l3ook H. CHRIST A R 0 C K. METAPHOR. Winds blew, and beat upon the Houfl, and it fell 1101. II. Rocks in ancient Times were made ufe of for Habitations; Peo– ple dwelt in them, as well a" built upon them; they hewed out Houfes or Habitations in Rocks, Ija. xxii. r6. and xlii. r6. Jer. xlviii. ~8. Ill. A Rock is L ocus excelfus, an hicrh Place; though they havetheir Rgot low and deep, yet their Tops being high and fearing, are lJf[ed far above the Surface of the Earth. IV. Rocks being high, or emi– nent Plact"s tor Height, they are exceed ing ufeful to take pleafant Profpeets ; from hence one may fee afar off: From the Tops of the Rocks I fee him, faith Balaam. Numb. xxiii. 9· V. Rocks are ftrong, and were made ufe of for D efence ; they are Cannon-proof; no Fortifications like fame Rocks; they are impreg– nable: David for Security came into a Rock, 1 Sam. xiii. 6. VI. Rocks are durable, perma– nent and la!l:ing; there is no re– moving a Rock ; they grow not weak with Age, but continue the fame from one Generation to ano– ther. VII. Rocks yield Honey: Out of tbe Rock with Ho11ey would I haveJatisfied them, Pfal. lxxxi. r6. and elfewhere it is . faid, He gave tbem Honey out of the Rock. VIII. Rocks yield the purdt Water, moll: pleafant Springs pro– ceed from them: No Water, fays the Naturali11, is fo clear, as that which comes cryftallized through Rocks. IX. Precious Stones and J ewe!s are but as it were the Spe.rm, the Spawn, or (as Philofophers would have them) the Sweat of Rocks. All rich Mines of Gold ~nd Silver (as is evident from that in Job) are in and among Rocks. X. Rocks yield Oil : '!'he Rocks po11red me out Rivers of Oil, faith Job, Job xxix. 9· And in another Place it is faid, God made Ijrael to jitek Honey out of the Stone, and Oil out of the hard Rock, Deut. xxxii. 13. PARALLEL. never be able to fubvert and de!l:roy. This made the Apo(\le to break forth in that holy Triumph, Rom. viii. 3 1, &c. II. God in Chri!l: is a Believer's fpiritual Habi– tation; they, like the Dove, make their Ne!l: in the C!ifts of the Rock, Pfal. xc. J. and xci. 9· He that dwelleth in Love, dwelleth in God, 1 John iv. 6. See Habitation, Dove, &c. IlL Chri!l:, our Rock, is high in refpeEt of the Dignity of his Perfon; he is the high God. He was lower than Men in the State of his Humiliation, yet far higher and more glorious than the Angels. He is high in refpeEt of his Dwelling-place, be– ing exalted far above all Heavens; high in refpeEt of his Power and Sovereignty, having abfolme Dominion over Devils, Angels and Men. IV. He that by Faith afcends upon the Top of this fpiritual Rock, may take a better Profpect and Survey of Heaven, than ]VfoJes could of Ca– naan, when he !l:ood upon the Top of Pifkah. He fees moll: of God, and the Glory of the other World, that !l:ands upon the R'Ock Chrift. V. God in Chri!l: is the godly Man's Refuge. He that makes God his Defence, or flies to Chriil: for Refuge, needs not fear Devils, nol wicked Men, nor what all the Powers of Hell can 'tlo unto him, Pfal. lxxxix. 26. and xriv. 22. See Strong-'l'ower. VI. The Lord J efus harh the Stability of a Rock in him. He is the Rock of Ages; the fame Yefterday, 'l'o·dfl)', and for ever; he grows not weak; as his Years, fo his Strength decays not. VII. All fweet Peace and Comfort proceed from the Rock Chrift, 2 ·Pet. i. 4· His l'romifes are Jwceter tha11'Honey, or the H01tey-Comb, ·Pfal. xix. 10. VIII. That celeftial Stream, Spring, and River of Comfort, viz. the Spirit proceeds from the Throne of God, and the Lamb, Rev. xxii. 1 • From this Rock, faith a worthy Writer, the clear and cry!l:alline Streams of living Water bubble forth. IX. In Chri!l: are hid all the Treafures ofWif.. dom and Knowledge, all the Graces of the Spirit, (which are compared to, but far more excellent than Gold, Pearl, or precious Stones) are only to be found in this fpiritual Rock. X. Chri!l: affords us Store of precious Oil ; the Spirit is fo called, with which the Godly are all more or lefs anointed : We have received an Unaion from the Holy One. No Oil like that which come• from this Rock. 5 A XI. Chrifl:
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