[2.] It must be expressed in our life : Luke xi. 28, ' Blessed are they that hear the word of God, and keep it.' To keep the law is to live according to the prescript of it.
[3.] There must be a perseverance to retain it in our conversations : Kev. iii. 18, ' Thou hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name.' Do we thus keep the word ? All dependeth on it : John xiv. 15, ' If ye love me, keep my commandments.' Christ conjureth us by all the love we bear to him, ver. 23, ' If any man love me, he will keep my words ; and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and
218 SERMONS UPON JOHN XVII. [SeR. X.
make our abode with him.' If there be any faith in the heart, by which we esteem Christ, we must not only keep it in memory, but keep it in faith. Do you honour him in your hves. Can we venture anything to keep the word when the worki woukl take our crown from us?
Use. We may know when Christ will speak good of us ; not when we hear, and when we are taught, but when we keep the word : yet this we must do, understand and keep his word, not customs, not tra- ditions of ancestors, nor fancies ; we must receive his word as his word : 1 Thes. ii. 13, ' For this cause thank we God without ceasing, because when ye received the word of God, which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but (as it is in truth) the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe.'
SERMON X.
Noil) they have hnoivn that all things, lohatsoever thou hast given me, are of thee. — John XVII. 7.
In this verse there is another argument why he should be heard for the apostles, which may be taken either from the towardliness of the disciples, or the fidelity of Christ. The one is implied in the other ; the towardliness of the apostles in discerning the divine nature and mission of Christ ; the fidelity of Christ in referring all to his Father ; ' they know it,' and ' I have taught it them ;' for he urgeth not only their proficiency, ' they have known,' but his own faithfulness, he had glorified his Father in his doctrine. Both which are arguments ; they that have made such progresses are to be respected ; and I that have been faithful have deserved it in their behalf.
I shall first open the words.
' Now.' — Heretofore they were ignorant, but now I can say this for them, ' they have known,' &c. ; as a schoolmaster, when he hath taught a child, looketh for his reward when the work is done.
' They have known.' — Things above reason are known by faith and revelation ; by my teaching and illumination they are brought to con- ceive and acknowledge it ; for he saith before, ' I have manifested thy name to the men that thou gavest me out of the world.'
' That all things whatsoever thou hast given me.' — It doth not refer to what he had received from God by eternal generation as the only- begotten Son of God, but to what he had in commission as mediator ; and he saith, ' all things whatsoever,' as implymg liis authority over the world: ver. 2, ' Thou hast. given him power over all flesh.' His interest in the elect, 'Thine they were, thou gavest them me,' ver. 6. His doctrine ; it was given him in charge by the Father ; Christ taught no other doctrine but what he received from his Father : John vii.'lG, ' My doctrine is not mine, but his that sent me.' It was not of his invention, but delivered according to the instruction received from his Father. His power to work miracles, that it was not by magical imposture, or the help of the devil, but by the power of God.
VeR. 7.] SERMONS UPON JOHN XVII. 219
The Pharisees would not believe it : Luke xi. 20, ' If I by the finger of God cast out devils, no doubt the kingdom of God is come upon you :' Mat. xii. 28, ' If I cast out devils by the (Spirit of God, then the king- dom of God is come unto you.' The imposition of the mediatory office : John vi. 69, ' We believe, and are sure, that thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God ; ' John i. 41, ' We have found the Messias, which is, being interpreted, the Christ.' The union of the two natures : * That I came out from thee, and was,sent from thee,' ver. 8. And the a])Ostles knew this : Mat. xvi. 16, ' Simon Peter answered and said. Thou art Christ, the Son of the living God.' The apostles knew Christ to be very God and very man in one person ; the veil of his human nature and natural infirmities did not hinder their eyes from seeing him.
' Are of thee ; ' that is, ratified by thee as the supreme judge ; in- vented or found out by thee as the supreme author ; all is from thy sovereign favour and gracious decree, flowing from thee as the supreme cause and power. Of thee as an author, of thee as a cause, of thee as a judge.