himfelf. Nothing can be more noble than this holy ambition. pared to LXIII. What is faid Canticl. 1. 9, is very remark- Why able, I have compared thee, O my love, to a company of faints com borfes in Pharoah's chariot. For the understanding horfes. this paffage, we are to explain. 1ft, Why the church is compared to a horfe. 2dly, Why to an Egyptian borfe. 3dly, Why to a horfe in the king's chariots. As to the first. 1. An horfe fuffers itfelf to be easily managed and led, not only with spur and bridle, but alfo with the whip. Thus Strabo writes, lib. 17, that the Malafilians and Lybians, made use of borfes fo fwift and manageable, that they could be governed by the whip only: hence Martial fays, lib. 9. Epigr. 23, Et Maflylaum virgo gubernet equum. And manage a Masylean horfe with a rod. Wherefore the very learned Bochart, Hierozoic. lib. 2. c. 6, refers the Hebrew word DD to a word used by the Arabs, which fignifies to manage and govern. See what Lipfius has collected, Centur 3, ad Belgas, Epift. 56, concerning the nature, fidelity, and natural affection of horses. Such also are the godly for as they have renounced their own will, fo they are docile and manageable at the leaft command of God, faying, speak lord, for thy fervant heareth. 2. An horfe is a very strong creature, and hence it is, fer. 8. 16, and 47. 3, called 78, ftrong. Whence the very learned person ingenioufly conjectures, that Epirus, a country famous for horfes, had its name. În like manner, the godly go in the Strength of the Lord God, Pf. 71. 16: they can do all things through Chrift, which firengtheneth them, Phil. 4. 13. And perform fuch things, in overcoming the world and conquering fin, as far exceed the ftrength of other men. 3dly, An horfe is a generous animal, to which God himself gives an illuftrious encomium as an emblem of warlike prowess, Job 39. 22, &c. Bochart l. c. chap. 8, has given us a very dif tinct explication of that paffage. And certainly, there is fomething heroical in the godly, which, cular. whenever Chrift, falvation and piety, are concerned, difcovers itfelf in a manner, that may aftonifh those who behold it. For, the aged, the young, the helplefs of both fexes have been often feen, to behave with fuch courage and bravery for Chrift, and undergo, with fo much refolution, the most cruel deaths in the caufe of religion, that it was evident, they were actuated by a spirit above that, which is human. And they were as mighty men, which tread down their enemies in the mire of the streets in the battle; and they did fight because the Lord was with them, and the riders on borfes were confounded. Zach. 10. 5. LXIV. Moreover, Egypt was formerly famous And to the for its horfes, of which we frequently read in ScripEgyptian in parti- ture, 2 Kings 18. 24. Ifa. 31. i. Nay, the law itself prohibited the kings of Judah too much to multiply their horfes, leaft, by that means, they fhould bring the people back to Egypt, Deut. 17. 16. However, Solomon had his horfes from thence in very great numbers, 1 Kings 10. 28, 29. 2 Chron, 9:28. We 'may then infer from this, that they were extraordinary beyond others. But to fuch Egyptian horfes the church is compared, to fhew her excellent courage and boldness: for, the Egyptian horfe was the fymbol of this, and in their enfigns they prefered it to the lyon, as Clemens Alexandrinus Stromat. lib. 5. p. 567, informs us: for, of ftrength and force, the lyon is their Symbol, but of courage and boldness the horse. Nay, tothe LXV. Nor are they compared to this alone, but horfes in alfo to the horfes in king Pharaoh's chariot, which the king's doubtlefs were the moft excellent, and felected from chariot. his whole kingdom. For, as the royal chariot excelled, fo who can doubt, that the king's horfes excelled all others? All thefe comparifons are adapted to set off the nobleness of chriftian piety. LXVI. Nay, God does not ftop here but as if In fine, horfes of it was too mean, to compare his elect to a company the divine of horfes in Pharaoh's chariot, he promises to premajesty. pare them as the HORSE of HIS MAJESTY, " と bis goodly borse in the battle, Zech. 10. 3. Than which cellence of LXVII. But that this pre-eminence of Chriftian The exvirtues may appear more evidently, three things are Chriftian diftinctly to be confidered: ft, Their original. virtues. 2dly, Their rule. 3dly, Their end, for in these things their fuper-excellence confifts above all the virtues or graces of the unfanctified. virtueshad mon pro vidence, LXVIII. As to their original, the virtues of the Heathen Heathen, and the actions proceeding from thence, their rife have their rife from fome remains of the divine from naimage, ftill left in man fince the fall; fuch as innate ture, affift notions, fome love of honesty, the incentives of a ed bycomnatural confcience; befides thofe, fome have had a liberal education, applied themselves to the ftudy of philofophy; and enjoyed fome fpecial benefits of the common providence of God, repreffing, reftraining and curbing innate corruption, and, on the other hand, exciting them to the practice of a much more regular life, than the common herd of mankind, fo that these virtues had no higher nor better original than nature, excited by the affiftance of common providence, Rom. 2. 14, 15, the Gentiles do, by nature, the things contained in the law, and fhew the work of the law written in their hearts, LXIX. But the practice of Chriftian holiness Chriftian has its rife, ift, From the Spirit of Grace, which virtues aChrift has merited for, and bestows on his Elect; rife, 1. From the whom Spirit of Grace. 2. From faith. Without done. whom the world cannot receive, because it feeth him not neither knoweth him John 14. 17, who, feeing he is the Spirit of Chrift, excites, in the Elect, even the very fame motions and inclinations of foul, which are in Chrift, and moulds and forms the whole life of Chrift in them: fo that they act, not by their own virtue or ftrength, nor by any innate principle of natural life, but by fupernatural grace, and the virtue of Chrift, 1 Cor. 15. 10, not I, but the grace of God, which is with me; and Heb. 12. 28, let us have grace, whereby we may ferve God acceptably. LXX. 2dly, From faith, without which it is impoffible to please God, Heb. 11. 6. For, vai, tą pleafe, fignifies here to walk before God, as is evident from the foregoing verfe, where the Apostle fays, that Enoch, before his tranflation, had his teftimony, that he pleafed God. By whieh words he undoubtedly has an eye to what we have, Gen. 5. 24, and Enoch walked with God, and he was not, for God took kim. For, to walk with God, the Septuagint every where tranflate, ivapes Tew, to pleafe God; they alfo, in fome places, render, to ferve, by the fame word. The Apoftle here imitates their way of fpeaking; in like manner, as Tit. 2. 9; where he enjoins fervants, Tãow ivaféses iwai, in all things to please them, that is, fo to behave, as in every thing to do what is well pleafing to their mafters. LXXI. But faith, without which nothing can be which no- done, that is acceptable to God, is that virtue or thing good can be grace, which is the beginning of the fpiritual life, or the first work of the Holy Spirit, uniting us to Chrift. And there are various ways to prove that without this a man can do nothing that is good. 1ft, Seeing faith apprehends and applies to itself all the efficacy of Chrift's merits, it has a power of purifying the heart, Acts 15. 9. But fo long as that fountain of the heart is impure, nothing pure can flow from it: For, unto them, that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure; not even their food; but their mind and confcience Confcience is defiled, Tit. 1. 15. On the contrary, the end of the commandment is charity, out of a pure heart, and of a good confcience, and of faith unfeigned. 1 Tim. 1.5. 2dy, By faith we are juflified, and are reftored to the favour of God. But it is neceffary, that the perfons of finners be acceptable to God in Chrift, before their works can be fo. For, how can the work of that man please God, who is an abomination, and execration to him? First, God had refpect to Abel, then to his offering, Gen. 4. 4. Be it far, fays Auguftine, lib. 4, contra Julianum,, c. 3, that any one fhould be really virtuous, who is not righteous. But be it far, that he fhould be truly righteous, who does not live by faith: for the just fhall live by faith; 3dly, It is not poffible, that any can truly love God, and endeavour, from a principle of love, to do what is acceptible to him, unless he know him to be fuch, as he manifefts himfelf in Chrift the Mediator. But it is the proper work of faith to behold God in Chrift; and thus faith worketh by love, Gal. 5 6. 4thly, As faith first unites us to Chrift, fo it continually draws virtue, efficacy and life from him, by a fpiritual fuction and attraction, whereby we may be enabled to act in a holy manner: the life which I live, I live by. the faith of the Son of God. Gal. 2. 20. with a fure per we do is good, or LXXII. But befides that common faith, which is Ought to the fountain of all fpiritual life, another more fpe- be accomcial faith is requifite to the goodness of our actions, panied confifting in a certain perfuafion of mind, that the work we undertake is good and holy, or at leaft law- fuafion, ful, and no where prohibited. For, whoever does that what any thing, about which he is not certain, that it is acceptable to God, does, by that yery action fhew, at leaft that he is not affected with a due reverence for the lawful, Deity, nor endeavours, as is fit, to avoid the difpleafure and indignation of God. And to this, I imagine, the Apoitle has an eye, Rom. 14. 23, he that doubteth; that is, who is not perfuaded in his confcience, that he may lawfully eat of any food; is condemned, if be Q4 eat; |