Doctrine.

Secondly, let it teach vs to admire.Gods Philanthropie or loue to man, in that he vouchfafed to giue his Sonne, his beloved Sonne, his onely begotten Sonne, to the death; yea, to the execrable death of the croffe, and that for his enemies. O vnspeakeable loue! O admirable mercy!

Thirdly, let it encourage vs to pray vnto the Father in the name of Chrift: What will God deny vs if we preferre our petitions in his Sonnes name? Surely nothing. Whatfoeuer ye shall aske the Father in my name,he wil giue it you: fo faith our bleffed Sauiour himselfe, John 16.23. der des athing oner

That beloved one. Whence we may note, that Christ is beloved of God after an especiallmanner. He is that beloued one. God loueth the world, and he louerh all his workes, as they are his workes : he loueth the elect Angels, and be loueth his clect amongst men. But he loueth Christ aboue all, aud that for iuft caufe. Chrift is best worthy to be beloued: first, because of his excellency, he is the brightneffe of Gods glorie, and the expreffe image of his person, Hebr.1.3.

Secondly, he is moft innocent, he neuer tranfgreffed the will of his Father at any time; he finished the worke which was given him to do, John 17.4.

Thirdly, he layd downe his life, that he might take it vp againe, therefore the Father loued him, John chap. 10.verfe 17.

Many other reasons might be alledged,to proue that Chrift is chiefly beloved of the Father, but we will not infiftorpon them. Wee will rather answer to the obiections which may be made to the contrary, too.

Some may obiect poffibly that in Ighn 17, 23, where

it is faid, that God hath loued his people with the fame loue, wherewith he hath loued Christ himselfe. I anfwere, It is meant of the same kinde of loue, but not of the fame degree.

Againe, if any fhall obiect further, that God gave his. Sonne Chrift for the redemption of the cle&t world,and therefore that hee loued the elect world better then Christ: I answere, It followeth not: For, God did not fo giue his Sonne, as vtterly to part with him; he gaue him indeede to fuffer death, but he gaue him not absolutely away.

Thirdly, if any fhall obiect, that the Father did not fo tenderly loue Chrift as this text may feeme to imply, because he suffered him to liue fo poore in the world, fo defpifedly; because he suffered him to be fo wronged, to die fuch a death, yea because he stood not by him in his afflictions, but forfooke him: I answere, We must not iudge of the loue of God, or of his hatred by these outward things. The Sunne doth not alwaies fhine to vs, but it alwaies fhines in the firmament. So the loue of God doth not alwaies appeare, but it is alwaies feruent in him.

Let this teach vs the more to admire Gods loue towards vs, in that he would give his Sonne whom he loucd fo deerely, for our redemption; yea, it must teach vs to be content to part with whatfoeuer we loue best for Gods caufe.

. Secondly, let it be matter of comfort to the children of God:For, certainly if God hath not fpared his Sonne whom he loued fo deerely, but hath given him to death for vs all, how shall he not, with him, giue vs all things allo? As the Apostlespeakes, Rom.8.32.

In

Do&rinc.

Obication,

Anfw.

Vfe.

In whom I'am well pleafed. These words imply or denote vnto vs two points. First,that God the Father is,and euer was, well pleafed with Chrift, and fecondly,in him,well pleafed with the Church. For the first point, viz. that God the Father is,and euer was well pleased with Chrift himfelfe, it is euident. First, because he is the Sonne of his loue, and can any one hate his fonne whom he loueth? Secondly, because he neuer tranfgreffed the will of his Father at any time; and what father is there, but he mun needes be well pleased with fuch a Sonne? Thirdly, it is manifeft that Christ was highly in the Fathers fauour at all times, in that the Father did fo mightily preferue him in his infancy, in that he affifted him to doe fo great workes, in that he heard him at all times, John, 11.42. and in that he graced him by an audible voice from heauen: This is my beloued Sonne in whom I am well pleased.

But here fome may poffibly obiect; Did not Gods wrath finoake against Chrift for our finnes ? Did not Chrift treade the wine-preffe of the Fathers wrath? Yea did he not cry my God my God why haft thou forfaken me, vpon the croffe? And iffo, how then is it true that Chrift was alwaies in fauour with God?oter i

I answere: Chrift endured indeede the wrath of God for finnes namely for the finnes of the Church; and thus Gods wrath did fmoake against him, and did not fpare him:but the lord was able to diftinguish betwixt Chrifts perfon and our finnes, and to expreffe his wrath against finne,but yet to be well pleafed with his Sonne

Let this teach vs not to judge of thefauour or hatred of God, meerely by outward fence. God was well plea fed with Chrift, when Chrift in the meane time endured perfecution

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as

perfecution and pouerty, afhamefull death; yea, they pangs of hell in his foule, in the Garden, and vpon the crofle. God hid his countenance from Christ, in his greatest extreamitie, and yet Chrift was in great fauour with him. And fo Ifay to poore dejected Christians, though they may be in great extremitie for a time, though God had vtterly forfaken them, yet let them not defpaire: they may be in base estate for the prefent, and yet be highly fauoured of God, with the virgin Mary, Luke 1.48.28. They may, poffibly,cry out with Chrift, my God my God, why haft thou forfaken me; and yet indeede be in great fauour with God, as we fee in this

text.

"

But to come to the second point. As God was alwaies well pleased with his Sonne; fo, in him, he is well pleafed with his Church: And the fame point is alfo implyed in thefe words; In whom I am well pleafed. For the proofe of the point, I referre the reader to that in Ephef.2.16 where it is faid, that Chrift hath reconciled both lewes and Gentiles to God, in one body, by the croffe. And to that in Coll. 1. 20 where it is faid of Chrift, that hee made peace through the blood of his croffe, and reconciled all things in heauen and earth.

Ifany fhall obiect that in Pfal. 106. 40. that Gods wrath was kindled againft his people, in fo much that he abhorred his owne inheritance, and therefore that God is, not fully reconciled to his Church, or throughly well pleafed with it.

Obiection.

I anfwere. God indeede is neuer well pleafed with Answer, finne, but he will vifite our tranfgreffions with a rod.He

is not fo mercifull but he will still appeare to be iuft. But

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let

let vs affure our felues of this, that though the Lord be difpleafed at our infirmities; yet vpon our Repentance and Faith in Christ, he is graciously well pleased with our perfons.

Let this teach vs to be thankefull for the inualuable gift of Chrift, our excellent peace-maker; had it not beene for him, the wrath of God had remained vpon vs, for euer and euer.

Secondly, Let it be matter of comfort to all them which mourne in Zion. It may be thou feeleft nothing but wrath; but be of good comfort, if thou beeft a new creature, all thy finnes are washed away in the blood of Chrift, and thou art fully reconciled to God, and God is well pleased with thee.

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Thirdly,let this teach vs to labour to get Faith,whereby we may apply this reconciliation, wrought by Christ, vnto our felues, that we may be affured in our owne confciences, that God is well pleafed with vs. I marueile how any can eate, or drinke, or lie downe in their beds with any peace, without this affurance.

In whom I am well pleafed. Before we paffe from this verse, it shall not be altogether impertinent to cleare one fcruple which may arife, viz. why the Apostle doth not relate the whole fpeech which came from heauen, but doth cut it off, as it were, in the middeft; for the fpeech compleately related is this: This is my beloved Sonne in whom I am well pleased heare ye him, Mat.17.5.now why doth the Apoftle leave out this claufe, Heare ye him? Which may feeme to be as neceffary as the former part of the speech; for, is it not as neceffary that we fhould heare Chrift as our great Prophet, as know him to be the beloved Sonne of God; or Know that

God