572 PROFESSING THE GOSPEL coMPARED To THE PLOUGH. Bookiii. his former Courfe again, he foon forgets what a deformed and miferable Wretch he is, which is the principal Import of that Text in James. . SIMILK PARALLEL IX. If a Man look into a IX. So a Chri!l:ian that looks into the Vl'ord Glafs, he fees there but the Image, and Gofpel to behold rhe Glory of God, hat!\ Refemblance, or Reprefentation of but the Sight of the Image, Refemblance, and a Perfon or a Thing, not the PerReprefentation of God !hining therein before his fon or the Thing itfelf. Eyes. SIMILE. I. QNE Glafs harh nor all the Properties which we have here mentioned. II. Some Perfons ufe too fre– quently to look into a Glafs, as others do, to an evil End, viz. to paint, patch, and fpor their Faces, and to fee their vain Beauty, which tends to increafe Pride, and foolifh– ly to lift rhemfelves up. D IS PAR IT Y. I. THE Gofpel or Word of God is a fpirirual PerfpeCI:ive Glafs, as well a. a Looking Glafs. 11. A Chri!l:ian cannot look too often intoGod's Word, provided he do not negleCt his particular Calling in fo doing, or let one Duty interfere with another; neither dorh his looking into the Word of God tend ro lift him up, bur rather to humble and abafe him; for the more we fee of God, the more with Job and Ifaiab, we !hall ab– hor and be a!hamed of omfelves. There are divers other Difparities which we pafs by; they are the Contrivance and Workman!hip of Man, and brittle Things, &c. befides many of them are falfe, nor giving a true Reprefentation of Perfons and Things, &c. I N F E R E N C E ~ I. LET this teach every Soul the Folly of fpending fo much Time in looking intoa carnal Glafs to fee their own Faces, and vainly to trim and deck their Heads and Bodies, whil!l: they greatly negleCt looking into this Glafs, wherein the Glory pf God in a glorious Manner may be feen. See Metaphor Light. And thereby they may learn how to make themfelves ready for Chri!l:'s Coming, as alfo what their happy Condition is, if truly in Chri!l:. I!. When you fee a Glafs, or enjoy the ufeful Benefit thereof, remember the Glafs of God's Word; and as you flight not, nor throw away that Glafs by which you ob– tain your End, viz. a Medium to behold what you defire; be perfuaded never to flight or throw ay.tay the Word of God, but improve it to the End, for which God gave it, till you come to have the Faculty fo fuited and fitted to behold the ObjeCt, that you !hall fee as you are feen, and know as you are known, which will be in a State of Glory, and nor till then. Ill. To inform the poor, dark, and blind World, that as a Glafs of what Nature fa– ever it be, yet it is altogether ufelefs to a blind Man, rill his Eyes be opened; fo till God open blind Eyes, poor fallen Man cannot fee the Glory of God, nor under– ftand this glorious Gofpel or Word of God. IV. Let it perfuade all Chri!l:ians, who do !1:edfa!1:1y believe that the holy Scriptures, or Word of God, are, or may be compared to a Glafs in many of the Particulars afore-going, to look more into it with earne!l: Prayer, that as it is a Glafs as clear as Cryftal; fo the Eyes of their Under!l:andings may be opened, to the end they may, as in a Glafs, Behold the Glory ofthe Lord, and be changed into the[am~ Image, from Glory to Glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord, 2 Cor. iii. I 8. PROFESSING THE GOSPEL COMPARED TO THE PLOUGH. Ht that puts his Hand to the Plough, and looks back, is not fit for the Kilzgdom of Heaven, Luke ix. 2 6. HE that puts his Hand to the Plcugh, &c. Our Savior means, preaching, owning, or profeffing the Gofpel. The profeffing the Gofpel may in diverfe refpeCI:s be compared to a Plough. METAPHOR.
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