Religion & morality > Human nature in its four-fold state ... in several practical discourses

Head II. ingrafted into Chrift. 313
Branch from the natural Stock ; fb the Goff el, in
the Hand of the fame Spirit, is the Inftrument ufed
for ingrafting it in the fupernatural Stdck, i John i.
3. That which we have feen and heard, declare we
unto you, that ye alfo may have FellowJJnp with us ;
and truly our Fellowjhip is with the Father, and
with his Son Jefus CbnU. See Jfaiah Ixi. i, 2, 3.
The Gofpel is the Silver Cord let down from Hea¬
ven, to draw perifhing Sinners to Land. And
tho5 the Preaching of the Law prepares the Way of
the Lord; yet ’tis in the Word of the Gofpel, that
Chrifl and a Sinner meet.. Now, as in the natural
grafting, the Branch being taken up is put into the
Stock; and being put into it, takes with it; and
fo they are united: Evenfo in the fpiritual Ingraft¬
ing, Chrift apprehends the Sinner; and the Sinner
being apprehended of Chrift, apprehends him; and
fo they become one-, Fhil. iii. 12.
Firjl, Chrift apprehends the Sinner, by his Spi¬
rit, and draws him to himfelf, 1 Cor. xii. 13. For
hy one Spirit, we are all baptized into one Body,
The fame Spirit, which is in the Mediator himfelf,
he communicates to his Eleft in due Time ; never
to depart from them, but to abide in them, as a
Principle of Life. Thus he takes hold of them, by
his own Spirit put into them ; and fo the withered
Branch getsThe Soul is now in the Hands
of the Lord of Life, and pofleft by the Spirit of Life;
how can it then but live ? The Man gets a ravifh-
ing Sight of Chrift’s Excellency, in the Glafs of the
Gofpel : He fees him a full, fuitable, and willing
Saviour; and gets a Heart to take him, for and in-
ftead of all. The Spirit of Faith furnifheth him
with Feet to come to Chrift, and Hands to receive
Him. What by Nature he could not do, by
Grace