And the resemblance between the mystical and the personal union. In the hypostatical union, our nature is united with Christ's nature; in the mystical union, our person with his person. In the hypo- statical union, Christ matched into our family ; in the mystical union, the soul is the bride. It is an honour to the whole kindred when a great person matcheth into their line and family, but more to the virgin who is chosen and set apart for his bride. Thus Christ first honoured our nature, and then our persons ; first he assumeth our nature, and then espouseth our persons. In the hypostatical union, two diverse substances are united into one person ; in the mystical union, many pei'sons are united into one body. In the hypostatical union, Christ was a person before he assumed the human nature ; the body is a passive instrument, &c. ; in the mystical union, on Christ's
36 SERMONS UPON JOHN XVII. [SeR. XXXVI.
part active, on ours passive. Christ is in us, in that he liveth in us, governeth us, maketh us partakers of his righteousness, Hfe and spirit; we are in him, as branches in the tree, rays in the sun, rivers in the fountain. The divine nature is a person by itself, and can subsist of itself; the other is only taken into the communion of his person. The human nature communicates nothing to the divine, but only serveth it as an instrument ; so we communicate nothing to Christ, but receive all from him. Both are wrought by the Spirit ; the body natural of Christ was begotten by the overshadowing of the Holy Ghost, so this union is wrought by God's Spirit. By the first, Christ is bone of our bone and flesh of our flesh ; by the second, we are bone of his bone and flesh of his flesh ; there cometh in the kindred by grace: Heb. ii. 11, 'For both he that sanctifieth and they that are sanctified are all of one ; for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren.' He is of the same stock with all men, but he calleth none brethren but those that are sanctified ; none else can claim kindred of Christ, he will own no others. The hypostatical union is indissoluble; it was never laid aside, not in death ; it was the Lord of glory that was crucified, it was the body of Christ in the grave. So it is in the mystical union ; Christ and we shall never be parted. In death, the union is dissolved between the body and the soul, but not between us and Christ ; our dust and bones are members of Christ. In the hypo- statical union, the natures are not equal ; the human nature is but a creature, though advanced to the highest privileges that a creature is capable of ; the divine nature assumed the human by a voluntary condescension and gracious dispensation ; and being assumed, it always upholdeth it and sustaineth it ; so there is a mighty difierence between us and Christ, between the persons united. Cln-ist, as head and prince, is pleased to call us into communion with himself, and to sustain us, being united. In the hypostatical union, the human nature can do nothing apart from the divine ; no more can we out of Christ : John XV. 5, ' I am the vine, ye are the branches ; he that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit ; for without me ye can do nothing.' In the hypostatical union, God dwelleth in Christ aw/xaTLKM';, Col. ii. 9, ' In him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.' In the mystical union, God dwelleth in us TTvevfMartKM'i, 1 John iv. 4, ' Greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.' The hypostatical union is the ground of all that grace and glory that was bestowed on the human nature, without which, as a mere creature, it would not be capable of this exaltation ; so the mystical union is the ground of all that grace and glory which we receive. By the hypostatical union, Christ is made our brother, he contracted aflinity with the human nature ; by the mystical union he is made our head and husband, he weddeth our persons. As by the hypostatical union there is a communion of properties, so here is a kind of exchange between us and Christ : 2 Cor. v. 21 , ' For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.' As the honour of the divinity redouudeth to the human nature, so we have a communion of all those good things which are in Christ.
Use 1. Let us strive to imitate the Trinity in our respects both to the
VeB. 21.] SERMONS UPON JOHN XVII. 37
head and our fellow-members, that you may neither dishonour the head nor dissolve the union between the members. Christ useth tliis expression to draw us up to the highest and closest union with him- self and one another.
1. In your respects to the head.
[1.] Let your union with him be more close and sensible, that you may lie in the bosom of Christ, as Christ doth in the bosom of God. Is Christ in us as God is in Christ ? are we made partakers of the divine nature as he is of ours ? that you may say to him, as Laban to Jacob, Gen. xxix. 14, ' Surely thou art my bone and my flesh ; ' that you may feel Christ in you : Gal. ii. 20, ' I am crucified with Christ : neverthe- less I live, yet not I, but Christ liveth in me, and the life which I live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.' This mystery is not only to be believed, but felt.