One-Hundred Forty-Five Sermons Upon John 17, Sermon 2
SERMON II. The tranſcendent Excellency and Efficacy of Chriſts Praier (in reſpect of the matter and nature thereof, as being Mediatory, his Perſon and Relation, &c.) held forth as a ground of unſpeakable comfort to Beleevers.
JOH. 17.1.
Theſe words ſpake Jeſus, and lift up his eyes to heaven, and ſaid, Father.
THE Introduction hath already been diſpatched, which contained the Order and Method of Chriſts Praier, as alſo his geſture; We now come to the praier it ſelf, he ſaid, Father, &c.
To open this Conſider, That Praier is of two ſorts,
Either 1. Mentall, which is only in the ſoul and ſpirit, for God being a Spirit and omniſcient, knoweth all the thoughts and deſires of the heart; Thus Angels and the ſpirits of juſt men perfected in heaven do pray, The ſouls under the Altar cried for an holy avenging on their enemies, Rev. 6.9.
Or elſe there is 2. a vocall Praier, when our deſires are manifeſted by outward ſigns of words, and thus Chriſts praier here is a vocall praier, neither may ſuch kinde of praying be thought needleſſe,Why we ſhould pray with the tongue. for we do not uſe words as if God needed theſe ſigns, in which ſence Eliah derided Baals Prieſts, bidding them cry aloud, it may be Baal was aſleep, or in a journey, 1 King. 8.27. but hereby to excite and ſtir up our affections, for the ſoul and body do mutually help each other, and partly becauſe we are to glorifie God with our body, and with our ſoul, and laſtly what is ſtrongly in the heart cannot but empty it ſelf in words: Hence are thoſe expreſſions, I cried unto the Lord with a loud voice, ſo that a vocall praier is commanded as well as a mentall, only in that we muſt remember there ought to be a threefold attention, firſt unto God the object unto whom we pray that our thoughts be not diſtracted. 2.In vocal praier there muſt be a threefold attention. To the matter that it be lawfull and according to Gods will. 3. To the words, that they be ſober, grave and decent in ſo religious a duty. And thus much from that expreſſion, Chriſt ſaid, Father.
How Chriſt being God could pray.In the next place let us conſider, how Chriſt could pray, for being God it ſeemeth praier is as incompatible to him as to God; The anſwer is in reſpect of his divine nature, ſo he could not pray, but in his humane nature and as he was in the ſtate of humiliation, ſo he did not only pray, but he praied wirh agonies and ſtrong cries, as the Apoſtle ſaith, Heb. 5.7. for in this conſideration he was capable of many mercies which God did beſtow upon him, and alſo upon all the Elect, for he praied for them alſo, yea, he did not only pray in the ſtate of humiliation, but in his glorified eſtate; Now whileſt he is exalted on his Throne, he makes interceſſion for us, Heb. 7.15. 1 Joh. 2.1. Though this Interceſſion in Heaven is not in that humble way of ſupplication, as while he was in the fleſh, but a preſenting of his ſufferings and obedience to the Father, with an earneſt will that all his Elect ſhould partake the benefits thereof; But of this Point, how Chriſt could be ſaid to pray, more in its due time. This praier Chriſt powred forth, ſo far as it relateth to the Church of God and all beleevers, is part of his Prieſtly office, for the Prieſt was to doe two things, firſt to pray, then to offer a ſacrifice; Now Chriſt in this Chapter he praieth and afterwards offereth up himſelf an holy and unſpotted ſacrifice for the ſins of his people, and as the High-Prieſt was to carry the names of the twelve Tribes in his breaſt to preſent them to God, ſo doth Chriſt here, he preſents all his children unto God the Father by this praier; There is no godly man ſo mean, ſo weak, ſo inconſiderable but he is commended unto the Father, and may juſtly expect the fruit of this praier.
Doct. That all the godly are under the benefit of Chriſts Mediatory praier.That all the Children of God are under the fruit and benefit of Chriſts Mediatory praier: Take up theſe two forementioned places, 1 Joh 2.1. If any ſin, we have an Advocate with the Father; Here is ſuppoſed that upon every ſinne we commit, there is an inditement, an impleading of us, an accuſing of us unto God; Thou thinkeſt nothing of thy ſinnes when committed, they are preſently out of thy minde, but oh the charge and Inditement that is againſt thee before God, only the godly they have Chriſt an Advocate, he dosh conſtantly pleade for them, he takes their parts and he is ſure to prevail; What treaſures of comfort are here for the godly, when thou art not thinking or minding thy own ſelf, Chriſt in heaven is pleading for thee; It's good to have this Friend in the Court of heaven, ſo Heb. 7.25. He everliveth to make interceſſion for them; he ever-liveth, and this he attends unto, When thou art ſleeping and canſt not pray for thy ſelf, he maketh Interceſſion for thee; So that Chriſt though exalted and made glorious in heaven, hath not laid aſide his love and earneſt affections for thy good; But as Joſeph when lifted up in Pharaohs Court ſent for his Father and Brethren to give them the good things of Egipt; Thus it is here, Chriſt ſaid, he went to his Father to provide manſion places in heaven for them, Joh. 14.2. Oh the unſpeakable dignity and happineſſe to be under Chriſts Interceſſion; If we do ſo much eſteem the praier of a godly man on earth, and the effectuall praier of one righteous man prevaileth much. The excelltncy of praier appearing in that it only is compared to Frankincenſe, Heb. 5. & cap. 6. ſignifying as this doth recreate and refreſh man, ſo doth a true right praier pleaſe God;) what then will the praier of Chriſt himſelf do? If a Job, If a Daniel, If a Moſes could do ſo much in praier, when yet their praier needed Chriſts praier for acceptation and impetration, how prevalent muſt Chriſts praier be for his beleevers?
To open this Doctrine, Conſider
Firſt, The matter of Chriſts Praier for his Children, and that is,
1. For the accompliſhing of all grace here and glory hereafter;I. The matter of Chriſts praier for his Children. There is no heavenly or ſpirituall mercy but Chriſt hath praied for it; Thou doſt not only pray for it, (alas what are thy praiers?) but Chriſt hath praied for it, thy converſion and ſanctification is praied for; There is no man to be converted by the Word but Chriſt praied for that mans converſion, Joh. 17.20.1. All grace. It was ſaid of Auſtin, becauſe his Mother Monica praied ſo earneſtly about him, that it was impoſſible a childe of ſo many praiers ſhould periſh, but that is not neceſſary, though all the men in the world ſhould pray for ſuch a mans converſion, it might not be, only we may ſay, It's impoſſible a childe of Chriſts praiers and tears ſhould periſh.
Again, 2. Pardon and forgiveneſſe of ſinne, and that as oft as it is committed is the matter of his prayer: We have an Advocate, as you heard. Alas,2. Pardon of ſin. upon the committing of any ſinne, if there were no more ſtrength to do them away then is in the praiers and tears of the godly, if all the guilt lay upon them to diſcharge, how inſupportable would it be? but there is no ſinne at any time committed by thee, if repented of and forgiven, but Chriſt hath praied that it may be forgiven thee: ſo then though there be weakneſſe, unbelief, and dullneſſe in thy praiers, yet there was no fault to be found …n Chriſts praiers; In all thy agonies, deſertions and temptations, pleade the Interceſſion of Chriſt;
3. Further, Another main ſpirituall mercy praied for, is preſervation from ſin, v. 15. I pray not thou ſhouldeſt take them out of the world, 3.but that thou ſhouldeſt keep them from the evil; Oh admirable and neceſſary praier; we are in the world as in an infected Hoſpitall, as in a fiery furnace: Now to be here and not diſeaſed, not to be burned therein, is the wonderfull expreſſion of Gods power and goodneſſe, for this River to run into the Sea, and not to partake of the ſalt taſte thereof is beyond expreſſion, Chriſt hath not praied that we ſhould have no afflictions or troubles in the world, but that we ſhould be kept from the evil of them; He did not pray for Peter that he ſhould not have wofull and ſad temptations, but that his faith might not fail in the midſt of them; O what a comfortable cordiall may it be in times of great commotions and violent temptations! how do the godly fear leſt their ſtrength ſhould fail them, leſt one time or other they ſhould yeeld to ſinne, and be overwhelmed? Now in the midſt of all theſe fears Chriſt hath praied for thee as well as for Peter, that thy faith may not fail: Inſomuch that we may ſay, Chriſts praier for beleevers is all their hope and foundation; In ſome ſad exigences how carefull are we to have the praiers of all Gods people, to be remembred in ſuch and ſuch a Congregation, but if all the Churches in the world ſhould pray for a man, it would not amount to ſo much as Chriſts praier; therefore let the godly comfort one another with theſe things.
Laſtly, He hath praied for their glorification; Thus he praied,4. Glorification. that they may be one even as he and the father are one, and that they be where he is, viz. that they may enjoy that glory which Chriſt had purchaſed for them; Therefore he is called the Reſurrection, Job. 11.25. becauſe he will raiſe up ſuch at the laſt day: The body though dead and conſumed to aſhes ſhall not alwaies be in the grave, neither ſhall the ſoul have ſuch rags and deformities upon it continually, but ſhall be cloathed with glorious robes; Thus you ſee the chief and main matter of Chriſts praier, not ſo much earthly and temporall things, as heavenly: for although Chriſt did comfort his Diſciples even in earthly ſtraits, Mat. 6.25. that they had a Father in Heaven, and if he did provide for all the creatures in the world, they might much rather be perſwaded of his care to them, and Paul argued Rom. 8. he gave his only Son for them, how ſhall he not give all things elſe? Yet the great things that Chriſt before his ſufferings thought fit to commend unto God, were ſpirituall and heavenly benefits. And that is the firſt conſideration, The matter of Chriſts Praier.
II. The nature of his praier by way of Mediation.Secondly, Take notice of the nature of this Praier, it's by way of Mediation; It's a Mediatory Praier, and ſo differs from all the praiers of other men: As they are bare meer men, ſo their praiers are bare meer praiers; There is no merit, no mediation in thee, but Chriſts praier is of a farre more tranſcendent nature, Even as the bloud of the Martyrs came farre ſhort of Chriſts; Their bloud was not expiatory, it was not by way of a Sacrifice for ſinnes, whereas Chriſts was; Thus there is a vaſt difference between praiers and praiers, God may regard one mans praier more then anothers, it may be more effectuall, as in that ſuppoſition, though Daniel and Job ſtood and praied, they ſhould not be heard; Job, you know was commanded to pray for his Friends, and his praier was accepted of more then theirs, and Daniel was ſaid to be a man greatly beloved, becauſe his praiers were ſo readily heard; Likewiſe the praier of many, or a Church, is more prevalent then the praier of one ſingle perſon; So a Praier from one in office as a Miniſter, is more then of one in a private condition: but yet the praier of Chriſt as in the office of a Mediatour doth farre ſurmount all. So then in Chriſts praier we are eſpecially to look to the Mediatory power, to the impetratory efficacy of it; It's not a meer ſupplication as ours are, but a powerfull obtaining of what is deſired; His praier can be no more refuſed then his bloud, they both are in the ſame nature, they go along under the ſame reſpect, his bloud may as well be without advantage as his praier; The high-Prieſts praier for the people was of greater concernment for the people then their own praiers; I tell thee all thy own praiers are not of that conſequence to thee as Chriſts praier is, all Mediatory and impetratory efficacy is from that.
III. The dignity of the Perſon praying.Thirdly, Conſider the dignity of the Perſon who did pray for beleevers, and thereby cometh an infinite efficacy and worth to it. Chriſt who praied for us being God and man, in regard of his divine nature, there cometh an infinite worth upon his praier, his praier is like himſelf, and from this account it is, that it is meritorious with God, that it is juſt with God to grant him his Requeſts; his Supplications are put up in his own name, he needeth no Mediatour, there is none to make way for his acceptance with God, ſo that this Meditation affords unſpeakable conſolation, though all thy praiers and duties be nothing worth, yet Chriſts is of infinite value: The dignity and merit whereby any good cometh to us, is not for our praiers but for Chriſts; Certainly the people of God do not live ſo chearfully upon this conſideration as they ought; They are careful to pour out their own praiers, but not by faith to reſt on Chriſts; What needeſt thou fear who canſt bring praiers of infinite merit? The Lord Chriſt hath praied that I might have this mercy; he hath praied that this grace ſhould be vouchſafed unto me; What fault can be found with Chriſt? What blame or imperfection is to be ſeen or found in him? how can Chriſt be denied in juſtice? It is his right to have his Requeſts anſwered.
IV. His relation to God the Father.Fourthly, Conſider the reſpect and relation Chriſt ſtands in towards God the Father, And then you will ſtill ſay, his praier is of great concernment to …, Now his relation is, the only Son of God, and dearly beloved by him, This is my well-beloved Son in whom I am well-pleaſed, Mat. 3.17. So that his praiers are heard unqueſtionably upon a twofold ground, the one of juſtice becauſe infinite in worth, the other of love becauſe the only begotten Son; This Heb. 5.7. He is ſaid, while he praied, to be heard in what he feared, and Joh. 11.12. Chriſt thanks the Father that he heard him alwaies, and often doth he profeſſe that the Father loveth him the Sonne, and that the Father and the Son are one. This alſo is very comfortable to meditate upon, Thou haſt the praier of him who is the only begotten of the Father, whom the Father heareth alwaies, and to whom he denieth nothing, if we are able to ſay, Lord, this is not my praier only, This is not my deſire only, but its the requeſt of Chriſt ſo beloved of thee, then thou maiſt juſtly beleeve thou ſhalt be accepted of; O Lord, though I have no lovelineſſe, no comelineſſe, yet Chriſt hath; Some have doubted whether Chriſt was heard in every thing he praied for,Whether Chriſt was heard in every thing he praied for, or no. and they inſtance in his praier, that the cup might paſſe from him, but that was only conditionall▪ If it be thy will, and therefore he added, Not my will but thine be done; That which he abſolutely praied for, was Gods ſupport and preſervation of him, as alſo the raiſing him out of the grave. That which ſeemeth to have gteat difficulty is his praier, Luke 23.34. Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do, but of the efficacy of this we need not doubt of, becauſe the Phariſees and others they ſinned againſt their knowledge and conſcience, and for ſuch Chriſt praied not, but others that knew not what they did, many of them were converted afterwards, and did beleeve in him, whom they had pierced, ſo that we need not doubt of ſpeeding, when we bring Chriſt with us. Hence Joh. 16.24. Whatſoever you ſhall ask the Father in my Name, he will give it you; If we were to draw nigh in our Name, If we did appear in our own Name, we might juſtly look for anger in ſtead of mercy, but God is not angry with Chriſt, he doth not frown upon Chriſt.
Fifthly,V. Chriſts praier had all the qualifications requiſite to acceptation. The praier of Chriſt had all thoſe internall qualifications that are requiſite to acceptation: For firſt, There was holy faith and confidence, the Preface is Father, which is not a bare Title, but an expreſſion from inward affection, indeed Chriſt was not capable of juſtifying faith, he was too perfect a ſubject to need ſuch a grace, yet as the habit of faith doth include no imperfection in the ſubject, but a full dependance and affiance on God, ſo Chriſt did beleeve, and in this ſence he cried, My God, My God, why haſt thou forſaken me? My God, My God, were acts of fiduciall dependance; As for repentance and ſorrow for ſinne, which is requiſite in all our praiers, ſuch alſo Chriſt was not capable of, but then for love and zeal to God, for heavenly affections, &c. The Sea is not fuller of water then his ſoul was of ſuch enlargements; No diſtraction, no deadneſſe, no imperfection did cleave to his praier, but as he himſelf was without ſinne, ſo alſo was his praier; Beſides the extrinſecall dignity and worth of Chriſts praier there was an inherent perfection and fullneſſe of all graces in him: Oh then though the godly labour and groan under manifold weakneſſes; Their praiers are ſo imperfect that they need to be praied over again, and confeſſion is requiſite for our imperfect confeſſion, yet remember the perfection of Chriſts praiers, There was no ſpot, no blemiſh in this Sacrifice of his lips. At the end of thy praier, when thy heart ſmiteth thee for thy roving thoughts, thy dulneſſe, thy diſtractions, comfort thy ſelf with this, there was no ſuch defect in Chriſts praier; Chriſts praier was like that curious confection and ointment, which had ſo many precious ingredients in it.
Sixthly, Conſider this Praier of Chriſts had that generall nature in it, VI. A condition or medium of good things. Why Praier is needfull notwithſtanding Gods knowledge and unchangeableneſswhich all our praiers have, to be a condition and medium to bring about the good things we deſire: For ſome have diſputed about praier, What uſe is there of it, ſeeing God knoweth all things before we ask, and he is unchangeable, our praiers cannot alter his purpoſe; To this it's anſwered, That our praiers are not to acquaint God with that he knew not, or to change his will, only God who hath decreed to do ſuch things, he hath appointed praier as a condition or means for the accompliſhment of them; Even as God hath ordained the earth to bring forth fruit, but it muſt be tilled and ſown, and as mankinde is to be multiplied, but by marriage, ſo good things are appointed for the godly but by praier, Mat. 7.7. This is therefore called the golden chain reaching from earth to heaven, Aſcendit precatio, deſcendit miſeratio; and for this end is both a command of praier and a gracious promiſe to it, ſo that he who praieth not preſumeth groſly, if he expect the fullfilling of any good thing to him; As it is thus with praier in the general ſo alſo with Chriſts praier, whatſoever Chriſt was to purchaſe at Gods hand for his people, the ſame he was to pray for, Pſa. 2.8. Ask of me and I will give thee the Heathen for thine Inheritance, And thus in this Chapter he praieth for that glory which yet was from the beginning appointed for him, ſo that Chriſts Praier was a ſpeciall means to bring about all thoſe admirable mercies promiſed to his people.
VII. Chriſts praier ſanctifieth our praiers.Seventhly, Take notice of this, that this Praier of Chriſt ſanctifieth all our Praiers; They become accepted of through him, He is the Altar upon which the incenſe of the Churches praiers is offeted, Rev. 8.4. As our tears need waſhing in his bloud, ſo our praiers need Chriſts praier, he praied that our praiers may be received; There is not any one Praier could ever aſcend to heaven were it not for Chriſts Interceſſion; The Popiſh doctrine therefore is very injurious to Chriſt, which inventeth other treaſures beſides the treaſures of Chriſt; They tell us of a treaſure or bank of praiers, which may be applied to this or that neceſſitous perſon; They tell us of other Mediators in heaven beſides Chriſt, Mediators not of expiation but interceſſion, whereas you ſee it's Chriſts expiation and interceſſion that go together to work our redemption.
But if Chriſts praier be thus all in all, what need we pray, are not our praiers ſuperfluous?
Anſw. No, for they are not to that end which Chriſts was, not for merit or mediation; Even as though Chriſt ſuffered for our ſinnes, yet we alſo are afflicted, but not for that end, ſo our praiers are for other ends, to ſet up God, to debaſe our ſelves, to quicken up our graces, to give us an holy Communion and fellowſhip with him, to ſhew our obedience to his command, who doth in ſo ſpeciall a manner require this duty.
Ʋſe, Are the people of God under the benefit of Chriſts praier, then how happy and bleſſed are they, what can be denied them? There is no fear of having their requeſts granted, for God looks upon them and Chriſt as one myſticall perſon, as the head and members; Who is able to preach of this Subject? It is too glorious, Chriſt is in heaven making Interceſſion for thee; Wo unto thee every day, every hour, Were it not for this Advocate, wo to thy own praiers, though never ſo laudable, were they not put up in Chriſts Name; Oh how little do the people of God run to this Fountain when their hearts are like a dry wilderneſſe; This is indeed the Key of heaven that opens it for thee and thy duties, if not for my ſake, yet for Chriſts ſake, Though I am unworthy yet Chriſt is worthy to be heard; But oh the terrible eſtate of wicked men, I pray not for the world, They have no benefit in this Mediation.