Man 's but a shadow and a Picture is That shadow's shadow yet don't judge amiss Though here you onely on the shadow look What followes read The Substance is i' th' book THE INTERCOURSES OF DIVINE LOVE BETWIXT Christ and his Church OR The Particular Believing Soul Metaphorically expressed by Solomon in the first Chapter of the Canticles or Song of Songs Opened and Applied in several Sermons upon that whole Chapter In which the Excellencies of Christ the yernings of his bowels towards Believers under various circumstances the workings of their hearts towards and in communion with him with many other Gospel Propositions of great import to Souls are handled By John Collinges D. D. Solomon divinitus inspiratus Christi Ecclesiae laudes aeterni Connubii cecinit Sacramenta simulque expressit sanctae desiderium animae Epithalamii carmen exultans in spiritu jucundo composuit Elogio figurato tamen Nimirum velabat ipse instar Moysis faciem suam non minus forsitan in hâc parte fulgentem to quod illo adhuc in tempore nemo aut rarus erat qui revelatà facie gloriam illam speculari sufficeret Bernardus 1 Serm. in Cantica London Printed by T. Snowden for Edward Giles Bookseller in Norwich near the Market-place 1683. To the Lady Ann Knightley Madam AMongst the many Spiritual mercies by which within these fifty years last past England hath been exalted to heaven as our Saviour said of Capernaum the plenty of good Books hath not been the least so as there is hardly any point in Divinity which hath not been judiciously handled both dogmatically polemically and practically and discourses upon it published in our own Tongue The things hid in times of Popery yea and for many years in the beginning of our Reformation have been made known the things covered have been revealed what was at first spoken in darkness hath been told in the light preached upon the house tops and so published that all those who would might read and understand Certainly no Nation under Heaven of which we have any record was ever blessed with the Means of Grace to that degree none ever had more judicious Interpretations of the Word of God nor more serious and faithful Applications of it to the Consciences of men and women so as if either the Doctrine or Duty of the Gospel be yet hid to any it is much to be feared that it is to such only who shall perish But of all good Books we have been exalted in none more than those which have bin wrote on practical Subjects Books of all others to be most highly valued as more immediately serving the great end of man in shewing him the way of Salvation directing his coming to Christ and walking with him of which we have had such plenty as indeed there would be no more need of writing on such Subjects if the Vanity of our Natures did not more incline us to a discourse upon the same Argument newly wrote than to what hath been written as well some years since by which means the multiplying of good Books doth not a little contribute to the much reading of good Books and that I am sure contributes much both to knowledge and practice the two great ends that every Preacher ought to aim at so as I cannot be of their mind who would have no more written of this nature because so much hath been already wrote any more than I can be of theirs who think there is now no such need of Preaching because formerly there hath been so much So long as there are any Souls in the World who know not Christ and live not up to the Rules of his Gospel there will be need both of the one and of the other nay were there none such there would be need of it to keep up the Grace of God bestowed upon men in its warm exercise Nor me thinks should there be one Preacher of the Gospel who should not publish the glad tidings of it and leave some Record to the Ages to come of his faithfulness in that work The Riches of Divine Grace can never be too much published we can never enough declare his love who for our sakes became poor that we through his poverty might be made rich Such like thoughts as these Madam have brought these Discourses into a more publick light They were composed many years since soon after my entrance into the publick Ministry I am willing they should be a Testimony to the world what Doctrine I then Preached and see no cause yet to be ashamed of and what scope or design I have alwaies propounded to my self The Gospel of the Kingdom Christ The faithsul saying worthy of all acceptation that Christ Jesâ—â— came into the world to save sinners 1. Tim. 1. 15. The Apostle Doctrine Acts 4. 12. That there is no Salvation in any other then in Christ for there is no other name under Heaven given amongst men whereby we must be saved were the great things I took my self concerned as a Preacher to publish to the world Together with what our Saviour hath taught us That he who believeth him i not condemned But he that believeth not is condemned already shall not see life but the wrath of God abideth on him Joh. 3. 18. 36 and that Faith without works is dead These were the greaâ— things I had in my eye to open explain and apply to people My apprehension that I saw much of these things revealed in the Song of Solomon though clouded under Metaphorical expressions was that which led me to the study of that difficult portion of holy Writ than which undoubtedly there is no portion of the Old Testament more Evangelical according to the common Hypothesis agreed by the most valuable Divines in all Ages viz. That it contains a Dialogue between Christ and his Church or particular believing Souls in it If any think I might have chosen plainer Texts from which to discourse these things I freely yield it as to many of them But shall this excellent Book alwaies acknowledged a sacred portion of holy Writ by the wisest man upon earth stiled the Song os Songs that is the most excellent Song lie by us as the Vision of a Book that is sealed or be bound up in our Bibles for nothing Or can there be any work more worthy of a Divine than to attempt the clearing of so incomparable a piece of Divine Revelation from that darkness which it pleased God to cloath it with in a time when the most which he spake concerning Christ was in Types 〈◊〉 Prophecies or Metaphors Time together with the Sermons of â—hrist and his Apostles have expounded the Types and Prophecies of Christ Is it not a work worthy of us to explain the Metaphors that we might have a Christ wholly unveiled There 's no great fear of any dangerous erring in the case if he that explaineth taketh care that his Explication agreeth with plainer Revelations Madam I think I may
first discovered to James the Apostle afterward to the aforementioned Bishop of Granada who sought for them and found them saith Pineda per altos Granatensis montis cuniculos latebras in which leaden Plates there should be ingraven in Arabick so much concerning Solomon as in English sounds thus And he bewailed his sin with a great lamentation and it was forgiven him and he died faithful and in peace I say there will be no need of these Apocryphal helps we have a more sure word of Prophecy and stronger Scripture arguments engaging us to conclude Solomon's repentance and Salvation against some of the Ancients speaking doubtfully and the more modern Papists speaking both peremptorily and impudently in the case and must conclude that Emanuel Thesaurus speaks like a profane Poet when he tells us concerning Solomon Primu è Christi Proavis Stygem coluit Et Primus intravit Indubio Argumento nam Idola posuit non sustulit Et Flenda leguntur non fletus Having thus far given you a Character of this great Person who wrote this sacred Book and by this digression served my design a little in shewing you that there is no ground from his miscarriages to conclude against his being the Penman either of this or the other pieces of Sacred Writ to which the Hebrew Text entituleth him and which the Ecclesiastical Juries in all ages have found his The next thing we have to enquire is the time and occasion of his writing it concerning which the Scriptures silence hath given Writers the greater liberty to abound in their several senses I see no great prejudice either to Solomon himself or to the Divine Authority of this Sacred Book from the opinion of those who think that Solomon wrote this Song in the beginning of his Reign when he first Married Pharaohs Daughter first proselyted to the Jewish Religion at which time it is said 1 Kings 3. 3. Solomon loved the Lord walking in the Statutes of David his Father and that his Marriage with Pharaohs Daughter gave him the occasion of this Heavenly Meditation for which the greatest ground they have is that passage ch 1. v. 9. I have compared thee to a company of Horses in Pharaohs Chariots Nor yet from the opinion of those who think that he wrote it in the close of his life after his return to fellowship and communion with God If therefore any shall contend that he wrote the Book of Proverbs first this Book next and Ecclesiastes last of all grounding their conjecture upon 1 Kings 4. 32. where i◠is said that he wrote 3000 Proverbs and his Songs were 1005. Or if others think that he first wrote this Book of Canticles which being Poetry they think best suited his younger years then the Book of Proverbs and last of all that of Ecclesiastes the matter contained in the Book of Proverbs seeming to be the mature issue of years and the matter of Ecclesiastes speaking a contempt of worldly Vanities like that which is found with gray hairs that have learned righteousness I shall not contend with either There are some who make an observation upon Solomon's calling himself in Ecclesiastes King of Hierusalem In the Book of Proverbs King of Israel In this Book only Solomon whence they conclude that he wrote this Book in the first of his years before he was come to the Kingdom The Book of Proverbs next before he came to dwell in Hierusalem and that of Ecclesiastes last in his more perfect state but possibly their conjecture is better who think that Solomons spiritual contemplation of Christ with which his heart seemeth in this Book to be ravished was the cause why forgetting his Titles of Honour he calls himself by no other name than that of Solomon and as through all the Book he speaks to and of Christ under no other notion than that of a Beloved and a friend so he mentions not himself under any higher notion than Solomon and a Love a Spouse c. glorying more in being the Spouse and Friend of Christ than a great King in Hierusalem Or finally if any will assert that he wrote this Book last of all which seems to be the opinion of Bernard Delrio Hierome Bachiarius Cyrill c. I am indifferent to close with either party only abhorring the opinion which was anciently condemned in Theodorus Mopsuesta by the Council of Constantinople saith Delrio and which Philastrius mentions amongst the Heresies whose Author he knew not viz. That it is but a Love-Song made by Solomon having relation to Pharaohs Daughter or the Shulamite to which opinion also Castalio and Grotius seem to encline and the Anabaptists in Germany are charged with it by Sixtus Senensis which opinion indeed is deservedly rejected and justly to be abhorred of all sober Christians and there needs no other witness in the case against it than the great reverence of this Book which the Church of the Jews had to whom saith the Apostle were committed the Oracles of God and who were sufficiently cautelous what they stamped with that sacred stamp of Scripture Canon who did not only constantly own this Book as much as any other making it a Dialogue between God and their Church or betwixt their Church and some of their Patriarchs but also barred any from reading of it until they arrived at their sacerdotal year whether for fear of a vain interpretation of it or in regard of the difficulty they justly conceived as to the expounding the metaphors with which as with so many Stars it is adorned or fathoming the mysteries which they conceived lay couched in it I shall not in this place determine Sure I am as the Authors of the aforementioned gross and unhandsome conceptions have nothing to give countenance to their wanton fancies besides the comparison of the Love here mentioned to a company of Horses in Pharaohs Chariots and the mention of the Shulamite Caat 6. 13. with another or two expressions of that Nature upon which expressions the Vanity of their hearts only hath hindred them from putting a spiritual interpretation so even some of these expressions with divers others in this Sacred Song make their impure conceptions highly improbable for if the Dialect of times be not strangely altered it was certainly a strange commendation for so learned and wise a man as Solomon to give of a Woman whom he loved to compare her to a company of Horses her Head to Mount Carmel and her Eyes to Fish Pools her Nose to a Tower her Teeth to a flock of Sheep c. all which with divers such seemingly uncouth expressions we have in this Song After all this we shall find it no difficult thing to determine the Divine Authority of this Book The Apostle saith that Holy Men wrote the Scriptures as inspired by God we have evinced that the Penman of this Book was an Holy Man both in the former and latter part of his life That he wrote this Book is
the consideration of the Matter and Scope I begin with the first of these 1 Prop. The Book of Canticles was Solomon's This is so plainly asserted in the Hebrew Text where this is the first verse that it cannot well be denied without the denial of the other matter contained in it the only ground of scruple is because of the particle ל prefixed in the Original which is oft a note of the Dative or Accusative Case as if it were rather dedicated to Solomon then written by him But to clear this we need not Christopolitanus his fancy that it is to shew us that Solomon here sang not of himself but to the true Solomon Jesus Christ nor yet Delrio's fancy that it signifies as much as secundum The Song of Songs according to Solomon as we say that the Gospel according to Matthew which was wrote by Matthew for the instances in the Titles of Davids Psalms are sufficient to evidence the Grammar good enough in making ל a note of the Genitive Case sometimes Taking that therefore upon the Credit of the Hebrew Text. Let us more particularly enquire 1. Who this Solomon was 2. At what time he wrote this Sacred Book and what probably gave him the occasion of it Solomon was the Son of David the King of Israel The Son of David by Bathsheba the Wife of Uriah born in Hierusalem 2 Sam. 5. 14. So named by his Father David 2 Sam 12. 24. at his Birth it is said The Lord loved him Upon which v. 25. David sent by Nathan and called his name Jedidiah i. e. beloved of God Abulensis thinks it was not his proper name nor was he afterward that we read of called by it Solomon signifies Peaceable he was so named before he was born by Nathan 1 Chron. 22. 9. and that with respect to the peace and quietness of Israel in his days God there Covenanted with David for him that he should be his Son and that he would be a Father to him and the Covenant recorded Psal 89. made with David had a special relation unto him v. 25. 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34. He succeeded his Father in the Kingdom by his Fathers appointment 1 Kings 1. 32. and reigned with such an affluence of Divine Blessings as none might compare with him He loved the Lord 1 Kings 3. 3. and walked in the Statutes of his Father God in Gibeon appeared to him saying Ask what shall I give thee v. 9. He asks a wise and understanding heart to judge his people and to discern good and bad asunder which saying so pleased the Lord that the Lord not only granted what he asked v. 10. 11 12 13. but also riches and honour so as there was none like unto him all his days He builded the Temple and the Lord again graciously appears to him upon his Prayer at the Dedication of the Temple 1 Kings ch 9. The Queen of Sheba came to admire his wisdom for he exceeded all the Kings of the Earth in Riches and Honour 1 Kings 10. 23. Now of this Solomon it is said That he loved many strange Women together with the Daughter of Pharaoh Women of the Moabites Ammonites Edomites Sidonians and Hitties c. and v. 6. They turned away his heart from God when he was old and v. 5. he went after Ashtaroth and Milcom and built high places for Chemosh and for Molech v. 7. And here ariseth a Question to which it is reasonable that I should speake something in this place because this Song is judged to relate much to that action of Solomons life Qu. Whether Solomon sinned in marrying of Pharaoh's Daughter or whether that first match of his was lawful Theodoret and Suidas conclude that he did sin and prove it from 1 Kings 11. 1. where this Marriage of his together with his later Marriages with the Daughters of the Canaaâ—etes seem to be condemned besides that the law of God seems to have been against all such Marriages Deut. 7. 3. and Ezra ch 9. 1. reckons it up as the sin of the people that they had taken to wife the Daughters of the Egyptians c. Bellarmine Cajetan Soto Abulensis and others think That he did not sin in this Marriage to prove which they produce 1 Kings 3. 1. where Solomons making affinity with Pharaoh and taking of his Daughter is mentioned and afterward v. 3. it is said Solomon loved the Lord I walked in the Statutes of David his Father Certain it is allowing no transpositions after this God made his signal appearances to him in Gibeon and upon the dedication of the Temple Besides they urge the Friendship between David and the King of Egypt and the probability of Davids contracting this Marriage for his Son before his death They further say that the Law Deut. 7. 3. did not simply and universally forbid Marriages with the Daughters of Idolaters Joseph Married Potiphar's Daughter Gen. 41. 45. Moses Married Jethru's Daughter Exo. 2. 1. Boaz Married Ruth a Moabitess Ruth 2. and Sampson a Daughter of the Philistines and David the King of Geshurt's Daughter 2 Sam. 3. 2. And there was a particular law directing the formality of such Marriages when any were taken captive Deut. 21. 10 11. Besides there are that observe a wonderful councel of God in it both to reconcile these two contiguous Nations in a politick alliance and also in regard that Solomon was to be a Type of Christ who was to reconcile Jews and Gentiles unto God Others think that the Law Deut. 7. only respected the Canaanites Daughters who by Gods command were to be blotted out but that is of no value for Deut. 21. 10 11. they might marry Captives They therefore think that he sinned not in his marriage of her but 1. In his multiplying of Wives expresly contrary to the Law 2. In his excessive love to and fondness of her 3. In his following her to Apostacy I think Pineda's opinion is truest That it was not by any law given to the Jews simply forbidden to marry the Daughter of an Idolater provided that she was first proselyted to the Jewish Religion which was the term which you know the Sons of Jacob put upon Hamor in the case of Dinah viz. That his People should be Circumcised Thus some of the Jewish Rabbies interpret those precepts Deut. 7. 3. and Exod. 23. 3. Thus the precept Deut. 21. 10 11. is easily reconcilable to that Deut. 7. 3. Hence it is very probably concluded that Pharaohs Daughter upon her marriage subjected herself to the Jewish Religion and that of the Psalmist Psal 44. 10. favours this opinion Forget also thine own people and thy Fathers House so shall the King desire thy beauty Hence we conclude that Solomons marriage with Pharaohs Daughter was lawful and contracted by him in his best state in the beginning of his Reign but it afterwards proved inexpedient we read nothing of Solomons defection nor the ill influence of this match till he was
Children of men Psal 89. I will visit his transgression with a rod and his iniquity with stripes 4. My mercy shall not depart from him as from Saul Psal 89. Nevertheless my loving kindness will I not utterly take from him Nor suffer my faithfulness to fail 1. God covenants that although Solomon should sin yet he would not take his mercy from him The very term of Mercy signifies more than the continuance of the Crown to him for as Tychonius observes David would have understood little mercy for his Son to have enjoyed a temporal Kingdom and lost an eternal inheritance 2. The punishment which God threatens to him in case of sinning was but a Rod. The Rod of Men for if we should allow nothing to Pineda's Criticisme upon the term used Enosh to signify men here which properly signifies a weak old man who cannot lay on strokes hard but chastiseth his Child gently so as the Rod of Men here mentioned should be opposed to the grounded staff mentioned Isaiah 30. 32. which God makes to rest upon others yet certainly the termof a Rod with the adjunct of Men speaks a very gentle chastning with which eternal punishment is no way consistent 3. Add to this That the Holy Ghost the most certain Interpreter of Scripture 1 Cor. 6. 18. Applies the very promise here made to the Children of God I will be a Father unto you and you shall be my Sons and Daughters I say who so considereth these things must certainly conclude that Gods obligation by this Covenant extended further than the continuance of the temporal dominion in his line which is also advantaged by the consideration that Solomon in his life time was chastened with the Rods of Men 1 Kings 11. God stirred up against him Hadad Rezin and Jeroboam He was doubtless chastened of the Lord that he might not be condemned with the world Nor can any reasonably think to avoid the dint of the Argument drawn from these Texts by telling us That a greater than Solomon is understood in them even he of whom Solomon was but a Type For although it be true that divers of the Ancients favoured that notion amongst whom was Augustine Ambrose Tertullian and Theodoret and that some passages in the aforementioned Texts seem to be by the Holy Ghost himself applied to Christ amongst which that eminent part of this Covenant I will be to him a Father c. besides that others seem applicable to no other as where he promiseth to establish his Kingdom for ever yet it is as true that the promise I will be to him a Father as I shewed before is also by the Holy Ghost applied to believers 1 Cor. 6. 18. and those who understand the Hebrew Idiome know that the term 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth often signify less than Eternity strictly so called and it is as certain that Hierome and divers others of the Ancients apply these Texts literally to Solomon Possibly they compound the business better who considering Solomon as a Type of Christ divide the Covenant made with David betwixt Solomon and Christ thinking that part concerneth Solomon and part concerneth Christ Sure it is that Solomon built the material Temple not Christ and Solomon alone not Christ was in a capacity to forsake the Commandments of God and for the promissory part if we say it concerned Solomon in the letter and Christ in the Mystery and Antitype I think we shall not much err nor will this interpretation at all weaken the strength of our argument I find a 4th Argument for this eminent Person brought from 2 Sam. 12. 24 25. compared with Neb. 13. 26. and 1 Kings 3. 3. from whence De-La Champius observeth 3 things 1. That it is said God loved him 2 Sam. 12. 24. And the Lord loved him Neh. 13. 26. He was beloved of his God 2. In token of this love God gave him his name Jedidiah i. e. beloved of God 3. The Scripture saith he loved the Lord. The consideration of the latter makes the plea vain of those who to avoid the dint of this Argument would interpret Gods love of that general favour which he extends to every Creature distinguished from that by which he elevates the Creature to a participation of the Divine Nature for that love is not so efficacious as to produce a reciprocal love in the Creature to God again we therefore love him because he loved us first which being granted unless we grant God as mutable as man and deny what he hath said that whom he loves he loves to the End We must allow that Solomon notwithstanding his great miscarriages was yet beloved of God and died in a state of Grace Now to these Arguments might further be added as strong presumptions in the case yielding at least some auxiliary strength That no Text speaketh so desperȧtely concerning Solomon that the Scripture 1 Kings 11. 4. speaking of his falling seems to hint it a sin of infirmity in his old age and through the great temptation of his Wives That he did only tolerate Idolatry not make it the Religion of the Nation That he after this as is at least probably and generally concluded wrote in testimony of his repentance the book of Ecclesiastes That he was the Sacred Penman of Scripture These things may much confirm our charitable opinion in the case for although it be true that I know no reason to the contrary but that God who made use of the Son of Perdition to preach his everlasting Gospel might also with consistency enough to the wisdom of his Providence make use of a Child of Perdition to write and ingross what his holy Spirit first dictated nor saith Augustine hath God less consulted his own glory in it for now all the good and glory of the truth revealed in those books will be given to God Beside it is said that Balaams Song is also recorded in Scripture and a piece of holy writ yet considering that no one book of holy writ was wrote by such a withered hand as that of a reprobates and that the Scripture fixeth no such mark upon this great Person who was the Author of three Books there and that one of these Books at least appears let Bellarmine say what he will to be wrote after the days of his Vanity and hath in it evident marks of his nauseating his lusts and former vanities of pleasure love riches c. Nor have there been wanting some who have thought so of the other two Books also viz. the Proverbs and the Canticles And to these if we add that he was an eminent Type of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ I say if we lay all these things together we shall I think neither stand in need of the Rabbinical figments who tell us formal stories of Solomons repentance Nor yet of that auxiliary help in which Pineda much triumpheth which Petrus de Castro affords from that Sculpture in leaden Plates wrote in ancient Arabick Characters and
universally agreed and that he wrote it by a divine inspiration can be as little questioned by him who understands aright the Jewish reverence of it and ranking it equally with other Books of the Canon Besides that the Churches constant possession of it requires some force of argument before it can be rejected and this hath not yet appeared Several witnesses indeed have come against it but either they have not been agreed or they have spake nothing Cogent in the cause Whereas some object the many amatorious expressions throughout the Song It signifies little to those who have so far observed the Scriptures as to take notice that as the Apostle makes use of the Ordinance of Marriage to represent the mystical Union between Christ and the Church Eph. 5. 32. So Christ is expresly called a Bridegroom his Church and the believing Soul in particular the Bride Joh 3. 29. And that his preparing the Soul for and uniting the Soul to himself is called a Betrothing Hos 2. 14 15. and the Church is called the Lambs Wife Rev. 22. and a pure Virgin 2 Cor. 11. Yea so far is this from being an argument against the Divine Authority of this sacred Book that the uncouthness of the same expressions is an argument that it is no meer Woman here intended for besides that which Mercer noteth out of Aben-Ezra that modesty would not have allowed Solomon to have left such expressions had they been to have been carnally interpreted upon publick record to posterity Nor was it lawful to the Jews to make their Sisters their Spouses yet is it a phrase often used in this Song My Sister my Spouse besides what I noted before of the strange comparisons used if they were carnally to be interpreted Whereas it is objected by others that the name of God is not once mentioned throughout the Book They might as well upon this account quarrel at the Book of Ecclesiastes out of the Canon or if not that yet the Book of Esther which are both subject to the same charge if any will tell us that though the name Jehovah be not found in Ecclesiastes yet other names of God are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Besides that neither those names are peculiar to God nor yet to be found in the Book of Esther We also say with Mercer That there is hardly a verse in this Song wherein mention is not made of God and Christ according to that metaphorical way of expression in which it pleased the Holy Ghost to dictate this Sacred Song to Solomon nor was their need of any further mentioning of God in a discourse composed in this form than under the notion of a Beloved c. in which notion he is frequently mentioned And certainly had this objection been of any value the superstitious Reverence which the Jews had of the name Jehovah would have engaged them first to have pickt this quarrel which yet it did not But Bernard gives another reason and with him I find Sixtus Senensis Delrio and others agreeing which I confess pleaseth me Amor loquitur qui Dominum nescit c. God is not indeed made known to us in this Song under the names of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all which speak Power Lordship Soveraignty Sufficiency c. It is love here speaks Quando vult timeri dominum quando vult honorari patrem quando amari sponsum se nominat Dominus Solomons design in this Book is to set out God in Christ reconciled to his Church and to the souls of his People imbracing them in the arms of loving kindness Those other names of God Jehovah Elohim c. spake the power and greatness of God which well suited the first dispensation of the Covenant of Grace which was more hard and rigorous than the latter dispensation of it So that the not naming of God under those fore-mentioned notions through out this book only speaks it a more evangelical portion of Scripture than some other Books of Holy Writ are Solomons design in this Book was to set out God in Christ reconciled to the Soul imbracing it in the sweetest arms of loving kindness and tender mercies The wisdom of the Holy Ghost therefore directeth Solomon to speak in a dialect proper to the matter he writeth nor is there any thing more usual in Scripture than for Gods people going to him for mercies to give him names expressive of that sufficiency which is in him and of that suitableness in him to the necessitous state of his people and readiness to help him David praying for Divine Protection calleth God his Rock his Shield his Buckler his strong Tower and Christ hath taught Gods Children to say unto him Our Father Nor thirdly Is their quarrel against this Sacred Book considerable who have this to object against it That no place of it is quoted in the New Testament for besides that by the same allegation they may blot out the Book of Judges Ruth 2 Sam. 2 Chron. Ecclesiastes and divers of the small Prophets out of the Canon of Scripture I say besides this there are some phrases in the New Testament which in the Judgment of Beza and others seem to be borrowed out of this Sacred Song such as those Joh. 6. 44 No man cometh to the Son but he whom the Father draweth compared with Can. 1. 4. Saint Paul tells his Corinthians that his desire was to present them to Christ as a Chast Virgin which corresponds with Chap. 5. v. 2. of this Song where Christ calls his Spouse Undefiled From what hath been said appeareth that although the Penman of this Book was Solomon yet a greater than Solomon was the Author of it Solomon an holy Man spake in it as he was inspired by God I proceed to the 2d Proposition 2. Prop. That this Book is a Song This argues it a piece of Hebrew Poetry wrote originally in Meeter upon which account it differs from most of the other Books of Holy Writ But more particularly I shall open this in 4 or 5 particulars 1. It is I say a Song one of those which the Apostle Eph. 5. calls Spiritual Songs it may be too hard a task for me to determine why it pleased the Holy Penman of this Scripture to write it in this rather than in any other form I shall by and by shew you that it was a Song of Love and possibly the holy Penmans design being to discourse the Souls Communion with Christ here under that Metaphor might be one cause Marriage-Songs being very ancient 2. To this I shall only add the observation which some have made of that singular vertue which the composing and singing of Songs hath had to excite and inflame the affections I remember our Divine Poet tells us That he was most with God while he was exercised in his Divine Poetry Besides the suitableness that a Song hath unto the natures of others the same Author observes That a verse may hit him
the Preachings of the Gospel which Teachings have such a constant presence of the Spirit of Grace with them that if a man will he may with those Aids and Assistances do what God requireth of him in order to his Eternal Salvation and avoid what God would have him to avoid We affirm they are and that there is no such power in the Will of Man in the use of those common Aids and Assistances and that there is a Teaching of the Spirit in the use of the Word far beyond the power and virtue of the Word The Object of this Teaching we make to be the Elect of God Reprobates as well as chosen Vessels may be taught by the Ministerial Teaching of the Word and have that external Communion with God in his Word which I before mentioned but the Elect of God and such as shall be eternally saved only know any thing of these Teachings and to such are restricted throughout all Scripture in such places as make any mention of them The more immediate Object is the Understanding Will and Affections The Ministerial Teaching reacheth the Eyes and Ears and exteriour senses and thence cometh into the thoughts and into the understanding more confusedly and imperfectly it reacheth not the more inward part of the Soul The things of the Spirit 1 Cor. 2. 10 12. are revealed to those who have received the Spirit V. 14. The Natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit nor can he know them because they are spiritually discerned I therefore call it an internal spiritual Communion with God in his Word But yet for the fuller understanding of this it is reasonable that I should shew you how the Spirit Teacheth the Elect Soul in and by the Ordinance that you may see and understand what there is more in this Spiritual Teaching in this internal Communion with God in his Word and Ordinances than in the meer Teaching of the Letter meer Ministerial Teaching separated from this I told you before these Teachings were not by immediate Enthusiasms Impressions or Revelations of new things for I pray observe there is a twofold Revelation the one I may call A simple immediate first Revelation Thus God of old taught the Patriarchs and Moses and the Prophets and the Apostles All Scripture was by inspiration from God and holy men spake as they were inspired by God Thus God was pleased to teach the Guides of his Church before the holy Scripture was written at least fully written and a Curse annexed as a Seal to that Book to them that should add any thing to it This is a Teaching some would be at but what need of it if the Scriptures as the Apostle tells us are able to make the man of God wise to salvation furnished to every good work Secondly There is another kind of Revelation which we may for distinction sake call a compounded mediate Revelation it is the further Revelation of what God hath revealed in his Word but we wanted a proper medium to see it in we were blind and dark and our Eyes stuck in the bark and surface of Scripture Thus it is yet true 1 Cor. 2. 10. That God revealeth to his People by his Spirit the deep things of God the things which Eye hath not seen nor hath Ear heard nor can it enter into the Heart of man to conceive the things which God hath prepared for them that love him But of this I shall speak more by and by That I may therefore give you at least my apprehension concerning the due notion of the Spirit 's Teaching so as it shall not be confounded with bare Ministerial Teachings which I take to be a great debasing of the notion of it on the one hand nor be made opposite to Ministerial Teaching and that made useless on the other hand I shall shew you that in order to the Salvation of a Soul there is a Teaching of the Spirit necessary added to or over and above Ministerial Teachings I shall open it in four or five particulars 1. The Spirit teacheth by special Illumination There is a common Illumination which is the Effect of the Spirit also but of the Spirit working in a way of common grace by which men receive the common notions of Religious Truths There are two diseases or faults in the Soul of a Christian which hinder its learning spiritual things 1. The first is a listlesness or indisposition to learn or hear any thing of that nature You may see this in mens slighting of the Word of God till God hath wrought some saving work in their hearts they have no mind to read the holy Scriptures nor yet to hear them faithfully opened and applied And could you but enter into peoples hearts which yet you may know by what was the temper of your own hearts before God wrought a change on them you would see this yet further confirmed unto you this God in conversion removes but this is not that which I have here to do with 2. There is besides this a natural blindness and deafness that a poor creature cannot see nor hear In Jer. 5. 21. you find these words Hear now this O you foolish people and void of understanding who have Eyes and see not Ears and hear not Every natural man is one of these who have Eyes and see not Ears and hear not The mysteries of the Kingdom of God are foolishness to the natural Soul what a notion of Regeneration had Nicodemus Joh. 3. what notions of Justification Union with Christ the indwelling of the Spirit Faith c. have some others discovered Natural men have rational Souls as well as others and by the workings of them understand many Propositions in Religion which shine in the light of Natural Reason but there are Mysteries of the Kingdom of God Doctrines that shine only in the light of Scripture of these they understand little or nothing Nay for the more common notions of Religion concerning the Immortality of the Soul the Nature of God the Doctrines of Faith Repentance Good works when once the heart is changed the Soul seeth them in quite another light and hath quite another notion of them than it had before while it was only under the instruction of Reason and the Ministerial instruction of Men. Paul prayeth for the Ephesians Ephes 1. 17 18. That the God of Glory would give them the Spirit of Wisdom and Revelation in the knowledge of him the Eyes of their understanding being inlightened c. It is the Spirit that inlighteneth the understanding and inableth it to a fuller and further comprehension of and insight into the Spiritual Mysteries of the Kingdom of God When the Disciples came to our Saviour Matth. 13. 10. and asked him why he spake to the multitude in Parables he tells them v. 11. because it was given to his Disciples to know the Mysteries of the Kingdom of God but to the multitude it was not given From hence have proceeded the vain speculations and
meat the Flock shall be cut off from the sold and there shall be no Herd in the stalls yet I will rejoyce in the Lord and I will joy in the God of my Salvation The believing Soul can rejoyce in nothing without Christ and it can rejoyce in Christ when it hath nothing more to rejoyce in Let a gracious Soul have but the sense of God's Love in Christ to his Soul he can say to all the world as Esau though not upon such a consideration said to his Brother Jacob I have enough my Brother I have enough keep what thou haft unto thy self Am I justified and regenerated have I peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ have I the pardon of my sin and a righteousness wherein I can stand before God it is enough If the Lord will not give me Bread to eat nor Children to continue my name if I die Childless so I do not die Christless it is enough If I have not Raggs to cloth me nor an Estate to leave Portions to six and also to seven yet I have said to the Lord Thou art my Portion it is enough Hence ariseth a good Christian's contentment in all Estates I have learned saith Paul in all estates to be content content to want content to abound content to have little or much as the Lord pleaseth If the Lord will take away such a man's Children Estate c. he saith with Job The Lord hath given and the Lord hath taken blessed be the Name of the Lord. If I have my part in Christ saith he I have yet enough Omnia mea mecum porto I have my All as the Philosopher is reported to have said when his City was on fire and his Neighbours reflected on him going out and carrying nothing along with him nor concerning himself for the share of Estate he had in it If the Believer considereth his body he seeth a crazy constitution diseases growing upon him if he looks into his Family and seeth it empty of Children if into his Grounds and seeth them bring forth nothing but Weeds and Thistles if into his Stalls and seeth them empty of Cattel yet if he looks into his Soul and finds any evidences of the Love of Christ he can rejoyce in them this must be understood when he seeth himself stript naked not by his own wicked hands but as Job was by the effective Providence of God for the loss of the things of this life the good things of the common Providence of God caused by our own sinful hands and miscarriages oft-times hinder this Joy as they make it difficult to us to see the Love of God in and under them 4. And lastly This Soul rejoyceth in Christ Primarily Emphatically Supremely The Child of God is a parta ker of flesh and blood and hath a sensitive appetite which when gratified necessarily causeth a joy proportionate to the good which it receiveth hence he rejoyceth in the good things of common Providence as well as another man but not as much as another man not upon the same account that another man doth Christ is the Believer's chief Joy and as his title to the good things of this life differs from the title of another so his joy in them differeth from the joy of another All men may have a natural legal title to the good things of this life Dominion and Title is not founded in grace but it is mended by grace Another man derives from God as the Lord of the whole Earth who by his common Providence distributeth portions to the Sons of men as he pleaseth but the believer doth not only derive from God as the supreme Lord but from Christ all is yours and you are Christs and Christ is Gods saith the Apostle so that while he rejoiceth in the gifts of common Providence he rejoiceth in Christ because he rejoyceth in these things as coming from the hand of a Father reconciled to him by the blood of Christ he rejoiceth in the good things of this life as the loving Wife reioiceth in some present made her by her Husband not so much in the fineness or costliness of it though that may also please her humor as in the kindness and love of her Husband shewed in giving it her So the believer more rejoyceth in the goodness of God shewen to him in any dispensation of Providence then in the thing which God hath given him or her and he supremely rejoiceth in Christ whiles he rejoiceth in a lower comfort Let me shew you this in the instance of Hannah whose story you have 1 Sam. ch 1 2. She was the Wife of Elkanah she had no Children and was passionately desirous of the blessing of Children an affection common to all of that sex especially and for which there was some more special reason in that Age and Nation partly because of the promise of a numerous issue to Abraham so as the Women that were Barren lookt upon themselves as hardly the genuine Children of Abraham at least not sharers in his blessing partly because they knew the Messias was to be born of a Jewish Woman and every Child-bearing Woman might have an expectation to be his Mother Under this great affliction she applies her self to God by prayer the Key of the Womb is one of those Keys which the Jewish Doctors say God keepeth in his hand God hears her prayer she conceiveth and brings forth Samuel as in the first Chapter she names him Samuel to testify her joy in receiving him as an answer of her Prayer upon which she dedicates him to the Lord 1 Sam. 1. 28. So in the second Chapter she sings a Song of praise mark the phrase of it 1 Sam. 2. 1. Mine heart rejoyceth in the Lord my Horn is exalted in the Lord. Her Child was the next object of her joy but how doth she rejoice in him the primary object of her joy was the Lord her great joy in Samuel was as God by giving him to her shewed her his love and that he had not shut out her supplications from him She rejoyced in God Supremely in Samuel Subordinately in God Emphatically in her Child more remissly Thus doth a good Christian rejoice in Christ thus is he the singular object of a believers joy David calleth God the gladness of his joy we translate it his exceeding joy Psal 43. 4. The Prophet Isaiah faith Isaiah 29. 19. The meek shall encrease their joy in the Lord and the poor amongst men shall rejoice in the Holy One of Israel Yet the proximate cause was v. 20 Because the terrible one was brought to nought and the scorner consumed and all those that watched for iniquity cut off Hence Christ commandeth his Disciples not to rejoice in this that the Devils were subject to them but that their names were written in the Book of Life Doubtless the subjection of Devils to them was true matter of joy ah but it was no primary object no supreme object of their joy no
have some fits of pleasure and delight in sin but neither of them will be constantâ— and abiding a good mans pleasure in sin is but a fit of sensuality a wicked mans trouble for fin is but a fit of distast It is a good sign that he or she rejoiceth in God and in Christ that can find no sensual satisfaction to rejoice in Secondly It is a sign that Soul truly rejoyceth in the Lord Jesus Christ that can rejoyce in no sensible enjoyment without the sense of God's love in and through him The unquietness and dissatisfaction of the Soul in the midst of all its sensible comforts if at any time it wants the sense of God's love and the pardon of its sins in and through Christ will much evidence Christ to be the Head of his Joy or his chief Joy There are few Souls in this life whose daies are without clouds sometimes they walk in the light sometimes in the dark and see no light now for a Soul under the fullest affluence of created comforts to be able to rejoyce in nothing in the absence of the sense of Christ's love is an excellent sign Abraham Gen. 15. 2. when God bid him ask him what he should give him replyeth Lord what canst thou give me so long as I go childless This now argued that a Child was the chief of his desires and the chief Joy which he had in prospect Abraham had a plentiful Estate a beloved Wife but his dissatisfaction for want of an Heir spake a Child to be his chief Joy an object which his heart was ready more to rejoyce in than in all that he had besides it When the Soul is at this pass that it can say Lord thou hast given me an Husband or a Wife and Children and I acknowledge thy goodness in them thou hast given me a plentiful Estate and I desire to bless thy Name for that but Lord what canst thou give me what canst thou do for me so long as I want the sense of thy love in Christ all these things are nothing to me whiles I have this dissatisfaction though it will not speak the Soul at this time actually rejoycing in Christ yet it will speak Christ to be its chief Joy Thirdly It is a sign that Christ is the chief Joy of the Soul if it can rejoyce in Christ alone when there is no fruit in the Vines when the Figg-tree doth not blossom and the labour of the Olives faileth as Habakkuk expresseth it that is when all sensible external satisfactions fail That Soul which hath not chosen Christ for his portion will hardly be content with Christ alone Mephibosheth declared that Davia's return in peace to Hicrusâ—lem was his chief Joy when upon David's saying Thou and Ziba divide the Lands he calmly replied 2 Sam. 19. 30. Yea lâ—t him take all for as much as my Lord the King is returned to his House in Peace It is said of the Primitive Martyrs Heb. 10. 34. That they indured with joy the spoiling of their goods knowing that they had in Heaven a far more induring substance Our hearts may be ready to deceive us in this point when we only put a case to our Souls and the thing appears at a distance It may be therefore we may come to a nearer judgment what our Souls would do in such a case by observing the frame and temper of our Spirits and what their support is under smaller losses and deprivations of more external comforts There is none of us but at some time or other suffer something from the hand of God immediately or from the hands of men We lose possibly a dear relation or a part of our estates supposing now that at this time thou hast no apprehensions of the wrath of God no fears as to the pardon of thy sins and thy interest in Christ how is thy Spirit under such providences canst thou look above them and yet rejoice that thy Christ is not taken from thee if you should see a Woman in the loss of a Child or Children yet lifting up herself above her sorrows and blessing God that it is not her Husband he is yet alive you would easily conclude that her Husband was her chief joy though she had some pleasure some satisfaction in her Child yet her Husband was the head of her joy 4. Lastly Canst thou joy in Christ Supremely not in thy mercies so much as in the God of thy mercies and in thy mercies only as thou seest the favour and goodness of God in them you read Luke 10. 17. that after Christ had sent out the 70 they after some time returned and made this report to him Lord even the Devils are subject unto us through thy name Christ tells them v 19. Behold I give you power to tread on Serpents and Scorpions over all the power of the Enemy and nothing shall by any means hurt you notwithstanding in this rejoice not that the Spirits are subject unto you but rather rejoice because your names are written in Heaven God saith thus to many of his people Behold I give you comfortable Wives towardly and dutiful Children plentiful Estates success in your tradings and worldly businesses I set an hedge of providence about you whatsoever you take in hand doth prosper Notwithstanding rejoice not in this let not this be the great matter of your content and satisfaction But rejoice in this that I have given you my Son and through him the pardon of your sins and favour with me an evidence that your names are written in the Book of Life He that can do this makes Christ the head of his joy And if you can do this 1. You will be more troubled at the fears or apprehensions of the loss of Christs love then at the fears or apprehensions of the loss of any external satisfactions whatsoever 2. You will be rather willing to part with all then to do any thing that may hazard your loss of Gods favour Thus the Martyrs shewed that Christ was their supreme joy Let us labour to find this evidence of grace in our Souls to bring up our hearts to be glad and to rejoice in Christ in that manner as I have opened to you and particularly to rejoice in the answer of our prayers I will inlarge upon both these branches a little Let us be unquiet in our spirits until we find that our hearts are brought to this to rejoyce in Christ solely and supremely to rejoyce in him as our righteousness as our strength as our portion as our All in all I told you before that the Apostle Phil. 3. thus describeth a true Christian one that was of the true Circumcision The Jews he calls there the Concision but saith he We are the Circumcision who rejoyce in Christ Jesus He speaketh there of a reioycing in him as our Righteousness as he from whose perfect Righteousness alone the Soul expecteth Salvation This is in opposition to a rejoycing in any Birth-priviledges or
justified of her Children It is enough that the upright love him The upright men are the best men in the world But you will say were there such a beauty such an excellency in Christ why should not every rational man enquire after him and love him The answer is easy Because his beauty his excellency is not obvious to the Eye of sense or to the Eye of reason working from its own principles but only to the Eye of faith that of reason working upon revealed principles The goodness excellency of Christ considered as Mediator doth not lie in a suitableness to our bodily wants no nor to the wants of our Souls considered only as rational and spiritual Beings but in his suitableness to our Souls considered as lapsed and fallen from the happy state wherein they were at first created and by that fall exposed to the wrath of God here and hereafter Now this is revealed only in Holy Writ and is to be discerned only by the Eye of faith So as those who do not by a firm and steady assent agree to the revelation of the word cannot possibly see any excellency in Christ as a Saviour and Mediator between God and Man Secondly Every gracious Soul is from this Proposition justified in all their pangs of love for and toward Christ and in all their actions and sufferings in evidence of this love That there is such a thing as a spiritual love sickness is evident to all those who know any thing of the ways of God with the Soul or the motions of the Soul toward God Let persons of atheistical and profane hearts mock so long as they please no Soul that I know of expresseth more of this nature then his who is stiled by God the man according to Gods own heart Psal 119. 20. My heart breaketh with the longings which it hath to thy judgments at all times Psal 42. 1. As the Hart panteth after the Water-brooks so panteth my Soul after thee O God my Soul thirsteth for God for the living God Psal 63. 1. My Soul thirsteth for thee my flesh longeth for thee Our Saviour I am sure blesseth those who hunger and thirst after Righteousness Mat. 5. what work would the unhallowed wits of our Age have made with such metaphors as these in their Books of drollery c. they are all expressive of those pangs of love that sometimes affect good Christians in the several states of their Souls and besides these more inward motions the Souls of good Christians cannot but express their love by a zeal for his glory a love to his institutions a regard to all his commandments and durst not do many things as to which their Neighbours find no difficulty because they love the Lord Jesus Christ who hath said If you love me keep my Commandments For Christ that they may shew their love by their obedience unto him they are ready to suffer the loss of all things yea and do count them but dung that they may win Christ for this the men of the world mock them let them mock on The upright love him I remember in the story of David we read 2 Sam. 6. 20. That Michal his Wife the Daughter of Saul mocked him for his dancing before the Ark in a linnen Ephod How glorious saith she was the King of Israel to day who uncovered himself to day in the Eyes of the handmaids of his Servants as one of the vain fellows shamelesly uncovereth himself The holy man gives her a very smart answer saith he It was before the Lord which chose me before thy Father to appoint me to be a ruler over the people of the Lord over Israel therefore will I play before the Lord. And I will yet be more vile then thus c. Whiles carnal men mock at the secret sighings and groanings of Gods people at their frequency and strictness at in or to religious duties and call it all whining and canting and what comes next to the end of their lewd Tongues the Child of God is justified in this that the upright love Christ and all these their expressions of love are for and towards him who hath chosen their Souls to Eternal life and the use of all means which he hath made necessary in order to that Salvation and who for ought yet appeareth hath passed over the Souls of these Scoffers and left them to perish in their gainsayings When ch 5. of this Song the Spouse chargeth the Daughters of Hierusalem that if they found her beloved they should tell him she was sick of love They reply What is thy beloved more then another beloved O thou fairest among Women what is thy beloved more then another beloved that thou dost so charge us Cant. 5. 8. 9. See into what an elogy of her beloved she breaks out to the end of that Chap. My beloved saith she is white and reddy the chiefest of ten thousand c. when the men of the world see a gracious Soul panting sighting and breathing after Christ they are ready to speak to the same sense tho in ruder language what is the beloved of this Soul more then anothers beloved what makes these people so full of prayers and tears so full of duty so fond of the ordinances of Christ This justifies such Souls in all their pantings after Christ in all the passions of their Souls for him The upright love him Thirdly From hence Christians may take measures of themselves and make up a judgment of their Souls whether they be upright Souls yea or no very much lieth upon this many are the promises that in Holy Writ we shall find made to upright Souls Perfection of degrees is our mark but what in this life we cannot attain unto all perfection we are capable of is uprightness this may be attained we are therefore highly concerned to inquire upon our uprightness By this we shall know it The Soul that truly loveth Christ that is an upright Soul so as that which we have to examine is the truth of our love to Christ This inquiry also is considerable in respect of the Apostolical Anathema 1 Cor. 16. 22. If any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ let him be Anathema Maranatha It is a great point how a Christian shall certainly know his spiritual state he shall know it by his uprightness how shall he know his uprightness that is to be known by his love to Christ But will some say is not this as hard to be discerned as any thing else I answer surely no. If it be no hard thing for a man to know whether he loves such a woman or a woman to know that she loveth such a man or for any to know they love such a friend such a companion why should it be so hard for a Soul to know whether it loveth Christ or no love will work much in the same manner towards all its objects and though the visibility and sensibility of some objects may draw out
our Souls and the Souls of those that are in relation to us are a trust committed to us by the Lord of the whole Earth by Christ who hath dyed for us So that here is both the relation of a Superiour and of a friend in the case obliging us to take a due care for the keeping of our Vineyards 3. The more eyes we have upon us observing how we manage our trust the more careful we are ordinarily as to the managery of it This is a trust as to which God who hath entrusted us hath an Eye to us how we discharge it this needeth no great proof whoso believeth Gods Omnisciency and considereth the observing Eye which God keepeth upon all men and all their actions so as they are all written in a Book must know and believe this Lastly the more accountable we are for any trust the more we take our selves obliged to keep it with all diligence The trust of every mans Soul is a trust for which he must account Rom. 14. 12. So then every one of us shall give an account of himself unto God we must give an account to him who is ready to judge both the quick and the dead 1 Pet. 4 5. of what must we give an account but of our Souls their Elicit Imperate acts the Apostle tells us that it is the duty of Pastors and Governours of Churches to watch for Souls because they must give an account Certainly it is as much the duty of every particular Christian to watch over his own Soul because his Soul is a trust of which he must give an account to him that is ready to come to judge both the quick and the dead Nor are we only to give an account of our Souls but of the Souls committed to our charge This the Apostle telleth us plainly Heb. 13. 17. as to those who are Governors and Pastors of Churches and God told it Ezechiel Ezech. 3. 18. Son of man saith he I have made thee a watch-man to the house of Israel v. 18. When I say unto the wicked thou shalt surely die and thou givest him not warning nor speakest to warn the wicked from his wicked way to save his Life the same wicked man shall die in his iniquity but his blood will I require at thy hand This is that which made Chrysostom think that there were but a few Ministers that would be saved But it is as true concerning Superiors in other relations God never bringeth a wife into the bosom of any husband nor addeth a Child or Servant to any family but he saith to the husband of that wife to the Parent of that Child or those Children to the Master of those Servants All Souls are mine The Souls of these Persons I commit to thy trust if thou doest not warn them from sinful courses if thou doest not walk towards them as a man of knowledge and bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord they shall die in their ignorance in their iniquity but their Souls will I require at thy hand A consideration which if duly weighed by the Sons of men would awaken men to another kind of Government of their families and another kind of instruction of them then I fear is ordinarily to be found in families 2. I shall add but one thing more The better any man keepeth the Vineyard of his own Soul or the Vineyard of his family the more fruit he shall reap from it His Vintage will be the better there is little fruit to be expected from a neglected Vine Our Vineyards those I mean of our own Souls and the Souls of others under our trust do not only bring forth fruit to the honour and Glory of God but unto our selves and that very considerable 1. In our peace of Conscience here in this Life 2. In that glory which is the object of our future hopes The fruit of righteousness is peace and quietness and assurance for ever Keep your Vineyards that you may drink the sweet fruit and wine thereof that joy and peace which is the fruit of believing and of an holy life and conversation This will be very pleasant to us while we live much more when we come to die Lord Remember saith Ezekiah upon his sick bed how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart Conscience checks us for nothing but the neglect of some Vineyard or other which the Lord hath intrusted us with 2. Your glory hereafter will be the more I know there is a question in Divinity whether there shall be any degrees of glory It is hard to shew you wherein the glory of one Saint shall excel another but I think it is plain enough that there shall be differences of glory in Saints that shall be glorified and if so doubtless those that have best kept their own Vineyards shall have the largest penny And those that have best discharged their trusts to the Souls of others shall have the larger share in glory He that winneth Souls is wise And the Prophet Daniel tells us that those who turn many to righteousness shall shine as the Stars for ever and ever Sermon XLI Cant. 1. 7 8. Tell me O thou whom my Soul loveth where thou feedest where thou makest thy flocks to rest at Noon for why should I be as one that turneth aside by the flocks of thy Companions If thou knowest not O thou fairest amongst Women go thy way forth by the footsteps of the Flocks and feed thy Kids beside the Shepherds Tents IT is the Spouse who yet continueth her speech to her Beloved She hath spoken once to him desiring some tokens of his special and distinguishing love v. 2. Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth She hath spoken a second time to him desiring strength from him to run after him She now putteth up a third petition v. 7. Tell me O thou whom my Soul loveth where thou feedest where thou makest thy flocks to rest at noon for why should I be as one that turneth aside by the flocks of thy companions To which her beloved replyeth v. 8. If thou knowest not O thou fairest amongst Women go thy way by the footsteps of the flocks and feed thy Kids by the Shepherds Tents The words easily fall into two parts 1. The Spouses Petition to her Beloved Tell me O thou whom my Soul loveth c. v. 7. 2. Her Beloveds answer v. 8. If thou knowest not O thou fairest amongst Women c. In the Spouses Petition is considerable 1. Her compellation O thou whom my Soulloveth 2. Her Petition Tell me where thou feedest where thou makest thy flocks to rest at noon 3. Her argument For why should I be as one who turneth aside by the flocks of thy companions In the answer is also considerable 1. His compellation O thou fairest amongst Women 2. His particular direction and information of her in two things If thou knowest not go thy way forth by the
and from formality 300. it is the Christians Ornament 725 726. Arguments to persuade it 726 727. Horses why believers are compared to them to a company of them in Pharaohs Charrets 701 702 703 704. I. JEsuits Notion of Grace 269 270. Influence of God upon our natural and upon our Spiritual acts how different 763 764 765. Joy the Nature of it 398 399. The special Nature of Spiritual Joy 399 400. Christ the peculiar object of the believers Joy 404 405 406. The reasonableness of rejoicing in Christ 407 408 409. K. KIsses various used as various Indications 41 42. Kisses of Christs mouth what 44. 45. Knowledge the various degrees of it 178 179. The Kings sitting at his Table what it signifieth 761 762. What we are to do that we may keep Christ sitting at his Table 772 773. L. LEast tokens of Christs distinguishing love what 67 68. desirable to believers and why 69 70 71. all persuaded to value them 75 76. Looking on the Spouses blackness how far our duty how our sin 524 525 526 527 528. Vnkind lookings upon the Spouse because she is black reproved 529 530. Love to Christ in what seen 443 444. by what it may be discovered 450 451 452 601 602 603. How far it may be in an unbeliever 813 814. Love to Christ persuaded from his love to us 157 158 159 160. Loves of Christ what 148 149. proved better then wine 162 163 164. Love of God to man whether more commended from the Doctrine of Common or special grace 282 283 284. M. MErcies of several sorts distinguishing mercies what 58 59. Ministers of the Gospel how necessary 662 663. Murmurings for God's inequal distributions of special grace unreasonable why 386 387 388 389. Myrrh the several acceptations of it 777 778. A bundle of Myrrh what 778 779. Why Christ is compared to it 781 782 783. N. NAme of Christ what 54 216 217 218. How sweet 212 213 214. Whence its sweetness is 219 220. Neck of the Spouse what it signifieth 719. O. OYL its sacred and civil use 51 52 53. the met aphorical sense of it 52 53. pouring forth what it imports 54. Ordinance of the ministry how necessary 662 663. Ordinances the Beams and Rafters of Christs house 890 891. how properly so called 892. Why compared to Beams of Cedar 903 904. their beauty power durableness 900. what to conclude from hence 905. Ornaments of believers what 726. Excess in other Ornaments dissuaded 727 728. P. PErfection of Christians threefold 481 482. Pleasant what it signifies 861. How Christ is not only fair but pleasant 861 862 863. What rendreth him so 865 866. Prayer rightly ordered what 146 147 148. it is a mean of our communion with God 140 141 142. Sometimes presently answered 345 346 347. What Prayers usually meet with such answers 348 349. Prayers of faith what 349 350 351. what to be done when we have not a present answer of our Prayers 368 369 370. Prayers heard a cause of joy and rejoycing in Christ 410 411. How to discern an answer of Prayer 420. 421 422. Special Presence of God what 375 376 377. Presumption no saith 296. R. REsisting divine grace how far there may be or not be 258 259 the great danger of such resistance 308 309 310. Rejoycing in Christ our duty how to be discerned 413 414. Persuaded by Arguments 416 417. Remembrance of Christ and his loves what it importeth 424 425 426 427. Why our duty 428. Who come short of it 429 430 431 432. The duty persuaded 433 434. Directed 435 436. Repetitions of Christs Love to Souls why used 823 824. Why not to all Souls alike 825 826. Returns of Prayer sometimes very quick 345 346. In what cases usually 348 349. Rows of Jewels and Chains about the Spouse what they signify 719 720. Running after Christ what it implies 242 243 244. 318 319 320. Many run not 327 328. S. SCripture rule compared with other rules 675 676. Scandal and sin the two great objects of believers fears 627 628. The Nature and difference of Scandals 628 629. why to be feared 630 631. Shepherds Tents what they signify 670 671. By what Shepherds Tents we are to feed our kids 673 674. How to know the true Shepherds Tents 680 681 682 683. Smell of grace what and whence 752 753. How to be promoved 759 760. Smells of wicked men what 754 755. Solomon what he was 18 19. whether he sinned in marrying Pharaohs Daughter 19 20. whether his Apostacy was total and final Opinions and Arguments on either side 21 22 23 24. That it was not total nor final proved 22 23 24. In what order he wrote his books 27. Song of Solomon of Divine Authority Objections answered 28 29 30. The Nature of the Song 32. Why called the Song of Songs Spirit how it teacheth and how by it we have communion with God 108 109 110 111. Special favours of God what 172 173. Sweetness of Christ to a Believer 785 786 787 788 789. T. TIme for mercy set how to know God's set time 353 354 355. V. VAriety of Divine Grace 81 82. Valuing of Christ's Loves an excellent Argument when it can be used in truth in our Applications to God 188 189. None but Believers can use it 193 194 195. Means to bring our Souls to a due value of Christ 196 197. Vineyard what the Church's Vineyard is 580 581. What the particular Christian's Vineyard is 578. How Both are to be kept 581. Not duly keeping our own Vineyards the cause of our blackness 585. Tht due keeping them persâ—aded 587 588 589. Virgins who 55 223. Why Believers so called 223 224 225. Whence it is that they love Christ 445 446. Upright who 439 440 441. Those who are so love Christ they cannot but love him why 445 446. Unity persuaded 713 714. In what 895 896. Means to it 897 898. W. VVAnts of men what the principal 162 163 164. Willingness to a communion with God if true how to be judged 141 142. Arguments to persuade it 143 144. Wine in no notion to be compared with the Loves of Christ 165 166 167. How to know whether we do not prefer Wine to the Loves of Christ 170 171 172. Word of God its several parts 95. Communion with God in it three waies 94. Why desirable 97 98 99. Those who despise it reflected on 101 102 103. In what sense the Word of God is as the Beams and Rafters of the Church 893. The Beauty Power and Duration of the Word 904. Worldly Imployment a cause of the Spouses blackness why 571 572. Worship the Nature of it several Propositions about it 564 565. The sinfulness of corruptions in it 567 568 569. FINIS V. 2. Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth Of thy mouth Kisses pl. For thy loves are better then Wine V. 3. Because of the savour of thy good Ointments thy name is as an ointment poured forth Therefore do the Virgins love thee V.