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 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"— He accounts them his most inestimable treasure1__ Our guardian and protector is infinitely wise [He knows what trials we stand in need of He can suit all the circumstances of them to our necessitiesHe can overrule them for our eternal benefit-] He is possessed of almighty power? [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? 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— [He has promised seasonable protection and strength'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 prosperity But God alone can comfort us in adversity At the hour of death we shall all need divine support— 2. How happy would Christians be if they rightly enjoyed their privileges! [It is their privilege to be "without carefulness"——— If they trusted in God as they ought, nothing could disturb themb Hence that exhortation to joy in God— Let the afflicted saints then commit themselves to him— Let them know that duty is theirs, but events are hisLet them, in the face of all difficulties, adopt the words of Joshua Let them, with Hezekiah, repose themselves on God—] y Job xxxv. 10. z Job xxii. 21. a 1 Cor. vii. 32. d Mic. v. 4. f 2 Chron. xxxii. 7, 8. 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 subject 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 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 mankindBut it is peculiar to Christ and his people to manifest the divine power in conflicts with their enemiesChrist had this glory given him [He had innumerable enemies, both men and devils" But he conquered sin, Satan, death, and hell This he did through the support and influence of his Father-] This glory has Christ given us [His people are in a state of warfared_ But the very weakest of them, triumph at last through Christe 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 compassionIn so doing he displayed the Father's perfectionsh 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". III. The glory of being sons of God The angels are sometimes called sons of God nature He is emphatically called by the apostle "God's dear Son"] The same honour has Christ conferred on us [Every believer is brought into this relation to God" This astonishing mercy may well excite wonder and admi rationo It is bestowed on the believer by Christ himself—] IV. The glory of being united to God The Scriptures often speak of the union that subsists, between Christ and the Father one [Our Lord himself affirmed that he and the Father were St. Paul declares that all the fullness of the Godhead dwelt in Christ 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 vinet 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 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 k Phil. iv. 13. 2 Cor. 18. John x. 30. John xv. 1. 1 Heb. i. 5. John xvii. 21. m Col. i. 13. [All power in heaven and in earth is committed to himHe is exalted far above all principalities and powers2It 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 They will sit with Christ as assessors in judgment over men and devils They have a kingdom appointed to them even nowa——— They will be formally invested with it at the last dayThey will receive it as a special grant from Christ himselfe INFER 1. What an exalted character is the true Christian! [Christians are despised by the unbelieving worldBut 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-] b Ps. xlix. 14. Rev. ii. 26, 27. Ps. cxlix. 7—9, a Isai. xiv. 23. e Rev. iii. 21. 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 have I 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 |