456 CHRIST THE SAINTS WEDDING-GARMENT. Book II. It is called a Bundle, or as Ainfworth reads it, a Bag of Myrrh: 1. To de~ote the Plenty or Ful1. In ChriO: is abundance of Divine Sweetnefs. nefs of that odoriferous Gum. not a Sprig or two, but a great Bundle; not tw~ or three Grains, but a Bag filled wit.h it, or a 2. A Bundle or Bag keepsThings fafe that are of worth: The Soul of my Lord jha/1 be bound in tbe Bundle of Life, with Jehovah his God, z Sam. xxv. 29. SIMILE. I. MYRRH has fame Dregs in it, though never fo purely refined. II. OtherMyrrh may be bought for Money. Ill. Other Myrrh will lofe its Virtue, if kept over-long. IV. The Myrrh-tree doth not always drop;* this Gum diftils but at certain Seafons of the Year. Bundle of heavenly Myrrh. 2. Whatever is good in Chrift, is laid up fafe. Believers may wafte or lofe much of the Grace of Chrift in them; but none of that "hich is bound up in this facred Bundle can be loft. D IS PAR IT Y. I. JN Chrift are no Drtgs, no Sin, nothina but what is invaluably precious. " I!. All the Riches of both the Indies cannot purchafe one Dram of this divine Myrrh. Ill. Chrift's Virtue is ever the fame, Heb. xiii. 8. IV. Chrilt, the fpiritual Myrrh·tree, is always dropping. A P P L C A T I 0 N. I. CHRIST is a precious Jefus, and faving Grace worth the prizing; it. is like to fweet-fmelling Myrrh. 2. What a Mercy is it to have our fpiritual Senfes fo exercifed, as to difcern be– tween Things that differ I 3· What Eyes do they fee with, that defpife and flight Jefus Chrift I This Bundle of lf1yrrh, this Rofe of Sharon, this Lilly of the Valleys, is not fo much regarded by the moft of Men, as a Bundle of Thorns and Briars. 4· You that love a fweet Smell, here is a precious Perfume for your unfavory Souls: Notwithl\anding all your rare Gums, Odors, and fragrant Flowers, Spices, and choice Powders, you will fmell rank and unfavory in the Noftrils of God, if you have not this Bundle of lf1yrrh to perfume your Souls and Services. 5· If Believers receive all their Graces and Sweetnefs from Chrift, let them make grateful Acknowledgments thereof to him, Rev. v. 12, 1 3· CHRIST THE SAINTS WEDDING-G.\RMENT. And he faid unto him, Friend, how camefl thou hither, not having a Wedding-Carmen;·? &c. Matt. xxii. Il, 12. THIS Text, is Part of the Parable of the Marriage, M att. xxii. and the Word Parable, is thus expounded by Jerome, Tom. 3· Epifl. 51. ad Algajiamq. 6. P· 35~· Parabola, hoc eft, Similitudo qu,e ab eo vacatur, quod alteri -n:~p~{3~;..;..~,~·, hoc df, o!Jimt– latur, & quofi umbra prd!via Veritatis eft. A Parable, that IS, a Similitude IS fo called, becaufe it is like another Thing, and is as it were a previous Shadow of Truth. The Word Tl~p~{3oi\"' is derived of '11'ap~{3aMw, to compare or liken, it anfwers to the He– brew ~t!l~ Majhal.t In the New Teltament it fignifies an enigmatical, or allegort– cal Comparifon, &c. For further account, the Reader is referred to the Place where we treat of Parables. The Phrafe uJvp.~ y~,v.ov, the Wedding· Garment, is borrowed fro?'~ a Cuft~m among the Ancients, where every Gueft at that Solemnity, was arrayed m a Habit pecuhar to fuch Feafts and fuch as wanted it were accounted Intruders, viz. fuch as Without any Right thr~ft themfelves in. Now in this Parable all orthodox Expofitors affirm, 1 hat by the King, ver. 2. we are to underftand J EHOVAH; by Ius Son, the Me.Jjiah; ~ Pliny. t ]anfm. in Cone. Evang.
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