fpoken from heaven; therefore, by thefe words God the Father, in Chrift his Son, cheareth the hearts of poor finners, and greatly delighteth them with fingular comfort and heavenly fweetnefs, affuring them, that whofoever is married unto Chrift and fo in him by faith, he is acceptable to God the Father as Chrift himself (b); according to that of the apostle, he hath made us acceptable in his be'loved,' Eph. i. 6. Wherefore, if you would be acceptable to God, and be made his dear child, then by faith cleave unto his beloved Son Chrift, and hang about his neck, yea, and creep into his bofom and fo fhall the love and favour of God be as deeply infinuated into you, as it is into Chrift himfelf (c) and fo fhall God the Father, together with his be loved Son, wholly poffefs you, and be poffeffed of you; and fo God and Chrift, and you, fhall be come one entire thing, according to Chrift's prayer, ⚫ that they may be one in us, as thou and I are one," John xvii, 21, 22. (d),

(b) See the followingnote. (c) The acceptation, love and favour of God, here treated of, do not refer to the real ftate of believers, but to their relative ftate, to their juftification, reconciliation and adoption: and fo they have no refpect to any qualities inherent in them, good nor evil, to be increafed by the one, or diminished by the other; but they proceed purely upon the righteoufnefs of Chrift, which is theirs in virtue of their union with him, and is imputed to them; the which righteoufnefs is the felf-fame righteoufnefs wherewith Chrift, as mediator and furety for elect finners, pleafed the Father,

And by this means you may have fufficient ground and warrant to fay, (in the matter of reconciliation with God, at any time, whenfoever you are difputing with yourfelft, how God is to be found, that juftifieth and faveth finners) I know no other God, neither will I know any other God, belides this God that came down from heaven, and clothed himself with

+ Luther on Gal. p. 17.

66

acceptable as Chrift is, " and thall have fellowship "with the Father and the "Son." Luther's chofen fermons, fermon of the ap pearing of Chrift, p. (mihi) 23. "Here I will abide in "the arms of Christ, cleav ing infeparably about his "neck, and creeping into "his bofom, whatsoever "the law fhall fay, and my "heart fhall feel," Ibid. fermon of the loft fheep, p. (mibi) 31. Seeing there

66

fore that Chrift the be"loved Son, being in fo

that believers are united to
God, as well as to Chrift,
faith is that grace, by
'which we are united to,
and made one with God
and Chrift,' fays the au:
thor of the Supplement to
Pool's Annot. on the place.
See 1 John iv. 16. 2 Cor.
iv. 16. compared with Eph.
i. 17. And whosoever do
own Jefus Chrift to be one
with the Father, muft needs
grant this, or elfe deny be-
lievers to be united toChrift.
This derogates nothing
from the prerogative of our
Lord Jefus, who is one with
the Father; for he is one
with him, as the holy Ghoft
alfo is, by the adorable fub-
ftantial union; but believ
ers are fo only by mystical
union. Neither doth it in-
trench upon GOD's fupre-
macy, more than their (con-
fefs'd union with Chrift
doth; who, notwithstand-
ing of believers union with
him, remains to be, with
the Father and holy Spirit,"
the only fupreme, most
high God. See p. 257.

Whofoever therefore "cleaveth to Chrift thro' "faith, he abideth to the "favour of God, he alfo "fhall be made beloved and

great favour with God in "all things that he doth, is "thine,---without doubt, thou art in the fame fayour and love ofGod that "Chrift himself is in. And

to

again,the favour and love "of God are infinuated to "thee as deeply as "Chrift, that now God together with his beloved Son, doth wholly poffefs "thee, and thou haft him again wholly; that fo God, Chrift, and thou, "do become as one certain thing---that they may be one in us, as thou and I are one." John xvii, Ibid. fermon of the apearing of Christ, p. (mihi) 25. (e) Luther

with my flesh (e), unto whom all power is given, ⚫ both in heaven and in earth, who is my judge; for the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment to the Son,' John. v. 22. So that Chrift may do with me whatfoever him liketh, and determine of me according to his own mind; and I am fure he hath faid, he came not to judge the 'world, but to fave the world,' John xii. 47. therefore I do believe that he will save me (ƒ).

Neo. Indeed, Sir, if I were fo holy and fo rightebus as fome men are, and had such power over my fins and corruptions as fome men have, then I could eafily believe it: but (alas !) I am so finful and fo unworthy a wretch, that I dare not prefume to believe that Chrift will accept of me, fo as to juftify and fave

Evan. Alas! man in thus faying, you do feem to contradict and gainfay both the apoftle Paul, and our Lord Jefus Chrift himfelf; and that against your own foul for whereas the apostle Paul, faith that Chrift Jefus came unto the world to fave finners,' I Tim.

1 Tim. i. 13. and doth juftify the ungodly Rom. iv. 3. why, you feem to hold, and do in effect fay, that Chrift Jefus came unto the world to fave the righteous, and to justify the godly. And whereas our Saviour faith, the whole need not the physician, but the fick; and that he came not to call the righteous, but finners to repentance,' Matth. ix. 12. why, you feem to hold, and do in effect fay, that the fick, need not the phyfician, but the whole; and that he came not to call finners, but the righteous, to repentance. And indeed, in fo faying, you seem to conceive that Chrift's spouse must be purified, washed, and cleanfed from all her filthinefs, and adorned with a rich robe of righteoufnefs, before he will accept of her: whereas he himself faid unto her, Ezek, xvi. 4, As for thy nativity, in the day that thou waft born, thy navel was not cut, neither waft thou washed with water to fupple thee; thou waft not fwaddled at all, nor falted at all. Verse 5. No eye pitied thee, to do any of these things unto thee; but when I paffed by thee, and looked upon thee, behold thy time was a time of love. 'Verfe 8. And I fpread my fkirt over thee, and covered thy nakednefs: yea, and I fware unto thee and entered into covenant with thee, and thon be"cameft mine. Hof. ii. 19. And I will marry thee unto me for ever, yea, I will marry thee unto 'me in righteoufnefs, and in judgment, and in mercy, and compaffion.'

Wherefore, I befeech you, revoke this your erroneous opinion, and contradict the word of truth no longer; but conclude for a certainty, that it is not the righteous and godly man, but the finful and ungodly man (g), that Chrift came to call, justify and fave: fo that if you were a righteous and godly man, you were neither capable of calling, justifying or faving by Chrift; but being a finful and ungodly

man,

(g) i. e. fuch as are real- opinion only refpectively. ly fo, and not in their own

Chap. II man, I will be bold to say unto you, as the people faid to blind Bartimeus, Mark. x. 49. Be of good

comfort, arife, he calleth thee,' and will justify and fave thee (b). Go then unto him, I beseech you; and if he come and meet you,(as his manner is) then do not you unadvisedly fay with Peter, Depart from • me, for I am a finful man, O Lord,' Luke v. 8. but fay in plain terms, O come unto me, for I am a finful man, O Lord! yea, go on further, and fay, as Luther * bids you, Most gracious Jefus and sweet Christ, I am a miferable poor finner, and therefore do judge myself unworthy of thy grace; but yet Ihaving learned from thy word. that thy falvation belongeth to fuch a one, therefore do I come unto thee, to claim that right which through thy gracious promife belongeth unto me (1). Affure yourself, man, that Jefus Chrift requires no portion with his fpoufe; no verily he requires nothing with her but mere poverty; the rich he fends empty away, Luke i. 53. but the poor are by him enriched. And indeed, faith Luther‡, the more miserable, finful and distressed a man doth feel himself, and judge himfel, to be, the more willing is Chrift to receive him and relieve him. So that, faith he, in judging thyfelf unworthy, thou doft thereby become truly worthy; and fo indeed haft gotten a greater occafion of coming to him. Wherefore then, in the words of the apoftle, I do exhort and befeech you, to come boldly unto the throne of grace, that you may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need,' Heb. iv. 16.

Neo. But truly, Sir, my heart doth, as it were, tremble within me, to think of coming to Christ after fuch

*Choice ferm. p. 87.

(b) As the people, obferving Chrift's call to Bartimeus, bid him be of good comfort, (or be confident) and arife; intimating, that upon his going fo unto Chrift, he would cure him: fo one obferving the gospel.

Ibid. p. 85.

call,may, with all boldness, bid a finner comply with it confidently: affuring him, that thereupon Chrift will juftify and fave him.

()See the note on the de finition of faith. fig. 1.