(2dli/.) By way of real communication. He is " the true Light, which lighteth every man," John i. 9. Every one that hath any spiritual light really communicated to him hath it from Christ. It is part of his work to " recover sight to the Ijlind," Luke iv. 18. And there- fore he adviseth the church of Laodicea to come to him for eye- salve, that she might see. Rev. iii. 18. At his coming, Zion shines forth, Isa. Ix. 1; because his light ariseth upon her, vei'se 2. The former doctrinal teaching of itself will not suffice: that light may shine in darkness, and the darkness not comprehend it, Jt)lin i. 5. All the light the sun can give will not maJce a blind man see : there must be a visive faculty within as well as light without. The stones of this building are by nature all blind, — yea, darkened, — yea, dark- ness itself. If the Lord Christ do not, by the mighty efficacy of his Spirit, create a visive power within them, as well as reveal the will of his Father to them, they will never spiritually discern the things of God. The natural man discerneth not the things of God,
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nor indeed can do, 1 Cor. ii. 14. It is true, men, by the help of com- mon gifts, with the use of the fonner doctrinal revelation, may attain to such a knowledge of the mind of God as may, in a sense, be called illumination, Heb. vi. 4. Far may they go, much may they do, by this light :■ — they may teach others, and be cast away themselves ; — they may dispute for truth, yea,, die for truth, and all this while have but the first, common anointing, — see nothing clearly, but men walk- ing like trees. A spiritual insight into the mind of God is not to be obtained without an almighty act of the Spirit of Christ, creating a new power of life and light upon the soul. Some, indeed, think that they have this seeing power in themselves. Do but show tliem out- wardly what is to be seen, and let them alone for the discerning of it. Well, then, let them alone ; if ever they are stones of this linng house, I am deceived. Thou that art so, know whence is all thy light ; and if thou art any thing in the dark, draw nigh to the candlestick from whence all light is. Thence must thy light come, yea, and thence it shall come ; — the secrets of the Lord shall make their abode with thee.
And this is the fourfold relation wherein the Lord Christ stands unto this house, as it is a spiritual buildmg.
[2.] In respect of state and condition, Jesus Christ stands in a fivefold relation to this house, — viz., 1st, As the owner; 2dli/, The builder; Srf^y, The watchman or keeper ; 4^/*??/, The inhabiter; 5thly, The avenger : each of which I shall unfold in order.
\st. He is the owner of it. He calls it his : " Upon this rock will I build my church," Matt. xvi. 18. " Moses verily was faithful in all his house, as a servant; but Christ as a Son over his own house, ■whose house are we," Heb. iii. 5, 6. And that you may see that he doth not own it as his without good right and title, know that in the great economy of grace Jesus Christ hath a threefold right and title to this house.
O-st) Of inheritance. He is by his Father " appointed heir of all things," Heb. i. 3. By inheritance he obtains this excellent name, to be Lord of this house. God sends him to the vineyard as the heir, after his servants were refused. And he hath an engagement from his Father, that he shall enjoy his whole inheritance upon de- mand, Ps. ii. 8. For the Father appointed, "in the fulness of times, to gather together all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth, even in him," Eph. i. 10. So that as Chiist is "the first-begotten" of the Father, Heb. i. 6, and "the first-born of every creature," Col. i. 15, the right of heirship is his. But this will not do ; for, —
{2dly.) When he should come to take possession of this house, he finds that it is mortgaged, and that a great debt Ues upon it; which
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he must pay to the uttermost farthing, if he ever intend to have it. To the former title there must also be added a right of purchase. He must purchase this house, and pay a great price for it. And what is this price? what is required of him? No less than his dearest blood, Acts XX. 28. Yea, he must make his soul an offering for sin, and charge himself with the whole debt; — all the curse and punishment which this house had in part actually contracted upon itself, and wlioUy deserved. He must put his shoulders under the burden duo to it, and his back to the stripes prepared for it. A hard task ! But Jesus Christ being the heir, the right of redemption belonged unto hira. It was not for his honour that it should lie unredeemed. Full well he knew that if he did it not, the whole creation was too beg- garly to make this purchase. It is true, that nature of ours — which he assumed to pay that by, which he never took — was startled for a while, and would have deprecated this grievous price, crying out, " If it be possible, let this cup pass from me;" but he recollects himself, and says, "I am content to do thy will, 0 God:" and so, through the eternal Spirit, he offered himself up unto God for a ransom. He likes the house, and will have it to dwell in, whatever it cost him. " Here," saith he, " shall be my habitation, and my dwelling for ever," Ps. cxxxii. " Know ye not," saith the apostle, " that ye arc the temple of the Spirit of Christ?" Well, and how come we so to be? " Ye are bought with a price," 1 Cor. vi. 19. They who affirm that he also piu'chased the unclean sties of the devil, wot not what they say.