Secondly, That the sacraments are a solemn means of this commu- nion. Here are three things : —
1. That union with Christ is the ground of our communion with him.
2. This union and communion is signified and sealed by the sacra- ments.
3. That both the sacraments do chiefly refer to Christ's death.
1. That union with Christ is the ground of communion with him. This is evident everywhere ; for it is said, 1 Cor. i. 30, ' But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteous- ness, and sanctification, and redemption.' We are first ingrafted into Christ, and then partake of his influence, and he conveyeth to us all manner of grace, and is the cause both of our justification and sanctifi- cation and final deliverance. So 1 John v 12, * He that hath the Son hath life, and he that hath not the Son hath not life.' Christ is the first gift ; first God giveth Christ to us, and ' with him all things,' Rom. viii. 32. Christ himself is the first saving gift ; and therefore, before we can have spiritual live, we must have Christ himself, who is offered to us in the promises of the gospel, principally and immediately to be received by us, and with him all his benefits, as the members receive sense and life and motion from the head, and the branches sap from the root. We have not what he hath purchased unless we have him first ; as we are not possessors of Adam's guilt till we are united to his person by carnal generation, so not of the grace of the Redeemer, till united to him by effectual calling. In short, Christ hath purchased, and the Father hath given, all things into Christ's own hands ; the gifts and graces of the Spirit are not intrusted with ourselves, but him ; we have so foully miscarried already, that God will no more trust his honour in our hands ; we have nothing but what we have in and from the Son. The Spirit dwelleth in Christ, and there it can never be lost ;
VeR. 3.] SERMONS UPON ROMANS VI. 165
he dwelleth in Christ by way of radication, in us by way of influence and operation. We have many disputes aljout the inhabitation of the Spirit The Spirit is not given to any believer immediately, but to Christ, and to us derivatively from Christ. Therefore the Spirit is called ' the Spirit of Christ,' Eom. viii. 9, and ' the Spirit of his Son/ Gal. iv. 6, and ' it is Christ liveth in us,' Gal. ii. 20, and ' as head of the church he filleth all in all,' Eph. i. 22, 23. From this great cistern the waters of life come to us, and not immediately from the Godhead ; and it is our head which doth communicate and send to all his mem- bers from himself that Spirit which must operate in them as they have need: this grace our mediator distributeth to all his members.
2. That this union and communion is signified and sealed by the sacraments, and so they are special means to preserve and uphold the communion between Christ and us. Baptism is spoken of in the text, and that is called ' a being baptized into Christ,' and is elsewhere said to be 'a putting on Cluist ; ' and here, ver. 5, avfM^vTot,, ' a being planted together in the likeness of his death ; ' and 1 Cor. xii. 13, * By one Spirit we are all baptized into one body, and are all made to drink into one Spirit.' The union is begun by the Spirit, but sealed in baptism, then carried on by the same Spirit, and further sealed in the Lord's supper. Our first implantation is represented by baptism, which is a solemnisation of the new covenant, whereby the party is solemnly entered a visible member of Christ and his church. It is carried on by the same Spirit. The Lord's supper is a seal of that communion : oirxji Kocvcovla ; 1 Cor. x. 16, ' The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ ? the bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ ? ' There is not only a solemn commemoration of the death and passion of our Lord Jesus Christ, but a participation of his benefits ; it is the communion of his body and blood. There is a difference between a historical representa- tion of Christ's death, and a spiritual communion of his blood and body. Now the Lord's supper is a holy rite instituted et? avd/jLvrjatv, ' in remembrance of him,' and also to convey to us the benefits of Christ's death. Well, then, you see this union and communion is signified and sealed by the sacraments. Baptism is our first implan- tation, and the Lord's supper concerneth our growth and nourishment. The external and visible incorporation is by baptism, or profession of the christian faith, which all visible christians have : John xv. 2, ' Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away, and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.' The real and saving union belongeth to the regenerate, who really believe in Christ, in their hearts Christ dwelleth : Eph. iii. 17, ' That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith;' and love is requisite : 1 John iv. 16, ' God is love, and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God and God in him ;' and new obedience : 1 John iii. 24, ' He that keepelh his commandments dwelleth in him and he in him ; and hereby know we that he abideth in us by the Spirit which he hath given us.' This is the sum then: Christ maketh his first entrance into us by his Spirit, who regenerateth us ; this is figured in baptism ; continueth his presence by faith, love, and new obedience, which are exercised and quickened by the Lord's supper.