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Show the rcfcmblancc of the Church and Spoufe of Chr.itl to a Dove, when I handled the 15 th. verfc of the former Church, where our Lord had told his Spoufe·---fhe had Dovr~ eytt, I ll10ll therefore begin with the Second. 'J.he Spoufe ofChri{! i1, a11rl may be, in the cleft! of the Roc~, in the frfret placfl of tbe}raiu . ChrHl here fpeaketh to her as under thofe circum fiances. This PropoGtion wilt coli to us; 1 • For explication, where all that we m•y have to enquire upon, is what is here meant by &be clrftloftbe Rock_, tbeftmt placaoftheftairs? The Rock is con! idcrable, t. As a place ofbeighth,(fo ufually Rocks are: )or, 2, as o place of fecmiry, efpecially the holu of the Roc~ 3. as a place of privacy and obfcurity: further I fhall defire you to obferve, that in the Hebrew, it is 1/,0;"1, in the lingular number, and wilh a particle before ir, which (though not always) yet often denoteth an Emphajil. Having only premifed this, 1 fhall in four particltlars c0mprehend all I have met with from Interpreters, for the explication of this paffage : As it either fignifies,the Saints infirm.ity, or the Churcha obfeurity at fame times,or the Spoufes Heavenly-miltdednefi, Or finally brr protel1ion and {icurity. r. This Phrafe in the firfi place denotes to us the 'SpoufeJ infirmity. Opening to you as the commendable qualities, fo the infirmities alfo of the Dove (in my !all difcourfe. ) I inllanced · in fearf~tlnefi as one of them, thi·s makes her leek the clefts of the Rocks, and the fecret plam of the fteps, or flairs or afeents; where fhe not only taketh Sanctuary (fametime;) from the Hawk, and Birds of prey purfuing her, but alfo -when her own timorous nature fuggefis danger to her, where indeed there is no real danger. It is a Bird very fubjefr to be frighted, and upon that fright fhe leeks the cltfis of Rock, the fecm places of aCcent to hide herfelfin. Ephraim (faith. the Prophet Hof. 7. 11.) is a fiUy Dove witboHt heart that gon dorrm to Eg)•pt. There was no reafon for Ephraims fright, and f!.Oinf!, dowiJ to Ezypt,ia the fright but her o~n infirmity; fhe was~ jil[y Dove without heart.The Spoufe ofChnll,labours alfo under her infirmities: the Brid• (faith Mr. Durb1fm upon my Text,) u here compared to a Dove hidi1tg herfelf out of ~mbelief an1 anxiety, takJng. herf'lfto poor jbiftrfor eafe, &c. The Ch1ld of God IS fubjefr CO he~ timorations;& as oft-times, through we•knefs,they fly to other ~e(ls,. fo though this cannot be laid, yet oft-times we find them afra1d .to , n~ ••me forth to Chril1, to lay hold upon him, totrull themfelves upon his cverlalling arm ; when no other reafon can be given for this fiarfulneji, but only that they are like Ephraim, {rUy Dovu without an hear!. They are afraid of the Lamb ofGod, ldl like a Lio11 he fhould t~ar them in pieces. That they may be thus frighte? is fo evident upon experience, that nothing need be faid upon it. Tne caufes ofthts timoration are too many to be inlarged upon in a collateral difcoLafe. The guilt of fin will ordinarily do it, you know it did it in David, aU his bmu quak.!d, God in that cafe withdrawing himfelfeven from men according to his own heart. A mm defertiOJt will do it, which poffibly was J obt cafe, for God gave him tefiimony that he was a perfifJ and Z<pright man ; nor· do we read of any eminent guilt he had contra~ed . A melan" <holy temper will caufe it, in conjunction with that knowledg which the Child of God hath, what he hath d&rved, and how of-· ten he finneth againll God; a temptation will do it; though that' man who will queflion the love of God, becaufe·he is follicited to • fin, may as well q.uellion Chrills acceptance with his Father; ~ertain it is that in this fenCe, the Spoufe may be in the clefts of the Rock, indeed a little ~hing will fright a gracious Soul thither: there is a love-jealoujie, which thole to whom Chrifl is moll dear, are moll fick of. They have fo quick a fenCe of their own guilt, and what they have deferved at Gods hands; and Co high a value for the Love and Favour of God; that a little 1hing frights them,. and puts them into a fit of jealoufy concerning it. Now ( faith theApofik)"'e have aH High-Priefl that can h3vecomp3fliJJt ttpo!f·ottl' iufirmitiu. Chrill here calls to his Dove in tbe clefts of the Roc~J, in tbejecret placu of the Jlairr; but of that I !hall have a further opportunity to (peak; when I come to confider the precepts, Ltt "". bear tby voice, let me fee thy co11ntenauw Secondly, The Dove fometimes (in its own· defence·) flies to· to the cltfiJ ofthe Rock,s, to the fecret places of the flairs ; by rhefc · exprelfions I yet underfland nothing but places of {ecrecy, and ob. fiurityo The Heb.· Rabbiu interpret the exprcilion i tO fignify danger, and apply it to lfr~el palling through the Red Sea; for they will allow no fold offhup bllt their own,no Pigeon.houfe lor Gods Doves, but in Jredu: but our Lord hath told us, he hath other · 1heep,_ not of tbat fold, and by. a parity of arguments, he hath other p1geons than thofe of that houfe. ff<t!.e columb.e more latebrar • P!lis et iHfecretoagis,.Caith Mercer. An Hawk_ora.fiorm will drive th~ . |
