(2.) As him in, for, and by whom we have acceptance with God in our obedience. They know all their duties are weak, imperfect, not able to abide the presence of God ; and therefore they look to Christ as him wdio bears the iniquity of their holy things, who adds incense to their prayers, gathers out all the weeds of their duties, and makes them acceptable to God.
(3.) As one that hath renewed the commands of God unto them, with mighty obligations unto obedience. So the apostle, 2 Cor. v. 14, 15, " The love of Christ constraineth us;" of which afterward.
(4.) They consider him as God, equal with his Father, to whom all honour and obedience is due. So Rev. v. 13. But these things I have, not long since, opened^ in another treatise, dealing about the worship of Christ as mediator. This, then, the saints do in all their obedience ; they have a special regard to their dear Lord Jesus. He is, on all these accounts, and innumerable others, continuall}' in their thoughts. His love to them, his life for them, his death for them, — all his kindness and mercy constrains them to live to him.
2. By labouring to abound in fruits of holiness. As he deals with us in a way of bounty, and deals out unto vis abundantly, so he re- quires that we abound in all grateful, obediential returns to him. So we are exhorted to " be always abounding in the work of the Lord," 1 Cor. XV. 58. This is that I intend: — the saints are not satisfied with ' Vindiciio Evangel., cliap. xiii. vol. xii.
154 OF COMMUNION WITH THE SON JESUS CHRIST.
that measure that at any time they have attained, but are still press- ing, that they may be more dutiful, more fruitful to Christ.
And this is a little glimpse of some of that communion which we enjoy with Christ. It is but a little, from him who hath tlie least experience of it of all the saints of God ; who yet hath found that in it which is better than ten thousand worlds; who desires to spend the residue of the few and evil days of his pilgi'image in pursuit hereof, — in the contemplation of the excellencies, desirableness, love, and grace of our dear Lord Jesus, and in making retm'ns of obedience according to his will : to whose soul, in the midst of the perplexities of this wretched world, and cursed rebellions of his own heart, this is the great relief, that " He that shall come will come, and will not tany." "The Spirit and the bride say, Come; and let hun that readeth say, Come. Even so, come, Lord Jesus."
CHAPTER VI.
Of communion with Christ in purchased grace — Purchased grace considered in respect of its rise and fountain — The first rise of it, in the obedience ot Christ — Obedience properly ascribed to Christ — Two ways considered : what it was, and wherein it did consist — Of his obedience to the law in general — Of the law of the Mediator — His habitual righteousness, how necessary ; as also his obedience to the law of the Mediator — Of his actual obedience or active right- eousness— All Christ's obedience performed as he Avas Mediator — His active obedience for us — This proved at large, Gal. iv. 4, 5; Rom. v. 19; Phil. iii. 10; Zech. iii. 3-5 — One objection removed — Considerations of Christ's active righteousness closed — Of the death of Christ, and its influence into our acceptation with God — A price; redemption, what it is — A sacrifice; atone- ment made thereby — A punishment ; satisfaction thereby — The intercession of Christ; with its influence into our acceptation with God.
Our process^ is now to communion with Christ in pw'chased grace, as it was before proposed: " That we may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, and be made conformable to his death," Phil. iii. 10.
By piu'chased grace, I miderstand all that righteousness and grace which Christ hath procured, or wrought out for us, or doth by any means make us pai-takers of, or bestows on us for our benefit, by any thing that he hath done or suffered, or by any thing he continueth to do as mediator: — First, What tJiis purchased grace is, and tuherein it doth consist; Secondly, Uoiu wc hold communion with Christ therein; arc the things that now come under consideration. ' [See beglnniiij,' of chapter ii., for the leading divisions.]
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The First may be considered two ways: — 1. In respect of the rise and fountain of it; 2. Of its nature, or wherein it consisteth.
1. It hath a threefold rise, spring, or causality in Christ : — (1.) The obedience of his life. (2.) The suffering of his death. (3.) His con- tinued intercession. All the actions of Christ as mediator, leading to the communication of grace unto us, may be either referred to these heads, or to some things that are subservient to them or con- sequents of them.
2. For the nature of this grace wherein we have communion with Christ, flowing from these heads and fountains, it may be referred to these three: — (1.) Grace oi justification, or acceptation with God ; which makes a relative change in us, as to state and condition. (2.) Grace of sanctification, or holiness before God ; which makes a real change in us, as to principle and operation. (3.) Grace oi privi- lege; which is mixed, as we shall show, if I go forth to the handling thereof.