2. Observe again, that nothing moveth God to mercy so much as the consideration that we are his. This is Christ's own argument, ' For they are thine.' And interest is elsewhere pleaded by the church : Isa. Ixiv. 8,9,' But now, 0 Lord, thou art our Father ; we are the clay, and thou our potter, and we all are the work of thy hand. Be not wroth very sore, 0 Lord, neither remember iniquity for ever: behold, see, we beseech thee, we are all thy people.' When we come to God, though we cannot plead merit, yet we may plead interest. As bad as we are, yet we ' are thine ; ' our enemies have used us at pleasure, yet thou hast been pleased to enter into covenant with us ; Lord, wilt thou not cast one glance and eye of favour upon thine own children ? Oh ! it is sweet when we can come into the presence of God with this confi- dence : Eph. ii. 19, ' Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow-citizens with the saints, and of the household of God ; ' as some of his own household, and so sue out our allowance. A stranger is one that cometh, and his occasions being served, returneth to his own home ; a foreigner is one that dwelleth in a place, but is not privileged with the immunities and franchises which the natives enjoy. But now we are denizens, free of God's house ; have the liberty not only of servants, but of children ; therefore we may urge it in prayer. All the difficulty will be to get the interest evidenced. It is not con- fidence, but impudence, when some men say to God, AVe are thine ; a wicked man slaudereth him when he saith. Our Fathei-. The great evidence is consecration. Did you ever give up your whole selves to God ? Do you walk as his, as having nothing of your own, at your own disposal ? Didst thou ever make this surrender ? When there are factions, to which hand do you cleave ? Do you say, I am God's, I am Christ's ? God doth, as it were, say, Who is on my side ? Who? - ^ '
VeR. 10.] SERMONS UPON JOHN XVII. 255
SERMON XIIL
And all mine are thine, and thine are mine ; and I am glorified in ^/iem.— John XVII. 10.
We have, in the former verse, the first solemn offer of Christ's inter- cession or mediation between God and man ; and therein he doth professedly refuse to pray for the world. His reason was, he would pray for -none but those that were dear to his Father and to himself. Now of the elect he might say, They are not only mine, but thine. They are given him by the Father, not by way of alienation, but oppignoration ; the Father lost no right by his grant and donation. The gift of the Father to Christ difiereth from all the gifts of men. When men give, they alter the property of the thing given, or certainly are not so careful about it. When you give your son to be a servant or an apprentice to another, or when a scholar is put out to school, you lessen your care towards him ; or, to instance in a relation less mercenary and servile, when you give your daughter in marriage, you think there is a child bestowed, your fatherly title and propriety is not abolished, but your care is lessened. But now, though God hath put believers into Christ's hands, yet he hath not put himself out of posses- sion, but hath still reserved his own right and care ; for the establish- ment of the creature's comfort, Christ is taken in with himself. Christ hath a title proper to his distinct and personal operation to involve him in the care : Christ hath a title by purchase and redemption, and the Father hath a title proper to his personal operation by election : * I pray for them which thou hast given me, for they are thine.' The joint possession and care of the Father, together with Christ, is proved by a general assertion, built on that perfect communion that was between them : ' All mine are thine, and thine are mine,' &c. The sentence is applicable to things and persons : — 1. To things : Ta efia Trdpra a a iam, kol aa i/xa, the original will bear it ; so the fathers generally understood it of the concreated l and infinite riches of the Godhead, which all the persons had in com- munion. Epiphanius confuting the Sabeilians, moveth this question : Tl 8e iarlv ra rod Trarpo^ ? and answereth, 0eo9 o irarrjp ; Oeo'i iyco elfj^ii ^(07] 6 Trariip ; ^coi] eiycb el/jii. The parallel place seems to coun- tenance this exposition : John xvi. 15, ' All things whatsoever the Father hath are mine ; therefore, said I, that he shall take of mine^ and shall show it unto you.' Christ had spoken of his departure, his absence was to be supplied by the Spirit ; now lest this should seem to derogate from himself, he saith, ' He shall take of mine ;' he shall enrich the church with the treasures purchased by me ; I bought them with a dear price, and in the way of grace will distribute them. Now lest this should derogate from the Father, he addeth, ' All things what- soever the Father hath are mine ; ' the same fulness of the Godhead, majesty, perfection, essence, blessedness. It is the Father's Spirit and mine. Christ came in as an heir to the Father, and the Spirit as executor to Christ of his last will and testament. I cannot utterly exclude this sense, yet I think it is not the formal intent of this place.