2. Observe the earnest desire Christ had to glorify his Father, by living, teaching, dying ; — thy name, thy word. Oh ! that we would learn of our Lord to glorify our Father which is in heaven ; to be contented to do anything, to be anything, so we might be to the glory of God !
3. Observe the excellency of the doctrine of the gospel ; its certainty, its clearness.
[1.] Its certainty. It is not a doctrine forged in the brain of men, but brought out of the bosom of God into the breasts of the apostles, and from them conveyed to us. In this word you have the Father's heart ; Christ told it the apostles : ' I have manifested thy name to them,' &c. Christ is the original author : Heb. i. 2, ' In these last times he hath spoken to us by his Son.' The Son of God is the first man in the roll of the New Testament prophets ; the first was not an angel, but God's own Son, the messenger of the covenant, the apostle of our confession. Though Christ doth not speak to us immediately in person, yet he spake to us by the apostles ; they have their light from Christ. Therefore he that readeth the word should seem to hear Christ speak. This was that which he whispered to the apostles in secret.
[2.] The clearness of the scriptures. Christ knew all the counsels of God, and he hath manifested his name to the apostles. There is a light shining ; if we see it not, it is a sign we are lost : 2 Cor. iv. 3, 4, ' If our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost ; in whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.' What an advantage have we above the Gentiles and above the Jews !
(1.) Above the Gentiles. The doctrine of the essence and will of God cannot be known by the light of nature. Somewhat of his glory shineth in the creatures : Kom. i. 20, * For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things
200 SERMONS UPON JOHN XVII. [SeR. VII.
that are made, even his eternal power and godhead.' Some characters there are in conscience, though horribly defaced ; hut alas ! the furthest reach of nature cometh short of salvation. Nature is blind as well as Jnrae in things supernatural; there are some few remains of light to keep tliG law of nature alive in the soul, for the advantage of civil society and moral business. When nature putteth on the spectacles of art, still she is blind. There are many inventions to polish reason ; to sharpen discourse, there is logic ; for language, rhetoric ; for government and equity, laws ; for health, physic ; for manners, ethics ; for societies of men, politics ; for families, economics ; but for worship, nothing ; their piercing wits were there blunt. Man is naturally wise for everything but to maintain a respect between him and God. They knew there was a God, and that this God ought to be worshipped ; but what he was, and how he should be worshipped, they knew not ; their knowledge Avas rather a mist than a light. His works told them that he was wise, powerful, and good ; but they were unliap]-)y in their determina- tion of his worship ; they sat abrood, and proved but fools : ' They professed themselves to be wise, but became fools,' Eom. i. 22. While they intended him honour, they carved to him the greatest contempt ; whilst they would express him in the image of the creatures, they dishonoured him. Natural light is but small in itself, and corruption maketh it less. They knew nothing of the misery of man and the remedy by Christ ; our fall in Adam, original sin, and the work of redemption were mysteries to them ; they could not dream of these things ; when they were revealed they counted them foolishness. They spoke of virtue as a moral perfection ; of vice, as a stain of nature ; but nothing of righteousness and sin, as relative to the covenant of God. God used the heathen as instruments to put nature to the highest extent. How may we pity them that they could go no further, and admire God's mercy to us that we, being weaker than they in natural gifts, are yet stronger in grace ; that a boy out of a catechism should know more than they ! Their misery was great in abusing the light of nature ; our misery will be greater, and damnation double, if we abuse the light of nature and grace.
(2.) Above the Jews, whom God acquainted with his statutes above all other nations. They knew little of the name of God in comparison of what we know. Therefore Moses desires to know God's name, Exod. iii. 13 ; and it is said. Judges xiii. 18, ' Why askest thou after my name, seeing it is secret?' The divine glory was hidden and under a veil. In those appearances of Christ little was known in respect of what was known at his incarnation. It is spoken in reference to the present dispensation. Some notice they had of this mystery. God acquainted them with his name by degrees : as Exod. vi. 3, ' I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, by the name of God Almighty ; but by my name Jehovah was I not known to them.' God had made himself known by other names ; to the fathers by the name of God Almighty ; the name Jehovah, that should be an appel- lation among his gathered people, giving a being to his people, and making good his promises. Afterwards, ' I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, the God of Jacob,' as more relating to the covenant. Afterwards, Jer. xxiii. 5, 6, ' I will raise up to David a righteous