Exposition of John 17, Exposition · Part 28
JOHN 17.10.
And I am glorified in them.
AND thus far of the firſt conſideration, that induced our Saviour to become a Suitor for his Apoſtles and Diſciples to his Father: The joynt relation which they had to himſelf and to his Father.
Before he paſs on to the next conſideration, he addes a conſectary that depends on this, and flows from this, the neer relation which they had to him, to Chriſt himſelf; All mine are thine, ſaith our Saviour to his Father, and thine are mine. And what follows? Since they are mine, I am glorified in them. And this addes ſtrength to the Conſideration upon which it is inferred, and hath ſomething in it farther to move our Saviour to be mindful of his Apoſtles and Diſciples in his prayers, becauſe as they were his own, ſo he was glorified in them. Many times we are diſhonoured in thoſe that are our own, and that have near relation to us, more then we are, yea more then we can be in thoſe that are further off from us. Chriſt is not ſo in thoſe that appertain to him; no, he is glorified in them: The more inclinable he is to tender them in his petitions to his Father; I pray for them, I pray not for the world, but for them whom thou haſt given me; for they are thine, and mine are thine, and thine are mine, and I am glorified in them.
And here the phraſe our Saviour uſes, deſerves our careful and attentive obſervation: He doth not ſay, I am glorified by them, but I am glorified in them; not by them in an active way, but in them in a paſſive way, q. d. any thing that is commendable and praiſe worthy in them, tends to advance my praiſe, and to ſet forth my glory; I have the honor of any worth or excellency that is in them any way: and that by reaſon of the near relation which I have to them, and the intereſt I have in them. They are mine, and I am glorified in them. So that the point to be obſerved is this.
DOCTRINE. That Jeſus Chriſt is glorified in all thoſe that belong to him.
If they be his, he is glorified in them even as the Teacher is glorified in the Scholar, as the Maſter is glorified in the ſervant, or as the head is glorified in the members, ſo Chriſt is glorified in his people; he is the great Prophet, the great Teacher of his Church, and if his people learn well, if they thrive and grow in knowledge, it is a Commendation to their Teacher; he is the Lord and Maſter of his people, and if his ſervants do well, it is an honour to their Maſter: He is the head of his Church which is his body; and if his members thrive well, if they have any beauty in them, it is a commendation to their Head; Indeed, my Brethren, if they were the Scholars of another Maſter, the ſervants of another Lord, the members of another head, their proficiency and tractability, and beauty, were nothing to the Lord Chriſt. But ſeeing they belong to him, he hath the honour of any thing that is commendable in them.
To clear the point a little more diſtinctly to you, Jeſus Chriſt is glorified in all thoſe that belong to him, either in the preſent life, or in that which is to come. Firſt in the preſent life he is glorified in their grace. Then in the life to come, he is glorified in their glory.
1. In the preſent life he is glorified in the grace of all thoſe that belong to him: Their grace is his glory: When they abound in faith, and love, and hope, and patience, and obedience, this is an honour to the Lord Chriſt, that he hath ſuch people, ſo qualified, and ſo imployed: when they believe in difficult and hard caſes, they glorifie him in believing, as it is ſaid of Abraham, Rom. 4.20. He was ſtrong in Faith, giving glory to God: when they are fruitful in the works of righteouſneſs, theſe are alſo to the praiſe of his glory: Herein is he glorified, if they bring forth much fruit: For Jeſus Chriſt is looked upon as the Original of all the good, the Fountain and the Spring of all the holineſs that is in his people. And hence the praiſe of all returns to him, as the Apoſtle Paul inſinuates, Rom. 11. ult. For of him are all things. And what follows? To him be glory for ever, Amen. If any of his people have a ſpecial gift of knowledge, they have learned it all of Chriſt: if they excel in other grace, they receive it all from Chriſt. If they have any choice ability to any holy and religious duty, it is Chriſt that makes them able, and it is Chriſt that ſtrengthens them. They that have judgements exerciſed and are able to diſcern aſſoon as they diſcover any excellency in any kind in any of the Saints, they aſcribe it all to Chriſt, becauſe they know they had it all from him: See what Jeſus Chriſt can do in, and for, and by thoſe that have Originally nothing that is good in them. If any of them ſhine, the beams that make them gliſter, come from Chriſt, and they dart back to Chriſt again: He ſhines upon them, and he ſhines in them, as the Prophet inſinuates, Iſai. 60.1. Ariſe and ſhine, for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is riſen upon thee. It is a glory to the Lord Chriſt that he hath ſuch a beautiful and glorious people. And thus you ſee, my Brethren, he is glorified in the grace of thoſe that belong to him.
2. As he is glorified in the grace, ſo he is glorified and ſhall be glorified in the glory of thoſe that belong to him: eſpecially in the great day, when he ſhall come to be glorified in his Saints, and to be admired in all them that believe, as the Apoſtle Paul tells us, 2 Theſſ. 1.10. to be glorified in them to wonder and to admiration. So that the world ſhall be aſtoniſhed and amazed to ſee the matchleſs and unutterable glory that he ſhall adorn them with, and in their glory glorifie himſelf. This ſhall tranſport beholders into wonder, it ſhall make them to admire them, and to admire Chriſt in them.
Its true, Chriſt ſhall be glorified wonderfully on that day in the damnation and deſtruction of the wicked that belong not to him. The wrath of Jeſus Chriſt ſhall be an admirable wrath; the judgements and the vengeance that he ſhall inflict upon them ſhall be full of wonder; that men ſhall be aſtoniſhed and amazed to ſee, that Jeſus Chriſt the Lamb of God, who in this life hath ſhewed himſelf ſo meek and patient, and long-ſuffering to abominable ſinners, ſhould be ſo out of meaſure wrath with them. Ungodly men themſelves will wonder at his fury. The Saints will wonder at his glorious juſtice, and adore the righteouſneſs of his proceedings with all the wicked unbelievers of the world. Yea, their confuſion and deſtruction in that great and dreadfull day will be one ſpecial part of that admirable glory, whereby Chriſt will be wonderfull in the eyes of all his people. Becauſe for their ſakes, and the wrongs and injuries that wicked men have offered them, ſhall their judgement be the heavier, and the deeper, and that to all eternity. Oh what an admirable thing is this (will the poor people of the Lord ſay) that Jeſus Chriſt ſhould have ſuch dear reſpect to us, that he ſhould be ſo angry with poor creatures and execute ſuch heavy wrath upon them for our ſakes!
But there will be incomparably greater cauſe of glorifying Jeſus Chriſt, and of wondering at his mercy in the ſalvation of his own people. For alas the wicked ſhall have nothing elſe but their deſerts in that day. But this ſhall be the height of wonder that Jeſus Chriſt ſhould load his people with ſuch an Hyperbolical and tranſcendent weight of glory without the leaſt deſert on their part, yea when they have deſerved the ſame extremity of vengeance that is inflicted on the wicked. Oh what a glory muſt this be to Jeſus Chriſt? how ſhall this fill the mouths of all the Angels and triumphant Saints in heaven with his praiſes? How ſhall his people wonder at their own glory, and at the glory of their fellow-Saints, and the tranſcendent love of Chriſt in it! How ſhall the great ones of the earth that have contemned and trampled under foot the poor deſpiſed Servants of the Lord Chriſt, ſtand amazed at their glory, beyond all that they looked for! Oh my beloved, how wonderfull ſhall Jeſus Chriſt be in that day to all the world, in the incomparable glory which then he will beſtow upon his poor contemned and deſpiſed people!
Ʋſe. 1 Now is it ſo that Jeſus Chriſt is glorified in all thoſe that belong to him? What think we then of thoſe, and to whom do they belong, in in whom he is not glorified at all, who are perpetually a diſhonour to him? We may be bold to ſay of ſuch, who are ſo far from being to the praiſe of his glory, that while they have a being, they are a prejudice and ſhame to Chriſt, that they belong not to the Lord Chriſt, they are none of his people. Methinks the thought of this ſhould even break the hearts of the wicked and ungodly men; you who lye in wickedneſs, and wallow in uncleanneſs, whoſe lives are full of nothing elſe but lewdneſs and prophaneſs, who are conſcious to your ſelves that Chriſt hath not a whit of honour by you, unleſs ungodlineſs and ſin will bring it: to whom a man may truly ſay as the Apoſtle doth to ſome, Rom. 2.24. The name of Chriſt is blaſphemed by your means; I beſeech you ſeriouſly bethink your ſelves what condition you are in; believe it for the preſent you are none of Chriſts. Take notice of his own expreſſion in my text, they are mine, and I am glorified in them. And therefore if he be not glorified in you, depend upon it, you are none of his. And is it nothing, my beloved, to be renounced by Jeſus Chriſt, as men whom he will not own? Is it nothing for the Lord to ſhake a perſon off, to ſay unto him in diſpleaſure, Sir, tell me not of any intereſt you have in me, for you belong not to me; I will not acknowledge you, I tell you plainly you are none of mine. Truly my brethren, however it may ſeem at preſent, the day will come when this will be a ſad ſentence. When men in the great day of ſeparation ſhall ſtrive to make a title to the Lord Chriſt, when they ſhall tell him, Lord, we have been acquainted with thee heretofore (as they did in the Parable) we have born thy name, and we have been called Chriſtians, and have been accounted thine, and wilt thou not acknowledge us and own us now? And Chriſt ſhall anſwer them, depart from me, I know you not, go, get you over on the other ſide among the Goats, I tell you, you are none of mine. Ah my beloved, this will be a cooling and a killing word indeed.
Is it ſo that Jeſus Chriſt is glorified in all thoſe that belong to him? Ʋſe 2 Both in their grace and holineſs in this world, and in their glory in the world to come? This then ſhould be a motive and inducement to us to ſtrive and labour after both theſe, both after grace in this world, and glory in the world to come, both to be holy here, and happy hereafter.
1. This ſhould quicken us and ſtirr us up to labour after holineſs and grace, that Jeſus Chriſt may be glorified in us. If grace were only advantagious to our ſelves and honorable to our ſelves (as to be really and truly gracious, is indeed the greateſt honour in the world) there were no ſuch reaſon then why we ſhould labour to attain it, and abound with it. For then you know we could have no higher aim then only to ſet up a poor Creature. But ſeeing Jeſus Chriſt is honoured in the grace and holineſs, and the obedience of his people, Oh how ſhould this enflame us with reſtleſs and unſatisfied deſires of theſe things! How ſhould we covet and covet earneſtly the beſt gifts, and labour that we may excell in inward grace and outward obedience, that we may ſet up Jeſus Chriſt the more, and that his honour may be the more advanced by us. When we are ſeeking to the Lord for holineſs and grace that he would give it out to us, and give it more abundantly, how ſhould we preſs and quicken our petitions with this prevailing argument, that Jeſus Chriſt will be advanced by it, and his glory more enlarged. Lord, give us more faith, love, hope, patience, zeal, power againſt corruption, ſtrength to new obedience, that Chriſt may have the more glory. We ſeek not theſe things to promote our own eſteem and reputation, and that we may be ſome body among the Saints, but that Chriſt Jeſus may be all in all. It is thy great deſign to glorifie thy Son Chriſt, and this is the ready way to accompliſh the deſign on which thy very heart is ſet; if thou give us more holineſs and more grace, he will have more glory. Thou wilt not honour us ſo much, but Jeſus Chriſt thine own beloved Son will be glorified in us. And therefore we beſeech thee ſet thy Treaſure open to us, and give us out a large ſhare. In ſuch a manner the Apoſtle deals with God in his petitions, in that memorable place to this purpoſe, 2 Theſ. 1.11, 12. We pray continually for you, ſaith the Apoſtle there, that God would count you worthy of this calling, and fulfill all the good pleaſure of his goodneſs, and the work of faith with power. That he would carry on that work of grace upon your ſouls, till he hath brought it to perfection. And why ſo? to what end? That the name of our Lord Jeſus may be glorified in you; not that you may be honoured; but that Chriſt may be glorified in you.
2. And as this ſhould ſtirr us up to labour after grace in this world, ſo after glory in the world to come; Since Chriſt is glorified as in the grace, ſo much more in the glory of his people; For glory is compleat grace, and therefore Chriſt is glorified in that to admiration, as we have ſhewed you formerly in explication of the point. The Apoſtle ſpeaks of ſome who ſeek glory. Rom. 2.7. he means the glory of the other world, as it is very evident by that which is joyned with it, glory, and honour and immortality and Eternal life. And truly it is not unlawfull for every one of us to ſeek glory, I mean our own eternal glory in the heavens, becauſe while we ſeek that, we ſeek the glory of Chriſt in it.
Its that which troubles many of the Saints, they think that they are ſcarce upright becauſe they have ſo great an eye upon their own glory. They doubt their own ſincerity, meerly upon this ground. Indeed, my brethren, if your own glory and ſalvation went ſingle and alone, it were a greater cauſe of ſcruple. But ſince the glory of the Lord Chriſt, is comprehended and involved in it, why ſhould you not deſire and ſeek it, as ſubſervient to the great and high end? And therefore I beſeech you my beloved, under this notion have reſpect to it, and draw encouragement and ſweetneſs from it, amidſt the many heavy labours and bitter ſufferings of this preſent life. Look up man to the glory that is ſet before thee, preſs hard towards it, be diligent and patient in the expectation of it, ſtrive and labour to obtain it: while thou conſidereſt with thy ſelf that when thou art glorified, Chriſt will be glorified in thee. And ſo in aiming at thy own glory do thou intend and ſeek the glory of Chriſt. And this is that which thou maiſt do, yea, this is that which thou muſt do. And therefore go on cheerfully, embrace the promiſe that is yet afar of, reach at the Crown of glory that is hung out to tempt thee and to toll thee on; And let this animate thee moſt of all, that when thou haſt attained it, Chriſt will be glorified and admired in thee. He whom thy very ſoul loveth, will have one monument the more of his own praiſe and glory unto all eternity. And thus far of the firſt Conſideration that induced our Saviour to become a Suitor for his Apoſtles and Diſciples to his Father, viz. the neer relation which they had to his Father and himſelf, by means of which it came to paſs that he was glorified in them.
The ſecond follows now in order, to be handled, viz. the ſad condition they were likely to be in, by reaſon of the near approach of his departure from them to the Father, and leaving them behind in an unquiet and malitious world. And now I am no more in the world, but theſe are in the world, and I come to thee.
A dolefull and heart-killing word, you muſt conceive, it was to his Apoſtles and Diſciples, and now I am no more in the world. They who left all for him, muſt needs be very much dejected to be left by him. And to be left alone in ſuch a wilderneſs in ſuch a troubleſome, unpleaſing and a vexatious place, as the world hath alwayes been to Chriſts Diſciples. As long as he was with them, he was a very great ſupport, encouragement and comfort to them in all conditions and in all caſes. And therefore now he is about to leave them, he thinks it neceſſary to commend them to the eſpecial care and mercy and protection of his Father.
There are two things ſuggeſted in this dying Song, this laſt farewell of our Saviour in my Text; his own departure, and his Diſciples ſtay behinde him. His own departure; and now I am no more in the world, but I come to thee; his Diſciples ſtay behinde him: but theſe are in the world, and are to continue ſo, for that is intimated in the words. Chriſt muſt go, and they muſt ſtay, ſo that a dolefull ſeparation is at hand. If Chriſt had been to have remained among them here, or if he would have taken them up with himſelf into the other world, it had been well, they had been together ſtill. But Chriſt is now about to go, and they muſt not go with him.
Begin we with the firſt particular ſuggeſted in the words, the departure of our Saviour, and now I am no more in the world, but I come to thee. And here you have the terminus à quo, the term from which he goes, and that is from this lower World: Now I am no more in the world. And the terminus ad quem, the term to which he goes, to the preſence of his Father, but I come to thee. I am no more in this world, this lower world beneath Heaven. He ſpeaks of that which is approaching and at hand, as if it were already acted and accompliſhed; for it is evident he was in this world, when he uttered theſe words. And it is uſual with the Holy Ghoſt in the Scripture to ſpeak of inſtant things as done already. And ſo our Saviour in my Text, I am no more in this world, q. d. I am as good as gone already, the time of my departure is at hand.
Now this our Saviour doth not here affirm of himſelf as he is God, for ſo he doth not, neither can he go or come. He filleth every place at once, and conſequently cannot move (in that reſpect) from place to place. But he ſpeaks it of himſelf as he is man, and in relation to his bodily and fleſhly preſence: So he is now to be no more in this world, he is to leave it, and depart from it.
But whether is he then to go, if he do not tarry here? Why to his Father, as you have it in the following words, I come to thee. Why, was he abſent from his Father here? Was there a diſtance between his Father and himſelf while he remained in this World? Was not the Father preſent with him everywhere? Yes he was in his Fathers preſence every where, but not in his immediate preſence, where he reveals and ſhews himſelf in the fulneſs of his glory, that is confined to the heaven of the bleſſed. And thither is our Saviour now about to go, to the Immediate preſence of his Father, as accordingly he did in a ſhort time after; I am no more in the world, but I come to thee. So that the Point to be obſerved is this.
DOCTRINE. That Jeſus Chriſt as he is man, is gone out of this lower world, to the immediate preſence of his Father.
Though he were once, yet he is now no more in this world: no, he is gone up far above all heavens, as the Apoſtle Paul ſpeaks, Eph. 4.10. above all that we ſee, to the Heaven of the bleſſed. And therefore David ſpeaking in the perſon of our Saviour, ſaith, Thou ſhalt not leave my ſoul in hell, neither ſhalt thou ſuffer thy holy one to ſee corruption; but ſhalt ſhew me the path of life: in thy preſence is fulneſs of joy, and at thy right hand there are pleaſures for evermore, Pſal. 16.10, 11. Thither is our Saviour gone to the immediate preſence, and to the right hand of the Father: And there are witneſſes enough of this; while they beheld, ſaith the Evangeliſt, Acts 1.9. that is the Apoſtles aſſembled together, as you may ſee in the foregoing part of the Chapter: While they beheld he was taken up, and a cloud received him out of their ſight. And that muſt be as he was man, in which reſpect alone he was in ſight, before he was withdrawn from them. And after, Stephen ſaw the heaven opened, and the Son of man ſtanding at the right hand of God, Acts 7.56. He ſaw Jeſus Chriſt there in his Humanity, and as he is the Son of man. And there he muſt continue in his humane Nature, until he come again to Judgement, as the Apoſtles were certified by the Angels as ſoon as he was taken from them, Acts 1.11. Why ſtand ye gazing up into heaven? this ſame Jeſus which is taken up from you into heaven, ſhall ſo come in like manner as you have ſeen him going into heaven. And this is that which the Apoſtle intimateth in his Sermon to the Jews, Acts 3.20, 21. He ſhall ſend Jeſus whom the heaven muſt receive until the time of reſtitution of all things. Indeed, my Brethren, Chriſt was once manifeſted in the fleſh, appeared in his humane Nature in the World, but now he is departed hence, and received up to glory, as the Apoſtle Paul ſpeaks, 1 Tim. 3.16. So that the point is plain you ſee, That Jeſus Chriſt as he is man, is gone out of this lower, &c. But wherefore did he not continue here? Why did he leave this lower World? Let us ſee the reaſons of it, and they are many, and of great importance; ſome of them concern himſelf, and ſome of them concern his Church; we will ſurvey them in their order.
Reaſon 1 Jeſus Chriſt as he is man is gone, &c. becauſe it was expedient for himſelf that he ſhould be exalted after he had been abaſed, and glorified after he had been diſhonoured. This World you know, was the place of his abaſure and humiliation, in which he was to be emptied of his glory, and to be made of no reputation. And ſo accordingly he was deſpiſed, and ſlighted, and ſcornfully entreated here. The other world, my Brethren, was the place in which he was to have his recompence for theſe abaſures, and to be glorified after all the ſhame, and ignominy, and contempt which the world had poured upon him: And therefore when he had been throughly humbled here, it was expedient for him to be received up to glory, to be tranſlated to the immediate preſence of his Father, where his tranſcendent exaltation was to be. And this he intimates in his Petition, John 17.5. And now O Father, glorifie me with thy ſelf, q.d. I ſee there is no glory for me till I come to thee; this is the place of my abaſure, and therefore I beſeech thee take me to thy ſelf, that I may have glory with thee.
Reaſon 2 Jeſus Chriſt as he is man is gone, &c. becauſe he hath no more to do here. He came into the world about buſineſs, and that buſineſs he hath ended and diſpatched, and why then ſhould he tarry in it any longer? This world is not ſuch a place, in which one would be willing to continue longer then he hath work to do in it. Indeed as long as Jeſus Chriſt had any buſineſs to diſpatch he was very well contented to ſtay here. But aſſoon as that was ended, he was deſirous to be gone, and to return to him that ſent him: And therefore this he urgeth very hard, when he enrreats his Father to receive him to him ſelf; I have finiſhed the work which thou gaveſt me to do, Joh. 17.4 q. d. If I had not done the work for which thou haſt diſpatched me down into this lower world, I ſhould be willing to continue here: But I have gone through with it, foreign, I have made an end of it, ſo that I have no more to do in this world, and therefore I beſeech thee let me come away to thee.
Jeſus Chriſt as he is man is gone, &c. becauſe as he hath no more to Reaſon 3 do here, ſo he hath very much to do there, and therefore is gone thither, where his buſineſs lies: He is called his Fathers ſervant very often in the Scripture; And truly my Brethren, he is a diligent and faithful one: aſſoon as he hath done his work in one place, away goes he unto another, he doth not love to ſtay and idle there where he hath no work to do, but where his buſineſs and employment is, there is the place that he deſires to be. And hence it is my Brethren, that he went away into the other world, becauſe he had much work to do there. But you will ask me what that work was? I anſwer.
1. He was to triumph there over his Enemies and ours: This was a neceſſary and important buſineſs, and it was not to be done compleatly here in this world, at leaſt not till and in the very act of his departure; and this is that which the Apoſtle pointeth at, Epheſ. 4.8. When he aſcended up on high, he led Captivity captive; He did it not before, or after, but in that article of time, when he aſcended, when he returned to his own Countrey, then he led his Captives with him: Even as thoſe Conquerers of old among the Romans, when they returned back to Rome, after ſome glorious victory, were wont to bring their Captives with them which they had taken in the wars, and to lead them by their Chariots in a victorious and triumphant way. So Jeſus Chriſt when he had conquered Sin, and Death, and Hell, and was returning out of this world to the immediate preſence of his Father, to the Country whence he came, he did it in a glorious and triumphant way: He did not ſteal away out of the world, as if he had aſhamed of that which he had done or ſuffered there, as if he had been overcome; No, he went away triumphing, as one that having abſolutely conquered and beaten all that ſtood againſt him, brings along his priſoners with him.
2. Jeſus Chriſt is gone away, &c. that he might ſend down his Spirit to his people: That was another work he had to do, the Spirit was not to come down, till he came up; and therefore he aſcended, that the Spirit might deſcend abundantly upon his people. And this is that of which he mindeth his Apoſtles and Diſciples when he was about to leave them, Joh. 16.7. It is expedient for you that I go away, and why ſo? For if I do not go away, the Comforter, the Holy Spirit will not come. While I am with you in the fleſh, you are ſo taken up with carnal and fleſhly apprehenſions of me, that you are made incapable of great degrees & meaſures of the Spirit. And therefore I muſt even go away from you, that I may ſend the Spirit to you. And ſo accordingly he did, as the Prophet David takes notice, Pſal. 68.18. He aſcended upon high, and he received gifts for men (gifts to beſtow on men) that the Lord God might dwell among them. A ſtrange expreſſion, he aſcended from them to this end, that he might remain and dwell among them. Yes he aſcended from them in his body, that he might dwell among them by his Spirit, or by thoſe gifts which he received for men, in the preceding words. Well then, you ſee he is departed from us, not to forſake us, but to dwell among us. He hath withdrawn the preſence of his Body, that he might dwell among us by the preſence of his Spirit, According to that ſweet and pretious promiſe made to his Diſciples, when he was ready to depart from them, Mat. 20.28. Behold I am with you always, &c.
3. Jeſus Chriſt gone away, &c. that he might intercede for his people. Why you will tell me ſo he might, and ſo he did, while he was reſident in this world, he offered up ſtrong cries to God, and that not for himſelf alone, but for his Church, and members too. Yea, the Chapter we are handling is the Prayer of our Saviour in the behalf of his people; ſo that he might have interceded for them by vocal ſupplication, had he remained ſtill in this world, and had he never gone hence. Yea, but he could not then have interceded for them by perſonal appearance, as he doth now. And therefore he is gone to heaven, that he may appear in the preſence of God for us, Heb. 9.24. And is it not a comfort to us to conſider that we have ſuch a choiſe and pretious friend there? That we have ſuch an Advocate in Court continually at all times and in all cauſes? That he is always by his Father in his Body and his humane Nature, wherein he ſuffered for his people? You know he bare our ſins in his body on the tree, and in that crucified body, he appeareth in the preſence of his Father. So that he is at hand on all occaſions, to ſhew his Father all his wounds and all his ſcars, all the prints, and all the marks of his bitter bloody ſufferings. Oh Father, may he ſay, (when there is any thing in agitation for his people, any ſupplication for them, or any accuſation laid againſt them) remember what I have endured for them in this fleſh of mine, what I have ſuffered for them, in this body here before thee, look upon theſe wounds and ſcars, and for my ſake be gratious to them: do not deny them their Petitions, do not reject them for their unallowed and bewailed imperfections.
4. Jeſus Chriſt is gone away, &c. to make heaven ready for us, that ſo we may be preſently admitted when we come. And this our Saviour Chriſt himſelf, who beſt knows, yeelds as the reaſon of his departure from his Apoſtles and Diſciples; when he was about to leave them, ſaith he, I go to prepare a place for you, Joh. 14.2. when our Saviour Chriſt entred heaven, and paſſed into the immediate preſence of his Father, he took poſſeſſion of it in our name and ſtead, and left it open after him to all his Members. He hath in this reſpect prepared it for us, that he hath made it ready to receive us; And when we are ready too, he will come and receive us to himſelf, that where he is, there may we be alſo, as it is added in the fore-alleadged place, Joh. 14.3.
5. Jeſus Chriſt is gone away, &c. that in the mean time till he take us up to him to heaven perſonally, he may draw us up to heaven virtually. That till we follow him in perſon, we may follow him in heart and in affection, that may ſet them on the things that are above, where Chriſt alſo fits on the right hand of God. If Chriſt were ſtill among us in the body, and in a viſible and fleſhly way, you are not able to imagine how much it would detain us here. We ſhould not care much to look higher then the place where Chriſt is. But now he is departed from us into heaven this draws up our affections after him, who is ſo infinitely dear & pretious to us; for where the treaſure is there will the heart be alſo. This makes us to deſire with the Apoſtle to be with him, to be diſſolved and to be with Chriſt: This makes us keep him company, though at a diſtance: It makes us heavenly in our diſcourſes, meditations, converſations, as the Apoſtle was, Phil. 3.30. Our converſation is in heaven, from whence we look for the Saviour, even the Lord Jeſus Chriſt.