The souls exaltation A treatiseThe soules exaltation A treatise

Again, the second part that accomplisheth and makes up this growing together with Christ, it is that heavenly communion that the soul doth get with our Saviour, when the stock of the merits of our Saviour, and the virtue of his grace is communicated to the soul; for this we must remember, that these two things make up the growing of the stock and the graft together:

Againe, the second part that accomplisheth and makes up this growing together with Christ, it is that heavenly communion that the soule doth get with our Saviour, when the stock of the merits of our Saviour, and the vertue of his grace is communicated to the soule; for this we must remember, that these two things make up the growing of the stock and the graft together:

First, there must be an union of the graft with the stock.

Secondly, there must be an intercourse or a communication of the sap in the stock to the graft: so it is with Christ, what ever he hath, he hath for his Church and people, and what ever he doth, he doth for his Church and servants; so that there is a kind of conveyance of the virtue of his merits, and power of his grace, unto the souls of those that believe in him, and are knit unto him by a true and a lively faith: we have done with the […] that the soul hath with Christ: we are ⟨p. 59⟩now to speak of the heavenly and spiritual communion, the intercourse between the Lord and the soul, when the soul is married unto him; and this is that we aim at, this is that we look at at this time; and this I must tell you by the way, that our purpose is not to meddle with the particulars at this time, but only with the general nature of the communion of the soul with Christ: now for the discovery of this work, we have chosen the words of the text now read unto you, and the scope of the words it is mainly this; to discover unto us the dowry and feoffment of all that spiritual grace that is conveyed and made sure to the believing soul, being made one with the Lord Jesus: that look as it is with a man that hath a fair estate to himself, it is only his own, but when the wife is wooed, and brought home, & married, he gives over the right of himself unto her, and if he make over his estate unto her, she hath title thereunto: this now is the dowry of a Christian, the Lord Jesus Christ is no bad match, you must not think you could have done better; it is a wonder, that ever our Saviour would take us to himself, or show favour to us, but the case is clear, if a believer be called, and brought home to Christ, Christ is made to us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption; Christ hath all, and whatsoever Christ hath, it is all yours, you have title thereunto, and shall receive sap and benefit therefrom, if you have hearts to take that good God offers, and you may receive: we will not now