' The ancieilts use to say commonly, that Alexander and Hephastion had but one soul in two distinct bodies, because their joy and sorrow, glory and disgrace, was mutual to them both. [Cf. Sibbes, vol. i. p. l'J4, note b. — G.] It is so between Christ and his saints. Their names, that are written in red letters of blood in the church's calendar, are written in golden letters in Christ's register in the book of life, said I'rudentius. In ray lifetime, said a gracious soul, I have been assaulted with temptations from Satan, and he hath cast my sins into my teeth to drive me to despair ; yet the Lord gave me strength to overcome all his temptations.
EpH. III. 8.] RICHES OF CHRIST. 73
Heb. xiii. 13 ; and their provocations are his provocations, Neh. iv. 4, 5 ; God is provoked more than Nehemiah. So Isa. viii. 18, compared with Heb. ii. J 3. ' Behold I, and the children whom the Lord hath given me, are for signs and wonders in Israel.' This the apostle applies to Christ, Heb. ii. 13.
[4.] Tlte Lord Jesus Christ shares with you in all your tempta- tations, Heb. ii. 17, 18, and iv. 15, 16.
Christ was tempted, and he was afflicted as well as you, that he might be able so succour you that are tempted. As a poor man that hath been troubled with pain and grief, he will share with others that are troubled with pain or grief Ah, friends ! the Lord Jesus Christ hath lost none of his affections by going to heaven ; he is still full of compassion, though free from personal passion. When he was on earth, oh ! how did he sympathize with his poor servants in all their tempta- tions. ' Satan,' says Christ to Peter, ' hath desired to winnow thee, but I have prayed for thee that thy faith fail not,' Luke xxii. 32. Luther, in his preaching, met with every man's temptation, and being once asked how he could do so ? answered. Mine own manifold temptations and experiences are the cause thereof Oh ! the manifold temptations that the Lord Jesus hath undergone, makes him sensible, as I may say, and willing to share with us in our temptations.
Secondly, As Christ shares with weak saints, so iveak saioits share with Christ. And this I shall shew you briefly in a few particulars.
[1.] Weak saints share with Christ in his divine nature. 2 Peter i. 4, ' Whereby are given to us exceeding great and precious pro- mises ; that by these we might be partakers of the divine nature.' Not of the substance of the Godhead, as the Familists say, for that is incom- municable ; but by the divine nature we are to understand those divine qualities, called elsewhere, ' the image of God,' ' the life of God,' that whereby we are made like to God in wisdom and holiness, wherein the image of God, after which man was at first created, consists, Eph. iv. 24, Col. iii. 10.^ Saints that do partake of this divine nature, that is, of those divine qualities before spoken of, they resemble God, not only as a picture doth a man, in outward lineaments, but as a child doth his father, in countenance and condition. And well may grace be called ' the divine nature,' for as God bringeth light out of darkness, comfort out of sorrow, riches out of poverty, and glory out of shame, so does gi-ace bring day out of night, and sweet out of bitter, and plenty out of poverty, and glory out of shame. It turns counters into gold, pebbles into pearls, sickness into health, weakness into strength, and wants into abundance. ' Enjoying nothing, and yet possessing all things,' 2 Cor. vi. 10, &c.
[2.] Weak saints share with Christ in his Spirit and grace.
In Ps. xlv. 7, Christ is ' anointed with the oil of gladness above his fellows.' They have the anointings of the Spirit, as well as he, though not so richly as he. They have their measure, though not that measure and proportion of the Spirit as the Lord Jesus hath. So in John i. J 6, ' Of his fulness have all we received, grace for grace.' There is in Christ not only a fulness of abundance, but also a fulness of redundance.
' To be made partakers of the divine nature notes two things : (I.) fellowship with God in his holiness ; (2.) a fellowship with God in his blessedness.
74 THE UNSEARCHABLE [EPH. III. 8.
There is au overflowing fulness in Christ, as a fountain overflows, and yet still remains full. ' Grace for grace,' or, * grace upon grace.' Abundance of grace, and the increases of graces, one by another.^
' Grace for grace,' that is, as a child in generation receives member for member ; or as the paper from the press receives letter for letter ; or as the wax from the seal receives print for print ; or as the glass from the image receives face for face, so does the weakest saint receive from Jesus Christ.
' Grace for grace,' that is, for every grace that is in Christ, there is the same grace in us, in some measure. There is not the weakest saint that breathes, but has in him some wisdom tliat answers to the wisdom of Christ, and some love that answers to the love of Christ, and some humility, meekness, and faith, that answers to the humility, meekness, and faith of the Lord Jesus, in truth and reality, though not in degree or quantity, &c.
[3.] Weak saints share with Christ, in the manifestations and dis- coveries of his Father.
The Lord Jesus, that lies in the bosom of the Father, hath the clearest and the fullest manifestations of the Father that can be, and he comes and opens the love and heart of the Father, he unbosoms and unbowels God to the weakest saints, as in John xv. 15, ' Henceforth I call you not servants ; for the servant knoweth not what his Lord doth : but I have called you friends ; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you.' So in John xvii. 6-8.^
[4.] Weak saints share with Christ in his honourable titles. In the title of sons, 1 John iii. 1, ' Behold what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God ! ' And in that of heirs, Rom. viii. 17. Yea, they are priests, and prophets, and kings, as well as he, as you may see by comparing Rev. ■ i. 5, 6, with 1 Peter ii. 9, &c.^
[5.] Weak saints share with Christ in his conquests. In 1 Cor. XV. 55-57, Rom. viii. 37, Christ hath triumphed over sword, famine, death, and devils, &c., and so have they through him also. Over all these we are more than conquerors, we are over and above conquerors. Oh what a blessed thing is this ! that weak saints should share with Christ in his conquests. The poor weak soldier shares with his general in all his noble and honourable conquests ; so does a poor weak Christian share with his Christ in all his noble and honourable conquests.*
[b.] Lastly, They share with Christ in his honour and f/lory.
And what would they have more ? John xii. 2G, ' If any man serve
me, let him follow me ; and where I am, there shall also my servant be:
if any man serve me, him will my Father honour.' 1 Peter v. I, Epli.
ii. 6, ' And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in