compassionate to others in that condition Heb. 2.17 18. Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his Brethren that he might be a merciful and faithful High-Priest in things pertaining to God to make reconciliation for the sins of the people For in that himself hath suffered being tempted he is able to succour them that are tempted Thirdly God suffers his servants to be tempted for the honour of his own Grace in supporting them and keeping them up and for the confusion likewise of the enemy in his attempts upon them Satan here desired to have Peter and the rest of the Disciples and he promised himself very great matters in the having of them thought he should surely conquer them and have them for his own now would Christ therefore suffer him to assault them that he might come off with the greater reproach that when he had done all he could against them he might see at last how little he could prevail upon them Thus ye see it was in the case of Job the Lord triumphs as it were over Satan in that attempt Hast thou consider'd my servant Job that there is none like him upon the earth a perfect and an upright man c. As if he had said thou hast endeavoured Satan to do all that thou could'st to undo him but yet for all that it will not do he has still the better of thee and for all that holds his integrity This reason which we now mention for this dealing is exprest in the case of Paul why the Lord did not take away his temptation but rather gave him Grace sufficient against it For my strength is made perfect in weakness And the Apostle himself also so improves it in the words that follow Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in mine infirmities that the power of Christ may rest upon me 2 Cor. 12.9 Thus we see that there is cause why Christ should suffer his servants to be tempted as he did Peter c. The Use which we are to make of it is therefore to arm our selves against temptation as much as we can We should not promise our selves absolute freedom and immunity from it but be prepared for it We should as our Saviour elsewhere advises pray against it that we enter not into it but yet withal be provided against it and to this purpose get a stock of Grace that may then stand us in stead Let us not then have our Armour to get when our Enemy is coming upon us but be furnish'd afore-hand and remember that we trust not to any Grace which we have already received but be still labouring and striving for more We had need of more Grace for the saving of that Grace we have already and especially the Grace of watchfulness and circumspection and of an holy fear But so much of this Passage in the Negative what our Saviour here does not pray for It is not for the preventing of Temptation which he did suffer and permit to befall the Apostle Peter The Second is the Positive part of it in the words of the Text That thy Faith may not fail Which words may be again consider'd of us two manner of ways First Simply and absolutely as they lye in themselves and so they do signify to us the safety of Peter's condition Secondly Respectively and dependantly in their connexion with the words going before and so they do signify to us the cause of Peter's safety First To take them Absolutely as they lye in themselves and so they do signify to us the safety of Peter's condition and together with him of all other Believers Their Faith it shall not fail Those who are true Believers they shall never wholly depart from the Faith but shall abide and continue stedfast to the end For the better opening of this present Point unto us we must know that there is a double Faith and so consequently a double sort of Believers There is the Doctrine of Faith and there 's the Grace of Faith There 's Faith as it lyes in the understanding and is a belief of the Truths of the Gospel And there is Faith as it is rooted in the heart and is a receiving and embracing of Christ Now it is not the former but the latter which is here chiefly intended The Papists that they may from hence prove that their Church cannot err which they will never evince from this Text they carry this Faith altogether to a Faith of Doctrine and so would infer That Peter as the Head of the Church should be infallible But besides the silliness of the inference they are much mistaken in the ground and supposition For the Faith which our Saviour here speaks of it is a Faith of Principles a saving justifying renewing and regenerating Faith whereby we are united to Christ as Members of his Mystical Body This is that which our Saviour here prayed for Peter that it should not fail in him Indeed it has a truth likewise of the other so far forth as it is included those which are born again as they are acquainted with all necessary Truths which God's Spirit does lead them into so they are likewise by the same gracious Spirit preserved in it But that which is mainly here intended is that Faith which lays hold upon Christ which though not excluding the former is more especially the Faith of God's Elect Tit. 1.9 And so Faith may here be taken by a Synecdoche for the whole work of the new creature in us This it is such as shall not fail and so is intimated to us in this Scripture and so in other places besides As Psal 125.1 They that trust in the Lord shall be as Mount Sion which cannot be moved but abideth for ever And Isa 6.13 He shall be like and Oak whose substance is in him whiles his leaves fall and the holy seed shall be the substance thereof c. This it may be made good unto us from sundry considerations First The nature of Grace it self which is an abiding Principle Faith is not a thing taken up as a man would take up some new fashion or custom but it is a thing rooted and incorporated in us and goes through the substance of us it spreads it self through the whole man and is as it were a new creature in us Therefore it is said of a regenerate person that he cannot commit sin namely the sin of Apostacy and that sin which is unto death because the seed of God remaineth in him 1 Joh. 3.9 Secondly The Covenant of Grace which is an everlasting Covenant Jer. 32.40 I will make an everlasting Covenant with them that I will never turn from them to do them good but I will put my fear into their hearts that they shall not depart from me Therefore Faith shall not fail because God himself does not fail who hath put this Faith into the hearts of his servants Thirdly The Spirit of Grace which is not only a Worker but an
Judgments are right and that in Faithfulness thou hast Afflicted me For indeed he does wonderfully moderate Himself in these his Corrections He punishes us less then our Iniquities deserves as Ezra makes Confession in Ezra 9.13 And although we do not always think so yet he always Corrects us in measure as himself declares unto us in Scripture thus in Esay 27.8 speaking concerning his Vineyard that is his Church In measure when it shooteth forth thou wilt debate with it he stayeth his rough Winds in the day of his East-winds And Jer. 30.11 I am with thee saith the Lord to save thee though I make a full end of all Nations whether I have scattered thee yet I will not make a full end of thee but I will Correct thee in measure and will not altogether leave thee Vnpunished Mark how these two are very happily joyned together I will not altogether leave thee unpunished and yet I will correct the in measure God will not leave his people altogether unpunished that he may the better rule them and keep them in awe and yet he will punish them and correct in measure that so he may keep them from Discouragement and Dispondency and dejection of Spirit Therefore I say let us observe Gods dealings in this particular and acknowledg his goodness in them It should teach us to entertain good thoughts of God and to look for such dealings from him as for time past it should draw out our thankfulness and so for time present it should strengthen our Patience and so for time to come incourage our Faith and Hope and Expectation That he that hath delivered will deliver and though he may Chasten sore yet will still mitigate his Chastenings to us that they shall not altogether overwhelm us and swallow us up but that we shall finde relief in them Indeed we cannot always expect it in the letter of the Text as to an absolute Freedom from Dissolution for that must come and will come at last after all our preservations from it upon such and such particular occasions Recovery is at the best but a Repreive and so must be accounted by us and what ever Evils we do escape there 's no escape of this comming to Death but yet under this phrase here we have signified Gods General inclination for the mitigating of his Corrections to us And therefore Secondly it teaches us also Bowels and Compassions in our selves in imitation of this goodness of God There are some kind of people in the world whom nothing will serve their turn but absolute ruine and destruction Like those two fierce Disciples in the Gospel presently calling for fire from Heaven or like the children of Edom in the Psalm concerning Jerusalem Raze it raze it to the foundation down with it down with it to the ground yea but these are taught better here from the Example of God himself who does hold and restrain his hand in the chastisements and corrections of his people This is still his manner of dealings especially where there 's any hope of proficiency for time to come He will not there presently make an utter end but spare them in much mercy As in Isa 65.8 When the new wine is found in the cluster oh destroy it not for there 's a blessing in it so will I doe for my servants sake c. And so much may be spoken of these words consider'd in their connexion The first part of the verse with the second as qualifying of it Now Secondly let us look upon them in their absolute consideration the latter clause of the verse distinctly and alone by it self He hath not given me over unto death We see here how God does graciously preserve his servants from Death and destruction he keeps and maintains their lives This David often makes mention of in other places of the Psalms besides As Psal 30.3 Oh Lord thou hast brought up my soul from the Grave Thou hast kept me alive that I should not go down to the Pit So Psal 116.8 Thou hast delivered my soul from death mine eyes from tears my feet from falling This the Lord is pleased to doe upon sundry considerations First out of his Goodness and Mercy and Love unto them thus David sets it forth in that place Psal 116.5 6. Gracious is the Lord and righteous yea our God is mercifull And what follows hereupon The Lord preserveth the simple I was brought low and he helped me So in verse 15. Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his Saints And Psal 72.14 He shall redeem their soul from deceit and violence and precious shall their blood be in his sight It is not an indifferent matter with God the death of his Servants neither does he lightly take away their lives but where there 's good cause and reason for it and in order to some greater good to them Secondly Because he hath work and service for them to do In death no man shall praise thee and who shall give thee thanks in the pit Psal 6.5 And Again Isa 38.18 19. The Grave cannot praise thee death cannot celebrate thee The living the living he shall praise thee As long as God has any work for any man to do so long he is sure to live and abide in the world Here 's a double goodness of God manifested to us First In designing us to service and the work it self And Secondly In preâ—erving our lives that so we may serve him and doe the work he has design'd us to This should so much the more incourage us in fruitfulness before him we cannot take a more expedient way to prolong our lives than by doing as much good as we can in them Useless and unprofitable persons which live idly and out of any imployment they doe but stand in the room of those which would do better then themselves and they provoke God oftentimes in Judgement to remove them and to take them away As the barren Figtree in the Gospel it was cut down that it might not cumber the ground But those that are active and serviceable they are a great delight and content to him and he takes a great deal of delight in thinking upon them as himself also expresses it in Malach. 3.16 17. They shall be mine sayes the Lord of Hosts in that day when I make up my jewels and I will spare them as a man spareth his own son that serveth him A man loves all his children as children and from his Relation to them Oh but those who are of his Trade and which work to him those he loves and tenders more especially and would be lothest to part with them of any other besides and so is it here with God his sons that serve him their death is more precious with him of all the rest neither will he easily give them over to it Not that he simply needs any work or service of ours who when we have done all we can are at the best but unprofitable
that which is implied I will speak Secondly as a matter of necessity in that which is exprest I cannot hold my peace First to speak of the former to wit the parts affected both simply propounded as also doubled and repeated My bowels my heart These though if we take them corporally and according to a Bodily Dissection or Anatomy of them they are parts distinct yet here in this Spiritual notion and consideration of them they are one and the same and do signifie no more than the Soul and inward man yet as working likewise upon the body and outward Thus have some of the antient Expositors and Interpreters of Scripture understood iâ— as Gregory Nyssen upon that place of the Canticles Cant. 5.4 My bowels were moved in me he has this Gloss upon it ' H 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The belly or bowels here meant is the Intellectual and Discursive Faculty of the Soul So in like manner Gregory Nazianzen in his 17 Oration speaking of this place of the Prophet 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 meaning by his bowels his mind .. And St. Ambrose to the like purpose De Spirituali non corporeo ventre dixit propheta The Prophet did not speak of a corporal but of a spiritual belly This spiritual belly it is the Mind and Soul of Man There are three special Reasons among others which may be given by us for this expression of the Mind and Soul by the Belly or Bowels First The secrecy of it as that which is most inward and retired 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as he before Greg. Naz. The Mind and Soul it is hidden and invisible as the belly and bowels within the body Thus Prov. 20.27 The spirit of a man is the candle of the Lord searching all the inward parts of the belly So Psal 103.1 Praise the Lord O my Soul and all that is within me praise his holy name Within me i. e. in my bowels in viscerebus as some translate it And more expresly Psal â—1 6 Behold thou desirest truth in the inward parts and in the hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisdom The bowels do well express the Soul in regard of their secresie That 's the first Secondly Because the Mind it does receive and digest the Thoughts as the Belly does the Meats Mens coquit curas ut venter aescas Greg. past 3. part admonit l. 3. The mind it does digest and boil out cares as the stomach does the food which is put into it and those Notions which at the first are but raw yet through meditation and often turning of them in the mind they come to be concocted Thirdly The Mind it is the Mother of Thoughts it is the fruitful Belly which doth send forth so many conceptions as the proper fruit and issue of it Vt proles in utero concepitur sic cogitatio in mente generatur says the same Author Greg. Mor. l. 12. c. 27. As the Child is conceived in the Womb so is the Thought generated in the Mind Thus in regard of this threefold Analogy and Correspondency is the Mind exprest by the Bowels or Belly so that My bowels my bowels and My heart my heart that is as much as My Soul my Soul my Spirit and my inward man There are two words here in the Text put together for the greater emphasis Bowels and Heart both the one as the explication of the other My Bowels my Heart that is My Bowel which is my Heart and indeed there is so great a nearness and affinity of these two to one another as that they are frequently put the one for the other and signifie the one by the other Thus Psal 22.14 My heart is like wax it is melted in the midst of my bowels not as if his Heart were in his Belly but in regard of the vicinity of these parts the one to the other it is thus exprest And because of this coincidency sometimes the Bowels is put for the Heart sometimes the Heart is put for the Bowels The Bowels for the Heart Jer. 31.33 I will put my law in their inward parts and write it in their hearts In their inward parts that is in their Bowels but the meaning of it is in their Hearts as the latter word explains it to us Again the the Heart is also put for the Bowels as in Jer. 48.36 compared with Isa 16.11 In Jer. 48.36 we find it thus My heart shall sound for Moab like pipes In Isa 16.11 we find it thus My bowels shall sound like an Harp for Moab and mine inward parts for Kir-hajesh There mine heart here my bowels and inward parts From both together we are to understand in one word the affections which while they are described by the Bowels it does shew 1. The retiredness of them they were such as every one did not see within the walls of the Heart Kiroth libbi as it is exprest in the Text. 2. The fixedness of them deeply rooted as low as the Bowels 3. The truth and sincerity of them without hypocrisie or dissimulation c. The second Particular in the first General is the grief of these parts both in the kinds of it My heart is pain'd and in the effect of it My heart makes a noise within me From both together we may observe thus much what work and disturbance passions and affections make in the Soul if they be not the better restrain'd they put all out of order and frame and cause great commotions of spirit in those persons which are exercised with them Indeed this of the Prophet it was not an inordinate but a regular stirring in him both because as we shall hear afterwards it was upon a just occasion as likewise that he was carried by the Spirit of God in it But yet we may occasionally from it take notice also of the tumults which do arise in the Soul from the distemper and miscarriage it self And so I say thus much How that Passion it puts all out of frame it puts the Soul out of joynt and takes off the wheels of it it is the ground of very great trouble and anguish and disquiet unto it this it is in all the kinds and specifications of it whether anger or sorrow or fear or what ever it is The excess of it is very outrageous and and such as there is no abiding or enduring of it not onely in others but in men themselves If we look into Scripture we shall find what work it has there made even in the best men in the world for example The Prophet David do but see it in him Psal 31.9 Mine eye is consumed with grief yea my soul and my belly Psal 32.3 My moisture is turned into the drought of summer Psal 38.3 No soundness in my flesh c. This extravagancy of affection it is not onely an affliction to the spirit but has also an influence upon the outward man Now there is very good use which we may make of this observation that we
Shulamite return return there 's a doubling still of the word The Spirit of God he speaks quick and he speaks often again and again where he would prevent from danger Thus it teaches us accordingly to submit to such quick and close admonitions as these are as we have need of them There are many that do not love to be startled they would fain go to Hell quietly without any disturbance or interruption and therefore abhor all such persons as deal roundly and tartly with them and would awaken them out of their natural condition Oh but we see there is sometimes cause for such dealings and we should not think much of them whether from Ministers in the way of their publick Ministery or from private Christians in the way of Christian converse and private admonition not to be offended with their rouzings and excitements of us which the state in which we may be in and the danger which is neer upon us may call for to be used to us That 's one intimation in this doubled and repeated expression viz. The greatness of the danger The Second is the security of the person warned Peter was not more in danger than he was insensible of his danger He thought the case to be well enough with him as he expresses it afterwards in verse 33 of this chap. Lord I am ready to go with thee both into prison and unto death He thought himself a jolly man and that he could do very great matters till it came to the trial was well perswaded of his own strength and of his ability to resist temptations Now therefore does our Saviour here awaken him out of this secure temper and disposition by this manner of expressing himself unto him As danger calls for excitement so especially there where it hath security with it As the Angel to Lot and his company when they took them and pulled them out of Sodom because of their lingring in it Even so is there need to be done with some souls from that presumption and security that possesses them Thirdly The affection of the Monitor or Person that gives the warning that 's also in the doubling of the appellation It is a sign Christ's heart was much in it and that he bore a singular love and respect to Peter in that he does thus passionately admonish him Love is full of sollicitude and carefulness for the party beloved and can never express it self as it thinks sufficiently about it for the welfare of it And this is seen in nothing more than in spiritual things It is a singular token of affection to give warning of spiritual dangers and hazards to the soul and of temptations which it is exposed unto This is that which Christ does here in the Text to the Apostle Peter and which he does also to the rest of his Servants by his Spirit still in their hearts He does secretly forewarn them of those evils which are neer unto them if-so-be they will take warning by him and that also with much importunity and vehemency as that which concerns them So much for that and so also of the First General in the Text viz. The person warned the Apostle Peter in these words repeated and doubled Simon Simon The Second is the matter of the admonition or the warning it self Behold Satan To say nothing of the word of attention Behold which yet might be inlarged upon There are two particulars here further considerable First the persons aim'd at and that is you Secondly the design upon them Satan hath desired to have you and to sift or winnow you as wheat For the First The persons aim'd at they are here said to be you He spake before to Peter in the singular Simon Simon now it is you in the plural To signify thus much unto us that there 's the same condition of all Believers as of one That which befalls one Christian it is incident to all the rest They have all the same dngers which they are exposed unto and enemies which do endeavour against them though they may not always have the like opportunity for the expressing of their enmity against them one as another Peter and the rest all alike The reason of it is this Because they all consist of the same natures and are acted by the same principles they all have the reliques of the same original corruption as yet in part abiding in them and they have all the same Spirit and work of Grace acting in them And so as to temptations they are all one and the same for the danger which they are liable unto Therefore it should work all to an holy jealousie and suspition of themselves and tenderness to others when we see any poor soul at any time exercised with Satan's temptations and it may be sometimes foyl'd with them let us not think that his case is peculiar and that we for our parts shall do well enough No but rather be so much the more watchful over our own hearts Be not high-minded but fear for that which befalls others if thou look'st not to it may befall thee And so it should teach us also bowels and compassion towards others under temptations not to be harsh with them and rigorous towards them and censorious of them but to use all kind of gentleness and tenderness to them considering that the case might be our own if God should permit it Thus the Apostle Paul improves it in his exhortation given to the Galatians Gal. 6.1 Brethren if a man be overtaken in a fault ye which are spiritual restore such an one with the spirit of meekness considering thy self lest thou also be tempted Which rule if it were more observ'd there would be a great deal of more Christian affection in the world than commonly there is Men look upon the temptations of others as if themselves were altogether exempt and freed from them whereas if they were in the same circumstances they would bewray the same infirmities and weaknesses that others do afore them that so they may carry the greater bowels and pitty towards them As it is an argument to remembrance of others in bonds and adversty as being your selves in the body and so ready to be bound with them Heb. 13.3 So it is an argument for compassion towards others under temptations as being your selves liable and exposed to the same condition and apt and ready to be tempted with them And indeed this is the reason why God is pleased many times to exercise sundry persons in this kind and to expose them now and then to temptations that so from hence he may teach them to be less harsh and rigorous to others in such conditions which when themselves are free they are oftentimes subject unto that they may preserve in themselves a sweet and amiable 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and tenderness of spirit to the rest of their Brethren and that their moderation may be known to all men as the Apostle requires it should be Phil. 4.5 It is
they have not oly a recompence and reward set before them for the nature of the thing it self but moreover a full reward for the accomplishment and perfection of it which it is call'd here as the description of an heavenly Condition First of all Denominatively Secondly It is call'd so emphatically as implying that there is a reward which is not full belonging to those which are inconstant and declining in Religion Take such kind of persons as do some good things here in this world God is not behind-hand with them but gives them even here in this world some reward answerable thereunto but yet if they go not on and continue he does not finish and complete it to them it is but imperfect There is the best still behind which they shall never have This is then the scope and drift of the Apostles speech to perswade us to fulness of holiness that so consequently we may have fulness of happiness attendant upon it and to perswade us to a fulness of work that we may have a fulness of wages which accordingly should have an efficacy upon us every one when he comes for his wages would be glad to receive all and would not have any thing to be kept back from him Now as he would so it concerns him to have a care of his work that that also be complete Be ye stedfast and unmovable always abounding in the work of the Lord that so your labour may not be in vain in the Lord 1 Cor. 15.58 that is that ye may receive a full reward And thus much of the words as they refer to Christians and Believers themselves Now further secondly As they refer to the Apostles and other Ministers That we may receive a full reward This reward was not Temporal and from them which he di not so much look at but from God a reward in Heaven The Apostle did hereby imply that these Christians if they were careless would be apt to deprive him of this and so they would though not of his reward simply which Ministers shall be sure to have if they do their indeavour howsoever people carry themselves but yet a full reward that they may be deprived of What is that namely of joy and rejoycing Ministers when people miscarry under their hands they will miss of this though not of their glory And this the Apostle signifies there in that place Heb. 13.17 That we may do with joy and not with grief they may do it with safety but not with joy with safety as to their own souls which shall be saved notwithstanding but not with joy as to their work which in the mean time shall be burn't This latter clause then helps to the Explication of the former The Apostle had said That we lose not the things which we have wrought as if Ministers upon their peoples heedlesness and miscarriage lost their labour and reward Now thus he shews here in what sense it is to be taken namely not to the loss of it simply and absolutely but as to the fulness of it that we may receive a full reward that is a reward not only of salvation but also of comfort and glorying and exaltation I might also further note this That the profiting and perseverance of the people is a full reward to the Minister And so now I have done also with the second Branch of the second General laid down in the Affirmative as an Argument for these people's Caution taken not only from themselves but from their Teachers That we may receive a full reward SERMON XLV 2 Joh. 9. Whosoever transgresseth and abideth not in the Doctrine of Christ hath not God he that abideth in the Doctrine of Christ he hath both the Father and the Son There are two things especially which do belong to the Work of the Ministry as Parts and Branches of it Conversion and Confirmation The infusion of Christian Principles into the mins of those who for the present are destitute of them and the settling and strengthning of those Principles in their minds in which already they are wrought And this latter no less useful and beneficial and necessary than the former It being as great a commendation to maintain that which ispurchas'd as to purchase tat which as yet is not obtain'd Therefore the Apostle John in this Scripture which we have here before us does apply himself vigorously to this business in an Epistle which he directs to an Honourable Matron with her Family whom he stiles the Elect Lady and her Children He had as it is probable formerly been an instrument through the blessing of God of their Conversion to the Faith of Christ. And now in regard especially of the danger which they were in from Seducers he does as carefully indeavour their establishment and confirmation in the same Faith This he does in the proposal of a double Consideration to them which might have influence upon them in the Verse which we have now in hand First The great Misery of all such as swerv'd from this Faith laid down in the Negative Proposition Whosoever transgresseth and abideth not in the Doctrine of Christ hath not God Secondly The great Happiness of all such as continue in this Faith laid down in the Affirmative He that abideth in the Doctrine of Christ he hath both the Father and the Son THE Text it self consists of two General Parts a Negative and an Affimative The Negative that we have in those words Whosoever transgresseth and abideth not in the Doctrine of Christ hath not God The Affirmative that we have in those He that abideth in the Doctrine of Christ the same hath both the Father and the Son We begin with the first viz. The Negative Whosoever transgresseth and abideth c. Which is a Censure of all such persons as do withdraw from the Doctrine of Christ And these are here exhibited to us under a double Notion the one of simple neglect in the refusal or denial of this Doctrine and the other of unworthy Reaction in Apostacy or departing from it The former we have signified to us in the word transgresseth the latter in the word abideth not Where again the Doctrine of Christ may admit of a double Explication and be taken two manner of ways Either first Actively and Enunciatively the Doctrine of Christ i. e. the Doctrine which Christ teacheth in the General Notion of it Or secondly Passively and Objectively the Doctrine of Christ i. e. the Doctrine which refers to Christ as the proper subject and matter of that Doctrine in the specifical notion of it which is more particularly the Doctrine of the Gospel and of reconciliation wrought by Christ. According to the first sense of the phrase so here is a peremptory Censure of all unsound and heterodox Doctrine the maintainers of it in any substantial point ormatter whatsoever which does belong to Religion according to that of the Apostle Paul in 1 Tim. 6.3 c. If any man teach otherwise and consent
may likewise join Gods gracious assistance of his servants as to further progress and perseverance in Grace To him that hath shall be given And the more that any abide in Christs Doctrine hitherto the more likely are they to abide in it still because God will never be wanting more or less to gracious endeavours but where he has begun a good work in any of us will there perfect it unto the day of Jesus Christ in Philip. 1.6 But yet all is not limited and confined to this present life there 's a further reach in this expression still which we have not yet spoken unto when 't is said here that he that abides in Christs Doctrine he hath God both Father and Son And that is in reference to eternal glory and that life which is to come hereafter He hath him now by Adoption and Sanctification and hereafter by Salvation and Glorification Thus when the Apostle had spoken of the Grace of God appearing to all men c. he tells us it brings Salvation And when he had spoken of living godly and holy he presently adds Looking for that blessed hope and the glorious appearing of our Lord and Saviour c. Neither is this any way diminished by the word in the present tense He hath God but rather confirmed which does signifie the certainty of it as if it were done already He that abides in the Doctrine of Christ he is as sure of eternal Salvation as if he were saved already Therefore the Apostle Peter has such an expression as this is A partaker of the glory which shall be revealed 1 Pet. 5.1 The glory which shall be and yet a partaker of it already And so the Apostle Paul Ephes 2.6 He hath raised us up together and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ. This holds good first in the faithfulness of Gods promise he has promised it and therefore it is as good as if it were actually performed And secondly in the preparations to it and anticipations of it in the first-fruits of the spirit that of God which a Believer has already it does bespeak more of him to him which he is thence assured further to injoy He hath both the Father and the Son But why is not the Holy Ghost joyned with them as which he has likewise To this I answer that he is included in the two other persons as he is also in other places of Scripture of the like expression Therefore it is a very good observation of Austins which shall shut up this discourse Cum Spiritus sanctus sit nexus Patris Filii ubicunque ponitur persona Patris persona Filii simul ibi semper intelligitur persona Spiritus sancti Forasmuch as the Holy Ghost is the band uniting Father and Son therefore wheresoever there is mention made of the Person of the Father and of the Person of the Son together there is always to be understood the Person of the Holy Ghost as included And so now I have done also with the second general part of the Text which is the Proposition in the Affirmative expression as qualifying the former He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ he hath both the Father and the son And so much for this Text for this time SERMON XLVI Revel 1.5 And from Jesus Christ who is the faithful witness and the first-begotten of the dead and the Prince of the Kings of the earth unto him that loved us and washed us from our sins in his own blood There is nothing more necessary for Christians in the blessings and good things that they partake of than to be fully sensible and apprehensive of the spring and fountain of them and of the conveyance of those blessings to them and this as that which is here done in this Scripture by the Aposile John in his Salutation of the seven Churches of Asia to whom he directs and inscribes this his Book of Revelation more especially He wishes them Grace and Peace and he withal informs them who it is from whom they must expect them and that is not only from God himself considered essentially From him that was and that is and that is to come but from God especially considered Dispensatively and as revealed and made known in Christ whom he adds to the other And from Jesus Christ who is the faithful witness c. IN this present Text before us we have a threefold description of Christ according to his several Offices which he hath undertaken for us First From his Prophetical who is the faithful witness Secondly From his Priestly who is the first-begotten of the dead And thirdly From his Regal who is the Prince of the Kings of the Earth These are the Parts of the Text. We begin with the first of these Parts viz. the Prophetical Office of Christ exprest to us in these words wherein Jesus Christ is said to be the faithful witness There are two words here put together and both of them with their distinct Emphasis as they run in the Original Text it is the witness 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and it is the faithful 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an Article prefixt to each First It is the witness Christ is a witness and he is a witness with a witness he is a special and singular witness so as there is none else besides that in this particular is like unto him Isa 55.4 Behold I have given him for a witness to the people it is spoken of Christ This he is said to be according to a twofold Explication First By way of Discovery and Revelation And secondly By way of Assurance and Confirmation In each of these respects is Christ a witness First By way of Discovery and Revelation as making known to us the will of his Father Thus in Matth. 11.27 All things are delivered unto me of my Father and no man knoweth the Son but the Father neither knoweth any man the Father but the Son and he to whom the Son will reveal him So Joh. 1.18 No man hath seen God at any time the only begotten Son which is in the bosom of the Father he hath declared him Christ being God's Eternal Wisdom and so always present with the Father By him as one brought up with him Prov. 8.30 He from hence knows the mind of the Father and so is able to discover it to us and make it known which accordingly is done by him In Heb. 2.3 it is said that the Gospel began to be spoken by the Lord himself And in Heb. 1.2 God hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son c. There were two ways wherein Christ did make known unto us the Gospel and the will of his Father The one was directly and mediately in his own person and the other was immediately and ministerially in the mouths and pens of his Servants who were sent and appointed by him First In his own person Isa 61.1 c. The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me