an image and a pattern of that holiness which is originally and compleatly 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 Eye-salve 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 dazling rayes 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 it self 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 it self 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 thy self 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 applyed 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 pretious but because there is abundance of this pretious mercy in him For both of these concur to riches there must be something that is pretious 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 chiefly 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 shew the over-flowing mercy of the Lord. Indeed my brethren there is mercy in all pardons but in the pardon and remission of the sins of Gods people there is admirable mercy And hence the Prophet wondred at it not knowing what to think or to say of it Who is a God like thee that pardoneth iniquity c. Mic. 7.18 The Prophet is transported and carryed 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 Gods 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
love and hope and patience and obedience this is an honour to the Lord Christ that he hath such people so qualified and so imployed when they believe in difficult and hard cases they glorifie 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 glorifie 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 shewed himself so meek and patient 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 proceedings with all the wicked unbelievers of the world Yea their confusion and destruction in that great and dreadfull day will be one special part of that admirable glory whereby Christ will be wonderfull 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 wonderfull 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 Vse 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 lye in wickedness and wallow in uncleanness whose lives are full of nothing else but lewdness and prophaness who are conscious to your selves 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 your selves what condition you are in believe it for the present you are none of Christs 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
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 him self 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 c. 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 Fathers 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 compleatly 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 Countrey then he led his Captives with him Even as those Conquerers 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 c. 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 pretious promise made to his Disciples when he was ready to depart from them Mat. 20.28 Behold I am with you always c. 3. Jesus Christ gone away c. 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 choise and pretious 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 bare 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 shew 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 gratious to them do not deny them their Petitions do not reject them for their unallowed and bewailed imperfections 4. Jesus Christ is gone away c. 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 yeelds 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 entred 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
not thou art our Father It is repeated twice you see and bound with an asseveration too to shew the strength and certainty of their assurance And in the same perswasion 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 our selves 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 perswade 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 perswasion 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 pitty 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 denyal from him Oh Lord thou art our Father we pray thee hear us pitty us relieve us for we are thine own children A man is never earnest and importunate with one of whose affections he hath no perswasion 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 hopefull 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 pittiful 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 pitties his Children so the Lord pittieth 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 shews 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 pretious 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 relye upon in this particular which if we find them in our selves 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
ground James 4.12 There is one Law-giver 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 Common-wealth But if one man judge another of himself without any Lawfull 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 then 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 Law-giver 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 Vse 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 fals 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 our selves 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 quarrell 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 our selves but let us patiently commit our cause to him that judgeth righteously I say as the Apostle Romans 12.19 Dearly beloved avenge not your selves 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 publique cause a cover for their own malice Now I beseech you my beloved let us not study to avenge our selves 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 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 rendred quarrell or complaint imports Not a quarrell pickt 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 shew thy self 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 vertue 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 our selves we wrest the sword out of the hands of Jesus Christ and
they live by principles of faith of spirituall men which are far more above the principles of reason then 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 our selves 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 then self in all their actions They make themselves their pleasures or their profits or their honours the scope and center of their motions Yea in the very holy and religious duties they perform they look no further then 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 wayes 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 Christs 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 your selves what thanks you should return to him Ah my beloved what cause have we to magnifie 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 thankfull 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 cryed 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 stiled 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 it self 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 cleer 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 it self 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 shew you briefly and in order First the life which Jesus Christ bestows upon his people hath no principles of frailty and dissolution in it self 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 alwayes 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 our selves and from our selves 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
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 pitty 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 c. AND thus far of the thing Explained and that as you have heard is life Eternal together with the way of Explication our Saviour shews 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 shew 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 Iesus 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 Ier. 10.25 Yea more then 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 prayes 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 rendring 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 depart 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 Iosiah Ier. 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 carefull 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 Ier. 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 shew
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 Fathers Name was like a rare and curious piece behinde 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 Fathers Name to the veiw 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 Fathers 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 Saviours coming in the flesh a fuller and a more compleat 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 then they did Or if it be not so to what end is the pains that Christ hath taken to manifest his Fathers 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 c. Then let us satisfie Vse 4 our selves with the discovery he hath made And let us not attempt or undertake to know more of the Father then 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 compleat and absolute in all respects so that there can be nothing added to it we have cause to rest in it and to content our selves 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 back-parts 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 then 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 evill 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 shews us any thing beyond what he hath written in his Word The business of the Spirit is not to bring us any other truths then 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 diverse from the Scripture if an Angel dropt 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 satisfie our selves 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 my self to thee as shall be good for thee to know And this our Saviour Christ hath done compleatly 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 Fathers Name then Christ hath manifested to us It proceeds from a desire to be observed as having something more then ordinary in us and this hath much prevailed with many men in these times to know no more of God then Christ hath shewed 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 shew that he was not proud and haughty makes this the evidence Psal 131.1 I do not exercise my self in things that are too high for me It is a grievous sin to labour to know more of God then Christ hath manifested to us It is no better then intrusion on the right of God himself such a man doth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the fore-alledged Text Col. 2.18 Intrudes upon anothers 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 our selves 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
particular dependance of one of them upon the other If you consider them and look upon them in a joynt dependance 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 fore-going 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 perswasion 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 Embassadors 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 it self 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 perswaded and convinced that their Minister is faithful this hath a mighty operation on them if they be not very stupid and prophane to make them hear him and respect him and obey him So that to give you but a word of Application Vse 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 shew 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 shew 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 shew his faithfulness especially two wayes 1. In an active way he must shew 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 Masters end and not his own 1. He must shew 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 scrue the word to any interest and make it to comply with any humor though they may like it well enough whose humors 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 shew 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 Masters ends and not his own To advance Christs glory to build up Christs Church to save the souls of Christs 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 satisfie our own passion or to promote our own ends First not to satisfie our own passions They must not think that our seeming heat and zeal is for our selves 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 satisfie them and convince them that we speak nothing out of spleen against them And to this end it would be prudence to forbear loose flings and bitter girds at them We must in no wise betray any truth of Jesus Christ by our neglecting to appear and shew our selves 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 our selves 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 merchandize 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
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 usefull to prepare us and to make us fit for prayer so it will be very helpfull 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 duely 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 sinfull 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 wayes Ezek. 36.2 To review our sins with shame and to cry out as Daniel doth Dan. 9.8 to us belongeth confusion c. 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 wayes and our doings that are not good and loath our selves 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 rent our hearts and cry unclean unclean Lev. 13.45 And there is no one thing that will confound and shame us more then the consideration of the matchless purity and holiness of God whom by our sins we hâ—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 Well-head If you observe it is the great petition that our Saviour hath to make in the behalf of his Apostles and Disciples verse 17. Sanctifie them with thy truth and this he prosecutes throughout And therefore he begins 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 Saviours 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 truths 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 Fathers name Holy Father keep through thy own name those whom thou hast given me And Secondly the end for which he prayes 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 prayes 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 Fathers 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 mercifull and gratious and
we thrive apace in knowledge then we grow to perfectness then 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 c. If they be alwayes 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 prayes 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 rent 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 Peace-maker 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 Christs Disciples that they be at neerest c. 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 pretious oyntment c. 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 Vse 1 Now to proceed to application Is it so my brethren that it is a matter of wondrous difficulty and of great concernment for Christs Disciples to be at neerest unity among themselves Then let this quicken us and stirr us up who would be taken to be Christs 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 our selves 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 mysticall of Christ are of so many minds and draw so many wayes 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 perswasion 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 neerest unity among our selves 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 mortifie those lusts and those corruptions that incline you to dissentions I shewed 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 wofull rents and such implacable contentions as they do And therefore let us set our selves 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 persue them to the very death as the Apostle Paul advises Col. 3.5 Mortifie therefore your members which are upon the earth Let nothing satisfie us till we have the life of them Let us not wound them only but destroy them that ought to be the Christians aim as the Apostle shews Rom. 6.6 that the body of sin may be destroyed Our lusts seek our life either they must dye or we And they seek Gods life Omne peccatum est Deicidium And they have sought Christs life and brought him to a shamefull and accursed death And therefore let us seek their lives too and never satisfie our selves 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 shew them no mercy And when they are once destroyed our differences and debates will end with them As we must mortifie our carnal lusts so we must chase away out of our hearts our carnal reasonings that foment
wrath no not so much as by determination and decree Paul need not have said he did it by his absolute and Soveraign 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 Iude 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 expresly 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 c. 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 non-election 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 expresly and apparently implyed 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 Goliah 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 glorifie his Justice in them And this is that which some have stiled 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 shew you what is not the reason And in the next place I will shew 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 destroyes them but not why he ordaines them to destruction It s true sin is considered in this second act of reprobation which we have stiled 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 fore-sight 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 it self 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 bosome 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 hardneth 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 Iacob 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 yonger c. 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 cleerly and apparently the force of the Apostles reason The decree of God is free
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 then 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 baptized of him in Iordan 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 Iews 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 Iews insulted as a rejected and a lost people forbad 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 Iews 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 then he electeth but mercy is more glorious in electing one then 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
will do to the worlds end For certainly he is not less regardfull of them now in Heaven which is the most proper place of acting the second part of his Mediatorship which consists in intercession then he was upon the earth So that whatever our Condition be how sad or sorrowfull soever if we would know our Saviours 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 cleer this a little further to you I shall proceed to shew you in a few particulars that the perfect knowledge of our Saviours 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 insolencies of Goliah 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 warr 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 then 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 denyed 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 boystrous 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 sayes 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 Saviours Intercession for his people is a means to comfort them in reference to all the accusations that are laid against us at the barr of Gods justice The Law comes in with a black bill against us layes very heavy things to our charge and taxes us with many grievous violations of it which we are no way able to deny Sathan for his part is the grand accuser of the brethren and he objecteth heynous things against us and layes it on with full load And then our consciences perhaps accuse us as fast as any of the other two They are not able to gainsay the allegations either of Sathan 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 alledge in or of or from our selves 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 Sathan and when sin accuses and makes a dreadfull 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 Extasie 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 marvail though our Saviour Christ be called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the forecited place which signifieth both a Comforter and Advocate To shew 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 Saviours 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 remembred 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
of the Gospel Faith comes by hearing Rom. 10.17 When the Apostles perswaded 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 perswade 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 layes 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 our selves to fetch Righteousness abroad to justifie us in the sight of God implies an emptiness and want of it at home T is 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 Adams fall so that there was an utter failing of it an absolute deficiency in our selves 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 implyes 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 accomplisht righteousness And this administers incomparable sweet and pretious 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 justifie such wretched creatures as they are Indeed my brethren if our being justified and accepted with the Lord depended on the highth 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 compleat 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 our selves and our estates with reference to justification for having once received Christ by faith we are compleat in him though imperfect in our selves 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 Christs And certainly in doing so they honour Christ and advance his fulness JOHN 17.20 But for them also that shall believe on me through their word VVE are at length arrived at the third particular considered in the words viz. The instrumental means of their believing whom our Saviour prayes 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 parcell 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 Pen-men 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 Prophets 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 maks 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 shews expresly Rom. 10.15 16 17. How beautifull 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 shews a man his sin and his transgression it empties him of all opin on of himself it humbles him and layes him low and so it makes him fit to close with Jesus Christ by faith as the Apostle shews Gal. 3.24 The Law was our Schoolmaster to bring us to Christ that we might be justified by faith John Baptists rough
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 Churches 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 neerer 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 ministring spirits sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation Heb. 1. ult So that no marvail 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 withall 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 baptizing 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 Keyes of this house As God the Father hath given me the King-key of Davids Princedom which I keep my self so that I shut and no man openeth I open and no man shutts so I give you the Ministerial Keyes which I intrust with you who are the Stewards and the guides of my houshold 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 Viceroyes 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 c. 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 iudgeth 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 wayes 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
condition the Lord notwithstanding will be mercifull to them But as you tender the salvation of your pretious 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 wayes saith God unto whom I sware 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 bosome 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 Vse 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 priviledge 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 thy self to us and not unto the world as the Disciples said John 14.22 How comes this to pass Lord Truly this is free-grace and free-mercy mercy to be admired and wondred at Oh let our souls and all that is within us bless the Lord Let us take up our Saviours words Father we thank thee that thou hast hid thy self from a world of wise and prudent men and hast revealed thy self 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 pretious 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 c. 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 perswaded 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 then 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 bosome 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 Vse 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
interest is so far from being weakned and abated 〈◊〉 that indeed it is strengthened and increased by this means Vse 1 Is it so that all the people of the Lord Christ are belonging to the Father Then certainly they are most excellent and pretious 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 Sion 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 meer outside but let us look upon them as the Fathers as that which he peculiarly owns and that not as his ordinary stuffe but as his Treasure and his Jewels as they are often stiled 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 hide their beauty and obscure their lustre and shew them in their brightness and their splendor to the world Is it so that all the people of the Lord Christ do belong c. Then let Vse 2 it be their care and their endevour 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 Lev. 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 loose c. Let not his name I pray you be dishonored 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 then 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 houshold 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 c. Here then is pretious 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 shewed 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 Christs 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 Christs 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 denyal 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 ruine 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 encreases and their Trade decays and poverty begins 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 fulness thereof You are his who is the Lord of all the Earth and all the fulness 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 dyet you and knows that fulness 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 forgoes them His they are and he will keep them and however sin and Satan and the world are alwayes 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 joynt relation which they had to himself and to his Father Before he pass on to the next consideration he addes a consectary that depends on this and flows from this the neer 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 addes 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 then we are yea more then 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 honor 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