Saints Compared to Palm-Trees

    SAINTS COMPARED TO PALM-TREES

    "The righteous shall flourish like a Palm Tree," &c., Ps 92:12.

    "This thy stature is like a Palm Tree" &c., Song 7:7.

    "I said, I will go up to the Palm Tree" &c., Song 7:8.

    THE Palm Tree and Date tree is one and the same tree, called in Hebrew Thamer, in Greek Phenix.

    Why the Saints and people of God are compared to the Palm-tree, will appear in the following PARALLEL

    METAPHOR

    I. The Palm-tree is an excellent tree, amiable to look upon; it is very tall, and all its branches shoot upwards; there are none grow out of the side, as in other trees.

    PARALLEL

    I. The righteous, who are compared to a Palm-tree, are a choice and excellent people; their affections, like branches, ascend, they are set upon things above; they grow heavenward, Col 3:1-2. They do not shoot out their branches, as I may say, this way, and that way, to the world; they grow high in grace, and in communion with God.

    METAPHOR

    II. The Palm-tree grows in the purest soil, it will not grow in filthy places, it loves to spread forth its roots by a river: it loves not dungy soil, as others trees do.

    PARALLEL

    II. The righteous flourish best in a pure soil, in a land where the Gospel is preached in its purity. They are planted in a choice garden, Christ's blessed vineyard, in the courts of the Lord's house, as it follows in the Psalm, Ps 92:13-14. They are transplanted out of, and love not, the polluted and idolatrous world, that lies in wickedness, which smells like a dunghill, but the garden of God, 1Jo 5:19.

    METAPHOR

    III. The Palm is an even and very straight Tree and grows upright. Hence it is said of idols, that they are upright like the Palm Tree.

    PARALLEL

    III. The Saints of God are a people sincere, of an upright heart, and of an upright conversation; for though naturally they be rough, knotty, and crooked, like others; yet grace works out, or cuts off that crookedness, uncomeliness, or unevenness that naturally was in them.

    METAPHOR

    IV. The Palm-tree, when young, is a very weak plant; it is so feeble, that it can hardly stand of itself. And therefore Pliny says, they usually plant three or four of them together, and by that means they strengthen one another, and stand the faster.

    PARALLEL

    IV. The Saints of God, when first converted, are usually weak and feeble, and hardly able to stand of themselves, without the help and support of their brethren; but when planted together in God's vineyard, they thrive greatly, confirming and strengthening one another, which shows the excellency of Christian communion and fellowship. "Strengthen ye the weak hands, and confirm the feeble knees."--"Support the weak," Isa 35:3.

    METAPHOR

    V. The Palm-trees, naturalists tell us, by growing together, do join, clasp, and grow one to the other, and by that means grow very strong, and flourish exceedingly.

    PARALLEL

    V. The Saints and people of God, by being planted together in Gospel-fellowship and communion, do, or ought so to join, clasp, and cleave in love and affection one to another, as to become as it were all but one tree; and hereby they are made very strong, and flourish exceedingly.

    METAPHOR

    VI. The Palm-tree is one of those trees that are always green, green in winter, as well as in summer; it does not cast its leaves, nor fade, as the expression in Ps 1:3.

    PARALLEL

    VI. The godly are compared to trees that are always green. Greenness is caused from the abundance of sap that flows from the root. Christ is called a green tree, Lu 23:31. Greenness, as applied to the godly, notes their abounding in inward grace and holiness from the root Christ. "I am," saith David, "as a green olive tree in the house of the Lord," Ps 3:8. Saints are said to be fed in green pastures, that is, such pastures as afford precious and pleasant food, as also plenty. Sincere Christians continually abide green and flourishing; they are like trees planted by the river side, that bring forth fruit in their season; their leaf shall not wither. They hold up their profession, not only in the summer of prosperity, but in the very winter of adversity, and maintain their virtue and beauty in the hardest time, "They shall," saith David, "still bring fruit in old age, they shall be fat and flourishing," Ps 92:14.

    METAPHOR

    VII. The Palm-tree doth not only keep up its greenness, and the beauty of its leaves, but it is a tree that is full of fruit, and that good fruit, pleasant fruit, sweet fruit, fruit that is an excellent cordial, which you know dates are. Surely, saith Pliny, new dates, as they come from the tree, are so exceeding pleasant and delicious, that a man can hardly forbear, and make an end in time.

    PARALLEL

    VII. The righteous are a people that have not only the greenness of profession, and the greenness of grace, and inward virtue in their hearts, but also the fruit of a good life. Their conversation is full of good fruit; the fruit of righteousness is pleasant fruit, choice and precious fruit; no fruit is like the fruit of the Spirit, "Which is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith," Ga 5:22. Saints are very fruitful Trees; they may fitly in this respect be compared to the Palm-tree,

    METAPHOR

    VIII. The Palm-tree will thrive under heavy pressures or weights that are hung upon it. The Palm-tree, saith Mr. Caryl, doth grow up, when it is most pressed down. When there are the heaviest weights hung upon it, then it grows highest; when it is, as it were, kept down, the burdens that are upon it cannot make it bow, nor grow crooked. This Tree, saith Ainsworth, though pressed, yet endureth and prospereth. It is a Tree of an excellent nature.

    PARALLEL

    VIII. Thus the righteous flourish like the Palm-Tree, they increase in grace and holiness, though under great burdens and pressures, Ps 92:12. The devil strives to press them down, sin endeavours to press them down, wicked men endeavour to press them down, and yet they thrive and grow exceedingly: "The righteous shall hold on his way, and he that hath clean hands shall grow stronger and stronger." It is said of the people of Israel, when Pharaoh put heavy weights upon them, when he set task-masters to afflict them with their burdens, the more he afflicted them, the more they multiplied, Ex 1:11-12. Persecution never does godly Christians any harm; they grow the more, not only in number but in goodness. It refines and purifies them, it purges and makes them white, they grow in faith, in patience. "Tribulation worketh patience, and patience experience, and experience hope," Ro 5:4-5. Here is a growing and flourishing like the Palm-tree, under heavy pressures and afflictions. They get more knowledge also of their own hearts, and more acquaintance and communion with God: the Spirit of grace and glory resteth upon such. And thus the righteous flourish like the Palm-tree, under weights and heavy pressures of afflictions.

    METAPHOR

    IX. The branches of the Palm-trees were used as signs of victory and rejoicing, when the people would express their great joy. When they beheld Christ riding triumphantly to Jerusalem, they cut down Palm-branches, &c., Joh 12:13. Also the hundred and forty-four thousand, who were redeemed from the earth, that were clothed in white, are said to have Palms in their hands, Re 7:9.

    PARALLEL

    IX. Saints are as Palm-branches in Christ's hand, as a sign of that glorious victory he hath obtained over sin, Satan, the world, death, hell, and wrath, and all other enemies whatsoever. Also, as one observes, their being compared to the Palm-tree, may signify that victorious and triumphant state, and eternal joy, which they shall obtain, after the heavy pressures, sorrows and afflictions, that attend them in this world, are ended.

    INFERENCES.

    I. This shows forth the excellency of true grace: such is its rare nature, that it causeth the soul that receives it to grow like a Palm-tree.

    II. God hereby outwits the mighty. There is no counsel against the Lord. The ungodly hang their weights upon Christ's Palm-trees, and what is their intent and purpose in so doing, you may read in the scriptures: "Come on, saith Pharaoh, let us deal wisely with them," how was that? to lay weights, and burdens upon them. To what end? "lest they should multiply." They resolved to keep them down, and strove to hinder their growth, they designed to spoil their multiplying, and their growth in number, as also in grace and virtue; but they were like the palm-tree, the more they were oppressed the more they grew and multiplied. That way men think to hinder the truth, to obstruct the Gospel from flourishing; that way God takes to make it spread and flourish the more. Those things that happened to the apostles, to hinder their ministry, God made for the furtherance of the Gospel.

    III. This should raise up our hearts to magnify the power, wisdom, and goodness of God, who over-rules things thus in the world: who turns that for good, which wicked men design for the great hurt of his poor people. "This also corneth from the Lord of Hosts, who is wonderful in counsel, and excellent in working." He makes the righteous to flourish like the Palm-tree, to grow upwards, by those ways and means which one would think would bring them quite down, and utterly spoil their growing. "Like as when we see the corn laid at, and threshed with a flail, one would think there were great hurt intended to the corn, but it is only to separate it from the straw and chaff, that it may appear in its own beauty and usefulness: so the Lord hath his flail, to separate the chaff from the wheat. Those acts of providence, which seem to he for their hurt and undoing, when they are threshed as it were by the world, are only to make them appear what they are. But thus it fareth not with the wicked, who flourish not like the Palm-tree, but as the grass they pass away." Caryl.

    IV. This may animate the righteous, and greatly encourage them against persecution. Why should they fear that which God turns to their great advantage? let us labour to improve burdens, afflictions, and heavy pressures, to the end God designs them, and never more fear the worst that men can do unto us. "The righteous shall flourish like the Palm-tree."

    V. Let us labour for union, and strengthen one another, combine as one man in the way of holiness and Christian affection, that so thereby we may, like the tender plants of the Palm-tree, get strength, and stand when the wind blows hardest, and the storms of the ungodly rise upon us.

    VI. This may be also matter of trial to us; we hereby may try ourselves, and try our graces. How is it with you, sirs, under sufferings? Do you grow and flourish the more? If you wither and decay in grace, in a day of trial, or when you are under pressures and afflictions, and cannot bear hard things for Christ's sake, it clearly shows you are none of God's Palm-trees.