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

4thly. There is by faith more than a mere right to Christ; there is an intimate union with him; believers are built upon him as a foundation, inserted into him as a Vine, incorporated with him as an Head. To understand which of a mere right, is utterly to evacuate these Metaphors, which were planted in Scripture on purpose to signify a very near union with him. It is said in Scripture, That we are in him, and he is in us. We dwell in him, and he dwells in us. We abide in him, and he abides in us. To interpret these phrases of a mere right, as if all the meaning were but this: We have a right to him, and he hath a right to us; is to dispirit those expressions, which do as Emphatically speak a very near union, as any words can possibly do. No man ever used such words to express a right; no man can use higher to express an union. In those phrases therefore we have an intimate union set forth unto us; so also we have in that of the Apostle, We are made partakers of Christ, Heb. 3.14. Not merely of his benefits, but of himself. When the same Apostle would set forth the Hypostatical ⟨p. 174⟩union of our nature to Christ, he saith, That [Greek or Hebrew], he did partake of our flesh and blood, Heb. 2.14. When in this place he would set forth the Mystical union of believers to him, he saith, That we are [Greek or Hebrew], partakers of him; we do in a sort possess him, we partake of him as members do of their head. His satisfaction reaches down to us, to make us stand before God; his Spirit is communicated to us, to make us a fit Temple for himself. By faith we come to be in intimate union with him, and in a spiritual manner possessed of him.

4thly. There is by faith more than a meer right to Christ; there is an intimate union with him; believers are built upon him as a foundation, inserted into him as a Vine, incorporated with him as an Head. To understand which of a meer right, is utterly to evacuate these Metaphors, which were planted in Scripture on purpose to signifie a very near union with him. It is said in Scripture, That we are in him, and he is in us. We dwell in him, and he dwells in us. We abide in him, and he abides in us. To interpret these phrases of a meer right, as if all the meaning were but this: We have a right to him, and he hath a right to us; is to dispirit those expressions, which do as Emphatically speak a very near union, as any words can possibly do. No man ever used such words to express a right; no man can use higher to express an union. In those phrases therefore we have an intimate union set forth unto us; so also we have in that of the Apostle, We are made partakers of Christ,