It is a foolish thing to argue, that because a mere participation of the same nature among men is not sufficient to warrant the righteous- ness of punishing one for another, — therefore the conjunction in the same nature betwixt Christ and the church is not a sufficient and just foundation of his suffering for us, and in our stead. For, by an act of his own will and choice, he did partake of our nature, and that for this very end, that therein he might suffer for us; as the Holy Ghost expressly declares. Amongst others, there neither is nor can be any thing of this nature, and so no objection from what is equal or unequal amongst them can arise against what is equal between Christ and the church. And herein is he glorious and precious unto them that believe, as we shall see immediately.
2. There is a mystical conjunction between Christ and the church, which answers all the most strict, real, or moral unions or conjunc- tions between other persons or things. Such is the conjunction be- tween the head of a body and its members, or the tree of the vine and its branches, which are real ; or between a husband and wife, which is moral and real also. That there is such a conjunction be- tween Christ and his church the Scripture plentifully declares, as also that it is the foundation of the equity of his suffering in its stead. So speaks the apostle, Eph. v. 25-32, " Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church," — that is, his wife, the bride, the Lamb's wife, — " and gave hnnself for it," &c. Being the head and husband of the church, which was to be sanctified and saved, and could be so no otherwise but by his blood and sufferings, he was both meet so to suffer, and it was righteous also that what he did and suf- fered should be imputed unto them for whom he both did it and suf- fered. Let the adversaries of the glory of Christ assign any one instance of such a conjunction, imion, and relation between any amongst mankind, as is between Christ and the church, and they may give some countenance unto their cavils against his obedience and sufferings in our stead, v/ith the imputation of what he did and suffered
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unto us. But the glory of Christ is singular herein, and as such it appears unto them by whom the mystery of it is, in any measure, spiritually apprehended.
But yet it "vvill be said, that this mystical conjunction of Christ with his church is consequential unto what he did and suffered for it ; for it ensues on the conversion of men unto him. For it is by faith that we are implanted into him. Until that be actually wrought in us, we have no mystical conjunction with him. He is not a head or a husband unto unregenerate, unsanctified unbelievers, whilst they con- tinue so to be ; and such was the state of the whole church when Christ suffered for us, Rom. v. 8; Eph. ii. 5. There was, therefore, no such mystical conjunction between him and the church as to ren- der it meet and equal that he should suffer in its stead. Wherefore the church is the effect of the work of redemption, — that which rose out of it, which was made and constituted by it ; and cannot be so the object of it as that which was to be redeemed by \drtue of an antecedent conjunction with it. I answer, —
(1.) Although this mystical conjunction is not actually consummate without an actual participation of the Spirit of Christ, yet the church of the elect was designed antecedently unto all his sufferings to be his spouse and wife, so as that he might love her and suffer for her ; so it is said, Hos. xii. 12, " Israel served for a wife, and for a wife he kept sheep." Howbeit she was not his married wife until after he had served for her, and thereby purchased her to be his wife ; yet as he served for her she is called his wife, because of his love unto her, and because she was so designed to be, upon his service. So was the church designed to be the spouse of Christ in the counsel of God; whereon he loved her and gave liimself for her.
Hence, in the work of redemption the church was the object of it, as designed to be the spouse of Christ ; and the effect of it, inasmuch as that thereby it was made meet for the full consummation of that alliance ; as the apostle expressly declares, Eph. v. 25-27.
(2.) Antecedently unto all that the Lord Christ did and suffered for the chui-ch, there was a supreme act of the will of God the Father, giving all the elect unto him, intrusting them with him, to be re- deemed, sanctified, and saved ; as himself declares, John xvii. 6, 9, X. 14-16. And on these grounds this mystical conjunction between Christ and the church hath its virtue and efficacy befoi'e it be actually consummate.
3. There is s^, federal conjunction between distinct persons: and as this is various, according unto the variety of the interests and ends of them that enter into it ; so that is most eminent, where one, by the common consent of all that are concerned, undertakes to be a sponsor or surety for others, to do and ansv/er what on their part is required