TlireS. IIT. Of SanEijficaticn. $g virtue from the vine, John. xv. 4, .5. 5. As the wife bringeth forth fruit by virtue of her conjugal union with her hufband, Rom. vii. 4. 6. As ftones become an holy temple, by being built upon the foundation, and joined with the chief 'corner- flone, t Peter ii. 4, 5, 6. 7. As we receive the nourishing virtue of bread, by eating it, and of wine, by drinking it, John vi. 51, 55, s7. which làft refemblance is ufed to feal to us our communion withChrift in the Lord's Supper. Here are feven refembiances. instanced, whereof forne do illuftrate the myllery fpoken of more fully than others: all of therm do forne way intimate, that our new life and holy nattire are firft in Chrift, and then in us, by a true proper union and fellowthip with him. If any fhould urge, that the fimilitude of Adam and his feed, and of married couples, do make rather for a relative than a real union, betwixt Chrift and us; let them confider, that all nations are really made of one blood, which was 1ìrit in Adam, MIs xvii. 26. and that the fìrft, woman was made out of the body of A- dam, and was really bone of his bone, and flefh of his flesh. And by this firtl married couple, the myf.. tical union of Chrift and his church, is eminently refembied, Gen. ii. 22, 23, 24. with Eph. v. 30, 3r, 32. And yet it fuppofeth both thefe refembiances in the nearnefs and fulnefs of them ; becaufe thofe that are joined to the Lord, are not only one flefh, but one spirit with him. Thirdly, The end of Chrift's incarnation, death,.,i and refurreélion, was, to prepare and form an holy nature and frame for us in hirnfelf, to be communi- cated to us by union and fellovrfhip with him; and not to enable us to produce in ourfelves the firíb original of fuch an holy nature by our own endea.. yours. E. By his incarnation, there was a man created in a new holy frame, after the holinefs of the firft .dam's frame had been marred and aboliílie4 b 114
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