Obs. That the salvation of the people of God is a common salvation, — not to good and bad ; for it belongeth only to a peculiar people, — but common to all believers : it is common to them in divers regards.
1. They all are chosen by the same gi-ace ; there is no special reason why Paul should obtain mercy rather than John, and Andrew, and Thomas. Free grace acteth upon the same terms. All God's motives are taken from himself, from his own bosom : ' For my own sake,' saith the Lord, Isa. xliii. 25. There may be a difference in the creature ; John and Andrew may be otherwise tempered and disposed than Paul and Peter ; but God's motives to choose both the one and the other are still the same.
2. They have the same Christ : ' There is no other name under heaven,' Acts iv. 12 ; and ' Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, to-day, and for ever,' Heb. xiii. 8. In all ages the church hath been saved by Christ ; none of the holy ones of God had a more worthy Kedeemer than we have. Christ gave the same ransom to purchase heaven for me, and thee, and others : as under the law, the rich and the poor were to give the same ransom : Exod. xxx. 15, ' The rich shall not give more, and the poor shall not give less than half a shekel.' The price of Christ's blood for all souls was equal. If they had a more worthy Christ to die for them, you might be discouraged.
3. You are justified by the same righteous one as far as another: ' The righteousness of Christ is unto all, and upon all that believe, and there is no difference,' Kom. iii. 22. In inherent righteousness, there is a great deal of difference; one hath more grace, and another hath less. In sanctification there are degrees, but as to imputed righteousness, they are all equal ; none of the saints hath finer linen, or are decked with a better vesture than you are. There is a difference in the degree of faith, which receiveth this righteousness, but there is no difierence in the righteousness itself. A giant or strong man holdeth a precious jewel, so doth a child ; the jewel is the same ; though a man holdeth it with a stronger hand, it loseth nothing of its worth in the child's hand.^ So here the righteousness is the same, though the faith be not the same.
4. As we have the same privileges, so the same way ; all by faith ;
^ 'Gemmam annulo curvo inclusam amplectitur et gigas, amplectitur et puerulus. Licet gigas fortius earn amplectatur quam puerulus, tameu manet annulus seque preciosus et gemma seque preciosa.' — Luther.
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and the faith of the weakest as to the essential privileges is as accept- able to God as the faith of the strongest : 2 Peter i. 1, 'Simon Peter to them that have obtained like precious faith with us.' It is like precious for kind, though not degree ;i of the same nature, worth, and property, though every one cannot come up to the heiglit of an apostle.
5. They are all under the same rule and direction: Gal. vi. 16/ As many as walk by this rule, peace on them, and the whole Israel of God.' The way of error is manifold, but there is but one path that leadeth to heaven.
6. They are in one mystical body, ministering supplies to one another: Col. ii. 19, 'Not holding the head, from which all the body, by joints and bands, having nourishment ministered, and knit together, increaseth with the increase of God.' The head is the fountain of all vital influence, but the joints and bands do minister and convey the nourishments ; the whole body is still increasing and growing up to perfection, and they are helping one another, as the members of the same body do continue the communion of the same spirit, or, by the continuity of the parts, make way for the animation and quickening by the same soul.
What use shall we make of this ? I answer : —
1. It hinteth public care, that we should help salvation forward, both in ourselves and others ; rejoice in others' faith as well as in your own : Kom. i. 12, ' Comforted by the mutual faith of you and me.' His faith was a comfort to them, and their faith a comfort to him ; nay, out of an excess of love and charity, Paul useth an expression not imitable : Eom. ix. 3, ' I could wish that I were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh.'
2. It checketh the impropriating of grace and religion, to such an order or sort of Christians, such as was the ambition of former times ; as if all religion were confined within a cloister, or wrapped up in a black garment ; those were called religious houses, and those the clergy, or God's portion, all others were lay and secular. Oh ! how far was this from the modesty of the apostles ! Peter calleth the faith of common Christians, ' like precious faith ; ' and Jude speaketh of a ' common salvation.' So the Jews before them, they confined God's choice to their nation ; they could not endure to hear of ' salvation among the Gentiles,' and of a ' righteousness that came to all, and upon all that believe.' We have an envious nature, and would fain impropriate common favours. The church of Piome would fain bring all the world to their lore, and confine truth and faith and salvation within the pre- cincts of their synagogue ; they seize upon and possess themselves of the keys of heaven, to open to whom they please. Now God hath broken down all pales and inclosures, they would fain rear up a new partition wall. Corrupt nature envieth that others should have a fellowship in our privileges, therefore the same spirit still worketh ; men do so value their lesser differences, and that distinct way and opinion which they have taken up, as if none could be saved but those of their own party and persuasion ; it is very natural to us to affix holiness to our own opinions, and to allow none to be good but those that jump with us in all things. There were factions at Corinth, and