13eokiV. SAINTS colv.PARED T0 MYRTLE-TREES. 745 SIMILE. an Houfe withal ; Solomon there– fore made ufe of it in building the Temple, which we have fheWed was aType of the Gofpel Chmch, V. The Cedar is a Tree full of Sap, it alfo bears a fort of Fruit: And it jhall bring forth Boughs, and 'bear Fruit, and become a goodly Ce– dar, and under itjhalldwell allFo-wls ofevery Wing, Ezek. xvii. 23. The Shadow of this Tree, it appears, is very refre01ing. PARALLEL. to be of Cedar, which notes the Excellency and Duration of her principal Members, Cant. i. I 7· I Kings vi. I 5, 16. V. The Trees of the Lord are faid to be full of Sap, the Cedars of Lebanon which he hatll planted, Chri!t is their precious Root, who [up– plies them wirh abundance of Grace and inward Virrue: Of bis Fulnejs all we receive, and Grace for Grace, John i. 14, 16. And by this Means allo they arc made very fruitful, abounding in Ho– Jinefs, and good Works. A3d as they are fruit– ful to God, [o likewife they are profitable to Men. .!:'low happy is that People or Nation, that fit under the fhadow or Protection of a righteous Government, when Righteoufnefs and Judgment !hall be admini!tered by the Saints ! All will feek for Sheller under them. Which .is P"omifed, and fhall cer– tainly be .accompli!bed in the latter Days. N F E R E N ~ E S. 1. THIS may put us upon the Search. If the Saints be like goodly Cedars, e"cdlenr above others, well rooted, !l:rong, durable, and ufeful to God and Men, we may hereby try ourlelves: Do we excel ? Do we grow up high Heaven-ward? Do we grow ·in Humility? Are our HeartS lowe!t, when our E!tates are highe!l? ~hen we are mo!l: honored in the Eyes of Men, are we mol't humble in the Sight of (,od. 1!. It may alfo afford Comfort to the Godly: What Decays foever they feem now to be under, yet they !hall return again, grow, and fend forth their Roots, as the Ce– dars in Lebanon, Hof xiv. 6. Ill. Remember, chat that 'free, which takes the detpe!t Root, fpreads its Branches furrhe!l: out, and brings forth moft Fruit. IV. Let it allo be remembered, that the more the ·Saints grew like the Cedar, and put forth their Root~ as Lebanon, the more they manifefl: and clearly !hew their beino– roottd in Chrifl, wholi:: Countenance is as Lebanon, excet!ent as the Cedars, Cant. v. tt V. How wonderfully are they mi!taken, that ·thmk to rear up by the Roots, or throw down God's tall and 1\rong Cedars! for notwith!landing the many terrible Blafts, and violent Winds, that have mo!t fiercely blown upon them; yet they have l'tood, d<> and will !tand. 'The Higbefl himfelf jhall eflablijh ·her. SAINTS COMPARED TO MYRTLE-TREES. I will plant in the Wildernefs the Cedar, tbt Shittah, and tbe JV!yrtle-tree, &c. !fa. xli. '9· lnj/ead of the '!'born, jhall come up tht Itr-tre<; and .injlead of the Briar jhal! come U} the __/Vfyrtle-tree, &c. !fa. lv. '3· .I Jaw by Night, and behold, a Man riding upon a red Horfe, and he flood among tbt Myrtle-trees that were in the Bottom, Zah. i. 8, r I. THE wife God, who betl: knows the Nature anJ Properties of all Things that his Hands have made, compares the Ungodly oftenrimes in holy Scripture to Trees, and other Things that are of a hurtful and evil Qorality, or are of fuch a Nature that he fees will fuitably fet them forth : They are compared to Briars, '!horns, Nettl<s, &c. And alfo the Godly are fet forth by, and compared to feveral Sorts of Trees, as to the i'alm·tree, the Cedar, the Wi!lo'"• &c. and in thefe Places, as many under– ll:and, to the A1yrtle.Jree; the Nat.llre of which, together \vith an uli:ful Parallel, take as followeth. META ,PHOR. I. THE Myrtle-tree is a nre and moft excellent Tree, a Tree of very great Account; PARALLEL. I.THE Saints are a choice People; God efteems highly of them. As the Myrtle-tree excels ihe Thorn and the Briar, fo do the Godly excel 9 D the
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