Twenty-Five Lectures Upon the Lords Last Sermon and Conference, Lecture 21
THE XXI. LECTVRE, OF CHRISTES PRAYER BEFORE HIS PASSION.
IOHN, CHAP. xvii. VERS. 9.10.11.
9 I praye for them: I praye not for the worlde, but for them which thou haſt giuen mee: for they are thine.
10 And all mine are thine, and thine are mine, and I am glorified in them.
11 And nowe am I no more in the worlde, but theſe are in the worlde, and J come to thee. Holie Father, keepe them in thy Name, euen them whome thou haſt giuen mee, that they may bee one, as wee are.
WElbeloued in the Lord Ieſus, in the ſeconde part of this Prayer the Lord prayeth for his Diſciples, whom hee was to leaue in the world behinde him, when he ſhould paſſe vp to the Heauens. Hee vſeth many arguments of his requeſt and petition which hee maketh to his Father: firſt, from their calling out of the world by the Goſpel, from their election and chooſing them from al eternity, from this that they were the Fathers, from this that they were giuen to him, from this that they belieued in the Father, and in him. Now in the wordes which wee hauehave read, firſt after many arguments, yea, a cloud of arguments all gathered together, the Lord concludeth his petition and prayer, and ſayth, O Father, I pray for them: As hee would ſaye, Seeing ſo many thinges concur in them, their vocation, their election, and the reſt, therfore I hauehave good cauſe to praye for them: I praye for them, O Father, that thou wouldeſt keepe them: it cannot be, but thou muſt keepe them vponupon whome thou haſt ſhowne ſo many graces. Now happie are they, on whom God beginnes to ſhow any grace: for on whom he begins to ſhew grace once, there is none end of grace, but continually grace vponupon grace: mercy followes mercy, till at the laſt, they bee glorified in the Heauens for euermore. But to goe forward.
When he hath ſaid, I pray for them, hee defineth them in ſpeciall, who they are for whom he prayeth: J pray nor for the world, ſayth he; not for the worlde, that is, not for the Reprobate, and the wicked of the world, but for them that thou haſt giuen me: theſe are they for whome hee prayeth: hee excludeth the reprobates from his prayers, he includeth only the Elect, whom the Father hath giuen him: for as the decreete of the election of God from all eternitie, was limited and bounded, al were not choſen, all men and women were not written vp in that Booke of Life; and euen as the gift that the Father gaue to the Sonne, was limited and bounded, hee gaue not all to the Son, he gaue not euerie man and woman in this world, but ſo many as hee had choſen to life euerlaſting, them hee gaue to the Sonne, and no moe. So I ſay, as the decreet of election is bounded, and as the gift of the Father to the Sonne is bounded; euen ſo the interceſsion of the Sonne to the Father is bounded: The Sonne intercedeth not with the Father for eueryevery man and woman in this world: and whether ye look to the interceſsion by prayer, as ye ſee now he prayeth for the Choſen, and for his Diſciples in ſpeciall: whether yee looke to that interceſsion that was by his death, and by that ſacrifice, the Lord he prayeth not for all, that is a ſure thing. And when he died, he died not for all, but onlie for ſo many as the Father had choſen out from all eternity: and hauing choſen them out, he gaue them to his Sonne the mediator. Only the Lord in the worlde made interceſsion for theſe Choſen that are giuen him. So, Brethren, what ſhall wee ſay? bleſſed is that man or woman that is of that choſen number! and bleſſed is that perſon, whom the Father hath put into the handes of the Sonne! For, for him the Sonne maketh interceſsion: And woe is that ſoule that is not choſen, and is not put into the hands of the Sonne to be kept and redeemed by him! no interceſsion for that ſoule: the prayer of the Lord Ieſus appertaineth nothing to that ſoule: nothing abideth that ſoule, but anguiſhe and damnation euerlaſtingly.
So ye ſee how needfull a thing it is, to hauehave aſſurance of our election, & to be aſſured & perſwaded in our harts, that we are of that choſen number, giuen to Ieſus Chriſt. This is the perſwaſion wee ſhould ſeeke in this life, if euer wee would hauehave comfort either in life or death: and wee ſhould a…e hauehave that reſpect of the life to come and ſet our hearts on another life, than this life. Therefore the thing that we ſhould ſeeke moſt, is to bee of the number of the Choſen, and to be one of the number of them who are in the keeping of Ieſus Chriſt: But alas! wee are ſo beaſtlie and ſenſeleſſe, that wee thinke there is no life, no joye, no glorie, &c. but in this life, ſuch is the blindneſſe and beaſtlineſſe of the nature of man.
Nowe, Brethren, and if yee marke againe the wordes well, yee ſhall ſee a great difference betwixt the Prayer that Chriſt made, and betwixt the Prayer of the faythfull in the worlde: When wee pray for others, our prayer is confuſed: wee cannot ſeparate the Reprobate from the Elect: wee will praye for altogether, good and euill, becauſe wee knowe not who is choſen, and how is reprobate and caſten awaye. Then, when wee pray for the Elect, and for the Kirke, our prayer is but confuſed, and generall: wee cannot praye for euerie particulare man, or for euerie choſen one, becauſe wee knowe them not: but generallie wee recommende vntounto God the whole Kirke: this is the manner of our prayer. But it is farre otherwayes in this prayer which the Lorde maketh for his Diſciples, and for the Choſen. The Lorde prayeth for his Elect, but hee prayeth not for the Reprobate: and particularlie heereafter hee excludeth Iudas; becauſe the Lord knewe who was elect, and who was reprobate. Then againe, when hee prayeth for the Elect, hee prayeth not confuſedlie, as wee doe: but in his prayer his eye is ſet vponupon euerie one of the Choſen particularlie. There was neuer one of the Choſen, that was that time that Chriſt was in the worlde, or was ſince the beginning of the worlde, or ſhall bee to the ende of the worlde, but the LORD prayed for euerie one of them particularlie: hee prayed for mee, and hee prayed for thee, and hee ſawe euerie one of vsus before the beginning of the worlde, and nowe hee recommendeth vsus to the Father. Thinke not, that the Lord Ieſus prayeth confuſedlie, and generallie for all men: no, hee prayeth particularlie for the Choſen: there is not one Choſen, but the eye of the Lord is vponupon them all. Why? The Lorde knewe who was choſen: No, there was not one little one, yea, the pooreſt vponupon the face of the earth, of the choſen number, but in that time hee had his eye vponupon them, that the holie Spirit might flowe to them out of his death. When the Lord died, yee muſt not thinke, that hee died for all: hee died but for ſome: hee died not for anie reprobate: he ſeparateth the Elect from the Reprobate, by vertue of his death. When hee offered himſelfe to the death, his eye was ſet vponupon euerie one of the Elect that was in the worlde: and when hee was going to death, hee ſaide in his heart, I will die for this ſinner, and this ſinner, &c. His eye was vponupon euerie one of them. Paul to the Galathians, Chap. 2. verſ. 20. knewe▪ this well: The life I liue nowe in the fleſhe (ſayeth the Apoſtle,) I liue by faith in the Sonne of God, who hath loued mee, and giuen himſelfe, not for the Choſen in generall, but particularlie for mee. Well then, ſayeth Paul this wayes that hee died for him particularlie? And the Lord ſayde before his death, I hauehave a particulare eye to Paul. And howbeit hee was an enemie to Chriſt, at that time, perſecuting him in his members, yet hee ſayeth, I will die for Paul. Then euerie one of vsus ſhoulde ſaye, as Paul ſayde, Not generallie the Lord loued the worlde, that Lord gaue himſelfe for the Elect: but particularlie, the Lord loued mee, and the Lord loued thee; and, the Lord died for thee, and died for mee; and the Lord had an eye to mee in his death, and a reſpect to mee in his prayer, &c. This particulare reſpect which the Lord had to mee, furniſheth great comforte, when I conſider it: for if the Prince had a reſpect to anie particulare perſon, hee woulde bee greatlie comforted: and ſhoulde not this particulare reſpect of the LORD IESVS, King of all kinges, comfort vsus? No, there is not one Choſen in this life, but the Sonne of God, in his death, had a particulare reſpect vntounto them, not generallie, but particularlie: His eye was on euerie one of vsus: hee beſtowed not confuſedlie a common benefite vponupon vsus, without regarde who gotte it: No, hee knewe well, to whome the leaſt ſparke, or droppe, of that bloode ſhoulde appertaine.
Nowe to goe forwarde: But J pray, ſayeth the Lord, for them that thou haſt giuen mee: For all mine, are thine; and thine are mine: and I am glorified in them. It might hauehave beene ſayde, If thou haſt gotten them, what hauehave I to doe with them? The LORD meeteth this: No, they are thine: not onelie were they thine, but, Lorde, they are thine yet, and ſhall remaine thine euerlaſtinglie: Whomſoeuer thou haſt giuen mee, I take them not out of thine hande, but euer they continue thine. So, Brethren, hee reaſoneth generallie, All mine are thine, and thine are mine: whatſoeuer thing I hauehave, is thine; and whatſoeuer thing thou haſt, is mine: therefore I take them not out of thine hande, for they are thine, as well as mine. The wordes are plaine: wee vſe to ſay commonlie, All thinges are common amongſt friendes. And PAVL alledgeth in his EPISTLE to PHILEMON, That friendſhippe amongſt men, will make the goods which they hauehave to bee common amongſt them: Yee ſee by experience, Matrimonie maketh common geare, betwixt the man and the woman: but there is an higher and ſtraiter conjunction betwixt the Father and the Sonne, that maketh all thinges betwixt them more common, than anie conjunction in this world. That conjunction is in one nature, and in one eſſence: The Father and the Sonne is but one God, bleſſed for euermore, Amen. There is an higher conjunction, than anie that can be found amongſt the creatures. And as this conjunction is of one nature, and of one eſſence, ſo is it alſo of one glory, power, and majeſty. It is true, they differ in perſons: the Father is the firſt perſon of that glorious Trinitie, and the Sonne is the ſecond perſon of that glorious Trinitie: yet they are both one God, in eſſence, and in ſubſtance. Now, thorow this conjunction it commeth to paſſe, that that which is the Fathers, is the Sonnes; and that which is the Sonnes, is the Fathers: ſo all is common betwixt them: the whole world is as it were common good betwixt them: the Elect are common, & as it were, common good betwixt them. But here is the difference: marke it, Brethren, the firſt right is the Fathers, I meane, the firſt right, by order, all appertaineth firſt to the Father, becauſe hee is the firſt perſon, in order of that glorious Trinitie. Then the next right of all things, is the Sonnes, and it is equall with the Fathers right, but a ſeconde right: becauſe the right that the Sonne hath, it is by conjunction: the Father hath all of himſelfe, he hath it not from the Sonne, becauſe he is the fountaine of the Trinitie. All that which the Sonne hath, is of the Father, euen that glorious eſſence it ſelfe, let bee the thinges of the worlde. Looke whatſoeuer the Sonne hath gotten, he hath gotten it by gift of the Father: Yet the Father hath not ſo reſigned all quite ouer to the Sonne, that hee hath denuded himſelfe of all, howbeit all be common betwixt them, but the thing which is the Fathers hee keepeth it ſtill, yet by gift, hee maketh it the Sonnes: So that donation taketh nothing awaye of the right of the Father, becauſe that donation is not ſo much a donation, as a communication. Not only giueth hee all things readily to the Sonne, but hee communicateth all thinges with the Sonne: ſo this is rather communication, than donation: for whatſoeuer thing the Father giueth to the Sonne, the Father keepeth ſtill the ſame euerlaſtingly. As for vsus, Brethren, what ſhal we ſay more but this? Nowe bleſſed is that man or woman, that is of this communitie, and of this common good betwixt the Father and the Sonne! For he or ſhe that is of that common good, betwixt the Father and the Sonne, let them bee aſſured, that the common care of the Father and of the Sonne, ſhall watch ouer them euerlaſtingly: the Father ſhall keepe them, and the Sonne ſhall keepe them euerlaſtinglie: as I ſpake before, it is a wonderfull thing to conſider the grounds of our ſaluation, and what care and prouidence the Father and the Sonne hauehave of the choſen ones, and howe faſt our ſaluation ſtandeth: ſo if wee had a ſure perſwaſion, and a liuely faith of the grounds of our ſaluation, we would not bee ſo toſſed with doubting as we are concerning our ſaluation, but pleaſantly and ſweetlie we would repoſe vponupon the care which the Father and the Sonne hauehave ouer vsus: But alace! there is ſuch a ſlough of ſinne vponupon our ſoules, and wee are ſo ſenſeleſſe, that wee cannot ſee the groundes wherevpon our ſaluation ſtandeth.
But to goe forward: Yet he continueth in argumentes and reaſons, to mooue his Father to keepe his Diſciples: wee hauehave heard fiue: now hee beginneth the ſixth, I am glorified in them, that is, in my Diſciples: therefore, Father, keepe them: as thou reſpecteſt my glory, O Father, ſo keepe them, becauſe I am glorified in them: they hauehave glorified me by faith in me, by confeſsion of me, and in their life and conuerſation. Theſe are the wayes wherein the Sonne is glorified, by faith in him, by confeſsion of his Name, and by an holy life and conuerſa…ion before the worlde: without the which, all thy profeſsion is but counterfaite: and al is vanity, if thy life anſwere not to thy profeſsion. So if this bee an argument, that the Sonne vſeth to his Father, to moue him to keepe his Diſciples, certainely it followeth, that whoſoeuer findeth in their heartes, that they hauehave glorified the Sonne, in belieuing in him, in confeſsing of him, and in their life and conuerſation, that man, or that woman, may bee aſſured in their heart, and ſaye, The Father keepeth me, and I am in his cuſtodie; & I am aſſured, that the Father hath a ſpeciall care ouer mee, becauſe I finde my delite and pleaſure to be ſet on Chriſt: No, no, if the Father had not mee in his cuſtodie, I ſhould not hauehave ſuch a pleaſure and delite to glorifie him. The heart that findeth no delite nor pleaſure to glorifie Chriſt Ieſus in this life, hath no warrand that it is in the keeping and cuſtodie of the Father: if thou findeſt no faith at no time: and if thy life in ſome meaſure anſwere not to thy profeſsion, ſaye, The care of the Father is not ouer me, I am deſolate, I am not in Gods handes: that is the moſt deſolate creature in the worlde, whome the Father hath not in his cuſtodie, yea, though all the worlde ſhould compaſſe him and guard him round about. And by the contrarie, whome the Father hath a care of, they are better guarded than if all the Kings of the Earth were about them: for, Brethren, yee may well know, that the Father loueth that perſon well, that loueth his welbeloued: for he who loueth the Sonne, the Lord Ieſus, he loueth the Father alſo, and the Father loueth him: and hee who honoureth the Sonne, the Father ſhall honour him. And by the contrary, he who diſhonoureth the Sonne, the Father ſhall diſhonour him, and ſhame him, in deſpite of all the worlde; albeit all the world ſhould honour him, he will hauehave him ſhamed, he ſhal ſet him vp to be an open ſhame to man and Angel: he ſhall be Anathema, yea, and Anathema Maranatha, that is, curſed for euer, who loueth not the Lord Ieſus. There is ſuch a ſtrait and narrow conjunction betwixt the Father and the Son, that the honour of the Father, is the honour of the Sonne; and the honour of the Sonne, is the honour of the Father: and that the diſhonour of the Sonne, is the diſhonour of the Father: and the hatred of the Sonne, is the hatred of the Father alſo. Ye heard what Chriſt ſaid, Hee who honoureth me, he honoureth him who ſent me. A Prince will thinke that his Ambaſſadour ſhoulde bee as well reuerenced as himſelfe: for all the honour that the Ambaſſadour receiueth, commeth to the Prince, who ſent him. Now the Sonne of God, is more than an Ambaſſadour ſent by the Father; for he is not a ſimple Ambaſſador, but alſo the Sonne of God, equall with the Father, who is more than all the Ambaſſadours in the world. Will not then the Father thinke, that the honour done to the Sonne, whom hee hath ſent, is done to himſelfe? Yes certainlie.
But to leaue this: Yet he continueth on, and bringeth other arguments, & heapeth argument vponupon argument, to ſhew that great deſire which he had, that the Father ſhould keepe and ſaue his Diſciples, who were in the world, J am no more in the world, I goe away, and concerning my bodily preſence, I am no more with them, they will abide ſtill in the world, therfore, O Father, keepe them, in reſpect that I leaue them to thee, and I am to goe out of the worlde, and that ſhortlie, therefore take thou the care of them. Euen as a man dying, leaueth them whom he loueth well, to tender friendes: Euen ſo the Lord Ieſus, leaueth his Diſciples to his Father, that he ſhould take them in his cuſtodie. When I was with them, ſaith hee, I kept them, but nowe I am going out of the worlde, and I leaue them vntounto thee, therefore, Father, keepe them.
Brethren, this abſence of Chriſt in his bodie, and our abſence from him, it is ſo farre from that, to bee an argument, that God hath left vsus, that by the contrarie, this abſence of Ieſus Chriſt, in his bodilie preſence, and the leauing of vsus behinde him now in the Earth, it is an argument to euerie one of vsus, that God is with vsus, and that the Father of Ieſuſt Chriſt, hath a ſpeciall care of vsus: for looke, the farder that Ieſus Chriſt bee from vsus in his bodilie preſence, the nearer is the Father vntounto vsus, by his holie Spirite, that Comforter: So that yee woulde thinke it a wonderfull thing, to conſider the care that the Father hath of vsus, in the abſence of Ieſus Chriſt from vsus. It is good for vsus, that Ieſus Chriſt, our Lord, went to the Heauens in glorie: And Chriſt ſayeth himſelfe, If I goe not awaye, that Comforter, the Holie Spirite, ſhall not come. And this is ſure, the more deſolate that anie bee in this Earth, as the Fatherleſſe, Widdowes, and Strangers, &c. if they bee Chriſtes, the greater is the care of God ouer them. So, yee will finde in the SCRIPTVRES, hee will take into his hande, and hauehave a ſpeciall care of the Widdowes, and Fatherleſſe, ſo that they bee Ieſus Chriſtes, and once giuen to him. If thou bee deſolate, looke that thou bee Ieſus Chriſtes: and if thou wouldeſt not want the ſocietie of Ieſus Chriſt, aboue all, beware of Infidelitie, which is nothing, but the beginning of that euerlaſting deſolation. Woulde wee hauehave joye or conſolation in anie deſolate eſtate in the worlde? Woulde wee hauehave that preſence of God, and that conſolation of the Holie Spirite? No more but this, See that thou bee Chriſtes: for Heauen and Earth ſhall goe together, and all ſhall turne to nothing, ere the Lorde bee not with thee, to keepe thee, and to guarde thy ſoule: as the Apoſtle ſayeth to the PHILIPPIANS, with that peace with paſſeth all vnderſtanding: Hee will ſet that peace into thine heart, when thou art in trouble, and hee will ſet thine heart at reſt, and giuegive thee a greater peace, than all the peace in the worlde.
Nowe, when hee hath repeated theſe argumentes, hee concludeth ſhortlie, Holie Father, keepe them in thy NAME, them whome thou haſt giuen mee, that they maye bee one with vsus, as wee are one. Marke, Brethren, theſe wordes which the LORD vttereth, hauehave a great weight, and alſo this petition which hee maketh to the Father, it is full of affection, and louelove: And it is full of affection, firſt to the Father, & then to the Diſciples, for whom he prayeth: It is full of affection to him whom to hee prayeth, & to them for whoſe cauſe he prayeth. Looke when thou prayeſt, that thy affectiō be to thy God, & to them alſo for whom thou prayeſt. Hee ſayeth, Holie Father, keepe them. Will yee conſider euerie worde, and firſt theſe wordes, Holie Father, yee ſhall perceiue a great affection in the Sonne, to the Father. Theſe wordes riſe on two motiues; the one is louelove, that is an affection which the Sonne bare to the Father. When he calleth him Father, he vttreth that wonderfull louelove which he bare to the Father. And then the other riſeth on a great reuerence, that Ieſus Chriſt our Lord bare to his Father, when hee calleth him Holie: for as hee loued him, ſo hee reuerenced him: Holineſſe craueth reuerence. And that holie God, what reuerence ought hee to hauehave? Hee ſhould not bee named, nor thought on, but with reuerence of the heart.
Then hee ſayeth, And keepe them in thy Name: that is, by thy diuine power. This worde riſeth on a confidence of a wonderfull power in the Father, that hee was able to defende and keepe them, in none other Name, but in his owne. Nowe looke the diſpoſition of the heart of Ieſus Chriſt: In praying the heart is diſpoſed with a wonderfull reuerence, and louelove to his Father. And, Brethren, I count this argument of all the argumentes that yee hauehave hearde, (howbeit they were verie manie, mightie, and ſtrong▪) this ſame diſpoſition of the heart, I ſay, to bee one of the moſt forcibleſt to mooue the Father. The inwarde diſpoſition of the heart of the Lord Ieſus, in louelove and reuerence, is moſte forcible to mooue the Father to keepe his Diſciples. Looke in prayer, to the diſpoſition of thine heart: for when wee praye to God, what do we all argumentes? Wherefore auaileth it to heape on argumentes to mooue God, if thou haſt no good diſpoſition in thine heart in prayer? Wherefore vſeſt thou wordes, when thou haſt an vnbelieuing heart? and when thou haſt no louelove nor reuerence, nor no confidence in God? And then againe, when the heart of man, or woman, is well diſpoſed in praying, with an holie affection to God in Ieſus Chriſt, with a reuerence, and with a confidence in him, then fewe wordes and fewe argumentes will ſerue. It is better to hauehave fewe wordes in praying, with louelove and faith, and with an holie diſpoſition, than to praye all the daye without the inwarde diſpoſition. James ſayeth, Chap. 5. verſ. 16. The prayer of a faithfull man auaileth much, if it bee ſeruent. He ſayeth not, If hee vſe manie reaſons or wordes: but if hee hauehave a zeale to the glorie of God in prayer, then it is acceptable. This is knowne by experience: they who knowe the diſpoſition of the heart, they will account more of it, than of all the worlde. So yee ſee, this diſpoſition in the heart of Ieſus Chriſt, is the chiefe argument to mooue the Father: hee had no ſinne in him, his heart was cleane, and his louelove was perfect, without anie mixture of hatred, or anie other ſinfull infirmitie. All our affection, our louelove, and our confidence, is full of ſinne, and all is troubled in our heartes: and if wee gette anie libertie, it is but ſmall. Alace! this is the fouleneſſe of our ſoule: but well is that ſoule that getteth anie louelove, or anie confidence, or anie reuerence, &c.
Nowe to come to the affection to them for whome the Lord prayeth: J praye euen for them whome thou haſt giuen mee. No queſtion, when hee ſayeth, Whome thou haſt giuen mee, hee taketh them into his heart, hee imbraceth them into the affection of the heart: the affection gripeth to them, when as hee calleth them his. No, if the Lord Ieſus call thee his, hee will take thee into his heart, and his affection will gripe thee. Nowe certainelie, as the affection to his Father was a great argument in the ſight of the Father, ſo when wee praye to God for others, the affection towardes others is a great argument to mooue God. And as wee reſpect the one, hauing a zeale and an affection to God, ſo wee ſhould reſpect the other, hauing true louelove towardes others. Looke that thine heart hate not the perſon of him for whome thou prayeſt: otherwayes, thou ſcorneſt God in thy prayer: and when thou prayeſt for anie, looke that thou louelove that perſon: for the louelove of God, and the louelove of the perſon for whome thou prayeſt, is aye joyned together. If thou loueſt not the perſon for whome thou prayeſt, it is ſure, thou loueſt not God.
Farder, it is to bee conſidered heere, that ſince the beginning of this prayer, this argument is oft repeated, Them whome thou hast giuen mee. This is the thirde time that it is repeated. The firſt is in theſe wordes, J hauehave declared thy Name vntounto the men which thou gaueſt mee out of the worlde. And then, I praye not for the worlde, but for them whome thou haſt giuen mee. And againe, Holie Father, keepe them in thy Name, euen them whome thou haſt giuen mee, &c. Hee hath not ſo often repeated anie other argument as this, They are thy Choſen, they are called by the preaching of the Goſpel: but hee hath doubled and tripled this argument: there is ſome grounde of this: this muſt bee the moſte ſpeciall thing that mooued the LORD to praye for his Diſciples, becauſe they were giuen to him, and the Father had concredited them vntounto him, and put them into his handes: And therefore hee letteth it neuer goe out of his heart, that the Father had giuen them vntounto him: Father, (ſayeth hee,) thou haſt giuen them vntounto mee, therefore, Father, keepe them. There is not a faythfull man or woman, but if GOD will concredite anie to their care and protection, the moſte ſpeciall thing that will mooue them to hauehave a care of them, is, That GOD hath concredited them vntounto them: Therefore they will praye vntounto GOD for them. And euen by the contrarie, they who hauehave not a reſpect to them who are concredited vntounto them, for this cauſe, that GOD hath put ſuch perſons into their handes, to prouide for them; that perſon, ſayeth the Apoſtle Paul, is worſe than an Infidell: That perſon who hath gotten a Familie to care for, and neglecteth it, is worſe than an Infidell. So this ſhoulde mooue vsus to care for others, becauſe the LORD hath concredited them vntounto vsus: And in the daye of Iudgement, it ſhall bee aſked at thee, Where is the care that thou hadſt of them, whome I concredited vntounto thy charge? And then terrible ſhall it bee for them, who hauehave neglected thoſe whome the LORD hath giuen vntounto them.
As hee vſeth this argument to mooue the Father, ſo the Father muſt hauehave a care on that which hee hath giuen to CHRIST: And that perſon that will take care of their Familie, or of the Kirke, or Common-wealth, the LORD ſhall meete him, and hauehave a care ouer him. So that whoſoeuer hath gotten the charge of ſoules, or of Families, or of Common-wealthes, they ſhoulde hauehave a care ouer them: for let bee that it is vngodlie, not to bee carefull; it is an vnnaturall thing. Woe to the men, that will runne out, and drinke, and leaue their Familie, and runne, and raſhe, and fill themſelues, and hauehave no care of them whom GOD hath put vnderunder their handes! Woe to them that runne, and leaue their Kirke! Woe to that man that hath no care ouer them that GOD hath concredited vntounto his charge.
Hee ſayeth, That they may bee one, as wee are one. Keepe them, that they may bee like vsus. No, all our bleſſedneſſe, is, to bee like the Father, the Sonne, and that Holie Spirite. Wherein ſtandeth it? It ſtandeth in an vnitie, to wit, That as the Father and the Sonne are one, not onelie in that mutuall louelove, but in that verie Godhead, ſubſtance, and eſſence, that is that vnitie, one GOD, the Father, the Sonne, and the Holie Spirite, ſo wee alſo are one. Nowe, it is not required, that wee bee one in eſſence, but one in heartes and ſoules: that is to ſaye, Let euerie one of vsus louelove another, let peace bee amongſt vsus, and in this point wee muſt repreſent GOD: and this is that vnitie, that our heartes bee joyned with others in louelove: No man is knitte to CHRIST, or yet to the Father, but in louelove: and when wee are knitte vntounto them, our heartes are knitte euerie one to another. So in one worde, when wee ſee louelove amongſt men, and eſpeciallie amongſt Chriſtians, when wee ſee their heartes joyned in louelove, wee may ſaye, The Father keepeth theſe, becauſe they are in vnitie one with another, and hee hath a care ouer them, or elſe they coulde neuer hauehave this vnitie of minds in louelove: And where there is nothing but diſſention, and euerie one byting and backe-byting another, they are not in the cuſtodie of GOD: for if they were in his keeping, they woulde bee one, as the Father and the Sonne are one. So, in one worde, the LORDES care is not ouer thoſe. Therefore, as euer yee woulde bee ſure, that the LORD hath a care ouer you, looke that yee hauehave an vnitie amongſt your ſelues: And this is it that the Apoſtle Paul moſte recommendeth vntounto vsus, an vnitie of minde. So, as wee woulde teſtifie vsus to bee the members of IESVS CHRIST, let vsus bee in vnitie with our neighbour: for by this wee teſtifie to the worlde, that wee are GODS, and giuen to IESVS CHRIST: and where there is no louelove, no amitie, there the members are not joyned with the Head, and wee hauehave no part with CHRIST: for where fayth is, there is louelove: and where fayth is, there the members will concur together in vnitie of minde.
The LORD giuegive vsus fayth in IESVS CHRIST, in whome ſtandeth all our happineſſe, and felicitie: and to whome, with the Father, and the Holie Spirite, bee all honour, prayſe, power, and dominion, for euermore.
AMEN.