Book IV. THE :CHURCH .coMPARED To A iViERCHAN'f-SHIP. 687 by thefc curfed Thorns no more : '!'here jhall ,be no mere a prickiltg Briar to the T-loufe of lfrael, nor any grieving '!'horn, Ezek. .xxv111. 24. Moreover, the Church flwuld be as .Lilies among Thorns for Beauty and Punty; they ought to out-do and excel the Ungodly, as far as the Lily cloth the Thorn: As be•uriful as a .Lily among Thoras, <fJith Mr. Ainfworth, as innocent as Doves.among ravenous Birds. ·SIM ILE. ·D I S ·P A R IT Y. ·I. A Lily is a natural Plant,. and .I. THE Church is a heavenly or fupernatural Flower of the F1eld. Flower, a Plant of God's Right-hand •!I. There is no care taken of the :Lily rhar groweth among Thorns; any are fufr'ered to pluck them up. planting. !I. God takell> great Care of his People, he has made a Fence about them, nay, he himfelf is a~ a Wall of Fire on every.lide, and cloth keep his Church, and water it every Moment, Zech. ii. 5· He keepeth it Night and·Day, left any jhould. hurt it, If~. xxvii. 3· Norone Hair of your Ilead; jhallperijh, Matt. x. 30. Ill. A Lilv is a Flower that Coon fades and' withers away, and . is at !aft caft into the.Ove 0 , Matt. vi. so. ·Ill. .The Cl>urch's Beauty and Glory is en. creafing: '!'he Path of the Jufl is as the jhinit!g Light, which jhineth more and mort unto theperfett Dc.y•, Prov. iv. , 18. Her Glory fhall never fade, :but fhe !hall be made an eternal Excellency. 'I N F E ·R E N C E . 'I. THIS may reach all true Chriftians to admire and exalt the. free Grace of God, in making fo great a. Difference between.them, and the Wicked.amongft whom ·they live. 11. It !hews alfo what Care he taketh of .them, in prelerving them whilft they grow among Thorns, -who do not only.prick them by Perlecution, but would utterly root them ~P· l!L They are hereby•called upon, not to reft fatisfied with the Name of Chriftians only, bur to be earneft with the Lord, that whilft the Wicked do daily manifeft them– fclves to be as Thorns, t.hey may be as Lilies, holy .and heavenly-born Souls, .grow– ing ~p more and more in Grace .and.f-lolinefs. THE 'CHURCH COMPARED TO A MER:CH:ANT-&HIP. 'She is like unto Mercbani'Ships, Prov. •XXXi.. '+ ·0 thou qfflitted, ..and tojfed.with 'l'empejls, and not comforted! Ifa. liv.. Il. THE Church of God in thefe Scr,iprurej, .as.~pofitors obferve, ·is cotr>pared:to., · .Ship, to. a Merchant-Ship. SIMILE. :r. A ·Merchant-ShiprracJethfrom one Place to another; fhe ·fetcheth her Merchandize from afar. ll . A Merchant-Ship hath afkil– ,ful Pilot, to fteer and guide her the right Way, that fo fhe may not fplit upon Rocks or Sands, or any other way mifcarry in her Voyage. 'IlL A Merchant-Ship is tolfed oftentimes .upon a rroublefome and tempeftuous Sea, and yet keeps up, and is preferved in a·wonderful manner,' upon boifterou~ Waves. 'P A 'R A L L E ·L. ·r. ·THE Church of God trades to Heaven, fh~ fetcheth her fpiritual Merch3ndize from thence : Out Converfation is in Heaven, Phi!. iii_ ·2o. If. The Church of God hath a moft expert and fkilful Pilot, viz. Jefus Chrift, to fteer her Courle through the Seas of this World, that fo fhe may not be fplit upcn the Rocks of human Inventions, nor the Sands of faife DoClrine, Er– ror, and Herefy. Ill. So.the Church of God is often tolfed with Tempefts, or fubje.Cl to, and vexed with the In– curfions of .an envious and perfecuting World, the Ungodly bc~ng compared to the troubled Sea, .lfa. Jvii. 20, IV. So
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