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The Church compared to a Mother.
Cant. 8.1. O that thou wert as my Brother, that sucked the Breasts of my Mother!
Gal. 4.26. Jerusalem, which is above, is free, which is the Mother of us all.
BY Mother in these Scriptures is meant the Church of God, or as some expound it, the Universal Church. As God is a Believer's Father, so the Church is his Mother.
Metaphor. | Parallel. |
A Mother is the Wife of an Hus∣band; it imports a Marriage-State. Every godly Woman that is a Mother, can shew who is (or was) her Husband. | THe Church is the Spouse and Wife of Christ.* 1.1 For thy Maker is thy Husband, the Lord of Hosts is his Name. Wherefore, my Brethren,* 1.2 ye also are become dead to the Law by the Body of Christ, that ye should be married to another, even to him that is raised from the Dead, that we should bring forth Fruit unto God. |
II. A Mother is one that beareth and bringeth forth Children. | II. So the Church beareth and bring∣eth forth Children to Christ:* 1.3 Of Zion it shall be said, This and that Man was born in her. Hence the Saints are called Sons, Daughters, and Children of Zion. |
III. A Mother travails, and is in great Pain, in bringing forth Chil∣dren. | III. So the Church is said to travail, and be in pain, in bringing forth of Chil∣dren to Christ:* 1.4 As soon as Zion travai∣led, she brought forth her Children. The Church may be said to travail two manner of ways: (1.) By Preaching, Prayer, and by other godly Means and Endeavours, to bring forth poor Sinners out of a State of Nature into a State of Grace. Paul was said to travail in Pain, till Christ was for∣med in those to whom he preached. (2.) She travaileth by Preaching, Prayer, Tears, and Sufferings, and other lawful Ways, to bring forth her Children out of a State of Bondage, and external Slavery and Captivity, into a State of perfect Peace, Joy, and Prosperity, free from all outward Violence and Thraldom, according to the Promise of God; Therefore will I give them up,* 1.5 until the Time which she that travaileth hath brought forth. — Then the Remnant of his Brethren shall return unto the Children of Israel. — She being with Child, cried, travailing in Birth, and pained to be delivered.* 1.6 — For I have heard a Voice as of a Woman in Travail and Anguish, as of her that bringeth forth her first Child. The Voice of the Daughter of Zion, that bewaileth her self,* 1.7 that spreadeth forth her hands, saying, Wo is me now, for my Soul is weary because of Mur∣therers. Be in pain, labour to bring forth, O Daughter of Zion,* 1.8 like a Woman in Tra∣vail. For now shalt thou go forth out of the City, and thou shalt dwell in the Field; and thou shalt go even to Babylon, there shalt thou be delivered, the Lord shall redeem thee from the hand of thine Enemies. |
IV. A Mother, when she hath brought forth her Children, layeth them to her Breasts, to feed and nourish them, and letteth them lie in her very Bosom, taking abun∣dance of Care and Compassion of them. | IV. So the Church of God, when she hath in a spiritual manner brought forth Children, she giveth them her two preci∣ous Breasts, which are the sound and sa∣cred Doctrine of the Old and New Te∣stament; those she draweth forth, to give her new-born Babes the sincere Milk of the Word, that they may grow thereby.* 1.9 |