3. Consider the great good that cometh by it. For the present, you stop the mouth of iniquity : Titus ii. 8, ' That he that is of the con- trary part may be ashamed, having no evil thing to say of you.' It is the duty of christians not only to approve themselves to God, but, as far as they can, to wicked men, to take oflf all advantage from the world, to confute their slanders, to muzzle the mouths of carnal men, that they may have no occasion to speak against the ways of God and the professors of Christianity. Carnal christians open profane mouths ; their slanders shall be put upon your score, who give them too much matter and occasion to speak. Do not say. They are dogs ; what care I if they bark ? The awe that is upon wicked men is one means of the church's preservation ; therefore you must justify wisdom : Mat. xi. 19, 'But wisdom is justified of her children.' Justification is a relative word, it implieth condemnation ; the world condemns the ways of God, and people of God, of fancy, fury, faction. Now you must justify them ; at least, you will leave them without excuse, and furnish matter for the triumphs of God's justice at the last day, and so will have further cause to applaud the counsels of God, when you sit on the bench at the last day. For as in the last day you shall, together with Christ, judge the world by your vote and suffrage — 1 Cor. vi. 2, ' Know ye not that the saints shall judge the world ? ' — so now you must convince them by your conversations. It is a sad thing men walk so as it cannot be said, Where is the malefactor, and where is the judge? You should condemn them, ns by the difference of your lives, so by the heavenliness of your hearts.
54 SERMONS UPON JOHN XVII. [SeR. XXXVIII.
SERMON XXXVIII.
And the glory loMch thou gavest me I have given them ; that they may he one, even as ive are one. — John XVII. 22.
Christ had prayed for the union of believers in one mystical body : here is an argument to enforce that request, ' The glory which thou hast given me, I have given them,' &c. His act is urged as a reason, because of that consent of will that is between him and the Father ; Christ would have his gift ratified by the Father's consent, as if he had said, Deny not what I have granted them.
For the meaning of the words, all the difficulty is, what is meant by the glory here spoken of ? Some say by glory is meant the power of working miracles, that is called the glory of God: John xi. 40, ' Said I not. If thou wouldst believe, thou shalt see the glory of God ? ' that is, a glorious miracle wrought by him. When Christ wrought a miracle, John ii. 11, ' He manifested forth his glory.' And so they limit it to the apostles, who had gifts of miracles, and were fitted to succeed Christ upon earth : thus many of the ancients. By the glory of God is sometimes meant the image of God : Rom. iii. 23, ' All have sinned, and fallen short of the glory of God ;' so 2 Cor. iii. 18, ' We all with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image, from glory to glory.' That glory which we 'lost in Adam and want by nature is restored to us in Christ. Some by glory understand the Spirit, who is called ' a Spirit of glory,' and was given to Christ without measure, and from him to us, as a means of union between us and Christ, and between us and believers. Others understand it of the honour of filiation ; as Christ was a son by nature, so are we by grace : John i. 14, ' We beheld his glory, the glory as of the only-begotten of the Father ; ' and ver. 12, 'As many as received him, to them gave he, i^ova-lav, power to become the sons of God.' It is an honour ; it is a means of union. Adoption maketh way for union with Christ, and Christ left us the relation of brethren, that we might love one another, for we are brethren. But by glory I suppose is meant rather the happiness of the everlasting state, which is usually called glory in scripture ; and so it is taken, ver. 24, 'Father, I will that they also whom thou hast given me, may be with me where I am, that they may behold my glory which thou hast given me.' And there is the most perfect union with Christ ; and we that expect one heaven, should not fall out by the way. Eph. iv. 4, one of the bonds is ' one hope.' All the difiiculty is, how was this given them ? The disciples were upon the earth, and the greatest part of believers were not then in being. Ans. Christ acquired a right, and left us a promise; he would not go to heaven till he had made it sure to us by deed of gift ; this then I conceive to be the meaning. It is not good to straiten the sense of scripture ; yet some one is more proper : adoption, gift of the spirit, new nature, eternal life, you may comprise all.