Thus the obedience of our Lord Jesus Christ becomes our righteousness, his sufferings our atonement; and he is a fountain opened for all supplies "He of grace, upon our union to him by faith. bore our sins in his own body on the tree;" and "we are complete in him." Thus, likewise, the believer's sufferings in his cause are the sufferings of Christ-" In all their afflictions he is afflicted." The believer's graces are the graces of Christ, owned by and derived from him; and “ of his fulness they all receive, and grace for grace." And "the believer's good conversation is in Christ." In fine, the whole interest of the church is the interest of Christ, and is by him taken care of, and provided for, as his own: and the whole interest of Christ is the interest of the church; and the believer is most nearly affected with the interest of Christ's kingdom, as what most nearly concerns him. Thus is the church united to Christ, and thus has he graven her upon the palms of his hands, and her walls are continually before him.

5. The union between Christ and believers is such, as that they have thereby one common relation. He is their everlasting Father, their head, their husband, their brother, their friend, theirs by all relations of nearest intimacy. His Father is their Father, his brethren are their brethren, and his God is their God. "Go to my brethren; and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father and your Father, and to my God and your God." Thus are believers distinguished from the rest of the world, dignified and exalted above all those who are esteemed great and honourable among men, by their near relation

to Him who is "higher than the highest, and is the Prince of the kings of the earth."

66

6. The union between Christ and believers is such, that they have thereby one common inheritance. They, being children, are heirs, heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ." "And if I go (says the blessed Saviour) and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also." There is nothing can break the bond of union between Christ and believers: the union will not be dissolved, but perfected by death. "Neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come; nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." This is the hope of their calling; this the inheritance of the saints-that, when they have a little longer struggled with the temptations and imperfections, distresses and calamities of this militant state, they shall arrive safe to the end of their desires and hopes, and be ever with the Lord. They shall dwell in his presence, and partake of the joys at his right hand for evermore.

Thus I have given you a very brief and general view of the believer's union to Christ, according to the representation of it in the Scriptures; and I am now prepared to consider your second question.

You next inquire, "How this union is effected and accomplished?"

To this it is a sufficient answer, that this union is accomplished by the omnipotent agency of the Spirit of God, as the author and efficient; and by faith, as

66

the bond of union. Vain, therefore, are their pretences, and they have but a delusive and destructive hope, who ascribe all the change in conversion to mere moral suasion, or to the exercise of our own natural powers or endeavours only. It is beyond the power of men or means, to persuade a sinner into this strict and intimate union with Christ. It infinitely exceeds the capacity of any such sinful worms as we are, to make ourselves one with the Lord Jesus Christ, as the Father and he are one." No! "We dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit." And "by one Spirit we are baptized into one body." Vain, likewise, is the pretence of an eternal union to Christ, or of a union to him, from the time of his passion, or of his finishing the work of our redemption. For it is to them, and none but them, who receive him and believe on his name, that he gives power to become the sons of God. And "Christ dwells in our hearts by faith." The blessed Spirit shining with a ray of divine light into the soul of a sinner, thereby discovers to him his own misery and impotence, and shows him the fulness and excellency of Christ, the freeness of the Gospel offer, the faithfulness of the promises, and the readiness of this precious Saviour to accept and save such guilty perishing sinners as he is.

This

divine light enkindles the sinner's desires after Christ, represents him worthy to be chosen and trusted; by which his will is brought into a hearty compliance with the Gospel offer. Thus this admirable union is accomplished. Thus, by the omnipotent power of divine grace, the sinner is drawn to Christ, and made one with him, in a way most agreeable and

delightful to himself, with the concurring act of his own will, and with his free consent and choice.

I now proceed to your third question, "Of what necessity or usefulness to practical godliness is it, that we should have a just acquaintance with this doctrine of our union to Jesus Christ ?"

In answer to this, I must observe, that I have already somewhat anticipated this inquiry. You may perceive, by what has been already said upon this subject, that it is not a point of mere unnecessary speculation, of no use or influence upon practical and vital religion. And I would now endeavour to show you that this is the foundation of all practical godliness; and that it is from ignorance of, or inattention to, this foundation of our practice and hope, that so many dangerous errors have obtained in the Christian church. This may be represented to you, in the first place, by considering this matter with a special application to the subject upon which I have lately written so particularly and largely to

you.

I am first, then, to show you that our justification before God does necessarily and immediately depend upon our vital union to Jesus Christ. It must be confessed by all men who know any thing of human nature, and have any belief of a divine revelation, that we have all sinned, and that we are all become guilty before God. And which way shall guilty sinners be reconciled to God? This, Sir, is the most important concern in the world. Consider the question with an attention worthy of its infinite consequence. Can you quiet your conscience with hopes of appeasing the divine justice by your reformations,

If

good endeavours, or duties? Alas! they are all so defective and sinful, that the iniquity of your holy things will greatly increase the score, and add to the weight of your guilt. Will you flatter your hopes, from the mercy and goodness of the divine nature? But what claim can you have to mercy, when open to the inexorable demands of justice? Do you expect acceptance with God upon Christ's account? This is indeed a sure foundation of hope for all who are interested in Christ and united to him. But what pretence can you make to the righteousness of Christ and the benefits of his redemption, if you have no interest in him, or in any of his saving benefits? If you have an interest in him, you are united to him, as I have already demonstrated. you have not an interest in him, you have no plea to make for justification and acceptance with God upon his account. Our Lord Jesus Christ has indeed made a sufficient atonement for sin. He has wrought out a perfect righteousness for sinners, whereby they may be acquitted from guilt, reconciled to God, and freely justified in his sight. But what is this to impenitent unbelievers, who have never been drawn to Christ by the powerful influences of his Holy Spirit, who have never received him by faith, so have never belonged to him, and therefore could never have any part in either his active or passive obedience? "If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them and cast them into the fire, and they are burned." This, therefore, is a sufficient evidence of the truth of what I have before written to you upon the doctrine of justification.