'whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of fins 1. And furely, had the fruit of Chrift's death refted here, it had been a great degree of mercy; if we rightly weighed the heavinefs of the burden of guilt, the feverity of the wrath of God, and the extremity of that mifery that doth and must attend it. If a man under the guilt and horror of fome hideous treafon, under the fevere and inexorable fentence of the laws against him, under the imminent infliction of moft exquifite and continuing torments, fhould but hear of a pardon and discharge from this; how welcome would it be, though the refidue of his life were to be spent in exile; but our Lord's purchase refts not here. 6 6 2. To reconcile God to his creature. So that it doth not only remove the effects of the anger of God, which is punishment, which may be removed, and yet the anger continuing: Nor doth it only remove the anger of God, and leave a man in a kind of ftate of indifferency, as it is between perfons that never were acquainted one with another; but it is a state of reconciliation; That he might recon'cile both unto God in one body by the cross, hav'ing flain the enmity thereby 2;' God was in Chrift reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trefpaffes unto them.' And certainly this is a great addition unto the former, that God in Chrift fhould not only pafs by our fins, but would no longer look upon us as ftrangers, but as perfons reconciled unto him: And surely a foul fenfible of the unhappy condition of being eftranged from God, how highly would he prize a ftate of reconciliation, though it were in the meaneft and lowest relation? I am no more worthy to be called thy fon, make me as one of thy hired fervants:' So that I may not be eftranged from thee, reconcile me unto thyfelf, though in the condition of thy meaneft fervant. But neither doth the happy fruit of our Lord's fuffering reft here. Eph. i. 7. * Eph. ii. 16. 92 Cor. v. 19. 4 Luke xv. 19. 2 3. To reftore unto us that near and bleffed relation of being fons of God. That we might receive the 'adoption of fons 1.'-' Behold now we are the fons ' of God, and it doth not yet appear what we thall be 2.' This was that dear expreffion of our Lord, after his refurrection. Go to my brethren, and tell them I ' afcend unto my Father and your Father, to my God ' and your God 3.' He seems to intereft them in this bleffed relation in a kind of equality with himself; My brethren, My Father and your Father, and the fweet and comfortable confequents of this are incomparable. Is he my Father? then I know he can pity me as a father pitieth his children 4: he can pardon and spare me as a father fpareth his fon that ferves him 5. Is he my Father? then whither fhould I go but to him for protection in all my dangers? for directions in all my difficulties? for fatisfaction in all my doubts? for fupply in all my wants? This I can with confidence expect from a poor earthly father, according to the compass of his abilities: If ye then being evil 'know how to give good things unto your children, 'how much more fhall your Father, who is in heaven, give good things to them that afk him 6.' Mercy, and compaffion, and love, is a virtue in a man, in an earthly father, a piece of that image of God which at firft he imprinted in man; and yet paffion and human infirmity, as it hath much weakened the habit thereof in us, fo it may fufpend the exercise thereof to a near relation: but in Almighty God these virtues are in their perfection, and nothing at all in him that can remit it; mercy and tenderness are at tributes which he delights in; mercy pleateth him; it was the great attribute he proclaimed his name by 7, and fo diffufive is his mercy that it extends to all, he is good to all, and his tender mercies are over all his works 8,' and not only to the juft and good, but even to the unkind; caufing his fun to fhine 21 John iii. 2. 3 John xx. 17. Psal. ciii. 13. Matth. vii. 11. 7 Exod. xxxiv. 6. Psal. cxlv. 9. upon 1 Gal. iv. 5. Mal. iii. 17. 6 upon the evil and the good: and furely he that hath mercy and goodness for an enemy, cannot deny it unto a child. Can a mother forget her 'fucking child, &c. yea fhe may forget; yet will I "not forget thee, faith the Lord 1.' To restore us to a moft fure, everlasting and bleffed inheritance in heaven. If a fon, then an heir of God through Chrift 2:' and here is the complement of all; not only abfolved from the guilt of fin, reconciled to God, put into the relation of a child of God; but after all this, to be everlastingly and unchangeably stated in a bleffed condition unto all eternity and all this from the condition of a moft vile, finful loft creature, and by fuch a price as the blood of Christ. More need not, cannot be faid. VIII. And by what hath been faid, it is easy to fee what the fruits and effects of all this are. God will not be disappointed in the end of fo great a work, and therefore we cannot be difappointed in the fruit of it, and thofe are either fuch as are enjoyed in this life, or principally appropriated to that which is to come. 1. Thofe benefits that naturally arise from Chrift crucified, and are enjoyed in this life, are thefe: 1. Juftification and acceptation in the fight of God; he looks upon us as thofe that have fatisfied his juftice when his Son fuffered; and as thofe that performed his will, when his Son performed it: fo that as our Lord imputed our fins to our Redeemer, fo he imputes his righteoufnels unto us; and as he was well pleafed with him, fo he was well pleafed in him, with as many as are received into this covenant. 2. Peace with God. quence of the former. This is the natural confeBeing juftified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jelus Christ. The only cause of breach between God and his creature is removed, and peace and love reftored between them. 4 Isaiah xlix. 15. Rom. v. 1. 2 * Gal. iv. 7. the crowning of the whole. 3. Free 3. Free access unto God: for we are reftored unto peace with him, and confequently accefs unto him; and indeed it is a part of that duty which he expects from us. Our access to him, is not only our privilege, as the accefs of a fubject to his prince, or a child to his father; but it is our duty, as a thing enjoined unto us in testimony of our dependance and love to him. 4. Confequently, peace with our ownselves, and our own confcience; and that upon a double ground. 1. Because our confcience is fprinkled by the blood of Chrift, which defaceth and obliterateth all thofe black items, that otherwife would be continually calling upon us. 2. Because conscience ever fideth with God, whofe vicegerent fhe is in the foul, and hath the very fame afpect, for the most part that heaven hath; and therefore, if it be clear above, it is ordinarily quiet within; and if God speaks peace, the confcience, unless distempered, doth not speak trouble. 5. An affurance of a continual fupply of fufficient grace, to lead us through this vale of trouble, without a final apoftacy or falling from him. Were our falvation in our own hands, or managed by our own strength we should utterly lofe it every moment; but the power, and truth, and love of God, is engaged in a covenant of the higheft folemnity that ever was, fealed in the blood of the Son of God, for our preservation; and it shall be as impoffible for us to fall from that condition, as for the Almighty God to be disappointed: no, his council and truth, the conftant fupply of the bleffed Spirit of Chrift, fhall keep alive that feed of life, that he hath thrown into his foul. For his feed remaineth in him, and he cannot fin, because he is born of God.' 6. Sufficient grace to preferve us from, or fupport us in, or deliver us out of temptations. We ftand more in need of grace, than we do of our bread; because the confequence of the want of the former, is of more 1 danger danger than the latter, by fo much as the foul is more valuable than the body. If our Father is pleased to furnish us with our daily bread, how fhall he then deny us our daily and hourly fupplies of his grace 1? Especially fince our intereft therein is founded upon the covenant made in the blood of Chrift: My grace is fufficient for thee 2.' 7. A favourable acceptation of our duties, fince they are the performances of children; and therefore not measured according to their own worth, but according to the relation and affection from whence they proceed. 8. A gentle and merciful pardoning of our failings, even as a father pitieth and pardoneth the infirmities of a child; and though he does not difpenfe with prefumptuous offences, yet he either obferves not, or forgives their many infirmities. And it is a privilege of high concernment to us, that as in our first converfion, the blood of Chrift wafheth away a whole life of fins at once, fo after our converfion, the fame fountain ftands open; whereunto we may and muft refort, to cleanse our daily failings. Chrift received by faith in the heart, is a continual facrifice, which I may present unto the Father, for my fins committed after my converfion. 9. A comfortable reflitution of a juft intereft in the creatures. When man forfook the allegiance he owed to his Maker, the interest he had in the creature, did, as it were, efcheats to the Lord and though his goodness after permitted him the use of them, yet it was ftill, as it were, upon account: and as the fons of men have a great account to give unto God for their fins, fo they have for his creatures. Chrift hath restored unto us a better propriety in that, which civil right hath made ours, than what we had before. 1 Rom. viii. 13.2 Cor. xii. 9. was forfeited. a stronger righ of property. |