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
watchers that do continually watch to see the people of God in misery and to declare the same in in the streets of the City with great rejoycing These are Satans watchmen Isa 21. who in managing the affairs of his Kingdom doth imitate our Lord Jesus Christ for even as when judgments were threatned against the enemies of Gods Church it was in a vision declared unto the Prophet under the similitude of a watchman standing whole days and nights on the watch Tower to descry the coming in of the enemy upon those that had afflicted the people of God Ver. 6. and to declare what he saw for the comfort of the Godly So Satan by way of imitation hath also watchmen that stand continually upon their watch on purpose to espie the calamities that are coming upon the people of God and to declare it in the streets of the City and in the broad ways where men usually meet together with great rejoycing for the discomfort of the Godly These are the watchmen here spoken of which Satan hath in every corner these are like the spies that were sent into the Land of Canaan Num. 13.22 that brought an evil report upon the Land that sit in the lurking places of the villages to murther the inocent Psal 10.8.9 that lie in wait secretly as a Lion in his Den to catch the poor of such David complains of when he says they watch for my halting and of those that gathered themselves together Psal 35. and rejoyced in his adversity and in another Psalm they take councel together they whisper and devise my hurt These are the watchmen that Satan sendeth into the streets to declare what they see to the discomfort of the Bride and to cast her as much as in them lies into everlasting reproach This breedeth a wonderful temptation in the godly and is the greatest tryal of faith that may be when in stead of shewing pity and compassion the enemy shall laugh and cry aha this is the day that we looked for lo we have seen it These be the watchmen that found the poor Church in this condition which in stead of ministring any comfort to her in her distress did add affliction to the afflicted These watchmen must we expect to meet with who in stead of comforting will use all means to hinder us from help and succour by casting us into reproach and covering us with contempt yet we must not be one jot dismayed but pray with David Lord rescue my Soul from their destructions For although they hold a Councel together whisper and make bold to propose the time of our downfal and utter ruin yet shall the promise of God prevent them all for it was but a little that the Bride passed from these but she found him whom her Soul loved But mark here what she said to these watchmen To whom I said saw ye him whom my Soul loveth It 〈◊〉 not said here that the watchmen said any thing to the Bride yet in Song 5.7 'T is said they smote her and wounded her that is behind her back with reproachful words and disgraceful terms This shews what manner of people the watchmen here spoken of were such as could belch out with their mouths and had swords in their lips to slay the upright in heart but this their mischief was not open but privily and secretly done But what doth the Bride say to these watchmen To whom she said saw ye him whom my Soul loveth Which is not to be understood so much of any private conference as by her speaking to them in the Ministery when she came into the sanctuary of God For the watchmen reproach the Church because of her sins and afflictions and will scarcely afford her the title of bride because of her stains and blemishes therefore the bride telleth them here they sin against the Gospel and she dealeth very plainly ye never saw him whom my Soul loveth The Gospel breedeth in men pity and compassion a willingness to think the best to speak the best of all men to cover and hide transgressions to help those that are in distress and misery these things the watchmen never learn'd and being in prosperity themselves they speak loftily and their tongues walk through the earth Therefore she telleth them this Ye have no knowledg of Christ ye never saw him whom my Soul loveth So that although these watchmen of Satan are high and lofty in their own eyes and having more then heart can wish do Lord it outwardly over the bride yet in the sanctuary of God she declareth their end she casteth them down into desolation and utter destruction After the same manner must we also learn to overcome the watchmen even by making a right application of the word of God against them before which they cannot stand and also by comforting our selves through faith in Christ against what they published of us in the streets then although they may seem to carry it over us outwardly before men yet shall we inwardly reign over them through faith in Christ who must reign in his members till he hath put all his enemies under his feet VERSE IV. It was but a little that I passed from them but I found him whom my Soul loveth THis passing from the watchmen is the overcoming of that temptation which the bride fell into by reason of their smitings with the tongue in respect of her name and reputation This seemeth to be the last temptation in her sad condition which fell upon her immediately before deliverance came for it was but a little time after she passed from them but she found him whom her Soul loved She was not dismayed at that bitter and heavy cross but still continued seeking for help and deliverance and at length she found him whom her Soul loved that is she found him createing help and deliverance by such ways and means as she never thought on nor expected And thus shall it assuredly come to pass for all those that put their trust in Christ all things shall come to pass where nothing is seen And when Satan and all his instruments have done what they can then shall the power of Christ appear above them all Therefore faith is a most victorious thing that hath all the attributes of God knit fast unto it that it is as possible for God to become no God as it is for any thing to be wanting where faith is used But first we must suffer a tryal not being offended but rejoycing in the cross then shall we find by experience that faith is no idle quality in the Soul but a certain kind of Divinity within us which cleaveth fast unto God and obtaineth help and succour from him Moreover this is to be noted that in the midst of this bitter and heavy temptation she calleth Christ still he whom her Soul loveth which cometh from a perswasion of Christs love to her otherwise it could not be This assurance ariseth from faith learn
by the Law which is life if we keep it but death if we break it This speech of the Daughters is the true picture of what manner of Preachers there shall be in some places of the Church in all ages even such that shall speak of the righteousness of Christ and much extol the same but nothing in comparison of the righteousness of the Law That although they lay down the righteousness of Christ to a Conscience in distress upon no other ground but that it believeth yet they shall with the Daughters understand faith after no other manner nor teach the principles of it any otherwise but by requiring the works of the Law accounting the chief beloved to be wanting until that righteousness be had For say they the business that Christ came into the world for was to Redeem us from our Sins and this Redemption is ours by faith but when they come to define what this faith is they can teach no other definition of it but a mans actual conformity to the Law of God And therefore by their Doctrine and manner of teaching they require nothing but only a strict conformity to Gods Law that so an evidence may be had of faith in Christ This is with the Daughters to call the Bride the fairest amongst women by reason of her faith and yet to hide the righteousness of Christ from the Conscience whereby she is made fair Besides if a man must have the righteousness of Christ and of the Law both before he can be justified before God and have any assurance of it in his Conscience why do they not then prescribe a measure how far a man must go in matter of works before he can be assured that his faith is true that so a man may know when his labour is at an end That manner of Doctrine reproveth not unbelief but establisheth in man an opinion of his works and plainly sheweth that our inherent righteousness contrary to St. Rom. 3.5 Paul and not our confessed unrighteousness doth commend the righteousness of God These are they whose Doctrine ends in contradictions who confess the Bride in word to be the fairest amongst women by faith alone but in deed and in truth that even then she is too seeking of her beloved For whether say they is thy beloved gone that we may seek him with thee To which it is answered by the Bride in the next verse as followeth VERSE II. My beloved is gone down into his Garden to the beds of spices to feed in the Gardens and to gather Lillies IN which words she sheweth where her beloved is to be found namely in his garden among the spiritual people that hear and follow his voice So that although he be gone yet he is not gone from her self but from the Daughters whose Doctrine doth wholly abrogate the Gospel and crucifie the son of God darken and deface all the benefits of his victory and Kingdom Therefore doth Christ depart and rest himself where his word is entertained and kept According as St. Paul said to the Jews seeing ye judg your selves unworthy of Eternal life Lo we turn to the Gentiles And when she saith to the beds of spices she meaneth to all those in all places of the world whose minds and Consciences are persumed with the sweet smell of his Heavenly Doctrine there Christ feedeth helpeth comforteth and refresheth them in all times of misery and distress And by gathering Lillies she meaneth that by that Doctrine which is despised of men doth Christ gather all his Lillies unto himself Which sheweth us what the the true Office of the Ministry is namely to feed those that are already planted in the Church of God and to gather to the faith of Christ those that are ignorant of the same And so to besprinkle the Heavedly spice into the minds and Consciences of the hearers that every one in the Garden may smell even as a bed of Spices VERSE III. I am my beloved's and my beloved is mine he feedeth among the Lillies BY these words the Bride overcometh the Doctrine of the Daughters totally who endeavour by their principles to strip her of the Title of Bride because she wanteth the righteousness of the Law to perfect her faith To which she answereth If my beloved hath owned me then am I his Bride but my beloved hath owned me therefore am I his Bride Again If I am my beloveds then is my beloved also mine by an inseparable union which can never be broken By this argument she dasheth in pieces at one blow the whole Kingdom of Satan For grant their arguments might be cunning yet can they never overcome so long as this faith of application remaineth And when it is said he feedeth among the Lillies she meaneth with this faith of application which is rich feeding by which he feedeth all that are his against the fear of death and all evil unto Eternal life With this argument also must we learn to overcome when the Conscience is in fear and distress by reason of any adversary Joh. 15.16 Then must we lay down this for a certain proposition that we are the elect and chosen of God Now if I am chosen of God then am I my beloved's and if I am my beloved's then is my beloved also mine This argument Satan can never endure therefore he will muster up his forces against it because hereby we build our foundation upon Christ alone upon Gods laying claim unto us first and not by way of reflection This foundation will never fail us because we ground our faith from a principle that is true Our way is not the true way to life because we believe 't is the true for then Hereticks and Seducers were in the right but we do and ought to believe a thing because 't is true This is to give honour and glory to the truth of God which is the highest and greatest service that can be given unto him Therefore when thou art in misery and knowest not what to do be thy calamity what it will begin thy faith where God begins to thee But thou wilt say how is that I answer fear not Israel thou art mine Esa 43.1 Psal 50.7 hear O Israel I am thine Mark those two places of Scripture and make thy application accordingly From whence also note that he calleth thee by a new name Israel a prevailer with God on purpose that thou mightest learn thereby to believe in him and love him When thou hast learned thus to ground thy faith and to make application of Gospel then shalt thou easily understand and find by thine own experience the meaning of that Text I will bring the blind by a way that they knew not and lead them in paths that they have not known Forasmuch as the common way that is known is that first we must please God before he will own and accept of us but the way which is not known and that God reveals is that he loveth and owneth us