328 SERMONS upon Serm. 39. of our Body. We have theEarne4 in Hand. That Portion of the Spirit, which we have received, is given us for fecurity. Wherefore this fitting and preparing, thefe Groans are Grounds of Confidence. If a Veffel be formed, it is for fome ufè. All this would elfe be loft z And do you think God will lofe his Earneft ? The Beginnings we have here, are a Tafte and Pledg : Here we lip, and have a foretalte of the Cup of Bleffing. Union with Chrift, Joys of the Spirit, Peace of Confcience, are the Begin- nings of Heaven. They that live in the Provinces next to Arabia, have a prong Scent of the Odours and fweet Smells of the Spices that grow there : So the Church is the Suburbs of Heaven, the Members of it begin to finell the Upper Paradife. The Com- fortable Influences of the Spirit, are the Tafte 5 and the Gracious Influences, are the Pledg and Earneft of our Future Inheritance. ZVfe r. Let us biers God afore -hand. r Pet. r. 3, 4, q. Bleffid be the God and Fa- ther of our Lord jefus Chrif, which according to his abundant Mercy bath begotten em again unto a lively Hope, by the 1efurreiïion of jefus Chrift from the Dead, to an Inheritance in- corruptible and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, referved in Heaven for us; who are kept by the Power of God through Faith unto Salvation. The Inheritance is kept for us, and we for it. We can never want Matter to biefs God; if we have nothing in Hand, yet we have much in Hope. 2. Let us wait with more Confidence ; we have no caufe to doubt, we have God's Word and Pawn ; as fure as Chrift is in Heaven, we [hall be there. 3. Let us be there in Affe&ion, in earnefl Groans and Deftres,in frequent Thoughts. Rom. 8. 3o. Whom he did predefiinate, them he a f called; and whom he called, them he alto jufiifaed ; and whom he juffified, them he alfo glorified. 4. Let us not fear Changes ; all Changes will end in that which is belt for us. SERMON XXXIX JOHN XVII.23. I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfeft ire one, and that the World may know that thou haft fent me, and haft loved them, as than haft loved me. RIS T's Reqquefl for Union is again repeated, with the Advantage of another Expreffion, to declare the Nature of it. So that in this Verfe we have, Firfi, The Nature of the Myfical Union. Secondly, The End of it ; with refpea to Believers, and the World ; their Conviltion of Chrift's Miffion, and the Father's Love to the Difciples. FUJI ; The Nature of this Union further declared ; I in them, and thou in me. Here, Firft,Obferve, That one Vnion is the ground of another. Chrift and the Father are One, and then Chrift and we are One, and then we are One one with another. The Affumed Nature is united to the Divine Effence in Chriffs Perfora; and fo he, as Mediator, is one with the Father ; And then we by the Communion of the Spirit, are not only united to the Head, but to our Fellow- Members. There
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