effect of this work of the Spirit upon that people,

"Our Gof

pel (faith he) came not to you in word only, but in power; "and in the Holy Ghoft:" There was the effectual application of Christ to them. "And you became followers of us, and "of the Lord," ver. 6. there was their effectual call. "" 'And

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ye turned from dumb idols to ferve the living and true God," ver. 9. there was their converfion. "So that ye were en"famples to all that believe," ver. 9. there was their life of fanctification or dedication to God. So that all these are comprehended in effectual application.

Prop. 2. The application of Chrift to the fouls of men, is that great project and defign of God in this world, for the accomplishment whereof, all the ordinances, and all the officers of the gospel, are appointed and continued in the world.

This the gofpel expreíly declared to be its direct end, and the great bufinefs of all its officers, Eph. iv. 11, 12. "And he gave fome apoftles, and fome prophets, and fome evangelifts, and "fome paftors and teachers; till we all come in the unity of "the faith, and the knowledge of the Son of God; to a per"fect man, unto the measure of the ftature of the fulness of "Chrift," i. e. the great aim and scope of all Chrift's ordiDances and officers, are to bring men into union with Christ, and fo build them up to perfection in him: or to unite them to, and confirm them in, Chrift: And when it fhall have finished this defign, then shall the whole frame of gospel-ordinances be taken down, and all its officers difbanded. "The kingdom" (i. e. this prefent oeconomy, manner, and form of government)

hall be delivered up," 1 Cor. xv. 24. What are minifters, but the bridegroom's friends, ambaffadors for God, to befeech men to be reconciled? When therefore all the elect are brought home in a reconciled ftate to Chrift, when the marriage of the Lamb is come, our work and office expire together.

Prop. 3. Such is the importance and great concernment of the perfonal application of Chrift to us by the Spirit, that whatsoever the Father hath done in the contrivance, or the Son hath done in the accomplishment of our redemption, is all inavailable, and ineffectual, to our falvation, without this.

It is confeffedly true, that God's good pleasure appointing us from eternity to falvation, is, in its kind, a most full and fufficient impulfive caufe of our falvation, and every way able (for fo much as it is concerned) to produce its effect. And Chrift's humiliation and fufferings are a most complete, and fufficient meritorious caufe of our falvation, to which nothing can be added to make it more apt, and able to procure our

falvation, than it already is: Yet neither the one or the other can actually fave any foul, without the Spirit's application of Chrift to it for where there are divers focial caufes, or concaufes, neceffary to produce one effect, there the effect cannot be produced, until the laft caufe hath wrought. Thus it is here, the Father hath elected, and the Son hath redeemed; but until the Spirit (who is the laft caufe) hath wrought his part also, we cannot be faved. For he comes in the Father's and in the Son's name and authority, to put the laft hand to the work of our falvation, by bringing all the fruits of election and redemption home to our fouls in this work of effectual vocation. Hence the apostle, Pet i. 2. noting the order of caufes in their operations, for the bringing about of our falvation, thus ftates it: "Elect, "acording to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through "fanctification of the Spirit unto obedience, and fprinkling of "the blood of Jefus Chrift." Here you find God's election and Chrift's blood, the two great caufes of falvation, and yet neither of these alone, nor both together can fave us; there must be added the fanctification of the Spirit, by which God's decree is executed; and the fprinkling (i. e. the perfonal application of Christ's blood) as well as the shedding of it, before we can have the faving benefit of either of the former causes.

Prop. 4. The application of Christ, with his faving benefits, is exactly of the fame extent and látitude with the Father's election, and the Son's intention in dying, and cannot possibly be extended to one foul farther.

"Whom he did predeftinate, them he alfo called," Rom. viii. 30. and Acts xiii. 48. "As many as were ordained to eternal "life, believed;" 2 Tim. i. 9. "Who hath faved and called "us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in "Chrift Jefus, before the foundation of the world."

The Father, Son, and Spirit, (betwixt whom was the council of peace) work out their defign in a perfect harmony and confent: As there was no jar in their council, fo there can be none in the execution of it: thofe whom the Father, before all time, did chufe; they, and they only, are the perfons, whom the Son, when the fulness of time for the execution of that decree was come, died for, John xvii. 6. "I have manifested

thy name unto the men, which thou gavest me out of the "world; thine they were, and thou gavest them me ;" and ver. 19." For their fakes I fanctify myfelf;" (i. e.) confecrate, devote, or fet myself apart for a facrifice for them. And those for VOL. II.

SERM. I whom Chrift died, are the perfons to whom the Spirit effectually applies the benefits and purchases of his blood: He comes in the name of the Father and Son: "But the world cannot re"ceive him, for it neither fees, nor knows him," John xiv. 17. "They that are not of Chrift's fheep, believe not," John x. 26.

Chrift hath indeed a fulness of faving power, but the difpenfation thereof is limited by the Father's will; therefore he tells us, Mat. xx. 23. "It is not mine to give, but it fhall be given to "them for whom it is prepared of my Father:" In which words he no ways denies his authority, to give glory as well as grace; only fhews that in the difpenfation proper to him, as Mediator, he was limited by his Father's will and counsel.

And thus alfo are the difpenfations of grace by the Spirit, in like manner, limited, both by the counsel and will of the Father and Son. For as he proceeds from them, fo he acts in the admi niftration proper to him, by commiffion from both. John xiv. 26. "The holy Ghost whom the Father will fend in my name;” and as he comes forth into the world by this joint commiffion, fo his difpenfations are limited in his commiffion; for it is faid, John xvi. 13. "He fhall not fpeak of himself, but whatsoever he "fhall hear, that fhall he fpeak;" (i.e.) He fhall in all things act according to his commiffion, which the Father and I have given him.

The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he feeth the Fa ther do, John v. 19. And the Spirit can do nothing of himself, but what he hears from the Father and Son: And it is impoffi ble it should be otherwife, confidering not only the unity of their nature, but also of their will and defign. So that you fee the applications of Chrift, and benefits by the Spirit, are commen furable with the Father's fecret counfel, and the Son's defign in dying, which are the rule, model, and pattern of the Spirit's working.

Prop. 5. The application of Chrift to fouls, by the regenerating work of the Spirit, is that which makes the first internal difference, and diftinction among men.

It is very true, that in refpect of God's fore-knowledge and purpose, there was a distinction betwixt one man and another, before any man had a being, one was taken, another left: And with refpect to the death of Chrift, there is a great difference betwixt one and another: He laid down his life for the fheep, he prayed for them, and not for the world; but al. this while, as to any relative change of state, or real change of temper, they are upon a level with the rest of the miferable world. The elect them

115 felves are "by nature the children of wrath, even as others," Eph. ii. 3- And to the fame purpose the apostle tells the Corinthians, 1 Cor. vi. 11. (when he had given in that black bill, defcribing the most lewd, profligate, abominable wretches in the world, men whofe practices did stink in the very noftrils of nature, and were able to make the more fober Heathens blufh; after this he tells the Corinthians) "And fuch were fome of you, "but ye are washed," &c. q. d. look, these were your companions once as they are, you lately were.

The work of the Spirit doth not only evidence, and manifest that difference which God's election hath made between men and man, as the apoftle fpeaks, 1 Theff. i. 4, 5. But it also makes a twofold difference itself, namely in state and temper; whereby they visibly differ, not only from other men, but alfo from themfelves: after this work, though a man be the who, yet not the what he was. This work of the Spirit, makes us new creatures, namely, for quality and temper, 2 Cor. v. 17. "If any man be "in Chrift, he is a new creature: old things are past away, be"hold, all things are become new."

Propof. 6. The application of Christ, by the work of regeneration, is that which yields unto men all the fenfible fweetness, and refrefbing comforts, that they have in Chrift, and in all that he hath done, fuffered, or purchafed for finners.

An unfanctified perfon may relish the natural fweetness of the creature, as well as he that is fanctified; he may also seem to relish and taste some sweetness in the delicious promises and difcoveries of the gospel, by a mifapplication of them to himself. But this is like the joy of a beggar, dreaming he is a king; but he awakes and finds himself a beggar ftill: but for the rational, folid, and genuine delights, and comforts of religion, no man taftes them, till this work of the Spirit hath firft paffed upon his foul: it is an enclosed pleasure, a ftranger intermeddles not with "The white ftone, and the new name," (denoting the pleafant refults and fruits of juftification and adoption)" no man knows but he that receives it," Rev. ii. 7. There are all thofe things wanting in the unfanctified (though elect) fouls, that fhould capacitate and enable it to relifh the fweetnefs of Christ and religion, namely, propriety, evidence, and suitablenefs of fpirit.

it.

Propriety is the fweetest part of any excellency; therefore Luther was wont to fay, that the sweetness of the gospel lay moftly in pronouns, as me, my, thy, &c. who loved [me] and gave himself for me, Gal: ii. 20. Chrift Jefus [my] Lord, Phil,

iii. 18. So Mat, ix. 2. Son, be of good cheer. [thy] fins are "forgiven." Take away propriety, and you deflower the very gofpel, of its beauty and delicioufnefs: and as propriety, fo

Evidence is requifite to joy and comfort; yea, fo neceffary, that even intereft and propriety afford no fenfible sweetness without it. For as to comfort, it is all one not to appear, and not to be. If I am regiftred in the book of life, and know it not, what comfort can my name there afford me? Befides, ta capacitate a foul for the fweetness and comfort of Christ there is alfo an agreeable temper of spirit required; for how can Christ be fweet to that man's foul, whofe thoughts relactate, decline, or naufeate fo holy and pure an object? Now, all these requifites being the proper effects and fruits of the Spirit's fanctifying operations upon us, it is beyond controverfy, that the confolations of Chrift cannot be tafted, until the application of Christ be first made.

Propof. 7. The application of Chrift to the foul effectually, though it be fo far wrought in the first faving work of the Spirit, as truly to entitle the foul to Cbrift, and fave it from the danger of perifbing; yet it is a work gradually advancing in the believer's foul, whilft it abides on this fide heaven and glory,

It is true, indeed, that Chrift is perfectly and completely ap plied to the foul in the first act, for righteoufnefs," Juftification being a relative change *, properly admits no degrees, but is perfected together, and at once, in one only act; tho as to its manifeftation, and fenfe, it hath various degrees :" But the application of Chrill to us, for wisdom, and fanctificati en, is not perfected in one fingle act, but rifes by many, and flow degrees to its juft perfection.

And though we are truly faid to be come to Chrift when we first believe, John vi. 35. yet the foul after that is still coming ta him by farther acts of faith, 1 Pet. ii. 4. " To whom [coming] as unto a living ftone:" the particle notes a continued motion, by which the foul gains ground, and ftill gets nearer and nearer to Chrift; growing ftill more inwardly acquainted with him. The knowledge of Chrift grows upon the foul as the morninglight, from its firft fpring, to the perfect day, Prov. iv. 18. every grace of the Spirit grows, if not fenfibly, yet really; for it is in difcerning the growth of fanctification, as it is in difcerning the

* Nullos proprie dictos gradus admittit, fed unico attu fimul ae femel exiftit perfecta, quamvis quoad manifeftationem, fenfum, et effecta; varios habet gradus. Amef.