Exposition of John 17, Exposition · Part 15
JOHN 17.3.
Thee the only true God.
IS it ſo, that God the Father, Son, &c. is the only true God? Then Uſe 3 let us have no other God but him only. Let us be able confidently to challenge any man in the words of holy David, Whom have we in heaven but him, and whom have we in earth but him? Is there any in the world, whom we ſet up to our ſelves as a God but him only? Let us be alwaies mindfull of the firſt and great Commandment of the Law of God, which is indeed the very baſis and foundation of the reſt, Thou ſhalt have no other God before me. Thou ſhalt have a God, and thou ſhalt have me for thy God, and thou ſhalt have none but me for thy God. And that which is annexed is very much to be obſerved, If thou haſt any God beſides me, it will be before me. If we could go behind his back and take another god, there were the leſs iniquity, and there were the more ſafety; it were not ſuch a hainous thing, it were not ſuch a dangerous thing. But to go and take another god before his face, (as if a wife ſhould go and take another Lover and commit uncleanneſs with him, even before her husbands face) what an horrid impudence? what an unſufferable provocation? What, ſaith the Lord, (as once Ahaſuerus in the caſe of Haman) will he commit adultery before my face? for ſo idolatry is ſpiritual adultery; will he do it in my preſence, and while I am looking on? Ah deſperate wretch! nay then I ſee there is no hope of him, take him away, and carry him to execution. And therefore let us be extreamly cautious, that we have no other God but him alone who is the only true God.
But you will ask me now perhaps, what I intend when I exhort you to have no other God but him only? Truly, my Brethren, it involveth many things, but I ſhall draw them to a few heads. When I perſwade you to have the Lord and none but him for your God, my meaning is, that you ſhould ſerve him and none but him, that you ſhould fear him and none but him, that you ſhould truſt in him and none but him.
Then ſince he is the only true God, ſerve him and none but him. Serve the Lord ſo as to ſerve no other with him. So is his own expreſs injunction, Thou ſhalt worſhip the Lord thy God, and him only ſhalt thou ſerve, Matth. 4.10. And here to be a little more diſtinct, ſerve the Lord and not Idols, ſerve the Lord and not Times, ſerve the Lord and not Luſts.
Firſt, ſerve the Lord and not Idols, they are all falſe gods, he is the only true God, and therefore ſee you ſerve him, and not them. It is a ſin the Scripture very much diſſwades from, and makes the worſt of all corruptions, and moſt abominable to the Lord. And therefore this is often called the ſin in Scripture by way of eminence above the reſt, becauſe it is a ſin of the moſt infamous and odious rank. And Jeroboams drawing Iſrael to the worſhip of the calves, is frequently ſet forth by this expreſſion, he made Iſrael to ſin. He made them to commit the ſinning ſin, the ſin which is abundantly and out of meaſure ſinfull. And God himſelf diſſwading from it, ſpeaketh of it as that on which his very heart did riſe, which he abhorred to name, on which he could not think without extremity of deteſtation; O do not that abominable thing which I hate, Jer. 44.4. And otherwiſe indeed it cannot be: For it is the chooſing of another god, that is the Holy Ghoſts expreſſion of it, ſaith he, they choſe new gods, Judges 5.8. by which they made it to appear, that they were weary of the old, as if they had diſcovered ſome iniquity in God, as he expoſtulateth with the Jews upon the like occaſion, Jer. 2.5. as if the Lord were found upon experience to be ſuch a god, or were not worth the keeping any longer.
This is a thing from which the very heathen are abhorrent and averſe; the Nations will not change their gods, Jer. 2.11. though they be but falſe gods, and conſequently no gods, as it is added there in that place. Oh what an odious thing is this, that the Church ſhould change hers, who hath the true and everlaſting Lord of heaven and earth for her God. They will not change their falſe gods for the true, and ſhall we change the true God for a falſe? Oh what an horrible indignity is this, what an unſufferable provocation?
And therefore God is exceedingly incenſed at this iniquity; it is a ſin that kindles anger, great anger, yea the heat of great anger, Deut. 24.44. What means the heat of this great anger? And in the following, verſes it is ſhewed to be becauſe they went and ſerved other gods. Indeed Idolatry ſtirs up the jealouſie of God, and therefore this is added as the reaſon of the prohibition of it, becauſe he is a jealous God. And even as jealouſie in man is (as the wiſe man notes) the rage of man; ſo jealouſie in God (my Brethren) is the rage of God. To ſee his Wife the Church forſake him, and run a whoring after Idols, is ſuch a thing as blows and kindles up the flames of his hotteſt indignation. In what a fearfull rage was God on this occaſion? behold and tremble at it, Exod. 32.9. when Moſes hung about him, and beſought him for the people, he flung him off; Let me alone, ſaith God, that ſo my anger may wax hot againſt them, and that I may conſume them in a moment. And if you ſearch the Scripture, you ſhall find that God hath executed and inflicted the heavieſt of his plagues and judgements on thoſe that have been guilty of this ſin. Look on the monuments of his ſevereſt and moſt direfull vengeance, and you ſhall find, that as the wrath of God hath been revealed from heaven againſt all unrighteouſneſs of men; ſo eſpecially againſt this hideous ſin. And as a man tranſported with a jealous ſpirit, is apt to take unmercifull revenge; in which reſpect the wiſe man ſaith, He will not ſpare in the day of vengeance, Prov. 6.34. even ſo the Lord when he is ſtirred to jealouſie on this occaſion, is wont to meaſure out to ſuch offendors an exceſs and overplus of wrath and vengeance, as you may ſee a ſad example of it in the Jews. And therefore I ſhut up this Exhortation, as John doth his Epiſtle. Little children keep your ſelves from Idols, Amen. Serve the Lord and not Idols.
But you will ſay perhaps, what needs this? For who among us is inclinable to this ſin? Or which of us doth ſerve Idols? To this I anſwer, That there is not in man a ſtronger inclination to any ſin then that of Idolatry, as I could ſhew you very plentifully and very clearly from the Scripture. And as for actual Idolatry, you muſt know, (my Brethren) that there is a groſs and open, and there is a more ſubtile and ſecret Idolatry. The groſs and open is the worſhipping of heathen images and heathen gods, or elſe of Popiſh Crucifixes, and the like; from this perhaps you may acquit your ſelves. But now beſides, there is an inward and ſecret Idolatry, and this is very rife and common in the world, yea in the boſom of the Church it ſelf. Profeſſed Chriſtians many of them, who have but one God in their mouthes, have yet an hundred in their hearts.
For you muſt know, my Brethren, that this inward Idol-worſhip is not committed only by conceiving an Idol or a creature under the notion of God, which was the errour of the heathen, who thought that Jupiter and Mars were gods. But alſo by aſcribing that to any creature which is peculiar to the Lord. In doing ſo we deifie the creature, and ſet it up in Gods ſtead: and this is very uſual among thoſe that would be taken to be Chriſtians: ſome make Idols of themſelves: either their belly is their God, as the Apoſtle ſpeaks in his time, whoſe end is deſtruction, whoſe God is their belly, Phil. 3.19. they take more care to pleaſe their appetites, and fill their bellies, then to pleaſe God. Or elſe they make their policy and wit their God, while they rely and reſt upon it to bring their enterprizes and deſigns to paſs: and ſo accordingly attribute the effecting of them to their own skill, and to their own ability. Theſe are the men that ſacrifice to their own net, and burn incenſe to their own dragg, as the Prophet ſpeaks, Hab. 1.16.
Others make Idols of their fellow Creatures, while they lay out that fear, and love, and confidence upon them, which belongs to God only. In this reſpect, the covetous and worldly wretch is ſtiled an Idolater. Eph. 5.5. becauſe he loves his riches more then God, and truſteth in his riches more then God. And the Apoſtle James ſpeaking of ſuch as love the world, calls them adulterers and adultereſſes, Jam. 4.4. becauſe they commit this inward Idolatry (which is ſpiritual adultery) with the things of this life. The like may be affirmed of the ambitious man, who loves his honours more then God; and of the voluptuous man, who loves his pleaſures more then God. So that you ſee my Brethren, there is need of this advice even to profeſſed Chriſtians, to ſerve the Lord and not Idols.
2. Serve the Lord and not the times. foreign & foreign are words not very much unlike, neither in the writing of them, nor in the pronunciation of them; there is but a letter odds. And hence it is that ſome have put the latter for the former in that place of the Apoſtle, Rom. 12.11. And in ſtead of reading it foreign, ſerving the Lord, they read it by an eaſie change foreign, ſerving the time. And ſo we find it in ſome Greek Copies. And truly there are many in theſe dayes of ours who ſeem to like extreamly well of this change, who would have foreign put for foreign ſtill, and who would rather ſerve the time then ſerve the Lord. Theſe are the men who faſhion and apply themſelves continually to the preſent garb, and to the preſent ſtate of things. Like weather Cocks they turn with every blaſt, like Ships they ſet their ſails to every wind. Brethren, this is an odious thing to mould our ſelves (eſpecially in points of Conſcience and matters of Religion) to the times. Indeed it is obſerved of the men of Iſſachar, that they were wiſe to underſtand the times, and to know what Iſrael ought to do, 1 Chron. 12.31. And ſo I muſt acknowledge, it is wiſdom ſo to obſerve the times, to know our duty what it is, and to perform it in the proper ſeaſon. But to obſerve them ſo to ſerve them, is a very great evil. We muſt not ſerve the times but ſerve the Lord.
3. Serve the Lord and not Luſts; neither your own Luſts, nor the Luſts of others.
Firſt ſerve the Lord and not your own Luſts: if he be the only true God, he muſt be ſerved, and not them. And yet how many are there who are ſlaves and vaſſals to their own Corruptions, who are not ſubject and obedient to the will of God, but to that which the Evangeliſt calls the will of the fleſh, 1 John 13. They are a rule unto themſelves, and walk according to their own counſels. That which they have a will and a deſire to do, to which they are carried and ſwayed by their own inclinations and ſenſual affections, they freely follow and purſue; but for the will of God, they neither care to know it, nor obey it.
I wiſh that ſuch would ſeriouſly conſider what a fearfull thing it is for God to leave men to their own wills. He never doth it but in extremity of wrath and vengeance. When he will take ſevere revenge indeed, then he picks out this judgement: My people would not hearken to my voice, (ſaith God) and Iſrael would none of me. What muſt become of Iſrael now think you? you may behold it in the following verſe, So I gave them up to their own luſts, to walk according to their own counſels. And certainly unleſs the Lord ſhould ſend men quick to hell, a heavier Judgement cannot come upon them.
Secondly, ſerve the Lord, and not the Luſts of other men; that is the baſeſt and unworthieſt ſervice in the world, when men are not only ſubject to the regular and juſt commands of their ſuperiours (for ſo they are in duty bound to be) but they are ſubject to their wicked humours. They are not only ſerviceable and obedient to their lawfull wills, but they are Bawds and Pandars to their Luſts: They will do any thing, rather then they ſhall be offended and diſpleaſed: They will ſerve them in their ſins, and ſerve them in their baſe and wicked humours (though conſcience grumble and recoyl) they will comply with them in every thing, they will humour, and applaud them, and admire them for advantage, as the Apoſtle Paul ſpeaks. They are reſolved to pleaſe them, whether God be pleaſed or no. Let ſuch remember that God will never own them for his ſervants, who prefer the favour and reſpects of men above him: Mark what the Apoſtle ſaith, Gal. 1.10. If I yet pleaſe men, if I ſeek to pleaſe them ſo that I regard not though I anger and diſpleaſe the Lord Chriſt; If I yet pleaſe men in ſuch a manner, in ſuch a way as this, I cannot be the ſervant of Chriſt.
If God be the only true God, then as you muſt ſerve him and none but him, ſo you muſt fear him and none but him. Sanctifie the Lord of hoſts himſelf, ſaith the Prophet, Iſaiah 8.13. and let him be your fear and dread: The Prophet ſpeaks it there excluſively, let him be your fear and none elſe. To which effect is our Saviours admonition, Luke 12. Be not afraid of them that kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do: But I will forewarn you, whom you ſhall fear, fear him that after he hath killed, hath power to caſt you into hell, I ſay unto you fear him. And therefore we are often rated in the Scripture for our fear of men and creatures as Iſa. 51.12, 13. Who art thou that thou ſhouldeſt be afraid of a man that ſhall die, and of the Son of man that ſhall be made as graſs? And truly we are very weak in this reſpect abundance of us. We are exceedingly afraid ſometimes how men will uſe us if we fall into their hands, and if they come to have us in their power, we cannot eate, we cannot ſleep, we are ſo infinitely troubled and perplexed. This violent and raging paſſion eats out all the comfort of our lives; And in the mean time we neglect the Lord, who is to be feared, as the Prophet David ſpeaks.
Why you will ſay then, May we not in any caſe fear creatures? No, my Beloved, not in any caſe make them the ultimate & terminative object of our fears. Fear them we may as inſtruments of Gods anger, and then indeed we fear God in them. But to fear them for themſelves, as if they could do evil to us of themſelves, is even to ſet them up in Gods ſtead. Indeed if they could do us any miſchief without God, and which he could not fence us from, we had great reaſon then to fear them, and not him: But ſeeing of themſelves they cannot ſtrike us, and when they do they are but rods in Gods hand, we ſhould not eye the rod ſo much as the hand that ſtrikes with it. God would not call for all our fear, if any creature could do us any damage without him. But ſeeing he alone is able of himſelf to ſave and to deſtroy, I ſay unto you fear him, and none but him.
If God be the only true God, then truſt in him and none but him, look not to other gods, as the expreſſion of the Prophet is, Hoſea 3.1. put not your truſt and confidence in them. For that from which deliverance is expected by us, that is the thing to which we look, and on which our eye is fixed. I will lift up mine eyes to the hills from whence my help cometh, Pſalm 121.1. Now this we may not do from any creature. For as it cannot hurt us, on the one ſide, ſo neither can it ſave us on the other; no, this is proper to the only true God. I am the Lord, ſaith he, and there is no God beſides me, a juſt God and a Saviour: And therefore addeth preſently, Look unto me and be you ſaved, all the ends of the earth, for I am God and none elſe. And therefore let not any of our hearts depart from God at any time, and ſtep out to other Saviours: Let us not make fleſh our arm, nor place our confidence in earthly Saviours.
Its that which we are very apt to do, as it is manifeſt by this, that we are ſo diſquieted and troubled in the want, and ſo ſecure in the enjoyment of theſe things, that our very hearts and ſpirits do even come and go with them. But what are they in Gods ſtead, as once the King of Iſrael ſaid, 2 Kings 5.7. that they ſhould ſave us and procure our peace? Oh, my Beloved, be exceeding tender how you give his glory to another, how you attribute this to any means, how you expect deliverance from it. If God be the only true God, let nothing ſhare together with him in your faith and confidence, but let him have this part of worſhip appropriated to him, to put your whole truſt in him.
Uſe 4 Is it ſo, that our God is the only true God, is there no other true God but him only? this then ſhould teach us who have choſen him to be our God, to be at unity among our ſelves. Its true indeed, my Brethren, there are many perſons in the Godhead, but yet there is but one God. And therefore we, though we be many perſons, ſhould labour to be one, as he is one. The argument is the Apoſtles, who preſſeth us to unity upon the very ſame ground, Eph. 4.3. endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. And this is uſed as one inducement among the reſt, to urge it, and enforce it on us, becauſe there is but one God, one only true God, as you may ſee in the ſixth verſe of that Chapter. Indeed if there were many Gods, (I mean many true Gods) there were a manifeſt and juſt occaſion of diviſion. It were but reaſonable that there ſhould be rents and breaches among the worſhippers of theſe Gods; That every one ſhould vehemently contend for the God whom he fears. But if there be but one onelyonly true God, whom all of us do ſerve and worſhip, we may the better be at unity among our ſelves. Yea we ſhould ſtrive the more to be at one, to keep our ſelves in unity, that we may be the better like God. And this is that which Chriſt deſireth in behalf of his Diſciples, in the 11. verſe of this Chapter, Holy father, keep through thy own name thoſe whom thou haſt given me, that they may be one as we are. By which he intimates expreſly, that it is a thing very much to be deſired, that the worſhippers of God ſhould be like God in unity. Not like in all reſpects, (for ſo it is impoſſible that they ſhould be) but as God is one in Eſſence, ſo they ſhould be one in heart and in affection.
Oh let us labour for this Oneneſs, that we may be in this like God. Let there be no ſeparations and diviſions, but let the Lords Jeruſalem be like a City that is at unity within it ſelf. And truly there was never greater need to ſet on this Exhortation, than now when God hath ſuffered ſuch a ſpirit of diviſion to poſſeſs his own people; and when the worſhippers of the only true God are of ſo many minds, and draw ſo many waies, and have ſuch vehement and ſuch hot contentions and diſputes among themſelves, that they are no way to be pacified and appeaſed. So that the Church had never greater reaſon to complain (as Rebecca ſometimes did when ſhe had parlies in her womb, and when the twins were ſtruggling there) If it be ſo with me, why am I thus?
Is it ſo, that our God is the only true God? Then let us ſee our happineſs Uſe 5 in this regard, that we have choſen him for our God, and that we have not taken any other. The moſt part of the world (my Brethren) are miſtaken in their god, they ſerve them who by nature are no gods, as Gal. 4.8. And what miſtake is like this? Oh what an happineſs is this, that we have not been left to this errour! Now therefore let us ſay as David, Pſalm 34.2. My ſoul ſhall make her boaſt in the Lord. Let us boaſt of our God, and let us glory over other men in this regard, that while they have falſe gods, we have the only true God for our God. So that we are not to be equalled for a God, by any people in the world beſides, which is indeed the higheſt priviledge that any creature is capable of. It is no ſin to vaunt and pride our ſelves in this prerogative, to make compariſons with others, as the Pſalmiſt doth, Pſalm 113.5. Who is like the Lord our God? there are other gods abroad, but what god is like ours? who can compare with us in this regard? who can ſhew us ſuch a God as we have? If we be miſerable and unhappy as we apprehend in other things, Oh let our happineſs in this, which is tranſcendent and incomparable; quiet all, and make us ſtill: We have the greateſt happineſs imaginable and attainable, in that we have ſuch a God: Happy are the people that are in ſuch a caſe, ſaith David, that have outward peace and plenty. But infinitely happy are they who have the Lord for their God. And thus far of the Attribute of God, the firmer object of the knowledge wherein Eternal life conſiſts, the only true God.
The Attribute of Jeſus Chriſt, the ſecond object of it, mentioned here, comes now in order to be handled, ſent of God; This is the Eternal life to know thee the only true God, and Jeſus Chriſt whom thou haſt ſent.
The word in the Original importeth ſuch an one as is diſpatched upon the errand of another, upon the buſineſs that another ſends him in. The theame from which it comes, is that from which Apoſtle comes. So that as the Apoſtles were to Chriſt, ſo was Chriſt to God the Father: Jeſus Chriſt was Gods Apoſtle, as the twelve were his Apoſtles. God the Father ſent him, even as he ſent them. And this is that which he expreſſes clearly to them, when he reneweth their Commiſſion immediately upon his reſurrection, Joh. 20.21. As my Father hath ſent me, ſo ſend I you. By this you may a little gueſs at the intention of the phraſe, I ſhall open it more fully when I come to Explication; In the mean time the point is this.
DOCTRINE. That Jeſus Chriſt is Gods Apoſtle, he is a Meſſenger ſent forth from God.
So is his own expreſſion of himſelf to his Father in my Text, This is Eternal Life to know thee the only true God, foreign, and Jeſus Chriſt whom thou haſt ſent; or whom thou haſt made thy Apoſtle. And therefore it is uſuall with him, when he hath occaſion to make mention of his Father, to call him nothing elſe but him that ſent him. He that receiveth me, ſaith Chriſt, receiveth him that ſent me; and you know who that is, Luke 9.48. ſo to his own Apoſtles and Diſciples, It is my meat and drink to do the will of him that ſent me; or that hath made me his Apoſtle. And having done his will and buſineſs in the world, and diſpatched the errand he employed him in, I go my way, ſaith he, to him that ſent me, John 16.5. And God upon the other ſide, ſpeaking of Jeſus Chriſt, uſes to call him, Him whom he hath ſent, his Angel and his Meſſenger; you may ſee that place for inſtance, Mal. 3.1. there are two Meſſengers in that text; the firſt is John the Baptiſt, the Meſſenger of Chriſt, Behold I ſend my Meſſenger that ſhall prepare my way before me; the next is Chriſt himſelf, the Meſſenger of God, The Lord whom ye ſeek ſhall ſuddenly come, even the Meſſenger of the Covenant whom ye delight in.
I might load you with quotations, but I ſhall add no more for confirmation of the point, that Jeſus Chriſt is Gods Apoſtle, he is a Meſſenger, &c. Indeed it needs not proof ſo much as Explication.
Now that you may the better underſtand the drift and the intention of it, there are ſome Queries to be anſwered. Firſt whence it is that Jeſus Chriſt is ſent, the terminus a quo, of this miſsion. Then in the next place whether he is ſent, the terminus ad quem. Thirdly what errand and what buſineſs he is ſent about. Fourthly how he is qualified for the delivery of this errand, and the diſpatch of this buſineſs.
As for the firſt of theſe, the terminus a quo, whence it is that Chriſt is ſent.
To this I anſwer, he is ſent from the boſom of the Father, as that is the expreſſion, John 1.18. he comes out of the Ivory Palace, Pſalm 45.8. In plainer terms, my Brethren, he is ſent from heaven; and therefore he is called the Lord from heaven, 1 Cor. 15.47. Not the Lord in heaven only, but the Lord from heaven too, and that not only with relation to his ſecond, but alſo to his firſt coming. No man hath aſcended up to heaven, ſaith our Saviour Chriſt himſelf, John 3.13. but he that came down from heaven. And who is that? even the Son of man who is in heaven▪ So then when he was incarnate, he came down from heaven in a ſenſe, for of this our Saviour ſpeaks in that place. And to this ſpeech of Chriſt it is that the Apoſtle Paul alludeth, when ſpeaking of our Saviour Chriſts Aſcention, Eph. 4.8 he addeth preſently by way of Explication, Now that he aſcended, what is it but that he alſo firſt deſcended into the lower parts of the earth. He that deſcended, is the ſame alſo that aſcended, far above all heavens, that he might fill all things. So then, deſcend he did at firſt from heaven, as after he aſcended up again to heaven.
But you will ask me, How could Chriſt be ſent from heaven? Object. and how could he deſcend from heaven? It could not be with relation to his manhood, for ſo when he came down, he had never been in heaven, his body had not been there. A man would think it could not be with relation to his Godhead, for that is everywhere, it filleth heaven and earth, as the Prophets phraſe is. The infiniteneſs and immenſity of the divinity admits not motion, it cannot ſtir from place to place, becauſe it is in all places: and ſo there is no other place into which it may remove. Well then, the Eſſence of the Godhead is immovable, neither is that the meaning when the Scripture ſaith that Chriſt deſcended, that he was ſent down from heaven. And that of Chriſt in the forecited place is very notable to this purpoſe, John 3.13. No man hath aſcended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the ſon of man which is in heaven. He was then come down from heaven, he was then upon the earth, when he ſpake theſe words, and yet he addeth, he was then in heaven too, even the ſon of man who is in heaven. He ſpeaks not of his manhood, or his humane nature, that was not come down from heaven, for it had never been there at that time. And therefore he intends it manifeſtly of his Godhead in which he was come down from heaven, and yet he was in heaven too at the very ſame time.
But how was he come down, if he were there? that is the great ſcruple.
Not really, but in regard of declaration: Anſw. He ſeemed to deſcend from heaven when he took our nature on him, aſſumed a deſpicable and a low condition, and walked up and down upon the earth like other men. It looked as if he had forſaken heaven, and was come down to dwell with men, as John 1.14. The word▪ ſaith he, was made fleſh and dwelt amongst us. For there the Godhead is in Scripture ſaid to be, where it appears, where it is manifeſted and declared to be. And therefore ſeeing Chriſt appeared in the fleſh, and was God manifeſted in the fleſh, who was till then in heaven, and did not ſhew himſelf on earth, in ſuch a manner and in ſuch a way, he is ſaid to have deſcended, to be ſent down from heaven to earth: And ſo as Bernard ſpeaks acutely, Non venit qui aberat, ſed apparuit qui latebat. He came not who was abſent, but appeared who was hid.
And this prevents the anſwer to the ſecond Querie, whither it was that Chriſt was ſent, what was the terminus ad quem of this Miſſion? His Father ſent him down (in the ſenſe before expreſſed) into this lower world. And hence he calls himſelf, him whom the Father ſanctified, and ſent into the world, John 10.36. And the Apoſtle Paul accordingly affirms, that he deſcended into the lower parts of the earth, Epheſ. 4.9. That is as Beza and ſome others underſtand it, he took up his abode and reſidence upon the earth, which is the loweſt of the elements, the loweſt part of this world.
The great enquiry is, What errand and what buſineſs Jeſus Chriſt is ſent into the world about? with reference to which he is ſtiled in my Text, Jeſus Chriſt whom God hath ſent.
And this to ſay it in a word, my Brethren, he was ſent to be a Mediator and a Reconciler between God and man, to make up all the breaches and all the differences between his Father and his people. So that you ſee he was diſpatched upon a ſweet errand. And here he had a double buſineſs, and a double work to do; To make Peace, and to preach Peace.
Firſt he was ſent to make Peace, to do and ſuffer all that was neceſſary to compoſe the buſineſs between God and man: To ſatisfie his Father, and to pacifie his Father, and ſo to make him friends with his people. And therefore God is ſaid by him to reconcile even all things to himſelf, all things reconcilable, Col. 1.20. And he is ſaid in the very ſame verſe to have made peace by the blood of his Croſs. This is the errand that he came upon. In this reſpect he is ſtiled our peace, the Author and procurer of it. And he is called, the Meſſenger, the Angel of the Covenant, Mal. 3.1. to ſhew us that the Meſſage that his Father ſent him in, was to bring men into a Covenant and agreement with himſelf. And this he did while he took all the matter of the Controverſie between him and them out of the way, paid all the debts of his people, cancelled all the bonds and bills that were againſt them, and nailed them to his Croſs in the view of men and Angels, Col. 2.14. That all the world might know, that all the matters in debate between God and them were ended, and that he had no more againſt them. And when he had done this, he cryed out, Conſummatum eſt, The buſineſs which my Father ſent me in, and which I came into the world about, is finiſhed.
Secondly, he was ſent to preach Peace; As to procure and purchaſe it, ſo to reveal and publiſh it to his people. And truly if he had not done the latter, the former would have been to no purpoſe. And hence the Father hath diſpatched him down into the world to do both; as to make Peace as a Prieſt, ſo to preach Peace as a Prophet. To let his people know there is a Peace obtained, or elſe how ſhould it profit them if they ſhould never hear of it? God hath annointed me to preach, ſaith Chriſt himſelf, Luke 4.17. To preach what? To preach the Goſpel, which is the doctrine of attonement, to heal the broken-hearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, as it is added there in that place. Indeed he was appointed and deſigned to be the great Prophet, the great Preacher and Revealer of the will of God to men. And therefore the Apoſtle tells us, That God who in former times ſpake to the Fathers by the Prophets, hath in the laſt daies ſpoken to us by the Son. He was deſigned you ſee to be the Fathers ſpokes-man to the world, to tell them what his mind is, to preach the Goſpel, the word of reconciliation to them. This was a great part of the errand which his Father ſent him in, and therefore he is ſaid to ſpeak by him. And Chriſt himſelf acknowledges in this reſpect, My doctrine is not mine, ſaith he, but his that ſent me, John 6.0. And when he had diſpatched this part of his Embaſſie too, he told his Father, I have finiſhed the work which thou gaveſt me to do: And what was that work? you have it in verſe 6. I have revealed thy name, ſaith he, unto the men which thou haſt given me out of the world. I have made known thy mercy to the Church, how ready and inclinable thou art to pardon them, and to be at peace with them. And now I have done this, the buſineſs thou haſt ſent me in is ended. I have no more to do in this world. And thus you ſee what buſineſs and what errand Chriſt is ſent about.
Now for the laſt thing, how he is qualified for the diſpatch of this buſineſs, and the delivery of this errand, you muſt know that he is fully qualified every way. And you will eaſily conceive that God would never ſend his Son into the world, upon a buſineſs which he could not manage, and which he was not able to go through withall. And therefore as he hath ſent forth his Son, ſo he hath qualified him abſolutely for the buſineſs he hath ſent him in, both with authority and with ability.
He hath qualified him with authority, as his Embaſſadors and Meſſengers muſt have, or elſe they are not capable of medling with the affairs and the negotiations of their maſter. And therefore God hath furniſhed Jeſus Chriſt with powers, with ample and compleat authority for the Embaſſage he hath ſent him in. All power is given to him without any limitation. You ſee he hath a large Commiſſion, and conſequently what he doth, concerning what he hath received in Commiſſion, is as valid and effectuall to all intents and purpoſes, as if God the Father did it. He hath not only ſet his ſeal to Chriſts Commiſſion, but he hath ſealed Chriſt himſelf, Him hath God the Father ſealed, Iohn 6.27. So that he came into the world with the ſtamp, and with the ſeal of God upon him, that all men might receive him, as ſent forth from him.
As God hath qualified him with authority, ſo he hath qualified him with ability, for the effecting of the buſineſs, and the delivery of the errand which he ſent him in. He hath made him fully able to go through with it, and to that end hath furniſhed him with a fulneſs of Merit, and a fulneſs of Spirit. A fulneſs of Merit to make Peace, and a fulneſs of Spirit to preach Peace.
Firſt as God hath ſent him, ſo he hath furniſhed him with a fulneſs of Merit to make Peace. Made him able to the utmoſt, to ſatisfie his juſtice, and to obtain his pardon for his people. For he is God as well as man, in him dwelleth the fulneſs of the Godhead bodily. God, that his Merits might be valuable for us. Man, that his merits might be applicable to us.
Secondly, as he hath furniſhed him with a fulneſs of Merit to make Peace, ſo of Spirit to preach Peace. The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, ſaith our Saviour, Luke 4.18. and by this Spirit he hath anointed me to preach the Goſpel; as it is added there in that place. As he hath ſent and appointed me to preach, ſo annointed me to preach. And therefore grace is ſaid to be poured into the lips of Jeſus Chriſt, Pſal. 45.2. ſo that he ſpake as never man did, Iohn 7.46. That ſome were aſtonied at his doctrine, and all men bore him witneſs, and wondered, Luke 4.22.