Exposition of John 17, Exposition · Part 4
John 17.1.
The hour is come, &c.
ANd thus far of the object of our Saviours prayer, or the perſon to whom he preſents it to, and that as you have heard, is God the Father.
Proceed we to the parts of it, which have been noted to be two according to the paties whom he prayes for. In the firſt place he prayeth for himſelf the Head of the Church. And in the ſecond place he prayes for the inferiour Members of the Church.
Firſt, For himſelf the Head of the Church, he deſireth glorification; Then for the Members of the Church he deſireth confirmation: and that for the Apoſtles and Diſciples then about him, the Members of the preſent Church: or elſe for thoſe who were after to believe by their word, or to be called by their preaching, the Members of the Church to come: as I have ſhewed you formerly, when I drew up a ſhort Analyſis, or reſolution of the whole Chapter.
We are at this time to begin with that part of our Saviours prayer which concerns himſelf; In which you may take notice with me of theſe three things: the riſe of it, the matter of it, and the reaſons of it.
Firſt. You have here the riſe of it, from whence our Saviour takes occaſion to preſent it to his Father; The hour is come.
Secondly, You have the matter of it, or the thing which he deſireth of the Father, and this is that he may be glorified: Father, glorifie thy Son.
Thirdly, you have the reaſons of it, with which he preſſeth and enforceth this requeſt of his, and they are many and of great importance, as God aſſiſting, you ſhall ſee at large hereafter.
At this time I ſhall faſten on the firſt Particular, the riſe of this Petition of our Saviour, from whence he takes occaſion to preſent it to his Father: The hour is come.
The hour is come; What hour is come? the hour in which the Father had decreed and fore-appointed to glorifie his Son Chriſt: that hour was come, and therefore he deſires his Father to execute his purpoſe now, ſeeing this was his own time.
But you will ſay, the hour which was now at hand, was the hour of Chriſts Paſſion, in which he was abaſed and humbled, as you may ſee he was betrayed almoſt as ſoon as he had done this prayer. And how then could this be the hour, in which he was appointed to be glorified of the Father?
To this I anſwer, that Chriſt was glorified in ſome reſpect, even while he ſuffered, he triumphed upon the Croſs, as the Apoſtle Paul ſpeaks, Col. 2.15. blotting out the hand-writing that was againſt us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his Croſs; And having ſpoyled Principalities and Powers, he made a ſhew of them openly, triumphing over them in it, that is in the ſame Croſs. The word that the Apoſtle uſes there, alludeth to the faſhion of the Roman Conquerours, whoſe manner was to lead their vanquiſhed Captives bound before their Chariots in a glorious way, the people gratulating their heroick acts and Victories with loud and joyful acclamations. Our Saviour having ſpoyled Principalities and Powers, did ſomewhat Analogical to this, and hence the terms by which thoſe ancient Roman Triumphs were expreſſed, are attributed to him, foreign, he made a ſhew of them openly, that is, he brought them to extream diſhonour, and made them ſpectacles of ignominy and reproach, and gazing-ſtocks of ſhame, to men and Angels: and this he did upon the very Croſs. Its true that to a carnal Eye, this was the place of his humiliation; but to an eye of faith, it was the place of his triumphant Exaltation. The world ſees nothing but diſhonour in the Croſs of Chriſt, but they that are enlightned, ſee the great work of mans redemption finiſhed there, ſin and his kingdom broken there, and the Devil vanquiſhed, and led captive there, to Chriſts eternal honour, and their eternal ignominy and confufion. So that even with reſpect to this, (this time of ſuffering on the Croſs) our Saviour Chriſt might ſay, The hour is come, Father, glorifie thy Son.
Or if you look a little further, to the time of his aſcention and entrance into glory, that hour was not far off; and that perhaps our Saviour Chriſt might aim at in my Text. However, this is evident, that that which he deſireth here, he prays may be effected, and accompliſhed in his Fathers time. And this he makes the ground of his Petition, Father, the hour is come, the time which thou haſt fore-appointed to glorifie me in; And therefore I beſeech thee do it now; thou haſt a time for this great work of thine, and this is the very time, the very hour, the hour is come. Were it not ſo, I would not ſeek it, or deſire it of thee, but ſeeing this is thy ſeaſon, now Father glorifie thy ſon. So that the Point ſuggeſted here, is this.
DOCTRINE. God hath his time to do his Actions in, and he ſhould not be deſired to do them any other time.
Firſt, He hath his times to do his actions in, that is the firſt thing in the Point. He hath his hour, a certain ſet and fixed ſeaſon for any buſineſs that he hath to do: he hath a time for works of Juſtice, and you ſee that place for inſtance, Jer. 51.33. It is time to threſh her (ſaith the Lord of Babylon.) And ſo their feet ſhall ſlide in due time, ſpeaking of ungodly men, Deut. 32.35. He hath his time for works of Mercy, as it is obſerved of Joſeph, Pſal. 105.18, 19. his feet they hurt with fetters, he was laid in irons, until the time which God had fore-appointed came. And as ſoon as that was come, the Lord ſo ordered things, that the King ſent and looſed him; the Rulers of the people let him go free, as it is added there in that place. And hence the Lord is ſaid to wait in Scripture that he may be gracious, as in that known place, Iſa. 30.18. Now he that waits to do a thing, looks for a fit time: Thou ſhalt ariſe and have mercy upon Sion; ſaith the Pſalmiſt, Pſal. 102.13. For the time to favour her, yea, the ſet time is come; ſo that you ſee God hath his time to do his actions in.
Now for the ſecond Member of the point, He ſhould not be deſired to do them any other time. This is apparently ſuggeſted in this Petition of our Saviours in my Text. Father, the hour is come, now glorifie thy Son: q. d. If thy appointed ſeaſon were not come, I would not ſeek to have thee glorifie me at this time: I would not have thee do it for me now, unleſs this were thy hour; But ſince the conſtituted hour is come, Lord, bring thy purpoſe into act and execution. Our Saviour is in this our pattern, whom we ought to follow. And hence the Saints in their Petitions have left God to his own time, and ſought for mercies from him in his own ſeaſon. As Daniel, when he found by books, that is, the Book of Jeremy, and other Books, that the appointed return of the Jews out of the Babylonian thraldom and Captivity was neer at hand, he ſet himſelf to ſeek the Lord at that time, Dan. 9.3. And David in the fore-alledged Text, he prays for mercy to be ſhewed to Sion. But when? when the ſet time was come.
I would not ſpend my time in the further confirmation of ſo clear a truth. Let me but add two Reaſons; God hath his time to do his actions in, and he ſhould not be deſired to do them any other time. For, Firſt, Let our deſires be what they will, he will not be prevailed withall to do them any other time. Or Secondly, if we could prevail with him, it were not beſt that he ſhould do them any other time.
Let our deſires be what they will, God will not be prevailed withall, to do his works in any other time then that which he hath fore-appointed and decreed: ſo that it were a vain and idle thing to labour to divert him from his own ſeaſon. We that are men, are often turned from our purpoſe; we do not that which we reſolve to do, or elſe we do not act it then when we reſolve to do it, becauſe our reſolutions alter; we are perſwaded and convinced that ſome other ſeaſon will be better. But God for his part is not changeable, he is not as man that he ſhould lye, nor as the ſon of man that he ſhould repent; Numb. 23.19. That he ſhould ſo repent as man, by changing of his mind, or varying from his former reſolution. And this is that the Pſalmiſt beats upon, Pſal. 102. He obſerves all other things and perſons in the world, and finds that they are variable and inconſtant, they are on, and off again; But as for God, he finds it otherwiſe with him; though they be changeable, he is not ſo: No, ſaith the Prophet there, thou art the ſame; and what doth he infer upon it? why therefore all the good, and all the mercy that he hath reſolved upon, with reference to his people, he will accompliſh in the ſet time. Thou ſhalt endure O Lord (ſaith he) and that for ever. And what follows? Thou ſhalt ariſe, and have mercy on Sion, for the ſet time is come.
God hath his ſet time to do his actions in, and he ſhould not be deſired to do them any other time; becauſe if we could prevail in ſuch a caſe, it were not beſt that he ſhould do them any other time. He always pitcheth on the fit, beſt, and the opportuneſt ſeaſons for his Works: As he hath his times for them, ſo thoſe times are the beſt times, whether they be Works of Juſtice, or of Mercy. And hence the ſeaſon and opportunity in which he doth them both, is ſtiled the due time. For Works of Juſtice, their feet ſhall ſlide in due time; Deut. 32.35. For Works of Mercy, in due time you ſhall reap, if you faint not: Gal. 6.9. We that are men do uſually miſtake our time, we miſs our opportunity: Man knoweth not his time, ſaith Solomon, Eccleſ. 9.12. and therefore he is ſnared in an evil time, that fals ſuddenly upon him: He knoweth not the good time, and therefore he is ſnared in an evil time, that comes upon him ſuddenly, as a ſnare upon a Bird, in which he is entangled, and involv'd, and ſo is diſappointed of his purpoſe. But it is not ſo with God, he knows his time, and fixes on it, ſo as none but he can do it. And hence is that Expoſtulation, Jer. 49.19. Who will appoint me the time? q.d. whoever doth it, will be very much miſtaken: The time which I appoint is beſt, and none can do it like me: and therefore certainly if we were able, it were not beſt to turn him from it, nor to prevail with him to do his work in any other time. This ſhall ſuffice for clearing of the Obſervation; proceed we now to Application.
And this may ſerve for Reprehenſion in the firſt place to check and Ʋſe 1 cenſure thoſe who take upon them to appoint God a time for execution of his Works of Mercy, or his Works of Juſtice. They do not come to God as our Saviour in my Text, Father, the hour is come, now glorifie thy Son: now ſhew mercy to thy Church; now execute thy wrath upon the perſecutors and oppreſſors of the Church: No, he muſt do it preſently, whether his time be come, or no: they have not ſo much patience and humility to wait upon him, and leave him to his own time: they cannot tarry for him one hour. This was the Miſtake of Mary; ſhe would needs direct our Saviour when to work his Miracles, before his hour, or time was come. John 2.4. And we poor Creatures are ſo ſawcy, and ſo bold ſometimes, to tell the Lord when he muſt ſhew us ſuch a favour, when he muſt give us ſuch a mercy: if he delay, and if he linger beyond the time that we appoint him, we are gone, we cannot wait upon him any longer: We ſend for his aſſiſtance, as it were by Poſt, and preſcribe the Lord a day, as the Bethulians. And ſo upon the other ſide we appoint him when to deal againſt the enemies and perſecutors of his people. We ſet him down a time, and we order him a ſeaſon to wreake his vengeance, and his wrath upon them. But what ſaith God? to me belongeth vengeance and recompence. This is a buſineſs that belongs to me, it appertaineth not to you to meddle with it. Their feet ſhall ſlide in due time; for the day of their calamity is at hand, and the things that ſhall come upon them make haſte. We are ſo earneſt many times, that we would have him ſtrike them preſently, and tread down all his enemies that riſe againſt him, and his cauſe and people; and take an order with them out of hand; But God is of another mind, he deſigns another time, and we do very ill to go about to turn him from it.
It is a bold intruſion on the property of God, on that which appertaineth and belongeth to him in the fore-alledged text. A ſnatching of the times and ſeaſons out of his hands. And it is a high preſumption; for while we carry matters thus, we do at leaſt imply that we are wiſer then the Lord, that we can chooſe out fitter ſeaſons for the accompliſhment of his deſigns then he doth; which is a Blaſphemy to be abhorred and trembled at by every Chriſtian.
Ʋſe 2 And therefore in the ſecond place (my brethren) ſince God hath his time to do his actions in it, and ſhould not be deſired to do them any other time: Let us be hence inſtructed how to regulate our prayers and deſires in this regard: Let us ſubſcribe to him for the accompliſhment of all his purpoſes of wrath againſt the wicked, of mercy to his own people. And let us freely leave him to his own time. If the prefixed and the conſtituted time be manifeſt and revealed to us, as to our Saviour in my Text, then let us pray as he, the hour is come. If it be hid, then let us pray, Father, when the hour is come, do this or that againſt thy Enemies, do this or that for thy people; but ſtill let us comply with his time, for the performance of any thing that we deſire of him. And this becauſe in many caſes it may ſeem to linger, and we may be apt to faint, I ſhall briefly ſet before you two or three Conſiderations, to uphold your hearts till your fathers hour comes.
Conſider that the Father waites for the good hour as well as you. Do you wait to receive mercy? He waites to ſhew mercy. Do you wait that he may be gracious? He waiteth that he may be gracious too, Iſa. 30.18. Why are you ſo impatient then? Why ſhould not you be well contentted and pleaſed to wait as well as he? Shall all the waiting be on his ſide, none of yours? ſee if this be good reaſon.
Conſider that till the Fathers hour of mercy come, he is preparing you for mercy, and preparing mercy for you. He is not ſlack, as men count ſlackneſs, he haſtens ſuch a work of mercy as he ſeemeth to defer. Many times the work is great, and there are many wheels that turn in it, and they muſt move about in time; too quick a motion would diſorder all. The Lord hath many things to bring about in ſuch a buſineſs, and therefore he goes onward with it ſlowly, by degrees, and ſo at length he brings it to perfection; He means to make a goodly ſtructure, and therefore he is laying the foundation deep and low, that he may raiſe the frame of mercy and ſalvation which he means to build upon it high and firm, that it may never be removed again.
Let us conſider if the hour of mercy linger, that the fault is in our ſelves. Alas, God labours hard about us, but we are knotty peices, we will not ſuddenly be brought to any frame. We are not qualified for a cure and extraordinary mercy by and by. Oh what a task God hath to humble us, to make us ſenſible of undeſervingneſs, to qualifie us ſo, that we may prize the mercy, and uſe the mercy as we ought to do; So the while he is moulding us, and fitting us, he may complain of us, as once he did of Iſrael, Will you never be made fit? when will it once be? We have ſuch ſtrong Corruptions in us that they will not be ſubdued: we have ſuch proud and ſtubborn hearts that they will not be brought down; So that if God be long about us, and if he keep us under hand, we have cauſe to thank our ſelves and the perverſneſs of our own hearts.
Let us conſider that the fathers hour will come, in which he will ſhew us mercy. He will ariſe and have mercy on Sion. The needy ſhall not alwayes be forgotten, nor the expectation of the poor fail for ever, Pſal. 9.18. Though he hide himſelf, yet he will be a Saviour notwithſtanding; And therefore this let us depend and ſettle on, let us keep our hearts to this, with the poor afflicted Church, Iſa. 25.9. Loe, this is our God, we have waited for him, and he will ſave us; we will be glad in his ſalvation. You ſee how confident ſhe is, ſhe ſtands not upon Ifs and Ands. It is not peradventure, or it may be, or the like, but he will ſave us, and we will be glad, &c.
The more the fathers hour lingers, the greater mercy it will bring with it: the more will it abound with multiplyed overflowing comfort, when it comes. Gods manner is to meaſure and proportion comforts to afflictions, to cheriſh and revive his people according to the daies in which he hath afflicted them, and according to the times in which their ſouls have ſeen ſorrow, Pſal. 90.15. That Proclamation is remarkeable, Iſa. 40.1. Comfort. &c. comfort ye my people. It is repeated twice you ſee And why ſo? The reaſon is annexed, ſhe hath received at the Lords hand double for her ſins, ſhe hath had double ſorrow, and therefore now ſhe ſhall have double comfort.
And thus far of the riſe of that part of our Saviours prayer which concerns himſelf, the ground on which he takes occaſion to preſent it to his Father: The hour is come.
Proceed we to the matter of it, or the things which he deſireth of the Father; and this is that he may be glorified. Father glorifie thy Son.
There is no difficulty conſiderable in the words. To glorifie is properly to make glorious. But uſually and in the ordinary acceptation of the Scripture, to Render glorious in the eyes of others, whether it be thing or perſon. And this is Evident by that which Chriſt deſireth of his Father, under this expreſſion. He had abaſed himſelf you know, and made himſelf of no reputation, as the Apoſtle Paul ſpeakes, Phil. 2.7. and now he prayes the Father, that he would advance him, and honour him again, that he would ſhew him forth in Luſtre and in Splendour to the world. And that becauſe the time of his abaſure and humiliation was now drawing to an end, and the time of his advancement and exaltation was at hand, Father the hour is come, Glorifie thy Son.
Now this petition of our Saviour intimates at leaſt the Fathers purpoſe to glorifie his Son, &c. That he was reſolved upon it, and the hour in which to do it: both upon the thing, and time. The hour is come in which thou haſt decreed to glorifie me, and therefore I beſeech thee Father, do it now, fullfill thy reſolution and intention. The hour is come, glorifie thy Son. So that the point apparently ſuggeſted here is this.
DOCTRINE. It hath been the Deſign and purpoſe of the Father, to glorifie his Son Chriſt.
The Fathers reſolution appeareth in the Sons Petition. For that which Chriſts deſires, the Father wills. Indeed he hath declared himſelf in this particular, that he would have him honoured with the ſelf ſame honour, the ſame for nature, and the ſame for meaſure, which belongs to him, John 5.23. That all men ſhould honour the Son even as they honour the Father. And therefore he himſelf hath honoured Chriſt exceedingly, as you may ſee in the firſt Chapter of the Epiſtle to the Hebrews, almoſt from the beginning to the end. For that is the intention, and the purpoſe of the whole Chapter. God hath in theſe latter dayes ſpoken to us by his Son, whom he hath made heir of all things, by whom he alſo made the world, who is the brightneſs of his glory, and the expreſs, &c. being made better then the Angels; for unto which of the Angels ſaid he at any time, Thou art my Son, &c. And again when he bringeth, &c. And of the Angels he ſaith, he maketh his Angels Spirits and his Miniſters a flame of fire. But of the Son, he ſaith, Thy throne Oh God is for ever, &c. And to which of the Angels ſaid he at any time, Sit thou on my right hand, &c. you ſee the ſcope and drift of all is to advance and ſet up Jeſus Chriſt tranſcendently, not only above other Creatures, but above the very Angels: and the Apoſtle tells us to the ſame effect, that God the Father exalted him, for that is the expreſſion, Phil. 2.9.
Now this deſign and purpoſe of the Father to glorifie his Son Chriſt, appeareth evidently divers wayes, which I ſhall briefly ſet before you.
It appeareth by the honourable titles that he gives him, that he hath a mind to dignifie him, and to ſet him up. Sometimes he calls him Prince, and great Prince, Michael the great Prince, Dan. 12.1. Sometimes King, his King, Yet have I ſet my King ſaith God the Father, Pſal. 2.6. You ſee this is the name he gives him, and it is written on his thigh and on his veſture, that he that runs may read it, Apocalypſ. 19.16. King of Kings, and Lord of Lords. Sometimes he calls him God, as you may ſee in the forealledged place, Heb. 1.8. Unto the Son he ſaith, (the Father ſaith,) Thy throne, Oh God, is for ever and ever. And ſometimes Lord, not Elohim, or Adonai, which name is frequenlty applied to men, but Lord Jehovah, which name is proper and peculiar to the Living God only, and which he ſeriouſly profeſſeth that he will not give to any other, and yet this name he gives to Ieſus Chriſt, Jer. 23.6. And he would have us call him by it too this is the name whereby he ſhall be called, Jehovah (ſo is the expreſſion there) the Lord our righteouſneſs. So that no marvail that the Apoſtle tels us that he honoured him in this reſpect exceedingly, tranſcendently; he hath highly exalted him. How ſo? And given him a name above every name, that at the name of Ieſus every knee ſhould bow. According to the Counſel of the Pſalmiſt, Pſal. 45.11. He is thy Lord, and worſhip thou him. And hence it is that the Apoſtle ſaith, he is made ſo much better then the Angels, as he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name then they.
It appears that God hath a deſign to honour Chriſt, as by the names he gives to Chriſt, ſo by the names which he himſelf aſſumes in reference to Chriſt: as he delights to call himſelf the Lord of Chriſt, and the Father of Chriſt, and the Maſter of Chriſt, as being taken very much that he hath ſuch a Son, and ſuch a ſervant: for ſo he ſeemeth to expreſs himſelf, This is my beloved Son, Mat. 3.17. take notice of him, this is he: So in another place, Behold my Servant, Iſa. 42.1. There look upon him, and obſerve him well, and ſee if any of you have ſuch a ſervant as I have. In the Old Teſtament the Lord was wont to call himſelf the God of Abraham, and the God of Iſaac, and the God of Jacob; he was honoured by thoſe names, the Lord their God that brought them out of the Land of Egypt. But now in the New Teſtament, he cals himſelf the God and Father of the Lord Jeſus Chriſt; as you may ſee that place for inſtance, Epheſ. 1.3. I might give you many more; the God that brought again from the dead the Lord Jeſus Chriſt. Thus ſtriving to exalt him, and to ſet him up, that the eyes and thoughts of men might be taken up with him.
3. It appears, &c. By the place in which he ſets him, and that is at his own right hand. It is obſerved in Solomon, by the holy Ghoſt himſelf, as a great honour which he did his Mother, 1 Kings 2.19. He ſate down on his throne, and cauſed a ſeat to be ſet for the Kings Mother, and ſhe ſate on his right hand. This honour God hath done Chriſt, as the Apoſtle tels us, Eph. 1.20. He raiſed him from the dead, ſaith he, and ſet him at his own right hand, in heavenly places. That is, he ſet him above all other things or perſons, in the next place to himſelf: And therefore it is added preſently, he ſet him at his own right hand in heavenly places, far above all principalties, and powers, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but in that which is to come: this is very great honour.
It appears that God hath a deſign to honour Chriſt by the authority that he hath endowed him with, and that is his own authority, yea, all his own authority, as Chriſt himſelf acknowledges, Mat. 28.18. All power is given to me both in heaven and in earth: not ſome, but all power: The father judgeth no man, ſaith our Saviour, but he committed all Judgment to the Son, John 5.22. He hath done in this reſpect, as great men ſometimes uſe to do: if they have any title, office, or place of honour, they are contented to convey it over to their eldeſt Son, that they may credit him, and raiſe him to eſteem and reputation in his Country: and it delighteth them as much to have him honoured as themſelves. Juſt ſo hath God the Father done by Jeſus Chriſt; The Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgement to the Son. He will be Iudge no longer by immediate execution, but he hath made his Son the Judge of all the world; And why ſo? that he may compaſs the deſign of his, for glorifying of his Son Chriſt, That all men ſhould honour the Son, as they honour the Father, as it is added in the next verſe. And as he hath (in the ſenſe that we have ſaid) reſigned up his judiciary power abroad to Ieſus Chriſt, ſo the private Government of his family at home. He hath made his eldeſt Son the Lord of all, he hath ſet him over his houſe, Heb. 3.6. The Son of God hath got a match, though a poor one, I confeſs, and now the Father gives up the houſe-keeping wholly to him. And hence ſaith the Apoſtle Paul, Eph. 3.14, 15. I bow my knees unto the Father of the Lord Jeſus Chriſt, of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named. The whole family of heaven and earth is named from Chriſt, whether the upper family of heaven, or the lower family on earth, whether the Church triumphant or the Church militant, it is Chriſts family and Chriſts Church, and Chriſts houſhold. God you ſee, hath two houſes, and yet he doth not govern one himſelf, and leave the other to his Son, he commits the government of both to Jeſus Chriſt; that he may be all in all, that he may be the more honoured.
It appears that God hath a deſign to glorifie his Son Chriſt, by the great offices of dignity, and truſt, and honour which he hath advanced and raiſed him to: For he hath crowned him with glory and honour. Three offices there are which have been alwayes looked upon as full of honour: The office of a King, of a Prieſt, and of a Prophet. Of a King in the Commonwealth, and of a Ptieſt, and Prophet in the Church. And all of them concurr in Jeſus Chriſt; he is annointed to them altogether. And this is ſingular to Jeſus Chriſt, it is peculiar to himſelf alone, no other man was ever thus advanced beſides himſelf. Some other men have had one of theſe offices, or two at moſt, but never any man had all three, but Chriſt only: So that he is in this reſpect; tranſcendently advanced you ſee, and God hath glorified him beyond meaſure, and beyond pattern.
And that you may the better ſee the honour that is done to Ieſus Chriſt, in that he hath theſe three great Offices altogether in his hands: I ſhall repreſent it to you in a few Particulars.
Firſt, By this means whatſoever good is purchaſed for the Church, is procured by him only; The Father, that he may advance, and honour Chriſt the more, will have the Church beholding unto none but him for any good that ſhe enjoys or looks for. He muſt purchaſe peace, and he muſt purchaſe grace for her: the grace of righteouſneſs, and the grace of holineſs: he muſt ſatisfie, & he muſt ſanctifie: he muſt obtain her abſolution, and he muſt obtain her ſanctification, and he muſt obtain her glorification: he muſt renew her right in outward things which ſhe forfeited in Adam.
And he muſt do all this alone, there muſt be none beſides him, none with him. No, he muſt tread the wine-preſs of his Fathers wrath alone. By once offering of himſelf, he muſt perfect for ever them that are ſanctified. The Lord hath given us no other King to ſubdue our enemies, and to get peace for us; No other Prieſt to ſatisfie his wrath, and to obtain Grace for us. No other Mediator between God and man either of Redemption, or Interceſſion; either of Redemption to purchaſe grace, or of Interceſſion to ſue out that which he hath purchaſed; All lies on Jeſus Chriſt, you ſee, that he may be all in all, that all the glory may redound to him.
As whatſoever good is purchaſed for the Church is procured by him only, ſo it is revealed by him only. As he, and he alone muſt get it ſo he, and he alone muſt tell us of it. It is an honour to be ſent with good news, and God hath done his Son this honour; The Goſpel, as you know, is glad tydings of great Joy, and Chriſt is he that makes it known to men. He brings it forth out of the boſome of the Father. And therefore it is called the word of Chriſt Not only becauſe Jeſus Chriſt is the author and the Subject matter of it, but the revealer of it too. God in theſe latter daies hath ſpoken to us by his Son, ſaith the Apoſtle, ſpeaking of the revelation of the Goſpel, Heb. 1.2. He had good news to tell the world, and he ſent his Son with it. He ſent Moſes with the Law, which was a Meſſage full of terrour; Moſes was good enough for that. The Goſpel was a Meſſage full of ſweetneſs and full of Comfort, and Chriſt muſt have the honour to reveal that to the world. Indeed my brethren whatſoever good we know of God, or of his favour and good will towards us, or of the work of our redemption, and reconciliation, and attonement, all comes out by Jeſus Chriſt. Chriſt is the only Prophet of the Church; and if we ask the queſtion which the Pſalmiſt mentions, Pſal. 4.6. Who will ſhew us any good? The anſwer muſt be, None but Ieſus Chriſt can do it, or thoſe that are ſent out by him with his Meſſage, and in his Name.
As whatſoever good is purchaſed for the Church is procured by Chriſt only, and revealed by Chriſt only, ſo it is diſpenſed by Chriſt only. God doth not give it out immediately himſelf, but he communicates it to us, in, and by, and through Chriſt, as the Expreſſion of the Scripture is, The grace of God is ſhed on us abundantly, through Jeſus Chriſt our Lord, Titus 3.6. As all comes by his means, ſo all goes through his hands. And therefore he is ſaid to have received gifts for men, Iſa. 68.18. God doth not give his gifts directly, and immediately to men himſelf, but Jeſus Chriſt receieth their endowments for them of the Father, that of his fulneſs they may all receive. He is the Treaſurer of his Fathers grace, that every one may come to him. God hath exalted him to be a Prince to his People, and ſo to give them as a King (as once Araunah ſaid to David) in a Magnificent and Royal way. And this he hath done to advance him and to make him glorious, that as all comes from him, ſo all may be aſcribed to him.
It appears that God hath a deſign, &c. as by the offices in which he puts him, ſo by the gifts, and the abilities which he endues him with for the diſcharge of thoſe places. To put a perſon in an office, who is not qualified and fitted for it, who is not able to diſcharge it, is to diſhonour him, and make him deſpicable in the eyes of others. God doth not ſo with Jeſus Chriſt; and therefore as he makes him King, and Prieſt, and Prophet, ſo he enables him to the performance and execution of theſe offices. As he appoints him to them, ſo he annoints h m with gifts, and graces, and abilities, that he may go through with them with credit, as we uſe to ſay, both to the honour of his Father and himſelf. He is the head of the body the Church (ſaith the Apoſtle) Coloſ. 1.17. And to this end it pleaſed the Father that in him ſhould all fulneſs dwell, as it is added there in that place.
It appears that God, &c. in that he makes the fulneſs of the God-head dwell in him; Others are Partakers of the divine nature but he is partaker of the Divine Eſſence. Others are Partakers of the properties of God, but he is partaker of the God-head it ſelf. Others are partakers of the grace of God, but he is partaker of the God of grace. And therefore the Apoſtle ſaith not, that in Chriſt dwelleth foreign, that is the Divinity, but foreign that is the Deity. In him dwelleth all the fulneſs of the God-head bodily, Col. 2.9. Not that the Godhead is confined, or circumſcribed within the narrow limits of our Saviours fleſh, or that his body is co-extended with the God-head, as Ubiquitaries dream. But the God-head dwells in Chriſt, as Bernard ſpeaks, not Ʋmbrative, not by external ſigns and ſhadows, and tokens of his preſence, as once he dwelt in the material Temple; not effective, by the powerfull operation of it, not only by the Graces of it, as it dwelleth in the bodies of his Saints, who therefore are called the Temples of God; But in him dwells the God-head bodily, that is, it is really united to the humane nature, to the body of Jeſus Chriſt, And herein Chriſt hath no Peer. It is a high and unmatchable honour, which no other Creature is capable of, by which he is advanced above all other things and perſons in the world beſides.