The inseparable communion of a believer with God in his love being the substance of several sermons preached on Rom. VIII 38, 39 / by ... Mr. Thomas Mallery ...

ROM. 8.38.36.

VVE are come to the third particular viz. the primary and principal subject, in which the love ef God to us centred, and that is Jesus Christ,— which is in Christ Jesus.

Doct. That love of God, which is the bond of communion between himself, and believers, with all its gracious effects, Bles∣sings, Priviledges is manifested and dispen∣sed to us, only in and through Jesus Christ.

Our life and salvation is first in God himself, with whom is the fountain of life, and who is the Father of lights, in whom our life is said to be hid, Coll. 3.3. and so in him it is ours, by the eternal purpose of his love, and grace in himself.

This love of God, as it was the only moving cause to God, of the eternal

purpose of his grace, concerning us; so it is the chief Agent and principal Effici∣ent of all grace in us, as we declared in the last Point.

Yet we must consider, the only Medium or means by which God doth manifest his love to us, through which he doth dispence all the effects of his eternal love and grace to us, is Jesus Christ, who is appointed of God to be the only Exe∣cutor of all his Decrees of love and grace, and is ordained to come in as Mediatour, in all things between God and us.

This I shall endeavour to demon∣strate.

1. Demonst. Jesus Christ was anointed with all that love which God the Father had taken up in his own bosom, to be laid out on all his elect ones; and thus he became Son and Heir of all the love of God to his beloved.

Hence Christ is made known to us as the eminently beloved one of the Fa∣ther, Mat. 3.17. The beloved with an Amphasis, in whom we are said to be ac∣cepted,

Eph. 1.6. his dear Son, or the Son of his love, into whose Kingdom we are said to be translated. Col. 1.13. And from the love of God to him is the love of God derived to us, John 17. ult.

2. Dem. Jesus Christ alone is the great manifestation of Gods eternal love to us, as being the first and most immedi∣ate effect of it, 1 John 4.10. so as we can∣not, nor ever could come to the least measure of knowledge of Gods eternal love to us, but only in Iesus Christ, 2 ••or. 4.6.— Knowledge of his glory in the face of Jesus Christ. By the glory of God we are in a special manner to understand it, of the glory of his eternal love and grace; if with this we compare, Eph. 1.6. and 12. every believers experience will bear witness to this truth.

3. Dem. God did first accomplish all that grace in Christ, which his eternal love had purposed to perform in us, 2 Cor. 1.20. Hence Christ became the first∣born, Rom. 8.29. the first-fruits, 1 Cor. 15.23. The Image, Patern, and Exem∣plar of all the grace and glory of God to us.

2. Our salvation was founded on the eternal Election of God; Christ was e∣lected, Isa. 42.1. He was not only one chosen out of all Creatures, Men and Angels, but chosen out of all the three Persons in Trinity, to be the Mediatour of our Peace; by the Election of Christ ours is ratified and confirmed.

Secondly, our salvation includes in it a Predestination to the Adoption; We were ordained to be sons of God.

So Christ in our nature, by its perso∣nal Union with the Divine, was the Son of God, Luke 1.45. Gal. 4.4, 5.

Thirdly, our salvation is carried on by our Calling; Iesus Christ had his Call of God to all the Offices that con∣cerned him in the Work of our Redem∣ption, Heb. 5.4, 5.

Fourthly, our salvation is carried by Iustification; so Christ was first justified, Isa. 50 8. 1 Tim. 3.16.

Fisthly, our salvation is carried on un∣to a final victory over all our enemies, for Christ Iesus he hath first overcome, Rev. 3.21.

Sixthly, our salvation is perfected by the Resurrection from the dead, and a possession of glory; for Christ first rose from the dead, and entred into his glory, Eph. 4.5, 6.

So what faith, hope, love, holiness, patience, humility, obedience God should require of us, was first performed by Christ who became a Pattern, and Ex∣amplar of all grace, unto obedience for us, John 15.10. and our constant Growth and Increase in Grace, is called a grow∣ing up in all things to Christ our Head, Eph. 4 15.

4. Dem. All these treasures of salvati∣on, which God hath in his eternal love decreed to lay out on his Elect, both in grace and glory, are given into Christ, Col 1.19. Col. 2.3. Christ Heir of all things by appointment, Heb. 1.3. Here he is said to be made of God unto us, what∣ever God intended to make our salvati∣on compleat by, viz. Wisdom,—1 Cor. 1.30. Righteousness, Sanctification and Redemption. These four Ingredients are perfect and compleat salvation. So

that of Christs fulness we still receive grace for grace, and glory for glory, 2 Cor. 3.18. John 1.16. and our compleat∣ness is in him, Col. 2.9, 10.

Hence Christ is said to be not only given us for a Saviour, but to be the salvation of God to us, Luke 2.30. be∣cause he contains in himself the whole matter of our salvation, every part and parcel that makes our salvation com∣pleat.

5. Dem. When God actually performs any of that grace his eternal love purpo∣sed and decreed for us; he first makes us to be in Christ, makes us one with Christ, 1 Cor. 1.30. Of God are ye in Christ Iesus, — he gathers into one in Christ, Eph. 1.10, he calls them into the fellowship of Christ, 1 Cor. 1.9. whom he intends to save.

As we are said to be chosen in Christ, Eph. 1.4. so we are said to be made the sons of God in Christ, Gal. 3.26. recon∣ciled in Christ. 2 Cor. 5.19. to be made the righteousness of God in him, 2 Cor. 5. ult. to be made new creatures in him,

2 Cor. 1.17. to be made an habitati∣on of God in him, Eph. 2. ult. to be sanctified, preserved, called in Iesus Christ, Iude 1. hence we are called the Workmanship of God in Christ, Eph. 2.10.

The grounds of this truth, why God should make out all the manifestations and dispensations of his love to us in Christ Iesus may be,

1. Christ only is that among all three Persons in Trinity which God did ordain us to be, viz. the Son of God. The grace of our Adoption is the supreme Privi∣ledge of all that grace we receive from Gods love, 1 Iohn 3.1. and is our Right and Title to all other blessings, if sons then heirs. We must be sons before we can have right to any part of the Inhe∣ritance.

Now Christ having this Preroga∣tive peculiar to himself to be the Son of God, it was necessary that we should be made the sons of God in Christ Ie∣sus, Eph. 1.5.

Secondly, because Christ was; as the only begotten Son of God, so the only be∣loved of the Father, sole Heir of all his Fathers love, and his Fathers blessings, both in grace and glory. Therefore it behoved, that the manifestations of the Fathers love, and the dispensations of his love to us, in the blessings of grace and glory, should be made in Iesus Christ.

Thirdly, that the glory of our salva∣tion, might not be communicated in any part to the creature, but to God alone, of whom, through whom, to whom are all things, to whom be glory for ever.

It is God, who of himself, and in him∣self, and by himself worketh all grace in us; of himself as the Father, in himself as the Son, by himself as the holy Spi∣rit.

The Uses of this Point are,

I. For Information.

First, it informs us how miserable men are who are yet out of Christ, they are in no capacity to receive one token of Gods saving love.

They may love themselves, and do good to themselves; the world may love, friends may love them and shew them love, but God will shew them no love, out of Christ.

Secondly, it informs us of that excel∣lent order and method the Wisdom of God hath observed in stating our salva∣tion. The love of God, which is the great spring of life and grace, is first in God himself as the original.

Then it is in Christ as he to whom belongs the Birth-right, and the bles∣sings of it, in whom all the Promises of God are Yea and Amen.

Then it is in us, who are in Christ Iesus, in whom we are made Partakers of the righteousness, holiness, and glory of God.

Thirdly, that no natural goodness in our selves, nothing we can do in confor∣mity to the Law of God, no external duties of Worship to God, no moral Righteousness towards man, can be the least part of that Righteousness that can bring us into a state of love and favour with God.

It must be what God doth bestow on us in Iesus Christ, for no man is made that unto which the love of God hath prede∣stinated him, in himself, and through himself, but in and through Christ only.

Fourthly, it informs us in what glass we may most clearly behold the love of God to us in all its effects; it is Iesus Christ. Would we know the love of God to us, look upon his love to Christ, or know the dignity of our Adoption; look upon the Sonship of Christ, or know the dignity of our Iustification: look upon the Righteousness of Christ, or know the glory God intends us.

Many things that concern our salva∣tion have yet no other subsisting in us, but what saith giveth them, which yet are actually accomplisht in Christ, they, are in us yet imperfect, which are com∣pleated in Christ.

Fifthly, it informs, first, of the infinite loveliness,

1. Of Christ, who had all the pou∣rings out of divine love on him, all the love of God that was due to himself and

to all the Saints besides.

Secondly, the infinite capacity of Christs Person, who can contain in him∣self all the love, and all the Priviledges of the love of God to all his Elect, both in grace and glory.

Thirdly, the infinite love of Christ to us, in being willing to impart to us a share of that love of God, that grace and glory of God that was only due to him, in the right of the first and only begotten.

2. Use. For instruction.

1. When we go to God for any manife∣station of his love, or any dispensation of love, in any spiritual or heavenly bles∣sings go out of your selves, get into Christ, in him alone we can know his love and receive the blessings of i••, Eph 1.3.

Nothing comes to us immediately from God, but mediately in and through Christ, who is Mediatour between God and us in all things divine have hath decreed for us

Secondly, how much doth it concern us, a mong the highest and chiefell concern∣ments of salvation to have our union with Christ, our interest in Christ cleared up.

There only we can know what di∣vine love purposed for us from everlast∣ing, what it hath done for us, what it hath further to bestow upon us, how it is forming and fashioning us by de∣grees, into a blessed Conformity with the Son of God in grace and glory.

Thirdly, let this teach us how to ma∣nifest our love to God, how to return our love to God in faith, and all the duties of our worship and obedience; after the manner of all the dispensations of Gods love to us; that is, do all to God in and through Iesus Christ, 1 Pet. 2.5. Col. 3.17.

3. Use. In point of Consolation.

1. Admirable comfort to be loved of God, with any kind of love is sweet, but to be loved of God in Christ, to be lo∣ved as Christ, this excelleth.

To have fellowship with Christ in his sufferings, afflictions, reproaches is great honour; but to have fellowship with Christ in the love of God, and all the wonderful effects of it; This is to Ad∣miration.

Secondly, therefore the love of God hust needs abide, and the state of Saints ••ternal, immurable, unchangeable in Gods love, because ••t is in Christ Iesus; ••nd they, ma••e of God to be, not in ••hemselves, but in Christ.