Exposition of John 17, Exposition · Part 54
JOHN 17.24.
For thou lovedſt me before the foundation of the world.
IS it ſo that God the Father dearly loveth Jeſus Chriſt? hence then it Ʋſe 2 follows, that as he hates them that hate Chriſt, ſo on the other ſide he loveth them that love Chriſt. The dear affection that he bears to Chriſt draws out his very heart to all thoſe that love Chriſt. And this is that which Jeſus Chriſt himſelf teacheth, John 14.21. He that loveth me, ſaith Chriſt, ſhall be loved of my Father. Let him be what he will, of what condition or eſtate he will, never ſo poor and mean and deſpicable in the world, if he do really and truly love me, my Father loves that man, and loves him dearly for my ſake. Nay ſaith the Father, this man is my Sons friend, he bears a very great affection to my Son Chriſt, and therefore I muſt needs eſteem and love him for my Sons ſake. I have alwayes loved my Son, even from all eternity, and that out of all meaſure; and upon this account my love and my affection overflows to all thoſe that love him.
Oh how ſhould this prevail with every one of us to love Chriſt, and love him dearly, ſince God the Father will requite us to the utmoſt for all the love we ſhew to him; all the love that we lay out on Jeſus Chriſt, he will pay us back again, and pay us in the ſame coin. We may depend upon it, that we ſhall have love for love. If we love Chriſt, the Father he will love us. And is the Fathers love worth nothing? Ah, my beloved, it bringeth with it all the happineſs and mercy that a poor ſoul is capable of: And therefore I beſeech you let us love Chriſt: let Chriſt have our love, that we may have the Fathers love. And here to warm your hearts a little, and to draw them out to Chriſt, take notice of theſe few things.
1. View him in himſelf, behold him in the choiceneſs and excellency of his own beauty; There is no ſpot, nor imperfection in him, in the very leaſt degree; He is fairer then the children of men, Pſal. 45.2. then any of them all, let them be what they will: for they have blemiſhes, but he hath none. All the perfections in the world do meet in him, ſo that there can be nothing added to him. Indeed (my brethren) he is altogether lovely. All others have their imperfections and defects, ſomething there is unlovely in them: but he is altogether lovely: And this is that which makes the Church ſo far in love with him: She is taken with his beauty, and the delicious ſavour of his ointments, the ſweetneſs of the graces that are in him, Cant. 1.3. How is ſhe raviſht in the contemplation of him? Cant. 5.8. What is thy beloved more then another beloved? ſay the daughters to her there; What is he more? ſaith ſhe: me thinks ſhe is an end with that word: Why have you no eyes to ſee? He is tranſcendent, incomparable, and ſo deſcribeth him from top to toe, and then concludes, This is my beloved O ye daughters, look upon him, this is he: As who ſhould ſay, now judge you whether I have cauſe to love him, yea, or no. And therefore I am not aſhamed to own it: and if you meet with my beloved, you may tell him that I love him, yea that I am ſick of love.
2. Conſider in the next place what he is to you, what intereſt and propriety you have in him. Why, my beloved, he is yours: I ſpeak this to believers only. And this the Church and Spouſe of Chriſt profeſſeth often, I am my beloveds, and my beloved is mine: and yields this as the reaſon of the high and dear affection that ſhe bears him. A woman, you will ſay, hath cauſe to love her own husband. Now Jeſus Chriſt is the husband of the Church, ſhe is his wife, his ſpouſe, his ſecond ſelf, ſhe is called by his name: We are thine (ſay the people of the Lord) the heathen are not ſo, nor are they called by thy name. So that the Saints in this reſpect, are infinitely more obliged to love him, then theſe that are without the pale, becauſe they have not ſuch relation to him.
3. Let the exceeding love of Chriſt to you, draw out your love to him again. Amor (they ſay) is C…s amoris. And ſo let his love be a whet to you. Conſider he hath loved you, and therefore you have reaſon to love him again. This reaſon doth not hold on both ſides: we cannot ſay that we have loved Chriſt, and therefore he hath cauſe to love us. For we never loved him till he loved us firſt, the love began on his ſide. But we may truly ſay, that Jeſus Chriſt hath loved us; and therefore we have cauſe to love him. For he prevented us with mercy, and with loving kindneſs, as the Prophet ſpeaks; and this ſhould win our hearts to him. We love him (ſaith the Apoſtle in the name of all the faithfull) 1 John 4.19. Why ſo? what is the cauſe of this love? you have it in the following words, becauſe he loved us firſt. Our love is not the cauſe of his, but his love is the cauſe of ours.
4. Survey what Chriſt hath done for you, and ſee if it deſerve not at the leaſt a return of love from you. He hath made you (that is little: in compariſon I mean) all things were created by him, Col. 1.16. but more then this, he hath redeemed you from ſin, from death, from hell it ſelf. You had been utterly undone, and loſt for ever, had it not been for Jeſus Chriſt. But he hath ſaved that which was loſt. He hath raiſed you from nothing to a Kingdom, from poverty to matchleſs riches, yea from death to life it ſelf: we were dead, but are alive; all this is Chriſts doing. We uſe to love them who have ſaved our lives: and ſurely we have cauſe to love Chriſt▪ for he hath ſaved our lives, and that not from a temporal but from eternal death: Not from the firſt alone, but from the ſecond death, where the worm never dies, and the fire is never quenched: And therefore he is called our life, that is, the cauſe and fountain of it, Col. 3.4. When Chriſt who is our life ſhall appear. So that we may truly call him in the Prophets words, the God of our life; And therefore we have cauſe to make him the object of our love, and wholly to beſtow our hearts upon him; to love him, by whom we live the life of grace, and look to live the life of glory.
Is it ſo that God the Father dearly loveth Jeſus Chriſt? The more Ʋſe 3 it is to be admired and wondred at that he ſhould uſe him as he did for our ſakes: That he ſhould be angry with him, that he ſhould hide his face from him, and forſake him in a ſence: that he ſhould load him with ſuch a burthen of his wrath, as made him weep and cry, and ſweat and faint. Ah, my beloved, what an admirable thing is this? who can reach the utmoſt of it in his thoughts? had he not cared for Jeſus Chriſt, had he born no affection to him, it had not been ſo ſtrange, that God the Father ſhould deal with him in this manner; But that he ſhould be ſo extreamly harſh to him in whom his very ſoul delights: that he ſhould handle him ſo roughly whom he loves ſo dearly, whom he hath ever loved from all eternity, this is an admirable thing indeed. And that you may the better ſee the wonder of it, the miracle of mercy that is in it, let us conſider a little more particularly and diſtinctly, how the Father uſed him, and for whoſe ſake he uſed him ſo, who was ſo infinitely dear, &c.
1. Conſider how the Father uſed him, who is ſo infinitely dear to him: he gave him up into the hands of ſinfull men, to deal with him as they pleaſed. There take the darling of my boſome (ſaith the Father) revile him, mock him, beat him, ſpit upon him, ſcourge him, pierce him, nail him, ſtretch his limbs upon the Croſs, crucifie him, kill him, ſhed his blood, take away his life from him; wreak all your malice on him to the utmoſt, and though he cry and roar, I will not ſave him, I will be far from helping him, and from the words of his roaring, as the expreſſion is, Pſal. 22.1. Though God doth love him infinitely, he left him in the hands of vile men, to uſe him at their own pleaſure: and they uſed him bad enough, as you may ſee, if you ſurvey the Goſpel ſtory. Oh the indignities, reproaches, and contempts that ſinfull wretches poured out upon the Lord of glory! In which reſpect, the Prophet ſaith, he was deſpiſed and rejected, and men hid their faces from him, as if they were aſhamed of him, Iſa. 53.3. I am a reproach of men (ſaith holy David, as a type of Chriſt, Pſal. 22.6.) and deſpiſed of the people: all that ſee me laugh me to ſcorn. Oh the abaſures that he ſuffered from perſons viler then the earth they trod upon, and God the Father who ſo dearly loved him ſtood by, and made as if he ſaw nothing.
Nay more then ſo, he ſuffered much even from his Fathers own hands, q He made him ſin, that is a ſacrifice for ſin, and he made him a curſe for us, that there was nothing viſible upon him for a ſeaſon but the ſevereſt and feirceſt wrath of a revenging Judge, as if he had been utterly accurſed from his Father. He ſcourged him moſt bitterly, even till he blead and roared and ſunk away under his hand. Thus it pleaſed the Father to bruiſe him; He ſpared not his own Son, Rom. 8.22. Though he were his own Son, he laid on and did not ſpare him. He remitted not to Chriſt the leaſt jot of thoſe exquiſite & unſufferable tortures, that were in juſtice due to our tranſgreſſions. He drank off at his Fathers hands the cup of fury, he drank the very dreggs, and wrung them out. All this the Father did to Jeſus Chriſt, and more then I am able to expreſs, and yet he loved him infinitely all this while, and did from eternity, and therein lies the great wonder.
2. But ſecondly if we conſider for whoſe ſake the Father uſed him ſo who is infinitely dear to him, the wonder will be yet greater. It had not been ſo admirable, had it been for friends, but it was for enemies. This raiſes and commends the Love of God, ſaith the Apoſtle, Rom. 8.10. that we being ſinners, yea being enemies, he reconciled us to him by his Son. He uſed a means, by giving up his Son to ſhame, to make up all the breaches between us and him, and herein lies the quinteſſence of this buſineſs, the ſparkle in the jewel of the grace of God: That he ſhould prefer the good, the glory, the ſalvation of his enemies who lived in open oppoſition, and hoſtility againſt him, before the eaſe, refreſhment, ſafety, life of his own Son, whom he ſo dearly loved from all eternity: That he ſhould rather chooſe that one whom he loved ſo exceedingly, ſhould die, then they; ſhould be made a curſe, then they: ſhould undergo the tortures and the pains of hell, then they: juſtice reſolves they muſt be undergone either by his beloved Son, or his hatefull enemies. It muſt and will be ſatisfied either by the one or by the other. Well then if it muſt be ſo, his deareſt Son ſhall ſuffer, and his enemies go free; yea he ſhall ſuffer to the very death; rather then they ſhall be puniſhed (ſaith the Father,) There go my poor harmleſs Lamb to ſlaughter in their ſtead; there go his blood and life and all: He ſhall bleed and bleed to death, that they may be healed and live. Oh the narrow hearts of men! how far ſhort do they fall of comprehending ſuch a miracle of mercy! Well may the Angels wonder at it, and deſire to peep into it. Yea, the bleſſed Lord himſelf, whether as wondring at or willing to make us wonder at this admirable buſineſs, hath called the nane of Chriſt Wonderfull.
Ʋſe 4 Is it ſo that God the Father hath dearly loved Jeſus Chriſt from all eternity? This then may ſerve for ſweet and pretious conſolation to all them that belong to Chriſt: for they may be hence aſſured that God hath loved them from all eternity even as he did Chriſt. For if you mark it well, our Saviour ſpeaks here of the love the Father bare him as man and Mediator, as the head of his Church; and ſo he loved him not alone, but he loved his members in him, and he loved his members with him. Indeed he loved him as Mediator in reference to thoſe for whom he was to make peace: and loved him as a head in reference to thoſe who were to be members of his body: and as he had not been a Mediator and a head, but for the working of their ſalvation, whom God appointed thereunto▪ ſo neither had he been beloved in that capacity, and under that conſideration, but upon the ſame account: and conſequently if he were beloved as man, and Mediator, and head of his Church from everlaſting, his people and his members were beloved from everlaſting too, without whom he was no head. They were deſigned to be members by the ſame decree by which he was deſigned to be head. And as they were elected in him, ſo they were beloved in him before the foundation of the world.
But you will ask me, Which way doth this yield you out ſuch pretious comfort that you have been beloved of God from all eternity?
1. It is a comfort to conſider that the great and glorious God of heaven and earth ſhould think of ſuch poor worms as we from everlaſting, much more that he ſhould ſet his love upon us. The world it may be looks upon us as not worth the ſpeaking of, as not worth the thinking of, much leſs as worthy of the leaſt reſpect: And this it may be troubles and dejects us now and then. But this may cheer us, and encourage us upon the other ſide, that God himſelf did think upon us, yea, and dearly love us too from all eternity: when we had not a being in the world, (ſave only in the Counſel and Decree of God) he made more of us, then theſe men do now we have a gratious being.
2. It is a comfort to conſider, that God and we have been ſuch old friends, that he hath loved us from all eternity. For it is like the love will hold, that hath been of ſuch ſtanding. We have a Proverb, Change not an old friend for a new, becauſe the new is like to be more fickle. God hath been an old friend, time out of mind: And therefore he is like to be the more conſtant. From everlaſting he hath loved us, and therefore we may ſafely reſt and rely on his love.
3. If God have loved us from everlaſting, then he hath loved us all along ſince that time. Before we had a being in the world, and ſince we had a being: before we had a gratious being, when we were dead in treſpaſſes and ſins: And if he loved us then, aſſuredly he will not ceaſe to love us now, notwithſtanding all our unallowed imperfections and defects: He will continue and go on to love us ſtill, till he have lodged us with himſelf in glory.
Oh how ſhould this revive the hearts of thoſe among the Saints, who are ſo apt to doubt the love of God, becauſe they ſin ſo often, and ſo much againſt him! Why man, God loved thee when thou didſt ſin againſt him more then now thou doſt; he loved thee when thou hatedſt him; and therefore certainly he will not hate thee now thou loveſt him. No, he that loved thee from the beginning, will love thee alſo to the end. He that loved thee from everlaſting, will love thee to everlaſting, and nothing in the world ſhall ſeparate us from the love of God which is in Chriſt Jeſus our Lord.
And thus we have at length diſpatched the body of our Saviours prayer, and are arrived at the cloſe or the concluſion of it: In which his drift and purpoſe is, to render his Diſciples (for whom he hath petitioned all along before) very acceptable and very gratious to his Father, and ſo to leave them in his hands: And that upon this account, becauſe they only had the true and ſaving and affective knowledge of him; They only were acquainted with him, when as all the world beſide were ſtrangers to him. And it was reaſon he ſhould rather do for them, then do for ſtrangers. Oh righteous Father, the world hath not known thee, but I have known thee, and theſe have known that thou haſt ſent me, and I have declared unto them thy name. q. d. And now to ſhut up all, and to come to a concluſion, I pray thee Father to conſider this, for cloſe of all, That the world for whom I have not ſaid a word in all my prayer, nay for whom I have profeſſed not to pray, (I pray for theſe, I pray not for the world) yet they (the world) are wholly ignorant of thee, and unacquainted with thee. But I that have put up this prayer to thee, know thee very well, no one in the world better. And they for whom I have put up this prayer, know thee too by my means, for I have manifeſted and declared thee to them. And therefore I am confident, that thou wilt hear and anſwer me in their behalf: None know thee in the world but I and they: I that pray, and they for whom I pray. Remember that, and I have done: I ſay no more, but even leave thee to conſider whether thou wilt hear and anſwer me for them, or no, Oh righteous, &c. the world, &c.
In this concluſion of our Saviours prayer, I ſhall conſider but theſe two things: To whom he ſpeaks, and What he ſpeaks, for cloſe of all. Firſt, to whom he ſpeaks, and that you ſee my brethren, is to God, whom he ſtileth righteous Father. Secondly, what he ſpeaks in the remainder of the two verſes, which may be very well divided, by the ſubjects of his ſpeech, the perſons that he ſpeaks of, viz. the world, himſelf, and true believers, as we ſhall ſee at large hereafter.
Begin we with the perſon that he ſpeaks to, and him he mentions by his title and his attribute. His title here you ſee is Father, his attribute is righteous, righteous Father.
As for the firſt of theſe my brethren, I have ſhewed you more then once, that Father in this prayer of our Saviour is not perſonally taken for the firſt perſon of the Godhead: For the firſt perſon of the Godhead (though it be the Father of our Saviour Chriſt as God, yet) it is not ſo properly the Father of our Saviour Chriſt as man. And our Saviour Chriſt ſpeaks as man in this place. And therefore Father here is eſſentially taken for the whole Godhead ſubſiſting in the three perſons. And even as we, by Father, mean the Godhead when we pray our Father which art in heaven: So doth our Saviour Chriſt too. As man he is in this reſpect like us, as the Apoſtle tells us, he is in all things like unto us, ſin only excepted.
Now the attribute he gives the Godhead, which he denotes by Father here, is righteous, Righteous Father. But wherefore doth he mention this, rather then any attribute of God, on this occaſion? Why might he not have ſaid as well Almighty, or Eternal, or Mercifull, or Gratious Father? The ſpecial reaſon why he chooſes this expreſſion (as far as I conceive) cannot be cleerly and undoubtedly reſolved. Judicious Calvin thinks he doth it in oppoſition to the unrighteouſneſs of men: So to comfort true believers, that however they were like to meet with nothing but injuſtice and unrighteouſneſs in the world, yet he was now committing them into the hands and keeping of a righteous God. Others gueſs at other reaſons. Once, this is clear and manifeſt, that he picks out this attribute of God among the reſt, and whereas many others lay before him, he fixes upon this only: He comes to God in prayer, by the name of righteous Father: The thing is evident, though the particular Conſideration that induced him to it be unknown. So that the Points to be obſerved here, are two.
Firſt God is a juſt and righteous God in himſelf and in all his diſpenſations.
Secondly, That Jeſus Chriſt came to him as a righteous God, when he was pouring out his prayers to him, or making his Petition to him.
DOCTRINE. God is a very juſt and righteous God.
None knew him better then our Saviour, and he calls him Righteous Father: So doth the Holy Ghoſt in Scripture very often. The Prophet David ſtileth him The Righteous God, Pſal. 7.9 And Jeremiah, The Lord that judgeth righteouſly, Jer. 11.10. Indeed he doth not judge after the ſight of his eyes, nor reprove after the hearing of his ears; that is, he is not deceived with the external ſhew of things, with which the eyes of men are often taken. He is not miſled and carried with reports to deal unjuſtly in the leaſt degree: No, with righteouſneſs he doth judge the poor, (who many times are over-born in lower Courts, by thoſe that are too ſtrong and mighty for them) and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth: Though they be meek, though they be not clamorous and troubleſome, and though they do not wring out juſtice from him (as the poor widdow in the Goſpel did from the unrighteous Judge, by unweariedneſs, earneſtneſs, and tyring importunity) yet they ſhall have it eaſily and readily, he will diſpenſe it to them freely of his own accord. And this is that which holy David ſo applauds him for, and he will have it ſpoken to his praiſe among the Heathen, Pſal. 96.10. Say among the Heathen, The Lord reigneth and he ſhall judge the people righteouſly. Let the Heavens rejoyce, and let the Earth be glad before the Lord, for he cometh, for he cometh to judge the Earth. He ſhall judge the world with Righteouſneſs, and his people with his Truth. So that you ſee the point is clear; That God is a very juſt and righteous God. And you will be the better ſatisfied in it; if you conſider but theſe three things.
Firſt the largeneſs of his Juriſdiction and Dominion: His Government is univerſal and extends to all the world, and therefore he muſt needs be righteous. He is the judge of all the earth: And what (ſaid Abraham) Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right? Gen. 18.25. The Supream and Soveraign Judge before whoſe dread Tribunal all the World muſt ſtand, and at whoſe Bar they muſt be tryed for that which moſt concerns them too, their precious ſouls; from whoſe determination no man can appeal with any hope of being righted in a higher Court, ſeeing there is none above it. Is God unrighteous? I ſay as the Apoſtle, Rom. 3.5. How then ſhall he judge the world? Indeed inferiour Governours may be unrighteous and corrupt, and yet this univerſal frame continue and ſubſiſt, becauſe they are perpetually ſubject to the Soveraign Judge, who ſtandeth in the Congregation of the Mighty, and is a Judge among the Gods, as David ſpeaks, Pſal. 82.1. But if the univerſal Judge ſhould be unjuſt, whom none can over-top nor call to an account, what could be lookt for but confuſion?
Another ground of the righteouſneſs of God, is the immenſity and infiniteneſs of his preſence. As he is Governour and Judge of all the world, ſo he is in all the world. The largeneſs of his preſence is anſwerable to the largeneſs of his Juriſdiction and Dominion, and this contributes very much to the uprightneſs and the juſtice of his Government. Inferiour Magiſtrates, although perhaps they have no mind to be unjuſt, yet they are often times miſled by ſiniſter information. They are not preſent everywhere, they ſee not every thing themſelves, and therefore are neceſſitated to proceed ſecundum allegata & probata. And many times it comes to paſs, that things which are untrue are teſtified and proved before them, and ſo they do injuſtum, though not injuſtè, by means of which the Innocent is injured and oppreſſed; See an example of it in Mephiboſheth, who by the falſe ſuggeſtions of his wicked ſervant Ziba, was outed of his goods and his poſſeſſions, 2 Sam. 16.4. Had David known that good Mephiboſheth had ſtill remained loyal to him, had he not been abuſed by a forged information, how far would he have been from doing ſuch apparent wrong as he did in that ſentence? But he relyed on Teſtimony for the truth of that which by reaſon of remoteneſs could not fall within the compaſs of his own notice, and ſo was led into that groſs miſtake which you have heard. Now there can no ſuch Errors happen in the Government of God, becauſe himſelf is preſent every where, and therefore cannot be miſguided by finiſter information. He taketh nothing upon truſt, upon ſuggeſtion, as all our Governours on earth do. No, my beloved, he ſees all with his own eyes, he hears all with his own ears: nothing is ſaid or done but in his preſence. His eyes in every place behold the evil and the good, ſaith Solomon, Prov. 15.3. whether it be good or evil, whether it be near or far off, it is within his own veiw, his eyes behold it, he need not to depend upon a witneſs for the proof of it: So that in this reſpect he is not ſubject to ſuch injuſtice in his government as other Kings and Rulers are.
Thirdly, God muſt needs be righteous in his Adminiſtrations, becauſe he is inclined to it by his inward Diſpoſition: he hath a ſelf propenſity to righteous dealing; The righteous Lord loveth righteouſneſs, Pſal. 11.7. his very heart is ſet upon it; as he acteth without, ſo he affecteth it within. There are many in the world that do juſtice, who yet do not love juſtice: They execute it out of Politick reſpects and reaſons only, or out of affectation of applauſe with men, not out of inward inclination and affection. The Judge of whom our Saviour Chriſt makes mention, Luk. 18.2. did the poor widdow juſtice; and yet he calls him an unjuſt Judge, becauſe he did not execute it out of love to juſtice, but himſelf; To wit, that he might quit himſelf, and rid his hands of the unwearied importunities of ſuch a ſutor as would not give him reſt till he had done it: Becauſe this widow troubleth me, I will avenge her; not becauſe her cauſe is juſt: His aim was not to do her right, but obtain his own quiet. But herein God excells; he doth juſtice, and that becauſe he loves juſtice: He doth not execute it by compulſion and conſtraint, or out of by-ſiniſter ends: but out of the affection that he bears it, and the dear regard he hath to it. And this is that which he profeſſeth of himſelf, Iſai. 16.8. I the Lord love judgement.
Ʋſe 1 Is God a very juſt and righteous God? This then may ſerve to quiet us, and calm our troublous and tumultuous thoughts about the great diſorders and confuſions that we diſcover in the world. It may preſerve us from repining againſt God, and charging him fooliſhly. What though the wicked proſper in the world, what though their eyes ſtand out with fatneſs, while the people of the Lord are troubled, and afflicted, and diſtreſſed! Will you preſume to queſtion Gods Juſtice! Rather conclude the Lord is righteous; and where you cannot fathom his proceedings, cry out with the Apoſtle Paul, O the depth and the riches both of the wiſdom and knowledge of God! how unſearchable are his judgements, and his ways paſt finding out? Let Davids error be your caution: I was envious at the fooliſh when I ſaw the proſperous ſtate of wicked men, Pſal. 73.3. They are not in trouble, neither are they plagued like other men. But as for me, I have waſht my hands in vain: for all the day long I have been plagued and chaſtned every morning. It was no fair and equal dealing as it ſeemed to him; he knew not what to make of theſe proceedings. And where was Jeremiah, when reaſoning with him of his judgements, as he calls it, Jer. 12.1. he thus expoſtulateth the caſe; Wherefore doth the way of the wicked proſper? wherefore are all they happy that deal very treacherouſly? He could conceive no reaſon for it, and therefore takes upon him to call the Lord to coram, how he could warrant his proceedings. If ſuch blaſphemous thoughts aſſault us, my Beloved, let us remember that of Auſtin, The judgements of the Lord are aliquando aperta, aliquando ecculta, ſemper juſta: ſometimes ſecret, ſometimes open, always juſt: yea juſt when they are ſecret, when with the Prophet Jeremiah we cannot ſee the reaſon of his judgements: And let us have it always in our thoughts, that the time is drawing on, when the juſtice of the Lord (which in this preſent life is cover'd and obſcur'd) ſhall be revealed and made bare-fac't to the world, to wit, at the great day of retribution, which is therefore called in Scripture, The day of Revelation of the juſt judgement of God: which here is hid in the proſperity of the wicked, and the preſſures of the righteous.
Is God a very juſt and righteous God? Then let it comfort and encourage Ʋſe 2 thoſe who are abuſed and injured, and oppreſt by them who are too ſtrong and mighty for them, ſo that they know not which way in the world to help themſelves againſt them. Conſider with your ſelves, you who are in this condition, though others do you wrong, yet God will ſurely do you right, and he will do it readily, for he takes delight in it; He hath prepared his Throne for judgement, and he ſhall judge the world in righteouſneſs, ſaith David, Pſal. 9.8. And what doth he infer upon it? He will be a refuge to the oppreſsed. And therefore let all thoſe that are oppreſſed fly to this refuge, and let the righteouſneſs of God ſupport them, and uphold them, againſt the wicked and unrighteous dealing that they find from men. He loveth righteouſneſs, and therefore he will ſurely do you right; he hateth iniquity, and therefore he will ſurely puniſh them that do you wrong: And therefore go and cry to him, tell him how you are uſed by thoſe that over-power you in the world, and that you have no friends nor means to help your ſelves, and ſo beſeech him earneſtly to ſhew himſelf, and to appear for you: ſay as Hezekiah did, Iſa. 38.14. O Lord I am oppreſt, undertake for me; and be confident of this, that you cannot eaſily put any buſineſs into the hands of God, that he takes more delight to do; O it is a thing that pleaſeth him exceedingly, he loves it dearly to do them right that ſuffer wrong, and to avenge the wrong they ſuffer, upon thoſe that do it. He loveth righteouſneſs, and hateth iniquity: yea, the leſs able you are to relieve and help your ſelves, the more he loves to do you juſtice: And therefore takes upon himſelf the ſpecial care of thoſe who are moſt deſtitute of earthly ſuccour, as the fatherleſs and widdows, and the like. A Father of the fatherleſs, and a judge of the widdows, is God in his holy habitation, Pſal. 68.5.
Ʋſe 3 Is God a very juſt and righteous God? This then may be a motive and inducement to us, to ſtand no longer out againſt him, but to come in to him and become his ſubjects. It is a great advantage to the ſubject, and a ſpecial benefit, when he that is inveſted with Supream authority and power, will not abuſe it any way to the damage of his people; Our earthly Governors are very ſeldom ſo upright, but they will ſtrain their power a little now and then, (and it may be, not a little) to incroach and to intrench upon the liberty, upon the property, upon the rights and priviledges of the Subject. But God, my Brethren, is a righteous God; yea he is ſo incomparably juſt, that though he be Omnipotent, and doth what pleaſeth him in heaven and earth, ſo that none can ſtay his hand, nor ſay unto him, What doſt thou? By means of which Almightineſs of his he might oppreſs his ſubjects at his own pleaſure, and need not fear that they will riſe againſt him to recover and reſume their right from him: Yet he doth nothing elſe but right to them, he doth not injure them, or wrong them any way; Yea, he ruleth righteouſly, not out of politick reſpects and reaſons only, but out of inward inclination and affection. O my Beloved, who would not be ſubject to ſuch a King as this is? Why ſhould we not rejoyce to reſign all to him, and to be under his authority and juriſdiction, as the Prophet counſelleth us, Zach. 9.9. Rejoyce greatly O daughter of Sion; and why ſo? becauſe thy King cometh to thee, and he is juſt. (Even ſo ſay I to you my Brethren) God is a very juſt and righteous God, and he deſires to be received and entertained by you: That you would ſet your gates open, that he may enter and ſit upon the Throne in your hearts. Say to him now, Ride on Lord, becauſe of thy righteouſneſs; Come in Lord, and take command of us; We would willingly be ruled by ſuch a juſt and righteous Prince as thou art.
Ʋſe 4 Is God a very juſt and righteous God? Where then ſhall the wicked and ungodly appear? What will they do who are unrighteous, when the time of judgement comes, who have lived in the continued and voluntary breach of all his laws? what will they plead why they ſhould not be condemned? Me thinks the juſtice and the uprightneſs of the Judge ſhould aſtoniſh and affright them, who have ſo ill a cauſe, ſo bad a matter to be heard before him. If they whoſe hearts and lives are full of all unrighteouſneſs be judg'd with juſt and righteous judgement, if they receive according to their works, what think you will their portion be? Ah, my Beloved, lay it ſeriouſly to heart, you that run out with the intemperate, you that oppreſs and grind the poor, that are abominable and diſobedient, and to every good work reprobate, how will you hold up your heads when the day of reckoning cometh, and all your ſins ſhall be laid open in their colors? when God ſhall bring every work to judgement, and every ſecret thing, when he ſhall rip up all your cloſe abominations, and all your ſecret wickedneſſes, that never any eye ſaw, when the books ſhall be laid open, and all the black bills read; when God ſhall ſay to the Miniſters of vengeance, Go give them now according as their works have been. Look how much they have ſinned, and how much wickedneſs they have committed, ſo much ſorrow and torment give them. Oh then what wringing of hands, what renting of hearts, what cries and lamentations will there be? able to make a Rock relent, and a Flint to fall aſunder; and yet God will ſtand out immoveable againſt them all; for he is a righteous God; nothing will bend him from the rule of Juſtice.
And as this ſerves for terrour to the wicked, ſo for comfort to the Ʋſe 5 righteous, that God is ſuch a juſt and righteous God.
But you will ſay, What reaſon have we to rejoyce in this? Queſt. For if we have but juſtice from him, we are certainly undone; for what have we deſerved but death and ruine?
To this I anſwer, If we have juſtice from him, we are well enough, Anſw. and this we ſhall be ſure to have, and therefore let us take comfort. I ſpeak not now of ſuch a juſtice as reſpects the merit of the work; for this we are delivered from; but I ſpeak of ſuch a juſtice as reſpects the truth of his promiſe, by which he hath engaged himſelf, that he will forgive our ſins, that he will reward our labours, that he will puniſh all our enemies: and if he keep his word with us, (as he is bound to do in juſtice) I hope we are in a very good caſe. His righteouſneſs lies at ſtake for all thoſe, by reaſon of his Covenant and Engagement to us. Indeed before he made the Covenant he was free, he might have done according to his own pleaſure; But having made it, he is bound, he is held to it, and may not vary. Now he muſt forgive our ſins, or elſe he is unrighteous, as the Apoſtle John inſinuates in 1 Joh. 1.9. He is faithful and juſt to forgive us our ſins. Now he muſt reward our labours, or elſe he is unjuſt, as the Apoſtle Paul ſpeaks, Heb. 6.10. The Lord is not unrighteous to forget our work and labour: He doth not ſay, the Lord is not unmerciful, but the Lord is not unrighteous; Now he muſt give us everlaſting reſt, and render everlaſting trouble to our enemies, and that upon the ſame ground: And therefore ſaith the ſame Apoſtle, 2 Theſ. 1.6. It is a righteous thing with him to render tribulation to them that trouble you; and to you that are troubled reſt with us; So that you ſee the juſtice, and the righteouſneſs of God, which is a ground of horrour to the wicked; yet it is a ground of comfort to the godly. It is very ill for them, it is very well for us, that God is ſuch a righteous God. It is their loſs, and it is our gain.
And the cauſe is manifeſt; for he proceeds with them according unto ſuch a juſtice as reſpects the merit of the work; and he proceeds with us according unto ſuch a juſtice as reſpects the verity and truth of his promiſe. And therefore though ungodly men have cauſe to fear and tremble at it, yet we have reaſon to rejoyce at it. And this is clearly intimated by the Prophet David in the fore-alledged place, which indeed is very notable to this purpoſe, Pſal. 96. ult. Let the heavens rejoyce, ſaith he, and ſo on. And why ſo? for he ſhall judge the world with righteouſneſs, and the people with his truth. Obſerve it well, the world with righteouſneſs; the people that ſtand in oppoſition to the world, his people with his truth: The world with ſuch a righteouſneſs as looks upon the merit of their works; His own people with ſuch a righteouſneſs as looks upon the truth of his promiſe. His people with his truth; Righteouſneſs and truth do kiſs each other. O let the people of the Lord rejoyce that they ſhall have righteous judgement; that God will do according to his promiſe and his Covenant with them, when the great day of retribution cometh. That he will in this reſpect be juſt and righteous to forgive them and reward them: Let them be glad of this for ever.
Ʋſe 6 I have but one thing more to add, and that ſhall be a word of humble Admonition to the Deputies and Miniſters of God,Preached at the Aſſize. Superior and Inferior Magiſtrates, to labour to conform themſelves to him in this reſpect, and to be juſt and righteous as he is. They are under him, and for him, and therefore ſhould endeavour to be like him. Honorable and Beloved, the Land abounds with wickedneſs of every kind, there is much unrighteous dealing everywhere with God and man. This calls for righteous dealing from them that bear the Sword of Juſtice; that theſe abominations may be purged out, and that our breaches may be yet repaired. In ſuch a time as this, when there are ſuch abuſes, ſuch blaſphemies, ſuch prophanations of the day and Ordinances of the Lord, ſuch ſwearing, drunkenneſs, uncleanneſs, inceſt, &c. as former ages have not equal'd: Juſtice ſhould flow down like water, to waſh away this filth from us, and righteouſneſs as a mighty ſtream that violently bears down all before it, and will not be diverted from the Channel which it ought to run in. As there is no reſpect of perſons with God, let there be none with you; let every one receive according to his cauſe, and according to his deeds.
When parties ſtruggle in the bowels of a Nation, when there are factions up, as there are at this time, there is a great temptation to unrighteouſneſs in this reſpect; one muſt be favourd, becauſe he is of ſuch a party, another muſt be rigorouſly dealt withall, becauſe he is of ſuch a party; though the cauſe of both be like. It ought to be the care of Magiſtrates, that in the execution of their Office, they be not byaſſed, that they be not drawn aſide by ſuch low conſiderations. They muſt not foreign, with the Delphian Oracle, they muſt not ſpeak or act in their Adminiſtrations ſo as to comply with any party, as if they were afraid of doing that which will diſpleaſe the ſtrongeſt ſide, which will not relliſh well with thoſe who may do them a diſpleaſure: No, they muſt foreign, judge for Chriſt and act for God, and do as near as it is poſſible, as he would do if he were in their places: they muſt be juſt as he is. And to encourage you to this; Conſider
Firſt, This is the ready way to ſettle, and eſtabliſh and confirm this totering Nation when it ſhakes, and when it is about to fall. Juſtice upholds the pillars of it; It is Columna & corona Reipublicae. There are at this time many things in agitation, and many ways and projects thought upon to ſettle Government among us: But when we have run through them all, we ſhall find in the concluſion that nothing in the world will do it like to righteouſneſs. Let the form, and let the frame of Government be what it will, the Throne muſt be eſtabliſht by righteouſneſs; Eſpecially when it is firſt ſet up. Juſtice is as neceſſary to confirm a new Government, as Miracles to confirm a new Doctrine. And if the people find not this, if there be tyranny, injuſtice, and oppreſſion ſtill, that which made the old unpleaſing, will have the ſame effect and operation on the new.
Secondly, This Righteouſneſs in your Adminiſtrations will make you aimable in the ſight of God; as God himſelf is righteous, ſo he loveth righteouſneſs; as he acteth it himſelf, ſo he affecteth it in others. The righteous Lord (ſaith holy David) loveth righteouſneſs, his countenance doth behold the upright, Pſal. 11.7. Righteous he is in all his actings and adminiſtrations; he is the righteous Lord: ſo righteous and ſo juſt, that there is none in that reſpect like him: and that out of a principle of love within: the righteous Lord loveth righteouſneſs; yea, he affecteth it, and loves it ſo, that he gives no man a good countenance, or a good look ſo much, that is not juſt and righteous too: his countenance doth behold the upright, the upright and none elſe. But as for thoſe that are unrighteous, he abhors them, all of them without exception, he hateth all workers of iniquity, Pſal. 5.5.
Thirdly, As it will make you amiable in the eyes of God, ſo you will find it to be very beneficial to your ſelves: They are precious promiſes that God makes, and great rewards that he gives to thoſe that love and do Juſtice. That is a ſignal one, Iſa. 33.15. He that walketh righteouſly and ſpeaks uprightly; he that deſpiſeth the gain of oppreſsion, and ſhaketh his hands from holding of bribes; ſo that it any put a bribe into his hand before he be aware, he ſhakes it out again, and doth not hold it: he ſhall dwell on high, his place of defence ſhall be the munition of the Rocks: bread ſhall be given him, his waters ſhall be ſure: He ſhall have honor, he ſhall dwell on high, he ſhall be lifted up above his brethren: He ſhall have ſure protection, his defence ſhall be the munition of the Rocks; high, that the enemy can never reach him, and high upon the Rock, that he cannot undermine him. And as he ſhall have honor and protection, ſo he ſhall have proviſion too, bread ſhall be given him, and full proviſion; he ſhall have bread and water too, and this ſhall be ſure to him; Bread ſhall be given him, his waters ſhall be ſure.
And as there is much promiſed to, ſo there hath been much done for thoſe who have laid out themſelves in doing juſtice. You know how Jehu ſped, and yet he did it in hypocriſie. The Kingdom was continued in his line to the fourth generation. Phineas it ſeems was more upright, and therefore he had a reward that laſted longer, Numb. 25.13. He ſhall have and his ſeed after him the Covenant of an everlaſting Prieſthhod, becauſe he was zealous for his God, to wit, in executing juſtice on that notorious pair of foul offenders; Indeed the recompence of him that doth it in ſincerity, ſhall laſt for ever; For he ſhall dwell upon Gods holy Mountain, he ſhall receive an Euge, when the great day of reckoning cometh.
And thus far of the firſt concluſion, God is a very juſt and righteous God. I ſhall ſpeak very little to the ſecond, becauſe indeed it is not large: however I ſhall touch it in a word or two.
DOCTRINE. That Jeſus Chriſt came to him as a righteous God, and looked upon him as a righteous God, when he was making his petitions to him.
You ſee it evidently and demonſtratively in the Text: this is the appellation that he gives him, Righteous Father; His thoughts it ſeems are taken up more with the righteouſneſs of God, then any other attribute of his at this time.
I ſhall not undertake to ſhew why he did ſo, he had his reaſons in his own breaſt and boſom. Only this is probable, he did it that he might be an Example and Preſident to us, that we might learn of him to do as he did; That when we are approaching to the Throne of grace, we might be very much poſſeſt with deep and ſerious contemplations of the righteouſneſs of God.
Uſe. And therefore to make a little application of the point, Let us learn of Jeſus Chriſt, how to behave ovr ſelves when we are making our addreſſes to the Majeſty of God, and pouring out our prayers to him. We are exhorted very often in the Scripture to be followers of Chriſt, and ſo to walk and act, as we have him for an example, in all his imitable ways and actions; his practice ought to be a rule to us; and therefore let us labour to conform our ſelves to Jeſus Chriſt in this particular; when we are drawing nigh to God in prayer, let our thoughts be taken up with meditation of his righteouſneſs, let them work much upon this attribute of his.
It will be very uſeful to us, as I ſhall ſhew you in a few particulars.
1. The meditation of the righteouſneſs of God, will humble us for ſin, and ſtir us up (as far as it is poſſible) to cleanſe our ſelves from ſin, when we are making our approaches to him: For ſin, my Brethren, is againſt the righteouſneſs of God; yea in directeſt oppoſition: And therefore it is ſet out by the name of unrighteouſneſs in Scripture. Not only all injuſtice is unrighteouſneſs, but ſin is generally ſo; The wrath of God, ſaith the Apoſtle, is revealed from heaven, againſt all ungodlineſs and unrighteouſneſs of men, Rom. 1.18. againſt every kind of ſin, eſpecially that violates the ſecond Table. And ſo all unrighteouſneſs is ſin, ſaith the Evangeliſt, 1 Joh. 5.17. And I may ſay as well, all ſin is unrighteouſneſs. And hence it is my Brethren, that it is ſo infinitely odious to the righteous God.
And truly did we ſeriouſly conſider this my Brethren, when we come to pray before him, we ſhould be deeply humbled for it, and aſhamed of it, we ſhould ſtrive exceedingly to quit and rid our ſelves of it, which is ſo contrary to this attribute of his, and conſequently is ſo deteſtable to him. Oh we would ſhake and quiver every joynt, to think of coming to the righteous God in our unrighteouſneſs unhumbled for, and unreformed. We would conſider with our ſelves, What will the Lord ſay to me when he ſees me in his preſence? How will he look on ſuch a wicked and unrighteous wretch as I am? how is it poſſible but he ſhould hide his eyes from me? how can he chooſe but hate me and abhor me? Do I expect to find favour in his eyes, and come before him with that which he ſo abhors, as if I meant to vex him, and provoke him? And therefore if we ever look to ſpeed with God in prayer, let us conſider what a righteous God he is, and let us labour to cleanſe our ſelves from our unrighteouſneſs, that is, as far as it is poſſible from every ſin, and he will receive us, as his own expreſſion is, 2 Cor. 6.17. or otherwiſe he will not.
2. The meditation of the righteouſneſs of God, will ſtrengthen and confirm our faith, in all the pretious promiſes of God, when we are pouring out our prayers to him: Becauſe indeed his righteouſneſs and juſtice lies at ſtake for the performance of his promiſes, by reaſon of his Covenant and Engagement to us. It is true, before he made the Covenant he was free, he might have done according to his own pleaſure: But having made it, he is bound, he is held to it, and may not vary. Now he muſt forgive our ſins, (ours that believe) or elſe he is unrighteous, as the Apoſtle John inſinuates, 1 Joh. 1.19. He is faithful and juſt to forgive our ſins: Now he muſt reward our labour, or elſe he is unrighteous, as the Apoſtle ſpeaks, Heb. 6.10. The Lord is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour. He doth not ſay, the Lord is not unmerciful, but the Lord is not unrighteous: Now he muſt give us everlaſting reſt, and render everlaſting trouble to our enemies, or elſe he is unrighteous: And therefore ſaith the ſame Apoſtle, 2 Theſſ. 1.6. It is a righteous thing with God to render tribulation to them that trouble you, and to you who are troubled, reſt with us.
And therefore when we pray for the pardon of our ſins, the acceptance of our labours, or any other good thing comprehended in the Covenant, from the beginning of it to the end: Let us fix our ſerious thoughts, not only on the mercy, but alſo on the juſtice and the righteouſneſs of God, and we ſhall find it will exceedingly confirm our wavering faith, while we conſider that his righteouſneſs is bound for the performance of his promiſes; and that as ſure as God is righteous, he will with-hold no good thing from us.