Now the Bond of our Union to Christ, is the Holy Spirit derived from him, as the Head of the Church, and is the inward, powerful and lasting Principle of Holiness, and new Obedience in Believers.1 He that is joined to the Lord, is one Spirit: that is, by the Spirit of Holiness has a real Participation of his Life, is both quickened and united to him. 2When the Prophet Elisha by the outward applying the parts of his Body to the dead Child,3 inspired Life into him, there was no real Union between them: but Christ is by his Spirit so intimately united to Believers, that he lives in them, and they in him. 4The sanctifying Spirit renews the directing and commanding Faculties, the Fountains of moral Actions; enlightens the Understanding with saving Knowledge, rectifies the Obliquity of the Will, purifies the Affections, and reforms the Life; so that the same Mind is in Christians as was in Christ; and as his Conversation was, such is theirs in the World. This Divine Change is not wrought by natural Reason, though assisted by the most powerful Arguments. The Breath of a Man may as easily dispel a Mist, or ⟨p. 70⟩thaw a Frost, as humane Directions and Motives to Virtue can renew the Mind and Heart, and produce a Holy frame of Soul towards God. Renewed Christians are said to be in the Spirit, illuminated, inclined and enabled by the Spirit to do God's Will; and the Spirit of God to dwell in them, by his peculiar and eminent Operations. They live in the Spirit, and walk in the Spirit. An Angel may assume a Body, and act by it: but the humane Soul enlivens it, and performs sensible Operations by it. And such a Principle is the Holy Spirit to the Soul, gives it spiritual Life, Activity and Power for good Works. By what Application of the Spirit's Power this is produced is mysterious and inexplicable: but as the Apostle speaks of his Rapture into the third Heavens, that he knew it was real, and heard unutterable things; though how it was performed, whether in the Body, or out of the Body, he could not tell: thus when a natural Man, the current of whose Thoughts and Affections, was to the things of this World, becomes spiritual, when the carnal Appetite is subdued, and sanctified Reason has the Throne, when he feels such ⟨p. 71⟩strong and sweet Impulsives to Holiness as engage the Will;
Now the Bond of our Union to Christ, is the Holy Spirit derived from him, as the Head of the Church, and is the inward, powerful and lasting Principle of Holiness, and new Obedience in Believers.1 He that is joined to the Lord, is one Spirit: that is, by the Spirit of Holiness has a real Participation of his Life, is both quickned and united to him. 2When the Prophet Elisha by the outward applying the parts of his Body to the dead Child,3 inspir'd Life into him, there was no real Union between them: but Christ is by his Spirit so intimately united to Believers, that he lives in them, and they in him. 4The sanctifying Spirit renews the directing and commanding Faculties, the Fountains of moral Actions; enlightens the Understanding with saving Knowledg, rectifies the Obliquity of the Will, purifies the Affections, and reforms the Life; so that the same Mind is in Christians as was in Christ; and as his Conversation was, such is theirs in the World. This Divine Change is not wrought by natural Reason, though assisted by the most powerful Arguments. The Breath of a Man may as easily dispel a Mist, or ⟨p. 70⟩thaw a Frost, as humane Directions and Motives to Vertue can renew the Mind and Heart, and produce a Holy frame of Soul towards God. Renewed Christians are said to be in the Spirit, illuminated, inclin'd and enabled by the Spirit to do God's Will; and the Spirit of God to dwell in them, by his peculiar and eminent Operations. They live in the Spirit, and walk in the Spirit. An Angel may assume a Body, and act by it: but the humane Soul enlivens it, and performs sensible Operations by it. And such a Principle is the Holy Spirit to the Soul, gives it spiritual Life, Activity and Power for good Works. By what Application of the Spirit's Power this is produc'd is mysterious and inexplicable: but as the Apostle speaks of his Rapture into the third Heavens, that he knew it was real, and heard unutterable things; though how it was performed, whether in the Body, or out of the Body, he could not tell: thus when a natural Man, the current of whose Thoughts and Affections, was to the things of this World, becomes spiritual, when the carnal Appetite is subdued, and sanctified Reason has the Throne, when he feels such ⟨p. 71⟩strong and sweet Impulsives to Holiness as engage the Will;
- 11 Cor. 6.17.
- 2John 6.36.
- 32 Kings 4.34.
- 4Gal. 2.20.
