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saith St. Paul, Phil. iv. 13, who denies that of ourselves we have any sufficiency, 2 Cor. iii. 5. We that can do nothing in ourselves, we are such weaklings, can do all things in Jesus Christ, as giants; and therefore in him we are, against all oppositions in our way, "more than conquerors," Rom. viii. 37; and that because "from his fulness we receive grace for grace," John i. 16. From him have we the Spirit of life and power, whei'eby he bears, as on eagles' wings, swiftly, safel}^, in the paths of walking with God. Any step that is taken in any way, by strength that is not immediately from Christ, is one step towards hell. He first takes us by the arm and teaches us to go, until he leads us on to perfection. He hath milk and strong meat to feed us; he strengthens us with all might, and is with us in our running the race that is set before us. But yet, —
5. Whence should we take this confidence as to walk with God ; even our God, who is "a consuming fire?" Helx xii. 29. Was there not such a dread upon his people of old, that it was taken for gi'anted among them that if they saw God at any time, it Avas not to be en- dured,— they must die ? Can any, but with extreme hoiTor, think of that dreadful appearance that he made unto them of old upon mount Sinai ; until Moses himself, who was their mediator, said, " I exceed- ingly fear and quake?" Heb. xii. 21, and all the people said, "Let not God speak with us, lest we die?" Exod. xx. 19. Nay, though men have apprehensions of the goodness and kindness of God, yet upon any discovery of his glory, how do they ti'emble, and are filled with dread and astonishment ! Hath it not been so with the "choicest of his saints?" Hab. iii. 16; Isa. vi. 5; Job xlii. 5, 6. Whence, then, should we take to ourselves this boldness, to walk with God ? This the apostle will inform us in Heb. x. 19; it is " by the blood of Jesus:" so E})h. iii. 12, " In him we have boldness, and access with confidence;" — not standing afar off, like the people at the giving of the law, but drawing nigh to God with boldness; and that upon this account: — The dread and terror of God entered by sin; Adam had not the least thought of hiding himself until he had sinned. The guilt of sin being on the conscience, and this being a common notion left in the hearts of all, that God is a most righteous revenger thereof; this fills men with dread and hoiTor at an apprehension of his presence, fearing that he is come to call their sins to remembrance. INow, the Lord Jesus, by the sacrifice and the atonement that he hath made, hath taken away this conscience of sin ; that is, a dread of re- venge from God upon the account of the guilt thereof He hath removed the slaying sword of the law, and on that account gives us great boldness with God ; discovering liim unto us now, no longer as a revenging Judge, but as a tender, merciful, and reconciled Father. Moreover, whereas there is on us by nature a spirit of boiidage, filling uswith innumerable tormenting fears, ho takes it away, and gives us
OF COMMUNION WITH THE SON JESUS CHRIST. Ill
" the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry Abba, Father," and behave oiu'selves with confidence and gracious boldness, as children: for "where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is hberty," 2 Cor. iii. 17; that is, a freedom from all that dread and terror which the administration of the law brought with it. Now, as there is no sin that God will more severely revenge than any boldness that man takes with him out of Christ ; so there is no grace more acceptable to him than that boldness which he is pleased to afford us in the blood of Jesus. There is, then, —
6. But one thing more to add ; and that is, that two cannot walk together unless they have the same design in hand, and aim at the same end. This also, in a word, is given us in the Lord Jesus. The end of God is the advancement of his own glory; none can aim at this end, but only in the Lord Jesus. The sum of all is, that the whole wisdom of our walking with God is hid in Christ, and from him only to be obtained; as hath been manifest by an enumeration of particulars.
And so have I brought my first demonstration of what I intended unto a close, and manifested that all true wisdom and knowledge is laid up in, and laid out by, the Lord Jesus ; and this by an induction of the chief particular heads of those things wherein confessedly our wisdom doth consist. I have but one more to add, and therein I shall be brief
Secondly,^ then, I say this truth will be farther manifested by the consideration of the insufficiency and vanity of any thing else that may lay claim or pretend to a title to wisdom.