Sharôn push their hornes against heauen as the redde Dragon their parent watched in his birth to deuoure him they can preuaile no more then Dogs that yelp against the Moone for this white and ruddy Rose is taken vp vnto God his throne Where he sittes at right hand of Maiestie till his father haue fought the second battel causing the enimies to become a footstoole So far the flower of Sharon the Rose of the worlds-field The Lilly is a flower of hot quality of excellent cleere colour whatsoeuer his colour be furnished with beauteous accomplements namely with the forme of a Bel leaued with the number of sixe furnished within with 7. graines and all within of the colour of golde hanging downe the head the lower by how much the stalke is higher of sauour so sweetely strong as mans sences will easily be ouerturned with the strength thereof This is the lilliy whereto our Saâ—ior assimilates himselfe That Messiah before was compared with the cold qualitie a reason was giuen thereof Herewith the Lilly hot in operation but this in another respect Cold he was in respect of his quenching the fiery darts of Satan hot he is in respect of chearing vp appalled spirits that haue bin nipped with the cold frosts of despâ—râ—tion And as for the first hee was compared to water and the Northerne winde so for the second hee is compared to fire and the Southerne winde By the first estate hee humbles by the second he lifts vp the first effected by the law and his curse the second brought to passe by the Gospel and his blâ—ssing For his royal accoutrements they superexcel Of the Lillies furniture it is saide Math. 6.28 29. that Salomon in all his glory was not araied like one of them But touching Iesus his clothing it surpasseth the Lilly The coate of Iesus is saide to bee without seame and the spirituall deckings of him are without all schismes nothing of his spirit that is not at vnitie in it selfe Wherewith was his humanitie inuested himselfe shall answer The spirit of the Lord is vpon mee Isa 61.1 If the spirit be his garment then no creature nor all creatures can compare with him in glory No maruell then though himselfe say Behold a greater than Salomon is here Math. 12.42 for he was the Lilly of the vallies which farre surmounted Salomon The Lillies bell-like forme it may put vs in minde of Aarons bels depending his Ephods robe which by their sound enformed the people of his going in comming out of the Sanctum or Holy-place signifying thereby the powerfull watch-word he would minister to all people sounding forth his voyce in the audience of all whereby notice might be taken of his sacrifice staine here and presented in the holy heauens or heauenly places The Lilly is called of the Hebrues Soshan the flowre of sixe because of his six leaues God creating all in measure and Number he by the number six would call vs to remember the ancient worke of creation dispatched in sixe dayes as also in the creation of our new Heauens and new Earth together with Messiahs appearance that is a new state ecclesiasticall and ciuill for the new Testaments Church to walke in For neither naturall nor spirituall Creation but all is in him for him and by him Which further appeareth by Psa. 45. dedicated to him that excelleth on Soshannim For the 7. graines growing therein they leade vs to further consideration of Christ who also is the Saboath of our soule The seauenth day the seauenth yeare the 7. times seauenth yeare begetting the great Iubile they al were shadowing rests of Messiahs rest the Substance of the former After hee established this rest by sacrificing himselfe once for all hee distinguisheth his newe Churches state into seauen Sections of Seales of Vialls of Thunders of Trumpets teaching by Saint Iohn that the Seauenth trumpets sound should finish the mysterie of God Reu. 10.7 The Lillies golden colour within dooth intimate the golden graces wherewith his soule is filled From which golden fountaine we drawe grace for grace the glorious die of our conscience The head dependant by how much the more the stalke is of height it teacheth the humilitie of Iesus who rather then Dauid might sing the 131. Psalme Lord mine heart is not hauty neither are mine eyes loftie For he thinking it no robberie to be equall with God his Father did notwithstanding make himselfe of no reputation humbling himselfe to the very death Yea vppon the very crosse hee bowed downe the head as if hee would kisse his Church on the earth for drawing it after him into heauen As for the transicke sauour of the Lillie it well represents the ouerswaying rauishments of the soule by a full contemplation of celestiall glory Daniel fell downe at the sight of Gabriel vnable to sustaine his sight but when the soule shall haue a full sauour of glory sealed vp in Messiah hee shall become appalled stand as speechles and be ready to sink vnder through the strong verdure of such an object Now for the Lillies growth-plot the Vallies it teacheth not orlie the glorious humble estate of Iesus during his whole pilgrimage here whereto the Gospel doth plentifully witnes wherof before but also it enformeth vs of the benefit of Humilitie For as the vallies-lilly is first freâ—r from harme by tempests as also capable of more moisture then is the Lilly of the Mountaines euen so our Sauiour Iesus by his humble and lowe carriage was freer from his fathers indignation yea heereby didde vndermine the building of damned Principalities and powers as also by such estate became fully fitted to receiue all the sacred dewe of Heauen for the proud and hautie shall be sent emptie away but the humble and meeke shal be filled with euery good thing As pride goeth before destruction so Humilitie goeth before glory and true receipt of graces So much of Messiahs speach touching himself hauing so compared himself to the Rose of Sharôn the Lilly of the Vallies In the Churches garden I haue gathered this Nosegay and by the guift God hath giuen haue knitte it together it remayneth that heereafter we â—auour it and smell to it for keeping vs from the worlds pestilence Now to Messiahs speech of his church Lect. II AS the Lilly amongst the Thornes so my Loue amongst the Daughters Two senses and both analogicall may herein be obserued First an assimilation of the churches state with Christs secondly a siâ—ile of hir state with som natural Lilly The first may well follow the former proposition where Messiah affirmed himselfe to be the Lilly and may be resolued thus Looke what my lot is in this wicked world the same is my churches but my lot is to be galled and pricked of the wicked world therfore such is my churches portion And in this sense not the Church but Christ himselfe is the Lilly also in this verse That the Church is alotted to
of seauen to be without Mother and off-spring So sacred is the number of seauen as ancient Gentiles gaue place to the seauenth day for rest as also for perfecting the Creature And to this end the former Greeke Antient introduceth Homer Hesiod and Callimachus their Antient Poets Nor proceeded it but from a deepe conceit in Balaam the Easterne Gentile Prophet when as he builded seauen Altars and offered vp seauen Bullockes But passing by such notes let me come to the right sacred booke of God and there shall plainely appeare how renowned this Sabbaticall number is And this shal be briefly obserued in God his sanctifying the seauenth day the seauenth moneth the seauenth yeare and the seauen times seauenth yeare in the old testament then afterwards by renewing a memoriall of the number so oft in the new testament Sixe dayes hauing finished the naturall worke of Creation the Seauenth day God rested and sanctified it to diuine contemplation Gen. 2.2 Exod. 20.11 Which resting from bodily trauels for giuing full scope to the spirit for meditating in the mercies of God did fore shadow a world of businesses in the world till the Seede promised in Paradise should come in whom alone the Church was to haue her soules rest And this was it which was shadowed by al other Sabatical or rest daies as plainely affirmeth the Apostle thus Holy-dayes new moones Sabaoths were but a shadow of things to come but the body is in Christ. On which ground the new testaments Church hath abolished these Sabaoths weekely and festiuall lest otherwise shee should Iudaize as if Christ were not come in the flesh Obiection then in abolishing of the day we abolish the fourth commandement Answere no we reserue the morall duetie which is as the life and substance of that precept in so resting and meditating the next day after onely we put away the seauenth day which in regard of his number was a shadow Which next day after the eight after a sorte the Ancients still vnderstood by the eight day alotted to circumcision but in nature being the first day it was of Origen vnderstoode to be the day wherein Manna first came downe from heauen representing Messiah the true bread of life to the faithfull As the Sabaot day God rested from creating any new worke so Messiah on that day wholy did rest in the Sepulchre Hauing on the crosse when he cried It is finished put an end to the worke of redemption They that afterwardes haue inuented new workes for redemption they doe with Anah but find out the generation of Mules and with the cursed earth but bring forth thorns thistles degenerate vermine When he was come in whom the father did rest and the church was to rest the shadow was to giue place to the substance the typicall seauen to Messiah thereby typed and forefigured Lect. XIIII Sabbaoth of Moneths AS sixe dayes brought with them a sabbaticall seauenth day so the time of sixe moneths brought with it his Sabbaticall seauenth moneth The first was the Sabbaot of dayes this second as an Ancient well termeth it is Sabbathum Mensium the Sabbaot of Moneths Not so termed because the seauenth moneth was wholy but because a great parte of it was to be rested The first day of this seauenth moneth called Tisri was the feast of Trumpets The tenth day was the feast of Reconciliation The fifteenth day was the feast of Tabernacles and that continued seauen dayes after euery which day had his peculiar sacrifice The feast of Trumpets was a solemne memoriall of the benefites which they had receiued by the vse of that kinde of instrument By the trumpets of Rammes hornes a simple meane it pleased God to shutter downe Ierichoes walls Iosh. 6. By the two legall siluer trumpets the congregation was enformed of the times of assembly and departure secondly of warre thirdly of festiuall solemnities Numb 10.1 c. Wherein were represented these two spirituall things the Word of God preached and holy faithfull Prayer By that blessed word sounded as Isaiah was commanded in chap. 58.1 it pleasâ—th to shutter downe the walls of the false church to contrite the hard heart to ouer â—hrow the mightie imaginations of mankinde The sounding of an instrument was but a weake meanes for ruinating wal's chasing of the aduersarie but the arme of Iehouah did accompany such meanes so the preaching of Christ crucified and that by such meane instruments as the Apostles of it selfe was vnable to conquer one soule but it being the ordinance of God and so accompanied with the powerfull operation of his spirit it so hath cast downe the Oracle-walls of Idolatrie broken downe the high imaginations of flesh and blood expulsed the Romish familiar Hobgoblins dispelled the clowdes of golden legendarie lies By the sounding of this word we are also taught how to assemble and how to depart about our seuerall affâ—ires the word of God is to be our delight and counsailour Yea this same word is to be sounded ouer all our sacrifices and spirituall exultations as one sacred ordinance for hallowing all our worship The trumpets also did represent Prayer when it is saide that vppon their sound in warre-time they should thereby be remembred before their God And hereupon it is that we are enioyned to Call vpon him in time of trouble euen as Salomon in his dedication of the temple did interceede with the Lord for hearing Israel when they should stretch forth their voice vnto God in the time of their straits And so Hezekiah stretching the aduersaries letter before him Isa. 37. did lift vp his complaint to God whereupon Iehouahs Angel issued out and â—lue of his enemies an hundred foure score and fiue thousand The feast of reconciliation was an act of humbling the soule before God to whom they could not be reconciled without him that was preached in their sacrifice The feast of tabernacles or boothes put them in minde of their flitting estate while they were in the wildernesse and is to vs a representation of our mooueable state in this wildernesse of the world All these things accompany this sabbaticall moneth the first moneth according to Hebrues ciuill accompt but from the time of their comming from Aegypt it became their Seauenth For then the moneth Abib called also Nisan it was made the First Exod. 12.2 13.4 The Ciuil reckning thus 1 Tishri 2 Marchesuan 3 Cisleu 4 Tebet 5 Shebet 6 Adar 7 Abib 8 Ijar 9 Siuan 10 Tamuz 11 Ab 12 Aelúl The Ecclesiasticall thus 1 Abib 2 Ijar 3 Siuan 4 Tamuz 5 Ab 6 Aelúl 7 Tishri 8 Marches 9 Cisleu 10 Teb 11 Sheb 12 Adar The Ciuill First became thus the ecclesiasticall Seauenth for teaching vs that All is become anew to the faithfull who are to rest in him who was figured by the High-priest entring into the Temples Sanctum sanctorum this very seauenth moneth and in no other This seauenth day and seauenth moneth doe both leade vs to rest
spiritualem manducauerunt whosoeuer in Manna did vnderstand Christ euen they did eate the same spirituall meate which wee doe 2 Which Manna is made excelent respecting the Place from whence it came namely from Heauen And therefore in psal 78.24.25 it is called the wheate of heauen and Lecheâ— abbirim turned of the Septuaginta bread of Angels but according to the Originall Bread of the strong-ones And them I take to be no other then Aelóhim Father Sonne and Holy Ghost the very strength of Israel Thus the strong God from heauen shewd his might for feeding his people But here a contradiction may seme to arise seeing our Sauiour in Ioh. 6.32 faith that Moses gaue them not bread from heauen Which indeed is no contradiction seeing our Sauiour speaketh not Simply of Bread but of true-bread which also is of him called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 bread of life or of that life which is eternall That which Moses gaue was temporary bread bread of death seeing the eating thereof would not preserue from death but Christ who thereby was represented and to the true belieuer exhibited is the true and very bread whereon who so feedeth shall liue to God for euer The first was heauenly bread in respect of being rained from aboue but comming into ballance with Christs flesh it must giue place as earthly The shadow must stoope to the substance the sacramentall signe to the thing signified The Signe considered apart from the Thing it is earthly and corporeall but ioyntly considered with the thing of the sacrament as in psal 78.24.1 Cor. 10.3 it is heauenly and spiritually And such is the nature of euery exhibitiue sacrament Which Ambrose well obserued when he said non iste panis est qui vadit in corpus sed panis vitae aeternae qui animae nostrae substantiam fulcit it is not this bread speaking of the Eucharist which goes into the body but the bread of eternall life that vnderproppeth the substance of our Soule Nor lesse excellent is that of Barnard hìc pereat physicale nutrimentum Cibus iste non est ventris sed Mentis here let the naturall nourishment perish for this is not meat for the belly but for the mind As our Sauiour almost abolisheth the signe for establishing the Thing signified so haue many auntient Greeks and Latines almost in speach destroyed the Eucharists bread and wine for establishing the body and blood therby signified But as our Sauiour did that not simply but comparatiuely so the Auntients must be vnderstood charitably 3 For th' externall resemblance it was in quantity like to Coriander seede in colour white like to hory frost Coriander seed is of the Naturian helde to be semen firmum a firme and a fast seede The principall whereof he ascribes to Aegipt Israel being but lately come out of Aegipt they might in this resemblance to Coriander be led to the Seed of the woman which as by the stooping of the Godhead to earth was to be assumed in the earth A litle seede and as slenderly valued when he was in the earth but finally become so tall a tree as it ouer-peereth Nebuchadnetzars and all the trees of the field And by the Mannaes whitenesse they might be led to such a seede of the woman as should be sinlesse vnspotted exempted from humane generation Thus from the Signe they might passe to the diuine guift signified feeding by faith on the seede promised to Abraham a seede more pure and sweet then all the Mosaicall Manna 4 The time of gathering it was the whole week in the mornings the Saboth day only excepted The sixe days might as Auncients obserue well represent the worlds sixe ages wherein the Israel of God is to seeke vp Christ and the things of Christ. As for the day of Gods great Sabaoth and eternall rest it administreth nothing vnto these foolish virgins that then thinke to acquire oyle to obtaine Manna In that great Rest we are to liue by the Graces of Messiah here obtained The collection euery day teacheth euery day to seeke the thinges that are from aboue and the gathering of it in the mornings doth well enforme vs first to seeke the kingdome and his righteousnes not doubting but in so doing all other things shal be cast vpon vs after For the Day wherein Manna first rained it is most probable to be the first day of the weeke Why Because the Lord at first telleth them that sixe days they should gather it and the seuenth day rest secondly as they thus gathered the six days so some went out in the seauenth which was Sabaoth but found none The first day of the weeke it so raining downe Manna as Origen collected and others from him obserued what day was that but Lords day the day of our Lords resurrection that very day wherin not only natural but also â—hat supernaturall light burst out of darknes That day therfore let vs arise early go out of our houses to the publike assembly of God to seeke gather the bread of life In the Lords day one well writes the Lord continually showreth downe Manna from heauen Them that that day through lazines neglect to goe forth GOD iustly may faâ—ish and vnto them denie the bread of eternall life Our Sauior rising that day he preached therein 5. or 6. times The Apostles conuened duely together in that day establishing it to the churches The Churches haue in all ages vniformly maintaind it Go forth this day to seeke and gather true Manna and the whole weeke after shall be the rather blessed vnto thee But sleepe slug gut and gull at home this day and the whole weeke after is like to be accused vnto thee As thou loues God heare his word in the publike places there fill the Omer and returne home therewith for feeding thy family 5 The measure which euery one was to gather full is termed Gnomer or Omer in quantity the tenth part of an Epha An Epha containeth the quantitie of 432. Hens-egs the value of euery-ones gathering amounted so to a competent measure And yet so as he that gathered much had nothing ouer and he that gathered little had no lacke Exod. 16.17 When Manna representeth Christ then this Omer doth well represent the Belieuers Capacity whereby he is enabled to receiue the things of Christ. And thereto the Apostle may allude in Rom. 12.3 when hee admonisheth to vnderstand no further then God hath dealt to euery man the measure of faith To euery one God hath giuen a measure of faith as an Omer whereby hee is made capable of grace in that measure For the filling of which sanctified capacity euery belieuer must â—oorth with the assembly to gather heauens-food before the Sunne of persecution arise and cause it to melt from the face of the earth O how many mornings haue we slept away our thirst hauing gathered no knowledge of Christ by the which we may be relieued in the heate of
to walke in it is the old tract padded forth by his Flocke before her The place she is directed to for feeding her yong Goates it is Aboue or Ouer-against the Shepheards tents For the way she is to follow it is the steps of the Flocke or obseruing the Article of that Flocke Some reade Flockes which sometimes my selfe did follow and indeede the word Tsón it lacketh the plurall number in forme of declension though not in sense or signification by reason whereof the number is taken for sense singularly or plurally euen as Interpreters vnderstand of the holy-ghosts meaning But seeing the new Testaments Church is here directed to the way of the old Testaments Church which Church as One is opposed to the Many Churches of Heretiques and false Companions I rather condiscend to the singular number although but here not so necessarily the plurall Flockes it may also intend that one church considered according to her sundry times and variable outward estate or which here I take not to be so proper if this direction should be giuen not so much to the whole body of Gentiles as to any one particular distressed soule then the plurall number implieth sundry particular Churches as of Rome Corinth Galatia Ephesus c. whose vniforme steps are the way which here is propounded And so the difference of Numbers may cause a Diuersitie but not Contradictorie doctrine The faithfull of the Gentiles entreated to knowe the place of Christs feeding and couching of his flocke at mid-day here she is told how she may come to that place and that is first by Getting forth secondly by walking in the steps of his flocke Getting forth it implieth either a Motion from one place to another like as Israels going out of Aegipt into the Wildernesse and out of that into Canaan or a Motion from one qualitie to another as when one goeth out of Euill vnto Good so did the prodigall leauing his by wayes and betaking himselfe homeward so did the Apostle when he left his persecuting Christ and fell to preach Christ or else it importeth a going from one good quality to another not by leauing the first but by addition thereto And so Israel went from strength to strength Psal. 48. and the first Romans from faith to faith Rom. 1. The first Motion so is Locall the second qualificatine and this latter either by Desertion or Addition The first motion is naturall the second is spirituall Motion from place to place as the Iewes going out of Babilon with their faces towards Zion that was a figure but for the Elect to go out of the confusion of Nature into the orderly way of God his spirit leading vnto heauens rest that was figured thereby And for this cause Babylon Aegypt and Sodome are of Saint Iohn spiritually propounded in Reuela 11.8 and 18.2.4.21 Which conuinceth our Factious of notable blindenesse who more call people from Place then from Qualitie from the figure rather then that was figured For if the Church be no more one sort of people as Israel in Egypt the Iewes in Babylon but a catholike people consisting of all tongues and stretched forth from sea to sea how shal the Church goe out of Locall Babylon seeing the wheate-field is the whole earth or world and the Tares of Babylon are sparsed ouer the whole field How can we make a Locall departure out of Babylon except we go out of the world that is transgresse the limits of the earth Spirituall motion figured by the former wee can here in this world make God his spirit assisting And that is it which here the Church of the Gentiles is taught when shee is bid to get her forth and this also in both the spirituall senses first for going out of her former euill vnto good that is from her former confessed blacknes and ignorance vnto puritie and sauing knowledge Secondly from the already confessed measure of grace vnto a greater measure The first is taught in such scripture Heb. 12.12.13 Rom. 12.9 The second in such Iohn 1.16.1 Thess. 3.10 Ephes 2.21 And this conuinceth our age notably of euill where we finde most of the better sort contented with the bare beginnings of Christ with a slender portion of knowledge and lesse holinesse although it is an argument onely of a sound soule euer to hunger and thirst after more righteousnesse more holinesse more knowledge more faith more obedience darkely represented by going vp to the Temple and by * Ezekiels seauen and eight steps and the fifteene Psalmes of degrees Act. 3.1 Luke 17.10 Ezek. 40.22.26.31.34.37 Psal. 120. c. Whereas a declining from good to euill is tiped by Israels going downe into Aegypt the Mans going downe from Ierushalem to Iericho with such like As for standing at one stay there is no figure of that because no soule can liue at one stay of good or euill for hee that goeth not towards God hee goeth towards the diuell For such respect where the wicked oft are called the sonnes of Belial in the old Testament some take the word Belial in English wicked to be deriued of Beli in English Not and Iagnal in English He ascends because the seede of Satan Ascend not but contrariwise Descend and goe downe from the liuing God as he that went downe from Ierushalem to Iericho Lect. X. THe Good she is to goe into is the steps of the Flocke The Flocke as before is the people and sheepe of his pasture the antient Church so tearmed in Psal. 95.7 and 100.3 So that the paths or steps of this flocke they are nothing else but the waies of his faithfull people the holy examples they left for direction to successors For we are his workemanship saith the Apostle created in Christ Iesus vnto good workes which God hath ordained that wee should walke in them To which purpose hee saith to the Corinths Be ye the followers of me euen as I am of Christ Giuing further to vnderstand by the word he there vseth Mimetáj that they were to shape and fashion themselues euery way to him as he did to Christ for the word Mimos signifieth such a person as can â—iuely expresse the Gesture and Action of an other Whence we learne that the holy words and holy works they are left behinde as sheepe leaue their straight padde behinde first for directing right steppes to our feete secondly for leauing to our successors an example of good as others haue to vs. It is a mightie Question at this day To what Christian Church â— soule should adde it selfe To such as are agnominized Protestants or to Romanists or to Anabaptists or to Arrians or to Brownists c. Answere from this text is made Get thee foorth into the steppes of the Flocke into the way of the Faithfull gone before thee But here the doubt is renewed for which is that way the narrow way that leadeth vnto true rest The Protestants say Ours is the way the Romanists say theirs is the way
thou turne her away from thee And to this end the Church hath vsed such scriptures as doe exhort to tendernesse to compassion and readinesse of forgiuing one another propounding also the Lords practise in Ier. 3.1 where the Lord propoundeth the state of his people generally to be no better then hers who hath played the harlot with many louers and yet notwithstanding hee offereth a renuall of his husbandlike loue vpon their penitencie and returning And what better president can we haue of our loue and tendernes one towards another then of God his loue and tendeâ—nesse towards vs For Apolúô vsed in Math. 5.32 19.8 signifieth at least somuch as the simple Lúô in 1. Cor. 7.27 which is to loose or vnbinde So that it is to be turned properly thus Who so vnlooseth his Wife except c euen as in the other place art thou loosed from a Wife The Latine word Soluo not Dimitto doth expresse it aptly That Apolú◠doth signifie an absolute loosing or vntying of a thing see further in Luke 2.29 Nún apolúeis tòn doúlón Now thou loosest thy seruant namelie by death and the vse of Luô in Math. 21.2 Mark 11.2.4 Luke 19.30 31 33 where the Disciples loose the colt As also in Iohn 11.44 where Lazarus is loosed not to point to other places ¶ Touching absolute Diuorce it is not deemed here expedient to discourse For the Ministers of the Church they may be assimilated to Doues not onely for the simplicitie and continencie of naturall and spirituall eyes wherein they are called to goe betweene others as also because they should be freer from gall and fretting bitternesse as Doues be rather then other birdes but further for that with the Syrian and Aegyptian doues they bee called to hold out and carrie forth the letters of God his written word all being as the Epistles which Christ by S. Iohn did send to the churches of Asia-minor betweene church and church for premonishing dangers for directing the Saintes in all businesses during the conflict they haue here with the Deuil the worlde and Flesh. But as it befalleth the poore Doue in her flight that sometimes for the letters sake is aymed at of the enemie and somtimes shot thorow euen so it bendeth these church-doues which Christ sends foorth with his word Not only be they continually aymed at but also by the dartes of wicked men smitte thorowe not so much because they hate the men as their mâ—nâ—stration the message of God committed vnto them Buâ— this must not be wondred at seeing so they dealt with the Lord of life before vs. So much for the commendations giuen by Christ. Now foloweth the praise which the church returneth Lect. XVI My welbeloued behold thou art faire and pleasant THE Church herein laboureth to expresse the conceit she hath of her Messiahs feature And this she doth first by returning backe the word Iapheh faire vnto him as if shee should say I am Iaphah but that falleth out because thou first art Iapheh my fairenesse springs out of thee who art indeed the fountaine of spirituall beautie Thus Christ commendeth his grace in her and she praiseth him for the cause of that grace Such are the amiable speeches that intervene betwixt Christ and the faithful But here the church stayeth not for she addeth another Epithete of loue saying Thou art Nagnim turned of the Greekes hôraios which implieth the very Spring or flowre of beauty a terme farre beyond the former Whereby appeareth that there is in him a greater measure of beautie then is powred vpon the church And this falleth out because he hath receued the spirit beyond measure we in measure he is God infinite we mankind finite And all in Him must bee considered for surpassing beauteous as a flowre in the spring or budding is of more repute then in the full ripe-time For in the first is an expectation of beauties-growth but in the second of beauties consumption or Autumne But because we should be so neerely couered with his beauteous shine as may be his God-head hath assumed our Manhood and to it he hath wedded himselfe for euer Whether our vessell receiue more or lesse of his diuine beames of his budding beautie springing feature wee are Christs and Christ is Gods things present and thinges to come they are all ours God make vs thankfull Eyther of them hauing praised each other in seuerall speeches in the next place they ioyne heart and hand and with one voyce ioyntly they thus shutte vp the first section of their diuine Song singing Yea our Bedis greene The beams of our houses be Cedars our Galleries of Fyrre GRegorius Magnus doth so distinguish the sentences and respecting the matter I cannot disallowe it This ioynt-speach containes a glorious report first of the place of spiritual conception secondly of spirituall education The place of conception lieth in these words Our Bed is greene wherin by Bed the place of conception affirmed to be Greene is intended the churches fruitfulnes by conuersing with the spirit of Iesus by whose ouer-shadowing a spirituall seed is begotten Alluding herein to a greene florishing tree which either hath fruit vpon it or at least ministreth hope of fruit in due season bicause such greenenesse is a testimony of a vegetatiâ—e spirit or life within it In the first Psalme a blessed man is therfore compared to a tree whose lease is greene and whose fruit appeareth in due season but here the fruite is not so much the liuelines of faith for bringing forth good workes as the fertilitie of children that is of spirituall sons and daughters arising from the wombe of the Church specially of the Gentiles The Euangelicall prophet seeing this it causeth him to crie out The desolate hath moe children then the married wife adding because of the multitude Enlarge the place of thy tents let them spread out the curtaines of thy habitations And in another place after he crieth by way of admiration who hath heard such a thing who hath seene such things Shall the earth be brought forth in one day Or shall a nation be borne at once For so soone as Zion trauailed shee brought forth her children that is the Sinagogue brought forth the Church For this lumpe followeth the naturall birth of the first fruites Iesus vpon the blessed virgine whereof the Prophet spoke in the next verse before saying Before shee trauailed shee brought forth and before her paine came she was deliuered of a man childe This spirituall encrease of faithfull it is not in the virgin-church without the holy-ghost ouershadow and for that it is here said not My Bed but Our Bed that is the vnion of Christ and his Church is cause of such perpetuall greenenesse and fâ—uitefulnesse Christ by his Spirit is Agent the Church in her senses and affections is Patient he soweth the Seede of his word she as ground receiueth the word into the middest of her heart Thus betweene them both spirituall sonnes
suffer persecution and hard entreatie of the wicked galling world euen as her Lilly-like Sauiour did before her it is euident in such places Luke 21.12 17. Iohn 15.18 19. 16 3â— at large depainted in the Apocalyps visions and found of the churches part true by dayly experience And this is it which causeth a Sympathie or fâ—llow-like feeling betwixt Christ the head and his Church the members Nor is there any reason that the greene branch should be beaten and the dry spared that the scholer should be aboue the Maister and the saued better than the Sauiour This doctrine may seeme here to be directly concluded but because I remember no writers specially ancient thatso vnderstandeth of this place I leaue it to the churches iudgement will come vnto the second sense That this verse entendeth directly a comparison between the church and such a Lilly as groweth amongst thorns not respecting Christ to be this Lilly it is an vsuall iudgement but a dissent betweene Ancients and some our moderne writers about the doctrine which may be properly intended Ancients vnderstand hereby the churches affliction in this world as the lot of Bonj inter malos accompanying the good inhabiting amongst the euill Latter writers some of them do too confidently conclude only an extolâ—ing of the Churches beautie as if the Lillie heere were only praysed for beautie before the Thorne To me it seemeth that both their doctrines flowe vnconstraynedly from hence and therefore not to be restrained to one of them alone For the better declaration wherof leâ— vs consider first what and who is this Lilly secondly the Thorne thirdly the Loue fourthly the Daughters What the Lilly is we haue before heard Who this Lilly is it necessarily may be concluded if not Christ as before then his church Nor is it vnvsuall in scripture for an attribute to be translated from Christ to his church in Iohn 1.7.8 Christ is called the Light in Matth. 5.14 the church her selfe is so called Christ throughout the new Testament is proclaimed the Messiah in hebrew the Christos in greeke the Vncted in latine-english and in the old Testament Kings ouer the church haue the same title as also the Iudges called Sauiours But all this with a difference they as shadowes he as the substance thâ—y as instruments vnder him for some temporarie good he in himselfe the cause from for all â—ternitie So the nâ—me of God is giuen to some man not for essence sake as was Christ but for office sake as were the Iudges of Iudah Thus the same names in common betweene God and man Christ and his Church but for a diuerse regarde and a secondarie consideration So in the former verse Messiah is termed a Lillie which for a new consideration may be here giuen to his Church yea for a like respect and like consideration whether we respect sauour or beauty But he then as of himselfe she by communion with him and his spirit What and who this thorne is is easily decided The naturall thorne is no tender herbe or flowre but a sturdie hard tree not smoothe as the Lilly but knobby and full of dangerous prickes Who these mysticall thornes be let Dauid in his last words and last words be most authenticke let him declare that The wicked saith he be euery one thornes Where the word Wicked is in the originall expressed by the word Belial which well declareth the nature of the wicked for that they be as Ierome expounds it Beli-gnôl without yoke that is such as will not come vnder the yoke of obedience crying out as in the second Psalme let vs breake their bands and cast their coards from vs. Kimchi deriues it of Beli and Gnalah not-ascending because their matters prospered not But mee thinkes the latter might be applied to them for not-ascending to the templâ— not ascending to mount Zion the Tabernacle of the saued Such base earthly spirits such beastly rude Libertines they be these thornes whose laughter and merriment is compared by Salomon to the crackling of thornes vnder a pot saying a thousand times more then they will or can doe and making a thousand times more shew of ioy then there is cause why A happinesse no sooner in then out like the beast Ephemeron that dieth the day it is borne The Loue here spoken of it is the Church as euer before who loueth Christ because he loued her first 1. Ioh. 4.19 whose loue is but patient in respect of his loue agent for otherwise wee follow not then as the first drawes vs. The loue of Christ is as a Lilly among the Thornes why The daughters amongst whom she conuerseth they be but as thornes false sisters hard-hearted knurry-conditioned full of pricking and stinging words and works These wicked-ones be compared in the feminine kind because his Church is considered as a woman notwithstanding it consisteth also of men Now let vs consider this Lilly-like Church continuing in this world amidst these thorny-daughters First as vaine Poets but to some reasonable purpose affirm that Venus neuer appeared so beauteous as when she sate by blacke Vulcanes side so this Lilly the faithfull neuer shine more cleare then when they be besâ—tte with persecuting people blacke conditioned mankind Stephens face neuer shind so Angel-like in the church where all were vertuous as it did before the councell whereall to speake of were vitious tyrannous Light a candle at noone-day and it shines little because of other light but in the darkest place that light is glorious Some faithfull shine not so amongst other faithfull as amongst faithlesse but when a meane Belieuer is compared with a Barbarian then we behold white and blacke light and darkenesse And this puts me in minde of two men strong Brownists while they continued in our Christian parts but comparing people with people their consciences accused them for charging our English Church to be no true Church The one to the other shewed their minds change praised God for that meane returned again to the vnity they before despised No other arguments euer so preuailed as the consideration of English faith and forraigne idolatrie Beauteous is the whole visible Church in comparison of the thornie world and surpassing beauteous be the wheat-children of this kingdome in comparison of the visible tares the troublers of Israel As the Lilly is passing orient amidst thornes and the Church glorious amidst the wicked Libertines euen so a Lilly amongst thornes cannot escape all euil nor the Church amidst the wicked can be free from persecution Dauid shal be afflicted in Israel and Christ bored on the Crosse in Iudea Enemies without and false brethren within they shall doe but their nature that is pricke sâ—ing and nettle the faithfull The Lilly giueth no cause of vexation to the thorne for it was a flowre of Gods making before the other was borne but the thorne a creature that came but in by the curse it vexeth the Lillies soule Well for some
to God and man to God as it be commeth a Sacrament that is as it is taken spritually of the faithfull in the Lords supper or meere naturally as it is in common vsuages The shadow of Christ comming vppon her soule as the naturall shadow in the Gospel vpon the diseased it was vnto her a great comfort but vnder that shade to be fed with delectable fruite that caused a greater comfort but now to bee brought into her Salomons banquetting house standing in Baal-hamon as a Lord ouer the multitude this must bring a comfort farre more great to the faithfull Whence we may learne the nature of Messiahs loue namely that it is a continuall grower rising like Nylus and Iordans waters ouer their banks a well of water springing vp to eternall life Iohn 4.14 Hee that belieueth in me saith Iesus out of his belly shall flow riuers of water of life vnto his Israel it is appropriate that they go from strength to strength till they appeare in Zion Ps. 84.7 Contrarie to the nature of carnall Loue which euer decayeth and lessneth with the time euen as beautie health wealth strength abateth But as Christ loues vs not first by reason of any goodnesse in vs at first so his loue begun without any cause in vs doth still enlarge it selfe in and vpon vs. Why Because whom once he loues he cannot but loue for euer That crannell must grow to a tall tree that drop become an Ocean that spark be conuerted into such a flame as shall consume all as stuble before it Besides th' encreasement of his loue hee would by this banquetting house teach vs the varietie of his Loue. Loue may bee enlarged by enlarging one and the same guift but when this loue enlargeth it selfe by distribution of sundry comfortable guifts somuch the more it is louesome He brings not the faithful into his storehouse for adding only faith to faith but also to faith patience Iames 1.3 to patience Experience to experience Hope to hope Boldnesse Rom. 5.3 4 5. The fruits of that good spirit by whome he adopteth vs are not onely these abouesaide but also Loue Ioy Peace long-suffering Gentlenes Goodnes Meekenesse Temperancie Galat. 5.22 23. In a word Messiah communicateth of all his sweet fauors to his church by faith betrothed vnto him As the Churle in the Gospel woulde neuer crie Heart be at rest till all his barnes were filled so the faithfull in their holy couetings should much more neuer be at rest till their soules with diuine graces be filled But as this fulnesse is not till we haue attained our perfection in Christ which is after this life so these that hunger and thirst after righteous giuings they are in meane time blessed because they are of the growing hand in this life But what is this wine-house whereinto the Church of the Gentiles is brought The verie same house of spirituall eating drinkinge minstrelsie wherinto the Prodigall was brought and that is the aucient Mother Zion the church of Israel mother church to the Gentiles who somtimes fed hogs in the forest with the Prodigall But there in the solitarines of spirit lighting vnder the tree of life she entred into consideration of hir present state after fell vnto holy resolution and lastly came home to the lambs supper entertained of the heauenly Father in all melodious and comfortable manner Our elder brother the Iew stands without murmuring at our good lot our heauenly Father at last will entreat him so to enter as he shall enter into Christian vnity with vs and then all Israel shal be saued In meane time while he is without and we banqueting within let vs not forget him as the Butler forgot Ioseph but somtimes amidst our spirituall banquet in holy word and sacraments let vs remember to pray for them For as they the first are now becom the last so they the last shall once againe become the First The Lord hasten this vnitie for making our corporation the greater that so the Lords banqueting house may be filled She so introduced into her Beloueds house of spirituall delites hee secondlie displaieth his Banner of Loue ouer her The spreading of this Banner or the lifting vp of this standert is mentioned of Isaiah in chap. 49.22 where the end therof is noted to be for drawing the remnant of the Gentiles vnto her yong and olde people and princes to the same vnity of faith Which Banner hath allusion to the maner of Captaines who hauing conquered some city do vpon the walls thereof display their colours of conquest first for calling togither all friends to that standert together with a memoriall of their subjection secondly for terrifying all aduersaries by these colours Friends are to repaire vnto their colors by reason of their sacramentall othe for Stringi Sacramento to be bound by a sacrament is of the church borowed from that Sacred mind which soldiers declared to their captaine by oth and now is applied to that sacred signe whereby the faithfull doe tie them selues to their Captaine Christ. The Israelites did tie themselues to God by many sacred signes or sacraments but specially by Circumcision and the Paschall supper and in the roume of these two the Church of Gentiles binds her selfe to Christ by Baptisme and the Lordes supper By the first we vow to march vnder his banner and do fight against the Diuel the world and deceiptfull flesh by the second we sweare to solemnize his bodies breaking and blodsheding till his appearance in glorie The standart of his word he liftes vp amidst his people calling them by the display thereof to returne by repentance vnto their coulours if so they be out of the way If they be not out of the way yet to remember they stand fast as Moses charged Israel lest otherwise they be drawen out of the way Of ioyning to this divine corporation S. Luke speaketh thus And the Lord added to the Church from day to day such as should be saued Nor maruell for whersoever the body of Iesus is thither the eagles wil resort Thamar shakes off her incest Rahab her vncleannes Ruth her Idolatrie so haue their names entred into the Catalogue of the ancient Church Math. 1. The Eunuch of Aethiopia the Roman Centurion Publicans and sinners confesse their sinnes beleeue in Iesus are baptized and so march vnder the New Testaments colours In a word Saint Iohn seeth thousâ—ndes of Israel sealed to the Synagogue but of the Gentiles hee seeth an innumerable company of people of all tongues and kinreds standing before Messiahs throne obseruing this captaines pleasure The standart of his word displayed amongst these Cittizens it puts them still in minde of the homage due to their Lorde like as the Iewes by placing a flag with the Romanes armes vpon Ierusalems walls on their three seuerall great Feast-dayes did thereby declare themselues subiects to Romes Caesar. Besides the displaying of this banner is a terrour to all the aduersaries of
with a Diuells speach crying out in a Consistorie Papa pater patrum Papissae pandito partum For authoritie of which Historie we haue writers many against whom they cannot without blushing except as Polycronicon Caxton Volateran Nauclerus Marianus Scotus Martinus Polonus Functius Sabellicus Sigibertus Gemblacens Laonicus Chalcondila Platina Mare Historiarum Chronica compendiosa c. This standing so their Succession will prooue but doubtfull schismaticall whorish This they know well inough but with the simple they must equiuocate and iuggle for aduantage They will tell the simple how all translations of the Bible excepting their Latine-one are false and intollerable Whereas what knowledge soeuer they haue of ours their schollers know how our learned-men can produce many hundreds of grose errours from their Dunsticall latine-one fasly termed Ieroms To giue an vngainesayable touch in Ezra 9.8 for paxillus they reade paxillius In Prou. 16.11 they reade lapides seculi for sacculi In Psal. 133.16 they reade viduam ejus benedicam for victum and in Luke 15.8 euertit domum she ouerthrew the house for euerrit she swept the house with many such Quid for Quos If Bellarmine and such say that this hath come to passe through drowsinesse or ignorance of their Monks who first writte them nam Monacho quis indoctior how comes it to passe that they haue printed them estsoones without correction Is iâ— because they would be constant although God knowes in euill But not to speake of such Monkish errours how haps there is such warre betweene two of their Popes Sixtus quintus and Clemens octauus either of them hauing their Edition with â— know not how many thousand variations and whether of the Popes copies will they follow Arias Montanus in his preface to the Interlinear Bible will tell them how the latine translation faede corrumpitur is filthily corrupted Hereupon it is that not onely the two Popes laboured to mende it but also that Pagnin leaueth the old latine for following the Hebrue and Greeke as Arias after him doth also thousand of times leaue him for following the originall more nerely And vnto the Originall hee teacheth vs to runne in all difficultie as was of yore the sacred aduise of Ierome and Augustine In the meane time I dare say that God his prouidence hath so ouerwatched this Bible held in his right hand Reuelat. chapt 5. as vnworthy he is of any Pastorall place that from the corruptest translation is not able to hold our Christian doctrine against all Romish Pagan-inuentions With these Equiuocatours I sometimes in the succeeding Treatise so well as in the former doe conflict maintaining the ancient doctrine of Faith against their Romish innouations Against this I doubt not some of that Faction will kicke in my natiue country which somewhat more then a yeare since coulde like of a violent hand in secret for bastonadoing the Authour For a Religion it is that cannot be defended so well with words as swords nor so easly by open plaine dealing as by secret treatcheries and publike Equiuocations Which considerations had I the rather haue in this particular Dedication fled to him that Can and for holy respect I feare not Will â—oth accept and patronize qualiacunque sunt these my poore labours Wherewith I rest Your Honors wherein I may Henoch Clapham The Text. 8 IT is the voyce of my Beloued Behold he commeth leaping ouer the mountaines and skipping ouer the hills My Welbeloued is like a Roe or yong Hynde 9 Behold he standeth behinde our wall looking forth of the windowe shewing himselfe through the grates 10 My Beloued spake and said vnto me Arise my Loue my Faire-one and come away 11 For behold winter is past the raine is changed and gone away 12 The flowers appeare in the earth the time of the singing of birds is come and the voyce of the Turtle is heard in our Land 13 The Fig-tree hath brought forth her yong figs and the vines with their small grapes haue cast a sauour Arise my Loue my Faire one and come away 14 My Doue thou art in the holes of the Rocke in the sâ—cret places of the staires Shew me thy face cause me to heare thy voyce because thy voyce is sweete and thy face comely 15 Take vs the Foxes the little foxes destroying the vines for our vines haue small grapes 16 My Welbeloued is mine and I am his hee feedeth among the Lillies 17 Vntill the day breake and the shadowes flee away returne my Welbeloued and be like a Râ—â— or yong Hart vpon the mountaines of Bether The third Part. The Argument of this third Part. The Church solaceth her soule in remembring the words feature and presence of her beloued Messiah protesting withall her dutifull allegiance euen to the subscribing vnto his determined absence before incarnation so well as to his continuance in the heauens now till the time all shadowes whether Naturall Legall or Euangelicall be to be abolished to the full restauration of all things CHAP. 2. Lect. 1. Verse 8. It is the voyce of my Beloued Behold he commeth leaping ouer the mountaines and skipping ouer the hills My beloued is like a Roe or yong Hinde THis verse and the rest of this Chapter beginneth and continueth a new Act of Messiahs loue to his Church specially to this of the Gentiles As Daniel and other of the Prophets haue sundry visions of one and the same thing but the latter visions ordinarily the clearer so in this song are sundry Acts expressing Christ and his churches mutuall Loues but euerie latter Act compared with the precedent is a clearer of some former point and a perfecter of the former In this Act we haue the Church still speaking eyther declaring her owne sense or the actions of her Beloued All tending to expresse their mutual affections one towards another in respect of Christes comming in the flesh and the new churches glory accompanying the same In this verse is vttered the churches sense and feeling of Messiahs approaching in the flesh laid downe first from the knowledge she hath of his voice secondly of his pace The voyce is made excellent by the subiect when she saith It is the voyce of my Beloued The Pase is made excellent first from a word of attention Behold secondly from the speedinesse thereof once by saying he commeth leaping ouer the mountaines and hills afterwards by comparing him for that to the Roe or yong Hinde The Church of the Gentiles figuratiuely considered as a seed in the loynes of the ancient Patriarchs and Prophets doth listen after and quickely in the spirit obserue Messiahs voyce Because our God calleth things that are not as if they were for that cause the new Church is introduced hearing and seeing before she was Like as Isaiah foreseeing the New Churches glorie doth cal vpon her to Reioyce saying Reioyce thou barreâ— that bearest no children c. which by the Apostle is plainely applied to the church of the Gentiles which then
had no being by sundâ—y hundreds of yeares Which teacheth the stedfastnesse of Gods decree the truth of his word that future things are to him present yea that things to come should be to the faithfull as already acted For the Churches acknowledging his voyce it is that wherof our Sauiour speaketh in the tenth chapter of S. Iohn My sheepe will heare my voyce of whom before he hath saide They knowe my voyce How can the faithfull heare and acknowledge his voice seeing he is in the Heauens and we in the earth His voyce is now heard and acknowledged in his written word specially expounded and applied by his ministers For so long as his Canonicall bounds are kept it is not we but the Spirit of our Father which speaketh in vs. And for this cause our Sauiour doometh the acception and reiection of his ministers to be the acception and reiection of himself his father Which as it teacheth how these that be of God will heare his worde so further that his word is to bee acknowledged for the Voyce of the Churches Beloued Nor will the faithfull withdraw their eare from hearing the lawe for such their prayers shal be abhominable â— Prou. 28.9 nor yet hearing it speake euill of it as they would not be found blasphemers of the Holy-ghost But as the faithfull Christs sheâ—p can onlie acknowledge Christs voyce rightly when they heare it so from the mouthes of Foxes Woolues Tygers what can wee expect bâ—t barkings and bawlings against the voyce of Iesus Be not therefore quiet in thy minde till thou finde and feele these twoo markes of Christ in thee first a readinesse to heare his sacred voyce secondly a willingnesse to acknowledge it for the voice of our Beloued And because his voyce therefore to bee accepted sweetly embraced and layed vp in our heart as the Gemme and Iewell of our Beloued sweetest Beloued Christ Iesus Besides the Churches knowledge of his voyce shee knowes and discernes him by his pase And because she would haue al her members to know the same with her shee prefaceth her speach with this word of Attention Behold q. d. Behold how my Beloued comes running like an Hinde First herein I obserue how carefull we should be that others together with vs may heare and see Christ. When Isaiah foâ—esawe him comming to assume flesh he cryes out Behold and when the Angel Gabriel came to assure the Virgine hereof he vseth the same word Behold The Angels would haue vs to behold the Prophets would haue vs to behold and what are we that we will not behold and contemplate Christs comming and the manner of his comming That which here is to be beheld is first his pacing from mountainâ— to mountaine from thence to the hills secondly the speedines of his pace layd-forth vnder comparison His pasing from mountaines downe to the hils thence vnto her in the lowest earth I vnderstand to be his descending by degrees fro the heauens to th earth for the worke of incarnation Oh saith the Prophet that thou wouldst breake the heauens and come downe and here the faithfull foresee in the Spirit that the heauens gaue place and the Sauiour approached by degrees descending as Roes from the Rockes from higher to lower places The Ancients see him comming yea Abraham see his daie though a farre off the end of the Sinagogue and the beginning of the New Testaments church see him come Insomuch as Iohn Baptist put forth his finger saying Behold the Lambe for the succeeding ages of this Church they behold Messiah passed and ascended from whence hee first descended into the lowest parts of th earth Ephes. 4.9 From whence we are to behold him in the next place descending to a newe purpose Before hee came in humilitie to be iudged but nowe in glory to iudge before to suffer in his members but now to be glorified in his members He approached then by degrees so now And that of the faithfull was beheld with comfort so should his second comming now His manner of comming is for the swiftnesse compared to the Roe or Hinde running Asahel for lightnesse of foote was compared to a wilde Roe This Gnasáel or Prepared of God is Messiah prepared a Sauiour in the sight of all people The first ranne till he was pearced in the side so did the second The sight of the first slaine it caused the people there to stand and when should wee stoppe but when we be come to our Asahel In his death let vs rest theâ—e let vs ruminate We runne well when we rest there Woe vnto the merit-monger that ouer-runnes this crosse that seekes rest beyond him for by his blood-shedde are we only saued there let vs rest and pawse in his passion Lect. II. Verse 9. Behold he standeth behinde our wall looking forth of the Windowes shewing himselfe through the Grates THE Church listning and looking after Messiahs approaching in the flesh she in the former verse hath heard and seene him but as a farre off In this verse she exulting-wise seeth him right neere and in the following verses introduceth him familiarly speaking vnto her For the sight of him heere she hath it but in part and as it were but by halfes She being within doth see him but as without vnder her walls looking in by the windowes and the Nâ—tteworke thereof This neere sight and yet imperfect sight may be considered three wayes in the impediments to sight first in respect of the wall secondly of the windowes thirdly of the grates all three betwixt her and him The wal I vnderstand to be the ancient legall ceremonies called of the Apostle a stoppe and the partition wall Eph. 2.14 For Christ and the New Testaments Church were parted by that wall of sacrifices and other Leuiticall ceremonies during the continuance of that ancient Priesthood And in that Argument for satisfaction of the Iewes is the substance of the Epistle to the Hebrewes spent What a stoppe and partition wall it was the Proselites of the Gentiles added to the Iewes but specially the Gentiles seede inclosed in Abrahams people they sawe and felt it with sorrow Ioy and comfort it was to see Christ standing behinde the wall of oblations sprinklings of blood and washings and yet a sorrow to see him so as vnable to embrace him A comfort to see the light of the world behinde the sanctuaries lampes daily burning but a sorrow to see him slaine his blood powred out and his flesh scorched with heauens-fire in the Bullockes Goates Lambs c. slaine and burnt within and without the Sanctuarie of Israel Oh that God would hasten the remoouall of Moses ceremoniaâ—l vaile from his Iewish people that so they might see to the end of all these things namely that they were shadowes of good things to come the substance and end wherof is Christ. The second impediment be the windowes of this wall of ceremonies which I vnderstand to be the golden leaues of the word
first in this assertion for thy voice is sweete Secondly in that conclusion and thy face is comely Now to the Exhortation and his parts My Dove In chap. 1.15 I haue obserued certaine properties of the Doue and hererafter shall haue occasion to adde some other things Heere onely I note Messiahs amiable conceipt of his Church who euen before she appeareth openly is no lesse his Loue then after For as the word Doue expresseth Loue so the word of application My argueth neere loue Which as it ministreth comfort to the Elect euen when their innocencie and simplicitie of spirit is hid in the Rockes cliffes from the eye of men so it further may cause vs to re-eccho Saith Christ to thy soule My loue let thy soule turne backe as by Eccho the same note My loue as Mary hauing hold of Christes feete cryed Rabboni my Lord and Thomas hauing grapled the woundes of Iesus did cry My Lord and my God For the place of this doues mansion here it is The holes of the Rocke c. Some take that here is intended the Churches station or biding plot in the day of persecution who then hideth hir selfe from the sword as a Doue hideth her selfe in the Rockes But that cannot be the proper doctrine here intended all the former ground of this Act remembred A certaine Rabbine vnderstands it of the straits before and behind whereinto the church is driuen hauing the enemie before and behinde the seas before Israel and Pharaohs chariots behinde like to the Doues estate who flying the cruell hawke doth put her body into some Rocks slifter not daring to looke out because of her aduersary without nor daring to creepe much inwards because of the serpent within who lieth hissing against her And this is a double persecution persecution without persecution within Into such straits the faithfull are often driuen and the Lord deliuereth them out of these tentations Othersome as Barnard doe vnderstand this Rocke mystically to imply Christ and the holes to signifie the wounds of Iesus That Christ is the Churches rocke of saluation the Psalmist many times expresseth and is of Saint Paul in 1. Cor. 10.4 plainely expounded But for the holes or caâ—ernes in the Rockes wherein the Elect doe lodge before the Gospels spring euen all the time of the Legall winter they by apt proportion doe rather insinuate the secret councels of God sealed vp in Christ touching the Gentiles eternall election and calling As the Gentiles after their calling are said to be in Christ 1. Cor. 3.1 Ephes. 1.1 and their life hid in Christ Coloss. 3.2 so their election in him according to that of the Apostle Hee namely the Father hath elected vs in him that is in Christ last before mentioned and this before the foundation of the world And saith the same Apostle to the Galatians chap. 3.23 Before faith came that is before the gospels spring We euen Iew and Gentile after a sort were kept vnder the Lawe and shut vp vnto the faith which should afterward be reuealed namely what time the gentiles secretly elected in Christ should publikely be called by the ministerie of Faith Thus the church elected in Christ had hir abode euen before hir caling in Christ yea within the secret stairs lodging pâ—aces of Christ. Euery elect soule there had her place like to a simple innocent Doue in the secret cabines of a Rocke What is the cause of finall glorification present Iustfication What the cause of iustification our effectuall calling What the cause of that calling Election termed also praedestination Whom God hath predestinate them also he called whom hee called them also he iustified and whom hee iustified them also he glorified And so Election is cause of our calling of our iustification glorification But what is the cause of such Election The Rhemists answere good workes Bellarmine maketh a flatte contrary answere lib. 2. cap. 10. de grat saying Electos esse Gratis ante omnem operum praeuisionem Men are elected Gratis that is freely before all foresight of workes Whether of these factions conclude rightly Let vs examine that The Rhemists will haue God to elect man in respect of good workes which hee foresees shall be in that man that is he elects before all time in respect of good workes which shal be in time An opinion voide of common sense that the effect of Election should be the cause of Election that the latter should be the cause of the former That Election is the cause of good workes the Apostle witnesseth saying He hath elected vs in him c. that we should be holy election so the cause of holynesse as the tree going before is cause of the good fruite which commeth after not contrariwise And for this cause the Apostle in Rom. 9.11 calleth it Election not by workes that is without respects of workes introducing to that purpose the electing of Iaakob before hee had done any good Bellarmine so hath the better in concluding that God electeth freely without respect of anie foreseene workes But wil we haue a direct answere from scripture touching the cause of Election The Apostle saith it is The good pleasure of his will who worketh all things after the councell of his owne will Ephe. 15.11 Who will haue mercy on whome he will shew mercy Rom. 9.15.18 So that there is the hiest cause of our election his owne will And therfore well said of Lombard Elegit â—os quos Voluit gratuita misericordia non quia sideles futuri erant sed vt fideles essent God elected those whome he would of his free mercie not because they were to become faithfull but to the end they might become faithfull Ait enim Apostolus misericordiam consecutus sum vt fidelis essem non ait quia fidelis eram for the Apostle saith I haue obtained mercy to the end I might be faithfull hee saieth not because I was faithfull Nor can the nature of God be knowen for onely Actiue and God in all things Agent but it straight teacheth vs to belieue that he dooth all things without all outward respect If any thing in the creature should simply moue or bend his Will then God should bee Passiue hee should suffer man to worke on him which were to make the Creator a Creature and the Creature therein greater than God But the curiositie of mans bottomelesse pitte will somtimes inquire the cause why God so will specially will reprobate Thereto I may thus answere with Austin If I could find out the cause of his will wouldst thou not then enquire for the cause of that cause And so when shoulde there be an end of enquiring But for staying of mans curiositie in such a profound mysterie I thus say with S. Paul in Rom. 9.20 Oh man who art thou which pleads against God Shall the Pot rise vp and demaund why the Potter so willeth Rather with the Apostle in another place conclude admiring O the deepenesse
knowing it to be a tiâ—e fitter for him to fast then with the residue to feast and this was represented by the pollutions legall which made the body vncleane to the euening as also but done in part though in a greater part when the sinner is not onely put away from the sacrament of Communion but also from the prayer of Communion And this was represented vnder the Law when for certaine contagion they were expelled the hoste and were no more to conuerse with Israel till death except the Lord cleansed them And howsoeuer this excommunication be a putting forth from all communion yet it doth admit the partie some brotherly loue seeing in such estate hee is not to be counted as an enemy but admonished as a brother Though familiaritie be gaine said him yet not brotherly admonition seeing not the Spirit but the flesh was deliuered to Satan for beeing humbled and that for preseruation of the spirit in the Lords day of visitation for this power is not giuen vs for destruction but for edification Of this debarring from the Lords Table as also driuing forth and deliuerie to Satan Chrysostome is plâ—ntifull In one place how earnestly doeth he wish to know them of the assembly who the day before had bin absent from sermon and present ad iniquitatis spectacula at wicked playes To what end would he know Vt eos à sacris vestibulis arceam that I might saith he driue them forth of the Church non vt perpetuò foris maneant sed vt correcti denuò redeant not to the end they should stay without for euer but that after coâ—rection they might returne againe shewing afterwards how such dealing is oftentimes beseeming a father in his familie and a Pastor in his church In another place he exhorteth his fellow Presbyters to debarre all knowne vnworthy ones from the Lords Table and then turning as it were to one of them he thus cryeth out Quod siipsum pellere non audes mihi dicas non permittam ista fieri Animam prius tradam meam c. If thou darest not debarre the wicked tell mee for I will not suffer it I will rather lay downe my life and suffer my blood to be powred out then I wil agree to giue the Lords bodie to the vnworthie rather then I will graunt that most holy blood to any but the worthy And how zealous Ambrose was in this that his expelling of Theodosius his Emperour will stand euer for witnesse Ambrose seeing no apparance of schisme or churches harme like to ensue such expulsing a great signe that his ministerie was gracious withall he so putteth the King forth till he was willing to cleare his hands of blood by publike repentance Thinke not saith Nissenus that such segregation proceedeth of an Episcopall arrogancie Vetus est regula ecclesiae quae cepit à lege fuit confirmata in gratia This is an ancient Rule in the Church hauing his beginning from the Law and his confirmation in the Gospel The second kinde of cutting off is absolute as from all diuine communion so from humane familiaritie and all this for euer This excommunication is of the Apostle termed Maranatha 1. Cor. 16.22 of Mare Lord and Atha hee commeth for N. is interposed for sound sake because such a person is excommunicate to the death and left to the Lords coâ—ming who can and will take vengeaunce of them that Loue him not Such wicked-ones haue once knowen and loued Christ as Iesus their Sauiour but afterwards doe voluntarily fall away from that Loue as some Hebrews that turned backe to Indaisme and many now to meere Atheisme who doing it against the Sight and Sence they had are now held to be damned of their owne Conscience and to crucifie againe the Lord of life wherof more largely I haue written in a peculiar treatise and this kind of cutting off was represâ—nted vnder the Law by that Cherem or deuoting of things to destruction so termed in Ioshuah 7.1 and elsewhere Thus the Magistrate with his sword is to sease on the foxes the Minister also with the Word of God is to seaze on them If they cleaue like Burres to the vines we are to stay them from further euill as much as in vs is but not for dragging them away to pull the Vine downe the Church on our heads If we can loose the hold they haue we are hauing taken them to thrust them out of the vineyard that Satan who raigneth without hee may vexethem till by repentance they cease to be foxes as Nabuchad-nezzar comming to the acknowledging of the true God ceased to be a Beast Nimrod hunted and Esau hunted but the Holy-ghost hath marked both with a blacke cole as an hunting whereof they may be ashamed The Prophets hunted the Apostles hunted our ancient fathers hunted and all of them hunted the Church-foxe The same is our duetie and in dooing it it is our glorie The Magistrate and minister is now assembled in Royall honourable parliament the GOD of Heauen blesse them guide and assist them for strengthening our Vine and for hunting out all sorts of foxes the Churches and our Soueraignes aduersaries Amen Lect. X. 16 My Welbeloued is mine and I am his hee feedeth among the Lillies 17 Vntill the day breake and the shadowes flee away returnâ— c. THE Church hauing finished Messiahs speach first for calling her to obedience secondly for remoouing impediments shee now concludeth this diuine Act first with Praise secondly with Prayer The matter of Praise lyeth in this first verse Wherein is vttered the praise of Messiahs loue and feeding His loue is laid downe in the gift of himselfe to her wherby shee in the next place was made His. Hee being hers shee therewith became His. God so Loued the world that he hath giuen his onely begotten Sonne that whosoeuer belieueth in him should not perish but haue eternall life First the Father giues the Sonne and he is willing to be giuen for vs secondly the Father giueth vs faith as an hand to receiue his Sonne and with him eternall life So that the giuing of Christ to vs first doth constraine vs to giue our selues to him in the next place His loue causeth vs to loue We loue him because he loued vs first Yea saith our Sauiour Iohn 15.16 Ye haue not chosen me but I haue chosen you And so the Apostle noteth our comprehending of Christ to grow from our being comprehended of him Philip. 3.12 Whereby it commeth to passe that wee are not onely Members of his body of his flesh and of his bones Ephes. 5.30 but also as Saint Peter witnesseth 2. Ephes. 1.4 partakers of the diuine nature namely by qualification and vnitie with the essence it selfe God and man in Christ becomming one And thus whilst the Church praiseth Christ she preacheth her owne blessednesse giuen her by grace with Christ. After shee hath extolled his Loue shee praiseth his Feeding affirming that
to iudge of them throughout this song as of incense trees for sauour and as of beauteous flowers for fauour A soule seeing it selfe in it selfe hath cause to cry out of it selfe all vncleane all red as scarlet but if it haue the sight and sense of being in Christ it is to belieue that crimson sins are all washed so white as wooll and that by the blood of that Lambe their garments are made white And with boldnesse such a soule may presse into the diuine presence knowing that the giftes of his owne spirite cannot but to him be acceptable Nor is such perswasion and boldnes the worke of pride but the fruite of Faith euen of faith wherby we haue peace with God The place of Messiahs feeding is amongst these Lillies so that these lillies are properly the place of his food not as some haue taken it the food it selfe Rabbi Selomoh doth thus reade it who feeds his sheep amongst the lillies that is saith he in a fit quiet and beauteous Pasture-plâ—t not vnlike to that of Dauid in ps 23.2 True it is that Christ hath prepared a pleasant spirituall place for the sheepe of his pasture to graze in but here I take it she intends directly the refreshing place which Messiah had chosen to himselfe and that is her selfe chosen to be a Templâ— to the holy ghost an habitation to the mightie God of Iaakob comparing her selfe to a field of Lillies her seuerall sanctified members considered And hereunto Abben-ezra is drawne when not only he saith that the Lord is drawen suaui odore floris iâ—tius by the sweet odour of this flower but also in liliâ—s designantur iusti that by Lillies are vnderstood Righteous persons Our Sauiour by Saint Iohns Ministrie laboured to open the hearts of the Laodiceans Reuel 3.20 to what end That hee might enter and sup with them And is there all Nay that they likewise might suppe with him The same mutuall and ioynt pasturing may be here entended according to that which was in the 1. ch and 9. verse and blessed be they which be inuited to this supper Reuel 19.9 Messiah feedeth amongest these Lillies and the Lillies againe receaue nouriture from him and his spirit represented by the watrie bankes in psa 1.3 He liueth with vs not of vs but we liue both with him and of him Liue with him we doe because the members cannot be seuered from such â—n head Liue also of him we do because not only the earth is the Lords and the fullnesse therof and so all liue of him but also in respect of his body and blood called in the Gospell a slaine carcase whereon as eagles by faith we tire and foster And so the faithfull only feed of him For his feeding with vs it is plaine from the vnion he hath with vs both in body and soule And that is cause that in Matt. 25. he accompteth that which was giuen to his poore members to haue beene giuen vnto him Not because his owne particular body was in them for the heauens retaine that till he come to iudge both the quick and dead nor since his owne particular nature was glorified could it hunger or thirst after bodily refection but in respect of commâ—nion and fellowship with such spiritually through faith his spirit so chaining him and vs togither by the bonds of faith And in such respect he taketh hard fare also with them going downe with Iaakob into Aegipt with Ioseph into prison suffring with the Saints in Damascus Thus hee feedeth vs and with vs He feedeth vs as a father but feedeth with vs as a brother yea as an husband and amiable louer Now to her Prayer Lect. XI Vntill the day breake and Shadowes flee away Returne my Welbeloued and be like a Roe or young Hart vpon the Mountaines of Bether IN this prayer I obserue generally the Churches will conformed to Messiahs wil. That it was his wil to remoue from hir in some fort for a certaine season she had learned from his owne Canonicall word and for that cause she prayes him to retire for the word Sób here and Bèrà ch in ch 8.18 I take to be as synonimies or to haste away according to the fathers decree till the time of darkenesse were ouer-shot assimilating himselfe herein to the yoong Hart on the mountaines of Bether To lack his presence no doubt a corasiue vnto hir but hauing learned that God had so decreed shee desireth him to accomplish his will herein referring her will to his reuealed will A doctrine taught by Messiah when he taught his disciples to pray Thy will be donâ— practised by himselfe when he prayed to his father Not as I will but as thou wilt and a rule whereby euery one that hath a portion in Christ must be contented to walke As a childe ought to referre his will to the Father and a scholler to his Maister euâ—n so and much more then so ought wee to referre our will which is alwayes weake and oft bad vnto God his will which is strong to preuaile and is alwayes goâ—d If loue cannot preuaiâ—e with vs for subiecting our will to his will in all things Then let the feare of his power force it Follie it is to resist him that is stronger Hath he said it quoth Balaam and shall he not doe it And hath he spoken and shall he not accomplish it As if he should say all the world is not able to resist his will to fruâ—â—rate his word for if they wil not ioyn with it for partaking with his mercy they shall be subdued of it for partaking with his iustice As we would be knowne to be of God Christ Iesu let vs be euer found subiecters of our will to his will yea it is a badge of the Church here and therfore cannot in the faithfull be altogether wanting More particularlie here is to be obserued first the time of decreed absence and that is Till the day breake and shadowes flie away secondly The manner of his absence and that is Like a yong Roe on the mountaines of Bether The breaking of the day and departure of the shadowes for Night which is the earths shadow doth depart with the daies breaking it is vnderstoode of some to be the time of the Lawe preceeding Christs incarnation which lawe was nothing else but a shadow of good things to come some others vnderstand it to be the time of the church in this darke miserable worlde specially after Christs ascension Not to meddle with other vnapt collections I meane here if God permit to insist on both these times as both well suting to our former exposition But heere some will aske how can the church of the Gentiles will Messiah to retire vnto the time that Legall ceremonies vanish seeing the Gentiles were no people or church till that lawe was ended I answer God that calleth things that be not as if they were hee by Salomon bringeth
the middle ages But heere I will content my selfe with that ancient distinction because thereto I may adde their application of the 6. ages to the sixe dayes and the rather for brideling such as thinke such kinde of doctrine to be but of yesterday nothing at all white headed In the first age of the world say they man was made and was in Paradise tanquam lux shining as the Light In which age God diuided the Sonnes of God vnder the name of light from the Sonnes of men as from darkenesse itselfe and the euening of this day was the flood In the second age fell out as it were a firmament betweene water and water when as the Arke did swimme betweene the Raine and the Seas and the euening of this age was the confusion of tongs The third age fell out when God separated his people from the Gentiles by Abraham seuering them like as hee did the drie land from the inferiour waters And heerewith was brought forth the branch or budde of herbs and trees that is this age brought forth the Saints and the fruite of holy Scriptures The euening of this age was the sinne of wicked Saul setled in euiâ—l The fourth age begunne with Dauid whenas God established lights in the firmament of heauen that is the splendor of his Kingdome as the Sunnes excellencie the Synagogue and his Princes as Moone and Starres obaying therto The euening of this age consisted in the sinnes of the king whereby that people deserued to be carried captiue into Babilon In the fift age that is in the captiuitie of Babilon there appeare as it were animalia in aquis volatilia câ—li fishes in the waters and birds in the ayre because the Iewes then begun to liue amongst the Gentiles as in a Sea nor had they any stable or set place more than flickering birds The euening of this day was the multiplication of sinnes in the Iewish people who became so blinde as they could not know the Lord Iesus Now the sixt age begunne with the Aduent of our Lord Iesus Christ. For as in the sixt day the first man Adam was of the slime of the earth formed vnto the image of God so in the sixt age of the world the second Adam that is Christ in the flesh is borne of the Virgine Mary he in a liuing soule this in a quickening spirit And as in that day a liuing soule was made so in this age they desire eternall life And as in that sixt day the earth brought forth the kinds of creeping creatures and beasts so in this sixt age of the world the Church brought forth the Gentiles appetiting eternall life The which in sense was manifested to Peter in Act. 10. by a sheete of creatures And as in that day man and woman were created so in this age of the world Christ and his Church is manifested And as Man in that day was set ouer the Beastes creeping creatures and birds of the aire so Christ in this age was set ouer the Gentiles people and Nations that they might be gouerned of him who were as Beastes giuen to carnall concupiscence or as serpents obscured with earthly curiositie or as birds lift vp with pride And as in that day man and beasts with him are fedde with the herbe that seedeth and the wood that bringeth fruite and greene grasse so in this age the spirituall man which is the good minister of Iesus Christ hee with the people are fedde with the nourishment of the holy scriptures and with the diuine Law as with seeding herbs for conceiuing reason and speach fertily partly for the vtilitie of maners and conuersation beseeming mankind as resemblanced by trees bearing fruit partly for the vigor of faith hope and charitie vnto eternall life as it were with greene hearbs which wither not with any heat of tribulation c. And I could wish that the Lord might not finde vs as it were in the euening of this age The euening of this age is thus spoken of by our Lord Thinkest thou that when the Sonne of man shall come he shall finde faith on the earth After this euening shal be a morning namely when our Lord shall come in his glorie Then the Saints shall rest from all their works or businesses with Christ. As the workes of the sixe dayes were thus sealed vp with a seauenth dayes rest so the Ancients not to touch any moderne writers could apply all to the worlds sixe distinct ages finishing them with the glorious Sabaoth of Sabaoths the rest of rests And this was clearely insinuated by the Holy-ghost to the Hebrewes writ to this effect If Ioshuah had giuen Israel rest then would not Dauid after that day haue spoken of another Rest But Dauid hath spoken of another Rest Therefore there remaineth another rest to the people of God for he that is entred into His rest hath also ceased from his owne works as God did from his From which scripture as also from others of like validitie hath analogically beene well concluded how the sixe dayes did resemble typically the sixe ages of the world aswel as the seauenth day did represent eternitie hereafter wherein the sonnes and daughters of God should rest from all their labours no more troubled with worlds garboyles contrarie to the Chiliasts assertion who dreamed from a misvnderstanding of Reuel 20.7 c. that after the Saints had rested a thousand yeares Satan should anew assaile and trouble them And besides that the number of Sixe is made sacred sundry wayes in the old Testament we shall finde the new testaments Reuelation to make it a number of perfection to the Churches workes when as Reuel 10.7 the mightie Angel sweareth That in the dayes of the Seauenth Angel when he shall beginne to found the trumpet the mystery of God shall be finished as if he should say the sixe trumpets referred to the new testaments six ages shall found to the end of the Churches businesse for when the Seauenth beginneth to found euen then the mystery is at an end and finished But I will spare to speake more of this number here as also what I further thinke of the distinction of ages That which is spoken according to the Ancients their obseruance may serue to stop the mouths of such as crie for antiquity Which summarily I shut vp with that of Isidore Senarius namque qui partibus suis perfectus est perfectionem mundi quadam numeri sui significatione declarat Etymol l. 3. cap. 4. Lect. XIII Sabaoth of Dayes THe next chronologicall shadow shall be Seauen a number of Rest sanctified by God himselfe as was the number of Sixe The number Seauen in regard of his Rest is termed Sabbaticall and because in the great Sabaot of God they shal neither giue nor take in marriage Clemens Alexandrine saith Merito ergo numerum â—epâ—enarium existimant esse sine matre sine prole They worthily therefore doe thinke the number
in Messiah in whom we are to Rest for the Father in him Alone resteth well pleased Lect. XV. BVt besides Day and Moneth we are to obserue the Yeare which also brings with it Rest and Sabbaot And this was done euery seauenth yeare from the time of typicall Ioshua his partition of Canaan Sixe yeares they were to sowe the land the seauenth yeare they were to let it Rest and the owners with the poore were to content themselues and feede on the voluntary fruits of that Yeares-rest Whereby all were taught first to rest in the promised Messiah who is alone sufficient to our earthly natures causing them to fructifie without our naturall tillage Happy is the body and soule for that is our field and vineyard that communicates with these sabbaticall gifts for their owne good and sustentation of others Secondly it teacheth all Adams sonnes to labour the worlds sixe ages but with respect of that sabbaot in the worâ—ds end when so Christ Iesus shall be to them all in all what time happinesse shall be rich and poore Abraham and Lazarus to rest in Him for euer The poore then shall not enuie the Rich the rich then shall entertaine the poore into their bosomes without grudge for this is a Sabaoth of Rest in our God Yea before the worlds end Blessed are the Dead that die in the Lord for they rest from their labours Furthermore this sabbaticall seauenth yeare did forbid the Lender to aske the thing againe which he had lent and yet not to lend vnto the poore brother by reason of this seauenth yeares rest it was to haue a wicked thought and to sinne but to lend and so to giue it had the promise of blessing to accompany that lender in what-so he should put his hand to Besides as this yeare the Hebrue which for neede had sold himselfe to be a seruant hee was except himselfe willed the contrarie to be set free As the Creditor might not debarre lending because the Seauenth yeare was nigh so neither for that cause ought hee through lâ—cke of full sixe yeeres seruice to stay the poore bâ—other either from accepting him into seruice for such satisfaction or the seauenth yeare being come to retaine him longer against his will For the breach of this law Ieremiah was sent to denounce against the Iewes these three punishments Sword Pestilence and Famine All this plainely preached Mercie that mercie which the rich do owe in conscience to the poore and maisters to seruants one Christian to another The contrary God will be auenged of And herewith to the comfort of faithfull seruants and poore-ones it doth typically preach that in heauens Sabbaot they shall rest maugre the hearts of worldlings for howsoeuer they be mens seruants yet they be The Lords of free men In requie Nouitestamenti liberatus est Hee is set at libertie in the Rest of the new testament how much more in the accomplishment of that Sabbaots perfection But besides the Seauenth yeare Single there was a seauenth yeare multiplied by seuen which proclaimed the folowing yeare for a yeare of much libertie Seauen times seauen yeares were compted the last whereof is nine and fortie Then in the seauenth Moneth the great Iubile yeare was founded which was the fiftieth yeare that is the yeare after the seauenth which in progression of number is Eight but in renuall of number is the First But that here is a renuall of the Sabbatical accompt I cannot see though one of Scotland otherwise worthy much reuerence doth teach namely that the Iubile-yeare is the First of the next seauen Which if then this would follow that that seauen should be but sixe or two Rests should be held in one seauen neither of which I see any reason for This Iubile-yeare being the 50. yeare the next yeare after the last seauen it is so in progresse of accompt an Eight yeare and so withall doth secretly teach that the Time and number of Eight is sacred Further it may appeare from the time of Circumcision which euer from the Birth-tide was to be the Eight day which Auntients still didde make a Representator of Messiah his day of Resurrection which fell the day after the Iewish Sabaot or seauenth day All which we shall finde to be sanctified in the name â—ESVS where Eight is renowned in Vnits or Ones secondly in Tennes thirdly in Hundreds For in the name IESVS thou hast the iust Nomber of 888. thus I 10. E 8. S 200. O 70. V 400. S 200. that is IESOVS according to the Greeke writing in the new-Testament as if hereby were openly proclaimed that Iesus first is He to whome the beast in Reuel 13.18 with his number of 666. is opposed whereof that aduersary hath the Name of Anti-christ thâ—t is opposed to Christ. Secondly that IESOVS is the end of Circumcision and lubile all drawing to Him as the Iubile or Iobél of lábal doth naturally signifie Many take it to haue the Name of a Rams hoâ—e affirming that this Iubile was proclamed with such horne-trumpets But as such deriuation is further fetchâ— so I see not how by the scripture it can be proued that Rams hornes were then sounded Nay it semeth more probable that after Siluer trumpets were instituted togither with the lawe that they only were in these solemnities vsed Draw vnto Christ they did in 18. Iubilees the last of foure Sabbaoths or Seauens of Iubile proclaming Christ crucified by whome came euerlasting Redemption But for the better obseruance hereof let vs consider the Peculiars of this great Octonarie Rest. First in this Great yeare they were not to sowe no more then in the yeare next afore it which was the last of the seauen Seauens for the supply of which two Rests the Lord promiseth to giue sufficient the Sixt yeare for three yeares Leutt. 25.21 which secretly may teach once that such as put their confidence solely in Christ they shall finde God to be El-shaddi All-sufficient vnto them as also that Christ is an end to the ceremoniall law figured by the Seauenth day and the verie Soule of the new testament figured by the number of Eight the verification of the former Rest to the Synagogue Rest to the Church rest to the Body rest to the soulâ—â— who first was God then secondly Man for double Rest to the faithfull Secondly all the Israelites who before had sold any possession were as this yeare to returne vnto their possession A reâ—son that the land was not to be cut off from any Tribe was this The land â—aith Iehouah is Mine and ye be but strangers and soiourners with me For this cause it was his pleasure that his owne Interest should appeare in hauing his people alwayes interessed therein yea and in the yeare of Iubile to seaze on the very possession And what doth this shadow forth vnto vs This first that the Earth is the Lords and all that therein is and therefore all
this begot Iered and he Henoch 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the seauenth â—aith Saint Iude from Adam So that the doctrine of number before taught being herein remembred it maketh Henoch for his number a Sabbaticall person pointing forth Messiah the promised seede in whom Mankinde was solely to rest The former sixe Adam Sheth Enosh Kenan Mahalaleel Iered they were euery of them bright starres leading to Christ and for that cause couched of S. Luke in our Sauiours Genealogie but Henoch the seauenth was he that made vp the Pleiades seauen better starres then them in the firmament for these be not Palfiies in Charles wayne but in the ecclesiasticall chariot of heauens Salomon Secondly for Henochs name in English Taught or Dedicate it points forth Iesus Taught of God the father and Dedicated to his fathers will for his Churches redemption Saint Luke doth strictly note his enlargement in learning when hee saith And Iesus encreased in wisedome and stature not in respect of his Godhead but Manhood whereby hee was One with Henoch And that he was dedicate to his fathers worke the Psalmist witnesseth thus Mine eares thou hast boared for so CárÃtha of Cáráh signifieth which Paul to the Hebr. 10.5 paraphraseth thus A body thou hast ordained me whereby is signified our Sauiours voluntary seruice whereto he freely dedicated himselfe by allusion to the seruant in Exod. 21.6 who binding himselfe freely to his maister had for a sacramentall signe thereof his eare pierced And for dedicating himselfe vnto his seruice he was contented and did take vpon him the forme of a Seruant philipp 2.7 Thirdly The truth of which being so taught and dedicate appeareth both in Henoch the figure and Messiah figured Henoch by vocation was a Prophet as in Iude 14. so was Christ whereof more in some other personall shadow Henoch walked with God so did Iesus Henoch was taken away of God from the earth so was Iesus death being vnable to hold him vnder and his holy flesh vncapable of feeling corruption Henoch was no more seene nor shal the Humane nature of Christ be any more seene locally in the earth vntill he come to iudge the quicke and the dead for till the Restauration of all things the heauens saith Saint Peter must containe him Act. 3.21 Fourthly as the number of his generation so the Time of his life is mystical The years of Henochs life were 365. Which number à peritioribus Anatomicis of the most skilfull Anatomizers hath beene obserued in man for Sinewes and Ligatures And the Cabalists conclude that there be in Gods Law so many Negatiue commandements euen 365. All which as it lacks not his mysterie so for the present I obserue this that Henocâ—s number for Yeares and a yeares number for Dayes they be both one Henochs yeares 365. the yeares dayes according to the Sunnes course 365 pointing forth the glorious Sonne of God in whom all our dayes and yeares are sanctified The Prophet in Psalme 19. doth speake of the Naturall Sunne and his circuite according to the letter but according to mysterie the Sonne of God is he who as a strong Giant runneth his course the Alpha and Omega of his Churches dayes and yeares Thus Henochs beginning progression and â—nding did liuely shade forth Messiah in certaine particulars Nor haue writers let all this passe by in silence for thus they can speake Henoch ambulauâ—t cum domino idâ—m conuersatione ambulanit cum Domino id est in ascentione figuram Christâ—tenens Henoch in his ascension did carry a Figure of Christ Beda in Gen. 5. Another more largely writes thus â— Hic autem Henoch c. This Henoch the seauenth from Adam who pleased God and was translated he signifies the seauenth Rest wherto euery one is to be referred which in the siâ—tage of the worlde as in the sixt day is formed by Christes comming for the sixe agss of the world once runne and Iudgement done with the renuall of heauen and earth the Saints shal be translated into the life of perpetuall immortality And a late writer saith thus Signatur in ipso Christus c. In Henoch Christ is sealed or signified who did the will of his father afterwards ascended into heauen and afterwards appeared not in his Church seeing as it is saide in Reuel 12. The Sonne of the Woman was rapt vp into heauen From thence he is to come with his 144. thousands Therefore Henoch when it is said he walked with God dooth signe foorth Christ to haue preached the Gospel While it is saide hee was taken away of God it declareth Christ to haue ascended to the right hand of the Father When it followeth he appeared not it signifieth Christs Non-appearance in the church while the Pope domineeâ—d c. Thus they and right many more haue precisely obserued Henoch to be a figure type or shadow of Christ Iesus These two shall suffice for the time before the flood Lect. XIX Melchi-tsedek AFter the flood I will produce Melchi-tsedek and Isaac and first of the First Melchi-tsedek we we reade of in Gen. 14. where he is introduced vnawares meeting Abraham from the spoile causing bread and wine to be brought forth vnto him and his for his refection blessing Abraham and receiuing Tenths of him All which the Author to the Hebrewes remembreth in chap. 1.1 2 3 c. applying al to Christ as the only Hee which was figured by the former which is to be considered first in respect of his Generationâ— secondly of his Nameâ— and thirdly of his Office For his Generation he is saide to to be without Father without Mother without kindred hauing neither beginning of his dayes neither â—nd of life wherein he is likened to the Sonne of God Could these things agree properly to any Man No man so qâ—alified can be produced These things agree in proprietie only to the Sonne of God for the which it is said Hee was likened to him whereas otherwise it might haue beene saide He was one and the same with him and so no shadow of him And yet howsoeuer not in proprietie yet in a certaine true respect all the said particulars may be affirmed of him quia eius generatio subabscurior fuerit lâ—teris is non sit demandata because as an ancient Greeke vrgâ—th his generation is subobscured and not committed to sacred letters Wherewith take that of an ancient Latine Introducitur sicut Elias c. he is sodâ—inly introduced as is Elias For it is not at all to be belieued that Melchi-tsedek was without father or without Mother for Christ according to either nature had father and mother but it is so saide of him because he is so sodainly introduced in holy scripture Wherto accordeth that of the Sirian Interpretor Whose father nor mother is writ in the Genealogies but still of the Hebrewes affirmed to be Shem for sundry probable respects howsoeuer in the story he commeth in with a New name
became indeed The Son of Man And thus the fall of Man brought with it the fall of Gods Son The Head is contented to stoope with his body Christ with his Church pawning himselfe for her payning himselfe for her becomming poore for making her rich giuing her libertie by his captiuitie procuring to her pleasure by his paine life by his death Nor did the Sacrifices only represent this but also exhibite and seale Christ with his benefits vnto the faithfull Communicant In which respect it is that the Author to the Hebrues saith that Habel by his Oblation obtained witnesse that he was iust that is imputed iust by Christ Iesus sealed to his conscience To whome as to all ancient Belieuers Christ was the Lamb slaine from the beginning of the world Iesus Christ yesterday and to day the same also for euer The Egiptian priest could say Deus vim â—fficacem imprimit Sacramentis God deeply printeth an effectuall operation in Sacraments speaking of their fantastick Sacrifices but the faithfull of God vnder and before the lawe might in deede and trueth say that a vitall power was conâ—aid vnto them by the Sacrifice no lesse then eternall life by Christ Iesus sealed vnto their Conscience by the stamp of his Spirit By which externall shadowe they were so taught and sealed till Messiahs day did breake and the Lawes shadowes fly away So much generally of Sacrifice Lect. XXXII Circumcision THe next Sacramentall exhibitiue shadow shal be Circumcision first incommended vnto Abraham in the seauenteenth of Genesis and continued in his seede till Christ putte that away for establishing Baptisme But baptisme by sufficient preaching being once established thencefoorth Christ Iesus should profite him nothing that would be circumcised Galat. 5.2 This Circumcision was nothing else but a solemne cutting away of that fore-skinne in a Manchild which appertaines to the generatiue part Which the Lord at the first institution thereof doth sometimes call his Couenant sometimes the Signe of his Couenant Why Because the thing signified was to the true Belieuer conuaâ—de with the signe euen as it is in all exhibitiue sacraments And that is it which causeth the Apostle in Rom. 4.11 to call it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a seale of that Righteousnesse which is by-faith Which Sacrament was to Abrahams nâ—turall sâ—ed as Baptisme is vnto Christs spirituall seed an infallible signe of being receiued into the Couâ—nant of grace and holy Church of GOD. For by this signe the Hebrew Israel and Iew all Abrahams petigree were distinguished from all the world besides termed Gentiles The ancient prophane Herodot recordeth that the Colchians Aegyptians Aethiopians did circumcize themselues and of the Aegyptians he will forsooth that the Phaenicians and Syrians in Palestina these must be the Iewes they learned Circumcision Yet forsooth saith he â— cannot define whether the Egyptians learned it of the Aethiopians or they of the Egyptians Silly Greeke it is something he saith but farre from the truth He thought the Iewes had leaâ—ned it of the Aegyptians Why No doubt because hee had heard that sometimes their predecessours had beene in Aegipt Whereas it was instituted neere two hundred yeares before Iaakob went downe into that country And whereas he affirmeth so many of the Gentiles to circumcise it is nothing likely they euer hauing the Hebrewâ—s and their religion in horrible detestation Onely this may be some of Abrahams seede specially by Ismael borne of the Aegyptian Hagar might be sparsed in such places and there continuâ— this ceremony But for circumcision to be practised by naturall Egyptians it is against all probabilitie Philo Iudaeus therefore in his discourse of Circumcision making one argument of the vse thereof to the bodily cleanenesse specially in the priestes hee therewithall affirmeth of the Aegyptians that they for such purpose did 〈◊〉 their bodies For Circumcision we see how odious it was vnto the Gentiles in the time of Maccabees as diuerse Iewes for liues preseruation were glad to vncircumcize themselues by a painefull stretching and curious phisiking of the scarred skinâ—e It is sufficient that the ancient Greek hath recorded the Ceremonie though altogether ignorant to whom it appertained and to what end vsed But what is shadowed in Circumcision First If wee respect the paring away of the flesh it shadowes forth the expoliation and casting away of the olde-man with his inueterate lusts And this of the Holy Ghost is oft termed the circumcision of the * heart If we respect the shedding of blood accompanying that cutting it may wel represent the blood of Christ Iesus appointed to be poured out for our sinnes for the washing away of our lustsâ— for without blood no remission Heb. 9.22 And if with the representation we respect what therein to the faithfull is exhibited it is no other thing than Christ who of God the Father is made vnto vs Wisdome Righâ—eousnes Sanctification and Redemption 1. Cor. 1.30 Who by his spirite and word worketh in vs true mortification to sinne and true Viuification to Holinesse and trueth of Righteousnesse Nor lesse was taught to Abraham at the gift of Circumcision For being ben a Sonne of 99. yeares hee in his olde age is tauâ—ht to cut off the old man that so a Couenâ—nt may be sealed in his flesh The Couenâ—nt is exprâ—ssed when he saith I am God all sufficient walke before me and be thou vpright wherein the Lord not onely calleâ—h Abraham and his seede to vprightnesse of Obâ—dience towards him but also preacheth and promisâ—th to be God all-sufficient vnto him and his Nay lest he should thinke his obedience the Cause why God would be sufficient vnto him the Lord first pronounceth him El-shaddaj and then biddeth Abraham walke vprightly because his All-sufficiencie in the first place was cause of his integritie in the second place Which couenant standing of free-grace and promise it could not doe lesse than leade Abraham by the hand vnto the Seed of promise euen Christ Iesus by whom al the earth was to receiue a blessing Vnto the which blessed seede the Lord seemeth to will Abram and Sarai to Behold when as he turnes Abram into Abraham and Sarai into Sarah so adding to their names the hebrewe letter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which in english is Behold Whereto the Angel Gabriel might haue an eye when to the Virgine Mary hee cryed Behold Which letter of hebrewes termed Heâ— of vs H is to Cabalists their character of the holy ghost By which forme of learning if Abraham euer approoued such learning that faithfull couple were taught to giue the praise of all goodnesse to that Spirite of God by whom they were sealed vnto the day of redemption Thus the Church in her infancie was taught by letters In this state of the Gospel wee should be able to put these letters together for spelling a Word euen that Word which assumed Flesh for the circumcising and sauing of Mankind So much for circumcision Lect. XXXIII Passeouer THe fourth sacramentall
â—hould be visited the wall of ceremonies pulled downe and the shadowes vanished But the two people once made One by the Gospel the Church so here may be introduced subscribing to Messiahs continuance in the high Heauens vntil the great Sabbaticall day begin to breake what time not only the Churches sacramental shadowes shall vanish but also the Night of sin the workes of darkenesse the shadow of death shall flie away and be no more seene As a Roe and Hynde he sometimes fed in the height of Iuda but now resteth in the height of Heauen solacing at the right hand of glorie There O thou whom my soule loueth be as a Roe or yong-Hart lately chased and bloodily entreated in our valley of death there rest and solace thy selfe maugre the Dragons gaping Antichrists warring the Atheists yealping against the Moone Thou didst promise being once lift vp to draw all thy members vnto thee O my soules Ioy thou was first lifted vp betweene earth and heauen for thy Churches redemption and now thou art exalted hier then the heauens for thy peoples glorification Draw vs O sweete Hynde of the Morning drawe vs after thee that howsoeuer the body conuerse here awhile below yet our soules conuersation may be aloft with thee So be it And so an end of the third Part. Faults to be corrected IN the last line of the â—pistle to the Ministers reade vnlearned p. 3. last line reade he was not onely â— Prophet p. 17. in the margine reade 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 23. l. 3. reâ—de threats pa. 24. line 25. reade Blessednesses pag. 35. line 10. blot oâ—t in pag. 42. l. 37. reade straiâ—d p. 63. line 29 30. in some bookes blot out where vision world line 33. reade arke p. 66. line 27. reade sâ—ndry Images pâ— â—8 in the marg reade Bimâ—sibbo p. 73. l. 9. reade plâ—a p. 76. li. 1. reade the word Monch l. 17. reade medicinâ— pa. 84. l. 7. reade it signifieth p. 113. for lines reade letters pa. 116. last line but one reade sickâ—nâ—s pa. 120. last line for coâ—mitted reade receiued pag. 127. l. 11. reade sunctions pa. 131. last line reade testament p. 132. l. 1. reade giuen p. 137. l. 26. reâ—de sufficiencie p. 156. l. 10. for lute reade but. pag. 173. lin 28. reade great and small pag. 203. l. 17. put out of pâ—g 208. l. 18. reade many halfe hundr pa. 215. l. 9. reade which is to the Hebr. 10.5 parapâ—rased thus pa. 252. l. 23. reade sâ—ut out pa. 257 l. 8. reade other than the Sonne l. 19. reade mediation pag. 283. l. 22. reade spirituall pag. 285. l. 30 reade thâ—ist Other faults I desire the gentle Reader to correct as hee findeâ— them Bibles Briefe Sommon to Domes day Sinners sleepe ResurrectioÌ„ Tables of Houshold gouernment Bern. serm 30. in Cantic Ambr. offic lib. 1. cap. 1 By my Lord Andersons suite to his Grace of Canterbury Aug. de grammatica libr. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Speaking of Kornelius Sâ—lla Korneâ—ius Cinna and Kornelius Lentulus Pomponius Laetus de legib Iude 10. Iohn 1.1 and hebr 1.3 Their Talmud lâ—ckes no such stuâ—fe Rom. 15.4 Hebr. 6.1 c. As their spirituall lanâ— of peace Enterlude of Mindes doe shew For this see somewhat in Lect. xv Vbi maâ—è neâ—o peius Gâ—lâ—t 4 24. Eccles 12.9 Hebr. 11 40. The argument of this Song * R. Sal. Iarchi hereon * R. Abr. Abben-ezra on this chapter The time when this Song was penned * Bellarm. de verbo Dei lib. 1. cap. 5. 2. Sa. 7.14 15. 2. Chro. 11. â—17 Ioh. 20 15. c. Isidor de eccles lib. 1. ea 6. 7 Bruno in Eph. 5 Ephes. 5.19 Tho. Aquin. on Ephes. 5. * So doth Tremelius turne it the hebrew is Cj tobim dodejca mijaijn Galat. 4.4 Iohn 1.18 compared with cha 17.5 Heb. 11.40 * Heb. rúach Gr. pneuma Lat. Spiritus Matth. 1.20 Ephes. 3.14 15 16 17.18 Psal. 19.10 * Lerâ—iach Aelôhim Aelohâ—ka Procul à phano * Shemen is indifferently Oyle or Oyntment * The heb Vr is in English Fire Dodâ—ica as before * Meishárim Iohn 15.5 Gal 2 20. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Actcs 17.28 Prou. 21.27 * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 7.18 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 * Lâ—mb dist 25 lib. 2. Q. Libertas ergo à peccato â— miseria per gratiam est libertas vera à â—ecessitaâ—e per naturam * Adiutorium in bonum non infirmitas in malum * Lomb. lib. 2. distinct 25. G. * Synergói 1. cor 3.9 Synergóuntes 2. cor 6.1 Prosper in sentent 172. Nemo inuitus bonum facit c. * Hammelec 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 * Ashrês Adam mâ—phachéd támidh Hebianj of Boâ— * It is in Hithpagnel Greg. in â—antic 1. Quid per huius sponsi qui Rex est cellariâ— intellegimus nisi sanct scriptur archana quae rimamur nisi sanctae contemplationis mysteriaiquorum delicijsâ—i refic mur m.x conualescimur In illa proculdubio quisque introducitur omnia temporalia mox conâ—emnit quia aeternis ditatur * Ahâ—bûkâ— * Omnes fontes mei in te Psal. 87.7 * Gen. 1â— 20 * Vâ—nauah * Reu. 11.8 14.8 * See this at large in part 3 Lect. 19. * Actes 13.45.50 and 14.2 and 17.5.13 c. * Ro. 11.25 26. * In my Antidoton and new Ierushalem * Abbenezra in his Dramatique expos * Sol. Polyh in cap. 46. * They write that this bird is euer but one and onlie resiant in Arabia And that in her fulnesse of yeeres she â—lickers in her drie neast against the sun and so is fired into ashes that out of these ashes ariseth a little worme which afterwards becommeth the Phoenix * Saepe est sub palliolo sordido sapientia * Whereof in cap. 3.7 * Ambros. on Coloss. 2. Imperatore absente Imago habet authoritatem absente autem Non. * So doâ—h Raâ— Selomeh and Abben-ezra but then apply it to their own churches estate spoken of in Ezech. 20.5 c. * Nicharû * Barn serm 30 in Cantic * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 * Tarebits * Cegnótjah so expounded of Rab. Selom Iarchi * It is in the coniugation Hiphil which signifieth a double action * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 * Chamudoth and Machomed of Chamad * Im doth so signifie when the matter requirâ—th it * Prou. 30.1 2 * Ezech. 16 6. c. * Eph. 5.25 c * Gnà l * The old Latine others but our Tremelius and the Romists Arrias Montanus do reade it singular * Antidoton prooueth that at large * Ephes. 2.10 â— Cor. 11.1 Ierem. 6.16 Prou. 14.12 Ibid. 15. 1 Kings 3. * The word Zóâ—óth signifieth women setting to sale But whether victualles or their bodies or both it is a question In Latine therefore it is well turned Meritoriae * Matth. 1.5 * Occlamant illi attendite ad vias videte interrogate c. * Called Index librorum prohibitorum cum regulis
his wayes are past finding out For if the Creature could swallow vp all the reason of the Creator God should be finite and God no God The most learned reason the most plaine and readie reason the soberest reason of God his electing reprobating or acting whatsoeuer is this God so willeth or it is because God so wil. An answer soone learned and as readily made and being put in practise it shall stay much babling and vaine iangling that destroies but the hearers As God did choose vs and freely seale vs vp in Christ the rock of our saluation before all time so in time he calls vs and comfortably speaketh vnto vs. Not entitling vs according to that we are in ourselues but as we are in him In our selues a serpentine brood but in him Doues by litle climing towards our head as doues by steps and staires do ascend the Rocke Lect. VII SHew me thy face Hauing awaked his Loue he now exhorteth to shewe her face vnto him or more neere to the hebrue shew thy countenance vnto me Quid eniim per faciem nisi fidem qua à deo cognoscimur what can we vnderstand by the face but faith seeing by it wee are knowne of God Shew me thy Faith saith GOD shew mee thy faith by workes saith man God taketh knowledge of vs face to face when we apprehend Messiah by Faith And for this cause Saint Paul teacheth iustification freely by faith seeing by that we haue peace with God Rom. 5.1 Man taketh knowledge of vs by workes and therefore Saint Iames who was but a man saith Shew me thy faith by workes The first we call internall the second externall iustification the first iustification with God the second with man If thou wouldst be iustified with man first labour thy iustification with God So did Zacheus when he said Behold Lord and so did Isaiah when standing forth with his children he cried Behold and so did the poore man in the gospel when he cried Lord I beleeue If thou canst shew thy countenance boldly to God then neuer feare the face of man And how can we shew our face to God by first being quickened in Christ and at vnion with him by faith for hee it is alone in whome the Father is well pleased Heare him shew thy face to him and he will comfortably shew vs the father for none comes to the father but by him And did we but know the benefiâ—e ensuing our standing bâ—fore his face he should not neede twise to say vnto vs Shâ—w me thy face We cannot shew our face to him but wee shall see the face of him And that which is more while we behold the Glory of Messiah with open face wee are changed into the same Image from glory to glory as by the spirit of the Lord 2. Cor. 3.18 that is whilst by the eye of faith we contemplate Messiah we are turned not into Messiah but into his glorious Image And this conuersion not by any naturall hand but by the operation of the Lords spirit But here this question may be propounded Seeing the Elect are alwayes seene of Christ how comes it that here he craues their sight I answer He desires not her sight in regard of Election bxt of Iustification which is alone by faith as afore For though Paul was elect before time yet had he not faith but in time And that time of his iustification by faith did appeare together with the Ghospels spring-time The Church of the Gentiles had her election euer sealed vp in Christ but shee had not euer faith in Christ. He therefore here desireth his loue to shew her countenance which sometimes appeared not that is to shew the precious effect of faith which alwayes was hers in posse in regard of Gods dâ—cree but not in Esse in present habite or possession Cause me to heare thy voyce What voyce is this which he so desireth to heare Is it the voyce of blasphemie of taking God his name in vaine the voyce of vncleanenesse of haeresie of cursing No Messiah delights not in that voyce Whâ—t then is it euen that voyce which is effected in her by his owne holy spirit As the voyce of preaching his glorious workes the voice of singâ—ng Psalmes hymnes and spirituall songs But speciallie the voyce of sad-glad prayer like to the ioyous swâ—et mourning note of the Doue in the presâ—nce of her mate Sinneâ—addes â—addes this voyce but Faith glads it Sinnâ— drawes his notes downe and sin is the burden of this Song but fâ—ith in Christ carries vp the notes aloft piercing the eare of the highest With this Douelike voyce Messiah is so affected as he entreats his Church to cause him to heare her voyce quasidicat Though I should sâ—eme not to heare thee at the first or second or moe times yeâ— cease not to pray pray continually and pray feruently like to the poore widdow that stil importuned the Iudge the more we pray the more we may and the more he would like to a father who seemeth not to heare his childe because he would much heare the Child seeming to eye another thing when he will indeed not heare any other thing nor eie any other thing with delectation The reason of the one and the other followeth For thy voyce is sweet and thy countenance comely First for the voyce it must needes delight because it is sweet melodious delightsome and piercing Nor maruell seeing all such voyce is the effect of the Holy-ghost the very spirit of Messiah and there must needes be sweet and pleasant to Messiah Would the Lord haue put Dauid so much to prayer had not prayer beene sweet to the Lord Would the heauenly Father haue put his owne Sonne so much to prayer had not his prayer beene as sweet odours continually ascending And would the Holy-ghost haue taught vs Continually to pray to watch in prayer in all things to giue thanks but he knew that the Father and Son did sweetly affect prayer And as the voice of prayer so the voice of reading singing and speaking as the words of God they be all as before hath beene cleared sacrifices of sweet sauour vnto God Chrysostome hauing praised spirituall song he addeth This I speake not to the end that you should onely praise spirituall Songs but to the end you should teach your children and wiues to sing such songs not only in knitting or doing of other worke but specially at the table And of the whole Clemens Alexandrinus writes thus Vniversa eius vita speaking de homine cognit praedito est quidam celebris ac sanctus dies festus Atque ei quidem sacrificia sunt ipsae precâ—s laudes quae ante cibum fiunt scripturarum lectiones psalmi autem hymni dum cibus sumitur antequam eatur cubitum quinetiam noctu rursus orationes A man indued with knowledge his whole life is a certaine honourable and holy festiuall day His sacrifices are very prayers and
praises together with the scriptures read before meate psalmes and himnes in the time of meat before he goe to bedde as also pouring out prayers againe in the night season Neuer sung the Doue so sweete a song to her mate as the Church singeth to Messiah when her voyce at all times is so soundâ—ng Thy countenance or Aspect is comly Faith being as afore the cause of the churches countenance the countenance of the faithfull must needes be gloâ—ious for as the cause is such is the effect The wisedome of a man saith Salomon dooth make his face to shine and the strength of his face shall thereby be changed This is specially spoken of heauens-wisedome which causeth the soules face or countenance to shine causing a right strong heart to change the complexion from euil to good of deformed becomming comely Nor is this wisedome otherwise in mysterie to be vnderstoode then of the Sonne who is the wisedome of our heauenly father That Son of heauen causeth our face to shine and this onely as we become one with him by the apprehension of Faith Faith purifieth the heart causeth a change of the soule inuests vs with Messiahs righteousnesse as Iaakob was cloathed with his elder brothers garment One graine of faith remooueth mountaines of difficulties Faith apprehending Christ truly putteth away the olde corrupt man and putteth on a newe countenance euen the image of God which maketh the church to Christ right comely Christ exacted of Iairus Faith onely for curing his daughter and to him only that belieueth all things are possible Marke 9.23 Which true effectuall faith beeing in the Church only it causeth her alone to be described of Saint Iohn in forme of a Woman clothed with the Sunne all beauteous and comely Abben-ezra vnderstanding as other Iewes doe this of their olde Church comming out of Aegipt hee there inferreth that the Church then shewed her countenance to God when she belieued applying thereto that clause They belieued in the Lord. The Psalmist long after that Exode or outgate from Aegypt prophecieth of a departure forth of another Aegypt Ps. 68.31 comparing there in Vers. 13. the Church to a Doue that had lodged amongst pots or as the word Shephatheim may seeme rather to imply Killes or Furnaces and therewith blacked but then annects this promise yet shalt thou be as The wings of a Doue that is couered with siluer and whose feathers be yellow golde This comming forth of Aegypt was the Gentiles comming forth of horrible Idolatrie wherin all Nations had lodged and blacked themselues Who comming forth by obedience to Christs voyce called the obedience of Faith were therewithall not onely washed from deformitie but also couered with comelinesse compared to a Doues wings al siluerie and gâ—lded And that this is the proper point here intended by Salomon Idolatrers and Idolls lodged so in holes of Rocks in Isa. 1.20 21. as vnâ—ble to abide the glorious Law-giuer I would rather conclude if the church would think it to be more direct then the former For as the word Rocke is sometimes applied to Christ in whom the church liueth so it importeth sometimes the mansion of Idâ—latrers But let the Mansion of this Church-doue bee considered in Christ according to Election or in woods groues monkish cells secret holes in regard of her passed idolâ—trie beauteous and comely she is not made till she come forth and manifest her faith true working faith For faith is the girdle that tyeth her to Christ and all the glorious shine of Christ to her Is our voice sweete praise him is our aspect comely thanke him for as the Earth was vncomly till he said Let it budde forth and then it was presently couered with Bâ—auties carpet euen so it is the word of fâ—ith preached whereby our Owlish Idolatrous hoing was turned into a sweete Douish voyce and our Aegyptian-like blackenesse into a Douish comelinâ—sse Messiah praising this voyce for sweet and this countenance for comly for how should his gifts and graces in his owne members be otherwise it controlleth them who say in the faithfull and regenerate there is no good thing instead of saying In their flesh or vnregenerate part There is no good thing For where Isaiahs people cry out We haue all beene as an vncleâ—ne thing and all our righteousnesses haue beene as filâ—hy clâ—uts they speake first of the time past when they lay drowned in sinne secondly they censure onely the actions of their owne vnregeneâ—ate nature for somewhat in body and soule is euer heere vnrâ—generate they bring not the actions of the spirit in them vnder that iudgement not to vrge the Hebrew turned of some as a â—estmeâ—t of shreds for as the Holy ghost is such are his fruites Thirdly they censuâ—ing themselues not for vncleane but as vncleane it may import some respect had to the worke of God in them which otherwise was shadowed with the vncleane clouds of nature But much more Messiahs praise of his churches face and voyce may controll such aâ— vpon Faiths weakenesse shall conclude faith therefore filthy that because the graces of God in the regâ—nerate are weake therefore vncleane not onely a plaine error but also a blaspheming or euill speaking of the graces and heauenly effects of God his holy spirit Not to seuer the workes of the flesh and spirit that is of the regenerate and vnregenerate part it is to builde a Babel or Confusion contrary to the Apostles proceeding in Galat. 5.16 17 19 20 21 22 23. Where the Apostle maketh the fruâ—tes opposite each to other The vnregeneration of our nature soule and body for the body is acted by the soule it is vncleane and as a polluted Carrion but it can no more dâ—file the giftes and operations of the Holy-ghost in a new-man then a stinking carrion can defile the glorious rayes or beames of the Sun shining theron Dauid somtimes complained of GOD his absence not because he was indeed absent but because he felt him not present namely in mercie So the Elect regenerate sometimes cry out as all naught not because it is so indeede but because they for that present haue no feeling of the good worke of God in them As for spirituall by-standers they see God neere them and goodnesse then in them It followeth Lect. VIII 15 Take vs the Foxes the little foxes destroying the vines for our vines haue small grapes HErein the Church repeateth a speach of Messiah which concerneth his care ouer the faithful in their first manifestation of Christian obedience The parts are these two First a commaundement for apprehending the aduersarie Great and Final laid downe vnder the terme of Foxes Secondly a reason thereof And this drawne first from the nature of these foxe-like aduersaries in that they destroy vines then from the time of vines weakenesse when it is saide Our vines haue small grapes As by Foxes vnderstanding aduersaries so by vines vnderstanding the faithfull labouring to bring
people to lift vp their hearts and then with Saint Stephen they shall see Christ not onely crucified but also on the right hand of his father glorified there making intercession for euerie of the faithful there being no other name vnto vs vnder heauen by the which wee are to be saued Thus the fierie and furnace-like afflâ—ctions of Iesus doe expell the fiery sting of the wicked this fire expelling the former And thus all Shadowes before the Law and vnder the Law do leade the Church to Christ Iesus crucified and now glorified Hee being the substance the shadow ceaseth The day-breake of the Gospell hath put an end to the Lawes night and darkenesse So much briefly of shadowes Arithmeticall Personall and Sacramentall Lect. XXXVII Vntill the day breake and the shadowes flie away Retire my welbeloued and be like a Roe or yoong Heart vppon the mountaines of Bether WEe haue before at large examined the sorts of shadowes types and figures which were to giue place and breake vp with the time of the Gospels bright appearance In the second place as at first I obserued it remaineth that something be said of the shadowes vnder the Gospel which are not to flie away vntill the second comming of Christ Iesus for so it may be that the Church here designeth not onely the First but also the Second comming of Messiah With which appearance the Sabbaticall morning shall beginne a day without darkenesse and euening as is his shadow Genes 2.23 for then we shal see Christ Iesus as he is and no longer be vnder shadowes 1. Iohn 3.2 The shadowes peculiar to the time of the Gospel for imposition of hands is in common to both Testaments they be two Baptisme and the Lords supper And vnto these two it was that Ancients had relation whenas they say aperâ—it latus vt illic quodammodo ostium vitae panderetur vnde Sacramenta Ecclesiae manaâ—erunt The side of Christ was pierced that so the doore of life there might be set open from whence the Churches sacraments haue issued vnderstanding so by water Baptisme and by blood synecdochically the Lord his last supper Herevpon it was that Augustine balancing the old and new sacraments hee saith in one place that Christ hath giuen to vs Pauca pro multis a few for many and in another place hee saith that Christ hath ioyned his people together sacramentis numero paucissimis by sacraments fewest in number Now the fewest in number is Two for vnitaâ— non est numerus one is no number As for the Romanists numbring vp to the Gospel seauen Sacraments it is quite besides booke proceeding onely from supâ—rstition as was that in their elder brother Balaam calling for seauen Altares seauen Bullockâ— and seauen Rammes Numb 23.1 To discourse here of these two sacraments it is not my purpose fiâ—st for that such doctrine is often vppon occasion deliuered amongst vs secondly for thâ—t the doctrine of these two sacraments it hath often beene vrged before in our discourse of the old Testaments shadowes Mutantur signa Res autem signata manet the signes are changed but the thâ—ng signified remâ—ineth For vnto Baptisme thou maist referre all the shadow-washings with purifications and vnto the Lords supper thou maist referre all the mysticall eatings and drinkings in and without Paradise before and after the flood before the Law and vnder it And this is the new Testaments perfection and glory that in one speach twoo things are spoken that in twoo sacraments two hunâ—â—â—d are sealed vp to the faithfull Which two sacraments as they leade â—nto Christ so when Christ our life appâ—areth in glory these shâ—dowes must vanish also Apparâ—nâ—â— vâ—ritate figura cessâ—t sicâ—◠〈◊〉 abseâ—â—â— Impâ—râ—tore imâ—gâ—â—iuâ— habâ—t authoritatem prâ—sente â—on habet the truth it selfe appearing the figure ceaseth euen as an Emperours image hath authoritie in his â—bsence but being present no such matter Till that day therefore breake and these two shadowes also flie away let vs with all truth of faith and thankefulnesse set forth the precious passion and bloodshed of our Sauiour Christ Iesus Thus much touchâ—ng thâ— time of Messiahs decreed absence It remaineth in the second place that the maner of his absence be considered namely as a Roe or yong hart vpon the Mountaines of Bether And herein obseruable first the Creature whereto he is resembled namely a Roe or yong Hart secondly the place of his abode and that is the mountaines of Bether Of the Roe and Hinde I haue before spoken in verse 7. and 9. and that somewhat amply here therefore I passe by such particulars as toucheth that resemblance Touching the Mountaines of Bether something is to be spoken wherewith the whole is to be concluded Bether is here taken of some for the Proper name of a place so termed of othersome it is taken Appellatiuely and so is englished mountaines of diuision If the proper name of a place then it is not yet obsâ—rued what place that should be excepâ— that which in 2. Sam. 2.29 is tâ—rmed Bithron in the land of Gilead As for the old latine that readeth Bethel belikes Lamed wanted the head and so he tooke it for Resh followed of Pope Sixtus in his edition I set not onely all Hâ—brew coppies against that but also Pope Clement his edition If the Hebrâ—e word Bether be not a proper name but a Noune Common and so it is to be termed Mountaines of Diuision then it is a question what mountaines these be who according to the Letter are pointed at As I knowe no Writer that hath determined that so I can not gesse whâ—t mountaines except they should be either the Mountaines that enuironed Ierushalem or suppoâ—ted Zion which neither I see how litterally they may bâ— so termed or else the two Mountaines Gerizim and Gâ—ebal Deut. 11. â—0 27. c. Iosh. 8.33 where the twelue tribes were Diuided Simeon Leui Iudah Issacar Ioseph and Beniamin vttering the blessing from mount Gerizim and Reuben Gad Asher Zebulun Dan and Naphtali vttering the Legall curse from the other mountaine And betweeâ—e what could there greater Diuision be then betweene Blessing Cursing Let the Mountaines be what they shall be I doubt not but thereby we are mystically led first to the partition wall which diuided betweene Iew and Gentile vntill the comming of Christ who then of two were made one no people then standing of as accursed but all called into one Sheepe folde for communicating with the Gospel of blessing Secondly as we respect Christ now returned into the heauens the mountaines of Gods holinesse so it further in mysterie leadeth vs to these mountaines of notable diuision by which we yet are parted from the full fruition of Iesus So that the church of the Gentiles figuratiuely introduced before Christs incarnation doth but subscâ—ibe to Messiahs mysticall feeding in Israel to whom the Oracles were committed and they so lift vp aboue the Nations till the Day wherein the Gentiles