Planted in the Eternal Purpose of God's Sovereign Decree
"Behold the man whose name is the Branch." -Zechariah 6:12 [KJV] My soul, listen to the call, and behold this wonderful Man, whose name is the Branch. Mark the wonderful features of His person. This is one of the prophetical names of Him, in the faith of whom, as the Redeemer of Israel, all the old testament saints died. The branch of the Lord—the branch of righteousness; or, as He is elsewhere called, the Nazarene. But observe how very descriptive of His nature is this title. He grows up out of His place. And where is that? rain the eternal counsel of Jehovah. Who shall declare His generation? He is indeed a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a branch out of His roots. But all this as the root Himself of David; planted in the eternal purpose of God's own sovereign decree, and budding forth as a branch in all the periods of His incarnation, death, resurrection, ascension, glory. And what a branch of never-failing loveliness, and everlasting verdure and fruitfuln...