246 Oi COMMi7NION with the grace we receive from Chrift. Hence all grace becomes to be (a) his; all the things of the new covenant, the promifes of God, all the mercy, love, grace, glory promifed, became, I fay, to be his. Not as tho' they were all actually invefted or did refide and were in the human nature, and were from thence really communicated to us; by a participation of a portion of what did fo inhere ; but they are morallyhis by a (h) compa&, to be be- flowed by him, as he thinks good, as he is mediator, God and man, that is, the only begotten fon madefiefh, Yoh. i. 54. From whofe fulnefs we receive, andgrace for grace. The real communication of grace is by Chrift, fend- ing the holy Ghoft to regenerate us ; and to create all the habitual grace, with the daily fupplies thereof in our hearts that we are made partakers of; now the holy Ghoft is thus fent by Chrift as mediator, God and man, as is at large declared, Yoh. xiv. 55, i 6. of which more afterwards. This then is that which I intend by this fulnefs of grace that is in Chrift; from whence we haveboth our beginning, and all our fupplies, which makes him as he is the alpha and omega of his church, the beginner and finifher of our faith, excellent and defirable to our fouls. (i) Upon the payment of the great price of his blood, and full aquitment on the fatisfaetion he made, all grace whatever (of which at large afterwards) becomes in a moral fenfe his, at his difpofal; and hebellows it on, or works it in the hearts of hit by the holy Ghoft according as in his infinite wifdom he fees it needful. How glorious is he to the foul on this confideration? That is moft excellent to us which foils us in a wanting condition; that which gives bread to the hungry, water to the thirfty, mercy to the perifhing. All our reliefs are thus in our beloved. Here is the life of our fouls ; the joy of our hearts; our relief againft fin and deliverance.from the wrath to come. (3.) Thus is he fitted for a mediator, a dayfman, an umpirebetween God and us; being one with him, and one with us, and one in hirefelf in this onenefs, in the unity of one perfon. His ability and univcrfal fitnefs for his office of mediator are hence ufually demonfirated. And herein is he, Chrift, the wifdomofGodand the power of God, t Cor, i. 24. Herein fhine's ' out the infinitely glorious wifdom of God, which we may hater admire than exprefs. What foul that bath any acquaintance with thefe things falls not down with reverence,andaftonifhment? how glorious is lie that is the beloved of our fouls? what can be wanting that should incoa rage us to take up our refs, and peace in his bofom ? unlefs all ways of relief and re- frefhment be fo obftrudted by unbelief, that no confideration can reach the heart to yield it the leaft afhftance, it is impoffible but that from hence, the foul may gather that which will endear it unto him with whom we have to do. Let us dwell on the thoughts of it. This is the hidden myftery, great, without controverfy; admirable to eternity. What poor, low, pe- rifhing things, do we fpend our contemplations on ? Were we to haveno ad- vantage by this aflonifhing difpenfation, yet its excellency, glory, beauty, depths, deferve the flowerof our enquiries, the vigor of our fpirits, the fub- ftance of our time; butwhen with all our life, our peace, our joy, eurin- heritance, our eternity, our all lies herein, (hall not the thoughts of it, al- ways dwell in our hearts, always refrelli, and delight our fouls ? (40 He is excellent and glorious in this; in that he is exalted, and in- vefted with all authority; when (d) Jacob heard of the exaltation of his fon Jofeph in Egypt and faw the Chariots that he had fent for him, his fpi- rit fainted and recovered again, Giro' abundance of joy and other overflow- (b) (a) Joh:xvi. pail 5 ifa, titi, r m, ,z. Joh. i. 16. Cpl, k.19, so, (s) H,b. xü. 5. Revel. i. n, (a) Gea, xlv. 26, 27, ing
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