a Christians Growth. 33 with the workers of iniquity : Tha t is, i n the end he w i l l difcover them t o be what they a r e : A n d though they goe amongfl: the drove o f Profeflbrs, like fheep, yet G o d w i l l detecl them, either in this life, or in the life t o come, t o be Go a t s : Though they d i d no t feeme t o be workers o f iniquity, yet G o d w i l l leade them f o r t h w i t h them. Rcafons wh y G o d dealeth thus wich them. Firft, becaufe they diftionour the Ro o t which they profeffe themfelvcs t o be grafted i n t o j they profefte themfelves t o be i n Ch r i f t ; N o w he is a f r u i t f u l l r o o t , f u l l o f fap, and f o r any t o be u n f r u i t f u l l i n h i m , is a diftionour t o h im . Wh e n you fee unf r u i t f u l l branches upon a tree,you blame the r o o t for i t ; fo d o t h the wo r l d blame the grace o f Chrift, the profeflion o f Chrift, yea even the r o o t i t felfe, f o r the unfruitfulnefle o f the branches. Therefore that they may dishonour the r o o t no more, he takes t h em away, cuts them o f f f r om that r o o t they f eemed t o f t and i n , and then they run out i n t o all manner o f wickednefle. Secondly, becaufe the Husbandman hath no profit by t h e m : Reaf. 2. Heb. 6. The ground that bringeth forth thorns, and no t fruit meet for him,that dreffeth it, ünigh to curfing.. I n the 8. o f the Cant, i t is faid, Solomon had a Vineyard, and he/let it out to Keepers, efrc. H e fpeakes this o f Chrift, o f wh om Solomon was a Type, and o f his Ch u r c h ; and his comparifon ftands t hu s : Solomon being a K i n g , a n d having many Vineyards f o r his R o y a l t y , ( f o r the riches o f antientKing^lay much i n husbandry)he let them out t o Vine-dreflers, and they had fome gaine by them ; But Solomon muß have a thonfani, and they but wo hundred; the chiefe gaine was t o come t o Solomon. So the V i ne ya rd that G o d had plant– ed here be l ow, he lets it out t o men, and they ftiallhave fome p r o f i t by k , you (hall all have wages f o r the wo r k y ou doe j yet fo as the chiefe gaine rauft returne t o G o d , he mull: have a t hou– sand f o r your t w o hundred. But when men w i l l have all the gains that is i n what they doe, f e t up their owne ends onely, and the Husbandman fhall have none, fuch branches he takes away, becaufe they are no t f o r his p r o f i t , . f o r i t is made a rule o f equity, 1 Cor. 9. 7 . That he that plantetha Vineyard, fhould eate-. af the fruit ef it. Becaufe o f all trees a Vi ne is good f o r no t h i ng elfe but t o Reaf.$* E 3 b r i ng
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