Exposition of John, Chapter 17 · Verse 10
Ver. 12. While I was with them in the world, I kept them in thy Name; thoſe that thou gaveſt me, I have kept, and none of them is loſt, but the Son of perdition: that the Scripture might be fulfilled.
This petition Chriſt preſſeth by three Arguments; The firſt whereof (in this verſe) is taken from his care of theſe given him while he was bodily preſent with them. He had ſuch a care of them, as he can make a fair account that none of them are loſt; Only Judas was gone, who though he were choſen to the Apoſtleſhip, chap. 6.70. yet was never given to be redeemed or ſaved by him, but was one deſtinate to perdition, of whoſe defection and ruine the Scriptures, ſpeaking of him under the type of Achithophel and other of Davids enemies, (Acts 1.20. with Pſal. 69.25. and 109.8.) had foretold. From which Chriſt would inferre, that he being (not to quit his charge which he exerceth with the Father ſtill, but) to remove from them in reſpect of his bodily preſence, as v. 11. and 14. therefore the Father muſt keep them, that his pains be not loſt. Whence learn, 1. Chriſt the Son of God did for a time condeſcend to be preſent with his people in humane ſhape, as for other ends, ſo, to teſtifie his tenderneſſe and reſpect to their infirmity, Matth. 9.15, 16. and to give a proofe that he will ſtill be tender of his people; for, I was with them in the world. 2. There is no time wherein diſciples, while they are in the world, will not need care and over ſight without themſelves, for their preſervation; for, as now they were to need, ſo then they did need to be kept. 3. Albeit Chriſt, while he was in the world, had his own throng of ſharp exerciſe and ſufferings; Yet all that did not hinder him to lay out himſelfe in caring for his people, and to make his bodily preſence comfortable to them; for, while I was with them in the world, I kept them. 4. Chriſt did exerciſe this charge of keeping his people in the Fathers Name, that is, not only out of love to the Father whoſe name is called upon them, (as true Miniſters ca…e for them, becauſe of their relation to Chriſt, Joh. 21 15.) but alſo by the power of God, and his attributes, communicate to him from the Father as God, and concurring with him in carrying on his work as Mediatour. Whereby as he leaves us a pattern of ſelfe-denial in the enjoyment of all our gifted excellencies; So he teacheth all beleevers to aſcribe the glory of their perſeverance to God only; for theſe cauſes, and in theſe reſpects, he ſaith, I kept them in thy Name. 5. Chriſt is ſo faithful in caring for theſe committed to him, that he can make a fair account of one and all of them, and of his dealing and diſpenſations toward them, that none of them are a miſſing, but all well and ſafely kept and guided; for, Theſe that thou gaveſt me, I kept, and none of them is loſt. And this is ſome ſhaddow of the great account he will make of all his flock in the laſt day. 6. When Chriſt hath taken pains upon his people, as they will ſtill need more, ſo he takes an argument from what he hath done, to do more for them, becauſe he will not loſe the pains he hath taken; Therefore doth Chriſt plead, that ſince he had taken ſo much pains and kept them, therefore the Father would keep them ſtill, as he hath deſired. 7. As there are in the world given ones, of whom Chriſt will have a care, ſo there are ſons of perdition and men appointed to deſtruction for their ſin; for, ſo ſaith Chriſt there is but the ſon of perdition. Which cannot come in here by way of exception, as if the meaning were, I have loſt none of them whom thou haſt given me, except Judas: for it is clear from Joh. 6.37, 39, 40. that none of all theſe the Father gave him ſhall periſh. And Judas was never given to Chriſt to be redeemed, but only to the office of Apoſtleſhip. But it comes in by way of oppoſition, (as the Original particle is frequently uſed) to this ſenſe, I have loſt none of them thou haſt given me; but Judas is loſt, or, though Judas be loſt. And the expreſſion uſed for deſignation of Judas doth ſerve to obviate an exception; for, whereas it might be objected, how had he loſt none, ſince Judas was gone; He anſwers that he was therefore loſt becauſe he was never ſo given to him, but from the beginning was a ſon of perdition, or, a man appointed to deſtruction, as the Hebrew phraſe imports 8. Sons of perdition may be not only in the world, and in the viſible Church, but even very high in Chriſts Court as to external employment and ſervice; for, ſo was Judas given to be an Apoſtle, whoſe defection neceſſitates Chriſt to vindicate himſelfe that he was not the leſſe faithful in his truſt, though ſuch an eminent man did periſh. 9. Sons of perdition are ſuch as will not be the better of any means, or care, but will periſh were they even in Chriſts own company, and his hands (as to outward diſpenſations) about them; for, ſo Judas in Chriſts own Court, is the Son of perdition, and will and doth periſh. 10. The defection and deſtruction of Reprobates, were they never ſo eminent, doth not any way rub on Chriſts fidelity in his account, they never being given to him, to ſave them; for, he gives a faithful account to his Father, though the ſon of perdition be loſt. 11. God is not deceived by the defection and periſhing of any, how eminent ſoever, but as he had his eternal purpoſe about them, ſo he could give an account what would become of them, if it were needfull, long before they had a being; As he gives proofe in his foretelling of Judas and his defection and ruine, ſo long before, in the Scripture. 12. The Scriptures of God are of infallible verity, in threatnings, promiſes, or predictions; for, the Scripture muſt be fulfilled. 13. The beſt way to read ſtrange and croſſe diſpenſations, is, to ſee an hand and providence of God in them, which may quiet our hearts, till we get a more full and diſtinct account of his minde in them; Therefore, in mentioning the ſon of perdiction. he leads us to the Scripture, wherein God by foretelling thereof, teſtified his providence about it, and to the fulfilling thereof by his defection, that we may ſee nothing in it, but that wherein he had an holy hand.