Selected quad for the lemma: book_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
book_n	church_n	old_a	testament_n	6,574	5	8.1314	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A54338	An exposition upon the first chapter of the Song of Songs handled by way of question and answer for the information of the weakest understanding / by Samuel Pack.	Pack, Samuel.	1691 (1691)	Wing P149; ESTC R26174	12,588	24

we will run after thee the king brought me into his chambers we will be glad and rejoyce in thee we will remember thy love more than wine the upright love thee Quest 20. Whose words are those Answ They are the words of the Spouse Quest 21. What does the Spouse mean by drawing Answ She desires that God would by the power of his Spirit so bless all means that he useth with her to draw her nearer to himself that she might experience sweet Communion with him in duty Quest 22. What does the Spouse mean by saying We will run after thee Answ It is as if the Spouse had said Lord if thou wilt draw me nearer to thy self in duty I will endeavour to draw others along with me Quest 23. What is here meant by running after God Answ A constant walking in the ways of God that as the wicked desire to follow the Beast and their own beastly Lusts so the godly desire with Caleb to follow the Lord fully Quest 24. What is meant by running Answ To shew with what labour and diligence we ought to follow God in the way of his Commandments Christian work is hard work and therefore is sometimes expressed by striving and fighting and here by running Quest 25. Who is here meant by this King Answ Christ himself the King of Saints and Lord of Glory Quest 26. What is meant by the King's Chambers Answ The merits of the Death of Christ together with all the advantages we gain by his Mediatorship and for as much as the Hebrew word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies an inner Bed-Chamber 1 Kings 22.25 which is a place of secrecy rest and safety I do conclude that the Spouse is here speaking of the great delight she did experience in those Chambers of Gospel-Mysteries wherein the Lord Jesus Christ reveals his everlasting love to a gracious Soul whereby it is filled with Joy unspeakable and full of Glory and therefore says the Spouse in the next words We will be glad and rejoyce in thee while Carnal Professors take up with the History of the Gospel Mat. 13.14 Eph. 3.4 Col 1. ●6 27. which we may compare to the Hall into which any may come that have occasion to come to the House A gracious Soul is by the Spirit of the living God led into the Mystery of the Gospel which we may compare to the inner-Chamber into which none do enter but special Friends Verse 5. I am black but comply O ye daughters of Jerusalem as the tents of Kedar as the curtains of Solomon As in the former Verse we may behold the Spouse in the loving embracings of her Beloved solacing of her self in the Fruition of those inexplicable Delights which are the blessed products of her close Communion with her Spiritual Husband in his Spiritual Chambers in which she did delight and rejoyce and whose love she resolved to remember more than Wine so we have in this Verse the Spouse under dismal Circumstances sitting as it were with her blubbered Cheeks her Eyes full of Tears and her Heart full of sorrow being under the Tyrannical Power of her Internal External and Infernal Enemies who are all combining together to make her Miserable Such is Satan's enmity against a Gracious Soul that he will not be wanting to give them a sufficient taste of his Malignant Emulation of their happiness so far as to let them know that there is nothing but mutability wrote upon the choicest of all created enjoyments of all which we have a hint in this Verse Quest 27. What does the Spouse mean by her being as black as the Tents of Kedar Answ As the Off spring of Kedar who was one of the Sons of Ishmael was of barbarous black Conditions Psal 120.5 6. so it is reported that they lived in Tents covered with black Hair-Cloth to which the Spouse compared her self Ver. 5. with respect to her sins and sufferings Quest 28. What does the Spouse mean by her being as comply as the Curtains of Solomon Answ The Spouse does thereby signifie That however she is black and deformed as in her self yet she is beautiful and comply in Christ as having his Righteousness imputed to her Verse 6. Look not upon me because I am black because the sun hath looked upon me my mothers children were angry with me they made me the keeper of the vineyards but my own vineyard have I not kept Quest 29. What blackness is it the Spouse is here bemoaning of her self under Answ As the principal radicals are here doubled 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it does denote the extream blackness of the Spouse both with respect to her sins and sufferings Quest 30. What does the Spouse mean by the Sun looking upon her Answ By that is meant the Sun of Persecution and so it is taken Mat. 13. Quest 31. What does the Spouse mean by the anger of her Mothers Children Answ The Persecuting rage of those that pretended to be Sons of the Church as they did own some Fundamental Truths but she does not call them her Fathers Children or Sons 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because those that are indeed Children of God dare not be persecutors of the Saints Quest 32. What does the Spouse mean by those Vineyards which her angry Persecutors made her a keeper of Answ Those false Churches which for fear of Persecution the Spouse did joyn her self with for Churches are often expressed by Vineyards whether they are true or false Quest 33. What does the Spouse mean by her not keeping her own Vineyard Answ Her forsaking of that true Congregated Church to which she stood related Quest 34. Ver. 6. Were there any congregated Churches under Old Testament Administra●ions Answ No but though this Book was wrote by Solomon when God had only his National Jewish Church yet the matter contained therein relates to Gospel Administrations Verse 7. Tell me O thou whom my soul loveth where thou feedest where thou causest thy flocks to ●est at noon for why should I be as one that turne● aside to the flocks of thy companions Quest 35. Whose words are those Answ The words of the Spouse to Christ Quest 36. Why does the Spouse seem to boast of her love to Christ after her backsliding from him Answ If we read the words as they are wrote in the Hebrew line they run thus Cause to declare to me O thou who lovest my soul as if the Spouse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 had said Lord while I can take no comfort in my love to thee because of the mutability thereof of which I have given a sad Demonstration in my backslidings from thee yet with this I comfort my self That though my love has appeared to be mutable to thee yet thy love is immutable to me But if we read the words as they are Translated then they denote thus much as if the Spouse had said Lord although I have through human infirmity for fear of Persecution let false Churches have my