(7.) Access to God, with assurance of welcome and audience, Ps. 1. 15, and Heb. iv. 15, 16, and 1 John v, 14. This confidence we liave, that ' Whatsoever we shall ask in his name, he will do it for us.' Oh ! what a mercy is it that we have a father to go to ! that our persons and services should be acceptable and pleasing to him for Christ's sake ! We find the comfort of it living and dying. These are some of those fruits which grow ui)on this spiritual apple-tree.
2. His fruits ; for a threefold reason —
[1.] Because purchased by him. All these privileges were procured for us by his blood, death, and sufferings. Pardon of sins : Col. i. 14, * In whom we have redemption by his blood, the forgiveness of sins.' God would not cancel our debts till he had received this satisfaction. Peace with God : Col. i. 20, ' Having made peace through the blood of his cross.' It stood the Mediator dear that we might enjoy God's peace and favour with life. Adoption into God's family ; it is the fruit of his sufferings or being made under the law : Gal. iv. 4, 5, ' Heirs of glory.' We are purchased unto everlasting redemption, Eph. i. 14. The sanctification of the Spirit, Eph. v. 25, 26. Peace of conscience : ' This man our peace,' Micah v. 5. Audience : Heb. X. 19, ' We have boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus.' So that he purchased all these favours for us.
[2.j These fruits flow from him ; for as he purchased them, so he hath the keeping and dispensing of the })urchased benefits ; for he hath purchased this grace, not into another's hand, but into his own. He doth by the Spirit sanctify and bring back the souls of men unto God. Therefore it is said, John i. 16, ' Of his fulness have we received, and grace for grace.* And whatever the Spirit doth, he dotli for his honour and glory, and as his Spirit : John xvi. 14, ' He shall take of mine, and glorify me.'
[3.] It is enjoyed by virtue of an interest in him, as we are mem- bers of his mystical body : 1 Cor. i. 30, ' But of him are ye in Christ,
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wlio of God is made unto us wisdom and righteousness.' First we are in him, and then he is made to us of God all that we stand in need of. When we are en<^rafted into Christ we partake of his benefits : 1 John v. 12, ' He that hath the Son hath life,' &c. ; John XV. 1, 2, 5, 'I am the vine, ye are the branches.' So that by virtue of our union with him, and interest in him, we receive these fruits.
3. These are sweet unto a believer's taste. Observe there —
[1.] That believers have a taste of the goodness of Christ. They do experimentally find a great deal of comfort and sweetness in him : 1 Peter ii. 3, ' If so be that ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious.' Others know Christ by hearsay, they by experience. They know 'the grace of Christ in truth,' Col. i. 6. We use to say, Optima demonstratio est a sensibus — Things talked of do not affect us so much as things tasted and felt. He that hath tasted honey knoweth the sweetness of it more than he that only reads of it. Therefore we ought to get this taste — that is, an inward experience of the truth and goodness of heavenly things ; for christian religion is a thing not only to be understood, or disputed, or talked of, but also tasted. Moral instruction may give a sight, but faith a taste.
[2.] That Christ's fruits are very sweet to their taste, because of the suitableness of the fruit to the prepared appetite. They have an hungry conscience, and so can sooner taste that sweetness. As a man is, so is his appetite. The beasts find sweetness in grass, swine in tlieir swill, more than an epicure in all his dainties. Among men, every constitution of heart affecteth a suitable diet. In the general, the carnal relish only carnal things. More particularly, some worldly men, like the serpent, feed on the dust of the ground. Some vain- glorious men, like the cameleon, live upon the air and breath of popular applause ; the sensual, on the husks of brutish pleasure. But a christian s delights are on Christ, the promises of the gospel, and the fruits of the Spirit, 1 Cor. ii. 12. A christian hath another spirit than the spirit of this world. A sanctified soul can taste the sweet- ness of spiritual things, word, sacraments, graces, hopes. Yea, the way of obedience is sweet to them : Prov. iii. 17, ' Her ways are plea- santness, and all her paths are peace.' It is wonderfully comfortable, and filleth their hearts in a satisfying manner, when they can have any experience of God's love in Christ, in the word, or meditation, or prayer, or sacraments : ' My soul is filled as with marrow and fatness,' saith David, Ps. Ixiii. 6. Besides the attractive goodness of the object, there is inclination in their own souls to it.