From hence —
1. Observe that Christ pleadeth interest as an argument in prayer. It is meet, when we come to pray to God, that we can say, We are his. This way would Christ endear his own disciples to the Father's respect and grace : Ps. cxix. 44, ' I am thine ; save me,' The great work of christians should be to discern their interest, that they may come to God with some confidence. Though you cannot say, I am thine, with respect to the purposes of his grace ; yet at least you should say, I am thine, in your own dedication and choice. Si nostra tueri non vultis, et tamen vestra defeiidetis. Many a trembling christian dareth not say, He is mine ; but he is resolved to say, I am his ; that is the fitter argument with God. With our own souls, in our own straits, plead. He is mine: Ps. xlii. 11, 'Why art thou cast down, 0 my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me ? Hope thou in God, for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God,' But in prayer plead, I am his ; though you cannot plead his choice, i^lead your own resignation. Consider, it is a forcible argu- ment. Every one will provide for his own : ' He is worse than an infidel who will ngt provide for his own, especially those of his own household.' ' It is a comfortable argument. When we cannot speak of our works, we may speak of our interest: Lord, I am a sinner ; but I am thine : I am a poor wretch ; but I am one that would not be his own, unless I am thine. Oh ! but says the poor soul, if I could say that I am thine, one that belongeth to the purposes of thy grace, there were some comfort. Atis. It is sweet, when we can say mutually, ' I am my beloved's, and my beloved is mine.' But are you not willing to choose him, though you cannot say he hath chosen you ? The choice of our portion discovereth our interest. Canst thou in truth of heart say ? Lord, ' I have none in heaven but thee, none upon earth that I desire in comparison of thee,' Ps. Ixxiii. 25, If you can, in the sin- cerity of your hearts, call God to witness this, it is sweet. Though thou canst not apply Christ, canst thou resign thyself ? Then we have the fruit of election, though we have not the sense of it. God certainly hath chosen us when, by the work of his grace, he maketh us choose him. Fallen man is not dainty in his choice, till a work of grace passeth upon him ; he turneth from the creator to the creature ; he saith to the world. Would to God thou wert mine ! to riches, honours, pomp, Would thou wert mine ! ' Happy is the people that are in such a case.' It is grace turneth us from the creature back again to God ; God is our portion, because we are his; God cannot refuse that heart which he hath tlms drawn to himself.
VeR. 6.] SEKMONS UPON JOHN XVII. 205
2. Observe again, that none are given to Christ but those that wore first the Father's: 'Thine they were;' he had chosen them in the purposes of his grace, and disposed tliem into Christ's hands. Thine by election, mine by special donation. The acts of the three persons are commensurable, of the same sphere and latitude ; those whom the Father chooseth, the Son redeemeth, and the Spirit sanctilieth. The Father loveth none but those that are given to Christ, and Christ taketh charge of none but those that are loved of the Father. Your election will be known by your interest in Christ, and your interest in Christ by the sanctification of the Spirit. All God's flock are put into Christ's hands, and Christ leaveth them to the care of the Spirit, that they may be enlightened and sanctified. In looking after the comfort of elec- tion, you must first look inward to the work of the Spirit on your hearts, then outward to the work of Christ on the cross, then upward to the heart of the Father in heaven: 1 Peter i. 2, 'Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience, and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ. There is a chain of salvation ; the beginning is from the Father, the dispensation through the Son, the application by the Spirit ; all cometli from God, and is conveyed to us through Christ, by the Spirit.
Secondly, The Father's act about believers : ' Thou gavest me them.'
How are they given to Christ ? Things are given to Christ two ways — by way of reward, or by way of charge.
1. By way of reward. So all nations are given to him by way of reward: Ps. ii. 8, 'Ask of me, and I will give, thee the heathen for thy inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession.' He is Lord of all, Acts x. 36, even of the devils. All flesh are thus given to him, to be ruled by him. This donation is very large, and compriseth elect and reprobates. All nations are Christ's heritage in this sense, as well as the church. All power in heaven and in earth is given to him, to dispose of elect and reprobates according to his own pleasure. Only in this giving by way of reward there is a difference ; some are given to Christ at large, to be disposed of according to his pleasure ; others are given to him for some special ministry and service, as hypocrites in the church ; and so Judas was given to him, as Christ saith, ver. 9, 'Of them which thou hast given me, I have lost none but the son of perdition.' Again, others are given to him by way of special and peculiar interest, to be members of his body, subjects of his king- dom, &c. So only the elect are given to Christ; the great bargain that Christ drove with his Father was an interest in souls ; therefore it is said, Isa. liii. 10, 11, ' When thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand. He shall see of the travail of his soul, and be satisfied.' This was all the gain that Christ reck- oned of.