Let me press it : —
1. If Christ be not in us, the devil is : Eph. ii. 2, ' Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience.' Man's heart is not a waste ; it is occupied by Christ or Satan. The children of disobedience are acted by the devil and governed by the devil. Those that are cast out of the church, which is a figure of cutting off from communion with Christ, were given up to Satan, to show that he reigneth there where Christ doth not take possession ; the devil entereth into them, and sendeth them head- long to their own destruction.
2. Where Christ is, there all the Trinity are : John xiv. 23, ' We will come unto him, and make our abode with him ; ' there is Father, Son, and Spirit. Such an one is a consecrated temple, wherein God taketh up his residence. They do not only come as guests, to tarry with us for a night, as the angels came to Abraham, Gen. xviii. 2 ; or ?is friends come to visit, and away, and so leave more sorrow on their
VeR. 23.] SERMONS UPON JOHN XVII. 67
departure than joy in their presence ; but they will abide with us for ever. Heaven is where God is ; this heaven we have upon earth, that all the persons take up their abode in our hearts. God knocketh at the door of a wicked man's heart, but doth not enter, much less have his abode and residence there. Here is the Father as a fountain of grace, Christ as mediator, and the Spirit as Christ's deputy, to work all in us. This is his second heaven, one above the clouds, and another in our hearts. Oh ! what a condescension is it, that God should not only pardon us, and admit us into his presence hereafter, be familiar with us, when we have put on our robes of glory, but dwell in us here ! When Christ was about to go to heaven, and hi& disciples were troubled at it, then he leaveth us this promise. We cannot go to God, but God will come to us, not only give us a visit, but take up his abode in us.
3. Wherever the Trinity are, there is a blessing left behind. The presence of earthly princes is costly and burdensome, because of their train and the charges of entertainment ; but the Trinity are blessed guests ; they never come but bring their welcome with them, and a blessing in their hands. The Father, Son, and Holy Ghost do not come empty-handed. The Son of God came to Abraham with two angels, but he came not without a gift, a promise of a child, though their bodies were dry and dead, Gen. xviii. Wheresoever Christ came in the days of his flesh, he left some mercy behind. While in the womb of the virgin, he came into the house of Zacharias, and Zacharias and Elizabeth his wife were both filled with the Holy Ghost, Luke i. 41. He came into Peter's house, and brought deliverance for Peter's wife's mother from a fever. Mat. viii. 15. He came to Caper- naum, and brought with him to the man sick of the palsy health for his body and a pardon for his soul, Mat. ix. 2. He came to the house of Jairus, and raised his daughter, ver. 23. He came to the house of Zaccheus, and brought salvation with him, Luke xix. 9. Everywhere wherever he went, trace him, you will find he left a bless- ing behind him. Laban thrived better for Jacob, the house of Obed- Edom for the ark. In these short visits Christ left a blessing, but in a gracious soul they have a perpetual residence ; it is fit these blessed guests should have good entertainment.
4. It is a pledge that we shall have more : ' Christ in us the hope of glory,' Col. i. 29. He dwelleth in us to fit us for heaven. It is heaven begun ; it makes our exile a paradise. It is still growing, till it cometli to a complete presence in heaven. Where he is once in t luth, there he is for ever. Temples built may stand forsaken, but God never forsaketh his spiritual temples.
Use 2. Direction. What must we do that Christ may be in us ?
1. Make way for him. Empty the heart of all self-confidence. When the heart is full of self, there is no room for Christ : Phil iii. 8, 9, 'Yea doubtless I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ, and be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteous- ness which is of God by faith.' First, there must be a cutting off from
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the wild olive-tree by a sound conviction ; we must know what strangers we are to the life of God. Was there a time when we were convinced of this ? Eph. iv. 18, ' Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God, through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart.' How can a man that was never convinced of the sadness of his estate say, Not 1, but Christ ?