Gospel-love, heart-purity, and the flourishing of the righteous being the last sermon of the…

It is said of the people of Israel, who were the Church of God in Exod. 1. that when Pharaoh put weights upon them, the weights of very heavy oppression; when he set over them Task-masters to afflict them with their burdens at ver. 11. it is said ver. 12. But the more they afflicted them, the more they multiplied and grew. This was just like the Palm-tree. Pharaoh burdened them, but they multiplied and grew. And surely we are to understand this, not only of their multiplying in number, but of their multiplying in goodness too, or their increase in goodness: they multiplied and grew (Doubtless there is that sense in it) not only that they had a greater company, and more fruitful ⟨p. 95⟩as to the production of persons, but that they were more fruitful in their lives. And that's it which hath been said of the Church at all times, when under pressures and burdens. Saith One, They were bound, they were beaten, they were burnt, and yet they multiplied and increased. And doubtless, it was with the two-fold increase I spake of before. The more persons were added to the Church; and those persons that were added, advanced more in ways of Grace, in ways of Holiness. And so that other saying of the Ancients upon this very point; That the blood of the Martyrs was the seed of the Church. It was like seed indeed, and it brought forth, as the seed spoken of in Matth. 13. The good seed falling upon good ground, brought forth, in some thirty, in some sixty, in some an hundred fold. This is flourishing like the Palm-tree. And that we find in Dan. 11. 35. And some of them of ⟨p. 96⟩understanding shall fall. Shall fall▪ How? Shall fall into the hand, and under the hands of persecuting Tyrants; they shall fall into trouble; like that in the Proverbs, The Righteous falleth seven times a day. That is, he falls often into trouble, yet God helps them up again. Now saith he, some of them of understanding; that is, of a spiritual understanding, of a holy understanding: they shall fall into afflictions: for them of understanding, we may explain it by