Christ All in All: Christ is the Root

I'm reading a series of sermons by Philip Henry (Matthew Henry the Bible Commentator's father), and thought I would share some quotes as I go along. Using the book "Christ All in All" as a devotional, I'm reading just one sermon a day, but each one is full of rich doctrine!

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Jesus Christ and true believers make one great tree, whereof He is the root and they are the branches.

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None but [true believers] bring for fruit in Him. To bring forth fruit is to do that which is for the matter of it good, either toward men in works of justice, mercy, charity, or award God in praying, hearing, sanctifying the Sabbath. Now all this a hypocrite may do...but nothing of it in Christ. Here they part. They [true believers] do it by virtue of strength received from Him. They bring forth fruit, aiming with a single eye at pleasing Him, to show forth His virtues and praises. And also, it is done trusting to His merit and mediation alone for acceptance. (emphasis added) 

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The church is a great tree inverted. Its root is in heaven; its branches, here on earth, multitudes of them. It is true there are branches in heaven with their root.

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The sap of this great tree that keeps it green and flourishing is the Spirit, the Spirit of Grace. Now Christ the root had the Spirit without measure, according to the promise. ...The sap which the root has, it has not for itself but for the branches. The branches suck and draw from it and so are maintained in their greenness and fruitfulness. Though the root have it, yet if it do not communicate it, the tree is none the better. The Lord Jesus Christ is a communicative root. What He has of the Spirit He has for us.