The sound believer, or, A treatise of evangelical conversion discovering the work of Christs…The sound beleever, or, A treatise of evangelicall conversion discovering the work of Christs…

Whether doth not the work of union unto Christ,¹ go before our communion with Christ? I suppose tis undeniable, that union must be before communion; and that union to Christ is a work of grace as peculiar to the elect, as communion with him. Now justification and sanctification are two parts of our communion with him, and follow our union, Rom. 8.1. Our union therefore must be before these, of which there are two parts, or rather two things on our part, necessarily required to it: 1. Cutting off from the wild olive tree, the old Adam; 2. Implanting into the good olive tree, the second Adam. The first must go before the second; for where there is perfect resistance, there can be no perfect union. But take a man growing upon his old root of nature, there is nothing but perfect resistance, Rom. 8.7. and therefore that resistance must first be taken away, before the Lord draw the soul to Christ, and by faith implant it into Christ. In a word, I see not how a man can wholly ⟨p. 102⟩resist God and Christ, and yet be united unto him at the same instant: and therefore the one (in order of nature at least) goes before the other: and therefore let any man living prove his union to Christ, and to his lust also, if he can. You will believe in Christ, many of you, and yet you will have your whores, and cups, and lusts, and pride, and world too, and oppose all the means that would have you from these also. I tell you, you shall find one day how miserably deceived you have been herein. You cannot serve God and Mammon. How can ye believe, saith Christ, John 5.44. that seek honour one of another? If you can have Christ, and be ambitious too, take him; but how can you believe till the Lord hath broken you off from thence?

Whether doth not the work of union unto Christ,¹ goe before our communion with Christ? I suppose tis undenyable, that union must be before communion; and that union to Christ is a work of grace as peculiar to the elect, as communion with him. Now justification and sanctification are two parts of our communion with him, and follow our union,