4. These make way one for another, or work into each other's liand ; for what the Father intended, Christ purchased, and the Spirit applieth. God the Father is as the fountain of grace, Jesus Christ as the con- duit or pipe to convey it to us, and the Holy Ghost the immediate operator and worker of it ; the Father of his good pleasure electing sinners to grace and glory, the Son by his obedience and sufferings purchasing it, that it may be brought about in a way convenient for
160 SERMON UPON 2 CORINTHIANS XIII. 14.
Gods honour, the Spirit by his virtue and power working grace in tlieui. There is not a different effect from the Father which is not from the Son, and from the Son which is not from the Spirit, but they concur in an united way, that wliat cometh from the Father cometh from the Son a:nd the Spirit ; the Father makes way for the Son's worlc, and the Son for the Spirit's. So back again; the Spirit is said to honour the Son : John xvi. 14, ' He shaU glorify me ; for he shall receive of mine, and shall show it unto you ; ' and the Son is said to glorify the Father : John xiv. 13, ' And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son/ The Spirit acts as sent by Christ, and Christ as sent by the Father. This is necessary to be regarded by us, because as our salvation in the general is from the Father, through the Son, by the Spirit, so in all our commerce with God, God the Father, as a judge, by the spirit of bondage sendeth us to Christ as mediator, and Christ as mediator by the Spirit of adoption fiends us back again to God as a Father. It is a great help to prayer : E[)h. ii. 18, ' For through him we both have an access by one Spirit unto the Father.' To whom are we praying ? To God as a Father. Whence have we hopes of audience ? By Christ. Who giveth us an heart to come ? The Spirit.
II. The reasons why they concui'.
1. That we may have the higher esteem of the work, which hath such <ngents concerned in it. It is no slight thing to bring about the salva- tion of lost sinners ; all the persons of the godhead are at work about it ; and shall not we, who are the parties interested, be employed about it also ? God is in good earnest ; for therefore before all worlds he emi)loyed the riches of his wisdom and grace to save us in this con- venient way : 1 Peter i. 20, ' Who verily was fore-ordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you.' And who are we, that the thoughts of God should be taken up about us so long ago ? Jesus Christ hath spared no pains to accom- plish the work of our redemption, but freely offered himself to this work : Heb. x. 7, ' Lo, I come to do thy will, 0 God.' He repented not his undertaking, but was fully contented, if souls may be saved: Isa. liii. 11,' ' He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied.' And the Holy Spirit continueth striving with us, though often grieved by our obstinacy and disobedience : Gen. vi. 3, ' My Spirit shall not always strive with man ; ' Isa. Ixiii. 10, ' They rebelled, <ind vexed his Holy Spirit.' Many a conviction do we smother, and often check, and resist his motions, yet he is importunate to prevail with us.
2. That our hearts may be raised to give equal glory to all the persons concerned. We must honour the Son as we honour the Father, as it is expressly said, John v. 23, ' That all men should honour the Son, even as they honour the Father. He that honoureth not the Son, honoureth not the Father that hath sent him.' There is an honour due to God only, not to be given to any other. Christ is equal with the Father in participating this honour ; he is to have the same glory of believing, love, fear, and invocation. So also for the Spirit ; he is an object of invocation ; for as the apostle wisheth and desireth love from the Father and grace from Christ, so a liberal distribution and com-
SERMON UPON 2 CORINTHIANS XIII. 14. 161
municatioii of gifts and graces from the Spirit. Now, to excite ns to give this due respect to all the persons, every one concurreth in his way to promote our final happiness and salvation. The Father deserveth this esteem from us. Many think of God the Father as all wrath and justice, difficult to be reconciled to man ; and of the second ])erson of the Trinity as more gracious and merciful. No ; the love of God is the original of our redemption: God 'spared not his own Son, hut delivered him up for us all,' liom. viii. 32 ; and ' God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself, not imputing their trespasses to them,' 2 Cor. V. 19 ; and ' the Father himself loveth you,' John xvi. 27. Christ came to sliow the amiable nature of God : ' Being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person,' Heb. i. 3. Then for the Lord Jesus, in Christ the glory and riches of the grace of God doth more eminently and palpably appear. This is the contemplation of the saints: John i. 14, ' And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us ; and we beheld his glory (the glory as of the only-begotten of the Father), full of grace and truth ; ' Eph. iii. 18, 19, ' That ye may be able to comprehend, with all saints, what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height, and to know the love of Christ, which passetli knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God ; ' Heb. iii. 1, ' Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the apostle and high priest of our profession, Jesus Chi-ist' His grace, thus condescending to men, is more eminently seen : Eom. V. 8, ' But God commendeth his love towards us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us ; ' and Eev. i. 5, ' To him who loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood.' And for God the Spirit, we also find our hearts raised to give him glory ; partly by the motions of his grace, which we feel in our hearts: Ps. cxliii. 10, ' Teach me to do thy will, for thou art my God : thy Spirit is good ; lead me into the land of uprightness ; ' Neh. ix. 20, ' Thou gavest also thy good Spirit to instruct tliem.' The sanctifier, guide, and comforter of believers is God's Spirit ; he is the only authoi- and fountain of all goodness and holiness. And partly by the comfortable sense he begets in us of our adoi)tion : Gal. iv. 6, 'And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father ; ' and of our hopes of glory : 2 Cor. v. 5, ' Now he that hath wrought us for the self-same thing is God, who hath also given unto us the earnest of the Spirit.' And partly by the support and comfort we have from him in all our conflicts and distresses : 1 Peter iv. 14, ' If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye ; for the Spirit of glory and of God resteth upon } nu : on their part he is evil-spoken of, but on your part he is glorified.'