7. The act of Christ's death was quickly over ; it was but a short sjiace of time ; he calleth it an hour : Ps. ex. 7, de torrente hibet, ' He shall drink of the brook in the way ; ' a draught of death : ' He tasted death for every one,' Heb. ii. 9. At one draught he drunk hell dry as to the elect.
Ohject. But we were to suffer eternally, and Christ was to bear our sorrows.
I answer — Though Christ paid the same debt, yet, through the excellency of his person, it was done in a shorter time. A payment in
120 SERMONS UPON JOHN XVII. [SeR. I.
gold is the same sum with a payment in silver or brass ; only, through the excellency of the metal, it taketh up less room.
8. The hour is come. By way of argument, he showeth the occasion of his prayer in this hour of sadness and ignominy. I am to be betrayed, condemned, buffeted, crucified ; my majesty will be obscured, and my death, like a veil, drawn upon my glory : now, glorify me in this hour. Indeed, thus it was in all Christ's weakness and abasement, there was some adjunct of glory. In his incarnation, he is thrust out into a manger, a place for horses ; but there he is worshipped. A star in heaven is hung up for a sign of that inn where Christ lay ; a new bonfire to welcome that great, but poor prince, into the world. He is apprehended by the soldiers, but they are driven back, and twice checked in their rude attempt by the beams and emissions of his divine glory. He is tempted by the devil in the wilderness, but angels are sent to minister to him. He had not wherewith to pay tribute to Ca3sar, but the sea payeth tribute to him, and a fish bringeth the money. When he was crucified and scoffed at, heaven itself becometh a mourner, and puts on a veil of darkness ; the high priest did not rend his clothes, but the veil of the temple was rent in twain, from the top to the bottom. One thief scoffed him, but another proclaimed him king. When man denied him, the creatures preached up his glory. Thus Christ, in the saddest hour, is still glorified. And thus it is with the children of God. AflHictions on wicked men are evil, and all evil ; but to the saints, a mixed dispensation : sweet experiences they have in the midst of sad calamities, and mercy in the midst of wrath.
' Glorify thy Son.' — This is the request itself: what is the meaning of it? Origen understandeth it of the very ignominy of the cross itself, which was to Christ a glory ; Gloria salvatoris, 2^cttibulum triumplianiis. The cross was not a gibbet, but a throne of honour ; and Calvary to Christ was as glorious as Olivet. It is expressed by lifting up. But certainly this cannot be intended here, because it was the lowest act of his humiliation and abasement. This is made the motive and reason of his request : ' The hour is come,' by which, as we have seen, he intendeth that sad ignominious hour. In short, it is meant either of God's glorifying him in his sufferings, or God's glori- fying him after his sufferings ; as will appear by the sequel and two parallel places.
1. Glory in his sufierings. It is said, John xiii. 31, 32, ' Therefore when he was gone out, Jesus said. Now is the Son of man glorified, and God is glorified in him. If God be glorified in him, God shall also glorify him in himself, and shall straightway glorify him.' The meaning is, now he is to show himself a glorious Saviour, by which God shall also be glorified, for which he will uphold and reward him. So, ' Glorify thy Son ; ' he intendeth those passages by which his glory is manifested to the world. And so he intends —
[1.] Miracles ; while Christ suffered, the frame of nature seemed to be out of course : Mat. xxvii. 51, ' The veil of the temple was rent in twain, from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent;' and ver. 54, 'When the centurion, and they that were with him, saw these things, they feared greatly, saying, Truly this was the Son of God.'
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[2.] Support and strength. This was Christ's last combat, and he was to discover the strength and the power of the Godhead. Now lie prayeth for those tokens and significations of the divine power in his death, to undeceive the world, and that the disciples might receive no scandal by his cross.
2. Glory after death ; so it is said, John vii. 39, ' That the Spirit was not yet given, because Christ was not yet glorified.' Till his resurrection and ascension into heaven, he was not inaugurated into the headship of the church, and gave not out those royal largesses and gifts of the Spirit. So that by this prayer Christ intendeth the resur- rection and all the consequents of it. His resurrection, by which his divinity was declared : Kom. i. 4, ' And declared to be the Son of God, with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead.' His ascension and invisible triumph: Col. ii. 15, ' Having spoiled principalities and jwwers, he made a show of them openly, triumphing over them in it;' Eph. iv. 8, ' When he ascended on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men.' The reception of his humanity to heaven, and his sitting down at the right hand of God : Phil. ii. 9-11, ' Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name above every name ; that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth : and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.' His inauguration into the throne, and authority over all things. The preaching of the gospel in his name, together with the success of it : Isa. Iv. 4, 5, ' Behold, I have given him for a witness to the people, a leader and commander to the people. Behold, thou shalt call a nation that thou knewest not ; and nations that know not thee, shall run unto thee ; because of the Lord thy God, and for the Holy One of Israel ; for he hath glorified thee.' His return at the day of judgment, with power and great glory. The petition must be exjilained according to the event of all the glory that God put upon Christ after his passion. The meaning of the whole is, Hitherto I have laid aside my glory, and now lay down my life ; sustain me by thine arm, that I may overcome death ; and raise me again with triumph and honour, that I may go into glory, leading captivity captive, and receive the principality ; that by the resurrection, publication of the gospel, and last judgment, the glory of my divinity may be known and acknowledged.