Secondly, This inlieritance is so large, that it cannot be surveved by creatures ; nor can the boundaries and limits thereof be des- cribed, for it comprehends all things ; 1 Cor. iii. 22 J. " All is w yours, ye are Christ's, and Christ is God's." Rev. xxi. 7. " He that overcomes shall inherit all things.r> And yet I do not think, or say, that Dominium fundatur in gratia, that temporal dominion is founded in grace : no, that is at the cast and disposal of Providence. But Christ, by his death, hath restored a right to all things to his people.
But, to be more particular, I shall distribute the saints inheri- tance, purchased by Christ, into three heads ; all temporal good things, all spiritual good things, and all eternal good things are theirs.
1. All temporal good things. 1 Tim. vi. 7. " He hath given us " all things richly to enjoy §."' Not that they have the possession^ but the comfort and benefit of all things : others have the sting, gall, wormwood, baits and snares of the creature; saints only have the blessing and comfort of it. So that this little that a
* Christum parva magnis pensasse. Athanas. de passione et cruce.
f Mullo phira quam. debemus Chrisins pro nobis solvit, tantoque plura, quanto guttulam exiguam pelagxis excellit immensum.
\ The whole world belongs to the faithful. Aug.
§ Christ merited for us all supernatural good things, and all aids, whether pre- venting, or subsequent ; and all those things, though they are things extrinsical to us, which bear the relation of means to our salvation. Vincent. Austricens. dc habit. Christ, grat. prcslect. q. 5. p. 259.
192 THE FOUNTAIN OF LIFE. PERM. XTj
righteous man hath, is (in this among other respects) belter than the treasures of many wicked: which is the true key to open that dark savins of the apostle, 2 Cor. vi. 10. N As having nothing, and " Vet possessing all things." They only possess, others are posses- seel by the world. The saints utuntur mundo, et fruuntur Deoy " use the world, and enjoy God" in the use of it. Others are de- ceived, defiled, and destroyed by the world ; but these are refreshed and furthered by it.
2. All spiritual good things are purchased by the blood of Christ for them ; as Justification , which comprises remission of sins and acceptance of our persons by God: Rom. iii. 24. " Being justified " freely by his grace, through the redemption that is in Christ.1' Sanetification is also purchased for them ; yea, both initial and pro- gressive sanetification : for of " God, he is made unto us, not only " wisdom and righteousness, but sanetification also," 1 Cor. i. 30. These two, viz. our justification and sanetification, are two of the most rich and shining robes in the wardrobe of free grace. How glorious and lovely do they render the soul that wears them J These are like the bracelets, and jewels Isaac sent to Rebecca. Adoption into the family of God is purchased for us by his blood ; " For ye " are all the children of God by faith in Jesus Cbrist,,, Gal. iii. 26\ Christ, as he is the Son, is hoeres natus^ " the heir by nature ;" as he is Mediator, he is hoeres constitutus, " the heir by appointment," appointed heir of all things, as it is, Heb. i, 2. By the Sonship of Christ, we being united to him by faith, become sons ; and if sons, then heirs. " O what manner of love is this, that we should be " called the sons of God V 1 John iii. 1. That a poor beggar should be made an heir, yea, an heir of God, and joint heir with Christ ! Yea, that very faith, which is the bond of union, and consequently, the ground of all our communion with Christ, is the purchase of his blood also : 2 Pet. i. 1. "To them that have " obtained like precious faith with us, through the righteousness " of God and our Saviour Jesus Christ." This most precious grace is the dear purchase of our Lord Jesus Christ ; yea, all that peace, joy, and spiritual comfort, which are sweet fruits of faith, are with it purchased for us by this blood.
So speaks the apostle in Rom. v. 1, 2, 3. " Being justified by u faith, we have peace with God, through our Lord Jesus " Christ," &c. Moreover the Sjririt himself, who is the author, fountain, and spring of all graces and comforts, is procured for us by his death and resurrection: Gal. iii. 13, 14. " Christ hath u redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for " us ; for it is written, cursed is every one that hangeth on a " tree : that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Geii- 11 tiles through Jesus Christ, that we might receive the promise
SEltM. XY. THE FOUNTAIN OF LIFE. 1#5
« of the Spirit through faith." That Spirit that first sanctified, and since hath so often sealed, comforted, directed, resolved, guided, and quickened your souls, had not come to perform any of these blessed offices upon your hearts, if Christ had not died.
3. All eternal good things are the purchase of his blood. Heaven, and all the glory thereof, is purchased for you that are believers, with this price. Hence that glory, whatever it be, is called " an " inheritance incorruptible, undefiled, and that fadeth not away, " reserved in heaven for you :" To the lively hope whereof you are begotten again, " by the resurrection of Christ from the dead," 1 Pet. i. 3, 4. Not only present mercies are purchased for usj but things to come also, as it is, 1 Cor. iii. 22. Man is a prudent and prospecting creature, and is not satisfied that it is well with him for the present, unless he have some assurance it shall be well with him for time to come. His mind is taken up about what shall be hereafter ; and from the good or evil things to come, he raiseth up to himself vast hopes or fears.
Therefore to complete our happiness, and fill up the uttermost capacity of our souls, all the good of eternity is put into the ac- count and inventory of the saints estate and inheritance. This happiness is ineffable ; it is usually distinguished into what is essen- tial, and what is accessory to it. The essentials of it, as far as we in our embodied state can conceive, is either the objective, subjective, ox formal happiness to be enjoyed in heaven.
The objective happiness is God himself, Psal. lxxiii. 25. " Whom have I in heaven but thee f If it could be supposed (saith one) that God should withdraw from the saints in heaven, and say, Take heaven, and divide it among you ; but as for me, I will withdraw from you ; the saints would fall a weeping in heaven, and say, Lord, take heaven, and give it to whom thou wilt ; it is no heaven to us, except thou be there : Heaven would be very Bochim to the saints without God. In this, our glory in heaven consists, to be ever with the Lord, 1 Thess. iv. 17. God himself is the chief part of a sainfs inheritance ; in which sense, as some will understand, Rom. viii. 1. they are called heirs of God.