Sermons on John 17

Sermon VIII

By Thomas Manton

The next argument is what the Father had done in and about be­lievers; he disposed them into the hands of Christ: ' Thine they were, and thou gavest them me.' Where is

(1.) His interest in believers;

(2.) His act about believers.

First, His interest in believers: ' Thine they were.' How is this to be understood? Divers have framed divers senses; thine by creation, thine by election, thine by sanctification. The Father being first in order of the persons, all original works are proper to him; so creation is ascribed to him; so the Lord saith, Ezek. xviii. 4, ' All souls are mine.' all created by him. But this sense is not so proper to this place, because those for whom Christ prayed not might plead this interest; so Satan is God's, the wicked and all creatures are God's. By election; thine by free election, mine by special donation: 1 Peter ii. 5, ' Ye are a chosen generation, a peculiar people.' The first and highest act of grace is ascribed to him; they are his chosen and pecu­liar ones. These were eternally his, and by the continuation of the name purpose of grace they are always his. This is proper to this place; only sanctification may be included, which is, as it were, an actual election. As by original election the heirs of salvation are dis­tinguished from others in God's purpose and counsel, so by actual [Pg. 204] election they are visibly distinguished and set apart from others; so ' Thine they were,' by an excitement of thy Spirit and grace stirred up to follow me, and chose me in this special way of service. Sanctification is also ascribed to the Father: John vi. 44, ' No man 'can come unto me except the Father that hath sent me draw him;' and Jude 1, ' To them that are sanctified by God the Father.' The first effect of saving grace is ascribed to him, as the first rise of grace is from his love. I prefer the middle sense, and do only take in the latter as the effect: 4 Thine they were;' they were chosen by the purposes of thy grace, and called, which is the effect of that grace passing upon their hearts.

From hence—

1. Observe that Christ pleadeth interest as an argument in prayer. It is meet, when we come to pray to God, that we can say, We are his. This way would Christ endear his own disciples to the Father's respect and grace: Ps. cxix. 44, ' I am thine; save me.' The great work of Christians should be to discern their interest, that they may come to God with some confidence. Though yon cannot say, I am thine, with respect to the purposes of his grace; yet at least you should say, I am thine, in your own dedication and choice. Si noetra tueri nan wltisr et tomes vestra defendetis. Many a trembling Christian dareth not say, He is mine; but he is resolved to say, I am his; that is the fitter argument with God. With our own souls, in our own straits, plead, He is mine: Ps. xlii. 11, ' Why art thou cast down, ? my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? Hope thou in God, for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God.' But in prayer plead, I am his; though you cannot plead his choice, plead your own resignation. Consider, it is a forcible argu­ment. Every one will provide for his own: ' He is worse than an infidel who will not provide for his own, especially those of his own household.' It is a comfortable argument When we cannot speak of our works, we may speak of our interest: Lord, I am a sinner; but I am thine: I am a poor wretch; but I am one that would not be his own, unless I am thine. Oh! but says the poor soul, if I could say that I am thine, one that belongeth to the purposes of thy grace, there were some comfort am. It is sweet, when we can say mutually,' I am my beloved's, and my beloved is mine.' But are you not willing to· choose him, though you cannot say he hath chosen you? The choice of our portion discovereth our interest Canst thou in truth of heart say? Lord, ' I have none in heaven but thee, none upon earth that I desire in comparison of thee,' Ps. lxxiii. 25. If you can, in the sin­cerity of your hearts, call God to witness this, it is sweet Though thou canst not apply Christ, canst thou resign thyself? Then we have the fruit of election, though we have not the sense of it God certainly hath chosen us when, by the work of his grace, he maketh us choose him. Fallen man is not dainty in his choice, till a work of grace passeth upon him; he turneth from the creator to the creature; he saith to the world, Would to God thou wert mine I to riches, honours, pomp, Would thou wert minet 'Happy is the people that are in such a case.' It is grace turneth us from the creature back again to God; God is our portion, because we are his; God cannot refuse that heart which he hath thus drawn to himself.

2. Observe again, that none are given to Christ but those that were first the Father's: 'Thine they were;' he had chosen them in the purposes of his grace, and disposed them into Christ's hands. Thine toy election, mine by special donation. The acts of the three persons are commensurable, of the same sphere and latitude; those whom the Father chooseth, the Son redeemeth, and the Spirit sanctifieth. The Father loveth none but those that are given to Christ, and Christ taketh charge of none but those that are loved of the Father. Tour election will be known by your interest in Christ, and your interest in Christ by the sanctification of the Spirit All God's flock are put into Christ's hands, and Christ leaveth them to the care of the Spirit, that they may be enlightened and sanctified. In looking after the comfort of election, you must first look inward to the work of the Spirit on your heart, then outward to the work of Christ on the cross, then upward to the heart of the Father in heaven: 1 Peter i. 2, 'Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience, and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ There is a chain of salvation; the beginning is from the Father, the dispensation through the Son, the application by the Spirit; all cometh from God, and is conveyed to us through Christ, by the Spirit

Secondly, The Father's act about believers: 'Thou gavest me them.'

How are they given to Christ? Things are given to Christ two ways—by way of reward, or by way of charge.

1. By way of reward. So all nations are given to him by way of reward: Fa, ii. 8, 'Ask of me, and I will give thee the heathen for thy inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession.' He is Lord of all, Acts x. 36, even of the devils. All flesh are thus given to him, to be ruled by him. This donation is very large, and compriseth elect and reprobates. All nations are Christ's heritage in this sense, as well as the church. All power in heaven and in earth is given to him, to dispose of elect and reprobates according to .his own pleasure. Only in this giving by way of reward there is a difference; some are given to Christ at large, to be disposed of according to his pleasure; others are given to him for some special ministry and service, as hypocrites in the church; and so Judas was given to him, as Christ saith, ver. 9, Of them which thou hast given me, I have lost none but the son of perdition.' Again, others are given to him by way of special and peculiar interest, to be members of his body, subjects of his kingdom,

2. By way of charge. This again is proper to the elect, who are re­deemed, justified, sanctified, glorified. The elect are made over to {Jurist, not by way of alienation, but oppignoration; none of them who -are given to Christ by way of charge can miscarry: John vi. 37, ' All that the Father giveth me, shall come to me; and he that cometh to of Jehoshaphat, I would not look to thee, nor see thee,' 2 Kings iii. 14. Go to the Son, reflect upon Christ's merit and intercession; say, Lord, appear for us before thy Father; were it not for thee he would not regard my face. The Son will send you to the Spirit: I cannot bring you to God in your impurity and rebellion; go to the Spirit of my Father, that he may wash you, and purge yon. Plead the promise of the Spirit: John xvi. 13,14,' Howbeit, when he that is the Spirit of truth shall come, he will guide you into all truth; for he shall not speak of himself: but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak, and he will show you things to come. He shall glorify me, for he shall receive of mine, and snail show it to you.' When we come to the Spirit, he will send us to Moses and the prophets; hear them. The word is ' the rod of his strength.' By the word we are gained, by the sacraments we take an oath of allegiance, in prayer we perform our homages, in alms and acts of charity we pay him tribute; praise and honour are the revenues of this crown.

Thus I have showed the title, the largeness of the grant, and the manner of administration.

2. We are given to Christ as scholars in his school. He is the great prophet, and doctor of the church. Certainly Christ loveth the honour of this chair; he counteth it an honour to be our prophet. It is his title, Acts iii. 22,' A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up to you from among your brethren.' Christ he came out of the bosom of God, to show his mind and heart; he is called ' the apostle and high priest of our profession,' Heb. iii. 1. Christ taketh the titles of his own officers. Though he be Lord of the church, yet he is an apostle. He counteth it an honour to be a preacher of the gospel, God ß legate a latere, the Son of God is first on the roll of gospel preachers. He laid the foundation of the gospel when on earth; he teacheth now he is in heaven; others teach for him. Christ counts it his liberty to teach; he is to be a light to the Gentiles. He doth not teach the ear, but the heart; he is still to nurture us, and bring us up. He is an excellent teacher; he doth not only set us our lesson, but giveth us a heart to learn. The scripture is our book, but Christ is our master, and we shall see wondrous things if he doth but open our eyes.

3. We are to be children of his family. A master is not so careful as a parent This was the thing propounded to allure Christ to the work of redemption: lea. liii. 10,' He shall see his seed;' he shall have a numberless issue and progeny. Though all are Benonis, sons of sorrow, and Christ died in the birth, yet this was his privilege,' He shall see his seed.' Jesus Christ hath a great family, take it altogether: Rev. vi 9,' A great company which none could number, redeemed out of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues.' Christ is wonderfully pleased with the fruitfulness of his death. It is his great triumph at the last day, Heb. ii. 13,' Behold I and the children which God hath given me.' It is a goodly sight when Christ shall rejoice in the midst of them, and go with this glorious train to the throne of the Father. Jesus Christ is our brother and our father: by regene­ration and the merit of the cross, our father; but in the possession of heaven, our brother. We are co-heirs with him.

4. We are given to him as the wife of his bosom. As a father giveth the daughter whom he hath begot to another for a spouse and wife, so doth God give his elect to Christ Indeed, Christ hath bought her at his Father's hands; other wives bring a dowry, but Christ was to buy his spouse. As Saul gave his daughter to David, but first he was to kill Goliath, and to bring the foreskins of a hundred Philistines, 1 Sam. xvii. 25, and xviii. 25; so God gave Christ the church for a spouse, to be redeemed by his blood; the infernal Goliath was to be slain. Eve was taken from Adam when he lay asleep; so when Christ was a-dying, the church was, as it were, taken out of his side. He was willing to die that his spouse might live. Christ left his Father at his incarnation, his mother at his passion, to make the church his spouse, as a man leaveth father and mother, and cleaveth to his wife. This honour Christ getteth by the power of his Spirit; it costs him long wooing. David had bought Michal with the danger of his life, yet he was fain to take her away from Phaltiel, 2 Sam. iii. 13, Ac. The devil hath gotten Christ's spouse into his hands; Christ by his Spirit is to rescue her, and oblige her to loyalty. Hereafter is the great day of espousals, the bride's, and the Lamb's hope Christ's honour as well as our comfort is but incomplete now: 'Then he shall present the church to himself, a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle, or any such thing, but that it should be holy, and without blemish,' Eph. v. 27. Christ is now decking her against that time. We are to accomplish the months of our purification; odours and garments are to be brought out of the king's treasury, Esther ii. 12.

5. We are to be members of his body. Next to that of the Son of God, there cannot be a greater title than Head of the church. Poor creatures! that Christ will take us into his own mystical body, to quicken us, enliven us, and guide us by his grace t If he were a head to all things, that had been somewhat: Col. ii. 11, 'He is the head of all principality and power.' But he is their head for the church's sake: ' And gave him to be the head over all things to the church,' Eph. i 22, over them to us; He counteth himself not perfect without us, ' Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all;' that we should be called the fulness of Christ I He esteemeth himself as maimed and imperfect without us. He treateth his mysti­cal body with the same respect as his natural; that was raised, ascended, glorified; so shall we. For the present he is grieved in our miseries, as well as we exalted in his glory, and so he communicates to us and with us.

Use 1. Admire the love of God in this donation.

1. Of God the Father, that he should bestow us upon his own Son. As Christ pleadeth it to the Father, so should we plead it to ourselves: we were God's, and he gave us to Christ Electing love is the sweet­est; others were his as well as you: Ps. xxxvi. 7, ' How excellent is thy loving-kindness, O God!' That God should cast a look on you!

2. Of God the Son, that he should take us as a gift from the Father, and as a reward of all his services. Nothing could be more welcome than the tender of souls. Consider, nothing could be a 2. Of God the Son, that he should take us as a gift from the Father, and as a reward of all his services. Nothing could be more welcome than the tender of souls. Consider, nothing could be added to the greatness of him who was equal with the Father; the privileges me, 1 will in no wise cast out; and ver. 39, ' This is the will of him that sent me, that of all which he hath given me, I should lose none, but should raise it up again at the last day;' and John x. 28, 29, ' I give unto them eternal life, and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand.' There is Christ's faithfulness and the Father's power engaged, therefore this must needs be proper to the elect.

Now, because both these ways are proper to the elect, that I observe is, that the Father's elect are given and committed to the Son, as his purchase and charge.

First, They are given to him by way of reward. Christ, by virtue of bis purchase, hath many relations to believers: they are given to him as subjects of his kingdom, as scholars of his school, as children of his family, as the spouse of his bosom, as the members of his body. AH these relations I shall insist upon; for this was the honour that was granted to Christ upon his obedience. It was much that Christ; would be our king, more that he would be our master, more that he would be our father, more that he would be our husband, and yet further that he would be our head: he counted it an honour, and bought it at a dear rate.

1. We are given to him to be subjects of his kingdom. Christ is Lord of all the world, but he prizeth no title like that of king of saints, Rev. xv. 3, to rule as Lord in the church; no throne like the conscience of a humbled sinner. The heart is Christ's best presence-chamber; be loveth to have his chair of state set there. He had an eternal right together with the Father and the Holy Ghost, but he would come and suffer and be crowned with a crown of thorns that he might have a new right as mediator, and have the crown of glory put upon his head in the church: Acts v. 31, ' Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a prince and a saviour.' The Father promised it long before upon bargain and contract. There is never a subject that Christ hath but is bought, and with the dearest price, his sovereign's own blood: Mat xx. 28, ' He gave himself, vrpov a?t? p?????, a ransom for many.' Many subjects die in other kingdoms that the prince may be seated in the throne; but here the prince dieth for the subjects, that he may govern his spiritual realm with more peace-and quietness. As the price was great, so the Father hath made him a large grant.

[1.] Christ's empire is universal, and spread throughout the world. He properly is the catholic king; there are no bounds and limits of his empire: Isa. liii. 12, ' Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong.' Some of all nations are given to him: lea. xlix. 12, ' Behold, these shall come from far; and lo, these from the north, and from the west, and these from the land of Sinim,' north, west, south, Jews and Gentiles. The-Jews, that are now his enemies, shall appoint to themselves a head; as the tribes flocked to Hebron to crown David: Hosea i. 11, ' Then shall the children of Judah and the children of Israel be gathered together, and appoint themselves one head, and they shall come up out of the land.' There is no king like Christ for largeness of command and territory. All monarchs have certain bounds and limits by which their empire is terminated; Christ's empire runneth throughout the whole circuit of nature; he hath a multitude of subjects.

[2.] Christ's empire is eternal: ' Of the increase of his government there shall be no end,' Isa. ix. 7. Kings must die, and then their favourites may be counted offenders. So Bathsheba said to David (who yet was a type of the reign of Christ), 1 Kings i. 21,' When my lord the king shall sleep with his fathers, I and my son Solomon shall be counted offenders.' But Christ liveth and reigneth for ever­more. But you will pay, Christ doth not reign for ever, but' till he hath put all enemies under his feet, when he shall resign up the kingdom to the Father,' 1 Cor. xv. 24. I answer—In kingly dignity there are two things,regia cur a and regius honor—kingly care and kingly honour. Kingly care, by which he ordereth and defendeth his subjects; and kingly honour, which he receiveth from his subjects. Certainly Christ shall be king for ever and ever: Luke i. 33, ' And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever, and of his kingdom there shall be no end;' because he shall always be honoured and adored as king and mediator. He shall resign the kingdom, that is, that way of administration; for when the elect are fully converted and, sanctified, and their enemies destroyed, there will be no need of this care. Now thus we are given to Christ, that he might be a king universally and eternally. He ruleth us by a sweet covenant, he might rule us by power. Other kings find subjects, he maketh them. He might rule us, for he bought us, he hath an absolute right over us. As there was a covenant between the Father and Christ, so between Christ and the church. He propoundeth no less than a kingdom: Isa. x. 8,' Are not my princes altogether kings?' Christ's title is by purchase, conquest, and consent All Christ's subjects were vessels of wrath, vessels of hell, in their natural estate; he recovered us from the devil by power and conquest, he bought us out of his Father's hands by merit and price.

In short, concerning this kingdom, which belongeth to the second person, the Father appoints it, the Son merits it, the Holy Ghost as Christ's viceroy governs it. The Father chooseth a certain number of men, giveth them to Christ; the Son dieth for these men, ransomed them from the grave and hell, and committeth them to be ruled and governed to the Spirit, as Christ's vicar; the Spirit useth the ministry of men, we are the Holy Ghost's overseers, Acts xx. 28, by which grace is wrought, and so we are united to Christ. Our work by the power of the Spirit is to bring them to Christ, and Christ bringeth us to God the Father by his intercession and by final tradition, which is the last act of Christ's mediatory kingdom: 1 Cor. xv. 24,' Then shall he deliver up the kingdom to the Father.' God giveth us to Christ, Christ to the Spirit, the Spirit uniteth us to Christ, and Christ bringeth us to God. So that if we would enter into this kingdom, we must go to God the Father, confess thou art a traitor and rebel, desire him not to enter into judgment with thee, but seek to be reconciled. If thou thus comest to the Father, he will send thee to the Son; as Job xlii. 8, God biddeth the friends of Job to seek his intercession: I will not be pleased with you but in Christ: ' If I did not regard the presence thy will, 0 my God: yea, thy law is within my heart;' Pa. ii. 8, ' Ask of me, and I will give thee the heathen for thy inheritance, and the utmost parts of the earth for thy possession;' Pa. ex. 1,' The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool.' The Father came to Christ, and did, as it were, say to him, Son, I am loath that all mankind should be lost, and left under condemnation; there are some whom I have chosen to be vessels and receptacles of my mercy and goodness; and because I am resolved that my justice shall be no loser, you must take a body and die for them, and afterward you must see that they be converted to grace, justified, sanctified, guided to glory, and that not one of them should miscarry; for I will take an account of you at the last day. It is easy to prove all these things out of scripture. That there are a certain definite number, see 2 Tim. ii. 19,' The foundation of the Lord standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth those that are his.' There is no lottery nor uncertainty in the divine decrees; the number is stated, sealed; none can add to it, or detract any one person that Christ received a command to lay down his life for: John x. 18, ' This commandment have I received of my Father;' for them I lay down my life, viz., for my sheep. That Christ is to see them converted to grace: John vi. 37,' All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out' And without miscarrying, guided to glory: John x. 28, 29,' I give unto them eternal life, and they shall never perish, neither shall any pluck them out of my hand. My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and none is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand.' That Christ is to give an account of bodies and souls: John vi 39, ' And this is the Father's will that hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me, I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day.' Which accordingly he doth: Heb. iL 13, ' Behold, I and the children which God hath given me.'

[2.] What Christ undertook. The whole proposal of the Father: Pe. xt 8,' Lo, I come to do thy will, 0 God.' Christ consented to all the articles of the eternal covenant; not only to take a body to die, but to take a particular charge of all the elect; as Judah interposed for Benjamin, so doth Christ for the souls committed to him: Gen. xliii. 9,' I will be surety for him; of my hand shalt thou require him: if I bring him not to thee, and set him safe in thy presence, let me bear the blame for ever.' So doth Christ say concerning all the per­sons that fall under his charge. If I do not see them converted, jus­tified, sanctified, conducted to glory, count me an unfaithful undertaker, and let me bear the blame for ever.

3. The ground of this charge, why the Father doth not save them by his own power, but committed them to the Son? I answer—

[l.] Partly in majesty; God would not pass out grace but by a mediator; and therefore, when he was resolved that he would not lose the whole race of mankind, but repair his image in some of them, and had selected whom he pleased out of the mass, yet in majesty he would not immediately communicate grace to them but by Christ. There is a difference between man in innocency and man fallen. Man in innocency had immediate communion with God; God was present with, his image: but now man fallen needeth a mediator; our approaches to God are unhallowed, his presence to us is dreadful: 1 Cor. i. 30, ' Of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made to us wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption.' The heathens were sensible of the necessity of intermediate powers (it is strange, you will say), or else what shall we make of that, 1 Cor. viii. 5,6,' For though there be that are called gods, whether in heaven or in earth (as there be gods many, and lords many): but unto us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him.'

[2.] In justice. Though God were resolved to show mercy to the fallen creature, yet he would carry on his act of grace in such a way that justice might be satisfied for sin: Rom. iii. 25, 26, ' Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation, through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God. To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness; that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.' Therefore, for satisfaction of his justice, he sent his Son into the world, that, taking our nature on him, he might therein suffer for our offences, and mediate a peace between God and fallen man; and that not by bare entreaty, but by satisfaction; therefore we are given to Christ. I confess it is hard to say that God by any necessity of nature required this satisfaction; the exercise of his justice is free, and falleth under no laws; but it was most convenient to preserve a due sense and apprehension of the Godhead.

[3.] In love and mercy. God was resolved that the heirs of salva­tion should infallibly be conducted to everlasting life; he would not be defeated of his purpose, and therefore would have them quickened by virtue of that power and life that was given to Christ. God would now deal with us upon sure terms, and take order sufficient for attain­ing his end, and therefore he would not trust us with any but his own eternal Son, that nothing might be wanting. There is not only a command laid upon us, but a command and a charge laid upon Christ. Christ is a good depository; of such care and faithfulness, that he will not neglect his Father's pledge; of such strength and ability, that nothing is able to wrest it out of his hands; of such love, that no work can be more willing to him; he loveth us far better than we do our­selves, or else he had never come from heaven for our sakes; of such watchfulness and care, that' his eyes do always run to and fro through­out the earth, that he may show himself strong in the behalf of them that trust in him.' Providence is full of eyes, as well as strong of hand. Were we our own keepers we should soon perish; but Christ is charged, who is a loving, faithful, able keeper, who is resolved to preserve us safe, till he doth at the last day present us to the Father.

Use. 1. It informeth us of two things:—

1. Of the certainty of the elect's salvation. If the elect should not be saved, Christ should neither do his work nor receive his wages. How can they miscarry that are Christ's own charge? He hath such power that' none can pluck them out of his hands,' John x. 28. He had need of a stronger arm than Christ that must do it When you can pluck him out of the throne then he may lose his flock. He hath of the incarnation were hut as so many milder humiliations; but his main reason was to gain an interest in souls: nothing else could bring Christ out of heaven into the manger, the wilderness, the cross, the grave. What was his reward for all his expense of blood and sweat? He came from heaven, took our nature, shed hia blood; Christ is very thirsty of an interest in souls: Isa. liii. 11,' He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied.' This is enough; I do not begrudge my pains, my temptations, my agonies. A woman safely delivered after sore and sharp labour, forgetteth all her past sorrow for joy of the birth. Christ longed till his incarnation, feasted himself with the thoughts of his free grace: Prov. viii. 31,' Rejoicing in the habitable parts of his earth, and my delights were with the sons of men.' After­wards he longed for his passion: Luke xii. 50,' I have a baptism to be baptized with, and p?? s?????µa?, how am I straitened till it be accomplished I' His delight was with the sons of men.

3. Bless the Spirit for his attesting, witnessing, working the comfort of all this in all our souls. We have the Father in heaven, the Son on the cross, the Spirit in our hearts. We are given to Christ, but Christ is given to us by the Spirit; our interest is wrought and applied by the Holy Ghost. It is the Spirit of the Father, the Spirit of the Lord Jesus Christy who is his executor; he is to see Christ's will accomplished; he is Christ's vicar in his kingly and prophetical office.

Use 2. Let us consecrate and give up ourselves to Christ Walk as his: 1 Cor. iii. 23, 'Ye are Christ's, and Christ is God's I' Look for all from him, by dependence on him; be whatever you are to him, to his glory. You are given up to him, you are not at your own dis­pose; neither tongue, nor heart, nor estate is thine; God gave it, and if thou art a Christian, thou hast given up thyself to him.