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

The other is this, That in Marriage there is a due propagation of mankind; individuals dye, but mankind is preserved; generation supplies what death devours. Also in the spiritual marriage there is a double propagation; one of Believers, another of good works: First in the Church there is a propagation of Believers; such an one as Christ could not but have a seed, his name was to be continued as long as the Sun, Psal. 72.17. In the original it is, [Greek or Hebrew], his name shall be sonned or childed in a succession of Believers. The Church at first was in a Believer or two; but being Christs Spouse, she becomes Mother of thousands, a spiritual Eve to bring forth Sons unto God. In the power of the Word and Spirit (which are as the seed and formative virtue in this heavenly generation) multitudes of Believers come forth as the dew from the womb of the morning, not ⟨p. 65⟩in the Jewish Church only, but in the Gentile world also; the wilderness buds and blossoms, the barren sing for joy, the tent is enlarged, the curtains are stretched forth, the Church breaks out on the right hand and on the left in an admirable fertility; this is the fruit of this Divine Marriage between Christ and his Church. Again, In particular Believers there is a propagation of good works; as we are in conjunction with Adam we are impotent and barren; but as soon as we are in conjunction with Christ we have power and holy fruits. To open this, it will be worth while to consider the words of the Apostle: Ye are become dead to the law by the body of Christ, that ye should be married to another, to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God. For when we were in the flesh, the motions of sins which were by the law, did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death. But now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held, that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter, Rom. 7.4, 5, 6. Here we have two sorts of persons, the unregenerate who are in the flesh of corrupt nature, and the regenerate who have a new spirit or principle in them. Two sorts of Marriage, ⟨p. 66⟩one unto the Law in the unregenerate; and another unto Christ in the regenerate. Two sorts of fruit, one unto death in sinful actions; another unto God in good works. The unregenerate are married to the Law, they are under the curse of it as sinners;