One-Hundred Forty-Five Sermons Upon John 17, Sermon 139
SERMON CXXXIX. Of the Righteouſneſs of God (as a Judge) in his Administrations to Devils and wicked men; And (as a Father) unto his own people.
JOHN 17.25.
O righteous Father, the world hath not known thee, &c.
SOme have thought that our Saviour having finiſhed his prayer for all ſorts of believers, he doth now give thanks to God, that had revealed himſelf to them, and not unto the wicked world, and therefore they compare it with that place of Luke 10.21. But the general torrent of Interpreters upon more probable grounds, does conceive this to be a continuation ſtill of the former prayer, for the eternal glory of all believers. Indeed Piſcator thinks, that our Saviour doth in this cloſe, return again to the Apoſtles onelyonly, but the Arguments our Saviour uſeth, are general, and do relate to all believers, and therefore we are not to limit this comfortable paſſage to ſome eminent believers onelyonly.
The Matter (you heard) prayed for all believers, was, their eternal happineſs, expreſſed in thoſe words, to behold the glory, which the Father had given him, with the reaſon of it, becauſe the Father had loved him before the foundation of the world. So that although Chriſt as God had right to glory alwayes, yet being in the fleſh, after an infirm and paſſible manner, the glory thereof was eclipſed, which the Ancients did well expreſs by a Candle or Lamp in a lantern, that would indeed give great light, but the lantern being compaſſed about with clay, hindred the emiſſion of that light, till it were removed, and thus till all thoſe humane infirmities were taken away, which Chriſt ſubjected himſelf to, while in the fleſh, and he riſen again, thoſe glorious beams of his Divinity, could not ſend forth themſelves. This (I ſay) being the matter of the Petition, our Saviour doth further confirm it, by continuing this prayer with ſeveral arguments more, whereof the firſt is from the oppoſition or antitheſis that is between the wicked damned world, and believers, expreſſed in theſe words, The world hath not known, that is their Character.
2. You have the Deſcription of believers, Theſe have known thou haſt ſent me.
3. The fontal cauſe, and original of it, I have known thee.
4. The Compellation given to God, ſuiting the argument in hand, righteous Father. This is the ſixt time, that Chriſt cals him Father in this prayer, and no wonder, becauſe (as you heard) it's ſo ſweet a relation, producing all love, delight, joy and confidence in God, by him that practically improveth it, but that I have diſpatched; only I muſt not paſſe by that adjunct, or title further qualifying this Father, viz. righteous, righteous Father, formerly when he prayed for the ſanctification of his Diſciples, then he ſaid holy Father, making uſe of that attribute, which is the cauſe of all holineſs in the creature, but now ſpeaking of that dreadfull and wonderfull diſpenſation of God, whereby to ſome he revealeth himſelf; and others again he ſuffers to periſh in their rebellion, therefore it is that he pitcheth on a ſutable attribute, Righteous Father: It's true indeed the word foreign, is ſometimes uſed of a man, in reſpect of his univerſal rectitude and uprightneſs, and ſo ſome take it here, and then it's no more then that former compellation foreign, holy Father, but the altering of the word with the context, may incline us to underſtand it differently: Now you muſt know righteouſneſs may be attributed to God generally and particularly, How righteouſneſs may be attributed unto God.generally, as it comprehends the whole rectitude, and univerſal purity of his whole nature, or particularly, and that ſeveral wayes,
1. The righteouſneſſe of his fidelity and promiſe, whereby he doth make good to all believers, whatſoever he hath ſaid, even to the meaneſt and loweſt act of grace. Thus 1 Tim. 4.8. Paul ſaith, The righteous Judge will give him a Crown of glory: And 1 Joh. 1.9. If we confeſs our ſins, God is faithfull and righteous to forgive them. Here is righteouſneſs, and the godly may plead heaven, becauſe of Gods righteouſneſs, but it's only a righteouſneſs of promiſe, or fidelity in God, not any ſtrict remunerative righteouſneſs, as if from the good works themſelves God were bound to reward them. Indeed Maldonate, he would faſten this interpretation upon the word, as if our Saviour did plead the merits of believers; but this is ſo proud and preſumptuous, that we will not ſpend time to confute it.
2. There is a punitive and vindicative righteouſneſs, which God exerciſeth to the wicked impenitent world, and that both in ſpiritual and temporal puniſhment, of which Revel. 16.7. 19.2. (Righteous are the judgements of God.) Now I ſhall comprehend both theſe kinds of righteouſneſs, righteouſneſs of God as a Father, in reſpect of thoſe who believe in him, and righteouſneſs of God as a Judge, in reſpect of the world which doth not know him.
Obſerv. God whether conſidered as a Judge of the world, or a Father to beleevers, is righteous in all his wayes.Obſerv. That God, whether conſidered as a Judge of the world, or a Father to believers, is righteous in all his wayes. This truth is of great uſe, if duly improved; for what will ſilence all thy diſputes, all thy murmurings? What will rebuke thoſe winds and waves of thy ſoul, but this, The Lord is righteous?
Let us take notice of Gods righteouſneſs in this two-fold conſideration, for both are aimed at in the expreſſion by our Saviour. And
Firſt, The righteouſneſs of God as a Judge of the world, and as his adminiſtrations to wicked men, they are ſo righteous and juſt, that even the devils and wicked men, I. God is juſt in all his adminiſtrations to devils and wicked men.though they may blaſpheme, yet cannot ſay, God is unjuſt, or doth them any wrong: And although the Arminians, and ſuch infected perſons, who with their whole ſtrength indeavour to overthrow Gods abſolute Election of ſome to eternal life, and the preterition and paſſing by of others, bring ſpecious Arguments, as if the Orthodox by this Doctrine made him unjuſt, and more cruel then any man, yet ſuch can prevail only with thoſe that leave Scripture, and conſult with humane affections, and indulge too much to natural reaſon. For
R. 1 1. When the Scripture is ſo poſitively and clear, that ſome are elected, ſome are given by the Father to Chriſt, ſome are veſſels of honour and mercy, and others not loved by God to eternal life, but left to themſelves, and ſo become by their ſinfulneſs veſſels of wrath, and when not onelyonly Scripture, but experience alſo doth confirm this, That the greateſt part of the world, yea and the Chriſtian Church die in their ſins, and do eternally periſh, For many are called, but few are choſen: When (I ſay) Scripture and experience is clear for ſuch a thing, it's preſumption in us to argue from thence unrighteouſneſs in God; For can we ſearch into the deep counſels of God? Do we comprehend the purpoſes and ends of God? We ſhould rather conclude, There is righteouſneſs in all theſe things, though we cannot pierce into it. The Apoſtle in Rom. 9. doth beat down ſuch preſumptuous cavillings with God; and we may obſerve, That though David and Jeremiah were greatly diſquieted with anxious diſputes about Gods proceedings in his adminiſtrations, yet they lay down this as a peremptory concluſion, and they fortifie themſelves with this againſt all inſurrections of ſpirit, The Lord is righteous. Gods will is the law of righteouſneſs, and none but God himſelf, whoſe underſtanding is infinite, can comprehend his own wayes.
R. 2 2. God is not unrighteous in paſſing by ſome, and leaving others, Becauſe he hath an abſolute ſoveraignty, and dominion over all. He is not ſubject to any as a ſuperior; Neither is he bound by any Laws impoſed upon him, only his own holineſs is that eternal Rule and Law, by which he doth all things, and if none may ſay unto a King, why doeſt thou ſo? Much leſs to the King of Kings: Therefore learned Divines make Election, neither an act of mercy, or of juſtice, but of ſoveraignty and dominion only.
R. 3 3. God is not unjuſt, Becauſe if he had not ſaved one man, but left all in their undone eſtate, he had done no more, then he might do. For why ſhould it be unjuſt in reference to man, more then in reference to the apoſtate Angels, for of that whole number of them which fell, there is not one redeemed from their eternal miſeries; and are we of more noble conſideration, then thoſe ſpirits, yea one of them might have done God more ſervice, if reſtored, then many men could do? So that this conſideration ſhould bridle our unruly thoughts, and we ſhould rather admire and praiſe the goodneſs and grace of God, that any one is ſaved, rather then charge God ſinfully and fooliſhly, as we are apt to do, becauſe no more.
R. 4 Laſtly, There is no injuſtice in God, he is a righteous Judge of the world, though ſome are elected, and others are reprobated, Becauſe all thoſe Divines who do hold ſuch an abſolute Election or Reprobation do ſo poſitively expreſſe themſelves, that the cauſe of mans damnation is wholly from his ſin, and mans ſin is wholly and freely from himſelf. That he is not neceſſitated and compelled to ſin by ſuch ſuppoſed pre-definitive Decrees, but that he ſinneth of himſelf, and ſo his perdition is of himſelf, as fully as if there were no ſuch Decrees at all. Theſe two things the Orthodox ſuppoſe that the Scripture affirmeth, both ſuch Decrees of God, and alſo man himſelf to be the only cauſe of his damnation, and if ſo be that the underſtanding of man, could not tell how to reconcile theſe two together; It's better with Cajetan to confeſs the weakneſs and imbecility of our apprehenſions, then to deny the things aſſerted in Scripture.
In the ſecond place, God is righteous as a Judge, II.in that he beſtoweth his effectual grace upon ſome, and not upon others. For this end it is, that our Saviour doth call his Father righteous, becauſe he lets the world alone to it ſelf, it deſerveth to periſh in it's unbelief and rebellion, but to others he manifeſteth himſelf. God is ſo righteous herein, that Luk. 10. our Saviour is greatly affected with it, and bleſſeth God therein. Now to our corrupt judgements we are ready to think, that Gods wayes are inequal, why he giveth his grace to ſome, that it may be are more wicked, and more unworthy then others. And then again, Others that ſeem to be more civil, and reſtrained from outward impiety, he denieth his mollifying grace to them; but if we could judge of things aright, even in this wonderfull diſpenſation of God, we ſhould admire his righteouſneſs. For the full anſwer to all humane cavils in this reſpect is, That there is none denied grace, but ſuch who by their ſins have juſtly deſerved ſo: If Judas be not converted, and Peter is, Judas hath his ſins, for which God may juſtly give him up to ſpiritual judgements; If the men of Tyre and Sydon have not the means of grace as well as Capernaum, it's becauſe their iniquities make them unworthy of it. So that there is no man living under the means of grace, that can juſtly complain of God, becauſe he doth not give him a ſoft and mollified heart, as well as others: For it's his own perſonal impiety and voluntary wickedneſs, that makes heaven as it were like braſſe and iron to him: It's true, God could if he pleaſed, give Judas a ſoft heart, as well as Peter, but there is no injuſtice, if God doth not diſpence his acts of liberality and grace, for then juſtice and liberality, a gift and reward would be all one: So that the godly indeed, who are partakers of converting grace, they have cauſe to admire and bleſs God for his unſpeakable goodneſs, but the wicked who continueth and periſheth in his ſins, may ſay, My deſtruction and damnation is of my ſelf, God hath done like an holy, wiſe and righteous God, but I have brought vengeance upon my own head: But theſe divine diſpenſations of Gods juſtice, eſpecially as to ſpiritual judgements, require a larger and more exact ſcrutiny, which is not here to be inſiſted upon.
The righteouſnes of God as a Father to his people in all their afflictions.Come we therefore in the next place, To take notice of Gods righteouſneſs, as a Father unto his own people and children: And herein the godly are often ſollicited, they begin to queſtion and to doubt of Gods promiſe and his kindneſs: Oh they think, If I be thus loved of God! If I be one that doth belong to the promiſe, why doth the Lord deal thus and thus with me? Every wicked man, he proſpereth and thriveth in his impiety, but I am afflicted all the day long, though I waſh my hands in innocency: Now to the godly thus exerciſed, I have only two particulars to minde them of.
1. That becauſe God is righteous, therefore it is that thou art afflicted, and it may be more then many wicked men are. Though it be an heavy temptation, and ſuch an one, that we reade David at one time had much ado to overcome, yet it is ſo far from being unrighteouſneſs in God to afflict thee, though his beloved childe, that he would be unrighteous, if he did not: Doth not David at another time, when the cloud was diſpelled, ſay, That out of very faithfulneſſe God hath afflicted him, Pſal. 119.75? So that the righteouſneſs of God as a Father doth require this: It's true, thy afflictions are not properly penal, to ſatisfie his righteouſneſs, for that is done already by the blood of Chriſt, but they are caſtigatory of thy ſins, and by way of prevention for the future: ſo that there is no exerciſe befals thee, but thou art bound to juſtifie and clear him, ſay, It's righteous with God to do thus to me, becauſe of my ſeveral corruptions that are ſo ſtrong in me.
2. Gods righteouſneſs is ſeen as a Father in reſpect of his fidelity and veracity to keep his promiſe to us: So that though the good things promiſed may be deferred, thou haſt not yet any enjoyment of them, yet know, The righteouſneſs of God will not ſuffer him to forget thee, Heb. 6.10. The Apoſtle doth there comfort beleevers, That God was not unrighteous, and therefore he would not forget their ſufferings: It's true, it's Popery to plead the commutative, and ſtrict righteouſneſs from God, as if there were an inward condignity of our holy works in reſpect of heaven, but a righteouſneſs of fidelity, we may and ought to encourage our ſelves with.
Ʋſe of Exhortation, to all the children of God, that the meditation of God as a righteous Father, ſhould ſtop the mouth of impatience; ſay as Chriſt concerning every chaſtiſement, Joh. 18.11. Shall I not drink of the cup that my Father hath given me? What wouldſt thou have God unrighteous for thy ſake? Wouldſt thou have him not deal ſutably to his holy and pure nature? Thou hadſt rather God ſhould be unrighteous, then thou ſuffer any outward evil: Oh do thou abhorre and ſhame thy ſelf! Even wicked men have been forced to acknowledge God, juſt and righteous, as a Judge, and ſhall not grace make thee acknowledge this in him, as a Father?