Isa. 41.19. I will plant in the Wilderness the Cedar, the Shittah, and the Myrtle-Tree, &c.
Isa. 55.13. In the stead of the Thorn, shall come up the Fir-Tree; and in stead of the Bryar shall come up the Myrtle-Tree, &c.
Zech. 1.8, 11. I saw by Night, and behold a Man riding upon a red Horse, and he stood among the Myrtle-Trees that were in the Bottom.
THe wise God, who best knows the Nature and Properties of all Things that his Hands hath made compares the Ungodly oftentimes in holy Scripture to Trees, and other Things that are of a hurtful and evil quality, or are of such a Nature that He sees will sutably set them forth: They are compared to Bryars, Thorns, Nettles, &c. And also the Godly are set forth by, and compared to seve∣ral Sorts of Trees, as to the Palm-Tree, the Cedar, the Willow, &c. and in these Pla∣ces (as many understand) to the Myrtle-Tree; the Nature of which, together with an useful Parallel, take as followeth.
| Metaphor. |
Parallel. |
| THe Myrtle-Tree is a rare and most excellent Tree, a Tree of very great account; hardly any one Tree was more accounted of amongst the Romans, as Pliny ob∣serves; the Jews highly esteemed of it. |
THe Saints are a choice People; God esteems highly of them. As the Myrtle-Tree excells the Thorn and the Bryar, so do the Godly excell the Wicked. Since thou hast been precious in my Sight, thou hast been honourahle, &c. |
| II. There are divers Sorts of Myrtle-Trees; some white, and some black, some tame, and others wild, as Historians have noted. |
II. So there are divers Sorts of Chri∣stians; some more shining in Grace and Holiness than others; some, by reason of an evil and crooked Nature, Grace hardly appears in them, &c. We read of Fathers, young Men, and Children. |
| III. The best Sorts of Myrtle-Trees were used to be planted in Gardens, and were a great Orna∣ment to them, their Branches be∣ing very green, and amiable to look upon. |
III. The Godly, those spiritual Trees, which God plants in his Church, which is his Garden; and the most holy and mortified Ones of them, such whose Conversation and Profession is amiable, whose Branches and spiritual Leaves wi∣ther not, are a great Ornament to God's Garden. |
IV. The Myrtle-Tree yields most choice and excellent Fruit; nay, more may be said of it, than of any other Tree, for it yields two Sorts of Fruit, both Oil and Wine. Nature, saith Pliny, sheweth her wonderful Power touching this Tree, especially in the Juice, con∣sidering, that of all Fruits it alone doth yield two Sorts, both Oil and Wine. |
IV. The Saints of God are a People that yield two Sorts of Fruit, to the Honour of God, and the Profit of their Neighbour, answering to the two Ta∣bles. In this they excell all other People. There are some that are morally righte∣ous, they make Conscience of their Du∣ties to Men, but do not bring forth the Fruits of the Spirit, in answering a good Conscience towards God. Herein do I exercise my self, &c. |
| V. The Myrtle-Trees are said to stand in the Bottom, Zech. 1.8, 11. |
V. The Saints of God are a People of a lowly and humble Spirit, and hence they are compared to the low Vallies;
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