Ver.25. the 17th Chapter of St. J O H N. 3b7 SERMON XLIII- JOHN XVII.2,5. O Pigbteouo Father, the World bath not known thee : but 'have known thee, and Ogle have known that thou haft Pent me. i oU R Lord had said down the Obje& of his Prayers, and the Matter of them, and now he comes to the Reafons : tho in fuch affeaionate Ad- dreffes to God, we thould not be anxious in flating the Method. Some conceive this a Doxology ; as Mat. I I. 25, 26. I thank thee, O Father, Lord of Heaven and Earth, becaufe thou haft bid theft things from the Wife and Prudent, and hall revealed them unto Babes. Even fo, Father, for fo it feemed good in thy fight. He had fully difcharged his Office as a Prophet, and there- fore giveth Thanks. But I rather look upon it as a part of Supplication. He had made his Will and Teftament, and now alledgeth the Equity of it. Here, Firft; A Compellation, 0 Righteous Father. Secondly; The Qualification of the Difciples for that Glory which he fought for them, Saving Knowledg. Which is illuftrated ; 1. By its Oppofite, the affe &ed'and obflinate Ignorance of the World; The Worldbath not known thee. U. By its Efficient and Exemplary Caufe ; but 1 have known thee. Firft; A Compellation ; Righteous Father. In which there is an 'Argument fecretly couched. For. always Titles óf God are fuited to the Matter in Hand. It is brought to thew the Reafon, why the World is excluded the participation of Heavenly Glory, and the Equity in bellowing it upon the Ele&. He had before called him, Holy Father, now Righteous Father. God is Juil and Righteous two manner of ways, in a Legal and in an Evangelical Senfe. In a Legal Senfe, his Jullice is rewarding' Men according to the Merit of their A &ions. Thus he dealeth with the Reprobate loft World. In the Evangelical Senfe, God's Righteoufnefs Both not regard the Merit of their A &ions, but the State of the Perfon ; and judgeth them rather according to what they have received, than what they have done : And fo God dealeth with the Fled and Reprobate ; the one are re- warded according to their Works, the other according to their State, evidenced by their .Works 5 to both God is juft. So that I might, r. Obferve; That in the Condemnation of the World, God is jefi, tho they remain in bliminefs. I. Becaufe God bath done enough, God is aforehand with them, they have more Means than they ufe well. The Gentile World had Light enough from the Creatures to convince them of the True God ; Rom. r. 59, 20. Becaufè that which may be known of God it msnifeft in them, for God bath fhewed it unto them. For the inv fble things of him from the Creation of the ¡'Vorld are clearly fen; being underfiood by the things that are made, even his Eternal Power and Godhead; fi that they are, ávesroTóyrrrv,, without excufe. Yet they would not acknowledg the True God. The Jewilh World had Miracles enough to convince them of the true Meftìah. Joh. r 5.24. If I had not done among them the Works that no other Man did, they had not had Sin; but now they have both fen andhated me and.my Father. The Carnal World, within the Pale of the Church, have had means
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