A09963:195
An elegant and lively description of spiritual life and death Delivered in divers sermons…An elegant and lively description of spirituall life and death Delivered in divers sermons…
An elegant and lively description of spiritual life and death Delivered in divers sermons in Lincolns-Inn, November the 9.th, M.DCXXIII. upon John, 5.25. By John Preston then Bachelor of Divinity, and chaplain in ordinary to the Prince his Highness.An elegant and lively description of spirituall life and death Delivered in divers sermons in Lincolnes-Inne, November the 9.th, M.DCXXIII. vpon Iohn, 5.25. By Iohn Preston then Bachellor of Divinitie, and chaplaine in ordinarie to the Prince his Highnesse.
London: printed by Tho for Michael Sparke, 1632London: printed by Tho for Michaell Sparke, 1632
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
Thirdly, faith doth it by fitting us for Christ,§3 from whom our life comes: 1 Joh. 5.12. he that hath the Son hath life. First, the Son of God infuseth life into him to whom he is conjoined; the conjunction betwixt Christ and us is but relative: and between the king and the subject; when the subjects resolve to take such an one for their king, they are conjoined to him; so when a woman resolves to take such a man for her husband, she is conjoined to him. The action of taking Christ, ⟨p. 88⟩is to take him as a Lord, to serve him, as a Saviour, to have all comfort by him: he that hath the Son in the relative union, shall have him in the real union: the Son will quicken you, as the soul doth the body. A Christian hath the life of the Son of God. Gal. 2.21. I live, yet not I, but Christ lives in me: all that I do, Christ doth it in me: all that the body doth, the soul doth it: the body lives not, but the soul lives in it. After that manner Christ lives in us: not a good thought or affection, not any resolution or motion of the soul, but comes for Christ: being united to Christ by faith he lives in us. Joh. 6.33. he that eats my flesh, and drinks my blood shall live. As flesh gives life to the body, so the Son gives it to the soul: To eat the flesh of Christ, is to prize him, to desire and long after him, which is after the spirit of bondage, to eat him, is to take him, to come to him, to have him your God: In these stands the eating of Christ. First, in prising of him exceedingly; to part with any thing for him; to take his Cross with all losses. Secondly, to eat him is to believe him, to be yours and you his: this eating and drinking of the body and blood of Christ, expresseth our relative union with him, and then follows our real union: the Spirit immediately gives this: he that doth the first, shall have the second.
Thirdly, faith doth it by fitting us for Christ,§3 from whom our life comes: