IN' THS. S.[VCTIFTCATION OF BELIEVERS'. 307 not only hath the whole mystical body .of the church guidance and direction from him, in his laws, rules, doctrine, and precepts, but spiritual life and motion also; and so bath every member thereof. They all re- ceive from him grace for holiness and obedience, with- out which they would be but withered and dead mem- bers in the body: but he bath told us, that because he liveth, we shall live also, John xiv. 19. For the Fa- ther having given hint to have life in himself, Johnv. 26. whereon he gnickeneth with spiritual life tc/eon he will,' ver. 23. from that fountain ofspiritual life which is in him, supplies of the same lifeare givenunto thechurch; and therefore, because he livelli, we live also, that ls, a spiritual life here, without which we shall never live eternally hereafter. And Eph. iv. 16. the relation of believers unto Christ being stated exactly, to answer the relation and union of the members of the body unto the head, it is expressly aflirmed, that, as in the natural body, there are supplies of nourishment and natural spirits communicated from the head unto the members, by the subserviency of all the parts of the body, de- signed unto that purpose, to the growth and increase of the whole in every part; so from Christ, the head of the church, which he is in his divine person, as God and man, there is a supply of spiritual life, strength, and nourishment, made unto every member of the body, unto its increase, growth, and edification; for we are members ofhis body, ofhisflesh, and of his bones, chap. v. 30. being made out of him, as Eve was out of Adam; yet so continuing in him, as to have all our supplies from him: we in him, and he in us, as he speaks, John xiv. 20. And, Col. ii. 19. it is expressly affirm- ed, that front him, the head, there is nourishment mi- nistered unto the body, unto its increase with the in.. crease of God. And what this spiritual nourishment, supplied unto the souls of believers for their increase and growth, from Christ, their'head, can be, but the emanation from 'his person, and communicationwith them of that grace, which is the principle and spring ofall holiness and duties of evangelical obedience, none have asyet undertaken to declare. And if anydodeny it, they do what lies in them to destroy the life, and overthrow the faith, of the whole church ofGod. Yea, upon such a blasphemous imagination, that there could be an intercision for one moment, of influences of spi.. ritual life and grace from the person of Christ unto the H church, the whole must be supposed to die, and perish, and that eternally. Sect. 70.(1.) The whole of what weassert, is plain- ly and evidently proposed in sundry instructive allusions, which are macle use of to this purpose. 'l'he principal of them is, that both laid down and declared by our Saviour himself John xv. 1, 4, 5. " I am the true Vine, " and my Father is the Husbandman. Abide in me, " and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of it- " self, except it abide in the vine,- no more can ye, ex- " cept ye abide in me. I am the vine, and ye are the " branches; he that abideth-in me, and 1 in him, the " same bringeth forth much fruit; for without me (or " severed from me, apart from me) ye cando nothing." The natural inbeing of the vine and branches in each other, is known unto all, with the reason of it; and so is the way whereby the inbeing of the branches in the vine, is the cause and means of their fruit -bearing. It '., is no otherwise, but by the communication and deri. vation.of that succus, i. e. juice and nourishment, which alone is the preservative of vegetative life, and the next cause of fruit- bearing. In this juice and nourishment all fruit is virtually, yea, also as to the first matter and sub- stance of it: in and by the branch it is only formed into its proper kind and perfection. Let any thing be done to intercept this communication from the vine unto any branch, and it not only immediately loseth ail its fruit,. bearing power and virtue, but also itself withereth and diethaway. And there is a mutual acting of the vine and branches in this matter. Unto the vine itself, it is na- tural, from its own fulness, to communicate nourish,. ment unto the branches; it doth it front the principle of its nature. And utito the branches, it is also natu- ral, to draw and derive their nourishment from the vine. Thus is it, saith the Lord Christ unto his disci- ples, between me and you: I am the vine, saith he, and ye are the branches; and there is a mutual inbeing be- tween us, I am in you, and ye are in me, by virtue of one anion. That, now, which is expected from you is, that you bring forth fruit; that is, that you live in holiness and obedience unto the glory of God: unless you do so, you are no tree real branches in me, what ever outward profession you may make of your so be- ing. But how shall this be effected? How shall they be able to bring forth fruit? This can be no otherwise done, but by their abiding inChrist, and thereby con- 30
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