The guard of the tree of life, or, A sacramental discourse showing a Christians…The guard of the tree of life, or, A sacramental discourse shewing a Christians…

Thus doth Christ, formed in the heart, cry out for Christ nourishing in the Sacrament. The work of grace is called a forming of Christ in the soul, ¹and Christ doth but nourish and feed himself, his own graces here. Christ in the Sacrament doth nourish Christ begotten in the heart by the Word. And the soul feeding upon Christ by faith, is further changed into his Image. In our corporal feeding, the meat is changed into the nature of the eater, but in our spiritual feeding, the eater is changed into the nature of the meat eaten, the Believer into the nature of Christ, 1 Cor. 3.18. While beholding him as in a glass, we are also changed into his Image.— Thus doth faith feed upon Christ, and draw down nourishment for the strength of every grace in us, &c. And according to the measure of faith's feeding, ⟨p. 69⟩such is the proportion and measure of nourishment conveyed. As the stomach sendeth down nourishment to all parts, from the supply of food, which it hath fed on: Or, as the Liver having drawn down and made blood from the nourishment in the stomach, diffuseth and spreadeth abroad, and sends to every part some: So Faith, having fed upon Christ, doth here send down nourishment to all the graces: or, as in a Feast, you send portions to your poor brethren; so Faith having feasted it self on Christ, sends down portions to her sister-graces. All our graces have a dependence on Faith, and Faith on Christ; our Graces depend on Faith as a Mediator to our Mediator: as that grace which hath immediately to do with Christ, from whence it fetcheth supply and provision for all the rest. That is the second ⟨p. 70⟩benefit faith is here to be acted for.

Thus doth Christ, formed in the heart, cry out for Christ nourishing in the Sacrament. The work of grace is called a forming of Christ in the soul, ¹and Christ doth but nourish and feed himself, his own graces here. Christ in the Sacrament doth nourish Christ begotten in the heart by the Word. And the soul feeding upon Christ by faith, is further changed into his Image. In our corporall feeding, the meat is changed into the nature of the eater, but in our spirituall feeding, the eater is changed into the nature of the meat eaten, the Believer into the nature of Christ,