The Treasure of the Church, Lecture 8
The eighth Lecture.
NOw followeth the request it selfe, which our Sauiour maketh for his Apostles; wherein we are to consider, first for whom he prayeth: secondly, for what.
Our Sauiour prayeth for his Apostles, which first he amplifieth à disparatis, frō things diuerse or opposite: I pray for them, I pray not for the world, vers. 10. Secondly, he confirmeth the same by certaine reasons: First, from the right and property which God hath in them: They are thine: and the reason thereof, because all mine are thine, vers. 11. Secondly, from their fruites and effects, I am glorified in them. Thirdly, from their present necessitie: because Christ was no more in the world, he commendeth them to his Father.
Vers. 9.Doct. 1. I pray for them, I pray not for the world; but for those which thou hast giuen me.] By this Scripture it is euident, that onelyonly they which are giuen vntounto Christ,Christ a Mediator onelyonly for the elect. and elected of God, hauehave part in the mediation and intercession of Christ.
1. So the Apostle saith: He is able perfectly to saue them that come vntounto God by him, seeing he euer liueth to make intercession for them, Heb. 7. 25. He maketh intercession then onelyonly for them, that by him shall be saued.
2. Thus our Sauiour prayed for Peter that his faith should not faile, Luk. 22. 32. Thus he prayed for Lazarus: Father, I thanke thee, that thou hast heard me, Ioh. 11 41. Thus still he prayeth for his owne, but for the reprobate world he no where prayeth.
3. Like as Zacharie saw in that heauē ly vision two Oliue trees dropping oyle through the pipes into the bowles of the golden candlesticke, Zach. 4. 2. 3. so Christ this Oliue tree doth not conuey his graces vntounto any by the vertue of his prayers, which are as the pipes, but to those that belong to the golden candlesticke of his Church. And as the precious oyntment vponupon Aarons head, ranne downe vponupon his beard, and to the borders of his garments, Psal. 133. 2. so Christ our head giueth influence of grace, and spirit of life onelyonly to his members.
4. For seeing the prayers of Christ are alwaies effectuall, and he is alwaies heard of his Father: I know that thou hearest me alwaies, Ioh. 11. 42. It followeth, that the reprobate hauehave no part in Christs holy prayers, because they receiue no benefite by them. Christ also is the Sauiour of his bodie, Ephes. 5. 23. he guideth it by his grace, and preserueth it vntounto saluation. They then which are not of his bodie, hauehave no interest in his death, nor part in his prayers.
5. First, by this doctrine their errour is discouered, which affirme that Christ died for all men, as well for the reprobate as for the elect; as well for Iudas, as for Peter and Paule: because Saint Iohn saith, that Iesus Christ is the propitiation for the sinnes of the whole world, 1. Ioh. 2. 2.
But seeing that our Sauiour vouchsafeth not to comprehend the world in his prayers, much lesse doth he extend vntounto them the fruite of his death: he would not offer himselfe to death for those, for whom he offereth not his prayers: neither can they be admitted to his redemption, that are excluded from his intercession. And further,There is a world onelyonly of the elect and faithfull. wheras Christ is said to take away the sinnes of the world: here the world onelyonly, that is, the vniuersall companie of the elect, which are taken from all degrees and callings in the world, is to be vnderstood, as where our sauiour saith, Iohn 14. 31. That the world may know that I louelove the father: he meaneth the world of the faithfull: for vntounto the rest of the world Christ doth not shew himselfe. Iohn 14. 22. So Ambrose well saith, Est in electis & praescitis specialis quadam vniuersitas, vt de toto mundo totus mundus liberatus, & de omnibus hominibus omnes homines assumpti videantur: there is in the elect and foreknown a speciall kind of vniuersalitie, that the whole world out of the whole world, and all men frō all men seeme to be taken vntounto life.
Secondly it may be doubted, whether herein we are bound to follow this forme and president of Christs praier, to exclude some out of our prayers, and not to remē ber the wicked in our requests vntounto God. I answer that there is a speciall consideration to be had of this prayer which here our Sauiour maketh, which in all respects cannot be folowed of vsus, nor made a patterne of our prayers: for here our Sauiour prayeth as God and man, hauing the perfect foresight & knowledge of eueryevery man, and according to that knowledge he directeth his prayers. In this his prayer, as Ambrose saith,Lib. 5. in Luc▪ Et aduocatus est & iudex, in altero pietatis officium, in altero insigne potestatis: He is both an aduocate and iudge; in the one he sheweth his pietie, in the other his power and maiestie. That prayer rather of our Sauiour is set forth herein for our imitation,Whether the wicked may be prayed for which he made vponupon the crosse for his enemies: so we in charitie and pietie ought to pray for all: seeing now that gift, foreign the discerning of spirits, whereof the Apostle speaketh 1. Cor. 12. 10. is ceased, by the which S. Peter could say to Simo Magas, thy mony perish with thee. And vnlesse we did see a man sinne a sinne vntounto death that is, to sinne against the holy Ghost, for the which the Apostle would not hauehave vsus to pray, 1. Iohn 5. 16. which case is very rare, and hard it is to say, who is guiltie of that sinne: otherwise then in these cases, we in Christian charitie (which thinketh not euill and hopeth the best of all) may pray for the conuersion of all; yet making a difference, preferring alwayes the Church of Christ in our prayers.
Thirdly, this doctrine giueth vntounto worldly minded and carnall men a fearful caueat,Worldlings without the compasse of Christs praier that they looke vntounto themselues, and in time turne vntounto God: for as yet while they are of the world, that is, profane persons, irreligious, without the feare of God, they are out of Christs protection, and barred from his prayers, and depriued of the vertue and efficacie of his holy mediation. To them therefore be that saying spoken in the Psalme, Kisse the sonne lest he be angry▪ and ye perish in the way. Psal. 2. 12. Kisse the sonne and embrace him by faith, which is the kisses of his mouth▪ Cantic. 1. 1. and so by Christs powerfull mediation and almightie protection, we shall be preserued from perishng.
Verse 9.Doct. 1. For they are thine, and all mine are thine, and thine are mine. Hence we learne, that they which are giuen to Christ belong vntounto God his Father, & the whole blessed Trinity taketh charge of them, and careth for them.
1. So the Apostle saith, Ye are Christs, and Christ Gods, 1. Cor. 3. 23. Al then that is Christs, is also Gods; and as Christ is the head of eueryevery faithfull man, so God is Christs head, 1. Cor. 11. 2.
2. Thus our sauiour saith to his Apostles: The Father himselfe loueth you, because ye hauehave loued me, and hauehave beleeued that I came out from God. Iohn 16. 27.
3. Like as the father in the parable saith to his sonne, Thou art euer with me, and all that I hauehave is thine, Luke 15. 31. So Christ being the heire of all, whatsoeuer his father hath is his, and whatsoeuer he hath is his fathers. Like as Iacob saith concerning the two sonnes of Ioseph, Ephraim & Manasses: They shall be mine, as Reuben and Simeon are mine, Genes. 48. 5. and let my name be named vponupon them. v. 16. so all the children of Christ are his fathers.
4. Our sauior sheweth the reason hereof, that they may be one as we are one, I in them and thou in me, Iohn 17. 22. 23. Because Christ is equall to his Father, and they are one God, of one power, eternitie, wisedome, glorie, therfore all which the sonne hath is the fathers.
5. First by this doctrine the wicked Arrians are confuted, who made the son of God vnequall and vnlike vntounto his father, and their heresie was, that, suit tempus quā do non fuit filius, there was a time when the sonne was not: for if all the fathers be the sonnes, and all the sonnes the fathers, as here our sauiour saith, there can be no inequalitie betweene them; there must be the same power, wisedom, and euerlasting being of them both.
Secondly, the opinion of the Church of Rome is also refelled, which holdeth that Christ is not God of himselfe,Christ God of himselfe. as the father is, but that he is God with and of his father, Rhemist. annot. Iohn 1. sect. 3. We confesse indeed that Christ is not foreign sonne of himfelfe, but that he is foreign God of himselfe is consonant to the scriptures.August. tract. 19. in Ioann. Iohn 5. 26. As the father hath life in himselfe, so he hath giuen to the sonne to hauehave life in himselfe: if the sonne hath life in himselfe, then he is God of himselfe: Vitam in se habet, vt ipsa vita sibi sit ipse: He hath life in himselfe, and he himselfe is life it selfe to himselfe. It is a principle in diuinitie, that diuina essentia nec gignit nec gignitur, The diuine essence neither begetteth nor is begotten. It is the person of the son, not the Godhead, that is begotten of his father from all eternitie.
Thirdly, if they onelyonly are Gods that are Christs, their carnall securitie is reproued, who flatter themselues that they belong vntounto God, and hope to be saued though they beleeue not in Christ. We see then that it is farre otherwise then some imagine, that euerie man may be saued by that faith and religion which he professeth, and that controuersies about faith are needlesse and superfluous. Our Sauior saith, he that honoureth not the sonne, honoureth not the father, No accesse to God without Christ.Iohn 5. 23. Whosoeuer then beleeueth not aright in the sonne, neither careth to know him, and walke in his wayes, hath no part in God, neither cā enter into life. It is therefore a vaine perswasion which they hauehave of saluation, that thinke to come to God without Christ. The heauens cannot be scaled without a ladder, nor entrance into the house but by the doore: Christ is the doore and the ladder. Stephen saw the heauens open, and Iesus standing at the right hand of God, both together. Con…iteamur ergo Iesum ad dextram, vt coelum nobis aperiatur, as Ambrose saith:De Fide lib. 3 cap. 3. let vsus confesse Iesus at the right hand of God, that heauen may be opened to vsus.
And I am glorifi…d in them.] Doct 3.This is another reason why Christ prayeth for his Apostles, because they were to the praise of Christ, and instruments of his glorie. So then they which intend and seeke the honour and glorie of Christ, and none other, are priuiledged by his holy prayers, and made partakers of his intercession, and the power and vertue thereof.
1. Hereof it is that our sauiour teacheth vsus thus to conclude our prayers, For thine is the glorie, Math. 6. 13. whereby we referring all to the glorie of Christ, are assured to be heard in our petitions.
2. Thus the Apostles praying to the honor of Christ, Act. 4. 30. so that thou stretch forth thine hand, that healing signes and wonders may be done …y the name of thy holy son Iesus: found the present effect of their prayers, the place was shaken where they were assembled together, and they were filled with the holy Ghost.
3. Like as it is said of the good houswife, GiueGive her of the fruites of her hands, and let her owne workes praise her in the gates. Pro. 31. 31. the costly rayment wherewith others are clothed, redoūdeth to the praise of the worker: so the graces which God bestoweth vponupon his faithfull seruants, are referred to the praise of the author.
4. This is the cause why God respecteth not the wicked, He will not giuegive his glory to another, Isay 42. 8. because they are enemies to Gods glorie, and therefore God will not giuegive vntounto such the honor of his gifts.
5. This doctrine sheweth then in what miserable state they stand,All must be re…erred to Gods glorie which we ask in our praiers that s…eke not Christs honor, they are out of the protection of Christs prayers. All such as blaspheme the name of Christ, and cause the Gospell of Christ to stinke before the world by reason of their euil life that professe it: be it knowne vntounto them that they stand as outlawes before God, and cannot be assured either of direction to good, or protection from euil from Iesus Christ. VVherefore let vsus first make the glorie of Christ the scope and end of all our requests and endeuours, and then we shall be sure that the Lord will heare vsus. This then is the cause why many faile of their requests, because they ask amisse, as Iames saith, Ye aske and receiue not, because ye aske amisse, that ye might consume it vponupon your lusts. For this reason the Lord saith, he would not hide any thing from Abraham, because he would commaund his sonnes and his houshold after him to keepe the way of the Lord, Gen. 18. 19. VVe are therfore assured that if we aske any thing of God with a simple heart, purposing to referre the same to his glorie, that the Lord will denie vsus nothing.