Meditations and Discourses on the Glory of Christ

THIS is a most heavenly Way of the Communication of himself unto us, wherein of God he is made unto us Wisdom and Sanctification. Hereon he says of his Church, This now is Bone of my Bone, and Flesh of my Flesh; I see my self, my own Nature in them, whence they are comely and desirable. Hereby he makes way to present it to himself a glorious Church, not having Spot or Wrinkle, or any such thing, but holy and without Blemish. On this Communication of Christ unto us by the forming of his own Nature in us, depends all the Purity, the Beauty, the Holiness, the inward Clory of the Church. Hereby is it really, substantially internally separated from the World, and distinguished from all others, who in the outward forms of things, in the Profession and Duties of Religion seem to be the same with them. Hereby it becomes the First Fruits of the Creation unto God, bearing forth the Renovation of his Image in the World: Herein the Lord Christ is, and will be glorious unto all Eternity. I only mention these things, which deserve to be far more largely insisted on.

3. HE doth the same by that actual Insitition or Implantation into himself, which he gives us by Faith; which is of his own Operation. For hereon two Things do ensue; one by the Grace or Power, the other by the Law ⟨p. 127⟩or Constitution of the Gospel, which have a great Influence into this Mystical Communication of Christ unto the Church.

AND the first of these is, that thereby there is communicated unto us, and we do derive Supplies of spiritual Life, Sustentation, Motion, Strength in Grace, and Perseverance from him continually. This is that which himself so divinely teacheth in the Parable of the Vine and its Branches, Joh. 15. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5