A Treasury of Similes, Part C · Part 36 – Part 42
Christ receiued by faith.
1 A As the naturall body receiueth life from the head, and is dead without it: and as the braunch, though it be neuer ſo neare the Vine-ſtock, yet if it abide not in it, and growe not in it, hath no life there from, and therefore withereth: and if it abide in it, then it liketh and fructifieth. And as the hungrie and thirſtie man hath not the benefite of meate and drinke to liue by, by comming where it is, ſeeing it, and knowing it, but by eating and drinking thereof, and digeſting it, ſo that by force of nature, there growe an vnion betwixt him and his meate: Euen ſo it is as neceſſarie that the faithfull bee vnited to their head Chriſt ſpiritually, engrafted into him and grow in him by faith, and that eueryevery one that would be ſaued, eate him and drinke him, and that ſo effectually, as that hee may be their ſpirituall foode. For if it be thus, they ſhall liue for euer by him; otherwiſe, they remaine in death, wither, and muſt periſh. Neither is it ſufficient that wee heare or reade of him and his merites and paſſion, but they muſt bee receiued by faith. Col. 1.18. Ephe. 1.22.23. Iohn. 6.53, 54, 55.
2 As meat & drink being ſet before vsus, is taken in by eating thereof to our temporall nouriſhment: Euen ſo Chriſt is as ſurely apprehended of vsus by faith to our ſpiritual maintenance in the word preached, and Sacraments miniſtred, which are the diſhes wherin one and the ſelfeſame Chriſt is offered vntounto vsus.
3 As the Soule naturally ioyned to the body, bringeth forth her effects: So Chriſt dwelling in vsus by faith and the holy Ghoſt, after a ſpirituall manner, and by a ſpirituall vertue, doth ſhewe his power in vsus, to inable vsus to reſiſt ſinne, and to bridle the corrupt deſires of the fleſh. 1. Pet. 4.1.
4 As there can bee no eating without taking or receiuing of meate: So no beleeuing in Chriſt, without a ſpirituall receiuing and apprehending of him.
How the two Tables of the 10. Commaundements be alike.
AS one man may be like an other in nature and qualitie, although the one exceede the other in greatneſſe, degree, and dignitie, &c. Euen ſo the ſecond Table of the 10. Commaundements, is like in qualitie and condition, vntounto the firſt; yet they are not equall; for the firſt is in degree of more dignitie and excellencie, then the ſecond. Math. 22.39.
Confeſsion of our euill deeds to God.
1 LIke as Beggers if they hauehave any good thing, doo conceale and hide it, and doo onelyonly ſhewe their ragges, and their ſoares, wherby they may moue and ſtirre the compaſſion of the beholders to pittie them: Euen ſo it behoueth vsus, not to boaſt our good deedes before God (as the Phariſie did) but to profeſſe and confeſſe our euill deedes, if wee will prouoke the Lord his merciemercy towards vsus, as the Publican did. Luk. 18.9.10.11, &c.
2 As a man that hath money to pay, whileſt hee hath it in his hand, is loath to part with it, but when he hath once paide it, he is glad that it is diſcharged, and would not for any thing it were to pay againe: Euen ſo men, before they hauehave confeſſed their ſinnes, are vnwilling to diſburthen themſelues of them: but when Confeſſion is once made, they hauehave eaſed their hearts, and diſcharged their conſciences, conceiuing ſuch comfort, as they would not for all the world it were to doo againe. Pſal. 91, 1, 2. &c.
3 As they which hauehave in their ſtomacks meate vndigeſted, or ſtore of ill humours, are eaſed if they vomit them vp: So if ſinners and euill dooers doo Confeſſe their ſinnes to God, they ſhal finde eaſe in their ſoules and conſciences.
Proud Perſecutors, which thinke that without Gods leaue, they may deale as they liſt with Christians.
LIke as King Kantus, ſometime King of this Realme, ſtanding by the water ſide aftet a great raine, and marking how the water did riſe, which by leiſure ſo encreaſed, that it wet his feete where he ſtood, and hee beeing ſo proud in heart, thought that whatſoeuer he ſaid, euerie thing would obey; ſtraight commaunded the water that …t ſhould ariſe no further, nor wet his maiſters feete any more: but when he ſawe that the water roſe ſtill, and would not obey him, but ranne into his ſhooes, hee perceiued his fooliſhnes, and confeſſed there was a God and … King aboue him, whom onelyonly the waters would obey: Euen ſo all greedie Churles and couetous Cormorants …hall well perceiue, (when they hauehave wrought themſelues wearie, and gotten little) that all encreaſe comes from the …ord, and not of themſelues. Pſal. 75.6.7. & 127.1, 2. …ro. 10.22. Luk. 5.5.6.
Chriſt a moſt wholeſome medicine and and ſalue to all poore ſinners.
1 AS the brazen Serpent was eleuated and lifted vp in the Deſart by Moſes, for to heale all thoſe that did looke vponupon it: So it was neceſſarie that our Sauiour Ieſus Chriſt (as he himſelfe doth witneſſe) ſhould be hanged vponupon the Croſſe, and lifted vp on high, for to heale all thoſe that be deadly ſtung and wounded by the old Serpent the diuell. Nomb. 21.8. Iohn. 3.14. & 12.31, 32, 33.
2 As the brazen Serpent had the figure, forme, and ſhape of a Serpent, and yet it was no Serpent, no nor yet had any venome or poyſon: So our Sauiour Chriſt did take vponupon him the ſhape of a ſinner, and yet he was no ſinner, but was and is a moſt wholeſome medicine and ſoueraigne ſalue vntounto all poore ſinners, that doo behold and looke vponupon him by faith, and that ſeeke for ſaluation no where elſe, but in the onelyonly merits of his death and paſſion. Heb. 4.15.
3 As there was no Phiſicke, Medicine, or Salue, that could heale thoſe that were ſtung of the firie Serpents, but only the looking vponupon the brazē Serpent that was erected and ſet vp by the commaundement of God: Euen ſo hauehave we no maner of Phiſicke or ſalue againſt ſinne, and euerlaſting death, or any other obiect or marke ſet before the eyes of our faith to behold, for to bring ſoule, health, and ſaluation vntounto vsus, but onelyonly Ieſus Chriſt, being crucified, who is giuen vntounto vsus of God. For it doth not belong vntounto vsus to chuſe the medicine or ſalue, but it pertaineth to God our ſoueraigne Phiſition, who alone is able to heale vsus from this deadly ſickneſſe, who alſo alone knoweth what medicine or ſalue is neceſſarie for vsus.
4 And as it is not in our power to finde the medicine of ſaluation: ſo can we not of our ſelues finde the maner and meanes how to vſe and applie the ſame: For as in the ſickneſſe of the body, the ſicke perſon when hee is paſt all hope of health, and vtterly diſpayred, that it is needfull for the skilfull Phiſition, not onelyonly to finde and prepare the medicine, but alſo diſpoſe the ſicke perſon, ſo as hee will and may vſe this medicine, and that hee may vnderſtand rightly how to vſe and apply it: So the ſickneſſe of the ſoule, which is moſt precious aboue all things, and in the which makinde is not onelyonly ignorant, but alſo enemies of their owne ſaluation, then wee muſt vnderſtand by our Sauiour Chriſt the Phiſition of the ſoule, what is the medicine, and then after what manner it muſt bee vſed; yea and in ſuch wiſe, that the ſame our Phiſition Chriſt Ieſus, doo prepare and make vsus apt and meete, that wee both will and can vſe theſe remedies, which hee hath prepared and appoynted for vsus, or elſe it will be no profit, nor ſtand vsus in any ſtead.
Christ our ſecond husband by faith.
LIke as if a woman bee diſcharged from her firſt Huſband beeing dead, and hath married an other man, the firſt Husband hath no power ouer her: Euen ſo wee now beeing eſpouſed vntounto Chriſt our ſecond Huſband by faith, are freed vtterly from our firſt husband the Law, and (as the Apoſtle ſaith) are no more vnderunder the Law, but vnderunder grace; that is, vnderunder perpetual remiſſion of ſinnes; committed not onelyonly before our Iuſtification, but as well alſo after, and during all our life long.
Chriſt our ſpirituall foode.
AS verily as bread dooth ſerue for the nouriſhing and ſtrēgth of the body, & wine for the cōfort thereof: So and as certainly to the inward mā, in Faith Chriſt is bread to the ſoule, and wine to the mind, & we myſtically made one in him, and he in vsus, feede on him, and he our ſpiritual foode.