2. How are they said to be given to Christ ? Persons are given to Christ two ways — by way of reward, or by way of charge.
[1.] By way of reward, and so more largely all nations are given to him : Ps. ii. 8, ' Ask of me, and I will give thee the heathen for thy inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession ; ' and John xvii. 2, ' As thou hast given him power over all flesh.' This donation taketh in elect and reprobate. Nations are his heritage, as well as the church ; only in this giving by way of reward, there is a difference ; some are given to Christ at large, to be disposed of accord- ing to his pleasure ; others are given to him for some special ministry and service, as hy[)ocrites in the church ; and thus Judas, amongst the rest, was given to Christ, though ' a son of perdition.' And again, others are given to him by way of special and peculiar interest, to be members of his body, subjects of his kingdom, children of his family. So only the elect are given to him : John xvii. 6, ' Thine they were, and thou gavest them me, and they have kept thy word.' The great bargain that Christ made for his Father was only ^ an interest in souls.
[2.] By way of charge. This again is only proper and peculiar to
^ Qu. ' with his Father was only for ' ? — Ed.
VeR. 11.] SERMONS UPON JOHN XVII. 315
the elect ; they were given to Christ by way of charge, to be redeemed, justified, sanctified, glorified ; given, not by way of alienation, but oppignoration. laid at pledge in his hands, so that none of them can miscarry. I shall name some places to prove this way of giving: John vi. 37-39, ' All that the Father giveth me shall come to me,' &c. ; where you see they shall surely and infallibly be brought to grace, and as infallibly be conducted to glory ; and when they come, they cannot miscarry : ' This is the Father's will that hath sent me, that of all that he hath given me I should lose nothing.' Christ hath received a charge, he is to look to all God's flock, not to lose a leg, or a piece of an ear. So John x. 28, 29, ' I give unto them eternal life, and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hands. My Father which gave them me is greater than all ; and no man shall pluck them out of my Father's hands.' Where see Christ's power and faithfulness is engaged by the Father's gift for the preservation of the saints. So that we see ■what it is to be given to Christ, to become his reward, his charge.
3. A third question yet remaineth. Why is it mentioned here? The phrase, as I said, is often used in many verses of this chapter ; but the repetition is not needless : it is not an empty tautology, but re- peated for the more ample consolation and instruction of the apostles, that in the midst of their troubles they might look upon themselves as given to Christ, and so the more interested in a sure preservation ; for God is bound to make good his grant, and Christ his trust. Christ pleadeth his own faithfulness : ver. 12, ' While I was with them in the world, I kept them in thy name : those which thou gavest me I have kept.' He made good his trust, and therefore now pleadeth with the Father that he would make good his grant : ' I am no more in the world, do thou keep them ; ' and he useth the same argument, ' Those which thou hast given me ; ' that swayed with him to keep them, and, he knew the Father would take care of them for the same reason.
Well, now, having laid this foundation, let me —
Observe that this is a ground of solid consolation and establishment to the elect, that they are by the grant of God the Father given and committed to God the Son 'as his purchase and charge. The point is genuine, for this giving is by way of gift and charge ; and this giving is proper to the elect, as we have proved ; and it is here urged as a ground of establishment and consolation. Christ expresseth the elect by such a character, ' Those which thou hast given me,' not only to specify the })ersons, but to declare the ground of audience — Keep them, because they are those which thou hast given me.
Therefore, in following of it, I shall use this method : —
1. I shall more largely explain the manner of God's grant and donation to Christ,
2. I shall showyou how it is a ground of establishment and consolation.
3. 1 shall enforce all by application.
First, To open the nature of the grant, let us again resume the dis- tinction of giving by way of reward and charge. These two answer to one another, as work and wages. Christ taketli upon himself a charge of souls, and all his reward is that he may have an interest in them. Let us begin with the charge, the work first, and then the wages.