;:;.6 SAINTS CO!\!PARED -ro 'WI L L OW-TREES. BookiV. MET A PH 0 R. hardly any one Tree was more ac– counted of amongfl: the Romans, as Pliny obforves; the Je-.;;s highly dl:eemed of it. I!. There are divers Sons of Myrtle-trees; fome white, and fome black; lame tame, znd others wild, as Hifl:orians ~ have noted. Ill. T he bell: Sons of Myrtle– trees were uii:d to be planted in Gardt'ns, and were a great Orna– ment to them, their Branches be– ing very green, and amiablt: to look upon . IV. The Mvrrle-tree..::ields moll: choice and eXcellent Fruit ; nay, more may be faid of it, than of any other Tree, for it yields two Sons of Fruit, both Oil and Wine. 'Natu re, fai •h Pliny, fhewetl1 her c: wonderfu l Power touching this ·' Tree, efpecially in the Juice, con– ' f1dering, that of all Fruits it ·' alone dorh yield two Sorts, both ' Oil and Wine.' PARALLEL. the Wicked. Since thou haft been precious i;; •zy Sight, thou haft been hongrable, &c. !fa. x1i. '9· lv. 13. and xliii. 4· · I!. So there are divers Sorts of Chrifl:.i ms; fome more fhining in Grace and Holinefs tha~ others; fome, by re2fon of an evil and crooked Nature, Grace hardly appears in them, &c. We read of Fathers, young Men, and Ci ildren. lll. The Gocly, thofe fpiritual Trees, whicl1 God phtnts in his Church, which is his Garden; and t!1e moll: holy and mortified Ones of them, fuch \\ hof'e Converfation and Profdlion is amiable, whofe Branches and fpiritual Leaves "'ither not, are a great Ornament to God's Gardtn. IV. The Sain:s of God are a People that yield two Sorts of Fruit, to the Honor of God, and the Profit of their Neighbor, anfwering to the two Tables. In this they excel all other People. There are fome that are morally righteous, they make Confcience of their Duties to Men, but do not bring forth the Fruits of the Spirit, in anfwn– ing a good Confcience towards God. Herein do I exercife >nJ'ft/f, &c. Lifts xxiv. 16. V. The Saints of God are a People of a lowly and humble Spirit, and hence they are compared to the low Vallies ; whereas the Wicked are com– p ared to lofty Mountains. Alfo the Myrtle-tree in the Buttom may lignify th• low and perfecutrd Stete of God's People; and in that the Angels are faid to be amon<>O: them, it holds forth the gracious l'refence of God with his Saints, whil!1: they artin a low, dark, and prrfecllted Condition. Yea, though I walk, faith David, through the Yalley of the Shadow of Death, I willfear no Evil ;for thou art with me, &c. Pfal. xxiii. 4· VI. T he Myrtle-me neveriheds VI. The Righteous are faid to be like a T ree V. The Myrtle-trees are faid to ftand in the Bottom, Zech. i. 8, I r. its Leaves. whofe Leaves wither not ; they hold fall: the Pro– fenion of their Faith, Pfal. i. 3· VII. T he Myrtle tree is faid to yield a fweet and fragrant Scent. VII. The Saints yield a fweet Savor to God and Man , Now thanks be to God, which always caufeth us to triumph in Chrift, and maketh manifefl the Sa'Uor of his Knowledge by us in every Place : For we are of God a fweet Savor of .Chrift, in them that arc fa'Ued, and in them that pcrifo, 2 Cor. ii. 14> I 5· S A IN T S COMPARED TO W I L L 0 W- T RE E S. And they jba/l Jpring up as among the Grafs, .1s /Vi/lows by the Water-Courfes, !fa. xliv. 4· THEY}ball jpring t<p, &c. that is, the Offspring of Jacob, the true Seed or Cove– nant People of God . Lis among the Grafs, as Willows by the Water Courfes : As Willows grow and fpring up by the Water-Comfes, lo the Saints of God are faid to .flourin1 or fpring up. S I M I L E. I. W ILLOWS are fo called, hecaufe they mollly grow IJear to Bxooks, and always profP AR A L LE L. I. 'T HE T rees of R ighteoufnefs, viz. the Saints, grow bell: near the River of God, i. e. where the Springs of living \Vater flow forth. It • Pli11. lib. xv. p. 451 . ! is
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