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fecurity. So did the children of Ifrael in the wilderness, every tribe kept their camps under their own ftandard. It is alfo a token of fuccefs and victory, Pfa.. xx. 6. Chrift hath a banner for his faints: and that is love. All their protection is from his love; and they fhall have all the protection his love can give them. This safeguards them from hell, death, all their enemies. Whatever preffes on them, it must pass through the banner of the love of the Lord Jefus. They have then great fpiritual fafety, which is another ornament or excellency of their communion with him.

4. Supportment, and confolation. ver. 6. His left hand is under my head, and his right hand doth embrace me. Christ here hath the posture of a most tender friend towards any one in fickness, and fadnefs. The foul faints with love; fpiritual longings after the enjoyment of his presence, and Christ comes in with his embraces. He nourisheth and cherisheth his church, Eph. v. 29. Ifa. lxiii. 13. Now the band under the head, is fupportment, fuftaining grace, in preffures and difficulties: and the band that doth embrace, the hand upon the heart, is joy and confolation, in both Christ rejoiceth, as the Bridegroom rejoiceth over the bride. Ifa. Ixii. 5. Now thus to ly in the arms of Christ's love, under a perpetual influence of fupportment and refreshment, is certainly to hold communion with him. And hereupon ver. 1. the fpoufe is moft earnest for the continuance of this fellowship charging all fo to demean themselves, that her beloved be not difquieted, or provoked to depart.

In brief this whole book is taken up in the defcription of the communion that is between the Lord Christ and his faints, and therefore it is very

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needless to take from thence any more particular inftances thereof.

I fhall only add that of Prov. ix. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 "Wifdom hath builded her houfe, fhe hath hewn out her feven pillars. She hath killed her beasts, she hath mingled her wine, the hath alfo furnished her table. She hath fent forth her maidens, fhe crieth upon the highest places of the city. Who fo is fimple, let him turn in hither, as for him that wanteth understanding she faith to him, come eat of my bread, and drink of the wine that I have mingled."

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The Lord Chrift, the eternal wisdom of the Father, and who of God is made unto us wifdom, erects a spiritual-house, wherein he makes provifion for the entertainment of those guests whom he fo freely invites. His church is the house which he hath built on a perfect number of pillars, that it might have a stable foundation: his flain beafts, and mingled wine wherewith his table is furnished, are those spiritual fat things of the gospel, which he hath prepared for thofe that come in upon his invitation: furely to eat of this bread, and drink of this wine which he hath fo graciously prepared, is to hold fellowship with him; for in what ways or things, is there nearer communion than in fuch?

I might farther evince this truth, by a confideration of all the relations wherein Chrift and his faints do ftand, which neceffarily require that there be a communion between them, if we do fuppofe they are faithful in those relations: but this is com→ monly treated on, and fomething will be spoken to it, in one fignal inftance afterwards.

CHAP.

CHA P. II.

What it is, wherein we have peculiar fellowship with the Lord Chrift. This is in grace. This proved, John 14, 16, 17. 2 Cor. xiii. 14. 2 Thef. iii. 17, 18. Grace, of various acceptations. Perfonal grace in Chrift propofed to confideration. The grace of Chrift as Mediator intended, Pfal.. xlv. 2. Cant. v. 9. Chrift how white and ruddy. His fitness to fave from the grace of union. His fulness to fave. His fuitableness to endear. These confiderations improved.

AVING manifefted that the faints hold pe

H culiar fellowship with the Lord Jefus, it nextly

follows, that we fhew wherein it is that they have this peculiar communion with him.

Now this is in GRACE. This is every where afcribed to him by the way of eminency, John i. 14. He dwelt among us, full of grace and truth. Grace in the truth and substance of it. All that went before was but typical and in representation, in the truth and fubftance, it comes only by Christ. Grace and truth is by Jefus Chrift, ver. 17. And of his fulness we receive grace for grace, ver. 16. that is, we have communion with him in grace; we receive from him all manner of grace whatever, and therein have we fellowship with him.

So likewife in that apoftolica Ibenediction, wherein the communication of spiritual bleffings from the feveral perfons unto the faints, is fo exactly diftinguifhed; it is grace that is afcribed to our Lord Jefus Chrift, 2 Cor. xiii. 14. The grace of our Lord

Jefus

Jefus Chrift, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost be with you all.

Yea, Paul is fo delighted with this, that he makes it his motto, and the token whereby he would have his epiftles known, 2 Thef. iii. 17, 18. The falutation of Paul with mine own hand, So I write, the grace of our Lord Jefus Chrift be with you all. Yea he makes these two, grace be with you, and the Lord Jefus be with you, to be equivalent expreffions; for whereas he affirmeth the one to be the token in all his epiftles, yet sometimes, he ufeth the one, only, fometimes the other of thefe, and fometimes puts them both together, this then is that which we are peculiarly to eye in the Lord Jefus, to receive it from him, even grace, gospel grace, revealed in, or exhibited by the gospel. He is the head Stone in the building of the temple of God, to whom grace, grace, is to be cried, Zech.

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iv. 7.

Grace is a word of various acceptations. In its moft eminent fignifications it may be referred unto one of these three heads,

1. Grace of perfonal prefence and comeliness. So we fay a graceful and comely perfon, either from himself or his ornaments. This in Chrift (upon the matter) is the fubject of near one half of the book of Canticles, it is alfo mentioned, Pfal. xlv. 2. Thou art fairer than the children of men; grace is poured into thy lips. And unto this first head in respect of Chrift, do I refer also that acceptation of grace, which in respect of us, I fix in the third place. Thofe inconceivable gifts and fruits of the Spirit which were beftowed on him, and brought forth in him, concur to his perfonal excellency, as will afterward appear.

2. Grace

2. Grace of free favour and acceptance. By this grace we are faved, that is, the free favour and gracious acceptation of God, in Christ. In this fense it is used in that frequent expreffion, if I have found grace in thy fight, that is, if I be freely and favourably accepted before thee. So he giveth grace, that is, favour to the humble, James iv. 6. Gen. xxxix. 21. and xli. 37. Acts vii. 10. 1 Sam. ii. 26. 2 Kings xxv. 27. &c.

3. The fruits of the Spirit, fanctifying and renewing our natures, enabling unto good, and preventing from evil, are fo termed. Thus the Lord tells Paul, his grace was fufficient for him, that is, the affiftance against temptation which he afforded him, Col. iii. 16. 2 Cor. viii. 6, 7. Heb xii. 28.

These two latter, as relating unto Chrift, in refpect of us who receive them, I call purchased grace, being indeed purchased by him for us; and our communion with him therein, is termed a fellowship in his fufferings, and the power of his refurrection, Phil. iii. 10.

Let us begin with the firft, which I call perfonal grace, and concerning that do these two things.

1. Shew what it is, and wherein it confifteth, I mean the perfonal grace of Chrift. And,

2. Declare how the faints hold immediate communion with him therein.

To the handling of the first, I fhall only premife this obfervation. It is Chrift as Mediator, of whom we speak, and therefore by the grace of his perfon, I understand not,

1. The glorious excellencies of his Deity, confidered in itself, abstracting from the office which for us, as God and Man, he undertook.

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