under fooâ— 42. moneths In the 13 th power is given to the Beast to domineer 42. moneths A time times and half a time is expounded three yeers and a half Three yeers and a half contain 4â— moneths which make 1260 dâ—ies thirty dayes to a moneth Now for the time of the fall and destruction of the enemies of the Church By the account of Napier it shall be Anno 1639. Brightman faith before 1650. These two begin at Constantines time But I crave leave of these two worthies to begin 35. yeers after theirs my reasons are Fiâ—st they take the man childe to be Constantine and so do I but it is plain in the text that he is first taken up to God before the womans flying into the wildernesse which came not to passe untill 23. or 26. yeers after the death of Constantine Secondly in his time the Church most flourished and had no cause to hide But Conâ—â—antiâ—â—â— bâ—unty and leaving Rome to the Popes government was the cause that pâ—esently Rome grew proud and turned to be the great whorâ— â—or committing â—ornication with errouâ— and ambition â—he conceived and brought forth two sons that werâ— Beasts yiâ— Constantiâ—â— Emperours and Liberiâ—s Pope both Arriâ—â—s These are the fathers and Grandsires of the two Breasts viz. of all the Antichristian Emperour and Popes following So that it was erâ—our and pâ—rsecution which caused the Church to hide her selâ— The greatest difficulty is to know the time when the womans flying began to free my selâ— from envy and â—avill of Papists and Protâ—stants I will begiâ— at tâ—e Arâ—iaâ— councells And I will begin my computation at the horrible decâ—ee and councell of Antioch Anno 365. And add to it 1260 yeers the time of the womans hiding iâ— the wildernesse and the Beasts time of Domineering it makes 1625. At the end whereof I hope the woman or Church shâ—ll come forth as a virgine and Bride trim d for her husband and see all her enemies trod under foot which I pray God the father of all mercies and the God of all comfort to grant c. But I know many will say my calculation is incredible câ—nsidering the Popes and the Emperours late prevailings together with their and the King of Spaines power I answer The whores plagues are to come upon her at a day Chap. 17. which may well be undeâ—stood of a yeers warning or upon a suddain Also if Babylon be and were an Antitype of Rome as it is apparent Babylon was of an incredible strength and greatnesse The walls were 50. cubits thick and 200 high and 380 furlongs in compasse as Strabâ— saith which makes 48. miles The river Eâ—pâ—â—ateâ— ran thorow it The first founder was Nimrod like Romulus branded with the most perspicuous note of cruelty compelling his vassals like the Pope to worship him with divine woâ—ship and after his death to be honoured for one of the principall gods by the name of Saturne Chap. 18. And â—f Romes destruction be described by the name of Babylon and Babylon was destroyed upon a suddain when they were secure Belshazzar was merry in his cups The same night the city was taken destroyed and so may the Pope for any thing I know And if any ask by whom it shall come to passe It is said Rev. 17. that there are ten horns which are ten Kings who shall hate the whore and make her desolate If any demand who these ten Kings are let them reade Maxwells Iury of 24. Prophets whereof twelve â—re canonized by Popes for Saints Bale reckons them seven in England one in Scâ—tland one in Ireland and one in Wales These saith he shall hate the whore and make her desolate But I will cite two or three of Maxwâ—lls Prophets which are most to the purpose First Paulus Secundus and Grebnerus of Misma the Germane Astrologian He foretelling divers strange things which have since come to passe As the destuction and dissipation of the Spanish fleete in 88. The murther of Henry the third of France the preferment of Henry the fourth to the crown The besieging and winning of Grooning in Friezland and the death of Philip the second King of Spaine in his Sericum mundi filum He also doeth deliver that the Lyon having the rose and the lillies on his armes shall utterly destroy the Pope so that afterward there shall never be any more Pope Thus farre Maxwell out of Grebnerus This that follows of Grebâ—erâ—s is taken out of the Originall in Trinity Library Banner 173. The Romane Scepter and Diademe being laid down or taken away from the house of Austria by fatall necessity being oppressed of the Germanes and Forraigners French English Danish and Swevians flocking and flowing together hence and thence Whence shall a horrible bloody and most sharp battell arise wherewith all Europe being grievously shaken shall tremble and being sundry waies rent and wasted it shall be obnoxious to notable mutations and changes To this battaile and to the making of eruptions into the provinces of the Pomeranes Megapolensians and Danes the King of Swevia of that time shall be invited and drawne by the writings of the Legate of the Romane Sea to which if he shall obey he becomes the neerest Companion or fellow of War but evilly and unluckily by that propinquity or â—eerenesse Wherefore I counsell him to leave Suevia in that state he had received it So himsâ—â—â—e his stocke and Posterity shall quietly and peaceably enjoy it being content with their own condition Wherewith they do Governe they shall preserve their Nation and Subjects and keep them boâ—nd to them in duty But if he shall determine with his heart to perswade his people and to draw them from the way the Lord shall take him away by death And so of or from a Charles a Great Charles reigning is made who with great successe and fortune shall rule the Northerne people and as an Enemie fight luckily with hiâ— Navie against the Spanish power and Tyranny and their Navie or Armado And together with other Christian forces conjoyned shall fight stoutly and fiercely But God doth call out of this life the Popish wife of the King from whence the Romane High Priest shall conâ—eive great â—errour which shall the more mâ—rease and presse when Charles the King himself shall oppose Antichrist and bee adverse unto him and shall joyne his forces to the Bands of the Germanes and other neighbours and oppugne or fight against the Spanish Diademe And then the Swevian shall use his Navie with most happie successe and his people by Land and by Sea against the Enemie Bohemia doth feâ—le tumults and warlike noyses with a great falling away of her people At that time the last Caesar of the house of Austria shall put on the nose of the Elector of Saxonie Spanish sraâ—dulent deceiptfull flattering and treacherous Spectacles The nature of which spectacles at laft he knowes and by experience is taught that these spectacles of the house of Austria are colloguing or
were very blaâ—k but not long After 2300 dayes limited by the Angel Dan. 8. 14. The sanctuarie shall be purged Wherefore her beloved delayed not long to aid her but came swiftly from the mountains of Bether whom the faithfull doubted to be farther off So these few verses are an Epitome of the whole history of the Macâ—abees and those books a jâ—st commentary of this place Now that she would â—ot let her beloved go till she had brought him into her mothers chamber thereby is signified this darknes driven away divine worship should be no more interrupted untill Christ came in the flesh The Church is said to bring Christ into this chamber because he descended into it and took our nature upon him for her sake for he is said to do any thing for whose cause it is done Then from the time of the Maccabees to the comming of the Moâ—â—ias the course of Religion was constant which no common calamitie interrupted Not but those times were most corrupt But in the middest thereof was free leave to worship God rightly whereby the Church might nourish her faith and might cherish her self with the sweet familiar acquaintance of Christ V. 5. I charge you O ye daughters of Ierusalem by the Roes and by the hindes of the field that you stir not up nor awake my love till she please This verse sheweth that there should be no great trouble in the Church from the time of the Maccabees till the birth of Christ as was said in the end of the former verse Now there should be silence and a tolerable rest whereby the Saints might be defended in their true studies from fear of their enemies which are here noted by Roes and hindes of the field For though they were come home out of the enemies land and setled in their own proper seatâ— yet they found at home all places full of enemies Now the Romanes oppressed them and Herods tyranny bridled them These wilde Roes caused Gods people to worship him more diligently and to be the more carefull leâ—t with any noise of apparant impiety which only disturbeth our beloved from his rest she should lose the enjoying of him howsoever V. 6. Who is this that cometh out of the wildernes like pillars of smoâ—k perfumed with myrrhe frankincense with all powders of the merchant Hitherto hath been shewed the condition of the Church before the birth of Christ Now what it should be while he lived on the earth This description containeth a prophesie especially of things done from the conception of Christ untill thirty yeers of his age when the beautie of the Church should cause admiration in the beholders Who is this say they which seem to be the words of the legall Church wondring at the excellent smell of the new smoke stirred up For at this time the Church in outward form was twofold The legall continued yet and the Evangelicall was new begun Her threefold propriety was her admirable coming out of the desart her smokie enlarging and increase and lastly her sweet smell She came first out of the desart by the message of the Angel to the virgine Mary living then in Nazareth of Galilee a solitary place iâ— respect of others more frâ—quented And divinely revealed to Elizabeth in the mountaines of Iâ—dea as she testified when Mary came to see her This report is compared to pillars of smoke for as smoke goeth before the flame breaking forth and arising up like branched pillars yet quickly avoideth and vanisheth in the air how thick soever it were So shall we finde this report and mens expectation thereof altogether like unto it As by the prophesie of Zacharie of raising up a horâ—e of Salvation in the house of David Confirmed by miracles aswell of a Son born unto him in his old age as of his speech restored after ten moneths What feare came upon all the inhabitants of the hill country Luke 1. 65. 68. 69. c. This smoke arising in the wildernesse how pleasantly smelt it to all the godly waiting for the consolation of Israel yet foulded up in such thick obscuritie that men could not see the greatest part of it whither the thing so much desired would tend But afterward by the former when the shepherds and the wise men came seeking â—oâ— the new borne King all â—erusalem was troubled Luke 2. 1 8. Mat. 2. 3. Then the branched smoke flew upward breaking forth with such force by reason of the increased heaâ—e that it ascended like a Pillar yet this smoke quickly vanished Not that the Church ever failed but because this rumour ceasing there was so deep a silence from that time untill the baptisme of Jâ—hâ— as if all these things had vanishâ—d into smoke But who can declare how sweet this rumour was to all the godly thirsting for the Messias Simeâ—n taking the 〈◊〉 in his Armes and praising God very joyfully desired to die having obtaiâ—ed that which was most to be desired in this life Luke 2. 29. And truly all Mâ—râ—he Frankincense and all manner of perfumes are unâ—avoâ—y in reâ—â—ect of this sweetnesse Those things which hapâ—ed about the bi r hâ—â—f Christ could not more significantly and briefly be declared Verâ— 7. Behold his bed which is Salomons threescorâ— valiant men are about it of the valiant of Israel Here is described the provision of her beloved before the marriage which is twofold A bed and a Chariot Of the bed is â—rtreated in this verse and the next His bed â—aith she namely her belâ—veds wherein he lay himself alone Not a common bed such as before Our Bed Chap. 1 16. As also speaking of her own â—ed Chap. 3. 1. Wherein her beloved was not found This bed resembles that of Solomons for it was waited on with as strong a guard as we shall see in the verse following Vers 8. They all â—old swords being expert in war every man hath his sword upon his thigh because of fear in the night Here the guard is described to whom the watch and'a custody of this bed is committed Their number and nature was expressed in the former verse Now their readinesse skill and diligence is shewed together with the end of their watching in these words First they are called sword-men ready and strong-men whose vertue feareth no danger Secondly they are expert in war that is to say old hardy skilfull souldiers every one hath his sword Beds are appointed for rest and sleep whereby a man for the time is deprived of his strength and all power to defend himself wherefore Kings and Princes to sleep the more safely ordained watch-men such as Salomon is here said to have had Which teacheth that this beloved all the time that he gave himself to rest was fenced with such a guard as could keep him safe from all feare in the night that is from all secret deceipts which the wicked could invent This time of rest was the whole infancie of Christ which maketh a man no lesse able to avoyd
by Christ the Sonne whereby hee is reconciled to the Elect for ever Mark 15. 22. Here was the sword of that triumphaâ—t Emperor hung about the necke of the Church wherewithall our deadly enemies were slain at once Now we see how this skilfull craftsmam hath painted out the state of the Church so long after his time with more then mortall wit describing the ornaments of her flourishing estate comforting the calamities of her afflicted estate and sweetly rejoycing at the felicity of her estate restored With how divine words hath he comprehended the birth infancy office and death of Christ Here is the last end of the old Church and the beginning of the new For the death of Christ brought that midday wherein the old shadowes utterly vanished never to returne again Verse 7. Thou art all faire my love there is no spot in thee So far of the Legall Church Now of the Christian Church only as it was at Christs resurrection A. D. 34. from thence hath increased unto this day the flourishing condition whereof is declared in these five next verses for Christ departing into the hill of Frankincense by his death and buriall was not long absent but rose early the third day by power of the Spirit and returned to his own with whom he conversed 40. dayes shewing them all things which belong to the Kingdome of God making and acknowledging the Church by his instructions sound perfect and absolute She was never all faire till now she was many times before commended for her beauty and by the divine mercy wherein the Father beholdeth her in the Son she is alwaies glorious Ephes 5. 26. 27. Sanctified and clensed with the washing of water by the Word But now she was in her most pure and flourishing estate Not having spot or wrinckle or any such thing but holy and unblameable Now she obeyed Christ onely adding nothing of her owne neither changing or omitting any of those things which he required to be done and observed This perfection lasted the first 300. yeereâ— though somewhat declining towards the end yet tolerable all that space without any great spot of deformity Verse 8. Come with me from Lebanon my Spâ—use with me from Lebanon looke from the top af Amana from the top of Shenir and Hermon from the Lions Dens from the mountaines of the Leopards The meaning of this verse will be the better understood if we first run over the words Lebanon is a famous hill on the North borders of the Land of Israel Amanus far more Northerly toward the West of Syria being a parcell of the Mount Taurus and stretching to the River Issicus from whence one may behold Syria Mesopotamia Cilicia and all the lesser Asia Shenir and Hermon are two hills on the East side Deut. 3. 9. These hills are called Lyons dens and mountains of Leopards not so much becâ—use wilde beasts did live in them but rather men of fierce and cruel dispositions Heathen Idolaters void of all knowledge and fear of God This inviting then whereby the Bridegroome soliciteâ—h his spouse to look down upon him from these mountains teacheth the propagation of the gospel after Christs resurrection wherby the fierce and cruell nations should be admitted into the Church of God Now the woolf should dwell with the Lamb c. Isa 11. 6. The Church was before shut up in the narrow bounds of Indca The doctors were breasts indeed but they yeelded milk only to the Israelites they were dry to strangers Now the Iewes Gentiles should draw together of the same fountain so that by Christ both had an accesse by one Spirit unto the Father Eph. 2. 18. Christ led his spouse as it were by the hand from Lebanon and the other mountains when the brethren dispersed by persecution preached Christ first to the Grecians Act. 8. 1. and 11 20. At that time he was preached to the Samaritans the Eunuch was baptized and Peter warned by a vision to call nothing common or unclean Act. 10. 15. This joyfull messâ—ge went all the world over but the first report of it flew towards the north and East Philip the Spirit commanding him went neer unto Gaza but straightwayes returned from thence to Azotus Acts 8. Vers 9. Thou hast ravished my heart my sister my spouse thou â—â—st ravished my heart with one of thine eyes with one chaine of thy nâ—ck This eye and chaine are the Church of Antioch enclosed with the mountains Amana and Lebanon who by the labour and diligence of Paul and Barnabas and the working of the Spirit the Bridegroom was with good cause ravished with this eye which shined with so great light yet the beautie thereof chiefly glistered when some contending to have the Law joyned with Christ this Church withstood them and by Barnabas and Paul in the Synod of the Apostles at Ieruâ—alem maintained faith only in Christ sufficient to salvation Act. 15. And then was the chaine hung about her neck when she was firâ—t called a Christian Act. 11. 26. The humanitie of Christ was before the neck of the Church now the name of Christ is the chaine of thâ—t neck And being a Gentile yet is now a sister to the Jewish Church And to shew that she is as deer to him as the Jewish He â—â—lleth her also his spouse Vers 10. How fair is thy love my sister my spouse how much better is thy love then wine and the smell of thine oyntments then all spices Love is taken figuratively for the effects whereby it is shewed Oâ—ntments are gifts of grace which the Father bestow eth on the Church for the Sons sake he acknowledged her love before this time yet now in the space remaining of the flourishing Church in this and the next verse she sheweth most apparent arguments of highâ—st and most unsained love For love that cannot be withdrawn by adversity is ever most precious and pleasant But no times yeelded more matter of triall of constancy then those An. D. 60. c. of Nero Domitian Trajanâ— and the other Romane tyrants who left nothing unattempted that either hatred of the truth might yeeld them or power might perform whereby the Christian name might be altogether extinct But it was wonderfull how the tyrants were wearied with killing and the Christians incouraged in dying So that it was no marvell if these boxes being broken the smell of the oyntments most pleasantly spread it self farre and wide The ten books of Eusebius his Ecclesiasticall history are full Commentaries of this and the next verse Vers 11. Thy lips O my spouse drop as the honycomb Hony and milke are under thy tongue and the smell of thy garments is like the smell of Lebanon The honycomb of the lips is sweetnesse of speech Hony and milk pleasantnes of Doctrine milk is chief among those things that nourish and hony in the faculty of preserving The garments are chiefly the covering of Christs righteousnes with which only the nakednes of the Saints is covered
of juyce not dry and without blood A heape of wheat declareth the belly like a furrow well stored with the best seed which watered and made fruitefull by mixture of the Gobleâ— would at length breake forth into an infinite harvest These things are more plaine with Esay cap. 49. 19. 20. The belly set about with Lillies sheweth that this field unlike other fields shall not be fenced with bushes and quicksets but shall every way lye open and â—e altogether so pleasant not onely in the middle where the more fruitfull increase is wont to be but also in the uttermost borders And moâ—t â—itly also are lillies joyned to the rest seeing nothing is more fruitfull bearing often 50. heads upon one Roote Plin. l. 21. 5. Verâ— 3. Thy two breasts are like two young Roes that are twins Excellent shall this Church be in doctrine whose ministers God shall water with fatnesse Ier. 31. 14 They shall be baâ—e and simple at the beginning like young Roes wallowing in the dust when they are first brought forth for as yet a setled Church shall not be fully gathered together as by the labour of some certaine Apostles who staying in no certaine places shall go hither and thither to Preach according as the cause requireth In the same manner as it was done in the first Church as before Chap. 4. 5. See also what hath beene observed upon Esay at the last verse of the former Chapter Verse 4. Thy necke is as a Tower of Ivory thine eyes like the fish-pooles in Hesâ—bon by the gate of Bathrabbim Thy nose is as the Tower of Lebanon which looketh toward Damascus Merâ—erus doubteth whether there were a Tower of this name Rabbi Selom and the Chaldâ—â— paraphrasts thinke there was And I am of their minde for all these similitudes seeme to be taken from true things and not â—eigned Yea for most weighty causes as anon it will appeare some more eminent places are chosen of purpose for this part of the description This Ivory Tower I suppose to be the Ivory throne spoken of 1 King 10. 18. The neck of the first Church was also a Tower in the same Mount where this Throne was built namely an Armory for David and the warre wherein all the instruments of war were put as before Chap. 4. 4. But this Tower is Solomons of peace not of war of Judgement not of Armour That though triumphing yet afflicted with many troubles of warres This her enemies overcome very easily shall raigne in peace like Solomon for such a flourishing estate doe the Prophets promise this Church all her enemies put to flight Esay 41. 14 15. Ier. 30. 31. Ezâ—ch 39. 3 4. 25. c. Thine eyes like the fishpooles in Heshbon Tremelius translateth it appellatively to most artificiall fish-pooles But I suppose those places to be noted out by name â—â—iefely for this reason that by choosing out of some notable places as we shall see Solomon seemeth to appoint out the territories and borders of that land which the Jewes at length converted to Christ delivered from the Nations and restored to their Country seates shall obtaine proper and their owne But what will ye say dost thou turne â—â—w God forbid I dreame not of that returne which as yet they do That they may renew the Temple restore the Ceremonies and possesse the land in times past promised and given as an earnest of the heavenly These things are eternally buried not worne out by time but utterly abolished by Christ But I speak of a reâ—â—oring to their Country wherin they shall worship Christ according to his Ordinances which is not contrary to Religion every one knoweth and all the Prophets seeme to foretell it with one consent When I think hereof it seemeth no light Argument that untill this day that people remaine although dispersed through the whole world divided and separated from the Nations with whom they live A thing truely wonderfull marvellous but that it appeares plainely to be Gods doing We know the Gothes Vandals Hunnes and very many other Nations forsaking their Countries have also changed their speech names and natures So that were it not for letters they cannot be disceâ—ned from the people of the Country with whom they live But the Iewes like the River Roane in the poole Lausanâ— suffer none of our customes to be fastned on them but in the midst of us keepe their old name and Ordinance would we know the cause First God would have them for the â—ale of his despised Sonne be a â—pectacle to the world then also to advise us leâ—t the people commonly accounted superstitious should perhaps make saving doctrine suspected by their consenting Lastly that he might make plaine his infinite and unmeasurable favour and truth at length in restoring this people We have far digressed from our puâ—pose but not altogether into a strange matter and whereof a briefe Declaration was necessary Seeing then that Heshâ—on is to be properly taken know that it was once a City beyond Iordan common to the Gadites and the Rubâ—â—ites Numb 21. 26 27 28. At first Noble known by the Proverb and once the Palace of Sihon which City seemeth to teach the recovery of their old possession of whose Eastern coast this City is placed as it were the Meere-stone And most fitly are the eyes compared to Fishpooles not so much for the cleerenessâ— which sheweth the brightnesse of the 〈◊〉 as for the abundance of teares flowing from true repentanâ—â— â—â—re 31. 9 18 19. Isay 46. Zâ—char 12. 10. Neither without 〈◊〉 likewise are the gates mentioned by which these Fishpooles are seated which as they are called Bathrabbim the daughters of many or of a multitude most frequented by resort of people so they teach that there shall be at length an infinitâ— multitude of this people gathered to the truth by repentance It might seem harsh to compare the Noâ—e to a Power but that the Counsell of the spirit alwaies puts â—s in minde that things and places are chosen whereby the borders of the land may be decribed â—er 31. 8. Esa 49. 20. The houâ—e of Libanus is famous in the Scripture But that the Tower thereof looketh toward Damascus seemeth to be added for difference sake There were two houses of the forrest of Lebanon one built on the hill as this place plainely sheweth See 2 Chro. 9. 16 17 18. Another at Ierusalem in the forrest not far from the house of Salomon which for likenesse was called the house of the forrest of Lebanon whereof mention is made 1 King 7. 2. For the whole provision wherewith Salomon built this house proveth that to be another from that in Lebanon 1 King 10. 17 21. What need such sumptuous houshold-stuffe in houses so farre a sunder when there was scarce any hope that the King would see them twice But most cleerely Shishack carried away the shields of gold which were found in the house of the forrâ—â—t of Lebanon 1 King 14. 26. It seemeth that house was then