without any regard to worth in us, but only to his own free grace and love in Jesus Christ. The Spirit of Christ in believers is a Spirit of prayer, a Spirit of begging in a child at its heavenly Father's door. The believer finds manifold daily wants; he knows none can relieve and supply his wants, but his God by Jesus Christ, Phil. iv. 19. He hath an instinct, and some ability by the Spirit to beg and wait. The operation of the Spirit in believers, the communion of the Holy Ghost, is a great mystery. He works more on them, than they feel and know; and they feel more than they can express in words; and they express more than any that have not received the same Spirit of faith (2 Cor. iv. 13.) can understand. But this we know, that whensoever the Spirit of Christ applies his grace and power to the heart of a sinner, there is something wrought that day, that shall last to eternity. There is, by that finger of God, that impression made upon the soul, and that mark left upon it, that shall never wear out, and that sin and Satan shall never be able to blot out again; but it shall remain, and grow, and be seen at the coming of Christ at the last day, Phil. i. 6. II. Why is Christ's heart so set upon his people's glory in heaven? 1. Because of his near interest in them. His interest in his church and people, is greater and closer than we can conceive. The Holy Ghost useth many similitudes to help our thoughts. Of them I would name only two of the plainest and most common. One is, of Christ's being the head, and the church his body and members; Eph. i. 22, 23. and iv. 15, 16. and Col. ii. 19. Another is, the marriageunion of man and wife; and especially of the first married couple, Adam and Eve, our first parents, Eph. v. 25,-32. And you may well think, that it was a fit match. When the first man was made, God took a part of this man's body, and made of it a woman to be a wife to him. So is the church, Christ's bride, taken out of Christ's side; not in a sleep (as it was with the first Adam, Gen. ii. 21, 22.) but in and by his death. As Eve was made a most excellent woman, both for the endowments of body and mind; so Adam in innocency did doubtless love her perfectly. She was of him, from him, for him, and made to be with him. All this is but a shadow of the church, Christ's bride. The first Adam's love to his rare wife, was nothing to Christ's love to his bride. Yea, Christ is not only the head of the body, and the husband thereof; but Christ is to the church, as our souls are to our bodies, 1 Cor. vi. 17. All the life, power, and ability of our bodies, naturally flows from the soul dwelling in it. If the soul be never so happy, (as the spirits of just men made perfect are, Heb. xii. 23.), yet it hath a happy longing in its glorified state for its re-union with the body. So Christ, the quickening Spirit, (as Paul calls him, 1 Cor. xv. 45.), hath a great happy desire of having his glorified body with him where he is. 2. Christ is much concerned about glory to his people, because of his engagements for and to his people. There is a treble engagement of Christ that he lieth under for bringing his people to heaven. 1. The command of his Father, John vi. 38, 39, 40. And this commandment is eternal life; and this Christ knew, and revealed it, John xii. 49, 50. 2. His promise to his Father in the everlasting covenant. 3. His promise to us in the gospel, 1 John ii. 25. He hath engaged to his Father, that none that are given to him shall ever perish; and he hath promised often and plainly to us in the gospel, that none that believe on him shall ever be ashamed. And wofully would a believer in Christ be ashamed, if he came short of heaven. 3. The greatness of Christ's love to his people, makes him. so much concerned about their complete salvation. Christ's love is so great, that it passeth knowledge; and some Christians love to Christ is so weak, that it is hardly seen and felt by them. It is not every one that can give Peter's answer unto Christ's question, John xxi. 15, 16, 17. Lord, thou knowest all things, thou knowest that I love thee. Now, we know concerning love, that it natively lieth in wishing well to the beloved. Doth Christ love his people? How can he but wish them well? And how can he wish them better, than to be with him where he is? APPLICATION. 1. Is Jesus Christ so much concerned for the glory and Blessedness of his people? Then see how sweetly we come to heaven. It is by Christ's blessed will; his blood paying the price, and giving us the right and title to glory; and his heart and good-will giving possession of it. Thus are we saved, both surely and sweetly. 2. How firmly should we believe on Jesus Christ, and trust him for salvation? It is no small reproach to him, that is so often done by that unbelief and doubting that is so usual to some Christians. Christ minds our salvation heartily, and we believe feebly; he saying, I will have them with me. where I am; and we often saying, Lord, thou wilt not bring me where thou art. Is it not sinful in us, and dishonourable to Christ, for us to be saying, Thou wilt not, when he is saying, I will? We should trust our salvation on Jesus Christ, not only as on him that only can save, and that is able to save perfectly; but as on him that hath more good-will to save, than we can have willingness to be saved by him. None had ever been saved by him, none had ever been brought to heaven, unless Christ had had more willingness to bring them thither, than they had to be led thither by him. He must in all things have the pre-eminence, Col. i. 18. and in this especially. Unbelief is in all doubtings of Christ's good-will to save. Whatever may be said of the leper's faith, in Matth. viii. 2. Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean; no perishing sinner can be quite excused, that shall put an if on Christ's willingness to save one that employs him in his office of saving, wherein his glory is so concerned, and his heart so deeply engaged. We should give him the glory that is due to him; to believe, that the willingness to save is greater in the Saviour, than willingness to be saved is in the sinner. For Christ's good-will to save, is the cause of any desire of salvation in any: Psalm cx. 3. Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power. When he hath a mind to save, he doth work this willingness in men to be saved by him and they will own it to proceed from his willingness, when they become strong believers; and will see it and know it perfectly, when they get full salvation. 3. How strongly should believers love the Lord Jesus Christ? Is his heart so set on thy heaven? How filled with love to him ought thy heart to be? Woe to them that love him not, 1 Cor. xvi. 22. And in no better case are they that think they love him enough; and such as love any thing as well, and that hate not all things in comparison with him, Luke xiv. 26. To love Christ as thou dost thy life, will not be enough. It is higher and greater love that Christ doth deserve and require, and will only accept. 4. How patiently and quietly should we submit to Christ's conduct and guiding us in the way to heaven? Is his heart set on bringing you thither? Let him guide you in the way as he pleaseth. Doth he say peremptorily, I will have them with me where I am? Let him guide you as he will, while you are in the world. When a believer is satisfied by faith, that Christ wills glory to him in the end, he will find it easy to submit to Christ's conduct by the way. He may indeed, in some trials of his faith, be put to say, "This is a dark path I am "led to walk in:" but faith will say, "But I am in Christ's "hand; this is his way of leading me; every step that "Christ leads the believing traveller in, must lead to hea "ven." He best knows the way; and the wisdom of the Christian lieth in following Christ whithersoever he goeth, and leadeth him. Though thou seest not heaven, the end; though thou knowest not the path he leads thee in; though the path, to thy sense, looks liker the way to hell, than to heaven: yet if Christ leadeth thee, and if thou be in his hand, it is impossible, but that Christ thy guide will bring thee to heaven, as thy home. SERMON IV. JOHN xvii. 24. Father, I will that they also whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world. THIS chapter contains the best part of the gospel. If the gospel be good news from heaven, (as surely it is), the best part of those good news is what the Saviour sends up to heaven in this prayer. And what he sends up in this prayer, he brought down from heaven, from his Father, John vi. 38. I have made some entrance on this verse 24. the sweetest of this prayer, if comparison may be made, where every word is most sweet and excellent. I have spoke unto the manner of Christ's praying, I will. The manner is singular, and the matter is most excellent. The manner of Christ's praying here, is more like a commander, than a supplicant. What specialties there were in the person that made it, and in the season that drew forth this high word, you have heard. The matter of Christ's prayer in this verse, I took up in four; and have spoke to the first of them, to wit, the description of the party he prayeth for. In this chapter, our Lord not only describeth them he prayed for, but expressly denieth that he prayed for any besides them, ver. 9, 10. I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me, for they are thine. And all mine are thine, and thine are mine, and I am glorified in them. From this description of them Christ prayed for in this verse, and in other parts of this chapter, I have spoke unto these three points: 1. That there is a select determinate company of men, that were given by the Father to the Son, to be redeemed and saved by him. 2. That this company was particularly and exactly known by Jesus Christ. 3. That Christ's heart was fixed and resolved on the eternal salvation of all them that |