One-Hundred Forty-Five Sermons Upon John 17, Sermon 35
SERMON XXXV. Of Faith in Chriſt the Mediatour ſent of God, With the Ingredients or Concomitant Acts, of it.
JOH. 17.7.
Now they have known that all things whatſoever thou haſt given me are of thee.
THE circumſtance of time being diſpatched which declared the Diſciples growth and proficiency.
We proceed to the Object of their faith and knowledge, That Christ had all things from the Father; and ſo was the Meſſias ſent by him; The excellency and dignity of this Faith is to be handled in the next verſe.
We ſhall here take notice of the nature of it;
In the 2d verſe of this Chapter it was made Eternal life to know Jeſus Chriſt as ſent by the Father, and here our Saviour affirmeth that his Diſciples had this knowledge, viz. That he was the true Meſſias in whom alone ſalvation is to be expected: That he was no falſe Prophet or Impoſtor, as his adverſaries accuſed, but they knew he came from God, and acknowledged every thing he had to be of God, ſo that this expreſſion may be parallelled with that confeſſion Peter made in the Name of the diſciples, Joh. 6.69. We beleeve and are ſure that thou art that Chriſt the Sonne of the living God; Therefore they would not leave him becauſe he only had the words of eternal life.
Doct. It's our duty to know and beleeve in Chriſt as the only Mediator ſent by God.Obſ. It's our ſpecial duty to know and beleeve in Chriſt, as the only Mediator ſent by God; We are to know Chriſt is of God appointed to be our Saviour; This is the Faith ſo often required in the Goſpel, and which is ſo powerfull that he who beleeveth ſhall be ſaved, but he that doth not the anger of God abideth on him; and indeed how can he deſerve the Title and Name of a Chriſtian that doth not thus know or beleeve, but upon ſearch it will appear that there are few do thus know Chriſt.
To open this Point, the Doctrine hath three particulars;
Firſt implied, That whatſoever Chriſt had as Mediatour he had it not for himſelf but in reference to us.
2. That this was wholly of Gods will and appointment that he ſhould have for us.
3. That it's our duty to beleeve in and receive him thus appointed by God, And all theſe particulars will be accounted ſweeter then the honeycomb to the empty hungry ſoul, that findes it ſelf undone without Chriſt; Though to thoſe who are full of their ſins or their own righteouſneſſe this very honeycomb is lothſome; Oh then that this Truth might overtake you that hear it, as David did the poor fainting famiſhed Amalekite, to whom thoſe cluſters of Raiſins he gave were ſo reviving, if with Jonathan you taſte but a little of this honey, your eyes will be enlightned.
Firſt, The implied Truth is, That whatſoever Chriſt had or was, I. What Chriſt had or was as Mediator was for us.was not for himſelf but for us; His fulneſſe was for our emptineſſe, his atonement for our ſins; Even as the full breaſts are for ſuck to the childe, or as the efficacy and vertue of the head is for the parts of the body, and as the fulneſſe of the Fountain is for the ſtreams; Thus Iſa. 9. To us a Son is born, to us a childe is given, All that Chriſt had and was it was ours, it was for our advantge; Therefore he was called Emmanuel, God with us, and 1 Cor. 1.30. Chriſt is made of God unto us wiſedom, righteouſneſſe, and ſanctification, So that it's plain Chriſt was not a Meſſias, a Mediatour, in reference to himſelf, that is impoſſible, but to us: For if we take the main particulars in Chriſt, we ſhall ſee how they all tend to beleevers, that had it not been for their good, ſuch things had never been.
1. His Incarnation and becoming man, This was of God for us,I. His Incarnation. To us a childe is born, as you heard, not to Angels, nor for any other end, There had not been ſuch a truth in the Word as God to become man, but for the godly mans neceſſity and ſalvation; This is more then to ſay, The world and all the Creatures were made for man, and yet if the Pſalmiſt was ſo affected that all things in the earth were for man, how much more then that the Word is made fleſh for man, oh what an encouragement have the true Diſciples of Chriſt from this, was not ſuch a glorious myſtery performed for my ſake, was it not for me that God was made man? For this you muſt know, that if there had been but one man of all mankinde to be ſaved, Chriſt would have died, as Paul ſaid, Who gave himſelf for me, Gal. 2.20. and it was not the multitude of beleevers which made Chriſt become man, for alas they are but gleanings in reſpect of all mankinde, but it was becauſe ſuch were given to him as a Mediatour, and ſo he would be faithfull for one as well as for many.
2. All that Chriſt did it was not in reference to himſelf but for us;2. All that he did His Miracles. All the Miracles he wrought it was for Beleevers, he did them not for his glory and honour, as he ſpeaks about Lazarus his being dead, Joh. 11. I was glad for your ſakes, becauſe that Miracles might tend to their Confirmation in the Faith.
Thus Chriſt became obedient to the Law, and fulfilled the righteouſneſſe thereof for our ſakes, Oh what an admirable overwhelming Point is this,Obedience to the Law. that all the labour and obedience which Chriſt performed, of which he ſaid, It was meat and drink to do his Fathers will, Joh. 4. That all this ſhould not be for himſelf, but in reference to us; How may this fill our hearts and mouths with joy and confidence at the Throne of grace; O Lord, why did Chriſt fulfill all righteouſneſſe? why did he perfectly obey the Law, So that no fault ſhould be found in him? Was not all this for me? Did he need this himſelf?
3. His ſufferings and rendring up himſelf as an atonement and Sacrifice upon the Croſſe, This alſo was wholly of God for us;His ſufferings. The Prophet Iſaiah is affected with it, He laid upon him the iniquities of us all, and by his ſtripes we are healed, Iſa. 53.5. Thus every where his death is ſaid to be for us, he died for us, he gave himſelf for us, and it muſt needs be ſo, for in him was found nothing worthy of death; There was no ſin or guile found in him, he was not under that Sentence pronounced upon Adam and his poſterity: And here again, the people of God may lift up their heads wiih joy, Chriſt died, he became a Sacrifice to the juſtice of God not becauſe of himſelf but of us; Hence it's ſaid, His bloud ſpeaks better things then that of Abel Heb. 12.24. Abels bloud cried for vengeance, this for mercy, and if Abel though dead ſpeaketh, how much more muſt Chriſt who though dead is riſen again: May not this be an Axe laid to the root of all thy unbelief? Shall the godly heart be any more bowed down when he ſhall remember all thoſe Agonies which Chriſt did undergo were for us; Shall thy ſins be accounted great, and Chriſts death not greater? Go thou troubled and grieved Soul, we will give thee leave to aggravate thy ſins to the higheſt; Let them be never ſo bloudy, yea, hadſt thou committed more then thou haſt done, yea, all that all the wicked men of the world have done, Were all their ſins thine? yet here is the Red Sea to drown that great Egyptian hoſt; Oh that men could have as good cauſe to judge that they are ingrafted in Chriſt, and are ſuch to whom Chriſt belongs, as they may conclude that if ſuch, Chriſts death doth overcome all their ſins; It was nothing In Chriſt but in thee that made him a Curſe upon the Croſſe.
The benefits of his Mediation.4. The fruits and benefits of Chriſts Mediation did not redound to him but to thee; Juſtification and remiſſion of ſins, Sanctification of our natures, Victory over luſts, aſſurance of Gods favour, all theſe come by Chriſt, but to thoſe only for whom he was appointed a Saviour, he needed none of theſe priviledges, no more then the heavens where the Sun and Starres are do need rain; Oh then ſet open the gates of thy Soul wide through faith, that thou maiſt be ſatisfied and made happy with theſe mercies; In this dead Lion thou maiſt finde much honey for thy ſelf; Oh Lord, why are all theſe priviledges annexed to thy death? Is it becauſe thou haſt any want, or thou haſt any need of them? No, but that my emptineſſe may be filled, my dark heart enlightened, my naked ſoul covered: Thus you ſee what is implied.
II Chriſt Media…i… for us is of God the Father.Secondly, The ſecond particular is, That all this is of God the Father; It's his will and gracious appointment that Chriſt ſhould do all theſe things for his: They have known that all I have is of thee, and thou haſt ſent me; So the Apoſtle, It pleaſed the Father that in Chriſt all fulneſſe ſhould dwell, Col. 1.14. And here is admirable ground of hopes and confidence, for it's not againſt the Fathers will, yea, all this is of his gracious appointment, that Chriſt ſhould be thus a Mediatour for his Children; Doubt not then whether the Father will accept of what Chriſt hath done or not; Do not queſtion whether he will receive thee in Chriſts Name, for the Father hath manifeſted as great willingneſſe for thy Salvation as the Son; Say then, Oh holy Father, here is ſure a wonderful way for my acceptance at the Throne of grace, that I am aſtoniſhed at it, and it's of thy goodneſſe and grace that ſuch a way is procured; Oh what then can hinder but that I be juſtified; The Father willing, and the Son willing, yea, the Father loving Chriſt, becauſe he laid down his life for the Sheep, Joh. 10.17. All this makes for the encouragement of the godly.
III. It's the duty of all Gods people to beleeve this fulneſſe in Chriſt for them. The ingredients or concomitants of Faith.The third particular is, That it's the duty of all Gods Children to know and beleeve this fulneſſe in Chriſt for them, and to look upon Chriſt with all his benefits as for them: Now faith thus fixed on Chriſt hath theſe either ingredient or concomitant acts and effects.
1. There is a knowledge and a ſound diſcovery of this ſufficiency in Chriſt; You ſee here knowing and beleeving put together; Ignorance of this Point that all in Chriſt is for the beleever breedeth much diſpondency, and takes off the wheels of thy Chariots: They look upon Chriſt as a Fountain ſealed up, as a garden encloſed, They apprehend it's not for every godly perſon to go and drink of this fountain,1. unleſſe attaining to ſuch an high meaſure of grace; Whereas a true knowledge of the end and uſe of Chriſt would quickly diſpell all ſuch black thoughts.
2. To beleeve doth imply a relying and reſting of the ſoul upon this fulneſſe;2. A relying and reſting of the ſoul upon Chriſts fulneſs Chriſt with his righteouſneſſe is the center of his heart; He truſts and puts his whole confidence in it; He need go out no further to ſeek, here is enough, he fears no breaking, no ſhaking, as long as Chriſt will laſt and endure, ſo long ſhall he; As a man that treads on the firm ground, he fears not as he that walks on ſlippery Ice; Thus the godly man leaneth on a firm foundation, but he that truſteth in his own righteouſneſſe or works, melts as Ice before the Sunne.
3. There is a full ſatisfaction of the ſoul in this beleeving; So that it removeth all cares and fears, Have I enough or no? Is it ſufficient to carry me out?3. There is a full ſatisfaction of the ſoul in this beleeving. He is therefore ſaid to ſave to the uttermoſt, Heb. 5. and it's called The riches of grace by Chriſt, the unſearchable riches; He therefore that beleeveth in Chriſt thus as ſent of God, he may ſay, Return O my ſoul into thy Reſt, for the Lord hath dealt bountifully with thee; what can ſatisfie if a Chriſt with all his benefits cannot; yea, if a godly man were to deſire a way for to put him out of all doubts between God and his ſoul, what better way could he require then this.
4. In beleeving there is a receiving, and a participation of all that Chriſt hath, 4. A receiving of what Chriſt hath.and hence receiving and beleeving is put for one another; It's alſo metaphorically expreſſed by eating and drinking, Joh 6. That as by thoſe actions we receive meat, and it becometh our very ſubſtance, ſo it is here, by beleeving in him Chriſt is made ours, even all that he hath is ours; Thus by Faith we are ſaid to be branches partaking of the fatneſſe of the Olive, Rom. 11. Oh then how excellent is this act of Faith, which is the hand to put on all the glorious robes of Chriſt upon our ſoul; It being not enough to know there is a Chriſt ſo qualified unleſſe he become ours.
5. This beleeving works an holy confidence and boldneſſe at the Throne of grace; It makes our praiers and duties full of fervency and alacrity, Eph. 5. A holy boldneſſe at the Throne of grace.3.12. We come with boldneſſe through Faith; We ſee the Scepter is held out, and ſo we may readily enter in, and Heb. 4.16. Let us come with boldneſſe to the Throne of grace; Oh how much ſhould the broken hearted ſinner live in the Meditation of theſe things, God opens the way by his grace, and thou ſhutteſt it by thy unbelief; Through Chriſt the way to heaven is made a broad way, and thy doubtings make it narrow: When Chriſt cals Peter to come to him, though upon the waters, it's not preſumption but diſobedience if Peter refuſe?
6. This is accompanied with large and vaſt thoughts of Chriſt;6. Large and vaſt thoughts of Chriſt. This file their hearts and mouths with Chriſt, as you ſee the Apoſtle Paul in every verſe almoſt affectionately mentioning him, Phil. 3. with what diſdain doth he renounce and throw away all things in compariſon of Chriſt, The excellency of the knowledge of Chriſt, and at another time, He would know nothing but Chriſt crucified, 1 Cor. 2.2. He that doth thus beleeve in Chriſt ſo manifeſted, cannot but have his ſoul and all within him taken up this way; Though there be many ſpeak of Chriſt, and talk of Chriſt, yet none hath him indeed; and none do truely eſteem him but ſuch perſons as theſe; Is then Chriſt dearer and cloſer to thy heart then all earthly comforts and delights? Canſt thou ſay, the thoughts of Chriſt are ſweet, the meditations about him are my meat and drink all the day long, this is precious.
Laſtly, This purifieth the heart, and makes us an holy, heavenly people; 8. Faith purifieth and makes holy.If we be riſen with Chriſt, we ſet our affections on things above, Col. 3.1, 2. and he that hath this hope purifieth himſelf as God is pure, 1 Joh. 3.3. Act. 15 9. As the Sun brings heat and light where it is, ſo where faith is it makes the heat active and operative, as Heb. 11. This is the beholding of God as in a glaſſe, whereby we are transformed into his Image from grace to grace; Beleeving gets ſpirituall ſtrength, even as eating and drinking doth bodily; Therefore while thou abateſt in thy faith thou doſt not only loſe thy comfort but thy ſpiritual ſtrength If thou ceaſe to beleeve not only doubts and fears but even luſts and ſinnes will prevail over thee; Thus you ſee what it is to beleeve in Chriſt thus manifeſted.
Why it is the duty of Gods people thus to know and beleeve on Chriſt.Now the grounds why it's the duty of Gods people thus to know and beleeve are,
1. Becauſe Chriſt would otherwiſe be in vain, he would not be of that uſe and improvement God hath appointed him for; If the childe will not ſuck, the breaſts are filled in vain; If the Prodigal will not eat, the fatted Calf is in vain provided; The Fountain runneth in vain if none will drink of it; Oh then conſider this, if I do not by faith thus receive Chriſt, I do as much as lieth in me, make Chriſt of none effect; I do as much as lieth in me make as if there had never been ſuch a perſon as Chriſt; If then the Apoſtle makes thoſe falſe Teachers in ſuch a dangerous eſtate, that by corrupt opinions did make Chriſt to die in vain, and his Croſſe of none effect, no leſſe provoking muſt thy ſin of unbelief be, It takes Chriſt out of the world.
R. 2 2. We are thus to beleeve in Chriſt becauſe in and through him God doth magnifie his glory: His attributes of grace, mercy, and unſpeakable bounty are exalted through Chriſt; If then we do not thus receive Chriſt, we deprive God of all this intended glory; The Creation of the world, and all the mercifull wondrous works God hath done for his Church, were not intended to exalt God as Chriſt in all his benefits, and therefore if it be ſo great a ſin not to give God the glory in them, how inexcuſable will it be to fail in this.
R. 3 3. The inſufficiency of all other things to ſatisfie the broken and troubled heart, may juſtly make the godly fly to this; So the diſciples being to acknowledge Chriſt as the Mediatour, they ſay, Whither ſhould we go, thou haſt the words of Eternal life; If they run to their duties, to their graces, theſe are too weak to lean upon, They are as Noahs Dove that findes the waters covering all the Mountains and higheſt Trees; Seeing then we muſt have ſomething to fix all our hopes and affections upon, and all other things will fail, how unwiſe are the godly if they keep a moment from Chriſt.
R. 4 4. Our neceſſity may enforce us; And this floweth from the forenamed inſufficiency in all other things; Doth not thy own heart diſquiet thee? Doth not the perfect Law trouble thee? Doth not the devil accuſe thee? and ſhall not all this make thee ſeek out for that which will anſwer all; Paul tried all other things but he found nothing like Chriſt, and thou art the rather to improve this to the full, becauſe there is not the leaſt ability or priviledge in Chriſt, that thou canſt ſpare; Chriſt is all over bread and food; There is nothing in Chriſt but is of ſpecial uſe; Oh then what folly is it that thou ſhouldſt bour to know the fulneſſe of any creature for thy wants, and not of Chriſt; He is an Ocean, and not one drop in him but is of admirable efficacy; He is a Pearl, and ſo the leaſt of that muſt be very precious, if thou continueſt in fears and luſts, it's becauſe thou doſt not improve all of Chrſſt; It's not enough to touch the hemme of his garment, but thou muſt receive whole Chriſt.
Ʋſe.Ʋſe of Inſtruction, That all thoſe ſinners who love their ſins and will not depart from them, are wholly barred from all this comfort, ſtand aloof off, and bewail thy Leproſie; Chriſt received not that fulneſſe from his Father for thee abiding and continuing in thy ſins; Oh miſerable and wretched though they live in eaſe and pleaſures, having all things their carnal appetites deſire, one thing is neceſſary, and that thou wanteſt: Oh that the Spirit of God would convince ſuch of their danger, their poverty and nakedneſſe, though they think they want nothing; I tell thee this good Samaritan as well as the Prieſt will paſſe by thee, Chriſt as well as the Law ſpeaks no comfort to thee, yea, the bloud of Chriſt ſpeaks more terrible things then the bloud of Abel, Thy condemnation will be the greater, becauſe Chriſt came … the world, becauſe he was crucified; All thy other ſins have not that aggravation, as thy rejecting of grace, of how much ſorer puniſhment ſaith the Apoſtle, ſhall ſuch an one be thought worthy.
Ʋſe 2. of direction to the people of God, if thou fitteſt mourning like Rachel, and refuſeſt to be comforted, blame thy own ſelf; It's thy ignorance and folly, thy unbelief and doubts cauſe all this; What could God have done more? What could Chriſt have done more then they have done, yet thou takeſt no comfort hereby; Oh that thou ſhouldſt onelyonly aggravate thy ſinne and thy unworthineſſe, and not be as diligent to ſtudy and finde out all the fulneſſe in Chriſt, Chriſt as a Mediatour ordained by God ſhould be the Book thou art to reade alwaies, not a Page, not a word but thou ſhouldſt be acquainted with it; Oh bewail thy ſelf and ſay, how many comforts, how many priviledges have I bereaved my ſelf of; I have kept my ſelf in the dark, yea, in the Whales belly, and thought of nothing but ſin, and hell, and damation; Oh what little cauſe I had to wrong my ſelf and Chriſt ſo much: Oh think Chriſt bids thee, as the Prophet did that Woman, bring as many cruſes as thou canſt, I have Oyle enough to fill all, and thou art ſo froward thou wilt not; Oh think Chriſt ſaith to thee, Was it not enough that I lived for thee, I died for thee, but thou wilt as much as lieth in thee make me do all this in vain; Thou ſitteſt complaining and bewailing, and Chriſt he complains of thee, Learn then at laſt that heavenly prudence and Evangelicall skill to make uſe of whole Chriſt and all of Chriſt for thy ſpiritual good.