Selected quad for the lemma: scripture_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
scripture_n	authority_n	book_n	canonical_a	4,448	5	10.7889	5	true

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

that all or the most passages of this song will very well agree to the spirituall state of the Church in every age of the world Thirdly The difficulty and hardnesse of this song which ariseth from these grounds First The sodain change of the number tense and person as now speaking singularly then plurally now in the present time then in the time to come Secondly In that there are severall persons speaking now the Bride then the Bridegroome and sometimes the friends of them both viz. the daughters of Jerusalem Thirdly In respect of all those parabolicall and enigmaticall phrases and dark speeches wherein is contained very divine and heavenly matter The Jewes had this song in such reverence and high esteem that none of them would read or study it untill they were thirty years of age Now forasmuch as this song excells all other in the Scripture in that it celebrateth the mysteries of Christ and his Church and the conjunction between them more amply and excellently then any other Observe That this song of Solomon is a most excellent portion of canonicall Scripture It were horrid blasphemy to prefer this song above all the songs in Scripture if it were not given by divine inspiration as well as they First The title of this Book is as a crown of glory set upon the head of it and is as ancient and of as great authority as the book it self Now if this song were not canonicall we should make all the songs in Scripture in comparison 〈◊〉 come behind a humane love-song Secondly If we consider the 〈…〉 ●ne and heavenly matter contained in this song it takes the best things in the course of nature and applies them to a most divine use but of this wee have spoken already Thirdly If we consider that speech in Chap. 7. 4. Thy nose is like to the tower of Lebanon Now the tower of Lebanon was not built untill a long time after Solomon had married with Pharaoh's Daughter beside how odious and unseemly would the comparison have been if it had been made in respect of Solomons wife Fourthly The description of the Bride and the Bridegroom are so transcendent and excellent that they cannot be applyed to any but to Christ and his Church And although none of the ten proper names in Hebrew be once named in this song yet this Book is full of such names as doe most of all suit with the argument thereof as King Welbeloved Brother Shepheard the chiefe of ten thousand c. That most excellent shining glory dignity and Majesty which is here put upon the Bridegroom can belong to none beside Christ And as for the Bride shee is described by such rare beauty and glory which cannot agree with Pharaoh's daughter for how is shee compared with all that dwell under Solomons Curtain and how is she found black parched with the sunne and afflicted by her Brethren Fifthly It is manifest that Christ and his Apostles made use of this Book by applying the phrases and borrowing of matter and frame of speech from it as in Chap. 1. 2. Draw me c. Suitable to that are the words of Christ in Joh. 6. 44. None can come to me unlesse the father draw him Again in vers 9. Behold him through the casement looking through the grates c. Agreeable is this to that of the Apostle in 2 Cor. 3. 18. We behold the glory of the Lord as through a glasse or casement See also the title which Christ giveth his Church in Chap. 5. 2. calling her undefiled agreeable to the Apostle who would present the Church to Christ as a chast and pure Virgin These places with many other which might be brought do clearly demonstrate what a sympathy and agreement there is between this song and the new Testament and with the matter and manner of phrase alledged there by Christ and his Apostles Sixthly There would be open contradictions found to be in this song if it were applyed to any other then Christ and his Church for how can it be said of Pharaoh's daughter that shee is the only child of her mother Chap. 5. 6. when in the last Chapter that she had a little sister Now concerning the heavenly Jerusalem shee is called the mother of us all and the Church is but one in Christ but in respect of those severall congregations that the Church is divided into she may be said to have many sisters and thus according to the right interpretation we see a harmonious agreement in this seeming contradiction I might bring many more arguments to prove this song to be an excellent part of canonicall Scripture but I forbear forasmuch as the severall passages of it will agree to the experience of the best Christians wherefore it will be worth our time and paines to read study and meditate in this most excellent portion of holy writ and when we come to understand this song clearly wee shall be forced to confesse that there is not such choise and heavenly matter neither the like sweetness and comfort in any song as in this song of songs Thirdly we have the Author of this Song which is Solomons Solomon was the greatest son of wisedome among men whose understanding was as large as the Sea 1 King 4. 29 30. And whose affections were as large as his understanding hee is made the holy Ghost's instrument for the composing of this excellent song of songs A man of the deepest apprehension is made use of in the highest matters to wit the intercourse of love betwixt the Lord Christ and his Spouse Solomon was a type of Christ First In that he had his name of peace which is called in Hebrew Shelomoh but after the Greek Solomon peaceable for he was a man of peace and rest and God said of him Solomon shall be his name and I will give him Salom peace and quietnesse unto Israel in his dayes 1 Chron. 22. 9. Which promise was made good as wee read in 1 King 4. 24. Hee had peace on all sides round about him Now Christ is our Prince of peace Isa 9 6. and is called by the Apostle our peace Ephes 2. 14. That is he is the author and cause of all our peace he is the cement the only tie and ground of all that peace and union between God and us and also between the Jewes and Gentiles bringing them into fellowship and communion one with another 2. Solomon surpassed all the Kings of the earth in riches and wisdome 2 Chr. 9. 22. And all the earth sought the face of Solomon to heare his wisdome which God had put in his heart 1 King 10. 24. He was the wisest of all Kings as we see in 1 King 3. 12. There was none like him before him neither after him shall any arise like unto him He was also the wisest Prophet whose heart was lifted up higher then the sun and who had received a large measure of the spirit of Prophesie from the Lord but yet behold Jesus

Nice therefore we cannot rely on synodicall determinations but then whether shall we goe I answer positively we must goe to the Scriptures which the Apostle calleth a sure word And the holy Scriptures can only make us wise unto salvation it is that which will make the man of God perfect 2 Tim. 3. 5. 16. The Apostle referring to the voyce heard upon the mount when Christ was transfigured in glory cals it a more sure word of prophesie to the which saith he yee will doe well to take heed c. 2 Pet. 1. 19. The Scripture of the Olde Testament shined in those dark times and it was a perfect rule even in the dayes of Moses Deut. 12. 32. The Scripture is a perfect rule of faith and of good manners Christ himselfe giving authority to the Old Testament and John the Apostle doth approve give witnesse to the New Testament sealing up the divine authority thereof Revel 22. 18 19. The cause of mistake in any is the ignorance of the Scriptures this Christ telleth the Jewes Yee erre saith he not knowing the Scripture Mat. 22. 29. Hence he counselleth them to search the Scriptures Joh. 5. 39. He alludeth to those that digg deep into the earth for those precious things that lie hidden in the profundity thereof for such a profound search it is that the Apostle doth so highly commend the noble Bereans But now here ariseth another question namely how we shall understand the Scriptures for one interprets them this way and another that way how then shall we come to the right understanding of them I answer first negatively secondly affirmatively 1. Negatively thus no man can by wit learning or any humane art understand the Scriptures because they contain heavenly and divine mysteries in them I grant that a man by humane learning may understand the literall sense of the Scriptures but he understands not that spirituall hidden mystery therein contained he may read the Scripture and not understand see and not perceive as Christ saith Matth. 13. And the Apostle declareth the same thing in 1 Cor. 1. 18. For saith he the preaching of the Crosse is to them that perish foolishnesse That is it seemeth to them a very ridiculous and empty thing The Apostle confirms this by a citation out of the Prophet Isa Chap. 29. vers 14. I will destroy the wisdome of the wise and bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent vers 19. That is I will infatuate their wisdome and their understanding shall perish Now then saith he where is the wise where is the Scribe where is the disputer of this world That is how are all your wise men and great Philosophers that spend much time in searching out the secrets of nature but yet are ignorant of the hidden mystery of Christ The divine writings of God will not stoop to the spirit of a naturall man Hence the Apostle saith The natural man receiveth not the things of the spirit of God for they are foolishnesse unto him 1 Cor. 2. 14. He sheweth that a man that hath no farther light of understanding then that of nature cannot with his carnall reason reach the heavenly mysteries of the word which must be understood in a divine and spirituall sense But 2. The Scriptures are a sufficient rule when wee come to make use of them with the inward anointings of the spirit of Christ upon our hearts And hence the Apostle doth comfort the Saints against seducers saying But yee have an unction from the holy one and yee know all things 1 Joh. 2. 20. That is you are not in danger of being seduced or drawn aside from Christ because the spirit of God that anointed Christ a Priest King hath also anointed you to be a spirituall Priest Rev. 1. 6. So that ye may be able to guide and defend your selves against false teachers this anointing you have received from the holy one even from Christ in whom is a spring of spirituall graces to be communicated unto us by which means ye know all things needful to be known to preserve you from being seduced or led from Jesus Christ And in vers 27. he saith But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you and yee need not that any man should teach you but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things and is truth and is no lie Although in particular things wee may teach and edifie one another yet none can teach the mind and the affections to stick fast to the truth of Christ but the Spirit which is to lead and guide us into all truth Now the Spirit of Christ is the best Interpreter of the Scripture the same spirit that first indited the Scriptures must teach us to understand them when wee have the spirit of the Prophets and Apostles who were pen-men of the Scriptures then and not before shall wee understand the Scriptures It is the Spirit of God that must teach us and lead us into all truth Hence the Apostle calleth the Gospel the Administration of the Spirit 2 Cor. 3. 8. And this spirit is called the law of the spirit Rom. 8. 2. And the spirit of adoption and freedome vers 15. the spirit of discerning for it searcheth all things yea the deep things of God 1 Cor. 2. 10. The spirit of faith 1 Cor. 4. 13. The spirit of wisdome and revelation Ephes 1. 17. Now wee must bring the Spirit of the Scriptures to understand the Scriptures the Spirit of God to understand the word of God For wisdome will be justified of her children none of the wicked shall have understanding but the wise shall understand Dan. 12. 10. And feed thy Kids above the Shepheards tent By Kids you heard was meant young Christians that were tender and wanted to be cherished Hence Observe 1. That the Lord doth tender and take care for young Christians If the Lord exhorts us not to offend our weak brethren he wil not himself offend them Hence it is the Lord useth such mild expressions in Scriputre as a Father Mother Nurse and the like As a father pittieth his child so the Lord pitties his people Psal 103. Can a mother forget her child c. The Lord pitties us and beares with our weaknesse even as a tender mother doth her childs and hee provideth for us sutable to our weaknesse milk for babes as well as strong meate for strong men Secondly Observe That those that are strong should strengthen and feed those that are weake Feed my Kids my young and tender Christians wee must feed instruct all those committed to our charge Thus Abraham taught his houshold and Joshuah served the Lord with his house so did Cornelius Thus we are to feed refresh edifie and build up one another but especially the weak and tender Christian 3. This feeding is enlarged from the place where they were to feed that is either beside or above the Shepheards tents both interpretations hold forth the goodnesse of the pasture