Chap.; 8 of the iirge of Beleevers. Fire, concerning the fubjeet, root and brwch in this place(ar by way of Metaphor) let out the eftate of parent and childe, anceflor and iflùe. 2. The Whole body of the Church is compared to a tree, to an Olive tree, 3. The root of this tree (viz. the fire fit- preme uni. erfàl root) is Abraham, lfaac and 7acob. Not Abraham alonc,fo Ifhmaelites would be of the body. Nor Abraham with 1- faac alone, fo the Edomites from Efau would have been taken in. But the ApolUe in this chapter (from Old Tefhament- authority) excludes both of thefe, . 4braharn, Ifaac and Jacob are therefore joyntly the root, 4, The branches of this tree are of two forts. Some natural, ifl'uing from the root by defcent; others ingraffed, put in by way of infìtion. The jewes were natural branches, de- fcending from the loynes of Abraham, Ifaac and Jacob. The Gentiles are branches by inj ion put into the flock , the natural branches being broken off. 5. The fatneffe of this tree is the glory ofOrdinances,of which the whole Church partakes, or as fame fay, Chrift is the fatneffe, but that is only as he is tendered in Ordinances , for he walks,in the middeft of the Golden Can - dlefticks, In whiehfenfé only we may yeeld thatChrifl is that fames. Secondly, concerning the predicate, ,Holy. There is one and the fame holineffe goes through the whole tree, all the branches natural and engraffed through the whole Church, and all the chil- dren of it, Jewes and Gentiles ; The whole of this holineffe is from one Original root, and therefore one and the fame. 2. This holineffe is fuch as is communicable from parent to childe,that is, necefïarily communicated, as a root communicates to branch- es. This is fo plaine,that if it be'denied,ail the Apoflles difputefalls, Thirdly, it is no holineffe of inhefion, but relation, not quali- tative, but federal. T-heholi-nef:e of the Jewes who were a holy Nation was Inch; The holineffe of the Gentiles can be no other. Holineffe of -inhelionis not communicable, but only holineffe of relation. In holineffe of inhefion the propofition holds not, as is the father, fo is the childe ; who knows not that holy fathers have unholy children?regenerate parents have iffue unregenerate? Thefe things confidered, it is evident, that as the father is in re- gard of Chu rch- ftate,Covenant holineffe, fo is the child; both in the Church of the Jewes and Gentiles : The father being without, the childe is without;, the father being within, the cñilde is with -. in,eo nomine,.becaufea branch of fuck a. root,,. a. childe of fuch a, Nn 3 father; f2 77 Petitions pre - mifèd for the right under - ftarding. s. Ofthc root: and branch. z.OFthe holïd nee here mentioned, .
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