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and this sets out the abundant kindness and goodness of God as, says he yet, it is more kindness to give a man fruit and the tree, than to give him barely the fruit so it is abundantly more grace in God, to give a man the Holy Ghost itself, rather than to give him only the gifts and the graces of the Holy Ghost. And indeed, what greater comfort can there be than this? That believers are not only made partakers of the gifts and graces of the Holy Ghost, but of Christ himself, Christ really in all believers, by his Spirit.'

You will say unto me, But how can this be; we have 、ordinarily understood it otherwise; and so we have heard it preached too, That Christ in a believer, is nothing else but the grace of Christ; and the Spirit in a believer, is nothing else but the gifts, graces, and the operations of the Spirit: and indeed, how can it be otherwise? For if Christ be really united unto each believer, really in a believer by his Spirit, and so made one with him; then a believer may say, I am Christ, and I am the Spirit; which is Montanism, and which is blasphemy: and therefore, how can this be, that Christ is really united to each believer by his Spirit, and really in a believer by his Spirit?

I confess this is very hard to understand: and when I consider the in-being of Christ in a believer, I remember that story that is written concerning Austin; That walking by the sea-side, he saw a boy take a mussel-shell, and go to the sea, carrying water with his mussel-shell into a ditch that was by, out of the sea into the small trench: he asked the boy, what he would do? Says he, I will empty all the sea into that ditch: and he smiled, and told him that he could not do it: says he, No more able are you, with the mussel-shell of your understanding, to carry out the ocean of the Trinity in a small tractate and discourse of your own. And what is your understanding, but as a little mussel-shell in regard of Christ, and the glory of the Trinity? Surely, we are not able with this little mussel-shell, for to carry out all the depth of this truth in a small discourse. But it is a great mystery. Are you able to tell me, how the child is formed in the mother's womb? Or are ye able to tell me, how the soul is united to the body? Who then can tell exactly, how Christ is united to the soul of a believer? It is a

great mystery, one of the great mysteries of the gospel. But because our Saviour hath said, "Unto you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom, and to others it is not," Matt. xiii. 11; therefore we should all labour to understand it. And that ye may not be misled herein, as divers of late have been, into strange kind of blasphemous speeches, I shall give you these three or four propositions or distinction about it.

1. You must know, that though Christ be really united unto each believer, yet this unition, or union is a voluntary act, and not a natural act, and so Christ may unite himself unto the soul, so far as it pleases himself: it is not a natural act, but a voluntary act; and being an act wherein he is free, he may unite himself unto the soul, so far as he pleases, and no farther. Now the Lord Jesus Christ, hath not united himself so far unto the soul of a believer, that a believer should say, I am Christ, and I am the Spirit: for, then a believer were to be worshipped as well as Christ, if he were Christ.

2. You must know this, That there is a great deal of difference, between joining unto another, by way of contact or touching; and joining unto another by way of composition. As for example, the sea and the land, they are joined together, they are united: but how? not by way of composition, but by way of contact; the sea touches the land, and the land touches the sea: yet the land cannot say, I am the sea; nor the sea cannot say, I am the land: why? because it is an union only by contact, by touching, and not by composition, one being compounded of the other. So the union that it is between Christ and a believer, is by way of spiritual contact; Christ touching the soul by his Spirit; and the soul touching Christ by faith. I say, it is an union by way of spiritual contact and touching, and not by composition; and therefore a believer cannot say, that I am Christ, and I am the Spirit.

3. You must know, there is a two-fold in-being. One whereby essences are applied unto each other; and another whereby essences are mixed together. I will make it as plain as I can, thus: ye see in a heap of stone, and wheat, they both make but one heap. and the stone may say, I am in this heap, and the wheat may say, I am in this heap? but the stone cannot say, I am the wheat; nor the wheat cannot say,

I am the stone: why? because though they be united and joined together in one heap, it is by way of application of one essence unto another, one being applied unto another. But now, take water and wine, and mingle them together, and there every part may say, I am water, and I am wine: why? because there is an union by way of mixture. Now there is a great union between Christ and a believing soul: yet a believing soul, though he be really united to Christ by the Spirit, cannot say, I am Christ, or I am the Spirit: why? because it is an union by way of application, and not by way of mixture, as wine and water mingled together: if it were an union by way of essences, then a believer might say, I am Christ, and I am the Spirit: but it is an union by way of application, a believer being applied to Christ, and Christ applied unto a believer.

4. You must know this, that there is a great deal of difference between the inbeing of a spiritual thing in a material, and the inbeing of one material or corporal thing in another. I shall make it as plain as I can, and it will be of concernment to you. Take a body, now, and let that be mixed with another, and each part may say, I am that which I am joined to: but take the spirit, or a spiritual being, and let that be mixed with a more material being; and then the material being cannot say, I am the spirit, and the spirit, I am the matter. As now ye see in the great union between the soul and the body; the soul is in every part of a man, tota in toto: the soul, says the philosopher, is wholly in every part; the whole soul of man being in every part of the body: yet, notwithstanding, the body cannot say, I am the soul, nor the soul cannot say, I am the body, because they are thus united together. Why? Because here is an union of a spiritual thing with a more material, which does keep the natures distinct. Or thus give me leave to express it to ye: iron and fire being joined together, your fire is in every part of the iron; and yet, notwithstanding, though the fire be in every part of the iron, the iron cannot say, I am the fire, nor the fire cannot say, I am the iron. Why? Because here is a more spiritual body in a more material body, and so the natures are kept distinct. Or if you will, yet further: ye see the light in the air; the light is more spiritual than the air, and the light is in every part of the air; yet, notwithstand

ing, the air cannot say, I am the light, nor the light cannot say, I am the air; but these two are kept distinct. Why? Because here is an union of that which is more spiritual, unto that which is more material. So I say here, though Christ be really united unto each believer, yet, notwithstanding, the soul of a believer is more material; though not in itself material, yet in respect of Christ, the soul is a gross nature in regard of the Spirit of Christ: and being thus therefore united, these natures are kept distinct; the Spirit of Christ is kept distinct from the nature of the soul, and the soul from the nature of the Spirit. And therefore the soul of a believer, though united really unto Christ by the Spirit, cannot say, I am the Spirit, or I am Christ.

But if we look, will some say, into the xviith chapter of John, our Lord and Saviour Christ seems to speak this way, at the 20th and 21st verses. "Neither pray I for these alone (says he), but for them also which shall believe on me through their word: that they all may be one, as thou Father art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us." Here Christ prays that believers may be one with him, as he and the Father were one. But if Christ be really united to each believer by his Spirit, what difference is there between this union and the hypostatical union? The second Person was united unto our nature, to our flesh: and if now Christ be united unto a believer by his Spirit, which is the third Person, what is the difference between the hypostatical union and the union of a believer with Christ by the Spirit?

Much every way. For take a believer, and though Christ be united unto a believer really by his Spirit, yet notwithstanding, the believer is not said to be assumed, the Spirit doth not assume the heart of a believer, as the second Person did assume our flesh; and though we are united unto Christ by the Spirit, yet not said to be assumed by the Spirit.

Again, Though Christ be really united unto each believer, yet it is no personal union, as the hypostatical union is. A man is a person before he is united so unto Christ by the Spirit. But now Christ's soul and body, they were not a person before united unto the second Person: but the soul and body of Christ, and the second Person in the Trinity united together make up one person. I that is a personal union, all making up but one person.

say

But now a

believer, he is a person before his union with Christ by the Spirit; he is a person, a wicked person, but he is a person. Again, The union that is between Christ and a believer, it is in respect of the other union, an accidental union, Christ united unto the soul by faith, by the intervening of grace and accidents. But now the second Person was united unto our nature, and unto our flesh, not by the intervening of any grace, or any accident, but there substance was united unto substance by the second Person. I say, it was not an union by the intervening of any grace: for though all graces were in Christ, yet the union of the second Person to our flesh, is not by the intervening of any grace, faith or the like: but now our union to Christ is by the intervening of grace, of faith, and so this union is but an accidental union in regard of that.

Again, Though Christ be united unto all believers by his Spirit; yet he is so far united unto a believer, as to make him a member of the body only: but the second Person was united unto our nature, and unto our flesh, to make Christ the Mediator. Indeed, if God were united to man so far as to make him Mediator between God and man, then he might say, I am God, and I am Christ: but, I say, this union being voluntary, he does so far unite himself unto the soul of a believer, as to make him a member of the body only, and not a Mediator. But when the second Person was united to our nature, the union was to make the Person a Mediator. And thus ye see, there is a great deal of difference between. that hypostatical union, and this mystical union of a believer.

And whereas it is said in that xviith of John, that Christ prays that we may be one with him, as he is with the Father: "That they all may be one, as thou Father art in me, and I in thee; that they also may be one." I answer: This is an as of similitude, and not of equality: Christ prays unto the Father, that believers may be one with him; not by way of equality; that a believer should be equally one with Christ, as Christ is with the Father: for then Christ should pray, that a believer might be worshipped too, which he never did and if that Christ here should pray, that a believer might be one with Christ, as Christ with the Father, in regard of equality; then Christ should pray that a believer should be one with him from eternity: for says he unto his Father in the beginning of the chapter, "Glorify me

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