Arg. 3. And yet, to make all fast and sure, he adds, in the be- ginning of this verse 11. a third argument, in these words, k* And now I am no more in the world.11 Where Ave must consi- der the sense of it, as a proposition, and the force of it, as an ar- gument. This proposition, " I am no more in the world," is not to be taken simply and universally, as if, in no sense, Christ should be any more in this world : but only respectively, as to his corporeal presence ; this was, in a little time, to be removed from his people, which had been a sweet spring of comfort to them, in all their troubles. But now it might have been said to the pensive disciples, as the sons of the prophets said to Elisha, a little before Elijah's translation, " Know ye not that your master shall be taken " from your heads to-day ?" This comfortable enjoyment must be taken from them ; this is the sense. And here lies the ar- gument; Father, consider the sadness and trouble I shall leave my poor children under. Whilst I was with them, I was a sweet relief to their souls, whatever troubles they met with ; in all doubts, fears, and dangers, they could repair to me ; and in their straits and wants I still supplied them : they had my counsels to direct them, my reproofs to reduce them, and my comforts to support them ; yea, the very sight of me was an unspeakable joy and re- freshment to their souls : but now the hour is come, and I must be gone. All the comfort and benefit they had from my presence among them, is cut off: and, except thou do make up all this to them another way, what will become of these children, when their Father is gone ? What will be the case of the poor sheep, and ten- der lambs, when the shepherd is smitten ? Therefore, O my Fa- ther, look thou after them, see to them, for they are thine as well as mine ; I am glorified in them, and now leaving then), and re. moving out of this world from them.
253 THE FOUNTAIN OF LIFE. SERM. XX.
Arg. 4. And yet, to move and engage the Father's care and love for them, he subjoins another great consideration, in the very next words, drawn from the danger he leaves them in ; " But " these are in the world." The world is a sinful, infecting, and unquiet place ; it lies in wickedness : And a hard thing it will be for such poor, weak, imperfect creatures to escape the pollutions of it ; or, if they do, yet the troubles, persecutions, and strong op- positions of it they cannot escape. Seeing therefore I must leave thine own dear children, as well as mine, and those from whom the glory is to rise, in the midst of a sinful, troublesome, dangerous world, where they can neither move backward nor forward, with- out danger of sin or ruin : O, since the case stands so, look after them, provide for them, and take special care for them all. Con- sider who they are, and where I leave them. They are thy chil- dren, to be left in a strange country ; thy soldiers, in the enemies quarters ; thy sheep, in the midst of wolves ; thy precious treasure, among thieves.
Arg. 5. And yet he hath not done, for he resolves to strive hard for the mercies he had asked, and will not come off with a denial ; and therefore adds another argument in the next words, And I come to thee. As his leaving them was an argument, so his coming to the Father is a mighty argument also. There is much in these words, / come to thee. [/,] thy beloved Son, in which thy soul delighteth ; I, to whom thou never deniedst any thing. It is not a stranger, but a son ; not an adopted, but thine only begotten Son. It is I that [co???e.] I am now coming to thee apace, my Fa- ther. I come to thee swimming through a bloody ocean. I come, treading every step of my way to thee in blood, and unspeakable sufferings ; and all this for the sake of those dear ones I now pray for ; yea, the design and end of my coming to thee, is for them. I am coming to heaven in the capacity of an advocate, to plead with thee for them. And I come to [Thee] my Father, and their Father ; my God, and their God. Now then, since I, that am so dear, come through such bitter pangs, to thee, so dear, so tender- hearted a Father ; and all this on their score and account : Since I do but now, as it were, begin, or give them a little taste of that intercession- work, which I shall live for ever to perform for them in heaven ; Father, hear, Father, grant what I request. O give a comfortable earnest of those good things which I am coming to thee for, and which I know thou wilt not deny me.
Arg. 6. And, to close up all, he tells the Father how careful he had been to observe, and perform that trust which was committed to him ; " While I was with them in the world, I kept them in " thy name ; those that thou gavest me, I have kept, and none of " them is lost, but the son of perdition," ver. l&
SERM. XX. THE FOUNTAIN OF LIFE. 2q3
And thus lies the argument : Thou committedst to me a certain number of elect souls, to be redeemed by me ; I undertook the trust, and said, if any of these be lost, at my hand let them be re- quired, I will answer for them every one to thee. In pursuance of which trust, I am now here on the earth, in a body of flesh. I have been faithful to a point. I have redeemed them (for he speaks of that as finished and done, which was now ready to be done) I have kept them also, and confirmed them hitherto ; and now, Father, I commit them to thy care. Lo, here they are, not one is lost, but the son of perdition, who was never given. With how great care have I been careful for them ! O let them not fail now ; let not one of them perish.
Thus you see what a nervous, argumentative, pleading prayer Christ poured out to the Father for them at parting.
Thirdly, The next enquiry is, why he thus prayed and pleaded with God for them, when he was to die ?
And certainly it was not because the Father was unwilling to grant the mercies he desired for them : No, they came not with difficulty, nor were they wrestled by mere importunity, out of the hand of an unwilling and backward person. For, he tells us, John vi. 27. " The Father himself loveth you,'" i. e. he is propense enough of his own accord to do you good. But the reasons of this exceeding importunity, are,
1. He foresaw a great trial then at hand; yea, and all the after- trials of his people as well as that. He knew how much they would be sifted, and put to, in that hour, and power of darkness, that was coming. He knew their faith would be shaken, and greatly stag- gered by the approaching difficulties, when they should see their Shepherd smitten, and themselves scattered, the Son of man deliver- ed into the hands of sinners, and the Lord of life hang dead upon the tree, yea, sealed up in the grave. He foresaw what straits his poor people would fall into, betwixt a busy devil, and a bad heart ; therefore he prays and pleads with such importunity and ardency for them, that they might not miscarry.