Selected quad for the lemma: love_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
love_n	aaron_n	garment_n	skirt_n	58	3	11.4091	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A91908	An exposition on the whole booke of Solomons song, commonly called the canticles. Wherein the text is explained and usefull observations raised thereupon. / By John Robotham, preacher of the gospel.	Robotham, John, fl. 1654.	1651 (1651)	Wing R1730; Thomason E639_1; ESTC R206657	461,322	801

and sweet and therefore compared here to myrrhe The graces and prayers of the Saints are said to be sweet as it is Revel 8. 4. Christ ming leth them with his owne sweet odours and so perfumes them before his Father The wicked are abhomination to the Lord because he abhorrs them their services and whatsoever in them is but the righteous man is his delight Prov. 15. 8. Christ will burne up sinne and consume all the drosse of his Saints and accept that which is sweet of his owne spirit in in them All the actions of the flesh are nothing but sinfull workes but the actions wrought by the hand of Christ the finger of God and power of Spirit these actions are sweet holy and gracious Secondly Observe That the sweetnesse of the Saints proceeds from Christs sweetnesse Christ first leaves myrrhe and the fingers of the Spouse drop myrrhe He was anointed with the Oyle of gladnesse above his fellows and out of the fulnesse of his divine annointings we receive grace for grace The head being anointed the oyle ranne downe to the skirts of Aarons garment wee have all from our head grace for his grace love for his love priviledge for his priviledge he is a sonne so are wee sonnes we are heires of heaven as he is heire of God all his dignities offices priviledges graces and preferrements are ours So that looke whatsoever grace or priviledge is in the head it descends downe to the Members who share with the head in every vertue so that all our graces are from his grace our life from his life our myrrhe from his myrrhe It followeth in the next verse VERS 5. I opened to my beloved but my beloved had withdrawne himselfe and was gone my soule failed when he spake I sought him but I could not finde him I called him but he gave me no answer HEre wee see the troubles and sorrows which befall the Spouse because of her former negligence and securitie Christ will not let her lye asleep on her bed of ease but will come to awaken her In the verse wee have First The action of the Spouse I opened to my beloved Secondly The discouragements of the Spouse and they are three First Christs leaving of her My beloved had withdrawne himselfe Secondly Her inward griefe and sorrow My soule failed c. Thirdly She had no answer notwithstanding all her seeking I sought him but he gave me no answer c. I opened or I my selfe opened to my beloved as before this noteth a further degree of grace in the Spouse that she did not only rise up but opened the doore giveth up the strength and power of heart and affections unto him willing that the everlasting King of glorie should come in and reigne there Hence Observe That gracious affections produce gracious actions Where there is the truth of affection it will discover it selfe in holy action after her affections were moved she presently openeth to her beloved The will minde and understanding guide the outward man therefore if these be touched and wrought upon it will quickly appeare in outward action as soone as her bowels were moved and that her fingers dropt myrrhe she shews the truth of her affection in opening unto and making after her beloved Thus much for the action of the Spouse her discouragements follow But my beloved had withdrawne himselfe Withdrawne or passed away to wit secretly and quietly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Transivit particularly also putting up the great injurie of refusall that shee had offered him passed by to wit the doores and so went away The doubling of the complaint for his departure sheweth her passion and griefe in that she thought he had been at the doore when she opened but now he was gone she could not enjoy his presence and favour as formerly she had to her unspeakeable comfort This is strange that he calleth and knocketh when she was asleep and lay in her bed and now when she is risen out of her bed and openeth the doore to let him in he withdraweth himselfe and will not be seene her unkinde dealing did deserve this Hence Observe That Christ doth sometimes withdraw himselfe from his Saints according to their sense and apprehension So God did withdraw from Christ when he cryed out My God my God why hast thou forsaken me but yet at that time God was neere him and did uphold him by his power and so for the Saints such desertions as these proceed from love from him that doth withdraw himselfe he doth it of purpose for their good and that out of a singular love but seeing Christ doth alwayes dwell in the Saints how can it be said that he doth withdraw himselfe out of their sight especially when he hath made their hands to drop with myrrhe This is out of question that Christ is alwayes present in the souls of the faithfull and yet to their thinking and apprehension he seemeth to be absent He doth still support them by his power and spirit and yet they have not the lively and comfortable feeling of his presence which they desire and sometimes happily did enjoy Then the heart is troubled then they mourne then they seeke and call after him for shee saith My soule failed when he spake My soule went forth or it left me and was gone it failed and fainted within me I was as one without life even as one dead through feare and griefe The departure of the soule from the body is death she was now as it were in a swoone or halfe dead for the time Alas now shee is afraid that her unkinde dealing should cause him to forsake her Who is able to expresse the griefe and sorrow the godly soule hath when it seeketh to feele the consolation of Christ and he hideth his face True it is that the Spouse could not lament she could not open the doore seeking and calling after him unlesse he were present and did worke these things in her for all these things proceed from his grace but yet he doth seeme to be absent which makes her crye out my soule my strength my life my comfort is departed from me When he spake When he spake or while he was speaking or rather because of his Speech to me which I had neglected for however the Hebrew will beare both yet I thinke the latter most agreeable with the purpose of the Spouse which is to agravate her offence and also to shew the miseries that she fell into for so great neglect So the sence is My soule failed because of speech or for the words which he had used when he so lovingly called unto me as before in verse 2. saying Open unto me my sister my love my dove my undefiled for my head is full of dew c. Now when the Spirit had moved upon her heart and affections then she remembred the words of her beloved Hence Observe First That Christ's words makes after impressions in the hearts of the Saints though

Christ Thus much for the cause the effect follows Therefore doe the Virgins love thee Whence observe Thirdly That the sweetnesse of Christ causeth love in his Saints The Originall of our love is Christs communicating of goodnes to us there is nothing in the streams but what comes from the Fountaine he is the Fountaine of love and sweetnesse who by his streams flowing into our hearts causeth in us to abound a Divine love towards him the fire of his love kindles the flame of our love to him againe our Ointment is from Christs Ointment the head being Anointed the Oile ran downe to the Skirts as it was said of Aaron Love is the inclining of the will to something that is excellent and agreeable to it selfe now the nature of the will is Elicita not Coacta inclined and drawne forth not compelled and constrained The will is absolute and free no violence can be offered to it therefore nothing but the sweetnesse and efficacy of Christs grace can be a Load-stone attractive to draw out incline the will Againe the object of the will is something that is good Bonum est objectum voluntatis sayth the Moralist whither it be Bonum reale a substantiall good or Bonum apparens a seeming good yet both are the object of the Will Hence it is that the transcendent excellency beauty love goodnesse and thato verflowing Fountain of grace and sweetnesse apprehended by the Saints to be in Christ these make him to be the best object these also incline the Will attract the heart and draw the souls of Beleivers unto him Againe observe that the object of the will must be a thing suitable Bonum sibi conveniens a good agreable to it selfe Now such a proportionable good as this is found to be in Christ which is respondent or answerable to all our desires or Capacities he is suitable in all his Offices and communications in his blood for pardon in his grace to adorne us in his love for lost sinners in his fullnesse for empty and poore souls Now when the Saints can take a spirituall view of Christ and observe all the dimensions of his love and sweetnesse they apprehend him to be Summum bonum the chiefest good farr beyond all worldly things though of never so exquisite and delicate an extraction and therefore desire most of all to have the possession of him according to that in Psal 73. 25. Whom have I in Heaven but thee and there is none upon Earth that I desire besides thee saith David Fourthly in that the Church changeth her Speech from the whole to the parts for shee doth not say I but the Virgins love thee Observe That as the whole Church so every Member of Christ hath the sence and feeling of Christs love and graces by the powring forth of his name John 1. 10. Of his fullnesse wee have all received and grace for grace Every Member hath received a measure and proportion from Christs fullnesse The Apostle speaking of the Gift of Continency saith Every man hath his proper gift of God 1 Cor. 7. 7. And so he speaketh concerning spirituall gifts and saith There are diversities of Gifts but the same Spirit and there are diversities of operations but it is the same God which worketh all in all but the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withall for to one is given by the same Spirit the word of wisdome c. 1 Cor. 12. 4 6 7 8. And so the whole Chapter goes on and tells us that the Church is the mystical body of Christ and though the body be but one yet the Members are many and that the same Spirit divideth to every Member as it pleaseth himselfe As in the naturall body there is not any one member but receives an influence from the head So it is in the Mysticall body of Christ And againe the Apostle saith in Ephes 4. 7. But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ Christ doth measure out proportionable gifts and graces for every Saint therefore as the whole Church is the Spouse of Christ so is every particular Member and all the priviledges and graces belonging to the whole Church belong to every Beleiver Fifthly Observe Such as are true lovers of Christ are onely those that are holy and pure By Virgins here are not understood those that are single or un-married but it signifieth the chastity and spirituall purity of those that truely love Christ These are chast in their lives holy in their thoughts sanctified in their actions These are not defiled with the World as to give themselves up to uncleane lusts of the flesh nor to commit spirituall whoredome against God the Saints studdy to possesse their Vessells in Sanctification and honour their bodies are the Temples of the holy Ghost they labour to be like unto their head and Spouse holy as he is holy pure as he is pure These are they which are not defiled with women for they are Virgins Revel 14. 4. That is that are not polluted with spirituall Fornication as the Apostle calls it 2 Cor. 12. 2. These follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth They will not follow Antichrist for their head and guide but they follow Christ though it be with the hazzard and losse of all their worldly enjoyments their love ro Christ is pure and chast like unto Virgins whose affections will not easily be drawn unto any besides their Beloved VERS 4. Draw me we will run after thee the King hath brought me into his Chambers we will be glad and rejoyce in thee we will remember thy love more then wine the upright love thee IN these words we have a second request of the Spouse unto Christ that he would not onely call her outwardly by the voice of the Gospell but forasmuch as the word Preached profiteth not if it be not mixt with faith in them that heare it Heb. 4. 2. that he would open her heart Acts 16. 14. and enlighten her by his Spirit that he would give unto her his Spirit of wisdome and revelation that the eyes of her understanding might be opened that shee might know what is the hope of her calling Ephes 1. 17. In these words there are two things considerable 1. The Prayer of the Church 2. The Reason of it First The Churches Prayer in these words Draw me c. Secondly The Reasons are drawne from the effects or fruits thereof which are two The first in these words We will run after thee The second is set downe in these words The King hath brought me into his Chambers From which effects we have the Churches protestation of ingagement declared by a three-fold respect which shee bears to Christ First shee doth exalt and rejoyce in him We will be glad and rejoyce in thee Secondly her mind or senses are set at work We will remember thy love more then wine Thirdly her engagement of affection The upright love thee