THE WORD OF GOD CALLED MILK. 559 of other earthly Treafure, than for the Lofs of the Word, and other fpirituai gbod T hings. . I II. It may alfo ftir up all to hold faO: the Word, and every Part and Parcel ?f ~t. L et the Saints of God in England confider the Worth of the Word, and that It IS more precious than Gold. H ow will Men expofe themfelves, before they will be rob– bed of Thou£1nds of Gold and Silver? IV. E fteem the Precepts and Promifes, and every Jot and Tittle of God's Word above Gold. Be not cardefs of it, nor throw it by, but lay i~ up as carefully as you lay up Gold, hide it in your Hearts. • THE w 0 R D OF G 0 D CALLED M I L K. As mw-bom Babes, dejire the Milk of the W ord, that ye may grow thereby, t Pet. ii. 2. For every one that uftth Milk is UJzjkilful in theW ord of R ighteoufneft, for he is a Babe; Heb. v. ' 3· BY Milk here, we muft underftand the DoCtrine of the Gofpel, which is eafily taught unto the Capacities of fuch as are Children in U nderftanding. MET AP HO R. I. MILK is good ro nourilh .1. the Body ; and Phyficians tell us, Where it is well digetted, it maketh good Blood. II. M ilk is proper Food for Children, and hew-born Babes; it nourifi1eth them exceedingly; they grow and thrive thereby, though they have nothing elfe to feed 1.1pon. Ill. New-born Babes greatly defire and long after the Milk of the Breafl:. IV. Milk is a Refl:orative, ex– cellent good in Coniumptions, or for them that be lean." V. Milk was one of thofe choice Bleffings that Canaan did abound withal: It is called a Land flowing 'With Milk and Honey ; as much as to fay, it is a Land of rare and choice good Things. PARALLEL. L THE Word of God is good Food for the Soul: M an liveth not by Bread alone, buf by every Word that proceedeth out of the Mouth of God, Matt. iv. 4· Where the Word of God is received, and well digel1ed in the Underfl:anding, it tends to make a found Chriftian. II. The Word of God is proper Food for thofe that are born'again by the Spirit, or are truly re– generated. Such, like new-born Babes, grow and thrive by feeding fpiritually upon the Word, Precepts, and Promifes of God; and many have lived upon it, and have been fatisfied thereby, when they have had nothing elfe to feed upon. III. So upright and faithful Chrifl:ians greatly thirft after and defire the Word of God : .ds 11<"<11· born Bab<s, dejire the fincer< Milk of the Word, 1 Pet. ii. 2. IV. The fpiritual Milk of the Word is an ex– cellent Reftorative for a confumptive, wafted, and decayed Chrillian: 'fhey that wait upon the Lord jha/1 renew their $trength; !fa. xl. 3 t. V. The holy Word ofGod is one of the choiceft Bleffings God bath beftowed upon his Church and ·People. Thofe that would fee the Excellency of the Word and Gofpel of ChriO:, may read the Metaphor Light. A P P L i C A T i 0 N• you may know by this, whether you are born again or no, Do you cry for; and greatly defir' the pure Word of God, the fincere Milk of the Word, with– out human Mixtures and Ceremonies? The Word of God feeds befl:, when it is without any Compofition of h~man invention. • Schola Salernit, ~ap. 43•
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=