214 An Expojition of the E'pijUe ~·~ But then there is a fecond an!\ver, and that is this; that though we are made to Serm.XVI. fit in heavenly places in Chrifl:, before Converfion, Coram Deo, before God be– l..~ twccn Chrift and him, and it may be l.1id ofall the Elel.l: in the ab[\ral.l:, that'they arc fo before their Converfion; yet we mufl: conllder that here the Apofl:le fpeak to thefe Epl~(i,ms, by way of ApplicatiOn. Mark it, for it is a real anfwer. Pau~ He co~ld norycrlonally have applted tt to thefe Ephejia11s before their Converfion; but bemg qmckned, that he mtght add tins moreover, God bath raifed you up. he bath 110t only quickncd you, but now you may fee with open Eyes, that God bath done more for you when you knew not ofit ; you have a Head in Heaven in wh?m, and by whom, and .with whom you are quickned ; in whom a\[o yo~ areratled up, and fit together m heavenly places, and have done fo ever fince Cbrif1: alcendcd thither. So that now, beeaule he fpeaks to the Ephef.;m by way ofApplteauon, and that he caul~ not have applied it thus in concrete to them per– fonally, before they had been qmckned, therefore he mentionetb quickning firfl:: For then comes the Comfort ofwhat was done for them in Chrifl: before. And fo he holds forth the Greatnels ofthe Mercy and Grace God bath fhewn that he had not only quickncd them here, by the virtue of Chrifl:'s Refurrection 'already but he bad made provifion for their being in Heaven long ago, by their Head being there ; e>nc ofthefe coming in, in his rehearfal after the other, not that they were not true before, but that now they have the comfort ofthem, and that now they arc applicable to them, and not before. The mention ofthefe two comes in there– fore mofl: fitly after guickning, for the comfort of their Faith, though long be– fore; and this becaule they feeing the Power of God, which he tells them was engaged towards them, ver. I9. of the firfl: Chapter, that it had already fhewed it felfin quickning them, and had fhewed it felfby virtue ofthis, that they had been guickned in Chrifl:, when he was quickned and raifed, this might be an evid~nce ro them, that one day they fhould be farther railed up in their Bodies together with him,. and fit in heavenly places, and in the mean time they did lit together in him. It comes in therefore, I fay, well after quickning, becaufe that quick– ning is a Pawn, an evidence to them that they do fit in Chrif1:, and fi1al1 fit toge– ther with him one day. And thus the Apofl:le cloth clearly reafon, from what is already wrought, to what is done for us in Chrifl:, and fhall be one day wrought. R.om.6.s.lfwe h,lVe been pla#ted together ill the likpufs ofhis Death: we fbaU be alfo in the likenefl ofhh 'I?ejitrre[fion, And ver. 8. If we be dead with Chrif1 (mark the Phrafe, for he fpcili ofMortification begun) then we believe that we flJa/1 alfo live >vith hint; and fo be railed: Why ? becaufe (ver. 9.) As Chriji W/15 raifed 11p,dieth no more, but liveth m;to God ; So (ver. I 1.) 1·eckon y01tr felves to be dead indeed to Sin, b11t alive 11nto God: for you may fee your Perfons to be in Chrifl:, and yot! may have hope to be railed one day with him, becaufe you fee already, that by virtue of your Communion with Chrifl:, the Power of God bath wrought fame– thing ofwhat Chrifl bath done for you, by way of reprefentation ; you are dead with Chrifl already, and arequickned with him, and therefore fhallone day be raifed up together with him, and fit rogether with him in heavenly places. But lafl:ly, to give yet a more full anfwer to this Objel.l:ion, I do grant thefe two or three things. I. That upon a Man's being converted or quickned, he may be faid a new to be raifed up in Chrifl:, and to fit together in heavenly places in him. There is a new al.l: done by which Chrifl: becomes, upon a new engagement, a publick Perfon for thofe who are thusquickned. I fhall exprels my felf to you in t sclear as I can, becaufe there is a difficulty in it. My Brethren, I lay this for a ground, that upon any new kind or degree ofUnion or being in Chrifl:, all we have Communi– on with Chrifl in, is anew confirmed to us, and that not only between Chnfl: and us, but between God and Chrif1: alfo. All mufl: needs grant this, that our Union or Onenels with Chrifl:, it is the Foundation of our Communion and Fellowfhip with him, and being made partakers with him of all he did for us: that we are faid to be rifen with Chrifl:, as in a common Perfon, and to lit tn heavenly places in him, it is becaufc we are one with him, for thcfe things _whereby we have Fel– Jowfhip with him. Now then upon any new way of Unwn and Onenels wtth Chrifl:, there mufl: needs be a further Communion or Fellowfhtp, Degree or De– claration, or Authorization at leafl, ofCommunion with him of all the Bleffings we
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