Sermon I
'These words spake Jesus, and lift up
his eyes to heaven, and said, Father, the hour is come;
glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify thee.'
JOHN XVII.1
I shall, in the following exercises, open to you Christ's
solemn prayer recorded in this chapter - a subject worthy of our reverence and
serious meditations. The Holy Ghost seemeth to put a mark of respect upon this
prayer above other prayers which Christ conceived in the days of his flesh.
Elsewhere the scripture telleth us that Christ prayed; but the form is not
expressed, or else only brief hints are delivered, but this is expressed at
large. This was, as it were, his dying blaze. Natural motion is swifter and
stronger in the end; so was Christ's love hottest and strongest in the close of
his life; and here you have the eruption and flame of it. He would now open to
us the bottom of his heart, and give us a copy of his continual intercession.
This prayer is a standing monument of Christ's affection to the church; it did
not pass away with the external sound, or as soon as Christ ascended into
heaven, and sat at the right hand of the Father; it retaineth a perpetual
efficacy; the virtue remaineth, though the words be over. As the word of
creation hath retained its vigour these five or six thousand years: 'Increase
and multiply, and let the earth bring forth after its kind;' so the voice of
this turtle is ever heard, and Christ's prayers retain their vigour and force,
as if but newly spoken.
In this prayer he mentions all blessings and privileges necessary for the
church. He prayeth for himself, for the apostles, for all believers. He
beginneth with his own glorification, as the foundation; and goeth on to seek
the welfare of the apostles, as the means; and then the comfort of believers,
as the fruit of his administrations in the world. Christ's merit, the apostles
word, the believers comfort, are three things of the highest consideration in
religion. I shall open these in the order and method in which they are laid
down.
In the first verse we have:-
1. The preface to the whole prayer, these things said Jesus, etc.;
2. Christ's free request, glorify thy Son; which is backed with reasons
taken from -
[1.] His special relation, Father, and thy Son.
[2.] His present necessity, the hour is come.
[3.] The aim of his request, that thy Son also may glorify thee.
I shall go over the phrases as they are offered in the order of the words.
'These things spake Jesus;'
that is, when he had spoken these things.
This clause serveth -
From hence -
'And lift up his eyes to heaven.'
- The scripture taketh notice of the gesture. Christ's gestures are notable,
because real significations of the motions of his heart. In the garden, when he
began his passion, he fell on his face and prayed, Mat. xxvi. 39; but here he
lifted up his eyes. When he travailed under the greatness of our sins, his
posture is humble; but now, when he is treating with God for our mercies, he
useth a gesture that implieth a more elevated and generous confidence.
Gestures, being actions suited to the affections, are significant, and imply
the dispositions of the heart. Let us see what may be collected out of this
gesture, lifting the eyes to heaven.
'And said.'
- The word noteth a vocal expression of the prayer. Moses cried, Exod. xiv.
15, which noteth an inward fervency. There are no words mentioned, but Christ
'said ;'that is, with an audible voice.
I shall from this word inquire - (1.) Why he prayed; (2.) Why he pronounced his
prayers in the hearing of the apostles.
First, Why he prayed; for it seems strange that Christ should be brought upon
his knees, and that he, who was the express image of his Father's glory, should
need the comfort of prayer, and that the heir of heaven, who hath the key of
David, and openeth and no man shutteth, should stand knocking at the Father's
door. I answer -
Secondly, The next thing is why Christ spake aloud in prayer.
I answer - He might have prayed in silence, but he would be our advocate, but
so that he might be our teacher. When he prayed for us, he prayed publicly and
with a loud voice, for our comfort and instruction, and to give vent to the
strength of his affection by leaving this monument in the church: ver. 13,
'These things I speak in the world, that they may have my joy fulfilled in
themselves;' that in all trials and afflictions we might draw consolation from
the matter of this prayer. You may observe hence, that it is of advantage to
use vocal prayer, not only in public, when we may quicken others, as one bird
setting all the rest a-chirping, and we profess we are not ashamed of God or
his worship, but in private also. God made body and soul, and will be served by
both. Words are as giving vent to, or as the broaching of, a full vessel.
Strong affections cannot be confined to thoughts: Ps. xxxix. 2, 3, 'My heart
was hot within me; while I was musing, the fire burned; then spake I with my
tongue.' Musing makes the fire to burn. There is a continual prayer by
ejaculations and thoughts; but words become solemn and stated times of duty.
Words are a boundary to the mind, and fix it more than thoughts, which are
usually light and skipping. The mind may wander, but words are as a trumpet to
summon them again into the presence of God. Our roving madness will be sooner
discerned in words than in thoughts. When a word is lost or misplaced, we are
more ashamed; and by words, a dull sluggish heart is sometimes quickened and
awakened. It is good to use this help. Now I come to the prayer itself.
'Father.'
- It is a word of confidence and sweet relation, in which there is much of
argument, in that Christ, as God's only Son, speaketh to his own Father:
'Father, glorify thy Son.' A father is wont to be delighted with the glory and
honour of a son, as the mother of Zebedee's children sought their preferment,
Mat. xx. 20. It is good to observe that Christ doth not say, 'Our Father,' as
involving our interest with his, because it is of a distinct kind. Christ would
observe the distinction between us and himself: he is a Son that is equal with
the Father, co-eternal with his Father; but we are adopted sons, made so. When
he speaketh to his disciples, he saith not, Our heavenly Father, but 'Your
heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things,' Mat. vi. 32;
and John xx. 17, 'I ascend unto my Father and your Father, and to my God and
your God;' clearly distinguishing his own interest from ours. And mark, Christ
useth the argument of son and father to show that he was not therefore
glorified because a son, but therefore a son because glorified. We may note
hence -
'The hour is come,' hei ora, that hour.
'Glorify thy Son.'
- This is the request itself: what is the meaning of it? Origen
understandeth it of the very ignominy of the cross itself, which was to Christ
a glory; Gloria salvatoris, patibulum triumphantis. The cross was not a
gibbet, but a throne of honour; and Calvary to Christ was as glorious as
Olivet. It is expressed by lifting up. But certainly this cannot be intended
here, because it was the lowest act of his humiliation and abasement. This is
made the motive and reason of his request: 'The hour is come,' by which, as we
have seen, he intendeth that sad ignominious hour. In short, it is meant either
of God's glorifying him in his sufferings, or God's glorifying him after his
sufferings; as will appear by the sequel and two parallel places.
But how doth Christ pray, 'Glorify me,' when he saith elsewhere, John viii.
5, 'I seek not my own glory' ?
I answer - Christ speaketh there of himself in the judgment of his adversaries,
who thought him a mere man, and showeth that he came not as an impostor, to
seek himself. God would well enough provide for his glory and esteem. There he
disclaimeth all particular private aims, affections, and attempts; here he
sueth out his right according to his Father's promise.
Observe hence -
'That thy Son also may glorify thee.'
- Here is another argument. It is usual in prayer to speak of ourselves in
a third person; so doth Christ here, 'That thy Son may glorify thee.' This may
be understood many ways; partly as the glory of the Son is the glory of the
Father; partly by accomplishing God's work; that I may destroy thy enemies, and
save thy elect; partly by the preaching of the gospel in Christ's name, to the
glory of God the Father. He doth, as it were, say, I desire it for no other end
but that I may bring honour to thee.
From this clause -
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