One-Hundred Forty-Five Sermons Upon John 17, Sermon 32
SERMON XXXII. Of the peculiar Propriety Gods People have in him and he in them.
JOH. 17.6.
Thine they were, and thou gaveſt them me, and they have kept thy Word.
THE former part of this Verſe related Chriſts care and work to his Diſciple, This latter part giveth a deſcription of them, and all particulars therein are very argumentative to prevail, that God ſhould hear praier for them:
Now here is a threefold deſcription of them, wherein indeed is laid down divinely the Cauſe of mans Salvation, with the effects flowing from it.
The two Cauſes are theſe,
1. The Eternal Election and abſolute purpoſe of God to ſave ſuch, Thine they were.
2. The meritorious cauſe in and by which all the mercies they are elected to, are obtained, and that is Chriſt, Thou haſt given them me, viz. as a Mediatour.
3. The bleſſed effects of theſe cauſes, that are hidden, or at leaſt every one may pretend to them, but this is a diſcovering ſign that excludeth many, They have kept thy Word.
At this time I ſhall treat only of the firſt cauſe, which indeed may be called cauſa cauſae, the cauſe of all cauſes of our Salvation, and that is Gods Election or gracious purpoſe to take ſome out of mankinde, and to make them his in a peculiar manner.
How many waies a people may be ſaid to be Gods.For a people may be ſaid to be Gods divers waies,
1. By right of Creation and dominion which he hath thereby, and ſo all things are his, Pſa. 69.11. Both the reprobate and the godly are his in this ſence, it's impoſſible but that every creature ſhould be his becauſe he cannot alienate his dominion and property
2. A people may be ſaid to be his by an outward diſpenſation of the Covenant of grace, Thus the people of the Jews are all of them called his people, becauſe they were under an outward adminiſtration of grace, when other Nations of the world were not ſo.
Laſtly, A people are his by Election and the gracious effects thereof, and ſo only thoſe that are the true Diſciples of Chriſt are his, and in this ſence it's ſaid, Thine they are and they have kept thy Word, which cannot be underſtood of Judas, for he perfidiouſly forſook Chriſt.
Doct. That the truly godly are Gods people in a peculiar manner;Doct. That the godly are Gods people in a peculiar manner. They have an indeared propriety in God, They may ſay with Dauid, Pſa. 119.94. I am thine, ſave me; This propriety is the ground of all comfort, of all boldneſſe at the Throne of grace; I am thine, pardon me; I am thine, ſanctifie me; I am thine, leave me not.
To open this Conſider the diſtinction before premiſed,Conſider, That we may be ſaid to be the Lords, either generally by right of Creation and his abſolute Soveraignty; or 2. Peculiarly in a gracious manner: In the former ſence all mankinde is ſaid to be in Gods hand as the clay in the hand of the Potter. ſo that if God from wiſe and moſt righteous ends have choſen ſome and left others in their damnable eſtate, if we cannot ſay that all are by Gods Election and Chriſts by the execution of it, yet we have no cauſe to grudge or repine, becauſe all are Gods, to diſpoſe of at his pleaſure; For although his holy and righteous nature is the cauſe that he cannot do any thing that is evil or unjuſt, yet the dominion and ſoveraignty he hath may make him diſpoſe of all things as he pleaſeth, and if the Apoſtle in matters of Election and Reprobation doth urge this to ſtifle mans preſumption, how much more may it hold in inferiour things, if God deny thee this or that mercy and giveth it to others, who art thou (O man) that argueſt againſt God? We are his to be diſpoſed of as he pleaſeth:
But 2. That which we are now to, ſpeak to is the propriety and right God hath in ſome more then in others by his grace and meer love; Alas the former propriety argueth no comfort, the damned in hell, yea, the very devils may pleade the former; Lord, we are thine by creation and dominion, but that is no ground of comfort, only this latter is an unanſwerable argument, God himſelf cannot deny this, when we can pray, Lord, we are thine by thy peculiar grace and purpoſe of love, We did not of our ſelves become thus, it was thy goodneſſe to make us thy own; It was free for thee to have done with us as thou pleaſeſt, but now we are thine, it belongs to thee to ſave thy own.
Secondly, This right and propriety is mutually reciprocal; God is theirs and they are Gods, only Gods propriety in them is the cauſe of their propriety in God, You have not choſen me, but I have choſen you, ſaith Chriſt, Joh. 15.16. So that this is very comfortable to obſerve, that this right is mutuall, God is their God, and they are his people, God challengeth them as his, and they may claim God as theirs▪ as you ſee the Covenant of grace runneth reciprocally, I will be their God and they ſhall be my people, Jer. 31.33. this is expreſſed under thoſe ſimilitudes of a Vine and a branch, of an husband and a Wife; The wife hath power over and right to her husband as well as the Husband to the Wife, The Vine hath a relation to the branches as well as the branches to the Vine, only as the good of the branch lieth in being in the Vine, but the Vine doth not fetch ſuccour from the branch; So it's here, we are the Lords and the Lord is ours, only the Lord hath no advantage, nor hath he any good in that we are his, but the cauſe of our happineſſe is that he is ours, ſo then let the people of God know, that the ground and riſe of all their ſpirituall advantage is becauſe God hath a propriety in them, not ſo much becauſe they have a propriety in God; It's becauſe God loveth them, God will not looſe what is his, that they are preſerved from ſinne and hell; Indeed till we be actually Gods by beleeving, though we be his by Election, yet we cannot make uſe of our Intereſt; That is hidden and ſecret; Paul though he was the Lords by Election before the foundations of the world, yet till brought home, till beleeving, he cannot ſay, the Lord is his, Therefore till God be ours both by Election and the ſaving effects of it, we cannot ſay, I am my Beloveds, and my Beloved is mine, Cant. 2.16.
Therefore Thirdly, Our comfort and joy lieth in the diſcovery of our propriety and interest in God; for though we be his, yet if we beleeve it not, it is as if we did not belong to him; It's ſaid, David encouraged himſelf in his God, 1 Sam. 30.6. The evidence of his propriety was his encouragement, and Paul acknowledgeth an appropiration, when ſpeaking of Chriſt, he ſaid, Who loved me and gave himſelf for me, Gal. 2.20. Hence it is that our Saviour upon his departure out of the world doth ſo fully inform his Diſciples, that he will be theirs ſtill though he bodily leaveth them; That the propriety and intereſt they have in him is not taken away; Hence alſo it is that an elected man while unconverted, can take no more comfort from God or his promiſe then a reprobate, becauſe as yet his propriety is not evidenced; As yet there is no ground of any claim or holy boldneſſe at the Throne of grace, Therefore it's a main duty of the people of God to ſtudy this Point above all, viz. their propriety in God, Am I the Lords or no? It's not impoſſible to finde out the truth of this, though Satan and our hearts are very much tempting to the contrary; there are few that can eſcape the ſtorms and tempeſts that ariſe in this matter, and quietly anchor their ſouls on God.
Fourthly, There are two ſpecial and eminent cauſes of our being the Lords treaſure and peculiar people; The one is the Lords power and might, the other his infinite grace and love; That which is the Sun and giveth heat and warmth more eſpecially, is the mercy and love of God, for we by ſin though we could not make our ſelves no creatures of his, ſo that he ſhould not deſtroy or damn us, yet we made our ſelves no children of his, we caſt our ſelves out of his favour, of a loving Father we made him an enraged enemy. and ſo accordingly we pulled down all vengeance upon our heads, we forfeited every mercy we know not the leaſt drop of comfort that belongs unto us, but all the curſes of God threatned in his Law, this and no other could we expect, we ere no more the Lords then the devils and damned in hell; Therefore it was the meer goodneſſe of God not to caſt us off, but to make us his a ſecond time upon better Covenants of mercy, ſo that if any ſoul comes to know this, that he is now the Lords, he hath cauſe with aſtoniſhment and amazement to fall down and admite the grace of God, we did not make our ſelves his, we could not become his people of our own ſtrength.
2. There was the power of God alſo greatly diſcovered, for ſeeing by ſinne we become the devils, and he had a right to us, he is the god of the world, and he rules in the hearts of thoſe that are diſobedient, Eph. 2. ſeeing I ſay he is their Father and they are of him, and his works they do, it's impoſſible we ſhould be recovered out of his hands, till God who is ſtronger then he ſets us free; As our Saviour implieth in that Parable, when a ſtrong man keepeth the houſe all things are quiet, till a ſtronger then he cometh, Luk. 11.22. It was not then in the power of Man or Angels to expedite himſelf out of that bondage and ſlavery, till God did wonderfully ſhew his power, and as it was not in their power, ſo neither in their will or heart; Though it be ſuch an unſpeakable happ…neſſe to be the Lords, yet no man naturally is willing to this, he had rather be the devils and ſins then the Lords, ſuch curſed wickedneſſe is in every mans heart, and ſuch enemies are we to our ſelves.
How many waies or upon how many Titles thoſe that are godly are the Lords.Fifthly; Though this expreſſion be ſhort [Thine they are] yet it comprehends very many precious and excellent particulars; For we are the Lords upon ſeveral and various titles, therefore are we ſure to continue his; It's good the godly man ſhould know how many waies he is the Lords, that his heart may be enlarged upon every particular.
For 1. He is the Lords by Election from all Eternity; Thou waſt the Lords before thou waſt born, before thou hadſt a being, when thou couldſt have no thoughts of thy ſelf, he had thoughts of thee: The Scripture doth often Eph. 1. Rom. 9. comfort the people of God, and quicken up their hearts with this particular, and certainly it's a deep and overwhelming Meditation, Who am I Lord when in the womb of nothing, or when born, yet wallowing in my bloud, thinking, ſpeaking, and living againſt thee, and thou didſt from all Eternity know this, yet didſt chooſe me to eternal life? Oh how many thouſands are paſt by and I am choſen! Was it not enough Lord not to have created me? It might have been mercy not to have created me, that ſo I might not have been damned, but poſitively to appoint me before the foundation of the world to ſuch unſpeakable glory, this is that which aſtoniſheth me; Oh my Soul and heart is too narrow if I had the hearts of all the men in the world, they would be too little to conceive of this goodneſſe.
2. We are the Lords or Chriſts, for I make this all one, by way of redemption and conqueſt; We are bought with no leſſe a price then the precious bloud of Chriſt, and, as the Apoſtle urgeth, are therefore no more our own, 1 Cor. 6.20. Oh then conſider how great a matter goeth to make thee the Lords ere this propriety could be attained, how dear did it coſt Chriſt? he therefore became man and did undergo all thoſe evils and reproaches, that we might be his; It coſt him more to redeem us then to create us, ſo that it's no wonder if the people of God may look upon themſelves as the Lords peculiar, for there is a good reaſon, They are bought at an high rate, Neither ſin, or the devil, or the world have done ſo much for thee; Oh then what ſhamefull ingratitude is it to live to them and not to God.
3. We are his new creature and a ſpiritual Creation; Thus he is ſaid to create us, and we are ſaid to be his Children born of him; We are Gal. 2.10. called his …orkmanſhip created to good works, ſo that in this particular the people of God are ramarkably his, They have his Image put upon them, They have a divi… nature beſtowed upon them, It's he that hath made us not we our ſelves, even … this ſence Lev. 20.26. That ye ſhould be mine ſevered from all other, oh then know if there be no more in thee then what is in the world, or what thou haſt by nature, thou art not yet the Lords; Doth thy nature, thy frame of heart diſcover an intereſt in God, then thou maiſt take comfort, there are many who deſire to be the Lords by Redemption but not by Sanctification; They would have Chriſts bloud theirs, but not his Spirit.
4. We are the Lords by Covenant and by Promiſe; and this is no mean foundation of our propriety in him, The Promiſe runneth, I will be their God and they ſhall be my people, Jer. 31.33. We have Gods Word as well as his work cauſing us to be his, and in this ſence God is ſaid to be the God of Abraham, and the God of his Faithfull Seed, viz. by a gracious promiſe; This is that which may bear up the heart, how often do we by our ſins and infirmities break off our propriety and loſe our intereſt as much as lieth in us, If there were no gracious promiſe of God, that for his Names ſake and words ſake we ſhall be his, then all thoſe uncomfortable Arminian Poſitions would take place, that we may be the Lords people to day and the devils ſlaves to morrow; Thus our propriety would be mutable every hour, and as our lives ſo our hopes and comforts would be like a vapour and a bubble, but we are children of the promiſe, Gal. 3. And as that gave Iſaac life when the barren womb had no power, ſo it's the promiſe of God begins and continueth our ſpiritual life; It's for his truths ſake that ſin and Satan ſhall not quite overwhelm us, and how comfortable is this to pleade, Lord, we are thine, not by any merits of our own, not by any gracious works of ours, but by thy promiſe; We do not beleeve, love thee, or perſevere, and therefore are thine, but becauſe we are thine therefore we beleeve and perſevere.
5. We are the Lords by ſeveral peculiar relations, all which adminiſter their peculiar comfort; We are the Lords houſe in which he continually dwels and is preſent; We are his Temple in a peculiar manner conſecrated to him; We are his branches and that denoteth our intimate Union with him, as alſo our ſupply from him; We are his Servants, we are his Children, we are his Wife, we are the members of Chriſts body; Oh theſe ſimilitudes are full of worth, they demonſtrate not only the dignity but the bleſſedneſſe of his people, and the rich ſupply of comfort and grace from him; By theſe is ſignified that we are the Lords in his moſt indeared affections, That no Father to a childe, no husband to a Wife is as God to us, Iſa. 43.1. I have called thee by Name, thou art mine.
Ʋſe 1 The practical Improvement of this is very great,
Firſt, It informeth us that beſides the general acts of faith a Chriſtian ought to have particular applicative ones; It's not enough to beleeve in the general, God is the God of thoſe that fear him, that truſt in him, but alſo in particular with Thomas to ſay, My Lord, My God, Ioh. 20.28. Hence are thoſe expreſſions frequent, I am thy God, and the Lord your God; The childe that walketh in darkneſſe, having no light, is exhorted to truſt in his God, Iſa. 50.10. Oh it cannot be well with thee while thou art in generals only, if God be a ſtranger to thee, if apprehended to be none of thy God, or if doubted of, all this while thou art in a wilderneſſe, not in the Land of Canaan, thou art but in the porch not taken into the preſence-chamber; It's a great ſin of the godly that they are not more particularly here, In other things you take no delight unleſſe it be yours, a pleaſant garden if not yours, health if not yours, makes no comfort, Propriety is the cauſe of joy; Oh then let not Satan, nor the black doubts of thy own heart make thee keep at a diſtance from God, Let not Popiſh or Arminian Doctrines that preſſe no more then a general faith any waies move thee, but as God is thine, ſo labour to beleeve and know he is thine.
Ʋſe 2 Ʋſe 2. Is God the godly mans God? May he ſay I am thine Lord, then what a comfortable ſupport is here? what enlargement of heart may this make ſeveral waies.
1. It ſhould cauſe holy boldneſſe and earneſt fervency in praier; Thou art not praying to God that is an adverſary, a ſtranger, or unknown to thee; It may be he will hear, it may be not; Oh ſuch diffidence is very ſinful, it's very pleaſing to God to pray to him in this propriety, becauſe hereby thy hope to ſpeed will be greater, Thy thankfulneſſe will be more, Thy delight and joy in him will encreaſe and flouriſh, and tormenting fears will be overcome.
2. It will uphold againſt all temptations within, in deſertions, in blackneſs of ſoul, yet if thou truſteſt on God as thy God, though thou doſt not feel him to be ſo, this is good; O Lord, thou doſt but ſeem to withdraw thy ſelf; O Chriſt, thou art my brother Joſeph though thou ſpeakeſt thus roughly.
3. In oppoſition from the world; O Lord, though all the world hate me, yet I rejoyce becauſe I am thine; And why do the devils and wicked men hate me? Is it not becauſe I am thine▪ If I were one of theirs they would love me; Lord, am I not thy treaſure, thy Jewell, and if the devil or the world deſtroy me, is it not thy loſſe as well as mine?
4, Contentation in every condition; Is God thy God? what needeſt thou more? If a man have the Sun, doth he need the Stars? Oh our froward hearts in this particular, If God deny not himſelf, will he deny other things neceſſary?
5. Here is a great argument to duty; If God be thine and thou his, Oh then live to him, why is not thy heart Gods, thy tongue Gods? Wouldſt thou be the Lords in counſel and not in duty? Oh think all I have is not mine but Gods.
Laſtly, It's terrour to wicked men, this is the Fountain of all their calamity and ruine, God is not their God, and then mercy is not their mercy, pardon is not their pardon, heaven is not their heaven; Oh it's a beggarly thing to boaſt in the wealth thou haſt, in the pleaſures thou haſt, but as for God he is none of thine: That Criples caſe was miſerable, who when the Pool ſtirred had no man to help him; Oh but thine is more miſerable, that haſt no God to pity thee, no God to pardon thee; The God you will cry to, the God you will pray to at death, the God you muſt appear before is none of your God.