All his skill, care and sufficiency, standing engaged for the same.

Thus Jesus, when first planted by the Father's hand, as the first, and only begotten, chosen and beloved, was as the Stock or Set, whose Branches doth not appear; but having then his seed in himself, he was to put them forth as his Branches in due season; according to the appointment and foreknowledge of the Great Husbandman: His Wisdom, Power, Care, and All-sufficiency, standing engaged for the same. As the Stem and Branches make one Tree; so Jesus, and the People make one Body, one Man, one Christ, one Elect, one Beloved of the Father, one crucified, raised, and everliving. The Stock and Branches, making one Tree, grow in one soil; so Christ and the people are jointly rooted, and grounded in the Father's Love: And hast loved them, as thou hast loved me.* Heirs of God, and Joint-Heirs with Christ. Standing with him, in the same relation to the Divine Majesty; Go to my Brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your

* John xvii. 23.

† Rom. viii. 17.

Father, and to my God, and your God.* The Root and Branches, making one Tree, have but one and the same Life, Sap, and Fruitfulness. So Christ and the People, have both one, and the same eternal life : God hath given to us eternal Life, and this Life is in his Son.† Therefore the Saviour saith, Because I live, Ye shall live also:‡ They have also the same Fruit, for the fruit is not of the branches distinct from the stem, nor of the stem, without the branches: But of the Tree, consisting of stem and branches. So also is Christ, who says, from me is thy Fruit found.§ In brief, if Jesus meant to teach us the Union subsisting between himself and his Church, under the similitude of the Vine and its Branches, which he certainly did; Then, whatsoever can be said of the oneness of the Tree, consisting of Stock and Branches, as a Figure; can with much more propriety be said of Christ, and the people united, as the Thing signified. The Date of that Union which the Branches hath to the Stem, is equal to their existence : Yea, as considered in the stock, the Union * John xx. 17. † 1 John v. 11. John xiv. 19. § Hosea xiv. 9.

which made them one therewith, was before they had any apparent existence. And, though the Vine-stock in itself may have the most fruitful qualities; yet it cannot exhibit the same, by bringing. forth Fruit to perfection, except it first put forth its proper Branches: Therefore the existence of the Branches, yea the Union thereof to the Stem, and their Life therein, is before, yea, necessarily antecedent to all their fruitful productions. So also is Christ our Union to him bearing a superior Date to our apparent personal existence. Therefore, said to be chosen in Him, and to have Grace which was gi ven us in Christ Jesus before the World began. And, though Jesus as the Root and. Stem, was possessed of qualities infinitely fruitful; yet, there was neither possibility nor occasion of his exhibiting this by bringing forth his fruit; except his people, or proper Branches, are first put forth : accordingly they were put forth in Adam to a personal existence; and sin entering, His bringing forth fruit was possible, and an opportunity administered him, of sig

* Eph. i. 4. + 2 Tim. i. 9.

nalizing himself in so doing: for, as the Union of the Branch to the Stem, is not lessened by sprouting into an apparent existence, but is as full as when they were hidden in the Stock; neither was the Church, or members of Christ, less united unto him, when put forth in Adam, than what they were, when only existing in Him; being still his true and proper Branches. But, smitten with mildew, and blasting, in Adam's offence, their life, sap and fruitfulness, was repelled and driven back to the root; until the great Husbandman in infinite wisdom, so manured and dressed the Root, that forcing the life and sap upwards, the Branches were passive unto its influence, until all its Fruit appeared. In order to their fruitfulness, the Branches were purged in the Vine: There the superfluities of the whole were cut off, and all necessary for their perpetual fruitfulness accomplished. In like manner, the Church, included in Christ, were purged in him, in order to their fruitfulness. In putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ, when he had by himself purged our

*

* Col. ii. 11.

sins,* being now justified by his Blood,† and sanctified through the offering up of the body of Jesus Christ once for all, wherefore Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people with his own Blood, suffered without the gate. The Vine thus purged, brings forth its fruit upon the native Branches; having no other medium cf bringing it forth. Thus Christ brought forth all the fruit of his pure conception, his spotless birth, his circumcision, and holy Life, his bloody, shameful and terrible Death, his glorious resurrection and ascension, upon the people, as the Branches. Having taken on him the seed of Abraham, he in them and they in him, fulfilled all righteousness, obeyed the Law, and endured the penalty for the past transgression, being thus made perfect in one. And because, through all this, the people were in passivity, and Christ the active consciousness and quickening spirit of the whole; therefore, saith the Prophet, Lord thou wilt ordain peace for us, for thou also hast wrought all our works in us. thy fruit found.¶

*Heb. i. 3.

us.||

† Rom. v. 9.

§ Heb. xiii. 12. || Isaiah xxvi. 12.

From me is

Heb. x. 10.

Hosea xiv. 8.