(3.) His charge. Cinist hath taken an office upon him, to defend, pity, and guide the elect through all temptations to salvation. Now Christ cannot be unfaithful in his office : Heb. iv. 15, ' We have not a high priest that cannot be touched with the feeling of our infir- mities.' He that is passed into the heavens is still our high priest. Give me leave to admire that expression, Heb. viii. 2, XecTovpyo'i xwy ciyliov, ' a minister of the sanctuary.' When he was upon earth he
VeR. 11.] SERMONS UPON JOHN XVIT. 289
came in the form of a servant, and now lie is in heaven he is still a servant. We may speak what Christ hath spoken for us, he is om- officer and minister even in heaven, not only in the state of his ahase- ment, but in the state of his exaltation. Our Lord would be ours, not only in love but duty, that so we might have the greater assurance. Till all the saints come to heaven, Christ looks upon himself as bound in point of office, they are his charge ; he cannot be loving to the church, nor faithful to the Father, if he should do otherwise.
(4.) His experience : Heb. iv. 15, ' He is touched with the feeling of our infirmities, was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.' Pray mark, ' in all points.' Christ hath had experience of all trials whereinto any of his servants can fall, povert}', forsaking of friends, exile, imprisonment, hunger, nakedness, watching, weariness, pain of body, heaviness of heart, desertion as to sense, wrath and curse of God. Christ hath carried his feeling with him into heaven ; he knew what poverty meaneth, what trouble of conscience, what heaviness of spirit meaneth. Christ could not so experimentally pity us, so feelingly pity us, if he were not like us in all things ; his heart was entendered by experience, as a man tliat hath felt the gout and felt the stone. Israel knew the heart of a stranger ; Christ knew the heart of a man that is left to the world's frowns and snares. He took a communion of our nature and miseries, as a pawn and pledge that he will pity us and help us : Heb. ii. 10, ' The captain of our salvation was made perfect through sufferings.' Christ, though he was perfect, he received the Spirit without measure, yet he lacked one thing which his office required, to be a perfect mediator, till he had an experimental feeling. So Heb. ii. 18, ' In that he himself hath suffered, being tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted.' Christ was able as soon as he came from heaven. As God, what could he not do ? But there is an ability of sufficiency, and of idoneity, an experimental ability, Christ had experience, though not of sin, yet of temptation to sin ; he is not only able, but willing ; he knowetli what it is. Christ would borrow our nature to make experiments.
Use 1. To teach us to walk with caution, and in a continual depend- ence upon God. We are continually assaulted, and live in the midst of snares. A man that cometh into the world, saitli Luther, is like a traveller that cometh into an inn where there dwell none but thieves. Now he that carrieth jewels about him had need to take heed ; the diversity, the frequency, the continuation of temptations should make us wary. The diversity ; there are baits for every temper, honours for the ambitious, wealth for the covetous, and pleasures for the sensual. The devil hath a diet to feed every distemper ; some are sullen, not bent to pleasures, but Satan is not at a loss to fit them with a tempta- tion, there are profits for them ; others are facile and more easy, they have pleasures ; others would be great, they have honours ; and when Satan knoweth the lust, he suiteth the bait ; he is an old sophister, well skilled in the tempers of men. Therefore, seeing that in every business, in every bit of meat, in every recreation, there are snares, we we had need feed with fear and trade with fear. When there is an enemy in the country, we keep constant watch and ward. Then, for the frequency and continuance of temptations, they are always about us.
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290 SERMONS UPON JOHN XVII. [SeR. XV.
Long suits prevail at last. From tliu tirsi use of reason till the hour of death, as long as God continueth our abode in the world, we are iii danger. There are many baits ; Satan is crafty, and the world is spite- ful, and our hearts are naught. We are now upon our trial, the great work of religion is to walk in a constant watchfulness and dependence. Alas ! many are as if they were in the haven already ; so negligent, so careless, as if they were in the midst of paradise, out of temptations.
Use 2. To press us to grow weary of the world ; it is a place full of snares ; here we have many snares and many enemies. If we have a mind to sin no longer, why should we desire to live in the world ? The world is a step-mother to the saints ; why should we deshe to hang upon the dug? He that would always live here is like a scullion that loveth to lie among the pots. In heaven we have pure company, and are out of the reach and danger of temptations. The devil, when he was not fit for heaven, was cast out into the world, a fit j)lace for misery, sin, and torment ; it is Satan's walk and circuit. Here is antichrist, the devil's eldest son ; here are terriculamenta et iiritamenta, fears and snares. It is a dirty odd corner of the universe ; we can hardly walk up and down but we shall defile our garments. Here are briars to hitch us, snares and baits to entice us. There is a more excellent country above, where we shall have the company of God and the fellowship of the saints, saints without corruption, other manner of saints than here. There is no tempter there, there should be your country. In a pet we long for heaven, but it should be out of a resolved judgment. Men fight in the world as long as they are able, and then make heaven their refuge. It should not be a melancholy wish ; we should desire heaven, not as weary of work and service, but as weary of temptation.