Quest. 3. Why he seeketh it of the Father ? Could he not glorify himself, and exalt his own person and human nature ?
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I answer — He could, but would not.
1. The Father is the fountain of the divinity ; he is first in order, and so all such actions are ascribed to him. However, to show the unity of essence, Christ is said to do it as well as the Father : John v. 19, ' What things soever the Father doth, these doth the Son likewise.' The Father is said to ' sanctify the Son,' John x. 36, and the Son is said to ' sanctify himself.' The Father raiseth the Son from the dead. Eph. i. 10 ; and Christ saith, John ii. 19, ' Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up again.' The Father placeth the Son at his right hand, Eph. i. 20 ; and the Son is said to ' sit down at the right hand of the Father.' However, because Christ came into the world to glorify the Father, and to show him to be the original and fountain of the divinity, therefore he saith, ' Father, glorify thou me with thyself.'
2. Because the Father is to be looked upon as judge and chief in the work of redemption. Man is the debtor, Christ the surety, and the Father the judge, before whose tribunal satisfaction is to be made. Therefore God the Father, after the price and ransom was paid, was to give Christ power and leave to rise from the dead, to ascend into heaven, and to govern and judge the world. And yet he raised himself by his own power. There is lootestas and j^otentia, Suvufxa and i^ovaia, authority, leave, and power. Christ had power in him- self, but he had leave from the Father : John x. 18, ' I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it up again.' Potentiam resur- gendi Christus hdbet a seipso, sed potestatem a patre. In this whole business, Christ is to be considered as the surety, that took our whole business upon himself, and rendered himself liable to the judgment of God so long, till the Father should declare himself to be satisfied, and so dismiss Christ from punishment. After full satisfaction, he was to raise him from the power of death, and to glorify liim. As the Father delivered him for us, so the Father dismissed him, raised him again ; he was not to break prison, but honourably to be brought out and rewarded by the judge.
Quest. 4. Why is he so earnest for his own glory ? I answer — All Christ's mediatory acts were for our sake, and so are his prayers.
1. To comfort his disciples against his sufferings ; they were de- jected, and therefore Christ in their hearing prayeth for divine glory: John xvii. 13, ' And these things I speak in the world, that they might have my joy fulfilled in themselves.' There is not a more excellent way of gaining upon others than to commend them to God in prayer for that which they desire.
2. To give the world an instruction, that sufiering for God is the highway to glory : 2 Cor. iv. 17, ' Our light affliction, that is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory,' as a necessary antecedent. We may suffer more for men than they are able to recompense, but there is nothing lost for God : 2 Peter i. 11, 'An entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.' The whole scriptures witness the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow : accordino; to the measure of afflictions, there shall be a suit-
188 SERMONS UPON JOHN XVII. [SeR. VI.
able weight of glory. There are notable passages in the story of Christ, to show the coupling of the cross and glory. The same dis- ciples, Peter, James, and John, were the witnesses of his agonies, Mat. xxvi. 37, and of his transfiguration, Mat. xvii. 1. So where Christ began his passion there lie began his ascension : Luke xxii. 39, ' He went out to the Mount of Olives, and his disciples followed him ; ' and Acts i. 12, he ascended from Mount Olivet.
3. For the advantage of his members. Christ knew it could not go well with the church unless it went well with himself ; it was for our profit. The holy ointment was first poured on the head of the high priest, then on his members, Ps. cxxxiii. 3. His glory and grace is an argument of ours. He is endowed with the Spirit without mea- sure, that we might have an unction from the Holy One. We are glorified with him, and are said to ascend with him: Eph. ii. 6, 'He hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus.' Christ's glorification is a pledge of ours ; he is gone thither as our forerunner, to seize on heaven in our right : Heb. vi. 20, ' Whither our forerunner is for us entered ; ' and to ' prepare a place for us,' John xiv. 2. In heaven he is at God's right hand, and can procure it for us, and administereth and governeth the world for our good. He is in a greater capacity to do us good. He is our inter- cessor and the world's governor ; all things necessary to salvation can better be despatched by his intercession and power.