6go THE CHURCH coMPARED To A FLOCK oF SHEEP. Bock IV. they are called his J ewels. This C>ndlefii,k only belongs to the Prir.ce of Heaven and Eanh; they are Chrilt's Churches. M !:.TAl' H OR. Ill. Thole Golden Crndleflicks had lome Part of• hem for Ui'e, and fOme Part for Ornament; there were Knobs and Flowers curioufiy fer upon them. IV. The throwing down, or re– moving of the Candldlick, throw– eth down and removeth the Light or Candle alfo. moving thofe feven fan ous Golden PARALLEL. Ill. The Chun h of Gt d is not onlv of Ufe to hold out the Light of God's Word.; bm it is alfo richlv adorned with feveral choice and hea– v~nly Gr;.;ces, rhat make it, and evny iv•Jember thereof, who truly fears God, amiable in Chtift's Sight, 1 Pet. iii. 3, 4· lV. So when a Chmrh is removed out of its Place, the Light of God's Word is many Times removed from a Nation or People likcwife; which (eve re Judgment hath befallen the People of Ajia long ago, by God's taking a\-~,.·ay or re. Candleflicks, or Churches, that once were there. N F E R E N C E. LET the Saints and People of G, d take heed how they walk before him : It he– haves them to ftri..,e to recover themfelvt:s from whence thc:y arc: fallt:n, lcil: he remove their Candlefiick out of irs place. THE CHURCH COMPARED TO A FLOCK OF SHEEP. 'Iell me, 0 thou whom my Soul lovcth, wheu thou Jeedc.ft, and where thozc makej/1by Flock to rc.ft at Noon, &c. Cant. i. 7· Fear not, little Flock; it is your Father's good Pleajim to give you the Kingdor-1, Luke xii. 32. THEChurch, or Saints of God, are compared unto a Flock of Sheep. M E T A P H 0 R. P A R A L L E L. I. SHEEP are clean Beafls, tame and gentle ; not wild, as Ti– gers,Lions, Foxes, orWolvesi nor uncl.ean, as Dogs, Swine, &c. I. so the Saints of God are a People tameJ, as ic were, by God's Spirit, from their na– tural 'vVildntfs and Pt:rverlen<.::fs, made gentle, willing ro come into Chrift's Fold, ckanfc:l1 from Impurity of Heart and Life. !I. Sheep are Gmpie, a harmlefs !I. So the Saints of God are holy; they are Sort of Creatures, not crafty, rave::· taught w bt" limple concerning Evil: Be }e, (aich nous, and devounng, as thofe Son Chrii1, as innocent as Doves, Nlatt. x. 16. Tht"y of Beafts above-menttoned. J<:ck the Hurt of no Man; not like Romilh Wolves: who delight in nothing mure thJn in Blood and Rapine, !hedding the Blood of thofe who do not wrong or injure them, but dtfire to live peaceably in the Land. lll. Sheep are meek and patient under Sufferings: H ence our Sa– vier is faid to be led as a Lamb to the Slaughter, and as a Sbap is dumb before the Shearer,foopened henol his Mouth, Jfa. liii. 7· See Lamb. I V. Sheep, as they are patient, fo they are profitable, both in their Lives, and by their Death. There is fcarcely any Creature th:H brings its Owner greater Incomts than Sheep; they ar.e good bothfor Food and Cloathtng. Ill. So the Saints and People of God are m«k and patient under God's Hand, both when they fuller for their Sins, or for the Trial of their Graces; as appeared in Job, !.)avid, Stepben, &c. I held my Peece, I opened not my Moutb, baauft Lord, tbou didfl it, Pjal. xxxix. 9· IV. The Saints are very profitable many ways; the Benefit the 'vVorld receives by them, or for their lake,, is very great; they are called theLight of the World, and the Salt of the Eartb; now the Profit the World receives in both thefe refpeets, is not little. Had there been ten of thofe Sherp in Sodom, Goci had not deflroyed it ; befldes, the Angel told Lot, he could do nothing till he was out of the City. What a BleffinO' was Joftph to his Mafler, whilfl he abode in his Houfe, and Jacob to Laban? They yield the World much Profit, by the Doctrine they
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