in the whole Spouse of Christ and shew That both Heathens and formal Professors are very offensive and uncomfortable Associates to the Church of Christ That the Lord Jesus hath most tender love to his Church Obs while vexed and disquieted by the Tribulations of this World Great love to them as Lillies but yerning bowels as in the midst of Thorns This Point divides it self into two Parts The state of the Church in this World The love of Christ to her in this State I shall endeavour to treat of the first under 6 Propositions There 's a vast disparity between a Lilly and a Thorn Prop. 1. Thorns are the natural Daughters of the World or at best but carnal Professors with the Masque of Religion The Lilly is a true Saint v. 1. an Off-set from the Root of Christ He forms his holy Nature in the Church and then calls her by his own name of a spotless innocent Lilly He turns a Bramble into a Lilly by omnipotent grace and then loves it with a spotless endless delight A Child of God may remember his Bramble nature with holy shame and humble thankfulness and labour to lead a spiritual meek and heavenly life like a Lilly of Christs regenerating This Lilly it pleases divine love and wisdom to plant in the midst of a thorny prickly world 'T is Christ himself hath set it and therefore sees and watches it in this perilous state His Wisdom thought meet to set it and his love delights to guard it Brambles suck away the nitrous juice of the earth to form their pungent prickles that Lillies may draw more wholesome balsame Saints grow the more gracious by the vicinity of scratching Briars and holy Men should meekly bear their station since 't is the will of Christ It s great discomfort to a Saint that 's very gracious to live in a vexing World But his tribulation worketh patience under sorrows experience of divine Protection and hope of glory Ro. 5.4 Ps 120.5 and therefore glorys in it Wo is me that I sojourn in Mesech and live in the black Tents of Kedar but joys in hope that the Badger-skins of Kedar shall one day be changed into the Purple Curtains of Solomon Songs 1.5 The Church both must and may have some society with thorny persons with sowr tempers as well as sinful natures not onely originally wicked but of sharp and contentious spirits A sweet temper mixt with holiness makes grace more beautiful especially when planted in the midst of thorns Who would expect such a beautiful Lilly as Abigail by the sides of a Churlish Nabal or a meek David near a taunting Michol Thorns are the more uncomely and the Lillies much more desireable Q Q. But how shall a Saint behave himself among such ruggid and piercing spirits A A. 1. With holy caution when thorns be so near remember how soon they may prick Saints must take heed of passive offence Not to take it unkindly as well as not to provoke Briars are touchy things and act their nature let them alone to the Juniper Coals of Magistrates Ps 120.4 or fire from Heaven as they live unfruitful and undesired so they usually dy unlamented No man is any farther troubled at a Dog when he snarles or bites then to avoid his currish temper who expects from an Ass but rude braying from a Horse but surly kicks from a Swine but mire and grunting or from Thorns but scratches Stand out of their way as much as possible and let such beasts bite and fight and scratch together Ps 16.3 let thy delight be among the excellent that are in the earth The law of kindness governs the tongue and the law of meekness the heart of a Saint Pro. 31.26 1 Pet. 3.4 2. Gracious persons should behave themselves inoffensively as there is beauty so there 's smoothness and lenity in a Lilly There 's no less mercy then majesty in the nature of holiness A Child of God dares not do that to a wicked man which he suffers from him A Saint must shine with a winning conversation to the froward 1 Pet. 2.23 and 3.1 If possible anoint their sharp prickles with the oil of a soft answer that when they enter this may convey a healing drop into the wound It s said of the Viper that with his needle-teeth he drops from his head a yellow poysonous liquor dipt in rage that inflames the wound let 's pour in some Balm of Gilead into the gauls and gashes of venemous spirits Ecc. 10.4 for healing apologies 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 comforts and sweetens against great offences 3. Patiently knowing that thorns never scratch the Church but as they are moved and waved by the wind of divine providence This is a Saints comfort though such crooked thorns may rend the tender flower of his body yet cannot hurt his root Hose 14.5 Though he grow like a small lowly Lilly yet his roots are like the Cedars of Lebanon Ye never saw a Bramble scratching up the root of a Lilly as he knows it not so he cannot A Saints faith in and union to Christ remains inviolable Nay many times the pulling off his visible flowers makes this root the stronger O happy Church O happy Saint Ezek. 38.10 No enemy can think a malicious thought but 't is foreseen conducted and often returned upon their own heads by an invisible power Be patient Ps 37.13 he sees that their day is coming who has appointed it When the light of Israel shall be for a fire Is 10.17 and his holy one for a flame and it shall burn and devour the thorns and briars in one day The Church is among thorns as an embleme of its Persecutions ungodly men are always in promptu ready for mischief though not in aectu continually vexing the Church of Christ every wicked man has a Bramble in his heart and sometimes hangs out at his mouth in bitter taunts Gal. 4.29 The Son of the Bond woman will persecute him that is born after the Spirit The Nightingale sings with a thorn at her breast by night though she sees it not always yet may sometimes feel it Its vain for the Church to promise self-security in a Land of Scorpions Let the wind blow from any corner either of Paganisme or Heresie the storms will impetuously clash the thorns upon the Lillies and the Churches sides receive many a gash She hath bin often taught wisdom from the Briars and Thorns of the Wilderness Jud. 8.16 But here our thorns are the malepert daughters of Jerusalem Such as grow in Gardens are the worst because the ranker soile breeds the strongest prickles The sharpest Persecutions pierce the Church from the daughters of formal Jerusalem Gal. 4.25 as may appear by the Jewish Arian and Popish Tyrannies over the Spouse of Christ Mark an Apostate Julian that scoffs and taunts most bitterly against the Church according to that old saying Omnis apostata osor
Daughters of Jerusalem are lillies in shew but have thorns in heart and sometimes grow out from the midst of their seeming flowers They 'll prick sometimes as peevishly and perversely as open wicked men and as the Daughters of Babylon What delight can a Saint take in their vain converse their pride and worldliness Many strange Professors start up now adays that bear the leaves of their godly Fathers but not their fruit they go for Daughters of Zion but are haughty Is 3.16 walk with stretched forth necks and wanton eyes mincing or tripping nicely as they go and making a tinkling with their feet Crepitantibus Calceis Crepidis insistentes A Lap. With their flaps and slaps proclaiming their levity and folly but their hearts are little worth Pro. 10.20 and their tongues like Serpents fork'd with enmity and sharp like crooked thorns against the ways of holiness Song 6.2 let 's depart from them and go with our Beloved into the Gardens to the beds of Spices to feed in the Gardens and to gather Lillies where Christ has his sets and knots of Lillies has pure and holy worshiping Churches there let 's assemble though briars be near yet Christ is nigher 8. Long for Heaven Send up the fragrant odours of your prayers into Paradise where no bleak wind no chilling showrs no piercing thorns shall trouble more Let these Wilderness-prickles sharpen thy pace towards Heaven Eph. 6.15 being well shod with the preparation of the Gospel of peace yet leap nimbly through them and hasten from them Cry out of the Valley the Settims the sharp Bushes in the Plains of Moab and pant for Lebanon where thy Lilly shall be planted under the true Vine and the Tree of Life where thorns in duties relations enjoyments shall make thy spirit to bleed no more Where thorns from Devils and a wicked World shall affront and gash no more where thorns from our own hearts or others tongues shall wound no more whether from the Daughters of Gath or Jerusalem 2 Sam. 1.20 from outragious wickedness or perverse formalisme shall touch or prick or punish the Church no more O pray for that Sabbath of rest that Jubilee of joy when from all thy labours sorrows and tears thou shalt rest in the bosome of eternal love when the furrows made by the torrent of tears in thy hollow cheeks shall be fill'd up by the Balm of Gilead when all thy wounds and scarrs shall be bathed into smoothness and beautifully heal'd in those rivers of pleasure that flow at the right hand of him that sits upon the Throne for evermore I should come now to the Second branch of the Doctrine to set forth the love of Christ to his Church and each holy Soul while sighing and groaning among the thorns of this Valley of Achor Add. whereof briefly and close 1. He forms holy sighs and groans in thy Spirit by his Spirit He sends his dove into our hearts Ezek. 36.27 and then we mourn like doves in the clefts of the rock of Ages He puts his spirit within us and then hearkens to the groanings of his own Spirit Rom. 8.27 Song 2.14 O my dove let me hear thy voice why because thy Countenance is comely Non placet vox si displiceat facies Bern. our face is comely in the beauty of his righteousness and therefore our voice is pleasant through the melody of his Spirit 2. Christ sighs with thee He mingles the tears of his Cross with the tears of thy crucifiing afflictions In all their affliction he is afflicted Is 63.9 The thorn never pricks the sides of the Church Zach 2.8 but it touches the apple of his eye Is this lilly parch'd with the Sun Cor Christi aestuat the heart of Christ is affected with holy sympathy Is it blasted with East-winds he comforts and relieves it by sweet Western Gales of his Spirit Is it spotted and stained with dirt struck up by the foot of Beasts he washes it clean in his own laver our very hairs are numbred Ps 56.8 our tears bottled our desires known our steps and wandrings are measured our groans are not hid from him our members are written in his Book that not a bone is broken but he sets them again 3. Christ appears graciously in time of distress he came into the Church when the doors were shut for fear of the Jews and breathed his peace upon them He was with the Church in the Wilderness he visited the lillys in the thorny bush and conducted them planted them in the Land of Canaan It was his hortus pensilis ambulatorius he delighted in his walking Garden through the howling Desarts of Arabia the Type and Emblem of his Gospel Church in all her scatterings and thirsty marches and will never forsake them till like conquering Joshua he bring them to their appointed rest Neither is there any of the least of his beloved ones but he will vouchsafe a gracious ear to their petitions Is 40.41.63.9.4 and carry them in his bosome as all the days of old He delivers frequently incessantly perseveringly he loves them to the end Is 43.3 He gave Aegypt for their Ransome Aethiopia and Seba for them This is matter of argument in our prayer thou hast delivered this people out of Aegypt until now Numb 14.19 And what if we be not fit for mercy he is always fit to shew it when heavenly wisdom judges meet The times of the Church are in the hands of a Father who consults his own bowels and the expediency of his own glory In that day when the design and decrees of mercy unite in accomplishment he can form the hearts of men and fashion them upon the wheel of Providence Let none despond because the Church is not prepared for approaching deliverance The Prophets are full of this encouragement that in such a day he will powr out another spirit and make all things fall in joint and to hit the mark of his appointment The time is hastening and at the doors that the Lord will powr out clean water upon his Sanctuary he will do a new thing on the earth now it shall spring forth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 nunc germinabit Is 43.19 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a manifest allusion with that of Zachary Zech. 3.8.6.12 I will bring forth my Servant Zemach the BRANCH called by Luke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Branch from on High when the Beasts of the field the Dragons and Owls of the Gentile Wilderness shall honour me Then shall Zion bud forth and great shall be the glory of her Children from the North and from the West Is 49.12 and those from the Land of Sinim Which some as Arias and others understand of China but more likely of Sin or Pelusium by a trope for the Land of Aegypt Sin being the great fortress at the entrance of Aegypt and South of the Land of Canaan 5. He is
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
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