Cant. VI. 3.] ' he feedeth among the lilies.' 189
friends, that are false shepherds ; why should I be drawn away by them ? I desh-e to feed where thou feedest among thy sheep. Why should I be as one that turns aside by the flocks of those that are emulators to thee ? as antichrist is to Christ. Thus the church puts forth to Christ, whereunto Christ replies, verse 8. * If thou know not, 0 thou fairest among women, go thy way forth by the footsteps of the flocks, and feed thy kids beside the shepherds' tents :' that is, if thou know not, go thy way forth, get thee out of thyself, out of the world, out of thy former course, put thyself forward, stay not complaining, go on, put thyself to endeavour, go thy way forth. Whither ? ' In the footsteps of the flocks.' See the steps of Christians in the best times of the church in former times. Tread in the steps of those that lived in the best ages of the church. ' Feed thy kids,' thy Christians, ' beside the shepherds' tents,' the best shepherds. Mark where the apostles and prophets fed their sheep ; there feed thou. And mark the footsteps of the flock that have lived in the best times ; for of all times since the apostles and prophets, we must follow those virgin best times. All churches are so far true chm-ches, as they have consanguinity with the primitive apostolical and prophetical churches.
Therefore, ' we are now to go out by the footsteps of the flock.' Mark the footsteps of former Christians, Abraham, Moses, and David ; and in Christ's time, of John, Peter, and the rest. Blessed saints ! walk as they walked, go their way, and ' feed yourselves by the shepherds' tents.' Mark the shepherds where they have their tents ! So these words have reference to the prophetical, especially to the evangelical times, whereunto we must con- form ourselves ; lor the latter times are apostate times. After a certain season the chm-ch kept not her purity ; which the Scriptures foretold du-ectly, that we should not take scandal at it. The church did fall to a kind of admiration of antichrist, and embraced doctrines of devils, 1 Tim. iv. 1. Therefore now we must not follow these companies that lead into by-paths, contrary to the apostolical ways, but see wherein our church agi'ees with the apostolical churches and truth, and embrace no truth for the food of our souls, but that we find in the gospel. For antichrist feeds his flocks with wind, and Math poison, and with empty things. For what hath been the food in popery ? Sweet and goodly titles ; as if they, poor souls, had the best pastors in the world, whenas they administer to them nothing but that which will be the bane of their souls, full of poison and fraud. This is spoken to unfold that place which gives light to this, spoken of the pastoral care of Christ, ' he feeds his flock among the lilies,' plentifully and sweetly. From hence may be briefly observed, first.
That Christ feeds as u-cll as breeds. And we have need of feeding as well as breeding. Where dost thou feed ? that is, build up thy children, and go on with the work begun in them. We have need to be fed after we are bred ; and Clurist (answerable to our exigence and necessity) he feeds as well as breeds ; and that word which is the seed to beget us, is that which feeds too, 1 Peter i. 23. What is the seed of the new birth ? The word of God, the holy promises, they are the seed, the Spirit mingling with them, whereby a Christian is born, and being born, is cherished and bred. There- fore, ' as new-born babes,' saith the apostle, ' desire the sincere milk of the word, that you may grow thereby,' 1 Peter ii. 1. So that the same thing is both the seed of a Christian, and that which breeds him ; the blessed truth and promises of God.
Quest. If you ask, why we must grow up and be fed still ?
Ans. 1. Do but ask your own souls, whether there be not a perpetual re-
190' ' BOWELS OPENED. [SeRMON XX.
newing of corruption, which still breaks out into new guilt every day. There- fore we have need to feed every day anew upon the promises, upon old pro- mises with new affections. Somewhat breaks out ever and anon which abaseth the soul of a Christian, that makes him go vdih a sharp appetite to the blessed truths that feed his soul.
A71S. 2. And then again, we need a great deal of strength, which is maintained by feeding. Besides the guilt of the soul, there needs strength for duty, which must be fetched from the blessed word of God, and the com- forts thence, whereby we are able to withstand and resist, to stand and do all that we do.
Ans. 3. And then we are set upon by variety of temptations within and without, v/hich require variety of wisdom and strength, all which must be gotten by feeding ; and therefore you see a Christian for his subsistence and being, hath need of a feeding, cherishing, and maintaining still, by the sweet and blessed directions and promises out of the word of God.