Now, the church is compared to a dove, partly for the disjmsition that is and shoidd be in the church resembling that creature; and partly, also, for that the church is in a mournful suffering condition.
I. For the like disposition as is found in a dove. There is some good in all creatures. There is no creature but it hath a beam of God's majesty, of some attribute ; but some more than others. There is an image of virtue even in the inferior creatures. Wherefore the Scripture sends us to
Cant. V. 2, 3.] ' mt dove.' 79
them for many virtues, as the sluggard to the ant, Prov. vi. 6. And indeed we may see the tnie perfection of the first creation, the state of it, more in the creatures than in ourselves ; for there is no such degeneration in any creature as there is in man.
Now, that which in a dove the Scripture aims at, 1, we should resemble a dove in is, his meekness especially. The church is meek both to God and man, not given to murmuriugs and revengement. Meek : that is, ' I held my tongue without murmuring,' as it is in the psalm; * I was dumb,' &c., Ps. xxxix. 2 : which is a gi-ace that God's Spirit frames in the heart of the church, and every particular Christian, even to be meek towards God by an holy silence ; and likewise towards men, to put on the ' bowels of meek- ness,' as we are exhorted, ' As the elect of God, put on the bowels of meek- ness and compassion,' &c., Col. iii. 12. Hereby we shall shew om-selves to be Christ's, and to have the Spirit of Christ. And this grace disposeth us to a nearer communion with God than other graces. It is a grace that God most delights in, and would have his spouse to be adorned with, as is shewed, 1 Pet. iii. 4, where the apostle tells women, it is the best jewel and ornament that they can wear, and is with God of great price. Moses, we read, was a mighty man in prayer, and a special means to help and fit him thereunto, was because he was the meekest man on earth, Num. xii. 3 ; and therefore, ' seek the Lord, seek meekness,' Zeph. ii. 3 ; and it fits a man for communion -svith God, ' for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the meek and humble,' 1 Pet. v. 5. It is a grace that empties the soul of self- conceit, to think a man's self unworthy of anji,hing, and so makes it capacious, low, and fit for God to fill with a larger measure of his Spirit. It takes away the roughness and swelling of the soul, that keeps out God and gi'ace. Therefore in that grace we must especially be like this meek creature, which is no vindictive creature, that hath no way to revenge itself.
Again, 2, it is a simple creature, icithout guile. It hath no way to defend itself, but only by flight. There is a simphcity that is sinful, when there is no mixture of wisdom in it. There is a simplicity, that is, a pure sim- plicity ; and so God is simple, which simplicity of God is the ground of many other attributes. For thereupon he is eternal, because there is no- thing contrary in him ; there is no mixture in him of an3'thing opposite. So that is a good simplicity in us, when there is no mixtm-e of fraud, no duplicity in the soul. * A double-hearted man is inconstant and unstable in all his ways,' James i. 8. Now simplicity, as it is a virtue, so we must imitate the dove in it ; for there is a sinful, dove-like silliness. For, Hos. vii. 11, Ephi'aim is said there to be ' hke a silly dove without heart ; they call to EgJTpt, they go to Assyria.' There is a fetal simplicity, usually going before destruction, when we hate those that defend us, and account them enemies, and rely more upon them that are enemies indeed than upon friends. So it was with Ephraim before his destruction : ' He was a silly dove without heart ; he called to Egj'pt, and went to Assyria,' false friends, that were enemies to the church of God ; yet they trusted them more than God or the prophets. Men have a world of tricks to un- dermine their friends, to ruin them, and to deserve ill of those that would with all their hearts deserve well of them, when yet in the mean time they can gratify the enemy, please them, and hold correspondence with them, as here Ephraim did. ' Ephraim is a silly dove,' &c. This, therefore, is not that which we must aim at, but to be simple and children concerning evil, but not in ignorance and simplicity that way.
8. Again, this creature is a faithful creature. That is mainly here aimed
80 BOWELS OPENED. [SeEMON VII.
at. It is faitliful to the mate. So the Christian soul, by the Spirit of God, it is made faithful to Christ, it keeps the judgment chaste, is not tainted with errors and sins. He keeps his affections chaste likewise, sets nothing in his heart above Christ. ' Whom hath he in heaven but him, and what is there in earth he desires beside him ?' Ps. Ixxiii. 25. You know in the Revelation, the spouse of Christ is brought in like a virgin contracted, but the Romish Church like a whore. Therefore the church of God must take heed of the Roman Church, for that is not a dove. We must be virgins, who must keep chaste souls to Christ, as you have it — ' Those that follow the Lamb wheresoever he goeth, they have not defiled themselves with women,' Rev. xiv. 4. The meaning is spiritual, namely, that they have not defiled themselves with idolatry and spiritual fornication ; they have chaste hearts to Christ. So in this respect they resemble the dove. These, therefore, that draw away from the love of religion to mixture, to be mere- trices* and harlots in religion, they are not Christ's doves. As far as they yield to this, it is an argument that they have false hearts. Christ's church is a dove. She keeps close and inviolate to him.