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Show Thele rhing;now are lik~ t~ole t(ees oft he Wood whichjning forth foll)efruit,but[~ch as ~~ ,gnodfor no, ping. Chrill js the tr)1C Appletree, that ljril'gs forth h~t frui,t, V'~ich is not only plcafaqt to the Sou~ but·wholefome for 1he S'oul. ~h! how 'Yholefo!T\e is the fruit of Jollification to~ poor /ofrcqndqnn~d Soul! how whol\ome is the heoli~goftbe N•tio!'l to a >pqor Soul wounded with·th<; fenle of~'R'l't.~~ this is en,ougb to'. hay~ inlarged upon the firll thing : Cluj,l,l ,i.s an Appletree ao;10ngll the t1~cs of,the Wood for fr'!it[fl,lm[t, efpecially confidering that I !hall have a further oppor:uniry to 4ifco,urfe p>rticularly, copcerning this fubjeCl" when I fpeak to tpe !all branch of the Text. 2. Secondly; As an Appletree amongtl rhe rrees of the· Wood ·for Sbat#~ fo is Chr.i(t atpongf\ the Son~; , T/iere ;re other rre~s h1 rhe WQ9<1 whLch ca(l a ~h~~ow befides the Appletm, but none J•ke that tree, c~ar wherem Its Sfla~ow excelleth is the pleafant. ntf1 of it,pleaf'litur[t to the rye, pl.af.mtneji to the fmeU: and 3. He that chujeth the Applmrt for /Ji< Shado,.,,doch nor only meet with a rf[refhing S~adorv, which proteCh him from the heat; bui oa 11u· triti.v•fh•99"', he n;ay both fit in-t.~e Sh~olow, a~~ alfo cat oftbe Fnut, arr~, rctf'l!lh hunfelf. Such 1s Chr,lll to th.e ,believing. Soul. r. He ts aplea[.ull Shad•"', you have ct in the following words. I fate under , hiS Shzdo"" wttb grr,zt delight, or as it is in the Htb. I delt ghted und.r hi< Shadow. The world doth fometimes ( yet not ofte~ t afford, a !hac\ow t!) pious, believing Souls. I fay not Qften; .for ... 1 To"'~"' fo~ the moll part,thofe that in it wiU li,vt godly muj! f!'Jf'r.perfec~tt0/1: hut fometimes it doth afford a Shadow, bllt alas tt ts h~e ]on~h1 ~ourd, 1t comes up in a night, and it goes down and wuhers 1n a ntght. The kindnefs of the world to thQ[e that walk clofe wtrh God, i; ordinarily but a politick,}Jndntji. And truly for the moll part il is but an 11.11plea[.mt Shadorr. Lot found a Shadow amongfl the $odom!tu, bur hi< righteotfl Soul ,,,.1 vexed ~·rh thm• •ncleaH conver{ation. The lfraelitn found a Shadow m Eg,pt under which chey were protected; but 'rhey contracted a d~fcal~ there, which che nation never gat 0f, I mean chcir apilh in· cltnatwn til ldoiltry whtch proved their ruine at !all, A Child of God fometimes finds fome !he!ter under the trees of the world t>ut it is an, u.nplcafant Ujaclow. The Shadg~ n}l Chrijf is that a; lone whiCh IS pleafant tp ,che Gracious Sout. He that in the m1dll of all the Heats and 1 empe{{~ ofche world, can dwell in the S.m~l of the moft h1gh; axd abide und.r tbe Jhadgw of the A lmighry. That 'tbat can foy •f the Lord, he i< my rrfuge, 11nd my fortrt{t, my God, ilt b;,. wiU I tr•ft ; he !hall tread "foH I:.ion1 aHd. .llddm, and trampl• yo•flg LionJund,erhi<f.et. He that can live the life which he liw> in the lle!h upon Faith in the Son of God , Gods truth jhJU be bit }>itlJ a11d buck,!er, as for his enemies he fh•U p11jf at them ; livin~ tlpOn.a Pr.PiJebit De~11, and rejoycing upon this dilemm•,God will , either fecure me, or tal(,e me up into Glory, and in this confidence he lhall walk chearfully, and laugh at the heats of the world; rea and at dell ruction itfelf, when it threatneth him. 2. S~condly, as he that chufeth the Appletree for his !had ow, hath not a mm fhelter, but a refrefhing too, the thad ow of the tree lbeltre!h him, and the fruit of the 1m nomi.foeth him. So is Chrift to the ·believing Soul ; he that in an evil time, gets under this Ap. pletree, and lbadows himfelf by Faith in ]e[u1 Cbrift,is not meerly proteaedfrom the evil, or rather from the e~il oft he evil; but is nourifhed. TheexercifeofFaith,dothnot only cover and lhe!ter the Soul; but advantageth the Soul in Spiritual life and llrength, Grace groweth by exercife. The Soul feeds upon Chrill, ( his llelb you know if meat indeed,and hi< blaoJ i< drink indetd)while lt lhelters it fe!f under his wings ; Faith by the fame Act proteCl:eth and nouri!heth a believing Soul. But ·I have inlarged enough in the explication of the Metaphor,let<me -now. come to the Application of the Miftery, .couched under this Metaphor. Fitll, what an incouragement here is to every Soul to Vje ~: come to ]e[U1 Cbri{f. This is the end· bach of our preaching and of your hearing, we preach to you, that we may bring you to Chrill, (otherwife we do but beat the Air) you come forth to bear, that you may by the'hearing of the Ear be drawn to Chrift, ( elfc you lofe all your ·tabour and your time were better fpent at home.) Now what argument more efficacious to this noble end, than this .drawn from the tranfcendent excellency of the Lord Jefus Chrill? 'Mm is a Sociable Creature, and his aClive Soul never loves to be alone ; but will be united to fomething: N1y,to am· eeffitolll Soul, ordered to fuch a llare in this Life, that it is full of wants. Hence, there's no man born, but aJfoon as his Soul be-gins to. put forth itfelfin rational acts, it is prefently inquiring ft>r fomething to be united to. One mans Soul is low· born,and views , the gay· things of the Wmld; after thefe ir makes, it longs, it tliirlts, for thefe it works night and day. The Summa totali1 of all the tho4gbts of his heart is; Oh bow m"'y I b•rich! great in the, F World! |