a Cbriftians Growth. S onely all the excellencies in him in the true reali nature of all things towhich he is compared. So in like manner he is Paid to be Bread indeed, 7ohn 6. 55. and ver. 3 a. The true bread front heaven. Manna, and all other meat, and all that fweetneffe which is in meat, is and was but a (hadow to that which he affords. He excells and exceeds all things he is compared to, in what they have, and they are bolt fhadowes to him, Het,. io. r. Firfi therefore, never any Vine fo fruitfull. All our fruit u` found in bim, Hof i z. Ifyou abide in me, you 'hall bringforth much fruit. He hath juice to fapplyyou with every grace, to tiflyore with all thefruits ofrighteoufneffe, which if the branches want, it is for want of faith in themfelves, todraw from him, not want of fap in him. Secondly, thishe is at all times, hath been in all ages, thus flour tithing ; this root never withers ; is never dry or emptyoffap, it is never winter with Chriff. Every branch, faith the fecond verfe, that is, every one that hath born fruit in any age, beareth all its fruit in him : branches in him fear no drought, per. 17.8. Thirdly, for largeneffe of fpreading, no fuch Vine as this : He (as the Pfalmifc fayes, Pfal. So. a r, a z.) fends out his boughes unto thefea, andhis branches to the rivers : all the earth is, or hath been, or (hall be filled with them. Is to perfwaded us to take Chriff alone, and make him our All in all, becaufe in him all excellencies are fupereminently found. All creatures arenot enough to ferve for companions to fet him forth, and when they doe in part, for fome particu- lar thing tkat is the excellenteff in them, yet therein they arc but /Wolves, Heb. ao. i. He onely is the truth, he is the true light, 7ohn a. The Baptift, Mofes, and all lights elfe were but as twilight, but a (hadow : So he is the true bread, the true Vine, hehath really the fweetneffe, thecomfort, the excellencies of them all. The like may be faid of all thofe relations he hath taken onhim ; fo he onely is a true Father, and Husband, &c. and the love and fweetneffe in all other Fathers and Husbands arebut a fhadow to what is in him. Obfr. 2. How the Father is theHusbandman. As CaR z s a is thus a Vine, fo his Father is the Husband- man? vf:
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