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
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
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
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
Breath and Being poor Diet of these perishing things here below of Profits Pleasures Honors and Applause Nay he cannot satisfie himself how he may give the choycest satisfying content to them And therefore he looks out not what Provision Earth or Heaven can afford but what the Bosom and Breast and Heart-blood Affection of God the Father can afford That Love wherewith thou hast loved me the first of al the greatest of al let out some of that Righteous Father unto the fainting Souls of my Faithful Ones This Holy Paul praies for as for the most precious Favor that could be obtained as that indeed wherein the rest issue begs it upon his Knees Eph. 3.14 I bow my Knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ that ye may be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inward man that Christ may dwel in your hearts by Faith that ye may be rooted and grounded in Love The end of al is That ye may be able to comprehend with all Saints what is the breadth and length and depth and height and to know the Love of Christ which passeth knowledg verse 19. The Height exceeds al Excellency al Apprehensions al Admiration The Length exceeds the limits of al Time from everlasting to everlasting The Breadth exceeds the Bounds of al Being none have received the impressions of such Love It is the Happiness of the Supreamest of the Angles to have but the Reflection and to come within the Shadow of this Love Their Work and Happiness is to attend upon those that God hath taken so neer unto Christ and himself in Christ As great Personages maintain their Gentlemen honorably to attend upon their Heir They keep them at Cambridg or some such like place because they will have their Son and Heir there They are ministring Spirits sent out for the good of those that shal inherit Salvation No Creature hath this nor indeed is capable of this Love but Man As I might demonstrate to you by the Course of Gods Dispensation The Depth being al the most inward intimate and enlarged working of al Creatures let al the Affections of al Creatures be put together let there be a Confluence and concurrence of al Fatherly Motherly Brotherly Friendly Natural Spiritual Affections put together This draws deeper than them al. David expressed Jonathans Love it was beyond the Love of Women which are most ardent and most vehement That was but as one Creature might love another but this is such a Love as God loves himself and his Son withal And to procure this Love the heart of our Savior was so strongly carried that he left Heaven and his Glory yea lost his Life yea was content to lose Gods Love that is the sence and sweetness thereof which was better than Life it self that we might enjoy it For he became a Curse that we might be blessed Gal. 3.13 He was willing to be forsaken My God my God why hast thou forsaken me that so we might be received and kept for ever safe in the Bosom of his Love Matth. 27.46 And hither Christ would bring and here leave us never to depart from hence And therefore he doth content himself that this Love was appointed provided prepared tendred to the Saints nay enfeoffed and bestowed upon them but that it might be with them and remain in them for ever Be in you that is That it might take up its Residence and abode in them for ever REASON 1. Love we know is an Affection of Vnion and by this the neerest Union betwixt Christ and his Saints is procured They are brought to lie both in the Arms of the Father nay to lodg in his Bowels and Bosom together And therefore as hath been mentioned before there is that proper Relation that peculiar Disposition to be found in the Second Person towards our Nature and the Saints by that means which is not to be found in the Father or in the Holy Ghost As the Second Person he is the Head of his Church which can be said of none of the Persons it 's an Heresie to maintain it This Union of our Nature is not only an impression in the Soul as a work upon the Creature For then it had been common to al the Persons For al the Operations which are created Expressions are indivisae undivided what one doth that al do This Union therefore being a real Union me non cogitante though no man in the World had a thought or apprehension of it therefore beside the impression that is left upon the Creature there is somwhat a peculiar operation issuing from the Second Person which belongs to him alone and by which it is he is said to be united and none else And therefore there is a peculiar kind of propriety and relation which the Second Person hath in this Union wherein he suits with our Nature which is not to be found in any of the other and that he must have as Second Person because it 's his Prayer Hence we are called Flesh of his Flesh and Bone of his Bone Neerer than Flesh and Bone as neer as one part of the Bone to the other one part of the Flesh to the other So our Savior John 6.57 As the living Father hath life in himself so I live by the Father and he that eateth my Flesh shall live in me Al the whol Aim of our Saviors Prayer is 1. To bring his Saints as nigh as may â—e I will that those that thou hast given me may be where I am that is not enough 2. That they may see my Glory nor yet that But 3. That they may gaze upon it Nay yet further not they only in Glory but 4. I in them and we both in the Cabinet as nigh to God as may be and as nigh one to another as can be in him 2. The greatest good together with the greatest safety of the Saints is provided for This shews the indeared Affection of the Love of Christ for Love ever desires the greatest good to the thing beloved So he praies 2 Thes 3.5 The Lord direct your hearts into the Love of God and the expectation of Christ So also he perswades Jude 21. Keep your selves in the Love of God If they be once here they are beyond either evil or danger they need fear nothing Nothing can separate from the Love of God in Christ Nothing ye can want John 16.26 27. I say not that I will pray the Father for you I need not that for the Father himself loveth you His Love sent me and set me on work his Love is the highest Fountain the first mover and therefore it wil set me on work If once God love his as his Christ nothing can alter or hinder If the same Love the same Happiness with Christ This Love hath al works al is before al over-rules al. 3. By this the Glory of the Father and Christ is most advanced This Love is the Treasury and Magazine of al that incomparable and
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
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
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
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
spiritual and eternal welfare of al the faithful requires this of necessity to appertain to him that must procure our good So our Savior reasons to quiet the hearts of his disciples because of his departure Joh. 16.7 Nevertheless I tell you the truth it is expedient I should go away for if I go not away the comforter wil not come but if I depart I will send him unto you They could hardly beleeve it as that which carried the face and appearance of any propability with it that our Savior puts out of question know it of a truth which upon trial ye wil find to be certain Ye would conceive at the sudden push that there could be nothing more inconvenient and cross to the furtherance of their comfort But its expedient Hence those phrases The Spirit was not yet given because Christ was not yet ascended Al the gift of the Spirit was in vertue of that work and the further perfection of that in Christ the further communication of al from Christ Now our Savior is far above al principalities and powers beyond the power nay the opposing presence nay the least appearance of any hinderance that may be cast in the way by Satan to prejudice or stop the work of our Redemption by Christ for us or the work of Redemption from Christ in us Resurrection is the only proper cause and immediate spring of the Application of spiritual good and therefore had he not risen our Faith had been in vain for as his death purchased right unto al so did his resurrection make Application of it for by that he rescued himself and so us his members then in him from the power of darkness that though they pursued yea crucified Christ could not overcome him but he rose again But when he ascends he was then beyond the ascent of his enemies yea beyond the fight the shew the appearance of temptation Far above And so when we shal be made to ascend we shal be like to our Savior and he freed from the annoyance the shew or appearance of evil Hence observe the Apostle his Connexion He hath ascended on high he led Captivity captive Hell Sin and Death were like a miserable captived company that now were under the Spear durst not hush nor stir He then gives Gifts to men When Christ was crowned Emperor over al the Enemies then he sends his royal Gifts Coronation Mercies abroad 4. This is for the great Contentment and Advancement of our Savior John 14.28 If ye loved me ye would rejoyce because I said I go to my Father for my Father is greater than I. Any Preferment puts us into Places which are above our own ordinary Now there is none greater than Christ but the Father therefore to go with him and be with him is the highest Advancement USE 1. Of Instruction Therefore they who have made choyce of a Christ have no cause to be ashamed If he were a base Christ ye might have some color to seek another to make a change but it 's not so But though he went from the Cross to the Grave yet he went from thence to Heaven and there is now in the highest Honor. His suffering was but his entring into Glory nay the addition to his Glory therefore that should not so much discourage as content and cause us to bless God for our Portion A dead Savior was better to Joseph of Arimathea than his life his reproaches better than the riches of the World to Moses But now when he is exalted in Heaven attended by Angels received into Glory advanced to the right hand of his Father what madness is it now to think we could once have done better The Crown of Thorns which our Savior wore was to be chosen before the Credit of the World what should we judg of the Crown of Glory The Poverty of Christ is better than the Wealth of the World the Shame of Christ better than the Honor of the World the Contempt and Humiliation of a Christ better than the greatest Pomp and Advancement that the Earth can attain How much more should our hearts be comforted and satisfied now with the Honor Life Happiness and Heaven where our Savior now is upon whom ye have trusted and depended How good is your Choyce How great should be your Content USE 2. Here is invincible Assurance of the final safety and glory of the Saints out of all those pressures with which they seem not only to be assaulted but overwhelmed almost beyond strength If the Head be above Water the Body cannot be drowned though it be under Water Christ is in Heaven and he wil never leave his Members in Hell nor Grave So that a man may boldly and comfortably conclude He wil make this sick and weak Body like to his glorious Body this sinful Soul like unto his in al Holiness and happiness As Christ of himself thou mayest in Christ bear up thy self against the Gates of Hel. Behold I was dead and live for evermore and have the Keys of Hell and Death Rev. 1.18 Behold I was dead in my sins sunk in my distresses overborn with distempers and temptations but I shal be for ever comforted quickened delivered for evermore Nay ye have the Promise and Engagement of our Savior Because I live ye shall live John 14.19 He is far above all Principalities and Powers and we shal be as he is He hath not only promised what he wil do but he is gone on purpose to make way for us to prepare a place for us and to bring us thereunto So he chears the hearts of his Disciples John 14.2 3. He deals truly and faithfully and tenderly with us If it were not so he would have told us He is gone on purpose to make room and to see that al things be ready And if we know not the way nor can help our selves in it he professeth he will come again When we are and stands he wil again support us when we are foiled and overborn with Temptations he wil again deliver us and receive us to himself though cast out of Earth and Societies of men he wil receive us to himself shelter us under his wings put us into his own bosom cast up the reckoning that the Apostle doth Rom. 6.9 10 11. He dieth no more death hath no more Dominion over him c. Reckon ye also shal I yield to my Corruptions No distempers shal have no more Dominion over me Yea grow in upon greater and more glorious confidence Rom. 5. If justified by his death how much more shal we be saved by his life He hath abidden the shock of Satans assaults the source and power of darkness and when the Justice of God delivered him into their hand and they brought him to the death of the Cross yet he thence delivered himself and he lives for evermore to save to the uttermost them that come to him USE 3. Therefore be willing to die and to go to Christ The Members long to
the Children that thou hast given me then he shall deliver up the Kingdom to God even the Father The Rule and Government of our Savior in al these outward Dispensations shal be at an end The end and scope of the Death and Obedience Ascention and Redemption wrought out by Christ that he must affectionately desire But this is so Therefore 2. By this means the perfection of his Body mystical and himself as mystical Christ is accomplished without this somthing would be wanting to make up the fulness thereof Eph. 1. last It 's said of the Church and is true of each Member for their measure It is the fulness of him who filleth all in all the hearts of al his Saints with al saving Graces If at the last day of that great assembling of the first-born there should be but the poorest Saint wanting and out of the way the mystical Body of Christ would so far want it's fulness if a finger or a joynt be lacking the Body would lack somthing of its ful integrity And therefore Eph. 4.13 God never leaves sending Officers they never leave gathering and perfecting the Body of Christ until we all arrive and meet at the unity of Faith and the acknowledgment of the Son of God The Head and Members should in reason be present one with another The Husband and Wife in comliness should co-habit in the same place and dwel together Christ is the Head his Faithful his Members Christ the Husband is gone into his own out of fair Countrey and therefore he cannot but affectionately desire the coming of his Bride unto him Nay rather than fail as we heard he wil come down from Heaven and fetch her John 14. I will take you to my self that where I am ye may be also 3. The compleat happiness of the Saints can only by this means be fully procured The Lord redeems not only from guilt and punishment and power of our sins and miseries but even from the presence of them And we cannot be wholly freed from the presence of the evil of the world before we be taken out of the World And therefore as the Lord hath advanced our Savior far above Principalities and Powers beyond the gun-shot of Satans temptations and the evils of this vale of Tears So the Lord Jesus provides that we may triumph with him as we have suffered with him Matth. 13.41 Therefore in the Parable while we live in the Field of the World and the Church is here Militant there wil be Tares which wil annoy and trouble But when the Lord shal send his Angels to gather out of his Kingdom al things that offend and them which do iniquity Then shal his Saints be translated into the Kingdom of the Father That which is the end of Christs Redemption the perfection of his Body the compleat happiness of his People that he must affectionately desire For the end ever carries and commands the affection of the Agent who works by Counsel and Reason USE 1. Of Instruction Hence al that are given to Christ must be raised from the dead and be in an immortal condition and in everlasting happiness As our Savior reasoned against the Sadduces God is the God of Abraham Isaac Jacob God is a God in Covenant with the Living Therefore Abraham Isaac and Jacob must live and that in Bodies and Souls because he is the God of both So those that must ever be with Christ they must have a Being and be raised out of the dust nor matters it though they were returned to the dust and that scattered into the four corners of the World into the Sea where they have been drowned into the Earth where they have been buried into the Fire where they have been burned The Lord wil send his Angels and he wil gather his Elect The Sea shal give up her dead the Fire and Earth their dead They shal be made immortal that so they may be ever with the Lord. USE 2. Of Reprehension It condemns both the Spirits and Practices of such who cannot abide the presence much less prize the communion and company of the Saints Christ is not at rest in Heaven without them and they are in a Hell count themselves in a Prison while the are in the place and the presence where they be Certainly Christ is deceived or thou art justly to be condemned as one who hast not the heart of Christ the Grace and Spirit of Christ in thee and that one day thou shalt find They shal ever be with Christ and thou that canst not indure their society in the Kingdom of Grace thou shalt never have their company in the Kingdom of Glory Such is the exquisite Constitution and Soveraign temper of the Irish Mold that there poysonous Vermin Toads and Spiders and such like they die presently if confined to the compass of the Earth and therefore they forthwith leave the Mold lest they lose their lives So here if thou countest it a kind of death to be confined to the holy Society and gracious and Spiritual communion of the Saints it 's certain Thou hast the poyson of a prophane and a graceless heart within thee They went out from us saies the Apostle because they were not of us had they been of us had they grown upon the same root the Lord Jesus knit one to another by the same Spirit They would never have departed from us When loos-hearted and wicked Hypocrites are hemmed in by the Communion of the Faithful at unawares they stand upon coals and sit upon Thorns like Fish out of their Element their hearts faint and die away presently as professedly contrary to the Spirit of our Savior as Light to Drakness Christs Wil is They should be where he is and their wil is To be any where else but where they are USE 3. Of Spiritual Comfort Hereby we may learn to support our selves in several occasions that would prejudice us in our Christian Course Hence we may fetch supply to bear up our hearts in al over-bearing pressures Comfort against al Opposition of our Spiritual Adversaries which may hinder our Happiness Against contempt of the World that would disparage our persons and Professions Against our own weaknesses and feebleness that might discourage us in a Christian Course The former Doctrine affords Spiritual refreshing against al these Against the fiercest of al opposition which al the Enemies of our Salvation can make against our progress and success in a Christian Course The Prayer of our Savior is above the Power of Hel and Devils though they rage above their malice and policy though they undermine above the corruption of mine own heart which would betray and deliver me as a prey into the hands of Devils and their Instruments This Prayer of our Savior shal carry the Cause against them all and thee to Heaven in despight of al. This Request wil not be denied this Wil of Christ nothing can resist The grant of the Father to our Savior none in
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
nay not into consideration That I may smash my Course with joy It s my Meat and Drink saith he Let â—t be as thy daily Bread as thy food have no wil but this So Barnabas perswaded Act. 13.23 To cleave to God with a decree of heart Decree this set it down and determine this for a conclusion that admits no exception or alteration My God I must have my god I wil have his commands I have and must and wil obey Whether I shal have honor and credit whether I shal please my self or carnal Reason or corrupt desires friends or world that I pass not for I must please the Lord That I set down for a decree 2. Let al make way to this and work for this So Christ with us Al things work together for our good So make our Sorrows our miseries our comforts our peace prosperity whatever we have in the world besides make them al work together for this to further our obedience As the Marriner tacks about useth Cross winds all to further his voyage It was the Fathers wil and Christs work that he should lose none and he did lose none he left Heaven his Honor his Life nay the sense of his Fathers Love but he lost not one of the poorest Saints held them in his hand God forsook him he would not forsake them Let the power of darkness pluck away ease and peace yea his life and al. My Soul it heavy unto the Death Yet he would not suffer them notwithstanding al their Malice Wrath Rage Subtilty to pluck one of his out of his hands So do thou Lose Credit Comfort Peace Prosperity yea thy Life but lose not one of Gods Commands but obey it not one Promise but trust in it He hath kept thee at al times Keep thou the word of his patience Thou gavest them me saith Christ and I have kept them So say thou Thou gavest me these commands and I have obeyed them these promises and I have trusted in them Not my wil as Natural saith Christ to be preserved but thy wil as God that man may be redeemed So say thou not my wil as Man as Father as Master as Servant not my wil which would have mine ease and Profit and Credit But thy Wil be done 3. Be unmovable in the Work of Christ So our Savior though he suffer the power of Darkness to pluck a way his Honor his happiness and Life yet he held his Children in his Armes and would not suffer any to take them out of his hand So deal thou in like manner Let Devils and Men pluck away thy Credit and dishonor thee thy Wealth and impoverish thee yet let them not pluck away any one of Gods commands of Christs Promises from thee Christ put a necessity upon it I must bring these sheep lay thou the like necessity upon thy Soul It is a rule of Christ I must obey it Christ I must love and fear and follow Do not retire strike Sail turn back nay do not stop in the way but go on It s not necessary to live but to love Jesus We have done with this Point from the connection of the words We shal now proceed to the other part of that work which our Savior professeth and ingageth himself unto that he will further do for time to come I will make it known The profession and resolution of our Savior to provide for their further inlightening and inlargement in this knowledg implies two things 1. What the wants of the Saints are as touching this knowledg 2. What the care and ingagement of our Savior is to supply the same The first is here supposed and that by necessary inference For had they attended the ful measure of this knowledg that need hath our Savior to make known more if they had been perfect in the skilful understanding of that lecture what need was there that our Savior should be dayly learning and informing them It s plain therefore though they had much of this knowledg there was yet much wanting unto them of which they had as dayly need so dayly use of Hence we have two Points of Doctrin 1. There is much wanting in the ful knowledg of Gods Name in the most able Saints 2. Christ lends dayly supply of knowledg to them according to their dayly needs To the First There is much wanting in the ful knowledg of Gods Name in the most able Saints The most knowing Christians such as may seem to be in the highest form neer our Savior taught and trained up under his Wing yet have need that more of the Name of the Father should be made known to them The Point is plain in the words we shal need say no more to evidence it from the text but address our selves to the further explication of it What this Name is Viz. The Name of Gods Fatherly love and mercy and Faithfulness And what it is to know it or to have it made known we have opened formerly when the Lord Christ causeth al the good and incomparable excellency of this Fatherly mercy and Faithfulness to pass before the Eye of the Soul and sets on that suitable sweetness so effectually upon it as that it affects and draws the heart to look that way by the Eye of Faith so to Eye it as to own it and fasten upon it This is the knowledg here meant and much of this is wanting even in those that are most eminent It s a general ground which takes in the Particulars with advantage When the holy man Job laid forth at large the waies of God in his Providence limmed out to the life his excellencies he ends with this and vailes as it were what he was not able to express These are part of his waies but how little a portion is heard of him Job 26 14. q. d. There is little of that unconceivable excellency heard of or reported though the Earth and Heaven be ful of his goodness and his mercy over al shines with the greatest lustre in al his works yet this is but a little portion of him and we know little of this And hence Moses who conversed Face to Face with God unto whom the Lord did familiarise himself as to a friend yet he finds his necessity most here and makes it his chief suit if I have found Favor in thine Eyes Lord shew me thy glory If ever he shewed himself to a mortal man it might seem he did in an especial manner express himself to him And therefore it was his preheminence above the Prophets to whom he would make known himself in a vision and dream My Servant Moses is not so to him I wil speak Mouth to Mouth apparently Visibly familiarly and openly Numb 12.8 Deut. 34.10 And yet he begs this as the greatest honor Lord shew me thy glory And Gods answer shews his Aim Exod. 34.5 6. I will cause my goodness to pass before thee strong gracious merciful aboundant in goodness and truth c. The greatest
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
relations do most neerly touch us for thus Prayer serves the end best for which it is appointed by God and for which it should be used by us to help forward the occasions that be under our hands Prayer is like the passing boat of the Ferry it helps al Travellers but it attends them next that come first So it was with Jacob it plyed God for the particular and especially where the pinch lay Gen. 32.10.11 So Eleazar good Lord make it hit right to day Gen. 24.12 And it seems it was that which God complaines of Isa 64. At least he condemnes in Josuah that his hand was in the wrong box Jos 7.10 quorsum hoc not that he fasted but that he searched nor examined not the sin and sought not the reformation of that which indeed did especially concern him The present work done want to be supplied the way of Providence furthered Here is our prick and mark at which our prayers should aim we must not shoot at rovers Prayer like a Skilful Physitian studies the cure of al diseases but administers a receipt to him whose necessities present themselves 2. Prayers must be of a speeding nature so to attend persons or things of present necessity as to reach al in a right order So David Psal 50.2 last Paul brings in al Churches within the compass of his care and of his prayers I make mention alwayes of you and of you al in my prayers and this almost in al his Epistles Prayer is like the blood and spirits which pass through the whol body of Christ and hath its conveyance even into the least member and joynt Like a Pinnace of dispatch that gives intelligence from each quarter The Subjects of our Saviors Prayer are set forth two wayes 1 From their quality and special effect they shal beleeve and that from the generality of the Object in Me. Time Hereafter Instrument by which it shal be wrought by their word 2. From a comparison of equality or parity i. e. Christ prayes not alone for the Apostles but equally but indifferently for al as wel as they For Explication there is nothing difficult but that what is meant by their word That is the Gospel which they published by preaching or left upon record in writing as they were inspired by the spirit The Lord Christ providing therein for the good of his Church unto the end of the world that so they might have the path of life paved out before them and a certain rule to guid them until the end of the world Not that none did formerly beleeve by the word of the Prophets in the Old Testament for even then also the Gospel was preached Gal. 3.8 Preached the Gospel to Abraham in thy seed shal all the Nations of the Earth be blessed The word was preached to them as wel as to us and it was a word of promise Heb. 4.1.2 And therefore the Apostle professed He preached no other things but what were contained and expressed in the law and the Prophets Acts 26.22 the Prophets and Moses did say should come the Prophets foretold in the Types was prefigured and in the Covenant expressed in Genesis promised So that this their word is opposed to two things 1. Vnto the Law which is our Schoolmaster to whip us unto Christ but is not able either to declare him to us or to work faith in us It s that which onely makes way for faith but is not that seed whereof faith is made and begotten and therefore when it was said Faith comes by hearing and the word Rom. 10.17 if ye look into vers 15. foregoing ye shal see what word is meant How beautiful are the feet of those that bring the Gospel of peace 2. It is opposed to al the Doctrines of men al humane devices al unwritten traditions al conceited revelations which are nothing but Satanical delusions in which there is no power to beget faith no ground to support it We have here two points The word of the Gospel is the onely ordinary means to work Faith Doct. It was not onely then when the Apostles were preaching and planting not onely there and in those coasts where the sound of the Gospel was Glorious and Famous But whoever did then and whoever shal beleeve unto the end of the worldâ— for After-times in al ages and in al places in an ordinary course of Gods dispensations leaving secret exceptions or miraculous proceedings in the privy purpose of his counsel there never was nor shal be any under the power of Christs prayer or possessed with the truth of saving Faith but by this meanes and this onely He prayes for no other than belâ—â—vers he wil own none save none but such And therefore none but such have saving Faith And that is the reason why the Gospel is set in opposition to the law Rom. 10.5 compared with vers 9. The word of Faith is that which is neer unto us Hence it s called the Ministration of life and power 2 Cor. 3. When the Law is said to be weak through the infirmity of our flesh Rom. 8.3 and not able to give life Gal. 3.21 Reason 1. Because the Gospel alone reveales that which may satisfy our spiritual necessities and answer the expectation of our faith and the desires of our Souls upon the sense and feeling of those evils which as unsupportable would otherwise sink them This is the Argument the Apostle gives Rom. 1.16 I am not ashamed of the Gospel of God For it is the power of God unto Salvation and why Because by it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith i. e. from one degree of faith unto another A man is unrighteous and possessed of the power and presence of it and under the hand of revenging justice by reason of the same And where may a righteousness be found which may answer the necessities of the Soul the Law never discovered this the creatures never heard of it the wisdome of man could never reach it nay the excellency of all the knowledg of all Angels was never able to devise but Christ who came out of the Bosome of the Father hath wrought this righteousness and by the Gospel hath brought life and Immortality to light 2 Tim. 1.10 which otherwise had never seen light and therefore it is that the glad tidings of peace is said to come this way and is not to be heard from any other coast Tydings of evil come like Jobs Messengers from every quarter tidings we heare from the law are nothing but threatnings and wrath ready to condemn us tidings from our own hearts are nothing but guilt and fear to terrifie and arrest us tidings from Hell are yet worse there be nothing but accusations subtil and Malicious and those present us at home and abroad in Earth and in Heaven at Gods Tribunal and require present execution to be done upon such undeserving creatures Onely the glad tidings come from the Gospel Jesus Christ came to save
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
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
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
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
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
that we oppose not whatever this Spirit shall express we eye him only and expect only what we need and joyn nothing with him or his excellency then are we perfect in one Abide perfectly in him be acted perfectly by him perfectly advance al the excellencies of God through Christ then are we perfectly one with God the Father in and through Christ As the Apostle 1 Cor. 15. When be shall deliver up his Kingdom that is cease the excecution of any Ordinance or Dispensation in an immediate manner by any Ordinance or any Grace by any Ordinance then the Father shall be all in all instead of al Ordinances Word Sacraments Sabbath Prayers Covenants Promises but the Father wil infinitly let out of himself to our Savior and immediately through our Savior unto the Souls of his USE 1. Comfort This is Ground of strong Support to perswade our hearts no Temptations from without no corruptions from within no oppositions be they never so fel and fierce never so mighty and violent shal ever be able to hinder our Communion with God in Christ and so our everlasting happiness Were the Root of it either in the means we use or abilities we have or in the power of the Creatures on Earth or Angels in Heaven or Grace in our hearts It might indeed either be wonderfully hindered or else utterly lost as in Adam But it issues from a Fountain which is beyond not only Heaven but that which is above Angels there yea the highest Stars even the first Origination of the eternal blessed In-being of the Father in the Son which is without al Creatures nothing can further it above al nothing can hinder it before al nothing can reach it This seems to be Pauls ground Rom. 8. and last Nor things present nor things to come Principalities Powers Life Death Angels c. Why good Angels do not hinder It 's from the Love of God in Christ therefore it 's beyond the reach of al created Power 2. Exhortation See the lowest corner of the Foundation stone of our Eternal happiness and look to it and stay there Look at al means as from Christ The Law as kept in the Ark The Truth as in Jesus dispensed as in the Head of the Second Covenant Eph. 4. 2. Look at Christ as from the Father John 14.24 The words ye hear are not mine but the Fathers that sent me This sending and speaking by Christ is because the Son is in the Father and the Father in the Son Verse 23. That the World may know that thou hast sent me and loved them as thou lovest me HERE we have the last thing in the Verse laid out to wit The several ENDS which the Lord aimed at in the Order and Degrees whereby this Vnity of Relation was brought in Christ was in them the Father in Christ and this In-being of the Father in the Son brings in this perfection of the Unity of the Faithful These last words set forth a Double â—nd of this Dispensation 1. That the World may know that thou hast sent me 2. That thou lovest them as thou lovest me To the first of these we have spoken formerly in verse 21. where it was first mentioned and so first came into consideration to be opened and handled and therfore we shal say no more of that at this time but refer your thoughts unto our former Expressions That which now offers it self to a further and more ful enquiry is thus expressed That thou hast loved them that is That the World may know that thou hast loved them as thou hast loved me We have Three Particulars here to open and then the meaning of the Text and the mind of the Lord wil appear The Father hath loved the Son He loveth the Faithful as he loves the Son the Lord Jesus When the Faithful attain their full perfection of Vnity the World shall know that he loved them as he loved the Lord Christ To the First of these We must know That when we attribute these Perfections either to the God-head or Persons they are not attended in propriety of Speech as though the Godhead or Persons were subject to such passions and affections as are in man signified by such words But they are spoken by way of resemblance and similitude that there be some actions affirmed of the God-head and Persons and put forth by them which men out of the Disposition of Love do put forth Sometimes again Love as it is affirmed to proceed from God 〈◊〉 Christ discovers not only nor so much the act of God properly but the Fruits and Effects which issue and proceed from Gods Love and are expressed upon our Savior Christ and blessings which flow from and are procured by his own Merits Which may be truly called the cause of the things or the fruits of Gods Love not properly the cause of any Act as it issues from the Lord. John 10.17 The Father loveth me because I lay down my life for my Sheep Nothing without God is the cause of any act of Gods Wil or Understanding but the laying down of his life may be the cause of that Glory which the Father had intended and he according to the Fathers intention had purchased Phil. 2. He humbled himself to the Death the death of the Cross wherefore God hath exalted him and hath given him a Name c. Or else the manifestation of the approbation or satisfaction which the Father took in his Death The first of these I conceive to be principally intended in the place and so we shal speak unto it The Lord Jesus is the Object of the Fathers Love His heart was wholly after him his thoughts wholly set upon him not once looked off him taken up wholly with him from al Eternity The infinite and Eternal Favorite of an Infinite and Eternal Father upon whom he spent as I may speak with Revereace his whol affection John 3.35 The Father loveth the Son and hath given all things into his hand We shal 1. Open it 2. Give in the Reason 3. Make the Use The Lord Christ is said and that truly to be the Object of this Fathers Love two waies Partly As the Second Person God with the Father As God-Man taking our Nature upon him 1. The first respect If we look at the Lord Jesus as the Second Person his Eternal Love then issues from his Eternal Generation So himself speaks and confesses verse 24. Thou hast loved me before the Foundation of the World and so termed the only begotten and welbeloved Son And it shews it self as the special operation of the most pâ—â—e and perfect Love doth in three Particulars 1. Love affects Union and where it can it attains it with most strength So it is here after an unconceivable manner the Father is intimately endeared unto his Son that his Eye is never off him himself never from him Therefore it is in Prov. 8.22 the Father is said to possess him in the beginning of his way He
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
thy waies and do likewife it s a mercy that he wil accept of our love and suffer us to love him 1. None more worthy than our Savior One of then thousand altogether pleasantnesses Wouldest thou love thy peace love Christ that procures it lovest thou thy Soul and salvation love Christ that purchased it 2. None deserves our love more whom wil ye love if ye love not Jusus ye wil love the world and it wil deceive you Ye wil love you friends and they wil forsake you Ye wil love your own conceits and those wil delude and ruin you No Christ hath bought our love dearly and us also He loved us more than Heaven He emptied himself of his glory He loved us more than his own life loved us more than the sense and feeling of his Fathers love which is better than life it self Therefore he that hath bought our love and us so dearly we should dearly love him Let our minds love him who hath inlightened them our hearts who hath comforted them our consciences because they have been pacified and refreshed by him 3. We cannot lay out our love better to better advantage and improvement for our own spiritual wellfare Joh. 14.21 If any man wil love me he shal be loved of my Father and my Father and I will come to him and Sup with him and manifest our selves to him Is there no drooping and distressed Spirit when thou breathest after the assurance of Gods love Oh but one smile of his countenance when thou sittest in darkness and in a disconsolate condition what wouldest thou now give to gain evidence of Gods favor that he should make known himself unto thy Soul and say unto thee I am thy Salvation Oh thou sayest part with any thing do any thing Why Love jesus Christ lay out thy affection upon him and its certain thou shal attain what thou desirest Prov. 4. Love Wisdom and she will keep thee exalt her and she will preserve thee she will bring thee to honor if thou wil embrace her Thus we have finished the first point of the three observed from the last end of our Savior's prayer Viz. The Father loved the Lord Jesus We are now to inquire of the second proposition that is plainly expressed and taken for granted as the main thing that is intended here by our Savior The point then is in the express words of the Text Viz. God the Father loveth the Faithful as he loveth Jesus Christ He loves the Saints as he doth our Savior he loveth his adopted Sons as he doth his natural Son the members as the Head I confess judicious Calvin â—asts another Construction upon the word and therefore interprets the Particle which carries a similitude with it causally thus That thou lovest them because thou lovest me But since this Translation which we read carries the proper signification of the Word with it and since that which he intends is not denied but included in it I therefore chuse rather to follow the Native and Natural signification of the word when there is no constraining Argument to the contrary nor any inconvenience doth accrew thereby to the Context and Scope of the place Only attend this that ye may not mistake the mind of our Savior nor the meaning It is but AS for the quality and likeness of this Love not so much as that it should be equal for the quantity and greatness of that Love which was extended to our Savior and to his Saints and Children For that were to derogate from the Wisdom and Goodness of the Father from the Honor and Excellency of our Savior and to lift up both the Persons and Priviledges of the Faithful more than were meet and due It sufficeth nay it 's unmatchable and incomparable Mercy and unconceivable goodness of the Lord that poor sinful Dust and Ashes may so far be advanced that they may be like to Christ which they deserve not though to be equal to him is unreasonable to expect as impossible to attain it The like Phrase we have again repeated in the last verse of this Chapter with which our Savior ends his Prayer leaving that as the last farewel in which such spiritual god things and those glorious Priviledges that ever were promised or could be expected or received were summed up even the marrow of al those loving kindnesses the Lord lets out unto his People the tast and rellish whereof if it were kept upon the Soul it would keep a satisfing and ravishing content upon the heart of a Christian in al Conditions yea carries him beyond al the fulness of Comforts that al created Nature can afford whether in Earth or Heaven being somthing above Heaven it self and al the beauties of all created Excellencies which the place can afford We shal open Two things 1. Wherein the Love of the Father to the Saints shews it self 2. That it is like to that wherewith he loved his Son 1. To discern wherein this Love appears we shal follow it in these Particulars by which Love is in a special manner made known as before Love of Vnion Complacence Benevolence Love Desires Union to the thing Rests contented with it Desires the good of the thing beloved 1. God loves his Saints with a Love of Vnion that 's thus conceived God the Father brings the Faithful into a neerer Vnion with himself and Christ than any Creature by any ability or excellency received by Creation could ever be capable of or could ever attain unto And this wil appear if we compare the surpassing excellency of this Union and the intimate neerness which every Beleever hath with God in the Covenant of Grace with that which Adam could attain unto by the Covenant of Works Had Adam stood and attained the utmost perfection it was possible for him to be made partaker of by the improvement of the Spiritual Stock of Grace bestowed upon him The utmost of al his happiness had been confined within this compass 1. A man by the Principle of Grate was fâ—â— to close with God and perform the Covenant made betwixt God and him But since the Fall of our first Parents and departure from God it was impossible for any Creature or any created Grace to bring back the soul to God therefore the God-head of Christ dwelling in the Nature of Man assumed bodily must bring the Nature of Man again unto God Man out of the mutability of his Grace departed from God but neither man nor Grace but the infinite Power of the God-head must bring man to God again and keep him with him So that the Second Person in the Glorious Trinity taking our Nature upon him did not only purchase by the power of the Deity all for us but by the same power enables us to receive the Work of his Spirit by which he carries us unto himself and the Father So that it is not any created Principle of Grace or gracious habit which either fits us for Christ or carries us to
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
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
have and settle upon our own sufficiency and think we can make a shift and therefore lay aside the care of a Christ becauss that dale is mown that danger is over and fal hand-pat to other things The ful Soul despiseth the Hony-Comb Wind and raw Humors cloy the Stomach As Bears wil live many months and suck the moisture of their Claws Helps are Three The First Help Make sure of our interest in Christ And maintain it I go to your God and my God your Father and my Father Joh. 20.17 No man will leave the poorest cottage the meanest provision where he is for the uncertain Hopes of a palace when he knows not whether ever he shal injoy it Ye know the place and the way Joh. 14. And therefore they desire not to stir He that knows he hath a Father to go to he goes freely The Second Help See the dayly use and need of a Savior and that wil maintain a dayly desire as men of an useful helpful companion Him we must needs have sales one I pray you cal him him we cannot want I pray you intreat him We can do nothing without him by any means prevail with him So they say Truly without Christ we can do nothing Joh. 15.4 He saith it we find it Each man desires to maintain his life Such is Christ to us Col. 3.4 When Christ who is our life c. Therefore Paul saw more of himself and his life in Christ than in himself 2 Cor. 5.8 And therefore desired to be absent from the Body that he might be present with Christ And that he was a Stranger while he was in the Body The Third Help There is nothing desireable but the Lord Jesus We have done with the second particular The Third and last comes now to be considered and that is The scope of our Savior in this his petition and the maine good and benefit for which our Savior makes this request for them Namely That they might see his Glory Not that they might have any glory in themselves see or satisfie themselves with their own glory but that they might gaze upon the Glory Which the Father hath given to his Son and be swallowed up with the admiration thereof and that through al Eternity q. d. That is the staple commodity for which they trade in Heaven and the only business about which they ought to be imployed and beâ—â—ow themselves through al worlds And about this our present inquiry wil be spent for this time The happiness of our being in Heaven is to behold the glory of the Lord Jesus Doct. which he hath received by gift from God the Father I say they happiness of our being in Heaven lies in this for this is the end at which our Savior aimes in this Prayer This is the end of that Priviledg and blessing for which he Prayes For it is not the place of Heaven though the lustre and beauty of it is beyond compare and indeed unconceivable nor yet our being in Heaven barely and nakedly considered could satisfie either our desires or wants and answer the Expectation of the Soul If Christ were not there or we might no injoy his presence and â—ee his face though we were shut up in a corner of Heaven certainly Heaven would be no Heaven our happiness no happiness if we had no Christ As he said What availes mâ— if I may not see the Kings face And therefore the dregs of the vengeance of Hell is discovered in this that they shal be destroyed from his presence and from the glory of his power The End we say is better than the Meanes as that which adds beauty and amâ—bility to them The End of our being in Heaven is better than Heaven it self and that is to see the glory of Jesus and hence it is This spiritual and special communion betwixt Christ and the Soul is ever implied in such expressions as intimate the happiness of our being in Heaven So when the Apostle would by a more than ordinary Cordial fetch up the fainting hearts of the Saints here he lands al desires Hopes indeavours and expectation 1 â—hess 4. and last The trump shal blow the dead shal rise we shal meet him and be taken up into the Clouds and â—â—ere we shal over be with the Lord. Not be in Heaven but be with Christ there that makes the feast and have glorious communion with him and injoyment of him Els Gods frowns and displeasure in Heaven would make it a Hell to the Soul and that indeed insufferable Hence the Prophet makes this the highest pitch of al the Hopes and desires he had and the having of that was enough and did satisfie fully Psal 17.15 Having spoken of the Pomp and prosperity of the ungodly they had what they would and did what they would in this world he reposeth his spirit upon this As for me I wil behold thy Face in righteousness and when I awake I shal be satisfied with thy likeness When he awakes at the day of resurrection The sight of Gods glory gives ful satisfaction Whom have I in Heaven but thee It s not Heaven but God in Christ in Heaven that makes it desirable All desires of al the hearts of the Saints empty themselves and end here Their desires are to thy Name And the remembrance of thee The Soul in Heaven desires the union of the Body and the perfection and accomplishment of the number of their fellow brethren But when Body and Soul are raised and the Saints completed then al desires are to Gods Name and to the remembrance of him There is the remembrance of nothing else The things and relations of this life are like prints left in Sâ—nd there is not the least appearance or remembrance of them The King remembers not his Crown the Husband the Wife Father the Child nothing that we had that had any worth and desirableness in it It s forgotten only the Name of God in Christ that is so far and so much as he hath manifested himself in his Christ to the Soul thâ—â—s now in their Eye and aime that only comes into remembrance This is the top and highest pinnacle of perfection which the Apostle hath in his Eye 1 Joh. 3.1 2. We are now the Sons of God but it doth not appear what we shal be Why what is that excellency that then may be expected Answ We shall be like him for we shall see him as he is The Sight of his Glory is the highest step and stair of ours Here we shal enquire three Things 1. What this Glory is 2. What it is to see it 3. How the sight of this Glory brings in our End and happiness of our being in Heaven and that will be the Reason of the Point 1. What Glory is Answ There be Two Things in it 1. One is supposed and that is the worth and excellency of such Graces and Perfections which are in Christ for al Glory presumes some worth as the Basis
Pride and Peevishness Wearishness sluggishness c. and they are with us in our Prayers Duties Hearing Conferences Whence it is we crowd Christ into a narrow corner not an Ear to hear a Mind to attend our Prayers few and faint c. We are mated and molested with Friends miseries wants necessities families occasions they are calling and crowding But then the Coast wil be cleer we shal only be with Christ Thus the Apostle speaking concerning fasting and Prayer enjoyns the Man and Wife to part mutual Company and Society and forsake their Contentments in their mutual fellowship 1 Cor. 7.5 that they might give themselves to Prayer While we live here we give away some Love bestow some delight spend some thoughts and affections take some content in these therefore he would have them al laid aside that we might give our selves c. Now this shal be done at that day nay not only and alone bound for Christ But now it 's the whol imployment of the Soul to attend upon him the Soul hath none other to see nothing else to do Rev. 14.4 They follow the Lamb where ever be goes see no Wife nor Child nor Friend nor Honor Pleasure but Christ only Old things are passed Have none to love to desire to delight in to be satisfied with but Christ alone Now we send our thoughts and affections upon other Errands If a man knew nothing loved nothing needed nothing but one thing how would that carry him command him prevail with him 3. How this brings in this Happiness Answ Upon a double Ground and here we have a double Reason of the Point 1. Because men come to receive more of God and that in the most intimate and inward manner and this is one end of the great Works of God in our Creation and Redemption of our being men and Christians that he might leave the impressions and manifestations of himself and his Divine perfections upon us whom he would have to be Monuments of those everlasting Mercies and glorious Attributes through al Eternity For God cannot but work for his own Glory and because there can be no addition made to himself who is infinite in al his Excellencies therefore there must be only a manifestation of these and this is the aim of al Gods Counsels He wil shew forth and make Editions of his glorious Grace and Mercy which may be seen and read and acknowledged therefore a world therefore a man and he a Vessel of glorious Grace When they partake most of his glorious Mercy and are tunn'd top ful of glory and there is nothing els Then the Lord attains the end of the work of his Grace For it s not Heaven the place nor the freedom from evil or the presence and confluence of al pleasure or our being there that makes us happy But the injoyment of God in al his perfections and should he withdraw himself Heaven were a Hel and we as miserable as Devils We then attain our supream happiness when we attain our end and our good is to have more of God Whom have I in Heaven but thee That Christ may be glorified in life and death It s part of the scope of Gods proceeding at the day of judgment 2. Thess 1.10 He wil be glorious in his Saints but admired in al those that beleeve He wil be glorious in the Eyes of al standers by Angels and Devils for the Grace that then shal be expressed in the Saints But that by faith they have received Christ and come to be one with God through him and receive al by him this dazels the Eyes of Angels and amazeth the hearts of Devils Yea it s a work beyond admiration implies some thing unexpected such as we cannot tel the reason of that is matter of admiration is not in comprehension The Devils have seen men holy and innocent and unblamable as Adam in Paradise But when the Devils shal see such as were haters of Christ and God to receive Christ and to be made one with God through him to have God to be al in al when they were without God in the world this wil make Angels to be swallowed up in admiration This is an especial part of that reward that God hath promised unto his not to have freedom from annoyance nay the presence of evil but to have himself God communicating himself in al the fulness of perfections fully to the Soul as it is capable of God is the Objective happiness to the Soul in himself and so its equal to al but God communicating himself in his fulness as far as a sinner is capable is part of that special reward we have in Heaven Gen. 15.1 Lament 3.24 2. Reas More of our Souls are for God For now the strength of the whole man is wholly spent and exercised in the injoying of God and him only and immediately God without means God instead of al means God only and no means Now some love and joy and desire c. Is spent upon the choice ordinances But then none of al these are in the Eye and desire but al the faculties of the Soul are fully taken up with God This is the errand of our lives and the end why we came into the world This is intimated in 2. Thess 1.11 12. Wherefore I pray alwaies for you that God would make you worthy of your 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 and you in him according to the Grace of God and our Lord Jesus Christ The meaning is That God would Count them worthy of their calling That is the glory unto which they were called and so Fulfil al the good pleasure of his goodness that is fully bestow al that special good which in the purpose of his good pleasure he intended to them and the work of Faith with power that is bring the work of faith to perfection Now the end of al that glory and fulness of al perfection and spiritual good he prayes for is 1. That the Name of Christ That is Christ as made known in his word Offices and the great work of Redemption Might be made glorious in you in receiving this and the impression of this that is that it may be said See what the Lord Christ hath done 2. And you al may be made glorious and glorified not in you selves but as you are in him As he made glorious in you by receiving So you may be glorified in him by returning al to him while you Put forth the exercise of all upon Christ and through him upon God You by receiving of Grace become to have his image by the exercise of Grace you become to be like him and suck out the sweet of that infinite good that is in him For herein lies the beatifical Vision of God If truly glorious and efficatious brings in the fruition of him and his goodness
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
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
him that sends to the ful accomplishment of this work for the procuring of the welfare of the humbled Soul and then his love may be in them and Christ in them also We have now got shore and gained thus much that we understand what this name is which is to be made known We shal open it in both the Particulars 1. The Name of the Father of mercies containes four things 1. That everlasting compassions are firstly and independently in him he is the Father of them al these yerning commiserations come out of his own Bowels Isa 63.15 Where are the sounding of thy Bowels We should father compassion upon nothing we have or do or deserve but only upon God No good we have or can do can cause these no evil we can do except the sin against the Holy Ghost can hinder these 2. There is a generation and succession of mercies which have been extended through al Ages to al conditions of men and that upon al occasions al which are of the same House and pedegree come from the same Father of mercies are of the same line and lineage Al the sins of al his which have been committed in all Ages and generations with al the heightning Circumstanceâ— thereof could never lessen weaken interrupt the course of these Fatherly compassions much less exhaust them and draw them dry The Psalmist finds no end of them Psal 136.23 24. For his mercy endureth for ever Though temptations endure which may annoy yet his mercy indâ—res for ever And that which is especially to be attended is that he works as the Father who hath been wronged and provoked and yet as a Father pities us .. 3. There be renewed and unknown Commiserations which were never heard of before yet may be expected and wil certainly be provided for the good of those that he wil do good unto He is the Father of mercies he begets fresh and new compassions every day and moment such as never saw light nor happily ever entred into the apprehensions of the sons of men Such things as wel looked mot for Isa 64.3 This props up the heart under overbearing pressures Thou saiest ordinary medicines wil cure ordinary and common diseases but thy rebellions are not to be matched no sinner no sin like thine Be it so either in truth or in thy conceiving yet here be unheard of compassions if thine be unheard of provocations Lam. 3.22 23. 4. He hath sent Christ on purpose to help those that cannot help themselves Hos 14.3 With thee the Fatherless finds mercy With this Father of merc es the most helpless Hopeless Orphane Fatherless Soul may find relief He was sent on purpose not to cal the righteous not the haughty and self confident who pride themselves in their excellencies conceive they can heal themselves with their own balsom and that their own abilities wil work their own welfare No but was sent to cal the sinner the broken-hearted and self-denying sinner And he is come on this Errand and wil not fail of his end or the effecting of that for which he was sent 2. There is yet another piece of this name of the Father which is his Faithfulness As he is the Father of mercy and of al good in himself so he hath freely and fully ingaged himself to accomplish the good and welfare of such as be truly humbled and he hath given to the Lord Jesus He hath passed his Word and signified his Wil to see al good done for them that can be desired as needful al evil removed which they can fear as hurtful and dangerous to their Souls And in this the Psalmist triumphs Psal 56.4.10 In God will I praise his Word c. In the Lord wil I praise his Word For what had it availed that God hath al mercy in himself unless he had ingaged his word to improve and imploy that for my benefit I had had no ground to claime any thing nor Hope to expect any thing at his hand Psal 138.2 Therefore herein God hath magnified his word above al other his Name he hath laid al his excellencies and sufficiency to pawn and improved al that the Salvation of an humbled sinner shal not miscarry This is the sweet that goes through all his names and gives a pleasing relish unto al When his word is in his Power it wil preserve not destroy c. As he sent Christ for to save so it is his wil which he hath expressed and its the end which he intended in furnishing our Savior with al fulness of power Joh. 17.2 Thou haft given him power over all flesh that he might give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him Now there is some ground for our hearts and Hopes to look unto that this wil shal be accomplished and this power improved See how all the work of life proceeds on pleasantly They who were thus given they shal come that is beleeve Joh. 6.37 and Joh. 17.8 When they come then Christ keeps them Joh. 17.12 Those whom thou hast given me I have kept and none of them is lost Nay he prayes the Father would keep them also Yea he wil not overly keep them himself but he intreats the Father Keep through thine won Name that is the Name of thy Fatherly mercies for in thy word those are also ingaged for their good Joh. 17.11 Nay not only kep't but quickned increased perfected in all Grace and not left til he see them Crowned in glory Joh. 6.39 No wonder therefore that our Savior should resolve ever to be making known this name of the Fathers mercy and Faithfulness since it comprehends the beginning continuance end and perfection of al we can have or Hope for here or hereafter Learn this and learn all Perfect this and perfect al. All that Christ wil teach returnes to this All that we can learn is Vertually contained in this As a Father of mercies he hath al begets all good Out of the Faithfulness of his word he dispenseth all Thus we see what the Name of the Father containes 2. How doth Christ make known this Answ This wil appear in a double work 1. The Lord Christ spreads all those glorious excellencies before the Eyes of the Soul darts in the Beams of those surpassing Beauties of mercies and compassions and causeth all this glorious good to pass before us as he speaks to Moses which at the first dazels and draws the Eyes of the Soul towards them to gaze at such an amazing sight 2 Tim. 1.10 Brought life and immortality to light through the Gospel Joh. 3.13 No man hath ascended up into these Heavenly apprehensions but the Son of man Who is in Heaven he brings Heaven down to the Soul Those were like dazeling Colors laid forth in the greatest perfections laid in a dark Room not discerned but the light came that acted them to the Eyes The strangeness of the sight takes up the understanding makes it stand wondering and gazing As Moses did
Union with him In that to purchase al Grace and have right to communicate al Grace and in his time to bring them to God and implant them in himself and bestow al Grace and Glory upon them That when they have Grace and Glory upon them they may acknowledg whence they had it Cling about that God and in Christ that gave it admire his Love to them and cleave wholly in Love to his Son whence he came to love them Hence those places receive Explication Whom he knew he elected it 's such a knowledg that brings in Election and therefore not common to Reprobation Rom. 8.29 30. Therefore it 's a knowledg with Affection such as would own and take neer to himself So Paul to the Ephes 2.4 God who is rich in Mercy according to his great Love c. God who is rich in his pitying and compassionating Mercy according to his great Love whereby he would take us to himself make us next Neighbor to his Christ and neer as his Christ Hence therefore God expressed his pity and Compassion towards us in recovering of us out of our distress God so loved the World c. John 3.16 2. The transcendent Happiness which the Faithful attain through the Covenant of Grace above that of Adam A man covenanted for men and might have purchased happiness for them and communicated that to them by Natural Generation But here man lost can of himself do nothing for himself but God and the power of a God doth al that for us which we cannot do for our selves This is the Nature of our Glory But God in Christ wil be so neer to us as to be in us and give al that we may be so neer to him as to be in the Son and the Father and so return al. This is the Diamond in the Crown But that the Love of the Father to his Son should set his Love on work to bring us to the like Union and Communion This is the beauty and brightness of the top of the Diamond of the Crown of Glory The Words thus opened and explicated we have hence these three Points of Doctrine 1. It is the Desire and Endeavor of our Savivior That the dearest of Gods Love which was bestowed on himself should also be given to his Faithful Servants 2. Our Union and Communion with God in Christ is the top of our Happiness in Heaven 3. Our Saviors manifestation of the Name of the Father is the means and his scope to bring in the Being of this Love of God unto us This last ariseth from the Coherence of these Words with those which went before and we do but name it and refer the Reader to what we have formerly at large laid down touching the same where we have declared both what the Name of the Father is what is the Manifestation of it and what our Saviors Work is therein and how and why he hath and doth manifest it The Two former we shal speak somthing unto whereof the first with which we shal begin was thus laid down It is the Desire and Endeavor of our Savior Doct. 1. That the dearest of Gods Love which was bestowed on himself should also be given to his Faithful Servants You see how our Savior is not content to put them off with the least pittance the meanest provision but he would have them have the best the choycest rarities If there were any Dainties better than other he would carve out them to his People as the Love wherewith thou hast loved me Christ was the only begotten the First-born of God and had the First-born Affections of God bestowed upon him and he is not satisfied unless that First-born Affection of the Father be imparted to them in their proportion If there be one bit better than another some special Rarity that comes unexpected and that from far it 's the fashion of tender-hearted Friends I would this Carving were but in such a ones hand though it cost me more than I would speak it 's the choycest Provision that ever I tasted So our Savior when his heart is ravished with the relish of the unconceivable Complacency and Soul-pleasing Satisfaction he cannot make a meal of it but he minds and remembers the Father of his tender Lambs and poor feeble Servants O that my Members and Faithful might have a share of this Love but a little relish of it though it cost me more than wil be imagined Thou lovest them as Creatures thou gavest them their Being and thou preservest it He preserves both Man and Beast Thou pitiest them as Sinners thou hast appointed a means for their relief and thou hast revealed it Thou providest for them as Christians thou hast sent the means blessed be thy Name and hast dispensed al those glorious Helps of Life and Grace And this is a high Favor for thou hast not dealt so with any Nation though thou dealest wel withal neither have the Heathen knowledg of thy waies Thou tenderest them as thy Saints appointed to Eternal Life with Grace as given unto Adam and he as a man had he kept the Covenant for himself and his and so a man by keeping of Covenant had brought man to Eternal Life But blessed Father thou hast not only communicated thy Grace but thy self unto me thou hast loved me before the World and I have enjoyed the neerest Union Thou in me and I in thee not as an infinite God who hast created al things sustainest what thou hast created governest guidest al things to their ends and in their ends for which they were created But as a Father I was with thee as thine everlasting delight and lay in thy Bosom O! this Love this endeared and intimate Love of a Father let my feeble poor Servants have some of that some relish of that As thou art in me and I in thee so they may be in me and in thee also O! let them have but a relish of this Love I have enough that they may be for ever refreshed everlastingly setled and established When the Spirits of Friends are most indeared to those that they would entertain with greatest content they are not satisfied to take what is next at hand or content themselves with ordinary or common Provision with course or mean Fare but they send far and neer spare no cost nor care nor pains nor expences but the best Rarities fetched from the remotest places purchased at dearest Rates preserved in the most especial manner and that on purpose to give such Persons wel-come to whom they are indeared as unto their own Souls and would lay out their heart for their hearts content It is so with our Savior That the Saints may know his endeared Affection to them and what Provision he hath laid in for their wel-come in Heaven he leaves this as his last farewel upon their Souls He tels them he doth not purpose to set before them ordinary Fare common Courtesies which he vouchsafes to al as Life
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
we grow skilful in the bearing of al trials we then out-bid al evils we meet with in others and in our own hearts meet with God in the exercise of al his rules injoy him in al and so our end and good in the bearing of it and therefore can want no good because we are not wanting to any rule nor exercise of any Grace or Duty 2. As the whole Soul doth put forth the exercise of al vertues to answer Gods wil and please him The Lord also he freely and fully lets in himself and communicates of al his glorious excellencies to the Soul and fils it ful of himself and the glorious expressions and operations of his Spirit pleaseth us and applies himself to us whereby the Soul is furnished and fitted to do more and have more of God Isa 64.5 Thou meetest him that rejoyceth and worketh righteousness He that doth more for God God communicates more to him A good work is the reward of it self Do and live That is do and be inabled to do For to live is to put forth acts of Obedience And when Adam had pleased God and attained this his Chief good and end he could go no further nor have any better and therefore the reward was That God would immutably assist him that he should be inabled to love him and please him So that however the Lord God is the Objective happiness of the Soul and so the happiness of al is equal and the same as God is the same Yet the more the heart is inlarged for God and laies out it self in holy services for his honor The more the Lord wil be in the communications of himself and the more ful and effectual in lettings of his gracious presence and operations of his Spirit into the Soul And so the reward is proportioned to the work Shall I withhold any thing from Abraham for I know that he will command his Children and his houshold after him and they shall keep the way of the Lord to do Justice and Judgment c. Gen. 18.17.19 He that loves and keeps The Father and Christ wil come and manifest or shew themselves to him Joh. 14.21.23 And 2 Chron. 16.9 He wil shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect towards him 3. The Soul acting upon God and meeting with him in al the acts and exercise of the whole man doth not only close with the operations and expressions of God let in But laies hold upon that infinite excellency and sufficiency in himself and sucks out a satisfactory sweetness therein through al eternity For though it be the end of the Soul being made for God to work for him and put forth al such operations yet I suspect the bare working is not al nor the ful end of the Soul But in this working to close with God and suck out a sufficiency of supply from him For no Creature that is finite can be the end of the Soul nor give satisfaction to it But all the expressions of God let in are such Therefore there is somthing more required Lament 3. The Lord is my portion Whom have I in Heaven Psal 73. Herein lies the pith of our happiness our pleasing of God our taking possession and so by fruition injoying of God But ever with this good wherein our blessedness doth consist There is ever a sweetness and pleasantness that doth accompany the fruition of this with a freedom and absence of any evil or grievance in the least kind or measure that may hurtfully annoy For where there is the fulness of an infinite good letting in it self suitable to our desires or wants there can be no grievance in reason possible The Aromatical sent of the Cordial is one thing the Cordial another The Posie is one the Smel another If a man were free from al Grievance in Heaven if the Soul should not close with God nor God let in the expressions of his Grace Heaven were a Hell Therefore this is not our happiness but an attendant upon it Psal 17.15 and 63.3 Thy loving kindness is better than life 2. Member is This is done in so perfect a manner as our Human Natures are capable of That lies in two things 1. We shal see and injoy God immediately not by means And 1 Cor. 13.12 We shal see him as he is And therefore not darkly but clearly not as vailed and covered in the works of Creation but see him Face to Face Therefore not see him sparingly and little of him not as he drops himself in the means and therefore we can see nor receive him in no other measure than they wil communicate but we shal lâ—ve at the Wel and Fountain Head he shal let out himself fully We shal know as we are known 1 Cor. 15.28 God shal be all in all 2. As there is nothing to lessen the fulness of the communication of himself and goodness so there is nothing to abate and take off the sweetness of the good we do injoy And this is the priviledg of Heaven the unconceivable beauty and brightness of the place may dâ—zel us but that it is free from the presence of any evil Rev. 21.27 No evil thing was ever there to defile it nor can come there to annoy it Eph. 1.21 Far above al principalities and powers Whereas had we been in the world we should have been amongst Devils and his Angels wicked and ungodly men the presence whereof would have been grievous to us though they should never have prevailed against us through their Malice 2. How this Vnion and Communion comes to be the top of this happiness 1. If we receive more from God and do more for him by this then we are more happy For the more we have of our end the more happy we be But by this we receive more from God and do more for him 1. More for him Because it was a principle of Grace which Adam received when he was created and it was that which should have been increased in a greater degree if he had been glorified But when man was lost it was not the Creature nor any mutable principle in the Creature that could bring the Soul to God or keep it with him But God sent his Son and the God-Head of Christ in the Nature of man could only and did only bring back the Soul to himself Nay God did his best as I may say and put forth the highest strain of his excellency Here was wisdom above al the Wisdom of Creation to contrive this Almighty power above al the power of the Creature to work this Grace above al the Grace of Creation that must establish this for that Grace which Adam had he lost It was not now saying Let man be Redeemed But Christ must shed his Blood or Els it could not be 2. Thess 1.10 Admired in them that Beleeve Admiration presumes somthing not expected or we cannot tel what to make of it when the Devils and wicked men who knew
sinners This is a faithful word and worthy of al acceptance and therefore the Soul looks out and saies It may be This keeps the Head above Water Reason 2. Here in the Gospel only is certainty to be had of some interest and special Title whereby the Soul may be encouraged and faith also find some foot-hold whereby the heart may bottom and bear up it self in some confidence For righteousness there is to be had from God in Christ but this Issues only in the communication of it from free mercy The Lord may do with his own what he will and therefore he may deny whom he wil and give to whom he please how then shal I know and have any ground or evidence upon any certainty that he wil do good to me God is bound to none True God is bound to none further then he will bind himself and he binds himself in no wise to the creature but by his promise and that he wil never deny who cannot deny himself Now in the Gospel only this promise and ingagement of God is revealed he hath promised to work the condition and then tied himself in his truth to do good to those whom he wil so fit for his mercy And now the Soul upon this notice grows in upon God here is a handle as it were for faith to lay hold on therefore said a word of promise Rom. 9.9 and therefore the whole Gospel is called the promise Gal. 3.29 Beleevers are said to be the Children of the promise that is of the Gospel Reason 3. The Gospel is the only means whereby the Soul is inabled with power from above even with a Spirit of Grace fâ—â— to go for succour and reliefe where it is thus evidenced and whence it hath now received some intimation of Gods ingagement intendment and so of certainty by which it may be incouraged to go upon such grounds as will never fail nor break under a man That he may go stedily and comfortably 2. Cor. 3.6 It s said to be the administration of the Spirit Not of the Letter that is there is not Barely a discovery and manifestation of what Gods mind and counsel is that should be done such the sense and meaning of words and sentences may descry set out and hold forth But there is a Spirit of power that is promised and so dispensed and conveyed in and by this word for to inable the Soul to do that which the Letter shews it should do Gods saying is doing his calling is making he speaks not only to the ear but conveyes a power by speaking Lazaruscome forth The dead shall hear John 5.25 Gal. 3.3 Received ye the Spirit even this Spirit by the preaching of the Law or by the Doctrin of faith This is the word by which God begets us Jam. 1.18 If in the Gospel there be that freeness of Grace that is sufficient to answer all the necessities and desires of the Heart certainty of promise to incourage it if it shal come and power and Spirit to inable it for to come Then The word of the Gospel is the only meanes to work faith Use 1. Of Terror This discovers the woeful and miserable condition of such who want this Gospel But especially the hainousness of the sin and the dreadful condemnation of such who Oppose the Gospel God hath shut up al under unbelief in the Kingdom of darkness under the power of the Prince of darkness they look out as prisoners through the Grates of Hell and Infidelity there is no possibility to help to a Key to open this Dore but the Key of the Gospel they wilfully keep the Dore bolted and refuse the only help which the Lord hath provided Christ hath purchased with his Blood appointed and sanctified by his spirit and doth promise to accompany for their deliverance yea this they oppose This was the doom and sentence which Paul passed upon them Act. 13.46 Ye judg your selves unworthy of everlasting life by putting away the word Thou stoppest thine ear at the glad tidings of it shuttest thine eyes at the righteousness thereof Puttest by and castest away withdrawest thy soul from under the prevailing power of that word Know Thou needest no Devil to accuse no witness to evidence no Judg to condemn thy practise doth judg thy self unworthy unfit to receive Grace who resistest it to share in mercy who despisest it or to injoy eternal life who hast rejected the offer of eternal life So Paul again sent those away with their load when they refused to hear Act. 28.26 Use 2. Instruction and Comfort Therefore this word of the Gospel shal undoubtedly be preserved and published and that until the end of the world as long as the Lord Christ hath any to be gathered any of his to be brought home to himself by a saving Faith They shal beleeve by this therefore they shal have this maugre al the malice the power and policy of Hel the rage and restless opposition of al the instruments of Satan That word cannot be falsefied This Prayer cannot be frustrated and therefore This work cannot be hindâ—ed Seem it never so improbable never so impossible in our Eyes and feeble apprehensions Measure not the power and Faithfulness and wisdom of the Lord by the scantling of our shallow apprehensions but know he hath said it and he wil doe it The fan is in his hand not in any mans hand It s said of the Apostles their sound went through the world They are compared to the course of the Sun in his Sphoere and Orb. So it wil be with his messenger when it is his mind to cal any of his His Doctrine is as the dew no man can hinder it from falling Either the means to the man or the man to the means he wil send Onesimus his theft shal bring him to prison and so to Pauls ministery and so to Heaven Naaman must go to be cured of his Leprosy and so meets with the Prophet to cure him of his sin Philip is sent post to the Eunuches Coach though it was in an extraordinary way Use 3. Examination Know whether our Faith be of the right make or no. Ask whence came it where hadst thou thy Faith by what word If it came the right way It came by preaching the Gospel It wil shew thee 1. Thou hadst once none 2. That thou art not able to beleeve Jam 1.18 By bis own good wil begat be us by the word of truth If thou canst say I heard thus and thus of a Christ and so I beleeved then it is in thy wil to beleeve not in Gods wil that begets thee 3. It wil shew thee that Faith is made of the immortal Seed of the word 1 Pet. 1.23 that is the Spirit in the promise That as a man is made up of the Seed which enters his constitution so made up of promises Hither belongs that of Eph. 5.30 We are Flesh of his Flesh and Bone of his Bone i. e. As the woman