And maik again, in the next place, hew the Holy Ghost fetcheth here this comfort from things that are most excellent in their kind. ' They shall grow as the hly,' that grows fiiirly and speedily ; ' and they shall take root as Lebanon.' To shew that a Christian should be the excellent in his kind, he compares biTn in his right temper and state, to the most exceUeni things in nature ; to the sun, to Hons, trees of Lebanon, cedars, and oUve trees for firuitfnlness ; and all to shew that a Christian should not be an ordinary man. All the excellencies of nature are httle enough to set out the excellency of a Christian. He mtist be an extraordinary singular man. Saith Christ, ' What singular thing do ye ?' Mat. v. 47. He must not be a common man. Therefore, when God would raise his people, he teUs them, they should not be common men, but grow as lilies, be rooted as trees, fruitful as olives, and pleasant, beautiful, as the goodly, sweet-smeUing trees of Libanus. How graciously doth God condescend unto us, to teach us by outward things, how to help our souls by our senses, that when we see the growth, fruitfolness, and sweetness of other things, we should call to mind what we should be, and what God hath promised we shall be, if we take this course and order formerly prescribed. Indeed, a wise Chris- tian, endowed with the Spirit of God, extracts a quintessence out of erery- thing, especially firom those that God singles out to teach him his duty by. When he looks upon any plant, fruit, or tree that is pleasant, delightful, and fruitful, it should put him in mind of his duty.
• I will be as the dew to Israel,' &c.
These sweet promises in their order follow immediately upon this, that God would freely love them, and cease to be ansry with them. Then he adds the fruits of his love to their sotils, and the efieets of those fruits in many particulars : whence first of all we observe,
God's lore is a fruitful lore.
Wheresoever he loves, he makes the things lovely. We see things lovely, and then we love them ; but God so loves us that in loving us he makes us lovely. So saith God by the prophet, ' I have seen his ways, and will heal him : I wiU lead him also, and restore comforts tmto him and to his moTimers,' Isa. Ivii. 18. And from this experience of the fruitftilness of God's love, the chtirch is brought in rejoicing, ' I will greatly rejoice in the Lord; my soul shall be joyfol in my God : for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with omamLents, and as a bride adometh herself with her jewels,' Isa. Lri. 10. Thus he makes us such as may be amiable objects of his love that he may delight in.
Rosea XIV. 5, 6.] the returning backslider. 331
Reason. For his love is the love, as of a gi-acious, so of a powerful, God, that can alter all things to us, and us to all things. He can bring us good out of everything, and do us good at all times, according to the church's prayer, ' Do good unto us.'
Use. "VMierefore, seeing God can do us good, and since his love is not only a pardoning love, to take away his anger, but also so complete and iruitful a love, so full of spmtual favours, ' I wiU be as the dew unto Israel, and he shall grow up as the hly,' &c., let us stand more upon God's love than we have formerly done, and strive to have our hearts inflamed with love towards God again, as the prophet David doth, ' I love the Lord, be- cause he hath heard my voice and my supplications,' Ps. cxvi. 1. It may be for outward condition that even where God loves thoy may go backwards so and so ; but for their best part, their souls, God will be as the ' dew to them,' and ' they shall gi'ow as Lebanon.' God will be good to them in the best things ; and a Christian, when he begins to know what the best things are, concerning a better life, he then learneth to value spiritual blessings and favours above all other whatsoever. Therefore God suits his promises to the desires of his children, that he would water their diy souls, that he would be as the dew unto them. God's love is a fruitfid love, and fruitful in the best things. As we know what David saith, ' There be many who say, ^Tio will shew us any good ? Lord, lift thou up the Hght of thy countenance upon us. Thou hast put gladness in my heart, more than in the time that their corn and their wine increased,' Ps. iv. 6, 7. So God fits his gi'acious promise, answerable to the desu-es of a gracious heart,
' I will be as the dew to Israel.'
2. To come to the words, in particular, for this is the ground of all that follows, ' I will be as the dew unto Israel.'