The Treasure of the Church, To the reader
TO THE CHRIstian Reader.
AS eueryevery action of Christ is for our instruction, soe especially his earnest supplications made in the daies of his flesh, are for our edification: And as our blessed sauiour came into this world annointed to be our king, our prophet, and preist, soe accordingly hereunto all his principall actions were sorted out: in his holy workes & miracles, he shewed his diuine power as a king, in his heauenly sermons, he ma…e knowne his diuine wisdome as our prophet: and in his praiers he testified his diuine louelove as a mercifull high preist.
Three of Christs praiers are especially commended vntounto vsus: that at Lazarus graue,Ioh. 11. the other in the garden before his passion,Math. 26. this in the 17. of Iohn, as a preparation thereunto: the first made with sighes and grones, the second with droppes of blood and teares, the third with great zeale and affection: the first shewing commiseration, the second making a way to our redemption, the third the fruite of his mediation.
In three things this praier of Christ differeth from the requestes of his members: first in respect of the person that praieth, secondly in the manner of the praier, thirdly in the matter prayed for: the first was with authoritie, he praieth as our mediatour both God and man, the second was with all sanctitie, whereas we can not tell how to pray as we ought. Rom. 8. 16. the third with great efficacy: the force of this praier continueth to the end of the world, whereas our praiers are weake, and had need often to be iterated and repeated, and therefore the Apostle biddeth vsus pray without ceasing.1. Thess. 5. 17.
Three principall benefits are conferred vponupon vsus by this praier 1. our protection from euil and danger: keepe them from euil v. 15. 2. the collation or bestowing of all spirituall grace; sanctifie them with thy truth v. 17. 3. the impetration or obtayning of our seuerall praiers and requestes:Math. 14. 31. in the first Christ stretcheth forth his hand as to Peter, to helpe vsus that we sinke not: in the second he looketh vponupon vsus with the eyes of merciemercy as vponupon the same Peter,Luk. 22. 61. to giuegive vsus his grace: in the third his eares are open to heare vsus, as they were at the crie of blind Bartimeus.Mar. 10. 4….
Salomon hauing built God an house,1. King. 8. did dedicate it by his praier vntounto God: here a greater then Salomon, by praiers better then Salomons, doth consecrate vntounto God an house more glorious then was Salomons, the spirituall temple of the church. This praier of our Sauiour is the foundation of our praiers, the propp and stay of our requestes, the very life of our supplications vntounto God:E…d▪ 17. as Aaron and Hurr held vp Moses hands, soe our feeble handes are hereby strengthned: it is vntounto our praiers as the fiery chariot and horse to Elias,2. King. 2. to carrie them vp into heauen: And as the Eagle beareth vp her young ones vponupon her wings. Deuter. 32. 11. soe this praier of Christ giueth wings vntounto our praiers: & it is as the censor,Apoc. …. wherein the odors of our praiers are censed vp vntounto god. Therfore when we addresse our selues to our praiers let vsus remember this praier, as the Israelites looked vp to the brasen serpent in the wildernes,Numb. …1. 9. and as Stephen saw Iesus sitting at the right hand of God:Act. 7. 56. let vsus lay it vp in our hart, as the tables of stone were kept in the arke,H…b. 9. 14. let it be as incense to be laid alwaies vponupon our spirituall offerings,Leuit 1. 15. and as salt,Leuit. 2. 13. whereby to season our sacrifices.
Thus this holy praier of our Sauiour, if we be in heauines, it will comfort vsus, if in perill, deliuer vsus: if we want any grace it will releeue vsus: in this life it will guiavs, and in the next saue vsus: Amen.
The Methode or order of the 17. chapter of the pag. 1. Gospel according to S. Iohn.
The Chapter containeth the praier of Christ, whereof there are two parts: he praieth for
himselfe, where we hauehave the
request it selfe, father glorifie thy sonne, v. 1.
reasons.
1. à fine, from the ende, that thy sonne may glorifie thee. v. 1.
2. à pari, from the like: as thou hast giuen him power, &c. v. 2. so giuegive him glorie: here the power giuen vntounto Christ is described by the
ende or vse of it, to giuegive eternall life to all them, that thou hast giuen him, v. 2.
the matter subiect, namely, eternall life, which is set forth by the helping causes thereunto, the knowledge of God and Christ, v. 3.
3. à causa meritoria, from his desert or merit: I hauehave glorified thee, v. 4 therefore glorifie me also.
4. aeb aequo, from the equitie: he asketh but his owne, that glorie which was his before the world was. v. 5.
… either
then present, namely his Apostles: where is shewed
why he praieth for them? because they were
Gods by election: Thine they were, v. 6.
Christs by
their vocation & obedience
they receiud the word. and beleeued in Christ, v. 7. 8.
iustification, in that they were giuē vntounto Christ, for whome he praieth, and not for the world. v. 9. 10.
what he praieth for thē for
their preseruation … the …orld.
1. from their necessitie, because Christ should be no more with them.
2. from the effects, that they may hauehave peace and vn… one with another. v. 11. and true ioy in themseues. v. 13.
3. from the vnlike example of Iudas, who fell away, and became the child of perdition. v. 12.
4. from the … compassed with many enemies, the world hated them, v. 14. & therefore he praieth, that they may be kept in the world. v. 15.
their sa…ctification,
the request for their sanctification
in generall, v. 17. to be sanctified with the truth.
in speciall, to be made fit for their message, because they were sēt into the world, v. 18.
the reason, because for their sakes Christ did sanctifie himselfe, both by his life and death. v. 19.
which was afterward to come, v. 20. he praieth for
their sanctification in their perfect vnion and louelove: from the
…ffects, that the world may beleeue, &c. v. 21.
originall cause, their electiō vntounto glorie, v. 22.
ende, that they may be perfect in one, &c. v. 22.
glorification
it s…e, which is described, v. 24
… meanes vntounto it
knowledge set forth by the
co…rarie, the w…rld knoweth not god. v. 25.
the cause, I hauehave declared thy name. v. 26.
sense and feeling of Gods louelove, v. 26.