Gods husbandry

Concerning the subject of Gods Husbandry, we have already spoken, namely, of the branches of the Vine, in which we have considered, a distribution of them into their several kinds, and a distinction of them by their special differences of fruitless and fruitful. Let us now proceed ⟨p. 2⟩to declare the parts of Gods Husbandry, which are divers, according to the diverse nature of the branches. For the unfruitful branch, the hypocrite, he carries himself towards it, as beseemeth a good husband; he cuts it off, that is to say, he doth by little and little separate him from Jesus Christ, and from the benefits of Christ, with whom he seemed once to be united: Causing that he loseth the good things he seemed to have, and so by falling off from those appearances of goodness which were in him, he discovereth himself to have but counterfeited, till, proceeding to greater sinfulness, at last eternal death do overwhelm him. But for the fruitful branch, the upright-hearted Christian, the Lords dealing with him is far otherwise: he is alone purged or pruned. The hypocrite is himself taken off from the Vine, the true Christian hath only something taken off from him, that he may very well spare, being pared about to the removal of that, that by continuing upon him, would have done him much hurt. You all know what the natural pruning is, viz. the cutting off from the branches, such unprofitable and overgrowing twists, leaves, or the like, as do no way benefit the branch, but hurt it rather, in causing the fruit thereof to be lesser and scanter then it might be. The thing signified hereby, is the subduing of the corruptions of Gods servants, viz. their pride, passion, self-love, earthly-mindedness, voluptuousness, and the like disorders, which if they were not mortified, they would run all out