CXLV expository sermons upon the whole 17th chapter of the Gospel according to St.…

To Open this Truth Consider,

1. That the is a two-fold unity or union among the godly, Invisible and Visible: Invisible Unity is that whereby they being united to Christ their head by the Spirit on Gods part, and faith on our part,¹ do receive spiritual life and increase ⟨p. 562⟩in which some Believers are compared to the several members of the body, and Christ to the head, because of that spiritual life and motion they receive from him; This is the foundation of our visible union, and without this though we may be outwardly of the Church, yet we do indeed receive no saving advantage by Christ. Of this union the Text speaks not, because it's such an Union, that the world seeing it may thereby be induced to believe Therefore 2. there is a visible Union, whereby Believers do outwardly and visibly express their compacted nearness to one another, and so those particular Churches of Corinth and Ephesus are called Christs body in respect of their external union as well as internal, for not only by faith, but also by the Ordinances we have fellowship with Christ, and with one another, Of this visible Unity the Text speaks, and this is made a special means to bring the world to believe; Whereas on the contrary differences of Opinion, and sad rents and sects in Religion is the only way to confirm men in their impiety, and to think there is no truth, and no religion at all

1. That the is a two-fold unity or union among the gtdly, Invisible and Visible: Invisible Unity is that whereby they being united to Christ their head by the Spirit on Gods part, and faith on our part,¹ do receive spiritual life and encrease ⟨p. 562⟩in which some Beleevers are compared to the several members of the body, and Christ to the head, because of that spiritual life and motion they receive from him; This is the foundation of our visible union, and without this though we may be outwardly of the Church, yet we do indeed receive no saving advantage by Christ. Of this union the Text speaks not, because it's such an Union, that the world seeing it may thereby be induced to believe Therefore 2. there is a visible Ʋnion, whereby Believers do outwardly and visibly expresse their compacted nearnesse to one another, and so those particular Churches of Corinth and Ephesus are called Christs body in respect of their external union as well as internal, for not only by faith, but also by the Ordinances we have fellowship with Christ, and with one another, Of this visible Unity the Text speaks, and this is made a special means to bring the world to believe; Whereas on the contrary differences of Opinion, and sad rents and sects in Religion is the only way to confirm men in their impiety, and to think there is no truth, and no religion at all