moft excellent nature. Which the apoftles, who well understood this new conftitution, were deeply fenfible of. [54] Rom. i. 16, “I amı not ashamed of the gospel of Chrift: for it is the power of God unto falvation to every one that believes." v. 1, 2, 3, &c. "Therefore being juftified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jefus Christ. By whom also we have accefs, by faith, into his grace wherein we ftand, and rejoice [glory] in the hope and glory of God. And not only fo, but we glory in tribulation alfo," &c. Ver. 11, "And not only fo, but we also joy [glory] in God, through our Lord Jefus Chrift," &c, Chap. viii. 31, &c. "What fhall we then fay to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? He that fpared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how fhall he not with him alfo freely give us all things? Who fhall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect?-Who is he that condemns?-Who fhall separate us from the love of Christ ?" Chap. ix. 23, 24, He has "made known the riches of his glory on the veffels of mercy, which he had afore prepared unto glory, even on us whom he has called, not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles." 2 Cor. iii. 18, "But we all with open face, beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the fame image from glory to glory, as by the spirit of the Lord." Eph. i. 3, 4, &c. "Bleffed be the God and Father of our Lord Jefus Chrift, who has bleffed us with all spiritual bleffings in heavenly places in Chrift. According as he has chosen us in him," &c. &c.

137. And it is the duty of the whole body of Christians to rejoice in the goodness of God, to thank and praise him for all the benefits conferred upon them in the gofpel." [55] Rom. xv. 10, "Rejoice, ye Gentiles, with his people." Phil. iii. 1, "My brethren, rejoice in the Lord." iv. 4, "Rejoice in the Lord alway: again I fay, rejoice." 1. Thef. v. 16, "Rejoice evermore." Jam. i. 9. 1 Pet. i. 6, 8. Col. i. 12, "Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the faints in light." ii. 7, " Rooted and built up in him, and established in the faith,-abounding therein with thanksgiving." Thef. v. 18. Heb. xiii. 15, "By him therefore let us offer the facrifice of praife to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to his name." Eph. i. 6, "To the praife of the glory of his grace, wherein he has made us accepted in the beloved." Ver. 12, 14.

138. (3.) Further, it is to be obferved; that all the foregoing privileges, benefits, relations, and honours belong to all profeffed Chriftians without exception. [56] God is the God, King, Saviour, Father, Hufband, Shepherd, &c. to them all. He created, faved, bought, redeemed, he begot, he made, he planted, &c. them all. And they are all, as created, redeemed, and begotten by him, his people, nation, heritage; his children, fpoufe, flock, vineyard, &c. We are all enriched with the bleflings of the gofpel, Rom. xi. 12, 13, 14; all reconciled to God, Ver. 15; all "the feed of Abraham, and heirs according to the promise," Gal. iii. 29; all partake of the "root and fatnefs of the good olive,” the Jewish church; all the brethren of Christ, and members of his body; all are under grace; all have a right to the ordinances of worship; all are golden candlesticks in the temple of God, Rev. i. 12, 13, 20;

even

even those who by reafon of their mifimprovement of their privileges are threatened with having the candlestick removed out of its place, ii. 5. Either Either every profefled Chriftian is not in the church, or all the forementioned privileges belong to every profeffed Chriftian. Which will appear more evidently if we confider,

139. That all the fore-mentioned privileges, honours and advantages are the effect of God's free grace, without regard to any prior righteousness, which deferved or procured the donation of them. [57] It was not for any goodnefs or worthinefs, which God found in the heathen world, when the gospel was first preached to them; not for any works of obedience, or righteoufnefs, which we in our Gentile ftate had performed, whereby we had rendered ourselves deferving of the bleflings of the gofpel; namely, to be taken into the family, kingdom, or church of God: By no means. It was not thus of ourselves that we are faved, juflified, &c. So far from that, that the gofpel, when firft preached to us Gentiles, found us finners, dead in trefpaffes and fins, enemies through wicked works, difobedient. Therefore, I fay, all the fore-mentioned privileges, bleflings, honours, &c. are the effects of God's free grace, or favour, without regard to any prior works, or righteousness, in the Gentile world, which procured the donation of them. Accordingly, they are always in fcripture affigned to the love, grace and mercy of God, as the fole spring from whence they flow. John iii. 16, "For God fo loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whofoever believeth on him fhould not perish, but have everlafting life." Rom. v. 8, "But God commendeth his love to us, in that while we were finners Chrift died for us." Eph. ii. 49, 10, "But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he has loved us, even when we were dead in fins, hath quickened us together with Chrift (by grace ye are faved) and hath raised us up together, and made us fit together in heavenly places in Chrift Jefus. That in ages to come he might fhew the exceeding riches of his grace, in his kindness towards us, through Jefus Chrift. For by grace are ye faved, through faith, and that [falvation is] not of yourfelves, it is the the gift of God; not of works; fo that (*) no man [nor Gentile, nor Jew] can boast. For we [Chriftians converted from Heathenifm] are his workmanship, created in Christ Jefus unto good works, which God hath before ordained, that we should

walk

(*) Iva un rig navynonlui, left any man should boat. So we render it; as if the Gofpel Salvation were appointed to be not of works, to prevent our boafting; which fuppofes, we might have boafted, had not God taken this method to preclude it. Whereas, in truth, we had nothing to boast of. Neither Jew nor Gentile could pretend to any prior righteoufnefs, which might make them worthy to be taken into the houfe and kingdom of God under his Son. Therefore, the Apoftle's meaning is, "We are not faved "from Heathenifm, and tranflated into the church and kingdom of Christ, "for any prior goodnefs, obedience, or righteoufnefs we had performed. For "which reafon, no man can boaft, as if he had merited the bleffing," &c. This is the Apostle's fenfe; and the place fhould have been tranflated, so that no man can boaft: for wa fignifies, fo that. See Rom. iii. 19. 1 Cor. vii. 29 2 Cor. i. 17. vii. 9. Gal. v. 17. Heb. ii. 17. vi. 18. Mark iv. 12

walk in them. Wherefore remember, that ye being in time paffed Gen tiles," &c. 2 Thef. ii. 16. 1 John iii. 1, "Behold what manner of love the Father hath beftowed upon us, that we fhould be called the fons of God." iv. 9, "In this was manifefted the love of God towards us, because that God fent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him." Ver. 10, "Herein is love; not that we loved God, but he loved us, [Ver. 19, He first loved us, and fent his Son to be the propitiation for our fins." Ver. 11, "Beloved, if God fo loved us, we ought alfo to love one another." Ver. 16. Tit. iii. 3-7, "For we ourselves were fometimes foolish, difobedient,-but after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour towards man appeared; not by works of righteoufnefs which we have done, but according to his mercy he faved us,that being juftified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life."

140. It is on account of this general love that Chriftians are honoured with the title of beloved. [59] Rom. i. 7, "To all that are in Rome beloved of God, called Saints." ix. 25, "I will call her [the Gentile church] beloved, which was not beloved." Col. iii. 12, "Put on therefore as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies," &c.

141. Rom. iii. 23, 24, "For all have finned, and come fhort of the glory of God; being juftified freely by his grace, through the redemption which is in Chrift Jefus." v. 2. 1 Cor. i. 4, "I thank my God-for the grace of God which is given you by Jefus Chrift." Eph. i. 6, 7, "To the praife of the glory of his grace, whereby he has made us accepted in the beloved: in whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of fins, according to the riches of his grace." Col. i. 6. 2 Thef. i. 12. 2 Tim. i. 9, "Who has faved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpofe and grace, which was given us in Jefus Chrift before the world began." Tit. ii. 11. Heb. xii. 15. [Hence grace, and the grace of God, is fometimes put for the whole Gofpel, and all its bleffings; as Acts xiii. 43, "Paul and Barnabasperfuaded them to continue in the grace of God." 2 Cor. vi. 1. 1 Pet. v. 12, "Teftifying that this is the true grace of God in which we ftand.” 1 Cor. i. 4. Rom. v. 2. 2 Cor. vi. 1. Tit. ii. 11. Jude 4.] Rom. xii. 1, "I befeech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye prefent your bodies," &c. xv. 9, "And that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy." 1 Pet. i. 3, "Bleffed be the God and Father of our Lord Jefus Chrift, who according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again to a lively hope."

142. In these texts, and others of the fame kind, it is evident the love, grace, and mercy of God hath refpect, not to particular perfons in the Christian Church, but to the whole body, or whole focieties; and therefore, are to be understood of that general love, grace and mercy, whereby the whole body of Chriftians is feparated unto God, to be his peculiar people, favoured with extraordinary bleffings. [61]

143. And it is with regard to this fentiment, and mode of fpeech, that the Gentiles, who before lay out of the church, and had not obtained mercy, are faid, now to have obtained mercy. [62] Rom. xi. 30, "For as ye in times paft," that is, in your heathen

ftate,

ftate, "have not believed God, yet now have obtained mercy," &c. 1 Pet. "Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.

ii. 10,

144. Hence alfo we may conclude; that all the privileges and bleffings of the gofpel, even the whole of our redemption and falvation, are the effect of God's pure, free, original love and grace; to which he was inclined of his own motion, without any other motive befides his own goodness, (that is, without being perfuaded, induced, or prevailed with to grant it by any other being or perfon) in mere kindness and goodwill to a finful perishing world. Thefe are "the things that are freely given to us of God," 1 Cor. ii. 12.

All the Grace of the Gofpel difpenfed to us in, by or through the Son of God. How this is to be underflood, &c.

N

145. EVERTHELESS, all the fore-mentioned Love, Grace and Mercy, is difpenfed, or conveyed to us in, by or through the Son of God, Jefus Chrift, our Lord. To quote all the places to this purpose would be to tranfcribe a great part of the New Teftament. But it may fuffice, at prefent, to review the texts under the numbers [139, 141]: from which texts it is evident; that "the grace," or favour, "of God is given unto us by Jefus Chrift:"that he "has fhewn the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness to us, through Jefus Chrift:" that he has fent his Son into the world that we might live through him ;-to be the propitiation [or mercy-feat] for our fins" that "he died for us that we who were afar off are made nigh by his blood: that God has made us accepted in the Beloved, [in his beloved Sonj in whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of fins :" that" we are his workmanship created in Chrift Jefus :" that "before the world began the purpose and grace of God," relating to our calling and falvation, "was given us in Chrift Jefus: before the foundation of the world God chofe us in Chrift," Eph. i. 4." We have peace with God through our Lord Jefus Chrift, by whom alfo we have accefs into this grace wherein we ftand," Rom. v. I, 2. " God hath given to us eterna! life and this life is in his Son," 1 John v. 11.--Nothing is clearer from the whole current of Scripture, than that all the mercy and love of God, and all the bleflings of the gofpel, from firft to laft, from the original purpofe and grace of God, to our final falvation in the poffeffion of eternal life, is in, by or through Chrift; and particularly, by his Blood, by the redemption which is in him, as "he is the propitiation," or atonement, "for the fins of the whole world," 1 John ii. 2. This can bear no difpute among Chriftians. The only difference that

can

can be, muft relate to the manner how thefe bleffings are conveyed to us in, by or through Chrift. Doubtless they are conveyed through his hands, as he is the minifter, or agent, appointed of God to put us in poffeffion of them. But his blood, death, crofs, could be no miniftring caufe of bleffings affigned to his blood, &c. before we were put in poffeffion of them. See Rom. v. 6, 8, 10, 19. Eph. ii. 13, 16. Col. i. 20, 21, 22. Nor truly can his blood be poflibly confidered as a miniftring, or inftrumental caufe in any fenfe at all; for it is not an agent, but an object; and therefore, though it may be a moving caufe, or a reafon for beftowing bleflings, yet it can be no active, or inftrumental cause in conferring them. His blood and death is indeed to us an affurance of pardon but it is evidently fomething more; for it is also considered as an offering and facrifice to God, highly pleafing to him, to put away our fin, and to obtain eternal redemption, Heb. ix. 12, 14, 26. Eph. v. 2.

146. How then is this to be understood? Anf. The blood of Chrift is the perfect obedience and goodness of Chrift. For his blood is not to be confidered only with regard to the matter of it. For fo it is a mere corporeal fubftance, of no more value in the fight of God, than any other thing of the fame kind. Nor is the blood of Chrift to be confidered only in relation to our Lord's death and sufferings; as if mere death or suffering were in itself of fuch a nature, as to be pleafing and acceptable to God. But his blood implies a character; and it is his blood, as he is a "Lamb without fpot and blemith," (1 Pet. i. 19.) that is, as he is perfectly holy, which is of fo great value in the fight of God. His blood is the fame as his"offering himself without fpot to God," Heb. ix. 14. Theend of his coming into the world was "to do the will of God," Heb. x. 7. (John v. 30. vi. 38.) not to offer figurative, ceremonial facrifices, but to perform folid and fubftantial obedience, in all acts of usefulness and beneficence to mankind, by which he became a high-priest after the order of Melchizedek, the "King of Righteoufnefs, and the King of Peace," or Happinefs, Heb. vii. 2. And he abode in his Father's love, or continued to be the object of his complacency and delight, because he kept his commandments. And the reafon of his eminence and high diftinction is affigned to the perfection and excellence of his moral character, Heb. i. 9, "Thou haft loved righteoufnefs, and hated iniquity; therefore God, even thy God, hath ancinted thee with the oil of gladnefs above thy fellows." Heb. v. 8, 9, " Though he were a Son, yet learned he, [yet he was difciplined in] obedience by the things which he fuffered: and, being thus made perfect, he became the author of eternal falvation to all them that obey him." Ifai.liii. 5, “The chastisement," or difcipline, "of our peace," which procured our happiness," was upon him." Caftigatio, Eruditio.] And the apoftle, in another place, (Phil. ii. 7, 8, 9.) fhews us the true ground of our Lord's being exalted and made head over all things, as our Redeemer; namely, because "he emptied himself and took upon him the form of a Servant," that he might ferve mankind in their most important interefts; and because in this way, in ferving us, he "became obedient to death, even the death of the crofs;" which was the highest inftance of obedience, love and goodnefs he could could poflibly

exhibit