cannot be dissolved, and cannot be
barren and unfruitful, then certainly the Spirit of the Father which is
given to Christ beyond measure, must effectually work in every member,
till it bring them to "the unity of the faith," and, "to the measure of
the perfect man, which is the fulness of Christ." So then every believing
soul is one with the Father as Christ is one, because he is the head and
they the members, and the day is coming that all the members shall be
perfectly united to the head Christ and grow up to the perfect man, which
is "the stature of Christ's fulness." "And then shall we all be made
perfect in one," we shall be one as he is one, because he and we are one
perfect man, head and members.

Now, to what purpose is all this spoken? I fear, it doth not stir up in
our souls a desire after such a blessed life. Whose heart would not be
moved at the sound of such words? "Our fellowship is with the Father and
with his Son." We are made perfect, he in us, and we in him. Certainly,
that soul is void of the life of God that doth not find some sparkle of
holy ambition kindled within, after such a glorious and blessed condition!
But these things savour not, and taste not to the most part, "the natural
man knoweth them not, for they are spiritually discerned." How lamentable
is it, that Christ is come to restore us to our lost blessedness, and yet
no man almost considers it or lays it to heart! O how miserable,--twice
miserable--is that soul that doth not draw near to God in Christ, when God
hath come so near to us in Christ, that goes a whoring after the lust of
the eyes and flesh, and after the imaginations of their own heart, and
will not be guided by Christ, the way and life, to glory! "Thou shalt
destroy them, O Lord," Psal. lxxiii. 27. All men are afar off from God,
from the womb behold, we may have access to God in Christ. Wo to them that
are yet afar off, and will not draw near, "they shall all perish." "I
exhort you to consider what you are doing the most part of you are going
away from God, you were born far off, and you will yet go farther, know
what you will meet with in that way,--destruction."

You have never yet asked in earnest, For what purpose you came into the
world? What wonder ye wander and walk at random, seeing ye have not
proposed to yourselves any certain scope and aim! It is great folly, you
would not be so foolish in any petty business, but O how foolish men are
in the main business! "The l