{ 1. By an union of the foul with Chrift. . 2. By a coriv_~yan~e of f:rp or f~eemeffe (all the treafure~; of grace and happtnefse) that IS mChnft t~ the foul. 73 Firli', c 1 •cry believer is joyned unto Chrift, and fo joyned or kn1t, that he becomes one fpirit. 1. He is joyned; as a fnend to a fnend; as a father to a clHide; ~sa husband to wife. as a graft to a tree; as the foiil to a body: So ISChnft tO a behever, I bve, yet ~ot J,' but the L ord J c{us li1mh in me: Hence the body of the faithful is. called Chrift, 1 Cor. 12. 12. 2. S? joyned, that the believercom~s to be one Spmt With Gal, j. Jo. Chritl:, this myrlery is great, ana bexond the reach of that little hght I enJOY : .onely I fhall communicate what I conceiVe, m there three followmg conclufions: r. That the Spirit of Go:! (the third pcrfon in the Tnmty) doth re:dly accompany the whole Word, but more efpccially the preciOus prom1fes of the ~ofpel. 2. The Spmt (accompanying the promife of grace and falvation) it cloth therem, and thereby leave a fupernatural dint and power, a fpmrual, a~d oyer-powenng vertue upon the foul, andthereby carries it and brings it unto Chn!l: It IS not fo much any thmg mthe foul, as a fpmtual affi!lino ~nd moving, and working upon the foul, by verrue whereof it is moved and carried~o the Lord Jefus Chrift. 3· The Spirit of grace in the promife working thus upon the heart, .it.caufeth the heart to ~lo_fe with the promiie, anrl with it fclf in the promifc ; and tillS ISto be. onefpmt. As It IS With, the Moon (the Ph1lofopher obferves, That the ebbihg and flowmg of the Sea, IS by vertue of the Moon) fhe flmgs her beams into the Sea, and not being able to exhale as the Sun cloth, fhe leaves them there, & goes away, and that draws them, and when the_y ~rowwet, they return back again ; Now the Sea ebbs and flows, riot from any prmc1ple m 1t !elf, but by verrue of the Moon ' fo the heart of a poor creature is like the water, unable to move towards heaven but the Spirit of the Lord doth bring in its beams, and leaves a fupernatural ~ vertue by them upon the foul, and thereby draws it to it felf. . , . Hence an life of lnftrutl:ion : This may fhew us that the fins of the faithful, are grievous to the blelfed Spiri_t ; nor only becaufe of ~ercies, bonds and engagement> which the believer hath rece,ved, but becaufe a man JS come fo neer to Chnft & the Spirit, to be one Spirit with Chri!l: Should a wifenot only entertaina whoremonger into the houfc, but alfe lodge h1mm the fame bed w1th her husband, this were not to be endure'd; and wilt thou receive acompany ofbafe lulls, and that in the very face and fight of the Lord Jefus Chrilt? What? lodge an unclean fpirit, with the clean Spirit of theLord~ the holy Ghoft cannot endure this: L et no filthy comm~tnication come out ofyour EpheC. 4· 11tomh, Ephcf. 4· 29. What if there do? (you may fay) what? a Chriltian and a Liar? a Chriftian and a Swearer? 0 ::,riew not the holy Spirit ofGod, bccaufe by ityou are foaled Eph. 4. ;o. unto theday of Redemption : The good Spint of the Lord hath fealed you unto Redemption, & knit you unto himfelf, and will you rend your felves from him and grieve him? 0 grieve not the holy Spirit! 2. For Examination ; If thy heart be therefore e!lranged from fuch as walk exaa!y Vfe 2. before God, becaufe they are humble and faithful , it is an ill figne ; when rhey 'arc made one fpirit with Chrilt, wilt thou be of two fpirits with them? I tonfeffe a godly heart w11l have h1s fits and excurfions now and then, but all this while this is poyfon and the foul ofa godly man fees this, and is weary of it, and is marvellouny burrheneJ Wtth It, and faith, 0 v•le wretch that I am, what wo11ld I have? and what u he, that I c•nnot love him? Is it becaufe the good Spirit ofthe Lord u there? }hall I refft the good Spim of the Lord ? dnd Jo commu the- fn aga•nft the holy Ghoft ? aw-ry tholt vile wretched heart, I <rtlllove hm1 : Thus the foul labours and ftrives for thlt exactneffe and would fain have that goodnell'c which he fees in another. ' Secondly, as there is an Vnion with Chrijl,fo there is a conveyanuof allfpiritiiP.l gracs from Chrifl, to allthofe that beli<Ve in him: If you would know the Tenure of this ~ovenant, and how Chnft conveyeth thefe fpiritual graces unto us, it difcovers it felf 111 thefe Particulars ! 1 .The~c is fully enough in the Lord Jefus Chrift for every faithful ~oul. 2, As there IS enough mChrift, fo Chrift cloth fupply or communicate whatfocver IS molt fit. 3. As the Lord cloth communicate what is fit, fo he cloth preferve what he cloth bellow and commumcate. 4- As the Lord cloth preferve what he communicates, fo he qu1ckens the grace that he now cloth preferve. 5. As the Lord quickens what he preferves, f? he never leaves till he perfects what he quickens. 6. As the Lord perfects what he qu1ckens, fa' in the end he crowns all the grace he hath perfected : And now may I read your Feoffment to you, you poor Saints of God, you live beggarly and L bafely
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