imbolden the godly to be tampering with errors If a man will tread upon hot coals his feet may be burnt and scorched though withal his life may be preserved But this should make you the rather heedful to stick fast unto the truth that it may be evident you are such as they have no power over to lead aside into the error of the wicked It is the very particular consideration which the Apostle John presseth upon Believers why they should not hearken unto seducers when they teach for doctrines mens inventions and uncouth notions of their own Because they were sufficiently taught of Christ and his word was a plentiful directory unto them without the help of other additions and because they should abide in Christ therefore they were not to be followers of false teachers 1 Joh. 2.26 27. 5. Troubles and persecutions for the sake of Christ shall not be able to dissolve this union They may seem to be providences very likely to do it When Christians shall be dragged into prisons and abridged of their comforts and reduced into hardships and extremities when they shall have trial of cruel mockings and reproaches yea moreover of scourgings and torturings in the severest manner that the wicked heart of man can invent and when all these things might be avoided if they would but part with Christ Will not such sore persecutions from the world drive them back again for deliverance into the world out of which they were called Do but mark how confident the Apostle is of the contrary Rom. 8.35 36 37. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ Shall tribulation or distress or persecution or famine or nakedness or peril or sword As it is written for thy sake we are killed all the day long we are acounted as sheep for the slaughter Nay in all these things we are more than conquerours through him that loved us How more than conquerours Why q. d. We are so far from being foiled that we are brought off with advantage our faith is thereby fourbished and our patience strengthened our other graces are quickned and our experiences increased When conquerours get a victory over their enemies it is seldom or never but with some loss to themselves but we are gainers by our troubles Our spiritual strength is augmented and our vigour heightened to a more intense degree and we come purified as gold out of the fire of tribulation So that we can glory in it For tribulation worketh patience and patience brings experience and experience begetteth hope and hope maketh not ashamed because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts As you have it in that climax or gradation Rom. 5.3 4 5. In the winter of adversity the leaves drop off and the withered boughs are pared away but the living branches abide And the reason of it is this Because when Christ bringeth his people into distress and trouble for his Name he hath promised to stand by them and to afford them strength sufficient for their support under those distresseâ— Isa 42.2 When thou passest through the waters I will be with thee and through the rivers they shall not overflow thee when thou walkest through the fire thou shalt not be burnt neither shall the flame kindle upon thee When Christ reduceth them into such straits as they never had experience of he will then minister to them such strength and assistance as they never had before experience of As sure as he is a God of faithfulness he will do it according to that precious word 1 Cor. 10.13 God is faithful who will not suffer you to be tempted above that you are able but will with the temptation also make a way to escape that ye may be able to bear it But may some poor disconsolate soul say I may quickly be called into temptations and troubles and I find no strength nor ability O what is like to become of me at such a season I am afraid I shall sink under the burden Why mind the promise he will do it with the temptation It is not said he will give ability before the trial but when you are called to use it you shall not fail of it You shall have it time enough against you have occasion to exercise it My brethren it is an excellent word of promise an establishing word if we had hearts to believe And indeed it is according to what the Saints of God have experimentally found How faint-hearted was Mr. Sanders in the dayes of Qu. Mary and very doubtful of himself till he was actually brought into sufferings How dead-spirited was Mr. Glover till he was reduced to the pinch and then he could cry out He is come He is come Nay how cowardly and full of fear was Moses himself till he was ingaged in his work as appeareth from the excuses he made to evade the imployment Exod. 4.1 10 13. 6. Death it self which is the great separating providence that parts between a man all his worldly accommodations that parts between friends and kinsfolks between brethren sisters the nearest and dearest relations shall not separate believers from Jesus Christ But still they are entirely in him even when they are dead As it was in the death of Christ himself though it made a separation between his body and soul yet it did not separate the humane nature from the divine So it is in the death of the Saints Though it rend the spirit from the flesh yet it can part neither from the Son of God The very bodies of Believers are still united unto Jesus even when they are dead and shall be raised up again as I will shew you afterwards by vertue of that conjunction Therefore they are said to sleep in Jesus 1 Thess 4.14 and Blessed are the dead that die in the Lord Rev. 14.13 It is not said only They that die for the Lord but in the Lord. A man may suffer death in some cases for the true Religion that never was sincere therein But if a person die in Jesus then he is blessed indeed Upon the upshot of all I may well conclude this point with that of the Apostle Paul in answer as it were to this question we are upon Rom. 8.35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ q. d. Is a Believers union with Christ a dissolveable union or not Can it be broken asunder Or if you will rather understand it by way of assertion though delivered interrogatively For nothing is more ordinary than for affirmative interrogations to denote a vehement denial of the matter questioned As if he had said This union is altogether inseparable nothing can part betwixt a Believer and Christ So fast are they glewed and linked together that they shall never be divided or broken asunder again For saith he v. 38 39. I am perswaded that neither death nor life nor angels nor principalities nor powers nor things present nor things to come nor height nor depth nor any other creature
damnation that will befal and the sore torments that will be inflicted upon such All ungodly sinners will be punished everlastingly but such as seemed to cleave unto Christ but yet served the devil will be punished most severely and made to drink of the dregs of the cup of God's indignation as sinning against most light Gospel-light and under means of grace denied to others which are the main aggravations of sin To them is reserved the myst of darkness for ever Genitivus reflexus super nominativum singularem importat eminentiam Ut coeli coelorum i.e. Altissimi Et sic in Synenimis ut iniquitas peccati i. e. maxime peccaminosa Sic caligo tenebrarum i. e. densissima that is the grossest darkness and sorest destruction 2 Pet. 2.17 You know our Lord Christ pronounceth the most terrible woes on this account Mat. 11.21 22 23. Wo to thee Chorazin wo to thee Bethsaida for if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes But I say unto you it shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the day of judgment than for you And thou Capernaum which art exalted to heaven shalt be brought down to hell c. that is because thou art highly advanced in spiritual priviledges and hast not improved them thou shalt be destroyed with double destruction and made utterly desolate For as our Lord Jesus elsewhere concludes This is the condemnation that men live in sin under Gospel-light light is come into the world and men love darkness rather than light Joh. 3.19 And besides I might have added that the torments of such will be the greater because of the reproach and scandal which they bring upon Christ and his ways As they dishonour him actively by their own transgressions so they give occasion to others to speak evil of him and his service For will wicked profane wretches be ready to say when they see the haltings and hypocrisie of these carnal Professors Lo these are your Saints that would be accounted more precise than others Here is their Religion and such they are all of them and the like It is because of the blots and blemishes of these counterfeit Christians that the name of Christ is blasphemed Rom. 2.24 compared with Ezek. 36.20 23. 3. Their condition is sad because of their more than ordinary inexcusableness in their eternal damnation They will have no manner of Apology or defence to make for themselves their mouths will be stopped to purpose for indeed they are condemned of themselves May Christ say unto them if my service were evil why did you call your selves may servants and go under my name and list your selves into my family and if it be excellent indeed why did not you serve me in truth and in sincerity Mat. 22.12 When the King came in to see the guests he saw there a man which had not on a wedding garment And he saith unto him Friend how camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment and he was speechless q. d. Why didst thou associate thy self with such company if thou wert resolved to continue in thy filthiness what an impudent wretch art thou to enter thy self into my houshold and family unless thou wert purposed to subject to the Laws and Discipline thereof How couldest thou for shame rank thy selfe amongst believers whilst thou liest polluted in thine impurity 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quasi capistro injecto obmutuit And he was speechless he was muzzled as the word signifieth he had not a word to say in his own defence his own conscience silenced him For as the Apostle argueth If the light of nature will render the Heathen inexcusable and leave them without apology in the day of judgment how much more inexcusable are those who are brought within the pale of the visible Church of Christ and yet will not have that man to reign over them that call themselves Christians and partake of the priviledges of Christianity and yet serve the devil and are of his Synagogue Rom. 1.20 compared with Chap. 2.1 4. Their estate is sad bedanse of that vexation and horror which the very reflection up on this thing will bring to their spirits everlastingly How will the worm of conscience gnaw upon their hearts from this very consideration and the hypocritical wretches be ready to fear out their own bowels When they shall bethink themselves they were so neer to Christ and yet fell short of salvation by him that then took possibly a great deal of pains in the outward part of Religion to go on in a round of duties yet for want of truth and integrity in the inward parts must lose the benefit of all that ever they did that they were not far off from the kingdom of God and for want of going further must perish amongst the devils and damned for ever and make their bed in hell According to that in Luk. 13.28 There shall be weaping and gnashing of teeth when ye shall see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the Prophets in the Kingdom of God and you your selves thrust out So much more will it bring vexation and anguish upon a mans spirit when he shall see such an acquaintance of his got to heaven that perhaps fate in the same seat with him who was wont to meet at the same religious exercises with him and himself excluded When he shall find such an one received into Abrahams bosom that possibly she fat outstript in commons gifts and qualifications a poor broken-hearted sinner whom he was aâ—â— to despise and himself tâ—rust into the chains of â—arkness amongst dogs and forcerâ—rs and whoremongers amongst professed Atheists and the profanest of men What bitterness will this bring to a mans thoughts O my friends think of this betimes ere it be too late and the Lord a waken your hearts that you may not rest on this side of a saving Vnion with the Lord Jesus So much for the first branch of the distinction viz. An Union with Christ by way of commoâ— profession or exceâ—nal adhâ—sion only 2. There is an Union or Onchess with Jesuâ— Christ my spiritual implantation and ingrature When a person is in him so as to receive life and nourishment from him as a quick fruit-bearing graff is in the stock as a living member is in the body and united unto the head When a soul is not only set upon the foundation but is also cemented to it by the cement of special grace the peculiar work of the spirit of holiness When he is a lively stone built upon the living foundation as the holy Ghost expresseth it 1 Pet. 2.4 5. To whom coming as unto a living stone disallowed indeed of men but chosen of God and precious ye also as lively stones are built up a spiritual house It is this sort of union which the Scripture mentioneth as so great a mystery and to which eternal life
soles viderent Bacon de sap veter when the Comforter is come to guide you into all truth then you shall know this mystery q. d. Now it is as the lines of a book that is sealed up a matter beyond your reach but then you shall read and understand 3. That hereupon you may be quickned to set upon this study with prayer with the earnest and fervent lifting up your hearts to heaven that God would anoint your eyes with ey-salve for the perception of this truth That he would open your minds and judgments to understand the Scripture in this particular and lead you into the knowledge and acknowledgment of this mystery For it is an Vnction from the holy One must teach us these lessons 1 Joh. 2.20 27. And therefore that prayer of the Psalmist is an excellent pattern 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Plato for the outgoings of our hearts at such a season Psal 119.18 Open thou mine eyes that I may behold wondrous things out of thy Law 4. That in order to the getting acquaintance with this Doctrine you may be convinced of the necessity of putting your selves under the promise which God hath made to reveal the secrets of his Covenant to his servants For this is one of those secrets a great mystery and upon that account mostly stiled a mystical Union And you know the way to get under the verge of that promise Nulla in discendo mora est ubi spiritus sanctus Doctor adest Beda is by indeavouring to maintain an holy dread and fear of the Majesty of heaven upon your hearts not daring knowingly to sin against him Psal 25.14 The secret of the Lord is with them that fear him and he will shew them his Covenant This is the very reason why many poor Christians of low parts in comparison with others can speak more clearly and savourily of these things than some profound Doctors who are strangers to the power of godliness because the promise is not made to great parts and learning Ille qui cum puritate animae legit Scripturas plus proficiet quam si enodare tentaret mysteria multis commentariis Acost Jes but to such as have a reverential awe and regard of the Majesty of God upon their spirits The Lord doth often hide these things from the wise and prudent and reveal them unto babes Why because it so pleased him and because he hath promised to instruct them in these lessons Psal 25.9 The meek he will guide in judgment and the meek he will teach his way Again v. 12. What man is he that feareth the Lord him he shall teach in the way that he shall chuse And therefore mark what I say Humility self-emptiness and poverty of spirit together with a due dependance on the teachings of God will strike a greater stroke in acquiring the knowledge of these Lessons than the choicest accomplishments of parts and learning without them A conscientious respect to plain truths and precepts is the way to learn hidden mysteries John 7.17 If any man will do his will he shall know of the Doctrine That 's the first Conclusion to be premised 2. Concl. 2. Although the Union of a Christian with the Lord Jesus is in it self a mystery not easie to be attained as to right apprehensions thereof yet it is a point of very great concernment to be studied and a clear insight thereinto will abundantly recompense all the pains you can take in the search of it So that the difficulty of attainment shuld not deter us from a diligent enquiry into it but rather stir us up to pursue it with all our might and industry It is a point wherein a man cannot with safety be ignorant It is incumbent upon us as we tender our everlasting welfare to get right apprehensions of the substance of this thing A mistake herein may occasion our eternal undoing And therefore when Christ had treated Mat. 13. of the mixture there is in the visible Church in many parables together How that some are in the Church who are not of the Church that there are many seem to be members of the body who are not spiritually united to Christ the head of the body for that is the drift of the parables though delivered in other words how doth he close his Sermon upon that subject See v. 51. Jesus saith unto them have ye understood all these things As if he had said It doth infinitely concern you to get a good understanding in this matter you cannot safely be in the dark as to this Doctrine Let these things sink deep into your hearts and be much pondered in your thoughts Hence the holy Ghost is so much upon it and doth frequently mention not only the excellency and need of Jesus Christ but likewise the necessity of our Oneness with Christ or being in him It is a dangerous thing to have false conceptions in our minds concerning this union or to be ignorant of it for three Reasons especially 1. Because it is the want of a right knowledge and due consideration of this very thing which is the cause of the ruine of many thousand souls Amongst those that live within the pale of the Church and have heard the joyful sound of the Gospel a great number perish by splitting upon this rock They apply the vertue of the death of Christ to themselves without ever minding whether they are in Christ They hope to be saved upon his account and so go on securely to hell under the shelter of those hopes because they never considered the nature and necessity of being united to his person See the very rise of their destruction how they plead themselves into a fools paradise in expectation of being pardoned and saved through Christs blood because they never minded if they had the Son or not if they were in Christ or no Luk. 13.26 27. Then shall ye begin to say We have eatten and drunk in thy presence and thou hust taught in our streets But he shall say I tell you I know you not whence you are depart from me all ye workers of iniquity Observe their mistake from the answer that is returned them I know you not whence you are as if he had said You are utter aliens and strangers unto me persons with whom I never was acquainted Though you heard my Word yet you were never ingraffed into my body though you were never ingraffed into my body though you have eaten and drunk in my presence yet you were not implanted into me nor ever had any fellowship with me And who are those which thus deceive themselves why many very many as in that parallel Text Mat. 7.22 23. I think experience may give us cause to suspect they are the most 2. It is a dangerous thing to have false apprehensions of Union with Christ because this is the great fundamental blessing upon which all our comfort is built and other spiritual blessings have a dependance hereupon So that see
and salvation is annexed He that thus hath the Son hath life And peace be to all them that are thus in Christ Jesus 1 Pet. 5.14 This is it which we are enquiring into wherein the nature of it consisteth which I shall now enter upon the unfolding of in the second answer to the question propounded By way of description CHAP. IV. Union with Christ described and the parts of the Description opened 2. HAving thus cleared our passage by the aforementioned distinction come we now to lay down a brief description of this great priviledge or grace of Union with the Son or having the Son which I shall endeavour to explicate in the several branches of it Take the description thus Union with Christ is that special relation which believers have to the Lord Jesus as Mediator of the Covenant of Grace arising from their closs and intimate conjunction with him whereupon they are accounted as one with Christ their spiritual state is fundamentally changed and the benefits of redemption are effectually applyed unto their souls In which Description that we may handle it methodically and so the more understandingly you have these five branches into which it may be divided that need each of them a little explanation 1. The general nature of this grace or priviledge It is a persons relation to the Lord Jesus 2. A note of difference whereby it is distinguished from other relations It is that special relation which they have to Christ as Mediator 3. The subjects of this Union unto whom it doth appertain and they are believers It is the special relation of Believers to the Lord Jesus 4. The foundation of this Union whereupon it is bottomed and whence it doth arise Why it ariseth from their intimate conjunction with Christ 5. The blessed consequents that flow from it or the great effects which are produced by it And they are three 1. Hereupon they are reckoned as one with Christ 2. Their spiritual state is fundamentally changed 3. The benefits of redemption are effectually applyed 1. The general nature of this grace or priviledge of Union with Christ It is a persons relation to the Lord Jesus So as I conceive it may be most properly stiled that mutual habitude or reference which is between them or which Christ and his people have one to the other Vnio hat est spiritualis illa relatio hominum ad Christum quâ jus acquirunt ad omnâ—s illas benedictiones qua in ipso praparantur Ames med It is called in the Text an having the Son and it is frequently set forth by a being espoused or married to the Son 2 Cor. 11.2 For I have espoused you to one husband that I may present you as a chast virgin to Christ. Rom. 7.4 That ye should be married to another even to him who is raised from the dead Elsewhere it is called A belonging to Christ Mar. 9.41 And a being his Gal. 5.24 You know though there is a very neer conjunction and oneness thereupon between the Husband and Wife that are married together yet it is but a relative oneness their individual properties remain distinct notwithstanding Such is this Union of a sincere Christian with the Lord Jesus they are contracted and married together and so become united For by such umbrages taken from external things God is pleased to set forth this high mystery that it may be better apprehended by us that it may be easier let into our understandings Under this Head I shall intreat you heedfully to mind and observe three things 1. That this Union of the Saints with Christ is not a transformation of either into the essence or substance of the other Nostra ipsius Christi conjunctio nec miscet personas nee confundit substantias Sed affectus consociat confoederat voluntates either of Christ into theirs or of Believers into his essence They are not so made one as as if there were a substantial alteration or commixtion therein as if their persons or natures were so contempered together as to be made up into one A sincere convert is one with the person of the Mediator but they are not thereby made one person as some have vented their blasphemies that they are Christed with Christ and Godded with God and such like expressions that would make the heart of a sober Christian to tremble and his ears to tingle at the mention of them This oneness is not to be understood grosly and carnally as the Capernaites mistook it but in a spiritual sense as Christ himself doth interpret it Joh. 6.56 63. He that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood dwelleth in me and I in him How is this to be understood Mark v. 63. Loquituâ— non de externo ac â—ranseunte verborum istorum sonitu sed de sensu illorum Ac significat se non carnaliter de carnall carnis suae esu in quo vita non est sed spiritualiter de spiritus vivificatoris virtute in qua vita est loquutum esse Muscul in loc It is the spirit that quickneth the flesh profiteth nothing the words that I speak they are spirit and life As if he had said these things are to be taken in a spiritual sense and not after a carnal manner Indeed it is so undeniably evident that it is not to be meant of a corporal union that I shall not need to insist upon arguments for the confutation of such uncouth notions Christ and a believer are not so made one but that they retain their natures distinct and their personal properties distinct notwithstanding that union they have different places properties and employments Christ is corporally in heaven the heavens must contain him till the time of the restitutions of all things and many of the members of his mystical body are still militant upon the face of the earth He is the Redeemer and they are the redeemed Act. 3.21 To the Lord Christ doth justly and deservedly appertain all worship and homage All ye Angels of God worship him Heb. 1.6 But it were monstrous and hateful idolatry to give it unto the Saints who are our fellow-creatures Rev. 22.9 Acts 14 13 14 15. The Lord Jesus is ordained and constituted to be the Judge and Believers are a part of the persons to be judged It is true they shall fit as Assessors with Christ in passing sentence upon the wicked but first they must stand themselves before the Judgment-seat and receive their acquittal Act. 17.31 Rom. 14.10 I might multiply passages of this sort if it were needful So that this Union is not a perfonal or corporal oneness with Christ but it consisteth in the neer relation which they have unto him 2. Hence it followeth plainly by way of consectary that it is a gross mistake of such persons who would gather from a Believers oneness with Christ that they are perfectly freed from all remainders of sin Sirs Christ is holy and pure a Lamb without spot and blemish he never
â—and and be made perfectly blessed in the fuil enjoyment of him unto all eternity And this by vertue of their union with the Son of God and because they are so neerly related unto him Joh. 17.22 The glory which thou gavest me I have given them Who are these of whom our Saviour speaketh Why such as are in Christ and in God the Father through Christ v. 21. And again v. 24. Father I will that they also whom thou hast given me be with me where I am that they may behold my glory which thou hast given me So that all sorts of blessings are conveyed in this way from the leading mercy of forgiveness of sin to the very consummation of a believers happiness First God doth unite his people unto Christ and then he doth bless them with all subsequent blessings in Christ from the acceptance of their persons to the very crown of righteousness So much shall suffice to be spoken unto the fifth general head of enquiry touching the signal benefits that flow from our union with Christ and for evincing the necessity thereof CHAP. IX The special similitudes made use of in the Scriptures for illustration of this Mystery of Union with Christ. 6. THere is yet one question more to be answered before I come to the Application and practical improvement of the Point The question is this Qu. What are the special similitudes or resemblances which the holy Ghost is pleased to make use of for illustration of this mystery of a believers union with the Lord Jesus Christ Answ I answer There are principally four Which I shall not handle at large as if I designed to shew you in all particulars that might be reckoned up wherein the proportion holds Only I will select a few things under each of those similitudes which will be most obvious and apposite to our purpose and of greatest use for giving us light into this mystery and priviledge A Believers union with Christ is illustrated by comparisons taken from the 1. Natural 2. Corporal 3. Conjugal 4. Artificial Union that there is between the 1. Head and members of the natural body 2. Vine and branches graffed into the vine 3. Husband and Wife married together 4. Foundation and building erected thereupon 1. The first similitude which I shall open for the further illustration of the grace of union with Christ is taken from the head and members of the natural body The Lord Jesus the Mediator is the head of the Church and his people are his body and every individual Saint is a member of that body so they are compacted and knit together Thus the holy Ghost doth condescend in compliance with our weakness to shadow forth heavenly things under the figure of earthly Col. 1.18 And he is the head of the body the Church who is the beginning the first born from the dead that in all things he might have the preheminence The Church here is compared to a vineyard that bringeth forth fruit unto God and the Lord himself hath undertaken the charge and custody of it So that if you get into Christ you need not be troubled at events what may befal you you may cast your care upon him who is the keeper of Israel and will take the care of you He will destroy the little foxes that spoil the vines as his care is set forth Cant. 2.15 He will root up the errors that endanger the faith of his people and pluck up the Schisms that tend to the destruction of their peace further than may be fit to exercise them for their good and to make manifest such as are approved He will weed up the corruptions out of the hearts of his people and in due time put a stop to the rage of persecutors and whatever is noxious and prejudicial shall be averted and taken out of the way 3. He is the head of the Church In respect of influence and vertue derived from him upon it As from the head are derived the animal spirits for motion and sensation in the body and by it vigour and activity is put into the body So Christ doth minister unto the supply of his Church and people on all occasions By him the Spirit is sent down from above and all their vacuities are filled up Phil. 4.19 My God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus That 's the third respect of his headship 4. In respect of his completion and perfecting by the Church The head is not compleat without the body Every part and member thereof doth help to the perfection of the whole Thus doth the Lord 〈…〉 himself imperfect till his body be filled up And therefore the Church which is his body is called The fulness of him that filleth all in all Eph. 1.23 In his person he is compleat without the least taint of an imperfection As to his Godhead he is infinite he filleth all in all But as he is the head of his Church he accounts himself to be defective till all his people are gathered unto him 5. Christ is the Head of the Church upon the account of their neer relation to him and intimate union with him They are as clesly knit together as the body is to the head And this is true not only of the Church in general but every particular Christian is united unto the head and partaketh of the influence of it 1 Cor. 12.27 Now ye are the body of Christ and members in particular That 's the first thing to be noted under this similitude 2. In pursuance of this comparison observe further That the way wherein a Believer is knit unto Christ it is by being quickned through the Spirit of Jesus Christ For wherein lieth the conjunction between the head the body Why principally in this that they are both animated with the same soul There is nothing properly and strictly a part of the body unless it partake of life with it So the Saints are quickned by the Spirit of the Son thereby he joyneth them to himself and inableth them to take hold of him and cleave unto him * Ut Christus similitudinem capitis naturalis gerit Ecclesia coporis naturalis ita elect orum tantum Rex caput Christus est quia in â—os tantum vi 〈…〉 electi seli sunt quia soli Christo tanquam à capite naturali spiritualiter vegetantur Parâ— de Pol. Eccles Christus non aliter caput est quam ut Ecclesiae vitam praebet Whitak Eph. 2.5 Even when we were dead in sins and trespasses he hath quickned us together with Christ with the same Spiâ—it wherewith 〈…〉 Ghost which is poured forth upon him And if we are alive unto God it is through Jesus Christ our Lord Rom. 6.11 3. According to the tenour of this resemblance If we are made one with our Lord Jesus we must of necessity give up our selves in subjection to him and be ready to follow his conduct The members of
him glory in the Lord for all the sap and juice cometh from the root The branch hath nothing of its own but what is received from thence All your support is by vertue of the root so that walk humbly with God in the sense of your own emptiness and utter insufficiency And if you would live the life of God indeed have your constant recourse unto the Lord Jesus and be drawing nourishment from him for thou standest by faith Rom. 11.20 2. The similitude imports That the union of a Believer with the Lord Jesus is a very closly compacted and intimate union that they are very firmly and entirely knit together The branch when it is graffed becometh thereby incorporated into the vine so in a spiritual sense there is a kind of concorporation of Christ and his people together and therefore it is represented under the notion of being graffed into him There is a deep and inward connexion between them so deep and intimate that they are called by his Name 1 Cor. 12.12 As the body is one and hath many members and all the members of that one body being many are one body so also is Christ i. e. so is the company of Believers Christ mystical who are so knit closs unto Christ as if they were the same as if they were consolidated into one 3. From this resemblance we may observe That a person cannot possibly be united unto Jesus till he be taken off from all other dependances whatsoever First there must be a cutting on the 〈…〉 stock in which it naturally groweth before it can be graffed into another First there must be an abscission before there can be an insition A branch may grow neer to the vine without being cut off from its old root but it must be wholly cut off ere it can be graffed into the vine Sirs By nature we grow in the wild olive tree we are rooted in the old Adam sin and self for when men are convinced of sin presently they have recourse unto self as a Saviour to deliver them from their sins But if you would get into Christ you must be taken off from these As you have it in the continued metaphor or allegory Rom. 11.25 For if thou wert cut off out of the olive tree which is wild by nature and wert graffed contrary to nature into a good olive tree Mark it first cut off from the one before capable of being graffed into the other 4. Learn in the last place from this similitude That the glory and excellency of a Christian doth lie in practical holiness or in being fruitful and abundant in the work of the Lord. You know The worth and excellency of a branch doth not consist in its beautiful outside or in the fair leaves and blossoms which it may bear but in bringing forth much fruit When there are fair clusters of grapes hanging upon it this doth content the Husbandman and prevents the pruning-hooks cutting off such a branch for the fire So herein is the excellency of a Believer when he is active for God in his place and calling and filled with the fruits of righteousness This is acceptable unto God and well pleasing in his sight This commends the root as a juicy sappy root when the branches are fruitful Joh. 15.8 Herein is my Fathor glorified that ye bear 〈…〉 fruitful you will be taken away and burnt the unprofitable servant shall be cast into outer darkness But then you will honour me indeed and be like to enjoy the comfort of your relation towards me when you express the power of godliness in your conversations This is the second resemblance 3. The third similitude setting forth the relation of a Believer to Christ is drawn from the â—uptial conjunction which is betwixt the husband and wife Christ and his people are joyned together in a conjugal union He is married unto them and they are his Spouse whom he hath betrothed unto himself When a man and woman are joyned in marriage according to the Institution and Ordinance of God they become one flesh so the Lord Christ and true Believers are one spirit Eph. 5.31 32. For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother and shall be joyned to his wife and they two shall be one flesh This is a great mystery but I speak concerning Christ and the Church It is as much as if the Apostle had said If the husband and wife are one by vertue of their marriage-covenant or nuptial contract much more intimately are Christ and his people one by their spiritual marriage the other is but a shadow of this Union Here is a mystery indeed for of this spiritual union you must understand me I speak concerning Christ and the Church Cant. 5.1 I am come into my garden my sister my spouse And throughout that book of the 〈…〉 1. When the 〈…〉 together into one It is according to the will and pleasure of the Father and a matter very pleasing and acceptable in his sight When marriages are regularly made it is with consent and approbation of parents on either side Now God is the parent on both hands in this spiritual conjunction and they have his consent to their espousals 1. He giveth his Son to the Church to be an husband Isa 49.6 I will give thee to be a light unto the Gentiles that thou mayest be my salvation to the end of the earth Gal. 4.4 When the fulness of time was come God sent forth his Son c. Joh. 3.16 For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son 2. Upon the other hand he taketh the Church to be a Wife or Spouse unto his Son and giveth Believers unto him Joh. 17.6 I have manifested thy name unto the men which thou gavest me out of the world thine they were and thou gavest them me Heb. 2.13 Behold I and the children whom thou hast given me So that this is the Father's will that sinners should come unto Christ and be united unto him And pray observe it the rather because there is a proneness in the heart of man to question the Fathers good will Sometimes sinners have good thoughts of Jesus Christ as one that minds their salvation and came down from heaven to accomplish it but they are full of doubts and jealousies touching the Father they question whether he be willing to accept them Why mind it Sirs What the Lord Jesus 〈…〉 〈◊〉 doth is by God the Fathers appointment and approbation It was he that sent him about his work and giveth lost sinners into his hands to be saved This is mentioned as an incouragement to believe in Jesus for if you do so the Father will receive you graciously and you shall in no wise be rejected See the words of our Saviour Joh. 6.37 38 39. Him that cometh unto me I will in no wise east out For I came down from heaven not to do mine own will but the will of him that sent me And this is the