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fruitful the branch is, the more fair to look on. A dead tree, as it is unserviceable, so it is uncomely. A Christian, decked with the fruits of righteousness, is beautiful and glorious.

4. Fruitfulness is a good evidence to show for heaven; the fruits of love, humility, good works, are (as St Bernard saith) seeds of hope, signs of predestination, the happy presages of future glory. The righteousness of faith is always accompanied with the fruits of righteousness. He that can show good fruit, goes full sail to heaven.

5. God delights in his fruitful trees; when his garden flourisheth he will walk there; he who curseth the barren tree, will taste of the fruitful tree, Cant. v. 1, "I am come into my garden, my sister, my spouse: I have gathered my myrrh with my spice."

1. This is the end why we have new cost laid out upon us, that we should bring forth more fruit. The Lord is still manuring us; not a week, not a day, but he is at new cost with us, he rains down golden showers; and why is God at all this charge with us, but that we may bring forth more fruit?

2. The fuller we are of fruit, the more we are like Christ, who was "full of grace and truth," John i. 14, he received the Spirit without measure," John iii. 34. This tree of life was ever bearing; and he brought forth several sorts of fruit, wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, &c. The more we are filled with the fruits of righteousness, the more we resemble the Sun of Righteousness. We were elected to this end, to be made like Christ, Rom. viii. 30, and then are we most like this blessed Vine when we bear full clusters.

3. The more fruit a Christian brings forth, the more will Christ love him. "Now, saith Leah, will my husband be joined unto me, because I have born him three sons," Gen. xxix. 34. When we bear much fruit, now will Christ's heart be joined to us. Christ will pardon a weak faith, he will honour a great faith. It was not a sparkle of faith Christ commended in Mary Magdalene, but love flaming, Luke vii. 74, "she loved much." Christians, would you be like that beloved disciple which "leaned on the bosom of Jesus?" would you have much love from Christ? let him have much fruit from you.

2. Branch. It exhorts them that do bear fruit, that they would bring forth more fruit; do not think you have fruit enough, but bring forth further degrees of sanctity, John xv. 2, "Every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it that it may bring forth more fruit." Grace is like the morning light which increaseth more and more to the full meridian of glory. Christians should be like that ground in the parable which brought forth "some sixty, some a hundred fold," Matt. xiii. 8. He who bath a little gold labours to increase it; and is not grace more precious than gold? some Christians have a little fruit, and they think that is well; like trees that have an apple or two growing upon them to show that they are of the right kind, Isa. xvii. 6, "Two or three berries in the top of the uppermost bough." They are like the church of Philadelphia which had "a little strength," Rev. iii. 8, so they have a little faith, a spark of love. Christ chides a little faith, Matt. xiv. 31. Christians should increase with the in-faith stands like a cedar, and is not blown crease of God, Col. ii. 19. Christ compares down by the wind of tentation; a strong faith the breasts of the spouse to clusters of grapes, can stop the mouth of the devil, that roaring for fruitfulness, Cant. vii. 7. O labour to be lion, 1 Pet. v. 9. Christians of degrees; the apostle prays for the Philippians that their love might abound "yet more and more," Phil. i. 9.

Now that I may press Christians who have fruit, to bring forth more fruits of patience, humility, love, &c. Consider,

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4. Bearing much fruit will usher in abundance of comfort into the soul in these two exigencies.

(1). In the hour of tentation. Satan will be sure to besiege the weakest Christian; all his darts fly that way, and a strong tentation may overcome a weak faith; but a flourishing

(2). Store of fruit will give comfort in the hour of death; a little grace will make us above the fear of death; O what joy will it be on the deathbed, when a Christian can bring his sheaves full of corn! when he can show his five talents that he hath gained by

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trading! when there is not only a drop or two of oil, but his lamp full of oil! what though the devil show God our debts, if we can show him our fruit. O how sweet will death be! it will not be a destruction, but a deliverance.-Death, like a whirlwind, may blow down the tree of the body, but it cannot blast the fruit of our graces. The trees of righteousness carry their fruit with them, Rev. xiv. 13, "Their works follow them." The Christian who abounds in holiness may say as Simeon, Luke ii. 29, Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace." He who bears but a little fruit departs in safety; but he who bears much fruit departs in peace. 5. Consider what need we have to be putting forth still more fruit; our graces are yet in their nonage; indeed in heaven this doctrine will be out of season, we shall not need to hear it; then we shall have done growing, being arrived at our full stature; then our light shall be clear, and our love perfect; but while we live here, there is something "lacking in our faith," 1 Thess. iii. 10, therefore we had need increase the stock of grace, and bring forth more fruit. Our grace is eclipsed with sin, our faith is full of unbelief; now as when the sun is eclipsed, it is by degrees getting out of the eclipse, and it shines brighter and brighter, till it recovers its perfect lustre ; so it must be with us, we must be getting out of the eclipse till once we shall arrive at our perfect lustre in glory.

6. He who doth not increase to more fruitfulness will soon be on the losing hand; he that hath not more faith will quickly have less; "Thou hast left thy first love." It is with grace as it is with fire; if it be not blown up and increased, it will soon decay. Such as thrive not in their spiritual estate, we may perceive sadly to decline. Though a Christian cannot lose the seed of grace, yet he may lose the actings of grace, and the comfort; therefore bring forth more fruit: no sooner doth a Christian begin to stand still, but you may perceive him going back

ward.

7. The more your fruit is increased, the more your glory is increased; he whose pound gained ten, was made ruler over ten

cities. If you would have your crown hung full of jewels, let your boughs be hung full of fruit.

Use 4. Direction. The last use is of direction. I shall lay down some means to fruitfulness.

1. Be sensible of unfruitfulness. Many might have been fruitful in grace, if they had not conceited themselves so; he that thinks himself fruitful enough, is barren enough; be sensible of your wants; it is better to complain than presume.

2. If you would be fruitful, remove those things which will hinder fruitfulness.

(1). Cherishing any secret lust in the heart; sin lived in, is like vermin to the tree, which destroys the fruit; grace cannot thrive in a sinful heart.

(2). The love of riches; "The cares of the world choked the seed," Matt. xiii. The love of sin poisons the fruit, the love of riches chokes it.

3. The third means to fruitfulness is weeping for sin. Moisture helps germination in trees; holy tears do water the trees of God, and make them more fruitful. Mary Magdalene, a weeping plant, how fruitful was she in love to Christ? moist grounds, as your marshes, are most fertile: the soul that is moistened and steeped in tears, is most frugiferous: never did David's graces flourish more than when he watered his couch with tears.

4. If you would be fruitful, often apply the blood of Christ, and the promises.

(1). Apply the blood of Christ. Naturalists say, that blood applied to the root of some trees makes them bear better. Sure I am, the blood of Christ applied to the heart, makes it flourish more in holiness. None so fruitful as a believer; "I know," saith St Paul," whom I have believed;" there was the applying blood to the root of the tree, and how fruitful was he in zeal, love to Christ, heroical courage! He that believes Christ died for him, never thinks he can do or suffer enough for Christ. When we read and pray, now we do but water the branches; when we believe, now we water the root of the tree and make it fruitful.

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to make the tree bear better: apply the promises; these are for comforting the spirits of a Christian, and then he puts forth fruit more vigorously. It is an experiment in nature, the root of the pine tree watered with wine doth cause it to flourish; the promises are as wine to water the trees of righteousness, whereby they spread and augment more in grace. Ever preserve the spirits of the tree if you would have it bear; a pensive dejected soul is less fruitful; but when through the promises, a Christian's heart is cheered and comforted, now he is enriched with pleasant fruits; he is like a tree laden with fruit.

preached will not only make us knowing Christians, but growing Christians. Ministers are compared to clouds, Isa. v. 6, their doctrine drops as the rain, and makes the trees of God fruitful. I wonder not that they are barren trees and nigh unto cursing, that are not under the droppings of the sanctuary; a Christian can no more be fruitful without ordinances, than a tree without showers.

8. And lastly, if you would fructify apace, go to God and desire him to make you fruitful; God is called the husbandman, John xv. 1, and he hath an art above all other husbandmen; they can plant and prune trees, but if they be dead they cannot make them bear. God can make the barren tree bear, he can put life into a dead tree, Eph. ii. 5. It is not Paul's planting, but the Spirit's watering, must give the increase.

5. Another means to fruitfulness his humility. The low grounds are most fruitful "The valleys are covered with corn," Psalm lxv. 13. The humble heart is the fruitful heart. The largest and fairest fruits of the Spirit grow in a lowly Christian; 1 Pet. v. 5, "God gives grace to the humble." St Pray to God to make you fruitful, though Paul calls himself the least of saints, yet he it be by affliction; oftentimes God makes us was the chief of the apostles. The Virgin grow in grace this way, Heb. xii. 11, “No Mary was low in her own eyes, but this chastening for the present seemeth to be lowly plant did bear that blessed Vine which | joyous, but grievous; nevertheless afterward brought the fruit of salvation into the world. it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteous6. If you would be fruitful in grace, be ness." The bleeding vine bears best: it is much in good conference; Mal. iii. 16, an observation that the pulling off some of "Then they that feared the Lord spake often the blossoms of a tree makes the fruit fairer ; one to another." There is an observation the reason is, because the sap hath the less some have concerning the sympathy of to nourish; some writers say, they have plants; some plants will bear better near known a tree by having too many blossoms, other trees than when they grow alone, as is hath blossomed itself dead. seen in the myrtle and olive; this holds true holds true in a spiritual sense; God, by in divinity; the trees of righteousness, when pulling off some of the blossoms of our they associate and grow near together, thrive comforts, makes us bring forth fairer fruit; best in godliness. The communion of saints some have so blossomed in prosperity, that is an excellent means for fruitfulness. they have blossomed themselves into hell. Christians increase one another's knowledge, It is an ancient experiment, that the planting strengthen one another's faith, clear one some tender trees near the west sun doth another's evidences. When the trees planted them hurt, and parcheth the fruit, the sun in God's orchard stand at a distance, and being so extremely hot : too much prosperity, grow strange one to another, they are less like the west sun, doth Christians much hurt, fruitful. and parcheth all good affections, Jer. xxvii. 21. O pray to God that he would make you fruitful, though it be by bleeding. Say, as Luther, Lord, wound where thou wilt, prune and cut me till I bleed, so that I may have my fruit unto holiness, and my end everlasting life." Rom. vi. 22.

7. If you would be fruit-bearing trees, be near the water of the sanctuary; Jer. xvii. 8, "He shall be like a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out the roots by the river; her leaf shall be green, nor shall

it cease from yielding fruit," The word

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