Of Communion with God the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost

1. As I said of the Spirit, so (in the first place) I say of this, it is of the Purchase of Christ, and is so to be looked on. It is given unto us, for his sake to believe on him: Phil. 1. 29. The Lord, on the behalf of Christ, for his sake, because it is purchased, & procured ¹by him for us, bestows Faith, & (by same rule) all grace upon us. We are blessed with all spiritual blessings in Heavenly places in him, Eph. 1. 3. IN HIM, that is, in & through his Mediation for us. His ⟨p. 231⟩²Oblation and Intercession Eye at the bottom of this dispensation. Were not Grace by them procured, it would never by any one soul be enjoyed. All Grace is from this fountain. In our receiving it from Christ, we must still consider what it cost him; want of this weakens faith in its proper workings: ³His whole intercession is founded on his Oblation: 1 Joh. 2. 1, 2. What he purchased by his Death, that (nor more, nor less as hath been often said) He intercedeth may be bestowed. And he prays that all his Saints may have this Grace whereof we speak, Joh. 17. 17. Did we continually consider all Grace as the fruit of the Purchase of Christ, it would be an exceeding Endearment on our Spirits. Nor can we without this consideration according to the tenor of the Gospel, ask or expect any Grace. It is no prejudice to the free Grace of the Father, to look on any thing as the purchase of the Son. It was from that Grace, that he made that Purchase. And in the Receiving of Grace from God, we have not Communion with Christ, who is yet the treasury and store house of it; unless we look upon it as his purchase. He hath obtained that we should be sanctified ⁴through out, have life in us, be humble, holy, believing, dividing the spoil with the mighty, by destroying the works of the Devil in us.