(8.) Things being thus stated between God and them for whom Christ died, on the account of his death God actually absolves them from under that sentence and curse of the law, by sending the Spirit of his Son into their hearts, to quicken them and to implant faith in them.^ And in what act of God to place his actual absolution of sinners, ungodly persons, whom Christ died for, but in this actual collation of the Spirit and habit of grace on them, I am not as yet satisfied. Neither doth this in any measure confound our justification and sanctification ; for nothing hinders but that the same act, as it is of free grace in opposition to works or any thing in us, may justify us, or exert the fruit of his love, which was before purchased by Christ, in our gracious acceptation, notwithstanding all that was
1 Acts xiii. 38, 39; Rom. v. 10; John iii. 16; Eom. v. 7-9; 1 John iv. 10; Heb. ii. 17, ix. 14; Eph. i. 4-9, etc. ; Rom. ix. 11 ; John iii. 36; Eph. ii. 3; Rom. v. 6, 8; Gal. iii. 23; 2 Cor. v. 21; Rom. iii. 23-25; 1 Cor. i. 30. 3 Matt. xvii. 5; Eom. V. 9, 10; 2 Cor. v. 18, 19, 21 ; 1 Pet. u. 24. » Gal. iv. 6 ; Rom. viii. 11.
804 DOCTRINE OF THE SAINTS' PERSEVERANCE. [CHAP,
against us, and also, by principling us with grace for obedience, sanc- tify us throughout.
(4.) This being done, they with Avhom God thus graciously deals "receive the atonement," and, " being justified by faith, have peace Avith God." But this is not the matter or subject of our present contest.
This, then, is the first influence which the blood-shedding in the death and oblation of Christ hath into the saints' continuance of the love and favour of God : It taketh away the guilt of sin, that it shall not be such a provocation to the eyes of his glory (liis law being ful- filled and justice satisfied) as to cause him utterly to turn away his love from them; and they becoming "the righteousness of God in him,"^ to all intents and purposes, what should separate them from the love of God? He hath made peace in the blood of the cross of his Son, and will not engage in enmity against his elect any more to eternity; but, in his own way and own time (as he hath the sovereignty of all in his hands), he will bring them infallibly to the enjoyment of him- self,* And thus much, by this discourse about the effects of the death of Christ, have we clearly obtained: What Christ aims to accomplish by his death, and what was the design and intention of the Father that he should accomplish, that cannot fail of its issue and appointed event by any interposure whatever. That the effectual removal of every thing that might intercept, hinder, or turn aside, the love and favour of God from them for whom he died, is the designed effect of the death of Christ, hath been demonstrated. This, then, in the order wherein it hath seemed good to the infinite wisdom of God to proceed in dispensing his grace unto sinners, shall certainly be ful- filled, and all believers saved to the utmost.
2. I come, in the second place, to demonstrate that our Saviour secures the stability of the love of the saints to God and their abid- ing with him, by taking away and removing whatever might hinder them herein, or prevail upon them utterly and wickedly to depart from him. That which meritoriously miglit cause God to turn from us he utterly destroys and abolishes; and that which efiiciently might cause us to turn from God, that also he destroys and removes. Now, all that is of this kind, that works effectually and powerfully for the alienating of the hearts of believers from God, or keeping men in a state of alienation from him, may be referred unto two principles: (1.) Satan himself;' (2.) His works. The world, as under the curse, is an instrument in his hand, who is called the god thereof, to allure, vex, and mischief us withal; neither hath it the least power or efficacy in itself, but only as it is managed in the hand of Satan to turn men from God.'' And yet the Lord Christ hath not
• 2 Cor. V. 21. 3 Eph. ii. 13-17 ; Rom. viii. 32, 33. » Gen. iii. 14. * 2 Cor. iv. 4 ; Matt. iv. 9.
VIL] the mediation of CHRIST. 805
let that go free neither without its death's wound, but bids his fol- lowers " be of good cheer, for he had overcome the world," — that is, for them, and in their stead, — so that it should never be used nor heightened in its enmity to a conquest over them;^ I mean a total and final conquest, such as might frustrate any intention of God in his undertaking for them. It is not our loss of a little blood, but our loss of life, that makes the enemy a conqueror. But now for Satan : —
(] .) He overcomes, destroys, and breaks Mm in pieces, with his power: Heb. ii. 14, " Through death he destroyed him that had the power of death, that is, the devil." The first thing that was promised of him was, that he should "break the head of the serpent," Gen. iii. 1 5, He doth it also in and for "the seed of the woman," — all the elect of God, opposed to the seed of the serpent or generation of vipers. In pursuit hereof he " spoils principalities and powers, and makes a show of them openly, triumphing over them in his cross," Col. ii. ] 5. In the blood of his cross he conquered, and brake the power of the devil, "binding that strong man armed, and spoiHug his goods," making a show of him and them, as great conquerors were wont to do with their captives and their spoils.