Book II. C H R I S T A B R I D E G R 0 0 M. M~TAPHO~ PARALLEL which is to come, Epb. v. 24. and i. 2 i, 22. and is given particularly to be Head over all 'J"hings to the Church. Call ye me Lord, faith Chrilt, and do not the 'I"hings that I fay r Luke vi. 46. XXX. A Bridegroom reproves his Bride for the Faults that he fees in her, from that great Love he bears to her. XXXI. A Bridegroom never– thelefs hides and forgives many In– firmities th~t he fees in his Spoufe, and will not lay open her Weak– nefs, nor expofe her to Reproach, as Jofeph thought to have dealt with Mary. XXXII. A Bridegroom advifes and inftruB:s his Spoufe, in all Things wherein fhe ftands in need of it from him. XXXIII. A Bridegroom is great– ly pleafed with the good Behavior of his Bride, takes much Delight in her Company, leading her into pleafant Places, to lovely Fields, and Springs of Water, for her So– lace and Refrdhment. XXX. Jefus Chrift ·reproves his Saints for their Evils and Tranfgreflions, out of his great Love. As many as I love, ~ rebuke and chaften, Rev. iii. 19. XXXI. J efus Chrift covers theWeakneffes and Infirmities of his People. He covers our Sins, cloth not U_Pbraid us with our Faults, but forgives our ImqUittes, and remembers our Sins no more, Pfal. xxxii. 1. Heb. viii: 12. Though his Saints have many Spots and Bkmilhes, yet he throuo-h his great Grace overlooks them all, and will ;'ot expofe them to Reproach, here nor hereafter, for them. , XXXII. Jefus Chrift gives Counfel and In– ftruCl:ion to his People : 1 counfel thee, &c. Rev. iii. 18. What heavenly lnftruCtion hath"he left in his Word, of which we !land in need of at all times? Pfal. lxxiii. 24. and xvi. 7· XXXIII. Jefus Chrift is greatly pleafed with his People, when they walk as becometh the Gofpel. Do good, and communicate; for with fuch Service the Lord is well-pleafed. To diftribute to the Minifters of Chrift, is faid to be a Sacrifice acceptable, and we/1-pleajing to God. Children, obey your Parents in a/I'I"hings; for this is wel/– pleajing unto the Lord, Phi/. iv. 18. Col. iii. 10. Come, my Beloved, let usgo fortb into the Fields, let us lodge in the Villages :-Let us fee if the Vine jlourifh, whether the tend~r Grape appear, and the Pomegranates bud forth. 'I"here will I give thee my Loves, Cant. vu. 11, 12. He leadeth me bejide the ftill Waters, Pfal. xxiii. 2. M E T A P H 0 R. D I S P A R I T Y. I. A Great and mighty Prince I. THE Lord Jefus fet his Heart upon the Sinwill not fet his Heart upon ner, when caft out to the loathmg of ] 11 s nor court a Leper, aCreature blind, Perfon, in his Blood, like a new-born Infant, deformed, full of running Sores, Every Sinner is a Leper in a fpiritual Senfe, de– and old Ulcers, from the Crown filed all over, wounded, full of Ulcers and ftink– of the Head, to the Sole of the ing PutrefaCtion, as loathfome as a filthy Sepul– Foot. chre; every Faculty of the Soul unclean, and the Members of the Body polluted. Hence it is faid, We have no Soundnefs from the Crown of the Head, to the Sole of the Foot, Ifa. i. 5• 6. Yet when the Sinner was in this Condition, that was the Time of Chrift's Love, Ezek. xvi. 4, 5, 6. !I. Much lefs will a King leave . II. Jefus Chrift left his Kingdom, and all that his Crown and Kingdom, and Glory he had with the Father, which was infinite deny himfelf of all his Glory, beand unconceiveable, fhining forth in all the Ex– come poor and contemptible, not cellency and PerfeCtions of the Heavenly Majefty, having fo much as a fmall Cottage With the Attendance of all the Ano-els of Light, to dwell in, nor Money in his thole glorious Seraphims and Ch~rubims, who Pocket; nay, be expofed to as great bowed down to worfhip at his royal Feet; yet Miferies as ever ~ny Mortal was; he left all this, and became poor, 2 Cor. viii. 9· and all for the Sake and Love he and a Man of Sorrows, expofing himfelf to greater bore to fuch a wretched Creature, Pain and Mifery, than any Mortals are capable to and loathfome Leper, blind and endure? and all this for the Sake of poor, poll ut– deformed, a mere Vagabond, and ed, and deformed Mankmd, who were Enemies contemptible Beggar; and yet a to him by wicked Works, Col. i. 21. "' Creature that was his Enemy, a ., ' notorious Rebel, and Hater ofhi{Jl. 4 L 4' Ill. J efus • .,.,<._ • ' · ' .,._.. .. ..
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