watchmen for the people because they abused their office For many ambitious men creeping into the seate of the Church were ashamed of the humilitye of Christ Which al thinges are truely verefied in the Romish Church where the Pope challengeth to be Oecumenical and vniuersal Bishop of the whole Churche and so is noysome to all churches And woulde to God this noysomnesse had onely kept it selfe at home in Rome had not also infected some Christian Churches But such is the misery of our times thorough sinne as we can witnesse of manye troublesome watchmen which count them selues so in the Church of God in many places Yea the noysomnes of that Romishe crew hath sore annoyed the Churches beyond the seas and ceaseth not to trouble and vex our Church of this lande by sending out their Seminary Papists and scattering abroade that Viperous brood of the Iesuites which greatly molest our Church and land through their seditious and traiterous practizes that they might bring the spouse eueÌ„ the church of England in bondage againe to that daungerous whatchman the Pope which I hope shall neuer be For hee ceaseth not to smite and wounde where soeuer hee can reach and to disturbe the true Spouse of Christe Iesus For he playeth the roynish ruffler with the Spouse where soeuer he becommeth and all his complices and adhearentes are troublesome watchmen and smiters Furthermore there are some other which for want of warrines smite the sincere professors and their fellow brethren wounding them either with doctrine misapplied as Ezek 13. or with complaining of them as Amaziah did of Amos. Amos. 7. Or by open reproch or some such kind of Ishmaeliticall persecution Othersome as the Brownists if I may so terme theÌ„ they smite all spare none yea the carefullest Preachers are most charged of theÌ„ as reuolters c. they seeke after a sort the subuersion of the whole state Finally many vngratious men of a filthy life and seruile nature which pretend som better shew for the time seeke to occupy the roomes of the Church which are manye times sooner admitted a room I know not by what negligence and grosse ouersight then they which are careful to discharge a conscience in that calling But would to God that they in whose handes it is to reforme would bend themselues to root out such loytering idle and loose men out of the Church But thus the vanitie which SolomoÌ„ noted in the world is to be séen Folly is set in great excellency and the rich set in the law place I haue seene seruants on horsebacke and Princes walking as seruants on the ground Ecc. 10.6 For many vile and vnworthy persons as I said are crept I know not by what ouersight into the Church liuinges Ruffians gamesters fornicators idolaters popish prelates idol ministers as Esay speaketh domb dogges belly Gods Isai 59.10.11 2. Pet. 2.13.14.17 louers of filthy lucre wels with out water empty cloudes wandring stars c. also sectuaries Famelists or Louists many other vnworthy persoÌ„s are set on horseback when many worthy meÌ„ for their learning Godlinesse grauity yea as Solomon calleth them princes are fayn to go on foote like seruauntes For so many blinde Dolts of the Country Ploughmen and artificers thorough Symmony and corruption steale into the liuinges of the Church that the learned and meete persons in the Vniuersitie which shold be called foorth are fayn to be without place Which happeneth partly by default of Patrons which make not conscience of the Lordes people partly by other corruptions but howsoeuer it be the poore soules of the people are in extreame hazard thereby and the people for the moste part see not their owne misery and therefore pitty not themselues nor vse any prayer to the Lord in such causes wherein lyeth the cheefest daunger of soules so as both people and ministers in many places conspire to murther and spoyle their own fouls For if they may haue an honest quiet man as they term him and a good fellow they are best with such a one though he hath no graces from the Lord méet for that honourable and high ambassage which is a lamentable case And the Lorde punisheth the neglect contempt of oure times with the iust plague of the famine of their soules in some place As Hoshea mentioneth chap. 9. ver 7.8.9 The dayes of recompence are come Israel shall know it The prophet is a fool the spiritual man is mad for the multitude of thine iniquity therefore the hatred is great The watchmen of Ephraim shoulde bee with my God but the Prophet is the snare of a fowler in all his wais hatred in the house of his God So that they exercised hatred in the Church bringing such as desire to be taught in to coÌ„tempt to be wondred at as Owls in the day time being made a sign to nod the head at euery man hath a pul at theÌ„ raising vp scornful reproches lies troubles vexations against the godly Esay 8.18 yea they lift them vp on the scaffolds of the worlde as monsters among men to be displaied and laide foorth to contempt as Esay in his time complayneth I and the children whom thou hast giuen me are as signes and wonders in Israel by the Lorde of Hostes which dwelletb in mâ—â—nt Sion Of the one side diuers harsh spirites vnder the pretence of zeale for the reformation of the Church which all the godly hartily wish for and procure in their callings what they may they doe sore assault the Church and the tender consciences of such simple ones as they can preuail with rashly condemning all thinges and seeking soule good thing after an vngodly and vnlawfull manner as the Brownists and such like which labour to alienate the mindes of men from their teachers and from the worde and Sacramentes in the Churche of this Lande because of their priuate dislikings whome I would wish to learne more modesty I speake not to discredite any but to wish men to be wise and stayed in their zeal without rashnesse But thus the saintes of God are tryed by diuers means and haue many repulses in their comming on and by these means some that shold be the watchmen smite the spouse and pull of her vaile playing the rufflers with her Which as it is not without the Lordes witting but by his prouidence so it shal be reuenged vpon them by the same God when he shal take the cause of his church into his hand here we sée then that the church somtime findeth greatest lets and hurts at their hands who should chiefly preferre the cause of the church yet these watchmen they go about the city to visit but to what end they are painful as many now a daies can haue nimble eies to spy out the best forwardest not to further theÌ„ but to hinder them Now let vs sée what the spouse doth in these lets afflictions she groweth not blockish neither waite on other to doe
dumpes a while that after in his good time hee might the more recouer our zeale loue fayth hope patience and waiting on the Lorde that wee may say with Dauid Psal 77.7.10 I sawe it was but mine owne infirmitye In which Psalme Dauid speaketh of greate tryalles and so causeth his Sayntes to make so muche the more of his mercy and fauour howe much the more Sathan and our incredulitie seeketh to hide it from vs. And this hyding of Christ is described here of Solomon by the figure of louers which sometime by shewing of strangnes one to the other mak one the more faine on the other Likewise Christ by his strangenes somtimes kindleth the desire of his saints the more towards him So Christ shewed himself strange to the woman of Cananea was of a verie grown countenance not vouchsafing to answere her a while Math. 15.22 and when hee answered it was as a man would thinck a verie churlish answere but al was to stir vp and trie her faith Somtime also Christ séemeth to leaue his church afflicting it so that when it séeketh after him he séemeth to be awaie Which somtime dismaieth the Godly they thinck that the Lord neglecteth them as Dauid complaineth Why hidest thou thy face in the needfull time of trouble and againe Why art thou so far from my health from the teares of my complaint The like complaints he maketh Psalm 89.46 to the ende and Psalm 69.17.18 And this last manner of Christes holding off by afflicting his Sayntes doth amaze them when they see the Churche of God left in the Bryars and the wicked tryumphing For wee thinke that the Lord put vp too many iniuries at the handes of his enemies I sought him but I coulde not finde him c. See how the Spouse though in a maze and mammering at the absence of her loue yet lingreth after him and seeketh out for him but as yet she findeth him not neyther will hee aunswere when shee calleth This should not discourage vs or put vs off from inquiring after God though he seem to absente him selfe for a time and though wee haue not out of hande the knowledge fayth zeale loue obedience or that measure of repentaunce which wee woulde fayne haue yea though we haue often craued for some grace at the hande of God wayting long for it and yet he seemeth to denye it vnto vs in not graunting that grace which wee pray for yet let vs not giue ouer but still pray and euen wrastle with the Lorde till wee obtayne the blessing For God deferreth off long sometime before hee will heare that hee might trye oure Faithe for hee will bee tyed neyther to time meanes nor measure so as wee muste not prescribe him neither when how or how farre he shall graunte oure requestes onelye lette vs still bee inquiring after him and calling vppon him seeking him whereas hee is to be founde euen in his word and when hee is to be found which is so long as hee maketh offer of his grace by his worde This inquiring after God is a part of his worshippe as wee may gather from the contrary Zephany 1.5 where God threatneth to cut of al that sought not after God nor inquyred for him So then wee see what a damnable state all those are in what so euer they are which doe not seeke after God aright in his word and are not daily inquiring after his will to do it but rather turn themselues away wilfully when the Lorde seeketh to finde them As they doe which contemne the woorde will not heare it or hearing it are not mooued with Zeale to followe after God and walke in his wayes increasinge in the knoweledge of his will but thinke it euen a drudgerye to bee compelled or called on to heare the woorde or at leaste waye counte it a needelesse thing But let vs bee stirred vp beeloued to vse all meanes wherebye wee maye shake off all suche lettes as hinder vs that wee maye open vnto Christe and seeke after him euen then when hee seemeth as it were to bee turned asyde that we maye neuer let him slippe vtterlye from vs nor giue him cause by our scornefull behauiour to departe from vs leaste wee after seeke him with teares when hee will not be founde Thus at this time we haue seene some of the letts of the spouse too morrow if God will we shall see the rest so far as time shall permit The Lord our good God make all this fruitefull vnto our Soules that wee by his grace may ouerstride all lettes to imbrace Christe and seeke after him so as hee maye abide with vs for euer by his grace here and we abide with him in his Heauenlye Kingdome for euer and euer Amen Let vs pray c. The third Sermon IT followeth in the seuenth verse The watchmen that went about the Citie found me they smote and wounded mee the watchmen of the wals tooke away my vaile from me We heard yesterday concerning the lets in nature which hindred the Spouse in her comming on and how many stayes men meet with al in their Christian calling Also we haue seene that the spouse for slowing the time had some what to do afterward when she would faine haue found her loue that he with drew him selfe for a time which was some trouble to her And sure it is when men driue off long or they come to the obedience of the Gospel it is a corzie to them when they are called to see how they driue off the time with the lord God correcteth such slackinges in his saints by many means Well here the spouse inquiring after Christe her husband and hauing ouer stryded al lets in her selfe maketh report what lets shee found abroad in others And how the malice of the false and enuious teachers burst out aganst her that they abused her greatly Some vnderstand this of the Godly teachers that they found the Spouse and smote her with reprehensions of the worde and tooke away the vaile of her ignoraunce from her But because she still inquireth for her husband and louer and that of others of Ierusalem after for that she could not be satisfied by the watchmen which rather hindred her I take it therfore without question to be ment of the wicked teachers which are so farre from helping forwarde of the Godly that they pine at the zeale and diligence of Gods children labouring to disgrace them and hazard their profession to discredite among the wicked pulling off their vaile dealing roughly as roynishe rufflers to boysterous to handle or louingly intreat the tender Spouse of Christe Iesus Yea some are not ashamed to saye none are worse then those great professours and these that talke moste thus they strengthen the hands of the wicked and raylers opening the mouthes of the enemies to blaspheme euen the Gospell it selfe discountenauncing the true seruauntes of God causing them to mourne whome the Lorde hath not caused to mourne Ezek. 13.
CERTAINE VErie worthie godly and profitable Sermons vpon the fifth Chapiter of the Songs of SOLOMON Preached by BARTIMEVS ANDREAS Minister of the word of God Published at the earnest and long request of sundrie well minded Christians ESAY 62.6.7 I haue set watchmen on thy walles O Ierusalem which all the day and all the night continually shall not cease yee that are mindfull of the Lord keepe not silence And giue him no rest till he repayre and vntill he set vp Ierusalem the praise of the worlde 2. TIM 2.19 But the foundation of God remayneth sure and hath this zeale The Lord knoweth who are his and let euery one that calleth on the name of Christ depart from iniquitie AT LONDON Printed by Robert Walde-graue for Thomas man 1583. TO THE RIGHT honorable and my very good Lorde Henrie Earle of Huntington Lorde Hastings Hungerforde Botreaux Mullens Moyles of the most honorable order of the garter Knight Lord president of the Queenes Maiesties councel established in the North parts Bartimeus Andrewes wisheth increase of all true honour and the fruition of all those blessed promises which concerne this life and the life to come Amen BEING at the last ouercome right honorable by the long and earnest request of diuers Godly and wel disposed christians to yeeld my consent to the publishing of this to homly and simple a worke I forthwith was resolued in my selfe to dedicate the first fruits of my labour in this kinde of wryting vnto your honour as to a most worthy MECOENAS and conuenient Patron both of all learning and good causes And albeit at the first blush it may seeme some what straunge vnto your honour that I should presume to present you with so simple a gift being vnworthy the view of so honorable a personage and wise Yet because I do it not as one expecting anye temporall benefite or preferment at your hand as the maner of the worlde for the most part in such matters is But as a token rather of my speciall good will and duety towards you and an argument of thankfulnesse vnto God for his graces in you as also to minister some occasion of increase and going forwarde with constancy and Heroicall spirite in so good gracious and Godly wayes as you haue turned your feete to steppe in already I perswade my selfe therefore of your facile and curteous nature and good will in accepting of the same And euen this small duety of wryting is one point of the honouring and gratifying of our betters and those to whom we stand charged from the Lorde to perfourme duties of reuerence and honour Especially when we see the Image of God by the seconde creation to shine in them as it doth breake forth in your honourable and vertuous brest by many worthy and commendable graces and vertues with the plausible approbation fame and report both of the wise and Godly I speake not this as one that would fill the trompe of flattery with the winde of vaine-glorious praise to seeme to speake for your honour to the worlde for that is not my maner sith your vertuous religious and Godlye wayes speake for them selues to your great commendation and your euerlasting praise in Christe Iesus But I speake of the worke of God in you right honorable that God might haue his iust glory in his owne worke and your selfe might also be incouraged with comfort to proceede and increase in that good course so as the worke of God which is begun might be perfited in you For sure it is my very good Lord that the enemy of mankind seeketh to beset as all men so specially those whome the Lorde beginneth to frame to him selfe but chieflyest those that are as it were ouer frayghted with the aboundaunce of the troublesome affayres of this present life by reason of their great calling For they whom God calleth to so great honour riches and dignity are as one wisely wryteth set vpon the mayne sea of occasions in daunger to bee drenched and swallowed vp of the tempestuous rages and surging waues of diuers temptations if the Lorde doe not mightely by his grace support and vnderstay them But when God standeth by them and frameth their heartes to the loue of his truth then doth he reape great honour and glory at their handes VVhich he highly priseth and reckoneth off insomuch that he hath honorably spoken of such by his Prophetes that they shoulde bring much glory to his Church Esay 49.23 60.16 and be nursing fathers and nursing mothers therevnto yea the glory of LEBANON euen of great personages shal come togeather to beautify the place of my sunctuary saith the Lorde for I will glorify the place of my feete Esay 60.13 For the seruice which such shoulde doe to his Church was not a seruile condition but a beautifying of his Church as it is there called and a glory euen vnto him selfe And vndoubtedly blessed are those Princes Nobles honourable and worshipfull who them selues imbracing and obeying the truth sincerely become presidentes and examples in their owne persons to allure others to the fellowship of the church to the loue of the worde and true religion For the fall or vprising of many after a sort dependeth vpon the publique persons whom God hath lift vp in high places ouer others Insomuch as the eyes of the multitude are bene vpon the examples of publique persons Furthermore wee see from time to time howe the Church of God not without great cause accounted highly of such personages as those by whom they receiued speciall blessings from the Lorde So the church of Israel Psal 21.6 made precious account of DAVID that worthy Prince as one that was set of God as blessings for euer Meaning as a benefite and testimony of Gods fauour vpon his people EZEKIAH NEHEMIAH Neh. 1. 2. Hag. 1.14 Ier. 40. 2. Chr. 35.25 ZERVBBABEL GEDALIAH c. were great blessings to the Church who greatly lamented the losse of thē Also IOSIAH his death was lamented with a doleful lamentation of al the church of IVDA And sure it is that our Church hath great cause to magnifie the mercies of God towards vs in trusting vs with so gracious a IOSIAH as our Soueraigne Princesse ELIZABETH as by whose gouerment the church hath receiued many blessings The losse of whome if our sinns should procure which the Lord keep far from vs would yeeld no lesse occasion for vs to complayne and say then the Churche of IVDA had Lamen 5.20 at the death of IOSIAH when they sayd Our life the breath of our nostrels the annoynted of the Lorde vvas taken in their nets of vvhome we sayd vnder his shadow vve shall be preserued aliue among the heathen Herevnto god hath added further matter of ioy and thankfulnes vnto his Churche in that many nobles worthy personages of this land both learned Godly and wise among whom your honour hath not the least roome are faythfull Patrons of the cause of
lowe a course should seeme as a starie borrowing light from others and yet so as giuing light to some But because God hath his glory aswell of the interiour plances and fixed startes in their order and degree as of the Sun and the great lights in their excellencie I doubted not but was perswaded that in my calling degree measure place assigned me of God I should both do good and be helpful to the simple at least ignorant if not to the learned and also should bring some glory vnto that God from whom I haue receiued that vvhich I haue Casting mine eyes therefore of from the scornefull reproches of the worlde from the malice and enuie of the caâ—pers and from the suspitious heart of them which suspect all things and finally from the regard of mortall men my heart being directed to the Lord on whom onoly I waite mine eyes turned toward his Church whoÌ„ I dearly tender in the Lord I was forced to yeelde to this worke which I haue taken in hand yet so that after the request of many which hard these fewe Sermons that follow not with out some comfort and profite as they saide I yeelded to trie what I coulde doe in penning of them as I vttered them so neere as I could after which thing done and beeing seene of some althoâ—gh I neuer thought to haue it passe out of my hands yet had I it not onely coppied out by others but also I was exceedingly charged by them that I should dishonour God in concealing of the thing and should doe great iniurie to many soules which might reape special comfort thereby themselues being witnesses against me of that comfort and benefite which they should want by the withholding therof insomuch as it was likely to be preferred vnto publishing without my knowledge or consent if I had not yeelded For which causes I haue taken in had to prefix these few words Humbly intreating that no man misiudge of this my poore trauaile Now if any marueil at these long excuses preceeding any other matter it is therefore that I might satisfie the godly in rendring a reason of the publishing hereof being of my selfe timerous and suspicious of mine owne workes as such which I recken vnworthy the publike view of men But God grant it may profite the simple and godly at least for whose sake I haue chiefly done it Also of the otherside to staye the mutterings of the malicious enuions suspitious men Now in that I haue laboured so neere as I could to pen it downe in such maner as it was vttered by me hauing some notes of the same deliuered vnto me so as by the reason of the exhortations the matter will seeme more rarely a great deale in reading then when it is vttred with liuely voyce and godly zeale vvhereby it hath the greater force to moue being the ordinarie meanes appointed of God to saue men yet because writings do longe seede memorie then vvords spoken they vvhich wanted the vse of the first shall yet haue the benefite of the vvritten letters to their longer remembrance I am therfore humbly to craue of the christiaÌ„ reader that thou accept these first fruites of my labor in this kind of vvriting if ther be any thing vvorth the accepting as I hope and am persvvaded thou shalt finde them not altogether barin though the homlinesse of exhortation and basenesse of style may want plausibilitie to some yet the matter vvill sauour comfortably to those which are seasoned vvith grace and in whome God hath begun in deede a true Christian calling and humbled in a true sight of themselues so as they are able to surueie their owne hearts and to discry their vvants and infirmities The first part of the chapiter the calling of the chuâ—ch or faithfull and are therewithall carefull to make supply of their vvantes by thirsting after grace the means wherby the same is offered conueied into the faythfull For my labour was in the handling of this fifth Chapiter of the CANTICLES to lay forth as I could the calling vvhereby Christ calleth his Church and faythfull to the participation of his heauenly riches and the suite which he maketh to bee entertained of his Church with some reasons of waight annexed vnto his suite to make it the more forcible that men might be made priuie vnto the means of their calling which is the first part of the Chapiter in generall Then secondly I haue noted hovve the faythfull come on by degrees and in what manner they obey their Christian calling The second part the maner of their comming on or obeying of their calling what stovve proceedings they make vvhat lets they meete withal how they hang of and on a long time with the Lord or euer they conclude and make vp the match with him in their heartes Novv though these things are displayed in figures and presented to vs in darke speeches by SOLOMON yet shall vve by the grace of God see the sence meaning and vse of them by the Scriptures In these two parts of this chapter with the particulers that shal be noted out of them in the processe of the matter I doubt not but vvhosoeuer shal read with a single eye vnto the ende shall finde both instruction and much comfort to his soule and conscience therein For in the first Sermon and part of the second the suite of Christ calling his Churche to obedience and to the pertaking of his grace is handled with such reasons alledged by him as might mooue any tractable nature to yeeld vnto his suite The other three Sermons with most of the second are spent in shevving the manner how the godly come on in their calling how they obey First the lets which the saints of God meete withall And first the manifolde lets and incumbraunces both at home in themselues and abroad in others which fetter tye the children of God are discouered hovv hardly slowly they proceede in their christian course yea howe long or they enter into it till the Lord as it were force them forward and finde them out in their delayes Hauing in themselues so many pulbackes lurking in their ovvne nature First lets in our selues which make their hearts so drovvzie and vntovvard as they seeke shifts to â—oorde of the Lorde and not to aunsvvere their inwarde calling and when they are comming on they finde them selues vnfiâ—te slovve and vnapt euen to those duties vvhiche they dâ—sire heartilye to performe whereby they feele sometime this discommoditie that vvhen they seeke after Christ Iesus coueting to bee refreshed and satisfied vvith his Loue they finde him as it vvere stepped aside as thoughe the Lorde absented him selfe from them had reiected them and woulde not bee founde of them For the Cloudes of the infirmities of the Saintes of GOD are so greate sometimes in their ovvne sighte vvhen they are truely humbled and so thicke that they blem sh the sighte of Gods fauoure so
and loose ministery I say therefore againe intreat the ministers of your parrishes and call vppon them yea charge them but reuerently in the feare of God with an humble spirite that they haue care of you to fulfil the ministery inioyned them of the high God vpon paine of his displesure and as they wil aunswere before God for you and your families in the dreadful day of iudgement when they shall giue an account for your soules Heb. 13.17 Oh it shaketh my trembling ioyntes and dissolueth my sinnewes with feare to thinke what woofull euydence shall bee brought in againste the carelesse ministery by the Soules of their charge which perishe for want of instruction when they shall stande vp in plea againste them to testifie vppon their heads saying Ah alas we neuer receiued instruction by our Pastors we maye thanke them in part of our damnable destruction which haue not sought to bring vs vnto God nor taught vs the way of truth nor laboured to turne vs from our sinnes being without knowledg themselues kept vs in ignorance and blindnes flattering vs in our sins But now wo alas Hosh â— 6 we perish because we had not the knowledge of God Me thinkes I see the woeful wringing of handes the trickling teares distilling from their eyes the condemning of themselues by speechlesse silence their heads hanging downe and the diereful dent of doleful death to cease vpon them Yea me thinkes I heare their shiftles shifts their shouting shrames crying out of their damnable estate For what shiftes can they haue before the alseeing and iust iudge of all the world Shal pretence of lawes excuse them if they can say I haue read seruice to them and the common booke of Prayer and done al that law require For herewith they thinke they haue stopped mens mouthes But they slander the lawes of our Prince which require as I suppose most of those gifts in the ministers that should be admitted which Paule mentioneth to Titus Howsoeuer it be ouerseen of those that haue admitted such but lawes of men countenance of Magistrates nor the example of others shal not bear vs out in the glorious and fearefull presence of the great God who shal sit as sole iudge ouer al persons and causes But if thou hast not fedde the Lordes people and preached the Gospel thogh to read the worde is good to read the booke of common Prayer is good yet thou shalt not be excused sith it pleased the Lorde not simply by his word but Through preaching to saue them that beleeue As the publique ordinary means in his Church Yea and the lawes of the realme require such to be admitted as are able to teach 1. Cor. 1.21 2. Tim. 4.1.2 And Paule giueth a precise charge to Timothie to preach the word But some man wil say that I wander from my text to speak thus much of the dumbe and carelesse Ministers I swerue not from it at al. For if the Spouse straitely chargeth them of Ierusalem where God was to be inquired after in his worde to further her to her loue then is it necessarie that the neglect of this duetie in the Pastors which chiefly should helpe that way shoulde be found fault with al especially where their owne daunger is greatest for we know how the Lorde hath threatned such in the law I speake not this of the ministerie that men shoulde insult vppon the same with reproch for our owne loosenesse haue made vs reprochful ynough to the worlde but rather that men shoulde praye for the state hereof the more carefully beeing so deformed Neither doe I speake to whette the tongues of men for it is their glorie to deface the ministerie neyther yet of sinister affection againste anye as the Lorde knoweth But I speake from a heart pitying the estate therof That if it might please God the loose ministerie may see their danger and so be mooued to reforme them selues with grace God grant them Amen And I speake the more of that state now because many are here present of that calling This title of Daughters as it is a Metaphorical speech borrowed from the fellowship of Virgins before their marriage and in the time of their suit as Psalm 45.14 may appeare so also this name of Virgins in the ninth Chapter of the Prouerbes signifieth the Preachers of the worde Prou. 9.2 as Prophetes Apostles c. where wisedome sendeth out her Maidens to call men to her heauenly and riche banquet so the Daughters of Ierusalem may not improperly signifie the teachers in this place For their lips shoulde preserue knowledge and the people shoulde inquire the lawe at their mouthes as the prophet Malachi saith Mal. 2.7 adding also a strong reason to mooue the people to inquire and the pastor to teach because he is the mâ—ssenger of the Lord of Hosts Now shal we think that the Lorde will send vnfit messengers blind men and babes of his ambassage or errande that shall not speake foorth their message Will Princes wisely prouide to send wise and learned men on their ambassage And shal we deny the Lord his wisdome and foresight but we thinke anye good ynough for the Lords errand But al such as they run before they are sent so the Lorde sendeth them in his iustice to punishe the sins of men as we heard before Hosh 9.7.8 Now followeth If yee finde my welbeloued tell him I am sicke of loue The like diligent inquiry after Christ the Spouse maketh Canticles 3.1.2 Read it I pray you where she maketh streight search as for a thing of high price So that she desireth after Christ so much the more how much the more she was beaten backe of others yea she euer languisheth after Christ contemning all other things in respect of him As Paule counted all thinges vile dung in comparison of Christ Iesus These are all speeches of loue she woulde haue the Godly specially the teachers to commend her in their prayers vnto God This speech I am sicke of loue is to discouer the heart and loue of the faythfull towardes Christ that they cannot tell how to loue him ynough The worldly men neuer trouble themselues with this loue neither pine of this heauenlye and spirituall loue sicknesses It is rather sicknesse to the earthly minded men to hear of this loue or to be required to loue the Lord againe But they are meruellous fain of the worlde which is an euil sicknesse as Solomon sayth Well let vs my deare brethren laboure to affect our hearts more with Christ Iesus casting of al lets to studie of his loue and require of all the Godlye and of the faithfull Pastors that they woulde further vs in this loue The Spouse seemeth to be impudent here to spread abroade her loue towardes her Sutor For our louers are ashamed to haue it knowne that they are sicke of loue so also the worlde is ashamed to be sick of loue for Christ Iesus but the Spouse openly confesseth and bewrayeth
her languishing after him This sicknes of loue many sweet souls labour of some that long after the worde hauing it not at home doe mourne for it and are faine to seeke els where for it If many were sick of that disease there were exceeding hope of happy health for such Some poore soules lye panting after Christ and pine for his comfort and residence in them who beeing ouercharged with the sight of their infirmities and seeing them selues so farre behind hand to some worthy persons of the saintes of God also so vnapt to duties and are so feareful of the euidence of their owne sinnes desiring to grow in holinesse and obedience that they thinke euery hower manye dayes till they haue more fully tasted of Christ But to these Christe commeth willinglye and amiablye as one that will not breake a bruised reed nor quench the the smooking flaxe Now followeth vpon this charge a a conference betweene the spouse and the maidens of Ierusalem standing in two questions with their aunswears The conference in two questions with their aunsweres to the 18. verse And secondly the fruites of this conference is noted in the 17. verse as we shal see afterward The first question First questiō verse 9. O thou fayrest among women what is thy welbeloued more then other welbeloued what is thy welbeloued more then an other louer that thou doest so charge vs. Here they of Ierusalem inquire the cause why shee maketh more account of her welbeloued then of any other and what singuler thing shee saw in him more then in other For her zeale had kindled the loue of the Godly And Solomon purposely noteth herein how the Godly seeke to edyfie one the other by religious conference When they adde That thou so chargest vs or causest vs to sweare or takest an oth of vs for so the Hebrew word importeth as else where so in the 13. Chapiter of Exodus verse 19. Where Moses sayth that Ioseph had made the Children of Israel swear that they would cary his bones with thē out of Egypt For this spéeche is of great emphasis and force binding all men by a pryuye othe to helpe forwarde and edifie one another but as I haue noted afore especially the Ministers of the woorde are bounde by a solemne and doubble Othe as it were to expresse their care this way These speeches therefore are to discribe the vehemencye of loue which shoulde bee in the Sayntes towardes Christe that they shoulde neuer bee satisfied with his loue Wee therefore shoulde be still inquiring after Christe in his Church of his Seruauntes especiallye of his ministers who shoulde bee the mouth of God vnto vs till wee encrease and come to a full and perfect age in Christe Iesus Ephe. 4. And truely it can not bee but where the heart is truelye taken vp with the loue of Christe there will bee an excéeding ioye in his word and a desire to enquire of him more and more in the same The wiseman noteth the effect of the word when it is truely resident in the heart Pro 6.22 If my word be in thy hearte it shall leade thee when thou walkest it shall watch for thee when thou sleepest and when thou wakest it shall talk with thee Meaning that when the hearte is possessed with the word then the mind thoughts tongue and members are in some practise of it So Dauid Psa 37.31 The mouth of the righteous wil speak of wisedome and his tongue wil talk of iudgement for the loue of God is in his hart and his goings shal not slide So that the slack hearing of the word the smal longing after it the little ioy to talke of it is a token of very litle loue or none at al towards Christ and they are enemies to the Spouse which being watchmen doe not comfort her shewing her the way to Christe in his word but rather discourage hold her back But let them the truly loue Christ be euer inquiring after him cōforting one another conferring meditating praying stirring vp one another so that by these meanes as the Spouse doth here with the Godlye wee may growe on in knowledge and obedience The minister shoulde alwayes bee Catechising his people inquiring what Christ is what cause they haue to loue and make much of him aboue all other where he is how he is to be found and labour to make them pryuie to all the counsel of God as Paule did Acts. 20. and that from house to house Also th◠husband shoulde be examining and furthering his wife the wife inquyring of the husband I pray you husband sith you should be the mouth of God to me at home helpe me in knowledge let vs often pray togeather let vs read the worde and heare it comforting one an other by it The parents shoulde be trayning vp their Children to know Christ the Masters the Seruauntes For such charge is giuen in diuers places Read I pray you Deut. 4.9 6.7 and 11.19 So that we shoulde by all meanes draw other on by our example And sure it is who so euer doth not helpe to further the kingdome of Christe and the saluation of men after a sort is against him And they are vnworthy to be counted in the flocke of Christe which bestow not their care on him and labour not to gather togeather For our sluggishenesse suffereth the kingdome of God to fall when yet we are all called to further the same He that is not with me is agaynst me sayth Christe and he that gathereth not scattereth abroade Mat. 12.30 But manye which wil seem to offer curtesie to the Lorde bear him good wil in worde yet neuer mooue foote nor bestowe coste nor seeke any way to preferre Gods glory or the preaching of his Gospell neither yet to redresse sinne neither loue those vnfaynedly that feare God And truely I know not howe a man can haue any true perswasion of faith in God and true loue to his neighbour or anye comforte that hee shall perseuere to the ende when hee is not prepared in some measure to suffer with Christe euen in trouble and to further him in Peace countenauncing his Saints to the vttermoste of his power and to succour them when they are any wayes molested and afflicted And when he laboureth not to stand by the ministers of the worde in the defence and confirmation of the gospel which were the effectes and fruites which caused Paul to be so well perswaded of the Philippians Phil. 17. For whē a man steppeth backe from the defence of the gospell for feare of trouble or for losse of his credite goods estimation c. and neglecteth the seruauntes of God in their distresse not vpholding to their power their credite and good estate it is a harde signe of starting aside from God to this present worlde as Demas did I speake this by occasion of the Spouse which stirreth vp other by her zeale séeking help and furtherance of the