Sibbes - Houston-Packer Collection BX9339.S5 B6 1641

--~--~~--------------~----- .And togatherLiOies. chrijlillnsArecompared to Lillits for their·puri- S1 P. .XVlii ry,and whit~ndfeunflpotted in jull:ificadon, and 1 • I .tr. 111 what ref}tfll for their endeavours in fanCt.ity and ho ineue, cbriflians "" wherein alfo at length they 111all be wholly uncomj>«red ' to flpotted,it is the end(Epbet;.I.4.)they are chofen Liltier forpuriJ• !Y , 'RJhitenej[e, too, to be 'holy without blame before him in andunf}ot- ]ove.God and Chrifr looks upon them without tednt.J{e. blame, noe as they are here defi!edand fpotted, but as they intend by little and little to purge and purifie themfdves by the Spirit that is in th~m , that they may be altog.ether without blame" They are Lillies being cloathed with the white garments ef Chrifts righreoufneffe, not baying a naturall whiteneffe and purity : the whireneffe and purity of Gods children is borrowed) all their beauty and garments ere taken out of anothers wardrobe,thechurch iJ40-gloriota within ; but i11e bonowes her glory, as the Moone borrowes all her light from the Sun :the Churches excellency is bon:owed,it is her owne but bygift,but beingonceher owneit isher.own forever. The Church before was likened toa garden culled .out,anEden, a Paradife : Now therey·ou . know were foure ftreames, fweet and goodly rivers which watered Paradife, the heads... of which rivers were without it. So theChurch of God, her graces are her owne, that is, the Spirit of God comes rbrough her nature, pur.geth and I I I • I purifieth it ; but the fpring of:thofe·graces(as in 2~ Par:adife)is out ofn:er felfe. Beqt~uft it u, . And then theLilly is a t~ll goodly plant,ther- ;~!f'od!J · Dcd 4 fore 1------

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