250 / 504
Cwr.Vlll.
g:
9,
io.
Union
of
Chrift and hisMembers,
wherein
it
confits,
194
'make out
theitlmaginaryvnion,
have deftroyed tile perfon
of
atria
,and
fancying
a
way
of
uniting
man
to
God by him, have
left him
to
be neither
God nor
Man.
Others
have deftroyed the Perfon
of
Believers, affirming
that
in
their
Union with Chrift, they loofe
their
own Perfonality,that
is,ceafe
to
be
./Wen:
or at leaft
thefe
or
there
Individuali
men.
I intend
not
now
to
handle it
at
large,
but
only
(and
that
t
hope without
offence)
to
give in my
thoughts
concerning it
, as
farre
as
it receiveth
light
from, and relateth
unto,
what bath
been before delivered , concerning the
Indwelling
of
the
Spirit, and
that without
the
leaft contending
about
other
wayes
of
Expreffìon.
s.
3.
I
fay
then, this
is
that
which gives
tis
Union with Chrift, and
that
wherein
it
confi(ts;
even
that
the
one,
and
felfe-
faine Spirit, dwells
in him
and
us;
The
firft laving
Elapfe
from God, upon
the Hearts
of
the
Elect,
is
the
Holy
Spirit.
Their
guic&ning is
every
where afcribed
to
the Spirit,that
is
given
unto them;
There
is
not
a quickning, a
life-giving
Power;
in a
quality,
a
created thing. In
the
state
of
Nature,
betides gracious
difpenfations and habits in
the
Soule
in-
clining
it to that
which
is
good, and making
it
a
futable
fubje& for
fpirituall
John
5.
Operations ,
we
want
alto
a
vitali
Principle, which
fhould
allstate
the
difpo-
$ph.2.is2.
fed fubje
&
unto anfwerableOperations;
this
a
quality
cannot
give, He
that
carries on the
worke
of
quickning,doth allo
begin
k.
Rom:
8.
i
I.
All Graces
Gai.5
22.
whatever, (as
was
Paid)
are
the
fruits
of
the
Spirit
;
and therefore,in
order
of
Nature,are
wrought
in
men, confequentially
to
his
being beftowed on
them:
Now
in
the
firth
bellowing
ofthe
Spirit,
we
have Union with
Chrift,
the car-
rying
on whereof, confias in
the farther
manifeftation, and operations
of
the
Indwelling Spirit, which
is
called
Communion:
To
make
this
evident,
that
our
Union with Chrift
confifts
in
this,
the
fame Spirit dwelling
in
him
and us,and
that
this
is
our Union;let
us
take
a
view
of
it
Firth,
from Scripturall
Declara-
tions
of
it;
and then
Secondly, from Scripture Illufirations
of
it,
both
briefely,,
being not my
dire&
bufinefe
in
hand.
g,
9,
r.
Firth Peter
tells us,
that it
is
a
participation ofthe Divine
Nature,
2
Pet.
t.
4.
We
are by
the
Promifes made
partakers
of
the
Divine
Nature;
that
is,
it
is
promifed
to
be
given
unto
us,
which when we receive, we are made partakers
of, by
the
Promifes.
That
this
participation
of
the
Divine Nature
(let
it be
interpreted
how
it
will)
is
the
fame,upon
the matter,with our Union
with
Chrift,
is
not
queftioned:
that
gáns
sda
fhould
be only
a
gracious habit,
quali-
ty,
or
difpofrtion
of
Soule in
us,
I
cannot
eally
receive;
that
is
fomewhere call-
a
Cor:5.i7,
ed
rt'vñ
wl
izis,
the
New
Creature,
but
no where
said
¢cíeie
the
Divine
Nateere.The
pretended
high
and
fpirituall,
but
indeed
groffe
and carnali conceitsoffome,
from
hence, deftruótive
to
the
Nature
of
God and Man,I
(hall
not turne
afide
to
confider;
What that
is
of
the
Divine Nature,
or
wherein
it doth
confift,
that
we
are made partakers
of
by
the Promifes,
I
Chewed
before
:
That the
Perlon
of
the
Holy and
Bleffed
Spirit
is
promifed
to
us,
whence he
is
called
the
Holy Spirit
of
Promife:
Eph.
i.
r 3.
bath been I
fay
by
fundry
evidences
nianifefted:
Upon
the
Accoinplifhment
of
that
Promife, he coining
to
dwelt
in
us,
we
are
laid
in him, by
the
Promifes,to
be
made partakers
of
the
Divine
Nature. We
are
M.,
xoiv
voi
pJnnwa,we
have our Communion
with
it
:Ourpar
-
ticipation then
of
the Divine
Nature,being
our Union with
Chrift,,confifts in
dwelling
of
the
fame Spirit
in
him
and
in
us,
we receiving him by
the
Promife
for
that
end.
io.
2.
Chrift tells
us
,
that
this Union
arifes
from
the
eating
of
his ffefh,
and drinking
of
his b.laid
,
loh:
6.
56.
Pee_
that
eateth
my
fefh
and drinketh
my
bland
,
dwelleth
in
me
,
and
i
in
him
; The
mutual! indw
Iliotg
of
Chrift and
his
Saints,
is
their
'Union:
this,
faith
Chritt