One-Hundred Forty-Five Sermons Upon John 17

We take it for a principle granted by Christians, that the Word of God is true, and although Learned men have by unanswerable Arguments demonstrated the Truth of the Scriptures, yet that was to Heathens and Pagans, or that were not Believers of it; It is true the work is necessary also to those that are Christians, to make their faith more solid, certain, and clear, and the rather because there are some wretched men rose up of late that cry down the Scriptures, and that pretend to be above them, yea, that bid us prove the Scriptures to be God's Word, but I am not to deal with such at this time, Certainly every good Christian having received this principle into him, doth find such authority and Divine Majesty coming from the Word, that he doth no more desire Arguments to prove the Scripture to be the Word of God, then he would have another Sun to see this Sun-shine: Austin long ago speaks of such a disposition with great Indignation, O Lord, Thou hast taught me to abhor all such who say, Unde scis hos Libros esse Canonicos? This then being laid down as a sure Foundation, Let us proceed to show in how many particulars God's Word is true.

And First, It's Truth in regard of the Efficient Cause, God and Christ who are the Author of it, so that the Scripture can no more lie then God or Christ could. The Scriptures then are the Truth of him who is the Supreme Truth, So that as Truth itself cannot be false, so neither can God's Word; Human Truth is Truth, but yet because every man may err, Therefore we cannot have such a Faith in it, Cui non potest subesse falsum, but when we come unto God's Word, and his Truth, it is impossible that there should he any Error.

Secondly, It is the Rule of all Truth; That as God is the primum principium essendi, of giving being to all Truth; so the Scripture is the primum principium cognoscendi, the first principle to teach and inform us: The Scripture then is true, because all Divine Truth floweth from that, and everything is true so far as it is commensurated according to that Rule; Whatsoever men say, whatsoever Reason saith, whatsoever Traditions and Customs say, yet if against Scripture, away with all; This is the Standard of all Truth, all Truth (I say) necessary to Salvation, It is the Christians Metaphysics, Ethics, and Politics, the Rule of all Speculative and Practical Truth, To the Law, and to the Testimony, if they speak not according to this, it is because there is no light in them, Isaiah 8.20. Therefore it is so often called a Light unto our Feet ; If this principle were kept too; Neither Superstitious Traditions on the one hand, nor subtle Delusions of pretended Revelations on the other hand could ever have molested or troubled the Church.

Thirdly, It's true materially, that is, all the matter contained therein is true, The Historical part, The Dogmatical part, The moral part, The predicting part, all contain un-erring Truth in them, Whatsoever Doctrine is there revealed, it is to be received without any further disputing or asking, How can it be so? The first Truth hath said it, therefore the Understanding must submit; If it be made clear, Thus saith the Lord ; then all must yield, and so for the Threatenings of it whatsoever God saith against the wicked man, all the evil that is there said to come upon him doubt not of the Truth of it, though for the while a wicked man may live in all ease and jollity; It is not so much a Threatning as the Truth of it that makes it so dreadful, what were the Names of Hell and Damnation, of a Day of Judgment, if there were not Truth in them, and thus the promissory part is full of Truth: Though a Godly man be cast down with many Temptations, weaknesses, and Discouragements, yet the Truth of God's Promises should be a Pillar of Marble to him, and a brazen wall; He may sooner fear the falling of the Heavens, and the removing of the Earth out of its place then doubt in the least of the Truth thereof: Hence God's Word is said to be like Silver seven times refined, So that there is no error, no dross, or falsehood mixed with it: It it true in the matter of the Scripture, in the Historical part especially, there are some appearing Contradictions, and to some Learned men they have been insoluble, but this ariseth from the weakness of our Understanding, not from the Scripture itself: As there is no defect in the Sun because the Owls Eye cannot steadfastly look upon it, yea, as God himself, So the Scriptures, because they have most Truth in them, so are most intelligible, if there were capacious Subjects, as the Sun is Maxim visibles, if there were a fit Eye to behold it.

Fourthly, It is true in respect of the Adjunct or quality of it ; Truth is an affection cleaving to a Proposition, and thus the Word of God is true qualitatively, yea, the Truth of the Scripture is affirmed by all to be more firm and strong (though not so evident) then anything in the world: Those things we receive by Reason or by Sence, are nothing so true and firm as those that we receive by Faith: It is said indeed, that all Truth consists in indivisibly, and so nothing can be truer then another; This is graeted in respect of Truth itself, But then if you do regard the Foundation, or the Cause of Truth, so is one more certain then another; Thus all the Truths of Faith are transcendent to those of Reason and Sence; We are more securely to rest in what God saith then in what we know or feel, and the reason is because the Truth of these latter things is founded only upon a Creature, but of the former upon a Creator, upon God himself: Oh that we did thus believe God's word! what manner of persons should we be; who could terrify the Godly? who could trouble their Spirits, if this were received? And for the wicked, with what Fear and Trembling would he go up and down? Oh the Scripture is true that speaks against such sins, that discovers my wickedness, it is so true I cannot deny it.

Fifthly, It is true Instrumentally, Because the Spirit of God directs us into all Truth, and this is chiefly the intendment here; The Scripture is in God's hand, and by the Spirits working leadeth us into all Truth, we are all in darkness till the Scripture like the Sun doth arise; Man liveth in Errors, he is nothing but a Lye, till the Scripture inform, but though the Scripture doth shine, yet as the Sun cannot make a blind man to see, so neither doth the Scripture of itself, till God give a Seeing Eye.

The Scripture works only Objectively, but the Spirit of God Subjectively, preparing and fitting a man by it; So that as to an Archer there are two things that are necessary, The Mark to aim at, and an Eye to see: What could an Archer do without Eyes? Thus it is with us in all our Actions: The Scripture that is the Mark, and therefore Sin is called 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 because it misseth of the Mark, and then the Spirit of God that must give the Eye, Light, and Wisdom unto the Understanding: The Scripture then is Truth, because by it God's Spirit doth direct and lead us into all Truth.

Now there is a three-fold Truth that we cannot attain unto without the Scripture.

• 1. True Doctrine.
• 2. True Piety and godliness.
• 3. True Consolation and Comfort.

The want of the first Truth causeth Error and Heresy, The want of the second Hypocrisy and profaneness, The want of the third Distrust and Despair, and happy is that man who hath this three-fold Truth, and indeed one begets the other, True doctrine begets true Godliness, and true Godliness true Consolation.

For the first, Only by this Truth are we guided into true Doctrine, whatsoever is brought in contrary or beside this, though he were an Angel he is to be accursed, Galat. 1. This is the Rule, and so what is not according to this must be oblique and crooked: Therefore never expect Truth from that man who is not diligent in the Scriptures, the Rule of Truth: This hath been the Cause why most Heretics have either accused or despised the Authority of the Scriptures, because they know that this Sun and their darkness could not consist together; They saw their Doctrines, and the Scripture could no more stand by each other then the Ark and Dagon ; Therefore they would rather fall out with Scripture then with their own Opinions, as if their own hearts and Consciences were more infallible then the Bible, and as if they were not to be made conformable unto the Scripture, but the Scripture to them.

2. Only by the Scripture do we come to true Piety and Godliness ; You see in this Text Sanctification is by the Truth, and James 1.18. God doth beget us by the Word of Truth, and many times David doth commend the Word of God for this Effect, that it forwarneth man of Sin, That it giveth the Simple Understanding, and that even young men may be cleansed from their lusts by taking heed to God's Word, Psalm 119. We see by these Texts that there is no Regeneration or true Reformation but what is wrought by and through the Scripture; Therefore Conversion is called the writing of God's Law in a man's heart, So that this makes it clear, that though many Heretics may live civil and externally Religious Lives, yet they have no true Godliness, for false Doctrine begets false Piety, when there is falsum in Intellectu, that must necessarily produce malum in voluntate ; And the Reason is plain, because Godliness is nothing but Truth incorporated, Truth digested, Truth put into practice; It is God's Law in the heart (as you heard;) Hence as Poison can never nourish a man, or afford good Health, So neither can any false Doctrine help to any true Piety or Holiness: Men may have seeming Devotions, but as the Serpent though it shines and glisters, yet is full of inward Poison, so whatsoever external Acts of Piety, Zeal and Charity Heretical men may put forth, yet by them they cannot be Sanctified if their Errors be Fundamental: It was Jeromes Speech, Raro Hereticus fuit pudicus, and Ubi male creditor, ibi nec been vivitur ; but that is not to be always understood of their External Conversation, for many Heretics have been admirable in their Externals: They have had a Sheeps-clothing upon them, and like the Panther have allured others, because of their color, till they had devoured them: Know thy Error will make thee more proud, loose, and it may be at last outwardly profane and contemning of Integrity, for God will not bless anything that is not of his own Institution to spiritual Ends.

3. Only by the Scriptures come true Consolations, So the Apostle, Through the Consolation of the Scriptures, 2 Corin. 1. No man hath true solid Joy but the true Orthodox Godly man : It is true, that as the devil may transform himself into an Angel of Light, of Truth, So also of Consolation, and many Erroneous persons in their way have a great deal of comfort and joy, yea, they have said they never had so much peace and case as since they have taken up such ways, but as their Piety was a counterfeit one, so is their joy; The holy Ghost that leads into Truth, and is the Author of Sanctification, makes such only to rejoice in him, and gives them this Fruit of the Spirit.

6. The Scripture is said to be true oppositely to all the Opinions, Doctrines, and Religions which men set up by their own fancy ; For every man is said to be a Liar, and the Antichristian Doctrines which many are delivered up to believe, are called a lie by the Apostle, 2 Thes. 2.11. Turkism, Paganism is a lie, Popery, Heresy are Lyes; Though they may be never so much pleasing to flesh and blood; Though men carried by human Arguments may dote on them, as they did about Diana's Temple, yet all is a lie, yea, in practical things whatsoever seduceth thee to do otherwise then God's Word commandeth, this is false, Sin lieth, the world lieth, the devil lieth, for all that they do is contrary to God's Word; That saith; What will it profit a man to win the whole world, and lose his soul, Mar. 8 36. That saith the pleasures of sin are but for a season, Luk 13.3. Now thou wilt not believe this Truth, but thou hearkenest to the world, to thy own heart, and all these betray thee and lie to thee.

Therefore let the Use be to persuade and assure thyself of Scripture-Truths, walk and live according to the directions thereof.

SERMON XCIII. The transcendent Properties of the Scripture.

IN what sense the word of God is said to be truth, we have declared. Let us now come to the Properties of it. And

1. It's the truth of God, a divine truth. In the Text it's called thy truth ;

So that Divine Truth must needs transcend Human or Natural Truths, as much as God is above man. In human Authorities, we say, Thus saith Aristotle, Thus saith Plato, or thus say such Fathers and Councils, but in divine things, we must say, Thus saith the Lord ; for because it's divine, or of God, it hath an immediate dominion and awe upon the conscience: So that whereas in human Authorities and Philosophical Disputes, we may boldly argue against them, we may bring our videtur quod sic, and quod non, yet where truth comes to us as from God, there must be an immediate submission, though our reason and sense and all the world should contradict, yet we must say, here is a greater then a Pythagoras here, Deus dixit: Therefore observe, the Prophets they do often repeat this, Thus saith the Lord, because nothing could amaze and humble their hearers so much, as that God said it; and indeed when once it's received as God's truth, then the heart doth readily obey, as 1 Thess. 2.13. you may there see wherein the truth preached doth work in it's due and proper manner, even when it's received, not as the word of man, but of God. Divine truth will have divine operations, but when received as man's truth, it hath but human effects, such as Tullius Orations, or Demosthenes had upon their auditors, which is like the influence of the Moon, that doth not give true heat and life, but the word of God works like the Sun, not only in respect of penetrating light, reaching into all the inwards of the soul, but also vivifical heat. It makes men live a spiritual and heavenly life, whereas moral truths help only to an external honesty. It's true, that which Ambrose said, Omnis veritas est à Spiritu sancto, Every truth is of the holy Ghost, even natural and human truths are. But as God is the author of nature, and yet of grace in a more special way: so the Spirit of God is the author of all truth; but in a more peculiar manner of Scripture truths: Therefore all Scripture is said to be given by inspiration, 2 Tim. 3.16. Consider then, the truths we deliver you out of God's word are his truth. Thus saith the Lord against the heretical person, Thus saith the Lord against the profane person: Oh if it were only men that say thus, it might be easily rejected, but it's God that speaks it, and therefore none may oppose!

2. Because it's God's truth, therefore it's infallible ; it's so certain, that we can never be deceived, whosoever believed according to Scripture, and lived according to Scripture, that a man was never confounded or ashamed, he will never have cause to wish, Oh that he had taken another way! Oh that I had done otherwise! Thus David, Psal. 119. Then I shall not be confounded, when I have respect to all thy Commandments. Have a conscientious respect to God's Word in thy Religion, and in thy conversation, this will prove infallible, this is the Israelites cloud, and pillar upon their Tabernacle, we are to go when that goeth, we are to stand still, when that stands still; This is the Star that will certainly guide us to Christ; All divine faith is infallible; in Philosophy, in human Authorities we may be deceived, but in the Scripture we cannot. Venture all upon the truth of Scripture, it will never deceive thee, when thou wilt find Satan and the world liars.

3. It's an eternal Truth ; Even as God doth abide forever, so will his truth, Mat. 5. Heaven and earth shall sooner pass away then one iota or tittle of it. Truth will abide when these heavens and earth shall not abide at least not in the same manner as they are now, and excellently to this purpose speaks 1 Pet. 1.23, 24, 25. being born of the incorruptible word of God, for all flesh is grass, but the word of God abideth forever ; and this is the Word which by the Gospel is preached to you, Scripture-truth abideth forever, whereas all errors and false ways, though they have overflowed for a while, yet presently they withered again. What is become of the Manichees, Arians, Pelagians, Nestorians, and those thousands of Heretics? They had a time of glory, a show in the world, but then died, neither lamented nor desired; Scripture-truth will prevail, even as Christ the essential Truth. As the Sun will at last get the better of all clouds and foggy mists, and cannot always be in an eclypse; so it's with the truth of God. All errors are like men, mortal, they pass away; if any error be so strong as to hold to threescore years, it begins like man to be full of pain and sorrow; They are compared to hay and stubble, these will not long continue; They are like David's rich and great men in the world, like the grass upon the house top, not only homo, but haereticus est bulla ; Truth will continue in the field, when all errors will lie prostrate and conquered, and have no other burial, but that of an Ass, as that despised King had.

4. It's an universal Truth, within the bounds of Religion; I do not say, that all philosophical and mathematical truths are in the Scripture, but all soul-saving truths are, as 2 Tim. 3. The Scriptures are able to make thee wise to salvation. There is nothing for doctrine, or for practice, but that can guide thee. This sufficiency and perfection of Scripture-truth, we do justly maintain against the Papists, who as they foolishly set up their lighted tapers at noon-day, so they add their traditions to the Scripture; but it's often said, we may neither add to it, nor detract from it: therefore it's abundantly sufficient: Now it's good with Tertullian, to adore this fullness of the Scripture for thy faith and doctrine, to believe as thou readest, to worship God as thou readest: As the child in the womb is nourished only by the mother, through her nourishing: Thus the Church of God is instructed, nourished and enlivened only from God by the Scriptures. We read the Manna fell from heaven, but there fell a dew before it to constringe and bind the earth: Thus truth falls from God, but the Scripture is like the dew to keep it together, that it may be for our use; Let not then tradition, custom, antiquity, multitudes, nor such Gorgons heads lifted up by men terrify thee, but follow the word in thy faith and worship, where that stands still, do not thou go further, where that goeth, do not thou stand still. And as for faith, so for thy life, know that hath all practical truth in it, necessary to salvation, that teacheth, and that only, how to repent, how to be converted, how to believe in Christ, how to pray, how to hear, how to be in the world, yet to have a conversation in heaven. That teacheth thee how to be godly in thy relations, a godly father, a godly child, a godly master, a godly servant. Now this most people are greatly faulty in, they will be of no Religion, but what the Scripture commands, yet they will live otherwise, and do otherwise. When thou seest an heretic thou will bring Scripture against him; And is not Scripture against thy profaneness and impiety? as well as there are damnable heresies, so are there damnable wickednesses in men's lives.

5. It's a supernatural Truth. Many of the truths revealed in Scripture are such, as no Plato's, no Aristotle's, no wisdom of man, though raised beyond Solomon's, could ever have attained unto, such as the doctrine of the Trinity, of the Nature, Person, and Office of Christ, of the Resurrection, of a day of Judgment, and the state of men afterwards. The former of these especially could never be discovered by natural light; even Adam though created after God's image, yet needed a revelation of these. We have no innate or acquired knowledge about them, and though many worthy Divines have endeavored to prove the Trinity by reason and human similitudes, yet the surest and most evident way is the Scripture; so that we may say of them all, which Austin speaks of one of them, viz. Of Christ's being God and man, If you can give a reason, it would not be mirabile, and if an example, it would not be singular. It's true, there are many things in Scripture, which we know by natural reason, as that there is a God, but the knowledge by reason is nothing so evident and firm, as that by Revelation; so that the truth of God, being in the chiefest parts of it supernatural: It's no wonder, that the wisest Heathens became vain in their imaginations, and that their greatest Religion, was their highest impiety, and within the Church. The more men have forsaken Scripture, and pleased corrupt reason in the doctrinal part, and corrupt fancies in the worshipping part; They have been very erroneous and absurd; hence the truth of God is called a mystery, and said to be revealed, because man's reason could no more attain unto it, then a dwarf can reach to the heavens, Zacchaeus must get upon this Tree to see Christ: Hence no others have been able to endure the glorious luster of the Scripture, because errors are natural, the Scripture supernatural. All heresies have run up and down from one age to another, like Cain fearing least every Text of Scripture should kill them: Do not then judge of Scripture-truths by thy carnal reason? The work is above thy natural understanding.

6. It's a godly holy Truth ; The holy Scriptures they are called, and well may they be so called, for nothing is a stronger argument to demonstrate the Divine Authority of Scriptures, than the holiness thereof. Take all the moral books in the world, they do as much come short of the holiness of the Scripture, as coals do of the glory of the Sun. Plutarch, Seneca, Epictetus, these will teach you to have the clean skin of morality, but not the inward life and sound vitals of holiness; What transcendent holiness doth the Scripture teach us? such as the men of the world know not; Holiness in our natures, first of all, Regeneration, neither the name nor the nature of it, was known amongst the Heathens, they knew not man's natural pollution, neither did they see a necessity of such an internal renovation.

Again, Such holy duties the Scriptures teach, that not only the doctrinal, but the practical part of it, is a mystery to flesh and blood, such are faith in Christ, love to our enemies, self-denial, and a readiness to take up the Cross. Many of these duties are accounted folly and madness by wise men after the flesh. It teacheth an heavenly life, fellowship and communion with God, to do all things from holy principles, and to holy ends; so that the holiness that is in the truth of Scriptures should much affect us. But oh how few read and delight in the Scriptures, because of the holiness in them? You read them for dispute, or to know the History, and to be able to hold up Arguments; but who is there, that thinketh this, the truths of Scripture are holy? They are to make heavenly and pure, they will forewarn of sin, they quicken to grace, they inflame to faith and love: Oh mind this, all Scripture-truth is for holiness! As meat is not to be looked upon, but eaten and digested.

7. They are precious excellent Truths, and therefore compared by David to fine gold, and by Solomon preferred above all jewels, Prov. 3.15. The Apostle also compareth true Doctrine to gold, silver and precious stones, 1 Cor. 3.12. and they are called precious promises, as a precious faith, 2 Pet. 1.1, 4. These show in what high degree and dignity the truths of Scripture should be with us. Austin said, Veritas Christianorum was incomparabiliter pulchrior Helenâ Graecorum ; If they did strive about her, How much more ought we for the truth of God? The Prophet complained of old, None pleaded for the truth, Isa 59 4. neither were valiant for the truth, Jer. 9.3. The truths then of the Scripture should be more unto us, then any earthly comforts whatsoever: You see Christ makes this one main end of his coming into the world, to bear witness unto the truth, John 18 37. Ann thus the Martyrs, they thought God's truth more worth then their lives, and how many millions have willingly endured the worst of deaths, to bear witness to the truths of the Scripture? So that it's very strange, how such a spirit of delusion should be upon men, to make no matter of true Doctrine, to think Heresies and Errors are nothing. Certainly, the godly Martyrs, that burnt at the stake, had other thoughts of it; and the Scripture doth commend it as the great mercy of God unto a people: Therefore God promiseth Jer. 33.6. He will reveal abundance of peace and truth ; and in many places, truth is still joined unto peace, as if all the peace and earthly advantages in the world were nothing, if we might not have the truths of God also. Therefore the Apostle John told that elect Lady, He had no greater joy, then to see her children walking in the truth ; and the Spirit of God is promised, as the greatest mercy we can have, John 16.13. That he will guide us into all truth. Natural truth is precious, What pains and travel have many used to find that out? They have dispossessed themselves of their goods to find it out; yea they have been so ravished in the contemplation thereof, that they have forgotten to eat their bread, and have wholly neglected themselves, and all pleasure. Hence in their Sacrifices to Apollo, whom the Heathens made God of truth, they cried out, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , Truth is sweet, Truth is sweet. Truth is the natural food to the soul, as meat is to the body; but then divine supernatural truth, which doth so immediately concern our salvation and eternal happiness, how precious and dear should that be to us? In other things ignorance is not damnable, but here to miss of the truth is to fall into destruction. It profits not a man to measure the heavens and the motions thereof. To understand all the Laws of Nations, with their cases thereupon; or with Solomon, to be able to speak of the nature of all things, if a man want the knowledge of Scripture-truths.

Lastly, This truth, though precious, yet because it's opposite to a corrupt heart, It's very bitter, and makes most men enemies to it. It's a truth requiring holiness, hatred of sin, mortification of lusts; and because it's so, therefore the vain corrupt hearts of men love errors and lies, or deceits by the devil and sin, rather then the truth of Scripture. Thus Christ John 8.40. told the Pharisees, They thought to kill him, because he told them the truth. And Paul, Gal. 4.16. Am I become your enemy, because I tell you the truth? The Ministers of this truth are compared to light that is offensive to sore eyes, and salt that doth grieve and vex the wounded man. Indeed truth, if rightly considered, is not grievous, but to do otherwise then obey truth. It's not the threatening of hell and damnation, that should be so grievous, but the punishments themselves. They cried out of our Savior, saying, It was an hard speech, of what he had spoken, but it's an harder thing to lie roaring in hell-flames to all eternity.

Use. Is the word of God thus Truth, then be possessed and filled with it? Let truth be in your minds, truth in your hearts, truth in your lives; Take heed of all errors and heresies, they oppose the Doctrinal Truths of the Scripture: Take heed of all profaneness and impiety, they oppose the practical Truths: Oh remember, if God's word be truth, then woe be to thee, thou art in a lying way, in a seduced and damnable way; Only know it's not enough to have a general knowledge of Scripture-Truths, but endeavor after a particular practical discerning of them; The Scripture calls it knowing the Truth as it is in Jesus, Eph. 4.21. and the acknowledging of the truth after godliness, Tit. 1.1. Tantum scimus, quantum operamur ; We know no more in God's account then we put in practice; Take heed then of being in the number of those Rom. 1.18. who hold the Truth in unrighteousness ; Say as the Apostle in his Ministry, 2 Cor. 13.18. So thou in thy whole particular conversation, I can do nothing against the Truth, but for it ; This would be a Preservative every way.

SERMON XCIV. How requisite a sound mind and a holy life are to a Minister of the Gospel; And of Christ's peculiar love to, and care of such.

THis Verse begins a New Argument or Reason why the Apostles need Sanctification by the Truth; It's drawn not from the general Consideration as they are Believers, but from the particular Relation they were in, commissionated with Office to preach the Truth of God.

Before I enter upon the words, the Coherence of this Argument with the Petition doth deserve some Consideration, though the particle of Connection be not expressed, yet it is to be supposed, howsoever this followeth next in order upon that Petition, and therefore there cannot be but Coherence of the matter.

I shall not trouble you with the Conjectures of Interpreters, but pitch on that which is easily acknowledged to be very genuine and plain.

And first, Whereas Sanctification by the Truth is desired for the Apostles, because they were to be Officers in the Church, and Ministers of the Gospel: Whence Observe,

That Truth and Holiness are requisite in the Ministers of the Gospel; Sanctify them by thy Truth ; Why? because they are sent to preach the Gospel, and they have thy Authority; This is the reason why Christ though he called his Apostles immediately from their worldly calling, yet it was two years, as Chemnitz in his Harmony computeth, ere he sent them out to preach, but kept them in his Family, and under his Instruction, that so they might attain both to true Doctrine and an holy Life; This was represented Exod. 28.30. by the Urim and Thummim, which were to be on the Breastplate, Light and Perfection, sound Doctrine and Integrity of Life; Hence the Apostle in the Qualification of Ministers requireth doctrinal abilities, that he be apt to teach, and can divide the Word of God aright, as also many practical Qualifications for holy and unblamable life, 1 Tim. 3.2. The Scripture compareth the Ministers of God to Stars, and that both for their light and purity, differing (as Philosophers say) from the substance of sublunary things.

1. Let us Consider the Grounds why they are to be endowed with Truth, and to have a sound mind.

[ I] And first, From the Quality of the Office ; Their Office is to preach the Truth; They are appointed to declare the Word of God, and that only not human Inventions, not the thoughts of their own heart, for if Christ himself avoucheth this, that his doctrine was not his own, but his that sent him, and doth still refer all to the Father that sent him, how much more ought the Ministers of God to declare what they read, and what they have received of God by the Scriptures, not their own conceits; Thus the Prophets of old began their Sermons with Thus saith the Lord, and the Apostles begin their Epistles with their call and office, Apostles and Servants of God ; Seeing therefore they have such an Office and Trust that requireth in the very Essentials of it nothing but Truth, they ought earnestly to pray for it; They are called the Light and the Salt of the Earth ; Now if the Light be dark all the body is dark; If Salt hath lost his Seasoning, it's good for nothing; By their Office they are to be the Ministers of Truth, as Paul said, I can do nothing against the Truth, but for it, 2 Corinth. 13.8. This is a Minister after God's own Heart that is thus qualified.

[ II] Secondly, Truth is necessary if you do respect the subordination of their Office ; Christ hath not sent them to be Masters and Lord's over men's Faith, to propound their own Dictates, and to anathematize such as do not immediately obey, No, They have a Ministerial not a Magisterial Office, for though in respect of the people they are Guides and Overseers, and Shepherds, yet in respect of God they are Ministers and Servants; They are under Christ the Head, and so must not deliver anything but what they have received; They may not make Articles of Faith, they cannot appoint the worship of God, They cannot institute new Sacraments: It's spiritual Treason in them to do: this They are like the skillful Gemmary that doth not make the Jewell, only by his skill doth discover which is true, or like Solomon that did not make the true Child, but by his Wisdom did manifest it, So the Ministers of the Gospel though never so Learned, never so holy, yet they of their own authority cannot make any new Truth or new Ordinance, Therefore they are compared to Ambassadors that are bound up by their Commission; To Stewards not Masters in the House; The Scripture is called God's Testament or Will, Now the Lawyer may not add or take away from it, though he hath never so much skill and knowledge, it would be sinful forgery in him to do so; Thus Beloved, we Ministers are bound up to God's Word as that last Will: he hath appointed how he will have his Church governed, how it must believe, how it must worship, and it must be high Sacrilege to add or detract from it; Therefore if Scripture-Truths be thought too much above Reason; if they be thought too strict or precise, to contrary to flesh and blood, blame not us; It's not our truth, we did not make the Bible, It's not our Scripture.

[ III] Thirdly, Truth is necessary to them, if you do regard the Effects of the Ministry, or the Ends why God hath appointed it, and certainly the Sun may as well be without Light and Heat, as the Ministers of the Gospel be without Truth.

[ 1] One main effect is Conversion and Regeneration ; to make men reform their lives upon just and holy Grounds. This can never be without Truth, James cap. 1. He hath begotten us by the Word of Truth ; Lyes and false Doctrines can no more convert then dirt can make clean, then darkness can give Light: An erroneous or heretical Minister may pervert many but not convert, he may subvert the Souls of thousands, he may glory in this, and rejoice in the multitude of Disciples, but all this while they are sent of the devil, and they do his work, destroy souls; The Ministers of God are like public Springs if they be performed, instead of refreshing, they kill, instead of giving the bread of life, they give stones and serpents.

[ 2] 2. Another Effect of the Ministry is to promote the work of grace begun ; It's to water where any Seed is sown, as Ephes. 4.11. to bring us to a full stature in Christ ; Now a Minister without Truth can no more help forward the growth of the Godly then a dead Mother can nurse her Child; We increase in grace, by the same way we are converted, and therefore they who think by an erroneous Ministry to advance their Heavenly Life, do as if an hungry man should get up to an high Hill, and think by swallowing down the wind to live and grow stronger.

[ 3] A Third Effect of the Ministry is to direct and guide the tempted and troubled Soul, to speak a word in season to him ; But now a Minister without Truth is like a Physician without skill, Come to the diseased wounded Soul that lieth under this doubt and that Case of Conscience, he knoweth not how to direct him, yea, such do more trouble the godly, as God complaineth of the False Prophets, Eze. 13.22. they made sad the heart of the Righteous, whom God would not have made sad.

[ 4] 4. A great Effect of the Ministry is to prevent Errors and false Doctrines, at appeareth, Eph. 4. That we henceforth be not led aside with every wind of doctrine ; Men destitute of solid grace are as apt to be carried away with errors, as chaff with the wind; A sound Ministry is appointed to reprove these, as the Sun is to dispel darkness, but if the Minister be seduced himself by error, how can he lead others into the Truth? Will not our Savior's Proverb be made good, the blind lead the blind, and both fall into the ditch ; Thus you see the necessity of Truth.

In the next place there must be Thummim as well as the Urim ; There must be burning as well as a shining light, as John the Baptist was: and holiness of life is required of the Minister.

[ 1] 1. For his own sake, his condemnation will be the greater, for he sinneth against greater light and knowledge, he knoweth his masters will, he sinneth against a peculiar engagement, because he is bound to draw nigh to God; Oh the confusion that will be when he hath preached to others, he himself to become a Castaway ; Attend to thyself and to thy doctrine, to life, 1 Tim. 4.16. as well as studies, Suth are like the water in baptism that after it hath been in a Sacramental way is thrown into the kennel; No condemnation like theirs, they are from the pinnacle of the Temple thrown headlong into hell.

[ 2] 2. In respect of others, For a godly life is a Testimony to confirm the Truth we preach, when we preach there is a God, there is a day of judgment, and live accordingly, this confirmeth to all, that we ourselves believe it to be a Truth, an holy life is like a miracle to confirm our doctrine; As the Apostles were endowed with Miracles to establish the Truth they preached, they could cast out devils, tread upon Serpents, and take no hurt, if they did eat any deadly thing; Thus it is a wonderful thing to confirm the Truths we preach, when though we live in the temptations of sin, and tread upon Serpents, yet acquire no spiritual hurt to our souls.

[ 3] 3 Our holy life will awe and keep in fear the Consciences of wicked men ; Not only powerful and sound preaching but conscientious and unblamable living will awe men's Consciences; Why did Herod fear and reverence John the Baptist, though he was a King? but because he was a just and a holy man, Mark 6.20. Thy godly mouth will stop their mouths and convince their consciences.

[ 4] Lastly, The necessity of it doth appear by the devils polecy, who hath always stirred up Instruments to traduce their lives, to lay such things to their charges as they were never guilty of, and why? because if that be once received, that they are wicked hypocrites, they can never do any good; Christ's life was traduced, that he was a friend to sinners, that he kept company with Publicans ; You see they quarrelled even at his life; Athanasius was traduced for an Adulterer by the Arians, and this hath always been the custom of the devil and his Instruments to throw so much dirt and mire upon the godly Ministers of Christ, that men have not known what they are; I could tell you what the Papists say about Luther and Calvin, that you might think they were the vilest Monsters that lived, and this is because a godly life is a great conviction in the world, and aweth even the Enemies Conscience.

Use of Instruction, What is the duty of people even to follow Christ? In this Prayer, he being to send out his Apostles, this he desireth as a chief thing, Truth and Godliness, a sound mind, and a godly heart, and the Apostles thought this to be of so great a consequence that when Ministers were ordained and set apart to the work, They spent that day in fasting and prayers; You cannot discover wicked and ungodly men better then in this, they care not what a Ministry they live under, or whether they have any at all; The more erroneous, the more profane and loose he is, they like him the better; Is this to pray as Christ did for thy Sanctification? God makes it a great judgment when he removeth faithful and wise Pastors, and sendeth foolish and wicked men in their rooms.

2. Where God doth settle a Ministry rightly qualified, prize it for the works sake, See whether the Ministry hath been a converting, instructing, and edifying Ministry to thee, Fear lest thou lie under a spiritual Curse or some Soul-judgments, that so no preaching can do thee any good.

A second doctrine observable from the Coherence of the Apostles mission, with Christ's Petition is,

That Christ hath a peculiar love and special care of those who are in Church-Office according to his rule and way ; Such as are sent by him are under his proper care and protection, he doth not only pray for the Apostles as believers, but as in that office,

To open this, Consider in what particulars his care is shewn to his Ministers.

[ 1] And 1. It is to guide and lead them into the Truth, instructing them with wisdom and ability to that work, Christ calls none to his work, but he giveth them answerable abilities; Though the Apostles were at first ignorant and illitera •• , yet how gloriously did he furnish them with gifts and power to do Miracles before he sent them to preach unto the world; Now though the Officers of Christ in their Succession have not the promise of such infallibility, yet because of their office and call, they discharging their duty, and using the means God hath appointed, God will more peculiarly go along with them, and bless them then private Christians, else why should the Scripture give them the name of Guides and Light? Why should he command the people to submit themselves to them, and that he who despiseth them despiseth God, for though these places prove not infallibility, yet they do, that God hath appointed this orderly way, and that he who would expect God's blessing must make use of their guidance and Ministry.

[ 2] 2. Christ's peculiar Love is seen in clothing them with inward strength, and corroborating of them so by zeal and heavenly fortitude, that they will discharge their Duty though men rage and oppose ; The Apostle speaks excellently to this purpose, 2 Tim. 1.7. God hath not given us the spirit of fear, but of powar, love, and a sound mind, Therefore he must not be ashamed of the Testimony of our Lord; Paul he desires the Philippians, to pray for him, that he may preach the Word boldly ; God promiseth Jeremiah to make his forehead like brass, and not to be afraid of wicked men; And thus Micah cried out, I am full of the power of God to tell Jacob his transgressions. Mic. 3.8.

[ 3] 3. God is wonderful in protecting and defending them in the midst of their wicked Enemies ; Hence Christ is said to hold these Stars in his right hand, Rev. 1.17. and the prayer of Christ must needs be heard which he instanceth in in this Chater, They are not of the world, and the world hateth them, therefore he prayeth God would keep them, and it's wonderful to see how God hath preserved his faithful Ministers in all ages, though some have died for the Truth.

Lastly, He is with them in blessing their labors, and giving increase to their planting and watering, as Christ promised, I will be with you to the end of the world ; By their labors he pulls down the Kingdom of Satan; As soon as the Apostles preached Satan began to fall like Lightning from Heaven.

Now the Grounds of this peculiar love are,

1. Because they have the same general call and Office, as Christ himself hath; As thou hast sent me, I have sent them ; Though there be many particular differences, yet in the general they agree; Christ was sent to publish the Word of God to bear witness to the Truth; and because of this the world opposed him, reviled him, and he endured great contradiction of sinners ; It was therefore Christ's own case, and then he will pity such as are tempted like him.

2. It's his work and employment they are about, They go out in his Authority, They act in his Name, They preach him as the Messias, They endeavor to bring all into Obedience to him, and therefore he will have a tender special care over them.

3. Their work is a difficult and dangerous work ; The Office is if faithfully discharged contrary to the lusts and ways of all men; No wicked man can love a true and godly Ministry, no more then soar eyes can endure the Sun.

Use of Encouragement to the godly Minister, to go on with his work, maugre all the opposition and contempt of wicked men; It's not their work but Christ's, They are not their own but Christ's, Let them not fear while he is at their right hand.

Use 2. How grievous a sin it is to oppose and set against the Ministry of God, and that when faithfully discharging their duty, because they preach the Truth, and press to a godly life, this enrageth thee: To such they are commanded to shake off the dust of their feet.

SERMON XCV. Of Christ's Mission to the Office of a Mediator.

HAving considered of the Coherence of this Text with the preceding. We come now to the Argument, or Matter itself, and that is taken from the peculiar Relation and Office, that they are put in.

Now this their Office is described,

1. From the Nature and Quality of it, It's a sending. They did not of themselves intrude into it, or go without a Call, but they were sent.

2. There is the Efficient Cause, or the Person sending, I sent them (saith Christ.)

3. There is the Subject, who were sent, and that is the Disciples.

4. The Term to which, of their sending, and that is into the world.

Lastly, Here is the Example and Pattern, Even as the Father sent me into the world. Not that there is the same likeness in every particular, but in the general, they both agree in this, that they have a Call from God.

I shall treat in order, and first begin with Christ's mission, which is made the Pattern of the Apostles, and do observe,

That Christ was sent of the Father, and did not of himself undertake that Office, he was employed in, while on earth. Christ himself would not be the Prophet, Priest or King of his Church without a Call, or Commission from the Father thereunto. Hence in John 's Gospel, he doth so exceeding often mention this, That his Father sent him, still resolving his Doctrine, his Authority, his Will and Works into him that sent him. Therefore not only the twelve Apostles are called so, but Christ himself is called an Apostle, Heb. 3.1 Consider the Apostle and High-priest of our profession, Christ Jesus. An Apostle is as much as one that is sent ; and thus Christ is there called an Apostle; and therefore some make a mystery in that John 9.7. when Christ cured the blind man, he bids him, Go and wash in the pool of Siloam, which is by interpretation sent, saith the Evangelist, as if hereby our Savior would teach, that he was the Messias, that was to be sent into the world. That our Savior did expect a sending, or a Call, appeareth notably Heb. 5 4. No man taketh this honor upon himself, but he that is called, speaking of the Priesthood; and so also Christ glorified not himself to be made an High-priest.

But let us explain this, for this truth is profitable unto us, seeing it was for us, that he was sent. And

First, Consider, that though the three Persons are equal in Nature and Dignity, they are all God and infinitely blessed for evermore, yet the Scripture doth represent unto us an order in their operations ad extra to us-ward, especially in the work of our Redemption, one operation is appropriated to the Father, another to the Son, and another to the holy Ghost. To the Father is constantly applied the sending of Christ his Son into the world, as at the second verse of this Chapter, Gal. 4.4. In the fullness of time God sent forth his Son ; and 1 John 4.9. it's the Father that sends him: So that the original of all our peace and salvation is the love of the Father.

2. That which is appropriated to the Son, is to be sent ; To be the Person that shall procure our Redemption. And

3. To the holy Ghost, that he is sent both by the Father and the Son, for the application of those benefits which he shall procure for us: Therefore the Father is said to send him, Joh. 14.16. and Christ saith, He will send him, Joh. 16 7. Thus he is called, The Spirit of Christ, as well as the spirit of God, because now he is sent by Christ as a Mediator. The holiness in Adam was wrought by the Spirit of God, as the third Person in the Trinity, absolutely considered, but now it causeth holiness in believers, relatively as the Spirit of Christ; So that in God's dispensations about man's salvation, there is an appropriated order in the operations of the three Persons.

[ II] Secondly, The mission or sending of Christ here spoken of, doth not relate to him, as the second Person, but as he is Mediator, for so as he is the Son of God, he is not sent but begotten, And thus the Scripture when it speaks of him in that respect, calleth him, The only begotten Son of God ; but this mission is in time, and of a voluntary dispensation, whereas the other was natural and of eternity, Christ was always the Son of God, but not always sent to be the Mediator of his Church, unless in the purpose and decree of God: So that this sending of Christ respects him as God and man, and denoteth that incarnation of his, with the discharge of all those duties, that thereby he undertook.

[ III] Thirdly, God's sending of him, doth signify the authoritative Mission and calling of him to that work. The Apostle diligently presseth this, Heb. 5.5. that Christ glorified not himself, but was called by God to his Priesthood, called of God to be • Priest after the order of Melohisedech ; yea Ch. 7.21. the Apostle presseth this, that he was made an High-priest by an oath, The Lord sware, and will not repent, thou art a Priest forever: And certainly, this must needs be of great comfort to us, when we shall read that Christ was so solemnly invested with this power to forgive sins, to sanctify our natures, to procure our salvation. Things that are done by those that have not a Call, are said to be null and invalid, they have not powerful efficacy and success, but Christ was authorized by God to be thy Savior, he had his Commission to do it, he would not take this work in hand, till he was called unto it.

[ IV] Fourthly, The Father did not only call him thus to this wonderful employment, but he did qualify and fit him with all abilities for that work, he poured out his Spirit upon his human nature without measure. So that as those in the Old Testament, when called to any Office were anointed: Thus Christ had not a temporal, but a spiritual Unction, Psal 45.7. there God is said to anoint him with the oil of gladness ; Therefore Joh. 6.27. the Father is said to have sealed him to this work. Thus Christ acknowledgeth, when he saith, a body thou hast prepared for me ; the meaning is, he had an universal fitness for the work; and this also is of great comfort, that Christ is not only called to be our Savior, but he is qualified with all sufficiency thereunto; there is nothing that a poor humbled sinner could desire in a Savior, but there is a treasury of it in him, Col. 1. It pleased the Father that in him should all fullness dwell: Oh then, why do not the people of God believe more firmly, and walk more comfortably? What do they want, which is not in this Christ? Shall Christ send his Officers to work, and endue them with proportionable power, and shall not the Father send him with all fitness and fullness to that work?

[ V] Fifthly, In that Christ is said to be sent, there is implied, that the fountain from which our salvation doth arise, is the mere good-will and pleasure of God the Father. So that although our Justification, Sanctification and Glorification be to be attributed to the merits of Christ, and it's for Christ's sake that we enjoy them, yet the sending of Christ into the world, and giving him to become our Mediator, is wholly from the absolute good pleasure of God; Christ did not merit his Incarnation, he did not merit that he should be sent into the world: No, this is said to be God's love; Not that hereby we are to make comparisons, as if the second Person loved us less then the first, as the Socinian would divide, but to admire the great love of either in their distinct operations. That conceit also is vain of some, that say, God upon the fore sight of the will of Christ's human nature, to become our Savior, and presupposing this determinate choice, did therefore appoint him to be our Mediator: This, they think, will reconcile Christ's necessary Obedience, and his free-will together; but then the Scripture would not have attributed it to God's love, and to the Fathers love, but Christ's love as a man, which yet it doth not.

[ VI] Sixthly, In that Christ is said to be sent, there is implied, that he is under an Office and Obligation of faithfulness and trust. So that as it lay upon the Apostles faithfully and diligently to accomplish their Office; thus also it did upon Christ, and therefore he doth so often call it the command, that he had from the Father, implying, that if he did not accomplish all that for which he was sent, he should be guilty of unfaithfulness and disobedience; and here also is contained much consolation; for why should the believer doubt of Christ's willingness and readiness to pardon, sanctify or heal him, seeing that Christ is under a command to do this, he is betrusted with this work, he would be found blame-worthy, if he did not accomplish all that he was called unto? As it's thy duty to believe in him, so he hath voluntaily submitted, to make it his duty, to give thee rest and ease.

[ VII] Seventhly, Though Christ be sent, and be thus under command, yet we are not to think that this is done against his will, as if the Father did compel him to this work against his desire: No, how readily doth he profess his coming into the world, Loe, I come to do thy will, O Lord, thy Law is within my heart? Psal. 40.8. So that though the work was bitter to the human nature, which appeared in those prayers he poured forth with so much agony, If it be possible, let this Cup pass away, yet he offers himself with all willingness to do this work: Oh no wonder, if this dispensation be called a mystery, not only in respect of the revelation of it, but also, because of the incomprehensibleness of it, we are never able to comprehend this length, and breadth, and depth of love which is in Christ Jesus.

[ VIII] Eighthly, We may consider of a twofold Office Christ was sent to, which yet cannot be well distinguished, because one is contained in the other.

1. There is the Office of a Mediator, whereby he was sent to be a Savior of his people from their sins; and this is the sending the Scripture so much speaks of.

But 2. There is a sending as a Prophet, to teach and guide his Church, and of this kind of sending the text speaks; for we may not think that this is the meaning, that as the Father sent Christ to redeem the world and purge it from it's iniquities, so the Apostles were also sent to be Redeemers and Savior's; but as Christ was to be the great Prophet, whom the Father would send to be a light to the world, so he did appoint the Apostles, as subordinate lights, to take away the ignorance and profaneness that was in it. Christ then is sent as the great Doctor and Teacher of his Church, who doth not only externally teach, but internally, by giving a seeing eye, and an understanding heart.

These things are implied in Christ's Mission, now let us consider the Properties of it.

[ 1] And first, Take notice of the necessity of it. Had not the Father sent his Son into the world, there had been no difference between the damned Angels and mankind: The world had been an hell, though the world had many Plato's and Aristotle's, many Alexanders and Caesar's, yet all this is nothing, if Christ had not been sent into the world: Oh then, look upon this, as the foundation of all truth and consolation, Christ is sent into the world! We could not have had a drop of comfort, anymore then Dives in hell a drop of water, had not Christ been sent into the world.

[ 2] 2. The mercy, grace and goodness of God, that it was his only begotten Son he sent. He sent Prophets, and he sent divers Messengers, but never was such mercy, as when he sent his Son, Heb. 1. The very Angels, though the benefit of his sending did not directly belong to them, yet for this they sing, Glory be to God on high, on earth peace, and good-will towards men. Though God is good in giving food and raiment, in creating the world for us, yet all come short of sending his Son to us.

[ 3] 3. Christ's Mission is the original and root of all the Church Mission that is. As the Father hath sent me, so I have sent you. So that Christ being sent, is thereby made the head of his Church; all Church-power is seated in him, as the original, and therefore all the Missions of Church-officers now, is reduced to this, as the fountain of all; Therefore they are the Ministers of Christ, the Ambassadors of Christ, they administer all things in his Name, and everything is done by his Authority. It's disputed in Politics, In whom all civil power is immediately and originally seated, whether in the people, or no, or in the supreme Officers? But here in Divinity about Church-power, the Scripture doth easily resolve it, Mat. 28.18, 19, 20. All power is given me in heaven and in earth ; Therefore he appoints Officers and Ordinances in his Church, and so the Ministers of God have their Church-power from Christ. Though the people may choose and design the man, and Church-officers put him into the Office, yet the Office and Power itself is of Christ.

[ 4] 4. Take notice of the completeness and perfection of this Mission, Heb. 1.1. God who at sundry times spake by his Prophets, and by several w • yes, doth now speak only by his Son. So that since Christ's mission, we are not now to expect any other extraordinary missions, Christ he came as the fullness of all; and as he said, That all those who went before him, were thieves and robbers, viz. who pretended to be the Christ, and did not come in his Name, so all those are that shall come after, which come not in his Name; What a sad judgment are the Jews, once the people of God, delivered up unto, that look still for a Messias to be sent, and so have a veil upon their eyes and their hearts?

[ 5] 5. Consider the seasonableness of the time when he was sent, Gal. 4.4. Its called the fullness of the time. When the Church of the Jews was become like a wilderness or a dunghill, when all the former Prophets were forgotten, when there was an universal blackness upon the Church, then Christ was sent: Even as Moses was sent to the people of Israel, when their oppression was doubled. God sent Christ seasonably.

[ 6] Lastly, Consider the manner of his sending, it was in an humble, low and contemptible way in the eyes of the world, none took him to be the Messias, to be the light of the world; Though he was sent, how few did believe in him, because of the outward meannes in his way? And some think the Prophet alludeth to this, Isa. 8.6. They refuse the waters of Shiloah that go softly. They neglected Christ, and looked to external power and glory.

Use 1. Is Christ sent by the Father, then take heed how you refuse him? The Apostle aggravateth this, Heb. 10.28. We may refuse men for their errors, their falsities; We may pretend many excuses, but how can you reject Christ still speaking by his Word to you?

SERMON XCVI. Of the Public Office of the Ministry, Some Distinctions concerning it, And the Necessity of a lawful Call thereunto; Also showing wherein private Christians should exercise their Gifts both ordinarily and in extraordinary Cases.

WE have handled Christ's Mission, and the matter imported in that Expression. We come now to the Apostles Mission, wherein there is considerable,

• 1. Their Office under this notion of sending.
• 2. The Person sending, I have sent them.
• 3. The Subjects, Them.
• 4. The Term of their Mission, Into the world.
• 5. The Pattern, As the Father hath sent me : They have the same common vocation, Every particular will afford its proper usefulness.

And 1. Let us begin with their Office, It's called a sending, This doth imply that they did not intrude themselves into it, They did not usurp upon the Office, but they were called and lawfully authorized thereunto; It had been sinful presumption in any of the Apostles to undertake that Office till Christ gave them this Commission: There is no difficulty in the words, only it's questioned why our Savior speaks in the preterperfect tense, I have sent them, seeing they were not yet sent to publish the Gospel to the whole world, for that was not done till his Ascension; But it's answered, that it's ordinary with the Scripture to put one tense for another, and besides, Christ had begun already to send them, though not into the whole world, yet into Judea, and Luk 6. he had already given them the name of Apostles, which is as much as those that are sent, yet because after his Ascension he then enlarges their Commission, To preach to all Nations beside Judea. Hence Joh. 20.21. Christ there speaks in the present tense, As my Father hath sent me, even so I send you : So then the Apostles did not undertake their ministerial Office before they were sent, and for this end are called Apostles: Salmasius thinketh he gave them this Name from the Captain of the Jews at that time, for in their Synagogues the Governors thereof have their proper Messengers belonging to them who were called Apostles. From this Observe,

That none may undertake the public Office of the Ministry without a sending or authoritative Call thereunto ; If Christ did it not (as ye heard) and the Apostle Heb. 5. is diligent in observing of that, much less may any men do it for the very word sending doth imply a superior, who hath power to send, and also the inferiority and passivenesse of those that are sent. Therefore Rom. 10.13, 14, 15. You have there a Ladder like Jacob's reaching from earth to Heaven, where calling on God requires believing, believing requireth hearing, hearing requireth preaching, and preaching requireth sending : See here the golden Chain of our Salvation in an ordinary way, No calling no faith, no faith no hearing, no hearing no preaching, no preaching no sending: They are all required in their peculiar way with the same necessity, and therefore take heed of endangering your souls by despising the lawful Ministry of Christ, How shall they believe saith the Apostle, without this?

But to inform your judgments in this Point, because it's a necessary Truth, and many errors are about it for your good, not for our own self-advancement, as some are apt to think, we shall take this Method.

1. Give some Distinctions to clear the Point. 2. Shew you the distinct office of the Ministry from other callings, and the necessity of a lawful Call thereunto; Not that my purpose is to handle all those things which belong to that Famous Common-place in Divinity, De ministerio Ecclesiastico, but to touch on those things that most relate to this Text,

And first Consider, That there is a twofold sending, a mediate and immediate sending ; an immediate sending is when God or Christ doth in an extraordinary and peculiar manner give some a Call to this office; Thus the Prophets of the Old Testament they were immediately sent of God, and this immediate inspiration and extraordinary gifting of them was enough to authorise them, though they had no Call in an ordinary manner from men, when they said, Thus saith the Lord, then they shown their Commission, and thus the Apostles they were likewise immediately called by Christ, and they were gifted in an extraordinary manner thereunto, They had no such gifts at first, but Christ bestowed them on them; In ordinary sendings or missions, there men must first try and examine gifts, and see them before they confirm any in their office, but Christ that can make Children of Abraham out of stones, can also make Apostles out of illiterate and rude Fishermen; This immediate and extraordinary sending is now wholly ceased, even as the gifts of Miracles; and therefore though our Divines do sometimes say, Luther, Calvin, and those first Reformers had an extraordinary Call, their meaning is not as if they were put into their Church-office by an immediate call of God, only there were extraordinary qualifications of them, by stirring them up to such zeal and corroborating of them to go through such a work as they did. In the next place there is an ordinary mission or authorizing, and that is to be perpetual in the Church, according to such Rules, as Paul layeth down in his Epistles to Timothy and Titus, which are a directory concerning the Churches Government to the ends of the world; This ordinary sending we are now to have, though the Apostles had an extraordinary.

Secondly, Consider that though the Apostles had many personal and extraordinary privileges, yet the essence and substance of their Ministerial office, is the same with that which every Minister of the Gospel hath, For Matth. 28. there the substance of their office is to preach and administer the Sacraments, which is the duty of every Pastor in the Church; We may not then argue from the extraordinaries of the Apostles to every Minister, but from their substantials, as thus, The Apostolical privileges were to behold Christ with their eyes, and thereby to witness the truth; To be infallible in their doctrine, to be illimited, not bound to one place more then another, to work miracles, &c. Now these were necessary for the infancy and first plantation of the Church, Signs being for those that do not believe, and so it's not necessary ordinary Pastors should have them, but then there are the substantials of their Apostolical Office, which was to preach the Word, to be authorized thereunto, these are belonging to every Pastor, and in this they are Successors to the Apostles, Mat. 28. ult. I will be with you to the end of the world, and 2 Tim. 6.14. where in one place God promiseth, and in another place Paul is required to keep those Church-Ordinances till the end of the world, how can this be otherwise? but in the Pastor of the Church, who are in this, though not in their extraordinaries the Apostles Successors.

[ III] Thirdly, There is a great difference to be made between a public and potestative preaching by way of office, and a private, wise, and humble, charitative employment of our gifts one Christian to another; When we say, that only men may by way of office preach; We do not thereby prohibit or exclude, Those Christian duties and improvements of gifts in p • rier and admonition either in Families or one towards another, so that there is no Christian though he hath never so good gifts, but he hath opportunities enough to improve them in a private way for God's glory, without usurping that office; There are many Texts of Scripture that show how fruitful and active private Christians should be in their way, to do good one to another, Col. 3.16. Let the Word of God dwell in you richly, with all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another ; It is your duty to be exercised in the Word of God, and to admonish one another out of it, so Heb. 10.24, 25. There they are to provoke and exhort one another to do good ; We should in a brotherly way all take care of one another's soul, and this is that Christian Communion so much commended in the Church of God, so 1 Thes. 5.11. Comfort and edify one another even as ye do, he commended them for doing so, only in this necessary duty consider how the Scripture hints and directs you, You must eat of this manna according to God's appointment.

[ 1] 1. You are in the use of your gifts privately to carry yourselves so as not thereby to neglect the public Ordinances ; To think that such private Admonitions or Exhortations, or seekings to God are enough, we see how the Apostle joineth them together, Heb. 10.24, 25. when he exhorted them to provoke one another to do good, he addeth, not forsaking the Assembly, as the manner of some was ; Even in the Apostles days, when there was such purity of Church Ordinances, and admirably gifted Officers and God's presence with them, yet they were not to forsake the Assemblies, and observe how the Apostle bringeth them in upon the improving of their gifts in a private way, as if it were a great Temptation, when we employ them respectively to others, thereby to neglect the public Ordinances.

[ 2] 2. Though private improvement of Gifts be lawful to Parents, Masters, and one Christian to another, yet take heed that thereby you do not justle out the Office of the Ministers, or because of your gifts to neglect the public Office Christ hath appointed, for the devil is busy both ways either by profane sottishness and ignorance, to make men despise the Ministry, or by self-conceit and pride of their own abilities; This the Apostle also provides against, 1 Thes. 5.14. when he had commanded them to edify one another, lest it might be thought, what need we any Ministers then? See how affectionately he addeth, and we beseech you to know them that labor among you, and are over you in the Lord ; They must not for all their Gifts and improvements neglect that, So in the same Chapter, 19, 20, 21. verses ; where private Christians are commanded to prove all things, and not to Quench the Spirit ; They must stir up the gifts and graces of God's Spirit in them, yet so as not to despise Prophesyings, that is the ministerial Interpretation of Scripture, as the word to prophesy is commonly used.

[ 3] Lastly, That I may not be too long, Though it be a necessary Point, the private use of their gifts must be in such duties, and in such matters as are not above them : They may pray together, humble themselves, exhort one another out of the Word of God in profitable things of Edification, but to determine the most controverted Points in Religion is far above their strength; Therefore let everyone imitate David's Humility, to walk humbly and not to exercise himself in things that are too high for him; The Apostle doth often antidote against pride and conceit, as if we did know things when we did not, and as the matter must not be above them, so it must be in that which is necessary and profitable, How many trouble themselves about Universal Redemption? which is not only a Doctrine above their capacities, but they might do better to find their own interest in Christ's Death; Certainly if Christians would meet, as of old they were wont, not to dispute in high, unprofitable Points, but how to be more holy, more mortified, to walk more godlily in their Relations, then their meeting together would be for the better and not for the worse, But now Christ's Sheep do run into many bri • rs of Disputations, that they almost lose all their wool; Therefore the Apostle speaketh excellently to this purpose, 1 Tim. 6.3, 4. he had pressed to godliness in Relations, and then saith, Let no man teach otherwise then the Doctrine which is according to godliness ; If they do, there comes no good of such Disputes, but envyings, strifes, and carnal dissensions amongst one another: I was willing to add thus much, because it's thought that we would monopolize the Spirit of God, as that we envied the gifts and graces of God in others; No, God forbid, this only we would direct them, so as their liberty may not be turned to licentiousness: Even by the Canonists who were no ways much favorable to private Christians, yet they did allow them charitativam, though not potestativam admonition; There is therefore no private Christian, no nor woman, but they may be instrumental to the converting of Husbands and Children yea, with the Woman of Samaria be a means to bring the knowledge of Christ to others; Yea, several women Phebe, Synticke, Evadias, and others, are mentioned in the Gospel for their great instrumental service in the propagating of Christ's Kingdom, yet who will conclude from their improvement of gifts they might lawfully take the office of Preaching.

[ IV] 4. There is also great difference to be made between a Church under Persecutions or not constituted, and a Church constituted ; That may be done in times of Persecution which may not in settled times of the Church; We see in case of extreme danger every man is a Magistrate, and may kill when assaulted rather then be killed; but it doth not therefore follow that every man may lawfully take upon him ordinarily the office of a Magistrate; The Sabbath might be broken in regard of necessity, and our Savior from this excuseth David for eating the Shew bread, which was lawful only for the Priests to eat: Thus we read of two private persons that were a means to convert the Persian King, and others, once to the Christian Faith; Though these when they had opportunity sought to have their office confirmed, and so if that Instance so much pressed Act. 16.8. of the Disciples preaching the Gospel upon the Persecution, could be manifested to be understood of private Disciples and men out of office (the contrary whereof there are strong presumptions for) yet it would prove no more, but that in case of Persecution, when believers are scattered up and down, it's lawful for them to declare and make known Christ and his Truth; But what is this to a Church constituted, and walking in an orderly way?

[ V] 5. This doctrine of the necessity of a lawful Call and authority in those that preach is very necessary and profitable, and that partly in respect of the Ministers themselves, and partly in respect of the people; On the Ministers part,

1. He can with the more quietness and comfort satisfy himself in his work; You see the Pharisees they questioned Christ upon this very Point, By what authority he did these things ? Mat. 21.23. Now our Savior he supposeth that to be necessary, he doth not say, What matter for a Call or Authority? I have Gifts, but he goeth to prove that he had authority from God; Certainly to live in such a way wherein the Conscience of a Minister is not satisfied, that it's a lawful office, must needs be disquieting of him, especially when there are so many that say they have no Call, or that their Call is Antichristian, Is it not necessary to a Minister to be informed that by the Scripture he can justify his Call and office?

2. It's necessary because then he may expect God's blessing and protection; When Christ saith, I will be with you to the end of the world, and he that despiseth you despiseth me, this is to be understood of such as are in Christ's office, Joh. 10. Doth not our Savior severely reprove such as come not in by the door, calling them Thieves and Robbers, God's protection and defense will go along with his Ministers only.

2. On the Auditors part, for when they are convinced that such are the Ministers of Christ, They will 1. Hear with the more reverence and respect, even as Christ himself saith, A stranger Christ's Sheep will not hear.

2. They may justly expect spiritual success in their Labors, that God will bless the Ministry with such spiritual issues, God hath promised, That it may be a Ministry of Life to them, and they may feel an experiment of Christ speaking in them.

5. They will account of them (as Paul saith) as the Stewards of God ; They will have them in high account for their office and works sake.

Lastly, They will tremble at their unthankfulness and unfruitfulness under their Ministry, for certainly if those officers whom Christ himself hath appointed for thy conversion and reformation can do no good on thee, never think that otherwise will help thee; No, though men should arise from the dead to preach to thee; what greater symptom can there be of thy eternal damnation then to be unprofitable and unreformed under Christ's own officers, such ground is nigh to cursing; If their Gospel be hid, it is hid to such as perish, and Joh. 8. therefore ye are not of God because ye hear not his Word.

SERMON XCVII. That the Scripture appoints a Distinct Office of the Ministry: Showeth, wherein the Call to the Ministry consists; And that none may enter into that Office without an Authoritative Mission. Also what the Ministry of Preaching is, and whether Reading be Preaching.

THere remain some further Distinctions to be propounded before we proceed to the proof of the Doctrine. And

[ V] First, The word Preaching may be taken either largely or strictly; largely, for any declaration of the truths of God, as occasion and opportunity shall serve; or strictly, for a Ministerial Preaching, by way of Office. The Greek word 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , though it be most commonly used of such who preach by way of Office, and among the Heathens 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 is an Officer, yet in the Scripture it is sometimes taken more largely, as Revel. 5.2. An Angel is there described 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , crying with a great voice; but more particularly, I observe it once, and but once used of a private Christian, manifesting Christ and his actions, Luk. 8.39. The man out of whom Christ had cast devils, is said 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 to publish throughout the whole City, what Christ had done for him. It was a great controversy not long since, Whether reading was preaching? Many to excuse their ignorance and laziness did maintain reading of the Scripture was preaching. Now to this it is answered, That if Preaching be taken largely for any declaration, or publishing of the Word of God, no doubt but it is preaching, but yet it is not that ministerial preaching which is enjoined the Officers of the Church, To preach in season and out of season, to divide the word of God, and that with such faithfulness and ability, that the Apostle crieth out, Who is sufficient for these things? This was more then to read the Scripture. If therefore preaching be taken largely for a publishing of Christ occasionally to others, no doubt many ought to preach in that sense. Thus the woman of Samaria, published Christ to her neighbors, and Andrew called his brother Philip before they were put into the Apostolical Office. So many private men have writ learned Tractates for the defense of the Christian Religion, and some of great learning have made Annotations upon the Scriptures, though some of them have delivered much corruption. Yea amongst those that are private, not invested with the public Office, we are to make a great distinction. Some are merely private, some are by education and abilities in order to the public. Now such may publicly preach either by way of trial, or else by the approbation of those that can judge and ought so to do, Act. 13.15. we read there; The Rulers of the Synagogue, called unto Paul, if they had a word of Exhortation to speak to them ; Suppose they did not look upon Paul and his company as Officers, yet this proveth no more, then that private men by the approbation of those that rule in the Church may occasionally preach. And this we read in Antiquity, That Pantenus and Origen did catechetically preach the Doctrine of our Christian faith, before ordained into the Office of the Ministry. The Question is not about such, no, nor of private men, if doctrinally and practically qualified by Church Officers, would submit themselves to trial, and so be authorized to do what they do. That is another matter to the Question in hand.

2. That which we call the Vocation or Authorizing of one to the Office of the Ministry, consists in these things,

1. An inward Qualification of the person, with such gifts as God requireth, and they are reduced by Paul to two heads, they are Doctrinal for his learning, that he be apt to teach, that he can divide the word of God aright, &c. as a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, that he be able to convince gain-sayers. These gifts require Learning and Knowledge. So that a gift to pray well, or to speak about plain doctrinal things in Religion, though with much affection and zeal, is not the whole Ministerial gift ; for the Apostle requireth more; viz. such sound knowledge in matters controverted, that he may be able to convince gain-sayers. And

[ 2] The second Qualification, is for his life, that it be holy and unblameable. Therefore the sin of a Minister is greater then another man's, by reason of his Office. Hence the same Sacrifice was appointed for the Priests sin, as was for the sin of the whole Congregation, Levite. 4. To this qualification, some had an inward promptitude and readiness of heart, with an holy zeal being moved by God to this work. Now although this may be granted in some, yet the Apostle requireth it not as a necessary qualification; yea it's the duty of some to be called to the Ministry, who through their modesty or fear fly from it, as much as they can. Thus Moses refused the Office he was called unto, insomuch that the anger of God is said to be kindled against him, Exod. 4.14. And Jeremy out of the sensible apprehension of his weakness ( Jer. 1.6.) did refuse that prophetical Office, till God did encourage him; and in Antiquity, there was a Canon made against those that should any ways mutilate themselves by deforming their noses or ears, that they might not be in the Ministerial Office.

Secondly, Their Calling partly lieth in the electing and choosing of such a person ; Though Christ immediately appoint the Office, yet the person must be designed by man.

[ 2] Thirdly, There must be an Examination and Approbation of his Gifts by those who are in Church office: For this end the Apostle doth lay down so many properties of those who are to be made Elders, which were not to any purpose, if they were not to be examined; yea, it's directly set down in the Office of Deacons, which is an inferior Office, 1 Tim. 3.10. Let them first be proved, and then let them have the Office of a Deacon, and when Timothy is enjoined, 1 Tim. 5.22. To lay hands suddenly on no man, lest he be partaker of others men's sins. This inferreth the great examination and trial he is to take of them.

Lastly, There is the confirming them in the Office, by laying on of hands with fasting and prayer. This is the constant example of all that were set apart to the Ministerial Office, that we read of in the Scripture, Act. 14.23. and therefore who may presume to do otherwise, when not one instance can be given to the contrary? I do not here dispute in whom this constituting or ordaining power is seated, it's enough that we see it always done by those that were Officers in the Church.

In the last place, There may be a twofold unlawful entering into this Call:

1. In respect of corrupt aims and ends, and many other defects.

2. In respect of the very Essentials: So that he is not a Minister, or put in office at all. These two are greatly to be discerned. Many men may go unlawfully into the Office, fail in many particulars, yet partake of the substance of the office, but others may usurp it so, that they have not the very Office itself; and this is very necessary to observe, For where the Office is null, and no Ministry, there the administration of the Sacraments is according to the received opinion void: As the Papists argue, Because we have no Ministry, we have no Church, no Sacrament. Though in these accusations the Protestants sufficiently defend themselves. But certainly, it may justly be a great shaking to private persons, that if the Ministry they live under be not a true Ministry, thus their Baptism is not a true Baptism, the Church they live in a true Church; for though a Ministry be not necessary to an Essential Church, as in times of persecution, when believers are scattered up and down, yet it is to an Organical Church, according to that definition of Cyprian, Ecclesia esset plebs adornata clero.

In the second place we come to show, That there is a distinct Calling of the Ministers from the people, so that men may not as they please invade it, nor look upon Christ's Ministry as a mere human invention. The chiefest Arguments brought by the Learned to confirm this, are

[ I] First, From the distinct and different titles, that the Scripture giveth them. They are called 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 scopi, Overseers, Elders, Pastors and Teachers: They are called lights and guides: They are said to be over them in the Lord ; So that it's plain, that the Scripture makes this clear distinction, some are Rulers, and Guides, and Shepherds, some again are to be ruled, and are under, To the Bishops and Saints at Philippi, Phil. 1.1. Thus the whole Church is divided into it's Officers, and those that are governed. It's a wonder that any can contradict these clear places; neither may we think that the Scripture giveth them these names without reality, as they did by scorn to Christ, calling him, King of the Jews. Certainly, if there were not such distinct relations, then the Apostle might as well call the people Guides and Elders, and exhort such who were over them to submit to those that were under them.

[ II] Secondly, The Scripture doth attribute hereby unto them distinct work and employment. They are to feed them, they are to preach to them, they are to watch over them, they are to admonish, rebuke and cast out unruly persons ; they are to give themselves to reading, to be in these things, as the Apostle calls it: Now if this did belong to all, everyone would be bound to leave their Calling; for he that is in this Office, is commanded wholly to attend to it.

[ III] Thirdly, They are under a peculiar charge and account. Their estate is more dreadful then others, if they be found negligent. Woe be unto me (saith Paul) if I preach not the Word: So Heb. 13. they are said to give an account, and it's desired they may do it with joy, and not with grief ; If there be no Ministerial office, then we are not responsible for the souls of men.

[ IV] Fourthly, The people are required to do distinct duties to them, to hear them, to obey them, to submit themselves to them, to esteem of them as the Messengers of God, yea, to have them in high estimation for their works sake. Certainly, none can impartially read the Epistles of Paul, (therefore I need not name the particular places) but he must be convinced of the distinct Office of a Ministry, and the people's duty thereunto.

In the third place, we are to prove, That none may enter into this Office without an Authoritative Mission. And

[ 1] First, Here is constant example and pattern of the Church in the Apostles times. We cannot read of any that undertook this Office, but they were solemnly set apart to it, Acts 14.23. and in other places. Now if in the primitive times, when yet Christians were so eminently gifted, there was a solemn setting of them apart, How much more in after ages? Neither can any one example be brought to the contrary, I mean of taking an Office in the Church without a Call: Now is it not far better to follow the presidents of Scripture, then to go after our own thoughts? especially when Christ himself, though so admirably gifted, yet would not undertake this Office without a Call, as the Apostle doth diligently consider it, Heb 5.7.

[ 2] Secondly, The Apostle in his Epistles to Timothy and Titus, doth lay down several Qualifications, which ought to be in every Minister: Now what necessity is there of this, if so be those who are to ordain them, were not to attend thereunto? The very mentioning of such properties, is for this end, to show, by what rule they should go by in their Ordination, who would not think himself qualified, who would not say he had gifts, if they were not to be examined and judged in that matter?

[ 3] Thirdly, If it were not necessary there should be an authoritative Ordination of men to that Office, why should the Apostle with such diligence leave Titus at Crete to ordain such, if so be their gifts and abilities had been enough? It was an absurd thing to leave him there to appoint them for that Office, Tit. 1.5. The place is considerable, because by that you see plainly, Elders were not to intrude themselves, but were to be set apart by Titus.

[ 4] Fourthly, Yea if there were not such a duty upon Church-officers in confirming of others, why should the Apostle likewise to Timothy use that severe and dreadful adjuration? 1 Tim, 5.21. where Timothy is charged before God, in reference to this matter of laying on of hands, as well as other things, and Christ and the holy Angels, that he do nothing with partiality, nor be too hasty herein, lest we partake of other men's sins: How could this be, but that men are not of themselves to intrude thereunto, otherwise their sins would be upon their own heads, who go without a Call?

[ 5] Fifthly, When the Apostle saith, Lay hands suddenly on no man ; In that negative command is contained an affirmative, as Walleus well observeth, viz. with deliberation and good advice to lay hands on those that are sufficiently qualified: so that there is not only an example but a command, and that laying on of hands is not a mere accidental Ceremony, appeareth, in that by this action he describeth the whole confirmation in that Office, which Synecdoche could not be, unless it were either an essential part, or a proper and inseparable adjunct. Certainly these Arguments may satisfy any that are not contentious. This hath been ever both in the Apostles days, and since their time, a constant custom, judged to be grounded upon the Scripture. Neither may we look for such cogent and clear demonstrations in matter of Church order, as in Fundamental Doctrines. If any desire further insight, he may peruse those several learned Tractates that have lately come out to confirm this Truth.

Object. But you will say, If a man have Gifts and Abilities, why is not that enough?

Answ. I answer first, Christ had Gifts, and yet he would have a Calling. In the primitive times private Christians did abound with Gifts, yet they were to be set apart for that Office.

2. Gifts in civil offices and relations, do not give Power and Authority to do a thing: A private Lawyer may have as good, or better gifts, then the Judge: Shall he therefore take upon him to condemn men? A man would not willingly have such Divinity in his own Family: It may be thy servant hath as good or better Gifts to manage thy household affairs, might be a better husband, doth not spend as thou wilt, Shall he take upon him to be thy Master? There is many a poor man hath a better gift to husband thy estate then thou doest, Shall he therefore seize upon thy revenues? There must be a Call, besides these Gifts.

3. By this means every private man, yea woman and child may administer the Sacraments; Cannot a woman sprinkle water on the child, and baptize it? There are none so simple scarce, but have Gifts for this. In the Old Testament others could have killed a beast for the Sacrifice, as well as the Priest, Might they therefore lawfully do it? So that Gifts must have a Call?

Use. How blessed and happy a thing it is, when the public Ministry, and private Christians abilities, are orderly improved for the Glory of God; when one doth not contradict, or encroach upon another, but the upper orbs and lower orbs do all turn about for the public good, when Christians edify one another, and yet have those in high esteem, that labor over them in the Lord. Certainly, while this Harmony and Union is kept up, the Devil cannot disturb the Church. We have a notable Prophecy by Zechariah, what shall be done in the times of the Gospel, Zech. 13.5. where men that had no call to preach, being convinced of their error, and that by their dearest friends, he shall disclaim that way, saying, I am no Prophet, I am an Husbandman, for man taught me to keep cattle from my youth.

SERMON XCVIII. Of Christ's Sanctifying himself to be a Mediator; Showing what is implied in it; How pure, willing, and fit he was for that great Undertaking.

OUR Savior had prayed for the Sanctification of his Disciples, and one Reason is from the office they were placed in, which hath been dispatched. The other is in this Verse, From Christ's Mediation manifested in his Death for them He had merited and purchased this at God's hand by making himself an atonement for them; Christ you heard was the High Priest of his Church, and two things did belong to them.

1. To pray for the people,

2. To make a Sacrifice for them: Now our Savior in this Chapter doth both, he prayeth, and offereth up himself a Sacrifice for his people.

So that in the words we are to consider, The Person, The Action, The object matter, The Finis cui, and the Finis cujus :

The Person, I sanctify myself, I, By this we see partly the Deity of Christ, for none but God can say, he sanctifieth himself that others may be sanctified; and then this denoteth his willingness and readiness, Christ did readily offer up himself to all that misery and shame for our sakes.

Secondly, There is the Action, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , Sanctify, This among many other significations hath these three especially.

1. To set apart, and solemnly to fit for any duty.

2. To dedicate and consecrate in a peculiar manner to the Lord, Thus the Priests were sanctified and the Sacrifices were sanctified.

3. To make holy by inherent purity, and in all these respects Christ did sanctify himself;

For 1. He as God did fill the human Nature with all habitual and actual Righteousness.

2. He did set and sanctify himself to be an oblation, and therefore it is that the Apostle doth so often call him the High Priest in his Epistle to the Hebrews.

Thirdly, There is the object matter, and that is 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 myself ; The Priests of the Old Testament did consecrate the Beasts that were slain, but here Christ sanctifieth himself, So that he is both the Priest and the Sacrifice also, It is himself, and that is the greater love.

Further, There is the End for whom, for them, and this doth evidently prove Christ to be a Sacrifice of Atonement, For whereas the Apostle Ephes. 5.2. there saith Christ gave himself an offering and a Sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling savor. The Socinian would thereby understand no more then the acceptableness of it, not that is was propitiatory for us, and they compare it with the liberality of the Philippians ▪ Phil. 4.18. where the Apostle calls their Gift an Odor of a sweet smell acceptable to Ged, yet this is only part of the meaning, and the phrase is not wholly alike, for in that place of Phil. it is 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 for us, as in Eph. 5.2. So that Christ gave himself for a Sacrifice not metaphorically, as Prayer, and Alms are sometimes called Sacrifices, but by way of Atonement to satisfy God, So that by this means we also are an Odor of sweet smell unto him.

The Finis cujus is that they might be sanctified, of which more hereafter; From Christ thus Sanctifying himself to be a Sacrifice for us Observe,

That Christ set himself apart to be a Sacrifice for us, or he sanctified himself to become a Sacrifice for us ; This is the Sum of all Divinity, All the Types in the Old Testament did look to this; The Apostle desired to know nothing but this; This is the Foundation of the Efficacy both of Christ's Prayers and of ours, Had Christ only prayed for us, and not thus sanctified himself to be a Sacrifice for us, it would not have been effectual for our Salvation.

Let us Open this Point, though I shall not insist long on it, because I have otherwhere shown, That Christ suffered by way of an atoning Sacrifice ; I shall now speak the more briefly of it:

And first, This Sanctification of himself to be a Sacrifice for us doth imply the exceeding Purity and Holiness that was in him, and therefore Peter calls him the undefiled and spotless Lamb, 1 Peter 1.9. In the Old Testament The Lamb that was to be offered was to be without blemish, not to be defective in any parts, and to be without spot; There was to be no various color upon it; This was to signify the absolute Purity of Christ in respect of outward and inward sin; And therefore the Apostle presseth the preeminency of Christ our High Priest above those of the Law, because they had sins of their own, and they were compassed about with their own Infirmities, and so offered for themselves first, Hebr. 7.26. He is there called holy, harmless, undefiled, and separate from Sinners ; And this Purity and Holiness was not only to qualify his Person to be our Mediator, but it was part of that Righteousness which is communicated to us, Therefore he saith, I sanctify myself for them ; And as he was made man for Believers, So also holy and undefiled for them; It's true some Divines distinguish in Christ his Justitia personae, and his Justitia meriti, but the Righteousness of Christ was part of his merit, and so they cannot be opposed to one another; This is the Wedding Garment; This is our Elder Brothers Clothes; This is the fine Linnen of the Saints; Therefore thou that complainest of thy want of Holiness, Thou art not sanctified in such a degree and measure as thou desirest, remember Christ hath sanctified himself for thee.

Secondly, This doth imply the ready and willing offering up of himself to this work ; And certainly this is the great Mystery at which Heaven and Earth may be astonished: This the Angels wonder at, and still desire to search into it more and more; That Christ should come from the bosom of the Father, and lay aside the manifestation of all Heavenly Majesty and Glory, to be debased in so low a way, making himself of no reputation; This can never be considered of enough, no, not by all the Angels and Saints to all Eternity, Philip. 2.6. The Apostle doth there enlarge himself in this Meditation, and in another place, how he became poor that we might make us rich.

Two things are admirable in this willing Oblation of himself.

1. That he should put himself in such a suffering condition, as to be for a while without the sense and enjoyment of his Fathers love to him; He that was in the Bosom of the Father, an Expression to show the intimate, close, and secret delight and love he had from the Father; How unspeakable is it that he should deprive himself of the sense of it? To put himself as it were out of Heaven into an Hell, this is deeper love then ever we can imagine or conceive: No wonder the Apostle calls it 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 and 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , the unsearc •• ble Riches of Grace, We are never able to go to the bottom of it, but still there is more love and grace behind: Did the Queen of Sheba faint to see the temporal Statelinesse and magnificence of Solomon? How should the Believer at the sight of this Heavenly Glory be even ravished with Admiration: No wonder if the Church cry out, She is sick of Love, for this may do it: It was more for Christ to be one moment without the feeling of his Fathers Love, then to endure all those bodily Torments he did endure, My God, My God, why hast thou forsaken me? In the Original it is, My strong One, He giveth unto God that peculiar and proper Title, because he was then so weak and infirm, and dejected in himself.

2. That he should not thus only put himself out of comfort, but also from the enjoyment of that manifested glory and honor he might have retained to himself, This also was very wonderful. In this Chapter he prayeth for that Glory which yet he had with the Father from the beginning of the world, he had it in right but not in possession; He voluntarily divested himself of that, that so he might accomplish our Redemption; Job bewailed once the bitter change that was upon him, He that sat among Princes, to sit upon the Dunghill scraping his soars, this was a great Change, but this Change that Christ took upon himself was infinitely far transcending it.

Thirdly, In that Christ is said to sanctify himself, herein is implied the universal fitness that was in him for that work ; To sanctify, and to be prepared, or made fit is the same thing in the Scripture, and this is also a Treasure of exceeding great Comfort, for if Christ had not been every ways a full and fit Redeemer, we had certainly miscarried.

His fitness is seen in regard

• 1. Of his Person.
• 2. His Offices.
• And 3. The Benefits thereof, with the accomplishment of them.

The fitness in his Person is that he was both God and man, whatsoever some Schoolmen have thought or imagined, yet no mere man though qualified to the highest with all manner of grace, could have satisfied for man's sins; It was necessary he should be God, for by this means there was an infinite value, worth, and excellency put upon his Doings and Sufferings; So that the worth and merit of Christ's Actions did as far exceed our demerits as his Person did ours, as God doth man: It was necessary also he should be man, for in that Nature only could he suffer, in that only could he die; Thus there is one Mediator of God and man, the man Christ Jesus ; He then that must reconcile God and man, must necessarily be both God and man, He must be medius that he may be a Mediator, and therefore we may truly say he was sanctified thereunto, that is, he was appointed and prepared for it.

2. He is fitted in respect of his Offices, which are to be a Prophet, Priest, and King ; He is the Trismegist, if you do regard the threefold Cord that did bind us Sinners, which we could never loose, then we shall see how fit a Savior he was; There was in us horrible blindness and darkness of mind; The world was not in a greater Chaos and Confusion at first, then we are naturally in our Souls, Not knowing, understanding, or believing anything of God: Therefore the Apostle calls such Darkness itself, Ephes 4. And darkened in the mind ; That is, the Eye, the Sun of the Soul, and if that be dark all the body must be dark; This Spiritual blindness and Ignorance upon every man's mind is that which makes him of himself incurable, We pity corporally blind men; Oh but the spiritually blind are lamentable, everyone is sensible o •• osing their bodily Eye, Lord, that I might receive my Sight, saith he to Christ; But oh that there were such a tenderness and a melting affection about thy Spiritual blindness; Now Christ hath a Prophetical Office to cure this, he doth not only teach by the outward Proposition of the Object, but also by giving a Seeing Eye, and vouchsafing Spiritual Illumination to the mind and the Understanding.

In the second place, we were under the guilt of our sins, The Curse of the Law did pursue us, we were no ways able to expiate the Guilt of the least sin; Though Rivers of blood had run down our Eyes, yet they could not have cleansed one sin or spot away; The Jews offered Thousands of Sacrifices, but they could not obtain by the Efficacy of them any Rem • ssion of Sins; The Heathens sacrificed their Sons and Daughters to appease the wrath and fury of their Supposed gods, but that could not prevail: Oh when the Conscience of a man is arraigned for Sin, when Guilt burneth in the bowels as hot as fire; Then a man will think of nothing but compensation, Oh that I could satisfy God, Oh that I could make amends again as man may do to man, but this is impossible! Therefore Christ becomes a Sacrifice for this end, If we cannot redeem our natural death, much less our Eternal, Without Blood there is no Remission of sin ; Christ's Death ratified and confirmed the Promise, and therefore the Covenant of Grace is also called a Testament, because this was confirmed by the Death of the Testator; Look then as it was with those Israelites when the Destroying Angel passed by, if the Posts were sprinkled with blood, then they escaped the destroying Angel, so if we be watered and cleansed in the blood of Christ, then we do escape the destroying vengeance of God, and thus there is his fitness by his Priestly Office.

3. We were by sin in a miserable bondage and captivity to sin and Satan; The Israelites bondage in Egypt, or in the Babylonian Captivity, was nothing to this Spiritual slavery; It's not indeed so terrible and grievous to flesh and blood, yea, they like those Chains and cords of vanity well enough, but when Paul is once awakened by the Spirit of Regeneration, and that the power of Grace hath prevailed upon him, then for those very Relics of Corruption that are within, he crieth out, Oh miserable man that I am ! Rom. 7. Now Christ is fitted with Kingly power to conquer and destroy the power of sin and Satan; There is no lust, no Corruption that is too big for the King of Glory to overcome: Thus as the Jewish Priest represented Christ in his Priestly Office, So Joshua, the Son of Nun did Christ in his Kingly Office, as the Apostle insinuateth, for Heb 4.8. Heb. 7 2. as no Ogs or Sons or Anak the greatest Giants and warlike men in the world were able to stand before him, but he did bring the People of God unto their Rest; Thus also will Christ who is both the King of Righteousness and King of Peace subdue all our Spiritual Enemies, and establish us in Everlasting Rest, He will first be a King of Righteousness, and then a King of Peace, he will first conquer thy lusts, and then give thee a Crown of Glory: Oh then admire this fitness of Christ to be thy Mediator! See how admirably there is a proportionable fullness in him for every emptiness of thine!

In the Fourth place, Christ is Sanctified or prepared for this work of Redemption, If you do regard the peculiar and proper benefits that accrue to us by this Sanctification; It would be infinite to reckon all.

[ I] Consider 1. Remission and Forgiveness of our sins, that is often attributed to his blood; Now how great a mercy this is, David will tell us, Psal. 32. when he saith, Blessed is the man to whom the Lord imputeth no sin ; Blessed, It's the inbred appetite of all to be blessed; But they mistake in what it lieth; Therefore the Psalmist telleth us, The rich man, The great man, the prosperous man is not blessed, but he whose sins are forgiven ; And indeed though a man had Solomon's abundance, yet if sin be not forgiven, how can he be blessed? You see Cain in the midst of his Cities he was building, yet he had no quiet, because sin was not forgiven; yea David in the midst of all his Kingly glory did not take any rest, but he was disquieted with roaring in his bones all the night long, because sin was not pardoned.

[ 2] 2. Christ is sanctified to sanctify us ; This is plain in the Text, Christ died not only to take away the guilt of our sin, but to make us an holy people, zealous of good works, Tit. 2.14. Therefore the garments of the Saints were made white in the blood of the Lamb ; Revel. 7.14. Do not the Godly groan under the power of Corruption? but Christ will sanctify them as he sanctified himself to that end.

3. Peace of Conscience, and boldness at the Throne of Grace ; Through him we have free access; The Apostle hopeth because of him to go boldly unto God; This hand-writing against us, this gulf is taken away.

4. We glory in Tribulations, in Afflictions, because by Christ's Death the sting of them is removed, yea, we are raised above the fears of Death; Christ's Death doth take away our Death, O Death, where is thy sting? 1 Cor. 15.

SERMON XCIX. Showeth further, what is implied in that phrase of our Savior, I sanctify myself. Handling chiefly the Priestly-Office of Christ, in Opposition to the Socinians, and for the Comfort and Direction of Penitent Sinners.

WE are demonstrating, what is implied in this phrase, I sanctify myself for them ; There remain more particulars, which are as follow.

First, This signifieth, That Christ was wholly set apart for us, that he had no other work or employment, but to mind our good, and procure it for us. In the Scripture phrase to be sanctified, is often used for to set apart and dedicate to such a work, that if it be otherwise employed, there is a kind of profanation and pollution; so if the vessels dedicated to God's service, and sanctified, were employed, as Belshazzar did in any common use, this was the polluting and defiling of those vessels. In some sense it holds here, Christ was made man, and made under the Law, not for himself, but for us ; Insomuch that if he had done other work then this, he had, as it were, polluted himself, he would not then have been doing the work of a Mediator. Though some learned men think, That Christ obeyed the Law for himself, yet that cannot be, because all glory and happiness was due unto him from the first beginning of his Incarnation: He prayed indeed for the manifestation and external possession of that glory, which yet (he saith) he had before the world was made with the Father: Seeing therefore that Christ had by virtue of the personal Union all blessedness and happiness due unto him, He could not observe the Law, that by the obedience thereof he might inherit eternal life, but the whole course of his life, whether in doing or sufferings, was wholly for our good: That as the Sun was made not for itself, but for the world, so this Sun of Righteousness did arise with healing in his wings for us alone. He came as a Physician, of whom we could not say, Physician heal thyself. This then is a treasure of infinite consolation, That whatsoever Christ was, or did, it was wholly for us, had it not been for man fallen, the Scripture doth not intimate he would have become man. It is true, some Schoolmen say, That the Incarnation of Christ was in itself so glorious a demonstration of God's wisdom and power, and so desirable in itself, that though man had not sinned, yet Christ would have been made man, this being a more glorious thing then the creation of the world, or anything therein; yet the Scripture supposeth no other end why Christ came into the world, but to be a Savior, which implieth man a lost sinner. Hence Isa. 9. To us a Son is born, To us a child is given ; and Paul, who gave himself for me, Gal. 2.20. Therefore his death is compared to a price and a ransom, and he himself to a Mediator and Surety: All which denominate he was not for himself, but for us; yea his Names speak thus much, he was a Jesus, because he saveth his people from their sins ; a Christ, because anointed to do this work; An Head, because of his influx into his Members: Hence the Schoolmen do well determine, That the habitual Grace of Christ, and the Grace that he had as head, is all one really, and differs only notionally, Of his fullness we have all received, Joh. 1.16. Grace in Christ is not to be considered, as his personal perfection, but as our fullness. As the Fountain hath water, not for itself, but the streams; and as the Head doth not sentire, or put forth acts of sense for itself properly, but the whole compound: Insomuch that there is nothing which Christ did as Mediator, but it was all for us; and therefore the Scripture saith, Col. 1.11. It pleased the Father, that in him should all fullness dwell. Christ then is for us, and the Apostle saith, He sought not to please himself, Rom. 15.3. and he became poor that we might be made rich, 2 Cor. 8 9.

Hence secondly it followeth, That if Christ sanctified himself thus wholly for us, if we do not by faith improve him for those ends God appointed him, we make him a Christ in vain, to have sanctified himself, and died in vain: Even as the Sun would shine in vain, if all were blind and did not enjoy the light of it; as the brazen Serpent would have been exalted in vain, if none that were stung would have looked upon it: Oh then let the godly fear, lest by their unbelief and distrust, they make Christ a Christ in vain, his Sanctification of himself wholly in vain! Unbelief doth practically what those false teachers of righteousness by the Law did doctrinally, If righteousness come by the Law (saith the Apostle) then Christ died in vain. And thus it is here, If Christ sanctified and fitted himself to enrich thee, to justify thee, to sanctify thee, and thou by thy unbelief wilt not receive those things, then is he a Christ in vain, as to thee: Oh remember, If God will not hold him guiltless that takes his Name in vain, how much more that taketh Christ in vain, which is the most glorious name (as we may say) whereby God is made known!

Thirdly, This Sanctification of Christ did denote some kind of sin and pollution upon him by way of imputation: For such things as were unclean, they were sanctified by legal Rites: Now it's true, Christ of himself had no uncleanness, being then holy, undefiled, and separate from sinners, yet because he was our Surety, and undertook our debt, bearing our sins upon him; therefore it is that he had imputed sins, though not inherent: Even as the scape-goat had the sins of the people laid upon it: Hence it is that Heb. 7. ult. his second coming is said to be without sin, implying that his first was nor, because our sins were laid on him, and therefore did he so much strive in prayer, with those excessive agonies in his soul, because of the sense of God's anger for our sins. Though then the Scripture saith, He took all our infirmities upon him, but without sin, that is to be understood of sin inherent in him, no such viper could fasten on him; yet in respect of imputation our sins were charged on him, and so he sanctified himself in his oblation, by taking away the guilt of them: Oh then consider the infinite love of Christ, and be amazed at it, that he should become sin, and a curse for us, that he should be under the displeasure of God for us, who was in our persons to have conflicted with it!

Fourthly, In that Christ is here said to sanctify himself for us, there is hereby implied, That Christ was a Priest to make an atonement for us: and hereupon we might enlarge ourselves, concerning Christ's Priestly-office, which is of great concernment, as appeareth by the Apostle at large in his Epistle to the Hebrews, who doth so industriously assert and explicate this Office, as being that which is the foundation of all our grace and consolation. I shall only mention these particulars:

[ 1] First, This Priestly-office did consist in offering up himself a Sacrifice: Every Priest was to expiate sin by Sacrifices: Now because God would not have burnt-offerings any longer, neither could the blood of Rams and Goats purge away sin, therefore Christ came to make an atonement: So that now we have reconciliation with God upon a twofold ground, his Mercy and his Justice. It's his mercy to send Christ into the world, yet in that Christ must satisfy by his death it's justice: And this must needs administer much boldness at the throne of grace, for justice cannot now implead us: The only attribute that a sinner would fear, is God's justice; though he be gracious, yet he is just also; he demonstrated his justice in destroying all the apostate Angels, and not saving one of them. The Scripture represents him everywhere to be a just God, that will not acquit the guilty, that will render to everyone according to his works. Oh (saith the poor sinner) at this I tremble, under this I bow down, but now by Christ's Priestly-office, justice is made on our side, not only grace is for us, but justice also; now our very enemy once doth speak for us, Justice, I am satisfied, I can require no more: then justice would be unjust, if it should require the payment of the same debt twice: This is engraffed in man's heart to make a satisfaction and compensation to God, but that was altogether vain, which man did attempt to do, therefore Christ came to satisfy for all.

[ 2] 2. Herein Christ's Priestly-office did exceed those Priests in the Law, That they were only typical and did outwardly cleanse, but they did not reach to the soul, neither would they effect any immediate advantages upon it. The Apostle diligently presseth this in his Epistle to the Hebrews, and in his Epistle to the Galatians is severe against those, who rested upon those external Sacrifices, or any works of the Law neglecting Christ, and this truth belongs to Christians also, for the blood of Christ is not esteemed; we think Baptism will clear us, our tears for sin, or duties will compensate. Thus Christ is not in our thoughts and in our hearts: Therefore whosoever doth not in every prayer, in every duty, look to the blood of Christ to cleanse him, he forgets this truth, that Christ sanctified himself for us, we walk as if our duties, or Sacraments, or Ordinances were sanctified to be our Mediators. It's the blood of Christ only that cleanseth away our sins, and that purifieth our persons and consciences.

[ 3] 3. This Priestly-office of Christ is not only in the oblation of his body, but also in his prayers for us. Thus the Priest did in the Law, so that his prayers had more in them, then any private man, it being a prayer by one authorized and appointed thereunto. Christ in this also is our High priest; his prayers were of two sorts, 1. Those that he prayed for, while here on the earth, whereof this described in the Chapter is a chief one; and the other is that Intercession, which he still makes in heaven for us; they differ in the manner of petitioning, for those on earth were with great cries and groans debasing himself; but this in heaven is nothing but the presentation of his will, that what he had prayed for, and obtained for his people, should be applied to them. Now Christ's prayer is infinitely above the High priests prayers, for this is the prayer of him who is God as well as man, it's of him who is the beloved Son of the Father: so that nothing can be in justice denied to Christ's prayer, because it's a meriting and an obliging prayer.

2. It transcends in love, because Christ is so dear unto the Father: What shall we say to these things that are so unspeakably happy for the members of Christ?

[ 4] 4. Consider the adjuncts of this Priestly-office, He is a Priest after the order of Melchizedek. In Gen. 14. we read of Abraham's tything unto Melchizedek the tithes of his spoil, who is there called, The Priest of the most high God. It would be endless to tell you, what the learned think about this Melchizedek, as also to discuss all the difficulties about him. It's enough for us that the Psalmist, Ps. 110. prophesied of this long ago, and the Apostle applieth it to Christ, Heb. 7. Now to be a Priest after the order of Melchizedek, doth imply,

1. The conjoining of a Kingly power to the Priesthood. In the Old Testament God had separated the Kingly and Priestly Office, none might undertake both; and therefore when Uzziah, though a King, took upon him to offer Incense, which was the Priests Office, God struck him with a leprosy, and the Priests withstood him; but in this Melchizedek they were both joined together. Christ's being then a Priest after the order of Melchizedek, doth imply, that by virtue of his Priestly office he did attain to a Kingly; and therefore the Scripture speaks of that glorious condition he was exalted unto after his sufferings, even to be above all Kings and Potentates, and therefore it was providential that this Melchizedek, though a Priest, should have such a name as to be a King of righteousness, and a King of peace. and truly had Christ only sanctified himself to be a Priest for us without this Kingly office, we should still be under the power of our lusts, and dominion of our sins, and should have wanted a spiritual Prince of Glory against that prince of darkness▪ It's a Kingly Priesthood; so that there is not only religion, but power accompanying him.

2. This implieth the spirituality of his Priesthood, for Melchizedek though a Priest, yet brought only bread and wine by way of refreshment to Abraham. It's a wonder to see how men of great learning and parts would find out a real Sacrifice in that fact of Melchizedek's, but it is easily proved, that Christ after that bodily oblation of himself, hath now appointed no other Sacrifices but spiritual. There is now nothing bodily or carnal in the Sacraments: It's sursum corda, and we are to prepare faith, not our teeth for the Sacrament. The Priestly-office of old was in a carnal bodily way suitable to all the other religious exercises; But now the external way of Christ is spiritual; we are to offer spiritual Sacrifices, and our prayers are spiritual Sacrifices.

3. There is implied the perpetuity of it, Melchizedek was a Priest forever. There is no abolition or translation of this Office, no Successor to it, therefore Christ doth abide forever, That once oblation of himself perfected forever those that were his: So that if he had offered up himself an hundred times more, it could not have been more effectual, then this once oblation.

4. This Priestly-office was confirmed by an Oath, God swore to the perpetuity of it. The Apostle doth greatly aggravate this, Heb. 7.21. That God did not only promise, but confirm it with an Oath: Every word of God is as sure as an oath can be, but this was done to establish our faith; for it's the hardest thing in the world to a troubled soul for sin, to believe that Christ hath made such an atonement, or to believe such a reconciliation; therefore God did not only promise it, but swore to it.

Use. To fill the heart of those that do truly believe with unspeakable joy; Christ sanctified himself to bring about thy peace: Here is oil enough, if thou bring cruises to receive it: Is it not sin in the power of it, and the guilt of it, that troubleth thee? Doth not that raise a great gulf between God and thee? Behold Christ hath sanctified himself, that sin should be as if it never had been. This is the Paschal Lamb that you are not to eat boiled or raw, but roasted with fire, not with waterish empty speculations, but fervent affections of faith. Are you to meditate on this Sacrifice? This blood speaks all good things for thee.

SERMON C. Of Jesus Christ as Priest, Sacrifice, and Altar; The Properties of that Sacrifice; The way how men come to partake of the Benefit of it; Its Efficacy as to Sanctification as well as Justification.

FRom the Person Sanctifying, we proceed to the Object-matter, which is said to be sanctified, and that is 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , My self ; The Priests in the Old Testament consecrated and offered their brute Beasts, which though commanded by God to have perfect Qualifications in them, yet because Beasts still, therefore our Savior's Priesthood doth far transcend that, because it is his own precious body that he thus offers to be an Oblation for himself,

From whence Observe,

That Christ was not only the Priest but the Sacrifice itself ; He offered up himself in that bloody and ignominious death for our sakes ; This is the great mystery of our Christian Religion, whether you do regard the Doctrinal part of it as a Truth to be believed, or as it's Declarative of the love of God and Christ to his Church; The Prophet Isaiah cap. 53. is of old, long before it was accomplished, greatly affected with it, and Paul upon every occasion is largely amplifying this substantial Point.

To clear it Consider these Introductions,

First, That Christ was both Priest, Sacrifice, and Altar, Every thing in Christ is wonderful; There is nothing in him after the ordinary manner of nature, and therefore he may justly by the Prophet be called Wonderful, and as in other particulars, so in this it is true, That he should be Priest, Sacrifice, and Altar; Priest, he was in both his Natures as God and man: Sacrifice, he was in his human nature, because that only could suffer; And Altar, he was in respect of his Divine Nature, because by that he was sanctified; Oh then the admirable wisdom of God that hath thus appointed all fullness to be in him▪ When Abraham was to offer Isaac, and the Child was bound ready to be sacrificed, he asketh his Father, but where is the Sacrifice? God (saith Abraham) will provide one ; Thus when all mankind like Isaac was ready to be Sacrificed to the Eternal displeasure of God, even then God found a Sacrifice for us.

Secondly, Consider what is necessary to a Sacrifice, and that is, That there be some kind of destruction or annihilation of the thing to the honor and glory of God ; And thus a Sacrifice and a Sacrament differ, a Sacrifice is by offering up of something to God, a Sacrament is when God offers and giveth something to us, Therefore when the Papists make the Lord's Supper to be a Sacrament and a Sacrifice also, they speak repugnancies; In a Sacrament God giveth to us, In a Sacrifice we give to God: Now among the Jews there were many kinds of Sacrifices, and most of them did typically represent Christ; The Paschal Lamb and the Sacrificing of the Red Heifer, these are plainly applied unto Christ, but above all kinds of Sacrifices those that we called Holocatomata whole burnt-Offerings ; These did in a most lively manner typify him, for there the whole was to be burnt in fire, and offered to God, which denoted the great humiliation of Christ both in Soul and body, and also the exquisite Torments and Sufferings which were upon him, so that he was wounded all over for our Transgressions.

Thirdly, Take notice that he offered up his body as a Sacrifice to God ; It was in reference to him, not merely in respect of men, to witness the Truth of God, but as every Sacrifice ought to be, it was wholly in reference to God, though tending thereby to our good: It's unlawful to offer Sacrifices to any but God, because hereby is represented God's supreme dominion and Majesty, which is signified by the annihilation or destruction of the thing offered; Now though Christ did not cease to be God, yet by his Death there was a separation of the soul and body, though not of the divine nature from either; It was then unto God that he offered up himself.

Fourthly, This Sacrifice it was by way of expiation and propitiation to atone and pacify the Justice of God, which otherwise would have been a consuming fire to all mankind, as it was to the Apostate Angels: Sacrifices do imply some kind of Expiation, and by Heathens were used to pacify the wrath of their gods, and thus if Christ's body offered was truly and properly a Sacrifice, then it could be no other but by way of expiation and satisfaction; Now that it was such an expiatory Sacrifice is plain by the Apostle at large in the Epistle to the Hebrews, where he compareth Christ dying with those Sacrifices, and showeth the insufficiency of them in respect of Christ's once Oblation of himself, which comparison would be weak and absurd if Christ's Death was not propitiatory; No wonder then if the devil hath raised up blasphemous Heretics to overthrow this Doctrine, because in this is contained that happy Reconciliation between God and a sinner; In that Christ shed his blood to atone for us is the whole hope and comfort of the Church of God.

Fifthly, The holy and just nature of God against sin was such, that there was a necessity of Christ's sacrificing himself upon the Cross for us ; It's hotly disputed whether God might have forgiven sin absolutely without Christ's Death, or by any other way then by Satisfaction; But when all is said, it's acknowledged it is the most convenient way, and if we do suppose that God would save mankind no other way but by justice as well as mercy, then it was absolutely necessary that Christ should become man, seeing no mere man could compensate God, neither could the Obedience of any man have delighted God as much as Adams disobedience did offend him; Therefore it's highly derogatory from Christ which Durand saith, that if it had pleased God it might have been that as by Adams disobedience all were made sinners, so by the same Adams Obedience repenting and believing, all might have been made Righteous.

In the second place Consider the properties of this Sacrifice.

And First, It had infinite worth in it ; Insomuch that had God ordained it so, it would have procured Reconciliation for all the sins of all men in the world, yea, if there had been a thousand worlds of sinners; This is that which Divines say, That it was a sufficient price and ransom for all, though not efficacious: Though therefore many are damned, this doth not arise from any weakness or insufficiency in Christ's Death, but from the wickedness and rebellion of men who refuse the means to improve this Ransom for their good; There is infinite worth in it and that upon a threefold respect.

1. The Person offering, who is God as well as man, So that what dignity and worth the divine Nature can put upon it, that it is sure to have; Oh that Unbelief and distrust should ever overwhelm any Godly soul! Doth not the Apostle triumph, and say, Who can lay anything to the charge of God's Elect? Rom. 2. It's Christ that died ; Though the divine nature could not suffer, yet he that suffered was God as well as man, and so it is to be accounted of infinite worth; This is more then the Obedience of Men and Angels put together.

2. It is of infinite worth in respect of the gracious readiness and willingness of him who did utter it ; Christ received grace into his human nature without measure, and so this being the gracious offering of him, who was God and man, it must have necessary acceptance.

3. It had infinite worth in respect of the thing uttered, which was no less then the precious body and blood of Christ himself, he thought not those preparatory sufferings and agonies enough, but he consummates all by his Death ; Oh then let not the trembling sinner fear the insufficiency of the ransom, doubt not whether every farthing be paid, Say not, though such sins may be discharged, yet can this that I have committed, Can the blood of Christ cover this sin as well as others?

Secondly, Consider that though Christ offered up himself as a Sacrifice, yet the application of it must be in such a way that God hath appointed ; It's not enough that there is a potion which will cure all diseases, but it must be taken in that way which the Physician doth prescribe, and thus though Christ offered up himself to reconcile God to man, yet this is not done till by faith it be received ; As the blood of th • Sacrifice was to be sprinkled with hyssop ; Thus the blood of Christ ere it doth wash away our sins, must by Faith be sprinkled upon the soul, and therefore it's not altogether here as it is when a man is indebted and lying in prison, one comes and payeth the debt for him; This man is released without anymore a do; There is no further thing required but the setting of him at l • berty, for though Christ hath thus offerred up himself for the pardon of sins, yet the Father hath made such an appointment, that this price should reach to none but those that believe, and therefore this Doctrine doth not give the least security to any man to sin, for though Christ died, yet his blood may do thee no good: Thou mayest lie roaring in hell to all Eternity for all this, because thou art not one who doth partake of this death; Know the godly themselves while unconverted and abiding in their sins have not that actual benefit of Justification which cometh effectually by Christ's Death.

Thirdly, Hence Christ's blood is not only cleansing and washing away the guilt of sin but the filth of it ; The Apostle Tit. 3. said, that he died to redeem us a peculiar people to himself, zealous of good works ; So that there is none can plead the justifying efficacy of Christ's Death, that have not also the sanctifying efficacy of it, as it followeth in the Text, That they might be sanctified: and this will pull up by the very roots all that carnal confidence that most have, That come to Christ's Death as unto a common Sanctuary; It's true I am a grievous sinner, but Christ died, Christ was made a Sacrifice; but what is this to thee who wallowest in thy filthy lusts? Thou art full of thy noisome sins, and if Christ's Death did belong to thee, it would wash thee, it would purify thee; Do not think Christ's blood can be sprinkled on thee for the pardon of sin, and not for the washing away the filth of it; This is the ruin of thousands, they divide Christ, and separate one effect of his death from another.

Fourthly, Though Christ did but once offer up himself, yet the virtue and power of it doth abide forever ; It's not necessary that Christ should be always dying, therefore he is said to be a Priest forever, yea, this Death of Christ did extend to all the Godly that lived before his Sufferings; Abel, Abraham, and all in the Old Testament, had no other Sacrifice to please God with, but this; It is noted by a Learned man, that therefore Cain's Sacrifice was not accepted because he did not as Abel, offer such a propitiatory Sacrifice as was a Type of Christ, but rested in his own duties and works; yea, it's thought God by covering Adams nakedness with skins of Beasts, did thereby teach Christ's Righteousness; Look then upon the blood of Christ as powerfully working, as if today he had been crucified; It works as a moral Cause by Covenant and agreement with the Father, and therefore it doth as strongly work as ever,

Fifthly, It's continually useful and necessary, seeing we renew sins daily, and therefore run into new infirmities constantly, therefore it behooveth us to apply this medicine continually: If a man had been a hundred times stung by Serpents, he was as often to look upon the exalted Serpent to be healed, if therefore we fall into the mire daily, we need washing as often, if we get noisomeness upon us, this blood must daily cleanse us, and certainly we may all say with Peter, Not my feet but my whole body also ; Let that be washed; Doth not every part of us get some new pollution? Are not hearts, affections, and minds constantly polluted? If so, we cannot be a moment without the application of it as often as we breathe, we need the Sprinkling of Christ's blood.

Sixthly, We are to Consider the certain success and prevalency of it ; No sooner did the Messengers say Uriah was dead, but David's anger was removed: When the destroying Angel seeth this blood, he will pass by, if Moses his prayer could so much prevail with God, that he saith, Let me alone ; and Lot was so accepted that the Angel cannot destroy Sodom till he be removed; Then how powerful and prevalent must Christ's blood be.

Seventhly, This Sacrifice is that which Christ presents to his Father ; The Socinians would have Christ performing his Priestly Office only in Heaven, but it's plain he did it on earth, only what he once did, he constantly presents to his Father, and the minding of God with this is a far more efficacious thing, then that of the Rainbow, God when he beholds this will not again drown the world, and when he looketh on Christ will not condemn the humbled sinner. Therefore Christ is described Rev. 10. with a Rainbow upon his head, to signify as some think the pacificatory virtue that is in Christ.

Eighthly, The purity of the Sacrifice is not to be forgotten ; He is called the pure and spotless Lamb, 1 Pet. 1.19. As it behooved us to have a Priest without sin, So a Sacrifice without any defect, otherwise that Sacrifice would have needed another, and so there would have been no end; Therefore though all we can offer which is ours be full of blemishes, yet when we present Christ by Faith, then there is no fault to be found.

Lastly, The virtue of this Sacrifice is to make us like Christ himself ; he thinketh it not enough to be King and Priest himself, but he maketh us also Kings and Priests forever ; We offer up Prayers and Praises to him, and by him we conquer all our spiritual Enemies, The devil and our lusts are subdued, Such glory have all they that are partakers of this Sacrifice.

Use of Terror to all wicked and ungodly men, who by their Unbelief and Prophanesse reject this Sacrifice; The Apostle Heb. 10. calls it trampling upon the blood of Christ, and accounting it a profane thing ; Oh how many thousand live that have no esteem, and make no account of this Sacrifice; Oh remember that this is the last and ultimate Sacrifice, He that rejects this hath no more hope; There remaineth no more oblation for sin ; There is not another Christ or another Sacrifice, if thou refuse this.

Use 2. Of Encouragement to the Godly. Come to this Fountain that is set open for Judah and Jerusalem to cleanse in: Do not say, because Christ crucified is a stumbling block and foolishness to wicked men, that therefore thou wilt disesteem him also. There is no sore▪ but this blood will heal and cure: Oh let the blood of thy soul be stanched with this blood of Christ! This blood speaks good and comfortable things, better then that of Abel.

SERMON CI. Of Sanctification, as the Effect of Christ's Death; Showing, That no man truly believeth in Christ for Justification, that doth not also for Sanctification.

WE are now come to the end of Christ's Sanctification, which is twofold, the finis cui, and cujus. We shall put them both together, for so they are conjoined in the following clause, That they might be sanctified through the Truth.

Wherein you have,

• 1. The final Cause.
• 2. The Manner of accomplishing it.

The final Cause, That they might be sanctified: and from this the Socinian would argue, That Sanctification in the former clause, was not meant of an oblation by way of Sacrifice, because the same word is applied to the Apostles in the Text, and they were not to be sacrificed for us.

To answer this: First, Some Expositors do expound it of their offering up of themselves by Martyrdom to confirm the truth, for Paul professeth his willingness herein, using the word 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , Phil. 2.15. which was used of some kind of their Sacrifices; but we need not run to that, it's no new thing in Scripture to use the same word in one verse, in different significations; and it's a Rule, Talia sunt praedicata, qualia permittuntur à subjectis. The Apostles then, needing not such a Sanctification, as Christ applied to himself, but that for which he prayed in the former verse. We must understand it in the same sense as there. It's true, by Sanctification, some also will have Justification comprehended, and so speak of an imputed Sanctification, but we need not stretch the word violently, but understand it, first, Of making inwardly holy, and then consequently, A setting apart, and dedicating ourselves wholly unto God by living unto him, and thence observe,

That Christ died not only for our Justification, but Sanctification also. He made himself a Sacrifice, not only to remove the guilt of sin▪ but to remove and subdue the power of it, not only to make us happy, but also holy.

Let us consider, What is implied in this, That Sanctification comes by Christ's death. And

First, We are to know that Christ is the Cause of our Sanctification several ways, partly efficiently, for not only the Father and the Spirit, but Christ himself also is the cause of all the holiness we have, and therefore he is called the life, because he gives all supernatural life unto his, and is compared to the vine, Joh. 15. because as the branch separated from the Vine can bring forth no fruit; so neither is a man able without Christ to do the least holy action; he is also called the Head, and John 1. Of his fullness we are all said to receive. Thus as God in the course of nature is the author of every natural gift, therefore it's said, In him we live, and move, and have our being, Act. 17.28. So in the way of grace, Christ is the author and finisher, as of our faith, so of every holy work in us The Author, Heb. 12.2. and therefore we cannot so much as begin or meet Christ, he must prevent us; and the finisher ; for although we have begun, yet we have not the same manutenency and powerful preservation, what we have begun to build would immediately fall to the ground. Thus Christ is the Alpha and Omega of our spiritual life.

2. Christ is the meritorious cause of our Sanctification, and therefore not only remission of sin, but holiness and zeal is made the consequent of Christ's death ; And the Apostle doth not only Rom. 7.8. show, that we are justified by Christ, but also that the body of sin is mortified thereby. Thus Heb. 10. what Sanctification that Apostate had, is attributed to the blood of Christ; Christ then hath as efficaciously merited holiness, as happiness, He died to destroy the works of the devil ; now our captivity to him, was not only in respect of guilt, but that bondage and slavery we were in to all lusts; and therefore those two benefits are like Castor and Pollux, one cannot be without the other.

3. Christ is in some large and improper sense, called the formal cause of the good in us, an assistant form, not informing, that is, Christ received and applied by faith, doth in a most inward and intimate manner live in us, and thereby strengtheneth us; so the Apostle, Gal. 2.20. I no longer live, but Christ in me. Here you see Christ liveth in a godly man, for by faith we are united unto him, and thus Christ becomes our Head, from whom we have all spiritual influx: Now an head is a conjoined and united cause, made one with the body, and thus is Christ and his Church; and therefore is that similitude of an Head and the Body so often used.

4▪ Christ is the final cause of our Sanctification, that is, we are made holy to this end, both that we might show forth the praises and glory of Christ, as our Redeemer, as also that we should live to him, and set all our affections and desires upon him, desiring with Paul, To know nothing but Christ crucified, 1 Cor. 2.1.

Secondly, In that by Christ's death we are sanctified, there is implied, That we of ourselves are very impure and unclean, that we are like so many noisome dunghills. For our being unsanctified, doth imply,

1. Our filthiness or uncleanness; this is the state of every man till sanctified by Christ, he is like an unclean leper, his riches, his honors, his greatness, his parts, his morality doth not free him from this impurity, so that he ought to abhor himself as a monster, as a toad. This is the foundation of all our misery, that we do not look upon ourselves as so many vile carcasses, as so many dead dogs. Till this be laid as the first principle, Christ is not prized, Sanctification is not sought after: Oh therefore stand like the leprous person afar off, and cry out, I am unclean, unclean ? Thou wouldst be ashamed as Adam was to come with this nakedness and filthiness upon thee into God's presence.

2. Being unsanctified, doth imply, That even the holy things we are employed about, do not sanctify us, but we rather pollute them. Hag. 2. He that was unclean, though he touched the holy things, though he ran to the Temple and the Altar, yet he was not thereby sanctified, but he rather polluted them, and thus while a man is unsanctified, those very duties, prayers and ordinances, he doth run unto, will condemn him, as appeareth Isa. 1. by that severe expostulation with them, that abounded in their Sacrifices, yet did not wash them or make them clean.

3. There is implied an utter unfitness and indisposition to any good work ; as on the other side, a vessel sanctified was meet for his masters use ; So that till we be sanctified by Christ's blood, we have no fitness for any holy duty, iron can as well swim and logs fly, as a natural man be prepared to do that which is holy and supernatural.

Thirdly, That our Sanctification is here attributed to Christ's Sanctification of himself, we see,

1. That the initials and beginnings of Sanctification, are wholly from him. Some have endeavored to make the very Heathens partakers of some kind of sanctification, making a pietas pagana, as well as Christiana, but they are to fear lest that might be applied to them, which Bernard did to Abailardus, Dum sudat Platonem facere Christianum, scriptum facit Ethnicum. There is no sanctification but where Christ is, and Christ and his body cannot be separated, as the gold only in the Temple was sanctified; and this is good to lay us low, and to make us admiring of the grace of Christ, How is it thou art sanctified, and others remain profane, polluted like brute beasts, who hath made this difference? Who infused this holy nature into thee? Wast thou not as loathsome, as wallowing in the filth of thy lusts, as others till Christ's blood did cleanse thee?

2. Not only the initials, but progressives, and consummatives in Sanctification, are to be attributed to his Sanctification. Therefore you heard him called the finisher, as well as the author of our faith ; and the Disciples, though already sanctified, yet are still more and more to be sanctified. It's true, here is a difference between our first Sanctification, and the increase of it at first, we were wholly passive ; Christ found us dead in our sins, and wallowing in our blood, but afterwards he finds us alive, only needing his continual exciting and quickening grace ; Therefore Paul, though converted, yet still lives a life of faith in Christ; we need Christ all the day long: How unholy, earthly, dull and lumpish is thy heart, if Christ did not constantly sanctify it?

Fourthly, This Sanctification purchased by Christ must be in truth and integrity ; so Christ addeth, sanctified in the truth, that is, truly, in opposition to those legal and ceremonial sanctifications which did only cleanse the body, but not reach to the soul. Although in the New Testament we have no such external bodily Sanctification, yet still there is an outward Sanctification, and an inward, both coming by Christ, and one separable from the other. Thus you heard, the apostate is said to be sanctified by the blood of Christ, which was not indeed and truly so, for then he would not have totally fallen off, but in respect of the external administration. Hence 1 Cor. 1.2. the whole Church of Corinth, though afterwards reproved for many sinful practices, yet are called sanctified, and that partly, because of the external dispensation of the Ordinances which they enjoyed: So that there is a Sanctification external, and a Sanctification internal: External, is when by our Baptism, and Christian profession: We acknowledge ourselves separated from the world to live unto God; but internal is when we are so indeed: How shall we call the profane, ungodly person, a sanctified one? Look to the truth of Sanctification here mentioned in the Text. Now the truth of it lieth,

[ 1] 1. In the manner of working of it. The Spirit of God by the Word doth thus sanctify; therefore some understand this in the Text, by the truth, as formerly our Savior prayed. God himself is the only Author of Sanctification. We cannot make ourselves holy, no more then we can make ourselves men, yet God works not in the order of grace immediately, no more then in the order of nature, where he makes use of second causes. Thus in the working of grace, he appointeth second means, as the Ministry and Ordinances; and therefore Paul, 1 Cor. 3. saith, They were Ministers by whom the Corinthians did believe; and there is no better discovery of true Sanctification, then to examine the manner and way how thou hast received it; for if the Spirit of God by the Word hath wrought it in thee, then fear not, this is of a more noble and supernatural being, then what morality or principles of civility can incline unto thee; As Christ himself was in his bodily nature conceived by the holy Ghost in an extraordinary manner. Thus is everyone sanctified in an higher and more sublime way, then all the moral and prudential dictates of nature can carry us unto: Oh then prove thyself, what hath the Spirit of God and his Word done unto thee! That was not more wonderful in those who had a prophetical Spirit, then in such who are sanctified. To enable men to speak with strange Tongues, is not more admirable, then to give a man a strange heart to what he had once, and strange in respect of others.

[ 2] 2. It's true Sanctification, when it hath the universality and integrity of all parts, which is the whole Image of God, as Paul prayeth, 1 Thess. 5. I pray God ye be sanctified throughout in spirit, soul and body. This work of Sanctification, it's an entire, complete, harmonical compages of all holiness, take any part of it away, and you dissolve the whole fabric. It's true, Sanctification though it have not perfect and complete degrees, but not true, if it want any essential parts, and therefore called the Image of God, which cannot be one grace, no more then a man can be a man in one part, and a beast in another, but the System of all.

[ 3] 3. It's true Sanctification in the permanency and continuance of it. Perseverance doth not make Sanctification to be true, but the truth of Sanctification makes it persevere: Perseverance is an effect, not a cause of true Sanctification, as the Apostle speaks, 1 John 2.19. They went from us, because they were not of us ; As leaves fall from the Tree, when they have no more of their wonted nourishment; and this discovers the falsehood of those who appear sanctified only in some fits, and upon some sad afflictions on them.

[ 4] 4. Truth of Sanctification is discovered by the purity of our aims and ends. They love God, they obey him from such holy grounds as are suitable to the sanctified nature: As the hungry man loveth his food, because of his natural desire to it. Thus a sanctified man loveth and doeth that which is holy for holiness sake.

[ 5] 5. True Sanctification is growing, and proficient every day more and more. That which hath solid root doth not wither, but ripens and flourisheth by the Sun-beams. The Apostles though already sanctified, yet are still to be more sanctified; and certainly such is the sweetness and peace which Sanctification brings, that it's no wonder if the heart be never satisfied, but still crieth like the horsleech, Give, Give.

6. True Sanctification will make a man diligently and fruitfully improve all the instituted means for the increase of it, because the Spirit of God works holiness ; Therefore he is fearful to grieve it: Because the Ministry is to make more holy, therefore he prizeth it, and labors to profit by it, yea, because afflictions are sent by God to sanctify the heart, therefore he is humble under them, and prayeth more earnestly for the Sanctification of them, then the removal of them.

7. This Sanctification, though inchoate and imperfect here, yet shall be perfected hereafter in Heaven. Christ's prayer, Christ's Spirit, Christ's merit will at last obtain their complete and ultimate effect, which is full Sanctification in Heaven, when there will be no more need to pray for further Sanctification.

Use. Hath Christ thus merited, and prayed for Sanctification? Then know, Christ hath done nothing to encourage profane and ungodly men: Christ died not, neither is he a Redeemer or Savior, but to such who are made holy. This may amaze and astonish all such, as divide the effects of Christ's death, yea and divide Christ himself; They look upon him, as a Savior, but not as a Sanctifier; They would have his blood to wash away the punishment of their sins, but not the filth and pollution of them: Oh let the ungodly know, They set up an Idol-Christ; There is no such Christ as pardoneth, but sanctifieth not also! Come then more earnestly to be healed of thy soul-pollution, then they did of bodily diseases.

SERMON CII. Showeth, Why Christ who could do all things, yet put up Prayers What difference there is between his Prayers and ours. And the great advantage Believers have by Christ's Praiing for them.

HItherto our Savior hath prayed for his Apostles as they were Apostles; But because many things in his Petition for them did a • so concern all Believers, and lest it should be thought that none but the Apostles were the Object of his Prayer, he therefore comes to a third part in his Petition, which relates to the Catholic Church even the whole number of those who in time by God's Spirit shall be enabled to believe, Christ doth represent in his Prayer to God the weakest believer as well as the most Eminent Apostle; So that here begins the third principal part of this Chapter.

Now in this Context we may observe,

• 1. The Object of Christ's Prayer.
• 2. The Final Cause of it.
• 3. The Reasons enforcing it.

The Object of the Prayer is set down,

• 1. By a Negative limitation, Not for these alone.
• 2. By a Posi • ive explication or description, But for those who shall believe ;

Through their word.

In the Negative limitation Consider Who it is that is here said to pray;

The Person is Christ God und man.

As for the word 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 we need say no more to that, only we are to add a further Consideration about Christ's Praying; Seeing therefore that this is the last place wherein he mentioneth his praying; I shall now supply what hath been defective in the consideration of this Point, and so Observe,

That Christ though God, yet as man did pray unto the Father as other men: This Point about Christ's Praying is worthy of our knowledge and right understanding, For the Arians and Socinians did from hence argue, that Christ was not God, it being absurd they say for him to pray who could do what he pleased, even as it's absurd to say, that God can pray, seeing he is omnipotent, and hath no Superior; Yea, some of the Ancient Fathers have not spoken so soundly in this Point; Hilary makes it to be but a kind of holy simulation, that Christ prayed, and generally it's made a reason why he prayed that he might give us an example; But although this be one subordinate end, yet there were other more principal ends.

1. Therefore let us Consider upon what ground Christ did pray.

2. The difference between his Prayer and ours. He prayed then for himself and his Church.

[ 1] 1. Because as man he was not omnipotent, and so his human will was not able to accomplish the things he desired, for although as God he could do all things, in which respect he wrought Miracles, and did them not by Petition, as the Apostles, but by his own power and in his own Name, yet as man, so, what he desired by his human will, by that he could not simply accomplish it, so that in this respect it was that Christ as man did pray.

[ 2] 2. As man Christ was subject to the Law of God, and so was bound to give that worship and Religious Service to God which the Law did require, so that when Christ prayed he did it as fulfilling a duty, he had voluntarily submitted unto; Even as when he came to be baptized, he told John, it behooved him to fulfill all Righteousness, Matth. 3.15. It was part of his Righteousness to be baptized, because as man he was made a member of the Church; Therefore Matth. 4. he brings that command of worshiping and serving God alone, as reaching to him, intimating he was bound by that Command as well as other men: So Joh 4. he tells the Woman of Samaria, We worship, we know not what : He puts himself in the Number of Worshipers, So that Prayer being part of God's worship, and a chief part of it, no wonder if Christ was constant in it: Hence we read of spending nights in Prayer, yea, in his Troubles, his Prayers were accompanied with strong Cries and Agonies, and the more they increased, the more earnestly he prayed.

[ 3] 3. He prayed, because though all things were due unto him, yet by the Ordination of God he could not be partaker of them but by Prayer ; So that though the Glorification of his body was due unto him from the beginning of his Incarnation, yet he is to come to it by way of Prayer; Hence in this Chapter he doth by many Arguments seek for it at the Fathers hands: Thus Psal. 2. when God there declares his will of making him King over his Church, and giving the Nations of the world for an Inheritance to him, it's said, Ask of me, and I will give thee, Christ is to ask and pray for such things, So that in this respect Christ prayed, even as all the Godly do, though God hath appointed and promised to bestow such glorious things upon his penple, yet it is by way of prayer that they must be possessed of them; God could give them otherwise; Neither do our prayers or Christ's Prayers make God alter or change his mind, only prayer is appointed by him as that medium whereby his purpose shall be brought to pass.

[ 4] 4. Christ prayed upon the same ground, as he gave thanks ; Now we read he praised God several times, yea, they sang an Hymn to God; Prayer is divided into Petition and Thanks-giving; If then Christ could give God praise by the same reason he might make Petition to him; He praiseth God as the Father of such mercies, his Soul was affected with, and so he prayeth to God for such things as he had not yet the full accomplishment of.

Lastly, These main Reasons being laid down then we may add, Christ prayed for our example also ; It's wonder any should be so transported with pride as to think themselves above prayer, that they need not to pray, when we see Christ himself diligent in this Duty, So that as we are to learn of him, and imitate the Zeal, Patience, and Love that was in him, so we are the Religious Conversation also of Christ, which was manifested in his fervent Prayers unto God upon all occasions, yet though Christ did thus pray, there was a great difference between Christ's Prayers and ours.

[ 1] For first, If we speak absolutely of Christ as a person, so he needed not to pray, for being in that respect God as well as man; Therefore he could have done all things the human Nature desired without any humble Supplication unto the Father; It was then in respect of his human nature only, and his voluntary Humiliation of himself, otherwise being God as well as man, He might have done all things by sole power and authority; Indeed there are some who hold that Christ still in Heaven as man, doth pray to God the Father, properly and formally in respect of his Church, and so understand those places where he is said to be an Advocate with the Father, and where he is said still to make intercession for us, not (say they) that he prayeth in such a servile humbled manner as he did here on Earth, yet they say it's more then mere a representation of himself, or will that the Father fulfill what he hath purchased; It's true and formal praying, neither (say they) is this anymore indecent and unbeseeming Christ as man in Heaven, then praising of God, which yet as man he doth; Howsoever this be, yet it's sure that when he did pray on earth, yet it was not with such an absolute necessity and indigency as any man, or the whole Church doth pray for, they cannot in any Consideration help themselves.

[ 2] 2. Neither did Christ pray for any spiritual gracious mercies ; These are the chiefest matter of our prayer, insomuch that temporal things are prayed for only with a submission unto God's Will, and so far as they conduce to our spiritual good, but Christ had already received the Spirit of God in so full measure, that he could not pray for further Sanctification, nor for a better heart or more communion with God then he had, much less could he pray for such things as suppose a sinful Imperfection in the Subject, So he did not or could not pray for the pardon of sin which yet he taught the most holy that are, to pray continually for, neither could he pray for justifying Faith, for although he had faith and confidence in God, yet he had not justifying Faith, which is the relying upon Christ for Righteousness; Neither could he pray for the conquering and subduing of corruption seeing his pure Nature remained altogether spotless and free from the least stain or pollution.

Neither 3. Were Prayers to him as they are to us, means to quicken up and excite the heart, to make it more Heavenly and zealous; Prayer in us doth quicken and excite a man, and takes off the rust upon his Soul; Christ was always in contemplation and enjoyment of God, and therefore he did not need prayer to make his soul ascend higher to God.

Hence in the fourth place, All the matter he could pray for in reference to himself was concerning his body, and the further glorifying of that, for seeing it pleased him to take our body upon him in all the natural defects and infirmities thereof, sin only excepted, it was necessary that he should not always be in such a passable mortal way, but rise again to glory, dominion, and all honor; Now this Christ prayed for as being to be obtained by prayer as well as his Sufferings; He prayed also for assistance and deliverance in those agonies he conflicted with; But in respect of his prayer for the Church, So he prayed for their Sanctification, though not for his own, he prayed Peters Faith might not fail; he prayed God would not impute sin to some of those who did crucify him; Though he needed not such Petitions, yet we do, and therefore in this respect Christ prayed, in which we cannot imitate him, for he prayed as he was to offer up himself a Sacrifice for our sins, so it behooved him also to put up prayer for his people; Thus you have heard how Christ was capable of Prayer, though God.

Let us now Consider the comfortable advantage of these Prayers of Christ's unto us: And

[ 1] 1. See the love of Christ, that he doth remember our good in his prayers, as well as his own; It is not enough to pray for his own Glory, but he beggeth and prayeth for ours also: Paul speaketh of it as his great affection and Love to some that he made mention always of them in his Prayers, he never prayed for himself but for them also: And thus we see Christ though ready to be offered up, and to die such a tormented, ignominious Death, So that he might justly be taken up with Prayer for himself only, yet he doth the same time think of his Church, and all that shall believe in him; Oh what comfortable Refreshment and Encouragement should this be to the dejected and humbled Soul! That Christ doth in his Prayer remember and consider of thee as well as his own Glorification.

[ 2] 2. This Prayer of Christ is always heard ; We many times pray, and God doth deny us, because as the Apostle James saith Chapt. 4. verse. 4. We ask amiss, or we ask not in Faith ; Now Christ had everything concurrent that might make his Prayer successful: Therefore John 11.42. Christ there professeth God the Father heard him always : In that History many things are remarkable.

For 1. In the raising of Lazarus though he could have done it by an immediate Word, yet he wept, and was sorely troubled; yea, he groaned twice, which were not simply groans of his Body in a natural way, but such as were accompanied with Prayer; Therefore he addeth, I know that thou hearest me always ; Though we do not read of any Prayer of Christ's at that same time, yet the groans and the desires of his Heart, they were Prayer.

2. It is Observable how thankful Christ was for having his Prayer heard; The same Person who is obliged to give thanks, is also bound to pray: Thus John 6. Christ gave Thanks about that Refreshment, though it was by Barley and some small Fish; Christ himself giveth God thanks for that poor and course Diet: Oh what Thankfulness should this teach us, and stir us up to express: And so in this History, though the good he prayed for did not immediately redound to him, but to Lazarus and his Sisters, yet Christ giveth thanks for it, so that Christ who prayeth for the good of Believers as his own good, So he giveth thanks likewise to God for Mercies and Blessings bestowed on them as though they were his own mercies: If thou canst not give God Thanks large and hearty enough for his discriminating Mercy in opening of thy Eyes, and passing by and leaving the Eyes of more prudent and honored in the world blind and shut up: Know that Christ hath also thanked the Father for this, Luke 10.21. Christ that prayeth for all thy spiritual blessings, doth also praise the Father for them.

But 3. That for which I brought this place is, That Christ doth not only say, That the Father heard him, but I know, demonstrating the Assurance of this, and that he heareth him always : This supposeth Christ is always praying, for he that is always heard, is supposed to be always pouring forth his Petitions: And further If you say that Christ prayed, That the Cup might pass away, yet he was not heard in that prayer, it is easily answered, That was not Christ's Absolute but his Conditional prayer: It was an Expression of his Will ut natura, not ut ratio ; Therefore he addeth, Not my Will, but thy Will be done : Hence Hebrews 5.7. it is said, He offered up Prayers with strong Cries to him that was able to save him from Death, and was heard in what he feared ; Though he died, yet was heard in that Prayer because Death had not any Dominion over him.

Now Christ must needs be heard always,

1. Because he is the Mediator and High Priest, and so poureth out his prayers in his own Name; If Christ should not be heard for himself, then he would need another Mediator for himself, and he must also pray in another's Name, which is highly derogatory unto his honor to imagine or think of.

2. His Prayer is meritorious as well as his death, and so in justice nothing can be denied him.

3. He is infinitely beloved of the Father, and so when he appeareth nothing can be denied him.

Lastly, He doth not absolutely pray for anything but what is conformable to his Fathers Will, and if so be we, who are the Sons of God by Adoption only, are sure to speed and to prevail when we keep close unto that Rule, how much more then shall the Natural Son of God!

Use 1. To reprove those who either through pride think themselves above prayer, or else through profaneness neglect it: Christ prayed alone and with his Disciples, and thou hast neither Family-Prayer or private prayer: Christ gave thanks though for barley bread, and thou constantly eatest thy Food without acknowledging God to be the Author of that mercy.

Use 2. of Direction To the Godly, Make up the Defects and Insufficiency of thy own prayers, with the Fullness, Excellency, and infinite worth that is in Christ's Prayer, Christ prayed not with such defects and failings as thou dost, they are thy prayers, for thy good, far better then if thou hadst offered them up for thyself.

SERMON CIII. In what respects the Benefits of Christ's Mediation extend to all Believers alike, and in what not: For the Comfort of weak Christians, and such of them as are most contemptible in the eyes of the World.

FRom the Negative Limitation, we come to the Positive Explication and Description of such as are the Object of Christ's prayer. And in this Description, we may take notice,

First, Of the adversative particle, But also. Not only the Apostles, such as were eminent, and pillars, but even for all the rest, though never so mean and inconsiderable.

Secondly, There is the Description of the persons,

1. By their inherent properties, that shall believe.

2. By the Circumstance of the future time, That shall believe, though not yet born, and so could not think or desire good for themselves, yet Christ doth here pray for them.

3. There is the Object of this belief, Who shall believe in me.

4. The instrumental Cause, Their word.

All these particulars have their respective usefulness. And

First, Let us consider the adversative particle, not only the Apostles, but every believer also.

Obs. That Christ in his Mediatory-Office had respect to the meanest and weakest believer as well as to the choicest and most eminent. Even as the High-priest was to pray for all the people, the poorest as well as the greatest; so doth Christ regard the soul of the most contemptible believer, as well as of such who are more conspicuous. This might be represented in that custom amongst the Jews, when the soul of every man, whether rich or poor did pay the same ransom, Exod. 30.12. Though among men, there be poor and rich, learned and unlearned, yet in respect of Christ and grace, there is no such difference. To this purpose notably the Apostle, Gal. 3.28. There is neither Jew or Greek, b • nd or free, but all are one in Christ Jesus. Christ in his Mediatory works looks upon all as one: Even as it is with God's providence in this universe. It's fully intent upon everyone creature. There is not the lest worm or fly, but God's providence preserveth it as well as it doth the most glorious Angel, and as it is said usually, God's providence is so intent upon all the whole Word universis, as if he did not attend singulis to every particular, and yet on the other side, it's so incumbent on singulis, as if it were not to the universis: Even thus it is with Christ, his care and love is so indulged to any one believer, that you would think there were no other believers, you would think his thoughts were not upon the Church in general, but on this particular, and yet at the same time Christ's inspection • nd watchfulness is so over the whole Church, that one would think, that he had not time or leisure to mind the condition of every private Christian.

To open this Doctrine, it's good to consider these things:

[ 1] First, That Christ being God as well as man, and so a Mediator in both Natures, did know all those who were given unto him by the Father, he knew the charge and trust that was committed unto him: Even all that have been, or shall be, and therefore as the High-priest had the names of the twelve Tribes on his breastplate; Thus our Mediator resembleth him, for he hath the name of everyone, he is the good Shepherd, who as he did lay down his life for, so also he must necessarily know everyone of them. This then is to be taken notice of, that the Father gave such a number of persons, neither more nor less unto Christ, to purchase their salvation; and everyone of these he did exactly know, for to him as God, all things past and to come are as present. And therefore though these in the Text are to believe in the future, and so have no present being, yet they are here comprehended in Christ's prayer; But of this truth more in the second Description, which is of the circumstance of time.

[ 2] Secondly, As Christ in a Mediatory way did thus receive equally everyone to his charge and trust, so in the discharge of it, he had an equal respect to all. Christ did not will the salvation of one believer more than another: he did not intend his blood in the efficacy of it, more for Paul or Peter, then he did for Mary Magdalene a great sinner, if then we speak quoad affectum and intentionem, not quoad efficaciam, and fructum ; So Christ was equally a Mediator to all that are given him by the Father. Though we judge that a most unsavory and unthankful Doctrine, that holds, Christ did intentionally and equally die for all; for Judas as well as Peter ; That Christ had no more love in his death to one then another; yet if we speak of those who are interested in him spiritually; so it's true, Christ died equally for all that are his, he made no difference in his Mediatory acts, his eye and love, with all that he did was to one, as well as another. None can say, he is my Christ more then another's, he intended me in his death more then another. This you heard proved by the Apostle, when he said, in Christ Jesus, there was no respect of persons, relations, or other differences.

[ 3] Hence thirdly, Even in respect of the effects and fruits of his Mediatory love, in some particulars all are alike. There is no difference between one and the other: As for instance, in Justification, all believers stand alike justified through the blood of Christ, all are accepted of, and beloved in Christ alike. This we truly maintain, when against Papists we affirm, That any poor, weak woman, yea one that hath been a grievous sinner, yet if believing in Christ, is equally justified with the Virgin Mary ; and the ground is, because the reason of our Justification is without us in respect of Christ, not in ourselves; so that as Christ is everywhere the same, thus must our Justification be everywhere the same. It's true, one is more justified then another extensively, but not intensively, that is, one hath more sin forgiven then another. Mary Magdalene had more forgiven her then the Virgin Mary, but intensively, as our Just • fication doth consist in God's favor and acceptation, so they were both equal. Again, if we speak of the application of Christ's righteousness, so indeed there is a great difference; for though Christ's righteousness be the same, yet because some receive this with a stronger faith then others, and because the application of this righteousness is in us, not according to the latitude and worth that it is in Christ, but according to our necessity and indigency; Therefore we may say, Some partake of it more then another. Though Christ's righteousness be in itself the same to all: Even as the light of the Sun is the same to every Star, though one Star partaketh more of it, then another. This then must needs encourage every believer, for he hath the same Christ, the same righteousness to offer unto God for satisfaction as any Paul or Abraham, though the father of the faithful, had. If we were to come in our graces and duties to be accepted of, then we might truly say, I am not comparable to such worthies, I cannot speed so well, as those that have more eminency, but though I have not the same grace with Paul, yet I have the same Christ with Paul, the same righteousness he would be found in, the same also I desire to be found in. Thus our righteousness is alike in Christ.

[ 4] Fourthly, In the application of Christ's benefits, there is no regard to external temporal differences. Christ doth not communicate himself to a Christian for any external consideration, nor are his favors dispensed with such references, but according to their spiritual capacities: Hence it comes about, that some poor, weak Christian, may enjoy far more of God and Christ, then the richest man, or the learnedst man that is in the world, because Christ dispenseth himself in a spiritual way, because they are his members, and believe in him, not for accidental respects: Thus Christ saith, I stand at the door and knock, Rev. 3.20. if any man open I will come in, and sup with him Christ will come to a poor man's house, and knock there, and will sup with him: The meaning is, he will manifest himself in a gracious comfortable way to such an one, let him be never so contemptible: Know then, to partake of Christ, and to have intimate fellowship with him, is not according to the manners of great Kings and Potentates in the earth: It's not here as with Ahasuerus, none might come into his presence, but such as were perfumed, and gloriously prepared for his presence a long while together: Every believer may come boldly to the throne of grace, and call God, Father, and never be discouraged for external respects, God may make the poor man's cottage an heaven, whereas the rich man's palace or hall is many times an hell. Christ regards not great men, but good men, yet this must not be wrested to an Anabaptistical error, that because in spiritual dispensations Christ makes no such difference; therefore the public civil order that is between rich and poor, honorable and base, is to be confounded: No, Christ's Gospel doth not abolish human policies and civil differences, but doth with great diligence command the renewing of them; Take an instance about a believing servant, 1 Tim. 6.2. They that have believing masters, let them not despise them, because they are brethren ; Servants might think that by Christ all difference is taken away, why should he be a servant, he hath as much of Christ, and is equally beloved of him with his Master? Oh, saith the Apostle, take heed of such corruption, grace doth not confound and abolish relations and order, but rather confirmeth them, and commands to discharge them with the greater care.

[ 5] Fifthly, Christ's gracious promises which are for the main the substance of the Covenant of grace are equal to all his. He makes no difference, when he invites to pardon, to rest, to come unto him. Indeed there are peculiar promises, which are made either to some high degrees of grace, or to some in their peculiar relations, or sufferings for Christ, which do not belong to all: But the Covenant of grace, which is the substance of all promises, that is offered and fulfilled in one believer as well as another: Thus the promise of being our Father, and we his people, of forgiving our sins, and writing his Law in our hearts ; They are made to every believer, All the Promises are in Christ Yea and Amen, 2 Cor. 1.20. and that to everyone who cometh to him; This is also infinite comfort; It's sin and thy delusion, when thou sayest, such glorious promises do not belong to me, I am so poor and unworthy. Though others may claim them, yet I may not: Oh take heed of this! you charge Christ foolishly and sinfully in this respect, Mat. 11. Is it not his promise universal to everyone that is heavy laden, that he will ease him? Why dost thou except, when Christ doth not? So what can be more clear then that, John 6.37. Him that cometh to me, I will in no wise cast out ; Let him be never so miserable, so wretched, so sinful, if he cometh, he will in no wise cast out, and lest it should be thought I cannot come, he begins the verse thus, All that the Father giveth me shall come to me, all shall come, not one will he forget; therefore Christ is described by this, That he will not break the bruised reed, nor quench the smoking flax, Mat. 12.22. Yea the promise of perseverance is to every godly man, as well as any; That as the least Star is as firmly set in it's orb, as the glorious Sun, and there is no more danger of the falling of the one, then the other; Thus it is with the godly, even the meanest, weakest and most fearful are as sure to be kept by God to salvation, as the most strong and heroical Christians. It's not Peters courage or fortitude that kept him, for you see when preserving grace had in some measure left him, he began to fall most dangerously, and would not have stopped, till he had come to the bottom of the hill, had not grace prevented him. This you must know, that it's not the graces or watchfulness of a Christian, that keeps him, as none can say, I have differenced myself in respect of conversion; so neither I have made myself to persevere in respect of continuance of grace. This then is clear, That he who is truly a member of Christ, shall not perish, though he be not the eye, or the hand, though he be the meanest, yet because a member, he is inseparable: Therefore John 10. None can pluck any out of my hand ; All the sheep of Christ are in his hand: It's not with Christ, as with some unnatural parents that dote on some of their children, but others, they care not for; Christ loveth all alike in respect of the substantials of grace; So that as everyone is elected, and everyone shall be converted, so everyone shall persevere to salvation. This is a precious truth, and ought to be received; for we think with ourselves, my weaknesses, my corruptions, my frailties, my carnal fears are so great, that I shall never prove faithful in the hour of temptation: Oh remember, that in this point of perseverance Christ makes no difference between true believers, the weak shall hold out as well as the strong!

[ 6] Sixthly, Christ's protection, power and care is to one as well as another, though he may suffer some to be more afflicted. Some more afflicted, some more exercised then others, yet this ariseth not from a less love of Christ. That Parable of the loss of one sheep, and the Shepherds leaving all to find out that, signifieth, that God's care and love is to anyone that needeth him; and therefore the temporal promises for the generality belong to every godly person; God hath promised, I will never leave thee nor forsake thee, Heb. 13.5. There is no believer living, but he is to apply this promise as properly, as if he only were mentioned, or as if he were Joshua to whom it was first personally made. And to this Paul, Rom. 8. when he argueth, He that giveth us Christ, shall he not give us all things else? And we are more then conquerors: No, Do not all those glorious triumphs proceed upon a ground common to every believer? May not every Christian say so as well as Paul? Thus when it's said, Cast thy burden upon the Lord, for he careth for thee, and all things shall work for your good, and in nothing be careful. This is bread for every child; Indeed there are dogs, and there are swine, to whom this bread doth not belong, to whom this pearl is not to be cast, but every child may undoubtedly take it.

SERMON CIV. That in some particulars the poor weak Christian hath more respect from Christ then the strong one.

THe Doctrine observed was, That Christ in his Mediatory Office stood equally affected to the weakest believer as well as the most eminent ; In many things we demonstrated an equality.

Before I come to show the differential particulars, let me add, That in some particulars the poor weak Christian hath more love and affection from Christ then a strong one ; So that the weaker they are, the more they conclude of more grace and power to be shown to them.

1. Christ commonly showeth more pity and compassion to such as are objects of greater want and indigency ; Therefore you heard, the smoking flax he would not quench ; As the Shepherd doth gently lead those Cattle that are great with young, and as Aristotle observeth, that in nature Parents are still carried with their greatest affection to the child that is youngest, because that is most exposed to want; Thus also doth Christ respect those that are the meanest, the lowest, that have least of comfort and least of grace; Alas such are the greatest objects of pity; Do not therefore think that thy infirmities make God angry with thee if humbled for them, no, they provoke pity and compassion; As the Psalmist speaks, Psa. 103. concerning God's afflictions, that he remembers what man is, he doth not deal with him as if he were brass and iron, but as dust and grass, So doth Christ, he knoweth thy weaknesses, thy temptations, and therefore he will mercifully consider of thee; The Apostle giveth this reason, 1 Pet. 2.7. why the husband should give honor to his wife, because she is the weaker vessel, and certainly Christ takes this way with every Soul married to him, the weaker it is the more compassionate is his condescension to it.

2. His protection and preservation of it is more peculiar and emphatical ; The weaker and more infirm thou art, the greater is God's power and grace manifested in thee; Thus Paul said, the power of God was perfected in his infirmities, and when he was weak, then he was strong, 2 Chro. 22.10. This is Christ's usual way to magnify his power and strength most in those that are the weakest of believers, and therefore it is that many times he leaveth those that are strong and eminent to their own selves, that so feeling their own infirmities they may be the fitter objects to glorify Christ's power; Hence when Peter was in his failing and decaying condition, then Christ prayeth, that his faith may not fail ; God that owneth himself to be the judge of the Widows, and the Father of the Fatherless, because they are most exposed to necessities, will much more show this in a spiritual way to such as have not the hopes or the encouragements as other godly men have.

3. He doth commonly vouchsafe more inward comforts and evidences of his love to such, giveth them more cheerfulness and joy; Even as you see in nature, a Child is not exercised with those cares and troubles that do molest when they come to years, but mind their sport and play; Thus to new Converts God many times, revealeth much comfort and joy; They may have more then than ever afterwards in their life time; Then is the time of the Souls marriage to Christ, and no wonder if a Feast be provided for them, and their water be turned into wine.

4. God doth in a singular manner keep them from those exercises and temptations which many times he lets fall on those that are more eminent, Joh. 26. when Peter was young he went whither he would, but when he was old then he should be bound, Where there is spiritual strength God puts a proportionable burden; So that Christ in the dispensing of his exercises hath a respect always to the measure of their graces, he will not lay a Giants burden upon a Childes back, yea, such is the wisdom of Christ herein, that he doth prepare and fit his people by degrees for afflictions, as the timber lieth in water to he seasoned by degrees for service; There is a great difference in God's providence to his own people, some are more tempted then others inwardly in their souls, Some again have far more outward troubles then others, and in all these still regard is had to the strength of his people; Christ being the head hath a respect to every member, and so knoweth what is the fittest exercise for it; Be not then inordinately cast down with fears, fears about thy infirmities and weaknesses, for if thou art weaker then others, thy burden shall be lighter, and the less thou hast of thyself, the more of Christ's power will be in thee.

5. Though they be weak in many things, yet Christ makes them remarkably strong in some other things ; This is notable to consider, that even such who have been weak, yet in some passages have shown more strength and courageous actings of grace then others very glorious: Did not all the Apostles though the first fruits as it were of God's Spirit for fear fly from Christ? When Mary followed him to the Cross; yea, Joseph of Arimathea which came to Christ by night for fear, did afterwards publicly own Christ, and that when he was crucified, when were the greatest discouragements; Hence the Apostle Rom. 11. exhorts in honor to prefer one another, because there is no Christian so weak but even the strongest may be inferior to him in some respect, Comfort then thyself in this that though weak, yet thou hast sometimes been so enabled to do those things which yet others have failed in.

6. To those that are weak God hath made glorious promises for the increase of their grace ; Thus the Prophet Isaiah, He that is weak shall renew his strength like an Eagle, and shall not be faint, Isa. 40.31. and thus they are said to be blessed that hunger and thirst after Righteousness because they shall be satisfied, Mat. 5. and by the Prophet Zechariah, He that is feeble shall be like David, and David like an Angel of God, Zech. 12.8. So that the meanest Christian may lift up his head with joy, for though thou art infirm, yet a glorious promise of strength is made unto thee.

Lastly, God sanctifieth these weaknesses and infirmities unto them, So that they get more good by their weak grace then many times others do by their strong; It's better to be a babe in grace, fearing to fall, then a presumptuous man like Peter to think we shall always stand; God suffers even strong ones sometimes to be overcome by Philistines, that so they may fly out of themselves to the grace of God, and depend upon his power, Now the Sanctification of their weakness of graces lieth in this.

1. They are hereby more bumble and self-emptied ; They remember those duties, He that stands, let him take heed he doth not fall, and be not high-minded but fear : Humility and self-emptiness is a comely posture for a Christian, now none are more so, then such who are sensible of their weakness.

2. Hereby Christ is advanced and exalted in his power, as the weak Child layeth fast hold on his Fathers arm; Thus the power and might of Christ is to none so welcome as those that find and feel themselves falling, when the Disciples are ready to sink, then they cry our, Master help we perish

3. They walk more thankfully to God, when the Israelites were in a barren wilderness, having no food or water but what God did wonderfully provide for them, then if ever they would be st • rred up to thankfulness • ; Thus when a child of God wonders that under so many temptations and infirmities he did not this day or that day fall and break his peace with God, he will be provoked to glorify God and admire his grace; The hungry Soul will be thankful for every morsel of bread, and thus will the humble lowly Christian apprehensive of its own imbecilities glorify God for every moments preservation.

In the next place Let us Consider, That there is some difference between Believers in respect of the fruits of Christ's Death as well as there is an equality:

[ 1] As in the first place, Though Justification be alike, yet their Sanctification is not, one is made more holy then another; That as one Star differs from another in glory, so one Christian from another in grace; Hence some are called babes, others strong men, Some are called carnal comparatively, others spiritual, Some are said to be perfect not absolutely but respectively; It's true, all the people of God are truly sanctified, one is sanctified as well as another, aeque but not aequaliter, only the measure and degree is very different; Not that he who hath more may advance his power, and attribute glory to himself; No, What hast thou that thou hast not received? Not only the essence of grace but every degree thereof is from the grace of God; Therefore he that prayed, help my unbelief, Mar. 9.24 argued that he could not have one degree of faith by his own power, only Christ must bestow it on him.

[ 2] 2. As sanctifying grace is very differently given to believers, so those common gifts which are for service, Christ giveth them in much variety, Eph. 4. That all these gifts are the fruit of Christ's death is plain, and therefore the Spirit of God is given by Christ to his Church upon his Ascension, Now 1 Cor. 12. The Apostle doth there excellently show, that though there be diversity of operations, yet there is still but one spirit, and the Scripture much delights in the similitude of a body, where there is diversity of members with their peculiar operations, and it's hard for believers to be content with these various Administrations: Every member would be an Eye, Though Christ died equally for all, yet he did not give gifts and offices alike to all; This variety of gifts is represented by the Kings Daughter, whose clothing was of needle work, and it should not tend to envy or division, but to mutual profiting and helping of one another.

[ 3] 3 The means of grace are likewise differently administered, For although Christ died alike for all believers, yet the means of bringing them home are not alike, Some live under more powerful means then others, Some have not the Spurs and encouragement that others have to that which is holy; Again, some live in clearer and more evidencing times of God's grace then others, all those that lived before Christ's time are said to be in the dark in comparison of the Light that did arise by Christ; Many Kings and Righteous persons desired to see what the Apostles did, but could not ; But though all have not the like means, yet there is not any one godly man, though in never such remote and dark corners, but the converting grace of God will find him out, and therefore that is not a sufficient reason which some, pleading for Christ's death universal for all, when urged by this argument, That if Christ died for all, why then have not all the means of grace? why is not the Gospel preached to everyone, if Christ died for everyone? They answer thus, That even those who hold Christ died for all believers, yet grant that all believers have not the same means of grace, to some the Kingdom of heaven draweth nigh more manifestly and evidently then to others; But this as I find is insufficient, because though the means of grace to one believer may be more then another in respect of measure and degrees of Light, yet not of efficacy; That little means they have is blessed by God to be as effectual as the most eminent and glorious means, whereas by their opinion Christ is supposed to die for such, who yet never were sanctified by any means, whether more or less they did enjoy.

4. Their temptatious either inward or outward are greatly different ; Every godly man hath no • the buffetings of Satan as Paul, had neither are all Martyrs; Obadiah could live quietly in Ahab's Court, when at the same time Elijah was pursued to death, Rev. 10. The devil shall cast some of you into prison ; But some only, yet in these different administrations all believers may take the same essential comfort, and look to the same substantial happiness, you must know also that none may nourish themselves in their weaknesses, for those that grow and are more strong, they have many privileges which the weak attain not to.

As 1. The growing Christian shall grow more, he that hath, it shall be still added to him.

2. The strong Christian doth in God's ordinary way attain to more solid assurance and persuasion of God's love, Therefore 1 Pet. 1. by adding one grace to another, they make their calling and election sure.

3. God makes peculiar promises to such that do overcome, and that do continue steadfast, Rev. 2. They shall have the white stone, they shall be made pillars in the Church of God.

4. They are more serviceable to God, The more grace, the more improvement for God; Others they bless God for them, Many are reformed and comforted thereby.

Lastly, Their glory shall be greater in heaven ; Though some make the condition of all Saints alike in heaven, yet it is more consonant to Scripture to affirm degrees of glory as there have been degrees of grace.

Use of Instruction, That the lowest Christian in Christ's School is not to be discouraged, Though never so blind and blockish as thou art, yet remember Christ is a Mediator for such as are given to him, and though some exceed others in grace, yet all have the same Christ; As though some men have better eyes then others, yet all have the same Sun, the poor as well as the rich, the diseased as well as the sound.

SERMON CV. Of Christ's Love and Care of everyone of his before they had a being.

WE have heard our Savior doth in this verse pass from the Apostles to all believers; and it is Transitio perfecta, as Rhetoricians call it, for he mentioneth them he prayed for, and so proceeds to others.

We are in order come to the object of this enlarged prayer, and therein is considerable the circumstance of time, who shall believe, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , where 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 is for 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , as before, and 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 for 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 or 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 . It's true, some Copies, which Grotius also followeth, read it 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 in the present tense, for those that do believe, yet because it is most universally received in the future tense, and our Bibles go that way, I do adhere unto that, only here is the doubt, which Austin also of old made, why he prayeth only for them, who shall believe, for there were many at that time, besides the Apostles, as Nathanael, Joseph of Arimathea, the godly Mary's, and others who did believe, were they then excluded from Christ's prayer?

Some answer, though they did believe at that time, yet because after Christ's Resurrection, their faith was more clear and explicit, therefore they may be comprehended in the future tense, their former faith not being worthy the name of faith respectively to that they obtained afterwards. But the more genuine answer seemeth to be, that by the future tense is included the present tense also, it being ordinary in Scripture to express a thing that hath a permanent duration, by the future tense, not excluding the present, but denoting the constant succession, in 1 Tim. 1.16. Therefore I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus might show his longsuffering, for the instruction of those 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , who should believe in time to come. That Doctrine of Christ's long-sufferance was demonstrated to those that believed at that time in a more remarkable manner; but because it would be a perpetual useful document, he instanceth in those that are to come, yea all the believers for the time past, since the beginning of the world, are not excluded from this Mediatory prayer, while they needed it, no more then from his death; for Christ's prayer, as his death, profuit antequum fuit, it profited before it was, because it was present to God from eternity in which sense he is said to be a Lamb slain from the beginning of the world.

Observ. That such is Christ's care and love to his, that they are remembered in his prayer and death, even before they had a being, when thou couldst not pray for thyself, nor any else; yea from eternity Christ's Mediatory love and purpose was set upon thee. In particular this truth is full of consolations, even as the Sea is of waters, to those that are members of Christ.

Therefore to open this,

[ 1] First, Consider that when Christ here prayeth for all believers, he doth not as we do. When we pray for the whole Church of God, or as some say, The Angels and Saints in Heaven pray, viz. in a general indistinct manner, not descending to every particular, individual person. No, but Christ in this prayer, being God as well as man, and so clothed with Omnisciency, did in this prayer know and attend to every particular believer, that should in any age of the Church be born, as distinctly and nominally (as I may so say) as when he told Peter, I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: So that here is a great difference between Christ's prayer for the universal Church, and ours. We cannot name the particular believers, that shall be in every age, but Christ did represent in this prayer every individual man, and had as distinct knowledge of all believers, as of the Apostles whom he knew man by man.

[ 2] Secondly, This must necessarily be so, because though the execution and accomplishment of those benefits we receive by Christ's prayer, and his death be in time, yet the Decree and purpose was from all Eternity. Christ did not at this time of prayer, or the hour of death begin to will good to them: No, that love to them was eternal, and of old: Insomuch that we cannot say, There ever was a time, when God did not purpose these glorious things for them, and therefore it is, that the Scripture doth often call the godly to this consideration, that his mercy and love to them was of old, even before they ever had a being, or the world either, Ephes. 1.4. He hath chosen us in him, before the foundations of the world ; and that is remarkable, 2 Tim. 1.9. where this grace of God is said to be given us in Jesus Christ before the world began. It's said to be actually given us before the world began, either because God had decreed to do so, or else because it is as certain, as if it had been done already: Oh then, what lively consolations should this breed in a believers breast, God's gracious thoughts of mercy were of old to me, when I was many thousands of years from having any being, yet even then was I in God's mind and love! No wonder if all eternity be not long enough to bless and praise God for this eternal purpose of his.

[ 3] Yet in the third place, Though we are then chosen in Christ from Eternity, yet take heed of that absurd Error, which holds, Our sins are pardoned, and our persons justified from Eternity. To say, That while a man is unconverted, wallowing and tumbling in his lusts, that his sins are pardoned, and that he is as well loved of God before his conversion, as after, is to contradict the whole course of Scripture; for though we be elected, and thus predestinated from Eternity, yet the Effects of this are not bestowed upon us, till in time, and in such a manner as God pleaseth. Praedestinatio est amor Ordinativus, not collativus, as the Schools say. It's immanent in God, not transient in us: Therefore you see our Savior supposeth such to be believers, who shall be made partakers of his death; He doth not promiscuously pray for all men, he doth not commend to God's love every man or woman, but the believer only: So that we are to distinguish between the purpose of God, and the gracious effects thereof, otherwise we may as well say, we are glorified from Eternity.

[ 4] Fourthly, Hence, in that Christ doth thus determinately pray for every individual believer; It's a plain Argument that he is God, as well as man: For how could those things be as present to him, which yet were many years to come, if he was not God, Act. 15.18. Known unto God are all his works, from the beginning of the world. Thus Christ being God as well as man, to him was known the state and condition of every believer, not only before he was born, but before the world had a being: Therefore from hence it may be properly gathered, that even to the human nature of Christ was revealed the number of those persons, whose salvation he was to procure: So that Christ as man, as well as God, knew who they were that should believe in him. It's true, Omnisciency could not be communicated to the human nature, as the Orthodox maintain against the Lutherans, neither was the knowledge of all things revealed to it, but as the Son of man, he knew not the day of Judgment when it should determinately be; and the nescience of this was not any sin in him, yet the revelation of this to his human nature, viz. who they were that he should die for, seemeth to be more necessary, even as Divines say, The human nature of Christ, shall by revelation from the Divine at the day of Judgment, know all the thoughts and secrets of man's heart, that so he may be the great Judge of the world in both his Natures, howsoever here is a clear argument, that Christ is God as well as man, and that his Godhead concurreth to the work of our Redemption.

[ 5] Therefore fifthly, It is not to be thought impossible, that even all things that are to come should be thus present to Christ, though it be to us. For our knowledge is measured by time, and there is not only a successive order in the objects we know, but also in the acts of knowing: But the measure of God's knowledge is by eternity, wherein all things do exist together: So that though in themselves one object be after another, yet in respect of God, they are beheld with one intuitive act: As a man with one cast of an eye from some high Tower doth behold many passengers going by, one after another. It's true, we can no more comprehend how these things are all at once open and naked to God, then a Dwarf can reach the Pyramids, yet for all that we are to believe, what by reason we cannot comprehend. Quid enim magis contra rationem, quam ration supra rationem transcendere, said Bernard. It's enough for our comfort, that every believer, though yet unborn was in Christ's purpose and intention, when he laid down his life, as if they had been existent in the land of the living.

[ 6] In the sixth place, By this intention of Christ in his prayer and death, it will inevitably and immutably be brought about, that they shall in time be converted, they shall believe and be brought into communion and fellowship with Christ. For seeing as we have heard, Christ could not but be heard in what he prayed for, and the Father always granted his Petition, therefore it cannot be but that all those, who are given to Christ, shall one time or other be wrought upon by the Word. Thus it's said, They believed (Act. 13.48.) as many as were ordained to eternal life ; and the Apostles were to go and preach in such places, because God had much people there, Act. 18. and Rom. 9. the Apostle doth fully show, That Election is the cause of all mercies vouchsafed in time, and those who were not elected they were hardened and given up to a spirit of slumber: Oh then the admirable love of God to those that are his, there shall not be one of them, but the Word of grace will find them out! They that were not his people, shall be made his people, Joh. 10. I have other sheep (saith Christ) that are not of this fold, and those he will bring home. Hence Rom. 8. we have that golden Chain, which all the Arminian subtleties can never dissolve, Whom he hath predestinated, he hath called, and whom he hath called, he hath justified, and those he hath justified, he hath glorified. To expound calling only of vocation to afflictions and to the cross, and Justification only of the vindicating of their persons and cause against the calumnies of the world, is too dilute and repugnant to the scope of the Apostle in that place; we may then absolutely conclude of the conversion and believing of such who belong to Christ, and that the Word preached will sometimes or other be effectual upon them.

[ 7] In the last place, It's plain from hence, That God's Election, and so Christ's dying for us, is not conditional, or upon the supposition of our believing, but our belief is the true and genuine effect of Election, and Christ's death. For whereas Christ here prayeth for those who shall believe; The Question may be, Whether this belief be supposed as a Condition Antecedent to Election, and Christ's death, or as an absolute Effect of both; so that Christ doth not only pray for believers, but also that they may be believers? There is a great Controversy between Arminians and the Orthodox, for they say, God elected some such persons to eternal life indeed, and gave them to Christ as a Mediator, but it was upon a supposition and fore-sight, that they would believe and persevere in that faith to the end. But the Orthodox do more consonantly to the Scripture, and to the greater exaltation of God's grace, and magnifying of Christ, affirm, That God by one single act of the same time, did elect a man both to grace and glory, both to salvation and faith: So that God did not elect us, because he foresaw we would believe, but he did elect us to believe, as well as to salvation: So that faith is not a condition, but the effect and fruit of our Election. This is a necessary truth to be proved, and therefore the next day it is to be considered; for the present I take it for granted, That those who shall believe, are such, not who by their own power shall either believe or dispose themselves to it, but who by the grace of God shall be enabled thereunto: For the present, consider the aggravation of this love of God in Christ to us before we had a being. And