ON THE GLO of men unto him. For it is by faith that we are im- planted into him. Until that be actually wrought in us, we have no mystical conjunction with him. He is not an head or an husband unto unregenerate, unsanc- tified unbelievers, whilst they continue so to be: and such was the state of the whole church when Christ suf- fered for us. Rom. v. 8. " But God commended his " love towards us, in that while we were yet sinners, " Christ died for us. Eph. ii. 5. Even when we were " dead in sins, bath quickened as together with Christ." There was, therefore, no such mystical conjunction be- tween him and the church, as to render it meet and e- qual that he should suffer in its stead. Wherefore, the church is the effect of the work of redemption, that which rose out-of it, which was made and constituted by it; and cannot be so the object of it, as that which was to be redeemed by virtue of an antecedent conjunc- tion with it I answer, [1.] Although this mystical conjunction is not actu- ally consummate without an actual participation of the Spirit of Christ, yet the church of the elect was design- ed antecedently unto all his sufferings, to be his spouse and wife, so that he might love her and suffer for her; so it is said, Hos. xii. 12. Israel sewedfor li wife, and for a wife he kept sheep. Howbeit, she was not his married wife until after he had served for her, and thereby purchased her to he his wife; yet as he served for her, she is called his wife, because of his love unto her, and because she was so designed to be upon his service. So was the church designed to be the spouse of Christ in the counsel of God, whereon he loved her, and gave himself for her. Hence in the work of redemption, the church was the object of it as designed to he the spouse ofChrist, and the effect of it, inasmuch as that thereby it was made meet for the full consummation of that alliance; as the apostle expressly declares. Eph. v. 25-27. ". Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also lov- " ed the church, and gave himself for it: that he might 01 sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by " the word, that he might present it to himself a glo- " rious church not having spot or wrinkle, or any such " thing; but that it should be holy and without bleat- " ish." [--2.] Antecedently unto all that the Lord Christ did and suffered for the church, therewas a supreme act of M RY OF CHRIST. 45 the will of God the Father, giving all the elect unto him intrusting them with him, to be redeemed and sanctified, and saved: as himself declares. John. xvii.6. " I have manifested thy name unto the men which thou " gayest me out of the world: thine they were, and " thou gayest them me; and they havekept thy word. " ver. 9. I pray for them: I pray not for the world but " for them which thou hast given me, for they are " thine." chap. x. 14 -16. And on these grounds this mystical conjunction between Christ and the church hath its virtue and efficacy before it be actually consum- mate. Srdly. There is a federal conjunction between dis- tinct persons: and as this is various according unto the variety of the interests and ends of them that enter into it; so that is most eminent, where one by the common consent of all that are concerned, undertakes to be a sponsor or surety for others, to do and answer what on their part is required of them for attaining the ends of the covenant. So did the Lord Christ undertake to be surety of the new covenant in behalf of the church. Heb. vii. 22. By so much was .Jesus made a surety ofa better Testament, and thereon tendered himself unto God, to do and suffer for them in their stead, and on their behalf, whatever was required, that they might be sanctified and saved. These things I have treated ofat large elsewhere, as containing a great part of the mys- tery ofthe wisdomof God in the salvationof the church. Here therefore I do only observe, that this is that whereby the mystical conjunction that was between Christ and the church, whereon it was meet, just, and equal in the sight of God, that what he did and suffer- ed, should be imputed unto us, is completed. These are some of the foundations of that mystery of transmitting the sins of the church, as unto the guilt and punishment of them, from the sinners themselves, unto another every way innocent, pure, and righteous in himself, which is the life, soul, and centre of all scripture- revelations. And herein is he exceedingly glorious, and precious unto them that believe. No heart can conceive, no tongue can express the glory of Christ herein. Now because his infinite condescension and love herein have been spoken to before, I shall here only instance its greatness in sonic of its effects. 11
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