132 METAPHORS FROM THINGS G.ROWING ouTOF THE EARTfl: Book 1; (2.) Good Seed, caft into good Ground, does germinate, and put forth a Plant, by whofe VIrtue and Power It continues us Kmd; So the Word of God, recetved in a "OOd Heart, makes a Man fuch as itfelf is, that is, fpiritual, and quickened with a Divine Ltfe, becaufe chat Seed is Spirit and Life, John vi. 63. (3•) That Seed may grow, there is Need of the Sun's Heat, and Rain or Dew; So God himfelf gives lncreafe to the Seed of the heavenly Word, I Cor. iii. 6, 7· '(be Sun of Righteoufnefs influences it with his celefrial Heat, and waters it with the Rain or Dew of his holy Spirit. !fa. xliv. 3, &c. When the Verb to SOW is attributed to God, it denote~ a Multiplication of Bleffings to Men, ]er. xxxi. 27. Hof ii. 25. Zech. x. 9· to which the Phrafe, Nab. i. 14. is contrary, 'The Lord bath given a Commandmmt concerning thee, that no more of thy Name be[own, that is, thou !bale be fhin, and fba!t perift1 without Recovery. When amibmed to Men, it Ggnifies fuch Things as are done in our Life-rime, from which Good or Evil is to be expected. And fo expreffes either the Exercile or Practice of Piety or Impiety. Examples of the former are eo be read, Pfal. cxxvi. 5, 6. Prov. xi. 8. Hof x. I2. 2 Cor. ix. 6. Of the latter, Pro".J. xxii. 8. Job iv. 8. ]er. iv. 3· Hof viii. 7· Of both, Gal. vi. 8, &c. When it is fa;d of human Bodies that they are [own, it denotes their Death and Bu– rial, I Cor. xv. 42, 43, 44· to which the Refurrefttoll from the Dead is oppofed. For the Apoftle metaphorically changes the Word li>eaking, Verfe 36. of the Seed as of the Body : but here of the Body as of Seed. A ROO'( which is the Bajis or lower Parr of rhe Plant, and the Principle or Beginning of Accretion is put for any Original or Foundation of a Thing, Deut. xxix. 18. !fa. xiv. 30· Rom. xi. !6, 17, 18. I nm. vi. !0. Heb. xii. 5· and for aproJPerous State of Things, Job xxxix. 19. Hence comes the Phrafe to take root or to root, that is, to be in a ·good Condition, or to multiply or thrive in any outward·Bkffing, Job v. 3· Pfal.lxxx. 9· lfa. xxvii. 6. and xxxvii. 3 t. ]er. xii . 2. And on the contrary, the drying up of the Root, denotes the Deftrut\ion of the Wicked, Job xviii. 16. !fa. v. 24. Hof ix.16. Mal.iv. I. More efpecially the [Roots of the Feet] for fo it is in the Hebrew, Job xiii. 29. bur in our Englift1 Tranftation, Heels of my Feet, an ExpoGtion rather than a TranOation fignify the Hceh or Knuckle Bones, becaufe they are the loweft Part, as a Root is to a Plant. The Root of Jejje, !fa. xi. 1. feems to note the Patriarchs from which Jeffe and David were fprung. '(o be rooted is fpoke of the Myltery of our Regen·eration, and a Corroboration or ftrengthening in Faith and Piety is lignified thereby, Eph. iii. 18. Col. ii. 7· to which we may firly compare, 'job xix. 28. But )'e jhould fay, why perfecute we him, feeing the Root of the Matter is found in me? that is, when rooted by Faith in God I keep mine Integrity, a; Junius and '(remellius expound it. ' A BRANCII with many fynonymous Terms is frequently propofed in Allegories Gg– nifying by the Si'militude of a growing, green, and thriving Tree, Profperity, and on the contrary by the Similitude of a withering Tree, Misfortune and Calamity, Gen. xlix. 22. Job xv. 32. and xxix. I9· (where i'~P Ggnifies a Branch, as Chap. xviii. 16.) J'fal. lxxx. IO, 1 1. !fa. xxv. 5· Ezek. xvii. 6, &c. xvi. IO, I 1. and xxxi. 0 , &c. Mal. iv. 1. &c. By the Term BRANCHES, Paulunderftands the Ifraelites of that Time Rom. xi. I6, 17, &c. who were defcended (or proceeded) of the firft Patriarchs as from a Root. The Church is called the Branch of God's planting, !fa. lx. 2 I. be– caufe (as it were planted in Chrift the Tree of Life,) he has a fingular Love and Care for it, vegetating, comforting and preferving it by his Spirit, and at ]aft eternally faving ir. A LE!IF, becaufe it eaGiy falls and withers, carries the Notion of Vilenefs and Vanity, Job xiii. 25. but in Regard the Leaves of fame Trees are always green, un– der the Similitude of fuch a Tree, eternal Life is defcribed, Ezek. xlvii. I2. See Rev. xxii. 2. alfo the Righteous who are Heirs of eternal Life, Pfal. xcii. I3, ·,4· with Pfal. i. 3· and lii. 10•• The
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