' His smell shall be as Lebanon.'
Lebanon stood on the north side of Judea, and was a place abounding with goodly trees, and all sweet plants whatsoever, which cast a wondrous sweet scent and smell afar off ; as some countries abound so in sweet fruits and simples, as oranges, lemons and the like, that the fragrancy of the smell is smelt of passengers as they sail along the coast (j). So was this Lebanon a place full of rare fruits and fragi'ant flowers, which cast a scent afar off. Now, hence the Holy Ghost fetcheth the comparison. ' They shall smell as Lebanon,' that is, as those plants in Lebanon which cast a sweet and delightful smell afar off. Whence we will only observe this ;
Tliat a Christian by his fruitfulness doth delight others.
He is sweet to God and man, as the olive and the vine speak of their fruitfulness. ' They delight God and man,' Judges ix. 9, 13. So a Chris- tian, both alive and dead, he is pleasing and delightfal to the spirits of others, to God, and all that have the Spu-it of God. As for God himself, we know that works of mercy are, as it were, a sweet odour. He is de- lighted with good works, as with sacrifice, Philip, iv. 18, smelling a sweet savour from them ; and their prayers ascend as sweet incense before him, Ps. cxli. 2. Every good work is pleasing and delightful to God, who dwells in an humble heart, and broken spirit. ' The upright are his dehght,' Prov. xi. 20. We see hkevnse how Christ commends the graces of his church, which whole book is full of praises in this kind one of another. The church sets out the praises of Chi'ist, and Christ the praises of the chui'ch. The church is sweet : ' Oh, let me hear thy voice, for it is sweet and lovely,' Cant. ii. 14. The chui'ch's voice is sweet, praying to God, or praising him. So whatsoever comes from the Spirit of God in the hearts of his children, is sweet. God lays to heart the voice of his children.
And as it is true of God, so is it of God's people. They are delighted with the favour of those things that come from other of God's people. For they have graces in them, and therewith the Spirit of God, which is as fire to set a-work all those graces in them. For it is the nature of fii'e, where it encounters with sweet things, to kindle them, and make them smell more fragrant and sweet. So a spirit of love makes all sweet and pleasing what- soever, in the children of God. It puts a gracefulness upon their words, making their reproofs, admonitions, comforts, and whatsoever comes from them, to have a delightfulness in them ; because aU is done in love, and comes from the Spirit of God, which carrieth a sweetness in it, to all those endowed with the same Spirit.
Use 1. Let this be an encouragement to be in love with the state of God's children, that so our works, and whatsoever comes from us, as far as it is spiritual, may be acceptable unto God and to the church, while we are living, nay, when we are dead. The vei-y works of holy men, when they are dead, are as a box of ointment, as the ointment of the apothecary; as the wise man says of Josiah, whose very name was like the ointment of
HOSEA XIV. 6, 7.] THE EETUENING BACKSLIDER. 351
the apothecary.* So the name of those who have stood out for good, and have heen good in their times, it carries a sweetness with it when they are gone. The church of God riseth out of the ashes of the martyrs, which hitherto smells sweet, and puts hfe in those who come after, so precious are they both dead and alive (/rj.
Use 2. And then, let it be an encoui-agement to be led by God's Spirit, and planled in God's house, and to be Iruitfal in our places, that so we may deUght God and man, and when we are gone, leave a good scent be- hind us. Good men, as it were, with their good scent they leave behind tiem, perfume the times, which are the better for them dead and ahve. What a sweet savour hath Paul left behind him, by his writings to the church, even to the end of the world ! What fragrancy of delightful smells have the holy ancient fathers and martyrs left behind them ! A good man should be like the box of ointment spoken of in the gospel, which when it was opened, the whole house was filled with the sweetness thereof. Mat. xxvi. 7, seq. So a good man should labour to be full of sweetness, willing- ness and abilities to do good, all kindled by a spirit of love in him ; that when he is opened, all should be pleasing and delightful that cometh from him. Christ never opened his mouth, but good came from him ; and the heavens never opened in vain. Therefore, in opening of our mouths, we should labour to fill the places where we are with a good savour. Oh, how contrary is this to the condition of many ! ^^^lat comes from them '? Filthy speeches and oaths ; nay, that which should be their shame they glory in. We see it is the glory of a tree to be iruitfal, and to cast forth a good savour, Uke the trees of Lebanon. What vile spirits, then, are such men led withal, who delight to offend God and man with their impious speeches ! who yet are so bold as to shew their faces, to outdare others that are better than themselves. Such are contrary to all God's senses. The Scripture condescends so far to our capacity, as to attribute senses unto God, of feeling, smelling, and touching, &c. So God is said to look upon his children with delight, and to hear their prayers. ' Let me hear thy voice,' &c., Cant. ii. 14. And he tastes the fruit that comes from them. So, on the contrary, all his senses are annoyed with wicked men and vile persons, who are abominable to God, as the Scriptui'e speaks. As a man that goes by a stinking dunghill, stops his nose, and cannot endure the Bcent, so the blasphemous breath of gi'aceless persons, it is abominable to God, as it were ; God cannot endure such an odious smell ; and for his . eyes, he cannot endure iniquitj', to look upon the wicked ; and for his ears, , their prayers are abominable. How abominable, then, are their persons .J whence those prayers proceed ! They have proud hearts, hating God and man. "VMierefore, praying out of necessity, not love to him, they are abominable. And so for feeling. Your sacrifices are a burden unto me, I cannot bear them, Isa. i. 11 ; and the prophet complaincth that God was burdened and loaded under their sins, ' as a cart pressed till it be ready to break under the sheaves,' Amos ii. 13. All his senses are offended with wicked men. This, hardened wTetches think not of, that, whilst God fills their bellies with good things, go on in sin-security. But the time will come when they shall know the truth of these things, what it is to lead an odious, abominable life, contrary to God and all good men. Hence we see what we should be, that we may give a sweet scent : ' His smell shall be as Lebanon.'