The display of glorious grace, or, The covenant of peace opened in fourteen sermons…

6. A Sinner hath not, cannot, have actual interest in the Blessings of this Covenant, or have Peace in his own Soul, without Union with Christ, which is accomplished by the Holy Spirit, and Faith of the Operation of God first of all, whereby it is, that the Soul is transplanted out of the first Adam, that dead stock into the second Adam that quickening Spirit. Moreover know that the Real and Relative Change is at one and the same time; and certainly all that deny that there is a Change of State, as well as a Change of Heart, err exceedingly. (1.) Because the Word of God positively declares, That by Nature the Elect are Children of Wrath,¹ as well as others; therefore more than under Wrath in their own Conscience; for in their own Consciences they may not apprehend they are the Children of Wrath before they believe;) Faith also must be somewhat more than an Evidence, the Soul having that in its actual possession, which it had not before. (2.) Because they that believe, God says, Are passed from Death to Life; that is, from a State of Death and Condemnation, into a State of Life and Justification: See Joh. 5.24. 1 Joh. 3.14. (3.) Because the Holy Spirit in Convictions, represents the state of an Elect Sinner to himself, to be before Grace wretched and miserable, who is a true and faithful Witness, and cannot lie. Brethren, as the first Adam, and all ⟨p. 285⟩in him were Condemned by the pronunciation of the Sentence of the Holy God in Paradise; so the second Adam, or all his, or all in him, are for ever Justified: And as whilst we remain in the first Adam, his first Sin is imputed to us, so not till we are in Christ is his Righteousness to our actual and personal Justification imputed to us, tho I grant Federally and Representatively in Christ it was imputed before to all the Elect; yet 'tis through the reception of Grace, or the infusion of the Spirit, whereby Faith is wrought, that the Soul receives the Atonement, and comes actually possessed with the Blessing of Peace;² The God of Hope fill you with all Joy and Peace in believing—There is no Peace to the Wicked, saith my God: And this because they have not an actual Interest in Christ—Where the Spirit of Christ is, there is liberty, and therefore Peace,