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THe wicked and the righteous, those two divide the world. The wicked flou∣rish as the grass;* 1.1 they spring, but they shall spring but like grass, which quickly withers.
The Righteous shall flourish,* 1.2 but how? not like the grass, but like the Palm-tree: He shall grow like a Cedar in Lebanon.
The Palm-tree is an excellent Tree, and often the praises of God are resembled by it.
This Tree grows in the purest soil: It will not grow in filthy places, in dungy places, but it loves a very pure soil.
* 1.3The Righteous are planted in Christ: they grow in Christ, and they grow in the Church; they are planted in the House of God, not in the World, the unclean polluted World, which lies in wickedness, and smells like a Dung-hill.
* 1.4The Palm-Trees Branches grow all upward; there's none grow out of the side, as other Trees.
The Righteous, their affections are set upon things above; they grow up Heaven-ward.
They do not shoot out their Bran∣ches this way, or that way, to the World.
The Palm-Tree is always green; green in Winter as well as Summer: It doth not cast its Leaf nor fade.
The Righteous hold-up their Profession in Summers Prosperity, and in the very Winter of Adver∣sity.
The Palm-Tree, it is a Tree that is full of Fruit; good Fruit, plea∣sant
Fruit, sweet Fruit, a kind of cordial Fruit.
The Righteous have the Green of Profession, and the fruitfulness of their conversation; and 'tis plea∣sant Fruit, Fruits of Righteousness, Fruits of Faith, Fruits of Love, and the Fruits of the Spirit.* 1.5
The Palm-Tree grows most when it is most press'd down by weights.
When the World would crush the Righteous,* 1.6 and press them down to the Earth, yea press them down to Hell; yet they grow up more and more.
Pharaoh puts weights of very heavy oppression upon Israel,* 1.7 but they multiplied and grew, not onely in company, but also in their lives.
The good Seed falling upon good Ground, brought forth in some an hundred-fold.
They fall into trouble, God helps them up,* 1.8 they are purged and made white; the fire shall not burn, but refine them.
Afflictions strengthen: Tribula∣tion works Patience, and then Pa∣tience Experience, and Experience Hope.
Affliction will make us the fitter for Heaven.
Grace improved, is very near to Glory.
The weights upon the Righteous do wean them from the World.
Now when the Soul is delivered from this world, this evil world, it must needs flourish up to the other world.
The School of the Cross, is the School of Light;
Which discovers the worlds va∣nity, baseness and wickedness,
And lets us see more of Gods mind. Out of the dark of afflicti∣on, there comes a spiritual light.
* 1.9We see the worth of Grace, and of an Interest in Christ.
And the excellencie of Jesus Christ himself, as of an interest in, so of the person of Christ; how glorious, how choice!
This knowledge is not notional, a Brain-knowledge, but experi∣mental.
These weights draw them to con∣verse more at home, to be acquainted more with their own bosomes.
How it is with grace, what Faith, what Love, what Patience!
When the world is kind to us, fair with us, and flatters us, and hugs us, and embraces us, we be∣gin to forget and to slight Commu∣nion with Jesus Christ.
But when the worlds weights are upon us, we have promises of more of the presence of God, and of the presence of his Spirit.
The purpose of the world when they hang their weights upon the Palm-Trees, is to keep them down, that their graces multiply not.
To discourage, to turn them quite aside, to renounce, to forsake and apostatize.
But they have fail'd in it, and the truth flourished more: this hath been rather a furtherance to it.
The Lord hath a Flail of Tribu∣lation, to separate the Chaff from the Wheat.
The wicked mans plentiful Table shall be a Snare to him.* 1.10
But the righteous mans Table shall be a Table to his inward man, where his Graces shall come and
feed, and grow fat, and flourish, and increase.
This we are to bless the Lord for, that our Afflictions do not snare us, but are a Table to our graces.
It is a very great Question whe∣ther they that were not bettered by Affliction were ever good.
Psal. 37.2.
Psal. 92.12.
Psal. 1.3.
Psal. 34.17.
Rom. 8.23.
Psal. 37.17.
Psal. 73.1.
Zach 2.5.
Exod. 3.7
Psal. 96.22.