that believes knows that he believes And it is impossible for a man to believe any thing firmly but he must know that he doth believe it for faith is to receive and to receive is by an act of the will and no man can receive a thing willingly but he must needs know that he doth receive it Now in that the speech is here doubled by the Daughters it sheweth that they were very proud and stiff in their opinion What is thy beloved say they more then another beloved that thou dost so charge us What are we blind Here although the confusion be so great that it separateth all men from Christ yet they must not be charged with it nor be thought to err in the least tittle Such a most pestilent Heritick is mans opinion which will not be contented unless it live in the greatest Heresy which separateth all men from Christ and yet it must go for the greatest vertue Now in the next Verse and so to the end of this Chapter in answer to the Daughters the Church setteth down the Excellency of her beloved beyond any other beloved VERSE X. My beloved is white and ruddy the chiefest among ten thousand IN which words we must note that she looketh not upon Christ by way of reflection as the Daughters do but directly by faith Therefore that Christian righteousness may be truly known she speaketh of such excellencies as are proper only to his own person And first she says my beloved is white by which she meaneth his righteousness imputed which being of Infinite purity Rev. 19.8 was fit for a Redemption And also ruddy because the guilt and punnishment of mans sin was laid upon him Now by this description of her beloved Esa 63.1 2. she totally overthrows the Religion of the Daughters and learneth rightly to teach the Law For if the white garments of her beloved must cloath her from the wrath of God then the Law which saith do this and live must have a new signification which the Daughters understand not Also if her beloved be ruddy or red being crucified for her sin as she confesseth then is she also white being clothed with his righteousness According to Saint Paul he was made sin for us Cor. 5.21 who knew no sin that we might be made the righteousness of God in him But on the contrary the Daughters by resting in an opinion of works by a false understanding of the Law do uncloath Christ of his ruddiness and draw the guilt of sin upon themselves and are bound to make an Everlasting satisfaction to the Justice of God Therefore the Bride say here my beloved is more then another beloved And thus it is with us also if we so understand the Law as to make it the condition of the promises then do we uncloath Christ 〈◊〉 his ruddiness and by that Principle in 〈◊〉 suffer only whiteness to remain in his own person which person of Christ being strippeâ— of our guilt his whiteness remains on himself and to us can never be imputed But 〈◊〉 we so understand and teach the Law that 〈◊〉 may be suitable or subordinate to the Gospelâ— then all our redness or guiltiness shall be laâ—â— upon Christ our beloved and his righteousneâ—â— shall be imputed unto us To teach this poinâ— rightly and also to practice it in time 〈◊〉 distress and misery is so exceeding pleasant that no heart can chuse that rightly understanâ— it but burst out into joy and singing Now she further saith that he is the chiefest among ten thousand Meaning the chief Prophet or Teacher and also the chiefest standard Bearer alluding to the heads of the triâ—es who were standard Bearers when they were numbred to go out to War Num. 2. In which War of the Children of Isarel against the Canaanites and also when they were to go out against the Benjamites Judah must go first he must be the chief standard Bearer Reuben according to the Order of the Genealogy was to be first in respect he was the eldest Son of Isarel yet because our Lord sprang out of Judah and because the War against the Canaanites was a type of a greater matter therefore Judah must go first To shew us this that Christ himself must tread the Wine-press of the wrath of God Now seeing Christ hath trodden the Wine-press alone hath banished the curse and overcome death therefore must he stand in the Conscience alone without the Law or works And even as Judah was the first and chiefest in the War against the enemies of Israel and not Reuben although he was the eldest Son even so must Christ and not works be look'd upon first in receiving comfort into the afflicted Conscience And thus the Bride confuteth the Daughters My beloved she faith is more then thy beloved my beloved standing alone in my Conscience separateth me from the Law and the guilt of sin But thy beloved standing not alone in thy Conscience but leaveth thee under the Law and in thy sin VERSE XI His head is as the most fine Gold his locks are bushy and black as a Raven BY the head of Christ is meant his Divinity by which he went through his Kingly Office 1 Cor. 11.3 and got the victory over the Law sin death and Satan Which is compar'd to fine Gold Acts 17.29 not that the Godhead is like unto Gold but to shew that his Kingdom which is purchased by the merits of his Divinity is like unto Gold Luke 1.33 in that it is durable being an Everlasting Kingdom and the Churches cloathing is said to be of wrought Gold Psal 45.13 So that in regard of the golden effects that come to us by the deity his head is said to be as the fine Gold But what is meant by the blackness and bushiness of his Locks Quest If you look in to Dan. Ans 1.9 Rev. 1.14 his hair is said to be white as the pure wooll but here to be bushy and black as a raven Understand then that the whiteness of his hairs in Daniel sheweth him to be the Ancient of days therefore it signifieth his Divinity and that the bushiness and blackness of his locks here sheweth him to be youthly and strong therefore it signifieth his Humanity By this description also the bride overcometh the Daughters and sheweth her beloved to be more then another beloved for the righteousness of my beloved is the righteousness of God and man in one person and therefore accepted for me of the Father but the righteousness of thy beloved is but the righteousness of thine own sinful person whereby thou art accursed and condemned VERSE XII His eyes are as the eyes of Doves by the Rivers of waters washed with Milk and fitly set BY his eyes are meant his understanding whereby he knoweth how to pitty us and help us Psal 33 13 18 34 15. having now in Heaven a fellow feeling of our extremities Esa 63.9 For although he knew not sin
practice of the Law All men ought to be well learn'd in this point chiefly those that are Teachers of others that are to enlighten the world that they may so Preach the Gospel that the Churches feet may be washed and so teach the Law that no mans feet may be defil'd again If thou urgest a necessity of the Law thou Preachest not the Gospel but defilest thy mind and Conscience Forasmuch as the Gospel first of all destroyeth that opinion Or if thou totally lay aside the Law as useless to a believer thou also defilest thy feet because by that Doctrine thou drivest the sense and feeling of sin out of the world and also all sensible need of a Saviour Every man hath something yet to learn in this point the very best of all are too short in it How to perform this duty aright is a question made by the Church in all ages as in this place we see Therefore all must be learners And all consisteth in two points how to be righteous before God and how to be righteous before men Which that it may be learned and the way known how to attain it it is further added VERSE IV. My beloved put in his hand by the hole of the door and my bowels were moved for him MY beloved taught me how to distinguish betwixt faith and the Law in Teaching the point of justification and also how to join them together in Scripture and Doctrine This is a rare and wonderful mistery which none can teach but Christ alone In the Preaching of this point all men are at a loss until they are Divinely inspir'd by the Holy Ghost As for example St. Paul telleth us in one Text Rom. 3.28 that a man is justified by faith without the works of the Law And in another Text that the doers of the Law shall be justified before God Rom. 2.13 In both which Scriptures justification is attributed both to faith and also to the Law I question then Quest how faith and the Law shall be separated in this point seeing justification is attributed to both Some will answer Ans that by doing is meant sincerity which God accepts of all though there be some wants This is true after justification but this maketh no distinction between faith and the Law in the former point but joineth them both together in the Act of justification Therefore sincerity being a term pertaining to the Law and prefer'd so high as to justifie before God it must be perfect every way according to the Law which perfection no man ever had but Christ alone Others say that God gives a power with his Commands to enable those that are his to perform the Law so that he accepts of them in Christ which is no more then this That by Christs merits we have an infusion of grace whereby we deserve our justification which comes to no more then the former Now if no separation be made between faith and the Law in the matter of justification they cannot be joined together in Doctrine without repugnancy Forasmuch as no man can be justified by the Law wherein he is wanting in many things when it pronounceth the curse upon all those that continue not therein in all things Neither can any mans works be accounted good before men when they are drawn up into the judgment seat and not directed towards men Therefore I say as before that this Cardinal point is so high and secret a mystery that none of the Scribes nor disputers of the World can possibly reach unto by any art or humane skill So that unless the door be opened the mystery is hid and all men remain in darkness but the door being opened all things in the house are visible and manifest Therefore the Church saith here my beloved put in his hand by the hole of the door that is to open all those Scriptures that seem to clash against the Doctrine of faith and to hinder mans righteousness before God and also which being not understood do spoil him of his righteousness before men Now our beloved openeth when we begin to understand what true obedience to the Law is Namely to believe and confess that we do it not According to Saint Paul Rom. 3.10 Which is not to be understood of an outside confession but such as ariseth from the sight of sin and hope of mercy there is none that understandeth there is none righteous there is none that feareth God but altogether are become unprofitable and abominable This to believe and confess is the first point in true obedience to the Law Another is when we submit to the curse which the Law pronounceth against us and confess the sentence of it to be most just The last is wholly to renounce the Law and to seek after the righteousness of God Rom. 3.21 manifested without the Law according as is required in the first Commandment as is to be seen more largely in Song third and Verse ten And let us also note this that as soon as we feel and confess our death and condemnation by the Law then are we become dead to the Law and the Law is become dead unto us So that even as death dissolves the compound and makes a separation between the Soul and Body So doth this death also untie the compound and make a separation between the Conscience and the Law And the reason is because in renouncing the Law and flying to Christ for righteousness the bargain or Covenant that was made with man at first touching righteousness by the Law is dissolved or untied This obedience it seemeth good to me to call the Passive obedience which is clean contrary to the Active for in this obedience thou workest nothing but sufferest thy self to be driven from the carnal bed to Christ by faith In this sense the doers of the Law are justified before God Rom. 2.13 And in the sense they that do his Commandments have right to the tree of life And in this sense Rev. 22. understand all the promises of God that are made to mans obedience This Doctrine separateth faith and the Law in the matter of justification and yet joineth them together in Scripture and Doctrine For it sheweth that doing the Law to be justified is to be understood of faithful and spiritual doing and not of the active or moral doing And also as it setteth before us nothing but Gods free grace in justifying of us So it breedeth in us that love to God and man which is required in the first and second Table which setteth us on to active obedience For as a false opinion of the Law within us spoileth us of our righteousness before God and men So also doth the destroying of that opinion within us by the Gospel work in us a true and right obedience towards God and men The sum of all is this that to believe and confess our own unrighteousness is the first point in Evangelical obedience With this confession the
obtain Christs love it would utterly be contemned that is of Christ Now by substance of the House he meaneth all works done in the flesh none of all which can procure the love of God to a Soul but are all utterly contemned and despised the assurance there of being attained unto by faith alone These words therefore must utterly confound all opinion of works within us and destroy all confidence in the flesh and it being the Gospel it must teach us also so to expound all those Texts of Scripture that seem to attribute something to works in attaining to the love of Christ that the sense may be agreeable to what is here writen VERSE VIII We have a little Sister and she hath 〈◊〉 breasts What shall we do for our Sister in the day when she shall be spoken for THese are the words of the Church wherein she bemoaneth her little Sister when the day comes that she is even ready for marriage what shall we do for her in the day when she shall be spoken for We are not to understand by the little Sister only the Gentiles as the most do which then when Solomon wrote this Book were without the word for then how shall it be understood now seeing the Gentiles are called Therefore seeing this bemoaning of the little Sister is the voice of the Church in all ages such a sense must be found as will agree to all times Understand then by the little Sister all those that are unlearned in the Doctrine of the Gospel whither they be Jews or Gentiles within the Pale of the Church or without all that belong to the Election of grace and are yet uncall'd All these are comprehended under the Title of the little Sister which first or last shall be spoken for Little she is not in number but in regard of knowledg of the way to Life and Salvation A Sister she is yet not of whole blood she is Sister by the Father but not by the Mother For as Abraham had two Sons which were brethren by the Father but not by the Mother So hath God Almighty two sorts of people in the world and but two which are brethren by generation but not by regenertion They are brethern by the Father as proceeding all from Adam but not brethren by the Mother being not yet new born in the Church And therefore she says she hath yet no breasts that is she hath not breasts of the true Mother being not yet born This little Sister she bewaileth and bemoaneth not so much for the time present as she doth in thinking on the day when she shall be spoken for What shall we do for our little Sister in that day Which bemoaning is always among the Godly in the Church and will be to the end of the world What shall I do for my Husband my Wife my Son my Daughter my Friend But what is meant here by the day when she shall be spoken for Quest I answer Ans the spouseman is the Lord Jesus Christ himself and the day when the little Sister is spoken for is when she feeleth her condemnation by the Law They and all they that feel their condemnation by the Law they and all they are spoken for by the Lord Jesus Christ Now she bemoaneth her little Sister in this condition what shall we do for her that she may be married to Christ And in that she doth so bewail her and make it her principal care to help her it giveth us to understand this That the principal care of the true Church of God for her little Sister is that as soon as she perceiveth her to be spoken for or condemned by the Law to make dilligent enquiry how to give her in marriage to the Lord Jesus Christ And the Reason is first because to Solemnize the Marriage between Christ and the Soul is a work of the greatest difficulty that ever was therefore the Church may well say what shall we do for our little Sister in that day And also it is the most destructive to Satans Kingdom of all things and therefore the marriage is most strongly opposed by the Devil and his Angels But chiefly because unless the Soul be married to Christ the compound between the Conscience and the Law can never be dissolved or untied but the same bargain or Covenant that was made with man at first remains in force which bindeth all men to the penalty which is to endure the wrath of God for ever This informeth us that there are but a very few that pertain to the true Church of God because there are so few that make it their principal care to comfort their little Sister in the day of her distress When she is afflicted with her sin and feeleth her condemnation by the Law and is much broken and distressed by reason of great tribulations and by these things is spoken for by the Lord Jesus Christ that she might be matched to himself instead of making it the principal care to give her in Marriage to the Son of God by faith alone they endeavour with great earnestness to present her to Christ by the works of the Law Instead of dissolving the compound and making void the Covenant that was made with man at first and matching the Soul to Christ in an Everlasting Covenant that the guilt of her sin might be removed and that she might be justified in the sight of God they endeavour in the first place as the only thing needful to Solemnize the contract between her Conscience and the Law Which is according to St. Rom. 7. Pauls Allegory but to present her an Adultress before God for which sin seeing she is separated thereby from the true God she is bound in captivity under the guilt of sin and is in bondage to Satan and the wrath of God for evermore All people therefore must learn from hence to imitate the true Church of God which is to lay down the true grounds of consolation for their little Sister to rest on in the day of her distress that as soon as she is spoken for and feeleth her condemnation by the Law and that she hath no breasts of her own to nourish her in her misery then to become instrumental to marry her to the Lord Jesus Christ by faith alone Now that the match may be made and that she may be wedded to the Son of God she must acknowledg her death by the Law and aske forgiveness for her sins with a believing heart Rom. 7. then is she free according to St. Paul from her first Husband the Law being dead unto it through faith in the Son of God For in that she feeleth and confesseth her death by the Law the Law is also become dead having lost its power and dominion Then may are assure her that the compound made with man at first is dissolved between the Conscience and the Law and may also Solemnize the contract between Christ and the Soul This is the duty we
said by an indefinite Speech to be sixty valiant Men of the valiant of Israel these are the choice ones in the Church Men that are expert in the Faith that are able to make War against all Heretics and Seducers These are like Solomon's Curtains being always round about the Bed in all Ages of the Church to preserve the Doctrine of Christ from false Glosses These are knit unto Christ by Faith and one to another by Love and Unity in Doctrine Exod. 26. So that even as the Curtains of the Tabernacle were coupled together with Taches of Gold to make one Tabernacle so by these golden Taches of Faith and Love the Saints are knit to Christ and one to another And in this sense the Bride saith here she is comely not only in respect of her Faith towards God but also in that she is an Ornament to the Bed being instrumental to preserve the Church of God from being defiled by reason of corrupt Doctrine This teacheth us what the Life of the Saints is and must be in this World even to keep the Church of God as much as in us lyeth from being polluted by false Doctrine for they are set round about the Bed for this purpose to fight against Satan and his Ministry and the reason and wisdom of the Flesh which always opposeth and fighteth against the Gospel and also to walk in Unity one towards another and towards all Men. VERSE VI. Look not upon me because I am black because the Sun hath looked upon me my Mother's Children were angry with me they made me the Keeper of the Vineyards but mine own Vineyard have I not kept IT is as much as to say this Look not upon me with contempt to despise the Doctrine I profess nor yet upon my stains and blemishes as if I were cast off and rejected of my Beloved for although my Skin be of an evil colour this doth not proceed from any evil there is in the Gospel but from an outward cause to wit the Sun the Sun hath looked upon me therefore I would not be despised and counted a Cast away for it is not my natural hew I am comely in the sight of my Beloved True it is I have some troubles upon me my Mother's Children do afflict me There be many of the same Linage I am of in respect of the outward state of the Church we have all one Mother but they have not the Spirit of Adoption to become the Children of my heavenly Father My Mother's Sons have not true Faith in Christ nor Hearts to live as Brethren and Sisters ought to do For although we were born in one House and brought up in one Family did all eat the same Spiritual Meat and drink the same Spiritual Drink Yet they are fallen away by evil Principles and into an evil course of Life and because I am not willing to follow their evil ways in Life and Doctrine therefore they are angry with me They have canker'd Minds full of malice and very much enflamed against me for when I was about mine own business in the Lord's Vineyard to do good to every Vine according to my power and skill they made me through my own frailty and weakness to look to other Vines not only to do such Orders observe such Ceremonies and preach such Doctrines as I was never appointed to do but also sought to draw me quite away from the Lord's Vineyard to other Vineyards And to persuade me hereunto they would make me a Keeper they would set me in an Office to keep out the defiled and unclean lest their Vineyard should be spoiled by evil Beasts And while I was thus imployed yielding my self too much this way they brought me quite out of Love with my own Vineyard mine own Vineyard have I not kept and in forsaking mine own Vineyard which I too much consented to I had even lost the benefits of Christ my Lord and Saviour The Bride here sheweth that although she be black and stained and out of countenance yet she would not be look'd upon proudly with disdain and contempt but as an object of Pity and Mercy yet this she sheweth to be the practise of the Daughters of Jerusalem in all Ages of the Church to cover all things that is comely in the Bride to bury that in Oblivion but to fasten their Eyes very heedfully upon that which is her blackness and deformity Such is the infirmity of Man's nature that if there be any blemishes and stains in others that we curiously observe and suffer our Affections to be even quite abated from them therefore but if there be any thing worthy of Praise that we skip over and take little notice thereof That which is good in us we would have all Men look upon and have us in high estimation for but in dealing with other Men we behold every spot blemish and stain All Men are willing to have their own deformities skipped over and their vertues highly praised and honoured but are loth to take any notice of the vertues in others although they be ever so excellent and worthy of praise But why do we look upon that which desameth the Person in some things And do not as well behold that which will set him out in other things If there be some blemish in an House we take not much notice of it but most of all behold that which will make it saleable Or if a ground be infected with Herbs and Roots that in some respects may be unprofitable yet if in other respects they are useful we account of them and cherish them Now if in Herbs and Roots we respect the vertues as well as the baseness why do not we the like by the Church of God Why do not we mark the best things to help to inflame Charity and to nourish true Christian Love as well as to fasten our Eyes upon the deformities of the Church which is the ready way to separate our Affections from it She also complaineth farther than in leaning too much to her Mother's Sons she forsook as it were the fruit of her own Vineyard even the Righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ Of this sort of People the Church of God hath ever been pestered withall such that fall away themselves and then seek to draw Disciples after them some to follow Rules and Orders which are not commanded that live within the Church and to draw Men into an evil course of Life and others which seek to draw Men from the Lord's Vineyard unto other Vineyards whereby they come to lose the Fruits of Christ's Death and Resurrection For it must well be noted that although in separation from Churches a great shew of Holiness may be pretended yet under that shew of Holiness the greatest Sin lyeth hid which is a departing from the Gospel And the reason is because the ground of separating from one Church to another is not because the gifts of God are wanting in the Church separated from which are
of the Cedars of Lebanon So that the streams of this River do water the holy Land The waters issuing out of the Sanctuary do run into the desert and refresh the weary and the solitary place The water in this River runneth not to the high and mighty in their own eyes but to the poor and miserable that are forsaken of the Law they only refresh themselves with these pure and holy streams when the rich are sent empty away VERSE XVI Awake thou North-wind and come thou South-wind and blow upon my Garden that the spices thereof may flow out let my beloved come into his Garden and eat his pleasant fruits BY the North and South-winds are meant Doctrine for so the winds do usually signify in Scripture And seeing they are of contrary qualities they signify the Doctrine of the Law and the Doctrine of the Gospel The North-wind is usually cold and dry and maketh us sensible when we feel the blast of it that 's the Doctrine of the Law which being truly opened and applyed maketh us very cold revealeth unto us our sin dryeth up all the wisdom and righteousness that is within us blasteth it and bringeth it to nothing Therefore Christ here appointeth the North-wind to awake that is to awake the spouse Now when the North-wind hath done blowing Christ here Commandeth the South-wind to blow which is of a contrary quality hot and moist very sweet and full of content This signifieth the Doctrine of the Gospel By which we understand that when the Law hath done its Office in condemning us and we are made sensible of our guiltiness before God it is the will of Christ that we hear and apply our selves to the Gospel When by the blowing of the North-wind those fruits that grow naturally are blasted then we must desire for the blowing of the South-wind When ever the winds do blow after this manner in order upon the garden then the spices thereof begin to flow out then the light of the Gospel begins to shine in the Conscience and men are hot or cold according to the quality of the wind that blows When the North-wind blows we are cold in respect of the righteousness of the Law and when the South-wind blows hot and comfortable in respect of the righteousness of the Gospel Both these winds we must have an equal respect unto and observe a right distinction between them otherwise we may take that for the South-wind which comes to short of the South by many points and that for the North-wind which is as many points to wide of the North and so fruits of the garden for want of a right distinction between the winds and a right knowledg of the compass may receive a blast and be utterly ruin'd This I conceive was the sin of the Church of Laodicea in that she was neither hot nor cold she neither understood the Law nor the Gospel had she been hot or cold she had been well either would have served for her commendation because they are never alone But because she could not make an exact distinction betwixt the North and South-winds therefore she was neither hot nor cold but luke warm and for that cause Christ saith I will spue the out of my mouth And therefore it is that Christ also wisheth I would thou wert either cold or hot for then she had been in a right Condition As if Christ had said this If thou wert awakened by the North-wind then the South-wind should blow in thy Conscience and if the South-wind did blow in thy Conscience then should'st thou rightly understand how to follow the North-wind in thy Life Where these winds of Heaven do after this manner blow the use and office of the Law and Gospel is rightly Taught and the reason of all good works is perceived then the spices of the Garden do flow out but when the Law is stretched beyond its limits or the Gospel turn'd into the Law then men are neither hot nor cold but luke warm and under the same dreadful and heavy Sentence of Christ which can never be revoked I will spue thee out of my mouth for ever This thing is necessary to be understood of all men especially of the Angels of the Churches that are the holders of the winds of Heaven and are to blow upon the garden of Christ for if they should not understand the contrary nature and quality of these winds in stead of causing the spices to flow out they may by a contrary wind cause a blast to come upon the garden to the spoil and utter ruin of all the fruits For want of a right distinction between the nature of these winds it oftentimes comes to pass that so many winds of Doctrine are blown about that many are thereby blown into Everlasting destruction In the next words here is a prayer of the Church wherein she desireth her beloved to come into his Garden and eat his pleasant fruits Two things are hence to be inquired Quest First What is meant by eating Secondly What is meant by pleasant fruits In answer to the first observe Ans that eating in Divinity signifies union whither it be on Christ part or on our part Christ is said to eat when he takes upon himself all our sins and miseries as if they were his own and undertakes for them and also to swallow up and consume all the miserable effects of sin which we either feel or fear Our eating is when we firmly believe that Christ joineth himself unto us feeleth our present infirmities and careth for us Job 6. Therefore it is often said when speech is made of our union with Christ he that eateth me shall live by me And except ye eat the flesh of the son of manye have no life in you all which setteth forth our union with Christ by faith alone And by fruits here she meaneth the fruits of his death and Resurrection which is freedom and liberty to poor sinners These are called his fruits because freedom from sin and deliverance from Everlasting Condemnation are purchased by him And his pleasant fruits because when we believe that Christ owneth us Esa 53.11 and taketh away our sins and miseries from us Christ rejoyceth and is satisfied So that the meaning of the Churches request here is this That Christ would take from her all her sins and miseries which she feeleth and feareth and give unto her all those blessings and favours that he hath purchased for poor sinners In that she calleth these his pleasant fruits acknowledging it to be Christs delight to grant her request this sheweth her faith in Christ And although it be very delightful to Christ to hear her request yet her desire is prevented before hand by reason of her faith as appears by the next words CHAP. V. VERSE I. I am come into my Garden my Sister my Spouse WHICH words contain the answer of Christ to the faith of his Church for in these words he doth not say I will come
Pomegranate because it being freely bestowed upon the Church by Christ himself she also freely giveth it to all that are willing to receive it This sheweth us what kindness those that are strong in the faith ought to shew towards those poor wretches that are newly coming on Even to take them as it were by the hand and bring them into their Mothers house to bring them acquainted with the Spiritual people that they may be well instructed in the Gospel even to those that are fill'd with spiced wine that have store of the juyce of the Pomegranate that are able by Divine arguments and by a holy kind of violence to fasten the words of Eternal life upon them All men must be willing and no man must think himself too great or too good to stoop to help poor dejected creatures this way Most men will be willing to discourse with those that are able and great in the Church that have least need of help but what shall be come of poor silly creatures that are ignorant Why should not poor people when they are found without and much distressed in consideration of their own barreness and by reason of the cross and great tribulations be saluted with the kiss of the Gospel seeing it hath been and is the practise of the godly rather then those that are better able to help themselves The want of this thing sheweth that there are but a very few that do live in the right Practice of Piety VERSE III. His left hand should be under my head and his right hand should embrace me THese words seem to prevent an objection that may be made by a Conscience in distress for when once a man feeleth himself under the curse and in great tribulations he begins to be afraid and to cry out for help What shall I do To this the Church answereth here after the manner of a Lover his left hand shall be under my head meaning his humanity And his right hand shall embrace me meaning his Divinity She speaketh in the first person but the whole company of believers are included being all one body by faith The Church teacheth this Divine and Heavenly art how to unlade the Conscience of sins burthens cares and calamities upon the humanity of Christ who nail'd them all to his cross and burried them in his grave and how to receive the embraces of Christ from his Divinity whereby he conquered all the enemies of man After the same manner must we also learn and teach others even when the Conscience is in distress to unlade it by faith upon Christs humanity and when we stand in need of any help or succour then by faith to receive it from the Divinity Then shall we by the blessings of his left hand be eased of our burthens and sorrows and by the blessings of his right hand shall have a supply of all our wants from him VERSE IV. I charge you O yee Daughters of Jerusalem that yee stir not up nor awake my love until he please THis charge is given by Christ to the Daughters of Jerusalem not to disturb the Bride in this her holy faith and confidence wherein she sweetly sleepeth and resteth secure in the promises contrary to reason and not to awake her until himself please which is never VERSE V. Who is this that cometh out of the wilderness leaning upon her beloved THese are the continued words of Christ and so to the eight Verse And it is a Note of admiration at the spouse in that she leaneth upon Christ by faith in all the tribulations that she meeteth with in the wilderness of this world by which faith she also cometh out of them all She is not commended nor admired at for her Riches Honour Prosperity and esteem amongst men For in the wilderness she is commonly without all these things being afflicted with Poverty Reproach and all manner of Calamities Counted as an object and as the off-scowring of all things Yet in that she doth not faint and pine away in this Condition but humbleth and submitteth her self to the cross and leaneth upon her beloved through faith she is look't upon with a Note of admiration Who is this We see this then clear That at the self same time that the Church is look't upon as an object of reproach and of no esteeem by men of the World she is look't upon with admiration by the Lord Jesus Christ In that she is in the Wilderness where she is afflicted being without the glory of the World she is despised of men but in that she is not offended at her condition but leaneth upon her beloved by Faith she is look't upon with admiration by the Lord Jesus Christ And the reason why she is so much admired is because she fighteth with the word of God against all enimies at once she setteth the Gospel against all oppositions therefore Christ says here Who is this She hath not only Enemies without but also within she hath the World the Flesh and the Devil yet with one weapon she over-comes them all and that is Faith in her beloved Which consideration must wonderfully comfort all those poor wretches which are much afflicted by men that are despised and rejected of the World who by reason of their blemishes and staines or poverty or any outward calamity which things are common in the Wilderness are despised and reproached and even utterly rejected of the World yet in that they are willing to submit unto the Cross without being offended to humble themselves and cleave to Christ by Faith their comfort lies in this that at the very same time that they are despised of men they are look't upon with admiration by the Lord Jesus Christ Which must encourage every man to submit himself to his Heavenly Father if he please to exercise him in such a condition This course must we also take when the Conscience accuseth us the Law threatneth and we can apprehend nothing but death Eternal even then must we fall down before him confessing our sins and hearken to the words of our Lord Jesus Christ who at the very self same time that we humble our selves before him doth speak good and comfortable words unto us on purpose to draw us to himself therefore must we hearken to him and believe his words then shall we not only feed upon the hid Manna that will comfort us in the wilderness but also joyfully shall come forth of the wilderness leaning upon our beloved I raised thee up under the apple-tree there thy Mother brought thee forth there she brought thee forth that bare thee These words shew how this faith and dependance was wrought in the Church I raised thee up under the Apple-tree By the Apple-tree is meant Christ himself And it being said under the Apple-tree it sheweth that no man can be raised to any degree in the faith without the fruits of the Tree And also that the fruits of Christs death and resurrection do naturally and freely drop upon
all those that are willing to sit under the Tree and receive them By the Mother is here meant the Church and by her bringing forth regeneration which new birth is under the Apple-tree for there she brought thee forth that bare thee Now in that he says I raised thee up he distinguisheth himself from Moses or the Law not but that Christ maketh use of the Law in the raising up of the Church but in a different respect to those that do not rightly teach the Law Christ maketh use of the Law to humble the sinner that it may be driven to Christ by faith to be justified without the Law but the Ministry of Moses promiseth justification and life to none but those that turn from sin Morally according to the the Terms of the Law and herein lies the difference between the true and the false handling of the Law and by this mark only may we discern the voice of Christ from the voice of Moses Now Moses casteth all men down but raiseth up no man by his Ministry because he setteth them not under the Heavenly Apple-tree but endeavoureth to raise them first by other fruit therefore he maketh the heart of the righteous sad whom the Lord hath not made sad But Christ casteth down all men by the Law but raiseth them up again by his own fruits even the fruits of the Heavenly Apple-tree And after this manner doth the true Mother exercise all her Children by the Ministry First she casteth them down by a right administration of Moses next she raiseth them up again by Christ her Heavenly Apple-tree Thus must we also suffer our selves to be hewen down by the Law that we may be stripped of all our glory and boasting principles and also be willing to receive the fruit that droppeth from Christ our Heavenly Apple-tree that our Consciences may be healed of the guilt and filth of all our sins VERSE VI. Set me as a Seal upon thine heart as a Signet upon thine Arm for love is strong as death jealousie is cruel as the grave the coals thereof are coals of fire which hath a most vehement Flame THese words are not to be understood of the Churches speech to Christ as some imagine but of Christs words to the Church Wherein he plainly instructeth her how her faith and dependance shall be continued and strengthned Which is thus set me as a seal upon thine heart Me Meaning the promises of the Gospel As a seal that they may make an impression and leave the print of it behind such an impression that the word may be rooted and grounded in the Soul And on thine arm meaning the visible sign or seal the Gospel being a double seal the word and Sacraments and all is to arm and prepare us against the evil day Then he gives the reason for love is strong as death by which he meaneth his own love My love to thee is strong as death therefore build upon it For as death is of most invincible strength which swalloweth up and overcometh all things so saith Christ is my love to thee So that the love of Christ manifested to us in the Preaching of the Gospel being received by faith swalloweth up Death Hell the Grave the Curse and briefly all things else whatsoever that may make us any way miserable But jealousie is cruel as the Grave meaning cruel to the spouse when through the strength of Temptation she begins to Question the love of Christ to her and grows jealous of the same and can hardly be perswaded to the contrary this wheresoever it reigneth is even as the Grave which swalloweth up and putteth an end to all the comforts of man The coals of it are coals of fire Meaning that even as fire where it once catcheth hath a most vehement Flame so that if it be not suddenly quenched it burneth up and consumeth all things So it is with every dejected Soul when once it begins to grow jealous of the love of God and will not have the comforts of the Gospel to fasten upon it So grievous a thing is unbelief that where it is lodged it burneth up and consumeth all true opinions of God and of his Holy Word Therefore seeing our loving Lord Jesus Christ out of his wonderful care and love to us to strengthen us in our faith and to preserve us from this dreadful and bitter Temptation says here set me as a seal upon thine heart let us suffer the Gospel to make an impression within us and look upon it as the decree of Heaven that can never be changed And seeing it must be as a Seal also upon our arm let us never leave till we are able to find out the true Mystery and meaning in the Sacraments and to receive it by faith And seeing his love is so strong unto us as death that putteth an end to all our discomforts whatsoever let us never Question his favour nor be jealous of his love any more but let his word serve for all So that although our Sins and Temptations are many and our afflictions as great as any that are common to man yet as soon as we humble our selves before him and call upon him in faith and confidence let us assure our selves that he can look upon us no otherwise but as objects of his love which love he having once set upon us it continueth for ever so that no afflictions whatsoever we meet with must be an argument sufficient to disswade us from believing the same According as here next followeth VERSE VII Many waters cannot quench love neither can the floods drown it if a man would give all the substance of his house for love it would utterly be contemned IT is as much as if Christ had said this the many afflictions that thou meetest with in this world be they ever so many and like waters that do overflow yet they cannot quench my love to thee For I do not love thee for thy prosperity and hate thee when thou art in in adversity as the world doth but have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction and came down from Heaven on purpose to carry thy sorrows to bear thy burdens and to help thee in all thy distresses Therefore when afflictions come like floods that would seem to drown all upon a suddain yet they cannot drown my love to thee which always remaineth one and the same These words are written on purpose for us to have recourse unto in time of distress that when Satan leaveth no means unattempted but useth all his skill to devour our faith we might overcome him by these words of our beloved by laying them up in our hearts as a most sure and certain creasure Now because the nature of man is proud it is apt to make an Objection as thus If I were better qualified then I might have more assurance of Christs love to this Christ answereth If a man would give all all the substance of his House for love meaning thereby to