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
Earth And truly were their hopes only in this life they were of all men most miserable and further than this Life men do not look nor can in truth see wanting Faiths Prospective which is the Evidence of things not seen that they so judg nay conclude it as beyond controversie And this somtime stumbled holy Asaph Psal 73. See also 1 John 3.1 2. Our Life is hid with Christ in God when Christ who is our Life shall appear then shall we also appear with him in Glory Because their Understandings are wholly perverted and their hearts also so corrupt that they are not able to judg of the Love of the Lord or the evidencing expressions thereof The god of this World hath so blinded their eyes that the beauty of Gods Grace and so the beams and heat of Gods Love cannot come home to their Consciences to convince them thereof And such is the corrupt distempered frame of their hearts that they savor only the things of the Flesh and not to have things suit their sensual Appetite or to contrive Contentments to their own carnal Affections they count it the greatest curse and expression of Gods distast and displeasure that may be The carnal heart savors the things of the Flesh nothing seems sweet unless it suits his corruption So that If the Life of a Beleever and so the Evidences of Gods Love be hid and cannot be discerned The hearts and minds of the World be so perverted and surfeted with the sweetness of their own lusts that they cannot judg of the fruits of Gods Love though presented before them Then it is no marvel that they do not know it nor acknowledg it as dispensed to the Saints The Point now explicated the Reasons which give in the Proof thereof will appear more easie and more undeniably plain 1. At the Day of Judgment the World of the wicked they come to have convicting Evidence which can neither be gain-sayed nor wil ever be removed what is a never failing proof of Gods Love by the sense woful Experience they have of Gods direful hatred and displeasure upon their own Souls Their hearts now find it and feel it their Consciences confess it their Judgments acknowledg it that the Plague of al Plagues the Curse of al Curses that wherein the venom of Gods Vengeance and infinite Indignation and hatred of the Lord from his Blessing and comforting presence to be destroyed from the Presence of the Lord and the Glory of his Power the glorious and powerful expression of his saving Mercy However formerly the soul while it was surfeting in its sinful distempers found no greater content nor conceived any greater favor than to have it ful of its own lusts and not to be crossed with the Counsel of the Lord and concluded no other Heaven nor happiness like the enjoying of their hearts delight without check of God or Conscience Yet now he sees the sweet and surfets of those sins become the greatest torment unto him the very quintessence of the Curse and the substance of the Sentence of Condemnation Depart from me ye cursed was the Commission thereof I thought nothing so delightful that I might without gainsaying depart from God by sinning therein the execution of Gods Indignation doth wholly appear to cast me out of his presence and to stake me down in his departure never to see his face enjoy his presence come within the smile of his Favor any more Therefore those who are brought so neer to God so accepted of him Christ at the right hand of the Father they at the right hand of Christ being ever with him what that Love is we cannot tel that is beyond our reach yet it is a fruit of the greatest Love we cannot but see and confess our departure being the fearful fruit of Gods fierce displeasure Thus Ecclesiasticus brings them in at the day of Judgment taking the shame to themselves which formerly they cast upon the Saints We Fools thought this mans life madness but now he is advanced and we cast out of Gods fight and presence for ever 2. They are fully convinced and experimentally perswaded that al this comes from Christ and not from them and from Christ as the Head of the Second Covenant for from Adam it could not come in whom they had a like share as al the Sons of Men hewed out of the same Rock and digged out of the same Pit had the same Nature as they had as good Abilities and as great means as they and yet notwithstanding they found infinitely beyond their power nay their own Apprehensions either to attain this nay it could not enter once into their thoughts that they who knew not Christ should receive him they who opposed him should become one Spiritually and one Spirit with him even as neer as the Members to the Head for so they now hear the Saints acknowledg it it was the Son that died for them that was sent from the living Father that they might live through him They now see the Son of God the Lord Jesus stands betwixt them and al their harms that no Devils can accuse them that no malice can charge them but Christ saies I have undertaken answered satisfied and they now come to be accepted as he advanced as he set up on the Throne to judg as he and to regin as he through al Eternity They who receive al this good from the Father through Christ as the Head of the Covenant for them and in their behalf and enjoy al next unto Christ they are loved as the Lord Jesus Christ O! we wretches hated them when God loved them contemned them when God honored them we did not know them and therefore wo unto us we despised them we looked at them as the basest of al men when they were more than men yea more excellent than the Angels the Spouse of Christ the Members of Christ the Beloved of the Father in Christ yea beloved as Christ USE 1. Hence we have matter of Patience for the Saints of God they are the contempt of the wicked the scorn of the World the Object of the ignominy and reproach of ungodly men But their Life is hid with Christ in God beyond their ken their reach and reason and no wonder they know nor them nor Christ The God of this World hath blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts no marvel that what they cannot see they cannot judg aright of they know not the things of the God of Heaven nor the work of his Grace nor the worth of his Servants The Saints are Princes but they are not in their Country they are in strange places and amongst strange People who do not know them and therefore cannot honor them and therefore they are content to bear it for the while to stay til they come into their own Countrey and to the day of Coronation Saies Paul I pass not for mans day This is mans day but at that day the day of Jesus c. The
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
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
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
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
aprâ—â—d Your Souls refuse comfort peace and assurance unless it be granted on your manner and therefore God seals it not up in the Soul VERSE 25.26 Righteous Father the world doth not know thee but I have known thee and these know that thou hast sent me And I have declared c. THe verse containes the close of our Saviors prayer wherein he ascends in his thoughts and desires to the utmost top of that heavenly happiness that can be enjoyed or in truth begged for the Saints when they shal come to the end of their Hopes And herein he reserves the best until last leaves a sweet â—aâ—ewel and rellish that he might raise up his own heart and the hearts of his Disciples to the highest piâ—ch not only leads and presents them to the throne of glory puts them in the armes of his mercy but leaves them in the bosom yea lodgeth them in the heart-Blood of his Fatherly love and faithfulness which doth not only exceed the very expectation of a Creature as he came out of Gods hands and needs look no further than the perfection of Adam and Innocency would carry him into but swallows up the Soul in everlasting admiration that he should come so neer unto God and be received in that indeared affection of a Father that he is entertained with no less but the like love as Jesus Christ hath been beloved of God and the Father of love We are then come to the Pinnacle of the perfection of happiness it self and there seems to be somthing more one step higher than the glorious Grace of Heaven look we only to the glory of that Grace that shal be imprinted upon the Saints and perfected in them at that time Here we have the Diamond of the Crown of glory even the love of the Father whereby he hath loved Christ himself and which is better than life it self or sanctifying Grace it self when it is come to the greatest perfection as we shal indeavor to speak to it when we come to that place It s the last resolution of Pauls confidence and the top of the rock whereon the Soul rests It s beyond al gunshot I am peeswaded c. That neither Principalities nor powers c. Shal ever be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ It was before al these therefore it cannot be reached by any of these In the twenty fifth and twenty sixth Verses we have two things 1. A description of the person to whom the Prayer is made Righteous Father an expression not recorded in al the new Testament beside nor can I sodainly find it in al the Old As though it were reserved on purpose for this place And for this Prayer of our Savior 2. The Prayer it self wherein are four Particular 1. The thing our Savior eyes and desires in the last words That the love c. 2. The Party who intreats in their behalf 3. The persons for whom whose worth and excellency is here set forth by their effects and that special Communion and Communication or intercourse between them and the Father 1. I know thee 2. These also know that thou hast sent me 3. A dis-similitude and unlike Condition of the wicked The World doth not know thee 4. The Means here used and that which is resolved on to be improved for this end that it may be attained which is sought for with such earnestness I have manifested thy Name and will manifest it Begin we with the Description of the Person Righteous Father In the words our Savior looks at God and at that in God which might give him greatest encouragement to seek and greatest assurance to speed of that which he did desire from the hand of the Lord. Righteous This is attended in a double Consideration so far as suits the place and purpose in hand 1. Properly speaking according to our apprehension and the practice of the vertue in our ordinary converse betwixt man and man it 's that vertue whereby we give every one their due and that is either by way of distribution called distributive Justice in giving Honor to whom Honor belongs or of Commutation in our Contracts and Bargainings when we make payment according to the worth and price of things called Commutative Justice or else Corrective Justice when in Civil Judicature of Causes and Persons we respect no mans Person but the equity and right of the Cause and give to every Cause his ful due Some Needle-headed men who are sharp and Eagle-sighted in the search of Secrets they have conceived and concluded That this Commutative Justice cannot be attributed to God For they imagine it would cast some kind of disparagement and imperfection upon the Majesty of the Almighty 1. That God should be bound and become a Debtor to the Creature 2. Where Commutative Justice is there one may receive somthing from another as wel as give somthing to another With this I wil not now meddle because it is not the special intent of the place However I confess the subtilty of the Conceit wil not easily satisfie my Apprehension For I see no more disparagement put upon God to be bound by the Goodness of his Nature than to be bound by his free Promâ—e He is Debtor to his own wil in the one as to his Nature in the other Nor do Iâ—ee what prejudice is done to the Soveraignty of Gods Wil and absolute Dominion to say The goodness of his Will cannot go cross to his Justice then it cannot go cross to his infinite Wisdom and Prudence which all grant Besides Justice is exercised according to the Nature of that Commerce and Intercourse which is betwixt the Parties with whom it is exercised As the Justice of God may have wrong by the breach of a Rule so it may receive content and satisfaction equally by the full restoring of a Rule Though no intrinsecal hurt can be done to the Essence of God for in that there is no intercourse of Justice betwixt the Creature and Creator Yet there may be wrong done to the Covenant of God in which regard Justice only is to be attended as it is exercised betwixt God and the Creature If it were a disparagement to God to receive equal to wrong done how could the merits of Christ give equal satisfaction for our sins and that to the exact Justice of God wherein the Glory of Gods Justice is not prejudiced but advanced It Justice wil require the manifestation of his Goodness by the work of the Creature It 's but equal in case it be wronged in her Commands to glorifie his Severity in punishing By some proportion in case it be pleased and content it may reward the work by blessing Neither doth Justice deprive her self of the Dominion of that which she doth bestow but in what she bestows and they receive in al they are bound to serve and yield obedience unto Justice Besides by Justice thus to convey a change deprives God no more of the
that is the Father appointing and sending The other Viz. The Son coming upon that commission of love and life for the good of his which they knew and in which they rejoyce That Christ who was in the commission to work this and they for whom it was wrought and knew it have an interest in it and take content to injoy it That such persons should Beg for such Priviledges From such a Father whose heart is towards them and their minds and hearts towards him and his Fatherly affection This must of necessity be of great power to prevail with so righteous a Father to hear and grant therefore we must hold it to this point and respect Christ knows him as a righteous Father The Lord Christ hath the knowledg of the Father and his love and Faithfulness in an especial manner Take a place or two which wil give undeniable testimony to this truth Math. 11.25 No man knows the Father but the Son and he to whom the Son wil reveal him Joh. 1.18 No man hath seen the Father at any time but the only begotten Son who was in the Bosom of the Father He saw al his Bosom secrets and was fully acquainted with Gods heart and counsels he hath revealed them unto us And therefore the Apostle issues al here speaking concerning the deep things of God The Spirit searcheth the deep things of God that is of the Father but how come we to rellish either the things of the Father or Spirit who hath known the mind of God Why we have Christs mind and he knows the Fathers mind And our Savior professeth as much touching this expression Joh. 8â—38 Ye speak the things that ye have seen with your Father and I speak the things that I have seen with my Father Here we shal open three things 1. How Christ as Second Person is said to knâ—w the Father 2. How as Man becomes to share in this knowledg 3. The Reason of it To the First For the right apprehending how the Second Person may in a peculiar manner be said to know the Father we must conceive that the knowledg of Christ as Second person may be attended upon a double consideration or ground 1. As it Issues from the understanding of the God-Head For God according to the expression of the Scripture being a Spirit of al other most excellent and therefore reasonable he must have the most excellent faculties and therefore understanding and wil. For what is most eminent that we have allowance from the rule to beleeve that it doth belong to the God-Head and we may so conceive of it From this understanding it is that the God-Head is said to be Omniscient to know al things that are knowable This being an Attribute of the Deity it doth equally belong to al the persons For al the Persons having one and the same God-Head they have equally al the Attributes of the God-Head indifferently equally belonging to them Therefore al are eternal immortal infinâ—e Omnipotent Omniâ—cient and so know al things and â—o know each other in this generall sense and the Father and spirit know the Son and He them by this kind of knowledg But this is too large not here attended For it is not proper to say That the God-Head knows the Father to be Father of it with that speciâ—l reference or that the God-Head should cal the Father my Father I say it is not proper nay it is not true For the Father is not the Father of the God-Head but of the Son If it could cal the Father as Father of it then it should be the Son of the Father then it should be begotten of the Father But the Father begets the Son not the God-Head That which belongs to the God-Head belongs to al the persons as being common then to the Spirit Then the spirit might know and cal the Father the Father of it but that he is not That which belongs to the God-Head belongs to the Father and so the Father might be a Son to himself 2. This knowledg is to be considered according as it attends the manner of the work of the understanding which carries a specialty of respect with it in the act thereof and so it may in a peculiar manner be affirmed of Father and Son and in the several regards appropriated unto either The reason whereof we shal scan anon as it comes in our way when the understanding of the God-Head by knowing it self conceiveth an image of it self makes an impress or engraven character of it self which it ever eyes and owns this manner of knowing belongs to the Father and thence Issues an especial manner of knowing the Father by and in the Son As Joh. 10.15 As the Father knows me I know the Father And that appears in a Three-fold act of the Son 1. The Son takes the Impression of his Image 2. Returnes it 3. Eyes and ownes the Imprinter of it 1. Takes this Impression The Father gives him Sonship and the nature of al relation requires they give being each to other The Father by understanding conceives an Image the Son is the Image conceived As a man is not a Father because he is a man but because he begets a Son A man is not a Son because he is a man but because he is begotten of a Father So the God-Head is not a Father because God-Head but because it conceives an Image of it self The Son is not a Son because God but because he is conceived of another who did conceive This is the meaning of the Apostle The words are marvailous pat and Pithy and carry wieght with them but answer exactly to the thing in Hand Hebr. 1.3 Christ as the second person is called The Ingraven Form or Character of the Fathers Person The word signifies to ingrave and implies an Image of a thing not feigned only in our mind and Imagination nor vanishing and changing as in a representation in a Glass as the form of the face thâ—re But a form or resemblance Ingraven Cut or instamped on Brass or Wood which hath stability permanency with it As Beza in Locum 2. Returns this Impression As the Son takes all from the Father â—o he Returns al to the Father It is the Nature of those things that are relates or in relation to look one towards another and to give being relative one to another That is the meaning of the Apostles other phrase in the place formerly alledged Hebr. 1.3 Christ is the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Shine of his glory the word signifies a Light or brightness shining from a Light a shine from a light reflecting or looking back to that reflection of light again And here by the way ye have the rise and reason of these divers manners of understanding in the God-Head and so the diverse subsistences and Personalities Namely because the understanding of the God-Head acting upon it self it becomes to be reflected and turned back upon it self If there be a reflect act
the Lord Jesus the Son of his Love blessed for ever and that to such as they are so unworthy and vile in themselves so loathsom and abominable by reason of the Number and Nature of their Hellish Iniquities That it seems so cross to the compass of al Reason that they cannot but cavil at it as a thing absurd and unreasonable to beleeve and their distrustful and guilty hearts cannot but reject it as a thing impossible Yea the Disciples themselves when the hardness of the work was resembled by a comparison from our Savior they cried out Who then can be saved To make known and make good this Ambassage to the Soul God must make known his Almighty Power to the sinner which he only that feels is forced to confess others cannot conceive So Paul to the Ephesians Chap. 1.17 c. praies for a Spirit of Wisdom and Revelation another Spirit and common Understanding cannot come neer such things That they might know the excessive exceeding great Activity of the might Power of God in bringing a sinner home to himself verse 19. and therefore the Convert 1 Cor. 14.24 when he hath but a glimpse hereof in the search of the Secrets of his own heart he fals down and confesseth God is in you of a Truth It 's the Wisdom Power Soveraignty of a God It 's beyond al created Power ever to discover such things to work so upon the Soul 2. As the Power that settles the Message so the Light that discovers the Beauties and Excellencies that are therein utterly beyond apprehension expectation admiration Peter professeth that the very Angels of Heaven pry into these Secrets delight to lie down and look wishly into them because they lie so low and deep beyond their discerning 1 Pet. 1.11 yea the Apostle Paul concludes the Eye never saw the Ear never heard nay it never entred into the heart of man to conceive thâ—se things 1 Cor. 2.9 Nothing can be seen by proof and observation nothing heard by report from others no such thing can be anvilled and contrived by the conceitings of al the Understanding of men and yet they are such things which God hath revealed by his Spirit in the Gospel Hence the Phrase 1 Pet. 2.9 God hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous Light Every thing is a Mystery a marvel in the work of Grace when once we have an Eye to see We marvel at our own wretchedness and baseness we marvel at Gods Patience to bear with such worthless and sinful ones as we be our Peace is marvelous such as passeâ—h al understanding joy marvelous unspeakable and glorious And the ungodly meddle not in any of these things being indeed unknown to them There is hid Manna Revel 2. Secret and unconceivable refreshings â—ound in Câ—rist a white Stone and a new Name which no man knows but he that hath it and therefore he judgeth all things saith the Apostle he that is Spiritual and is judged of no man And Lastly For the setling of the heart It lets in such an overbearing both Power and Sweetness of the good thus known that it carries the heart along with it and settles and keeps the heart to it And therefore it ever hath Faith accompanying it They that know thy name wil trust in thee Psal 9 10. Hadst thou known who it is that said unto thee give me to drink thou wouldst have asked of him and he would have given thee living Water Joh. 4.10 Therefore she should have asked in Faith By this we know that we do know We have the science of knowledge that we have the truth and soundness of Faith And somtimes yea frequently in the phrase of Scripture it is put for faith Joh. 17.3 This is Eternal life to know thee that is to beleeve in thee 2. The means how this knowledge comes to settle the faithful Answ It is by the means which God in the course of his Providence appointment hath ordained for that end that is his good word in the Scriptures recorded by his Ministery delivered to them It is true there is a spirit of Wisdom and revelation that is put forth in this dispensation but it s as true that this Spirit goes along with this word and works in this word as seems good to the good pleasure and wil of Christ The place is more precious than Pearls and worthy to be retained in the table of our hearts for ever Joh. 17.7 8. Now they to wit the Apostles Have known that all things whatever thou hast given me are of thee Whence comes that Answer verse 8. I have given to them the words which thou givest me and they have received them and have known surely that I came out from thee and they have beleeved that thou didst send me Loe The words that God the Father gave Christ the words of he Gospel Evâ—ngelium that good tidings he gave the Apostles And they received them and by them they knew that Christ came from God and beleeved he was sent of that message Quest Is this the condition of all the Saints Answ For the reality and substance of what hath been said it appertains to al though there be much difference in the manner and measure how these discoveries come to be dispensed Object But we see by experience many of Gods own are Ignorant here Answ There is a discovery of these in a manner and measure to al for al have that spiritual light all have notice of that Ambassage of peace of love and of life brought them in and by Christ and by that overbearing power and light those good things of Christ in the Gospel are discovered so convictingly and set on so efficaciously that the heart is kept to them By such a knowledg they come to be apprehended and receive But there is a reflect act when our understanding views and looks over the work of the mind and heart so that we know that we do know and know that we do receive This the Saints may and do want many times for some while We have this dispatcht the four Particulars and so cleared our way to the understanding of the Doctrine proposed which was The Saints have a special knowledg that the Lord Christ is sent of God the Father for the work of their Salvation We shal now proceed to the Reasons and Uses in few words The Reason of the point is double 1. From the Office of our Savior Reas 1. and the Aim and scope he hath in the execution of the work thereof He comes not to do his own wil nor to seek his own glory but to do the wil and seek the glory of him that sent him Therefore he must dispense al as from him draw al Eyes and hearts towards him For the Nature of an Ambassage doth of necessity imply and require this It makes al to look to the person who sends the Ambassage whose power and pleasure is there firstly attended and leads al by the hand
sleep and vanish into eternal darkness and silence than to make mention of them And upon al these accounts we have great boldness to commend these Sermons to the VVorld withal assuring the Reader that they are all as they were penned under his own hand Praying with all earnestness that the holy Spirit of Christ who dwelt in the Author so richly and blessed his preaching of them with so much life and power yea that filled our Savior Christs heart first in his praying and uttering these words and then his beloved Disciples so many yeers after in the penning of them would graciously accompany this quickning and Heavenly Exposition of them to the hearts of al spiritual souls that read this June 14. 1656. Thomas Goodwyn Philip Nye The Name of several Books printed by Peter Cole in Leaden-Hall London and are to be sold at his Shop at the sign of the Printing-press in Cornhil neer the Exchange Mr. Hookers Books that are printed Eleven Books made in New-England by Mr. Thomas Hookers and printed from his own Papers written with his own hand are now Published in three Volums two in Quarto and one in Octavo Viz. The Application of Redemption by the Effectual work of the word and Spirit of Christ for the bringing home of lost sinners unto God The first Book on 1 Pet. 1.18.19 The second on Math. 1.21 The third on Luk. 1.17 The fourth on 2 Cor. 6.2 The fift on Math. 20.5 6 7. The sixt on Revel 3.17 The seventh on Rom. 87. The eight on John 6.44 The Ninth on Isa 57.15 The Tenth on Act. 2.37 The Last Viz. Christs Prayer for Beleevers on John 17. There are six more Books of Mr. Hookers now printing in two Volums Nineteen several Books of Mr. William Bridge Collected into two Volumns Viz. 1 The Great Gospel Mystery of the Saints Comfort and Holiness opened and applied from Christs Priestly Office 2 Satans Power to Tempt and Christs Love to and Care of His People under Temptation 3 Thankfulness required in every Condition 4 Grace for Grace or the Overflowing of Christs Fulness received by all Saints 5 The Spiritual Actings of Faith through Natural Impossibilities 6 Evangelical Repentance 7 The Spiritual Life and In-being of Christ in all Beleevers 8 The Woman of Canaan 9 The Saints Hiding-place in time of Gods Anger 10 Christs Coming is at our Midnight 11 A Vindication of Gospel Ordinances 12 Grace and Love beyond Gifts 13 Scripture Light the most sure Light compared with 1. Revelations and Visions 2. Natural and Supernatural Dreams 3. Impressions with and without Word 4. Light and Law within 5. Divine Providence 6. Christian Experience 7 Humane Reason 8. Judicial Astrology Delivered in Sermons on 2 Pet. 1.19 14 Christ in Travel Wherein 1 The Travel of his soul 2 The first and after effects of his Death 3. His Assurance of Issue 4 And His satisfaction therein Are opened and cleered in three Sermons on Esay 53.11 15 A Lifting up for the Cast-down in case of 1. Geat sin 2. Weakness of Grace 3. Miscarriage of Duties 4. Want of Assurance 5. Affliction 6. Temptation 7. Dissertion 8. Unserviceableness 9. Discouragements from the Condition it self Delivered in thirteen Sermons on Psalm 42.11 His Four Sermons concerning 16 Sin against the Holy Ghost 17 Sins of Infirmities 18 The False Apostle tried and Discovered 19 The Good and means of Establishment And the great Things Faith can Do and Suffer Eleven Books of Mr. Jeremiah Burroughs lately published also the Texts of Scripture upon which they are grounded 1 The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment on Phil. 4.11 Wherein is shewed 1 What Contentment is 2 It is an Holy Art and Mystery 3 The Excellencies of it 4 The Evil of the contrary sin of Murmuring and the Aggravations of it 2 Gospel Worship on Levit. 10.3 Wherein is shewed 1 The right manner of the Worship of God in general and particularly In Hearing the Word Receiving the Lords Supper and Prayer 3 Gospel Conversation on Phil. 1.17 Wherein is shewed 1 That the Conversations of Beleevers must be above what could be by the Light of Nature 2 Beyond those that lived under the Law 3 And sutable to what Truths the Gospel holds forth To which is added The Misery of those men that have their Portion in this Life only on Psal 17.14 4 A Treatise of Earthly Mindedness Wherein is shewed 1 What Earthly mindedness is 2 The great Evil there of on Phil. 3. part of the 19. Verse Also to the same Book is joyned A Treatise of Heavenly Mindedness and Walking with God on Gen. 5.24 and on Phil. 3.20 5 An Exposition on the fourth fifth sixth and seventh Chapters of the Prophesie of Hosea 6 An Exposition on the eighth ninth and tenth Chapters of Hosea 7 An Exposition on the eleventh twelfth and thirteenth Chapters of Hosea being now compleat 8 The Evil of Evils or the exceeding Sinfulness of Sin on Job 36 11. 9 Precious Faith on 2 Pet. 1.1 10 Of Hope on 1 John 3.3 11 Of Walking by Faith on 2 Cor. 5.7 Eleven several Books by Nich. Culpeper Gent. Student in Physick and Astrology 1 The Practice of Physick containing seventeen several Books Wherein is plainly set forth The Nature Cause Differences and Several Sorts of Signs Together with the Cure of all Diseases in the Body of Man Being chiefly a Translâ—tion of the Works of that Learned and Renowned Doctor Lazarus Riverius now living Councellor and Physitian to the present King of France Above fifteen thousand of the said Books in Latin have been Sold in a very few Yeers having been eight times printed though all the former Impressions wanâ—ed the Nature Causes Signs and Differences of the Diseases and had only the Medicines for the Cure of them as plainly appears by the Authors Epistle 2 The Anatomy of the Body of Man Wherein is exactly described the several parts of the Body of Man illustrated with very many larger Brass Plates than ever was in English before 3 A Translation of the New Dispensatory made by the Colledg of Physitians of London Whereunto is added The Key to Galen ' s Method of Physick 4 The English Physitian Enlarged 5 A Directory for Midwives or a Guide for Women Newly enlarged by the Author in every sheet and Illustrated with divers new Plates 6 Galâ—u's Art of Physick with a largâ— Comment 7 A New Method both of studying and practising Physick 8 A Trestise of the Rickets 9 Medicaments for the Poor or Physick for the Common People 10 Health for the Rich and Poor by Diet without Physick 11 Riolanus Anatomy in which with the Anatomy is exactly described 1. The Diseases incident to every Part of the Body of Man 2. How the Diseases are Seated in each Part. 3. The Cure of each Disease as it 's seated in that Part. A Godly and fruitful Exposition on the first Epistle of Peter By Mr. John Rogers Mister of the word of God at Dedham in Essex The Wonders
130 1 The ground whence this In-being proceeds ibid. 2 The ready way to apprehend the Nature of it rightly ib. 3 How it may be attended in our Savior as God and Man ibid. The first expressed in two Conclusions ibid. The second made good in four Particulars Page 131 Three things for Explication of the third Page 134 This manner of existing appears in the Humane Nature in a three-fold regard Viz. Of Vnion Mission Operation ib. The In-being of the Father in the Son is the first rise whence the Vnity of the faithful with the Father and the Son is perfected Page 137 The Doctrine opened ibid. 1 Recal what this oneness is Page 139 2 How it 's perfected ibid. This Imperfection lies in three things Page 140 1 In the unsoundness of our spirit ibid. 2 Crossness to the power of the Spirit Page 141 3 When the soul will joyn anything with Christ Page 142 Use 1. For Comfort Page 143 Use 2. For Exhortation Page 144 Ver. 23. That the world may know that thou hast sent me and loved them as thou lovest me Page 145 The words contain a double end of this Dispensation ib. 1 That the world may know thou lovest me ibid. 2 That thou lovest them as thou lovest me ibid. Three Particulars to open Page 146 The first opened as chiefly intended Page 147 That passage of John 3.35 The Father loveth the Son is 1 Opened 2 The Reasons given 3 The Vses propounded ibid. Christs Love shews it self in three Particulars ibid. Reasons upon which Love grows are three Page 151 1 Neerness 2 Likenest 3 Suitableness of worth ibid. Use 1. Of Reprehension Page 152 Use 2. Of Tryal Page 154 Use 3. Of Exhortation Page 155 DOCT. God the Father loveth the Faithful as he loveth Jesus Christ Page 156 Two things opened Page 158 1 Wherein the love of the Father to the Saints shews it self ibid. 2 That it is like to that wherewith he loved his Son ibid. The first appears by three things ibid. 1 Love of Vnion 2 Complacence 3 Benevolence ibid. Quest oâ— 2 Thes 1.12 Is there any Name higher than the Name of Christ Page 163 Answered by expounding the place ibid. Use 1. Comfort to the Saints because God loves them Page 164 Use 2. Terror to those that hate them ibid. Use 3. They are worthy our Love Page 165 The Father loves the Saints as he loves his Son proved in each particular ibid. I. Instruction The sins of the faithful are more grievous to God than the sins of other persons Page 170 Instance in two Evils unto which the Saints are usually subject Page 172 1 To question Gods love ibid. 2 To undervalue it ibid. Object Though God loves me yet my grounds are weak Page 174 Answ Gods love is above all Graces thou canst desire ib. 2. Instruction Gods love to the Sainrs is unchangeable Page 176 Use Study to answer Gods love in manner and measure Page 178 That the world may know thou hast loved them as thou lovst me Page 180 A double end mentioned by our Savior ibid. The first End ibid. Two things noted from hence Page 181 1 It is lawful to pray often for the same thing ibid. 2 We ought to pray earnestly that the power of our Savior might be expressed Page 182 The Second End Page 183 Two Points in the words ib. Quest 1. How wicked men can be truly said to know the love of God to Beleevers which is a thing so secret that is not oftentimes made known to the Saints themselves Page 185 Answ three-fold ibid. Quest 2. Why do not the world know this in this life Page 188 Answ For a two-fold Reason ibid. Use 1. Of Patience Page 191 Use 2. Of Exhortation Page 192 Verse 24. Father I wil that those whom thou hast given me be with me c. Page 194 Two things especially attended in this Prayer ibid. We may attend four things in this Prayer Page 195 The General Observation It 's the care of our Savior to seek for the welfare of his servants Page 197 Use 1. For Consolation Page 201 Use 2. For Instruction Page 203 Use 3. For Direction Page 204 The particular Scope Page 205 DOCT. All Beleevers are given to Christ by God the Father Page 205 Two Questions for Explication of this Doctrine answered Page 206 Reason 1. ibid. Reason 2. Page 211 Use 1. For Information Page 213 The second Particular Page 214 Three Points observed especially in it ibid. Use 1. Of Instruction Page 221 Use 2. Of Assurance Page 222 Use 3. To make us willing to die Page 323 Use 4. To see the hainousness of rebellion against Christ in Glory Page 324 The words opened in four particulars Page 325 Use 1. Of Terror Page 332 Use 2. For Direction Page 333 Use 3. For Comfort Page 334 The particulars of it 1 It cures all fears Page 335 2 Supplies al wants 3 Rescues from Enemies 4 Removes guilt of sin 5 Strengthens all Graces 6 Quickens all Duties 7 Gives Eternal Life All proved severally Use 4. For Instruction Page 342 The eternal Glory of Christ is a gift of the eternal love of the Father Page 344 Two things opened 1 What is meant by this love Page 345 2 How this love is the cause of Glory ibid. Reason 1 Page 348 Use 1. For Tryal Page 350 Use 2. For Comfort Page 353 Use 3. Of Direction ibid. Doctrine from the Second Particular Our Savior doth desire to have the faithful in Heaven with himself Page 354 Three Reasons Page 356 Use 1. Of Instruction Page 358 Use 2. Of Reprehension Page 359 Use 3. Of spiritual Comfort Page 360 Use 4. Of Exhortation Page 362 1 What hinders Page 363 2 What helps this Vnion Hindrances are three ib. Helps are three Page 364 The third Particular is That they might see his Glory Page 365 DOCT. The happiness of our being in Heaven to see Christs Glory Page 366 Three things to be enquired 1 What this Glory is Page 368 2 What it is to see it ibid. 3 How the sight of this glory brings happiness ibid. For the second Enquiry consider 1 What his beholding implies Page 370 2 The manner how it is done ibid. This manner appears in three things Page 371 To the third Particular a double Reason propounded Page 376 Use 1. Of Instruction Page 379 Use 2. To Examine Page 380 Use 3. Of Direction Page 381 Means are three ibid. Verse 25 26. The Verse contains the close of our Saviors Prayer Page 383. 1 A description of the Person to whom be praies Page 384 2 The Prayer it self wherein are four Particulars ibid. Two Points considerable 1 We must look unto Gods excellency whence we may receive what we pray for Page 388 2 God in faithfulness dispenseth his fatherly Love to us Page 390 Two things opened 1 Wherein Gods faithfulness consists ibid. 2 The reason why be thus dispenseth his love ibid. Use 1. For Instruction Page 392 Use 2. Consolation Page 393 Use
a Son The Son is not therefore Son because he is God but because he hath a Father for they are both equally one God and have the Deity indifferently agreeing to them both As a man is not therefore a Husband because he is a man for then every man should be a husband but in reference to the Woman he hath married And hence the Father is said to be in the Son and the Son in the Father namely to be one in this mutual respect The Father had an Eye only to the Son in giving his subsistence of a Son The Son again hath an Eye to the Father alone returning the being of his sonship to him And they are prefect in this They wholly give wholly take Thus they are said to be in each other Joh. 14.10 Beleevest thou not that I am in the Father and the Father in me so said again to be one with another and delighting one in another Prov. 8.30 And mutually to glorifie one another Father glorifie thy Son that thy Son may glorifie thee Joh. 17.1 3. The second person in the glorious Trinity so takes our Human Nature into personal Union with him that he is the same person he was no other and it becomes one person with him leanes upon him hath his dependance from him looks alone to him for his subsistence As a Son he assumes our Nature and as a Son with our Nature looks to the Father Therefore said he doth nothing of himself but what he sees the Father do Joh. 5.19 As the Father hath life in himself so he hath given to he Son to have life in himself because the Son of man verse 26.27 4. As the Father is said to beget his Son and give being to him so the Son as thus begotten assumes our Nature be comes the Head of the covenant and gives being of Sonship to his Children and they returne al that being to the Lord Christ and the Father in him Therefore called the eternal Father Isa 9.6 Hebr. 2.1 3. Here am I and the Children thou hast given me called also his seed The manner of which words may thus be conceived The Lord hath purchased the Spirit he is said then to beget when he sends the spirit of Sons inâ—o their Hearts which by the immutable assistance thereof sets their hearts for God holds the bent thereof towards him alone as their Father and principle of life As they receive this being of Sons they returne it wholly to the Father in Christ The whole man in the whol and that with his whol strength fastens upon God in Christ acted wholly by the influence of his spirit and holds the not excellency thereof The Sum of all out of all that hat been said 1. Vnity is the chiefest priviledg for which Christ prayes and beleevers can partake of as their peculiar good in themselves I add that In themselves because there be higher ends than this in the Text To-wit the setting up of God in Christ in the Consciences of the ungodly that they may be forced to confess that God sent his Son to this end That he loved them as he loved Christ There is yet another and higher end That they may behold and wonder and be swallowed up in the admiration of the glory of Christ which the Father hath given him Enquire here how far Christ being in the Saints and his love in them may yet be a higher end than this 2. This Vnity is not the unity of affection between each other so much but the unity of relation to God in Christ That as the Father is in the Son and the Son in the Father by eternal generation Beleevers so ought to be in both by spiritual Adoption 3. In this Spiritual Adoption as there is an influence from God in Christ to bend and settle the frame of the Heart towards him So there is a re-fluence and return by the power and impression left of the same spirit to come again to him Conveyance of help on Gods hand should quicken our dependance to look to him and stay our selves with him there 4. Had Adam stood his posterity out of principles in themselves might have challenged happiness though a covenant performed by a man conveyed by a man unto them by way of natural generation But in the covenant of the Gospel the second Adam the second person taking our Nature by the power of the Deity wrought al for us communicates al to us by the same almighty power inables us to receive what we have from him To be acted in al by him To return all to him The mutable principle in the creature never brought a man to God nor kept him with him But the mutable presence and Spirit of Christ So that there is a priviledg here above that principle of Grace that was in Adam for that was but a creature But here the spirit and so the power of God through Christ that takes our Nature into the neerest union with him even personal which in Adam it attained not in that purchaseth all for us Not a principle in us firstly but the spirit of God in Christ it is by which the bent of our Hearts are held and carried towards him acted by him and so inabled to hold out the vertue power praise and excellency of the spirit in Christ from the Father So that a poor creature is compassed about with nothing but whith the power of God in Christ and becomes one with Father and Son in their mutual relation to them and totall dependance upon them And this is above the innocency and excellency of Adam in Paradise and all that he could attain unto and above all created Grace in Heaven being wholly taken up with God in Christ and loose our selves in God and Christ Eph. 4.13 The acknowledgment of the Son of God It was not the Son of man that did it The Son of God that recovered us held the bent of our hearts to him acted us kept us perfected us crownes us God shal be all in all The Father gives being to the Son returnes all to the Father and that eternal generation and so one The Lord Christ as a son and begotten of the Father gives us the being of Children by Adoption sets us and holds us We take al acted by him return to him As the Father in Christ gives all we receive and to the Father through Christ we return al and so we are one in the Father and the Son I. Reason 1. Because this is the scope of our Saviors coming into the world and the next end I say the next end he intended in the great work of Redemption which he wrought for lost man To bring him into this neer relation of dearest Love of the Father by himself and the work of his spirit and it s that wherein the life and power and pith of the covenant of Grace doth especially consist and appeare and the excellency thereof That peculiar and spiritual intercourse not alone
composition of parts compleat and in a sweet order there is a free intercourse of blood and spirits between each part and in each passage whence the whole is in perfect strength and each part active and able to its office But when there grow obstructions the passages between part and part are stopped the work is hindered and the whole prejudiced both in health and strength So it is when this Oneness and this neer relation in the power and expressions of it betwixt the Soul and the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ hath his ful and free-passage There is a special intercourse of the presence and spiritual influence of the spirit of Adoption upon the soul whence follows a quickning vertue and inlarged fruitfullness in all the services to God and man As they are one with the Father and Christ so are they wholly acted by them and approve both their hearts and carriages unto them in all well pleasing So the Apostle 1. Joh. 3.6 He that abideth in Christ sinneth not but he that sinneth hath not seen him nor known him Use to Instruct Comfort Exhort Us. 1. Instruction The practise of our Savior is a precedent and pattern of praying to al the faithful unto the end of the world teaching us how we should order our desires when we appear before the Lord and put up our petitions unto the throne of Grace Thou seest here what our Savior seeks for sues for and that in thy behalf and for thy good yea when he would lay in for the relief of his servants and provide for their comfort in this world before he was to go into another world When he would suit them with blessings and good things that might be serviceable for their everlasting wellfare This is the great and grand request and that put up in the first place That they may be one in us Go thy way do thou likewise pray thou likewise Let this petition have the chief place in thy heart and the first place in thy prayer As the Apostle in another case I may in this Let the same mind be in thee that was in Jesus Christ He is most wise and best knows what may procure our good and is more merciful and careful for our wellfare than we our selves If wise and knows best merciful and cares more for our eternal good than we for our selves when we have such a Guid that can not erre who shews us the way we may safely follow it A pattern beyond all exception we may nay we ought if we be wise-hearted to imitate it The prayer of our Savior is the standard by this we should make al prayers judg all True in every thing our prayers and supplications ought to be made known to God What ever we would have or have a sanctified use of seek it and seek a blessing upon it what ever we receive be thankful for it But that which is of greatest worth we have most need of and may receive most good by affect that more than al the rest and seek that before all other Of the six Petitions but one for worldly things Where the Lord in his word bestows more lives and labour to direct thee bestow thou most care to attend and take it Set then this prayer of our Savior a Sampler dayly before thine Eyes when thou comest to petition good things for thy self say It is not the profiting of this world that may inrich not comforts conveniences which might content that I seek for But Oh that I and al mine and al thine the families of thy servants and the assembly may be not one only in affection but one in that neerest relation of dearest love to thee blessed Father and blessed redeemer That we might not live but thou wouldest live in us That we may be al one in thee Use 2. Comfort We have here matter of unconceiveable comfort to support the feeble spirit and fetch up the fainting and drooping hearts of the poor and faithful servants of the Lord. What ever difficulty ye meet withal that may dismay you what ever opposition from without which may resist and hinder or weakness from within that may discourage you either from the seeking or expecting so great a favor so high and happy a priviledg from the hands of the Lord What that I Such a sinful and wretched creature who am sit to be cooped up with the damned and chained up with the Devils who have been one with them in al their wickedness temptations have not been presented occasions offered so soon but Oh! this vile heart hath been one and sided with them and been carried by them and transported with distempers as with a violent stream What I can this carnal cursed heart ever be one with so holy and blessed a God what I that have been a Traytor to the Lord Jesus and shed his Blood and crucified again the Lord of life I who have been a Rebel against the Rich mercy and Grace of the Father so graciously provided so freely offered that ever I should imagine to be one with these who have been an enemy to both its beyond my thoughts much more my Hopes it s not possible therefore not credible Why alas mine own experience wil give in evidence and that undeniable against my Soul I have had all means injoyed all ordinances God hath tried all conclusions compassed me about with mercies hedged me in with afflictions to hold my heart to him and keep me with him All Hopes and helps have been plucked away from whence I expected relief that I might look to him and be quickened and carried by him It s not possible therefore to be attained True It s not possible for al means to work Nor possible by any power or ability of thine own to bring it about And yet it is not possible if the Lord Jesus have prayed for it but God should give it and you undoubtedly receive it from his Majesties hands Our Savior professeth so much Father I know tho hearest me alwaies Joh. 1 4â— therefore it s no more but that which Christ avoweth he knows and therefore thou mayst build upon it know Yea upon this ground he supports the heart of Peter in that heavy Shock when almost al was gone Luk. 22.32 Satan hath destred to winnow you but I have prayed that thy Faith fail not When therefore Satans Assaults are never so fel and fierce his temptations never so fiery which with their vehemency multitude and continuance seem to shake and sink thy heart when helps and heart and Hopes and prayers and al fail so that thou art at thy wits end and utmost period of thy thoughts yet the prayer of our Savior never fails of acceptance and success Therefore set thy heart at rest Christ shal either miss of his prayer or I will not miss of this priviledg Therefore yet this staggering and back-sliding heart wil be seâ—led Therefore this giddy and unstedy heart wil be established If the Father
this In-being of the Father in him See the very ground given Joh. 10.10 The word I speak is not mine but the Father that dwels in me c. Joh. 8.38 For the works sake beleâ—ve that the Father is in me and I in the Father Joh. 5. The Son doth nothing of himself but what he seeth the Father do Issue the whol Thus. What ever the second person and Son of God as such doth that he doth by vertue of his eternal generation from the Father and from his abiding in him But as Son he takes our Nature into personal union with himself and as Son advanceth it to that priviledg and liberty to set al the Attributes on work and to send the Holy Ghost yea sends al Officers and appoints al Offices and blesseth them Therefore by vertue of this his eternal generation from the Father and his abiding in him this Union Mission and Operation of the Human Nature proceeds The second person by this eternal generation from the Father and abiding in him is reflected upon the Father and as the Father hath an Eye only to the son in giving the susibstence of a Son the Son hath an Eye to the Father in returning the subsistence of a son to him they wholly give and take So the Son uniting the Human Nature into one person holds it in reference and dependance with himself upon the Father All is communicated to him as sent and so to the Human Nature All acted by him and so by the Human Nature The In-being or existence of the Father in the Son is the first rise whence the unity of the faithful with the Father and the Son comes to be perfected Hither our Savior ascends and here he staies Leads us to the Well-Head and fountain whence our spiritual wellface and everlasting good Issues And this is the highest of al and higher we cannot go beyond this visible world and al creatures therein even to Heaven and in Heaven above Angels to God and in the God-Head to the first original in the glorious and blessed Trinity and the first act in that origination To this accords that of the Apostle each place adds mutual light unto the other Col. 3.3 We are dead and our life is hid with Christ in God Christ is the Treasurer but the Father is the Author Christ is the keeper but the Father is the first Appointer thereof For so you must understand the Name God not essentially but personally being put in opposition and reference unto Christ our life is hid with Christ but Christ and life and al is in God in the Father Upon this ground it is and to the like purpose that the Apostle carries the hearts of the Corinthians in the work of their calling unto this consideration as that wherein the lowest part of the foundation of our comfort lies 1 Cor. 1.30 But of him are ye in Christ Jesus who of God in made unto us wisedom righteousness Sanctification and Redemption Christ is all even complete Redemption who delivers from the power and presence of al evil and gives all Grace quickens what he gives perfects what he quickens owns what he perfects But he is made this to us not of himself but of the Father for so stil the word and Name of God is to be taken as appears verse 24. Christ is the power of God and the Wisedom of God Christ is made our Redemption and we are made his redeemed ones and the Father makes both he our Redemption and we his redeemed And this is the cause why the Apostle is so inlarged inlaying forâ—h the soveraignty of the Fathers work beyond al the compass either of the being of the creature or the Graces and apprehensions of all Churches Eph. 4.5 6. There is one Lord Jesus one Faith and one Baptisme one God and Father of all who is above all and through all and in you al. Above al even in the highest power that is dispensed in his Church Christ is the Head and Husband the Holy Spirit the comforter God is the Father Through al the operations and administrations that are in the Churches and Graces dispensed He sends his Son to the great work of our Redemption God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself 2 Tim. 1.4 Given us Grace in Christ Jesus before the world was He sends the Spirit in the work of Application Joh. 26. In all the Saints as drawing and conjoining the hearts of the faithful as fellow Brethren unto himself with the Father and one to another in him and for him So one in relation here as wel as in a Savior And from hence lastly it is we meet usually with that phrase which may receive a right explication and true understanding from t he point in hand 1 Then 1.1 To the Church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and in our Lord Jesus And that so al the Churches and al the faithful are in God the Father as the Father of the Churches in the Son as the Head of the Church In the Father who out of the Authority or priority of order not of dominion first appoints our Savior to the word and the work to him In the Lord Jesus as he is appointed by the Mission to work from the Father and by commission sent as man united to the second person to have al Graces first in way and right of communication to the Church The Father he knows the Son there is the Deity and al the excellencies thereof reflecting exemplifying or characterising upon it self where the expressions of the Deity and all the excellency thereof exemplifying from it self that 's to be in the Father that is it is in the vertue of the Father that it is so done The Son again as the Character reflected or exemplified and where this examplification or excellencies returned again is to be seen so far the Soul may be said to be in Christ that is in his vertue not looking so much at the work or thing done for that Issues from all but at the manner of doing and carry that along it wil direst and not deceive Open the Doctrin 1. Recal what this Oneness is 2. How it s Perfected The first I shal not trouble you withal because I have heretofore opened it at large only mention so much as you may keep your Eye or consideration upon it as the White or Mark that you may discern how the following expressions hit it Briefly then This unity as ye have heard is not the Oneness of affection amongst the Saints but the Oneness of relation they have to God in Christ as his Adopted ones One with us nor one with themselves This Oneness of Relation lies here in that our Saviour doth not bring the Souls of the faithful in neerest relations of dearest love as adopted Sons but also into that spiritual intercourse of peculiar and divine operation of God upon the Soul whereby the Soul returnes unto God to do al and to take al.
was all the proper possession the Father had and holds from Eternity and this is the meaning of that other Phrase verse 30. I was with him as one brought up with him The Phrase is marvelous sweet and pregnant as one nursed up with him in his Bosom and Bowels from everlasting God the Father is compared to a Guardian of the Lord Jesus whom he keeps under his wing I am not alone the Father is ever with me yea the Father and I am one 2. It 's the Nature of Love to take ful content and complacence in the thing beloved and so the Father doth in his Son after an unspeakable manner takes an infinite fulness of soul-pleasing satisfaction so that before al Creatures were he lacketh nothing and he spent his whol thoughts in gazing upon the through concurrence of al unspeakable excellencies in the Lord Jesus Prov. 8.30 I was dayly his delight It was his constant and continued Exercise the ful imployment of his blessed Majesty to fil himself with the fellowship and familiarity of his Son When the Atheist enquires what God did before the World if the World was not Eternal Answ He was sporting himself with the unconceivable complacency and ravishing contents of his wel-beloved Son the Lord of Glory So that nothing was wanting while he enjoyed him nothing could be added while he possesseth him 3. There is a Love of Benevolence It 's the Nature of Love to study the good of the thing beloved This the Father doth also after an unconceivable manner The study and bent of his infinite Understanding is now to plot for the Honor and to lift up the Glory of his Son far beyond al praises So that more than the Father gave could not be enjoyed no more could be added no more could be desired by our Savior when he would make his request in that behalf Hither the Lord Christ repairs and here he takes up his stand as though no more could be conceived or communicated John 17.5 And now O Father glorifie me with thine own self with the glory I had with thee before the World was q.d. If he was put to his choyce to his desire or God the Father to his free giving he could wish no other nor no more glory but that which he had with him from Eternity 2. So the Father loves the Son as Man also in al the former particulars and in all the several properties of them so far as a finite creature is or can be made capable thereof not only in regard of the compass of its own ability but as far as underpropped and supported by an almighty power I shal point at the former specialties in so many words 1. In regard of union here in the surpassing excellency of the love of the Father appeared that he brought it into so neer a fellowship with himself that it doth not only exceed al the power of the creature to work such a union but even the reach of al reason of men and Angels to comprehend it For not only the Essence of the Deity takes up its dwelling and abode there bodily but it s taken into the very subsistence of the second person and melts into the personality of the second person and hence it is the Grace of union is indeed accounted a Grace of the greatest excellency above al other and in truth it is so not only in regard of the priviledg whereby our Human Nature is advanced one degree above the excellency of the creatures of highest rank for of that the place is meant and that the Apostle intends Hebr. 2.8 That al things are put in subjection to our Human Nature in Christ He took not the seed of Angels but of Abraham When he bringeth his first born into the world worship him al the Angels even as God-man but I say not only in regard of the height or the priviledg this Grace of union is to be attended But in regard of the unmatchable efficacy and Peerlessness of power that exceeds the bounds of my created ability In that the subsistance it hath by this is no other but the subsistence of the second person In that the Angels must sit in a lower forme and aloof off in the porch as it were and administer there by their attendance when our Human Nature is taken into the Chamber of presence the personal union with the Lord and so consequently as thereby Co-partner of divine honor and worship together with the second person None of which can be said of any creature or any created Grace in the hearts of the Saints 2. The Father takes ful satisfaction in the man Christ Jesus He proclaimes it openly Math. 3. last This is my wel beloved Son in whom I am wel pleased He alone it is in whom the Father smells a sweet savor of rest therefore when he cashieres al other sacrifices as such in whom there was no sufficiency our Savior no sooner offers himself but therein the Father quiets himself in fulness of content Hebr. 10.5 6. Burnt offerings and sacrifices thou wouldest not then said I Loe I come in the Volum of thy Book it is written of me I should do thy will 3. Improves the Soveraignty of his power and good pleasure to promote the Son and advance the glory of the man Christ Jesus Joh. 3.35 The Father loveth the Son and hath given all things into his hand Therefore he sends the comforter in his name Joh. 14.26 Nay the Father makes this the maine scope of al his dispensations by Christ puts the Administration of all things into his hand That al may come to him depend upon him and give al glory to him in what they do receive and for what they seek and hence the Father carries al the Trade this way As great Princes when they wil advance their Favourites there come no petitions but by their hands no kindnesses or gifts but by their meanes That al may eye and honor receive al from them and by their means and returne to them Joh. 5.22 25. The Father judgeth no man but hath commited all judgment to the Son that all might honor the Son as they honor the Father REASON Here are al the grounds upon which Love grows and that in more than an ordinary Nature and measure and these are three all which are found in the Lord. 1. Neerness 2. Likeness 3. Suitableness of worth 1. Neerness And that we see to be a forceable argument in Nature to draw men to inlargedness of affections Love begins next home A Countrey Man we affect rather than a Forreiner one of the same Town before a Countrey Man a Kinsman before a Towns Man a Child before him the wife before others a mans self before al wife and Children and Kinsman and Towns Man So it is here The Lord Jesus is most Neer to God the Father and therefore most beloved It s said our Savior came from the Bosom of the Father Joh. 1.18 2. Likeness is the Load-stone of
with the cast of the eye of the Spouse Cant. 4.9 That cast of the eye of Faith that looks only to God in Christ takes al from him holds out nothing else 3. Love of Benevolence God wisheth wel unto the Faithful and studies to advance them and their happiness with the advancing of Christ 2 Thes 1.12 That the Name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you and you in him according to the Grace of God and the Lord Jesus Christ Quest Why you wil say Is there any Name higher than the Name of Christ or Glory due to any beyond and after Christ Why is it added That Christ may be glorified and you in him Answ The meaning may thus be conceived The Apostle having prayed in the fore-going verse That God would count them worthy of their Calling worthy of the Glory unto which they were called and so fulfil al the good pleasure of his goodness that is fully bestow al that Spiritual good which is the ful purpose of his good pleasure he intended to them and that he would bring the Work of Faith to perfection by his mighty Power Now the end of al that glory and fulness of al that Spiritual good he praies for and they should partake by vertue of his Prayer is That the Name of Christ that is Christ as he is made known in the Gospel in his Offices and Execution of the great Work of Redemption may be made glorious in you who from the Father hath given al to you you also may be glorified not in your selves but in your reference and oneness with Christ As God was made glorious in receiving al so also in returning al to the Father by him And therefore it 's added According to the Grace of God and our Lord Jesus Christ God the Father through Grace in Christ gives himself and Christ to you so they are glorified in you receiving you also through Grace give up your selves to Christ and through him to God and return al to God in Christ Thus he is said to the admired in them that beleeve So John 3.27 The Father loves the Son and hath given al things into his hands and in Christ also he hath given al unto them for all things are yours and you Christs yea he hath advanced them and set them in Heavenly places with Christ their Bodies made Spiritual which Adams could not be and therefore it 's taken down to be glorified as Christ's is Thou fool unless the Seed fall it riseth not again The Saints die not because of sin for Christ hath freed them from the second Death and so from the first but they die to be like Christ and so to be glorified with him and then both Bodies and Souls to sit at Gods right hand in Heaven It 's a proper Prerogative appertaining to our Savior to ascend and sit and therefore to al from him not from Adam USE 1. Comfort and Contentation to the Saints in the meanest and lowest Condition though the World hate and the Wicked pursue Saran tempt Ungodly undermine they al conspire to cast reproaches upon your Persons and disgrace upon your Religion and shame upon your Faces when they curse God wil bless If they hate and God love you you need not fear you should not care In Love is no lack If thou hast Gods Love thou hast himself art sure to speed when thou seekeft sure to obtain when thou askest So Martha for Lazarus He whom thou lovest is sick he whom thou lovest is troubled is tempted persecuted discouraged What price dost thou put upon thy Health if sick upon Wealth if poor on Life if at the point of dying If thou hadst these for thy succor al was wel Behold Gods loving kindness better than Life it self 2. If God love the Saints what are they who hate them This is a certain evidence of a Son of the Devil 1 John 3.11 He that hates his Brother is a Man-slayer c. Therefore they are worthy our love This second particular I shal further open as follows Viz. That the Farthers love to the Saints is like to that wherewith he loved his Son The Father loves the faithful as he loves Jesus Christ This Love carried to them carries a lively expression or is as a picture wherein the love of the Father to the Son is discovered in fresh colors in an especial manner This love to the faithful however it is impossible it could not was it reasonable or suitable to the wisedom or goodness of the Lord it should equal the love of God to his Son in the measure or largeness of it Because that was infinite unconceivable incomprehensible and therefore there is no equality of measure or greatness which is beyond al measure yet it comes up to it as neer as may be in the proportion and likeness thereof in like resemblance and answerableness thereunto it s not to be found in any creature nor in the whol creation beside As it is in the Parelion It s like the Sun in appearance and resemblance yet in no wise equal either for bigness or greatness or the vertues thereof So it is with this love of God to the Saints it lively resembles not fully equals the love of the Father to the Lord Jesus We shal further follow the several particulars 1. The Father loves us with the like love of union as he did Jesus Christ The Father wholly and alone gives being to Jesus Christ and that thus appears The Father stands in relation to the Son looks only towards him his Eye is ever upon him The Son as he receives so he returnes his being as a Son to the Father As Relations refer each to other only and heâ—ce the Father is said to be in the Son the Son in the Father Verse 22. As I told you before my hand closing and closed are one in another both with the hand The Father looks to the Son in giving The Son to the Father in returning his being They are perfect in this wholly give wholly take Thus they wholly delighted in each other mutually glorified each other Verse 2. Now as God in Christ thus begets and gives being of Sonship So Christ as Son and second person he so assumes for had he assumed as God all had assumed But he assumes person and to say that any person assumes but the Son is Haeresie Therefore its peculiar to the Son and that as Son then as begotten and as such he assumes and becomes the Head of the covenant and so he begets and gives being of Adopted Sons to the faithful sending his Spirit immutably to set their hearts for God and to hold the bent thereof towards him Thus receiving this impression from Christ and so from God the Father through Christ The faithful receiving this impression as from the Father by Christ they return it wholly and perfectly to the Father in and through Christ Namely The whol man under their impression of the begetting Spirit of the
free in the manifestation of their Favor and they have ever found them faithful that they cannot challenge them in the least yet they fear in the issue when it comes to a dead lift they wil leave in the lurch Should such expressions be dayly presented before a man and such unkind expressions be laid in his dish he could not but with indignation cast off such a one Why have I ever failed of my Word ever been wanting in my labor to answer al your desires bestead you in al your needs and have I this for my love and labor that ye look at me as one feeble and faithless Take ye other and chuse ye better Friends I wil have no more to do with you And it is not possible but our groundless needless surmises hard conceits that we harbor and unloving thoughts of the Lords dealing and goodness but it should imbitter Gods heart against a wretched Creature and suffer him to sink in his sorrows and however he cannot out of his Love forsake his yet he cannot in respect to the Honor of his Love and Faithfulness but draw and with-hold the sense of it that the way-ward heart may the better perceive its own wretchedness and unreasonable dealing and learn not to doubt of Gods Love when there is no cause Our groundless surmises of Gods Favor causeth yea compels God to darken our apprehensions and his expressions The Second Evil. The little and mean account we make of the intimation on Gods Love unless it answer our conceits and humors in each particular Unless we may have what we wil and when we wil and as much as we wil unless the Lord take measure of our mind and please us in every Point we cast al his kindness behind our back and the Love of the Almighty is in but little esteem with us when their complaints are many and sad that their temptations grow fierce and their corruptions get head and over-bear their abilities smal and their comforts less But yet the Lord loves you notwithstanding whatever these hindrances be which stand in the way and that is enough to settle and satisfie the heart Obj. True I cannot say but he loves me but if yet my Graces be so weak and my distempers so strong what is that Ans What is that It 's of more worth than al thy Graces thou canst either attain or desire if thou did'st know how to value things according to the worth O! if I had such a measure of Grace the enlargedness of heart and abilities to perform Service in a Spiritual manner as such and such then I might be comforted and might be perswaded the Lord loved me to purpose As though the Child that is now yong and smal should conceive his Father did not carry the strength of Fatherly affection towards him because his Coat was not so long or his Doublet Jerken or Apparrel was not so large as his Elder Brothers when indeed it is not because he wants Love to provide them but he is not able to wear them So it is here Thou art happily but a Babe in Christ not of time and standing in Christianity canst not tel how to wield and exercise such eminency of Abilities for the present Let if suffice he is thy Father and loves thee as he doth the most able and excellent Christian upon Earth Doth not that please your Pallates What would ye have which would please if ye can be pleased I wil say more He loves thee aâ— he doth the Lord Jesus the Son of his Love I hope now ye are contented What! love me so ye wil say poor silly weak ignorant worthless Creature it 's a likely matter indeed Yea thee Hast thou but a grain of Faith but as a grain of Mustard-seed even the least of al others the poorest weakest filliest unworthy Worm be thy place thy parts never so mean he loves thee as his Son Go thy way never quarrel question any more never murmur repine any longer this is enough on Conscience nay it 's too much I could not have thought it I durst not have desired it I could not have beleeved â—t but that thou hast said it that thou should'st love me who loath my self and know my self worthy to be abhorred Therefore rest thy weary heart here in thy weaknesses do not think to bring such measures of Grace to deserve this Love Nay lay hold upon this Love it wil encrease the eminency of al Graces and that in the most glorious manner in thy Soul Eph. 3.18 Paul praies That they might comprehend with all Saints the length breadth depth and height c. and know the Love of God which passeth knowledg that so they may be full of all his fulness View this Love wistly and warm thy heart with it and thou shalt not need to complain of barrenness or emptiness thou shalt be ful of Grace not have a scant measure thou shalt be ful of Wisdom and Meekness Patience Holiness c. Nay ful of the fulness nay of al the fulness of God-like Grace no kind of Grace no Excellency in any kind that suits the Station and Condition thou dost obtain in the Body of Christ but thou shalt be possessed of it How the knowledg of this Love brings in this fulness it 's not now a place to enquire only the Doctrine now delivered wil lead us by the hand to some further Light in this Work While we know that is while we constantly attend to the Dispensation of Gods Love in Christ begetting of us as his adopted ones by his Spirit to himself while we experimentally find this and so know it and leave our hearts under the influence thereof as of him to receive al as from him to do al we shal then be ful Whatever may be lacking to thy Hope Meekness c. repair to this Love and know there is no lack I have the choicest Love of God that either Heaven or Earth affords and that is beyond the excellency of al Grace and the chiefest of al Abilities that either I do want or can desire He loves me therefore let him do what he wil with me take what he wil Love wil supply al give that he wil Love is better than al. Cant. 1.1 His Love is better than Wine As Elkanah comforted Hannah in the want of Children Am not I better to thee than ten Sons 1 Sam. 1.8 2. Instruction We hence infer beyond denyal and conclude beyond al doubt That the Love of God to his is unchangeable As he loves his Son he loves his Saints and adopted ones That did never change this will never fail We are accepted as Christ nothing can prejudice us in Gods Favor or shal be able to condemn us We are advanced as Christ he wisheth al good and works al good for us as for him sets us far above al Principalities and Powers and what is named in this World or the World to come Though we know it not understand it
beauty of it This shal be doâ—e to the man whom God hath now and wil then honor They shal sit wich the Lord Jesus in his throne and shal judg the twelve Tribes of Israel The wicked when they shal see the Saints next unto Christ and judging with Christ they cannot but acknowledg and that to the grief of Their hearts that they be highly honored and dearly beloved like unto the Lord Jesus That is the truth of the point before we can come to the Reason there must be two Questions answered which wil give in the light of explication to the several branches of the Doctrine Quest 1. How wicked men the world can be truly said to know the love of God to beleevers which is so special a secret that it is not many times made known to Gods own for many years together nay the Apostle professeth it exceedeth knowledg Eph. 3.19 At least this new name writ upon the White-stone no man knows but he that hath it And therefore this love seems to be beyond the reach of the world too far off for their blind Eyes to see yea the Apostle professeth they have not received the Spirit of the world but the Spirit of God that they might know the things that are graciously given them of God and is one if not the cheifest of al those good things given the surpassing indearedness of the Fathers affection to his How then can the world who have no other but the Spirit of the world be able to know this Answ I answer three things wherein the meaning of the places wil be opened and the weight of the Objection removed and taken away 1. To discern and judg of the spiritualness of the work of any saving Grace is wholly beyond the ability and reach of any natural man much more unable is he to know Gods love therein or to view the beauty and surpassing sweetness thereof These waies of Wisedom are too high for a Fool. He must have Gods Eye-salve that must be able to see the things of Gods Grace in himself much more in another All sanctifying works are peculiar to the Saints There is sanctifying work in the understanding to act it and inable it to close with its object as well as any sanctifying work upon any of the other faculties and this is proper to the Saints And the Scripture is plain and peremptory the world knows not the Father nor Christ Nor yet any that are begotten of Christ and so neither the love of the Father conveyed by Christ unto any 1 Joh. 3.2 Therefore the world knows us not because it knows not him And upon this ground it is they are called Gods hidden ones Though the world and wicked men cannot discern nor rightly understand what this love is nor the spiritual Nature of it which is done by a spiritual light yet they may know and then they shal-know that God the Father hath and doth affect them with a most peculiar love both glorious for the manner and incomparable for the measure of it even next unto the Lord Jesus and this shal be discovered by the fruits of this love and the amazing expressions of the riches of his mercy which then shal appeare upon the faithful in their deliverance from so great evils which is wrought for them the crowning of them with that Excessive Exceeding weight of glory with which they shal stand possessed and that unto the astonishment of the ungodly and the torment of their Souls with envy and indignation thereat No man knows the affection of a Father or Husband but those that are in that estate and condition because its a secret of Nature which is only to be seen in the impression of the work yet that a Father loves his Son above al other his dearest friends and neerest acquaintance That the Husband tenders his Spouse with an indeared affection above al mortal creatures This appeares by the expressions of his respect that all he hath is at her command al he can do is wholly improved for her content and comfort she lies in his Bosom and his heart trusts in her which forceth al to confess that the stream of his affection like a mighty current runs with ful Tide and strength Though what that affection is he doth not know yet this he knows The choicest affection is there So it was with Haman when the Question was by the King made What shal be done to the Man whom the King will Honor He expressed his opinion and was forced to put it also in practise He then knew who was most deep and dear in the Kings Royal affection Mal. 3.20 When God makes up his Jewels then men shal discern betwixt him that serveth the Lord and him that serveth him not how ever happily before they were al shuffled up together and then there was no differencing betwixt the most precious Jewel and the most reffuse Pebble 3. This knowledg in the ful extent of it as it is here to be attended and that which is appropriated to that time in peculiar it may be expressed in two particulars if we would lay out the limits and bounds thereof 1. They shal then stand perswaded of the love of God to beleevers by a setled and wel grounded conviction that cannot be removed I say setled conviction because for a time or turn for a present push and undeâ— pressure they may freely yield and confess and profess as much So many profane wretches in the horroâ— of their hearts they have then honored then advanceâ— the faithful as the most happy Oh Blessed such that ever they were Born Balaam-like Let my Soul die thâ— Death of the righteous and my latter end be like his But this is but a pang Now only setled conviction Seizeth upon the Souls of the worldly men 2. It is a grounded Acknowledgment from a sensible Experience of the contrary Condition which they have observed in their own Souls and therefore now it 's past gainsaying when their own sense gives in constant Evidence without alteration of which more afterward If Conviction be setled so as it cannot be removed their Experience undeniable which brings in Evidence that cannot be gain-sayed then it 's true The World may be said to know that there is such a Love of God to the Saints Quest 2. Why doth not the World come to know this in this Life Answ Upon a double Ground or for a two-fold Reason 1. Because the Life Spiritual of the Saints is hid and concealed while they wilder up and down in this Vale of Tears clouded partly with sorrows and miseries which attend them as a constant Companion in a Christian Course partly collied and bemited with corruptions of their hearts and lives so that neither the beauty of Gods Grace nor the tender expressions of Gods Love doth in any peculiar manner appear in them and go no further than the Judgment of Sense they are the most forlorn despicable Persons upon the face of the
for them and their comforts unto the end He loves and tenders in al their necessities and occasions therefore wil undoubtedly relieve and succour them in al Therefore the Apostle concludes so confidently nor life nor death nor Principalities noâ— Powers shal ever be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ If death cannot put an end to his love It skils not though it put an end to our lives his love wil quicken and raise If he love us in prison he wil devise means to free us Love us in temptation he wil provide Grace and Comfort to strengthen sustain us in al our trials It was an argument which they pleaded and by which they supported their hearts for help in the death of Lazarus Joh. 11.3 He whom thou lovest is Sick and then he recovered him He whom thou lovest is overwhelmed with temptations and distempers therefore he shal be comforted and delivered 3. The necessities of the Saints prevail with our Savior to pity to help and to pray for them who are not able to help themselves in the shock and stress of the violence of their assaults He comforts the Abjects 2 Cor. 7.6 Beares the Lambs and little ones in his Armes Isa 40.11 Their enemies be many and mighty which do pursue them with deadly hatred Their strength and ability but weak to oppose and their Grace but smal and unable to maintain them if they should live meerly upon the stock and therefore the Lord lends them daily supply For in a mans own strength no man shal be strong 1 Sam. 2.9 He speaks to them as unto Paul His Grace is sufficient when there is nothing but Insufficiency in themselves Renewed necessities renewed mercies his power pitcheth his Tent in weakness USE 1. CONSOLATION To sustain and shore up the fainting hearts of the Saints under their heaviest trials and in the midst of the many alterations and temptations which may attend them in their daily course to the discomfort and discouragement of their Hearts It s the care of our Savior to provide for their comfort when happily they cannot either care or provide for themselves and their own relief and succour ignorant and unskilful to foresee weâ—k to oppose unable to bear the miseries and hopeless to deliver themselves from under them behold the Lord Jesus hath said in help before-Hand for you in Heaven Object Oh but thou saiest Though the assaults be fierce and distempers strong and discouragements sad yet if I had a heart to seek a spirit to send to Heaven for some relief I could conceive there mere some ground of Hope But when I have no help in my self and yet no heart to seek for help elswhere what can I expect but utter confusion Answ Christ hath laid in provision of prayers for thee when thou canst not pray for thy self he wil provide help and a heart to pray also When Peter was Marvailously foiled by the sodain surprisal of that over-bearing assault that carried him Head-long to the commission of so many notorious evils Our Savior leaves a receipt with him to which he might resort for some relief after his fal Simon Simon Satan hath desired to winnow thee but I have prayed for thee that thy faith fail not Luk. 22.31 32. It may be thy condition as it was Peter's case Thy assaults may be Fierce and thy overthrow and Failings so Foul that thou mayst sit down confounded in thy self thy Hope thy Heart and thy Prayer may fail also Yet remember whither to repair for thy support It was spoken to Peter but it was performed for al may be applied to al the Saints The Lord Jesus hath prayed that thy faith sail not His Prayer is laid in before-hand to stay thy heart at a dead lift In some dangerous and infectious places men take Antidâ—tes and Presâ—â—â—atives that though they should by occasion take some poison unseen or unsuspected which â—â—ghâ— annoy their Natures and drive them into some â—â—â—â—ous and troublesome sickness yet this would stil and maintain the heart in the heaviest time I Hope it s not deadly my Antidote wil out-bid the force of it free me from the deadly danger thereof Such is the Preservative oâ— our Saviors Prayer which works out any Poyson otherwise it had cost Peter his life So our Savior directs In the world ye shall have perâ—ecution But be of good comfort I have overcome the world In temptations be comforted though they have over-bidden thy feebleness Christ hath overcome the violence of them Joh. 16. and last In thy distempers be humbled and yet comforted Christ hath overcome the power of them they may plague thee they shal not prevail against thee The snares may delude but Christ wil deliver Oh but they indure stil live and are mighty Answ His mercy endures for ever his Prayers live and wil out-bid al their might T is true they are through mercy somtimes abated but they return again with more violence and take again But know Christ wil provide again Joh. 16. I will see you again And the vertue of his prayers hath eternal and everlasting Efficacy and therefore wil for ever help thee As thy corruption may for ever plague while thou livest but the power of Christs Prayer wil out-live thy life and the life of thy sins and set Heaven Gates open before thee USE 2. Instruction The worst condition of a beleever is better than the best Estate of the wicked The poverty of the Saints better than their wealth The discouragement of the Saints better than al their contentments and comfort Because in al the Lord Jesus hath provided for their good and out of al wil work their welfare and happiness A little that the righteous hath is better than a great deal of the wicked for God blesseth his store Though the Diet be but mean yet the dressing is much and the sweetness of the sauce makes it more pleasant and cordial than better provision that wants both Ps 37.16 17. Gods love that sweetens al and the vertue of our Saviors Prayer that perfumes and gives a pleasing rellish to al. It turnes the Water of the Saints into wine nay make their Water better than Wine For thy Love is better than Wine But there is a Canker that Breeds in the best comforts of the wicked their table is their snare their proâ—perity their ruin and a curse accompanies the choicest of their most comfortable blessings From hence it is that holy Asaph beares up his heart in that heavy temptation when he was so much taken aside by the prosperity of the wicked that his Foot had wel-nigh slipt he thus recovers himself Thou wil lead me by thy counsel and after bring me to Glory Ps 73.24 Thou leavest them in their Errors they have an easie way but a wrong way that wil lead them to confusion Ps 17.14 15. USE 3. Of Direction Let the practise of our Savior be our DIRECTION How to steer our Course to
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
Dominion of the thing than to pass away a right by promise If it be said He becomes a Debtor to his own Fidelity so also he becomes Debtor to the Bounty and Goodness of his own Nature For it was from Gods Justice that he was made fit to execute and keep the Covenant and it was from the goodness of his Nature he made him so and therefore is only bound to the goodness of his own Nature in whatever Covenant he enters with him We cannot be profitable to God as a man is profitable to his Neighbor to give him somthing he wanted but we may be profitable in furthering Gods ends by that which we have received from God But I wil not meddle with this 2 To be righteous therefore in the Second place is to be just mour Promises when we do what we speak As in our ordinary Language he is a man that is just in his word he is a just man of his promise And thus the Scripture Psal 31.1 and 115.1 and 143.11 therefore the Promise is called the Word of his Righteousness Psal 119.23 In this lost Condition in which forlorn man is and in the Covenant of the Gospel in which lies al our Comfort we have nothing to plead in regard of our selves but the faithful Word of Gods Promise but in regard of Christ I find the Scripture joyns them together 1 John 1.9 If we confess our sins he is faithful and just to forgive where we have both joyned Faithful in regard of his free Promise made to us in Christ just in regard of that purchase which by Christ hath been laid down and paid for our sin and he hath merited by way of just payment ful satisfaction and forgiveness of our sin These two cannot be the same For the one cannot be put by way of exposition of the other because then the more dark should be used to explicate the more cleer and the improper to expound the proper if Justice should explicate what Faithfulness were So that in a true sense both are truly attributed to God but the Second is specially intended in this place Hence we have two Points 1 We must in our Prayer look at those excellencies in God from whence we may receive that good we pray for 2 God in Faithfulness dispenseth his Fatherly love to his To the First We must in our Prayer look at those Excellencies in God Point 1. from whence we may receive that good we pray for When our Savior would obtain the highest mercy that the Love of God might dwel in them he eyes him as a Father in which Relation there is the dearest and greatest Love of al. He eyes him in his Faithfulness and there is the freest and surest and never failing Love God was a Father to Adam in Creation in giving him his Being as one of his Generation which was brought out of his Wisdom Power and Goodness but this Love though it was dear and the greatest that God extended to any Creature in the World yet Adam fel from that Estate and became a Child of Wrath. But the Faithful look not to the Love of a Father meerly but to the Love of his Faithfulness and that wil not fail not shal they ever fal from it and therefore ye shal observe in the Description of our Savior which is laid forth at large in the first of the Revelation in the Sum and ful discovery of the excellency of Christ that the Lord appears and presents him to each Church in the expression of Excellency which answered the particular necessity of the Churches Condition Smyrna was under great pressures and the Devil cast some of them into Prison so that they were in a dying Condition therefore Christ appears to them as first and last who was dead and is alive Chap. 2.8 and therefore could ever preserve them and would recover them from death To the Church to Thyatira because they grew sluggish and tolerated the Woman Jezebel to set her Forgeries to sale and vent her Follies and Filth and Prophaness under the name of a Prophetess therefore Christ appears to that Church as one that hath Eyes like a flame of Fire who wil search into al Secrets verse 18. and Feet of Brass that wil trample al to dust against whom his indignation proceeds Vaunting Laodicea who mistook her own Estate and thought she was rich and yet was poor verse 17. he presents himself to her as a faithful and true Witness verse 14. They bear false Witness of their Condition but he would give in that which was true The Second Point follows now to be attended which was this Viz. God in Faithfulness dispenseth his Fatherly Love to his Point 2. That 's the aim of our Savior his Expression not only looks at God as a righteous faithful God but a faithful Father hath a Fatherly Love and Care of his People and Children and he is faithful in the communicating and expessing of his Love to them He bears a faithful Fatherly Affection to his Servants We shal open two Things 1. Wherein this Faithfulness and Fidelity of the Father consists 2. The Reason why he thus dispenseth his Love I. This Fidelity of the Father consists in Three Things 1. A full and free engagement of himself to procure and accomplish the good and welfare of his People Undertakes to see al good done for them that can be desired as needful al evil removed which they can fear as hurtful or dangerous to their Souls The Father as I may say laies al his excellencies and sufficiency to pawn that he wil see the Salvation of his shal not miscarry As he is said to swear by himself he cals his God-head as a Witness to see done what he saies So I may say he doth by Promise lay his infinite sufficiency to pledg that as Reuben said to Jacob I wil undertake thou shalt require him at my hand So God saies require what may be needful or helpful at my hand I wil answer it And this God hath left upon Record in his Word and under his hand and therefore as the wise man said of him that is become Surety for his Friend Thou art ensnared and taken in the words of thy mouth Prov. 6.2 3. Deliver thy self when thou art come into the hand of thy Friend He is now in the hands of the Creditor It was in his own hand and wil before if he would have paid if not he might have chosen but he is now in the hand of his Friend he hath him bound by Promise This is implied in that Phrase 2 Tim. 2.13 He is faithful he cannot deny himself q. d. If he should deny to do good he should deny himself for he hath laid himself to pawn 2. As a free Engagement so there must be a full Accomplishment and Performance of all that is promised and which he hath undertaken to see done in the behalf of his Psal 119.138 Thy Testimonies are Righteous and very faithful
everlasting Mercy and Fatherly Faithfulness in Christ These are deep things and as no man knows what is in man but the Spirit of man so no man knows the things of God but the Spirit of God And it 's the Answer to that Question 1 Cor. 2. and last Who hath known the mind of the Lord q. d. None can pry into the Ark of his Privy Counsel which hath been from everlasting and therefore he ads We have the mind of Christ He that hath Christs mind may know Gods mind for he is Privy to it Luke 10.21 I thank thee O Father Lord of Heaven and Earth that thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent and hast revealed them unto Babes even so O Father because it seemed good in thy sight no man knows who the Father is but the Son and he to whom the Son will reveal him It must be from the Revelation of Christ that any come to the right knowledg of the Father John 1.18 No man hath seen God at any time but the only begotten Son who came out of the Bosom of the Father he hath revealed him that is those Bosom Affections of his Fatherly Love 2. Our Apprehensions and Conceivings of God hold proportion with his Dispensations of himself to us There must be ever some print of some operation and impression of his Excellencies or Relation left upon us before any thing can be discerned For he dwells in the Light that no Creature can attain unto and to pry into his Secrets which he hath reserved in his own Bosom as indeed we should not Secret things belong to the Lord but things revealed to us so in truth we cannot reach them they are far beyond the scantling of our shallow Conceits Now the expressions which God leaves of his Fatherly Love and Faithfulness are sound no where but in the hearts of his whom he cals unto himself Them he takes into the Bosom of his Love To them he communicates these Bosom Secrets the Foot-steps whereof are to be found no where upon Earth but in the Souls of the Faithful Therefore they only can see the Print of them they only come to know them The great Characters of Gods Power Wisdom and Bounty are left instamped and engraven upon each Creature and therefore they may be seen of al and read of al and so known But that he should set his heart upon any lost Son of Adam an his Christ and draw him into special intimate and spiritual Communion with himself through his Son this is only to be found recorded in the Consciences whom he hath called out of the World These are the unknown yernings of the Bowels of a Father which can be owned by none but such who are his own Rev. 2. He gives a new Name which no man knows but he that hath it unknown Benevolence and unknown Complacency of a Fathers Bowels USE 1. Of Instruction 1. Therefore it is not safe to lean to the Counsel or be led by the Opinion of Carnal men touching the doubts we have or difficulties we find concerning the Love of God unto our souls and his Faithfulness in the performance of his gracious Promises Alas they know nothing of those things how shal they be able to make us know them They understood nothing themselves and how shal they reach others Is any so weak and silly that he would go to a blind man to make him judg of Colors or a deaf man of Sounds or he that never knew the way to be a Guide to lead him the way unless he were resolved to miss his way and end also True indeed they may somtimes speak things by hear-say but to speak things from grounded Knowledg and Experience they cannot because they have none 2. Hence it 's plain That the meanest Saint and most ignorant doth yet know more of Gods Fatherly Love and is better acquainted with the Faithful Performance of his Promises than the most learned and profound Doctors of the World Because they know the Father and are privy to his Secrets and have his Bosom Counsels communicated to them by the Lord Christ which are Riddles and Wonders and Mysteries to the whol World and to the Princes thereof USE 2. Of Terror It discovers the dreadful Estate and miserable Condition of al wicked men the Children and Darlings of the World who take content in it and give content to it The World it is likely may lay you in her Bosom for the World wil love her own but ye be far enough from the Love of the Father as ye be far from the knowledg of him Hence a Sea of Misery breaks in upon thee able to over-whelm thy Soul irrecoverably If it can be once said Thou knowest not the Father there is enough said to sink thy heart in everlasting discouragement In this Estate thou canst expect no good for thon canst receive no good from the hand of the Lord though he be the Father of Mercies and God of al Consolation There is none for thee not one Blessing nor Comfort For if God communicate any thing of himself unto the Sons of Men it is by his Spirit whose Office it is To lead them into all Truth John 16.13 and to seal them up in the Truth unto the day of Redemption Eph. 4. Al that is the Fathers is Christs and the Spirit takes of Christs and so of the Fathers and gives it unto such for whom it is appointed John 16.15 But it 's the depth of thy Misery thou canst not receive the Spirit 1. Thou canst receive nothing of the Father though it were given thee John 14.17 I will send the Comforter whom the World cannot receive because it doth not see nor know him This is thy Condition right Thou canst not see nor know the Spirit and consequently nor the Father therefore not receive him and therefore receive no good The Spirit wil not take the Mercy of a Father to pardon thee the Love of the Father to support the Peace of the Father to quicken Grace of a Father to purge and sanctifie thy corrupt heart The holy Spirit would take of Christs and so of the Fathers and give to thee But thou art a worldly wicked wretch and thou canst not receive the Spirit nor Christ nor Mercy nor Love if thou had'st them laid before thee 2. And as thou canst receive no good from the Father so thou canst perform no good Duty to him that may find acceptance with him or a blessing from him Thou knowest not the Father therefore thou canst not love him nor fear nor honor nor obey him That which the Eye sees not the Mind knows not the Heart affects not fears not prizeth not at al nor performs the least Duty to him because thou fallest short in thy Apprehensions wholly of him Nay mark what I say Thou did'st never pray to this Father of Christ and of al compassion in him If I wil pray with my Tongue I wil pray with my
God q.d. There is no man of the world who only hath the Spirit of the world that can know such things None of the Princes of the World knew them verse 8. nay no Natural Man can know them verse 14. But the Spirit searcheth the deep things of God There be depths of the warmings of our minds and hearts and none but the Spirit of God can discover them deep things in the mind of God and whoever knew his mind No Creature ever did or could but Christ knew his mind and we have the mind of Christ and so come to know the mind of the Father verse 16. And hence our Savior surveys the differencing Reason why his Disciples might perceive others as Scribes and Pharisees had eyes and could not see To you it is given to know the things of the Kingdom but not to them and upon this ground our Savior adviseth the Church of Laodicea I counsel thee to buy of me Eye-salve to annoint thine Eyes that thou mayest see This Spiritual and special Super-natural Light is that Eye-salve which al the Disciples of our-Savior had and therefore they knew him As the Sun is seen by his own Light It must be the wisdom from above that must enable us to see the things that are above So John 14.17 The World hath not seen nor known the Comforter but ye know him that is by the Light of the Spirit ye come to see the Spirit 2. In the thing known there is a Specialty of Knowledg They look at it as an Ambassage of Love and Life which the Lord Christ now brings from the Father who intends their good in both and our Savior comes on purpose to work it 1. A message of love for the Soul of a sinner under the sight and sense of the guilt of his iniquity he doth and cannot but apprehend God as an angry God against him that there be many causes of quarrel and controversie that God hath lying by him and indeed the controversie lies between the Father and the sinner because his work was directly wronged and prejudiced And Hence its evident that the message must come from the Father touching the terms and purpose of peace if ever it be attained because it is the Wrath and Justice of the Lord that proclaims War against the sinner having justly deserved that his displeasure should break out against him The Lord Christ is the Prince of Peace who is our Peace and takes up the Quarrel between the Father and the Elect brings the glad tidings of Grace from God who not only tenders but desires reconciliation with the Soul through Jesus And therefore he must come as an Ambassador sent from the Father and that the Soul must know or else he could not attain his end take up the Controversie betwixt the Father and him So among al Nations it is a received course in Reason the Ambassador must come from the Prince offended that hath intended War and he must make known the Commission of his Ambassage as from him Authorized else Peace and Agreement wil never be accomplished nor received So 1 John 4.9 See also John 3.16 17. God so loved the World that he gave his Son c. How is that to be proved He answers For God sent his Son not that he might condemn the World for they condemn themselves but that the World might live through him These are Riddles to the wicked they may be talked of in the World the noise of such things may go up and down But to know and own the Ambassage as sent on purpose to him this is a Secret peculiar to the Saints As it was said My Message is to thee O Captain 2 Kings 9. The rest heard it but he came to the special understanding of it So it is here Therefore John 15.21 This they will do unto you because they know not him that sent me 2. A Message of Life For the sinner once seriously apprehensive of his many and constant departures from God his provocations are so haâ—â—ous that he cannot but see death in al his waies he can do nothing but he sins in al he doth and therefore the wages of sin being death he must die for what he hath done if God should proceed in severity against him and recompence his own waies upon his own Head Therefore having forfeited his Life into the hands of Divine Justice viz. of the Father whom he hath provoked Christ must come as an Ambassador from the Father and he must know he hath a Commission and a grant of Life under the Fathers hand else his Ambassage wil be in vain wil not accomplish the end intended by him and expected by the Faithful Party He hath sent his Son that we might live through him 1 John 4.9 This is the Record that God hath given us Eternal Life and this Life is in his Son Chap. 5.11 It 's the Fathers Gift it belongs to the same Power and place of Majesty to give pardon and so Life to a Malefactor or to take Life from him John 6.57 As the living hath sent me and I live by the Father so he that beleeveth in me even he shall live by me See the Order The Father is the Fountain of Life He as a living God sends Christ upon an Ambassage of Life Christ hath received power of Life from the Father and he as so sent gives to those that beleeve in him The Faithful know this Commission of Life and that it is come out on purpose and intended to them as he to Gideon Judg. 6.23 Peace be unto thee fear not thou shalt not die And they know and own Christ as so sent All which are Mysteries to the wicked they see no need of this or if so they neither own it in Christ nor would receive it from him They may hear the fame thereof and yet know nothing either of the Excellency of it or of Gods Intendment of any good to them in it 3. The Specialty of this Knowledg appears in the Manner of communicating this good to the Souls of the Faithful namely The astonishing Excellency of Power that brings the reality of these Ambassages of Love and Life to the Soul and the dazelling beauty of that Light that displaies them and laies them open to the Eye of the beleeving Saint Which things are concealed from the World and therefore they count them foolishness because they could never conceive or be perswaded of any such thing They think they cannot be because they cannot perceive how they should be As Nicodemus How can these things be We wil give a little Light to both 1. They find such a Power as puts them to astonishment For the Message of Love and Life are of such unconceivable worth in themselves and so far beyond the thoughts of a sinner that they should be sent from God who is offended with them and was and is happy without them and hath no need of them and that by no other hand but by
by the Bush burning he went neer to see that wondrous fight Exod. 3.3 2. But this is not al He further sets on those excellencies by the discovery of some unexpected suitableness to the Soul and the condition thereof as appointed and performed with intendment to his good who is given to Christ Gods wil hath determined Christ hath received al power for this very purpose to communicate them to him It s possible for God to dart in some kind of ravishing appearances of the excellencies of mercies life and Salvation which pass by as sudden lightning upon the understanding So it was with Balaam who had a glimpse of the glory of Heaven and it stirred his affections for the while Let me die the death of the Righteous and let my last end he like his Numb 23.10 But it left nothing behind it he is as far to seek as before As a man seeing his Face in a Glass so these forget what they were But these leave some intimation of some kind of special provision appointed for the purpose My Message is to thee Leaves some impression of Wisdom to discover the way of Grace for our own future good that he comes to a guess of the way of life and peace though he hath no perfect skil yet he can say it coasts within such a compass it lies to that point though he cannot readily hit the Particular Path. As the poor Man said after God had broken his heart It seised upon me like Thunder and Lightning from that day forwards I could discern somthing in every Sermon This I take to be the meaning of that which torments Interpreters and exercised mine own thoughts many a time and it s very difficult to cut the Hair we wil speak a word to it 1 Cor. 1.30 Christ is made of God to us Wisdom We may come at it thus 1. This Wisdom cannot be justification not sanctification for those are mentioned immediately after and therefore they are not there meant Therefore it must be in vocation When Christ sets open the way Of all the good that God wil do And Of the manner of his communicating of himself for so the word â—â—lâ— belongs to a Syllogisme impliâ—â— the laying open of the frame of things as they lie in inference and sets it on upon the mind 3. The Reason why this is properly given to our Savior 1. Argument is taken from that relation he stands in unto the Father The proper Nature of Relates is to manifest and give knowledge each of other Math. 11.27 No man knowes the Father but the Son c. Joh. 1.18 No man hath seen God at any time but the only begotten Son 2. Argument from the commission delegated unto Christ He it is Whom the Father hath appointed to communicate his counsel to his faithful Ones Hebr. 1.2 He hath spoken in these last daies unto us by his Son Joh. 16.15 All that the Father hath are mine therefore said I He shal take of mine and shal shew it unto you So that the Son hath al committed to him and he communicates to the Holy Spirit who speaks not of his own but what he hath heard Thus we have the explication of the point And the work of our Savior what he hath done We shal refer for application to what follows in the uses hereafter made to the ensuing Doctrins The Second and next thing in order it the work of our Savior and his profession and ingagment What he wil do I have declared thy Name This he hath done And he add's further And I wil declare it Before I enter upon that we shal Observe by the way the conjoyning and coupling of these two works of our Savior together I have and I wil What he had done in former times and what he would do for future The Lord Christ extends the same Care at all times Doct. to all his Servants for their Eternal Good What he hath been he is and he wil be to the Faithful in things which concern their Spiritual Happiness He deals variously and dispenseth in a differing manner the Comforts and Conveniences of the things of this life He advanceth me leaves contempt upon another one is wretched another impoverished another spends his daies in health and peace as Isaac another is under dayly pressure and tryals Because al these things though good in themselves yet they are under and petty things and therefore not good for every man Diets are ever judged and directed to men according to their temper and disposition That which is Cordial to one as heating and nourishing Provisions to such as be weak and languishing i'ts hurtful to another that is of a ful Body and Feaverish distemper Therefore the wise God as a tender Father and wise Physitian he gives liberally to one when he holdâ— another to a spare Diet. So God Diets his Servants according to their Spiritual Disposition they are not alike useful and therefore he doth not in a like manner and measure dispense them But when it comes to Faith in God Repentance from dead Works and such things as concern Gods Eternal Love and so Eternal Life there look what care God shewed in former times to his he wil shew the like at al times to al to provide for their Spiritual welfare Compare Gen. 28.15 with Hos 12.2 He found him in Bethel and there he spake with us He spake to Jacob who was dead and buried long before that Generation But what he spake to him he spake to al the Saints Exod. 13.21 22. He took not away the Pillar of the Cloud by day noâ— the Pillar of Fiâ—e by night A Type of Christ who by night and day in al the Conditions and times of a mans Pilgrimage vouchsafes his guiding and saving presence to his People This also the rock in the Wilderness typed our unto the Israelites 2 Cor. 10.2 The Rock that followed go whether they would the Water out of the Rock followed them and attended upon them for their dayly refreshing So doth the Mercy and Truth of the Lord follow his al the daies of their lives Psal 23.6 And it is the aim of the place Heb. 13.8 Jesus Christ yesterday and to day and the same for ever that is in his saving overshadowing guiding presence to his Saints REASON 1. His Love is the same and that wil set him on work by the like care and endeavor to provide for their welfare If any thing without him had been a moving Cause of this Care and resolute endeavor for their good when that had altered or failed this would have failed also But his own Love which only issues out of his own Bowels and Bosom made him do good at one time and therefore to the same at al times for it is the same Jer. 31.3 With everlasting Love I have loved thee therefore I have drawn thee therefore called thee therefore comforted thee and wil continue so to do for ever John 13. Having loved his
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
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
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
hath purchased and bestowed the same glorious Grace upon them which he hath received from his Father Nor yet doth he count it enough that he hath pressed the Father with such uncessant importunity to intreate that they might be kept in that Oneness of relation to the Father and the Son as they are one with another and one in another which notwithstanding in reason might have been conceived to have been a large provision a goodly portion and inheritance even for the choicest of Gods servants to be so left by God the Father and the Lord Jesus with so faire an estate that in reason they might have been able to maintain themselves wel and not only made a shift to live Christianly but honorably and with much content since the Lord had left them wherewithal and aforehand in the world so fully stocked and stored But alas this is little in the Eye of the Lord Christ do we but consider the endless compassions which he extends towards such He laies in with God the Father for their welfare in another world stores up for eternity in their behalf Father I will they be where I am He wil not forsake them before he see them wel arrived and in safety therefore doth not ascend to Heaven and leave them to the wide world to sink or swim and shift for themselves No he hath laid in provision of prayer answerable to al their occasions their changes and necessities in life in death after Death In life Lead them keep them in their Graves raise them out of their Graves bring them to glory and preserve them in glory for ever He wil not have his glory but they must see it nay his glory wil not satisfie unless he may see them If our Savior pray for this their being with him then prayes he for and provids and also succeeds al means to attain this As wise Merchants victual their shipps for the longest time our Savior victuals even for a Voyage of eternity for life for death for Grace for Glory for a Momentany passage of time in this world and for eternity in another he laies out for their present needs but Oh how great is that goodness thou hast laid up for them that feare thee like Joseph provide for the seven years Famin laies in provision of prayer for their everlasting supply The Saints may find even refreshing baits by this prayer of our Savior in their most famishing distresses feast their hearts with it Hence it is the Lord Christ is said Hebr. 7.25 To be able to save them to the uâ—most that come to God by him that is by the vertue of his eternal intercession of which this prayer is one part This was signified by those two types The Pillar of fire and the Pillar of cloud which went before the Israelites in their travailes It s said The Lord went before them in a Pillar Exord 13.21 22. He took not away the Pillar of Cloud by day and the Pillar of Fire by night from before his people until he brought them into the promised Land Thus the Lord Jesus leads his people into the way everlasting and withdraws not the power of his prayer and presence and provision of al mercies until he bring them to himself So again Moses left the people in the desert and died before he came into the good Land but Joshua brought them to the place of rest of which it was said they shal remove no more 2. Sam. The Law leaves a man in sin and misery even to perish while he is in his passage but our Joshua brings his to rest that yet remains for there is yet a rest remaining for Gods people When he went away and withdrew his Bodily presence yet his Bowels yerned towards his I wil not leave you as Orphans Joh. 14.18 He sends the comforter his blessed spirit to lead them into al truth To guid them in the way while they are wildering here towards the end of their Hopes And his care is even in Heaven to prepare mansions of rest for their welcome and refreshing after their weary-some travailes Joh. 14.2 In my Fathers House are many mansions I go to prepare a place for you and I wil come again and receive you And before he comes he sends post to meet his poor servants and to inquire of their welfare Joh. 16.22 I will see you again and your heart shal rejoyce This was the meaning of the vision Gen. 18.14 16. Jacob saw a Ladder Angels ascending and descending and the Lord standing at the top and he said I wil bless thee and be with thee where ever thou goest and I wil not leave thee until I have performed that which I have spoken to thee of REAS. I. 1. It s the charge which he hath undertaken and unto which he stands bound by free agreement with God the Father that he wil see to the everlasting welfare of his servants and therefore in faithfulness he cannot but with al care perform it That by no means in no case they do miscarry It was the main scope of his sending by the Father and of his coming into the world Joh. 6.38 39. I came not to do mine own wil but the wil of my Father that sent me that of those which he hath given me I should loose none but raise it up at the last day Nay for this purpose he received Power and Commission From God the Father Joh. 17.2 Thou hast given him power over al flesh that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him He hath given Jesus Christ power over al enemies of the salvation of his people that they should never be able to hinder them over al means which might procure their good that they should never be wanting to help and further them in the good waies of Gods Grace power over al wants weaknessess infirmities that they should never be able to discourage their hearts in a Christian course He wil not fail of his end they cannot fail of their comforts 1 Cor. 15.25 26. He must reign until he hath put al his enemies under his feet the last enemy that is to be destroyed is death The Lord wil see the last enemy destroyed and see them beyond death and danger So that our Savior wil come last out of the field as Conqueror and wil not leave his people their Souls under distresses or their bodies in their Graves and make them Conquerors and triumph over al their Adversaries O Death where is thy sting O Grave where is thy Victory thanks be given to God who hath given us the Victory through Jesus Christ 2. The love of our Savior constraines him to lay out himself and the improvement of his power and prayers and al he hath for their good in al conditions until they come to be with him Joh. 13.1 Having loved his own he loved them to the end In love there is no lack if he love them to the end he wil care