A77358:248
The works of William Bridge, sometime fellow of Emmanuel College in Cambridge, now preacher…The vvorks of William Bridge, sometime fellow of Emmanuel Colledge in Cambridge, now preacher…
The works of William Bridge, sometime fellow of Emmanuel College in Cambridge, now preacher of the Word of God at Yarmouth. The third volume. [sic] Viz. 1. The spiritual life, and in-being of Christ in all believers. 2. The woman of Canaan.The vvorks of William Bridge, sometime fellow of Emmanuel Colledge in Cambridge, now preacher of the Word of God at Yarmouth. The third volumn. [sic] Viz. 1. The spiritual life, and in-being of Christ in all believers. 2. The woman of Canaan.
London: printed by Peter Cole, 1649
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
First of all, You must-know, That though Christ be really united unto each Believer, yet this Unition, or Union is a Voluntary act, and not a Natural act, and so Christ may Unite himself unto the soul, so far as it pleases himself: It is not a Natural act, but a Voluntary act; and being an act wherein he is free, he may Unite himself unto the soul, so far as he pleases, and no farther. Now the Lord Jesus Christ, hath not united himself so far unto the soul of a Believer, that a Believer should say, I am Christ, and I am the Spirit: for, then a Believer were to be Worshipped as well as Christ, if he were Christ.
First of all, You must-know, That though Christ be really united unto each Beleever, yet this Unition, or Union is a Voluntary act, and not a Natural act, and so Christ may Unite himself unto the soul, so far as it pleases himself: It is not a Natural act, but a Voluntary act; and being an act wherein he is free, he may Unite himself unto the soul, so far as he pleases, and no farther. Now the Lord Jesus Christ, hath not united himself so far unto the soul of a Beleever, that a Beleever should say, I am Christ, and I am the Spirit: for, then a Beleever were to be Worshipped as well as Christ, if he were Christ.
Secondly. You must know this, That there is a great-deal of difference, between joining unto another, by way of Contact, or Touching; and joining unto another, by way of Composition. As for Example, The Sea and the Land, they are joined together, they are united: but how? not by way of Composition, but by way of Contact; the Sea touches the Land, & the Land touches the Sea: yet the Land cannot say, I am the Sea; nor the Sea cannot say, I am the Land: Why? because it is an Union only by Contact, by Touching, and not by Composition, one being compounded of the other. So the Union that is between Christ and a Believer, it is by way of Spiritual Contact; Christ touching the soul by his Spirit; and the soul touching Christ by faith. I say, it is a Union by way of Spiritual Contact, and Touching; and not by Composition; and therefore a Believer cannot say, that I am Christ, and I am the Spirit.