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Show Believer I ~hJ eompareel lo Viner. prefently findeth NathaNiel. When Chrift had difcovered hlmfelf to the "'oman of Sam•ria, the difcovercth him to all her Citizens; but I will not dwell upon this. Fourthly, The Vine is an e:medingfruit[t.t plant; and thefruil of it it exceedingpleafimt:Shall !(faith the Vine inJothams parable) leave my Wine which cheareth God and man, and go to be promoted over the Trees, (that is Hyperbolically fpoken : but we know that Wine cheareth the heart of man, and we alfo know that the Wine which proceedeth from thefe Vines, is acceptable unto God. Thou haft tt~vijhed my luart ( faith Chrifi in this long) with one of the c/Jaillt about thy neck, Thofe chains were made up of pearls which were nothing eife but Grapes from this Vine: believers are fruitful, Rom. 6. 22. you have your fruit unto Holinefs, and let me tell you, they are not only more fruitful unto God tban other men, unto God ; but they are the only men and women in the world, who bring forth fruit unto God. Whereas all the fruit of our lives, are Natural, Moral,and Spiritualalliont,the latter only is fmit unto God ; and that only groweth upon thefe Vines: you cannot gather Gra11es of Thiftles, or Figs of Thorns, all ( they alone excepted) are but Tbiftlet and Tlmns; plants of nature never cultivated, corrupt Trees that cannot bringfortb good fruit. Fifthly, If they do not bring forth [mit, they are worfe than mojf otber plant!. Some other trees if they do not bring forth fruit, yet they are good for timber; but the Vine is a plant, whofe excellency wholly lyeth in its huitfulnefs,it will make no Timber; fo as if it bringeth forth no fruit,it is good fornothing but to be cut down and cafl into the fire. In this refped:, I am fure profelfors, members of the Church, are Vines, they are either the befi or the worf\ of men; if they be vites fruFJifer£, fruitful Vines, by the fides of the Lords houfe, they are the befi men, the only perfons from whom God hath honour; if they be norfo they are the worfi of men, none finneth againfi more light, nor more mercy, and ordinarily no mens fins bring more dithonour to God. It was the faying (as I remember) of an eminent late Pretcher in tbis Nation , If 1 would pic~ out a man to Jijhonour God, I would pick, oul a profefJor walkjng lonfly. He is like a Vine, if he brings forth no fruit he is the worfi of Plants. 6. I will inllance but in one thing more. Vines (you know) muft bt prtmed that they may bring forth fruit. In this refped: belieVIrt- art Yinrt alfo, Our Lord dired:eth nie to this, in that his famou! 1JeliefJerl 1Ph7 c~mpared ltJ Piner. famous parab~e, Job. I 5• 2. Evrry Branch that bt4reth .frtrit, he purg_eth that zt may brmg forth mare fr.Ut. God pruncth or pur-gcth hts people feveral ~·,Ys, of which affiid:ion is one. There arc feveral ~tnds of affit~tons. It is true of all, thet are the Lord~ prumng-hooks,nor IS the pruning-hook more necelfary for the. vme, than are affltlJzoNt, _temptationt, &c. ntcelfary for the Chtld of~od; the Souls ofbehevers are fubjed: to their luxurian-ces of tuft and corruption, Pf.t. 119. 67, Before I wat aff/Wed I went a{l~ay,but ".ow I ha~e k!P~ thy word.Affiid:ion purgeth out our corruptions? thts was 11 whtch .the Lo~d t~ld his people by the Prophet lf4zah, If. 27. 9• By thu jhaU the mtquity of Jacob be ptrr-ged, and this all the fruit to tak,F aw•y fiN. Thus I have !hewed you the fitnefs of the comparifon, why they are likened unto Vines but they ar~ Chrif1.' Vinu : Let me a little enlarge upon that: Our Vmu,fatth Cbr~f, an~ ce1tainiy our Lord may cail them his by an exctUent rt~ht wh1c? wtli be evident to us, if we confider but thefe four or five particulars. I. That ~it Father ~as he who planted them. The P falmi{1 ca11s Ifrael,the vmeyard whzch tbe Lordt right ha11d had pla>lled : fo Jer. 2.11. lplantedt.heeanobleVine:folj. 5.2, Thewholeworldis the Lords pl~nt.atton, he hath made it, and whatfoever is therein; th~ Church IS tl<l!AH~E,., as it were a fpot of ground taken out of this great forrefi ; watered by a more particular dew from Heaven,. pianted wi.th fome more choice plants, and hedged by a more pa!t~cuiar proytdence ; and all this done by the Lords hand, and thts ts emphaucaily true of belze~trt, true believers. N• man c•m; eth unto the Son, but be whom tbefatbcr dra-a>t. 2 •• Chrifi hath purchafed them, and the Father hath givm them ,to h•m, Ad:· 20. 28. he hath purchafed them with hit own blood, 1 Cor.-6. oo. Hence the Apollietelis the Corinthians they were bour_htwith a pric.- 2 Pet. 2. '· and Apollates are charged with a denying the Lord that bough; tlum,and the F~ther ba!b given them to him. AU tbo[e whom thou b~ff gm? me, fa.tth Chnll. They are his Vines by purchafe and h1s by J!>lft. Hts Father proffered the pnrchafe to him, it was ~rote m the ~olumn ofhis book that ,this Son thould come and do .lus whole w1ii, for the obtaining 6f this vineyard; he under-wrote the book ofhis Fathers counfels with Lo 1 come and the fa- 1her gave unto him, that the counfel of the Lord tho~ld profper in u ba~d, and that he thould fee of the travel of hit Sot</ and he {awfied; and that by his Ri[hltollfne[t he (/JOuld juftify ma• "Y· 3· It |