The souls exaltation A treatiseThe soules exaltation A treatise

First, it is a real union, but it is spiritual, you must not conceive it grossly, as if my body were ⟨p. 7⟩joined to Christ; but there is a real union which is spiritual: there is a union between the nature of Christ, God and man, and a true believer: that which I desire to declare is upon this ground, to difference this union from that which Divines are deceived in; viz. that it is an union more than it bare notion and apprehension of the mind; for what ever a man conceives, his understanding closeth with it; as whatever I apprehend, I close with that; there is a conveyance of the thing into my mind, and I close with it: now the union of a believers soul with Christ is more than this: it is not a bare apprehension, a wicked man will go far in the apprehension of Christ; but this union is somewhat more, and I call it a real union, because there is a knitting and a closing, not only of the apprehension with a Saviour, but a closing of a soul with a Saviour.

First, it is a reall union, but it is spirituall, you must not conceive it grosly, as if my body were ⟨p. 7⟩joyned to Christ; but there is a reall union which is spirituall: there is a union betweene the nature of Christ, God and man, and a true beleever: that which I desire to declare is upon this ground, to difference this union from that which Divines are deceived in; viz. that it is an union more than it bare notion and apprehension of the minde; for what ever a man conceives, his understanding closeth with it; as whatever I apprehend, I close with that; there is a conveyance of the thing into my minde, and I close with it: now the union of a beleevers soule with Christ is more than this: it is not a bare apprehension, a wicked man will goe farre in the apprehension of Christ; but this union is somewhat more, and I call it a reall union, because there is a knitting and a closing, not onely of the apprehension with a Saviour, but a closing of a soule with a Saviour.

Secondly, I say this is a total union, the whole nature of a Saviour, and the whole nature of a believer are knit together: first, that it is a real union, all the places of Scripture do intimate as much: what the branch is to the vine, the soul is to Christ: now they are more than imagination; so what the husband is to the wife, the soul is to Christ. Now they are more than in understanding; for a man may conceive of another woman, as well as of his wife; but this is another union, whereby the person of the one is knit unto another: the bond of matrimony knits these two together. This is the frame and guise of knitting the soul to Christ, it is no bare apprehension but