Book II. c II R I s T COMPARED TO AN H A R T. 331 S I M i L E. The Hart, when it hath devoured Serpents, is fo inflamed with vehe– ment Thirft, that he cnesw1tlca la– mentable Moan, and reO:s not, un– till he comes to aFountain to drink. XV. Odium inter Serpente;n & Ccr·vum etiamduratpojt mortem, &c. The Hatred between the Serpent and theHartconrinuesafterDeath, when the Hart is flain. Pli;ry and Sextus affirm, that if a Man fleep on the Ground, having upon him an Hart's Skin, Serpents never an– noy him. The Virtues of his Horn are wonderful; nay, NaturaliO:s af– firm, the whole Nature and Difpo– fition ofevery Part of this BeaO: to be good againft Poifon, and ve– nomous T hings; his Blood hath excellent Virtue in it.* PARALLEL. told, cru01ed or bit his Heel) he was fenfible that the heavy ~1rath of God was upon him, infomuch that he fJJeat as it were great Drops of Blood in the Garden; and when he was on the Crofs, he cried out, I thirfl, and with a hitter Cry ran to the Fountain of all Fulnefs, .Mj God, my God, why hajf thou forfaken me? XV• • Chriflus pofl mortem ubi refurrexit, &c. ChriO: being flain, or after his Death and Refur– retl:ion, fitting at the Right-hand of the eternal Father, retains mighty Effic:u:y in himfelf againO: the old Serpent, and all the Venom of Sin. A Man that hath on him the Robe of his Righteouf– nefs, cannot be hurt or devoLired by the Devil. The Virtue of his Horn of Power is infinite, whe– ther refpetl:ing the Power of his Grace to help his Church, or the Power of his Anger to deO:roy his Enemies. The Whole ,and every Part of ChriO: is excellent againO: Satan, and the Poifon of Sin; the Example of his Life, his Death, Refurretl:ion, Interceflion; his Word, Spirit, Gofpel, and Grace, powerfully expell it. The Virtue of his Blood is admirable, it heals all Difeafes of the Soul, makes Atonement, and cleanfes us from all Siu, 1 John i. 9· METAPHOR. I. THE [-Lrt is but a weak Crea– tur~in compa~ifonofLions, Elephants, &c. ar.d cannot fave himfolf fro m his Enemies. ll. The Hart is a very timorous and fearful Creature, will run as be– ing alfrighted, when no Danger ap– proaches. Ill. An Hart is, as NaturaliO:st tell us, an envious Creature, is lothe to part with that which is good for others; when he has call: his Horn, he hides it in the Earth, fo that it is bard to find it; and is unkind to fuch ofitsown Kind as are wounded. IV. The Hart, though he lives long, and is famous for length of Life, yet dies at laO: as well as other Creatures. D IS PAR IT Y. I. JESUS ChriO: excels all in Strength, all the mighty Monarchs of the Earth, and Powers of Hell and Darknefs, are nothing in his Hand: I have laid Help upon one that is mighty. I I. J efus ChriO: is void of all Fear, his Courage is beyond the fearlefs Courage of a Lion, flies from no E nemies, &c. Ill. J efus ChriO: is ready to part with any Thing that will do poor Sinners good. He left his Kingdom, the Bofom of his Father, and fhed his precious Blood for our Sakes; He gives all Things that are good both for Body and Soul. He envies not our Happinefs, and is exceeding merciful to poor wounded Sinners. .IV. Jefus Chrift, though he once died, yet d1eth no more: Death bath .no more Power over him. He roer liveth to make Intercef/ion for us. N F E R E N C E ~ 1. FROM the Enmity of the Hart to Serpents, which our Parallel fhews to be true of ChriO: in a fpiritual Senfe, we may infer, that the eternal Ruin, and final Overthrow of the Devil, and his curfed Offspring, is at hand; he will tread them down under his Feet fhortiy, Rom. xvi. 20. • 2. Moreover, from hence we may infer further Terror to the Enemies: <!:hriO:'s quick a~d piercing Eye fees all their fecret Abominations, pries into their Cabals, and d ole Councils; and as he fees what M ifcuief and Violence is hatching by them, fo he is fwift-footed, will foon fkip over all Mountains, and with his direful Ven– geance confound them. • Gcfoar. Topfall, p. IOJ . Pliny. Dicfiaridn. s~limu. t Pliny, lib, 8. p. "l· 3· Befides
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