CHAPTER II: Some observations premised. To the Father the reconciliation is made, and to him th
'I have written unto you, fathers, because ye have known him that is from the beginning. I have written unto you, young men, because ye are strong, and the word of God abideth in you, and ye have overcome the wicked one.' The apostle speaks with some allusion to what is the glory of old men, and so suitably of old men in Christ.
They use to boast of knowing things that are of antiquity and of elder years, as having fallen under their observation, as it is the property of young men to boast of their strength and vigour: Prov. 20:29, 'The glory of young men is their strength, and the beauty of old men is the grey head,' i. e., their wisdom; which lies in their grey heads, and which ariseth from their having the prospect of former times. John, therefore, correspondetly commends strong men, grown up in Christianity, for their strength, as the peculiar excellency of that age in Christ. 'You are strong' (says he), 'and have overcome the wicked one.' But he commends fathers in Christ for their knowledge in things most ancient; and because the story of him that was from the beginning is the ancientest of all other that ever was, it is therefore made their excellency to know it, and is commended to their study; and the knowledge of the eternal transactions of God the Father for man's salvation is the highest of their attainments.
CHAPTER II
Some observations premised.—That it is to the Father the reconciliation is made, and to him the affair is chiefly attributed.
Ere I come to the particulars of these transactions between God the Father and the Son for our salvation, I will premise some general observations out of the text, which shall make way for what follows.
The great business of reconciliation (as I said) is both the subject of the gospel and of this text, which tells us of those two great persons by whom this great business was transacted, and brought to such a pass, as men may come to be reconciled, and friends with God again; and what they are, that is, God the Father, the party wronged and
injured, and Christ the means of reconciliation, the umpire and mediator between both: 'God was in Christ reconciling the world.'
By God is therefore meant a distinct person from Christ; for in the former words it is said, that 'he hath reconciled all things to himself by Christ.' And that person is the Father, as other scriptures tell us.
Obs. 1. That the Father is the person to whom reconciliation is made.
Not but that it is made to the rest also. But, First, Because he being the first person, the suit against us runs in his name especially, though it be the quarrel of all the rest of the persons, and the injury done against all the rest. Thus in colleges, and such common societies, their suits against others are commenced in some one's name, as the master's or the like, whose name is used for the whole; and so this common quarrel and suit of trespass, which the whole Trinity hath against us, is commenced in God the Father's name for all the rest; and therefore Christ is said to be an 'advocate with the Father,' 1 John 2:1, as the party betrusted to take the atonement, and make an end of the quarrel in the name of all the rest. And, Secondly, Because as creation is attributed to the Father especially, so the covenant of works, the law, the covenant we were created under, being a covenant made especially with the Father in the name of the rest, therefore sin, which was the transgression of that covenant, is said to be, as it were, especially against him; for in the dispensation of that covenant he ruled immediately. And as the sins against the second covenant are said to be in a more especial manner against Christ and the Holy Ghost, so those against the first, which occasioned the performance of reconciliation, are said to be against the Father. Because therefore the transgressions of the first testament, as they are called, Heb. 9:15, are especially said to be committed against him, therefore he takes upon him as the person especially aggrieved, and so the reconciliation is said to be made to him.
Thirdly, And further, because the other two persons have other distinct offices in the work of reconciliation. The Son he is to transact the part of a mediator, as the person by whom reconciliation is to be performed; and the Holy Ghost, he is to make report of that peace and atonement made, and shed abroad the love of both. Rom. 5:5,
'And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost, which is given unto us.' He speaks of God's love in reconciling us: ver. 8, 9, 10, 'But God commendeth his love towards us, in that, while we were yet sinners,
Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son: much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.' Therefore, the Father he bears (if any such part) the part of him that receives into favour, and to whom we are to be reconciled.
To illustrate this, we are in the same sense and respect said to be reconciled to the Father, in which we are taught especially to pray to the Father, 'Our Father,' &c. For the Son and the Spirit do bear other parts in our prayers: the Son, he is the master of requests, the intercessor, in whose name therefore our prayers are to be made. The Holy Ghost, he is the inditer of our prayers, and helper of our infirmities; Rom. 8:26, 27, 'Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought; but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God.' Therefore the Father, he is expressed as the party we pray unto; and thus it is in like manner in the business of reconciliation. It is the Father to whom it is and was to be made, and therefore by him to be first promoted and set on work.
Obs. 2. Observe in the second place, that as he is made the special person to whom the reconciliation is made, so the whole business is in an especial manner attributed to him.
Though it be done and performed wholly by Christ as the mediator, yet the Father is he who sets all on work, and is said to reconcile by Christ to himself. It is not only that Christ hath been about reconciling us to him, but that he hath been a-reconciling us to himself, and that in Christ, as having the first, and chief, and main hand in the work, as well as being the person to whom reconciliation is made.
God the Father was not as other parties injured, that use to carry themselves as mere passives in an agreement when it is to be wrought; who, though they are at length brought to it, yet they will not seem to condescend to have any hand in it, or to be the first movers or the seekers of it. But God the Father carried himself otherwise in the reconciling of us; he is active in it, he moves it and sets it on foot, and useth his interest in his Son for the effecting of it.
In general he is said especially to do two things.
First, He it is that draws the platform of all the works that the other two persons do put their hand to effect. Christ says, that he himself doth nothing but what he sees the Father first do; John 5:19, 'Then answered Jesus, and said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you,
The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do: for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise.'
So that he, the Father, is the great plotter and contriver, that draws the draught; for it is added, he shews all to the Son: ver. 20, 'For the Father loveth the Son, and sheweth him all things that himself doeth: and he will shew him greater works than these, that ye may marvel.'
As David the father drew, and gave Solomon the son, the pattern of the temple which he was to build, so God gave Christ the platform of reconciliation, of the temple his church, when he would have it built.
The platform is especially attributed to him, the effecting of it to the Son; and therefore Christ calls them the works which the Father hath given him to finish: John 5:36, 'But I have greater witness than that of John: for the works which the Father hath given me to finish, the same works that I do, bear witness of me, that the Father hath sent me.'
And, secondly, he not only draws the platform of them, how he would have them done, but the first purpose and resolution to have them done, that is attributed to him also. Therefore Christ resolves all into his Father's will; 'Even so, Father: it seemed good in thy sight,' Mat. 11:26. And so this mystery and draft of reconciliation is called the 'mystery of his will;' Eph. 1:9, 'Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure, which he hath purposed in himself.' The mystery, because he draws the plat; and of his will, because he resolves thus and thus to have it done; who is said, ver. 11, 'to work all things according to the counsel of his will.'
His counsel draws the draught, and his will resolves thus to have it done; and all this is there especially attributed to the Father.
Obs. 3. That he is not only made to have the first hand in it, but a universal hand in it also. 'All things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself.' And all things in the business of salvation and reconciliation are from him; that, as it is said of Christ in the matter of creation, that 'all things were made by him; and without him nothing was made,' &c., John 1:3, so Christ says, that he 'can do nothing, but what the Father first doeth,' John 5:19.
So as we find, that all in the matter of reconciliation is attributed both to Christ, and also to God the Father, which makes it indeed a great mystery, that all should be attributed to both; so that we are beholden to both for all.
Christ is said to be 'all in all' unto us, Col. 3:11; and yet all that he is to us, he is to us of the Father. 1 Cor. 1:30, 'But of him are ye in Christ
Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption.'
As, first, all blessings and benefits we have by Christ are of the Father, as the first donor and giver, though by Christ; as Paul blesseth him for blessing us with all spiritual blessings in Christ:
Eph. 1:3, 'Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in
Christ.' Christ is indeed wisdom and righteousness, which contains all that our needs require. But who made him all these? He is not any of these, not the least of these, but as the Father hath made him unto us wisdom, &c. 1 Cor. 1:30, 'Who is made to us of God,' &c. So as all is to be attributed as much to him as to Christ.
Yea, all we have, and all we are in Christ, is said to be of him; 'Of him ye are in Christ Jesus,' in the same place. We are indeed in Christ, but yet of God in Christ. He gives all the being we have in Christ, all our subsistence in him, to which those blessings belong, that we are first in Christ, and then have all blessings in him. He attributes all this to be of the Father.
Now how all this is to be attributed to both, St Paul hath elsewhere taught us, using this very distinction, 1 Cor. 8:6, 'The Father, of whom are all things, and we in him; and one Lord Jesus Christ,' as mediator, 'by whom are all things, and we by him.' By and of puts the distinction, which we have observed.
Yea, and thirdly, Jesus Christ as mediator, is all and wholly of him the Father, and by his appointment. Whatsoever he is or hath as mediator, is ordained to him by the Father. Therefore Christ is said to be his king: Ps. 2:6, 'Yet have I set my King upon my holy hill of Zion.' And Christ is called his servant too: Isa. 42:1, 'Behold my servant, whom I uphold; mine elect, in whom my soul delighteth: I have put my Spirit upon him; he shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles.' And it is said also, that God the Father appointed him a priest: Heb. 3:1, 2, 'Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus: who was faithful to him that appointed him, as also Moses was faithful in all his house.' And it was God the Father who raised him up as a prophet: Deut. 18:15, 'The Lord thy God will raise up unto thee a prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me; unto him ye shall hearken.' And therefore, too, Christ is styled an heir of his appointment: Heb. 1:2, 'Hath in these last days
spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds.'
Yea, fourthly, whatever Christ did for us, in doing or suffering, it was what his Father appointed him. All that he was to do, Luke 2:49, and all he was to suffer, Acts 2:23, it was his Father's cup, and he mingled it.
Yea, fifthly, all the glory he hath as mediator, the Father is said to give him, John 17:22. And though it be no robbery for him to be equal with God, yet that great name he hath, God is said to have given him. Philip. 2:6–11, 'Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God; but made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: and being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth: and that every tongue should confess that Jesus
Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.'
And the reason of all this is that which is given there, even 'the glory of the Father.' The end of Christ's great name, and all that honour we are to attribute to him is, 'to the glory of God the Father,' ver. 11.
Though Christ hath a name above every name, which we are to magnify and adore, yet all this his name is to the glory of the Father, who hath the revenue of all. And therefore when the Lord Jesus
Christ gives up his dispensatory kingdom to his Father, as mediator, God shall be 'all in all:' 1 Cor. 15:28, 'And when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subdued unto him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all.' Why?
Because all was originally from him, therefore all shall end in him, and he shall be all in all.