THE Words are part of the wonderful Prayer of CHRIST for his Disciples on the Evening before He suffered. It seems to be his parting Prayer at the Paschal Supper, and but a few Minutes before He was to be taken from them.

Having drank of the Cup of the Communion with them, He tells them; He should drink no more of the Fruit of the Vine, till the Day he should drink it new in the Kingdom of GOD. ^* And after some of the most indearing Discourses with them, He concludes with this astonishing Address to his FATHER, both for Himself, and Them, and the Rest of his People to the End of the World.

[Page 2]He seems now in an eminent manner to enter the Exercise of his Priestly Office: and this Great High Priest here Consecrates Himself thereto by Prayer (1) For HIM­SELF; that his FATHER would Raise Him to his Origi­nal Glory: (2) For his dear Disciples, and all other Be­lievers, both Present then, and Future; that they might be Preserved in Grace and Unity, and be with Him for Ever.

However, it is One of the Petitions only that we are now to consider. — And now I am no more in the World, but THESE: are in the World, and I come to Thee: HOLY FATHER! Keep, thro' thine own Name, THOSE which THOU hast Given ME; that THEY may be ONE as WE are!

It is Preservation and Unity while they stay in this lower World, that He here so earnestly Prays for, and uses so many moving Arguments with his dear FA­THER to bestow upon them. And what more desirea­ble things than these for CHRIST's Disciples in this evil World? or of what greater Consequence to their pre­sent Interest or Comfort?

And now, says CHRIST, I am no more in the World — I am going to leave them as to my Humane Presence: I shall have no Opportunity more, to teach, admonish, advise, exhort or comfort this dear People: Their Faith has been ready sometimes to fail them, but my Words would soon confirm them: And they have been sometimes apt to jarr and differ; but when I came among them, my Presence and my Voice wou'd awe them, and soften their Hearts, and calm their Passions, and bring them to an excellent Frame of Spirit, put an End to their Contentions and unite them in Love. But now they are to loose this great Advantage, and I am to be with them no more, as I have been, to influence and engage them to ME and to one another.

But THESE are in the World — They are to continue a while, in this dangerous and evil World; a World full of Snares, Temptations and powerful Enemies; where Satan has a dreadful Range, as a roaring Lion goes about seeking whom He may devour, and is yet invisible and exceeding subtil: who tempts them when they have no suspicion of it, and has a multitude of [Page 3] Ways and Instruments to carry on his malicious Purposes against this my poor People, to divide and ruin them: And while they are in this evil World, their natural Corruptions and selfish Principles remain within them, and on many Occasions will be ready to arise & operate, to the great Hurt of one another and my great Dishonour.

And I come to Thee, HOLY FATHER!—Thou can'st keep them, as I have kept them: There is not one lost, except the Son of Perdition, whom we have agreed to leave to the Power of Sin & Satan: And now I have none but THEE to leave them with. To thee, I there­fore come, to intreat Thee for them, and commit them to thy Care. O MY FATHER! Deny Me not in this— They are dear to ME, and I can't be free to leave them alone, in this Evil World, expos'd to so many powerful Enemies. And as Thou art Holy, I can safely trust them with Thee, to preserve and advance the Work of Grace I have begun in them, to keep them from the Pollutions of the World and from all Iniquity.

HOLY FATHER! Keep, thro' thine own Name, THOSE whom THOU hast Given ME. — They were thine own, and they are still thine own, tho' Thou hast Given them to Me: For all mine are thine; They are Ours together: But Thou hast Given them to Me, To teach and keep, and save by laying down my Life for them. HOLY FATHER! I have re­ceived this precious Gift at thine hands; and I prize them as They are Thy Gift, the Gift of thy Love to Me. And They being thine own Gift, those very Per­sons which Thou hast Given me, They are also dear to Thee: and upon my being taken from them, I may therefore freely come and resign them to thy Care. O! Keep them: For they are utterly unable to Keep them­selves. Keep them thro' thine own Name; for thine own Name sake, for thine Honour, for the Love Thou bearest them and Me: and in thy Name ^†, in thy Fear and Favour, and by thy mighty Power: Keep them from Sinning against Thee, from Dishonouring Me, and from falling out with one another. Keep them safely, and preserve them blameless to thine Heavenly Kingdom.

[Page 4] That they may be ONE as WE are — As Thou hast given Them to me, and they are jointly Ours; I have bro't them into One Body, into One Company: I have bro't them to be One in Love and Interest with Me and with one another, except the Son of Perdition, for whom I do not Pray—I let Him go—But for the Rest I pray, that Thou would'st keep them in this happy State and Union; that they may continue to be One Body and One in Love, and to hold a most intimate Communion with one another, as WE do: that as WE are One; so this dear People may be One with Us, and with one another!

This is Part of the Substance of this Petition: which by Divine Assistance, I wou'd somewhat further dilate upon in the following Observations.

I. That the FATHER has given a peculiar People to CHRIST, and his true Disciples are They.

HOLY FATHER! Keep thro' thine own Name THOSE whom Thou hast Given ME.

Now these must be firstly Sinners, or Persons consi­der'd as in the State of Sin, and not as in a State of Grace, [Page 5] when they were given to CHRIST of the FATHER. For wherefore were they Given to CHRIST, but as to a Saviour, that He might Redeem and Keep them and bring them to Glory?

And this will plainly appear from what He says con­cerning them in this dying Prayer.

In the 2d verse, He says of HIMSELF and THEM to the FATHER. As THOU hast Given HIM Power over all Flesh, that HE shou'd Give ETERNAL LIFE to As MANY as Thou hast Given Him. They were first Given to CHRIST; and then CHRIST had Power Given Him, that He might give them Eternal Life, that He might give it unto as many as the FATHER had given Him. He gives it to Those whom the FATHER had given to Him before, for this great Purpose. And in the follow­ing verse, He says, And this is LIFE ETERNAL, that They might KNOW THEE the only TRUE GOD, and JESUS CHRIST whom Thou hast sent. i.e. The Right Apprehension of GOD and CHRIST in the present State, is Eternal Life in the Principle: For the nature of this is to be vital, active and to grow to maturity: and when it comes to this, as it does in the Heavenly Pla­ces, it is Eternal Life in Perfection.

This Principle of Eternal Life, consisting in the Right Apprehension of GOD and CHRIST, must be therefore that Eternal Life, which CHRIST had Power to give to as many as the FATHER had given Him. And as a Proof of his answering this great End; He appeals to the FATHER, in verse the 6th I have MA­NIFESTED THY NAME to THE MEN which Thou gavest me out of the World. i.e. of that Great Multitude Thou hast given me out of the World, and who in the Pro­cess of Ages are all to receive the Gift of Eternal Life; I have already given the Right Discovery of Thee to that small number, viz. to These my Disciples and O­thers, to whom I was to Reveal Thee in my present State of Humiliation They were therefore first chosen out of the World by the FATHER and given to CHRIST; and then CHRIST gave the Manifestation of the FATHER to them: And thus He gave them Eter­nal Life in the Principle: and for this great End the FATHER had given them to Him.

[Page 6]Now by this Manifestation of HIMSELF and the FA­THER, He brings this People to a Right Apprehension of the FATHER & HIMSELF; so as to Admire & Love and Chuse Them above all other things in Heaven & Earth: He brings them to Believe in CHRIST, and so to become his true and hearty Followers. And when we come to this; Then it appears, that we were Given to CHRIST of the FATHER, that CHRIST might bring us rightly to Know and Follow them: And then it appears, that CHRIST has faithfully answered this great End, has gi­ven us Eternal Life in the Principle, and has thereby bro't us into the Kingdom of Grace, in order to lead us to the Kingdom of Glory.

And O! how happy, how exceeding happy are They that have once clear'd, up this great and momentous Point unto Themselves? For thereby they may joyfully see their Interest in this most effectual Prayer. For it is only for Those whom the FATHER has given to CHRIST, that this Great High Priest is so deeply concerned, and for whom He made these earnest Supplications. For in the Two verses before our Text, He says, — I Pray for Them, I Pray not for the World, but for Them which Thou hast given Me: For they are thine, and thine are mine, and I am Glorified in Them.

I Pray not for the WORLD; inasmuch as multitudes therein will continue finally Impenitents & Unbelievers: And how can I Pray that such as these shou'd be kept in Grace, and receiv'd to Glory? But I Pray For THEM which Thou hast Given Me. i.e. not only These Disciples, but for all Others also; as in verse [...]0 Neither Pray I for These alone; but for Them also which shall Believe on Me thro' their Word. These the FATHER has also Given Him: And of These H-speaks in Chap. vi.37. All that the FATHER giveth Me, shall come to me: in Chap x.16 And other Sheep I have, which are not of this Fold: Them also I must bring, and They shall hear my Voice: verse 28. And I give to Them Eternal Life: and verse 29. My FATHER, which gave Them to Me, is greater than all.

II. We may here observe, That it was a great Ad­vantage to CHRIST's First Disciples, that He came into the World in their Day, and call'd and took them into his immediate Care.

[Page 7]This plainly appears from the Argument first laid down in the Text — And now, I am no more in the World; But These are in the World, and I come to Thee. While CHRIST was with them and had them under his Eye, they were safe enough: and upon his departing from them — to make up the Loss, He applies to the FATHER, to keep them for Him.

And what a glorious Privilege had the first Disciples of CHRIST above the Rest of Men? To see with their Eyes that wondrous Person, both GOD, and Man, the SON of the FATHER, and the mighty Redeemer! To behold his amazing Miracles, to hear his lively Calls, and therewith receive his attractive Influence to obey and follow Him! To survey Him in all the Progress of his astonishing Life of Humiliation! To enjoy his usual Presence, to hear the Gracious Words come out of his Lips, to sit under the Heavenly Doctrines He continu­ally dropped; and to view in every Part, the most per­fect and divine Example He set before them!

But O! — to be under his tender Care & Eye: to behold his kind and condescending Looks: to be al­lowed to speak familiarly with Him: to hear his melt­ing and engaging Language: to receive his gentle and wise Instructions: to feel the Power of his Grace at­tending: and to see his indearing Love in all—What Tongue can express, what Heart conceive the Delight and Happiness! The very Officers who were sent to take Him, bare this Publick Testimony, Joh. vii.46. Never Man spake like this Man! And an intimate Eye-witness tells us, Chap. i.1—3, 14. The WORD was GOD: the same was in the Beginning with GOD: all things were made by Him: And the WORD was made Flesh, and dwelt among us: and we beheld his Glory, the Glory as of the ONLY BEGOTTEN of the FATHER, full of Grace and Truth.

And how exceeding happy were those Disciples of his in the Fruits of his Care, as long as he sojourned with them! For as He call'd them out of the World; so he constantly watched over and kept them from falling away. When they began to doubt, He strength­ned their Faith: when they began to sink with Fear, He bare them up: when they began to rise in Pride, He quickly brought them to an humble Frame of Spi­rit: when they began to contend, He rebuk'd and [Page 8] calm'd them: and when they had begun to Deny Him, He looked them into Repentance.

And see what He says of their Happiness in Him, in the Prayer before us,

In ver. 6.7, 8. — I have manifested thy Name to the Men which Thou gavest me out of the World: Thine they were, and Thou gavest them me, and they have kept thy Word. Now they have known that all things whatsoever Thou hast given me, are of Thee: For I have given to Them, the Words which Thou gavest me, and They have re­ceived them, and have known surely that I came out from Thee, and They have believ'd that Thou didst send Me. In ver. 12, 13. — While I was with Them in the World, I kept Them in thy Name: Those whom Thou gavest Me, I have kept; and none of them is lost, but the Son of Per­dition, that the Scripture might be fulfilled. And now come I to Thee, and these things I speak in the World; that They might have my Joy fulfilled in Themselves. And in the closing Words of the Prayer — O RIGH­TEOUS FATHER! The World hath not known Thee: But I have known Thee; and These have known that Thou hast sent Me. And I have declar'd to Them thy Name, and will declare it: that the Love wherewith Thou hast loved Me, may be in Them, and I in Them

Methinks, as once in the Mount of Transfiguration, when they saw his Glory; They must now, in a most astonishing Rapture, feel their Happiness in Him; and at the End of the Prayer, cry out as They,— Lord it is good for us to be Here! But alas! in the next Lines we read, that when JESUS had spoken these Words, He went forth over the Brook CEDRON, into the Garden, whither Judas quickly came and betray'd Him.

III. We may now observe, that CHRIST'S leaving the World and being in it no more, was therefore a great and sorrowful Loss to his poor Disciples, which He was deeply concerned about.

And now, says He, I am no more in the World: But These are in the World—

He was soon — within twenty-four Hours— to go out of the World: He that was the Light of the World, and the Divine Leader and Joy of his People. They must quickly loose these great and blessed Privileges they had been highly favour'd and satisfied with, in his delightful Company. Their Head, their Lord, their [Page 9] Guide, their Heavenly Instructor was to be ravished from them, and leave them as Sheep without a Shepard.

Cou'd the Children of the Bride Chamber mourn, while the BRIDEGROOM was with them? But the Hour is come, when their lovely BRIDEGROOM is to be taken away! How shall not their Hearts be filled with Grief, their Face with Sadness, their Breasts with Sighing, their Eyes with Tears, and their Mouths with peircing Cries and Lamentations! Who, but the hard hearted Judas, cou'd now bare to part with this Divine Person, the Hope, the Consolation, the Glory of Israel: and a Person linked with them in the most dear Affection, who had lov'd them in a distinguishing manner, had call'd and taken them most near to Himself, had reveal'd the FATHER to them, and unveil'd his own Glory; had taken the tenderest Care of them in this Evil World, and kept them safely from its polluting Influence: In brief, had been their Light and Comfort, their Guide and Defender, their chief Delight & Joy.

And now to be taken from them — a Poor, exposed, feeble, friendless and despised People — while their Hearts are full of Sorrow, His is pain'd with Anguish for them. He sees their Loss, and He sees their Grief: He bears them on his tender Heart. In their extream Afflicti­on, He is afflicted more than They. He sees more their Loss, than They can, Themselves. He sees more their Dangers in this evil World, without His Presence. And the affecting Prospect ushers in the dismal & sink­ing Sorrows of his advancing Passion: For a few mo­ments after, He began to be sore amazed and to be very heavy, i.e. extreamly oppress'd in his Spirit, and tells them — My Soul is exceeding sorrowful even to Death!

IV. We go on to observe, that this is a dangerous and evil World which CHRIST's Disciples are for a time to stay in, while He is absent from them.

I am no more in the World, says He, But These are in the World.

CHRIST was now a going out of the World; But not to carry his People with Him. They were now to Part as to his Humane Presence: and tho' He was to go out of the World, He was to leave them in it: In a World of Evils, Snares and Hazards; where they would be much expos'd both to Sin and Trouble, especially in his Absence from them. This lay much upon the Heart [Page 10] of CHRIST, that He was to leave them in such a World as this; so full of Evils and awful Dangers to their precious Souls.

And here are these few things, which may serve to show us, what a kind of World it is, which He has left his People in, and which made Him so much concerned for Them.

1. They are in a STRANGE World.

It is not the appointed Place for their long Abode. They have here no continuing City, no durable House of Residence, no lasting Inheritance. Their Eyes are to another World, which they may call their own. There they have certain Titles, large and rich Possessions, glorious and eternal Mansions; a spacious Temple that will hold them all, shall ne'r decay, and shall be for ever fill'd with Glory.

There their Hearts, their Thot's are fixed: Thither reach their strong Desires: Thither are they travelling: and by their present Travels, are growing more pre­par'd and accomplish'd for the exalted Services, Enjoy­ments, and Honours There.

But here they account themselves as Pilgrims, passing thro' a foreign Country to their own. On this account, their Great Leader says, in the 14th verse of the Prayer, — They are not of the World, even as I am not of the World. This is not the World they chuse for theirs: This is not the World they are to have their Portion in. As they are passing thro' it, they settle not their Hearts upon it, but let it go, and all the Enjoyments of it. And while they sojourn here, they live as Strangers; and the People often carry Strange to them. Yea

2. They are in a World of ENEMIES.

This lower World is become united in a grand Re­bellion against the Glorious GOD. Satan, once a bright Archangel in Heaven, at first began it, and drew a mul­titude of Angels after Him: who are become a mighty Host of Devils, renounc'd of GOD, and full of Enmity and Rage against Him. And being cast down into this lower World, they soon seduc'd our first Parents also, brought them under their Power, and infus'd their En­mity into them against their Great Creator. And these being the natural Heads of all mere Mankind, have de­riv'd the same sinful Spirit to all their natural Offspring. [Page 11] And thus this lower World is fill'd with Enemies to the Blessed GOD. They have set up themselves in Opposi­tion to Him, to his holy Laws and Government: and they are all combin'd in this Rebellion.

Now, CHRIST's true Disciples are by his Grace deli­ver'd from this reigning Enmity to GOD: They are brought to love Him with all their Hearts, to an unre­serv'd Submission to his Will and Government, to an in­tire Devotion to Him. And thus they separate from the rest of Men, and under CHRIST, their Great Comman­der, join in Opposition to all this Enmity. And being thus divided from the World, the World comes to hate them and to rise up against them. And so CHRIST describes it in the verse last mentioned.— And the World hath hated Them; because They are not of the World; even as I am not of the World.

They have Principalities and Powers, the Rulers of the Darkness of this World, and Spiritual Wickednesses in high Places, to combat with. And the Prince of the Power of the Air, is the Spirit that worketh in the Chil­dren of Disobedience, and leads them captive at his Pleasure. The greater Part of their own Species are set against them. The Hosts of Hell & Earth are combin'd against the LORD and against his People. And as all these Enemies are great in Power and vast in Number; so they are exceeding subtil, and full of restless Hate: and against nothing more is their malice pointed, than at the Purity, Union, Peace and Order of CHRIST'S Disciples in combin'd Societies.

And after all — their most dangerous Enemies, are their own Corruptions hid within them, and always ready to betray them to the other.

3. They are therefore, in a World of SNARES, TEMP­TATIONS and OPPOSITIONS.

We are every where, at all times, surrounded with them. The great Design of our Spiritual Enemies, is to take us off from our obeying GOD and following CHRIST, and bring us to join again in their horrible Rebellion. Now, Sin is this Rebellion against the Glo­rious GOD. And that they might accomplish this; they make use of every Stratagem and delusive Argument, they try a thousand Ways to bring us, either by Force, Allurement or Fraud, to Sin again.

[Page 12]And O! how secret, artful and unsuspected, are of­tentimes their Snares, to catch and ruin us? How strangely will they put false Colours upon things? make Evil seem to be beautiful and good; and that which is Good appear under the Form of Evil? And thus they charm the Affection, delude the Conscience, and engage the Will; and bring us on to hate and renounce the Good, and to love and chuse the Evil, till we come to be habituated to it, and cannot leave it.

In short, by numberless and conceal'd Devices, these active and subtil Enemies, are for ever striving to in­duce us to Sin, and fall away from GOD, and divide from one another. And O! how ready are these sinful Hearts within us, to entertain their Insinuations, to kindle with their Motives, to rise into Resentments, to run into censorious Sentiments and Speeches; and so disturb the Love and Harmony which must continue us together.

4. CHRIST's Disciples are therefore left in a World of SINS and TROUBLES.

There is a bitter Fountain of Sin within them: And O! what a Source of constant Sorrow is it, and how does it make them mourn! There are their own actual Sins, and the Sins of others. When they see Trans­gressors, they are deeply grieved: and Rivers of Tears run down their Eyes, when their Neighbours, Friends and Relatives, especially Professors, break the Laws of GOD, dishonour CHRIST, and contend with one another.

And a World of Sin and Enemies, must needs be a World of Trouble. We are born to Trouble as the Sparks fly upward: They are without account & they are ever following in quick Successions. And O! what heavy and sinking Sorrows do we often meet with! Many from without, and many from within: Our Load is great, and our Strength but small; and we need Divine Supports and Consolations to bear us up.

While CHRIST was with us, He cou'd support and comfort us: But what shall his Disciples do in such an evil World as this, upon his Removal from them? What an awful Prospect is here before them? And the affecting View, was that which seem'd to usher in this most fervent Prayer. For in the verse before, He was telling them — In the World ye shall have Tribu­lation: But be of good cheer; I have overcome the [Page 13] World. And then it nextly follows — These Words spake JESUS, and lift up his Eyes to Heaven.

In such a World as this, He has left his People: and being greatly affected with it; He applies Himself to his FATHER for them, and earnestly implores, that He would take them into his special Care, and Keep them for Him. Our

V. Observation, therefore is, That the true Disciples of CHRIST are very Dear to Him, and the Subjects of his great Concern.

But THESE are in the World.

He seems to turn his Eyes on Them, and to point them out, as He was now presenting them to his Heavenly FATHER. His Heart appears to be greatly moved with a most tender Sympathy: and 'tis likely They now sat weeping under his Eye

And there are various Reasons for this dear Affection.

1. They are that peculiar People which the FATHER had chosen and given Him.

The FATHER was pleas'd, in his Sovereign Grace, to Pitch on These, to chuse them out of the World, and Give them to CHRIST, that He might sanctify & save them.

Now the Choice and Gift of the FATHER, must needs render them precious in the Eyes of CHRIST He re­ceiv'd them as a grateful Present, Fruit and Token of the Love of the FATHER, to Him. Any thing Chosen and Given of the FATHER, must on this account have a singular Value with Him, how worthless soever in it self considered. But how much more dear must they be to CHRIST, on account of the End of the FATHER's chu­sing & giving them to Him? It was to take them out of the World, to Purchase their complete Redemption, and to make them an Holy People, to his Praise for ever.

And then, as CHRIST has gratefully receiv'd the Gift, and they are his FATHER's still; They are especially Dear to Him, as They are, both his Father's and His own Propriety.

2. As He has kindly call'd them; so They have heard his Call, comply'd and follow'd Him.

[Page 14]They are by this distinguish'd openly from the Rest of the World. My Sheep says He, Hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow ME. Chap. x.27. They comply with his Gospel Call, to Forsake their Sins, to renounce the Creature as their Happiness, to deny them­selves, take up his Cross and follow Him; to imitate his lovely Example, and submit themselves to his Will and Government. And this must render them very dear to Him.

It is true indeed, that in all this, there can be nothing of Desert in Them: For They wou'd not have comply'd or follow'd, if He had not put forth his Almighty Power, and chang'd their Hearts, and drawn their Wills, and bro't them to be a freely willing and obedient People. But tho' their free Obedience be the Fruit of his Divine Power and Grace; Yet the Fruit it self must needs be lovely, and therefore make them precious to Him.

3. He sees his own most beautiful Image In Them.

The true Knowledge of GOD, with Righteousness and Holiness, are the lively Image of CHRIST; which both HIMSELF and the FATHER must needs de­light in. And these are in some measure stampt on his true Disciples. Their Understandings are enlightened with most agreable Conceptions of the Glorious GOD; their Affections purify'd and bro't to Love Him above all Others; and their Wills induc'd to chuse Him as their only Happiness. And as this must needs be delight­ful in the Eyes of CHRIST, it must therefore render his People dearer to Him.

4. He likewise sees their indearing Love to HIM, and has had agreeable Communion with Them.

He desires that Those whom the FATHER has Given Him, shou'd come to Love Him. And when they come to this, He sees it with indearing Pleasure: He delights to see the actings of it in Communion with Him and O­bedience to Him. Lovest thou ME? said CHRIST, even three times over, to one of his first Disciples — not to see whether He Loved or no; but to call forth this a­greable Expression of it — LORD! Thou knowest all things; Thou knowest that I Love Thee: Chap. xxi.15 — 17.

And to see how pleasing is our Love to CHRIST, and the Actings of it; Let us hear those gracious Words of [Page 15] his — Joh. xiv.21. He that hath my Commandments and keepeth them, He it is that Loves me: And He that Loves me, shall be Loved of my FATHER, and I will Love Him, and will manifest my self to Him. And verse 23. If a man Love me, He will keep my Words; and my FATHER will Love Him, and WE will come unto Him, and make our Abode with Him. Yea

5. and lastly. He not only Loves them for what He sees in them already, but even for all that Future Loveliness they are aspiring after, and He designs they shall arrive unto.

They are Given Him, that He might not only Begin, but that He might also carry on the Divine Image in them to Perfection. And He intends to make Them compleatly like Himself; that they may not only grow more and more like Him, as He appear'd on Earth; but may also rise in a great measure to the glorious Like­ness of his Form in Heaven. And! O who but He, can now conceive the wondrous Sights, and the ravishing Communion He designs to be between them There?

But He even now delights Himself in the lively Pros­pect of all the future Growings of his Image in them, of their Affection and Obedience to Him, of their Suf­ferings for Him, of their Communion with Him, of their Aspirations to be intirely like Him, till they attain the Height of all their Wishes: and in the Views of this, He now looks on them with increased Pleasure.

And this dear Affection must needs excite an answera­bly great Concern, in his Humane Nature, for their Pre­servation in this dangerous and evil World He has left them in, and thro' which they are travelling to the Hea­venly Places.

But how does this great Affection & Concern express themselves and operate?

The Prayer before us is an amazing Discovery of them. They here exert themselves in a most servent Application to his Almighty FATHER for this dear People — But These are in the World; and I come to THEE! Our

[Page 16]VI. Observation then is this— That the great Affection and Concern of CHRIST for his People left in this lower World, excites Him to the most earnest Intercession with the FATHER for their PRESERVATION and UNITY.

Thus it wro't when He was here upon Earth, in this Farewell Prayer. He was going to lay down his Life for his People to purchase their eternal Salvation and Happiness. But just as He was entering his Agonies, He wou'd not leave them in this evil World, without applying to his FATHER for them. He knew the World infinitely better than they: He had a most awful Pros­pect of all their Dangers: He shou'd be no more with them, in so familiar a manner, to help and keep them: and what should He do, but apply to the FA­THER, with strong Crying and Tears, and resign them into his Hands?

We may see his Earnestness by the many moving Ar­guments He improves to prevail.

And O! how happy — that in this glorious Prayer, He confined not his Views to his first Disciples, but ex­tended them to all Others, to the End of the World. In the foremention'd verse 20. Neither Pray I for These alone, but for Them also which shall Believe on Me, thro' their Word. All Believers, and every Company of 'em in-every Place & Age, are comprehended in it. There is none of 'em all, but what Believes in CHRIST thro' the Words either spoken or written by the first Disci­ples. And his great Concern and Love for us all, were the powerful Motives that led Him thus to carry our Case in this Evil World, and Present us as his own dear People, to his Heavenly FATHER.

‘O omniscient and most merciful SAVIOUR! in the near and urging Prospect of thy growing Passion, Thou wast not unmindful of us! Thou didst even then Re­member & View us: and it Began thine Agonies! Thou didst then carry our Dangers, Sins and Sorrows!; and didst make them thy Burthen! And then Thou didst carry us to thy Dear FATHER, and most earnest­ly Plead with Him for us! —’

And surely, this was but an early Specimen of his continued Intercessions in the Heavenly Places. He then, [...] the Eyes of his People, Began that glorious Work, which He was to carry on in a more exalted manner, at the Right Hand of the FATHER. And thither His Hu­mane Nature is rais'd, and ever living and acting, in [Page 17] the same merciful Properties, as our dear INTERCESSOR. Heb. ii.17 Wherefore in all things it behov'd Him to be made like [...] his Brethren; that He might be a MER­CIFUL and FAITHFUL HIGH PRIEST, in things, pertaining to GOD, Chap. iv.14, 15. We have a GREAT HIGH PRIEST, that is passed into the HEAVENS; JESUS the SON of GOD: and in Him, we have NOT an High Priest which CANNOT be touched with the Feel­ing of our Infirmities: And Chap. vii.25. He ever lives to make Intercession.

But what are the important Blessings which our GREAT HIGH PRIEST so earnestly desir'd and pray'd for?

Now these are Blessings both for the Present & Fu­ture World: But our Text seems only to respect the Former: and the most excellent Blessings requisite in the Present Life therein desir'd are these,

1. The more immediate, — that the FATHER would KEEP us in his own Name.

2. The more ultimate; — that WE may be ONE, as the FATHER and CHRIST are ONE.

And these Two Blessings are comprehensive indeed of Every Other.

1. That the FATHER wou'd Keep us thro' his own Name. FATHER! KEEP thro' thine own Name, Those whom Thou hast Given Me.

Now this KEEPING signifies in General; that He wou'd Take us into his special and tender Care, Con­duct and Protection, both of Grace & Providence.

In Particular — That He wou'd Keep us from all those Evils both of Affliction and Temptation, that wou'd be hurtful to us. That He would keep from sinking under our Burthens, and from yielding to our strong Temptations. That He wou'd keep from Falling from the Grace receiv'd, and from Declin­ing in the Measures of it. That He wou'd keep from Errors in our Understandings, and from Sins in our Hearts and Lives; both from Omission of incumbent Duties, and from Committing things forbidden. That He wou'd keep especially from those more Scandalous Sins, which greatly dishonour GOD and CHRIST, offend our Neighbours, and wound our Souls. And more Es­pecially... what our Blessed LORD seems here to have a peculiar Eye to — That He wou'd keep us from Falling [Page 18] out with one another; keep us in a mutual Love; and Preserve us blameless to his heavenly Kingdom.

These are the Great Blessings which CHRIST so ear­nestly desires and prays for. And this is thro' his Fa­ther's own Name. i. e. Keep us in his Love & Fear, for his own Honour, and by his mighty Power & Wisdom, thro' this World of Faith and Tryal to compleat Sal­vation.

And this is in a special manner desir'd by CHRIST, for this great End; that WE may not be Divided, but may be ONE, even as the FATHER and HE are One. If We be not kept from Sins or Errors, We shall soon fall out and Seperate: But if we are thus Preserv'd in Truth and Grace, in Love and Righteousness; our Union will be unbroken, and come to its Perfection.

2. That We may be One, as the FATHER and CHRIST are One.

It is our perfect, firm and stedfast UNION, that is here desir'd and pray'd for. A Union of Affection; a mu­tual Esteem and Love; a mutual Tenderness and Sym­pathy, Good-will and Kindness; an intire Friendship and Communion; an unjarring Harmony of Interests and Inclinations, Designs and Actions.

Of such a perfect Union, CHRIST has here set His own with his Divine FATHER, as the Glorious Example.

The Oneness between THESE Two, is indeed trans­cendent and absolute, above Conception. How their Divine Substance is the same, and yet their Persons di­verse, — is a mysterious Depth, like their own Immensi­ty, beyond our finite and shallow Comprehension. But this we know, that there is a perfect and eternal Har­mony between them. They have the same Nature, the same Love to one another, the same Views, Desires, Wills, Designs, and intire Concurrence in all their Acti­ons. And what an inconceivable Felicity must arise from this in their Divine Nature!

How sublime then and great will be the Beauty and Happiness of CHRIST's own People, to be thus One to­gether, as the FATHER and HE are One!

Our Views of things, indeed, can scarce be One in the present State of Darkness and Imperfection. But we may be One in Love and Charity: Excusing, Forbearing and Forgiving one another; and thus Preserve a Blessed Harmony in our Hearts and Actions. And O! how Good, how lovely and how pleasant is it, for Brethren [Page 19] thus to dwell together in Unity! They therein resemble the admirable and happy Harmony among the several Per [...] in the Divine Nature.

But we must now come on to one Observation more, viz

VII. That HOLINESS is a Title proper to GOD the FATHER, and suitable to think of in our Applications to Him.

And I come says CHRIST, to Thee, HOLY FATHER, in the Prayer before us: and therein has doubtless set us a becoming Example, which it is our Duty and Wis­dom to imitate.

HOLINESS seems to consist in the Love of what is Excellent; in the highest Love of GOD as the most ex­cellent of Beings, as a Being indeed of absolute Excel­lence; in the Desire of his Glory; and from thence derives to the Love of what is like Him, and a Detesta­tion of what is contrary to Him. And as this is a cer­tain Excellence essential to GOD; so the GODHEAD only is essentially Holy. All other Beings may alter, and yet retain their Existence and essential Nature: But GOD alone can never change, or in the least abate of this Divine Perfection: And we can no more conceive of GOD without this Excellence, than without Justice, Wisdom, Knowledge, Life, or any other. When Moses contemplates upon Him, He cries out in trembling Ad­mirations, Exod. xv.11. Who is like to-THEE O LORD among the Gods! who is like THEE! Glorious in HO­LINESS! Fearful in Praises! Doing Wonders! And while the Seraphims are flying in his Presence, they are describ'd as covering both their Feet and Faces, and cry­ing out to one another — Holy! Holy! Holy! is the LORD of Hosts! the whole Earth is full of his Glory! Isai. vi.1.3.

When we think of THIS GLORIOUS BEING, we shou'd therefore think of this Perfection in Him: and we shou'd especially apprehend Him as HOLY, when we come to worship Him; that we may yield Him the Honour of this spotless Attribute, and behave our selves with a becoming Care and Reverence.

And this Conception of GOD is in a special manner suitable, when we are applying to Him for the Dispen­sations of his Favour. For this will both direct us what to Pray for, and also encourage us to Plead and Hope that He will bestow them on us. For of an HOLY GOD, we [Page 20] can never venture to implore for any thing in the least offensive to this Perfection; But have Reason to Ask and Hope for those things which are agreable to it; as our Saviour did in the Prayer before us.

With what a cheerful Freedom and Assurance, may we go to GOD and Pray — ‘HOLY FATHER! They are only Holy things that we ask of Thee: These are the things we chiefly Want and Desire — things that are the most agreable to thine own Nature. That the Impurity, Power and Guilt of Sin may be taken away. That we may be deliver'd from the Dominion of Sa­tan and all thine Enemies. That we may be brought home to THEE, and have thine Holy Image stamp'd upon us. That we may have this Sacred Image kept and advanced in us, till we are throughly Purified in Spirit, Soul and Body, both in Heart & Life, and come to be compleatly like Thee. That we may be kept from every Sin; from the Sins especially of hating and contending with thy beloved People; and may be preserved in that Sacred Union and Communion with them, which of thy free Grace, Thou hast bro't us into. That we may be One in Love and dear Society, as CHRIST our common Head has so earnestly desir'd and pray'd for; and as HE is One with THEE!’

Such things as these must needs be pleasing to the HOLY GOD: and if we have a due Conception of this Divine Excellence, We could not but desire them of Him, and dare not enter his Presence with any other Desires.

How can any come before his Face with Confidence, who instead of such holy Frames as these, must rather confess and say, — O HOLY FATHER! I love Thee not ‘above all Others; but I love the things that are hate­ful to Thee: I desire some Interest in the World a­bove Thee: I have Affections, Passions, Resentments, Humours disagreable to Thee, which I cannot part with. I cannot love thy People, tho' they are dear to Thee: I cannot live in Charity with Them: I cannot in my Heart be reconciled to them; nor delight in their Society, nor keep their Company: But I must brake away; tho' they are One with CHRIST and THEE, tho' THOU thy self hast Fellow­ship with them, and tho' CHRIST has most earnestly desir'd and pray'd that we might live in Love and Unity, and be of one Heart, as Thou and He are One.’

[Page 21]What an unsuitable Frame is, this, to the Presence of the HOLY GOD? And with what a guilty Tumult and Confusion of Soul, must such a Temper as this presume to approach his Face and hope for his Mercy? The Presence of the HOLY GOD, is enough, if we do but duly conceive it, to chase away all our sinful and selfish Views, to still our angry Passions, and unite our Hearts to every one that bares, in the least Degree; his Sacred Image.

And thus have we considered briefly some [...]o the Principal things represented in this Petition. We now proceed to some

IMPROVEMENT.

And

1. Are the People Given to CHRIST of the FATHER, only They for whom this Prayer is made; O Let us then Endeavour to make it clear, that We are of this happy Number.

This Prayer of his comprizes all that Blessedness which He was going to lay down his Life, to Purchase for them: And it belongs to Those alone, whom the FATHER has given Him. HOLY FATHER! Keep thro' thine own Name, THOSE, whom Thou hast Given Me &c.

But O! how shall we come to know that we are of this Blessed Number?

Why, we must Receive the Words of CHRIST, and Keep them, Believe in, Embrace & Follow Him: And then we are sure, we are Given to CHRIST of the FATHER, and have an happy Interest in this Dying Prayer. Neither Pray I says He, for These, i. e. my first Disciples, alone; but for Them which shall Believe on Me thro' their Word.

Now, this Word of theirs is the glorious Gospel. And O! how long and often, has it been Preached to You; that you might believe on CHRIST, and so come to know your selves to be the People given Him of the FATHER, and thereby see your Interest in this blessed Prayer. This is the great thing you have been earnest­ly and continually called, urged and intreated to, within these Walls, by CHRIST'S Embassadors, ever [Page 22] since You set Your Feet within them. It is to believe in CHRIST, embrace and follow Him; that you may come to know your Interest in Him, that you lie near his Heart, and have an happy share in his prevailing Intercessions with his Heavenly FATHER.

And O! what excellent Embassadors ^‖ have been sent Successively among you? How many lively Sermons have They made you from this Pulpit? How many affectionate and awakening Calls have they given You in the Name of CHRIST, and in his Stead, intreating You to come to HIM and be reconciled to GOD? And now they have finished their Ministry, they are gone before the Throne, to render their Account, not only of what They have done to bring You to believe in CHRIST, but also how You have received their Testimony: And they have the Holy Angels also, who meet in our Assem­blies, to witness with them.

But O! how many are there that are yet unperswad­ed? And how increased is your Guilt? how hard your Hearts? how ripe are you by this time grown for Eternal Judgment? What Grace have you despised? what Long-suffering abused? How have you trampled under your Feet, the Blood of the SON of GOD? And how inconceivably have you thereby provok'd his HOLY FATHER, who has offered Him to you, and who loves HIM as his own Soul!

Yet, thro' the Riches of his Grace and Patience, You have now another Opportunity and Invitation more: O! to Day, if Ye will hear his Voice, harden not your Hearts ▪ But let them yield and now comply: And then you'l know, you are given to CHRIST of the FATHER, that CHRIST has made this Prayer for you, and your Souls shall live for ever. For thus has He assur'd us in Chap. vi.39, 40. And this is the FATHER's Will — that of all which He has given Me, I should loose nothing — and this is the Will of Him who sent Me, that every one who seeth the SON, and believeth on Him, may have Everlasting Life.

2. Is this a dangerous and evil World we live in; How vigilant have we always need to be, and how care­ful in all our Conduct?

[Page 23]3. Are CHRIST's true Disciples very dear and preci­ous to Him, and the Subjects of his great Concern; Let this indear Him to them, and be improved by them for their great Support and Comfort in his Absence from Them.

4. Does the great Affection and Concern of CHRIST for his People left in this! lower World, excite Him to the most earnest Intercessions to the FATHER for them; Let them then securely, in the way of Duty, leave the Interest of his People with Him.

5. Is CHRIST so earnestly desirous of his People's UNITY; How lamentable is it that any should presume to hinder the Accomplishment of this Desire of his, by add­ing Terms of such a Union, as CHRIST Himself has not required!

What an awful Opposition to this Desire, are They engaged in, who prevent this Unity▪ by imposing on the Conscience, Things, which the Imposers own, CHRIST has not appointed; and so urge his People to this hard Necessity, either to Sin against their Light, or else to separate from their imposing Brethren! And how opposite both to Christian Charity and Union is it, for the Imposers to make Themselves the Judges of the Hearts of Those who differ from them, and engross the Sacred Name of Conscience to Themselves; By asserting, the Dissent of Others, is from Humour only, and not from Conscience.

And how exceeding Beautiful and Happy wou'd be the Christian World, if every Party wou'd lay down every thing they apprehend is not an Institution of CHRIST Himself, and He requires not therefore as a Term of Fellowship among his People: And where they differ about an Ordinance of his; There both pre­serve their Brethren's Consciences intire, and believe in Charity, they differ from a Conscientious Regard to what they apprehend to be CHRIST's Appointment! With what Comeliness and Majesty would the Christian Churches throughout the World appear! — like the Re­giments united in One great A [...]y, with displayed Ban­ners!

[Page 24]6. Are the great Blessings which CHRIST most ear­nestly desires of his FATHER for us in this Evil World, that He would keep us in his own Name, that We may be One as They are One! How obliged are We then, to our utmost to comply with this Desire of CHRIST, that his earnest Prayer may be fulfilled and his Desire satisfied.

Shall not our Desire for Our selves be the very same with CHRIST's Affectionate and most wise Desire for us? And shan't we earnestly labour after those Great Blessings He has pleaded for us; which will be a great Honour and Delight to CHRIST Himself, as well as Pleasure and Advantage to our selves?

Will not You in Particular of this Flock of His, do your utmost in the present Hour of your Temptation, that You may be safely kept in the FATHER's Name, from every Sin and Snare, from every thing that may dishonour CHRIST, or divide you from one another? Won't you do your utmost to live in Love & Unity, to preserve your Covenant, your Company unbroken—that you may still watch over one another—And in order to it, still meet and walk together in the Ways of CHRIST, and feed in one Flock and Pasture, under the Care of the same Sheperds?

And shan't We all do our utmost to be like to CHRIST, to be most agreable to Him, and to imitate the admira­ble Harmony and Oneness, we have heard there is be­tween HIM and his dear FATHER?

For O! 'tis this, that CHRIST most earnestly de­sires and longs to see; that herein we may be like to Him, and there may be among his People, the like in­dearing Union and Communion, as between those Two Divine Persons. And the more we are like to CHRIST, the more we shall resemble Him in Love, and the more shall we be United with one another: the greater Ho­nour shall we do Him, and the more lovely shall we be in his Eyes: yea the more united will both HE and the FATHER be with Us. And in this wondrous Prayer, He seems to speak of this— the Union and Communion among us all in Perfection, as the very Height of his own Desires both for Himself and Us, and the very Top of our [...]ture Felicity, verse 21. That THEY ALL may be ONE, [...] Thou FATHER art in ME, and I in THEE: [Page 25] that. THEY ALL may be ONE in US: And verse 22, 23, And the Glory which THOU gavest ME, I have given THEM; that THEY may be ONE, even as WE are ONE: I in THEM, and THOU in ME; that WE may be made Perfect in ONE.

O! how inconceivable is this Exaltation and Happi­ness! And will not every true Disciple of CHRIST, most earnestly aspire after it?

7. And Lastly, Is Holiness a Divine Excellence, to be considered in our Applications to the FATHER of our LORD JESUS CHRIST; With what Sincerity and Purity, Care and Reverence, shou'd We then approach Him?

If CHRIST Himself, who was Holy, harmless, unde­filed and separate from Sinners, did not come into the FATHER's Presence, or look up to Him, without a special View to this Glorious Excellence—How shall We?— In our Approaches to Him, Let us therefore have a special Care to view Him in this Perfection. And what need have we to come with a [...]ed Awe and Re­verence? how careful to present our selves before Him in Sincerity, with holy Frames and pure Desires.

HOLINESS becomes his Presence, his House, his Peo­ple, his Worship, for ever: And without some measure of this, there's none shall see his Face in Mercy. And as He sees our Hearts, and all the allowed Hypocrisy, and unholy Frames and Desires in them; He beholds them with Hatred, and cannot accept us. No — if in our Hearts we now regard or allow of any Iniquity; He will not hear us, when we approach his Altar, or look for a Blessing, And if our secret, selfish and unholy Desires, Frames and Passions, cannot be separated from us; if we cannot part with Them — He is a Consuming Fire, and will devour Us with Them together.

As we are therefore now come into His Sacred Pre­sence, to implore Him for a Special Favour; Let Us all, and Those of this Communion in particular, Take Care to come in Sincerity and with pure Hearts, full of fer­vent Love to GOD and CHRIST and One another; that We may be intirely One, as CHRIST has Prayed. And O Remember, that all uncharitable Frames of Spirit to­wards your Fellow Disciples, is part of that Unholiness which is offensive to GOD, and will hinder your Servi­ces from being accepted of Him.

[Page 26]Now therefore, with the utmost Care and with all your Hearts, observe those pungent Exhortations in Eph. iv. & v. at the Juncture of those Two Chapters. And grieve not the SPIRIT of GOD, whereby ye are sealed to the Day of Redemption. Let all Bitterness, and Wrath, and Anger, and Glamour, and Evil speaking, be put away from you, with all Malice. And be ye kind one to ano­ther, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, even as GOD for CHRIST's sake, hath forgiven You. Be ye therefore Followers of GOD, as dear Children: and walk in Love; as CHRIST also has loved Us, and given Himself for Us, an Offering and a Sacrifice to GOD, for a sweet smelling savour.

And to show, that You are unfeigned and hearty in this — O! do not lay these Evils aside only just for the Present, and return to them on the Morrow; But put them away with Hatred and renounce them for ever.

In Fine, When You proceed to the Choice of another Pastor — Come [...] the Presence of the Holy GOD: Commit Your Choice into the Hands of CHRIST: Re­sign Your own Inclinations and Views to his wife Dispo­sal; Who knows the Person that will be most suitable for You in times to come; Who has a greater Care for his People and Interest than You can possibly have; and who has every Heart at this Direction. Thus Re­sign Your selves to Him: And then, tho' You shou'd not have Your present Desire; You will be sure of a Blessing, and You will also see the excellent Wis­dom therein hereafter.

‘And O! Thou GOD and Sheperd of Israel! Who hast all things, Present, Past, and Future, in thy per­fect View; Who leadest Joseph like a Flock; and dwellest on the Mercy Seat, between the Cherubims! —Do Thou shine forth clearly to this thy People, and show Them the Man Thou hast chosen for Them!’