One-Hundred Forty-Five Sermons Upon John 17, Sermon 98
SERMON XCVIII. Of Christs Sanctifying himſelf to be a Mediatour; Shewing what is implied in it; How pure, willing, and fit he was for that great Ʋndertaking.
JOH. 17.19.
And for their ſakes I ſanctifie my ſelf, that they alſo might be Sanctified through the Truth.
OUR Saviour had praied 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 Chriſts Mediation manifeſted in his Death for them He had merited and purchaſed this at Gods 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 Saviour in this Chapter doth both, he praieth, 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 ſanctifie my ſelf, 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 willingneſſe and readineſſe, Chriſt did readily offer up himſelf to all that miſery and ſhame for our ſakes.
Secondly, There is the Action, foreign, Sanctifie, 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 ſanctifie himſelf;
For 1. He as God did fill the humane Nature with all habituall and actuall Righteouſneſſe.
2. He did ſet and ſanctifie 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 foreign my ſelf; 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 ſavour. The Socinian would thereby underſtand no more then the acceptableneſſe 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 cals their Gift an Odour 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 foreign for us, as in Eph. 5.2. So that Chriſt gave himſelf for a Sacrifice not metaphorically, as Praier, and Alms are ſometimes called Sacrifices, but by way of Atonement to ſatisfie God, So that by this means we alſo are an Odour 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,
Doct. That Chriſt ſet himſelf apart to be a Sacrifice for us.That Chriſt ſet himſelf apart to be a Sacrifice for us, or he ſanctified himſelf to become a Sacrifice for us; This is the Summe 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 Chriſts Prayers and of ours, Had Chriſt onelyonly praied for us, and not thus ſanctified himſelf to be a Sacrifice for us, it would not have been effectuall for our Salvation.
In my Treatiſe of juſtification. What Chriſts ſanctifying himſelf implieth.Let us Open this Point, though I ſhall not inſiſt long on it, becauſe I have otherwhere ſhewed, 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 Holineſſe that was in him, and therefore Peter cals him the undefiled and ſpotleſſe Lamb, 1 Peter 1.9. In the Old Teſtament The Lamb that was to be offered was to be without blemiſh,I. His purity and holineſſe. not to be defective in any parts, and to be without ſpot; There was to be no various colour upon it; This was to ſignifie the abſolute Purity of Chriſt in reſpect of outward and inward ſinne; And therefore the Apoſtle preſſeth the preheminency of Chriſt our High-Prieſt above thoſe of the Law, becauſe they had ſinnes 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, harmleſſe, undefiled, and ſeparate from Sinners; And this Purity and Holineſſe was not only to qualifie his Perſon to be our Mediatour, but it was part of that Righteouſneſſe which is communicated to us, Therefore he ſaith, I ſanctifie my ſelf for them; And as he was made man for Beleevers, So alſo holy and undefiled for them; It's true ſome Divines diſtinguiſh in Chriſt his Juſtitia perſonae, and his Juſtitia meriti, but the Righteouſneſſe 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 Holineſſe, Thou art not ſanctified in ſuch a degree and meaſure as thou deſireſt, remember Chriſt hath ſanctified himſelf for thee.
II: His ready offering himſelf for us.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 boſome 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 Boſome of the Father, an Expreſſion to ſhew 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 cals it foreign and foreign, the unſearc…ble Riches of Grace, We are never able to go to the bottome of it, but ſtill there is more love and grace behinde: Did the Queen of Sheba faint to ſee the temporall 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 Originall 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 honour he might have retained to himſelf, This alſo was very wonderfull. 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 ſate 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 farre tranſcending it.
Thirdly, In that Chriſt is ſaid to ſanctifie himſelf,III. His fitneſſe for the office of a Mediatour. herein is implied the univerſall fitneſſe that was in him for that work; To ſanctifie, 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 waies a full and fit Redeemer, we had certainly miſcarried.
His fitneſſe is ſeen in regard
1. Of his Perſon.
2. His Offices.
And 3. The Benefits thereof, with the accompliſhment of them.
The fitneſſe in his Perſon is that he was both God and man, 1. The fitneſſe of his Perſon.whatſoever ſome Schoolmen have thought or imagined, yet no meer man though qualified to the higheſt with all manner of grace, could have ſatisfied for mans ſinnes; 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 Chriſts Actions did as farre 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 Mediatour 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 Mediatour, 2. His fitneſſe in regard of his Offices.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, 1. Prophetical.and King; He is the Triſmegiſt, if you do regard the threefold Cord that did binde us Sinners, which we could never looſe, then we ſhall ſee how fit a Saviour he was; There was in us horrible blindeneſſe and darkneſſe of minde; The world was not in a greater Chaos and Confuſion at firſt, then we are naturally in our Souls, Not knowing, underſtanding, or beleeving any thing of God: Therefore the Apoſtle cals ſuch Darkneſſe it ſelf, Epheſ 4. And darkened in the minde; That is, the Eye, the Sunne of the Soul, and if that be dark all the body muſt be dark; This Spirituall blindeneſſe and Ignorance upon every mans minde is that which makes him of himſelf incurable, We pity corporally blinde men; Oh but the ſpiritually blinde are lamentable, every one 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 tenderneſſe and a melting affection about thy Spirituall blindeneſſe; Now Chriſt hath a Propheticall 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 Spirituall Illumination to the minde and the Underſtanding.
2. Prieſtly.In the ſecond place, we were under the guilt of our ſinnes, The Curſe of the Law did purſue us, we were no waies able to expiate the Guilt of the leaſt ſinne; Though Rivers of bloud had runne down our Eyes, yet they could not have cleanſed one ſinne or ſpot away; The Jews offered Thouſands of Sacrifices, but they could not obtain by the Efficacy of them any Rem…ſſion of Sinnes; The Heathens ſacrificed their Sonnes 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 Sinne, when Guilt burneth in the bowels as hot as fire; Then a man will think of nothing but compenſation, Oh that I could ſatisfie 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 naturall death, much leſſe our Eternall, Without Bloud there is no Remiſſion of ſinne; Chriſts 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 bloud, then they eſcaped the deſtroying Angel, ſo if we be watered and cleanſed in the bloud of Chriſt, then we do eſcape the deſtroying vengeance of God, and thus there is his fitneſſe by his Prieſtly Office.
3. Kingly.3. We were by ſinne in a miſerable bondage and captivity to ſinne 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 bloud, 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 Reliques 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 ſinne and Satan; There is no luſt, no Corruption that is too bigge for the King of Glory to overcome: Thus as the Jewiſh Prieſt repreſented Chriſt in his Prieſtly Office, So Joſhua, the Sonne of Nun did Chriſt in his Kingly Office, as the Apoſtle inſinuateth, for Heb 4.8. Heb. 7 2. as no Ogs or Sonnes 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 Righteouſneſſe and King of Peace ſubdue all our Spirituall Enemies, and eſtabliſh us in Everlaſting Reſt, He will firſt be a King of Righteouſneſſe, and then a King of Peace, he will firſt conquer thy luſts, and then give thee a Crown of Glory: Oh then admire this fitneſſe of Chriſt to be thy Mediatour! See how admirably there is a proportionable fullneſſe in him for every emptineſſe of thine!
In the Fourth place,IV. He is prepared for this work. Chriſt is Sanctified or prepared for this work of Redemption, If you do regard the peculiar and proper benefits that accrew to us by this Sanctification; It would be infinite to reckon all.
Conſider 1. Remiſſion and Forgiveneſſe of our ſinnes, Benefits of Chriſts ſanctifying himſelf.that is often attributed to his bloud; 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 ſinne; Bleſſed, It's the inbred appetite of all to be bleſſed; But they miſtake in what it lyeth; Therefore the Pſalmiſt telleth us, The rich man, The great man, the proſperous man is not bleſſed, but he whoſe ſinnes are forgiven; And indeed though a man had Solomons abundance, yet if ſinne 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 ſinne 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 ſinne was not pardoned.
2. Christ is ſanctified to ſanctifie us; This is plain in the Text, Chriſt died not only to take away the guilt of our ſinne, 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 bloud of the Lamb; Revel. 7.14. Do not the Godly groan under the power of Corruption? but Chriſt will ſanctifie them as he ſanctified himſelf to that end.
3. Peace of Conſcience, and boldneſſe at the Throne of Grace; Through him we have free acceſſe; 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 Chriſts Death the ſting of them is removed, yea, we are raiſed above the fears of Death; Chriſts Death doth take away our Death, O Death, where is thy ſting? 1 Cor. 15.