134 METAPHORS FROM THINGS GROWING ouT oF THE EARTH. Book I. m_y heavenly Father bath not planted,jhall be rooted up, which denotes fuch as are hete– rodox, impious or hypocritical, in the Garden of the Church, or in its outward Com– munion without the Root of the M•tter. The Word planting attributed to God ts fomctimes taken ge;urnlly, and fignifies to form or mak<-, Pfal. xciv. 9· He that planted the Ear, jha/1 he not hear? that is, he that formed it. Sometimes fp,cially, and figni– fies to carry on, blefs, and increafe with Felicity, Exod. xv. '7· 2 Sam. vii. 10. Pfa/. xli1•. 3· and lxxx. 9· lfa. xl. 24. Jer. xii. 2. and xviii. 9· Ezrk. xxxvi. 36. Amosix. t5. On the contrary to pluck up is put for to take away Blel1ing, w dd\roy and punifh, Deut. xxix. ziL 2 Chron. vii. 20. Jer. xviii. 7· and xxxi. 28. Amos ix. 15. Sometimes this Plantation is mofl: efpecially put to lignify the Rejl01·ation made by Chrifl:, and the SanCtification of Men to Life eternal, !fa. li. 16. Pfal. xcii. 14. Rom. vi. 5· to which belongs the Term ingrafting, Rom. xi. 7, 19, 23, 24. put for the Communion of Saints in the Church: And in Regard thefe Things are effected by the Preaching of the Word of God, therefore Planting (and Watering necelfary there– unto) is attributed to the Minifters thereof, 1 Cor. iii. 6, 7, 8. where there is a molt ele– gant Subordination of thefe Planters and Waterers to Tov auE"'"''"' him that gives the liicreafe, viz. Jebovah, who by the Minirtry of the Word effectually operates or works out the Faith and Salvation of Men. 'l'o Plaut is fa id of a 'l'ent or Tabernacle, be– caufe the Cords of a Tent are fafl:ened to Stakes fixed in the Ground as Plants are fixed, &c. Dan. xi. 45· A 'l'REE is often ufed by Way of Similitude-But in a Metaphor which is a fl1ort or concife Similirude, fometimes it refers to Man, Jer. xi. 19. !fa. !xi. 3· Ezek. xvii. 24. Matt. iii. 10. and xii. 33· Jude Verfe 12, by which is figntfied his Condition "hether good or evil. Sometimes ic relates to fome certain, wholefome or profitable Thing, called for that Reafon the 'l'ree of Life, Prov. iii. 18. xi. 30. xiii. 12. and xv. 4· More efpecially lame certain Names of good Trees are put, !fa. xli. rg. liii. 13. and lx. 13. to lignify the Amenity or PleafJntnefs of the Kingdom of Chrifl:, and the Va– riety of its heavenly Gifts, Zech. xi. 1, 2. Men of various or indifferent Ertates in If rael; Cedars, Fir-t;·ees, Oaks, the Trees of the Wood are exprelfed by Name. lly Cedars and Oaks mentioned !fa. ii. '3· the Nobility and great Ones of the Kingdom who were proud and elevated, are noted. Hence the Cbaldee renders it, '!'he Kings of the People flrong and mighty, and the 'l'yrants of the Provinces. The Royal Family of Dawd, from whence Chri!l: according to the Fltfl1 was defcendecl, is propofed by the Alh;:o•y ofa Cedar, Ezek. xvii . 22. '!'he lopping offBoughs, and cutting dcwn the'l'hickets of the Foreft, denotes the Dertruftion of the Peopk, !fa. x. 18, 33, 34· and xl. 24. Zech. xi. 1, 2. That Part of a cut 'l'ree, which is left above the Earth is called the Stock, Stem or 'l'runk •·. Which Word is metaphorically tranllared, to denote the mean and humble Original of Chrifl according to the Flelh, or his temporal Nativity from the Progeny of Daviil, !fa. xi. 1. And there jha/1 come forth a Rod out of the Stem of Jeffe, &c. A BEdM Joxo<, and the difparate Term ""'e~l!iY, a Mote, (which is a fmall Splinter flying out of a cleft Piece of Wood, Hefych. & dthen. Lib. q.) are ufed to exprefs the Difference and Degrees of Sinners, Matt. vii. 3, 4, 5· where Chrift allegorically demon– fl:rates theCraftofCalumniators,who are mighty curious and inquifitive into the Failings or Infirmities of others (although /light like Motes) but very blind and dull in examin– ing their own Faults, (though grievous, great and weighty like a Beam.) Here we have allo an Admonition concerning our Duty, which is firrt to fearch our own Wallet, which hangs at our Back, and having welllhaken it and cleared it, we may proceed to the Examination of our Brother's Crime. '!'HORNS fometimcs fignify wicked and mirchievous M en, Numb. xxx. 55· Jojh. xxiii. '3· (In which the Enemies are emphatically called 'l'borns and Prickles in their Eyes, that is, fuch as are of all Things mofl: troublefome and hurtful, fo as that the Eyes cannot endme, fo much as a little Chaff, Mote, Thorn or Prickle, withom horribk Torment) !'fa/. lviii. 9· !fa. ix. 18. x. 17. and xxvii. 4· Ezek. ii. 6. and xxviii. 4See alfo becaule of the Similitude, 2 Sam. xxiii. 6, 7· !fa. xxxiii. 12. Nah. i. 10. Matt. vii. 16. Luke vi. '.4• &c. Sometimes 'l'hornJ fignity Impediments met withal, I-!of ii. 6. ]will bedge up thy Way with '!'horns, &c. Jer. iv. 3· Matt. xiii. 7, 22. A REED
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