not if it be named or can be conceived it shal never prevail against our Comforts We are brought neer to him and made one with him as Christ nothing shal be able to separate us from his Favor Christ is in God we in Christ and therefore the power of darkness must pluck us out of his hand nay from his bosom As the Father cannot be without the Son nor Christ perfect without us Satan and Sin must take somthing of Christ his perfection if he take away our Comforts Hither Paul repairs and here he Lands his Heart and Hopes in safety Rom. 8.38 I am perswaded that neither death nor life nor Angels nor Principalities nor things present nor things to come some troubles and dangers are over but it may be there may be more and more sharp to come who knows what may be why come what can come nor height nor depth if any thing in Heaven nor any thing in Hel nor any other Creature shal be able to separate us from the Love of God in Christ The Holy Apostles intent it to settle this conclusion upon the Consciences of the Romans that the happiness of their Condition and the certainty thereof was beyond the reach of al the Hâ—sts in Heaven and Earth and therefore he doth not mention the Adversaries of the Saints and their Salvation but musters and marshals al the created forces within the compass of Heaven and Earth Nay not only what are but what shal be it there were a thousand Worlds to coâ—e and should set themselves to shake the Comforts of the Faithful it could not be But what 's the ground It 's hence Because the Foundation thereof is laid in the Love of God in Christ towards his It was before al these things therefore they come too late they cannot hinder it It was without any respect to them therefore cannot weaken it It was only and wholly in God and from God and therefore cannot alter it The Devils and sin may as wel separate Christ from the Father as they pul the Love of the Father from his own heart and so from Christ as to separate us from it Psal 103.17 Psal 89.33 My loving kindness I will never take from him He may take away our Credits Comforts Priviledges Ordinances yea the work of our Grace our Peace but never take away his loving kindness nor suffer his Faithfulness to fail Heart Hopes Comforts may fail but never this Love Only remember He may take away the sence of it the sweet and rellish of it for a turn and time So with Christ when he loved him so with us while he tenders us So with Christ while our sins lay upon him by imputation so with us while our sins lie upon us without Humiliation So with Christ while his Justice is satisfied so with us until his Righteousness comes to be imputed USE Study therefore to answer Gods Love in our manner and according to our measure He thought nothing too good for us let us account nothing good enough for him Let not the Lord have the leanest of our Love the Female Affection the leavings of any thing here below We had the chief of his Love let us lay out the choycest of our Affections wholly and only upon himself before al Creatures we prize They are nothing yea less than nothing In comparison of the Lord let them be so in our Affections they are nothing let them have nothing of our Love but reserve that only for the Almighty who is only worthy of it The Wife she receives strangers into her House to entertain and lodg them Neighbors to her Conference to counsel them Familiars to her Table to welcome them but her Husband only hath her heart and love So let thy Prudence order these things thy hand use them thy skil and diligence husband them but keep thy Love for God alone yea give away thy Heart from thy self to God to whom thou owest it more than to thy self Let not thy Life be dear unto thee that thou mayest finish thy course lose that to gain him cast away that to content him As Lovers they count it happiness that they may have any thing to pleasure glad we have it for a Friend As the Martyr he was sorry he had but one Life to lose for God Yea love him as Christ loves him and that 's in three things 1. He came not to do his own Will John 6.38 but the Will of his Father Do thou likewise As our Savior in another like case professed the Zeal of Gods House had eaten him up eaten up al his Zeal for his own Honor or Ends. So let the Wil of God and Strength and Authority of it carry our Wils as a mighty Stream doth the weaker Current whatever is cross to us let nothing be cross to him Not my will c. The will of the Lord be done As our Savior The Son doth nothing of himself but what he sees the Father do John 5.19.30 So do thou 2. Our Savior sought not his own Honor but the Glory of him that sent him Let it be in our eye and aim yea the Scope of our Lives to live meerly to lift up his praise John 8.50 To live to God not to our selves or the world or any of those sinful ends 3. Do not think thou canst do enough for him therefore get more Grace and Spiritual Ability that thou mayest improve al thou gettest To finish the work that is commended to thy trust and put into thine hand to discharge John 4.34 I have them for my wel-beloved Cant. That the world may know thou hast loved them as thou lovest me 1. That God loves Christ 2. That he loves beleevers and. That he loves them as he loves Christ We have spoken to al those particulars formerly and because they were al of special consideration and carried choice both comfort and profit with them we â—taied the longer upon them There is one point yet remaining wherein the scope and end of our Saviors prayer is expressed and indeed directly intended in the words There is a double end here mentioned by our Savior why he so earnestly and so importunately pursues the request at the hands of his Father in so many several Circumstances That they might be one as the Father and he was one The means how this comes to be attained and order how dispensed I in them and thou in me The perfection which was aimed at That they might be perfect in one Here lastly we have a double end 1. Touching the honor of our Savior that it might be manifested and magnified even in the hearts and by the mouths of the wicked even the worst of men that wil they nil they they should be forced to see it and forced also to confess it that the Lord Jesus was the Messias of the world appointed by the Father before al worlds foretold by Prophets exhibited and sent in the fulness of time by God the Father and he that
glorious peace in thy conscience joy in thy heart and contentment in thy course as the particulars wil evidence This wil. 1. Cure all thy Fears 2. Supply all thy wants 3. Rescue thee from the rage of all Enemies 4. Remove the guilt of all thy Sins 5. Strengthen all thy Graces 6. Quicken thee to all Duties 7. Give unto thee Eternal Life 1. Cure thee of all thy Fears Unto which we are subject all our lives by reason of our own infirmities and the world of evils with which we are compassed about while we live here in this world considering what our sins deserve men and Devils intends what God in justice may inflict and our constant provocations incurr which are as it were a new mint of Plagues which we may daily expect We have felt somwhat in our selves heard of more in others and what 's yet behind we know not But we know what Devils can do what our sins merit what God in a righteous judgment may execute So that the fear of what may be is worse than that we feel and find for present Here then is our comfort Our Savior hath felt the worst that can be borne al and conquered al drunk the dregs of the Cup Grapled with the sting of death and the strength of the law Triumphed over extremities so that there was no possibility he should be held or we now hurt by them There can be no destroying evil there need be no fear By the glory of Christ we may glory over al our fears Terrors and dismayings of spirit It cannot be but Christ in glory wil over work al for our good nothing should work any dismaying fears in our hearts Upon this ground our Savior put these Fears to flight when John fel at his feet as dead in the sense of his own vilenes the sight of the dazelling excellencies of the Lord. Rev. 1.18 He said Feare not I am he that liveth and was dead and behold I live for ever I live as one that hath conquered as one that hath triumphed over al Enemies and have the Keyes of Hell and Death So to his Disciples Joh. 14.27 Let not thy Heart be troubled neither let it be afraid not distracted nay not stirred Why ye have heard I said unto you I go away and wil come again That he goes to his Father who is greater than he the greatest in glory and with whom he was to possess the greatness of al glory in greatest excellency and therefore the hearing of this should quit them of al Fears quiet them of al dismayings He is now gone to take possession of the greatest power that is in Heaven that no power on Earth Heaven or Hell should be able to hurt And therefore we need not Fear He hath the greatness of power to prevent al evils that are to come and therefore we should Fear none that are to come 2. Supply all wants That those need not disquiet nor the heart be carried with anxiety Care and Solicitousness how to provide For our Savior is not only Heir and hath right unto al these as he had in the time of his Humiliation But is as an Heir come to years entred upon his Revenews is seated setled upon the throne of his glory and stands possessed of the treasures in Heaven and Earth and therefore can and wil suit with Conveniencies according to their needs and desires It 's that which God himself professeth Psal 2.8 Ask of me and I shall give thee the Heathen for thine Inheritance and the uttermost parts of the Earth for thy Possession It 's that wherein the Saints rejoyce with joy and thanksgiving Rev. 11.15 The Kingdoms of the World are become the Kingdoms of the Lord and of his Christ and he shall reign for ever and ever and verse 17. We give thee thanks c. because thou hast taken to thee thy great Power and hast raigned and that thou should'st give reward unto thy Servants the Prophets and to the Saints and them that fear thy Name great and smal c. verse 18. Happily the Kingdoms of another World would not content but ye desire somthing in hand Behold the Kingdoms of this World are the Lord Christs and he hath taken to him that glorious Power that formerly he laid aside and now he raigns And if this wil not satisfie not only the Kingdoms of the World but al things in the World are given to Christ John 13.3 Yea the Glory of al Wealth and Pleasures and Contents when now he is entred into Glory And he hath given himself to thee and al them also Thou canst not want so much but he hath more than thou canst want and therefore thou canst not want supply The Child cares not for Apparrel if his Father hath Wardropes to cloath him The Wife troubles not her self for Money to provide if she have a Husband whom she knows hath millions of ready Cash in his Treasury to enrich her and relieve her at her asking So it is with the Saints who have Christ for their everlasting Father and Husband 3. This also will rescue thee from the rage of all thine Enemies in the greatest hazards which may surprize thee and threaten thy total ruine Thou sayest the subtilty in deep the malice outragious and their power great But behold here the Glory given to Christ even al power in Heaven and Earth is given into his hand He over-works al their vileness over-powers al their rage so that they can work but what he hath determined and wil cause to work to the good of his own It 's the promise of the Father when he was advanced at the right hand of his Power Psal 110.1 2. Sit at my right hand until I make thine Enemies thy Footstool Rev. 19.7 there we have the marriage of the Lamb mentioned and his Wise made her self ready The Saints humbled by Faith they put on their fine Linnen the Righteousness of Christ No sooner is the Bride married but War is raised Kings and Captains and mighty Men come into the Field their out-rage hellish and fiery But her Husband whose name is written on his Thigh King of Kings and Lord of Lords appears in her quarrel No sooner the Combate is entered but the Conquest is gotten the Bride rescued and the Enemies totally ruinated and the Lord invites all to feast themselves with the slaughter To eat the Flesh of Kings Captains Horses Men free and bond great and smal verse 18. Yea it 's the provision Christ makes Touch not mine anointed Nay the portion of the Saints which the Lord Christ hath laid out from Heaven and the Conquest he hath made John 16. last Be of good comfort I have overcome the World Isa 54.17 No Weapon against thee shall prosper This is the Heritage of Gods Servants 4. This will remove the guilt of all thy Sins which seems to over-whelm and under which thou goest up and down as a condemned man and sinkest in the dayly apprehensions
tel what buying is but by selling Our Savior disputes upon this Ground He that hath seen me hath seen the Father because I am in the Father and the Father in me to wit by vertue of that Relation there is in one to the other USE 1. Instruction We here see the Reason why many of the Faithful are at such a loss for the Knowledg of the Love and Favor and Acceptance of the Father They seek not to Christ for this and therefore they are not acquainted and informed They take not the right way to come to the Speech of the Father John 14â—6 I am the way there is none that comes to the Father nor can be acquainted with his mind but by me When our Savior was checking Nicodemus for his ignorance as not reaching the knowledg oâ— Mercy he gives this as the reason we repair not to him who only can relieve and reveal John 3.13 No man ascends up into Heaven but the Son of Man wâ—â— is in Heaven So our Savior did with Philip when he so earnestly desired the knowledg of the Father Shew us the Father and it shall sâ—ffice So many perplexed ones Shew us the Face of a reconciled Father and it 's enough they are to be checked as he John 14.9 Have I been so long time with you and yet hast thou not known me He that hath â—een me hath seen the Father and how sayest thou then Shew us the Father 2. Hence we may discern the Cause how it comes to pass That men of mean Place and Parts shallow Compass and Conceivings poor and feeble Abilities not able to see much in ordinary occasions and yet so comforted assured pâ—rswaded of the Love of the Father The reason in from hence They are taught of Christ he knows all and he makes them know As it was said when they wondred at the Answers of the Disciples They knew they had been with Jesus Act. 4.13 He that hath intelligence dayly from such as have the Ear of the King sit at Counsel-Table he in the Bosom of his Majesty if he have an express and Intelligence it 's no wonder because he understands the Mysteries of State the mind of the King So it is here Christ lies in the Bosom of the Faâ—her and Christ discloseth those bosom Expressions and Affections of the Father We have done with the First The Second follows And these have known that thou hast sent me Here is another Circumstance touching the Description of the Parties for whom our Savior praies which may yet further his Petition that it may be of prevailing force with the Father for the grant of his desire to wit That they may be where he is and see his Glory Had they indeed been the wicked of the World who never knew the Father nor himself and therefore were never fit nor able to see his Glory or to take any satisfaction in it or to return any Glory to the Father or himself thereby It had been bootless for him to have begged such a favor and it had been impossible for them to receive any good by it as having no interest therein nor fitness for the enjoyment of such a Priviledg But he praies who knows him as a Son knows his Father yea such a Son such a Father known by an Eternal Generation And he praies for such who know that the Father hath sent him and therefore are wel acquainted with him and the Father and with the Ambassage he comes of and with that great Work which he had undertaken and hath now discharged and for which he shal have a Name that at the Name of Jesus every knee shal bow both in Heaven and Earth And therefore they who know what the Father hath purposed and the Son hath performed and that experimentally to their own good They are the fittest to see it and to celebrate the Name of the Father and Son for ever in Heaven The Saints have a special Knowledg Doct. that the Lord Christ is sent of God the Father for the Work of their Salvation These all these and none but these have this Knowledg as their priviledg and peculiar Favor appropriated to them in which the World hath no Portion nor yet shal ever be made Partakers of it At the great Day when al Flesh shal appear before God and al his Saints gathered and by Christ brought home to the Father when he hath fully finished the Work and done the Wil of the Father That as he now professeth I came not to do mine own wil but the wil of him that sent me and this is the wil of him that sent me That of those that thou hast given me I should lose none but raise them up at the last day Then I say when the Work is finished and performed in the Eyes of the Ungodly and he shall be admired in his Saints not of them only but admired in them even by the Wicked who shal be forced to admire that Power and Love and Mercy which hath done such great things for such undeserving Creatures and therefore shal see it and be constrained to acknowledg the truth and reality of that great Work what the Father purposed and plotted from Eternity with the Lord Jesus how out of infinite Love and. Faithfulness he was sent and hath now accomplished it This they shal see and be forced to know with grief and vexation of Spirit that it is so And for this also our Savior prayed in the former Verse That the World may know that thou hast sent me But to find and own this in the reality of the Work of it to tract the foot-steps of the unsearchable Wisdom and Riches of Mercy in marking this good upon their Souls in that miraculous and my sterious manner as he hath this is peculiar to the Saints These and these alone know that Christ is sent to this Work these have found the excellency of it here and these are fit to gaze upon it and admire it for ever hereafter Three things we are to open 1. How Christ is said to be sent of the Father 2. For what he is sent and what was his Errand 3. How the Saints know this in a special manner 1. How sent This Sending is the first in-let whereby the Fountain of the ever lasting good Wil and Favor of the Father is laid open and let out unto us And you shal find the Spirit in the Scripture leading al his by the hand hither here he would Land us and here leave us and thereby teaching of us that we should not stay before we repair hither and when we are here not to stir But rest and repose our Soul and resolve our Faith and Confidence as into the first Principle where there is no possibility either of alteration or addition So firm it cannot be altered so fully sufficient and satisfactory that nothing can be added nor desired It is too mysterious a depth and therefore beyond our scantling to fathom it We
great a work unto his care and trust and laid it upon him as his charge which by mutual consent and convenant he willingly undertook Joh. 6.39 This is my Fathers will that hath sent me that of all which he hath given me I should lose none but should raise it up at the last day And therefore adds verse 40. He that beleeves in me Shall have everlasting life and I will raise him up at the last day Yea he gives up his account of his work John 17.12 Those that thou hast given me I have kept and lost none And therefore compares himself to the good Shepherd that layes down his self for his Sheep Joh. 10. 3. Gives him ful commission for the accomplishment of this work unto the ful even as he is the Son of man hath given right and liberty to the humane Nature of ours now received into personal union to use and improve any of the Attributes of the Deity for the further benefit of the Saints the good of his Church and the furtherance of those spiritual ends which may best â—et forwards the glory of God and the everlasting wellfare of his people This so wonderful a union doth advantage the Humane Nature to so high a priviledg to use al the excellencies of the Deity at al times answerable to al necessities to fetch supply suitable to the wants desires comforts of the Saints This is the meaning of those places Math. 28.18 All power is given to me in Heaven and in Earth To have al power it to be Omnipotent for more than all cannot be conceived noâ— possessed more than that God hath not and that because it is an in-communicable Attribute he cannot communicate but the meaning is though it be not omnipotent yet it hath liberty to set that on work for the benefit and best good of Gods servants Hence what the Father doth the son is said to do also Joh. 5.26 As the Father hath life in himself so hath he given to the son to have life in himself Verse 19. What ever things he doth those the son doth likewise for as the Father raiseth up the dead even so he Joh. 17.2 Thou hast given him power over all Flesh to give unto them eternal life He that must rescue them from Hel and sin and death and from divine Justice he must have power over al That the power in Heaven may not prejudice and frustrate the work in Hel hinder it on earth oppose it 4. The Father leaves the immediate dispensation of al the work unto him to act it according to his own pleasure For so our Savior As the Father raiseth and quickeneth so the son quickeneth whom he will Joh. 5.21 And adds verse 22. For the Father judgeth no man but hath committed al judgment to the son Not that the Father hath not power for the execution of the work For he that gives it hath it in a principal and soveraign manner But he hath committed the immediate execution thereof unto the Lord Jesus and so of the whol work of our Redemption Joh. 5.27 That as Pharaoh said concerning Joseph when he appointed him next unto himself in the kingdom of Egipt Gen. 41.40,44 I am Pharaoh and without thee shall no man lift up his hand or foot no man shal do any thing which way so ever he turn himself c. Only I am Pharaoh So the Father to Christ he delegates the execution of al in Heaven and Earth unto him only he is greater This is the meaning of that place 1 Cor. 11.3 I would have you know that the Head of every man is Christ the head of the Woman is the man and the head of Christ is God Whence know 1. That the Apostle speaks not only of faithful men and Women but of al men and Women according to their sex For the scope is to shew that Women should be subject not only gracious but al. And this he shews from the feebleness and underness of their Nature and sex 2. That these different degrees of excellency are only to be attended in regard of subordination in order one to another and immediate dispensation from one to another for that Head implies not only excellency and dignity in the general but power to move al in subord nation to it authority to rule all in subjection 〈…〉 So that it is not excellency but power and 〈…〉 and that not at large for so Angels are the 〈◊〉 of men but as they be in subordination and not 〈◊〉 â—â—ch as be far removed but such as have the next 〈◊〉 dispensation in way of providence â—eâ—ch â—ver other For otherwise Christ is head not ofâ—â—â— but of Woman and Angels also so God himself is But the Apostles meaning and intent was to shew the orderly and next dispensation in the several degrees the immediate influence and dispensation of power and authority for the ruling of the femal sex is in a way of providence and appointment from man the immediate dispensation of power to man is from Christ to Christ from God the Father who hath sent him And thus Christ is and doth to al only distinguishing the manner and end of his dispensation To the wicked in way of Justice for their ruine and destruction To the godly in way of mercy for their spiritual good That 's the meaning of that All is yours c. And hence the Apostle 1 Cor. 15.24 28. Christ is said when he hath conquered al enemies the last is death damned all the wicked and delivered up is Children into the hands of his Father he then is said To deliver up his Kingdom to the Father i.e. Only in regard of this outward dispensation For then God the Father shal in and through Christ communicate himself to all his Saints Use 1. We have here matter of wonderment at the Rich and unconceiveable compassion of the Father to miserable undone man who should be careful to provide for his good who is so negligent to provide for his own Spares nothing â—o purchase his Salvation who hath done what he can to destroy himself Had he sent the meanest of his creatures to succour us his servants to visit us his Angels to administer to us it had been more than we could have expected But to send his Son out of his own Bosom yea out of his own Bowels to work out our Redemption to make known the way of life and and to make it good unto our Souls Nature would not do this reason cannot reach this mercy the heart would not dare to beg this Sit we down in the everlasting admiration of his mercy As Elizabeth and Mary when he came to visit her Luk. 1.43 Whence comes it that the mother of my Lord should come to me So thou As David when he attended the dealing of the Lord towards lost man who had made himself the most vile and forlorn of al his creatures looks upon his own baseness and Gods kindness Lord what is man that thou
implies a thing not expected or some thing more than we looked for or lies open in a common course we wonder at such a thing when it fals And secondly we cannot tel what to make of it or how to conceive or comprehend the Reason its matter of admiration not of comprehension When the Devil and wicked men knew such men in their unbeleeving courses under the curse of the Law and the power of their corruptions contemners of Christ and mercy The Devils have seen men holy and to walk unblameably so in paradise and therein God is glorified and his vertues expressed But when they shall see such poor wretched creatures at Gods right hand He was sunk deep under the curse of the Law now pardoned under the Tyranny of Satan and so in his Claws he took him alive now restored In the bottom of Hel now delivered In death and darkness now again restored to life and he that was so opposite to Christ now brought so neer to him and the Father and in them injoy the blessed and holy communion which is beyond the happiness of Heaven The Angels wil be swallowed with admiration and the Devils confounded and astonished at the wonderment of the unconceivable compassion of the Lord and the blessedness of this condition 1 Cor. 15. The first Adam was a living Soul could by natural generation beget one like himself But the second Adam is a quickening spirit That when dead he can quicken them when lost and opposite to him and Grace he can and doth receive them to himself 2. That which brings us neerer unto God and makes us to receive more from him that is most excellent and other things must be subordinate thereunto But this unity of relation doth so For to have glorious Graces and to put forth obedience there from is no more but that a creature may do from a principle in it self had Adam stood his posterity might have challenged happiness by vertue of a covenant of works done by a man and from a man conveyed by natural generation But in the covenant of the Gospel the God-Head of Christ in the Nature of man brings man again unto God and keeps it with him The God-Head in our Nature wrought al for us communicates al to us The mutable principle of Grace never brought a man to God or kept him with him nor since the fal can do it But it was not a principle in us firstly but the holy spirit of God by the infinite power of the God-Head carries the bent of our hearts to him acts it upon him keeps it with him and so inables us to hold up the power and praises of Christ from the Father So that a poor creature is compassed about with nothing but the power of God in Christ being one with the Father and the son in his relation to them and dependance upon them USE 1. Of Reprehension This shews the greatness of the sin of unbeleef and the misery of unbeleevers who not only oppose the righteousness of the Law of God which should rule them his statutes and precepts which should direct them But the Blood of the covenant shed by Christ they trample upon it the reconciliation wrought and tendered they despise it the Bowels compassions which would imbrace them they scorn and cast behind their Back If the union to the Father and the Son be beyond Heaven and happiness it self Then the opposition to these by unbeliefe is more bitter than death and worse than Hell And Therefore it seemes God comes against such in the fierceness of his fury as the marks and Objects of his heaviest iâ—dignation 2 Thess 1.8 9. He will come in flaming fire to render vengeance to such that obey not the Gospel Against these he proceeds in the first place with greatest fury and punisheth them with everlasting destruction from his face not have one favorable cast of his countenance or smile when before he hath woed them and wept over them and intreated in the Gospel to be reconciled Yea from the glory of his power Object But is not that an ease that his power should not plague Answ That is not the meaning for this is their plague that they are secluded from the presence of his glorious power The glorious power of all Gods Attributes were put forth in the Gospel and they shal be beyond the Hope and thought of it The glorious power of Gods wisedom will never contrive any thing for their good nor his mercy accomplish it or goodness communicate it 2. It s matter and ground of marvailous comfort and Content to the faithful to solace them in the interest they have in Christ and this their Relation to Christ as their Redeemer Head and Husband with whom they are made one Spirit which is more than to be in Heaven better than happiness it self Thus Asaph Ps 73. Answers all doubts supplies al his wants cures all his feares Whom have I in Heaven but thee and there is none in Earth that I desire in comparison of thee The Covetous have the world the Epicures their pleasures but I have thee in comparison of whom these are not worth the having nay not worth the nameing Yea in Heaven when I am come to the end of my Hopes what would I what can I have there I can have no more but this but that the Lord wil be all in all to us in glory As long as he is and wil be all in all to us in mercy what need we fear why should we care But these thoughts be precious and Meditations sweet and let us go to them and be in them with the like affection as we shall be in Heaven Verse 23. I in them and thou in me that they may be made perfect in one and that the world may know that thou hast sent me and hast loved them as thou hast love me THe foregoing verse discovered the means which our Savior appointed and improved also for the accomplishment of that Vnion which he so earnestly begged for his disciples and hath pursued by so many expressions In this verse we have the Order set down according to which it is wrought by the wise counsel of the Lord And this our Savior fetcheth very far I in them and thou in me that they c. Two things we are to attend in this vâ—rse 1. The ORDER and several Degrees by which this Vnity Oneness is accomplished and these are here now expressed 1. The Father is in Christ 2. Christ is in them and that which is implied is that they are one in them 2. We have the several ENDS aimed at in this proceeding of the Lord and those are three 1. That they may be perfected in one 2. That the world may know that thou hast sent me 3. That they may know thou hast loved them as thou lovest me 1. As touching The ORDER our Savior doth not mention and propound it as it is in Nature but so as it may be best
the same Nature upon himself for the great work of our Redemption and so he is head 1. It s proper to him to have al Grace firstly in himself in way and right of communication for had he not been the son of man and son of God together the way of Grace and life had been shut up from the sons of Adam Hebr. 10.20 And in this sence it is said That with him is the Wel of life Ps 36.9 And he is said to be a fountain of living Waters to have life in himself Joh. 5.26 And to quicken whom he wil. Joh. 5.21 2. The right and propriety of immediate dispensation is committed to his hand of all Grace and good Of his Grace we receive Grace for Grace Joh. 1.16 And the Holy Spirit takes of his not of his own when he communicates to the Souls of the Saints Joh. 16.14 15. He shal shew you al things He shal glorifie me for he shal receive of mine Al things that the Father hath are mine Therefore said I He shal take of mine and shew it unto you 3. The manner how this spiritual presence is communicated Answ It appeares in the Nature and maaner of it in three things 1. The second person in the glorious Trinity assuming our Nature into mystical and personal union with himself remaining the same person after the union which he was before the union doth therein become surety for the faithful and enter into covenant with God the Father in their room and purchase both Grace and glory in their behalf For had he not taken the Nature of man it had been unpossible he should have communicated unto man any good So the Apostle reasons when he would shew the way how life came to be derived to the seed of Adam and not unto Angels gives this as the ground Hebr. 2.16 For vâ—rely â—e took not on him the Nature of Angels but the Seed of Abraham And therefore these were redeemed life was conveyed unto these the other in their sins and sorrows And being thus fitted for the place of a Surety He did in special manner enter upon termes of agreement in the behalf of those he would do good unto The happiness of those were committed to his care by the Father and undertaken willingly by himself Joh. 6.38 39. This is the will of the Father that those that he hath given me I should lose none but raise them up at the last day And he is as careful to attend their spiritual welfare as may be therefore he concludes of them in their times and answerable to their conditions I have other Sheep and those I must bring Joh. 10.16 And when they are brought I will in no wise cast away nor suffer any to take them away Joh. 6.37 2. Having thus purchased Grace and glory for them he hath now both right and liberty to improve al power in Heaven and Earth to communicate Grace and glory to them Yea the Human Nature of our Savior hath liberty power to let on work any and all the Attributes in the behalf of the poorest beleever in the world yea right to send the good Spirit of the Lord for his spiritual relief Joh. 17.2 Thou hast given him that is Christ power over all flesh that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him And therefore in verse 4. he saith I have finished the work thou gavest me to do q. d. Christ hath nothing to do in this vale of â—eareâ— but search ouâ— and seek up some scattered and wildering Servants of the Lord. Yea liberty to send the spirit upon this imployment Joh. 15.26 When the comforter is come whom I will send you from the Father Yea makes this his main Errand to heaven in his ascension Joh. 16.7 It is expedient c. If I depart I will send him unto you 3. He doth improve this power and the operation of the Spirit to close the Soule with himself and to hold the bent of the heart towards him for ever 1 Cor. 6.17 He that is joyned to the Lord is one Spirit As by his spirit he sanctified our Nature and took it into personal union with himself and gave in subsistence which of it self it had not nor could attain So by the operation of his Spirit he prepares the Soul for himself carries it in the promise to himself and acts it upon himself The Soul moved by the vertue of the Spirit moves to and staies upon the Lord Christ As in the Eccho the Air moved by the voice in such manner returns the same voice by vertue of its own motion Come unto me I come Lord. And not only carries and closeth the Soul with himself but holds it in this holy bent to himself that way Christ-ward Heaven-ward This is like the growing up with Christ being as scions ingrafted into him as the true Vine and so are truly and so called sons as the scions united to the stock may fitly be called the Sons thereof and hence Christ is stiled The eternal Father Isa 9.6 Behold a Son is given and this son is a Father and an eternal Father and begets us as sons unto his Father and will deliver us up unto him at the great day Here am I and the Children which thou hast given me Hebr. 2.13 This is that which Christ calls his abiding in us If I abide in you and you in me Joh. 15.4 The Reason in a word is this He that is the life of the faithful must be in the faithful So is Christ Gal. 2.20 Col. 3.4 When Christ who is our life c. USE 1. CAUTION To al especially the wicked and enemies of the Saints That they do not offend and wrong them or do the least evil to them because they do wrong to the Lord Jesus and he so takes it as to himself Act. 9. Saul why persecutest thou me And the sufferings of the Saints for a good cause are called the sufferings of Christ 2. Cor. 1.5 Thus the Lord sends to Sennacherib Isa 37.28 I know thy going out and thy coming in and thy rage against me It was bent against Hezekiah and the people of Jerusalem but it was against the Lord in them True it is The wicked see not know not consider not this being blinded with Ignorance and Malice and therefore Paul asks the question when Christ speaks Who art thou Lord q. d. I own not thy speech nor understand thy person Our Savior answers I am Jesus whom thou persecutest Yea this wil be for the condemnation of their persons and confusion of their faces at the day of Judgment when the Saints in this sentence shal be honored and they set down for ever abased before their faces Depart ye cursed c. For I was in prison and ye visited me not c. Why When Lord saw we thee c. They were not acquainted with the presence of our Savior He add In that ye did it not to one of these ye
Love The In-let unto the hearts and affections of others and cals out and requires a disposition in another like unto it self And this is here in greatest eminency Look we at the constitution of the person of our Savior Hebr. 1.3 Called the brightness of his glory and the express image of his person Nothing is more like than a lively Image resembling the Father in the most perfect and infinite manner none like him Look at imitation likeness in behavior carriage and conversation is that which inlargeth affection also and this also is here to be seen Joh. 5.19 The Son doth nothing but what he seeth the Father do For whatsoever the Father doth these also doth the Son likewise 3. There is a suitableness of worth The best of our affection and deserve our dearest love to be bestowed upon it So it is here The Lord Christ he being in the form of God counted it no robbery to be equal with God the Father And so there is an answerableness and proportion only here to be found between the affection and the thing here affected Whereas al the creatures taking in al their excellencies together are too mean and under for the Lord once to bestow his Love yea his look upon further than his own image is in them or resembled by them in them So the Prophet gives in the Jnventory of al their worth All the Nations of the Earth are less than the Dust of the balance yea vanity nothing less than nothing Christ himself it is whose name is as an Oyntment poured out and perfumes the world which if once taken away they would remain nothing disireable USE 2. Reprehension This shews the vilenes of the hearts and the hainousness of the sins of those wretched persons who undervalue the Lord Jesus in their hearts and apprehensions and look at him as one unworthy their affection and love How far are these men from the disposition of the eternal God the Holy one of Israel He sets his heart upon the Lord Jesus as the only Object of his Love These men loath him He delights in him They despise him How divelish are these distempers how contrary to the God of glory even as far as darkness from light and Hell from Heaven How can such ever expect to see the face of God in Christ in another world whose hearts are so contrary to him in this and yet every place is pestered with these Rebels Some of the posterity of those of whom the prophet speaks Zach. 11.8 Their Souls loathed me and my Soul loathed them saith the Lord of Hosts God wil pay thee in thine own coin and recompence thine own waies upon thy head and heart Nay how canst thou not but expect the Lord should justly loath thee who art a very Dunghil of distempers and whose works are worthy to be hated especially in that thou haâ—est him The name and memory of Judas is accursed and execrable upon Earth He is gibbâ—â—ed up with this remembrance Judas Iscariot who also betrayed him The carriage of the Jews is detestable to the eares of all that have heard of the Name of Christianity who preferred Barabbas before the Lord Jesus Away with him not him but Barabbas And yet there be multitudes in the world who deal worse with the Lord Jesus in their daily course Who sel Christ not for Silver but for their sins and the lusts of their own hearts and that they may give satisfaction thereunto And proclaime it in their practises Away with the commands of Christ not they but mine own carnal desires shall carry me Away with the promises and comforts of Christ not they but the way wardness of mine own wil and distempered perversness of mine own heart that only pleaseth me Oh but it wil be replied True it is our infirmities may be many and temptations strong our failings great by reason of the Body of death but should we be haters and despisers of the Lord Jesus its pity we should live Should we hate him that came to save us we Hope we be far from that hellish frame I desire ye were far from that and that 's the worst I wish you Put it then to trial according to the truth of the Gospel yea ye wil say with al our hearts The Text saies thus He that despiseth you despiseth me Luk. 10.16 The Text saâ—es thus The Citizens hated him and sent after him and saâ—d This man shal not rule over us Luk. 19.14 Examine now thine own heart and observe thy carriage Is it not the word which Christ proclaimes the messenger he sends the work of his Grace which he requires the rule and government which he would â—et up in thy heart And life that thou settest thy self against that wâ—l not have his law Lord it over thee his Grace take place in thee know assuredly thou art a hater of Christ and of God the Father Nay what if it prove true that thou hatest Christ more than any thing in the world beside will not thou conclude thy condition damnable and thy self hateful Why thou hatest the ordinances of Christ because of their power and purity Thou hatest the servants of Christ because of their Graces that is because Christ is there If the Theif hate the Lanthorne for the light sake he hates the light much more Hie thee out of this hellish condition and hate and loath thine own soul that ever thou hast loathed Jesus Christ Lest that doom that is denounced be made good He that loves not Jesus Christ let him be accursed Anathema Maranatha 1 Cor. 16.22 Curse him all ye Angels in Heaven Devils in Hell Churches on Earth until Christ come to judgment and he there have that Doom Depart c. USE 2. Trial. We may here prove the truth of our love If it be like Gods love it s then of the right stamp 1. The we desire Vnion breathing after our coming to him Phil. 1. I long to be dissolved and to be with Christ which is far better I have been too long with the world too long with the distempers of mine own heart It s far better to be with Christ Breath after his coming 2 Tim. last and 8. Love his appearing sollace our selves we shal ever be with him 2. Then we shal take ful contentment in him I have enough Christ is mine as Joseph Live upon him be satisfied with him Phil. 1.21 Christ is in life and death advantage In al gets Christ and gaines in al his wants hath advantages in al necessities and losses 3. Then we study how to honor him lay our crowns at his Feet live to him die to him Phil. 1.20 That Christ may be glorified in our mortal Bodies whether by life or death Be willing he should pluck his praise out of us The Father wil own this love Christ accept it The spirit bear witness to it This is from the Father through Christ by the spirit God-like love USE 3. Exhort Doth God love Christ go
hath accomplished that great work of our redemption and that unto the ful That the ignorant who never knew him the stubborn and rebellious amongst whom he lived and preached yet would not receive him yea the flinty hearted Jews that scorned and despised the meanness of his person and the power of his dispensation Al these at last should be constrained to acknowledg that he is the true and only Messias set a part and sent to that work This is the Son of God saies the Heathen of whom we have heard but never laboured to know him This is the Son of God saies the prophane whom we in his word have opposed and hated in his servants This is the Son of God sent to save us and we have blasphemed his name and flame and crucified his person despised his government saies the Jew See the lively expression of this Rev. 6.13 This I say wil certainly come to pass for our Savior hath prayed for it yea pursued it with re-doubled desires propounded in the 21. Verse repeated in verse 23. And he is alwaies heard in what he begged Hence we have two things 1. It s lawful to begg the same thing several times in the same prayer We have here a pattern before us beyond al compare a practise beyond al exception nay in truth beyond al question or doubt He cannot do but wel who could not erre in what he did where he hath gone before us in his example in things imitable we may without either feare or hazard safely go after him As it was said of his speaking and it s as true of his praying he prayed as never man did And there do not many sentences pass between but ye have the very same petition expressed What our Savior did its lawful for us upon the like occasion and like grounds for us to do to put up the same petition several times the same prayer If we find we have greater need of that we ask than any other or if there be special worth in it or that our hearts grow warmer in the work and increase into the strength of our affection towards the thing we ask For then there is no vain babling or empty repetition but the expressions though the same have new strength of fresh apprehensions and affections put upon them Therefore David again unto the place striks the same string often which made best melody in that musick and song of his Oh that men would therefore praise the Lord for his goodness and declare the wonders he doth for the Children of men 2. We ought to pray most earnestly that the power of our Savior might be expressed that his right appointment to the work of Redemption might be acknowledged by the world It s that which our Savior doubles his desires for the attainement of as that wherein the great weight of the work lay and which he counted worthy such importunate seeking for at the hands of his Father And this carriage should be a Copy and Sampler to conform our prayers unto This is that which God the Father is so Zealous of Hebr. 1. When he brings his first begotten into the world he saies Worship him all ye Angels of God And to this purpose was the eight Psalm penned and is to be understood touching our Savior as having the preheminence above al creatures in Heaven and Earth as Mediator So the Apostle to the Hebrews seems to expound it Hebr. 2.20 Learned Junius judgeth and therefore here the Psalmist dwels and delights to descant on this strain Psal 8.1 O Lord our God how excellent is thy Name in al the world That 's most worthy our desires upon which our Savior spent his This only from the repetition The point it self we spake unto on verse 21. So much of the first end The second End is this Our Savior prayes that they might be perfect in one that so the world also might know that the Father hath loved them as he loved him This is for the honor and excellency of beleevers in the acknowledgment of the world That howsoever while they are wildering here in this vale of teares they become the scorn of the wicked the scrapings of men as the Apostle hath it and the Off-scouring of the world in the misguided apprehension of the wicked of the world who know not how to judg aright of things and persons and therefore account them Out-casts of Heaven and Earth yet our Savior prayes that they may proceed on to that perfection of Oneness with the Father and himself unto which one day they shal attain in Heaven That the world may be constrained to see and say that indeed they are Gods precious ones to whom his Soul is exceedingly indeared in surpassing love even like unto that wherewith he hath loved the Lord Jesus his only Son This our Savior Christ prayes for as a means to this end and therefore it wil undoubtedly attain it There be two points in the worlds 1. The world shal know that the Father hath loved the faithful as he loved Jesus Christ 2. This shall then be known when they come to be perfectly one with the Father and Son in Heaven But we shal handle them both together because they border so neer each upon other and the explication of either wil add to the discovery and so to the confirmation of both Point Then shall the world know that the Father hath loved the Faithful as his Son when they come to be perfected in Oneness with the Father and the Son These two the Apostle joynes together also in his prayer 2. Thess 1.11 12. Wherefore we pray alwaies for you that our God would count you worthy of this calling And fulfil al the good pleasure of his goodness and the work of faith with power That the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in you that is the first that Christ may be acknowledged as he that hath been sent for that work and hath done it Secondly That ye might be glorified in him according to the Grace of God at aâ—d â—uâ— Lord Jesus Christ Next under the Advancement of his own Name the Lord provides and the Apostle praies for the Advancement of his Servants ' Matth. 13.41.43 when the Lord shal gather out of his Church whatever doth offend whatever persons that are wicked and whatever things even aâ—oâ—gst the godly that offend Then shal the righteous sâ—ine as the Sun in the Kingdom of my Father They have been here undeâ— hatches cooped up in Duâ—gâ—â—ns there they shal be in their Kingdom and that in the Kingdom of their Father Here they lie among the ports al dinâ—â—ed â—eâ—coâ—ed with the shame and disgrace that hath been cast upon them as the scum of the world and the scorn of Heaven and Earth This is Zion whom to Man regarded There they shal shine and that as the Sun which every man wil see because he cannot look ofâ— the light of it and wil be dazelled with the
be with the Head the Body where the Life is our Life is in Christ the Wife where the Husband is As Thomas said Let us go and die with him much more let us die to raign with him If Christ be in Heaven why are we on Earth Saies Paul I desire to be dissolved to be uncloathed to put off these rags that I may put on the Robes of Immortality We have been too long with the world our sins c. let us long to be with him USE 4. See the Hainousness of their sin and heavy plague which appertains to such as rebel against this Christ now in Glory We have done with the first Part of the Point we are now to enquire the meaning of the other Vâ—z That Christ hath unconceivable Glory given him of the Father This is taken for granted and presupposed That they may behold the Glory which thou hast given me therefore he hath Glory and it 's given of the Father And of this now we are to enquire with Modesty and Godly fear as being a search and inquisition far exceeding the meanness of such poor Anâ—s as we be creeping here upon ouâ— Molehils sitting here upon our dunghils compassed about with the Mud-wals of Mortality Misery and Corruption An enquiry suitable for such as are come to the highest form the souls of the blessed now ascended and the glorious Angels who are before the Lord and see his Face They may search into the surpassing excellency of his Glory which is far removed out of our sight who sit here upon the Face of the Earth at so far a distance from thence It shal beseem us then to be wise unto Sobriety not to peep into Gods Secrets Yet because that which is writ is writ for our learning it 's not only in our Liberty but our Duty and matter of necessity to look after such things and to learn them with what pains and endeavor we may We shal then open the Sense of the Words 1. What is meant by Glory in the General 2. In what respect it 's attributed to Christ as God or Man or both 3. Wherein that peculiar Glory consists which is thus attributed to him 4. How it 's said to be given him of the Father I. What is meant by Glory in the General Answ It commonly and usually implies three things in Scripture 1. The world and excellency that is in any thing whereby it obtains Superiority and Eminency above other of meaner quality and condition Thus the Apostle cals the Graces given to us in Adam Our Glory Rom. 3.23 We have all sinned and are deprived of the Glory of God 2 Cor. 3.18 We are transformed from one degree of Glory unto another that is of glorious Grace Thus we cal a man of special Spiritual Abilities a glorious Christian an eminent Christian So in verse 22. foregoing The Glory thou gavest me I have given to them So it is said Joh. 1.14 We beheld the Glory of Christ what that is he ads and explicates full of Grace and Truth 2. The Expressions or putting forth of such Abilities in the most eminent and choice Operations thereof because in such Actions the lustre and beauty of all such excellencies shines forth and discovers it self These are termed the Glory of any thing Thus Acts 22.11 The shine of the Light that compassed Paul is called The Glory of the Light The lustre and majesty which appeared upon Moses Face when he came from the Mount is called The Glory of his Countenance 2 Cor. 3.7 And that beauty of the Light of the Sun whereby it out-bids the rest of the other Stars is called The Glory of the Sun I Cor. 15.41 And when our Savior raised Lazarus from the dead the expression of that power he cals The Glory of God John 11.40 Said I not unto thee if thou would'st beleeve thou should'st see the Glory of God that is the glorious expression of Gods Power and it 's the best and only explication of that place 2 Thes 1.9 They shall be destroyed from the glory of his power The infinite and utmost expression of Gods power shal put forth it self in the destruction of the ungodly 3. The acknowledgment of all these Excellencies and of al the expressions thereof in al the eminencies that are discovered therein This is Glory And thus we are said to give glory to God or Man in such acknowledgments which are suitable and agreeable in some measure to the worth of the things My Son give Glory to God The Second Sense is most properly intended in this place The first is not altogether excluded but in part only considered II. In what respect is Glory attributed to Christ as God or Man or both Answ It is given to the Person of the Son both as God and Man now sitting at the right hand of God the Father 1. As God That Glory which no meer Creature is capable of that must appertain to him that is more than a Creature and in that respect But of this Glory no meer Creature is capable For it 's such a glorious power which he possesseth and which is here understood whereby he subdues al things even death unto himself Phil. 3. last 2. This also is evident by the Question which our Savior Christ makes and the Argument he brings for the evidencing and evincing this Sense that indeed he was God as wel as man and that this Glory of his exaltation did in that behalf belong to him Matth. 22.42 43. He asked the Pharisees What think ye of Christ the Messias whose Son is he They say unto him the Son of David that is they looked at him as meer man Against which he thus reasons How then doth David in spirit call him Lord In Spirit that is by the dictate and direction of the Holy Ghost as Mark 12.36 The Lord that is God said unto my Lord that is unto my Seed which is my Lord Sit thou on my right hand until I make thine Enemies thy Footstool Now if his Son how is he his Lord If Davids Seed be Davids Lord then Davids Seed is more than meer Man For if he had been meer Man the Child is inferior and subject to the Father is not Lord over the Father as it 's said He was subject to his Parents But Davids Seed is Davids Lord and therefore more than meer Man As Christ is Davids Lord so is he exalted for it 's so affirmed so attributed to him He said to my Lord sit at my right hand But as God he is Davids Lord therefore as God he is exalted 3. It 's plain also by that Prayer and Expression of our Savior John 17.5 Father Glorifie me thy self with that Glory which I had with thee before the World was Now that must needs be the Glory which did appertain unto him as God For his Humane Nature was not before the World and therefore did not nor could not partake of any Glory And hence it is undeniable it
which is our last end and chiefest good which is not to be in Heaven but to please God and choose his wil wil his wil. We meet with God and suck out a satisfying goodness in him in so doing this is one end But both these are to be attended and neither seperated from the other The wel-working and exercise of our Grace is the end but that Barely I doubt wil not do it For no creature can give content to the Soul but our wel-working is a creature Therefore with that I added also A rellish of satisfying goodness or comprehending of that goodness That is God in his goodness by acting upon him and we communicating from him al the perfection we are capable of We may be said to be like God and to have his Image because we have Grace But we are most like him and communicate most of al good from him when we close with him in the act of his Grace Satisfie me with thy mercy I shal behold thy Face and be satisfied The issue is If by our beholding of the glory of Christ so immediately effectually we receive more of God are more for God in meeting with him and sucking out satisfying good from him Then the happiness of out being in Heaven is to behold the glory of our Lord Christ USE 1. Instruction We have here a Cordial against Death This should make the Saints willing to die that they may gaze upon the unmovable glory of a Christ and be made truly and gloriously happy thereby It was Davids longing from that little glimpse he had once found Psal 63.1 3. My Soul thirsteth c. That I may see thee as somtimes I have seen thee So say thou I have seen the Lord in his word when he humbled me in his promises when he hath comforted me in his sacraments when he strengthened me Oh that I may once see him as he is The glory of that Wisdom that I may never erre more the glory of that mercy that I may never fear stagger any more that Grace that I may never be foiled any more Thus Job I know my Redeemer c. The marriner wil be content to split the Vessel if there be no other way to get to the Haven USE 2. Examin Whether we ever knew the Lord aright or no. Whether it be a savor of knowledg or a Visard of knowledg If thou hast true sight of the glory of Christ It wil make thee a heavenly and glorious Christian It wil make thee like the Christ thou seest in part and hereafter in perfection then in ful measure but here in some truth If the Eye-salve shal be right it heals the Sore of the Eye as wel as recover the sight of it Otherwise hadst thou al knowledg couldst thou search al secrets and yet thy learning and skil left thee as sensual as careless as ever thou hast happily seen the glory of some learning and Wisdom of words but thou never hadst a speculation indeed of the glimpse of the glory of Christ in the reality of it Isa 6.5 That Vision of the Prophet see what a disposition it wrought in him This sight makes him sit down confounded This knowledg is like the Sun rising that scatters al Clouds Star-light leaves it dark False light like lightning leaves the mind and heart as dark and corrupt as it was before Eph. 4.18 19. 1 Joh. 3.6 USE 3. Of Direction What Price we should put upon the knowledg of Christ how much desire it what Indeavor to attain it Prize it above Heaven desire it more than Heaven indeavor to attain it rather than Heaven it self for indeed it is better There were no glory in Heaven but that we behold this glory of Christ Thus Paul desires Phil. 3.10 This the Saints have counted the peculiar evidence of Gods favor as Moses Exod. 33.18 It s the greatest trade the Saints take up in Heaven let us then begin Heaven upon Earth take up our thoughts with that now upon which we shal gaze through al eternity This is the end of al ordinances the scope of our Praying Hearing Preaching attendance upon al Duties we preach for this ye pray for this That when al the Churches shal meet together we may come to the unity of the faith and the acknowledgment of the Son of God It was that Son of God that pardoned my sin quieted my conscience comforted my Soul And mine also say ye or els I had perished and mine also or I had been everlastingly discouraged When we shal never cease the seeing admiring adoring the glorious perfections of his Son let us now begin to search after them Means are Three 1. Keep the Conscience convinced and the heart perswaded that as al power is given to Christ in Heaven and Earth so al good that is done to his in spiritual things and al deliverances for his accomplished are wrought by him and he is ready for the relief of his Act. 2.33 Know assuredly saies Peter That Christ whom ye have crucified him hath God raised he hath shed down that whâ—ch ye see I see him standing at the right hand of the Father Know ye Devils I see the glory or that mercy that did rescue me from their rage els I had been cooped up with you in the chains or darkness Be it known unto you ye damned creatures this is the Son of God the glory of whose conquering Grace hath broke my flinty heart or els I had burned in Hel with you that wretched Creature that was proud and is now humbled as ye see he that was estranged from God and Heaven and is now called converted comforted Know that Christ hath shed down that Grace ye now see He hath done there great things 2. Hold those glorious excellencies unto the Eye of the Soul that they may never depart away from it nor the Soul withdraw it self from them until they leave an impression upon it Therefore if any thing besides come in the way between the Soul and Christ or would cal off the Soul attend it not If any thing be presented against this to lessen the worth or necessity hear it not regard it not Keep these in thy thoughts 1 Chro. 9.18 Be in these 1 Tim. 4.15 As in infusions dayly though easie Heats leave a Tincture of the vigor and vertue of the Herb or mettal behind them Dayly company keeping is the next way of moulding each into other When men prohibite al other goods to be brought so that Chapmen see none beside then they sel their own 3. A heart willing and yieldable to give way to those glorious operations of Christ and the dispensations of himself unto the Soul Prov. 2.10 He doth not work because we stop the way and would not have him work Ye wil find generally a loathness and going off from a truth if you want the good of it and find not the benefit of it Jsiah his hâ—art â—â—eâ—â—ed Theâ— is an instruction sealed when al parts be
who had his Being from him and so his working In the daies of his Humiliation he laid aside the Dispensation of Power and suffered the Power of darkness to prevail but now he desires al might be restored to him verse 5. Al these belong to Christ God-man in regard of the Union of our Nature with his Person And this is the Love that is here intended Reas 1. Love of the highest strain and pitch of greatest and choycest Excellency is here intended and understood This is the Standard to al the rest But the Love of God to Christ is the cause of other the Blessings and Benefits that are bestowed John 3.35 The Father loveth the Son and hath given all things into his hands Therefore this Love is a peerless and unmatchable Love al other things which are given to our Savior Grace Glory al Power in Heaven and Earth are but the effects of it Again Joh. 17.24 The glory that our Savior hath given him of the Father it is said to Issue from a higher fountain and to be but a stream of it Namely The Father loved him from the foundation of the World Love is from Eternity the fruits are in time Lastly The whol Tenor of the Prayer and expressions of our Savior in this Chapter gives further evidence and argument to confirm it 2. How is this Love said to be in them When this love of God in Christ sets God on work to wil a like or proportionable good to the Creature I would say thus When God wils to have a Creature neer to him in his Son as his Son to communicate intimately with the Creature through his Christ as his Christ Then this love leaves a being like it self upon the Creature It s then in its vertue and efficacy in the fatithful It was with God put forth upon Christ before the World was and therefore much more before they were But our Saviors Prayer is that this love which was expressed upon him might also be extended unto his made effectual and operative in his It s true the expressions of common love and the communication of ordinary good is of larger extent and issues from God as the Creator of al and he that is the first being and so gives being to al Creatures But special union to be so high unto God and to communicate so intimately with him it s firstly here to be seen and from hence therefore must be derived to all such who shal be so Priviledged as to be made partakers thereof 3. The Means and Order how this is done Answ The means by which God doth convey the efficacy of this love wherewith he loved his Son unto his Saints may be thus conceived As the eternal generation of the Son from the Father was the foundation of his love of the Father to the Son as we have shewed he begat him knew and owned and loved him So the vertue of this eternal generation is the Cause whence this love comes to have a being in the Saints For out of this eternal generation it is that God sends his Son The Son being sent acts under that Authoritative Order and doth answer the purpose of the Father And as Second Adam and as Son and as begotten of the Father he assumes ouâ— Nature into personal union with himself becomes Head of the Covenant and as he was begotten of the Father so he begets Children unto God the Father Therefore he is called the eternal Father and the Father is said to beget Children because Christ doth as sent by God the Father 1 Pet. 1.3 The Father begets us through his resurrection Joh. 13. Born of God And thence they have the Spirit of Sons So in the text The love wherewith thou hast loved them may be in them But how is that And I in them That our Savior adds to intimate how this comes about 4. When is this done Answ When the love of God in Christ set Gods love or set God on work to send Christ begotten of him to beget Children to him And then this love through Christ leaves like impression and operations upon the Soul 1. Brings the Soul into neerest union with God through Christ 2. Most intimately communicates of the special operations of the Spirit of the Father through Christ 1. Brings the finner into neerest union to wit Christ is in the Soul Rom. 8.10 If Christ be in you the Body is dead c. Yea dwelt in the heart Eph. 3.17 And God by and through Christ Rom. 8.9 So Joh. 17.23 I in them and thou in me So 1 Joh. 2.24 Ye shall continue in the Son and in the Father 1 Thess 1.1 The Church which is in God the Father and in our Lord Jesus Christ 2. Leaves like operations the most intimate and special communion of the Spirit of Christ and the Soul So that God doth al through Christ by man he doth nothing of nor from himself Thus Christ is al in al Col. 3.11 And the sinner is wholly now beyond the covenant of works made with Adam and with him in Adam So that as Paul observes I live not but Christ lives in me Gal. 2.20 I work not I but the Grace of God with me 1 Cor. 15.10 And Christ in me Coloss 1. and last Verse When the love of God in Christ sets God on work to send his Son begotten of him to beget Sons unto him so that he brings them to the neerest union God in Christ and Christ he one in them They in Christ and through Christ in God the Father So that the Father in Christ doth al by them they nothing of themselves receives also al from them they take nothing to themselves Then this love of Christ is in them and leaves a like efficacious impression upon them Hence a double Collection 1. We may hence learn how to come to a right apprehension of Gods special love and so to a right explication and understanding of several Scriptures thereby Gods special love is when he purposeth to make the Creature neer to him in his Son as his Son is neer The Father is in his Son Christ in the Faithful and the Father by Christ in them Christ is in the Father the Faithful in Christ and by him in the Father He doth intimately communicate with them through his Christ as with his Christ God by Christ doth al by them they not of themselves He through Christ receives al from them they take nothing to themselves This Love is like the main Hinge upon which the whol Frame of Gods Dispensations turn and many Scriptures seem to be made familiar and somwhat open hereby As this Because I wil make a Creature to me in my Son as my Son therefore I wil Elect him to set out this Love And therefore create and give Grace and because his own Grace cannot bring him so neer as my Son he shal through his default fal and then I wil send my Son and he shal take Humane Nature into Personal
unconceivable Mass of Mercy and Goodness in this it is contained and by this it is expressed to the World This Love set God on work to create a World and to set out his Excellencies therein to redeem the World out of the World and to bring to light those depths of his indeared affections to his in his Christ which the world could not conceive and would not believe That the world may know thou hast loved them as thou lovest me They did know and they would not beleeve it that there was such love in God or such love towards men By this God is admired in them that do beleeve 2 Thess 2.10 He is glorious in his Saints but his glory is beyond comprehension admirable when the condition of the Saints what they were and hereby are comes to be considered USE 1. Of Reprehension It Checks the opinion and carriage of the drooping and discouraged Saints who poar upon their own sins and sit down discouraged in the sight and sense of their own unworthiness and then begin to measure the Lord Christs affections according to their own disposition nourish secret Jealousies and surmises If there be any blessings which are of especial account that they want or Graces which they desire or Counsels which they need They secretly conceive that Christ who knows their weakness and wretchedness better than themselves he grudgeth the graunt of such high favors to such undeserving and sinful wretches as they be No say they it wil never be Happy they who are sit to receive but the Lord sees them too good and too much for me And the Devil is ready at hand to add fuel to the fire to help forwards such groundless misconceivings as they be That he may mint and maintain hard thoughts in the Soul against our Savior Christ and his intended compassions So he dealt with our first parents The Spark was no sooner stirring and appearing but he blows and increaseth it until it come unto a great Flame Yea hath God said ye shal not eat of every Tree He knows that ye shal be as Gods knowing good and evil Therefore he forbids you the meanes that ye may not attaine the end He envies the happiness otherwise he that knows what it is he would have provided for your spiritual good that ye might have knowledg as wel as provide the Tree Therefore the Lord professeth himself offended with this way ward distemper of his froward Children The Father cares not for me loves not me thinks al too good for me Isa 40.27 Why sai'st thou O Jacob speaks O Israel my way is hid from the Lord This is the dayly talk of al dismayed ones the speech they have in their meetings Jacob saies Israel saies This ye say but what saies the Lord Jesus Why speakest thou thus Christ cannot abide such unkind surmises and Jealousies To cast an Eye to such a wretched Creature as I my wants are such c. But the Lord knows how better to bestow his supplies That I should have peace or evidence or assurance c. Let it suffice thee that Christ wisheth thy welfare as he doth the most able and excellent Christian upon Earth He doth not grudge the greatest excellency in Heaven no not in the very heart of the Father He would not have a choice Sit but he would have thee to be partaker of it he would have thee share in the love of the Father with himself Sit down ashamed and confounded in thy self that ever thou should'st have a hard thought of Christ whose heart is so fully â—nlarged for thy good USE 2. For Instruction The Faithful shal certainly be made partakers of the Fathers love in Christ and when they have it its as certain they can never loose it 1. They may certainly expect it They may certainly expect that which Christ desires because he ever attaines his desires at the hands of God the Father Joh. 11.42 I know that thou hearest me alwaies he is sure to speed and therefore they are sure to possess But Christ desires this Therefore they may expect it Nay he not only desires but the strength of his indeavor is spent to this purpose and its the end he aimes at His desire is ever answered his labour ever blessed And therefore the faithful may undoubtedly expect this love The Lord Christ makes it the main work on Earth in Heaven what he hath done what he wil. I have made known I will make known thy Name He that hath al power he is improving al power for this end and purpose that this love may be setled and established Wil the Lord Christ loose his labor can he miss of his end can any thing oppose his power or prejudice his success 2. They can never loose it The love of the Father to Christ nothing can alter that The love of the Father to us is the same nothing can change it Our union as his nothing can separate or break Our communion as his nothing can interrupt it Hither Paul repaires and lands his heart and Hopes in safety Rom. 8.38 Nor things to come Obj. Somthing is yet to come Ans Come what wil come This is his aim to settle the conclusion of their happines and the certainty thereof To be beyond the reach of al the hosts in Heaven and Earth Therefore he musters up al what are what shal be If there were a thousand worlds to come and should set themselves to shake the comforts of the faithful it could not be The ground is hence Because of the love of God in Christ It was before al these things therefore they come too late to hinder it It was without any repect and therefore they could not work it It was only and wholly from God and therefore they cannot alter it The Devils and sin may as wel separate Christ from the Father as pul the love of the Father from his own heart and so from Christ as separate us from it 3. It s ground of greatest contentment to the hearts of al Gods people in al their conditions Christ cannot love thee better than he doth nor provide greater good for thee than he intends Thou canst have no more I had almost said God can give thee no more Be therefore content with what thou hast our Saviors desire is to interest thee in the heart and love of the Father as himself Not to love thee as a Creature as a friend a subject but as the Son of his love What me Yea thee poor weak silly worthless Worm that beleevest in him Go thy way therefore never quarel nor question any more never murmur nor repine any more It is enough nay it is too much I would not have thought it I durst not have desired it I could not have beleeved it but that our Savior hath said and done it What I beloved of the Lord Jesus miserable wretch who cannot but loath my self and Judg my self worthy to be condemned Yea thou Therefore rest
3. Reproof Page 394 II. The Prayer it self Page 395 DOCT. The wicked know not the Fatherly love of God Page 396 Obj. Learned men that have studied this point may be ignorant of it Page 397 Answ four waies Page 398 The Sum of all in brief Page 399 Reas 1. Gods secrets must be discerned by Gods Spirit Page 402 Use 1. Of Instruction Page 404 Use 2. Of Terror Page 405 Object I hope I have somwhat more than the world Page 407 Answ By the way to try it ib. DOCT. The disposition of our Savior and the Saints towards God is wholly cross to the world Page 408 Three Reasons Page 409 Use 1. Of Instruction Page 413 Use 2. Examination Page 416 O righteous Father c. Page 418 The words opened ibid. DOCT. The Lord Christ hath the knowledge of the Father in a peculiar manner Page 420 Three things opened 1 How Christ as second Person is said to know the Father Page 422 2 How man comes to share in this knâ—wledg ibid. 3 The Reason of it ibid. DOCT. The Saints have a special knowledg that the Lord Christ is sent of God the Father for their salvation Page 431 Three things open'd 1 How Christ is said to be sent of the Father Page 432 2 For what he is sent ibid. 3 How the Saints know this in special manner ibid. Propositions to make way for the first thing Page 433 The second thing Page 439 Use 1. Matter of Admiration Page 440 Use 2. Comfort Page 441 The third thing to be enquired of two waies Page 442 1 Wherein the specialty of this knowledge consists ibid. 2 How it comes to be communicated to the Saints ibid. 1 The specialty of knowledg consists in four things ib. Quest Is this the condition of all the Saints Page 450 Answ affirmatively for the matter but not for the manner and measure ibid. Object We see by experience that may of Gods own are ignorant here ibid. Answ They know in part or know by reflection ibid. Two Reasons of the Point ib. Use 1. Of Thankfulness Page 451 Use 2. Of Examination Page 452 Ver 26 I have made known thy Name c. Page 454 Two things to be here attended 1 Our Saviors Work Page 455 2 His Engagement ibid. Doct. To make known the name of the Father to an humbled soul is our Saviors peculiar work ibid. Three things opened 1 What this Name is Page 456 2 What it is make it known 3 why this is properly given to our Savior ibid. Doct. Christ extends the same care at al times to al his servants Page 4â—5 Reason Page 466 Use 1. Of Instruction Page 467 Use 2. Of Comfort Page 468 Use 3. Direction Page 470 Use 4. Exhortation Page 472 Two Points of Doctrine Doct. 1. There is much wanting in the ful knowledg c. Page 476 Two things to be enquired 1 In what this want appears 2 The Reasons why Page 478 Use 1 Instruction Page 482 Use 2 Direction Page 485 Doct. 2. The Lord lends dayly Directions c. Page 486 Attend two things 1 The Measure ibid. 2 The Manner ibid. Many Collections hence Col. 1 The best Saints here live on dayly dependance on these things Page 489 Col. 2 Christ can cloud al our knowledg Page 492 Col. 3 The faithful must encrease in knowledg Page 494 Col. 4 Christ is the way to lead us to the Father Page 496 Col. 5 Matter of abasement of heart ibid. Col 6 Ground of thankfulness Page 497 Col. 7 Ground of Comfort Page 498 Use Exhortation Page 500 The Close of Christs Prayer That the Love wherewith thou hast loved me c. Page 501 For understanding of which words observe four things 1 How the Father loves Christ ibid. 2 How that love is said to be in them ibid. 3 The means how ibid. 4 The time when we shall know this ibid. Three Points of Doctrine Doct. 1. It is Christs desire that the dearest of Gods love c. Page 511 Use 1 Reprehension Page 517 Use 2 Instruction Page 518 Doct. 2. Our union and communion with God in Christ is the top of our happiness in Heaven Page 521 Two things opened 1 What this haypiness of Heaven is Page 522 2 How this is the top of it ibid. Use 1 Matter of Admiration Page 530 Use 2 Examination Page 531 M R HOOKER'S Seventeenth Book Made in NEW-ENGLAND JOHN 17.20 I Pray not for these alone but for them also who shall beleeve on me through their word IN this 17. Chapter We have a most heavenly prayer of our Savior expressed immediately before his departure hence which I suppose he presents to the Father not as a man or yet Minister of the Circumcision unto whom he was sent but as Mediator is part of that Intercession which he performeth in the behalf of his Church and people And being now shortly to offer up himself and to lay down his life for his Children and to go out of the World as though his soul had been transported into the Suburbs of Heaven as though he would unbowel his dearest and heart-blood desires into the bosom of his Father he sends this prayer before-hand in the power of his Intercession to lie leidger there in the behalf of his Disciples and faithful ones that so he might fully provide for their everlasting life and spiritual welfare before he left his own life and provide comfort in Heaven to be sent down to them before he left the Earth and went to Heaven A Prayer of unconceiveable and incomparable worth above al that ever was expressed or recorded in the word Like a confection or compound of those soveraigne excellencies beyond the highest strayn of the desires or conceivings of the souls of the Saints That which containes the quintessence or the pith of al the cordialls of the Gospel the very marrow of al that great redemption he had wrought and purchased the highest pitch of al that happiness which Heaven can afford or the very richest Diamond in the crown of Glory for that we may see he here prayes for something beyond glory that for which glory was made and therefore better than glory it self for so the words I have given them my Glory that they may be one as we are one So that that is the end of Glory and therefore better than Glory able to carry the heart beyond al the riches of admiration This is expressed in the parts of it according to the parties for whom it is made and those are two 1 For himself to vers 6. 2 For his servants and those His Apostles ver 6. to ver 20. The rest of Beleevers Hence generally for our imitation and direction learn from our Savior 1. That the first especial scope of Prayer should be for such things that do more especially concern us Whether it be in regard of any thing which respects the Glory of God the furtherance of his truth or the good and benefit of such whose conditions or
was made of the Rib of Adam So Faith hath its flesh and bones out of the promise and the root of it is in Christ for the first strok of it Use 4. Exhortation Therefore In the want of Faith bring our own Souls bring our Wives and little ones and beseech the Lord that one word may be spoken to them to beleeve and Live The means or instrument whereby Sinners are brought to beleeve was the word That is finished 2 The Parties Faith was set forth from the object of it ME. Beleeve in Christ Saving Faith hath the Lord Jesus for its object Doct. So the text Though not him alone to exclude the other Persons so not them alone to exclude himself Ye beleeve in God beleeve also in me That ye beleeve in the Father is not enough ye must beleeve also in the Son and by like reason in the Holy Ghost Joh. 14.1 This is eternal life faith our Savior to know thee the onely true God and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent i. e. To beleeve in the Father and Son is that onely means appointed to bring in eternal life The Second thing is The Parties for whom Christ prayers are here set forth by a Comparison of equality and parity I pray not for my Apostles alone who are the main Pillars of the Church now to be sent upon the most weighty imployments that can be committed to the hands of fâ—eâ—le men to publish the Gospel to every creature to plant Churches and to gather mine elect from al the corners of the world notwithstanding al the opposition they shal find from Hel and fierce persecution they shal meet withal from the hands of unreasonable men And therefore since the work lyes first upon their hands and requires present performance and so have need presently to be remembred and to have the first place in my prayer Yet my love and care reacheth proportionably even to al the meanest and feeblest of my servants that shal beleeve in me unto the end of the world though they come in the second rank yet shal they share alike in my prayers For I pray for them as for these That they may know I remembred them before they were and wil not therefore forget them when they shal be here in the conflicting times upon the face of the Earth The Interceding Prayer or Intercession of our Savior doth alike respect al that shal beleeve in his name Doct. I cal it here an Interceding Prayer because herein his Intercession is in a special manner both expressed and accomplished For it is not to be attended as a prayer which he put up as man alone or as the minister of the Circumcision as the Apostle calls him Rom. 15.8 For then it can avail no further then the prayer of a man without sin will do and answerable to that kind of willing Math. 23.37 How often would I have gathered them c. But it s here the special work of Intercession and proceeds from him as God and man Mediator of his elect and faithful and so Intercession in their behalf That being as I told you shortly to offer up himself he sends his prayer as the great high Priest of his Church in power of his Intercession to lie Leidger there in the behalf of his beloved Children that he might provide in Heaven for them before he lest the Earth And this prayer is part of that Intercession he now puts sorth at the right Hand of the Father So that the Sum in short is Christs Intercession was intended for all beleevers alike Hence are al these general and indefinite expressions as carrying an equal Eye unto all without any Special restraint to any particular of what quality or condition soever Heb. 7.25 He is able to save them that came unto God by him i.e. Who beleeve in him seeing he ever liveth to make Intercession for them i. e. For any of them for every one of them that shall beleeve And therefore it was when the high Priest was to go into the Holy of Holies he was to bear the names of the twelve Tribes upon his Breast-plate i.e. The names of all the Saints which should profess the Faith and by Faith beleeve in him And it is the condition of the great work of our Redemption it carries no respect of persons with it provided they be under the condition and terms of the covenant it lies open unto all That which Jude spake of Salvation its true of the whole work of Mediation and Intercession Common Salvation Common Intercesson In Christ Jesus nor Jew nor Gentile Graecian nor Barbarian Bond nor Free Male nor Female So that of Paul Rom. 5. If reconciled by his Death when sinners much more shall we be saved by his life being reconciled If the death of our Saviour could purchase our Reconciliation much more shal his life now interceding in Heaven be able to save us i.e. All for whom he died I shall open here 1 The Nature and manner of this Intercession 2 The works and vertue of it 3 The reasons of the point why it appertaines to all the Saints 1 This Intercession or the manner of our Saviors praying must thus be conceived that he doth present his merits obedience before the Father as fully performed in the behalf of his elect and according to the righteous covenant and agreement past between them doth challenge the communication of al that spiritual good he hath purchased and the Father hath promised to bestow upon them That is the meaning of that expression in ver 24. Father I will that those whom thou hast given me be where I am that they may behâ—ld my Glory It is my good pleasure that they should enjoy that happiness that thou hast given me and given to them in me according as thou hast promised 2. The work of this Intercession is To act all our affayrs with God the Father to further our comfort spiritual wellfare here on Earth until we come to him in Heaven and to shal have an end of al our wants feares and desires that we shall want nothing that is good â—oâ— sear any thing that is evil nor desire any further or more perfect good to be added which is abâ—ent from us but he takes care al shal be fully accomlished As it is with States who have Affayreâ— or great consequences depending in other countries they have their Ambassadors which ly Leidger at Court to take advantages to continue Love and honourable Correspondence betwixt the King and States and to discover all undermining Plots which my breed any distast and so procure no smal dammage to those who do imploy them So it is with our Savior he is gone to Heaven and there remaines a Leidger with God the Father that he may observe and take al such Special advantages for acomplishment of the comforts of his Quest If you ask What be those Spiritual affayres of ours there to be transacted Answ They
is ever heard and therefore the Saints shal alwaies be assisted supported inabled to be faithful to the end and in the end If Christ may not be heard then thou maiest not be helped and if he wil loose his prayer then thou maiest loose thy comfort and grace But that is incredible this is impossible Besides how dishonorable is this Doctrine of falling away unto the Lord Jesus and the work of his Mediation which in the Issue advanceth the power of our sin and the policy of Satan above the vertue of the death of Christ and the power of the prayer of Christ For it saith thus much That the policy of Satan is more able to undermine us than his prayer to preserve us His temptation to destroy us than the Intercession of Christ to save us No Be the assaults never so fierce the allurements never so subtil corruptions never so strong Nay let all the power of Darkness do the worst The prayer of Christ wil yet shore up the meanest Saint in the greatest safety Luk. 22.32 Satan hath desired to winnow he would have winnowed all the Grace out of his Heart but our Savior he made provision for him and concludes but I have prayed that thy Faith fail not and there leaves it as though there was not then the least shadow or fear of any miscarriage For it might have been said may be Satan wil be too hard not only for my Grace but for thy prayer No our Savior leaves it beyond al question for it s so far from any appearance of probability that the thought of it is no less than blasphemy Use 2 for Direction To take heed how we deal injuriously or carry our selves offensively towards the meanest beleever Be his place never so low his condition never so base his abilityes never so feeble and despicable in thine Eye The prayer of Jesus is to preserve them from evil and therefore wil be against thee who intendest to do evil against them It was the Argument of our Savior Math. 18.10 Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones for I tel you that in Heaven their Angels do alwaies behold the face of my Father which is in Heaven If this was a reason of force as no question it is that they should not despise those whose Guardians are the glorious Angels the Special Attendants at the Court of Heaven How much more that the Son of God doth pray dayly for them who is far above al principalities and powers and advanced at Gods right Hand Use 3. Consolation unspeakeable and glorious even to the meanest of the Saints when they are beset with greatest enemies and that in greatest necessities and most unable to succor themselves know there is support that will never fail thee Thy sins plead against thee 1 Joh. 2.1 2. Here is an Advocate who pleads for thee and wil undoubtedly carry the cause Thy conscience that accuseth Satan he condemnes But they al come too late There is one between them and home who intercedes and makes perfect satisfaction and also ful communication thereof therefore Paul flings the gantlet May be thy Heart and prayers and life and al seem to fail thee Here is one who lives alwaies and prayes alwaies and is heard alwaies and therefore able to save to the uttermost them that come Object True happy they who have a share in that Intercession but so sinful a creature so silly a wretch so loathsom an one as I unworthy that Christ should ever have me in his thoughts much less should ever pray for me Answ Yes for thee if thou hast but Faith as a grain of Mustard-seed not only for Peter for his Apostles but for thee silly Woman Ignorant Child c. Use 4. TERROR This is a thunderbolt to break the heart and Split the hopes of al worldlings under Heaven Doth then thy conversation witness doth thine own heart confess it That The day is yet to dawn the hour yet to come that ever God spake to thy Soul or plucked thee out of the world As thou were 't thou art of the Earth and speakest of the Earth in the old course and led aside with old lusts Know thou must Christ hath shut thee out of his Prayrs and thy Soul out of peace and self out of Heaven for ought any living can tel and I do not say how sleepest thou but how canst thou live and hear and know this thy condition That thou dost not sit down in silence and thy Soul sink and die away within thee in everlasting discouragement in the expectation of evil that hangs over thy Head and have thy life hang in doubt that when thou goest our thou shouldest never return and when thou liest down thou shouldest never rise up again Why there is nothing to hinder but the hand of Justice should plague and nothing to stay it Thy sins and Devils to make a prey and spoil of thee and nothing to hinder it Bear not up thy self with the Opinion of others or their approbation how their Hearts are to thee and how wel they speak of thee But know The Heart of Christ he hath discovered it and professed it He prays not for the world nor for thee if one of them Do not deceive thy self nor suffer Satan to delude thee with vain pretences That notwithstanding thy sins and deserts yet there is redemption wrought by Christ vertue and Salvation in the Blood of Jesus He died for sinners and his Death is able to redeem because Salvation is laid upon one that is mighty True that is thy misery There is enough to be had but he never suffered any thing did any thing intended any thing nay purposed to speak a good word for thee but to leave thee to shift for thy self to the hand of Justice to plague to the hand of Devils to torment to the hand of thy sins to rule damn thee And he professeth he would not spend his breath much less his Blood I think thou hast thy load though I could yet lay it heavier Hy thee for thy life out of the compass and company of the world if ever thou wouldest be within the power of the prayer of Christ to thine own knowledg Use 5 Exhortation to beleevers To have our hearts ravished and our thoughts swallowed up with everlasting admiration of this indeared love of the Lord Jesus to such poor creatures That he should provide and reserve the rarities of the Riches of his Grace for such miserable worthless Worms As Philip in the like case Why wilt thou shew thy self to us and not unto the world why pray for us speak intercede for us in Heaven and not for the world when there be so many wise Rich honorable that thou never intendest any good unto nor ever put test them within one sentence of thy prayer Lord who am I silly Woman Ignorant Child disobedient rebellious servant that yet thou shouldest cal me out of the world and make it
thy great work in Heaven to keep me in the world and bring me to Heaven What wil you do to honor this Christ who hath thus honored you how should you indeavor to serve him in Earth who indeed serves you in Heaven He provides for your safety and comfort provide you for his Glory He stands betwixt you and your Harms against al sins Devils Temptations stand you between him and his wrongs that may be done to him Before we pass from this verse one thing more may be shortly handled and that taken from the consideration of the Time When these persons shall beleeve for whom our Savior here prayes and that is cleerly discovered to continue until the end of the world those who yet were not in the world and those who should beleeve even at the end of the world for these now our Savior praies Hence Our Savior hath a speciall care for those that shal beleeve on him Doct. even in the worst condition of their Unbeleef So the text gives in undeniable evidence even before many had any being in Nature and when some were and others should be brought into the world and had neither mind to know God nor Heart to seek after Christ or to pray for themselves Yet here ye see our Savior takes in al those now within the compass of his prayer and care to provide for them and to contrive all for their good when they neither did nor could care for him or for themselves therefore its plain Our Savior cares for such who shal beleeve in him when they are in the depth of their unbeleef and his prayer is then working for their good when they intend no good unto themselves Our Savior when they were in the heat of that hellish villany in blaspheming and killing the Lord of life even then he intends life to them procures and purchaseth life for them Luk. 23 34. Father forgive them they know not what they do This prayer it was that wrought more than Peters preaching when his spirit was warmed with the Love of Jesus and the Blood of a dying Savior ran fresh now in al the Veins of his Heart and the power and vertue of it was mighty upon the consciences of Peters Hearers such as had before been Crucifyers of the Lord of life It then took place and prevailed mightily Isa 57.18 I have seen his waies c though he see not himself See this made good in some particulars as 1. In the several degrees of it 2. The Reason and 3. The Use This care and the vertue of this prayer of our Savior will appear thus in five Particulars Hence 1. It is that the Lord contrives means in the waies of his Providence for the bringing of these men into the world so that the Parents and Predecessors of such though happily desperately wicked and forlorn shal yet have their stock and posterity continued in the world because they shal bring these into the world who shal beleeve And therefore it is the patience of God is extended towards many a wicked parent nay to the whole stock and Linage of vile and loose men not for their sakes but the sakes and cause of some that shal come of them whom the Lord Christ doth purpose to bring to himself Math. 24.22 Had not God shortned those daies no flesh had been saved but for his Elects sake the Lord shortned those daies i.e. The generation of the Jews now rejecting and most Hellishly blaspheming the Lord Jesus Christ had so provoked the Eyes of the Lord That should he in Justice have proceeded against them and executed his righteous Judgments either as the Nature of their sins deserved or their Enemies intended and out of their power and rage could easily have accomplished it there had not been one Jew left alive to propagate their posterity or name or Nation But the Lord had an Eye to his Elect that should come of these in the last Age of the world after so many Ages and generations past when their dead Bones shal live and the Redeemer shal come out of Sion and turn Jacob from iniquity then all Israel shal be saved So the Apostle Rom. 11.28 Hated for their sins sake but beloved for their Fathers sake i.e. For Abraham with whom through Christ the covenant of the Gospel was made to him and to his Seed i.e. To al the faithful whether Jew or Gentile but with the Jew first and then with the Graecian For this calling and covenant being everlasting is without repentance and wil assuredly take place in the season thereof when it shal be most sutable to shew forth free grace 2. The Lord even so provides that such means in an ordinary way of Providence may be sent continued and dispensed to such who never had a thought of them enquired after them or had a Heart to entertain them when they are offered Upon this ground the Lord appoints and incourageth the Apostle Act. 18.9 10. Speak and hold not thy Tongue Speak plainly and fully fear no mans frowns regard no mans favors no man shal do thee harm for I have people in this City Thus the Spirit stopped the passage into Bithynia for when they assayed the Spirit suffered them not Act. 16.7 But Christ sends post by an express in a Vision to Paul A man of Macedonia appeares with this Petition in his Hand subscribed by the Hearts of the messengers Come into Macedonia and help us And when they came the Issue shewes their Errand A poor Woman a Purple-seller and a Stubborn and Rebellious spirited Jailour was all the Markets he made But this is the Lords manner if there be but one Grain of Corn in many heapes of Chaff he wil never leave winnowing rather than lose it send he wil Messenger after Messenger until he hath gathered that into his barn Onesimus a Runnagate from his Master without the reach of government of Gospel God coops him up in Prison and casts Paul thither also that so he may come to the speech of him 3. He keeps them by his restraining Grace and some strong hand of Providence sometimes from grosser sins I say some of those that shal beleeve from some loathsome and hainous evil but alwaies from falling into that sin against the Holy Ghost because that is a Disease which admits no Remedy a Dungeon of that depth from whence there is no deliverance beyond the reach of the work of Redemption as that which comes not within the compass of mercy and the Riches of the compassion of the Almighty The Lord hath passed the sentence and that most Peremptory and shews the deadly Malignity of that evil by way of difference from all others Math. 12.31 Wherefore I say unto you all manner of sin and Blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men but the Blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall never be forgiven in this world nor in the world to come i.e. There is no Hope It here cannot be pardoned and at the great
nothing but in love and out of mercy to the one intercede now in Heaven order al creatures and overwork al occasions in Earth for the good of the one and do nothing for the other but there is a hand of Justice and the Poyson of his displeasure which first or last either in the entrance or in the Issue wil be an ingredient in every passage of Gods providence towards them Let them both have the same outward blessing its Diet to the one surfet to the other poyson to the one and a preservative to the other the one wil be quickned and inlarged to God by it with thankfulness the other becomes proud insolent towards men careless and negligent towards God Let them both be under the same Rod and correction the one wil be made more humble and the Heart wil be wrought to a more watchful care to walk more awfully before the Lord the other wil be made more frampful and preverse and hardned in a self willy erring frame of Spirit Thus some expound that of Paul Gal. 1.15 God who had separated him from the Womb had set him a part in his counsel and purpose to such a service and even from the Womb in his education and course of life and studyes he was severing and suiting of him for his own turn Object But it wil be said do not we see by proof and experience that even the dearest servants of the Lord before their conversion pervert even the bounty and blessing of the Lord to the increase of their sin and hasting of their ruin The learning and wisdome of Paul lifts up his Heart in pride and sets on his spirit to presecute the Church He profited more than his equals and breathed out threatnings more than they al. How are these then fruits of mercy when they are thus accursed to a man and indeed can be no other for an unbeleeving Heart wil suck Poyson out of the sweetest blessing the Lord bestows Answ They are blessings as they come from God and as he give them they prove Curses as the Heart that is yet graceless abuseth them they are preservatives as they come from the Hand of the almighty and he administers them they are turned to Poyson as a corrupt Heart perverts them to its own hurt As the Physitian out of love and wisdom administers a wholsom potion but a foul stomack turns it al into matter of an ill Humor and so a Disease And yet also I answer in the Second place That in the Issue at the last the Lord even out-bids all and over-works all even the abuse of all blessings the the furfeting upon al his kindnesses to the further abasing of the soul fearful and thankful walking before him when once he is effectually brought home There is a special Confection made out of the kindnesses and our corrupt distempers for our deeper Humiliation in regard of our selves and admiration in regard of Gods goodness As it was said of them in Egypt so the Psalmist applies it to al The Lord doth marvaâ—lously separate his mercier Hence also we have an answer to the cavil of the Papists who plead that Christ doth not bear al the punishment which the Saints deserve For say they before their conversion when they were not in the state of Grace nor in Christ those afflictions that were laid on them must needs be true punishments and issue from divine Justice revenging not from the love of a Father correcting therefore Christ may suffer for the pardon of al their sins and yet not bear al their punishments Answ They do come from the love of a Father who in his counsel hath determined it and in Christ hath fully transacted it though it is not yet actually either bestowed or received of them in the work of redemption Use 2. Here is matter of admiration of the boundless and unconceivable compassion of the Lord Jesus towards those that do beleeve they should get them into Davids Counting-House of serious consideration and Sum up al those precious expressions of his faithfulness and goodness in their whol course Instead of reckoning up the value of them melt away and be wholly swallowed up in the wonderment and admiration of that they are not able to recount much less to comprehend according to the worth thereof Psal 40.5 Many O Lord my God are thy wonderful works which thou hast done and thy thoughts which are to us-ward they cannot be reckoned up in order unto thee Look back therefore men Bretheren and Fathers beloved and blessed of the Lord unto the daies forepast even from that first birth unto this present hour The goodness of the Lord how hath it grown up and gone along with you from time to time view the succession of those sweet and tender compassions which have been renewed and multiplied upon you as your years and daies and months and moments of your life Know it was from the care and through the vertue of the prayers of Christ that you came into this world that he first time of your breathing had not been the first time of your damning He hath rocked your Cradles nursed you at your Mothers Breasts trained you up in your tender years taken care of you and then prayed for you when you did not could not pray for your selves Oh the Riches of that Mercy Will not every Man say cannot each Man confess it had I continued in such a place conversed with such wretched company with whom I was somtimes linked and confederate had not the Lord freed me from those snares delivered me from those temptations had he not born with the baseness of my Heart but taken the advantage against me and snatched me away when I was posting down to Hell in the eager pursuit of such and such base lusts there had been no possibility but I had perished Oh the Riches of that Mercy Nay had he but let Satan loose upon me or mine own corruptions loose within me unto which I was addicted and which was my delight and life This wretched Heart had never come to an end nor measure in sin A Cain here A Judas here An Achitophel here nay a Hell was here in this Heart yea what the Heart of Beelzebub harbored the spawn of it was here So that might I have had but mine own will I had never ceased sinning until I had come unto that unpardonable sin against the Holy Ghost and so had been past Hope of recovery But it was the care the prayer of Jesus that prevented it and my everlasting ruin Oh the Riches of that mercy Nay when I lay secure and senseless in my sin and never thought of means nor ever sought for them he sent them though I was careless he continued them when there was no Eye to pity me nor I had a Heart to pity my self yet when he saw me in my Blood he said live Poor creature live Oh the Riches of that mercy of a Christ Nay such was the
will deny Christs prayer I am content he should deny my comfort and support But the one is impossible and the other is incredible It s seasonable even for unbeleeving creatures leaving secret things to Gods counsel when they have no heart to pray not Hope to expect any favor and where ever they cast their Eye they find nothing but cause of discouragement and confusion of face look into the world there is nothing but vanity there to deceive and vex look they into their own hearts and lives there is nothing but Hells of sin and guilt which might overwhelm them Look then to the Prayer of our Savior who prayed for His in their worst condition when they did not beleeve and could not pray for themselves and were as bad as I am even for Paul when he was persecuting and blaspheming even for many of the Jews when they were killing of him and why not for me why may I not Hope the best when I cannot conclude the worst what God wil do he knows not what he may do he hath revealed and I will yet expect Use 3. Exhortation He prayed for this disposition labor thou to attain it He desired it of his Father in Heaven indeavor thou to the utmost of that care and skill thou hast in the use of all means to attain it upon earth The Sum is That the whol strength of the Soul should be wholly carried to God in Christ for all not to any thing in our selves we have or for any thing we can do as Adam might have pleaded I have done I have deserved it but wholly to be quickened and acted by the spirit of God through Christ The Soul should be like the Herb Heliotropium the Nature whereof is such as the philosopher observes It turnes the face of it towards the Sun what way soever it turnes In the morning looks to the East the Sun rising In the evening to the West the Sun setting So it should be with the beleeving sinner the face and Eye of the Soul ever towards God in Christ That which our Souls need and which is able to answer our desires and satisfie our necessities is here alone to be had hither alone we must come from hence for ever look to receive it So Peter disputes Act. 4.12 Job 6. When our Savior would settle their staggering disposition least they should be taken aâ—â—de will ye also go away He answers and yields the argument Whither should we go thou only hast the words of eternal life Here only is that wisedom that may guid here only that mercy that may succor here only is that Grace that may refresh and quicken It s good therefore coming being here So they by experience concluded Jer. 3.29 Surely in vam is Salvation hoped for from the Hills and from the multitude of the Mountaines truly in the Lord our God is the Salvation of Israel And upon the like ground they resolves Hos 14.3 For in thee the Fatherless findeth mercy It s not Els-where to be found Therefore learn we to chide our hearts out unto God in Christ As Jacob his Sons Why stand ye here gazing one upon another go unto Egypt and buy that we may live and not die Gaze not upon the sins weaknesses temptations miseries means ordinances c. get ye to God in Christ that ye may for ever be assured comforted and quickened As its alone here to be had So here we shal never fail to receive what we seek and expect Ps 10.20 Verse 21. That the world may beleeve that thou hast sent me THese last words lay out the main scope of the Prayer of our Savior at which he aimed and which he looked at principally by the grant of that spiritual unity which he craved in the behalf of his disciples And the end is To lift up the prais and honor of that supream and absolute soveraignty of God the Father in sending his own faithfulness and infinite sufficiency in executing and accomplishing the great work of Redemption about which he was sent so that there was nothing failed of all that the Father purposed and he undertook to perform and that the world and worst of men however formerly they rebelled against his authority counsel and command in sending rejected also the person and proceeding of our Savior Christ in coming who was a stumbling to the Jew and foolishness to the Grecians The Head-corner-stone whom the Jews refused whom the Gentiles trampled under their feet against whom both Jews and Gentiles banded themselves So the Apostle Peter observes the Prophecy and concludes by proof and experience and accomplishment of it Act. 4.24 25 26 27. Lord thou art God which hast made Heaven and Earth and the Sea and al that in them is who by the mouth of thy servant David hast said why did the Heathen rage and the people imagine a vain thing The Kings of the Earth stood up and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord and against his Christ for of a truth against thy holy Child Jesus whom thou hast anointed both Herod and Pontius Pilate with the Gentiles and the people of Israel were gathered together c. Let us break their bonds and cast their cords away I know not the Lord saies Pharaoh We know that God spake unto Moses as for this fellow so contemptuously they spake of Jesus we know not whence he is Joh. 9.29 The Jews had certain questions against Paul saies Festus and of one Jesus Act. 25.19 And the whol rabble cry out Away with him from the earth not him but Barabbas And yet when the prayer of our Savior shal attain his end in the hearts of the Faithful so that they shal be wholly carried to God in Christ by the immutable assistance of his Spirit their hearts kept with him their graces acted upon him themselves quickned by him for ever then al these wil they nil they shal by a constraint be forced to acknowledg their own consciences wil yield it and their mouths confess it at the day of Judgment That Christ was the true Messias sent by the Father and that he hath fully accomplished the great work of salvation for the good of his And God only shal be exalted in that day There be two particulars in the words We shall open all and handle that which is the main 1. Christ is sent by God the Father 2. God will have this beleeved by the ungodly Which will be when the Saints attain this unity here prayd for then Christ will attain this glory To the First That Christ is sent by God the Father for the Redemption of his It needs no further witness to settle it the words are so express We will a little open it that as it is true so it may be plain and evident and so much the rather because our Savior laies so great a weight upon it and bestows the very strength of his prayer in the first place for the attainement of the
acknowledgment thereof And to speak once for all 1. What the word the weight of the phrase carries 2. In what regard our Savior is said to be sent 3. Wherein this sending lies 1. The word sending or as the Latin phrase hath it Mission carries ever two things in it 1. The Authority of him that sends in respect of the party that is sent but it is not the authority of dominion and rule so much as that Authority of order or communication of a work from one unto another And in this sence he only can be said to be sent who works from another and works not originally from himself 2. It implies a new act or impression upon the creature whereby it hath it's self in some other frame or disposition than formerly Take it in this breadth and extent you shal find that in scripture the Son and holy Spirit are only said to be sent and it is never attributed to the Father Gal. 4.4 God sent his son Joh. 15.26 But when the Comforter shall come whom I will send unto you from the Father And this cannot be any created Grace or work for the words following determine that full The Spirit of truth which proceedeth from the Father Joh. 14.20 But the Comforter which is the holy Spirit whom the Father will send in my name When-ever then the action with the manner also from such a person are comprehended in this sending It is 〈◊〉 given to or affirmed of the Father because it sigâ—â—â—ie not an act only expressed by a person but an 〈◊〉 from a person in such a manner as that he hath Auâ—â—â—â—â—y in way of order originally to act before another at the least And the other to act from him But because the Father cannot act from the Son and Holy Ghost but both Son and Holy Ghost they do not act only but act in their order and manner from another the Son from the Father and the Holy Ghost from both therefore they are truly said to be sent But if they look at the act only which is expressed upon the creature then this sending is and ought to be given to all the presons As the Incarnation of our Savior is one thing in his sending Therefore those two are joined God sent his Son made of a Woman as made so sent and herein the Holy Ghost had a hand whether we look at the sanctification of the seed in the Womb or the uniting of it to the second person There al the persons work So likewise in the dispensation of the office of our Savior in his whol proceeding the works of the Holy Ghost went along Isa 61. The Spirit of God was upon me he sent me to preach and he preached and performed all those great works by the strength and operation of his spirit 2. In what regard our Savior is said to be sent Not as the second person in the glorious Trinity whereby he is God blessed for ever equal with the Father for so the Apostle professeth Phil. 2.6 Being in the form of God thought it no robbery to be equal with God i.e. Had the glory of the Deity truly appertaining to him and the God-Head dwelling in him and knew his own worth and right therefore willingly submitted himself to that Under-condition not by constraint for he wel understood what his due was But as he was God and man and assumed our Nature and became mediator in our Room and stead So he professeth of himself That his Father is greater than he As he took upon him the forme of a servant became our surety and came in the similitude of sinful flesh yet without sin Joh. 14.28 In his voluntary and free dispensation as he was willing to take our flesh and dwel thereby amongst us so is he inferiour to himself as God and so to his Father And yet take the work it self and the manner of the work as it was explicated before and the phrase of sending implies he is only sent of the Father But look at the work Earely he may be said to be sent by all but that is unusual nay in open phrase never to be found in Scripture because the word comes not in that sense to our view As he becomes to take our Nature so he was sent But as Son by eternal generation he is made fit to take our Nature And therefore it is the assuming of Human Nature is made a propriety a thing peculiar to the second person Insomuch that it is heresie to say the Father was incarnate or the Holy Ghost incarnate What ever appertaines to our Savior as the second person and as the Son of the Father that he had by eternal generation and in a peculiar manner from the Father But as second person he assumes and so is sent and dispenseth the work of our Redemption Therefore so far he is in a peculiar manner sent from the Father and in this sense he is never said to be sent but from the Father in the Verdict of Scripture 2. As he assumes and becomes incarnate so is our Nature taken into personal union with the second person so far is it advanced and hath a priviledg and liberty to use any Attribute so far he sends the spirit even the Holy Ghost from the Father and dispenseth al power from the Father by the spirit for the Good of his And therefore so far he doth al in al as he is sent from the Father in a peculiar manner In a word hence it appears that the work of incarnation as he took our Nature the work of dispensation in sending the spirit appointing al Officers Offices ordinances and accompanying and blessing all for good Issues in a peculiar manner from this his sending from the Father Which the wicked world doth not see will not acknowledg cannot submit unto but they shal one day be forced unto it Hence it is our Savior alwaies professeth he doth al as sent Joh. 5.36 Arms himself by his sending against al. Joh. 10.36 Looks wholly and only at that work for which he was sent Joh. 5.30 And generally all runs upon this string comforts all from his sending As my Father sent me So I send you shews the greatness of their sin that oppose him He that despiseth me despiseth him that sent me 3. Wherein this sending consists look at the work of it Answer in four things 1. He is appointed and set apart to this great imployment and Ambassage Joh. 6.27 For him hath God the Father sealed Jsa 49.5 I have formed thee from the Womb to be my servant to bring Jacob again And verse 6. That thou maist be my Salvation to the end of the Earth He is now in Gods counsel and everlasting decree designed to this so great a work and in his season called out to the execution sent from his Bosom abroad into this world to act the great affaires of Gods everlasting purposes touching the recovery of man 2. The Father committed this so
shouldest be mindfull of him and the Son of man thou shouldest regard him So What is man so base so sinful so vile so miserable As Saul who ever found his enemy and slue him not but who ever found his enemy and sent his Son to him Use 2. Comfort to bear up the fainting hearts of the Saints amidst al the corruptions that annoy temptations that oppose feebleness and difficulties that discourage why yet Christ is sent for the work who is furnished with al sufficiency to do it He hath laid salvation upon one that is mighty Mighty pride mighty distempers to foil thee mighty temptations to assault thee mighty allurements in the world to intangle thee Why here is Salvation upon one that is mighty to save free and deliver thee Hither Paul retires and strengthens himself 2 Tim. 1.12 I know whom I have beleeved when I am not able to resist or vanquish Christ is able and nothing ever miscarried that was committed to his care All power in Heaven and Earth is committed into his had Use 3. Of Direction How to expect all from God How to go to God for all 1. Expect all from God in Christ Eph. 1.3 c. blesseth us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in him Adopts us in him makes us accepted in him God was in Christ reconciling the world 2. Go to God for al in Christ In the performances of al Duties in the use of al Ordinances go to Christ first and then to the Father As its true the Father judgeth no man so he comforts quickens sanctifies no man but hath committed al unto his Son Christ is the Fathers Almner and to him we must repaire if we desire to share in the bounty of the Father He is that Joseph Gen. 41.44 45. If the Son make you free ye shal be free indeed Joh. 8.30 If he comfort ye shal be comforted indeed Therefore do three things 1. Be Dexâ—rous in our apprehensions to see the footsteps of our Savior and be so wel acquainted with his passages that we may perceive his whispers and know him at a turn though we â—ee but his back parts 2. Use no meanes nor entertain any but such as come by his own appointment Because those that come not from him lead not to him Col. 2.10 We stand complete in him Math. 17.5 Hear him and none but him As the Prophet to the King of Judah Go not with the King of Israel for God is not with him So go not out in the use of such means for God is not in them 3. Look at him as sent on purpose for this work Joh. 6.26 This is the work of God that ye beleeve on him whom the Father hath sent This answers all If the Father appoint him who shal gainsay It the Son hath undertaken it how can it fail If al power be in his hand who shal hinder If all the execution be in his hand there wil be no miscarriage We have dispach't the first The second now follows Viz. That God will have this beleeved by the ungodly world And its possible they may when the Saint attain this unity Christ shall attain this glory even from the wicked that they shall acknowledg his call and commission and so execution of this work of our Redemption For the explication hereof we may inquire 1. What it meant by world 2. How they are said to beleeve 3. What do they beleeve in the sending of Christ for which our Savior so praise and at which he so aimes 1. WORLD here not to trouble with any thing Impertinent or superfluous iâ— is put for the WICKED of the world who have their hearts inheritance and happiness here therefore go no higher look of further So ye shall find the word used in this Chap. verse 9. I pray for them I pray not for the world where the opposition gives the true sense explication of the word they are here distinguished and differenced from those that were given to Christ and to whom he hath given his word and hearts to beleeve and to whom he gave eternal life The like ye have 1 Joh. 5.4 We know that we are of God and the whol world lieth in wickedness Where those two are put in opposition to be of God begotten of God called to be Saints out of the world But those that are not begotten of God they are made up as it were of worldly principles and they keep and take up their abode in wickedness they are brought to bed in it And thus wicked men are stiled from three grounds 1. Because the God of this world rules in them 2 Cor. 4.4 i.e. Satan whose abode and habitation is in this visible world for where the Devils are cast there is Hell but hither they are cast into the Air the prince of the Air. Eph. 2.2 He compasseth the Earth to and fro Job 1. And somtimes he hurries into the great deep God hath given him a commission in his Justice to exercise a Soverainty over the wicked and to use all these earthly and worldly things as baits to take them at his will and he never fails With honor he catcheth the ambitious with wealth the câ—veâ—cus And they acknowledg no God but Saâ—an in these carried and taken aside by his temptations and overpowred by his allurements when he wil. 2. They are acted by the Spirit of the world And therefore the Apostle puts these two in opposition 1 Cor. 2.12 We have not received the Spirit of the world but the Spirit of God As the â—ons of God are led by the Spirit of God who works mightily in them that beleeve So wicked men are acted by the Spirit of the world Now that which gives life and being to the world as it is in opposition to God is vanity and emptiness vanity and emptiness perverted inordinate or Exorbitant vanity running wry from the command of God and cross to the fear of God Emptiness and weakness of the creature captivating the Soul under its command and carrying of it according to its will It s the Spirit of the world 1 Joh. 2.16 The lust of the Eves carry all away Thus the Prophet Wine and Women take away the heart Hos 4.11 3. They take contentment in the things of the world and there they take up their stand set up their rest They are called the men of the Earth and lay up their treasures here on Earth Ps 17.14 Mind earthly things Philip. 3.19 Here they are in their Element like fish in the Water and some conceive and not improbably that the Psalmist aimed at some such thing The Heavens are the Lords but the Earth he hath given to the sons of men Psal 115.16 By Earth is meant all these visible things which they who live by sense set up as their Gods serve and worship them The heaven is Gods throne where no unclean thing comes but the Earth these visible things where wicked men have sinned and by their sins
have polluted they are now contented with them and they shal be plagued by them therefore it s said God filâ—s their Bellies with his hid Treasures the things of this world which are in Gods store-house and he hath a hidden dispensation of them These are the diet of wicked men they have not the hid manna spiritual food to refresh them If the God of the world rule them The Spirit of the world act them The things of the world content them Then are they truly said to be World USE Before we pass let us make some use of this That wicked men are worldly men and hence we may discover our condition and take a trial of our estate whether carnal or spiritual whether gracious or wicked look what it is that carries thee what it is that contents thee Are these worldly things great in thine Eye and in thy apprehension and approbation dost thou center thy self upon these satisfiest thou thy self with these beleeve it thou art of the world and shalt perish with the world So our Savior Joh. 3.31 He that is of the Earth is earthly and speaketh of the Earth It is his Nature and he doth his Nature his actions manifest his disposition we judg ever the Nature and quality of the thing by its motion place whither it tends Light things wil ascend and never stay tiâ— they come to the place their Nature desires heavy things descend downward and they wil not stay before they come thither See thou the poâ—se of thy spirit the motion and inclination of the heart whither it goes naturally and where it would be if it be there where it desires and where it rests if left unto it self If the weight of thy thoughts and desires carry thee freely and strongly after the lust of thine Eyes the lust of thy flesh and stop it doth not stay it would not before it be there Thy heart is on the Earth and thou art a Citizen on Earth and thou hast thy portion on this Earth thou hast no Heaven in thee to this day and thou shalt never come to Heaven It skills not that thou meeâ—est somtimes with the things of Grace and life thy speeches thy conference thy carriages and thy actions meddle now and then and converse with the things of Heaven and happiness because they be such as come in thy way and will keep thee company if not beyond thy expectation yet beyond thy desire The Traveiler passeth by many countries baits at many places but he takes not up his abode and rest before he come to his own Country and own home and there he stayes That shews he is that Country man Thou mayest in thy travel meddle with the heavenly ordinances of God take up holy duties in thy course and bait thy self in such performances as may maintain either quiet within or credit without amongst men Oh! but which is thy home wither thy heart and desires are going and wil not rest before they repair thither thou seekest God to serve thine own turn touchest at holy courses to take in fresh comfort incouragements c. But thy heart is not at home before it can satisfie it self in the pursuit and possession of worldly things The God of the world rules thee the spirit of the world leads thee the things of the world content thee when thou art there thou art in thy Element when drawn from thence thou art dragd like Fish out of the Water much a-do to live That is thy condition It s possible for a heavy thing by a strong hand to be held from descending downward but leave it to it self thou shalt easily see whether it be its place or suitable to its inclination it moves immediately downwards Your Sea-horses and Crocodils go somtimes ashore for their prey but because they retire and take up their abode in the Waters we therefore know they are Sea not Land-creatures So its possible to seek a prey i.e. For thine own ease or praise thou mayst put to the performances of holy duties or happily either company place persons the lawes or ordinances hold thee by strong hand and-force thee to a shew of zealous profession But when these poises are plucked away mark what thy Soul before desired inwardly what it now wil into of it self If to the world and the vanities thereof thou art a worldly man to this day Hence it is that many in these places drop away and fall hand-pat to the world after a long profession of a heavenly life These earthly heavy Souls would have been at their center long before but there were some impediments in their way that stopped their proceeding Wheras if the heart be heavenly it rests not before it come thither Psal 42. Oh when shall I appeare before the living God many say who will shew us any good but Lord lift thou up the light of thy countenance And the Apostle concludes it Coloss 3.1 If ye be risen with Christ seek the things that are above ye ought to do so and ye will do so The Apostle Issues both the parts with the grounds of them 1 Cor. 15. 48. The first Adam is from the Earth earthly the second Adam is the Lord from Heaven As we have born the image of the earthly so shal we bear the image of the Heavenly Yea our Savior concludes it They are not of this world as I am not of the world As he by the power of his God-Head took our Nature to himself by the power of the fame God-Head he takes our Souls to himself carries them to himself acts them upon himself keeps them with himself 2. How the world are said to beleeve Christs sending Answ It cannot be meant of saving Faith the faith of Gods Elect or that Faith by which we beleeve unto Salvation for that Faith which is here meant wicked men should and its certain sooner or later they shal attain for its that which the Father intends and aims at and our Savior Christ looked at as his scope in his prayer and we know that the Father never fails to accomplish what he intends nor our Savior to attain what he prayes for But this our Savior aimes at in his praier as one principal scope and end of it There is therefore in the second place a Faith which doth belong even to the wicked which is truly termed or called Faith in the language of the Scripture and the common speech of men I say truly called Faith though iâ— be not truly saving Joh. 12.42 43. Many beleeved on him but durst not confess him for they loved the praâ—e â—f men moâ—e than of God Theâ—e is saith then and men do also beleeve who love the praise of men more than of God but this no man can do and beleeve savingly Joh. 5.44 How can ye beleeve which receâ—ve honor one of another and seek not the honor that cometh from God only Joh. 2.23 24. Many beleeve in him But our Savior did not commit himself
made under the Law to redeem those that were under the Law Gal. 4.4 Joh. 1.18 No man hath seen God at any time but the only begotten Son which came out of the Bosom of the Father he hath revealed him Eph. 3.7 8 9. to the 20. Here is the great mystery of Godliness Christ manifested in the flesh 1. Tim. 3.6 3. That hereby al mouths might be stopped and the wicked might be made beyond excuse Joh. 15.22 If I had not come and spoken unto them they had not had sin but now they have no cloak for their sin Use 1. Of Exhortation That our practise should concur with the prayer of our Savior his desire and our indeavor That we should put forth the utmost of our skil and care that our savior may be acknowledged by all hearts confessed by al Tongues as sent of God We should pomoâ—e and help forwards this This is Gods main work in the waies of his providence and all his dispensations in the world and in the Church Psal 2.6 Yet I have set my King upon my holy Hill of Sion in despite of al the wrath and rage of Heathens Pilate Jews c. So let us set him up as King in al the minds of men that they may know in all consciences that they may confess him This Paul indeavoured Rom. 15.19 He made the Gospel of Christ to sound out from Jerusalem to Illiricum and strove to preach the Gospel that to whom he was not spoken of they should see So Act. 2.36 This Paul rejoyced in Philip. 1.18 If Christ be preached any way he doth and will rejoyce in it Verse 22. And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them that they may be one even as we are one THe Nature of this oneness and the end why it is and was so earnestly preyed for by our Savior we have spoken to both these in the foregoing verse In this we have the means set forth unto us by which they should be inabled to attain the end and our Savior plainly expresseth himself That he hath given them his glory which he hath himself received that they might attain this so great a priviledg Here we have three things to be attended 1. What it is our Savior hath received 2. What it is he doth communicate 3. The end why 1. Touching the former of these two words are to be opened that we may understand the sense of the Spirit and the several truths therein contained 1. What is meant by Glory 2. In what regard our Savior may be said to receive it and how God the Father gave it him 1. GLORY Somtimes â—â—gnifies that unconceiveable excellency of al that incomprehensible worth and infinite goodness that is in the Lord which is Gods peculiar and Prerogative Royal as onely appertaining to him who is the first cause and the last end and therefore as he is the author of all because they come from him so he is the good of al because al â—end to him The shine and lusâ—â—e of al those glorious Attributes of the Lord meeting together in that infinite fulness as they be in him like the beauty of so many thousand Suns in the Firmament that is called the GLORY of GOD with which the Eyes of blessed Angels are dazelled as not able to behold it and therefore cover their faces Isa 6. Instead of comprehending falling into admiration of it Thus it is used in verse 4. of this Chap. Joh. 17. Father I have glorified thee on Earth now glorifie me with thy self with that glory which I had with thee before the world was Therefore it must be before his human Nature was and so it must be that which doth in a peculiar manner appertain unto him as God But this cannot be meant in this place For that glory is here meant which is given by our Savior unto his faithful ones But the glory which is the Prerogative of the Deity he professeth he will not give unto another Isa 42.8 Therefore this is not intended 2. GLORY Is put in phrase of Scripture for Grace whether attended in the entrance and beginnings of it here on Earth or in the consummation and perfection of it in the highest Heaven Because there is the greatest worth in it greatest beauty Issues from it the greatest esteem and highest account is acknowledged to be due thereunto by those who can judg This glorious Grace is called Glory as that which is attended and accompanied with it as the Body with the shadow the Sun with the shine and light yea that supream excellency with which the Saints shal be crowned in Heaven is northing Els but Grace attaining its ful consummation So that the odds is not in the kind but in the degree only and therefore we are saâ—d to be blessed in heavenly places and to siâ— together with Christ in heavenly places Eph. 1.3 and 2.6 Here is the suburbs of happiness and of the New Jerusalem Grace is the Porch as it were Glory the Palace Thus ye shall find it Rom. 3.23 But it is most pregnant and very remarkable 2. Cor. 3.18 We all with open face as in a Glass behold the glory of God and are translated or changed we are transformed or have a new form or frame set upon us from glory to glory as by the Spirit of the Lord. The Glass is the Lord Christ in whom the Glory of the Grace of God is imprinted and by whom and through whom it is dispensed and communicated to us that we not only receive but increase in this Glorious Grace from one degree thereof unto another And that by the Holy Spirit of the Lord. Both these are here understood Grace in the begining of it and that especially and Firstly yet not excluding the perfection of it For our Savior speaks of it as a thing certain to himself and that which wil assuredly also accrew to his nay which they have now in the kind of it Hence before we pass we may learn how to judg of true Glory and how to attain it 1 How to judg of true Glory that which wil go for currant in the Court of Heaven and in the account of the Almighty to-wit It s not what the folly of mens minds doth conceit or the breath of the world would advance or the pride and ignorance of the most do take and admire as glorious that wil indeed give in evidence sufficient to pass a righteous Sentence in this behalf It s not the wealth and riches of the world be they never so great revenues never so fair and beautiful though thy friends alliance and acquaintance be never so many and high wil ad any glory to thee in truth or in the account of Christ If thou hast a base heart leadest a graceless life thou art a base man and a base woman Thy Favourites may flatter thee and friends applaud thee and thy neighbors speak wel of thee but thou art abhorred of the Lord art loathed of the
apprehended by us looks not at things as they are but as they appeare to us and may most familiarly and easily be conceived by us and so to lead us by the hand as it were to that fountain and first rise of all and so to the highest step and staire in Heaven which will point at eternity The Father is in Christ Christ in the faithful and so they come to be perfect in one We shal follow the method of our Savior and look at the words as they lie in the Text handle the several peeces that the frame of the whole may more throughly be searched into and more fully appear with what plainness may be in the Issue For there be some depths in some passages of the verse which are fitter to be admired than comprehended and exceed the reach and discovery of the most Judicious Jnterpreter that I can look into and indeed seem to be reserved for another world when the fruition of the good here mentioned will prove the best interpretation We will study to be wise unto sobriety I in them Christ is by his Spiritual Presence in a special manner in the Faithful This was signified to the Church of the Jews in the wilderness when the Arke the Type of the presence of our Savior incamped in the midst of all the tribes of Israel to watch over them when they rested Was a Pillar of cloud and fire to go before them for special guidance when they arose and marched in their travel and this Moses prized so highly That unless he went with them he would not go into Canaan the land of promise The presence of Christ is better than the Land of promise Exod. 33.15 If thy presence go not with me carry us not up hence Therefore our Savior is said to dwel between the Cherubims and there to give his Oracles his Answer to his people Isa 37.16 Psal 132.14 The Lord professeth This is my resting place here will I dwel for ever Therefore the faithful are said to receive Christ As ye have received Christ so walk in him Christ is said to be in them 2. Cor. 13.5 Know ye not that Christ is in you unless ye be reprobates To dwel in them Eph. 3.17 To live in them Gal. 2.20 Yea they live not but Christ only Open here three things 1. In what respect Christ is said to be in his 2. What kind of presence this is 3. After what manner communicated And here the grounds and the Reasons of the point wil be laid 1. In what respect Christ is said to be in his Answ If we look at our Savior meerly and only as the second Person in the glorious Trinity God blessed for ever not attending or considering his Human Nature as he filleth Heaven and Earth with his presence he then would have filled the hearts of the Sons of men in that manner being present with them as he is every where by his Omnipresence But the gracious spiritual expression of his presence had never been communicated to Adams posterity There was so great a distance such and so strong opposition betwixt the corrupt and polluted nature of man and the purity of the holy nature of the blessed God that there was no possibility that ever there should be any agreement and communion while man continued in that corrupt condition Can two walk together except they be agreed Am. 3.3 Much less dwel together Yea the Lord professeth Psal 5 4. Wickedness shal not dwel with him much less he in it When his pure eyes cannot endure to behold iniquity with any approbatioÌ„ he shal be thought to take up his abode there No. What communâ—oâ— between light and darkness Christ and Belial that is there is none there can be none Therefore we must look at Christ as God-man as he had taken our nature into union with him and so in and by it had made way for the communication of himself to his By the nature of man he communicates his spiritual presence to the Sons of men By this life is provided for the world of Gods elect By this they come to be made partakers of it John 6.51 I am the liveing bread which came down from Heaven If any man eat this bread he shal live for ever But the question might have been what is that bread he answers The bread I wil give is my flesh which I wil give for the life of the world Because his humane nature is that mean whereby life was purchased and the conduit by which it was conveyed to lost man And therefore he adds Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man ye have no life And vers 56. He that eateth my flesh drinketh my blood dwelleth in me and I in him So that there is no communion with Christ no sharing in his spiritual presence and special vertue but by his flesh Christ God and Man is our spiritual good otherwise he is not nay cannot be digested for the spiritual refreshing of the faithful soul 2. What kind of presence this is Answer In the words of the doctrine it is a spiritual presence not carnal or corporal in so much that the Apostle if he had known Christ after the flesh yet he knowes him no more after that manner 2. Cor. 5.16 For the flesh profits nothing sayes our Savior the words I speak are spirit and life John 6.63 Certain it is the bodily presence of our Savior is not here attended according to the conceit of the Capernaites and the Papists at this day as though it were possible for the very flesh of our Savior to be in al places or in many places according to the administrations of the ordinances which signify or represent the same Nor yet can the very flesh of our Savior in it self considered be truly availeable to purchase any spiritual good or communicate any spiritual vertue Yet this is certain and for ever to be observed that the humane nature taken with the deity and in vertue of the deity puts forth a power in the expression of his spritual presence whereof more anon And the Lord Christ is thus spiritually present in his Church as a head may be truly said to be really and rventually in the body For this is the office of our Savior and that in a proper and peculiar manner He is said to be the Head of his Church neither the Father nor the Holy Ghost The Father is the Father of the Church and Holy Spirit the ComforteÌ„r of the Church but Christ hath this impropriate in him that He is the Head Eph. 4.15 Grow up in â—o him in al things which is the head even Christ And Chap. 5.23 He is the head of the Church and the Savior of the body Because this appertaines to him not as God onely for then al the persons had partaked thereof as common but as the second person in the Trinity sent of the Father working next in order from him and as so sent and workking terminating
did it not to me Therefore if the Argument was strong whereby our Savior would perswade all to be feareful of offending even one of these little ones though they were alone and though little because â—hat in Heaven their Angels do alwaies behold the fâ—ce oâ— their heavenly Father ready to attend his pleasure to execute his wil for their preservation and for the ruine of their enemies Math. 18.10 Then much more this Argument He that is Lord of glory and hath all power in Heaven and Earth is in them and suffers with them and therefore cannot but protect them and relieve both his and their wrongs Is in Heaven at Gods right hand and is also in their hearts USE 2. To desire the fellowship and to delight in the society of the faithful For we shal keep no worse company than that of our Savior Though happily they dwel in a smoâ—ky cottage have course faâ—e be in a mean condition yet if Christ dwel in them we need not be ashamed to converse with them and own them Go in to their companies as resolving to go to Court For where the King is the Court is his presence makes it We should look at the faithful as the great Heires of glory and Courtiers of Heaven we cannot injoy their society but we may also come to the sight of our Savior and speech with him So 1. Joh. 1.3 This we write that you may have fellowship with us and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with the Sâ—n. So they Zach. 8.13 And therefore as the Apostle Hebr. 13.2 Be careful to entertain strangers for thereby some have entertained Angels unawares so be ready to entertain the Saints the poor members of Christ hereby we shal entertain Christ Receive such servants into your families c. USE 3. Hence by way of TRYAL we way gain undoubted evidence unto our Hearts that we are indeed Beleevers and truly beloved of God and his Son If once we find this blessed Son the Lord Jesus by his spiritual and special presence in our souls It s a never failing argument which will give in assurance of our good condition beyond all that the Divels can object or our fears and discouraged hearts can question The Apostle puts it beyond the possibility of any cavil If Christ be given to thee how shal not God but give al things Els that is hold this ground and make that good Thy carnal reason by al the deluded Devise whereby it would daunt thy heart it cannot put a colorable appearance of any possibility but that al things that are good should be given thee He that hath the Son hath life Make that sure and then al the rest is safe past al peradventure nay beyond dispute For al the jealousies and suspicious that arise in our own hearts al the darkness and difficulties that appear in al discoveries that are made all the questions that come upon the most searching inquiries and examinations touching any soundness of any Grace or any work of Grace and so of the sincerity of the heart and the truth and goodness of a mans estate If any doubt arise whether sure or no certain or no in conclusion it is lastly resolved settles and centers as they say Here If Issues from our not-union with Christ This may be done by some other power proceed from some other principle than the spirit of the Lord Jesus This is not a certain fruit of our union to Christ or the inhabitation of the spirit of Jesus in us And in Issue unless it lead necessarily to a Christ or be derived infallibly from him and the interest we have in covenant with him It s no more than that a man may have who hath no Grace It s no more but that which a man may do that hath no part in a Savior And hence al such evidences fal to the ground and utterly fail And in truth the weakness of expressions in this kind men taking shews for substance seemings and some appearances of things for the truth of things themselves hath been the cause that many have been cousened with their own conceipts and apprehensions many have denied all evidences because those which they had and too much trusted unto were fall and failed them utterly at times of need Therefore the Holy Ghost presseth this so instantly and checks the failing in it so sharply 2 Cor. 13.5 Prove and examin your selves whether ye be in the Faith or no Acted by and carried by the power of Faith Why how shal we discern that Know ye not that Christ is in you If once that be brought about the business is offa hand and its a sin and a shame ye should not Vnless ye be reprobates that is drossy men Christians that have not the right mettal are not of the right make you should not but know this This presence special and spiritual discovers it self in two things Not to trouble you with more 1. He that hath this presence hath somthing and finds somthing above the bounds of al created abilities that even the greatest sufficiency of the creature the best indeavours and improvements of the best meanes in providence could reach unto A wisedom beyond all a mans Wit and readiest subtilties and largest apprehensions a power beyond all the power of Nature beyond what a mans abilities and dexterity can compass education give skil of art and sciences attain practise and experience find out beyond al the moral impressions that the power of all meanes and help under Heaven can leave upon the Soul It was said of Saul that the Lord gave him another heart than formerly he had he had the spirit of Government a special ability to the discharge of the place that the Lord had called him unto So it is with every Christian he hath another heart than ever before and performes his duties from another power than ever he did before Gal. 2.20 even by the power of Christ So the Apostle professeth He did not live nor pray nor preach It was not abilities of nature which he had not knowledg of Art and learning in which he excelled by which he prayed but it was the power and gracious presence of the Holy Spirit of Christ that acted and carried out al those abilities yea that spiritual power of grace he had to this work either of praying or preaching So 2. Cor. 13.3 If any man require a testimony of Christ speaking in me And therefore it s the reason which he gives why the things of God are known by beleevers and not known to the greatest of the world 1. Cor. 2.11 No man knowes the things of God but the Spirit of God and we have not received the spirit of the world but the spirit of God Nay he comes yet lower to the very expression of the words Which things we speak not in the words which mans wisdome teacheth but which the Holy Ghost teacheth And the Saints often find and profess it they are helped
not known nor whom we know deal harshly and discourteously with us in our common occasions of commerce or If those of alliance and acquaintance who are prophane and ungodly if they be fals in their promises or injust or injurious in their carriages towards us They deal like themselves they do but their kind as we say If fals hearted persons deal falsly If loose men shew themselves base to us it s that they do to al yea to their own Souls we expect no other and therefore if we find no better measure it doth not trouble If it had been an Enemy I could have born it saies David but when it comes to that It was thou my familiar Friend we took sweet counsel and went up to the house of the Lord together It was he that lift up himself against me this is more bitter than death It is so with the Lord. If the Ignorant world who knows him not who are strangers from him and the convenant of his Grace If the wicked and prophane who are professed adversaries to his Grace and Kingdom if they dishonor his name transgress his Laws grieve his spirit and cast his Ordinances behind their back It I say the world deal so with the Lord he looks for no other he hates the world he never gave his Son for the world Christ never prayed for the world But that his faithful whom he hath owned imbraced in the Bowels of his tenderest mercies should deal frowardly in his covenant this is killing unkindness Will ye also go away Joh. 6.67 When the Crown of those counterfeit wretches who followed Christ for the Loaves when they missed of their Dinner and sweet morsels they departed presently and came no more at him Our Savior is content to see so free a riddance of them and the place quit of their company But turnes himself to his disciples with that melting expression wil ye also go away q. d. That they are gone I care not it matters not I never knew them nor was known of them but wil ye also go away that would be unsufferable Though Israel play the Harlot yet let not Judah offend And hence it is The Lord is compelled with such unreasonable carriages to make his complaint unto the senseless creatures as those who would give in witness against such miscarriages as professedly cross to the course of things Hearken O Heaven and hear O Earth I have nourished and brought up Children and they have rebelled against me Isa 1.2 And upon this ground it is the Lord makes that so sad an expression when the Sons of God married with the Daughters of men and were carried with the common stream Gen. 6.6 The Text saith It grieved God to the Heart It went to the heart of the Almighty Bears any thing but the Contempt of his love and goodness For it is a sin out of measure sinful Not only that which Nature gainsaies and reason rejects and conscience condemnes and Grace abhorres to the bottomless pit But it is a practise more vile than the worst of sinners wil adventure upon Math. 5.46 If ye love them that love you what reward have ye Do not the Publicans the same Not to return love for love c. It s that which the Publicans the worst and most reffuse wretches in the world do loath For the faithful who have been redeemed by the precious Blood of Jesus comforted by the spirit of Jesus beloved of the Father as the Lord Jesus his only begotten Son for them to be tainted with that sin which the Publicans the worst of men wil give witness against Oh how hamous are such miscarâ—iages and how grievous must they needs be to the God of love I shal Instance in two Evils unto which the Saints are usually too much subject and taken aside withal which are so professedly opposite to this enlarged compassion of the Lord. 1. When the Faithful either question this Love when it is so sure Or 2. Undervalue it and little esteem of it when it is so great as that it exceeds the thoughts and apprehensions of men Both are marvelously distastful and that justly to the Father of Mercies and in truth unsufferable were it not that he makes us acceptable and lovely through his wel-beloved It could not be that he could bear with the abuse of his constant kindness in so gross and unkind manner and yet this is the baseness and wretchedness of our unreasonable hearts He hath loved us with an everlasting Love he never ceaseth loving and we never cease questioning and quarrelling with his kindness we are ever of the jealous and suspicious hand that this favor of the Lord it is but for a fit it wil one day fail and we shal be forsaken utterly If Christ wil cease to be a Son and to be this wel-beloved of his Father with whom he is wel pleased then wil he cease to love thee to accept of thee and to be wel pleased with thee in him The one is impossible the other is incredible and therefore stifle those distempered pangs they are so deeply injurious to the Lord and distastful to his Majesty that he cannot bear them but wil undoubtedly correct Such a way-ward jealous pang ye shal perceive in the Church of the Jews in the day of Discouragement when God cals Heaven and Earth to rejoyce in the Consolation of his People Sing O Heavens and be joyful of Earth break forth into singing O Mountains for God hath comforted his People and will have mercy on his afflicted Isa 49.13 but they were silent in this Quaere and sate down in sullen discouragement verse 14. But Zion said The Lord hath forsaken me and my Lord hath forgotten me Can a Woman forget her sucking Child that she should not have compassion on the fruit of her Womb yea they may but yet will not I forget thee verse 15. and therefore the Lord professeth he takes it unkindly Isa 40.27 Why sayest thou O Jacob and speakest O Israel amp c. This is the dayly talk of al dismayed and gloomy discouraged Spirits it 's al they speak and have in their Meetings Jacob saies and Israel speaks this is common My way in hid from the Lord and my Judgment is passed over of my God Thus ye say but what saies God Why speakest thou c. q. d. I cannot abide those words God cannot brook such groundless suspicions of his Favor which is more sure than the Foundations of the Earth As it is whith men who are real and cordial in their kindness and sincere hearted in the expression of their Love so that they never gave the least appearance of any instability and feebleness in their Promises and Performances as either their engagements or others desires or necessities should require if yet their Friends and intimate Familiars should out of their jealousie either cast out such words in their presence or give it in their expressions to others to understand That however they have ever been
free in the manifestation of their Favor and they have ever found them faithful that they cannot challenge them in the least yet they fear in the issue when it comes to a dead lift they wil leave in the lurch Should such expressions be dayly presented before a man and such unkind expressions be laid in his dish he could not but with indignation cast off such a one Why have I ever failed of my Word ever been wanting in my labor to answer al your desires bestead you in al your needs and have I this for my love and labor that ye look at me as one feeble and faithless Take ye other and chuse ye better Friends I wil have no more to do with you And it is not possible but our groundless needless surmises hard conceits that we harbor and unloving thoughts of the Lords dealing and goodness but it should imbitter Gods heart against a wretched Creature and suffer him to sink in his sorrows and however he cannot out of his Love forsake his yet he cannot in respect to the Honor of his Love and Faithfulness but draw and with-hold the sense of it that the way-ward heart may the better perceive its own wretchedness and unreasonable dealing and learn not to doubt of Gods Love when there is no cause Our groundless surmises of Gods Favor causeth yea compels God to darken our apprehensions and his expressions The Second Evil. The little and mean account we make of the intimation on Gods Love unless it answer our conceits and humors in each particular Unless we may have what we wil and when we wil and as much as we wil unless the Lord take measure of our mind and please us in every Point we cast al his kindness behind our back and the Love of the Almighty is in but little esteem with us when their complaints are many and sad that their temptations grow fierce and their corruptions get head and over-bear their abilities smal and their comforts less But yet the Lord loves you notwithstanding whatever these hindrances be which stand in the way and that is enough to settle and satisfie the heart Obj. True I cannot say but he loves me but if yet my Graces be so weak and my distempers so strong what is that Ans What is that It 's of more worth than al thy Graces thou canst either attain or desire if thou did'st know how to value things according to the worth O! if I had such a measure of Grace the enlargedness of heart and abilities to perform Service in a Spiritual manner as such and such then I might be comforted and might be perswaded the Lord loved me to purpose As though the Child that is now yong and smal should conceive his Father did not carry the strength of Fatherly affection towards him because his Coat was not so long or his Doublet Jerken or Apparrel was not so large as his Elder Brothers when indeed it is not because he wants Love to provide them but he is not able to wear them So it is here Thou art happily but a Babe in Christ not of time and standing in Christianity canst not tel how to wield and exercise such eminency of Abilities for the present Let if suffice he is thy Father and loves thee as he doth the most able and excellent Christian upon Earth Doth not that please your Pallates What would ye have which would please if ye can be pleased I wil say more He loves thee aâ— he doth the Lord Jesus the Son of his Love I hope now ye are contented What! love me so ye wil say poor silly weak ignorant worthless Creature it 's a likely matter indeed Yea thee Hast thou but a grain of Faith but as a grain of Mustard-seed even the least of al others the poorest weakest filliest unworthy Worm be thy place thy parts never so mean he loves thee as his Son Go thy way never quarrel question any more never murmur repine any longer this is enough on Conscience nay it 's too much I could not have thought it I durst not have desired it I could not have beleeved â—t but that thou hast said it that thou should'st love me who loath my self and know my self worthy to be abhorred Therefore rest thy weary heart here in thy weaknesses do not think to bring such measures of Grace to deserve this Love Nay lay hold upon this Love it wil encrease the eminency of al Graces and that in the most glorious manner in thy Soul Eph. 3.18 Paul praies That they might comprehend with all Saints the length breadth depth and height c. and know the Love of God which passeth knowledg that so they may be full of all his fulness View this Love wistly and warm thy heart with it and thou shalt not need to complain of barrenness or emptiness thou shalt be ful of Grace not have a scant measure thou shalt be ful of Wisdom and Meekness Patience Holiness c. Nay ful of the fulness nay of al the fulness of God-like Grace no kind of Grace no Excellency in any kind that suits the Station and Condition thou dost obtain in the Body of Christ but thou shalt be possessed of it How the knowledg of this Love brings in this fulness it 's not now a place to enquire only the Doctrine now delivered wil lead us by the hand to some further Light in this Work While we know that is while we constantly attend to the Dispensation of Gods Love in Christ begetting of us as his adopted ones by his Spirit to himself while we experimentally find this and so know it and leave our hearts under the influence thereof as of him to receive al as from him to do al we shal then be ful Whatever may be lacking to thy Hope Meekness c. repair to this Love and know there is no lack I have the choicest Love of God that either Heaven or Earth affords and that is beyond the excellency of al Grace and the chiefest of al Abilities that either I do want or can desire He loves me therefore let him do what he wil with me take what he wil Love wil supply al give that he wil Love is better than al. Cant. 1.1 His Love is better than Wine As Elkanah comforted Hannah in the want of Children Am not I better to thee than ten Sons 1 Sam. 1.8 2. Instruction We hence infer beyond denyal and conclude beyond al doubt That the Love of God to his is unchangeable As he loves his Son he loves his Saints and adopted ones That did never change this will never fail We are accepted as Christ nothing can prejudice us in Gods Favor or shal be able to condemn us We are advanced as Christ he wisheth al good and works al good for us as for him sets us far above al Principalities and Powers and what is named in this World or the World to come Though we know it not understand it
and distinctly open the particulars therein some whereof desire and deserve special consideration and explication Namely What is that glory that Christ hath and how it is said to be given him To begin the with the first Branch The Lord Jesus is gone to Heaven This was Shadowed out by his Transfiguration Math. 17.2 3. When Moses and Elias came down to see this preparative of his departure to give tidings of it Of the passage of our Savior the Apostles give in undeniable evidence as such wherein they could not be deceived nor deceive For it was not done when they were heedlesly looking about them and so might easily be mistaken but while they looked stedfastly wishly considerately towards Heaven even while they were gazing upon our Savior he was taken up into Heaven Act. 1.9 10. And Stephen in the time of his greatest extremity being the first Martir who laid down his Blood for his sake he saw him there arrived Act. 7.55 Being ful of the Holy Ghost looked up stedfastly into Heaven and saw the glory of God and Jesus standing at the right hand of God And Chap. 3.21 Whom the Heavens shal contain until the restitution of al things And it s made the upshot of the Mistery of godliness 1 Tim. 3. and last Christ manifested in the flesh preached in the world received into glory And from hence the Saints expect him and they shal see him descending with a mighty shout with the voice of the Arch-angel and with the 〈◊〉 of God 1 Thess 4.6 The Lord shal come in most glorious and magnificent state these shal be dreadful notice given of his approach yea every Eye shal see him yea such who have pierced him with their sins Reas 1. Taken from the excellency of his Divine Nature which must be suited with a place and throne answerable to the dignity and soveraignty thereof For however it pleased the Lord out of his infinite love to step out of the Chair of Estate to visite this inferior world to be included in the Womb of a Virgin and to take his progress into these lowermost parts of the Earth yet it carried no proportion in point of honor that he should take up his abode there but to reâ—â—rn again to the Royal Palace of state Heaven is my throne and the Earth is my footstool In reason he may stoop to his footstool and tread upon it but to stay there and to make it the chief place and habitation where his heavenly majesty should dwel It suited not the excellency of his Divine Nature This is that which the Apostle intimates to be the ground of the difference between the advancment of the posterity of the second Adam above the first The Faithful shal be raised and Translated from Earth to Heaven whereas ad Adam stood in Paradise he and his posterity had injoyed an earthly paradise that is God there only and the reason is rendred from the point in hand 2 Cor. 15.45 The first man was a living Soul able to beget one like himself by a natural course of generation But the second Adam was a quickning Spirit able to give life to the dead and so raise up them from the Grave and to make them spiritual Bodies which was beyond the power of Adam Again The first man is of the Earth earthy His covenant and his countenance such But the second is the Lord from Heaven And thence he infers As is the heavenly such are they that are heavenly Especially in the main point of resurrection whereof now he disputes And as in resurrection so in ascension That which first belongs to the Lord Jesus as the Head of the covenant that belongs to al through him and only by him But our ascending and sitting is the prerogative Royal of our Savior therefore it never did nor should have belonged to any but through and by him It s true our Savior consists of two Natures Divine and Human but because the humanity is the meaner and more inferiour therefore that must follow the Deity and be where it is And we also whose Nature our Savior took and whose places and persons he sustained we must follow our Nature and our Nature the God Head that hath his proper place in Heaven And therefore the Human Nature with that and all those who are the members of that Head must be there where the Head is And hence our Savior professeth for the comfort of his disciples That he went before to prepare a place for them Joh. 14.4 In my Fathers House there be many mansions I go to prepare a place for them He as God-man the Head of the Covenant goes to Heaven and the wil bring al his to Heaven by vertue thereof he makes way for them thither Room and entertainment there Heaven is the Lords the place of the God-Head our Nature assumed follows that and we our Nature Reas 2. Taken from the Quality of his Office and the Manner of the dispensation and execution thereof He is sent as an Ambassador from the Father to transact the work of Redemption And to bring Jacob back again And therefore in reason he must return and give an account unto God the Father how the great Affaires of Redemption prosper under his hand Thus he speaks usually Joh. 13.3 Jesus Knowing that is considering this That the Father had given al things into his hands and that he came from God and was to go to God he forthwith addresseth himself to make way for his death wherein the great weight of the work lay q. d. He had received his commission from the Father and he must give account to the Father again And upon this he intimates his departure Joh. 7.33 Yet a little while am I with you and then I go to him that sent me He that is sent of an errand and service he must return an account of the success and how things prosper under his hand and by his indeavor Els there should be a failing in the faithful discharge of his Office and that is the reason the Lord Jesus is so punctual in each particular Loe here am I and the Children that thou hast given me And of those that thou hast given me I have not lost one It s also the manner of great commanders when they go upon great exploits and special service though they conquer other people possess the places and countries where they pervail yet they return into their native and natural Country there to be honored amongst their own and to have their greatness Admired amongst them as Feared amongst the Adversaries So it was with our Savior Eph. 4.8 c. His death was his conquering his resurrection his triumph by his ascension he returned into his own Countrey and his sitting at the right hand of God the Father is there crowned with the fulness of all glory that is compatible to the condition of a created Nature 3. The efficacy of the Priviledg as that which so much concernes the
serviceable to his Church 1 Cor. 3.18 All is yours and you Christs and Christ Gods This is the order Christ is Gods Servant and all your Servants through Christ 2. Hence he restores his Elect from the power of Darkness and translates them into the liberty of his own by an invincible and irresistable power breaks in upon the rebellious heart of a sinner and brings him home unto himself No man comes to the Father but by me Rev. 1.18 I was dead and I am alive and live for evermore and I have the Keyes of Hell and Death Joh. 10.16 I have other Sheep that are not of this fold and those I must bring He sends and succeeds al Officers and ordinances 3. Hence from this immediate dispensation of al power he sends his spirit the Comforter into the hearts of his that he may supply al their wants furnish them to al their works and fit them with fulness of power and spirit to each holy performance It s requisite I go because If I go not the Comforter wil not come but if I go I wil send him The glorification of our Savior makes way for the mission of the Spirit and observe what he adds Joh. 16.13 14. He shall take of mine and give it to you And what wil he give All things that the Father hath and mine therefore I said he shal take of mine They are al Christs for the immediate dispensation and it s from the vertue of a glorified Savior that the spirit takes them and conveies them 4. He gives unto his Eternal life Joh. 17.2 Thou hast given me al power over all flesh that I may give unto them eternal life And this as the second person in the former sence For as meer man he gives not eternal life This is the end and Errand And when this is done then he professeth He hath finished the work he gave him to do when he hath gathered and glorified his Saints he hath done al he hath to do in this world 2. His Human Nature is made glorious 1. Because it hath the ful source of al the influence of the divine operations and Graces thereunto as much as any creature is capable of 2. It hath liberty and authority to set on work or put forth any attribute for the good of the Saints It knows al the necessities of the Saints and can have resort and set on work al the sufficiency of God to yeeld supply Math. 28.18 USE 1. 1. TERROUR To the wicked the enemies to and opposers of the Lord Jesus and his Kingdom See whom ye have despised he is now advanced to al power and therefore wil use al his power for your ruin Upon this ground Peter shook the hearts of the Jews Act. 2.36 He now being exalted sheds abroad c. Let the House of Israel know assuredly that this Jesus whom ye have crucisied God hath raised and made him Lord and Christ Math. 25.31 When Christ-shal come at the day of Judgment c. He shal come with power and great glory thousands before him and ten thousand thousands ministring to him Dan. 7.10 Rev. 5.11 And they shal creep into holes and clefts of the rocks and corners of the Dungeons and not be able to behold the dreadful looks of Christ Rev. 6.15 16. But he shal fetch them thence dragg them out of their Dungeons draw them out of their holes When it shal be said they have feared and fled and hid themselves bring hither saies Christ mine enemies those who have been enemies to my Grace Gospel Children Glory bring them hither and slay them before my Face And however the Lord Jesus abates much of the dreadful expressions of his direful anger and almighty power Now they are terrified and then quieted Now in horror and then calmed Yet then he shal destroy them from the glory of his power that is from the expression of al his power and that unto the utmost for their ruin Christ wil do his best USE 2. DIRECTION It leads us by the hand the right way whither to go and shews us the ready means how to derive quickning power and inlivening vertue Do as Stephen in his greatest streight Act. 7.56 He looked and saw Christ standing at the right hand of God Hebr. 7.16 He is the Author of endless life and therefore without end look this way Hence do two things 1. Know that he stands possessed of al right of communication and hath the immediate execution of al efficacious power and dominion over al creatures Math. 28. This is the commission he hath and in vertue of this he sends quickens succeeds and therefore look at him as a glorious Savior When he ascended then was the time of his coronation gifts then he gave gifts As we say of men honest and able when we repaire to them for relief it s replied Alas they are out of commission So if we look at Christs Graces in his humiliation and in the daies of his suffering they are out of commission But when he comes to ascend he is then in commission and so carries al before him Being ascended he sheds abroad c. Say there is no power in me neither word nor ordinances but al power and all things are given to thy ministry therefore blessed Lord by thy power subdue our sins and quicken our Souls 2. Know that in vertue of this glory he is bound to do al for thee nay hath promised to dispence al unto thee Joh. 14.19 Because I live ye shal live also I am with you Eph. 2.4 He sets us in heavenly places with Christ USE 3. Comfort Here is matter of unspeakable and unmatchable comfort to refresh the fainting hearts of the servants of the Lord which have an interest in this Christ and are possessed of him who stands possessed of al that glory that Heaven and Earth hath or the God of Heaven and Earth can give The Chymists they dream of a Catholicon and Medicine of that excellent confection and composition and of that soveraign vertue and efficacy that it wil cure any Disease recover and remove any distemper They conceit that which they could never yet compass nor yet the skil and industry of al men could ever find out That which they dreamed and desired for the Body The Lord hath provided for the good and spiritual refreshing of the Souls of his Here is a Cordial that wil undoubtedly Cure thee of al discomforts whatever thy temptation thy condition thy miseries are can be shal be hast thou but a share in this Christ to whom the Father hath given this glory in Heaven It cannot but give thee content dost thou but know the value and vertue of the receipt and dost understand the right way to use it and art careful to take it for thine everlasting refreshing See the proof of it a little in the particulars following Have this glory of Christ in thine Eye and keep the savor of it in thy heart Thou canst not but have
and fullest communication of himself that may be and hence as he came out of his bosom and left his glory so also he must bring him unto glory that he may again lie in the bosom of his love This our Savior intimates Joh. 13.3 Knowing that the Father gave al things into his hand and that he came from God and went to God he came from the Father for the accomplishment of the great Work of Redemption and he furnished him with the supply of al power and al provision al things in Heaven and Earth to attend him until he come again to him and when he is come into Heaven as he put the greatest glory upon him so he advanceth him to the neerest familiarity with himself By his right hand he hath exalted him Act. 2.33 And set him at his right hand Verse 34. That he might make him ful of joy with his countenance that the Eye smiling countenance of the Father might ever be upon him and fulness of the perfection of joy in him for ever If glory carry with it the greatest perfection that can attend our Savior and neerest union unto the Father then the love of the Father wil provide it But glory includes both greatest perfection in regard of Christ and neerest union unto the Father Therefore the love of the Father wil provide for it USE 1. Trial. We may hereby try what mettal our love is made of whether it come from the God of Love carry his likeness and superscription that we may be sure that he will own it at the great day and we both now and then may find the undoubted comfort of it unto our Souls we shal know the nature of it by the efficacy and work of it As it is in prime cordial quintessences if they be made of lively ingredients they do not only warm the Mouth and heat the Stomach a little but they search into al the Veins clear al the passages Purg al the Humors and cleanse the Blood that the Body is recovered to a lively and healthful constitution But if it warm a little overly and work no further we conclude it It s not the right it hath not the right work So with thy love if it be like the love of God it wil have the like work It aimes ever at the glorious good of the thing or person beloved staies not in these lower and inferior things but in and by these looks at those which be higher and of a more heavenly excellency Take then a Survey of the several operations of thy love according to the several occasions with which it meets and therein it s exercised What doth it work in the family where thou livest in the place and amongst thy neighbours with whom thou dwellest with thy Brethren who are linked to thee and thou to them in the fellowship of the Faith Nay what doth it do for thine own Soul if there be any power and efficacy it will then appear In thy family thou castest up and down how to compass the things of this life and art marvailous busie to contrive al earthly conveniences to thine own content Thou seekest what to Eat to Drink what to put on and obtainest what thou seekest and thy love looks no further Surely its worldly love and that in the lowest degree Thou wilt do as much for the beasts of the field and Heards of Cattel as for thy servants Children family Thou dealest courteously with those who shew Kindness to thy self yieldest repect to mens places honorest their persons carriest thy self honestly and inoffensively towards al. This love is no great excellency do not the Publicans and sinners the same Nay it may be thou dost incourage men in a good course and strengthenest their hearts and hands in the profession or the Gospel labourest for some knowledg of the truth and ablities to holy services that thou maiest carry out thy profession with applause and approbation of such with whom thou dost converse Lookest after ability to please eares rather than for humility and abasedness of heart to please God and here thou art at thy furthest desirest to be no other and do no more And it s the Pitch thou wouldest have others to aim at This is but the love of Formalists and moralists Thou never hast the love of God shed abroad in thy heart nor yet the true love for the good of thine own Soul to this day If thy love had been from God it would not have ceased until it had brought thee and others unto Heaven and glory and God Noâ— that it is in our power to do this but its certain if the Love of God be in us it wil make us look at this and be easeless to endeavor after this So Paul travels till Christ be formed not til they had got a form of Godliness until Morality or Civility was formed in them but Christ glorious Grace Power Peace This is God-like Christ-like Love 2. TRYAL Whether our Love to the Lord Christ be God-like Love it 's then certain God wil own it Christ accept it and we may find comfort in it If it bear the Image of the Love of the Father it wil imitate God loved the Son and gave al things to the Son Do likewise give thy self yield and resign thy soul and al things unto Christ Thy Mind let him teach thee Heart let him rule thee Affections let him order thee Rom. 12.1 1 Cor. 6. last He out of his Love exalted him far above all Principalities and Powers and whatever is named Do thou set up the Lord in thy Soul far above al profits pleasures thy dearest lusts thy darling delights al powers and principalities the principality of thine own wil mights and dominions mighty and domineering distempers above every name the name of thine own Parts and Gifts the name of thy Glory and Credit and that which is named in another World even thy safety and Salvation He gave him Glory made him Lord and King Acts 2.36 Do thou likewise Let him Lord it over thy Lusts thy Pride thy haughty and high thoughts and bring every thing into obedience Rev. 4.10 Cast down the Crown of al thy Excellencies whatever is most honored admired loved lay it at his foot Honor him with al thy substance As he in the Gospel if he need let it go USE 2. For COMFORT to the Saints whom are beloved of the Father through Christ Where he loves his love wil work alike He is not the weaker for the working nor hath the less for his giving He loveth thee as Christ therefore he wil glorifie thee as he hath done to him Get Love and gain al Love carries al with it If he love thee if dead he wil quicken if weak he wil strengthen if damned he wil save though stubborn he wil draw thee With an everlasting Love I have loved thee and therefore I have drawn thee USE 3. Of Direction How we may gain the Gift of Glory from the
Heaven and Hell can frustrate to make the Lord repeal his purpose This was the best support that shored up Peter when he was at the hardest shock Luke 22.31 32. Simon Simon Satan hath desired to winnow thee as Chaff but I have prayed that thy Faith fail not Thy Heart and Hope and Grace and al might have failed and would but I have prayed that it fail not Thou happily wilt say Satan is subtil indeed and the snares of the World secret but I find most harm from mine own heart a Wil that cannot submit and wil not come though I might be saved Look higher and further for help to the Prayer of our Savior now in Heaven and there thou mayest certainly find Christ saies Father I will that they be with me The Devil and men and thine own heart wil the contrary whether wil the Father grant and which of al these is like to prevail The wil of Christ shal stand certainly and he wil do whatever he wil do the wil of Devils shal not hinder it thine own wil shal not be able to resist 2. Comfort against all the contempt of the World when the wicked and the mighty despise the meanness of the persons disdain the presence of the poor Saints If thou beest rejected on Earth and received into Heaven if men disdain thy Company and Christ desire it nay the World desire it the more our Savior longs for it and thee Thou hast no cause to be discouraged nor discomfited Thus David fenceth himself against the reproach of Michal Oh how gloriously c. saies he It was before the Lord who chose me rather than thy Fathers house 2 Sam. 6.21 As Haman solaced himself in this as no ordinary favor in that the Queen had invited him alone to her Banquet Hesth 5.12 Yea Hesther the Queen let no man c. Much more here when the Lord Christ professeth I pray not for the World but for all that thou hast given me c. John 17.9 3. Comfort against those feeblenesses which attend upon us in our best Duties My Prayers are so poor my Desires so faint and feeble that I rather beg a denial than have any hope to attain what I desire nor like to see Heaven nor Christ there Nay somtimes not a heart to ask and somtimes so much deadness and heartlesness in asking that how can I think to come to Heaven when I have not a heart to desire it Be it thy heart and thy prayers fail thee yet the prayer of our Savior ever took place and found speeding acceptance in Heaven Joh. 11.41 42. Father I know that thou hearrest me alwaies He is alwaies soliciting and pleading our cause before the Father and he cannot but find acceptance Therefore alwaies preserved Keeps them in the world alwayes assisted alwaies quickned to al perseverance USE 4. Of Exhortation If Christ affectonately desire our presence let us long to be with him to be out of the Pest-House of the world where we have been infected out of this prison of our corrupt Nature where we have been deeply annoyed with the Body of death and the stench of this carcase of abominations we bear about with us Long we for the consummation of the marriage long for this day that our Savior so much desires Our Savior longs for our company worthless Wretched that we be though he have not need of us and was ever happy without us lies in the Bosom of his Father and hath been his delight from Eternity who hath millions of Angels to attend and serve him Yea so far longed for our company that he came down from Heaven and took our Nature that he might die for our sins in the daies of his humiliation that those may not hinder our beleeving and coming to him and he would come again from Heaven that he may take us to himself that death may not stop our passage Therefore we have more reason to long for him of whom we have so much need in whom we shal find so much happiness to sleep out our daies in the bosom of his love through al eternity If our Feofment and inheritance lay here he would be with us here but it is not but reserved for us in Heaven where he is and therefore he wil have us with himself So they Isa 26.8 The desire of our Souls is towards thy Name and the remembrance of thee This is the last of al desires where they are compleat and ended The Soul desires union to the Body in the Grave but Body and Soul desire union with Christ To follow the Lamb where ever he goes Why stand we gazing one upon another go we to Heaven When our Savior saies I will they be with me Answer and I wil be with thee Lord. Say so ye Fathers and Mothers in Israel ye are almost within sight of shore there is one step to Death that is the Wagon and then to Christ Say so ye Yong men and Maidens though ye may live long ye cannot better this is the marriage I wil go also I wil be with Christ also who hath loved me died for me and redeemed me And if any be yet in a demur let me ask them as Laban asked Rebecca Gen. 24.57 58. When Eleazar Abrahams servant came to fetch her Wilt thou go and she said I wil go So let me propound the wil of Christ He hath chosen it desires it prayes for it what say ye wil ye go to Jesus I wil go Truly let us go The time wil come ye would be glad to hear that voice Come ye blessed c. Where then are our hearts that your hearts should be thus affected either the Saints have lost their interest or their affections Either Christ hath few servants or they have lost their desires 1. What Hinders 2. What might help Hindrances are Three The First Hindrance When we surfet on these sinful pleasures and contents in the world those eat up our desires and take off the edge of our Affections As Lot neer Sodom then in Sodom then cannot be perswaded to leave Sodom 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hemammered Lime-twigged with the things of the world as Birds cannot find their Wing Gen. 19.16 As surfettings take off our Stomach Al men seek their own none the things of Christ Phil. 2.21 The Second Hindrance When through carelessness and guilt they loose their evidence and assurance of their interest in Christ and acceptance with him And therefore fear and so fly him as a Judg rather than rejoyce to be with him as a Savior Is it not that Christ whose Blood I have shed whose Name I have dishonored whose Spiri◠I have greeved They think to appear before Christ as Malefactors before a Judg. As though stubble should be with fire Who shal dwel with those Everlasting Burnings Hence David desires some respit Oh spare a little before I go hence Psal 39.13 The Third Hindrance When we please our selves with the certainty of what we
everlasting Mercy and Fatherly Faithfulness in Christ These are deep things and as no man knows what is in man but the Spirit of man so no man knows the things of God but the Spirit of God And it 's the Answer to that Question 1 Cor. 2. and last Who hath known the mind of the Lord q. d. None can pry into the Ark of his Privy Counsel which hath been from everlasting and therefore he ads We have the mind of Christ He that hath Christs mind may know Gods mind for he is Privy to it Luke 10.21 I thank thee O Father Lord of Heaven and Earth that thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent and hast revealed them unto Babes even so O Father because it seemed good in thy sight no man knows who the Father is but the Son and he to whom the Son will reveal him It must be from the Revelation of Christ that any come to the right knowledg of the Father John 1.18 No man hath seen God at any time but the only begotten Son who came out of the Bosom of the Father he hath revealed him that is those Bosom Affections of his Fatherly Love 2. Our Apprehensions and Conceivings of God hold proportion with his Dispensations of himself to us There must be ever some print of some operation and impression of his Excellencies or Relation left upon us before any thing can be discerned For he dwells in the Light that no Creature can attain unto and to pry into his Secrets which he hath reserved in his own Bosom as indeed we should not Secret things belong to the Lord but things revealed to us so in truth we cannot reach them they are far beyond the scantling of our shallow Conceits Now the expressions which God leaves of his Fatherly Love and Faithfulness are sound no where but in the hearts of his whom he cals unto himself Them he takes into the Bosom of his Love To them he communicates these Bosom Secrets the Foot-steps whereof are to be found no where upon Earth but in the Souls of the Faithful Therefore they only can see the Print of them they only come to know them The great Characters of Gods Power Wisdom and Bounty are left instamped and engraven upon each Creature and therefore they may be seen of al and read of al and so known But that he should set his heart upon any lost Son of Adam an his Christ and draw him into special intimate and spiritual Communion with himself through his Son this is only to be found recorded in the Consciences whom he hath called out of the World These are the unknown yernings of the Bowels of a Father which can be owned by none but such who are his own Rev. 2. He gives a new Name which no man knows but he that hath it unknown Benevolence and unknown Complacency of a Fathers Bowels USE 1. Of Instruction 1. Therefore it is not safe to lean to the Counsel or be led by the Opinion of Carnal men touching the doubts we have or difficulties we find concerning the Love of God unto our souls and his Faithfulness in the performance of his gracious Promises Alas they know nothing of those things how shal they be able to make us know them They understood nothing themselves and how shal they reach others Is any so weak and silly that he would go to a blind man to make him judg of Colors or a deaf man of Sounds or he that never knew the way to be a Guide to lead him the way unless he were resolved to miss his way and end also True indeed they may somtimes speak things by hear-say but to speak things from grounded Knowledg and Experience they cannot because they have none 2. Hence it 's plain That the meanest Saint and most ignorant doth yet know more of Gods Fatherly Love and is better acquainted with the Faithful Performance of his Promises than the most learned and profound Doctors of the World Because they know the Father and are privy to his Secrets and have his Bosom Counsels communicated to them by the Lord Christ which are Riddles and Wonders and Mysteries to the whol World and to the Princes thereof USE 2. Of Terror It discovers the dreadful Estate and miserable Condition of al wicked men the Children and Darlings of the World who take content in it and give content to it The World it is likely may lay you in her Bosom for the World wil love her own but ye be far enough from the Love of the Father as ye be far from the knowledg of him Hence a Sea of Misery breaks in upon thee able to over-whelm thy Soul irrecoverably If it can be once said Thou knowest not the Father there is enough said to sink thy heart in everlasting discouragement In this Estate thou canst expect no good for thon canst receive no good from the hand of the Lord though he be the Father of Mercies and God of al Consolation There is none for thee not one Blessing nor Comfort For if God communicate any thing of himself unto the Sons of Men it is by his Spirit whose Office it is To lead them into all Truth John 16.13 and to seal them up in the Truth unto the day of Redemption Eph. 4. Al that is the Fathers is Christs and the Spirit takes of Christs and so of the Fathers and gives it unto such for whom it is appointed John 16.15 But it 's the depth of thy Misery thou canst not receive the Spirit 1. Thou canst receive nothing of the Father though it were given thee John 14.17 I will send the Comforter whom the World cannot receive because it doth not see nor know him This is thy Condition right Thou canst not see nor know the Spirit and consequently nor the Father therefore not receive him and therefore receive no good The Spirit wil not take the Mercy of a Father to pardon thee the Love of the Father to support the Peace of the Father to quicken Grace of a Father to purge and sanctifie thy corrupt heart The holy Spirit would take of Christs and so of the Fathers and give to thee But thou art a worldly wicked wretch and thou canst not receive the Spirit nor Christ nor Mercy nor Love if thou had'st them laid before thee 2. And as thou canst receive no good from the Father so thou canst perform no good Duty to him that may find acceptance with him or a blessing from him Thou knowest not the Father therefore thou canst not love him nor fear nor honor nor obey him That which the Eye sees not the Mind knows not the Heart affects not fears not prizeth not at al nor performs the least Duty to him because thou fallest short in thy Apprehensions wholly of him Nay mark what I say Thou did'st never pray to this Father of Christ and of al compassion in him If I wil pray with my Tongue I wil pray with my
wickedness in the minds and hearts of men Rev. 12.7 Michael and his Angels the Dragon and his Angels USE 1. Of Instruction 1. Hence there is no reconciliation between such as be of the World and such as be of God to be hoped for between the Worldlings and those that are truly Christians It 's as possible to make Heaven and Earth meet Fire and Water Light and Darkness Christ and Belial accord together Because these are Contraries their very Being and Constitution is Dissenâ—ion and therefore they must cease to be if they cease to oppose and seek the good and preservation each of other Let the ungodly for their own ends and to serve their own turns profess never so fair promise never so much pretend never so much Love and Faithfulness and seem also somwhat seriously to endeavor to ingratiate themselves into the hearts of the Godly Be they never so neer in acquaintance and familiarity with them Be they for the present never so studious and laborious in al proceedings to promote their good It 's certain their distempers are but restrained and the malignity of their Nature curbed and confined for the while Let but occasion suit and temptation be offered and they wil be as deadly Enemies nay most fierce in their malice and out-rage as they have been friendly in appearance in former times None more inward with David than Achitophel while opportunity served to bring about his own Honor by that acceptance he had with David It was thou my familiar friend we took sweet Counsel together and went up to the House of God together also complied in al occasions temporal spiritual were endeared each to other bore each other in their very Bosoms But no sooner is Conspiracy stirred and Rebellion raised by Abshalom that was likely to carry it but Achitophel he forsakes his Colors forgets al former Engagements becomes the deadliest Enemy of the most inward and endeared Friend as formerly he did pretend Judas trained up under the Wing of Christ but he had a worldly heart and when the time served he betray'd his Master for it Never therefore look what men pretend but look what they are If he be of the World and Friend to it know assuredly he wil be an Enemy to God And therefore it checks the deluded Conceits and misguided Apprehensions of some of Gods own that are Novices in Religion who are apt to conclude It 's want of Prudence and Christian Moderation Humility and sweetness of Carriage that they do not win every man even the wicked and such as be worldly and Carnal that they might have their Approbation their Love and Affections as they list enlarged Oh! men are not prudent they do not so wisely carry themselves in that courteous manner as they should they might win al and have every mans good word If a man wil not lay aside his Grace and Holiness let him walk as prudently and melt into kindness and Courtesie the World wil be cross to him and he to it and he must conclude he shal find contention and opposition Al his Policy wil not work his Peace It 's folly to expect and it's madness to promise it That Reconciliations and Contradictions should meet Who walked in greater Prudence and Innocency than our Savior beyond the exception of Envy it self and yet he was not beyond Opposition and that most fierce which he found in the World 2. We must not judg the worse of mens Persons and Profession because of that universal opposition they find abroad It 's the portion of Christ and that which al those that are like him must expect It was the Sect of the Saints and such as followed the Rule of the Lord of whom they confessed as a thing commonly known This Sect is spoken against every where and yet no Sect sincere but that Acts 28.21 Al men persecuted and spake evil of such of whom the Word and our Savior speaks Blessedness Blessed are ye when all men persecute you and speak evil of you for my Names sake Matth. 5.10 They may as justly and reasonably challenge Gods Name guilty and blame-worthy as those who profess it because that is most of al opposed and condemned when men are reviled for that Therefore it is a shallow and mis-guided Conceit of some who are ignorant to make such Inferences Certainly al is not right there is some more than ordinary failings in his way a shrewd suspicion his course is faulty else how comes it he should be opposed and spoken against by so many so universally The World is up in Arms against him So it was against Patriarchs Prophets Disciples and Christ Therefore the Lord hates the World praies not for the World condemns the World It was no more but what Christ found and those who are most like him shal 3. Saving Conversion wil break the dearest Friendship and neerest Relation in the world amongst those that are of the world Because it sets men in greatest opposition and crossness one to another It cals men into Light and therefore darkness cannot accord with it It makes men Righteous and therfore Unrighteousness cannot agree therewith Thus Christ is said to come into the world to set the Mother-in-Law against the Daughter-in-Law The Father against the Son a mans Enemies shal be those of his own House His saving Grace sets them in greatest opposition and contrariety and therefore must occasion the greatest contention amongst them Christ puts Enmity he laies the Siege and none can raise it USE 2. Of Examination and Tryal This gives in sad Evidence against those who are Neuters in Religion Such are discovered by the former Doctrine to have no Religion nor Truth at al in them Such as can plough with an Ox and an Ass Your Linsey-woolsey men who can take the color of any Company and occasion with the Saints they can seem such and with the world they wil be such as they are Can serve Time and Tide wil be of any side provided they may be of the safe side As Neutral Cities in time of VVar they are content to pay to both Armies that they may not be spoiled with either They are content to favor the world that they may not be persecuted yet they would not oppose Religion lest they should be justly condemned of gross wickedness But carry fire in one hand they would not be counted prophane but honest and yet water in the other hand they would not be conceived too strict VVhen indeed there be but two Kingdomes thou must be in one either in darkness or in light The world is up in Armes and there be but two sides and thou must take the one He that gathers not scatters Thou canst not serve two Masters Be Follower to two Commanders If Christ be God follow him If the world be God follow it But how shal we know 1. Observe what affection the world and worldly men beare to thee However happily there is not so fair and ful and free
part of that we know is the least part of that we know not And therefore Paul desires to come to supply that which is lacking in their Faith and this is the knowledg especially Aimed at wherein we shal inquire 1. In what this want appeares 2. The Reason why there is left such 1. This want appeares and is made good in four Particulars 1. Much is wanting in regard of incomprehensible and boundless greatness of this Fatherly mercy and Faithfulness which cannot be comprehended by the best ability of the strongest Faith or spiritual understanding Adepth that cannot be fathomed A light unto which we cannot approach only we are gathering in somthing nearer and groping somwhat more as we attain to the strength and growth of Faith Job 11.7 Canst thou by searching find out the Almighty to perfection it is higher than Heaven what canst thou do deeper than Hel what canst thou know the measure thereof is larger than the Earth and broaden than the Sea Therefore the Psalmist instead of comprehending he falls into admiration of this mercy Psal 31.19 Oh how great is thy goodness that thou hast laid up for them that fear thee and laid out for them that trust in thee before the sons of men We are not able to value the goodness that is laid out in the waies of his providences and Fatherly dispensations towards us But the treasuries of compassions that have been hoarded and laid up from al eternity Oh how great If the stock be so large that the Father puts into the hand of a Child when he is now in his non-age and setting up what wil the whole estate and revenews be when he come to his inheritance therefore the Lord shewes the infinite disproportion betwixt his thoughts of goodness towards his and the narrowness of their conceivings to teach at the measure thereof Isa 55. As high as the Heaven is above the Earth so far are my thoughts above yours A point or center that is less than any quantity and the great Circumference that is the largest of al quantity 2. Much is wanting in regard of the clear discerning of that which is some measure we do conceive much of this Name yet conceived we know not and that which we do know is dimly and in a dark manner It s a strange Check of our Savior to Philip upon his request expressed Joh. 14. Shew us the Father and it shal suffice us Verse 8. Our Savior by a sharp interrogation casts a secret shame of feebleness and heedlesnes upon him What have I been so long with you and yet dost thou not know me Philip he that hath seen me hath seen the Father also And if ye do but cast your Eye upon the 7. Verse Ye wil perceive that they did know the Father and had seen him And yet Philip desires he might be shewed as though they had never known nor scene The issue from hence will be here that its possible for a Christian to see the Father and in a sense to converse with him and yet he needs to have him made known whom he knows and to have him shewed whom he sees So he is Job The Lord passeth by and we perceive him not he speaks once and twice and we hear him not That as it was said of the Disciples Luk. 24.16 Their Eyes were held that they did not know him they did know discerningly whom they saw and with whom they did familiarly converse and therefore it s added Verse 31. Their Eyes were opened and they knew him So it is with the Eye of our understanding in the right conceiving of the mistery of this Fatherly mercy and Faithfulness of God though we converse familiarly with this goodness of the Lord yet because our apprehensions are marvailous feeble and dim they must be further cleared before we can know and discerne that we do know 1 Cor. 13. We see through a vail and therefore need to be helped to see what we see to fee more fully what we see feebly and imperfectly 3. Much is wanting in regard of the experience of this Fatherly Faithfulness which as yet they never found or having formerly found it they are now deprived of it Some as yet have never found it For the Lord dispenseth his favors in the fittest season and so as his Servants have most need and may make most improvement of So Gen. 22.14 In the mount of the Lord it shal be seen And Rom. 5.4 Patience worketh experience and Hope maketh not ashamed because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts Verse 5. God steps in seasonably and gives proof of his Fatherly Care Herb. 4.16 We find Grace to help in time of need As the Father reserves a special favor for his Child to a season a morsel a bit to give him at a turn Some have formerly found it by experience but are now deprived of it Hence is that of the Prophet David Psal 63.2 To see thy power and thy glory so as I have seen thee in the Sanctuary So again Quicken me as thou art wont Psal 89.49 Where are those former loving kindnesses The lower the Eo the greater the flow God withdrawes the expressions of his Favor that they may be made more fit and have them more aboundantly For a little while I have hid my Face but with everlasting kindness wil I have Mercy on thee Isa 54.8 4. Much is wanting in regard of that ful assurance which they were promised and do desire but yet could never attain unto So Heman Psa 88.14 15. Lord why castest thou off my Soul why hidest thou thy Face from me I am afflicted and ready to die from my youth up while I suffer thy terrors I am distracted Thy fierce wrath goeth over me thy Terrors have Cut me off They came round about me dayly like Water they compassed me about together Verse 16 17. So David Mine Eyes fail for looking for thy Salvation Ob when wilt thou comfort me Psal 119.82 Much then is wanting in regard of what may be known in regard of the cleer discovery of what we do know in regard of the Experience we have had and want in regard of the Assurance we seek and do not attain 2. The Reasons hereof are two 1. Is taken from the Condition of the Saints while they are in this vale of Tears They are as Babes in the Womb or at the best as Children born but in their non-age and tender yeers and therefore in rational proceedings their abilities and performances must carry some resemblance and proportion they must be attended with Child-like weaknesses and imperfections So the Apostle disputes 1 Cor. 13.11 When I was a Child I spake as a Child I understood as a Child I thought as a Child Their Speech is not ful their understanding is feeble their thoughts are under and low looking at poor and mean things such as be most familiar and liable to the Sences things of depth and difficulty as they
cannot conceive them so they do not for the most part attend them because they are beyond their reach So it is with our Spiritual Child-hood The things of God and Grace which are most easie and openly familiar we are most exercised and taken up withal but the great Mysteries of Godliness the unsearchable Riches of Mercy and the deep things of God we are not able upon the sudden to search into Our Savior gives this Reason to his Disciples I have many things to say but ye cannot yet receive them A Child that is in the lower Form happily entring into his Latin he is not able to carry away his Lecture of Greek not to touch difficult things of Phylosophy but his Principles and Abilities must have time to ripen before he be set up into so high a Form So here 2. Is taken from the freeness of Gods Dispensation in whose pleasure it is to give when and what he wil and after what manner And hence he doles his Grace answerable to the growth he hath appointed each man to come unto and in what time Eph. 4.13 Till we all come in the Vnity of the Faith to a perfect man to the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ Some are of a larger Stature and grow more speedily than others some are of a less and stand at a stay for a season until the Lord by the effectual working of the Spirit make them to grow and so they encrease with the encreasings of God Col. 2.19 USE 1. Of Instruction Hence see the Reason of those mis-apprehensions that the dear and faithful Servants of the Lord have of the Fatherly Mercy and faithfulness of God towards them They want much knowledg of this incomprehensible sweetness and goodness of Gods Nature and that is the Reason they missjudg and mistake so much and make such unkind Constructions and maintain such groundless surmizes of his Fatherly kindness He that is jealous and fearful of the Love and Favor of another who is of tried Truth and Sincerity al men wil easily and readily give him the Reason because he knows him not So here It 's because we know noâ— God These misconceivings of God may be referred to two Heads 1. When they are under pressures and necessities and miseries march in upon them the Lord seems like an angry Father to withdraw himself They presently sit down discouraged and conclude as they Isa 49.14 Sion hath said The Lord hath forsaken me my God hath forgotten me The Lord answers from the consideration of those Fatherly Compassions which rest in his Bowels Can a Woman forget her Child that she should not have compossion on the Son of her Womb these may yet I wil not Psal 89.8 Who is like to thee or to thy Faithfulness round about thee it's round about him per omnes circuitus But I have dealt carelesly yea unkindly and faithlesly with him and grieved the eyes of his Glory by dayly provocations True thou hast first broken with him and thou mayest see and know thy falsnels but thou dost not know his Faithfulness and Fartherly mercy Psal 89.33 Nevertheless my loving kindness I will not take away from him nor suffer my Faithfulness to fail Though he may deserve it and I may justly do it yet I wil not suffer c. Thou knowest thine own falsnels and wretchedness who keepest not touch with God but failest yet my Faithfulness and my Mercy I wil keep with him verse 24. And my Covenant shal stand fast verse 28. Thou knowest not the heart of a Heavenly Father and therefore thou so misjudgest 2. They conceive their Sins so many and so hainous that it 's beyond the compass and bounds of his Fatherly Compassions to remit and pardon Thou dost not know what these Bowels of a Father are and therefore thou dost not judg aright what he can and wil do When Ephraim bemoaned his sin God yerneth towards him and bemoaneth him though he doth not hear God yet God hears him Jer. 31.18 I have heard Ephraim bemoaning himself thus Thou hast chastised me and I was chastised See how gods Bowels turn within him verse 19. My Bowels are turned within me I wil surely have mercy upon him Mercy is mourning over thy Soul when thou art mourning for thy sin True could I repent but I have been smitten and yet walked after the way wardness of my heart so that I dare not look upon my sin and I cannot look to Heaven because of my guilt I know not how I can be pardoned Because thou dost not know the Name of this Father and this Mercy see and consider what it can do that thou canst not conceive Isa 57. I was angry and smote him and he went away verse 17. I have seen him and his waies and wil heal him I wil lead him also and restore Comforts unto him and to his mourners q. d. I have seen him and his waies though he can neither see me nor himself though he hath wounded himself I wil heal him I wil make him mourn and others with him and comfort both Obj. But I cannot think it Ans This Mercy can do what thou canst not think Isa 55.8 9. My thoughts are not your thoughts c. for as the Heavens are higher than the Earth so are my waies higher than your waies and my thoughts than your thoughts And thou wilt find it relieving when thou dost least look for it True I have found him somtimes in desperate streights relieving me when I was linking and past hope my head under water when al his billows were running over then comforting and supporting me This is but a Lightening before my Death he wil leave me at last it 's but a Reprieval before some more heavy Plague and Condemnation God hath a Secret purpose to hasten my ruine even by his Bounty which I have had and abused I shal one day perish by the hand of Saul 1 Sam. 27.1 Thou hast these hard thoughts of God because thou dost not know the heart of a Father and his never-failing Faithfulness Thou hast been many yeers preserved why perish one day He doth thee no harm why should'st thou think he intends thee any He hath said I wil not leave thee nor forsake thee Heb. 13.5 USE 2. Of Direction Be willing to hear and willing to follow the Direction of such who are Gods Favorites and acquainted with this Name of his and that by plentiful Experience There was never yet a blind man known but was willing to be guided never man ignorant of his way that was not phrenitick but was willing to be directed where he was in doubt The Rules are Two 1. The Counsel thou art not able to gainsay with Reason know Thou oughtest in Reason and according to Rule to submit unto it I do not think it I cannot beleeve it I much suspect and fear Away with such Dreams these are al but pangs of way wardness It is made a Point of Religion
Finisher If we have known any thing or do or shal it 's Christ that hath made us know we have received and therefore why should we boast as though we had noâ—â—â—ceived The least River should lead us to the Sea and as Abrahams Servant when his Prayer was answered He bowed and worshiped Gen. 24.26 So do thou when he fils us most we must be most sensible of our own emptiness 2. Walk in a holy trembling and fear Rejoyce before him with trembling Psal 2.11 Rejoyce in what he gives but fear we do not off end the Giver Those of whom we have dayly kindness we are very careful we do not give them distast 6. Collection Here is Ground of exceeding thankfulness and enlargadness of heart for ever to the Lord Jesus The unwearied Faithfulness of the Lord Christ to follow his poor Servants with the discovery of such Favors which are not to be found on Earth besides should cause them to return such acknowledgment which cannot be matched by any men in the World Hence he so propounds the Question as for ever to be admired but never to be comprehended Lord why wilt thou shew thy self to us and not unto the World John 14.22 Why wilt thou to us there is no worth in us to deserve iâ— nor ability to conceive it no reason to be given which may perswade it Why it's mercy and that incomparable incomprehensible for ever to be adored and wondered at Yea our Savior is exceedingly taken up with the Consideration Matth. 11.25 I thank thee O Father that thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent These Secrets these depths of everlasting Compassions these Rarities these Dainties which the World never tasted men of highest Place chiefest Parts never came to the sight of And our Savior presseth this aâ—â—â—â—eculiar evidence of his dearest Affection John 15.15 I call you Friends because I have declared unto you all things I have heard of the Father have so befriended you with such special Priviledges so familiarized my self unto you whereas others have not an inkling thereof 7. Collection We have here a never-failing ground of everlasting refreshing and Comfort to fence and fetch up the fainting hearts of Saints Whatever oppositions desertions wants or infirmities they sustain which might eclipse and take away the sight and fence of Gods Love this Truth preserves and bears up from al. I know what troubles you what your complaints are It 's Gods Face and Fatherly Mercy it 's that ye have long sought and desired to see Mine Eyes fail for waiting for thy Salvation saying O! when wilt thou comfort me If I could get a sight of Gods Fatherly Face and did but know his Mercy were mine I could resolve with old Simeon Let me depart in peace for mine Eyes have seen thy Salvation Stand stil and stay thy self upon the Consideration of this Truth and thou shalt see greater things than these Christ hath undertaken to make it known and therefore quiet thine own heart thou shalt know this which passeth knowledg 1. Whatever Oppositions thou hast he wil out-bid them 2. Whatever Desertions he will recover them 3. Whatever weaknesses he wil remove them Whatever it is that eclipseth the coming of this Love he wil scatter al. 1. Whatever thy Oppositions be he wil over-bear al he wil disperse al Clouds quel al Temptations quiet al fears drive away al discouragements clear al doubts and difficulties Christ hath said it and he is able who hath promised it and he can perform it He can make this known and nothing can hinder thaâ— power of his Object I know he can but how shal I know that he will Answ He is ready and resolute hear his own expression I wil make it known So Isa 46.10 His Wil shal stand and none can resist it not the wil of Devils nor distempers nor temptations nor thine own corrupt wil Psalm 115.3 If he wil make it known who hath resisted his will 2. Whatever be thy Desertions he wil recover thee out of al Thou complainest The time was God did shew his Face and discover his Favor I have known his Name but O! that is my misery I have But God hath forgotten to be gracious and hath shut up his loving kindness in displeasure No Quiet thy heart he hath make known and be assured he wil make known he was yesterday he is to day and he wil be the same for ever Thy Sun is set it wil rise again It is eclipsed now but it wil shine again Isa 54.8 For a smal moment I have had my Face from thee but with everlasting kindness I wil have mercy upon thee 3. What thy wants be he wil remove and break through al. Thou sayest thy neglects have been frequent and grievous many motions intimations thou hast had and yet rejected quenched al why should he discover any more thy disires are very faâ—â— thy endeavors weak and sluggish and in reason unworthy to attain any mercy Answ He doth not make known the Name of his Father because of thy work or worthiness but it 's the Office that he hath undertaken he wil discharge it his Promise and engagement he wil perform notwithstanding al thy neglects and weaknesses He that made known this Name when thou never inquired'st after it he wil not deny to manifest it when thou seekest after it though in much weakness Isa 42.16 I will lead them and will not forsake them John 17.2 The Father hath given Christ power over all Flesh that he might give Eternal Life and this is Eternal Life to know thee verse 3. he hath power over al Flesh Fleshly Reason the wil of the Flesh infirmities of the Flesh inordinate desires of the Flesh Lastly Exhortation Wait upon Christ for this Declaration if the Vision tarry yet wait for it because it wil surely come it wil not tarry Habb 2.3 How can it tarry and yet not tarry it may tarry to our apprehension but not tarry in regard of Gods Determination This waiting lies in two Rules First See how Christ dispenseth it Therefore consider 1. That he lies in the Bosom of the Father and is acquainted with his Bosom Secrets 2. That al that the Father hath is his and he may dispose of it John 16.15 3. That he is sent on purpose upon this very Errand John 6.38 39. John 17.8 4. He hath received power over al Flesh for the Execution of this John 17.2 3. 5. It is his wil and resolution to do it I will manifest it Secondly See the way how we are to receive it 1. Stay his time manner measure If it be not free it is not Grace 2. Carefully observe what fals the least intimation or spark cast in 3. When we have observed the Dispensation of God towards us let us then follow on to improve that spark and give way to Christ and we shal receive more from him We are now come to the last and great thing observed and expressed in these
words of our Saviors Prayer with which he issues and closes al and that is the Aim and desire of our Savior for which he praies and for the obtaining of which he hath and he wil declare the Fathers Name unto the Faithful Viz. That the Love wherewith thou hast loved me may be in them and I in them For the understanding of which words we shal open these four Things 1. How the Father loves Christ 2. How that Love is said to be in them that is the Faithful 3. The Means and Order know this is done 4. When we shall know this To the First 1. This Love is that which in an especial manner is appropriated unto our Savior It 's a peculiar Legacy and Inheritance which appertains to him as a Son And therefore look at it as we must do in this place as circumstantiated in the special Respects and Considerations as proceeding from the Father as the Father and terminated and bounded upon him as a Son It 's peculiarized and impropriated to him and to him alone That however it may be said and that truly in a true sense of al the glorious Persons in the blessed Trinity that they love each other yet this Love as it is dyed in the heart of the Father hath as it were the Tincture of that Relation out of which in an especial manner it ariseth and is resolved and rests in and upon the Son So it is given to him and in that respect and is of the like Nature with some other Acts which are so attributed As the Father sends the Son the Son is sent only by the Father 2. This Love is founded firstly in that Eternal Generation whereby the Son was begotten of the Father before al Worlds For therein is the root of those Relative Properties and so that Personal distinction that appears betwixt the Father and the Son and consequently of al those proper respects that appertain to each and be attributed to them in a distinct manner 3. Hence there ariseth a special knowledg betwixt the Father and the Son which answers the Specialty of their Relation For that is a Consequent which follows from things that undergo relative Respects they give special intimation each of other because they give relative being each to other And therefore our Savior when he checked Philip for his ignorance because he knew not the Father Have I been so long time with you and knowest thou not me he that hath seen me hath seen the Father John 14.9 Relatives give Being each to other and therefore give Knowledg each of other Matth. 11.27 No man knoweth the Son but the Father and no man knows the Father but the Son As we see it in the Sensitive Creatures so in al Generations there is an especial owning each of other as the yong owns the Dam the Dam the yong by smel or bleating He that hath his mind rectified by a Truth he wil own that Truth that did rectifie him The Son is the shine of the Fathers Wisdom Heb. 1.3 A Light sprung from a Light John 10.15 4. The Father begets his Son he owns him when he is begotten the shine and engraven Form of his own personal Excellency Lastly He loves whom he thus owns The heart of the Father is wholly taken up with him his thoughts wholly set upon him his Soul is wholly satisfied in him an Infinite and Eternal Favorite of an Infinite and Eternal Father so that he cannot look off him ravished with his beauties and with an infinite fulness of Soul-pleasing satisfaction takes contentment in him This Love look we at the next effects of it discovers it self in these two things which are to be attended in this place In Vnion that is most neer Communion that is most intimate and inward Love laies out it self in these two especially wherein the heart-blood and vital Spirits of Love express themselves 1. The neerness of Vnion Therefore our Savior presseth this with so much instancy and holds the thoughts of Philip upon this Consideration Beleevest thou not that the Father is in me and I am in the Father q. d. It 's strange thou should'st fal short of this and therefore verse 11. he sets home this Truth as the main Corner Stone of a Christians Comfort Beleeve me I am assured of what I speak and it concerns thee deeply to receive what I say as the lowest Foundation of thy Faith I am in the Father and the Father in me or else beleeve me for the very Works sake These Works would never have been done could never be accomplished nor your Comfort maintained therein unless this In-being taken together with the manner of it as Son and Father be proper to them And therefore it is that the Father is said to dwell in the Son a Phrase not attributed to the Holy Spirit in the Sense and manner of Apprehension nay they are said to be one viz. in point of this Relative Union John 10.30 For having said verse 28. None shall pluck his Sheep out of his hand he adds Because the Father who gave them him is greater than all and he and his Father are one and therefore if they cannot pluck them out of his Fathers hand they cannot out of his Nay this is made the ground of the great accomplishment of al the great works he did John 10.37 38. If I do not the works of the Father beleeve me not But if I do though ye beleeve not me beleeve the Works that ye may know and beleeve that the Father is in me and I in him And therefore they are alwaies conjoyned in the Work by our Savior My Father worketh hitherto and I work John 5.17 therefore he is said to come out of his bosom and to lie in the Bosom of his Love And this is true in regard of Christ God-man in regard of that Hypostatical Union the Humane Nature hath with the Second Person and subsistence it hath in him 2. The intimateness of Communion This Love layeth open it self in most inward and intimate Communion of the Father and Son each with other as we have formerly observed from Prov. 8.30 I was with him c. and was his delight a word compounded of two to behold and to retain So to eye and gaze upon another with ravishment and so pleasingly to apply our selves to that other as to hold and keep him with us for ever They have mutual intercourse in al their Operations The Son works nothing but what he sees the Father work Speaks nothing but what he hears the Father speak doth nothing but what the Fathers Wil is They mutually glorifie one another and that is their aim in al they do John 17.1 Father glorifie thy Son that thy Son may glorifie thee ver 4 5. I have glorified thee on Earth glorifie thou me with thine own self with the Glory which I had with thee before the World was He hath then the Soveraign Dispensation of al Works from the Father
thy weary heart in al thy weakness do not think to bring such measure of Grace to deserve this love Nay lay hold of this love and it wil increase the eminency of all Grace and that in a glorious manner Paul Prayes that the Ephesians may know this love that they may be filled with all Gods fulness Eph. 3.19 View this wishly and warm thy heart with it and thou shalt not need to complaine of barrenness thou shalt be ful of Grace Nay ful of al fulness of glorious Grace No kind no excellency of any kind that fits thy station shal be wanting How this is done is not now to inquire the Doctrine leads us to the same while we constantly attend to the dispensation of Gods love in Christ begetting us as his Adopted ones to himself while we find this experimentally and so know it it leaves our hearts under the influence of it as of him to receive al and as from him to do al. What ever may be lacking to thy Hope patience meekness c. repaire to this love and know that there is no lack I have the Choicest love of God that Earth or Heaven or the heart of God can afford And that is beyond the excellency of al Grace and al abilities that either I do want or can desire He loves me therefore let him take what he wil from me do what he wil with me love wil supply al. Give what he wil love is better than al. As he Am I not better than ten Sons Gods love is better than al Graces and blessings for it is the fountain of all Our Union and Communion with God in Christ is the top of our happiness in Heaven Doct. 2. And therefore this comes in as the last Issue of al that our Savior had prayed or could pray for for them The good of what he did desire for them in Heaven Father I wil that those whom thou hast given me be where I am that they may behold the glory that thou hast given me for thou hast loved me before the foundation of the world It was not to be in Heaven nor to have glory in themselves but to gaze upon the glory which was given to Christ and was in him from his Fathers love The good and benefit of what he had done and what he would do for them for ever here on Earth yea the end and scope of al that they did in attending and in receiving direction from our Savior and the glorious things that he had revealed unto them It s here resolved I have made known and will make known thy Name they learned and shal learn what I shal teach on Earth That they may be in Heaven and glory in me That so they may get into the Bosom of the Father and the love wherewith he hath loved me might be in them And I in them Hither he leads them and here he leaves them in the arms of Gods everlasting love Here is the landing place what Christ desires for them in their behalf The good of al that he should provide and they should receive under his daily dispensations by Hearing Praying Word Ordinances Providences it s al to bring them to Heaven that they might be in glory and his love might be in them Here he lands al. Ye must go beyond God himself and the first out-goings of the Deity if ye go any further We shal open here two things 1. What this happiness of Heaven is 2. How this is the top and highest strain of it 1. Happiness is a ful fruition of al Spiritual good things in so perfect a manner as our feeble Natures are capable of Two things are to be attended in the Description 1. There must be a confluence and concurrence of all spiritual good things For we now speak of the happiness of the Soul and that which is inward and spiritual not of any outward and temporal happiness which is to be found in these outward things and belongs also to wicked men For they may prosper in them For they grow as the grass and workers of iniquity flourish It was that which Jeremy saw and that which some repine at Jer. 12.1 Why doth the way of the wicked prosper But we speak now of spiritual Heavenly and eternal happiness and the first ingredient which is here especially required is That there must be a meeting together of all spiritual good things The gathering together of the Waters make the Sea not the scattering of them in sundry places or the meeting of some little rivelets So the gathering together of al such spiritual excellencies which answer the desire and welfare of the Soul These make a compound of sufficiency of supply which we cal Felicity As a Posie of al Flowers An Elixer or Quintessence of al Cordials Psal 144.15 Happy is that people that is in such a case Yea happy is that people whose God is the Lord. Now these good things are considered according to the pith and substance of them or according to the pleasantness and sweetness that doth attend upon them and accompany them and the injoyment of them The confluence of those good things wherein the Marrow of a mans happiness especially consists may be presented to our apprehensions in three particulars 1. When the whole Soul and so the whole man is so wholly possessed of al Grace that it can and doth put forth the exercise of al vertues Intellectual and Moral of the understanding and wil exactly to answer al the rules thereof according as occasion at any time shal cal for the same It s not to have good but to do good which is a mans happines Jam. 1.25 bâ—essed in his deed To do wel is our greatest welfare in this world Adam had al Grace but was not happy with that but fel away from God destroyed himself and his posterity But if these things abound ye shal never sal 2 Pet. 1.10 And it was Epaphras his Prayer That they might be perfect and carried ful fail in every good wil of God Col. 4.12 So far as the Soul misseth is weak or wanting in any work when God cals so far he misseth and fals short of his happiness and misseth of the ful injoyment of his last end That is to do al Gods wils to wil Gods wils to meet with him in every act to give entertainment to him and to take contentment in him When we do his wil on Earth as it is done in Heaven we are then in the Suburbs of Heaven He formed us for himself and then we attain his end and our own good also when we shew forth his praise Isa 43.21 And therefore Jam. 1.4 He wisheth that patience may have her perfect work have the exercise of al trials and miseries that we may be handy at al weapons when we have with meekness borne one evil we may with quietness bear al But what benefit wil there be in that Ye shal be perfect Entire and wanting nothing When
such men in their unbeleeving courses under the curse shal see them pardoned reconciled they that were Enemies to God made now one with God in Christ they wil be astonished at it 2 Thess 1.12 That the Name of Christ as he is made known in his word and work of Redemption may be made glorious he in the Father giving al and that meerly out of Grace Joh. 13.31 32. 2. We do more for God in Christ For as he doth al by man and he doth nothing So he receives al from man he takes nothing to himself Had Adam stood man by Grace might have purchased life and communicated it unto man in way of Covenant Now the Covenant of works is do and live It s God in Christ doth al and therefore he must through Christ receive al. We were formed to set forth his praise and so we do I live not therefore work not But Christ Gal. 2.20 We are his workmanship It s not ours of our selves Eph. 2.10 We are kept by the power of God through Faith 1 Pet. 1.5 And so sanctified by the power of God quickened by the power of God through Faith c. It s Christ is made of God Wisdom Justification Sanctification Redemption and so al the glory goeth to God in Christ 2. By the neerness of this Union we suck out the sweetness of our end and last good and so become happy thereby It s Pauls expression of the glory of Heaven 1 Thess 4.17 We shall ever be with him To be in Heaven doth not make us happy look we at the place Barely as a place but to be with Christ This is but the Suburbs or the verge and skirts of Heaven by this we get into the inmost Room Adam by Obedience and the Work of his Grace had met with him and communicated of Grace from him working as he wrought but here is the Crown of his Glory Not to be in Heaven nor glorious by Grace in us that is a Creature but we to be in Christ and by Christ in the Father and the Father through Christ in us Not with him but in him This is the Diamond in the Crown And therefore the Lord Jesus makes it one step into the innermost Room not to be in the sight but in the Arms of Christ Not to have Christ a Spectator but an In-dweller And therefore our Savior makes this the end of glory as in the foregoing verse and so better than glory The glory thou hast given me I have given them that thou mayst be it them and I in them We are in Heaven if glory may be in us and we in Christ 3. That which carries the first and most supream and deepest impression of the sweetness of the chiefest good that must cause our chiefest happiness Thou art in the bounds of Heaven but in the Bosom nay in the Bowels of the Father This is the lowest of al ye cannot go deeper The highest of al ye cannot go further This is somwhat beyond al Graces beyond al Creatures somthing above Heaven it self The first corner stone of our everlasting unconceivable happiness The first Out-going of the God-Head was He knew and conceived himself and so begot his Son as a lively Character and shine of his own person and thence he owned him and loved him and took him into that neerest union and communion And at the next turn and stroak he took a Creature neer to himself in his Son as his Son communicated with a Creature through his Christ as his Christ Herein is the deepest the deearest the first the choicest of al. The expression of common love in the communication of common good is of large extent He is the first being and gives being He is Power gives Power He is good doth good to al. But to be so nigh to him and not to have common courtesies but Fatherly kindness it s here firstly He is firstly a Father to Christ and so loves him and in Christ he loves thee as him Now thou art at the highest and furthest It was the first out-going of Gods love and the greatest that ever was More cannot be conceived nor indeed expressed unless we would have more and better love than Christ which is unreasonably and unconceivably absurd He is first and we second not in Heaven but in Gods heart USE 1. It s matter of Admiration we may here see and be swallowed up with everlasting wonderment at the mysterious and uncomprehensible depth of Gods dispensations in the covenant of Grace and the Redemption of a sinner by Christ where he brings the greatest good out of our greatest evil the greatest glory out of the depth of our greatest misery Advanceth us to the highest top of Heaven and happiness out of the lower-most Hel of sin and wretchedness out of the greatest estrangment from God To bring a sinner to the neerest union and communion with God Thus God comes to be admired in those that beleeve The Devils have seen one holy and gracious adorned and beautified with the Image of God But he that was a Rebel an enemy unto Christ and a hater of him as contrary to him as darkness to light to be neer to him one with him nay to be in Christ and Christ in him It is the wonderment of Angels and the astonishment of Devils And we should be amazed at this mysterious mercy And it is true Lord saies Solomon That thou wilt dwel amongst men 1 King 8.27 But to be in them to be one with them and they with thee Oh the depth of the riches of the Knowlegd and Wisdom of God How unsearchable are his waies and his paths past finding out To work our greatest gaines out of our greatest losses To bring us by the bottom of Hel into his own Bosom and Bowels USE 2. Examination We may hence know what interest we have in happiness how neer to Christ what Hopes of it As far as thou art from Union and Communion with God in Christ so far from happines 2 Cor. 13.5 Know ye not that Christ is in you unless ye be Reprobates Know ye not prove and examine Know ye not that Christ is in you ye should it concernes you els ye are Reprobates Is this the least part of thy care the furthest off thy thoughts Thou mayest beleeve it and conclude it thou art far enough from happiness as far as Hel is from Heaven It s a description of the wicked Job 21.14 15. They say to the Almighty Depart from us They say so to the waies the Grace the Laws the Government of God in Christ we wil not walk in those waies nor receive or be acted by those Graces or be ruled by that Scepter Dost thou dream of Heaven poor wretched Creature it would be a Hel to thee to have a Christ to redeem a God or mercy to tender and save thou wouldst be in Hel though thou wert in Heaven Thou shalt be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his power Thou hast said Depart God wil say Depart ye Cursed Christ came to bless and ye wil have no Christ We wil not have this man to rule therefore no blessing He that loves not the Lord Jesus loves him not as a Lord to rule as a Savior to save him from his sinnes let him be accursed Maran-atha to the coming of the Lord. Curse him al ye Angels of Heaven al ye Churches on Earth let him be accursed in life in death until Christ come to judgment and then let him hear that curse go ye cursed into Hel Fire Ye would no Union therefore ye shal have an everlasting Seperation FINIS