A55299:226
An answer to the discourse of Mr. William Sherlock, touching the knowledge of Christ,…
An answer to the discourse of Mr. William Sherlock, touching the knowledge of Christ, and our union and communion with him by Edward Polhill ..., Esquire.
London: printed for Ben. Foster, 1675
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
As a visible profession is the foundation of an external Political union between Christ and his Church, 1so this new nature is the foundation of a real and spiritual union: And this the Scripture represents under several notions. First by the Subjection of our minds and Spirits to Christ, as our spiritual King, when we put our Souls as well as our Bodies under his Government: Hence Christ is said to dwell in our hearts by Faith; Eph. 3.17. That is to have the sole command and Empire of our wills and affections, to govern our hearts, as a man does the house in which he dwells: Secondly by a participation of the same nature, which is the necessary effect of the Subjection of our minds to him; for the Gospel of our Saviour is the truest image of his mind, he transcribed his own nature into his Laws; and therefore a sincere Obedience to his ⟨p. 206⟩Laws is a conformity to his nature: Hence is that exhortation, That the same mind may be in us as was in Christ: Phil. 2.5. And to be his Disciples, is to learn of him: Matth. 11.29. Hence our union to Christ is described by having the Spirit of Christ: Rom. 8.9. If any man have not the spirit of Christ, he is none of his, that is, unless he have that same temper of mind which Christ had, which is called having the Spirit, by an ordinary figure of the cause for the effect; for all those Virtues and Graces, wherein our conformity to Christ consists, are called the fruits of the Spirit; and therefore what the Apostle calls, having the Spirit, in the next verse he expresses by, If Christ be in you,, that is if you be possest with the same love of virtue and goodness, which appeared so eminently in him, which is much to the same sense with that expression of Christ being formed in you: Gal. 4.19. Hence in 1 Cor. 6.17. He that is joined to the Lord, is one Spirit: Herein consists our union to Christ, that we have the same temper; Souls are united by an harmony of wills, this makes two one Spirit.