N34404:529
Human nature in its fourfold state ... In several practical discourses. / By Mr. Thomas Boston, late Minister of the Gospel at Etterick.
United States : s.n. Printed for the booksellers., M,DCC,LXXXVII. 1787
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
Now, both the souls and bodies of believers are united to Christ. He that is joined to the Lord is one spirit, 1 Cor vi 17. The very bodi•• of believers have this honour put upon them, that they are the templ•• of the holy Ghost, ver. 19. And the members of Christ, ver. 15. When they sleep in the dust, they sleep in Jesus, 1 Thess. iv. 14. And it is in virtue of this union, they shall be raised up out of the dust again, Rom. viii. 11. He shall quicken your metal bodies, by his Spirit […] dwelleth in you. In token of this mystical union, the church of believers is called by the name of her head and husband, 1 Cor. xii 12. For as the body is one, and hath many members,—so also is Christ
Now, both the souls and bodies of believers are united to Christ. He that is joined to the Lord is one spirit, 1 Cor vi 17. The very bodi•• of believers have this honour put upon them, that they are the templ•• of the holy Ghost, ver. 19. And the members of Christ, ver. 15. When they sleep in the dust, they sleep in Jesus, 1 Thess. iv. 14. And it is in virtue of this union, they shall be raised up out of the dust again, Rom. viii. 11. He shall quicken your m•tal bodies, by his Spirit 〈…〉 dwelleth in you. In token of this mystical union, the church of believers is called by the name of her head and husband, 1 Cor. xii 12. For as the body is one, and hath many members,—so also is Christ
USE From what is said, we may draw these following inferences:
1 The preaching of the law is most necessary. He that would ingraft, must needs use the snedding knife. Sinners have many shifts to keep them from Christ; many things by which they keep their hold of the natural stock: therefore, they have need to be closely pursued, and hunted out of their skulking holes, and refuge of lies.
1 The preaching of the law is most necessary. He that would ingraft, must needs use the snedding knife. Sinners have many shifts to keep them from Christ; many things by which they keep their hold of the natural stock: therefore, they have need to be closely pursued, and hunted out of their sculking holes, and refuge of lies.
2. Yet it is the gospel that crowns the work: the law makes nothing perfect••• •he law lays open the wound, but it is the gospel that heals. The law strips a man, wounds him, and leaves him half-dead: the gospel binds up his wounds, pouring in wine and oil, to heal them. By the law we are broken off: but, it is by the gospel we are taken up, and implanted in Christ.
3. If any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his, Rom. viii 9. We are told of a monster in nature, having two bodies differently animated, as appeared from contrary affections at one and the same time; but so united, that they were served with the selfsame legs Even so, however men may cleave to Christ, call themselves of the holy city, and stay themselves upon the God of Israel, Isa. xlvii 2. And they may be bound up as branches in him, John xv. 2. by the outward ties of sacraments: yet, if the Spirit that dwells in Christ, dwell not in them they are not one with him. There is a great difference betwixt adhesion and ingrafting. The ivy clasps and twists itself about the oak; but it is not one with it, for it still grows on its own root: so, to allege […] Isa. iv. 1. many professors take hold of Christ, and eat their own bread, and wear their own apparel, only they are called by his name. They stay themselves upon him, but grow upon their own root: they take him to support their hopes, but their delights are elsewhere.
3. If any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his, Rom. viii 9. We are told of a monster in nature, having two bodies differently animated, as appeared from contrary affections at one and the same time; but so united, that they were served with the selfsame legs Even so, however men may cleave to Christ, call themselves of the holy city, and stay themselves upon the God of Israel, Isa. xlvii 2. And they may be bound up as branches in him, John xv. 2. by the outward ties of sacraments: yet, if the Spirit that dwells in Christ, dwell not in them they are not one with him. There is a great difference betwixt adhesion and ingrafting. The ivy clasps and twists itself about the oak; but it is not one with it, for it still grows on its own root: so, to alled• 〈…〉 Isa. iv. 1. many professors take hold of Christ, and eat their own bread, and wear their own appar•l, only they are called by his name. They stay themselves upon him, but grow upon their own root: they take him to support their hopes, but their delights are elsewhere.
4. The union betwixt Christ and his mystical members, is firm and indissoluble Were it so that the believer only apprehended Christ, but Christ apprehended •ot him: we could promise little on the stability of such an union; it might quickly be dissolved: but, as the believer apprehends Christ by faith; so Christ apprehends him by his Spirit and none shall pluck him out of his hand. Did the child only keep hold of the nurse, it might at length weary and let go its hold, and so fall away: but if she have her arms about the child, it is in no hazard of falling away, even though it be not actually holden by her: ⟨p. 186⟩so, whatever sinful intermissions may happen in the exercise of faith, yet the union remains sure, by reason of the constant indwelling of the Spirit. Blessed Jesus! All his saints are in thy hand, Deut. xxxiii. 3. It is observed by some, that the word Abba, is the same, whether you read it forward or backward! whatever the believer's case be, the Lord is still to him Abba, Father.
Lastly, They have an unsure hold of Christ, whom he has not apprehended by his Spirit. There are many half-marriages here, where the soul apprehends Christ, but is not apprehended of him. Hence many fall away, and never rise again: they let go their hold of Christ; and when that is gone, all is gone. These are the branches in Christ, that bear not fruit, which the husband-man taketh away, John xv. 2. Quest. How can that be? Ans. These branches are set in the stock, by a profession, or an unsound hypocritical faith; they are bound up with it, in the external use of the sacraments: but the stock and they are never knit; therefore they cannot bear fruit. And they need not be cut off, nor broken off; they are by the husbandman only taken away, or, (as the word primarily signifies) lifted up; and so taken away, because there is nothing to hold them: they are indeed bound up with the stock; but they have never united with it.
Quest, How shall I know if I am apprehended of Christ? Ans. You may be satisfied in this inquiry, if you consider and apply these two things.
First, When Christ apprehends a man by his Spirit, he is so drawn, that he comes away to Christ with his whole heart: for true believing is believing with all the heart, Acts viii. 37. Our Lord's followers are like these who followed Saul at first, men whose hearts God has touched, 1 Sam. x. 26. When the Spirit pours in overcoming grace, they pour out their hearts like water before him, Psal. lxii. 8. They flow unto him, like a river, Isa. ii. 2. All nations shall flow unto it: namely, to the mountain of the Lord's house. It denotes not only the abundance of converts; but the disposition of their souls, in coming to Christ: they come heartily and freely, as drawn with loving kindness, Jer. xxxi. 3. Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power, Psal. cx. 3. i. e. free, ready, open-hearted, giving themselves to thee as free-will off•••ngs. When the bridegroom has the bride's heart, it is a right marriage▪ but some give their hand to Christ, who give him not their heart. They that are only driven to Christ by terror, will surely •eave him again, when that terror is gone. Terror may break a heart of stone; but the pieces into which it is broken, still continue to be stone: the terrors cannot soften it into a heart of flesh. Yet terror may begin the work, which love crowns: The strong wind, the earthquake, and the fire going before: the still small voice, in which the Lord is, may come after them. When the blessed Jesus is seeking sinners to match with him, they are bold and perverse, they will not speak with him, […] he hath wounded them, made them captives, and […] them with the ••rds of death. When this is done, then it is that he makes love t• […], and […] their hearts. The Lord tells ⟨p. 187⟩
but when she did return, she would have rested on the out side of it, if Noah had not put forth his hand, and pulled her in, Gen. viii. 9. The Lord sends the avenger of blood in pursuit of the criminal; and he, with a sad heart, leaves his own city; and, with tears in his eyes, parts with his old acquaintance, because he dare not stay with them: and he frees for his life to the city of refuge. This is not at all his choice, it is forced work; necessity has no law. But, when he comes to the gates, and sees the beauty of the place, the excellency and loveliness of it charms him; and then he enters it with heart and goodwill, saying, This is my rest, and here I will stay; and, as one said in another case, I had perished unless I had perished.
but when she did return, she would have rested on the out side of it, if Noah had not put forth his hand, and pulled her in, Gen. viii. 9. The Lord sends the avenger of blood in pursuit of the criminal; and he, with a sad heart, leaves his own city; and, with tears in his eyes, parts with his old acquaintance, because he dare not stay with them: and he frees for his life to the city of refuge. This is not at all his choice, it is forced work; necessity has no law. But, when he comes to the gates, and sees the beauty of the place, the excellency and loveliness of it charms him; and then he enters it with heart and goodwill, saying, This is my rest, and here I will stay; and, as one said in another case, I had perished unless I had p•rished.
Secondly, When Christ apprehends a soul, the heart is disengaged from, and turned against, sin. As in cutting off the branch from the old stock, the great idol self is brought down, the man is powerfully taught to deny himself: so, in the apprehending of the sinner by his Spirit, that union is dissolved, which was betwixt the man and his lusts, while he was in the flesh, as the Apostle expresses it. Rom. viii. 5. his heart is loosed from them, though formerly •s dear to him, as the members of his body; as his eyes, legs, or arms; and, instead of taking pleasure in them as some time he did; he longs to be rid of them. When the Lord Jesus comes to a soul, in the day of converting grace; he finds it like Jerusalem, in the day of her nativity, (Ezek. xvi. 4.) with its navel not cut, drawing its fulsome nourishment and satisfaction from its lusts: but, he cuts off thi• communication, that he may set the soul on the breasts of his own consolations, and give it rest in himself. And thus the Lord wounds the head and heart of sin, and the soul comes to him, saying, Surely our fathers have inherited lies, vanity, and things wherein there are no profit, Jer. xvi. 19.
Secondly, When Christ apprehends a soul, the heart is disengaged from, and turned against, sin. As in cutting off the branch from the old stock, the great idol self is brought down, the man is powerfully taught to deny himself: so, in the apprehending of the sinner by his Spirit, that union is dissolved, which was betwixt the man and his lusts, while he was in the flesh, as the Apostle expresses it. Rom. viii. 5. his heart is loosed from them, though formerly •s dear to him, as the members of his body; as his eyes, legs, or arms; and, instead of taking pleasure in them as some time he did; he longs to be rid of them. When the Lord Jesus comes to a soul, in the day of converting grace; he finds it like Jerusalem, in the day of her nativity, (Ezek. xvi. 4.) with its navel not cut, drawing its fulsome nourishment and satisfaction from its lusts: but, he cuts off thi communication, that he may set the soul on the breasts of his own consolations, and give it rest in himself. And thus the Lord wounds the head and heart of sin, and the soul comes to him, saying, Surely our fathers have inherited lies, vanity, and things wherein there are no proit,
V. And lastly, I come to speak of the benefits flowing to true believers from their union with Christ. The chief of the particular benefits believers have by it, are justification, peace, adoption, sanctification, growth in grace fruitfulness in good works, acceptance of these good works, establishment in a state of grace, support and a special conduct of providence about them. As for communion with Christ, it is such a benefit, as being the immediate consequent of union with him, ⟨p. 188⟩comprehends all the rest as mediate ones. For look, as the branch, immediately upon its union with the stock, hath communion with the stock, in all that is in it: so the believer uniting with Christ, hath communion with him; in which he launcheth forth into an ocean of happiness, is led into a paradise of pleasures, and has a saving interest in the treasure hid in the field of the gospel, the unsearchable riches of Christ. As soon as the believer is united to Christ, Christ himself, in whom all fullness dwells, is his, Cant ii 16. My beloved is mine, and I am his. And, how shall he n•t with him freely give us ALL things? Rom. vii. 32 Whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas ▪ or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come, ALL are yours, 1 Cor iii 22. Thus communion with Christ is the great comprehensive blessing, necessarily flowing from our union with him. Let us now consider the particular benefits flowing from it, before-mentioned.
V. And lastly, I come to speak of the benefits flowing to true believers from their union with Christ. The chief of the particular benefits believers have by it, are justification, peace, adoption, sanctification, growth in grace fruitfulness in good works, acceptance of these good works, establishment in a state of grace, support and a special conduct of providence about them. As for communion with Christ, it is such a benefit, as being the immediate consequent of union with him, ⟨p. 188⟩comprehends all the rest as mediate ones. For look, as the branch, immediately upon its union with the stock, hath communion with the stock, in all that is in it: so the believer uniting with Christ, hath communion with him; in which he launcheth forth into an ocean of happiness, is led into a paradise of pleasures, and has a saving interest in the treasure hid in the field of the gospel, the unsearchable riches of Christ. As soon as the believer is united to Christ, Christ himself, in whom all fulness dwells, is his, Cant ii 16. My beloved is mine, and I am his. And, how shall he nt with him freely give us ALL things? Rom. vii. 32 Whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come, ALL are yours, 1 Cor iii 22. Thus communion with Christ is the great comprehensive blessing, necessarily flowing from our union with him. Let us now consider the particular benefits flowing from it, before-mentioned.
The First particular benefit that a sinner hath by his union with Christ is Justification; for being united to Christ, he hath communion with him in his right usness, 1 Cor. i. 30. "But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom and righteousness" He stands no more condemned; but justified before God, as being in Christ, Rom. viii 1 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus. The branches hereof are pardon o• sin, and personal acceptance.
The First particular benefit that a sinner hath by his union with Christ is Justification; for being united to Christ, he hath communion with him in his righte usness, 1 Cor. i. 30. "But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom and righteousness" He stands no more condemned; but justified before God, as being in Christ, Rom. viii 1 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus. The branches hereof are pardon o• sin, and personal acceptance.
1s•, His sins are pardoned, the guilt of them is removed. The bond obliging him to pay his debt, is cancelled God the Father takes the pen, dips it in the blood of his Son, crosseth the sinner's accounts, and blotteth them out of his debt-book. The sinner, out of Christ, is bound over to the wrath of God: he is under an obligation in law, to go to the prison of hell, and there to lie till he has paid the utmost farthing. This ariseth from the terrible sanction with which the law is fenced, which is no less than death, Gen. ii. 17. So that the sinner passing the bounds assigned him, is as Shimei, in another case, a man of death, 1 Kings ii. 42. But now, being united to Christ, God saith, Deliver him from going down to the pit; I have found a ransom, Job xxxiii 24. The sentence of condemnation is reversed, the believer is absolved, and set beyond the reach of the condemning law. His sins, which sometimes were set before the Lord, Psal xc. 8. so that they could not be hid, God now takes and casts them all behind his back, Isa. xxxvii. 17. Yea, he casts them into the depths of the sea, Mi••h vii. 19. What falls into a brook may be got up again; but what is cast into the sea cannot be recovered. Ay, but there are some shallow places in the sea: true, but their sins are not cast in there, but into the depths of the sea; and the depths of the sea are devouring depths, from whence they shall never come forth again. But, what if they do not sink? He will cast them in with force; so that they shall go to the ground, and sink as lead in the mighty waters of the Reds••er's blood. They are not only forgiven, but forgotten, ⟨p. 189⟩Jer. xxxi. 34. I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sins no more. And tho' their after sins do, in themselves, deserve eternal wrath, and do actually make them liable to temporal strokes, and fatherly chastisements, according to the tenor of the covenant of grace, Psal lxxxix. 30.—33. Yet they can never be actually liable to eternal wrath, or the curse of the law; for they are dead to the law in Christ, Rom. vii 4. And they can never fall from their union with Christ; nor can they be in Christ, and yet under condemnation, Rom viii. 1. There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus. This is an inference drawn from that doctrine of the believer's being dead to the law, delivered by the Apostle, chap. vii.
1—6. As is clear from the 2d, 3d, and 4th verses of this viii. chap. And in this respect, the justified man is "the blessed man, unto whom the Lord imputeth not iniquity," Psal. xxxii. 2 As one who has no design to charge a debt on another, sets it not down in his count-book.
First, When Christ apprehends a man by his Spirit, he is so drawn, that he comes away to Christ with his whole heart: for true believing is believing with all the heart, Acts viii. 37. Our Lord's followers are like these who followed Saul at first, men whose hearts God has touched, 1 Sam. x. 26. When the Spirit pours in overcoming grace, they pour out their hearts like water before him, Psal. lxii. 8. They flow unto him, like a river, Isa. ii. 2. All nations shall flow unto it: namely, to the mountain of the Lord's house. It denotes not only the abundance of converts; but the disposition of their souls, in coming to Christ: they come heartily and freely, as drawn with loving kindness, Jer. xxxi. 3. Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power, Psal. cx. 3. i. e. free, ready, open-hearted, giving themselves to thee as free-will off•••ngs. When the bridegroom has the bride's heart, it is a right marriage▪ but some give their hand to Christ, who give him not their heart. They that are only driven to Christ by terror, will surely •eave him again, when that terror is gone. Terror may break a heart of stone; but the pieces into which it is broken, still continue to be stone: the terrors cannot soften it into a heart of flesh. Yet terror may begin the work, which love crowns: The strong wind, the earthquake, and the fire going before: the still small voice, in which the Lord is, may come after them. When the blessed Jesus is seeking sinners to match with him, they are bold and perverse, they will not speak with him, 〈…〉 he hath wounded them, made them captives, and 〈…〉 them with the ••rds of death. When this is done, then it is that he makes love t• 〈…〉, and 〈…〉 their hearts. The Lord tells ⟨p. 187⟩us, Hos. ii 16—20. That his chosen Israel shall be married unto himself. But, how will the bride's consent be won? Why, in the first place, he will bring her into the wilderness, as he did the people, when he brought them out of Egypt, ver. 14. There the will be hardly dealt with, scorched with thirst, and bitten with serpents: and then he will speak comfortably to her, or, as •he expression is, he will speak upon her heart. The sinner is first driven, and then drawn to Christ. It is with the soul, as with Noah's dove; she was forced back again to the ark, because she could find nothing else to rest upon:
1s•, His sins are pardoned, the guilt of them is removed. The bond obliging him to pay his debt, is cancelled God the Father takes the pen, dips it in the blood of his Son, crosseth the sinner's accounts, and blotteth them out of his debt-book. The sinner, out of Christ, is bound over to the wrath of God: he is under an obligation in law, to go to the prison of hell, and there to ly till he has paid the utmost farthing. This ariseth from the terrible sanction with which the law is fenced, which is no less than death, Gen. ii. 17. So that the sinner passing the bounds assigned him, is as Shemei, in another case, a man of death, 1 Kings ii. 42. But now, being united to Christ, God saith, Deliver him from going down to the pit; I have found a ransom, Job xxxiii 24. The sentence of condemnation is reversed, the believer is absolved, and set beyond the reach of the condemning law. His sins, which sometimes were set before the Lord, Psal xc. 8. so that they could not be hid, God now takes and casts them all behind his back, Isa. xxxvii. 17. Yea, he casts them into the depths of the sea, Mi••h vii. 19. What falls into a brook may be got up again; but what is cast into the sea cannot be recovered. Ay, but there are some shallow places in the sea: true, but their sins are not cast in there, but into the depths of the sea; and the depths of the sea are devouring depths, from whence they shall never come forth again. But, what if they do not sink? He will cast them in with force; so that they shall go to the ground, and sink as lead in the mighty waters of the Reds••er's blood. They are not only forgiven, but forgotten, ⟨p. 189⟩Jer. xxxi. 34. I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sins no more. And tho' their after sins do, in themselves, deserve eternal wrath, and do actually make them liable to temporal strokes, and fatherly chastisements, according to the tenor of the covenant of grace, Psal lxxxix. 30.—33. Yet they can never be actually liable to eternal wrath, or the curse of the law; for they are dead to the law in Christ, Rom. vii 4. And they can never fall from their union with Christ; nor can they be in Christ, and yet under condemnati•n, Rom viii. 1. There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus. This is an inference drawn from that doctrine of the believer's being dead to the law, delivered by the Apostle, chap. vii.
