Use 1. In times of desertion, when we see nothing in ourselves, look upon Christ as a depositary, the first receptacle of grace ; he is justi- fied, sanctified, ascended, glorified ; and encourage thyself to take hold of Christ, that thou mayest have all these things in him.
Use 2. To be thankful to God for Christ : ' Blessed be the God
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and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ,' Eph. i. 3. Let us never bless God for what we enjoy, but still remember Christ.
Use 3. It presseth us to get a union with Christ : 1 Cor. iii. 22, 23, * All are yours, for you are Christ's, and Christ is God's ; ' that we may not look on Christ as an abstracted head. All that Christ hath, he hath it for us.
5. Observe from those words, 'I have given them;' it may be objected that we see no such matter ; Christ's members are poor despicable dust and ashes, more aflSicted than others. How then can it be said. This glory * I have given them' ? Ans. Christ hath acquired a right. Observe, the glory that is given to us by Christ is as surely ours as if we were in the actual possession of it : John iii. 36, ' He that believeth on the Son of God hath everlasting life.' How hath he it ?
[1.] He hath it in capite : it is done in regard of Christ, with whom we make one mystical body. The most worthy part of the body is in heaven, the head is there : Eph. ii. 6, ' And hath raised us up toge- ther, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ.' We are already glorified in Christ, though not in ourselves. Christians take possession in their head, as Christ hath taken possession in their names.
[2.] They have it in the promises. The promise is the root of the blessing ; you have a fair charter to show for it. God standeth bound in point of promise. God is very tender of his word ; you will see it in ajl the other promises when you put him to trial. The promise of God is but the declaration of his purpose : Heb. vi. 17, 18, ' Wherein God willing more abundantly to show unto the heirs of promise the immutability of his counsel, confirmed it by an oath: that by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, ye may have strong consolation.' You have a lease to show for it ; a man doth not carry his inheritance upon his back.
[3.] Tliey have the first-fruits of it, which difier only in degree from glory : Kom. viii. 23, ' And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the first-fruits of the Spirit ; even we ourselves groan within our- selves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.' We have the earnest in hand. That portion of the Spirit which we have received is given us for security. Wherefore this fitting and preparing, these groans, are grounds of confidence. If a vessel be formed, it is for some use. All this would else be lost. And do you think God will lose his earnest ? The beginnings we have here are a taste and pledge ; here we sip, and have a foretaste of the cup of bless- ing. Union with Christ, joys of the Spirit, peace of conscience, are the beginnings of heaven. They that live in the provinces next to Arabia have a strong scent of the odours and sweet smells of the spices that grow there ; so the church is the suburbs of heaven ; the members of it begin to smell the upper paradise. The comfortable influences of the Spirit are the taste, and the gracious influences are the pledge and earnest, of our future inheritance.
Use 1. Let us bless God aforehand: 1 Peter i. 3-5, 'Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which, according to his
62 SERMONS UPON JOHN XVII. [SeR. XXXIX.
abundant mercy, hath begotten us again unto a lively hope, by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incor- ruptible and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for us, who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salva- tion.' The inheritance is kept for us, and we for it. We can never want matter to bless God ; if we have nothing in hand, yet we have much in hope.
2. Let us wait with more confidence ; we have no cause to doubt ; we have God's word and pawn ; as sure as Christ is in heaven, we shall be there.
3. Let us be there in affection, in earnest groans and desires, in frequent thoughts : Rom. viii. 30, ' Whom he did predestinate, them he also called ; and whom he called, them he also justified ; and whom he justified, them he also glorified.
4. Let us not fear changes ; all changes will end in that which is best for us.
SERMON XXXIX.
/ in them, and tJwu in me, that they may he made perfect in one ; and that the tvorld may hioio that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me. — John XVIL 23.