may be excited and encouraged to come boldly, and make use of it for our sanctification.

3. The sacraments present, exhibit, and apply it to us who believe, 1 Cor. xi. 24. As by earth and stone delivered to a man upon a legal right, he is infefted and possessed of the house or land: so, by the sacraments received by faith, Christ and all his benefits are applied to us, for our cleansing.

An inference shall shut up this branch.

INFERENCE. Hence we may try, whether the sacraments be effectual to us, or not; whether we have believingly received them or not. While people are never the more holy, for all the sacraments they receive, the more the worse, their disease is the more confirmed their filthiness is the more fixed on them. But when they stir up the soul to an usemaking of Christ for sanctification, and men get a cubit added to their spiritual stature, it is a good sign.

Thirdly, and Lastly, Christ washeth sinners by afflictions. Hence the prophet saith, Is. xxvii. 9, "By this therefore shall the iniquity of Jacob be purged, and this is all the fruit to take away his sin.” They also are but external means, in the hand of the Spirit, and cannot of themselves purify. But the Spirit makes use of them for cleansing sinners. There are two ways of purging filthiness, by water, and by fire; as we learn from Is. iv. 4, "When the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion, and shall have purged the blood of Jerusalem from the midst thereof, by the spirit of judgment, and by the spirit of burning." Afflictions are God's fire for that end. Their use in the washing is sixfold.

1. Afflictions are memorials of ours in, and so puts us in mind to look back on our defilements; as they were to Joseph's brethren, when they said, as Gen. xlii. 21, "We are verily guilty concerning our brother, in that we saw the anguish of his soul, when he besought us; and we would not hear: therefore is this distress come upon us." The prosperous sinner wallows at ease in bis filthiness; but when God lays his afflicting hand on him, the sharper it is, conscience is readily the more awakened out of its sleep. And it will readily read the sin, out of the punishment.

2. Afflictions are a glass, wherein one sees the loathsomeness of sin in the sight of God. While the sinner prospers in his course, he cannot think that God is sore displeased at it; as the Lord himself saith unto the sinner, Psal. 1. 21, "These things hast thou done, and I kept silence: thou thoughtest that I was altogether such a one as thyself." But affliction is such a token of God's displeasure against sin, that when it comes, the sinner alters his thoughts; sees its loathsomeness before God, and therefore loathsome in itself; which makes him anxious to be washed.

3. Afflictions are a fire that melt off the paint, and deface the beauty of the defiling objects in the world. Hence saith the Lord unto Israel, Jer. ii. 36, 37, "Why gaddest thou about so much to change thy way? thou also shalt be ashamed of Egypt, as thou wast ashamed of Assyria. Yea, thou shalt go forth from him, and thine hands upon thine head: for the Lord hath rejected thy confidences, and thou shalt not prosper in them." Where was the excellency of the thirty pieces when God's hand was lifted up against Judas for them? The beauty of former lusts melts away, when a man is laid on a sick-bed and the bewitching creature then loses all its charms.

4. Afflictions are a bridle whereby men are restrained from defiling themselves more, and are brought to a stand in a defiling course. Hence the Lord saith unto Israel, Hos. ii. 6, "Behold, I will hedge up thy way with thorns, and make a wall, that she shall not find her paths." They serve to take off the edge of corrupt affections, and make them to languish; whereby the sinner becomes more considerate, and pliable to counsel from the word.

5. Afflictions are occasional causes of sinners thinking of and going to the fountain to wash. Hence the Lord saith of Israel, Hos. v. 15, "I will go and return to my place, till they acknowledge their offence, and seek my face in their afflictions they will seek me early." How many are there to whom afflictions have been the blessed means and occasions of their turning serious? Such a rod they met with, or they had gone on like the wild ass upon the mountains, snuffing up the wind.

6. Lastly, Afflictions are a sharp wind to blow up the fire of grace where it is, and particularly to excite faith, whereby the soul is washed. Hence the spouse prayeth, Cant. iv. 16, "Awake, O north-wind, and come, thou south, blow upon my garden, that the spices thereof may flow out." In prosperity people can fetch in their comfort by sense; but in afflictions, when created streams are dried up, they must fetch it in by faith, or else want it.

Two inferences shall conclude this branch.

INFERENCE 1. Let this cause us to take afflictions kindly; since they are means by which Christ washeth us. Though the water be cold and piercing, yet we endure it, that we may get our hands made clean. Though medicines sicken us, we blame not the physician, because they are for our health. Why should we be angry at our God afflicting us, since the fruit designed is to purge away sin?

INFERENCE 2. Let us, in all our afflictions, seek purification from our sin, and know they are not effectual unless they have a sanctiVOL. VI.

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fying efficacy on us. They are indeed of the nature of fire, first causing the scum to come above, but next throwing it off. They do discover much of the corruption of the heart, that otherwise would be latent but then if they humble the soul under a sense of sinfulness, and send it anew to Christ for purging of the nature, they are not in vain.

I shall now proceed to the second general head proposed, namely, II. To consider the unwashed or unsanctified sinner's having no part with Christ.

In discussing this head, I shall shew,

1. What the unwashed sinner's having no part with Christ supposeth; and,

2. Wherein it lies.

First, We shall shew what the unwashed sinner's having no part with Christ supposeth. It supposeth,

1. That Christ himself is happy. He is not only happy as he is God, Rom. ix. 5, who is therefore styled "God blessed for ever;" but as he is Mediator, the head of the body, the church. Hence it is said of him, Psal. Ixxii. 17, "Men shall be blessed in him, all nations shall call him blessed." All mankind were brought to misery and ruin by Adam's fall: but the man Christ was an exception from that rule. He was happy from the moment of the incarnation, all along, notwithstanding what he suffered and from his resurrection and ascension his happiness was completed: Phil. ii. 9, "Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name." Heb. x. 13, "From henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool." There are two things wherein Christ is completely happy.

1st, In having fully done the work he undertook to do. Hence he says to his Father, John xvii. 4, "I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do." He had a great work to do, for the glory of his Father, and the salvation of sinners. It was the hardest work that ever was taken in hand. All hardships from heaven, earth, and hell, met together upon him; and his work was to go through them all in a course of perfect obedience. And now it is done; he was born holy, lived righteous, satisfied completely by his death: now he is got to the joy set before him: Rom. vi. 9, "Christ being raised from the dead, dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him." Rev. iii. 21, "To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne."

2dly, In having received the reward of his work. Our Lord,

"for the joy that was set before him, endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God," Heb. xii. 2. Never was there such a reward of work, as Christ has received; it bears proportion to the work, which was of infinite value. All the promises of the covenant, whether respecting himself, or his people, are now in his hand. They are won by him, and he is put in possession of the things promised, which make an inexhaustible treasure. Hence the apostle, (Eph. iii. 8.) speaks of "the unsearchable riches of Christ."

2. There is enough in him to make others happy too: Col. i. 19, "For it pleased the Father, that in him should all fulness dwell." There is a fulness of a fountain in him, whereby others may be supplied from him, may have part with him, and yet he have no lack. The first Adam was a spring of ruin to all his posterity: but the gospel points out Christ the second Adam as a spring of happiness for wretched sinners.

3. Sinners may have part with Christ in his fulness; it is lodged in him to be communicated. Hence our Lord himself says, Matth. xi. 27, 28, "All things are delivered unto me of my Father: and no man knoweth the Son but the Father: neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him. Come unto me, all ye that labour, and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." He is the bowl on the top of the candlestick, (Zech. iv. 2.) the immediate receptacle of the oil, from whence it is conveyed to the seven lamps. Joseph was sent to Egypt, and exalted there, to provide for Jacob's family in the dearth: so Christ is great Steward of heaven, for the behoof of poor sinners; that he having all in his hand, they may be happy in having part with him.

4. All that are sanctified are happy in having part with Christ : Col. ii. 9, 10, "For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. And ye are complete in him." They have part in his work, by imputation; even as they had part with Adam in his sin : Rom. v. 19, "For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners: so by the obedience of one, shall many be made righteous." They have part in his reward, by a real communication thereof to them; even as they had part with Adam in the corruption of his nature: John i. 16, "And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace." 1 Cor. xv. 22, "For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive." This, it is true, is but imperfect as yet; but it is so begun that it will undoubtedly be perfected. But such as it is, their sanctification is not the cause of it, but it is the cause of their sanctification. This appears from 1 John i. 3, 7,

"That which we have seen and heard, declare we unto you, that yẻ also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin."

5. Lastly, Unholy sinners are miserable in the want of part with Christ. They are "without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world," Eph. ii. 12. Therefore this struck Peter, when he saw how deep it drew: for he said, Acts iv. 12, "Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved." It is true, all that hear the gospel are externally called to the fellowship of his Son: but most men love the fellowship of the world lying in wickedness, and will not take part with Christ. So they are without it, though it lies open to them: and to each one of them may be said what Peter said to Simon Magus, Acts viii. 21, "Thou hast neither part nor lot in this matter: for thy heart is not right in the sight of God." Meanwhile their unholiness is not the thing that bars them from having part with Christ; but their want of part with Christ is that whereby they keep themselves unholy.

Secondly, I shall show wherein the unwashed sinner's having no part with Christ does lie or consist. This will appear, with the misery of the case, in taking a view, 1. Of Christ's work; and, 2. Of his reward; in neither of which the unholy have part with him.

First, Christ is happy, in that he has done out the work he undertook for the salvation of sinners: and all that are his have part with him therein; it is imputed to them, as if they had done it, Gal. ii. 20. And,

1. He has been born holy, and answered the demand of the law for holiness of nature, by his bringing a holy human nature into the world with him, as a public person. Hence in Luke i. 35, he is called "that holy thing born." Heb. vii. 26, "For such an high priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separated from sinners." So that demand of the law for salvation for all that are his, is answered; for in Col. ii. 10, 11, they are said to be complete in him; and to be circumsised in him. The law cannot stop their salvation for want of a perfectly holy nature; for they have part with him, in the holiness of his nature, and that holy nature is communicated to them.*

See View of the Covenant of Grace from the sacred records, head 3, concerning the conditionary part of the covenant.