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Show • 'How the Sp11if'e it the Rofe ofSharon, e·cl (hall not be in it; But there ibcm, a Garden11fo pu~. t~at~~~em':t~ ferve in the world before they is an Aprentl_ce 11P w f" I r: (God. Heaven is hut the wages come into thts ltberty o t "J ont n f Gr;., not of ftriet Debt and of that work, though the wages .o to th~ Counce!> of God, l come Juflice.But l fh~ll dtve ~? :e~~~ ~ only lnl\ruetive, and that in to the Apphcauon, fwlucB J' e s dignity. 2. Of the Believers two words: J, 0 t Je e tev r duty • · • Tl Believer! dignity,' This is the ufe I would Learn hence, J, " f this oint ) : The Behevcr have the men of the w~rldLtU '{~~~Vallie!': The-w orld is all a is the Rofe of Sharon, t c •1)1 ° lo~ lace in corr.puifon of that; va\ly in ~omp~•~(u~ oia~tesa.v:~i~h are Pthe moft exceJicnt plants of ~ht~a 1~ ~s ~1 t:e S~ints ~f God, thofe that excel in Faith, Holi- 1 e or . : I ~ that arc intereffed in Chrifi! thefe are the L rl· ~.e!s~7~~~~~fli:;~T~e world underftands it not,they caJI the pro\td ~:' (as the Prophet faith ) ; they caJI the _greattll men m t lC p pp~, tl e richeft men the bdl men in the Pan!h; but God judgeth~ ther~ife, he tells you they are his fpoufe~ that are the Rofa of Sharon the Lilliu of the Vallie;. Reafon dtreC1:eth us t~ determine of the goodnefs or badnefs of a thing accordtlnl ghto !tis f~bft fervienc or non fubferviency to its end .Thus yo~ ca t at t Je e hy, ·n th be" that the be{! Pf;yjick._ that wreth bejl, meat t at noun te "' • fir, 1 d that the belt flower in the garden, that is 'molt n e ". an or~a-mental: ·why , becaufe Nourifhment is the end ofEacf"f' Cudwg the end of Phylick, Ornament and profit, t?e en o Gar en-lants. Is not the glorifying of God,and the dowg good to oth~rs, rhe end of mans life? are not they then the ben men, that bn ng God molt Glory,and d.o oth~rs moft go~d? who are thefe?~re they not fuch as live a moH chril1ian holy Ltfe and Con v erfat~n ? 0 correCt your judgment you fons of rr.en 1 I fay corre your judgment conceming Godly People, they are the Rofes of your Sharon, the Lillia of your Vallies, the CrorJIH and glory oJ.yortr. Ctty. If you !hould fee a nettle or thiflle run up to a great het gth.mdthe Garden you will not conclude that's the heft plant of the Gar eo. If any fuould fay fo you would prefently fay, what beaut~ do you fee init ?or what is it gocdforl If you feedru nkards ,f weare~s, profane Perfons, run up among!\ you to great heigths of ?•gnuy and wealth, do not think thefe the beft menw .hat beauty IS there in a profane Ferfons life 1 what ufe is the beallly drunkard, of / he pro,ane profane fwearer, the filthy adulterer of? They are the people that walk with God,that are the Rofes o[Sharon,the Lillie> of the v~llies. Secondly, learn hence the Believers duty. I will open it in a few particulars: 1 , There are fome annttal plants, plants of a year, they come up live and die in a year; but neither the Rofe nor Lilly arefuch, they ]aft many years: be you not like annual Plants dying in a !hort time, but like Rofrs and LiVies, lafting many year s, and bringing forth to Gods Glory. 2. Ro[es and Lillies are·ufeful plants; 1. For Ornament. 2, For fmeU. 3. For propagating their Species: Be yon like Lillies for Ornament; fuch as Solomon in all his Glory was not like unto : Labour to be the moll ExceUent in places where you are; AdorningtbeDotJrineofGod, Tit. 2. 10. The Lilly and Rife excel all the plants of the Fidd. 0 1\udy you, you that profefs Cluill to excel your Neighbours ; excel them in 'Iemper~nc<, Sobticty, Cb~flity, Serioufirefi of Spirit. It is a lhame for a Chrillian to be outfhined in any Vertue, by any not planted into the fame Stock with him ; l11ew the World that there is more in Chrill, more in the Grace of God which you have received, more in Gofpel-principles to which you profefs to walk, to make you humble, cartlefi of tl;e World, full of CbJriry, Mee~neji, &c. than there can be in nature, or in any meerly moral Principles. 2 . Let your [mtUg~ · ~broad: The Romans Faith, 1. Ram 8. "'"' JPok,.en of throHgbout the World. 0 let your holy walking be fpoken ot through all the City where you live ! It is a lamentable thing that Chril1ians lhould live,that the worfi of men lho'uld not fmell a greater fweetnefs in their lives, than in the lives of thofe that never tafted horr: good the Lord u:O'let your Lightfhine before rm•,&c. 3• Be LiUm andRoflr for propagatiot< ofyourSpecier. It is a grea~part of our bufinefs in the World; let's not be idle in it. Endeavour to commend Chrill to others, to bring your Children, your Servants, your Neighbours to love Chrill; and make hatle in this, for you are but Rofer, and will like them have a fading time. Lallly, let this confideration, That you are Rofes in Sbaro11., Lillies in th1 ]!'allies, learn you patience under all thefrifferinguf thu life. There's no fence for the Rofe of the Field againll the cold frolls and blal1s; no fence for the Lilly of the VaUreragaiall the violence of the herds that fed there. It is enough for you that Chrifi ft:eds ~m~11gft hif_ LiUin, Cant. 6, 3• And that the C time |