Continued from page 417.
(“CHRIST IN BELIEVERS THE HOPE OF GLORY,” BY THE REV. JOHN BROWN, WAMPHRAY—p. 115-122.)
8. Mark.
Where Christ is, there is a resting on him for life, and leaning on him for righteousness, adoption, justification and salvation, with Paul, Phi. iii. 9, who desired “to be found in him, not having his own righteousness which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith.” The soul intends to live through this way alone, to rest in, to hide himself in Christ, until, to speak so, a bit of the man cannot be seen, that when he is called for, it may be answered, Lord, I am in Christ, not having my own righteousness. “If Christ be in you,” saith Paul, “the Spirit is life because of righteousness,” Rom. viii. 10. The soul resolves alone to live through this way, through His righteousness. “In the Lord have we righteousness and strength,” say they, Isa. xlv. 24. “In the Lord expect they only to be justified,” ver. 25.
9. Mark.
Where Christ is, there is a great care to eschew sin, 1 John iii. 6. “Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not;” to wit, with that resolution as formerly: they may be overtaken in a fault as Gal. vi. 1; but they are not willingly “entangled again with the yoke of bondage,” Gal. v. 1. Sometimes they may be carried away with the stream of a temptation, as David and Peter, yet they give not themselves willingly and deliberately over to the will of their lusts; but even when corruption has the upper hand, there is a party within them that protesteth against that course and usurpation, Rom. 7. “That which they do, they would not, and that which they do not, they would willingly do;” “the spirit warreth against the flesh,” Gal. v. 17. Hereby it is, that they “walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit,” Rom. viii. 1.
10. Mark.
Where Christ is, there is a real, fast, and resolute care and endeavour to keep the commandments of Christ, 1 John iii. 24, “And he that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him, and he in him;” and again, 1 John ii. 5, “Hereby they know that they are in him, because they keep his word.” They will cast at none of his laws, but “have respect unto all his commandments,” Psal. cxix. 6. This is their work and design, to be conformable in all things to His law, and their failings are the cause of much sorrow unto them.
11. Mark.
In whom Christ is, they live in love, as in their element; “And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us; God is love, and he that dwelleth in love, dwelleth in God, and God in him,” 1 John iv. 16; also, “Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit.” 1 John iv. 13. A humble and condescending spirit, a tender and sympathising spirit, a spirit of wisdom and counsel, a spirit of knowledge, and of the fear of the Lord; we may see what sort of Spirit it is that is given unto Christ without measure, Isa. xi. 2, where it is called, “the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge, and of the fear of the Lord.” So that those who have Christ living in them, are more or less partakers of this Spirit; for they are one spirit with Christ, their darkness is in part removed, their pride killed, and they made more conformable to Christ their head and husband.
12. Mark.
Who have Christ in them, they walk “after the Spirit,” Rom. viii. 1. That is, they have a new counsellor, a new leader to lead them in all their ways, they walk now in the strength of the Lord, being strong in Him, and in the power of His might, Eph. vi. 10. They have new principles, and new motives to their work: they go now to their duties upon another ground, and for other ends than formerly, and this is not at some times, at starts and fits, but in a more serious, constant, and resolute manner: for they “walk after the Spirit.”
13. Mark.
These who have this Spirit of Christ in them, they live by faith, and depend upon Him for grace, strength, influences, and life, that they may serve Him in their natural, ordinary and civil conversations, as well as in their Christian life; that they may be for Him, and for His glory in all their eating, drinking, sleeping, walking, within and without house, in their ordinary calling, work and employment, as well as in the hearing of the word, and in prayer: the life which they now live in the flesh, is by faith, Gal. ii. 20.
14. Mark.
These that have Christ in them, are of a broken and contrite spirit; they dare not arrogantly look up to God, they lie in the dust, and cry guilty, glorifying God, and taking shame unto themselves: He dwells with him, “that is of a contrite and humble spirit,” Isa. lvii. 15. Such a heart is His second throne: whereas the proud He sees afar off.
15. Mark.
Who have Christ in them, they get something of a public spirit; “that mind is in part in them which was also in Christ,” Phil. ii. 5. So that they have a heart to lay out themselves more effectually for Zion than formerly: Christ’s cause, and the sufferings of His people, lie nearer their heart than their own things.
From these marks we may try and see, if we have ground to think that Christ is really in us, or not.