All the inquiry is, How the death of Christ is applied unto us, or, which is the same, How we apply ourselves to the death of Christ for this purpose. And I answer, we do it two ways: —
[1st.] By faith. The way to derive virtue from Christ is by touch- ing of him. So the diseased woman in the gospel touched but the hem of his garment, and vu^tue went forth from him to stay her bloody issue, Matt. ix. 20-22. It was not her touching him outwardly, but her faith, which she acted then and thereby, that derived virtue from him ; for so our Saviour tells her in his answer, " Daughter, be of good comfort; thy faith hath made thee whole." But unto what end was this touching of his garment? It was" only a pledge and token of the particular application of the healing power of Christ unto her soul, or her faith in him in particular for that end : for at the same time many thronged upon him in a press, so as his disciples marvelled he should ask who touched his clothes, Mark v. 30, 31 ; yet was not any of them advantaged but the poor sick woman. A great emblem it is of common profession on the one hand, and espe- cial faith on the other. Multitudes press and throng about Christ in a profession of faith and obedience, and in the real performance of many duties, but no virtue goeth forth from Christ to heal them. But when any one, though poor, though seemingly at a distance, gets but the least touch of him by especial faith, this soul is healed. This is our way with respect unto the mortification of sin. The Scripture assures us that there is virtue and efficacy in the death of Christ unto that end. The means whereby we derive this virtue from him is by touching of him, — that is, by acting faith on him in his death for the death of sin.
But how will this effect it? how will sin be mortified hereby? I
CHAP. VIII.] THE NATURE AND CAUSES OF IT. 563
say, How, by what power and virtue, were they healed in the wilder- ness who looked unto the brazen serpent? was it not because that was an ordinance of God, which by his almighty power he made effectual unto that purpose? The death of Christ being so as to the crucifying of sin, when it is looked on or applied unto by faith, shall not divine virtue and power go forth unto that end ? The Scripture and experience of all believers give testimony unto the truth and reality thereof Besides, faith itself, as acted on the death of Christ, hath a peculiar efficacy unto the subduing of sin: for, " beholding" him thereby " as in a glass, we are changed into the same image," 2 Cor. iii. 18; and that which we peculiarly behold, we are peculi- arly transformed into the likeness of. And, moreover, it is the only means whereby we actually derive from Christ the benefits of our union with him. From thence we have all gTace, or there is no such thing in the world ; and the communication of it unto us is in and by the actual exercise of faith principally. So it being acted with respect unto his death, we have grace for the killing of sin, and thereby become dead with him, crucified with him, buried with him, as in the testimonies before produced. This is that which we call the application of the death of Christ unto us, or our application of ourselves to the death of Christ for the mortification of sin. And they by whom this means thereof is despised or neglected, who are ignorant of it or do blaspheme it, must live under the power of sin, unto what inventions soever they turn themselves for deliverance. According as we abide and abound herein will be our success. Those who are careless and remiss in the exercise of faith, by prayer and meditation, in the way described, will find that sin will keep its ground, and maintain so much power in them as shall issue in their perpetual trouble ; and men who are much conversant with the death of Christ, — not in notions and lifeless speculations, not in natural or carnal affections, like those which are raised in weak persons by images and crucifixes, but by holy actings of faith with respect unto what is declared in the Scripture as to its power and efficac}^, — will be implanted into the likeness of it, and experience the death of sin in them continually.
[2c?/?/.] We do it by love. Christ as crucified is the great object of our love, or should so be ; for he is therein unto sinners " altogether lovely." Hence one of the ancients cried out, 'O sfws sz-^^s seTavpcjTai; — " My love is crucified, and why do I stay behind?" In the death of Christ do his love, his grace, his condescension, most gloriously shine forth. We may, therefore, consider three things with respect unto this love: — first. The object of it; secondly. The oneans of the representation of that object unto our minds and affections; thirdly, The effects of it as to the case in hand.