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
ground on which he takes occasion to present it to his Father The hour is come Proceed we to the matter of it or the things which he desireth of the Father and this is that he may be glorified Father glorifie thy Son There is no difficulty considerable in the words To glorifie is properly to make glorious But usually and in the ordinary acceptation of the Scripture to Render glorious in the eyes of others whether it be thing or person And this is Evident by that which Christ desireth of his Father under this expression He had abased himself you know and made himself of no reputation as the Apostle Paul speakes Phil. 2.7 and now he prayes the Father that he would advance him and honour him again that he would shew him forth in Lustre and in Splendour to the world And that because the time of his abasure and humiliation was now drawing to an end and the time of his advancement and exaltation was at hand Father the hour is come Glorifie thy Son Now this petition of our Saviour intimates at least the Fathers purpose to glorifie his Son c. That he was resolved upon it and the hour in which to do it both upon the thing and time The hour is come in which thou hast decreed to glorifie me and therefore I beseech thee Father do it now fullfill thy resolution and intention The hour is come glorifie thy Son So that the point apparently suggested here is this DOCTRINE It hath been the Design and purpose of the Father to glorifie his Son Christ The Fathers resolution appeareth in the Sons Petition For that which Christs desires the Father wills Indeed he hath declared himself in this particular that he would have him honoured with the self same honour the same for nature and the same for measure which belongs to him John 5.23 That all men should honour the Son even as they honour the Father And therefore he himself hath honoured Christ exceedingly as you may see in the first Chapter of the Epistle to the Hebrews almost from the beginning to the end For that is the intention and the purpose of the whole Chapter God hath in these latter dayes spoken to us by his Son whom he hath made heir of all things by whom he also made the world who is the brightness of his glory and the express c. being made better then the Angels for unto which of the Angels said he at any time Thou art my Son c. And again when he bringeth c. And of the Angels he saith he maketh his Angels Spirits and his Ministers a flame of fire But of the Son he saith Thy throne Oh God is for ever c. And to which of the Angels said he at any time Sit thou on my right hand c. you see the scope and drift of all is to advance and set up Jesus Christ transcendently not only above other Creatures but above the very Angels and the Apostle tells us to the same effect that God the Father exalted him for that is the expression Phil. 2.9 Now this design and purpose of the Father to glorifie his Son Christ appeareth evidently divers wayes which I shall briefly set before you It appeareth by the honourable titles that he gives him that he hath a mind to dignifie him and to set him up Sometimes he calls him Prince and great Prince Michael the great Prince Dan. 12.1 Sometimes King his King Yet have I set my King saith God the Father Psal 2.6 You see this is the name he gives him and it is written on his thigh and on his vesture that he that runs may read it Apocalyps 19.16 King of Kings and Lord of Lords Sometimes he calls him God as you may see in the forealledged place Heb. 1.8 Unto the Son he saith the Father saith Thy throne Oh God is for ever and ever And sometimes Lord not Elohim or Adonai which name is frequenlty applied to men but Lord Jehovah which name is proper and peculiar to the Living God only and which he seriously professeth that he will not give to any other and yet this name he gives to Iesus Christ Jer. 23.6 And he would have us call him by it too this is the name whereby he shall be called Jehovah so is the expression there the Lord our righteousness So that no marvail that the Apostle tels us that he honoured him in this respect exceedingly transcendently he hath highly exalted him How so And given him a name above every name that at the name of Iesus every knee should bow According to the Counsel of the Psalmist Psal 45.11 He is thy Lord and worship thou him And hence it is that the Apostle saith he is made so much better then the Angels as he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name then they It appears that God hath a design to honour Christ as by the names he gives to Christ so by the names which he himself assumes in reference to Christ as he delights to call himself the Lord of Christ and the Father of Christ and the Master of Christ as being taken very much that he hath such a Son and such a servant for so he seemeth to express himself This is my beloved Son Mat. 3.17 take notice of him this is he So in another place Behold my Servant Isa 42.1 There look upon him and observe him well and see if any of you have such a servant as I have In the Old Testament the Lord was wont to call himself the God of Abraham and the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob he was honoured by those names the Lord their God that brought them out of the Land of Egypt But now in the New Testament he cals himself the God and Father of the Lord Jesus Christ as you may see that place for instance Ephes 1.3 I might give you many more the God that brought again from the dead the Lord Jesus Christ Thus striving to exalt him and to set him up that the eyes and thoughts of men might be taken up with him 3. It appears c. By the place in which he sets him and that is at his own right hand It is observed in Solomon by the holy Ghost himself as a great honour which he did his Mother 1 Kings 2.19 He sate down on his throne and caused a seat to be set for the Kings Mother and she sate on his right hand This honour God hath done Christ as the Apostle tels us Eph. 1.20 He raised him from the dead saith he and set him at his own right hand in heavenly places That is he set him above all other things or persons in the next place to himself And therefore it is added presently he set him at his own right hand in heavenly places far above all principalties and powers and might and dominion and every name that is named not only in this world but in that which is to come this is very
of Salvation so of Consolation and therefore it is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 good news or as the Angel tells the Shepherds Luk. 2.10 good tidings of great joy In which respect it is very notable that when our Saviour was about to preach the Gospel he was anointed with the Spirit which is called the Oyl of gladness The Spirit of the Lord is upon me saith our Saviour because he hath anointed me Isa 61.1 And what follows why then he preaches good tidings to the meek he binds up the broken-hearted proclaimeth liberty to Captives and opening of the prison doors to those that are bound there which is very joyful tidings He comforts those that are in sorrow appoints to those that mourn in Sion not to those that mourn abroad but to those that mourn in Sion in the Church beauty for ashes the Oyl of joy for mourning and the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness So that you see my Brethren it is all joy and all comfort By which it is apparent that our Saviours special aim and drift in publishing the Gospel is that the people might be full of joy And therefore it is much to be observed that when our Saviour entred on his Ministry assoon as he had been baptized and tempted he preached his very first Sermon upon this comfortable Gospel Text Luk. 4.17 to shew what was to be the main intent and drift of his ministry Christ gives his people pretious promises and seals them with his own blood that they might be full of joy Indeed this is the great end my Beloved both of the promise and of the confirmation of it It 's true if Christ had been reserved if he had kept his purpose and intention in his breast and in his bosom if he had made his people no promise the execution of his merciful designs had not been less sure and certain in it self but it had been less sure to us we had not had the less benefit but we had had the less comfort For he would surely have fulfilled his own intentions to his people though he had never been obliged by promise to perform them So when the promises were made there is no doubt they would have been observed and kept though they had never been confirmed yet Christ hath ratified them with his own blood as the Apostle shews us Heb. 9.16 Not with the blood of Bulls and Goats but with his own most pretious blood And why hath he done this why doubtless that there might be nothing wanting to his peoples comfort The promise is not made a whit more certain by our Saviours sealing of it with his blood but we are made the more certain The promise is not made a whit the more sure but we are the more assured and so we have the more comfort What do we think of God that he who is the God of Truth would not have kept his promises that he would have broken with us had they not been thus confirmed No certainly my Brethren he would have been firm and constant but we might have been assaulted with continual doubts and fears we should not have attained to such unshaken and such sweet assurance And therefore Christ hath set his seal to all the promises he hath sealed them with his blood to this end that we might have strong consolation as the Apostles phrase is Heb. 6.18 He hath shed his blood you see that our comfort might not be weak but strong comfort that our joy might not be imcompleat but full joy Christ gives his people glorious Ordinances that they might be full of joy For Ordinances are not for our profit only but they are for our comfort too Oh how was David taken with them How did they fill his heart with joy when he was banished from them for a time how did he melt to think upon the overflowing Consolations he had sometimes found in them How did his heart pant and gasp after them Oh with what self-consuming wishes did he long to be restored to them One thing have I desired of the Lord saith he Psal 27.4 No question he desired many things but one thing he desired above the rest that he might dwell in the house of the Lord all the dayes of his life to behold the beauty of the Lord and to enquire in his Temple where publick Ordinances were dispensed Which shews the infinite delight he took in them I might distinctly shew how special Ordinances serve for the comfort of the Lords people I will bring them to my Mountain saith the Lord and make them joyfull in my house of prayer Isa 56.7 So for the word Jer. 15.16 Thy word was to me saith the Prophet there the joy and the rejoycing of my heart With joy shall ye draw water saith the Lord out of the wells of salvation Isa 12.3 Some understand the Ordinances by the wells in that place You see particularly then what the end of Christ is in giveing Ordinances to his people and what use they serve for Not only to help onward their Salvation but their Consolation too By which it is apparent that even in these dispensations he hath a great aspect upon their comfort Christ gives his people cleer discoveries and revelations of himself that they might be full of joy you may observe how they were overjoyed to whom he shewed himself after his resurrection from the dead they were not able to contain themselves And so when Christ reveals himself to any soul at this day when he comes in and shews himself to it it is sometimes almost transported to an extasie of joy Especially when he hath hid himself awhile then such discoveries of himself are out of measure sweet and pretious When this Sun of righteousness hath been overcast awhile so that the Saints have walked in darkness dayes and years without a glimps of this reviving light Oh with what inward ravishment doth it break forth upon the soul again The wife while she enjoyes the constant presence of her loving husband it may be thinks not much upon it she is not much affected with it But if he have been long away so that she hath not heard for many years neither where her husband is nor when he means to come again and after all her fruitless expectations of him hath resolved with her self that out of question she shall never see him more and then at last when she is wholly our of hopes in strikes her husband on a suddain at the door she is not able to contain her self for joy his presence is incomparably sweet and pleasing to her Even so when poor distressed souls have waited long for Christ and thought that they should never see him more with comfort and then at length he comes and shewes himself to them his gratious presence is extremely pretious He makes them full of joy with his countenance as the expression is Acts 2.28 Christ sends the Comforter to his people that they might be full
of joy when he promised him you know to his Apostles and Disciples they were full of sorrow and he did this as an antidote against it Come be not troubled saith our Saviour I will send you another Comforter that shall abide with you for ever John 14.16 I have been a Comforter to you I confess but seeing I am ready to depart from you I will not leave you comfortless no I will send you another Comforter one that shall comfort you as much as I have done and one that shall stick to you too and shall not leave you as I am about to do but shall abide with you for ever So that you see one special end of Christ in sending down the Holy Ghost into the hearts of his people is to comfort them and cheer them to be to them not only a spirit of Sanctification but a spirit of Consolation and so discovers that he hath a great regard to the joy of his people Christ gives deliverance to his people that they may be full of joy He hath divers other ends why he becomes a Saviour to them in the day of their distress but this is not the least of all that he may put new joy into their hearts and a new Song into their mouths When he appears to the salvation of his people in doing so he appeareth to their joy as you may see Isa 66.5 That is the End and Drift of his Appearance Christ hath purchased Heaven for his people that they might be full of ioy For Heaven as it is a place of the heigth of holiness so it is a place of the heigth of happiness Here indeed we are in Bochim in a place of weeping we go through a vale of tears and digg up Wells but they are of salt water the rain also fills the pools But when we are arrived at Heaven we shall weep no more but all our tears shall be wiped from our eyes We shall not have a wrinkle in our faces nor a tear upon our cheeks nor a sad thought upon our hearts but all shall be smooth and clear and sweet and that for ever Then we shall be full of joy Christs joy shall be fulfilled in us yea we shall have the fulness of joy Psalm 16. ult Indeed full joy importeth nothing but enough to fill us so much as we are capable of as is commensurate to our capacity as we are able to receive But on the other side the fulness of joy importeth all the measures and degrees of it So that there can be nothing added to it there is nothing wanting to it to make it absolute in all respects It is not to be raised higher any way And this hath Christ prepared and purchased for us By these things it is evident that Jesus Christ would have his people to be full of holy joy But wherefore will he have it to be so Why would he have his people to be full of holy joy Out of self-respect he would have it to be so because by reason of the Reason 1 neerness of his union with his people he hath a kind of share in their comfort As his joy is their joy according to his own expression in my text that they may have my ioy fulfilled in themselves So upon the other side their joy is his joy And as there is a social glory of the head and of the members as the School-expression is as Christ is glorified in the glory of his people 2 Thes 1.12 so there is a social joy of the head and of the members Christ rejoyceth in the joy of his people The Comfort of the members redoundeth also to the Comfort of the head As Christ delights in the prosperity so in the joy of his people When they are joyfull he rejoyceth over them with joy and joyeth over them with singing as his own expression is Zeph. 3.17 Reason 2 Christ would have his people to be full of holy joy to recompence them for their sorrow They are described to be such as mourn Mat. 5.4 That uses to be first with them they use to begin there But then they do not use to end there And therefore it is added presently for they shall be comforted Blessed are they that mourn for they shall be comforted And Christ would have their comfort to be answerable to their sorrow That as his sufferings have abounded in them their consolation also may abound by him as the Apostle speaks 2 Cor. 1.5 Indeed they go forth weeping bearing pretious seed as you may see Psal 126.6 They sow in showry weather in a weeping time In such a time did David sow the seed of true repentance for his sin he wept so much that he made his bed to swimm and watered his Couch with his tears In such a time did Peter sow the same see in a time of bitter weeping Mat. 26. ult But then the harvest makes them ample recompence for all the dark and sad and showry weather in the sowing time They come again with joy and they bring their sheaves with them They scatter it by grains but they gather it by sheaves they have twenty thirty forty yea an hundred fold for one So that if any now should ask me You say that Christ would have his people to rejoyce but what would he not have them mourn too Yes he would have them mourn but in order to rejoycing Sorrow is an unperfect passion and is not for it self but for some higher use as all the rest of the declining passions or affections are As hatred is for love and fear for confidence so sorrow also is for joy unto which it is subservient As lancing is not for it self but for ease and remedy and as a potion is not properly for sickness though it cause it for a season but for health so sorrow is for joy and joy is the end of sorrow in the Saints And Christ intends it to be so You shall be sorrowfull saith Christ to his Disciples but your sorrow shall be turned into Joy John 16.20 He gives to them that mourn in Zion beauty for ashes the oil of gladness for mourning and the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness Isa 61.3 The ransom'd of the Lord go out lamenting but they return to Zion with Songs and everlasting Joy upon their heads Isa 35. ult Reason 3 Christ would have his people to be full of holy joy that they may be large in duty Sorrow is a kind of straightning the heart a sad heart is a straigthned heart it is shut up it cannot pray it cannot praise it can do nothing with enlargement And therefore the Apostle calleth mourning 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a contraction of the heart 2 Cor. 2.4 And I appeal for this to those whose spirits are opprest with sadness and dejection whether it do not make them indisposed to duty unfit to hear unfit to pray and in a word unfit for any part of Christs service But holy joy upon the