PART V. THE PRESENT PRIVILEGES OF CHRISTIANS CHAP. I. SPIRITUAL PRIVILEGES NOW BESTOWED. LET us have a real understanding of our true situation as the children of God. Christ has redeemed us from all iniquity, that he may purify us unto himself as a peculiar people, zealous of good works. We are blessed, that we may be a blessing. During the present season of grace, each true Christian is now sealing with that Holy Spirit of promise, which is the earnest of our inheritance, until the redemption of the purchased possession. Eph. i. 13. This is nothing less than the restoration of the divine image, (Eph. iv. 13. Col. iii. 10.) the sealing of the servants of God in their foreheads, (Rev. vii. 3.) which issues in meetness for the inheritance of the saints in light, (Col. i. 12.) and the happy time when they shall see his face, and his name shall be in their foreheads, and they shall reign for ever and ever. ness to God and diffusing the others, this is our future glory. now, that we may live in the ever. Rev. xxii. 4, 5. Likeblessedness of this to We are attaining this enjoyment of this for Having in the former parts of this Treatise presented before the reader so many affecting dangers and weighty duties, I would now in the close direct his attention to those rich spiritual privileges, in the strength and enjoyment of which alone, we can be free from fear, and strong to every duty, and use to the utmost the abundant seed-time now given. For illustrating these privileges, let us consider that common Christian blessing which we so often hear; which shews us all the grace and goodness of our God, and leads us to the hope that his grace and goodness may be so imparted to us, that we may become like him and also be fountains of similar blessings to others. The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you all. Amen. 2 Cor. xiii. 14. The enjoyment of God himself and our resemblance to him, this, this only, is the true rest and happiness of his creature man. There is an aching void in every soul, which God alone can fill. He himself, in his covenant of love, has said, I have satiated the weary soul, and I have replenished every sorrowful soul. The gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ shews how we may come to the enjoyment of this inestimable blessing. The gospel, in the voice of love to every human being, cries, Be ye reconciled to God; and so we also joy in God, through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement. To lead the reader to some of those springs of joy to be found in God is my purpose in this part of my subject. Most precious is it to know God as our Father, full of love,-to know Jesus as our Saviour, full of grace and truth,-to know the Holy Ghost as our Comforter, ready to communicate this grace. We have in the Christian blessing the doctrine of the Holy Trinity brought before us; not as an abstract theory, or a cold, dry, barren statement; nor merely set forth dogmatically and intellectually; needful as in a creed like the Athanasian, where it is valuable for the defence of the vital truth of the Trinity against heresy ; but it is brought before us in the riches of communion and enjoyment, to be experienced in our hearts, as a practical blessing, a delightful privilege. This is the best of all ways, to know and joy in the Triune Jehovah. In the direction for baptism, we find the three persons of the Trinity named in a different order: Go ye therefore and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. But here the Redeemer is placed first, as if to shew the channel through which we are to receive every blessing. The doctrine of the Holy Trinity is indeed a practical, delightful, and experimental truth thus realized. First, then, notice THE GRACE OF Our Lord Jesus CHRIST; which means, the kindness and love, the free favour, which our Saviour delights spontaneously to manifest to the sinner. Thus the apostle says, Ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich. And the evangelist St. John Of his fulness have all ye received, and grace for grace. For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ. He opened the fountain of that grace by which all blessings now flow to us: For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more being reconciled we shall be saved by his life. How VAST is this grace! Consider who bestows it : the Lord, emphatically the Lord. It is the undeserved favour and mercy of the Lord of heaven and earth, the eternal and only begotten Son of the Most High. Oh how this enhances and magnifies the glory of the gift! If a nobleman were to receive us with favour, and confer benefits upon us, we should think much of it were the monarch on the throne to shew kindness to us, it would increase the favour: if an angel from heaven were to come down and tabernacle amongst us for a season, what a peculiar favour should we justly esteem it! But here, it is one higher than the highest, more noble than the noblest,-the King of kings, and the Lord of lords, the King of Glory who shews favour to us; Jesus, Jehovah, God, our Saviour, saving us from our worst enemy here-from eternal wrath in the ages to come; saving us, not only from the guilt, but also from the pollution of sin. Jesus is the Christ, also the Anointed One, the Prophet, Priest, and King, set apart to fill every office for poor sinful man. How vast must the grace be from such a giver! How UNDESERVING are we of such mercy! It is not for the righteous, for then would it cease to be grace. It is not for those who have done no harm. This grace is for the rebellious, the hostile, the vile, and the sinful. The kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us. This makes it specially entitled to the name of grace: Christ died for sinners. He loved his enemies, even those who mocked him. He makes intercession for the transgressors.* HOW EXTENSIVE is this grace! It is offered to all: *The following hymn from White's collection, may be perhaps of special comfort to some reader. It is founded on John vi. 37. Just as I am--without one plea, But that thy blood was shed for me, Just as I am-and waiting not To rid my soul of one dark blot, To thee, whose blood can cleanse each spot, |