And this nearness is mutual. We are Christ's, and Christ is ours. He dwells in us and we in him. He abides in us, and we in him. He is in us as the vine is in the branches, and we are in him as the branches in the vine. And as it is intimate and mutual, so it is eternal; we are Christ's for ever.
But to come more particularly : By what title are we Christ's ?
(1.) The fust title that Christ hath to us is the same that he hath to all
* That is— they fall short of the relation between Christ and his peojile. — Ed.
A christian's CILUITER. 25
things else. All things are God's and Christ's hy creation and preserva- tion : all things consist in Christ.
(2.) But, sccondhj, there is a more near title than by creation ; namely, by gift. For the Father hath given us to him. For all that arc God's by election, he gave them to Christ, to purchase for them* ' by his blood.'
(3.) And, thirdly, he hath title to us * by redemption.'' AVe cost him dear. We are a spouse of blood to him, the price of his blood, Exod. iv. 25. He died for us. We could not be Christ's, but he must redeem us out of the hands of our enemies. And God would have his justice satisfied, that grace and justice might meet and kiss one another. God's justice must be satisfied before Christ would have us : for however there was amor henevo- lenticB, a love of good will, that gave us to Christ, yet till Christ redeemed us, and made us his own, there was not amor amicitiec, a love of friendsliip between God and us. So all friendship comes upon title of redemption.
(4.) Then, fourtlihj, upon redemption, there is a title of marriage that Christ hath to us. God, that brought Adam to Eve in paradise, he brings Christ and us together. And
(5.) We give consent on our part, as it is in mai'riage, to Christ. He is our husband, and we give our consent to take Christ to be so, that he shall rule and govern us, and we take him for better for worse in all con- ditions. Thus we see how Christ comes to be ours, and we to be Christ's. Now, the points that arise from this branch, 'And ye are Christ's,' are these, —
First, That ' all things are Christ's.'
Secondly, That ' we are Christ's.'
Thirdly, That ' all are ours, because we are Christ's.'
The connection of the text is this : ' All things are yours.' Why ? Be- cause ' you are Christ's.' How follows that ? Because all things are Christ's. If all things were not Christ's and we Christ's, the argument would not hold. So that all are Christ's first. All the promises are made to Christ first, and all good things are his first. All the ' promises are yea in him,' 2 Cor. i. 20; they are made in him, and they are ' amen,' they are performed in him. I need not stand much upon this. All things in the world are Christ's, for he made all, as it is Col. i. 16, and he hath re- conciled all. All things are Christ's, especially by the title of redemption, as he redeemed man. And indeed we could not be Christ's unless Christ had subdued all things to himself. Unless he had possessed all good and subdued all that is ill, how could he have brought us out of the hands of our enemies ? Therefore, in St John xvii. 2, our Saviour Christ speaks there of the * power that his Father had given him over all things.' But this was" upon consideration of his resurrection. After his resurrection, he saith, ' All power is given to me in heaven and earth,' Mat. xxviii. 18. Christ, as mediator, had title to all things by virtue of the union. As soon as the human nature was knit to the divinity, there was a thorough title to all things. But it was not discovered,* especially till the resurrection was past, when he had accomplished the work of redemption.
He was also to ask. ' Ask of me and I will give thee the heathen for thy possession,' Ps. ii. 8. God would not let his Son have anything (though he redeemed the church, and all things, in some sort) without asking. Shall any man then think to have anything without prayer, when all things ■were conveyed to the Son of God b}- asking ?
Further, Christ is 'the heir of the world,' Heb. i. 2. Therefore, all * Qu. ' to purchase them ' ?— Ed. t That is, ' manifested/ — G.
26 A chbistian's poution : or,
things must bo his as the heir. This is a clear point, and I do but name it, because it hath a connection with the truths I am now to speak of.
Hereupon it comes, that ' all things are ours, because Christ is ours.' Christ is said ' to be the first-born of many brethren,' Rom. viii. 29 ; and the 'first-begotten of every creature,' Col. i. 15; and 'the first-begotten from the dead,' Col. i. 18. Ail these shew the priority of Christ, that Christ is first, that he should have the pre-eminence in all things. For Christ is the prime creature of all ; he is God's masterpiece. That is the reason why nothing can be ours but it must be Christ's first. He is the first-begotten of every creature, both as God and man. He is the ' first- begotten,' because he is more excellent in order and dignity than any other whatsoever. So he is the 'first-begotten from the dead,' ' the first fruits ' of them that sleep, because all that rose rose by virtue of him. Hereupon it is that we can have nothing good but we must have it in Christ first.