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

I acknowledge there is a Moral Union between Christ and Christians by holy Love;¹ but this Moral Union supposes a Mystical one, made by the Spirit and Faith: Where these are not, there can be no such thing as Love to Christ: Hence the Apostle, Eph. 3.16, 17. first lays down the Mystical Union with its two Bands, the Spirit in the inner man, and Faith, whereby Christ dwells in the heart; and immediately after adds the Moral one, That ye may be rooted and grounded in Love: Wherever the Mystical Union is, there is holy Love to Christ. What the Author afterwards adds, touching God's dwelling in the Church as his Temple, is so far from opposing, that it points out the Mystical Union; especially seeing, as the Author confesses, Particular ⟨p. 212⟩Christians are in Scripture styled the Temple of the living God: That place quoted by the Author, Know ye not, that ye are the Temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? 1 Cor. 3.16. is very emphatical; Christians are the Temple of God, and made so by the indwelling Spirit, which is the bond of the Mystical Union. Indeed the Author saith, That the indwelling of the Spirit primarily refers to the extraordinary gifts of the Spirit, which God in that Age bestowed on the Church; this was the true Shechinah or divine Glory resting on them: But I conceive the holy Spirit hath been in Believers in all Ages: God dwelt in the Jewish Temple in Types and Symbols of his Presence, but, which was far more excellent than those outward shadows and appearances of Glory, he dwelt even then by his Spirit in all true Believers. The sweet strains of Devotion in David did plainly evidence, that the holy Spirit was in him; the spiritual Embroidery or Needle-work in every Psalm, tells us, that the Finger of God was there: The believing Israelites, in Mannâ Christum intellexerunt, saw Christ in their Manna and fed on the same spiritual Meat, as believing Christians do; which ⟨p. 213⟩is a clear proof that the holy Spirit was in them. The Son of God coming in the Flesh, the holy Spirit was poured down in extraordinary Gifts; and, though those Epiphanies of divine Glory went off, yet the same Spirit hath been and ever will be in Believers. This our Church acknowledges;