Book III. THE WORD CJF GOD COMPARED TO FIRE. SIMILE. Ill. But notwithftanding Honey is fo fweet and pleafant, yet there are fame Men that do not care for it: The full Soul loatheth the Hon~-comb. PARALLEL Ill. Though the 'vVord of God is fo precious and defirable, yet there are many wicked and un– godly Ones, that cannot endure it. . A vile l'a– pifr, in the Maffacre of Ireland, took up a Bible and curfed it, faying, that hath done all the Mif. chief. Sinners are fo glutted with the filthy Trafh of this World, that they lathe this fatred Honey-comb. IV.· Naturalifts affirm, that HoIV. The Word of God is of moft fovereigri hey is good to diffolve and diilipate Virtue to diffolve and diilipate all fpirimal Tu– Tumors and Swellinas, and to molmars of the Soul and to moll1fy and break m Jify Hardnefs; and that it is of an pieces the Hardnefs of the H eart. How did it healino- N amre, and ferveth for an mollify the Hearts of the three Thoufand Peter infinit~ Number of Ufes. preached unto, Afts ii. 36, 37· See Hammer. V.' Honey is alfo of a purging V. The Word and Spirit of God, when rhey Quality. operate together in the Soul, are the befl fplfltual Purgation in the World: Now areye clean, through the Word that I have Jpoken tmto you, Pfal. cxix. 9· John xv. 3· SIMILE. I. THERE are ieveral hurtful Qualities in Honey, whidt may be prevented by taking the Advice of the learned Phyfician. II. There is much Drofs in Woney. b Is PARiTY. I. THERE are no hurtful ~lalities in the Word of God; that needs no human Skill to correCt or clarify it, I!. There is none in the Word of God: Thy Word is very pure, therefore thy Servant loveth it, Pfa/, cxix. 140. I N F E R E ~ C t & HENCE let us learn, with the indu1trious Bee, to gather fame Honey out of every Flower of God's \Vord. How cloth that little Creature labor in the Summer, to fl:ore herfelf with Food againfl Winter I Let every Chriltian learn of them, but more efpecially the Minifters of God's Word, that their Lips may drop like the Honey-comb. And let us examine, whether we ever as yet experienced the Word fweet as Honey to our Tafle I THE w0 R D bF G0 D COMPARED TO FIRE. His Word was in mine Heart as a burning Fire, &c. Jer. xx. 9· Is not my Word like as J?ire, Chap. xxiii. 29. . Qjtmch not the Spirit, r The.f!. v. '9· THE Holy Spirit and Word of God, is, and may be fitly compared to Fire. METAPHOR. PARALLEL. I. FIRE is of an illuminating or I. THE Word and Spirit is Light. The Coni' enlightening ~Jality. mandment is a Lamp, and the Law is L ight; t~tlightening the E)'es, Pfal. xix. 8. Prov. vi. 23. The Entrance of it gives Light, Pfal. cxix. 130. By it the E)'es of our Under.ftanding are enlightened: By which we know the Riches of his Glory, Eph. i. 17, 18. See Metaphor Light. II. Fire is of a warming and heating Qgality; there is not only Illumination, but CalefaCtion. III. Fire will burn any combuf– table Matter it can ieize upon, feparating Metal from Rufl and Drofs, it difcovers whether Me– cats be of a current or counterfeit !I. The Word and Spirit of God, give H eat and Warmth to the benumbed Soul of a poor Sinner; they give Zeal and Fervency, that is, Heat of Spirit to ierve the Lord. Ill. The Word and the Spirit of God burns and confumes all that is fit Fuel for it; when thoroughly kindled upon the Souls and Con– fciences of Men, it defrroys the Hay, Stubble, Wood, Chaff, &c. of Sin and Corruption; and 7 D · leaves
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