Book II. c H R I s T THE T R u E V I N E. MET A PH 0 R. Gum congealed in the Scock of it) dropt into dim Eyes, remove the little Clouds that begin to gather there, drive away Darknefs, and clear the Sight: And further faith, 5Z!,tid pojfit Vitis, & alia qu-e fundi!, fernzom explicare mmo poteft; that no Tonaue could fufficiently tell the Virt~es of the Vine : The like fays Plilz. Lib. xiv. I. METAPHOR. I. THE Vine is a Plant of an earthly Extratl: ; the choic– eit and goodlieO: are only the Plan– tation of Men. PARALLEL. Cloudn of Darknefs and Ignorance that are upon the Underftanding, Rro. iii. 18. by which a Soul fpiritually comes to have a clear Profpetl: of thofe never-fading Glories of the other World, and plainly difcerns the gilded F allies and tranfitory Vanities of all Things here below. In a Word, no Tongue can fufficiently exalt the tranfcendent Virtues of this ever ble!fed Vine. D IS PAR IT Y. I. CHRIST is of an heavenly Original and Extratl:ion, a Vine of God's own planting, John vi. 51. who prepared a Body for him, and ap– pointed him to the Work of Redemption, Heb. x. 5· He is the true Vine, m;d God the Father is the Hvjbandman, John xv. 1. No other could plant fo noble a Vine as Chrift is. II. TheVine is not always green; II. Chri(t, the fpiritual Vine, perpetually flouthe Leaves fall off in Winter. You rifhes, always abounds with Fruit, and knows may look for Fruit when the Vinno Winter; he is the fame from Generation to Ge– tage is gathered, and find none. neratio'! Yeflerday, To-day, and for ever, Heb. xiii. 8. without Variation, or Shadow of turning, James i. 17. there is always a full Vintage, that never diminifhes, withers, nor decays, never grows old, but ever remains in its .full Growth and abfolme Perfetl:ion. Ill. The Fruit of the Vine taken Ill. The Fruit of Chrift, the fpiritual Vine, to excefs, is offenlive to God, hurts never hurts any; no danger of Surfeit here ; the and injures the Soul, breeds Dif- more you eat and drink the better it is; here's no eafes and deftrutl:ive Humors in fear of Excefs. The Wine of Confolation nei– the Body, bereaves Men of Reather gluts nor inflames, nor intoxicates, but nou– fon, intoxicates the Brain, &c. rifhes, and feeds the Soul, ftill begetting a fharper IV. The Fruit of the Vine dimi– nifhes, by gathering Clufter after Clufter you may foon ftrip it of all. Appetite for more. IV. All the Believers in the World may par– take plentifully of the Fruit of the fpiritual Vine (the Lord Jefus) every Day, yea, every Moment; there's enough for Millions, and to be taken free– ly, yet the Store is never the lefs. How many have been nourifhed thereby fince the Beginning ? yet it is as full as ever, and fo will ever be, Matt. v. 6. and xi. 28. Ifa. lv. 1. V. The Fruit of the Vine is only good for the Body. VI. The Vine wants Support; unlefs it be underpropt, it falls, be– ing not able to bear the Weight of its own Branches. V. This Fruit is good for the Soul; it com– forts and revives the inward Man. VI. Chrift the fpiritual Vine, is of excellent Strength and Ability to fupport his fpiritual Branches, (the Saints) and needs no He!p from any other. · C 0 R 0 L L A R I E S. I. FROM this Metaphor we may learn what an infinite Blefling and unfpeakable Mercy the Lord Jefus Chrift is to his Church, and all true Believers; how helplefs Saints are of themfdves; for the Branches cannot ftand without his Divine Support, nor bear Fruit, unlefs this ble!fed Root communicates Sap and Nourifhment to them, 'John xv. 4· !I. It fhews what a fweet and ble!fed Union there is between Chrift and Believers; fuch a Relation as is betwixt the Root and Branches; it is a myftical (yet the neareft and moft real) Union. Ill. It fhews, That our whole Dependence ought to be on Chrill; for he only can uphold us, as the Root does the Branches: l17ithout him we mn do 11otbing, Jobn xv. 5· 5N -
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