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

The union between the Vine and the Branches importing a vital influence, but in a low negative life, the Holy Ghost goes on to set forth the mystical union by that which is between the natural head and the body; we have two excellent Texts for this. Christ is an head, From whom the whole body fitly joined together, and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of it self in love, Ephes. 4.16. Again, he is an Head, from which all the body by joints and bands having nourishment ministered, and knit together, increaseth with the increase of God, Col. 2.19. Here Christ is the head, and Believers the body; here the body is fitly joined together and compacted; there is in all the members a congruity and a close conjunction unto the Head, and unto one another; here are joints and bands, the primary ligature is the Holy Spirit, which makes Christ and Believers to be as it were continuous, ⟨p. 80⟩and to touch one another. Under the Spirit are the bonds of Faith and Love; Faith unites and incorporates Believers into Christ; Love glues and cements them one to another; here's an effectual working in the measure of every part; the holy Spirit stirs up the principles of Grace in Believers, the principles of Grace stir up the Soul, the Soul in the virtue of those principles stirs up it self, all is set into motion from Christ the Head. Lastly, Here's an edifying of the body, an increasing with the increase of God; Believers grow up into Christ in all things, their Faith is more radicated, their Love is more inflamed, their union with Christ becomes closer, their likeness to him grows more lively than before; in every part of the new creature there is a Divine increase, and all is because they are united to the Head: Between Christ and Believers there is an apt and intimate union made by excellent joints and bands; through these bands there comes to be an effectual working in Believers; by this working there issues forth an increase of all holy graces. O what an Head is Christ! how happy are Believers who are in conjunction with him! the excellency of this union is much beyond what can be said or thought of it; it is not for us to ⟨p. 81⟩dive into the bottom of it, or to see it in the full compass: