SAINTS COMPARED TO PALM- TREES. Book IV. MET AP H 0 R. ~1pon ; it is very tall, and all its Branches !hoot upwards; there are none grow out of the Side, as in other Trees. ll. The Palm Tree grows in the pure!l: Soil, it will not grow in fil– thy Places, it loves to lpread forth its Roots by a River; it loves not dungy Soil, as other Trees do. PARALLEL. pie; their Affections, like Branches, afcend, they are fer upon Things above; they grow heaven ... ward, Col. iii. 1, 2 . They do not ihuot out their Branches, as I !"•Y fay, this Way, and that Way, to the World ; they grow high in Grace, and in Communion with God. Jl. The Righteous flouri01 be!l: in a pure Soil, in a Land where the Golpel is p reached in its Purity. They are planted in a choice Garden, Chrin's bleOed Vineyard, in the Courts of the L ord's Houfe, as it follows in the Plidm, Pfol. xcii. 13, 14. T hey arc tranfplanted out of, and love not, the pollur•d and idolatrous World, that lies in Wickednels, which fmells like a Dung– hill, but the Garden of God, 1 ]obn v. '9· Ill. The Palm is an even and ll I. The Saints of God are a People fin cere, of ¥ery O:rait Tree and grows upright. an upright Heart, and of an upright Converla– Hence it is faid of Idols, that they tion; for though naturally they be rough, knotty, <!re u,prightlike the Palm Tree. and crooked, like others; yet Grace works out, or cuts off that Crookednefs, Uncomelinefs, or IV. "fhe .Palm Tree, when young, is a very weak Plant; it is fo feeble, that it can hardly Iland of itfelf. And therefore Pliny fays, they ufually plant three or four of them together, and by that Means they flrengthen one another, and ftand the fa!l:er. V. The Palm Trees, Namrali!l:s tell us, by growing together, do join, clafp, and grow one to the other, and by that Means gro•v very thong, and flourifh ·exceedingly. VI. The Palm Tree is one of .thofe Trees that are always green, areen in Winter, as well as in Sum– ~er; it does not call its Leaves, nor fade, as the Exprdlion in Pfal. i. 3· Unevennefs that naturally was in them. IV. The Saints ol God, when fir(\ converted, are ufually weak and feeble, and hardly able to O:and of themfelves, without the Help and Support of their Brethren; bm when planted together in God's Vineyard, they thrive greatly, confirming and ftrengthening one another, which {hews the Excellency of Chrill:ian Communion and Fellow– .fhip. Stengtbm ye the weak liands, and confirm the feeble Knees.-Support the Weak, !fa. xxxv. 3· V. The Saints and People of Gocl, by being planted together in Golpd-Fdlowfhip and Com– munion, do, or ought fo to jo,n, cbfp, and cleave in Love and AffeCtion one to another, as to become as it \\ere all but one 1'1ee; and here– by tht>y are made very firong, <!m1 flourifh ex– -ceeding!y. V l. The Godly are compared to Trees th.tt ar<! always green. Greenntf< is caufed fmm the A– bundanc« of Sap that flows from the Root. Chrifl: is called a green Tree, Lute xxiii. 31. Greennefs, as applied to the Gcdly, notts thei r abounding in inward Grace and lluLncls r"ro:n the R oot Chrrft. 1 am, faith Dn~·id, as a gren Oii"~ 'I'rce in the Houfi of Jhe Lord, Pfal. lii. ' 4· Saints are fi1id to be fed in fcretn P.il,urts, that is, fuch p,,fl:ures ns afford precious and pkalant Ft,od, as alfo f lenry. Sincere Chriftians continually abide green and flourifhing; they are like Ttus flanred by the River Side, that bring froth Fruit in their Seafon; rhtir Le.. f .!ldl not wither. Tilly hold up their l'rofeffion, not only in the Summor of Prolperity, but in the very Win– ter of Adverfity, and mainrajn their Virrue and Beauty in the harde!l: Tn1•e. 'rhe,• jha/1, faith David, )/ill bring FrJit in old Age, th,y jha/1 be fat muijiounjhi·.r;, Pfci. ;;cii. "'·· VJJ. The Palm Tree doth not Vll. The Righteous are a People thot have not only keep up its Greennefs, and the only the Greennefs of ProfdT!cn, and the Green– B~auty of its Leaves, but it is a ndS of Grace, and inward Virwc in thei r Heans., Tree that is full of Fruit, and that but allo tl:e Fruit of a good Life. '[heir Con– good Fruit, pleafant Fruit, J\vect vnfation is full of good Fruit; the Fruit of Fruit, Fruit that is an excellent corHi,;hteold.nefs is pleaf.1nt Fruit, choice and pre– dial, which you know Dates are. cious Fruir; no Fruit is like the Fruit of the Spj– Surely, faith Pliny, new Dates, as rit, which is Love, Joy, Peace, Long Suffering, they come from the Tsee, are fo Gentlencjs, Goodnejs, Faith, &c. Gal. v. 22. SainlS 3 =
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