*ERM. XX. THE FOUXTAIX OF LIFE. 547
ther ; the institution of a commemorative sign, to perpetuate and refresh the memory of his death in the hearts of his people, till he come again. And his pouring out his soul to God, by prayer in the garden ; which was the posture he cho^e to be found in, when they should apprehend him.
This scripture contains the first preparative of Christ for death, whereby he sets his house in order, prays for his people, and 1 ges them before he dies. The love of Christ was ever tender and strong to his people ; but the greatest manifestations of it was at parting. And this he manifested two ways especially ; viz. in leav- ing singular supports, and grounds of comfort with them in his heavenly sermon, in chap. xiv. xv. xvi. and in pouring out his soul most affectionately to the Father for them in this heavenly prayer, chap. xvii. In this prayer he gives them a specimen, or samp.-, that his glorious intercession-work, which he was just then going to perform in heaven for them. Here his heart overflowed, for he was now leaving them, and going to the Father. The last words of a dving man are remarkable, how much more a dying Saviour ? I shall not launch out into that blessed ocean of precious matter contained in this chapter, but take immediately into consi- deration the words that I read, wherein I find a weighty petition, strongly followed and set home with many mightv arguments.
1. We have here Christ's petition, or request in behalf of his people, not only those on the place, but all others that then did, or afterwards should believe on him. And the sum of what he here requests for them is, that his Father would keep them through his name. Where you have both the mercy, and the means o taining it. The mercy is to be kept. Keeping implies danger. And there is a double danger obviated in this request ; danger in respect of sin, and danger in respect of ruin and destruction. To both these the people of God he open in this world.
The means of their preservation from both is the name, i. e. the power of God. Tins name of the Lord is that •• strong tower to " which the righteous fly, and are safe,"* Frov. xviii. 10. Alas ! It is not vour own strength or wisdom that keeps you, but ft kept by the mighty power of God. This protecting power of ( doth not, however, exclude our care and diligence, but implies it ; therefore it is added, •* Ye are kept bv the mighty power of 4* God, through faith, unto salvation," 1 Pet. i. 5. God keeps his people, and yet they are to keep themselves in the love of I Jude, ver. 21. to keep their hearts with all diligence, Prov. iv This is the sum of the petition.
% The arguments with which he urgeth and presses on this re- quest, are drawn partly from his o:cn condition, u I am no. more in %* the world T i- * I ■* g°mg to °^e i withki a verv few hours I
THE FOUNTAIN OF LIFE. SERM. XX,
shall be separated from them, in regard of my corporeal presence. Partly from their condition : " but these are in the world ;" i. e. I must leave them in the midst of danger ; and partly from the joint interest his Father and himself had in them; " Keep those' that " thou hast given me:1' with several other most prevalent pleas, which, in their proper places, shall be anon produced, and display- ed, to illustrate and confirm this precious truth which this scripture affords us,
Doct. That the fatherly care, and tender love of our Lord Jesus Christ, was eminently discovered in that pleading prayer he poured ontfor his people at his parting with them.
It pertained to the priest and father of the family to bless the rest, especially when he was to be separated from them by death. This was a rite in Israel. When good Jacob was grown old, and the time was come that he should be gathered to his fathers, then u he blessed Joseph, Ephraim and Manasseth, saying, God, before " whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac did walk, the God which " fed me all my life long unto this day, the angel which redeem- * ed me from all evil, bless the lads," Gen. xlviii. 15, 16. This was * a prophetical and patriarchal blessing : not that Jacob could bless as God blesses ; he could speak the words of blessing, but he knew the effect, the real blessing itself depended upon God. And though he blessed autlwritatively, yet not potestatively ; i e. he could as the mouth of God, pronounce blessings, but could not confer them -f\ Thus he blessed his children, as his father Isaac had also blessed him before he died, Gen. xxviii. 3. and all these blessings were delivered prayer-wise,
Now when Jesus Christ comes to die, he will bless his children also, and therein will discover how much dear and tender love he had for them : (i Having loved his own, which were in the world, << he loved them to the end," John xiii. 1. The last act of Christ in this world, was an act of blessing, Luke xxiv. 50, 51.
To prepare this point for use, I will here open, First, The mercies which Christ requested of the Father for them. Secondly, The arguments used by him to obtain these mercies. Thirdly, Why he thus pleaded for them when he was to die, Fourthly, and last-
* Jacob desired to bless his sons, not with a common, but with a prophetic and patriarchal blessing; for he knew that he only could speak the words, but the ef- fect depended on another : therefore lie sought the blessing from him, with whom speaking and doing are one and the same thing, i. e. God himself. Ainsworth in Inc.
f Blessing is either potestative, which is to confer temporal blessings by a mere act of the will; or authoritative, which is, by virtue of one's office, to pray for, jnd to pronounce temporal or eternal blessings to be conferred by God,. Pareui.
SERM. XX. THE FOUNTAIN OF LIFE. 249
ly, How all this gives full evidence of Christ's tender care and love to his people.
First, We will enquire what those mercies and special favours were, which Christ begged for his people, when he was to die. And, we find, among others, these five special mercies desired for them, in this context.