The Church Compared to an Olive-Tree

    THE CHURCH COMPARED TO AN OLIVE-TREE

    "His branches shall spread, and his beauty shall be as the Olive-Tree" Ho 14:6.

    THE Church of God is compared in this place to an Olive-Tree.

    SIMILE

    I. Part of the beauty of the Olive-Tree consists in its greenness, it is always green; few trees that bear fruit are like the Olive in this respect.

    PARALLEL

    I. So the Church of God, and every sincere soul, is green and flourishing. Greenness notes life and sap to be in the branches; the branches of the divine Olive, viz., the saints, are never without spiritual moisture, or the sap of grace in their hearts and lives: "His leaves shall not fail," Ps 1:3. Hence David said, "He was like a green Olive-Tree in the house of the Lord," Ps 52:8.

    SIMILE

    II. The Olive-Tree is renowned for fruitfulness, it abounds mightily with fruit. Pliny saith, if care be not taken, its fruit so loads it, that it even breaks it down.

    PARALLEL

    II. The Church is fruitful now, but shall be much more fruitful unto God hereafter; her beauty shall be as the Olive-Tree in this respect. She shall abound in children, and abound in grace, and true holiness.

    SIMILE

    III. The Olive-Tree beareth not only much fruit, but also profitable fruit. Olives are rare things. What tree brings forth better fruit than the Olive-Tree? Its fruit is mollifying, feeding, strengthening, healing; its oil makes your lamps to burn.

    PARALLEL

    III. So the Church brings forth good fruit, not only a great quantity, but fruit that excels in its nature or quality, viz., faith, love, meekness, patience, charity, &c., even all the fruits of the Spirit, Ga 5:22; or as they are in another place called the fruit of righteousness, Jas 3:17; grace is of a mollifying, feeding, strengthening, and healing nature; grace makes the lamp of profession to burn clear, whereby others see, or have much light. See Oil.

    SIMILE

    IV. The branches of an Olive-Tree were formerly used to signify peace.

    PARALLEL

    IV. A saint is for peace. They are peacemakers; they desire nothing more than peace with God, and peace with men: "I am for peace," saith David, Ps 120:7. He that hath the fruit of the Olive, viz., grace, shall soon see the dove, viz., the Spirit, bringing the Olive-branch: but as Noah's dove did not bring the Olive-branch, till the waters were abated; so the flood of iniquity must be abated, the waters of wickedness sink and be dried up, before a man can receive a sure sign or token of peace and reconciliation with God.

    INFERENCES.

    Hence let the saints, who are planted in the house of the Lord, labour to be like the Olive-Tree, not only to bring forth much fruit as to quantity, but good and right fruit, in respect to its quality.