that because of his Fathers command It is evidenced thus For it being a Law vvritten in the midst of his bowels by his Father it becomes naturall to him and so indelible and as other Morall Laws of God written in the heart are perpetuall And as in us when we shall be in heaven though Faith shall faile and Hope vanish yet Love shall continue as the Apostle speaks so doth this love in Christs heart continue also and suffers no decay and is shewne as much now in receiving sinners and interceding for them and being pitifull unto them as then in dying for them And this love to sinners being so commanded pressed upon him as was said that as he would have his Father love him he should love them and so being urged upon all that great love that is betweene him and his Father this as it must needs worke and boile up a strong love in him unto sinners so likewise the most constant and never-decaying love that could be And this is argued from the analogie of that principle upon which Christ urgeth us to love himself Iohn 15. 10. He moveth his Disciples to keep the Commandments he gave them and useth this argument For so shall you abide in my love and backs it with his owne instance even as I have kept my Fathers commandments and abide in his love Now therefore this being the great Commandment that God layeth on him to love and die for and to continue to love and receive sinners that come to him and raise them up at the latter day certainly hee continues to keep it most exactly as being one of the great tyes betweene him and his Father so to continue in his love to him Therefore so long as hee continues in his Fathers love and now he is in heaven and at his right hand he must needs continue in highest favour with him so long wee may be sure he continues to observe this And thus that he should continue still to love us both love to his Father and love to himselfe obligeth him we may therefore be sure of him that he both doth it and will doe it for ever O what a comfort is it that as children are mutuall pledges and tyes of love betweene man and wife so that wee should be made such betweene God the Father and the Sonne And this demonstration is taken from the influence of the first Person of the Trinity namely from God the Father Then secondly this his love is not a forced love which he strives onely to beare towards us because his Father hath commanded him to marry us but it is his nature his disposition Which added to the former affords a second demonstration of the point in hand and is drawn from God the Sonne This disposition is free and naturall to him he should not be Gods Son else nor take after his heavenly Father unto whom it is naturall to shew mercie but not so to punish which is his strange worke but mercie pleaseth him he is the Father of mercie hee begets them naturally Now Christ is his own Sonne 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as by way of distinction hee is called and his naturall Sonne yea his humane nature being united to the second Person is thereby become the naturall Son of God not adopted as we are And if he be his naturall Son in priviledges then also his Fathers properties are naturall to him more naturall then to us who are but his adopted sons And if we as the elect of God who are but the adopted sons are exhorted to put on Bowels of mercie kindnesse humblenesse of minde meekenesse c. as Col. 3. 12. then much more must these dispositions needs be found in Christ the Naturall Son and these not put on by him but be as naturall to him as his Son-ship is God is love as Iohn sayes and Christ is love covered over with slesh yea our flesh And besides it is certain that as God hath fashioned the hearts of all men and some of the sonnes of men unto more mercie and pitie naturally then others and then the holy Spirit comming on them to sanctifie their natural dispositions useth to work according to their tempers even so it is certain that he tempered the heart of Christ and made it of a softer mold and temper then the tendernes of all mens hearts put together into one to soften it would have been of When he was to assume an humane nature he is brought in saying Heb. 10. A body hast thou fitted me That is an humane nature fitted as in other things so in the temper of it for the God-head to work and shew his perfections in best And as he tooke an humane nature on purpose to be a mercifull High Priest as Heb. 2. 14. so such an humane nature and of so speciall a temper and frame as might be more mercifull then all Men or Angles His humane nature was made without hands that is was not of the ordinary make that other mens hearts are of though for the matter the same yet not for the frame of his spirit It was an heart bespoke for on purpose to be made a vessel or rather fountain of mercie wide and capable enough to be so extended as to take in and give forth to us again all Gods Manifestative mercies that is all the mercies God intended to manifest to his elect therefore Christs heart had naturally in the temper of it more pity then all men or Angles have as through which the mercies of the great God were to be dispensed unto us and this heart of his to be the instrument of them And then this man and the heart of this man so framed being united to God and being made the naturall Son of God now naturall must mercie needs be unto him And therefore continue in him now hee is in Heaven For though he laid down all infirmities of our nature when he rose again yet no graces that were in him whilst he was below they are in him now as much as ever and being his nature for nature we know is constant therefore still remains You may observe that when he was upon earth minding to perswade sinners to have good thoughts of him as he used that argument of his Fathers command given him so hee also layes open his own disposition Mat. 11. 28. Come to me you that are weary and heavy laden for I am meek and lowly of heart Men are apt to have contrary conceits of Christ but he tells them his disposition there by preventing such hard thoughts of him to allure them unto him the more We are apt to thinke that hee being so holy is therefore of a severe and sowre disposition against sinners and not able to beare them no sayes he I am meek gentlenesse is my nature and temper as it was of Moses who was as in other things so in that grace his Type he was not revenged on Miriam and Aaron but interceded for them So
That the heart of Jesus Christ now he is in heaven is as graciously inclined to sinners as ever it was on earth §. 1. The first sort of Intrinsecall Demonstrations drawn from the influence all the three Persons have for ever into the heart of the Humane nature of Christ in heaven THe first sort of Demonstrations shall be fetcht from all the three Persons and their severall influence they have into Christs heart in heaven to encline it towards us The first shall be taken from God his Father who hath thus advanced him and it hath two parts 1. That God hath given a perpetuall command to Christ to love sinners 2. That therefore his heart continues the same for ever For the first God the Father hath given Iesus Christ a speciall command to love sinners and hath withall implanted a mercifull gracious disposition in his heart towards them This I mention to argue it because it is that which Christ alledgeth Iohn 6. 37. as the originall ground of this disposition of his not to cast out those that come to him For it is my Fathers will sayes he in the following verses that I should performe that which I came downe from heaven for ver 38. And this lyes now still upon him now he is in heaven as much as ever for his will also is sayes he ver 39 40. that I should raise them up at the last day so as it must needs continue the same till then And compare with this the 10. of Iohn from ver 15. to 18. where having discoursed before of his care and love to his sheep to give his life for them to know and owne them and to bring them into the fold c. he concludes at ver 18. This commandment have I received from my Father It is his will sayes the 6. of Iohn and if a good son knowes that a thing is his fathers mind and will it is enough to move him to doe it much more if it be his expresse command And in this 10. of Iohn he further sayes that it is the command which he had received from the Father A command is a mans will peremptorily expressed so as there must be a breach if it be not fulfilled and such a command hath God given Christ concerning us Out of both which places I observe three things to be the matter of this will and command of Gods First that Christ should die for his sheep in respect to which command he continued so to love them whilst here as to lay downe his life for them so Iohn 10. 15. but then he tooke it up againe and is ascended into heaven Therefore those other two things commanded him doe concerne him when he is in glory namely to receive all that come to him which is the second and the third to looke that he lose none of those for whom he dyed but to raise them up And for these his Fathers command lyes as strictly on him now he is in Heaven as for dying for them whilst he was on earth This command have I received from my Father and this is his will And together with this command God did put into his heart as where he commands he ever useth to doe such an instinct of transcendent love towards them as shall so strongly encline him to performe it that he shall neede no more commands He hath put such a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 such an especiall love into him as he hath put into the hearts of parents towards their own children more then to all other mens children which they see besides although more beautifull and more witty then their own And both this commandement and this inclination of love towards them wee have at once expressed Psal 40. 8. where giving the reason why he became our Mediator and sacrificed himselfe he not onely sayes I come to doe thy will O God but also Thy law is in my bowels In which speech both these two are mentioned 1. That command I mentioned is there expressed for it is called a Law And 2. it was a law wrought into suitable dispositions in his heart and therefore said to bee a Law in his heart or bowels You may easily conceive what Law it was by the subject of it his Bowels which are still put for the most tender affections Colos 3. 12. Bowels of mercie kindnesse c. It was no other then that law of love mercy and pity to poore sinners which God gave him in charge as he was to be Mediator It was that speciall law which lay on him as he was the second Adam like that which was given to the first Adam Non concedendi over and above the Morall Law not to eate the forbidden fruit such a Law was this he there speakes of It was the law of his being a Mediator and a sacrifice for of that he expresly speakes v. 6 7. over and besides the Morall Law which was common to him with us The word in the Originall is In the middest of my bowels to shew it was deeply engraven it had its seat in the center it sate neerest and was most inward in his heart Yea and as that speciall Law of not eating the forbidden fruit was to Adam Praeceptum Symbolicum as Divines call it given over and besides all the ten Commandments to be a tryall a signe or symbole of his obedience to all the rest such was this Law given unto Christ the second Adam so as that God would judge of all his other obedience unto himselfe by this Yea it was laid on him vvith that earnestnesse by God and so commended by him as that if ever Christ vvould have him to love him he should be sure to love us Thus in that place fore-cited Iohn 10. 17 18. Christ comforts himselfe with this in his obedience Therefore doth my Father love me It is spoken in relation unto his fulfilling this his command formerly mentioned and so withall imports as if God should love Christ the better for the love he should shew to us it pleased him so well to see Christ love us And so it is as if God when he gave Christ that Commandement ver 18. had said Sonne as you vvould have my love continue tovvards you let me see your love towards me shewne in being kinde to these I have given you whom I have loved with the same love wherewith I have loved you as you have it Iohn 17. 23. As God vvould have us shevv love unto him by loving his children so he vvould have Christ also shevv his love towards him by loving of us Novv for the second Branch of this Demonstration namely that that love vvhich Christ vvhen on earth expressed to be in his heart and vvhich made him die for sinners upon this command of his Father that it doth certainly continue in his heart still novv that hee is in Heaven and that as quick and as tender as ever it was on earth even as vvhen he vvas on the Crosse
many threatnings gone out against them never so many presidents and examples of men condemned before for the like sins and in the like case yet Christ can prevaile against them all CHAP. IX The potencie of Christs Intercession demonstrated in that he intercedes with God who is Our Father How Gods heart is as much inclined to heare Christ for us as Christs is to intercede SEcondly Christ is an Advocate for us with Our Father You may perhaps think there is little in that but Christ puts much upon it yea so much as if that God would however grant all that Christ himselfe means to ask whether Christ asked it or no. This you have expresly in Iohn 16. 26 27. At that day sayes Christ you shall ask in my name and I say not to you that I will pray the Father for you for the Father himselfe loveth you To open this place where he sayes at that day The day he meanes through this whole Chapter is that time vvhen the holy Ghost should be shed upon them for throughout his discourse he stil speaks of the fruits of his Ascension and of giving the Comforter vvhich vvas done upon his ascending and vvas the first fruits of his priestly office in Heaven Thus Peter informs us Act. 2. 33. He being sayes he exalted by the right hand of God and having received namely by asking Ask and I will give thee of the Father the promise of the holy Ghost he hath shed forth this which you now see and heare Now of that time vvhen he shall be in Heaven he sayes I say not that I will pray for you vvhich is not meant that Christ prays not for us in heaven but rather those very vvords are the highest intimation that he vvould and doth pray for us that can be When men vvould most strongly intimate their purpose of a kindnesse they mean to doe for one they use to say I doe not say that I love you or that I will doe this or that for you which is as much as to say I will surely doe it and doe it to purpose But Christs scope here is as in the highest manner to promise them that he would pray for them so withall further to tell them for their more abundant assurance and security that besides their having the benefit of his prayers God himselfe so loves them of himselfe that indeed that alone were enough to obtaine any thing at his hands which they shall but ask in his name so as he needs not pray for them and yet he will too But now in this case if he himselfe pray for them and they themselves in his name and both unto a Father who of himselfe loveth them and who hath purposed to grant all before either he or they should ask vvhat hope must there needs be then of a good successe this is both the meaning of this place and a great truth to be considered on by us to the purpose in hand That it is the meaning of the place the manner of Christs speech implies I say not that I will pray the Father for you for the Father himselfe loveth you It is such a speech as Christ used upon a cleane contrary occasion Iohn 5. 45. Doe not thinke sayes he that I will accuse you to the Father there is one who accuseth you even Moses c. He there threatens the obstinate and accursed Pharisees with condemnation Never stand thinking that it is I sayes he who am your onely enemie and accuser that will procure your condemnation and so prosecute the matter against you meerely for my own interest no I shall not neede to doe it though I should not accuse you your owne Moses in whom you trust he is enough to condemne you he will doe your errand sufficiently you would be sure to be damned by his words and sayings I shall not neede to trouble my selfe to come in and enter my action against you too Moses and his Law would follow the suit and be enough to condemne you to Hel. So as this Speech doth not implie that Christ will not at all accuse them no he meanes to bring in his action against them too for he after sayes If he had not spoke to them they had had no sinne and therefore he meant to bring the greatest accusation of all Now in an opposite though parallel speech here to comfort his Disciples he sayes I say not that I will pray for you that God may save you I who your selves shall see will dye for you I say not that I will pray for you not I. But though I speake this to insinuate in the highest manner that I will for if I spend my blood for you will I not spend my breath for you yet the truth is that the case so stands that but for Gods own ordination I should not neede to doe it for the Father himselfe loves you that is the Father of his own motion and proper good will taken up of himselfe towards you and not wrought in him by me doth love you and beares so much love to you as he can deny you nothing for he is your Father as well as mine How much more then shall you be saved when I shall strike in too and use all my interest in him for you Christ on purpose useth this speech so to dash out of their hearts that conceit which harboureth in many of ours who look upon God in the matter of Salvation as one who is hardly entreated to come off to save sinners and with whom Christ through the backwardnesse of his heart hath so much adoe and we are apt to think that when he doth come off to pardon he doth it only meerly at Christs entreaty and for his sake having otherwise no innate motion in himselfe sufficient to encline his heart to it but that it is in this transaction by Christ with him as a Favourite procures a Pardon for a Traitor whose person the King cares not for only at his Favourites suit and request he grants it which else he would never have done You are deceived sayes Christ it is otherwise my Fathers heart is as much towards you and for your salvations as mine is Himselfe of himselfe loveth you And the truth is that God took up as vast a love unto us of himselfe at first as ever he hath borne us since and all that Christ doth for us is but the expression of that love which was taken up originally in Gods owne heart Thus we find that out of that love he gave Christ for us So Iohn 3. 16. God so loved the world of elect that he gave his onely begotten Sonne to dye c. Yea Christs death was but a meanes to commend or set forth that love of his unto us So Rom. 5. 8. it was God also that did himselfe give the persons unto Christ and under-hand set him on work to mediate for them God was in Christ reconciling the World to himselfe He onely used
Christ as his instrument to bring it honourably about All the Blessings he means to give us he first purposed and intended in himselfe so Eph. 1. 3 5 9 11. compared out of the good pleasure of his will yet in Christ as it is added there as the means through which hee would convey them yea Christ adds not one drop of love to Gods heart onely he draws it out he brocheth it and makes it flow forth whose current had otherwise beene stopt The truth is that God suborned Christ to beg them on our behalf for an honourable way of carrying it and to make us prize this favour of it the more but so as his heart is as ready to give all to us as Christs is to ask and this out of his pure love to us The Intercession therefore of Christ must needs speed when Gods heart is thus of it selfe prepared to us In Esay 53. 10. it is said The pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand If our salvation be in Christs hand it is in a good hand but if it be the pleasure of the Lord too it must needs prosper And it is said of our hearts and prayers that He prepareth the heart and heareth the prayer much more therefore when his owne heart is prepared to grant the suit will he easily heare it When one hath a mind to doe a thing then the least hint procures it of him So a father having a mind to spare his child he will take any excuse any ones mediation even of a servant a stranger or an enemie rather then of none Now when Christ shall speak for us and speak Gods owne heart how prevalent must those words needs be Davids soule longing to goe forth unto Absalom 2 Sam. 13. ult whom notwithstanding for the honour of a Father and a Kings State-policie and to satisfie the world he had banisht the Court for his Treason when Ioab perceived it that the Kings heart was towards Absalom Chap. 14. 1. and that the King onely needed one to speake a good word for him he subornes a woman a stranger no matter whom for it had beene all one for speeding with a made tale to come to the King and you know how easily it tooke and prevailed with him and how glad the Kings heart was of that occasion even so acceptable it was to him that Ioab could not have done him a greater kindnesse and that Ioab knew well enough Thus it is with Gods heart towards us Christ assures us of it and you may believe him in this case for Christ might have tooke all the Honour to himselfe and made us beholding to himselfe alone for all Gods kindnes to us but he deales plainly and tels us that his Father is as ready as himselfe and this for his Fathers honour and our comfort And therefore it is that Iohn 17. in that this prayer so operated on this discourse he pleads our election Iohn 17. 6. Thine they were and thou gavest them me Thou commendedst them unto me and badest me pray for them and I doe but commend the same to thee again In the High-priests breast-plate when he went into the Holy of Holies were set twelve stones on which were written the names of the twelve Tribes the mysterie of which is this Christ beares us and our names in his Heart when he goes to God and moreover we are Gods jewels precious in his own account and choise So God calls them Mal. 3. 17. Made precious to him out of his love So Isai 43. 4. So that God loves us as jewels chosen by him but much more when he beholds us set and presented unto him in the breast-plate of Christs heart and prayer To conclude therefore we have now made both ends of this Text to meet Gods love and Christs intercession The Apostle began with that Who shall accuse it is God that justifies and he being for us who can be against us The Father himself loves us as he is our Father And then he ends with this Christ intercedes namely with our Father and his Father Who then shall condemn Who or what can possibly condemne all these things being for us the least of which were alone enough to save us Let us now looke round about and take a full view and prospect at once of all those particulars that Christ hath done and doth for us and their severall and joynt influence which they have into our salvation 1. In that Christ dyed it assures us of a perfect price payed for and a right to eternall life thereby acquired 2. In that he rose again as a common person this assures us yet further that there is a formall legall and irrevocable act of Iustification of us passed and enrolled in that Court of Heaven between Christ and God and that in his being then justifyed we were also justified him so that thereby our justification is made past re-calling 3 Christs Ascension into Heaven is a further act of his taking possession of Heaven for us he then formally entring upon that our right in our stead and so is a further confirmation of our salvation to us But still we in our owne persons are not yet saved this being but done to us as we are representatively in Christ as our Head 4. Therefore he sits at Gods right hand vvhich imports his being armed and invested with all power in Heaven and Earth to give and apply eternall life to us 5. And last of all there remaines Intercession to finish and compleat our salvation to doe the thing even to save us And as Christs death Re-resurrection were to procure our Iustification so his sitting at Gods right hand and Intercession are to procure salvation and by faith we may see it done and behold our soules not onely sitting in heaven as in Christ a common person sitting there in our right as an evidence that we shall come thither but also through Christs Intercession begun vve may see our selves actually possessed of heaven And there I vvill leave all you that are believers by faith possessed of it and solacing your soules in it and doe you feare condemnation if you can CHAP. X. The use of all Containing some Encouragements for weake Beleevers from Christs Intercession out of HEB. 7. 25. NOw for a Conclusion of this Discourse I will adde a briefe Use of Encouragement and this suited to the lowest Faith of the weakest Beleever who cannot put forth any act of Assurance and is likewise discouraged from comming in unto Christ And I shall confine my selfe onely unto what those most comfortable words as any in the booke of God doe hold forth which the Apostle hath uttered concerning Christs Intercession the Point in hand Wherefore he is able to save to the utmost those that come to God by him seeing he ever liveth to make Intercession for them words which I have had the most recourse unto in this Doctrinall part of any other as most tending to the clearing
heaven and earth was his so soone as he should set footing in heaven then in the midst of these thoughts he tells us he went and washed his Disciples feet after he had first considered whither he was to goe and there what he was to be But secondly what was Christs Heart most upon in the midst of all these elevated meditations Not upon his own glory so much though it is told us that he considered that thereby the more to set out his love unto us but upon these thoughts his Heart ran out in love towards and was set upon his owne Having loved his owne sayes the 1. ver 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his owne a word denoting the greatest nearnesse dearnesse and intimatenesse founded upon propriety The Elect are Christs owne a piece of himself not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as goods Iohn 1. 11. He came unto his owne and his own received him not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the word shews that he reckon them his owne but as goods not as persons but he cals these here 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his own by a nearer propriety that is his owne children his owne members his owne wife his owne flesh and he considers that though he was to goe out of the world yet they were to be in the world and therefore it is on purpose added which were in the world that is to remaine in this world Hee had others of his own who were in that world unto which he was going even the spirits of just men made perfect whom as yet he had never seene One would think that when he was meditating upon his going out of this world his heart should be all upon Abraham his Isaacs and his Iacobs whom he was going to no hee takes more care for his own who vvere to remain here in this vvorld a world wherein there is much evil as himselfe sayes Iohn 17. 15. both of sinne and miserie and vvith which themselves vvhilst in it could not but be defiled and vexed This is it vvhich draws out his bowels towards them even at that time vvhen his heart was full of the thoughts of his own glory Having loved his own he loved them unto the end Which is spoken to shew the constancie of his love and vvhat it vvould be when Christ should be in his glory To the end that is to the perfection of it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sayes Chrysostome having begun to love them he vvill perfect and consummate his love to them And to the end that is forever So in the Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is sometimes used and so by the Euangelist the phrase is here used in a sutablenesse to the Scripture phrase Psal 103. 9. He will not alwayes chide nor reserve anger for ever so we translate it but in the Originall He reserves not anger unto the end So that the scope of this speech is to shew how Christs heart and love vvould be towards them even for ever when he should be gone unto his Father as well as it vvas to shew how it had beene here on earth they being his owne and hee having loved them he alters he changes not and therefore vvill love them for ever And then thirdly to testifie thus much by a reall testimony what his love would be when in heaven to them the Euangelist shews that when he was in the middest of all those great thoughts of his approaching glory and of the soveraigne estate which he was to be in he then tooke water and a towell and washed his Disciples feete This to have bin his scope will appeare if you observe but the coherence in the second verse it is said that Iesus knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands then ver 4. he riseth from supper and layes aside his garments and tooke a towel and girded himselfe ver 5. after that he powred water into a bason and began to wash his Disciples feete c. where it is evident that the Euangelists scope is to hold forth this unto us that then when Christs thoughts were full of his glorie when he tooke in the consideration of it unto the utmost even then and upon that occasion and in the midst of those thoughts he washt his Disciples feete And what was Christs meaning in this but that whereas when he should be in heaven he could not make such outward visible demonstrations of his heart by doing such meane services for them therefore by doing this in the middest of such thoughts of his glory hee would shew what hee could be content as it were to doe for them when hee should bee in full possession of it so great is his love unto them There is another expression of Christs like unto this in Luke 12. 36 37. which confirms this to be his meaning here and to be his very heart in heaven At ver 36. he compares himselfe to a Bridegroome who is to go to heaven unto a wedding-feast who hath servants on earth that stand all that while here below as without waiting for him at which because they wait so long they may think much Christ adds Verily I say unto you that when the Bridegroome returnes refreshed with wine and gladnesse he shall gird himselfe and make them sit downe to meate and will come forth and serve them The meaning is not as if that Christ served at the latter day or now in heaven those that sit downe there but onely it is an abundant expression in words as here in a real instance to set forth the over-flowing love that is in his heart and the transcendent happinesse that we shal then enjoy even beyond what can be expected by us he utters himselfe therefore by an unwonted thing not heard of that the Lord should serve his servants and wait on them that waited for him And it is to shew his heart to them and vvhat he could be contented to doe for them So that you see what his heart was before he went to Heaven even amidst the thoughts of all his glory and you see vvhat it is after he hath beene in heaven and greatned vvith all his glory even content to wash poore sinners feete and to serve them that come to him and wait for him Now fourthly what was the mystery of this his washing their feete It was as to give them an example of mutuall love and humility so to signify his washing away their sins thus ver 8. and 10. himselfe interprets it It is true indeede that now he is in heaven he cannot come to wash the feete of their bodies but he would signifie thus much thereby that those sinners that will come to him when in his glory he will wash away all their sins He loved his Church gave himself for it that he might sanctifie and cleanse it with the washing of water that he might present it to himself a glorious Church not having spot or wrinkle c. Eph. 5. 25 26 27. This specimen
vvould have mee to doe for you and I have left my Spirit to be your Secretary and the Enditer of all your Petitions Hitherto you have asked nothing that is little in my name he blames them that they have asked him no more to doe for them but now ask and you shall receive And if otherwise you vvill not beleeve yet you shall beleeve your own eyes ask you shall see your selves answered presently and so Beleeve me sayes he for the very works sake Ioh. 14. 11. He speaks it of the works he would do for them in answer to their prayers when hee was gone which should be as so many Epistles of his heart returned in answer unto theirs For it follows ver 12. Hee that beleeveth on me shall do greater works then I because I goe to my Father So that it is manifest he speakes of the works done after his Ascension And how vvere they to get and procure them to be done By Prayer so it follows ver 13. And whatsoever you shall ask in my name that will I doe Hee speakes it of the time when he is gone And again he sayes in ver 14. If you shall ask any thing in my name I will doe it Let me but heare from you be it every weeke every day every houre you shall be sure of an answer Open your mouthes wide I will fill them And those your Prayers shall be as continuall tokens both of your hearts towards me and my answers shall be the like of mine to you And because Christ bids them direct their Letters their Prayers to the Father onely to send them in his name as Iohn 16. 23. and so they might perhaps not so cleerly know and discern that his heart was in the answer to them but his Fathers hand onely therefore hee adds twice in the 14. of Iohn I will doe it I will doe it He speakes like one as forward to doe for them as his Father is or should be and as desirous to have them knovv and take notice of his hand in it And it is as if he had said Though you ask the Father in my name yet all comes through my hands and I will doe it there must be my hand to the warrant for every thing that is done and my heart shall not be wanting In the fift place yet further to evidence his love he not onely bids them thus to pray to him and in his name upon all occasions but he assureth them that he himselfe will pray for them and observe but the manner of his telling them this it is in the most insinuating perswasive expressions to convey his heart in to them that men use to utter when they would intimate the deepest care and purpose to doe a thing Chap. 16. 26. At that day namely after his Ascension ye shall ask c. sayes he and I say not unto you that I will pray the Father for you no not I. I mentioned it afore I wil but add this illustration to it It is such a speech as men use when they would expresse the greatest reason that another hath to rest confident and assured of their love I doe not love you no not I. It is an expressing a thing by its contrary which is most emphaticall As when we say of a man that hath the greatest good turn done him that can be You are shrewdly hurt It is such an expression as Paul used to the Corinthians I converted your soules when you thought not of it I caught you with guile forgive mee this wrong So sayes Christ here I say not that I will pray for you when the truth is that it is the chiefest work that he doth in heaven He lives ever to intercede as he ever lives so to intercede ever and never to hold his peace till sinners are saved But the work of Christ in heaven is a subject deserves and will take up a distinct and large discourse I wil therefore speak no more of it now neither will I mention any more particulars out of this his Sermon Reade but over those 3. Chapters the 14 15 and 16. for in them you have the longest Sermon of his that is recorded and he stood the longest upon this theme of any other because indeed his heart was more in it then in any point that he ever preached on Onely if any object and say He spake all this to his Disciples to quiet and pacifie them and so more in respect to their trouble then otherwise he would have spoken In the sixt place reade but the next Chapter the 17. and you shall see that he presently goes apart and alone to his Father and speaks over all again unto him that which he had said unto them He sayes as much behind their backs of them as he had said before their faces to them Reade it and you will finde that he was the same absent that present with them He was therefore not onely hearty in what he had said but his heart was full of it That Chapter you know contains a Prayer put up just before his suffering and there he makes his Will his last request for in such a style it runs Father I will ver 24. which Will he is gone to see executed in Heaven And Arminius said true in that that this Prayer is left us by Christ as a summary of his intercession for us in Heaven he spake as he meant to doe in Heaven and as one that had done his worke and was now come to demand his wages I have finished thy work sayes he ver 4 c. And whereas he speakes a word or two for himself in the first 5. verses he speaks five times as many for them for all the rest of the Chapter is a Prayer for them He useth all kind of Arguments to move his Father for his children I have finished the work which thou gavest me to doe sayes he and to save them is thy work which remains to be done for mee by thee and they are thine and thou gavest them me and I commend to thee but thine owne And all mine are thine and thine are mine He insinuates that he of himselfe had not added a man but useth all his interest onely for those that the Father had given him and what a motive is this and he professeth he wil not open his mouth for a man more I pray not for the world sayes he I will not open my lips for any one sonne of perdition but I employ all my Blood my Prayers and my whole interest with thee but for those thy selfe hast given me And sayes he though thou hast given me a personall glory which I had before the World was yet there is another glory which I account of almost as much and that is in their being saved I am glorifyed in them sayes he ver 10. and they are my joy ver 13. and therefore I must have them with mee where ever I am ver 24. Thou
parting Sermon My peace I leave with you After this hee breathes on them and conveyes the holy Ghost in a further measure into them so to give an evidence of what he would doe yet more plentifully in heaven and the mystery of that his breathing on them was to shew that this was the utmost expression of his heart to give them the Spirit and that it came from the very bottome of it as a mans breath doth as well as that the holy Ghost proceeds from him as well as from the Father which was also the meaning of it And to what end doth he give them the Spirit not for themselves alone but that they by the gifts and assistance of that Spirit might forgive mens sins by converting them to him Whose sins soever ye remit namely by your ministery they are remitted to them His mind you see is still upon sinners and his care for the conversion of their soules And therefore in another Euangelist namely Mark his last words recorded are these Goe ye into all the World and preach the Gospell unto every creature and he that beleeveth shall be saved c. Chap. 16. 15. And in Luke Chap. 24. ver 46 47. his last words on earth there recorded are Thus it behoved Christ to suffer and to rise that repentance and remission of sinnes should be preached among all Nations And addes beginning at Hierusalem where hee had beene but a few dayes before crucified Of all places one would have thought he would have excepted that and have charged them to passe by it but he bids them begin there let them have the first fruit and benefit by my death that were the actors in it And to that end he also sayes Behold I send you the Promise of my Father c. ver 49. Another time he appeares to two of them and then indeede he rates them saying O ye fools and slow of heart but for what is it but onely because they would not beleeve on him for no other sinne not for that they had forsaken him so it follows O ye fooles and slow of heart to beleeve c. Luk. 24. 25. and this because he is glad when we beleeve as Iohn 11. 15. And after that he appeares to all the eleven and upbraids them the Text sayes but with what with their unbeliefe and hardnesse of heart still because they beleeved not so ver 14. No sinne of theirs troubled him but their unbeliefe Which shews how his heart stands in that he desires nothing more then to have men beleeve in him and this now when glorified Afterwards he meets with Thomas and scarce chides him for his grosse unbeliefe onely tels him it was well that having seene he beleeved but pronounceth them more blessed who though they have not seene yet beleeve and so he is reproved Iohn 20. 29. Another time he shews himselfe to his Disciples and particularly deales with Peter but yet tels him not a word of his sins nor of his forsaking of him but onely goes about to draw from him a testimony of his love to himselfe Peter sayes he lovest thou me Christ loves to heare that note full well doe those words sound in his eares when you tell him you love him though he knows it already as Peter tels him Thou knowest all things thou knowest I love thee Iohn 21. 15. and this Christ puts him thrice upon And what was Christs aime in drawing this acknowledgement of love from Peter to him but onely to put an engagement upon Peter that if he loved him as he professed and would ever shew it then to feed his lambs This is the great testimonie that he would have Peter to shew his love in when he should be in heaven and this is the last charge he gives him Which how great a testimony is it to shew how his owne heart was affected and what his greatest care was upon His heart runs altogether upon his Lambs upon soules to be converted He had said afore Sheep I have Iohn 10. 6. which are not of this fold them I must bring in and he left his Apostles to doe it but this here was a more moving and affectionate expression for sheep can shift for themselves but poore little Lambes cannot Therefore Christ sayes unto Peter Feed my Lambes even as Iohn to expresse the more love unto those he writes to calls them My little children And to what end doth the Euangelist record these things of him after his Resurrection One of the Euangelists that recorded them informs us In the 20. of Iohn ver 30. it is said that Iesus did many other signes namely after his Resurrection for in the middest of the story of those things done after his Resurrection hee speakes it which are not written in this Book but partly recorded by other Euangelists and partly concealed but these things are written that yee might beleeve that JESVS is the CHRIST that is that so you might come to him as to the Messiah the Saviour of the World and therefore the most of the things recorded tend to shew Christs heart and carriage towards Sinners that so wee might beleeve on him and that beleeving we might have life through his Name §. 3. Demonstrations from passages at and after his Ascension into heaven LEt us view him next in his very ascending his carriage then also will further assure our hearts of this Luke 24. 50. it is said He lifted up his hands and blessed them and to put the greater emphasis upon it and that we might the more observe it as having some great mystery in it ver 51. it is added And whilst he blessed them he was parted from them and carried up into heaven This benediction Christ reserved to be his last act and what was the meaning of it but as I have before shewne to blesse them as God blessed Adam and Eve bidding them Encrease and multiply and so blessing all Man-kind that were to come of them Thus doth Christ in blessing his Disciples blesse all those that shall beleeve through their word unto the end of the world I only adde this to the illustration of it this mystery is interpreted by Peter Acts 3. 26. when speaking to the Jews he sayes Vnto you first God having raised up his Sonne Iesus sent him to blesse you and how in turning away every one of you from his iniquities and so forgiving of them for Blessed is the man whose sin is forgiven Thus at his ascending In the next place let us consider what Christ did when he was come to heaven and exalted there how abundantly did he there make good all that he had promised in his last Sermon For First he instantly powred out his Spirit and that richly as the Apostle to Titus speakes and he being by the right hand of God exalted and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost hee hath shed forth this which you now see and heare sayes the Apostle in his first
stirs up in him bowels of mercie infinitely larger towards you then you can have unto your selves §. II. A second sort of Demonstrations from severall engagements now lying upon Christ in heaven THere are a second sort of Demonstrations which may be drawn from many other severall engagements continuing and lying upon Christ now he is in heaven which must needs encline his heart towards us as much yea more then ever As 1. The continuance of all those neere and intimate Relations and allyances unto us of all sorts which no glory of his can make any alteration in and therefore not in his heart and love nor a declining any respects and offices of love which such relations do call for at his hands All relations that are naturall such as between father and child husband and wife brother and brother c. looke what world they are made for in that world they for ever hold and can never be dissolved These fleshly relations indeed do cease in that other world because they were made onely for this world as Rom. 7. 1. The wife is bound to her husband but so long as he lives But these relations of Christ unto us were made in order to the world to come as the Epistle to the Hebrews calls it and therefore are in their full vigour and strength and receive their compleatment therein Wherefore it is that Christ is said to be the same to day yesterday and for ever Heb. 13. 8. To illustrate this by the constant indissoluble tie of those relations of this world whereto no differēce of condition whether of advancement or debasement can give any discharge We see in Ioseph when advanced how as his relations continued so his affections remained the same to his poore brethren who yet had injured him and also to his father So Genes 45. where in the same speech he mentioneth both his owne greatest dignities and advancement God hath made me a father to Pharaoh and Lord of all his house and a Ruler throughout all the Land of Egypt so ver 8. and yet withall he forgetteth not his relations I am Ioseph your brother ver 4. even the same man still And his affections appeared also to be the same for he wept over them and could not refraine himselfe as you have it ver 1 2. And the like he expresseth to his father ver 9. Goe to my father and say Thus saith thy sonne Ioseph God hath made me Lord over all Egypt and yet thy son Ioseph still Take another instance wherein there was but the relation of being of the same countrey and allyance in Esther when advanced to be Queene of an hundred twenty and seven Provinces who when she was in the armes of the greatest Monarch on earth and enjoyed highest favour with him yet then she cryes out How can I endure to see the evill that shall come unto my people or how can I endure to see the destruction of my kindred So Chap. 8. 6. She considered but her relation and how doth it work in her veyns by a sympathie of bloud Now much more doth this hold good of husband and wife for they are in a neerer relation yet Let the wife have beene one that was poore and meane fallen iuto sicknesse c. and let the husband be as great and glorious as Solomon in all his royaltie all man-kind would cry shame on such a man if he should not now owne his wife and be a husband in all love and respect to her still But beyond all these relations the relation of Head and Members as it is most naturall so it obligeth most No man ever yet hated his owne flesh sayes the Apostle though diseased and leprous but loveth and cherisheth it And it is the law of Nature that if one member be honoured all the members are to rejoyce with it 1 Cor. 12. 26. and if one member suffer all the rest are to suffer with it Even so is Christ as ver 12. And these relations are they that doe move Christ to continue his love unto us Iesus knowing that he was to depart out of this world having loved his owne who were in the world he loved them unto the end Iohn 13. 1. And the reason thereof is put upon his relation to them they were his owne and his owne by vertue of all relations whatsoever his owne Brethren his owne Spouse his owne flesh and the very world will love its owne as himselfe speaks much more will he himselfe love his owne He that provides not for his owne family is worse then an Infidel sayes the Apostle Now though Christ be in heaven yet his people are his family still they are retainers to him though they be on earth and this as truly as those that stand about his person now he is in his glory So that speech evidently declares Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named they all together make up but one and the same family to him as their Lord. Christ is both the founder the subject and the most perfect exemplar and patterne to us of all the relations that are found on earth First he is the founder of all relations and affections that accompanie them both in nature and grace As therefore the Psalmist argues shall he not see who made the eye So doe I Shall not he who put all these affections into parents and brothers suitable to their relations shall not he have them much more in himselfe Though our Father Abraham being in heaven be ignorant of us and Israel acknowledge us not yet O Lord thou art our Father our Redeemer c Isai 36. 16. the Prophet speakes it of Christ as appears by ver 1 and 2. and in a prophesie of the Jews Call he speaks it of Christ as supposed in Heaven for he adds Looke downe from heaven and behold from the habitation of thy holinesse and thy glory There are but two things that should make him to neglect sinners his holinesse as they are sinners and his glory as they are meane and low creatures Now he there mentions both to shew that notwithstanding either as they are sinners he rejects them not and as they are base and mean he despiseth them not 2. He is the Subject of all relations which no creature is If'a man be a husband yet not a father or a brother but Christ is all No one relation being sufficient to expresse his love where with he loveth and owneth us And therefore he calls his Church both Sister and Spouse Cantic 5. 1. 3. He is the patterne and exemplar of all these our relatious and they all are but the copies of his Thus in Ephes 5. Christ is made the pattern of the relation and love of husbands Husbands sayes the Apostle love your wives as Christ loved his Church so ver 25. Yea ver 31 32 33. the marriage of Adam the very words he then spake of cleaving to a wife are made but the
types and shadows of Christ marriage to his Church Herein I speak sayes he concerning Christ and the Church and this is a great mystery First a mystery that is this marriage of Adam was ordained hiddenly to represent and signifie Christs marriage with his Church And secondly it is a great mystery because the thing thereby signified is in it self so great that this is but a shadow of it And therefore all those relations and the affections of them and the effects of those affections which you see and read to have been in men are all and were ordained to be as all things else in this world are but shadows of what is in Christ who alone is the truth and substance of all similitudes in nature as well as of the Ceremoniall types If therefore no advancement doth or ought to alter such relations in men then not in Christ He is not ashamed to call us brethren as Heb. 2. 11. And yet the Apostle had just before said of him v. 9. We see Iesus crowned with glory honour Yea as when one member suffers the rest are touched with a sympathie so is it with Christ Paul persecuted the Saints the members and why persecutest thou me cries the Head in heaven the foot was trodden on but the Head felt it though crowned with glory and honour We are flesh of his flesh and bone of his bone Ephes 5. 30. therefore as Esther said so sayes Christ How can I endure to see the evill that befalls my people If a husband hath a wife that is meane and he become a King it were his glory and not his shame to advance her yea it were his shame to neglect her especially if when the betrothment was first made she was then rich and glorious and a Kings daughter but since that falne into poverty and misery Now Christs Spouse though now she be falne into sin and misery yet when she was first given to Christ by God the Father who from all eternity made the match she was lookt upon as all glorious For in election at first both Christ and we were by God considered in that glorie which he meanes to bring him and us unto at last that being first in Gods intention which is last in execution For God at the beginning doth look at the end of his works and at what he meanes to make them And so he then primitively intending to make us thus glorious as we shall be he brought and presented us to his Sonne in that glasse of his Decrees under that face of glory wherewith at last he meant to endow us He shewed us to him as apparelled with all those jewels of grace and glory which we shall weare in heaven he did this then even as he brought Eve unto Adam whose marriage was in all the type of this so that as this was the first Idea that God tooke us up in and that we appeared in before him so also wherein he presented us then to Christ and as it were said such a wife will I give thee And as such did the second Person marry us and undertooke to bring us to that estate And that God ordained us thus to fall into sinne miserie was but to illustrate the story of Christs love thereby to render this our Lover and Husband the more glorious in his love to us and to make this primitive condition whereunto God meant againe to bring us the more eminently illustrious And therefore we being marryed unto him when we were thus glorious in Gods first intention although in his decrees about the execution of this or the bringing us to this glory we fall into meannesse and miserie before we attaine to it yet the marriage still holds Christ took us to run the same fortune with us and that we should do the like with him And hence it was that we being falne into sinne and so our flesh become fraile and subject to infirmities that he therefore took part of the same as Heb. 2. 13. And answerably on the other side he being now advanced to the glory ordained for him he can never rest till he hath restored us to that beauty wherein at first we were presented to him til he hath purged and cleansed us that so he may present us to himselfe a glorious Church as you have it Eph. 5. 26 27. even such as in Gods first intention we were shewne to him to become having that native and originall beauty and possessing that estate wherein he looked upon us when he first tooke liking to us and married us This is argued there from this very relation of his being our husband ver 25. 26. And therefore though Christ be now in glorie yet let not that discourage you for he hath the heart of a husband towards you being betrothed unto you for ever in faithfulnesse and in loving kindnesse as Hos 2. and the idea of that beauty is so imprinted on his heart which from everlasting was ordained you that he will never cease to sanctifie and to cleanse you till he hath restored you to that beauty which once he tooke such a liking of A second engagement This love of his unto us is yet further encreased by what he both did and suffered for us here on earth before he went to heaven Having loved his own so far as to dye for them he will certainly love them unto the end even to eternity We shall finde in all sorts of relations both spirituall and naturall that the having done much for any beloved of us doth beget a further care and love towards them And the like effect those eminent sufferings of Christ for us have certainly produced in him we may see this in parents for besides that naturall affection planted in mothers towards their children as they are theirs the very pains hard labour and travail they were at in bringing them forth encreaseth their affections towards them and that in a greater degree them fathers beare And therefore the eminencie of affection is attributed unto that of the mother towards her child and put upon this that it is the sonne of her wombe Isai 49. 15. And then the performing of that office and worke of nursing them themselves which yet is done with much trouble and disquietment doth in experience yet more endeare those their children unto them which they so nurse to an apparent difference of bowels and love in comparison of that which they put forth to others of their owne children which they nursed not And therefore in the same place of Esay as the mothers affection to the sonne of her wombe so to her sucking child is mentioned as being the highest instance of such love And as thus in paternall affection so also in conjugall In such mutuall loves in the pursuing of which there have any difficulties or hardships been encountred and the more those lovers have suffered the one for the other the more is the edge of their desires whetted and
our soules and the comforting of our hearts unto Christ these are the purchase of Christs blood and whilst he is exercised in promoving these he doth good to his own child and Spouse c. which is in effect a doing good unto himselfe Yea to doe these bringeth in to himselfe more comfort and glory then it procures to them And therefore the Apostle in the beginning of the following Chapter namely Heb. 3. sayes that Christ is engaged to faithfulnesse in the execution of his office not as a meere servant onely who is betrusted by his Master but as an owner who hath an interest of possession in the things committed to his care and a revenue from these So ver 5. Moses verily sayes he was faithfull as a servant in Gods house but Christ as a Son over his owne house that is as an Heire of all Whose house or family are We sayes the Apostle ver 6. If a Physitian for his fee will be faithfull although he be a stranger much more will he be so if he be Father to the Patient so as his own life and comfort are bound up in that of the childs or when much of his estate and commings in are from the life of the party unto whom he ministers physick In such a case they shall be sure to want for no care and cost and to lack no Cordials that will comfort them no means that will cure them and keep them healthfull and no fit diet that may nourish and strengthen them As the care of that Prince of the Eunuchs in the first of Daniel was to have those children committed to his charge to eat and drink of the best because that on their looks and good liking his place depended Now so God hath ordered it even for an everlasting obligation of Christs heart unto us that his giving grace mercy and comfort to us is one great part of his glory and of the revenue of his happinesse in heaven and of his inheritance there First to explaine how this may be consider That the Humane nature of Christ in heaven hath a double capacity of glory happinesse and delight One in that neere fellowship and communion with his Father and the other Persons through his personall union with the Godhead Which joy of his in this fellowship Christ himselfe speaks of Psal 16. ver ult as to be enjoyed by him In thy presence is fulnesse of joy and at thy right hand are pleasures for evermore And this is a constant and setled fulnesse of pleasure such as admits not any addition or diminution but is alwayes one and the same and absolute and entire in it selfe and of it selfe alone sufficient for the Sonne of God and Heyre of all things to live upon though he should have had no other commings in of joy and delight from any creature And this is his naturall inheritance But God hath bestowed upon him another capacity of glory and a revenue of pleasure to come in another way and answerably another fulnesse namely from his Church and Spouse which is his Body Thus Ephes 1. when the Apostle had spoke the highest things of Christs personall advancement in heaven that could be uttered as of his sitting downe at Gods right hand far above all principalities and powers c. ver 20 21. yet ver 22. he addes this unto all And gave him to be an Head to the Church which is his Body the fulnesse of him who filleth all in all So that although he of himselfe personally be so full the fulnesse of the God-head dwelling in him that he overflowes to the filling all things yet he is pleased to account and it is so in the reality his Church and the salvation of it to be another fulnesse unto him super-added unto the former As Sonne of God he is compleat and that of himselfe but as an Head he yet hath another additionall fulnesse of joy from the good and happinesse of his members And as all pleasure is the companion and the result of action so this ariseth unto him from his exercising acts of grace and from his continuall doing good unto and for those his members or as the Apostle expresseth it from his filling them with all mercy grace comfort and felicity Himselfe becomming yet more full by filling them and this is his inheritance also as that other was So as a double inheritance Christ hath to live upon One personall and due unto him as he is the Son of God the first moment of his Incarnation ere he had wrought any one piece of work towards our salvation Another acquired purchased and merited by his having performed that great service and obedience And certainly besides the glory of his person there is the glory of his office of Mediatorship and of Headship to his Church And though he is never so full of himselfe yet he despiseth not this part of his revenue that comes in from below Thus much for explication Now secondly for the confirmation and making up the demonstration in hand This superadded glory and happinesse of Christ is enlarged and encreased still as his members come to have the purchase of his death more and more laid forth upon them So as when their sins are pardoned their hearts more sanctified and their spirits comforted then comes Hee to see the fruit of his labour and is comforted thereby for he is the more glorified by it yea he is much more pleased and rejoyced in this then themselves can be And this must needs keep up in his heart his care and love unto his children here below to water and refresh them every moment as Isaiah speaks Chap. 37. 3. For in thus putting forth acts of grace and favour and in doing good unto them he doth but good unto himselfe which is the surest engagement in the world And therefore the Apostle exhorts men to love their wives upon this ground that in so doing they love themselves Ephes 5. 28. So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies He that loveth his wife loveth himselfe so strict and neere is that relation Now the same doth hold true of Christ in his loving his Church And therefore in the same place the love of Christ unto his Church is held forth as the patterne and exemplar of ours so ver 25. Even as Christ also loved the Church And so it may well be argued thence by comparing the one speech with the other that Christ in loving his Church doth but love himselfe and then the more love and grace he shews unto the Members of that his Body the more he shews love unto himselfe And accordingly it is further added there ver 27. that he daily washeth and cleanseth his Church that is both from the guilt and power of sinne that he might present it to himselfe a glorious Church not having spot or wrinkle c. Observe it is to himselfe So that all that he doth for his members is for himselfe as truly yea
more fully then for them and his share of glory out of theirs is greater then theirs by how much the glory of the cause is greater then that of the effect And thus indeed the Scripture speaks of it as whilst it calls the Saints the glory of Christ So 2 Cor. 8. 23. And Christ in Iohn 17. 13. and ver 22 23. sayes that he is glorified in them And Psal 45. where Christ is set forth as Solomon in all his royalty and majestie yet ver 11. hee is said greatly to desire or delight in the beauty of his Queene that is the graces of the Saints and that not with an ordinary delight but he greatly desires his desire is encreased as her beauty is For that is there brought in as a motive unto her to be more holy and conformed unto him to encline her care and forsake her Fathers house v. 10. So shall the King greatly desire thy beauty Christ hath a beauty that pleaseth him as well as we have though of another kind and therefore ceaseth not till he hath got out every spot wrinkle out of his Spouses face as we heard the Apostle speake even now so to present her glorious unto himselfe that is delightfull and pleasing in his eye And suitably unto this to confirme us yet more in it Christ in that Sermon which was his solemne fare-well before his going to heaven assures his Disciples that his heart would be so farre from being weaned from them that his joy would still be in them to see them prosper and bring forth fruit so JOHN 15. 9 10 11. where his scope is to assure them of the continuance of his love unto them when he should be gone so ver 9 10. As my Father hath loved me so have I loved you Continue in my love c. As if he had said Feare not you my love nor the continuance of it in my absence but looke you to doe your duty c. And to give them assurance of this he further tels them that even when he is in heaven in the greatest fulnesse of pleasure at Gods right hand yet even then his joy will be in them and in their well doing so ver 11. These things have I spoken unto you that my joy may remaine in you and that your joy may be full He speakes just like a Father that is taking his leave of his children and comforting them at his departure and giving them good counsell to take good courses when he is gone from them to keepe his Commandements and to love one another so ver 10 12. and backs it with this motive so shall my joy remain in you it is as Fathers use to speake and it will be for your good too your joy will be also full To open which words a little the word remaine used concerning their abiding in his love and his joy abiding in them is used in reference to the continuing of both these towards them in heaven And when Christ sayes That my joy may remain in you it is as if he had said that I may even in heaven have cause to rejoice in you when I shall heare and know of you that you agree and are loving each to other and keepe my Commandements The joy which he there calls His joy My joy is not to be understood Objectivè of Their joy in Him as the object of it but Subjectiè of the joy that should bee in himselfe and which hee should have in them So Augustine long since interpreted it Quodnam sayes hee est illud gaudium Christi in nobis nisi quod ille dignatur gaudere de nobis what is Christs joy in us but that which hee vouchsafeth to have of and for us And it is evident by this that otherwise if it were their joy which hee meant in that first sentence then that other that follows And your joy shall be ful were a Tautologie He speakes therefore of his joy and theirs as of two distinct things and both together were the greatest motives that could be given to encourage and quicken his Disciples in obedience Now take an estimate of Christs heart herein from those two holy Apostles Paul and John who were smaller resemblances of this in Christ What next to immediate communion with Christ himselfe was the greatest joy they had to live upon in this world but onely the fruit of their Ministery appearing in the graces both of the lives and hearts of such as they had begotten unto Christ See how Paul utters himself 1 Thes 2. 19. What is our hope sayes hee or joy or crowne of rejoycing Ye are our glory and our joy ver 20. And in the 3. Epist of JOHN ver 3. John sayes the like that hee greatly rejoyced of that good testimony hee had heard of Gaius For sayes hee I have no greater joy then to heare that my children walk in the truth ver 4. Now what were Paul and John but instruments by whom they beleeved and were begotten and not on whom Neither of these were crucified for them nor were these children of theirs the travaile of their soules How much more then unto Christ whose interest in us and our welfare is so infinitely much greater must his members be his joy and his crown And to see them to come in to him for grace and mercy and to walke in truth rejoyceth him much more for he thereby sees of the travaile of his soule and so is satisfied Certainly what Solomon sayes of Parents Prov. 10. 1. that a wise son maketh a glad father c. is much more true of Christ Holinesse and fruitfulnesse and comfortablenesse in our spirits while we are here below doe make glad the heart of Christ our everlasting Father Himself hath said it I beseech you beleeve him and carry your selves accordingly And if part of his joy arise from hence that we thrive and doe well then doubt not of the continuance of his affections for love unto himselfe will continue them towards us and readinesse to embrace and receive them when they come for grace and mercy There is a fift Engagement which his very having our nature which he still weares in heaven and which the end or intention which God had in ordaining Christs assuming it doe put upon him for ever For one great end and project of that personall union of our nature unto the Godhead in the second Person for ever was that he might be a mercifull High-Priest So that as his office layes it as a duty upon him so his becomming a Man qualifies him for that office and the performance of it and so may afford a farther demonstration of the point in hand This we find both to have beene a requisite in our High-Priest to qualifie him the better for mercy and bowels and also one of those great ends which God had in that assumption of our nature First a requisite on purpose to make him the more mercifull So Heb. 5. 1. the place even