7. The sinner's ways are not God's ways, nor his thoughts God's thoughts; which shews the necessity of being turned into God's ways, and of having the thoughts of the heart changed, before this union can take place. "Can two walk together except they be agreed?"

8. The sinner must be self-emptied, and come to the Saviour poor in spirit, and with a spiritual appetite, before he can close in with the Lord; for, He filleth the hungry with good things, but he sends the rich empty away.

9. The sinner is wise in his own conceit, but God takes the wise in their own craftiness. This shews the need of being convinced of our ignorance. "If any man will be wise, let him become a fool that he may be wise;" for "God hath chosen the foolish of this world to confound the wise."

10. The sinner must be sensible of his own weakness. "Strong men shall utterly fall;" but God "giveth power to the faint, and to them that have no might he increaseth strength."

11. A teachable temper, and a softened spirit, is required in the sinner that is brought near to the great Prophet of the church; for all God's children shall be taught of him. But it is the meek that he will guide in judgment, the meek will he teach his way.

12. The carnal mind must be renewed, and weaned from its natural worldly mindedness; for to be carnally minded is death; but the soul that

is brought into this union must have the mind of Christ.

13. There must be a feeling sense of condemnation for the want of righteousness. God justifies the ungodly. The best robe will never be thankfully received, till the sinner is convinced of his own nakedness. Christ receives his spouse in the wedding garment that he has provided; it is them that hunger and thirst after righteousness that shall be filled.

14. There can be no union between persons, unless there be some knowledge of each other, either by personal interview or by report. And so in this union. "They shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest of them;" and this is done by believing the gospel report, and by the manifestation of Christ to the soul. "I will manifest myself to them which thou hast given me out of the world."

15. There must be mutual affections where there is real union. Enemies can never find unity of the spirit; for this God has made provision also. "I have loved thee with an everlasting love, and therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee."

The different impressions and motions of the soul under the influence of the ever blessed Spirit, in bringing about and effecting this union, are three; divine sensations, heavenly motions, and supernatural affections. Divine sensations give

the first spring. Inward troubles about salvation render every human comforter a physician of no value; this, under the Spirit's influence, drives the thoughts from earth to heaven. "I thought upon God and was troubled."

2. Earnest anxiety, which is divine motion, as inward trouble abounds. "With my soul have I desired thee in the night, yea, with my spirit within me will I seek thee early."

3. A longing eye fixed, and affections going out after him, in whom help is expected. "A man shall look to his Maker, and have respect to the Holy One of Israel."

4. A feeble confidence of succeeding in the earnest pursuit. "I will arise, and go to my Father." And we know that "he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of all them that diligently seek him."

5. A real sense of the need of a superabounding power to incline the heart. "Turn thou me, and

I shall be turned."

6. A sense of natural reluctance, and of the need of divine attraction.

will run after thee."

"Draw me, and we

7. The insufficiency of all human aid. "Refuge failed me; no man cared for my soul. I cried unto thee, O Lord, I said, thou art my refuge and my portion."

8. A cutting disappointment in all human succour. All is vanity and vexation of soul; then

better relief is sought. "As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God."

I now come to touch upon the scriptural description of this ever blessed union; and, first, it is compared to the union that subsists between the foundation of a building and its superstructure. "For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ." "Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light." This union between a foundation and building is a supportive union, and shews how all the intolerable load was laid on the Saviour. The foundation is that which bears the burden of the whole fabric. And indeed the Saviour of men bore the whole weight of our sins, the weight of God's wrath, of the law's requirements, of the infinite demands of justice, and of our infirmites also; yea, himself took our sicknesses; and ever since the government of his kingdom has stood upon his shoulders; while all the cares of his family, and all their burdens, all their infirmities, together with all their failings, short comings, imperfections, and backslidings, have been cast upon him. "Thou hast made me to serve with thy sins, thou hast wearied me with thy iniquities." And what follows? "I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy transgressions, for mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins," Isaiah xliii. 25. Hence we

see how every part of the weight of the whole building of mercy, in the ancient purpose of God, in the execution of that purpose, in the administrations of grace, in the reception of the saints, and in bearing them with all their helplessness all their days, was laid upon Christ, as it is written, I am he that bear thee from the belly, yea, from the womb, and to your old age I am he; and even to hoary hairs will I carry you, Isaiah xlvi. 3, 4. This foundation bore every part of the load, even from the ancient settlements in eternity to the delivering up the kingdom to the Father in everlasting glory. Hence he is called a tried stone, a sure foundation, elect and precious; and to them that believe he is precious indeed.

This union is compared to the union that subsists between the head and the members of the human body. The discerning Christian is called the eye, the attentive and careful soul the ear, the diligent saint the foot, the communicative saint the mouth, the savoury saint the nose, the liberal soul the hand. Each of these are the particular members of Christ, and the whole collectively are his mystical body. "For the body is not one member, but many. If the foot shall say, Because I am not the hand, I am not of the body is it therefore not of the body? And, if the ear shall say, Because I am not the eye, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body? If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where were the smell