A53708:362
Meditations and Discourses on the Glory of Christ
Meditations and discourses on the glory of Christ, in his person, office, and grace with the differences between faith and sight applied unto the use of them that believe / by the late Reverend John Owen, D.D.
London: printed by B.A., 1691
Title page typeset from the transcription.
Chapter 9: The Glory of Christ in his intimate Conjunction with the Church.
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.
2. THERE is a Mystical Conjunction between Christ and the Church, which answers all the most strict real or moral Unions or Conjunctions between other persons or things. Such is the Conjunction between the head of a ⟨p. 111⟩body and its members, or the tree of the vine and its branches which are real; or between an Husband and Wife, which is moral and real also. That there is such a Conjunction between Christ and his Church, the Scripture plentifully declares, as also that it is the Foundation of the Equity of his suffering in its stead. So speaks the Apostle, Eph. 5. 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32. Husbands love your Wives, even as Christ also loved the Church (that is his Wife, the Bride the Lambs Wife) and gave himself for it, &c. Being the Head and Husband of the Church, which was to be sanctified and saved, and could be so no otherwise but by his Blood and Sufferings, he was both meet so to suffer, and it was righteous also that what he did and suffered should be imputed unto them for whom he both did it, and suffered. Let the adversaries of the Glory of Christ assign any one Instance of such a Conjunction, Union and Relation between any amongst mankind, as is between Christ and the Church, and they may give some countenance unto their Cavils against his Obedience and Sufferings in our stead, with the imputation of what he did and suffered unto us. But the Glory of Christ is singular herein, and as such it appears unto them by whom the Mystery of it is in any measure spiritually apprehended.
BUT yet it will be said, that this Mystical Conjunction of Christ with his Church is consequential unto what he did and suffered for it: for it ensues on the conversion of Men unto him. For it is by Faith that we are implanted into him. Until that be actually wrought in us, we have no Mystical Conjunction with him. He is not an Head, or an Husband unto unregenerate, unsanctified unbelievers whilst they continue so to be: And such was the state of the whole Church when Christ suffered for us,