Exposition of John 17

IS it the will of Jesus Christ, that his Disciples should be one in God [Use 2] by the mystical union? Then in the second place, let us be hence instructed to admire and magnify the goodness of the Lord in this business, that he is pleased so highly to advance and honor us: That we poor wretches should be made not only nigh to God, but that we should be one in God, in the Father and the Son: That the great God of Heaven and Earth should take us up into himself, and thereby raise us to such glorious privileges as have been mentioned in the former use. My Brethren, doth it seem a small thing to you? consider it a little and resolve. Is it but a small thing, that God should take us into such union with himself? I know not how you apprehend it, but I assure you, my Beloved, it amazes me; That such transcendent honor should be put upon such worms as we are. Me thinks we should break out to admiration with Elizabeth, Whence is this to us? Why, is it possible, that God should ever honor dust and ashes thus? Whence is it? Oh, my Beloved, how humble and how thankful should we be? Let us not brag of this honor, as some do in these times, who never were advanced to it, who say that they are taken in to God, so that they are God himself, and thus they swagger and blaspheme beyond measure. Oh, my Beloved, let it not be so with us; let us not brag of this honor, but let us tremble to consider what a weight of duty and obedience lies upon us, to walk answerably to it: and how exactly pure and holy they should be who are in any sense in God, in the Father and the Son.

And this conveys me to a third use, which shall be for admonition [Use 3] to everyone of us who are advanced to this glorious privilege, to live and act as men that are in God, in the Father and the Son. There is a suitable expression of the Apostle Paul to this purpose, Col. 2.6. As ye have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him. As you have taken him by faith, and so are made one with him, As you are in him, so walk in him. Even so say I to you, my brethren, As you are in God, in the Father and the Son, so walk in God; Take such a course in the whole tenor of your conversation, as they should do who are in God: And truly my beloved, that must be a strict, a holy and exact course: As far as it is possible there must be no exorbitancy, no uncleanness in it. It was the protestation of the Lord to Moses, which he repeats to Aaron, when his Sons were cut off for drawing nigh to God with strange fire, Lev. 10.3. Then Moses said to Aaron, This is that the Lord spake saying, I will be sanctified in them that come nigh me. Ah, my beloved, will God be sanctified in them that are nigh him, and will he not be sanctified in them that are in him? And if they must be holy who are nigh him, how holy must they be, my brethren, that are in him? in the Father and the Son: How precisely and exactly must they live who live in God?

And therefore I beseech you, my beloved, who are advanced to this high Prerogative, look narrowly to all your ways, and keep yourselves, as far as it is possible, from every sin; And that upon these three Considerations: For,

1. Your sin is strangely and unutterably heightened by the station that you have in the Father and the Son. It is such an aggravation as I am no ways able to express. What, my beloved, will you sin in God? shall God have wickedness counted in him, by your means? will you be intemperate, will you be wanton, and lascivious and unclean in any kind? will you be covetous and worldly? will you be unjust in God? you do what lies in you to draw the infinitely pure and holy God into Communion with you in your sin. Indeed sin cannot be committed by him, but by your means it is committed in him, which is a horrid and amazing thing to think upon. You do what lies in you, to defile and pollute the holy God with the impurest and uncleanest thing in all the world, (for so is sin) with that which is most against his nature, which is most odious and abominable to him, which he is no ways able to endure. And you are so audacious, that you do not only do it nigh him, and do it by him, but you do it in him. Ah, my beloved, me thinks your hearts should not be strong enough to bear up under that weight of such wikedness as this is, but that they should even faint and sink within you.

Why my beloved, for those that are without God, and who are far from him (as wicked men are said to be) their sins do not so much concern God, they cannot be so grievous and so vexatious to him. But to have sin committed in him, this is a most unsufferable provocation; This goes very near him, because it is done so near him. I beseech you think upon it, and let it have a mighty operation on your hearts; The sins of other men are committed out of God, but yours are committed in him.

2. As they are committed in him, so in the second place they cannot choose but be observed by him: For God takes special notice of them, and their carriage and behavior who are in him. So that they cannot do amiss, they cannot step awry in anything, but he spies them, he knows their lying doing and rising up, takes notice of their very thoughts, observes them how they go to bed, and how they rise, whether they think of him, whether they call on him, or no; They are so near him that he cannot choose but mark them. For others that belong not to him, that are without God and without Christ in the world, he looks not so much after them: But for those that are within him, they cannot but be under his immediate care, and special eye: He searcheth out their ways: he doth not superficially observe them only, but he searcheth deep into them, he sees their very grounds and ends, so that they cannot fail in anything, no not so much as in a circumstance, but he spies them.

And this me thinks, should make us very circumspect in all our ways, and infinitely cautious that we sin not. That of the Prophet is remarkable, Jer. 8 19. Is not the Lord in Zion? is not her King in her? why then have they provoked him to anger? And I may say upon the other side, Is not Zion in the Lord? are not true believers in him, in the Father and the Son? why then have they provoked him to anger? They that are far away from God, perhaps may be the bolder to offend, because they may conceive (with those in Job ) that he is shut up in the Clouds, and that he cannot see them at a distance; or if he do, he cannot reach them: But they that are in God, me thinks should be very circumspect; They should consider with themselves that it concerns them to be wary how they walk, and what they do, because he is at hand to spy their faults, and to observe their provocations.

3. And as the sins of those that are in God, cannot choose but be observed by reason of their nearness to him, so neither can they choose but be corrected and chastised. The Lord will take a course with them, if they miscarry, and if they misbehave themselves, sooner and quicker then he will with other men. And it concerns him so to do in point of honor; for their iniquities reflect with more disparagement upon him then the sins of others do, who are further from him. It would be much for God to suffer sin by him: but do you think that God will suffer sin in him? That he will let it nestle there without control, as if he liked it, and as if he took delight in it? Would not this be a very great dishonor to him, that God should not reform those that are in him? Assuredly, my brethren, if God will be sanctified in them that are nigh him, he will be sanctified in them that are in him; either one way or the other, in their holy Conversation, or in their visible Correction, as he was in David's case, that those that are without may not blaspheme, as if he suffered sin and approved it well enough in those that are near to him. No, they shall know, that he mislikes it most of all in them. If he see many aliens to him, doing any wickedness, he may bear with them long perhaps, for it concerns him not so much to deal against them; But if he spy one of his own among them, one of them that is in him, he will single such a one and cull him out from all the rest and say, You are in me, and in my Son, you are united to me in the nearest bonds; and what will you do as these vile abominable wretches do? Come, I must order you (though I let the rest alone) I must not suffer you in such courses.

[Use 4] If true believers be in God, in the Father and the Son? Then let them be enheartned hence to use their interest in God on all occasions, in all the straits and exigencies of the Church of God. You have the privileges and the advantage to be more then nigh him, to be in him, so that undoubtedly you may have audience with him when you please; and you may very much prevail with him. And therefore see that you improve the opportunity and the advantage that is put into your hands, by being God's remembrancers in all cases. If he seem to forget his Church at any time, to be asleep, while she is sinking, do you come to him when you are with him in his privy Chamber, and speak a good word for her. Mind him of her sad condition, and beseech him earnestly to think upon her and relieve her. They that are abroad, my brethren, cannot do it; They cannot have access to God, they have no interest in God at all. But you, my brethren, are not only in with him, but you are in him, so that you have his ear and heart: you can prevail exceedingly with God, and therefore see you be not wanting to promote the Churches cause with him. As it is said of Jacob, you have power with God, and therefore you must seek him more in straits, in difficulties, and in hard cases, because you can do more with God then others can.

Brethren, there are some straits upon us at this time: we are involved in difficulties, more then every eye sees. I speak as unto wise men, judge ye what I say. And therefore you that are in God, that are more prevalent with him then others are, be sure that you plead hard before him, night and day in such a time as this is. The businesses that are in agitation now, are of a very great concernment, and therefore see that you improve all the respect and interest you have in God, about them.

[Use. 5] If true believers be in God, you then that are without God, be advised how you wrong them, and how you be vexatious to them. Take heed you do not injure and molest them for your lives: And that upon a double ground. For,

1. Being in God, they will have opportunity on all occasions to complain against you. Be wary how you wrong these little ones. For though they be of little reckoning and reputation in the world, and though they be of little power to make defense, or right themselves when they are injured, they are so near to God, that they are in him, and they will readily tell him of it. You that are men of earthly might, do not oppress them by your power, least they cry and God hear: And he will very quickly hear them, being in him. You may abuse and injure others with infinitely less danger, for they are far from God, they are a great way of, and so may cry, yea cry aloud and not be heard: But they that are in God, are certainly within hearing. And therefore be advised how you meddle with them, and make them cry so close to God, least the Lord hear and it displease him.

2. Being in God, he will certainly redress them when they make complaint to him. It cannot be but he must be extremely tender of those who are so near to him. What do you think that the Almighty God will suffer men to be abused in him? A wicked wretch may touch another man indeed, and yet never touch God, because he is without God, there is no union between God and him. But whosoever touches him that is in God, must touch God in touching him. And hence saith the Lord himself, Zac. 2.8. He that toucheth you, toucheth the apple of mine eye. In touching you, he toucheth me, and that in the most tender place, the very apple of mine eye. And do you think that God will ever suffer such audacious boldness as this is? That he will quietly sit still, and let ungodly wretches thrust their fingers into his eyes, and pluck the very apples of his eyes out of his head? Take this and take all.

If true believers be in God, you then that are out of God, endeavor [Use 3] to keep in with them. In any case make them your friends, and keep them so, and do not fall at any difference or odds with them; You know not what you lose, when you lose their love and their friendship. A friend in place (they say) is worth something. And certainly they are in place, that are in God, the best place that can be. And therefore it is good for those that are without, and live abroad, to have some friends in this place; you may fare the better for them, and they may do you a good turn, and a good office there, when time serves. Wicked men have had advantage oftentimes by the friendship of believers; Moses did a good turn for Pharaoh more then once, when he knew not what to do, and when he could not help himself. Alas, poor miserable man, he was an alien, he lived without God in the world: and therefore sends for Moses still (who was in God) to speak a word for him: and he was ready to solicit hard in his behalf, and divers times prevailed for mercy, till in the end his heart was hardened to his utter ruin. And therefore if you love yourselves, make much of such friends as these are.

And thus far of the application of the first branch of the Explication of the point. I shall be briefer on the other two.

Is it the will of Jesus Christ, that true believers should be one in God, [Use] in the Father and himself by dear affection?

You then that are believers, let your hearts be knit to God and Jesus Christ, by this indissoluble bond; Let love make you all one. And as the Father and the Son are one among themselves, so be you one in them by love. Let your affections to them be so high, as to unite you to the Father and the Son. And even as dear affection joins you to your fellow-Saints that you are knit in love (as the Apostle Paul's expression is) so let it join you much more to the Father, and the Son; for they are infinitely more to be beloved. Oh let your hearts no longer live in creature comforts, and in creature satisfactions (which do so often fail you and deceive you) but let them live in God, by inexpressable and choice love; There live, and there rest, and there dwell, and there nestle, as it were in the bosom of the Father and the Son.

Mark that expression of the Apostle, John 1.4.16. God is love and he that dwelleth in Love, dewelleth in God, and God in him. God is love essentially: for whatsoever is attributed to God, is God. And he is the Original and fountain of the love that is Communicated to the Creature. All the Love with which we love him, or the Creature regularly, comes from him: It is a ray of the divinity, a beam of God, a part of the divine nature. And seeing God is love in the sense before expressed, essentially, originally, it follows thence, as the Apostle John infers, that he that dwells in love, must dwell in God. He that dwells, that is, continues and abides in love, to fellow Saints and fellow-members, dwells in God: But he that dwells in love to God himself, dwells in God much more. And therefore I beseech you, let your hearts set up their rest in love to God and Jesus Christ; there let them fix and dwell; let not your love be scattered up and down among the creatures as it is, but let it be united all in God: and let it join and unite you all to God: that nothing in the world may ever separate you, or divide you from him.

Brethren, you may be the losers by Love of other things, or other friends; For after your affections and your hearts are set upon them, they may forsake you, and be unfaithful and unkind to you. And besides, you must bestow some pains, and travail and expense on those who are indeed beloved by you. Or else it is but a dissembling, feigned love; for love where it is sound and real, is very bountiful and very active. And hence it is, my brethren, that there is so little true affection in the world. The love of men is for the greater part, in complement, in show and in appearance only: they will do nothing, they will part with nothing for those whom they are pleased to call their friends, as they must do if they love in deed and truth.

But now in loving God, my brethren, (though I acknowledge you must part with all for him) yet you shall be no losers by it. Though you forgo your friends, your houses, and estates, and all for him, you shall have him instead of all; Yea, you shall not have him only, but you shall be in him by this means.

And therefore, I beseech you my beloved, grow up into this uniting grace in these divided and distracted times, which will not only make you one among yourselves, but one in God. But you will ask me how may this be done? I will give you some directions.

1. Let prayer struggle for it at the throne of grace. It cannot choose but be a pleasing lovely suit indeed to be importunate with God to make us love him, and to draw up our hearts to him. A man would think that such a sweet request as this, should not be turned off with a denial. Its true that prayer is the great Catholicon and universal means in all cases. But yet it is expedient in a special manner to the attainment and enlargement of this grace of love, which is a special gift of the spirit It is the great work of the spirit of God to make us love God, and to endear our hearts to him. I know that Hope and Patience, &c. are graces of the Spirit, but Love is a prime grace. It is a grace of the first magnitude, and therefore placed first by the Apostle in that Catalogue of his, Gal. 5.22. The Love of God is shed abroad into our hearts, saith the Apostle, Rom. 5.5. how so? by the Holy Ghost that he hath given us. And in another place he tells the Saints, Ye are taught of God; saith he, to love one another, 1 Thes. 4.1. None in the world can teach you this but God only. And if none but he can teach us to love our brethren whom we see, then much more none but he can teach us to love him whom we do not see, and therefore let us earnestly beseech him to help us to take forth this Lesson.

2. Let us endeavor to grow up in the knowledge of the Lord, and as we know him better, we shall love him more. That which one affirms of Learning, may be well applied to God, Non habet inimicum nisi ignorantem. He hath such matchless excellency and beauty in him, that he that knows him, cannot choose but love him. Indeed while we are unacquainted with him, the admirable worth and luster that is in him, doth not take a whit upon us. The Philosopher will tell us, that the judgment must be first of all convinced of the worth and value of a thing, before the heart will close with it, and the affections cleave to it. Nec enim potes aut amare quem nescias, aut habere quem non amaveris, Thou canst not love him thou knowest not, nor have him whom thou lovest not. And hence it is that wicked and ungodly men love not God or Christ at all, because they know him not at all; Or if they know him any way, it is not under such a notion as makes him beautiful and lovely to them. Perhaps they know him as a Judge, or an Avenger, not as a Father, and a Savior. And this is indeed the cause why the triumphant Saints in heaven love him more then the Saints militant on earth, because they have a fuller, clearer and distincter knowledge of him. We see him darkly in a glass, but they see him face to face. And this is the reason also why we love not God so much on earth, as we shall do in heaven, viz. because we know him not so well here, as we shall do in that place. So that our love to God you see, is answerable to our knowledge of him: as we know him more, or less, so we love him more, or less. And therefore if we do desire indeed to love him more, let us strive to know him more.

3. Another means to grow up in the love of God, is to have daily more communion and intimacy with him. And this, as I conceive it, is a means distinct from that which goes before: For it is one thing to know him, and another to have communion, and to be familiar with him. We know abundance with whom we have no intimacy in the world. No, we know them too well perhaps to be familiar with them. So we may have a speculative knowledge of the Father, and the Son, and yet may have no intimate acquaintance with them.

And this is very necessary to increase love. To kindle and enflame affection (as the Philosopher observeth) there must be Convictus & crebra conversatio. They must dine and supp together, they must walk and talk together. And wheresoever there is strangeness, there can be no great love. And therefore if we would abound in the love of God and Christ, let us have more communion with them.

Beloved if we be not wanting to ourselves, we may be very much with God. We may speak with him often in a day: we may talk with him face to face in our addresses to his holy Majesty, we may give him many visits; he doth not interdict us, but invite us to come and sup with him, and be acquainted with him thoroughly once; he is so precious and so sweet a friend, that we shall love him out of all measure.

4. Endeavor to the utmost of your power, to dispossess your hearts of the unlawful love of worldly things; for this is incompatible & inconsistent with the love of God. If any man, saith the Apostle, love the world, the love of the Father is not in him, 1 Joh. 1.15. Let him be what he will (my Brethren) if he love the world, he loves not God: And therefore ler not any covetous and wretched worldling make show of having any love to God; For certainly it is not in him. The friendship of the world, saith the Apostle James 4.4. is enmity with God. And therefore if we would be friends of God, we must dissolve this friendship with the world. Inordinate, irregular, unlawful love of worldly things, must be expelled: And as this love is cast out, the love of God will come in.

5. Be often in the company and fellowship of those that love God; Converse with those who are most endeared to him, and they will be continually speaking of him, and setting forth his excellency, beauty, love, and so will kindle and enflame your hearts towards him. They who are full of sweet affections to the Lord, if you be much among them, will work you to the same temper: You may observe it in Cant. 5.10. and the following verses, that when those daughters of Jerusalem who at first despised Christ, and wondered why the Church his Spouse should praise him so, and make such a stir about him, yet when they had a while conversed with the Church, and heard her speak of Christ with such affection, admiring and extolling him above the skies, they also fall in love with him, and they will go together with the Church to seek him out; Whither is Beloved gone? say they, O thou fairest among women, whither is thy Beloved turned aside, that we may seek him with thee? And thus you see, my Brethren, frequent intercourse and holy conference with those that love God, is one effectual means to fill and to enflame our hearts with love to him.

6. Labor to comprehend with all the Saints, the greatness of the love of God to you, and to assure it to your own souls. It is not all the beauty and the excellency in the world, that will allure us to the 〈◊〉 love one that we imagine doth not love us: But if we see and be assured of the love of God to us, this will kindle love to him, and make our hearts to melt towards him: When we consider with ourselves what kindness he hath shown to us, what he hath done for us, what matchless and unfathomed love he hath discovered to us, this will raise our affections high to him again, and make us even sick of love: And therefore I beseech you strive to be more and more assured of this; for at this flame you must kindle your fire. Here you must fetch your little spark of love (whereof the Saints are capable in this life) from the love of God to you: which being kindled in your hearts, it will never leave aspiring, and flying higher and higher still, till it have joined itself unto that infinite and endless flame from whence it issued and proceeded.

And indeed, as Bernard very well observes, we cannot answer God or Christ so well in anything as love. To say the truth, we must not answer him in other things. If he be angry, or displeased with us, we ought not be angry or displeased with him again. If he condemn and censure us, we ought not to condemn and censure him again; If he chide us, we ought not to chide him again. But if he love us, we may, we must love him again; Yea, he expecteth that we should return him love for love, for he loves to be beloved.

Is it the will of Jesus Christ, that true believers should be one in God, [Use.] in the Father and the Son, by sweet agreement and consent? Then I beseech you, my Beloved, comply with Jesus Christ in this particular; As God and Jesus Christ agree in everything, so do you agree with them. Bring your mind to the mind of God, and to the will of God, that you may be of one mind, and one will: Have you no judgment of your own, as different from God's, but judge of things as God doth: Let his wisdom be your wisdom; his reason, your reason; and his determination, your determination: Have you no wills of your own, my Brethren, but let the will of God be your will, let it rule and order you: Let your will be so melted and resolved into the will of God, that as far as it is possible, God and you may have but one will; That he may never cross you, and you may never cross him: Consent to him in everything; if he say anything; true, Lord; if he do anything; good, Lord; Yea, though it be against you in your ends, and in your natural desires; yet say as Hezekiah to the Prophet, when he received a heavy threatening, Good is the word of the Lord which he hath spoken. Take heed there be no difference between God and you in anything; let not him say one thing, and you another; will one thing, and you another: But say you as God says, and will you as God wills, that so you may be swallowed up in God, and that you may be one in him: And to this end I propound three things.

1. If God and you agree not every way in all respects, you are out, and not he: And therefore it is best in all things to conform your minds and wills to his: His mind and his will is always right; and yours if they dissent, are always crooked and oblique; and therefore it is best to bring your minds and wills to his, and not to think to bring his to your own. The Malon when he tries the wall that he hath built, by his rule, and finds them not to suit together, he doth not go and cut the rule and bring it to the wall, but he goes and mends the wall, till he have brought it to the rule. So if your minds and wills do not agree with God's, the fault is not in his, but yours; and therefore you must bend your minds and wills till you have brought them straight like his; and not endeavor to make his crooked like your own.

2. If God and you agree not every way, as you are irregular, so you are undutiful. You are his servants, and you are his creatures, and therefore ought in all things to be ruled by him. The Masters will must be the servants will, in lawful things; and therefore in the Civil Law the servant is accounted in the Master, and not as a distinct person: And much more the Creators will must be the creatures will. He gives it being, both the beginning and continuance of it; and he that gives being, may give Law to regulate the motions and the operations of the being that he gives, and may not be contested with in any particular.

3. If we agree not all in God, our agreement and accord among ourselves is worth nothing: So far it is to be approved, as it doth unite in God. Then it is good and right indeed; when as the Father and the Son agree together, so we agree with both of them in the very same things. If we be of one mind and heart, in things wherein the Father and the Son are not of one mind with us, it were better we did differ then unite; for we unite not in a right center. But if as we be one among ourselves, so we be one in the Father and the Son, this is indeed a blessed union: If Brethren so dwell together in unity, that all of them do dwell together in this one God, this is a happy and a heavenly conjunction: And therefore I beseech you, my Beloved, let us look to this, that as we all agree, so we all agree in God and Jesus Christ. Let us examine still whether our consent in anything do meet and unite with theirs: Let us see what their mind and will is, and let us all accord in that together; For though we be not one against another, if God be against us all, it is a very sad case. The Apostle John makes mention of love in the truth, 2 Joh. 15. Love in error is not to be accounted of, but to be avoided rather; but love in truth is very precious; consent in error is not to be rejoiced in, but consent in truth, my Brethren, is a comfortable thing: For this is consent in God, who is so often called Truth in Scripture. And if we so agree, and so consent, we may depend upon it, we have God's agreement and consent with us; and therefore let this be our great care, that Jesus Christ may have his will in this business, according to his prayer in my Text, That they may be one as thou Father art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us.

WE are upon the matter of our Savior's Prayer, for them who should believe in him by his Apostles word. And there are two main things, as I have noted formerly, that he desires in their behalf: First that they might be all one; Then that they might be all in one place. The first of these requests of his he propounds and prosecutes; propounds it in the verse which we have even now insisted on, That they all may be one, &c. And then he prosecutes it with divers arguments and reasons, in this and the succeeding verses.

Whereof the first is taken from the furtherance, that this near unity of theirs would be, to the acceptance of our Savior in the world; That the world may believe that thou hast sent me: That they may all be one, as, &c. Why so? That the world may believe, &c.

For Explication of the terms, the difficulty lies especially in this, viz. what sort of people our Savior Christ intendeth by the world here; For to say truth, the world is taken divers ways; I think more differently then any other phrase almost in Scripture: Sometimes we find it used for elect and sanctified, and sometimes for reprobate and unsanctified persons: Sometimes we find it taken for believers, and sometimes for unbelievers, as I could give you instances of both these. And when for unbelievers; sometimes for those who believe not for the present, but shall believe in after times; sometimes for those who neither do believe nor shall believe. Now all the question is, which of these three sorts of people our Savior Christ denoteth by the world in this place.

There is no color to conceive that the world should here be taken for believers, for such as did then believe when Christ spake these words; the very next word that he adds doth evidently cross and dash that; That the world may believe that thou hast sent me: So then the world in this place apparently importeth unbelievers. But whether such as believed not for the present, but should believe in after times: Or such as neither did believe, nor should believe: Whether elected unbelievers, or reprobated unbelievers, will need a little briefly to be inquired and resolved.

Some of no small authority conceive, that by the world is meant elected unbelievers; such as did not then believe, but should believe in after times (conceive it with a saving and a justifying faith) and that the rather for Christ's Disciples unity among themselves. And hence he prays, That they may all be one as thou Father, &c. that the world may believe that thou sent me. But if our Savior had intended justifying faith in these words, in probability he would have said, that the world may believe in me. They are but poor believers that come no further then barely to assent to this, that Jesus Christ is sent of God the Father; a reprobate may do this.

Besides (which carries me exceedingly) me thinks the world is here apparently opposed to such as did believe, and should believe with a justifying faith. Our Savior mentions it as opposite to both these. In the first place you know, he prays for such as did believe, when he made this prayer; and then for such as should believe in after times: Neither pray I for these only, but for them also that shall believe on me, that they may all be one, &c. That the world, who neither do believe, nor shall believe with a justifying faith, may yet by this means be so far convinced, as historically to assent to this, That thou hast sent me, q. d. This is that which I desire, that they who shall in after times believe by my Apostles word, may by their unity so far convince and work upon the world that never shall believe, as that they may be brought to this at least, to acknowledge that thou hast sent me: For so believing here is nothing else but knowing or acknowledging: and therefore in the 23. verse that word is used, I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one, that the world may know that thou hast sent me. You see the meaning of the words. The point to be observed is this:

THE second follows now in order to be handled. And it is taken from the end at which he aimed in glorifying his Disciples, in giving them the glory which he had received from God the Father, and this was that they might be one; And the glory which thou gavest me, I have given them, that they may be one, even as we are one. q. d. Since I have glorified them so much as I have done, to this end that they might be one, I pray thee Father, let me not be disappointed of my purpose, but let me have my end in this business.

Two things we have to be considered in the words. First Christ's communication of the glory which he received from the Father to believers. The glory which thou gavest me, I have given them. And secondly the end of this communication, that they may be one, even as we are one. At this time I shall make a little entrance on the first of these, and that is Christ's communication of the glory which he received from the Father to believers. The glory which thou gavest me, I have given them.

If there be any question what glory is intended by our Savior here, whither that which he as God, enjoyed together with the Father from eternity; Or that which he as Man and Mediator of the Church, received from the Father: It is apparently resolved in the words themselves. The glory which thou gavest me. Christ hath no glory given him as he is God; but as he is Man, and Mediator, he hath much bestowed upon him by the Father. Now that which he receives as man, he communicates to men, he gives it out again in some sense and in some degree, to true believers, to all the living members of his body. As he affirmeth here expressly, the glory which thou gavest me, I have given them. Them, whom? Why them that believe on me, as you shall easily discern, if you observe the series of the Text; Neither pray I for those only, but, &c. That they may all be one, &c. And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them. So that we have two Observations clearly pointed at in these words.

First, God the Father hath bestowed much glory on the Son, as he is Man and Mediator of the Church.

Secondly, The self same glory which the Son as Man receives from God the Father, he communicates again, and gives it out in a sort to all believers.

AND thus far of the Second Argument with which our Savior prosecutes his suit to God the Father, that believers might be one; Which hath been taken from the end at which he aimed, in giving them the glory which he had received from God the Father: and this was that they might be one. The glory which thou gavest me, I have given them, that they may be one even as we are one.

The third comes now in order to be handled: And it is taken from the end of Christ's inhabitation in believers, and of the Fathers inhabitation in himself, and this is also that they may be one, yea, that they may be perfect in one, I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one.

You easily discern that there is some word defective to make the sense complete in this place, I in them, and thou in me, what's that? Either it must be I am in them, and thou in me; or I have been in them, and thou in me; Or I shall be in them, and thou in me. Either all or one of these, or some such thing as this is.

Modern Interpreters take little notice of it, that I can observe, and ancient Writers supply it diversely, according as their apprehensions lead them. As far as I can dive into it, it is thus expressed of purpose because our Savior had no mind to bind it up either to the past, the present, or the future tense, but that it might be left indifferent to them all. If he had said expressly, I have been in them, and thou in me; this could not have been properly applied to those which then believed for the present, or should believe in after times. If he had said I am in them, and thou in me exclusively, this would not have been properly applied to them which had believed in former times (supposing that I am excludeth I have been) or should believe in after times. If he had said, I shall he in them, and thou in me, this could not have been properly applied to them which had believed, or did believe; So that which way soever he had fully set it down, he had seemed to exclude past believers, or present believers, or future believers, which he had no intent to do; And therefore he doth purpo ely express it so (as I conceive) that he might take in all of them, without exception, I in them, and thou in me, to which you may add, have been, are, and shall be.

I have been in them that did believe, I am in them that do believe, and I will be in them that shall believe: That so they may be all of them by this means closely linked together; One special end of my inhabitation in believers past, present, and to come, of this inhabitation in myself, (the Mediator between thee and them) is this, That they may all be one; yea, that they may be perfect in one; & therefore I beseech thee Father, let us have our end in this business. For Explication of the words, we have three things to be inquired and resolved. First, how Christ as Mediator is in true believers. Secondly, how God the Father is in Christ as Mediator. Thirdly, how the Mediator being in believers, and God the Fathers being in the Mediator, do serve to this great end whereof our Savior speaks (viz.) to make believers one, yea, to make them perfect in one; I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one. I shall be brief upon the former two, because they are more easy to be apprehended; and the third indeed is the main thing in the Text.

[ 1] As for the first of these, How Christ as Mediator is in true believers, I suppose you are not to seek of this. He is in true believers by his Spirit; And that not by the Essence of the Spirit (for so he is no more in one man then another) but by the operation and effects, that is, the gifts and graces of the Spirit; and especially by faith, which is the grace that gives them the denomination of believers; And therefore Christ is said expressly to dwell in the heart by faith, Eph. 3.17.

[ 2] As for the second thing proposed, how God the Father is in Christ as Mediator; for clearing this you must remember that which hath been often hinted, that God the Father all along this prayer of our Savior, is taken for the whole God-head.

Now in our Savior's human Nature the whole Godhead dwells, as the Apostle shows, Col. 2.9. In him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily. Others are partakers of the Divine Nature, as the Apostle speaks, 2 Pet. 1.4. but he is partaker of the Divine Essence. Others are partakers of the properties of God; but he is partaker of the Godhead itself: Others are partakers of the grace of God; but he is partaker of the God of grace; And therefore the Apostle saith not that in Christ dwelleth 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , that is, the Divinity, but 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , that is, the Godhead; And that the fullness, all the fullness of it; In him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily; Because it is indeed and really united to the human Nature, to the body of Christ Jesus, as I have somewhere noted heretofore. You see how Christ is in believers, and how God is in Christ.

[ 3] Now for the third and last particular proposed, how their being each in other doth serve to this end mentioned in my Text, viz. to make believers one, yea, to make them perfect in one; I in them, and thou in me, that they may be perfect in one; This will need a little further Explication.

That Christ is in believers by his Spirit, to this end, that they may be one among themselves, and with the Father and the Son, is very manifest in Scripture. But is God in Jesus Christ to this end? Yes, my Beloved, to this end. God had never been in Christ as Mediator, but that believers might be joined to himself, in, and by, and through Christ. True, my Beloved, the Father had been in the Son as God however, so he was from everlasting: But God had never been in Christ as Man and Mediator, but for effecting this union: so that as the Apostle saith, God was in Christ reconciling the world, the world of believers: so I may say as well, God was in Christ uniting the world, the same world of believers to himself. Originally they are disjointed and divided each from other, and which is worst of all, from God; But down comes Christ, and dwells in all of them together, and down comes God and dwells in Christ, that so they may be all one; I in them, and thou in me, that they may be perfect in one.

Not only that they may be one, but that they may be perfect in one; what doth our Savior mean by that expression, That they may be perfect in one? Truly nothing else but this, as I conceive, that they may so be one, that there may be a perfect union. There is a twofold perfection, a perfection of parts, and a perfection of degrees. The first of these is specially intended here, that there may be a perfect union in regard of parts, that is, that all the parts that should be joined may be joined together: Therefore am I in all of them, saith Christ here, and thou in me that am in all of them; I in them, and thou in me, that they may be perfect in one; that there may be such a union, to which no part that should be joined is wanting, so that there can be nothing added to it (in regard of parts at least) to make it more consummate and complete.

If I were not in them (though they were never so indissolubly joined among themselves) that would not be a perfect union; for there would be Christ wanting. If thou wert not in me as Mediator (though I were never so indissolubly joined to them) that would not be a perfect union neither; for there would be God wanting. And therefore I in them (saith Christ) I have been in them that did believe, I am in them that do believe, and I will be in them that shall believe to the end of the world. And thou in me: thou hast been, art, and wilt be still in me; that they may be perfect in one; That they may be so one, that there may be a perfect union.

You see the meaning of the words, as far as I have attained. There might be many things observed, which have been divers times insisted on from other places. The doctrine proper to the Text is this.

AND thus far we came on the last occasion, by way of explication of the Point. Proceed we now to the Application of it, according to the branches of the explication in their order.

Is it so that God the Father loves believers as really and truly as he [Use 1] loves Christ? This then should teach us in the first place, to depend upon him in all cases and not to doubt him, or distrust him, who is true and real to us. Its that which we are very subject to, when we are brought to straits and difficulties and distresses, our hearts are shaken presently, and our faith in God fails; we are afraid that God will serve us as unfaithful friends are wont to do, when the time of trial comes; That he will leave us succourless in our distresses. Oh, my beloved, I beseech you take heed how you wrong God, how you give way to one suspicious thought of him, who is so real in his love to you. It is an injury of which he cannot choose but be infinitely tender, and that the rather and the more, because his heart is so unfeignedly endeared to us. As friends who love us tenderly, if we be always jealous of them, it troubles them exceedingly, they know not how to take it at our hands; so do but think how grievous it will be to God (who loves us as he doth his own Son) to be suspected still on all occasions, and to have his love questioned. And therefore seeing God is such a faithful friend, let us commit ourselves, and all our ways to him, and let us cast ourselves upon him without fear in all cases; Seeing he loves us really, let us trust him perfectly: And let us so behave ourselves in all conditions, that we may make it to appear that we rely upon him fully without the least suspicion of his love to us.

Is it so that God the Father loves believers as really and truly as he [Use 2] loves Christ? This then should teach us in the second place to love him truly and really again: To be (as far as it is possible) as undissembled and sincere and cordial in our love to him, as he is in his love to us. Oh, my beloved, let us not answer true love with feigned love, nor real with pretended love; that would be an ill requital. We all profess a great deal of affection to the Lord, we say we love him: but if he should examine us, and sift us man by man, as once our Savior did Peter, Lovest thou me? dost thou love me? dost thou indeed? could we reply with him Oh Lord thou knowest that we love thee; Thou knowest that our hearts are right to thee. If God should ask us, as Jehu did Jehonadab, 2 Kings 10.25. Is thine heart right as my heart is with thy heart? can you reply, as he? It is. So you may think indeed, and yet you may decieve your own souls. The Apostle speaks of some who love the Lord in sincerity, Eph. 6.24. by which he intimates that there are some who do not so, who love him hypocritically, not sincerely; whose love to God is like the love of many to their brethren, in word and in show, not in deed and in truth: and therefore it concerns us to examine whether the love we bear to God, be 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , without dissimulation, yea or no, as the Apostles phrase is, Rom. 12.9. And thus far of the Application of the Point, in reference to the first branch of the Explication of it: Proceed we to the second.

[Use 2] Doth God the Father love believers everlastingly, even as he loves Christ? this then may cheer and comfort up the hearts of all believers, who though they have had sweet experience of the love of God to them, yet are inclinable to fear that it may be withdrawn again from them. And surely there are many such, who even waste and pine away themselves in such perplexed thoughts as these are; Oh they shall never persevere and continue to the end, they shall fall away at last from God's favor, and so they shall be lost forever. Now I beseech you, quiet and secure yourselves in this particular; the Lord that hath begun to love you, will persist to love you on to all eternity; as he hath loved you from the beginning, so he will surely love you to the end. As he hath loved you from everlasting, so he will love you to everlasting, even as he loves Christ. When he gives over loving Christ, then and not till then, my brethren he will give over loving you; when he withdraws his heart from Christ, the darling of his own bosom, he will withdraw his heart from you too. Believe it, Jesus Christ and you must fare alike in this respect, you must be hated or be loved together.

And therefore do not fear of falling from the love of God, though you have many failings, many imperfections in you; do not doubt that they will cause the Lord to hate you. No, no, the love of God is large enough to cover a multitude of them, and none of them shall separate you from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord, as the Apostle speaks, Rom. 8.39. Observe it well, it is a love in Jesus Christ; he loveth us in loving Christ, as being part of Christ; we are involved and wrapped up together with him in the same love: so that if our infirmities should separate us from the love of God, they must separate Christ with us. If God and we part, God and Christ must part too. Oh think on this, my brethren, when your fears of losing God's favor are most prevailing with you, and have greatest power upon you. This take for all, and rest upon it, he can no sooner cease to love you, then you can cease to love Christ.

Doth God the Father love believers infinitely even as he loves Christ? [Use 3] Oh then, what may you not expect from such love as this is? A love that hath no bounds, no measures. What will not God do for you, in all conditions and in all cases? what will not God give you? what will not God forgive you? what can you want, if God love you in this manner? Let your hearts dwell upon the meditation of it, especially when you are in trouble.

When penal miseries are desperate and extreme, when they are very sore upon you, that you know not what to do, Think with yourselves, Is it a likely thing that God will suffer you to perish or miscarry? the God that loves you infinitely even as he loves Christ himself? Indeed if he did love you only with an ordinary love, you had some color then to doubt, that he might be regardless of you. But since he loves you so immeasurably, as he doth, how can you think that he will stand and see you sink away to ruin, and not stretch out his hand to save you? Suppose Christ were in your case (if it were to be supposed) that he were brought to such an exigent as you are, how tender would the Father be of him? how would his bowels yearn upon him? how would he hasten to relieve him? What is it thou, saith God, that are brought to such distress? and art thou likely to be ruined and undone? what thou my dear and pleasant child, my own beloved son? Alas, I pity thee, I melt upon thee, I will help thee presently, I will not see thee to continue long in such misery as this is. Why my beloved, just as God would deal with Christ in such a case, even so will he deal with you; for he loves you, even as he loveth him.

So when your sins lie heavy on you, and you are even afraid that God will never pardon you, your provocations are so many and so great, you vex him every day, and every hour without ceasing: you do not give him any breathing time: and therefore you are apt to think sometimes, his patience will be out at last, and you shall pay for all together. Indeed my brethren, if his love were but as the love of man, you had ground enough to fear it. For who is able always to forgive injuries without number, and without measure? But since his love is infinite, and there is no end of it, it cannot be too narrow, and too scant for you. What may you not expect from an infinite love? Oh my beloved, I beseech you, do not limit it, do not set bounds to it: do not think thus far the love of God may cause him to forbear us, and forgive us, but beyond this it will not go. Ah my beloved, if you be humble and believing souls, it is a bottomless and boundless love to you: it will go beyond all that you can think, further then you are able to imagine. And therefore do not cast away your confidence, but roll yourselves on this unmeasurable love of God in all cases. Your sins are finite: that is infinite: your sins have limits: that hath none.

Doth God the Father love believers, under the same relations as he loves [Use 4] Christ? doth he love them as his chosen, as his servants, as his children? This then administers incomparable sweet & precious comfort, to all that do in deed and truth, believe in Christ. The love of God to them is like to that he bears to Christ, under all these three relations. And this involveth blessed privileges and carries high things in it, as I shall show you in their order.

[ 1] Doth God the Father love believers as his chosen, even as he loves Christ? Then surely he will never cast them off again, as he will never cast off Christ. There are some whom God chooses out of a common love, to common privileges and advancements, whom in the issue he rejects again: he repents that he hath chosen them to such a dignity, place, and office, and so he even casts them off again. And thus he dealt you know with Saul and Judas. But he chose Christ out of a special and peculiar love, never to be reversed again. And just so he chose us in and by and through Christ, out of the very same love, and with the very same intentions (in reference to revocation) that he chose Christ. And what will God cast away his people, whom he hath foreknown from everlasting? whom he hath chosen in his Son Christ, before the foundation of the world was laid, as the Apostle speaks, Eph. 1.4. No, no; his choice of us, is as unalterable as his choice of Christ himself. And when he casts away Christ, then and not till then (my brethren,) will he cast away us.

[ 2] Doth God the Father love believers as his servants, even as he loves Christ? Then surely he will deal with us in this regard, much as he dealt with Christ, as I shall show you in a few particulars.

1. He will uphold us, as he did uphold Christ. A Master will uphold his servant in any business or employment that he setteth him about: Especially a servant that he loves. So did God uphold Christ, and he seems to glory in it, and to call us to observe it, Isa. 42.1. Behold my Servant whom I uphold; I am resolved to bear him out, meddle with him he that dare. Indeed when the appointed time was come, he gave him up to suffer what he had designed him to. But in the interim, he bore him out, so that no projects, no attempts could take against him; they could not seize upon him, they could not hurt him (saith the Gospel story) because his hour was not yet come. Even so will God uphold us, until our hour be come too. For we are servants whom he loves even as he loved Christ. And as he is a loving, so he is an all-sufficient and almighty Master, as he said to Abraham, when he took him to be a Covenant-servant to him, Gen. 17.1. And therefore he will be not only a reward, but a shield to his servants; a shield and an exceeding great reward, as his own expression is, Gen. 15.1. A reward for their salvation, and a shield for their protection.

2. God will assist us in his service, as he did assist Christ. Christ had a piece of work you know in hand that was very difficult, so that he sweat, and that not ordinary sweat, but drops of blood trickling down upon the earth. Yea, more then so, he fainted, while he was about it: But God his Master that employed him, took a special care of him, and sent an Angel down from heaven of purpose to comfort him, and strengthen him, Luke 22.43. And when as man he feared how he should hold out and how he should go through with the business (as to any self sufficiency as a Creature) and so wept and cried to God, he had a very sweet return as you may see, Heb. 5.7. When in the days of his flesh he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears to him that was able to save him, he was heard in that he feared.

Just so doth God support us in the work he calls us to; for we are servants whom he loves, even as he loved Christ. If he perceive the service that we have in hand, to be too difficult and hard for us, then in comes God, and puts his own hand to the work. What, canst thou not go through with it? Come let me help thee, saith the Lord. It is observed of the Levites, that God helped them, 1 Chron. 15.26. And the Apostle tells us, that the spirit helpeth our infirmities, Rom. 8.26. he stands against us, and bears up the burden with us. So that the weakest servants of the Lord need not fear the hardest service, or the heaviest burden, when he hath such a one to help him, and when those everlasting arms are underneath him, as the Prophet speaks, Deut. 33.27. What said the Lord to Paul, when he was hard bestead, and when he was about to faint? My grace is sufficient for thee. And this made Paul to say, I can do all things through Christ that strengtheneth me, Phil. 4.13.

3. Out of this love, God will reward us for the service that he enables us to do, as he did reward Christ. As soon as he had done his work, he had his wages down upon the nail, for he was heard in that prayer, John 15.4. I have glorified thee upon earth, I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do: and now Oh Father glorify me with thyself. And so as soon as we have ended and dispatched the business that God hath put into our hands, we shall receive our own reward according to our own labor. Having had the fruit to holiness, we shall receive the end eternal life. If we be faithful to the death, we shall receive the Crown of life, Apoc. 2.10. If we continue in the Vineyard to the Evening, we shall have our penny. If we hold out to the period of our lives, when we shall come to die, we may conclude with God, as Christ doth in the forealledged place, We have glorified thee on earth, we have finished the work which thou gavest us to do: and now O Father glorify us with thyself; and we may sing our dying Song with the Apostle, 1 Tim. 4.7. We have fought a good fight, we have finished our Course: henceforth there is laid up for us a Crown of righteousness which God the righteous Judge will give us.

Doth God the Father love believers as his Children, even as he loves Christ? doth he affect them under that relation too, and that as he doth [ 3] Christ? Then surely he will show himself a loving Father to them as he doth to Christ, and that especially in two respects.

1. He will hear them as he doth hear Christ. You know it is but ask and have, with Christ. Thou art my Son, saith God the Father to our Savior, Psa. 2.6. this day I have begotten thee. And what follows? Ask of me and I will give thee. And this is that which Christ himself acknowledges, John 11.42. Father, I thank thee because thou hast heard me. Yea so he might in that particular, and yet he might deny him in another. But mark what follows presently, and I know thou hearest me always. Thou art my Father, and I am thy Son, and hence it is that thou art so inclinable to hear me, to let me have my own asking. Even so will God hear us in everything that we desire according to his will, for we are Children also whom he loves, even as he loves Christ. And therefore as it was but ask and have with Christ, just so it is with us too. Ask and it shall be given you, Mat. 7.7. And that because he is our loving Father, as he is Christ's. Our heavenly Father will undoubtedly give good things to them that ask him.

2. He will provide for us, as he doth for Christ. You know he hath provided well for Christ. He is not his Son only, but he is his heir too. Yea, he hath made him heir of all things, Heb. 1.1. Why just so he hath done by us, for we are children whom he loves even as he loves Christ. As Christ is his Son and Heir, so we are heirs of God through Christ, Gal. 4.17. Joint heirs with Christ, Rom. 8.17. Not heirs divided and apart from Christ, but joint with Christ. And even as Christ is heir of all things, so we are heirs of all things too. All is ours, and we are Christ's, 1 Cor. 3.21. A man can have but earth and heaven: and we are heirs to both in Christ: The meek shall inherit the earth, saith the Psalmist, Psal. 37.11, &c. And as we are heirs to earth, so we are heirs of heaven too, and that by virtue of our Son-ship: we are begotten to it, as the Apostle speaks 1 Pet. 1.3. He hath begotten us to an inheritance, &c. So that the child of God you see engrosseth all: earth is his, and heaven is his, and nothing else remains for other men but hell only. Oh the unutterable happiness of those whom God the Father loves even as he loves Christ! he gives his own Son nothing but they have a share with him.

And thus far of the first main thing which Christ desires of God the Father in the behalf of true believers, that they may be all one: Which suit he prosecutes with many arguments, as you have heard. The second follows now in order to be handled, and this is, that they may be all in one place. They may be one by such an union as our Savior means (a spiritual and a mystical union) though they be in divers places. But Christ is not content with this, you see; he will not only have them to be all one, but he will have them also to be all in one place, the same place where he is. Father, I will that they also whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am, &c.

And here you may take notice with me of these two particulars. First, the manner how our Savior Christ propounds this suit of his: And then the matter of it, or the suit itself. First the manner how our Savior here propounds this suit of his, and that is boldly and confidently, as you see: Father, I will: he saith not, as in other places, Father, I pray, or I desire, or I beseech thee and entreat thee, that it may be thus: but I will have it to be thus. No more but so, Father, I will, that they whom thou hast given me. Secondly, And then you have the matter of the suit which he propounds, the thing which he will have to be, That they also whom thou hast given me be with me, where I am.

Begin we with the manner, how our Savior here propounds this suit of his, confidently as I said, Father, I will.

I shall not hence conclude (as Austin did sometimes against the Arians) the Sons equality with God the Father, because he speaks in such a peremptory manner to him, if I may express it so, Father, I will, or elsesaith he, he would have spoken in a supplicating and entreating, not in a willing and commanding way. That Christ as God is equal with the Father, is a certain truth, and manifestly to be proved from other Scriptures: But certainly it is not to be gathered hence: for in this Chapter all along he speaks as man, and as man he is inferior to the Father. And therefore usually before, he saith, I pray, or I entreat, he speaks in a submissive way, though here he uses such a term as seems to to carry more authority, Father, I will.

Now since, he speaks as man and mediator, as that is very evident, we must understand him here in such a way as is agreeable to Christ in that capacity, and under that consideration. And consequently that he doth not here imperiously require of God the Father: and yet upon the other side, he doth so express himself, as being very confident that he shall have his own pleasure, and that his will shall surely carry it with God the Father, without any contradiction. If he will it, it is done without anymore ado. Father, I will have it so, and there's an end. And so accordingly the point shall be.

AND thus far I proceeded on the last occasion, to discover to you how we may have Jesus Christ to be our Spokesman, and our Advocate in all Petitions that we make to God. We must walk by his Rule, and we must act by his Spirit.

But now because the thing is weighty, and of very great concernment, and it is no easy matter for everyone to judge and to determine, whether in his supplications he walk by Christ's Rule, and act by Christ's Spirit: I shall give you some directions in reference to both these. And in the first place, I shall show you how you may discover, whether in the Petitions that you make, you walk exactly by the Rule of Christ or no, whether you pray according to his will or no.

And to this end, my Brethren, you must search the Scriptures in which the will of Christ is manifested touching this as well as other points of duty. And then compare your prayers with the Rule in all particulars, to see whether they agree with it, or dissent from it; as the Apostle stirring up the Romans to offer up acceptable service to the Lord, Rom. 12.1. to this end in the following verse advises them to prove and to find out what the will of God is: the same advice I give you; See what the will of God and what the will of Christ is, and then examine how your prayers suit with it: whether they be framed and ordered by your own invention, or by his direction.

And here you must take notice what the will of Christ prescribes touching the preparation to them; the matter, and the manner, and the ends of them; it regulateth all these.

Well then, the first thing that you are to do, is to consider what the [ 1] will of Christ is in reference to preparation, and how your practice suits with it: For you must know that Christ will have you pray with preparation. You must not rush into the presence of the Lord, like the Horse into the battle, not remembering where you go, nor what you are about to do. No, you must set about it seriously, and with much deliberation: so is the rule of Christ, Eccles. 5.2, 3. Be not rash with thy mouth, and let not thy heart be hasty to utter anything before the Lord. Our hearts must be prepared to the duty, as the Prophet David's was. And this consists in divers things; I will name a few of them.

1. That our hearts may be prepared, they must be purged, they must be washed and cleansed from every known sin. If thou prepare thine heart, saith Zephar, Job 11.13. which preparation is to prayer, as it is apparent by the following words, and stretch out thine hands towards him. Well, if thou so prepare thyself, what must thou do then? Why, If iniquity be in thine hand, put it far away from thee, and let not wickedness dwell in thy Tabernacle, as it is added in the next words. And hence, saith David, If I regard iniquity in my heart, any known iniquity, if I do not commit it only in my life, but regard it in my heart, my heart is not fit to pray, the Lord will not hear my prayer, Psal. 66.18. The promise of acceptance with him, is made to such, and none but such as fear him, so far at least as to desire and to endeavor to depart from evil; He will fulfil the desire of such as fear him, he also will hear their cry and save them, Psal. 145.19.

2. That our hearts may be prepared, they must be humbled, both in the sense of the transcendent Majesty and Glory of the Lord, and of our unworthiness. We must endeavor to possess them with an awful apprehension of the greatness of the Lord, whom we are making our approaches to, that we may pray in reverence and holy fear, according to the Psalmists exhortation, Psal. 2.11. Serve the Lord with fear, saith he; and according to his practice and example, Psal. 5.7. in thy fear will I worship towards thy holy Temple. And hence the Saints in the beginnings of their prayers, when they have buckled to the duty, have been wont to set the Lord upon the Throne, and there to represent him in his greatness, by reckoning up his glorious attributes: And then to vilify and to abase themselves exceedingly before him: That they might bring their hearts by this means to a frame and temper fit for prayer. In such a disposition was the heart of the Centurion when he sought to Christ for mercy, Luk. 7.6, 7. He did not think himself worthy, that Christ should once come under his roof: And so the prodigal that said to his Father, I am not worthy to be called thy son, Luk. 15.21.

3. That our hearts may be prepared, they must be fixed. They must be settled upon God, and on the words we utter to him. They must not rove and wander up and down, as they are very apt to do. They must attend the business that they are about. In such a disposition was the heart of David, when he was about to praise the Lord; My heart is fixed O God (saith he) my heart is fixed, I will sing and give praise; Psal. 57.7. There hath been much talk of late concerning fixing arms: but surely this of fixing hearts is the most necessary business.

4. That our hearts may be prepared, they must be awakened: they are naturally dead and dull, and sleepy; especially at sometimes, by means of some corporal or spiritual distemper. They cannot watch to prayer one hour, and though the spirit is ready, yet the flesh is weak: And therefore we must quicken them, and rouse them up from drowsiness, before we set about the duty; and while we are in the performance of it, we must call upon our hearts as Deborah, Judge. 5.12. Awake, awake Deborah, awake awake, utter a song. And as David on his Harp, Awake Harp; so we, awake heart, I myself will awake early, Psal. 108.2. You see in brief, the Rule of Christ in reference to preparation. Now let us see what he prescribes both for the matter, the manner, and the end of prayer.

[ 1] As for the matter of your prayers, you must search the promises. You are to pray for nothing, but only what you have a promise; for not what you have a mind to, but what you have a promise for. It is the business and the work of prayer to put the promises of God in suit; not our desires, but his promises. And therefore we must study promises, if we would know how to make prayers, or how to judge of prayers after we have made them: If they agree not with the promises, they are but rash and inconsiderate desires: they are the sacrifice of fools, as they are called, Eccles. 5.1. And God will never look after them, nor show respect to them, as Elibu teaches us, Job 35.13. Surely God will not hear vanity, neither will the Almighty regard it.

[ 2] As for the manner of our prayers, the rule of Christ is very large here, and so accordingly directions might be copious, both how to form our supplications, which we are about to tender, and having tendered them, how to resolve whether they have been according to the will of Christ, or no. I shall but touch upon the principal.

1. It is in the will of Christ that we pray without wrath; for so is the express direction, 1 Tim. 2.8. I will therefore that men may pray everywhere, lifting up pure hands without wrath. We must not come to God with hearts distracted and disturbed with passion, but with composed, meek and quiet spirits. It was the fault of James and John, who when a certain Town of the Samaritans repelled Christ, and refused to receive him, would in a fit of rage and anger, have prayed for fire to come down from heaven to consume them, Luk. 9.54. And so when the malicious enemies of Christ, have done his cause or people any great mischief, it may be we are ready in a heat to call for vengeance out of heaven upon them. But if we pray in such a manner, we may look for such a censure as James and John had in the fore-alleged Text, Ye know not what spirit ye are of; You think it may be you are zealous, but you are very much mistaken; you are choleric and angry; you do know not the temper and disposition of your spirits.

Brethren we must not go to prayer in a fit of anger, and a pang of discontent, as it seems Elijah did, 1 King. 14.4. It is enough Lord, take away my life, for I am not better then my Fathers: And as it seems Job did, Job 6.8. Oh that I might have my request, and that God would grant me the thing that I long for; Even that it would please God to destroy me, that he would let loose his hand and cut me off: And as it is extremely probable that Moses did when he conceived his burden was too heavy for him, Numb. 11.10, 15. For it is said he was displeased, and in that angry mood, he said to God, Wherefore hast thou afflicted me? You see he calls the Lord to coram, to see how he can answer his proceedings; Wherefore, &c. I am not able to bear all this alone: And if thou deal thus with me, kill me I pray thee out of the way, and do not let me see my wretchedness: And thus it is apparent Jonah did, who being crossed in a punctilio, in a point of honor, out of a pettish childish humor, will go die, God must take away his life: We must not come to God in such a temper, to empty and disgorge our choler, and to vent our passions to him; No, Tempus mansuetudinis, est tempus orationis. The time of meekness is the time of prayer.

2. It is the will of Christ that we pray without doubtings, and this is also added in the Text before alleged, 1 Tim. 2.8. Pray, lifting up pure hands without wrath or doubting. He would have us come to God with confidence and strong assurance, as it beseemeth those to do who are indeed in Covenant with him. You know a household servant, that is in Covenant with his Master, calls confidently for his break-fast, and his dinner, and his Supper, whereas a beggar or a stranger doth not so. So he that is in Covenant with the Lord, should come with boldness to the Throne of Grace, relying formerly on the promises of God, as David did, I cried and I hoped in thy Word, Psal. 119.147. Lord, I want faith, give it me; I want patience, let me have it; I find my heart is out of order, joint it, mend it, unite it to thyself.

It is for those that are without, and that are strangers to the Lord, that live on nothing else but common providence, to come doubtfully to God, when their distresses force them to his presence. But if those that are his friends, and that are in Covenant with him, come in such a posture to him, he may justly say to such, Why, what's the matter that you are so strange, and that you are not bold with me, as you have wont to be? you shall fare near a whit the better for coming to me after such a manner. And verily, my Brethren, unless we draw nigh to God in faith well grounded on the promises, we can have no hopes to speed in our petitions. He that would ask anything of God, saith the Apostle James, chap. 1.6, 7, let him come in faith, nothing doubting. Otherwise let him not think that he shall receive anything of the Lord.

3. It is the will of Christ that we pray with much zeal, that our Petitions be not formal, cold and drowsy prayers, but that there be some heat and fervor in them. You know the prayers of God's people are compared to Incense, Psal. 141.2. And Incense sends up no sweet savor till the fire come to it. It is the fervent prayer only that is effectual with the Lord, as the Apostle teaches us, Jam. 5.16. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. And hence saith David, Hear me, O Lord, and why so? I cry with my whole heart, Psal. 119.145. so runs the promise of the Lord to his people, Jer. 29.13. Ye shall seek and find me when ye search for me with your whole heart. And thus you see in brief what Christ prescribeth for the manner of your prayers.

[ 3] Now in the last place for the end of prayer, that must be his glory, we must aim at his ends, and not our own. If we seek anything, my Brethren, merely for our own ends, to advance our own credits, or our own profit, we have no aim at all but self in our Petitions: If we would have gifts and graces for no other ends but this, that we may be applauded and observed; if we would have wealth and riches in the world for no other end but this, that we may strut and swagger, and satisfy our own lusts (and so accordingly we may conceive of other things) we have cause enough to doubt, that Jesus Christ will leave us in such suits as these are, yea though we be his own people. But if we would have nothing from the Father but in reference to Christ and to his glory, if we would have grace, and if we would have outward things that we may serve him the better, that we may honor him the more, we have good grounds to hope that Jesus Christ will second us, in such requests as these are.

Now he will tell the Father, There is such a suit of such a member, such a Saint of mine, I pray thee hearken to it, and dispatch it out of hand, for it concerneth me as well as him: Fain he would have more grace, but I assure thee (for I know his heart) it is not to be proud, or to be lifted up himself, but to lift up me with it, and to glorify my name. Poor soul he never thinks he glorifieth me enough, and therefore he would have more strength from thee to do it. Thou seest how I am interested in this suit of his, and therefore I beseech thee do not put him off, but answer him for my sake. It is thy great design to glorify me in the world, and if thou wilt but give this Saint of mine more grace, he will give me more glory. Come, let me set thy Treasure open, and give him out a large share, for I myself shall be a gainer by it.

And thus far I have shown you, how we may have Jesus Christ to be our Advocate in our Petitions. We must walk by his Rule, and pray according to his Will, as I have laid it open to you, both in relation to the Preparation, and the Supplication, both for the matter, manner, and the end. If thus we do, we may be confident of the good word of Christ for us. But what if we fail in this? I answer in a word, and so an end.

[ 1] If we fail in the matter of our prayer, if that be not according to the will of Christ, such a Petition and request as this, we may resolve upon, is laid by.

If we fail in the manner of our prayer, either it is a total failing, or a [ 2] gradual failing. If it be a total failing, if we pray without faith, without any faith at all, without zeal, and the like, farewell to the success of such petitions.

If it be but a partial failing, and that failing strived against, and prayed against, the case is very different. By Evangelical allay we do what we desire to do, in God's gracious acceptation: We pray in faith, if we desire to pray in faith: we pray with zeal, if we desire to pray with zeal: We pray according to the Will of Christ, if we desire to pray according to the Will of Christ, as to the manner of our prayers. And if we pray according to his Will (but in such a sense as this) Christ intercedes, and God hears. Our Advocate strikes in with us, and begs his Father to regard the matter, and not the manner of our prayers. He is an Intercessor for us to his Father, in reference to both these, both to the thing desired, and the manner of desiring, that he would give the one, and that he would forgive the other.

And thus far of the first sort of directions, how to judge whether in the Petitions that we make we walk by the Rule of Christ or no. Proceed we to the second sort, how to determine whither we act by the Spirit of Christ, or no.

If in our prayers we act by Christ's Spirit, there are some measures [ 1] and degrees of fervency and zeal in them. The Holy Ghost is frequently compared to fire in Scripture; He shall baptize you (saith John the Baptist speaking of our Savior) with the Holy Ghost, and with fire: that is, with the Holy Spirit, which is not like water only, but like fire too, in those that are baptized with it; so that where the Spirit is, there is an holy heat in those that are partakers of it, which shows itself in prayer as in other duties. They are fervent in spirit serving the Lord. And though their heat may be allayed and cooled sometimes, by outward means, like water cast on this fire, yet still there is an inward striving and disposition to be fervent. The Holy Ghost within them is like fire to this incense: I mean the incense of their prayers. And though it may be smothered sometimes that it cannot flame or burn up, either by afflictions, or temptations, or desertions, yet it is never utterly extinguished in the Saints. Although there be not flames perhaps, yet there are coals continually on the Altars of their hearts, which though they may be raked in the ashes now and then, yet at some other times they burn amain; Their hearts are hot within them, and the fire kindles,

If we act by Christ's Spirit, our prayers are not purely natural, but spiritual [ 2] desires. For you must know, my Brethren, that a man may pray, yea he may think that he is much assisted by the Spirit in his prayers, when all proceeds from his own Spirit, and all his prayers may be nothing else but merely natural desires. As when a man perceives himself to be in great distress, and sees no way or means to be delivered from it, and is convinced and satisfied that God can save him notwithstanding this extremity of danger; In such a case (these suppositions being made) he may enlarge himself to God in prayer, and yet he may be stirred and quickened to it by nothing but his own Spirit, which is naturally carried to the use of any means which it conceives may be effectual to such an end as this is: So that this man for all his earnestness, may not act by Christ's Spirit, but his own: as it is very manifest those wretches did, who when they saw themselves environed round about with dangers, and thought that none but God could help them, cried vehemently to the Lord, Exod. 14.10. and yet in the succeeding verse it appeareth what they were: They show themselves in their own colors.

But when a man is carried high in prayer upon such grounds and reasons as his spirit naturally is not likely to suggest, because they do not any way concern him as a natural man: as when upon the apprehension of some great dishonor that will come to God, if such a thing should be denied, a man is much enlarged and quickened in his prayers; yea, when his prayers are against his natural desires; when he is earnest with the Lord in secret, to help him to pluck out a right eye, or to cut off a right hand, to mortify, and curse, and kill those lusts, and those corruptions which naturally are extremely dear to him, and that upon such grounds and motives, wherein there is no self respect: When he shall seriously and sincerely beg the Lord to give but a little wealth, a little honor, if he perceive that more will do him spiritual hurt, that it will puff him up and make him proud as Agur did, Give me not riches, feed me with food convenient for me, left I be full and deny thee, and say, Who is the Lord? this man is like to act by Christ's Spirit.

[ 3] If we act by Christ's Spirit in our prayers, we strive most for spiritual things. What do you think the Spirit of Christ will make us long more after earth and earthly things then Christ himself? that it will make us more importunate for wealth, then grace? more earnest after temporal and worldly blessings, then after those spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ Jesus, as the Apostle calls them? Ephes. 1.3. Is it a likely thing, my Brethren, that the Spirit should make us struggle more for bodily and outward things, then for those things that are more agreeable and suitable to it, more near to its own nature? I make no question, David acted by the Spirit, in that Petition and request of his, Psal. 4.6. There be many that will say, Who will show us any good? you must conceive it, any temporal or worldly good; many that look after this: But this is that which I desire, saith he, Lord, lift upon me the light of thy countenance, and when thou hast done this, Thou hast put gladness in my heart, much more then in the hearts of worldly men when their corn and wine increaseth.

[ 4] If we act by Christ's-Spirit, we pray for temporal and worldly things in reference to spiritual ends. They that have the Spirit of Christ, and they that are devoid of it, do both pray for earthly blessings: For there are promises of these as well as of the other. But now the difference lies in this, both aim not at the same ends. He that hath the Spirit of Christ desires these outwards blessings moderately with submission, that he may serve God with them, that he may promote his ends; that he may be the abler instrument to help his Church, to support his people, to advance his glory, to appear for his cause. Even these desires of his are spiritual, although not for the matter of them, at least for the end of them. But now my brethren, on the other side, he that hath not Christ's spirit desires these outward blessings that he may consume them on his Lusts, as the Apostle speaks, Jam. 4.3. Ye ask and receive not, because you ask amiss that you may consume it upon your lusts; That you may make provision for the flesh with it, and that it may be oil to nourish and to feed the sinful flames that are within you.

And thus it is my brethren, with a multitude of men: they pray to God for something to bestow upon their sensual appetite, to serve their carnal turns, to satisfy their brutish and voluptuous pleasures and desires: They would be in place and power, that they may raise their names and families, that they may swell and swagger over their inferiors, that they may plague their enemies, and pleasure those that are observant of them. They would have wealth and riches in abundance, that they may swim in full delights, and fare delitiously every day. Agur measures the conveniency or inconveniency of his outward state, as it would fit him more or less for God's service: Not poverty, least I deny thee; not riches left I forget thee. But these men measure it by nothing but their sensual appetite: and so their prayers serve their lusts, and they would have God himself to serve them too, if they could prevail with him. And are such desires as these, like to be raised by the spirit of Christ? what will the spirit stir men up to pray for anything to nourish and maintain the flesh, the carnal part, which is the spirits enemy. The flesh lusteth against the spirit, and the spirit lusteth against the flesh, for those two are contrary one to another: And will the spirit notwithstanding strive for that which shall uphold and feed those lusts against which the spirit lusteth? Believe it brethren, they that pray for any blessings to maintain their lusts with them, their pride, intemperance, &c. do not act by Christ's spirit.

Object. But you will ask me then, How shall we know whether we pray for blessings to consume them on our Lusts? how shall we discern that? I shall give you some discoveries.

1. If you will observe & deal impartially and freely with yourselves, you shall know it by your thoughts. The end is first in the intention, and last in execution: and therefore certainly the heart works much upon it. Now my beloved, consider what runneth often in your thoughts; when you are sick, and pray for health and continuance of your lives, are your aims as David's were, that you may praise and glorify the Lord among the living? Psal. 6.5. as Hezekiah's were? Loth he was to die, poor man: but wherefore was he so averse from death? The grave cannot praise thee, death cannot celebrate, Isa. 38.18. Or do you feed your minds with nothing but preapprehensions of the carnal pleasure and delight and satifaction you shall have when you recover. So when you pray for outward things, do you entertain your spirits with pleasing dreams of honor and ambition? by this you may discover what your aims are.

2. You shall discern it by the manner of your prayers, whether you pray for blessings to consume them on your lusts, or no. If so, you will be absolute and peremptory in your prayers. Carnal desires will make the spirit of a man impetuous and impatient of denial. He that aims at satisfaction of his lusts, will not be at God's disposal, there will be no sweet submission to the will of God. No, he must have this or that, and he cannot bear a check: as Rachel must have children or she dies; when once the heart is set on anything that serves to feed a sensual appetite, whether it be the lust of the flesh, or the lust of the eye, it is violently bent, and it must not be denied.

3. You shall discover it by the effect, I mean the use of those external blessings which you pray for: you pray for health, you pray for riches and the like, and you receive them at the hands of God, he gives you the desire of your hearts in these things; Well now consider with yourselves what use you put them to when you have gotten them, and what bills you bring in. What, so much health and so much strength bestowed upon the prosecution of your worldly and ambitious projects and designs? so much means and so much time upon riot and excess? Item, so much upon your pride, and so much upon your lusts, and so much upon the satisfaction of your malice and revenge: so much upon Hawks and Hounds, and Whores: but nothing upon God, his Cause, or his poor distressed servants. Are these the bills that you bring in to God? and will you own them in the latter day? Brethren, by your layings out you may discover to what intent you have prayed for outward blessings, whether to consume them on your Lusts, or no: And if that hath been your end, the spirit hath not been your principle in these petitions.

[ 5] If we act by Christ's spirit, we keep a constant course in prayer. We do not pray by fits and starts as Job observeth of the Hyppocrite, who hath not Christ's spirit, Job 27.10. Will he delight in the Almighty? will be always call on God? No, he will be on and off in this duty. Our spirits are inconstant and unstable, my beloved: but Christ's spirit is 〈◊〉 not so. And hence it is that they that pray by their own spirits, are so uncertain in the duty many times. Sometimes their spirits stir them up to pray, and sometimes they do not: Though there be differences in this too: for some men's spirits naturally are more ready and more fixed then others are: And there may be other things as fear and strong conviction and the like that may hold some certain men almost to a continued practice of the outward duty; yet it is very rare that he is constant who acts by his own spirit.

But now my brethren, he that acts by Christ's spirit, is a steady man in prayer: he can appeal to God as David doth, Psal. 40.9. I have not restrained my Lips, Oh Lord, thou knowest. Christ's spirit dwells in him: he doth not sojourn in him for a time, but he dwells in him as in his fixed and his settled habitation, and he dwells in him as a spirit of supplication; So the spirit of Christ is called, Zech. 12.10. And hence it is that he is always putting him upon the duty, upon all occasions, so that he is constant in it. Christ's spirit is at home still, though ours be wandering many times, even to the other end of all the earth. And though Christ's spirit seem to be given sometimes as a spirit of consolation, yet then he will be present as a spirit of supplication: He will set a Saint to prayer, even when he seems most indisposed and averse: he will not suffer him to lay it by, and wholly to neglect the duty, as is observable in David, I said that I am cut off from before thine eyes, saith he, Psal. 31.22. Nevertheless thou heardest the voice of my prayer. Even then I prayed to thee when I was in that temper; so in another place, from the end of the earth will I cry unto thee, even when my heart is overwhelmed, Psal. 61.2. And whence proceedeth this my brethren? surely these prayers of all others flow from Christ's spirit as the Apostle teacheth, Rom. 8.20. The spirit helpeth our infirmities: We know not what to pray for as we ought, but then the spirit itself makes intercession for us with sighs and groans that cannot be expressed.

If we act by Christ's spirit, we come to God as to a Father, we cry [ 6] Abba Father to him, as you have it, Gal. 4.6. Because ye are Sons, saith the Apostle, God hath sent forth the spirit of his Son into your hearts. And what doth that spirit there? you have it in the next verse, crying Abba Father. So that Christ's spirit, if he act in us, makes us address ourselves to God as to a Father. And that my brethren, carries two things in it. This spirit makes us come to God with the expectations of Children, and with the affections of Children.

1. If Christ's spirit act in us, he makes us come to God in prayer with Child-like expectations. Expecting from him all the mercy, pity, and compassion which a Child can look for from his own Father. He makes us to approach the throne of grace with great assurance of audience and acceptance and success there; commonly he doth this.

2. But yet I must confess An hypocrite may sometimes have these expectations, and a child of God may want them. The Jews had Child-like expectations, Jer. 3.4. they cried to God Thou art my Father, and wilt not thou that art my Father pity me and help me? sure thou wilt; and yet they had no Child-like affections, no care at all to please God, and therefore it is added in the next words, that they said and did as evil as they could. But now my brethren he that acts by Christ's spirit, as he hath Child-like expectations, so he hath Child-like affections, or if at any time he want his Child-like expectations, yet still he hath his Child-like affections. Though he be in such a case that he is verily persuaded for the present, that God will neither own him, nor regard him, nor look upon him as a Son, yet he loves God still. He hath a Childs heart to God, even when he thinks that God hath not a Fathers heart to him. Though he seem to frown upon him, and to hide his face and to turn away his prayers, yet he hath dear affections to the Lord notwithstanding all this. And this appears by the trouble he is in at God displeasure: it grieves him so that he is sick of love, as the poor Church was, Cant. 2.5. when Christ withdrew himself a while, this was her grief, I sought him whom my soul loveth. I will go into the City and seek him whom my soul loveth. I said unto the watchmen, Did ye see him whom my soul loveth? And so when God withdraws himself from such a one as is endued with his spirit, the very soul of such a person loves him still: when he is very much afraid that he shall never find God more, that God will never show him favor more, when he hath lost his Child-like expectations, yet still he maintains his Child-like affections.

AND thus far of the manner of our Savior's prayer. Proceed we to the matter of it: And here we have the persons that he prays for, those whom thou hast given me: And then the thing that he desires in the behalf of those persons, that they also may be with me where I am.

As for the persons whom our Savior prays for, you see they are described here by the Fathers giving them to Jesus Christ. Let them be what they will in all considerations and respects besides, it matters not in this, of what Nation, Condition, Station, Disposition or Conversation for the present, if God have given them to him, his will is that they be with him where he is.

But then we must distinguish as we have done before of the Fathers giving to the Son. The Father gives men to the Son either for outward Ministration, or inward union and incorporation; Either to be his servants, or to be his members. In the first sense Judas was himself given to the Lord Christ, to be his Minister and his Apostle, as Christ himself acknowledges, ver. 12. Those whom thou gavest me I kept, and none of of them is lost but the Son of perdition. Now they who in this sense are given to the Lord Christ to be his Ministers and Servants only, not his members, are not the men for whom he prays in this place, that they also may be with him where he is: because he knows they are appointed for another place. Judas was so bestowed upon him, and yet he was a lost Creature. The Father gave him to the Son, and he lost him (as you may see in the forecited Text) never to enjoy him more.

But now there are another sort whom God the Father gives to Christ for inward union, whom he bestows upon him for to be members of his body. And they must needs be with him, who are in him: And therefore out of question these are they for whom he prays, Father, I will that they also whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am.

But where was Christ when he spake these words? Why he was upon the earth: he was here in the world: what then doth he desire that true believers might be with him here? Is that the aim of his petition? No, it is a higher thing for which he is Suitor here, their being with him in a higher and more glorious place. Only you must conceive him here to speak (as his usual manner is) as if he were in heaven already. As ver. 11. of this Chapter, And now I am no more in the world. So in my Text, Father, I will that they whom thou hast given me be with me where I am: That is, in heaven where I am to be, and whither I am now going: So that it is as if I were already there, it being such a certain near approaching instant thing: and in that place I would have all those to be, whom thou hast given me by election, and whom in thine eternal Counsel and Decree thou hast appointed to be members of my body. Father, I will, &c. So that the Point to be observed is this.

IS it so that God the Father dearly loveth Jesus Christ? hence then it [Use 2] follows, that as he hates them that hate Christ, so on the other side he loveth them that love Christ. The dear affection that he bears to Christ draws out his very heart to all those that love Christ. And this is that which Jesus Christ himself teacheth, John 14.21. He that loveth me, saith Christ, shall be loved of my Father. Let him be what he will, of what condition or estate he will, never so poor and mean and despicable in the world, if he do really and truly love me, my Father loves that man, and loves him dearly for my sake. Nay saith the Father, this man is my Sons friend, he bears a very great affection to my Son Christ, and therefore I must needs esteem and love him for my Sons sake. I have always loved my Son, even from all eternity, and that out of all measure; and upon this account my love and my affection overflows to all those that love him.

Oh how should this prevail with everyone of us to love Christ, and love him dearly, since God the Father will requite us to the utmost for all the love we show to him; all the love that we lay out on Jesus Christ, he will pay us back again, and pay us in the same coin. We may depend upon it, that we shall have love for love. If we love Christ, the Father he will love us. And is the Fathers love worth nothing? Ah, my beloved, it bringeth with it all the happiness and mercy that a poor soul is capable of: And therefore I beseech you let us love Christ: let Christ have our love, that we may have the Fathers love. And here to warm your hearts a little, and to draw them out to Christ, take notice of these few things.

1. View him in himself, behold him in the choiceness and excellency of his own beauty; There is no spot, nor imperfection in him, in the very least degree; He is fairer then the children of men, Psal. 45.2. then any of them all, let them be what they will: for they have blemishes, but he hath none. All the perfections in the world do meet in him, so that there can be nothing added to him. Indeed (my brethren) he is altogether lovely. All others have their imperfections and defects, something there is unlovely in them: but he is altogether lovely: And this is that which makes the Church so far in love with him: She is taken with his beauty, and the delicious savor of his ointments, the sweetness of the graces that are in him, Cant. 1.3. How is she ravished in the contemplation of him? Cant. 5.8. What is thy beloved more then another beloved? say the daughters to her there; What is he more? saith she: me thinks she is an end with that word: Why have you no eyes to see? He is transcendent, incomparable, and so describeth him from top to toe, and then concludes, This is my beloved O ye daughters, look upon him, this is he: As who should say, now judge you whether I have cause to love him, yea, or no. And therefore I am not ashamed to own it: and if you meet with my beloved, you may tell him that I love him, yea that I am sick of love.

2. Consider in the next place what he is to you, what interest and propriety you have in him. Why, my beloved, he is yours: I speak this to believers only. And this the Church and Spouse of Christ professeth often, I am my beloveds, and my beloved is mine: and yields this as the reason of the high and dear affection that she bears him. A woman, you will say, hath cause to love her own husband. Now Jesus Christ is the husband of the Church, she is his wife, his spouse, his second self, she is called by his name: We are thine (say the people of the Lord) the heathen are not so, nor are they called by thy name. So that the Saints in this respect, are infinitely more obliged to love him, then these that are without the pale, because they have not such relation to him.

3. Let the exceeding love of Christ to you, draw out your love to him again. Amor (they say) is C • s amoris. And so let his love be a whet to you. Consider he hath loved you, and therefore you have reason to love him again. This reason doth not hold on both sides: we cannot say that we have loved Christ, and therefore he hath cause to love us. For we never loved him till he loved us first, the love began on his side. But we may truly say, that Jesus Christ hath loved us; and therefore we have cause to love him. For he prevented us with mercy, and with loving kindness, as the Prophet speaks; and this should win our hearts to him. We love him (saith the Apostle in the name of all the faithful) 1 John 4.19. Why so? what is the cause of this love? you have it in the following words, because he loved us first. Our love is not the cause of his, but his love is the cause of ours.

4. Survey what Christ hath done for you, and see if it deserve not at the least a return of love from you. He hath made you (that is little: in comparison I mean) all things were created by him, Col. 1.16. but more then this, he hath redeemed you from sin, from death, from hell itself. You had been utterly undone, and lost forever, had it not been for Jesus Christ. But he hath saved that which was lost. He hath raised you from nothing to a Kingdom, from poverty to matchless riches, yea from death to life itself: we were dead, but are alive; all this is Christ's doing. We use to love them who have saved our lives: and surely we have cause to love Christ▪ for he hath saved our lives, and that not from a temporal but from eternal death: Not from the first alone, but from the second death, where the worm never dies, and the fire is never quenched: And therefore he is called our life, that is, the cause and fountain of it, Col. 3.4. When Christ who is our life shall appear. So that we may truly call him in the Prophets words, the God of our life; And therefore we have cause to make him the object of our love, and wholly to bestow our hearts upon him; to love him, by whom we live the life of grace, and look to live the life of glory.

Is it so that God the Father dearly loveth Jesus Christ? The more [Use 3] it is to be admired and wondered at that he should use him as he did for our sakes: That he should be angry with him, that he should hide his face from him, and forsake him in a sense: that he should load him with such a burden of his wrath, as made him weep and cry, and sweat and faint. Ah, my beloved, what an admirable thing is this? who can reach the utmost of it in his thoughts? had he not cared for Jesus Christ, had he born no affection to him, it had not been so strange, that God the Father should deal with him in this manner; But that he should be so extremely harsh to him in whom his very soul delights: that he should handle him so roughly whom he loves so dearly, whom he hath ever loved from all eternity, this is an admirable thing indeed. And that you may the better see the wonder of it, the miracle of mercy that is in it, let us consider a little more particularly and distinctly, how the Father used him, and for whose sake he used him so, who was so infinitely dear, &c.

1. Consider how the Father used him, who is so infinitely dear to him: he gave him up into the hands of sinful men, to deal with him as they pleased. There take the darling of my bosom (saith the Father) revile him, mock him, beat him, spit upon him, scourge him, pierce him, nail him, stretch his limbs upon the Cross, crucify him, kill him, shed his blood, take away his life from him; wreak all your malice on him to the utmost, and though he cry and roar, I will not save him, I will be far from helping him, and from the words of his roaring, as the expression is, Psal. 22.1. Though God doth love him infinitely, he left him in the hands of vile men, to use him at their own pleasure: and they used him bad enough, as you may see, if you survey the Gospel story. Oh the indignities, reproaches, and contempts that sinful wretches poured out upon the Lord of glory! In which respect, the Prophet saith, he was despised and rejected, and men hid their faces from him, as if they were ashamed of him, Isa. 53.3. I am a reproach of men (saith holy David, as a type of Christ, Psal. 22.6.) and despised of the people: all that see me laugh me to scorn. Oh the abasures that he suffered from persons viler then the earth they trod upon, and God the Father who so dearly loved him stood by, and made as if he saw nothing.

Nay more then so, he suffered much even from his Fathers own hands, q He made him sin, that is a sacrifice for sin, and he made him a curse for us, that there was nothing visible upon him for a season but the severest and feircest wrath of a revenging Judge, as if he had been utterly accursed from his Father. He scourged him most bitterly, even till he blead and roared and sunk away under his hand. Thus it pleased the Father to bruise him; He spared not his own Son, Rom. 8.22. Though he were his own Son, he laid on and did not spare him. He remitted not to Christ the least jot of those exquisite & unsufferable tortures, that were in justice due to our transgressions. He drank off at his Fathers hands the cup of fury, he drank the very dregs, and wrung them out. All this the Father did to Jesus Christ, and more then I am able to express, and yet he loved him infinitely all this while, and did from eternity, and therein lies the great wonder.

2. But secondly if we consider for whose sake the Father used him so who is infinitely dear to him, the wonder will be yet greater. It had not been so admirable, had it been for friends, but it was for enemies. This raises and commends the Love of God, saith the Apostle, Rom. 8.10. that we being sinners, yea being enemies, he reconciled us to him by his Son. He used a means, by giving up his Son to shame, to make up all the breaches between us and him, and herein lies the quintessence of this business, the sparkle in the jewel of the grace of God: That he should prefer the good, the glory, the salvation of his enemies who lived in open opposition, and hostility against him, before the ease, refreshment, safety, life of his own Son, whom he so dearly loved from all eternity: That he should rather choose that one whom he loved so exceedingly, should die, then they; should be made a curse, then they: should undergo the tortures and the pains of hell, then they: justice resolves they must be undergone either by his beloved Son, or his hateful enemies. It must and will be satisfied either by the one or by the other. Well then if it must be so, his dearest Son shall suffer, and his enemies go free; yea he shall suffer to the very death; rather then they shall be punished (saith the Father,) There go my poor harmless Lamb to slaughter in their stead; there go his blood and life and all: He shall bleed and bleed to death, that they may be healed and live. Oh the narrow hearts of men! how far short do they fall of comprehending such a miracle of mercy! Well may the Angels wonder at it, and desire to peep into it. Yea, the blessed Lord himself, whether as wondering at or willing to make us wonder at this admirable business, hath called the nane of Christ Wonderful.

[Use 4] Is it so that God the Father hath dearly loved Jesus Christ from all eternity? This then may serve for sweet and precious consolation to all them that belong to Christ: for they may be hence assured that God hath loved them from all eternity even as he did Christ. For if you mark it well, our Savior speaks here of the love the Father bare him as man and Mediator, as the head of his Church; and so he loved him not alone, but he loved his members in him, and he loved his members with him. Indeed he loved him as Mediator in reference to those for whom he was to make peace: and loved him as a head in reference to those who were to be members of his body: and as he had not been a Mediator and a head, but for the working of their salvation, whom God appointed thereunto▪ so neither had he been beloved in that capacity, and under that consideration, but upon the same account: and consequently if he were beloved as man, and Mediator, and head of his Church from everlasting, his people and his members were beloved from everlasting too, without whom he was no head. They were designed to be members by the same decree by which he was designed to be head. And as they were elected in him, so they were beloved in him before the foundation of the world.

But you will ask me, Which way doth this yield you out such precious comfort that you have been beloved of God from all eternity?

1. It is a comfort to consider that the great and glorious God of heaven and earth should think of such poor worms as we from everlasting, much more that he should set his love upon us. The world it may be looks upon us as not worth the speaking of, as not worth the thinking of, much less as worthy of the least respect: And this it may be troubles and dejects us now and then. But this may cheer us, and encourage us upon the other side, that God himself did think upon us, yea, and dearly love us too from all eternity: when we had not a being in the world, (save only in the Counsel and Decree of God) he made more of us, then these men do now we have a gracious being.

2. It is a comfort to consider, that God and we have been such old friends, that he hath loved us from all eternity. For it is like the love will hold, that hath been of such standing. We have a Proverb, Change not an old friend for a new, because the new is like to be more fickle. God hath been an old friend, time out of mind: And therefore he is like to be the more constant. From everlasting he hath loved us, and therefore we may safely rest and rely on his love.

3. If God have loved us from everlasting, then he hath loved us all along since that time. Before we had a being in the world, and since we had a being: before we had a gracious being, when we were dead in trespasses and sins: And if he loved us then, assuredly he will not cease to love us now, notwithstanding all our unallowed imperfections and defects: He will continue and go on to love us still, till he have lodged us with himself in glory.

Oh how should this revive the hearts of those among the Saints, who are so apt to doubt the love of God, because they sin so often, and so much against him! Why man, God loved thee when thou didst sin against him more then now thou dost; he loved thee when thou hatedst him; and therefore certainly he will not hate thee now thou lovest him. No, he that loved thee from the beginning, will love thee also to the end. He that loved thee from everlasting, will love thee to everlasting, and nothing in the world shall separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

And thus we have at length dispatched the body of our Savior's prayer, and are arrived at the close or the conclusion of it: In which his drift and purpose is, to render his Disciples (for whom he hath petitioned all along before) very acceptable and very gracious to his Father, and so to leave them in his hands: And that upon this account, because they only had the true and saving and affective knowledge of him; They only were acquainted with him, when as all the world beside were strangers to him. And it was reason he should rather do for them, then do for strangers. Oh righteous Father, the world hath not known thee, but I have known thee, and these have known that thou hast sent me, and I have declared unto them thy name. q. d. And now to shut up all, and to come to a conclusion, I pray thee Father to consider this, for close of all, That the world for whom I have not said a word in all my prayer, nay for whom I have professed not to pray, (I pray for these, I pray not for the world) yet they (the world) are wholly ignorant of thee, and unacquainted with thee. But I that have put up this prayer to thee, know thee very well, no one in the world better. And they for whom I have put up this prayer, know thee too by my means, for I have manifested and declared thee to them. And therefore I am confident, that thou wilt hear and answer me in their behalf: None know thee in the world but I and they: I that pray, and they for whom I pray. Remember that, and I have done: I say no more, but even leave thee to consider whether thou wilt hear and answer me for them, or no, Oh righteous, &c. the world, &c.

In this conclusion of our Savior's prayer, I shall consider but these two things: To whom he speaks, and What he speaks, for close of all. First, to whom he speaks, and that you see my brethren, is to God, whom he styleth righteous Father. Secondly, what he speaks in the remainder of the two verses, which may be very well divided, by the subjects of his speech, the persons that he speaks of, viz. the world, himself, and true believers, as we shall see at large hereafter.

Begin we with the person that he speaks to, and him he mentions by his title and his attribute. His title here you see is Father, his attribute is righteous, righteous Father.

As for the first of these my brethren, I have shown you more then once, that Father in this prayer of our Savior is not personally taken for the first person of the Godhead: For the first person of the Godhead (though it be the Father of our Savior Christ as God, yet) it is not so properly the Father of our Savior Christ as man. And our Savior Christ speaks as man in this place. And therefore Father here is essentially taken for the whole Godhead subsisting in the three persons. And even as we, by Father, mean the Godhead when we pray our Father which art in heaven: So doth our Savior Christ too. As man he is in this respect like us, as the Apostle tells us, he is in all things like unto us, sin only excepted.

Now the attribute he gives the Godhead, which he denotes by Father here, is righteous, Righteous Father. But wherefore doth he mention this, rather then any attribute of God, on this occasion? Why might he not have said as well Almighty, or Eternal, or Merciful, or Gratious Father? The special reason why he chooses this expression (as far as I conceive) cannot be clearly and undoubtedly resolved. Judicious Calvin thinks he doth it in opposition to the unrighteousness of men: So to comfort true believers, that however they were like to meet with nothing but injustice and unrighteousness in the world, yet he was now committing them into the hands and keeping of a righteous God. Others guess at other reasons. Once, this is clear and manifest, that he picks out this attribute of God among the rest, and whereas many others lay before him, he fixes upon this only: He comes to God in prayer, by the name of righteous Father: The thing is evident, though the particular Consideration that induced him to it be unknown. So that the Points to be observed here, are two.

First God is a just and righteous God in himself and in all his dispensations.

Secondly, That Jesus Christ came to him as a righteous God, when he was pouring out his prayers to him, or making his Petition to him.