'I'HE CHURC.H COMPARED TO AN INN. Book IV. THE CHURCH COMPARED TO AN OLIVE-TREE. His Brallchts jhall Jpread, and his Beauty jhall be as the 0/ivc-'l'm, Hofoa xiv. 7· The Church of God i' compared in this Place to an Olive-'l'ree. SIMILE. 1. pART of the Beauty of the Olive- Tree conlifts in its Greennef<, it is always green; few Trees that bear Fruit are like the Olive in this refpeCl:. ll. The Olive-Tree is renown– ed for Fruitfulnefs, it abounds mightily with Fruit. Pliny faith, If care be not taken, irs Fruit fa loads ic, char iteven breaks it down. lll. The Olive-Tree beareth not only much Fruit, but alfo profitable Fruit. Olives are rare Things. What Tree brings forth ' better Fruit than rhe Olive-Tree I Its Fruit is mollifying, feeding, ftrengthening, healing; its Otl makes your Lamps to burn. IV. The Branches of an Olive– Tree were formerly ufed to Ggnify Peace. PARALLEL. I. so the Church of God, and every lincere Soul, is green and flourifhing. GreennetS notes Life and Sap to be in the Branches; the Branches of the divine Olive, viz. the Saints, are nevtr without fpiritual Moifture, or the Sap of Grace in tlteir HeartS and Lives: His Leaves foal/ not fad, Pfal. i. 3Hence Da':Jid faid, He was like a gre~;z ,()five-Tree in the Houfe of the Lord, Pfal. lxii. 8. 11. The Church is fruitful now, but !hall be much more fruitful unto God hereafter; her Beauty !hall be as the Olive-Tree in this rdpect. She !hall abound in Children, and abound in Grace, and true Holinefs. Ill. So the ·Church brings forth good Fmir, not only .a great ~tantity, but Fruit that excels in its Natme or Quality, viz. Faith, Love, Mcek– nefs, Patience, Charity, &c. even all the Fruits of the Spirit, Gal. v. 2 2, or as they are in another Place called t·heFruit of Righteoufnefs, Jam. iii. 1 7· Grace is of a mollifying, feeding, fuengthening, and healing Nature; Gr'ice makes the Lamp of Profellion to burn clear, whereby others fee, or have much Light. See Oil. IV. A Saint is for Pt'ice. They. are Pe>ce– makers; they delire nothing more ' han Peace with God, and Peace with Men: I am for Peace, faith David, Pfal. -cxx. 7· He that hath the Fruit of the Olive, -viz. Grace, !hall foon fee the Dove, viz. the Spirit, bringing the Olive– Branch: But, as Noah's Dove did not bring the Olive-Branch, till the Waters were abated; fo the Flood of Iniquity muft be abaceo, the Wattrs of Wickednefs link and be dried up, before a Man can receiv.e a fure Sign or Token of Peace anJ Rewnci– liation with God. I N F E R E N C E HENCE let Saints, who are planted in the Houfe of the Lord, labor to be like the Olive-Tree, not only to bring forth much Fruit as to ~tanricy, but good .ancj right Fruit, in re!pcCl: eo its Q:lality. THE cHuRcH COMPARED TO AN IN N. --AnJ brought him to an Inn, Luke x. 34· BY the Inn, moft Expofitors, that I have met with, ·underftand that Chrift means the Church, which may be fitly compared to an 1nn. METAPHOR. I. AN Inn is a Place to entertain Travellers, whilft rhey pafs from one Country or City to anothor. PARALLEL. I. so the Church is a Place .eo entertain Chrif– tians, whilft they pafs through the Wilder– nefs of this World, to the Land of .l?romife; or through the Valley of Tears, to the Mount ofJoy. 3 II. In
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