Tropes and Figures · Benjamin Keach
Tropes and Figures, Treatise 1 · Head 7 · Part 16
The Church compared to a Lilly.
Cant. 2.2. As the Lilly among the Thorns, ſo is my Love among the Daughters.
CHriſt calleth his Church his Love, and compareth her to a Lilly among Thorns. By Daughters are meant (as ſome conceive) other Churches, who pretend themſelves to be the Spouſe of Chriſt. Daughters (ſaith the Learned Wendelin) are either Nations, Strangers to the Church of Chriſt, which nevertheleſs are joined to us by the common Ligaments of Humanity, and deſcend from the ſame Creator, and therefore called Daughters; or elſe ſuch as profeſs their Names among the Citizens of Zion, the Church of Chriſt. But as the Church is compared to a Lilly; ſo, with the greateſt Elegancy, the Daughters are compared to Thorns.
| Simile. | Parallel. |
| A Lilly is a very ſweet Flower, ſo fragrant, that Naturaliſts tell us, a Man's Senſes will be eaſily turned with the Strength thereof. | SO there is nothing ſweeter to Chriſt, than the Church, the Spouſe:Ca…t. 4.7, 10, 14. Thou art all fair, my Love, there is no Spot in thee. The Smell of thy Ointment is better than all Spices, Spikenard, and Saffron, Calamus, and Cinamon, with all Trees of Frankincenſe, Myrrh and Aloes, with the chief Spices. The Church, and faithful Children of God, are unto Chriſt a ſweet Savour. And 'tis ſaid, Noah built an Altar to the Lord, and took of every clean Fowl, Gen. 8.40, 41. and offered Burnt-Offerings on the Altar; and the Lord ſmelled a ſweet Savour. |
| II. A Lilly is an exceeding white Flower; nothing more pure, nothing whiter, ſaith the ſame Author, than a Lilly. | II. So nothing is more fair and white, or purer in Chriſt's Sight than the Church. My Ʋndefiled is but one, ſhe is the only one of her Mother, ſhe is the choice one of her that bare her. Thou art all fair, my Love, and there is no Spot in thee. Hence ſaid to be cloathed in fine Linnen, clean and white. Chriſt, her bleſſed Bridegroom, gave himſelf for her,Eph. 5.25, 26, 27. that he might ſanctify and cleanſe her, with the waſhing of Water, by the Word; that he might preſent her to himſelf a glorious Church, not having Spot, or Wrinkle, or any ſuch thing; but that ſhe ſhould be holy, and without Blemiſh. |
| III. The Lilly is a very fruitful Flower; Plin. lib. 21. cap. 5. one Root (ſaith Pliny) often yielding fifty Pods. The Dew of Heaven, the Heat of the Sun, and Fatneſs of the Soil, make it fruitful. | III. The Church is fruitful; nothing more fruitful, ſaith Wendelin: The which being planted in the Field of one Jeruſalem, in the Days of old, watered by the Apoſtolick Men, with the Dew of the Word, and Miracles; the Sun of Righteouſneſs ſhining upon it,Mal. 4.2. and infuſing of his Divine Heat into it. In what part of the World,See Vine. (in the ſpace of a few Years) hath it not taken Root? In the former Age, after the Roman Winters of the Alpine Snow had for ſome Ages depreſſed this Flower, and reduced its Leaves to admirable Paucity, inſomuch that they were ſcarcely viſible to the World, and had circumſcribed its Roots into a narrow Space, how great and ſwift were the Increaſings of it, the Heavens, which before ſeemed ſhut, again bedewing of it! Then that Word (ſaith he) we ſaw fulfilled, which was promiſed in Times paſt to Iſrael: Hoſ. 14 4, 5. I will be as the Dew unto Iſrael, and he ſhall grow as the Lilly, and caſt forth his Roots as Lebanon. His Branches ſhall ſpread, and his Beauty ſhall be as the Olive-Tree, and his Smell as Lebanon. Germany, England, France, Italy, Spain, Poland, Hungary, Denmark, Sweden, hath, (and what Country of Europe hath not?) within a few Years, ſeen the Roots and Branches thereof ſpread, and ſmelt its Odor. The Popiſh Waves, Flames and Axes, could neither ſuffocate, burn, nor cut up the Flower, Leaves, nor Roots of this Lilly. The Shadow of the Higheſt hath reſtrained the Flames; his Spirit bound up or conſtrained the Waves; his Right-hand with-held the Axes, that grinning and grinding Dragon, that the Beaſt and falſe Prophet could do nothing, &c. |
| IV. The Lilly is a very tall Flower; few Flowers (as Pliny obſerves) are higher than the Lilly. | IV. So the Church and People of God are the talleſt or higheſt People in the World, they dwell on high. Iſa. 33. Chriſt's Spouſe is ſecure in that moſt high and Heaven-threatning Rock, Mat. 16.18. not to be overthrown by any of the Enemies battering Rams, nor to be reached by any Power of the Dragon. This is that choſen Generation, 2 Pet. 2 9. royal Prieſthood, holy Nation, peculiar People, who are ſaid to dwell on high: And tho they now ſeem to creep low upon the Ground, and wander as it were in Darkneſs; yet dwelling in God, they reſt ſecure, &c. Mich. 4.1, 2. and ſhall in due Time be exalted above the Hills, and the higheſt Mountains of the Earth. |
| V. The Lilly is a Flower moſt gloriouſly adorned, and lovely to look upon; ſo that our Saviour ſaith, Solomon in all his Glory was not adorned like one of theſe. It is furniſhed with beauteous Accompliſhments; its Form is excellent, with ſix Leaves curiouſly ſet, and within are ſeven Grains, and all within of the Colour of Gold, hanging down their Head; much of the Glory of the Lilly is inward. | V. The Church and Spouſe of Chriſt is very glorious; her Clothes are ſaid to be wrought Gold:Pſal. 45. She ſhall be brought to the King in Raiment of Needle-Work: Hence ſaid to be as fair as the Moon, as clear as the Sun. The Church, with every ſincere Soul, is gloriouſly adorned, furniſhed with beauteous Accompliſhments: (1.) With the imputed Righteouſneſs of Chriſt, a tranſparent and ſparkling Ornament. (2.) The Gifts of the Holy Spirit, which may anſwer to the Leaves of the Lilly. (3.) The Graces of the Spirit, which may anſwer to the Grains within the Lilly,2 Pet 1.5.6, 7, 8. which (as St. Peter layeth them down) are ſeven. Yet notwithſtanding all this Glory, with which Chriſt's Spouſe is adorned and beautified, ſhe is not proud; but, as taught by the ſeven Grains of the Lilly, or Graces of the Spirit, doth humbly hang down her Head.Pſal. 45. Her chiefeſt Beauty is internal: The King's Daughter is all glorious within. |
| VI. The Lilly is a Plant that (as Naturaliſts tell us) doth ſhoot up ſuddenly, nay, and that it doth grow very much in the Night. | VI. So God's Church, when his Bleſſing is upon it, thrives marvellouſly in a ſhort time. To make this appear, conſider in the Primitive Time, when the Dew of Grace fell upon the Chriſtian World, what abundance of Lillies ſprung up ſuddenly? Three thouſand converted by St. Peter at one Sermon.Acts 2.40. |
| VII. The Lilly is among Thorns; Thorns are things of little Worth, low and baſe things, in compariſon of Lillies. | VII. The Church of God grows in the Field of this World, amongſt baſe and vile Sinners,Iſa 27.4. who are compared to Thorns and Briars. |
| VIII. The Lilly growing among Thorns, is hurt thereby. That being a tender Flower, the Thorns coming up with it, which are of a rough and pricking Nature, the Lilly receives much Injury, not only in its Growth, but alſo they tend to ſpoil its Beauty. | VIII. The Church, like the Lilly, growing amongſt the ungodly and perſecuting World, are greatly wronged thereby. The Inhabitants of Canaan, Num. 3.53 that Iſrael drove not out, were ſaid to be Pricks in their Eyes, and Thorns in their Sides, by which they were ſorely perplexed and vexed. There is a Time coming, when the Lilly, the Church of God, ſhall be injured by theſe curſed Thorns no more: There ſhall be no more a pricking Bryar to the Houſe of Iſrael, nor any grieving Thorn. Ezek. 28.24. Moreover, the Church ſhould be as Lillies among Thorns for Beauty and Purity; they ought to out-do and excell the Ungodly, as far as the Lilly doth the Thorn: As beautiful as a Lilly among Thorns, (ſaith Mr. Ainſworth) as innocent as Doves among ravenous Birds. |
| Simile. | Diſparity. |
| A Lilly is a natural Plant, and Flower of the Field. | THe Church is a heavenly or ſupernatural Flower, a Plant of God's right-hand planting. |
| II. There is no care taken of the Lilly that groweth among Thorns; any are ſuffered to pluck them up. | II. God takes great care of his People, He has made a Fence about them, nay, He himſelf is as a Wall of Fire on every ſide, and doth keep his Church,Zech. 2.5. and water it every moment:Iſa. 27.3. Mat. 10 30 He keepeth it night and day, leſt any ſhould hurt it. Not one Hair of your Heads ſhall periſh. |
| III. A Lilly is a Flower that ſoon fades and withers away,Mat. 6.30. and is at laſt caſt into the Oven. | III. The Churches Beauty and Glory is encreaſing:Prov. 4.18. The Path of the Juſt is as the ſhining Light, which ſhineth more and more unto the perfect Day. Her Glory ſhall never fade, but ſhe ſhall be made an eternal Excellency. |
Inferences.
THis may teach all true Chriſtians to admire and exalt the free Grace of God, in making ſo great a Difference between them, and the Wicked amongſt whom they live.
2. It ſhews alſo what care he taketh of them, in preſerving them whilſt they grow among Thorns, who do not only prick them by Perſecution, but would utterly root them up.
3. They are hereby called upon, not to reſt ſatisfied with the Name of Chriſtians only, but to be earneſt with the Lord, that whilſt the Wicked do daily manifeſt themſelves to be as Thorns, they may be as Lillies, holy and heavenly-born Souls, growing up more and more in Grace and Holineſs.