Book lV. TnE CH U R CH COMJ'AR¥D To A D 0 V E. 667 cHuRcH COMPARED TO A D 0 V E. 0 my Dovt, that art in the.Ciifts of the Rock, &c. Cmzt. ii. q. . 0 deliver uot the Soul ofthy Turtle-Dove unto the iVfultztude, &c. PfaL !xxrv. 19. THAT is, thv Church .and People, who worlhip none but thee, as the Turtle– Dove, that· never en'tertains ConjunClion with_ another; and who in their Afflic– tion, like a Dove, exprefs their Grief tn Sighs and lolitary Groans to thee; and whrch is unarmed, weak, limple, and meek, l1ke the 'furt!e-Dove, wh1Ch IS dl:eemed the leaf\ among the Species of Doves, as /frijlotle lays. The Chaldee rel)ders it, The Soul of f uch as leam thy Law, the \•Vord ..,,,., a Turt!t-Dove, bemg of tome afli.nay wrrh ~<11n L aw. Chrifl: calls his Church a Dov~, by which Metaphor, faith CIPjjius, its Simplicity, Chafl:ity, t:c. is denoted Doer. That the Spoufe of Cbriji, or a.graciour Soul, is or may jitly be compared unto a Dove. METAPHOR. 1. A Dove is a meek and harm– lefs Creature: Be ye i>mo– reJlt as Do'ves. II. The Dove makes her Nefl: in the Rocks, •Cant. iv. 14. her Safety, and Place of Abode is in the Clifrs of the Rock. 111. The Dove is aCreature that feeds not upon Carrion, as Eagles, Ravens, and other Fowls do, but ·only upon pure Grain. PARALLEL. 1. ~E Saints of God are injurious to none, they feek the Hurt of no Man, they are and ought to be harmlefs, 'fhe Children of Cod, in the mid}! of a crooked and perverfe Generation, Phi!. ii. '5· IL The Saints make their Abode in the Rock ·Chriji; they blllld only in him, and upon him, Exod. xxxiii. 22. and indeed in the Clifts of this Rock they reft, viz. in rhe \Vounds, Piercings, Dyings, andCrucifyings of the Lord Jefus Chrifl:. Ill. Gracious Souls, or fincere Chrifl:ians, do not feed .upon rhe fenfual Pleafures, and carnal Delights of this World, as the Ungodly do; nor will they feed upon, or receive in the detefl:able Carrion of Men's Traditions; they hate Idolatry, falre \Vorlhip, and every evi-l Way, and only feed and live UJ!On the,pure ·Grain of God's holy Word, Pfal. cxix. 104, 128. IV. The Dove is a Creature IV. The Saints of God are perfecuted and momuch molefl:ed by all Birds of Prey. Jelled by all the Sons of Belial; they are chafed like a Dove or .Partridge upon the Mountains, 1 Satn. xxvi. 20. V. The Dove harh no otlter De– fence, when mokfl:ed, bur by Flight. VI. The Dove thinks not her– felf fecure, till Ote be got in.to the Rock. V. The Godly have no other \Vay, \vhen mo– lefl:ed by Satan, and wicked Men, but to ·fly ·to God: /!t what Time I am afraid, I will trufl in thee, Pfal. ]vi. 3· VI. The fincere Chri(lian looks not upon him– felf as fecure, until ·he be got into Chrilt. The N ame of tht Lord is a Strong-Tower, the Righteous run into it, and are flife, Prov.xviii. 10. They, like Noah's Dove, 'Ay to tlte Ark. VII. The Dove is a Creature VII. The fincere Chriftian, and Spoufe of very chafl:e and true to its Mate. Chrifl:, js very rhafl:e to the Lord J cfus, will . own no other Head or Hulband, they defy the Pope, that F~rlt-born of Satan, and all others who pretend 10 Headfhip, and Eccle– fialtical J urifdiCl:ion over their Confciences. VIII. The Dove hath a lovely VIII. The Saints of God have a finale and Eye, and it is a'!ways lixed upon lovely Eye in C!trifl:'s Sight: They fl:riv~ to be her Mate. like rhe Dove, relifl:ing Ptide, Lul1, and Wantonnefs., and to be adorned with Meeknefs and Modefl:y, having always their Eyes upon Jefus Chrifl:; not daring to lift up their Eyes .to other Lovers, but by holy Intention wait upon him ulone in all their Devotion, lfa. Vlll. 17, Pfa!. xv. 15, IX. God's
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