Book IV. THE c H u R c H COMPARED TO A H o·u sE. 693 METAPHO~ PARALLEL XVII. In a Flock of Sheep are XVII. So amon~ft the Flock of Chrill: are fome likelyfomefatandftrong,~ndfome fat and rich Saints, and fome poor aod lean ones, lean ones; and the ftrong are famewho do not thrive; you may take it both in a tem– times obferved to run upon, ond poral and fpiritllal Senfc: There are a!fo fomc abufe the weak, being grown very whom God rtbukes and threatens, \Vho are grown wanton; thefe fotnerimes leap over fo head.(hong 1 rh:tt they are waxed wanton and the Fold, and the Shepherd hath haughty, that rhey opprefs and a!:Jute the Poor; much trouble with them. and thefe God faith he vnll deltroy; they Lmng grown fat, like Jefburull, kick againfl the. Lord, and will not live in fubjeltion to his Church, nor ab1de in the Fold, Ezek. XXXIV. 1G •. XVIII. Sheep are l(m1etimes fe. XVI! I. So the Sheep of Chrift in the Jail: Day parated hom the Goats, for fome {hall be feparated from the Goats, by the Lord lpecial O ccalion known to the J efus: Before him jha!l be gathered all Nations, and Shepherd. he jhall feparate tbem one from another, as " Sbepherd divideth his Sbeep from the Goats; and he jha/1 fit the Sheep 011 bis Rigbt-hand, and t/;e Goals on his Left, Mall. xxv. 32, 33· MET A PH 0 R. D IS PAR IT Y. BUT none of Chrill's Sheep can be loll: or peri(h; though the Enemy mJy kill or drflroy their Bodies, yet he cannot deil:r.oy their SoulS', Matt. x.. 2H. MY .\beep hear my Voice, and I know ;}•em, mtd they follow me, .and I.give tfem eternal Life; and they foal! ne·ver perijh, nei– ther jhall any pluck them out of my Hand: MY Father that ga·ve them me is greattr than -ell, and none i-s able to pluck them gut of mj Father's Ifa.nd, John x. 27, 28. SHEEP may be Jolt, and torn in piece., and utterly dell:royed hy Lions, l.lears, .&c. Touching other Properties and Things rel~ting to Chrill:'s Sheep, fee the Metaphor, Chrijl Jhe .Gcod Shepherd. THE CHURCH COMPARED TO A HOUSE. But if I tarr)•!ong, that thou mayejl know bow thou ougbtejl to behave thyfelf in the Houfe ·of God, which is the Chur£h of tbe fi.-::ing God, &c. 1 'lim. iii. '5· But Chrijl over.his own Houfe, whofe Hol!fe are we, &c. Heb. iii. 6. THE Church ofChrifl: is cc.mpared to an Houfe; the great God, whofe Throne is above, 'hath alro .a DweiiiHg-Place here below. MET A PH 0 R. P A R A L L E L. I. A Houfe is a HabitJtion, a 1. THE Church is the Habitation of the Holy Place built for !ome Man Gholi: 1 will dwell i11 them, and walk in or Men to dwell in.• them, &c. 1 Cor. vi. For he dwel!ethwitb )'Oil, ami . . .!hall be in )'OU, Job;z xiv. 17. .. '.!hat good Thing ~»_htch was comrmtted to thee, keep, ~Y tl:e Holy Ghofl '"'hieh dwelleth in <ts, 2 '.rim. i. '4· J<.uow l e not that )'e arc the Temple of God, and tbat !be Spirit IJj God d'i!;e/!eth in you, 1 Ccr. 111. r6. 11. A Houre is built by a wife BniJder, upon a fore and firm Foundation; fome are built t1pon Roc.ks. lll. A Houfe is builded with, or doth confift of divers Materials, as Timber, Srone,Brick;&c. which are ~ell hewed and fquared before. Il. The Chu•c:1 is built upon a fure Founda– tion, ~·iz. Jdus Chri ll:. Auother Foundation eau 110 Man lay, &c. 1 Cor. iii. 1 r. Upon this Rock will I build my Church, JVfall. xvi. 18. Ill. So the Church doth conGll: of feveral Mem– bers, who are called or compared to Stones: 1re aljo, as lively Stones, are built up a fpirilltal Houfe, rmholy Priejlhood, 1 Pet. ii. 5· And there Stones are alia well hewed and fquared, by the ·word and Spirit of God. • See YarJue's Parallels, p. 400. 80 IV. Sq
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