250 SERMONS uroN JOHN XVII, [Ser. XII.
many now pray against them ; the calling is repined at, as if it were some heavy plague and judgment sent upon the world. But therefore you have need to pray the more : 2 Tlies. iii. 2, ' That we may he delivered from unreasonable and wicked men ; for all men have not faith.' Pray that the lights of the church be not eclipsed ; pray for our standing amidst the assaults of Satan. It is not enough to give us love and maintenance, but we must have your prayers.
So much for the object of Christ's prayer.
Secondly, Now for the limitation of that object: ' I pray not for the world, but for them that thou hast given me.' Many things may be inferred out of this limitation.
1. Universal redemption is disproved; for those for whom Christ prayed not, for them he died not. These two offices of the priesthood must not be severed. Christ doth not only profess to pray for these, but denieth to pray for the world. His intercession is of the same latitude with his redemption ; they are acts of the same office, and of the same extent and latitude. All men were not intended in his passion and intercession. See sermon on 2 Cor. v. 16.
2. The weakness of the world, notwithstanding all their outward props and supports ; although they be strong, and have many on their side, yet they have not Christ on their side. He hath left the world out of his prayers ; he will not so much as take their names into his lips. Therefore, Kom. viii. 31, ' If God be for ns, who shall be against us ? ' What will that party do that have Grod against them ? Against how many will j'ou set me ? said Antigonus. You may shake your spear, and bid defiance against all the powers of darkness ; they have not Christ among them, he will not speak one good word for them ; they may have riches, honours, friends, countenance in the world, but God will never take their part.
3. The dangerous and sad condition of worldly men. Oh ! it is a sad thing not have a name in Christ's prayer. There is a great num- ber left out ; and if you will know who they are, they are called ' the world.' It presseth us to come out of that state where we are in this danger. Men that are now worldly may be in the roll of God's elec- tion, but it is no comfort to them. ' I pray not for the world ; ' so it is expressed ; and as long as thou art worldly, thou canst take no comfort in Christ's intercession. Certainly this should be an effectual consideration with the people of God, to cause them ' to keep them- selves unspotted from the world,' James i. 24. These have the benefit of Christ's prayers. A christian should never be quiet till he be clearly out of that number which is excepted. Christ hath a constant enmity and antipathy against mammon ; there must be a separation from the world, and a contempt of earthly things, before we can have an interest in him. The world maketh a sport of these things ; but what can be more terrible than to be shut out of Christ's prayers ? He curseth those for whom he doth not pray ; and that is the reason why men that are besotted with the world do always wax Avorse and worse.
4. The excellency of Christ's love to the saints : ' I pray for these, I pray not for the world.' Christ's separate love to us heightens his kindness and our duty. It is not every one's mercy to be remembered in Christ's prayers ; millions are passed by, as many as may be called
VeK. 9.] SERMONS UPON JOHN XVII. 251
a world : Jolm xiv. 22, ' Lord, how is it tliat thou wilt manifest thy- self unto lis, and not unto the world ? ' So we maj'- sa)^ How is it that thou wilt pray for us, and not for the world ? Others that are better accomplished are left out, and we taken in. Man is taken with nothing so much as with privileges ; common favours seem to be a right of nature. It was certainly a sweet consideration to Noah, though he seemed to be buried alive in the ark, that he and his family were saved when all the world perished in the waters. At the day of judgment, how many millions of thanks shall we owe to Christ, when all the reprobates are gathered together, to consider, God hath chosen me, and not all these ; nay, of those reprobates, some are more excel- lently accomplished, and yet Grod hath chosen me, and* not Cato, me and not Socrates, me and not Plato, not the most excellent among the heathens ! "When Israel saw the Egyptians dead upon the shore, Exod. xiv. 30, it heightened their deliverance. If God had saved all, it had been an infinite mercy ; but now many are damned, it is the more cause of thanksgiving to those that are saved. The sun is glorious and beautiful, but if every star had so much brightness, it would not be so admired. Chrysostom saith, It is a great moans of thankfulness now and then to go into the spittals, and to look on the poor creatures that are rough-cast with sores. So it commends Christ's love, and should raise in us thankful acknowledgments, to consider Christ prayed for us, not for the world.