Jesus Is Each Stage of Our Salvation (2)

After he has acquitted us by his all-sufficient satisfaction, being God and man, and has given us his Spirit, there is another life, the life of comfort, which is the life of our life, in peace of conscience and joy unspeakable and glorious. This life issues from the former. For when we find our conscience appeased, that God said to our souls he is ‘their salvation' (Psa. 35:3), and find a newness wrought in our nature by the Spirit of God, and some strength to obey him, then we begin to have a sweet peace, as the children of God find in themselves, and joy unspeakable and glorious.
This is the ultimate life of this life. Having union with Christ and his righteousness and Spirit, we have a peace, which is the way to glory and the beginning of it. As we were dead in nature, so we have a life in sanctification. As we were dead in despair, and ran into terrors of conscience; so we have a life of joy and peace.
But all those in this life are imperfect because there is only a union of grace here, until we come to the union of glory in heaven. At the day of judgment there will be a perfect justifying of us. We will not only be acquitted in our conscience, as we are now, but we will be acquitted before angels and devils and men, and Christ will acknowledge us. 'These are they for whom I died. These are they for whom I made intercession in heaven.' On that day, the life of sanctification, that is now in part, will be perfect, and likewise the peace that now 'passes understanding' (Phil. 4:7) will be full; and our joy will be full by Christ who is our life.

Devotional Readings taken from Puritan Richard Sibbes 'Refreshment for the Soul.'
The Hidden Life, Works, vol. 5, pp. 209-10
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