(3.) As supreme judge, he appointeth his sufferings, and the measure of the satisfaction he was to make : Acts iv. 28, ' To do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined before to be done.' Whatever men did to him, it was by his hand and counsel. We must look to a higher court, from God's providence to God's decree. If it had been done without his knowledge and consent, nothing would have been ilone for our salvation : ' Him being delivered, €K8oro<;, by the deter- minate counsel of God, ye have taken,' Acts ii. 23 ; a word taken from ■alms to beggars. We wanted a price for our redemption, and God gave it out of his own treasury : Kom. iv. 25, ' He was delivered for our offences; ' a metaphor taken from a judge who delivereth up the malefactor into the hands of the executioner. Christ was delivered by God as our surety, one that by his decree was to be responsible to his justice for man's sin. The Father was to reward him for this by rais- ing him from the dead, and to give him leave to return to his own glory ; therefore he asketh leave to return to heaven, ver. 5, ' And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self, with the glory which I had with thee before the world was.' After the price and ransom was paid, the Father was to give Christ a power to rise from the dead, and to go into heaven. There is potestas and poteniia, ^vvap.i<;, i^ovaia. Christ had power in himself, and leave from the Father ; till tlie Father should declare himself to be satisfied, Christ was not to be dismissed from punishment. Our surety was not to break prison, but honour- ably to be brought out by the judge, for this was the assurance God -would give the world: Acts xvii. 31, ' He will judge the world in righteousness, by the man whom he hath ordained ; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead.' It is not only an effect of the divine power, but an act of divine justice. And being raised up, he is to be crowned with glory and honour, as having abundantly done his work for the salvation of creatures : Heb. ii. 9, ■* We see Jesus, for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and
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226 SERMONS UPON JOHN XVII. [Ser. XL
honour.' Tlie Father's heart was so taken with it, that he hononreth Christ for this reason. And again, ho givetii ])ower and authority to save sinners : Acts v. 31, ' Him hath God exalted to he a prince and a saviour, to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins.' He hath raised him up to he a prince of salvation. Here is the end of all, that Christ as mediator might be in a capacity to bring souls to heaven. And in this work there is a constant co-operation of the divine power ; 1 Cor, i. 30, ' Of God he is made to us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption.' All the emanations of grace come originally from the Father, in and through Christ, to all his members.
Use 1. Comfort. What would have become of us, if the Father himself had not found out such a remedy ? God had power to punish sins in our own person, he needed no mediator. To save sinners is not iproprictas divincc naturce, but opus lihcri consilii ; it dependeth on God's appointment ; and if Christ had been a mediator only by the vote of the creature, he might have been refused : Exod. xxxii. 33, ' Who- soever hath sinned against me, him will I blot out of my book.' There is much in the Father's act. Now God hath given Christ a faculty to this purpose ; when we go to God, we may offer a mediator authorised ])y himself : Thou hast sent thy blessed Son to be a mediator for me : 2 John 9, ' He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath the Father and the Son.' You may urge it upon your fears and suggestions of Satan. God is not only the wronged party, but supreme judge ; it is no matter what Satan saith, or your own hearts say, if the Lord hath said he will accept sinners in Christ : Eom. viii. 33, 34, ' Who shall lay any- thing to the charge of God's elect ? It is God that justifieth ; who is he that condemneth ? It is Christ that died.' Who can condemn ? Satan may say, I can ; and conscience, I can. God, whose act is sove- reign, doth acquit. God hath so great an interest in Christ, that he can deny him nothing : John xiv. 31, ' That the world may know that 1 love the Father.' He will be the sinner's surety for his Father's sake.
Use 2. Glorify God the Father ; it is the end of the whole dispen- sation of grace. Glorify him in your expectations ; the Father himself loveth you. Glorify him in your enjoyments, all is ' from the Father of lights,' James i. 17. There is no defect in Christ : John xvii. 23, 'I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and that thou hast loved them, as thou hast loved me.' God hath loved him, not only as his own Son, but our saviour: John x. 17, 'Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again.'