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

Obs. That if the Lord Christ though God, ¹yet in respect of his office and Ministry doth attribute all to God, how much more ought the Ministers of the Gospel who are frail sinful men; Shall Christ say, he kept them by the Fathers power? Shall he say, It's not my Doctrine but the Fathers? Shall he say, I seek not my own glory, but the glory of him that sent me? How much more ought the Officers God hath appointed in the Church take their Auditors off from them, and carry them to God wholly; It is Observable, That Christ did still inform his Disciples and Hearers to look up unto the Father, and the Apostles they laboured to take off believers from applauding of them but to look up to God; Thus Paul 2 Cor. 3.5, 6. even when he advanceth his Ministry to the Highest, yet left men should therewithal advance the persons put thereinto (as Hortensins said of Tully that he commended Eloquence to the Heavens, that he himself might be lifted up with it) See what corrective expressions he useth, Not that we are sufficient of our selves to think any thing, our sufficiency is of God; All is attributed to God; Paul though endowed with so many excellent gifts, yet saith of himself, he is not able to think, he doth not say to do, to convert and change mens hearts, but he cannot think, and he doth not say he cannot think some choice, sublime, admirable thing, but he cannot think any thing, the least thought in reference to the salvation of others; And therefore he addeth ver. 6. It is God that hath made us able Ministers; The Ministers of God may as well say they create the world, They work Miracles by their own power, as say, they enlighten the minds, or soften the hearts of those to whom they preach; Thus 1 Cor. 3.5. When the people through vanity did rest too much upon the Officers of the Church, and attributed that to them which belonged to Christ: Paul doth severely expostulate with them, 1 Corin. 1.13. Was Paul Crucified for you? Were you Baptized in the Name of Paul? What are these but Ministers by whom ye believe? Two errors in the extreme we are to avoid,

Obs. That if the Lord Christ though God, ¹yet in respect of his office and Ministry doth attribute all to God, how much more ought the Ministers of the Gospel who are frail sinful men; Shall Christ say, he kept them by the Fathers power? Shall he say, It's not my Doctrine but the Fathers? Shall he say, I seek not my own glory, but the glory of him that sent me? How much more ought the Officers God hath appointed in the Church take their Auditors off from them, and carry them to God wholly; It is Observable, That Christ did still inform his Disciples and Hearers to look up unto the Father, and the Apostles they laboured to take off beleevers from applauding of them but to look up to God; Thus Paul 2 Cor. 3.5, 6. even when he advanceth his Ministry to the Highest, yet left men should therewithall advance the persons put thereinto (as Hortensins said of Tully that he commended Eloquence to the Heavens, that he himself might be lifted up with it) See what corrective expressions he useth, Not that we are sufficient of our selves to think any thing, our sufficiency is of God; All is attributed to God; Paul though endowed with so many excellent gifts, yet saith of himself, he is not able to think, he doth not say to doe, to convert and change mens hearts, but he cannot think, and he doth not say he cannot think some choice, sublime, admirable thing, but he cannot think any thing, the least thought in reference to the salvation of others; And therefore he addeth ver. 6. It is God that hath made us able Ministers; The Ministers of God may as well say they create the world, They work Miracles by their own power, as say, they enlighten the mindes, or soften the hearts of those to whom they preach; Thus 1 Cor. 3.5. When the people through vanity did rest too much upon the Officers of the Church, and attributed that to them which belonged to Christ: Paul doth severely expostulate with them, 1 Corin. 1.13. Was Paul Crucified for you? Were you Baptized in the Name of Paul? What are these but Ministers by whom ye beleeve? Two errours in the extreme we are to avoid,

1. 1Doct. If Christ though God, yet in respect of his Ministry doth attribute all to God, how much more ought the Ministers of the Gospel who are frail men.

1. That because the Ministry cannot do any thing without God, therefore we despise it and neglect it as too many do; This is to oppose the Principal and the Instrument: They will not do so in natural things, though man doth not live by material bread alone, but by the Word of God, yet they will not throw away that Food as needless, unprofitable, and unnecessary; Why then will they do so to the immaterial food and heavenly manna of the Word.

1. That because the Ministry cannot do any thing without God, therefore we despise it and neglect it as too many do; This is to oppose the Principall and the Instrument: They will not do so in naturall things, though man doth not live by materiall bread alone, but by the Word of God, yet they will not throw away that Food as needlesse, unprofitable, and unnecessary; Why then will they do so to the immaterial food and heavenly manna of the Word.

The other extreme is, To advance it too much, To set up the Instrument to the neglect of the Principal, and that is when we so rest on and admire the Gifts, Learning, Elocution, or parts of the Minister, that we look not up to God, and this we are prone unto; Therefore the Apostle gives a large ⟨p. 342⟩Commendation to the The ssalonians, 1 Thessal. 2.13. That they received the Word Not as the Word of man, but as of God, which effectually worketh in Believers, John 4. It's said of Johns Hearers, That they did a while rejoice in his light, They flocked after his Ministry, yet afterwards they quarrelled with him, and said, He had a Devil; Thus Ezech. 33.32. He was to the Jews a very lovely Song, They loved to hear him, they came thronging in great Multitudes and Companies unto him, but yet they would not do any thing.

The other extream is, To advance it too much, To set up the Instrument to the neglect of the Principall, and that is when we so rest on and admire the Gifts, Learning, Elocution, or parts of the Minister, that we look not up to God, and this we are prone unto; Therefore the Apostle gives a large ⟨p. 342⟩Commendation to the The ssalonians, 1 Thessal. 2.13. That they received the Word Not as the Word of man, but as of God, which effectually worketh in Beleevers, John 4. It's said of Johns Hearers, That they did a while rejoyce in his light, They flocked after his Ministry, yet afterwards they quarelled with him, and said, He had a Devil; Thus Ezech. 33.32. He was to the Jews a very lovely Song, They loved to hear him, they came thronging in great Multitudes and Companies unto him, but yet they would not do any thing.

SERMON LXIV. Of the Manner of Christs keeping those that are His. Of a four-fold Principle that is operative to the Preservation of Believers: And of the excellent Effects of the lively Meditation of this Doctrine of being kept by Christ to Salvation.

JOHN 17.12. Those which thou hast given me, I have kept, &c.

IN the former part of the verse, you heard our Saviour expressing, that glorious privilege of Protection and Preservation of his Disciples, and so all that were given him in the midst of all dangers to eternal life. Now our Saviour amplifieth the fidelity and diligence he used in this custody.

IN the former part of the verse, you heard our Saviour expressing, that glorious priviledge of Protection and Preservation of his Disciples, and so all that were given him in the midst of all dangers to eternal life. Now our Saviour amplifieth the fidelity and diligence he used in this custody.

So that in the words we may observe Christs diligence and fidelity expressed, I have kept them.

2. The Subject, Whom thou hast given me. This is the fifth time our Saviour repeateth it, and therefore the more to be observed.

2. The Subject, Whom thou hast given me. This is the fift time our Saviour repeateth it, and therefore the more to be observed.

3. His fidelity in preservation is illustrated by the sign or effect of it, None of them is perished.

3. His fidelity in preservation is illustrated by the signe or effect of it, None of them is perished.

4. He answers an Objection concerning Judas (granting that he perished) with a twofold reason, He was the son of perdition, and that the Scripture may be fulfilled.

All these particulars contain solid and substantial Divinity, both Doctrinal and Practical. They will serve to confute false Doctrines, and reprove wicked conversations. And

First, Let us consider the fidelity and diligence Christ useth, expressed in that word, I have kept them. This is a new and different Greek word from the former, which was [Greek or Hebrew], but here it is [Greek or Hebrew], which the Septuagint make often to answer the Hebrew word Shamar, which signifieth to keep with all diligence and circumspection. In the New Testament, it's many times used of a corporal violent detaining in prison, as [Greek or Hebrew] is, Act 12.4. Act. 23.35. Hence [Greek or Hebrew] is often for a prison, Act. 16.23, 24, 27, 37, 40. and [Greek or Hebrew] is to hale to prison, Act 22.19. but when it's applied in a spiritual sense, it signifieth a diligent observing of a command, or more frequently, a careful preserving of our selves from sin, as Luke 12.15 1 John 5.21. And hence comes the Greek word [Greek or Hebrew], Matth. 23.5. They made broad their phylacteries, called so, because by them they were warned to take heed of sin: But in the Text it's used for protection and preservation to everlasting happiness, as John 12.25. only we ⟨p. 344⟩may observe the use of it in three places very fit to our matter in hand.

First, Let us consider the fidelity and diligence Christ useth, expressed in that word, I have kept them. This is a new and different Greek word from the former, which was 〈non-Latin alphabet〉, but here it is 〈non-Latin alphabet〉, which the Septuagint make often to answer the Hebrew word Shamar, which signifieth to keep with all diligence and circumspection. In the New Testament, it's many times used of a corporal violent detaining in prison, as 〈non-Latin alphabet〉 is, Act 12.4. Act. 23.35. Hence 〈non-Latin alphabet〉 is often for a prison, Act. 16.23, 24, 27, 37, 40. and 〈non-Latin alphabet〉 is to hale to prison, Act 22.19. but when it's applied in a spiritual sense, it signifieth a diligent observing of a command, or more frequently, a carefull preserving of our selves from sinne, as Luke 12.15 1 John 5.21. And hence comes the Greek word 〈non-Latin alphabet〉, Matth. 23.5. They made broad their phylacteries, called so, because by them they were warned to take heed of sinne: But in the Text it's used for protection and preservation to everlasting happiness, as John 12.25. onely we ⟨p. 344⟩may observe the use of it in three places very fit to our matter in hand.

It's applied to Shepherds diligently watching to their sheep, and that in the night time, Luke 2.8. and thus Homer useth it also; and hereby is represented that Christ is that chief Shepherd, which will keep his sheep, though never so infirm or weak, that no danger shall befall them.

2. It's applied to the keeping of some precious thing deposited in our hands, that we are betrusted with, 1 Tim. 6.20. and thus also all the godly are delivered to Christ as his charge, that none be lost.

3. Lastly, It's used of preserving in a safe place in the midst of dangers. Thus Noah is said to be kept in the Ark, 2 Pet. 2.5. which is notably true in all the godly. The deluge of Gods wrath falls upon all the wicked of the world, and the godly are kept safe in Christ, as Noah was in the Ark, whereas then our Saviour doth so often inform his Disciples, that he keepeth them. Observe▪

3. Lastly, It's used of preserving in a safe place in the midst of dangers. Thus Noah is said to be kept in the Ark, 2 Pet. 2.5. which is notably true in all the godly. The deluge of Gods wrath fals upon all the wicked of the world, and the godly are kept safe in Christ, as Noah was in the Ark, whereas then our Saviour doth so often inform his Disciples, that he keepeth them. Observe▪