to the EPHESIANS. we are to have in him. Now I fay, when we are turned to God, there is cer- '"'--Af'! tainly a new fre!h Union made before God, and the Angels, and all, of our Uni- Scrm. XVI. on with the Lord Jefus. In Phi/. 3· 12. (which place I quote for this purpole, ~ and you fhall fee it will come home to the Pomt m band, of the RefurrcB:ion, and Heaven, and all by and by.) Saith Paul th.ere, (!peaking of his feeking to attain unto the R.efurreB:ion ofthe Dead,) I follow after, if t!Mt l""'Y apprehend that for which •lfl I am apprehended of Chrijf Jefiu. He !peaks of his Converfion umo God; he' had fpoken of the RelurreB:iod from the Dead, and that State which the Text here mcntioneth, as that which in his own Perfon he had not yet attained: I have not attained it (faith he) not in my own pcrfon, he lpcaks of the R.elurreB:i9n from the Dead, in the perfection of it : If by any_means, faith he, I might attain 11nto the Rejitrrd1ion of the .Dead; it is '~"""""""'• it is not only '"'""""'' fimply, as GrotitHwell obferve;;_ tt ts that perfect !1ate of the R.efurreB:ion, which Death !hall have no dommwn over. . Now as Paul fully aimed to apprehend this, lo he did it under this Notion, that Jelus Chri!1 had, for this and all e!fe that was tohe wrought in Pa~tl, apprehended him when he was turned : That (C1ith he) I may apprehend that for which I am apprehended of Jefw Chris1. Clearly then here isthe meaning of it: When Paul was fir!1 turned to God, when Jelus Chri!1 fir!1 took him by the.hand, and put him int<1 this way, then did Je– ftiS Chri!1 own him as his, publickly before God and himfelf in Heaven, and Cent his Spirit into-his Heart; and owning him as a publick Perfon, he declares, This Soul isone with me, to be perfeClly railed up one day with me, and to be per– feB:ly glorified one day with me, and to that end I do fend my Spirit into his Heart, that he by degrees may come to attain and apprehend all that for which I now do comprehend him. This I take to be clearly the meaning of the place. And if this be true, here is now a new Declaration, a new way indeed of Uni– on with Chriil, a new AB: of Union, rather than a degree added tO what was before. My Brethren, do riot !tumble at this, I'le tell you why: We were one with Chri!1 before the World was, there is one way of Union then; Jelus Chritr in the human Naturecometh down, and reprefents us, cloth what we have to.do; here now is anothe.r way of Union; why? this is the realon, for we were one with Chri!1 by bis undertaking for us only from everla!ting, but we were one with him by an al.tive reprefentation when below on Earth, he acting all he un– dertook when he was here below: Now anfwerably, when he is in Heaven, and turns any Soul unto God, he leizeth upon that Soul by his Spirit, comprehends it, and declares that he owneth it, for to attain ~y his Spirit all that which he, a~ a common Perlon, before-hand did for him. Now then; upon our quickning we may very well be laid, as here in the Text, to be railed up in Chrilr, and to fit in heavenly places in him: Tho it was done before by way of reprcfentation in one refpel.t, yet now there is a new Authorization, a new Declaration of it, nqt only between Jefus Chri!1 and that.Soul, but between God and Chri!1, who now cloth, before the other two Per(ons of the Trinity, (perhaps the Angels themlelves know lo much, for there is Joy in Heaven at the Converfion of a Sin– ner,) he takes this Soul, for to work in it all that he as a common Perlon hath wrought for it. Jelus Chri!1 he comprehended us then, to raife us up perfect one day. Therefore faith 'Paul, I aim to attain unto the Rcjitrre{/ion of the De.d; why? Becaule Jelus Cbri!1, when I was turned, comprehended me, that I might attain this; and he comprehendeth us to fit together in Heaven with him. And therefore now, as you will fay, by virtu.e of that A[t which Cbri11 performed when he role again, that we role in Chritr, as in a common Perfon; and we may be (aid to fit in Heaven, when he fir!1 began to fit there: So upon this new Al.t, of Chritr's comprehending us when we were fir!1 turned to him, and did publi!h and declare this; all thefe are ratified to us afrefh, and we have now a new and farther act or degree (as I may (o (peak it)ofChriilin becoming a com– mon Perfon for us, and fitting in Heaven for us, a new publick aB: in Heaven; Jefus Chriil prefenteth himlelfto his Father as he that role, for that Soul, that it might rile both Body and Soul, therefore he putteth in his Spirit to rai(c up the Soul now, and the Body afterwards: Jelus Chrifi prefenteth himfelf, as fitting i11. Heaven in the roorri ofthat Soul, and lendeth his Spirit to quicken it, with a Life that Is heavenly; and that Spirit iliall never leave till he bath brought the Body to Heaven
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=