SERM. II his work on our part, are the two ligaments by which we are knit to Chrift.

So that the Spirit's work in uniting or engraffing a foul into Chrift, is like the cutting off the graff from its native stock (which he doth by his illuminations and convictions) and clofing it with the living, when it is thus prepared, and fo enabling it (by the infufion of faith) to fuck and draw the vital fap, and thus it becomes one with him. Or as the many members in the natural body, being all quickened and animated by the fame vi tal fpirit, become one body with the head, which is the princi pal member, Eph. iv. 4. "There is one body, and one fpirit."

More particularly, we fhall confider the properties of this anion, that fo we may the better understand the nature of it. And here I fhall open the nature of it both negatively and affir matively.

First, Negatively, by removing all false notions and mifapprehenfions of it. And we fay,

First, The faints union with Chrift, is not a mere mental union, only in conceit and notion, but really exifts extra mentem, whether we conceit it or not. I know the atheistical world cenfures all these things as fancies and idle imaginations, but be lievers know the reality of them; John xiv. 20. "At that day you fhall know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and "I in you." This doctrine is not fantaftical, but fcientifical.

Secondly, The faints union with Chrift is not a phyfical union, fuch as is betwixt the members of a natural body and the head; our nature indeed is affumed into union with the perfon of Chrift, but it is the fingular honour of that bleffed and holy flesh of Chrift, to be fo united as to make one perfon with him ;' that union is hypoftatical, this only mystical.

Thirdly, Nor is it an effential union, or union with the divine nature, fo as our beings are thereby fwallowed up and loft in the Divine Being.

Some there be indeed that talk at that wild rate, of being god. ded into God, and chrifted into Chrift; and those unwary expreffions of Greg. Naz. Ooo, and Xpromov, do but too much countenance thofe daring fpirits; but oh, there is an infinite di stance betwixt us and Chrift, in refpect of nature and excellen cy, notwithstanding this union.

Fourthly, The union I here fpeak of, is not a foederal union, or an union by covenant only; fuch an union indeed, there is betwixt Chrift and believers, but that is confequential to, and wholly dependent upon, this.

Fifthly, and laftly, It is not a mere moral union by love and

affection; thus we fay, one foul is in two bodies, a friend is another felf; the lover is in the perfon beloved; fuch an union of hearts and affections there is alio betwixt Chrift and the faints, but this is of another nature; that we call a moral, this a myftical union; that only knits our affections, but this our perfons, to Chrilt.

Secondly, Pofitively. And firft, Though this union neither makes us one perfon or effence with Chrift, yet it knits our perfóns moft intimately and nearly to the perfon of Chrift. The church is Chrift's body, Coloff. i. 24. not his natural, but his myftical body; that is to fay, his body is a myftery, because it is to him as his natural body. The faints ftand to Chrift in the fame relation that the natural members of the body stand to the head, and he ftands in the fame relation to them, that the head ftands in to the natural members; and confequently they ftand related to one another, as the members of a natural body, do to each other.

Chrift and the faints are not one, as the oak, and the ivy that clafps it are one, but as the graff and stock are one; it is not an union by adhesion, but incorporation. Husband and wife are not so near, foul and body are not fo near, as Chrift and the believing foul are near to each other.

Secondly, The myftical union is wholly fupernatural, wrought by the alone power of God. So it is faid, 1 Cor. i. 30. "But of "him are ye in Chrift Jefus." We can no more unite ourselves to Chrift, than a branch can incorporate itself into another ftock; it is of him, i. e. of God, his proper and alone work.

There are only two ligaments, or bands of union betwixt Chrift and the foul, viz. the Spirit on his part, and faith on ours. But when we fay faith is the band of union on our part, the meaning is not, that it is so our own act, as that it springs naturally from us, or is educed from the power of our own wills; no, for the apostle exprefly contradicts it, Eph. ii. 8. "It is not "of yourselves, it is the gift of God." But we are the fubjects of it, and though the act on that account be ours, yet the power enabling us to believe is God's, Eph. i. 19, 20.

Thirdly, The myftical union is an immediate union; immedi ate I fay, not as excluding means and inftruments, for feveral means and many inftruments, are employed for the effecting of it; but immediate, as excluding degrees of nearness among the members of Chrift's myftical body.

Every member in the natural body ftands not as near to the head as another, but fo do all the myflical members of Christ's body to him: every member, the fmallcft as well as the greatest,'

hath an immediate coalition with Chrift, 1 Cor. i. 2. "To the "church of God, which is at Corinth, to them that are fanc"tified in Chrift Jefus, called to be faints, with all that in every place call upon the name of Jefus Christ our Lord, both theirs " and ours."

Among the factions, in this church at Corinth, thofe that faid, I am of Chrift, as arrogating Chrift to themselves, were as much a faction, as those that said, I am of Paul, 1 Cor. i. 30. To cure this he tells them, he is both theirs and ours. Such inclofers are against law.

Fourthly, The faints myftical union with Chrift is a funda mental union; it is fundamental by way of fuftentation; all our fruits of obedience depend upon it, John xv. 4. "As the "branch cannot bear fruit except it abide in the vine, no more 66 can ye, except ye abide in me.' It is fundamental to all our

privileges and comfortable claims, 1 Cor. iii. 23. "All is yours, "for ye are Chrift's." And it is a fundamental to all our hopes and expectattions of glory; for it is "Chrift in you the hope of glory," "Col. i. 27. So then deftroy this union, and with it you deftroy all our fruits, privileges, and eternal hopes, at one ftroke.

Fifthly, The myftical union is a moft efficacious union, for through this union the divine power flows into our fouls, both to quicken us with the life of Chrift, and to conferve and fecure that life in us, after it is fo infused.

Without the union of the foul to Chrift, which is to be conceived efficiently as the Spirit's act, there can be no union for. mally confidered; and, without thefe, no communications of life from Chrift to us, Eph. iv. 16. And as there is that eve, or effectual working of the fpirit of life in every part, which he there fpeaks of, (as though you fhould fay, the firft appearances of a new life, a fpiritual vitality diffused through the foul, which ere while was dead in fin) yet ftill this union with Chrift is as neceffary to the maintaining, as before it was to the producing of it.

For why is it that this life is not again extinguished, and wholly fuffocated in us, by fo many deadly wounds as are given it by temptations and corruptions? Surely no reafon can be af figned more fatisfying than that, which Chrift himself gives us, in John xiv. 19. "Because I live, ye fhall live alfo:" q. d. whilst there is vital fap in me the root, you that are branches in me cannot wither and die.

Sixthly, The myftical union is an indiffoluble union; there is an everlasting tye betwixt Chrift and the believer; and here

in alfo it is beyond all other unions in the world; death diffolves the dear union betwixt the husband and wife, friend and friend, yea, betwixt foul and body, but not betwixt Chrift and the foul, the bands of this union rot not in the grave. "What "shall separate us from the love of Chrift?" faith the apostle, Rom. viii. 35, 38, 39. He bids defiance to all his enemies, and triumphs in the firmness of this union over all hazards that seem to threaten it. It is with Chrift and us, in respect of the mystical union, as it was with Chrift himself, in respect of the bypoftatical union: That was not diffolved by his death, when the natural union betwixt his foul and body was, nor can this mystical union of our fouls and bodies with Chrift be dissolved, when the union betwixt us and our dearest relations, yea, betwixt the foul and body, are diffolved by death. God calls himself the God of Abraham, long after his body was turned into duft.

Seventhly, It is an honourable union*, yea, the highest honour that can be done unto men: The greatest honour that was ever done to our common nature, was by its affumption into union with the second perfon hypoftatically, and the highest honour that was ever done to our fingle perfons, was their union with Chrift myftically. To be a fervant of Chrift, is a dignity tranfcendent to the highest advancement among men; but to be a member of Chrift, how matchlefs and fingular is the glory thereof! And yet fuch honour have all the faints, Eph. "We are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his "bones."

v. 30.

Eightly, It is a most comfortable union: Yea, the ground of all folid comfort, both in life and death: Whatever troubles, wants, or diftreffes, befal fuch, in this is abundant relief and fupport. Chrift is mine, and I am his; what may not a good foul make out of that! If I am Chrift's, then let him take care for me, and, indeed, in fo doing, he doth but care for his own: He is my head, and to him it belongs to confult the fafety and welfare of his own members, Eph. i. 22, 23. He is not only an head to his own, by way of influence, but to all things elfe, by way of dominion, for their good. How comfortably may we

* Chrift is the head, fummit, and crown of all dignity, without whom there is nothing (truly) noble in all this fublunary world, who has heaven for his throne, and the earth for his footftool. The earth, I fáy, with all the perfons of high rank and station in it are put under his feet. Laur. Humphred, on Nöbility.

SERM. II. repofe ourselves, under that cheering confideration, upon him at all times, and in all difficult cafes!

Ninthly, It is a fruitful union: The immediate end of it is fruit, Rom. vii. 4. "We are married to Chrift, that we should bring forth fruit to God:" All the fruit we bear before our ingrafture into Chrift, is worse than none: Till the perfon be in Chrift, the work cannot be evangelically good and acceptable to God: "We are made accepted in the Beloved," Eph. i. 6. Chrift is a fruitful root, and makes all the branches, that live in him, fo too, John xv. 8.

Tenthly, and Laftly, It is an enriching union: For, by our union with his perfon, we are immediately interested in all his riches, 1 Cor. i. 30. How rich and great a perfon do the little arms of faith clafp and embrace! "All is yours," Cor. iii. 22. All that Chrift hath becomes ours, either by communica tion to us, or improvement for us: His father, John xx. 17, His promifes, 2 Cor. i. 20. His providences, Rom. viii. 28. His glory, John xvii. 24. It is all ours by virtue of our union with him.

Thus you fee, briefly, what the mystical union is. Next we fhall improve it.

Infer. 1. If there be fuch an union betwixt Chrift and be lievers, Oh then what tranfcendent dignity hath God put upon believers!

Well might Conftantine prefer the honour of being a member of the church, before that of being head of the empire †; for it is not only above all earthly dignities and honours, but, in fome refpect, above that honour which God hath put upon the angels of glory.

Great is the dignity of the angelical nature: The angels are the highest and most honourable species of creatures: They al fo have the honour continually to behold the face of God in heaven, and yet, in this one refpect, the faints are preferred to them, they have a myftical union with Chrift, as their head of influence, by whom they are quickned with fpiritual life, which the angels have not.

It is true, there is an arxas, or gathering together of all in heaven and earth under Chrift as a common head, Eph. i. 10. He is the Head of angels, as well as faints, but in different

+ If they would't be called a man of power, put on Christ who is the power and wifdom of God, and in all things join thyfelf to the Lord, that thou mayeft be one fpirit with him, and then thou fhalt become a man of power. Orig. Hom. in Num. xxxi,