Tropes and Figures · Benjamin Keach
Tropes and Figures, Treatise 1 · Head 7 · Part 20
The Church compared to a Houſe.
1 Tim. 3.15. But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thy ſelf in the Houſe of God, which is the Church of the Living God, &c.
Heb. 3.6. But Christ over his own Houſe, whoſe Houſe are we, &c.
THe Church of Chriſt is compared to an Houſe; the great God, whoſe Throne is above, hath alſo a Dwelling-place here below.
| Metaphor. | Parallel. |
| See Vartue's Parallels, p. 400.A Houſe is a Habitation, a Place built for ſome Man or Men to dwell in. | THe Church is the Habitation of the Holy-Ghoſt: I will dwell in them, 1 Cor. 6. Joh. 14.17 and walk in them, &c. For he dwelleth with you, and ſhall be in you. 2 Tim. 1.54. That good thing which was committed to thee, keep, by the Holy-Ghoſt which dwelleth in us. Know ye not that ye are the Temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you. |
| II. A Houſe is built by a wiſe Builder, upon a ſure and firm Foundation; ſome are built upon Rocks. | II.1 Cor. 3.16. & 3.11. The Church is built upon a ſure Foundation, viz. Jeſus Chriſt. Another Foundation can no man lay, &c. Ʋpon this Rock will I build my Church. |
| III. A Houſe is builded with, or doth conſiſt of divers Materials, as Timber, Stone, Brick, &c. which are well hewed and ſquared before. | III. So the Church doth conſiſt of ſeveral Members, who are called or compared to Stones: Ye alſo, as lively Stones, 1 Pet. 2.5. are built up a ſpiritual Houſe, an holy Prieſthood. And theſe Stones are alſo well hewed and ſquared, by the Word and Spirit of God. |
| IV. A Houſe hath ſome main and principal Parts appertaining or belonging to it, as Pillars, Beams, Rafters, &c. | IV. So the Church or Houſe of God hath ſome famous Pillars, Beams, and Rafters, as the Holy-Ghoſt calleth them: The Beams of our Houſe are Cedars, Cant. 1.17 and our Rafters of Fir. The Righteous are compared to Cedars in Lebanon; thoſe Trees are tall and durable. Cedar was uſed in building of Solomon's Temple, a Type or Figure of the Church; which denotes the Strength, Uſefulneſs, Beauty, and Excellency of the Saints, (or ſome among them) who are called Pillars, Gal. 2. And when James, Cephas, and John, who ſeemed to be Pillars, &c. And Chriſt ſaith,Rev. 3.12. Him that overcometh will I make a Pillar in the Temple of my God. |
| V. In a Houſe, Pillars, Beams, and Rafters are of great (tho of different) uſe; all are to ſupport, ſtrengthen, perfect, and compleat the Building: the leaſt Material is needful, and cannot be wanting. | V. So in the Houſe of God,Eph. 4.7, to 12. the Prophets, Apoſtles, Paſtors, Teachers, Deacons, &c. are of great Uſe, tho of different Offices; and all for the ſupport of every part of the ſpiritual Building; and the leaſt Member cannot be ſpared. Some are ſtrong, and ſome are weak; ſome have five Talents, and ſome but two;Mat. 25. yet one ought not to deſpiſe the other. As in a material Houſe, Beams and Rafters, tho divers in Strength and Uſe, yet all have a firm Connexion amongſt themſelves, to make up one compleat Structure; even ſo in Chriſt's Church, tho there be divers Members, ſeverally gifted and placed, as we ſee in the Body natural, yet (as the Apoſtle there ſhews, verſe 25.) there ſhould be no Schiſm in the Body, 1 Cor. 12.24. but ſuch a Conjunction of one another, as they have of themſelves a holy Sympathy in Supportation, Suffering, and Rejoycing. |
| VI. The Houſe of a Prince, when built, is furniſhed, and moſt richly adorned, that it may become a meet Habitation, according to the Degree, Glory, and Grandure of him who is to dwell therein. | VI. So the Church and Temple of God, being built for the glorious Prince of Heaven and Earth, is moſt richly and curiouſly adorned with the precious Gifts and Graces of the Holy-Ghoſt: For as the Materials of this Houſe are Silver, Gold, and precious Stones; ſo its Ornaments or Furniture doth infinitely excell, it being the King's Palace: The King's Daughter is all glorious within. Pſal. 45.13 |
| VII. A Houſe is a Place of Security; it defends from many Dangers, which thoſe are expoſed unto, that are harbourleſs, and forced to lie without Doors; beſides, ſome Houſes have Walls about them. | VII. So the Church is a Place of Security, God having made ſuch a bleſſed Wall about her: And the Lord will create upon every Dwelling-Place in Mount Zion, and upon her Aſſemblies, a Cloud and Smoke by Day, and the ſhining of a flaming Fire by Night; for upon all her Glory ſhall be a Defence. I will (ſaith God) encamp about mine Houſe, becauſe of the Army, becauſe of him that paſſeth by, &c. He hath promiſed to be a Wall of Fire round about her. Zech. 2.5. |
| VIII. A Houſe is a Place of Repoſe, a Reſting-place; it is hence greatly deſired, by every one that belongs to the Family that dwells therein. | VIII. The Church of God is a ſweet Place of ſpiritual Repoſe. Sion is called a peaceable Habitation,Iſa. 32.18, 19. and ſure Dwellings, and a quiet Reſting-place. |
| IX. A Houſe hath a Way that leads to it, and a Door that openeth into it, that ſo thoſe who are Strangers, may be readily directed how to find it. | IX. So the Church or Houſe of God hath a Way that readily leads to it. In a ſtrict Sence, Chriſt is both the Way and the Door. If any enquire more directly, how they may find the Way into the Church, if they take the Counſel of the Holy-Ghoſt, they cannot miſs. Thus ſaith the Lord, Stand in the Ways, and ſee, and ask for the old Paths, Jer. 6.16. where is the good Way, and walk therein, &c. This good old Way is the Way of Repentance, Faith, and Baptiſm; the Saints of the Primitive Time walked all in this Way, and knew no other Door into the Church: And they that gladly received the Word, were baptized; Acts 2.41.42. and the ſame day there was added to them about three thouſand Souls. |
| X. A Houſe is a Place of Devotion; there a Man reads, prays, meditates, and inſtructs his Family. | X. So the Church of God is the principal Place of Publick Devotion; there Prayers are made, the Word is preached, and the Sacraments are duely adminiſtred. |
| XI. A Houſe is ſubject to go to decay, and therefore needs often to be repaired. By the Slothfulneſs of the Hands the Houſe droppeth through. | XI. So the Church of God will ſoon decay, if it be not often repaired by a wiſe and careful Diſcipline. |
| Metaphor. | Diſparity. |
| AN earthly Houſe in which Men dwell, is the Work of Mens Hands. | BUt the Church, or Houſe of God, is called God's Building; the choice preparing of the Matter, and the framing and jointing every part, (as to the Manner) is of God. |
| II. A Houſe is built with ſuch Materials as are without Life. | II. But this ſpiritual Houſe conſiſts of Believers, who (tho they were once without Life, yet now) are quickned, who are therefore called living Stones, 1 Pet. 2 3. built up a ſpiritual Houſe. |
| III. Some Houſes are left deſolate, without Inhabitants, and ſo go to decay, and at length fall. | III. But it is impoſſible that ever the Houſe of God ſhould be without Inhabitants: For the Lord hath choſen Zion,Pſal. 13 2. 13, 14. he hath deſired it for his Habitation. This is my Reſt for ever, here will I dwell, for I have deſired it. And as for ſanctified Ones, they are not only Dwellers in it, but the very Materials of it; ſo that it can never be without them. It being alſo founded upon a Rock, cannot fall:Mat. 16 1… The Gates of Hell ſhall not prevail againſt it. |
| IV. Other Houſes are liable to be deſtroyed, either by Fire, or razed by an Enemy, ſo that one Stone may not be left upon another. | IV. But the Houſe of God hath ſtood ever ſince it was erected, notwithſtanding the many Plots and Deſigns of Satan, and his Inſtruments, by one means or other, if poſſible, to have deſtroyed it, ſo as that there might not have appeared ſo much as the Duſt or Stones; no, nor ſo much as any Sign left in any Part, or among any People in the World, whether there had been ſuch a Building or no. But bleſſed for ever be Jehovah, that it may yet be ſaid, Walk about Zion,Pſal. 48.12, 13, 14. and go round about her, tell the Towers thereof, mark well her Bulwarks, conſider her Palaces; that ye may tell it to the Generation following: For this God is our God for ever and ever; He will be our Guide even unto Death. |
Inferences.
THis calleth aloud upon all the Members of God's Houſe, to ſtrive more and more, not only to be a meet Habitation for God, but to beautify and adorn this Houſe by their holy and heavenly Converſations. Holineſs becometh thy Houſe, O Lord, for ever.
2. Let all take heed how they defile or deface this Houſe, either by plucking out a Stone or a Pin, or touching a Hair of the Head of any that are of this Building.
3. Let all God's People examine what their Zeal is for God's Houſe, or whether they do truly prize the very Duſt and Stones thereof.