Psalm 52:8

"But I am like a green olive-tree in the house of God."—Ps. lii. 8.

My soul! canst thou humbly take up this language? See, and mark the particulars, one by one. and then determine the important point. Here the church at large is represented as a green olive-tree: and, by a just conclusion, every member is a part; for," we, being many, are one body in Christ." Now the apostle saith, that by nature this was not the case, for we were of the wild olive-tree, and were grafted, contrary to nature, into the good olive-tree; Rom. xi. 24. Hence, if thou art taken from nature to grace, it must have been by conversion. The work is not of man, but of God. And, so far is any man from contributing to it, that it is altogether contrary to nature. Hast thou felt the cutting work of conviction, when taken from the old stock of nature; and the healing work of conversion, when brought into the new stock of grace, by an union with Christ? And, when there is an union formed on the new stock, there will be a communication from the root to the brauch. "He that is joined to the Lord is one spirit." There will be a most blessed union; a oneness, an interest, a life-giving, a life-strengthening principle, communicated continually from Christ to his members. For he saith himself, "Because I live, ye shall live also." Hast thou, my soul, these blessed testimonies? Moreover, where there is this union with Christ, and soul-communications from Christ, there will be not only life but fruitfulness; a perpetual verdure, a state of constant flourishing. Say, is it so with thee? Canst thou take up the language of this sweet scripture, and say, "But I am like a green olive. tree in the house of God?"—It is blessed so to be enabled to say; and blessed to ascribe all the glory to the one only source, even Jesus; and blessed to mark the distinguishing grace of the Lord in the appointment. For when the Lord Jesus took thee from among the olive-trees, which were all wild by nature, there were many there in the wilderness, apparently more promising, and surely none more undeserving! And yet, while others were left, thou wast taken. "Lord! (may I web and constantly cry out) how is it that thou hast manifested thyself unto me, and not unto the world?" Precious, bountiful Lord! fulfil in my soul that sweet promise; and cause "my branches to spread, and my beauty in thee to be as the olive-tree, and my smell as Lebanon," Hosea xiv. 6.