The Happiness of the Church, Biblical commentary 1 · Part 2
The Citie.
The Church may be compared to a Citie for three resemblances; of Safety, Vnitie, Paucity.
1. For safety: Cities hauehave euer bene held the securest places. So Lot said of little Zoar; lGene. 19. 20.Let me escape thither, & my soul shall liue. Cain fearing the execution of his curse, built him a mGen. 4. 17.Citie for refuge, and called it Enoch. The motiue that caused those wicked to build a City, was security, nGene. 11. 4.lest we be scattered abroad vponupon the face of the whole earth. The Israelites had their Cities of refuge, and a Law of their protection. Num. 35. 27. But there is no Citie of sure refuge, but this Citie of the liuing God. It is ordinary with men, to put too much trust, like Israel, in their walled Cities. oPsal. 127. 1.Except the Lord keep the Citie, the watchman waketh but in vaine. pIere. 22. 15.Shalt thou raigne because thou closest thy selfe in Cedar? Thou thinkest thy selfe secure, because an inhabitant of this famous London. No, thou liuest in an Iland, therefore in danger of the Sea: in a Christian Iland, therefore in danger of the Turke: in a Protestant Iland, therefore in danger of the Pope: in a chiefe City of this Iland, therefore in danger of the diuell. The Citie is perilous for pride: the more spectators, the more acclamations: the larger the Theater, the lowder the applause. The solemne assembly in Cesaria, puffed vp ambitious Herod to his owne destruction. The people showted qActs 12. 23Vox Dei, but the wormes confuted their flattery, & his folly. Simon Magus ventured that flight in a Citie, to which in an obscure Village he had neither been tempted, nor would hauehave attempted. And whether quicke commings in of money, make not this Citie vnsafe to many soules, miserable experience hath euinced. Praeceps locum, princeps damnum: suddaine profit is capitall losse. But suppose men care not so much for the safety of their soules, are their bodies secure? Thieues, homicides, fires deny it. But if they scape all these fires, yet not the last fire. Your buckets may quench other fires, not this: no milke nor vineger can extinguish that wild fire. As in the dayes of Noah, a Doue could not set downe her foote for water, so nor at this day for fire. Let this meditation like a fortunate storme driue you to harbour: the weakenesse of all Cities in the world to the safety of the Citie of God.
2. For vnitie; Familiarity hath the name, Quasi eiusdem familiae, as it were of the same familie. Concord and agreement is taught by the Corporation of one Citie. rPsal. 122. 3.Ierusalem is built as a Citie well compacted together. Here is no need of Lawyers, all are at peace. Not a tell-tale, not an Incendiary in it. Inferiour Cities hauehave good orders for vnitie, but all will not embrace the vnity of order. Saepe inter ciues turbauerit amnia diues. It must be as the rich will hauehave it, or there is no rule. These Citizens are not Urbani, but Turbani. It was Dauids care to sPsal. 101. 8.cut off such vvicked doers from the Citie of GOD. Here they tMat. 10. 23.persecute vsus from Citie to Citie, going ouer the Cities of Israel: not leaue vsus till wee are driuen to this Citie, then shall wee rest in peace: eueryevery one louing another, and the Lord Iesus louing vsus all.
3. For Paucitie: indeed a Citie is great compared with a Village, but what is it in respect of the earth? uLuk. 13. 23.Are there fewe that shall be saued? No, there are many: xRom. 8. 29.Christ is the first borne among many brethren. yRom. 7. 9.Loe, a great multitude which no man could number, of all Nations, and languages, stoode before the Throne. Are there many that shal be saued? No, few: aMat 10. 16.Many are called, but few are chosen. Christs is a bLuke 12. 32little flocke. The best courses hauehave the fewest followers: Numerus paucior, numerus melior. Gods reseruation is cEsay 1. 9.a very small remnant: a very Tenth. dEsay 6. 13.In it shall be a Tenth, many leaues, the sappe is but a Tythe. eEsay 17. 6.As the shaking of an Oliue tree, two or three berries in the top of the vppermost bough; foure or fiue in the outmost fruitfull branches. They are compared to the fEsay 24. 13.Gleaning of the Grapes after the Vintage. It was the Churches complaint; gMich. 7. 1.Woe is mee, for I am as the gleanings. This was Gods collection, hIere. 3. 14.I will take you one of a Citie, and two of a familie. God is a Shepheard that saues some from the Lyon; iAmos 3. 12taking out of his mouth two legges, or the peece of an eare: rescues a few from that vniuersall Apostasie. Of the 600. thousand that came out of Egypt, but two entred into Canaan, Caleb and Ioshua. Euen the best is but Titio ereptus ab igne, a brand snatched out of the fire. kGene. 6. 12.All flesh had corrupted their way, onelyonly Noah escaped. Not one righteous in Sodome, but Lot. Foure hundred and fifty Prophets for Baal, but one for the Lord: foure hundred flatterers for Ahab, one Michaiah for the truth. lEsay 8. 18.Behold, I and the children whom the Lord hath giuen me, are for signes and for wonders in Israel. So few and rare, that they are gazed on for Monsters. When they sate in councell against Christ, none spake for him but mIoh. 7. 51.Nicodemus. Paul answering before Nero, n2 Tim. 4. 16no man stood with him, but all men for sooke him. But to the Idol all consent, Exod. 32. From young to old giuen to Sodomie, Gen. 19. Pilate asking what shall be done with Iesus, All cry, Crucifie him. There was a generall shoute for Diana two houres together, oAct. 19. 34.Great is Diana of the Ephesians. pReu. 13. 16.All, both small and great, rich & poore, free & bond, receiued the marke of the Beast in their foreheads. q1. Kin. 20. 27.The children of Israel are like to little flocks of Kids; but the wicked like the Syrians fill the Country. But those few Innocents speed best. rRom. 9. 27.Though the number of Israel be as the sand, a remnant shall be saued. Among vsus many rob the Church, few adde to the dition of it: there are many Vsurers, few restorers. Lord, sReue. 3. 1.thou hast but a few names in Sardi.
That of Esdras concerning Israel, is true of this mysticall Citie. t2. Esdr. 5. 23.Of all the trees thou hast chosen thee onelyonly one Vine: of all the Lands of the whole world, thou hast chosen thee one pit: of all the flowers, one Lilly: of all the depths of the Sea, thou hast filled thee one Riuer: of all builded Cities, thou hast hallowed Sion vntounto thy selfe. Of all the fowles created, thou hast named thee one Doue: of all the cattell, thou hast prouided thee one sheep: Among all the multitudes of peoples, thou hast gotten thee one people. If wee should diuide the world into thirty parts, scarce fiue of them are Christian. Of those fiue, the Pope challengeth (at the least) halfe. Hee sayes, I hauehave one Church in Italie, one in Germanie, one in Spaine, one in France, one in England. One in England? Now the Lord one day conuince him, and grant vsus he may hauehave none in England. Now it is a quarrell betwixt vsus and Antichrist whether they or we belong to this Citie, we cannot agree about it. One day it will be a quarrell betwixt Antichrist and the Deuill, and they shall agree about it. Now subdiuide all these fiue parts of the world, whether theirs or ours, and scarce one is truely sincere. Hypocrisie hath one part, Heresie another part, Profanenesse a third part, Luke-warmenesse a fourth, God hath least that owes all. O the small number sealed vp by the Spirit of the liuing God! Let this teach eueryevery one to suspect himselfe: when Christ said, One of you shall betray mee, they presently all cry, Master, is it I? when he was asked, whether onelyonly few should be saued, hee tells them of neyther many nor few, but charged them to looke to themselues, that they might be of the number; uLuk. 13. 14.Striue to enter in at the streight gate. x2. Esd. 7. 6.There is a City built in a broad field, full of all good things, but the entrance thereof is narrow, besides the dangerous passage betweene a violent fire, and a deepe water. Study, striue, pray, that thou maist passe through the narrow way, by the sweet-guiding hand of Christ.