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
which is the only thing and foundation whereupon all our happiness doth depend Let all men therefore learn to humble themselves for their wants in this thing and earnestly beg of God that his word may be purely taught Where this knowledg is not little fruit appears in the Valley the Vine flourisheth not there but the miserable Conscience is shut up in Prison and darkness but where this spiritual skill is learn'd there and there only the Pomegranates do bud and a wonderful and suddain change is made according as it here followeth VERSE XII Or ever I was aware my Soul made me like the Chariots of Amminadib AMminadib as some think was the chiefest Chariot driver either in Solomons or in Pharaohs Chariot and which had the most Famous Horses which upon a suddain would be at the place desired This was the Churches condition as soon as she came into the Nut Garden she understood upon a suddain the right way to her beloved as soon as ever the nut was crack'd she began to tast of the kernel and or ever she was aware she became like the Chariots of Amminadib She met with that upon a suddain which she had long desired for And thus it is with us when ever we come into the garden of the Lord where nuts are plenty where the vine flourisheth aright or ever we are aware the Pomegranates begin to bud the fruits of the valley begin to appear within us and we are setled in peace and joy And in that she says my Soul made me It meaneth the understanding which being illuminated and sanctified filleth the will and affections with joy and Heavenly delight VERSE XIII Return return O Shulamite that we may look upon thee return return THese words are also the voice of the Church and by the Shulamite she meaneth a party in the Church which do dissent from her principles in matters of faith and life which she notwithstanding calleth the Shulamite being a general Title belonging to all in the visible Church from Shulamith which is peaceable so call'd being under a Covenant of peace and being the Daughter of Jerusalem Heb. 7. or Shalem which signifies peace and his Tabernacle is also said to be in Shalem To this Shulamite or contrary party in the Church she saith return return which words being so often doubled do shew that she is not only confident of her own Doctrine and way but also that she earnestly desireth the welfare of the Shulamite and a more near and Spiritual communion with her for she says return that we may look upon thee that is with delight and comfort for what inward and comfortable fellowship can there be so long as there remains a contrariety in points of Faith Therefore it is the longing desire of the Bride that they might dwell together in unity But mark we what followes What will ye see in the Shulamite as it were the Company of two Armies These words I conceive to be the voice of Christ and it is as much as to say that which thou wouldest see in the Shulamite thou canst not for in the Shulamite there are two Companies of Prophets are Preachers of the word and they band themselves one against the other like two Armies And the difference between them is the case being rightly stated about this one Question Which is the proving principle in the Scriptures Whether the Law must be expounded by the Gospel or the Gospel expounded so as it may accord with the Law The answering of this Question The extent of the principles of all Heriticks Sects and Seducers being rightly examined they will be found to clash against the Gospel in the Doctrine of justification endeth all controversies in the Church Forasmuch as all differences about Religion do Center in this point Hence it is that what is affirmed by the one overthrows the Law in the matter of justification and what is affirmed by the other overthrows the Gospel in the same point For when the Bride defineth faith to be a believing in Christ without works only because of God the promiser totally excluding the Law the Shulamite and all others that are enemies to the Gospel do define faith to be a believing in Christ by reason of works totally excluding the Gospel Now to decide this controversy it must be noted that the first principles as is shewed elsewhere in this Song are proving and therefore all other Scriptures must be expounded by them Song 3.10 And that as the first principle in Divinity is the Scriptures Hos 13.4 so the first principle in the Scriptures is the Gospel or the first Commandment which drives us to the Gospel which comes all to one for the first word of all is hear O Israel I am the Lord thy God Mark 12.29 which words are the Gospel Wherein God bindeth himself to us without any thing of ours then follows the first Commandment This point rightly understood draweth us into the practise of all good works because it unbindeth us from the rigour of the Law and filleth the mind and Conscience with the love of God which is the ground of all obedience which prohibites our dependance upon any other righteousness but the righteousness of God set before us in the Gospel And also forbids all such definitions of faith and all such interpretations of the Law which strengthen in man an opinion of the Law and works Now the Gospel being the first word and proving principle therefore such a sense must be found of all those Scriptures that promise justification to mans Active doing of the Law as may be suitable to the Gospel and mortify mans opinion of the Law and works But thou wilt say how shall I do that I answer doing in Divinity hath by reason of the Gospel a new signification which is to justify God and is not to be understood when justification is promised to it of a moral doing but of such a spiritual passive doing which is incomprehensible to mans reason whereby thou submittest to the wrath of the Law and flyest from it by faith to Christ who createth in thee a new opinion of the Law which is to walk in the works thereof without dependance upon them which obedience Paul teacheth thee to call a serving in newness of Spirit And thus mayest thou easily give an answer to all opposers of the Gospel Moreover this must also comfort us when we are in great tribulations when we are in doubt of his care and providence in respect of outward things or any way perplexed with the fear of Gods wrath For then will the Law begin to work in us after this manner these things thou hast done and thou canst not deny it and therefore thy judgment is just and nothing shall appear before thine eyes which way thy fears shall be prevented now in this condition if thou expoundest the Gospel according to the Law then shall thy faith be overwhelmed and only the Law shall reign
his foul stains yet in regard of his wonderful Wisdom and great Reach that the Lord had given him whereby he was able to borrow Speeches from the nature of Earthly things to set forth the Lord's mind in Heavenly things he was a Man excellently fitted For God gave Solomon Wisdom and largeness of Heart above all Men his Wisdom excelled all the Children of the East for he was wiser than Ethan Henan Calcol and Darda And he spake of Trees from the Cedar in Lebanon to the Hysop that groweth out of the Wall He was able also to shew the nature of Fowls and of Fishes There was none like Solomon before him neither after him shall there arise any like him Solomon was also a Figure of Christ in regard of his Wisdom Kingdom and Glory and also being a Man of rest for so the Lord said of him Solomon shall be his Name for I will give Peace to Israel in his days Now Christ is our Peace who is also called Solomon The Pen-man therefore of this Book being the wisest of all the Prophets and Christ whom it concerneth being the very Wisdom of the Father and greater than Solomon therefore is this Song commended unto us by the holy Ghost in the highest degree of Excellency Seeing therefore it is a Song we must learn with all skilfulness to sing it and seeing singing is an argument of joy we must look for nothing in this Song but matter of exceeding joy So that when we are in the lowest condition by reason of Sin and the Cross yet then the understanding of this Song will raise us up beyond our selves For it is not only a Song but the Song of all Songs composed by Solomon a Person wiser than all Persons who figureth out Christ unto us who is the very Wisdom of the Father and therefore greater than Solomon And his carriage to be most gentle and loving to us when we are in the deepest misery and greatest extremity Therefore we must endeavour to learn the Tune and Time of this Heavenly Song and it will fill our Hearts with joy and gladness VERSE II. Let him kiss me VVE must understand that the chief part of this Song is drawn from the similitude of Lovers espoused in Marriage or else those that have fully finished the Marriage knot And Solomon being moved by the Holy Ghost made choice of this Similitude above all other things to set forth the most excellent Mystery between Christ and his Church no resemblance being greater to manifest the same not only in regard of the oneness that cometh by Marriage and also the firmness of the Bond between Man and Wife that cannot be broken but also in regard of the Issue and Posterity that comes by Marriage for even as by reason of Marriage many Children are born into the World so by reason of the Soul 's uniting unto Christ Rom. 7. are many Children brought to Life and Immortality The Church is here represented to come in a pang of Love but what Church Quest Not the Church of the Jews only Answ but also the Church of the Gentiles For the Church is to be considered either generally or distinctly either as the Church of the Jews and Gentiles united into one Body or else the Church of the Jews apart before Christ's Incarnation Now as the Church distinctly considered desired after Christ that was then to come so the Church generally considered desireth after Christ that is come Therefore the Church expressing her self here by the desire of a Lover Let him kiss me it sheweth the desire of the Bride in all Ages of the World But why doth the Bride desire to be kissed Quest Kissing amongst Men is a sign of favour and reconciliation David kissed Absalom Answ 2 Sam. 14.23 and thereby shewed that he was reconciled unto him Moses and Aaron kissed each other when they met as a token of Friendship And when Laban departed from Jacob Gen. 3â— 55 as a token that all strife was ended between them he kissed his Sons and his Daughters and so departed So that the Church desiring to be kissed desireth she may be assured by his word of his Love and Reconciliation to her Now there is a two fold kissing mentioned in Scripture there is a kissing on Christ's part and a kissing on the Bride's part Christ kisseth the Bride when he assureth her by his word that he is reconciled to her and in Love with her Person although she be a most miserable Sinner The Bride kisseth Christ when she by Faith is reconciled to him in believing that Christ is in Love with her Person Christ offereth the kiss first in these words I have loved thee with an everlasting Love The Bride again meeteth him with the kiss as soon as ever she perceiveth and is drawn to believe that her very Person is intended in these words This is the first kiss of Christ which begetteth Faith and all Heavenly Qualities within us There are also other kisses that follow where the first is imbraced when he loveth our Obedience Heb. 11.5 although imperfect because we please him by Faith but this is his antecedent kiss which respecteth not the Work but the Person a most miserable Sinner and this we ought to believe And in this sence it is said Kiss the Son lest he be angry Psal 2.12 that is see that thou thankfully imbrace the first kiss which assureth thee of the acceptance of thy sinful Person before thy works are regarded which truth of God worketh in thee Faith and Love to God and all good works In this sence also it is said 2 Cor. 13.12 1 Thes 5.26 Salute ye one another with an holy kiss and Greet ye one another with an holy kiss by which holy Kiss is meant the Administring on Christ's part and the embracing on our part the first kiss And by greeting and saluting one another is set forth the highest degree of Love among the Brethren which is a mutual forwardness in drawing each other by the Gospel to receive the first kiss therefore the Bride saith here Let him kiss me let him assure me in this one point that my Person is in his Favour which is the first ground and beginning of our Faith in Christ But why doth the Bride here desire to be kissed with more kisses besides the first kiss Quest Because by the first kiss she is so wonderfully taken up with the Love of her Beloved Answ that she cannot be at rest without him but desireth more and more after him And it sheweth us also the true nature and use of Faith which is not to despair nor be dismayed under the feeling of the greatest Sins and Calamities but then when it is at the worst as a Remedy against all it teacheth us to humble our selves and to desire the kisses of our Beloved And she addeth farther With the kisses of his Mouth Because all the Comforts that she findeth in the day of Adversity
against us There is nothing in Heaven Earth or Hell can possibly dismay us where God is present being apprehended by Faith But there is another thing here which maketh her esteem his Name not only because his Name is as Ointment but also as Ointment poured forth His Name is not as Ointment kept in a Box but as Ointment poured out If Ointment were kept in a Box always and not poured out then no Man could smell it but being poured out it will make an excellent Persume as may be seen by that Ointment which Mary brought in an Alabaster Box to anoint Christ withall She breaketh the Box and poureth it out and it is noted John 12. the whole House did smell of the Odour of it Before the Box was broken it did not smell so much but after the Box was broken and the Ointment poured out it did smell exceedingly So although the Humanity of Christ be filled with all Grace that a Creature can be capable of yet if no Man knew it what were it the better But when he is declared and manifested to Man then he is as an Ointment poured out and this is done by the preaching of the Gospel There is a double consideration to be had about the pouring out of Christ's Ointments the one is the pouring them out upon his own doings the other is when the Ointment is poured out upon the Virgins The one of these pourings out respecteth himself but the other respecteth fainting distressed Minds The one is the pouring forth of his Ointments upon the Actions of the Redeemer the other is the pouring them forth into the Consciences of the Redeemed For the case standeth thus If the Actions that were Christ's own had not been perfumed with the excellent savour of his Ointments they had not been fit nor of sufficient worth for a Redemption but seeing they were all perfumed with the Infinite Odour of the Godhead therefore they became a Sacrifice of a sweet smelling savour acceptable to the Father And as the Grace that is in Christ Jesus did make him shine and glitter in the sight of the Father so when his Ointments are poured out in the preaching of the Gospel it maketh him shine and glitter in the Consciences of the Elect. And this is that which the Bride here hath an Eye unto even to that which is poured upon the Virgins whereby they came to love him which could never be if it were only poured upon his own doings and no man knew it therefore that the Virgins may love him they must smell the sweetness of the Ointments themselves And this is done when it is poured out in the preaching of the Gospel This sheweth us that without we are persum'd by these Ointmenes we are no better in the sight of God than stinking Carrion and that until the Gospel hath poured out the Ointments we can never be perfumed thereby Therefore when thou feelest the stink of thy Sins make hast to the Box of Perfume that the sweet Ointments may be poured upon thee Pitiful it is if thou know not the stink of thy Sins and worse not to know of this Heavenly Box of Perfume but worst of all to those that cannot abide this Heavenly Ointment but stop their Nostrils at the breaking of the Box what will become of such But that the word to them will become a savour of Death unto Death Learn thou therefore to smell this sweet and heavenly Perfume then shalt thou find in thy self the same Effects that were wrought in the Virgins as here followeth Therefore the Virgins love thee The Church in general and all the Members thereof in particular are called Virgins in respect of the purity of their Faith being formed without the works of the Law In this sence the Church is called a Virgin by St. Paul 2 Cor. 11.2 I have presented you a pure Virgin to Christ So that she is a Virgin in regard she is delivered from the Law and married to Christ by Faith alone She is ignorant of the Law knowing nothing of the Law and her own Righteousness in the matter of her justification before God She hath a single Eye beholdeth not a double object in distress of Mind but fixeth her Eye upon Christ alone If thou formest thy Faith only by the promise then thou art delivered from the Law and Curse of God but if thou countest thine own Works to be Essential to Faith then the Virginity of Faith is lost then thou dost Adulterate from the Promise and art overwhelmed with the Curse This Virginity is preserved where there is a right distinction taught between Faith and the Law man's Reason when it heareth the promises to be annexed to the Law it presently concludeth as the Israelites did at Mount Sinai All that the Lord commandeth us we will do thinking it self sufficiently able to perform the Law Which opinion in Man causeth not only the loss of true Virginity but also of true and everlasting Happiness Now there being so wide a difference between Faith and Man's opinion of the Law it will not be amiss to consider what true obedience to the Law is There is a double Consideration to be had about Obedience to the Law Active and Passive Active Obedience is when thou puttest forth all thy Abilities to perform the Law Passive Obedience is when thou submit test thy self to the condemning Power of the Law and utterly renouncing the Law flyeâ— to Christ by Faith This Passive Obedience goeth before Justification forgiveness of Sins and imputation of Righteousness being promised to it and Active Obedience followeth after This Passive Obedience I call Obedience to the Law because it is required in the first Command ment which forbiddeth thee to depend upon thine own Righteousness which is by the Law and requireth thee to lay hold on the Righteousness of God Rom. 3.21 which is manife-fested without the Law So that all those Scriptures that require a necessity of the Law as the doers of the Law shall be justified and bless those only that are the doers of the Commandments intend this Active and Passive Obedience in order as hath been said And therefore must be understood according to the first Commandment which first teacheth us to hear the word of the Curse and to justifie God and next it driveth us to the promise which justifieth us And this is the true obedience of Faith which I here call the Passive Obedience which as soon as thou enterest into thou becomest a pure Virgin to Christ and yieldest thy self in Marriage to the Son of God which as soon as thou apprehendest by Faith thy Conscience is made joyful and glad by the Righteousness of thy Redeemer which also breedeth in thee Active Obedience whereby thou joyfully dost good works unto thy Neighbour Faith then separateth between Active and Passive Obedience and so preserveth pure Virginity in the Church for it placeth the one before and the other after justification Where
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
shall be as the smell of a field which the Lord hath blessed VERSE II. As the Lilly among thorns so is my love among the Daughters THese are the words of Christ who first sheweth the Church the danger she is like to fall into by reason of her Doctrine she is like the Lilly among the thorns in danger to be scrat and torn in pieces this acceptance she findeth amongst the daughters meaning the Preachers of the Law that draw on works into the Doctrine of justification these in all ages have been the only enemies to the Bride of Christ which did not fear to set upon Christ himself but crucified the Lord of life let any man but stick fast to the righteousness of Faith and hold it forth against them in this one point concerning righteousness by the Law and they will shew themselves First or last to be as thorns in his side And thus the Gospel sendeth fire on the earth but without the Gospel all things are at quiet Also Christ in these words preferreth the Children of the free-woman which he calleth his love far above the Children of the bond-woman which he calleth the Daughters For thus he saith in effect that as the Lilly far surpasseth the thorns both in Nobility and Beauty So doth my love far surpass the Daughters that is is higher in my esteem then those that earnestly require the works of the Law Next as it were an answer to this follow the words of the Bride VERSE III. As the Apple-tree among the trees of the Forrest So is my beloved among the Sons IN which words even as the Bridegroom before did set forth the Bride beyond the Daughters of the bondwoman under the similitude of the Lilly So here the bride doth set forth the excellency of her beloved beyond the Sons of Agar under the similitude of an Apple-tree Now the Apple-tree far surpasseth the trees of the wood which are by nature wild in regard of the goodness of the fruit and also the variety thereof So doth the fruit she says of my beloved far surpass the Sons that is the fruit of all those that first require the works of the Law to be done before a man can be interested in the Gospel this the spouse of Christ cannot relish because it is not the voice of her beloved and therefore she hath the Sons in small account and betaketh her self to her own Apple-tree and feedeth on his fruit the fruit of which tree doth heal the Nations I sate under his shadow with great delight By the shadow of the Apple-tree understand the shadows and figures of Christ in all ages of the Church which being rightly understood are full of heavenly delight A shadow in Divinity representeth something to faith which is absent to sense and reason confirming that to the eye which the word doth to the ear For God hath always made a double Declaration of his bounty for the comfort of sinful man the one is by his word wherein he instructeth us by hearing the other by figures and shadows wherein he instructeth us by seeing And this comes to pass by reason of our wonderful necessity and weakness being not able to comprehend so excellent a mystery as the Gospel without the use of visible helps Therefore Christ instructing Nicodemus in the Doctrine of regeneration Joh. 3. teacheth him by figures to understand the Mystery If I have told you of earthly things and ye beleive not how can ye beleive if I tell you of Heavenly things As much as to say unless you learn to believe by the knowledg of earthly things ye cannot beleive if I tell you of Heavenly things Now by earthly things he meaneth the figures and shadows of Christ in all ages of the Church and begins with Baptism the thing in question then between Christ and Nicodemus So also Circumcision the Passover the Sacrifices the Temple the Tabernacle the Ark and the mercy Seat were all earthly things by which the Jew was to be instructed in his faith These were the patterns of things in the Heavens to lead the Jew to the knowledg of Heavenly things themselves Now therefore as shadows were necessary to instruct the Jew in his Faith in a Christ that was to come So also were some shadows necessary to instruct the gentile in his faith in the Christ that is come Esa 4. And therefore it was promised that in the days of Christs Kingdom there should be a Tabernacle for a shadow which promise was fulfil'd in the coming of John the Baptist For all the Law and the Prophets prophesied until John the Baptist that is till Baptism Now all the Law and Prophets prophesied of a Christ to come Joh. 1.31 But Baptism manifesteth unto us the Christ that is come Now seeing Baptism endeth that faith and Religion which resteth in a Christ to come therefore it beginneth that Faith and Religion which resteth in the Christ that is come And therefore it is said by the Evangelist Mar. 1. that Baptism is the beginning of the Gospel of Jesus Christ the Son of God Because it endeth the former Prophesie of a Christ to come and beginneth that Faith and Religion which resteth in Christ that is come And even as no man could visibly profess the true Religion amongst the Jews unless he were first united to the Jew by Circumcision So no man can so much as profess the true Religion now unless he be first united to the Church through Baptism And as it is the beginning of our entrance into the way of Christianity So it is the beginning of our comfort in the day of distress for even as Christ was present with the Fathers of old as soon as by faith they rightly understood the shadows so Baptism as oft as we fly unto it by faith hath Christ present with all that he is and all that he hath prepared for poor sinners Which spiritual coming of Christ into the Soul causeth the absence of all discomforts whatsoever The right understanding of this Mistery causeth the bride to sing here I sate down under his shadow with great delight Also this Doctrine openeth a light for the conviction of all false Prophets whatsoever all Sects and Heresies that now be or ever will be having their first rise from the contempt of Baptism or some false opinion concerning the same And with this proposition they all begin that Baptism is nothing unless the person first believe By which proposition they wholy deny the true Christ and rest upon a false Christ For Baptism not only manifesteth the true Christ to become as hath been proved but also sheweth us that until Baptism all people are under the Prophecy of a Christ to come Now that Doctrine which requireth faith before Baptism requireth faith not in the true Christ that is come but in a false Christ which is yet to come which Christ in Scripture is no where to be found And if there be no such Christ to be
found which is yet to come then there is no object to be found for such a faith to rest upon By which one argument if thou manage it skilfully thou mayest easily send the former proposition to Satan from whence it came and sit down and rest thy self in peace and joy For one of these propositions must needs be granted that either our faith must be in a Christ that is come or else in a Christ that is to come if in a Christ that is come then Baptism is necessary which manifesteth the same Job 1.31 if in a Christ to come then is our faith and Religion ended ever since the days of John the Baptist Learn thou therefore to be very cunning in the right use of the figure that as Satan hath built up his Kingdom by bringing Baptism into contempt So thou mayest break his head and batter his Kingdom in pieces by teaching a right knowledg and understanding of the same then shalt thou be a right Souldier for thy beloved and also with the bride here shalt sit down under his shadow with great delight His fruit was pleasant to my tast That is the fruit of his shadow because the shadow representeth to us the benefits of Christs death and Resurrection which must needs be pleasant where the benefit is felt But where there is no faith to understand and receive the mystery in the shadow to them they are of no use at all but otherwise they are very pleasant for as much as they make the benefits of Christ which are represented to be as certain to faith as the figure representing is certain to sense and reason VERSE IV. He brought me to the banquetting-house HEre she sheweth the great provision that Christ made for her when once she grew to have a Sacramental faith he entertaineth her with a Banquet As Kings when they entertain their Queens do use to lead them into the Wine Cellar So doth the Lord Jesus Christ by his Queen he bringeth her into his banquetting house or house of Wine By the banquetting house understand the place where the Church of God do use to meet together whether in publick or in private for the hearing and receiving of the Gospel Pro. 9. Which is said to be wisdoms feast where the table is furnished with all manner of varieties and nothing is wanting for this life or the life to come there is comfort in all crosses deliverance in all distresses provision for all wants and necessities pardon for all sins healing for all iniquities there is nothing that the heart of man can possibly stand in need of but in this banquetting-house it is to be found And when she says hath brought me she meaneth not idle and prophane persons that scorn and contemn the word and Sacraments the banquet is not provided for such but I that feel my transgressions and am wearied with the burden of the same that am continually oppressed with heaviness and sadness of heart I that do highly esteem and prize the Heavenly banquet above all things under the sun 't is I for whom the delicates are provided But by whom is she thus brought She answereth my beloved hath brought me she did not come her self but he out of his tender pity and merciful compassion brought her Into this banquetting house he bringeth all those that earnestly and heartily desire the same and that prize the provision that there is made above all earthly things those he feedeth with rich and Heavenly dainties even with such things as eye hath not seen nor ear heard nor ever entered into the heart of man to conceive but those that are scorners and contemners of the same he sendeth empty away and none of those shall ever tast of his supper And his banner over me was love The banner or standard signifies the Kings presence in the field and also it being a warlike sign signifieth fighting with joy and victory Psal 20 6. The use of the banner is when the Standard-bearer holds it up to draw the Souldiers to march to it that they may keep order and attend upon their Colours that the Battle be not disordered Now as the use of the Ensign is to draw Souldiers together that they may march accordingly So is Christ banner to draw all his Souldiers to himself that they may joyfully fight against the world the flesh and the Devil And as in all ages the Churches banners were the signs of Gods presence so have we also the signes of his presence in the Sacraments and by gathering to those Ensigns the love of God comes to be shed abroad in the heart by which we joyfully fight against all our Spiritual enemies Therefore those that come not to their Colours but forsake their Ensigns are blind and senseless and not only remain without the feeling of Gods love but also when they should set themselves in rank and order to fight against the temptations of Satan the wrath of God and Eternal death they lose their strength with Sampson and fall down before the enemy Therefore seeing our beloved hath placed us under his banner we must March to it and attend upon our Colours that so when the wrath of God and the fear of Eternal damnation begins to ceize upon us when the enemy comes in upon us like a flood we may through faith behold the spirit of the Lord to lift up a standard against him Then shall we feel by experience that within us which the bride here rejoyceth in his banner over us to be love VERSE V. Stay me with flagons and comfort me with apples for I am sick of love THe bride having been in the banquetting-house and there met with the fruit of her Apple tree which did so wonderfully comfort her in her afflictions desireth for more She speaketh to those that bear the flagons and carry the Apples to help her to some more those that often use the Wine Cellar and have the banquetting cheer in a readiness to them she says stay me for I am even ready to sink The bride is even overcome because she hath been in the Cellar Others have no mind to the banquetting-house because they never tasted of the Wine The Church is not satisfied with one banquet or one cup of Wine but she must have a flagon or two more stay me with flagons She findeth a continual need of the fruit of her Apple-tree therefore she must be continually comforted with Apples others that see not their need care not a rush for the Wine-cellar but seek for comfort in other things but she cryeth out stay me with flagons and comfort me with Apples Now she sheweth the reason why she desireth after the flagon so much it is because she is sick of love To be sick of love is to be restless till one hear good news from the Lover Now Christ is her Lover and she having heard from him before is even sick till she hear from her beloved again It is as if
By the break of day is meant the arising of the day-star in the heart or coming of Christ into the Conscience and also his last coming in the morning of the Resurrection And by shadows understand sin and all manner of tribulation which are call'd shadows of death Psal 23. by which the comforts of a mans life are oftentimes eclipsed By the flying away of the shadows is meant the removeing of all fears out of the mind by the spiritual coming of Christ and the total vanishing of all shadows by the morning of the Resurrection Then comes the joyful Summers morning when all the Birds of Heaven shall rejoice and sing for evermore Here the Church siteth in misery and darkness but then comes the breaking of the day of all consolation and the expelling of all misery and darkness for evermore Therefore she prayeth her beloved to turn to her with his sweet embraces and to feed her among Lillies until that time come and prayeth him to be like a Roe or a young Hart upon the Mountains of Bether to come speedily to her upon all occasions like those nimbler creatures Bether signifies division 2 Sam. 2.29 and is as some say the place call'd Bithron which was divided from the plain of Jericho and the land of Gilead where the battel was fought between the house of David and the house of Saul by the River Jordan Now sins reproaches and calamities are like Mountains which seem to make division between Christ and the Soul until they are removed therefore in regard the Church is oftentimes oppressed with such calamities insomuch that she is scarcely able to bear up her head and heart therefore she prayeth Christ to make hast and to be like the nimble Roe or the skipping Hart in coming to her upon all occasions for the removing of them lest for want thereof there should seem to be in regard of her own feeling and apprehension an Everlasting division between them CHAP. III. VERSE I. By night on my bed I sought him whom my Soul loveth I sought him but I found him not THIS is the continued speech of the Church who after she was well instructed in the use and practise of faith She lost on a suddain through her own negligence the sense and feeling of her beloved and fell into most grievous and bitter afflictions And not to reject but omitting other interpretations of this place I understand it principally to be meant of outward crosses and calamities of all sorts especially when she could not see nor by any means understand which way the promises of God should be fulfill'd unto her in respect of outward things A condition which many of those that are truly Godly are for the tryal of their faith subject to fall into in this miserable World This is very probable as I humbly conceive to be the meaning of this place as will better appear by the words in the following Verses And therefore understand it thus By night on my bed When I was in great affliction and misery and when I had most leasure to meditate on my own condition I sought him whom my Soul loveth I diligently look'd about to see whether I could find the way by which my beloved would provide for me and mine for he hath made me many great and precious promises of all good things not only for my spiritual but also for my temporal condition and I earnestly and diligently sought how or by what means those promises were likely to be accomplished this I earnestly sought for but I found it not So that my beloved seemed to have forgotten to be gracious and to have cast of all care and love of me This is a great and wonderful tryal of faith when all things are promised and nothing seems to be performed when the things that discomfort us are present but all things that should comfort us are absent in this condition are we full heavy and sad This giveth a wonderful blow to faith when we behold those that have no fear of God before their eyes to live in wealth and prosperity and those that truly fear him to live in penury and want This hath bred a wonderful temptation in the Godly in all ages and in this condition must we be content to live in and not despair of help when it is so for the bride here sought him still although for the present she found him not But mark what course she resolveth on next VERSE II. I will rise now and go about the City in the streets and broad ways I will seek him whom my Soul loveth I sought him but I found him not THe Church sitteth not still in this condition expecting to be fed of Angels or to have bread rain down from Heaven but riseth and goeth about the City She goeth amongst those people that pertain to the visible Church that have some shew of godliness in them such as are most likely to help her in the day of her extremity And also into the streets and broad ways that is into such places where such men usually meet together 2 Chro. 32.6 Neb. 8.1.3 there she was driven to open her case and make her condition known there she also sought her beloved she sought him but she found him not This then being marked out to be the condition of the Church no man must take offence at his beloved if he please to exercise his faith this way if he drive him into necessity cast him into a condition of penury and want of outward necessaries wherein of necessity he must make known his case in the streets yet no man must be offended in this condition although he stand in need of help and no man helpeth but in stead of receiving succour he undergo reproach yet I say no man must be discouraged for Christ himself made himself poor that he might know by experience how to succour us in a poor condition and sometimes also will make his members poor that they also by experience may learn to pity those that are poor He doth not send his spouse into the streets because he wanteth love or power to help her but to make her comformable to his own condition and that she may taste in part of that cup which he himself hath perfectly tasted of and be Baptised with the Baptism that he was Baptised with that so she being made pertaker of his afflictions here she may rejoyce with him with joy unspeakable and full of glory hereafter Neither doth he cast her down because he doth not mean to lift her up again but that she may see him creating all things out of nothing providing help and deliverance for her by ways and means contrary to mans reason and imagination But mark what befel the Church in this condition VERSE III. The watchmen that go about the City found me BY watchmen here we are not to understand the Ministers of the Gospel although they are frequently called watchmen in Scripture But those
we therefore that Doctrine which breedeth and feedeth faith then shall we also love God and be fill'd with all Divine and Heavenly qualities Now the bride having found her beloved mark what she did I held him and would not let him go until I had brought him into my mothers house and into the chamber of her that conceived me First she held him she laid up those experiences of his merciful deliverances fast in her mind and memory and would not lose them nor yet declare them before scoffers and scorners that contemn the word and ways of God but to those of her Mothers house meaning the Church of God by whose Doctrine she was regenerated and brought up in the faith of Christ to her brethren and sisters there thither she brought her beloved and not only into her mothers house but also into the Chamber where she was conceived meaning the Conscience to which Christ must be made known where ever the knowledg of him comes to be effectual She is not contented that the knowledg of him should be setled only in the head but also in the hearts of others therefore she bringeth Christ into the very Chamber and cannot be satisfied until he be there Which sheweth us the true nature of faith where ever it is which is never to rest satissied until Christ be brought into the Conscience it is not at quiet but in performing the same office for others after a certain manner that Christ hath done for us that even as Christ is become bountiful and beneficial to us so also it studieth which way to be bountiful and beneficial to all men first to the Soul and then to the body First by teaching the Doctrine of Christ aright next by teaching the Doctrine of good works and this is rightly to bring Christ into our mothers house works cannot breed faith faith cannot but breed good works Therefore when good works are required the Gospel must go before which must deliver and free the Conscience from the guilt of sin and wrath of God and work in it with the bride here a certain sense of faith that it may by a sure and certain light perceive the reason why it bursteth forth into all good works and from what fountain they spring and whither they are directed VERSE V. I charge you O ye daughters of Jerusalem by the Roes and by the Hindes of the field that ye stir not up nor awake my love until he please THe voice of Christ who being delighted in the faith and practise of his Church when she consulteth not with the flesh and reason but being as it were in an holy sleep with himself chargeth the daughters of Jerusalem the second time who are always disturbers of the peace and security of the Church from the example of those loving creatures that will not part that trouble not nor seek to make any separation between him and his spouse until he himself please which is never VERSE VI. Who is this that cometh out of the wilderness like pillars of smoke BY the wilderness is meant a dark solitary Esa 35.1 and sad condition which the Church meeteth with in this world which is a very wilderness barren and empty of all things which concerns the happiness and comfort of the bride of Christ Into this wilderness the Church is brought where she findeth nothing but vanity and vexation of spirit therefore Christ here setteth her out by way of admiration who is this that cometh out of the wilderness That mounteth up above the world and pineth not away in a sad condition For according to the wisdom of the flesh there is no man under Heaven knoweth which way to get out but the Church by faith in Christ cometh out which is a service highly accepted in the sight of God and which also preserveth the Soul from sinking in the day of adversity for when a man seeth others in prosperity and himself in affliction others to be highly esteemed and magnified for their outward pomp and he himself to be incontempt man is ready to judg such persons to be beloved of God and he himself to be hated but faith joineth us to the words of Christ in this place who doth not as the world do praise and extol those that are high honourable and prosperous therein but setteth out by words of admiration those that do not faint in a sad condition What wonderful excellent creature is this that doth not languish and pine away in her affliction Which words must comfort us in an evil time and cause us to rejoyce and sleep merrily in the woods through faith although according to the flesh and reason we see not which way to get out And it is said she cometh out like pillars of smoke Some write that the Artificers in Egypt could by their Art make smoke to assend directly upright like unto a pillar and that the spirit of God may here have an allusion to that similitude But whether that be so or not we know this to be true that smoke is offensive to the eyes now as smoke is troublesome to the eyes that they cannot behold things aright So is the Churches faith by which she cometh out of her afflictions offensive to the wicked darkneth their sight that they cannot behold the inward glory of the Church nor yet how she cometh out of her afflictions Faith is like the cloudy pillar which gave light to the Children of Israel but was darkness to the Egyptians The godly stand upright in all their tribulations when others hang down their head like a bullrush The Church understandeth well enough how she cometh out of her afflictions but they that know not what the life and exercise of true faith is cannot understand Therefore the bride cometh out like pillars of smoke Also some write that there is an Art in some with the use of certain powders to perfume smoke but this we are certain of Rev. 8.3 that the smoke of the incense in the golden censer which is offered with the prayers of all the Saints ascendeth up before God and perfumeth the Church Therefore when thou art in the wilderness and hast lost thy way there meetest with the wild-beasts by which thou art in danger to be made a prey be not tormented nor disquieted but remember who brought thee in the Lord thy God led thee into the wilderness Deut. 8.2 he did not hurl or throw thee as having no care of thee but lovingly took thee by the hand and led thee to shew thee the great and terrible wilderness before thou comest to Canaan the promised Land Be not thou dismayed therefore seeing the Lord thy God is with thee but learn thou to become a smoking pillar Psal 141.2 let thy prayers ascend up as incense before God then although thou art in the wilderness for a little while in respect of the body yet thou art in Heaven in respect of thy faith And shalt also come out of the
according to her request but I am come according to her faith going before Which also sheweth us the meaning of the Prophet when he saith before they call I will answer And yet he willeth us to call upon him for all things which he promiseth to bestow because Prayer must put in execution the decree of God concerning what he hath promised to give us neither can we chuse but pray as soon as we believe After the same manner shall it be to us as with the Church here when we believe and confess that it is Christs delight to help us and to our faith do joyn Prayer when we can pray unto God for Christ his sake to shew mercy to us to bear our burdens to carry our sorrows to come down into his garden and own us then doth Christ speak the same word to us as he doth to the Church in this place I am come into my Garden my Sister my spouse By which we see that Christ cometh to us before we are aware for as soon as we believe the benefits of Christs death and Resurrection to be given to us that are most unworthy of the same our faith incloseth Christ as a Jewel is inclosed in a Ring then doth Christ say unto us I am come my Sister my Spouse Neither could he possibly say otherwise forasmuch as he hath made over himself and all that he hath to that person that believeth This is a rare and Heavenly mistery which whosoever understandeth shall quickly find that of Christ which he never knew before Thus Christ was present to the Patriarchs of old as soon as they believed Abraham by faith saw his day and rejoyced He had not only faith but also a sence of faith which was bred in him by a certain knowledg of the righteousness of Christ imputed So all the holy Fathers that rightly understood the figures and shadows had Christ present in spirit as soon as they believed the use of a figure being to represent something to faith which is absent to sense and reason So Baptism which is a figure Heb. 10.1 9 19 20. hath Christ present as soon as we hear and believe that we are buried with Christ in Baptism Rom. 6. and also assureth us of our communion with him And it is impossible as was said before that it should be otherwise forasmuch as all things being established in faith Christ cannot be absent where faith is present No man by his works can possibly obtain this union because no work can cleave unto the word of God but faith attaineth possesseth and enjoyeth Christ for ever because all things in Heaven and Earth are given to them that believe Mary took pains in seeking after Christ she went to the Sepulchre she wept because she could not find him and why could she not find him Because she sought him where he was not to be found she sought him in the Sepulchre the living amongst the dead but as soon as Christ said Mary she said unto him Rabboni Christ inclosed Mary by his word and Mary by her faith inclosed him After the same manner Christ wrappeth us up in his word when he giveth himself and all that he hath unto us and we after the same manner do inclose and wrap up Christ and all his merits within us by faith So when we come to the Lords Supper Christ is Spiritually present in these words this cup is the new Testament in my blood which is shed for you now he that feeling his own miserable condition can give so much credit to the word of God as to believe that under the figure of the cup the New Testament is given to his own poor Soul in particular that 's the person to whom Christ is then come Therefore when the Law condemneth us of right and by just desert and we are griev'd and burthened with our misery and do feel our wants and would have a supply then must we fly to the Gospel for help and succour and chiefly to our Baptism which assureth us if we learn it well that Christ by his promises is present to rid us of all evils and to supply us in all our wants This consideration freeth us from condemnation because we are under the sign and seal of absolution and remission of sins And thus Baptism is the figure that saveth us The Law condemneth and the Conscience accuseth but faith bringeth into the mind the right use of the sign and seal of absolution and forgiveness To seek for Christ in our works is with Mary to seek him in the Sepulchre where he cannot be found and to look for a Christ yet to come For holiness of life is yet to come cannot be present in this miserable flesh but is still to be waited for Now if we cannot apprehend Christs spiritual presence to be with us until we are better sanctified then we can never apprehend him to be come at all Forasmuch as a better degree of Sanctification is yet to come and still will be to come so long as we are on this side Heaven Learn we then firmly to believe the word of Christ and to deny our selves and call up on his name then shall we feel to our comfort that Christ is spiritually come to us according as Christ says here to his spouse I am come Next here Christ calleth his Church his sister and spouse Which words are often used in this Song to draw the Church to this holy faith and confession and are also full of faith and consolation For if Christ doth own us for his sister and spouse then is he our brother and husband Therefore these words my spouse must teach us to believe and to claim these benefits that belong to the spouse For the wife so long as the husband liveth is free and out of danger by reason of the Marriage knot Now Christ liveth for ever for he being raised from the dead dyeth no more Rom. 6. Therefore all evils that oppress and trouble us must die and vanish away For either Christ must die and depart the Conscience Rom. 6.9 or else sin and the curse must die not Christ therefore the curse Therefore Christ himself saith I am he that liveth Rev. 1. and was dead and behold I am alive for evermore And when he says my sister he draweth us to believe that he is our loving brother and if so then also is God our Father Now if God be our Father then it must needs follow that we are the Children of God and after this manner we must learn to receive the Spirit of adoption even by hearing of the word of faith The true effects of the Spirit of adoption cannot be found till the spirit be received which is not given nor received by the requiring of works but by the hearing of faith Preached I have gathered my Myrrhe with my spice I have eaten my Honey-comb with my Honey I have drunk my Wine with my Milk In these words
and destruction In this condition the Bride falleth asleep she is content to have sense and reason silenc'd and to be stricken dumb and she is not discouraged but constantly dependeth upon the promises of God And therefore she says here I sleep but mine heart waketh I sleep in regard of sense and reason but my heart awaketh in respect of God and his promises And this is also the meaning of David when he says he giveth his beloved sleep or by sleep So that when the Bride doth thus begin to sleep then doth she begin to awake and live by faith in the promises of God After the same manner must we with the Bride fall into this holy sleep and be contented to live in the use and practice of faith For every man in his condition shall find all things fall out contrary to his expectation in all estates and conditions of life and also shall seem to appear directly contrary to the promises of God Who promiseth that no good thing shall be wanting to those that fear him and yet a man shall seem in likelyhood to be in want of every good thing That wealth and riches shall be in his house and yet a man shall behold nothing but penury and want This breedeth a wonderful temptation in the godly so that a man is ready in this condition to fall into one of these evils either to accuse and condemn God of lying or else to conclude that he is not the person to whom the promises are made What must be done then in this condition Even to fall a sleep with the Bride and to be contented that reason may be slain and to lead a new life by faith in promises of God This slaying of reason is the awakening of the heart and then it doth begin to hear and rightly to understand the words of Christ according to the next words here following It is the voice of my beloved that knocketh saying Open to me my sister my love my dove my undefiled This knocking is when the Church is cast into the use and exercise of faith To knock is to make a noise and it may be defined thus It is an noise in the Conscience arising from the sense of sin and apprehension of danger It is when the very voice of the curse is felt in the Conscience and the miserable effects thereof are feared This she says is the voice of her beloved because the right opening of the Law that maketh the stroke and that the stroke of it may be felt belongeth to the Gospel And further when her beloved knocketh he saith open so that as soon as the knock is heard the Bride is to open According to Rev. 3. If any man hear my voice and open the dore I will come in and sup with him and he shall sup with me I will take from him the hurt of all evils whatsoever that shall be my supper and I will bestow all things upon him to make him comfortable and happy that shall be his Supper So that here is a twofold Supper Christ suppeth and the Bride suppeth Christ hath his delight in taking away her calamities the Bride hath her delight in receiving all blessings and comforts And this comes to pass by opening Now to open is rightly to understand the meaning or end of the knock Which in sum is this To inform the Bride that all her wants shall be supplyed by the Gospel which cannot be supplyed by her own ways and works Thus Christ after the manner of a Lover stands and knocks waiting to enlighten the Church in this point So that whether her wants be spiritual or temporal for this life or the life to come they shall all be supplyed when she is lost by the Law by ways and means unknown if she believeth And this is the end of every knock But for want of understanding the meaning of the knock the noise is many times of long continuance For many instead of studdying how to believe that they may attain all things by the Gospel do strive to relieve themselves by their own wisdom and works and in the end lose their labour and the Gospel too Therefore when we begin to hear a noise in the inward man and to fall into great fear either in regard of our sins and the everlasting judgment of God or by reason of some grievous temporal judgment which we apprehend to hang over our heads let us be sure then that Christ knocketh not to put us in feare for he affrighteth no man but to take away our fears from us so that although it seem terrible to us upon the first apprehension of the knock yet it is but the voice of our beloved who standeth and knocketh not to execute the Law upon us but to take all our evils upon himself that we may be made joyful and happy The hearing then of the noise must cause us to open the dore that is to believe in Christ and call upon his name and to suffer him to come in and sup with us then shall we be freed from all our fears and although we have forfeited all things by the Law yet we shall inherit all things by faith in the Gospel Also we must open that the captivity of the Conscience may first be turned into liberty and freedom before we seek for deliverance in respect of the outward man according to Christ saying seek first the Kingdom of Heaven and the righteousness thereof and all things else shall be given unto you That so from that liberty and freedom which the Conscience possesseth through faith in Christ the merciful care and providence of God might flow in upon us and the nature of the whole Creation might be changed to us Now because in times of distress the Church is apt to be discouraged Christ here useth words that shew relations between them as my sister my love my dove my undefiled Which in brief is this Thou art my sister and I am thy loving brother and companion in tribulation and am affected with all thy afflictions Thou art my love my only joy and delight therefore I cannot forsake thee but do stand and knock to join my self unto thee to take all evils and miseries from thee and to settle thee in peace and joy Thou art my dove that forsakest not thy mate in a mournful condition And because thou runnest not from me but yeeldest thy self unto me therefore thou art mine therefore thou art undefiled thy sins are washed away and thou art clean I came down from Heaven on purpose to Cloath my self with thy flesh that I might free thy Conscience from all distress and fill it with peace and joy Open therefore unto me and receive that by the new and living way which according to the Law and works thou hast utterly lost These are the words of faith which we must have recourse unto in times of distress being comfortable to us and useful for us For my head is fill'd with dew and
mighty hand and grace alone and letteth us see that he casteth us down into reproach and contempt for no other end and purpose but to exalt us again by ways unknown and to magnify his grace and mercy in us who can chuse in this condition but be sick of love And to have his heart enlarged with praise and thankfulness to his holy name Now she chargeth the Daughters if they find her beloved to tell him of her sickness If they find the true Christ in the Ministry and also in the way of his providence as she hath done that they also become thankful to him and praise his name which is her own condition Now although the charge here be if they find him yet this doth not make it a matter of indifference whether they find him or not but implies that they ought to seek him so as to find him The Daughters were no doubt Ministers that bare a great sway in the visible Church for they dispute much with the bride and they are often charged by the Bridegroom not to disturbe her yet they were such as had not the knowledg of the true Christ as appears also by the next Verse Now in that they are charged so to seek as to find the true Christ it sheweth That there ought to be a principal care in the Ministers of the Gospel to see that the true Christ be Preached For otherwise all men must of necessity be everlastingly lost And how shall God be glorified in his mercy or men receive any comfort by Christ merits if Christ be never known Besides if this point be not continually beat upon no man can possibly ever understand it being so contrary to mans natural opinion of God Which sheweth us one reason why there is so little knowledg of the true Christ in the World it is because there is so little care taken in this that the true Christ be Preached Therefore many seek after Christ but few find him because they seek him not aright With these it comes to pass even as Christ said to the Jews Joh. 8.21 ye shall seek me and not find me and shall die in your sins And why Because they sought him not by faith but in the works of the Law Rev. 9.32 They that seek him in the Law can never find him because the true Christ is not revealed in the Law Neither can any man define by the Law what true faith in Christ is The Daughters of Jerusalem cry out all upon this thou must do the Law which all men will grant ought to be done but to what end and purpose works are Commanded or which way the Law doth further us to faith in Christ this they can say nothing to This I conceive to be the scope of this place which I only touch they that have a mind may inlarge it as they please Now the Daughters question in the next Verse what the beloved is which makes it apparent they had not the knowledg of the true Christ VERSE IX What is thy beloved more then another beloved O thou fairest among women what is thy beloved more then another beloved that thou dost so charge us IT is as much as to say what is the righteousness of faith more then the righteousness of the Law or wherein lieth the difference Such is the abominable ignorance of all men till God open the eyes of the mind they see no difference between Christ and Moses And in this point the Language of the whole earth is confounded as it was at the building of Babel Thou makest a great doe say the Daughters about thy beloved and when all comes to all thy beloved is no more then another beloved For thou art justified by faith we grant but thy faith must be a working faith otherwise thy faith is dead and not a living faith Wherein then lies the difference or what is thy beloved more then another beloved So that in a word the Daughters attribute justification to faith but when they go to define what justifying faith is they can define it no otherwise but to be a working faith From whence it must follow that he hath will find the beloved must find him first in his own righteousness or works which must be the form or essence of his faith Also it is to be noted here that when they call the Church the fairest among women they give unto her the same Title that Christ doth but they deny that she hath that righteousness which is essential to that Title which is faith alone For as was said before they understand no other faith but a working faith Therefore how to define that faith which is alone and to distinguish it from a working faith they know not And how can the Bride be the fairest amonst women when she wanteth that faith which uniteth her to Christ without whose righteousness she cannot be fair For say they what is thy beloved more then another beloved What doth thy faith avail thee if it hath not works Can faith save thee Is it not of far less worth then that which bringeth forth works So that although in words they call the Church the fairest yet in heart and opinion they own and acknowledg no other righteousness whereby she is purified from her sin but the righteousness of the Law and her own works Such confusion the want of understanding in this point breedeth where faith as it is alone and justifieth is not distinguished from faith joined to works which Sanctifieth And this most horrible confusion is in the Church amongst many great Doctors at this day where this point is not rightly understood For we are justified by faith say they without the works of the Law but as soon as they come to treat of the Law they will affirm most strongly that without the works of the Law a man can have no evidence at all of his faith As if a man were justified by faith in the sight of God but by works in his Conscience These with the Daughters call the bride the fairest amongst women by faith but when they come to define what that faith is they mean no other thing then what is bred and nourished in the bride by her own works So that in a word she is the fairest but by their Doctrine she is the filthiest of all Creatures despised and condemned of God These run into a most deadly evil through a false definition of faith for many times the evidence of works is lost how then shall I be assured of my faith And so of Christ and also of Everlasting life Or else must I despair and die in unbelief Such confusion destroyeth the very nature of faith for faith hath an evidence in it self and the nature of it is to assure Heb. 11.1 from the light and testimony it receiveth from the word of God it speaketh perswasion as well as it worketh sanctification to believe is not only an act but sense of faith So that he
given and thinkest that thou thy self art not intended in the gift because thou findest so many promises made to righteous persons when thou thy self art a miserable sinner then dost thou totally banish Christ out of thy Conscience remainest in thy sins and must suffer the loss of Eternal life and glory and if thou teachest that point unto others thou dost not only discover thine unbelief but also professest thy self to be an unbeliever and dost by thy Doctrine establish the world in the grounds of unbelief directly contrary to the office of the holy Ghost which is to convince the world of sin because they believe not Joh. 16. Thou seest then first wherein the sweetness of Christs mouth lies in that he teacheth thee to believe first by destroying the ground of unbelief which nothing can do but only the Fathers gift next in shewing thee upon what ground thou must begin to build thy faith not because he first loveth thy works but thy sinful person that thou mayest love him bless him confess thy sins unto him and mourn for the depravation of thy sinful nature not out of dispaire but of love and thankfulness to thy Heavenly Father who hath shewed mercy to thee and given thee his Son Secondly His mouth is most sweet in that he teacheth thee the new signification of the terms of the Law he that sate upon the throne said behold I make all things new Rev. 21.5 So that since the fall of man the terms of the Law do this and live have a signification which is new and therefore mans obedience is said to be new But what is it to make all things new Quest I answer to make all things new Ans is to make a new way to attain to the righteousness of the Law and Everlasting life The Covenant of grace maketh the signification of the terms of the Law to be new by the righteousness of faith alone Understand it thus the terms lay'd upon Adam were do this in thine own person and live but do this since the fall is do it in the person of thy Redeemer and live so that do this before and since the fall have a double signification the one is old the other is new to receive grace from the Redeemer to do the Law in thine own person doth not make a new signification of the terms When Moses saith Lev. 18.5 do this and live he speaketh of the old signification of the terms of the Law do it in thine own person according to the Covenant made in Horeb. Exod. 20. But when Moses speaketh of the righteousness of faith Deut. 30.14 Which he calleth also also the keeping of the commandments Ver. 10.11 Rev. 22. He speaketh of the new signification of the terms of the Law according to the Covenant made in the Land of Moab Deut. 29. Ver. 1. The first of these pertains to the self justiciary the latter to the broken hearted nor thy obedience to be new for that is doing in thine own person the same terms which were lay'd upon Adam and not in the person of thy Redeemer nor canst thou ever believe that God loveth thee by that obedience nor yet be brought to love God but to do in the person of the Redeemer is to believe that he hath done it for thee and given his obedience to thee before he requireth any of thee that so by a new and living way thou mightest learn to love him fear him and obey him Therefore when the Law was given the Gospel is set before wherein God giveth himself unto us that we might love him before he requireth any thing from us And in the first Commandment he layeth this prohibition upon us which also runneth through all the ten Commandments that we seek after no preparative righteousness to precede the Gospel So that to do the Law is to do it according to the Gospel and the first Commandment which is not to depend upon the Law Therefore when it is said blessed are they that do his Commandments that their right may be in the tree of Life thou must understand it according to the Gospel and the first Commandment where by doing his Commandments is meant not depending upon the Law which opinion in us of self dependance is the first thing which is taken away by the Gospel and goeth imediately before our establishing in Christ All this hinders not but that the Law is to be done before men to the utmost of our power in the Kingdom of the Law our obedience must be personal which not withstanding helpeth nothing to righteousness because it is prevented by faith in Christ Now herein also the sweetness of Christs mouth is seen in that he teacheth by the Gospel a new understanding of the Law Thirdly The sweetness of Christs mouth is seen in this also in that he teacheth the true reason of the institution of Sacraments which in all ages of the Church were to teach faith in Christ Sacraments were not instituted to assure us that we have faith or to confirm to us that we do believe but to assure us by a figure of the visible ground of our faith that we might believe that our faith might be Sacramental as well as verbal that we might learn the mistery of our faith by and from the figure Thus by Circumcision God did establish his Covenant with Abraham to be his God Gen. 17.7 and the God of his seed and why was this But only from the figure to teach him to believe And when circumcision is said to be a Seal of the righteousness of faith it is Rom. 4. because it confirmeth by a figure the righteousness which faith layeth hold upon And under the figure of the Passover they were taught to believe their deliverance Exod. 12.13 from sin and the wrath of God by the blood of Christ So the reason why Baptism was instituted was to manifest Christ unto Israel John 1.31 It looketh not upon the worthiness of the person but teacheth to behold our unworthiness that we may be made worthy in Christ So the Lords Supper Luk. 22. was instituted to fulfil the Passover and shew us the Lords death that we might have a visible and Sacramental ground to believe that he is crucified and risen for us Now these being the causes why Sacraments were instituted it is proving and not to be proved therefore no unworthiness in the Subjects must be alleaged to bar their priviledg that stands in opposition to the reasons of their institution So that we see Christs mouth is sweet in that he openeth these three points the ground of our faith the sense of the Law and the reason of the institution of Sacraments Which I conceive are the three gates spoken of Rev. 21. which pertain to the holy City new Jerusalem on the East West North and South side of the Heavenly City without the opening of which three gates there is no entrance into the new Jerusalem For let
the ground of faith be ever so well opened which is the first gate if the terms of the Law be not also opened and the signification made known no man can enter for the Law will be a stumbling block to his faith and keep him out But admit this gate be also opened if the third be shut the reason why Sacraments were instituted no man can pass into the City For if the Sacraments belong not to me before I am worthy then is the ground of my faith which is the first gate shut again then also is the first Commandment and the sense of the whole Law which is the second gate also shut Nay then are all the gates kept fast lock'd up that no passenger can pass into the holy City new Jerusalem for evermore but must remain without and suffer the loss of Eternal life and happiness Consider of these things with wisdom and see whether his mouth be not most sweet and whether he be not altogether lovely as the bride here singeth And when she saith this is my beloved and my friend she sheweth the Daughters what the true Preaching of the Gospel is and that where this order and method is not observed Christ is very little known or regarded Therefore she saith he that thus Preacheth the Gospel is my friend This is the beautiful person that bringeth the glad tidings of peace and good things This is the interpreter one of a thousand O ye Daughters of Jerusalem and the chiefest of ten thousand unto me for although I had ten thousand instructers yet this is the Doctrine which begetteth and preserveth me in Christ and in this Doctrine will I rejoyce CHAP. VI. VERSE I. Whither is thy beloved gone O thou fairest among women whither is thy beloved turned aside That we may seek him with thee AFTER the Bride had set forth the praises of her beloved in the former Chapter and the benefits that she receiveth from him through faith alone the Daughters in stead of receiving of him make this enquiry whether is thy beloved gone When the Kingdom of Heaven is brought near even to the very dores as it is wheresoever Christ is truly Preached yet the Daughters know not how to fasten upon him by faith alone but imagine to find him some other way In stead of embracing the true Christ which is present to faith they seek after an imaginary Christ which is to be found as they conceive in the works of the Law So great an enemy is carnal reason to faith that it cannot endure to receive any thing from God but still dreameth to bring something to him first thinking thereby to procure acceptance with him So that this question whether is thy beloved gone Sheweth their ignorance in the faith and knowledg of the Son of God And this is the misery of all men until God openeth the eyes of their understanding that when Christ is preached and nothing is wanting but only faith to receive him then to dream of a Christ that we think may be found in the Law Which is no better then to forsake that Doctrine and Religion which bindeth us to Christ that is come and to cast our selves under the prophecy of a Christ to come which Christ is no where to be found We must therefore believe that where the true Gospel is preached Christ is not gone but come there he is present and no where else to be found which must also quicken our understandings to seek him in the Gospel and stop our imaginations from seeking after him in the works of the Law Note also here that the daughters give the Bride the Title of the fairest among women and yet affirm that she is too seeking of her beloved which is a plain contradiction For if she be the fairest then it is because the righteousness of Christ is imputed to her whereby she is made fair but if she be yet too seeking of her beloved then she remaineth without the righteousness of Christ imputed and abideth in her filthiness under the Law and condemnation Therefore the Daughters when they call her the fairest amongst women affirm nothing less then that she is made so by faith alone the principal cause thereof to be her own rightousness the works of the Law It is agreed between them that it is the righteousness of Christ alone that maketh righteous persons in the sight of God but the difference lieth in this whether it be the righteousness of Christ inherent in himself and imputed to faith or the righteousness of Christ communicated whereby good works are wrought to become righteousness before God The Bride saith it is by his righteousness imputed and therefore in drawing the benefits of Christ into the Conscience she teacheth faith alone The Daughters say it is by his righteousness communicated therefore in teaching the Gospel they always reprove an idle faith and require a working faith The Daughters do not deny the righteousness of faith according as they define faith which is to believe the History of Christs sufferings and that there is an all sufficiency in them to satisfy Divine Justice if they make them their own but say they thou art yet wanting in this until thou findest some thing inherent in thy self which must evidence thy faith to be true Therefore thou must further seek after thy beloved to have an evidence from thy works to witness thy faith So that all they do upon the matter is but this to give her a name to live but by their principles they judg her to be dead For they tell her that she is not compleatly justified because the righteousness of Christ is but begun in her She wanteth the righteousness of the Law to make it perfect For whether is thy beloved gone say they Whether is thy beloved turn'd aside that we may seek him with thee Thou hast lost thy beloved by thy faith if thou definest faith after no other manner Therefore leave off thy strange definition of faith that we may seek him with thee and let us be unanimous in matters of love and good works and let such niceties alone in matters of faith So that the Daughters in this place do not only take away from the Bride the white raiment the pure righteousness of Christ whereby she is cloathed from the wrath of God and leave her in her own filthiness as in the day of her Nativity but also they take away from Christ his name his office and glory making of Christ in stead of a Justifier and Saviour nothing but a Minister of sin and condemnation According to St. Paul in his allegations against the false Apostles If while we seek to be made righteous by Christ we our selves are yet found sinners that is have need of the righteousness of the Law to evidence or perfect our faith without which evidence we remain yet sinners and unjustified then Christ is nothing to us but a Minister of sin for then have we no more by Christ then
casting out of Hagar and her Son Nevertheless they had great gifts bestowed upon them Gen. 25. for although Abraham as a figure of God gave all his inheritance to Isaac yet unto the Sons of the Concubines Hagar and Keturah Abraham gave gifts and sent them away into the East Coutry These Concubines jointly considered are nothing else but the bondwoman who although she liveth in visible Society with the Bride yet she gendereth her Children unto bondage These are said to be fourscore which is also a certain number for an uncertain meaning there are multitudes of these sort of people that keep a wonderful stir in the Family of God chiefly about government and ruling that would if they knew how fain bear sway in the Family in outward goverment yet have no authority as the Wife who ruleth all things through faith in Christ By the Virgins without number understand the companions of the Bride who are not yet converted yet not opposers but well wishers to the Bride that are not yet brought but that shall be brought unto her Psal 45. according to the Psalmist These are called Virgins because they ought to be undefiled in respect of their faith and to look with a single eye upon the Lord Jesus Christ VERSE IX My dove my undefiled is but one she is the only one of her Mother the choise one of her that bare her THe Queens and Concubines are many and are also of many opinions in matters of Religion but my dove is but one One in regard of universality and one in respect of unity She endeavoureth to keep the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace Eph. 4. And in that she is said to be undefiled it sheweth that the Queens and Concubines are such as are defiled in heart and Conscience before God though outwardly they may seem to appear righteous before men The cause of their defilement is because they all say I sit a Queen and am no widow they all boast in the Law therefore saith the Holy Ghost shall her plagues come at one day death and mourning and famine Rev. 18. for strong is the Lord God that will condemn her Because she trusteth in the wickedness of her own opinion therefore her own opinion shall condemn her By all which we see that although the Queens and Concubines are the only righteous persons in their own eyes yet she that mourneth for her sins is the only excellent creature in Christs sight And why is she so excellent Even because she presenteth her self before him not a righteous person but a sinner by her principles and asketh forgiveness of the same The Queens and Concubines are sinners in word but by their principles they seek justification in the Law which sheweth that in heart and opinion they are not sinners by the Law That they seek justification by the Law appears in that they teach a necessity of the Law from which also flowes another evil which consisteth in destroying the right end of all obedience to the Law which is not to become righteous and just before God but that I may with a cheerful heart do good unto my Neighbour But the Bride teacheth no necessity of the Law Vnderstand this no necessity only in the matter of justification therefore by her principles she presenteth her self a sinner before God by the Law now because she separateth the Law from the judgment seat therefore she layeth down the ground of all good works and also sheweth the right end of the Law And therefore she is said to be as it here followeth the only one of her Mother The Mother is Jerusalem which is above the Mother of us all Gal. 4.26 By which is meant the universal Church For Sarah the freewoman which Paul is there treating of was the Mother of Isaac and a type of the New Testament which Isaac was born by promise For Abraham had Isaac by Sarah and he had also Ishmael by Hagar his Concubine Both these Sons were born in Abrahams Family which was the visible Church of God Isaac was born by promise but Ishmael was born without the promise of God In Abrahams Family then there are the two Testaments and a twofold Mother The one is Agar figuring the Law which being without the promise of God gendereth all her Children unto bondage The other is Sarah which is called the freewoman being a type of the true Church which giveth the Gospel freely without the works of the Law She that after this manner gendereth Children unto God is the only one of her Mother The Concubine is without this praise because she gendereth from Sina therefore is she under the curse and wrath of God Now as Isaac is the heir because he is born by promise So the Children of the freewoman are the only Sons and heirs of God by Adoption And as Ishmael was a servant cast out of Abrahams Family and never to have any share in the inheritance with Isaac So the Law only maketh men servants subject to the wrath of God and separateth them from the glorious inheritance of the Saints for evermore Let us learn then so to understand the Gospel that we may become Children of the free-woman which thou canst not do unless thou renounce the bondwoman and her Son Therefore when thy Conscience is in distress and thou feelest thy self to be in bondage under the curse of the Law and wrath of God and thou beginnest to humble thy self before him stop thine ears then from hearing the Law either for what thou hast done or what thou oughtest to have done and hearken only to the comfortable voice of the promise which speaketh nothing but grace and mercy to a poor Creature that feeleth his misery and suffer the same to make an impression within thee Then shalt thou have a certain feeling within thy self that although thou art defiled in thine own eyes because thou hast broken thy bounds yet that thou art undefiled in the sight of thy beloved in regard thou receivest grace and mercy from him The Daughters saw her and blessed her yea the Queens and the Concubines and they praised her To bless in Scripture sometimes signifies to justify Psal 32.1 2. so God blesseth us when he justifieth us But a man may be said to justify another when he followeth the practice of another Thus Jerusalem is said to justifie her Sisters Samaria and Sodom Eze. 16. by following their abominations And this I understand in another sense to be the meaning here by the Daughters blessing and the Queens and Concubines praising the Bride Which is they followed the practice of the Bride They do not condemn but bless or justify the practice of the Bride But it may be said in what I answer in seeking after a Christ All manner of Sects and Hereticks do seek after a Christ but not after the true Christ There is a great difference in seeking after a Christ and the Christ A
Saviour all people seek after every man maketh unto himself some God or other Exod. 1.32 Make us Gods to go before us say the people to Aaron but few there are that seek after the Saviour The Isralites sought after a Christ when they sought him in the works of the Law but could never find him Rom. 9.32 but the Gentiles which sought him by faith without the works of the Law found the Christ And in this sense it is said I was found of them that sought me not Now if the Queens and Concubines do bless and praise themselves as in heart they do in seeking after a Christ then they do also bless and praise the Bride in seeking after the Christ Also if it be good in them as in their opinion it is good to seek for a Christ then it is also good and very good in the bride to seek for the Christ which is the true Christ indeed They all agree in word It is the duty of all men to live in obedience to the Law but to seek for a Christ in the Law is to deny the Gospel that Jesus is the true Christ but the Question is how to seek him so as to find him The Queens and Concubines say thou must live in an active conformity to the Law of God then shalt thou have an evidence of thy faith in Christ but the Bride saith in the first place thou must seek him by faith without the Law otherwise thou must die in thy sins For so saith Christ to the Jews ye shall seek me and not find me Joh. 3. and shall die in your sins This sheweth us the reason why the Daughters the Queens and Concubines are so earnest in pressing the works of the Law why they require it of necessity under the penalty of Everlasting damnation and also why they are so rigid so severe and look so loftily upon those poor Creatures that have grosly broken the Law as if they themselves were made of purer metal the reason is because they seek for a Christ in the Law And also it sheweth us why the godly can submit give place to all do not count themselves for a rule for all men to conform unto in respect of their outward carriage but are willing to yeild to obey not to separate themselves from sinners but to equalize themselves with the worst to shew kindness and respect to all to friends and foes good and bad worthy and unworthy on purpose to gain their hearts and win their affections if it be possible to love and embrace the Gospel the reason is because they have found thee Christ the true Messias without the Law Hence it comes to pass that when the Daughters come to die for want of a right understanding in this point and sin begins to appear in the Conscience they know not how to fasten upon any one promise nor to pray with any manner of confidence but are even forc'd to cry out with those that had crucified the Lord of life Acts 2.37 men and brethren what shall we do to be saved All this comes to pass because they have spent all their time in seeking for a Christ a supposed an imaginary Christ but none for the Christ which is the true Christ indeed According to S. Paul The Gentiles which followed not righteousness have attained to righteousness even the righteousness of faith but Israel which followed after righteousness Rom. 9.30 have not attained to the law of righteousness because they sought it not by faith but in the works of the law Therefore seeing Christ saith here That the daughters blessed her also that the Queens and Concubines by their practise praised her in seeking after a Christ which they sought only in the works of the law and therefore they could not find him Let us learn rightly to seek after Christ by faith that so when we seek him we may not seek him in vain VERSE X. Who is she that looketh forth as the Morning BY looking forth as the morning Christ meaneth the preaching of the Gospel which is the light of the World for even as the Night is a time of darkness and while the darkness remains no man can tell whether he goeth So before the Gospel cometh there is nothing but abominable darkness blindness and blasphemy in the world And also as when the Morning cometh it expelleth darkness and bringeth light so the Gospel is that bright and morning Star that sendeth into the world the light of life The Gospel doth not find men holy but maketh them holy for the Morning doth not find men light but bringeth the light therefore the Gospel is not to be so preached to a people as if they were all Believers before only shewing them how they should walk in the world but so taught that it may make Believers Therefore Christ saith As long as I am in the world I am the light of the world which could not be if the Gospel did not teach us a certainty of our faith for how can that be a light unto me that only requireth certain things to be believed and done if it doth not also shew me a certain way how I may attain the same This Light we have by the Gospel which maketh a merry heart and a joyful conscience Let us learn then so to hear and understand the Gospel that we may come under this note of Admiration and also that by the shining light of that bright and Morning-Star we may learn to cast off the works of darkness and to put on the armour of light Fair as the Moon The Church is likened to the Moon because her brightness is by a borrowed light even from Christ the Sun of righteousness and Fountain of light And this light she preacheth in the World And also because as the Moon she shineth in the Night and is created to rule the Night For God set two great Lights in the Firmament of Heaven to give light upon the earth Gen. 1. the greater light to rule the Day and the lesser light to rule the night For although the Moon hath her defects and risings sometimes increaseth and is sometimes more obscure appearing in divers forms and figures in the Firmament yet is she a Planet created to rule the Night Therefore the Bride is here likened to the Moon because she is set to give light upon the Earth and because by the light that she giveth she is to rule the Night She giveth not her own light upon the earth which she hath naturally but a borrowed light which she receiveth from the Sun the Fountain of light which light she infuseth into the midst of darkness to expel the same for although for a time the light of the Moon may be hidden yet as soon as she appeareth the darkness expels Now in that the light of this heavenly Planet is from the Sun the Fountain of Light and that the light which she receiveth is to rule the Night
must all learn for the helping and comforting of our little Sister that she being so setled in the love of her Redeemer she may burst forth into love and all good works amongst men To teach this point aright hath hath some difficulty in it as appears by the moan she makes what shall we do for her in that day which sheweth it requireth some skill yet this was her practice and endeavour as appeareth in the next words VERSE IX If she be a wall we will build upon her a Palace of Silver and if she be a door we will inclose her with boards of Cedar WHich is as much as to say this if she be a wall that setleth aright upon the foundation laid in Sion in the day that she is spoken for and doth not turn aside to another foundation we will then build upon her that is upon her principles a Palace for the King to delight himself in Which Palace or Spiritual house cannot perfectly be finished until the full number of the Elect be call'd Heb. 11. until which time the true Church and every particular member thereof according to his capacity laboureth in building And it being said to be builded of Silver it sheweth the matter that buildeth the Palace which is the Doctrine of the Gospel which elsewhere is compar'd to Gold 1 Cor. 3. Silver and precious Stones being pure and lasting and things of inestimable worth And further if she be a dore which is that openeth to hear and receive the promise of Everlasting life which is made to all those that are spoken for which feel and confess their death by the Law we will enclose her with boards of Cedar she shall be safe in the Kings Place where the King is always present VERSE X. I am a wall and my breasts like Towers then was I in his eyes as one that found Favour THe little Sister having heard that Christ by the Law bespeaketh her for himself that she is not spoken to to be left under wrath and condemnation but spoken for that she might be delivered from an opinion of righteousness by the Law and might be married to Christ this being the intent of the Spokesman she concludeth I am a Wall As soon as ever she understandeth the Office of the Law truly it worketh in her a sence of Faith and so it in with all people for it is as much as to say then am I settled in mind for as much as the Office of the Law is not to justifie but to bring me to Christ that I might be justified by Faith And she further saith my Breasts are like Towers the one of my Breasts destroyeth my opinion of righteousness by the Law the other of my Breasts giveth me Life everlasting without the Law These she saith are as Towers or Castles of Defence which are built to preserve the City from the Enemy He that liveth in both these Towers is safe from the malice of Satan and wrath of God This knowledge of Christ breaketh the head of Satan and utterly aboblisheth his Kingdom therefore she addeth then was I in his Eyes as one that found favour then and not till then The knowledge of the Gospel giveth us a certain evidence that we are in God's favour Mark this then well that thou attainest not his favour by the Works of the Law but only by Faith in Christ without the Law which Faith condemneth thee by the Law and so destroyeth thine opinion of the Law and giveth thee an assurance that Christ is given most freely where that opinion is destroyed Learn thou then to believe that Christ is given to thee because Ezek. 13.10 because thou feelest and confessest thy just condemnation by the Law Then shalt thou also become a Wall Ezek. 13.14 15. and thy Breasts like Towers They that require nothing but Works in building the Wall do daub but with untempered morter which shall be broken down and they that daubed it Learn thou then with Paul even through the Law to become dead to the Law that thou maist live unto God without the Law then shalt thou be in his Eyes as one that findeth favour VERSE XI Solomon had a Vineyard at Baal-hammon he let out the Vineyard unto keepers every one for the fruit thereof was to bring a thousand pieces of Silver CHrist in these words compares his own Vineyard the Church with the Vineyard of Solomon at Baalhamon which formerly was his Father David's who appointed Officers to look to his Vineyard and to manure it and to pay him an yearly Tribute for the same 1 Chro. 24. and to retain part of the profit themselves Now the Vineyard of our King Solomon is the House of Israel Isa 5. the universal Church of Jews and Gentiles and Baalhamon which signifies the Owner of a multitude sheweth the place where this Vineyard is planted even amongst the multitudes of this World He lets out his Vineyard also to Keepers Mat. 21.34 that is according to the Parable to Husbandmen to manure it and dress it and the reason rendered in the Parable is that they meaning the Husbandmen as well as himself might receive the Fruits of the Vineyard which is Life everlasting and also to yield unto himself a continual Tribute which is to render everlasting thanks and praises unto God for his infinite mercies and loving kindness to us and to serve him with joyfulness all the days of our Lives which is said here to be a thousand pieces of silver And this is all that is expected from us by our Lord King Solomon Now he sheweth in the next Words there is great reason we should return him thanks and praise for he says VERSE XII My Vineyard which is mine is before me I Set mine Eyes upon it continually and my care is always for it and although I sometimes hide mine Eyes from it seemingly for a time yet I keep it night and day lest any hurt it In answer to this follows next the words of the Spouse Thou O Solomon must have a Thousand Which is an indefinite Speech meaning To thee O Solomon be all praise and thanks for evermore for it is thy due for thou art worthy to receive all glory honour and praise for ever and ever Where she attributeth to Christ all that he requireth of her which is to sing everlasting praises to the honour of his name Next follows the last words of the Bridegroom in this Song And they that keep the fruit thereof two Hundred By which he meaneth also praises which sheweth he is so far from begrudging any one the Fruits of his Death and Resurrection that whosoever is but willing to receive the same shall have honour and praise for so doing for they that keep the Fruit thereof must have two hundred that is they shall be crowned with everlasting praise and honour at the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ This is a most wonderful comfort to all poor wretches that almost all their Lives long are are oppressed with sins sorrows cares crosses and calamities which through manifold temptation are continually in heaviness of heart who if they are but willing to receive the fruits of the Vineyard they shall have two hundred They shall have honour and praise and glory at the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ Next follow the words of the spouse which close up the whole Song VERSE XIII XIIII Thou that dwellest in the Gardens the companions hearken to thy voice cause me to hear it Make haste my beloved and be thou like to a Roe or a young Hart upon the Mountains of Spices VVHich words are a Prayer wherein the Church calleth upon her beloved not as the high and lofty one that doth inhabit Eternity but she looketh upon him as one whose dwelling is in Sion and whose delight is with the Sons of Men. O thou that dwellest in the Gardens that are constant and resident with thy poor afflicted people Thy companions hearken to thy voice meaning those that are in Church fellowship they hearken but they do not understand cause me to hear it meaning the whole company of the Elect who must all be united through faith into one body and spiritual communion Make haste my beloved my earnest desire is that this thing be speedily accomplished that even as the Roe or young hart doth speedily skip over the Mountains where spices grow So do thou speedily destroy all those Mountains in man that produce fruitlesness and barrenness that the spices of the Gospel may enter into the hearts of all thine Elect that the guilt of sin may be removed the reign of sin subdued that all afflictions may be sanctified and the whole universal Church may be armed and fortified against all the assaults of Satan in this life and may receive Eternal glory in the life to come FINIS