'66o THE CH U RC H THE TEMPLE oF G 0 D Book IV. S IMIL E PARALLEL fometimes !he fhines more glorious, times fo obfcured, that fhe appe•rs hardly vifible; and fometimes lefs ; and yet fiill fhe was forced into the Wildernefs, from the Face -the fame Moon. She doth not, of the Dragon, and Romifi1 Beafi, Re-v. xii. 6. ,f•ith an ancient Writer, always yet it is certaip, the Church is always in being. !hew her Light in her full Orb: She Po.ffeputes nobis ptrfuadere, eum e.ffe Ecc/eji,e flatum, fometinws fo decreafeth, that there ut obfcurari nequeat, ut nil Perjidia, nil Hojles, nil feemeth to us not to be any Moon; Antichriftus -valeat? De/ere hi quidem Ecclejiam nun. yet fhe is not then delbtute of the quam pojfimt,fed in angujlias compingere, f.-1 compel. Sun-beams, though it kem other- /ere in latebras poffunt, faith Whitaker. Thinkel1: wife to our Sight. thou that thou can£1: perfuade us, that the State of the Church is fuch that it cannot be obfcured, fo that the Perfidioufnefs of Enemies, and Anti-chrift, can do not'1ing againft it? They cannot indeed defhoy the Church, bm they can bring it into a narrower Compafs, and drive it into Holes. The Church, faith .Augujlin, is like the Moon, which fome· times fhines wholly, being enlighrened with the Sun-beams, and fometimes is depriv– ·ed of a great !'art of her Light ; fo the Church fhines fometimes moft gloriouGr., and fometimes is lo oblcurnl that a,e hardly appears at all. N F E R E N C E S. I. HENCE we may learn to look, and earne(lly expect to receive all our Light as well as L rfe from Chrift, the Light of the World, and earneftly pray with Da-vid, that he would lift up the Light of hi; Countenance upon m, Pfal. iv. 6. That forafmuch as we have no Light but what is communicated trom him unto u•, he would dart con– tinually his glorious Beam> into our HeartS, that we may indeed be as fhining Lights in this dark World, Matt. v. 16. II. This may alfo humble the moll: glittering Saints, to confider that they cannot fhine fo bright in this World, but tbt their Spots may be difcernible to themklves and others, which may excite them to apply themfelves daily to the Son of Righteoufnels for cleanfwg, Mal. iv. 2. Ill. To keep clear, and fhine as much as pollible, that the poor, benighted, dark World may obtain Benefit by them, and conftfs it to the Glory of God. L et y•ur Light fo jhine, &c. Matt. v. 16. IV. Take Comfort from hence, notwithftanding your various Ch•nge,, Ebbings, and Flowings in this World, for that the Enomy may as foon change the Ordinances of the Moon, as make an utter end of God's Church, as you have heard. V. What a dreadful Doom will fuch be fure to have, that love Darknefs fo, as that ·they do not only contemn, oppofe, and endeavor tO pull the Moon, -viz. the Church, out of her Orb; but fo wickrd are they, they Gight and contemn the Sun, from whence ihe receives all her fhining Brighme(s. Let fuch read, Job v. 14. '!'hey meet with Dark• .nefs i11 the Day Time, and grope in the No011-day, as in the Night: 'l'o whom is refer-ved the Blacknefs of Darknefsfor ever, except Grace prevent by giving them Repentance, 2 Pet. ii. 17. THE c H u R c H THE T E M p L E OF G 0 D. Know ye not that ye are the Temple of God, I Cor. iii. 16. For ye are the Temple of the Li-ving God, as God, bath Jaid, I will dwell in them, and walk ill them, &c. 2 Cor. 6. x6. THE Church is the Anti-type of Solomon's Temple, and we !hall therefore run the Parallel with refpeCl: to that. T Y P E. I. THE Temple was built with coftly Stones, well hewed, fquared, and poliG1ed, before they were laid into the Building. PARALLEL. I. so the Church of God is built with fpiritual Stones, who are well hewed and polifhed by the Word and Spirit, before added to, or lard into the heavenly Building, 1 Pet. ii. 3> 4, 5, 6. AfJs ii. 40, 41• II. In
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