An exposition with practical observations continued upon the eighth, ninth, & tenth chapters of…

But he brings forth fruit to himself.

That is,¹ in all that he doth he aims at himself, he hath regard to his own ends, to fetch about his own designs, to bring his own plots to an issue, and all must be subservient to some design that he drives on; Ephraim had many designs and plots that they drove on to make themselves to be rich, and all their strength, and what they were able to do it was for nothing but to be subservient to their own designs:² It was said of Judah in their Captivity, in Zach. 7. 5, 6. They did fast, and eat, and drink to themselves; all that was done it was nothing but to themselves; whereas the fruit that they should have brought forth, it should have been to God, and not to themselves: There is a very sweet place for that in Cant. 7. 13. ³At our gates are all manner of pleasant fruits new and old, which I have laid up for thee, O my beloved. Thus should every gracious heart say, and especially he should say so then when God makes your hearts most fruitful with pleasant fruit new and old; Have ye at any time found your hearts most enlarged to God,⁴ and you could melt towards God, and had full expressions in the presence of God, and acting of your graces? Take heed now that this pleasant and sweet fruit that you have, that is new from God, and your old experiences that you have had heretofore of Gods goodness, let not corruption reap that that God hath sown, you know it is a Curse that one should sow and another reap; it is God that sows, and shall the flesh reap now? and shall the Devil reap? Oh! let not these sweet fruits, especially the fruit of enlargement in prayer, and the fruit of abilities to do God service in any public work, Oh! take heed that this be not for your selves, do not you take in the glory to