EpitdeofS. PailtoTitus. land in refpe& oftheir qualttie,goodfruits, acceptable to God,andprof- table to men. 3. This fruitfulues mull proceede fromgood caufes :for fit ß the tree muß be good, for men gather not grapes of chillies. z. he mutt haue a good roote; that is, he muß be fee and abide in Chriß: lob. t 5.4. Abide sn me,---the branch cannot beare fruit ofit (elfe voleffe it abide in the vine.3.he mutt draw thence good lappe and iuyce,through the fellow- fhip & communionofChriß his death and refurreetion,withouc which we candoe nothing..}. hemull hauethe fpirit of the Sonne to be aprinci- pall agent in the letting and ripening of thefe (-mites : for they muß be fruitesofthefpirit. 5. he mull haue the loue of God within him,conßra- ning him, which will be as the fucine helpingon thefe fruits to their per- feblion. 6. he mull haue goodendes in hiseie, namely, Gods glory, and mans good,Philip.t.11. 4. Euery Chriflianmull bring forthmuchfruit, andnot for cruller; fcarce berricsarees ofrighteoufneffe are ladenwith the fruits of the fpi- tit:and herein is the Father glorified,thatyeebringforthmuchfreest, lob. I5.8. 5. Chrißians mull continue fruitfull,and groovedaily more fruirfull; where there is any foúdnes,the Lord purgerh that branch to more fruit, Ioh.r 5.z.and it is the propertie ofthem that are planted in the houle of the Lord, to bring forth muchfruit in theirage: and their iuß pralle is, that their workes are more at laß, then at the firß,Reu.2.19. The fecondpoint,is the confideration of the reafons ro moue Chrißi- an s to this fruitfulnelfe. The principal( are thefe ; t. Gods pairies and coils with vs:he hath bought vs at a deare rate from our vainc conuerfa- tion,to ferne him all our dales: hebath brought vs from that Romilh E- gypt where we Breve not well to make vs his owne vineyard : hebath planred,hedged,&manuredvs,he(lath watered vs with thedewes of his word and Gofpel from heauen : he hath trimmed vs with his pruning knife ofludgements and correélions;and what could hedoe more to his vineyard? doch he not now iußly expetl: for lweete fruits anfwerable to his labour with vs ? if we let before our eyes our talents , our accounts, Gods trauels, together with fauours fpirituall,and temporali ; will not all there bind vs co truitfulneffe? a. Ifwe confider our time,wc fhall coddle it more then time toyeild vp our fruits :our mailer bath fuffred vs our firil yeare already,yea & our fecond,nay we arc in our third yeare(or rather beyôd our third (core of years)ifchis be not theyeare ofour fruit,canwe look to (land longer,& not be flocked vp ?Furthermore, this is our rummer our Autume:neuer had our fathers before vs fucka feafon , fo fitted to fruitfulneffe,as this Aaa 2 oar CHAP.3.i4 741 3 Ioh.tSd. 4 5 Ptal.91.4. Pea(uns to óuitfulncs4. I Z 1
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=