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

The Vine communicates juice to the ⟨p. 78⟩Branches:¹ Christ (in whom, as St. Bernard speaks, there is totus humour, a fullness of the Holy Spirit) influences Grace and spiritual Life into Believers. Hence it is that they bear holy fruits; our Saviour emphatically expresses this, The branch cannot bear fruit [Greek or Hebrew], of it self, verse 4. To make it bear fruit, two things are requisite; it must be in the Vine, and it must have sap from thence, else it is dry and withered; in like manner Believers must be in Christ, and must have a Divine Spirit from him, else they are good for little or nothing; [Greek or Hebrew], severed from me ye can do nothing, saith Christ, verse 5. A man off from Christ, like a branch off from the Tree, is altogether sapless and unprofitable; whatever blossoms of morality may be, no spiritual fruits can be found in one separate from Christ; holy fruits are from Divine Influences; and these are from union with Christ. The Ancient Fathers observe from this parable,² that the union between Christ and Believers is such, that he communicates life to them, but receives it not from them; ⟨p. 79⟩they receive life from him, but communicate it not to him: We have here a great mystery, Believers are ingrafted into Christ, and in a sort parts of him; hence the very same Spirit which is in him, is derived to them, to make them bear good fruit.

The Vine communicates juice to the ⟨p. 78⟩Branches:¹ Christ (in whom, as St. Bernard speaks, there is totus humor, a fulness of the Holy Spirit) influences Grace and spiritual Life into Believers. Hence it is that they bear holy fruits; our Saviour emphatically expresses this, The branch cannot bear fruit 〈non-Latin alphabet〉, of it self, verse 4. To make it bear fruit, two things are requisite; it must be in the Vine, and it must have sap from thence, else it is dry and withered; in like manner Believers must be in Christ, and must have a Divine Spirit from him, else they are good for little or nothing; , severed from me ye can do nothing, saith Christ, verse 5. A man off from Christ, like a branch off from the Tree, is altogether sapless and unprofitable; whatever blossoms of morality may be, no spiritual fruits can be found in one seperate from Christ; holy fruits are from Divine Influences; and these are from union with Christ. The Ancient Fathers observe from this parable,