One-Hundred Forty-Five Sermons Upon John 17, Sermon 53
SERMON LIII. The Exaltation of Chriſt improved for the joy of of all Beleevers.
JOH. 17.11.
And I come to thee.
THis is the Third diſtinct Argument in this Verſe which Chriſt uſeth in his Petition for his Diſciples; Some indeed take it Exegeticall or Declarative of what he meant by ſaying He was no more in this world; But others take the Particle foreign ratiocinatively, as a Reaſon why he is no more to be in the world, becauſe he is going to the Father.
This Argument implieth then that Chriſt by going out of the world doth not ceaſe to be, but that he goeth to the Father, and there will be a potent Favourite in the Court of heaven for them; Chriſt then ſpeaking here of his Locall Motion, we may in this as in all ſuch Motions Conſider,
1. The term from which, that is the world, which is not to be underſtood as if he did depoſe and lay down his humane Nature, or that he was not ſtill preſent in an efficacious inviſible manner, but in reſpect of a bodily preſence; This place confutes Popiſh Tranſubſtantiation, and the Lutheran Ʋbiquity of Chriſts Body.
2. There is the term to which, to thee.
3. The Via per quam, the way by which, and that is implied by his Death and Sufferings: In the Greek it is foreign, in other places it is foreign, and once that is uſed abſolutely, The Sonne of man goeth, &c. Mat. 26.24. That is he dieth, here there is contained much comfort to his Diſciples, that neither Chriſts Enemies or Death did overcome him, but by Death he goeth to his Father, and that for the great benefit and advantage of all true Believers.
Obſ. That Chriſt by Death went to his Father;Doct. Chriſt by Death went to the Father. Here is much practicall Divinity in this Point; We ſee our Saviour again and again inſtructed his Diſciples about his; He knew how much his Sufferings and Death would amaze them and ſhake their Faith, he knew what a falſe principle they were poſſeſſed with, viz, that he would erect a temporall Glorious Kingdome; Therefore that they might not be undone by theſe thoughts, he tels them often both of his death, and whither by that he was to go, Ioh. 14.3. Our Saviour comforts their troubled hearts with this, that he was going to the Father, and that not meerly for his own glory and honour, but alſo for their good; Even as Ioſeph was advanced in Pharaohs Court as well for the good of his Father and his brethren as for his own glory, and by the way obſerve that our Saviour tels them, That they knew whither he went and the way, yet Thomas in the name of the reſt ſaith, Lord, we know not whither thou goeſt: Now you may ask, Either Chriſt who is Truth it ſelf ſpake not right, or Thomas, The anſwer is, Both ſpake right, for the Diſciples knew in the general and confuſedly but not diſtinctly or particularly, or they knew it habitually, but in time of temptation they did not put this knowledge forth; By this we ſee the Godly may have that grace and that faith in them, which yet they think is not there.
All theſe particulars are involved or implied in the Point.To open this Doctrine let us conſider the ſeveral particulars that are encloſed in it.
Firſt, That it was appointed by God, that the way whereby Chriſt ſhould from this ſtate of humiliation come to glory with him, ſhould be the way of ignominy, reproach, and death; It behoved the Son of man to ſuffer, and ſo enter into glory, Luk. 24.46. It muſt be ſo elſe the Juſtice of God could not be ſatisfied, elſe mans Redemption could not be obtained; This our Saviour implieth, I come to thee, but how, Even as the Iſraelites to Canaan, through a Sea of bloud; That then which our Saviour quickly ſpake, was with great pain and agony undergone; I come to thee through fire and bloud, The Father doth this to demonſtrate the bloudy nature of ſinne, the unſpeakable love of Chriſt, and the order God hath appointed for all beleevers ere they come to glory, 1. the bloudy nature of ſinne, for it was this and nothing elſe that put Chriſt to be a Sacrifice for us, had not Adam and we in him all apoſtatized from God; There had been no need of his death, but now by this tranſgreſſion, and ours ſuperadded, without the ſhedding of his bloud, there could be no remiſſion of ſinne; Yet oh the prophaneſſe and blindeneſſe of the world, what a little matter do they make of ſinne, how eaſily do they think a pardon may be had for it; Oh remember the leaſt vain thought or idle word cannot in this world or in the world to come be expiated but by Chriſts bloud only, had there been no other ſinne in the world but a vain thought, Chriſt muſt have undergone all that wrath of God and man ere it could be blotted out; Oh think of this you who like Leviathan laugh at the Spear, and ſport your ſelves with thoſe ſinnes, which put Chriſt to all that Agony: Laſtly, This ſheweth the order God hath appointed we muſt firſt be on Mount Calvary before we can be on the Mount of Transfiguration; As Chriſt had firſt a Crown of Thorns here, before he had a Crown of glory, ſo it muſt be with us, Rom. 8. We ſhall be glorified with him if we ſuffer with him, Let this then ſweeten all thy afflictions and miſeries, Though the beginnings of God with thee, like thoſe of Joſeph to his brethren, are harſh and rough, yet the endings will be full of ſweetneſſe and comfort; If thou grudeſt at thy Tribulations ſay, this is to grudge at the Crown of Glory, This is to repine at the way to everlaſting happineſſe.
In the ſecond general place Conſider, That when Chriſt ſaith, he goeth to his Father, herein is implied, that ſtate of glory and honour he ſhall have in heaven, as if he had ſaid, I ſhall be no more in the ſtate and habit of a Servant, no more in a deſpiſed and contemned condition, but I am going to receive that Majeſty and glory which is due unto me; Although we told you Chriſt aſcended into Heaven for our good, and to pleade our cauſe, yet it was alſo for his glory and honour; This our Saviour excellently preſſeth, Joh. 14.28 If ye loved me, ye would rejoyce becauſe I go to my Father; The Diſciples were troubled and full of fears becauſe they were to loſe his corporal preſence, but (ſaith our Saviour,) true love to me would make you do otherwiſe, you would regard my honour more then your benefit; It is for your good that I abide with you; It is for my glory that I go to the Father; Now love that is unfeigned lieth in our affections to another, not becauſe of the good we have by him, but for his own good; Thus the Diſciples they were to rejoyce becauſe Chriſt was to be honoured and exalted, though they ſhould loſe the comfort of his preſence; See here then who are they that do ſpiritually love Chriſt, even ſuch as rejoyce in that he is exalted and glorified, though it be to their ruine and undoing; O Lord, Let me have this comfort and that comfort no longer, if Chriſt may be more honoured; As Mephiboſheth ſaid, Let Ziba take all, ſo that King David was returned ſafe, ſo that the honour and kingdom of Chriſt may be promoted, let good Name, wealth, and life it ſelf go, unleſſe we be the true genuine Sons of God, we are never able to abide this touchſtone; Doe not the moſt holy depend on Chriſt more for the benefit they receive by him then to honor and glorifie him; Hence they bemoan their want of aſſurance and evidence which is their comfort more then recumbency on Chriſt, which is his glory; So then in that Chriſt went to his Father it's implied, that now there was a period to be put to all ſufferings: Now he was no more to be like a Servant but to be made the Prince of Glory, Therefore obſerve the reaſon why he goeth to the Father, becauſe the Father is greater then he; Not as the Arians would have it eſſentially, but in outward diſpenſation, becauſe Chriſt here was in the faſhion and form of the meaneſt and moſt deſpiſed of men.
Thirdly, Though this phraſe imply Chriſts Exaltation, yet we muſt know alſo that in this is the whole Treaſury of a Chriſtian; The Fountain of all our Comfort is in this, that Chriſt is gone to the Father; Therefore let the beleever diligently improve it, for the effects are admirable of this his departure.
1. Hereby his holy Spirit is given in, the more plentifully and abundantly;The benefits of Chriſts aſeenſion and exaltation. It is ſaid, The holy Ghoſt was not yet given, becauſe Chriſt was not yet glorified, Joh. 7.39. The large adminiſtration of the gifts of Gods Spirit were reſerved till Chriſt in triumph went up to heaven, Ioh. 16.7. If I depart I will ſend him to you, You ſee the ſending of the holy Ghoſt depends upon Chriſts departure; The Spirit comes to make a ſpiritual ſupply of Chriſts bodily preſence; There cannot be two Suns together in the Firmament, O then let all thoſe who have Gods Spirit dwelling in them, enlightening, ſanctifying, and comforting of them, acknowledge this, the bleſſed fruit of Chriſts going to his Father, but men are ſo prophane and ſenſual, that they know not what the Spirits working upon the Soul is, no more then a beaſt knoweth the operations of a rational Soul.
2. A ſecond benefit by Chriſts going to the Father, is, the enabling of us with all holy and heavenly gifts, either in a ſanctifying way or a miniſterial; Thus; Eph. 4. Chriſt when he aſcended into heaven gave gifts to men, That you have a Miniſtry and Ordinances with the ſpiritual effects thereof, it's wholly from this Yea Ioh. 14 12. all miraculous Gifts do deſcend from this, Our Saviour there ſaith, That he who beleeveth on him ſhall do greater works then he doth, that is, as ſome ſay, greater Miracles in themſelves, for we reade that by Peters handkerchief and his very ſhadow wonderful things were done, which we reade not of Chriſt, or greater in quantity and extenſion; They did them in more places, For whereas Chriſt wrought no Miracles at Ieruſalem, the Apoſtles did, or greater (as others ſay) in regard of the ſucceſſe, becauſe farre more were converted to the faith by the Apoſtles preaching then by Chriſts; Well, let this be how it will, Conſider the ground why they ſhall be enabled to do theſe great things, becauſe (ſaith Chriſt) I go to the Father; So that this departure to the Father is the cauſe of all thoſe dona ſanctificantia and miniſtrantia in the Church: Thy Faith, thy Repentance, thy Love of God and delight in holy things is becauſe of this truth.
The third Benefit of Chriſts going to the Father is from one main end of it, which is to prepare a place for his Children; Indeed heaven was prepared for them from Eternity, yet Chriſt Joh. 14.3. ſaith He goeth to prepare a place for them in an alluſive ſence; It's therefore for our infinite Conſolation that Chriſt is gone to the Father, for there he prepareth places of glory for us, and mark the word v. 2. In my Fathers houſe are many manſions, foreign, that is ſpoken in oppoſition to ours here, where we are but Pilgrims and ſtrangers; In the earth we have only Tabernacles, in heaven there are manſion places; They continue there to all Eternity, and further he ſaith, many Manſion places; That they might not think there is not room enough, and withall it denotes the readineſſe of Chriſt to entertain us, as Rebeccah when ſhe invited the ſtrangers ſaid, We have ſtraw and Provender, and there is room enough; So that Chriſt is gone to heaven to ſee that Thrones of glory he provided for his people; Oh the Godly man dying, if in his temptations, is ready to think, O my Soul whether art thou going? What will become of thee? where wilt thou lodge this night? To this Faith ſhould anſwer, Chriſt hath prepared a place, he hath provided a Reſt, and a dwelling-place, and though thy Soul cannot be alwaies in thy body, nor thy body alwaies in theſe houſes we dwell in, yet there is a manſion-place, from which we ſhall never be removed.
4. Chriſt goeth to his Father, to be an Advocate and pleade our cauſe, 1 Joh. 2. Heb. 7. He ever-liveth to make Interceſſion for us; Chriſt is not ſo affected with that glory and honour, God hath put upon him, that he ſhould forget the meaneſt of his children, he dealeth not as Pharaohs Butler that forgat poor Ioſeph, when he was promoted, No, when we are not and cannot think or minde our ſelves, yet Chriſt is commending our eſtate to the Father, So that we have this glorious Friend ſpeaking for us in the Court of Heaven, whenſoever any accuſation is brought againſt us, So that the godly ſoul while it ſits ſighing, I am here ſinning and offending of God, may alſo remember at that very time there is a potent Advocate preventing all the dangers that may come by ſinne.
5. Chriſts departure from the Father is not an eternal departure; He is not ſo gone as to leave us for ever, but he will come again and take us to the Father alſo, Ioh. 14.3. I will come again and receive you to my ſelf, that you may be where I am: This is the utmoſt happineſſe that a beleever can deſire, If it be ſuch joy for the childe to be with his Father, a wife with her Husband, how tranſcendent is this mercy to be with Chriſt; Therefore in this Chapter our Saviour praieth for it, that his Diſciples be where he is; Now this being where Chriſt is, doth comprehend the communication of all glory and bleſſedneſſe, which Chriſt beſtoweth on his people, and that without any intermiſſion; Here in this life we have many clouds to intercept the Sun-beams with the Church through our unbelief and ſlothfulneſſe, we have loſt our beloved, ſo that many times the ſoul is ſtraitned and crieth out, where is he whom my Soul loveth; But then and there we have a perpetual communion with him, and if ſo be the enjoying of him by faith fill the ſoul with ſo much joy, what will the immediate fruition of him do? Thus you ſee that we are in a jejune ſpeculative manner, to ſay Chriſt by his death went to the Father, but to be affectionately poſſeſſed with it, as being the treaſury of all conſolation.
In the fourth general place, By this phraſe is ſignified to us that death could not detain Chriſt in the grave, it could not hold him there ſo as to hinder his going to the Father; By this therefore we ſee Chriſt hath triumphed over the devil and ſin with all the effects of it; The devil that prevailed by his Inſtrumens to put him to death, would much more have kept him alwaies in the grave, but his reſurrection and aſcenſion to heaven, there to be with the Father in glory ſignifieth that he hath now overcome all his enemies, and which is the godly mans comfort, all his enemies likewiſe, for Chriſt and the beleever have the ſame enemies, if Chriſt overcome they overcome; The devil is Chriſts Enemy, and death was Chriſts Enemy as well as thine, and it's good to obſerve that death is called Chriſts Enemy, 1 Cor. 15. Chriſt ſhall put all his Enemies under his feet, The laſt Enemy that ſhall be deſtroied is death; See then that death which is ſo terrible to thee which thou lookeſt on as an Enemy, it is Chriſts, and he hath overcome it; Oh then what glad tidings ſhould this be in our ears, Chriſt hath aſcended to the Father, for that is as much as to ſay, Neither ſin, or devil, or grave could prevail over him, and therefore he hath fully diſcharged the work of a Redeemer, he hath paid to the utmoſt farthing, ſo that the love and juſtice of God cannot but be ſatisfied by the atonement he hath made.
5. It's worth the obſerv…ng, that this expreſſion of Chriſts, I go to the Father doth put an excellent face upon that which is moſt terrible, for that which was death, and death in the moſt ignominious and cruel manner, he expreſſeth in this lovely and deſirable manner, I go to the Father; Thoſe agonies and drops of bloud, Thoſe deep and ſtrong cries, My God, my God, why haſt thou forſaken me? he covers over with this amiable phraſe, I go to the Father; Thus Chriſt out of the temptation called it ſo, but in the temptation he asketh why he had forſaken him? Not that Chriſt in his temptation was guilty of any ſin, or was capable of any ſinful imperfection, only he had not the ſame experimental feeling as at other times, for when he had told his Diſciples all ſhould forſake him and leave him alone, yet ſaith he, I am not alone, for my Father is with me, Joh. 16.32. In his ſad temptation he had not the experimental comfortable ſenſe of this; No marvel then if the godly finde a great alteration of themſelves in a temptation, they have not the comfortable ſenſe and perſwaſion of that, which they felt when not tempted, for it was thus with Chriſt only without ſin.
Laſtly, As Chriſt himſelf thus cals his death a going to the Father, ſo may every beleever, yea, he ought to do ſo, for though God be the Father of Chriſt by Eternal generation, yet he is the Father of the beleever by a gracious Adoption; Therefore our Saviour puts them togethe…, I go to my Father and your Father, Joh. 20.17, We ſhould make the King of terrours the King of Conſolations to us by this Meditation; Doth the childe fear to go to his Father?
Ʋſe of Inſtruction to the godly man, In all his temptations and ſoul-exerciſes, Let him ſtay himſelf with this, Chriſt is gone to his Father; Fear not the greatneſſe and aggravation of thy ſins, Fear not thy weakneſſes and infirmities; Say, how ſhall not peace be made with God, for Chriſt hath removed all impoſſibilities, and made thy ſalvation not only poſſible but ſure to thee?