have life: as the ferpent was lifted up, &c. Chrift is the end of the law for righteousness to them that believe, Rom. x. 4. and innumerable others. Now declaratory tenders are very precious; there is much kindness in them, and if they be rejected, they will be the favour of death unto death: but the Lord Chrift knows that the outward letter though never fo effectually held out, will not enable any of his for that reception of his righteoufnefs, which is neceffary to intereft them therein; wherefore, 2. In this tender of acceptation with God, on the account of what he hath done and fuffered, a law is eftablifhed, that whofoever receives it, fhall be fo accepted. But Chrift knows the condition and state of his in this world. This will not do, if he do not effectually inveft them with it, all is loft. There fore,

2. He fends them his holy Spirit to quicken them, John. vi. Ixiii. to cause them that are dead to hear his voice, John v. And to work in them, whatever is required of them, to make them partakers of his righteoufnefs, and accepted with God. Thus doth Chrift deal with his; he lives and dies with an intention to work out, and compleat righteoufnefs for them: their enjoying of it, to a perfect acceptation before God, is all that in the one and other he aim ed at. Then he tenders it unto them, declares the ufefulness and precioufnefs of it to their fouls, stirring them up to a defire and valuation of it; and laftly effectually bestows it upon them, reckons it unto them as theirs; that they fhould by it, for it, with it, be perfectly accepted with his Father.

Thus for our acceptation with God, two things are required.

1. That fatisfaction be made for our difobedience,

for

for whatever we had done which might damage the justice and honour of God, and that God be attoned towards us, which could no otherwife be, but by undergoing the penalty of the law. This, I have fhewed abundantly is done by the death of Chrift: God made him to be fin for us, 2 Cor. v. 21. a curse, Gal. iii. 13. On this account we have our absolution, our acquitment from the guilt of fin : the sentence of the law, the wrath of God, Rom. viii. 33, 38. We are justified, acquitted, freed from condemnation, because it was Chrift that died; he bare our fins in his body on the tree, 1 Pet.

ii. 24.

2. That the righteousness of the law be fulfilled, and the obedience performed that is required at our hands; and this is done by the life of Chrift, Rom. V. 18, 19. So that anfwerably hereunto, according to our state and condition, of our acceptation with God, there are two parts.

1. Our abfolution from the guilt of fin; that our difobedience be not charged upon us. This we have by the death of Chrift, our fins being imputed to him, shall not be imputed to us, 2 Cor. v. 21. Rom. iv. 25. Ifa. v. 12.

2. Imputation of righteousness; that we may be accounted perfectly righteous before God: and this we have by the life of Chrift. His righteoufnefs in yielding obedience to the law, is imputed to us. And thus is our acceptation with God compleated. Being discharged from the guilt of our difobedience by the death of Chrift, and having the rightéoufnefs of the life of Chrift imputed to us, we have friendship and peace with God. And this is that which I call our grace of acceptation with

God,

God, wherein we have commuion with Jefus Christ.

That which remains for me to do, is, to fhew how believers hold diftinct communion with Chrift, in this grace of acceptation, and how thereby they keep alive a sense of it, the comfort and life of it being to be renewed every day. Without this, life is an hell; no peace, no joy can we be made partakers of, but what hath its rife from hence. Look what grounded perfuafion we have of our acceptation with God, that he is at peace with us, thereunto is the revenue of our peace, comfort, joy, yea and holinefs itself proportioned.

But yet before I come in particular to handle our practical communion with the Lord Jefus, in this thing; 1 muft remove two confiderable objections, the one of them lying against the first part of our acceptation with God, the other against the latter.

Object. 1. For our abfolution by, and upon the death of Chrift, it may be faid, that if the elect have their abfolution, reconciliation and freedom, by the death, blood and cross of Chrift, whence is it then, that they are not all actually abfolved, at the death of Christ, or at least fo foon as they are born? but that many of them live a long while under the wrath of God in this world, as being unbelievers, under the fentence and condemning power of the law: why are they not immediately freed, upon the payment of the price, and making reconciliation for them.

Object. 2. If the obedience of the life of Christ be imputed unto us, and that is our righteousness before God, then what need we yield any obedience ourselves? Is not all our praying, labouring,

watch

watching, fasting, giving alms, are not all fruits of holinefs, in purity of heart, and usefulness of converfation? all in vain, and to no purpofe; and who then will or need take care to be holy, humble, righteous, meek, temperate, patient, good, peaceable, or to abound in good works in the world?

I fhall, God affifting, briefly remove these two objections, and then proceed, to carry on the defign in hand, about our communion with Chrift.

1. Jefus Chrift in his undertaking of the work of our reconciliation with God, for which caufe he came into the world, and the accomplishment of it by his death, was conftituted and confidered as a common publick perfon, in the ftead of them for whofe reconciliation to God he fuffered. Hence he is the Mediator between God and man, 1 Tim. ii. 5. that is, one who undertook to God for us, as the next words manifeft, ver. 6. and gave himself a ransom for all: and the Surety of the new covenant, Heb. vii. 22. undertaking for, and on the behalf of them with whom that covenant was made; hence he is faid to be given for a covenant to the people, Ifa. xlii. 6. and a Leader, xlix. 8. He was the fecond Adam, 1 Cor. xv. 45, 47. to all ends and purposes of righteousness to his fpiritual feed; as the first Adam was of fin to his natural feed, Rom. v. 15, 16, 17, 18, 19..

2. His being thus a common perfon, arose chiefly from these things, 1. In general, from the covenant entred into, by himfelf with his Father to this purpose. The terms of this covenant are at lange infifted on, Ifa. liii. fumined up, Pfal. xl. 7, 8. Heb. x. 8, 9, 10. Hence the Father became to be his God, which is a covenant expreffion, Pfal. lxxxix. A a

26.

26. Heb. i. 5. Pfal. xxii. i. Pfal. xl. 8. Pfal. xlv. 7. Rev. iii. 12. Micah v. 4. So was he by his Father, on this account defigned to this work, Ifa. xlii. 1. vi. 1. xlix. 9. Mal. iii. 1. Zech. xiii. 7. John iii. 16. 1 Tim. i. 15. Thus the counsel of peace became to be between them both, Zech. vi. 13. that is, the Father and Son. And the Son rejoices from eternity in the thought of this undertaking, Prov. viii. 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30. The command given him to this purpose; the promises made to him thereon, the affiftance afforded to him, I have elsewhere handled.

2. In the fovereign grant, appointment and defign of the Father, giving and delivering the elect to Jefus Chrift in this covenant, to be redeemed and reconciled to himself, John xvii. 6. thine they were, and thou gavest them to me. They were God's by eternal defignation and election, and he gave them to Christ to be redeemed: hence before their calling or believing, he calls them his theep, John x. 15, 16. laying down his life for them as fuch; and hence are we faid to be chofen in Christ, Eph. i. 4. or defigned to obtain all the fruits of the love of God by Chrift, and committed into his hand, for that end and purpose.

3. In his undertaking to fuffer what was due to them, and to do what was to be done by them, that they might be delivered, reconciled and accepted with God. And he undertakes to give in to the Father, without lofs or mifcarriage, what he had fo received of the Father as above, John xvii. 2, 12. vi. 37, 39. As Jacob did the cattle he received from Laban, Gen. xxxi. 39, 40. Of both thefe I have treated fomewhat at large elfewhere, in handling the covenant between the Father and

the