The last thing is, the way how the influence comes from Christ unto Believers. We are not to think, that the habits of Grace in Christs humane nature are transfused into us; habits go not out of their subjects into another; they produce acts in their own subjects, but procreate not habits in foreign ones. But this is the way: Christ being full of all Grace, did by his glorious satisfaction and merit, procure, that the same Holy Spirit, ⟨p. 102⟩which is upon himself the Head, should fall down upon Believers the mystical parts and members of him: Hence the Apostle saith, that the Holy Spirit is shed on us richly, through Jesus Christ our Saviour, Tit. 3.6. Had not he atoned and merited for us, the Holy Spirit would not have touched upon one fallen Son of Adam; but in, and through him, there is, as St. Chrysostom speaks,1 [Greek or Hebrew], a Spirit flowing from above, which touches every member of his body. After this sort he is an Head of influence to his Church, communicating his Spirit to all his members, to unite them one to another, and all of them to himself the Head: There is one body and one spirit, Ephes. 4.4. Were there not one Spirit in Believers, they (being as far distant from one another in time, as the morning and evening of the world, and in place as the parts and quarters of the earth) could not possibly be one body; were not the one Spirit from Christ, he could not be an Head of influence to his Church, or carry himself to it as his Body; but there being one Spirit in Believers, they are one Body; and that one Spirit being from Christ, he is an Head of influence to them. Thus the Apostle saith, That he is head over all things to the Church, which ⟨p. 103⟩is his body, the fullness of him that filleth all in all, Ephes. 1.22, 23. Such an Head is he, as filleth the Body, his Church, with his own Spirit. It's true, the Church is his fullness in one respect; though he hath all fullness in him, and filleth all in all, yet, as he is an Head (which he deigned to be to us) he is not full without a body; but he is the Churches fullness in a much higher respect; the Church is his outward fullness, supplying him with members, without which he is not complete as an Head, but is pleased to account himself maimed; but he is, as I may so say, the Churches inward fullness, by his own Spirit moving and actuating it as his Body.
The last thing is, the way how the influence comes from Christ unto Believers. We are not to think, that the habits of Grace in Christs humane nature are transfused into us; habits go not out of their subjects into another; they produce acts in their own subjects, but procreate not habits in foreign ones. But this is the way: Christ being full of all Grace, did by his glorious satisfaction and merit, procure, that the same Holy Spirit, ⟨p. 102⟩which is upon himself the Head, should fall down upon Believers the mystical parts and members of him: Hence the Apostle saith, that the Holy Spirit is shed on us richly, through Jesus Christ our Saviour, Tit. 3.6. Had not he atoned and merited for us, the Holy Spirit would not have touched upon one fallen Son of Adam; but in, and through him, there is, as St. Chrysostom speaks,1 〈non-Latin alphabet〉, a Spirit flowing from above, which touches every member of his body. After this sort he is an Head of influence to his Church, communicating his Spirit to all his members, to unite them one to another, and all of them to himself the Head: There is one body and one spirit, Ephes. 4.4. Were there not one Spirit in Believers, they (being as far distant from one another in time, as the morning and evening of the world, and in place as the parts and quarters of the earth) could not possibly be one body; were not the one Spirit from Christ, he could not be an Head of influence to his Church, or carry himself to it as his Body; but there being one Spirit in Believers, they are one Body; and that one Spirit being from Christ, he is an Head of influence to them. Thus the Apostle saith, That he is head over all things to the Church, which ⟨p. 103⟩is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all, Ephes. 1.22, 23. Such an Head is he, as filleth the Body, his Church, with his own Spirit. It's true, the Church is his fulness in one respect; though he hath all fulness in him, and filleth all in all, yet, as he is an Head (which he deigned to be to us) he is not full without a body; but he is the Churches fulness in a much higher resperct; the Church is his outward fulness, supplying him with members, without which he is not compleat as an Head, but is pleased to accoumt himself maimed; but he is, as I may so say, the Churches inward fulness, by his own Spirit moving and actuating it as his Body.
- 1In Ephes. cap. 4. bom. 11.
