412 c H R I s T THE T R u E V I N E. Book II. MET A PH 0 R . ed by the Emprefs Livia, that yielded 12 Amphoras (that is, ro8 Gallons of our Meafure) of good Wine yearly. There are fometimes found hundreds ofGrapcs uponone Clufter, feveral Clufters upon one Branch, and abundance of Branches upon one Stock. The Scripture · when it would exprefs Plenty, bor– rows a Term from the Vine, which denotes lncreafe. 'Thy Wife jhall be as a fruitful Vine upon the Walls of thy Houft, Pfal. cxxviii. 3· VI. The Vine brings forth plea– f:mt Fruit, fweet and delightful be– yond others; it is faid to make glad the Heart of Man, Pfal. civ. 15. Give fVine to thofe that are of heavy H eart ; let them drink and forget their Povert)', and remember their Miftry no more, Prov. xxxi. 6, 7· When the new Wine languifheth, the merry-hearted do jigh; all ]oy is darkened, the Mirth of the Land isgone, Ifa. xxiv. 11. VII. The Vine yields profitable Fruit; 'Ihe Blood of the Grape (as it is called, Deut. xxxii. 14.) is a great Strengthener and Supporter of Nature. Paul advifes 'Timothy to drink a little Wine for his Sto– mach's fake, and often Infirmity 1 'fim. v. 23. The good Samaritan is faid to pour in Oil and Wine into the Wounds of the Man that fell among Thieves, Luke x. 34· VIII. The Vine is a fhadowy Plant, its fpreading Branches and large Leaves afford a delightful and refrefhing Shade, and is therefore ufed for covering of pleafant Ar– ·bors. PAR ALL EL. down doing good, both to the Bodies and Souls of Men; fruitful in his Death. In that Clufrer there is much choice Fruit; as Atonemf'nt, Re– conciliation, Redemption, Victory over Sin and Satan, the abolifhing of the Law, and eil:ablifh– ing the everhfring Rig,hteoufi1efs: He was fruit– ful in his Rcfurrection, Afcenfion, Interceflion, ~c. The Graces of the Spirit, holy Ordinances, and Promifes of eternal Life, are all Fruits of this heavenly Vine; from him is all our F ruit found, AEis x. 3~· t Cor. xiii. Dan. ix. 24- Hof xiv. ~. See the Metaphor Light. VI. The Lord Jefus brings forth the moll: plea– fant and defirable Fruit. I fat down under his Shadow with great Delight, faith the Spoufe, and his Fruit was pleafant to my 'J:afle, Cant. ii. 3• No Cup fo refrefhing as the Cup of DivineConfo– lation. No Wine nourifhes or quickens the Body fo much as the Love of Chrifr, Peace with God, Reconciliation, P.ardon ofSin,Jufrification, Adop– tion, & c. Eph. 11, 1, 5, 6. Thefe blell'ed Fruits of this myftical Vine do chear, feed and enliven a drooping and languifhing Soul, Pfal. xxxiv. 8. VII. The Lord J efus yields Fruit every way profitable. All the Good that Soul or Body is ca– pable of receiving, flows from him, and is the Fruit of his Love, purchafed by his Death, and com– municated by his Word and Holy Spirit: It warms, fupports and ftrengthens the Souls of his People. His Grace is of a healing,,quickening, and vivify– ing Nature, 2 'fhej. ii. '7· Rom. i. 5· and v. 11. 2 Cor. iv. r. Eph. ii. 5, ~. Pfal. ciii. 4· See Me– taphor Wine and Ointment, &c. VIII. J efus Chrift is a Shadow to his Church, a Hiding-place from the Wind, and a Cover from the 'J:empefl; as the Shadow of a great Rock in a weary Land, lfi•· xxxii. 2. He defends froin the Rage of Satan, from Sin, from the Fury of Man in the Heat of Perfecution; yea from the Wrath of God, by which (were it not for the Interpofi– tion of this blell'ed Skreen or Shade) we ihould be fcorched, burnt, yea utterly confum– ed, 2 Sam. xxii. 2, 3, 4· Ifa. liii. 5· L am. iii. 22. See Rock, Apple-'free, &c. IX. It is a very foft and tender IX. Chrift, the fpiritual Vi~e, Luke xix. 4'· Plant; fo that if it be cut, bruifed, (being affronted, rejected and abufed by the re– or any ways wroncred, it will abunbellious, obftinate and unbelieving ]C'ZJJS) when he dantly weep and bleed out its Sap approached and beheld the City, He wept over it, and Moifture, as Naturalifts report. was grie·ved for the Hardnefs of their Hearts, Matt. xxvi. 38. bm more efpecially when he came un– der the Execution ofD ivine Wrath for Man's fake, and in his ll:ead, which he did wil– lingly undergo, Ifa. liii. 7. How did hi~ bruifed and _abufed Body fweat (as it were great drops of Blood, until he yielded up h1s blell'ed L1fe and precwus Spmt for us? Luke xxii . 44· X. An eminent Writer * faith, That the Tears of the Vine (like X. The Grace of Chrifr, the fpiritual Vine, is ·precious Eye-Salve, which removes thofe thick • Hitron. 7'ragu; in his Com. de Stirp. Lib. iii. p. 10)9• l Clouds
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