A practical exposition on the 130th Psalm

2. For the grounds hereof, I shall mention one only; which all others do lean upon. This is pressed, 1 Cor. 12. 12, 13. As the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body being many, are one body, so is Christ. For by one Spirit we are all Baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free, and have been all made to drink into one Spirit. They are all united unto, and hold of one head. For as are the members of the body natural under one head, So is Christ mystical, that is, all believers under Christ their head. And this Union they have by the inhabitation of the same quickening Spirit, which is in Christ their head, and by him they are brought all into the same spiritual state and frame; they are made to drink into one and the same Spirit; for this same Spirit produceth the same Effects in them all, the same in kind though differing in degrees, as the Apostle fully declares, Ephes. 4. 3, 4, 5, 6. And this Spirit is in them, and not in the world, John 16. And as this gives them a naturalness in their duties one towards another; or in mutual caring for, rejoicing and sorrowing with one another, as members one of another, 1 Cor. 12. 25, 26. So it reveals and discovers them to each other, so far as is necessary for the performance of the Duties mentioned, in such a manner as becomes members of the same body. There is on this account a spiritually natural Answering of one to another, as face answereth face in the Water. They can see and discern that in others whereof they have Experience in themselves; they can taste and relish that in others, which they feed upon in themselves, and wherein the lives of their souls do consist? the same spirit of life being in them, they have the same spiritual taste and Savour. And unless their palates are distempered by Temptations or false opinions, or prejudices, they can in their Communion, taste of that Spirit in each other, which they are all made to drink into. This gives them the same likeness and ⟨p. 339⟩Image in the Inward man, the same heavenly light in their minds, the same affections; and being thus prepared and enabled to Judge and discern of the State of each other, in reference unto their mutual duties, they have moreover the true Rule of the Word to Judge of all Spirits and Spiritual effects by.