104 Of EleC1ion. ~that he refolved to be at 'the plate; defigned aforehand to meet them, ra1her BooK l f. th1n come too late. And that he was mindful of the time , his words, Chap. v-v--.> ~'l· 1111. Artje, let tUgo heuce, do lllew. And fo he was forced to break off· and yet theri he makes it his \aft word, That tht !ovt wherewith thotJ hafl to: ved mt, mtiy 6e in thtm, and I in them, l ' Bu.t 3\y. Whlt Union is this irttended, or with whom ? Out Commentators do generally (except fome few) Limit it unto that kind or fpecies ot Union, which the Catholique Church hath and lllall have for ever one with another, and among themfelves, as gathered out of, and feparated from the World, into one Body, to Chri!t as the Head; and theOnenefs to be that oflove and affeCtion, to be ofone Mind and Judgmenr, and to preferve Concord, a11d tbtttmty of theJptrJt w the bond ofpeace, according as it was at firft exemplified in the Primitive Pattern, who were o{otte heart, and ofou jot~l, Ads 4· 32. And fo fan joyned, and glewed together, (as the word is) A[fs >· 1l· That, as of of the refl ( that were ofthe World) durjil10mtm joyn himfelf 1111 to Ihem. Aod yet the people magmfied them, andmany were added to them: All which agrees (fay they ) with Chrills fpeech,l'erft :1.1, That this their being One, the reil of the world did tacitely acknowledge Chrill to be the Meffiah : and the fight of it brought divers to Believe, as Verfe '4But fure this is too Narrow a Veffel to contain the big words by which Chrift expreffeth this Union here to this father; But rt is diredly and immediately intended of th•t grand Union of all U"ions whatever, even of our Union with God and Chrillthemfelves; which cloth indeed by way of confequence drawn on after it , this other Union of Saints one with another among them– fclves; os the Sun·beams beiog one in the Sun, the nearer they become unto the Sun, they be fo much nearer unto one another, and among them– felves, as being originally united unto the Sun itfelf: Yet !\ill, this is not the Union primarily intended here, And although the cotl)mon Current be for that other Opinion, yet there are fome Commentators ofgreat Note, who caft their thoughts·upon this Iaft propofed Opinion. Tol!et being convinced, that thofe words of Tltrj. 2 '· As thou Father art irt Me, and I in thee, that they alfo may 6t one in tU , do in the very found of tlrem, reach higher than that inferiour Union of the Saints one with another: Yet thus farr compl:eth with the common Vogue, and compounds it, bid– ding the B.eadcr attend, that there is a twofold Union of Believers. r• 011r amo11g themfe!ves, from the Unity ol Faith and Love; and that that is it, ( fays he) Chrill means in the former part ofVrrf. 21 . in thofe words, that tGey aUmay be one. But, •· There is another, our Union with Godand Chrifl, and their indwel– ling in us, and we in them : And of that Union (faith he ) the following words arc to be underllood: As thou F•ther art i11 me, and I in tha; that they alfo nwy•6r one i11ru, 5 ,p., 4.E.,n· .'Jommes Bena, alfo in his excellent (though lhort) Manual, falls into the gdi•. fame. Brttge~fis comes offto the fame, though later, yet at !all: Thofe other iffued with it upon the 21 . Verfe ; but Brugm(is , falls in at the 22, Verft, upon thofe words; That they mtry be Ollf, as we are one. Not only ( fays he ) that they '"'!Y be o11e amo11gfl them(elves, .C for he hadfor that already) fays he; But that they be o11e wzth 111. For that 1< 11 whzchfollows, I in them, and thou i11 me: Attd[o they may 6e perje[fly one. Which (though he carries to the Sacramental eating Chrills Body '· &c. ) yet concludes, the mofl perjefl Union that ca116t with God and Chnflu here iHtmdtd. And for this cites the interpretation of C)wit of Alr:x:rmdria, that mo!i Auncient and Grave Au– thor. And truely J judge we might have difcerned this higher up than ei1her the 21, 12, or , 23d Verfrs; for I hope by the connexion of Verj. 10, 11. (in the latter part of which, Verf. 1r. the matter of Union is firft mentioned; that 1hey may h o11e M we are) I hope, I fay, afterwards to make it '!'Pear , thac our Union with God and Chrift, is there the eminent SubjeCt rn the ' ~~~
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