The 5oynt- Inheritanceofall Believers. 3 79 The life here meant, Is that we call eternaldfe ; conflling' in our r What life it withChrift our Spoufe : and this is a lifeproper to the Saints ; proper unto them, is that is here becaufe coming from the grace of God, extended unto thein alone proper unto rneant. them, becaufc they are hears of it. And in thisextent, there is .a reflraint ; how- Eternal life foever theextent be in divers conuiderations, yet a reftraint, a qualification ; only Semis. to the believers, only found true Chriftians, to them it is proper. And this life is to confìdcrcd, either in the Inchoation and beginning' thereof; or in the confummation and accomplifhment thereof. In regard of the Inchoation of this fpecial life of the Saints, it is here begun in Begun io this this world; 1[new] live (faith the Apoftle, fpeakingeven ofthis life) by thefaith of world, theSonoFGod: And the u all live b faith. This life it is by Chrillsdwellin ''l"' 20. .7 Iih y Y g and living in us : /now live, yet not !, but C'hrit liveih inme, faith the Apoftle in the place before quoted. Theother,it is in the world tocorne,and it is byafweet feelingand fruition; it is Confummated by our abiding with Chrifl,and livingwith him : in which refpc , faith our Lord m thewoddro Chrift, to the penitent believer upon the Crofs, This day, (the very day that he di- `one. ed ) /halt thou be [ with me Ì in Paradrf : and fo Saint `Paul filth of himfelf ; 1 Phil t. zì. defre to be d:ffölved, and to be [sithChrifl,] implying that upon the diffalution, immediatly there is a fruition,a communion with Chrift : And the faine Apoftle, ¡Tüef4 i7 :. fpeakinr of thofe Saints that fhall be upon the earthat thevery moment ofJudg- ment, When the dead (faith he) are raifed, thenpall we alfo that are alive, and re- main, becaught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air, and fo /ball we ever be [with the Lord.) Now then, mark, here you fee the foul bath prefent communion with Chrift upon the diflòlutionof the body : and the body albo (hall have communion withhim at the great day of the Reftnrectionofall flea,: Now this life and communion with Chrift is proper to the Saints, ,Lay vertne of their unionwith Chrift ; Amyllical union. For Chrift the SonofGod,he'is lifeo= riginally in himfelf, for as the Father bath life in himfelf, fo bath he given to the Sore Job. s. 25. to have life in himfelf. He is alboLife comnttinicatively, communicating life 'Into us ; therefore he is Paid to be the Breadof life, and in this fence, becaufehe is that loh. 6. E I, Breadwhich cometh downfrotsheaven, and giveth life unto the world. TheUbe of this point (my brethren) is manifold. I will but touch it. Firfi, it, vfe r. dothinftruEf us inthe great love, andgood refpedl,that God beareth to uschildren For In(ieuCti- ofmen,that ofhis own good pleafure bath written ournamesin elio book of e ; and on bath fent his Son to purchafe life forus ; and fo bring us y}lo to this life. Beloved what love the Father bathfhewed to ru in Chrift l Secondly,this is a demonffration of the wofulplight whereinnaturally menare in 7Jje zt this world : they may fecm to be offome account, they have a life thatisfar dille- For demon- rent fromthe lifeofPlants, atadalto from the life ofBeaffs they have a reafonable //ration: foul toanimate them : Oh but this,thisisnot the life ; Naturallife indeed isa death compared to this lafe,that is lacre noted to beproper to the Saints, which comcthby grace, whereofwe are heirs : and therefore of all natural menit maybe faid, as the Apoftle laid ofthe wantonWiddow, Theis dead whilefheliveth; even fo are all fuch r Tim. t. 6, dead while they live, dead in lint and trefaffet : and if fo be thole that are in this EPhcf ' kinddead, continue fo till the deathof the body feizeupon them, wo, wo, wo to them, upon thisfolloweth an eternal death, endlefs,eafelefs,and rcmedilefstorment upon body and foul for ever: Thirdly, the Saints have here confolatioia, ágainftthe mortality and corruption vfe g. whereto they are fubjeft here in this world ; wherein their condition is common For confolati- with thecondition of all ; for that that bcfalleth one, may befall every one, in re- °O. gardoftheoutward eftateanti condition. All mufldie. Nay further, here is confo- lation againft the diftreffes,andafí&ions, andpreffures, whereto the Saints are fub- je & above others' for their profeffion fake ; in this very refpeSi they are hated, they are perfecuted, all that will live godly in Chrift fefas fballPuffer perfecution; a Tim. J. ra, and throughmany aiicîions we muff enter into the:kingdom of heaven. Where is Aet. ia. as. now there comfort ? finely this, that is fet before us : you heard that natural men are deadwhile they live: but thofethat ate in Chrift, do live while the may Teem to
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