DIRECTION IH.

DIRECTION IH.

The way to get holy endowments and qualifications necessary to . frame and enable us for the immediate practice of the law, is to receive them out of the fulness of Christ, hyjfifovwrfMp wiA him: and that we may have this fellowship, we must be in Christ, and have Christ himself in us, by a mystical union with him.

EXPLICATION.

Here, as much as any where, we have great cause to acknowledge with the apostle, that, “without controversy, great is the mystery of godliness” even so great, that it could not have entered into the heart of man to conceive of it, if God had not made it knozvn, in the gospel, by supernatural revelation. Yea, though it be revealed clearly in the holy scriptures, yet the natural man hath not eyes to see it there, for it is foolishness to him; and, if God express it ever so plainly and properly, he will think that God is speaking riddles and parables. And I doubt not but it is still a riddle and parable, even to many truly godly, that have received a holy nature in this way; for the apostles themselves had not the saving benefit of it, before the comforter discovered it clearly to them, John xiv. 20. And they walked in Christ, as the way to the father, before infused grace, yet they think they must get the infusion of it by the same manner cf working, as if it were wholly acquired by their own endeavours. On this account they acknowledge the entrance into a gaudy life to be harsh and unpleasing, because it costs so much struggling with their own hearts and affections, to new frame them. If they knew that this way of entrance is not only harsh and unpleasant, but altogether impossible; and that the true way of mortifying sin, and quickening themselves to holiness, is by receiving a new nature out of the fulness of Christ; and that we do “more “to the production of a new nature, than of original sir, though we do more to the reception of it; if they knew this, they might save-themselves many a bitter agony, and a great deal of mis-spent burdensome labour, and employ their endeavours to enter in at the strait gate, in such a way as would be more pleasant and successful. .■

Another great mystery in the way of sanctification, is, the glorious manner of our fellowship tvith Christ, in receiving a holy frame of heart from him. It is by our being in Christ, and having Christ himself in us; and that not merely by this universal presence as he is God, but by such a close union, as that we are one spirit and one Jlesh with him; which is a privilege peculiar to those: that are truly sanctified. I may well call this a mystical union, because the apostle calleth it a great mystery, is an epistle full of mysteries, Eph. v. 22; intimating, that it is eminently great above many other mysteries. It is one of the three mystical unions that are the chief mysteries in religion. The other two are, the union of the trinity of persons in one godhead, and the union of the divine and human natures in one person, Jesus Christ, God and man.— Though we cannot frame an exact idea of the manner of any. of these three unions in our imaginations, because the depth of these mysteries is beyond our comprehension; yet we have cause to believe them all, because they are. clearly revealed in. scripture, and are a

necessary foundation for other points of Christian doc trine. Particularly, this union between Christ and believers, is plain in several places of scripture, affirming that Christ is, and “dwelleth in believers, and they in him,” John vi. 56. and xiv. 20; and that they are so joined together as to become one spirit, 1 Cor. vi. 17; and that believers are “members of Christ’s body, of his flesh, and of his bones, and they two, Christ and the church, are one flesh,” Eph. v. 30, 31.

Furthermore, this union is illustrated in scripture by various resemblances, which would be jrery much unlike the things which they are made use of to resemble, and would rather seem to beguile us by obscuring the truth, than instruct us by illustrating of it, if there were no true proper union between Christ and believers. It is resembled by ■ the union between God the Father and Christ, John xiv. 20. and xvii. 21,22, 23 ; between the vine and its tranche*, John xv% 4, 5; between the head and body, Eph. i. 22, 23; between bread and the eater, John vi. cM, 53, 54. It is not only resembled, but sealed in tin Lord^s supper; where neither the Popish transubstantiation, nor the Lutherans consubstantiation, nor the Protestants spiritual presence of Christ’s body and blood, to the true receivers, can stand without it. And if we can imagine that Christ’s body and blood are not truly eaten and drank by believers, either spiritually or corporally, we shall make the bread and ■wine joined with the words of institution, not only naked signs, but such signs as are much more apt to breed false notions in us, than to establish us in the truth. And there is nothing in this union so impossible, or repugnant to reason, as may force us to depart from the plain and familiar sense of those scriptures that exprtss and illustrate it. Though Christ be in heaven, and we , n earth, yet he can join our souls and bodies to his at such a distance, without anv substantial charge of either, by the same infinite Spirit dwelling in him and us; and so our flesh will become his, when it is quickened by his Spirit, and his flesh ours, as truly as if we did eat his flesh and drink his blood; and? he will be in us himself by his Spirit, who is one with him, and who can unite more closely to Christ than any material substance can do, or who can make a more close and intimate union between Christ and us. And it will not follow from hence, that a believer is one person with Christ, any more than that Christ is one person with the Father, by that great mystical union. Neither will a believer be hereby made God, but only the temple of God, as Christ’s body and soul are; and the Spirit’s lively instrument, rather than the principal” cause. Neither will a believer be necessarily perfect in holiness hereby; or Christ made a sinner: for Christ knoweth how to dwell in believers by certain measures and degrees, and to make them holy so far only as he dwelleth in them. And though this union seem too high a preferment for such unworthy creatures as we are, yet, considering the “preciousness of the blood of God, whereby we are redeemed, we should dishonour God, if we should not expect a miraculous advancement to the highest dignity that creatures are capable of, through the merits of that blood. Neither is there any thing in this union, contrary to the judgment of sense, because the bond of the union being spiritual, falleth not at “all under the judgment of sense.

Several learned men of late acknowledge no other union between Christ and believers, than such as persons or things wholly separated, may have by their mutual relations to each other,; and accordingly they interpret the places of scripture that speak of this union. When Christ is called the head of the church, they account, that a political head or governor is the thing meant. “When Christ is said to be in his people, and they in him, they think that the proper meaning is, that Christ’s^law, doctrine, grace, salvation, or that godliness is in them, and embraced by them : so that Christ here must not be taken for Christ himself, but for some other thing wrought in them by Christ. When Christ and believers are said to be one spirit, and onefiesh, they fixed in him so inseparably, that we cannot have them except we be joined to him, and have himself abiding in us? Take heed, lest through prejudice and hardness of heart, you be guilty of making Cod a liar, in not believing this eminent record that God hath given to us of his Son.

thing with them. And this assertion is useful for a better understanding of the excellency of this union. It is nota privilege procured by our sincere obedience and holiness, as some may imagine, or a reward of goodworks, reserved for us in another world ; but it is a privilege bestowed upon believers in their very first entrance into a holy state, on which all ability to do good works doth depend, and allsincere obedience to the law doth follow after it, as fruit produced by it.

Having thus far explained the direction, I shall novrshew, that though the truth contained in it be above the reach of natural reason, yet it is evidently discover-?. ed to those that have their understandings opened, to discern that supernatural revelation of the mysterious way of sanctification which God hath given to us in the. holy scriptures.

1» There are several places in scripture that do> plainly express it. Some texts shew ” that all thingspertaining to our salvation, are treasured up for us in €hrist, and comprehended in his fulnessso that we must have them thence, or not at all, Col. i. 9. “It} pleased’ the Father that in him should all fulness dwell.” And in the same epistle, Col. ii. 11, 12,13, the apostle sheweth that the holy nature, whereby we live to God,was first produced in’us by his death and resurrection* “In whom also ye are circumcised in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh: buried with him, quickened together with him, when you were dead in your sins*’* Eph. i. 3. “Who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly, places in Christ.” A holy frame of spirit, with all its necessary qualifications, must needs be comprehended herein,, in all spiritual blessing’s: and these are given us in Christ’s person in heavenly places, as prepared and treasured up in him for us while we are upon earth: and therefore we must have our holy endowments out of him,” or not at all. In this text some choose rather to read heavenly things, as in the margin, because neither, places nor things are expressed in the original; but the former textual reading is to be prefer

2. God is pleased to illustrate this mysterious manner of our sanctification, by such a variety of similitudes and resemblances, as may put us out of doubt that it is truth, and such a truth as we are highly concerned to know and believe. I shall endeavour to contract the chief of these resemblances, and the force of them, briefly into one sentence; leaving it to those that are spiritual to enlarge their meditation upon them. We receive from Christ a new holy frarnfr~and nature, whereby we are enabled for a holy practice, by ..union and fellowship with him, in like manner. 1. As Christ lived in our nature by the Father, John vi. 57’s 2. As we receive original sin and death propagated to us from. the first Adam, Rom. v. 12, 14, 16, 17. 3. As the natural body receiveth sense, motion and nourishment, from the head, Col. ii. 16. 4. As the branch receiveth it3 sap, juice and fructifying virtue from the vine, John xv. 4^5. 5. As the wife bringeth forth fruit by virtue-of her conjugal union with her husband, Rom. vii. 4. 6. As stones become a holy temple, by being built upon the foundation, and joined with the chief corner-stone, 1 Pet. ii. 4, 5, 6. 7. As we receive the nourishing virtue of bread by eating it, and of wine, by drinking it, John vi. 51, 55, 57; which last resemblance is used to seal to us our communion with Christ in the Lord’s Supper. Here are seven resemblances instanced, whereof some do illustrate the mystery spoken of more fully than others: all of them do someway intimate, that our new life and holy nature are first in Christ, and then in us, by a true proper union and fellowship with him. If any should urge, that the similitude of Adam and his seed, and of married couples, do make rather for a relative than a real union betwixt Christ and us: let them consider, that all nations are really made of one blood, which was first in Adam, Acts xvii. 26; and that the first woman was made out of the body of Adam, and was really bone of his bone, and flesh of his flesh. And by this first married couple, the mystical union of Christ and his church, is eminently resembled, Gen. ii. 20, 23, 24. Eph. v. 30, 31, 32. And yet it supposeth both these resemblances in the nearness and fulness of them; because those that are joined to the Lord, are not only oneJtesh, but one spirit with him.

3. The end of Christ’s incarnation, death and resurrection, was to prepare and form a holy nature and frame for us in himself, to be communicated to us by union and fellowship with him; and not to enable us to produce in ourselves the first original of such a holy nature by our own endeavours.

4. By his incarnation, there was a man created in a new holy frame, after the holiness of the first Adam’s frame had been marred and abolished by the first transgression: and this new frame was far more excellent than ever the first Adam’s was ; because man was reallv joined to God by a close inseparable union of the divine and human natures in one person, Christ; so that these natures had communion, each with the other, in, their actings, and Christ was able to act in his human nature, by power proper to’ the divine nature, wherein he was one God with the Father. And the words that he ‘.pake while that he was here on earth, he spake not of himself by any mere human power, but the Father that dwelt in him, he did the works, John xiv. 10. Why was it that Christ set up the fallen nature of man, in such a wonderful frame of holiness, in bringing it to live and act by communion with God, living and acting in it? One great end was, that he might communicate this excellent frame to his seed, that should be bom of him and in him, by his Spirit, as the last Adam, the quickening Spirit; ‘that “as we have borne the of the earthly man, so we might also bear the of the heavenly,” 1 Cor. x. 45, 46, in holiness F

here, and in glory hereafter. Thus he was born ImManuel, God with its; because the fulness of the Godhead, with all holiness, did first dwell in him bodily, even in his human nature? that we might be filled up with that fulness in him, .Mat. i. 23. Col. ii. 9, 10. Thus he came from heaven as living bread, that, as he liveth by the Father, so that those that eat him, may live by him, John-vi. 51, 59. by the same life of God in them that was first in him.

2. By his death, he freed himself from the guilt of our sins imputed to him, and from all that innocent weakness of his human nature, which he had borne for a time, for our sakes. And by freeing himself, he prepared a freedom for us, from our whole natural condition, which is both weak, as his was, and also polluted with our guilt and sinful corruption. Thus the corrupt natural estate, which is called in scripture the old tnan, was crucified together with Christ, that the body of sin might be destroyed. And itjs destroyed in us, not by any wounds that we ourselves can give to it, but by our partaking of that freedom from it, and death unto it, that is already wrought out for us by the death of Christ, as is signified by our baptism, wherein we are buried with him by the application of his death to us, li«m. vi. 2, 3, 4, 10, 11. “God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, for sin, (or by a sacrifice for sin, as in the margin) condemned sin in the flesh; that the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, that walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit,” Horn. yiii. 3, 5. Observe here, that though Christ died that we might be justified by the righteousness of Gcd and of faith, not by our own righteousness, which is of the law, Rom; x. 4, 5, 6. Phil. iii. 9. yet he died also, that-the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in . us, and that by walking after his Spirit, as those that are in Christ, Rom. ibid. He is resembled in his death to a corn of wheat dying in the earth, that it may propagate its own nature, by bringing forth m\ich fruit, John. xii. 24; to the p«ssover that was slain, that a feast

“might be kept upon it; and to bread broken, that it may be nourishment to those that eat it, 1 Cor- v. 7, 8. xi. 24; to the rock smitten, that water may gush out of it for us to drink, 1 Cor. x. 4. He died, that he might make of Jew and Gentile, one new man in himself, Ephi ii. 15. and th;vt he might see his seed, i. c. such as derive their holy nature from him. Isa. liii. 10. Let these scriptures be well observed, and they wilL sufficiently evidence that Christ died, not that we might be able to form a holy nature in ourselves, but that we might receive one ready prepared and formed in Christ for us, by imion and fellowship with him.

3. By his resurrection, he took possession of spiritual life for us, as now fully procured for us, and made to be pur right and property by the merit of his death: and therefore we are said to be quickened together with Christ, even when we were dead in sins, and to be raised up together, yea, and to be made to sit together in heavenly places, in Christ Jesus, as our head, while we continue upon earth in our own persons, Eph. ii. 5, 6. His resurrection was our resurrection to the life of holiness, as Adam’s fall was our fall into spiritual death. And we are not ourselves the first makers and formers of our new holy nature, any more than our original corruption; but both are formed ready for us to partake of them. And by union with Christ, we partake of that spiritual life that he took possession of for us at his resurrection, and thereby we are enabled to bring forth the fruits of it, as the scripture sheweth by the similitude of a marriage union, Kom. vii. 4. “AVe are married to him that is risen from, the dead, that we might bring forth fruit unto God.” Baptism signifieth the application of Christ’s resurrection to us as well as his death; we are raised up with him in it, to newness of life, as well as buried with him; and we are taught thereby, that because ” he died unto sin once, and kveth unto God, we should likewise reckon ourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, and alive unto God, through/ Jesus Christ our Lord,” Rom. vi. 4, 5, 10, 11.

• 4. Our sanctification is by the Holy Ghost, by whom we live and walk holily,” Rom. xv. 16. Gal. v. 25. Now, the Holy Ghost first rested on Christ in all fulness, that he might he communicated from him to us, 4is was signified to John the Baptist, by the similitude of the descending of a dove from the opened heavens, resting on Christ at his baptism, John i. 32, 33. And when he sanctifieth us, he baptizeth us unto Christ, and joineth us to Christ by himself, as the great bond of union, 1 Cor. xii. 30. So that according to the scriptural phrase, it is all one to have Christ himself, and to have the Spirit of Christ in us, Rom. viii. 9, 10. “He glorifieth’Christ; for he receiveth those things that are Christ’s, and sheweth them to us,” John xvi. 14, 15. He giveth us experimental knowledge of those spiritual blessings which he himself prepared for us by the incarnation, death and resurrection of Christ.

5. The efFectual causes of those four principal endowments, which, in the foregoing direction, were asserted as necessary to furnish us for the immediate practice of holiness, are comprehended in the fulness of Christ, and treasured up for us in him ; and the endowments themselves, together with their causes, are attained richly by union and fellowship with him. If we be joined to Christ, our hearts will be no longer left under the power of sinful inclinations, or in’ a mere irtdifferency of inclination to good or evil, but they will be powerfully endowed with a power, bent and propensity to the practice of holiness, by the Spirit of Christ dwelling in us? and inclining us to mind spiritual things, and to lust against the flesh, Rom. viii. 1, 4, 5. Gal. v. 17, And we have in Christ a full reconciliation with God, and an advancement into higher favour with him, than the first Adam had in the state of innocency; because the righteousness that Christ wrought out for us by bis obedience unto the death, is imputed to us for our justification, which is called the righteousness of God, because it is wrought by one that is God a,s well as man; and therefore it is of infinite value to satisfy the justice

af God for all our Sins, and to procure his pardon and highest favour for us, 2 Cor. v. 21 ► Rom. i. 19. And, that we may be persuaded of his reconciliation, we receive the spirit of adoption through Christ, whereby we cry, Abba, Father, Rom. viii. 15. Hereby also we are persuaded of our future enjoyments of everlasting happiness, and of sufficient strength both to will and to perform our duty acceptably, until we come to that enjoyment.. For the spirit of adoption teacheth us to conclude, that if we be the children of God, then we are heirs of God, and joint heirs with Christ; and that the law of the spirit of life, that is in Christ Jesus, maketh us free from the law of sin and death r and that nothing shall be against us, nothing shall separate us from the love of God in Christ; but in all opposition and difficulties that we meet with, we shall be at last more than conquerors through him tharloved us,” Rom..viii. IT, 23, 35, 37, 39.

Furthermore, this comfortable persuasion of our justification and future happiness, and all saving privileges, cannot tend to licentiousness, as it is given’only in this “way of union with Christ; because it is joined inseparably with the gift of sanctification,..by the Spirit of Christ: so that we cannot have-justification, or any. saving privilege in Christ,, except we receive Christ himself and his holiness, as well as any other benefit; as the scripture testifieth, ” that there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus, who wait not after the flesh, but after the Spirit,” Rom. viii. 1~

6. Whereas it may be doubted whether the saints that lived before the coming of Christ in the flesh, could possibly be one flesh, with him, and receive a new narajfe.by union and fellowship with, him, as prepared for them in his fulness: we are to know that the same Christ that took our flesh, tvas before Abraham, John, viii. 58; and was fore-ordained before the foundation ef the world, to’be sacrificed as a lamb without blemish, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, by his precious blood, 1 Pet. i. 18—20; and that he” had ths same Spirit then, which filled his human nature with all its fulness afterwards, and raised it from the dead} and he gave that Spirit then .to the church, 1 Pet. i. 11, and iii. 18, 19. Now this Spirit was able and effectual to unite those saints, to that flesh which Christ was te take to himself in the fulness of time, because he wa» the same in both, and to give out to them that grace with which Christ would afterwards fill his flesh for their salvation, as well as ours. Therefore JDavid accounted Christ’s flesh to be his, and spake of Christ’s death and resurrection as his own, beforehand, as well us any of us can do since their accomplishment,-Psa’, 3»i. 9, 10, 11. “My flesh also shall rest in hope: For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; neither wilt thou suffer dune holy one to see corruption. Thou wilt shew me the path of life.” Yea, the saints before David’ time, 44 did all eat the same spiritual meat, and drink of the same spiritual drink,” even of the same Christ as we do; and therefore were partakers of, the same privilege of union and fellowship with Christ, 1 Cor. x» 3, 4. And when Christ was manifested in the fleah, in the fulness of time, all things in heaven and earth, aJl the saints departed, whose spirits were then made.per* feet in heaven, as well as those saints diat then were, or should afterwards be on earth, were gathered toge* ther in oney and comprehended in Christ as their head, Eph. i. 10. And he was “the chief corner-stone, in whom the building of the whole church upon the fount dation of the prophets” before, and the apostles after his coming, u being fitly framed together, growelh into a holy temple in die Lord,” Eph. ii. 20, 21. 14 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, to-day and for ever,’* Heb. viii. 8. His incamathn, death and resurrection* were the cause of all the holiness that ever was or shall be given to man, from the fall of Adam to the end of the world; and that by die mighty power of his Spirit, whereby all saints that ever were, or shall be, are join-ed together, to be members of that one mystical body whereof he is the. haad.