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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A46354	Several sermons preach'd on the whole eighth chapter of the Epistle to the Romans eighteen of which preach'd on the first, second, third, fourth verses are here published : wherein the saints exemption from condemnation, the mystical union, the spiritual life, the dominion of sin and the spirits agency in freeing from it, the law's inability to justifie and save, Christ's mission, eternal sonship, incarnation, his being an expiatory sacrifice, fulfilling the laws righteousness (which is imputed to believers) are opened, confirmed, vindicated, and applied / by Tho. Jacomb.	Jacombe, Thomas, 1622-1687.	1672 (1672)	Wing J119; ESTC R26816	712,556	668

for though the Saints proximately and immediately are united to Christ yet the Union is not so terminated in him but that through him they are united to the Father too Therefore 't is said Joh. 17.21 That they also may be one in us 't is not one in Me singly but one in Vs conjunctly And the Apostle saith 1 Thes 1.1 2. To the Church which is in God the Father and in the Lord Jesus Christ the same you have 2 Thes 1.1 So * Of the Saints Union with the Father as well as with the Son see Burg. upon Joh. 17. p. 586. Newton upon Joh. p. 450. of the Moral Vnion that Believers in some respects are in both and united both to Father and Son But as to the Law-union arising from Suretyship and Vadimony that is only proper to Christ he of all the Persons being the alone Surety for Believers Thirdly There is a Moral Vnion between Christ and Believers 'T is called Moral from the Bond or Ground of it which is Love and the word Moral is us'd not as it stands in contradistinction to Spiritual but to Natural and Physical I say the Bond of this Union is Love for Faith unites mystically and Love unites morally Love is an uniting grace as well as Faith though it doth not unite in the same way therefore 't is said He that dwelleth in Love dwelleth in God and God in him 1 Joh. 4.16 'T is all for union and it produces union take two persons who love each other their mutual affection makes them to be One there is a real Oneness between Friend and Friend The Philosopher very well defined Friendship by One Soul in two Bodies 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A * Aristot Ethic. l. 9. c. 3.9 Friend is but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 alteridem another Self Thus 't is in that which is before us there is a mutual reciprocal hearty Love between Christ and Believers he loves them and they love him and by vertue of this mutual Love there is a real and close Vnion betwixt them The Husband and Wife are One not meerly upon the Marriage Covenant and external Relation but also and chiefly upon that Love and Affection that is betwixt them So it is 'twixt Christ and Saints * Qui scilicet dilect à Christo vicissim Christum amant Hocenim est in Christo esse non tantum Christo amari sed Christum amare Corn Mussus Qui Coristo incorporati sunt puro perfecto amore Idem Some therefore open this being in Christ Jesus or Oneness with him by Love in respect of this Love Believers are in Christ And so I have opened that threefold Vnion which is between Christ and Believers I have a little insisted upon the two latter branches of it but 't is the first the Mystical Vnion that I shall further mainly speak to for the truth is this is the Vnion which the Gospel principally sets before us Scripture-Resemblances by which the Mystical Vnion is set forth The Second Thing propounded was to instance in those several Scripture-resemblances by which the Mystical Vnion is set forth These are very many For this being a very high and mysterious thing it hath pleased God to make use of various Resemblances for the better describing of it that he might thereby make it to us more credible and more intelligible And 't is observable how the Spirit of God summons in all Vnions Natural Relative Artisicial that he might by all of them more clearly and distinctly shadow out the grand Vnion betwixt Christ and Saints Yet I must tell you though those are very useful as to the End designed and are very high the highest in genere Vnionis yet they all come short of the Mystical Union which they refer to they may illustrate it but they cannot reach or equalize it I will but briefly go over them both because they are fully handled by Others and also because that which is proper from them to the business in hand may be dispatched in few words The First is that of Husband and Wife A very fit and full Resemblance a * See Dr. Cudworths Union of Christ and the Church shadowed Type say some of the Mystical Vnion Upon the conjugal relation there is a very near and close conjunction If you please to look to its first institution you will find a deep foundation of Oneness laid therein Gen. 2.23 24. This is now bone of my bone and flesh of my flesh therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother and shall cleave unto his wife and they shall be one flesh Now Christ and Believers stand in this Conjugal relation each to the other he is their Husband they his Spouse they are espoused to Christ their Husband 2 Cor. 11.2 married to Christ Rom. 7.4 betrothed to God and Christ Hos 2.19 their name is Hephzibah and Beulah Isa 62.4 The Marriage-Vnion in the very height of it the Apostle brings down to Christ and Believers Eph. 5.28 29 c. So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies he that loveth his wife loveth himself For no man ever yet hated his own flesh but nourisheth it and cherisheth it even as the Lord the Church For we are members of his body of his flesh and of his bones For this cause shall a man leave his father and his mother and shall be joyned to his wife and they two shall be one flesh Well what of all this he adds This is a great Mystery but I speak concerning Christ and the Church As if the Apostle had said do not misapprehend me though I speak so much of the Vnion that is betwixt Husband and Wife according to the primitive Institution yet that is not the main thing which I drive at I aim at an higher Vnion than that namely at that Spiritual Vnion which is between Christ and the Church The Husband and the Wife are one Christ and Believers are so much more Another Resemblance is that of the Head and Members In the Body Natural there is a near and close Vnion between these two being fastened and joyned each to the other they make up one and the same body Thus 't is with Christ and Believers in the Body Mystical he is the Head they are the several Members belonging to that head Col. 1.18 He is the Head of the body the Church Eph. 1.22 God gave him to be the head over all things to the Church which is his body 1 Cor. 12.27 Now ye are the body of Christ and members in particular So Rom. 12.5 As truly and as nearly as the head and the members so truly and so nearly are Christ and Believers united also A third Resemblance is that of the Root and Branches There is also union betwixt these otherwise how should the One convey juice sap nourishment life growth to the Other So 't is with Christ and Believers he is the Root they the Branches Joh. 15.5 I am

as to the Body also The Soul indeed is the principal Subject of this Union but the Body too hath its share in it therefore the Apostle saith 1 Cor. 6.15 Know ye not that your bodies are the members of Christ As Christ in the assuming of the nature of man took not the body only or the soul only but both and so united them to the Godhead so 't is in the Mystical Union the whole man is knit to whole Christ And which puts marvailous sweetness into it the totality of this Vnion on Christs part reaches to every individual Believer in the world as the whole Soul is united to every part of the Body so 't is whole Christ to every Believer Sixthly 'T is an immediate Vnion Christ and the believing Soul they * See Davenant upon the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Colos 2.19 Per has commissuras Christus tangit nos nos tangimus Christum touch each the other if I may so express it and the Word encourages me so to do there is nothing that doth intervene or interpose between Christ and it In other unions it is not so there is union between the head and the members yet all the members do not touch the head the Foot is at a great distance from the head though it be united to it all the parts of the building are united to the foundation yet they are not all contiguous to it there is apposition but no contiguity But now the Union which I am upon is so immediate that every Believer touches Christ as it were and lies close and near to him Which yet is not to be taken of any * Omnis physicus contactus excludendus est Zanch. in cap. 5. ad Eph. p. 242. Physical or Local Contact but only of that which is Moral and Spiritual not of any immodietas suppositi but only of that immedietas virtutis or unionis which is through the Spirit and Faith Lastly 'T is an indissoluble Vnion The knot therein is tied so fast that it shall never he again untied or loosened Christ and Believers are so firmly joyned together that none shall ever be able to part them all the powers of Hell with all their united strength shall never be able to disjoyn or separate one Soul from Christ As no * Non obstat unioni huic intercapedo locorum five distantia Coeli Terrae quâ Christus quâ homo fideles peregrè ab ipso versantes disterminantur Quia unio non est existentia corporis Christi intra corpora nostra nec locali contactu aut inclosione constat Alting Explic. Catech. Part. 2. Qu 76. p. 266. distance of place doth hinder the Union so no force or violence from Devils or men shall ever be able to dissolve the Union And herein lies the peculiar transcendent blessedness of this Union above all other Unions They all may cease be broken and come to nothing the members may be separated from the head and the head from the members the tender Husband may and shall be parted from the affectionate Wife the building may be broken off from the foundation the Soul may be divided from the Body But the Mystical Union stands fast forever Christ and a gracious Soul can never be separated God hath joyned them and * Mat. 19.6 what he hath joyned together no man shall ever put asunder There are two abiding things in the Saints their Vnction and their Vnion Their Vnction abides But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you 1 Joh. 2.27 and their Vnion abides for it follows and ye shall abide in him Our Apostle makes his Challenge in the close of this Chapter who shall separate us from the Love of Christ he tells you none should ever be able to do it v. 38 39 so who shall separate us as to our Union with Christ none shall none can Possibly the influences of it for some time may be suspended but yet the Union it self is not nay cannot be dissolved As it was in the Hypostatical Union for a time there was a suspending of the comforting influences of the Divine Nature to the Humane insomuch that our Saviour cried out * My God Mat. 27.46 My God why hast thou forsaken me yet for all this the Union between the two Natures was not in the least abolished So here in the Mystical Vnion the sensible effects comforts benefits of which may sometimes be kept in and not appear but yet the thing it self abides and so shall abide firm and inviolable forever 'T is an inseparable an insuperable Vnion Yea Death it self though that be the bane of all other Unions shall never reach this so as to put an end or period to it And thus I have finished the Heads necessary to be spoken to for the opening of this admirable and blessed Vnion In the clearing of which I have given you the Explication of the Subject of the Proposition There is no Condemnation to them who are in Christ Jesus I must not dismiss so excellent so useful a Point without some practical improvement of it VSE 1. Of Examination whether we be in Christ And first are they and they only the persons to whom there is No Condemnation such as are in Christ Jesus I would then put all of you upon the most serious Examination whether you be thus in Christ Jesus Pray bring it down to your selves and ask your selves one by one this question Am I in Christ some are so in him am I one of them what is this Mystical Vnion to me It concerns you to be very inquisitive about this because the grand priviledge in the Text depends upon it You cannot safely apply No Condemnation if it be No Vnion If you desire a solid foundation to build upon for exemption from Condemnation you must make sure of this Vnion the happiness and safety of your future state wholly depends upon your present being in Christ O that you would be perswaded with the greatest diligence faithfulness impartiality to search and examine your selves about this The Apostle is very smart upon it 2 Cor. 13.5 Examine your selves whether you be in the faith prove you own selves know you not your own selves how that Jesus Christ is in you and you in him except you be reprobates and say I except you be liable to eternal condemnation Two Distinctions concerning Vnion with Christ Now that I may help you in this great Enquiry viz whether your have that very Vnion with Christ which will effectually secure you from this most dreadful Condemnation I must first distinguish about it 1. Union with Christ is either Material and Natural or Spiritual and Supernatural There is a Material or Natural Union with Christ consisting in oneness with him in respect of one of his Natures For he having assumed the nature of man and hypostatically united it to the Godhead upon this wherever the nature of man is there is Union

needs upon this be excellent and glorious The excellency of persons and things is to be measured by their appropinquation or approximation to that which is most excellent then the Saints are the * Psal 16.3 excellent in the earth because they are so near to Christ the center of all excellencies How was the humane Nature advanc'd and dignifi'd even above the Angelical Nature when it was so nearly united to the Godhead as the woman of mean descent is when she is match'd into some great family And hath not Christ highly advanc'd your persons too by taking them into so close so intimate an union with himself 'T was accounted honour for Esther to be taken into Ahasuerus's Royal Bed 't was a far greater honour to her to become his wife but this is nothing to the honour which Christ hath put upon you in his joyning and marrying of you to himself O let him first be adored who hath thus e●a●●●d poor worms and then you should know how to judge of your selves according to the advancement and dignity conferred upon you by your being in Christ As to your Being and Order the Angels are above you * Psal 8.5 Thou hast made him a little lower than the Angels but as Christ hath assumed your Nature and not theirs and hath thus nearly united your Persons to himself so they are a little nay a great deal lower than you Let there be no pride or sinful self-exaltation in you yet know how to put a right estimate upon your selves according to your advancement by Grace The Saint in his rags is greater than the Sinner in his robes for the one is in Christ and the other is not and that puts a superlative glory and excellency upon him Believers being in Christ they are safe 2. Are you in Christ Jesus then as your dignity is great so your safety is great too You need not fear the greatest dangers which threaten you upon your being in Christ even in the * Psal 23.4 valley of the shadow of death you are safe The Evils you dread are either temporal and external or spiritual internal and eternal you are secure against all That special providence which is over you secures against the first and that special Grace which is in you and towards you secures against the last * Isa 4.5 Vpon all the glory shall be a defence You upon your Vnion are a part of this glory for it points to persons as well as things therefore there 's a defence upon you to keep off whatever might hurt you You are not meerly a part of Christ through your conjunction with him but you are in regard of his special and tender affection as * Zech. 2.8 the apple of his cye and will he not guard the apple of his eye He that is in this Ark must needs be safe in the greatest deluge The Evil of Evils is eternal condemnation but what saith the Text There is no Condemnation to them who are in Christ Jesus How can they perish who are one with Christ will he suffer persons so united to him to be miserable so long as 't is well with the Head shall it not be well with the Members also In the Body Natural the Head may be safe and yet some of the Members may perish but in the Body Mystical 't is otherwise where all the members are safe in the head and as safe as the head it self O Believers you may with courage look the greatest dangers evils in the face as knowing that none of them shall ever reach you much to hurt you because you are so strongly engarrison'd in Christ But more of this in the last branch of Comfort Christ sympathizes with those who are in him 3. Are you in Christ Jesus Here 's Comfort for you Vpon your union with him he sympathizes with you in all your afflictions and looks upon all done to you as done to himself I say Christ sympathizes with you in all your afflictions for he 's a sympathizing compassionate tender-hearted Saviour as you read Heb. 4.15 Heb. 5.2 As there is by virtue of the Vnion a mutual sympathy betwixt the Head and the Members the Husband and the Wife so 't is here 'twixt Christ and you * Isa 63.9 in all your afflictions he is afflicted He that * Isa 53.4 bore your griefs when he was on earth really and properly he bears them still now he is in heaven in a way of sympathy Further I add he hath a tender sense of what is done to you and looks upon it as done to himself and no wonder since he and you are but One. He that touches you touches the apple of his eye Zech. 2.8 * Sic vocem pedis suscipit Lingua clamat calcas me in membris Christi Christus est August in Ps 30. Saul Saul why persecutest me Act. 9.4 When the Saint is persecuted Christ himself in him is persecuted As if any kindness or love be shown to Believers Christ looks upon it as done to himself Matth. 25.40 Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my Brethren ye have done it to me So if any unkindness be shown to them Christ looks upon it as done to himself O that Enemies would be quiet and let God's people alone and fear to wrong or injure them for they are so united to Christ so incorporated with him that they who strike at them do through them strike at Christ himself Will certainly supply them in all their wants 4. Are you in Christ He will then most certainly supply you in all your wants In temporal wants fear not Christ will provide will he suffer that body to starve which he hath united to himself You are full of anxious thoughts what ye shall eat and drink what ye shall put on Christ would have you * Matth. 6.26 take no thought about these things your bodies being in union with him he 'le look after them so that they shall not want what is necesiary O Believer hath Christ thus admirably joyn'd thee to himself and will he deny thee a little meat and drink and cloathing And then as to spiritual wants in those Christ will supply too Every member in the body from this head shall receive that grace life strength that is proper for it The root supplies every branch with what it needs Christ will do the same to every believing Soul and this is part of that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that supply of the Spirit which you read of Phil. 1.19 This union is operative and communicative if thou beest in Christ thou shalt most surely have from him * Rom. 12.3 that measure of Grace and Comfort which he sees best for thee Every Lamp in the Golden-candlestick was supplied from the two Olives Zec. 4.12 and so every particular member of Christ is and shall as need requires be supplied from him The Apostle tells us 1 Tim.

Vincula Vnionis the Means or Bonds of this Union the Spirit and Faith 5. Here is also the Effect or Consequent upon this Union namely mutual and reciprocal Communion each with the other This will be opened in what will follow Only at present let me open the fourth Head the Means and Bonds of the Mystical Union In all Unions there is something which binds and knits Thing and Thing Person and Person together what is it then which binds knits conjoyns Christ to Believers and Believers to Christ I answer 't is the Spirit and Faith The Spirit unites Christ to us and Faith unites us to Christ First the Spirit is the bond of this Union on Christs part for by this he takes possession of Believers * Christ lives in us not by local presence but by the special supernatural operation of his Spirit Perkins upon Gal. 2.20 p. 216. dwells in them lays hold of them apprehends them as the word is Phil. 3.12 In * De Trinit de Poenit. Tertullians Dialect Spiritus nos Christo confibulat the Spirit doth joyn and button Believers to Christ And then Faith is the bond or ligament on our part Eph. 3.17 That Christ may dwell in your hearts how by Faith Christ lays hold on us by the Spirit and we lay hold on him by Faith he comes to us by the Spirit and we go to him by Faith The Spirit of God does not only discover and make out the Union of the Soul with Christ Hereby we know that he abides in us by the Spirit which he hath given us 1 Joh. 3.24 but he works promotes and brings it about As 't is in that Vnion which is amongst the Saints themselves * 1 Cor. 12.13 by one Spirit they are all baptized into one body So 't is in the Vnion which is betwixt Christ and them by this One Spirit they are all made one with Christ Therefore saith the Apostle * Rom. 8.9 If any man have not the Spirit of Christ he is none of his he means he hath neither interest in him nor union with him And then there is Faith which unites on our part for that is the uniting Grace the Sinew or Ligament which knits and binds the Soul to Christ that by which the Soul clasps and clings about Christ By faith we apply our selves to Christ and Christ to our selves and that application is the ground of union So also by Faith we * Joh. 1.12 receive Christ upon which receiving of him we are united to him and made one with him The spiritual ingrafting too is by this as you may see Rom 11.19 20 and this is our eating Christs flesh and drinking-Christs-blood upon which he dwells in us Joh. 6.56 Thus the Union is brought about both on Christs part and on the Believers part and this is the Mystical Vnion Of the Law-Vnion Secondly There is the Legal or Law-Vnion betwixt Christ and Believers The ground of this Union is Christs * Heb. 7.22 Suretyship he as the Saints 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Surety struck hands with God as the word imports put himself into their stead took their debt upon himself and bound himself upon their account to make satisfaction to God Now from this act of Christ there results that Law-Vnion which I am upon Saints as 't is said by some are united to Christ three ways Spiritu Carne Vadimonio as they are partakers of his Spirit as he hath assumed their Nature and as he hath engaged for them as there Sponsor or Surety You know in Law the Debtor and the Surety are but one Person the Law looks upon them as One and makes no difference betwixt them and therefore both are equally liable to the debt and if the One pay it 't is in the eye of the Law as much as if the Other had paid it So 't is with Christ and us he is our Surety for he took our debt upon himself engaged to pay whatever we owed as * Philem. 18.19 Paul once did to Philemon for his Onesimus entred into bond though not with us yet for us Upon this Christ and we are but One Person before God and accordingly he deals with us For he makes over our Sins to Christ and also Christs righteousness and satisfaction to us he now in a legal notion looking upon both but as One person And this Consideration is of great use and so accordingly 'tis improved by the Orthodox against Socinians to clear up and confirm those great Truths which concern Christs Sufferings and the Believers benefit thereby For if it be ask'd How could Christ he being a Person perfectly innocent suffer in a penal manner as he did he being altogether guiltless in himself how could the Father with justice fall upon him as though he had been guilty Or grant that he did thus suffer yet how can any good by his suffering redound to others I say if any shall raise such Questions the Answer is ready That Christ and Believers in Law are but one Person he having submitted to be their Surety in a voluntary substitution of himself in their stead and susception of their Guilt whereupon it came to pass that their Guilt was imputed to him upon which the Father might without the least impeachment of his justice severely fall upon him and his righteousness merit satisfaction was imputed to them for that being performed by their Surety 't is theirs to all intents and purposes as if they had perform'd it in their own persons Briefly upon this Law-Vnion resulting from Christs Suretiship our Sins were very well imputable to him and his merits to us This doth so exactly fall in with the common notion and case of Suretyship amongst Men that I need not any further insist upon the illustration of it The Adversaries therefore who deny that Christ either did or could suffer in the Sinners stead or that there is any imputation of his Merit to Believers are so pinched with this his being a Surety that they oppose it to their utmost wholly deny that too and are feign to make good one denial with another But here I digress Two things I shall add upon this Head and then dismiss it 1. That the Oneness of Person 'twixt Christ and the Saints which hath been affirmed of them more than once or twice in the opening of the matter in hand is not to be carried further than that particular Sense and respect in which 't is affirmed I mean this They are not one Person in respect of Nature Essence or any personal Vnion onely they are so in respect of that Mystical and Legal Oneness of Person that is betwixt them And this latter Oneness is very well consistent with the different Natures of the Subjects united though the former is not so 2. That this Law-Vnion is only proper to Christ the Second Person The mystical and the moral Union in some sense doth reach to the other Persons

the vine ye are the branches You read of being planted and ingrafted into Christ 't is a Metaphor which the Spirit of God much delights in in the setting forth of that which I am upon See Rom 6.5 and chap. 11.17 c. Also you read of being rooted in Christ Col. 2.7 There is a blessed Analogy or resemblance between Christ and Believers and the Root and the Branches in point of Vnion in point of Influence The root is united to the branches and th●y to it so is Christ to Believers and they to him The root conveys life and nourishment and growth to the branches so does Christ to Believers Another Resemblance is the Foundation and the Building Here is Vnion too for in a Building all the Stones and Timber being joined and fastned together upon the Foundation make but one entire Structure So 't is here Believers are Gods building and Christ is the foundation in that building Ye are Gods building 1 Cor. 3.9 Other foundation can no man lay then that which is laid which is Christ Jesus 1 Cor. 3.11 Therefore they are said to be built upon the foundation of the Prophets and Apostles Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone Eph. 2.20 As a man builds upon the foundation and lays the stress of the whole building upon that so take the true Christian he builds upon Christ all his Faith Hope Confidence is built upon this sure foundation as Christ is stiled Isa 28.16 Behold I lay in Zion a sure foundation Hence also they are said As lively stones to be built up a spiritual house c. 1 Pet. 2.5 Here 's the Mystical Union under this resemblance also Take but One more that of Meat or Food That which a man feeds upon and digests it is incorporated and united with himself it 's turned into his own substance and made a part of himself The Believing Soul by Faith feeds upon Christ digests him and turns him as it were into his own substance so that Christ becomes one with him and he one with Christ Joh. 6.55 56. My flesh is meat indeed and my blood is drink indeed he that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood dwelleth in me and I in him All this must be taken not in the literal but in the spiritual notion the eating and drinking is believing so 't is to be understood all along in that Chapter Upon which believing the Vnion follows he dwells in me and I in him Thus I have with great brevity given you those Scripture-Resemblances by which the Mystical Vnion is shadowed out The handling of them in their utmost extent is a Subject that would have admitted of great enlargement but my business was but to speak to that one thing from them which suits with the work in hand In some of the preceding Heads I was in the great deeps but in this I have been in the shallows there the Elephant might swim here the Lamb may wade there things were not so dark but here they are as clear therefore I shall not need to make any further stay upon them Seven Properties of the Mystical Vnion I come to the Third Head the Properties of this Vnion I 'le name these Seven First 'T is a sublime Vnion And that 1. In respect of its Nature as considered in it self Christ and a poor Creature made one and so made One O what an Union is this We have many Vnions in Nature and some very considerable but alas they all come short and are but poor mean low things in comparison of this Next to the Vnion of the Three Persons in the Sacred Trinity and the Hypostatical Vnion of the two Natures in Christ the Mystical Vnion is the highest Except but those which I have named and all other Unions must vail to it 2. 'T is sublime in respect of its rise Original and production The more supernatural a thing is the more sublime it is now this Union is purely supernatural What can Nature be imagin'd to do for the bringing about of such a thing as this O surely 't is all of the meer Grace of God! As 't is not Natural for the Matter of it so neither is it so for the production and application of it 'T is supernatural as to the Thing and also as to the Person to whom it belongs 3. 'T is sublime in respect of the high and glorious Priviledges Effects and Consequents of it 4. In respect of its mysteriousness and difficulty to be known Something I spoke to this at my first entrance upon this Subject The mystical Union is a mysterious Union so mysterious that we had known nothing at all of it if God had not revealed it to us in the Word And even now he hath revealed it yet 't is but very little that we do understand of it That there is this Union that 's as clear as the light of the Sun but what this Union is O that 's a thing hidden and lock'd up from us The Union of the Body and Soul in Man is a great mystery there is even in that Vnion that which puzzles the greatest Philosophers but the Union of Christ and the Believer is a far greater mystery That persons every way so distant so divided should yet be made mystically One here 's a mystery indeed a mystery which no finite Understanding Angelical or Humane can comprehend Secondly 'T is a real Vnion Not a notional phantastick or opinionative thing something that is meerly matter of phancy and imagination or something that dull and melancholly persons please themselves with the thoughts of O 't is not so but 't is a real thing and as great a reality as any whatsoever it be You have very many Scriptures which speak to it under great variety of Expressions all of which with the greatest evidence and clearness do point to it and cannot be otherwise understood and yet will you doubt of it and look upon it as a meer phancy As really as the members ●●e united to the head and the head to them the Wife to the Husband and the Husband to the Wife the branches to the root and the root to the branches so really are the Saints united to Christ and Christ to them for these several Vnions do confirm as well as represent and open the Mystical Vnion Nothing in Religion is real if this be not take away this Mystical Oneness between Christ and the Soul and take away all Is not the Union 'twixt God the Father and God the Son a real Vnion surely that will not be deny'd if so then this is real also for Joh. 17.22 The glory which thou gavest me I have given them that they may be one even as we are one Observe it 't is one even as we are one but how not as to any equality but only as to verity not as to the modus or qualitas unionis but only as to the veritas unionis This as is often but a note of likeness

safe Take the Saints apart from Christ the strongest could not stand take them as joyned and united to him the weakest shall not fall When the first Adam was our head our condition was mutable in him we stood upon very slippery ground but now when Christ is our head we-stand fast and firm * Psal 125.1 even as mount Zion never to be removed 'T is but the same Grace now which we should have had upon our first creation I speak of the kind not of the degree yet 't is not amissible as that was because of our union with another head God will hear their Prayers 9. Are you in Christ this assures you of the audience of your Prayers If ye abide in me saith Christ ye shall ask what ye will and it shall be done unto you● What an incouraging word is this God will grant your requests for the love he bears you upon other accounts but to be sure he will do this for you you being under such a near conjunction to the Son of his Love Vnion and Communion go together 10. Are you in Christ know then that Vnion and Communion go together and is not this full of comfort As all communion is founded upon union so all union terminates in communion and the closer is the union the fuller is the communion Union with Christ is a very enriching thing it interests a person in all that Christ is or hath this is that fellowship of the Son to which the Saints are called 1 Cor. 1.9 You being in Christ his Person is yours you are his and he is yours My beloved is mine and I am his Cant. 2.16 Upon the Covenant relation God is yours upon the Mystical Vnion Christ is yours You being in Christ all his Attributes are yours his wisdome yours to guide you his power yours to protect you his mercy yours to pity you his All sufficiency yours to supply you and so in the rest As the Father in the Gospel once said to his Son * Luk. 15.31 Son thou art ever with me and all that I have is thine so saith Christ to the believing Soul thou art ever in me all that I am or have is thine Being in Christ you share with him in all his Offices hence you are Kings and (a) Omnes Christiani sant Sacerdotes quia membra unius Sacerdotis August de Civ De● lib. 20. cap 10. Priests as he is in a spiritual and mystical notion Rev. 1.6 And hath made us Kings and Priests unto God c. 1 Pet. 2.5 Saints are stiled an holy Priesthood and v. 9. a royal Priesthood Being in Christ you bear his name as hath been shown and you partake with him in his high Relations and Dignities he 's a Son of God so are you Joh. 20.17 I ascend to my Father and your Father he 's heir of all things Heb. 1.2 you joynt heirs with him Rom. 8.17 Being in Christ all his Merit is yours his sufferings (b) Caput membra sunt quasi una persona mystica ideo satisfactio Christi ad omnes fideles pertinet sicut ad su● membra Aquin. 3. p. Q● 49. Art 1. satisfaction are as much to your advantage as if you had suffered and satisfied in your own persons You being in Christ all the (c) Unio haec est spiritualis illa relatio hominum ad Personam Christi quâ jus acquirunt ad omnes illas benedictiones quae ad ipso praeparantur Ames medul lib 1. cap. 26. fect 2. Fides purè docenda est quod per eum sic conglutineris ut ex te Christo fiat quasi una Persona quae non possit segregari ut cum fiduciâ dicere possis ego sum Christus h. e. Christi justitia victoria vita est mea vicissim Christus dicat Ego sum ille peccator h. e. ejus peccata mors mea sunt quia adhaeret mihi ego illi conjuncti enim sumus per fidem in unam carnem os Luther Homo cum fiduciâ possit gloriari in Christo dicere meum est quod Christus vixit egit dixit passus est mortuns est non secus quam si ego illa vixissem egissem dixissem passus essem mortuus essem sicut sponsus habet omnia quae sunt sponsae sponsa habet omnia quae sunt sponsi c. Idem blessings priviledges which he hath purchased are yours as justification atonement adoption access to God c. You being in Christ that very glory which he hath is yours see Rev. 3 2● Joh. 17.24 Luk. 22.29 You being in Christ all the promises in him are Yea and Amen to you 2 Cor. 1.20 Gal. 3.29 You being in Christ all his victories and triumphs over enemies are yours Rev 2.26 27. Upon Union with Christ you have Vnion too with the * See Sedgw. on the Covenant p. 208. Father and the Holy Ghost In a word you being Christ's all is yours 1 Cor. 3.21 and what can be said further Is not all this enough for your comfort Here 's blessed communion flowing from a blessed union here 's partaking indeed of the fatness of the Olive upon your being ingrafted into it as 't is Rom. 11.17 Vnion secures from Condemnation 11. Are you in Christ then 't is no condemnation so the Text expresly tells you O what a ground of rejoycing is exemption from condemnation what can be sweet to him who is obnoxious to it what can be bitter to him who is secur'd against it this is the happiness of all in Christ Poor Christless Souls are condemned over and over Law and Gospel and Conscience and which is worst of all the great God condemns them but 't is not so with you who are in Christ to you 't is no condemnation You are justified here and shall be solemnly publickly declared to be so at the great day You are in Christ● not only as the members in the head which is your Mystical Vnion but as the Debtor in the Surety which is your Legal Vnion Christ's payment and satisfaction is yours and God will not fall upon him and you too for payment The Wife under covert is not liable to an arrest or action at Law but all must fall upon her Husband You being married to Christ this supersedes the process of the Law against you if it be not fully satisfied it must seek its reparation at the hands of your spiritual Husband Christ himself as to any condemnatory charge it cannot fall upon you Amongst all the damned in Hell there 's not one in Christ to be found that 's no place for such as are limbs of him And to shut up all upon this Vnion 't is not onely No condemnation but 't is also certain salvation 1 Joh. 5.12 He that hath the Son hath life Joh. 14.19 Because I live ye shall live also Christ the Head is in Heaven and where he is there he will have