man shall send forth his Angels and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that do offend 7. The Conference of the Blessed Saints we shall be with them speak to them hear them speak to us though not after an earthly manner We have now Bodies and so Tongues and Lips which are the Instrument of Speech Ears which are the Instruments of Hearing now these would seem vain and to no purpose if there were no use of Speech and Hearing It was a blessed thing for Peter Iames and Iohn to stand by and hear the conference between Christ Moses and Elias 1 King 10. 8. Happy are thy men happy are these thy servants which stand continually before thee and hear thy Wisdom Much more may it be said here USE Well then Christian Religion is True Christs Death Necessary Eternal Life Certain Oh let our Time and Hearts and Care be taken up about these great and glorious things Meditate on them seek after them first begin with the sureness of Christian Doctrine that you may lay a good Foundation that Christ is the Teacher of the Church who hath brought life and immortality to light through the Gospel 2 Tim. 1. 10. then penitently sue out your Pardon in the name of Christ depending on the Merit of his Death and make this Eternal Life and Happiness your choice and the scope of your Life and Conversation 2 Cor. 4. 18. While we look not at the things which are seen but at the things which are not seen for the things which are seen are temporal but the things which are not seen are Eternal SERMON IV. MATTH 17. 4. Then answered Peter and said unto Iesus Lord it is good for us to be here if thou wilt let us make three Tabernacles one for Thee and one for Moses and one for Elias With LUKE 9. 32 33. But Peter and they that were with him were heavy with sleep and when they were awake they saw his Glory and the two men that stood with him And it came to pass as they departed from him Peter said unto Iesus Master it is good for us to be here and let us make three Tabernacles one for Thee and one for Moses and one for Elias not knowing what he said WE are upon the Adjuncts of Christs Transfiguration The first was the Appearance of Moses and Elias talking with him The Second is the entertainment which the Apostles gave to this glorious dispensation or their behaviour under it Three Things are Observable 1. Their Posture for some while and Peter and they that were with him were heavy with sleep 2. Peters Motion when they were awake let us build here three Tabernacles 3. The Censure of it not knowing what he said First Their Posture after the Transfiguration was begun and Peter and they that were with him were heavy with sleep This sleep might arise either from a common natural cause or from a special cause peculiar to this dispensation 1. A common natural cause being tyred with labour in ascending the Mountain for it was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 exceeding high Or it was with watching for they tarried there all night and Christ continued long in Prayer and possibly being a little withdrawn from them as in his Agonies he was Transfigured before them 2. The special cause of this sleep was the extraordinary Apparition as the Prophets often were in a deep sleep and trance when they saw the like Dan. 8. 18. As the Angel Gabriel was speaking to me I fell into a deep sleep with my face towards the ground Again Dan. 10. 9. When I heard his voice then was I in a deep sleep So the Prophet Zechariah in the midst of his Visions Zech. 4. 1. The Angel of the Lord wakened me as one in a deep sleep any eminent passion causeth sleep and they were astonished so with these visions and representations that nature fainted under them and they fell into a sleep so the Apostles seeing Christ in the midst of fervent Prayers Transfigured before them Now whether it came from the one cause or from the other we must conclude this sleep was a weakness on their parts but directed and overruled by God for just and wise Reasons 1. It was a weakness and infirmity on their part for questionless they were to attend with all vigilancy to this manifestation of our Saviours glory and observe the passages of it why else did he take them into the Mountain a part but as Witnesses of it as they were to watch in his Agonies so in his Transfiguration it was a fault then Mat. 26. 40. When he cometh he findeth them asleep What could you not watch with me one hour But the best men are clogged with humane infirmities in the most glorious manifestations of God to them 2. The Providence of God is to be observed in this sleep that which came to pass through their Fault was ordered by Gods Providence for if they had been awake they had heard all the discourse that passed between Christ and the two great Prophets which neither their present condition nor the state of the time did permit Christ had told them that he should suffer an ignominious death which they did not throughly understand nor could they reconcile it with the present thoughts which they had of the Messiah nor was it fit for them to hear all how the death of Christ was foretold in the Prophesies prefigured in the Sacrifices shadowed out in all the rest of the Types of the Law and sung of in the book of Psalms to satisfie the Justice of God and open a way for his Mercy and the gift of the Holy Spirit Christ would not have the great work of his dying hindered and these things they were not to learn from Moses and Elias but he would teach them himself after the Resurrection Luke 24. 44 45 46. These are the words that I spake unto you while I was yet with you that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the Law of Moses and in the Prophets and in the Psalms concerning me then opened he their eyes that they might understand the Scriptures and said unto them thus it is written and thus it behoved Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day And the full knowledge of them was reserved till the pouring out of the Spirit on the day of Pentecost if they had heard them now they would have begotten scruples and troublesome thoughts in their minds and hindered the present service Observe hence our weakness during the time we are invironed with mortality that we cannot bear up long under spiritual duties either our hearts are soon overcharged with wonder astonishment or else we yield to natural infirmities however let it be a warning to us against sleepiness in the worship of God It is true the best may be surprized with it as here Christs Disciples yet it was a sin in them to be asleep when Christ was at Prayers and it
destroy him that had the power of death that is the Devil Therefore the son of God who interposed on our behalf and undertook the rescue of sinners did assume the nature of man that he might conquer Satan in the nature that was conquered and also offer himself as a sacrifice in the same nature for the demonstration of the justice of God First Christ must overcome by Obedience tryed to the uttermost by temptations and then he must also overcome by suffering by overcoming temptations he doth overcome Satan as a tempter and by death he overcame his as a tormentor or as the Prince of death who had the power of executing Gods sentence So that you see before he overcame him by merit he overcame him by example and was an instance of a tempted man before he was an instance of a persecuted man or one that came to make satisfaction to Gods Justice 3. With respect to the Saints who are in their passage to Heaven to be exposed to great difficulties and tryals Now that they might have comfort and hope in their Redeemer and come to him boldly as one touched with a feeling of their infirmities he himself submitted to be tempted This reason is recorded by the Apostle in two places Heb. 2. 18. For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted he is able to succour them that are tempted able to succour that is fit powerful inclined effectually moved to succour them None so merciful as those who have been once miserable and they who have not only known misery but felt it do more readily relieve and succour others God biddeth Israel to pity strangers Exod. 22. 21. Thou shalt neither vex a stranger nor oppress him for ye were strangers in the Land of Egypt They knew what it was to be exposed to the envy and hatred of the neighbours in the Land where they sojourned Exod. 23. 9. For ye know the heart of a stranger seeing ye were strangers in the Land of Egypt We read that when King Richard the first had been on the Sea near Sicily like to be drowned he recalled that antient and barbarous custom whereby the goods of shipwrackt men were escheated to the Crown making provision that those goods should be preserved for the right owners Christ being tossed in the tempest of temptations knows what belongs to the trouble thereof The other place is Heb. 4. 15. We have not an high priest which cannot be toucht with the feeling of our infirmities but was in all points tempted like as we are yet without sin Christ hath experienced how strong the Assailant is how feeble our nature is how hard a matter it is to withstand when we are so sorely assaulted His own experience of sufferings and temptations in himself doth intender his heart and make him fit for sympathy with us and begets a tender compassion towards the miseries and frailties of his members 4. With respect to Christ himself that he might be an exact pattern of Obedience to God The obedience is little worth which is carryed on in an even tenor when we have no temptation to the contrary but is cast off as soon as we are tempted to disobey Iames 1. 12. Blessed is the man that endureth temptation for when he is tryed he shall receive the crown of Life which the Lord hath promised to them that love him And Heb. 11. 17. By Faith Abraham when he was tryed offered up Isaac and he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten Son Now Christ was to be more eminent than all the holy ones of God and therefore that he might give an evidence of his Piety Constancy and Trust in God it was thought fit some tryal should be made of him that he might by example teach us what reason we have to hold to God against the strongest temptations III. The good of this to us It teacheth us divers things four I shall instance in 1. To shew us who is our grand enemy the Devil who sought the misery and destruction of mankind as Christ did our Salvation And therefore he is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Enemy Matth. 13. 39. The Enemy that sowed them is the Devil And he is called also 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the wicked one Matth. 13. 19. as the first and deepest in evil And because this malitious cruel spirit ruined mankind at first he is called a lyar and murderer from the beginning Iohn 8. 44. A Lyar because of his deceit a murderer to show us what he hath done and would do It was he that set upon Christ and doth upon us as at first to destroy our health so still to keep us from our medicine and recovery out of the lapsed estate by the Gospel of Christ. 2. That all men none excepted are subject to temptations If any might plead for exemption our Lord Jesus the eternal Son of God might but he was assaulted and tempted and if the Devil tempted our Saviour he will be much more bold with us The godly are yet in the way not at the end of the Journey in the Field not with the Crown on their heads and it is Gods will that the enemy should have leave to assault them None go to Heaven without a tryal all these things are accomplished in your brethren that are in the flesh 1 Pet. 5. 9. To look for an exempt priviledge or immunity from temptation is to list our selves as Christs Souldiers and never expect Battle or Conflict 3. It sheweth us the manner of Conflict both of Satans Fight and our Saviours Defence 1. Of Satans Fight it is some advantage not to be ignorant of his enterprizes 2 Cor. 2. 11. Lest Satan should get an advantage of us for we are not ignorant of his devices Then we may the better stand upon our guard He assaulted Christ by the same kind of temptations by which usually he assaults us The kinds of temptations are reckoned up 1 Ioh. 2. 16. The lusts of the flesh the lust of the eye and the pride of life And Iam. 3. 15. This wisdom descendeth not from above but is earthly sensual devilish With these temptations he assaulted our first Parents Gen. 3. 8. When the woman saw that the Tree was good for fruit and that it was pleasant to the eyes and a tree to be desired to make one wise she took of the fruit thereof and did eat And with the same temptations he assaulted Christ tempting him to turn stones into bread to satisfie the longings of the flesh to fall down and worship him as to the sight of a bewitching object to his eyes to fly in the Air in pride and to get Glory among men Here are our snares which we must carefully avoid 2. The manner of Christs Defence and so it instructeth us how to overcome and carry our selves in temptations And here are two things whereby we overcome 1. By Scripture the Word of God is the Sword of the Spirit Eph. 6. 17.
and ministred to him So Psal. 34. 19. Many are the afflictions of the Righteous but the Lord delivereth him out of them all Here is their present conflict and their final conquest Look on a Christian on his dark side and there are Afflictions and Afflictions many for number and kind look on his luminous part and there is the Lord to take care of him to deliver him and the deliverance is compleat the Lord delivereth him out of them all God will put an end to their conflict sooner or later sometimes visibly in this Life or if he doth not deliver them till death or from death he will deliver them by death then he delivereth them from all sin and misery at once for death is theirs The Reasons are these 1. God considereth what will become Himself his Pity and Fidelity 1. His own Pity and Mercy Iames 5. 11. Ye have heard of the patience of Iob and have seen the end of the Lord that the Lord is very pitiful and of tender mercy God will give an happy end to our Conflicts and Trials as he did to Iob that he may be known to be a God pitiful and merciful Iob is set up as a publick visible Instance and Monument of Gods tender Mercy We must not measure our Afflictions by the smart but the end of them what the merciful God will do at length the beginning is from Satan but the end from the Lord. If we look to the beginning we draw an ill picture of God in our Minds as if he were harsh severe and cruel to his Creatures yea to his best servants but in the end we find him very tender of his people and that sense hath made lies of God At the very time when we think God hath forgotten us he is ready to hear and to remove the trouble Psal. 31. 22. I said in my hast I am cut off nevertheless thou heardest the voice of my supplications The Son of God was hungry transported and carried to and fro by the Devil from the pinacle of the Temple to an high Mountain tempted by a blasphemous suggestion to fall down and worship the impure spirit but at length the devil leaveth him and the angels came and ministred to him 2. His Fidelity which will not permit him to suffer you to be tempted above measure We do not stand to the devils courtesie to tempt us as long as he list but are in the hands of the Faithful God 1 Cor. 10. 13. There hath no temptation taken you but what is common to man but God is faithful who will not suffer you to be tempted above that you are able but will with the temptation also make a way to escape that you may be able to bear it what a heap of consolations are there in that one place as 1. That temptations are but ordinary and to be looked for there is no 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 incident to humane nature it hath nothing extraordinary in it If the Son of God in humane Nature was not exempted why should we expect a priviledge apart to our selves not common to others 2. That God's conduct is gentle he inflicteth nothing and permitteth nothing to be inflicted upon you beyond measure and above strength but as Iacob drove as the little ones were able to bear so God proportioneth Tryals to our strength Before you have final deliverance you shall have present support 3. That he will together with the temptation give 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a passage out a way to escape And all this is assured to us by his faithfulness the conflict shall be tolerable when it is at the highest and the end comfortable God doth bridle the malice and hatred of Satan and his instruments he hath taken an obligation upon himself to do so that he may omit no part of his care towards us A good man will not overburthen his Beast 2. The Lord considereth also our frailty both with respect to natural and spiritual strength 1. Natural strength The Psalmist telleth us that he will not alwayes chide and keep his anger for ever Psalm 103. 9. Why One Reason is that he knoweth our frame and remembreth we are dust verse 14. He may express his just displeasure and correct us for our sins for a while but he taketh off his punishing hand again because he knoweth we are soon apt to faint and fail being but a little enlivened dust of a weak constitution not able to endure long troubles and vexations Iob pleadeth chap. 6. 12. Is my strength the strength of stones or is my flesh of brass We have not strength to subsist under perpetual troubles but are soon broken and subdued by them 2. With respect to spiritual strength the best are subject to great infirmities which oft betray us to sin if our vexations be great and long Psal. 125. 3. The rod of the wicked shall not rest on the lot of the righteous lest the righteous put forth their hands to iniquity The oppressions of wicked men shall not be so lasting and durable as that the temptations should be of too great force this might shake the constancy of the best He knoweth nothing in Divinity that knoweth not that God worketh congruously and attempereth his Providence to our strength and so will not only give an increase of internal Grace but lessen and abate the outward temptation that his external Government conduceth to the preservation of the Saints as well as his internal by supporting their spirits with more liberal aides of Grace Therefore God will cause the temptation to cease when it is overprossing But all must be left to his Wisdom and holy methods 3. With respect to the Devil and his instruments to whose malice he sets bounds who otherwise would know no measure 1. For the devil see Rev. 2. 10. Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer behold the devil shall cast some of you into prison that you may be tryed and ye shall have tribulation ten dayes Mark how they are comforted against the persecution coming upon them partly because the cause was clearly Gods for all this trouble was by the instigation of the devil making use of his instruments Eph. 2. 2. he is called the Prince of the power of the Air the spirit that worketh in the Children of disobedience partly because the persecution raised would not be universal some of you not all and those not persecuted unto the death but onely cast into prison partly from the end that they should be tryed it was not penal or castigatory but probatory The devil would destroy you but God would suffer you only to be tryed so that they should come forth like the three Children out of the furnace without singing of their garments or like Daniel out of the Lyons Den without a scratch or maim or as Christ here the devil got not one jot of ground upon him partly from the duration ten dayes that
Resist the devil and he will flee from you If you resist his suggestions to malice envy and strife he is discouraged So 1 Pet. 5. 9. Whom resist stedfast in the Faith We must not fly nor yeild to him in the least but stoutly and peremptorily resist him in all his temptations If you stand your ground satan falleth In this spiritual conflict satan hath only weapons offensive cunning wiles and fiery darts none defensive a believer hath weapons both offensive and defensive sword and shield c. therefore our safety lyeth in resisting About which is to be considered 1. What kind of Resistance this must be 2. Arguments to perswade and enforce it 3. What Graces enable us in this Resistance 1. For the kind of Resistance 1. It must not be faint and cold Some kind of Resistance may be made by general and common Graces the light of nature will rise up in defyance of many sins especially at first before men have sinned away natural light or else the Resistance at least is in some cold way But it must be earnest and vehement as against the enemy of God and our Souls Pauls Resistance in his conflicts was with serious dislikes and deep groans Rom. 7. 19. The good that I would I do not but the evil which I would not that I do and verse 24. Oh wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from the body of this death In apparent cases a detestation and vehement indignation is enough get thee behind me Satan In other cases there need strong Arguments and Considerations that the temptation may not stick when the tempter is gone as the smutch remaineth of a candle stuck against a stone wall When Eve speaketh faintly and coldly the devil reneweth the assault with the more violence Gen. 3. 3. Ye shall not eat of it neither shall ye touch it lest ye dye As to the restraint she speaketh warmly and with some impatiency of resentment not eat nor touch in the Commination too coldly lest ye dye when God had said ye shall surely dye A faint denial is a kind of grant therefore slight Satans assaults with indignation Though the dog barketh the Traveller passeth on Satan cannot endure contempt At other times argue for God stoutly thy Soul and eternal concernments are in danger No worldly concernment ought to go so near to us as that which concerneth our eternal good and the Salvation of our souls What would the devil have from thee but thy soul and its pretious enjoyments Peace of Conscience Hope of Everlasting Life What doth he bid worldly vanities As the Merchant putteth up his wares with indignation when the chapman biddeth an unworthy price 2. It must be a through resistance of all sin take the little Foxes dash Babylons brats against the stones Lesser sticks set the great ones on fire The devil cannot hope to prevail for great things presently at first it is hath God said and then ye shall not surely dye The approaches of Satan to the Soul are gradual he asketh a little it is no great matter Consider the evil of a temptation is better kept out than gotten out Many think to stop after they have yielded a little but when the stone at the top of an Hill begins to role downward it is hard to stay it and you cannot say how far you shall go I 'le yeild but once saith a deceived heart I 'le yield but a little and never yield again The devil will carry thee further and further till he hath not left any tenderness in thy Conscience Some that thought to venture but a shilling by the witchery of Gaming have played away all so some have sinned away all principles of Conscience 3. It must not be for a while but continued not only to stand out against the first assault but a long siege What Satan cannot gain by Argument he seeketh to gain by importunity but resist him stedfast in the Faith as his instrument spake to Ioseph day by day Gen. 39. 10. Our thoughts by time are more reconciled to evil Now we must keep up our zeal to the last To yield at last is to lose the Glory of the conflict Therefore rate away the importunate futor as Christ doth II. Arguments to perswade it 1. Because he cannot overcome you without your own consent The wicked are taken captive by him at his will and pleasure 2 Tim. 2. 26. because they yeild themselves to his temptations like the young man Prov. 7. 22. He goeth after her straightway as an Ox goeth to the slaughter and as a fool to the correction of the stocks There is a Consent or at least there is not a powerful Dissent Satan's power lyeth not in a constraining efficacy but perswasive allurement 2. The sweetness of victory will recompence the trouble of Resistance it is much more pleasing to deny a temptation than to yield to it the pleasure of sin is short-lived but the pleasure of self-denyal is Eternal 3. Grace the more it is tryed and exercised the more it is evidenced to be right and sincere Rom. 5. 3 4 5. Knowing that tribulation worketh patience and patience experience and experience hope and hope maketh not ashamed because the Love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given to us It is a comfortable thing to know that we are of the Truth and to be able to assure our hearts before God 4. Grace is strengthned when it hath stood out against a Tryal As a Tree shaken with fierce Winds is more fruitful its Roots being loosned Satan is a loser and you a gainer by temptations wherein you have approved your fidelity to God as a man holdeth a stick the faster when another seeketh to wrest it out of his hands 5. The more we resist Satan the greater will our reward be 2 Tim. 4. 7 8. I have fought a good fight I have finished my course I have kept the Faith henceforth there is laid up for me a Crown of Righteousness The danger of the battle will encrease the joy of the victory as the dangers of the way make home the sweeter There will a time come when he that is now a Souldier will be a Conqueror Rom. 16. 20. The God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly 6. Where Satan gets possession after he seemeth to be cast out he returneth with the more violence and tyrannizeth the more Matth. 12. 45. Then goeth he and taketh with himself seven other spirits more wicked then himself and they enter in and dwell there and the last state of that man is worse than the first 7. The Lords Grace is promised to him that resisteth God keepeth us from the evil one but it is by our watchfulness and resistance his power maketh it effectual We are to strive against sin and keep our selves and God keepeth us by making our keeping effectual III. What are the Graces that enable us in this Resistance I Answer
Christ is the Beloved Son of God in whom he is well pleased 1. I shall open this Testimony given to Christ. 2. Speak of the importance and weight of it I. Of the Testimony given to Christ. 1. Let me open the term that expresseth his Filiation that he is Gods Son Christ is the son of God properly so called a Son only begotten Iohn 3. 16. God so loved the World that he gave his onely begotten Son Eternally begotten Prov. 8. 22 23. I was set up from everlasting the Lord possessed me in the beginning of his way before his works of old A Son coequal with his Father Iohn 5. 18. The Jews sought to kill him because he said God was his Father making himself equal with God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his own proper Father So co-essential of the same substance with his Father Iohn 1. 1. In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God Now thus is he the Son of God Why is it mentioned there 1. To shew the special dignity of Christ above all others he is the Son of God Christians are the Sons of God but in a different manner he by nature we by Adoption Tho God have many sonsby Creation and Adoption yet Christ is his Son in a peculiar proper way by eternal Generation and communication of the same Essence 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that Son that beloved Son so a Son as none else is the son of God properly so called 2. To distinguish him from Moses and the Prophets from Moses Heb. 3. 5 6. Moses verily was faithful in all his house as a servant but Christ as a son over his own house whose house we are c. so from the rest of the Prophets Heb. 1. 1 2. God at sundry times and in divers manners spake in times past unto the fathers by the Prophets but hath in these last days spoken to us by his Son whom he hath appointed heir of all things by whom also he made the World This is the great Doctor of the Church now as to meekness above Moses as to zeal above Elias as to familiarity and communion he was with God and was God 3. To shew the old Prophesies were fulfilled which foretold the union of the two Natures in his Person the predictions concerning one whose name should be Immanuel God with us and who should save and redeem the Church Isa. 7. 14. And of a child that should be the Mighty God the Everlasting Father Isa. 9. 6. This the Prophets foretold that he should be God and the Son of God Micah 5. 2. His going forth is from Everlasting though born at Bethlehem so the bud of the Lord and the fruit of the Earth Isa. 4. 2. The man Gods fellow Zech. 13. 7. and in many other places the union of the two Natures is asserted 2. He is the beloved Son 1. That God loved Christ Christ is the object of his Fathers Love both as the second Person and as Mediator As the second Person of the Trinity two things are wont to attract love nearness and likeness they are both here nearness he was in the bosome of the Father Iohn 1. 18. The only begotten Son which is in the bosome of the Father he hath declared him Likeness is another loadstone of Affliction Heb. 1. 3. He is the brightness of his Glory and the express Image of his Person such as the Father is so is Christ. 2. As Mediator so God loveth him on the account of his obedience Iohn 10. 17. Therefore doth my Father love me because I lay down my life for the Sheep Iohn 3. 35. The Father hath loved him and put all things into his hand the Father approved Christs undertaking for sinners delighted in it as an excellent way of glorifying his name and recovering poor creatures out of their lost condition and rested satisfied and was pleased with his death as a sufficient ransom for poor souls Well then God loved him so as to trust the souls of all mankind in his hands and to appoint him to be the great Mediator to end all differences between him and us and the more he doth in pursuance of his Office the more beloved he is and acceptable to God 2. The testimony of his love to him as Mediator for his unspeakable rejoycing in him as second person in the Trinity we are not competent judges of It is described Prov. 8. 30. I was dayly his delight rejoycing alwayes before him The mutual complacency which the divine persons take in one another is there set forth God delighted in Christ and Christ in God But in the second love as Mediator God expressed his love to him in two things the gift of the Spirit and the Glory of his humane nature 1. The gift of the Spirit Iohn 6. 34. God giveth not the Spirit in measure to him for the Father loveth the Son and hath put all things into his hands This was the great expression of his love to Christ as Mediator not to make him a visible Monarch of the World but by the gift of his Spirit to be head of the Church 2. The other expression of his love to him as Mediator was the gift of Everlasting Glory Iohn 17. 24. Father I will that those whom thou hast given me should be where I am and behold my glory for thou hast loved me before the foundation of the World Gods love to Christ as Mediator was manifested in exalting him to glory and this Everlasting These are the great expresses of Gods love to Christ as God incarnate or appearing in our nature 3. Why is it put here 1. To shew the end for which Christ came to represent the amiableness of God that he is Love 1 Iohn 4. 8. and hath love for his children Christ is the pattern of all for he is first beloved and the great instance and demonstration of Gods love to the World 2. To intimate the redundancy of this Love it over-floweth to us for Christ being beloved we are beloved also Eph. 1. 6. he hath made us accepted in the beloved to the praise of his glorious Grace It is an overflowing Love he is loved and all that have an interest in him are loved There is a twofold love in God the love of Benevolence and complacency The Elect from all Eternity are loved by God with a love of Benevolence whereby he willed good unto them and decrees to bestow good upon them but the love of complacency and delight is that love whereby God accepteth us delighteth in us when he hath made us lovely as his own children reconciled them by the death of Christ renewed them by the Spirit of Christ and furnished them with all the Graces which make us acceptable to him and precious in his sight 3. To shew the kind and manner of the expressing of his love to his redeemed ones Christ prayed Iohn 17. 23. That the World may know that thou hast loved them as