One-Hundred Forty-Five Sermons Upon John 17, Sermon 137
SERMON CXXXVII. How Christ (as Mediatour) had his Glory given him, although as God he could not properly have any thing given him, except by way of Manifeſtation: Againſt the Socinians.
JOHN 17.24.
To behold the Glory, which thou hast given me.
THere remain two things more obſervable in this Petition, whereof one is, the efficient cauſe of that glory, which we are conſtantly to behold in heaven. The other is, the ſubject for whom he thus ſupplicateth, both which we ſhall diſpatch at this time. And
Firſt of the Deſcription of Chriſts glory, from the Authour of it, which is God the Father, from whom he hath it by way of gift. I ſhall not be long on this, becauſe I have already ſpoken much to it: Only the Doubt is, What glory it is, that here is ſaid to be given by the Father? and without any further ingaging into controverſies, we may fully conclude, That it is of his glory as Mediator; and if you ask, How is that ſaid to be already given him, when he had not yet ſuffered, and ſo had not entered into glory? The anſwer is, either that the Father had given it him in reſpect of his decree to give; in which ſenſe learned men ſay, the word (give) is uſed ſometimes in this Chapter, or elſe he had it actually given in reſpect of right and title, even before his Reſurrection. Or
Laſtly, It is ſaid to be already given, becauſe he was immediately to poſſeſſe his glory; for thus before in the Chapter, he was ſaid to be no longer in this world, becauſe he was preſently to leave it: So here the glory which thou haſt given me, becauſe he was preſently to be made partaker of it. So that from this we may obſerve,
That Chriſt as Mediatour had his glory given him. Doct. Chriſt as Mediator had his glory given him. Propoſitions a…out this point.This appeareth by Chriſts prayer in this Chapter to the Father, that he would glorifie him, as alſo by other Texts, plainly affirming this to be given him, Phil. 2.9. God hath highly exalted him, and given him a Name, &c. So Mat. 28.18. All power is given me in heaven and earth, and in many other places. Now it cannot be denied but the Doctrine of Chriſts mediatory glory, and the manner of obtaining it, is full of difficulty, inſomuch that it hath greatly exerciſed the thoughts of the learned; but I ſhall not lanch into the deeps of it, becauſe it is here occaſionally ſpoken of.Chriſt as God cannot have any thing given him, unleſs by way of manifeſtation and external celebration. I ſhall only declare ſome particulars that may clear the truth. And
Firſt, Chriſt, as God, cannot have any thing given unto him in time, unleſſe it be by way of manifeſtation and external celebration by the creature. Thus God himſelf is ſaid to have honour and glory, and worſhip from the creature; thus his Name is ſaid to be glorified, not that Gods infinite perfection is capable of any new advantage, which he had not alwayes, only here is a declaration and acknowledgement of this by the creatures, and this conſideration ſhould greatly humble us in our beſt and choiceſt ſervices, we have not made God more happy, or bleſſed thereby, neither doth he need our ſervices, only it is for our good; as when the eye ſeeth the Sun, or the thirſty traveller drinketh of the fountain, the Sun or ſpring are not helped thereby, but our infirmities refreſhed.
Obj.And if it be objected, That the humane nature was given Chriſt as God, and he had not this from all eternity, neither was this by declaration only; Therefore ſomething may be given Chriſt as God, de novo, which he had not from all eternity. Several things may be ſaid to this, eſpecially theſe two:
Anſw.1. That nothing can be given to Chriſt as God, which he himſelf doth not give himſelf: And therefore if any creature, men or Angels could have given him ſomething of themſelves, this would have argued imperfection; but it was Chriſt as God that did aſſume this humane nature to himſelf: Therefore Joh. 1. God is ſaid to become man, and to dwell amongst us; ſo he is ſaid, to take not upon him the nature of Angels, but the ſeed of Abraham; Therefore what is given him is given by himſelf. But yet
Secondly, and more fully, The humane Nature was indeed aſſumed by the Divine, but not to any intrinſecal perfection of the God-head, but to make perfect the humane Nature. So that we cannot ſo properly ſay, The humane Nature was given to Chriſt as God, as that the divine Nature aſſumed the humane Nature, not neceſſarily, but voluntarily, not out of indigence, but bounty, not becauſe it was to be perfected thereby, but to perfect the humane Nature.
Secondly, Christ as Mediator might have ſomething beſtowed and given upon him by the Father. For although as Mediator he muſt neceſſarily be God alſo, yet becauſe (to be Mediator) doth imply a compound, as it were, viz. God-man; Therefore in that reſpect, he is capable by way of gift of that which otherwiſe abſolutely as God, he could not receive, and in this reſpect, as Mediator, he ſtill acknowledgeth, He received his Doctrine from the Father, that it was from the free love and goodneſs of God to appoint him to be a Mediator. Now of all the gifts, which the Scripture ſpeaks of, as moſt eminently and ſignally beſtowed upon him, is that glory and exaltation he was lifted up into after he had been in a ſtate of humiliation. This the Scripture doth often inculcate; but here is ſome Doubt about the explication of this, For the Socinians denying Chriſt to be eſſentially God,Doubt. do affirm, That this glory became due unto him, only upon his obedience unto death, and that upon ſuch perfect obedience, then, and not before, God appointed and conſtituted him God and Lord, gave him this high excellent glory, commanding men and Angels to worſhip him with the ſame religious worſhip, that God himſelf is to be worſhipped.
Sol.But this is fully againſt Scripture, which as it makes him God while on earth, ſo alſo King and Lord of all, although after his death, he came to a fuller poſſeſſion of this glory, he was alwayes King and Head of the Church, having a right to all glory, but yet did not actually receive it, but in ſuch a method and order God had appointed.
Doubt.The other Doubt is about the Orthodox themſelves, Whether Chriſt did merit this glory for himſelf, or no? Some eminent Divines do wholly deny it, making his glory only the conſequent of his humiliation, not the reward of it merited by the Lord Chriſt.Sol. But there ſeemeth no danger in, yea there appeareth ſome neceſſity of affirming, That Chriſt merited his own glory as well as ours; Not but that as God he had a right to all glory, only the ſame glory was due unto him upon a two-fold title, 1. By natural inheritance, as it were being the only begotten Son of God: And ſecondly, by purchaſe and conqueſt: Even as Joaſh obtained his Kingdom, partly by his natural right, and partly by conqueſt ſubduing Athaliah, who unjuſtly detained the Kingdom from him. This Mediatory glory then was both a gift, and a reward unto Chriſt, although even all this glory that Chriſt is inveſted with, doth alſo redound to our good and glory.
Thirdly, From this glory that is thus given to him, as Mediator, ariſeth a fervent diſpute amongſt Divines, Whether Chriſt, as Mediator, Doubt.be to be adored with religious worſhip? But
1. This is confeſſed by the Orthodox againſt the Socinians, That Chriſt is by Nature the true God, which they prove from religious worſhip given unto him,Sol. for we are commanded to believe him, therefore in him alſo are we to worſhip; inſomuch that the Socinians are guilty of high Idolatry (let them mince the matter never ſo much) while they give religious worſhip to Chriſt, and yet profeſs him to be a meer man. But now the Socinians to overthrow this,Socinians Argument. argue in this manner, He that is worſhipped with a divine worſhip, as he is Mediator, is not worſhipped as God: But Chriſt is worſhipped as Mediator.
In anſwering of this Objection, The Orthodox go ſeveral wayes▪ Anſwered.Some deny the minor, viz. That Chriſt is not to be religiouſly adored, as Mediator, though they acknowledge that even to Chriſts humane Nature there is due ſome veneration inferiour to the divine: But we may well enough grant the Propoſition true, That Chriſt, as Mediator, is to be adored with divine worſhip, becauſe as he is Mediator he muſt neceſſarily be God, and ſo therein is included the ratio formalis ſub quà of all religious worſhip: So that to be worſhipped as Mediator, and as God, are not oppoſite, but one is neceſſarily included in the other. For that ſuch a religious invocation of Chriſt, as Mediator is lawfull, appeareth by that prayer of Stephen, Lord Jeſus receive my ſpirit, Act. 7.59.
The Ʋſe may be of Inſtruction; Doth God the Father thus exalt and glorifie Chriſt? Was this his purpoſe from all eternity thus to have him magnified for ever? Then let it be our conſtant work, and the daily imploiment of our ſoul, to give him all honour and praiſe: Oh let us be aſhamed more, that we have not honoured Chriſt as he ought to be! Whom Ahaſhuerus would have honoured, all the people were ready to bow unto; how much rather then ought we to glorifie the Lord Chriſt, whom the Father doth therefore exalt, becauſe by his ſufferings we are alſo glorified. Now we may glorifie him three wayes:How many wayes we may glorifie Chriſt.
1. Doctrinally, by maintaining all thoſe true opinions that advance him in his Nature, Offices, and all operations for us; For he that denieth any of his Natures or his Offices, or his works for us, he doth greatly rob Chriſt of his glory, and how buſie hath the devil been in all ages, thus to diſhonour Chriſt, becauſe by this means the Head and the foundation of the Church is endangered, which proveth mortal to the Church; Socinians deſtroy one of the Natures, Papiſts obſcure his Offices: ſo that in very few Churches is Chriſt ſet up in all his glory.
2. Chriſts glory is to be cordially in thy heart, and orally in thy mouth; Oh what inlarged affections and raviſhment of ſoul did Paul ſhew, when he mentions Chriſt, he ſpeaks of him, as the compleat perfection of a Chriſtian, Who is made righteouſneſſe, wiſdome and all things, and therefore this is the character of thoſe that are ſpiritual, They have no confidence in the fleſh, and rejoyce in Chriſt Jeſus, Phil. 3.3.
Laſtly, We glorifie Chriſt really in our lives and converſations, when we walk as Members ſutably to the Head, when we order our converſations anſwerably to the rule of the Goſpel. For how often do wicked men reproach and diſhonour Chriſt by their ungodly lives, as if Chriſt taught them no better, or as if Chriſt died not to deliver us from all ungodly and ſinfull luſts? Therefore on the other ſide, then we honour Chriſt, when we are holy as he was, zealous as he was, humble and meek as he was, as Paul ſaid, He carried the marks of Chriſt upon his body, ſo do thou the graces of Chriſt upon thy ſoul.
We come in the next place to a brief deſcription of the ſubject deſcribed, Thoſe that thou haſt given me: Now this is the oppoſite deſcription to ſuch who are of the world. By giving unto Chriſt, ſome underſtand by a Metonymy of the effect for the cauſe, Gods decree to give, as 2 Tim. 1.9. The grace given us in Chriſt Jeſus before the world began, that is, decreed to be given to us: So ſome expound the fore-going place, The glory which thou haſt given me, that is, which thou haſt decreed to give, even as in this Chapter he ſaith, I come to thee, I ſanctifie my ſelf, and as John 6.33. Every one that my Father giveth ſhall come to me, where by giving muſt be underſtood a decree to give, for actual giving is the very coming it ſelf unto Chriſt. Though this be true, yet we muſt adde, that in reſpect of thoſe who were to believe, ſo it's a decree of giving, but in reſpect of the Apoſtles and others who did then believe, it was an actual giving, Now whereas we ſee the original and fountain of all grace formerly prayed for, and now all glory here is, becauſe ſome are given to Chriſt by the Father, we may obſerve,
Doct. 2. That its no free-will or preparatory work in man, that begins either his grace or glory, but the ſole gift of God.That it's no free-will, or preparatory work in man, that begins either his grace or glory, but the ſole gift of God. I ſhall but touch at this, becauſe handled before, only as our Saviour thought fit to uſe this deſcription of believers ſo often in one Chapter, ſo it ſhould alſo inform us, that it's a truth of abſolute neceſſity, which ought conſtantly to reign in our hearts, that we did not prevent God, but Gods grace did prevent us, that we did not chooſe him, but he choſe us. Therefore it's a violent wreſting of the words by Arminians, when they will have this giving of ſome to the Father to be underſtood for the conſequent, mens obeying and receiving of the grace offered, and ſo we give our ſelves to Chriſt, and are not given by the Father. That the initials of all good is from grace only, and not of us, is abundantly convinced, by that wretched, ſinfull, and wofull pollution that we are all born in, like that miſerable infant ſpoken of by the Prophet Ezekiel, chap. 16. I ſhall not doctrinally inlarge this, only let the Uſe be
1. Admonition, to take heed of all thoſe proud and ſelf-advancing Doctrines, that magnifie the power of nature, that think not grace abſolutely neceſſary, that if it be required, it's only ad facilius operandum, or that grace doth onelyonly excite and ſtirre up the natural abilities within us: Oh take heed of ſwallowing down this deadly poiſon!
Ʋſe 2. Of Exhortation to the people of God, with all humility and aſtoniſhment to admire the grace of God in Chriſt, that mollified thee, that prepared thee, that began firſt upon thee: Alas thou waſt wallowing in thy bloud, thou waſt hotly purſuing thy ſins, thou didſt violently refuſe the grace of God, till at laſt he opened thy heart, and ſaved thee againſt thy will, making thee of unwilling, willing.