1. Of the last clause; the glory given to Christ is a fruit and evi- dence of God's eternal love to him as mediator ; for so he is considered here ; for whatever was given to Christ was given to him as mediator, for to the divine nature nothing can be given ; though the Father be the fountain of the godhead, yet he is not so properly said to give glory to Christ as God, because he loved him.
2. Of the whole verse, and so you may conceive it either thus, that he improved his whole interest in the Father, conjuring him by his infinite and eternal love, or rather from love to himself inferreth love to us ; thou hast loved me, and them in me ; for we also are loved before the foundation of the world : Mat. xxv. 34, ' Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit a kingdom prepared for you before the founda- tion of the world.'
The point to be discussed is, the eternity of God^s love to Christ, and in Christ to us.
VeR. 24.] SERMONS UPON JOHN XVII. 109
1. The eternity of God's love to Christ, as God, as his Son ; the love of parents to children is but a shadow of it. ■ We are finite, so are our affections. As his image : Heb. i. 3, ' Who is the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person.' Likeness is the ground of love. God loves Christ, not only as like him, but as being of the same essence with himself : 1 John v. 7, ' For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost, and these three are one.' There is no created instance to answer it : all that we love are without us, but Christ is of the same essence with God. Then he loveth him as mediator and head of the church. He doth not only love us in Christ, but in a sort he loveth Christ in us, because of the complacency that he took in his obedience : John x. 17, ' Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life that I might take it again.' God did therefore eternally love him, and glorify his manhood for his love to us.
2. In God's loving Christ he loved us. We are elected in him before the foundation of the world : Eph. i. 4, ' According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world.' When God chose Christ to be mediator, he chose us in Christ. This is the method of the divine decrees. God from all eternity resolved to create man pure and innocent, but with a changeable will, to permit him to fall ; and he resolved on the remedy, Christ, and in Christ to receive them to grace, and accept them to life again. First he loveth Christ, and then us in him ; as a king doth not only love a subject that hath done him service, but all his friends and kindred, they are brought to court, and preferred for his sake.
3. This love to us was eternal also : 2 Tim. i. 9, * Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling ; not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began.' So Titus i. 2, ' In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began.' But how then are we children of wrath by nature, the elect as well as others ? Eph. ii. 3, ' And were by nature children of wrath, even as others.' Ans. That showeth the merit of the natural estate, not the purpose and decree of God. There are vessels of wrath, viz., the re- probate ; and children of wrath, viz., the unregenerate elect ; and children under wrath, viz., children of God under desertion. It notes not what God hath determined in his everlasting counsel, but what we deserve by nature and in the course of his justice.
Use 1. It is a ground of hope why we may look for everlasting life, because of God's eternal love. So it is Urged here. There are two grounds of hope — the eternity of his love, and his love to Christ.
1. The eternity of his love. From eternity it began, and to eternity it continueth; before the world was, and when the world shall be no more : Ps. ciii. 17, ' The mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting, upon them tliat fear him ; and his rigliteousness unto children's children.' It is the weakness of man to change purposes ; God's love is not fickle and inconstant. We have good purposes, but they are speedily blasted, but certainly God's eternal purpose shall stand. So that the great foundation of our hope is, tlie immutable love of God the Father. He that seeth all things at once cannot be
110 SERMONS UPON JOHN XVIT. [SeR. XLII.
deceived ; we are ignorant of futurity, and therefore upon new events change onr minds. Whatever falleth out, God repenteth not : Rom. xi. 29, ' Eor the gifts and caUing of God are without repentance.' His ancient love continues still. We have many backsliding thoughts ; we think to love God, but new temptations carry us away, and so we are fickle and changeable ; but God changeth not, he cannot deny himself.