communion takes it away, prevents it, cafts it out, with its bondage and fear: but for gospel repen. tance, whofe nature confifts in godly forrow for fin, with its relinquishment; proceeding from faith, love, and abhorrency of fin, on accounts of Father, Son, and Spirit, both law, and love, that this fhould be hindered by this communion, is not poffible. I told you that the foundation of this communion, lis laid in a deep, ferious, daily confideration of fin, its guilt, vilenefs and abomination, and our own vilenefs vont that account. That a fenfe hereof is to be kept as live in and upon the heart of every one, that will enjoy this communion with Chrift: without it Chrift is of no value, nor esteem to him. Now it is pof fible that a man fhould daily fill his heart, with the thoughts of the vilenefs of fin, on all confiderati ons whatever, of law, love, grace, gofpel, life and death, and be filled with felf-abhorrency on this ac count, and yet be a stranger to gödly forrow? Here is the mistake, the foundation of this communion, is laid in that, which they fuppofe it overthrows. 2. But what fhall we fay for obedience: if Chrift be fo glorified and honoured by taking our fins, the more we bring to him the more will he be glorified. A man could not fuppofe that this objection would be made, but that the Holy Ghoft, who knows what is in man, and his heart, hath inade it for them, and in their name, Rom. vi. 1, 2; 3. the very fame doctrine that I have infifted on, being delivered, chap. v. 18, 19, 20. the fame objection is made to it and for thofe who think it may have any weight, I refer them to the answer given in that chapter by the apostle, as also to what was faid before to the neceffity of our obedience, notwithstanding standing the imputation of the righteousness of Chrift. But you will fay: how fhould we address ourfelves to the performance of this duty: what path are we to walk in? 1. Faith exercises itfelf in it efpecially three ways. 1. In meditation. The heart goes over in its own thoughts the part above infifted on, fometimes feverally, fometimes jointly; fometimes fixing primarily on the thing, fometimes on another, and fometimes going over the whole. At one time perhaps the foul is most upon consideration of its own finfulness, and filling itself with shame, and felf-abhorrency on that account; fometimes it is filled with the thoughts of the righteousness of Christ, and with joy unfpeakable, and glorious on that account. Efpecially on great occafions, when grieved and burthened by negligence or eruption of corrupti→ on, then the foul goes over the whole work, and fo drives things to an iffue with God; and takes up the peace that Chrift hath wrought out for him. 2. Confidering and enquiring into the promises of the gofpel, which hold out all these things; the excellency, fulnefs and fuitableness of the righte oufnefs of Chrift, the rejection of all falfe righteoufness, and the commutation made in the love of God, which was formerly infifted on. 3. In prayer. Herein do their fouls go through this work day by day. And this communion have all the faints with the Lord Jefus, as to their acceptation with God, which was the first thing proposed to confideration. CHAP CHA P. IX. Of communion with Chrift in holiness. The feveral acts afcribed unto the Lord Christ herein. I. His interceffion. 2. Sending of the Spirit. 3. Beftows habitual grace. What that is, and wherein it confifts. This purchafed by Chrift. Beftowed by him. Of actual grace. How the faints hold communion with Chrift in these things. Manifefted in fundry particulars. UR. communion with the Lord Jefus, as to that grace of fanctification, and purification, whereof we have made mention in the several diftinctions, and degrees thereof formerly, is nextly to be confidered. And herein the former method must be observed; and we muft fhew. 1. What are the peculiar actings of the Lord Chrift as to this communion. And 2dly, what is the duty of the faints herein the fum is, how we hold communion with Christ in holiness, as well as in righteouf nefs, and that very briefly. There are feveral acts afcribed unto the Lord Jefus in reference to this particular, As, 1. His interceeding with the Father, by virtue of his oblation in the behalf of his, that he would bestow the Holy Spirit on them. Here I chufe to enter, because, of the oblation of Chrift itself, I have spoken before. Otherwife every thing is to be run up to that head, that fourse and spring. There lies the foundation of all fpiritual mercies whatever: ás afterwards alfo fhall be manifested: now the Spirit, as unto us, a Spirit of grace, holi nefs of nefs and confolation, is of the purchase of Christ, It is upon the matter, the great promife of the new covenant, Ezek. xi. 19. I will put a new spirit with in you: So alfo, chap. xxxvi. 27. Jer. xxxii. 39, 40 and in fundry other places, whereof afterwards. Chrift is the Mediator and Surety of this new covenant, Heb. vii. 22. Jefus was made furety of a better teftament, or rather covenant. A teftament needs no furety. He is the Undertaker on the part God and man alfo. Of man to give fatisfaction; of God to bestow the whole grace of the promise, as chap. ix. 15. For this cause he is Mediator of the New Teftament, that by means of death, for the redemption of tranfgreffions that were made under the firft teftament, they which are called, might receive the promife of eternal inheritance. He both fatisfied for fin, and procured the promife. He procures all the love and kindness, which are the fruits of the covenant; being himself the original promife thereof, Gen. iii. 16. the whole being fo ordered in all things, and made fure, 2 Sam. xxiiig that the refidue of its effects, fhould all be derived from him, depend upon him, and be procured by him, that he in all things might have the prebeminence, Col. i. 19. according to the compact and agreement made with him, Ifa. liii2 they are all the purchafe of his blood, and therefore the Spirit also, as promised in that covenant, Cor. i. 20. now the whole fruit and purchafe of his death, is made out from the Father upon his interceffion. Thus, John xiv. 16, 17, 18. he promifeth his difciples, that he will purfue the work which he hath in hand in their behalf, and interceed with the Father for the Spirit, as a fruit of his purchase. Therefore he tells thém, that he will not pray the Father for his love unto them, them, because the eternal love of the Father, is not the fruit, but the fountain of his purchase: but the Spirit that is a fruit, that, faith he, I will pray the Father for, &c. And what Chrift afketh the Father as Mediator, to bestow on us, that is part of his purchase, being promised unto him upon his undertaking to do the will of God. And this is the first thing that is to be confidered in the Lord Jefus, as to the communication of the Spirit of fanctification and purification; (the first thing to be confidered in this our communion with him,) he interceeds with his Father, that he may be bestowed on us, as a fruit of his death and bloodshed in our behalf. This is the relation of the Spirit of holinefs as bestowed on us, unto the mediation of Christ. He is the great Foundation of the covenant of grace; being himself everlastingly deftinated, and freely given to make a purchafe of all the good things thereof. Receiving according to promife the Holy Ghoft, Acts ii. 33. he fheds him abroad on his own. This faith confiders, fixes on, dwells upon. For, 2. His prayer being granted (as the Father always hears him)he actually fends his Spirit into the hearts of his faints, there to dwell in his stead, and to do all things for them, and in them, which he himself hath to do. This fecondly is the Lord Chrift by faith to be eyed in: and not only in refpect of the first enduing of our hearts with his Holy Spirit, but also of the continual fupplies of it, drawing forth, and exciting more effectual operations and actings of that indwelling Spirit. Hence, though, John xiv, 16. he fays, the Father will give them the Comforter, because the original and fovereign difpenfation is in his hand, and it is by him Dd made |