c H RI s T COMPARED TO AN EA G L E. Book II. CHRIST COMPARED TO AN EAGLE. . Ye have few what I did unto the Egyptians, and how I bare you on Eagles Wings, and brought;•ou unto mJfe!f, Exod. xix. 4· As an Eagle jlirreth up her Ne.ft, jluttereth over her Young, fpreadeth abroad her Wings, taketh them, beareth them on her Wmgs; fo the Lord alone did lead him, &c. Deu(. xxxii. 11, 12. And to the Woman were given two Wings of a great Eagle, that jhe might fly into the Wildernefs, &c. Rev. xii. 14. SOME fay? that the Word o:ero<, Aquila, an Eagle, is derived of "'~~"' to be carrzed vtolently: Others from an mtenfive "• and""' whtch fi<>nifies a Year be– caufe it is lively, from whence came the Proverb, Vivacior Aquilti~ livelier tha~ an Eagle. Others fay, That the Latin, Aquila, is derived ab aquilo colore, from its dun Color. For its Swiftnefs, and feldom returning, ]ob fays, Chap. ix. 26. My Days pafs away as Jhe Eagle, &c. that is, fwiftly, and never to return. Becaufe of its Velo· city and forcible Flight, it denotes the quick lnvafion of an Enemy, ]er. xlviii. and xliv. 22. Hof viii. 1. Micah i. 16. which defcribes the Greatnefs of the Calamity. I have borne you 011 Eagles Wings, Exod. xix. 4· that is, the Lord hath lovingly fup– ported and cheri!hed you, as Eagles do their Young, who bear them fafe over craggy and dangerous Places. See ]er. iv. '3· Lam. iv. '9· It is faid, Pfal. ciii. 5· '!'by Youth is renewed like the Eagle's; that is, he hath firengthened thee fo, as to go through all Difficulties, &c. Galatinus faith, that the Mejjiah is called an Eagle, Prov. xxx. '9· &c. But in the Texts alledged, viz. Deut. xxxii. 12. Exod. xix. 4, &c. the Lord is com– pared to an Eagle, with refpeCl: to the ProteCtion and Safety of his People, the S'Yift– nefs of his Deliverances, and his tender Care and AffeCl:ion to them. Thegreat Eagle, Annotators tell us,* fignifieth the Lord Jefus: And it feems to be an Allulion to that Flight of the Church from Egypt to Canaan, which !he undertook not by her own Counfel, but by the Lord's Command ; and performed not by her own Strength, but by the Lord's. As the Church of Ifrael fled from the Dragon, Pharaoh, as he is called, Ezek. xxix. 3· fo the Chrifiian Church fled from the Serpent. or Dra<>on here, with two Wings of a great Eagle, Rev. xii. I 4· t No: though I deny not, but thefe Scriptures refer to God the Father; yet may they as fafely, and in the Judgment of fame, more properly refer to the Lord Jefus Chrift. Stephen, fpeaking of Chrifi, faith, '!'his was he that was with the Fathers in the Wil– dernefs, whicbfpake to them in Mount Sinai, & c. SIMILE. I. THEEagle is a Royal Bird,t the Princefs or ~een of all the Birds of the Air. II. The Eagle is a very ftrong Fowl; Naturalifts fpeak much of rhe Eagle in this refpeCl:: Eagles carry the Prize, faith Pliny, both for Honor and Strength. Ill. The Eagle mounts up ex– ceedin" hi<>h, out of the Reach, or Sigl;';· of 0 Men, ]ob xxxix. 27.§ IV. The Eagle hatk avery pierc– ing Eye : When (he is on high, can fee down to the Earth, nay, be· hold the fmall Fi!h in the Sea. I! PARALLEL. I. JESUS Chrift is the Prince of the Kings of the Earth, King of Kings, and Lord of Lords, Rw. i. 5· and xix. 16. As the Eagle among Birds, fo Chrifi, both amongft Men and Angels hath the Pre.eminence. II. The Lord Jefus Chrift is called the Mighty God: I have laid Help on one that is mighty, Pjd. lxxxix. '9· For Strength he is compared to a Lion. What is all human and natural Power, to the Stren<>tn and Power of Jefus Chrift! Ill. The Lord Jefus, after -his Refureetion. mounted up exceeding high, into the highefi f-!ea– vens, far out of the Si<>ht of Man's natural Eye, where he cannot be re~ched by wicked Men or Devils, Eph. iv. 12. Heb. vii. 26. IV. Jefus Chrift hath a wonderful piercing Eye, feeth not only from the highcft Clouds, whtther the Ea<>le mounts, but from the highdt Heaven; can look into the Secrets of every Man's Heart, • .Ai,Jworth, Wi!fott. t Aittfwortb. 2 ! See CRr)'i on Job xxxix. 30. § Plin. lib. x. cap. 3· 11 Plin. even
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=