William Gurnall Quote

I was reading Gurnall's classic The Christian in Complete Armour yesterday and discovered an amazing observation.  We know that God can work all things for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purposes.  But would you think anything good could come from Adam transgressing God's command and bring the scourge of sin and death to all mankind?  Yes!  God wrought good despite man's rebellion, because now by faith we can experience closeness with God even Adam did not possess!  We can have the fullness of God dwelling within us by God's grace!   If it wasn't written in scripture, it would be too good to be believed. 

" The reconciled sinner hath the advantage of Adam in his union to God, as it is nearer.  The union is nearer, because God and man make one person in Christ.  This is such a mystery as was not heard of by Adam in all his glory.  He, indeed, was in league of love and friendship with God-and that was the best flower in his crown-but he could lay no claim to such kindred and consanguinity as now - with reverence be it spoken - the reconciled soul can with God.  This comes in by the marriage of the divine nature with the human, in the person of Christ, which personal union is the foundation of another, a mystical union betwixt Christ and the person of every believer; and this is so near a union, that, as by the union of the divine nature and human…The reconciled sinner hath the advantage of Adam in his union to God as it is stronger.  Therefore stronger, because nearer.  The closer stones stand together the stronger the building.  The union betwixt God and Adam in the first Covenant, was not so near but Adam might fall, and yet God’s glory stand entire and unshaken; but the union now is so close and strong betwixt Christ and his saints, that Christ cannot be Christ without his members.  “Because I live,” saith Christ, “ye shall live also,” (John 14:19) implying that their life was bound up in his, and that it was as easy for him to be turned out of heaven as for them to be kept out...the reconciled sinner hath the advantage of Adam in his communion with God.  There nearer, we use to say, the dearer.  Communion results from union.  If the union be nearer and stronger between a reconciled soul and God than Adam’s was, his communion must needs be sweeter and fuller.  Why else is the communion of husband and wife fuller than of friend and friend, but because the union is closer?  God converseth with Adam as a friend with his friend and ally, but with the reconciled soul; as a husband with his wife.  “Thy Maker is thy Husband,” (Is. 54:5) there is a double sweetness peculiar to the reconciled sinner’s communion with God…The Christian cannot lift up now an eye of faith to God, but he sees his own nature standing upon the throne by him in the person of Christ.  And, if the sight of Joseph at Pharaoh’s right hand, in court favour and honour, sent the patriarchs home with such a joyful news to their aged father, what a ravishing message of joy must faith carry then to the soul of a reconciled sinner, when it comes in after some vision of love in an ordinance and saith, “Cheer up, O my soul, I see Jesus Christ, thy near kinsman, at God’s right hand in glory, to whom ‘all power is given in heaven and earth;’ fear not, he is so nigh in blood to thee that he cannot be unmindful of thee, except he should do what were unnatural in thyself, that is, hide himself from his own flesh.’  The lower a prince stoops to the meanest of his subjects, the more familiar he makes himself to his subjects.”

William Gurnall, Christian in Complete Armour, Pg. 500-501