The sum and division of the words, and subject of this Discourse.
A Fair and fruitful Parable this is, spread forth into many Branches. In which, under the pleasant shadow of a Vine, (upon occasion they had but newly been real partakers of his blood in the fruit of the Vine) Christ elegantly sets forth himself in his relation to his visible Church, and the estate of his Apostles, and in them, of all visible Professors to the end of the world: Showing withal under that similitude, ⟨p. 2⟩what his Father meant to do with Judas, now gone out to betray him; as with all other unfruitful branches like unto him, even cut them off, and throw them into the fire. But on the contrary, encouraging them, and all other fruitful branches, that they should still continue to abide in him, with promise, that they should yet bring forth more fruit.
The Parable hath three Parts:
1. A Vine here is, of all the fairest, ver. 1.
2. A Husbandman, of all the carefullest.
3. The end of planting this Vine, fruitfulness.
§1First, this Vine, as all Vines else, hath two sorts of branches:
1. Such as (though green) bring forth no true fruit, nought but leaves.
§22. Such as bring forth fruit, ver. 2.
The Husbandman hath answerably offices of two sorts towards them both, [Greek or Hebrew], which is a witty Paronomasia, Amputare & Putare, to Lop and Cut off. First, clean to cut off those that are utterly unfruitful, which thereupon are cast out, do wither, and are gathered and cast into the fire: So ver. 2. & 6. And thus now he meant to deal with Judas.
But 2. to Purge, and but lop off the luxuriancies, and too much runnings out of the fruitful branches into springs, which they are subject to.
§3Thirdly, his end in all is, that fruit, and more fruit might be brought forth. This is his end of planting this Vine, this is the end of purging these branches of it, which he being frustrated of, in those other, is the cause why he takes them clean away.
And to exhort these unto fruitfulness, was one main end of Christs using this Parable, and unto this tends all in the following verses, either as means or motives unto fruitfulness.
First, as means,
§11. He assures them of their being in the state of grace, verse 3. Assurance is a means of fruitfulness.
He speaks of Purging them by his word, in the same verse; Ye are clean through the word I have spoken to you:
The summe and division of the words, and subject of this Discourse.
A Faire and fruitfull Parable this is, spread forth into many Branches. In which, under the pleasant shadow of a Vine, (upon occasion they had but newly been reall partakers of his blood in the fruit of the Vine) Christ elegantly sets forth himself in his relation to his visible Church, and the estate of his Apostles, and in them, of all visible Professors to the end of the world: Shewing withall under that similitude, ⟨p. 2⟩what his Father meant to doe with Judas, now gone out to betray him; as with all other unfruitfull branches like unto him, even cut them off, and throw them into the fire. But on the contrary, encouraging them, and all other fruitfull branches, that they should still continue to abide in him, with promise, that they should yet bring forth more fruit.
The Parable hath three Parts:
1. A Vine here is, of all the fairest, ver. 1.
2. A Husbandman, of all the carefullest.
3. The end of planting this Vine, fruitfulnesse.
§1First, this Vine, as all Vines else, hath two sorts of branches:
1. Such as (though greene) bring forth no true fruit, nought but leaves.
§22. Such as bring forth fruit, ver. 2.
The Husbandman hath answerably offices of two sorts towards them both, 〈non-Latin alphabet〉, which is a witty Paranomasia, Amputare & Putare, to Lop and Cut off. First, clean to cut off those that are utterly unfruitfull, which thereupon are cast out, doe wither, and are gathered and cast into the fire: So ver. 2. & 6. And thus now he meant to deale with Judas.
But 2. to Purge, and but lop off the luxuriancies, and too much runnings out of the fruitfull branches into springs, which they are subject to.
§3Thirdly, his end in all is, that fruit, and more fruit might be brought forth. This is his end of planting this Vine, this is the end of purging these branches of it, which he being frustrated of, in those other, is the cause why he takes them cleane away.
And to exhort these unto fruitfulnesse, was one main end of Christs using this Parable, and unto this tends all in the following verses, either as meanes or motives unto fruitfulnesse.
First, as meanes,
§11. He assures them of their being in the state of grace, verse 3. Assurance is a means of fruitfulnesse.
He speaks of Purging them by his word, in the same verse; Ye are cleane through the word I have spoken to you:
