Exposition of John 17, Exposition · Part 53
JOHN. 17.24.
That they alſo whom thou haſt given me be with me, &c.
AND thus far of the manner of our Saviours prayer. Proceed we to the matter of it: And here we have the perſons that he prayes for, thoſe whom thou haſt given me: And then the thing that he deſires in the behalf of thoſe perſons, that they alſo may be with me where I am.
As for the perſons whom our Saviour prayes for, you ſee they are deſcribed here by the Fathers giving them to Jeſus Chriſt. Let them be what they will in all conſiderations and reſpects beſides, it matters not in this, of what Nation, Condition, Station, Diſpoſition or Converſation for the preſent, if God have given them to him, his will is that they be with him where he is.
But then we muſt diſtinguiſh as we have done before of the Fathers giving to the Son. The Father gives men to the Son either for outward Miniſtration, or inward union and incorporation; Either to be his ſervants, or to be his members. In the firſt ſence Judas was himſelf given to the Lord Chriſt, to be his Miniſter and his Apoſtle, as Chriſt himſelf acknowledges, ver. 12. Thoſe whom thou gaveſt me I kept, and none of of them is loſt but the Son of perdition. Now they who in this ſence are given to the Lord Chriſt to be his Miniſters and Servants only, not his members, are not the men for whom he prayes in this place, that they alſo may be with him where he is: becauſe he knows they are appointed for another place. Judas was ſo beſtowed upon him, and yet he was a loſt Creature. The Father gave him to the Son, and he loſt him (as you may ſee in the forecited Text) never to enjoy him more.
But now there are another ſort whom God the Father gives to Chriſt for inward union, whom he beſtows upon him for to be members of his body. And they muſt needs be with him, who are in him: And therefore out of queſtion theſe are they for whom he prayes, Father, I will that they alſo whom thou haſt given me, be with me where I am.
But where was Chriſt when he ſpake theſe words? Why he was upon the earth: he was here in the world: what then doth he deſire that true believers might be with him here? Is that the aim of his petition? No, it is a higher thing for which he is Suitor here, their being with him in a higher and more glorious place. Only you muſt conceive him here to ſpeak (as his uſual manner is) as if he were in heaven already. As ver. 11. of this Chapter, And now I am no more in the world. So in my Text, Father, I will that they whom thou haſt given me be with me where I am: That is, in heaven where I am to be, and whither I am now going: So that it is as if I were already there, it being ſuch a certain near approaching inſtant thing: and in that place I would have all thoſe to be, whom thou haſt given me by election, and whom in thine eternal Counſell and Decree thou haſt appointed to be members of my body. Father, I will, &c. So that the Point to be obſerved is this.
DOCTRINE. It is the will of Jeſus Chriſt that all that are his own by the donation of the Father, ſhall be in heaven where he is.
There are two things in the Doctrine, which I might prove clear in order, before I come to Application.
Firſt, that there are ſome certain men, whom God the Father hath made over to the Son, that belong to Jeſus Chriſt, and are his own by donation from the Father.
Secondly, that it is the will of Chriſt, that they who are ſo his own, ſhall be in heaven where he is.
There are ſome certain men who belong to Jeſus Chriſt, who are his own by donation from the Father. And he gives them to the Son, by his Decree from everlaſting, and by the execution of the ſame Decree in time. This I do but mention here, becauſe it hath been largely handled on ver. 12.
Now for the ſecond branch, that it is the will of Chriſt, that they who are ſo his own, ſhall be in heaven, where himſelf is; you ſee it is the Suit he makes to God the Father in my Text, Father, I will that they whom thou haſt given me be with me where I am, that is, in heaven where I am to be. In heaven where I am already in my Godhead, and where I am to be very ſhortly in my Manhood; there I will have them to be alſo.
And for this end our Saviour Chriſt is gone to heaven, even to make heaven ready for his people, that ſo they may be preſently admitted when they come. He yields it as one ſpecial cauſe 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. 4.2. When he entred into heaven and paſſed in, to 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 them, that he hath made it ready to receive them; And when they are ready too, he will come and receive them to himſelf, that where he is, there may they be alſo, as it is added, Joh 14.3. And upon this account it was that the Apoſtle Paul deſired to be diſſolved, becauſe he was aſſured that aſſoon as that was over, he ſhould be with Chriſt, Phil. 1.23. and ſo he teaches us expreſly in another place, that all that ſleep in Chriſt Jeſus, ſhall be for ever with the Lord, 1 Theſ. 4.17. By which it is apparent, that it is the will of Chriſt, that all that are his own by the donation of the Father, ſhall be in Heaven where himſelf is. But you will ask me, Why will he have them to be there?
To this I anſwer, that a man would think it neceſſary by reaſon of the union between Chriſt and them, that ſeeing they are one, they ſhould be in one place. But you muſt know (my brethren) that the corporeal and local preſence of the parties contributes nothing to the union that is made between Chriſt and his members, which is a ſpiritual and inviſible thing, and which no neerneſs in regard of place can further, no diſtance in regard of place can hinder. So that Chriſts people may be in him, though they be not with him (in the ſence wherein I ſpeak.) I mean not with him in the ſame place. Their being with him locally in heaven, is no way neceſſary to their union with him: Or were it ſo, the Saints on earth were in a very ill caſe. Well then, this cannot be the reaſon why Chriſt would have his people to be in one place with him: that they may be one with him. They may be this without the other. But there are divers other weighty reaſons of the Point: I ſhall name a few of them.
Reaſon 1 Chriſt would have his people be in heaven where himſelf is, becauſe he hath a dear affection to them, his heart is carried out exceedingly in love to them. And more particularly and diſtinctly, he loves them with a love of benevolence, and he loves them with a love of complacency.
1. Chriſt would have his people be in heaven, where himſelf is, becauſe he loves them with a love of benevolence: With ſuch a love as makes him with them all the good that they are poſſibly capable of. Now my beloved, what greater good can be wiſhed to true Believers, then to be with Chriſt in heaven? To be in heaven where they ſhall be abſolutely and compleatly holy and happy, where they ſhall never ſin, and where they ſhall never ſuffer any more: where holineſs and happineſs ſhall be both perfect: where there is fulneſs of joy and pleaſure for evermore: and to be with Chriſt there, of whoſe immediate prefence true believers are inavoidably debarred as long as they remain in this world: While they are at home in the body, they are abſent from the Lord, as 2 Cor. 5.6. But when they come to heaven they ſhall be with him, they ſhall have the compleat and full fruition and enjoyment of him, which is the greateſt happineſs that can be. To be with Chriſt is beſt of all, 1 Phil. 23. To be with Saints on Earth is good, though they be imperfect here, and though by reaſon of their imperfections they be the leſs delightfull, and the leſs beneficial to us: To be with Saints in heaven is better, becauſe they are perfect there: There are the ſpirits of juſt men made perfect: But to be with Chriſt there, is beſt of all. This is ſo good that there is nothing better; there is no higher happineſs attainable by any creature. And therefore Chriſt would have his people to enjoy it, to be in heaven where himſelf is, becauſe he loves them with a love of benevolence.
2. Jeſus Chriſt would have his people to be in heaven where himſelf is, becauſe he loves them with a love of complacency, becauſe he takes delight in them: and friends that delight in one another, think it not ſufficient to be preſent each with other by the preſence of their hearts and ſpirits. No, if it be poſſible, they will be preſent each with other in their bodies too: as you may ſee in Jonathan and David, what ſhifts they made to come together. So Jeſus Chriſt who loves his people out of meaſure, is not content that he is with them in his ſpirit, and that they are again with him in their ſpirits. No, this is not enough, but he muſt have their bodies with him too, he muſt enjoy their company in heaven, or elſe it is not well there. Chriſt is not fully ſatisfied till he enjoy the ſweet Society of his beloved Saints in heaven, with whom he hath ſuch intimate and dear acquaintance, while they are here upon earth. And hence he beggs his Father for them to bring them to the ſame place where himſelf is, as if he could not live in heaven without them, Father, I will that, &c.
2. There is a ſecond reaſon added in the Text, which I ſhall handle Reaſon 2 only under that conſideration, Father, I will that they whom thou haſt given me be with me where I am. And why ſo? might the Father ask him, Why that they may behold my glory, which thou haſt given me, as it is added in the next words. That they may ſee the luſtre which I ſparkle with. The glory of Chriſts humane nature in heaven, is exceeding great. The Evangeliſt who ſaw it through the dimm ſpectacles of humane frailty, endeavours as he can to ſet it forth: Saith he, his Countenance was as the Sun that ſhineth in his ſtrength. Apoc. 1.16. But this was but a ſhort reſemblance: Our Saviour Chriſt who knew it better, carries it a little higher: The Son of man ſaith he, ſhall come in the glory of the Father, Mat. 16.27. In compariſon of whoſe incomparable luſtre and tranſcendent brightneſs the Sun it ſelf is but a ſhaddow: Now Chriſt would have his people be in heaven where himſelf is, that they may ſee this glory which he ſh nes withall. But why would he have them ſee it? what ſhall they gain by it?
1. While they ſee it, they cannot but exceedingly rejoyce in it. It cannot but tranſport them even to an extaſie of joy, to ſee him whom they love ſo infinitely, ſparkle forth with ſuch dazling raies of glory. Oh will the poor believer ſay, This is my head, my husband whom my ſoul loveth, that is become ſo out of meaſure glorious. There was a time when he was black, and when there was no form nor beauty in him, when wretched men made him vile and ignominious, and when they hid their faces, as if they were aſhamed of him: But now he ſhines forth as the Sun that hath been masked with a gloomy cloud. This is he that died for me, that ſhed his blood for me, that loved me and gave himſelf for me. Oh how my heart is raviſhed to behold his glory.
2. While they behold it, as they ſhall rejoyce in it, ſo they ſhall partake of it. And that eſpecially two wayes both by union and reflection.
Firſt they ſhall partake of it by union, for being one with Jeſus Chriſt, they cannot chooſe but ſhare together with him in his glory. And as the glory of the members, redoundeth to the glory of the head, in which reſpect it is that the Apoſtle ſaith that, Chriſt ſhall be admired in all them that believe: So on the other ſide the glory of the head, redoundeth much more to the glory of the members.
Secondly, And as they ſhall partake hereof by union, ſo alſo by reflection, when they ſee Chriſt: while they behold the glory of the Lord they ſhall be transformed into the ſame image from glory to glory. Their vile bodies ſhall be conformed to his glorious body, Phil. 3.21. And while they ſee him as he is, they ſhall be like him, as the Apoſtle John inſinuates, 1 Epiſt. 3.2. They ſhall bear the very image of the heavenly Adam, 1 Cor. 15.48. And as the face of Moſes ſhined when he had been with God upon the Mount, ſo when we come to be with Chriſt in heaven, and to behold his glory there, we ſhall reflect it back again, and ſo ſhall ſhine together with him in the ſame glory.
And this is another reaſon why Chriſt will have his people to be with him, that they may ſee his glory, and ſeeing, may partake of it, both by union and reflection.
Uſe; Now to deſcend to application: Is it the will of Chriſt, &c. Here then you ſee the ſingular and extraordinary happineſs of Chriſts people. If they were alwayes to remain, to ſet up their perpetual abode in this world, it would be very ſad with them: It is a vale of tears, a moſt uncomfortable place, eſpecially to Chriſts people in which they are not like to have a quiet hour almoſt as long as they remain in it.
But now the comfort is, that it is the will of Chriſt that they that are beſtowed upon him by his Father, ſhall not alwayes ſtay here, that he will have them come to heaven where himſelf is: That he will not alwayes leave them in this vale of tears, but he will one day bring them to a place of joy, there to enjoy himſelf for ever: to keep no longer at a diſtance from him, but to be with him where he is. To be with Chriſt in any place muſt needs be ſweet. It was a high expreſſion of an holy man, that he had rather be in hell with Chriſt, (if it were poſſible) then anywhere beſides without him. But to be in heaven with Chriſt, this is excellent indeed: To be in ſuch a glorious place as heaven is, the bleſſedneſs of which no tongue of men or Angels is ſufficient to expreſs, and to be with Chriſt there: To behold his glory there, and to partake with him of the ſame glory: This is ſuch happineſs as neither eye hath ſeen, nor ear hath heard, nor can it enter into the heart of man to conceive.
But who ſhall partake of it? who ſhall be raiſed to this high felicity? why they that are Chriſts own people, as you have it in the point. It is the will of Chriſt that all that are his own, ſhall be in heaven where himſelf is: So that if you be Chriſts people, if God have given you to Chriſt, and put you into him as members of his body, you are the men that ſhall be with him where he is. When other men are caſt out, when they are puniſhed with eternal perdition from the preſence of the Lord and from the glory of his power, you ſhall be admitted into neareſt fellowſhip with Jeſus Chriſt; when he ſaith to other men, Avaunt, be gone, in the ſad day of ſeparation, Depart ye curſed into everlaſting fire, there to enjoy no better company then the Devil and his Angels, he will ſay to you Draw neer, come, you are company for me, you muſt dwell with me for ever. Come ye bleſſed of my Father, ſit down with me in my Kingdom. Ah, my beloved, this is a ſweet and comfortable thing indeed.
And thus far of the matter of our Saviours prayer, or the thing which he deſires in the behalf of true believers, that they may be with him where he is. Together with the reaſon of it why he would have them to be with him, that they may behold his glory: which we have handled alſo with relation to the point.
In the remainder of the verſe you have a reaſon of a reaſon. Our Saviour having ſpoken of the glory beſtowed upon him by his Father, which he would have believers to behold: it might be queſtioned how he came by this glory, or what induced the Father to beſtow it on the Son. Why ſaith our Saviour, he gave it me becauſe he loved me from Eternity. Father, I will that they, &c. that they may behold the glory which thou haſt given me; For thou haſt loved me; mark it, thou haſt loved me, and therefore thou haſt given me this glory; That they may behold my glory which thou haſt given me, for thou lovedſt me before the foundation of the world.
There is no difficulty in the words, unleſs it be in that expreſſion, before the foundation of the world; a phraſe of ſpeech very uſual in the Scripture, and applyed to many things, as I might give you inſtances enough: But it will be ſufficient to obſerve, that it denotes Eternity whereſoever it is uſed. And that before, or from the foundation of the world, (for we meet with both expreſſions) is as much in Scripture language as to ſay from everlaſting: For whatſoever was before the world was made, my brethren, was eternal; ſo that when our Saviour ſaith to God the Father, Thou haſt loved me before the foundation of the world, It is as much as if he ſhould have ſaid, Thou haſt loved me from Eternity, from Everlaſting: And ſo accordingly the point ſhall be,
DOCTRINE. That God the Father hath dearly loved Jeſus Chriſt from all Eternity.
There are two things in the point which I ſhall orderly purſue. Firſt God the Father hath dearly loved Jeſus Chriſt. Secondly, he hath done ſo from all Eternity, Before the foundation of the world was laid.
As for the firſt of theſe, That God the Father loveth Jeſus Chriſt, you ſee it is the clear expreſs aſſertion of our Saviour in my Text. And therefore if you mark him, you ſhall find that he is often ſpeaking of his Fathers love to him, as Joh. 15.9. and in the 23. verſe of this Chapter. And on the other ſide, the Father he profeſſes his tranſcendent love to Chriſt, and that out of heaven it ſelf, Mat. 3.17. This is my beloved Son. I have ſome other children that I love well, but this is my beloved Son above the reſt, take notice of him, this is he, This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleaſed.
I ſhall not ſtand to prove ſo clear a truth, That God the Father dearly loveth Jeſus Chriſt. But you will ask me, Why doth God the Father love him?
Truly, my Brethren, there is cauſe enough why he ſhould love him, Reaſon. and love him out of all meaſure. There are two things, my Brethren, that qualifie an object, and that make it meet for love; Proportion, and Propriety; and both of theſe muſt meet together. Now both of theſe concurre in Chriſt, ſo that he is compleatly fitted for his Fathers love. For,
There is Proportion, He is very like the Father, and that both as God and Man.
1. As God, he is extreamly like the Father, he is the very picture of him as we uſe to ſay; The expreſs Image of his Fathers Perſon; not of the foreign, but of the foreign, Heb. 1.3. Indeed he repreſenteth and reſembleth him in every thing. The Father is Almighty, ſo is he; the Father is Eternal, ſo is he; the Father is Immutable and Omnipreſent, &c. ſo is he; He is his expreſs Image.
Nay ſhall I go a little further? The Father as a Perſon diſtinguiſhed from the Son, hath nothing proper and peculiar to himſelf, but is in ſome reſpect expreſſed and declared in the Son. His act of generation or begetting, is ſhewed forth in the begotten: ſo that unleſs he were the Father, it is impoſſible he ſhould be nearer to the Father, or better like the Father then he is. And if he were the Father, he could not be the Fathers Image, he could not be like the Father; for Nullum ſimile eſt idem. Thus Chriſt as God you ſee my Brethren, is the moſt abſolute and perfect Character of God the Father, like him in every thing in all reſpects, as one face anſwereth another in a glaſs: Having no other inward difference between them ſave only this, that by their relative properties, they are diſtinguiſhed the one from the other.
2. As man our Saviour is extreamly like the Father too; He is the Image of the inviſible God, Col. 1.15. As he hath aſſumed our fleſh, he is the very Image of the Father. And therefore the Apoſtle ſaith not ſimply, who is the Image of God, but of the inviſible God: In which there is a cloſe Antitheſis, q. d. Having aſſumed our Nature, he is now become the viſible Image of the inviſible God; That God who is inviſible, is made viſible in him. And this is that which is ſuggeſted in that ſpeech of John the Baptiſt, Joh. 1.18. No man hath ſeen God at any time; conceive it with the outward eye; The Son of man who is in the boſom of the Father, he hath declared him. He hath diſcovered him in ſome reſpect to that eye, becauſe he is ſo very like him. So that if you ſee the Son, you ſhall ſee the Father in him; the reſemblance is ſo great, that in ſeeing one of them, you ſee the other. And hence ſaith Chriſt to Philip once, Joh. 14.9. He that hath ſeen me, hath ſeen the Father alſo. So that our Saviour both as God and Man, is like the Father, and ſo in that reſpect is fitted for his Fathers love.
And as there is Proportion, ſo Propriety; as he is like the Father, ſo he is the Fathers own, and therefore meet to be beloved of him. Indeed there is an intereſt on both hands. God is Chriſts God; God even thy God hath anointed thee, ſaith David, Pſal 45.7. And Chriſt is Gods Chriſt, Pſal. 2.2. The Kings of the earth ſet themſelves, and the Rulers take counſel together againſt the Lord, and againſt his Chriſt. Indeed he is the Fathers Choſen, the Fathers ſervant, the Fathers Son; He is his Son as God by eternal generation, as man by union: He is his in all capacities, and under all conſiderations; take him which way you will, he is the Fathers: So that no marvail though the Father love him, and love him dearly too. We that are men are wont to love our own, yea many times we dote upon them, though they have little lovely in them. But Chriſt who is his Fathers own, is altogether lovely, ſo that he hath cauſe to love him. And this for clearing of the firſt branch, that God the Father loveth Jeſus Chriſt.
Now for the ſecond branch, that he hath loved him from everlaſting, This is expreſly taught us alſo in the Text; Thou haſt loved me, ſaith Chriſt, before the foundation of the world, that is, before time was. As the time will never be when God will not love Chriſt; So the time never was when God did not love Chriſt: That place is notable to this purpoſe, Prov. 8.22. The Lord poſſeſſed me in the beginning, &c. I was ſet up from everlaſting, &c. I was as one brought up with him, and I was dayly his delight. Obſerve it well, I was dayly his delight.
I, you will anſwer, he was ſo as God; But how was he ſo as man? Object. How could the Father love the Son as Man from everlaſting, ſince he was not from everlaſting?
God is one pure act, Anſw. he doth not that in time (as to internal immanent acts) which he did not from everlaſting. Though things are paſt, preſent, and to come with us, yet they are not ſo with God. All things are preſent with him, at the ſame time; as Jeſus Chriſt, in reference to God and his decree, was ſlain, ſo he was incarnate too, before the foundation of the world; and ſo he was beloved as man, and as incarnate before the foundation of the world: and under this conſideration he ſpeaks, eſpecially to his Father in my Text; Thou haſt loved me, ſaith he, viz. as Man and Mediator before the foundation of the world.
Now is it ſo, That God the Father dearly loveth Jeſus Chriſt? Uſe. then ſurely it is ill with them that hate him, and it is well with them that love him. If God love Jeſus Chriſt ſo dearly, certainly he hates them that hate Chriſt, and he loves them that love Chriſt.
1. If God love Jeſus Chriſt ſo dearly, he hates them that hate Chriſt: and he will ſurely be avenged on them to the very utmoſt. The love he bears to Jeſus Chriſt, will ſtir him up to execute his fierceſt wrath, and to take moſt ſevere revenge upon them. Believe it, brethren, God will not ſpare them in the day of vengeance, he will ſhew no bowels of compaſſion to them who hate his dear Son Chriſt, to whom he bears ſuch infinite affection. The more he loves Chriſt, the more he will hate them that hate him, and the more ſharply will he deal with them.
But you ask me, Are there any ſuch that hate Chriſt? and if there be, Queſt. which way may they be diſcovered?
Some there are that hate Chriſt, Anſw. and that not in Hell only (the Devil and the damned ghoſts there) but on earth among men; yea, in the very boſom of the Church it ſelf. He is not hated only of a company of men that are but forraigners and ſtrangers to him, as the Heathen are, (for that is no ſuch admirable thing, that they that know him not ſhould hate him) but of his Citizens who are acquainted with him, and who are under his immediate Rule and Juriſdiction, Luk. 19.14. He is refuſed, not of the Heathen people only, but of divers in the Church, and ſome of them of greateſt note, authority and learning there, to wit, the builders of the Church. He is the ſtone which they that would be counted Workmen, Maſter-workmen, ſtumble at and ſet aſide, Pſal. 118.22. There be that live in oppoſition and hoſtility againſt him, even where his Kingdom is ſet up; he ruleth in the midſt of his enemies, as his Father ſpeaks of him, Pſal. 110.2. Where our Saviour hath a Church, there the Devil hath a Chappel, yea it may be a Cathedral. I know thy works, and where thou dwelleſt, ſaith our Saviour to the Church of Pergamus, even where Satans ſeat is, Apoc. 2.13. Obſerve it well, where Satans ſeat is: that is, where he is Biſhop, where he keeps his reſidence, where his Epiſcopal Cathedral and his chair is. Chriſt can never want his enemies where Satan hath ſuch intereſt, and ſuch authority as this is. Indeed the greateſt Enemie that Chriſt hath in the world (conceit it among mortal men) is in the Church, and that is Antichriſt, a Biſhop too, who hath his name from being oppoſite to Chriſt, foreign, as who ſhould ſay againſt Chriſt. He ſitteth in the Temple, in the Church, as the Apoſtle Paul ſpeak, 2 Theſſ. 2.4. There were falſe brethren in the Church of the Philippians, who notwithſtanding all their glorious proteſtations, were enemies to Chriſt, as the Apoſtle tells them plainly, Phil. 3.18. and he tells it them with tears, he was ſo much affected with it. And ſurely there are many everywhere, and in every Congregation, who pretend much worſhip and ſubmiſſion, and Ceremony, and reſpect to Chriſt: And yet ſuch is the damnable hypocriſie and falſeneſs of the hearts of men, they ſwell with inward ranck or, rage, and hate againſt him. It is not every one that calls him Rabbi Maſter, as the falſe Herodians did, that kiſſes him, and bows before him, and ſalutes him with Hayl Maſter, as deceitful Judas did, that is indeed a friend to Chriſt: No, men may make a flouriſh, and profeſs they love the Lord, and ſay that he is infinitely dear unto them, and yet may be as real enemies to him, and to his Kingdom, as Judas that betrayed him, the Judge and Officers and people that condemned, and ſcourged, and crucified the Lord of glory.
And now my brethren, Will you ſay to me as the Diſciples to our Saviour, when he told them, that one of them ſhould betray him? Will you ask me man by man, Is it I? and is it I? No, I expect to hear you ſay, It is not I. What, I an enemy to Chriſt? I defie it; and they that are his greateſt enemies will be as bold and reſolute in the denyal as any other. And therefore as our Saviour gave a ſign to the Diſciples, by which the Traytor might be known; ſo I will give you certain ſigns out of Scripture, by which the enemies of Chriſt may be diſcovered.
Firſt they that are willing to ſubmit to ſin, and are unwilling to ſubmit to Chriſt, they are enemies to Chriſt. I will a little ſtand on either branch of this mark. They that are willing to ſubmit to ſin, they are enemies to Chriſt: 'Tis true indeed men may be taken captive by it, as Saint Paul was, they may be forc't to obey it in ſome certain acts, notwithſtanding all their ſtriving, by the power of a temptation which they are no way able to reſiſt, and yet may be the friends of Chriſt; they may unfaignedly and dearly love the Lord Jeſus. But if they render up themſelves to any luſt, if they make a Covenant with it, as being willing and reſolved to obey it; if not content that they are ſold by Adam, they ſell themſelves to ſin, as Ahab did, they are enemies to Chriſt: No man can ſerve two Maſters, that are contrary, as God and Mammon, Chriſt and ſin; for ſaith our Saviour, He will love the one, and hate the other, Mat. 6.24. So then if you be ſervants voluntarily engaged to any ſin, as being willing to obey it in the luſts thereof. Whether it be drunkenneſs, or ſwearing, or uncleanneſs, or the like; If you reſolve it is a ſweet, it is a profitable ſin, I will not ſtrive nor pray againſt it, becauſe I mean not to forſake it, you do indeed hate Chriſt. It may be you do think that you may ſerve a luſt, and love the Lord Chriſt too: But you deceive your own ſouls; for the Truth of God hath ſaid it, that he that loves the one, will hate the other: As they that ſerve Chriſt, hate ſin; ſo they that ſerve ſin, hate Chriſt.
And for the ſecond branch of this mark, as they that willingly obey ſin, ſo they that are unwilling to obey Chriſt, they are enemies to Chriſt. You are my friends, ſaith Chriſt to his Diſciples, if you do whatſoever I command you, Joh. 15.14. otherwiſe you are not. And hence he ſtyleth thoſe his enemies, who will not have him rule over them, Luk. 19.27. Obſerve it well, he ſaith not ſimply, Thoſe that will not have me raign; but thoſe mine enemies that will not have me raign over them, bring them forth and ſlay them before me. If then you will not ſtoop to Chriſt, and to the Scepter of his Kingdom; if you will not have him rule you, if you will not do the things that he commands you, but are reſolved to walk according to your own humors, and though you are informed what is good, and what the Lord requireth of you, yet you hate to be reformed, and pluck away the ſhoulder, as the Prophet ſpeaks, and ſay with thoſe rebellious wretches, Pſal. 2.3. Let us break his bonds aſunder, and caſt away his cords from us, that we may walk at liberty, and that there may be no reſtraint from any thing that ſeemeth good in our own eyes: be not deceived, for you are Adverſaries of the Lord Chriſt.
2. They are enemies to Chriſt, that love that which Chriſt hates, and hate that which Chriſt loves. It is the property of near and boſome friends, to will and nill, to love and hate the ſame things; and enemies are juſt upon the other hand: and ſo it is in this caſe. They that are in love with ſin, (which is the thing, the only thing which Chriſt hates) are ſurely out of love with Chriſt. They that love the Lord, hate evil, Pſal. 97.10. and I may ſay as well, They that love evil, hate the Lord. It's true, that ſuch as love him, may commit it, but yet they have a ſtrange antipathy againſt it, they hate it with a perfect hatred, and every falſe way they utterly abhor. And hence it is that they endeavour to deſtroy it, to crucifie it every day, to put it to the cruelleſt and baſeſt death, and if they had it in their power, they would ſhew it no mercy. You would not uſe a Turk, a Toad, as ſuch a man would uſe ſin. But when a man ſhall cocker it, and ſtroke it, and delight in it, when he ſhall not endure to have it ſtriken with the hammer, or wounded with the Sword of Gods Word, but ſhall be ready to do violence to any man that offers it a blow, or gives it but an ill word, the heart of ſuch a perſon is not right towards Chriſt.
And even as they are enemies to Chriſt, who love that which Chriſt hates, ſo alſo they who hate that which Chriſt loves, and that is holineſs and grace, which he cannot chooſe but love, becauſe it is a beam of his own light, a gift of his own ſpirit, a ſtamp of his own Image, a part of his own fulneſs, for of his fulneſs have we all received, and grace for grace. But you will ſay, Who hates this? I anſwer they that perſecute and ſcorn and vex their brethren for their ſtrictneſs and preciſeneſs, becauſe they follow that which good is, becauſe they fear an oath, becauſe they run not out with them to the ſame exceſs of riot, they are the men that hate grace. For it is holineſs and grace you ſee that is the proper object, and indeed the formal reaſon of their hatred. And they that hate their brethren for their holineſs and grace, which they have received from Chriſt, by which they are conformable and like to Chriſt, would hate him ſo much more then them, if he ſhould come and live among them, by how much he is holier then they are. And therefore let not ſuch as ſay they could affect and like of ſuch a perſon well enough, but that he is ſo pure and ſo preciſe, he will not do as they do, pretend any love to Chriſt. For certainly the ſame affections of ſpite and malice and reproach which they diſcover againſt ſuch men, they would with ſo much greater bitterneſs expreſs againſt the Lord Chriſt, if he were converſant upon the earth, by how much he exceedeth and tranſcendeth them in holineſs and grace.
3. They that are friends to the enemies of Chriſt, and enemies to the friends of Chriſt, are enemies to Chriſt himſelf. Be they who they will that cloſe with thoſe that live in enmity againſt Chriſt, and help them in their oppoſition to his truth and to his cauſe, and to his glory, they can never love Chriſt. No, if they did, they could never ſide with thoſe that are profeſſed adverſaries to the Lord Jeſus, and who endeavour to ſubvert and overthrow his worſhip and religion, and deſtroy his people. And certainly Chriſt cannot chooſe but take them for his enemies, and uſe them like his enemies, while they incorporate themſelves with thoſe that live in open oppoſition and hoſtility againſt him.
And as the friends unto the enemies of Chriſt, even ſo the enemies unto the friends of Chriſt, are enemies to Chriſt himſelf. They that are adverſaries to the Saints, who are as it is ſaid of Abraham, the friends of God, the friends of Chriſt, muſt needs be adverſaries to the Lord Jeſus. There is a Covenant and a League of love between the Lord and them, and the league is not defenſive only, but offenſive too; he that toucheth them, ſaith Chriſt, toucheth the Apple of mine eye; touch them, & touch me, Zac. 2.8. Nay, they are not alone in Covenant with him, but more then ſo my brethren, they are one with him. And therefore they are called Chriſt, 1 Cor. 12.12. For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members are but one body, ſo alſo is Chriſt: conceive it Chriſt in aggregate, comprizing all the Church with him; for, caput & corpus unus eſt Chriſtus (as Auſtin ſpeaks) the head and the body is but one Chriſt: and that which is the name of Chriſt, Jer. 23.6. This is his name by which he ſhall be called, The Lord our Righteouſneſs, is the Churchss name too, Jer. 33.16. This is the name wherewith ſhe ſhall be called, The Lord our Righteouſneſs. Indeed his people are the members of his body, and he can never be a friend unto the head, who is an adverſary to the members.
Now if on triall by the former evidences, you find that you hate Chriſt, believe it God hates you. The dearer his affection to his Son Chriſt is, the greater is his hatred of the enemies of Chriſt. The union is ſo neer, and the love ſo infinite between the Father and the Son, that God may truly ſay to Jeſus Chriſt, Do not I hate them that hate thee? I hate them with a perfect hatred, as though they were mine enemies: And I will ſurely take a courſe with them, I will bring them low enough. Sit thou at my right hand, there ſit thou ſtill unmoved and undiſturbed, till I have made thine enemies thy footſtool.