Doct. A near, intimate, and constant conjunction with Christ is the privilege of those who make conscience of keeping the commandments.
First, What is this near, intimate and constant conjunction with Christ? It is expressed here by a mutual inhabitation.
1. Dwelling noteth nearness and intimacy ; it is not dwelling by one another, but dwelling in one another : ' You in me, and I in you,' John xiv. 20 ; which noteth presence and influence. So John vi. 56, 'He that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him.' As meat is turned into the eater's substance, so they and Christ become one. Christ is present with and in the believer, that is, graciously present ; not in substance at all, as man ; for ' the lieaven of heavens must contain him till the days of refreshing come from the presence of the Lord,' Acts iii. 21. Nor in substance only as God, for so he is everywhere : Jer. xxiii. 24, ' Do not I fill heaven and earth ? saith the Lord.' But by his gracious operation and special influence upon them, whereby he conveyeth life, strength, and glory to them. Life: Gal. ii. 20, ' I live, yet not I, but Christ liveth in me ; and the life that I live in the flesh I live by the faith of the
220 SERMONS UPON 1 JOHN III. [SeR. XXXI.
Son of God ; ' 1 John iv. 4, ' Greater is he that is in you than he that is in the Avorld.' Glory : Col. i. 27, ' Christ is in you, the hope of t^loi-y.' The first gift we have from God is Christ ; we partake of him before we partake of his benefits : 1 John v. 12, ' He that hath the Son hath life, and he that hath not the Son hath not life.' There- fore we are most strictly united to him as members to the head, whence they receive strength and motion ; so do we receive gracious influence as from our head.
2. It is a constant habitual presence ; for dwelling noteth continu- ance and perseverance. Christ cometh not for a visit and away, but it noteth his abode and constant residence : he doth not sojourn only for a season, but take up his abode in us : John xiv. 23, ' We will take up our abode with him.' Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, those blessed guests will dwell there. The Spirit may come upon the carnal by a transient motion, move them at times as they have their good moods and fits ; but he doth not act the faithful per modum aches transientis, but per modum habitus permanentis, by a constant habitual influence or principle of life. God hath put our life into Christ's hands : ' Because he liveth we shall live also,' John xiv. 19. So that we do not use him as an instrument for a turn, which is then laid by till we need it again ; or as a pen to write, or a knife to cut ; but we con- stantly live in him, as the principle and root of our life, as branches use the root, and members the head, which they live by, and from which when they are severed they die and wither, ' When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, we shall appear with him,' Col. iii. 4. He will convey life to us, begun in grace here and perfected in glory. This life is maintained on his part by a constant influence, on our part by a constant dependence : therefore by dwelling in him and he in us is intended not only intimacy — that is implied in the phrase ' in him' — but constancy, in the word ' abide' or dwell. Being united to Christ, we still cleave to him, and Ciirist withdraweth not the Spirit from us.
3. It is a mutual presence; we dwell in Christ, and he in us. This must be heeded and regarded for two reasons —
[1.] Because our abiding in him is the way to have him abide in us, and so the communion is mutual : John xv. 4, ' Abide in me and I in you.' One clause is the exhortation, the other the promise. No man hath any dwelling in Christ, but Christ hath first his dwelling in him ; he first cometh into our hearts, and then giveth us place in his heart also : we must take the course', use the means, whereby he may abide in us.
[2.] Because there is no danger the union will break on Christ's part : if we abide in him, he will not fail to abide in us. His gracious presence is secured by his love and promise ; all the danger is of breaking on our part ; and therefore we must be quickened and exhorted to abide in him : and as by other motives, so by the danger of apostasy, not only that we may evidence the reality of our union with him, but that we may keep the bonds entire and unbroken. So doth our Lord testify, John xv. 6, ' If any man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered, and men cast them into the fire and they are burned.' Now should we be wiser than Christ, who