glorycloud's Diaryland Diary

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Christ the Fountain of Life

"I will shew that this is the right Scriptural
Notion of Regeneration and Conversion;
to this end is Christ Preached, 1 Cor. 1.
23, 24. No other Name under Heaven
by which we can be saved, Acts 4. 12.
This Name must be published, Acts 9. 15.
Regeneration, or our first Conversion,
what is it but a revealing Christ in us? Gal.
1. 16. Drawing unto Christ, John 6. 44.
Receiving Christ, John 1. 11. Following
Christ, Matt. 9. 9. 'Twas Christ they came
over to in Conversion; hence those Phrases

of our being in Christ, and Christ's
being in us, living in us, Gal. 2. 20. Formed
in us, Gal. 4. 19. Put on by us, Gal. 3.
27. Rom. 13. 4. Thus you see how the
New Creature, or the Regenerate Person,
has his Life, Being, and whole Subsistence
in and from Christ. If any man be in
Christ, he is a new creature. We are taken
up so much with Duties of Evangelical
Obedience, that we commit a great error
in our first step; do not go over to Christ
and begin there; thence it is that the
Saints are called Christians, because their
Original is from Christ; they bear his
Image, are acted by his Spirit, partake of
his Nature.

If this new Life be from Christ, what is
the way of its derivation from Christ unto
us, or how comes this Virtue from
Christ into our Souls, that both our state
and nature should be thus changed in him,
and by him, in order to newness of Life
in our after Conversation? You must give
me leave often to put Questions, why,
and how, and which way; because I am
now enquiring after the Manner of Regeneration.

If you ask, How Life comes to be derived
from Christ into the Soul of a dead
Sinner?

Answer, I say, this is effected by our
vital union to Christ.—We need not
wonder that such a change is wrought in
those who are thus joined to the Lord in
one and the same Spirit; we cannot come
so near to Eternal Life it self, and not be
quickened by it; we cannot remain dead,
when we thus enter into Life it self.

The main Query is, How this Union
is brought about between Christ and our
Souls?

Answer, The Spirit takes hold of us,
and joins us to Christ; working Faith in
us at the same instant; by which we take
hold of Christ, improving the Grace of
Union to a real Communion with Christ,
we dwelling in him, and he in us. 'Tis union
to Christ, that gives Life at first, and
maintains it ever after in our souls. We
have our first quickening from this Union,
and all after increases of Spiritual Life,
are but so many fresh emanations from
Christ the Fountain of Life, flowing into
our Souls. . ." 'Regeneration' by Thomas Cole

10:04 a.m. - 2023-09-26

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