writing thirdly private conference fourthly good examples No Churches unprovided of Presbyters in the plurall number Thirdly the Deacons providing for the poore Act. 6. 3 6. Fourthly both sorts chosen by the Church Act. 6. 3 5. Fifthly Excommunications dispensed upon weighty occasions and with great reverence and with good successe Sixthly Synods imposing no other but necessary things either in themselves or for the present use of the Church Act 15. 26. This comely frame and order of the Chruch Paul beholding joyed in it The Church was now called a Spouse after Christ had taken our nature upon him Come with me from Lebanon my Spouse with mee from Lebanon looke from the top of Amana from the top of Shenir and Hermon from the Lions dens from the mountaines of the Leopards Come with me from Lebanon It is a famous hill in the uttermost border of Israel northward Amana a hill more northward on the west of Syria looking into Syria Mesopotamia Cilicia all Asia the less Hermon and Shenir Two names of the same hill though happely given to divers parts called also Syrion or Sien The Lions dens and mountaines of the Leopards Jerusalem and the Temple in our Saviours time was made a den of theeves and robbers but in the Apostles time after the Ascension the Rulers grew more fierce and cruell spilling the bloud of Stephen and making havocke of the Church So then in this verse Christ cals his Church of the Christian Jewes First to behold from Lebanon Hermon Amana the Church of the Gentiles gathered in Antioch Phenice Cyrene Cyprus c. Secondly to come out from those dens of ravenous persecutors at Jerusalem and to prepare her selfe to dwell among the Gentiles Upon the persecution of Stephen the faithfull wandred into these parts and preached the Gospell partly to the Jewes and after to the Gentiles also whereupon great numbers of the Gentiles beleeved Which when tydings thereof came to Jerusalem it was as the voyce of Christ calling the Church of Jerusalem to send Barnabas to them to see the Churches there and to establish them Afterwards when the Church of the Gentiles increased in number and grace and the Jewes increased and grew up in blasphemy and rage against the Gospell Christ called his Church at Jerusalem to leave those dens and mountaines of Lions and Leopards My sister This implieth that Christ now speaketh not to the mother Church of the Jewes but to a sister Church the Church of the Gentiles such a sister as is also a spouse a true Church now first called a sister by reason of the accession of the Church of the Gentiles Thou hast ravished my heart my sister my spouse thou hast ravished my heart with one of thine eyes with one chaine of thy neck Thou hast ravished my heart thou hast ravished my heart This implies that Christ was overcome exceedingly with the love of the Church for such repetitions imply in the Hebrew Phrase a superlative excellency This Church so affecting Christ was Antioch the first Church of the Gentiles seated betweene Amana and Lebanon for Barnabas seeing the grace of God upon them was not a little glad of it so that his spirit was stirred up to exhort them to continue and grow up yea hee went out and sought Saul to bring him among them and they both spent a whole yeare there and did winne much people so that that Church was first called Christian they first had their husbands name the name of Christ first put upon them for the forwardnesse of his love to them and theirs to him With one of thy eyes The eyes of the Church are severall according as the Church may be severally considered for if the Church be considered as assembled together to publike duties so the Ministers of the Church are the eyes amongst whom they at Antioch excelled as Agabus and others among whom the Lord was especially delighted with Barnabas and Saul who were sent immediatly by the Spirit of Christ to enlighten all the neighbour Countries So they two joyned in one office were as one eye to enlighten all the parts But if the Church be considered in the members apart the eyes thereof are knowledge and faith In this Church faith excelled resting upon Christ alone without Moses his Ceremonies which the Jewes would have thrust upon them With one chaine of thy necke Chaines signified Lawes binding as Chaines Now the Church of Antioch sending up Paul and Barnabas to Jerusalem about the contention which Cerinthus as the stories thinke and others raised at Antioch concerning the necessity of the Ceremoniall Lawes the Apostles or Elders made a Law or decree to abrogate the Ceremonies and yet enjoyne some things partly necessary in themselves as to avoid fornication partly necessary to avoid the offences of the Jews as to abstaine from bloud c. This Law the Apostles and Elders hanged as a chaine upon the necke of the Church of Antioch and other Churches whence that Church received great consolation and the other Churches establishment and increase How faire is thy love my Sister my spouse how much better is thy love then wine and the smell of thine oyntments then all spices How faire is thy love my Sister Sister implies the same and such like gentile Churches whose love is here set forth First by the fairenesse of it Secondly by the strength sweetnesse cheerefulnesse implied in the preferring it above wine How faire and strong and sweet and cheerefull was the love of the Church of Antioch which aforehand prepared a contribution of their owne accord for the poore Saints at Jerusalem even every man according to his ability The like or greater love seemed in the poore Churches of Macedonia A faire love for poore men to send reliefe to others A strong love for deepely poore to send rich liberality yet more strong and sweet to pray the messengers with much intreaty to receive it and a cheerefull love to doe all this in abundance of joy and beyond the Apostles owne expectation This kinde of benevolence the Apostle calleth an odour of a sweet smell it was sweeter and better then wine All this love shewed to the poore Saints Christ takes here as done to himselfe as he will also take it at the last day The decayes of this first love shewes how great this love was at the first The smell of thine oyntments then all spices Oyntments are the graces of Gods Spirit These gave a sweet report farre and neare in those Primitive Churches Thy lips O my spouse drop as the honey-combe honey and milke are under thy tongue and the smell of thy garments is like the smell of Lebanon Thy lips O my Spouse drop as the honey-combe honey and milke are under thy tongue This commendeth the Doctrine and Ministry of those first Churches in
of Babel and returne into into mine owne countrey Though Cyrus was an heathen and knew not Christ the beloved yet the Church in Cyrus saw the hand and voyce of Christ using Cyrus as an instrument for deliverance whence Ezra saith the Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus For loe the winter is past the raine is over and gone That is first partly it was now spring time of the yeare the winter and raine were now over which else might have hindered travaile Secondly the metaphoricall winter of Babels captivity and all the stormes of it were blowne over whence it is the Caldean word is here used to signifie this winter not the common Hebrew word The flowers appeare on the earth the time of the singing of birdes is come and the voyce of the turtle is heard in our land Which with the words following is First partly a description of the spring time which invited them to this journey Secondly partly a setting before them of such conveniences which like to the spring time might invite them to this journey The flowers appeare on the earth That is even they of the people of the Countries amongst whom they sojourned they both First praised God for their deliverance Secondly furnished them with gold and silver and other usefull things for their journey The time of the singing of birds is come To wit that the Priests and Levites should now sing and praise God in their owne Countries which they thought unseasonable to do in a strange land The voyce of the turtle is heard in our land That is of Christ the faithfull spouse of his Church who is mourning in Judea because he findeth not his Mate the Church there The fig-tree putteth forth her greene figs and the vines with the tender grape give a good smell That is the chiefe of the Fathers and Elders of the people they shew themselves forward to countenance the journey and to prepare for it Arise my love my faire one and come away Being twice repeated it argueth the people were slacke to leave their states which they had planted themselves in at Babel and therefore stood in need of calling on againe and againe O my dove that art in the clefts of the rocke in the secret place of the stayers let me see thy countenance let me heare thy voyce for sweet is thy voice and thy countenance comely O my dove That is my chaste innocent and faire spouse That art in the clefts of the rocke in the secret place of the stayers That now dost worship me in holes and corners Let me see thy countenance let me heare thy voyce Let mee see thee assembled into the face of a Church in my Sanctuary let me there heare thee calling upon mee singing praise to mee speaking my word For sweet is thy voyce and thy countenance comely First the voyce of the Church at one and the same time First rejoycing in Gods wonderfull mercy Secondly weeping and bewailing partly First their owne unworthinesse Secondly the decayes of the Church in regard of former times Take us the foxes the little foxes that spoile the vines for our vines have tender grapes That is restraine the foxes the little foxes the enemies of the Church of greater or lesser power such as were the Samaritans These spoiled the vines hindered the proceeding of the building of the Temple and the peace of the Church And therefore Tobiah said truely of himselfe and his fellowes that they as foxes going upon the weake foundation of the walls of Jerusalem might easily demolish the same Yet these foxes in the end were taken and restrained First partly by the Edict of Darius Secondly partly by the hanging of Haman and his sons and the destruction of some other of the Jewes enemies My beloved is mine and I am his The Church enjoyeth familiar and comfortable Communion with Christ these enemies being quelled Shee feedeth among the lillies That is among pure and faire Christians all corruptions being weeded out both of strange wives of usury of right of the Levites maintenance and ministration and prophanation of the Sabbath Untill the day breake and the shadowes flee away turne my beloved and be thou like a Roe or a young Hart upon the mountaines of Bether Turne my beloved That is returne often to visit and succour me As a Roe or a young Hart upon the mountaines of Bether That is swiftly and speedily Bether being neere to them on the other side Jordan as who should say Though thou sometime turne from us yet be not farre but ready ever and anon to returne and succour us Untill the day breake and the shadowes flee away That is till Christ come and the Ceremoniall shadowes vanish Use 1 First this teacheth us that in all the instruments of the Churches deliverance we should see and discerne Christ speaking and working in them See here the Church lookes not at Cyrus so much but at Christ in him Doe they heare a rumour of a deliverance It is the voyce of Christ and it must needs be a strong voyce which Christ is the author of The wisest Daniel Shadrach Meshach and Abednego they say it is Christ and all the rest yeeld and the Church sees Christ come skipping Doth it see Cyrus about the wals She sees Christ there Doth she see Cyrus shewing himselfe through the lattice She sees Christ there Doth she see when he is possessed there and makes proclamation to them to goe up againe to Jerusalem She looks at it as Christs voyce saying Arise my love my faire one and come away So the holy Ghost teacheth what favour any doth shew to the Church it is Christ that doth it so take it that if any good befall the Church it is Christ that doth it If any lead into captivity Nebuchadnezzar or any other it is Christ that leads her into a wine Cellar If there be any noise or worke of deliverance it is Christ that comes leaping and skipping So in all the calamities and in all the blessings that befall the Church ascribe all to Christ The same hand that gave the same hand hath taken away God turned the captivity of Job and God turned againe the captivity of his people This is a wonderfull stay to Gods Church and to every member of it for man cannot bring it into captivity and bring it out againe Mans hand cannot bring hard things upon the Church nor bring her out againe of them for if it were in mens hands or in Sathans or in our own hands it would not goe well with us but being in Christs hands alone it may be a stay and a comfort Use 2 Secondly this teacheth us that when the time of the Churches deliverance is come Christ will come quickly and speedily for her deliverance leaping and skipping as a Roe or a Hart. The winter shall not alwaies remain on the Church no
those that come after them but to admire them Who is it that commeth out of the wildernesse like pillars of smoake perfumed with Myrrhe and Frankincense c. Use 3 Thirdly this shewes what gifts and graces are most requisite in a Minister and doe most adorne him even zeale in his Ministery and fervency in prayer and all sorts of sweet graces to season and direct all sorts of his people in their severall callings as John did when the people came and said What shall we doe He answered and said He that hath two coats let him impart to him that hath none c. So John was perfumed with graces for all men for men must not come into the Ministery with judgement and learning alone for these may come from nature but they must come perfumed with graces to keepe themselves and others from putrefaction yea they must labour for those graces which will give a strong sent to save themselves and others Use 4 Fourthly this shewes us the manhood and Godhead of Christ Christs humane nature is the Temple or bed wherein the Godhead resteth bodily and the Godhead made this Temple or bed for himselfe no earthly father for him Use 5 Fifthly see here the protection and gardiance the Angels give to Christ and in him to the Church and all his members verse 7 8. Use 6 Sixthly wee may here see in Christ whatsoever is behoovefull for all our salvations In regard of his Priestly office hee is pure as silver to cleanse our impurity and to abide the fire In regard of his Propheticall office hee is precious as gold to enrich our poverty In regard of his Royall and Kingly office he is glorious as purple and cloathed with it to advance our basenesse His heart or middest is even paved with love of us His heart is an hearth for so the word signifieth whereon the fire of his love towards us burneth continually let us then love the Lord Jesus againe and receive the seeds and fruits of his grace and then shall we see his heart flaming with love to us and then whatsoever befals bloudshed warre captivity c. all comes from love his whole heart is paved with love Use 7 Seventhly let us take up our thoughts and meditations about Christ let us goe forth and behold him let his abundant graces fill our empty soules Use 8 Eighthly if thou beest a daughter of Sion thou art contracted to Christ and know it by this Dost thou read his letters art thou delighted with them and dost thou rejoyce to speake to him again by prayer If thou dost it may be the joy of thy heart for thy estate is good Use 9 Lastly this doth exhort us all to give up our selves as spouses to Christ and that with all gladnesse of heart since he is affected to us who yet hath nothing from us but debts and beggery and they that doe give themselves up to Christ need not feare wanting comfort for no spouses shall finde such comfort as they Shall he be glad to have us a company of beggars yea as I may say a company of deaths and was it the gladnesse of his heart to be espoused to us which was when his Father contracted him to us and shall we think it a day of deading to set our feet into Christs bed Al the merchants cannot set forth our excellency when he shall pay all our debts and adorn us with all his graces therefore let us go forth and bring him home to us we shall then finde him comfortable to us in the day of espousals THE CANTICLES OR SONG OF SONGS opened and explained THE TEXT CHAP. 4. BEhold thou art faire my love behold thou art faire thou hast doves eyes within thy lockes thy haire is as a flock of goats that appear from mount Gilead verse 2 Thy teeth are like a flocke of sheepe that are even shorne which came up from the washing whereof every one beare twins and none is barren among them verse 3 Thy lips are like a thread of scarlet and thy speech is comely thy temples are like a piece of a pomegranate within thy lockes verse 4 Thy necke is like to the tower of David builded for an armory whereon there hang a thousand bucklers all shields of mighty men verse 5 Thy two breasts are like two young Roes that are twins which feed among the lillies verse 6 Vntill the day breake and the shadowes flee away I will get me to the mountains of Myrrhe and to the hill of Frankincense verse 7 Thou art all faire my love there is no spot in thee verse 8 Come with me from Lebanon my spouse with me from Lebanon look from the top of Amana from the top of Shenir and Hermon from the Lions dens from the mountains of the Leopards verse 9 Thou hast ravished my heart my sister my spouse thou hast ravished my heart with one of thine eyes with one chaine of thy necke verse 10 How faire is thy love my sister my spouse how much better is thy love then wine and the smell of thy oyntments then all spices verse 11 Thy lips O my spouse drop as the honey-comb honey and milke are under thy tongue the smell of thy garments is like the smell of Lebanon verse 12 A garden inclosed is my sister my spouse a spring shut up a fountaine sealed verse 13 Thy plants are an orchard of pomegranats with pleasant fruits Camphire with Spikenard verse 14 Spikenard and Saffron Calamus and Cynamon with all trees of Frankincense Myrrhe and Aloes with all the chiefe spices verse 15 A fountain of gardens a well of living waters and streames from Lebanon verse 16 Awake O Northwind and come thou South blow upon my garden that the spices thereof may flow out let my beloved come into his garden and eat his pleasant fruits THE EXPLANATION Cant. 4. 1. 6. Behold thou art faire my love behold thou art faire thou hast doves eyes within thy locks thy haire is as a flock of goates that appeare from mount Gilead c. THis Chapter describes the estate of the Church in her periods First in Christs time under his Ministery verse 1. 6. Secondly after his ascension under the Apostles verse 7. 11. Thirdly after their departure during the first ten persecutions verse 12. 16. The Church in Christs time is commended and described First by her beauty in generall Behold thou art faire my love behold thou art faire Secondly the beauty of her severall parts at that time most conspicuous as First Of her eyes verse 1. Secondly Of her haire verse 1. Thirdly Of her teeth verse 2. Fourthly Of her lips verse 3. Fifthly Of her temples verse 3. Sixthly Of her necke verse 4. Seventhly Of her breasts verse 5. Secondly the death of Christ falling out in her time verse 6. Behold thou art faire faire twice repeated implies by an usuall Hebraisme that shee was very faire and beloved twice
repeated argues her eminent beauty was very conspicuous such was the estate of the Church gathered by his Ministery and flocking after him First it was faire and beautifull partly in her flocking after him Secondly leaving all to follow him hanging upon his mouth and wondring at the gracious words and deeds comming from him Secondly In his both First presence with her as her light Secondly decking of her by his Ministery This beauty of the Church was well knowne yet ought to have beene better observed First of all by the children of wisedome Secondly of all the Greekes even strangers of the Pharisees and Elders Thou hast Doves eyes within thy lockes Doves as before Cha. 1. 15. are noted First for their chastenesse Secondly loathing of uncleannesse but there is with all in their eyes 1. Cleannesse 2. Simplicity This implies that the Church at that time First saw more clearely sundry truths about Christ then the Fathers had done or the present Governours Secondly was of a simple and innocent looke and demeanour Thirdly looked with a chaste eye after Christ alone Fourthly loathed the uncleannesse of Pharisaicall superstitions Within thy lockes For their knowledge though cleere in many things yet perceived not sundry plaine points as First the death and resurrection of Christ Secondly the leaven of the Pharisees As the eye within lockes of haire is hindred from discerning things lying open before it Thy haire as a flocke of Goats that appeare from mount Gilead Haire though it hang long upon the head yet it may in time either First fall of it selfe Secondly be cut off so were the common Christians of that time as it were haire 1. For multitude 2. Hanging on Christ the head 3. Falling many of them from him First either of themselves Or Secondly cut off by the practises of the Priests hence it was that Jesus durst not commit himselfe to them As a flocke of Goats which are wont First to assemble themselves in companies so did the people gather after Christ Secondly to be without a shepheard as this people were Thirdly to feed a farre off and that somewhat dangerously upon Rocks So that people came from farre to heare Christ and were in danger for feeding on him Thy teeth are like a flocke of sheepe that are even shorne which came up from the washing whereof every one beare twins and none is barren among them The sheepe whereto these teeth are likened are set forth First by their even-shornenesse Secondly by their cleannesse comming up from the washing Thirdly by their fruitfulnesse Every one bringeth forth twins none barren First even set none gaping out Secondly white and cleane Thirdly each answering to his fellow in the other jaw none wanting as it is a praise to the teeth to be The teeth are such as chew the meat and prepare it for the rest of the body such in that Church were the Apostles whom our Saviour calls a little flocke they were all First even set and even shorne none bursting out beyond his fellowes Peters supremacy stretched not beyond the rest of the Apostles The teeth of innocent sheepe are even set They that have tushes longer then the other teeth are hurtfull and ravenous beasts as Dogs Bears Lions c. Ten of the Apostles disdained the motion of supremacy Secondly came up from Johns baptisme and therefore when Judas fell a-away they must needs supply his place out of the number of such as had continued with them from Johns baptisme Secondly they were sutable each one to his fellow and therefore the seventy were sent out by couples But especially they were fruitfull in bringing home many lambs to Christ hence the seventy returned with joy to Christ and Sathan is said to fall downe from heaven before them like lightning Thy lips are like a thread of Scarlet and thy speech is comely thy temples are like a piece of a pomegranate within thy lockes Thy lips are like a thread of Scarlet and thy speech is comely Both signifying the delivery or utterance of the Doctrine of the Church at that time which was First as a thread slender tenui filo not plump or swelling with humane eloquence but savouring of Fisher-like tenuitie and simplicitie Secondly as a thread of Scarlet for as Scarlet or Purple is a princely and royall weare so their Doctrine was First touching the kingdom of heaven Secondly though tender yet deeply dyed in graine with royall Majesty and authority of the Spirit of God Thy temples are like a piece of a Pomegranate within thy lockes Temples of the head are they by which the whole body watcheth or resteth they are such therefore as watch over the body and for it The Pomegranate was of much use in the old Tabernacle and Temple Aarons coat was hanged with Pomegranates and Bels Bels for sound of doctrine and prayer Pomegranates for restraining and healing the distempers and diseases of the people Pomegranates are commended by Fernelius First for repressing the heat of Choler Secondly the malignity rottennesse and agrimony of feavers Thirdly the loosenesse of the belly Secondly for comforting and strengthning the stomacke and bowels to the keeping backe all fainting This office the Ecclesiasticall governours of the Church doe performe to it they represse the heat of fallings out among brethren the notorious abuses the loosenesse or distemprednesse of the people they comfort the feeble and binde up the weake and are therefore fitly resembled by Pomegranates yea by a piece of a Pomegranate for it is not the whole body of the Pomegranate that doth this but it broken in pieces by his juice and rinde is medicinable Within thy lockes Because though Christ established Discipline and delivered it to the Church in his time yet it was not displayed nor shewed it selfe in open execution till after his resurrection on Thy neck is like the tower of David c. The necke is that part that joyneth head and body together now that which joyneth Christ and his Church together is our faith which faith in some of the members of that Church in Christs time was observed to be strong and great and therefore is here fitly compared to the tower of David for an Armory whereof we read whereon there hanged a thousand bucklers all shields of mighty men It seemes Davids mighty men hanged up their shields in this Armory against times of warre and so in like manner all the Worthies of Israel all the faithfull before Christ hanged their shields of faith upon Christ in whom the faith of his Church was as a strong Armory Faith is not so much a tower of strength in it selfe as in Christ whom it apprehendeth Thy two breasts are like two young Roes that are twinnes which feed among the lillies Thy two breasts are like
two young Roes that are twins The breasts give milke now the breasts that give milke to the Church the sincere milke of the word are the Ministers which in the Church of Christs time were first the Apostles secondly the seventy and are therefore here called two breasts and both as Roes because not tyed to any certaine place within all the people of the Jewes for Roes stay not long in a place And both as twins because of equall commission being both sent alike to the whole house of Israel though after the Resurrection the Apostles commission was enlarged further then that of the seventy Which feed among the lillies For they were sent not onely among the Gentiles or Samaritans but amongst First the lost sheepe of the house of Israel Secondly the true-hearted or well-affected of the Israelites These faithfull are here compared to the lillies First for their whitenesse and purity of innocency Secondly for their amiablenesse Untill the day breake and the shadowes flee away I will get mee to the mountaines of Myrrhe and to the hill of Frankincense Untill the day breake and the shadowes flee away That is untill the light of the Gospell breake forth and the shadowes of the Mosaicall Ceremonies vanish I will get me to the mountains of Myrrhe and to the hill of Frankincense That is to the mounts First of Olivet Secondly of Golgotha Where he suffered in the Garden and on the Crosse and nailed to his Crosse all the shadowes of the Law and in fulfilling them abolished them Myrrhe and Frankincense are wont to be used in imbalming and with such like Christ himselfe at his death was to have beene imbalmed if his resurrection had not prevented the women Besides the passion of Christ was a sacrifice of a sweet smelling savour to God and therefore the place thereof is fitly called the Mountaine of Myrrhe and hill of Frankincense though otherwise the mountaine of Myrrhe may well be Mount Calvary or Golgotha the place of his death and the hill of Frankincense mount Olivet in regard of his ascension into Heaven yea even Heaven it selfe whither he ascended may be well called the hill of Frankincense for sweetnesse This first doth teach us that a Church may be beautifull in Gods sight though consisting Use 1 First of meane persons Secondly of such as were sometimes notorious offenders as Publicans and Harlots and from hence First poore people Secondly sinners yea ugly sinners are to be exhorted to repentance and seeking after Christ It makes them truely amiable in Christs eies though otherwise in themselves never so meane and foule From hence also poore sinners may take comfort though loaden with the sense of their deformities they in Christs eyes are very beautifull From hence also the Separatists may learne that notwithstanding many abuses in their teachers or others of the Church as the Scribes and Pharisees whom the people were to heare yet the Church may be denominated from the better part very faire as a heape of wheat though covered over with abundance of chaffe Secondly this may teach Ministers how to frame themselves to be amiable in Gods sight viz. First by carrying themselves evenly with their brethren Secondly by cleansing their hearts and lives by the power of Baptisme Thirdly by fruitfulnesse and faithfulnesse in their Ministery Fourthly by not affecting carnall eloquence but gracious and deep-dyed powerfull utterance for swelling words of humane wisedome make mens preaching seeme to Christ as it were a blubber-lipt Ministery Fifthly by restraining abuses and offences amongst the people and strengthning and comforting the feeble minded Sixthly by feeding their people with sincere milke and not being drie nurses Seventhly by taking most delight in conversing among lillies their well-affected people though seeking also to winne all and therefore sometimes conversing with them as the Physicians among the sicke Use 3 This may teach ecclesiasticall Governours their office in the former vertues of the Pomegranate to represse the heat of abuses the loosenesse and distemprednesse of the people to comfort the feeble and binde up the weake c. Fourthly this may teach the people how to approve themselves to Christ in looking after Christ in knowledge simplicity chastity of Spirit loathing superstitions and places of bad resort Aspicis ut veniunt ad candida tecta Columbae Thou see'st how Pigeons take their flight To houses that be faire and white For what should Christians doe in filthy Taverns Ale-houses Stews c. in strength of faith rooting and building themselves upon Christ Thou art all faire my love there is no spot in thee In these words wee have a description of the estate of the Church soone after Christs ascension gathered and built up by the Ministery of the Apostles which they call the Apostolicke or primitive Church This Church is here set forth First by her compleat beauty her full fairenesse ver 7. Secondly by Christs calling her to behold the calling of the Gentiles ver 8. Thirdly by the ravishing beauty of a sister Church at that time 1. In one of her eyes 2. One chaine of her necke verse 9. Fourthly by her love which is set forth 1. By the fairenesse of it 2. By the sweetnesse of it above wine verse 10. Fifthly by the flowingnesse sweetnesse and wholsomnesse of her doctrine v. 11. Sixthly by the smell of her garments like that of Lebanon ver 11. Thou art faire The fairenesse of the Church was acknowledged before but never till now the perfect fairenesse All compleat fairenesse or beauty standeth in these three things First in the integrity of all the parts and members of the body for if any be wanting it is a maimed a blemished body Secondly in the Symmetry or fit proportion of all the members one to another Thirdly in the good complexion or colour of them all Looke what parts are requisite for the compleat integrity of a faire Church they are all found in the Apostolicke Church in comely proportion of beauty for looke First at their doctrine and it was 1. Free from all errour so farre as it was dispensed by the Apostles Prophets Evangelists of that time who likewise suffered no weeds of false doctrine to grow under them 2. Their doctrine was compleat even the whole counsell of God 3. It was dispensed in powerfull simplicity Secondly looke at their worship and you may see 1. The purity of Gods ordinances without mixture of humane inventions 2. Order decency edification of all aimed at in all the duties administred 3. Fervency and frequency in prayer and fasting Thirdly looke at their Christian communion and you may see 1. Their unity one with another 2. Love and large-heartednesse one towards another especially to their Ministers Fourthly looke to their Discipline and you may see the Apostles Prophets Evangelists Presbyters Pastors Teachers first teaching secondly exhorting thirdly ruling and all by first preaching secondly
these foure respects First for the readinesse and flowingnesse of it it dropped forth of it selfe it needed not to be prest and constrained as an honey-combe Secondly for the sweetnesse of it as the honey or the honey-combe Thirdly for the wholesomnesse of it as milke The smell of thy garments is like the smell of Lebanon Lebanon is full of sweet trees of spices growing in it which yeeld a fragrant smell even a farre off Garments are First partly the wedding garments of Christs righteousnesse Secondly partly the gracious carriage wherewith they cloathed themselves in their outward conversation They cloathed and decked themselves with Christ not onely to their Justification but with his Spirit to their Sanctification which shewes forth it selfe in their humility meekenes patience honesty faithfulness diligence serviceableness of their outward carriage so farre forth as that the Heathen smelled a sweet favour in their whole course yea even in Trajans time when the smell of garments was not so strong yet what a sweet testimony doth Pliny himselfe though a persecutor give of them when hee said hee could finde no fault with them but that they rose early and went into the woods to sing Hymnes to one Jesus Use 1 This first is to reforme their judgements who speake of the Apostolicall Church as an infant and rude Church whereas Christ whose eyes were as a flame of fire and who best knew it commends it for perfection of beauty and saith it was faire So that if a Church were such Christ might imbrace it with both his armes This is the Church excellent for her Ministers excellent for common Christians which had pure eyes of knowledge and faith so that by how much neerer any Church comes to this by so much the fairer it is and by how much any Church comes short of it by so much the fouler it is Use 2 Secondly this doth teach us that not abuses but the toleration of them doth blemish a Church and detract from the perfect beauty of it for otherwise in the Primitive Churches were found Schisms Heresies a denying the Resurrection uncharitable going to Law Incest love-feasts in the Lords Supper strange tongues in the publicke worship and yet because the Apostles stood out against these and reformed them the Church still retaines her perfect beauty In the Church of Ephesus there were false Apostles yet it was a Church so it is corruptions not cut off defile a Church As we then desire the Church should be pure leave we all our sinnes and corruptions which may any way blemish the beauty of the Church Use 3 Thirdly this teaches us to be ready to extoll and acknowledge as occasion serveth other mens labours above our owne Christ gathered a Church in his owne time which hee called Faire but this Church gathered by his Apostles he calleth All faire It grieveth him not to ascribe thousands to himselfe and ten thousands to them yea he foretold it and promised it freely aforehand How farre was he from a Spirit of envie and emulation though indeed all their successe was by his grace and blessing as Paul said By the grace of God I am that I am The contrary Spirit of emulation hindereth Churches from taking that which is their owne from one another Use 4 Fourthly hence wee learne in what cases one Church may step from another to wit First when Christ leaveth a Church and goeth away with us from it Come with me from Lebanon my spouse with me So when Christ leaves and forsakes a Church wee may leave it and goe out with him Secondly when a Church is become an universall spotted Leopard and a cruell Lion blaspheming and persecuting the Gospell of Christ as These things were found in Rome from whence wee departed not in England blessed be the Lord from whom the Separatists would have us to depart But Christ still vouchsafes to be with us converting soules feeding his lambes hearing our prayers We may also worship Christ in truth without feare of lawes yea with acceptance When Christ goes let all his faithfull spouses goe with him when there are dens of Lions and men cannot keepe the profession of Christ but fall into their mouthes then it is time to goe But are there these causes now doth not Christ dwell here in the simplicity of his ordinances As long as Christ is here in England let us not goe away but say as Peter and John Lord to whom shall wee goe thou hast the words of eternall life As long as Christ is pleased to feed us to drop milke and honey into our soules let us not depart Use 5 Fifthly this may teach us how to knit the heart of Christ to us in ravishing affection by cleaving to Christ with setled purpose by abounding in helpfulnesse to the Saints by procuring and keeping faithfull shepherds by burthening the Church not with many chains of lawes but onely with few and those necessary all these are formerly mentioned in the Church of Antioch As ever we desire to have the Lord Jesus Christ to love us let us grow in knowledge faith and all saving graces of his Spirit and hereby shew our love to him and then we shall finde Christ ravished with our love Use 6 Sixthly this doth teach us what kind of love Christ acknowledgeth and embraceth to wit faire strong sweet cheerefull in an enlarging our selves to the reliefe of his poore Saints Use 7 Seventhly this doth teach Ministers how to make their Ministry amiable to Christ not to preach once a moneth or quarterly by the preaching of the Law but to be full as the honey-combe dropping out of it selfe to preach sweet doctrine as honey and wholesome as milk for the nourishment of Christs lambs The Pastors and Ministers of the Primitive Church did this without help of Universities what a shame then is this for us to come short of them in such abundance of outward helpes and means Would'st thou be a faithfull Minister let thy doctrine drop as honey preach willingly freely sweetly comfortably Use 8 Lastly this may learne and stirre up Christians so to walke and so to furnish our selves with inward graces and with outward commendable carriage as may yeeld a sweet savour and smel to God and man that it may be like the smell of Lebanon that men may smell a sweet savour that come neere them let our hearts be inwardly furnished with the graces of God as with sweet oyntments and our outward garments our outward conversation so directed with honesty integrity humility meekenesse and love c. that our names be not dishonoured much lesse God by our meanes Cast we aside stinking drunkennesse whoredome malice covetousnesse c. And thus doing wee shall take away all offence so doing Christ shall looke at us as his faire spouse and say Thou art all faire my love verse 7. A garden inclosed is my sister my spouse
After the Church gathered by the Ministry of the Apostles next followeth that under the ten persecution which is here described First by her restraint verse 13. Secondly by her privacy verse 14. Thirdly by her fruitfulnesse refreshing and watering others verse 15. Fourthly by her prayer in this estate wherein consider 1. The Petitions which are three First for the arising of the winde and coming into the South verse 16. Secondly for favourable blasts of it and that for this end the flowing forth of her spices Thirdly that Christ would come into his garden and eat his pleasant fruits verse 16. 2. Christs answer thereunto First he commeth into his garden Secondly he gathereth and enjoyeth the fruits of it Thirdly he fils his Churches friends with a large measure of plenty Chap. 5. 1. A garden The Church is here so called as verse 13. an orchard or as it is in the originall a Paradise as if this were the garden of Eden All the world is as a wildernesse or at least a wilde field onely the Church is Gods garden or orchard in these three respects First as the garden of Paradise was the habitation of Adam in the estate of innocency so is the Church of all those who are renewed into innocency Secondly as in that garden were all manner of pleasant and wholesome hearbs and trees growing so in the Church are all manner of usefull and savoury spirits Thirdly as a man walketh in his garden to refresh himselfe so doth Christ walke in his Church yea and calleth his friends thither to walke with him A spring a fountaine Not Because the Church is the fountaine of grace but because Christ being in it it is the spring or fountaine of the waters of life unto all A garden spring fountaine inclosed shut up sealed Not by a pale or wall of defence by Christian Magistrates but rather shut up by restraint for the word signifies to inclose or shut up as with lockes and fetters Againe the Church prayeth for the inlargement of the flowing of her spices verse 16. and therefore her present shutting up was uncomfortable to her The Church was then said to be shut up First because under the persecutions it was shut up in prisons and other places of punishment as under lockes and fetters Secondly because the Church then assembled in private close places woods dens c. and not in the open places of townes or cities Thirdly because it was shut up from free accesse of forrainers men without neither were the Emperours willing their Subjects should repaire to them nor the Church willing to admit all promiscuously Thy plants That is thy children or members as an orchard of Pomegranates Camphire verse 14. Spikenard Safron Calamus Cynamon The children of the Church are compared to these wholesome and sweet fruits trees hearbs in a double respect First because the vertues of these fruits and spices are especially seen when they are cut and powred out or beaten or burned or bruised So it is with the graces of Gods children they are chiefly exercised by the hard dealing of persecutors Secondly there was in the faithfull then persecuted a resemblance of the vertues of these fruits and spices Pomegranates represse and restraine the heat of Choler the malignity of fevers the loosenesse of the belly they also comfort the stomacke and bowels and prevent faintings and swoonings Camphire with his sweetnesse of smell delighteth and strengthneth the Spirits cheereth up the minde helpes the stone restraines ulcers Spikenard stayeth distillations from the head strengthneth the stomacke digesteth cold humours helpeth conception Safron thinneth flegme helpes lethargies coughs and plurifies furthereth digestion comforteth the heart redresses the rottennesse of the other parts which also are strengthned Calamus helpes the passages of the urine and the faults of the reines helpeth also the wombe and conception Cynamon strengthneth and cheereth the spirits and minde dryeth up rotten matter helpeth against poyson warneth and strengthneth the stomacke to digestion Frankincese restraineth and helpeth ulcers gouts fluxes of bloud cleanseth and glueth up wounds and ulcers Myrrh refresheth the braine drieth up superfluous humors helpeth straightnesse of breath restraineth ulcers and itchinesse filleth ulcers and wounds with flesh Aloes cleanse tough flegme and choller drie up raw and cold humours preserve the rest from putrefying open obstructions strengthen the stomacke strongly Sutable to the vertues of these fruits and spices persecution bred and stirred up in the faithfull graces of like efficacy to restraine heats of emulation contention ambition to represse ulcers of malignity and dis-affection one to another to heale the coldnesse hypocrisie and rottennesse of their spirits to stay distillations of cold raw matters dropping from the head Bishops of Rome as also to strengthen appetite to the word to comfort the faint hearted to knit the members together A fountaine of gardens c. For the Church pouring out her confessions and martyrdomes for the truth propagated and watered many Churches for sanguis martyrum was semen Ecclesiae a Well of living waters The Church was not then dryed up but plentifully stored with the graces of the spirit Streames from Lebanon The Churches were stored with such graces of the Spirit as streamed and issued out from the mountains of Israel the writings of the Prophets and Apostles Awake or arise O Northwind c. The Churches desire that a winde might arise in the North and come into the South to wit that Constantine borne in Yorke would come into the southerne parts and take the Empire upon him and blow upon my garden driving away the blasts of Easterly persecutions and breath favourably and wholesomly upon the Church cooling the tempestuous heats of the persecutions which the Church endured The Church prayeth not the South to come but the North to come into the South else First the word blow if it had reference to both windes should have beene of the plurall number Secondly Northwinde and South-winde blowing together would interrupt and crosse one another by their contrariety That the spices thereof may flow forth That the Gospell and ordinances of Christ and the graces of his children which were there restrained from their free manifestation by the persecutions might have free passage Let my beloved come into his garden and eat of his pleasants fruits Le Constantine come to them and partake of the benefits of the Churches serviceable graces to God and him THE CANTICLES OR SONG OF SONGS opened and explained THE TEXT CHAP. 5. I Am come into my garden my sister my spouse I have gathered my Myrrhe with my spice I have eaten my honey-combe with my honey I have drunke my wine with my milke eate O friends drinke yea drinke abundantly O beloved verse 2 I sleepe but my heart waketh it is the voyce of my beloved that knocketh saying Open to mee my sister my love my dove my undefiled for
and taking hold of the boughes of it ver 8. Secondly by the rich supply of nourishment from her brests ver 8. Thirdly by the smell of her nose resembled to Apples ver 8. Fourthly by the power of her Doctrine ver 9. Fifthly by her familiar fellowship with Christ ver 10. The fourth estate of this Church as it shall multiply and stretch it selfe into the Country villages is described ver 11. to the 4. of the next Chapter and that First by the occasion of this encrease the Churches invitement of Christ to visit the Country villages ver 11. 12. Secondly by the affectionate service of this Church to Christ cha 8. ver 1. 2. Thirdly by Christs affectionate embracing of her ver 3. Fourthly by the Churches desire for the continuance of this estate without interruption ver 4. How faire and how pleasant art thou O love for delights How faire The fairenesse and beauty to the Church implyeth sutably to what is found in the naturall beauty of the body First a compleat integrity of all the Members of this Church where any Member is wanting there is deformity beauty is blemished This Church shall want then no Ordinances of God nor any such Members to whom the dispensation of each Ordinance belongeth Secondly a fit proportion of all the Members of the Church one to another no swellings no convulsions Thirdly a good colour in the outward face of things all carried decently and in order How faire It implyeth admirable beauty in all these respects How pleasant for delights This word implyeth a ready willingnesse of this Church to the publique worship of God which is here called delights as being the marriage bed wherein Christ most familiarly solaceth himselfe with his Church This ready willingnesse of this Church was foretold and the willingnesse of this people to any service of of his is pleasant to him O love As if the Church were so lovely that it were even love it selfe The five former verses described the Church in her severall Members a part This verse considereth the whole body met together in publique duties This thy stature is like to a palme-tree and thy brests to clusters of grapes This thy stature is like a palme-tree This tree is eminent First for her straightnesse Secondly for her tallnesse Thirdly for her perpetuall greennesse and fruitfulnesse as that Fourthly for her thriving under weight pressing it downe Fifthly for her easinesse to be climbed having many boughes whereon to stay hands and feet So shall the Church bee eminent for uprightnesse thererein for growing up even against all oppositions of Gog and Magog for ready entertaining of all the faithfull that shall come to her Thy brests are like the clusters of the vine-grapes Their Ministers such like in soure respects First not few as afore two young Roes but many as clusters Secondly not stirring up and down as Roes from place to place but hanging in their places Thirdly full of strong liquor of sound Doctrine Fourthly requiring some pressure in urging though little before they empty themselves but upon easie pressure doing it plentifully I said I will goe up to the Palme-tree I will take hold of the boughes thereof now also thy brests shall be as clusters of the vine and the smell of thy nose like apples I said I will goe up to the Palme-tree I will take hold of the boughes thereof Christ speakes of himselfe to imply the readiness of his Members to resort and flock to this Church of the Jewes for what Christs Members doe by the guidance of his Spirit he accounteth it his owne action This forwardnesse of the Gentiles to ascend and resort to Ierusalem is elsewhere foretold more plainly Now also thy brests as the clusters of the vine And that is notwithstanding the plenteous accesse of the Gentiles to the Church Here shall be no defect of Ministers to teach and feed them all but there shall be still a large supply of store sweet and plentifull Teachers as clusters of grapes to refresh them all And the smell of thy nose like apples Notwithstanding this plenteous accesse of the Gentiles the life of common Christians intainted with Heathenish Popish unsavory pollutions yet the Church her selfe and they that live in it shal smel a fragrant savour of the good conversation of the people The smell of thy nose Not which the nose yeeldeth but which is yeelded to the nose to thy savoury discerning shal be sweet and comfortable as that of Apples Before when this Church consisted of her owne people her smell was as that of Lebanon v. 4. now by the accesse of the Gentiles it shal not be corrupt Indeed when the Israelites came out of Egypt the mingled of the Gentiles with them drew them away to murmuring and lusting for this compare Exod. 12. 38. with Numb 11. 4. But no such contagion shall accrue to this Church by the mingling of the Gentiles with them And the roofe of thy mouth like the best wines for my beloved that goeth downe sweetly causing the lips of those that are asleep to speak And the roofe of thy mouth like the best wines Hebr. Like good wine going to my beloved most straightly and rightly That is the Doctrine of the Church shall bee as ever any most sweet and powerfull and comfortable and generous wine it shall ever goe or tend directly to Christ alwaies aiming at the preaching of him To goe rightly or straightly implyeth the strength and generousnesse of wine when it sparkleth upward in the cup as Prov. 23. 31. which here expresseth the lively vigour of the Churches Doctrine in her preaching of Christ causing the lips of those that are asleepe to speak Such shall be the sweet and powerfull efficacy of the Doctrine of the Church then as shall cause the sleepy and drowsie professors whether amongst us Gentiles or amongst the Jewes to open their mouthes and speake plentifully to Gods praise When the Apostles spake the wonderfull workes of God in strange tongues some of the people thought them to be full of new wine but they were deceived and were willing so to account of them in mockery But these people shall be full of new wine of the Spirit and Word of God to open their mouthes to speak as the Apostles did the wonderfull workes of God I am my beloveds and his desire is towards me This profession of the Church that she is her beloveds Argueth First her familiar fellowship with Christ Secondly her faith or confidence of her Interest in him or his in her Thirdly her open profession of the same That his desire is towards her argueth the strength of his affection towards her and it is the same word used * which there implieth two things First the strength of their affection to their husband and their elder brother Secondly the subordination and dependance thereof upon their will the former is here also meant the