Exposition of John 17, Exposition · Part 27
JOHN. 17.9.
I pray for them, and I pray not for the world.
WE have not yet diſpatched the Preface, or the preparation to our Saviours Prayer in the behalf of his Apoſtles and Diſciples; ſome think indeed, that he begins his Prayer for them in the following verſe, which we are now about to enter on, I pray for them, I pray not for the world: But if you mark it, there is nothing in it, either of Confeſſion, or Petition, or Thankſgiving; only our Saviour Chriſt lays down ſome leading Conſiderations which induce him to preſent this Supplication for them to his Father; And they are taken either from their relation, or from their condition. The firſt is drawn from their relation to his Father and himſelf, I pray for them, I pray not for the world, but for them which thou haſt given me, for they are thine. And all mine are thine, and thine are mine; by means whereof it comes to paſs that I am glorified in them: the next is drawn from the condition they were in, and were likely to be in, they were at preſent in the world, and they were likely to be in it out of hand without Chriſt; I mean without his viſible and corporal, and fleſhly preſence; And now I am no more in the world, but they are in the world, and I come to thee; as if he ſhould have added, and I muſt leave them behind me; The greater need they had to be recommended by him in his prayers, which were the laſt he was to make with them in this world. Theſe are the things that move him to become an earneſt ſuitor to his Father for his Apoſtles and Diſciples in a ſpecial manner, as he hints in the beginning, I pray for them, I pray not for the world.
Now this he ſpeaks excluſively, you ſee, as it is very manifeſt, even in the letter of the Text. A man would think it might have been ſufficient for our Saviour to have ſaid, I pray for them. For had he ſaid but ſo, he had implyed, that other men were not at all remembred, by him in his prayers: But he will be expreſs and clear in ſuch a buſineſs of ſuch high importance; he will ſhut out the world from having any ſhare at all in this incomparable priviledge, in down-right language, and in plain terms from being once ſo much as mentioned in his prayers, I pray for them, I pray not for the world.
So that the point to be obſerved is plain.
DOCTRINE. Chriſt is an Interceſſor to his Father for none but his own people.
He prays for them, and none but them; the world are utterly excluded from having ſhare at all in our Saviours Interceſſion. He intercedes for none that are without the pale that he ſets up in this Text; he doth not ſpeak one word to God for them: I pray not for the world, ſaith he, I meddle not with them at all in that buſineſs. But if he pray not for the world, who are they for whom he prays? I pray for them, ſaith Chriſt. For them, for whom? why, for them whom thou haſt given me. So that they who are Chriſt's, you ſee, have a peculiar priviledge in this regard; for all the Interceſſion of the Son of God, the great High Prieſt is ſpent upon them; If any ſin, we have an Advocate with God the Father, ſaith the Evangeliſt, 1 Joh. 2.1. He ſpeaks it there excluſively, we have, and no others. And therefore it is very much to be obſerved, that he ſaith not, If any ſin, he hath an Advocate; for there are many ſinners in the world, that have no Advocate with God the Father. But if any ſin, we have an Advocate, we that believe, have Chriſt to intercede for us. And he may have an advocate if he believe; if he be one of us, let the man be what be will, and let his ſin be what it will, Chriſt will be an Advocate and Interceſſor to his Father for him: He ever lives (ſaith the Apoſtle ſpeaking of our Saviour) to make interceſsion for them, Heb. 7.25. Them, whom? why them who come to God by him, as you may ſee if you reflect upon the former parcel of the verſe; He is able to ſave them to the utmoſt who come to God by him, ſeeing he ever lives to make interceſsion for them: Still you ſee his interceſſion is confined to a ſelected company of men, and not extended to the whole world. He appears in Heaven for us, ſaith the Apoſtle, Heb. 9.24. Not for all without exception, but for us whom he hath taken into his ſpecial and peculiar love and care, who are comparatively but a ſmall number.
So that the point is plain you ſee, Chriſt is an Interceſſor to his Father, &c.
Reaſon. And the reaſon is apparent, becauſe he is a Prieſt for none but them only, and Interceſſion is a part of his Prieſthood. There are two branches (as you may know my Brethren) of the Prieſthood of our Saviour; Sacrifice and Interceſſion; and they are both of them for his people. He offers Sacrifice for none but them, and ſo accordingly he intercedes for none but them neither; for both the branches of his Prieſthood of neceſſity muſt go together.
He is a Mediator for, and only for his own people; he makes peace for none but them. And even as he is not a Mediator of redemption for the world; ſo he is not a Mediator of Interceſſion for it neither. Indeed, my Brethren, all that he is, or doth as he is Man and Mediator, is for his people. Why was the Son of God incarnate but for them? why did he take our Nature on him but for them? why was he made a Mediator but for them? He is a King to rule them, a Prophet to inſtruct them, a Prieſt to ſacrifice and intercede for them. He had never been a King as he is a Man, he had never been a Prophet, he had never been a Prieſt, but for the ſake of his people. And hence it follows very clearly, that whatſoever he doth in the adminiſtrations of theſe Offices of his, he doth it (next to his own glory) for his Churches good. He carries it throughout in reference to them: and ſo accordingly the Execution of his Prieſtly Office in both the parts and branches of it is for them. He is an Interceſſor to his Father for none but for, &c.
Is Chriſt an Interceſſor, &c. this may ſerve to ſatisfie us in the point Ʋſe 1 which ſome have vented in theſe latter times, that Chriſt is the Redeemer of the whole world; and that he dyed for all men univerſally without reſtraint, or limitation. What think you, my Beloved? is it a likely thing that Chriſt ſhould dye for thoſe, for whom he will not pray? That he ſhould offer up himſelf a Sacrifice for thoſe, for whom he will not intercede? That he ſhould ſpend his blood for thoſe, for whom he will not ſpend his breath? That he ſhould give his life for thoſe, for whom he will not give his word? will he do that which is abundantly the greater for them, and then refuſe to do the leſs? You ſee he ſaith expreſly in my Text, I pray not for the world. And might he not have ſaid as well, I dye not for the world? and if our Saviours interceſſion now in heaven be not vocal, as it is uſually reſolved, but a real preſentation of the merits of his death, and the vertue of his paſſion to his Father: That as the blood of Martyrs cries for vengeance to be executed upon thoſe that ſhed it, ſo on the other ſide, the blood of Jeſus Chriſt the Mediator cries for mercy to be ſhewed to them for whom he ſhed it. It claims it out of right and juſtice in the behalf of thoſe for whom he dyed. Why then, it follows, that if he dyed for all, he cannot chooſe but intercede for all too. Or if he ſhould be ſilent, his blood would cry for mercy for them, to whom it was intended and deſigned; and conſequently, if he pray not for the world, he dyed not for the world neither.
Is Chriſt an Interceſſor, &c. Here then you ſee the ſad condition of Ʋſe 2 thoſe who are without the pale, that are not only in the world, but of the world; Chriſt never intercedes for them, let their cauſe be what it will, let their neceſſity be what it will. Chriſt even leaves them to themſelves, and never interpoſes for them to his Father. There you may cry and howl your ſelves, when you are in any ſtraight, you may ſtand beging for your ſelves, and all in vain; for Jeſus Chriſt will not ſpeak a word for you, nor any ſuch as you are. Beloved, I beſeech you think upon it, there come in heavy things againſt you every day at the bar of Gods Juſtice. Sin cryes, and the Law cryes, all the Commandements which you break continually come in with open mouth againſt you, and importune Gods Juſtice for wrath and vengeance to be executed on you. They cry How long Lord? and ſin cryes How long Lord? and Chriſt who is the only Mediator to avert wrath, and make peace, he ſitteth ſtill and ſaith nothing. Oh my Beloved, what ſhould hinder now, but that the black decree for execution ſhould go forth againſt you, when there is none to interpoſe and ſtand between you and the wrath of God! when theſe complaints and cryes of all the ſins that you have done, of all the Oathes that you have ſworn, of all the lyes that you have made, &c. come in againſt you in the Court of heaven: and the Father puts the queſtion to the Son the only advocate in that Court, What have you any thing to ſay for this man, why judgement ſhould not paſs againſt him? will you undertake for him? and Chriſt ſhall anſwer no, I have not a word to ſay for him; I intercede not for the world: Let Juſtice have its courſe againſt him, let it be executed on him to the utmoſt: I pray for my own people, and I deſire they may be ſpared as in right they ought to be, for I have ſatisfied for them. But for the reſt I even leave them to the vengeance and the wrath they have deſerved, I will not hinder it, or ſtop it, in the leaſt degree; Let Juſtice pay them home in full weight and full meaſure; Look how much they have ſinned, and how much wickedneſs they have committed, ſo much torment and ſo much ſorrow let it give them. Oh what a flood of horrour and confuſion, think you, will be poured out upon you, when once the day of vengeance and of viſitation comes; when God comes forth againſt you as an Enemy with nothing elſe but war and death, and blood, and mine, and deſtruction in his looks, and there is none to pacifie and appeaſe him, none to ſpeak a word for you; but Chriſt the only Mediator leaves you to the utmoſt of his fury, Oh conſider this, &c.
Ʋſe 3 Is Chriſt an Interceſſor to his Father for none, &c. here then you may behold the matchleſs happineſs of thoſe who belong to Jeſus Chriſt. In this reſpect they have a priviledge above the world, that they have him to intercede for them, to be their Advocate, and to preſent their Supplications and requeſts to God. Brethren, I know not how you value it, or what account you make of it, but I aſſure you, it is a rich Prerogative that you have ſuch an Interceſſor with the Father, if you have eyes to ſee the worth of it. And that you may the better know your happineſs in this regard, I ſhall lay it open to you in a few particulars.
Your happineſs is great, that you have Chriſt to be your Interceſſor in this reſpect, that he is ſo near to God, and that he hath ſuch intereſt in God. An intereſt of near union, for he is one with God, the Father; an intereſt of dear affection; he is his Son, his Son that is extreamly like him, his Son that never did offend him, in whom his very ſoul delights, ſo that he can deny him nothing; it is but ask and have; ask of me, and I will give thee. And is it not a priviledge to have ſuch as he to ſpeak for us? One that can do ſo much with God, that hath his ear and heart too; One that can ſurely carry any buſineſs for us in the Court of Heaven; for his Father hears him always, Joh. 11.4. and never puts him off with a denyal. An Advocate that is not favoured; may ſpeak much and plead hard, and yet he may prevail but little. But Jeſus Chriſt is ſure to ſpeed in any ſuit, in any buſineſs that he undertakes. Oh the bleſſedneſs of thoſe who are within the compaſs of this glorious priviledge, and who have ſuch a powerful Advocate as Chriſt is!
Your happineſs is very great that you have Chriſt to be your Interceſſor, in this reſpect that he is near to you. As he is near to God, ſo he is near to you alſo, and ſo by conſequence he is the fitter to be an Advocate to God for you. It is a very great advantage to us, that he that is to plead our caſe with God the Father, is our near kinſman; He is Immanuel, God with us, God one of us, who took not on him Angels, but the ſeed of Abraham, who is of our own fleſh and blood and bone, and therefore he will certainly be tender of us, and compaſſionate towards us. And therefore the Apoſtle Paul obſerves that we are very happy in a High Prieſt, He being ſuch a one as cannot but be touched with our infirmities, as being of the ſelf ſame nature with us, and having had himſelf experience of them, for he was in all things like unto us, ſin only excepted; and therefore cannot but be very much affected with our ſorrows and our ſufferings, and very ſenſible when he is pleading for us to the Father.
Our happineſs is great, &c. in this reſpect, that he is not like to dye, and ſo to leave the buſineſs that he undertakes imperfect. It is the caſe of other Advocates ſometimes, they drop away in the middle of a buſineſs: they follow it and plead it very well a while, but dye before they finiſh it, before they bring it to a Judgement; and then the Clyent knows not what to do, nor to whom to have recourſe; for no man underſtands his buſineſs; he muſt go back again to the beginning. There is no fear of this in Jeſus Chriſt our Advocate and Interceſſor; we may depend upon it, he will go through with our buſineſs; he will not leave it till he have brought it to perfection; He will ſave us to the utmoſt, as the Apoſtle Paul ſpeaks, Heb. 7.25. and why ſo? becauſe he ever lives to make interceſſion for us, as it is added there in that place.
So you ſee our happineſs is great, it is a bleſſed priviledge that we have Chriſt to be our Interceſſor; and it may yeeld us ſingular encouragement, and pretious comfort divers ways: As
1. It may encourage us and comfort us, in our addreſſes to the Majeſty of God. Now we may go with boldneſs to the Throne of grace, having ſo good a friend with God as Chriſt is. If we were to goe alone, and of our ſelves, if we had none to make our way for us, it could not chooſe but be a great diſheartning to us. But when we ſeriouſly conſider that our Advocate is there, our friend is there, who will be ready upon all occaſions to ſecond us, to put in a good word for us; to help out us in any buſineſs, this is a ground of choice comfort.
2. It may ſupport us in the ſenſe of our many imperfections. However our petitions are put up in much infirmity and fear and weakneſs, yet if they be according to the will of God, we may remember ſtill that they are ſeconded by Chriſt in heaven; That he puts in on our behalf, and demands the ſame things, that he excuſes what is wanting in our prayers, and ſupplies it in his own. We are flat, but he is quick; we are dull, but he is lively; we are ſhort, but he is full.
3. It may aſſure us of ſucceſs in our Petitions, ſince we have Chriſt to intercede for us: We might ſtand begging long enough our ſelves, and never ſpeed. But if we be among the number of thoſe for whom our Saviour undertakes to plead; if he will put in but a word for us, all is ended preſently, and we have a gratious anſwer out of hand. God may deny us, while we are ſpeaking for our ſelves; but if Chriſt ſpeak for us, he can never be denyed; his Father always lets him have his own asking.
4. This may keep us from deſpair and ſinking under the weight of all our ſins. If we ſin, we have an Advocate to plead for us, to anſwer all the accuſations of the Law and of the Conſcience. It is his Office to interpoſe between his Father and his people, to plead the cauſes of our ſouls before him. And this we may take ſpecial comfort in, that be our matters never ſo ſoul, never ſo inexcuſeable as conſidered in themſelves, his very undertaking of them clears all, and ſets us right even at the bar of Gods juſtice. True, their iniquities are black and heynous, ſaith our Advocate; but, are they greater then my merits are? if ſo, let them be condemned; if not, let them be abſolved: If all that I have done and ſuffered will acquit them, let them be acquitted. What cauſe have we to cheer our hearts, and bleſs our God, that we have ſuch an Advocate as Chriſt is!
And thus far of our Saviours Declaration.
Proceed we now to the Conſiderations that induce him to become a Suitor for them to his Father: Whereof the firſt is taken from the relation which they had, not to himſelf alone, but to his Father. I pray for them; I pray not for the world, but for them which thou haſt given me, for they are thine, and all mine are thine.
So that the words indeed contain a reaſon of congruity why our Saviour ſhould commend the caſe of his Diſciples and Apoſtles in his Petitions to his Father; becauſe as they were his, ſo they were his Fathers too, and it concerned him to take care of thoſe that were his own, that appertained and belonged to him. As if our Saviour ſhould have ſaid, If they are mine and not thine, I had no ſuch great inducement, or no ſuch great encouragement at leaſt to petition thee for them, or to expect a gratious anſwer and a merciful rerurn from thee in their behalf; But they are thine as well as mine. I pray for them; I pray not for the world, but for them which thou haſt given me, for they are thine. True, thou haſt given them to me, but ſo, that they are thine ſtil. Thou art not utterly deveſted by thy gift, of the right thou hadſt in them, and therefore it is meet and congruous that thou ſhouldſt ſtill continue thy regard to them, and that thou ſhouldſt be flexible to the Petitions that I make for them.
Now this he clears a little further yet, that they were his Fathers ſtill, though they were beſtowed on him, becauſe all that belonged to him were ſo; I pray for them whom thou haſt given me, for they are thine. How ſo? might the Father ſay; if I have given them to thee, how are they mine? Why ſaith our Saviour, all that I have is thine; all mine are thine, and conſequently they are thine too, notwithſtanding this donation. So that the Conjunction And, they are thine, and all mine are thine, ſtands for the cauſal particle, as if he ſhould have ſaid, for mine are thine. And ſo we find it often uſed in the Scripture; you may take that place for inſtance, Pſal. 60.11. Lord, do thou give us help from trouble, and vain is the help of man, ſo it is the Original; but in our laſt Tranſlation it is rendred by the cauſal particle, for vain is the help of man: ſo in my Text, They are thine, and all mine are thine, that is, for all mine are thine, q.d. Father they muſt needs be thine, for indeed all mine are ſo, ſo that the point to be obſerved is this:
DOCTRINE. That all the people of the Lord Chriſt do belong to God the Father.
They are not his ſo, that they are not the Fathers too. Chriſt hath not a divided, but a mixed and common intereſt in all his people with the Father. And hence he wraps up both their rights together in my Text, They are thine, and mine are thine, and thine are mine. So that the Father doth not give his people ſo to Chriſt, that he doth wholly paſs away his right in them; No, they continue his ſtill; yea, let me ſay, that they are more the Fathers when he hath given them to Jeſus Chriſt, and Chriſt hath taken and received them, then they were before he gave them, as I ſhall make it evidently to appear to you: For
When Chriſt hath taken them for his, then he hath none but Chriſt to ſhare with him: whereas before he had the Devil and the world, and themſelves to ſhare with him: before we come to appertain to Chriſt, we are our own, as we conceive; at leaſt, we are not for the Lord, but for our ſelves; we live not to the Lord, but to our ſelves: we are the worlds; we are not only in the world, but we are of the world too; we are her own as Chriſt ſpeaks, Joh. 15.19. The world will love her own: Yea more then ſo, we are the Devils, we are the things which he poſſeſſeth: We are the Devils own poſſeſſion, we are Satans free-hold. But when we come to be the Sons by the donation of the Father, then we are our own no longer, as the Apoſtle tells us on the very ſame ground, Ye are not your own, ſaith he, 1 Cor. 6.19. We are the worlds no longer, as our Saviour Chriſt himſelf informeth his Diſciples in the fore-alleaged place, If ye were of the world, the world would love … own; but ye are not of the world, for I have called you out of the world: We are no longer Satans neither; the Prince of this world is caſt out, the ſtrong man is bound, and ſpoiled of that which was before his own poſſeſſion. So that you ſee my Brethren, Chriſt takes off all other ſharers in his people, when once they come to be beſtowed on him, and to be ſeiz'd upon by him: He either buys them out by good purchaſe, or drives them out by plain force, and ſo they come to be the Fathers and his own, entirely and peculiarly; ſo that the Father is apparently a gainer by it, his intereſt is greater in them then it was before; for whereas there were many ſharers in his people formerly, now there is none but Chriſt to ſhare with him: He, and be alone is leſt, and all the reſt of the pretenders are caſheered.
They are more the Fathers when he hath given them to Jeſus Chriſt, and he accordingly hath ſeiz'd upon them, then they were before he gave them, becauſe his title now is ſtrengthened and enlarged: Indeed before he had a title to them by creation; but now he hath a title to them by Creation and Redemption too: For Chriſt doth not redeem us for himſelf, as diſtinguiſhed from the Father, but as one together with him: His Father gives a people to him for this very end, that he may purchaſe and redeem them not to himſelf alone, but to his Father too; He is the Fathers Miniſter, the Fathers ſervant in this buſineſs, in the great work of Redemption; his Father gives him, and his Father ſeals him, and his Father ſends him; and conſequently what he doth, he doth not for himſelf ſo much as he is man, but for his Father; and therefore when his Father hath beſtowed them on him by Election, and he hath bought them by Redemption, his Father is ſo far from being outed of his right, that now he hath a better title to them, then he had before: Now he can ſay, not only as he could before, they are mine; for I have received them: but more then ſo, they are mine; for my own Son hath bought them, and brought them back again for me, when I had loſt them.
They are more the Fathers when he hath given them to Jeſus Chriſt, and he accordingly hath ſeized upon them, then they were before, becauſe now they are one with him: Before they did in ſome reſpect indeed belong to him, but now they are one with him; they are not only one with Chriſt, but they are one with God the Father too, in, and by, and through Chriſt; for being joyned to Chriſt who is one with God the Father, they cannot but be joyned to him whom Jeſus Chriſt is joyned to; and hence our Saviour ſpeaking to his Father of his people, ſaith he, they are one in us, Joh. 17.21. not one among themſelves alone, but one in us; not in me only, but in thee too: So that when God beſtows a people on our Saviour, he brings them nearer to him then they were before: He doth not only make them his, but he makes them one with him; and an intereſt of union, is far beyond an intereſt of meer poſſeſſion.
So that yee ſee the point is cleer, The people of the Lord Chriſt do belong to God the Father; and that the more becauſe they are beſtowed upon him by the Father. The Fathers intereſt is ſo far from being weakned and abated … that indeed it is ſtrengthened and increaſed by this means.
Ʋſe 1 Is it ſo, that all the people of the Lord Chriſt are belonging to the Father? Then certainly they are moſt excellent and pretious people; for he will never own vile things. It is a frequent thing in Scripture, that admirable and eximious things are ſaid to be the Lords; The hill of Sion, the hill of God, becauſe the excellenteſt of all other hills, Pſal. 68.15. The trees of Lebanon, the trees of the Lord, becauſe the excellenteſt of all other trees. And ſo the Saints, the people of the Lord, becauſe the excellenteſt of all other people; and ſurely that muſt needs be excellent which he owns: And therefore let us learn to value them aright, and as the Lord in this reſpect hath made them high above others, as he ſpeaks of Iſrael, Deut. 26.18.19. God hath avouched thee to be his own peculiar people, to make thee high above all Nations. So let us have an high eſteem of them: let us not ſlight and diſreſpect them as carnal men are apt to do, becauſe they have a meer outſide; but let us look upon them as the Fathers, as that which he peculiarly owns, and that not as his ordinary ſtuffe, but as his Treaſure and his Jewels, as they are often ſtiled in the Scripture: And though they may be trodden under foot awhile, by wicked men, we may be confident the time is coming, when the Lord will make them up as it is ſaid, Mal. 3.17. When he will make up his Jewels, when he will take them up out of the mire, and wipe them clean from thoſe abaſures that have lain upon them, to hide their beauty, and obſcure their luſtre, and ſhew them in their brightneſs, and their ſplendor to the world.
Is it ſo, that all the people of the Lord Chriſt do belong, &c. Then let Ʋſe 2 it be their care and their endevour ſo to walk, and ſo to carry and behave themſelves, as a people ought to do who have ſuch near relation, both to God and Chriſt, both to the Father and to the Son: And hence the people of the Lord are exhorted to be ſtrict, and to be holy in a peculiar manner, on this very ground, as you may ſee that place for inſtance, Lev. 20.26. You ſhall be holy to me, ſaith the Lord. And why ſo? For I have ſevered you from other people, that you ſhould be mine: And ſo ſay I to you, my Brethren, you are the Lords own people, and he hath ſevered you from others to be his peculiar ones. Oh ſee now that you walk as it becometh thoſe to do, who are the Lords, and that upon theſe two grounds: For
1. The ſins of thoſe who are his own, reflect with more diſparagement upon him then the ſins of others do. He ſuffers not ſo much in the exorbitancies of other men that appertain not to him, as he doth in yours, and therefore you ſhould be the more wary. Oh let not wicked men have any cauſe to ſay of you, as the Heathen did ſometimes of the people of the Jews, the only people of the Lord at that time, Ezek. 36.20. Theſe are the people of the Lord, and they are gone out of his Land. They carried and demeaned themſelves ſo ill, that he could not bear with them, but he was fain to caſt them forth out of the Land which he had beſtowed upon them: So let not wicked wretches ſay of you, Theſe are the people of the Lord, and yet they are proud, covetous, worldly, wanton, looſe, &c. Let not his name I pray you be diſhonored and blaſphemed by your means; but think when you are tempted and enticed to any ſin, Whether it be fit for thoſe who are the Lords own people, to do ſuch wickedneſs and ſin againſt their God.
2. As your iniquities who are the Lords, diſhonour him more, ſo he will chaſten you, if you miſcarry, ſooner and quicker then he will do other men who are further off from him: & this ſhould make you yet more cautious; that known place is home and appoſite to this purpoſe, Amos 3.12. You only have I known of all the families of the earth, therefore I will puniſh you: For other families that are not mine, as you are, and that appertain not to me in ſuch a ſpecial manner as you do, I ſhall not be ſo quick to exerciſe my Diſcipline upon them. But you are mine own houſhold, and therefore if you do amiſs, I will be ſure to take a courſe with you. If God ſee many Aliens to him, doing any wickedneſs, he may bear with them long, for it concerns him not ſo much to deal againſt them; but if he ſpy out any of his own amongſt them, doing as the reſt do, he will be ſure to ſingle him and call him out from all the reſt, and ſay, You are my own, you appertain eſpecially to me; and what, will you do as theſe vile abominable wretches do? will you run out with them to the ſame exceſs of riot? Come I muſt order you, though I let the reſt alone, I muſt not ſuffer you in ſuch courſes.
Is it ſo, that all people of the Lord Chriſt do belong, &c. Here then is pretious comfort for the Saints ariſing from the property and intereſt that God the Father hath in them. For it they be his own, and that in ſuch a ſpecial and peculiar way, as we have ſhewed, we may be confident, he will do very much for them, and that in divers caſes; I will name a few of them.
1. If they be his own, the Father certainly will hear the Son for them; he will be eaſily entreated for thoſe that have ſuch near relation to him: If they were only Chriſts, and not his, this were enough to make him facile, to the Interceſſion that his own Son makes for them, becauſe they appertain to one that is ſo infinitely dear to him: But ſeeing they are Chriſts and his too, this carries all before it; and this is that our Saviour urges in my Text, That thoſe for whom he prayed and interceded, did aſwell belong to his Father as himſelf: ſo that his Father was as much engaged to hear as he was to pray for them; I pray for them whom thou haſt given me, for they are thine; q. d. I hope thou wilt not put me off with a denyal; For they are thine as well as mine, whom I intercede for.
2. If they belong to God the Father, we may depend upon it, he doth love them, and love them very dearly too, as thoſe that are ſo near to him: Property and intereſt is one ſpecial ground of love; we uſe to love our own, you know, yea many times to dote upon them out of meaſure, though there be nothing lovely in them. And certainly the Lord hath very dear affections to his own too; though they be black, yet they are comely in his eyes: His love towards them is ſo great, that it covers many faults, and many blemiſhes and ſpots in them: and the cauſe of all is this, the near and ſpecial intereſt he hath in them; this makes his love without meaſure and without end, Joh. 13.1. Having loved his own to the end he loves them.
3. If they belong to God the Father, he will be very tender of their wrongs; and this he will diſcover one of thoſe two ways, either he will defend them, or avenge them.
Firſt if he ſee it fit, he will defend them, and protect them from the wrongs of thoſe that ſeek to be abuſive and injurious to them: They are his own, and therefore he will certainly take care of them. Beloved, theſe are times of ſome danger, and it is good to have a ſure and ſafe keeper. And verily they that belong to God are in a very good condition, what ever alterations come upon the world; how ever matters go, he will be careful of his own; he will not be ſo ill a Maſter to abandon them to ruine, when they have moſt need of him: Or
Secondly, if he defend them not from wrong, (as he may leave his own ſometimes in the hands of wicked men, for cauſes which he beſt knows,) certainly he will avenge them: The property and intereſt he hath in them, will engage him to appear on their ſide, to take their quarrel into his hands, and to render wrath to thoſe that are abuſive and injurious to them. Eſpecially if they make complaint to him, and if they cry becauſe of the oppreſſion, they are ſo near and dear to him, that he cannot chooſe but right them; Will he not avenge his own, when they cry day and night to him, Luk. 18.7. As who ſhould ſay, Do you make a queſtion of it? it is impoſſible but he ſhould do it.
4. If they belong to God, he will provide for them: Will he not find his people meat and drink, and clothes, and other things that are expedient for them? Doth he keep ſo ill an houſe, to let his Family lack bread? Oh do not ſo diſhonour him, to have ſuch poor and low thoughts of him; it's that which troubles many that belong to God, of the meaner ſort of people, they are afraid that they ſhall want; their charge encreaſes and their Trade decays, and poverty begins to come upon them like an armed man, and now their hearts are quite down; they doubt their Maſter will not find them bread. Oh you of little faith, wherefore do you doubt? Why do you ſo diſtruſt God? The earth is the Lords, and the fulneſs thereof. You are his who is the Lord of all the Earth, and all the fulneſs of proviſion that is in it. He feeds his enemies, and will he ſee his own want? Truly my Brethren, if you have not ſuch proviſion as you would deſire, it is becauſe he ſees it beſt to dyet you, and knows that fulneſs and plenty of external things would not in any caſe be beſt for you.
5. If they belong to God, he will not loſe them; what do you think the Lord will be ſo wretchleſs that he will not keep his own? No, no, he bought them at ſo dear a rate, that he will know how he forgoes them: His they are and he will keep them; and however ſin and Satan and the world are alwayes plucking at them, to get them (if it might be poſſible) away from God, he will hold them faſt enough, that none ſhall pluck them out of his hand.