Nine Sermons, Preached in the Years 1718-19

John xvii. SO.

J^either pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word.

OUR blessed Lord many a time, in the course of his ministry on earth, prayed with and for his disciples; hut as the display of grace in his sermons was more obscure, and he did not publish the full manifestation of his glory in the days of his own ministration, so we may reasonably infer* that those prayers at which he permitted his own discjples and others to be present, had not so full an illustration of the gospel, and of the glorious purposes of God, as he designed in this his last prayer, which he made when taking his leave of them. He was now departing from them to suffer and to die; and he put up this prayer in their hearing, that they might be comforted with the height and glory of his love, and with what he intended to do in their behalf when in heaven. For this prayer, as many of our divines have observed, is a very lively pattern of his intercession above at the throne of God»

But I shall not make any further observations upon the prayer itself. I apply myself to the words of the text, and consider

I. The persons for whom Christ prayed.

II. The blessings that he prayed for. And

III. I shall draw a few inferences from the short discourse I shall be able, to make,

Serm. L For his Church, iY

I. Let Tis consider the persons for whom Christ prayed. Upon a very diligent inspection of this chapter and comparing the parts of it one with another, I am confirmed in the opinion, that down to this verse he prayed for his apostles only, and for those that had already believed on him: for there are several expressions in most of the foregoing verses, that seem to limit and confine tlic first part of this prayer to those thai had already believed, and especially to those whom he designed to be the ministers of his gospel; but here he begins to pray for all those that should hereafter believe. There were many that believed on Christ in his own day: many thousands believed on the Lord Jesus after his resurrection, by the ministry of the blessed apostles, before their dispersion among the gentiles; and thousands of thousands, even a great mid’ titude which no man could number, of every Jcindredn and people and nation have been gathered into the kingdom of our Lord in the several successive ages of the churchy by the doctrines of the apostles, Gonveye<3 B 2 down unto them by succeeding ministers, whom the providence of God has appointed to be continued in his church. The writings of the apostles are now become a clear exposition and comment on the Holy Scriptures; for the gospel of Christ is more fully revealed, and more completely displayed and explained, in the epistles of St. Paul, St. Peter, and St. John, than in all the books of the Old Testament and New besides.

Now if we would ha a share among these converted multitudes, in the prayer of our Lord Jesus Christ, which he made whilst on earth, each one of our ffouls should be willing to inquire, whether we really desire to share in the blessings of this prayer, or not; and the way to discover this is, to consider whether we are believers in Jesus Christ, or not. Christ prays for all them that shall believe on him through the word of his disciples. It is true, he prayed for unbelievers also, that they might repent and believe; for all the blessings that precede

8erin. I. For his Church. 19

faith all the leading mercies towards conversion are the effects of the prayer of our Lord Jesus Christ, for those whom the Father hath chosen and given him. But that does not seem to be the direct tendency of the sense of this verse; and it is certain, that no unbeliever can take the comfort of an interest in this prayer of Christ, till he finds some degree of faith wrought in him.

To help you in this inquiry, I shall describe faith in Jesus Christ, according as the text leads me, under these two very plain and general heads:

1. Believing in Jesus Christ implies, a knowledge of the way of salvation by Christ, as it is revealed by the blessed apostles; iJiose that shall believe on me through their word, St. Paul’s words are of the same import; hoio shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher P so then faith Cometh by hearing ;^ by a knowledge of the * Rom. xiv. ±7, testimony that the apostles give concerning the salvation of Christ, conveyed clown unto us at this day.

In order to preach Christ as a Saviour the apostles not only spoke concerning his own person, but taught many things concerning God and ourselves, as well as concerning Christ Jesus. They taught concerning God, that he is a holy and just God, and demands satisfaction for sin, and will not pardon without an atonement; that he is gracious and forgiving, and ready ta be reconciled to those that draw near to him in his own way, and agreeably to his own appointments. They taught concerning ourselves, that we are fallen from God: that we are dark and ignorant; that we are guilty and exposed to everlasting death; that we are unholy, helpless, incapable of renewing or recovering ourselves, and that we must be for ever miserable, unless the Lord Jesus Christ undertakes our salvation. They taught concerning Jesus Christ, the whole history of his life; the account of his

Serm. I. For his Church. SI

death; the end and design of it, that it was a satisfaction for sin, and a price for our souls. They taught his ascension into heaven, and what he does there; his governing the world for the church’s sake, and his appearance there in the presence of God for us. They taught all his glorious offices, his divine commission to fulfil them, and his peculiar fitness to execute every one of them. They instructed the world in what he has done, what he does, and what he will do.

Now do we know these things? have we had a lively and divine impression made of them upon our own spirits? Have we been made deeply acquainted with the defilement of our very nature; with the corruption of our hearts; with our undone state without a Saviour? Have we seen God as a just and terrible Judge, ready to execute the sentence of his broken law upon us, and yet at the same time ready to be reconciled through the mediation of his Son? Have we seen the Lord Jesus Christ all-sufficient to save; in the glory of his righteousness, to make an atonement for our guilt, and to procure everlasting happiness for us: in the glory of his spirit and of his grace, to renew our natures, to conform us to his own image, to carry us through this world, and to prepare us for heaven? Have these things made an impression upon our minds? or have our thoughts concerning them, been only the mere effects of education? Have we had only a transient glance or two of them, and have they never made any deep impression upon our souls? A mere knowledge from education, without a lively deep impression of these things, is not sufficient to prove us believers in Christ.

Keep reading