of Christ was the time of his sufferings concerning which he often said My hour is not yet come and when it was come he most readily yeelded himself Now in this hour many things are observable as 1. That all the power and policy that his enemies did use were not able to prevail over him till his hour came Though he preached every day and went up and down doing good by all which his enemies were the more provoked against him yet they were not able to take an hair from him and how observable is that when some bid him depart for Herod would kill him Go saith he and tell that fox behold I do miracles to day and to morrow and the third day I shall be perfected Neverthelesse I must work to day and to morrow The meaning is that maugre all his malice and power yet he should do his work and be preserved till his hour did come so that all endeavours all counsels are frustrated which meet not with Gods appointed time only Christ knew when his hour was which God keepeth sometimes secret from his people Again 2. Observe the wisedom and prudence of Christ when danger was come because then it was not his hour Sometimes he departed secretly and went from place to place to avoid the malice of his enemies yea his father and mother fled with him while a childe to escape death This teacheth us That it is our duty to preserve our selves from ruine when we have not a call or obligation thereunto So the Prophets in Jezabels time were hid by many in a cave and those Noble Worthies recorded by the Apostle that fled and hid themselves in caves and mountains they are said to do it by faith It was not sinfull fear but faith so that we are diligently to consider when it is our call our duty when God requireth of us as the time and hour of our affliction that we must lose all for him and in this we must not consult with flesh and bloud for that saith as Peter to Christ Master save thy self who had that severe Rebuke Get theee behinde me Satan Then on the other side when the time of Christs sufferings did come every thing brought it about A Judas a Disciple of his own he betraieth him and all his adversaries do easily insult over him and then he doth not as before depart out of the way no but though be knew he was to suffer at Jerusalem yet he set his face to go thither and though he could have commanded Legions of Angels to have rescued him and we reade that those who come to surprise him fell down immediatly being stricken with his Majesty yet he will not deliver himself No though his enemies did with so much scorn bid him save himself which teacheth us that when the hour of our afflictions is come when God manifestly discovers it must be the time of our trouble that then we do with all patience and chearfulnesse resign our selves into his hands And thus much as it relates to Christ Now let us consider of it in the generall and we shall see how God hath hours and times either of anger or mercy in the world As 1. When the Church of God hath been greatly corrupted by all manner of vice and idolatry so that there hath been an unclean Leprosie over the whole body God oath appointed an hour a time for its Reformation and purity which shall certainly take effect though all the world oppose it Men can no more hinder it then the Sunne from breaking out of the Cloud and oh how happy is it when such a time comes how wonderfully are mâ—ns hearts prepared to forsake all their former Idolatry and prophanesse This you have notably Joh. 4.23 Our Saviour tels that ignorant superstitious woman The hour is coming and now is when the true worshipers shall worship the Father in spirit and truth This was in Christs time he came as Malachy cap. 3. prophesied to refine the Sons of Levi and to be like the Fullers Sope This was so terrible as that the Prophet crieth out Who may abide the day of his coming It was to the Pharisees and chief Priests as terrible as the day of Judgement Well though Christ goeth about to take away all that admired will-worship which was then exalted and this was so contrary to mens inclination and education yet the hour cometh that they shall worship him in spirit and in truth Thus it was at the first Reformation out of Popery when Luther though but one unarmed man and a despicable Monk by his profession set himself against the torrent of all that Idolatry and corruption which reigned in Popery Was it not as ridiculous as if a man had set his shoulder to some huge Mountain thinking to remove it It was so in all mens account and therefore when Luther opened his Councels to one great Doctor who did not approve of the Romish courses yet he bid him go into his Cell and say Lord have mercy upon us As if the case were desperate Now although it was thus unlikely yet we see how truth and purity did break forth to all mens amazement and which aggravateth this There had been many before Luthers time who witnessed against the practices and doctrines of the Church of Rome yet still they were vanquished till Luther came and then no water could quench this fire Now why was all this Gods power was as able to go along with Iohn Husse or Jerome of Prague as well as Luther but now was Gods hour now was his appointed time Thus till Gods time came for the removing of all the Jewish Rites they lay like that stone upon the Sepulchre that the woman could not remove yea neither men or Angels could remove and therefore it 's called the time of Reformation Heb. 9.10 2. God in his just judgement lets wicked men have their hour That is an opportunity of expressing all their wickednesse and impiety so that you would think God took no notice of the things done in the world and was as some Philosophers prophanely thought included within the circles of the heaven and had given the earth to the Sonnes of men to do what they would This our Saviour told his enemies who consulted and practised against him Luk. 22.53 This is your hour and power of darknesse Thus in the Revelation we see that Satan was let loose for many years and then he was bound up for many years which denoteth that God by his just permission did suffer Satan and his Instruments to prevail in the world And when this hour of darkness is all the praiers and all the tears of the godly shall not prevail till his time of deliverance come And this we may finde even from the beginning of the world since there was an Abel and a Cain that God lets some wicked men have their hour a power and season to act their impieties and yet Gods waies were alwaies just when
things It 's my Father in heaven that giveth life and motion to every thing and therefore I need not be afraid Know then that all those gnawing worms of unbelief and fears upon thee whereby thou makest thy self an hell to thy self they come from want of this consideration 5. This Relation if rightly considered will put us upon holinesse and an earnest endeavour to resemble and to be like him A good childe loveth to imitate and conform to all those lovely perfections that are in his Father his endeavour is that in him his Father may live even while he is dead Now the Scripture sets forth Gods holinesse as our Copy to write after Be ye holy as I am holy and that ye may be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect Matth. 5.48 and He that hath this hope viz. to be a Sonne of God purifieth himself even as God is pure Oh then let those vile and leprous sinners stand aloof off They call God Father where is thy Image or likenesse of him upon thee Art thou pure as he is pure holy as he is holy Is thy will conformable to his will To love and delight in those things that God loveth and commands The Scripture telleth us the godly are born of God that his Image is restored in them That they are partakers of the divine nature Now let every one see upon what grounds he cals God Father Is it not a meer lye and mockery Dost thou not delude thy own self If God be thy Father wherein art thou like him Art thou holy as he is pure as he is Certainly even in the godly this should raise up their spirits to higher exercise of holinesse They should consider who is their Father It is for them to shew better breeding then to be proud passionate earthly and carnall They are to be as Ignatius was called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Those that bear God about with them you may see the resemblance of God in their lives So then this Title and relation doth not only vouchsafe comfort but engage to much duty None should be so cheerful and yet so holy and pure as they are 6. This Relation of a Father will put us upon zeal for his glory and honour a desire to exalt and set him up every where an holy impatiency to have his Name blasphemed and his commands broken What childe can endure to hear his Father spoken against to have his name defamed You see in Christ himself the zeal of his Fathers house did eat him up he could not endure to see the corruption and defilement of his Fathers worship and thus it is with the Children of God his honour is dear unto them To see and hear the wickednesse and prophanenesse of others torments his righteous soul This is against my Father I have no patience when you thus dishonour my Father Oh this is an excellent signe you look upon God as your Father when you are thus affected for his glory for his truth and worship It 's a known story of that dumb Sonne that never spake before yet when he saw one going to kill his Father cried out and forbad it Thou that feelest no anger or grief within thee when God is dishonoured doe thou doubt of thy childe-like disposition Lastly The Meditation of God as a Father may wonderfully support under all afflictions They are the corrections of a Father not the punishments of a Judge and the Apostle argueth the great reasonablenesse of bearing Gods afflictions seeing we endure the chastisement of our Fathers according to the flesh Heb. 12.9 10. where the Apostle shews that a good childe though chastened by his Father giveth reverence to him why then should not we rather obey God who is the Father of spirits and that from the end of God he afflicts for our profit and we live by these chastisements Hence it 's the devils great temptation to imbitter this cup of affliction as much as he can To let them think God is not their Father and if he were a Father he would never lay such a load upon them and all this to stirre up impatience and discontent within them Thus you see what mighty effects this consideration of God as a Father should produce in us In the next place consider Why this doth so prevail with God And 1. Because it 's not a bare Title but accompanied with the reall love and bowels of a Father God is not only called so but is indeed a Father yea a Father above all earthly Fathers yea or mothers too he takes more tendernesse upon him then they can have Isa 49.15 when Zion sadly complained The Lord had forsaken her he tels her Though a woman should forget her sucking childe yet he would not So then love is infinitely in God his kindenesse is like himself beyond all thoughts and expressions and if among men it be so unnaturall for a Father not to love his childe can we think God will not love his He that hath commanded us to love our enemies and to forgive them seventy times seven in a day will not he pardon his Children Children are part of the Father and therefore God visiteth the sinnes of Fathers sometimes upon their Children because they are as one with the Father and Christ praieth that the godly and his Father may be one 2. It 's for the glory and honour of God to hear them when they pray What priviledges and mercies children have tends to the honour of a Father Doth it not disgrace a Father when he is able and yet letteth his Children be almost famished and be contemned in filthy rags Oh we say he doth not go like such an ones Sonne it 's a disgrace to his Father so it is here should not the people of God be holy comfortable heavenly and accepted of this would be as if God did not own them Vse of Instruction Concerning the happy estate of the godly and the contrary of the wicked That which is a comforting fire to one is a consuming fire to the other The godly have alwaies the Scepter held out to them They may go to God as a Father and are sure to be heard either ad voluntatem or ad sanitatem They may say O Lord if I did come to thee as an angry Judge if I did draw nigh to thee as one provoked as one whose sins made a division between me and thee then I might be sent comfortlesse away but I come to thee as a Father a relation thou art not ashamed off and which thou wilt fullfill though as yet the glory of God is not fully manifested but as for the wicked what a thunderbolt is this to them God is not their Father Though they may call him so a thousand times over yet he is not he is thy enemy thy adversary what good things thou hast cometh from him as the governour of the world not as a Father SERMON IV. Of Gods appointing an hour a set time
Thou saist I have no power I shall never be able to go through this condition or that but hath Christ no more There is power in his Death and power in his Resurrection Every thing of Christ hath power The Prophets dead body gave life to one how much rather shall Christ crucified Oh but you will say These are words These are Fancies Though Christ hath all this power I am not a whit stronger I am as unable as any I answer Thank thy self for thy unbelief All things are possible to the Beleever Christ hath power but the fruit of it is to him that beleeveth You see all the cures he worketh all the wonderfull works he did it was still beleeve and it shall be thus to you according to thy faith so be it to thee If the Fountain be never so full unlesse you come with your vessell you may be scorched with thirst You see then how all this power and greatnesse of Christ may be yours There is nothing in him but it may profit you and that is by relying on him putting confidence in him because of his promise and if thou saist how can I beleeve that is also by Praier to God Even Christ he giveth this also viz. to beleeve SERMON X. Of Predestination or Gods giving some of Mankinde to Christ not all for him to redeem And what unspeakable Grounds of Comfort to Gods People flow from thence JOH 17.2 That to as many as thou hast given him he should give Eternall Life THis latter part of the Verse containeth the use and exercise of Christs Power which he had from the Father and therein you may consider 1. The Fruit and benefit of it 2. The Subject on whom this is to be bestowed The Fruit is described in the nature of it 1. It s Life As Death is the King of Terrors so life must be the King of joys 2. The Property of this Life it 's Eternall This naturall life in the midst of the joys that may accompany it hath this bridle and check It 's but for a short uncertain time In the next place you have the manner of obtaining it It s given There is no merit no antecedent worth but it 's given O this is the benefit The Subject who is to partake of this gift is limited and restrained by this qualification To as many as the Father hath given him So we translate it regarding the sence otherwise if it should verbatim according to the Greek it would be hardly sence to an English ear For thus it is That every thing which thou hast given him to them he should give Eternall Life Neither indeed is it pure Grecisme but an Hebraisme where sometimes the Nominative case beginneth the sentence and then the sence is so cast afterwards that it quite loseth its Verb as here 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 There is also the Neuter gender for the Masculine Or else it 's used emphatically to shew that not so much totus homo as the torum hominis the every thing of a godly man is given to Christ not his soul but his body also This phrase is severall times used especially Joh. 6.37 where it is said All that my Father giveth me cometh unto me I will in no wise cast out and will raise him up again Where that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 every thing implieth body as well as soul because it 's said he will raise him up Now when the Father is said to give some of mankinde to Christ that is not to be understood of his divine nature for so he hath all things as God but as a Mediatour and Redeemer so that the sence is God the Father gave some of Mankind◠to Christ committed them to his care and trust that he should be their Mediatour and obtain everlasting Salvation From whence Observe That not all but some only of Mankinde are given by God the Father to Christ to be a Mediatour for them Though Christ have a sufficiency and fulnesse in him to obtain Salvation for all yet some only are given to him intentionally by Gods Decree to be their actuall Saviour and Mediatour To as many saith the Text as the Father hath given him This place doth batter to the ground that pleasing opinion of Universal Redemption for by that not some but all are given to Christ by the Father and if so then all must be saved for mark that place Joh. 10.28 29 speaking of his Sheep They shall not perish neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand for my Father which gave them me is greater then all We need not a cleerer place for these two things 1. That there are but some that the Father hath given Christ 2. All those that are given they are sure to have eternal life because none is greater then the Father So that those two dangerous doctrines Universal Redemption and the total and final apostacy of the true Saints are evidently confuted by that place This is so clear that we need not matter their many distinctions to obscure the truth That there are some whom the Father hath thus committed to Christ to be their Mediatour appeareth by this expression us'd at other times The forementioned place Joh. 6.37 39. is considerable The occasion of that expression was from the unbelief of the Capernaits who though they had seen Christs wonders yet beleeved not but it was no wonder for saith he All that is given me of my Father shall come unto me If you had been thus given to me you would beleeve Now because it 's invisible and altogether a secret known only to God who they are that are given to Christ he sheweth a sure and certain fruit of this They will in time come to him i. e. beleeve in him and receive him so that we may invert the Saying all that do truly beleeve in Christ they are given unto him of the Father and for their encouragement he saith He will in no wise cast them out a Metaphor from the Master that takes a Scholar though dull and weak yet he will forbear and not cast him out and lest it should be thought that though it be well with them thus for the present yet for the future they may be undone he addeth v. 39. It 's the Fathers will of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing but raise it up again at the last day Oh the divine and unspeakable consolations that are here treasured up for the godly So Joh. 10.29 which you heard before One place there is that may be a stumbling-block and seem to weaken all Joh. 17.12 Those that thou gavest me I have kept and there is none lost but the Sonne of Perdition But the answer is The Apostles are said to be given to Christ in a twofold respect 1. Of sanctification and glorification and thus Judas was not 2. In respect of their Office and calling as when he said Have not I chosen twelve and one of you is
these things Hence when Israel did see her vanity by false confidences in the creatures see what God saith of her Hos 13.4 Thou shalt know no God but me for there is no Saviour beside me and Hos 8.2 Israel shall cry unto me My God we know thee Though therefore knowledge be better then the greatest duties performed out of ignorant devotion the same Hosea 6 6. God there desireth knowledge more then burnt offerings yet this is but a lame imperfect knowledge if it breed not dependance on God as on our heavenly and gracious Father The other branch of dependance is on Christ for Justification and Salvation that is the beleeving on him which our Saviour so often promiseth eternall life to Oh when our knowledge of Christ and the fulnesse and sufficiency of a Mediator makes us to cast all our burden on him and to have free accesse to the Throne of Grace by his bloud this is precious knowledge This is that excellency of knowledge Paul Phil. 3. counted all things dung unto comparatively See then what trust and dependance doth the knowledge of God cause in thee for all thy knowledge art thou not as full of cares distractions and diffidence as if God did not rule as if Christ were not the Mediatour as if there were no promises in Gods Word 6. Then is our knowledge saving when it makes us glorifie God as God giving the praise of all things to him Rom. 1. This the Apostle taxeth the Gentiles withall that though they had a knowledge of God by the creatures yet they did not glorifie him according to this knowledge but they made sensible Images of him and worshipped wood and stone the work of mens hands They did not glorifie him as God there is a great deal in that To glorifie God as God is so to honour him as to give him the best and the supremacy in all things When our hearts are as much upon the creature as God or when we would serve God and Mamon this is not to glorifie God as God When we do any thing not principally and chiefly for God we do not honour him as a God These are the inward effects of knowledge Now there are outward effects which will necessarily follow true and saving knowledge even as the beams of the Sunne do the Sunne though they are not called externall as opposite to internall no they both go together for they that know God know him to be a Spirit and that he must be worshipped in Spirit and truth that all outward duties done without the heart are but a meer hypocrisie so that these outward effects are to be taken as streams coming from a full and precious fountain within and they are such as these 1. The true knowledge of God doth make a man effectually purge himself from all filthy and noisome lusts To say we know God and yet give our selves to sin is a lye and it argueth no truth in us 1· John 3.6 He that commits sin hath not known or seen God which is the reason why the Prophets attribute all the ungodlinesse in a Land to the not knowing of God So our Saviour tels the Pharisees that all their wickednesse was because they did not know him and his Father and in this Chapter Christ saith The world hath not known thee but these have known thee Ephes 4. If ye have been taught as the truth is in Jesus and ye have not so learned Christ What is this when we have so learned Christ as to put off the old man with the lusts thereof Never then boast of thy knowledge and thy parts what mortification of sinne what cleansing from thy filth doth it cause in thee if thy Christian knowledge doth not work a Christian life but thou art bruitish and dissolute in thy life tremble at thy estate for thou art out of the way to heaven 1 Pet. 2.20 some are said to have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of God yet these did it externally only They were swine though washed not sheep but thou dost not come thus farre though thou hast the knowledge of God yet thou wallowest in thy mire and lickest up thy vomit Thy condemnation will be the greater because thou knowest thy Masters will and dost it not What sentence then shall we passe upon all the carnall and wicked waies of most men they know well enough they understand well enough but because this knowledge hath no efficacy upon their lives therefore they go in the broad way to hell 2. Saving knowledge as it causeth an avoiding of sinne so a ready and willing obedience unto the commands of God And for this sake all disobedient and rebellious sinners are said in the Scripture not to know God They are excellently put together 1 Thess 1.8 in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God nor obey the Gospel of Jesus Christ What obedience then and conformity to Gods Law doth thy knowledge work in thee this God looketh at he careth not for thy head or thy tongue if he have not thy heart thy hands and thy whole life If so be the Apostle say that he which doubteth whether such a thing be sinne he is damned if he do it Rom. 14. how damnable is that mans condition who knoweth and is assured that he sinneth and yet wilfully persists in it So that our knowledge is not to be carried only to truths to what is to be beleeved and there to sit down No but Rom. 12.2 we are to be transformed in our minde that we may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God We are to consider what is that which is acceptable and well-pleasing to God and when we know it we must readily fullfill it Oh that men of knowledge and parts would think of these things Dost thou that which is well-pleasing to God Doth God accept of such a life as thine Is there not a plain contrariety and opposition between Gods will and thy lusts A man of great knowledge and also great impiety were he not puffed up with self-flattery would easily see the opposition between his life and Gods Word the one is strict his life is dissolute the one calleth to avoid not only sinne but the appearance of it but thy life plungeth thee both into sinne and the occasions of it Oh consider all thy knowledge and understanding helps thee no more then the devils knowledge doth them they are not able to love or delight in God and his will 3. The knowledge of God will make a man keep a good conscience in all things it will make him take heed of sinne in secret as well as publique it will make him do duties in secret as well as openly for whosoever is not afraid to sinne in secret whosoever neglects private duties and holinesse this man knoweth not God he doth not understand that he is omnipresent that his eye is every where beholding all things that
into the world to have his ease and pleasure and outward glory but to Work This obedience of his it was both active and passive 2. Here is the description of the nature or quality of this work that which was given him by the Father to do so that in all this there was a stipulation and an agreement with the Father 3. There is his discharge of it I have finished it He did not leave it half done there is nothing more can be required of Christ This is a comfortable truth for wo be to us if Christ had not discharged all if there had been any supply to be made by us If you say How could Christ say he had finished his work when yet the dregs of the cup were to be drunk up the worst seem'd to be behind viz. all that agony and sorrow he was to suffer First Austin answers it by reading it in the future tense I will finish thy work but that cannot be The best answer is that Christ thus speaks because all was now at hand to be finished he was in a prepared and ready disposition to consummate all as we reade he said a little before his death It 's finished consummatum est Now the Scripture accounts that as done which is immediatly to be done and the man is ready to do it Thus Abraham Heb. 11. is said to offer up his sonne Isaac and to receive him from the dead when yet actually he did not offer him but he was immediatly fitted for it Obs Christ did fully and perfectly finish that work the Father gave him to do John 4.34 see what a notable expression our Saviour useth to this purpose My meat is to do the will of him that sent me My meat i. e. my joy my refreshing never any hungry man was more refreshed by food then I am in doing my Fathers will and what was that will to obtain pardon and salvation for a poor humbled sinner Oh why should the godly soul be dejected with doubts whether Christ will receive him or no it 's his meat to be communicating grace and mercy to thee Thou canst not so much desire him as he doth thee Again he addes To do my Fathers will and to finish his work for if Christ had begun it and not compleated it we had been still in our sinnes and without all hope this is the fountain of all our hope and joy Christ finished his work he did not leave any thing for me to do Indeed duties are required of us but not as additaments or suppliments to his mediation but as qualifications fitting us to partake of the fruit of it Let us dive into the Divinity of this Point And 1. Consider That Christ might have come into the world as a glorious Lord and Lawgiver only to rule and to give Laws but coming into the world as a Mediator and a Surety it behoved him to be under a Law and to discharge that work he undertook That Christ might have been in the world not subject to the Law or obliged to do any thing for our good is plain because his Incarnation was not necessary he was not compelled to it he might have chosen whether he would thus undertake for man or no therefore the Scripture saith Phil. 2. He made himself of no reputation and He became obedient to the death of the crosse It was wholly at his own good pleasure but suppose this will and purpose of his then there was a duty and charge laid upon him to perform all he was betrusted with he would have been found unfaithfull had he not done every thing to the uttermost 2. There was a holy and admirable agreement between God the Father and the Sonne to be a Mediator for those his Father had given him Hence it is that he saith so often his Father had sent him and I came to do the will of him that sent me Although the Covenant of grace be made with beleevers yet there was a previous and antecedent Covenant or agreement between the Father and the Sonne to be a Mediator and the agreement was that if Christ would lay down his life for such then the Father would give them to him as his seed and glorifie them as also reward him with all honour and glory That Christ was rewarded with all honour appeareth Phil. 2. and in other places and that because of his work done as a Mediator and that he had a seed given him appeareth in that it 's said he should see of his seed and be satisfied Isa 53.11 The Arminian doctrine therefore that holds an Universall Redemption in imputation only and not application maketh it possible that his soul might be in all that travell and yet he not be satisfied for not one might be saved There was then this admirable agreement between the Father and the Sonne transacted in heaven they were purposing good to beleevers even before they had a being or could have any desires for their own good 3. From this Covenant and agreement it is that Christs work is truly and properly obedience for it may be asked How could Christ be said to obey seeing he could not but do Gods will there was an inward necessity from the Hypostaticall union and as we do not say the service that Angels and Saints do in heaven is properly obedience for then that should be rewarded with a new heaven and so in infinitum Why then can it be said that Christs doing and suffering is obedience To this we Answer The Scripture doth expresly call it obedience and such an obedience as hath a reward annexed to it Hence John 10.8 Christ cals it the Commandment which he had received from his Father And whereas it 's said Christ necessarily obeyed and so it could not be otherwise it 's true supposing his will to be a Mediator then such was his holinesse that he could not but be faithfull yet this was not a naturall necessity as the fire burneth but a necessity of immutability arising from the perfection of his nature neither is to sinne of the essence of liberty but it 's a defect and doth accompany only a mutable liberty in what is good Let it therefore be firmly beleeved that all which Christ did it was truly and properly obedience to the Law of God Rom. 5.19 By the obedience of one c. 4. This was not meerly obedience but a meriting obedience so that our salvation and his glory was not due to him meerly as such by vertue of a promise or by congruity but from condignity although concerning the later viz. meriting his own glory many sound Divines think otherwise There was an intrinsecall worth and excellency in Christs obedience answering to our salvation Hence though we have our Justification and Salvation of grace and meer grace yet in respect of Christ it was of justice and debt so that in Christ the Covenant of works was fulfilled though in us
he plainly feeleth God working in him The wicked man knoweth God by the creatures and his works abroad but the godly knoweth him by the new creature and works of grace upon his heart and this is the most excellent knowledge when he knoweth God by the regeneration and sanctification of his nature by his heavenly and gracious quicknings to holy duties and against sinne If in regard of out naturall life we live and move and have our being in God how much more in our supernatural life Those know God indeed that feel those divine workings upon their souls As Job before when God had humbled him said I have heard of thee by the ear but now my eye seeth thee Job 42.5 So saith the godly I have heard many Sermons of God but I never felt him till now or as the Queen of Sheba who had heard much of the fame of Solomon but when she came to be an eye-witnesse of it then she was astonished and judged all her former apprehensions nothing Thus it is with the truly sanctified though you tell him what good parts what Scripture understanding what abilities in duties he had Oh saith he all that time I did not know God I never knew him till these inward workings were upon me I spoke of him as a man will do of some strange Countrey he had often heard of but never saw Argum. 5 5. The true godly man only knoweth God because he only hath communion and fellowship with him he only is admitted into Gods presence All wicked men though never so knowing are at a great distance from God They know not the light of his countenance what it is to have the assurance of his favour what to have those experimental sweetnesses of heart which flow from the enjoying of him Therefore it s added in that of Joh. 18. I will manifest my self to him and come and sup with him that is God will give us a joyfull chearfull familiar fellowship with himself he will make known himself as Joseph did at last to his brethren God draweth nigh to them and they to God and this indeed is a choice way of knowing of God when we know what it is to have his love shed in our hearts when we hear God speaking peace to us when it 's not duties nor any religious performance but God himself that the heart partakes of Thus the Psalmist inviteth to taste and see how good God is Psa 34.8 Oh hast thou ever had this tasting and seeing then thou knowest God comfortably Now the ground of all this is because obedience love and fear are the end of all knowledge therefore that knowledge which doth not obtain its end is no knowledge and hence the Scripture saith If ye know these things happy are ye if ye do them Joh. 13.17 and generally the Scripture describeth wicked men by this that they know not God as Paul said of the Jews If they had known Christ to be the God of glory they would never have crucified him 1 Cor. 2.5 Thus did men know God as they ought they could not think and speak or live as they do Vse Rest not in any kinde of knowledge about God till it hath these effects on thee Never judge thy self to know any thing of Religion till it hath thus transformed thee till it be the acknowledgement of truth after godlinesse but alas where are the persons where is the Family where are the people that know God The ungodliness they live in proclaim they know no such divine Majesty Oh consider that God knoweth not thee likewise with a knowledge of approbation of omniscience he doth and that will be thy confusion but not of complacency at the day of judgement he will say Depart I know you not Oh that we were such of whom it may be said Their obedience their pure and holy life their delight and acquaintance with God manifests they know God and then you will not die with such terrour with such fear I go to him I have known I go not to an unknown God SERMON XXX The Great End of the Ministery And what should be the end of both Ministers and people in their Preaching and hearing JOH 17.6 I have manifested thy Name to as many as thou hast given me out of the world WE have considered the action or efficacy of the person or efficient spoken of in the Text We now come to consider the person himself and that is Christ who saith of himself I have manifested thy Name Christ speaks in this as he is the great Prophet and chief Shepherd of our souls for being intrusted with this office he did faithfully discharge it whoever reads over Christs life and seeth how laborious and diligent he was to bring men to the knowledge of God and to save their souls must needs say The Lion of the Tribe of Judah went up and down more earnestly to save then the roaring Lion of hell is busie to destroy Hence Joh. 4. while he is emploied to bring home but one poor Sheep that was gone astray the Woman of Samaria he is so earnest in it that he forgets to eat his bread and tels them his meat and drink was to do his Fathers will which was to declare the truth of God and invite sinners to come in unto him so then we see here an excellent President for all the Ministers of the Gospel to follow As Christ was wholly in this to make people know God so ought they to be In Christs works of his Mediatorship and of his Miracles we may not imitate him we cannot but in this of his labour and tender love to mens souls we are bound to follow him Obs That the end of the Ministry and Ministers should be to bring people to the knowledge of God to the saving knowledge of Christ Thus Paul exceeded the Heathen Hercules in his manifold labours to this purpose especially see what a divine profession he makes to them of Ephisus Act. 20.26 27. I take you to record this day that I am pure from the bloud of all men Here we see there is a soul-murder as well as a body and the Ministers of the Gospel are to keep themselves pure from that for if the bloud of Abels body crieth aloud what outcries will the bloud of peoples souls make Now Paul kept himself thus pure by declaring unto them all the Counsell of God so that if we would doe our duty we must be Lights shining upon the understandings of men that they may know beleeve in and obey God And so Paul again at large 1 The. 2. There his very heart flameth out into affectionate words for their salvation The end then of our Preaching and of your hearing should be to have God manifested to your souls how apt are both Ministers and people to fail of this great and necessary end To open the doctrine you may take notice that as the Logicians speak of a twofold end Finis operis and
all his offices and works are spiritual so it 's onely the spirituall and heavenly heart that can close with it There must be a proportion between the Object and the faculty or Subject Supernaturall will not agree with that which is naturall If therefore thou art carnall earthly and wholly minding worldly Comforts thou wilt preferre every Thistle before this Jewell To you that beleeve Christ is precious saith Peter 1 Peter 2.7 but to others he is not so Oh then if thy heart doe not leap for Joy within thee as John did in the womb at the Presence of Christ it 's because thy heart is carnall and sensuall Thou knowest no better good then what pleaseth sence It 's not because the matter is empty but because thy heart is empty of heaven What makes Paul desire to know nothing but Christ and him crucified Was it not the high spirituall Frame of his heart and it cannot be otherwise for Christ is all that an heavenly heart can desire He is the Way the Truth and the Life He is the Head and the Vine He is the true Bread that came down from Heaven He is made of God Wisedome Righteousnesse and Sanctification If then there were more Pauls Christ in his Mediatourship would be more magnified but the generall sort of people are like the Gadarenes they had rather that Christ should depart out of their Countrey then that they should lose their Swine Or like unto the Jews that desire to shew more favour to Barabbas then to Jesus 3. Would you be affected with this Truth then pray earnestly for the Spirit of Adoption and an Evangelicall Frame of heart An heart not under the Law in a well-explained sence but under Grace Pray that ye may be led by the Spirit of God and so be as Sonnes For by this means Christ will be all in all It 's our hard unbeleeving and distrustfull thoughts of God that makes us keep at such a distance from Christ and so neglect him who is the Peace-maker and Reconciler Whereas an Evangelical disposition would make us draw nigh to God as a Father in Christ It would remove the great Gulf that is in the way It takes away the partition Wall So that the longer we are kept in discouraging Fears the lesse Fellowship have we with the Father and the Sonne and so the lesse esteem and respect of him who is to create and work all this 4. Would you Rejoyce in this Truth Then Acquaint your selves with the Imperfection of your graces and the insufficiency that is in you even when you have done the best For by this means you will finde that every thing within faileth you Nothing will stand sure enough and thereby you will be necessitated to seek for a Mediatour without Thus Paul Rom. 7. when he discovered all that drosse within himself That when he would do good evil was present with him Yet what doth this drive him to at last I thank God through Jesus Christ And David upon the apprehension of what defects did cleave to him praieth That God would not enter into Judgement for then no flesh should be justified Psa 133. Not any one person in the world because he is flesh Oh there is little cause for any man to bear up his Head though he did ten Thousand times more then he did though he were a Gyant in Grace whereas now he is but a Dwarf because there is so much Imperfection in the best Duty that it needs pardon Not onely our sinnes but our Righteousnesse needs the Righteousnesse of Chtist as you see Paul acknowledged and the Church of old complained comparing them to a menstruous Cloth Isa 64.6 Oh then if thou wert setled in this thou wouldest cry out Christ he is all in all Vse 3. of Invitation Even to great and grievous sinners to bewail their Iniquities and to come in to Christ For even your case is not desperate Seeing we have such a Mediatour if Christ be truely apprehended what he is all our sinnes will be no more to him then the Earth to Heaven It 's a long while ere the Law hath its due efficacy upon many sinners They blesse themselves when God curseth them They acquit themselves when the Law condemneth them But when once their hearts are mastered and they feel the wounds of sinne whether they will or no Then it 's as hard to direct them to this Mediatour Then they think their sinnes greater not onely then they can bear but then Christ can or at least will bear Then the thoughts of the Multitude and bloudy aggravations of them are so great that they see no way but Hell and Damnation before them Oh let such consider what this Mediatour is who is sufficient to save to the uttermost That he is more able to justifie then the first Adam to condemn Let them remember how well-pleasing it is to throw our selves into the Arms of Christ That he will not in any wise cast out those that come to him That he will not break the bruised Reed nor quench the smoaking Flax. But you will say This Truth if preached publiquely will do more hurt then good For the Prophane ungodly Wretch he will go home in the hardnesse of his heart and when he can sinne no longer nor live no longer then he will say Oh it 's good to trust in the Mediatour But first Consider That there is an Order and Method in our Trusting in Christ It 's not the first Duty we are to set upon But as he that would get the Fruit of some Tree must first pull away the Briars or thorns that haply hang in the way So it is here Before thou art called to beleeve in him thou art called to Know thy Self and thy sinnes how wretched and damnable thy Estate is Unto what wrath and vengeance threatned by the Law thou art obnoxious Thou must be lost in thy own self ere Christ will finde thee and further thou art called to have strong desires even as hunger and thirst is after Christ above all worldly and earthly things so that none can bid thee beleeve and as for thy Repentance or thy love to thy sins that is no matter Christ will receive you howsoever And then Secondly As you cannot come to Christ but this Preparation must be made so neither can you keep him as yours but with a constant holy and earnest endeavour to all Godlinesse 2 Cor. 5.17 He that is in Christ is a New Creature and He that is Christs hath mortified the affections of sin Never think the Spirit of Christ will abide with willfull and obstinate wickednesse SERMON XLI Of Praying both for the Godly and the Wicked With the Reasons and Motives thereof JOH 17.9 I pray for them I pray not for the world IN this Verse we see the End why Christ so largely commended the Faith and Obedience of his Disciples It is to shew that they were such Subjects for whom his Praier was proper and
Heb. 11. They that say such things declare they look for a better City Oh how apt are we to make the world our home To desire we might abide here alwaies To think of no other Happinesse or Blessednesse but what is in the Creatures but God by the Troubles therein doth convince us that there must be a better Condition then this We have no abiding place in this world we are here to day to morrow we may be gone and therefore we should be Diligent in Watching and Praying and preparing for our Masters Coming Oh what a Bridle would it be to our carnal Affections to remember we are but Sojourners and Strangers here To look upon thy Estate and Inheritance no otherwise then a Traveller doth upon the Goods in an Inne Reasons 3 Thirdly The Lord makes this world full of Enmity and Hatred against us That we might not symbolize with it or contract any of the guilt and pollution of it upon our Souls It is a Mercy that Wicked men are Scorpions and Serpents That they are Wolves and Lyons hereby thou art chased and affrighted from their Company and Society whereas if they were loving and pleasing thou wouldest be often with them and so sit in the Chair of the Scorner and come into the Assemblies of wicked men Is it not a Mercy to be kept from a Pest-house or a Place where Infectious Diseases are Thus God hath put such an Enmity and Contrariety between the Godly and the Wicked There is such a great Gulf and vast distance that Solomon saith The wicked is an abomination to the Righteous and the Righteous to the wicked Prov. 29.27 The Godly man can no more endure the wicked mans waies then the Wicked can abide a Godly mans waies Therefore blesse and praise God for this Enmity and opposition and make good and profitable use of it Reasons 4 Lastly The Lord doth it That Heaven and the Enjoyment of him to all Eternity may be more prized and better esteemed by us We must with Lot even be violently pulled out of this Sodom Oh our sinnefull and our unworthy Hearts that we should so delight to be tossed and hurried up and down in the Ocean and be afraid to come to the Haven That Death should be so unwelcome when it is the Passage to incomprehensible and immortall Glory What have not all thy Pains Afflictions and Grievances yet made thee long and thirst for Heaven Dost thou not think Here I am sighing crying diseased distressed when the Glorious Saints in Heaven are rejoycing Vse of Instruction To the people of God Not to be dejected but rather to be exceeding glad as our Saviour commands when the wicked world opposeth them for their Godlinesse and Uprightnesse For mark our Saviours Expression herein Matth. 5.20 It must be for Christs Sake and Righteousnesse Sake not for any wickednesse or ungodlinesse of thy own Doe not take the just reward of thy sinnes to be the glorious Consequents of holinesse But if it be because thou fearest God thou ownest God and his way thou standest up for his Truth and Godlinesse then leap and dance for Joy that God hath put so much honour upon thee Say with David I will be more vile still The Starres are never the lesse glorious though they have given them ugly Names of the Bear and the like So neither are the godly lesse Glorious though the world labours to besmear them with dirt a Jewell is a Jewell though soiled with dirt SERMON LIII The Exaltation of Christ improved for the joy of of all Beleevers JOH 17.11 And I come to thee THis is the Third distinct Argument in this Verse which Christ useth in his Petition for his Disciples Some indeed take it Exegeticall or Declarative of what he meant by saying He was no more in this world But others take the Particle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ratiocinatively as a Reason why he is no more to be in the world because he is going to the Father This Argument implieth then that Christ by going out of the world doth not cease to be but that he goeth to the Father and there will be a potent Favourite in the Court of heaven for them Christ then speaking here of his Locall Motion we may in this as in all such Motions Consider 1. The term from which that is the world which is not to be understood as if he did depose and lay down his humane Nature or that he was not still present in an efficacious invisible manner but in respect of a bodily presence This place confutes Popish Transubstantiation and the Lutheran Vbiquity of Christs Body 2. There is the term to which to thee 3. The Via per quam the way by which and that is implied by his Death and Sufferings In the Greek it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in other places it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and once that is used absolutely The Sonne of man goeth c. Mat. 26.24 That is he dieth here there is contained much comfort to his Disciples that neither Christs Enemies or Death did overcome him but by Death he goeth to his Father and that for the great benefit and advantage of all true Believers Obs That Christ by Death went to his Father Here is much practicall Divinity in this Point We see our Saviour again and again instructed his Disciples about his He knew how much his Sufferings and Death would amaze them and shake their Faith he knew what a false principle they were possessed with viz that he would erect a temporall Glorious Kingdome Therefore that they might not be undone by these thoughts he tels them often both of his death and whither by that he was to go Ioh. 14.3 Our Saviour comforts their troubled hearts with this that he was going to the Father and that not meerly for his own glory and honour but also for their good Even as Ioseph was advanced in Pharaohs Court as well for the good of his Father and his brethren as for his own glory and by the way observe that our Saviour tels them That they knew whither he went and the way yet Thomas in the name of the rest saith Lord we know not whither thou goest Now you may ask Either Christ who is Truth it self spake not right or Thomas The answer is Both spake right for the Disciples knew in the general and confusedly but not distinctly or particularly or they knew it habitually but in time of temptation they did not put this knowledge forth By this we see the Godly may have that grace and that faith in them which yet they think is not there To open this Doctrine let us consider the several particulars that are enclosed in it First That it was appointed by God that the way whereby Christ should from this state of humiliation come to glory with him should be the way of ignominy reproach and death It behoved the Son of man to suffer and so enter into glory Luk.
Father So that this departure to the Father is the cause of all those dona sanctificantia and ministrantia in the Church Thy Faith thy Repentance thy Love of God and delight in holy things is because of this truth The third Benefit of Christs going to the Father is from one main end of it which is to prepare a place for his Children Indeed heaven was prepared for them from Eternity yet Christ Joh. 14.3 saith He goeth to prepare a place for them in an allusive sence It 's therefore for our infinite Consolation that Christ is gone to the Father for there he prepareth places of glory for us and mark the word v. 2. In my Fathers house are many mansions 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is spoken in opposition to ours here where we are but Pilgrims and strangers In the earth we have only Tabernacles in heaven there are mansion places They continue there to all Eternity and further he saith many Mansion places That they might not think there is not room enough and withall it denotes the readinesse of Christ to entertain us as Rebeccah when she invited the strangers said We have straw and Provender and there is room enough So that Christ is gone to heaven to see that Thrones of glory he provided for his people Oh the Godly man dying if in his temptations is ready to think O my Soul whether art thou going What will become of thee where wilt thou lodge this night To this Faith should answer Christ hath prepared a place he hath provided a Rest and a dwelling-place and though thy Soul cannot be alwaies in thy body nor thy body alwaies in these houses we dwell in yet there is a mansion-place from which we shall never be removed 4. Christ goeth to his Father to be an Advocate and pleade our cause 1 Joh. 2. Heb. 7. He ever-liveth to make Intercession for us Christ is not so affected with that glory and honour God hath put upon him that he should forget the meanest of his children he dealeth not as Pharaohs Butler that forgat poor Ioseph when he was promoted No when we are not and cannot think or minde our selves yet Christ is commending our estate to the Father So that we have this glorious Friend speaking for us in the Court of Heaven whensoever any accusation is brought against us So that the godly soul while it sits sighing I am here sinning and offending of God may also remember at that very time there is a potent Advocate preventing all the dangers that may come by sinne 5. Christs departure from the Father is not an eternal departure He is not so gone as to leave us for ever but he will come again and take us to the Father also Ioh. 14.3 I will come again and receive you to my self that you may be where I am This is the utmost happinesse that a beleever can desire If it be such joy for the childe to be with his Father a wife with her Husband how transcendent is this mercy to be with Christ Therefore in this Chapter our Saviour praieth for it that his Disciples be where he is Now this being where Christ is doth comprehend the communication of all glory and blessednesse which Christ bestoweth on his people and that without any intermission Here in this life we have many clouds to intercept the Sun-beams with the Church through our unbelief and slothfulnesse we have lost our beloved so that many times the soul is straitned and crieth out where is he whom my Soul loveth But then and there we have a perpetual communion with him and if so be the enjoying of him by faith fill the soul with so much joy what will the immediate fruition of him do Thus you see that we are in a jejune speculative manner to say Christ by his death went to the Father but to be affectionately possessed with it as being the treasury of all consolation In the fourth general place By this phrase is signified to us that death could not detain Christ in the grave it could not hold him there so as to hinder his going to the Father By this therefore we see Christ hath triumphed over the devil and sin with all the effects of it The devil that prevailed by his Instrumens to put him to death would much more have kept him alwaies in the grave but his resurrection and ascension to heaven there to be with the Father in glory signifieth that he hath now overcome all his enemies and which is the godly mans comfort all his enemies likewise for Christ and the beleever have the same enemies if Christ overcome they overcome The devil is Christs Enemy and death was Christs Enemy as well as thine and it 's good to observe that death is called Christs Enemy 1 Cor. 15. Christ shall put all his Enemies under his feet The last Enemy that shall be destroied is death See then that death which is so terrible to thee which thou lookest on as an Enemy it is Christs and he hath overcome it Oh then what glad tidings should this be in our ears Christ hath ascended to the Father for that is as much as to say Neither sin or devil or grave could prevail over him and therefore he hath fully discharged the work of a Redeemer he hath paid to the utmost farthing so that the love and justice of God cannot but be satisfied by the atonement he hath made 5. It 's worth the observâ—ng that this expression of Christs I go to the Father doth put an excellent face upon that which is most terrible for that which was death and death in the most ignominious and cruel manner he expresseth in this lovely and desirable manner I go to the Father Those agonies and drops of bloud Those deep and strong cries My God my God why hast thou forsaken me he covers over with this amiable phrase I go to the Father Thus Christ out of the temptation called it so but in the temptation he asketh why he had forsaken him Not that Christ in his temptation was guilty of any sin or was capable of any sinful imperfection only he had not the same experimental feeling as at other times for when he had told his Disciples all should forsake him and leave him alone yet saith he I am not alone for my Father is with me Joh. 16.32 In his sad temptation he had not the experimental comfortable sense of this No marvel then if the godly finde a great alteration of themselves in a temptation they have not the comfortable sense and perswasion of that which they felt when not tempted for it was thus with Christ only without sin Lastly As Christ himself thus cals his death a going to the Father so may every beleever yea he ought to do so for though God be the Father of Christ by Eternal generation yet he is the Father of the beleever by a gracious Adoption Therefore our Saviour puts them togetheâ— I go to my
by the Apostles Diotrephes he loved to have preheminence Others accounted gain godlinesse and had their hearts exercised with covetous practises There was no heretique ever proved a firebrand in the Church but one of these causes for the most part moved him which made Austin put it in the definition of an heretique that he did alicujus temporalis commodi causâ either invent or propagate false Opinions But of Unity more when we come to the following Verses Vse of Exhortation to follow Christ in this Praier give the great God of heaven no rest by praier till he hath given rest to his Church and the guides thereof Cry out as the Disciples did to Christ to rebuke the windes and tempests for the Ship we are in sâ—isâ—nking These divisions are not only sins but sad prognosticks of Gods wrath as if he had a purpose to unchurch us and to make us no more his people as he did to the Churches in Asia SERMON LX. The great Paterne of Vnity The Nature and Properties of the Vnity that is between God the Father and the Sonne against the Socinians That the Ministers of God should endeavour after a perfect Vnity even to be One as the Father and Sonne are Also some Rules guiding thereunto JOHN 17.11 That they may be One as Thou and I are WE are now come to the close of the Prayer which containeth the Example or Patern of that Unity Christ prayeth for It 's not for every kinde of Unity he prayeth for but he would have them imitate that Unity which is most absolute and compleat even the Unity of the Father and the Son Before we raise the Doctrine this particular must be vindicated For the Arians and Socinians think this a pregnant place to overthrow the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all nature of the Father and the Sonne That therefore here cannot be meant an essential Vnity Thus they argue Such an Vnity the Father and Christ have as the Disciples are prai'd for to have But that is a Vnity and Concord and Agreement not of Essence Therefore Christ and the Father are not Essentially One. This seemeth to be very specious and plausible But First Grant that we should interpret the Onenesse spoken of in the Text of consent in Will and Agreement as Calvin doth yet it doth not follow that other places speaking of their Onenesse should be also understood in the same manner yea from the Onenesse of Will between the Father and Sonne is necessarily inferred the Onenesse of their nature So that although we should understand this principally of Unity in accord yet by consequence it would prove Unity of Nature for in free Agents where there is the same will there there is also the same nature where there is the same humane will there is the same humane nature and where is the same divine will there is the same divine nature indeed with men it 's the same specifical nature not numerical but because there is one God onely therefore it must be the same numerical nature But in the second place We are to take the Unity of the Father and the Sonne in as large a sense at least not to exclude it as in other places it is Now in other places especially John 10.30 there we have undeniable Arguments to prove it is an Essential Unity I and my Father are One. Bellarmine though otherwise a Papist yet in this point against the Arians is Orthodox and doth strongly maintain the truth against them Now these three Arguments he brings That the Unity spoken of in that verse is Essential First Because otherwise our Saviours Argument there mentioned would be insufficient for thus Christ argueth None can pluck my sheep out of my hands because none can pluck them out of my Fathers hands Why doth this follow Because I and my Father are one So then if Christ and the Father had not one power and so one Divine Nature the Argument would not hold A second Reason is Because the Jews did understand him in this sense and therefore they took up stones to stone him and mark the reason vers 33. Because thou being a man makest thy self God If our Saviour had meant no more then Vnity of Agreement with Gods will The Jews knew that every godly man had the love of God in this sense written in his heart Therefore they could not think that blasphemy They did not think that David made himself a God when he delighted in the Law of God making his will to accord with Gods Thirdly Because our Saviour upon this accusation doth not deny the thing or charge them with falshood but further proveth it Because he doth the works of the Father therefore he bids them believe his works if they will not believe him which are to make them know that the Father is in him and he in the Father upon which words it's said again vers 39. They sought again to take him implying he had not corrected but confirmed that more which they called blasphemy In the third place Though our Saviour prayeth the Disciples may be One as he and the Father are yet their Argument will not hold unlesse they can shew that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as is alwayes used as a note of equality and not similitude onely but we can shew the contrary in Scripture that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is used for similitude not equality Luke 6.36 Be ye mercifull as your heavenly Father is mercifull There it 's a note of similitude onely for how can a drop be equal to the Ocean So 1 John 3.2 He that hath this hope purifieth himself as God is pure Here it must be a note of similitude for none can be equal to God in purity and thus here in the Text endeavour to be One as the Father and the Sonne not that you can equalize it but propound that absolute and perfect Rule to follow Insomuch that if this place be well considered it makes against all Arians and so is pro testimonio fidei which they perverted in argumentum perfidiae and Austin's observation is not to be neglected Christ saith he prayeth that they may be One as we are he doth not say that they may be One with us or that they and we may be One as we are One but that they may be One as we are One What more may be said upon this is to be spoken unto vers 21. Observe That it 's not enough for the Ministers of the Gospel to be one but they are to endeavour after the most perfect Vnity to be One as the Father and Sonne are Oh this consideration should make us blush and ashamed to see the contentions and differences that are Did the Father and the Sonne ever shew such discord We should never take our eyes off this patern Let us but consider in how many respects we are to aim at such a Unity as is between them First The Vnity between the Father and the Sonne is a
as those Spies did of the Land of Canaan saying It 's impossible for any man ever to come thither and with the Disciples to say Who then can be saved but with God nothing is impossible To open this Doctrine consider that there is a fourfold principle which is operative to the conservation of the believers First There is an inward vital and vivifical principle of grace abiding in the godly which will never fail Not but that of it self it would as in Adam and Angels but as God could confirm and establish the grace of Angels that it never shall perish so doth God that supernatural principle of holiness put into his people 1 John 3.8 He that is born of God he neither doth sinne or can sinne viz. so as to be given up wholly to it and that because the seed of God abideth in him Though there be different thoughts about this seed what it is I do now suppose it to be that inward principle of supernatural life from whence all gracious operations do flow This God hath set in the heart and inward parts of his people never to be rooted out Thus John 4 14. The believer is said to have in him a well of water springing up to eternal life Here is a fountain that cannot be dried up Therefore it 's said He shall never thirst more viz. with a thirst of a total indigence and want Even in the greatest deficiencies and barrenness of Gods people there hath been sap in the root when the branches seemed dead A second principle thus conserving is That daily help of grace quickning and corroborating the soul in all holinesse The former grace is permanent and habitual this transien t actual and by way of motion This latter doth compleat and actuate the former For as it 's not enough to have a naturall life unlesse there be a further concourse of God by which we actually move and stirre So in our supernatural life it 's not enough to have that principle of life infused but we are to receive the daily impressions and powerfull quicknings of his holy Spirit and this is to have both the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 posse and the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 operari the will and the deed These are the two internal principles of our conservation for the Lord Christ doth not keep us immediately but by means in a subordinate manner In the next place there is a two-fold principle extrinsecal of our preservation And The first is Our Election that is the fountain of all our perseverance This is the first round in that ladder by which we ascend to Heaven Rom. 8. It 's from Predestination that nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ Rom. 11. It 's Election hath obtained that elected remnant shall never perish and thus in this prayer of our Saviours all security of the godly it 's because the Father had given them to Christ viz. by Election as the root and source of all their good This is so cogent a truth that many who hold a falling away from true grace do yet maintain That no Elect man can ever perish finally because then God should be frustrated of his purpose and the counsel of man should make void the counsell of God This Election of God is the vivificall cause of all Preservation As by this they were Called and Converted from a state of sinne Election did bring them in so the same Election when they are Converted doth protect and keep them if they fall doth raise and repair them whereby they safely at last arrive at Eternity so that their Perseverance is not a merit or reward of their former holinesse but it 's a free gift of God and an effect of Election as their effectual Vocation was The second externall Principle is The Covenant and Promise of God made in Christ to the Godly So that the Covenant of Grace being confirmed by Christs death In whom the Promises are Yea and Amen 2 Cor. 1.20 being among other glorious ends to perpetuate and continue the work of Grace in them it 's impossible that hell or the world should quite put them out of the way to Heaven Jerem. 32.40 God there promiseth an Everlasting Covenant a Covenant that shall abide for ever And what is the Priviledge vouchsafed in that Deed of Gift It 's the putting his fear in their heart that they shall not depart from him You see by this notable place That it 's not we our selves but God who keepeth us and for this we have his Promise So that the godly may triumph in an holy Confidence because of it Many other Promises that are branches of this Covenant the Scripture declareth which should be sweeter then the honey and the honey-comb For what can be more precious to hear then that God will safely preserve thee in the way to Heaven so that no fraud or force without nor any lust or corruption within shall hinder thee of the Crown of Glory Isai 40.29 30 31. He giveth power to the faint and to them that have no might he increaseth strength c. God in the verse before is said Himself not to faint or to be weary Though he created the Earth and doth still preserve it yet he is not weary and because he is thus he will make his people so They in themselves may be fainting and weary but he will renew strength And he illustrateth this from natural strength Though young men in their full strength may be weary yet these shall not And again he compareth their strength to the Eagle that mounteth up with wings to the Heaven and is not weary Thus God will enable the godly soul Though they runne or walk they shall not be weary What a reviving place should this be to the dead dull and languishing believer Why do I lie groveling on the ground Let me flie up to Heaven like an Eagle We have also a remarkable Promise of Divine Protection Isai 4.5 6. where God by two similitudes doth notably declare it First by an allusion to that wonderfull Preservation of the people of Israel It was not enough that God had brought them out of Aegypt they would have perished for all that without his Protection Therefore we may reade the History Exod. 13. how God created a directive Protection for them both by day and night In the day time there was a Cloud and smoak and a shining flaming fire by night Thus God promiseth he will do upon every dwelling-place in Zion and upon her Assemblies by these are figured the several Churches that are assembled to serve God For upon all the Glory shall be a defence By Glory is meant the Ark which is here made a Type of Gods people and they may be called Gods Glory both because they glory in God and God is glorified by them So that the meaning is Look what care and defence God did once show to the Israelites to preserve them from
he was never given in the sense it is used ver 2. where such are said to have eternal life The last aggravation is None of them is perished he doth not say none of them hath been killed by persecutors or none of them have grievously fallen by sinne for so Peter did but none is perished he speaks in the present tense not none shall perish but is perished as if because they were not already perished they should never or rather because in respect of Gods promise it was as sure as if they were already in heaven Even as Judas is said in the Text to be perished although he was not yet in hell he was not yet gone to his proper place but because of the certainty of it This expression was so remarkable that Chap. 18.9 we have mention made of it as a famous saying That the saying might be fulfilled of those thou hast given me I have lost none only whereas in the text it is expressed passively none is perished there it 's active I have lost none but that change of the word is very comfortable for thereby is signified that if any did perish it would be because of some fault in him if they be lost it is he hath lost them Though sinne and the devil should instrumentally destroy them yet it would be principally attributed to his want of love or power or faithfulnesse in his trust In the text one word is to be observed and that is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is perished The word is used sometimes of a corporall and temporall destruction Judg. 12.11 They perished in the gainsaying of Core 1 Pet. 3.6 The whole world is said to be drowned in water so 2 Cor. 10 9. Sometimes it 's used of a spirituall destruction in respect of the soul by everlasting damnation Now the word doth here take in both the senses spirituall destruction as the principall and temporall as the secondary for that this is partly implied appeareth cap. 18.9 I am he ye seek let these go and then follows that none may perish In respect of the first destruction it is chiefly that the devil hath his Name 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Revel 9.11 onely you must observe that when the Scripture useth this word in a spiritual sense for a lost man in soul and body it speaks of a twofold undone condition First There are some in a lost perishing condition but yet recoverable by the grace of God they are as Moses drawn out of the water where certain death would have been and thus all the godly before their conversion are lost Thus Matth 18.11 Christ is said to come that he might save such as were lost he did not come to save a lost Judas or such as were from all eternity left by God in their undone condition but those elect persons that for the present were in a lost estate Thus Luke 15.24 The Prodigal sonne is said to be lost or perished but he was recovered again The other sense is when it 's applied to such as are in an undone estate irrecoverably They are in a state of perishing and will never be brought out of it and thus it 's applied to Judas Thus it 's used 2 Cor. 15. The Gospel is a sweet savour to those that are saved and in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 those that perish where it 's opposed to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The words thus explained Observe That none of those who are elected or given by the Father to Christ shall perish They will be enabled to persevere They will certainly get to the haven This is a principal truth in Divinity and as it is much oppugned by learned Adversaries so it hath also great influence into our lives practically and therefore I shall be the larger on this subject and before I come to explicate it it 's good to compare two other Texts with this as excellent parallels The first is John 6.39 This is the Fathers will where you have the truth asserted and that very powerfully 1. He saith He will lose nothing of what the Father hath given him He doth not say he will lose none but nothing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not any thing neither his soul nor his body and therefore because the body when consumed to dust seemeth to be for ever lost he addeth I will raise it up at the last day 2. This is so great a matter that he saith This is the will of his Father that sent him So that the main command to be received from the Father and the great thing willed was to let none of the elect perish The second Text is John 10.28 where speaking of this property of his sheep that they hear his voice he addeth I give unto them eternal life and they shall never perish Here you see the expression for the future lest it might be objected against this in the Text though none is perished yet yet he may when new temptations and dangers arise then they may be undone Judas did not immediately upon his Discipleship betray Christ but our Saviour saith None shall perish and he giveth a sufficient cause of this their perseverance because they are in his Fathers hand Here is the dear respect God beareth to them and then none is stronger then the Father So that you must finde out a power greater then Gods and more prevailing then his arm if you will hold they can perish Thus you see this truth confirmed by the mouth of two faithfull witnesses But because this truth is of singular use and of much difficulty I shall first lay down many introductory particulars to the stating of this Question for if the childe at first be not well swadled it proveth crooked in it's growth we must therefore lay a sure and clear foundation that our superstructure may endure And First The Question is not of the possibility of a believers total and final perishing If we consider him in himself if we behold him in his own power not as elected and covenanted with in Christ then it 's not only possible but even necessary that he should eternally perish This is evidenced in the apostate Angels and Adam there grace was amissible yea they did actually lose it when yet they had not a corrupt nature within to betray them as we have Therefore they did not necessarily but by a voluntary choice fall into their own destruction How much more would this terrible apostasie be in godly men though sanctified seeing there are the powerfull reliques of corruption abiding in them and withall many violent temptations without to overwhelm them if left to themselves When therefore we say the true believer cannot perish it 's not to be attributed to his strength and power but solely to the grace of God which as at first wrought conversion so it doth also perseverance and continuance in that estate for as the removal of the pillars doth immediately make the house to fall being it's naturall motion is to descend
what time of the Moon humours did most abound then to disturb him and no doubt but that the Heavens were made for glorious ends but not to be Books to reveal what shall come to passe Therefore that you may rest satisfied That the Scripture only can infallibly tell what is to come to passe and that it is a high wickednesse and presumption to run to Witches Sorcerers or judiciall Astrologers take these following Arguments 1. All those places of Scripture which forbid any resort to them Consider that place Lev 19.26 Ye shall not use inchantment nor observe times So Lev. 20 27. Deut. 10.11 12 13. Especially take notice of that full and efficacious place Isa 45.12 13 14. You see here by clear and plain Texts all such predictions are an abomination to God and if we should urge beside divine authority humane this would be enough to confirm us all the Fathers speak with much vehemency against them many Councels have condemned such practises yea divers Heathens have condemned them for the greatest Astrologers Ptolomy himself as the Learned shew acknowledgeth no certain Truth can be foretold by them Tully wrote several Books de Divinatione condemning such Diviners as lib. 2. de div instancing that before a great Fight some Mice had gnawn the Buckler of a Souldier the Soothsayer concluded the War would be fatal and unlucky as if saith Tully because the mice did gnaw some Books which I had of Platoes de Repub. therefore I should conclude that our Commonwealth should be destroyed The very Heathens abhorred such Divinations and we reade Act. 19.19 of many when converted brought their curious Books and burnt them which is not to be understood of meer witchery and Sorcery Books but of those that are given to vain and cousening Arts Otherwise the holy Ghost would not have expressed those wicked Books under so vile a Name as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 As Authority doth condemn so Reason as we may reade at large in Pererius Spanhemius Zanchius and others For 1 If the Heavens were true and proper causes or necessary Signs yet no man could prognostique certainly by them because no man knoweth the number of the Stars nor the vertue and efficacy of them The Scripture giveth it as peculiar to God that he only knoweth the Stars and cals them by their Names but if any man could certainly divine by them he must know both the number of the Stars and their peculiar activity or influence and the degree of that activity without which they may grosly erre Again If the Heavens be causes they are only Universal Causes now from an Vniversal indeterminate cause there cannot be any special particular effect foretold For besides Universal Causes all particular interiour Causes which are many and uncertain must be known also Lastly This would bring a Contempt of God and meer Athiesm into the world The Scripture carrieth us out to God in all things to his Wisedome to his Power to his Justice but these would binde us to the Planets yea by these means the Scripture also will be despised and laid aside so that all prophanesse will thereby be introduced yea and excuses for all Vice will be pleaded how could they help it Seeing they were born under such a Starre as Austin reports of an Astrologer handsomely reproved by his Servant He had a Servant that stole from him and this Astrologer his Master going to correct him he cryeth out I could not help it I was born under Mercury They say those born under that Planet are given to stealing Thus by his Masters own principles and Rules of Art he convinced him Object One Objection they much urge is that they often foretold what is true To this it is answered And many things have been as false and untrue and if one thing fall out it is more observed then if an hundred things prove otherwise besides when they foretell many things it 's hard if they cannot foretell some one thing as a blinde man that shoots many arrows may chance once to hit the mark But then 2. If such things do come to passe it 's either by their expresse or virtuall compact with the devil and if not so as Austin well observeth it 's from a just judgement of God to thee that thou shouldst have wherewith to stumble and fall and undo thy self Deut. 13.1 Thus a wicked Prophet may foretell that which shall come to passe and why God doth thus to prove and try you Vse To abhor all commerce and resort to such persons to fly from them as from the devil Thou breakest thy Baptismal Vow if thou renouncest not such Diabolicall practises Oh that going to such men should ever be owned by Christians by Protestants Indeed Learned men observe that such delusions have prevailed in Popish and Anabaptisticall Spirits but do not thou regard such fopperies How often said Tully did I hear such men promise Pompey and Caesar that they should live long die a peaceable death and in honour when yet the clean contrary fell out and even Lapide the Jesuite on c. 19. of the Acts bewaileth while he was at Rome how much they were given to this vanity while the Astrologers would promise some long Life others 2 Cardinalship others the Popedome and yet at last all miserably deluded Vse 2. To admire the Divinity of the Scripture in this particular That it alone foretels of things to come and it must be fulfilled That speaks of a day of Judgement of an account to be given for every thing done in the flesh Beleeve this and perswade thy soul of it as really as if it were done already when Dives was in hell then he opened his eyes and saw where he was but it was too late and thus it will be with too many SERMON LXXVI The Joy of Saints handled both as a Duty and Priviledge as being one great end of Christs Prayer Command Promises and Ministry JOHN 17.13 And now I come to thee and these things I speak in the world that they might have my joy fulfilled in themselves OUr Saviour having answered that great Objection and offence about the perdition of Judas he returneth again to his Disciples for whom he was pouring out this part of his prayer And 1. He repeateth that Argument he had used vers 11. Now I come to thee Here is much efficacy in this but I have already handled that fully Only take notice That some understand not this of his local motion or ascension to the Father but mental as if his meaning was by these petitions I come to thee according to that old saying Oratio est ascensus mentis in Deum but every eye seeth this improbable I therefore proceed and in the words following you may observe the description of Christs prayer at this time and the end of it His prayer is expressed in that word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with the circumstance of place in the world that is in the ears of all This
glory and therefore that state of happinesse is properly called a state of glory yet we have the first fruits of it here In part Christ doth invest us with his glory but this is nothing to what shall be hereafter Even in this life the things are so great That no eye hath seen neither hath it entered into the heart of a man to conceive How much more then will eternal glory surpass all our imaginations Should not then the consideration of this glorious portion we in part have and expect more fully make us walk comfortably be chearfull in our afflictions passe through this world with joy Certainly we put not forth our fixed contemplations on this glory if we did our hearts would scarce ever be taken off it Eudoxus was so affected with the glory of the Sunne that he thought he was born onely to behold it How much rather should we think it our duty all the day long to behold this glory As the Apostle 2 Cor. 4.17 professeth that all the afflictions he went through and he had many yet they were but light and but for a moment to that eternal weight of glory and what made him think so While we look not at the things which are not seen If then thy heart is at any time dejected disquieted oh think of this glory provided for thee it will make thy soul silence it's crying and mutterings immediately yea this will conquer the fear of death and make the thoughts of it lovely and welcome Fourthly Doth Christ give spiritual glory to his Then let this consume all love and desire of vain-glory and esteem of men This love of glory hath been and is the worm that eateth up the best fruit when lusts and sins have not been able to undo a man glory from the world hath Therefore our Saviour makes such a temper inconsistent with grace How can ye believe and seek glory of one another and seek not the honâ—ur which comes from God onely John 5.44 This vain-glory Chrysostom called The mother of hell and indeed How many religious duties doth it corrupt The Pharisees prayed and gave alms to be seen of men yea there is no external duty in Religion but this may put a man upon it But as love of Christ will kill the love of the world fear of God will overcome fear of man so a love to this spiritual glory will quickly out vain-glory It 's good to observe That though all other things in this world be vain man is vain beauty is vain wealth is vain yet custom of speech doth appropriate it only to glory calling it vain-glory Oh then remember there are more glorious things to affect and enlarge thy heart with then these applauses of the world Fifthly Doth Christ give his people glory Then let them faithfully do Christs work notwithstanding all the reproaches and scorns wicked men load them with David rejoyced in that he was despised and contemned while he danced before the Ark I will be more vile still saith he 2 Sam. 6.22 And thus the Apostles rejoyced they were accounted worthy to suffer for Christs sake It 's a great glory to lose thy glory for Christs work Oh this is that which makes men afraid boldly to venture in holy things they shall be censured they shall be contemned Remember that Scripture Those that honour me I will honour 1 Sam. 2.30 It 's a miserable slavery to live dependently upon the breath of others who many times do as children put a Garland upon one of their fellows heads and then laugh at him behinde his back so though they applaud thee to thy face yet secretly backbite thee Be therefore diligent to do Gods work and content thy self with the glory God bestoweth upon thee Doth a man running in a race regard the bird singing upon the tree Eye Christ more and man lesse The Moon that hath but a borrowed light is sometimes full sometimes at the wane never certain Thus a man that liveth upon the applause of others and not approving his conscience to God he is sometimes lifted up and then dejected down even as outward supplies come to him Sixthly Doth Christ give glory to his Then admire the bounty and freenesse of his grace Of all things we would think he would not communicate of his glory to us and indeed God saith He will not give glory to another neither will Christ give his Mediatory glory to others only in some passages of glory he is willing we should reign with him and be co-heirs with him This sheweth how much he loveth us For certainly no man is willing to have another co-partner with him in his glory yea how apt are we to envy the gifts and graces in others that may overshadow us but Christ giveth of his glory to us Lastly Doth Christ give glory to us Let us then glorifie him again Christ indeed he giveth glory to us really and inwardly but we only to him verbally and declaratively Let not the Heavens that are natural creatures exceed us They declare the glory of God and shew his handy-work and shalt not thou then in thy life in thy conversation declare the glory of Christ The title given to Church-officers 1 Cor. 8.23 is in some sense to be applied to all believers they are the glory of Christ SERMON CXXIV That Jesus Christ though God Co-equall with the Father had many things given him by the Father And how that can be JOH 17.22 And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them WE have treated of the nature of that glory which Christ giveth to all beleevers The next considerable is the description of the manner and way how Christ comes to have this glory and that is said to be by way of gift The glory which thou gavest me Now this seemeth very hard to understand how Christ being God could receive any thing for as God can have nothing given him so it should seem Christ neither could have any thing given him insomuch that this place with many others of the like fence is brought by the Socinians as an unanswerable Argument that Christ was not truly and essentially God for they heap up many places of Scripture where all that Christ hath is said to be given him and from hence conclude he cannot be God But the weakness of this will appear in further discovery of this Truth which that it may be more clearly understood Observe That Christ though God had many things given him of his Father The Fathers giving of many things to him doth not take off from his divine Nature This Truth will be profitable both to inform your judgement in that main Article of Religion and also is of that practical consequence Therefore to clear this Consider 1. That we may conceive of a two-fold giving that which is natural and necessary 2. that which is free and voluntary so that it might or might not be given for a naturall and necessary giving So Christ
into Eternall perdition and therefore our Saviour chargeth the Pharisees Joh. 6. That they were of their Father the devil because they did his works Thus if Christ be in thee thou wilt do the works of Christ shew forth the patience the meeknesse the zeal of Christ if Christ be in thee â—â—ou wilt have a Christ-like operation and therefore the godly are said to put on Christ Gal. 3.27 As a garment which covers the whole body so that no nakednesse appeareth Thus Christ onely ought to be seen in us not our own infirmities and corruptions nothing of our selves but Christ 2. Where Christ is there he is all in all he is instead of all to that believer Gal. 3.28 There is neither Jew nor Gentile c. but Christ is all in all Two things are affirmed He is in all Every believer though never so weak and infirm hath Christ as well as the noblest as the soul is in every finger and toe as well as in the head which should be a great consolation to a weak believer for though thou hast not as good gifts and parts as good grace and holinesse yet thou hast as good a Christ as the chiefest pillars in Religion have but then he addeth that as Christ is in all so he is all What all is Christ He is all priviledges as appeareth by the Context he is Jew and Greek he is male and female that is Christ is instead of all priviledges and prerogatives hence 1 Cor. 1. he is said to be made of God to us wisedom righteousnesse and redemption and we are said to be compleat in him So that wheresoever Christ is there he is all to that soul He is wisedome to it righteousnesse to it all spiritual priviledges yea and all temporall comforts likewise He is husband wife friend riches health Thus he is all things to the soul eminently and virtually again he is all things meritoriously there being no benefit a beleever can stand in need of but he hath purchased it by his death he is also all things efficiently because he subdueth every sin he quickeneth to every grace so that a beleever can never say I am in such a condition in such a temptation that Christ himself cannot help me 3. Where Christ is in a man there also his Spirit is putting it self forth in the severall operations thereof an illuminating spirit a guiding leading spirit a sanctifying and sealing spirit So that men do absurdly boast of their Interest in Christ who yet finde none of these efficacious works of Gods Spirit within them The Apostle John speaketh notably to this 1 Joh. 4.13 Hereby know we that we dâ—ell in him and he in us because he hath given us of his spirit So that as the beams of the Sun discover the Sun so do the spirituall effects of the holy spirit manifest Christ to be in us Vse of Examination Try your selves in this main Point as the Apostle saith 1 Cor. 13.5 Know ye not that Jesus Christ is in you except ye be Reprobates If you take the word as signifying one of an unsound minde it argueth that man is very unsound and unskilfull who findes not Christ in him As they sought for a proof of Christs being in Paul So do thou of his being in thee If Christ be in thee why is there so much of the devil of sin and the world if Christ be in thee how come his Enemies also to be in thee But you will say May not Christ be in a Beleever and yet he not feel it or be sensible of it yea think the clean contrary that Christ hath left him I answer it is often so and thus Christ may not manifest himself to be in us sometimes for triall sake to give us experience of our own need without him as Christ slept in the â—â—ip and suffered the windes and storms to arise that they might call more earnestly upon him sometimes we through our corruptions and sins do provoke him to withdraw his powerful operations We entertain his enemies and then he hideth himself from us especially our unbeleef hinders the lively operations of Christ in us for as Christ dwels in our hearts so he worketh in our hearts by faith SERMON CXXVIII Of the Fathers being in Christ Of both their being in Believers And how that can be and yet they not quite freed from Sinne and Sorrow JOHN 17.23 I in them and thou in me THe next thing considerable in this Text is the highest round in this ladder of Unity and that is The Fathers being in Christ As I am in them so thou in me The words need no further explication then what will necessarily be discussed in the Doctrine onely when Christ is said to be in beleevers and the Father in him this is not to be understood exclusively as if the Father were not also in beleevers for the Scripture expressly affirmeth that Joh. 14.23 yea it 's impossible to have the Son in us and not the Father also 2 ep Joh. 29. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ hath both the Father and the Son Yea we cannot know the Sonne or believe in him except we believe in the Father also Joh. 1.4 7 8 9. When Philip desired Christ to shew him the Father because Christ spake so much of him our Saviour doth first reprove Philip and then instruct him Reprove vers 9. Have I been so long time with you and yet thou hast not known me Observe that Philip desired to see the Father and Christ rebuketh him for not knowing of him and then instructs him He that hath seen me hath seen the Father also and thereupon he proceeds to exhortation ver 11. Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father in me So that by this discourse none can know or beleeve in Christ but he must also know and beleeve in the Father and because the Disciples were not so fully acquainted herein they are checked by our Saviour saying Have I been so long time with you and ye know not me The longer time people have lived under means of grace and yet not acquainted with divine truths it is the greater condemnation When we speak of the Fathers being in Christ this is not to be understood in a speculative and abstracted sense but practically and as it relateth to us for to that purpose is it spoken by our Saviour that hereby it might be shewed that the Father is in us also Obs That as Christ is in us so the Father being in Christ is also thereby in us In this Position there are two distinct things 1. That the Father is in Christ 2. That by this means the Father is also and abideth in us For the first The Father is in Christ and that in several respects 1. In respect of the Divine Nature for so the Father is in the Son as in the expresse Image and representation of him thus the Son is called the Image of his Father Col. 1.15
Heb. 1.3 For as the son of a natural father doth many times represent him in lineaments colour and all deportments Thus Christ also as the Son of God doth demonstrate the wisdom power and holiness of his Father Therefore Joh. 10. for the Father and Son to be one is made the same with the Father being in the Son and the Son in the Father for the Father is so in the Son that he hath the same Nature Essence and Attributes with him and thus if the Son be in us the Father also must be because they are one Secondly The Father is in the Son in respect of operation and working For this end it is that in the whole course of his Mediatorship he referreth all to the Father as he that sent him The doctrine he preached he saith was not his but his Fathers Joh. 14.10 The Father that dwels in me worketh the Father and I work hitherto so that all that Christ did in preaching of the Word in working of miracles all these do declare that the Father is in him and this is of great consequence for hereby we may see the salvation of a beleever designed both by the Father and the Son one was not more willing then another to procure this Redemption Thirdly The Father is in Christ in respect of his infinite love as amans is in amato called therefore the Son of his love Therefore this is mentioned in the Text as part of this unity That the world may know thou hast loved me Though this love of the Father be not terminated on him only but on all believers in him and therefore it is that Christ cals him his Father and their Father and so some understand that transitively In whom I am well-pleased viz. with the godly being reconciled through his blood to them The Father then is in the Son by way of love and through him in all beleevers by way of the same love Fourthly The Father is in Christ by the communication of the fulnes of the God-head This the Scripture giveth a notable description of Col. 2.9 For in him dwelleth all the God-head bodily This place is worthy of a full consideration for it doth not speak of the Fathers being in the Son as the second Person but of the Father as God in his humane Nature and the end why the Apostle bringeth this is to take off all men from running either to Philosophy humane traditions or Mosaical rites because the God-head is in Christ bodily The Apostles Argument is Where there is a compleat perfection and fulness there needeth no additaments but in Christ there is a compleat fulness to all Evangelical purposes and necessary matter to eternal salvation and this is proved because in Christ dwelleth all the fulness of the God-head bodily In Christ that is in his humane Nature all the God-head that is all the whole Nature and Attributes of God wisdom righteousness holiness c. Dwelleth that is abideth continueth Bodily that is personally in opposition first to the legal expressions of Gods presence as when God spake from between the Cherubims as also in opposition to that efficacious presence and assistance in the Prophets and such extraordinary holy men that he raised up now God was in Christ transcendently to these for he was in the humane Nature so as to be made one Person with it Filius Dei non assumpsit hominem personam sed assumpsit hominem in personam and thus the Father is in Christ otherwise then in other creatures and the minde of man is never able to comprehend sufficiently this mystery Lastly Which is the most proper sense of this Text The Father is in Christ as a Mediator between God and man for this is chiefly intended That Christ is the bond of that union with the Father and believers as also with believers amongst themselves so that Christ is not here barely considered as God nor barely as man but as God-man as Mediator Thus the Apostle 2 Cor. 5.19 God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself not imputing their trespasses unto them So that without Christ we are all at a distance yea enmity with God he is a consuming fire and we nothing but stubble Even as you see the distance and contrariety of the devils to God Are they one in Christ Can they call God Father and all is because they have not a Mediator Here then is the spring-head of all consolation That the Father is in Christ as a Mediator reconciling God and man together and certainly if the believer did more improve this truth that he is made one with the Father and the Son it would raise up his soul he would condemn himself for all those low narrow and dejected thoughts he is assaulted with for how can sin hurt him that is one with Christ How can the devil destroy him that is one with God Certainly these must destroy Christ and God also Indeed the devil overcame Adam and the Angels but they were not one with Christ they were not united to him in an inviolable Covenant and therefore they quickly spent all and became bankrupts This instance indeed sheweth what we are in our selves and that it is Christ only who beareth us up but withall it commands the soul to glory in Christ to rejoyce in Christ to triumph in Christ for in him only we have pardon and boldness at the throne of grace These glorious things being clear Scripture-truths all the doubt is How shall a Christian perswade himself that the Son and the Father abide in him when he is sensible of such corruption and sin also in him For who would not think that when these high things are spoken that Christ liveth and dwelleth in a man that the Father and Son do make their abode in him but that such a soul must be perfected and made pure without sin Who would not think that only a compleat and perfect man can say with Paul I no longer but Christ in me Oh saith the godly Soul I may and must say the contrary not Christ but sin but the world liveth in me And as it is thus for grace so also for consolation If Christ be in a man and he dwels there How can there be such black unbelieving thoughts Where the Father and the Son is there must be a heaven not a hell Can the Sun arise in its full glory and power yet at the same time there be a black night So how can Christ and the Father be in a believer and yet they so subject to temptations and doubts whether he be in them or no Now for the first How the Father and Son can be in a believer and yet there be such remainders of vigorous corruption in him To this it is answered 1. That if it be duly considered how the Father and Christ is in us it must presently be conceived that there is a presence of sin necessarily supposed in such For as you heard God in us
of all gross and prophane ignorance There cannot be any faith all the while this darkness is upon thy minde and if there be no Faith there is no Justification no Salvation Christ is become of no effect unto thee and yet how boldly will many ignorant people talk of their good faith they are not led aside with the giddy errours of many they cleave to the old faith but doest thou know what thy old faith is if it were Turcism and Popery it would be all one to thee SERMON CXXXI Of the unspeakable Love of God to Believers Shewing wherein Gods Love to Christ and to Believers is alike and wherein it differs JOHN 17.23 And hast loved them as thou hast loved me A Two-fold Effect or Event is propounded by our Saviour of the unity which believers have first in Christ and then amongst themselves The first is That the world may know thou hast sent me of which we have briefly treated already because our Saviour had mentioned it v. 21. and indeed our Saviour doth in these verses with so much plainness ingeminate the matter of his Petition that Luther on the place saith These words do pueriliter sonare judicio rationis and that he was wont to say often That he never read a book containing such excellent and sublime matter in such simple and plain words The second Effect or Event is That the world may know that thou hast loved them as thou hast loved me So that in this latter particular there is one truth supposed and another proposed That which is supposed is that it 's of great consequence for the world to know that God loveth believers it would stop much of their malice and violence if they did truly know that such whom they oppose and persecute are the believed ones of God But of that afterwards That which is expresly affirmed is that the Father loveth believers as he loveth Christ himself A wonderfull and amazing expression it is that believers and Christ should be thus coupled together that when there is such an infinite disparity that yet they should both agree in the same love So that in the words you have the mercy and priviledge God vouchsafeth to believers he loveth them Now when we say God loveth it 's to say all things for that is the fountain and treasury of all good things his love is like himself infinite omnipotent and efficacious 2. You have the example or manner of this love and that is said to be as he loveth Christ The Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Austin and Calvin do explain not of similitude but of causality and so resolve it into this sense The Father loveth believers because he loveth Christ and indeed this is a grand truth that in Christ only we are accepted of and beloved It 's not because of our selves but of Christ that we are approved of yet there is no necessity of leaving the grammatical interpretation for the Father doth love us as he loveth Christ not in respect of equality but similitude as they are said to be one as the Father and Son are one These words then do contain the very honey and honey-comb of Christianity in that they are loved of the Father as Christ is they need nothing more for Gods love will put him upon all those effects that a believer stands in need of Observ That God the Father loveth believers even as he loveth Christ himself A great truth and as you would think a bold and presumptuous affirmation Therefore to clear it Let us consider wherein the love of God to Christ and believers is not alike and wherein they are like one to another And First The love of the Father to Christ is as to his onely natural begotten Sonne but to believers as to his adopted children And therefore between these there must be a vast difference The love of the Father to the Sonne is like that of the Father to himself because he is of the same essence with him so that he loveth the glory and honour of his Sonne as his own glory but now that love which he beareth to his adopted children is of an inferiour nature they are creatures onely and their holinesse is but imperfect and by way of quality or accident in them but the Sonne is essentially holy so that in this respect there is no comparison to be made between the Sonne and us That love differeth toto genere in this sense from the love bestowed on us even as his filiation is not of the same univocal nature with ours Secondly Therefore the love which the Father sheweth to his Sonne is necessary and natural he could not but love him no more then he could not but beget him whereas to believers it's voluntary and wholly of free dispensation It 's disputed in the Schools Whether the Father did beget the Sonne necessarily or freely and so by consequence Whether his love be necessary or free but the soundest Writers say That a necessity of unitability and freedom do not oppose one another a necessity from natural imperfection contradicts liberty as a perfection but not that which ariseth from the chiefest and highest perfection and so it is in God It 's from his infinite perfection that he cannot but love himself and his Sonne but now in respect of his adopted sons all is of meer grace which he doth to them John 1. It 's he that gives an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a right and priviledge to them to become the sons of God God could have taken infinite delight in his own Sonne that was object satisfying enough there needed no other then him to take his delight in yet he was pleased contrary to the customs of men though he had a natural Sonne of his own to assume adopted ones likewise Thirdly The Father loveth the Sonne originally for his own sake but he loveth believers for Christs sake And this indeed doth mainly put the difference between the Fathers love to us and Christ here Christ is loved for his own sake he needed no Mediator or another Christ to procure his acceptance for so there would have been imperfection in Christ but in us all our hope all our well-pleasing is through him So that as every Starre shineth by the light of the Sunne thus doth every believer appear comely in the robes of Christs righteousnesse only Thus the Apostle Phil. 3. declareth fully When he would not be found in his own righteousnesse but that which is through faith in Christ So that as it was the Temple which made every thing holy thus it is the Lord Christ which makes every creature accepted of Lastly Christ is not capable of some effects of such love which the Father doth vouchsafe believers To us he gives Pardon of sinne Justification by faith in us he works repentance faith and subdueth the reliques of corruption in us but such was the perfection of Christ that he could not have such kinde of love demonstrated to him
Having thus seen the disparity and that still Christ hath the preheminency in Gods love Let us consider wherein Christ and we agree in Gods love And First Gods love is terminated not on Christ simply but as the head of believers So that Christ and his Church are considered as one mysticall person and this is chiefly aimed at in all those places where Christ speaks of his being in believers and that they are his body all is to draw up our hearts into an high admiration of Gods love herein for God doth now look upon Christ and believers as one if he loveth Christ he must needs love them if he hate them or cast them off he must hate and cast off Christ Insomuch that if a Christian desires to get up into a Mount of Transfiguration let him ascend up hither for what will fill the heart with heaven if this do not I and Christ are loved as one Though the Father loveth Christ in some respects transcendently to us yet in other respects he makes his love common to us both Certainly faith in this great and precious truth would be a constant cordial Thou fearest thy sinnes and imperfections may cast thee out of Gods love but are they able to cast Christ out of his Fathers love if they cannot do the one neither can they the other Christ and a believer is made one when one is loved the other must necessarily be loved and if one be hated the other also must be hated Secondly The Fathers love to Christ and us is alike in the properties of it Love to Christ is not differing in it's properties from that he loveth us with As 1. It 's eternal love As the Father loved Christ before the world was so he did also all believers in Christ before the foundation of the world was laid This our Saviour speaketh of vers 24. Thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world and that he sheweth the like love to all believers is often declared Eph. 1.4 We are chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world The love then which the Father beareth to believers is an eternal love It 's not shorter in time then that to Christ for in eternity there is no prius nor posterius As then the Father loved Christ alwayes even from all eternity so he doth likewise every believer before thou hadst a being before either thy self or any friend in the world could take any care of thee God did pitch his love upon thee Oh then let not the people of God think God is like man that he began to day or yesterday to love thee No it was from all eternity and that love brought forth in time all the other effects of love that called thee that justified thee and that will glorifie thee Therefore the Apostle when he speaks of these blessed effects in time he resolveth all into this love from eternity as the Spring-head of all Secondly The Fathers love to Christ and believers are alike in the property of unchangeablenesse and immutability God will no more alter his love or cease to love his children then he will Christ himself This is plain because all the promises to the godly are Yea and Amen in Christ 2 Cor. 1.20 he is their Mediator in him they are made one with the Father So that by the same cause of perpetuity in his Headship by the same will they certainly persevere to us Thus it is said Rom. 8. Who shall separate us from the love of God He challengeth any thing to break this love if they can Grant then that the Father may love Christ in some peculiar respects which thou art not capable of yet in this thou and Christ are alike God will never change the love of his Sonne into hatred he will never become of a Father an enemy to him so neither will he to any true believer As long as his love shall continue unchangeable to his Son so long it will to thee and thus Gods love to thee is on a firmer bottome then that of Mount Zion or the Ordinance God hath made with heaven and earth or the day and night for all these shall wax old but the love of God like himself shall abide for ever Thirdly The Fathers love hath the property of freenesse both to us and Christ Indeed if we consider Christ as God so the Father loved him necessarily but as he was man and a Mediator so the Fathers love to him was free for it was of the meer goodnesse of God to appoint him to be a Mediator The humane Nature was not assumed for any fore-seen merits in it but all was from the meer good pleasure of God and this holds much more true in all the gracious effects that we partake of therefore the great scope of the Scripture is to declare this that all the priviledges and mercies we partake of come not from any worth or desert in our selves but wholly from the grace and meer love of God Insomuch that all those opinions which make the rise of any good we enjoy to be first our love to God and not Gods love to us are to be accursed as if the earth did first water the heavens and then the heavens the earth In the third place The Fathers love to Christ and believers is alike in regard of the real and true effects of it As to Christ it was not a love in word or shew but power and mighty operations so it is also to every believer Though there be a difference yet the love is as real to one as the other Even as when the first commandment of loving God is said to be the greatest yet at the same time the second is said to be like it in respect of obligation though not of dignity Thus it is as firmly and as really love to believers as to Christ though not so principally and although some effects of love we partake of which Christ is not capable of yet there are others that we do communicate in As 1 One great effect of the Fathers love to Christ while in the dayes of his suffering flesh was the protection defence and incouragement that he had from the Father for Christ in the whole course of his Ministry by faith depended on his Father insomuch that though the malice of his enemies was importunate to destroy him yet they could never accomplish their design till the Fathers time was come and then though he prayed to the Father to be saved from that hour yet it was only conditional and therefore he submitted himself absolutely to Gods will Now the same fatherly care Christ had experience of in his whole course the same may believers expect Therefore Joh. 14. he tels them I go to my Father and your Father he is the same Father to both Oh then why should a believer under any extremities or agonies be cast down the same fatherly love thou mayest look for as Christ himself met with
is not the devil still suggesting this unto thee if thou be the Sonne of God then it would be thus and thus with thee Gods children never do as thou doest Now this temptation hath so farre prevailed by Satans instigation upon some of Gods people that they have wholly given over to pray that they dared not to presume to pray And why because God is not their Father they may no more pray then the damned in hell So that the godly man is left in a wofull desolate estate all the while this truth doth not reign in his heart that God is his Father 3. This perswasion of God being our Father is of so great consequence that the Spirit of God is sent on purpose into our hearts for this very work Gal. 4.6 Because ye are sons God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts crying Father So that as we remain blind and darkned in mind till the Spirit lead us into all truth that as we remain unholy and cleaving to our lusts till the Spirit sanctifie us so we do also remain in a doubting unbelieving and dejected disposition till God send this Spirit into our hearts so that when a man is humbled for sinne and feels the load of his transgressions it must be more then humane power yea or all the counsels and directions of the ablest Ministers that can inable such an one to call him Father Oh how often doth such a tempted soul say Oh that I could call him Father Oh that I could delight in him as a Father But now when this Spirit of Adoption cometh into our hearts see with what efficacy and power it cometh it maketh us to cry that denoteth earnestness vehemency and also confidence undauntedness notwithstanding the roaring cries of the devil and conscience to the contrary and thus it enableth us to cry Abba Father by way of ingemination implying that it is not once but twice yea often for indeed if the Spirit of God did not constantly thus keep up a filial frame every new failing would cast us back into a meer darknesse and confusion Therefore the Spirit of God hath this office of being a Comforter because we of our selves cannot sow that seed in our own souls 4. This is necessary because this only raiseth sweet comfortable and delightfull thoughts of God The relation of a Father is sweet and what a great difference is there between a childe praying to a tender father and a malefactor to a severe Judge David once said He remembred God and was troubled Certainly the more we think of God and his Attributes Omnipotent Wise Holy Righteous if not a Father the more terrible and dreadfull is the apprehension of him It 's necessary to have good endeared thoughts of God therefore the devils and the damned who are of the farthest distance from God they have hard and raging thoughts against him It being therefore necessary to keep up such thoughts in the soul as these Let God afflict smite destroy yet he is just and righteous yea and to be loved now this cannot be unless this faith is strongly carried out unto him as a Father 5. Perswasion of God as a Father is necessary because this only will produce faith and confidence in those that pray with such an assurance Now faith is the very soul and life of prayer He that prayeth believing shall receive and James exhorts Let him ask in faith nothing doubting Chap. 1. Our Saviour told the woman It should be according to her faith So that unbelief makes our prayers like a messenger without hands or feet and if so How shall we get our prayers animated with this grace Nothing conduceth more to this then the Meditation of God as a Father when this is assented to then it easily believeth God will do all necessary good for it such a Father will not give a stone to his childe when he asketh bread Thus Mat. 5. our Saviour maketh this an argument against all distracting fears and cares Your heavenly Father knoweth what you have need of Why is it that after prayer thy heart is as much troubled and disquieted as if the request had never been made known to God but only because faith did not reign and predominate in thy heart concerning Gods fatherly relation to thee 6. Perswasion of God as a Father is necessary because hereby the heart will be quickned to all those holy and filial dispositiâ—ns which ought to be in children If ye call him Father 1 Pet. 1.17 c. Passe your sojourning here with an holy fear The Scripture apprehension of a Father will not beget security and a licentious life but rather it will cause an holy reverence and a diligent attendance to avoid all those sins that may offend and provoke The Spirit of adoption is also a Spirit of Sanctification being born of God he doth not he cannot sin for how abominable and uneffectual would our prayers be if we should joyn prophaneness to those duties In stead of obtaining mercy we may justly expect that God would pour out greater wrath whereas a due and right apprehension of God as a Father will make a gracious and humble disposition in the soul Vse of Exhortation to the people of God that they strengthen and confirm this relation to them as much as may be Pray for that Spirit of Adoption which will inable thee to cry Abba Father Oh know that all the cause of thy disquietness distractions and diffidence of Spirit in thee ariseth from unbelief in this point If thou believe God is thy Father then sin is forgiven then no good thing will be denied thee This Father will treasure up for thee yea the properties of this Father are wonderfully quickning he is an omnipotent Father and so can do all things he is a compassionate Father and so will do all things he takes upon him both the bowels of Father and Mother also Parents have been hardned to their children as the Prophet observeth but God cannot be He is a wise Father and so ordereth every thing for the best This if duly considered would free thee from all distrustfull cares and thou wouldst learn from thy own childe to walk depending upon God casting all thy burden upon him because thou seest it taking no care what it shall eat or what it shall put on but resteth it self wholly upon it's Fathers care The second thing observable in the Text is The manner of Christs expression his Petition I will Father I will Some think this an expression not of prayer but of Christs just demand of his right to that which he had as God and therefore they think that whereas before he prayed as a man here he interposeth himself as God as thus Austin of old Omnipotenti patri se velle dixit omnipotens filius Others they make it an expression of prayer because in the former part the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is used and thus Mark 10.35 when James and John
compleat perfection of a Christian Who is made righteousnesse wisdome and all things and therefore this is the character of those that are spiritual They have no confidence in the flesh and rejoyce in Christ Jesus Phil. 3.3 Lastly We glorifie Christ really in our lives and conversations when we walk as Members sutably to the Head when we order our conversations answerably to the rule of the Gospel For how often do wicked men reproach and dishonour Christ by their ungodly lives as if Christ taught them no better or as if Christ died not to deliver us from all ungodly and sinfull lusts Therefore on the other side then we honour Christ when we are holy as he was zealous as he was humble and meek as he was as Paul said He carried the marks of Christ upon his body so do thou the graces of Christ upon thy soul We come in the next place to a brief description of the subject described Those that thou hast given me Now this is the opposite description to such who are of the world By giving unto Christ some understand by a Metonymy of the effect for the cause Gods decree to give as 2 Tim. 1.9 The grace given us in Christ Jesus before the world began that is decreed to be given to us So some expound the fore-going place The glory which thou hast given me that is which thou hast decreed to give even as in this Chapter he saith I come to thee I sanctifie my self and as John 6.33 Every one that my Father giveth shall come to me where by giving must be understood a decree to give for actual giving is the very coming it self unto Christ Though this be true yet we must adde that in respect of those who were to believe so it 's a decree of giving but in respect of the Apostles and others who did then believe it was an actual giving Now whereas we see the original and fountain of all grace formerly prayed for and now all glory here is because some are given to Christ by the Father we may observe That it 's no free-will or preparatory work in man that begins either his grace or glory but the sole gift of God I shall but touch at this because handled before only as our Saviour thought fit to use this description of believers so often in one Chapter so it should also inform us that it 's a truth of absolute necessity which ought constantly to reign in our hearts that we did not prevent God but Gods grace did prevent us that we did not choose him but he chose us Therefore it 's a violent wresting of the words by Arminians when they will have this giving of some to the Father to be understood for the consequent mens obeying and receiving of the grace offered and so we give our selves to Christ and are not given by the Father That the initials of all good is from grace only and not of us is abundantly convinced by that wretched sinfull and wofull pollution that we are all born in like that miserable infant spoken of by the Prophet Ezekiel chap. 16. I shall not doctrinally inlarge this only let the Use be 1. Admonition to take heed of all those proud and self-advancing Doctrines that magnifie the power of nature that think not grace absolutely necessary that if it be required it 's only ad facilius operandum or that grace doth onely excite and stirre up the natural abilities within us Oh take heed of swallowing down this deadly poison Vse 2. Of Exhortation to the people of God with all humility and astonishment to admire the grace of God in Christ that mollified thee that prepared thee that began first upon thee Alas thou wast wallowing in thy bloud thou wast hotly pursuing thy sins thou didst violently refuse the grace of God till at last he opened thy heart and saved thee against thy will making thee of unwilling willing SERMON CXXXVIII Of Gods love to Christ as Mediatour and in him to all believers from all Eternity JOHN 17. â—4 For thou hast loved me before the foundation of the world THis last clause is brought in as a Reason of that which went before Some make it a Reason of Christs Petition why the Father should hear him viz. because he alwaies loved him and so nothing could be denied to him others referre it to the gift of Glory mentioned immediatly The Father gave Christ glory because he loved him from Eternity but these do not oppose but may include one another The only doubt is In what sense the Father is said to love Christ before the Foundation of the world Many understand it of Christ as the natural and only Son of God That as he had alwaies the same glory with the Father so likewise he was alwaies loved of him and from hence they prove the Deity of Christ But Calvin and others expound it of Christ as Mediatour That the Father did love him from the beginning in appointing of him to be a Mediatour and preparing him thereunto Now this seemeth the more genuine Interpretation and doth not exclude but include the former also So that by direct consequence the eternal god-head of Christ is asserted Indeed Piscator referreth those words before the foundation of the world to the verb 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Thou hast given As v. 5. implieth but there is no necessity to make such a trajâ—ction The sum is that Christ as Mediatour doth referre all the glory and honour he hath to the Fathers love Now you must know that when the Father loveâ—h him as Mediatour It 's not absolutely terminated upon the person of Christ but the whole number of beleevers in him and therefore this loving of Christ is to be extended unto all Beleevers for the Apostle saith the same thing of them because of Christ Eph. 1.4 where we are said to be chosen in him before the foundation of the world To be holy and without blame before him in love where that love is referred to Gods predestinating and electing of us by some Interpreters So that from the words we may observe That God the Father loved Christ as Mediatour and thereby all beleevers in him from Eternity This Truth deserveth explication and application And 1. Let us consider wherein the love of the Father was shewed to Châ—ist as Mediatour as that will appear in the designing of him to it and approbation or complacency in him while discharging of it The love of God in preparing him thereunto is seen in these things 1. In appointing and ordaining the second person as the only begotten of the Father to come into the world and take our nature upon him For herein did the Father love the Son because when mankinde was lost and justice could no waies be satisfied by any meer creature that in this exigency Christ should offer himself and so readily professe Behold I come to do thy will O Lord Thus when he formerly had said I sanctifie
of the Petition our Saviour doth further confirm it by continuing this prayer with several arguments more whereof the first is from the opposition or antithesis that is between the wicked damned world and believers expressed in these words The world hath not known that is their Character 2. You have the Description of believers These have known thou hast sent me 3. The fontal cause and original of it I have known thee 4. The Compellation given to God suiting the argument in hand righteous Father This is the sixt time that Christ cals him Father in this prayer and no wonder because as you heard it 's so sweet a relation producing all love delight joy and confidence in God by him that practically improveth it but that I have dispatched only I must not passe by that adjunct or title further qualifying this Father viz. righteous righteous Father formerly when he prayed for the sanctification of his Disciples then he said holy Father making use of that attribute which is the cause of all holiness in the creature but now speaking of that dreadfull and wonderfull dispensation of God whereby to some he revealeth himself and others again he suffers to perish in their rebellion therefore it is that he pitcheth on a sutable attribute Righteous Father It 's true indeed the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is sometimes used of a man in respect of his universal rectitude and uprightness and so some take it here and then it 's no more then that former compellation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 holy Father but the altering of the word with the context may incline us to understand it differently Now you must know righteousness may be attributed to God generally and particularly generally as it comprehends the whole rectitude and universal purity of his whole nature or particularly and that several wayes 1. The righteousnesse of his fidelity and promise whereby he doth make good to all believers whatsoever he hath said even to the meanest and lowest act of grace Thus 1 Tim. 4.8 Paul saith The righteous Judge will give him a Crown of glory And 1 Joh. 1.9 If we confess our sins God is faithfull and righteous to forgive them Here is righteousness and the godly may plead heaven because of Gods righteousness but it 's only a righteousness of promise or fidelity in God not any strict remunerative righteousness as if from the good works themselves God were bound to reward them Indeed Maldonate he would fasten this interpretation upon the word as if our Saviour did plead the merits of believers but this is so proud and presumptuous that we will not spend time to confute it 2. There is a punitive and vindicative righteousness which God exerciseth to the wicked impenitent world and that both in spiritual and temporal punishment of which Revel 16.7 19.2 Righteous are the judgements of God Now I shall comprehend both these kinds of righteousness righteousness of God as a Father in respect of those who believe in him and righteousness of God as a Judge in respect of the world which doth not know him Observ That God whether considered as a Judge of the world or a Father to believers is righteous in all his wayes This truth is of great use if duly improved for what will silence all thy disputes all thy murmurings What will rebuke those winds and waves of thy soul but this The Lord is righteous Let us take notice of Gods righteousness in this two-fold consideration for both are aimed at in the expression by our Saviour And First The righteousness of God as a Judge of the world and as his administrations to wicked men they are so righteous and just that even the devils and wicked men though they may blaspheme yet cannot say God is unjust or doth them any wrong And although the Arminians and such infected persons who with their whole strength indeavour to overthrow Gods absolute Election of some to eternal life and the preterition and passing by of others bring specious Arguments as if the Orthodox by this Doctrine made him unjust and more cruel then any man yet such can prevail only with those that leave Scripture and consult with humane affections and indulge too much to natural reason For R. 1 1. When the Scripture is so positively and clear that some are elected some are given by the Father to Christ some are vessels of honour and mercy and others not loved by God to eternal life but left to themselves and so become by their sinfulness vessels of wrath and when not onely Scripture but experience also doth confirm this That the greatest part of the world yea and the Christian Church die in their sins and do eternally perish For many are called but few are chosen When I say Scripture and experience is clear for such a thing it 's presumption in us to argue from thence unrighteousness in God For can we search into the deep counsels of God Do we comprehend the purposes and ends of God We should rather conclude There is righteousness in all these things though we cannot pierce into it The Apostle in Rom. 9. doth beat down such presumptuous cavillings with God and we may observe That though David and Jeremiah were greatly disquieted with anxious disputes about Gods proceedings in his administrations yet they lay down this as a peremptory conclusion and they fortifie themselves with this against all insurrections of spirit The Lord is righteous Gods will is the law of righteousness and none but God himself whose understanding is infinite can comprehend his own wayes R. 2 2. God is not unrighteous in passing by some and leaving others Because he hath an absolute soveraignty and dominion over all He is not subject to any as a superior Neither is he bound by any Laws imposed upon him only his own holiness is that eternal Rule and Law by which he doth all things and if none may say unto a King why doest thou so Much less to the King of Kings Therefore learned Divines make Election neither an act of mercy or of justice but of soveraignty and dominion only R. 3 3. God is not unjust Because if he had not saved one man but left all in their undone estate he had done no more then he might do For why should it be unjust in reference to man more then in reference to the apostate Angels for of that whole number of them which fell there is not one redeemed from their eternal miseries and are we of more noble consideration then those spirits yea one of them might have done God more service if restored then many men could do So that this consideration should bridle our unruly thoughts and we should rather admire and praise the goodness and grace of God that any one is saved rather then charge God sinfully and foolishly as we are apt to do because no more R. 4 Lastly There is no injustice in God he is a righteous Judge of the
even as man there should be revealed unto him all the thoughts actions and circumstances thereof concerning every man in the world that so he might fulfill the office of a Judge 4. Christ as Mediator God and man is the author and fountain of all the light which is communicated to the Church Hence it is that one of his Offices is to be the Prophet of the Church He is called the chief shepherd of our souls 1 Pet. 5 4. and being our high-Priest he was to offer up himself for us so also instruct and teach us Therefore you heard the whole world is commanded to hear him and therefore it is that he cals himself the truth and the way Joh. 14.16 So that in all matters of Religion we are still to enquire what Christ hath revealed and what he hath manifested now he doth not only reveal the truth to be believed but the duties also that are to be performed and therefore the Apostle makes it so hainous a sinne to refuse Christ speaking above Moses Heb. 12.25 Tremble then all ye wicked men who do constantly refuse Christ still speaking from heaven by his Word and Ministers to leave your sins and impieties 5. The Scripture doth often as in all actions ad extra attribute the same work of teaching and enlightning both to the Father and to the Son and to the holy Spirit So that this great work of saving knowledge is attributed indifferently to all Thus the Father James 1. is called the Father of lights from whom cometh every good and perfect gift So our Saviour alledgeth that promise They shall be all taught of God Joh. 6.45 So the holy Spirit is said to guide and lead into all truth Illumination being frequently ascribed to the Spirit and 1 Cor. 2.10 God is said there to reveal things unto us by his Spirit And lastly Christ himself is said to be the great teacher of his people as Mat. 23.10 For one is your Master even Christ Hence the Apostle magnifieth the Gospel Heb. 1. that whereas formerly God had spoken by the Prophets in these later dayes he spake by his Sonne So that the geeat sinne against the Gospel and the aggravation of all wickednesse is from hence that though this light be come into the world yet men love darknesse rather then light 6. The Lord Christ doth teach several wayes either immediately when he was upon the earth or mediately by the Apostles and the Ministers that he hath appointed in his Church Therefore he is said still to speak from heaven viz. by the Word and the Ministry so that we are not to conceive as if we had nothing of Christ now because he is ascended to heaven for what the Ministers guided by the Word of God do that is as if Christ himself spake it and you are to receive it with the like faith and obedience Hence our Saviour speaking to his Apostles saith Luke 10.16 He that heareth you heareth me and he that despiseth you despiseth me he that despiseth an Embassadour contemneth him from whom he is sent Oh that this truth may be as a two-edged Sword in thy heart What darest thou who livest in thy prophaneness if Christ himself were here upon the earth commanding thee to leave thy sins yet to persevere in them if not How is it that you refuse those who come in his name 7. Though Christ hath appointed a Ministry to teach and instruct people yet the whole efficacy and power cometh from Christ alone It 's God and Christ by the Word that can only open the understanding and give a spiritual knowledge so that conversion is so called the teaching of God John 6.45 Therefore a man must hear and learn of the Father before he can come to Christ onely Christ there addeth that this hearing and knowing of the Father comes by him So Joh. 3.26 27. when Johns Disciples said That all men come to Christ he answered A man can receive nothing except it be given him of heaven attributing it to the power of God that any come to Christ Therefore this Sun exceedeth the bodily one which giveth indeed external light but cannot give an eye to see the blinde remain blinde for all that Lastly Though Christ only do effectually give a knowing heart so that although we had the best Ministry of men and Angels yet it would do no good without his secret power and energie yet we must not from thence inferre the uselesness of the Ministry as some foolishly have done opposing the principal and subordinate For in our natural life although it be not the bread we eat but the word of blessing from Gods mouth that makes it to nourish us yet none casts away his food resolving to depend on God immediately Thus though Christ alone give the seeing eye and the understanding heart yet it 's by and in the use of the Ministry though it was God alone that did give the healing vertue to the pool of Bethesda yet the Angel must move it and every lame man must come into it else he could not be healed Hence although Jeremy prophesie of such abundance of knowledge that they shall not teach one another but be all taught of God which may seem and is brought by some to overthrow the Ministry yet the same Prophet Jer. 3.15 declareth it as a special blessing that he would give them Pastors according to his own heart which would feed them with knowledge and understanding So that Gods teaching and the Pastors teaching do not oppose one another It 's said also of Lydia that God opened her heart Act. 16.14 but to what end To attend to the words of Paul So that you must never oppose Gods work and the Ministry together In the next place Let us consider the Properties of Christs knowledge whereby he makes us also to know As 1. The Authoritative and potestative Nature of it he taught as one having authority not as the Scribes and Pharisees Mat. 7.29 Hence Mat. 5. when he had related the corrupt opinions of their Doctors in the Interpretation of the Law he addeth But I say unto you opposing his Authority to them all It 's true he saith he speaks not of himself but referreth his Doctrine wholly to his Father but withall saith He and his Father are one he doth not speak of receiving his Doctrine in the same manner as Paul and other Apostles did of him by revelation 2. There is the freeness of this he teacheth whom he pleaseth There are none so froward and so contumacious but he can open their hearts and others that are of high and eminent understandings for want of him do remain blind owls Mat. 11.26 27. where our Saviour giving God thanks for manifesting the things of the Gospel to some and not to others resolving all into Gods good pleasure Even so Father for so it pleaseth thee he addeth No man knoweth the Father but the Sonne and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him So that where
full glory to God 307 Heretiques Heretiques that endeavour to spoil Christ of his glory 151 Holy To make a man Holy is more then to make a world 41 God is Holy and so makes others holy 297 The most Holy should be humble in their approaches to the holy God 299 To scoff at Holinesse is to rise up against God ibid. Hour The word Hour hath several significations 19 Christs Hour ibid Vnder a dark Hour be patient 23 The Hour of Gods anger is shorter then the hour of his mercy ib. I Idolatry IDolatry a great and grievous sin 93 Jews Jews deny Christ to be our Mediator 90 Ignorance Ignorance to be lamented 75 Where grosse Ignorance is of Christ there men are in a damnable condition 80 The Causes of Ignorance 81 82 Ignorant All men naturally Ignorant of God in a saving manner 74 Impotency Mans Impotency to any thing that is holy 4 Institution The Institution of Sacraments is grounded upon the power that is given to Christ 27 Inferences Inferences from the knowledge of the true God 93 c. Instrumental causes Instrumental causes are Physical Natural or Moral 470 Joyfull Joy Christ doth really intend that his people shall be Joyfull 400 This is opened in four particulars 400 401 There is a Joy in Christ that his people are to have fulfilled in them 407 There is a three fold Joy ibid To know the nature of this spiritual Joy consider the particulars following 408 The transcendency of this Joy above all other worldly joy 410 The effects of Christian Joy 412 Spiritual Joy may then most abound when soul humiliation and godly mourning is put in practice 415 Judas Why Judas is called the son of perdition 362 Why Judas is said to be already perished 363 What particular eminencies Judas had 372 c. The thing in which Judas did debase himself 375 Take heed of proving a Judas 384 Justification Justification is the gift of God 252 The Reasons of it 253 K Keeps HOw much is implied in this that Christ Keeps them as his charge 339 Known God is only and properly Known by the godly 162 Knowledge Knowledge two-fold Speculative Practical 73 By the Knowledge of God and Jesus Christ we come to eternal life 74 Inbred Knowledge may be increased by the contemplation of the creature ib. True Knowledge only to be had within the Church ib. Without true Knowledge no salvation 75 We must have personal and explicite Knowledge ib. Reasons why Knowledge is so necessary to salvation 76 Motives to move to Knowledge 82 83 Effects of Knowledge 84 85 88 Why Knowledge that is not thus accompanied is ineffectual 88 Our Knowledge of God is very imperfect 91 Who are excluded from the Knowledge of God 96 The Knowledge of the true God is not enough to salvation without the knowledge of Christ 96 The Knowledge of Christ opened in five particulars 97 The Knowledge of God may be had several waies 162 Proved by five Arguments 163 165 L Life THis present Life 63 The Properties of this present Life 63 64 Love Beloved That though God Love his people yet that doth not necessarily inferre that he must keep them from all misery in this world and place them immediately in happinesse with himself 439 Why God doth not presently take his Beloved ones out of the world of sinne and sorrow 440 Wherein the Love of God to Christ and believers is not alike 646 Wherein Gods Love to Christ and believers is alike ibid. The Father doth not Love believers more then Christ 645 Loved It is of great consequence to the world to know how greatly believers are Loved of God 647 This appeareth in several particulars ib. How difficult it is for the world to be so perswaded 648 God the Father Loved Christ as Mediatour and thereby all believers in him from all eternity 669 The particulars wherein ib. Loveth God the Father Loveth believers even as he loveth Christ 642 M Manichees MAnichees confuted 158 Manifestation Manifestation two-fold 161 Christ as God cannot have any thing given him unless by way of Manifestation 665 Mediation Wherein God was glorified by Christs Mediation 113 Christs Mediation for us is of God 194 Gods people are to believe the fulnesse of Christs Mediation ibid. The fulnesse of Christs Mediation in eight particulars 194 c. Four Reasons why 196 Mediatour Christ as Mediatour glorified God in his Humiliation and Exaltation 30 c. It is our duty to know and believe in Christ as the onely Mediatour sent of God 192 The opening of this in three particulars 193 What Christ had or was as Mediator was for us ib. Which appeareth in four particulars 193 c. Christ prayed on Earth as Mediator and makes Intercession in Heaven 226 Christ as Mediatour had his glory given him 663 Mediatory All the children of God are under the Mediatory prayer 226 The aggravations of Christs Mediatory prayer in seven particulars 227 228 229 Christs Mediatory prayer and his death is only for the Elect. 232 Several Considerations to clear the point 233 234 235 Mediatory-Office That Christ in his Mediatory-Office hath respect to the meanest and weakest believer as well as to the choisest c. 524 Meditate It is good for the people of God often to Meditate of this That they are not of this world 455 The Reasons why it is so 454 Meditations Meditations are to be serious upon eternal life 71 The effect thereof 71 72 Merit Whether Christ did Merit this glory for himself 666 Ministers Why the best Ministers sometimes not fruitfull in conversion of â—thers 3 The Ministers of the Gospel are to preach Gods word 207 The opening of it in four particulars 208 It 's a special mercy for Ministers to agree in one 320 What are the Causes that make the Ministers of the Gospel thus differ 323 The Ministers of God must endeavour after the most perfect Vnity even to be One as the Father and Son are One 325 The Ministers duty is to deliver onely Gods truth to the hearers 424 The manner how they are to deliver it 424 The Grounds why it is requisite that Ministers should have truth and godliness 483 Vide Truth Why Ministers must be holy 484 Ministry The Ministry is appointed by Christs power 38 Christs power giveth successe to the Ministry ib. It is necessary 101 The end of the Ministry should be to bring men to the knowledge of God and Christ 166 Four Reasons why this is the end of the Ministry 167 c. If Christ though God yet in respect of his Ministry doth attribute all to God How much more the Ministers of the Gospel who are frail men 341 Two Errours in the extream about the Ministry ibid. A grievous sin to oppose the Ministry of God 486 None may undertake the publick Office of the Ministry without a lawfull Call thereto 491 God hath appointed a perpetual Ministry to the end of the world 557 Consider some Propositions for the opening of it