g34 SERMONS upon Sean.] 5. 1. His Intereft. Chrift bath a (hare going in every Believer. As when there are Ships at Sea, in which you have a (hare, you pray for their fafe return, and are ten- derly affe&ed when you hear they arein danger. Chrift is loth to lofe his Share ; he had but riow pleaded his Intereft with the Father : VerC to. All thine are mine, and mine are thine c We are a part of his Goods ; the World would weaken the Elate of Chrift. Believers are his Treafure, and they are in danger of Rocks and Pirats 5 and therefore he prayeth to the Father. Now Chrift hath an Intereft in them, not only by the Father's Grant, but their own Dedication ; they are his, and all that they fuller is for his fake, Verf 14. I have given them thy Word, and therefore the World hateth them Let a Man go on in a wicked, carnal, ungodly way, and the World will not vex him: Let a Man once be zealous for Chri(l, and then he muff expe& Trouble enough. They endure all this for me,and (hall I not be fenfible ? If a Child (hould inadvertently break his Leg orArm, you would pity him ; but if he Ihould break his Leg or Arm in your Serviçe, or Defence, to refcue his Father, you would pity him more. 2. His Love. John 13. I. yetis having laved his own which were in the World, he loved them to the end : Thofe whom we love, we are troubled about their Welfare. A carelefs Father may die, and never be troubled what (hall become of his Children ; but Love is very follicitous : Alas poor Orphans ! they are without a Guide and Guardian, left to Snares and Temptations, and (hall it not pity them ? Hugo cryeth out, 0 Chafitrts, quarts magnum eft Vinculum loam ! Deum in Terrain traxifli, crud afftxifii, Sepulchre ! &c. 0 Leve, how great is thy `Power ! it Was I eve that hrrugl. t Chrit] fronsHeaven, that nailed him to Me Groß, that laid him in the Grave, that carried him again to do our Bnfinefi with God : Had it not been for Love, he h d never come from Head ven, and lett the Bofom of the Father for the Lap of the Virgin, the Form of God for the Vail of Fle(h, the Glory of Heaven for the Darknefs of the Grave : Had it not been for Love he had never died to deliver us from this prefent evil World, he had never been fenfible of our State and Condition. Love is jealous and fenfible of all the Dangers of the Party beloved ; the fame Love of Chrift, that expofeth us to Troubles and Hazards for Chril1s fake, the fame Love maketh Chrift compaflio- nate of our Miferies and Sorrows. We are jealous of his Honóur, and he is jealous of our Safety. 3: His Charge. Chrift bath taken an Office upon him, to defend, pity, and guide the Elect through all Temptations to Salvation. Now Chrilt cannot be unfaithful iti his Office ; Heb. 4. 15. We have not an High-Priefi, that cannot be touched with the feeling of our Infirmities : He that is paffed into the Heavens, is (till our High- Prie(t, Give me leave to admire that Expreflion, Heb.8.2. Ae7otyás P ócÿcwv, a Minifler of the Sanftu- ary. When he was upon Earth, he came in the Form bf a Servant, and now he is in Heaven, he is (till a Servant. We may (peak what Chrift hath fpoken for us, he is our Officer and Minifter even in Heaven, not only in the State of his Abafement, but in the State of his Exaltation. Our Lord would be ours, not only in Love, but Duty, that fo we might have the greater Affurance. Till all the Saints come to Hea- ven, Chrift looks upon himfelf as bound in point of Office, they are his Charge 5 he cannot be loving to the Church, nor faithful to the Father, if he Ihould do other- wife. 4. His Experience. Heb.4.15. He is touched with the feeling of our Infirmities, was in all points tempted as we are, yet without Sin : Pray mark, in all Mutts. Chrift bath had Experience of all Trials, whereinto any of his Servants can fall, Poverty, forfaking of Friends, Exile, Imprifonment, Hunger, Nakednefs, Watching, Wearinefs, Pain of Body, Heavinefs of Heart, Defertion as to Senfe, Wrath and C.urfe of God. Chrift bath carried his feeling with him into Heaven, he knew what Poverty meaneth, what trouble of Confcience, what heavinefs of Spirit meaneth. Chrift could not fo expe- rimentally pity us, fo feelingly pity us, if he were not like us in all things ; his Heart was intendred by Experience, as a Man that bath felt the Gout, and felt the Stone. Ifrael knew the Heart of a Stranger : Chrift knew the Heart of a Man that is left to the World's Frowns and Snares. He took a Communion of our Natures and Miferies, as a Pawn and Pledg, that he will pity us, and help us; Heb.a. to. The Captain of our Salvation was made perfeil through Sufferings. Chrift, tho he was perfet3,he received the Spirit without meafure, yet he lacked one thing, which his Office required, to be a perfel Mediator, till he had an experimental feeling : So Heb. a. 18. In that he felfbathfufered being tempted, he is able to fuccour them that are tempted : Chrifl was able as foon as he came from Heaven ; as God, what could he not do ? But there is an Ability
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=