5o$ Ephefians, Chap.q., V E a.i6. Do. Chrift is the beginner and encreafer of our grace. Chrift wor- kerh grace in us. As God. As man. z Peti. Yfer. nourifh and encreafe every beleever according tohis condition, to the end that all ofusat lengthmay come tohis perfection. Thewords therefore defcribe Chriftour Head from this effecì of augmenting his body : The effedofourencreafe is fet downe, a. From the antecedents. z. From the meafure. 3. From the end. I. Theantecedents are two: a. Wemuff have conjunction with Chrift, and one with ano. ther, all thebody knit, &c. z . We muff have fpirituall nutriment ofgrace from Chrift. This is tobe marked in that he faith joynts offurniture,kmt by ioynts; that furnifheth the body with new fupplyofgrace : for before the naturali body canbe increafed, it muff be furnifhcd : So before the fpirituall man is increafed, it is coupled and furnifhed, asyou have ir, Col. 2.2. 2. Themeafure ofincreafe is fet down in thefe words, according to the effeíluallpower in the meafure ofevery part. 3. The end in rhofe words, to the edifyingofit[eelfein love ; that it may thus come, yea help it felle forward to perfection. a. Then from this that by Chrift we are laid to receive increafe s obferves Who is thebeginner and increaír of all grace in us, even lefus Chrifl; as heis faid, Heb. 22.2. the Author and finifhtr offaith, fo he is of every grace,the beginnerand augmenter ofit in us,hc isthehead, we themembers, he is the vine, weare the branches, all ourlife and growth commeth from him. For thebetter clearingof this, we will Phew 3. things. a. How Chrift is a quickning head. z. What this encreafeis. 3, The Ufe. To the i. is anfwered, we muff conceive of Chrift the workerof this life of graceand encreafer of ir, as God and man. r As Godhe is the fountaineof life, the quickening Spirit that dotti create it in us. z. As man he doth giveand encreafe grace inftrumen- tally, he being to himfelfe God, fuch an inftrument as the body is foul to the. a. Becaufe he hathgivenhimfelfe a facrifice of afweete finel- ling favour for the abolifhingof finne anddeath. z. Becaufe heas manmaketh intereeffion, procuring it to us. 3. He as man dothby minifterieofmenexhibit ir. 4. Becaufe we come to have communion with God through the humane nature in which he tooke part with us. For if God werenotImmanuel, God made manifeft in the flefh, he were a light to whichwe could have no aceeffe. - 2. For the 2. This increafe is nothing but a further degree and ftrengthening of the divinequality in us, ornature as Peter callsit. Now fceingour encrcafeis fromChrift, it mull teach us to be no- thing
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