Ver. 26. the 17th Chapter of Si. J O H N. 3$0 Secondly, Pofitívely ; What it is. I AnCwer 5 We cannot fully tell till we come to Heaven, then we (hall have perfe&t knowledg of it,"then Chrift is all in all. John 14. 2o. ..It that day ye (hall know,that Ì am in the I, ather,and you in me,and I in you. Then our Union is at the height. But for the prefent we may call it an Union of Concretion and Coalition, for we are sw.ccpuTd, planted into hies, Rom.6.5. and ss,Td,É.csvo,, joined to the Lord, r Cor. 6.17. It is immediatly with Chrift ; we are united to Father and Spirit; but by Chrift, as the Foot is united to the Head, but by the intervention of other Mem- bers : So we are united to the Father, and the Spirit, but by Chrift 5 as an Arm or Foot of the Son belongeth to the Father, but as the Son belongeth to the Father. The Love of the Father is the Moving Caufe of it, the Spirit is the Efficient Caufe of it; but it is with Chrift. And it by way of Coalition, as things are united. So as they may grow, and live in another, as the Branches grow in the Vine, and the 'Members being animated and quickned by the Soul, grow in the Body ; fo are we .united with Chrift as our Vital Principle, that we may live and grow in him; that we might live in him. Gal. 2. 20. I live, yet not I, brit Chrift liveth in me ; and grow in him, Ephef. 4. I 5, 16. But fpeaking the Truth-in Love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the Head, even Chrift Fran) whom the whole Body fitly joined together, and coespaíled by that which every Joint fupplieth, according to the efeAual working in the meafure of every part, maketh increafe of the Body, unto the edifying of it fill' in Love. So that this is enough. in general, to call it an Union of Concretion and Coalition, fach an Union whereby Chrift remaineth, and liveth, and dwelleth in us, as a Vital Principle. As the Soul is, m gw;í my¡saTet. àiMfa fy 4,141, a Caufe and Principle of Life to the Body; fo is Chrift to us. Before God breathed the Soul into Adam, his Body, tho otherwife or- ganized and formed, lay but as a dead Lump, without Breath and Life ;. but no fooner was the Soul put into him, but he began to live : So Chrift being myBically united, in- ableth us to live, to aft, to grow, and increafe more and more. More particularly to open it to you is hard, becaufe it is a great Myftery ; Life Natural is a Myftery not fufficiently explained, much more Life Spiritual. But now, Firfi, I (hall (hew how it is wrought and brought about, and in what Order. For there is a difficulty there to be cleared. For fince Union is laid to be by Faith ; Ephef 3. 17. That Chr Jl may dwell in your Hearts by Faith. And Faith is an A& of Spiritual Life, it feemeth there is Life before our Union with Chrift : So that this Union feem- eth to be the Effel, rather than the Caufe of the Spiritual Life, and fouie fay it is the Effie& of the Beginning, and the Caufe of the Continuance and Increafe of it; and conceive the Order thus : That Chrift is offered in the Gofpel, and by receiving Chrift, we come to be united to him, and then to be poffeffed of his Righteoufnefs, and re- ceive further influences of Grace; and that the fir(t beginning of Spiritual Life is not from Union, but Regeneration ; by virtue of which Faith is given to us, that we may be united to Chrift. But i fuppofe this Method is not right : Briefly then, for the man- ner and order how it is wrought, take it thus : Union it is by the Spirit on Chrift' part, and Faith on ours; he beginneth with us as the molt worthy, as having a quick - ning and life-making Power in himlelf. r Cor. r5. 45.. The laß Adam was made; , otvtvp+,a c onoixv, a quickning Spirit. By the Spirit he infufeth Spiritual Life, the firft MI of which is Faith, that is the fill} Grace that aQech upon Chrift, and maketh the Union rêciprocal, that fo in him we may have Righteoufnefs and Grace. Phil. 3. 9. And be found in him, not having mine own Righteoufnefs which is of the Law, but that which is through the Faith of Chrifi, the Righteoufnefs which is of God by Faith. All Gra- ces flow from Union with Chrift, fo doth Faith. Believing is an Aft of the Spiritual Life, but it is at the fame inftant of time, and not before. The firft Band of Union is the Spirit, for the Gift of the Spirit is the Caufe of Faith, and every Caufe is before the Effe& in Nature, tho not in Time ; for, Po(itâ caufâ in aiiu, ponitur effeilus. But the Spirit is not given us in the leaf} moment of Time before the being of Faith ; for the Spirit being infufed, immediatly excites Faith to take hold of Chrift, Secondly ; What is that A& of Faith by which we dole with Chrift ? I Anfwer 9 The apprehending, embracing, taking hold of Chrift; To-as many as received him, &c. John r. 12. trulting him with our Souls: that is the Faith that gives us an Intereft iii Gofpel- Privileges. But what is this receiving Chrift? I Anfwer; Receiving prefup- pofeth Offering; it is a Confent to what is offered, an Accepting of what is given; Receiving, is a word ufed in Corsera&s, and noteth the Confent of one Part to the. Tettítd
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