iustification The first of these points hath two parts Doct. That Christ in loue iustifieth his people 1. That Christians are iustified by Christ Iesus alone 2. That it is from his meere loue * 1. Part of the Doct. proued That Iesus is the iustifier of the Church is as euident as can be as from hence where the Church calleth him Her bundle of Myrrhe So out of the writings of the Prophets My righteous seruant shall iustifie many c Isa 53.11 Their righteousnesse is of ME saith the Lord d Isa 54.17 Is it not the Angell Christ that takes away from Iosuah the type of the Church his filthy garments that causeth his iniquitie to passe from him and clotheth him with change of rayment Euen with his owne righteousnesse as Zachary sheweth e Zach. 3.3.4 It is plaine also out of the writings of the Apostle By the obedience of ONE meaning Christ shall MANY meaning the Church be made righteous f Rom. 5.19 He made him sinne for vs who knew no sinne that we might be made the righteousnesse of God in him g 2 Cor. 5.21 If while we seeke to be iustified by Christ we our selues are also found sinners h Gal. 2.17 c. And still the Scripture runnes vpon this that by Christ we are reconciled vnto God cleansed from sinne redeemed out of the handes of our enemies He therefore is our Iustifier and none other not excluding the Father A caueat or the holy Ghost who haue a stroke in this Worke as well as the Sonne As for that other branch of the poynt The 2. part of the Doct. proued that his loue is the ground of this grace the title Well-beloued which the church here giueth him will well carrie it and els-where the holy Ghost confirmes it By MERCY and truth is iniquitie purged i Pro. 16.6 saith the Wiseman Being iustified freely by his GRACE through the redemption that is in Iesus Christ k Rom. 3.24 That being iustified by his GRACE wee should be made heires according to the hope of eternall life saith the Apostle Did not Christ alone satisfie the wrath of the Father The Reason of both the parts of the Doct. together did He not tread the Wine-presse l Isa 63.3 alone What earthly man holpe him in his Actiue obedience to performe a perfect complete and entire seruice to euery iot that the Law requireth What mortall wight nay what creature in heauen or earth ayded him in his Passiue obedience had the whole wrath of the Father due to the sinne of man in full measure poured forth vpon him Speaketh the Prophet of any els but Christ when he saith Isa 53.5 He was wounded for our transgressions he was bruised for our iniquities the chastisement of our peace was vpon him And would he euer haue vndergone this endured this had it not beene for loue Doubtlesse He would not Very well therefore doth the Church here to acknowledge her Well beloued to be this Bundle of Myrrhe and to giue to him * Obiection Answ and his loue alone the honour of her iustification when as He alone payd the price to purchase it and when as both the passion and compassion is his owne * Fide sola If any shall Obiect that wee are iustified by Faith or by Faith alone therefore not wholly not onely by Christ It must be answered that this is to be vnderstood in another sence Wee are iustified by faith as by an instrumentall cause by Christ as an efficient and fundamentall For no more is faith the primary cause of my iustification then my hand is the cause of the supply of my wants by a piece of money which the mercy of another furnisheth mee with That proposition * Parae ad Heb. p. 460 Solafide excluduntur vero nō causae superiores gratia Dei meritum Christi sed c. Wee are iustified by faith ALONE a speech much vsed by Orthodoxall Writers doth not exclude the causes of Iustification without our selues but it doth include onely but m Quotie dicitur Solafides iustificat ostenditur solamfidē esse vnicum argumentum vnicam facultatem quâ recipitur iustitia Christi Selnec Tract 3. de fid Sacram. Thes 1. one facultie in our selues by which alone wee doe apprehend that righteousnesse of Christ which the Lord doth impute vnto vs for our Iustification Whereupon saith one By faith alone are not excluded superior causes as the grace of God the merit of Christ but middle causes which are coyned by hypocrites as the strength of free will workes merits c. So that by faith wee are instrumentally iustified by the obedience of Christ formally as n Tom 5 in epist ad Eph p. 83. col 2. Zanchius sheweth For in Iustification o Bucer in iustificatione fides nihil dat sed tantum accipit quod accipit eo ipso iustificamur Faith giues nothing but onely receiueth and what it receiueth being Christ and his righteousnesse by that very same thing are we iustified So that it may very well be affirmed that faith iustifieth alone and yet be a truth too which I am in hand withall that by Christ alone wee are iustified Vse 1 And for currant might this Doctrine goe through all Christendome Against the Papists were it not for Antichrist and his Babylonish followers of whom when I thought there came to mind a wise speech of a graue p Tertull. Apol. p. 815. Nisi homini Deus plaeuerit deus non erit homo iam Deo propitiùs esse debebit The Papists deny Christ to be our alone iustifier three wayes 1. By their blasphemous Canons Father to allude to God should be God if man would let him God now belike must stand to mans curtesie for his superioritie So may I say of the Papists Iesus should be Iesus if they would let him the ALONE iustifier of his people if THEY would permit him and belike He must stand to THEIR caruing for the honour of this Worke For they are very bold to rob him of his glory which he deserues and his Bride here giues him and him alone for this grace Neither let any say I doe them wrong For first of all doth not the Councell of Trent q In Decret de iustif Can. 10. absolutely lay downe this If any shall affirme that men are iustified by the righteousnesse of Christ formally let him be accursed And immediately after r Canon XI Si quis dixerit homines iustificari vel sola imputatione iustitiae Christi c. 2. By attributing of iustification to the dignitie of faith If any man shall say that men are iustified either by the imputation of Christs righteousnesse alone or that the grace whereby we are iustified is onely the fauour of God let him be Anathema Secondly doe they not ascribe Iustification to the dignitie of faith What meanes els that
SIONS SVVEETS OR THE SPOVSES SPIKENARD AND MYSTICALL MYRRHE BY THOMAS BARNES Preacher of Gods VVord at St Margretts in New-Fish-streete LONDON LONDON Printed by I. D. for Nathaniell Newbery and are to be sold at his Shop at the signe of the Starre vnder St Peters Church in Corn-hi l and in Popes head Alley 1624. TO THE RIGHT VVORSHIPFVLL the Lady Barrington Wife to Sir Francis Barrington the Lady Eliott Wife to Sir T. E. the Lady Barnardiston Wife to Sir Nathan B. and Mris Ioanna Mildmay of Tarling-hall in Essex the ioy of the justified in Christ the justifier wished WHen first I consulted with my selfe vnder whose protection I might send abroad these Sweets of Sion THE SPOUSES SPIKENARD and MYSTICALL MYRRHE my thoughts fell Right Worshipfull vpon you foure And after some conflicts with inward cauills I did resolue to make bold with all your names and so much the rather both because in another Treatise sent forth with this I haue made as bold with your Worshipfull yoake-fellowes as also in regard the matter handled in these Sermons is such as be vsefull to your soules as well as any of theirs who are true members of that CHVRCH and by faith made one with that SPOVSE whom the whole Booke of Salomons Songs out of which I haue cull'd these Sweets in a most sweete and heauenly streine doth treat of I dare say that were it not for the Authors wants here you should finde and meete with that which would be both for direction and consolation Direction in your carriage in respect of what you owe to Christ consolation for your conscience in regard of what you reape by Christ For I am sure that parcell of Scripture vpon which these Meditations are doth afford such Rules such comforts pregnantly plentifully In it we haue Christ his loue the Church her loyaltie Christ his loue vnto his Church sitting as a King at Table with her communicating his grace and fauour vnto her in the Ornaments and Ordinances wherewith he hath endued her The Church her loyaltie vnto her Christ first presenting him with her Box of Spikenard her faith and good Workes secondly praysing him for his Bundle of Myrrhe the pardoning of her sinnes the refreshing of her soule thirdly professing shee would neuer forget the greatnes of his loue and would endeuour to keepe the sence of his kindnes This loue of that great husband I wish you the sweet of with a daily encrease of it more and more This loyaltie of the Spousesse I doubt not but hath beene yeelded by your Worships ere now to Christ the head The blessing vpon these labours I craue of God the Patronage the acceptance of these endeuours I beg of you Which RIGHT WORSHIPFVLL may I but obtaine GOD for that his blessing shall haue my prayses YOV for your acceptance shall haue his prayers who is Your Worships to be commanded in any Christian service to his power THOMAS BARNES THE SPOVSES SPIKENARD Canticles 1.12.13.14 12. While the King sitteth at his Table my Spikenard sendeth forth the smell thereof 13. A bundle of Myrrhe is my welbeloved vnto me he shall lie all night betweene my breasts THree Workes did Salomon Write that the Church of GOD might be the better for that Wisedome which the God of Wisedome bestowed vpon him Proverbiall Sentences Powerfull Sermons and Patheticall Songs which Workes in Canonicall Scriptures are knowne by these names Proverbs Ecclesiastes Canticles each of which conteineth in it most excellent and heavenly matter but the sweetest of all the rest is this Booke of the Canticles Wherein vnder a continued Allegorie in the forme of a Pastorall Elegie this heavenly inspired Poet doth breath out the melodious straines passages of loue mutually interchanged betweene the great Spouse Christ Iesus and his best beloued Bride the Church Amongst which straines this Text is one being a part of that heavenly Dialogue betwixt Christ and his Church comprehended in this Chapter In which Dialogue two things to make the parts of this Chapter are considerable first the Prologue or Entrance into the Dialogue in the first six verses Secondly the Dialogue it selfe from the seaventh verse to the end of the Chapter In the Prologue the Church doth two things first she expresseth her ardent desire of a coniugall communion with her husband Christ Iesus in the second third and fourth verses Secondly she taketh away the scandall partly of the crosse which she is exposed vnto partly of those infirmities which she is inclined vnto both which might be cast in her teeth by false brethren to vpbraid her for too much saucinesse that shee seeming so blacke dares be so bold as to desire communion with so beautifull an husband as Christ is and this she doth in the fifth and sixth verses The Dialogue it selfe comprehends in it three particulars First a question that the Church maketh where shee might find her Christ as a comforter in the time of affliction as an helper in the time of temptation in the seaventh verse Secondly Christ his answere to this question in the eight verse Thirdly the excellent praises which they doe mutually conferre each vpon the other from the ninth verse to the end of the Chapter Christ praising the Church in the ninth tenth eleventh fifteenth sixteenth and seaventeenth verses And the Church commending her Christ in the words of this Text and that from two properties which shee perceived in him 1. Greatnesse in the 12. verse 2. Goodnesse in the 13. verse The first of these Order requireth wee should first deale withall 12. While the King sitteth at his Table my Spikenard sendeth forth the smell thereof BEcause the royaltie of personage Parts of the Text. The reason ◠the division because King in the 12. ve◠is a stile of Greatnes and Welbeloued in the 13. verse a title of goodnesse costlines of provision for his Bride and statelinesse of presence with his Bride doe much set forth the Greatnesse of a Bridegroome therefore the Church here commendeth the Greatnes of HER spirituall Spouse from these three particulars 1. * Regem non citrà magnificentiā nota appellatum sponsum Mercer ad locum The first circumstance in the first part The meaning the royaltie of his person by the stile KING that shee giveth him While the King 2. The costlines of provision for her by the Table which shee speaketh of calling it His Table 3. The statelines of his presence by his sitting at this Table While the King sitteth at his Table amplified by the adiunct sweetnesse which her Spikenard did send vnto him while he was thus present with her My Spikenard sendeth forth the smell thereof TO begin with the stile royall which shee giueth him While the King Howsoever a Brightns One by King here vnderstandeth King Asa spoken of 2. Chron. 15. and others in the hystoricall sense King Salomon yet with b Mercer Piscat others I doe rather mystically vnderstand Christ Iesus the spirituall
occasionally not onely the hearts of the doers themselues as the example of Iob proueth who drew comfort from his holy life when he was almost at the doore of death but also the hearts of others who desire the glory of God and credit of the Gospell as the fruits of loue in doing and patience in suffering amongst the Thessalonians were a great refreshing and crowne of reioycing to the holy Apostle yea made both Paul Siluanus and Timotheus to glory of them in the Churches k 2 Thess 1.3.4 Thus we see what is to be meant by Spikenard so that My Spikenard is as much as The Faith and Good workes of me the Church militant Now in that shee speakes of Sending forth the smell thereof we must know that Salomon alludes to the custome of his dayes in the Easterne parts of the world where the Hebrewes were whose manner was at their Nuptialls and Banquetts for the Brides and Wiues to besweeten themselues with sweet oyntments whereof Spikenard was one that they might savour all ouer their Boardes to giue not onely other sitters by but also and that chiefely too their husbands content and it seemes the abuse and excesse of this the Prophet Amos taxeth very sharply l Amos 6.4.6 Woe to them that eate the Lambes out of the Flocke and the Calues out of the middest of the Stall that drinke Wine in Bowles and Annoynt themselues with the chiefe Oyntments It seemes I say that Salomon alludes to this to note out vnto vs that the Faith and Good workes of the Church doe smell sweetly in Christs nostrills and cast forth a savour vnto others Will you now at length haue the summe of all in a word take it thus Paraphrase So long as my Kingly husband Christ Iesus is present in his Ordinances with me the Church militant the faith and good workes of my members doe sauour sweetly before God and amongst men The poynts that offer themselues hence to our consideration are these three 1. That in his Word and Sacraments Christ is present with his Church 2. That whiles he is so present with her shee sendeth forth the sauour of Faith and good Workes 3. That they which haue sound faith and bring forth good fruit may lawfully professe and speake of the same Doct. 3. Christ is present with his Church in his Ordinances TO beginne with the first While the Church enioyeth the Word and Sacraments shee enioyeth the presence of her Beloued For as Table importes the provision he makes for her so doth his Sitting at Table his presence with her He deales not with his people as a man that invites guests to his house to a feast who when they are come goes his way from them beares them no company but as He bringeth them hither so He is with them here Where two or three are gathered together in my name I will be in the middest amongst them m Mat. 18.20 In the Parable before cited we reade that the King came in to see the guests n Mat. 22.11 not onely as it is likely to marke their carriage but also to beare them company It is the speech of the Church in the mouth of the Prophet Hos 6.2 The third day we shall liue in his sight Where by the third day some vnderstand the time of the Gospell and by liuing in his sight Christ his presence in the Gospell with the Spouses readinesse to heare his sayings o Zarch in Hos ad loc Praeste eius dictis audientes Ioh. Looke as Gods presence was in Israel with the Arke so is it amongst his people with his Word and Sacraments I am with you to the end of the world as he told his Disciples and can he be absent in his Ordinances But here the onely Question is Qu 1. How Christ is present in the Word Answ How he is present with his people in these Ordinances How in the Word How in Baptisme How in the Sacrament of the Lords Supper For the first follow but me in tracing out the Metaphor and you shall haue satisfaction A King sits at Table with his Queene not onely to feed with her but also to carue to her to conferre and to be merry with her So Christ is present with his owne in the Preaching of the Word 1. as a caruer 2. as a conferrer 3. as a comforter First I say as a caruer for doth not he proportion his Doctrine in the mouthes of his Ministers to the capacitie and necessitie of his hearers Cutting such a bit out of such a Text and such an one out of another directing his Stewards wisely and aptly to apply their studies in private their Sermons in publique to the occasions of their hearers He carues resolution to her in her doubts confutation in her errors correction for her disorders c. Secondly doth he not in his Word familiarly confer with his Bride reuealing his minde plainely to her in those matters that are mysteries to the world A similie A man that sits at the vpper end of the Table with his Wife talkes in her eare happily the rest heare the sound of his voice but yet know not conceiue not the scope of his speech shee onely vnderstands his meaning and is acquainted with his will So reprobates heare the Word as well as the elect but the elect haue Christ whispering that in their eare out of his Word that the reprobate can neuer attaine vnto though he goes as farre as a temporary faith can carry him so that though both haue the sound yet but one hath the sence the sence I say in a right apprehension of the meaning of it in a liuely feeling of the operation of it For as p Zanch. Tom. 5 in Epist ad Ephes p. 152. Verbum enim sinceris auribus auditum imprimitur in corde ElectoruÌ„ per Christum b. e. per Spiriâ—um Christi One sayth The Word which is heard with pure eares doth take IMPRESSION in the hearts of the ELECT alone by Christ or the spirit of Christ Thirdly Christ is present in the Preaching of the Word as a comforter For whiles the Doctrine of the free fauour of God in Christ of reconciliation with God by Christ of the excellent priviledges of the faithfull remission of sinnes salvation in the heavens c. is sounded and preached are not the soules of beleevers many times ravished comforted refreshed by the inuisible working of the holy Spirit Qu 2. How Christ is present in Baptisme Answ For the second Question thus may we answere it that Christ is not present in Baptisme to take away the roote of originall sinne as if it could not remaine in the partie Baptized nor to conferre inuisible grace simply by the element of Water as if grace were necessarily tyed to the Sacrament and none could haue it except they were Baptized nor yet thirdly to imprint an indelible Character in the soule that can neuer be blotted out
ordinary friend into his house how ioyfull he is how much more joyfull then must wee conceiue them to be who haue testimony in their consciences that the Lord of glory hath come in by their gates and taken vp his lodging in their soules Vse 1 As the former so this Doctrine also serues 1. to lay open the miserable and wretched estate of all carnall and vnregenerate ones who are no members of the true Church For no sound ioy belongs vnto them Their abundance of wealth their places of honour their great friends their merry companions c. may peradventure giue them some kind of contentment and delight but alas it is but for a moment and * Namque malâ— quanquam interduÌ„ gauderâ— videtur Aestiâ— at ipse tamen medijs vt stroâ—gylos vndis Marcell Arie l. 1. p. 4. mingled many times with much heauinesse and sorrow That joy which springs from Iustification is too sweet too excellent for them to attaine to There is no peace to the wicked sayth my God h Isa 57.21 That that I say is Sions peculiar An vngodly man may indeed heare the promises haue the sweet Doctrine of iustification by the free loue of Christ sounded in his eares and abuse the same he may as those that make an idoll of Gods mercy to further himselfe in his desperate disease of securitie or a kinde of i Mat. 13.20 hypocriticall ioy he may haue which a temporall faith may afford him but to draw out the right sweetnesse of this heauenly Doctrine to the true comfort of his soule he wants nostrills he hath no true iustifying and sauing faith Let then an vnregenerate person be he what he will or can be for wit learning wealth friends dignitie c. come and put forth that Question which Ioram put forth to Iehu Is it peace Iehu is it peace It may be answered him as Iehu answered Ioram What peace so long as the Whoredomes of thy Mother Iezebell and her witch-crafts are so many k 2 Kin. 9.22 What peace so long as thy luxurious fruits thy couetous fruits extortions oppressions vsuries deceitfull tricks thy oathes lyes enuyings backbitings Sabboth breakings neglects of Gods worship in the Temple in the familie in the closet contempts of Gods seruants and Ordinances contentments with thy meere ciuill courses c. are so many What peace I say appertaines vnto thee so long as these things remaine in thee as so many testimonies against thee that thou art not yet a true member of Christs Spouse the Church Thou man thou woman art like those whom the Lord complaines of by the Prophet l Isa 65.11 Yee are they that forsake the Lord and forget mine holy Mountaine Thou hast playd the Harlot and runne away from Christ and hast m Vers 12. chosen that wherein the Lord delighted not And therefore must I conclude to the terror of thee and all such as thou art with that sentence which the Lord denounceth by the same Prophet n Isa 65.13.14 Behold MY SERVANTS shall reioyce but YE shall be ashamed Behold my servants shall sing for ioy of heart but YE shall cry for sorrow of heart and shall howle for vexation of spirit Vse 2 Againe still we see comfort to flow out of this Text to the people of God by occasion of this point also They may peraduenture haue heauie hearts drouping spirits and goe mourning all the day long and by reason or outward crosses or inward distresses they may with Rachell refuse to be comforted because their comforts are not and in their owne apprehension haue no being no existence but let them be of good cheere The ioy that springeth from the roote of iustification belonges vnto euery member of the Church As sure as can be light is sowen for the righteous and ioy for all them that are of an vpright heart As they haue this bundle of Myrrhe this sweet-ball of Christ his righteousnesse in free mercy bestowed vpon them so the Lord in his due time will open the nostrills of their faith and make them sensible of the sweetnesse of the same and the time shall come when in the sence and ioyfull perswasion of the same they shall be able with all confidence and boldnes to say as the Church here doth A bundle of Myrrhe is my Well-beloued vnto mee now I know it finde it and feele it Stay thy selfe with this then thou mourner in Sion and goe thy wayes Eate thy bread with ioy and drinke thy wine with a merry heart for God now accepteth thy Workes o Eccles 9.7 Being a member of the Church thou art acceptable to God in Christ Iesus and being acceptable to him He will reveale his comfortable presence vnto thee be thy distresse what it can be And let this suffice thee against despayre that though heauinesse may endure for a night yet ioy shall come in the morning Such ioy is thy portion such ioy shalt thou get into thine owne possession when God sees fit Waite therefore for it on the God of thy saluation and be not like a comfortles creature Vse 3 Thirdly Hence we see how the world is deceiued who thinke Christians to be melancholy persons whom no mirth no comfort belongs to imagining that of all others they are the saddest and heauiest creatures What sayd I deceiued yea grossely deceiued For there are none vnder heauen haue more cause of ioy then they haue nor are more sensible of true ioy then they are when God comes to lift vp the light of his countenance vpon them The ioy that the couetous man hath in his bags the ambitious man in his honours the voluptuous man in his pleasures are but sorrow and vexation of spirit in comparison of that sweete content that a poore honest soule findeth in his Christ in his Sauiour How can his life be a melancholy life that was condemned to death but is now restored to life that had lost heauen but hath it now purchased for him that was the heyre of damnation but is now the heyre of saluation that was naked and abhominable in the eyes of God but is now cloathed and acceptable vnto him How can this life I say be altogether vncapable of comfort of consolation If thou thinkest it is when as Christians haue this priuiledge to reioyce in the assurance of their iustification thou thinkest amisse and art in a grosse error LET vs now passe on to the effect which the sence of The second branch in the second part of the Text. and ioy from this sweetnesse of iustification worketh in the desires and vowes of the Church And that is a continuance of this benefit in these words He shall lodge all night betwixt my breasts or as some reade It shall lodge all night betweene my breasts or as others Optatiuely Oh that he would that is oh that my Beloued or oh that IT may that is this bundle of Myrrhe may lodge all night betwixt my breasts Howsoeuer