for GOD, or fanctified; and hath no more any union with the firft Adam, as his covenant head, but with the fecond only, whofe Spirit he partakes of, and from whom alfo he derives all his new princrinciples and influences to ferve GoD according to his will. Whilft he continued in the Olive-trée, which is wild by nature, he brought forth wild olives only, that is, finful and unprofitable words and works; but being by grace taken out of the wild olive-tree, and grafted, contrary to nature, into the good olive-tree, he by union with it, and growing in it, partakes of its nature and fatnefs, and fo brings forth fruit unto God-This feparation of the believer then is abfolutely neceffary, that he may have communion with GOD, and be able to live to his glory: For a man must be in CHRIST, the fecond Adam, before he can have the Spirit of CHRIST; and if any be in Chrift, he is a new

creature.

Thus a Chriftian's fanctification is divinely and favingly begun, by his being feparated from the firft Adam, and grafted into CHRIST; that, the union being changed, there may be a change of ftate and condition, as alfo of heart and life.

Now this fetting apart of a finner for God is not without his being sprinkled with blood, even the : blood of CHRIST, and the washing of regeneration,

by

by the HOLY GHOST; of which the fetting apart, or fanctification of the Temple and its veffels under the law, by water and the blood of beafts fprinkled thereon, was a type and figure. Therefore alfo the believer who is thus fanctified, is separated from the curfe of the law, and from the dominion of fin and Satan: and hence it appears that the chriftian is united unto CHRIST, who by his blood hath purged our fins, by his death hath flain Satan, and in him alfo dwells the Holy Ghoft without measure, from whom the Spirit defcends upon all that are united to him.- -Thofe then that are Chriftians are truly, tho' not perfectly fanctified; for they are feparated unto God from that ftate and course of life which is accurfed of GOD, and common to the world; wherein they themselves alfo once li ved: But they are now fanctified by the blood and Spirit of CHRIST, that they fhould no more live unto themselves, as thofe that are of the world, who know not GOD; but unto him that died for them, and rofe again. Wherefore he faith, benceforth know we no man after the flesh.

A man indeed may be perfonally feparated unto a divine office, to ferve God therein, as were many of the priests under the law, without his being fpiritually and morally changed in heart and life; but a man cannot be feparated unto GoD, from his

natural

natural ftate and condition, without being changed and purified in heart and behaviour.-Yet the condition and qualities of a believer's body, or mortal fefb, are not changed and purified by this divine feparation, but remain as to ftate and difpofition the very fame as before his engrafting into CHRIST; and therefore this union betwixt CHRIST and believers, who are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones, must be an actual and vital union in Spirit only: And that there is fuch an union fubfifting betwixt CHRIST and the believer's rational foul, thro' the Holy Ghoft, can. not be doubted; for he that is joined to the Lord is one Spirit. For the fame Holy Spirit which dwells in CHRIST the head without measure, dwells alfo in all his members; for if any man have not the Spirit of Chrift, he is none of his.

I reckon therefore that this divine feparation, or fanctification of the children of GoD, is begun, and firft takes place in their immortal fpirits, which by nature are guilty and defiled, dead in trefpaffes and fins; and therefore to believers he faith, ye bave purified your fouls in obeying the truth thro' the Spirit: And again he faith, abstain from fleshly lufts which war against the foul; whereby he plainly fhews, that the ftate and difpofition of the fouls and bodies of believers are in direct oppofition,

and

and contrary to each other: but by nature, when the whole man remained in its carnal, unregenerate ftate, it was not fo; for then their very mind and confcience was defiled. But when by grace the foul is united unto CHRIST and purified, and the body is yet left to continue a while longer in its depraved and corruptible condition, there must needs be ftrife and war betwixt them. Wherefore he faith, in me (that is, in my flesh) dwelleth no good thing: Here the Apostle exprefly diftinguifheth between his flesh, which was full of fin, and his rational foul, which was quickened and purified; and that this was his meaning, is plain from what follows; for I delight, faith he, in the law of God after the inward man ; but I find another law in my members warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of fin, which is in my members. But this captivity cannot mean his living in the practice of fin, for that he abhorred; but as a person who is overpowered, and taken captive in war, fore against his will, is not reckoned a rebel, but a true and faithful fubject, as well after as before his captivity, altho' he cannot do his fovereign the fervice that he would; fo a believer, by furprize, or thro' weakness, is liable to be captivated, and brought into bondage in his own fpirit, thro' the contrary lufting, deceit, and power of indwelling fin, which is in his members, and wars

against

against his regenerate foul. The inner man, or mind of a believer, as renewed and united unto CHRIST, cannot fin, because he is born of GOD, and hath CHRIST dwelling in his heart by faith; but as to his unrenewed flesh, which hath nothing but earthly and worldly lufts dwelling in it, he cannot but incline to fin; and thereby in many things we all offend: Wherefore he faith, with my mind I ferve the law of God, but with the flesh the law of fin.

The foul of a believer therefore is properly and actually fanctifyed in this Life; for the grace of GOD, which is given to us thro'JESUS CHRIST, must needs have some proper fubject and place to dwell in; and this the Scripture abundantly and exprefly declares to be the foul of man, even of him that believeth on JESUS: As, on the contrary, fin also must have some suitable abode, and dwelling place in the perfon of a Chriftian; for if we Say that we have no fin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us; and this place of fin's abode the Scripture declares is our mortal flesh, that is, the body: Wherefore he faith, If Christ be in you, the body is dead because of fin, but the fpirit is life because of righteoufnefs. For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die, but if ye, thro' the Spirit, do mortify the deeds of the body, ye fhall live: And

again