Saints Compared to Eagles

    SAINTS COMPARED TO EAGLES

    "But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings as Eagles" Isa 40:31.

    "Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things, so that thy youth is renewed like the Eagles," Ps 103:5.

    Note. In some things the Saints are likened to Eagles.

    SIMILE

    I. An Eagle is the chief amongst the fowls of the air, as a lion is the king or chief among all the beasts of the earth.

    PARALLEL

    I. So the Saints are the chief of men, the excellent, as David calls them: "Thou art my Lord: my goodness extendeth not to thee, but to the Saints that are in the earth, and to the excellent, in whom is all my delight," Ps 16:2-3. "The righteous are said to be more excellent than their neighbour," Pr 12:26. The world is not worthy of them. Hence Jabez, that holy and gracious man, is said to be "more honourable than his brethren," 1Ch 4:9. A godly man is of a more noble extraction than the men of the earth. Saints have an honourable pedigree and descent, they are born of God, are, as it were, of the blood-royal of heaven, and nearly related to the Prince of the kings of the earth. They daily converse, have communion and fellowship with the Father, and the Son, the glorious Sovereign of all the world. They are delicately and most splendidly fed every day. Others live and feed upon the empty things of this world, nay, on the dust of the earth, on ashes, husks, and gravel, as the Holy Ghost declares, "They feed upon the wind, and snuff in the east wind," Ho 12:1. Whilst believers feed on hidden manna. "He eats that which is good, and his soul delights itself in fatness." He is often had into the king's wine-cellar, he is richly clothed, hath more noble and honourable titles than any men on earth. He hath a most glorious retinue, viz., the heavenly angels to attend him every day. Never was king, if ungodly, so attended, as the poorest Saint in the world is. Saints are the chief of all the children of men, as Eagles are chief of all the fowls of the air.

    SIMILE

    II. Eagles are quick-sighted, they behold afar off. They have not only a quick and clear sight, but a very strong sight, able to look fully upon the sun shining in his strength. Hence the proverb is, a man that hath a clear and strong sight, is Eagle-eyed.

    PARALLEL

    II. The Saints are very clear and quick-sighted, they can see afar off, even from earth to heaven, They through Christ can "behold the glory of God with open face," 2Co 3:18. They can see, and do pry into the secret and hidden mysteries of the Gospel, and covenant of grace:" The secrets of the Lord are with them that fear him, and he will show them his covenant," Ps 25:14. They see the evil that is in the least sin, and can discern what the end of the wicked will be.

    SIMILE

    III. Eagles are very swift creatures; they have long wings, by which means they fly with great swiftness. Therefore Solomon calling upon us not to set our hearts upon riches, saith, "They make themselves wings, and fly away as an Eagle," Pr 23:5. The scriptures often express the more than ordinary swiftness of men, by the swiftness of an Eagle. David lamenting the death of Saul and Jonathan, gives them this character, "They were stronger than lions, and swifter than Eagles," 2Sa 1:23.

    PARALLEL

    III. The Saints are very swift and speedy in their motions, when under the powerful operation of the Spirit, or upon the wings of faith and love: "I made haste," &c., Ps 119:60, saith David. They are said to run, nay, fly like Eagles, or as doves to the windows; they are many times carried swiftly along in the way of their duties, as upon Eagle's wings. The ministers of the Gospel are set forth by an angel flying in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting Gospel to preach unto them that dwell upon the earth, Re 14:6. When God's people are assaulted and persecuted, they fly to God for shelter; so David, "I flee unto thee to hide me," Ps 143:9.

    SIMILE

    IV. The Eagles mount up on high. The word in the Hebrew[1] signifies to get high; and therefore, as it is noted by Mr. Caryl, it is used in the noun, to set forth the highness of God, Job 11:8; Ps 113:6; Isa 5:16; 52:13. Scripture, as well as naturalists tell us, that the Eagle's motion and mounting up is wonderful, she flies quite out of sight. One of the ancients says, the Eagle soars above the [2] air, as if she would visit the starry heavens. The common epithets of an Eagle are, high flying, swift, &c.

    [1] XXXX Sublimis, elatus fuit, eminuit, per Metaphoram, supervivit.

    [2] Doubtless be means the lower Region.

    PARALLEL

    IV. The Saints of God mount up on high: "Our conversation, saith Paul, is in heaven," Php 3:20. Men of the world are like moles and worms, always digging and tumbling in the earth and muck of this world; but believers, those who are truly risen with Christ, seek those things that are above, Col 3:1-3, they soar aloft; nothing will satisfy them but communion with God. They mount up by prayer, as also by fresh acts of faith; they mount up by divine meditation. They are said to dwell on high; earth, and earthly things will not satisfy them; they are of a more heroic and sublime spirit.

    SIMILE

    V. Eagles are unweary in their flight; they faint not, though they fly high, and are long before they rest.

    PARALLEL

    V. So the Saints should never grow weary, Ga 6., nay, and the promise is, "They shall mount up as with Eagle's wings; they shall run, and not be weary; they shall walk, and not faint," Isa 40:31. Though it be long before they come to heaven, their everlasting resting-place, they are held up, and therefore they hold out in all their service and sufferings. Faith and love are two such strong and excellent graces, that they, like Eagle's wings, keep them from tiring and fainting in their minds, though their work be hard, and their flight towards heaven long: "I had fainted unless I had believed, &c., Ps 27:13.

    SIMILE

    VI. "An Eagle, saith one, hath a high spirit; she flies high, and aims at high things; she will not catch flies, she scorns to stoop to such low game."

    PARALLEL

    VI. So a Saint hath a noble, high, and excellent spirit. Low things are not for high and heavenly-born souls; they catch not at the flies, toys, and trifles of the profits, honour, and pleasures of the world, as others do.

    SIMILE

    VII. Eagles make their nest on high: "She dwelleth and abideth on the rocks, upon the crag of the rock, and strong place," Job 39:28.

    PARALLEL

    VII. So the Saints dwell on high: "Their place of defence shall be the munitions of rocks," Isa 33:16. They make their nests in the Rock of ages; they dwell in God: He is their strong dwelling-place.

    SIMILE

    VIII. Eagles renew their strength by changing their feathers; though old; they seem young and lively again, and are very long-lived.

    PARALLEL

    VIII. The Saints renew their strength. "When any oldness," as Mr. Caryl words it, "is coming upon the new creature, they renew their strength, by looking to Jesus Christ, who is their righteousness and strength: 'He satisfieth their mouth with good things, so that their strength is renewed like the Eagle's,' Ps 103:5. As the Lord brings his people low by bodily sickness and weakness, and then renews their natural strength; so when there are decays and declinings upon their souls, he renews their spiritual strength. And as the Eagle reneweth her strength by the growth and succession of new feathers, of the same kind, in the place of the old; so a believer reneweth his youth and strength, by casting off gradually the old man which is corrupt, and by putting on more of the new man, who is quite of another kind, 'created after God in righteousness and true holiness,'" Eph 4:24.

    SIMILE

    IX. Naturalists do observe, that Eagles are fed and best nourished by blood; they suck and take in that, both young and old.

    PARALLEL

    IX. So, saith Mr. Caryl, do believers; the feeding of the new creature is upon blood; every godly man spiritually drinks the blood of Christ, (my blood, saith he, is drink indeed,) as offered to him both in the promises and ordinances of the Gospel. A Saint could not live a moment, nor have any subsistence in grace, if he had not, as the Eagle, blood to drink. As a godly man is nourished by a believing contemplation upon the sufferings of Christ, and the effusion of his blood.

    SIMILE

    X. Young Eagles are borne, and carried upon the wings of the old Eagle, and thereby are preserved from the dangers of enemies.

    PARALLEL

    X. So the Saints are borne, supported, and carried by the power and arms of the Almighty, who is pleased to compare himself to an Eagle: "As an Eagle stirreth up her nest, fluttereth over her young, spreadeth abroad her wings, taketh them, and beareth them upon her wings; so the Lord alone did lead him, and there was no strange God with him," "Ye have seen what I did unto the Egyptians, and how I bore you upon Eagle's wings, and brought you to myself," De 32:11-12; Ex 19:4. See Christ compared to an Eagle.

    DISPARITY.

    Eagles have many evil qualities: they are birds of prey, &c., yea, and a very vermin sort of creature; and upon that account wicked men are compared to Eagles, which is opened under that head of metaphors concerning ungodly men and persecutors, to which we refer you.