Tropes and Figures, Treatise 1 · Head 7 · Part 8
The Church compared to a Dove.
Cant. 2.14. O my Dove, that art in the Clifts of the Rock, &c.
Pſal. 74.19. O deliver not the Soul of thy Turtle-Dove unto the Multitude, &c.
THat is, thy Church and People, who worſhip none but Thee, as the Turtle-Dove, that never entertains Conjunction with another; and who in their Affliction, like a Dove, expreſs their Grief in Sighs and ſolitary Groans to thee; and which is unarmed, weak, ſimple, and meek, like the Turtle-Dove, which is eſteemed the leaſt among the Species of Doves, as Ariſtotle ſays. The Chaldee renders it, The Soul of ſuch as learn thy Law, (that Word foreign a Turtle-Dove, being of ſome affinity with foreign Law.) Chriſt calls his Church a Dove, by which Metaphor, ſaith Glaſſius, its Simplicity, Chaſtity, &c. is denoted.
Doct. That the Spouſe of Chriſt, or a gracious Soul, is or may fitly be compared unto a Dove.
| Metaphor. | Parallel. |
| A Dove is a meek and harmleſs Creature: Be ye innocent as Doves. | THe Saints of God are injurious to none, they ſeek the hurt of no Man, they are and ought to be harmleſs, Phil. 2.15. the Children of God, in the midſt of a crooked and perverſe Generation. |
| II. The Dove makes her Neſt in the Rock;Cant. 4.14 her Safety, and Place of Abode is in the Clifts of the Rock. | II. The Saints make their Abode in the Rock Chriſt; they build only in him,Exod. 3….22. and upon him; and indeed in the Clifts of this Rock they reſt, viz. in the Wounds, Piercings, Dyings, and Crucifyings of the Lord Jeſus Chriſt. |
| III. The Dove is a Creature that feeds not upon Carrion, as Eagles, Ravens, and other Fowls do, but only upon pure Grain. | III. Gracious Souls, or ſincere Chriſtians, do not feed upon the ſenſual Pleaſures, and carnal Delights of this World, as the Ungodly do;Pſal. 119.104, 128. nor will they feed upon, or receive in the deteſtable Carrion of Mens Traditions; they hate Idolatry, falſe Worſhip, and every evil Way, and only feed and live upon the pure Grain of God's holy Word. |
| IV. The Dove is a Creature much moleſted by all Birds of Prey. | IV. The Saints of God are perſecuted and moleſted by all the Sons of Belial; they are chaſed like a Dove or Partridge upon the Mountains.1 Sam. 26.20. |
| V. The Dove hath no other Defence, when moleſted, but by Flight. | V. The Godly have no other way, when moleſted by Satan, and wicked Men, but to flie to God: At what time I am afraid, I will truſt in thee. Pſal. 56.3. |
| VI. The Dove thinks not her ſelf ſecure, till ſhe be got into the Rock. | VI. The ſincere Chriſtian looks not upon himſelf as ſecure, until he is got into Chriſt.Prov. 18.10 The Name of the Lord is a Strong-Tower, the Righteous run into it, and are ſafe. They, like Noah's Dove, flie to the Ark. |
| VII. The Dove is a Creature very chaſt, and true to its Mate. | VII. The ſincere Chriſtian, and Spouſe of Chriſt, is very chaſt to the Lord Jeſus, will own no other Head or Husband, they defy the Pope, that Firſt-born of Satan, and all others who pretend to Headſhip, and Eccleſiaſtical Juriſdiction over their Conſciences. |
| VIII. The Dove hath a lovely Eye, and 'tis always fix'd upon her Mate. | VIII. The Saints of God have a ſingle and lovely Eye in Chriſt's Sight: they ſtrive to be like the Dove, reſiſting Pride, Luſt, and Wantonneſs, and to be adorned with Meekneſs and Modeſty, having always their Eyes upon Jeſus Chriſt; not daring to lift up their Eyes to other Lovers,Iſa. 8.17. Pſal. 25.15 but by holy Intention wait upon him alone in all their Devotion. |
| IX. The Dove loves to accompany with Doves; they will gather together by great Numbers, if they can. | IX. God's Children love Communion and Fellowſhip one with another, that they may mutually be comforted and edified in the Faith: They flie like a Cloud, Iſa. 60.8. and as Doves to their Windows, that is, to the Houſe or Church of God. |
| X. The Dove mourns when ſhe hath loſt the ſight of her Mate | X. A gracious Soul mourns when it hath loſt the Sight of Jeſus Chriſt;Iſa. 38.11, 14. Ezek. 7.16 Thou hiddeſt thy Face, and I was troubled, (ſaith David) I did mourn as a Dove, (ſaith Hezekiah) mine Eyes fail with looking up. I ſhall not ſee the Lord in the Land of the Living. They ſhall be on the Mountains, like Doves in the Vallies, every one mourning for his own Iniquity. |
| XI. The Dove is a very fruitful Creature, having Young almoſt every month in the Year. | XI. The Church is alſo very fruitful to Chriſt, (1.) In reſpect of bringing forth Children:Pſal. 87. This and that Man it ſhall be ſaid was born in her. (2.) In reſpect of bringing forth the Fruits of the Spirit, and good Works. |
| XII. Doves love to be by the Rivers of Water. | XII. Chriſtians, or gracious Souls, love to be by the ſweet Streams of living Water,Pſal. 23.3, 4. by that River that makes glad the City of God; they love to drink of the Promiſes and Conſolations of the Spirit. |
| XIII. Doves have Feathers of divers colours;Pſal. 68.13. and 'tis obſerved, when the Sun ſhines, their Beauty appears moſt, as if their Wings were covered with Silver, and their Feathers with yellow Gold. | XIII. The Saints are gloriouſly adorned with the Righteouſneſs of Chriſt, and with the Gifts and Graces of the Spirit; and when the Sun of Righteouſneſs ſhines,Pſal. 45. and ſends forth his ſplendent Beams and Rays upon them, then their Graces appear and ſhine moſt glorious. |
| XIV. The Dove was appointed by the Lord under the Law for a Sacrifice, and no other Bird or Fowl of Heaven but the Dove. And hence you read in the Goſpel, that there were thoſe that ſold Doves in the Temple,Mat. 21.12. which was (as it is thought) to accommodate ſuch as came to offer Sacrifice. | XIV. The Godly are required to offer up themſelves, both Body and Soul, as an acceptable Sacrifice unto God;Rom. 12.1. and many of them have been commanded, and readily have yielded themſelves up to God, in a way of ſuffering, for Chriſt's ſake;Prov. 15.8. and none but thoſe who are God's own ſincere Children, are accepted in offering up themſelves, either in a way of doing or ſuffering. |
| XV. The Dove is ſaid to be ſilly, and without Heart,Hoſ. 7 11. wants Courage, &c. | XV. The Saints of God are of themſelves in many things ſilly and fooliſh, wanting that Heart, Courage, and Magnanimity of Spirit, to ſtand up for God, his Truth, Intereſt, and People, as they ought to do. |
Inferences.
IS Chriſt's Church, and ſo conſequently every gracious Perſon, compared to a Dove, being meek, humble, harmleſs, chaſt, and ſingle-hearted to the Lord Jeſus Chriſt? &c. Then we may aſſure our ſelves, that ſhe that delights in Prey, Rapine, and Blood, as doth the Romiſh Church, is none of the Dove or Church of Jeſus Chriſt.
2. Are the Eyes of a Dove by the Rivers of Water? do they delight in Springs, Fountains, and pure Rivers? and in this are they an Emblem of the Godly, who hate all filthy, loathſom, and deteſtable Traditions of Men, and delight only in the pure, unmixed, and Chryſtal Streams of God's holy Inſtitutions? Then all thoſe, who, like Ravens, and other foul and unclean Birds of Prey, delight in Ditches, and in long-ſtanding, ſtinking Pools of this falſe Church, (where they defile themſelves in ſearching for the deteſtable Carrion of Idolatry) are none of Chriſt's Dove-like People.
3. And let thoſe that are the People of God, labour to be like the Dove, who is neat, and will not defile it ſelf; let them ſee they keep their Hearts chaſt to Chriſt, and avoid all Pollution of Sin in their Converſation.2 Cor. 7.1.
5. This alſo may inform the Godly, that 'tis no marvel if they are perſecuted and moleſted by the Wicked.
5. And in the midſt of all their Afflictions, Perſecutions, and Temptations, this may comfort them: God hath prepared for his poor Doves a ſtrong Place of Defence and Shelter, viz. the Rock Chriſt, whither let us in all Times of Danger flie by Faith and Prayer.