Lampes seauen Angels seauen Viols c. So vnder the seauen Lockes of SAMSONS Haire which were the Markes of his NAZAREISME are signified the perfect Graces of the holie Spirit which the LORD had bestowed vpon him and thorow which as long as hee kept them hee was more than a Conquerour For albeit the Giftes of GODS holie Spirit bee innumerable and infinit as Hee is himselfe yet there are some more principall and most necessarie sine quibus non without the which none can perswade-themselues that the Spirit of GOD dwelleth in them These gifts are absolutelie necessarie nor yet that they shall inherite the Kingdome of Heauen And these Seauen are so platted together euen as SAMSONS LOCKES were and as the links of a golden Chaine that the one of them cannot bee without the rest and all of them cannot bee without one And these are the Lockes which CHRIST prayseth in the fourth Chapter of the Canticles at the beginning THE FIRST LOCKE FAYTH THe first vvorke which the SPIRIT worketh in a Christian Fayth the Mother of the rest is FAYTH which is the Roote and Grandmother of all the rest and without the which it is impossible to please GOD and againe Heb. 11.6 heereby hee perswadeth our Consciences that the Promises of Salvation contained in the Worde of GOD appertaine vnto vs euen through CHRIST IESVS Therefore those who are ignorant and doe not know these thinges they haue not the Spirit Ignorance lacketh the first Locke Neyther yet those persons who haue an Historicall Fayth as the Deuils haue and doe not applie these Promises vnto themselues they haue no part I say in this Businesse neither anie fellowship with the Spirit of Grace For which cause wee should most earnestlie trie our selues whether the Spirit of God bee in vs vnlesse wee bee Reprobates and that especiallie by Fayth to wit If wee knowe what are the Promises of Salvation of the remission of our sinnes of the resurrection of our bodies and of Life eternall For albeit these thinges are not seene by the eye of naturall reason and although flesh and blood doeth not reveale it vnto vs yet the Spirit of GOD worketh an assent and consent in our mindes vnto the trueth of them and fullie perswadeth vs thereof But because manie alace haue a vaine opinion of Fayth Three remarkable Notes to trie Fayth and who is hee of what Religion or Sect soever that doth not boast himselfe of Faith therefore GOD willing I shall giue you three marks by the which ye may discerne whether this bee a naturall Locke growing out of SAMSONS owne head or guilded and coloured and false Haire which neuer grew out of SAMSONS braine 1. By the groundes of the word The first marke whereby to distinguish true Fayth from that which is counterfet is by the ground thereof for true Fayth groundeth her selfe onlie vpon the word of GOD and Canonicall Scriptures for it is the word onelie which warrandeth the Conscience My Sheepe heare my voyce Iohn 10.4 sayeth our LORD for if Angels or men would speake Oracles vnto vs Act. 17.11 or Paul preach vnto vs yet with the men of Berea wee must search the Scriptures and trie whether hee speake according as it is written And if an Angel should preach a contrarie Doctrine Galat. 1.8 we should count him Anathema Then wee must not build our Fayth vpon the Decrees of the Church and belieue Fide implicita The Papistes infoldē faith 1 Pet. 3.15 with an in-folded Fayth or rather euill-folded Fayth When the Apostle commandeth vs to giue a reason of our Fayth to euerie one that asketh it shall wee haue none other reason to render but to wrap our selues in the Clouts of Ignorance and say wee belieue as the Church belieueth For the men of Samaria answered to the woman of Samaria farre better saying Now wee belieue not because of thy saying for wee haue heard him our selues Iohn 4.42 and know that this is indeed the Christ the Saviour of the worlde Neyther should our Fayth bee grounded vpon the sand of the Popes Traditions his ridiculous Golden Legends which the Papists themselues scorne nor yet vpon the ancient Fathers as Augustine sayeth Non quid dicit Donatus aut Augustinus sed quid dicat DOMINVS that is Wee must not take heede what Augustine that Divine Doctor sayeth neither what Donatus that damnable Hereticke sayeth but what the LORD sayeth in his holie Scriptures And let vs holde fast that which the Apostle Sainct Peter recommendeth vnto vs saying We haue also a more sure word of the Prophets whereunto ye doe well that yee take heede 2. Pet. 1.19 as vnto a light that shineth in a darke place vntill the day dawne and the day-starre arise in your hearts For the worde of God is able to make that man of God absolute 2. Tim. 3.17 being made perfect vnto al good works Then true Fayth must altogether leane to the Scriptures which onelie are sufficient to leade vs vnto perfection The next triall of our Fayth is by the certaintie therof 2. Certaintie Heb. 11.1 which th' Apostle Paul calleth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is A full perswasion of the certaintie of those thinges which wee belieue yea an Euidence and demonstration of thinges which are not seene For whatsoeuer thinges wee belieue transcende and are aboue the reach of reason or are flat contrarie to nature sense and reason which flesh and blood cannot perswade vs of as of the least article of our Faith they must be reuealed to vs by our Father which is aboue Now when I speak of the certaintie I meane not the quantitie as though I did affirme that a weake Faith could debarre vs but I craue a true Fayth which perswadeth our consciences of Gods fauour in Christ and maketh vs say with Sainct Paul I believed and therefore did I speake 1. Cor. 4.13 and to say also with the Centurion Mark 9.24 I belieue Lord helpe my Fayth The third marke whereby this true Fayth is discerned 3. Triall of their works is by the fruits therof For it is not like the Figge Tree which was decked onelie with the greene Leaues of an outwarde show and yeelded no fruite vnto the LORD IESVS Matth. 21.19 who hungered for it But this true Fayth is like the Tree which groweth by the Rivers of waters Psalm 1.3 and bringeth foorth fruite in due season This surelie verie greatlie condemneth all these godlesse Atheistes of our time who brag of an ydle Fayth without anie care of a good life THE SECOND LOCKE The loue of God THE Spirit of GOD worketh not so soone Fayth in a Christian heart but likewise as soone hee sheddeth abroad also the Loue of GOD in his soule For as the Fire hath these two principall qualities to wit Light Heate Simil. euen so hath the true knowledge of GOD the Loue of GOD conjoyned therewith For how
can wee loue the thing which wee know not Yea the measure of the Loue groweth according to the measure of the knowledge For no man can loue the Pearle Simil. vnlesse hee know the validitie vertue and price of it and then hee esteemeth of it Hee that loueth not the LORD IESVS let him bee accursed Hee asked three times at Peter Iob. 21.15 if hee loved him not if hee knewe him to declare that the knowledge of GOD without his loue is vnprofitable Trie the loue which you beare towardes GOD by these fiue markes First Fiue marks whereby to try our loue 1. Principall if it bee principall and when yee compare other things which ye loue with him trie which of them yee loue best Hee that loveth Father or Mother or Wife or Land c. better than mee sayeth our Saviour is not worthie of mee Matth. 10 37. For he first loued vs yea hee loued vs more than all the other creatures and tooke our flesh vpon him and died for vs what should wee then doe for him But the swinish Gadalenes of this worlde loue their Swine better than him Matth. 8.34 these rich Gluttons loue their Bellies better than him and these couetous and earthlie minded men loue Mammon better than GOD. Next 2. Sincere trie thy Loue by the sinceritie thereof and for what cause thou louest GOD whether for his owne cause and the sweetnesse which is in him or for some temporall gaine and rewarde that thou lookest for at his handes because thou louest him If it bee for gaine it is but mercenarie and the loue of an Hyreling But wee ought to loue the LORD as a chaste woman doeth her Husband Simil. not for his Riches and Honours but for loue of himselfe yea shee counteth it no burthen to begge with him Euen so must wee loue the LORD for himselfe the goodnesse which is in him Yea it is a part of mercenarie wages to loue GOD for eternall Life but rather wee must loue eternall Life for him that wee may bee with him for without him eternall Life were eternall Death Thirdlie 3. The loue of GODS House wee may trie the loue of GOD to bee true in vs if wee finde in our selues that wee loue GOD himselfe and his House Psa 116.1 I loue the LORD dearlie sayth the Prophet David And O LORD I haue loued the Habitation of thine House Psal 26.8 and the place where thine Honour dwelleth And againe Psal 27.4 One thing haue I craued of the LORD that I will require That I may dwell in the House of the LORD all the dayes of my life to beholde the Beautie of the LORD and to visit his Temple Reade the fourescore eight Psalme which beginneth O LORD of Hostes how amiable are thy Tabernacles and reade it vnto the ende and yee shall perceiue howe well David loued the LORDES House Which manifestlie argueth that these vngodlie Atheistes and faythlesse Papistes who refuse GODS publicke House but at some superstitious times haue no loue of GOD in their heartes Farther yee shall trie the loue of GOD which yee haue in your heart by the loue that you carrie towardes your Neighbours 4. The loue of the Brethren the Brethren and Members of CHRIST For howe can yee loue the invisible GOD the Father 1. Ioh. 4.20 whom yee see not if yee loue not his Children whom yee see David sayeth that hee was a Companion vnto all them that feared the LORD Psal 119.63 as also hee hated all those that hated the LORD And finallie 5. The hatred of sinne if yee would trie whether yee loue the LORD truelie and whether or not yee haue the second Locke of Haire on your head then see how yee are affected towardes euerie sinne Psa 97.10 For hee that loueth the LORD hateth all euill So that of necessitie wee must hate all kinde of sinnes both in our selues and in all others And now by these markes yee may trie whether yee haue the true loue of GOD in your heartes or not THE THIRD LOCKE The feare of God THIS may seeme strange that wee must both loue and feare GOD when as the Apostle sayeth 1 Ioh. 4 18 that perfect Loue chaseth away Feare But ye must vnderstand that there is both a slauish feare and a childish feare the Slaue feareth for paine the Childe out of loue feareth to offende Childish feare so that the greater loue there is there is also the greater feare to offende him whome thou louest But because men may deceiue themselues concerning this Feare of GOD I shall heere God willing giue you a briefe Rule which can verie hardlie â—ayle NOTA. Bee af ayde to offende God in the smallest thoughts Pro. 28.14 that is If thou makest conscience and fearest to offende GOD in the smallest thought of thine heart For hee that is afrayd to offend in lesser things will he not be more loath to offend in greater matters as is sayde Blessed is hee that feareth continuallie But alace wee may say with Abraham that the seare of GOD is not in this place Genes 20.11 For if the feare of GOD were in your heartes it would bee a Bridle to restraine you from euerie euill althoug there were neyther King Law nor Iustice But if it bee an externall Feare which stayeth you from doing euill then yee lacke the third Locke of Samsons Haire THE FOVRTH LOCKE Obedience to God THIS Obedience to GOD is the first fruite of the former three for Abrahams fayth was knowne by his obedience Genes 12.4 and 22.16 in leaving his natiue Countrey and sacrificing â—is sonne If yee loue mee Ioh. 14.21 sayeth CHRIST keepe my Commandementes This Obedience is not onlie in doing Obedience actiue and passiue but also in suffering for him As CHRIST was obedient to the death of the Crosse so wee must learne of him obediently to suffer for his Names sake whensoeuer wee are called therevnto 1. Sam. 15.22 This obedience is better than Sacrifice and disobedience is like the sinne of Witch-craft and Idolatrie But to trie thine Obedience whether it bee true yee shall marke these three thinges in it Markes of true obedience 1. Material pointes and substantial Mat. 15.9 First let vs beware that in euery part of GODS worship which is materiall wee haue a warrand out of his worde or else wee worship GOD in vaine following for Doctrine the Traditions of men If it bee circumstantiall as concerning Times Places Behauiours Habites c. see that they be not against the materiall grounds and that they import no superstition nor profanitie and then it is obedience For hee that is not against vs is with vs. But if they bee Idolatrous Impious or Scandalous they ought not to bee obeyed lest wee should obey Men rather than GOD. Next that our obedience bee free and without compulsion 2. Free obedience For GOD loueth not
SAMSONS SEAVEN LOCKES OF HAIRE Allegorically expounded and compared to the seauen Spirituall Vertues whereby we are able to ouercome our spirituall Philistims By M. A. SYMSON Minister of the Euangell at Dalkeith Printed at Sainct-Andrewes by Edward Raban Printer to the Vniversitie 1621. To the right Noble and vertuous Ladie D. MARIE ARESKIN Ladie Keith Grace Peace and Happinesse IT is the accustomable vse of this foolish Age MADAME to claime Nobilitie vnto it selfe drawing the Originall therof froÌ„ diuers Fountains some froÌ„ the discent of their Progenitors which the Poët scorned not thinking that to belong to them which they themselues did not atchieue Nam genus proavos quae noÌ„ fecimus ipsi Vix ea nostra voco Others wiser than these affirmed that onlie Vertue did nobilitate it beeing a gift of the minde of more worth than anie fleshlie prerogatiue By which the ancient Romanes Lacedemonians and Athenians studied to be famous thorow the world But what were all these Cardinall Vertues though they could haue attained vnto the perfection of them but shining sinnes as Sainct AVGVSTINE sayeth without CHRIST For true Religion onlie perfecteth Nobilitie and maketh men partakers of the Diuine Nature which consisteth in the knowledge of the true God and his worship according to his will This maketh Dauid who sprang of the base root of Iesse more famous than Nebuchadnezar Salomon to be preferred to Cyrus Alexander or Iulius Caesar euen till this day And again since God hath trained vp your Ladiship vnder the hand of a blessed Mother that yee haue sucked with your Milke the knowledge of the Trueth froÌ„ a Child and growing in grace with your years I wish that as your Lad. is borne noble by birth and by your singular vertues become more noble so by the sincere profession of the Trueth yee may become most noble Therfore I haue presented these Seauen golden Lockes of Spirituall Vertues to be worne of your L. as Ornamentes of more worth than brodered Gold or precious Pearls vpon the hid man of your heart which will make you more beautifull in the eyes of Iesus Christ your spiritual Husband than if ye had all the glory of the worlde Your spirituall Philistims who creepe into Noble mens houses wil labour to rob you of your Ornamentes therefore beware of Dalilah and her entising speaches that yee may holde fast the Trueth to the ende which ye haue by hereditarie possession and I trust shall deliuer it to your children So beseeching God to multiplie all the graces of his Spirit vpon your Lad. with temporall felicitie and hereafter heape vpon you the eternall weight of glorie I rest Your Ladiships seruant A. Symson TO THE READER BEcause good Reader thou hast so fauourably accepted mine other two Lookes before aswell this last of The first seauen Dayes as likewise the former vpon The seauen words which Christ spake on the Crosse euen at the accomplishment of our RedemptioÌ„ therfore I am encouraged to preseÌ„t to thee this third Septenarie also of Samsons seauen Lockes of Haire mystically expounded of the seauen necessary Vertues without the which none can be true Christians And if ye reade the Fathers how they allegorize both these all other parts of the old TestameÌ„t yee will not bee offended that I handle these Lockes by spirituall interpretation Receiue this kindly I pray thee and by Gods helpe thou shalt haue The seauen Psalmes of Repentance as soone as possiblie I may Fare-well A. SYMSON ON THESE LOCKES LOckes Ornament of Angels Diadems Which the triumphing Quires aboue doe crowne Rich Curles of Bountie Pinnions of Renowne Of that immortall Sunne immortall Beames Lockes sacred Lockes no adamantine Chaines Which doe shut vp and firme together binde Both that Contentment which in Life wee finde And Blisse which with vnbodied Soules remaines Faire Locks all Locks compar'd to you though gold Are Comets-Locks portending Harme and Wrath Or bauld Occasions-Locke that none can holde Or Abasaloms which worke the Wearers death If hencefoorth Beautie e're my Minde subdue It shall deare Locks be for what shines in you W. D. Iudg. chap. xvi vers xix And shee made him sleepe vpon her Knees she called a man made him to shaue off the seauen Lockes of his head and shee began to vexe him and his strength was gone from him c. THis History of Samson declareth vnto vs the infirmitie and weaknesse of Gods chiefest Vessels The infirmitie of Gods Sancts whensoever they are left vnto themselues for albeit Samson had both spirituall and naturall strength aboue others yet when God lest him but a little hee lost them both and became a pitifull prey spectacle to his enemies whome before hee vanquishe So this Historie is a faithfull Recorder aswell of the Vices as Vertues of the Sancts a perfect mirrour wherin euery one may behold both the deformity beauty of his own person Simil. Iudg. 4.8 and 8.27 11.39 Barac the Captain had his own faintheartednes Gedeon his Ephod Iephtah his vnnaturall offering c. These things are manifest by the Scriptures and like Bekons set vpon the shore Simil. to warne vs who seeme to stand to take heede lest wee fall Yea they are the Cicatrices and marks of their woundes to remember vs to beware of the like snares of Satan But although our spirituall enemies beguile vs and ensnare vs in the grossest sinnes yet let vs not despare for there is still mercy with God Prov. 24.16 howbeit the Righteous may fall seven times aday yet hee shall rise againe For sure it is that whom the Lord loveth hee loveth to the ende which we shall easily perceiue in this short Treatise hereafter God willing For albeit the Lord externally chastise vs for our humiliation yet he taketh not his holy Spirit froÌ„ vs. For when he thought good he renewed his graces in Samson and as his haire grew the Lord gaue him growth of strength also so that in his death hee became more victorious ouer Gods enemies than in all his life The grounds of doctrine FIrst wee shall speak God willing of the seauen Lockes of Samsons head and the mysticall interpretation thereof Next of the Princes of the Philistims and the craftie deuise to supprise Samson by Dalilah Thâ—â—â—lie Samsons facilitie in yeelding and securitie in sleeping being ouercome by his fleshlie affections Together with the just punishment thereof in putting out of his eyes which hee abused vnto his lust As also his captiuitie and that shamefull spectacle which was made of him before the vncircumcised And finallie wee shall intreat of Samsons Triumph the restitution of his strength and destruction of Gods enemies representing therein Christ Iesus our true Samson who by his death gaue the greatest foyle to our enemies and led captiuitie captiue SAMSONS SEAVEN LOCKES OF HAIRE THe number of seauen in the Scriptures is a Number of perfection The number of seauen as the seauen Dayes seauen