Christians are like the several flowers in a garden, that have upon
each of them the dew of heaven; which being shaken with the wind,
let fall their dew at each other's roots, whereby they are jointly
nourished and become nourishers of one another.
Church-fellowship, rightly managed, is the glory of all the world.
No place, no community, no fellowship is adorned and bespangled with
such beauties, as is a church rightly knit together to their Head,
and lovingly serving one another.
The church and a profession are the best of places for the upright;
but the worst in the world for the cumberground.
THE CHURCH A LIGHT.
The Holy Ghost is well pleased to bring in the shining virtues of
the church, under the--notion of a shining moon; because, as the
church herself is compared to the moon, so her virtues are as
naturally compared to a shining light: as Christ saith, "Let your
light so shine;" and again, "Let your loins be girded, and your
lights burning." For indeed, while we are here, that church and
congregation of the Lord doth most shine, and most send forth the
golden rays and pleasant beams of Christianity, that is most in the
exercise of the aforementioned virtues. Take away the moon, and the
night is doubtful; or, though the moon be in the firmament, if she
hath lost her light, the night is not thereby made more comfortable.
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