308 SERMONS upon Serm.36. be the Blood of God, if the Humane Nature were not united to the Second Perfon of the Trinity. It is fo united, that the Humane Nature is the Inftrument. As the Hand is Man's Inftrument, not feparated from the Communion of the Body, as a Pen or Knife ; it is Man's Inftrument, but yet a part of himfelf : So is Chrìft's Humane Na- ture joined to his Divine Nature, apd made ufe of as the great Inftrument in the Work of Redemption. So that the Humane Nature is a Temple, le which the fNlnefs of the Godhead dwelleth bodily, Col. a. 9. Now becaufe of that Union, the Natures are in one another, and dwell in one another, as the Sod dwelleth in the Body, and the Body is a&ed and enlivened by the Soul. Hence the Flefh of Chrift is called the Flefh of God, and the Blood of Chrift is called the Blood of God : Ads 20. 28. Feed the Church of God, 'which he bath prrrchafed with his own Blood. God was made Man, but not Man made God ; becaufe God was a Perfon of himfelf, that affumed Flefh, and united it to himfelf. All his A&ions are the A&ions of God -Man, and fo have a Merit and a Value.. The Humane Nature is a Paffive Inftrument, but the Divine Nature giveth it a Subfiftence, neceffary Gifts, and Honour. Betides all this, there is an Uni- on and Content of Will in the Work of Redemption; the Father's Ads, and Chriffs A &s, are commenfurable ; God loveth Chrift, and Chrift obeyeth God. H. The Refemblance, (1.) between the Myftical Union, and the Unity of the Per- lons in the Divine Nature. The Spirit is indiílubile Trinitatis Vinculum, (as one faith) the Eternal Bond of the Trinity. So among Believers, it is the Holy dhoti who join- eth us to Chrift. Chrift as one with the Father, liveth the fame Life that the Father cloth ; fo do we,:as one with Chrift. John 6. 57. 1s the living Father bath feat me, and I live by the Father ; fo he that eatetb me, even he fhalllive by me. It is a clofe Uni- on, beyond Conception, but yet real ; ours is alto clofe, hard to be underftood : John 14. 20. At that day ye (hall know that I am in the Father, and you in me, and 1 in you. There is the higheft Love wherewith the Father and the Son love one another. Believers have a Room in Chriffs Heart, as Chrift: in the Father's Bofom; they love Chrift again, that loved them firft. The Union is Everlatling, for in the Divine Na- ture there can be no change; Chriffs Myftical Body cannot lofe a Joint. It is a Holy. Union, be One as we are One, Holy as we are Poly : So mutt ours be with one ano- ther.' An Agreement in Evil, is like that of Herod and Pilate, who (hook hands againft Chrift. In the Divine Perlons, there is Order and Diftin &ion; theUnity of the nity, doth not confoundthe Order of the Perlons, they are One, and (till Three, the Father, the Word, and the Spirit ; from whom, in whom, and to whom,are all things 5 they keep their diftin& Perfonalities, and diftin& Perfonal Operations. The Unity of the Church doth not confound the Order of it; there are diverfity of Gifts and Mi niftrations, but one Body. The Perlons of the Godhead mutually Peek the Glory of one another ; the Ele&ion a the Father maketh way, for the Redemption of the Son and the Redemption of the Son, for the Application of the Holy Spirit, and fo up- ward. John 16. 14. He (hall glorify me, for he Jhan receive of mine, and Jliall fliew it unto you. And, John t4. 13. And whatfoever ye fball ask in my Name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. Phil. 2.9. Wherefore God hath highly exalted him, and given him a Name above every Name. So in the Spiritual Union, Chrift puts. Honour on the Church, and the Church honours Chrift, they throw their Crowns at the Lamb's Feet; and the Members are careful of one another. 1 Cor. 12. 25. That these be no Schifm in the Body, but that the Members Jhould have the fame care one of ano- ther. To endear us one to another, Chrift did not only leave us the Relation of Brethren, but of Fellow-Members ; we are not only in the fame Family, but in the fame Body. Brothers that have iffued from the fame Womb, and been nurfed with the fame Milk, have defaced all the Feelings of Nature, and been divided in Interefts and Affe &ions; Cain and Abel, Jacob and Efau, are fad Precedents: but there il no fuch (trite between Members of the fame Body ; who would ufe one Hand to cut off ano- ther ? or divide chofe parts which preferve the mutual Correfpondence and Welfare of the Whole ? At leaf}, Brothers have not fuch a care for one another, each liveth for himfelf a diftin& Life apart, and ftudieth his own Profit and Advantage,: but it is not fo in the Body, each Member liveth in the Whole, and the Whole in NI the Members, and they all exercife their leveral Fun&ions for the common Good. (2.) The Refemblance between the Myftical and the Perfonal Union. In the Hypoflatical Union, our Nature is united with Chritts Nature ; in the Myfti- cal Union, our Perfon with his Perlon. In the Hypnftatical Union, Chrift matched into
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