104 GoBiel-Cenverfation. joynedwith the members. But Chrift is in us, as we are inHim, and fo the union is very glorious and myfterious. You corn_ plain ofweaknefs : But is there not ftrength in Chrift ? are you not joyned to Chrift thus, and a member of Him, and a branch inHim ? whatever infirmities you have which bows youdown, yet there is power enough in Jefus Chrifl to convay to any, to enablethem to walk in an holy Converfation before the Lord, to renew their flrength as the Eagle : Manifeft then the vertue ofyour Head, fromwhence all the finnews ofevery members flrength doth arife. And then, you know the relation we have to Chrifl, As He zs the Husband, We the Spoufe : Oh do not difcredit your Hus- band. Any wife vertuous Wife would make it a mighty argu- ment againft any evil way ; It will difgrace my Husband ; e- fpecially if her Husband be a publickman in place and autho- rity. Oh let this be an argument againft every fin, even the ap- pearence of evil,it will be dithonorable to the Lord Jefus who is my Husband, How can I do this wickednefs againft my Lord, and my God, who bath betrothed me to Himfelf, fo that I am bone ofhis bone, andleJh ofhis fief&,. That's the fecond thing. And then a Third thing that theGofpel holds forth to us that we fhould labor to fute our Converfarions according is this ; The near Vnion that the Saints have one Withanother. It's not fo revealed any where as in the Gofpel. Rom. r a. 5. we are faid there, to be members one of another, a we are members ofChrift. (I befeech you obferve it) fo we are members one of another. That Scripture may be in Read ofall for this, in Ephef. 4.4. the exhortation there to unity ; We mull endeavor to keep the unity ofthefj'irit in the bond of peace. Why ? For, there is one body, and one#irit, even asp are called in one hope ofyouur cal- ling. OneLord, one Faith, one Baptifm, one Godand Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and inyou all. See, here's force feven ones to be an argument of unity. One body, and one fpirit, and galled in the hope of one calling, and one Lord, and oneFaith, an4one Baptifm, and one God : Where have you fuch a unity dernonftrated but in the Gofpel of peace and love ? And I do not know in all the BookofGod where any one duty is more preffed than unity. Somewhat we hinted in
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=