33 6 BR A N C H. may his People. His Life virtually feeds them with Life; and becaufe he lives, they ¡hall live afä. He has done every Work for them, that was requifite to make them alive unto GOD ; and he does every Work in them, that is neceffary to keep them fo. He 'hall bear the Glory * (fays the Prophet), to whom indeed all Glory is due; and they (hall be glorious in him, that GOD may be all in all. The Stock of Man became dead and corrupt through the Fall. Sometimes a Branch appears, that feems to difcover Life and to bear Fruits ; but when thefe are tailed and tried, however fair to the Eye, like the Ap- ples of Sodom, they are altogether Filth and Allies within. Nor are rotten Trees more replete with Ver- min, or lefs capable of being applied to a good Pur- pofè, than the Nature of Man, while over-run with Corruptions, and unfitted for the intrinfic A6ts or In- tentions of Righteoufnefs and Truth. This is a jun., though an humbling, Piéture of Man : Nor can he poffibly recover himfelf from this dreadful State, any more than a rotten Tree can renew its former Vigor; or give itfelf the Life, which it enjoyed before. But though this Decay of human Nature from all trueHoli- nefs is declared by the Scriptures, and is vifible to every difcerningEye; yet, becaufe a luxuriant Gourd twines round the Stock, or forte baneful Ivy invefls the Branches with Green, carelefs Obfervers have fan- cied the Tree to be alive, and have admired the fpeci- ous Verdure without, infenfible or regardlefs of the barren Skeleton within. What was faid of the Atheni- ans, may be faid of all Men that, if they know what is right, they have no Will to do it. -j- True it is; though Man's Heart became dead to GOD and the Things of GOD through the Fall; Pride and Prefump- tion were then quickened ; and are the barren Ivy and the bitter Gourd, which yield all the Ornament and all the Fruit, which he either has, or indeed defines to know. Zech: vi. 13. I-. Cte. de Senefh $ 6¢. The
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