giving it an existence of its own, without union with the body, but creates it in and by its infusion. So the Spirit doth not come unto us, and afterward quicken or sanctify us, but he doth this by his coming unto us, and possessing our hearts for and with Christ. This the apostle calls the "forming of Christ in us," Gal. iv. 19. axgis où pogowin giros, until Christ be formed or fashioned in you,' as a child is fashioned or formed in the womb; that is, until the whole image and likeness of Christ be imparted unto, and implanted upon your souls. This is the new creature that is wrought in every one that is in Christ; that every one is who is in Christ; for the introduction of this new spiritual form gives denomination unto the person; "he that is in Christ Jesus is a new creature," 2 Cor. v. 17. And this is "Christ in us, the hope of glory," Col. i. 27.

First, It is Christ in us. For, 1. It is from him, he is the author of it, and thence he is said to be our life, Col. iii. 3. 2. It is like him, it is his image, and by and through him the image of God, 2 Cor. iii. 18. Eph. iv. 23, 24. 3. It is that which gives us a spiritual continuity unto Christ. For being united unto him as members unto the head, there must be a constant communicative motion of blood and spirits, between him and us; which is hereby, Eph. iv. 16. Col. ii. 19. And without this, we are without Christ, or so separated from him, as that we can do nothing, John xv. 5. For suppose a believer to stand seorsim, alone by himself, xagis Xgirou, at a distance from Christ, without a course and recourse of spiritual supplies from him, and he can do nothing but die. Cut off a member from the body, dissolve its natural continuity to the head, and all the world cannot fetch life into it. Take a member, suppose a hand, lay it as near the head as you will, bind it to it, yet if it have not a natural continuity with the head, it will not live. It is so here. A member separated from Christ, hath no life. Let it seem to lie near the head by profession and many engagements, if it have not this spiritual continuity unto Christ, it hath no life in it. Secondly, It is the hope of glory. 1. As the kernel is the hope of fruit. 2. As a pledge or earnest is the hope of the whole contract. In this forming of Christ in us, are we made partakers of all grace and holiness in the principle and root of them, for therein doth this image of God in Christ consist. Now this proceeding from our union, that is and must be before it in order of nature, and so be the rule, measure, and cause of all that ensues.

Secondly, It is the first in dignity; it is the greatest, most honourable and glorious of all graces that we are made partakers of. It is called glory, 2 Cor. iii. 18. The greatest humiliation of the Son of God consisted in his taking upon him of our nature, Heb. ii. 8, 9. And this was "the grace of our

Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich," rich in eternal glory, the glory that he had with the Father before the world was, John xvii. 5. as being in himself God over all blessed for ever, Rom. ix. 5. "for our sakes he became poor," 2 Cor. viii. 9. by taking on him that nature which is poor in itself, infinitely distanced from him, and exposed unto all misery, which our apostle fully expresseth, Phil. ii. 5-7. "Let this mind be in you which was in Christ Jesus, who being in the form of God, thought it no robbery to be equal with God, but made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men." There was indeed great grace and condescension in all that he did, and humbled himself unto in that nature, as it follows in that place, "and being found in fashion, as a man, he humbied himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross,' ver. 8. But his assumption of the nature itself, was that whereby most signally, ivtov svars, he emptied and humbled himself, and made himself of no reputation. On this all that followed did ensue, and on this it did depend. From hence all his actings and sufferings in that nature received their dignity and efficacy. All, I say, that Christ as our Mediator did and underwent in our nature, had its worth, merit, use, and prevalency from this his first condescension in taking our nature upon him, for from thence it was that whatever he so did, or suffered, it was the doing and suffering of the Son of God. And on the contrary, our grace of union with Christ, our participation of him and his nature, is our highest exaltation, the greatest and most glorious grace, that we can be made partakers of in this world. He became poor for our sakes, by a participation of our nature; that we through his poverty may be rich in a participation of his, 2 Cor. viii. 9. And this is that which gives worth and excellency unto all that we may be afterwards entrusted with. The grace and privileges of believers are very great and excellent; but yet they are such as do belong unto them that are made partakers of Christ; such as are due to the quickening and adorning of all the members of his body; as all privileges of marriage after marriage contracted, arise from and follow that contract. For being once made co-heirs with Christ, we are made heirs of God and have a right to the whole inheritance. And indeed what greater glory or dignity can a poor sinner be exalted unto, than to be thus intimately and indissolubly united unto the Son of God; the perfection whereof is the glory which we hope and wait for, John xvii. 22, 23. Saith David in an earthly temporary concern, "What am I, and what is my father's family, that I should be son-in-law to the king, being a poor man, and lightly esteemed ?" How much more may a sinner say, What am I, poor sinful dust and ashes,

one that deserves to be lightly esteemed by the whole creation of God, that I should be thus united unto the Son of God, and thereby become his son by adoption? This is honour and glory unparalleled. And all the grace that ensues, receives its worth, its dignity and use from hence. Therefore are the graces and the works of believers excellent, because they are the graces and works of them that are united unto Christ. And

as without this, men can have no inward effectual saving grace, so whatever outward privileges they may lay hold of or possess, they are but stolen ornaments, of which God will one day strip them naked to their shame and confusion.

Thirdly, It is the first and principal grace, in respect of causality and efficacy. It is the cause of all other graces that we are made partakers of; they are all communicated unto us by virtue of our union with Christ. Hence is our adoption, our justification, our sanctification, our perseverance, our fruitfulness, our resurrection, our glory. Hence is our adoption; for it is upon our receiving of him, that this right and privilege is granted unto us, of becoming the sons of God, John i. 12. No man can be made the adopted son of God, but by an implantation into him who is the natural Son of God, John xx. 17. Heb. xi. 16. And thence also are the consequent privileges that attend that estate: For "because we are sons, God sends forth the spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, Abba, Father," Gal. iv. 6. that is, to own God, and address ourselves unto him, under the consideration of the authority and love of a father. And hence is our justification. For, 1. being united to Christ, we are interested in that acquittal from the condemning sentence of the law, which was granted unto himself when he satisfied it to the utmost, Rom. i. 3, 4. Isa. l. 8, 9. for he was acquitted as the head and surety of the church, and not on his own personal account; for whereas he did no sin, he owed no suffering nor satisfaction to the law. But as he suffered for us, the just for the unjust, so he was acquitted as the representative of his whole church. By our union therefore unto him, we fall under the sentence of acquittal, which was given out towards whole Christ mystical, head and members. 2. Our union with him, is the ground of the actual imputation of his righteousness unto us; for he covers only the members of his own body with his own garments; nor will cast a skirt over any, who is not bone of his bone, and flesh of his flesh. And so he is of God made unto us righteousness, 1 Cor. i. 30. Hence also is our sanctification, and that both as to its principle in a new spiritual nature, and as to its progress in fruitfulness and holiness. The principle of it, is the spirit itself of life, holiness and power. This God sheds on us, through Jesus Christ, Tit. iii. 6. Or, on the account of our interest in

him, according to his promise, John vii. 38, 39. And for this cause is he said to be our life, Col. iii. 3. because in him lie the springs of our spiritual life, which in and by our regeneration, renovation and sanctification is communicated unto us. And its progress in fruitfulness is from thence alone. To teach this, is the design of the parable used by our Saviour concerning the vine and its branches, John xv. For as he sheweth our abiding in him to be as necessary unto us that we may bear fruit, ás it is to a branch to abide in the vine to the same purpose; so that without our so doing we are of no more use in the ways of God, than a branch that is cut off and withered, and cast aside to burn. And men do but labour in the fire, who in the pursuit of their convictions, endeavour after holiness or the due performance of good works, without deriving strength for them from their relation unto Christ; for all that they do is either nothing in itself, or nothing as unto acceptance with God. "We are the workmanship of God, created in Christ Jesus unto good works," Eph. ii. 10. Becoming new creatures by our inbeing in him, 2 Cor. v. 17. we are thereby enabled to those good works, or fruits of holiness, which God hath ordained, that we should walk and abound in. And hence on many accounts is our perseverance; for, 1. By virtue hereof, we are interested in the covenant, which is the great means of our preservation; God having engaged therein so to write his law in our hearts, as that we shall not depart from him, Jer. xxxi. 32. Now this covenant is made with us under this formal consideration, that we are the children and seed of Abraham, which we are not but by our union with Christ, the one Seed, to whom the promises of it are originally made, as our apostle declares, Gal. iii. 16. 2. His care is peculiar for the members of his body. For as no man hateth his own flesh, but loveth and cherisheth it, nor will suffer any of his members to perish, if by any means he can prevent it; so is the heart of Christ towards those that are united to him, and therein are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones, Eph. v. 29, 30. And therefore, 3. The care of giving out supplies unto us, for assistance against opposition, and strength for duties, which is the grace of perseverance, is incumbent on him. 4. Our resurrection also depends on this union: I mean a blessed resurrection in joy and glory, unto light and life eternal. For this resurrection is nothing but the entire gathering up together of the whole body of Christ unto himself, whereof he gave us a pledge, example, and assurance in his own person. So the apostle assures us, Rom. viii. 11. " If the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you," (which, as hath been shewed, is the means of our union with him), "he that raised up Christ from the dead, shall quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit

that dwelleth in you." ." And this he expressly proveth at large, 1 Cor. xv. And this lands us in eternal glory, which, as was observed before, is nothing but the consummation and perfection of this union with Christ. And hence it appears on how many accounts it is the principle and measure of all other graces and privileges whatever.

And we may see hence how great our concern is to inquire diligently into this foundation of all grace, mercy and glory. If we fail here, as too many seem to do, we do but run in vain, and build in vain, and boast in vain, for all will be lost and perish. We may do well to remember what became of the house. that was built on the sand, when its trial came: it fell, and its fall was great and irreparable. Such will be the end of the profession of men, that doth not spring and arise from union with Christ. Many ways there are, whereby this may be put to the trial, on which all our peace, satisfaction and assurance of spirit in the things of God, doth depend. I shall only consider that which our apostle here proposeth, and that in the ensuing observation.

Obs. 11. Constancy and stedfastness in believing, is the great touchstone, trial and evidence of union with Christ, or a participation of him. So it is here proposed by the apostle. We are partakers of Christ, that is, declared, manifested and evidenced so to be, if we hold fast the beginning of our subsistence in him firm unto the end. So our Saviour, describing the great trials of men's faith that shall befal them, adds, that in the close, as the certain note of discrimination, "He that endureth to the end shall be saved," Matt. x. 22. It is enduring faith that is true faith, and which evidenceth us indeed to be partakers of Christ. And he gives it as a mark of a false profession, that it dureth but for a while, Matt, xiii, 21. Further, to explain, evince, and improve this truth, it may be observed,

First, That there are many appearing evidences, of union. with Christ, that may, and do fail. The blade is an appearing evidence of well-rooted corn, but it often fails, and that for want of root, Matt, xiii, 12. Now, by such an appearance, I do not intend a pretence, or that there is therein, a, shew, made of what is not only there is something which appears to be that which it is not. Or it is somewhat, but not what it appears to be; and so it is a failing sign, not a Tx, or assured infallible token. Things of this nature may be such as to satisfy them in whom they are, that they are really united unto Christ, but this through their own darkness, and mistakes. And, they may be such as others may, nay ought to be satisfied in, to the same purpose concerning them, as not being able to evince them to be otherwise by any rule or word of truth. So was it with many that are mentioned in the gospel, they professed them.

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