[2.] As full of grace. He knows that sin had shut up the whole way of grace towards him; and whereas God aims at nothing so much as the manifestation of his grace, he was utterly cut short of it. Now, to have a complete righteousness provided, and yet abun- dance of grace manifested, exceedingly delights the soul ; — to have God's dealing with his person all grace, and dealing with his right- eousness all justice, takes up his thoughts. God everywhere assures us that this righteousness is of grace. It is " by grace, and no more of works," Rom xi. 6, as the apostle at large sets it out, Eph. ii. 7-9. It is from riches of grace and kindness that the provision of this righteousness is made. It is of mere grace that it is bestowed on us, it is not at all of works; though it be in itself a righteousness of works, yet to us it is of mere grace. So Tit. iii. 4-7, " But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared, not
1 90 OF COMMUNION WITH THE SON JESUS CHRIST.
by works of righteousness which we have done, hut according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost, which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour, that being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life." The rise of all this dispensation is kindness and love; that is, grace, verse 4. The way of communication, negatively, is not by works of righteousness that we have done ; — positively, by the communication of the Holy Ghost, verse 5; the means of Avhose procurement is Jesus Christ, verse G; — and the work itself is by grace, verse 7. Here is use made of every word almost, whereby the exceeding rich grace, kindness, mercy, and goodness of God may be expressed, all concurring in this work. As: 1. Xp»)(TTor7;5, — his goodness, benignity, readiness to communicate of himself and his good things that may be profitable to us. 2. ^iXav- ^puTia,, — mercy, love, and propensity of mind to help, assist, relieve them of whom he speaks, towards whom he is so affected. 3. "EXeoj, — mercy, forgiveness, compassion, tenderness, to theiji that suffer; and X"-P'S, — free pardoning bounty, undeserved love. And all this is said to be Tov Qeov Gurripbg, — he exercises all these properties and attributes of his nature towards us that he may save us; and in the bestowing of it, giving us the Holy Ghost, it is said, i^ix^tv, — he poured him out as water out of a vessel, without stop and hesitation ; and that not in a small measure, but TrXouff/wc,- — richly and in abundance: whence, as to the work itself, it is emphatically said, dixaiud'svrs; rri ixshov yaftri, — justified by the grace of him who is such a one. And this do the saints of God, in their communion with Christ, exceedingly rejoice in before him, that the way of their acceptation before God is a way of grace, kindness, and mercy, that they might not boast in themselves, but in the Lord and his goodness, crying, " How great is thy good- •ness ! how great is thy bounty ! "
(4.) They approve of it, and rejoice in it, as a luay of great peace and security to themselves and their own souls. They remem'jtier what was their state and condition whilst they went about to set up a righteousness of their own, and were not subject to the righteousness of Christ, — how miserably they were tossed up and down with con- tinual fluctuating thoughts. Sometimes they had hope, and sometimes were lull of fear; sometimes they thought themselves in some good condition, and anon were at the very brink of hell, their consciences being racked and torn with sin and fear : but now, " being justified ])y fliith, they have peace with God," Kom. v. 1. All is quiet and serene; not only that storm is over, but they are in the haven where they would be. They have abiding peace with God. Hence is that description of Christ to a poor soul, Isa. xxxii. 2, " And a man shall be as a hiding-place from the wind, and a covert from the tempest; as
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rivers of water in a dry place, as the shadow of a great rock in a weaiy land/' Wind and tempest, and drought and weariness, — nothing now troubles the soul that is in Christ; he hath a hiding-place, and a covert, and rivers of water, and the shadow of a great rock, for his security. This is the great mystery of faith in this business of our acceptation with God by Christ : — that whereas the soul of a believer finds enough in him and upon him to rend the very caul of the heart, to fill him with fears, terror, disquietments all his days, yet through Christ he is at perfect peace with God, Isa. xxvi. 3; Ps. iv. 6-8. Hence do the souls of believers exceedingly magnify Jesus Christ, that they can behold the face of God with boldness, confidence, peace, joy, assurance, — that they can call him Father, bear themselves on his love, walk up and down in quietness, and without fear. How glorious is the Son of God in this grace ! They remember the worm- wood and gall that they have eaten; — the vinegar and tears they have drunk; — the trembling of their souls, like an aspen leaf that is shaken with the wind. Whenever they thought of God, what con- trivances have they had to hide, and fly, and escape ! To be brought now to settlement and security, must needs greatly affect them.