(3.) There is a fulness of the promises of grace in Jefus. There are many exceeding great and precious promifes, fuited to the various cafes and circumstances of the children of God. There never has been a cafe a believer has been in fince the creation of the world, and I may venture to fay, there never will be one to the end of it, but there is a promise given forth fuitable to it. The covenant of grace is full of these promises; from thence they are transcribed into the gospel, and are spread all over the Bible; and what is beft of all, all the promises of God are in Chrift yea, and in him amen, to the glory of God by us; they are all put into his hands for our use, and are all safe and secure in him, who will fee to it, that they are all actually and fully accomplished; not only the grand promise of life, even of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promifed before the world began, is in Chrift Jefus, but all other promises are in him likewife: So that whofoever are partakers of them, are partakers of them in him, by the gospel. 3. Besides the fulness of nature, and of grace, which is in Chrift, there is also the fulness of glory, and of eternal life and happiness. God has not only put the grace of his people, but their glory also into the hands of Chrift. Their portion, their inheritance, is referved for them with him; where it is fafe and secure. They are beirs of God, and joint-beirs with Chrift; fo that their estate is fure unto them. As their life of grace, fo their life of glory is bid with Chrift in God; and when Chrift who is their life fhall appear, they shall appear with him in glory; which will greatly confift in being like to Christ, and seeing him as he is. The faints will be like to Christ, both in body and foul. Their bodies, which are redeemed by his blood, and are members of him, will be fashioned like unto his glorious body, in fpirituality, immortality, incorruption, power and glory; and will shine forth as the fun, with brightness and luftre, in the kingdom of their Father. Their fouls will be made like to Chrift in knowledge and holinefs, fo far as creatures are capable of. They will then fee him as he is; behold his mediatorial glory, view him for themselves, and not another; will be inexpreffsibly delighted with the excellencies of him, and always continue with him, and be in his presence; in whose prefence is fulness of joy, and at whose right hand are pleafures for evermore. Now all this is fecured in Chrift for the faints; all which they may expect; on this they may depend; for this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. Thus all fulness of nature, grace and glory, is in Christ Jesus our Lord. I proceed, II. To give fome account of the nature and properties of this fulness; particularly the fulness of grace. And, 1. It is a very antient one. We are not to fuppofe that this fulness was first put into Chrift's hands upon his afcenfion to heaven, and feffion at the right hand of God; for though he is then said to have received gifts for men, and to have given them to them, because there was then an extraordinary distribution of the gifts and grace of the Spirit to the apostles, yet God had given the Spirit to Chrift without measure long before. The difciples in the days of his flesh, in his ftate of humiliation, when the word being made flesh dwelt among them, bebeld bis glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. And long before them Isaiah faw this branch of his glory, his train filling the temple. All the Old-Teftament faints looked to him, believed in him, and depended on him, as their living Redeemer; one and all said, Surely in the Lord have I righteousness and ftrength. They were fupplied with both out of this fulness they drew water with joy, out of the wells of falvation in Chrift; and were faved by the grace of the Lord Jefus, even as we are. Yea, this matter is to be carried ftill higher, not only to Old-Teftament times, or to the foundation of the world, but even into eternity itfelf. For as early as the elect were given to Chrift, fo early was grace given to them in him; which was before the world began; as early as the choice of them in him, which was before the foundation of the world, fo early were they bleffed with all fpiritual bleffings in him; as early as Chrift was the mediator of the covenant, and that was as early as the covenant itself, which was from everlasting; fo early was this fulnefs of grace depofited with him. The Lord poffeffed me, fays Wisdom, or Christ, that is, with this all fulness of grace, in the beginning of his ways of grace; he began with this, before his works of old, of creation and providence: I was fet up from everlasting, from the beginning, or ever the earth was, as the mediator of the covenant, entrusted with all the bleffings and promifes of it. Now this ferves greatly to set forth the eternity of Chrift's perfon, the antiquity of his office, and the early regard Jehovah had to his chofen people; which strongly expreffes his wondrous love, and distinguishing grace towards them. 2. This fulness is a very rich, and an inriching one. It is a fulness of truth, as well as of grace; for Chrift is full of grace and truth, which the gofpel largely opens to us; every truth of which is a pearl of great price, and all together make up an ineftimable treasure, more valuable than all the riches of the Indies. Now in Chrift are laid up and hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge". What a rich, and inriching ftock, fund, and fulness of truth, is there in Jefus Chrift! The promifes of grace are precious ones to all those who have seen the grace that is, in them, to whom they have been opened by the holy Spirit of promife, and have been by him fuitably and feasonably applied; to fuch they are exceeding precious indeed, they are like apples of gold in pictures of filver, rejoiced at more than at a great spoil, and preferred to all the riches of the world:; and thefe, as has been obferved, are all in Chrift. There are not only riches of • John i.. 14, · Prov. viii. 22, 23, Ifai. xlv. 24. grace, Colofs. ii. 3 grace, but riches of glory in Chrift, even unsearchable riches, which can never be traced out or told over; which are folid and fubftantial, fatisfying, lafting and durable. Through the poverty of Chrift we are enriched with those riches here and hereafter; and this ferves much to enhance the glory, excellency, freenefs and fulness of his grace: For ye know the grace of our Lord Jefus Chrift, that though he was rich, yet for your fakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich. 3. This fulness is entirely free, with refpect to the fpring and fource of it, the distribution of it, the perfons concerned in it, and the manner in which they receive from it. The fource and fpring of it is the fovereign good-will and pleafure, grace, and love of God. It pleafed the Father to lay it up in Chrift: He was not induced to it by any thing in his people, or done by them; for it was laid up in Chrift antecedent to their having done good or evil. He could not be influenced by their faith and holiness to do it; fince thefe are received out of it: For of his fulness have we all received, and grace for grace; one grace as well as another, every fort of grace, and faith, and holiness among the rest: nor could he be moved to it by their good works; feeing these are fruits of that grace which is derived from it. It is indeed faid to be for them that fear him, and trust in him; but these phrafes are only defcriptive of the perfons who have received from it, and are made fo by it; not that their fear and faith were the causes or conditions of it: for then the goodness of God would not be fo largely difplayed in it, as the Pfalmift fuggefts; when he fays, O how great is thy goodness which thou hast laid up for them that fear thee; which thou hast wrought, or appointed, or made for them that trust in thee, before the fons of men! And as it was freely. laid up, it is as freely diftributed; our Lord gives it out liberally, and upbraideth not; he gives this living water to all that afk it of him, yea, to them that afk it not; he gives more grace, large measures, fresh fupplies of it, to his humble faints, readily and chearfully, as they ftand in need of them; he withholds no good thing from them that walk uprightly. The perfons to whom it is given are very unworthy, and yet heartily welcome. Whoever is thirsty, and has a will to come, may come and take the water of life freely; fuch who have no money, nor any thing that is of a valuable confideration, who have neither worth,, nor worthiness of their own, may come and buy wine and milk, without money, and without price. And whereas this fulness of Chrift, this well of grace is deep, and we have nothing to draw with, faith, the bucket of faith is freely given : that grace, by which we receive of it, is not of ourselves, it is the gift of God; and with this we draw water with joy out of the full wells of falvation, which are in. Christ Jefus. 4 This 1 2 Cor. viil 9- Liv. John i. 14 Pfalm xxxi. 19, 4. This fulness is inexhauftible. As the whole family in heaven and in earth is named of Christ, so it is maintained by him. If by the family in heaven we understand the angels, as it was usual with the Jews" to call them a family, and the family above; what large measures of confirming grace have the elect angels received from Chrift! For he is the head of grace to them, as well as to us; we are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power". Or, if by the family in heaven, is meant the faints who are gone to glory; what a vast deal of grace has been expended out of this fulness to bring them thither! The grace of our Lord has been abundant, fuperabundant; it has flowed, and overflowed; there has been a pleonasm, a redundancy of it in the case of a single believer. O what must the aboundings of it have been to all the faints in all ages, times and places, fince the foundation of the world! And ftill there is enough for the family on earth yet behind. Chrift is still the fountain of all his gardens, the churches, a well of living water, which fupplies them all, and streams from Lebanon, which sweetly refresh and delight them. His grace is ftill fufficient for them; it is like the author of it, who has treasured it up in Chrift, it changes not, and, like the subject in whom it dwells, it is the fame to day, yesterday, and for ever. I go on, III. To fhew in what fenfe this fulness may be faid to dwell in Christ, and what that phrafe imports. And, 1. It expreffes the being of it in him. It is not barely in intention, in defign and purpose, but it is really and actually in him; it is given to him, put into his hands, and laid up in him: And hence it comes to be communicated to the faints; because it is in him, they receive of it, and grace for grace. He is the head in whom it dwells, they are members of him, and fo derive it from him. He is theirs, and they are his, and fo all that he has belongs unto them. His perfon is theirs, in whom they are accepted with God; his blood is theirs, to cleanse them from all fin; his righteousness theirs, to justify them from it; his facrifice theirs, to atone for it; and his fulness theirs, to fupply all their wants; and out of this they are fo filled, as to be faid to be full of the holy Ghost, full of faith, and full of goodness: not that they are fo in fuch fenfe as Chrift is; for this fulness is in him without measure, in them in measure; it is in him as an overflowing fountain, but in them as ftreams from it. This fulness is in Christ, and in no other. The wells of falvation are only in him, there is falvation in no other; it is in vain to expect it from any other quarter; no degree of spiritual light and life, grace and holiness, peace, joy and comfort, is to be had elsewhere. Such therefore who neglect, overlook, or forfake this fountain of living waters, bew out cifterns, broken cifterns that can hold no water. Wherefore m Targum in Cant. i. 15. it Zohar in Exod. fol. 105. col. 4. Ed. Sultzbac. Talmud Beracot, • Acts vi. 3, 8. Rom.xv. 14. A Colofs. ii. 10, it becomes all who have any knowledge of themselves, any fense of their wants, and views of the fulness of Chrift, to apply to him; for whither should any go, but to him who has the words of eternal life? 2. It imports the continuance of it with him. It is an abiding fulness, and yields a continual, daily fupply; believers may go every day to it, and receive out of it; the grace that is in it will be always fufficient for them, even to the end of their days. And to this abiding nature of it, the perpetual dwelling of it in Chrift, is owing the faints final perfeverance; for, because he lives as full of grace and truth, they do and fhall live alfo. Great reafon have believers to be strong in the grace which is in Christ Jesus". This fulnefs will abide in Chrift unto the end of time, until all the elect are gathered in, and they are filled with grace, and made meet for glory. There will be as much grace, and as large a fufficiency of it for the laft believer that is born into the world, as for the first. Besides, there is a fulness of glory in Chrift, which will abide in him to all eternity; out of which the faints will be continually receiving glory for glory, as here grace for grace; they will have all their glory from and through. Christ then, as they now have all their grace from him and through him. 3. It denotes the fafety and fecurity of it. Every thing that is in Chrift is safe and secure. The perfons of God's elect being in him, are in the utmost fafety, none can pluck them out of his hands. Their grace being there, it can never be loft; their glory being there, they can never be deprived of it. Their life, both of grace and glory, is bid with Chrift in God, and fo out of the reach of men and devils. Chrift is the ftorehouse and magazine of all grace and glory, and a well fortified one; he is a rock, aftrong tower, a place of defence, fuch an one as the gates of hell cannot prevail againft. I haften, IV. To make it appear, that the being and dwelling of this fulness in Christ is owing to the good-will and pleasure of the Father. The phrafe, The Father, is not indeed in the original text, but is rightly fupplied by our tranflators; fince he is exprefsly mentioned in the context, and is spoken of as he who makes the faints meet to be partakers of the heavenly glory, who delivers from the power and dominion of fin and Satan, and tranflates into the kingdom of his dear Son, ver. 12, 13. and as he who by Chrift, reconciles all things to himself, whether in heaven or in earth, even such who were alienated and enemies in their minds unto him, ver. 20, 21. Now, 1. It is owing to the good-will of the Father to his Son, that this fulness dwells in him. Chrift was ever as mediator, as one brought up with him, daily bis delight, rejoicing always before him; and fo he always continued to be; and as an evidence and demonftration of it, he treasured up all fulness in him. This |