the vine p : the || ſcent thereof /hall be as the wine of Le- banon q.
, m As many as unite to the Church, are Members of it, shall dwell”
under theſe ſpreading Trees: The Churches planted and ſpreading Shall be to new Converts as ſuch Trees to fainting Travellers, almof ſpent with Toil and Heat ; they shall find Reft in this Shadow, which may refer to Chrift and the Church. #z Revive and recover ney Strength and Life ; ſo do Souls weary and heavy laden with Sin and Fears, find Comfort and Life coming to Chriſt, converſing with (uch as have been eaſed and comforted by Chrift in like manner formerly, o Which dieth e're it liveth to bring forth Fruit, ſo Converts die in- deed to Sin that they may live to God, die to all legal Righteouſneſs that they may liveon rich Grace; orelſe it may refer to the Increaſe of the Church, which shall be as many Stalks from one Ear of Wheat, p Which in Winter ſeems dcad, is prun'd, and promiſeth little to the Eye, but yet Life, Sap, and a frudifying Virtue is in it, and it will ſpring and bring forth Fruit : ſothe Church of Chriſt is ulcd, thatit may bring forth Fruit more abundantly, Fokn 15.2, 3, q The % vour of it to God and good Men 5hall be pleaſing as the Scent of the delicious Wines of Lebanon, which are mentioned by profane Authors with a great Praiſe for their Sweetneſs and Deliciouſneſs.
8 Ephraim r ſhall ſay, What have I to do any more with idols s ? I have heard hjm, and obſerved him t : I
am like a green fir-tree«, from me #5 thy fruit found =. 7 Not the whole Body of Ephraim, but converted Ephraim, thoſe who, ver. 1, 2. were ſenfible of Sin, confeſſed it, and ſued for Pardon, s 7, e. T haveno more todo with them, nor ever will ; they have been, firſt my Sin, and next my Sorrows z and my Sorrows have been mul- tiplied by haſting after other Sods, I will no more do fo ; and with Deteſtation againſt Tdols doth Ephraim ſpeak, as the Queſtion impli eth. tr Some refer theſe Words to Fpkraim, owning what he ha found and obſerved in God what Grace and Mercy in Pardon, Deli- verance from Miſeries, and comfortable Revival of his State : Others refer it to God, and make it a gracious Promiſe.from God of hearing Prayers, and taking eſpecial Care of converted Ephraim ; either way {utes the Words and Matter, and I leave it to your Choice. u Thef Words alſo as the former are either J/aeP's giving Praiſe to God, whv had on JſraePs Return changed his dead withered State into a flouris- ing, lovely and beautiful State ; others ſay *cis God's Promile to be to Ephraim as ſuch a Tree is to a weary Traveller, who may with De light and Safety fit under the Shadow of it. A Tree, ſay ſome, that grows with very thick Boughs, that Rain or Heat pierceth not, and whoſe Smell drives away wild Beafts ſo there is Safety and Refresl- ment under the Protection of the Lord, under his Shadow. x Th
alſo is differently interpreted, 1/74! confefſeth that the Fruit of Gods Grace is ſeen from what /ſrael now is, and doth ; others ſay, God pre mileth the Fruits of Comfort Jj/ra:1 enjoys, and ſtill shall enjoy from God, and his Grace toward Ijracl, 1 determine neither, but ſure [ am, (uch is the Corce:nondence of God's Grace to the converted, that they cannot more readily acknowledg what God hath done for the, nor more readily engage to do what God adviſeth and requireth, thi! God is ready ro encourage them by gracious, ard rich, and ſutadi Fromiles, ; 9 * Who # wiſe, and he ſhall underſtand theſe thy” y ? prudent, ana he ſhall know them z ? for the ways; the LORD are right a, and the juſt ſhall walk in them#:; but the tranſgreſſors c ſhall fall therein 4d. 'Þ y Though not many wiſe, yet ſome methinks now of thoſe few, who is there that will confider what Sins God complains of, and threr tens to punish in his People, what Sins God forbad them (0 much once to commit, and peremptorily commanded them to turn. io when once committed ; what Duties he required, what Promil® , propoſed, what Patience he uſed toward them while any Hop* c their Amendment,what Severity upon their incorrigible Sins. V __ with any tolerable Degree of Wiſdom will-view theſe things, 479” riouſly conlider of them, they will underſtand, and know that che Iv phet bath given beſt Advice, and thar'tis ſafeſt Courle to follow If { The ſame thing doubled with Elegancy, and to confirm the Word, : is uſval in Scripture. 4 The Ways which he would have 5 wry towards him, his Law, his Ordinances of Worship, his whole Dottie which diretteth our Walk, are all righceous and equal. A%** Ways wherein God walketh toward us in Corr-&icns for $1956- mitted, in {uſpending his Fromiles of Grace en conditivss 0 Dn
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The ARGUMENT.
9 Ince ſo many #ndeterminable Points of leſs moment occur in our Prophet, as of what Tribe he was, whether his Fathes
q g were @ Prophet, whether he propheſied in Jeroboam's or Hezekiah's time, whether contemporary with Hoſea, Amos,