Sect. 16. — Marks and signs of union with Christ.
Sect. 16. — Marks and signs of union with Christ.
Neo. Well, sir, you have fully satisfied me concerning that point. But as I remember, what follows in the same verse is this, “Do you not know yourselves, that Christ is in you, unless you are reprobates?” 2Cor. 13.5. Therefore, I desire to hear how a man may know that Jesus Christ is in him.
Evan. Why, if Christ is in a man, he lives in him: as the apostle says, “I do not live, but Christ lives in me.” Gal 2.20
Neo. But how then shall a man know that Christ lives in him?
Evan. Why, in whatever man Christ lives, according to the measure of his faith, Christ executes his THREEFOLD OFFICE in him, namely: his prophetic, priestly, and kingly office.
Neo. I desire to hear more of this threefold office of Christ; and therefore, I ask you, sir, tell me first, how may a man know that Christ executes his PROPHETIC OFFICE in him?
Evan. Why, so far as any man hears and knows that there was a covenant made between God and all mankind in Adam; and that it was an equal covenant, and that God’s justice must enter upon its breach; and that all mankind, for that reason, is liable to eternal death and damnation. So that if God had condemned all mankind, it would only have been the sentence of an equal and just judge, seeking the execution of his justice, rather than man’s ruin and destruction. And thereupon he takes it home, and applies it particularly to himself, Job 5.27. Thus he is convinced that he is a miserable, lost, and helpless man. I say, so far as a man does this, Christ executes his prophetic office in him, in teaching him, and revealing to him, the Covenant of Works. And it is executed in him so far as he hears and knows that God made a covenant with Abraham, and all his believing seed in Jesus Christ, offering Christ freely to all those to whom the sound of the gospel comes, and giving him freely to all those who receive him by faith, thus justifying and saving them eternally. And thereupon his heart is opened to receive this truth, not as a man takes an object or a theological point into his head, by which he is only made able to discourse about it; but as a habitual and practical point, receiving it into his “heart by the faith of the gospel,” Philip. 1.27; applying it to himself, and laying his eternal state upon it; thus setting his seal to it that God is true — I say, so far as a man does this, Christ executes his prophetic office in him, in teaching him, and revealing to him, the Covenant of Grace. And so far as any man hears and knows, that “this is the will of God, even his sanctification,” 1Thess. 4.3, and thereupon concludes that it is his duty to endeavour after it — I say, so far as a man does this, Christ executes his prophetic office in him, in teaching him, and revealing to him, his law. And this I hope is a sufficient answer to your first question.
Neo. I beg you, sir, in the second place, tell me, how may a man know that Christ executes his PRIESTLY OFFICE in him?
Evan. Why, so far as any man hears and knows that Christ has given himself as the only absolute and perfect sacrifice for the sins of believers, Heb. 9.26, and joined them to himself by faith, and joined himself to them by his Spirit, and so has made them one with himself; and has now “entered into heaven itself, to appear in the presence of God for them,” Heb. 9.24; and based on this, any believer is emboldened to go immediately to God in prayer, as to a father, and to meet him in Christ, and to present him with Christ himself, as a sacrifice without spot or blemish — I say, so far as any man does this, Christ executes his priestly office in him.
Neo. But sir, would you have a believer go immediately to God? How then does Christ make intercession for us at God’s right hand, as the apostle says he does? Rom. 8.34.
Evan. It is true indeed that Christ, as a public person, representing all believers, appears before God his Father; and that he wills according to both his natures: as a man, he desires that God, for his satisfaction’s sake, would grant them whatever “they ask according to his will.” 1Joh 5.14 Yet you must go immediately to God in prayer for all that.
You must not set your prayers on Christ, and terminate them there, as if he were to take them and present them to his Father; but the very place of presenting your prayers must be God himself in Christ. Nor must you conceive of prayer as though Christ the Son were more willing to grant your request than God the Father — for whatever Christ wills, the Father also wills, being well-pleased with him. Therefore in Christ, I say, and nowhere else, you must expect to have your petitions granted; and as it is in Christ and no place else, so it is for Christ’s sake, and for nothing else. And therefore I beseech you to beware that you not forget Christ when you go to the Father to beg anything you desire, either for yourself or others; especially when you desire to have any pardon for sin. You are not to think that when you join fasting, weeping, and afflicting yourself, to your prayers, that for doing so you will prevail with God to hear you and grant your petitions. No, no, you must meet God in Christ, and present him with his sufferings — your eye, your mind, and all your confidence, must be in this; and be as confident in this as you possibly can. Indeed, expostulate the matter, as it were, with God the Father, and say to him, “Look, here is the person that has well-deserved it; here is the person that wills and desires it; the one in whom you said you are well-pleased; yes, here is the person that paid the debt, and discharged the bond for all my sins. Therefore, O Lord! Now it agrees with your justice to forgive me.” And if you do this, why, then you may be assured that Christ executes his priestly office in you.
Neo. I beg you, sir, in the third place, show me how may a man know that Christ executes his KINGLY OFFICE in him?
Evan. Why, so far as any man hears and knows “that all power is given to Christ, both in heaven and on earth,” Matt, 28.18, both to vanquish and overcome all the lusts and corruptions of believers, and also to write his law in their hearts. Based on this, he takes the opportunity to go to Christ to have both these things done in him. I say, so far as he does this, why, Christ executes his kingly office in him.
Neo. Why then, sir, it seems that the place where Christ executes his kingly office, is in the hearts of believers?
Evan. It is true indeed; for Christ’s kingdom is not temporal or secular over the natural lives or civil negotiations of men. But his kingdom is spiritual and heavenly, over the souls of men, to awe and over-rule the hearts, to captivate the affections, to bring into obedience the thoughts, and to subdue and pull down strongholds.2Cor 10.4-5 For when our father Adam transgressed, he and we — all of us — forsook God, and chose the devil for our lord and king. So that every mother’s child of us is, by nature, under the government of Satan. He rules over us till Christ comes into our hearts and dispossesses him. This is according to the words of Christ himself, Luke 11.21, 22, “When a strong man, armed, keeps his palace, his goods are in peace:” that is, as Calvin says, Satan holds those who are in subjection to him in such bonds and quiet possession, that he rules over them without resistance. But when Christ comes to dwell in any man’s heart by faith, then according to the measure of faith, Christ dispossesses Satan, and seats himself in the heart, and roots out and pulls down all that withstands his government there. As a valiant captain, he stands on his guard, and enables the soul to gather together all its forces and powers, to resist and withstand all its enemies and his.
And so the soul sets itself in good earnest against them anytime they offer to return again. Christ especially enables the soul to resist and set itself against the principal enemy, even that which most opposes Christ in his government. So that whatever lust or corruption is in a believer’s heart or soul, as most predominant there, Christ enables the believer to take that into his mind, and to have the most revengeful thoughts against it, and to make complaints to Christ against it, and to desire power and strength from him against it — all because it most withstands the government of Christ, and it is the rankest traitor to Christ. So that the believer uses all the means he can to bring it before the judgment-seat of Christ. And there he calls for justice against it, saying, “Lord Jesus Christ, here is a rebel and a traitor that withstands your government in me. Therefore, I beg you, come and execute your kingly office in me, and subdue it: yes, vanquish and overcome it.” Whereupon Christ gives the same answer that he gave to the centurion, “Go your way; as you have believed, so it will be done for you,” Mat. 8.13.
As Christ thus suppresses all other governors but himself in the heart of a believer, so he razes and defaces all other laws, and writes his own there, according to his promise, Jer. 31.33. He makes them pliable and willing to do and suffer his will, because it is his will. So that the mind and will of Christ, laid down in his word and manifested in his works, is not only the rule of a believer’s obedience, but also the reason for it, as I once heard a godly minister say in the pulpit. So that the believer not only does what is Christ’s will, but he does it because it is Christ’s will.
Oh that man that has the Law of Christ written in his heart! According to the measure of it, he reads, he hears, he prays, he receives the sacrament, he keeps the Lord’s day holy, he exhorts, he instructs, he confers, and does all the duties that belong to him in his general calling, because he knows it is the mind and will of Christ that he should do so! Indeed, he patiently suffers, and willingly undergoes, afflictions for the cause of Christ, because he knows it is the will of Christ. Indeed, such a man not only yields obedience, and performs the duties of the first tablet of the law by virtue of Christ’s command, but of the second tablet also. Oh that husband, parent, master, or magistrate, that has the Law of Christ written in his heart! He does his duty to his wife, child, servant, or subject, willingly and uprightly, because Christ requires it and commands it. And so that wife, child, servant, or subject, that has the Law of Christ written in his or her heart, do their duties to husband, parent, master, or governor, freely and cheerfully, because their Lord Christ commands it. Now, then, if you find these things in your heart, you may conclude that Christ rules and reigns there, as Lord and King.