[They cannot but feel some concern respecting their bodily wants The casualties of life may also occasion some uneasiness- And tremble, lest in the day of adversity they should faint- It is their duty, however, to "cast their care on God" [To cast their care upon any creature would be fruitless And it would involve them in the deepest guilt b——— God alone is able to sustain their burthen On him they are commanded to cast it e— They must do so in the exercise of faith and prayerd— Nor are any cares whatever to be excepted, "Cast all," &c.— None are so small but they shall be regarded, none so great but they shall be alleviated-] There is a backwardness in many to comply with this duty II. Their encouragement to perform it God extends his care to the whole creation But in a more especial manner careth for his people [He conducted the Jews through the wilderness He interposed for them in all their dangers He supplied their every want e— Thus, though less visibly, he still regards those who trust in him— He watches over them for good— He limits and restrains all their adversaries — He sympathizes with them in all their afflictions h He imparts to them all temporal and spiritual blessings1— He hears and answers all their supplications — He accounts them his most inestimable treasure He communes with them as his sons and daughters m n. He takes upon him the management of all their concerns "-] [He knows what trials we stand in need of― He can suit all the circumstances of them to our necessities- He is possessed of almighty power P [There is no difficulty from which he cannot extricate ¶ Nor duty which he cannot enable us to discharge― Should we, for whom such wisdom and power are exercised, be anxious?r-] Moreover he is good and gracious [What innumerable blessings has he already bestowed upon us!He has even given his own Son to die for us What then can we have to fear, if we trust in him?-] Above all, he is a faithful God [He has promised seasonable protection and strength t And is not his word a sure ground of confidence?" Surely then we should be filled with consolation rather than with care *-] INFER 1. How needful is it that all should acquaint themselves with God! [Gaiety and dissipation may bear up the spirit in prosperityBut God alone can comfort us in adversity — At the hour of death we shall all need divine support Let the careless then begin to reflect upon their state Let them provide a refuge against the day of trouble Let them follow that salutary advice 2-] 2. How happy would Christians be if they rightly enjoyed their privileges! [It is their privilege to be "without carefulness a If they trusted in God as they ought, nothing could disturb them b Hence that exhortation to joy in God c Let the afflicted saints then commit themselves to him d Let them know that duty is theirs, but events are his Let them, in the face of all difficulties, adopt the words of Joshua eLet them, with Hezekiah, repose themselves on God -] LIII. THE GLORY WHICH CHRIST GIVES TO HIS PEOPLE. John xvii. 22. The glory which thou gavest me, I have given them. THE dignity of human nature is a favourite object with many Nor, if man be considered in his primæval state, can it be estimated too highly But man is a fallen creature, and reduced to the most abject condition The Scriptures speak of him in the most humiliating terms-Nevertheless, through the grace of the gospel, he is restored to his primitive honours He in some respects is elevated even above the angels of heaven 258 THE GLORY WHICH CHRIST GIVES TO HIS PEOPLE. No words can express his dignity more fully than those of the text We enquire what that glory is which the Father gave to Christ, and Christ gives to his church and people I. The glory of manifesting the divine power Angels have been used as instruments of divine power both for the preservation and destruction of mankind— But it is peculiar to Christ and his people to manifest the divine power in conflicts with their enemies Christ had this glory given him [He had innumerable enemies, both men and devils — But he conquered sin, Satan, death, and hell b This he did through the support and influence of his Father -] [His people are in a state of warfare d But the very weakest of them triumph at last through Christ Paul acknowledges this to the praise of his divine Master -] II. The glory of displaying the moral perfections of the Deity The material world displays the natural perfections of God— But not even the angels in heaven can set forth all his moral perfections [Being never injured, they cannot exercise mercy, forbearance, love of enemies-] This is the peculiar prerogative of Christ [Christ manifested the most wonderful compassion — In so doing he displayed the Father's perfections b This honour he himself received of the Father-] His people however are made to share this glory with him [They, as stars in their several spheres, reflect the beams of the Sun of righteousness— How strongly was his character delineated in the life of Paul and in the death of Stephen! Every one of them endeavours to "walk as he walked " They are enabled to do this by Christ himself k—] III. The glory of being sons of God The angels are sometimes called sons of God But they bear this relation to him only as creatures— Christ has this honour in an infinitely higher sensel [Christ is the Son of God both in his divine and human natureHe is emphatically called by the apostle "God's dear Son”m—] The same honour has Christ conferred on us [Every believer is brought into this relation to God n This astonishing mercy may well excite wonder and admiration — It is bestowed on the believer by Christ himself p-] IV. The glory of being united to God The Scriptures often speak of the union that subsists between Christ and the Father [Our Lord himself affirmed that he and the Father were one 4— St. Paul declares that all the fulness of the Godhead dwelt in Christ r— What our Lord did as man is attributed to him as God -] A similar, though not the same, union subsists between Christ and his people [Our Lord represents them as branches of the living vine t He compares their union with him to his with the Father" He declares not only that he himself is the author of this union, but that it is a part of that glory which he has given to us -] V. The glory of reigning with God Both the good and evil angels are called principalities and powers But they are never said to "reign" with God Our Lord however has received this honour of his Father a It is decreed that every soul shall submit to Jesus -] This honour also has Christ vouchsafed to his people [The victorious saints will exercise a kind of dominion over the ungodly at the last day c— They will sit with Christ as assessors in judgment over men and devils c They have a kingdom appointed to them even now d They will be formally invested with it at the last day They will receive it as a special grant from Christ himself e-] INFER 1. What an exalted character is the true Christian! [Christians are despised by the unbelieving world But the Scriptures describe their dignity in most exalted terms— How can we ever estimate aright the glory given them by their Lord! What glory can the earth afford in comparison of this?— Let us not then act unworthy of this high character -] 2. How marvellous is Christ's love to his people! [Every thing, which he himself has received of the Father, he gives to them He even bought it with his blood, that he might bestow it upon them How incomprehensible is this love! Let us entertain worthy conceptions of it Let us be constrained by it to love and serve him LIV. A COMPARISON BETWEEN THE FATHER'S LOVE TO CHRIST, AND CHRIST'S TO US. John xv. 9. As my Father hath loved me, so I have loved you: continue ye in my love. REASON Could never suggest motives sufficient to counteract the passions The law of God itself, with all its sanctions, could not change the heart The Gospel only can make sin odious, and holiness delightful It effects this by revealing to us the love of Christ— Hence our Lord reminds us of his love in order to confirm our love to him I. The nature and extent of Christ's love to us The comparison in the text denotes not equality but resemblance b The love of Christ to us, like that of his Father to him, is 1. Without beginning There never was a period when the Father first began to love his Son [He loved him before his entrance on his ministry, before his existence in the world,d before Isaiah's time,e from all eternity f—] There never was a period when Christ first began to love us [His love is first manifested when we believe in him But our faith in him is the effect, not the cause, of his love to us- 2. Without measure The Father's love to Christ was unbounded [He is one with Christ in nature, and therefore in affection i— He has shewn the greatness of his love to him, in the gifts bestowed upon him, and in his constant co-operation with him -] k Christ's love to us is also unbounded [It produces most astonishing acts of kindness towards us m— Human affections fall far short of it "— It " passes all knowledge," whether of men or angels—] 3. Without variation The Father's love to Christ was unchangeable [His love seems to have been withdrawn for a season "— a 2 Cor. v. 14. d John i. 18. b Matt. v. 48. c Matt. iii. 17. f In this sense many commentators explain Prov. viii. 22, 23, 30: and if that interpretation be admitted, the eternity of Christ's love may be confirmed by ver. 31. But, however this passage be interpreted, the fact itself stands on the most unquestionable authority. John xvii. 24. g Jer. xxxi. 3. Ezek. xvi. 6. k John iii. 35. h John xv. 16. Eph. v. 25. i John x. 30. |