2dly. From actual grace, which is transient; this making its resi- dence in the soul. ^Actual grace is an illapse of divine influence and assistance, working in and by the soul any spiritual act or duty whatsoever, without any pre-existence unto that act or con- tinuance after it, " God working in us, both to Avill and to do.'' But this habitual grace is always resident in us, causing the soul to be a
' 2 Cor. V. 17.
2 Cor. V. 17; Ezek. xi. 19, xviii. 31, xxxvi. 26; Gal. vi. 15; F.ph. ii. 1.5, iv. 24; Col. iii. 10; 1 Pet. ii. 2; John iii. 6.
3 Col. iii. 3, 4; Eph. ii. 1, 5; Rom. viii. 11; John v. 21, vi. 63. « Ps. Ii. 10; Eph ii. 10, iv. 24; Col. iii. 10; 2 Cor. v. 17.
« 2 Cor. iii. 5, iv. 6; Acts v. 31; Luke i. 79; John iv. 14, iii. 27; 1 Cor. ii. 12; Eph. iv. 7; Phil. i. 29.
« Acts xxvi. 18; Eph. v. 8; 2 Cor. v. 17; John v. 24.
' 1 Cor. ii. 12; Eph. i. 18; 2 Cor. iii. 18, iv. 6.
^ Intended is here used in a sense now obsolete, — stretched, ina-eared. — Ed.
» 2 Cor. iii. 5; Ps. cxix. 36; Phil, ii. 13.
OF COMMUNION WITH THE SON JESUS CHRIST. 201
meet principle for all those holy and spiritual operations which by- actual grace are to be performed. And, —
^dly. It is capable of augmentation and diminution, as was said. In some it is more large and more effectual than in others ; yea, in some persons, more at one time than another. Hence are those 'dyings, decays, ruins, recoveries, complaints, and rejoicings, whereof so frequent mention is made in the Scripture.
These things being premised as to the nature of it, let us now consider what we are to eye in the Lord Jesus in reference there- unto, to make an entrance into our communion with him therein, as things by him or on his part performed : —
As I said of the Spirit, so, in the first place, I say of this, it is of the purchase of Christ, and is so to be looked on. "It is given unto us for ^his sake to believe on him," Phil. i. 29. The Lord, on the behalf of Christ, for his sake, because it is purchased and procured by him for us, bestows faith, and (by same rule) all grace upon us. "We are blessed with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in him," Eph. i. 3. " In him ;"^ that is, in and through his mediation for us. His oblation and intercession lie at the bottom of this dispensation. Were not grace by them procured, it would never by any one soul be enjoyed. All grace is from this fountain. In our receiving it from Christ, we must stiU consider what it ^cost him. Want of this weakens faith in its proper workings. His whole intercession is founded on his oblation, 1 John ii. 1, 2. What he purchased by his death, that — nor more nor less, as hath been often said — he intercedeth may be bestowed. And he prays that all his saints may have this gi-ace whereof we speak, John xvii. 1 7. Did we continually consider all grace as the fruit of the purchase of Christ, it would be an exceeding endearment on our spirits: nor can we without this consideration, according to the tenor of the gospel, ask or expect any grace. It is no prejudice to the free grace of the Father, to look on any thing as the purchase of the Son ; it was from ihat grace that he made that purchase : and in the receiving of grace from God, we have not communion with Christ, who is yet the trea- sury and storehouse of it, unless we look upon it as his purchase. He hath obtained that we should be ^sanctified throughout, have life in us, be humble, holy, believing, dividing the spoil with the mighty, by destroying the works of the devil in us.
Secondly. The Lord Christ doth actually communicate this grace unto his saints, and bestows it on them : " Of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace," John i. 1 6. For, —
1 Cant. V. 2; Rev. ii. 5, iii. 2, 3, 17, 19; Hos. xiv. 4; Ps, Ii., etc. ^ 'T«j x^icrrod. 3 1 Jq]^^ jj j^ 2. * Roni. viii. 32.
« Epb. V. 25-27; Tit. ii. 14; Rom. ri. 4.
202 OF COMMUNION WITH THE SON JESUS CHRIST.
(Ist.) The Father actually invests him with all the gi-ace whereof, by compact and agreement, he hath made a purchase (as he received the promise of the Spirit) ; which is all that is of use for the bringing his many sons to glory. " It pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell," Col. i. 19, — that he should be invested with a fulness of that grace which is needful for his people. This himself calls the " power of giving eternal life to his elect," John xvii. 2 ; which poAver is not only his ability to do it, but also his right to do it. Hence this delivering of all things unto him by his Father, he lays as the bottom of his inviting sinners unto him for refreshment : " All things are delivered unto me of my Father," Matt. xi. 27. " Come unto me, all that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest," verse 28. This being the covenant of the Father with him, and liLs promise unto him, that upon the making " his soul an offering for sin, he should see his seed, and the pleasure of the Lord should prosper in his hand," Isa. liii. ] 0, in the verses following, the " pour- ing out of his soul unto death, and bearing the sins of many," is laid as the bottom and procuring cause of these things: — 1. Of justification : " By his knowledge he shall justify many." 2. Of sanc- tification; in " destroying the works of the devil," verses 11, 12. Thus conies our merciful high priest to be the great possessor of all grace, that he may give out to us according to his own pleasure, quickening whom he Avill. He hath it in him really as our head, in that he received not that Spirit by measure (John iii. S-l) which is the bond of union between him and us, 1 Cor. vi. 17; whereby hold- ing him, the head, we are filled with his fulness, Eph. i. 22, 23; CoJ. i. 19. He hath it as a common person, intrusted with it in our behalf, Rom. v. 1 4-1 7. " The last Adam is made" unto us " a quick- ening Spirit," 1 Cor. xv. 15. He is also a treasury'- of this grace in a moral and law sense: not only as "it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell," Col. i. 19 ; but also because in his me- diation, as hath been declared, is founded the whole dispensation of grace.