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flock, it will fall away when fhaking winds arife: but the branch knit to the flock flands faft, whatever winds blows. Sometimes a ftormy wind of temptation blows from hell, and toffeth the branches in Chrift the true vine: but their union with him, is their fecurity; moved they may be, but removed they never can be. The Lord "will with the temptation alfo make a way to escape," I Cor. x. 13. Calms are never of any continuance: there is almost always fome wind blowing; and therefore branches are rarely altogether at reft. But fometimes violent winds arife, which threaten to rend them from off their stock. Even fo it is with faints; they are daily put to it, to keep their ground againft temptation: but fometimes the wind from hell rifeth fo high, ad bloweth fo furioufly, that it makes even top-branches to fweep the ground; yet being knit to Chrift their flock, they get up again, in fpite of the moft violent efforts of the prince of the power of the air, Pfal. xciv. 18. When I faid my foot flippeth, thy mercy, O Lord, held me up.' ." But the Chriftian improves by this trial; and is fo far from being damaged, that he is benefited by it, in fo far as it difcovers what hold the foul has of Chrift, and what hold Chrift has of the foul. And look as the wind in the billows, which would blow out the candle, blows up the fire: even fo it often comes to pass that fuch temptations do enliven the true Chriftian, awakening the graces of the Spirit in him; and, by that means, difcover both the reality, and the ftrength of grace in him. And hence, as Luther, that great man of God, faith, "One Chriftian who hath had ex"perience of temptation, is worth a thoufand others."

Sometimes a ftormy wind of trouble and perfecution from the men of the world, blows upon the vine, i. e. myftical Chrift: but union with the stock is a fufficient fecurity to the branches. In a time of the church's peace and outward profperity, while the angels hold the winds that they blow not, there are a great many branches taken up, and put into the stock, which never knit with it, nor live by it, though they be bound up with it, by the bonds of external ordinances. Now thefe may ftand a while on the ftock; and ftand with great eafe, while the calm lafts. But when once the ftorms arife, and the winds blow; they will begin to fall off, one after another: and the higher the wind rifeth, the greater will the number be that falls. Yea fome ftrong boughs of that fort, when they fall, will, by their weight, carry others of their own kind, quite down to the earth with them; and will bruise and press down fome true branches in fuch a manner, that they would zlib fall off, were it not for their being knit to the flock; in virtue where they get up their heads again, and cannot fall off, becaufe of that faft hold the ftock has of them. Then it is that many branches, femetine high and eminent, are found lying on the earth withered, and fit to be gathered up and cait into the fire, Matth. xiii. 6. And when the fun was up, they were fcorched; and becaufe they had no root, they withered away." - John xv, 6. If a man

"abide not in me, he is caft forth as a branch, and is withered, and "men gather them, and caft them into the fire, and they are burned." But however violently the winds blow, none of the truly ingrafted branches, that are knit with the stock, are found mifling, when the ftorm is changed into a calm, John xvii. 12. "Thofe that thou gav "eft me, I have kept, and none of them is loft." The leaft twig growing in Chrift fhall ftand it out, and fubfift; when the tallest cedars growing on their own root, fhall be laid flat on the ground, Rom. vii. 35. "Who thall feparate us from the love of Chrift? "Shall tribulation, or diftrefs, or perfecution, or famine, or naked"nefs, or peril, or fword?" See ver. 36, 37, 38, 39. However feverely Ifrael be fifted, yet fhall not the leaft grain, or as it is in the original language, a little ftone fall upon the earth, Amos ix. 9. It is an allufion to the fifting of fine peeble ftones from among heaps of duft and fand: tho' the fand and duft fall to the ground, be blown away with the wind, and trampled under foot; yet there fhall not fall on the earth fo much as a little ftone, fuch is the exactness of the fieve, and care of the fifter.There is nothing more ready to fall on the earth than a fone: yet if profeffors of religion be lively ftones built on Chrift the chief corner ftone; altho' they be little ftones, they fhall not fall to the earth, whatever ftorm beat upon them. See 1 Pet. ii. 4, 5,6, All the good grain in the church of Chrift is of this kind; they are ftones in refpect of folidity; and lively ftones, in refpect of activity. If men be folid fubftantial Chriftians, they will not be like chaff toffed to and fro with every wind; having fo much of the livelinefs that they have nothing of the fione: and if they be lively Chriftians, whofe fpirit will ftir in them, as Paul's did, " when he faw the city wholly “given to idolatry," Acts xvii. 16. they will not ly like ftones, to be turned over, hither and thither, cut and carved, according to the lufts of men; having fo much of the tone, as leaves nothing of liveliness in them.

Our God's houfe is a great houfe, wherein are not only "veffels of "gold, but alfo of earth," 2 Tim. ii. 20. Both thefe are apt to contract filthiness; and therefore, when God brings trouble upon the church, he hath an eye to both. As for the veflels of gold, they are not deftroyed, but purged by a fiery trial in the furnace of affliction, as gold-fmiths purge their gold, Ifa. i. 25. " And I will turn my hand upon thee, and purely purge away thy drofs." But deftruction is to the veffels of earth: they thall be broken in Shivers, as a potter's veffel, ver. 28. And the deftruction (or breaking) of the tranf

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greffors, and of the finners, fhall be together." It feems to be an allution to that law, for breaking the veffels of earth, when unclean; while vefiels of wood, and confequently veffels of gold were only to be rinfed, Lev. xv. 12.

A Ninth benefit is Support. If thou be a branch ingrafted in Chrift, the root beareth thee. The believer leans on Chrift; as a weak woman in a journey, leaning upon her beloved husband, Cant. viii. 5. He

Stays

Stays himself upon him, as a feeble old man stays himself on his ftaff, Ifa. 1. 10. He rolls himself on him, as one rolls a burden he is not able to walk under, off his own back, upon another who is able to bear it, Pfal. xxii. 8. Marg. There are many weights to hang upon, and prefs down the branches in Chrift the true Vine But ye know, whatever weights hang on branches, the ftock bears all; it bears the branch and the weight that is upon it too.

ift, Chrift fupports believers in him, under a weight of outward troubles. That is a large prrmife, Ifa. xliii. 2. "When thou passest "through the waters, I will be with thee: and through the rivers, "they fhall not overflow thee." See how David was fupported under a heavy load, 1 Sam. xxx. 6. His city Ziklag was burnt, his wives were taken captives, his men spoke of ftoning him; nothing was left him but his God and his faith; but by his faith he encouraged himfelf in his God. The Lord comes and lays his crofs on his people's fhoulders; it prefleth them down; they are like to fink under it, and therefore cry," Mafter, fave us, we perifh :" but he supports them under their burden; he bears then up, and they bear their cross. Thus the Chriftian having a weight of outward troubles upon him, goes lightly under his burden, having withal the "everlafting arms underneath him." The Chriftian has a fpring of comfort, which he cannot lofe; and therefore never wants fomething to fupport him. If one have all his riches in money, robbers may take these away; and then what has he more? But though the landed man be robbed of his money, yet his lands remain for his fupport. They that build. their comfort on worldly goods, may quickly be comfortless: but they that are united to Chrift, thall find comfort when all the ftreams of worldly enjoyments are dried up, Job vi. 13. "Is not my help in "me? And is wifdom driven quite from me?" q. d. Though my fubftance is gone; though my fervants, my children, my health, and foundness of body, are all gone; yet my grace is not gone too. Tho' the Sabeans have driven away my oxen and affes, and the Chaldeans have driven away camels; they have not driven away my faith and my hope too: these are yet in me, they are not driven from me; fo that by them I can fetch comfort from heaven, when I can have none from earth.

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2dly, Chrift fupports his people under a weight of inward troubles and difcouragements. Many times "heart and flesh fail them," but then," God is the ftrength of their heart," Pfal. lxxiii. 26. They may have a weight of guilt preffing them. This is a load that will make their back to ftoop, and the fpirits to fink: but he takes it off, and puts a pardon in their hand, while they caft their burden over upon him. Chrift takes the foul, as one marries a widow, under a burden of debt: and fo when the creditors come to Chrift's spouse, fhe carries them to her husband, confeffeth the debt, declares the is not able to pay, and lays all over upon him. The Chriftian fometimes, through careleffuefs, lofeth his discharge; he cannot find it,

how

however he search for it. The law takes that opportunity; and bends up a process against him for a debt paid already. God hides his face, and the foul is diftreffed. Many arrows go through the heart now; many long accounts are laid before the man, which he reads and acknowledges. Often does he see the officers coming to apprehend him, and the prifon door open to receive him. What elfe keeps him from finking utterly under difcouragements in this cafe, but that the everlasting arms of a Mediator are underneath him, and that he relies" upon the great Cautioner? Further, they may have a weight of strong lufts preffing them. They have a body of death upon them. Death is a weight that preffeth the foul out of the body. A leg or an arm of death (if I may fo fpeak) would be a terrible load. (One lively luft will fometimes ly fo heavy on a child of God, that he can no more remove it, than a child could throw a giant from off him.) How then are they fupported under a whole body of death? Why, their fupport is from the root that bears them, from the everlafting arm that is underneath them. His grace is fufficient for them, 2 Cor. xiii. 9. The great ftay of the believer is not the grace of God within him, that is a well, whose streams fometimes run dry: but it is the grace of God without him, the grace that is in Jefus Chrift; which is an ever-flowing fountain, to which the believer can never come amifs. For the Apostle tells us in the fame verfe, it is the power of Chrift. "Moft gladly therefore," faith he, "will I rather glory in my ininfirmities, that the power of Chrift may rest upon me, or taber"nacle above me," as the cloud of glory did on the Ifraelites, which God fpread for a covering, or fhelter to them in the wildernefs, Pfal cv. 39 compare Ifa. iv. 5, 6. So that the believer in this combat, like the eagle, first flies aloft (by faith) and then comes down on the prey, Pfal. xxxiv. 5. They looked to him, and were "lightened." And finally, they have "a weight of weakness and "wants upon them," but they caft over that burden on the Lord "their strength, and he fuftains them," Pfal. lv. 22. With all their wants and weakneffes, they are caft upon him; as the poor, weak and naked babe, coming out of the womb, is caft into the lap of one appointed to take care of it, Pfal. xxii. 10. Though they be deftitute (as a fhrub in the wilderness, which the foot of every beaft may tread down) the Lord will regard them, Pfal. cii. 17. It is no marvel, the weakeft plant may be fafe in a garden: but our Lord Jefus Chrift is a hedge for protection to his weak and deftitute ones, even in a wilderness.

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Object. "But if the faints be fupported, how is it that they fall "fo often under temptation and difcouragements?" Anf. (1.) How long foever they fall at any time, they never fall off; and that is a great matter. They are kept by the power of of God through faith unto falvation," Pet. i. 5. Hypocrites may fo fall, fo as to fall off, and fall into the pit, as a bucket falls into a well when the chain breaks. But though the child of God may fall, and that fo

low,

low, as the water goes over his head; yet there is ftill a bond of union betwixt Chrift and him: the chain is not broken: he will not go to the ground: he will be drawn up again, Luke xxii. 31, 32. "And the Lord faid, Simon, Simon, Satan hath defired to have (6 you, that he may fift you as wheat; but I have prayed for thee, "that thy faith fail not." (2.) The falls of the faints flow from their not improving their union with Chrift, their not making use of him by faith, for ftaying or bearing them up, Pfal. xxvi. 13. "I had fainted, unless. I had believed." While the nurfe holds the child in her arms, it cannot fall to the ground: yet if the unwary child hold not by her, it may fall backwards in her arms to its great hurt. Thus David's fall broke his bones, Pfal. li. 8 but it did not break the bond of union betwixt Chrift and him: The Holy Spirit, the bond of that union, was not taken from him, ver. II.

The Laft benefit I fhall name, is, The Special care of the husbandman, John xv. I, 2. "I am the true vine, and my Father is the "hufbandman.---Every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit," Believers, by virtue of their union with Chrift, are the object of God's fpecial care and providence. Myftical Chrift is God's vine, other focieties in the world are but wild clive trees. The men of the world are but God's outfeld; the faints are his vineyard, which he has a fpecial propriety in, and a fpecial concern for, Cant. viii. 12. "My vineyard, which "is mine, is before me." He that flumbers not, nor fleeps, is the keeper of it, he "does keep it left any hurt it, he will keep it night "and day:" he in whofe hand is the dew of heaven, "will water -x it every moment," Ifa. xxvii. 3. He dreffeth and purgeth it, in order to further fruitfulness, John xv. 2. He cuts off the luxuriant twigs that mar the fruitfulness of the branch. This is done, efpcially by the word, and by the cross of afflictions. The faints need the miniftry of the word, as much as the vineyard needeth one to drefs and prune. the vines, 1 Cor. iii. 9. "We are labourers togethers with God: ye are God's hufbandry, ye are God's "building." And they need the cross too, 1 Pet. i. 6.

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And therefore, if we should reckon the cross amongst the benefits flowing to believers from their union with Chrift, I judge, we fhould not reckon it amifs. Sure I am, in their fufferings they fuffer with him, Rom. viii. 17. And the affurances they have of the crofs, have rather the nature of a promife, as of a threatning, Pfal. Ixxxix. 30, 31, 32, 33. If his children forfake my law, then "will I vifit their tranfgreffion with the rod, and their iniquity "with fripes. Neverthelefs, my loving kindness will I not ut"terly take from him: nor fuffer thy faithfulness to fail." This looks like a tutor's engaging to a dying father, to take care of the children left upon him; and to give them both nurture and admonition, for their good. The covenant of grace does truly beat the Spears of affliction into pruning hooks, to them that are in Chrift,

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