imagery, and seem to have studied a great variety in this particular, by way of illustration on this point.

An Union with the Person of the Lord Jesus, as the Great Head of his Church, being the sole means of a participation, in all the gifts, and graces, which flow from his person, to his people: it became necessary, that the truth should be clearly explained, in order to afford the more lively conviction of it. Hence it is. said, that true Believers in Christ Jesus by the operation of the Eternal Spirit, are incorporated with him, as branches are in a Vine. They are united to him, as living Members in his mystical body. They are ingrafted upon him, as the graff upon a stock. They are built upon him, as upon a foundation stone: and they as lively stones, are growing up to an holy temple in the Lord, for an habitation of God through the Spirit. They are married to his Person, by his assumption of our nature, generally considered; and by the Spirit's work in the heart, personally applied to every individual, they are consequently entitled, to all the benefits of the union.

I make use of all these figures, (and they are all taken from scripture) in order to illustrate, the whole extent of the doctrine, which they are intended to convey. And you may observe, in

the

the variety adopted, how the sacred Writers, have endeavoured to make up for the deficiency of one image, or figure, by the substitution of another. For as the idea of planting, doth not carry with it, that change of nature in the plant, which is wrought by grace, in the heart; under the image of engrafting, is included, the doctrine of conversion also. And hence, true believers in Christ, are thus represented, as not only brought out of nature's wilderness, and planted in the courts of the Lord; but in the accomplishment of this great work, their nature is regenerated, and they are formed anew, in Christ Jesus. So that being engrafted upon him, they derive all their life and moisture, and fruitfulness, from him. They enter into a full enjoyment, of all that soul-enriching communion which such a nearness, and unity may be supposed to induce. From him, (as an Apostle speaks) it is, as from the Head, all the body by joints and bands having nourishment, ministered, and knit together, increaseth with the increase of God.*

And as these wonderful effects, wrought upon the human mind, are all necessary, in order to form it, for God's plantation; so they indivi dually carry with them, the marks, by whose sovereign power alone it is, that such supernatural deeds are wrought. Indeed, the very idea, of being planted, conveys at once a full testi

*Coloss. 2. 19.

mony.

mony, that the thing acted upon, must be altogether passive, in the act. For, if true believers in Jesus, like plants, grow not in their first, and natural soil, it can be no other but God, who brings them out of it, and plants them in his own house.

The Apostle Paul, hath illustrated this act of sovereign grace, with his usual elegance under the metaphor of a Tree, wild by nature, and grafted contrary to nature, into the true stock. Thou (says the Apostle speaking to the Gentile Church, whom God had brought into his garden) wert cut out of the Olive tree, which is wild by nature, and wert grafted contrary to nature, into a good Olive Tree. †

No image, could have been more happily chosen, to represent the state of our fallen nature, than that of an Olive Tree, let to run wild, and uncultivated, and exposed to be the prey of every beast of the wilderness. And nothing could at the same time more strikingly demonstrate, that the recovery of such a degenerate plant, must be the result of the sovereign power, and goodness of God; than by the strong figure of cutting out from this corrupt tree, and engrafting into the good tree. For the act not only exceeds the ability, but the desire, and even the consciousness

Romans 11. 17.

consciousness of its necessity in man! It is all in opposition to nature's bent, and contrary to all nature's inclination.

To drop the figure. Every man both from original, and actual corruption, sadly indicates, that his state, is not simply ill, in this, or in that, particular, feature of the mind, but the mind itself, the very stamina is altogether so. It is a rottenness at the core. The heart is corruption.

Perhaps my Brother, you have never considered the subject in this point of view, and therefore, may not so readily enter into the clear apprehension of it. But if God the Holy Ghost, shall graciously condescend to be your teacher, you will then discover that there are no images, or figures, strong enough to represent the real state of the case, of man in his unrecovered, unrenewed nature, before an act of grace hath passed upon the soul.

His understanding, is all darkness. His mind, enmity against God. His will, uniformly rebellious. All the affections disorderly. In short, the whole heart, with every passion originating from it, deceitful and desperately wicked. And as these are the etchings of character, in man, so are they of every man, and of all men. They

form

for indeed, the family feature. It is but to draw the picture of a human being, in his present fallen state, and these must form the outlines of his person.

And hence, the wonderful change, when accomplished by almighty grace in the heart, is expressed by corresponding characters. The understanding, that was once darkness, is now said, to be light in the Lord. The mind that was once enmity against God, feels a constraining love to him. The rebellious will is brought into captivity, to the obedience of Christ. The affections, which were all engaged on the side of sin and corruption, are now influenced by the spirit, to the fruits of all goodness and righteousness and truth. In a word, God gives a new heart and with it the whole man is changed. Old things are passed away. All things are become

new.

These are the sweet effects of being gathered from the original state of nature, and being brought into a state of grace: or to use the similitude of our text, being taken from the waste, and barren wilderness, and planted as trees of righteousness in the house of the Lord.

And what a blessed testimony, to the truth of this doctrine is it, when the heart of any believer

finds