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

Thirdly, The weights and pressures which are upon these Palm-trees, upon the Righteous, they do draw them more into their own hearts; to converse more at home, to search themselves more, to be acquainted more with their own bosoms, and this will make us flourish, and grow upwards: for indeed the reason why we grow up so little in acquaintance with Christ, lies much in this, because we grow so little in acquaintance with our selves. Now in an afflicted condition (if ever) the soul is upon its return to it self. In Lam. 3. when the whole Church was in that sad condition, under those grievous weights of Captivity, and all manner of trouble they were in: say they, Let us search and try our selves. Come, now let's go in to ⟨p. 106⟩our selves; let us search for our corruptions; search for our lusts, which lye in the secret corners of our hearts; let us search our selves, and let us search how it is with us as to Grace; what faith we have, what love we have, what patience, and so of the rest. Indeed, afflictions do put us upon this search of our selves, to find out the state of our graces; how it is with us, what condition they are in, how they fare. Now this the troubles we meet with in the world, give us an advantage for, and so an advantage of spiritual growth, of growing Heaven-ward, as the Palm-tree. And then,

Thirdly, The weights and pressures which are upon these Palm-trees, upon the Righteous, they do draw them more into their own hearts; to converse more at home, to search themselves more, to be acquainted more with their own bosomes, and this will make us flourish, and grow upwards: for indeed the reason why we grow up so little in acquaintance with Christ, lyes much in this, because we grow so little in acquaintance with our selves. Now in an afflicted condition (if ever) the soul is upon its return to it self. In Lam. 3. when the whole Church was in that sad condition, under those grievous weights of Captivity, and all manner of trouble they were in: say they, Let us search and try our selves. Come, now let's go in to ⟨p. 106⟩our selves; let us search for our corruptions; search for our lusts, which lye in the secret corners of our hearts; let us search our selves, and let us search how it is with us as to Grace; what faith we have, what love we have, what patience, and so of the rest. Indeed, afflictions do put us upon this search of our selves, to find out the state of our graces; how it is with us, what condition they are in, how they fare. Now this the troubles we meet with in the world, give us an advantage for, and so an advantage of spiritual growth, of growing Heaven-ward, as the Palm-tree. And then,