Christus in corde, or, The mystical union between Christ and believers considered in its…

The conjugal union (which is the highest pattern of Love here below) is not merely a Moral one. In the first Marriage there was somewhat antecedent to Love. Eve was taken out of the side of sleeping Adam. Hence he said, That she was bone of his bone, and flesh of his flesh. In the spiritual marriage there is somewhat antecedent to the Churches Love; she was taken out of the side of Christ dying on the Cross. Hence the Apostle (after he hath compared the Love of Husbands and Wives with that which is between Christ and the Church) doth in allusion to the Primitive Marriage ⟨p. 124⟩tell us, We are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones, Ephes. 5.30. Flesh may be considered either as to its substance, or as to its sanctity; as to its substance, Christ is of our flesh and bone; but as to its sanctity, we are of his flesh and bone; all the holy flesh in the world is from Christ. Again, in common ordinary Marriages there is not merely Love, but Man and Wife become one flesh: In the spiritual Marriage there is not merely Love, but Christ and Believers become one Spirit; the same holy Spirit which is upon Christ the Head, falls down on his Members; there are continual influences of Grace coming down from him unto them.

The conjugal union (which is the highest pattern of Love here below) is not meerly a Moral one. In the first Marriage there was somewhat antecedent to Love. Eve was taken out of the side of sleeping Adam. Hence he said, That she was bone of his bone, and flesh of his flesh. In the spiritual marriage there is somewhat antecedent to the Churches Love; she was taken out of the side of Christ dying on the Cross. Hence the Apostle (after he hath compared the Love of Husbands and Wives with that which is between Christ and the Church) doth in allusion to the Primitive Marriage ⟨p. 124⟩tell us, We are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones, Ephes. 5.30. Flesh may be considered either as to its substance, or as to its sanctity; as to its substance, Christ is of our flesh and bone; but as to its sanctity, we are of his flesh and bone; all the holy flesh in the world is from Christ. Again, in common ordinary Marriages there is not meerly Love, but Man and Wife become one flesh: In the spiritual Marriage there is not meerly Love, but Christ and Believers become one Spirit; the same holy Spirit which is upon Christ the Head, falls down on his Members; there are continual influences of Grace coming down from him unto them.