99 Thestate of thè Church, . CAP. z.. Countrey made tributary. Iehojakir ferved Nebaachaddezzar. Ie- hojazin alfo after three moneths Raigne was carried into exile with his Courtiers and the Mightier men of t4ie Countrey: But mofì ap- parantly tinder Zedechiu, in whole raigne,IerMfalemwas taken and miferably fpoiled. The Templeburnt, the houfes puld dowry, the walksoverturned; the City made equall to the ground, and the peo- ple ( polled from their Countrey feats, ) carried Captive into bon- dage : as free Bettiegiven to the enemie of making havock in the Church, as in the open fields. The enemy loathflretched out his hand, (.Lame;eteth Ieremy Chap. I. 19 ) upon all her ple.zfarrt things, for At' bath Peen, &c. Verf. 2. Like a Lillie among the thorns; So ùmy Love among the daughters. The Bridegroome anfwereth the former complaint, and teacheth plainly how his beloved is not deftitute of that comfort urhich Thee thought file wanted : If fhe would truly confider that. He acknoty tedgeth her tobe a Lilly, naked ofher former fences, expofed tothe prey as in the openfields : Yet notvoid of allfttccour"but as it were, fo guarded every where with a thick hedge of Briers and Buthes, that neither the heards of Cättell, nor the wilde beafts could ap- proach to do her injurie : Forthe fi-miltude doth.not onely let forth her excellency, butchiefly her fuccour and fafety. That the Church flhouldcertainlybe preferved fafeand found, remaining in the RidOE of her Enemies, and that fbee rhouid beeno lefafe defended by her very enemies, then flowers arewont to beamong the thornes, who befet t'aem about withpricking_ branches. It is manifeft that the Church made triall of this comfort in thofe hard times, when her fafety was maintained by the helpe of them, by whole hof}ile hatred thee feemed, utterly deftroyed. Pharaoh defended her aginí.ì Nebucharinezzer, and Nebachstdnezzar againff `Pharaoh. Neither of them would root out the Nation, as long as there was hope offaith- full obedience, but fuppofed to defend it for himfelf, as a found refuge agaìnff the breaking in of Enemies , with thefe bryersfoe a time, Thee put away extream calamity. , Verfe. 3. Like, the e"ppletrceamong the trees of the fonreft, fo L- oa), vvellbelovedamong the fansofmen : under his f7,adovv hall de light, and rate dovvne : andhi .c fruitvvasfvvete esnto my month. Hitherto the ate of theChurch, untill they were carried away Captive by Wflittehadnezzer. Now the Captivity followeth, : whole firft comfort is reft granted to the miferableReliques,which.(when the
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