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His mediation, as hath been declared, is founded the whole difpenfation of grace.

2. Being thus actually vefted with this power and privilege and fulness, he defigns the Spirit to take of this fulness, and to give it unto us. He shall take of mine and her it unto you, John xvi. 15. the Spirit takes of that fulness that is in Chrift, and in the name of the Lord Jefus, beftows it actually on them, for whofe fanctification he is fent. Concerning the manner and almighty efficacy of the Spirit of grace, whereby this is done (I mean, this actual collation of grace upon his peculiar ones) more will be (poken afterwards.

3. For actual grace, or that influence of power whereby the faints are enabled to perform particu Jar duties according to the mind of God, there is not any need of further enlargement about it. What concerns our communion with the Lord Chrift therein, holds proportion with what was fpoken before.

There remaineth only one thing more to be obferved concerning thofe things, whereof mention hath been made, and 1 proceed to the way where by we carry on communion with the Lord Jefus in all thefe. And that is, that these things may be confidered two ways.

1. In refpect of their firft collation or beftowing on the foul.

2. In refpect of their continuance and increase, as unto the degrees of them.

In the first fenfe, as to the real communicating of the Spirit of grace unto the foul, fo raifing it from death unto life, the faints have no kind' of communion with Chrift therein, but only what confift in a paffive reception of that life-giving, quicken

ing Spirit and power. They are but as the dead bones in the prophet, the wind blows on them, and they live: as Lazarus in the grave, Christ calls, and they come forth; the call being accompanied with life, and power. This then is not that whereof particularly I fpeak. But it is the fecond in refpect of farther efficacy of the Spirit, and increase of grace, both habitual and actual, whereby we become more holy, and to be more powerful in walking with God, have more fruit in obedience, and fuccefs against temptations: and in this they hold communion with the Lord Chrift: and wherein and how they do it, fhall now be declared.

1. They continually eye the Lord Jefus as the great Jofeph, that hath the difpofal of all the granaries of the kingdom of heaven, committed unto him; as one in whom it hath pleased the Father to gather all things unto one head, Eph. i. 10. that from him all things might be difpenfed unto them. All treasures, all fulnefs, the Spirit not by measure, are in him. And this fullness in this Jofeph in reference to their condition, they eye in these three particulars..

1. In the preparation unto the difpenfation mentioned, in the expiating, purging, purifying efficacy of his blood, it was a facrifice not only of atonement as offered, but alfo of purification, as poured out. This the apoftle eminently fets forth, Heb. ix. 13, 14. For if the blood of bulls and goats, and the apes of an heifer, fprinkling the unclean fanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh, how much more

all the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot unto God, purge your confciences from dead works, that you may ferve the living God. This blood of his is that which anfwers:

out.

anfwers all typical inftitutions, for carnal purifica tion, and therefore hath a fpiritual purifying, cleanfing, fanctifying virtue in itself, as offered poured Hence it is called a fountain for fin and for uncleanness, Zech. xiii. 1. that is, for their washing and taking away. A fountain opened, ready prepared, vertuous, efficacious in itfelf, before any be put into it; because poured out, inftituted, appoint ed to that purpofe. The faints fee that in themfelves they are ftill exceedingly defiled: (and indeed to have a fight of the defilements of fin, is a more fpiritual discovery, than to have only a fenfe of the guilt of fin. This follows every conviction, and is commenfurate unto it; that ufually only fuch as reveal the purity and holinefs of God, and in all his ways. Hereupon they cry with fhame within themfelves, Unclean, unclean. Unclean in their natures, unclean in their perfons, unclean in their converfations. All rolled in the blood of their defilements: their hearts being by nature a very fink, and their lives a dung hill. They know alfo, that no unclean thing hall enter into the kingdom of God, or have place in the new Jerufalem: that God is of purer eyes than to behold iniquity. They cannot endure to look on themselves, and how fhall they dare to appear in his prefence? what remedy fhall they now ufe? Though they wash themselves with nitre, and take them much fope, yet their iniquity will continue marked, Jer. ii. 2 2. Wherewith then fhall they come before the Lord? For the removal of this, I fay, they look in the first place to the purifying vertue of the blood of Christ, which is able to cleanfe them from all their fins, 1 Joh.i. 7. Being the fpring from whence floweth all the purifying vertue, which in the iffue will take away all their fpots and ftains; make them holy and with

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out blemish, and in the end prefent them glorious unto himself, Eph. v. 26, 27. This they dwell upon with thoughts of faith; they roll it in their minds and fpirits. Here faith obtains new life, new vigor, when a fenfe of vilenefs hath even overwhelmed it. Here is a fountain opened; draw nigh and fee its beauty, purity, efficacy. Here is a foundation laid of that work, whofe accomplishment we long for. One moments communion with Chrift by faith herein, is more effectual to the purging of the foul, to the increafing of grace, than the utmost felf-endeavours of a thoufand ages.

2. They eye the blood of Chrift, as the blood of fprinkling. Coming to Jefus the Mediator of the new covenant, they come to the blood of sprinkling, Heb. xii. 24. The eyeing of the blood of Christ as fhed, will not of itself take away pollution. There is not only a feeding of blood, without which, there is no remiffion, Heb.ix. 2 2. but there is also a sprinkling of blood, without which there is no actual purifica tion. This the apostle largely discribes, Heb. ix. When Mofes, faith he, had spoken every precept to the people according to the law, he took the blood of calves and of goats, with water, and fcarlet wool, and hyf fop, and Sprinkled both the book and all the people, faying, This is the blood of the teftament which God bath enjoined unto you: moreover, he sprinkled with blood, both the tabernacle, and all the veffels of the miniftry; and almost all things are by the law purged with blood: it was therefore neceffary that the patterns of the things in the heavens, fhould be purified with thefe, but the heavenly things themselves, with better facrifices than thefe, v. 19, 20, 21, 22, 23. He had formerly compared the blood of Christ, to the blood of facrifices as offered in refpect of the

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impetration and the purchase it made; now he doth it unto that blood as fprinkled, in refpect of its application unto purification and holinefs. And he tells us how this fprinkling was performed, it was by dipping hyffop in the blood of the facrifice, and fo dashing it out upon the things and perfons to be purified. As the inftitution alfo was with the pafchal lamb, Exod. xii. 12. hence David in a fenfe of the pollution of fin prays, that he may be purged with hyffop, Pfal. li. 7. for that this peculiarly refpected the uncleannefs and defilement of fin, is evident, because there is no mention made in the inftitution of any facrifice, (after that of the lamb before mentioned,) of fprinkling blood with hyffop, but only in thofe which refpected purification of, uncleannels. As in the cafe of leprofy, Lev. xiv. 6. and all other defilements, Numb. xix. 18. which latter indeed, is not of blood but of the water of feparation, this alfo being eminently typical of the blood of Chrift, which is the fountain for feparation for uncleanness, Zech. xiii. 1. now this branch of hyffop wherein the blood of purification was prepared for the fprinkling of the unclean, is unto us, the free promifes of Chrift. The cleanfing vertue of the blood of Chrift lyes in the promises, as the blood of facrifices in the hyffop, ready to pafs out unto them that draw nigh thereunto. Therefore the apostle argueth from receiving of the promises unto univerfal holiness and purity. Having therefore thefe promifes (dearly beloved) let us cleanfe ourfelves from all filthiness of flesh and fpirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of the Lord, 2 Cor. vii. 1. this then the faints do; they eye the blood of Christ as it is in the promife, ready to iffue out upon the foul for the purification thereof: and thence is purging

and

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