One-Hundred Forty-Five Sermons Upon John 17, Sermon 47
SERMON XLVII. Of Gods Propriety in his People as the Ground of all the Good that accrueth to them.
JOH. 17.9.
For they are thine.
THis is the third and laſt deſcription which our Saviour uſeth of thoſe who are the objects of his praier, viz. The propriety that God hath in them, They are his own.
I have handled this Point formerly, but then I did it under an abſolute notion, ſhewing you how many waies the people of God were his People, but I ſhall now treat on it relatively, as it's an Argument uſed by our Saviour why he ſhould be heard in his praier for his Diſciples; And certainly here is much of ſtrength in it, They are thine, I pray not for thy Enemies nor for ſtrangers, but ſuch as are near thee, that are of thy own houſhold, ſuch upon whom already thou haſt placed thy love and delight,Of Gods peculiar propriety in his people as the ground of Chriſts praier for them, care of them, and of all the good that accrueth unto them. ſo that our Saviour makes the propriety God hath in his Diſciples, and ſo in all beleevers, to be the ground of his praier for them; And indeed this muſt needs be very effectual, for the Apoſtle argueth, If any man provide not for his own, 1 Tim. 1.0. he is worſe then an Infidell; If then God doth ſo greatly abhor him who takes not care for his own, Shall not the Lord himſelf provide for his? Thus Epheſ. 1.29. the Apoſtle urging the duty of Husbands to Wives argueth from propriety, Their own Wives; and no man ever hated his own fleſh; Now then God takes this relation of an Husband to his people, and becauſe they are his therefore he will hear their praier, and vouchſafe all good to them; Propriety is ſo great a matter that Ariſtotle makes it the cauſe of all the labour and trading that is in the world, inſomuch that he ſaith, If all things were common the world would be filled with idle perſons, but becauſe it's their own ground, their own wealth, their own riches, therefore they are ſo diligent to encreaſe in theſe things: None regard the air, the light of the Sun becauſe it's common to all, Whereas if they could be appropriated, if no man had the light of the Sun but one or few men, Oh what a price would be put upon it; It's then proptiety both with God and man that is the Fountain of all good, of all care,Propoſitions concerning Gods peculiar propriety in his people. and brings about all the bleſſedneſſe that Gods Children have.
To open this Point, and not to fall in with what you have heard already,
1. Take notice That a people becomes the Lords peculiar ones, his Jewels, ſolely by his grace and goodwill; He hath choſen us, and not we him, he loved us first:1. A people become Gods peculiar ones freely by grace The great God of heaven who might have made other people, other perſons his treaſure, did out of his own meer goodneſſe take thee and thee into ſuch a bleſſed relation: The Apoſtle doth every where in his Epiſtles reduce it to this cauſe, The counſell of his will, and out of his meer grace, and certainly if Deut. 9.5. the Lord doth again and again inform the Iſraelites, that it was not for their righteouſneſſe, or any good in them but meerly becauſe be ſet his love on them, that he made them his externall people by an outward Covenant; how much rather muſt it needs be the meer grace of God to make a people inwardly and ſpiritually his, ſo that whoſoever finde themſelves thus appropriated to God, to be able with the Church to ſay as ſhe doth many times, becauſe our bleſſedneſſe lieth in this, I am my well-beloveds, and my well-beloved is mine, Cant. 6.3. Oh let ſuch be deeply humbled and even aſtoniſhed under the diſcriminating Grace of God, I am the Lords when the devils are not, when ſuch men of parts, abilities, and great Revenues in the world; And if the Lord would have looked to any thing in man, how many thouſands are there that if converted would have been more glorious Inſtruments of Gods glory then I am.
2. And from his meer goodneſs not out of any want.2. As it is the meer goodneſſe of God to make a people his, ſo it is not out of any want or any neceſſity, any need that he hath of us, that he did thus make us his, and this alſo is a quickning conſideration; Husbands have Wives becauſe they want ſuch helps, Maſters have Servants becauſe they need them; Even the greateſt Monarchs want their people; But it is otherwiſe with God, My goodneſſe extends not to thee, ſaith David, Pſa. 16.2. And thus Job was told, that if he were perfect and righteous he did not advantage God, God is the Elſhaddai the Allſufficient God bleſſed and happy enough in himſelf; Though he had never created the world, Though he had not appointed one man to Eternal glory, yet ſuch was his goodneſſe that he would have thoſe Objects to whom he might communicate of his fulneſſe; And therefore God of many thouſands hath made ſuch and ſuch his, not that he wanted their graces, duties, or praiers, but that they might partake of his riches.
3. They are Chriſts and the holy Ghoſts as well as the Fathers.3. When Chriſt ſaith here, They are thine, he doth not exclude himſelf from having a propriety in them, nor the holy Ghoſt neither; For this is the infinite priviledge of the Godly that they are both the Fathers, and the Sons, and the holy Ghoſts, not only becauſe whatſoever one perſon hath the other hath, as Chriſt ſaith, All mine are thine, and thine are mine but in an appropriated conſideration; Thus Chriſt ſaith, they are the Fathers, They are thine in the preſent tenſe, he had formerly at the ſixth Verſe uſed the preterperfect tenſe Thine they were, but now he uſeth the preſent tenſe to ſhew, that though the Father had given them to Chriſt, yet he had not abdicated or quitted himſelf of his intereſt in them, he had not ſo given them to the Sonne as that the Father had no dominion or right to them, but they did ſtill continue the the Fathers poſſeſſion though they were given to Chriſt; And as they are the Fathers ſo they are the Sons purchaſed people alſo; They belong to Chriſt in an indeared manner, which makes them to be called bone of his bone, and fleſh of his fleſh, Eph. 5.30. To be his members and body as he is the head; They are alſo the holy Ghoſts, and therefore they are ſaid to have the Spirit dwelling in them, and they are his Temple, and they are led by the Spirit, and walk in the Spirit; We are the Fathers by meer grace, and therefore are given to Chriſt as a Mediatour; We are Chriſts by merit, for he purchaſed us by his bloud; We are the Spirits by operation, for he works the holy Image of God in us: Oh then that our hearts were enlarged in this matter, that we might wonder how and why we who are not worth the owning or the the looking after, ſhould yet be made the Lords in ſuch indeared reſpects.4. Their being Gods excludeth all other creatures.
4. When the Godly are ſaid to be the Fathers, though it doth not exclude the other perſons, yet it doth all other creatures; By this we are delivered from all other proprieters and intereſt whatſoever, and this makes the phraſe to contain in it a Treaſure of happineſſe, as firſt, Seeing we are the Fathers, therefore we are no longer the devils: We are no more in his poſſeſſion and under his dominion; We may ſee by the Scripture in what a wofull and curſed ſtate all men by nature are, They belong to the devil, they are his proper goods; The devil hath them as his, even as he hath the damned in hell, though in this life there may be hope of delivering them, whereas the damned have none, Eph. 2. The devil who is called the God of this world is ſaid to rule in the hearts of the diſobedient; Hell is not more the devils place then the heart of a wicked man, and therefore 1 Tim. 2.26. they are ſaid to be Captives to the devil, to be like tamed birds, and our Saviour tels the Phariſees, They were of their Father the devil, Joh. 8. And why? becauſe they did his works; So that whoſoever doth the works, committeth the ſins that the devils do, the devil is their Father; Though they rage and are mad at ſuch a charge, and this is the reaſon in part why the glorious fruit of Chriſts death is called a Redemption, and why he is called a Redeemer, becauſe we were wholly in bondage and captivity to the devil; We were his, he had a proper right to us till Chriſt redeemed us. Oh that the ungodly men of the world ſhould hear this and not tremble, Whoſe art thou? To whom doſt thou belong? Who may challenge thee but the devil? There are a curſed ſort of men who give themſelves to the devil by compact in the waies of witchcrafts; Now all wicked men though not by ſuch an expreſſe Covenant, yet implicitely by their wicked waies give themſelves up to be the devils: Oh what a terrible thing is this to conſider, that though thou canſt ſay, Theſe grounds are mine, theſe Cattell are mine, theſe goods are mine, yet thou thy ſelf art the devils; Oh conſider that the devil will have his own when thou dieſt, he will loſe nothing; Neither ſoul or body ſhall eſcape him if thou continue his: Be thou awakened out of thy deſperate eſtate, If thou art not Gods Inheritance thou art the devils poſſeſſion, and thy tongue, thy eyes, thy body, thy whole life proclaimeth to whom thou doſt belong.
2. In being the Fathers, as we are no longer Satans, ſo neither the worlds or mens in the world: Hence we are commanded not to be Servants to men, 1 Cor. 7.13. or pleaſe men, and to call none Father on earth, Mat. 23.9. The ſenſe of ſuch commands is, that we are not to put our hopes and truſt in men, not to give up our ſelves to their commands when contrary to God, yet this is a ſinne that all are prone unto; It's the Favour of men, the power and greatneſſe of men that ſwayeth us more then God: Alas thou wert not created or redeemed, or regenerated, to make man thus a God unto thee: Whence is it that our fear is a mans fear? yea, our Religion a mans Religion: but becauſe we are not yet delivered from mans thraldom, ſo neither are we the worlds; For our Saviour ſaith, We are given out of the world to Chrict: Why then are we ſo immoderate in our cares and affections about theſe things? It's not the world that is ours; The Church was ſeen clothed with the Sunne, and the Moon under her feet, Rev. 12.1. God hath made the earth under us, and Gold and Silver to be in the bowels thereof, implying the low eſteem we ought to have of them, and that we look not on the world as a reſting place, but ſeek for heaven,
Laſtly, We are none of our own in being the Fathers; Thus the Apoſtle, We are none of our own, Therefore we are to glorifie God both in ſoul and body, 1 Cor. 6.20. Our Tongues, our Body, our Affections, are not our own; We may not love as we liſt, nor deſire as we liſt: It's thſet and Sacriledge thus to ſteal from God; Why ſhould it be a wound in thy Conſcience to detain that which is another mans, and not rather that which is Gods: My Son give me thy heart; If ſinne hath it, If the world hath it, theſe are not the right owners; Remember whoſe thou art, and this will keep thee ſolely and wholly for God.
How the propriety in God is the cauſe of all good.Theſe things premiſed let us now ſee How the Propriety we have in God is the cauſe of all our good;
And in the generall there is no temporall or ſpirituall good we have, but our propriety in God is the Foundation of it: If the Apoſtle argue that becauſe he hath given us Chriſt, how ſhall he not with him give us all things elſe? Rom. 8. How much rather if God give us himſelf, ſhall he not give us all things: The marrow and whole ſubſtance of the Covenant of grace lieth in this, That God will be our God and we ſhall be his People: God doth not finde us but make us his, and when ſo made then all good things are beſtowed on us; We will ſelect ſome choice particulars, and that two waies.
1. Of thoſe good things we have from God.
2. Of thoſe good things we have by approaching to good our active and paſſive good.
And firſt Pardon of ſinne in which the Pſalmiſt ſpeaks our bleſſedneſſe to conſiſt is given us becauſe we are hi…. Thus Heb. 8. when God promiſed to be the God of his People in the Covenant of Grace, Then followeth the Forgiveneſſe of their ſinnes, And he will remember their Iniquities no more; And this they muſt neceſſarily enjoy, For Guilt of ſinne ſeparateth between God and the ſinner, it makes him at a diſtance, and in a ſtate of Enmity; But this propriety takes away all Ground of Condemnation, Rom. 8. Becauſe they belong to God therefore they are pardoned; Davids ſinnes were fouler then Sauls; But beſides that David had a better heart then Saul; David had a propriety in God, and ſo had not Saul: Oh the Encouragement that Gods Children have upon this account to pray for pardon: It's more in God then in thy Repentance or Tears; That is the ſureſt Refuge they have, they are the Fathers: Therefore
2. Becauſe they have more choice and intimate Fellowſhip and Communion with the Father then the world: They have the Light of his Countenance, aſſurance of his Love: They have the hidden Manna; They have a peculiar Enjoyment of him, which is more as David ſaith, Pſal. 4. then the wicked men have when their Wine and Oyle encreaſeth: They are called Friends in oppoſition to Servants by Chriſt, Joh. 15.15. And therefore are admitted into that preſence and thoſe heavenly Secrets, which wicked men know not, which made the Church repeat this ſo often, She was her well beloveds, and her well beloved was hers, Cant. 6.3. And from this followeth that holy and heavenly Communion with Chriſt which the Church hath; Oh if the world did but know what the Godly have from God, Other meat, Other Riches, Other Comforts then they underſtand: How would they lament their diſtance from God? They have Husks onelyonly when there is the fatted Calf in our Fathers Houſe; Inſomuch that though the Godly have not the good things of this Life alwaies, yet they have the good, yea, the better things of Heaven and Happineſſe as a Viaticum in their Journey thither.
3. Becauſe they have a Propriety in Chriſt therefore they are protected and preſerved: The Eye of God is ſaid to runne up and down the Earth, to ſtand in the behalf of the upright in heart; They are Gods Treaſure, and ſo his heart and love muſt be towards them, I am thine ſave me, ſaith David, Pſal. 119.94. Propriety engageth God, all Creatures look to their own, yea, they venture their lives to ſave their young ones: The cruell and moſt wilde Creatures are fierce to defend their own; Now at the Pſalmiſt argueth, He that made the Eye ſhall not be ſee, He that planted the Ear ſhall not he hear? Thus he that hath put into the nature of all creatures to protect their young ones, Will not he do the like? This Argument the Church uſeth when ſhe ſaith, Iſaiah 63 9. We are thine, and are called by thy Name; Inſomuch that there is a wonderfull expreſſion in Zech. 2.8. He that toucheth you toucheth the Apple of my Eye; How carefully hath nature defended that as being a precious and dear part in a man; Yet thus God is pleaſed to account of thoſe that are his, And therefore he is ſaid to be afflicted in all their afflictions: Oh then that the Godly would improve this propriety more; They fear this danger, this Triall, this Calamity; Art thou not the Lords? Will not he look to thee more then thou couldeſt thy ſelf? Thou art more his then thy own; It's indeed no ſuch matter for thee to loſe thy health, thy Comforts, thy Life, but for God to loſe his goods, his Inheritance, his Jewels, would highly redound to his diſhonour; Therefore the Lord is ſaid to know how to deliver thoſe that are Righteous, 2 Peter 2.9. They are under Gods care; And therefore thy Condition is more ſecure then if the whole world were to keep thee; For he that keepeth Iſrael neither ſlumbreth nor ſleepeth, Pſal. 121.3.
4. Becauſe they are the Fathers therefore they are ſure to perſevere, and not to apoſtatize from the waies of grace and holineſſe; Adam indeed was his, and the Angels before their Fall were his, but becauſe not his in that ſure and better Covenant, which is eſtabliſhed by the bloud of Chriſt. Therefore they fell from that propriety, but now a ſure and everlaſting Covenant is made through Chriſt; They if once his, alwaies his▪ Hence our Saviour ſaith, None can pluck them out of his Fathers hand, John 18.29. Becauſe the Father is greater then all: Out of his hand, that is a very comfortable expreſſion, as if God held them alwaies in his hand, as we do thoſe things that are precious, and therefore we are kept by the power of God to Salvation; Oh how often ſhould we loſe our propriety, forfeit our Intereſt, become ſinnes and Satans, did not he keep us his? This preſerving of us his, is more then making us his at firſt, for ſuch is our falſhood and inconſtancy, that we ſhould every day diſſolve all thoſe bonds of love between God and us: Did not he put this fear in our hearts? Oh by this it is that we do not only live his but die his: By this it is that we may with Triumph take up Pauls perſwaſion, That nothing ſhall ſeparate us from the Love of God in Chriſt Jeſus, Rom. 8. Build not then thy Perſeverance upon thy graces but Gods propriety.
Theſe may ſuffice for the former part, then in the next place, This propriety God hath in us is the cauſe of all our good, in our approaches unto God.
And Firſt, It is that onelyonly which adminiſters confidence and fervency in praier; What hopes, what ſtrivings, what agonies could there be in Praier, if it were not for this he is our God we are praying unto? Who can hopefully pray to an Enemy or Adverſary, to a condemning Judge, but when to a gracious Father that breedeth encouragement; Thus we are taught to pray Our Father; And the Spirit of God is eſpecially for this appropriating confidence to call God Abba Father, and what is it that makes David ſo full of hopes even in ſad Temptations, becauſe God was his God, his buckler, his Shield; And it's ſaid in that ſad perplexity he was in at Ziklag, he encouraged himſelf in his God, 1 Sam. 30.6. So that take this away and you take away the very ſoul and life of all praiers.
2. Joy and Thankefulneſſe; The overflowing of the heart with praiſe and rejoycing is from this, becauſe God is our God; Thus David is like a Fountain often running over, becauſe God forgave his iniquities, and was his God; The people of God walk in darkneſſe becauſe they are not clear in this, their evidences are not ſtrong here.
3. Contentation and a bleſſed compoſure of spirit: For in that God is theirs they have all can be deſired, Fear not Abraham I am thy exceeding great reward; The Lord is my Shepherd I ſhall want nothing, Pſal. 23.1, I wonder not now that Paul can ſay he knoweth how to abound and how to want, Phil. 4. 12. yea, that he hath all things foreign becauſe he hath God who hath all things; Oh ſay not I want a drop when thou haſt the Ocean.
Ʋſe To admire the bleſſed eſtate of the Godly; No wonder if Balaam wiſh that he might die the death of the Righteous, and that his latter end might be like his: See the Large Inventory of 2 very Godly mans Treaſure, 1 Cor, 1. All things are yours, and why is it ſo? Becauſe Chriſt is ours and God is ours: A wretched man thinks it a great matter to ſay, This Eſtate and that is mine, when yet none can ſay as the devil of all the Glory of the World, All is mine, yet he is happy that hath the Lord for his Portion.
Ʋſe 2. Take heed of oppoſing and malicious vexing of thoſe that are godly, it redounds to Gods diſhonour; It's not they but God that is deſpiſed.