A94156:604
The Christian-man's calling: or, A treatise of making religion ones business. Wherein the nature…
The Christian-man's calling: or, A treatise of making religion ones business. Wherein the nature and necessity of it is discovered. : As also the Christian directed how he may perform it in [brace] religious duties, natural actions, his particular vocation, his family directions, and his own recreations. / By George Swinnock ...
London: printed for T.P., 1662
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
Thy Navel is like a round Goblet which wanteth not liquor, thy belly is like an heap of Wheat, set about with Lilies, Cant 7.2. The words are Christs praise of his spouse, for her fruitfulness in bringing Children forth, and her faith fullness in bringing them up. By the Navel Expositors agree that Baptism is understood, by which (as children by the Navel) the members of the Church are nourished, even then when they are so feeble that they cannot feed themselves, but their whole sustenance is conveyed to them by others. By the belly is meant the Lords Supper; Now observe ⟨p. 268⟩the provision, how the Table is furnished, and the persons which are to sit at it. For the provision; Thy belly is like an heap of Wheat. Ainsworth on the words observeth, that in those times, they brought their Corn in and stacked it up in heaps, so that as the belly distributeth to every part of the body its proportion of nourishment, and as an heap of Wheat satisfieth the hunger of, and affordeth strength to a whole Family, so doth the Church by this Sacrament bestow on all her children, (through Christ) that food which is needful for health and strength. The persons which are to eat of this Wheat, set about with lilies; They must be Saints and are compared to Lilies. First, For their innocency, they are Lilly-white. Secondly, for their glory and Nobility. Mat. 6.29. Pliny telleth us that Lilies are next to the Rose for Nobility; 1Christ is the Rose of Sharon, the plant of most renown, but his Church is next to him. Thirdly, for the savour, Cant. 4.12. The graces of believers are like sweet perfumes, and scented as far as Heaven. The Lords Supper is a Sacrament not of Regeneration, but of sustentation; When the Prodigal came to himself, then the fatted Calf was killed for him, Luk. 15. Men must have natural life, before they can eat natural meat, and men must have spiritual life, before they can eat spiritual meat. It was an ancient abuse of the Sacrament, cast out by the Carthaginian Council, to give it to dead men. The invitation is not to Enemies but friends, Eat O friends, drink abundantly O beloved,