A. Not any fruit of what kind soever; for if so, then God would never miss of his expectation. All men are doing something o• other; every man hath his works which he must be called to an account for, be judged by, and receive a recompense accordingly, 2 Cor. 5. 10. there are the fruits of the flesh, as well as of the spirit; but there are some fruits that are reckoned as worse than none, and let men have never so many of them, they are for all accounted barren, Hos. •0. 1. every man looks that his Trees should ⟨p. 41⟩bear, according to the kind they were planted for, and had a resemblance of: they do not go about to gather figs of Thistles; but they promise themselves, that if they be fig-trees, they will surely bear figs, and good ones too; if therefore the Vine bear grapes, yet if they prove wild and sower, they are as bad as none, Isa. 5. 2. They that are placed in the visible Church are fig-trees, they seem at least to be so, they bear such leaves upon them; not that God can be deceived in any, he knows what they are indeed, but by their outward profession they declare themselves to be such: they say they are Gods people, called by his name, devoted to his service; they are visibly plants of Righteousness. The fruits then which God expects of such are the fruits of righteousness; that they should live a life of faith which works by love; that they should serve and obey him in all things, should walk in an holy conformity to his revealed will, should do the works of God; live answerably to the teachings of the grace which hath appeared to them, Tit. 2. 11, 12. In sum, that they walk in conformity to the Rules of Gods Word, frame their lives in all things according to it: these are fruits pleasing to him, and such as become his Vineyard, and those wherein you may show forth his praise.
A. Not any fruit of what kind soever; for if so, then God would never miss of his expectation. All men are doing something o• other; every man hath his works which he must be called to an account for, be judged by, and receive a recompense accordingly, 2 Cor. 5. 10. there are the fruits of the flesh, as well as of the spirit; but there are some fruits that are reckoned as worse than none, and let men have never so many of them, they are for all accounted barren, Hos. •0. 1. every man looks that his Trees should ⟨p. 41⟩bear, according to the kind they were planted for, and had a resemblance of: they do not go about to gather figs of Thistles; but they promise themselves, that if they be fig-trees, they will surely bear figs, and good ones too; if therefore the Vine bear grapes, yet if they prove wild and sower, they are as bad as none, Isa. 5. 2. They that are placed in the visible Church are fig-trees, they seem at least to be so, they bear such leaves upon them; not that God can be deceived in any, he knows what they are indeed, but by their outward profession they declare themselves to be such: they say they are Gods people, called by his name, devoted to his service; they are visibly plants of Righteousness. The fruits then which God expects of such are the fruits of righteousness; that they should live a life of faith which works by love; that they should serve and obey him in all things, should walk in an holy conformity to his revealed will, should do the works of God; live answerably to the teachings of the grace which hath appeared to them, Tit. 2. 11, 12. In summe, that they walk in conformity to the Rules of Gods Word, frame their lives in all things according to it: these are fruits pleasing to him, and such as become his Vineyard, and those wherein you may shew forth his praise.
