Christus in corde, or, The mystical union between Christ and believers considered in its…

2dly, Faith doth put the soul into an apt and fit posture for Christ; it sets all ready and in order for him.

In general, it doth this by making us poor in spirit: A natural man, though a fallen creature, is very high; in his own eyes he is as well as if he had had no bruise at all in the fall; as rich, as if nothing of mans Primitive excellency were lost; he dreams and flatters himself, as if his reason could span all Mysteries, and his will teem out all Virtues; he stands upon his own bottom, and wraps up himself in his own false Righteousness; he is every way full, and wants nothing; complete in himself, and knows no dependence. And why should such an one go to Christ, or seek Union with him? or what may be done for such an one, who hath all in himself? This temper ⟨p. 168⟩is not only at a vast distance from Christ, but it carries in it an utter enmity to him; when it speaks out, it blasphemes in some such language, as that Pagan did, who cried out,¹ Jam benè vivo, quid mihi necessarius est Christus? I live well of my self; how is Christ necessary to me? But as soon as Faith comes, a man reflects and sees nothing in natural self, but poverty, emptiness, impotency, uncleanness, perdition; he looks up to Christ, and sees all riches, fullness, power, sanctity, salvation to be in him; he humbles himself as knowing his dependence; he puts off his Ornaments, that Christ may do somewhat for him; he goes down into his own nothingness and desolate self-waiting, to have some Communications of Grace from Christ: this is the right posture of the soul. Poverty here looks up to unsearchable riches. Emptiness opens the heart for the effusions of grace. Conscience cries out to be cooled with the blood of atonement. Impotence waits for the arm of a Saviour to be revealed. Nothingness calls for a new Creation to be erected upon the ruins of a lapsed nature. All things are ready for Christ to show forth his Glory in the Believer.

In general, it doth this by making us poor in spirit: A natural man, though a fallen creature, is very high; in his own eyes he is as well as if he had had no bruise at all in the fall; as rich, as if nothing of mans Primitive excellency were lost; he dreams and flatters himself, as if his reason could span all Mysteries, and his will teem out all Virtues; he stands upon his own bottom, and wraps up himself in his own false Righteousness; he is every way full, and wants nothing; compleat in himself, and knows no dependance. And why should such an one go to Christ, or seek Union with him? or what may be done for such an one, who hath all in himself? This temper