Exposition of John 17, Exposition · Part 50
JOHN 17.23.
I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one.
AND thus far of the Second Argument with which our Saviour proſecutes his ſuit to God the Father, that believers might be one; Which hath been taken from the end at which he aimed, in giving them the glory which he had received from God the Father: and this was that they might be one. The glory which thou gaveſt me, I have given them, that they may be one even as we are one.
The third comes now in order to be handled: And it is taken from the end of Chriſts inhabitation in believers, and of the Fathers inhabitation in himſelf, and this is alſo that they may be one, yea, that they may be perfect in one, I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one.
You eaſily diſcern that there is ſome word defective to make the ſenſe compleat in this place, I in them, and thou in me, what's that? Either it muſt be I am in them, and thou in me; or I have been in them, and thou in me; Or I ſhall be in them, and thou in me. Either all or one of theſe, or ſome ſuch thing as this is.
Modern Interpreters take little notice of it, that I can obſerve, and antient Writers ſupply it diverſly, according as their apprehenſions lead them. As far as I can dive into it, it is thus expreſt of purpoſe becauſe our Saviour had no mind to bind it up either to the paſt, the preſent, or the future tenſe, but that it might be left indifferent to them all. If he had ſaid expreſly, I have been in them, and thou in me; this could not have been properly applyed to thoſe which then believed for the preſent, or ſhould believe in after times. If he had ſaid I am in them, and thou in me excluſively, this would not have been properly applyed to them which had believed in former times (ſuppoſing that I am excludeth I have been) or ſhould believe in after times. If he had ſaid, I ſhall he in them, and thou in me, this could not have been properly applyed to them which had believed, or did believe; So that which way ſoever he had fully ſet it down, he had ſeemed to exclude paſt believers, or preſent believers, or future believers, which he had no intent to do; And therefore he doth purpo ely expreſs it ſo (as I conceive) that he might take in all of them, without exception, I in them, and thou in me, to which you may add, have been, are, and ſhall be.
I have been in them that did believe, I am in them that do believe, and I will be in them that ſhall believe: That ſo they may be all of them by this means cloſely linkt together; One ſpecial end of my inhabitation in believers paſt, preſent, and to come, of this inhabitation in my ſelf, (the Mediator between thee and them) is this, That they may all be one; yea, that they may be perfect in one; & therefore I beſeech thee Father, let us have our end in this buſineſs. For Explication of the words, we have three things to be enquired and reſolved. Firſt, how Chriſt as Mediator is in true believers. Secondly, how God the Father is in Chriſt as Mediator. Thirdly, how the Mediator being in believers, and God the Fathers being in the Mediator, do ſerve to this great end whereof our Saviour ſpeaks (viz.) to make believers one, yea, to make them perfect in one; I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one. I ſhall be brief upon the former two, becauſe they are more eaſie to be apprehended; and the third indeed is the main thing in the Text.
As for the firſt of theſe, How Chriſt as Mediator is in true believers, I ſuppoſe you are not to ſeek of this. He is in true believers by his Spirit; And that not by the Eſſence of the Spirit (for ſo he is no more in one man then another) but by the operation and effects, that is, the gifts and graces of the Spirit; and eſpecially by faith, which is the grace that gives them the denomination of believers; And therefore Chriſt is ſaid expreſly to dwell in the heart by faith, Eph. 3.17.
As for the ſecond thing propoſed, how God the Father is in Chriſt as Mediator; for clearing this you muſt remember that which hath been often hinted, that God the Father all along this prayer of our Saviour, is taken for the whole God-head.
Now in our Saviours humane Nature the whole Godhead dwells, as the Apoſtle ſhews, Col. 2.9. In him dwelleth all the fulneſs of the Godhead bodily. Others are partakers of the Divine Nature, as the Apoſtle ſpeaks, 2 Pet. 1.4. but he is partaker of the Divine Eſſence. Others are partakers of the properties of God; but he is partaker of the Godhead 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 Godhead; And that the fulneſs, all the fulneſs of it; In him dwelleth all the fulneſs of the Godhead bodily; Becauſe it is indeed and really united to the humane Nature, to the body of Chriſt Jeſus, as I have ſomewhere noted heretofore. You ſee how Chriſt is in believers, and how God is in Chriſt.
Now for the third and laſt particular propoſed, how their being each in other doth ſerve to this end mentioned in my Text, viz. to make believers one, yea, to make them perfect in one; I in them, and thou in me, that they may be perfect in one; This will need a little further Explication.
That Chriſt is in believers by his Spirit, to this end, that they may be one among themſelves, and with the Father and the Son, is very manifeſt in Scripture. But is God in Jeſus Chriſt to this end? Yes, my Beloved, to this end. God had never been in Chriſt as Mediator, but that believers might be joyned to himſelf, in, and by, and through Chriſt. True, my Beloved, the Father had been in the Son as God however, ſo he was from everlaſting: But God had never been in Chriſt as Man and Mediator, but for effecting this union: ſo that as the Apoſtle ſaith, God was in Chriſt reconciling the world, the world of believers: ſo I may ſay as well, God was in Chriſt uniting the world, the ſame world of believers to himſelf. Originally they are disjoynted and divided each from other, and which is worſt of all, from God; But down comes Chriſt, and dwells in all of them together, and down comes God and dwells in Chriſt, that ſo they may be all one; I in them, and thou in me, that they may be perfect in one.
Not only that they may be one, but that they may be perfect in one; what doth our Saviour mean by that expreſſion, That they may be perfect in one? Truly nothing elſe but this, as I conceive, that they may ſo be one, that there may be a perfect union. There is a two-fold perfection, a perfection of parts, and a perfection of degrees. The firſt of theſe is ſpecially intended here, that there may be a perfect union in regard of parts, that is, that all the parts that ſhould be joyned may be joyned together: Therefore am I in all of them, ſaith Chriſt here, and thou in me that am in all of them; I in them, and thou in me, that they may be perfect in one; that there may be ſuch a union, to which no part that ſhould be joyned is wanting, ſo that there can be nothing added to it (in regard of parts at leaſt) to make it more conſummate and compleat.
If I were not in them (though they were never ſo indiſſolubly joyned among themſelves) that would not be a perfect union; for there would be Chriſt wanting. If thou wer't not in me as Mediator (though I were never ſo indiſſolubly joyned to them) that would not be a perfect union neither; for there would be God wanting. And therefore I in them (ſaith Chriſt) I have been in them that did believe, I am in them that do believe, and I will be in them that ſhall believe to the end of the world. And thou in me: thou haſt been, art, and wilt be ſtill in me; that they may be perfect in one; That they may be ſo one, that there may be a perfect union.
You ſee the meaning of the words, as far as I have attained. There might be many things obſerved, which have been divers times inſiſted on from other places. The doctrine proper to the Text is this.
DOCTRINE. That the perfection of believers union ſtands in this, that even as they are one among themſelves, ſo God and Chriſt, or God in Chriſt is one with them. This is that which makes it perfect.
There are three things required, you ſee, to this perfection, and all of them apparently ſuggeſted in the Doctrine and the Text. Firſt, Gods being one with Chriſt, being in Chriſt as Mediator, thou in me. Secondly, Chriſts being one with true believers, being in believers, I in them. Thirdly, believers being one among themſelves, or each with other, that they may be one: And when all theſe are joyned together, then there is a pefect union, perfect in regard of parts; there can be nothing added to it. I in them, and thou in me, that they may be perfect in one.
For clearing of this, my Brethren, you muſt know that it hath been the project and deſign of God from everlaſting, that all believers ſhall be joyned among themſelves, and joyned to Chriſt as Mediator, and in and through Chriſt as Mediator, to himſelf: That Chriſt who is the middle party between God and men, God in Heaven, and men on earth, ſhould reconcile, and reconciling joyn things in heaven and earth together; That in the diſpenſation of the fulneſs of time, he ſhould gather into one all things in heaven and earth together in himſelf, Epheſ. 1.10. So that till all theſe things be joyned together, it cannot be a perfect union, becauſe all things are not united, that are appointed to be joyned together. I ſhall a little touch upon them in their order.
1. That there may be a perfect union, perfect in regard of parts, believers muſt be joyned together all of them among themſelves: As long as one believer by Election, is without, and is not gathered in to Jeſus Chriſt (for in him they are knit together) it is not a perfect union, becauſe there is a member wanting. The body myſtical remains imperfect, in regard of integrals, as the Holy Ghoſt inſinuates, Epheſ. 4.13. And hence (ſaith the Apoſtle) we without them cannot be made perfect, Heb. 11. ult. We without them, are members, in a ſenſe, of an incompleat body: But when all are once come in, when all, both Jews and Gentiles come in the unity of the Faith, unto the knowledge of the Son of God, then he is a perfect man (conceive it in his myſtical Body) then is the meaſure of the ſtature of the fulneſs of Chriſt: And therefore ſaith our Saviour, I in them, that they may be perfect in one: As I have been in them that did believe, and as I am in them that do believe, ſo I will be in them, in all of them that ſhall believe to the end of the world. And of theſe laſt eſpecially he ſpeaks, as is apparent by the ſcope; Neither pray I for theſe only, ſaith our Saviour, (for theſe only that believe) but for them alſo which ſhall believe on me through their word; for them, and all of them; I in them, in all of them; as I have been & am in all that do believe, ſo I will be in all that ſhall believe, even to the worlds end: That all believers being joyned together, paſt, preſent, and to come, there may be a perfect union; That they may be perfect in one, That is the firſt thing.
2. That there may be a perfect union: as believers muſt be joyned together, all of them among themſelves: ſo Chriſt muſt be united to them all; he muſt be in all of them, as you have it in my Text; For God hath given him to be the Head over all things to the Church, Epheſ. 1.22. over all things of the Church, or that are members of the Church; And it is the Fathers pleaſure which he hath purpoſed in himſelf, That in the diſpenſation of the fulneſs of time, he might gather together in one, all things in Chriſt, Epheſ. 1.10. ſo that if all believers could be gathered into one among themſelves, and not into one in Chriſt, that would not be a perfect union, becauſe they are appointed to be one in him; If all the members of the body myſtical, could be compleatly joyned among themſelves, and not united unto Chriſt their Head, that would not be a perfect union, becauſe God hath appointed him, and given him to be their Head: The joyning of the members all together, you will ſay, will make but an unperfect and a maimed body, unleſs the Head be joyned to them.
3. That there may be a perfect union, as believers muſt be one among themſelves, and Chriſt muſt be one with them: ſo God muſt be one with Chriſt, and in and through Chriſt with them. I mean with Chriſt as Head and Mediator of the Church. Indeed the end for which Chriſt took upon him the Office of a Mediator, was to joyn God and man together, who were divided by the fall: Therefore God ſent him down into the world, that he might be in Chriſt reconciling the world unto himſelf, 2 Cor. 5.19. Now ſuppoſe Chriſt could reconcile believers each to other, ſuppoſe that he could reconcile them and unite them to himſelf as man: if he could not reconcile them and unite them unto God, this were an unperfect union, there were a great defect in it. Where God, my Brethren, is left out, it is a very poor conjunction: And therefore God is in Chriſt reconciling the world of believers, that while Chriſt reconciles them to himſelf, he may eadem opera reconcile them unto God, who is in him, that ſo the union may be perfect, and there may be nothing wanting, as you have it in my Text; I in them, and thou in me, thae they may be perfect in one.
Now, is it ſo that the perfection of believers union ſtands in this, that Uſe 1 even as they are one among themſelves, ſo God and Chriſt, or God in Chriſt is one with them? Then firſt it ſerves to let us ſee, how faulty and defective the union of the men of this world is. True, many of them are knit together in a knot, they are confederate together, they have all one mind, as the Holy Ghoſt ſpeaks, Apoc. 17.13. they ſeem to be as firmly joyned together in a bond of love, as it is poſſible for men to be. But God and Chriſt are not united with them, they are out of this conjunction: Nay my Beloved, they are ſo far from being one with them, that indeed they are againſt them. This is a moſt unhappy and accurſed union. I wiſh all ſuch would think upon it, who are as Simeon and Levi, brethren in iniquity, who are confederate againſt God, as David ſpeaks, Pſal. 85.5. who ſet themſelves and take counſel together againſt the Lord, and againſt his Chriſt, Pſal. 2.2. who combine themſelves together, to oppoſe the truths of God, the ways of God, the ſervants of God, the glory of God, to do ſuch things as are contrary to God. Is God and Chriſt in their confederation? Do God and Chriſt joyn with them, and combine together with them? They are all one among themſelves; touch one and touch all: but is God and Chriſt one with them? Why, they are againſt God, and therefore certainly God is not with them, but againſt them, and that is a ſad union.
The peace, and friendſhip, and confederacy of ſuch, is like the tempering of iron, braſs and clay together, that will by no means ſoder or unite; The knot will certainly untie at laſt, the union will diſſolve, if God and Chriſt be not engaged in it: And as the Hebrews note of the name of man and wife, Iſh, and Iſhah, that if you take away the letters foreign and foreign which make the Name of God, there remains nothing elſe but Eſh, and that is fire the fire of diſcord and diſſention: So certainly if God be out of any union, yea let it be as near as that of man and wife, which is one of the neareſt in the world, there will be fire among the parties to it, the fire of jealouſie and rage, that will devour them and deſtroy them in the end: And it will prove like the unhappy combination between Abimelech and them of Shechem, concerning which the Holy Ghoſt foreſhewed, Judg. 9.20. that fire ſhould come out of Abimelech and devour the men of Shechem, and the houſe of Millo; And fire ſhould come out from the men of, Shechem, and the houſe of Millo, and devour Abimilech.
Uſe 2 Is it ſo, that the perfection of the union of believers ſtands in this, that even as they are one among themſelves, &c. Then truly they have cauſe to bleſs the Lord that he is pleaſed to unite with them; to be one with ſuch worms as they are, and ſo to make the union perfect. Ah, my Beloved, if God did not joyn with you, if he ſtood aloof from you, what would your Union or Communion each with other profit you, or comfort you? what would it do without God? But ſeeing God and Chriſt are in you, ſeeing they are one with you, this is indeed a perfect union, (all are joyned that ſhould be joyned) this is a happy and a heavenly Conjunction. O my Beloved, I beſeech you labour ſo to walk, that God and Chriſt may not withdraw from you. It's true, I muſt confeſs, he never really and totally and finally forſaketh thoſe in whom he dwels: but he forſakes them ſenſibly, ſo that he ſeems to be no more with them: and therefore let it be your ſtudy and endeavor, to walk ſo humbly & ſo holily, that God and Chriſt may ſtill delight to dwell with you, and to dwell in you, and to ſhew themſelves to you, that you may know that they are with you. Be ſure you never joyn in any buſineſs, in which they will not joyn with you: Be ſure you never venture upon any action that will provoke them to withdraw from you: Oh, do no wicked, no unclean thing that may offend the holy God: Allow no evil in your hearts, that may make his being in you uncomfortable and unpleaſing to him. Do not defile the Temple that he dwells in, leaſt you cauſe him to reſolve, as once he did in reference to Iſrael, Hoſ. 5. ult. I will go and return to my place, I will ſtay no longer with you.
And thus of the Second Argument with which our Saviour proſecutes his ſuit, which hath been taken from the end at which he aimed in giving them the glory which he had received from God the Father.
And likewiſe of the third, which hath been taken from the end of Chriſts inhabitation in believers, and of the Fathers inhabitation in himſelf, I in them, and thou in me, that they may be perfect in one.
A fourth is added in the following words, That the world may know that thou haſt ſent me. But that is but a repetition of the very ſame that hath been uſed in the 21. ver. and in the very ſame words. Only this difference there is, in that knowing here is put for believing there: For there it is that the world may believe, and here it is that the world may know, &c. To ſhew that Chriſt intends not juſtifying faith in that expreſſion, but ſuch a knowledge or acknowledgement of his being ſent from God, as the very world themſelves, who never did, nor never ſhall believe, are capable of: And in that ſenſe I handled it in that place.
I ſhall not here inſiſt again upon it, but paſs to the fifth Argument, with which our Saviour proſecutes the ſelf ſame ſuit. And it is taken from another fruit that it would have in worldly men: It would convince them that believers are exceedingly beloved of God. If they obſerved them to live in neareſt unity and peace together, they would be perſwaded thence that they were very much in Gods favour; That they may be perfect in one, that the world may believe that thou haſt ſent me, and that thou haſt loved them as thou haſt loved me. So that here I might obſerve:
DOCTRINE. That it is an apparent evidence of Gods love, when true believers live in unity and peace together.
It is a ſign he bears a ſingular regard to them, when he makes and keeps them one among themſelves; yea, it is ſuch a ſign of Gods love, as worldly men who have but half an eye to ſee, will mark and take ſpecial notice of. Let them be one, ſaith our Saviour in my Text; why ſo? That the world may know that thou haſt loved them: If they be knit together in holy indiſſoluble love, the world will ſee, and be ſatisfied thereby, that they are much in thy affection, and that thou haſt a very dear regard to them.
And hereby you may ſee, my Brethren, Ʋſe; what a ſtumbling block it is to worldly men, when there are ſuch perpetual rents and breaches, and diſcords and diviſions between thoſe who profeſs themſelves to be believers, when they obſerve them to be always wrangling and contending one againſt another. Why, they conclude from hence, that certainly God doth not love them, nor any ſuch as they are. Or if he did, he would unite them, and ſweetly knit their hearts together: he would not ſuffer them to live in ſuch a bitter and uncomfortable and unquiet way: No, out of queſtion, ſaith the world, this cannot be the company of men whom God loves, and whom he bears ſuch dear affection to above the reſt, what ever their pretences be; and therefore we will never joyn with them. Whereas if there were nothing elſe but heavenly and holy unity and peace among them, the world would know that they are beloved of God, and look upon them as the moſt deſirable ſociety of people under heaven. But this I do but glance at in my paſſage by. The thing that I intend to faſten and inſiſt upon, is the compariſon our Saviour hints between his Fathers love to true believers and himſelf: By which he intimates it to be much one; For if you mark it well, our Saviour ſaith not only, That the world may know that thou haſt loved them; but that thou haſt loved them as thou haſt loved me. This out of queſtion is a truth in ſome ſenſe, or elſe he would not have the world to know it; How it muſt be underſtood, I ſhall ſhew you by and by; In the mean time the point is this.
DOCTRINE. That God the Father loves believers, even as he loves Chriſt himſelf.
This is much, I muſt acknowledge: And yet you ſee it is the clear expreſs aſſertion of the Text; Thou haſt loved them, ſaith Chriſt, even as thou haſt loved me. To make way to the opening of it, this muſt be premiſed as a thing to be fore-known, that Chriſt muſt here be looked upon as Man and Mediator of the Church: ſo he hath been conſidered all along this prayer. Now under this conſideration, the Father loves believers, as he loves him.
But you will ask me, How, as he doth him? what is the ſenſe of that expreſſion? there lies the weight of all indeed, and therefore I ſhall lay it open to you in a few particulars.
1. God the Father loves believers as really and truly, as he loves Chriſt; as he hath loved Chriſt, ſo he hath alſo loved them. He hath not loved Chriſt and not them, but he hath loved Chriſt and them. The one of them as well, that is, as truly as the other. And even as all the love which he declares to Jeſus Chriſt is real, and from the very heart-root, (if I might expreſs it ſo) ſo all the love which he diſcovers to believers is of the very ſame ſtamp. It is a love without diſſimulation, in all reſpects as high and dear, and cordial, as it ſeems to be.
2. God the Father loves believers everlaſtingly, even as he loves Chriſt. And everlaſtingly he loves them upon both hands, à parte ante, and à parte poſt, from everlaſting to everlaſting.
Firſt, he loves believers from everlaſting, even as he loves Chriſt; for as the time cannot be mentioned (look back as far as you are able) wherein the Father did not love the Son; ſo neither can the time be mentioned, wherein he did not love believers. You know Election was from everlaſting, and therefore love muſt be from everlaſting too, which is indeed the Cauſe and Fountain of Election, as Epheſ. 1.5. Having predeſtinated us to be his children in Chriſt Jeſus according to the good pleaſure of his will: You ſee Election flows from the good pleaſure of the will of God, that is, not only from that pleaſure of his will which in it ſelf is good; for ſo doth Reprobation too; but from the pleaſure of his will which is good to us his creatures. It iſſues from his love, that is, his free and undeſerved favour: So that you ſee he bears good will to true believers, even in the inſtant of Election, which is from all Eternity, and ſo by conſequence, before they have a being in the world. And this he doth in Chriſt, as the Apoſtle ſhews, Epheſ. 1.3. he chooſes us in Chriſt. In the firſt place he chooſes Chriſt, and then he chooſes us in Chriſt. He loves and chooſes him firſt, as Man and Mediator of the Church, and then he loves and chooſes us in him, with the ſame love with which he loves him.
Secondly, God the Father loves believers to everlaſting, even as he doth love Chriſt; as he doth never ceaſe to love Chriſt, ſo he doth never ceaſe to love them: His love to them is like his love to Chriſt himſelf, immutable, he never alters it, nor takes it off again. The Mountains may depart, and the Hills may be removed, but his kindneſs ſhall not depart from his people: neither ſhall the Covenant of my peace be removed, ſaith the Lord that hath mercy upon thee, Iſa. 54.10. No, it is an everlaſting kindneſs, ver. 8. an everlaſting love, Jer. 31.3. A mercy that endures for ever, Pſal. 106. So that as he loveth Chriſt from the beginning to the end, ſo he loves believers too; He loveth them in this reſpect even as he loveth him.
But hath not God been very angry, Object. and diſpleaſed with thoſe whom he hath ſeemed to love in former times? have they not moſt bitterly complained of it? as the Church, Lament 5. ult. where ſhe concludeth her diſcourſe though not her miſery with this wofull Epilogue, But thou haſt utterly rejected us, thou art very wrath againſt us. And how then ſhall we take it for a truth, that God doth never ceaſe to love believers, as he doth never ceaſe to love Chriſt?
True it is, the Lord is many times offended with believers,Sol. as he was with Chriſt himſelf. He was offended with our Saviour for believers ſins: he is offended with believers, for their own ſins. Iniquity, whereſoever he finds it, whether by imputation, or commiſſion, makes him angry.
But you muſt know my brethren, that it is one thing to be angry with a perſon, and another thing to hate him. Its true indeed that hatred cannot ſtand with love, for it deſireth the not being of the object of it: but anger may conſiſt with it. And even as we are angry many times with thoſe we love beſt, and who are infinitely dear to us, ſo God was angry with his deareſt Son, and he is angry with his deareſt Saints, and with his beſt beloved people: and yet his love is firm, and conſtant, and unalterable to them notwithſtanding, as will appear if you conſider, Firſt the ſhortneſs, Secondly the fruits of this anger. Firſt, Gods anger with his people is no laſting anger. There is ſo great a mixture of love and kindneſs and compaſſion in it, that it is overcome again upon a ſuddain, it is very quickly gone. Indeed his anger to the wicked, is an anger like his love to his people, everlaſting: They are a people with whom the Lord is angry for ever. But his anger to his people is but ſhort: It is but little, and that little is nothing, it is but for a moment, Iſa. 54.8. and that is recompenſed with everlaſting kindneſs too. In a little wrath have I hid my face from thee for a moment, but with everlaſting kindneſs will I have mercy en thee. Its true that David ſaid in his diſtreſs, that God had caſt him off, and that his love and mercy was clean gone for ever. But he corrects himſelf again in his adviſed and deliberate thoughts, and ingenuouſly confeſſes that he ſpake the former in his haſte, Pſal. 31.22. and that the latter was his infirmity, Pſal. 77.10. Secondly, as for the ſecond, the effects of Gods anger are ſuch as reliſh ſtrongly of his love to his people: They are not ſuch as he is wont to ſhew on reprobates and veſſels of wrath: They are not rigorous puniſhments to ſatisfie his juſtice, but loving chaſtiſements to hinder and prevent the execution of it. For when they are afflicted, they are (not puniſhed in propriety of ſpeech, but) chaſtned, and that to this end, that they may not be condemned, 1 Cor. 11.32. They are not ſuch as fit them for deſtruction and border on damnation, as thoſe which he inflicteth on the wicked, ſuch as are given up to ſtrong deluſions, and to vile affections, and leaveing them to the hardneſs of their hearts to walk according to their own counſels; but ſuch as make them fit for the inheritance with Saints in light, and work out for them, a far more exceeding and tranſcendent weight of glory.
God the Father loves believers infinitely, even as he doth love Chriſt; his love is like himſelf, nay indeed it is himſelf; for whatſoever is affirmed of God, is God; And therefore the Apoſtle ſaith, that God is love, 1 John 4.16. ſo that if any ask Whether God love believers as much as he loves Chriſt? I anſwer, there are no degrees in that which is infinite. He loves believers out of meaſure, beyond meaſure, and juſt ſo he loves Chriſt.
Indeed there are degrees in the effects and declaration of the love of God; and this way it is certain, God hath ſhewed more love to Chriſt then he doth to true believers; and yet they ſhare together with him in moſt of theſe expreſſions of his love to him; They ſhare together with him in his grace; of his fulneſs they receive, and grace for grace; They ſhare together with him in his glory, as I ſhewed you very lately; And as his glory is eternal, ſo is theirs, an exceeding and an eternall weight of glory.
God the Father loves believers under the ſame relations that he loves Chriſt and ſo in that reſpect it is the ſame love. He loves them even as he loves Chriſt. Doth he love Chriſt as his choſen and elect? for ſo he calls him, Iſa. 42.1. why ſo he loves believers too. Doth he love Chriſt as his ſervant? ſo he loves believers too. Doth he love Chriſt as his Son? ſo he loves believers too. Nay to go beyond Relations, doth he love Chriſt as himſelf, becauſe he is one with him? ſo he loves bevers too, for they are one with him in Chriſt. So that you ſee it plain enough that God the Father loves believers even as, &c. And it muſt needs be ſo. For,
Reaſon 1 He loves them in Chriſt. Indeed my brethren, did he love them as diſtant and ſeparate from Chriſt, then he might love them with another kind of love. But ſince he loves them as in Chriſt, and ſo loves Chriſt and them as one together; (not aſunder, but together) both muſt have the ſame love. As he that loves his friend, cannot diſtinguiſh of the love he bears the head, and the remainder of the body; ſo Chriſt the head and Chriſt the body (as the Church is called with Chriſt) 1 Cor. 12.12. are both involved and wrapt up together in the ſame love. He loves them not aſunder but together, and therefore certainly, he doth not love them differently (as to the kind of the affection) but alike. Chriſt is his beloved Son in whom he is well pleaſed; not with whom he is well pleaſed, but in whom he is well pleaſed with all that are in him, and that are members of his body. Whom he loves, he loves in him, and therefore whom he loves, he loves as him, even as he loveth him.
Reaſon 2 As God the Father loves believers in Chriſt, ſo he loves them through Chriſt, and therefore loves them as Chriſt. His love goes through Chriſt to them; in the firſt place he love Chriſt, and then he loves them through Chriſt; ſo that is the ſame (for kind at leaſt) wherewithall he loves Chriſt. He is the way from God to us, the pipe the mean, conveyance between God and us, and that which he receieveth from the Father, (as Head and Mediator of the Church) he conveyeth down to us: The very ſame and no other. The ſame grace which he receives from God the Father for himſelf and all his members, he conveyeth down to them. The ſame glory which he receives from God the Father, he beſtows on them, as I have ſhewed you: And ſo the ſame love which comes flowing from the Father into him, he carries down to them too; By which it is apparent, that God loves believers even as he loves Chriſt.