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saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness". John Baptist had said as much before: He whom God hath sent speaketh the words of God. To which the words of our Saviour, in another place of that Gospel, perfectly accordy: I have not spoken of myself; but the Father which sent me, he gave me a commandment, what I should say, and what I should speak. And I know that his commandment is Everlasting Life: whatsoever I speak therefore, even as the Father said unto me, so I speak.

And (4) he hath no less power than he hath truth; but being the Son of God, the heir of all things, can make good his gracious promises, and put us into the possession of the eternal inheritance which we expect as coheirs with him. He was declared the Son of God with power by his resurrection from the dead; according to his own prayer just before he offered up himself to God: Father, the hour is come; glorify thy Son, that thy Son may glorify thee: as thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him2.

And can we think (5) that he will not faithfully execute this trust, and employ his power for the end to which it was given him? He would not then be like his Father, who keepeth truth for ever as he also almost certainly will, being the same Jesus yesterday, and to-day, and for everb. For if Moses was faithful in the house of another, wherein he was but a servant, no doubt our Lord, who is a Son over his own house or family, will not fail to discharge his royal office with all exactness, but manifest himself to be like his name, the Word of God, faithful and true.

This record concerning him St. John thought so weighty and secure an evidence, that he concludes all good Christians as sure of eternal life as if it were already in their hands. For after he had said here (in the words I am explaining) that God hath given us, i. e. made us a promise of, eternal life, which is in his Son, he adds immediately, (which is the second thing I intended to note,) that we have eternal life: which cannot signify less than that we have such a good right

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to it that we may account it ours. The reason is, because he that effectually believes in Jesus, hath him in whose power it is to give it, and who hath passed his word, many a time, that he will bestow it. So you read ver. 12, He that hath the Son hath life. He may be as sure of it as if it were in his present possession; for by faith in Christ he is united to him who is the fountain and well-spring of life and bliss, and stands engaged divers ways to make all the members of his body happy with himself. For to as many as received him he gave èşovoíav, power, or authority, to become the sons of God, who may legally claim the consummation of their adoption in the eternal inheritance. They are, by his grant, unquestionable heirs of it, and have such a strong title to it, that they can never be defeated of it. This heavenly estate is in them, as lawyers speak, though they be not in it. They have an indisputable right, I mean, to it, and may call it theirs, though they be not yet seized of it, and have not taken possession, which in due time none can hinder or debar them of. So the apostle would have the faithful steadfastly believe, (for this was the very end for which he recorded the evidences forementioned,) that they might know they have eternal lifes: which he repeats often in his Gospel, as you read John iii. 36, v. 24, vi. 47; where he asserts this in the most earnest manner, and assures them that he spake of this matter out of certain knowledge, Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life. He is a most happy man, and may look upon himself as owner of more than all this world is worth: which he . can never lose, though he be not yet entered upon this inheritance, because it is in the custody of him who hath all power in heaven and earth, and hath said, as it there follows, I will raise him up at the last day.

Well then, seeing that these are the things we expect, to have our sins blotted out when the times of refreshing shall come, to be made children of the resurrection, to be delivered from the wrath to come, to have glorious bodies, to reign with Christ, and to be made heirs of all things; and seeing we are said to have this bliss, i. e. to have a certain right to it, if we believe on him, and seeing also that our right is apparent from

h Ver. 54.

g Ver. 13.

f John i. 12.

This is the

the same records or witnesses whereby it was proved that Jesus is the Son of God: all that I can apprehend remaining to be done, to give us a fuller certainty of these promises, is to make particular inquiry what every one of those witnesses, which testify to Jesus, say to this point, that God hath given us eternal life, and that this life is in his Son. record, St. John saith, i. e. this is the matter of it. Let us examine, if you please, all these six witnesses one after another upon this matter, and see if they do not give the same evidence of it that they have done of the other, and make as infallible proofs that God hath given us this blessing, and that it is in him, as they do that Jesus is the Son of God, and came from him.

There is no way like to this (that I know of) to attain a strong faith and hope of eternal life which it infinitely concerns us all to make sure, and to have a well grounded persuasion of, both that we may live comfortably in the midst of all troubles; and that we may be able to overcome all temptations; and that we may be willing to die; and, when nothing else will give us the least comfort, we may lift up our heads with unspeakable joy.

For what can deject their hearts whose hope is firmly fixed in heaven? What should make them complain who have for their inheritance everlasting life? Unspeakable, unconceivable are the glories, innumerable are the good things which God hath prepared for those that love him. "As in things visible, the plants, the seeds, the flowers are so numerous that none can count them, nor is it possible to cast up the sum of all the other treasures of the earth; or, as in the sea, the wit of man cannot comprehend the creatures in it, either their number, or their kinds, or their differences, or take the measure of its waters, or of its place; or, as in the air, none can number the birds, or in the heavens tell all the stars: so it is impossible to tell or conceive the riches of Christians in the invisible world; their unmeasurable, their infinite, their incomprehensible riches. For if these creatures are so infinite and incomprehensible by man, how much more he that made and formed them all?

"And therefore it ought to fill every Christian heart with the greater joy and exultation of spirit, because the riches and in

heritance prepared for them so much surpasses all that can be uttered. And with all diligence and humility should we buckle ourselves to the Christian combat, that we may be partakers of their riches: for the inheritance and the portion of Christians is God himself. They may say, with David, The Lord is the portion of mine inheritance; my lines are fallen unto me in pleasant places: yea, I have a goodly heritage. Glory be to him who gives us himself. Glory be to him for ever who mixes his own nature with Christian soulsi.”

"O the ineffable kindness of God, who freely bestows no less than himself upon us! O the ineffable happiness of such souls, who are wholly in joy, and mirth, and peace, as so many kings, and lords, and gods! Behold here thy nobility. Christianity is no vulgar or contemptible thing. Thou art called to the dignity of a kingdom; not like that of earthly princes, whose glory and riches are corruptible and pass away, but to the kingdom of God, to riches divine and celestial, which never decay: for there blessed souls reign together with the heavenly King, and in the heavenly company....

"Since such good things therefore are set before us, such glorious promises are made us, such great good will of our Lord is manifested towards us, let us not despise his kindness, nor be slack in our motion towards eternal life; but give up ourselves entirely to the good pleasure of the Lord. And let us call upon him, that, by the power of his divinity, he would redeem us from the dark prison of dishonourable affections, and vindicating his own image and workmanship, cause it to shine most brightly, till our souls be so sound and pure, that we be made worthy of the communion of the Spirit, giving glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost for ever. Amen."

i Macarius, Hom. xxxiv. [§ 3. apud Galland. tom. vii. p. 125.]
k Idem. Hom. xxvii. [§ 4. p. 103.] et xlix. [§ 4, 5. p. 155.]

CHAP. VI.

Concerning the testimony of the Father.

WE must begin, as we did before, with the witnesses in heaven: the first of which, you know, is the Father; who spake three times from heaven by an audible voice, to testify to our Lord Jesus. And if you examine again all that he hath said, you will find both these things recorded in his words, that he hath given us eternal life, and that this life is in his Son.

I.

The first time that God the Father spake from heaven was at our Saviour's baptism; when the heavens were opened, and a voice came from thence, which said, Thou art my beloved Son, in thee I am well pleased. In which words there are two things very remarkable, which plainly testify to the truth of those two now mentioned, that life is in his Son, and that we shall partake of it.

I. That he calls Jesus his Son, and his beloved Son. Which, being spoken from heaven in such a glorious manner as the Gospel describes it, must needs signify him to be his Son in the most eminent sense, for it was never said to any angel in this sort, Thou art my Son, my beloved Son. This declared him to have the fulness of the Godhead dwelling in him bodily, to be invested with his own authority and power, and to be that Seed promised who should bless all the world: which is a thing too great for any one to do but for God himself. It was by an audible voice from heaven that the angel of the Lord called to Abraham, to tell him the Lord had sworn by himself, that in his seed all the nations of the earth should be blessed m. And so now, to show us the seed was come who should be such a great benefactor to mankind, the Lord himself speaks by a voice from heaven, declaring Jesus to be his Son, the Author of that universal bliss which he had promised. Which tells us plainly enough that life is in him, (which is one of the things that St. John affirms upon this record :) for else he would not be such a Son as he now declared him, able to bless all na

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