CXLV expository sermons upon the whole 17th chapter of the Gospel according to St.…

2. A peculiar segregation or destination to some Office; Of this latter our Saviour speaks afterwards, say some, when he said, None had perished of those whom the Father had given him but the Son of Perdition; But of the former he speaks v. 2. He giveth Eternal Life to every one that was given him, and v. 9. They were given him out of the world, whereas Judas was always of the world, and thus it is taken here; So that to be given by Christ is for the Father freely out of his mere good pleasure to choose some in Christ to Eternal Life, sanctifying and calling of them in time, So that the Fountain of all the good we have is the mere grace and love of God; The discriminating difference why Christ prayeth not for the world but his Disciples, and in them all believers, is not from any good or worth in them, but merely from the mere gift of God.

2. A peculiar segregation or destination to some Office; Of this latter our Saviour speaks afterwards, say some, when he said, None had perished of those whom the Father had given him but the Son of Perdition; But of the former he speaks v. 2. He giveth Eternall Life to every one that was given him, and v. 9. They were given him out of the world, wheras Judas was alwaies of the world, and thus it is taken here; So that to be given by Christ is for the Father freely out of his meer good pleasure to choose some in Christ to Eternall Life, sanctifying and calling of them in time, So that the Fountain of all the good we have is the meer grace and love of God; The discriminating difference why Christ prayeth not for the world but his Disciples, and in them all beleevers, is not from any good or worth in them, but meerly from the meer gift of God.

¹Obs. That all the spiritual good the godly enjoy is merely and solely from the gift and grace of God; This is a Point that the Scripture doth most diligently press and that over and over again, because we are so apt to attribute something to our selves; Thus the Apostle speaks generally, Jam. 1.17. Every good and perfect gift comes from above; The earth is no more able to give light to the world then we can do that which is truly good of our selves; Therefore 2 Cor. 21.4. What hast thou thou hast not received? The Apostle makes an universal charge, so that to say I have received from my self and made my self to differ from others, (as Grevinchovius the Arminian) is to blaspheme in an high manner, and to put our selves in the place of God; You see whatsoever privilege Gods people have, it is because they are given to Christ.