712 SA I NTS C OMPAHD TO EAGLES. Book IV. S I M I L E. than ordinlfy Swif111efs of Men, by the S1riftnefs of an Eagk. Da– <z.;id l&m ..:ming rhe Dea.h of Said · and Jonatl·cu, gives then-: this Cha~ r::Cter, 'l'l,e.:;:wcre jlronger t/;an Li– Ol;s, and jwifter tban Eaglts, 2 Sa:n. i. 23. . . 1V. 1'be Eagles mount up on hig:1. The Word in the Hebrew * fignifies w get high; a:d thtrefore, as it is noted by Mr. Car)!, it is ufed ia the Noun, to Jc·t forth the Highnef., of God, Job xi. 8. Pfd cxi1i. 6. lfa. v. I G. <~lhi lii. 13. Scriptm~~, as well <'..:> N,lturali!ls, teil u<, thJt the Eag!e's tvlotion a1·d mounting tlp is '''oodcrful, fhe fl ies guire our cf .)ight. O!lc of_ rhe A ncienrs f.1ys, The Fagle Ioars above rhe f· Air, as ir lhe w,n;ld vifit the flarry I-leav"ns. The com– mon Epithets of an Eagle ore, higllPARALLEL. ing in the midi\ of H eaven, having the ever!afling Golpd to preach unto them, thor dwell upon the Earth, Rev. xiv. 6. When God's .' eople ore af– fau lted and perfecuted, they Ay to God for fhel– tcr; fo David, I flee unto thee to bide me, Pfal. cxlii i. 9· IV. T he Saints of God mount up on high : Our Cowuerfatzon, fairh Paul, is in llea'ven, Phi. i1i. zo. Men vf rhe VVorld arc like Moles and Viorms, always digging and tumbling in the Eanh and M uck of this 'vVorld; but Believers, thofe who are truly rilen with Chrifl:, feek thofe T hings that are ab ve, Col. iii. 1, 2, 3· they fear aloft; no– th ing will Cuisfy them bu:: Communion w!rh God. They mount up by Prayer, as alfo by frefh J\ds of Faith; they mount up by d1vine Meditation. They are faid to dwell on high; Earth, ancl earthly Things will not fatisfy them; they are uf a more heroic and fublimc Spirit. fiy ing, fwifr, &c. V. Eagles are unweary in their V. So the Samts fhou ld never grow ~<eary, Gal. F light; they faintnot, thoughthey vt. nay, and the Promlfe JS, 'Iheyjhall"w:mt up flyhigh ,andare long before they refl. as w11h Eagles Wmgs; they foal/ rt'il, and not te weary ; they fh~!l walk, t111d >lOt faint, lftt. xl. 3' · Though it be long before r:1ey come to !-leaven, their evrrlafting Refling-place, they are hdd up, and therefore they hold out in all their Service •. nd Sult<:rings. Faith and L ove are two fuch n rong and excellent G races, that rhcy, like Eagle', Wings, keep them from tiring anrl fainting in their Minds, though their \Vurk be hard, a~d tbeir Flight towards !-leaven long : I bad fainted unlefs I had beliewd, &c. Pfal. xxvii. r 3· VI. ' An Eagle, faith one, hat h VI. So a Saint hat h a noble, high. and excellent ' a high Spirit ; fhe flies high, and Spirit. Low Things are not for hi"-h and heavenly– ·, aims at high Things; fhe will not born Souls; they catch not at the Flies, Toys, and ' catch F lies, fh e !Corns to ftoop T ri fles of the Profits, I-lonor, and Plealures of the ' to fuc h low Game.' World, as others do. VI I. Eagles make their Nell: on VII So the Saints dwell on high : 'Their Place high : She dwelleth and abidetb on of Defence Jball be the Munitions of Rocks, !fa. theRocks,upontheCragoftheRock, xxx:ii. r6. T hey make their Ndls in the Rock 11 ndjlrong Place, 'Job xxxix. 28 . of Ages ; they dwell in God: l-Ie is tht ir flroc.g V ilLEagles renew their Srength by changing their Feathers; th.•ugh old, they kern young and lively again, and are very long-lived. Dwelling-place. VIII. The_Saints renew their Strength. 'When ' any Oldnels, as Mr. Caryl vvords it, is coming ' upon lhe newCre:4ture, they n~new their Stren,,)h., ' by looking to J efus Chrilt, who is their Righ– ' reoufnefs and Srrength : I le fatisjieth tbeir j\l{outh ' with good 'Thi11gs, fo that tbeir St;·mgth is t·enewed like the Eagle's, Pfa!. ciii. 5· As the ' L ord brings his People low bv bodih· Sickncfs and Weaknefs, and then renews their ' natural Strength; fo when there are D<eays •nd D eclinings upon their Souls, he re– ' news their fpirinul Strength. And as the Eagle reneweth her Strength by the Growth ' and Succeffion of new Feathers, of the fame Kind, in the Place of the old ; fo a Be– ' Jiever reneweth his Youth and Strength, by cafling off grodually the old Man, which ' is corrupt, and by putring on more of the new Man, who is quite of anorher Kind, ' created after God in Righteou}"efs and true lfolinejs,' Eph. iv. 24. IX . Naruralifts do obferve, that IX. So, faith Mr. Car)'!, do Believers ; the Eagles are feci ond belt nounf1:1ed feeding of the new Creature is upon Blood ; every • n:u. Suhlimi1, ela/u! (uit, tmimtit, ptr Metaphoram, /uptr·vi·vit. t Doubtlcfs he means the lower Region, godly
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=