§. 28. 2. They readily embrace, receive,and practife every thing that the Lord Chrift hath appointed. They enquire diligently into his Mind and Will, that they may know it. They go to him for directions, and beg of him to lead them in the way they have not known. The 119 Pfalm may be a pattern for this. How doth the good holy Soul breath after inftruction in the ways and Ordinances, the Statutes and Judgments of God? This I fay they are tender in. What ever is of Christ, they wilingly fubmit unto, accept and give up themselves to the conftant practice hereof. What ever comes on any other account they refufe

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4 Chrift manifefts and evidences his love to his Saints in a way of Bounty, in that rich plentiful Provision he makes for them. It hath pleafed the Father that in him all fulnefs fhall dwell, Col. 119. and that for this end, that of his fulness we might all receive Grace for Grace, Joh. 1. 16. I fhall not infilt upon the particulars of that Provifion which Chrift makes for his Saints, with all thofe Influ- · ences of the Spirit of Life and Grace that daily they receive from him, that Bread that he gives them to the full, the refreshment they have from him: I fhall only obferve this, that the Scripture affirms him to do all things for them in an abundant manner, or to do it Richly in a way of Bounty. Whatever he gives us, his Grace to aflift us, his prefence to comfort us, he doth it abundantly. You have the General affertion of it, Rom. 5. 20. Where fin abounded, Grace did abound much more. If Grace abound much more in comparison of fin, it is abundant Grace indeed, as will eafily be granted by any that fhall confider how Sin hath abounded and doth in every Soul. Hence he is faid to be able, and we are bid to expect that he fhould do for us exceeding abundantly above what we can ask or think, Eph. 3. 20. Is it pardoning mercy we receive of him? why he doth abundantly pardon, Ifaiah 55.7. he will multifly or add to pardon, he will add pardon to pardon, that grace and mercy fhall abound above all our

fins and iniquities. Is it the Spirit he gives us? he beds him upon us richly or abundantly, Tit. 3. 6. not only bidding us drink of the waters of life freely, but also bestowing him in fuch a plentiful measure that rivers of water fhall flow from them that receive him, John 7.38,39. that they shall never thirst any more who have drank of him. Is it Grace that we receive of him? he gives that alfo in a way of bounty. We receive abundance of Grace, Rom. 5. 17. he abounds towards us in all Wisdom and Prudence, Ephef.1.18. Hence is that invitation, Cant. 5.1. If in any thing then we are ftraitned, it is in our felves, Chrift deals bounti fully with us. Indeed the great fin of Believers is, that they make not ufe of Chrift's Bounty as they ought to do; that we do not every day take of him Mercy in Abundance. The Oil never ceafeth, till the Veffels ceafe Supplies from Chrift fail not, but only when our faith fails in receiving them.

S.29. Then our return to Chrift is in a way of Duty; unto this two things are required;

1. That we follow after and practice Holiness in the power of it, as it is obedience unto Jefus Chrift; under this formality, as obedience to him. All Gofpel-Obedience is called whatsoever Christ commands us, Matth.28.20. And faith he, John 15.14. Te are my friends if ye do what I command you. and it is required of us that we live to him who died for us, 2 Cor. 5. 15. live to him in all holy obedience; live to bim as our Lord and King. Not that I fuppofe there are peculiar precepts, and a peculiar law of Jefus Chrift, in the obfervance whereof we are juftified, as the Socinians fancy; for furely the Gospel requires of us no more, but to love the Lord our God with all our hearts, and all our fouls, which the Law also required; but that the Lord Jefus having brought us into a condition of acceptance with God, wherein our obedience is pleafing to him, and we being to bonour him as we honour the father, that we have a refpect and peculiar regard to him in all our obedience, Tit. 2.14, be bath purchased us unto himself, and thus Believers in their obedi ence eye Jefus Christ.

1. As

11. As the author of their Faith and Obedience, for whose fake it is given to them to believe, Phil.1.29. and who by his Spirit works that obedience in them. So the Apostle, Hebr 12.1,2. in the course of our obedience we look to Jefus the Author of our Faith; Faith is here both the Grace of Faith, and the Fruit of it in obedience.

S.30 2. As He, in, for, and by whom we have acceptance with God in our obedience. They know all their duties are weak, imperfect, and not able to abide the prefence of God; and therefore they look to Chrift, as he who bears the iniquity of their boly things, who adds incenfe to their Prayers, gathers out all the Weeds of their Duties, and makes them acceptable to God.

3. As one that hath renewed the Commands of God unto them with mighty obligations unto obedience. So the Apostle, 2 Cor. 5. 14, 15. the love of Christ constrains us, of which afterwards.

4. They confider him as God equal with the Father, to whom all honour and obedience is due, fo Rev.5.14. But these things I have not long fince opened in another Treatife, about the Worship of Chrift as Mediator, Vindiciæ Evangel. chap. 13. This then the Saints do in all their Obedience, they have a special regard to their dear Lord Jefus. He is on all these accounts, and innumerable others, continually in their thoughts; his love to them, his life for them, his death for them, all his kindness and mercies constrains them to live to him.

S. 31. 2. By labouring to abound in fruits of holiness; as he deals with us in a way of bounty, and deals out unto us abundantly, fo he requires that we abound in all grateful, obediential returns to him; fo we are exhorted to be always abounding in the work of the Lord, I Cor. 15. 58. This is that I intend the Saints are not fatisfied with that measure ; that at any time they have attained, but are still preffing that they may be more dutiful, more fruitful to the Lord Jefus Chrift.

S. 32. And this is a little glimpse of fome of that

Com

Communion which we enjoy with Chrift. It is but a little from him, who hath the least Experience of it, of all the Saints of God: Who yet hath found that in it, which is better than Ten thousand Worlds; who defires to fpend the refidue of the few and evil Days of his Pilgrimage, in pursuit hereof, in the Contemplation of the Excellencies, Defirablenefs, Love, and Grace of our dear Lord Jesus,and in making Returns of Obedience according to his Will: To whofe Soul, in the midst of the Perplexities of, this wretched World, and curfed Rebellions of his own Heart, this is the great Relief, That he that shall come, will come, and will not tarry: The Spirit and the Bride fay come, and let him that readeth fay come; even fo come Lord Jefus.

1. Of Communion with Christ in purchased Grace: Purchased Grace confidered in respect of its rife and fountain. The first rife of it, in the Obedience of Chrift: Obedience properly afcribed to Chrift: Two ways confidered: What it was,and wherein it did confift. Of his Obedience to the Law in general Of the Law of the Mediator: His habitual Righte oufness, bow neceffary, as alfo his Obedience to the Law of the Mediator. Of his actual Obedience, or active Righteousness. All Chrift's Obedience performed as he was Mediator. His active Obedience for us. This proved at large: Gal.4. 4 5. Rom. 5. 19. Phil. 3. 19. Zech. 3. 3,4, 5. One Objection removed. Confiderations of Christ's active Righteoufnefs clofed. Of the Death of Chrift, and its Influence into our Acceptation with God: A Price: Redemption, what it is. A Sacrifice: Atonement made thereby; A Punishment Satisfaction thereby. The Interceffion of Chrift: With its Influence into our Acceptation with God.

UR Process is now to Communion with Christ, in purchafed Grace. As it was before propofed. That we may know him, and the Power of his Refurrection, and the Fellowship of his Suffering, and be made conformable to his Death, Phil. 3. 10.

By

By Purchased Grace I understand all that Righteoufnefs and Grace which Chrift hath procured or wrought out for us, or doth by any means make us partakers of, or beftows on us for our benefit, by any thing that he hath done or fuffered, or by any thing he continueth to do as Mediator.

1. What this purchased Grace is, and wherein it doth confift.

2. How we bold Communion with Chrift therein: These Two are the things that now come under Confideration.

The first may be considered two ways.

1. In refpect of the Rife and Fountain of it. 2. Of its Nature, or wherein it confifteth.

1. It hath a Threefold Rife, Spring or Caufality in

CHRIST.

1. The Obedience of his Life.

2. The Suffering of his Death. 3. His continued Intercellion.

All the Actions of Chrift as Mediator, leading to the Communication of Grace to us, may either be referred to these heads, or to fome things that are fubfervient to them, or confequents of them.

S. 2. For the Nature of this Grace wherein we have Communion with Chrift, flowing from thefe Heads and Fountains, it may be referred to these Three.

1. Grace of Juftification or Acceptation with God, which makes a relative Change in us, as a State and Condition.

2. Grace of Sanctification or Holiness before God. which makes a Real Change in us, as to Principle and Operation.

3. Grace of Priviledge, which is mixed, as we fhall Thew, if I go forth to the handling thereof.

§. 3. Now that we have Communion with Chrift in this purchased Grace, is evident on this fingle Confideration, that there is almost nothing that Chrift hath done, which

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