Tropes and Figures · Benjamin Keach
Tropes and Figures, Treatise 1 · Head 7 · Part 14
The Church compared to a Mother.
Cant. 8.1. O that thou wert as my Brother, that ſucked the Breaſts of my Mother!
Gal. 4.26. Jeruſalem, which is above, is free, which is the Mother of us all.
BY Mother in theſe Scriptures is meant the Church of God, or as ſome expound it, the Univerſal Church. As God is a Believer's Father, ſo the Church is his Mother.
| Metaphor. | Parallel. |
| A Mother is the Wife of an Huſband; it imports a Marriage-State. Every godly Woman that is a Mother, can ſhew who is (or was) her Husband. | THe Church is the Spouſe and Wife of Chriſt.Iſa. 54.5. For thy Maker is thy Husband, the Lord of Hoſts is his Name. Wherefore, my Brethren, Rom. 7.4. ye alſo are become dead to the Law by the Body of Chriſt, that ye ſhould be married to another, even to him that is raiſed from the Dead, that we ſhould bring forth Fruit unto God. |
| II. A Mother is one that beareth and bringeth forth Children. | II. So the Church beareth and bringeth forth Children to Chriſt:Pſal. 87.5. Of Zion it ſhall be ſaid, This and that Man was born in her. Hence the Saints are called Sons, Daughters, and Children of Zion. |
| III. A Mother travails, and is in great Pain, in bringing forth Children. | III. So the Church is ſaid to travail, and be in pain, in bringing forth of Children to Chriſt:Iſa. 66.8. As ſoon as Zion travailed, ſhe brought forth her Children. The Church may be ſaid to travail two manner of ways: (1.) By Preaching, Prayer, and by other godly Means and Endeavours, to bring forth poor Sinners out of a State of Nature into a State of Grace. Paul was ſaid to travail in Pain, till Chriſt was formed in thoſe to whom he preached. (2.) She travaileth by Preaching, Prayer, Tears, and Sufferings, and other lawful Ways, to bring forth her Children out of a State of Bondage, and external Slavery and Captivity, into a State of perfect Peace, Joy, and Proſperity, free from all outward Violence and Thraldom, according to the Promiſe of God; Therefore will I give them up, Mich. 5.3. until the Time which ſhe that travaileth hath brought forth. — Then the Remnant of his Brethren ſhall return unto the Children of Iſrael. — She being with Child, cried, travailing in Birth, and pained to be delivered. Rev. 12.2. — For I have heard a Voice as of a Woman in Travail and Anguiſh, as of her that bringeth forth her firſt Child. The Voice of the Daughter of Zion, that bewaileth her ſelf, Jer. 4.31. that ſpreadeth forth her hands, ſaying, Wo is me now, for my Soul is weary becauſe of Murtherers. Be in pain, labour to bring forth, O Daughter of Zion,Mich. 4.10 like a Woman in Travail. For now ſhalt thou go forth out of the City, and thou ſhalt dwell in the Field; and thou ſhalt go even to Babylon, there ſhalt thou be delivered, the Lord ſhall redeem thee from the hand of thine Enemies. |
| IV. A Mother, when ſhe hath brought forth her Children, layeth them to her Breaſts, to feed and nouriſh them, and letteth them lie in her very Boſom, taking abundance of Care and Compaſſion of them. | IV. So the Church of God, when ſhe hath in a ſpiritual manner brought forth Children, ſhe giveth them her two precious Breaſts, which are the ſound and ſacred Doctrine of the Old and New Teſtament; thoſe ſhe draweth forth, to give her new-born Babes the ſincere Milk of the Word, that they may grow thereby. 1 Pet. 2.1, 1, 2, 3. |
| Prov. 31.1V. A godly Mother giveth good Counſel and Inſtruction to her Children. It was a great Mercy to Timothy, that he had ſuch a good Woman as Eunice to be his Mother, who took care to give him good Education, and brought him up religiouſly; 'tis ſaid, he knew the holy Scriptures from a Child. | V. So the Church of God giveth good Counſel and Inſtruction to all her Children. Saints are not only fed by the Church, but well taught alſo. Solomon exhorts the Sons of Wiſdom to hear the Inſtruction of their Father, Prov. 1.8. and not to forſake the Law of their Mother. The true Church teacheth nothing for Doctrine, but what ſhe hath received from the Mouth of Chriſt. She doth not, like the Mother of Harlots, teach for Doctrine curſed Fopperies, idle, ridiculous, and ſuperſtitious Ceremonies, which are a Reproach to the Chriſtian Religion, and a great Hindrance both of the Jews and Heathens from owning of it. They are all holy Rites, pious and undeniable Laws, and juſt Rules of Diſcipline, conſonant to the holy Word of God, that ſhe teacheth all her Children. |
| VI. A Mother ought to be obeyed and reverenced in all things by her Children; her juſt Commands muſt be ſubmitted to. 'Tis a great Evil to rebell againſt a Mother. | VI. So the Church of God ought to be obeyed and reverenced in all things. 'Tis an abominable Evil to ſlight or diſobey the Church, our ſpiritual Mother. Her Inſtructions and Admonitions muſt be received with all due care and readineſs; and thoſe who ſtubbornly and obſtinately refuſe to ſubmit, are guilty of great Sin. |
| VII. A wiſe and godly Mother greatly loves, and is tender of all her Children. She taketh care to carry it evenly towards every one of them; not to indulge any one out of a fond and great Paſſion, and ſlight another, becauſe not ſo beautiful and amiable to look upon. | VII. So the Church of God taketh care to carry it tenderly, and with much Wiſdom, to all her Children. She acts not partially towards them, to countenance one more than another; the weak and pooreſt Saint is as dear to our ſpiritual Mother, as the ſtrongeſt and richeſt of them. |
| VIII. A tender Mother hath much Compaſſion and Bowels towards her weak, ſick, and helpleſs Children; her Heart akes many times for ſuch. | VIII. So God's Church is filled with Bowels of Pity and Compaſſion towards her weak and diſtempered Members. How is ſhe troubled for ſuch as are under Temptations, or fallen into any ſpiritual Diſtemper of the Soul! The Churches Bowels ſhould exceed the Bowels of a natural Mother to her ſick Children upon this account. |
| IX. A gracious and godly Mother loveth thoſe Children beſt, that are moſt dutiful, and who dearly love, and are moſt like their Father. | IX. So the Church of God loveth thoſe Children or Saints beſt, that are moſt diligent, dutiful, and obedient to Chriſt, and to all the good and wholeſom Laws of the Family; who love, and are moſt like God, in Mercy,Mat. 5.45. Heavenly-mindedneſs, in good Works, and Acts of Pity and Charity to the Poor; theſe ſhe eſteems and prizes highly. |
| X. A Mother is allowed by the Father to chaſtize or correct thoſe Children, that grow heady and proud, or any ways misbehave themſelves, to the diſhonour of the Father, and reproach of the Family. | X. So the Church is allowed, nay, required by Chriſt, to correct by gentle Reproof, thoſe Children or Members that do tranſgreſs the Law of God; and if they grow heady, proud, and ſtubborn, ſhe reproves them ſharply; but if that will not reclaim them, but that they ſtill proceed in a rebellious Mind, and misbehave themſelves, ſhe proceeds further, and taketh the Rod of Church-Diſcipline, and withdraws her ſelf from them, and denieth them to come to the Table with the reſt of her Children: Nay, if they fall into any ſcandalous Evil, to the Reproach of Chriſt, his Truth, and the Houſhold of Faith, ſhe chaſtizeth them with the Rod of Excommunication, and putteth them quite out of the Family. Deliver ſuch an one unto Satan, 1 Cor. 5.5. for the Deſtruction of the Fleſh, that the Spirit may be ſaved in the Day of the Lord Jeſus. |
| XI. A Mother is ſometimes allowed, in the abſence of the Father, to be chief Governeſs in the Family; and to chuſe, according to the direction of the Father, a Steward over her Houſe, and other inferior Officers; and as they behave themſelves, ſhe ought to encourage them, and continue them, or otherwiſe turn them out of their Offices. | XI. So the Church of Chriſt in his abſence is appointed to govern all the Affairs of his Houſe, and according to thoſe holy Laws and Directions left by him, ought to chuſe a Steward, viz. a Biſhop, Miniſter, or Paſtor, to take the Charge of the great Affairs of the Family, and other inferior Officers, as Deacons, &c. to take care of the Poor: And as the Paſtor or Deacons behave themſelves, ſhe ought to encourage him or them, and continue them in their Places; but if they fall into Sin, or neglect their Work, and are unfaithful in their Places, ſhe hath power to correct, and turn them out: always provided, ſhe acts according to Rule: Against an Elder receive not an Accuſation, 1 Tim. 5.1 under two or three Witneſſes. |
| XII. A Mother, tho her Children prove never ſo vile and ungodly, hath no power to kill them: if ſhe doth, tho they are her own Children, ſhe is deemed by the Law as a Murtherer, and as ſuch muſt die. | XII. So the Church of God, tho ſome of her Members prove very vile, and will not be under her Government; or turn Hereticks, ſucking in damnable Errors: yet the moſt ſhe can do, is, to paſs the Cenſure of Excommunication againſt them: An Heretick, Tit. 3.9, 10 after the firſt and ſecond Admonition, reject, &c. And therefore the Mother of Harlots, for putting to Death ſuch as ſhe calls Hereticks, is deemed, by the Law of God and Nations, a Murtherer, and, as ſuch, muſt and ſhall in God's due time die. Her Plagues ſhall come upon her in one day, Death, Rev. 18.8. Mourning, and Famine, and ſhe ſhall be utterly burnt with Fire; for ſtrong is the Lord God that judgeth her. |
| XIII. It is a great and high Honour to a Mother, that her Children and Family are well governed, having their Food in due Order; and that her Children and Servants are all at her Beck, and dearly love one another; and when none of them are miſſing at Dinner, or Duty-time. | XIII. So 'tis the Honour of the Church of Chriſt, when all her Children humbly and faithfullly ſubmit themſelves to good Order and Diſcipline, when all of them carefully attend their reſpective Duties, and do not abſent themſelves, when ſhe calleth them together at Times of publick Worſhip, or upon any other occaſion, as to rectify Diſorders, or chuſe Officers, &c. O how lovely and amiable is it,Pſal. 133.1, 2. and how doth it tend to the Glory of the Church, to ſee Saints live together in Love and Unity, always making Conſcience of thoſe Laws, that reſpect the well ordering, and religious Government of the Family or Houſhold of God! |
| XIV. Some Mothers have Daughters who have Children. | XIV. So the Univerſal Church hath many Daughters, many particular Churches, which are very fruitful to Chriſt. |
There are many Diſparities, wherein the Church excelleth other Mothers, which I leave to the ingenious Reader to find out.
Inferences.
THis ſhould teach Believers to reverence and obey the Church of God, as dutiful Children do their godly Mother, in all things.
2. And take care they do not grieve her.
3. To have relenting Bowels towards her in all her Troubles. Shall our Mother be in Diſtreſs, and ready to be devoured by hungry Lions? and ſhall not her Children be in bitterneſs of Soul for her? When Sion is afflicted, we ſhould be afflicted; when her Eyes are wet, ſhall ours be dry? when ſhe is ſad, ſhould not we be ſad too?
4. How doth this greatly reprove them, who inſtead of comforting of her in her Widowhood State, add to her Sorrow?