a Chriftians Growth. with a branch which hath much corruption in it, fo artificially, as to fever the corruption, and let the branch ElandBill ; utterly to cut downe, and make fpoile ofall, there is no great skill re- quired to it ; but to lop the branches in the right place, and due time and feafon, fo as they may become fruitful), this is from the skill ofthe Husbandman, Come to unskilful) Surgeons with a fore leg or arme, and they feeing it pa(t their skill, they talke of nothing but cutting it off, and tell you it is fo far gone,that there is no way elfe ; but come to one that is skilful) indeed, that di& cerns it is not fo perifhed, but it maybe cured, and he will try his art upon it And fo dothGod with branches and members that have muchcorruption in them, he tryes his skill upon them, makes a greatcure of a leg or an arme, where he difcerns fome found flefb, though much corrupted; he can cut out the dead flefh, and let the found rerrmaine, and fo makes it whole in the end. Ofcomfort to thofe who are true brauches, and continue to Vfe, L bring forth fruit in the midt of ofall the tryals that befall them, that God will not fuffer them to be cut off by their corruption ifany thing in them fhould provoke God to doe it, it mull be finne : Now for that, you fee howChrif promifeth that God will take order therewith, andwill purge it out of them. In the 89. Pfd. ver. Z8,29,3o. this is the covenant made with David, (ashe was a type of Chrift, with whom the fame covenant is madePure and firme) That ifhis feed forfake my Law, and walke not in my judgements , What , prefently turne them out of doors, and cut them off, as thofe he meant no more to have to doe with ? What, nothing but utter rejec4ion ? Is thereno means ofreclaiming them ? Never a rod in the houle ? Yes, Thenwill Ivifit their tranfgreffons with a rod, and their iniquity withfiripes, whip out their Bobbornnetfe and finfulneífe , but my loving kindnefe Will I not take from him as I did from Saul, as it is Chron. 17. 13. Let the Saints confider this, that theymay returnwhen they are fallen, and fubmit tohim and his nature, and fuffer him to doe what he will with them, and endure cutting, and lancing, and burning, fo long as he cuts them not off; endure chaííning, and all his dealings elfe, knowing that all the fruit is but to take E 2 away
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