Mm Our Lord yet purtueth the Metaphor of the Vine, the Branches, and the Husbandman : Look (ſaith he) as it is wich a Y7ze, when che. time of pruning the Vine commeth, the Vine-dreifer cutterh off the ſruicleſs luxuriant branches, and chrowerh them by, which be- { 1ng done, their greennefs preſently abateth, and they wither, -. and | after a time, ſome come and gather them uo, and caft chem into fome fire where they are burned: fo ie wilt be with you : 1f vou do not briog forth fruir, God will rake from you his common influences y which have for a while made you to look (pecioutl-, and your Pro- f:{ſton, or your Parts and Gifts will wither and decay, and in the day of Judgment the Angels, Mar. 13. 40, 41. ſhall gather you vp, and God ſhall caſt you into Hell, where you thall perith as mil-rabiy nay, infinitely more miſerably than if you were burned with tire,
7 It ye abide in me, and my words abide in you » *,
ye ſhall ask what you will, and it ſhall be done unto you p.
o Here our Lord expounds what he meaneth by that alizinz in him which he before mentioned by another phraſe {and my words abide in you, | my precepts and promiſes, io as you by tuith embrace the promiſes, and by obc#zence live up to the precepts which I have given you: for withour theſe, tho the words of Chriſt inay come unto men 1n the preaching of the Goſpel, their ears may receive the {ound of them, yer the Word doth not dwell and abide in the Soul : but it the Word abides in the fouls of men and women, p then they may in prayer ask of God what they will, keeping ro the condirtons and limicarions elſewhere required in holy Writ, accordirg 'o God's Will, 1 John 5. 14. believing, Marth. 21. 22, in the Naine of Chriſt, Chap. 14. 13, 14. for the honour and glory of God { to which end all our aCtions muſt be direttcd ) and they ſhall be grant- od A En
8 Herein 1s my Father glorthed, that ye bear much fruit 4, ſo ſhall ye be my Diſciples 7.
g. Here are Two Arguments to preis his Diſciples ab/arng ir: im, thac fo they might bring forth much fruir. 1. Herein ( ſaith cur Saviour } 15 my Father gloriffed, The plorif\ ing of God is the great end of our lives, 1 Cor. 10. 31. God ts glocificd by men and womens bringing forth much fruit, 4727:h. 5. 16. che fruit iro holineſs, Rom. 6. 22. fruit 15 the produ@ of the Plant, from the natural morfince char is 1n it, nouriſhed and augmenred by the fitneſs of the Lirth in which it ſtands, and by the warmth of the Sun drawn out co the producing of ſuch efteQs, according ro the nature of the Planr, Ac- cording to the different narure of Plants they bring forth various fruits, March. 7. 15, 17, 18. Hence we read of che fruir of jin ne t0 death, and the fruit of righteouſneſ; unto life. The firlt 15 every man's natural fruit, until he be ingrafced into Chriſt : being 1n-
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grafted into him) the foul having a new Nature given to it, being
regenerated and renewed by the Holy Ghoſt, it no longer bringeth forth fruit from 1cs old Principle, and according to its old nature bur from its new Principle, and according to 1s new nature : as the cultivated Earth that 15 plowed and harrowed, doth not bring forth Weeds and ordinary Graſs, according to its nature, but bring- eth forth fruit according to the Seed thar is caſt into if, yet not with- out the influence of Heaven, both with reſpe&t to the dew of it, and the warmth which it hath from the Sun; ſothe toul b=ing regence rated, the fallow ground of it being plowed up, and the feed of righteouſneſs being ſown in it, irno more brings forth the weeds of lufts and corruptions, or only ordinary atts of human nature, but it brings forth truirs according its new nature, and the new iced vt the Word now ſown in it, and dwelling in it, And look as It tendz:l co the honour of the Husbandman, when the ground by im plow- ed and manured, brings forth much fruit ; fo it tendeth to the ho- nour and glory of God, when the fouls ren2wed, maaured, «2d influenced by him, bring forth much of rhe !ruit of righteouin<1s, and holineſs. r And tho men mult be Chritt's Diſciples before they bring forth any fruit, yer their bringing forth much fruit 3s chat which alone can evidence and makes them appear ro be the Dilci- ples of Chriſt. And often in Scripture bc:ug fignifieth appearing, 25 John &. 31. Rome 3.4.
9 As theFather hath loved me, ſo have 1loved you : continue ye in my love /. _
{ Whatour Saviour before called an abiding in 121m, and his words abiding in us, and a bearing and bringing forch much fruit, be here calleth a continuing iz his love ; tho indeed this phrate allo may-be interpreted by a continuance 1n the favour of God and Chriit, in that ſtate of love into which God hath” pur the ſouls of thote who are bis true Diſciples : Buc I had rather interpret it of that {ov? wherewith they loved Chriſt, than that wherewith Chriſt loved them. Go the former words are an Argument to per{ſwade perleverance, or a continuance in thoſe atts of holineſs by which men alone
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* Chap. 14.
21z 25,
Chap. XV.
which he there expreſſ-th ; As the Father hath loved me, ſo I have |