Part I. AN ANT HR 0 P 0 PATH Y. 79 Chrift is called the ROO<J: of JESSE and D./JVID, !fa. xi. IO. Rom. xv.. I>. Rev. v. 5 . and xxii. l6. which lome expound by a Metonymy, as the Root is put for that whichJprings from the Root, as !fa. xi. I. Others fay it is fpoken with RefpeCl: to his Divinity. Bernard* fays, it is not faid that David is his Root, but he the Root of Da– vid, becaufe he bears, and is not borne by any. Fitly therefore, 0 holy Dt~vid, dolt thou call thy Son, thy Lord, becaufe you did not bear the Root, but the Root thee. Some derive the Reafon of this Appellation from thefe Places, !fa. xiv. 30. I will kill thy Root with Famine, theChaldee renders it, (thy Son;] the Septuagint, [thy Seed:] Mal. iv. I. H,e jholl leave them neither Root nor Branch, the Chaldee renders it, neither Son 1JOr Sons Son, or Nephew, whence it appears that a Son, efpecially the Firlr-born, is as it were, the Root of the Family, from whom fuch as are fprung, are like Branches. Hence the Patriarchs, from whom the People of Ifrael fprung, and with whom God firft entered into Covenant are called a Root, and their Pofterity Branches, Rom. xi. 16. Chrift is therefore called the Root of Jef!e and David, becaufe he is that Firtr-born, Pjal.lxxxi>;. 27. (Alfo l will make him my Firft-born higher than the Kings of the Earth) ifi'ued, as to his Humanity, from the Family of Jef!e and David, and was the Foundation or Root of all the fpiritual FamilY. of God, whence he is called the Firft.born among many Brethren, Ram. viii. 29. which Reafon feems to be hinted, !fa. xi. 1 o. Where he is faid to fland for an Enjign of the People, to which the Gentiles !hall feek, by which the Call and Converfion of that People is defcribed, and the Conftitution of the New Teftament Church foretold, which is like a fruit-bearing Tree, ftanding upon Chrift as a Root, drawing Juice, Nourilhment and Life from him. Chrijl is called a VINE, John xv. I, 5· by which Metaphor, principally, his moft lhicr and clofe Union with his Difciples and all Believers is intimated, hence they are called Branches ingrafted in him, Verfe 2, 4, 5· The Vine is homogeneal, orofthefame Nature with the Branches, fo is Chrilt according to his Humanity with Believers, Eph. v..~o. Heb. ii. 14. The Vine imbibes or drinks in a copious Humor, and Plenty of Moifture, which it after communicates to the Branches : So of the Fulnejs of Chrift we all receive Grace for Grace, Johll i. 16. By a vital Juice derived from the Vine, the Branches are animated, vegetated and ferti lized, fo as to bear fweet Fruit: By the Virtue of Chrift and his Spirit given to Believers they are enlivened, quickened, and made apt to bear the Fruits of Piety to God (which Fruit cheareth God and Man, Judg. ix. 13.) but in the Manner of this Conjuncrion, there is a Diverlity or Difference. For Branches grow upon the Vine naturally ; but Believers are ingrafted in the true Vine fpiritually, &c. This is theprimary Reafon of this Metaphor; but by Way of Inference other Things are intimated, viz. the Meannefs of the Vine, as to outward Afpec1, Ezek. xv. 2, 3· quadrates very well with Chrift in his State of Humiliation, !fa. liii. 2, 3· The Dig– nity of the Vine, before other Plants, the delicate Smell of its Flowers, and the Excel– lency and Precioufnefs of its Fruit, &c. with other Things may be congruouily applied to Chrift the true and celefiial Vine. Chrijl is called a BUNDLE of MYRRH, Cant. i. 13. Of which Abundance <>rows in Arabia; Myrrh is indeed bitter, but moft fragrant, and of lingular Profit, in clean[. ing and healing o~Wounds,. in expelling of corrupt Humors out of the Body, in eafing Pa10s or Gnefs, 10 comforung the Heart, and mofi effecrual in preferving the Body from Putrefaction. All which may be moft fairly accommodated and improved in Pa– rallels applied to our blefi'ed Savior's Paffion, mofi holy Merits, and their Fruit and Efficacy to the Saints when improved in Faith. Exod. xxx. 2 3. There is Mention of the [Mjrrh of Liberty J fo the Hebrew, the Chaldee, [pure, tncorrupt,] our Verfion,pure Mjrrh, of which was made tht holy Ointment with wh1ch the clnef Priefts were wont to be anointed, which prefigured the holy Uncrion of ~hnft, the Sacnfice of whofe Death is that Myrrh of Liberty, affording a heavenly Deliverance from Satan, Death, Sin and Hell, John viii. 3b, &c. · • !11 Jie Pafib, Serm, 1. He
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