Book IV. s A IN T s COMPARED TO B AB E s. MET A PH 0 R. VII. Some Flowers greatly mag– nify the Wifdom of their Creator, t!,ere being many great Rarities to be feen in them. PARALLEL. VI!. So tie Wrfdom of God appears in the Cl:earion of Man. H e is a curious .Piece of God's Workmanfhip, >n his nrft: Make, in refpecr of his Body, but more efpecially touching his Squl. Hut .the o-r.eateft: Rariry that appears in this Flower, fhines forth in his fecond Creation, in h~ being new made or tranfplanted into Chri1t Jefcrs, whereby he is adorned with all thole moft tranfcendent and incomparable Gifts and Graces of the Holy Spirit. VI 11. The rarell: Flowers grow in Gardens; what is aFiold Flower to fame of thefe I IX. AFlower is moft beautiful, ,.,hen it is fully ripe. X. The Owner of Flowers knows the brfl:Time to crop them; and who fhall be offended at him, when he takes to himf~lf this or that Flower out of his Garden ? He may do what he plea{eth with his own. VIII. So the beft: and moft: choice fpiritual Flowern o-row in God's Garden, the Church. What are d10fe finft:l ones, who grow in the Field of the World, to fame of thefe I IX. So Chrif1's choice Flowers, his precious Saints, are moft lovely and amiable, when they are fully ripe for Heaven. X. So God knows t~e belt Time to crop off, or take away by Death, this and that precious Flower. Sometimes he cuts them down, before others think they .:;re half ripe; but God know• better than.we. He never pulls, nor takes any of his Saints unto himfelf, till he feeth they are fit to die. A·nd who fhall be offended at him in what .he eoe~h? though he take fuch out of the Garden, that we would fain have grow ltill there, becaufe they are fuch a fweet Ornament tO it; but may not God do what he pleafrs with his own? XI. Some ~lowers are goc.e on X[. So fome die as loon a1mo 11: as they are born ; a fudden . Naturalill:s tell us of.a they are taken away, and fade in the very Bud. -Flower tha: lafte<h but one-Day ; flllo fome Chriftians God crops off, and receives and I have read of ethors, that fade to himfdf, 2s loon as they are born again; they in the very budding. come up, ar:d are prefently cut down, &c. XII. Some Flowershave ·See&in XII. So Man, though he wicher away, and die, them, which if fown will prodtree ye' his Body is laid but like a Seed in the Earth; a Flo.wer again the next Spring. at Srring, viz. in the Refurrdlion D ay, he fl1a!l rile again, Every Seed !hall have his own Body; ·it fhall not be another, but· the. f'lme Body !hall arife f rem the Dead: My dead Body jhall arife, &c. .Thm jhall be a Refim·eclioit both ·Of the Juft and UPJufl, I Cor. xv. 38. ·Ifa. xxvi. 1 9· Afls xxiv. 5· 'N 'F E R E N ·C £ S. '1. WHAT a fading Thing is Man I Ler every one from hence learn to make ready to · dre. Happy are they who are lit and prepared tor rt; for Man 10 hrs Beauty and chief .ftoL1ril11ing is near unto wirhering. .lf. How fading and tranfient· is all our Glory! IIf. What·Fools are Morrals to value themfelves fo high I I V. H ow vain a Thing is it alfo to fet our ·Heans inordinately upon our dearefl: ·Friends! Thne_ is mention made of the coming up of this Flower~ and of its cutting ·down, but nothmg or i.cs growing. Alas! its Handing is fo (mall a Time, it is not raken .notice of; · we are born to die, and \\e die as ·iOon as we are born. SAINTS ' COMPARED TO B.ABES. As new·born Babes, d,ejire the jincere Nfilk of the Word, that ye may grow thereby, 2 Pet. ii.. t, 2. · M E'I" A P-RO R. '1. A Babe is begotten. Abraham begat Ifaac. Hearken to thy Father that begat thee. PARALLEL. I. A Babe in Chrilt is begotten by the Word and Spirit of God: Of his own Will begat bellS, by the Word of 'Truth, not of corruptible Seed, bv.t iR o/
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