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

WE have considered the faithfulness and diligence Christ showed in the preservation of his to eternal life, expressed in that word, [I have kept.] The next thing in order is the subject preserved, Those thou hast given me; but because this expression doth once more, even the sixth time come in, ver. 34. I shall pass it over till then: I shall therefore proceed to the 3d particular, which is the effect, or a sign rather whereby he proveth his faithful protection of them, None of them is perished. The words are emphatical, None, he doth not say all but one or two, but none; for as for the instance following, [but the son of perdition] we shall show you, that is not exceptive, but adversative; because it's said, none of those that are given him perish: now though in some sense Judas was given to Christ as an Apostle, and in respect of his Office Christ said he had chosen twelve, yet he was never given in the sense it is used, ver. 2. where such are said to have eternal life. The last aggravation is, None of them is perished, he doth not say none of them hath been killed by persecutors, or none of them have grievously fallen by sin, for so Peter did, but none is perished; he speaks in the present tense, not none shall perish, but is perished, as if because they were not already perished, they should never, or rather, because in respect of Gods promise, it was as sure as if they were already in heaven: Even as Judas is said in the Text to be perished, although he was not yet in hell; he was not yet gone to his proper place, but because of the certainty of it. This expression was so remarkable, that Chap. 18.9. we have mention made of it as a famous saying, That the saying might be fulfilled, of those thou hast given me I have lost none: only whereas in the text it is expressed passively, none is perished; there it's active, I have lost none; but that change of the word is very comfortable, for thereby is signified, that if any did perish, it would be because of some fault in him, if they be lost, it is he hath lost them. Though sin and the devil should instrumentally destroy them, yet it would be principally attributed to his want of love, or power or faithfulness in his trust. In the text one word is to be observed, and that is [Greek or Hebrew] is perished: The word is used sometimes of a corporal and temporal destruction,