468 BooklV. Chap. 2. Seer. 9. juftified; for (fay they) he may fall into foch fins, as that though formedy juftified yec now he may be condemned; yea, to day he may be juflilied; and eo morr 0 ,; thrown our of that eflate. B?t agam{\ tlus we hold, that thofe tlm are once jufiilied, are never agam cafi out of Gods favour. As Clm{\ once d1ed, but rofe aoain never to die more, death bath no more power over him; fo a juflilied man once aUyed to God through J efus Chrift doth from that lime forward as nccelfarily live, as C.hri!1 himldf by whom he doth live ; there is an immortal and indiifJJiuble union betwixt Chrifi the Head, and every Believer; ou.r juflilication depends not on our own lhength, but it is built on Chrift lumfelf, who .Is the fame yefierday, and to day, and for ever. and hence it is that a jufiilied man can no more ceafe to live in this flare of juflificadon,' than Clu·ifl: can ceafe to ltve 1n Heaven. 4· It is a life of new relations ; this immediately follows our lbte : if once we are juflilied, then we Jre related to God, and Chrifi, and to the Covenant of Grace I. To God. Before we were vivified, God and we flood at a diflance, God was ou; enemy, and we were his enemies; At th~t time (faith the Apofile) ye 1vere 1vi 1 h 811 t Fph. 1. q. God m thC' world, bm r.oiV tn Chnjl 'fefiu ye who fometim~J were af.:~r off, are made near by the blood of Chrift. God that WJs a !!ranger, fia11ds now in near relation, l1e is a Friend, a Father, a God alfufficient to os. z. We are related to Chrifi. before viviE h. 2 12. fication we were a Chrifllefs people, At th.u time ye were witho~~t Chrift·' but now we are united to Chrifi, and (which is more) now we make ule of Chrifi with t.' e Fa– tl1er, 0 the comfort of this relation! A troubledfpiri> looks on his fins, and they thrufi h1m aw1y from God, Whatcommmuonhath !tght wuh dark__nefs l but then come;; the Lord Jefu,, and takes him by the l1and, and leads him to the Father, and fa)'es, Come (aut, come along with me, and I will carry thee to the Father, wilt thou mak,s Hfeof Fr·h ' · ''· me l lt IS the Apofiles f.1)'1ng, that through htm we have an accefs by one fpirit unto the t !'cr.,. t 8. Father; we have a leading by the hand; Chrift bath once fufferedfor fins, the juft for the unjuft, that he mt~~ht bring "' to God. By nature we are fevered from God, and 1.'., 59 >· if he manifefi himfdf, he is dreadful to us, Your iniquities have [tparated between you and your God, and your (ins have hid his face from you that he will not hear· bur in Chrifi we approach boldly before him, becaufe Chrifl hath took away our fi~s which Eph. J· "· are the mountains of feparation;. In Chrift we .h""' boldncfs and accefs w_ith confidenceby the faith of h11:. Here Is the difference betwixt a man related to Chnfi, and a meer firanger; the firanger knows not how to go to God; God !lands as a Judge, he is as a Malefactor, the Law an Accufer, Sin his Indictment , and what .is the iifue? Every 1\om. 3.19• mowh is flopped, and all the worldis guilty before God. But he that IS related to Chrill, Chrifl: takes him by the hand, and fo he goes with boldnefs and confidence, and pleads Rom. 8. 34· his righteoufnefs before the Father; Who fha!llay any thing to the charge of God's EleB, it is God that juflifttth, who is he that condemneth l it.is Chr!f! that dyeth, yea' rnthff' that is rifen againl In the very matter and caufe of JUfhficauon, wherem no man can fl:and, or dare to appear, or /hew his face; a Chriftian comming with Chri!lllis Ad– vocate, he dares to appear, and to plead his cafe, aQd to fiand upon interrogatories with God himfelt~ yea and to a;k God himfelf (humbly and with reverence) what he bath to lay to his charge? what more he will, or can in juftic~ require for fatisfaction, than his Surety bath done for him?---3· We are rdated to the Covenant of Grace; be. E,,h. '· h fore vivification we had no fuch relation ; At that time ye were without Chrift, being alims from the Commonwealth of Ifrael, andftrangers from the covenant of promife. Bur now the Covenant is ours, that fountain or bundle of Promifes is ours, God is our God, l'lal 144· 1 >· and we are his people. 0 the bleifednefs of this priviledge l Happy is the people that be in fuch a cafe, )'"' happY. t1 ~h~ poople whofe God ;, the_I,ord. The Covenant is reckoned all happinefs ; it conrams m 11s bowels all benefits m Heaven, or under Heaven ; as a man may fay of any thing he hath in poifeffion, 7his is mine, fo may they who a~ein covenant with God, fay, He u mml, I httve.God htm{e/f m my po.ffeffion. How mtghr we try our vivification even by this communion we f1ave with God, and Chrifi. and the Covenant of Grace? Chriflians! look into your own hearts, have you not felt in your approaches to God fome raifings or ~orkings of the Spirit of the Lord, conclu– ding the pardon of your fins? bath no.t Chnfl: taken yo~ by the han~, and led you to the Father ? it may be your own gut!t made you afra~d, bur the difco~ery .of Jefus your righteoufnefs made you bold to go to God ; you felt boldnefs commg mon this ground , becaufe all your approaches or drawings near to God were botromed orl Jefus; lmh not God married you to htmfelf? hath he not conveyed lumfelf f (through
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