An answer to the discourse of Mr. William Sherlock, touching the knowledge of Christ,…

Our union to Christ, ¹consists in a belief of his Revelations, Obedience to his Laws, and Subjection to his Authority: Thus the Author; To whom I answer, ⟨p. 194⟩A belief of Revelations is only a dogmatical faith, which is found in many not united to Christ; Obedience is not our mystical union to Christ, but a fruit of it; Christ and the Soul being once espoused, out-comes a blessed progeny of good works, as so many real proofs of that Divine conjunction, which is made by the Spirit and Faith; and shows forth it self in such effects, as the dead womb of nature could never have produced: Subjection to Christ's Authority, is either a formal actual one, standing in doing his commands, and that is the same with Obedience, a fruit of our union to Christ, or a virtual one, consisting in accepting Christ as our Lord, and this is part of that Faith, which is a bond of that Union. Those words, If ye continue in my words, then are ye my Disciples indeed: John 8.31. Were spoken to Believers, to men in union with Christ, to exhort them to perseverance, as a real proof of their Discipleship and Union to Christ: If ye keep my Commandments, ye shall abide in my Love: John. 15.10. They were in his love before; Verse 9. But Obedience will show it forth: Thus St. Austin on the place, Ostendit, non unde dilectio generetur, ⟨p. 195⟩sed unde monstretur, hinc apparebit, quod in dilectione meâ manebitis, si precepta mea servaveritis; Christs promise to the Obedient is, That he will love him, and manifest himself to him. Joh. 14.21. Christ loved him before, but now he will manifest it: Thus St. Austin on the place, Quid est diligam, tanquam dilecturus sit, & nunc non diligat? Absit, diligam & manifestabo, id est, ad hoc diligam, ut manifestem. Our abiding in Christ, and Christ's words abiding in us; are very well joined together: Joh. 15.7. To show us, that where the Soul and Christ are in union, there the holy words will have a mansion in the heart. Christ is a King, a Shepherd, an Head, an Husband; and all in a superlative transcendency above all others in those relations: He is a King who hath his Laws without us, and an inward Sceptre in our hearts, making the unwilling will to become a willing one, in the day of his power: A Shepherd who speaks to his Sheep, nay, and brings them into the Fold,