A Cornrnertary upon the GoJel Chap.t 5. ifts; whereas his birth is recorded but by two of them only. CHAP. XV. Verfe i. I am the true Tine,&c.] J QUr Savioursway lying (as it is thought) by the vineyards, he takes that occafion ofcomparinghimfelfto a vine,as he doth elfewhere, to many other creatures, every where obvious, that therein,, as in fo many optick glaffes, we may fee him, andbe put in mindofhim. TamChrif$i meminife opus eft, yuápn re#irare, faith a Father. A Bee can fuck honyout of aflower, that a Flie cannot. Fire will be afpiring : fo will true grace. Verfe 2. Every branch in me] That thinks himfelf tobe inme, and is fo thought tobeby others, but proves not tobe fo. Thefe Per.a.i. are faid to deny the Lord that bought them , to trample onthe Heb. ro.zo. bloud ofthe Covenant , wherewith they were fanetified , towal- '? Pcr.Z.ZZ. low in themire fromwhich they hadbeen wafhed, &c. So here, to be branches in Chrift, and yet unfruitful!. Not that they ever were inChrift, but feemed to be fo : as a pole fixed in the earth, but not rooted : as a rotten legge cleaves to the body, but is no part ofit : or, as wens and ulcers , which are takenaway without loí%ro it. gq")Paacejget He purgeth it] Of all poffelfìons, faith Cato , none requires Amputat,putst. morepains about it , then that of vineyards. Corn comes up and grows without thehusbandmans care, Mark 4. 27. heknows not how. But vines mull be dreffed , fupported , fheltered , pruned every day almoll : lopt they mull be ever and anon, left the juyce be(pent in leaves. And if it be painfull tobleed, tis worfeto wither. Better be pruned to grow, then cut up to burn. vinitoria cultel- Verfe 3. Through the word, &c. ] Which is the pruning knife, us adfo>'des to lop offour luxuriancies, rottenboughs, raw grapes, topare off prargandas.Cal p ' our gummeof pride , mofle of formality, &c. The word hid in the heart keeps from fin, as an amulet , Tfal. 119. It. and keeps youth from uncleaneffe,verf.9. mixt with faith,it purgethupon cor- ruption,Aí .15.9. and will notfuffer men to reft in fin. Verfe 4. ells the branch cannot bear fruit, &c.] All our fap and fafety is from Chrift. The bud of a good delire, the bloffome ofa good refolution 3 and the fruit of a good action a all comes from -11111111111111111111
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