' That thy Son also may glorify thee.' — Here is another argument. It is usual in prayer to speak of ourselves in a third person ; so doth Christ here, ' That thy Son may glorify thee.' This may be understood many ways ; partly as the glory of the Son is the glory of the Father ; partly by accomplishing God's work ; that I may destroy thy enemies, and save thy elect ; partly by the preaching of the gospel in Christ's name, to the glory of God the Father. He doth, as it were, say, I desire it for no other end but that I may bring honour to thee.
From this clause —
1. Observe, that God's glory is much advanced in Jesus Christ. In the scriptures there is a draught of God ; as coin bears the image of Caesar, but Ccesar's son is his lively resemblance. Christ is the living Bible; we may read much of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. We shall study no other book when we come to heaven. For the present, it is an advantage to stud}' God in Jesus Christ. The apostle hath an expression, 2 Cor. iv. 4, ' Lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.' Clirist is the image of God, and the gospel is the picture of Christ, the picture which Christ himself hath presented to his bride. There we see the majesty and excellency of his person ; and in Christ, of God. And ver. 6, the apostle saith, ' To give the light of the excellency of the knowledge of the glory of God, in the face of Jesus Christ.' In Christ, we read God glorious ; in his word, miracles, personal excellen- cies, transfiguration, resurrection, we read much of God. There we read his justice, that he would not forgive sins without a plenary satis- faction. If Christ himself be the Redeemer, justice will not bate him one farthing. His mercy ; he spared not his own Son. What scanty low thoughts should we have of the divine mercy if we had not this
124 SERBIONS UPON JOHN XVII. [SeR. I.
instance of Christ ! His truth in fulfilling of prophecies : Ps. xl, 7, 8, ' Then said I, Lo, I come ; in the volume of the book it is written of me, I delight to do thy Avill, 0 my God ; yea, thy law is within my heart/ This was most difficult for God to grant, for us to believe ; yet rather than lie would go back from his word, he would send his own Son to suffer death for a sinful world. All things were to be accom- plished, though it cost Christ his precious life. God had never a greater gift, yet Christ came when he was promised : he will not stick at anything, that gave us his own tSon. His wisdom, in the wonderful contrivance of our salvation. When we look to God's heaven, we see his wisdom ; but when we look on God's Son, we see the manifold wisdom of God, Eph. iii. 10. The angels wonder at these dispensations to the church. His power, in delivering Christ from death, and the glorious effects of his grace ; his majesty, in the transfiguration and ascension of Christ. Oh ! then study Christ, that you may know God. There is the fairest transcript of the divine perfections ; the Father was never published to the world by anything so much as by the Son.
2. Observe, our respects to Christ must be so managed that the Father also may be glorified ; for upon these terms, and no other, will Christ be glorified : 2 Cor. i. 20, * For all the promises in him are Yea, and in him Amen, to the glory of God by us ; ' Phil. ii. 10, 11, ' That at the name of Jesus every knee shall bow, and every tongue shall confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father ; ' John xiv. 13, 'Whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.' Look, as the Father will not be honoured without the Son : John v. 53, ' That all men should honour the Son, even as they honour the Father ; he that honoureth not the Son, honoureth not the Father that hath sent him;' so neither will the Son be honoured without the Father. It condemnetli them who, out of a fond respect to Christ, neglect the Father. As the former age carried all respect in the name ojE God Almighty, without any distinct reflection on God the Son, so many of late carry all things in the name of God the Son, that the adoration due to the other persons is forgotten. The wind of error doth not always blow in one corner. When the heat of such a humour is spent, Christ will be as much vilified and debased. Our hearts should not be frigidly and coldly affected to any of the divine persons.
3. Observe, it is the proper duty of sons to glorify their father : Mai. i. G, ' If I be a father, where is mine honour ?' Mat. v, 16, ' Let your light so shine before men, that others, seeing your good works, may glorify your Father which is in heaven.'