other things in the first age were figures of Christs Sacraments the Spirite of God geuing powre to the waters as Tertullian S. Hierom and others expound it and the floud of Noe by S. Peters testimonie were figures of Baptisme Mariage instituted in Paradise is the very paterne of holie Matrimonie a Sacrament in the Church of Christ where one man and one wife are on lie lawful and not more at once in anie wise Christ reforming that which in Moyses law was tolerated for hardnes of mens hartes and for auoyding murther to put away one wife and take an other to this first institution as it was in the beginning two in one flesh not three nor more The repentance of Adam and Eue was a perfect and examplare figure of the Sacrament of Penance First they were ashamed couering their nakednes and hiding them selues which shewed their griefe and sorow for the sinne committed Secondly they confessed their fault and by what meanes it happened For God examining Adam he answered truly and simply saing The woman which thou gauest me to be my companion gaue me of the tree and I did eate Likwise Eue confessed sincerly saying The serpent deceiued me and I did eate Thirdly God gaue them penance besides death before threatned and other penalties annexed that Eue should in paine and trauel bring forth her children and Adam should eate his bread in the sweate of his face And withal cast them forth of Paradise But not forth of his fauoure as appeared by his making them garments of skinnes granting them and their posteritie the rest of the earth to liue and labour in especially to serue him and do penance with admonition to remember that of duct man was made and into dust he shal returne Al which were signes of loue and that finally he would bring them and manie more to eternal saluation The first borne and heades of families were Priests al the time of the law of nature vntil the law being changed God tooke Priests only of the stock of Aaron and the rest of the Leuites to assist them in that function Aaron his sonnes thou shalt appoint saith our Lord ouer the seruice of Priesthood for I haue taken the Leuites of the children of Israel for euerie first borne And ◠Paul teacheth that changing of Priesthood and changing of the law goe alwayes together shewing euidently that euerie lawful communitie or commonwealth vnder God hath external Priesthood So that if there had benne no distinct order of external Priesthood in the law of nature or now were none in the law of grace as Protestantes say there is not there were no law at al. See more of this point in the Annotations chap. 7. ad Hebre. Here we only obserue that Abel Seth Enos and other Patriarches were Priestes and exercised priestlie functions yea Cain also was a Priest though a bad one and offered Sacrifice But external offices or ministerie without a wel disposed mind and sincere vertues producing Good workes did neuer iustifie anie man And therfore Cains Sacrifice offered with a peruerse mind was not respected by God as Abels was wherupon he becoming worse and more malicious God sharply reproued his anger and enuie conceiued without iust cause saying If thou doest wel shalt thou not receiue againe but if thou doest il shal not thy sinne forwith be present at the dore clerly shewing that euerie one shal receiue according to his workes This place also euidently sheweth Freewil yea in a wicked man For this expostulation had neuer benne vttered by our most reasonable Lord and Maister if Cain had benne depriued of freewil For he might haue excused himselfe and must needes haue benne holden excused if he had benne forced to do as he did But God charged him as inexcusable and as one that knew or ought to know that he had freewil And doth further inculcate that he had and should haue powre and freewil ouer his concupiscence to correct the same if he would saying The lust therof shal be vnder thee and thou shalt haue domion ouer it So that no sinner be he neuer so wicked much lesse a iust man lacketh freewil yet Luther abhorreth the very word and Caluin wisheth it out of the world Temporal punishment is proued to be due for sinne remitted by that both death and other penalties are inflicted by Gods iustice vpon men after iustification and by the particular punishments laid vpon Adam and Eue confessing their faultes Purgatorie is also proued by the same iustice of God For when anie dieth penitent and yet haue not madeful satisfaction they must suffer for that remaineth after death and be purged before they can enter into rest which remnant of debt our B. Sauiour calleth The last farthing and saith it must be payed The lewes also at this day hold the doctrin of Purgatorie by tradition And consequently they Pray for soules departed not only to God but also to the ancient Patriarches which likewise sheweth Inuocation of Saincts in these wordes Yee fathers which sleepe in Hebron open to him the gates of Eden that is of Paradise which was planted in Eden And Hebron is the place where Adam was buried and his sepulcher religiously conserued in the time of Iosue aboue 1500 yeares after his death The same is the place which Abraham bought and there buried Sara where also him selfe and Isaac and Iacob were buried and to which finally the bodies of the twelue sonnes of Iacob were translated from Sichem As Iosephus writeth And sichem also was specially honored because such persons had benne buried there as S. Hierom witnesseth of his owne knowledge in his time Againe by religious care of burying the dead in this first age Enoch was more certainly knowen to be Translated aliue and not to be dead For the seuentie Interpreters and S. Paul say He was not found which importeth that they sought diligently for him and that his bodie could not be found for God translated him By al which we see mutual offices and communion of good workes amongst good men aliue and dead which is called Cōmunion of Saincts And herein Angels lacked not their offices For God set Cherubins to kepe the gate of Paradise that neither man should enter being iustly expelled for sinne nor diuels as S. Augustin noteth left they should take fruite of the tree of life and geuing it to men allure them to more sinne And now Saincts being exalted to Angels glorie haue like honorable offices towards other men as Angels haue Yea the bloud of Abel vniustly shed by Cain and iustly to be reuenged by God sheweth the peculiar honour which God bestoweth vpon his Saints for their vertues and merites in this life especially in their death For Precious in the sight of our Lord is the
that thou shalt perish vtterly †As the Nations which our Lord destroyed at thyne entrie so shal you also perish if you be disobedient to the voice of the Lord your God CHAP. IX Lest they should impute the victories which they shal haue to them selues 6. they are put in mind of their often prouoking Gods wrath 12. by idolatrie 22. by murmuring by concupiscence by contempt and other sinnes 25 for which they should haue bene destroyed but God spared them for his prouâ—â—se made to Abraham Isaeac and Iacob HEARE Israel Thou shalt goe ouer Iordan this day to possesse verie greate nations and stronger then thy selfe huge cities and walled euen vnto heauen †a great people and tal the sonnes of the Enacims whom thou hast seene and heard against whom no man is able to resist †Thou shalt know therfore this day that the Lord thy God him selfe wil passe ouer before thee a deuouring and consuming fyre who shal destroy and abolish and bring them to nothing before thy face quickly as he hath spoken to thee †Say not in thy hart when the Lord thy God shal haue destroyed them in thy sight For my iustice hath our Lord brought me in to possesse this land wheras these nations were destroyed for their impieties †For not because of thy iustices and equitie of thy hart doest thou enter in to possesse their landes but because they haue done impiously at thy entring in they are destroyed and that our Lord might accomplish his word which by oath he promised to thy fathers Abraham Isaac and Iacob †Know therfore that not for thy iustices hath the Lord thy God geuen thee this excellent land in possession wheras thou art a verie stiffe necked people †Remember and forget not how thou didst prouoke the Lord thy God to wrath in the wildernesse From the same day that thou camest out of Aegypt vnto this place thou hast alwayes contended against our Lord. †For in Horeb also thou didst prouoke him and being wrath he would haue destroyed thee †when I went vp into the mounte to receiue the tables of stone of the couenant which our Lord made with you and I continewed in the mounte fourtie daies and nightes not eating bread nor drinking water †And our Lord gaue me two tables of stone written with the singer of God and conteyning al the wordes that he spake to you in the mounte from the middes of the fyre when the assemblie of the people was gathered †And when fourtie dayes were passed and as manie nightes our Lord gaue me the two tables of stone the tables of couenant †and he said to me Arise and goe downe from hence quickly for thy people which thou didst bring out of Aegypt haue quickly forsaken the way that thou hast shewed them and haue made them a molten idol †And againe our Lord said to me I see that this people is stiffe necked †suffer me that I may destroy them and abolish their name from vnder heauen and may set thee ouer a Nation that is greater and stronger then this †And when I came downe from the burning mounte and held the two tables of couenant with both handes †and saw that you had sinned to the Lord your God and had made you a molten calfe and had quickly forsaken his way which he had shewed you †I cast the tables out of my handes and brake them in your sight †And I fel downe before our Lord as before fourtie dayes and nightes not eating bread not drinking water for al your sinnes which you committed against our Lord and prouoked him to wrath †for I feared his indignation and anger wherwith being moued agaynst you he would haue destroyed you And our Lord heard me this time also †Against Aaron also being exceeding angrie he would haue destroyed him and for him in like maner did I pray †And your sinne that you had committed that is the calfe I tooke and burnt it with fyre and breaking it into peeces and bringing it wholy into dust I threw it into the torrent that deâ—cendeth from the mount †In the burning also and in the tentation and in the Sepulchres of concupiscence you prouoked our Lord †and when he sent you from Cadesbarne saying Goe vp and possesse the Land that I haue geuen you and you contemned the commandement of your Lord God and did not beleue him neither would you heare his voice †but were alwaies rebellious from the day that I beganne to know you †And I lay before our Lord fourtie dayes and nightes in the which I humbly besought him that he would not destroy you as he had threatened †and praying I said Lord God destroy not thy people and thyne inheritance which thou hast redemed in thy greatnes whom thou didst bring out of Aegypt in a strong hand †Remember thy seruantes Abraham Isaac and Iacob regard not the stubbournes of this people and his impietie and sinne †lest perhappes the inhabitantes of the land out of which thou hast brought vs say The Lord could not bring them in vnto the Land that he promised them and he hated them therfore did he bring them forth that he might kil them in the wildernes †Which are thy people and thyne inheritance whom thou didst bring forth in thy great strength and in thy stretched out arme CHAP. X. Moyses receiuing the second tables of the tenne commandments and making an arke put them therin 6. with mention of certaine places where the children of Israel had camped of Aarons death and to the Leuites offices and possesstons 12. be inculcateth the feare and loue of God and the keping of his precepts 16. namely to circumcise the hart 19. to loue strangers 20. and not to serue nor sweare by false goddes AT that time our Lord said to me Hewe thee two tables of stone as the former were and come vp to me into the mounte and thou shalt make an arke of wood †and I wil write in the tables the wordes that were in them which before thou didst breake and thou shalt put them in the arke †I made therfore an arke of the wood Settim And when I had hewed two tables of stone like to the former I went vp into the mount hauing them in my handes †And he wrote in the tables according as he had written before the ten wordes which our Lord spake to you in the mount from the middes of the fyre when the people was gathered and he gaue them to me †And returning from the mount I came downe and put the tables into the arke that I had made which are there til this present as our Lord commanded me †And the children of Israel remoued their campe from Beroth of the children of Iacan into Mosera where Aaron died and was buried for whom Eleazar his soone did the function of priesthood †Thence they came into Gadgad from the which place departing
exercised to the discerning of good and euil With what moderation therfore and humilitie this Canticle of Gods perfect spouse may be read the discrete wil consider and not presume aboue their reach but be wise with sobrietie For here be very high and hidden Mysteries as Origen teacheth in his lerned Commentaries which S. Ierom translated into Latin and singularly commendeth and so much harder to be rightly vnderstood for that the feruent spiritual loue of the inward man reformed in soule and perfected in spirite is here vttered in the same vsual wordes and termes wherwith natural worldlie yea and carnal loue of the outward man old Adam corrupted by sinne is commonly expressed and are so much more dangerous to be mistaken as we are more addicted to proper wil priuate iudgement or subiect to carnal or passionate motions Wherfore it semeth most mete to kepe the same order in reading these three bookes which the auctor wise Salomon obserued in writing them And which Philosophers also folow in their forme of discipline For they first lerne and teach Moral Philosophie then Natural lastly Metaphisikes which is their Diuinitie As Salomon had geuen them example first teaching precepts of good life and maners in his Prouerbes after discoursing of natural thinges in Ecclesiastes deduced thence a conclusion which prophane Philosophers wel vnderstood not to contemne this world and finally cometh to high mystical Diuinitie in this supereminent Canticle written in an other stile in verse and in forme of a sacred Dialogue betwen Christ and his spouse or as Origen calleth it in forme of an Enterlude in respect of diuers speakers actors of diuers persons to whom the speaches are directed and of whom they are vttered For by the Spous or Bridgrome is not only vnderstood Christ as Man but also as God and the whole Blessed Trinitie to whom manie prayers praises and thankes are offered vp and by whom manie benefites are geuen praises returned promises made to his spouse Likewise by the Spouse or Bride the ancient fathers vnderstand three sortes of spouses al espoused to Christ and to God towitt his General Spouse the whole Church of the old and new Testaments of al that are and shal be perfect making one mystical bodie free from sinne without spotte or wrinkle sanctified in Christ Also his special spouse which is euerie particular holie soule And his singular spouse his most blessed most immaculate Virgin Mother This being the general summe of this excellent Canticle remitting the reader for explication therof to the lerned deuout Commenters both of ancient and late writers we shal also endeuour together the same contents more particularly not before the chapters because we can not there so conueniently distinguish the same by verses but in the margent Where we shal especially note the speakers as semeth more probable of euerie parcel according to the first sense not hauing rowme for more perteyning to the General spouse the Catholique Church which is the great and euerlasting holie Citie of God the eternal King SALAMONS CANTICLE OF CANTICLES WHICH IN HEBREW IS CALLED SIR HASIRIM CHAP. I. LET him kisse me with the kisse of his mouth because thy brestes are better then wine †smelling fragrantly of the best ointments Oile powred out is thy name therfore haue yongmaydes loued thee †Draw me we wil runne after thee in the odour of thine ointments The king hath brought me into his cellars we wil reioyce be glad in thee mindful of thy brests aboue wine the righteous loue thee †I am blacke but beutiful ô ye daughters of Ierusalem as the tabernacles of Cedar as the skinnes of Salomon †Doe not consider me that I am browne because the sunne hath altered my colour the sonnes of my mother haue fought against me they haue made me a keeper in the vinyards my vinyard I haue not kept †Shew me ô thou whom my soule loueth where thou feedest where thou lyest in the midday lest I beginne to wander after the flockes of thy companyons †If thou know not thyselfe ô most fayrest among wemen goeforth and folow after the steppes of the flockes and feede thy kiddes byside the tabernacles of the pastours †To my companie of horsemen in the chariotes of Pharao haue I likened thee ô my loue †Thy cheekes are beautiful as the turteldoues thy necke as iewels †We wil make thee cheynes of gold enamoled with siluer †Whiles the king was at his repose my spikenard gaue the odour thereof †A bundle of myrrhe my beloued is to me he shal abide betwen my brestes †A clustre of cypre my loue is to me in the vineyardes of Engaddi †Behold thou art fayre ô my loue behold thou art fayre thyne eyes are as of doues †Behold thou art fayre my beloued comlie our litle bed is florishing †The beames of our houses are of cedar our rafters of cypresse trees CHAP. II. I AM the flower of the filde and the lilie of the valley †As the lilie among the thornes so is my loue among the daughters †As the apletree among trees of the woddes so is my beloued among the sonnes Vnder his shadow whom I desired I sate and his fruite was sweete vnto my throte †He brought me into the wineceller he hath ordered in me charitie †Stay me vp with flowers compasse me about with apples because I languish with loue †His lefthand vnder my head and his righthand shal embrace me †I adiure you ô daughters of Ierusalem by the roes and the hartes of the fildes that you rayse not nor make the beloued to awake vntil herselfe wil. †The voice of my beloued behold he cometh leaping in the mountaines leaping ouer the little hilles †my beloued is like vnto a roe and to a fawne of hartes Behold he standeth behind our walle looking through the windowes looking forth by the grates †Behold my beloued speaketh to me Arise make hast my loue my doue beautiful one and come †For winter is now past the rayne is gone and departed †The flowers haue appeared in our land the time of pruning is come the voice of the turtledoue is heard in our land †the figgerree hath brought forth her greene figges the florishing vineyards haue geuen their sauour Arise my loue my beautiful one come †My doue in the holes of the rocke in the holow places of the wal shew me thy face let thy voice sound in mine eares for thy voice is sweete and thy face comely †Catch vs the litle foxes that destroy the vineyards for our vineyard hath florished †i My beloued to me and I to him who feedeth among the lilies †til the day breake and the shadowes decline Returne be like my beloued to a roe and to the fawne of hartes
vpon the mountaynes of Bether CHAP. III. IN my litle bed in the nightes I haue sought him whom my soule loueth I haue sought him and haue not found †I wil rise and wil goe about the citie by the streates and high waies I wil seeke him whom my soule loueth I haue sought him and haue not found †The watchmen which kepe the citie found me Haue you seene him whom my soule loueth †When I had a litle passed by them I found him whom my soule loueth I held him neither wil I let him goe til I bring him into my mothers house and into the chamber of her that bare me †I adiure you ô daughters of Ierusalem by the roes and the hartes of the fildes that you rayse not vp nor make the beloued to awake til herselfe wil. †What is she that ascendeth by the desert as a litle rod of smoke of the aromatical spices of myrtrhe and frankincense of al powder of the apothecharie †Behold threescore valiants of the most valiant of Israel compasse the litle bed of Salomon †al holding swordes and most cunning to battels eueree mans sword vpon his thigh for feares by night †King Salomon hath made him a portable throne of the wood of Libanus †the pillers therof he hath made of siluer the seare of gold the going vp of purple the middes he hath paued with charitie for the daughters of Ierusalem †Goe forth ye daughters of Sion and see king Salomon in the diademe wherewith his mother hath crowned him in the day of his despousing and in the day of the ioy of his heart CHAP. IIII. HOW beautiful art thou my loue how beautiful art thou thine eies as it were of doues besides that which lyeth hid within Thy heares as the flockes of goates which haue come vp from mount Galaad †Thy teeth as flockes of them that are shorne which haue come vp from the lauatorie al with twinnes and there is no barren among them †Thy lippes as a scarlet lace and thy speach sweete As à peece of a pomegranate so are also thy cheekes besides that which lyeth hid within †Thy necke is as the towre of Dauid which is built with bulworkes a thousand targattes hang on it al the armour of the valiants †Thy two breastes as two fawnes the twinnes of a roe which feede among the lilies †til the day aspire and the shadowes decline I wil goe to the mount of myrrhe and to the little hil of frankencense †Thou art al fayre ô my loue and there is not a spotte in thee †Come from Libanus my spouse come from Libanus come thou shalt be crowned from the head of Amena from the toppe of Sanir Hermon from the dennes of lions from the mountaynes of leopardes †Thou hast wounded my heart my sister spouse thou hast wounded my heart in one of thine eies and in one heare of thy necke †How beautiful are thy breastes my sister spouse thy breastes are more beautiful then wine and the odour of thine ointmentes aboue al aromatical spices †Thy lippes my spouse are as an honie combe distilling honie and mile kare vnder thy tongue and the odour of thy garments as the odour of frankincense †My sister spouse is a garden inclosed a garden inclosed a fountaine sealed vp †Thy ofsprings a paradise of pomegranats with orchard fruites Cypres with spiknard †spiknard and safren sweete cane and cinnamon with al â—he trees of Libanus myrrhe and aloes with al the chiefe ointmentes †The fountaine of gardens the wel of liuing waters which runne with violence from Libanus †Arise Northwinde come Southwinde blow through my garden and let the aromatical spices therof flowe CHAP. V. LET my beloued come into his garden and eate the fruite of his appletrees I am come into my garden ô my sister spouse I haue reaped my myrrhe with myne aromatical spices I haue eaten the honiecombe with mine honie I haue drunke my wine with my milke eate ô frendes and drinke and be inebriated my dearest I sleepe and my hart watcheth the voice of my beloued knocking Open to me my sister my loue my doue mine immaculate because my head is ful of dew and my lockes of the droppes of the nightes †I haue spoyled myselfe of my robe how shal I be clothed with it I haue washed my feete how shal I defile them †My beloued put his hand through the hole and my bellie trembled at his touch †I arose that I might open to my beloued my handes haue distilled myrrhe and my fingers are ful of most approued myrrhe †I opened the bolt of my dore to my beloued but he had turned aside and was passed My soule melted as he spake I sought and found him not I called and he did not answer me †The keepers that goe about the citie found me they stroke me and wounded me the keepers of the walles tooke away my cloke †I adiure you ô daughters of Hierusalem if you shal finde my beloued that you tel him that I languishe with loue †What maner of one is thy beloued of the beloued ô most beautiful of wemen What maner of one is thy beloued of the beloued that thou hast so adiured vs †My beloued is white and ruddie chosen of thousands †His head is as the best gold his heares as the branches of palmetrees blacke as à rauen †His eies as doues vpon the litle riuers of waters which are washed with milke and sitte beside the most ful streames †His cheekes are as litle beddes of aromatical spices set of the pigmentaries His lippes are as lilies distilling principal myrrhe †His handes wrought round of gold ful of hyacinthes His bellie of iuorie distinguished with sapphires †His thighes as pillers of marble that are vpon feete of gold His forme as of Libanus elect as the cedars †His throte most sweete and he whole to be desired such an one is my beloued and he is my frend ô daughters of Hierusalem †Whither is thy beloued gone ô most beautiful of wemen whither is thy beloued turned aside and we wil seeke him with thee CHAP. VI. MY beloued is gone downe into his garden to the bed of aromatical spices to feede in the gardens and to gather lilies †I to my beloued and my beloued to me who feedeth among the lilies †Thou art fayre ô my loue sweete and comelie as Hierusalem terrible as the armie of a campe set in aray †Turne away thine eies from me because they haue made me flee away Thy heares as a flocke of goates which haue appeared from Galaad †Thy teeth as à flocke of sheepe which haue come vp from the lauatorie al with twinnes and there