One-Hundred Forty-Five Sermons Upon John 17, Sermon 54
SERMON LIV. That all Civill Governours (as well as Eccleſiasticall) from the meaneſt Master of a Family to the Greatest Monarch, have from Chriſt a Spirituall Charge of thoſe that are under them; And are above all things to endeavour the good of their Souls.
JOH. 17.11.
Holy Father, keep through thy own Name thoſe whom thou haſt given me, &c.
HItherto we have conſidered the Grounds and Reaſons why Chriſt praieth for his Diſciples, Now we come to the Praier and Petition it ſelf.
In which we may conſider,
1. The Preface or compellation.
2. The Praier it ſelf.
The Compellation is in thoſe words, Holy Father; Which words are uſed by our Saviour, not that he needed any inſinuation into Gods favour, but becauſe thoſe expreſſions are ſo many Arguments with God to hear his Praier; He is a Father, and ſo cannot deny Children praying to him; He is an holy Father, and ſo can eaſily ſanctifie Beleevers: For the Object matter of the praier it ſelf that comes next into conſideration.
But of the Compellation at this time, Holy Father.
It's uſual in Scripture to give ſuch Titles and Attributes to God that are ſuitable to the matter in hand: Thus Chriſt being to pray for the holineſſe of his Diſciples, he cals him Holy Father; When he praied for himſelf, he ſaid only Father, Here he ſaith holy Father; At v. 25. he praietb Righteous Father upon another reaſon then in hand; The Greek word foreign, Some would have to come from foreign and foreign as much as without earth, Others more probably from foreign, to reverence, becauſe holy things are reverently to be handled, according to that old Rule Sancta ſancte.
In the firſt place Conſider the Relation Chriſt is in, while praying thus for his diſciples, and ſo we may conſider him as a Governour, as a Paſtor, or Maſter, who had a charge and truſt over the Diſciples, and this he adminiſters with much Faithfulneſſe, For being now corporally to leave them, it's not honours, greatneſſe, and temporal advantages he praieth for, but only the ſpiritual welfare of their ſoul, viz. a preſervation from the evil of the world, and a perſeverance in good, ſo that here we have an admirable example for all Governours, all that have charge over any Inferiours: As Abimelech ſaid to his people, What ye ſee me do, that do ye; So what we behold Chriſt doing, let all Truſters for others do the like, Let Magiſtrates, Miniſters, Parents and Maſters, ſee that it's the godlineſſe and Souls good of their Inferiours, that they are to purſue above all other things.
From whence obſerve,
Obſ.Doct. That all Governors that have a charge over others are to watch and pray for the good of thoſe they are betruſted with. That all Governours who have a Charge over others are above all things to watch and pray for the ſpirituall good of thoſe they are betruſted with; Let the ſame bowels and ſpirit be in you which was in the Lord Jeſus; Oh be more afraid leſt your Children, your Servants ſhould any waies ſinne againſt God, and ſo endanger their ſouls, then of any outward miſery, deſire rather to make them great in Heaven, then here upon the Earth; As we ſee Chriſt here, ſo we may reade of many godly Governors that have been diligent in this Point; Moſes though he had much ungrateful uſage from the people, yet how conſtant in praying for them, how greatly troubled when they had ſinned, and when God offered to make him great, he refuſed to have it upon ſuch terms as ſhould prejudice the people: Samuel alſo though he for all his good Service was rejected by the people, yet he ſaith, God forbid I ſhould ceaſe to pray for you, 1 Sam 12.23. Paul he was a ſpiritual Governour, and in all his Epiſtles you ſee his fervent praiers for the ſpiritual good of the Churches, yea, the care of all was upon him, he was tempted in every mans temptation, and it was his Crown and joy, yea, life it ſelf; If they ſtood ſtedfaſt in the Faith; Abraham alſo and Joſhua, you ſee the care they had that their Family, Children, and Servants ſhould fear the Lord, and this is ſo great a matter that God takes ſpecial notice of it in Abraham, and therefore will hide nothing from him. Gen. 18.19. We ſee from thence that this is ſo acceptable to God, that he admits ſuch into his choiceſt Secrets, and reveals himſelf more to ſuch then others, I know him, ſaith God, and that by this, he will not ſuffer his Children and Houſhold to do what they liſt, but he will command them to keep the way of the Lord; To ſet this upon our hearts, for all wickedneſſe and impiety doth commonly ariſe in Inferiours from the neglect of Superiors, and the waters cannot be ſweet as long as the Springs are bitter.
In the firſt place, Know and ſet this down for a Rule, That whereſoever any Christian hath a Government, there is alſo a ſpirituall Charge and trust going along with it; In a Miniſter it is clear, In a Magiſtrate it is as clear, for he was to write the Law of God out, and that not for his own particular uſe, Deut. 17.18. But thereby to govern his people, Inſomuch that it's a promiſe, Kings and Queens ſhall be Nurſing Fathers and Mothers to his Church, Iſa. 49.23. As for Parents you have not only many places in Solomons Proverbs, where both Father and Mother do again and again give ſpiritual counſell to their Son, but the Apoſtle Eph. 6.4. enjoyneth it as a duty in the New Teſtament; Thus alſo Maſters Phil 6.9. They muſt aim and look up to Chriſt in the diſcharge of their government, and remember they alſo have a Maſter in heaven, That as the Servant muſt look at God in his Relation, ſo muſt the Maſter, therefore he ſaith, And ye Maſters do the ſame things unto them: And certainly this Relation Grace will diſcover the truth of a man; Aliter Rex ſervit Deo, ut homo, aliter ut Rex, and thus a Father, a Maſter they ſerve God as men, or as Fathers and Maſters, and to this charge they are to attend unto.
2. All Superiors and Governors they are to give an account of this Truſt unto God at that great day; We are to appear before him, and to anſwer how we have lived not only as Chriſtians in the general, but as in ſuch Relations; Thy Miniſtry ſinnes, Thy Magiſtracy ſinnes, Thy ſinnes as a Father, as a Maſter▪ will they not make a large Catalogue? and be like Ezechiels flying Roll, that had curſes written on it within and without: This is proved by the Parable of the Talents, where he that had but one was not pardoned, but muſt give an account, and for his negligence be condemned; Now by a Talent is meant every thing that a man is betruſted with, thereby to glorifie God, and it's called a Talent becauſe of the high price and worth that is in every the leaſt opportunity we have to ſerve God; Oh then let all Superiors tremble at this, how great and unexpected will thy account be; If thou haſt endeavoured to be good thy ſelf, and holy, yet if thou haſt not attended to have holy Children and an holy Family, thy Condemnation will be exceeding great; Think not to ſay with Cain, Am I my Brethrens Keeper? What have I to do with others? I am no Preacher or Miniſter, for in that thou haſt a truſt, thou ſhalt give an account of thy godly improving of it.
3. All thoſe ſinnes that Inferiors do commit for want of thy care and inſtruction, will be thy ſinnes, and thou wilt be the cauſe of their damnation; That Rule in morality is alſo true in Divinity, qui non dat vitam, aufert; Ezechiel muſt be judged guilty of the Iſraelites ſinnes, and God will require their bloud at his hands if he do not his duty to them, Eze. 3.18. And therefore Paul proteſted he was free from their bloud, becauſe he had made known all the Counſell of God Act. 20.26. Who then will be able to ſtand under this burthen? Haſt thou not ſinnes of thy own? but thou muſt have thy Childrens ſinnes, thy Servants ſins alſo to lie upon thy back as an heavy burthen: Will Chriſt at the day of Judgement condemn men, becauſe his poor Members were ſick and they viſited them not? They were hungry and they fed them not; And will he not much rather be provoked becauſe there have been ſick, ſinful, wicked perſons under thy care, drunkards and thou didſt not admoniſh, Swearers and thou didſt not frown on them; Shall God make Inquiſition for the bloud of the body upon Murderers? And will he not for the bloud of Souls? Shall Abel, though dead, ſpeak and cry Vengeance, and ſhall not Children, Servants, Inferiours damned in hell, cry out, ſaying, It was the negligence, the prophaneſſe of my Superiors that hath brought me hither: Were not men ſtones and Rocks, theſe Conſiderations would make them melt and tremble.
Ʋſe of Exhortation to Governours, eſpecially Parents and Maſters; Take our Saviours example here, and follow it, ſee his care was that his Diſciples might not ſinne, that they might be kept in all holineſſe; Oh then blame and condemn thy ſelf, ſaying, my thoughts, My cares have been to make them rich, to provide for them in the world, but not at all have I looked to their Souls: Do they not lye, ſwear, drink? Do they not prophane the Sabbath, and live diſſolutely? yet theſe things are no trouble to thy heart; Canſt thou ſay of thy Children as was ſaid of Auſtin to his Mother Monica, It was impoſſible that a Childe of ſo many Teares ſhould periſh; Are thine Children of praiers and tears, and careful inſtruction? How many are too like that Woman of Zebedee, ſhe comes to Chriſt with this Petition, That her Sons might ſit with Chriſt in his Kingdom, one on the right hand and another on the left, dreaming of ſome earthly, temporal greatneſſe; Thus we are apt to think we will provide ſo much, leave ſuch Eſtates, and in the mean while their miſerable Souls are undone to all Eternity. Be moved hereunto becauſe
1. This is the greatest love and charity to them: You cannot diſcover greater compaſſion then by taking care of their Souls; Their Souls are more worth then all the world, how highly did Chriſt eſteem of Souls, when he came into the world and endured all that miſery for Souls only? He died only to make them bleſſed.
2. Conſider that thy evil example who art a Governour doth encourage and embolden Inferiours in their wickedneſſe; They are the more obſtinate becauſe thou ſheweſt no diſlike, no frowns on them, they think they have cauſe to ſinne then; It's well obſerved by Lactantius, ſpeaking of this particular about Example, The nature of man is proclive to all vice, and would ſeem not only cum veniâ but ratione peccare, and this they never do more pleade then when their Superiours are ſuch as act Wickedneſſe, or elſe doe countenance it.
3. Be moved hereunto from the Certainty of the Souls good and uncertainty of all worldly things; When thou haſt conſumed thy ſelf in thoughts and cares about thy Children; Solomons Obſervation will hold true, Who knoweth whether he will be a wiſe man or a Fool, thou haſt laboured for, Eccl. 2.19. But now if he hath been inſtructed in the fear of God, This will abide to all Eternity.
In the next place we come to the Compellation Holy Father, From that attribute given to God, he is an holy Father, and ſo being a Fountain of all holineſſe, may eaſily communicate it to others.
Obſ. That God is an holy God, Doct. God is an holy God and able to make others holy.and ſo able to make others holy.
For we are not to conſider of this Attribute meerly as a glorious property in God, but to improve it for our good, that we alſo might be made holy; This glorious Attribute Iſa. 6. the Angels of all others do ſingle out, and with great …cclamation praiſe God, ſaying, Holy, Holy, Holy; Yea, this is the only Attribute we are to imitate, Be ye holy as I am holy, not be omnipotent as I am; Now God is holy ſeveral waies.
And firſt, He is eſſentially holy, his holineſſe and his nature are not two things as it is in Angels and men; In this ſenſe Chriſt ſaid,I. He is eſſentially holy. None is good but God, God is a pure act, and ſo whatſoever is in God is God; His holineſſe therefore is not only in that he worketh all things holily, but his very nature is holy: Hence God is called Jehovah, and I AM, Exod. 3.14. becauſe what he is he is eſſentially, and therefore ſeeing his nature is incomprehenſible ſo is his holineſſe; Seeing we are never able to define what he is, ſo neither can we what his holineſſe is, Quicquid de Deo dici poteſt eo ipſo indignum eſt, quia dici poteſt, Our dwarfiſh Nature cannot meaſure theſe Pyramides, Our ſhell cannot contain this Ocean; Though Aſtronomers by their Inſtruments gueſſe at the magnitude of the Sun, yet we cannot reach unto the greatneſſe either of Gods Nature or his Attributes.
Secondly, He is not onelyonly eſſentially holy, II. Oppoſitely holy to all falſe Gods.but foreign and oppoſitely holy to thoſe falſe Gods mans corruption hath ſet up, and in oppoſition to the Devils who are called unclean ſpirits: Hence he is often ſtiled the Holy One of Iſrael, becauſe they only worſhiped the true God; Thoſe ancient Chriſtian Writers Arnobius, Auſtin, and others, who wrote in defence of the Chriſtian Religion, did convince Heathens of their Impiety, by worſhiping ſuch for gods whom yet they faſtened many impious actions upon, for certainly nature would have told them, That was God, quo nibil melius cogitari poteſt; Thus the God whom Chriſtians according to the Scripture doe ſerve is the onelyonly holy and true God.
Thirdly, He is holy in reſpect of his will, command, and approbation; His word is an holy Word, The Scriptures are holy Scriptures, They command,III. Holy in his Will and commands. They approve, They encourage and comfort nothing but holineſſe; David Pſal. 19. compareth them to Gold often refined that hath no droſſe, and Hab. 1. God is of purer eyes then to behold Iniquity, viz. by approbation; Therefore he is ſaid to be angry with the wicked all the day long; Oh then though other men love thee, and thou art in love with thy own ſelf, yet if not holy God doth not God cannot love thee.
IV. Holy efficiently.Fourthly, God is holy efficiently, He is the Authour and cauſe of all the holineſſe we have, Iames 1.17. Every good and perfect gift comes from him; We are his Workmanſhip created to good works; He made the Angels holy, He created Adam holy, yea, he infuſed all holineſſe into Chriſts humane Nature, and therefore much rather muſt he cauſe all the holineſſe that is in us; Therefore Chriſt by praying that God would ſanctifie his Diſciples, doth thereby teach, that none can make holy but God alone; Let then the proud Patrons of free-will be confounded at this; They that cannot make themſelves Creatures, will they ſay' they make themſelves holy Creatures? Minus eſt te feciſſe hominem quam juſtum.
V. He is finally holy.Fifthly, He is finally holy, That is all our holineſſe is to terminate in him; Holineſſe doth properly reſpect God as the Object, and therefore though a man praieth, heareth, giveth alms, yea; his body to be burnt, and doth not with a pure and chaſte Intention look at Gods glory in all this, it is not holineſſe; Hence it is that many have low thoughts about holineſſe, and groſly miſtake in it, taking copper for Gold, and Samuels Ghoſt for Samuel himſelf; Thou art not holy till thou canſt truly ſay in ſome Degree at leaſt, though with much oppoſition, Whom have I in Heaven but God? and none on Earth beſides him: In Heaven Heaven it ſelf would not be heaven to a gracious heart, but becauſe God is there.
VI. Holy exemplarily.Sixthly, God is holy exemplarily; He is the Rule, Pattern, and Example of holineſſe, 1 Pet. 1.15. Be ye holy as I am holy. Levit. 20.26. So that if we would know how we are to be holy, it muſt not be as men think, or as the world preſcribeth, but as God is holy: Not that we can attain to an equality, but to a ſimilitude onelyonly; So that the principle of the world muſt fall to the ground; They will doe as others doe, or as moſt doe: Oh but rather Conſider that God himſelf hath ſet down a Form for thee, and becauſe there is ſuch fulneſſe in him as in an Ocean, therefore we have a neceſſity of growing every day; No man is as holy as the patern, therefore ſtill he is to be perfecting Holineſſe and Righteouſneſſe in the Fear of God, 1 Cor. 7.1.
Thus you have heard that God is holy, But in the next place know it is our Duty to improve this Attribute for our Good, For ſo our Saviour doth not look upon it as an abſolute property in God, but as that which may be profitable unto his Diſciples, So that we are to make uſe of this by Faith.
And that firſt, Becauſe when God becomes our God by the Covenant of Grace, he is wholly ours, and all his Attributes are for our benefit and advantage; I will be their God: Now God is not our God nuleſſe his Wiſedome be ours, his Holineſſe be ours, that is for our benefit; For we cannnot ſeparate God and theſe; Oh then what an unwiſe and fooliſh thing is it in a Chriſtian when he hath ſuch a Treaſure, and yet will make no uſe of it, Such a Mine and yet improveth it not! In God there is holineſſe for all Angels and men, much more for thee.
Secondly, God being thus abſolutely good, he is communicating of it, and it is a Rule, The more any thing is good, the more diffuſive it is of it ſelf; As we ſee in God, who though glorious and happy enough in himſelf, yet he created a world, and ordained many to Eternall Glory out of his meer good pleaſure and Fullneſſe, not that he needed or wanted any; Oh then it is very acceptable and well-pleaſing to God that we ſhould come with thirſting Souls unto this Fountain, and draw Water out of it, That we ſhould ſuck plentifully at theſe full Breaſts and be refreſhed.
Ʋſe of Inſtruction to the People of God who are greatly afflicted under this great Temptation; They are not an holy People; Oh they finde ſinne captivating them, ſinne prevailing over them, but where is an holy heart, holy affections, and holy aims in what they doe? Oh they ſay! Could they finde they were more holy though they were poor and afflicted, yet they ſhould rejoyce: Let ſuch Conſider, It is their Unbelief and want of earneſt Praier, if they be not richly ſupplied and furniſhed in this, for God is infinitely holy, and he delights to communicate it; The larger the Veſſell is the more willing he is and will be to fill it, and there cannot be any Prayer more acceptable then to begge for this above all things.
Ʋſe 2. Is God thus holy, Then let the moſt holy be humble in all their approaches to him, for he is of ſuch pure Eyes that he findes ſpots and blemiſhes, yea, damnable matter in thy moſt holy duties; Angels holineſse is not proportionable to him.
Thirdly, Of Reproof to wicked men, who deride, ſcoff, and maliciouſly oppoſe holineſſe, What is this but to riſe up againſt God himſelf? Is not Holineſſe the Glorious Attribute of God? And do the Beams of this ſhining in his People offend thee? This argueth thou art of a perverſe and of a deviliſh Spirit, for thou ſhouldeſt rather reverence and honour it, ſaying, Oh that I might live and dye like ſuch holy men! Indeed there are many would like Balaam die like a Godly man, but not live like him, as One ſaid, He would live like Croeſus but die like Socrates; Yet this is impoſſible, There muſt be an holy Life elſe there will hardly be an holy Death.