has pledged Himself to carry out, He becomes bound by his promise to accomplish the full salvation from sin of every one who believes.
The Effect of Union with Christ. 2. The soul by this act of faith becomes united to Christ. We are in Him by faith. The consequences of this union are, (a.) Participation in his merits. His perfect righteousness, agreeably to the stipulations of the covenant of redemption, is imputed to the believer. He is thereby justified. He is intro- duced into a state of favour or grace, and rejoices in hope of the glory of God. (Rom. v. 1-3.) This is, as the Bible teaches, the essential prehminary condition of sanctification. While under the law we are under the curse. While under the curse we are the enemies of God and bring forth fruit unto death. It is only when delivered from the law by the body or death of Christ, and united to Him, that we bring forth fruit unto God. (Rom. vi. 8 ; vii. 4-6.) Sin, therefore, says the Apostle, shall not reign over us, because we are not under the law. (Rom. vi. 14.) Deliverance from the law is the necessary condition of deliv- erance from sin. All the relations of the believer are thus changed. He is translated from the kingdom of darkness and introduced into the glorious liberty of the sons of God. Instead of an outcast, a slave under condemnation, he becomes a child of God, assured of his love, of his tenderness, and of his care. He may come to Him with confidence. He is brought under all the influences which in their full effect constitute heaven. He there- fore becomes a new creature. He has passed from death to life ; from darkness to light, from hell (the kingdom of Satan) to heaven. He sits with Christ in heavenly places. (Eph. ii. 6.) (6.) Another consequence of the union with Christ effected by faith, is the indwelling of the Spirit. Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law by being made a curse for us, in order that we might receive the promise of the Holy Ghost. (Gal. iii. 13, 14.) It was not consistent with the perfections or purposes of God that the Spirit should be given to dwell with his saving in- fluences in the apostate children of men, until Christ had made a full satisfaction for the sins of the world. But as with God there are no distinctions of time, Christ was slain from the foundation of the world, and his death availed as fully for the salvation of those who lived before, as for that of those who have lived since his coming in the flesh. (Rom. iii. 25, 26 ; Heb. ix. 15.) The
228 part m. ch. xvm. — sanctification.
Spirit was given to the people of God from the beginning. But as our Lord says (John x. 10) that He came into the world not only that men might have life, but that they might have it more abundantly, the effusion, or copious communication of the Spirit is always represented as the great characteristic of the Messiah's advent. (Joel ii. 28, 29 ; Acts ii. 16-21 ; John vii. 38, 39.) Our Lord, therefore, in his last discourse to his disciples, said it was expedient for them that He went away, f or " if I go not away, the Comforter (the JIapdKX.rp-o<:, the helper) will not come unto you ; but if I depart, I will send Him unto you." (John xvi. 7.) He was to supply the place of Christ as to his visible presence, carry on his work, gather in his people, transform them into the likeness of Christ, and communicate to them all the benefits of his redemption. Where the Spirit is, there Christ is ; so that, the Spirit being with us, Christ is with us ; and if the Spirit dwells in us, Christ dwells in us. (Rom. viii. 9-11.) In par- taking, therefore, of the Holy Ghost, believers are partakers of the life of Christ. The Spirit was given to Him without meas- ure, and from Him flows down to all his members. This partici- pation of the believer in the life of Christ, so that every believer may say with the Apostle, " I live ; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me " (Gal. ii. 20), is prominently presented in the Word of God. (Rom. vi. 5 ; vii. 4 ; John xiv. 19 ; Col. iii. 3, 4.) The two great standing illustrations of this truth are the vine and the human body. The former is presented at length in John xv. 1-8 ; the latter in 1 Corinthians xii. 11—27 ; Romans xii. 5 ; Ephe- sians i. 22, 23 ; iv. 15, 16 ; v. 30 ; Colossians i. 18 ; ii. 19 ; and frequently elsewhere. As the life of the vine is diffused through all the branches, sustaining and rendering them fruitful ; and as the life of the head is diffused through all the members of the body making it one, and imparting life to all, so the life of Christ is diffused through all the members of his mystical body making them one body in Him ; having a common life with their common head. This idea is urged specially in Ephesians iv. 15, 16, where it is said that it is from Christ that the whole body fitly joined together, through the spiritual influence granted to every part according to its measure, makes increase in love. It is true that this is spoken of the Church as a whole. But what is said of Christ's mystical body as a whole is true of all its members sev- erally. He is the prophet, priest, and king of the Church ; but He is also the prophet, priest, and king of every believer. Our relation to Him is individual and personal. The Church as a