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to him and his people, and dethrone him from his government, while they make him worse than an earthly King, who protects his subjects O sirs, such are the enemies to the Bush, and its glorious hedge. Satan himself could not deny but the church was safely hedged and fenced, when he says unto the Lord concerning Job hast thou not made a hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath on every side? thou hast blessed the work of his hands and his substance is increased in the land Job i 10. This was, indeed, sound divinity out of the mouth of Satan He had a mind to give holy Job, a fruitful branch of his Bush, a heavy blow: and he argues with his owner anent i. As if he had said, I cannot reach that branch of the Bush a blow he is so well guarded and hedged about. Shall I get a hit of him? I despair of getting it to eternity, in regard he is so well fenced and hedged about. This are the people of Christ well guarded and protected. The Lord himself is their fence and hedge; and, therefore they cannot miss to be in safety, amidst all their enemies whatever O sirs, seek to be among the branches of this Bush, otherwise you will be over run by your enemies and be sacrificed to glut their revengeful resentment against you. None are safe but the branches of Christ's Bush
8 The Church of Christ is called, or compared to a Bush Why? because a Bush like this, which Moses saw, being a thorn Bush, as some divines think, is full of prickles; so that nobody can touch it without bloody fingers: just so is it with ⟨the⟩ Church of Christ; she is full of prickles, to ⟨hurt⟩ and draw the blood of all such as meddle with her I do not mean here, sirs a Church that has the beuefit of a civil establishment If that could secure ⟨the⟩ Church, then the Church of Rome, that mother ⟨of⟩ Harlots and abominations of earth, has been ⟨secured⟩ these thousand years bygone: I mean ⟨this⟩ Church that is built on the rock Christ a ⟨collective⟩
