3. Grace of privileges with, and before God.

1. Of acceptation with God; out of Christ, we are in a state of alienation from God: accepted neither in our perfons, nor our fervices. Sin makes a feparation between God and us: that state, with all its confequences, and attendencies, is not my bufinefs to unfold. The first iffue of purchafed grace, is to restore us into a state of acceptation; and this is done two ways.

1. By a removal of that for which we are refus- . ed, the cause of the enmity. 2. By a bestowing of that for which we are accepted. Not only all caufes of quarrel were to be taken away, that fo we fhould not be under displeasure; but also that was to be given unto us, that makes us the objects of God's delight and pleasure: on the account of the want whereof we are distanced from God.

1. It gives a removal of that for which we are refufed. This is fin in the guilt, and all the attendencies thereof. The first iffue of a purchafed grace tends to the taking away of fin in its guilt, that it fhall not bind over the foul to the wages of it, which is death.

How this is accomplished and brought about by Christ, was evidenced in the clofe of the foregoing chapter. It is the fruit and effect of his death for us. Guilt of fin was the only caufe of our feparation and distance from God, as hath been faid. This made us obnoxious to wrath, punishment, and the whole displeasure of God. On the account hereof, were we imprisoned under the curfe of the law, and given up to the power of Satan. This is the state of our unacceptation. By his death, Chrift, bearing the curfe, undergoing the punishment that was due to us, paying the ranfom that was due for

us,

us, delivers us from this condition. And thus far, the death of Chrift, is the fole cause of our accep→ tation with God; that all caufe of quarrel and rejection of us, is thereby taken away: and to that end, are his fufferings reckoned to us: for being made fin for us, 2 Cor. v. 21. He is made righteoufnefs unto us, 2 Cor. i. 31.

But yet farther, this will not compleat our ac ceptation with God, the old quarrel may be laid afide, and yet, no new friendship begun. We may be not finners, and yet not be fo far righteous, as to have a right to the kingdom of heaven. Adam had no right to life, because he was innocent, he muft moreover do this, and then he fhall live: he muft not only have a negative righteousness, he was not guilty of any thing; but also a pofitive righteouf nefs, he must do all things.

This then is required in the fecond place to our compleat acceptation, that we have not only the not imputation of fin, but also a reckoning of righteoufnefs. Now this we have, in the obedience of the life of Chrift. This alfo was difcovered in the laft ,chapter. The obedience of the life of Chrift was for us, is imputed to us and is our righteoufnefs before God: by his obedience are we made righteous, Rom. v. 18. On what fcore the obedience of faith takes place, fhall be afterwards declared.

Thefe two things then, compleat our grace of acceptation; fin being removed, and righteousness bestowed, we have peace with God: are continually accepted before him. There is not any thing to charge us withal: that which was, is taken out of the way by Christ, and nailed to his crofs, made fast there: yea publickly and legally cancelled, tha it can never be admitted again as an evidence. Wha

court among men would admit of an evidence that hath been publickly cancelled, and nailed up for all to fee it? So hath Chrift dealt with that which was against us; and not only fo; but also he puts that upon us, for which we are received into favour: he makes us comely through his beauty: gives us white raiment to ftand before the Lord. This is the first part of purchased grace wherein the faints have communion with Jefus Chrift. In remiffion of fin, and imputation of righteousness doth it confift: from the death of Chrift, as a price, facrifice, and a punishment; from the life of Chrift spent in obedience to the law doth it arife. The great product it is of the Father's righteousness, wisdom, love and grace; the great and aftonifhable fruit of the love and condefcenfion of the Son: the great discovery of the Holy Ghoft, in the revelation of the mystery of the gospel.

The fecond is grace of fanctification; he makes us not only accepted, but alfo acceptable. He doth not only purchase love, for his faints but also makes them lovely. He came not by blood only, but by water, and blood. He doth not only juftify his faints from the guilt of fin, but alfo fanctify and wash them from the filth of fin: the firft is from his life and death as a facrifice of propitiation, this from his death as a purchase, and his life as an example. So the apostle, Heb. ix. 14. as alfo, Eph. V. 26, 27. Two things are eminent in this iffue of purchafed grace; 1. The removal of defilement; 2. The bestowing of cleanness, in actual grace.

For the first, it is alfo threefold; 1. The habitual cleansing of our nature. We are naturally unclean, defiled, habitually fo. For who can bring a clean thing, from that which is unclean, Job xiv. 4. That

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4. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, John iii. 6. It is in the pollution of our blood that we are born, Ezek. xvi. wholly defiled and polluted. The grace of fanctification purchafed by the blood of Chrift removes this defilement of our nature, 1 Cor. vi. 11. Such were fome of you, but ye are washed, ye - are fanctified. So alfo, Tit. iii. 3, 4, 5. He bath faved us by the washing of regeneration and the renewing of the Holy Ghoft. How far this original, habitual pollution is removed, need not be difputed. It is certain the foul is made fair and beautiful in the fight of God. Though the fin that doth defile remains; yet its habitual defilement, is taken away. But the handling of this lys not in my aim.

2. Taking away the pollutions of all our actual tranfgreffions: there is a defilement attending every actual fin. Our own cloaths make us to be abhorred, Job ix. 31. A spot, a stain, ruft, wrinkle, filth, blood attends every fin. Now, 1 John i. 7 the blood of Jefus Chrift cleanfeth us from all fin. Befides the defilement of our natures which he purgeth, Tit. i. 15. he takes away the defilement of our perfons by actual follies: by one offering he perfected for ever them that are fanctified: by himfelf he purged our fins before he, fat down at the right-hand of Majesty on high, Heb. i. 3.

3. In our beft duties we have defilement, Ifa. Ixiv. 6. Self, unbelief, form, drop themfelves into all that we do. We may be ashamed of our choicest performances: God hath promifed that the faints good works fhall follow them: truly were they to be measured by the rule as they come from us, and weighed in the balance of the fanctuary, it might be well for us that they might be buried for ever: but the Lord Chrift, firft as our High-priest bears Z 2

the

the iniquity, the guilt and provocation which in severe justice doth attend them, Exod. xxviii. 37, 38. and not only fo but he washes away all their filth and defilements. He is a Refiner's fire, to purge both the fons of Levi and their offerings: adding moreover fweet incenfe to them that they may be accepted. Whatever is of the Spirit, of himself, of grace, that remains; whatever is of felf, flesh, unbelief that is hay and ftubble, that he confumes, waftes, takes away. So that the faints good works fhall meet them one day, with a changed countenance, that they fhall fcarce know them; that which feemed to them to be black, deformed, defiled, fhall appear beautiful and glorious: they fhall not be afraid of them, but rejoice to fee them follow them.

And this cleanfing of our natures, perfons, and duties, hath its whole foundation in the death of Chrift. Hence our washing and purifying, our cleanfing and purging is afcribed to his blood and the fprinkling thereof. Meritoriously this work is done by the fhedding of the blood of Chrift; effi ciently by its fprinkling. The fprinkling of the blood of Chrift proceedeth from the communicati on of the holy Ghoft; which he promifeth to us, as purchased by him for us. He is the pure water, wherewith we are fprinkled from all our fins. That fpirit of judgment and burning that takes away the filth and blood of the daughters of Sion. And this is the first thing in the grace of fanctification. Of which more afterwards.

2. By beftowing cleannefs, as to actual grace. The blood of Chrift in this purchased grace doth not only take away defilement, but also it gives purity: and that alfo in a threefold gradation.