man, nor son of man, in the earth? But the habitable part of the earth, though not yet made, was the place he was to come into, for redeeming his people. And as he delighted in it from eternity, he came triumphantly into it, in the fulness of time: Heb. x. 7. Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me) to do thy will, O God. He also loved the ground his bride was to tread on, the earth where they were to live in, and where in time he was to court the heart and win the love of his people.

3. Our Lord went where his people deserved to go. There is a good sense of that harsh-like word, He descended into hell. It is a Popish fable, to imagine, that Christ, after he died, went down into the place of the damned, either to suffer, or to do any thing there. His humiliation was accomplished in bis dying, and lying in the grave for a time. But if we take it in this sense, that that stroke of Divine justice that his people by sin had deserved, Christ did feel and bear; this is the usual voice of the gospel. The sword of justice was roused, furbished, and drawn against Jesus Christ, and his soul pierced thereby, Zech. xiii. 7. He was apprehended, accused, arraigned, condemned, and executed, most unjustly and wickedly by men, but most righteously by God. Mens putting of Christ to death, was the most unjust and wicked act that ever was done in the world. But the Lord Jehovah's part in it, was most just and righteous. If you have ears to hear it, this is a sure truth, Never did a damned sinner deserve hell more justly, nor was, nor shall be sent into it more righteously, than the spotless Lamb of God deserved the stroke of Divine justice for the sins of his people laid upon him. It was indeed infinite grace and love in the Father, to substitute his only begotten Son to be the Saviour of sinners, 1 John iv. 9, 10. It was infinite grace in our Lord Jesus Christ, to condescend to be the sacrifice for sinners, 2 Cor. viii. 9. But when both are done, justice was glorified in the execution of this sacrifice, Rom. iii. 25, 26.

4. Our Lord also went whither he had a mind to bring us; and that is, to heaven. And yet all this is short of being with him where he is. On this, consider, 1. How he went, and left his people: Luke xxiv. 50, 51. And he led them out as far

as to Bethany; and he lift up his hands, and blessed them. And it came to pass, while he blessed them, he was parted from them, and carried up into heaven. A blessed way of going hence. Our blessed Lord came into the world, as the greatest blessing that ever it got. He blessed his people while he was with them, and blessed them at parting, and will return again to bless them more. The last use our Lord made of his lips on earth (into which grace was poured, Ps. xlv. 2.), and the last use he made of his holy hands, was to bless his people; and the force and virtue of that blessing remains to this day, and will until his return. He went away blessing, and will come again blessing. He ascended with a shout, Psalm xlvii. 5.; and he shall himself descend from heaven with a shout, 1 Thess. iv. 16. 2. Consider what he went to heaven for. It was to possess heaven for us, as the forerunner, Heb. vi. 20.; to prepare a place for us, John xiv. 2, 3.; to make intercession for us, Heb. ix. 24.; to mind our concerns while we are here, and to welcome us to heaven when he calls us hence. You may think, that it is far more comfortable for believers now to die, having Christ in heaven before them, than it was for believers to die before he came into the world, as many did; or to die, and leave Christ in the world, as it may be some did: though his saving grace is the same in all the states he was in. But now we die to be with him, Phil. i. 23. to be where he is, John xiv. 2, 3.

5. Christ is with his people even while they are here in the world. This is also a great blessing, but short of this being with him where he is. There are two seasons when this presence of Christ with his people is known. 1. When they are at their best. When is a Christian at his best? Every one can answer, It is when most of Christ's presence is enjoyed. 2. When is he at his worst? When in great affliction, Isa. xliii. 2. Paul found this presence: 2 Tim. iv. 16, 17. At my first answer no man stood with me, but all men forsook me. He had never a friend then and there, but Jesus Christ. Notwithstanding the Lord stood with me, and strengthened me. When a believer is greatly tempted, then is he in a bad eondition. Peter was warned both of his danger and relief, Luke xxii. 31, 32. Paul had this exercise, 2 Cor. xii. 7, 8, 9. and

relief under it; and makes this use of it, Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. As if he had said, "I have got a trouble"some visit from the devil; but it hath been the occasion of "a gracious visit from Christ. And if the one come first, "and the other follow, the first is to be patiently borne, and "the other to be thankfully received." There is also a presence of Christ with his people, even in their stumblings. Though he be displeased with them for their falling, yet he hath a double care about them. One is, that they may not fall utterly: Psal. xxxvii. 24. Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down; for the Lord upholdeth him with his hand. Another care of Christ about his stumbling children, is, to take theni up again. Lastly, Christ's people have his presence with him in dying. And it is a precious and needful blessing. Will Christ withdraw his gracious help and presence from his people, when it is so very needful? Paul calls dying by a sweet name, 1 Thess. iv. 14. sleeping in Jesus. It is a dark place, and a cold pillow, that this sleep is taken on. But it is the sweetest sleep that ever the believer took. The body is freed from all pain and trouble, and will be sweetly awakened at the last day. And till then the Spirit is not only with him that gave it, Eccl. xii. 7. but with him that redeemed it, Psal.

xxxi. 5.

But now what Christ prays for here, is far beyond all those. He was made what we are; came where we were; suffered what we deserved; went to heaven for us; gives his presence with us here, in life and death. But more than all is this, I will have them where I am.

There are two points of doctrine that I would speak to from this word.

DOCT. 1. To be with Christ where he is, is Christ's, and the believer's heaven; that heaven that Christ gives, and that believers

receive.

DOCT. 2. That our Lord's will is set upon his people's enjoying of this blessedness.

I would at this time conclude with three words of Applica tion of what hath been said.

1. Behold how greatly Christ loves his people.

This prayer

He cannot

of his for them, flowed from his boundless love. be pleased without them, and they cannot be happy without him. All the glory and bliss that Christ is possessed of, doth not fully satisfy him, till he have all his people with him. His church is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all, Eph. i. 23.

2. Behold how happy are his people. Moses sung thus of old, Deut. xxxiii. 29. Happy art thou, O Israel: Who is like unto thee, O people saved by the Lord? Much more may we say so, when Christ hath appeared, who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel, 2 Tim. i. 10.

3. Learn to pray moderately for the lives of Christ's people. There are some of the godly that are very useful by their gifts and grace; and, if spared, might be of great profit to the church of Christ. Such we should be loth to lose, and their lives we may pray for; yet it must be done moderately. Who can tell, but Christ and we are praying counter to one another? He may be saying in heaven, "Father, I will have "such a one to be with me where I am;" and we saying on earth, "Lord, we would have him to be with us where we are :" we saying, "We cannot spare him as yet ;" and Christ saying, "I will be no longer without him." It is the force of this prayer of Christ, "I will have them to be with me where "I am," that is the cause of the death of the godly. It is the force of this prayer that carries away so many of the saints in our day. Christ is saying in heaven, "I will have "them where I am. They are despised in the world, and "badly used on the earth: Father, let us have them where "we are." Should not we pray modestly for their lives, while we know not his secret will? and should not we believingly submit to his will, when he reveals it? Say, "Let them go from us, since Christ calls them to be with "him." It is his will, and their great advantage, Phil. i. 23.

SERMON V.

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.

I ENTERED last day upon the second thing I took up in the

matter of Christ's prayer in this verse; which was the blessing Christ prays for to his people, in these words, That they may also be with me where I am. In opening of them, I did speak a little, 1. To the force of this word also. 2. What it is to be with Christ. 3. What to be with him where he is. And then raised two points of doctrine. 1. That the perfect blessedness of the church and people of God, is in being with Christ where he is. 2. That it is Christ's will that all his per ple should partake of, and possess this blessedness.

To the first of these I would speak, viz.

DOCT. 1. That the perfect and complete blessedness of the church and people of God, stands in being with Christ where he is.

Thus Christ expresseth it, John xiv. 3. That where I am, there ye may be also; and John xii. 26. If any man serve me, let him follow me; and where I am, there shall also my servant be. The apostle sums up the blessedness of the church at the last day in this, 1 Thess. iv, 17. And so shall we be ever with. the Lord. So also in 2 Cor. v. 6, 8. it is called being present with the Lord. And in Phil. i. 23. it is called being present with Christ.

There are four things I would premise concerning this matter, that may be of use to regulate your thoughts in hearing and studying the word of God about heaven.

1. This blessedness is greatly in the dark to us. It is an enjoyment within the vail, as Heb. vi. 19. And it is necessarily so. The thing we desire to be informed in, is, What