be willing in the day of thy power,' Pfal. cx. 3. i. e. free, ready, open-hearted, giving themfelves to thee as free-will offerings. When the bridegroom has the bride's heart, it is a right marriage but fome give their hand to Chrift, who give him not their heart. They that are only driven to Chrit by rerror, will furely leave him again, when that terror is gone. Terror may break a heart of Itone; but the pieces into which it is broken, ftill continue to be ftone: the terrors cannot soften it into a heart of flesh. Yet terror may begin the work, which love crowns, The ftrong wind, the earthquake, and the fire going before the ftill fmall voice, in which the Lord is, may come after them. When the bleffed Jefus is feeking finners to match with him, they are bold and perverfe, they will not speak with him, till he hath wounded them, made them captives, and bound them with the cords of death. When this is done, then it is that he makes love to them, and wins their hearts. The Lord tells us, Hof. ii. 16-20. That his chofen Ifrael fhall be married unto himself. But, how will the bride's confent be won? Why, in the first place, he will bring her into the wildernefs,' as he did the people when he brought them out of Egypt, ver. 14. There fhe will be hardly dealt with, scorched with thirft, and bitten with ferpents; and then he will speak comfortably to her,' or, as the expreffion is, he will fpeak upon her heart.' The finner is firft driven, and then drawn to Chrift. It is with the foul as with Noah's dove; fhe was forced back again to the ark, because fhe could find nothing elfe TO rest upon but, when he did return, fhe would have refted on the outfide of it, if Noah had not put forth his hand and pulled her in,' Gen. viii. 9. The Lord fends the avenger of blood in purfuit of the criminal; and he, with a fad heart, leaves his own city; and with tears in his eyes, parts with his old acquaintance, because he dare not ftay with them and he flees for his life to the city of refuge. This is not at all his choice, it is forced work; neceffity has no law. But, when he comes to the gates, and fees the beauty of the place, the excellency and loveliness of it charms him; and then he enters it with heart and good will, faying, This is my reft, and here I will stay :? and, as one faid in another cafe, I had perished, unless I had perifhed." SECONDLY, When Chrift apprehends a foul, the heart is dif engaged from, and turned againft, fin. As io cutting off the branch from the old stock, the great idol Self is brought down, the man is powerfully taught to deny himself so, in the appre head hending of the finner by his Spirit, that union is diffolved, which was betwixt the man and his lufts, while he was in the flesh, as the Apostle expreffes it, Rom. viii. 5. his heart is loofed from them, though formerly as dear to him, as the members of his body; as his eyes, legs, or arms; and, instead of taking pleasure in them, as fome time he did; he longs to be rid of them. When the Lord Jefus comes to a foul, in the day of converting grace; he finds it like Jerufalem in the day of her nativity. (Ezek. xvi. 4.) with its navel not cut, drawing its fulfome nourishment and fatisfaction from its lufts: but he cuts off this communication, that he may fet the foul on the breafts of his own confolations, and give it reft in himself. And thus the Lord wounds the head and heart of fin, and the foul comes to him faying, "Surely our fathers have inherited lies, vanity and things wherein there is no profit," Jer. xvi. 19. Of the Benefits flowing to true believers, from their union with Chrift. V. And laftly, I come to fpeak of the benefits flowing to true believers from their union with Christ. The chief of the particular benefits believers have by it, are juftification, peace, adoption, fanctification, growth in grace, fruitfulness in good works, acceptance of thefe good works, eftablishment in a state of grace, fupport and a fpecial conduct of providence about them. As for communion with Chrift, it is fuch a benefit, as being the immediate consequent of union with him, comprehends all the reft as mediate ones. For like as the branch, immediately upon its union with the flock, hath communion with the ftock, in all that is in it: fo the believer uniting with Chrift, hath communion with him; in which he launcheth forth into an ocean of happinefs, is led into a paradife of pleasures, and has a faving intereft in the treasure hid in the field of the gofpel, the unfearchable riches of Chrift. As foon as the believer is united to Chrjit, Chrift himself, in whom all fulnefs dwells, is his, Cant. ii. 16. My beloved is mine, and I am his. And, how shall he not with him freely give us ALL things? Rom. vii. 32. Whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things prefent, or things to come, ALL are yours, 1.Cor. iii. 22. Thus communion with Chrift is the great comprehenfive bleffing, neceffarily flowing from our union with him. Let us now confider the particular benefits flowing from it, before-mentioned. The 224 Benefits flowing from Chrift to Believers. State III. The First particular benefit that a finner hath by his union with Chrift, is Juftification; for being united to Chrift, he hath communion with him in Kis righteoufnefs, 1 Corvi. 30. But of him are ye in Chrift Jefus, who of God is made unto us wisdom and righteoufnefs,' He ftands no more condemned; but justified before God, as being in Chrift, Rom. viii. 1. There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jefus.' The branches hereof are pardon of fin, and perfonal acceptance. 1t, His fins are pardoned, the guilt of them is removed.. The bond obliging him to pay bis debis, is cancelled. God the Father takes the pen, dips it in the blood of his Son, croffeth the finner's accounts, and blotteth them out of his debt-book. The finner, out of Christ, is bound over to the wrath of God: he is under an obligation in law, to go to the prifon of hell, and there to ly till he has paid the utmost farthing. This arifeth from the terrible fanction with which the law is fenced, which: is no lefs than death, Gen. . 17. So that the finner passing the bounds affigned him, is as Shemei, in another cafe, a man of death,' 1 Kings ii. 42. But now, being united to Chrift, God faith, "Deliver him from going down to the pit; I have found. a ranfom," Job xxxiii. 24. The fentence of condemnation is reverfed, the believer is abfolved, and fet beyond the reach of the condemning law. His fins, which fometimes were set before the Lord, Pfal. xc. 8. fo that they could not be hid, God now› takes and cafts them all behind his back,' Ifa. xxxvii. 17. Yea,he cafts them into the depths of the sea, Micah vii. 19. What falls into a brook may be got up again; but what is caft into the fea cannot be recovered. Ay, but there are fome fhallow places in the fea: true, but their fins are not caft in there, but into the depths of the fea; and the depths of the fea are devour-ing depths, from whence they fhall never come forth again. But,. what if they do not fink? He will caft them in with force; fo.. that they shall go to the ground, and fink as lead in the mighty waters of the Redeemer's blood. They are not only forgiven, but forgotten, Jer. xxxi. 34. I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their fins no more.' And tho' their after-fins : do, in themselves deferve eternal wrath, and do actually make them liable to temporal ftrokes, and fatherly chastisements, according to the tenor of the covenant of grace, Pfal. lxxxix. 30-33. Yet they can never be actually liable to eternal wrath or the curfe of the law; for they are dead to the law in Chrift, Rom. vii. 4. And they can never fall from their union with Chrift; Chrift; nor can they be in Chrift, and yet under condemnation, Rom. viii. 1. There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Chrift Jefus.' This is an inference drawn from that doctrine of the believer's being dead to the law, delivered by the Apoftle, chap. vii. 1-6. as is clear from the 2d, 3d, and 4th verfes of this viii. chap. And in this refpect, the justified man, is the bleffed man, unto whom the Lord imputeth not iniquity.' Pfal. xxxii. 2. As one who has no defign to charge a debt on another, fets it not down in his count-book. 2dly, The believer is accepted as righteous in God's fight, 2 Cor. v. 21. For he is found in Chrift, not having his own righteoufnefs, but that which is through the faith of Chrift, the righteoufpefs which is of God by faith,' Phil. iii. 9. He could never be accepted of God, as righteous, upon the account of his own righteoufnefs; becaufe, at beft, it is but imperfect; and all righteoufnefs, properly fo called, which will abide a trial before the throne of God, is perfect. The very name of it implies perfection for unlefs a work be perfectly conform to the law, it is not right, but wrong and fo cannot make a man righteous before God, whofe judgment is according to truth. Yet if justice demand a righteoufnefs of one that is in Chrift, upon which he may be accounted righteous before the Lord: Surely shall such an one fay, In the Lord have 1 righteousness,' Ifa. xiv. 24. The law is fulfilled, its commands are obeyed, its fanction is fatisfied. The believer's Cautioner has paid the debt. It was exacted, and he answered for it. Thus the perfon united to Chrift, is juftified. You may conceive of the whole proceeding herein, in this manner. The avenger of blood pursuing the criminal, Chrift, as the Saviour of loft finners, doth by the Spirit apprehend him, and draw him to himself; and he by faith lays hold on Chrift: fo the Lord our righteoufnefs, and the unrighteous creature unite. From this union with Chrift, refults a communion with him, in his unfearchable riches, and confequently, in his righteoufnefs, that white raiment which he has for clothing of the naked, Rev. iii. 18. Thus the righteoufnefs of Chrift becomes his; and becaufe it is his by unquestionable title, it is imputed to him; it is reckoned his, in the judgment of God, which is always according to the truth of the thing. And fo the believing finner having a righteoufnefs which fully anfwers the demands of the law, he is pardoned and accepted as righteous. See Ifa. xlv. 22, 24, 25. Rom. iii, 24, and chap. v. I. Now he is a free man: Who fhall lay any thing to the charge of thefe whom God juftifieth? Can Can juftice lay any thing to their charge? No, for. it is fatisfied. Can the law? No, for it has got all its demands of them in jefus Chrift, Gal. ii. 26. I am crucified with Christ,' What can the law require more after it has wounded their Head; poured in wrath, in full measure, into their Soul; and cut off their Life, and brought it into the duft of death; in fo far as it has done all this to Jefus Chrift, who is their Head, Eph. i. 22 their Sou', Acts ii. 25, 27. and their Life? Col. ii. 4. What is become of the finner's own hand writing, which would prove the debt upon him? Chrift has blotted it out, Col. ii. 14. But, it may be juftice may get its eye upon it again: no, he took it out of the way.' But, O that it had been torn in pieces. may the finner fay yea, fo it is; the nails that pierced Chrift's hands and feet, are driven through it, he nailed it.' But what if the torn pieces be fet together again? That cannot be; for be nailed it to his crofs,' and his cross was burned with him, but will never rife more, feeing Chrift dieth no more.' Where is the facecovering that was upon the condemned man? Chrift has deftroyed it, Ifa. xxv. 7. Where is death, that ftood before the finner with a grim face, and an open mouth, ready to devour him? Chrift has fwallowed it up in victory,' verfe 8. Glory, glory, glory to him that thus loved us, and washed us from our fins in his own blood! The fecond benefit flowing from the fame fpring of union with Christ, and coming by the way of juftification, is Peace; peace with God, and peace of confcience, according to the meafure of the fenfe the juftified have of their peace with God, Rom. v. 1. Therefore being juftified by faith, we have peace with God.' Chap. xiv. 27. For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink, but righteoufnefs and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghoft.' Whereas God was their enemy before, now he is reconciled to them in Chrift; they are in a covenant of peace with him; and as Abraham was, fo they are the friends of God. He is well pleased with them, in his beloved Son. His word, which spoke terror to them formerly, now fpeaks peace, if they rightly take up its language. And there is love in all his dif penfations towards them, which makes all work together for their good. Their confciences are purged of that guilt and filthinefs that fometime lay upon them: his confcience purifying blood streams through their fouls, by virtue of their union with him, Heb. ix. 14. How much more fhall the blood of Chrift, -purge your confcience from dead works, to ferve the living God? The bonds laid on their confciences, by the Spirit of God. |