themselves, that her Beloved be not disquieted, or provoked to depart.

In brief, this whole book is taken up in the description of the communion that is between the Lord Christ and his saints; and therefore, it is very needless to take from thence any more particular instances thereof.

I shall only add that of Prov. ix. 1-5, "Wisdom hath builded her house, she hath hewn out her seven pillars; she hath killed her beasts; she hath mingled her wine; she hath also furnished her table. She hath sent forth her maidens: she crieth upon the highest places of the city, Whoso is simple, let him turn in hither: as for him that wanteth understanding, she saith to him, Come, eat of my bread, and drink of the wine which I have mingled."

The Lord Christ, the eternal Wisdom of the Father, and who of God is made unto us wisdom, erects a spiritual house, wherein he makes provision for the entertainment of those guests whom he so 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 slain beasts and mingled wine, wherewith his table is furnished, are those spiritual fat things of the gospel, which he hath prepared for those that come in upon his invitation. Surely, to eat of this bread, and drink of this wine, which he hath so graciously prepared, is to hold fellowship with him; for in what ways or things is there nearer communion than in such?

I might farther evince this truth, by a consideration of all the relations wherein Christ and his saints do stand; which necessarily require that there be a communion between them, if we do suppose they are faithful in those relations: but this is commonly treated on, and something will be spoken to it in one signal instance afterward.

CHAPTER II.

What it is wherein we have peculiar fellowship with the Lord Christ-This is in grace-This proved, John i. 14, 16, 17; 2 Cor. xiii. 14; 2 Thess. iii. 17, 18 -Grace of various acceptations-Personal grace in Christ proposed to consideration-The grace of Christ as Mediator intended, Ps. xlv. 2-Cant. v. 10, Christ, how white and ruddy-His fitness to save, from the grace of unionHis fulness to savee-His suitableness to endear-These considerations improved.

II. HAVING manifested that the saints hold peculiar fellowship with the Lord Jesus, it nextly follows that we show wherein it is that they have this peculiar communion with him.

Now, this is in GRACE. This is everywhere ascribed 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 substance it comes only by Christ. "Grace and truth came by Jesus Christ," verse 17; " and of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace," verse 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 likewise in that apostolical benediction, wherein the communication of spiritual blessings from the several persons unto the saints is so exactly distinguished; it is grace that is ascribed to our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 Cor. xiii. 14, "The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you all."

Yea, Paul is so delighted with this, that he makes it his motto, and the token whereby he would have his epistles known, 2 Thess. iii. 17, 18," The salutation of Paul with mine own hand, which is the token in every epistle: so I write. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all." Yea, he makes these two, "Grace be with you," and, "The Lord Jesus be with you," to be equivalent expressions; for whereas he affirmed the one to be the token in all his epistles, yet sometimes he useth the one only, sometimes the other of these, and sometimes puts them both together. This, then, is that which we are peculiarly to eye in the Lord Jesus, 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. iv. 7.

Grace is a word of various acceptations. In its most eminent significations it be referred unto one of these three heads:may 1. Grace of personal presence and comeliness. So we say, "A graceful and comely person," either from himself or his ornaments. This in Christ (upon the matter) is the subject of near one-half of the book of Canticles; it is also mentioned, Ps. xlv. 2, "Thou art fairer than the children of men; grace is poured into thy lips." And unto this first head, in respect of Christ, do I refer also that acceptation of grace which, in respect of us, I fix in the third place. Those inconceivable gifts and fruits of the Spirit which were bestowed on him, and brought forth in him, concur to his personal excellency; as will afterward appear.

2. Grace of free favour and acceptance.

"By this grace we are

1 Acts xv. 11; Rom. xvi. 24; 1 Cor. xvi. 23; 2 Cor. xiii. 14; Gal. vi. 18; Eph. 2 Prov. i. 9, iii. 22, 34; Cant. iii. 6-11, v. 9-16, etc.

vi. 24.

3 Ezra ix. 8; Acts iv. 33; Luke ii. 40; Esther ii. 17; Ps. lxxxiv. 11; Eph. ii. 6; Acts xv. 40, xviii. 27; Rom. i. 7, iv. 4, 16, v. 2, 20, xi. 5, 6; 2 Thess. ii. 16; Tit. iii. 7; Rev. i. 4, etc.

saved;" that is, the free favour and gracious acceptation of God in Christ. In this sense is it used in that frequent expression, “If I have found grace in thy sight;" that is, if I be freely and favourably accepted before thee. So he "giveth grace" (that is, favour) "unto the humble," James iv. 6; Gen. xxxix. 21, xli. 37; Acts vii. 10; 1 Sam. ii. 26; 2 Kings xxv. 27, etc.

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

These two latter, as relating unto Christ in respect 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 sufferings, and the power of his resurrection," Phil. iii. 10.

1. Let us begin with the first, which I call personal grace; and concerning that do these two things:-(1.) Show what it is, and wherein it consisteth; I mean the personal grace of Christ. And,― (2.) Declare how the saints hold immediate communion with him therein.

(1.) To the handling of the first, I shall only premise this observation: It is Christ as mediator of whom we speak; and therefore, by the "grace of his person," I understand not,—

[1.] The glorious excellencies of his Deity considered in itself, abstracting from the office which for us, as God and man, he undertook.

[2] Nor the outward appearance of his human nature, neither when he conversed here on earth, bearing our infirmities (whereof, by reason of the charge that was laid upon him, the prophet gives quite another character, Isa. lii. 14), concerning which some of the ancients were very poetical in their expressions; nor yet as now exalted in glory;-a vain imagination whereof makes many bear a false, a corrupted respect unto Christ, even upon carnal apprehensions of the mighty exaltation of the human nature; which is but "to know Christ after the flesh," 2 Cor. v. 16, a mischief much improved by the abomination of foolish imagery. But this is that which I intend,-the graces of the person of Christ as he is vested with the office of mediation, -his spiritual eminency, comeliness, and beauty, as appointed and anointed by the Father unto the great work of bringing home all his elect unto his bosom.

Now, in this respect the Scripture describes him as exceeding excellent, comely, and desirable,—far above comparison with the chiefest, choicest created good, or any endearment imaginable.

Ps. xlv. 2, “Thou art fairer than the children of men: grace is

poured into thy lips." He is, beyond comparison, more beautiful and gracious than any here below,-, (japhiaphitha); the word is doubled, to increase its significancy, and to exalt its subject beyond

says the Chaldee שופרך מלכא משיחא עדיף מבני נשא .all comparison

2

paraphrast: "Thy fairness, O king Messiah, is more excellent than the sons of men." "Pulcher admodum præ filiis hominum;"-exceeding desirable. Inward beauty and glory is here expressed by that of outward shape, form, and appearance; because that was so much esteemed in those who were to rule or govern. Isa. iv. 2, the prophet, terming of him "The branch of the Lord," and "The fruit of the earth," affirms that he shall be "beautiful and glorious, excellent and comely;" "for in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily," Col. ii. 9. Cant. v. 9, the spouse is inquired of as to this very thing, even concerning the personal excellencies of the Lord Christ, her beloved: "What is thy Beloved" (say the daughters of Jerusalem) "more than another beloved, O thou fairest among women? what is thy Beloved more than another beloved?" and she returns this answer, verse 10, "My Beloved is white and ruddy, the chiefest among ten thousand;" and so proceedeth to a particular description of him by his excellencies to the end of the chapter, and there concludeth that "he is altogether lovely," verse 16; whereof at large afterward. Particularly, he is here affirmed to be "white and ruddy;" a due mixture of which colours composes the most beautiful complexion.

1st. He is white in the glory of his Deity, and ruddy in the preciousness of his humanity. "His teeth are white with milk, and his eyes are red with wine," Gen. xlix. 12. Whiteness (if I may so say) is the complexion of glory. In that appearance of the Most High, the "Ancient of days," Dan. vii. 9, it is said, "His garment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like the pure wool;"--and of Christ in his transfiguration, when he had on him a mighty lustre of the Deity, "His face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light,' Matt. xvii. 2; which, in the phrase of another evangelist, is, “White as snow, so as no fuller on earth can white them," Mark ix. 3. It was a divine, heavenly, surpassing glory that was upon him, Rev. i. 14. Hence the angels and glorified saints, that always behold him, and are fully translated into the image of the same glory, are still said to be in white robes. His whiteness is his Deity, and the glory thereof.

1 Isa. xi. 1; Jer. xxiii. 5, xxxiii. 15; Zech. iii. 8, vi. 12.

2 ̔Ως ἡδὺ καλὸς ὅταν ἔχει νοῦν σώφρονα, πρῶτον μὲν εἶδος ἄξιον τυραννίδος.—Porphyr. in Isag. Inde Suetonius de Domitiano. "Commendari se verecundiâ oris adeo sentiebat, ut apud senatum sic quondam jactaverit; usque adhuc certe animum meum probastis et vultum."-Sueton. Domit., cap. xviii. "Formæ elegantia in Rege laudatur, non quod per se decor oris magni æstimari debeat, sed quia in ipso vultu sæpe reluceat generosa indoles."-Calvin, in loc.

3 Rev. iii. 4, 5, vi. 11, vii. 9, 13, xix. 14.

VOL. II.

4

And on this account the Chaldee paraphrast ascribes this whole passage unto God. "They say," saith he, "to the house of Israel, Who is the God whom thou wilt serve?' etc. Then began the congregation of Israel to declare the praises of the Ruler of the world, and said, 'I will serve that God who is clothed in a garment white as snow, the splendour of the glory of whose countenance is as fire." He is also ruddy in the beauty of his humanity. Man was called Adam, from the red earth whereof he was made. The word here' used points him out as the second Adam, partaker of flesh and blood, because the children also partook of the same, Heb. ii. 14. The beauty and comeliness of the Lord Jesus in the union of both these in one person, shall afterward be declared.

2dly. He is white in the beauty of his innocency and holiness, and ruddy in the blood of his oblation. Whiteness is the badge of innocency and holiness. It is said of the Nazarites, for their typical holiness, "They were purer than snow, they were whiter than milk," Lam. iv. 7. And the prophet shows us that scarlet, red, and crimson, are the colours of sin and guilt; whiteness of innocency, Isa. i. 18. Our Beloved was "a Lamb without blemish and without spot," 1 Pet. i. 19. "He did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth," 1 Pet. ii. 22. He was "holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners," Heb. vii. 26; as afterward will appear. And yet he who was so white in his innocency, was made ruddy in his own blood; and that two ways:-Naturally, in the pouring out of his blood, his precious blood, in that agony of his soul when thick drops of blood trickled to the ground, Luke xxii. 44; as also when the whips and thorns, nails and spears, poured it out abundantly: "There came forth blood and water," John xix. 34. He was ruddy by being drenched all over in his own blood. And morally, by the imputation of sin, whose colour is red and crim"God made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin," 2 Cor. v. 21. He who was white, became ruddy for our sakes, pouring out his blood an oblation for sin. This also renders him graceful: by his whiteness he fulfilled the law; by his redness he satisfied justice. "This is our Beloved, O ye daughters of Jerusalem."

son.

3dly. His endearing excellency in the administration of his kingdom is hereby also expressed. He is white in love and mercy unto his own; red with justice and revenge towards his enemies, Isa.

lxiii. 3; Rev. xix. 13.

1

There are three things in general wherein this personal excellency

2 "Alii candidum exponunt esse puris et probis, rubrum et cruentum reprobis ad eos puniendos ut Isaia, cap. Ixiii. dicitur, Cur rubent vesti

menta tua? quod nostri minus recte de Christi passione exponunt."-Mercer. in loc, 3 Rev. vi. 2.