Book IV. THE CHURCH coMPARED To A NATURAL BODY. 669 V. And in the mid it of all their AffliCtions, Perfecutions, and Temptations, this may comfort them : God hath prepared for his poor Doves a fhong Place of Oefencc a nd Shelter, viz. the Rock Chri)l, whither let us m all Ttmes of Danger fly by Fatth a~d Prayer. THE CHURCH COMPARED T O A NATURAL BODY. All baptized into one Body. I Cor. xii. I3· Both unto God in one Body, Eph. ii. 16. For the edifying of the Body of Chrijl, Eph. iv. 12. He is the Head of the Bod)', the Church, &c. For his Body fake, which is the Church, &c. Col. i. 18, 24. THE Body, '"'f""'• Soma, is frequently put for the Church or People of God, the Explication of which Trope is concifely opened in the following Parallel. METAPHO~ PARALLEL I. EVERY natural Body hath a I. so the Church of God hath a Head, viz. the Head. Lord J efus Chrifl: He, God the Father, bath pur all Things under his Feet, and gave him to be the Head over all Things to the Church, whicb is his Body, the Fulnefs of him that .fi!– leth all in all, Eph. i. 22, And he is before all'lhings, and by him all 'l'hings co!!ftfl. And he is the Head of the Body, the Church, Col. i. 17, I8. I!. The natural Body hath many 11. The Church of Chrifl: confills of divers M embers, and though many MemSaints, called-the Members of his Body: Now ye bers, yet all make but one and the are the Body ofChri)l, and Members in particular, fame Body, 1Cor. xii. 14, 1 0, 1 Cor. xii. 27. and though many, yet all make bu: one and the fame myfl:ical liody. Ill. In the natural Body areMem– bers different in Strength, Ufeful– nefs, and H onor, as Arms, Legs, Eyes, Feet, Hands, Fingers, &c. But the weakefl, and thofe that leem leafl: honorable, are very ufe– ful, and the Body cannot be with– out them. Ill. So in the Church, the myfl:ical Body of Chrifl, are different Members, both with refpeCt to Honor and Ufefulnefs; as Apofl:les, Prophets, Teacher~; or, as the Apoflle.John hath it, Fathers, young Men, and Children. /Ill are not /lpo.ft/es, all are not Prophets, all are not Teachers, &c. Eph. iv. I 1. 1 John ii. q, I4- But yet the weakefl: and mofl: feeble Saints or Members are ufeful to the Church. As in the Body natural, thoug h the Eye be of greater Ufe than fome other Members, yet the Eyes, or Miniflers, who are as ufeful as the Eyes to the Body, cannot fay to the Hand, or fuch to whom God hath given the Riches of this World to difl:ribute unto others, We have no need of thee; nor can the Head fay to the Feet, I have no need ofyou. Na)', and thofc Members ofthe Bod)', which feem to be mere feeble, are neceffary, 1 Cor. xii. 20, 21, 2 2, 2 3IV. In the natural Body, if one IV. So in Chri!l's myflical Body, when one Member fuffer, all fu!fer with it. Saint fu flereth, all do fympathize and fuffer with him. If one fu.ffer, all fu.ffcr; and if one Member be bonored, all the Members of the Body rejoice with him, 1 Cor. xii. 26. V. All the Members of theBody V. So in theChurchofGod,every particularSaint natural, take care of, and feek the cloth, and ought always to feek the Welfare of the Good of the whole Body, and of whole myfiical Body of Chril1: '!'hat there Jhould each Member in particular. be no Schijin in the Bod)', but that the MembersJhott!d ' ha-ve the fame Care one of another, 1 Cor. xii. 25. VI. All the Members of the naVI. So all the Members of the myfl:ica!Body retural Body have their Nourifhment ceive Nourifhment from Chrifl:, who is the only from the Head. Head thereof; and from hence the Apofl:le condemneth thofe falfe Profe_lfors, and counterfeit Chrifl:ians, who pretended to much Piety and Religion, but did not receive their Doc– trine and Principles from Chrifl, nor were they united unto him by evangelical Faith. Not holding the Head, from which all the Body by Joints and Bonds having Nourijhmmt mini)lered, and knit to:ether, increafeth with the lncreafe of God, G_ol. ii. 18, I9· 8 H Vll. So
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