- ch1p. 1 .sect.6. Book, IV. _ -------=------~----- till the gronnd, ~-but -oHt of the g;wmd tb'e Lord made t~ grow tvery tree. . and a river went lfut of eden to water the garden : fo 'there was no man that tilled this ground but out of this ground (the Virgin) thd.ord made to grow this plam, watering it by his Spirit; the holy Ghoft foal! come upon thee , ~nd Luke x. 3 ~ the p~tr of the higbeft foal! overfoadw thee : of th1s conceptiOn an-1 of 'the holy-Ghofls efficiency, I believe, fpake the Prophet, when there was fuch longing after Chrifis coming in the flefh , drdp down ye he,lv~ns from a6ove, and l et the skje_poure down ri~h~ Ifa,fr ,8 . t,fliufmf{P,ler the earth oper;, and 6rmgfurthfalv.tts cn. But ofd11s w_nception before. . , 2. For the bud , the nature of Vi'nes is to bud , before it bloifome or bring forth its fruit ; fo was it faid ofChrifr before he came, truth foal/bud ottt of the earth, now what was this bud- Pf8 ;.x r -. ding of truth out of the earth, but Chrifi born ofa woman? Ircn.l.J.c.r• . what was the tntth (faith Irenatm and Auguftine) bat Chrift?and · what the earth but our flefo?and whilt truth budding,6ut (hrifl being born? here let us fiay awhile, furely it is worth the while (as the Spoufe faidin another cafe) to get ~tp(~trlj totheVine-. yardJ,and to fee how'tht Vine dia flourifo;and ho}v the tender gr.tpe dia Can·.~ .r 2. open. . • • • - ' ' In Ch,ciH:s carrying on.the great work ofour falvation hefore all worlds,. :We told YC?.!l of Gods CouncelJ, as if he had been reHuced to fome ihaits and.dlfficulties by the croffe demands of his feveral Attributes~ but wifdome found out a way; how to reconcile tbefe differences by propounding a {efus ; and in him me1·cy and.trrtth met 'tug ether , rjghttoufneffe and peace ~iffed ench ~tEer. That re-P( 8 ;.to · conciliation was in the .counfel of .God from all eternity,; . but. for the execution of this counfei it was now in the fulneffe of time even at thi:uime whenChriH: was borne? now indeed and in truth: in execution and perfor£!Jance, was· the reconciliation of all dif~ . ferences ; and .of this time was-the r falmifrs prophecy more e• I ' fpecially )nea,9r, mere] and truth fbfl.ll ·meet t~getfer, righteoufnrfi :. and pe,rce fo.,fll ki11e elich other : trttth fh,dl _ 6ud •outpL8j.IO,II ~f t he earth , _ and nghteor-Jmjfe foal/ lock., dHvn from hea'.. ' ven. J n thefe words we find firfr a meeting of Gods bleifed Attributes, and f'econdly this meering at a birth, .the birth of truto . atwhich meeting , thirdly, was that glorious e(feCI:, that ;igh-' - tecr~fnef{:, ~
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