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…

Let none say here (as some do) that we have union to Christ, first by the Spirit, without faith, in order going before faith: For understanding of which, let us a little consider of our union unto Christ; Our union to Christ is not by the essential presence of the Spirit, for that is in every man, as the God-head is every where, in whom we live and move. This is common to the most wicked ⟨p. 111⟩man, nay to the vilest creature in the world. Hence it follows that our union is by some act of the Spirit peculiar to the elect (who only shall have communion with Christ) working some real change in the soul, (for of real, not relative union I now speak) this act cannot be those first acts of the spirit of bondage, (for they are common unto reprobates) they are therefore such acts as are essential unto the nature of union. Now look as disunion, is the disjunction or separation of divers things one from another; so union is the conjunction or joining of them together, that were before severed. Hence that act of the Spirit in uniting us to Christ, can be nothing else but the bringing back the soul unto Christ, or the conjunction of the soul unto Christ, and into Christ, by bringing it back to him, that before this lay like a dry bone in the valley separated from him. Thus 1 Cor. 6.17. He that is joined, or (as the word signifies) glued to the Lord, is one spirit with him. The Spirit therefore brings us to the Lord Christ, and so we are in him. Now the coming of the soul to Christ, what is it but faith? John 6.35. Our union therefore is by faith, not without it: for by it only we that were once separated from him by sin, and especially by unbelief, Heb. 3.12. are now come not only unto him, as iron unto the load-stone, John 6.37. ⟨p. 112⟩out (which is most near) into him, as branches into the vine, & so grow one with him; and hence those phrases in Scripture, to believe in Christ, or into Christ. I speak not this as if we were united to Christ without the Spirit on his part; (for the conjunction of things severed must be mutual, if it be firm) I only show that we are not united before faith by the Spirit unto Christ; but that we are by faith (wrought by the Spirit) whereby on our part we are first conjoined unto him; and then on his part he by the person of the Spirit is most wonderfully united unto us. The Spirit puts forth variety of acts in the soul;