added taken away altered For their Popes voyce reade their Platina and other their owne writers and it shall appeare to be the voyce somtimes of an heretike many times of an Atheist the Dragons mouth of blasphemie opened against the heauenly places and the Saints therein To seeke for the olde way at the mouths of these who frame new deuises euery day it should prooue but folly and frenzie Some here will demaund if so the old way be not to be found amongst the ancient fathers Greeke and Latine I answere yes the old way at least for the substance thereof it is by GOD his watchfull prouidence preserued amongest them For as we were to belieue that they were holy lampes in their age so we are to belieue and these which are conuersant in their writings can proue that howsoeuer with themselues somtimes one with another they dissented yet in the Foundation and Substance of Religion they consented But seeing this substantiall truth as the lillie among the thornes it is not onely too vneasie of many Christians to bee selected but is also knowne to be truth by some other example patterne before them it remaineth wee examine which is the old and perfect way In one word it is the very Word of God contained in the Canonicall scriptures A word and will so perfect as Iohn sealeth it vp in Reuel 22. with a curse to him that addeth to it or taketh from it Yea it is so perfect a word as Perfection was in it before Christes Incarnation which causeth Peter to say We haue a most sure word of the Prophets to the which ye doe well that ye take heed as vnto a Light that shineth in a darke place vntill the day dawne and arise in your hearts Nor was it other scripture then the Old Testament which is commended to Timâ—thie for able to make the man of God absolute and perfect vnto all good workes Nay which more is it was so perfect in Salomons time as nothing was to be put vnto it Prou. 30.6 But which dooth more magnifie the scriptures sufficiency it was perfect in Moses his time that is the perfect rule of fâ—ith is contained in the fiue bookes of Moses Deut. 12.32 This word of God so perfect in Moses perfect in Salomon perfect in the Prophets as I may say by way of resemblance perfect in Father perfect in Sonne perfect in Holy-ghost sacred Trinitie in Vnitie It then will be demaunded what vse is there so of the new testament I answere vnspeakable much As Salomon did comment on Moses and the Prophets on both so the newe Testament is a commentarie on all Such paines the holy-ghost hath taken for causing the way of truth to be easie as indeede it is easie Pro9 8.9 to such as will vnderstand That causeth Isaiah to send his people To the law and testimonie Chap. 8.20 and this caused Christ to send the people to the olde Testament which saith Search the scriptures in Iohn 5.39 and this for their further conuiction for he knew that they had not the will to come vnto him Some late Romanists vrge the word Indicatiuely thus You doe search c. because they would debarre lay-people from reading the Scriptures and for the Indicatiue sence they produce Cyrill Against which one I oppose Tertullian Origen Chrysostome Augustine c. Rupertus Aquinas Gerson Albertus Magnus and who not Christ saith Chrysostome sent not the Iews backe to the simple and bare reading of the scriptures but to the very diligent search thereof He saide not Reade the scriptures but Search He commaundeth to digge more deepely that so we may finde the things which are hidde in profunditie And for such profound search it is that S. Luke so highly praiseth the Beraeans To leaue Gods Rule for Mans Rule it is to forsake triple perfection for more imperfection and to vse Ieremies speech it is a forsaking of him that is the fountaine of liuing waters for digging to mens selues pits broken pits that can hold no water Chap. 2.13 When Augustine dealeth with the Donatists he saith Let vs not heare I say this thou saist that but let vs heare haec dicit dominus this saith the Lord. The Lordes bookes are certaine to the authoritie whereof we both consent Ibi quaeramus ecclesiam therein let vs seeke the Church by them let vs examine our cause I will not that the Church be shewen by humane documents but by the diuine oracles Herevpon it was that Chrysostomes Riual considering the church all in confusion from Mat. 24. he cryeth These that be in Iudaea Let them flie to the mountaines namely such as are in Christianitie Conferant se ad scripturas let them betake themselues to the Scriptures Because from the time that Heresie inuadeth the churches there can bee no probation of true Christianitie nor for such as are willing to know the truth of faith can there be any other refuge but the sacred scriptures Before such time by many meanes it might haue beene manifested which was the Church of Christ and which was Gentilisme but now to such as are willing to know which is the true Church of Christ there is no way but tantummodo per scripturas only by the Scriptures Thus together with the ancient Church of God I conclude from Scripture that in the word of God is contained the Old way wherein the faithfull are to walke Of the Prophets and Apostles therefore we are to learne with them to consult But here the Romanists do obiect thus the Scriptures are a a waxen Nose a shipmans Hose which euerie heretike can turne to his purpose the Scriptures therefore how perfect soeuer to saluation yet not sufficient for Instruction I answere first let them graunt vs saluation and let them take the destruction to themselues Secondly how it is possible they should be sufficient for saluation but not for instruction seeing howsoeuer instruction may be without saluation yet saluation cannot be without instruction Thirdly if the word of the Creator be insufficient what Diuell is that dare say the worde of any creature can bee sufficient Fourthly no Heretike can turne the scripture to his heretical purpose He may labour so to turne it he may contend to make it a Pandor but such it neuer can be for as an Ancient well saieth it is not the Scripture but their collection or sense of scripture that maketh the heresie Fiftly I answere that though the Old way be manifest in the scriptures yet onely seene of these that haue the eyes of the scriptures Colours cease not to be colours though the blinde cannot iudge of them Men are Men though the halfe blinde in the Gospel saw them a farre off to be but as trees The insufficiencie is not in the word but in our vnderstandings and therefore stand need with the Emmauites in Luke 24. to haue our vnderstandings and cies opened of Iesus When we are come to the scriptures wee are come to
thou turne her away from thee And to this end the Church hath vsed such scriptures as doe exhort to tendernesse to compassion and readinesse of forgiuing one another propounding also the Lords practise in Ier. 3.1 where the Lord propoundeth the state of his people generally to be no better then hers who hath played the harlot with many louers and yet notwithstanding hee offereth a renuall of his husbandlike loue vpon their penitencie and returning And what better president can we haue of our loue and tendernes one towards another then of God his loue and tendeâ—nesse towards vs For Apolúô vsed in Math. 5.32 19.8 signifieth at least somuch as the simple Lúô in 1. Cor. 7.27 which is to loose or vnbinde So that it is to be turned properly thus Who so vnlooseth his Wife except c euen as in the other place art thou loosed from a Wife The Latine word Soluo not Dimitto doth expresse it aptly That Apolú◠doth signifie an absolute loosing or vntying of a thing see further in Luke 2.29 Nún apolúeis tòn doúlón Now thou loosest thy seruant namelie by death and the vse of Luô in Math. 21.2 Mark 11.2.4 Luke 19.30 31 33 where the Disciples loose the colt As also in Iohn 11.44 where Lazarus is loosed not to point to other places ¶ Touching absolute Diuorce it is not deemed here expedient to discourse For the Ministers of the Church they may be assimilated to Doues not onely for the simplicitie and continencie of naturall and spirituall eyes wherein they are called to goe betweene others as also because they should be freer from gall and fretting bitternesse as Doues be rather then other birdes but further for that with the Syrian and Aegyptian doues they bee called to hold out and carrie forth the letters of God his written word all being as the Epistles which Christ by S. Iohn did send to the churches of Asia-minor betweene church and church for premonishing dangers for directing the Saintes in all businesses during the conflict they haue here with the Deuil the worlde and Flesh. But as it befalleth the poore Doue in her flight that sometimes for the letters sake is aymed at of the enemie and somtimes shot thorow euen so it bendeth these church-doues which Christ sends foorth with his word Not only be they continually aymed at but also by the dartes of wicked men smitte thorowe not so much because they hate the men as their mâ—nâ—stration the message of God committed vnto them Buâ— this must not be wondred at seeing so they dealt with the Lord of life before vs. So much for the commendations giuen by Christ. Now foloweth the praise which the church returneth Lect. XVI My welbeloued behold thou art faire and pleasant THE Church herein laboureth to expresse the conceit she hath of her Messiahs feature And this she doth first by returning backe the word Iapheh faire vnto him as if shee should say I am Iaphah but that falleth out because thou first art Iapheh my fairenesse springs out of thee who art indeed the fountaine of spirituall beautie Thus Christ commendeth his grace in her and she praiseth him for the cause of that grace Such are the amiable speeches that intervene betwixt Christ and the faithful But here the church stayeth not for she addeth another Epithete of loue saying Thou art Nagnim turned of the Greekes hôraios which implieth the very Spring or flowre of beauty a terme farre beyond the former Whereby appeareth that there is in him a greater measure of beautie then is powred vpon the church And this falleth out because he hath receued the spirit beyond measure we in measure he is God infinite we mankind finite And all in Him must bee considered for surpassing beauteous as a flowre in the spring or budding is of more repute then in the full ripe-time For in the first is an expectation of beauties-growth but in the second of beauties consumption or Autumne But because we should be so neerely couered with his beauteous shine as may be his God-head hath assumed our Manhood and to it he hath wedded himselfe for euer Whether our vessell receiue more or lesse of his diuine beames of his budding beautie springing feature wee are Christs and Christ is Gods things present and thinges to come they are all ours God make vs thankfull Eyther of them hauing praised each other in seuerall speeches in the next place they ioyne heart and hand and with one voyce ioyntly they thus shutte vp the first section of their diuine Song singing Yea our Bedis greene The beams of our houses be Cedars our Galleries of Fyrre GRegorius Magnus doth so distinguish the sentences and respecting the matter I cannot disallowe it This ioynt-speach containes a glorious report first of the place of spiritual conception secondly of spirituall education The place of conception lieth in these words Our Bed is greene wherin by Bed the place of conception affirmed to be Greene is intended the churches fruitfulnes by conuersing with the spirit of Iesus by whose ouer-shadowing a spirituall seed is begotten Alluding herein to a greene florishing tree which either hath fruit vpon it or at least ministreth hope of fruit in due season bicause such greenenesse is a testimony of a vegetatiâ—e spirit or life within it In the first Psalme a blessed man is therfore compared to a tree whose lease is greene and whose fruit appeareth in due season but here the fruite is not so much the liuelines of faith for bringing forth good workes as the fertilitie of children that is of spirituall sons and daughters arising from the wombe of the Church specially of the Gentiles The Euangelicall prophet seeing this it causeth him to crie out The desolate hath moe children then the married wife adding because of the multitude Enlarge the place of thy tents let them spread out the curtaines of thy habitations And in another place after he crieth by way of admiration who hath heard such a thing who hath seene such things Shall the earth be brought forth in one day Or shall a nation be borne at once For so soone as Zion trauailed shee brought forth her children that is the Sinagogue brought forth the Church For this lumpe followeth the naturall birth of the first fruites Iesus vpon the blessed virgine whereof the Prophet spoke in the next verse before saying Before shee trauailed shee brought forth and before her paine came she was deliuered of a man childe This spirituall encrease of faithfull it is not in the virgin-church without the holy-ghost ouershadow and for that it is here said not My Bed but Our Bed that is the vnion of Christ and his Church is cause of such perpetuall greenenesse and fâ—uitefulnesse Christ by his Spirit is Agent the Church in her senses and affections is Patient he soweth the Seede of his word she as ground receiueth the word into the middest of her heart Thus betweene them both spirituall sonnes
had no being by sundâ—y hundreds of yeares Which teacheth the stedfastnesse of Gods decree the truth of his word that future things are to him present yea that things to come should be to the faithfull as already acted For the Churches acknowledging his voyce it is that wherof our Sauiour speaketh in the tenth chapter of S. Iohn My sheepe will heare my voyce of whom before he hath saide They knowe my voyce How can the faithfull heare and acknowledge his voice seeing he is in the Heauens and we in the earth His voyce is now heard and acknowledged in his written word specially expounded and applied by his ministers For so long as his Canonicall bounds are kept it is not we but the Spirit of our Father which speaketh in vs. And for this cause our Sauiour doometh the acception and reiection of his ministers to be the acception and reiection of himself his father Which as it teacheth how these that be of God will heare his worde so further that his word is to bee acknowledged for the Voyce of the Churches Beloued Nor will the faithfull withdraw their eare from hearing the lawe for such their prayers shal be abhominable â— Prou. 28.9 nor yet hearing it speake euill of it as they would not be found blasphemers of the Holy-ghost But as the faithfull Christs sheâ—p can onlie acknowledge Christs voyce rightly when they heare it so from the mouthes of Foxes Woolues Tygers what can wee expect bâ—t barkings and bawlings against the voyce of Iesus Be not therefore quiet in thy minde till thou finde and feele these twoo markes of Christ in thee first a readinesse to heare his sacred voyce secondly a willingnesse to acknowledge it for the voice of our Beloued And because his voyce therefore to bee accepted sweetly embraced and layed vp in our heart as the Gemme and Iewell of our Beloued sweetest Beloued Christ Iesus Besides the Churches knowledge of his voyce shee knowes and discernes him by his pase And because she would haue al her members to know the same with her shee prefaceth her speach with this word of Attention Behold q. d. Behold how my Beloued comes running like an Hinde First herein I obserue how carefull we should be that others together with vs may heare and see Christ. When Isaiah foâ—esawe him comming to assume flesh he cryes out Behold and when the Angel Gabriel came to assure the Virgine hereof he vseth the same word Behold The Angels would haue vs to behold the Prophets would haue vs to behold and what are we that we will not behold and contemplate Christs comming and the manner of his comming That which here is to be beheld is first his pacing from mountainâ— to mountaine from thence to the hills secondly the speedines of his pace layd-forth vnder comparison His pasing from mountaines downe to the hils thence vnto her in the lowest earth I vnderstand to be his descending by degrees fro the heauens to th earth for the worke of incarnation Oh saith the Prophet that thou wouldst breake the heauens and come downe and here the faithfull foresee in the Spirit that the heauens gaue place and the Sauiour approached by degrees descending as Roes from the Rockes from higher to lower places The Ancients see him comming yea Abraham see his daie though a farre off the end of the Sinagogue and the beginning of the New Testaments church see him come Insomuch as Iohn Baptist put forth his finger saying Behold the Lambe for the succeeding ages of this Church they behold Messiah passed and ascended from whence hee first descended into the lowest parts of th earth Ephes. 4.9 From whence we are to behold him in the next place descending to a newe purpose Before hee came in humilitie to be iudged but nowe in glory to iudge before to suffer in his members but now to be glorified in his members He approached then by degrees so now And that of the faithfull was beheld with comfort so should his second comming now His manner of comming is for the swiftnesse compared to the Roe or Hinde running Asahel for lightnesse of foote was compared to a wilde Roe This Gnasáel or Prepared of God is Messiah prepared a Sauiour in the sight of all people The first ranne till he was pearced in the side so did the second The sight of the first slaine it caused the people there to stand and when should wee stoppe but when we be come to our Asahel In his death let vs rest theâ—e let vs ruminate We runne well when we rest there Woe vnto the merit-monger that ouer-runnes this crosse that seekes rest beyond him for by his blood-shedde are we only saued there let vs rest and pawse in his passion Lect. II. Verse 9. Behold he standeth behinde our wall looking forth of the Windowes shewing himselfe through the Grates THE Church listning and looking after Messiahs approaching in the flesh she in the former verse hath heard and seene him but as a farre off In this verse she exulting-wise seeth him right neere and in the following verses introduceth him familiarly speaking vnto her For the sight of him heere she hath it but in part and as it were but by halfes She being within doth see him but as without vnder her walls looking in by the windowes and the Nâ—tteworke thereof This neere sight and yet imperfect sight may be considered three wayes in the impediments to sight first in respect of the wall secondly of the windowes thirdly of the grates all three betwixt her and him The wal I vnderstand to be the ancient legall ceremonies called of the Apostle a stoppe and the partition wall Eph. 2.14 For Christ and the New Testaments Church were parted by that wall of sacrifices and other Leuiticall ceremonies during the continuance of that ancient Priesthood And in that Argument for satisfaction of the Iewes is the substance of the Epistle to the Hebrewes spent What a stoppe and partition wall it was the Proselites of the Gentiles added to the Iewes but specially the Gentiles seede inclosed in Abrahams people they sawe and felt it with sorrow Ioy and comfort it was to see Christ standing behinde the wall of oblations sprinklings of blood and washings and yet a sorrow to see him so as vnable to embrace him A comfort to see the light of the world behinde the sanctuaries lampes daily burning but a sorrow to see him slaine his blood powred out and his flesh scorched with heauens-fire in the Bullockes Goates Lambs c. slaine and burnt within and without the Sanctuarie of Israel Oh that God would hasten the remoouall of Moses ceremoniaâ—l vaile from his Iewish people that so they might see to the end of all these things namely that they were shadowes of good things to come the substance and end wherof is Christ. The second impediment be the windowes of this wall of ceremonies which I vnderstand to be the golden leaues of the word
in the Church of the Gentiles euen before she was This falleth out by reason of the certaine execution of his decree as also by reason things past and to come are all present vnto him and his Spirite And heereof it is that his spirit very ordinarily in the prophets doth speake offuture things as already existing Nor but for such cause coulde Messiah and his church be introduced mutually parling in Salomons time about a thousand yeeres before Messiahs substance put away the shadowes that so the partition wall broke downe he might espouse the Gentile Which by the way must teach vs to thinke of things to come Gods word hauing taught that such things shall come as if they were already acting nay as if they were already acted Hath God threatned to destroy the impenitent If Noah Iob Daniel yea if Moses and Samuel should rise vp in their behoose they could not turne away the iudgement Hath God promised mercie to the contrite saluation to the faithfull victorie to his Church It is as good as done hell gates cannot preuaile against it For the time of Messiâ—hs absence it lieth in these two points first it should be till the day breake secondly till the shadowes flee away For the day-breake it implieth to the Gentiles onely that time of Messiâ—hs incarnâ—tion whereby the Day-starre from an high did visite vs or as the Greeke readeth wherein the Rising or East from an high did visite vs. Which implieth not so much the Day-starre called Phósphér and Lucifer growne into euill report because of their application to Satan and Nebuchadnetsar as the Sunne it selfe arising in the East True it is that Messiahs starre appeared in the East but that was not an ordinary but extraordinary starre fore-prophecied of by Balaam Iaakobs starre whereby the Easterne Sophies had intelligence of Messiahs birth The last writing Prophet of Israels Church hee prophecying of this Day breake doeth say The Sunne of Righteousnesse shall arise c. This light came amongst his owne but they louing darkenesse more then light laboured by false accusations to darken this Sunne as sackecloth they therefore kill him But the firmaments Sunne pulled in his head as ashamed to shine when the Sonne of God might not shine Hereupon the day did plainely breake for the vaile of the Temple brake asunder and as at his birth hee was highly honoured of the Gentiles so here at his death Pilate a Gentile did honour him with a Kingly inscription against the heart of the Iewes The heathen Centurian and his comâ—any seeing the euents They feared greatly saying Surely this was the Sonne of God With his birth the day did breake with his death the Sunne rose higher but with the Temples ouerthrow by the army abhominable of Romans which was about fortie yeares after his death the Gentiles had the Sunne of righteousnesse further risen vpon their Hemisphere whereof more hereafter Christ being thus as Simeon Iustus termes him a light to Gentiles and a glorious light to Israel it teacheth vs all to shew forth the vertues of him that hath called vs out of darkenesse into his maruelous light 1. Pet. 2.9 Lect. XII MEssiahs absence is secondly laide downe in thâ—se words Tâ—ll the shadowes flâ—e away q.d. retire my Wel-beloued till the nights darkenesse be put to flight till the ecclesiasticall shadowes be chased away by the Sunnes bright rising As Christ was this Sun comming gloriously forth as a Bridegroome so the Law was but a shadow of good things to come the body whereof was Christ Heb. 10.1 Coloss. 2.17 wherein the Apostle may well allude to the shadow accompanying a mans body which sometimes is before sometimes behinde as occasion is ministred by the Sunnes course euen as some shadowes went before Messiahs incarnation some againe followed behinde not vnlike to the two spies of Israel carrying betweene them the cluster of grapes for the Churches comfoâ—â— As the Apostle calleth all a shadow so Salomon here vseth the plurall shadowes because the whole body of tipes would be considered in the particular members For the better effecting whereof I will giue a taste thereof by diuiding all ecclesiasticall shadowes into these three classes or heads Chronologicall Personall Sacramentall By Chronologicall shadowes I vnderstand such as consist in Number By Personall shadowes I intend such as rest specially in some Persons By Sacramentall shadowes I conceiue onely such as consist specially in typicall elements for externall signes for which they haue of ancients beene termed principally Sacraments For Chronologicall shadowes they be I doubt not so many as there be numbers in the old testament the handling whereof would make a large booke yea many bookes But as I am vnable to wade deepe in any part of this argument so for the present I wil obserue some few times or numbers and these also of such nature as this ages sluggard who despiseth this wisedome may be least able to spuâ—ne at The first shadowing number shall be â—ixe which I terme the number of creation In sixe dayes God begunne and finished his workes of creation not because it was of absolute necessitie for God to vse such time but for our instruction for whome both times and creatures were formed One is no number but as the seede of number because all number ariseth from it And for that cause it may well be giuen to God who as he is in esâ—â—nce One so all number hath his being flowing from hâ—m and returning backe againe into him like the Hierogliphick serpent which turneth his taile round about into his mouth And that is cause why Christ God doth terme himself Alpha and Omega the first and last of the Greeke letters the beginning and endâ—ng Two is the first number three the second and this Three is not onely made glorious in the first three dayes worke with a glorious light before Sunne Moone and Starres were created but also is closely inferred in the third word of the Bible Where after Breshâ—th Bara in the beginning created there followeth Aeloâ—im God but informe plurall together with the third place secretly teaching a pluralitie of persons that is a sacred Trinitie in Vnitie In three dayes moe heauens and earth are with their whole host perfected and therefore the number 6. well tâ—rmed of Diuines The perfect number or number of perfection But what may 6. in the naturall creation figure or shadow forth Beda Rabanus and others shall in effect answere for me These sixe dayes do insinuate the sixe ages of the world wherein a mysticall worke shal be finished represented by the former naturall worke The first age is from Adam to Noe the second from Noah to Abraham the third from thence to Dauid the fourth from Dauid to the transmigration to Babel the fift from thence to Christ the sixt from Christ to the worlds ending Some others doe also diuide the world into sixe ages but with some difference from the former ancients in
innocencie to the very death Iob 27.3 4 5 6. howsoeuer in some other things and respects our owne mouth shall condemne vs and our owne garments make vs filthy Iob 9.20.30 31. For to make euill good and good euill it is the worke of the diuel and the building of Babel a Tower of confusion Touching the comparison drawne from Kedars tents and Salomons curtaines it may well be conceiued that shee vnderstandeth both of them to be amiable and loue-some For Salomons curtaines none doubts it but else for Kedars tents diuerse take them to be a demonstration of her blackenesse as the other of her comlinesse and this is their reason the Kedarites dwelt in tents and open fieldes where all was exposed to the parching Sunne therefore more like to set forth her blackenesse True it is that they dwelt in tents pitched in the desart exposed to Sunne and all other weather Yet take this withall it was Arabiaes desart and they were very rich and glorious For this doe consider these places Ezek. 27.21 Ier. 49.28.29 Isa. 21.13.16.17 besides humane histories who largely treate of the excellent precious things of Arabia deserta and of the plenty thereof Solinus Polyhistor feareth not to say Aliena non emunt vendunt sua They buy not of others but sell to others All which weighed I rather thinke that besides blackenesse matter of desire is also vnderstood q.d. True I am blacke as Kedars tents yet is there in mee precious things for the which I am to be desired euen as Kedars tents haue beene desired not for their outward hue but for the precious gemmes gold and pleasant odours that be couched in them Arabia looked rudely yet by searching it regularly there was to be found precious stones excellent odours c. Yea in it was the Phoenix If so God created such a creature as is onely Male or onely Female or else an Hermaphrodite who because she is euer but One might also well resemble Messiahs Church who after in this Song is saide to be Alone Who may with the Phoenix be burned when she hath finished her testimonie but else out of her ashes ariseth a new seede like vnto Dauid and Christ at first A Worme and no Man which holdeth out the former testimonie through the worlds-desart worse then that of Arabia But to passe by that let vs here learne not to iudge peremptorily vpon outward appearance For if the Naturian could say truely Wisedome oftentimes is couered with a base garment wee may much more say by spirituall Canon that as Christ in outward appeerance had neither forme nor beautie Isa. 53.2 and yet were couched in him all the treasures of wisedome and knowledge Coloss. 2.3 euen so it befalleth his Church and members thereof namely to be oftentimes lacking in the externall appearance and yet otherwise all glorious within for which our Salomon taketh pleasure in her Psal. 45.11.13 And indeede this Kings daughter is rather glorious within then without howsoeuer Papist and Brownist would haue vs to measure it rather by outward appearance the first by player-like paintings the second by supposed Saintings Besides hir egreging the same by allusion to Salomons curtaines which in all probability must be passing worthy answereable to the rest of his glory she teacheth that the graces of Christ Iesus in his Church they exceede all ordinary glory Yea that the gifts of Messiahs spirit they are the Tabernacles curtaines the deckings of the Church the Couert ouer Salomon-Messiah represented by the Douish wings couering Iesus at his baptisme Luke 3.22 Lastly seeing neither the glory of Kedars tent nor Salomons Bed could be discerned otherwise then darkely till the curtaines and vailes were remooued it may put vs in minde of Messiah and the excellent things of his spirit which vnder sacramentall signes and shadowes lie couched darkely yet neuerthelesse by the eye of the soule a beleeuing minde are truely discerned And from hence groweth this diuine axiome The law a shadow the Gospel an Image the substance in heauen For as Ambrose could well say The Emperour being absent his Image hath authoritie but being present it hath none Lect. VII Verse 5. Respect me not because I am blacke for the Sunne hath looked vppon me The Sonnes of my mother haue fumed against me They put mee for a keeper of the Vines My Vine which was to me I haue not kept THe Church of the Gentiles vnto the Synagogue of the Iewes doth herein offer vp first a Petition and then secondly a reason of her Petition The Petition is this Regarde me not because I am blacke q.d. Let not my blacke hew be so much in your eie let not my swart colour be a cause why therfore yee should condemne me wholy and conclude me vtterly vnfitte for Messiah Where wee may obserue not onely her aduersaries forme of Argumentation which was from a parte to the whole from the Accident to the Subiect and so reason our aduersaries The Part is euill therefore the Whole is euill The Accident is discommendable therefore also the Subiect but also we may note the Churches humility euen in her innocencie Shee knoweth her cause to be good and her aduersaries to be bad yet she fretteth not railes not but in all holie meeknesse doth petitionate and humblie intreate her aduerse Sister to iudge rightly of hir Such humility was in Iob being falsly charged by his kinsfolkes such humilitie was in Abraham towardes Lot when Lot should rather haue supplicated to his vnckle his Elder the great father of the promise sealed vp to the Gentiles As Loue wil couer a multitude of transgressious specialy in zealous Brethren so the Soule that is humbled in the owne eies it will not stand vpon these tearmes I am Elder I am Better I haue the better cause c. but for edification sake where hope of edification is not barred vp it will cause a soule to vse soft words to desire reconciliation Yea for maintaining and procuring peace it will cause good Iaakob to present giftes and sweetely to salute Esau. Follow Peace we ought not it to follow vs and that with all men specially with the houshold of Faith Nor can this be followed if wee follow not the meanes Flie from meeke and soft termes flie from intreaties flie from humble gestures and then Peace will flie Vnity will not be Anger will rise Enuy will enter Wrath and Fury will set all the house on fire Thus wee see how Pride is enemy to Peace but Humilitie an appeaser of Wrath a quencher of Enuy a mother to peace and sacred vnion The reason of her Petition lieth in the other part of the Verse and that is drawen from the cause of her Blackenesse And that cause is two-folde the first is externall the second internall The externall cause of her blackenesse is first the Sunne secondly her mothers sonnes inforcing her to forraine workes The internall cause is her owne negligence in not keeping her owne
to iudge of them throughout this song as of incense trees for sauour and as of beauteous flowers for fauour A soule seeing it selfe in it selfe hath cause to cry out of it selfe all vncleane all red as scarlet but if it haue the sight and sense of being in Christ it is to belieue that crimson sins are all washed so white as wooll and that by the blood of that Lambe their garments are made white And with boldnesse such a soule may presse into the diuine presence knowing that the giftes of his owne spirite cannot but to him be acceptable Nor is such perswasion and boldnes the worke of pride but the fruite of Faith euen of faith wherby we haue peace with God The place of Messiahs feeding is amongst these Lillies so that these lillies are properly the place of his food not as some haue taken it the food it selfe Rabbi Selomoh doth thus reade it who feeds his sheep amongst the lillies that is saith he in a fit quiet and beauteous Pasture-plâ—t not vnlike to that of Dauid in ps 23.2 True it is that Christ hath prepared a pleasant spirituall place for the sheepe of his pasture to graze in but here I take it she intends directly the refreshing place which Messiah had chosen to himselfe and that is her selfe chosen to be a Templâ— to the holy ghost an habitation to the mightie God of Iaakob comparing her selfe to a field of Lillies her seuerall sanctified members considered And hereunto Abben-ezra is drawne when not only he saith that the Lord is drawen suaui odore floris iâ—tius by the sweet odour of this flower but also in liliâ—s designantur iusti that by Lillies are vnderstood Righteous persons Our Sauiour by Saint Iohns Ministrie laboured to open the hearts of the Laodiceans Reuel 3.20 to what end That hee might enter and sup with them And is there all Nay that they likewise might suppe with him The same mutuall and ioynt pasturing may be here entended according to that which was in the 1. ch and 9. verse and blessed be they which be inuited to this supper Reuel 19.9 Messiah feedeth amongest these Lillies and the Lillies againe receaue nouriture from him and his spirit represented by the watrie bankes in psa 1.3 He liueth with vs not of vs but we liue both with him and of him Liue with him we doe because the members cannot be seuered from such â—n head Liue also of him we do because not only the earth is the Lords and the fullnesse therof and so all liue of him but also in respect of his body and blood called in the Gospell a slaine carcase whereon as eagles by faith we tire and foster And so the faithfull only feed of him For his feeding with vs it is plaine from the vnion he hath with vs both in body and soule And that is cause that in Matt. 25. he accompteth that which was giuen to his poore members to haue beene giuen vnto him Not because his owne particular body was in them for the heauens retaine that till he come to iudge both the quick and dead nor since his owne particular nature was glorified could it hunger or thirst after bodily refection but in respect of commâ—nion and fellowship with such spiritually through faith his spirit so chaining him and vs togither by the bonds of faith And in such respect he taketh hard fare also with them going downe with Iaakob into Aegipt with Ioseph into prison suffring with the Saints in Damascus Thus hee feedeth vs and with vs He feedeth vs as a father but feedeth with vs as a brother yea as an husband and amiable louer Now to her Prayer Lect. XI Vntill the day breake and Shadowes flee away Returne my Welbeloued and be like a Roe or young Hart vpon the Mountaines of Bether IN this prayer I obserue generally the Churches will conformed to Messiahs wil. That it was his wil to remoue from hir in some fort for a certaine season she had learned from his owne Canonicall word and for that cause she prayes him to retire for the word Sób here and Bèrà ch in ch 8.18 I take to be as synonimies or to haste away according to the fathers decree till the time of darkenesse were ouer-shot assimilating himselfe herein to the yoong Hart on the mountaines of Bether To lack his presence no doubt a corasiue vnto hir but hauing learned that God had so decreed shee desireth him to accomplish his will herein referring her will to his reuealed will A doctrine taught by Messiah when he taught his disciples to pray Thy will be donâ— practised by himselfe when he prayed to his father Not as I will but as thou wilt and a rule whereby euery one that hath a portion in Christ must be contented to walke As a childe ought to referre his will to the Father and a scholler to his Maister euâ—n so and much more then so ought wee to referre our will which is alwayes weake and oft bad vnto God his will which is strong to preuaile and is alwayes goâ—d If loue cannot preuaiâ—e with vs for subiecting our will to his will in all things Then let the feare of his power force it Follie it is to resist him that is stronger Hath he said it quoth Balaam and shall he not doe it And hath he spoken and shall he not accomplish it As if he should say all the world is not able to resist his will to fruâ—â—rate his word for if they wil not ioyn with it for partaking with his mercy they shall be subdued of it for partaking with his iustice As we would be knowne to be of God Christ Iesu let vs be euer found subiecters of our will to his will yea it is a badge of the Church here and therfore cannot in the faithfull be altogether wanting More particularlie here is to be obserued first the time of decreed absence and that is Till the day breake and shadowes flie away secondly The manner of his absence and that is Like a yong Roe on the mountaines of Bether The breaking of the day and departure of the shadowes for Night which is the earths shadow doth depart with the daies breaking it is vnderstoode of some to be the time of the Lawe preceeding Christs incarnation which lawe was nothing else but a shadow of good things to come some others vnderstand it to be the time of the church in this darke miserable worlde specially after Christs ascension Not to meddle with other vnapt collections I meane here if God permit to insist on both these times as both well suting to our former exposition But heere some will aske how can the church of the Gentiles will Messiah to retire vnto the time that Legall ceremonies vanish seeing the Gentiles were no people or church till that lawe was ended I answer God that calleth things that be not as if they were hee by Salomon bringeth
Samson THe next shadow I select from many is Samson or according to Hebrew forme Shimshôn In whom wee will consider first his names signification secondly his calling His name being deriued of Shèmesh it is Sol-eius as much to say in English as his-sunne Amongst the Iudges stirred vp to saue Israel Samson shined as a Sunne in that Churches firmament All of them starres but this Deliuerer a Sunne among the starres casting his glorious lightsome beames through Canaan and Palestina But if we make transition from this shadow to his substance we shall finde Messiah to be that glorious bright Sunne wherewith the Church is environed in Reuel 12.1 c. out of whose Goshen there is nothing but Aegyptian darkenesse This in mystery is that Sunne in Psal. 19.6 Who is like a Bridegroome comming forth of his nuptiall chamber for hee that hath the Bride is the Bridegroome Ioh. 3.29 and he is that Gibbôt mightie strong-man that runneth his couâ—se and none can resist him When the Iewes and Gentiles by nailing him to the crosse and sealing him in a tomb did labour to stay his course they yet preuailed not for his sound went forth to the ends of the earth right quickely Rom. 10.18 Meane time as they abused him on the crosse the very firmamentall Sunne did preach to all the world that the diuine Sonne of heauen was suffering an eclipse in his course At the eclipsing of whose Glory that sphericall Sunne did blush did turne away his light as abashed at mankinde that shamed not to doe violence to the Authour of Nature the beginner and finisher of our saluation In comparison of this Sunne Samson was but a starre for from this Sunne all Churches starres doe mutuate their glittering shine doe deriue their Glory Which Sunne as it hath these fortie yeares together and vpward giuen a large shine in our land by the beames of his Gospel so God grant that our sinnes doe not cause this Sunne to set that wee naile him not in his members on the crosse lest spirituall darkenesse couer all our earâ—h at noone-tide For Samsons Calling it is twofold first Ceremoniall and secondly Morall His Ceremoniall Calling is that whereby hee was immeâ—iately sepâ—rate from the wombe for which hee was called Nazarite His Morall vocation is that whereby in ripe yeares he became a Martiall Iudge ouer Israel For his Ceremoniall title we wiâ—l first consider the Word then secondly his Ceremonie The worde Nazarite of Názar dooth signifie One seperated or exempted from common things to the end a certaine vowe may be performed to the Lord as in Numb 6.2 And indeede our sacred vowes to God will not be performed otherwise then with Henoch and the Nazarite wee seperate our selues from the common courses of Men that so we may walke with God And such perfect seperation was in Christ for which he is so oft of the Holy Ghost termed Nazarite I am not ignorant that many from Math. 2.23 doe affirme that Iesus is termed Nazarite not in respect of the ceremoniall terme but of the Citty Nazaret wherein hee sometimes dwelled And their reason is two-fold first because Saint Mathew saith that his dwelling in that Citty gaue cause why he should be called Nazarite secondly because the Syriak text reades Natsareth with tsadi not Nazareth with zaijn For the Syriaks forme of writing it is not much materiall seeing Translators vse much libertie in proper Names as in the Gospel one and the same word is written diuersly as Gersene Math. 8.28 is Gaderene Luke 8.26 Mark 5.1 so Simson in Hebrew if wee aspirate not Shin is Sampson in Greeke and Samson in Latine Which ouer much respect to the Syriake hath not onely led many to thinke that our Sauiour had the name Nazarite onely from that Citty but also that the towne Nazareth had allusion to Isaiah 11.1 where Christ being prophecied of the Prophet saieth And there shall come a rod forth of the stocke of Ishaj Venétser and a graffe out of his roote or as some will a goodly spring out of his rootes though indeede I cannot see how Netser can signifie a spring except by spring they meane a sprout twigge or â—prig But passing by the Syriaks tsâ— it is sufficient that the originall Greeke in the New testament doth neuer write it otherwise then with z because the Greekes zâ—ia doeth naturally expresse the Hebrewes zaijn not tsadi Nor would it be vnheeded that the Holy Ghost still readeth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Iesus the or that Nazarite rather than of Nazareth Touching Saint Mathew it is true that the people tooke occasion of so terming him in regard of that Citie but doth it therfore follow that the Holy-Ghost made the same to be his Only reason When as Caiphas prophecied that It was expedient one should die for the people vnderstode he as the Spirit of prophecy vnderstood No such matter The souldier percing our Sauiours side he therein fulfilled a prophesie in Zech. 12.10 and yet with no purpose to fulfil that prophesie But in this point the scripture is right copious nor vnto vs should it be strange that Man oft fulfilleth the scripture vnknowing and in aiming at one end dooth accomplish that which the Holy-Ghost applieth to another But to presse the point a litle furder Saint Mathew saying He went and dwelt in a Citty called Nazareth that it might be fulfilled which was spoken according to the Prophets that he should be called a Nazarite in what Prophets is it so said Find that and â—he knot is vnloosed Reade the 4. great prophets and the 12. lâ—sser prophets and thou neuer finds it once In a word the prophecie appeareth in Iudges 13.5 where it is said of Samâ—on the figure Nezir Aelohimijhièh hannagnar and that boy shal be called a Nazarite Which howsoeuer found in this place alone may be said to be according or by the prophets first for that this booke containing an historie of so many yeares must be pend by moe thâ—n any one Prophet secondly it may be so said in respect of the Iewish diuision of the Bible who part the old testament into three bookes or seuerall volumes thus Genesis Exodus Leuit. Numb Deut. do make one booke Ioshua Iudges Samuel Kings Isaiah Ieremiah Ezekiel and the 12. small prophets all they make the second booke Iob Psalmes Prouerbs Preacher Canticles Daniel Chronicles Ezra and Hester make the third booke The booke of Iudges so con-ioyned in the second Volume may wel be numbred within the prophets specially seeing historie includeth propheticall mysterie And that S. Peter plainly intimates in Act. 3.24 when he saith All the Prophets from Samuel and thenceforth as many as haue spoken haue likewise foretold of these dayes Some vnderstanding Ioseph to be Nazarite from Gen. 49.26 where the worde Seperate is Nazir remembred also of Moses in Deut. 33.16 do therfore vnderstand the prophets Mathew speaks of to be Iaakob Moses