by reason of my former ouersight to betake my selfe to some other soâ—t of study But then receiuing from some of chiefe place some meanes of incoragement in my Ministeriall function I since that haue laboured as I might and as my giftes could aâ—fooâ—de in repairing the walles of Ierushalem the praise of the whole earth But as neuer yet I could want a crosse so not Angustines tria cappa cáâ—â—sta three wicked Kaes but Pipurè tumens some prowde swelling Pees they haue labored to make mee my Sermons and writings nothing amongst their fantasticke and bewitched disciples For they haue iudged that if I were held for somewhat then their ouer-much sparsed coppâ—r would be called in and their fancies made plaine vnto all men Indeede for a man to speake of experience it woundeth right deep but let the truth cut me and cut them forwards it must fantasticke Dagons must fall and disciples must be brought from man to God from Iâ—hn Baptist to Iesus for Beholde hee is the Lambe of God that takes away the sinnes of the world Some part of my latter labours I heere present the substance of certaine Sermons vpon Salomon his Song of Songs preached in our honourable cittie of London A Scripture extreamely flowted of Machles-villaines I might say Machiuillaines blinde Heretiques and fleshly Humorists that sauor not the things of God and therefore the rather haue I handled it and now offer to publish it that so any one running by specially staying by and surueying it he may as in great capitall Letters see and reade the sâ—d wisdome of God The very light that enters here through my little casemenâ—s will put to chase the creking Bats and staring Owles that abhorre day light how much more should they be chased and crushed if some of you to whom God hath concredited much varietie of learning shoulde open the eie-lids of this morning set this Temples great doores patent and fil euery chinke with Iehouahs glorie Censura est magistra vitae modestiae Correction saith Pomponius is the Mistris of life and modesty and lacke of due censure is cause of many an immodest life of the life of Atheisme Licinius is said to haue held learning the commonwealths rats-bane and were not many amongst vs so minded they would not labor the ouerthrowe of Vniuersities the impouerishing of the Ministerie for the lifting vp of Iacke Straw It remaineth that all of vs do vse our strengths seuerally and ioyntly for the vphold of good literature literature the sinowes of our commonwealth the lamp of our Church the life of our soule Salomon so iudged when he begd Wisdom before Wealth before long life before power to auenge From them I turne my quill and vnto him let vs tune and turne our eares who rauished in spirite doth first entitle aud then sing forth his Song of Songs But to the learned I must first insert a Praeface Valete A Praeface for directing the simple Reader touching this forme of Writing and Teaching AS a number do please themselues with so little diuine knowledge as may be so can they not but oftentimes maledict good things they vnderstand not as hauing too necre affinitie with the Spirits which Saint Iude condemneth It is sufficient say they that we know Christ Iesus and him crucified and that say they further we haue learned seeing we vnderstand the Rudiments of Faith I answer there is no Booke in the whole Bible that teacheth not Christ Iesus and him crucified Nay more there is no one Chapter or open head of Scripture but it setteth forth Christ if not directly also his sufferings The first and second of Genesis setteth out Christ seeing hee was that Word whereby all was created as also that Word which beareth vp al the creature The 3. Chap. in his 15. vers doth teach the stooping downe of that Word for assuming womans seede and the Genealogy of Adam by Sheth doth teach that till hee came that was promised Else Mathew and Luke had drawen the Genealogie to no purpose For the doctrine of Chrono-logie it is no more but Speach-of-time treating of this diuine businesse And without Speach-of-generation and Speach-of-time there can be no Story no Bible As for the Genealogies spoke against in 1. Tim. 1.4 2.2.16.23 Tit. 3.9 they be none of these which be diuine for the holy-ghost must not be brought against himselfe but as the Apostle there testifieth they be Prophane foolish and fabulous-ones which without blasphemie cannot be affirmed of any Scripture but well inough of diuerse Iewish Traditions tending rather to the subuersion than edification of Belieuers This doctrine of Christ and his Crosse wâ—s pressed not only to the eare by voyce but also to the eie by sensible signes Before the Lawe giuen by Moses they had oblations and lastlie Circumcision and the Paschal Lamb but vnder the Lawe they had moe oblations with more frequencie In all which they were to see Christ and in many of them his crucifixion and effusion of blood also And who could with knowledge beholde the Priest-hood and therein not see Christ Or who could contemplate the Tabernacle and Temple and therein not first see Iesus in whome the Godhead should dwell essentially and then in a secondarie sence his mysticall members In all these the Church was led to Christ euen as we by baptisme and the Lords Supper But bicause Christ could neuer haue beene crucified but for sinne and therefore in himselfe and in his memâ—â—rs to suffer by the hands of sinners as indeede he did finally by the hands of Iewes and Romans a Genealogie therefore of such sinners are set downe and a Chronologie vttering the times of Christ and his Crosse whether before in or since his Incarnation the finishment of all which is vnsealed in the booke of Reuelation The enemies to Christ and his Crosse they are often-times branded out by names of wilde beastes serpents vncleane birds c. that so in them may be expected but brutish affections and actions as also termed thornes brambles and what not vile The friends to Christ and his Crucifixion are on th' other side represented by creatures also Vegetatiue and Sensitiue but in respect of some commendable qualification and in no Scripture so much as in this Song of Songs So that for vnderstanding some excellent things in this good people we are appoynted first to consider some other creatures whereby as by steppes and staires wee may ascend to the diâ—ine qualifications of the Church Said I of the Church Yea of Christ himselfe also who heere as also oft in the New-Testament hath vouchsafed to be sacramentally set forth vnder names of inferiour creatures This remembred I further make answere to our Nouices which delight themselues in I know not what measure of knowledge and supposed principles First whatsoeuer thinges are written afore-time are written for our learning Otherwise to thinke were to conceiue groslie of God as hauing written somewhat that is vnnecessarie Far from such a
for more seeing this is a commoditie of eternall nature Thirdly the Church expressing her feeling of Christs loue to be vnto her more excellent and efficatious then wine wine being that which delighteth the heart of man wee thereby are taught that euery member of this mysticall body doeth not onely liue to Christ but also die to the world and the temporaries thereof The loue of God in the vse of his word which is one principall particular of his loue it was vnto Dauid more sweete then the hony and hony-combe and of more acceptation then thoâ—sands of golde and of siluer And the loue of God in Christ it was of such value vnto the Apostle Paul as in comparison thereof he counteth Tribe Birth and al temporarie and naturall things but drosse and dung Howe the Patriarchs Prophets Apostles Martires and Confessors haue deemed Christs loue their continuall sufferings and patient vndergoings of the crosse for his sake they plainely doe witnesse Balaam Iudas Iscariot Demas and many in this age sauouring earth not spirit they are by this doctrine laide open for such as are not of the Church howsoeuer within the church for al these Moonish fleeting temporaries the church treades vnder her feet the vnion and sensible feeling of Christ his seuerall loues being vnto her all in all Lect. III. Verse 2. Because of the sauour of thy good ointments thy name is an ointment powred out therefore the virgines loue thee Or vnto the sauour of c. Or at the sauour c. AS in the last clause of the former verse she gaue a reason of her petition and that was drawne from the excellencie of his loue so here shee rendreth a reason of her so louing his Loue namely because shee found in him as a boxe of aromatique ointments all redolent sauours and precious spirituall smells Which precious odors were vnto her his Church and vnto euery particular member thereof most sauorie and delightfull In which comparison shee seemeth not onely to cast her eye vnto ordinary confections in the Apothecaries shop but also and that more specially vnto the sacred Ointment and Perfume in Exod. 30.23 c. effected by Moses directed by Iehouah for annointing and perfuming his Tabernacle and Priesthoode The counterfait whereof none other vpon paine of death might make nor vppon like penalty might any other person annoynt his flesh with this ointment nor perfume himselfe with this composition for the one and the other were set apart from common vse and so dedicate to a sacred ecclesiasticall purpose All which let vs draw into some particular information and profit First in that the Church seeketh out the most excellent ointment and perfume for declaration of Messiahs sweete name it teacheth vs that all excellent things in nature they are but as tipes and shadowes of spirituall graces not much vnlike to the Cabalists position which concludeth all inferiour things to be but shapes of superiour things and the patterne which Moses saw in the Mount to be a certaine proportion in the heauens whereunto the earthly tabernacle was resemblanced And in very troth all excellent things in nature they are but as steps degrees and greeces for vs to climbe vp by vnto heauenly respects Secondly her reference to the former ceremoniall oyntment wherewithall the Iewish sanctuary and priesthood were annointed it leadeth vs to these considerations First that the new testaments Church figured by that tabernacle and the new testaments Priest euen Christ Iesus figured by the former they are interessed with the inward spirituall ointment which was shadowed forth by the former outward materiall Oyle That the Church hath it Saint Iohn recordeth it in his first Epist. 2. Chap. 20. 27. verses That Iesus Christ hath it the spirit of Prophecie plainely foresaw saying The God thy God hath annointed thee with the gladsome Oile aboue thy fellowes Psa. 45.8 Aboue all his fellow members because they receiue it by measure but he beyond measure Iohn 3.34 he is the fountaine full of grace and truth as for his members thâ—y receiue of his fulnesse grace vpon grace Iohn 1.16 The sacred oile was powred vpon Aaron our head and from him the head that soueraigne ointment commeth downe his mysticall bodie euen to the hemme of his garment the most inferiour member not exempted of reall sanctification Besides seeing the former sacred oile a figure of the spirit sanctifying it was onely with profite applied to the Priest and his Tabernacle it putteth vs in minde how Christ and his members only can haue this spirit in the worke of sanctification Nor can any haue receiued this reall sanctification in any true measure but it is vnto them a reall pledge of eternall saluation and a demonstration of their holy Election before all worlds Ephes. 1.3 c. Furthermore where it was death vnto him that should apply this oile of grace to Prophane persons it teacheth vs that which our Sauiour teacheth namely That holy things are not to be giuen to Dogges in paine of God his high displeasure the sauing promises of the Gospel are not to be applied to the open vnpenitent The ointment of sauing Grace offered in the Word and Sacraments it appertaineth onely to such persons as first haue become a spirituall house or Tabernacle to God and secondly as true Priests and Sacrificers doe offer vp a reasonable oblation out of the Sanctum or Holy-place built in their conscience For howsoeuer in Christ is the Sanctum-sanctorum Holy-of-holies yet in euery of his members is a Sanctum or sanctified conscience Lastly whereas the like penaltie hanged ouer his head that should counterfet that precious oile it putteth vs in minde what fearefull iudgement hangeth ouer the heads of counterfet hypocrites and heretikes who by painted doctrine and sheepish conuersation doe make outward shewes of the spirit and holinesse but in very deede are hollow hearted and destitute of the power of true godlinesse Thirdly that shee termeth her Beloueds Name to be as Oile powred out she would allude to the full and perfect odor of such precious confections who howsoeuer they be sauory in themselues yet are not felt sauorie vntill they be powred out and as it were pownded euen as Maries pound of Spikenard ointment is then saide to fill the house with the sauour when as she had broken vp the boxe and powred it out And herein she would teach first that the very name of her Beloued was preciously sweete being powred out Sweete in it selfe it must be from all eternitie but then manifested sweete when it was vttered to mankinde Adam lying plunged in diabolicall stench how sweete vnto him was it to heare of the blessed Seeds of woman Abram hauing beene-singed in Vr that is in the Fire of Chaldea horrible Idolatrers causing their children to passe through the fire sweete vnto him must the name be of Seede wherein he and all nations should receiue a blessing Sweâ—te was the name Shiloh in the
mouth of Iaakob and in the nostrels of Iudah and no lesse redolent were these sauory names vnto Dauid and all the ensuing Prophets and tipicall Kings who longed aftâ—r the appeerance of him that was so to be a Seede and Shiloh As for Isaiah he sawe his name to be Immanuel that is God-with-vs because God so should be one with vs and wee so at vnion with God Godhead and Manhood in him making vp one Person Vnto Daniel what name could be so sweete as Messiah the terme which Gabriel gaue vnto him In a word the veâ—ie sweete consideration of him did leade the holy Prophets to vse diuerse Names for expressing the infinite store of spirituall odours couched vp in this Beloued the very fulnesse and treasurie of our heauenly Father If we come to his Name Iesus Sauiour because he saueth his people from their sinnes how delectable is that Name Besides these Names he hath termes of King Priest Prophet King for gouernment Priest for sacrifice and intercession Prophet for teaching and reuealing the Fathers secrets to his people a Trinitie of names in an Vnitie of superexcelling sweetnesse Lastly in this one Mediator is a two-fold Nature according whereto hee hath two other names God and Man but seeing vnto miserable mankinde it should be no great comfort nay rather a discomfort to heare of either of these names disioyned our heauenly Father therefore hath conioyned them and made them two one that is hath giuen him vnto vs for God-Man or Man-God a Name beyond all â—easureable sweetenesse for it propounds vnto vs an eternall vnion of God and Man No maruell then though the Church hold her Beloueds name to be redolent as also doe grieue to heare it taken in vaine and vnhallowed Furthermoâ—e if the Name of Christ be so sweete how precious should the enioy of Christ and his spirit be vnto vs seeing with him we enioy all other good things also Therefore the Virgines loue thee Hauing laid downe the cause she subioyneth the effect the sweetenesse of Mâ—ssiah caused in her Loue euen as before the Loue of Christ it caused in her prayer Thus one good gift begetteth an other euen as one euill engendreth an other euill Secondly shee changing her speech from the Whole to the Parts instead of I saying the Virgines she would first teach that the whole and euery member of Christ Iesus in his Church it is endued with sense of his gracâ—s as also with vnfained loue of his name insomuch as they exult to heare the name Iesus Secondly she would informe vs how euery true louer of Christ Iesus is a Virgine according to that of the Apostle 2. Corin. 11.2 which may serue for a faithfull exposition of Reuel 14.4 As a sober virgine abstaineth from all things that might be offensiue to her beloued so is it our duety neither if wee be of Christ can we be herein carelesse to eschew all such misdemenors as might bring agrieuance to the spirit of Iesus Lect. IIII. Verse 3. Draw me wee will runne after thee the King hath brought me into his chambers we will exult and be glad in thee we will remember thy Loues more then wine Righteousnesses doâ— loue thee IN this verse considerable first a Petition vnder Protestation secondly the Petitions effect The petition vnder Protestation lieth in these words Draw me we will runne after thee the Petitions effect lieth in the residue of the verse Draw me herein the Petition we will runne after thee and therein the protestation In moe words it may be vttered thus Oh my beloued Messiah I finde in my selfe all inabilitie to follow thee therefore vouchsafe to draw me but though the power of following thee be lacking in me and my seuerall members I finde yet a ready will a will which will runne after thee if first thoâ— wilt draw me In the Petition I obserue first the Churches confession of her insufficiencie for following Christ secondly her desire vnfained to be made partaker of his sufficiencie That the Church or body of faithfull ones is insufficient of themselues to follow Christ it not onely appeareth by this her prayer but also by other speeches in holy Writ touching the already faithfull Without me saith our Sauiour to his Disciples ye can doe nothing that is no good thing And for this cause is it that blessed Saint Paul testifieth thus of his spirituall life Thus I liue not I any more but Christ liueth in me referring so all his spirituall motion in goodnesse to Christ liuing in him by his spirit If that hold in the vnregenerate namely that in him they liue mooue and are according to the naturall life motion and being it must also follow touching spirituall life motion and being that it is fully of God so that of our selues we are vtterly vnsufficient to follow our beloued Iesus Which doctrine of our insufficiency may serue as a hammer for knocking downe the surging pride of Pelagius doctrine The Church finding and feeling her owne insuffiencie she therefore prayeth vnto her beloued desiring him to draw her Herein she teacheth vs first not to rest contented with knowledge of our inabilitie but in the next place to seeke vnto Christ for supply of such defect He that knowes himselfe to be sicke seekes to the phisition he that feeles famine doâ—h labour to haue nature relieued And hereupon it grewe that diseased-ones in the Gospel did seeke for helpe of Messiah others that were hungry did follow him for the loaues and fishes All that but leading spirituall Impotents as by the hand for seeking releasement at the hands of Messiah Wherein may be obserued how the high way vnto God is spirituall misery and beggerie If this be true in the regenerate in whom there is some holy thing how much more in the vnregenerate who yet is voide of all true holinesse Secondly from her forme of praier Draw me she would teach that the faithful see themselues plunged in some sinne as in a pit out of which they cannot depart without Christ his Spirit draw them Or to be in the case of the cripple which howsoeuer he sate at the beautifull gate of the Temple Act. 3.2 yet he cannot praise God leaping and walking till the precious name of Iesus haue pulled him out of his lamenesse Some lie plunged in vncleannes some in idlenesse some wallow in the dungeon of worldlines some in other euils not onely possessed of euill but also dispossessed of good What kinde of Prayers are these like to make Verily vncleane idle worldly and euill Prayers And the sacrifice of the wicked â—aith Salomon is abhomination to the Lord how much more â—aith hee when hee brings it with a wicked minde As for the faithfull themselues their prayers are euer in this world lame and impotent by reason of spirituall defects insomuch as their prayers finished they see they had need to pray for the forgiuenesse of their prayers defects like vnto the poore
man in the Gospel Marke 9.24 who hauing said I beleeue doth with teares subioyne Lord help that my vnbeliefe Yet howsoeuer their praiers be lame they be true as a lâ—me man though imperfect yet is a true man and therefore no cause of desperation Nay because they are true prayer true sacrifice therefore with all faithfull boldnesse they may offer them vp for were it not there is imperfection at all times in our actions there should not be occasion of alwayes praying Forgiue vs our trespasses c. The trueth of holinesse is begunne in vs but the perfection thereof is laid vp in Christ and therefore still occasioned to desire the perpetuall presence of Christ in whom our perfect happinesse abideth These little beginnings in vs must drawe vnto Christ yea we must feruently begge of him to Draw vs vnto him because our happines lieth not so much in our apprehending of him as in his comprehending of vs. And if the Regenerate haue occasion to cry Draw me the vnregenerate haue ten thousand times more cause to cry roare Drag me pull me c. for none as our Sauior testifieth in Iohn 6.44 can come to Messiah except the Father drawe him So much of the Petition The condition adioyned to the Petition is this We will run after thee Wherein we may obserue first the Persons in the condition secondly the thing it self The persons are two and lie in these two words We and The. The thing it selfe is A willingnesse to runne Touching the persons the smiter of the couenant is the Church the partie with whome the couenant is smit is Christ as if she should say Oh sweete Messiah vouchsafe to draw me neerer vnto thee by the draught of thy spirit and I thy poore Church will follow thee Yea sheâ— changeth the number though not the person saying We will insteede of I will teaching heereby that the whole and euery particular member of the Church is to smite this couenant of obedience A thing vsuall with Dauid specially in the 119 Psal. insomuch as he cannot sometimes be contented with this simple protestation I will but he must adde an oath and sweare verse 106. the keeping of God his righteous iudgements In this forme of speach she seemeth to allude vnto the legall forme of stipulation or couenant smiting where the chiefe of Tribes and â—amiles did seale or subscribe vnto the couenant writing not only for themselues and their Families but also for and in the behoofe of euery particular subiect Nehem. 9.38 and 10.1 the principall of Church and Common-wealth as is the laudable custome of our Parliament so standing for the whole Which further teacheth that in all actions of obedience the heads of the people are to goe before and inferiours are to follow Nay if the heads of the people leade as captaines the feete are not like to stay behinde When Hamor and Shechem his sonne were contented to bee circumcised the cittizens subscribe Gen. 34. When Ierushalem the mother Citie went out to Iohns baptisme then all Iudea and the region round about Iorden did follow And this is as God would haue it But if Ieroboam apostate and runne into euill the multitude of Israel is like to fall after as the diuel would haue it In the next place therefore the Church teacheth that all couenant ought be smit with Christ Iesus The Church and Iesus are Relatiues yea as it is saide of Hippocrates twins the one suffering both suffers the one reioycing both reioyce The Church and Christ are man and woman betrothed and therefore whom will he eye but her and whom can she followe but him The Church and Christ are as King and Subiect Vpon whome will the Kings heart be cast but vpon his Subiect and whom can the Subiect follow but his liege Soueraigne These twoo are as shephâ—ard and sheepe and whome will the shepheard looke after if not after his flocke and whose voice wil the sheep acknowledge but their Shepheards This couple is as Vine and Braunch the first respects the second the second the first In a word Christ and his Church are as Head and Body and for whom liues the Head but for the Bodies good And to whom can or wil the Body liue but to their own proper head This couenant is of heauen hath eternall life thereto entailed al other couenants are of hel draw at their taile condemnation and the second death Touching the couenant it selfe it is a willing running Wherein I now obserue first that the regenerate haue a wil to follow Christ or that their Wil is free to good secondly that the life of a Christian is a running race That the will of the Regenerate is freed to good euen then when the power to performe good is lacking the apostle speaking in the person of the regenerate he testifieth thus To will is present with me but I finde not the meanes to perfect that good that is to worke good as I would And presently after he addeth how this freedome commeth for the law of the spirit of life in Christ Iesus hath freed me from the lawe of sinne and death as if in moe words he had said thus In former time I was wholy captiued by the law of the members but now by a better lawe eâ—â—n by the law of that spirit which liueth in Christ yea and now also in me being ingraffed into Christ I am freed from the tyranny or raigning power of sinne and death So that as the regenerate and true faithfâ—ll ones are in their will and affections freed for to that end appeared Christ namely to loose the works of the diuell 1 Iohn 3.8 so this freedome from euill vnto good it is onely in these that so haue receiued the spirite of Iesus The Infidell the vnregenerate haue Will and that Will euer works Freely but as it can onely act euill for whatsoeuer is not of faith is sinne so it is not onely euill which it works freely The freedome therefore from sin and miserie it is by grace but the freedome that ariseth from necessitiâ— that is which it necessarily hath as it is will it is by Nature For the better vnderstanding hereof do consider that this motion of the minde Will vnder which the Affections are contained it is diuersly considered according to diuerse times The first time is the state of mans Innocencie in paradise before his transgression then Good and Bad was propounded to Mans will and the Will stood inclinable to that which the Mind or Senses first assented vnto For the Mind conceiueth and determineth of things before the Will subscribe freely And the Minde or Senses then were enabled to iudge and determine rightly So that there was in Man Help vnto Good not Infirmitie to Euill In the second place mankinde sinning freely and vnconstrainâ—dly first in neglecting their place and calling secondly in opening eare freely vnto lewd counsell thirdly in eating of the forbidden fruite hereby they
beyond some others fiftly called vs sanctified vs assured vs of a better state Not one particular loue but we should remember for whetting vp our loues againe towards him who first loued vs. As the recordating of oile wheate wine is not only solatious to the Merchant but also causeth him to labour thereafter so would the remembrance of God his seueral loues stirre vs vp with Dauid much more to delight Psal. 4.6 and to labour the more for possessing thereof as the worldling for the enioyment of gold and siluer Pro. 2.3.4.5 But alas wee receiue manie loues and forget them all from which ariseth our cold affection and vntoward deuotion Remember we therefore from whence we are falne and doe we our first workes before the golden candlesticke be taken away by captiuitie as sometimes was Iudah or at best be turned vpside downe and the light of God his worde out out Secondly we may see whence it springeth that peoples memories are so apt to euil but very slippery for retaining good namely because they doe not with the faithfull here dedicate them vnto good but rather vnto things euil euil simply or at best euil in some respect For as a mans hand is readiest in that worke it ordinarily exerciseth euen so is the memory fittest to receiue and recordate such stuffe as it hath beene enured with be it good or bad Wo therefore to such as make their memorie a table-booke of the diuels reckonings for he must pay such their wages wheras it was created for the finger of God to write in as sometimes he did in stony tables Now followeth the whole Righteousnesses do loue thee as if she should say whatsoeuer is righteous in my Minde righteous in my wil Yea whatsoeuer flâ—weth from both as an action of Righteousnesse all loueth thee and thou art beloued of all that Whence followeth first that there is no Righteous sense no righteous affection no righteous action but it is a louer of GOD and Gods friend For as Christ testifieth himselfe to be Trueth because man is enlightned with no truth that is not from Christ who lightens euery man that commeth into the world Iohn 1.9 so the Apostle S. Iohn is bold to say Euery spirit confessing that Iesus Christ is come in the Flesh is of God Now we know that reprobates yea that men really infested with the diuel they can in such fearefull estate say That Iesus Christ is come in the Flesh therefore the diuell or reprobate in such an estate is ouer-ruled and acted by the spirite of Christ Iesus the causer of such truth For if in God we liue mooue and haue our being Acts. 17.28 then no tongue for speaking nor hand for working doeth mooue but it moues in God and in mouing rightly it moueth in Gods mercy but moouing otherwise it mooueth in iudgement Boldely therefore may all faithfull-ones conclude that all Righteousnesse is of God and therefore all Right things must loue him Nay they cannot but loue him seeing they are al sparkles of that infinit light and effects of that most blessed Cause of Causes which is Himselfe Secondly it followeth that all Vnrighteousnesses euen euerie particular braunch thereof it is an Enemie to God And no maruell because it is not of God but of the diuel Iohn 8.44.1 Iohn 3.8 who was a lier from the beginning and an opposer vnto Iustice. Whatsoeuer therefore is an error in sense an error in affection an errour in action it is of the diuel and an enemie to God The consideration whereof should mooue all first to nourish euery part of Iustice because it is our Kings friend but secondly to mortifie and kill euery particular vnrighteousnes because it is a Traitour to our King yea a snake in our bosome bred otherwise for our owne destruction calling for fire and brimstone as somtimes vpon the Pentapole-citties Sodome Gomorrha Zeboim Admah and Zoar bleating in the eares of our righteous Iudge as Sauls fatlings in the â—ares of Samuel calling for fire vpon the new world as of erst it cryed for waters to the drowning of the olde world Howsoeuer we cannot chuse but Iniquity will as an vnseperable accident in this life dwell in vs yet let vs labour that sinne Rom. 6.12 doe not raigne in vs yea let vs endeuour with all our soule with all our minde and with all our might that the spirite of righteousnesse may sit in the chaire of our conscience who quickely shall enable vs to treade Satan vnder Lect. VI. Verse 4. I am blacke and to be desired O daughters of Ierushalem as the Tents of Kedar as the curtaines of Salomon Verse 5. Do not respect me c. NOw we see an Apostrophe or auersion of speech from the beloued and an heedelesse care of preoccupating a notable obiection which the Daughters of Ierushalem might frame here thus how darest thou being but a blacke hued Virgine to suite and supplicate to such a beauteous sweete King as is Messiah c. Hereto she answereth first by Concession I am blacke secondly by Refutation but to bee desired c. For the better vnderstanding wherof it must be ay remembred that as vnder the person Salomon Christ is intended so vnder the person of Pharaohs daughter matched with Salomon is the Church of Gentiles figured And so the controuersie heere to be betweene the Sinagogue of the Iews and the faithful of the Gentiles alluding vnto that which the Inhabitants of Ierushalem might somtimes obiect against the Aegyptian Lady brought out of that hote Clime vnto Iudeah and Salomons court I am not ignorant that some otherwise worthy much reuerence haue herein contradicted the Ancients and peremptorily affirme that that marriage of Salomon with Pharaohs daughter it could not be a figure and why Because say they Salomon sinned in so marrying and to this end they alleadge Exod. 34.16 I answere first it followeth not that because it is euill therefore no figure Hagar and her Ismael were but an euill couple yet saint Paul maketh them a figure in their generation Galat. 4.22 c. Sodome Aegipt Babylon accursed places yet figures Obiect Euil things may be figure of euill things but not of good Answer Yes of good Hagar figured the old Testament and his workes and both good Galat. 4.24 Rom. 7.7.12 Cyrus was an vncircumcised Gouernour and yet Meshicho his euen Iebouahs annoynted and a figure of Messiah in conquering the aduersary and freeing his people Isa. 44.18 45.1 c. Secondly the Iewes were not forbidden simply all marriage with the Gentiles but to beware of al such marriage as might draw them to Idolatry Idolatrie preuented and this was done when any were contented to make themselues Israelites or Iewes Exod. 12.28 Deut. 21.12.13 Hester 8.17 And like enough that Pharaohs Daughter learned that lesson Psal. 45.10.11 then marriage might lawfully be attempted Thirdly they were forbid marriage with no other Gentiles so much as with these that Canaan euomited And vnto them the
innocencie to the very death Iob 27.3 4 5 6. howsoeuer in some other things and respects our owne mouth shall condemne vs and our owne garments make vs filthy Iob 9.20.30 31. For to make euill good and good euill it is the worke of the diuel and the building of Babel a Tower of confusion Touching the comparison drawne from Kedars tents and Salomons curtaines it may well be conceiued that shee vnderstandeth both of them to be amiable and loue-some For Salomons curtaines none doubts it but else for Kedars tents diuerse take them to be a demonstration of her blackenesse as the other of her comlinesse and this is their reason the Kedarites dwelt in tents and open fieldes where all was exposed to the parching Sunne therefore more like to set forth her blackenesse True it is that they dwelt in tents pitched in the desart exposed to Sunne and all other weather Yet take this withall it was Arabiaes desart and they were very rich and glorious For this doe consider these places Ezek. 27.21 Ier. 49.28.29 Isa. 21.13.16.17 besides humane histories who largely treate of the excellent precious things of Arabia deserta and of the plenty thereof Solinus Polyhistor feareth not to say Aliena non emunt vendunt sua They buy not of others but sell to others All which weighed I rather thinke that besides blackenesse matter of desire is also vnderstood q.d. True I am blacke as Kedars tents yet is there in mee precious things for the which I am to be desired euen as Kedars tents haue beene desired not for their outward hue but for the precious gemmes gold and pleasant odours that be couched in them Arabia looked rudely yet by searching it regularly there was to be found precious stones excellent odours c. Yea in it was the Phoenix If so God created such a creature as is onely Male or onely Female or else an Hermaphrodite who because she is euer but One might also well resemble Messiahs Church who after in this Song is saide to be Alone Who may with the Phoenix be burned when she hath finished her testimonie but else out of her ashes ariseth a new seede like vnto Dauid and Christ at first A Worme and no Man which holdeth out the former testimonie through the worlds-desart worse then that of Arabia But to passe by that let vs here learne not to iudge peremptorily vpon outward appearance For if the Naturian could say truely Wisedome oftentimes is couered with a base garment wee may much more say by spirituall Canon that as Christ in outward appeerance had neither forme nor beautie Isa. 53.2 and yet were couched in him all the treasures of wisedome and knowledge Coloss. 2.3 euen so it befalleth his Church and members thereof namely to be oftentimes lacking in the externall appearance and yet otherwise all glorious within for which our Salomon taketh pleasure in her Psal. 45.11.13 And indeede this Kings daughter is rather glorious within then without howsoeuer Papist and Brownist would haue vs to measure it rather by outward appearance the first by player-like paintings the second by supposed Saintings Besides hir egreging the same by allusion to Salomons curtaines which in all probability must be passing worthy answereable to the rest of his glory she teacheth that the graces of Christ Iesus in his Church they exceede all ordinary glory Yea that the gifts of Messiahs spirit they are the Tabernacles curtaines the deckings of the Church the Couert ouer Salomon-Messiah represented by the Douish wings couering Iesus at his baptisme Luke 3.22 Lastly seeing neither the glory of Kedars tent nor Salomons Bed could be discerned otherwise then darkely till the curtaines and vailes were remooued it may put vs in minde of Messiah and the excellent things of his spirit which vnder sacramentall signes and shadowes lie couched darkely yet neuerthelesse by the eye of the soule a beleeuing minde are truely discerned And from hence groweth this diuine axiome The law a shadow the Gospel an Image the substance in heauen For as Ambrose could well say The Emperour being absent his Image hath authoritie but being present it hath none Lect. VII Verse 5. Respect me not because I am blacke for the Sunne hath looked vppon me The Sonnes of my mother haue fumed against me They put mee for a keeper of the Vines My Vine which was to me I haue not kept THe Church of the Gentiles vnto the Synagogue of the Iewes doth herein offer vp first a Petition and then secondly a reason of her Petition The Petition is this Regarde me not because I am blacke q.d. Let not my blacke hew be so much in your eie let not my swart colour be a cause why therfore yee should condemne me wholy and conclude me vtterly vnfitte for Messiah Where wee may obserue not onely her aduersaries forme of Argumentation which was from a parte to the whole from the Accident to the Subiect and so reason our aduersaries The Part is euill therefore the Whole is euill The Accident is discommendable therefore also the Subiect but also we may note the Churches humility euen in her innocencie Shee knoweth her cause to be good and her aduersaries to be bad yet she fretteth not railes not but in all holie meeknesse doth petitionate and humblie intreate her aduerse Sister to iudge rightly of hir Such humility was in Iob being falsly charged by his kinsfolkes such humilitie was in Abraham towardes Lot when Lot should rather haue supplicated to his vnckle his Elder the great father of the promise sealed vp to the Gentiles As Loue wil couer a multitude of transgressious specialy in zealous Brethren so the Soule that is humbled in the owne eies it will not stand vpon these tearmes I am Elder I am Better I haue the better cause c. but for edification sake where hope of edification is not barred vp it will cause a soule to vse soft words to desire reconciliation Yea for maintaining and procuring peace it will cause good Iaakob to present giftes and sweetely to salute Esau. Follow Peace we ought not it to follow vs and that with all men specially with the houshold of Faith Nor can this be followed if wee follow not the meanes Flie from meeke and soft termes flie from intreaties flie from humble gestures and then Peace will flie Vnity will not be Anger will rise Enuy will enter Wrath and Fury will set all the house on fire Thus wee see how Pride is enemy to Peace but Humilitie an appeaser of Wrath a quencher of Enuy a mother to peace and sacred vnion The reason of her Petition lieth in the other part of the Verse and that is drawen from the cause of her Blackenesse And that cause is two-folde the first is externall the second internall The externall cause of her blackenesse is first the Sunne secondly her mothers sonnes inforcing her to forraine workes The internall cause is her owne negligence in not keeping her owne
a sufficient rule but then we must haue in vs the inward oyntment as Iohn termeth it 1. Ep. 2.27 that is his Spirit for leading vs into all truth or else in seeing we perceiue not and hearing wee vnderstand not To this purpose excellent is that saying of Barnard With what spirit the scriptures were writ they couet to be read and with the same spirit to be vnderstood For thou shalt neuer enter the sense of Paul till by vse of good intention in reading of him and by study of continuall meditation thou haue drunke in his spirit Thou shalt neuer vnderstand Dauid till by experience it selfe thou haue put vpon thee the very affections of the Psalmes Whereto I will adde that of Chrysostomes Riuall As all men see this corporall heauen but yet beholde not God inhabiting therein so al men reade the scriptures diuine but notwithstanding all vnderstand not that the God of truth is placed in the scriptures but onely such a one as hath beene baptized to the receiuing of the holy-ghost Nor doth this condemne but commend the scriptures heauenlinesse who will not be vnderstood but of such as haue receiued the spirit that is of heauen nor any vision had from thence till the Lambe Christ Iesus haue vnsealed it Reu. 5. for no other is worthy so much as to touch the letter ceremony or outside Naturall Wit will serue for naturall Writ but the diuine writings of God will not stoope to the naturall spirit of Man The naturall man saith Paul perceiueth not the things of the spirit of God for they are foolishnesse vnto him neither can he know them because they are spiritually discerned but he that is spirituall discerneth all things Thus from scripture and ancient Churches consent it plainely appeareth that for seeing the Old way the Good-way wherein the Patriarches Prophets Apostles haue walked it is absolutely necessarie that euery soule doe vnto the scriptures bring the spirit of the scriptures that is for vnderstanding the word of God they are to bring the holy spirit of God For wisdome will be iustified of her children None of the wicked shall haue vnderstanding but the wise shall vnderstand Lect. XI And feede thy Kids aboue the tents of the Shepheards THe Direction so giuen vnto her for the way she is to walke in now followeth the Direction shee hath for feeding of her yong-ones The yong-ones are here termed Gedijoth of Gedj vsually turned a Kidde or a yong Goat Rabbj Dauid Kimchi saith as Pagnine noteth in the roote Gádáh that it signifieth also a Lambe I take it to be indifferently any yong-one of the flockes as Pullus in Latine is any yong one of Beasts or Birds So I conceiue from the adiunct it hath in Genes 28.20 where it is Gedj Hà gnizijm a Kid of the goates that is a yong one of the goates the distinction so made by Gniz a Goate left any should doubt what kinde of yong one it was And this distinction is also well obserued of Ãbben-ezra hereon Euen as the Latines ioyne the word sheepe or Goate c. with pullus when they would haue vs to vnderstand the particular kinde they speake of Now in this place it must be considered what flocke he speaks of and then it may be knowne whether Lambs or Kids be entended The word flockes Gnèderéi in the sixt verse it is a generall word The word flocke Tsòn in this verse it is also a generall word for Cattle and so neither of them particulate any one kinde Afterwards in this Song the Church hath once some assimilation with sheepe but sundry times with goates I see not so how to tie it in this place to the one rather then the other but if it may I would rather take the word Kidde Yet seeing it seemeth indifferent we will make vse of both First wee may hence obserue the Lord his tender care ouer yong-ones who would not onely haue the Parents to come but also would haue the yoong tender sucklings to be brought vnto him The Catabaptists herein are hard-hearted debarring Infants a place in the Church denying them the entring-sacrament of the Church why because they are Kiddes because they are vncleane till they be cleansed by actuall faith in the sight of the Church True if they be considered in themselues they are yong Goates conceiued and borne in sinne and so were all the Male-children circumcised vnder the law but what then therefore not to be baptized It followeth as well therefore Abrahams Males not to be circumcised Obiection There was a commandement for that so not for this Answere It being once commaunded that they should be sealed that seale remaineth theirs tâ—ll a commandement be giuen to the contrary If once they had that mercy then alwayes that mercie except Christ came to lessen former mercy which to affirme were blasphemie Obiection But Circumcision that seale is abolished Answere It is abolished for the outward signe the foreskinnes cutting but the matter of that sacrament Christs blood purging vs from sinne mortifying the old man liuing in the new man that is still abiding hauing an easier signe namely Water adioyned thereto euen as the Paschall supper hath the Lords supper come in his place the signe changed but the matter our foode and strength in Christ continued We can shew that children are once receiued in let them shewe when they can that children were cast out Obiection Baptisme is the seale of that righteousnes that is by faith therefore childâ—en vnpossessed of actuall faith not to be baptized Answere So Circumcision Rom. 4.11 was the seale of that righteousnesse which was by faith doth it also follow Children therefore not to be circumcised Foolish spirits Children had circumcision not in respect of actuall faith in them but in respect of actuall faith in the Church of whom they were borne or for some were strangers in respect they were vnder the Churches gouernement as Abrahams males freeborne and strangers in his house vnder him were circumcised not by vertue of their actuall faith in the promise but rather for that they were counted branches of his tree for he belieued God and it was counted to him for Righteousnesse Which equitie once established it continueth much more vnder the Gospel And to put it out of all doubt our Sauiour in Marke 10.14 affirmeth of Infants that such were of the kingdome of God and therefore an errour in his Disciples to keep them backe from the blessing which appertaineth to the seede of the Church seeing all such to vs are borne within the Couenant of grace for so the Lord said I am thy God and the God of thy seede If as the Apostle speaketh in Rom. 11.16 the first fruits be holy so is the lumpe if the roote be holy so are the branches that is to vs holy in respect of the Couenant as also in 1. Cor. 7.14 Where the Childe of the Belieuer be Father or Mother the belieuer is
15.14 And his commaundement to the ministerie in the person of S. Peter is Feede my lambes and twice feede my sheepe Iohn 21.15.16.17 And to the whole body he commaundeth the duty of edifying communication Ephes. 4.29 of ministring the holy gift one to another as good disposers of the manifolde grace of God exhort and watch one ouer an other continualy So doing we receiue the commendation not only of frends but of felow-friends in the pasâ—orall worke of saluation Touching the Comparison and first with that which dooâ—h touch her present estate wherin she is compared to Chariot horses in 2. Kin. 2. Elisha seeing his Maister Elijah assumed and rapt in a whirle-winde of a fiery chariot and fiery horses he cryeth out my father my father the Chariot of Israel and the horsemen thereof as if he shoulde say In loosing of thee Oh fatherly Prophet we loose the Chariot and Horsemen of Israel the verie strength of the battell This terme it seemeth was in that age so commonly giuen to true Prophets as Ioash King of Israel affords it to Elisha on his death-bed And Zechariah long after in a vision chap. 1.8.10 seeth them to be Horsemen euen as Iohn afterwards in Reuelat. 6.2 compared with Psal. 45.4.5 doth see Messiah their Leader mounted vpon the word of truth which Messiah hee afterwards in chap. 19.14 doth see accompanied with all the warriors in heauen that is the faithfull in the church and all mounted vpon horses From which places we may perceiue the strength and speedinesse of Ministers and their faithful Hearers The true Ministers of God they are the strength of the Church as Elijah and Elisha the strength of Israel As for the faithfull people they are the strength of the worlde Where Vision failes the people doe perish as when Moses was in the Mount Israel fell to Idolatrie in the vallies When the Church is remooued the world is adiudged euen as when the eight soules were closed in the darke and Lot with his Three got forth of the Citty the world was drowned and Sodome burned As the Prophets of God are the strength of the Church so the Church it selfe is as Ailas shoulders the very pillars of the world The first must teach the Church to make much of her Teachers the second must enforme Sodome to leaue grieuing of Lot I mean it must teach the world to make much of the Church Otherwise they shall at last learne that the departure of Iaakob is the losse of Labans thrift Besides the faithfull Preachers and Hearers must learne that as they are called to be strong yea pillars for strength the first Epistle of S. Paul to the Corinthians the sixteenth Chap. and thirteenth verse Galat. the second Chapter and ninth verse so to be speedie 1. Cor. Chapter nine verse foure and twentie for cursed saith Ieremy are they that doe the worke of the Lorde negligently Secondly marke the speach of our Salomon My horses in the Chariots of Pharaoh the Palfries His the Chariot Pharaohs What is this but that the spirit of Strength and Speede it is Christs and the vntoward flesh which is to be drawne by the same druine Spirit it is of the world and the very Chariot of Satan Soule and body as wheeles and axeltree do runne which way the diuel driueth till the stronger man Iesus haue freed our Chariot-nature from that power of Hell and so with all doth ioyne himselfe by his owne spirit vnto our nature that so with Ezekiels Chariot it may goe forth and returne as his diuine Spirite instincteth Then Pharaohs Chariot Satans throne it goeth a new way and serueth a new maister As Simon the Pharise though cleansed is called Leper because once a Leper so our degenerate Nature because once the captiue of hellish Pharaoh slâ—uish Sin it may be termed Sinnes Coach Yea so much the rather as here in the strongest draught of Christs spirit Sinne is still a troubler of our Israel sin still pulleth backe and is pursuing vs as Pharaoh with his Chariots pursued Israel for leading vs captiue backe againe to the ten times plagued Aegypt But ten times happie wee who euen here haue the holy spirit of strength and celeritie to draw vs towards Canaan the Land of Rest Pharaoh and his horses shall drowne in the red sea when the Piller and Cloude shall bring the Elect into the land of promise The Churches strength and celeritie so laid downe now followeth her beauty first in respect of her cheekes secondly of her necke The Cheekes are compared with his palfries reines stretched downâ— the iawes rainged with precious stones her necke is assimilated to the collers or chaines of his steeds and such had Midians Cammels on their neckes Iudg. 8.26 Touching the first if thereby were entended only hir cheekes I would conclude that chiefly thereby were meant her spirituall complexion amiable in the eyes of Messiah but seeing the word Lèchájáik is properly Thy Iawes I take it hee rather intends the mouth bridled and kept backe from riotous speach A lesson taught by Saint Iames in Ch. 1.19 when he saith Be slow to speake And the person that can bridle his tongue is by him in Ch. 3.2 called Téleios anér a consummate or perfect man A lesson learned of Dauid in Ps. 39.1 when he writes I haue said I will keep my wayes from sinning in my tongue I will keepe my mouth bridled whiles the wicked is with me And this was the lesson that Pambo a simple vnlearned man desired to learne and to that end meditated on this speach of Dauid whole nineteene yeares as Socrates the Schooleman recordeth Nor maruell at it for if he that can bridle his speach be a Perfect man and if the gift and grace of so guiding the Iawes bee compared to rainges of precious stones it must necessarily be an hard thing to obtaine seeing excellent things are not easily attained And this grace lacking marke what the Apostle Iames saith Toú tou mátaios hê thrêskeia This Mans Religion or worship is in vaine For the second part of her comlines it is her necke chained These Chaines I take to be only the sacred laws of God legall and Euangelicall It was but one Chaine to the furnishing of Israel in Ezek. 16.11 but here vnto the new testaments church it is chaines The Sinagogues chaine is expressed by the word Rábid simply a Chaine or ornament but this churches Chaine is expressed by the woorde Chárûs which signifieth rather a Chaine of pearle or precious stone Looke how one lincke is wreathed in another so is one law clasped with the other and as many pearles are drawen vpon one threed for making of one Chaine so are many precious promises compared by our Sauiour to Pearle continued in one by the draught of one and the same diuine spirit All which vnity of law and Gospel should teach vs to be at vnitie therewith as also one with an other At vnitie with the commaundements of
thou turne her away from thee And to this end the Church hath vsed such scriptures as doe exhort to tendernesse to compassion and readinesse of forgiuing one another propounding also the Lords practise in Ier. 3.1 where the Lord propoundeth the state of his people generally to be no better then hers who hath played the harlot with many louers and yet notwithstanding hee offereth a renuall of his husbandlike loue vpon their penitencie and returning And what better president can we haue of our loue and tendernes one towards another then of God his loue and tendeâ—nesse towards vs For Apolúô vsed in Math. 5.32 19.8 signifieth at least somuch as the simple Lúô in 1. Cor. 7.27 which is to loose or vnbinde So that it is to be turned properly thus Who so vnlooseth his Wife except c euen as in the other place art thou loosed from a Wife The Latine word Soluo not Dimitto doth expresse it aptly That Apolú◠doth signifie an absolute loosing or vntying of a thing see further in Luke 2.29 Nún apolúeis tòn doúlón Now thou loosest thy seruant namelie by death and the vse of Luô in Math. 21.2 Mark 11.2.4 Luke 19.30 31 33 where the Disciples loose the colt As also in Iohn 11.44 where Lazarus is loosed not to point to other places ¶ Touching absolute Diuorce it is not deemed here expedient to discourse For the Ministers of the Church they may be assimilated to Doues not onely for the simplicitie and continencie of naturall and spirituall eyes wherein they are called to goe betweene others as also because they should be freer from gall and fretting bitternesse as Doues be rather then other birdes but further for that with the Syrian and Aegyptian doues they bee called to hold out and carrie forth the letters of God his written word all being as the Epistles which Christ by S. Iohn did send to the churches of Asia-minor betweene church and church for premonishing dangers for directing the Saintes in all businesses during the conflict they haue here with the Deuil the worlde and Flesh. But as it befalleth the poore Doue in her flight that sometimes for the letters sake is aymed at of the enemie and somtimes shot thorow euen so it bendeth these church-doues which Christ sends foorth with his word Not only be they continually aymed at but also by the dartes of wicked men smitte thorowe not so much because they hate the men as their mâ—nâ—stration the message of God committed vnto them Buâ— this must not be wondred at seeing so they dealt with the Lord of life before vs. So much for the commendations giuen by Christ. Now foloweth the praise which the church returneth Lect. XVI My welbeloued behold thou art faire and pleasant THE Church herein laboureth to expresse the conceit she hath of her Messiahs feature And this she doth first by returning backe the word Iapheh faire vnto him as if shee should say I am Iaphah but that falleth out because thou first art Iapheh my fairenesse springs out of thee who art indeed the fountaine of spirituall beautie Thus Christ commendeth his grace in her and she praiseth him for the cause of that grace Such are the amiable speeches that intervene betwixt Christ and the faithful But here the church stayeth not for she addeth another Epithete of loue saying Thou art Nagnim turned of the Greekes hôraios which implieth the very Spring or flowre of beauty a terme farre beyond the former Whereby appeareth that there is in him a greater measure of beautie then is powred vpon the church And this falleth out because he hath receued the spirit beyond measure we in measure he is God infinite we mankind finite And all in Him must bee considered for surpassing beauteous as a flowre in the spring or budding is of more repute then in the full ripe-time For in the first is an expectation of beauties-growth but in the second of beauties consumption or Autumne But because we should be so neerely couered with his beauteous shine as may be his God-head hath assumed our Manhood and to it he hath wedded himselfe for euer Whether our vessell receiue more or lesse of his diuine beames of his budding beautie springing feature wee are Christs and Christ is Gods things present and thinges to come they are all ours God make vs thankfull Eyther of them hauing praised each other in seuerall speeches in the next place they ioyne heart and hand and with one voyce ioyntly they thus shutte vp the first section of their diuine Song singing Yea our Bedis greene The beams of our houses be Cedars our Galleries of Fyrre GRegorius Magnus doth so distinguish the sentences and respecting the matter I cannot disallowe it This ioynt-speach containes a glorious report first of the place of spiritual conception secondly of spirituall education The place of conception lieth in these words Our Bed is greene wherin by Bed the place of conception affirmed to be Greene is intended the churches fruitfulnes by conuersing with the spirit of Iesus by whose ouer-shadowing a spirituall seed is begotten Alluding herein to a greene florishing tree which either hath fruit vpon it or at least ministreth hope of fruit in due season bicause such greenenesse is a testimony of a vegetatiâ—e spirit or life within it In the first Psalme a blessed man is therfore compared to a tree whose lease is greene and whose fruit appeareth in due season but here the fruite is not so much the liuelines of faith for bringing forth good workes as the fertilitie of children that is of spirituall sons and daughters arising from the wombe of the Church specially of the Gentiles The Euangelicall prophet seeing this it causeth him to crie out The desolate hath moe children then the married wife adding because of the multitude Enlarge the place of thy tents let them spread out the curtaines of thy habitations And in another place after he crieth by way of admiration who hath heard such a thing who hath seene such things Shall the earth be brought forth in one day Or shall a nation be borne at once For so soone as Zion trauailed shee brought forth her children that is the Sinagogue brought forth the Church For this lumpe followeth the naturall birth of the first fruites Iesus vpon the blessed virgine whereof the Prophet spoke in the next verse before saying Before shee trauailed shee brought forth and before her paine came she was deliuered of a man childe This spirituall encrease of faithfull it is not in the virgin-church without the holy-ghost ouershadow and for that it is here said not My Bed but Our Bed that is the vnion of Christ and his Church is cause of such perpetuall greenenesse and fâ—uitefulnesse Christ by his Spirit is Agent the Church in her senses and affections is Patient he soweth the Seede of his word she as ground receiueth the word into the middest of her heart Thus betweene them both spirituall sonnes
good cause it is now necessary that offences be but woe vnto them by whom the offences be It were better for them that a mil-stone first had beene hanged about their neckes and they throwne into the sâ—â— rather then they should grow to offend these little ones In the meane time seeing it will be no better let vs as Dauid speaketh be defensed with yron for hedging mittens and with the shaft of a speare as with an hedging bill an heroicall and patient spirit and so we may touch them till God burne them So farre Messiahs speach first touching himselfe secondly his Church Now to the Churches Speach Lect. III. Verse 3 As the Apple-tree among the trees of the Forrest so is my Welbeloued among the sonnes of men In his shadow had I delight and sate downe and his fruit was pleasant to my pallate NOw beginneth the Church her speach in this second Act of our diuine Song Much shee speaketh ere she ceaseth whereof in his place In this verse she setteth Christ out as an apple tree in the Forrest pleasantly shadowed and fruited euen beyond all the trees of the Forrest For the better vnderstanding whereof I consider first what the tree is which is here spoken of secondly the place it groweth in thirdly the person resembled by this tree fourthly the persons resembled to the place of this trees growth Which comparison first laid open then in the second place I consider the comfortable adiuncts which the Church deriueth from this tree so planted in the Forrest The tree so compared is Tappûach expounded in Greeke by Meléa in the Latine Malus I doe not thinke of Malum Euill though euill came into the world by eating of Malum an apple but of Malâ— quasimagis volo in English I had leiuer or I more will or desire bicause it is passing pleasing to nature and of many fruites nature more wills and desires it For as the Latine tongue was before Latines were acquainted with Adams maner of fall so it â—ather seemeth to haue the terme Malum for that it is a fruit which mankinde much desireth and delights in Here by the way it may be demanded nay some doe demand it how any one knowes that the fruit which Adam did eat was an Apple rather then a Peare a Lymon or a Pomegranate a Figge or such like sâ—eing the scripture onely termes it by the generall terme Fruite I answere if any one by the terme Apple doe vnderstand onely that one fruit which our English language so calleth he speaketh very vncertainely and not sufficiently probable seeing there be some other fruites farre more pleasing to the eye and Heuahs eye was notably delighted with the sight of that forbidden fruit But the Ancients haue vsed the terme indifferently for any trees fruit that was pleasing to sight and taste specially such fruites as bee of round fashion as Malum Hespericum an Orainge Malum Punicum a Pomegranate Malum limonium a Lymon c. And if the Hebrue word should happily be compounded of Tau and Piach nor see I but it may then I would thinke that Adams forbid fruit-tree was this kinde of Apple-tree Tau is a Signe â—iach is Ashes because the sight of the tree should put man in minde of becomming Ashes by eating of it Nor lets it but Iesus may vndergoe the name of that particular apple tree so well as he vndergoes the name of the Serpent But of the serpent lift vp not put downe with sting but he without sting So he may be termed the tree of knowing good and euill as by his good hee hath cured our euill knowing and feeling our euill vppon him that so by his goodnesse he mightfully abolish euill Though indeede first of all he was rather figured by the tree of life then growing in midst of the Garden This of that apple tree but as by the way for the apple tree here mentioned it appeareth by some after-circumstances that it is a tree of spreading nature bringing forth fruite not onely pleasant in taste but so strong vnto the sense of smelling as thereby a quickning power is conuaid into a feeble weakened body This of the tree For theâ—place of this peculiar apple tree his growth it is amongst the trees of the Forrest amongst wilde trees mossebegrowne trees trees that bring not forth meate for men but maste for hogges For the person assimilated to the apple-tree it is Christ Iesus the Churches Beloued from whom wee deriue life health and euery sauing grace of the spirit The persons resembled by the Forrest-trees they are here termed in the originall Sonnes not Sonnes of men Yet the matter well heeded that adiunct of men is well added in a distinct letter Shee considers her Welbeloued Iesus here not exalted but humbled not sitting in the heauens but pitching his tabernacle amongst men And therefore past all doubt that here he iâ— not compared with the Angels to whom in this state hee was somewhat inferiour Heb. 2.7 but with the sonnes of men euen as the Church before was conferred with the daughters of men These things remembred let vs see what is inferred As an Apple-tree amidst the Forrest trees so is Christ amidst the sonnes of men Wherein like first for being oppressed though not suppressed secondly for being comfortable to the poore passenger For the first it was expressed in his comparison with the Rose of Sharon and the Lilly of the vallies Thereto the Church subscribeth plainely affirming that it comes to passe by the sonnes of men He came to his owne and his owne receiued him not He was in the world and the world knew him not The light shone in darkenesse but the darkenesse comprehended it not Nay asmuch as in them was they laboured to quench the light The trees of the Forrest Iothams bramble and all doe inuiron him The canker-fret sonnes of Adam flocke about him These that brought forth fruites beseeming hogges that wallow in their owne filth they despise him for his good workes and take vp stones to cast at him Ioh. 5.59 whose dayly fury was such as it caused him at another time to crie out Many good workes haue I shewed you from my Father for which of these doe ye stone me Nor would they be quiet till they had pulled this tree vnder foote but it rose againe the third day and so their second error in not yet belieuing but slandering his resurrection it was worse then the former The second thing is the comfort which an apple-tree bringeth to a person voyaging through a groue and which Christ Iesus administreth vnto a wearied soule trauailing amidst these sory sonnes of Adam the wicked world And this comfort is laid downe in two particulars first in shadowing such a soule secondly in feeding it A shadowe is a kind of darknesse caused by some grose body detaining the Lights shine Some expert Naturians haue borne the world in hand that by certaine darke shaddowes collected in
is in the Catholike Church so compared in Matt. 13.38 for that the Children of the newe Kingdome are no more bounded vp in Canaan but growing in all nations And these kinde of Ministers haue commission to preach to these nations Who in one word are the Apostles and all such as the Lord vseth in that glorious ministration These are they who stand witnesses of the sacred othes ecclesiasticall and ciuil which by the Gentiles haue bin administred vnto the Iewish nation attending amongst them whether baptized or vnbaptized and that for their peaceable demeanor towards Christ and his church till it please him otherwise to awake for their general calling But ere I come to compare them with the Roe and Hinde let me dissolue one doubt May any Ministers after the first Apostles Euangelists and Prophets be saide to succeed them in that Ministery Many say no but I say yea For the approbation whereof let vs first consider what their Ministerie was secondly whether in the iudgement of ancient and Moderne Writers any haue succeeded in that ministerie And the rather because the blind Doctor of Brownisme doth terme such Ministers Iudes wandring starres like as they in print haue affirmed Mr. H. I. to haue a Seared conscience both which are termes only of finall reprobation I wonder what reuelation they haue had of our reprobation finall The ministerie of the Apostles Euangelists and Prophets were different in respect of forme in outward calling for Apostles had their calling immediatly from Christ. Euangelists immediately from the Apostles to whom they were Deacons in English Ministers the Prophets or new Testaments interpreters they had their calling immediately from the Church of Christ wherein they had receiued the faith But in the substance of their ministerie they were one and the same All of them were ordinarily employed in preaching Christ in gathering and planting the Churches As for the working of myracles necessarie the first preaching of Christ they all were endued therewith when so the spirit of Iesus deemed it necessarie The guift of myracles was not alwayes in their power as the guift of preaching was but only vpon extraordinarie occasion accompanied their preaching All these three Apostle Euangelist Prophet do differ in respect of some accident in their calling but for their worke they wrought gathering vnto Christ they accord all of them preaching and planting the faith they preached Apostles principall because their calling was immediately as Paul speaketh in Galat. 1.1 12. not of man but of God Euangelists in the neâ—t place because called immediately by the most excellent men of God namely the Apostles Such were Luke Marke Timothie Titus c. attending the Apostles as largely appeareth in their Acts and some of Pauls Epistles Prophets were the most inferiour of the three because their calling was immediately deriued from others of the churches lesse excellent than the former Of this number were diuers in the church of Antiochia in Act. 13. â— Of which sundry after were promooued to an higher degree as Barâ—abas and Saul seperated by the spirit of Christ to the Apostleship vers 2 3. And Iudas and Silas to attend the Apostles Act. 15 27.3â— The Apostle Paul in â—â—â—es 4. layeth downe the worke of Christes ministery to be this â— For the gathering together of the Saints for the worke of the ministerie thâ—t is for the building vp of â—he body of Christ. The worke of the ministâ—â—â—e so standeth in these two things first in Gathering the Church secondly in Building it so gathered For these two purposes he hath giuen two sorts of Ministers first Apostles prophets and Euangelists Secondly Pastors and Doctors The three first for gathering the latter for building the Gathered Which causeth Maâ—ster Beza well to say that pastors and Doctors properly doe not build but properly do proceed in a Church already builded by building vnderstanding Planting or Estâ—blishing and by proceeding he meaneth edifying or building forward the worke whose ground worke is already laide In planting or establishing the Church which Maister Beza termeth Building The Apostles were Maister-builders or planters 1. Cor. 3.6.9 10. The Euangelists and Prophets helped as seruants For Pastors and Doctors they had their calling to particular Churches already plantâ—d wherto they were tied for building vppon the foundation there alreadie layde which well may be termed a proceeding in the worke The first three ufnctions might performe the duties of the latter because they were greater but the latter could not meddle with the work of the former three For the lesser offices are contained in the greater as particulars in the vniuersall but not the Greater in the lesser no more than a Generall in a speciall And hereupon it is that the Apostles the greatest function did euer in the first place execute all the inferiour duties euen of collecting and distributing the almes appertaining to the Deacon Who when they had sufficiently enformed the châ—rches of all things did ordaine vnto them Presbyters and Deacons for proceeding in the house of God already planted This distinction of Gathering and Building or of Building and Proceeding in the worke-builded it well remembred how easie then shall it be in the next place to finde foorth a ministerie which succeedeth the Apostles Euangelists and Prophets A ministerie one with them and not for seperable accidents which consisted in extraordinary reuelations and operations but for the Essence and Substance of their ministrie What was the substance of their ministrie but a Gathering of the elect by preaching of the scriptures sealing them vp in the Sacraments which word and sacraments they incommended to the Churches in their peculiar standing-ministrie The ministrie of Pastors and Doctors oâ— of Priests and Deacons is the same for substance with that of Peter Iames Iohn the Apostles of Marke Luke Timothie Euangelists of Iudas and Silas the Prophets Onely they differ in this that the one sorte are tied to no one particular people for that they are Gatherers the other are tied to a particular worke already to their hand gathered If we finde some ministry who besides the Gospel and Sacraments administration shall with the Apostles be vntied to any one particular Church yea that besides are found Gaâ—herers of people out of Babels mixture into Ierushalems vnitie and order shall wee not truely say they succeedâ— the Apostles But first let vs see whether the scriptures teach that such a ministrie should sâ—cceede the former secondly whether experience prooue that such a ministrie hath succeeded In the fourth of the Ephes. when in the eleuenth verse is repeated the ministers which Christ vseth and in the twelfth verse the worke of gathering and building wherein they should be vsed then in the thirteâ—ne verse is laide downe the time How long they shall be so vsed in these words Tâ—ll wee all meete together in the vnitie of faith c. that is to say in plainer and fuller speach That ministrie is to be vsed for gathering and
same place Whereto against the heart of Romanists I will adde that of Eckius Nor verely thinke I saith he that Christ speaketh here in Math. 7.25 of prophets telling future things by the holy spirit but rather that by Prophet he vnderstands an Expositour of holy scripture which whoso doe well vnfold they are termed good prophets but handling them badly and falsely are denominate Pseudo-prophets And that such expositours of scripture are termed Prophets it is sufficiently plâ—ine vnto vs from Paul who witnesseth that Christ gaue some to be Apostles some Prophets c. confirming the terme also from the 1. Cor. 14. Which well remembred how can they falt vs for terming Luther Tindall Husse Sauanarolâ— and all such the true Prophets of God sent of God not of their Church for calling forth people to the building vp of Ierushalems walls Whersom say of such that they were extraordinarie ministers I answer first there was nothing extraordinary in their ministrie seing it was expreslie to be proued by the written word Secondly it is no more to be held extraordinarie in the new church then it was in the old sinagogue In Mother Zion were vnlimited Ministers namely Prophets so to the new Testaments Prophets are giuing They had a standing minstry to their Temple and Tabernacle these were priests and Leuites so our churches of Christ their peculiar ministry of Presbyters Deacons The Presbyters and Deacons proceed in the worke established the Apostolicall Euangelicall Propheticall ministrie doth call people into order and recall the straiers vnto the first pattern And these new testaments Prophets for that semeth to me the aptest title they haue their calling as they of the old testament had Some stirrd vp immediatlie of God acknowleged to be such for their work sake some trained vp in the schools of Prophets and sent there-out by the voyce of the faithfull The first sent of God in times more desperate the other sent of the Church when her schooles of prophecie are rightly settled The more fully I haue spoken hereof because of fantastick spirits amongst vs who cannot abide to heare of anie ministrie but only of Parsons Vicars tied to their particular congregations or as they terme themselues Pastors and Doctors of particular Churches Would they but looke with a single eye into this point they should see that in the worst times it is liklyer to find that ministrie which for matter and maner do rather succeede the Apostles then occupie the place of Pastors that rather are appointed with Paul to haue the care of manie Churches then but one congregation laied vpon them This ministry so vnderstood let vs see how Apostles and their successors may be compared to Roes and Hinds of the field Lect VIII FIrst to the Roe It is a Beast right swifte coueting the height of mountaines and from the top thereof in time of Hunters strait pursuite will cast it self downe headlong in safetie by casting the bodie within the compasse of the hornes Hereto the Apostolicall ministrie may haue resemblance spiritually first for spirituall spedines through the fields of the catholike Church For in how few yeares after Christs ascention was the Gospel caried through the earth by the Head Apostles and their concomitants When Saint Paul writ his epistle to the Romans beholde their sound was gone through the earth and their words into the ends of the worlde They that were not tied to till one oxgang of land but to breake vp the whole earth before them it required speed Necessitie was laid vpon them and a woe vnto them in not doing the Lords woâ—ke spedily For their successors no such miraculous ministers how swiftlie haue they run through the Churches field Their speed from Church to Church from one land to another will teâ—tifie that No one of the Miraculous Apostles did runne through the whole earth for the ecclesiasticall writers declare in what contries each of them conuersed and the booke said to be written by Prochoruâ— the Deacon of Ierushalem saith they cast lots for seuerall portions but euery one in som parts more principally As for the Apostle Paul he was in his labours more aboundant then they all and for that cause Saint Luke hath speciallie drawne his jornall in the Acts. So it hath fared with such as haue succeeded in that worke Some haue labored more and some lesse Some haue cared for moe churches some for fewer No one with the Papall prelate tooke charge of all though with S. Paule he might care and thirst after the good of all Secondly this large ministerie hath with the Roe still affectioned the hiest places a propertie also giuen by Habakkuk to the Hinds when he saith The Lord will make my feet like the hindes and he will make me to walke vpon mine his places These hie places are not the earths-mountaines if we walke by a deeper mysterie but the heauens the hill of Gods holines and our happines whereto Paul ascended in the vision of his soule and wherto Stephens hart eye was lift vp in the end of his Apologie because his Defence was in the heauens Not from the mountaines of flesh and blood but from the heauens commeth our helpe But in a more literall sense considering the persons we speak of these Mountaines are also the Cities and chief townes of countries as Ierushalem Samaria Antioch Corinth Ephesuâ— Sâ—yrna Rome c. Whether this kind of ministerie still ascended with the Gospell As Sathan stil commaunded the pages or contrie-hamlets by the Idolatry planted in the Citties as heads of the countrie so the Lord euer by this Prophetical ministrie hath first smit these heads of the Nations that the Cittie 's wonne they might commaund the inferiour places The country-hamlets were called Pagiâ— and very probable it is that the terme Pagan was deriued thence because of the heathenisme in them when the Gospel was begunne in the Citty And hereupon it is that the Apostles direct their Epistles not to the Saints or church of such pagies or villages but of such such citties as mountaines and heades to the country as the head of Aram was Damascus and Samaria the head of Ephraims people Isa. 7 8 9. Thirdly in straite pursuite these ministeriall Roes haue cast their bodies and soules for safegard betweene their Heades auntlers Who is their Head Christ who also is called the Horne of our saluation Into his handes as into diuine antlers the prophet Dauid commended his Spirit nor did the faithfull euer find safetie in the mountaines offlesh and blood And therefore cast themselues thence into the mercifull handes of Iesus who hath giuen charge to his Angelles to vpholde them in all their wayes lest they dash their soules foote against a stone When Israels spies were let downe by Rahab ouer Ierichoes walles and the Apostle escaping the Damascenes by being let downe at a windowe in a basket by the side of the wall Act. 9.24 What didde they
eyther healed or saued Act. 4.9.10.12 So we must thinke of his insufficiencie and of our owne impotencie And the succour we receiue from him must teach vs to succour and sustaine one another Which caused the Apostle to exhort thus Beare yee one anothers burden and so fulfill the Law of Christ Galat. 6.2 Not looking euery man on his owne things but euery man also on the things of other men Which notably manifests the impietie of our age where ordinarily people look that others should sustaine them but they make no conscience of sustaining others Instead of vpholding their weake brethren with the Hart and Hinde they will labour rather to withdraw their shoulder in the time of surging affliction that so their fellowe-members may sinke and be drowned amidst their temptation Fiftly Their simplicitie in being ouer-reached by the huntsman during the time they attend melodie it putteth vs in minde of a double simplicitie in the Ministers and members of Christ Iesus and that in a double sorte abused of the wicked The first simplicitie is naturall the second spirituall By the naturall simplicitie they are carried many times to harken after the delights of this life Euen then the wicked world is readiest to smite them through yea Satan himselfe to snare them For while the spirituall hinde listneth to the diuell to the world and the fleshes Musicke then Satan lets his arrowes flie piercing Iudah galling Dauid snaring Salomon By the spirituall simplicitie they are carried to listen vnto heauens harmonie to be lifted vp in the spirite aboue the flesh and to mount into heauen by the wings of prayer This melodie is not as the former from an euill but from the good spirite of God But at such time of spirituall delight Satan is ready to pull the eye of Dauid downe vpon Bathsheba no lesse prest to buffet Paul and to gall him in the flesh Euen as the head Hinde Iesus was then most subtilly assaulted by the diuells armie whenas in the Garden he was praying seriously euen in the mount of Oliues contemplating diuinely In some measure all the members of Christ Iesus are adapted to the Roes and Hindes of the field specially his ministers but principally such of them as haue beene and are the Gathering ministerie ministers appointed to trauase the Catholike field of Iesus Which latter paineful mounting spirited ministerie are the sacred witnesses of the diuine allegeance whereto the proselites of the Iewes are sworne of the Christian Gentiles Sworne they are not to disturbe Messiah no not to stirre him vp till he please While thus they be charged to looke to their allegeance the Gentile Church is couched betweene his louing armes and sweetely passeth her time in sacred contemplation And with these their mutuall dilections the second part is finished The end of the second part THE THIRD PART of Salomon his Song of Songs Expounded and Applied By Henoch Clapham Esaiah 5.1 I will now sing to my Beloued the Song of my Beloued touching his Vine-yard Printed at London by Valentine Sims for Edmund Mutton dwelling in Pater-noster-Row at the signe of the Huntes-man 1603. ¶ To the Right Honourable Edmund Lord Sheffeild Knight of the Honourable order of the Garter c. I Doubt not Right Honourable but you well vnderstand the Romanists Equiuocations for so their false-packing is of some Secular Priests termed in print not making conscience many schollers of them how deepely they lie so it may bring present aduantage Yea an oth is nothing with such hauing their Match-diuell euasions as sometimes had their Obseruant Frier Forest. Who comming to be burnt for teaching people in secret how king Henry was not head of the Church in his dominions and then put in minde how he had taken an oth to the contrary he answered that hee tooke the oth with his outward man that his inward-man neuer consented These fellowes are like to one of whom Cicero writeth who hauing taken truce with his enemy for thirtie dayes did in the night season inuade his enemies land saying that The truce was taken for dayes not for nights Hence it groweth they will tell plaine people how Christ saide Masse and so the Apostles after as if that Masse indigestaque moles heape of riffe-raffe were not onely so ancient but had also Christ for the Authour But a Scholler can send them to their Infinite-booke containing eight and twenty huge Volumes dedicated to their Pope Greg. the thirteene comprising Tracts vtriusque juris gathered by Francis Zilettus where their Record runnes thus A Petro vltra c. Besides other Institutes we haue from Peter a part of the ordained Masse For after the consecration introduced of Christ he vsed which our Priests now vse that prayer Pater noster But Celestine gaue the Masses Introit Gregor found out the Kyrie eleyson Thelophorus the Gloria in excelsis deo The Collations were inuented by Gelasius the first and the Epistle and Ghospel were added to the Masse by Ierome The Alelujah was taken out of the Church of Ierushalem and the Creede from the Nicen councell Pelagius found out the Commemoration of the dead and Leo the third introduced Frankinsence We haue the kissing of the Pax from Innocentius the first but the singing of Agnus Dei was instituted by Sergius c. As thus they make their Masses beginning more Antient then it is by their owne Record so the same was as appeareth a long time raking into one Not a few hundred yeares was that Beggers cloke patched togither They will make a publike brag of their Papall succession and yet know that it is vndefined who succeeded Peter Some of them saying Linus some Clemens and some they know not what Wherewith we can put them in minde how a great sort of their Popes were sonnes begotten by Subdeacons Deacons Priests Who by an ordinance of their Apostaticall Church must needes be Bastards and so in their vnderstanding of Deu. 23.2 they must haue beene vncapable of all Ecclesiasticall function specially of Popeship Though Parentall vices must not be imputed to Children for thereby they would euade abusing Augustine therein yet Children in ciuill policie haue beene by lawe diuine and humane disinherited and made vncapable of many externall priuiledges by reason of Parents vices And by this rule it is that our late malcontented Seculars assuming Ro. Parsons the Iesuite to be a Bastard do vrge his incapabilitie of Church-function If such in the censure of their owne lawes haue beene the Succeeders a Dozen whereof Doctor Barnes from their owne writings hath produced how then not to touch their many Papall schismes can they prooue their bragged succession Herewithall we may put them in minde of Pope Ioane who brought forth her Babie in the open-streete betweene Theatrum Colossae and S. Clements Church whereof arose their tenne Pees Penes portam Petri Pauli peperit Papa pater patriae paruum puerum Graced as Chronica compendiosa vttereth
the Christians Embleme A word and a worke A word and a worke or Faith and Fruiâ—es profession and practise Say well and Doe well what thy wordes sound let thy workes expound To make a noyse in wordes but to abolish deedes it is to weare a Bell without a pome-granat a breach of the Law Let the many graines couâ—hed vnder one pill put vs in minde of multifaria virtutum operatio vno Charitatis munimine of the manifold operation of vertues in one bond of Charitie Such wordes such workes concurring are as the fringe of a Christians garment not onely profitable to the Wearers but also to the Hearers And this briefely of the Robe Lect. XXIII THE second differencing garment is the Aephod an indument vpon the other stately for his colours and stuffe for it was made of beaten-gold blew-silke and purple and scarlet and fine twined linnen and such were the shoulders edges But on either shoulder should be a bosse of golde and in the same couched one Onix-stone wherein Israels names as before were grauen that so Aaron might carry the remembrance of Israel on his shoulders before Iehouah For the state-colours and stuffe I will meddle no more now than thus they represent in Christ Iesus nothing but that is excellent for a practike-rule it is in Diuinitie that heauenly things incomprehensible be expressed by such earthly things as are excellent and within our comprehension Only somwhat touching the Onix-gems on the shoulders The Onix in his colour is humani vnguis similitudine like to the naile of a mans finger that is whitely-red or ruddi-white the very colour of mankinds nature first fetched from the earth excellent in the first Adam but perfectly excellent in the second Adam who afterwards in this song cap. 5.10 is saide to be white and ruddy the cheifest of ten thousand And therfore in this pure earthlike gemme may well be shadowed all mankind supported by Christ Iesus for which the Apostle termeth him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Sauior of all men Atlas of Poets is said in respect of his great astrologicall skill to support the firmament on his shoulders prety and witty to their shadowing purpose but in typicall Aaron do here behold him that Sustaineth all things with his mighty word Hebru 1.3 But marke his cariage with his difference He caries all things chiefly all men but so as principally he sustaineth the Israel of God Which when the Apostle considereth vnto this The sauiour of all men he addeth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 specially of belieuers 1. Tim. 4.10 euen as here in the shadowe he vpholdeth all man-kinde but specially Belieuers the Israel of God whose names are expresly engrauen on his shoulders as good as written in the palme of his hand by reason whereof their mysticall walls are euen in his sight Let heauens fall let earth moue yet God is good to Israell euen to the pure in heart Let the mother forget the childe yet will hee neuer forget his people To that end hath our Hie-priest vndertaken our flesh-like Onych nature that he might saue all such as come vnto the Father by him This briefly of the Aephod now next to his Breastplate After the differencing tires of Robe and Superhumerall wee are to consider the Rationall or Breast-plate of Iudgement For colour and stuffe it was like the Superhumerall or Aephod but in length and bredth only of an hand coopled at the corners with gold chaines fastned to rings Afterwards there were platted vpon it 12. pretious stones euery stone hauing grauen in it one of Israels sonnes names but within was secretly couched the Mysticall Vrim and Thummim And according to former proportion hereof so briefly as I may The colours and stuffe do still shadow forth that euery thing in Christ Iesus is glorious and excellent The Rationalls square forme with his 12 precious gemmes and names engrauen doth point vnto Reuel 22.14.15 where the new Ierushalem is foure-square and the foundation 12. pretious stones wherein the names of the Apostles were written As Beda by the 2. shoulders could vnderstand the Church first of Iewes secondly of Gentiles so by Aarons Pectorall we are well to vnderstand the antient church in Reuel 7.4 c. pointing at Saint Iohns Pectorall representing a large Church of the Gentiles And therfore where Aarons Breast-plate was but an hand-square Saint Iohn seeth a new pectorall thousands of cubits square But as Christ is the Rocke whereon the whole Church of Iewes and Gentiles is builded so all that is represented by Aharons Breast whereon this Rationall or reasonable people is placed Wherewith is to be obserued how euery faithfull soule is before God as a Gemme of much price though differing in colours for the same measure of glorification is not to all nor euery one of same operation for one and the same spirit ministreth diuersly yet all vertuous all gracious all members of Iesus For Vrim and Thummim we know as Nownes Common but not as Names proper Both of them are Nownes of the plurall number the first signifying Flames or Lights the other signifying Perfections or finishments For some Greekes and some Latines they haue vsed other version but I know not how to defend it As they were in this Breast-plate so were they names proper but so we know them not And this well shadowes out Messiah in whom are hid all the treasures of wisedome and knowledge who is to his members the same that Vrim and Thummim was to the Gemmes namely a reuealer of his fathers secret for where these are gathered together in his name there hee will by his spirit be amidst them for leading them into all truth And if it be lawfull for mee to guesse how this Vrim and Thummim did manifest Iehouahs secret I take it to be by illumining such a Gemme or Gemmes whom the case concerned in regard of such a tribe tribes or familie with perfect letters or writing for that present and so Vrim to haue his name in regard of that Light and Thummim to be so called in Respect of his perfect or absolute declaration finishing and putting an end to some scruple But howsoeuer two glorious hid creatures they were whereby as by instruments it pleased God to reueale some secret when Aharon consulted And as the father reueales nothing but by his sonne for he is that true light which lightneth euery man that is borne into the world so is there no comming vnto the Father but by him As for the Romanists who affirme that Romanus Pontifex iura omnia in scrinio pectoris sui clensetur habere the Roman Hie-priest is to be thought to haue all lawes in the closet of his breast they herein doe but labour to hoise vp a â—east into Christs place who onely is the Wisedome of his father For their Apostaticall Beast he is rather 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that Out-law spoken of in 2. Thess. 2.8 figured by Antiochus Epiphanes in
defect of drinke and Moses complaining thereof to God behold the Lord commaundeth Moses to take his rodde and therewith smite a certaine Rocke promising therewith the issue of waters for quenching Israels thirst Moses herevpon takâ—th his rodde doth chide the people smites the rock twise and waters issue out aboundantly Numb 20.10 11. But because Moses and Aaron belieued not rightly that promise God denieth to them the bringing of Israel into the land of promise Ibidem 12. That this Rocke-water signified yea to the belieuer exhibited Christ and the things of Christ is plaine in 1. Cor. 10.4 Where the Apostle teacheth that the fathers did all drinke the same spirituall drinke for they dranke of the spiritual Rocke that followed them and the Rocke was Christ. Was that Rocke the verie Christ No no more than the spirituall bread and wine in the Lords supper is the very Body and blood of Christ but so called because together with the signe the thing signified was exhibited Fide manente signa sunt mutata Ibi Petra Christus nobis Christus quod in Altari penitur The same faith saith Austin abideth still but the signes are changed There the Rocke was Christ but that which now is placed on the Altare or communion table namely the bread and wine euen that is Christ vnto vs. But for the clearer vnderstanding of this sacramentall shadow let vs consider more particularly 1. why Christ is termed Rocke 2. what is meant by the waters issuing thence 3. by the stroke wherevpon the waters issued 1. Christ is termed Rocke because as the Psalmist termes him he is the Rocke of our saluation that is euen He vpon whome if we build let the raine fall the floodes come the winds blow and beate vpon our house it yet falls not because it is founded vpon that Rocke Euen he is that Rocke vpon whom the Church the house of God is builded whereby it comes to passe that the infernall powers cannot preuaile against it Math. 16.18 Thus to the whole church he is the same that he is to Peter and euery particular Belieuer and to euerie particular member the same as to the whole Shaken they may be as was Peter but not finally remooued no more than was Peter Which caused an Antient well say The Rocke is in heauen in the same is stedfastnes and assurance And indeede where else can it be but in our Sauiour The world roareth the flesh oppresseth me the world followes and hangs vpon me And yet notwithstanding I fall not For I am founded vpon a sure Rocke 2. What is meant by the waters issuing thence Origen makes this answer Percussus enim Christus in crucem actus Noui testamenti fontes produxit Christ being smitten and hangd on the crosse out of him issued the fountaines of the New-Testament By which fountaines hee should meane nothing else but Mysteria the secrets of the Gospel as somewhat before hee had spoken Rabanus hereon hath Percussus enim Christus sitientibus lauacri gratiam donum spiritus sancti â—ffudit Christ being smitten he powred forth to the thirstie the grace of our washing and the gift of the Holy Ghost And true it is that what we draw from Christ it is to the world a Mysterie and so are all the things sealed vp in Christ Iesus reuealed onely to his members And as true it is that our new births washing and euerie gift of the spirit it floweth out of him as from the Head-fountaine As they be mysteries so our Sauiour thanketh the heauenly fâ—ther for hiding them from the world but reuealing them to his children And as they flowe from him not onely as a fountaine for washing away sinne and vncleanenesse Zechar. 13.1 but also to become in vs an eternall spring flowing vp vnto heauens Paradise so himselfe teacheth the woman of Samaria Iohn 4.14 that he was to giue these waters and soone after informeth his Disciples that none could drinke them but by Faith when as he thus saith He that beleeueth in me shall neuer thirst Iohn 6.35 Iesus Messiah is thus The fountaine of the gardens for watering the churches the well of liuing-waters springing vp in the true belieuer vnto Eternal life Open thy filthy heâ—rt and these waters will cleanse thee Set thy mouth of faith to his mysticall side and quench thy spirituall thirst yea cease not to draw vntill thou haue drunke vppe eternall life Be nâ—t drunke with wine wherein is excesse but â—e filleâ— with the spirite Ephes. 5 18. These waters haue to Gods praise â—loted â—long through the middâ—st of Englands Paradise God graunt thâ—t our sinnes become not as coardes for bringing in Romes Philistims for stopping and filâ—ing vp our wells with Grauell In Queene Maries daies they had dammed them vp but our Isaac digged them â—new and gaue to them ancient names Sweet heauenly father for thy Sonnes sake continue them still open euen to our posteritie for euer that so thy poore Israel may neuer haue occasion to murmure 3. The strokes which Moses gaue were two Therevpon he is of God charged with infidelitie which causeth diuines to conclude the signe thereof in his smiting Some haue taken it that hee ought onely haue spoken to the Rocke and therefore his smiting though it had beene but once to be a signe of diffidence as if God would not by the word alone haue fetched out waters But such comparing to this purpose Num. 20. and vers 8. with 11. should therewithall haue remembred Exod. 17.6 where it is plainâ—ly commaunded that hee shoulde also smite the Rocke Others more generally haue deemed thâ—t his diffidence was declared in his smiting the second time whereas the Lord onely bidde him speake and smite not smite twise And indeede this is somewhat though it may be not all For to what pâ—rpose would so wise a man smite the second time but because the waters issued not vpon the first stroke How fell it out then that waters came not vpon the first blow Because he distrusted the Lords word Yea Aaron that smit not is accused of diffidence also And indeed a right hard thing it was to belieue that a rocke should send forth aboundance of water Besides which circumstance obserue also the speach of Moses to the people Heare now ye Rebels shall we bring you water out of this Rocke He saith not that they would fetch water out but asks the question shal we as if they would saue their honestie though water came not out seâ—ing they made no promise of bringing it out The not issuing of waters vpon the first stroke it taught Moses and Aaron the fruite of diffidence in Gods promise but issuing forth vppon the second blowe it taught them that God is faithfull who hath promised though his children many times be faithlesse But what doth this rod and the stroke therewithall shadowe The rodde I know not what it may better resemble than Prayer the spirit of prayer
in respect of God called the rod of his mouth wherewithall Christ Iesus is pierced and cannot but open to the meaning of his owne Sprite euen as in the Gospel our Sauiour could not but awake and satisfie his disciples thirst when as they cryed Saue vs or we perish Moses representing the law doth leade the Israel of God to Christ for water of refreshment All sâ—biects to the Law must come to him and there with the spirit of prayer smite If our infidelitie cause that no refreshment come from his presence vpon the first call smite we must againe and the windes stormes and bâ—llowes of tentation shall giue place We oft aske and receiue not because we aske amisse namely to satisfie our owne lusts But asked wâ—e in faith without wauering we could not but receiue for in so knocking he himself hath promised to open But because wee beginne with Moses to halt in the beginning of prayer shall we not therefore persist and renew our petition God forbid for as an Ancient could well say melius est in via claudicare quam prater viam fortiter ambulare it is better to halt in the way than to walke vprightly out of the way so I conclude it farre better to persist in prayer with imperfection than desperately to leaue off prayer which is flat defection If Moses his weakenesse hindred that effect which should haue followed the first stroke a signe of a strong rising faith it was in Moses to repeate the stroke And thus this Rocke the waters rod and strokes do leade vs vnto Christ the things of Christ. So much for this shadow Lect. XXXVI Brazen Serpent THe last Sacramentall shadow which I obserue to be giuen vnto Israel for signe exhibiting Messiah to the true Beleuer it is that Brazen Serpâ—nt lift vp in the wildernes of Moses at the Lords commaundement for the sauing of Israel from thâ— stinging of Serpents Numb 21. Which Serpent so lift vp our Sauiour himselfe in Ioh. 3.14.15 12.32 doth expounde of himselfe For the better vnderstanding whereof let vs consider first Israels disease secondly the Curation of that disease Israels Disease was a mortall sting or poison smit into their bodies by fâ—ry Serpents stirred vp of God for punishing their murmuring against the Lorde This murmuring was their rebellious speach vttered against the Lords magistrate and Minister Moses and Aaron for that they lacked ordinary bread and were fed only with Manna Of which sacramentall bread they speake despitefully first when they say Our Souls lothes it secondly when they lightly terme it light bread Which dealing of theirs the Apostle calleth a tempting of Christ when by way of vse he saith to euery Christian Neither let vs tempt Christ as some of them also tempted him and werâ— destroyed of Serpentes Their Soules thus tempting Christ yea murmuring against Christ first in respect of their lewd language against the Personall figures of Christ Moses and Aaron secondly against the Sacramentall shadowe of Christ that is against Manna the Lord punisheth this disease of the Soule with that of the Body effected by the firy dartes of Serpents like as in 1. Cor. 11.30 he punished many Christians with bodily greiuances for abusing the Lords sacramentall supper All which teacheth vs as we would preserue the Body from temporall plagues and thâ— Soule from being stung with the fiery Serpents of hell to fly all murmuring against the good guifts of God be they Personall or Sacramentall It is said of the serpent termed Aspis that he giueth a wound to the body puncto acus simile not bigger then the pricke of a nedle But marke the effect A little blood therewith distiâ—leth and that right blacke A sodaine darknes ouer-spreadeth the eyes The whole body falles to labour thereon non sine quodam voluptatis sensu but not without a certaine tickling pleasure In a word the whole man is quickly ouerthrowne The Aspe and these fiery serpents is satan and the damned spirits who of God are stirred vp in iustice to punish our abuse of holy thinges The serpents sting is Sin 1. Cor. 15.56 and these sinnes are the fiery darts of the hellish wicked Ephese 6.56 The stroke of sin semeth so small as a pinnes point which causeth fooles to tush thereat as being a thing of nothing but heed it wel and thou shalt see blacke blood stand in it a signe of death the least sinne of his owne nature being mortall And watch the effects of this Sinne further and behold the eie of the soule darkneth more and more and when the eye is darkenesse howe great is that darkenesse The whole soule therewith falls of trauelling with sinne but with a certaine itching pleasure the fruit of which labour is a lâ—e in the right hand when so the soule awaketh This is the Aspe this is the fiery serpent that stingeth that old serpent and dragon that stung man and murthered mankinde from the beginning And this is his sting Sinne euen the peruersion of our nature that tickling foolerie wherewith we delight our selues to death and destruction This for the disease The Curation of Israels disease litterally was thus A brasen Serpent called also Sháraph and plurally Sheráphim Num. 21.9 compared with verse 6. from their fierie appearance such a serpent vpon Gods commandement was artificially made of pure sparkeling brasse and lift vp on some pole Whereto if the stung Israelite cast vp his eye loe hee was immediately cured Now vnto what mysterie did this lead Israel Namely to lift vp the eye of the soule vnto Iesus Christ who vppon the crosse was lifted vp for sauing the true belieuer This our Sauiour teacheth when he saith And as Moses lift vp the serpent in the wildernesse so must the Sonne of man be lift vp that whosoeuer beleeueth in HIM should not perish but haue eternall life Iohn 3.14 15. The lifting vp of the bodies eye vnto that led them to the lifting vp of their bodies eye a belieuing minde vnto this The falâ—ing of the body there led them to the soules saluation here Temporâ—ll life in the former did preach to them eternall life in the latter Thus that sinne which was committed by eating of the forbidd tree is here salued by the Lord of life hanged vpon the tâ—ee The Sâ—rpent with sting is here ouercome by a Serpent without sting O thâ—t in our Douish innocencie we could for auoyding â—uill be so wise as Serpents Hath Satan by the fiâ—ry darts of sin sâ—it vs Hold out the shield of faith Ephe. 6.16 and they are quenched For the faithfull are deliuâ—red from these empoysonments of sinne cùm Chrâ—â—tum in cruce eleuatum interioribus abtutibus semper aspiciunt whenas they shall continually with the inward sight behold Christ lifted vp on the crosse Et illi qui per fidem appropinquauerâ—nt saluifiunt for all such as approach to him by faith are saued Sursum corda here I may call