VOL. XI. I
130 SERMONS UPON JOHN XVII. [SeR, XLIII.
' I thank thee, 0 Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes.' God can give to shallow and weak people great under- standing in spiritual things, as he cured him that was born blind, John ix,
2. With earnestness : ' Cry for knowledge, and lift up thy voice for understanding,' Pro v. ii, 3. Many times God withholdeth knowledge that we may cry for it, especially when the case is doubtful and litigious. John wept when the book was sealed with seven seals, Eev. v. 4. We need to cry for all grace, but especially for saving knowledge. Let us groan and sigh when we are in the dark.
[1.] Consider the necessity of knowledge. The blind man cried after Christ, because he knew what it was to want eyes : Luke xviii. 41, 'Lord, that I may receive my sight.' We are not sensible of our natural blindness as we ought to be. There is ignorance and folly in all, but treasures of wisdom and knowledge in Christ. If we are not ignorant, yet we are indiscreet. Men know not how to guide and order their course. Certainly if you were acquainted with your- selves, you would not hold your peace.
[2.] Consider the excellency of knowledge. All knowledge is excellent, as all light is comfortable. Knowledge is your excellency above the beasts ; that you have receptive faculties capable of knowing and understanding things, that you are intelligent creatures, this is your advantage above the beasts. But saving knowledge is far more excellent, even the knowledge of God in Christ. This is the glory of a man : Jer. xxix. 23, 24, ' Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in liis might ; let not the rich man glory in his riches ; but let him that glorieth, glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I am the Lord,' &c. If men should be able to dispute of everything that might be known, from the highest star to the lowest shrub, this knowledge is nothing to the knowledge o£ God in Christ, which is far better than all the knowledge of the ques- tionists and disputers of this world. The fear of God, that is the best excellency, and that is it which Christ teacheth. I observe the provi- dence of God in that one thing, viz., Solomon had wrote many books of philosophy which are not extant, when the books of some heathens, as Aristotle's book de Animalihus, &c., are extant ; but his books of the fear of God are preserved by a special providence, not one of them lost. We may want the other without any loss of true wisdom, but we cannot want these. And therefore you are more concerned in the get- ting of saving knowledge than you -are aware of. Light was the first creature that God made, so it is the way by which all grace is wrought in the soul ; for in all communications of grace God beginneth with the understanding : Jer. xxxi. 19, ' After 1 was instructed, I smote upon my thigh.' He makes the creature to submit to his providence, to be contented in all estates and conditions : Phil. iv. 12, ' In all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need.' God draws you to Christ, but his drawing is accompanied with a teaching : John vi. 44, ' No man can come to me, except the Father, which hath sent me, draw him;' ver. 45, ' And they ehall be all taught of God. Every man therefore that hath heard,
VeR. 26.] SERMONS UPON JOHN XVII. 131
and hath learned of the Father, cometh unto me.' God's drawing is not a blind force, but there is a teaching with it. God loves rational service, not blind obedience ; and theiefore cry for knowledge, and run to Christ that he may teach you, and lead you into the paths of righteousness.
SERMON XLIV.
A nd I have declared unto them thy name, and luill declare it ; that the love luhereioith thou hast loved me m/xy he in them, and I in them. — John XVII. 26.
This is the second reason, taken from the benefits Christ had bestowed upon them. Here is his gift and his aim. In the first, what he had done, whati he will do. Where — (1.) Quid, the manifestation of his Father's name ; (2.) Quihus, to whom, principally to the apostles, and from them to believers ; (3.) Quomodo, ' I have,' that is, by his minis- try upon earth ; and ' I will,' in the pouring out the Spirit, and his discourses with them after the resurrection. All that needeth expli- cation is. What is meant by God's name ? Ans. The use of names from the beginning was a distinction to separate creature from crea- ture by their appellations. At first Adam gave names to the beasts, that their species and kinds might be distinguished, for beasts are dis- tinguished only by their herds and kinds. But the names which men bear are individual and particular ; man being an excellent creature, made for rule and commerce, and therefore is to be known not by his kind, but name. But now, what is God's name ? Where there are many, there is need of names ; but where there is but one, the singu- larity is distinction enough. But yet God hath his nan^e, by way of distinction from creatures ; so we have a negative name, removing the imperfections of the creature, and to distinguish him from those Xe'yofievoc deoi, gods that are so called. And his name is a jealous God: Exod. xxxiv. 14, ' For thou shalt worship no other God ; for the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God,' And by way of notification, that we may conceive of him aright, as names are not only distinctive, but SrjXdoTiKa rwv TTpayfxaTcov, as Damascene. So all that by which he is known or distinguished, that is his name ; and so God hath many names, because one cannot enough express him. His works are a part of his name, but chiefly his word, the doctrine concerning his essence and will : Ps. cxxxviii. 2, ' Thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name ;' there he hath made himself most known. In creaiion and providence we may read much of God, but in the bible more ; and chiefly his word of promise and covenant, which is that theatre upon which his mercy and truth is discovered, which is the representation wherein God delighteth. And again, the covenant, as it is revealed in the gospel, is a cliief part of his name, for his name was secret before the New Testament dispensation was set afoot : Judges xiii. 18, ' Why