The Tenderness of Christ, Book I: Demonstrations from Christ's Last Farewell to His Disciples

Demonstrations from Christ’s last farewell to his disciples.

IT was long before that Christ did break his mind to his disciples that he was to leave them, and to go away to heaven from them, (for John xvi. 4, he says, he had forborn to tell it them from the beginning:) but when he begins to acquaint them with it, he then at once leaves with them an abundance of his heart; and that not only how it stood towards them, and what it was at the present, but what it would be when he should be in his glory. Let us (to this end) but briefly peruse his last carriage, and his sermon at his last supper which he ate with them, as it is on purpose penned and recorded by the Evangelist John; and we shall find this to be the drift of those long discourses of Christ’s, from the 13th to the 18th chapters; T will not make a comment on them, but only briefly take up such short observations, as do more specially hold forth this thing in hand.

These words which I have prefixed as the text, are the preface unto all that his discourse that follows, namely, unto that washing of his disciples’ feet, and his succeeding sermon, which accordingly do shew the argument and sum of all. The preface is this, Before the feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that his hour was come, that he should depart out of this world unto the, Father, having loved his own which were in the world, he loved them unto the end. And supper being ended, Jesus knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he was come from God, and went to God, he then washed his disciples feeL Now this preface was prefixed by the Evan-TO HIS MEMBERS ON EARTtf. 309

gelist, on purpose to set open a window into Christ’s heart, to shew what it was then at his departure, and so withal to give a light into, and put a gloss and interpretation upon all that follows: the scope whereof is to shew what his affections would be to them in heaven. He tells us what Christ’s thoughts were then, and what was his heart amidst those thoughts, both which occasioned all that succeeds.

1. He premiseth what was in Christ’s thoughts and his meditation. He began deeply to consider both that he was to depart out of this world, Jesus knew, &c. saith the text, — that is, was then thinking of it — that lie should depart unto the Father, and how that then he should shortly be installed into that glory which was due unto him; so it follows, ver. 3, Jesus knowing (that is, was then actually taking into his mind) that the Father had given all things into his hands, that is, that all power in heaven and earth was his, so soon as he should set footing in heaven; then in the midst of these thoughts he tells us, he went and washed his disciples’ feet; after he had first considered whither he was to go, and there, what he was to be.

But secondly, what was Christ’s heart most upon in the midst of all these elevated meditations? Not upon his own glory so much, (though it is told us he considered that, thereby the more to set out his love unto us) but upon these thoughts his heart ran out in love towards, and was set upon his own; Having loved his own, says the first verse, — tousidious, his own, — a word denoting the greatest nearness and dearness and intimateness, founded upon propriety: the Elect arc Christ’s own, a piece of himself, not (fa idia)

as goods, John i. 1 1, Tie came unto his own and his own received him not; (ta idia) the word shews that he reckoned them his own but as goods, not as persons; but Jie calls these here tons idious, his own by a near propriety, that is, his own children, his own members, his own wife, his own flesh; and he considers that thougty he was to go out of the world, yet they were to be in the world; — and therefore it is on purpose added, which were in the world; that is, to remain in this world. He had others of his own who were in that world unto which he was going, even the spirits of just men made perfect, whom as yet he had never seen. One would think that when he was meditating upon his going out of this world, his heart should be all upon .Abraham, his Isaacs, and his Jacobs, whom, he was going to; no, he takes more care for his own, who were to remain here in this world, a world wherein there is much evil, (as himself says, John xvii. 15) both of sin and misery, and with which themselves, whilst in it, could not but be denied and vexed. This is it which draws out his bowels towards them, even at that time when his heart was full of the thoughts of his own glory. Having loved his own, he loved them unto the end; which is spoken to shew the constancy of his love, and what it would be when Christ should be in his glory. To the end, that is, to the perfection of it, cis teleiosin says Chrysostome: having begun to love them, he will perfect and consummate his love to them. And to the end, that is, for ever; so in the Greek eisldos is sometimes used, and so by the Evangelist the phrase is here used, in a suitableness to the scripture phrase. Psalm ciii. 9, He will not always chide, nor reserve 1m

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anger for ever, so we translate it, but in the original, it is He reserves not anger unto the end. So that the scope of this speech is to shew how Christ’s heart and love would be towards them even for ever, when he should be gone unto his Father, as well as it waa to shew how it had been here on earth; they being his own, and he having loved them, he alters, he changeth not, and therefore will love them for ever.

And then thirdly, to testify thus much by a real testimony, what his love would be when in heaven to them, the Evangelist shews, that when he was in the midst of all those great thoughts of his approaching glory, and of the sovereign estate which he was to be in, he then took water and a towel, and washed his disciples’ feet. This to have been his scope will appear, if you observe but the coherence in the second verse; it is said, that Jesus knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, then (verse 4) he rheth from supper, and lays aside his garwvnts, took a towel and girded himself (verse 5); after that, he poured water into a bason, and began to wash Ins disciples” feet, &c. where it is evident that the Evangelist’s scope is to hold forth this unto us, that then when Christ’s thoughts were full of his glory, and when he took in the consideration of it to the uttermost; even then, and upon that occasion, and in the midst of those thoughts, he washed his disci ples’ feet. And what was Christ’s meaning in this, but tluit, whereas when he should be in heaven, he could not make such outward visible demonstrations of his heart, by doing such mean services for them, therefore by doing this in the midst of such thoughts of his glory, he would shew what he could be content (as it were) to do for them, when he should be in full possession of it? — So great is his love unto them. There is another expression of Christ’s, like unto this, in Luke xii. 36, 37, which confirms this to be his meaning here, and to be his very heart in heaven. At verse 36, he compares himself to a bridegroom, who is to go to heaven unto a weddingfeast; who hath servants on earth that stand all that while here below, as without, waiting for him; at which — because they wait so long — they may think much: Christ adds, Verily I say unto you, that when the bridegroom returns (refreshed with wine and gladness) he shall gird himself and make them sit down, to meat, and he himself shall serve them. The meaning is not as if that Christ served at the latter clay, or now in heaven, those that sit down there; but only it is an abundant expression in words, as here in a real instance, to set forth the over-flowing love that is in his heart, and the transcendent happiness that we shall then enjoy, even beyond what can be expected by us; he utters himself, therefore, by an unwonted thing, not heard of, that the Lord should serve his servants, and wait on them who waited for him; and it is to shew his heart to them, and what he could be contented. to do for them. So that you see what his heart was before he went to hea ven, even amidst the thoughts of all his glory; and you see what it is after he hath been in heaven, and greatened with all his glory, even content to wash poor sinners feet, and to serve them that come to him and wait for him.

Now fourthly, what was the mystery of this his washing their feet? It was, as to give them an e’^am*. pie of mutual love and humility, so to signify his Washing away their sins: thus ver. 8 and 10, himself interprets it. It is true, indeed, that now he is in heaven he cannot come to wash the feet of their bodies, but he would signify thus much thereby, that those sinners that will come to him when in his glory, he will wash away all their sins; He loved his Church, and gave himself for it, that lie might sanctify and cleanse it by the washing of water, that he might present it to himself a glorious Church, not having spit, or wrinkle, or any such thing. Eph. v. 25, 20, 27.

This specimen or declaration of his mind we have from this his carriage, at this his last farewell. Let us next take a survey of the drift of that long sermon which he made at that his farewell, and we shall find the main scope of it to be further to assure his disciples of what his heart would be unto them, and that will make a second demonstration.

It were too long a work to insist upon each particular; but certainly, no loving husband ever endeavoured more to satisfy the heart of his spouse during his absence, than Christ doth his disciples’ hearts, and in them, all believers. For take that along, once for all, that what Christ said unto them, he says unto us; as in that 17th of John, that speech implies, I pray not for them only, but for them also that shall believe on me through their word. And as what he prayed for them was for all believers also; so what he then spake unto them.

First, he lets them see what his heart would be unto them; and how mindful of them when in hea ven, by that business which he proicsseth he went

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thither to perform for them; concerning which ob serve first, that he lovingly acquaints them with it before-hand what it is, which argued care and tenderness as from a husband unto a wife it doth. And withal how plain- hearted doth he speak, as one that would not hide any thing from them? / tell you the truth cf it, says he, it is expedient, and expedients/or you, that I go away, John xvi. 7. And, secondly, he tells them it is wholly for them and their happiness. I go to sexd you a Comforter, whilst you are in this world, and to prepare a place for you, when you go out of this world: There arc many mansions in my Fathers house, and I go to take them up for you, and to keep your places for you ‘till you come. And there again, how openly and candidly doth he speak to them? If it had been otherwise, says he, I would have told you: — You may believe me; I would not deceive you for all the glory in that place to which I am going. Whom would not this openness and nakedness of heart persuade? But then, thirdly, the business itself being such, as is so much for UR and our happiness, how much more doth that argue? And, indeed, Christ himself doth fetch from thence an argument of the continuance of his love to them. So verse 3, If I go to prepare a place for you, (if that be my errand) then doubt not of my love when I am there; all the glory of the place shall never make me forget my business. When he was on earth he forgot none of the business for which he came into the world. Shall I not do my Fathers business? said lie, when a child. Yes: and he did it to the utmost, by fulfilling all righteousness.. Surely, therefore, he will not forget any of that business which he is to do

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in heaven, it being the more pleasant work by far. And (as I shewed in the former discourse out of Ileb. vi. 20) lit is entered as a fore-runner, an Harbinger, to take up places there for us; and if he could forget us, yet our names are all written in heaven round about him, and are continually before his eyes written there, not only by God’s election, (so Ileb. xii. 23, Ye arc come to Mount Zion, and to the heavenly Jerusalem, and to the general assembly and Church of the first-born, which arc written in heaven, se.) but Christ himself scores them up anew with his blood, over every mansion there, which he takes up for any. Yea, he carrieth their names written in his heart, as the High Priest did the names of the ten tribes on his breast, when he entered into the Holy of Holies. He sits in heaven to see to it, that none other should take their rooms over their heads, as we say. And therefore, 1 Pet. i. 4, Salvation is said to be reserved in heaven, that is, kept on purpose for them by Jesus Christ. The evil angels had places there once, but they were disposed of unto others over their heads, as the land of Canaan was from the Canaanites; the reason of which was, be cause they had not a Christ there to intercede for them, as we have.

Then secondly, to manifest his mind fulness of them, and of all believers else, when he should be in his glory, he tells them that when lie hath dispatched that business for them, and made heaven ready for them, and all the elect that are to come, that then he means to come again to them; so chap. xiv. ver. 3, If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, which is a mere expression of love, for if he had pleased, he might have ordered it to have sent for them to him, but he means to come for them himself; and this when he is warm, (as we speak) and in the height and midst of his glory in heaven, yet he will for a time leave it to come again unto his spouse: and what is it for? 1. To see her; / will sec you again, and your heart shall rejoice. 2. To fetch her; / will come again ami receive you to myself. He condescends to the very laws of bridegrooms; (for notwithstanding all hip greatness, no lover shall put him dov;;i in any expression of true love). It is the man ner oi bridegrooms, when they have made all ready in their father’s house; then to come themselves and fetch their brides, and not to send for them by others, because it is a time of love. Love descends better than ascends; and so doth the love of Christ, v,”u) indeed is love itself, and therefore comes down to us himself; / will come again and receive you unto myself, says Christ, that so where T am you may be also. That last part of his speech gives the reason of it, and withal betrays his entire affection; it is as if he had said, The truth is, I cannot live without you; I shall never be quiet till 1 have you where I am, that so we may never part again, (that is the reason of it) heaven shall not hold me, nor my Father’s company, if 1 have not you with me, my heart is so set upon you; and if I have any glory, you shall have part of it. So vcr. 10, Became I live, you shall live also. It is a reason, and it is half an oath besides; As I live, is God’s oath; .Because I live, says Christ; he pawns

his life upon it, and desires to live upon no other terns; jfc ‘,,,.// nvc io sec fas S€C(^ &Ci jga j-^ ^n(j

yd farther, the more to express the workings and

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longings of his heart after them all that while, he tells them, it shall not be long neither ere he doth come again to them. So John xvi. 10, Again a little while and ije shall mt sec tm; a little while ami ye shall sec me, says he. Which not seeing him, refers not to that small space oi absence whilst dead and in the grave; but of that after his last ascending, forty day* alter his Resurrection, when he should go away, not to be seen on earth again until the day of judgment; and yet from that Ascension, but a little while, says he, and you shall sec. me again: namely, at the day of judgment. It is said, fleb. x. 37, Yet a little while, and he that shall come, will come, and will ?wt tarry* The words in the Greek are, eti gar mihon oson oson; A little little as may be: though long for the time in itself, yet as little while as may be in respect qf his desire, without the least delaying to come: he will stay not a moment longer, than till he hath dispatched all our business there for us. And then the doubling of the phrase, o crchomenos c,vei( Vcni&isvenid, Coning lie will come) implies vehemency ofi Desire to come, and that his mind is always upon it; he is still a coming, he can hardly be kept away. Thus the Hebrew phrase likewise signifies an urgency, veiicmency, and intense-ness of some act; as Expecting I have expected; Desiring I. have desired: so Vo”< ne. And as not content with these

expressions of desire, he adds over and above all Uiese, and will not tarry, and ail io signify the infinite ardency of his mind towards his elect below, and to. have alj his elect in heaven about him. Me will not stay a moment longer than needs must; he tarries only till he hath throughout all ages, by his intercession prepared every room for each saint, that he may eiitertaiu them all at once together, and have them all about him.

Thirdly, what his heart would be towards them in his absence, he expresseth by the careful provision he makes, and the order he takes for their comfort in his absence. I will not leave you as orphans, (so the word is) Johnxvi. 18, 1 will not leave you like fatherless and friendless children at sixes and sevens. My Fattier and I have but one only friend, who lies in the bosom of us both, and proceedeth from us both, the Holy Ghost, and in the mean time I will send him to you. Doing herein as a loving husband useth to do in his absence, even commit his wife to the dearest friend he hath; so doth Christ, ver. JG, I will pray the Fa ther, says he, and he shall give you another Comforter: and chap. xvi. 7, he saith, I will send him to you, who

First, shall be a better Comforter unto you than I am to be in this kind of dispensation, which whilst I am on earth, I am bound up towards you in). So in that 16th of John, verse 7, he intimates, It is expedient, says he, that I go away; for if I go Hot away the Comforter will mt come; who by reason of his office, will comfort you better than I should do with my bodily presence. And this Spirit, as he is the earnest of heaven, (as the Apostle speaks) so he is the greatest token and pledge of Christ’s love that ever was, and such a one as the world cannot receive.

And yet, secondly, all the comfort he shall speak to you all that while, will be but from the expression of my heart towards you: for as he comes not of himself, but I must send him (John xvi. 7); so he will speak nothing of himself, but whatsoever he shall hear* that shall he speak (verse 13). And, verse 14, he says, He .shall receive of mine and shall shew it unto yon. Him, therefore, I shall send on purpose to be in my room, and execute my place to you, my bride, my spouse; and he shall tell you (if you will listen to him, and not grieve him) nothing but stories of my love. So it is there, He shall glorify me, namely, to you; for I am in myself already glorified in heaven. All his speech in your hearts will be to advance me, and greaten my worth and love unto you; and it will be his delight to do it: and he can come from heaven in an instant when he will, and bring you fresh tidings of my mind, and tell you the thoughts I last had of you, even at that very minute when I am thinking of them, what they are at the very time wherein he tells you them. And, therefore, in that 1 Cor. ii. by having the Spirit, verse 12, we are said to have the rnlml of Christ, verse ult. For he dwelleth in Christ’s heart, and also our’s, and lifts up from one hand to the other what Christ’s thoughts are to us, and what our prayers and faith are to Christ. So that you shall have my heart as surelv and as speedily as if I were with you; and he will continually be breaking your hearts, either with my love to you, or yours to me, or both; and if either, you may be sure of my love thereby. And whereas, says he, you have the Spirit now in your hearts, so verse 17 of chap, xiv, He nmv dwells in you; yet, after my ascension, he shall be, in a further measure, in you, as it follows there. — And at that day, verse 20, you shall know, (namely, by his dictate) that I am iit my Father, ami yon in me, and I iuyou. — Uc will tell you, when I am in heaven, that there is as true a, conjunction between me and you, and as true a. dearness of affection in me towards you, as is between my Father and me; and that it is as impossible to break this knot, and to take off my heart from you, as my Father’s from me, or mine from my Father.

And then thirdly, you shall be sure, that what he says of my love to you, is true, for he is the Spirit of truth, chap. xvi. ver. 13, as also chap. xiv. ver. 16, 17, (which speaks of him as he is a comforter). And as; you believe me when I tell you of my Father, be cause I come from him, so you may believe him in all that he says of me, and of my love to you, for he comes from me.

Aye, but might they say, will not he also leave us for a time, as you have done? No, says Christ, The Father shall give you another comforter, he shall abide with you for ever, John xiv. 16. Christ speaks it in opposition to himself; he himself had been a comforter unto them, but he was now to be absent, but not so the Spirit; he shall be with you forever; and as he is now with you, so he shall be in you, ver. 17.

In the fourth place, if this be not enough to assure them how his heart would be affected towards them, he assures them he will give them daily experience of it. Do but try me, says he, when I am gone, and that by sending me word upon all occasions, what you would have me to do for you, and I have left my Spirit to be your secretary, and the inditer of all your petitions; hitherto you hare asked nothing (that isj little) in my name, (he blames them that they have asked him to do no more for them) but now ash and you shall receive. And if otherwise you will not believe, yet you shall believe your own eyes, ask and you shall see yourselves answered presently; and so believe me, says he, for the very works sake, John xiv.

11. He speaks it of the works he would do for them, in answer to their prayers, when he was gone; which should be as so many epistles of his heart, returned in answer unto their s: for it follows, ver.

12, lie-that bclievcth on me shall do greater works than these, because I go to my Father. So that it is manifest, he speaks o’f the works done after his Ascension. And how were they to get and procure them to be done? by prayer; so it follows, ver. 13, And whatsoever you shall ask in my name, that mil I do. He speaks it of the time when he is gone. And again he says in ver. 14, If you shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it. Let me but hear from you, be it every week, every day, every hour, you shall be sure of an answer; Open your umiths wide, and I will Jill them. And those your prayers shall be as continual tokens both of your hearts towards me, and my answers shall be the like of mine to you. And because Christ bids them direct (their letters) their prayers to the Father, only to send them in his name, as John xvi. 23, and so they might perhaps not so clearly know and discern that his heart was in the answer to them, but his Father’s hand only, therefore he adds twice in the 14th of John, I will do It, I will do it. He speaks like one as forward to do for them, as his Father is or should be; and as desirous to have them know and take notice of his hand in it: and it is as if he had said, Though you ask the Father in my name, yet all comes through my hands, and /

do it: there must be my hand to the warrant for every thing that is done, and my heart shall not be wanting.

In the fifth place, yet further to evidence his love, he not only bids them thus to pray to him, and in his name upon all occasions, but he assureth them, that he himself will pray for them; and observe but the manner of his telling them this; it is in the most insinuating, persuasive expressions to convey his heart in to them, that men use to utter, when they would intimate the deepest care and purpose to do a thing. At that day (namely, after his Ascension) ye shall ask, says he, and I say nut unto you that I will pray the Father for you; no, not I. (I mentioned it before, I will but add this illustration to it.) It is such a speech as men use, when they would ex press the greatest reason that another hath, to rest confident and assured of their love; / do not love you, no not I. It is an expressing a thing by its contrary, which is most emphatical. As when we say of a man, that hath the greatest good turn done him that can be, You are shrewdly hurt. It is such an expression as Paul used to the Corinthians, I converted your souls when you thought no* of it; I caught you with guile, forgive me this wrong. So says Christ here, I say not that I will pray for you; when the truth is,’ that it is the chiefest work that he doth in heaven; He Hoes ever to intercede: as he ever lives, so to intercede ever, and never to hold his peace till sinners are saved. But the work of Christ m heaven is a subject deserves, and will take” up a distinct and large discourse: I will therefore speak no more of t now, neither will I mention any more particulars out of this his sermon. Read but over those three chapters, (the 14, 15, and 1C,) for in them you have the longest sermon of his that is recorded; and he stood the longest upon this theme of any other, be cause indeed his heart was more in it, than in any point that he ever preached on.

Only if any object, and say, he spake all this to his disciples, to quiet and pacify them, and so more in respect to their trouble, than otherwise he would have spoken.

In the sixth place, read but the next chapter, (the 17th) and you shall see that he presently goes apart and alone to his Father, and speaks over all again unto him, that which he had said unto them. He says as much behind their backs of them, as he had. said before their faces to them,. Read it, and you will find that he was the same absent, that present with them, lie was therefore not only hearty in what he said, but his heart was full of it. That chapter, you know, contains a prayer put up just before his suffering, and there he makes his will and his last request, for in such a style it runs: Father, I will, (verse 24) which will he is gone to see executed in heaven. And Armiiiius said true in that, that this prayer is left us by Christ as a summary of his intercession for us in heaven; he spake as he meant to do in heaven, and as one that had done his work, and was now come to demand his wages; / have finished thy work, says he, (verse 4) se. And whereas he speaks a word or two for himself, in the first five verses, he speaks five times as many for them; for all the rest of the chapter is a prayer for them. He uscth all kind of arguments to move his Father for his children: / have finished the work which thou gavcst

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vie to do, says he; and to save them is thy work, which remains to be done for me by thee; and they are thine and thou gavcst them me; and I commend to thee but thine own. And all mine are thine, and thine are mine. He insinuates that he of himself had not added a man, but useth all his interest only for those that the Father had given him; (and what a motive is this?) and he professeth he will not open his mouth for a man more: / pray not for the world, says he, I will not open my lips for any one son of perdition; but 1 employ all my blood, my prayers, and my whole interest with thee, but for those thyself hast given me. And, says he, though thou hast given me a personal glory which I had before the world was, yet there is another glory, which I account of almost as much, and that is in their being saved; I am glorified in them, says he, ver. 10, and they are my joy; ver. 13, and therefore I must have them with me wherever I am, ver. 24. Thou hast set my heart upon them, and hast loved them thyself,. as thou hast loved me, and thou hast ordained them to be one in us, even as we are one, and therefore I cannot live long asunder from them; I have thy company, but I must have their ‘a too: Twill tltat they be where I am, ver. 24. If 1 have any glory they must have part of it; so it follows in the before-named verse, That they may behold the glory which thou haul given me. He speaks all this as if he had been then in heaven, and in possession of all that glory, and therefore it is an expression of his heart in heaven, which you have very good ground to build upon.