A godly and learned exposition or commentary upon the three first chapters of the…A godly and learned exposition or commentarie vpon the three first chapters of the…

II. Point. The end for which Christ liveth for ever, is to give eternal life to his church, and to every true member thereof. So Saint John saith, This is ^(a)the testimony of God, even the father, that he hath given us life everlasting, and this life is in that his Son. And here Christ must be considered of us, as the head of his church, as the root and ground of our salvation, and the fountain of all our happiness. For as the root of a tree liveth not for it self, but for the body and for all the branches: even so Christ Jesus, he hath eternal life in him, not for himself alone, but that he may convey the same to all his members. Yea, we must consider Christ as the common treasury & storehouse of all true felicity: wherein life eternal is laid up for all the members of his church. For which cause he saith,^(b) His flesh is meat indeed: and whosoever eateth his flesh and drinketh his blood shall live for ever, To give us to understand, that his manhood hath quickening virtue in it: Yet not of it self or by it self, but as it is the manhood of the Son of God; For from the godhead it receiveth this quickening power, to give eternal life unto the church: And here the means must be considered, by which Christ giveth life unto his church: namely, by virtue of that mystical union which is between him and every member of his church. Which union is thus caused: God the father giveth Christ unto his church, and to every one that is to be saved by Christ; and that really and truly according to the terror of the covenant, in which he hath promised to give Christ with all his benefits to every one that believeth. The manner and order of this gift is this: Whole Christ God & man is given to every believer; even as he is mediator. And yet the godhead of Christ is not given with the manhood, but only the virtue & operation of the godhead in the manhood; by which the manhood is made able to merit for the believer. But the manhood of Christ is given both for substance, and in regard of all benefits that are conveyed to man by it, as justification and redemption; as truly as lands and goods are given of man to man. And when God giveth Christ to any, he doth withal give unto the same party the spirit of Christ: for he that ⟨p. 67⟩hath part in Christ, hath part in his spirit: