of Goel, deeply root.eel therein, Thus, with the flower of the lily, the believer has the root of the mountain or of the cedar tree, over which the winds of heaven have swept for centuries, He is fair as the one and firm as the other, for Christ dwells in his heart by faith; ho is rooted and grounded in love; he is rooted in Christ and established in the faith, abounding therein with thanksgiving. He is, moreover, 11 steadfast immovable always abounding in the work of the Lord," forasmuch as he knows that'his labour i; nut in vain in the Lord. Besides, as the root of trees draws up nourishment from the ground, so the Christian derives nourishment and strength from Christ; while the union is so close nnd so constant that nothing can separate him from Christ, nothin" can wrench him from that rock in which he is rooted, nothing can detach him fro~ the foundation on which he rests. 3. 'l'he next characteristic is ezpan8iveness, as expressed by the words, 11 His branches shail spreacl." While his roots spreacl far and sink deeply into the soil, his branches spread. The application of this promise is to Israel literally, and so to the Church in general, as well as to the individual Christian. The Church of God is destined to grow to a great extent, and to spreacl her branches widely on every side, sending out "her boughs into the sea, and her branches unto the river," and ultimately 19 fill the whole earth. The Christian's growth likewise iB expansive. He grows inwardly in the graces of the Spirit, outwardly in good works, upward in heavenly mindedness, and downward in humility. He adds to his faith virtue, and to virtue knowledge, and to knowledge temperance, and to temperance patience, and to patience godliness, and to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness charity. 'fhese things are in him and abound, and thus he is neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of God and in the doing of the Divine will. Whatsoever things are true, honest, just, pure, lovely, of good report, virtuous, and praiseworthy, he thinks on allll practises these things. His profiting appears to all, and his holy demeanour is so mani- fested that he promotes the growth of grace in others, and consequently the progress of the gospel in the world. He resembles the shining light, which continues to spread more widely and to shine more brightly until the perfect day. 4. The next element of this growth is permanenre of beauty and abundance of fruit. In addition to the beauty or glory of the lily, the stability of the cedar rooted in Lebanon, or of Lebanon itself, the expansiveness of numerous and magnificent branches, we have also the abiding beauty and rich fruitage of the olive. 'l'he beauty of the lily is frail and its glory fading; but the greenness of the olive is perpetual; and as abundance of branches and plenty of leaves may make a show for a time, and suggest the idea of a sort of empty ostentatiousness, the prophet gives a fresh touch to his picture by adding the greenery of the olive, which is lasting, and the fruitfnlness of the olive, which is so profitable and for many purposes serviceable---enlighten.m.ent, nourishment, and embel- lishment. Thus the psalmist says, "I am like a green olive tree in the house of God: I trust in the mercy of God for ever and ever." So also in Jer. xi. 8 God calls his people a green olive tree, fair and of goodly fruit; such too is the individual believer-planted in the garden of the Lord, watered by the dew of heaven, his leaf is ever fresh and his fruit ever seasonable. Even in the winter of adversity the leaf of the righteous is green ; in the winter of age they still bear fruit; in the wintry storms of the world their beauty remains like that of the olivo tree, ever green, ever fresh, and ever flourish- ing. The beauty of an evergreen is enhanced, like most other things, by contrast; it appears most when other shrubs and trees are stripped and bared by the wintry blast ; it is seen to most advantage when deadness and desolation reign around. In like manner, when the storms of life, when the decrepitude of age, when the languor of decay, has stripped the mere worldly professor of the leaves of a merely assumed anu temporary profession, a profession without reality, then true Christians stand out in striking contrast. "Those that within the house of God Are planted by his gra,·c, They shall grow up aurl flourish ell In our God's holy place: And in old age, when others fo.de, 'fhey fruit still forth sbo.11 bring; They shall be fat and full of 11Bp, Auel aye be flouridhiag." 442 TRE noott OF HOSEA.
5. By the ~mell of Lebe.non is set forth the fragrance of holinees. There le nothing eo pleMing to God as holiness proceeding from faith in Christ and love to God. The believers· efforts in the cause of God have l\ rich perfume; their zeal and devotedness ,ue like ointment poured forth; their spiritual &acrifices send forth the savour of a sweet smell. Thus the children of God are trees of righteolisliess, God'8 own planting precious in his sight, pleasant and plea.sing to God, and to all who love God and ar~ like God. God compares his Church to a garden of spices : " A garden enclosed is my sist~r, my gpouse; a spring shut up, a fountain sealed. • Thy plants are an orchard of pomegranates, with pleasant fruits; camphire, with spikcnard, spikenard and saffron• calamus and cinnamon, with all trees of frankincense; myrrh and aloes, with·all th~ chief spices." 6. The people or Church of God become a blessin,r; to others. Not .only are they blessed themselves, but are made a blessing to others; they benefit an ·around. Like the pebble dropped into a pool and sending out wavelets to the furthest shore so the people of God communicate benefits that. may reach to the utmost bound of e;rth and to the very end of time. Such as are converted throu!?h their influence, repenting of sin and returning to God, will join themselves to God's people and rest under the shadow of God's Church-shall be spiritually fruitful, reviving like the com, of which a grain when it dies in the earth brings forth many more; and prolific as the vine, which, when pruned. produces many clusters, and each cluster many grapes; while their persons and their services are fragrant and even medicinal spiritually, as the scent of the far-famed wine of Lebanon physically. So with the Church of the old dis- pensation; so with that of the new; so with God's Church still.