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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
nature_n	person_n	union_n	unite_v	7,818	5	10.2973	5	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A77357	The vvorks of William Bridge, sometime fellow of Emmanuel Colledge in Cambridge: now preacher of the Word of God at Yarmouth. The second volumn. [sic] Viz. 1. Grace for grace; or, The overflowing of Christs fulness received by all saints. II. The spiritual actings of faith through natural impossibilities. III. Evangelical repentance.	Bridge, William, 1600?-1670.; Yates, John, d. ca. 1660.; Greenhill, William, 1591-1671.; Adderley, William.	1649 (1649)	Wing B4446; Thomason E471_2; ESTC R205749; ESTC R24233	190,835	267

the fire it self So when the Lord Jesus Christ is united to a soul look what Excellencies there are in Christ what Graces in Christ the same are Communicated to it the soul shines with Christs shining and warms with His warming there is Grace Answerable for His Grace You know there was a blessed union between the second Person and our Nature our flesh the second Person takes our Nature upon him and being united to our flesh by vertue of the hypostatical union the idioms and properties of the one are given to the other God hath no flesh God hath no blood and yet we reade in the Acts of the Apostles of the blood of God because of the union the properties of the flesh and of mans nature are given to God Eph. 4.10 So saies the Apostle He that descended is the same also that ascended God does not descend for He is every where but by reason of the union what is proper to the flesh is given to God And so now in this mistical Vnion there being such a glorious and blessed union between Christ and a Christian whatsoever Grace or Excellency or property is in Christ Himself there is an Answerableness of Grace an excellency wrought in the heart of every Christian he hath Grace for Grace he hath stamp for stamp And again Secondly Rea. 2 The Lord Jesus Christ is our second Adam a Common person between God and us Now look as it was concerning our fore-father Adam being a Common person look what nature he had we have He was made up of soul and body and so are we His body had legs and arms and other members and we have member for member we have head for head and arms for arms and legs for legs And so he sinning we have sin for his sin pride for his pride and unbelief for his unbelief because he was a Common person So I say Jesus Christ being our Second Adam look what Grace he had the Saints have they have Grace for His Grace they have Holiness for His Holiness The Apostle saies in the 5. of the Romans That as by one mans offence death came So through the gift of Grace Grace hath abounded But not as the offence saies he at the 15. verse So also is the Free-gift For if through the offence of one man many be dead much more the Grace of God and the gift by Grace which is by one man Jesus Christ hath abounded unto many Now if we should not have Grace for Grace from Christ as we had sin for sin from the first Adam how should Grace superabound Our Lord and Savior Christ saies himself I have life in my Self The Son hath life in Himself Joh. 5.26 which laid to that expression which you have in the 1. of Genesis speaks to our purpose the 11. and 12. verses God said Let the Earth bring forth grass the herb yeelding seed and the fruit-tree yeelding fruit after his kind whose seed is in it self And so again at the 12. verse Whose seed was in it self That is these Creatures had a power in themselves to bring forth their like And so saies Jesus Christ as other Creatures had seed in themselves to bring forth their like So have I life in my Self and am able to bring forth my like and so He does for He is our Second Adam and therefore as we had sin for sin from the First Adam we must have Grace for Grace from the Second Adam also Thirdly There is an incomparable and glorious Rea. 3 blessed love between Christ and a Christian Love loves to make a thing loved to be like it self Love in an Inferiour is of an Imitating Nature and love in a Superiour is of a Similitating Nature Now therefore if there be love between Christ and a Christian they must needs be very like and love there is Christ loves the Saints above all the world and the Saints love Christ above all the world Only Christs love exceeds for when the Spouse speaks of Christ in the Canticles she cals Him My beloved in the Concrete but when He speaks of her He cals her my love my dove in the Abstract Jesus Christ had loving thoughts towards the Saints before the world was as ye reade in the 8. of the Proverbs and the 29. verse Saies wisdom and so Christ there When He gave to the Sea His Decree that the waters should not pass His Commandement when He appointed the foundations of the earth Then I was by Him as one brought up with Him I was daily His delight verse the 31. Rejoycing in the habitable part of His earth and my delights were with the sons of men Jesus Christ was then in the bosom of His Father He had enough to take up His heart with full delight and yet notwithstanding before the Saints were His love was towards them and His delight was in them Surely if He loved them so much before they had a being when they have a being He will exercise and put forth that old and ancient love of His in more abundance towards them When a man loves a Maid or a Virgin while she is in her fathers house she is set a part for him but now afterward when she leaves her fathers house and all her kindred that she may only cleave unto him then his heart is drawn out more How am I ingaged saies he to love this woman that hath left all the world to come unto me So there was love in Christ towards the Saints while they were but set a part for Him in Gods Decree but now when they shall leave their fathers house for Him will He not then delight in them See what is said in the 45. Psalm Hearken O daughter at the 10. verse and consider and incline thine ear forget also thine own people and thy fathers house So shall the King greatly desire or delight in thy beauty But delight in them and love them he cannot unless they be like unto him for the lover loves to make a thing loved to be like himself or himself to be like to it The lover would if he could melt himself into a One-ness with the thing loved Indeed our love is scant and we cannot do it Moses of whom the Law is signified might chip and pare his wives nailes but he could not change her countenance A man may love his wife and bestow much upon her but he is not able to change her countenance to make her to be like himself But Jesus Christ hath this happiness above all the world His love hath this happiness above all other love that He is able to melt the person loved the soul loved into His own likeness and therefore wherever Jesus Christ sets His heart upon any soul to delight in any He draws His Image upon them makes the soul to be like unto Him what Grace He hath Himself He does communicate it unto that soul that there is an Answerableness of Grace Even Grace for

In a dream in a vision of the night when deep sleep falleth upon men in slumbrings upon the bed Then He openeth the ears of men and sealeth their instruction That He may withdraw man from his purpose and hide pride from man When man least thinks of it then God comes in a dream in a vision of the night when deep sleep falleth upon a man and in slumbrings upon the bed Then he openeth the ears of men and sealeth their instruction What does all this argue then But that grace grace is infused grace is supernatural Oh! there is a supernaturallity in saving grace Surely therefore all is in a way of Receiving all is Received That is a Second Argument Thirdly This truth is also argued from the Shortness of the means of grace Much means of grace appointed but take the means as it is in it self without Gods appointment or institution upon it you wil find that all means are too short to reach the end For example In the old Testament when the Lord would take in Jericho and break down the walls of Jericho He Commands Josh 6.4 The Rams horns should be blown Take the blowing of the Rams-horns as lying under Gods appointment and so this action was sufficient for to break down the walls but take the action of blowing the Rams-horns by it self and so it was too short So the Lord commands Naaman 2 Kings 5.10 To go and wash himself in the water of Jordan take this action of Naaman washing himself in the water take it I say without Gods Commandement take it with Gods Commandement Gods Appointment so it was sufficient to reach his Cure and heale him of his Leprosy but now take the action as it was in it self without the Appointment and institution of God and so it was too short to reach his Cure So in the new Testament Joh. 9.6 our Savior Christ He takes spittle and clay for to cure a mans eyes Take this under Christs appointment and so it 's sufficient to reach the cure but take it without and so short So God did appoint in Baptisme a man should be washed in water and in the Sacrament we should eat bread and drink wine for the begetting and increasing of Faith Take these actions as they lie under Gods Appointment and Institution they are able to reach this end but take these actions as they are in themselves washing in water and eating bread and drinking wine they are all too short all too short either to beget or increase Grace Well now why does the Lord stil appoint such means as in themselves are too short for the end whereto appointed Surely not only for this reason that he might teach us that the thing done is rather by the appointment then by the use of means but also to show thus much That though we do use the means yet notwithstāding in the use of the means we do not attain the thing by the use thereof but that in the using of means and waiting there we shall receive strength from God to do it to attain the end Whensoever therefore you consider the shortness of the means appointed conclude thus That all is in a way of Receiving therefore God hath appointed the means that are in themselves short Fourthly This Doctrine is further argued From the work and nature of Faith There is no Grace that the Scripture puts more upon than Faith Mark I pray In the old Testament all the Victories are put on Faith In the new Testament all the Cures if thou canst but Beleeve saies Christ According to thy Faith be it unto thee Yea Beloved if you look into the new Testament you shal find that the same works that are given to Christ are given to Faith Jesus Christ He is said for to Sanctifie the soul So doth Faith Faith purifies the heart saies the Apostle Jesus Christ He is said for to justifie a sinner So does Faith too Being justified by Faith Romans the 5th Jesus Christ He is said for to save the soul He is called our Savior So doth Faith too By Faith ye are saved What 's the Reason now that the Lord does especially set the Crown upon the head of Faith Some think it is for this Reason Because that Faith doth unite the soul unto Jesus Christ But so does Love Love is an affection of Union and all Grace unites to Christ as every sin seperates so every Grace unites Others think 't is for this Reason Because that as Faith sets the Crown upon the head of Christ So God sets the Crown upon the head of Faith and this is true For as the Lord does honor those persons most that honor Him most So He wil honor those Graces most that honor Him most But besides this I conceive the great Reason is this why the Lord does thus set all over upon Faith I say because that Faith in the nature of it is a Receiving Grace And therefore John having said in this 1. Chap. of Joh. and the 12. verse To as many as received Him He gave power to be called the Sons of God Explains himself by this afterward in the same verse Even to them that Beleeve on His Name So that Beleeving is nothing else but Receiving the Grace of God the nature of Faith being to Receive the Truth or the Receiving of Jesus Christ the proper work and nature of Faith being to Receive Now therefore when the Lord does put al upon Faith and Faith in it's nature is a Receiving plainly it holds forth this Truth unto us That all is in a way a Receiving all Grace in a way of Receiving Fifthly and lastly This Truth is argued also From the posture and true behavior of Prayer Mark Prayer is nothing else but the souls begging or petitioning for something from Heaven A begger you know when he begs he holds forth or he stretches forth his hand noting a willingness to receive So you reade in Scripture that when the soul is put into a posture of Prayer it is put into this posture Reade therefore what is said in Job 11.13 If thou prepare thine heart or est ablish thine heart for so the word signifies if thou prepare thine heart and stretch out thine hands towards Him That is if thou doest Pray unto Him thou stretchest out thine hands unto Him Now as one observes well As it were a derision or a mocking of God to praise God or to give God thanks for that which He doth not give but I have in my own power So it were also a mocking of God to pray to God for that which is not in His hands to give but in mine to do Now my Beloved What ever Grace or Holinesse a man hath he is to pray for pray for healing strength pray for quickning strength pray for confirming strength pray for strength to pray and seeing the posture of prayer is this to stretch forth the hands which notes receiving in that we are for to

from servants ordinarily But when the fulness of time was come God sent forth his Son that we might receive the adoption of Sons And the Spirit of Adoption whereby we cry Abba Father They had the spirit of Bondage unto fear and we have the Spirit of Adoption unto Love to cry Abba Father They could not go to God but with many fears but there is none of all the Saints now but go with a Spirit of Love go to God as a Father Every Saint now may go to God and say Father Father I labor under such a temptation Oh! Father help me I want such a blessing or mercy Oh! Father give it me Again further Although they had many sprinklings of the Doctrins of Grace yet they fell but droppingly upon them now a drop and then a drop As you have it in the 1. Chap. of the Hebrews 1. verse God who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in times past unto the fathers by the Prophets hath in these last dayes spoken unto us by His Son God who by piece-meals drop by drop now a drop and then a drop spake unto our fore-fathers by the Prophets hath in these last times spoke unto us by His Son This being the opposition shews that God spake perfectly and spake al by His Son When this King came then all the Cocks run with wine Some observe that Jesus Christ preached the Gospel more plainly unto one poor ignorant sinful wicked woman that ye reade of in the 4. of John then He did unto al our fore-fathers under the Old Testament for unto which of all our fore-fathers did He say I am the Messiah Ask of Me the water of life and I will give it thee You know the great Doctrins of the Gospel Justification by Grace Free remission of sins and the like Now though these Doctrins be in the Old Testament yet take your Book and howmany leaves shal you reade over before you be able to reade this Doctrine cleerly But open your Book where you wil open in the New Testament and you shall meet with one everie where with this Doctrine this great Doctrine of Free-Grace every where Oh! much much of Jesus Christ and of His Grace that is now Discovered surely Abundance of Grace Abundance of Grace Discovered to the Saints now and to all the Saints But in the Second place As there is Abundance of Grace Discovered So there is Abundance of Grace Exhibited and Communicated to all the Saints Those that have the least measure of Grace now have Abundance of Grace That is the Thing that I would cleer up to you That those that have the least measure of Gospel-Grace they receive Grace for Grace they have abundance of Grace Is it not a great matter for an ungodly man to be Justified What man so godly but he was ungodly before Justified Is it not a great matter for a man to be the Son of God to be the Child of God All Gods Children shall be Portioned answerable to their Fathers Estate David counted it a great matter to be son-in-law to a King though but a wicked King and the Kingdom but small What is it then to be Adopted to be the Son of God the Daughter of God To as many as receive Him Joh 1.12 He gives power to be called the Sons of God And there is this difference between Gods Adoption and mans When man does Adopt one to be his son he may put his Name upon him he may give his Estate to him but he cannot make the person to be like himself he cannot communicate his nature to him But now when God does Adopt one to be His Child He does not only put His Name upon the Soul and give him a great Estate but He makes him to be like Himself and communicates His Nature to him So saies the Apostle 2 Pet. 1.4 We are made partakers of the Divine Nature Is it not a great matter To have the Image of Jesus Christ drawn upon a filthy soul To have ones heart inclin'd naturally inclin'd as it were unto all the Commandements of the Gospel I will write My Law in your heart Jer. 31.33 saies God in the Covenant of Grace That look as the Heathen having the law of nature written in their hearts are naturally inclin'd unto the works of Nature So will I write my Law of Grace in your hearts and you shall be naturally inclin'd unto the works of Grace and unto the works of the Gospel He that hath least of Christ he hath all Christ all Christ imputed unto all the Saints Beloved we have not so much of Christ in our lives as Peter and Paul and John had but wee have as much of Christs Righteousness imputed to us for our Justification as any of all the Apostles had and if our Faith be right 't is like precious with theirs Is it not a great matter for a man to be in Heaven before he comes there Joh 17.3 To have eternal life in this world This is eternal life to know thee and whom thou hast sent Jesus Christ And that day that any soul begins to know Jesus Christ that day is the day-break of his eternity the Saints that are in Heaven they count from that day there began our eternity This is eternal life here it begins All the Saints and People of God they do know God in Jesus Christ And therefore surely There is an Abundance of Grace Grace for Grace an Abundance of Grace Communicated and given our unto all the Saints under the new Testament But you will say unto me Object We do not find this in experience do not see such an Abundance of Grace in the lives of those ye count godly those that are in Christ indeed we do not find that they have such an Abundance of Grace I but Ans Do you consider The Opposition of Grace The Retinue of Grace And the Mysiery of Grace First For the Opposition of Grace A little Grace may be much opposed and when the Opposition is great though Grace be small in the Bulk it may be great in the Work though little in the Quantity yet it may be much in Quality There 's no true Gospel-Grace but it is much opposed When Jesus Christ came into the world you know Herod raised all the County upon him And so when Christ comes into the heart the whol soul it is raised against Him because He comes as an enemy unto the soul As when an enemy Lands the Beacons are all fired and the Country all rises what do you say An enemy is landed an enemy is landed and all the Country rises So when Christ Lands upon a soule at the first He Lands as an enemy unto the ●●n and soul and all the soul the Region the Continent it rises up against Him Then also as the Dragon ●ood before the woman which you reade of in that of the Revelations to out off the child as soon as it was born