came to deal with God and with men : to deal with God, and so is a high priest, to pacify God, to offer such a sacrifice as might satisfy God ; and he came to deal with men, and so he is an apostle, to open the everlasting gospel, to bring it out of the bosom of God to our hearts. His kingly office was but little exercised upon earth ; Ave have a glimpse of his kingly office, or rather of his divine nature, in turning the money-changers out of the temple ; but it was little exercised upon earth. Why ? Because this was the time of Christ's humiliation. Now the kingly office suits more with the exaltation of Christ ; when he comes the second time, then he comes to exercise his kingly office, to reign, and scatter his enemies, and show his kingly power ; but now he came to teach and to suffer. That is the reason why his kingly office is made the consequent of his resurrection : Acts v. 31.. ' Him hath God exalted with his right hand, to be a prince and a saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins.' Was not Christ king of the church, and king before his resurrection ? I answer — As God, so he was a king from all eternity ; and in the days of his flesh he was our mediator, therefore certainly king, priest, and prophet ; but in the world he did not come to possess his kingdom, but only to preach it and divulge it. Therefore he saith to Pilate, John xviii. 36, ' My kingdom is not of this world ; if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews; but now is my kingdom not from hence.' Christ came to bear witness that he was king, but did not come to possess his kingdom and act as a king. As soon as ever he was consecrated to be a mediator, he was king, priest, and prophet of the church. Look, as David was king before God as soon as he was anointed, long before he possessed the throne and was crowned at Hebron, 1 Sam. xvi. 13, for he was king when he wandered up and down, and was hunted like a flea or like a partridge upon the moun- tains ; so Christ in the time of his humiliation was a king, but did not ex- ercise his kingdom. Chiefly, then, he was sent into the world the first time to redeem and instruct the world. To redeem the world : 1 John iv. 10, 'God loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.' This was Christ's first errand, to make satisfaction for sins ; afterwards he will come to destroy his enemies at his second coming. And to instruct the world ; that is of special consideration in this place : ' As thou hast sent me into the world, so have I sent them into the world.' Christ sent disciples as a prophet, and in this sense he is the ' apostle of our profession ; ' an ambassador sent from heaven, God's represen- tative; in this sense he is called ' the angel of the covenant,' Mai. iii. 1. The solemnest messenger that ever God sent into the world : Isa. Ixi. 1, ' The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek,' &c. Christ was anointed principally for this work, to preach the gospel ; he came from heaven to show us the way of life : Heb. i. 1, 2, ' God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son.' He hath spoken to us by ai)ostles, pastors, and teachers. Why doth he make mention only of Christ ? Because in the roll of gospel preachers, Christ is the first, Christ's name is first enrolled, he was first in com- mission, and he sent forth apostles, and the apostles others. The
VeR, 18.] SERMONS UrON JOHN XVII. 469
mystery of redemption was never clearly known till Christ came to pveacli it ; then all the deep counsel of God for man's salvation came out, which was hidden before. Christ brought out of God's bosom the doctrine of the gospel.
APPLICATION.
We learn hence many things. As —
1. The distinction of the persons in the Trinity. Christ is a distinct subsistence from the Father ; for he that sendeth and he that is sent are distinct. Mark, it implies a distinction, but not an inferiority ; against the Arians. Persons equal by mutual consent may send one another ; as the elders of Antioch sent out Paul and Barnabas, but it doth not follow that they were inferior to the elders of Antioch. So here it implies distinction, but not inferiority.
2. The knowledge of Christ's person ; he was ' sent into the world,' therefore is God-man. He was one that was sent, therefore had a being before he was incarnate ; and was * sent into the world,' therefore there was an assumption of the human nature.