Boston - BT700 B7 1769

:240 · Sanflijication. State Ilf. foul was re-united to his body, every member of that blef– ,\ fed body was enabled again to perform the ·aClions of life : · fo the foul being influenced by the fanClifying Spirit of Chrifl:,'is enabled more and more to per form all the atl:ions .of fpiritual life. And as the whole of the law, and not fome fc.raps of it only, is written on the holy heart; fo be– lievers are enabled to tranfcribe ·th~t law in· their converfa– tion. And though they cannot write one line of it without ' .blots; yet G~d, for Chrill'~ fake, accepts of their perform– ance$, in point of fanctification ; they beil)g difciples to his own Son, and led by his own Spirit. 1 This faoClifyiqg Spirit; communicate by the Lord Jefu$ ' · to b.is members, is the fpiritual nonrifhment the branches ~~ ~ave from the flock into which they are ingrafted ; where- '. by the life of grace given them in regeneration is prefery.: ed, cor.ainued and actuated. It is .the nourifhment whereby the new creature liveth, and is nourifhed up towards per- _ fetlioo. Sp'irituallife need·s to oe fed, and muft have fupply . of nouri!hment; and believers derive the fame frorn Chrift: their head, whom the Father has coofiituted the head of influences to all his members, C?!. ii. 1 9· And not haldil;g the head, from rwhich all th:: body b)' jointJ and bandJ hav– ing nou.rifhment min~fired, or fupplied, ' &c. Npw"' this fupply is thejupply if the fpirit of]efuJ Chr ifl, Phil.i. 19. The faints feed richly, eat~ng Chrijl'1 jlifh -r;nd drid.ing f;i.r hlriod, fo r their fpiritual nourifhmeot: yet our Lord himfelf teacheth .us, that it iJ thefpirit that qui~.teneth, even that Spirit who dwells in that bldfed body, John vi. 63. The human nature is united to the divine nature, in the perfon of the Son, and fo (like the borwl in Zechariah-'s candleftick, Zed . iv.) lies at thefquntain head, as the glorious means of conveyance of influences, from the fountain ?f the Deity ; and receives not the Spirit by'meafure, but ever hath ~ ful~ nefs of the Spirit by reafon of t!' at perfonal.union. fience , believers bei_ng .uni ted to the man Chrif~, (as the fo'ven lamp.r to the ho·wl by their ftven pipe!,' Zech. iv. 2.) his flejh is .to · them meat in'deed, and his hloQddrink indeed: for, feeding on that ·bleffed body, (i.e. effeCtually.applving Chrifl to their fouls by fai1:h) they partake more .and more of rbat. fpir·it, 'who dwelleth therein, to their fpiritual nouri/hment. The holinefs of God could o.ever ad-mit Qf an immediate union ' . with

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