place at a time; but this Chrift is the Eternal Word, and Son of the living God, the Power, Wifdom, and Righteoufnefs of God, and the true God, and Eternal life. This is the Chrift that lived in Paul, and lives in every believer.

Now if we rightly understand this point, we may learn from it many excellent things.

And firft we may perceive the mistake of thofe who look for all the life of Chrift in that humanity which was born of the Virgin, whereas Chrift truly lived in Paul, and lives in all the faithful, and his very life is to be feen in them, as the life of the Soul is not confined to the Head, but difperfes it felf through all the Members, and is manifest in them in measure, as in the head in fulness.

2. We may learn that Chrift in a believer, is to him instead of all created habits of Grace. Christ who is the true God, is all in all in a Chriftian; and fo a Chriftian partakes of that righteousness which is Chrift; of that wisdom, which is Chrift; of that power, truth, goodness, &c. Which is Chrift; and Chrift that dwells in Believers, is truly all grace to them. And herein they are like unto Chrifts humanity, unto whom the fulness of the Godhead that dwelt in him, was instead of all created Grace. Wherefore let us know, that the created habits of grace in a Chriftian, which the Schoolmen have invented and taught, and others have received from them, are nothing but the empty notions, and vain fpeculations of carnal and unbelieving hearts, ignorant of the true Myftery of the Gospel. For Chrift that lives in a Believer, is all Grace to him; and thus the Apostle Paul exprefly teacheth, in 1 Cor. 1. 30. where fpeaking of Chrift, he faith, He is made unto us of God, Wisdom, Righteousness, Sanctification, and Redemption; and fo a Chriftian hath that Wisdom, RighZ teousness,

teoufnefs, &c. which is Chrift himself. And this grace which is Chrift himself, is infinitely more high and holy, than all created habits of grace, and this is the only grace that is acceptable to God, and that makes us accepted in it felf; and this is the only grace against which the gates of hell cannot prevail; and the only grace that can make us meet for the Fathers Kingdom. And thus you fee that Chrift that lives in a Believer, is all grace in him, and all-fufficient grace for him.

3. If Chrift live in Believers, then certainly what ever Evils, and Tribulations, and Perfecutions are brought upon Believers, by the World, and the falfe Church for the word of Faith, they are brought upon Chrift himself, and Christ himself is ftill perfecuted in the Flesh throughout all Ages and Generations; and the Faithful in all Ages are filling up the remainders of the Sufferings of Chrift in his Body. For Believers have all along fuffered, and do ftill fuffer from the World, because God is in them of a truth; and the evil done to them, is against God himself, who dwells in them. And against this Rock have all the Unbelievers dash'd themselves in pieces all along.

4. Chrift who lives in Believers, lives in them like himself, that is, like the Son of the living God, and fo thofe in whom he lives.

1. He frees them from their own evil things, and

2. He conferrs upon them all his own good things.

1. He frees them from their evil things: And in reference to thefe, he lives in them as their Redeemer and Saviour; and fo Chrift within them abolishes the Law, takes away Sin, and deftroys Death; for none of these things can dwell in his prefence, in that Soul wherein he lives. For he is

our

our new Law, to make void the Old; and he is our new Righteousness to take away Sin; and our new Life, to destroy Death; and the Law, Sin, and Death can have no place nor power where Chrift our new Law, Righteousness, and Life dwells and lives.

2. Christ living in Believers, conferrs upon them his own good things: For Chrift the Son of God hath nothing in himself, that is, in his Divine Nature, which he will not communicate to our Flesh, as he hath done to his own, according to our place and ufe in his Body; and fo he communicates to i all thofe in whom he dwells, of all the things of God, till at laft he fill them with all the fulness of God. And thus is Chrift glorified in his Saints, and admired in them that believe.

5. If it be Chrift the true God that lives in Believers, then we learn hence what true Juftification is; and that is, to be fo one with Christ by Faith, that Chrift himself may live in us, and we in him; that he may communicate his nature to us, and our nature may be taken up into his; for we cannot be juftified before God by our own living, but by Chrifts living in us his own life; and his righteoufnefs, which is the righteoufnefs of God, must dwell in us, e'er we can be justified before God.

Laftly, feeing Chrift himself lives in all true Believers, let us all who profefs our selves to be such, fo live, that Chrift may be feen to live in us, more than our felves; that they that have known us, máy know us no more, but may know Chrift in us; and that they that have Communion with us, may acknowledge Chrift himself fpeaking, working, and living his whole life in us, in all felfdenial, humility, holiness, love, refignation of our felves to the will of God, and in all diligence to do the work of God, and readiness to suffer the

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the will of God: For thus Chrift lived in his own Flesh, and thus alfo he will certainly live in ours, if he live there at all; and when Chrift lives in our Flesh, as he did in his own, fomething of his glory will be feen upon us.

Now fuch a Chriftian in whom Chrift lives, and he lives not in himself, how aimable would he be in the Spiritual Church? But how unlike would he be to all the men in the World, yea, to the most Profeffors, in that which is called the visible Church, but I proceed to that which follows.

And the life I live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God.

And here note in the first place, That Paul fometimes faith, Chrift lives in him, and sometimes that he lives; I live, faith he; yet not I, but Chrift lives in me; and again, The life I live. The life I live (faith he) of that very life which Chrift Lived in him. All which fhows the near Union and Communion between Chrift and a Believer; Chrift and a true Chriftian being fo much one, that what the one doth, the other may truly be faid to do.

So that as God and Christ were so united, that the very works of God in Chrift, fometimes were attributed to God, and fometimes to Chrift, (as is manifeft in divers places in the Gospel) and it made no difference whether they were attributed to God in Christ, or to Christ in God. Just so it is betwixt Chrift and Believers, who are as nearly united as God and Chrift, as Chrift himself (whom we may fafely believe) affirms in Joh. 14. 20. faying, In that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you.

In that day, that is, when the Spirit is given, and comes into the heart, which makes the true Lords-day in a Believer; in that day when the Spirit is the light whereby we fee and know aright

all

all the things of God; in that Day, ye shall know this great Mystery, which the World and the Worldly Church cannot know, but will be greatly offended at it, when they hear it; to wit, that I am in my Father, and you in me, and Iin you. And in John 17. 21. Chrift who was heard in all things, in his laft folemn Prayer for his Elect Church, in the days of his Flesh, intreats his Father, that this may be accomplished in all the Believers; praying that they all may be one, as thou Father art in me, and I in thee; that they also may be one in us. From which Scriptures we may fee and perceive, that as Chrift is in the Father, and the Father in Him, fo Believers are in Chrift, and Chrift in Them And hereupon, the Works of Believers are fometimes attributed to Chrift, and fometimes to them; and it is no matter, whether they be attributed to Chrift in them, or to them in Chrift; feeing it is Chrift in Believers that is all, and doth all, and hath the glory of all.

Now this Ufe, we who are Believers, may Use. make of this; to wit, that it is our Duty fo to live in Chrift, that every part of our Life may be attributed to him, and may be fuch, that Christ may not be afhamed to own it, but that it may be a praise to Chrift, he doing all in us, and we doing nothing but in him, and of him, and for him.

And the life I live (ir cap) in the flesh.

This Paul fpeaks, to fhew that the life he lived after he was a Believer, was not out of the fefb in the Religion of Angels, in ftrange Raptures and Revelations, and in high and wonderful things above himself, but that the life he lived in Chrift, and Chrift lived in him, was in the flesh (that is) in his humane foul and body. There are a fort of People (which also have been Profeffors of the Gospel)

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