7. According unto this divine order, the elect in all ages are, by the Holy Spirit moving and acting on that mass of the new creation, formed and animated with spiritual life, light, grace, and power, unto the glory of God. They are not called accidentally, according unto the
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external occasions and causes of their conversion nnto God; but in every age, at his own time and season, the Hol}^ Spirit communicates these things unto them in the order declared, unto the glory of God.
8. And in the same manner is the whole new creation preserved every day ; — every moment there is vital power and strength, mercy and grace, communicated in this divine order to all behevers in the world. There is a continual influence from the Fountain, from the Head, into all the members, whereby they all consist in him, are acted by him, who worketh in us both to will and to do of his own good pleasure. And the apostle declares that the whole constitution of church order is suited, as an external instrument, to promote these divine communications unto all the members of the church itself, Eph. iv. 13-15.
This in general is the order of divine communications, which is for the substance of it continued in heaven, and shall be so unto eternity ; for God is, and ever will be, all, and in all. But at present it is in- visible unto eyes of flesh, yea, the reason of men. Hence it is by the most despised ; — they see no glory in it. But let us consider the prayer of the apostle, that it may be otherwise with us, Eph. i. 16-23. For the revelation made of the glory of God in the old creation is exceeding inferior to that which he makes of himself in the new.
Having premised these things in general concerning the glory of divine communications, I shall proceed to declare, in particular, the gi'ounds and way whereby the Lord Christ communicates himself, and therewithal all tlie benefits of his mediation, unto them that do be- lieve, as it was before proposed.
We on our part are said herein to receive him, and that by faith, John i. 12. Now, where he is received by us, he must be tendered, given, gTanted, or communicated unto us. And this he is by some divine acts of the Father, and some of his own.
The foundation of the whole is laid in a sovereign act of the Avill, the pleasure, the grace of the Father. And this is the order and method of ail divine operations in the way and work of grace. They originally proceed all from him; and having effected their ends, do return, rest, and centre in him again. See Eph. i. 4-6. Wherefore, that Christ is made ours, that he is communicated unto us, is origin- ally from the free act, grant, and donation, of the Father, 1 Cor. i. 30; Rom. V. 15-17. And hereunto sundry things do concur. As, — 1. His eternal purpose, which he purposed in himself, to glorify his grace in all his elect, by this communication of Christ and the benefits of his mediation unto them ; which the apostle declares at large, Eph. i. 2. His gra7iting all the elect unto Christ, to be his own, so to do and suf- fer for them what was antecedaneously necessary unto the actual com- munication of himself unto them : " Thine they were, and thou gavest
IN THE COMMUNICATION OF HIMSELF. 365
them me," Jolm xvii. 6. 3. The giving of the promise, or the con- stitution of the rule and law of the Gospel, whereby a participation of Christ, an interest in him and all that he is, is made over and assured unto believers, John i. 12; 1 John i. 1-4. 4. An act of almighty 2')oiver, working and creating faith in the souls of the elect, enabling them to receive Christ so exhibited and communicated unto them by the Gospel, Eph. i. 19, 20, ii. 5-8.
These things, which I have but named, have an influence into the glory of Christ herein ; for this communication of him unto the church is an effect of the eternal counsel, wisdom, grace, and power of the Father.
But they are the acts of Christ himself herein, which principally we inquire into, as those which manifest the glory of his wisdom, love, and condescension.
And, — 1. He gives and communicates unto them his Holy Spirit; — the Holy Spirit as peculiarly his, as gi^anted unto him of the Father, as inhabiting in him in all fulness. This Spirit — abiding originally as to his person, and immeasurably as unto his effects and operations, in himself — he gives unto all believers, to inhabit and abide in them also, John xiv. 14-20; 1 Cor. vi. 17; Rom. viii. 9. Hence follows an in- effable union between him and them. For as in his incarnation he took our nature into personal union with his own ; so herein he takes our persons into a mystical union with himself Hereby he becomes ours, and we are his.
And herein he is unspeakably glorious. For this mystery of the inhabitation of the same Spirit in him as the head, and the church as his body, animating the whole, is a transcendent effect of divine wisdom. There is nothing of this nature in the whole creation be- sides, — no such union, no such mutual communication. The strictest unions and relations in nature are but shadows of it, Eph. v. 25-32. Herein also is the Lord Christ precious unto them that do believe, but a stone of stumbling and a rock of offence unto the disobedient. This glorious, ineffable effect of his wisdom and grace ; this rare, pe- culiar, singular way of the communication of himself unto the church, is by many despised. They know, it may be, some of them, what it is to be joined unto a harlot so as to become one flesh; but what it is to be joined unto the Lord so as to become one spirit, they know not. But this principle and spring of the spiritual life of the church, and of all vital, spiritual motions towards God and things heavenly, wherein and whereby " our life is hid with Christ in God," is the glory, the exaltation, the honour, the security of the church, unto the praise of the grace of God. The understanding of it in its causes, effects, ope- rations, and privileges wherewith it is accompanied, is to be preferred above all the wisdom in and of the world.