world with righteousness, and the people with his truth. Observe it well, the world with righteousness; the people that stand in opposition to the world, his people with his truth: The world with such a righteousness as looks upon the merit of their works; His own people with such a righteousness as looks upon the truth of his promise. His people with his truth; Righteousness and truth do kiss each other. O let the people of the Lord rejoice that they shall have righteous judgement; that God will do according to his promise and his Covenant with them, when the great day of retribution cometh. That he will in this respect be just and righteous to forgive them and reward them: Let them be glad of this for ever. Use 6 I have but one thing more to add, and that shall be a word of humble Admonition to the Deputies and Ministers of God, Preached at the Assize. Superior and Inferior Magistrates, to labour to conform themselves to him in this respect, and to be just and righteous as he is. They are under him, and for him, and therefore should endeavour to be like him. Honourable and Beloved, the Land abounds with wickedness of every kind, there is much unrighteous dealing everywhere with God and man. This calls for righteous dealing from them that bear the Sword of Justice; that these abominations may be purged out, and that our breaches may be yet repaired. In such a time as this, when there are such abuses, such blasphemies, such profanations of the day and Ordinances of the Lord, such swearing, drunkenness, uncleanness, incest, etc. as former ages have not equalled: Justice should flow down like water, to wash away this filth from us, and righteousness as a mighty stream that violently bears down all before it, and will not be diverted from the Channel which it ought to run in. As there is no respect of persons with God, let there be none with you; let every one receive according to his cause, and according to his deeds. When parties struggle in the bowels of a Nation, when there are factions up, as there are at this time, there is a great temptation to unrighteousness in this respect; one must be favoured, because he is of such a party, another must be rigorously dealt withal, because he is of such a party; though the cause of both be like. It ought to be the care of Magistrates, that in the execution of their Office, they be not biased, that they be not drawn aside by such low considerations. They must not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, with the Delphian Oracle, they must not speak or act in their Administrations so as to comply with any party, as if they were afraid of doing that which will displease the strongest side, which will not relish well with those who may do them a displeasure: No, they must 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, judge for Christ and act for God, and do as near as it is possible, as he would do if he were in their places: they must be just as he is. And to encourage you to this; Consider First, This is the ready way to settle, and establish and confirm this totering Nation when it shakes, and when it is about to fall. Justice upholds the pillars of it; It is Columna & corona Reipublicae. There are at this time many things in agitation, and many ways and projects thought upon to settle Government among us: But when we have run through them all, we shall find in the conclusion that nothing in the world will do it like to righteousness. Let the form, and let the frame of Government be what it will, the Throne must be established by righteousness; Especially when it is first set up. Justice is as necessary to confirm a new Government, as Miracles to confirm a new Doctrine. And if the people find not this, if there be tyranny, injustice, and oppression still, that which made the old unpleasing, will have the same effect and operation on the new. Secondly, This Righteousness in your Administrations will make you aimable in the sight of God; as God himself is righteous, so he loveth righteousness; as he acteth it himself, so he affecteth it in others. The righteous Lord (saith holy David) loveth righteousness, his countenance doth behold the upright, Psal. 11.7. Righteous he is in all his actings and administrations; he is the righteous Lord: so righteous and so just, that there is none in that respect like him: and that out of a principle of love within: the righteous Lord loveth righteousness; yea, he affecteth it, and loves it so, that he gives no man a good countenance, or a good look so much, that is not just and righteous too: his countenance doth behold the upright, the upright and none else. But as for those that are unrighteous, he abhors them, all of them without exception, he hateth all workers of iniquity, Psal. 5.5. Thirdly, As it will make you amiable in the eyes of God, so you will find it to be very beneficial to yourselves: They are precious promises that God makes, and great rewards that he gives to those that love and do Justice. That is a signal one, Isa. 33.15. He that walketh righteously and speaks uprightly; he that despiseth the gain of oppression, and shaketh his hands from holding of bribes; so that it any put a bribe into his hand before he be ware, he shakes it out again, and doth not hold it: he shall dwell on high, his place of defence shall be the munition of the Rocks: bread shall be given him, his waters shall be sure: He shall have honour, he shall dwell on high, he shall be lifted up above his brethren: He shall have sure protection, his defence shall be the munition of the Rocks; high, that the enemy can never reach him, and high upon the Rock, that he cannot undermine him. And as he shall have honour and protection, so he shall have provision too, bread shall be given him, and full provision; he shall have bread and water too, and this shall be sure to him; Bread shall be given him, his waters shall be sure. And as there is much promised to, so there hath been much done for those who have laid out themselves in doing justice. You know how Jehu sped, and yet he did it in hypocrisy. The Kingdom was continued in his line to the fourth generation. Phineas it seems was more upright, and therefore he had a reward that lasted longer, Numb. 25.13. He shall have and his seed after him the Covenant of an everlasting Priesthhod, because he was zealous for his God, to wit, in executing justice on that notorious pair of foul offenders; Indeed the recompense of him that doth it in sincerity, shall last for ever; For he shall dwell upon God's holy Mountain, he shall receive an Euge, when the great day of reckoning cometh. And thus far of the first conclusion, God is a very just and righteous God. I shall speak very little to the second, because indeed it is not large: however I shall touch it in a word or two. DOCTRINE. That Jesus Christ came to him as a righteous God, and looked upon him as a righteous God, when he was making his petitions to him. You see it evidently and demonstratively in the Text: this is the appellation that he gives him, Righteous Father; His thoughts it seems are taken up more with the righteousness of God, than any other attribute of his at this time. I shall not undertake to show why he did so, he had his reasons in his own breast and bosom. Only this is probable, he did it that he might be an Example and Precedent to us, that we might learn of him to do as he did; That when we are approaching to the Throne of grace, we might be very much possessed with deep and serious contemplations of the righteousness of God. Use. And therefore to make a little application of the point, Let us learn of Jesus Christ, how to behave our selves when we are making our addresses to the Majesty of God, and pouring out our prayers to him. We are exhorted very often in the Scripture to be followers of Christ, and so to walk and act, as we have him for an example, in all his imitable ways and actions; his practice ought to be a rule to us; and therefore let us labour to conform ourselves to Jesus Christ in this particular; when we are drawing nigh to God in prayer, let our thoughts be taken up with meditation of his righteousness, let them work much upon this attribute of his. It will be very useful to us, as I shall show you in a few particulars. 1. The meditation of the righteousness of God, will humble us for sin, and stir us up (as far as it is possible) to cleanse ourselves from sin, when we are making our approaches to him: For sin, my Brethren, is against the righteousness of God; yea in directest opposition: And therefore it is set out by the name of unrighteousness in Scripture. Not only all injustice is unrighteousness, but sin is generally so; The wrath of God, saith the Apostle, is revealed from heaven, against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, Rom. 1.18. against every kind of sin, especially that violates the second Table. And so all unrighteousness is sin, saith the Evangelist, 1 Joh. 5.17. And I may say as well, all sin is unrighteousness. And hence it is my Brethren, that it is so infinitely odious to the righteous God. And truly did we seriously consider this my Brethren, when we come to pray before him, we should be deeply humbled for it, and ashamed of it, we should strive exceedingly to quit and rid ourselves of it, which is so contrary to this attribute of his, and consequently is so detestable to him. Oh we would shake and quiver every joint, to think of coming to the righteous God in our unrighteousness unhumbled for, and unreformed. We would consider with ourselves, What will the Lord say to me when he sees me in his presence? How will he look on such a wicked and unrighteous wretch as I am? how is it possible but he should hid his eyes from me? how can he choose but hate me and abhor me? Do I expect to find favour in his eyes, and come before him with that which he so abhors, as if I meant to vex him, and provoke him? And therefore if we ever look to speed with God in prayer, let us consider what a righteous God he is, and let us labour to cleanse ourselves from our unrighteousness, that is, as far as it is possible from every sin, and he will receive us, as his own expression is, 2 Cor. 6.17. or otherwise he will not. 2. The meditation of the righteousness of God, will strengthen and confirm our faith, in all the precious promises of God, when we are pouring out our prayers to him: Because indeed his righteousness and justice lies at stake for the performance of his promises, by reason of his Covenant and Engagement to us. It is true, before he made the Covenant he was free, he might have done according to his own pleasure: But having made it, he is bound, he is held to it, and may not vary. Now he must forgive our sins, (ours that believe) or else he is unrighteous, as the Apostle John insinuates, 1 Joh. 1.19. He is faithful and just to forgive our sins: Now he must reward our labour, or else he is unrighteous, as the Apostle speaks, Heb. 6.10. The Lord is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour. He doth not say, the Lord is not unmerciful, but the Lord is not unrighteous: Now he must give us everlasting rest, and render everlasting trouble to our enemies, or else he is unrighteous: And therefore saith the same Apostle, 2 Thess. 1.6. It is a righteous thing with God to render tribulation to them that trouble you, and to you who are troubled, rest with us. And therefore when we pray for the pardon of our sins, the acceptance of our labours, or any other good thing comprehended in the Covenant, from the beginning of it to the end: Let us fix our serious thoughts, not only on the mercy, but also on the justice and the righteousness of God, and we shall find it will exceedingly confirm our wavering faith, while we consider that his righteousness is bound for the performance of his promises; and that as sure as God is righteous, he will withhold no good thing from us. JOHN 17.25. The world hath not known thee. OUR Saviour having ended the petitionary part, is at length come to the conclusion of his prayer: In which he shows the Father reason why he should be heard in all that he hath been a Suitor for in the behalf of true believers. (viz:) Because himself and they were inwardly acquainted with him, whereas all the world besides were strangers to him, as I have noted heretofore. In this conclusion of our Saviour's prayer, have been considered two things. To whom he speaks, and What he speaks. First, To whom he speaks, and this you see my brethren, is to God, whom he styleth Righteous Father. Secondly then in the next place, What he speaks; and here is something that he speaks against the world, and something that he speaks for himself and true believers. 1. Here is something that he speaks against the world, the world hath not known thee. 2. Then here is something that he speaks for himself and true believers, but I have known thee, and these have known that thou hast sent me. To whom our Saviour speaks as he is set forth by his title and his attribute, hath been considered heretofore. The thing which we have now in hand, is what he speaks, and more particularly what he speaks against the world. Oh Righteous Father, the world hath not known thee. We have observed heretofore out of the ninth verse of this Chapter that he speaks not for the world. No, it is utterly excluded from having any share at all in our Saviour's intercession: let their case be what it will, let their necessities be what they will, Christ even leaves them to themselves, and never interposes for them to the Father. Nay, which is worse, he speaks against them. He speaks against the world, as you hear him in my text. You see he cannot end his prayer, but he must have a parting blow at them (Oh righteous Father, the world hath not known thee,) to kindle and exasperate his wrath against them. It hath not known thee with a knowledge of affection; they have not known thee so as to love thee and obey thee. They are strangers, yea, they are enemies to thee. Let justice have its course against them, let it be executed on them to the utmost. This I have glanced at only from the general, that Christ speaks against the world. Proceed we more particularly to consider what he speaks against the world. Oh Righteous Father, the world hath not known thee. And here I shall unfold the terms, and come to a more special observation. Two things we have to be enquired and resolved. 1. Whom our Saviour means by world. 2. What he intendeth when he affirmeth of the world, that it doth not know God. As for the first of these, The world imports not here the frame and frabrique of the world (as it doth sometimes in Scripture) but the people of the world. And yet not all the people of the world neither: for Jesus Christ immediately excepts himself and true believers. The world hath not known thee, but I have known thee, and these have known thee, The world you see is set in opposition here to Christ and his Disciples. So that our Saviour by the world intends all the people in the world besides himself and true believers. Now of all these he saith expressly that they know not God. You must not understand it absolutely, that they know him not at all, in no respect and under no consideration. The very Heathen know him in a sense and in a measure. There is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, somewhat to be known of God, by the works of the creation, and by the things that he hath made, Rom. 1.19. even by the book of Creatures which the Heathens have and study. And therefore it is charged upon them afterwards at ver. 21. that when they knew God, they glorified him not as God; They did not glorify him according to their knowledge of him. And if the Heathen, who have but the Book of Creatures, know the Lord a little; Professed Christians, who have the Book of Scriptures, know him more. I say, professed Christians who have no interest at all in Christ, no truth of saving grace in them, even these may go far in a notional, speculative, discursive knowledge of the Lord, beyond many sound believers: and yet these are of the world. So that our Saviour means not absolutely when he saith to his Father here, The world hath not known thee, q. d. they have not known thee at all: But they have not known thee so, in such a manner, and with such a kind of knowledge as I and true believers do. Oh Righteous Father, the world hath not known thee, but I have known thee, and these have known that thou hast sent me, and I have declared unto them thy name, all that is necessary to be known of thee. You see the meaning of the words, The world here is opposed to Jesus Christ and true believers: So that it is not mundus mundus, but mundus immundus, as Austin calls it. It is the unbelieving and unsanctified world, saith our Saviour, knows not God. He means not, that they know him not at all, but they know him not aright. How and in what respects they know him not a right, I shall open by and by; In the mean time the Point is this. DOCTRINE. That unbelievers and unsanctified persons know not God, at least they know him not in such a manner, and with such a knowledge as they ought to do. This is the usual Character of such in Scripture: This is the Character of unbelieving Heathens, they are the Gentiles that know not God, 1 Thes. 4.5. This is the Character of unbelieving Christians, they know not God, and obey not the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ, 1 Thes. 1.8. So that all unbelieving and unsanctified persons, whether they be Heathens or professed Christians, are ignorant of God: yea though they discourse of him, and that excellently too, and pretend acquaintance with him, as those whom the Apostle mentions, Tit. 1.16. They profess they know God, but in works they deny him. Yea, though they cry to God, as Israel did, my God, we know thee, while they cast off the thing that is good; Hosea 8.2, 3. yet they know not God indeed. Their knowledge of him is not right and sound, and consequently is not worthy of the name of knowledge, as I shall evidently clear it to you in a few particulars. Unbelievers, etc. know not God in such a manner, and with such a kind of knowledge as they ought to do, in that they know him not with an affective knowledge, so as to love him and delight in him. Knowledge in Scripture doth connote affection: and that which carries not the heart and the affections with it, deserveth not the name of knowledge. And therefore men are frequently affirmed in Scripture, not to know that which they do not like and love. The Ox knows his owner, etc. but Israel knows not me, saith God, Isa. 1.3. Why certainly they knew him, if any people under Heaven knew him with a discursive and a speculative knowledge. I but they knew him not with an affective knowledge: Their knowledge of him drew not out their hearts to him, and therefore in the Lord's interpretation and construction, it was no knowledge: For he saith of them expressly, Israel hath not known me. In that they know him not with an effective knowledge so as to serve him and obey him: with such a knowledge as brings forth practice and obedience. That which is separate from this, is no knowledge. In which respect it is that the Apostle styles it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, Rom. 2.20. A form of knowledge. There is the show, but not the truth. When Christ is said in Scripture to have known no sin, we cannot understand it to be meant of intellectual knowledge, for than he could not have discoursed of it; so that he knew no sin, in Paul, is, he did no sin, in Peter. They that knew God, Rom. 1.18. because they did not live accordingly, and glorified him not as God, are therefore said not to have kept him and retained him in their knowledge, ver. 28. God made his ways and statutes known to Israel, he dealt not so with any Nation. And yet even of them he saith, It is a people that do err in their hearts, and they have not known my ways, Psal. 95.10. Brethren, there is an error in the heart as well as in the brain; and a kind of ignorance arising from the will, as well as from the understanding, and this takes off the name of knowledge from that which is but speculation only. And therefore sinners are universally termed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ignorant, erring persons, Heb. 5.2. And that alone is (by the Holy Ghost) thought worthy of the name of knowledge, that sinketh from the brain into the heart, and so appeareth in the life, setting all on work for God: In which respect it is the Covenant of the Lord with his people that he will put his Law into their inward parts, and write it in their hearts. Not in their minds and understandings only the seat and principle of speculation; but in their hearts the principle of action; So that they shall not only have it in their minds to know it, but in their hearts to practise it, and to obey it. This, only this is right knowledge. A good understanding have all they that do his Commandments, Psal. 119.10. They only understand and know the Lord effectually, and savingly, that obey the will of God. Hereby we know we know him (as we ought to do) if we keep his Commandments. Others may have understanding, only these have good understanding. For this God sets the finger of a hand against Josiah, to point him out to special observation, Jer. 22.16. He judged the cause of the poor and needy; was not this to know me? saith the Lord. q. d. This was knowledge to the purpose, this was true and real knowledge of the Lord indeed. which made him strict and careful in the performance of his duty. In that that they know him not in Christ: and to know God out of Christ is all one as not to know him, as I have showed at large out of the third verse of this Chapter. This shall suffice for clearing of the Observation, That unbelievers and unsanctified persons know not God: At least they know him not in such a manner and with such a kind of knowledge as they ought to do: in that they know him not with an affective knowledge, they know him not with an effective knowledge, and they know him not in Christ. But what may be the causes why the unbelieving world is so ignorant Reason 1 of God? I shall lay them open to you both with relation to the unbelieving world Heathen, and with relation to the unbelieving world Christian; Christian I mean in name, though not in truth. First, for the unbelieving world Heathen, it is no wonder that they know not God, for they have no means to know him in such a manner as is necessary to salvation. It's true that even they have means to know him in a common way, as the Apostle shows and proves, Rom. 1.19, 20. That which may be known (conceive it naturally known) of God, is manifest to them, that is, the Heathen, for God hath showed it even to them; There is an Image and resemblance of him stamped upon the Creatures. There are apparent characters, and footsteps and impressions of the Godhead, of his power and wisdom, set upon every thing which he hath made, which may be looked upon by every eye. How doth his glory shine, my brethren, in the rare and admirable structure of the world, the glorious frame of Heaven and earth! And hence it is that David saith, The Heavens declare the glory of God, etc. Psal. 19.1. Indeed he tells us afterwards, the Law of the Lord is perfect. The word of God, and that alone, is a complete and perfect help to bring us to the knowledge of God. But yet there is some declaration of him in the Creatures, the Heavens declare the glory of God. And this means the Heathens have. The Creatures catechise them and instruct them in the knowledge of a God, as Job shows, Chap. 12.7. Ask now the Beasts and they shall teach thee, the Fowls and they shall tell thee, speak to the Earth and it shall teach thee, and Fishes of the Sea shall declare to thee. Who knoweth not in all these that the hand of God hath wrought this? And therefore the Apostle tells us that even they the Heathen knew God, Rom. 1.21. But now they have no means to know him savingly in Christ; And this is life eternal, to know thee the only true God and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent. This knowledge is not written in the Creature Book, and they have not the Scripture Book, and how then should they come to it? It's true that God is written in the Creature Book, but not a word of Christ there. God is written in the Heart Book, but not a word of Christ there neither; The Law is written in the heart by nature, but there are no impressions of the Gospel, which is the word of Christ, Col. 3.16. And hence it is that all the Nations of the world have groped after God and found him too, as Acts 17.27. Let a man run from East to West, let him ransack all Nations, and where he findeth any men, there he shall find some notice of God. But now, my Brethren, among which of all these Nations, who never had the book of Scriptures, shall you find any notice of a Christ, any incling of a Saviour or Redeemer! No, Christ is not so much as named among them, They have no glimpse, no crevice, to give them any light of God in Christ. So that it is no wonder, though the unbelieving world Pagan know him not in this manner, for they have no means to know him. Reason 2 But now the unbelieving world Christian hath the means of this knowledge, and why then do not they know God? true, they have the outward means, but they want the inward means. They have the outward revelation of the word, but they have not the inward revelation of the spirit. And without this it is impossible for any man to know God. And therefore the Apostle prays for the Ephesians that God would give them the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him. Chap. 1.17. By which he intimates that without spirit-revelation they could never come to know him. Now this spirit-revelation, or unveiling, consists in the removal of a double Veil: the Veil that lies upon the faculty, and the Veil that lies upon the Object. 1. In the spirit-revelation, which is the only means of knowing God, there must be the removal of the Veil that lies upon the faculty, the understanding. The sense must be unveiled, you know, or else we cannot see an object, though it be before us. For what can a blindfolded person see? And so it is in this case: for every unbelieving person is blindfolded as it were: the God of this world hath blinded his eyes: The Veil is on their heart, that is their understanding, 2 Cor. 3, 15. And this Veil the Holy Ghost must take away; as in the cited place, or else though God be by a man, (as certainly he is not far from every one of us) he will not see him. But when once this is removed, then revelata ac detecta fancy, as Beza reads it, Then we with open and uncovered face behold the glory of the Lord. 2. In that spirit-revelation, which is the only means of knowing God, there must be the removal of the Veil that lies upon the Object; as of the Veil that lies upon the understanding, so of the Veil that lies upon the Gospel, where God is represented to us in a saving way. For you must know (my brethren) that the Gospel is a veiled and a covered thing, it hath a Curtain drawn before it: It is a mystery, a secret thing. Nay it is not only secret in itself, but it is also kept secret. Nor 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, for that is the term that the Apostle uses, Col. 1.26. Not simply dark, or mystical, but hid on purpose, de industria, as Theophilacta observes. Among the Jews it was covered with a veil of types and figures and dark expressions: And to this day it is hid from natural and carnal men, 2 Cor. 4.3. So that however God in Christ be clearly manifested there, let them do what they are able, still there is something between them and God that hides him from them, that they cannot see him. And that is the first reason, why unbelieving Christians know not God, because they want the inward means of this knowledge, viz. spirit-revelation. And as they want the inward means of finding out this knowledge, when it is closely hidden and covered from them: so they want inward capability of receiving this knowledge when it is openly proposed and tendered to them. They are so far from being able to go forth to fetch it from abroad, that they cannot entertain it when it is brought home to them: They have not of themselves by nature so much as a receptivity or an immediate passive capability of saving knowledge. For there is somewhat in them superfluous, and there is somewhat in them defective: somewhat too much, and somewhat too little. 1. In every unbeliever there is somewhat that repels divine knowledge, and that keeps out the beams of truth. And that is carnal reasoning, and carnal wisdom, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, Rom. 8.7. The wondrous perspicuity and sharpness of conceit that is in any man (that is but flesh) is so far from helping him to know God, that it doth but hinder him. And the ground is evident; for such a person leans to his own wisdom, he doth not yield himself up to be taught of God, but weighs those things that are divine and supernatural in the balance of his reason. As far as that will reach, he is content to go: And where that faileth him (as infinitely short it falls) there he desists: and what he is unable to perceive by this, is foolishness to him, as 1 Cor. 2.14. The natural man receiveth not the things of God, for they are foolishness unto him. They are not so indeed and in themselves, they are but so to him. He is too wise to take in such foolish things: and therefore the Apostle saith, not many wise, 1 Cor. 1.16. and tells us plainly, that if we ever mean to attain to saving knowledge, we must be renewed in the spirit of our mind, Eph. 1.24. that is, in the highest, purest and the most refined part of it. As spirits are the quintessence of things, that are most abstract from dross, and that have least of earth in them; Even these must be renewed, or saving knowledge will not be received. 2. In every unbeliever and unsanctified person, as there is something redundant, that repels divine knowledge; so there is something wanting to receive it, and that is the spirit of God. Saving truths are often called the things of the spirit, as 1 Cor. 2.14. Now (my beloved) the things of our own spirits (carnal, natural and worldly things) our own spirits will take in: but the things of God's spirit, God's spirit only will take in. Though they be brought home to our doors, if God's spirit be not there to take them in if he be not at home to entertain them, and receive them, it is all to no purpose. And this is the case of the natural man: he hath not the spirit of God, and therefore he receiveth not the things of the spirit, because he hath no principle within him that is agreeable and suitable unto them. And this is that which the Apostle aims at, when he saith, we speak wisdom to them that are perfect, 1 Cor. 2.6. That is, to them that have all the parts of a spiritual man (whereof the spirit is the principal) the doctrine which we teach is accounted wisdom. But 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, the animal man, the souly man, the man that hath a soul indeed, but no spirit, (I mean none of God's spirit) he perceives not these things, nor can he know them. And why so? because they are spiritually discerned. And he poor man, hath not the spirit to discern them by. And therefore though he hear the words of God and Christ, he never knows the mind of God or Christ, as it is added in the end of that Chapter. I shall add but one reason more; unbelievers and unsanctified persons know not God, because as they are of themselves unable, (in the respects which have been mentioned) so they are unwilling also to know God; They will not understand, Psal 82.5. They are wilfully ignorant, as 2 Pet. 3.5. God comes and shows himself to them, and they say to God, Depart from us, for we will not the knowledge of thy ways. Light is offered, and they shut their eyes against it; So that it may be said of such, Their eyes have they closed, lest they should see with their eyes. They need not to ascend up into heaven to bring God down from thence, that they may see him. No, the word that manifesteth and revealeth God, is nigh to them, Rom. 10.6. They need not to go far to hear it, and to hear of God in it: But many will not step out of their doors to meet with God, and to be acquainted with him! If any light break in upon them, by which they have a glimpse of God, they even thrust it out again. They do as the Gentiles did, Rom. 1.19. they liked not to retain God in their knowledge. They had him there, but they liked not to retain him, they had no mind to keep him there: feign they would put him out again, the apprehension of a God called upon them for love and duty and obedience, and was a curb and a restraint from many evils, and therefore they were weary of such thoughts as those, and sought to chase them from their minds. To say the truth, they did not like them, and therefore would be rid of them: And thus it is with many Christians. These are the reasons why unbelieving and unsanctified persons know not God. Use 1 Now to descend to application: In the first place here we see the misery of unbelieving and unsanctified persons. For all that know not God, are in an infinitely sad condition: They are exposed to his fiercest wrath and most direful indignation. The ignorant of God, as you may see, Jer 10.28. are made the object of a fearful imprecation: yea the ignorant of God among the Heathen, who are deprived of the means, (though not of all, yet) at the least of any saving knowledge of him: and yet the Prophet prays, Pour out thy fury upon the heathen that have not known thee: And what then will become of the ignorant of God among Christians? If ignorance of God, (yea though it be invincible) expose men to the vengeance of the Lord, and damn them everlastingly, because the knowledge of him is required necessitate medii to salvation: what will it do if it be wilful and affected? If Jeremy desire the Lord to pour his fury on the heathen, who yet have not so much as the outward means of knowledge; What rivers and what floods of indignation think you will be poured out on them who have the means and will not learn nor be instructed by them? what will they do when the day of judgement comes? when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven, etc. rendering vengeance to them that know not God. as 2 Thes. 1.4.8. I beseech you think upon it and lay it seriously to heart, you that have long enjoyed the means, and yet know very little of the nature or the will of God. Or if you know with a notional discursive knowledge, you know him not with an affective and effective knowledge: You glorify him not as God, you do not walk according to your knowledge of him: And so your knowledge is as good as no knowledge; You may, and many do delude themselves with this conceit, that though they die in this condition, the Lord notwithstanding will be merciful to them. But as you tender the salvation of your precious souls, I beseech you to observe that Gods own word is peremptory and express for this, that none that know not God, shall have any share in the mercy of God, or in the glory of the world to come. Oh continue thy loving kindness to them that know thee, (to them and none but them) saith David, Psal. 36.10. It is a people of no understanding, saith the Prophet of the Jews, Isa. 27.11. And what follows? Therefore he that made them will have no mercy upon them. It is the common apprehension of vulgar and ignorant people, that he that made them will save them too: No, saith the Prophet: if they be ignorant of God, he that made them will not have mercy upon them. They have not known my ways saith God, unto whom I swore in my wrath, that they should never enter into my rest. But you will ask me then, Quest. By what means shall we come to know God? Truly there is but one way of coming to the knowledge of him, Answ. and that way is Jesus Christ. No man hath seen God at any time, 1 John 18. What then? is he not to be seen or known at all, by any means? Yes, though he be not to be seen, or known immediately in himself, yet mediately in and by the Son he may be known: For he hath manifested and revealed him to us. No man hath seen God at any time: the only begotten Son that came out of the bosom of the Father he hath declared him. Indeed it was the business for which our Saviour came into this lower world, to bring God down to us, that we might be acquainted with him: And if ever you see or know God, you must have light from Jesus Christ. I am the light, saith he, John 8.12. He that follows me, shall have the light of life. And therefore if you would have this light, follow Jesus Christ for it. How you must follow him, so as to fetch this light from him, I have directed you before on the third verse of this Chapter. Is it so, that unbelievers and unsanctified persons know not God? Use 2 What cause have true believers then to admire and adore the special mercy of the Lord to them, that they should be acquainted with him? That he should give them the preferment in such a blessed and glorious privilege as this is? That now they can say to God, as our Saviour in my text, Oh Righteous Father, the world hath not known thee, but we have known thee. O Lord, whence is this to us? how is it Lord that thou dost manifest thyself to us and not unto the world, as the Disciples said, John 14.22. How comes this to pass Lord? Truly this is freegrace and free-mercy; mercy to be admired and wondered at. Oh let our souls and all that is within us, bless the Lord: Let us take up our Saviour's words, Father, we thank thee that thou hast hid thyself from a world of wise and prudent men, and hast revealed thyself to such babes as we are. We bless thy name for this mercy. And truly we have cause to bless him: for this knowledge is our life: keep it, for it is thy life, saith Solomon, Prov. 4.13. and life is a precious thing. If we had still remained in the condition that the world is in, we had never known God: we must have died to all eternity: we had been punished with eternal perdition: we could never have enjoyed him who is the God of our life: But now we know him so as to love him, we shall be sure to live with him, and that for ever: Nay this is life, yea life eternal, (in regard of the beginning,) such a life as is above the power of death and dissolution, as our Saviour Christ assures us, John 17.3. This is life eternal to know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent. JOHN 17.25. But I have known thee, and these have known, etc. AND thus of what our Saviour speaks against the world, Oh Righteous Father, the world hath not known thee. Proceed we to know what he speaks for himself and true believers, But I have known thee, and these have known that thou hast sent me. There is no difficulty in the terms requiring any tedious explication. I have known thee, saith our Saviour to the Father: though the world be strangers to thee, yet I am very well acquainted with thee, I know thee inwardly: And my Disciples here have known that thou hast sent me. They have been throughly persuaded that I am a messenger sent forth from thee, to manifest thy nature and thy will to them, which I have done accordingly: I have declared to them thy name, So they have known thee by my means. So that the special thing to be observed here (my brethren,) is the order in which the knowledge of the Father is dispensed. First Christ the Mediator knows him, he is acquainted with him in the first place: I know thee, saith our Saviour here; And then Believers are acquainted with him by the means of Christ; And these have known that thou hast sent me, and I have declared unto them thy name. The Observation than is this. DOCTRINE. That Jesus Christ, and he alone knows God immediately, and others know him by the means of Christ. All saving knowledge of the Father comes out by Jesus Christ to his people Christ knows him first, and then we know him in the second place by him. No man hath seen God at any time, John 1.18. What then? is he not to be seen or known at all by any means? Yes, though he be not to be seen or known by us immediately in himself, yet mediately in and by the Son he may be known: for he hath manifested and revealed him to us. No man hath seen God at any time. The only begotten Son which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him. Indeed it was the business for which our Saviour came into this lower world, to bring God down to us, that we might be acquainted with him. Ye neither know me nor my Father, saith our Saviour to the Jews, John 8.19. If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also. q. d. I would have brought you to the knowledge of my Father. And as the Book in Apoc. 5.9. had still remained a sealed Book, unless the Lamb had opened it: so God had still remained a concealed God: he had never been discovered and manifested to us in a saving way, unless the Son himself had done it. So that the Point is plain you see, That Jesus Christ, and he alone knows God immediately, and others know him by the means of Christ. And therefore in the first place, this may serve for information, to let Use 1 us see, that no man can be saved by his own innate knowledge, nor by the light that is naturally in him, let him use it how he will, or how he can; There hath been an opinion vented up and down of late, that any man that walks according to his principles, according to the imbred light he hath, let this light be what it will, and of what kind it will, he may attain to happiness and glory in the end: And so by consequence, that Pagans and Mahometans, and Infidels of any sort, may be saved if they please. All men have light enough (say they) if they improve and use it as they ought to do, to bring them to be atitude: whereas indeed no man hath light enough to bring him savingly to know God. Jesus Christ and he alone knows God immediately, and others know him by the means of Christ: So that unless he show the Father to us, unless he undertake himself to teach us and instruct us, we must continue ignorant of God, and so there is no other way but we must perish and be lost for ever. Is it so that Jesus Christ and he alone knows God immediately, and Use 2 others know him by the means of Christ? You see, my brethren, then, what course you are to take, if you desire to know God, to be acquainted with the Father: You must go to Jesus Christ for information, and use his help in this business. If you ever see God, if you ever come to have the saving knowledge of his name, believe it, Jesus Christ must manifest it and declare it to you. If he conceal the Father from you, nay if he do not show him to you, you can never come to know him. All other means that you can use, searching in the Book of the Creatures, yea in the book of the Scriptures, hearing, reading, meditation will be unavailable, unless Christ strike in with them: When you have done your utmost, you will die in ignorance of God, and so be lost to all eternity. And therefore I beseech you my Beloved, betake yourselves to Jesus Christ the great Prophet of the Church, be his Disciples, learn of him. Tell him that he knows the Father, as he professeth in my Text, and so beseech him earnestly to make him known to you, that you may also be acquainted with him. Pray him as Philip doth, Joh. 14.8. Lord, show us the Father and it sufficeth us. And thus far we have seen to whom our Saviour speaks, and what he speaks. In the first place against the world, and in the second place for himself and true believers; Oh righteous Father, the world hath not known thee, but I have known thee, and these have known that thou hast sent me. They have been throughly persuaded that I am a Messenger, and an Ambassador sent forth from thee, to manifest thy Nature, and thy Will to them. Now in the following verse he comes to show that he hath been, and will be faithful in the delivery of the message which his Father sent him in, together with the reason of it. First, he declares that he hath been, and will be faithful in the delivery of the message which his Father sent him in; I have declared unto them thy Name, and will declare it. Secondly, he shows the reason of it, why he hath been, and will be so; That the love wherewith thou hast loved me, may be in them, and I in them. Begin we with the first of these, in which our Saviour shows; First That he hath been faithful; then that he will be faithful as the Messenger of God. First that he hath been faithful; I have declared unto them thy Name; But this is for the sense, and almost for the words, the very same that he had said before in the 6. verse of this Chapter. There it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, and here it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, and so accordingly there it is rendered I have manifested thy Name, here I have declared thy Name. The phrase is varied, but the sense is one. And therefore I shall wholly wave it here, and pass from that which Christ hath done, to that which he will further do, of which he makes no mention in the former verse; I have declared unto them thy Name, and will declare it. Whether this resolution of our Saviour to make a further declaration of his Father's Name, relate to his Apostles and Disciples then about him only: or else to such as should believe in after times to the end of the world, is all the difficulty in the words; whether his meaning be, I have declared unto them thy Name, to those Apostles and Disciples, present with me, and will declare it: that is, I will declare it further to them, to the very same men: Or whether it be rather this, I have declared unto them thy Name, to them that are now about me; and will declare it unto others, that in after ages shall come in to me. I have declared it unto these by my own immediate voice, and will declare it unto others, by them and their successors to the end of the world. As for my own part, I see no reason why either of these Expositions should be laid aside, seeing both of them agree with the Analogy of Faith, and with the scope and series of the Text. And since it is most consonant to the accomplishment and execution of the Prophetical office of Christ, to be continually teaching those that are bestowed upon him by the Father, in all Ages, Teaching them further whom he hath begun to teach, and teaching other men anew, to the end of the world. But you will interpose and ask me, Quest. How can this be meant of the Apostles and Disciples then about our Saviour, in the sense before expressed? I have declared unto them thy Name, and will declare it further to them, since we have understood the first words of a full discovery. If when our Saviour saith, I have declared unto them thy Name, his meaning be, I have declared it fully to them, (as I have formerly explained it,) how can he add, I will declare it further to them? Very well, if things be rightly and distinctly understood. Answ. In the first place our Saviour saith, I have declared thee fully and completely to them, as to all things necessary to be known of thee, necessitate medii, to salvation. And here he adds I will declare thee further to them, as to many other things that are yet concealed from them. I have declared thee fully to them as to the foundation, or to the fundamental knowledge of thee: I will declare thee further to them, as to the superstructure upon that foundation. I have declared thee fully to them, as to what I am myself to teach them with my own immediate voice before my passion. I will declare thee further to them after my resurrection (when he continued forty days discoursing with them) and further after my Ascension, when I will send down my Spirit to them, to teach them all things, and to lead them into all truth: So than the point to be observed is this: DOCTRINE. They that have the Name of God, his Nature, and his Will, savingly declared to them, have yet defects and imperfections in their knowledge of him, so that they stand in need of further Declaration. The Name of God was so far manifested and declared to these Apostles and Disciples as was necessary to salvation. So far our Saviour had fully and completely made it known to them, he had concealed nothing from them of his Father's Name, in the ignorance of which whosoever dies must perish: For they were in the state of grace, and of salvation, when he spoke those words, I have declared unto them thy Name. And yet he addeth presently (you see) I will declare it, I will make further declarations and discoveries of thy Name to them. And so accordingly he did assoon as he was risen from the dead, He shown himself alive to them, being seen of them forty days together, Act. 1.3. And what did he in that time? Why he instructed them in things concerning God, and his Kingdom, as you may see in that place. And when he was ascended into Heaven, he was mindful of his promise, which he had often made to them, and so accordingly dispatched the Holy Spirit down among them to lead them further onward in the knowledge of the Father. Indeed the best are Novices in this regard, they have not yet attained to a perfect man in point of holy and divine knowledge, as Ephes. 4.13. It is true, there is a great deal of variety among the Saints, aswell in this as other graces, according to the measure of the gift of Christ, Ephes. 4.7. But in the best it is a measure, and no more; it is not fullness and perfection. He that hath most of God revealed to him, yet knows him but in part; and he that hath the clearest sight of him, sees him but darkly in a glass, as 1 Cor. 13.12. And therefore this is called the seeing of the back parts of the Lord; as when we see the back parts of a man, we know him but by guests only: we know him not so perfectly and so distinctly as when we come to see his face. Such a sight of God it is that we attain in this world. And therefore the Apostle Paul, who in this point of holy and divine knowledge was not behind the very chiefest Apostles, who had his Raptures and his Ecstasies, and who was taken up into the third Heaven, and had such things revealed to him as were not to be uttered by the tongue of man, professeth notwithstanding that he had not yet attained, nor was he yet perfect, But, saith he, I follow after, that I may apprehend, Phil. 3.12. So that he was Viator, and not Comprehensor; he was in the condition that the people were, Hos. 6.3. he followed on to know the Lord. The people of Coloss were eminent for grace and knowledge, and yet for them it is the Apostle prays, That they might increase in the knowledge of God, Col. 1.10. So that the point is plain, as you see; They that have the Name of God, his Nature and his Will savingly, etc. Object. But you will interpose, and say perhaps, That it should seem by some expressions in the Scriptures, that God hath been revealed fully to some certain men in this life, as to Jacob for an instance, Gen. 32.30. and to Moses, Numb. 12.8. With him will I speak saith God, mouth to mouth, even apparently, not in dark speeches; and the similitude of the Lord shall he behold. Sol. But this, my Brethren, must be understood comparatively of the more clear and full discovery of the Lord to Jacob and to Moses, then to many other men; but as for the perfect sight and knowledge of him, this was not imparted, neither to Jacob nor to Moses; and for the latter, God himself affirms expressly, Thou shalt not see my face, saith he to Moses, Exod. 33.10. that is the fullness of my glory; for none shall see my face and live; That is reserved to the state of glory, when we shall see God face to face, as the Scripture phrase is; when we shall know as we are known; And this is that which Schoolmen call the beatifical vision, wherein consists the main of our beatitude hereafter, as Matth. 5.8. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God: He doth not say, they do see him, but they shall see God; which the Apostle makes the great ingredient in the happiness and glory prepared for the Saints at the time of Christ's appearing, 1 Joh. 3.2. We know that when we shall appear, he shall be like him, and we shall see him as he is; Now we see him as we may; then we shall see him as he is. But why have they who have the Name of God savingly declared to them, defects and imperfections in their knowledge? Why doth not Jesus Christ in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge, and that for the accommodation of his members, furnish and supply them? Why doth he not assoon as he gins to teach them, declare all his Father's Name to them, but keeps back something still, for further discovery? There are two special reasons of it, to name no more at this time. Christ doth not show them all at once, because they are not capable of it: A scholar is not capable of all he is to learn at first dash. He cannot take in all at once, even in his first lesson; and hence his Master leads him onward by degrees: first gives him easier, and after brings him on to harder Lessons: Even so doth Jesus Christ with his scholars; he goes along with every one as he can learn, as he is able to receive it in. He doth not show them all his Father's glory at a clap, for that he knows would dazzle them, and over-whelm them; but let's in now a little light upon them, and then a little more, as he perceives their senses to be exercised: Instils into their minds and understandings the knowledge of his Father by degrees; and as by learning their capacities are widened, so he goes on to further discoveries. This course he took with the Apostles; what they were able to receive he taught them out of hand, but reserved other things, as you may see, Joh. 16.12. I have many things to say unto you, but you cannot bear them now; I am to say them, but you cannot bear them now, and therefore I will take some other time to reveal those things to you. Christ doth not show them all at once, that he may keep his Saints humble. As long as there is flesh and nature in us, (as there will be while we remain in this world) high measures and degrees of knowledge may exalt us, and lift us up above ourselves: And therefore Jesus Christ in love and wisdom uses to bestow upon his people so much knowledge as he sees fit for them. A little more, it may be, would undo them: They would set their hearts it may be as the heart of God himself: They would be as Gods knowing good and evil: Shrewd fellows in their own conceits, none to be compared with them. In which respect he dealeth with us as God with Jacob; he gave him a gift, but left behind him a lameness withal that accompanied the gift: So Christ bestows upon us some degrees of knowledge, but leaves withal some imperfections and defects, that we may be kept humble, and that we may not swell with self-attributions. Now to descend to Application: In the first place, let it have the same Use 1 effect in every one of us, who find ourselves inclinable to be conceited of our knowledge, and to despise our fellow brethren, who are not, as we apprehend, so far enlightened as ourselves. Admit that we know more of God than many others do, that we can fathom deeper into those holy mysteries, what reason have we to be proud? You hear that they who have the Name of God savingly, etc. Shall that we have received, lift us up? and shall not that in which we are defective, cast us down? Have we not far greater cause to be abased in the contemplation of the one, then to be exalted in the contemplation of the other? Indeed if we were absolute in this respect, and if (as the Apostle speaks) we understood all mysteries, and all knowledge, there were some colour then, though yet no just occasion to be proud. But now it is the greatest folly in the world to strut and brave it in a back half naked, and half covered with borrowed feathers. Well then my Brethren, let us do as the Apostle did in this case: Let us forget the things that are behind, and look on to the things that are before us: Let us consider with ourselves how short we fall, and how far we are to seek in main things concerning God, which we are bound to know: How ignorant we are, how ill we have improved our time and means; and if this do not take us down, how justly may we perish in our pride? Use 2 And as this doctrine serves to humble and abase the proud, so to revive and cheer the humble. Alas saith the distressed Christian, how ignorant am I of God, his nature and his will? How little do I understand of his name? Though I have been a long time in the School of Christ, and have had abundant means, how little have I learned? what small progress have I made? how far short do I fall of many others? Oh the blindness of my mind, the darkness of my understanding to this day! I am afraid that I am none of those whom Christ teaches. Why, thou hast heard, that they that have the Name of God declared to them, have yet defects and imperfections in their knowledge: So that however thou art much to seek in many things, and thou art exceedingly defective in thy knowledge, thou mayst be savingly enlightened notwithstanding: And to uphold thy heart in this particular, consider It a sign the little knowledge which thou hast is right and sound, because it humbles thee, and makes thee sensible of thy defects. This is the nature of the saving knowledge of the name of God, it is an humbling and an abasing knowledge. Indeed, my brethren, carnal knowledge puffeth up, it makes men swell and strut, and swagger, and so accordingly to slight their meaner brethren. Like the highminded Pharisees, This people which knoweth not the Law is accursed; Alas they are a company of sots to us, they know nothing. But saving knowledge makes man humble, more humble than he was before he had it. They that are endued with it, thought better of themselves before Conversion, before they had one glimpse of this enlightening, then now they do. And hence you shall observe in Scripture, that they that have excelled most in knowledge, have had lowest apprehensions of themselves. None have complained so much of their corruption, blindness, ignorance as they have done. Agur was an exceeding wise and knowing man, yet he professeth that he had not the knowledge of a man in him. He doth not say that he had not the knowledge of a Saint in him, but he had not the knowledge of a man in him; he was a beast in regard of understanding. And holy David though eminent in this regard, yet was not puffed up, Psal. 131.1. No, he bewails his ignorance exceedingly, and saith he was in this respect as a beast before God, Psal. 73.22. And most remarkable is that of Job, Job 42.5, 6. Heretofore I heard of thee by the hearing of the ear; I have had in former times a dark remote confused knowledge of thee; I saw thee at a distance, as it were a great way off; but now I have a clearer and distincter knowledge of thee; and what was the event and issue of it? Now I abhor myself in dust and ashes. So that if the degrees of knowledge which thou hast (be they great or be they small) do humble thee, and make thee little in thine own eyes, it is a comfortable evidence that it is sound. Whatsoever thy degrees of knowledge be, consider they are such as Jesus Christ in love and wisdom hath allotted to thee. To every one (yea to him that hath the least) is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ, Ephes. 4.7. as he is pleased to distribute and proportion. The body mystical is ordered so, that every member hath a fit share: To some he gives out greater measures and degrees of knowledge, the eminency of their station calls for it; to thee perhaps he hath communicated less, because he sees that less will be sufficient for thee: From whom the whole body according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase, Ephes. 4.16. Observe it well, my brethren, every member hath his measure. The leg, the arm, the little finger, are not all alike, but all according to their measure, and so there is a decent and due proportion. The time is drawing on a pace, when these defects and imperfections in thy knowledge, under which thou groanest, shall be all supplied; when the darkness of thy mind, the blindness of thy understanding shall be fully done away. That which is perfect is to come, though it be not yet come, 1 Cor. 13.10. when we shall clearly understand those mysteries which Angels pried into, but could not fathom; even when we shall be ravished from ourselves, in sweetest contemplations of the glorious Godhead: when, as our Saviour tells us, we shall see God, and see him face to face, as the Apostle speaks; Now we see him in a glass, but then face to face; 1 Cor. 13.12. now we know God in part only, than we shall know as we are known; Now we see his back parts only, but then we shall behold (as far as finite creatures may be capable) the fullness of his glory. Consider that the glorious recompense which is to be dispensed in the day of retribution, shall be proportioned not to our knowledge, but our practice and obedience. God will not have respect so much to what you know of him, as to what you do for him: He will give to every man (not according to his knowledge, but) according to his works: To them who by patiented continuance in well doing, seek glory and honour, and immortality, saith the Apostle; Rom. 2.7. (To them who do, and do well, and continue doing well, and patiently continue doing well, yea though they suffer evil for well doing) the Lord will render eternal life. JOHN 17.26. And will declare it. AND thus far of the first part of our Saviour's resolution, to make a further declaration of his Father's Name, in reference to his Apostles and Disciples then about him; I have declared unto them thy Name, and will declare it further to them, to the very same men. Proceed we to the Second Member of his Resolution, to make a further declaration of his Father's Name in reference to other men, to whom he had not yet at all declared it. I have declared unto them thy Name, to these Apostles and Disciples now about me, and will declare it further yet to other men both in the present and the future ages. This act of mine shall be a constant and continued act; as long as there are any people in the world, I will not cease declaring of thy Name to them. And so accordingly the point shall be; DOCTRINE. That Jesus Christ will be continually making further declarations of his Father's Name, to other Nations, and to other persons, to the end of the world. He will be still declaring it to those that have not heard of it, that have not been acquainted with his Father's name: Teaching new scholars still to spell it and to understand it, in every Generation while the World endureth. And as he is a King for ever, as long as there are any further people to be ruled: and as he is a Priest for ever, as the Psalmist speaks, Psal. 110.4. as long as there are any further people to be saved and redeemed: So he is a Prophet for ever, as long as there are any further people to be taught. Every age shall have experience of the blessed fruits of the Prophetical Office of Christ, in giving some the knowledge of his Father's Name, who till then were strangers to him. For clearing of the point, I shall a little more distinctly show you, that Jesus Christ will be continually making further Declarations of his Father's Name. In the first place to other Nations: And in the second place to other persons to the end of the world. Jesus Christ will be continually making further declarations of his Father's Name to other Nations. He had declared it only to the people of the Jews, when he put up this supplication to his Father in my Text. Some Proselytes of other Nations there might be among the Jews, who were partakers of his public teaching: but certainly he had revealed his Father to no other Nation but the Jews only. For his Commission was confined to them, as he professed to the Canaanitish woman, Matth. 15.24. I am not sent but to the lost Sheep of the house of Israel; I am to be my Father's Messenger to them, and none but them immediately in my own person. If I go further, I exceed my bounds; For till the resurrection of our Saviour, the partition-wall between the Jews and Gentiles was not broken down: And so accordingly he preached not peace, he did not manifest that sweet part of his Father's Name to those that were afar off, neither by himself, nor by his Ministers, till after that time, as the Apostle Paul insinuates, Ephes. 2.14, 15, 16, 17. And therefore when he sent forth his Apostles, Mat. 10.5. his express injunction was, Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any City of the Samaritans enter ye not: but go ye rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. Which course or method the Apostles in the first place very carefully observed, as you may see, Act. 13.15. It was necessary, saith Paul and Barnabas to the Jews, that the Word of God the Gospel (in which the Father's name is manifested and made known to men) should first of all be preached unto you. But since that time he hath declared it by his Ministers to other Nations. To whom his last Commission was, Go into all the world, and preach the Gospel to every creature, Mark. 16.15. Go ye and teach all Nations, Mat. 28.19. And in pursuance of this Commission and command of his, even the Apostles while they lived, did spread it far and wide. The Scripture story seems to hint it to us, Mark. 16. ult. where after the forementioned Mandate of our Saviour, it is immediately observed by the Evangelist, that they went forth and preached everywhere. And the Apostle Paul reporteth, that himself alone had filled with the Gospel all the Country from Jerusalem, even round about unto Illyricum; yea, that he strove to preach it where Christ was not so much as named, Rom. 15.19, 20. You may suppose the rest of the Apostles were not idle in their places: The stories of the Church give in some Testimonies to it; For Stapleton reports of Thomas that he preached to the Indians; and Clemens saith there is no Nation, either Grecian or Barbarian, among whom prayers are not made in the Name of Jesus: And so to whom God is not manifested as a Father in his Son Christ. But yet we are not to conclude from this, an universal Declaration of the Name of God to every people, Island, Nation in the world, in the times of the Apostles. For since their days, Christ hath revealed it to many Countries, and to many people. And yet at this day there are many Nations that have not heard of God in Christ; That Name of his hath not been declared to them: But to them he will declare it before the consummation of the world; they shall all hear of it; The Gospel (saith our Saviour) shall be preached to all the world, and then shall the end come, Mat. 24.14. So it behoveth that remission should be preached in his Name, and that among all Nations, Luk. 24 47. There is a fullness of the Gentiles yet to be brought in, by this discovery of the Father's Name: which Christ will certainly accomplish in his own time; He hath begun of late to manifest it to the Indians in America, and he will certainly go on with that work, till all the People, Languages, and Nations in the world do serve the Lord: till the ends of all the world do turn to him, and all the Kindred's of the earth do worship before him: And till he be Governor in all Nations, Psal. 22.27, 28. You see then Jesus Christ will be continually making further Declarations of his Father's name to other Nations: still it is, I have declared it, and I will declare it, with reference to other Nations. And so it is with reference to other persons, in those Nations where it is declared already. He hath declared it unto some, and will declare unto others still, in every age to the end of the world. There will be some elect continually to be brought in by this means. Some to be added to the Church, some to be joined to the body mystical, until the dispensation of the fullness of time which the Apostle mentions, Eph. 1.10. when all things shall be gathered into one, which are in heaven, and which are on earth. So that you see my brethren, Jesus Christ will be continually making further declarations of his Father's Name to other Nations and to other persons. But how will he make these further declarations? Brethren, he will not do it in his own person, or by his own immediate voice: But he will do it other ways. 1. By his written word and Ministers in all ages: for that which they declare in his name and by authority from him, Jesus Christ himself declares. To this end Christ hath set some in the Church, some Ministers of all sorts, as the Apostle tells us, 1 Cor. 12.28. And that is out of all dispute in the universal Church, which is not limited to any Country, or to any age. That so there might be continually some in all Churches and in all ages, to publish what is to be manifested of his Father. And hence said Christ to his Apostles, Mat. 28.20. Lo, I am with you to the end of the world. They were not to continue for their own parts by many hundred years so long: And therefore it must also stretch to those who were to follow them in the office, and the work of Gospel preaching, till it be published universally to all Nations, in the outward promulgation, and in the inward and effectual revelation to all persons to whom it is appointed so to be revealed: Which was not done, you know, by the Apostles: it was but begun by them, and must be carrried on, till it be finished, by other Ministers to the end of the world. And therefore when our Saviour Christ ascended, and consequently could no longer teach his Church immediately in his own person, he gave gifts unto men, such gifts as he never gave before: And he gave some Apostles, Prophets, Evangelists: Some temporary, some perpetual, for the perfecting of the Saints, for the work of the Ministry. How long? Till we all come (all that are chosen, whether Jews or Gentiles) in the unity of the Faith, unto a perfect man. So that the Ministry shall be continued, till all be gathered into Christ, that shall be gathered, and that is till the end of the world. 2. Christ makes these further declarations of his Father's name in every age; by his spirit. As he declares it outwardly to other persons by his word, so he declares it inwardly to other persons by his spirit, to his elect in every age to the end of the world. And therefore when our Saviour Christ withdrew his corporal and fleshly presence, he sent his spirit down to teach his people, to lead them into all truth: And by that spirit he declares his Father's name, and will do to the world's end. And he assured his Apostles in the place even now alleged, Mat. 28.20. when he was even about to leave them, as to his fleshly presence with them, Lo, I am with you always, viz. by my spirit, to the end of the world. That is, with you and such as you are, with you and your Successors still in every age, as long as the world endureth. Go ye therefore and teach all Nations, and my spirit shall be with you: So that what you teach all without, he shall teach my elect within, powerfully and with success, till the last man be gathered in: And then shall the end come. Is it so that Jesus Christ will be continually making further declarations of his Father's name to other Nations and to other persons to the end of the world? Use Then let us seriously consider what our duty is in reference to this work, (which will be beautiful and glorious beyond all comparison) and what Christ expects of us. If he will do as he hath said, let us examine what we are to do, and what duty lieth upon us, (relating to it) in the mean time. And here I shall propound a few things. 1. Let us give him so much credit as to believe what he hath spoken. And though it seem improbable that Christ should manifest his Father's name to all Nations: That all the Countries in the world should come to know him, and to be acquainted with him: yet seeing Christ hath undertaken it, and bound himself by faithful promise to his Father, that as he hath declared his name already, so he will be continually making further declarations of it to other persons and to other Nations, let us say Amen to it. As Mary sometimes, when she had staggered at the difficulty of the Promise, at length recovered out of that fit of unbelief, and set the seal of faith to it, Be it according to thy word. 2. Let our hearts be full of hope, in reference to this business. Since Christ hath undertaken it, let us expect the execution of it. Our Saviour's words (my brethren) are a promise to the Father, what he will do in after times for his people: Saith he, I will declare thy name to them. And therefore as it is our duty to believe the promise, so to expect the good things promised. To be continually in a waiting frame, looking and harkening after the accomplishment of this eximious work of his, spying if we can see the day break, and the Father's name shine forth to other Nations, who never had a glimsp of it by any Gospel Revelation, till in the end from the rising of the Sun unto the going down of the same, his name be great among the Gentiles, according to that Prophecy relating to these latter times and ages of the world, Mal. 1.11. 3. Let us strive with Christ in prayer, that he would make good the word that he hath spoken to the Father before so many witnesses. Oh my beloved, when ye look on many Heathen Nations that yet are overwhelmed in ignorance and Egyptian darkness, that yet know nothing of the Father's name; when you look on many Christians in profession, that yet are even in as bad a case as they, some of which it may be have relation to yourselves: go to Jesus Christ and say, O Lord, thou hast professed that thou wilt declare thy Father's name to other persons, and to other Nations, to the end of the world. Lord, there are such Nations, there are such persons who yet are strangers to the Father; who know no more of God in Christ, than the very beasts that perish: O be entreated to declare thy Father's name to them. Lord, manifest the Father to them, that they may know him to salvation. 4. Let our hearts be full of joy while we are looking forward to the accomplishment of this work. O let it cheer our spirits, under all the sinking damps and deep discouragements that are upon them, in relation to the Church, to think in what a blessed state and glorious posture she will be, when Christ shall have declared his Father's name to all the Nations under heaven, when the Jews shall be converted, and when the fullness of the Gentiles shall come in: Oh my beloved, that will be a joyful time indeed. It's true, those times, my brethren, shall be very comfortable and full of gladness many ways. And this is not the least, that people shall be brougbt in to the knowledge of the Lord out of all the quarters of the world, and that by heaps and multitudes. And when they come, th●● shall be brought with gladness and rejoicing, as the Psalmist speaks, Psal. 45.15. With gladness and rejoicing shall they be brought. And truly they that have the happiness to live in those days, cannot but be extremely taken with it, when they behold the Father's name declared to the people of the Jews, and to such multitudes of Nations of the Gentiles, so that they shall come thronging in so fast as if they were in haste to be acquainted with him, and to know more of him: Oh they will be an end at this, and their hearts will leap within them. There was never such a time since the foundation of the world, nor shall be till that blessed season come: and therefore let our souls rejoice in the foresight of it, though we never live to see it. And thus far of our Saviour faithfulness, in the delivery of his Father's Errand, in the discovery of his Father's name to his people. He hath been faithful and will be faithful in it. In the remainder of the verse, he shows the end and reason of it, why he hath been so, and will be so, That the love wherewith thou hast loved me, may be in them, and I in them. It is a very great question, whether believers be intended here to be the objects, or the subjects of the love our Saviour mentions. Whether the name of God be manifested to them to this end, that they may be beloved by him, or to this end that they may love him. I must acknowledge, all Interpreters almost that I have seen, make them the objects, not the subjects of this love, That the love wherewith thou hast loved me may be in them; That is, say they, may reach to them, or come to them: their meaning is so as to lay hold upon them, and embrace them. In plainer terms, that thou mayst love them with the love wherewith thou hast loved me, with the very same affection. Against this Exposition there are two Exceptions, to which I must confess I know not how to give a clear Solution. For First, If this were the intention of our Saviour, I have declared unto them thy name, that thou mayst love them, he would have said in probability, That thy love may be towards them, or That thy love may be upon them, rather than That thy love 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 (as here we have it) may be in them. This is a strange expression to say My love is in a man, when my intention is, I love him, or I have set my love upon him. But secondly, if when our Saviour Saviour saith that thy love may be in them, his meaning be, That thou mayst love them: how shall this be the end of his forementioned declaration of his Father's name, as it is clearly made in this place? I have declared unto them thy name, and will declare it, that the love wherewith thou hast loved me, may be in them: That thou mayst love them with the love wherewith thou hast loved me. Doth Christ declare his Father's name to men, his love, his mercy to this end that he may love them? Is this a proper means to that end? for God to be made known to men, that God may love them whom he is made known to? Brethren, God doth not love men because his name is manifested and declared to them, but men love him upon that ground, and for that reason: the declaration of his name to them, is a means to make them love him. And therefore I must needs crave leave to think the latter Exposition probable, by which believers are made the subjects of the love here mentioned, I have declared unto them thy name, and will declare it, that the love wherewith thou hast loved me may be in them as in the subjects of it: That the love which is originally in thyself as in the fountain (as all other graces are) may be communicated and dispensed from thee to them, and become inherent in them. You know my Brethren, we are said to be partakers of the divine nature, 2 Pet. 1.4. not by participation of the essence, but by communication of the properties of God, when the communicable properties of God, as holiness and love and wisdom, are dispensed to us. So here our Saviour prays his Father, that the love wherewith he hath loved Christ, may be given down from him into the hearts of his people, that they may have that very property in them also. And to this end saith Christ, I have declared thy name, thy mercy, goodness, love to them, that this love may be wrought in them. That by this means their hearts may be inflamed, and filled with the love of thee: That they may have the love of thee in them, as the Apostle hath the very Phrase, 1 John 3.17. How dwelleth the love of God in him? So here, that the love wherewith thou hast loved me, that very property may be in them, by way of derivation from thee, and that by the revealing of thy name to them. If this be our Saviour's meaning, as I can see no other for the present, the Observations will be two. First, The love which is in true believers, comes from God. The love wherewith true believers love, is in a sense the same wherewith God himself loves: Or the love wherewith God loves, is in a sense in true believers. Secondly, The declaration of the Father's name to them, is the great means that begetteth love in them. DOCTRINE. The love which is in true Believers comes from God. The love wherewith he loveth, is in them, saith our Saviour in my text. viz. by way of dispensation from him. Love is originally, primitively and essentially in the Lord, and from him it is given down into the hearts of true believers. This is part of the divine nature, which they are made partakers of, as the Apostle speaks, 2 Pet. 1.4. This is a print of his Image, whereby they are conformed to God, and made suitable to God, when they love as he doth; And consequently, as he is, such are they in this world. So that when an enlightened eye looks first on God, and sees that he doth love, that he is love, and then looks on the believer, and sees this grace of love communicated and dispensed from God to him, he finds that he is such a one as God is: That he is like God in this world, though he shall be better like him in the world that is to come: This is a beam of his light (as other saving graces are) it comes down from the Father of lights, as the Apostle James speaks, Chap. 1.17. And as the stars shine with a borrowed Luster, even so do believers too. If there be this, or any other brightness in them, it is a beam of the divinity, a streak and ray of the divine glory. They shine because their light is come, viz. from God, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon them, Isa. 60.1. And in a word this is a stream of his fountain, which runs down from God to us: All our fresh springs are in him, as the Prophet David speaks, Psal. 87.7. and consequently all our streams of living waters are from him. First the springs of our streams are in him, and then the streams of his springs are in us. The love wherewith he loveth, is in us. So that God doth not only teach us love, as the Apostle saith, ye are taught of God to love, 1 Thes. 4.9. but more than so, he gives us love. He doth not only teach it as a Master, but he bestows it as a Donour and Dispenser; Yea, as a Donour of himself to us; for when he gives us love, he gives us down himself in some measure; And therefore by this love he is said to dwell in us; Mark that Expression of the Apostle John, 1. Epist. 4.10. God is love, and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him, God is love properly, essentially (for whatsoever is attributed to God is God,) and he is the Original and Fountain of that love that is communicated to the Creature, and by this love he dwells in us. So that whoever hath this love in him, hath God in him; God in the beam, as we are wont to say; The room that hath the beam in it, hath the Sun in it; That place of the Apostle John is full, 1 Epist. 4.7. Love is of God, saith he, and every one that loves is born of God, while he participates in this of God's nature, even as the Son is made partaker of the nature of the Father. The Point you see is fully proved, The love which is in true believers, comes from God. Reason. And it must needs be so, because it is not, neither can it be originally in, or of, or from ourselves. The heart of man is naturally averse, yea even abhorrent from the Love of God: And therefore in the state of nature, men are said to hate God, Rom. 1.30. as in divers other places of the Scripture. Indeed it seems to be a little strange that men should naturally hate the chiefest good: And true it is, that nothing apprehended and presented under the notion, reason, and the name of goodness can be hated and abhorred: But yet the chief good, looked upon as evil, either in itself, or else to him that so conceives and apprehends it, may under such a notion be so far from being loved as that indeed it may be hated. And thus it is with all unsanctified men. So that of our selves you see it is impossible to have the love of God in us. But whence must we have it then, if we be partakers of it? The Apostle clearly shows us, Jam. 1.17. Every good and perfect gift is from above. From above, what's that? why it cometh down from the Father of lights, that is, from God who is the fountain of it. And if every gift be from him, every good and perfect gift, then surely love which is in some respect the choicest of all other gifts (as the Apostle shows at large) is from him too. The love which is in true believers, comes from God. But yet this Caution let me interpose, before I come to application. You must not apprehend the love which is in true believers, to come immediately from God, without the use of second means, as some have seemed to infer from that place of the Apostle, 1 Thess. 4.9. As touching love you need not that I writ to you; for you yourselves are taught of God to love. As if his meaning were, I need not teach it you at all, I need not strive to work it and beget it in you, by my preaching; for you are taught immediately of God himself. Whereas indeed he speaks comparatively, not as though they had no need at all of his instruction, but not such need as many other men who were not taught of God to love. As such expressions are very usual in the Scripture, which in show are universal, yet to be understood ex parte, and in comparison, as that for instance, John 9.4. If ye were blind, ye should have no sin, saith Christ; none in comparison, not simply none. But as for love, that it is mediately wrought by means, as by the preaching of the Gospel, is very manifest by this, that the Apostles, Paul and John especially, do so frequently and earnestly persuade and press to it: which they need not to have done, if God did work it in the hearts of his people immediately by the teaching of his spirit. Indeed my brethren, every saving grace flows clearly from the upper spring, but yet there are some pipes that carry and convey it down to us, as the Word and Ordinances and the like. And he that lives above them, lives above grace too. And therefore in my text, our Saviour makes his declaration of his Father name, by himself and his Apostles and their Successors in the Church, the means of working love in the hearts of his people; I have declared unto them thy name and will declare it, that the love wherewith thou hast loved me may be in them Now is it so my brethren, that the love which is in true believers comes Use 1 from God? Here than we are directed where to go, and to whom to have recourse for this grace. If any man lack wisdom, saith the Apostle, let him ask it of God. And so say I in this case, If any man want love to God, or to his Brethren, let him ask it of God. Let him go to God the Fountain and the spring of it, and beseech him earnestly to give it down to poor creatures. If we find our hearts are cold and dull and flat, if they be not inflamed with the love of God, let us entreat him to kindle them at his fire. Let us beg him that the love which is in him may be in us. Let us pray with the Apostle, The Lord direct our hearts unto the love of God, 2 Thess. 3.5. They cannot find the way themselves; the way of peace, and so the way of love, they have not known. Now the good Lord himself direct them, and guide them into that way. It cannot choose but be a pleasing and a lovely suit indeed, to be importunate with God to make us love him and to endear our hearts to him. A man would think that such a sweet request as this should not be turned off with a denial. And that we may the rather struggle in it, I shall propound two things. 1. Love as it comes from God, so it is in some respect the chiefest thing that comes from God. It is a grace of the first magnitude, and therefore it is placed first by the Apostle in that Catalogue of his, Gal. 5.22. The fruit of the spirit is love, and then joy, and other graces. It is an excelling gift: and therefore the Apostle Paul to show the matchless worth and the surpassing value of it, admits a kind of Solaecism in his discourse, and makes it better than the best of gifts, 1 Cor. 12. ult. Covet, saith he, and covet earnestly the best gifts. And then immediately annexeth a discourse of love, and touching that he saith, I show unto you a more excellent way. Indeed it is of greater latitude than other graces, it runs through every precept of the Law of God. For love is the fulfilling of the Law, and that no other grace is. It is of greater power than other graces, for it sets them all on work. And hence the acts of other graces are frequently ascribed to love, as 1 Cor. 13.4, &c she hopeth, she believeth, etc. It is of greater permanency than other graces, than faith, or hope. And other graces without love are nothing, as the Apostle shows at large in that Chapter. 2. And as love is the chiefest thing that comes from God, so it is the chiefest thing that conformeth us to God. It makes us like him more than other graces do. God is not said in Scripture to be faith, or hope, or patience, but he is said in Scripture to be Love. If we believe, God doth not so: if we hope, God doth not so: if we suffer quietly, God doth not so: Indeed he suffer not at all, either by way of passion or compassion. But if we love, my brethren, so doth God. In this we do as God himself doth. And therefore we may pray for this, (my brethren) in another way than we may pray for other graces, according to the pattern in my Text. We cannot pray to God, Lord grant us that the faith which is in thee, may be in us: Lord grant us that the hope which is in thee may be in us; But we may pray, Lord grant us that the love which is in thee, may be in us; That the love wherewith thou lovest, may be given down to us. Use 2 Is it so that the love which is in true believers, comes from God? If then we have the love of God in us, let us remember whence it came, and to whom the glory of it ought to be returned. We can hate God of ourselves, but we can never love him of ourselves. So that if there be any spark of the love of God in us, we may be confident that it was kindled at his fire. And therefore let it be continually working upward, upward still, yea, let it never leave ascending till it have joined itself unto that infinite and endless flame, from which it issued and proceeded. JOHN 17.26. That the love wherewith thou hast loved me may be, etc. DOCTRINE 2. The Declaration of the Father's Name to men, is one especial means to work the grace of love in them. IT is to this end that our Saviour makes it known, as you may see expressly in my Text; I have declared unto them thy Name, and will declare it; Why so? to what end? That the love wherewith thou hast loved me (that very property) may be in them; That as it is in thee, it may be wrought in them also. And out of doubt the means our Saviour pitches on, are useful and available to his ends. Indeed men come to know the Father, by the discovery of his name to them; for so his name is all that makes him known to men: And that which worketh knowledge of him, doth mediately work love to him: So that if the discovery of his name do make men know him (as that is very manifest) it doth make them love him too. That which one affirms of Learning, may be applied to God, Non habet Inimicum nisi ignorantem. Whosoever knows him clearly, loves him truly; Indeed while we are unacquainted with him, the admirable worth and beauty, and excellency that is in him every way, doth not take a whit upon us. The Philosopher will tell us that the mind must be informed and convinced of the goodness of a thing, before the heart will cleave to it, or the affections close with it: And hence it is, that carnal and unsanctified persons love not God, because they know him not: Or if they know him any way, it is not under such a notion as renders him desirable or lovely to them. Perhaps they know him as a Judge, or an avenger; they cannot know him as a Saviour and Redeemer. And this is the real cause why the triumphant Saints in Heaven, love him more than the Saints Militant on earth, because they have a fuller, clearer and distincter knowledge of him. We see him darkly in a glass, they face to face. And this is the reason also why we love not God with such a high affection here as we shall do hereafter, because we know him not so well, we have not such distinct and full discoveries of his name, as than we shall attain to. So than you see in general, that the discovery of the Father's name to men is one especial means to work the grace of love in them. To clear it yet a little further to you. I shall show you particularly and distinctly, that there are divers things in God's name, which (being manifested and declared unto men) are means to win their hearts to him, and so to work love in them. As The beauty of the Lord is a part of his name, and beauty being manifested and discovered is a means to win love. It is a great attractive of affection. Now herein God excels (my brethren) in this respect, he is incomparably, out of measure lovely: The greatest beauty in the world is holiness; so it is often called, as 1 Chron. 16.19. Psal. 29.2. To show that holiness hath beauty in it; yea it is called Beauties in the plural number; The beauties of holiness; Psal. 110.3. to intimate that holiness is full of beauty, and that it over-matches all the beauties in the world, if all of them were put together: And therefore this is made in Scripture the greatest beauty of the creature; as Sin is the deformity, so Grace and Holiness is the beauty of the Soul, it adorns the inner man: And therefore the Apostle Peter exhorteth Christian women to adorn the hidden man of the heart with this, 1 Pet. 3.4. Even with the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is of great price in the sight of God: And hence it is that holiness is likened to the fairest things, to Robes, and Gems, and Crowns, and Gold, and Jewels, and the like. Now God is matchless in this kind of beauty; He is holiness itself; yea, he is infinitely holy: And therefore holiness is called the Image of God. The holiness that is in men, is but an image and a pattern of that holiness which is originally and completely in the Lord: who hath in this respect all beauty in him. Yea, it is called the glory of the Lord, Rom. 3.23. All have sinned and are deprived of the glory of God, which shined in us in the state of innocency. Indeed, my brethren, he hath in him the Sum and the perfection of beauty; He hath all in him that doth win and raise, nothing that cools or deadens the affection; all things to invite, nothing to avert love. Others there are (my brethren) who have some things beautiful and comely to invite and draw love, but other things uncomely and unbeautiful to keep it off: Something or other there is in them that is odd, unpleasing, and so a bar, and hindrance to affection. Brethren, it is not so with God, he is all beautiful, and all alluring, altogether lovely: Others are so in some respects, but he is so in all respects, He is altogether lovely, the allurement of all hearts; And the desire of all Nations, Hag. 2.7. So he is always in the merit, although he be not always so in the event. Object. But if God be so beautiful, what is the reason that men do not love him? Answ. Because his name, in this respect, is not made known to them. All men are naturally blind, you know; and blind men cannot judge of beauty, until their eyes be anointed with the Eyesalve, Apoc. 3.18. to make them see such beauty as this is: The beauty of holiness is a spiritual beauty, and that is not discerned by a natural Eye. There must be a spiritual eye to see and to discern a spiritual beauty: And when you have such eyes as these, to see the beauty of the Lord, your hearts will be enamoured on him; you will be in the case the Church was, you will be sick of love, and say, Lord, turn away thine eyes, for they have overcome us: We cannot bear the dazzling rays of such beauty as thine is. The goodness of the Lord is a part of his name; and goodness being manifested and discovered, is a means to draw love. Now herein God excels (my brethren) he is good beyond pattern, and beyond measure: He is essentially good, good without goodness, (as Austin speaks) because indeed he is goodness itself. The creatures be good, but not goodness. Their nature is good, but goodness is not their nature. But now the nature and substance of God, is goodness itself, so that he is essentially good; and then he is also causally good, as Psal. 119.68. Thou art good, and dost good; Thou art good in thyself, and thou dost good to the creature, so that the earth is full of thy goodness: He is eminently good; so that whatsoever goodness is to be found among the creatures, is eminently and transcendently in God himself. Now goodness is the object of love, and consequently the allective of affection. If we have cause to fear God for his goodness, as Hos. 3. ult. then surely we have much more cause to love him, especially since he is not only good in himself, but good to us: If this part of his name be manifested and made known to us, we cannot choose but love him, and delight in him. That phrase of the Apostle Paul is notable, and may be very well applied to our purpose, Rom. 5.7. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die, but for a good man one would even dare to die: Uprightness draws not love as goodness doth: One man will hardly love another so much for his uprightness as to die for him; but for his goodness manifested to himself on all occasions, continually doing good to him, he may come to love him so, as even to lay down his life for him: And even for this cause we shall love God, and love him out of all measure, so as even to die for him, if this part of his name be fully manifested and made known to us. The mercy of the Lord is a part of his name, and this if it be manifested to us, will beget love in us. You know the Lord is said in Scripture to be merciful, yea to be rich in mercy; and that not only because the mercy that he hath is precious, but because there is abundance of this precious mercy in him; For both of these concur to riches; there must be something that is precious, and there must be much of it: and so it is with God in this case; He hath a mass of mercy in him, a bottomless and endless treasure, such as the wants of all the world are never able to draw dry: And as a rich man, though he spend exceedingly, yet because he hath a treasure, the e is no failing, no deficiency of his store; so God though he communicate his mercy freely to the sons of men, yet he cannot be exhausted; no, there is more behind still, it is an infinite, a bottomless, an endless mercy; A mercy that endures for ever. Now this rich mercy God lays out, as many other ways, so chief in the pardon of our sins: and hence we read of mercies and forgivenesses in God, as Dan. 9.9. Mercies as the cause and fountain; Forgivenesses as the effect and stream: And both you see my brethren, in the plural number, to show the overflowing mercy of the Lord. Indeed my brethren, there is mercy in all pardons; but in the pardon and remission of the sins of God's people there is admirable mercy. And hence the Prophet wondered at it, not knowing what to think, or to say of it; Who is a God like thee, that pardoneth iniquity, etc. Mic. 7.18. The Prophet is transported, and carried out beyond himself in admiration. And mark it well He doth not say, There is no man like thee, but there is no God like thee. Indeed it goes beyond the mercy of any but the true living God to do this. In which respect is that expression, Hos. 11.9. I will not execute the fierceness of my wrath, for I am God, and not man: that speech of the Apostle Paul is full, Ephes. 1.7. We have remission of our sins, according to the riches of his grace. Now if this part of God's name be made known to us, it cannot choose but work love in us. We love them who forgive us common debts, especially if they be great, we think that we can never do enough for them, or manifest respect enough to them. But we have cause to love him more who forgives us such debts as these are, which if they should be rigorously exacted of us, we were not able to discharge them, but must be laid up under everlasting chains. Oh my beloved, how can this choose but draw out our affection to the Lord? The woman in the Gospel had much forgiven her: and what was the effect and issue of it? Why she loved much; Her love was answerable to her pardon: Much was forgiven her, and she loved much: She was a great sinner, and she had a large pardon, and so accordingly she shown great love. O my Beloved, if such mercy be discovered to us, we cannot choose but do as she did; if we survey our lives, and find perhaps that we have been grievous sinners, beyond the ordinary rate, that we were over head and ears in debt to God, that there were horrid crimes upon the bill against us, scarlet sins, and bloody sins: and then the Father's name is manifested to us, that he hath been to us The Lord, the Lord God merciful and gracious, forgiving iniquity, transgression and sin: And that according to the multitude of his tender mercies he hath blotted out our transgressions: how will our hearts come off to him? how will they flame with love to God? so that we shall cry out, O how do we love the Lord! we are not able to express it, how infinitely dear is God to me! The Love of God is a part of his name: and this if it be manifest also, will beget love in us: When it shines forth from God upon our hearts, it will reflect, and so return to God again. This flame will kindle our fire, and make it burn, that all the waters in the world will never quench it, as Cant. 8.7. Many waters cannot quench love, neither can the floods drown it. Amor est eos amoris, love is the special thing that whets love, and that makes it keen and sharp: So it is with the love of man, and so with the love of God. If it be made known to us, and if we have assurance of it, it will exceedingly endear our hearts to him; We love him, saith the Evangelist John, 1 Epist. 4.19. Why so? because he loved us first; The declaration of his love to us, works love in us to him again. First he loves us, and when we know it, than we love him. So that the point is fully proved, The Declaration of the Father's name to men is one great means to work the grace of love in them. Use 1 To make a little Application; First is it so, That the Discovery, etc. We see the reason then my brethren, why a great part of the world have not the love of God in them: Though he be altogether lovely, yet they love him not at all, because his loveliness is hidden from them. His name is not declared to them, they have no knwledge of his beauty, goodness, mercy, love, etc. and hence it is that they bear no affection to him; They are alienated from him, strangers to him: love him no more than they do a mere stranger. But how comes this to pass? by reason of the ignorance and blindness that is in them. How many Heathen Nations in the world, and Christians by profession are in this condition! and so will certainly continue, till Jesus Christ declare the Father's name to them. And therefore in the second place, if you desire indeed to love God, Use 2 and to grow up in this love, Labour to be acquainted with his name: Wait on the discoveries of it, that Jesus Christ is pleased to make both in public and in private; Wheresoever Christ declares his Father's name, there be you attending on him, to see what he will further show you of his beauty, goodness, mercy, love to you in special; and you shall find, that as you know more of him, your hearts will be accordingly endeared more to him; when you are with other Christians, discourse of this name of God, the greatness of his beauty, goodness, mercy, love, and your hearts will burn within you, with ardent flames of holy love, to his blessed Majesty. When you are single and alone, study the name of God; think of his attributes: let them be often in your meditations, as you shall see they were in david's, if you read the Book of Psalms, and then you will cry out not much unlike as he, O my God, how do I love thee, while I meditate of the beauty of thy glorious Majesty, and thy marvelous works! And thus far of the first end of our Saviour's declaration of his Father's name, That the love wherewith thou hast loved me may be in them. The second follows in the last place to be handled; And I in them; that the love wherewith thou hast loved me, may be in them, and I in them. First, that love may be in them, and then that I may be in them. The latter is adjoined to the former by the connective particle and, as that which (out of all dispute) will keep it company, and dwell with it. If love be in them, I shall be in them too saith Christ; I shall be where love is; and therefore I have manifested and declared thy name to them, in reference to both these: That love being wrought in them, I may be in them too by this means. This I conceive to be the drift and purpose of our Saviour in the words. The point suggested then is this. DOCTRINE. Where Love is, there Christ is. If love be in a man, Jesus Christ is in him too; that is out of all question; He comes with love into the souls of true believers. Brethren, Christ is an utter stranger to every soul that hath not true love in it. But if you knock at the door of any heart, and inquire, Is love within? is love here? If love be there, you may conclude that Jesus Christ is there too. You see my brethren, they are knit together in my Text, That the love wherewith thou hast loved me may be in them, and I in them. Love in them, and I in them; Love, and I. To show that Jesus Christ and Love do always dwell together in the same heart; they are not be separated or divided each from other, but wheresoever one is, there is the other also; where love is, there Christ is. But than you must not understand it of love the passion, or natural affection, but of love the saving grace; of that love which is wrought by the effectual revelation of the Father's name to men. Where this love is, there Christ is: as I shall make it evidently to appear to you: For, Where love (the saving grace of love) is, there the spirit is; and where the spirit is, there Christ is. First where love is, there the spirit is, whose special dwelling in believers is not by his Essence, but his graces, and chief by the grace of love: And hence we read of the Spirit of love, 2 Tim. 1.7. because the Spirit is the cause of love. And hence we also read of the love of the spirit, Rom. 15.30. because love is the fruit of the spirit: so the Apostle styleth it expressly, Gal. 5.22. Yea it is the prime fruit, the chief fruit, upon which all the rest follow, as the Apostle makes it there, The fruit of the Spirit is love, and then joy, peace, meekness, and so on. Love is indeed the special grace by which the spirit of love dwells in us; so that where love is, there the spirit is. Now where the spirit is, there Christ is: For his inhabitation in the soul is by the Spirit, and so it is explained by all Expositors with one consent, where Christ is said to dwell in, and be in us, as such expressions are very frequent in the Scripture: He is with us by his Spirit, and in us by his Spirit; as we are the habitation of God, so we are the habitation of Christ, through the Spirit, as it is in Ephes. 2. ult. And as the Spirit dwells in us by love, so Christ dwells in us by the Spirit; so that where love is, there the Spirit is; and where the Spirit is, there Christ is. That is the first thing. Where love is, there faith is; and where faith is, there Christ is. Where love is, there faith is: And therefore you shall find them often knit together, and made inseparable in the Scripture, Faith and Love. I need not give you instances: Virtutes Christianae sunt connexae, as a Father speaks. All saving graces are united and conjoined; they are made up together in a chain, so that if but one link be wanting, all the rest are useless. If all of them be not united, not one of them is in sincerity. But Faith and Love have a more near relation one to the other, than the rest have: Faith to Love hath the nature of a Cause; Love to Faith the nature of an Evidence: Faith worketh love, love proveth faith: Faith without Love is a dead Belief: Love without Faith is a frozen Charity: So that where love is, there faith is. Now beloved, where faith is, there Christ is: Faith takes in Jesus Christ into the soul, and makes him to inhabit there: And therefore he is said expressly to dwell in the heart by faith, Ephes. 3.17. And he received gifts for men, saith David, Psal. 68.18. Yea for the rebellious also, that the Lord may dwell among them. And if he dwell among and in us by his gifts, then certainly by faith, which is principal of those gifts: So that where love is, there faith is; and where faith is, there Christ is. That is the second thing. Where love is, there the Father is; and where the Father is, there Jesus Christ the Son is: where love is, there the Father is; God is love, saith the Apostle, 1 Joh. 4.8. he is Essentially so, as I have showed you; and consequently God and love cannot be separated each from other. He can no more be severed or divided from it, than he can be divided from his Essence: And therefore the Apostle adds in the aforesaid place, that he that hath the grace of love in him, dwells in God, and God in him: So that where love is, God is. Now my Beloved, where God is, there Chest is: For he and the Father are one, and consequently they must always be together. You are not ignorant, that Christ and God the Father are often said to be in one another, as in that place which we have largely handled in the 21 verse of this Chapter, That they may all be one, as thou Father art in me, and I in thee; As Christ is God, the Father and himself are one Essence: In that consideration they are so in one another, that they are the very same: The same Essence, (for so the union is Identical) though not the same Person: As Christ is Man, the Son is in the Father, and the Father in the Son, by the union of the Manhood to the Godhead in the person of our Saviour; for the Manhood being joined to the Godhead in the person of the Son, it must be mediately joined also to the Father, with whom the Son, as God, is one: So that in both considerations Christ is one with God the Father; and if they be one, they must be together; they cannot be in all respects asunder who are one: So that where love is, God is; and where God is, Christ is; That is the third thing. By this time, I suppose, the point is clear, where love is, there Christ is: For 1. where love is, there the Spirit is. 2. Where love is, there faith is. 3. Where love is, there God is. Now is it so, my brethren, That where love is, there Christ is? That Use 1 he is there, and only there where love is: for so it must be understood exclusively; Then in the first place, what a sad condition are they in, who have not this love in them, who have not love to God nor to his children? Nay, who indeed are Enemies to both: who hate God and hate his people, and that with a perfect hatred: as multitudes there are of such my Brethren, and that not in Hell only among the Devils, and the damned crew, but on earth among men, who taste continually of the goodness of the Lord, yea in the very bosom of the Church itself. There were false brethren in the Church of the Philippians, who notwithstanding all their glorious protestations, were Enemies to Christ, as the Apostle tells them, and that with tears, Phil. 3.18. And surely there are many every where, and in every Congregation, who pretend much love to Christ, and yet do really and truly hate him. It is not every one that calls him Rabbi, Master, as false Judas did, that kisses him and bows before him, that hath indeed the love of Christ in him: No, men may make a flourish and a show of love to Christ, and yet may be as hearty enemies to him, and to his members, as Judas, Pilate, and the Jews were. And truly multitudes of such there are among us, and every place swarms with them. Now my Beloved, in what a sad and lamentable case are these men? For they that have no love in them, have no Christ in them neither; they that are without love, are without Christ too. And so they are exposed to all those matchless miseries which follow being without Christ, such as no tongue is sufficient to express, as I have laid them open largely to you, on Ephes. 2.12. Is it so, my brethren, that where love is, there Christ is? They then Use 2 that find upon undoubted evidences, that they have this love in them, may take incomparable comfort hence: For they may be hence assured, that they have Jesus Christ in them. If love be in them, Christ is in them, as is apparently suggested in my Text; That the love wherewith thou hast loved me may be in them, and I in them. If that be in them, I shall assuredly be in them too, and therefore I have manifested and declared thy name to them, that love and I may dwell in them. Ah, my Beloved, what an admirable thing is this, that Jesus Christ should live in you, as the Apostles phrase is, Gal. 2.20. that your hearts should be his house, in which he dwells and walks, and dines and sups, and lodges every night, so that he is at home in your hearts that while he is a mere stranger to the remainder of the world, that while they are so far from having Jesus Christ in them, that they have the Devil in them: Christ is not in them, but the devil is in them: He keeps the house as Christ speaks; While the strong man keeps the house: He keeps house in the hearts of wicked men, the Devil himself is the housekeeper there: there he dwells, and there he works, as the Apostle speaks, Ephes. 2.2. he worketh in them, they are the Devil's house, the Devil's shop; they are the house where he dwells, and the shop where he works: I say while it is thus with other men, while others have the Devil in them, they have Jesus Christ in them. The strong man is bound, and dispossessed of his habitation: The Prince of this world is cast out, and Jesus Christ the King of glory is come in. Ah, my Beloved, what a happiness is this! I wish that I were able to express it to you, to set it off as it deserves. How would it ravish and transport you, and make you to sit down in admiration at your blessedness in this world! That you may guests a little at it, review the things that have been hinted at before. If Christ be in you, faith is in you, yea, all saving grace is in you; You are blessed with all spiritual blessings, in that you have him in you. You have a magazine, a treasure of the graces of his holy Spirit: So that you are inestimably rich, and this riches is Christ in you, as the Apostle speaks, Col. 1.27. Not Christ without us, but Christ within us by his graces, is our riches. If Christ be in you, the Holy Ghost himself is in you, as a Spirit of Illumination, and a Spirit of Sanctification, and as a Spirit of Consolation. If you be ignorant, you have one within you to enlighten you: If you be impure, if you have dregs of sin and of corruption in you, you have one within you to sanctify you; if you be sad and comfortless, you have one within you to comfort you; the fountain and the spring of Consolation is within you: so that he is at hand in all cases, you need not faint, or swoon away, while they fetch a cordial for you. If Christ be in you, God is in you; your hearts are his Temples, and the great God of heaven himself is the light and glory of them. O blessed hearts that have God to dwell in them! But more particulary yet; 1. If Christ be in you, you have most intimate and near acquaintance and Communion with him. It is very much (my brethren) for Christ Jesus to be with you. It was a precious promise that he made to his Apostles, Behold I am with you: But for Christ Jesus to be in you, is much more. This importeth yet more close and sweet Communion: Indeed the closest and the sweetest that can be. You cannot choose but know him inwardly, if he be in you. 2. If Christ be in you, you have free access to him, you need not travail far to speak with Christ, he is at hand continually, for he is in you: so that you may on all occasions, make your addresses to him when you please. If you have any supplication to present, any complaint to make to him, do but open your own hearts, and you shall find Christ there. 3. If you have Christ Jesus in you, you are partakers of a confluence of all accommodations, comforts, satisfactions and delights that the poor heart can reasonably long for, or look after: For Jesus Christ hath all in him, and brings all with him, where he comes. Indeed (my Brethren) he himself is all, as the Apostle tells us, Jesus Christ is all in all, Col. 3.11. In all in whom he is (my brethren) he is all: So that in having him, we have all. There is more in him alone, to make us really and fully happy, then in all the world without him. 4. If Christ be in you, as you are happy, so you are secure, there is no fear of falling from your happiness; if you fall, Jesus Christ falls with you, for he is in you: And this is that which makes our happiness in all respects accomplished, that as it is complete and full, so it is permanent, and indeficient too. The more excellent it is, if it were not firm and stable, the greater were the fear, the greater were the misery of deprivation. Fuisse faelicem, to have been happy, is the greatest unhappiness. But this felicity, my brethren, is enduring; In whomsoever Christ is, he dwells there; he doth not sojourn, but he dwells there, never to departed again. The heart of such a man is his settled habitation, of which he saith, Here is my resting place, here will I dwell for ever: So that if Christ be in you, you are safe; for he will never leave you, nor departed from you, and then it is impossible that you should perish. Ah, my Beloved, can a man be damned with Christ in him? cast into hell with Christ in him? separated from the Lord with Christ in him? Christ will not, cannot leave him, that is once in Christ, so that if such a man should go to hell, Christ must go to hell in him. And now to shut up all, since Christ is in you, Let me give you this caution, let him live quiet in your hearts; do not molest him, and disturb him there; Do not make him vex, and fret: let it not be a penance to him to continue in you. Let him not suffer by your sins, who suffered for them: But labour every way to please him, and to give him satisfaction and content: that so the house which he hath chosen merely for your sakes (for he hath heaven to dwell in) may not be dark and doleful, but delightful to him. And thus at length we have dispatched this heavenly Prayer of our Great High Priest and Intercessor Jesus Christ. He was even ready to go forth to suffer, when he made it. Me thinks I hear him saying to his Apostles and Disciples, The time is now at hand that I must leave you, and be taken from the earth; Come let us pray before we part, and there; withal he lifted up his eyes to heaven, and poured out these holy breathe of his Spirit, for himself and them. Oh what a blessed frame of heart! O what a choice and raised temper (think you) was he in at that time! O what a Prayer must that be that was made by such a person, in such a company, on such an occasion! Christ was in heaven in his thoughts and his affections when he uttered it, and we have seemed sometimes to be in heaven too, while we have handled it, and heard it. Well, it hath been a sweet and precious subject, as ever we have dealt upon. I shall desire you to review it often, and let not any choice impressions, that have been made upon you by it, out again. Let them not be like lines drawn upon the sand; no sooner form but defaced: like water spilt upon the ground, that is not to be gathered up again. Here you have seen the heart of Jesus Christ opened, and his affections plentifully flowing out to his people. Our prayers show our hearts to Christ; his prayer shows his heart to us. Here you have seen how our dear Friend, our Head, our Husband loved us, and had us in his mind and thoughts before he died. Us (I say) who now believe, as well as them that did believe in former times. How earnest and importunate he is with God the Father, that we may be one here, and that we may be in one place hereafter! O let us search into the heart of Jesus Christ, laid open to us in this Abridgement of his Intercession for us: that we may know it, and the workings of it continually more and more; until at length this precious Prayer come to have its full effect, and we be taken up to be for ever with the Lord, that where he is, there may we be also. Amen. FINIS.