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Observe here, Our blessed Saviour's wonderful mildness and goodness towards his disciples; he doth not with passion, much less with indignation, reprehend them, either for their ambition or presumption, but makes the best of their answer, and encourages their good intentions; he tells them, they should have the honour to share with him in his sufferings, to pledge him in his own cup, and after a conformity to him in his sufferings, they might expect to be sharers with him in his glory.
Yet observe, That when Christ says, That to sit at his right hand, was not his to give; he means, as he was man, or as he was mediator; for elslewhere, as God, we find him asserting his power to dispose at the kingdom of heaven; I give unto them eternal life Joh_10:28
However, the Arians of old, and Socinians of late, do from this text infer, that God the Father has a power reserved to himself, which he hath not committed to Christ his Son; from whence they would conclude, that he is not the same God which the Father is, because he hath not the same power which the Father has.
Answer, But if Christ be here supposed to deny his power to himself, he must then manifestly contradict himself, when he says, I appoint to you a kingdom, and All power in heaven and earth is given to me. When Christ therefore saith, he could only give this to them for whom it was appointed of his Father; this doth not signify any defect in his power, but a perfect conformity to his Father's will, and that he could not do this, unless the divine essence and nature abided in him. This the words rather shew, than that there is any want of power in Christ.