A word in season to this present generation, or, A sober and serious discourse…

I readily grant that the sense and apprehension of this union may (in this life) be much interrupted, and many times greatly darkened, but the substance of the union still remains: And I readily grant that a Believer may be much assaulted and tempted to doubt of his union with Christ, and to question his union with Christ, and yet nevertheless a Believers union with Christ, continues and abides for ever. And I readily grant that the influences of it for some time may be suspended, but yet the union it self is not, nay cannot be dissolved. As it was in the Hypostatical union, for a time there was a suspending of the comforting influences of the Divine nature in the humane, in so much that our Saviour cried out: My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? Yet for all this the union between the two natures, was not ¹in the least abolished; so here in the Mystical union, the sensible effects, comforts, and benefits of our union with Christ, may sometimes be kept in and not appear, but yet the union it self abides, and shall abide firm and inviolable for ever; 'tis an inseparable and insuperable union. Look as no power on earth is sufficient to overpower the Spirit of Christ, which on Christs part makes ²the union, so no power on earth shall be able to conquer Faith, which on our part also makes the union: Satan and the world may make attempts upon this union, but they will never be able to break this union, to dissolve this union; yea though death be the bane of all natural unions, yet death can never be the bane of this ⟨p. 95⟩Mystical union, though death puts a period to all other unions, yet death can never put a period to this union; when the Believer is in his grave his union with Christ holds good. But

I readily grant that the sense and apprehension of this union may (in this life) be much interrupted, and many times greatly darkned, but the substance of the union still remains: And I readily grant that a Believer may be much assaulted and tempted to doubt of his union with Christ, and to question his union with Christ, and yet nevertheless a Believers union with Christ, continues and abides for ever. And I readily grant that the influences of it for some time may be suspended, but yet the union it self is not, nay cannot be dissolved. As it was in the Hypostatical union, for a time there was a suspending of the comforting influences of the Divine nature in the humane, in so much that our Saviour cried out: My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? Yet for all this the union between the two natures, was not