Of Communion with God, Part 2 · Chapter 7
CHAP. VII.
The Nature of Purchased Grace: Referred to three heads. 1. Of our Acceptation with God. Two parts of it. Of the Grace of Sanctification. The severall parts of it.
THe Fountain of that Purchased Grace, wherein the §. 1 Saints have Communion with Christ being discovered, in the next place the nature of this Grace it selfe may be considered. As was said, it may be referred unto three heads:
1. Grace of Acceptation with God.
2. Grace of Sanctification from God.
3. Grace of Priviledges with, and before God.
1. Of Acceptation with God; out of Christ, we are in a state of Alienation from God: accepted neither in our Persons, nor our §. 2 Services. Sinne makes a separation between God and us: that Joh. 3. 36. Ephes. 3. 2.state, with all its consequences, and attendencies, is not my businesse to unfold. The first issue of Purchased Grace, is to restore us into a state of Acceptation; and this is done two waies.
1. By a Removeall of that for which we are refused, the cause of the Enmity. 2. By a bestowing of that for which we are accepted. Not only all causes of quarrell were to be taken away, that so we shouldnot be under displeasure; but also that was to be given untous, that makes us the objects of God's delight and pleasure: on the account of the want whereof we are distanced from God.
1. It gives a Removeall of that for which we are refused. §. 3 This is sinne in the guilt, and all the attendencies thereof. The first issue of Purchased Grace tends to the takeing away of sinne in its guilt, that it shall not bind over the Soule to the wages of it, which is death.
How this is accomplished and brought about by Christ, was evidenced in the close of the foregoing Chapter. It is the fruit §. 4 and effect of his death for us. Guilt of sinne was the only cause of our separation and distance from God, as hath been said. This made us obnoxious to wrath, punishment, and the whole displeasure of God. On the account hereof, were we imprisoned under the curse of the Law, and given up to the power of Sathan. This is the state of our unacceptation. By his death, Christ, bearing the Curse, undergoing the punishment that was due to us, paying the ransome that was due for us, delivers us from this condition. And thus farre, the death of Christ, is the sole cause of our Acceptation with God; that all cause of quarrell and rejection of us, is thereby taken away: and to that end, are his sufferings reckoned to us: For being made sinne for us, 2 Cor▪ 5. 21. He is made righteousnesse unto us, 2 Cor. 1. 31.
But yet farther, This will not compleat our Acceptation with God. The old quarrell may be laid aside, and yet, no new §. 5 friendship begun. We may be not sinners, and yet not be so farre Righteous, as to have a right to the Kingdome of Heaven. Adam had no right to life, because he was innocent, he must moreover doe this, and then he shall live: He must not only have a negative Righteousnesse, he was not guilty of any thing; but also a positive Righteousnesse, he must doe all things.
This then is required in the second place to our compleat acceptation, that we have not only the not imputation of sinne, but also a reckoning of Righteousnesse. Now this we have, in the Obedience of the life of Christ. This also was discovered in the last Chapter. The obedience of the life of Christ was for us, is imputed to us and is our righteousnesse before God: by his obedience are we made righteous, Rom. 5. 18. On what score the obedience of Faith takes place, shall be afterwards declared.
These two things then, compleat our Grace of Acceptation; §. 6 sinne being removed, and Righteousnesse bestowed, we have peace with God: are continually accepted before him. There is not any thing to charge us withall: that which was, is taken out of the way by Christ, and nailed to his crosse; made fast there: yea publickly and legally cancelled, that it can never be admitted againe as an evidence. What Court among men would admit of an Evidence that hath been publickly cancelled, and nayled up for all to see it? So hath Christ dealt with that which was against us; and not only so; but also he puts that upon us, for which we are received into favour: He makes us comely through his beauty: gives us white rayment to stand before the Lord. This is the first part of purchased Grace wherein the Saints have communion with Jesus Christ. In remission of sin, and imputation of Righteousnesse doth it consist: from the death of Christ, as a price, sacrifice, and a punishment; from the life of Christ spent in obedience to the Law doth it arise. The great product it is of the Fathers Righteousnesse, Wisedome▪ Love and Grace; the great and astonishable fruit of the Love and condescension of the Son: The great discovery of the Holy Ghost, in the Revelation of the mystery of the Gospell.
The second is Grace of Sanctification; He makes us not only §. 7 accepted, but also acceptable. He doth not only purchase Love, for his Saints but also makes them lovely. He came not by blood only, but by water, and blood. He doth not only Justify his Saints from the guilt of sinne, but also sanctify and wash them from the filth of sinne: the first is from his life and death as a Sacrifice of Propitiaton, this from his death as a purchase, and his life as an example. So the Apostle Heb. 9. 14. as also Eph. 5. 26, 27. Two things are eminent in this Issue of Purchased Grace; 1. The removall of defilement; 2. The bestowing of cleannesse, in Actuall Grace.
For the first, it is also threefold; 1. The habituall cleansing of §. 8 our nature. We are naturally uncleane, defiled; habitually so. For who can bring a cleane thing, from that which is uncleane, Job. 14. 4. That which is borne of the flesh is flesh Joh. 3. 6. It is in the pollution of our blood that we are borne, Ezek. 16. wholly defiled and polluted. The Grace of Sanctification purchased by the blood of Christ removes this defilement of our nature. 1 Cor. 6. 11. Such were some of you, but ye are washed, ye are Sanctifyed. So also Tit. 3. 3, 4, 5. He hath saved us by the washing of Regeneration and the renewing of the Holy Ghost. How far this originall, habituall pollution is removed, need not be disputed. It is certaine the soule is made faire and beautifull in the sight of God. Though the sinne that doth defile remaines; yet its habituall defilement, is taken away. But the handling of this lys not in my ayme.
2. Taking away the Pollutions of all our actuall transgressions: There is a defilement attending every actuall sinne. Our own cloaths make us to be abhorred Job. 9. 31. A spot, a staine, rust, wrinkle, filth, blood attends every sinne. Now 1 Joh. 1. 7. the blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth us from all sinne. Besides the defilement of our natures which he purgeth, Tit. 1. 15. he takes away the defilement of our Persons by actuall follies: by one offering He Pefected for ever them that are Sanctifyed: By himselfe He purged our sinnes before He sate down at the right hand of Majesty on high Heb. 1. 3.
3. In our best dutys we have defilement: Isa. 64 6. Selfe, Unbeliefe, Forme, drop themselves into all that we doe We may be ashamed of our choysest performances: God hath promised that the Saints good workes shall follow them; truely were they to be measured by the Rule as they come from us, and weighed in the ballance of the Sanctuary, it might be well for us that they might be buried for ever: but the Lord Christ, first as our High Priest beares the iniquity, the guilt and provocation which in severe Justice doth attend them: Exod. 28. 37. 38. and not only so but he washes away all their filth and defilements. He is as a Refiners fire, to purge both the Sons of Levi and their offerings: adding moreover sweet incense to them that they may be accepted. Whatever is of the Spirit, of Himselfe, of Grace, that remaines; whatever is of selfe, flesh, unbeliefe that is hay and stubble, that he consumes, wasts, takes away. So that the Saints good workes shall meet them one day, with a changed countenance, that they shall scarce know them; that which seemed to them to be black, deformed, defiled, shall appeare beautifull and glorious: they shall not be affraid of them, but rejoyce to see them follow them.
And this cleansing of our Natures, Persons, and dutys, hath its §. 9 whole foundation in the death of Christ. Hence our washing and purifying, our cleansing and purging is ascribed to his blood and the sprinkling thereof. Meritoriously this worke is done by the shedding of the blood of Christ; efficiently by its sprinkling. The sprinkling of the blood of Christ proceedeth from the Communication of the Holy Ghost; which he promiseth to us, as purchased by him for us. He is the pure water, wherewith we are sprinkled from all our sins. That spirit of Judgement and Burning that takes away the filth and blood of the daughters of Syon. And this is the first thing in the Grace of Sanctification. Of which more afterwards.
2. By bestowing cleanesse, as to actuall Grace. The blood §. 10 of Christ in this purchased Grace doth not only take away defilement, but also it gives purity: & that also in a threefold gradation.
1. It gives the Spirit of Holinesse to dwell in us; He is made unto us Sanctification 2 Cor. 1. 31. by procuring for us the Spirit of Sanctification: our renewing is of the Holy Ghost who is shed on us through Christ alone Tit. 3. 6. this the Apostle mainly insists on. Rom. 8. to wit, that the prime and principall guift of Sanctification that we receive from Christ, is the indwelling of the Spirit, and our following after the guidance thereof. But what concernes the Spirit in any kind, must be referred to that which I have to offer concerning our Communion with him.
2. He gives us Habituall Grace: a principle of Grace opposed to §. 11 the principle of lust that is in us by nature. This is the Grace that dwells in us; makes its abode with us, which according to the distinct faculties of our soules wherein it is, or the distinct objects about which it is exercised, receiveth various Appellations, being indeed all but one new principle of life. In the understanding it is light, in the will obedience, in the Affections love, in all Faith. So also it is differenced in respect of its operations: when it carries out the soule to rest on Christ, it is Faith; when to delight in him, it is Love; but still one and the same habit of Grace. And this is the second thing.
3. Actuall influence for the performance of every spirituall duty whatever. After the Saints have both the former, yet Christ §. 12 tels them that without him they can doe nothing, Joh. 15. 5. They are still in dependance upon him, for new influences of Grace, or supplys of the spirit, they cannot live and spend upon the old stock: for every new act they must have new Grace: He must worke in us to will and to doe of his good pleasure, Phil. 2. 13. And in these three thus briefely named consists that purchased Grace in the point of Sanctification, as to the collating of purity and cleannesse wherein we have Communion with Christ.
Thirdly, this purchased Grace consists, in priviledges to stand before God, and these are of two sorts: 1. Primary. 2. Consequentiall: §. 13 Primary is Adoption: The Spirit of Adoption: Consequentiall, are all the favours of the Gospell, which the Saints alone have right unto. But of this I shall speake when I come to the last branch of Communion with the Holy Ghost.
These are the things wherein we have Communion with Christ, as to purchased Grace in this life. Drive them up to perfection, and you have that which we call everlasting Glory; perfect Acceptance, perfect Holinesse, perfect Adoption, or inheritance of Sonnes, that's Glory.
Our processe now in the next place is to what I mainely in tend, even the manner how we hold Communion with Christ in §. 14 these things: and that in the order laid down, as
1. How we hold Communion with him in the Obedience of his Life and merit of his Death, as to acceptance with God the Father.
2. How we hold communion with Christ in his blood, as to the Spirit of Sanctification, the habits, and acts of Grace.
3. How we hold communion with him as to the priviledges we enjoy. Of which in the ensuing Chapters.