Eph.4,24. Joh. 15.71 2. Rom. 15. I2: & Efa.I I .10. Joh. 4..5. The rootingtpof everyPlant,not natureof Divine things ; for ifwe look upon the bareLet- ter, what is there in it ? But by anA'cgory, or figure, there is alwayes fomething refembled orfhadowedout to us, be- fides and beyond the Allegory or Metaphor. Therefore by thePlant here mentioned, is mean theNewCreation, or the NewMan created.in ,Jefus Chriff : And there is nothing can thrive or flourifh but onely this , which is onely planted by Godhinmfclf: every other plant muß be rooted up : this new man is ofGod, fpiritualized,like hinrfelf, of his own nature, and it knows and underfiands the things ofGod ; let there be a thoufandReligions in the world, yet onely that which the Father hath planted, and isfromHeaven, that alone fhall f}and. I would, for tefiimony to this truth, -refer you to twò or three places of Scripture to confider of : I will not name nor-multiply many ; for I will not wearyyou with tumbling over the Letter (as the manner of fome is) neither is it of much ufe, or ofanyproof, or convincement to any, but thofe who have the things themfelves made good in them. Take that in John 15. I, 2. There is the fame fimilitude ufid as is here : I art the true Vine, and my Father it theHusband- man. Every branch in me 'which beareth notfruit, he taketh away : and every branch which bearethfruit, he púrgeth it that it may bring forthmore fruit. So that this [hews that Jc fus Chrift is the onely vine, and his father onely minds and husbands this Vine and every branch in it, for the root and branches are all but ONE Vine ; and the Father, he alone hath planted it, and he dreffethit, and waters it, andprimes it. Jefus Chrift in himfelfe and members, he is the true root of Jeße whom the Lordwill effablifh upon theThronefor ever: And tis onely the root ofDavid that hath prevailed, and no other : All other Vines areas a wilde Olive, and bear no fruit in him, and therefore mull be taken away and cut off: for except they abide in hint, they cannot bring forth fruit; Without me you.can donothing. That which is a wild vine or a wild Olive, it bears nogood fruit: therefore men reject it and root it up a s goodfor nothing but to calf into the fire to burn: and fo doth the Heavenly Husband manyeject, what- evrr
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