Selected quad for the lemma: duty_n
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A49960
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Ecclesia Gemens, or, Two discourses on the mournful state of the Church, with a prospect of her dawning glory exhibited in a view of two Scriptures, representing her as a myrtle-grove in a deep bottom, and as a knot of lillies among thorns.
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Lee, Samuel, 1625-1691.
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1677
(1677)
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Wing L894; ESTC R2097
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33,479
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98
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expertness in affairs was a notable step to his personal honour his further advancement in the rising Persian Court and a return for the Church of God out of Babylon Let 's descend to apply the Use is two-fold to the thorns and lillies Vse 1 1. To the Thorns in some particulars 1. Remember your vile original what are you but the cursed sruit of the fall whose bramble natures breed unkind and pricking spirits God planted no thorns in Paradise The state of innocency knew no such crooked tempers Ecc. 7.29 He created man upright but he sought out many inventions 2. To the Thorns among Lillies Most of the Worlds briars grow without any lillies among them They live among Nettles Hemlock and Henbane and other poysonous Plants stinging and tearing and choaking one another Tit. 3.3 living in malice and envy hateful and hating one another but remember you that have Lillies among you their humility fragrancy lenity purity should provoke you to holy emulation They live peaceably by you scratch them not Happy thorns did you know it God would soon fold you up into bundles and deliver you to the surnace of his wrath were it not for his Chosen among you Mat. 13.30 Suffer them a while let the Briars grow till the Harvest says our Lord Then shall his Angels gather out of his Kingdom v. 41. all things that offend and them which do iniquity and cast them into a furnace of fire there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth 3. Let wicked persecuting thorns consider their end Heb. 6.8 That earth that beareth thorns and briars is rejected and is nigh unto cursing whose end is to be burnt Unserviceable unprofitable wretches cumber the ground suck away the juice from Gods Plants unfit for building and injurious that which their prickly venome heat and infest the hands that touch them Take heed of persecuting the meek and humble Lillies There 's no one sin more criminal and provoking in the sight of God He ordains his arrows against the Persecutors and dooms them to eternal fire Ps 7.13 When once persons fall to that sin Ps 58.9 God maketh way and room for his wrath Before the pots can feel the thorns c. a dark place but sharp against Gods enemies Arias and Glassius translate it antequam spinae intelligant rhamnum c. Before the Thorns apprehend a Bramble an elegant metaphor from the growth of rational creatures Before the young tender thorns shall arise to the capacity of a great bramble to do more mischief The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the plural masculine signifies thorns and the Targum glosses the Text thus while they are tender and green Isa 54.13 Eccl. 7.8 while in their youth and vigour as Husbandmen cut down thorns before they grow rampant so will the Lord tear off wicked Persecutors with the whirlwind and burn them with the fire of his wrath before they grow old withered and dry while yet in the sap and strength while they are lively and flourishing The design of the Psalmist expresses the wrath of God against his enemies before they shall finish their purposes to bring utter destruction to the Congregation of the just Vse 2 To the Lillies themselves 1. Resemble your heavenly pattern Take heed of morosity you never found a thorn in the root leaf or flower of a lilly but what was thrust in by a Briar it agrees not to the meek and gentle nature of holiness Pride and imperiousness of spirit is contrary to the humility of a Lilly stiffness and perversness are unsuitable to the flexible temper of that lovely plant Drooping and desponding unbecomes the erect and brisk aspect of its flower Saints should labour to joy in the Lord always Study for such innocency mildness winning ingenious tempers and candour of spirit as may silence the ignorance of foolish men that by holy and heavenly frames of heart and life they may convince the briars that tear them of their fiery unrighteous sharpness Saints must shew a better spirit dwelling in them then the world knows off sweet thoughts issuing into courteous and affable words smelling fragrantly of heavens influence and the dews of Zion moistning their lovely hearts with a conversation so amiable as may glorifie their heaven-born race that all about them may delight to come within them to taste of their delicious spirits as if they dwelt in a garden of Pomegranats Song 4.13 A Lilly is a tractable Plant a briar is of a sullen churlish rough Nabal-like spirit Wicked mens tempers are commonly like nettles and thorns thrust away that cannot be taken with hands 2 Sam. 23.6.7 he that touches them must be fenced with iron and the staff of a spear and they shall be utterly burnt with fire in the same place not to be handled without hedgers gloves without guards and fences but so must not Saints yet take heed of offences even to the Sons of Belial A Lilly will not cannot hurt a thorn You never heard a Sheep barking at a Dog or saw a Dove fly after a Bird of Prey A Saint must not be of a sturdy dogged proud rapacious insolent and revengeful temper but commit themselves to God For Vengeance is mine saith the Lord Rom. 12.9 I 'll repay it Q Q. But may not a Saint sometimes use the prick of reproof A A. When the necessity of their calling station and relation requires it 't is their duty Lev. 19.17 They must in no no wise hate their Brother in their heart but shew their love by rebuking him and not suffer sin upon him But Pro. 15.12 if he be a scorner he 'll never love his reprover neither will he go unto the wise but sight and quarrel and backbite most venomously Pro. 9.7 He that reproveth a scorner gets shame and blots and hatred Therefore remember the sphere of thy station and go no further Thorns are always scratching and censuring Saints for reproof though bound in duty and though never so mild wherefore let the Lillies whiteness purity and humility be a silent standing reproof against their neighbouring briars 2. Do you belong to this heavenly Plant are you like to Christ are ye his lillies indeed Let 's try can you bear their prickly thorns with meekness of patience A good nature is seen more in bearing and passing by injuries that might provoke a nettling temper then in bestowing of benefits Will ye pretend to a lilly and cant bear a prick in your good name for Christ nor a thorn in your liberty for the Gospel sake nor a scratch in your purses for pure worship and the honourable name of the great Lillie of the Vallies what conformity bear we to Christ The Head of the Church was girt and gored with a Crown of thorns for us and must not the Churches Sides expect the like Delicatus es Christiane c. said Jerome thou art too dainty that must be Crowned with roses
sore displeased with the Heathen that are at ease Zech. 1.15 When Gods a little displeased they leap like Lions from Bashan upon the Church Is 47.6.37.29 When God is wroth with his People for their unholiness and defilements they shew no mercy But God will put a Hook in their nose and lead them back like beasts into the Land of Slaughter for Sacrifices in the Temples of their own Gods Heathen briars may flourish and spread their twins far and near but when once they molest his Church they are nigh to burning Pompey prospered not after he stumbled in the Temple of Jerusalem Many and fatal instances occur in History of Gods vindictive Justice upon his enemies when once they laid hands upon the precious things of Zion Discite justitiam moniti c. learn to beware of Herod's destiny smote by an Angel in the midst of all his glory 6. These Thorns never prick and vex the Church but by his permission and guidance and when he hath performed his work upon Mount Zion Is 13.12 he will punish the fruit of their stout hearts and the glory of their high looks When the People of Zion are meek and humble then they shall arise out of obscurity and shake of their dust and Kings shall come to the glory of Zions rising Is 60.3 Bern. humiliatio parit humilitatem Sanctified humiliation brings advancing humility All their thorns shall be consecrated into sweet briars and all their pricking vexations shall prove medicinal like potions made of the Carduus bendictus the blessed thistle The troubles of the Church both for time and measure are guided by her wise ad holy Husband who hath charged the tossing waves of the Sea hitherto shall ye come and no further 7. He praises his Church and sets off her beauty by the uncomeliness of the adjoyning thorns She is black but comely scratcht but beautiful A Dove begrim'd among the Pots but a Dove still Song 2.10 Arise my Dove my love my fair one Song 1.5 my joy come away The Tents of Kedar set a lustre upon the Curtains of Solomon A Jacob in Laban's Family a Joseph in Pharaoh's an Obadiah in Ahab's gives a perfume to the place they dwell in there 's a wall of fire between the lillies and the thorns Zach. 2.4 to cherish the lillies and to consume the thorns There 's a black side of the Cloud to dannt the Aegyptians but a bright side to enlighten and comfort Israel Let not the Church be discouraged for Christ owns and loves her in the midst of deformities Inser 1. imbecilities and conflicts Though sometimes weak and a little heady and conceited 't is his beloved Spouse still whom he intends to form and beautifie for himself A tender father pitties his sick and weakly Child most of all A gracious Husband compassionates his sickly Spouse especially if sick of love His left hand is under her head Song 2.6 and his right hand doth embrace her A little pettishness and frowardness does not alienate his heart from her if right in the main his generous love winks at many things and pardons all Though the Moon have her spots the Sun distains not to shine upon her and though a Saint may have some foolishness Ps 69.5.14 yet God delivers him from draggling in the mire and suffers him not to sink Uprightness may consist with many imperfections Infer 2. God takes his measures by sincerity and not infirmity that 's a Saints joy He considers our tentations and knows our frame and remembers that we are but dust Ps 103 14 Some frowardness and frettings in the midst of integrity nay a spark of grace is highly regarded though at first struck from Heaven into an ocean of corruption within us its kindling and will be flaming We have our coolings and our warmths some beauty though some deformities and the heart is all with God if the bent and tenour of the spirit be towards him onely take heed lest our weaknesses should eclipse his praise despond our spirits in holy duties and indulging of touchy flashes should habituate into fierceness and thereby become envious at our betters in grace and at last droop and sink into an uncomfortable frame of spirit and then censure and backbite others that faithfully and meekly reprove us for our folly and would restore us to a heavenly frame and communion with God Be sensible and meek under every tryal Infer 3. Let crosses crucifie the flesh within thee and let every affliction mortifie the body of sin and death and still remember thou art Christs Lilly though distressed by manifold thorns Keep in the royal highway to Heaven between fainting and confidence He that faints Prov. 24.10 the strength of his faith is small Nourish faith by Promises they are the milk and hony of the Land of Canaan Keep always some of these precious cordials in the bottles of memory be ware also of too much confidence selfconceit Qui se sibi magistrum constituit stulto se discipulum subdit Bern. Epist 87. a self taught person has a fool to his Master The Church as far transcends the World as a pure unspotted Lilly outshines a crew of intricate thorns upon a cragged rock Inser 4. or as a garden of roses in Sharon is more pleasant then the cursed Mountains of Gilboa unpassable by briars and brambles Puniceis humilis quantum saliunca rosetis As sragrant roses prickly thorns excel Brambles and Myrtles yield no parallel Is 55.13 Let none value true Saints by external grandeur but their vertues and graces humility sweetness peacefulness and innocency Many Professors are esteemed for riches and titles for gold rings and gawdy cloths James 2.3 Sit here at my right hand make room for a Silken Vest and fine toyes upon an empty head and a barren heart Oh how our estimates stick in the mire whom do you most prize and admire a poor sheep-skin Saint that stands his ground in Persecution Heb. 11.37 or a proud Peacock that yelps at a Storme Are ye not carnal and judges of evil thoughts James 2.4 Since it appears not now what it is to be a true Son of God but at that day it will be revealed when we shall see him as he is 1 John 3.2 Infer 5. Let none stand amazed at the pageantry of false Churches nor value the Whore of Rome because of her bravery Rev. 18.16 She 's deckt with Pearles and precious stones but smells strong of Aegypt All the Persumes of Arabia can't hide or choak her stink 'T is not Lateran Musick will consecrate her Masses into audience nor her incense procure access to the Throne of Grace Amos 5.22 I will not smell says the Lord in your Solemn Assemblies Take away the noise of your Songs the melody of your Viols let judgment run down as waters and righteousness like a mighty stream I shall end