The souls implantation into the natural olive. By T.HThe soules implantation into the naturall olive. By T.H

THE PREPARING OF THE HEART FOR TO RECEIVE CHRIST.

Luke 1.17, To make ready a people prepared for the Lord.

Before the soul of a man can share in the merits of Christ Jesus, and receive benefit thereby, and comfort therefrom; before it can be made partaker of those spiritual benefits which God hath promised to bestow upon his own, two things are required: first, there must be a preparation of ⟨p. 30⟩the soul to receive and entertain the Lord Jesus Christ; and secondly, there must be an implantation of the soul into Christ: and then being thus ingrafted into Christ, it hath a title to all those good things which he hath purchased for his Elect. For the conclusion of Saint John is peremptory in this kind,¹ He that hath the Son (saith he) hath life; and he that hath not the Son hath not life. As if he should say, There is no hope of receiving any good from the stock, unless the graft be implanted into the stock: before the foul be cut off from the rebellion of Adam, it cannot be implanted into Christ, and unless it be ingrafted into Christ, it can have no comfort from him. But if we can once get into Christ, we shall have the participation of all spiritual things which he hath prepared for his chosen. But it is impossible for flesh and blood thus to enter into Christ, and be implanted into him: and therefore that we maybe implanted into him, we must be prepared. First, there must be a preparation of the soul to be in Christ, before it can be made partaker of Christ and his benefits. This preparation is the fitting of a sinner, for his being in Christ.