:686 'fnE C'H U R ·c H coMPARED To A LILY. Book IV• .Flower, and reduced its Leaves to admirable.Paucity, infomuch that they were fcarce– Jy vifible to the World, and had circumfcribed its Roots into a narrow Space, how great and fwitr were the lncreaDngs of it, the Heavens, which before feemed Olllt, again bedew.ing of it! Then that Word, faith he, we faw fulfilled, which was p ro– mifed in Times pall: to Jfrae!: I wit/ be as the Dew unto 'llfael, and he jba/1 grow as the Lily, and caft forth bis Roots as Lebanon. Flis Branches jhalljpread, and his Beauty _jha/1 be as tbe 0/ive-'Iiw, and his Smell as Lebanon, Hof xiv. 4, 5· Germany, England, France, ltaly, Spain, Poland, Hungary , Denmark, Sweden, hath, and what Country of Europe harh not, within a few Years, feen the Roots and Branches thereof fpread, and finelt its Odor! The Popi01 'Waves, Flames and Axes, could neither futtocate., burn, nor cut up the Flower, Leaves nor Root of this Lily. The Shadow of the Highefl: bath rellr.1ined the Flames; his Spirit bound up or confl:rained rhe Vvaves; his l<ight-hand with-hdd the Axes, -rh.n grinning and gnnd111gDragon, that the llea(r and fa!ft:.Prophet could do nothing, &c. S I MILE. PARALLEL IV. The Lily is a very tall IV. So the Church and People of God are the Flower ; few Flowers, as l'finy obtalkfl: or highefl: People in the Wotld, they dwell ferves, are higher than the Lily. on bigh, !fa. xxxiii. Chrill's Spoule is fecure in that moO: ·high and heaven-threaterojng Rock, 1\1att. xvi. t8. not to he overthrown by any of the Enemies battering Ra~m, nor to be reached by any Power of the Dragon. This is that chofe-ri Generation, ro;·al Priejlhood, holy Nation, pecuiiar People, 2 Pet. ii. 9· who are fa id to dwell on hip;h: And though they now feem to creep low upon the Ground, and wander as ir were in Darknefs ; yet dwelling in God, they reO: fecure, &c., and fhall in due Time he exalted above the ,Hills, and the highelr Mountains of the Earth, Mic. iv. t, 2. V. The Lily is a Flower moO: V. The Church and Spoufe of Chrifl: is very glorioufly adorned, and lovely to glorious; her Clothes are la~dtobe wrought Gold: look upon; fo that our Saviour She jhail be brought to the King in Raiment of N ee– faith, Solomon in all his Glory was die-W ork, Pfal. xlv. Hence faid to be as fair as not adorned like one of thefe. It is the Moon, as clear as the Sun. The Church, furnifhed with beauteous Accomwith every fincere Soul, is glorioufly adorned, .plifhments; its Form is excellent, furnifhcd with beatJteous Accomplrfhments: ( t. ) with fix Leaves curioufly fer, and With the imputed Righteoufntfs of Chrifl:, a within are feven Grains, and all tranlparent and fparkling Ornament. (2.) The within of the Colour of Gold, Gifts of the holy Spirit, which may anfwer to hanging down their HeJ(I; much the Leaves of the Lily. (3.) The Graces of the of the Glory of the Lily is inward. Spirit, whi rh may anfwer to the Grains within the Lily, wh!ch, as St. Peter layeth rhem down, are feven, 2 Pet. i. 5, 6, ;, 8. Yet notwirhfianding all this Glory, with which Chrifl:'s ~poufe is adorned ancl beautified, fhe is not proud; but, as taught by the feven Grains of the Lily, or Graces of the Spirit, doth humbly hang down her H ead. Her chiefdl: Beauty is internal: 1he King's Daughter is all glorious wiihin. Pfal. xlv. VI. The Lily is a Plant that, VI. So God's Church, when his Blelling is as Narurahfrs re!Ius, cloth fhoot up upon it, thrives marvelloufiy in a fhort Time. To fuddenly, nay, and that it Joth make this appear, confider in rhe primitive Time_, grow very much in the Night. when the Dew of Grace fell upon the Chrifl:ian World, whar abundance of Lilies fprung up .fuddenly ? Three Thoufand converted by Sr. Peter at one Sermon, Ails ii. 40. VII. TheLilyisamongThorns; VII. The Church of God grows in the Field of ThornsareThingsoflirtle Worth, ·this 'vVotld, amongfl: bafe and vile Sinne", who low and bafe Things, Jl1comparifon are compored to Thorns and Briars, Tfa. xxvii. 4· of Lilies. VI!!. The Lil:· growing among Thorns, is hlll t thereby. That being a tender Flower, the Thorns coming up with it, which are of a rough and pricking Nature, the Lily receivesmurh Injury, not only in its Growth, but a!fo they tend to !pot! as Beauty. VHI. The Church, like the ·Lily, growing a– mongft the ungodly -and perfecuting World, are greatly wronged thereby. The Inhabitants of Canaan, thar Jfrael drove not out, were faid to be Pricks in their Ey.s, mzd I horns iJz their Sides, by which they were fordy perplexed and vexed, Numb. iii. 31· There is a Time coming, when .the Lily, the Church .of God, fl1all be injured by
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