tâ—es but the traditions of men as appeareth by ver 22 23. opinions and with the traditions of men you do but mancipate and enslave your consciences in subjecting of them to humane ordinances This oppression of the Saints is a spirituall-bondage typified by the Aegyptian bondage Pharaoh's Task-masters were cruell oppressors of the Jewes so are all spirituall Task-masters which would compell the Saints to worke in their Vinyards and to bear the heat of their indignation and wrarh which is more then the heate and burthen of the day 2. In that the Church is called the Lords vineyard and the false Church and false members are in opposition to the Church of Christ called the vinyards Observe hence The Church is the Lords husbandry Thus Christ comparing his Church to a vineyard calleth himselfe the vine his members the branches and his Father the Husbandman John 15. 1 2. I am the vine and my Father is the husbandman every branch in me c. By this kind of phrase we are taught that the Saints are by the Father spiritually ingraffed into Christ as the branch in the Vine and by vertue of their implantation in him they become the trees of righteousnesse bearing fruit of holinesse by the working of his Spirit in their hearts So the Lord speaks in Jer. 2. 21. I planted thee a noble vine The Lord had taken in the Nation of the Jewes from the world to make it his Vinyard on whom he had bestowed many vinyard-mercies as we may see in Isa 5. 1 2. My beloved Church of the Jewes hath a vineyard in a very fruitfull hill or in the horn of the sonne of oyle that is in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sepivit maceria munivit a rich and fat soile and he fenced it or made a wall about it He by his power defended them against their enemies round about and he gathered out the stones thereof As if the Lord had said I removed those enemies of yours out of the Land or I gave you meanes to cast out them that offend out of the congregation And planted it with the choisest vine or Sorek which is a kind of the best and most laudable vine of all And I built a tower and also made a wine presse in it A tower for watch-men to look to the Vineyard to wit the Prophets and good Kings and a Wine-press to presse the grapes of the Vineyard by which is signified to us the Temple where they offered up their Sacrifices the blood of the Sacrifice being powred out was like the pressing out of the juice of the grape Thus the Lord fitly resembles his Church to a vineyard God hath like an excellent Husbandman enclosed a vineyard and set Christ as the vine in whom all the Saints are implanted and by the shining sun of love and the Howing forth of his Spirit as water he makes his pleasant vinyard a fruitfull garden where he delights to see his own pleasant fruits But my owne Vineyard I have not kept That vineyard which was given me in trust and committed to my charge Hence observe That G O D doth intrust his Church with heavenly treasures The Church calls it her vineyard because the Lord did intrust her with those heavenly mysteries which shee was made to partake of Christ saith to his Disciples to you it is given to know the mysteries of the Kingdome of heaven but not unto others Matth. 13. 11. And saith God Shall I hide from Abraham my counsell The Lord doth intrust his people with precious jewels and with rich treasures of knowledge and revelation of his grace and spirit hee puts a large stock into their hands he lends them talents he makes them his Stewards of all his Laws and Ordinances Hee hath given his law unto Iacob he hath not dealt so with every nation Ps 147. 20. God had not intrusted any other Nation with his Laws and Ordinances as he did them 2. Note That it is a great evill to be negligent in those things wherewith God hath betrusted us This is that of which the Church complains of here and one of the reasons which shee giveth of her blacknesse my owne vinyard I have not kept This is verified in him that received a talent and hid it in the earth Mat. 25. 18. 28. To be negligent in the Lords trust is to be like the unjust Steward spoken of in Luke 16. 1. which wasted his Masters goods but his Lord called him to an account Now when we shall leave Christ to follow Antichrist when we leave God for man when we leave Divine Ordinances for humane Traditions when we leave the substance of Christ's will and follow the empty huske of mans fancie we greatly dishonour God and Christ we give away Christs honour to man we set man in Christs Throne now there is no greater evill then to lift up the Creature and depresse the Creator Thirdly in that the Church brings her neglect as a cause of her blacknesse Observe That the evill of sin is seen in the evill effects that it brings forth Here we see the evill of neglecting of Gods trust in the Churches blacknesse We may see the evill of unfruitfullnesse in Isa 5. 2. 5. 6. I looked for Grapes saith God and it brought forth wild Grapes But what is the effect I will tell you saith God what I will doe with my Vineyard I will take away the hedge thereof and it shall be eaten up and I will breake downe the wall thereof and it shall be troden downe and I will lay it wast and it shall not be pruned nor digged but there shall come up Briars and Thornes and I will also command the clouds that they raine no raine upon it Here is nothing but blacknesse and deformity and we have a complaint of the Church to this purpose in Lam. 1. 18. The Lord is righteous but I have sinned against his Commandement but what is the effect Behold is there any sorrow like to my sorrow my Virgins and my young men are gone into captivity And in Vers 17. Zion spreadeth her hands and there is none to comfort her We might read their sin in their punishment and so God may justly let his people be oppressed by their oppressours when they first yeild unto them in matters of worship and service Lastly in that the false Church and false members are called a Vineyard as well as the true Church and members Observe That those Enemies and false Brethren that afflict the Church they will come as near the Saints in outward forme and worship as possible they can And in this respect the false Church is called a Vineyard as well as the true And so they that serve Baal will offer Sacrifice as well as they that serve the Lord. Balaam went to meet the Lord as well as the trne Prophets Antichrist sits in the Temple of the Lord as well as Christ sits upon his Throne Hence it is the Lord reprehended the people of Israel
the Forrest Vers 3. As the Apple tree among the trees c. 2. The effects or fruits of Christ and they are double 1. A fervent desire in the Church toward Christ I exceedingly delight to sit under his shaddow Vers 4. 2. Christs loving provision made for her He hath brought me into the banqueting house c. Vers 4. This was as a cause of love-sicknesse to the Church upon which follows these effects 1. A patheticall exclamation or suddaine outcry of the Church Stay me with Flaggons and comfort me with Apples for I am sick of love Lastly a remedy follows this disease His left hand is under my head c. Vers 6. 1. For the Churches comparison in these words As the Apple tree among the the trees of the wood so is my beloved among the sonnes In which we may consider fowre things 1. What the Tree is that is here spoken of 2. The place it groweth in to wit in the Forrest 3. The person resembled by this Tree 4. The persons resembled to the place of the trees growth The Apple tree here spoken of is expressed in the Hebrew by the word Tapuach expounded in Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Inde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Malus arbor malum fruct us by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Latine Malus Some thinke that Malum an Apple comes from Malum evill because sin came first into the world by eating of an Apple But others unto whom I incline think that it comes from Malo I more will or desire because it is passing pleasing to nature it being a fruit which man much desireth and delights in An Apple tree is commended to us in these respects 1. For its comfortable shaddow that it giveth as appears in the following part of the Verse it being a tree of a spreading nature 2. It is very fruitfull as likewise appears in this Verse the Apple tree is fruitfull above all the trees of the Forrest which bring forth no fruit or else they bring forth wild harsh and sowre fruit not fit for food 3. The Apple tree hath more variety of fruits then any other tree whatsoever so that it can hardly be reckoned up how many various sorts of Apples there be and that of different tast 4. It is very pleasant in tast 5. It is very sweet and refreshing unto the sense of smelling as thereby a quickning power is conveyed into a fainting weake body Now by this is held out the plentifull supply of grace in Christ flowing downe upon all his Members Hence Observe That the Saints find a sweet supply of all grace in Christ For looke of what use and comfort the Apple tree is to mans body the same and much more is Christ unto the soule Christ is a shaddow of protection unto his people fruitfull in his communicating of grace he aboundeth in variety of all his graces his fruit is good to the tast and sweet unto the sences of the soul cheering and comforting those that are weake by communicating of those graces to them Christ hath in him sufficiency of all grace relative and suitable to all conditions as Job saith that he was eyes to the blind and feet to the lame and a Father to the poore so is Christ made every thing to Believers in proportion to their wants As Elisha when he raised a Child to life Put his mouth upon the Childs mouth his eyes upon the Childs eyes his hands upon the Childs hands still similar parts were applied to similar so doth Christ apply himselfe to us in a relation suting and answering to every necessity This of the Apple tree Secondly the place of this Apple trees growth it is among the trees of the wood or of the Forrest or Grove among wild trees begrowne over with mosse and without culter trees that bring not forth fruit meet for man that are either barren or else they beare wild sowre bitter and unsavory fruits such as is food for Hogs and wild Beasts rather then for man Such is the state of all the Sonnes of men by nature for so saith the Apostle in Rom. 11. 24. that we are wild by nature not as we were first made but as we were corrupted in Adam and so derived from him to his posterity and therefore he saith we were graffed in contrary to nature That is we are ingraffed in to Jesus Christ by some means which is above nature Now Christ far excelleth in beauty fruit and comfort all the Sonnes of men Thirdly the person affimilated to the Apple tree it is Jesus Christ the Churches Beloved from whom shee receives life health and every saving grace of the Spirit The Hebrews expresse Beloved by the word Dod which is the same in signification with David as was hinted before in Chap 1. 13. Christ is the Churches Beloved he loved her first therefore her duty is to love him againe and therein shee faileth not although shee be not able to love him so perfectly as shee ought nor in such a measure as he loveth her Fourthly the persons resembled by the Forrest trees they are termed Sonnes not sonnes of men yet the adjunct of men may be added and so it may be meant of all the Sonnes of Adam whom Christ far excelleth as it is said of him in Psal 45. 3. Thou art fairer then all the sonnes of Adam The Church considers Christ not exalted but here on earth in his estate of humiliation not sitting in the Heavens but pitching his Tabernacle among men And therefore it cannot be that Christ is here compared unto the Angells which are called the sonnes of God Job 1. 6. unto whom in this estate and in respect of taking our nature and for the suffering of death was somewhat inferiour Heb. 2. 7. but in respect of the former similitude of the trees of the wood we may understand it of all earthly creatures as the Kings and Potentates and wise men of the world these are called sonnes as the peoples of the world were called Daughters in Vers 2. Thus the King of Assyria is likened to a Cedar in Lebanon under whose shaddow dwelt all great Nations Ezek. 31. 3. 6. And Nebuchadnezzar is likened to a tree strong and high under which the beasts of the Earth dwelt c. So the Church doth extoll her beloved above all the great ones in the world he being the Prince of the Kings of the Earth Rev. 1. 5. These things remembred let us see what is inferred First Observe That all men by nature are like the Trees of the Forrest which bring forth nothing but sowre bitter and unsavory fruit All the fruits that man produceth by any naturall ability it is like the fruit of a wildernesse wild bitter and unsavory Secondly Note Christ is the Churches Beloved Christ loved us and gave himselfe for us he loved us when we were not yea when we were his enemies we were reconciled unto him hence it is that the Saints love Christ Thirdly Note That
godly Master Borroughs the Dung-cart that goes Mr. Borroughs in his Moses Choice through the City into which every one brings his filth and casts in So that it is as much as if the Apostle had said we are despiseable and odious to the outward view of the People and loaden with reproaches and revilings not worthy to be accounted of or esteemed among men yea as men not fit to live in the World But comely Hence Observe Though the Saints are black in themselves yet they are faire in Christ Else they were not fit to match with Jesus Christ it is confessed they are black of themselves but when Christ comes to marry the soule unto himselfe he putteth a kind of divine lustre and beauty upon it whereby he makes it glorious like himselfe yet it's true that we have sinned and have come short of the glory of God but Christ restoreth this glory in us againe this is that the Apostle telleth us when he saith Christ loved the Church and gave himselfe for it even as a Husband giveth himselfe unto his Wife but to what end doth Christ thus give himselfe unto his Church That he might sanctifie and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word that he might present it to himselfe a glorious Church or Spouse not having spot or wrinckle or any such thing but that it should be holy and without blemish Ephes 5. 26 27. And againe he saith Col. 1. 22. Christ hath reconciled us in the body of his flesh through death to present us holy unblameable unreprovable in his sight The Saints are thus glorious in the eyes of Christ in two respects First in respect of Justification so they are absolutely faire and compleat in him They are absolutely freed and discharged of sin being cloathed with Christs righteousnesse they shine forth most gloriously in the beauty thereof And in this sence the Church is pure and undefiled in this World and yet not free from sinfull imperfection But still we must remember our beauty is not connaturall with us but it is a derivative and a borrowed beauty the Saints who are the Members shine in the glory and dignity of him that is head and the Church who is the Spouse of Christ shineth in the beauty of him who is her Husband Secondly the Church is comely in sanctification shee is not onely faire from Christs fairnesse and from his imputative righteousnesse but also in those graces which shee hath received from Christ even in those inherent graces infused into her soule by the Spirit of grace Sanctification is a restoring of the Image and of the glory of God in mans heart making of it conformable and like unto the image of God so saith the Apostle Col. 3. 10. Having put on the new man which is renewed in knowledge after the Image of him that created him Now the new man here spoken of is nothing but the changing of the will to holinesse and righteousnesse wherein consisteth the image of God Secondly in that the Church doth set forth her fairnesse by opposing it against her blacknesse Observe That the Churches fairnesse appears the more in that it is opposed to her deformity Thus it is in nature those that are beautifull appeare to be so most of all when they are compared to them that are deformed As that which is evill appears to be more evill when it is set against that which is good so that which is good appeareth to be more good when it is set against that which is evill The Apostle saith That sin by the Commandement became exceeding sinfull Rom. 7. 13. The Law saith he is holy just and good and sin wrought in me death by that which is good That is by the Law Was that then which is good made death unto me God forbid saith he but sin that it might appeare sin That is being opposed to a holy Law And so the Apostle speaketh in respect of the grace of God Where sin abounded grace 〈◊〉 much more abound Rom. 5. 20. That is grace did not onely countervaile with sin but above measure out-passed it So that if sin reigned unto death even so might grace reigne unto eternall life The power of grace appeareth to be most potent when it 's opposed to the power of sin As black spots in the face make it shew the fairer so the deformity of the Church makes her beauty to be the greater It must be excellent beauty that must cover such deformity it must be infinite and divine beauty that can make the Church in the middest of sin and sorrow say I am comely As the tents of Kedar as the curtains of Solomon Now forasmuch as the Church doth illustrate her blacknesse by the tents of Kedar or by those that dwelt in those tents who though they were black in colour yet very rich in precious things as gold and precious gems Observe That though the Church be deformed and blacke outwardly yet shee is very desireable and beautifull inwardly Notwithstanding Kedars tents were not desireable yet Kedar was full of riches and substance for which it might be desired So the Saints although they are disesteem'd by the world yet they are desireable of Christ The Kings daughter is all glorious within Psal 45. 14. That is shee hath her heart adorned with divine grace as faith hope love c. The Apostle prayed that the Ephesians might be strengthened in the inner man and that Christ might dwell in their hearts by faith Ephes 3. 16 17. And again he saith in 2 Cor. 4. 16. For this cause we faint not but though the outward man perish yet the inward man is renewed day by day By the outward man is meant our bodies our persons and condition by nature which is much depressed by sin and misery and by the inner man he meaneth the regenerate part which is renewed by the holy Ghost and also strengthened daily to beare pressures and afflictions The Temple at Jerusalem was a type both of Christ and of the Christian Church and the greatest glory was inward in the holy of holies and all the glorious Vessels in the Tabernacle did prefigure the glory of the Saints 2. Whereas she doth illustrate her beauty by Solomons curtains observe The graces of Messiah are farre more glorious then all the glory of the world The curtains of Solomon unto which the allusion is made must needs be very glorious answerable to the rest of his glory Wee read in Scripture that there was no glory in the world comparable to his glory the Queen of Sheba was astonished when she beheld it Also we may understand by the tapistry or curtains of Solomon all the glory of his house of which we read of 1 King 10. 1 2. How surpassing them must the glory of those graces be which Christ adorneth his Saints withall whereof Solomons curtains was but an earthly shadow or type Now if the spirituall comelines and beauty of the Spouse now in
himselfe hath decked them and he doth not so much regard their spots and deformities because he hath by his sanctification and cleansing washed them all away and made his Church glorious to himselfe not having spot or wrincle Ephes 5. 26 27. He will cleanse us by the washing of water by the word it is a promise of free justification and sanctification by faith in Christ And the Apostle John tells us That the blood of Christ washeth us from all sin 1 John 1. 7. That is from the guilt of all sin and also from the filth and staine of sin And Paul in Tit. 2. 14. he hath purified unto himselfe a peculiar people That is he hath separated and consecrated a people holy for himselfe zealous of good works And Christ's blood purgeth our Consciences Heb. 9. 14. Now in that Christ hath washed and purged his Church he hath demonstrated the greatest love and liking unto her according to this we have an expression in Revel 1. 5. where the Apostle saith that he hath loved us and washed us in his blood The greatest demonstration of his love was in that he shed his blood for us for the cleansing of us from our sins Thus the Church is made faire and beautifull in the sight of Christ even by the washings of his blood Againe shee is beautifull in respect of all those graces that Christ hath endowed her withall as faith love hope patience and the like In Ezek. 28. 7. the Prophet mentioneth the beauty of wisdome And when the Church shall obey Christs voice and forsake her owne naturall corruptions it is said he taketh delight in her beauty Hearken O Daughter and consider and incline thine eare forget also thine owne people and thy Fathers house so shall the King greatly desire thy beauty c. Psa 45. 10 11. Thus much for the proposition the comparison follows Thou hast Doves eyes Concerning the comparison betweene the Churches eyes and Doves let us inquire first what these eyes be secondly wherein they be compared to Doves The Hebrew word that signifies an eye doth also signifie a Well or Fountaine because the eye is of a watery 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Oculus pe synecdochen aspectus quia aspectus est in oculo Per metaphoram fons ex quo tanquam ex oculo aqua efluit constitution and because it is the greatest in let to evill of all the Members of the body and it being the cause of much sin and misery therefore God hath placed in it the greatest tokens of sorrow and lamentation The eyes of the Saints may be referred to these three sorts they be Corporall Mentall or Personall 1. The corporall or bodily eyes be externall instruments seated in the head as the windows of nature having lids for drawing up or letting downe according as the inward sense instincteth Unbridled eyes are said to be full of adultery 2 Pet. 2. 14. And eyes beholding strange women Prov. 23. 33. The eye is an inlet to filthinesse and uncleannesse hence it is Job saith he had made a Covenant with his eyes Job 31. 1. 2. For mentall eyes they be the inward senses of nature as Imagination Phantasie Conceit c. all these have their seat chiefly in the head commanding all the externall senses as they please All which senses are comprehended in the word Minde now as for the naturall man he mindeth earthly things Phil. 3. 19. And therefore the Apostle enjoyneth the Saints to be renewed in the Spirit of their mind Ephes 4. 23. and that according to the Creation that is in righteousnesse and true holinesse The mind is the eye of the soule so that he meanes not a bodily change but a change but a change of the faculties of the soul and that of the highest faculty namely the understanding and reason By which also the Spirit of God doth work upon all the inferiour faculties 3. For personall eyes they be such as be imputed to be such in respect of their Office and place and such are the Ministers of Christ those that have received some excellent gifts from the Lord as in 1 Cor. 12. 12. 17. If the whole body were an eye saith the Apostle where were the hearing The Apostle speaks this lest any should be discontented at the meannesse of their gifts in comparison of others and also sheweth them that if it were so as they desired to wit that all should be quall one to another in the gifts of the Spirit there would be a destruction of the whole body for it could not be a body unlesse it were made of many Members knit together and diverse one from another Now Magistrates they should be eyes to the Common-wealth and for such as the Lord hath cloathed with his Spirit for to administer the word of truth such are as eyes to the Church of Christ Now I might come to examine what Doves be to whom these eyes are resembled they are Birds well knowne amongst us and therefore need no personall description A Bird of a right simple carriage and a feeder of the best graine whose Song is mourning very fruitfull and one that constantly returneth to her own home and very faithfull unto her mate Now here Christ commendeth the Church for her eyes because if they be faire they doe easily cover the spots and deformities of the rest of the members of the body He seteth forth the simplicity sincerity humility meeknesse but especially the spirituall chastity of the Church setting forth not only her inward affection but also her outward appearance so that the Church hath no unchast looks or countenances of which we read somewhat in Psal 44. 17 18. 20. but contenteth her selfe with Christ her only Husband and even as the Dove when she hath chosen a match shee keepeth her selfe unto him only and looketh not upon any other according as the Philosophers write and affirme of them Hence observe That the spirituall chastity of the Saints is very beautifull and pleasing thing in the eyes of Christ The Lord doth not onely commend the beauty of his Church but also praiseth her spirituall chastity for indeed her spirituall chastity is a great part of her spirituall beauty The chastity of Virgins is much to be commended and a thing requisite for all Christians to possesse their vessell in holinesse Thus also is the spirituall chastity of the Church very commendable and comely when the Church can be said to be a chast and pure virgin given up unto Christ Now as there is the filthinesse and uncleannesse of the flesh so there is a spirituall whoredome often complained of and condemned in Scripture Then as in marriage the Bride-groome doth much delight in the chastity and simplicity of his Bride so the faithfull soule being married unto Christ there is chastity required a thing delightfull in the eyes of Christ The Church of Christ then must not looke after others or commit spirituall whoredome with any but shee must keep her faith hope
grapes That is of wine made of Grapes Arius Montanus turnes the Hebrew according to the Letter thus Vnderprop me in the Flagons and so the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Fulcite me in lagenis Arius Mont. next words Comfort me in the Apples that is amidst the Flagons and amidst the fruit for the Text hath not the particle Eth with but the letter Beth which fignifieth in among sooner then With. And you may take the sense thus is if the Church should say O my welbeloved vouchsafe that thy Ministers towit thy Prophets Evangelists Apostles Teachers c. may apply unto me with all care and dilligence all the cordiall promises of the Gospell these are the full flaggons of that spirituall wine which onely can cheare and comfort me who am ready to faint and swoon amidst this divine Banquet my senses being weake to sustaine the strong odour of thy graces unlesse sustained by some spirituall assistance from them that are able sweetly and comfortably to apply the promises of the Gospell unto me Hence Observe That the promises of the Gospell yeild most comfort unto the Saints when they are sweetly applyed unto them The Church here desires to be sustained with flagons of the wine of Christs grace and consolation distributed unto her soule It is the explication of Christs excellency and riches and the applying of them to the hearts of the Saints that brings comfort peace joy-unspeakeable and full of glorie Hence it is that the Apostle saith Vnto me who am lesse then all the Saints is this grace given that I should preach among the Gentiles the unspeakable riches of Christ and make known unto all men what is the fellowship of the mysterie which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God who created all things by Jesus Christ to the intent that now unto Principalities and powers in heavenly places might be made known by the Church the manifold wisdom of God Ep. 3. 8 9 10. The Apostle doth testifie that he was to display and reveale the hidden mysteries of Christ unto the Gentiles by which meanes principalities and powers to wit the Angels who are very desirous to looke into and contemplate the manifold wisedome of God and the dispensing of gifts and graces in Christ to the Saints even these Angels might have a new proofe of the wisedome of God by the preaching of the Gospell Thus for the first request of the Church The second followeth Comfort me with Apples The originall Rapad signifieth properly to spread abroad as a bed to lye on so it is used by Job when he saith I have made my bed in the darknesse Job 17. 13. that is I have spread or prepared my bed wee may read it spread me a couch bolster me up or strow me a bed It was their manner then to strow their beds with hearbes or to stuffe and bolster them up Now the Church meaneth the same thing by these Apples laid as it were under her as in the former words by the flagons for they used beds at banquets and feasts Amos 6. 4. Or it signifieth her falling into a swoone and then shee alludeth to the custome of men who when others are swooning or fainting are wont to put strong smelling things into their nostrels so the Church meaneth that for her comfort and refreshing and restoring her againe as it were from death to life she would have the sweet smelling Aples to wit the comfortable doctrines and fruits of Christ that are brought out of Christs treasury both held and applyed to her that by that meanes she may be recovered Hence Observe That the only meanes to recover and refresh a soule that is ready to faint for want of the feelling of Christs love is to apply the sweet promises and consolations of the Gospell unto it For here the Church being inflamed with the love of Christ that she 's ready to swoone and faint in the middest of the banquet as it were for longing after her beloved crying out with patheticall exclamation Stay me with flagons comfort me with apples The Church having requested some aid and help shee rendreth a reason and declareth what is her distemper For I am sick of love Here wee have the reason of the Churches sicknesse enlarged from the cause thereof namely love she was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Aegrotavit infirmus fuit in languishing with desire to enjoy the comforts of her beloved The word cholah signifies sicknesse or weaknesse so by this speech may be meant her want of feeling and enjoying the presence and comforts of Christ for such is the condition of the Church often Now love is one of the strongest affections and therefore the sicknesse arising from it must needs be very sore as may be seene in the example of Ammon who was sick of love for his Sister Tamar 2 Sam 13. 1 2 c. now this sicknesse growing from love let us consider what love is It is an affection or motion whereby the will is inclined with desire of some good thing with a strong desire after the fruition of that good which is propounded to the soule The cause then by which the heart is stirred is the goodnesse of some object propounded to the sense and by the sense propounded to the heart Now then wee may understand the cause of this sicknesse to be either First The sence and feeling of Gods wrath due to her for sinnes and the curse of the Law according to that in Psal 90. 8. where the Psalmist saith Thou hast set our iniquities before thee our secret sinnes in the light of thy countenance Whereupon it is said The Inhabitant shall not say I am sick the people that dwell therein shall be forgiven their iniquitie Isa 33. 24. when their sinns were forgiven their sicknesse was healed Hence Observe That the apprehansion of wrath due for sin causeth sicknes in the soule Christ tels us That the whole need not the Physitian but they that are sick Matth. 9. 12. Sin-sick sinners will enquire and seeke the Physitian of soules The sense of miserie is the primum mobile the first mover that sets the soule in fainting and longing after Christ for when the soule findes it selfe in darknesse without light lying under the guilt of sinne and not able to deliver it selfe this cannot but make it looke out for it selfe and seeke with great importance for a Saviour The Dove could find no rest for the soale of her foot till she returned into the Arke The Saints are very impatient of Christs absence for he may withdraw himselfe for a while he may withdraw his light and comfort from the soule though he take not a way his love yet he may suspend the Acts of his love he may seeme to frowne he may so abscond and ecclipse his love that the soule for a time loseth sense and feeles not its owne happinesse Now when it is thus Christ seemes to be gone the comfort and assurance of his
and withall siignifying how she is afflicted and pricked with them as with Thorns In this verse we have Christs comparison betweene the Church and such a Lilie as growes among Thornes Now let us consider First What and who is this Lili Secondly The Thorne Thirdly The love Fourthly the Daughters First what this Lilie is it may necessarily be concluded of the Church notwithstanding Christ himselfe was compared unto the Lilie in the former verse It is not unusuall in Scripture for Christ and his Church to be set forth by one and the same thing Christ is called the light Joh. 1. 7 8. his Church is called the same Matth. 5. 14. So in the former verse Christ is termed a Lilie which for a new consideration the same terme is given unto the Church and that in these respects First in respect of spirituall beauty the Church is compared to a Lilie that is white of colour and very beautifull The Church is washed and sanctified and justified in the name of Jesus Christ 1 Cor. 6. 11. Secondly The Saints rely upon God as Lilies are said to be glorious by his providence Why care ye for rayment saith Christ learne of the Lilies of the field how they neither labour nor spin yet I say unto you that Solomon in all his glorie is not clothed like one of these Matthew 6. 28. Hence we should be taught to relie wholly upon God casting all our care upon him Thirdly It is incident to this delicate and daintie flower to grow among the perverse and unbeleevers the Saints as Lilies flourish and shine among the Thornes Hence it is that the Apostle saith Wee must be blamelesse and pure as the Sonne of God without rebuke in the midaest of a naughty and crooked generation among whom yee shine as lights in the world Phil. 2. 15. Secondly what and who these thornes be is easily decided The naturall thorne is no tender herbe or flower but a sturdie hard Tree not smooth as the Lilie but knotty and full of dangerous pricks who these thornes be let David declare in that he saith The wicked be every one thornes 2 Sam 23. 6. where the word wicked is expressed in the originall by the word Belial which well declareth the nature of wicked men for that they be as some expound the word Beli. gnol without yoake that is such as will not come under the yoake of obe di ence Others derive it of Beli and Gnalah not ascending because their matters prospered not or because they were such as ascended not to the Temple nor to Mount Zion the Tabernacle of the Lord. Such base earthly spirits such beastly rude libertines they be these Thornes Now wicked men are compared to Thornes and that in these respects First Bryers and Thorns were the fruit of God's curse upon the earth Gen. 3. 17 18. So are the wicked men of the world Secondly Bryers and Thornes they are of a perplexing nature being full of dangerous prickles such thornes are the wicked who are continually pricking and fretting and galling the people of God Hence it is that when the Lord promiseth to free his people from such he saith There shall be no more a pricking bryer to the house of Israel nor any grievous thorne of all that are round about them that despised them Ezek. 28. 24. Thirdly Bryers and thornes the best use that is commonly made of them is but to hedge and fence in So it is that God often times makes use of these Bryers and thornes for the good of his people so as by this meanes he keeps them from wandring and stragling abroad as Cattle doe out of unfenced pastures Thus the Lord tells his people in Hosea 2. 6. Therefore Behold I will hedge up thy way with thornes and make a wall that shee shall not find her paths A like place we have in Numb 33. 55. If yee will not drive out the Inhabitants c. Those which ye let remaine of them shall be pricks in your eyes and thornes in your sides and shall vex you in in the Land wherein you dwell Fourthly The end of bryers and thornes is to be burned Heb. 6. 8. they shall be dried and made fit fuell for the fire and at last burned for which see 2 Sam. 23. 6. They shall be burnt together Such will be the end of all ungodly ones and such as dye in their sin Who would set the Briars and thornes against me in battaile saith the Lord I would goe through them I would burne them together Thus we see what and who these thornes be and in what respect wicked men are so called Now it followeth that we enquire concerning the love here spoken of 3. The love here spoken of is the Church as before 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Socius amious 〈◊〉 in Chap. 1. 9. My love companion or fellow-friend who loveth Christ because he loved her first 1 John 4. 19. and whose love is kindled by the flames of Christs love The love of Christ is as a lilie among the thornes 4. and lastly as for these daughters amongst whom she converseth they be as thornes by Daughters may be meant the great multitudes of people as the Scripture mentioneth The daughters of Babylon Psal 137. The Daughters of Iyrus Psal 45. So here we may understand multitudes of false brethren hard hearted and knotty conditioned being full of prickles such as are very offensive to the Saints This then is the condition of the Church of Christ though she be as faire and glorious as the lilie yet it is allotted to her to suffer persecution and hard entreaties of the wicked even as Christ did before her Christ is a lilie in the open fields of Sharon exposed to the wild Beasts that be there so is his Church as a lilie among thornes by whom she is persecuted and prick'd but yet she remaines passing glorious and beautifull though among thornes VERS 3 4 5 6. As the Apple tree among the trees of the wood so is my beloved among the sonnes I sat downe under his shaddow with great delight and his fruit was sweet unto my tast He brought me into the Banquetting house and his banner over me was love Stay me with flagons comfort me with Apples for I am sick of love His left hand is under my head and his right hand doth imbrace me IN the two former Verses we had Christ praising of himselfe and his Spouse upon which the Church in these fowre Verses doth returne praise to him again as he set forth her praise that shee excelleth all the daughters as far as the lilie excelleth the thornes so she commendeth him that he in dignity surmounteth all the Sonnes as far as the Apple tree excelleth all the trees of the forrest The Church doth declare Christ's excellency 1. By comparison she compareth him with all other for beauty fruitfullnesse comfort and delight unto the Apple tree above all other trees which bring forth no fruit but are barren in