Observe, secondly,' Christ taketh great delight in his people's com- pany and fellowship. His heart is much set upon it.
1. I shall give you some demonstrations and evidences of it.
2. Keasons. First, Evidences.
1. His longing for the society of men before the creation of the world: Prov. viii. 31, * I rejoiced in the habitable parts of the earth, and my delights were with the sons of men.' Though Christ de- lighted in all the creatures, as they were the effects of his wisdom, power, and goodness, yet chiefly with men, that are capable of God's image, and upon whom he should lay out the riches of his grace. He thought on us before the world was, and longed for the time of his incarnation : When will it come ?
2. In that he delighted to converse in human shape before the incarnation : Zech. i. 10, ' The man among the myrtle trees ; ' who is also called, ' The angel of the Lord,' ver. 11.
3. He took pleasure to spend time busily among them, whilst he was with them in the days of his flesh : John ix. 4, 5, ' I must work the works of him that sent me while it is day : the night cometh, when no man can work. As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.' His affection to the service made him go up and down doing good to men ; he would not leave this ministration to his servants, but would do it in person as long as he was in the world : John i. 14, ' The word was made flesh, and dwelt among us.' Christ did not assume our nature, as angels assumed bodies for the present turn, but lived a good space of time, and conversed with men.
4. When it was necessary he should depart, he had a mind to returning before he went away and removed his bodily presence from us ; his heart is upon meeting and fellowship again, of getting his people up to him, as in the text, or his coming down to us : John xiv. 3, 'And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you to myself, that where I am, there ye may be also.'
5. Until the time that that meeting cometh, he vouchsafeth us his
VeR. 24.] SERMONS UPON JOHN XVII, 99
spiritual presence : Mat. xxviii. 20, ' Lo, I am with you always to the end of the world.' Whatsoever part or age of the world we fall into in this life, we are with Christ, and Christ with us ; not only with the church in general, but with every believer. With the church or assemblies of his people : ' Where two or three are gathered together in my name, I am in the midst of them,' Mat. xviii. 20. With every ])articular believer : Christ is said ' to dwell in our hearts by faith,' Eph. iii. 17. There is a near familiarity between Christ and every believer; every sanctified heart is a temple wherein he keepeth his residence. As God he is everywhere ; as to his human nature, the heaven of heavens contain it ; as to his gracious operation, and especial influence, so he dwelleth in the hearts of his people. Tie is with us in our duties : Exod. xx. 24, ' In all places where I record my name, I will come unto thee, and bless thee.^ Christ is present to entertain us ; we go to meet with Christ. In our dangers : Isa. xliii. 2, ' When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee ; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee : when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burnt, neither shall the flames kindle upon thee.' The Son of God was with the three children in the furnace. Wlien left alone, they are not alone. He would never have gone from us if our necessities did not require it. It was necessary that he should die for our sins, that they might not hinder our believing and coming to him. It was necessary he should go to heaven. If our happiness lay here, he would be with us here, but it doth not ; it is reserved for us in the heavens ; therefore he must go there to prepare a place for us, that we may be ever with him.
6. W^hen gone away he will tarry no longer than our affairs require ; as soon as he hath done his work, he will come again and fetch us. When our souls are with him, that doth not fully content Christ ; he will come and fetch us into heaven in our whole persons, and then Christ and we shall never part more : 1 Thes. iv. 17, ' And then shall we ever be with the Lord.' Thus Christ is never satisfied till our communion be perfect and perpetual, till we are all with him in one assembly and congregation : Ps. i. 5, ' Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.' Then all the elect shall meet in one general assembly, that Christ's mystical body may be fully complete ; not one member of his mystical body is wanting.