2. Richly productive —
[The sickly plants, when watered, raise up their drooping heads, and bring forth, each according to its nature, their proper fruits. Thus, in the day of Christ's descent upon the souls of the " righteous, they flourish :" and " peace," the first-fruit of the Spirit, " abounds within them." The image in the text beautifully represents the change which is produced, when " a season of refreshing comes from the presence of the Lord :" the person thus highly favoured "flourishes" like the palm-tree; he becomes as " a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth fruit in his season : his leaf does not A\'ither ; and whatsoever he doeth, it prospers^." If the sun of pei'se- cution arise upon him, it does not now scorch him and destroy his root ^5 but rather calls into activity his vital energies; and serves only to display with fuller evidence the communications he has received from heaven. Nothing now robs him of his peace. Much as he laments his former iniquities, they no longer disturb his peace, because the guilt of them is washed away in " the fountain opened for sin." Nor does the prospect of death and judgment appal him, because " he knows in whom he has believed," and that " there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus." His rapturous joys may intermit and subside, but his peace shall continue " as long as the moon endureth."]
A due consideration of these things will lead us to rejoice in,
IL The extent of his dominion —
Earthly monarchs have vainly imagined themselves
<i 1 Kings xix. 11—13. « Ps. xcii. 12, 13. and i. 3.
f Matt. xiii. 6, 21. with Jer. xvii, 8. and Hos. xiv. 5 — 7. VOL. v. M M