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
Sauiour of them that trust in thee from such as resist thy right hand Ps. 17.7 wherein hee prayeth first for staying him from falling spoken of before secondly for guarding of him from the aduersaries resistance At his right hand are pleasures eternall Ps. 16.11 wherewith he cheareth the languishing soule and with his right hand he bringeth mightie things to passe for deliuerance and safetie of his beloued Ps. 108.6.13 When he looked about to see if any creature would helpe him in the work of our redemption loe there was none for onely this His owne arme sustained him the arme of his manhood was made sufficient to vnderbeare the burden of our sinne and the punishment due therto by this his right hand his al-sufficient diuine nature The Church thus resting betweene the armes of Iesus it was gloriously figured out by the temples situation betweene the hills of Benjamin Deuter. 33.12 which temple is of Moses there called The beloued of Iehouah because 〈◊〉 figured out this his Beloued and the Mountaines aâ—e there called Shoulders as if Salomons spirite casting his eye thither shoulde heere more plainely speake Hands The one and the other speach implying Armes And that place is called Ben-jamins that is The Sonne of the right hand because he figured the Sonne of God who sits at his fathers right hand til his enemies be made his footstoole there also making continuall intercession for his Beloued Is this Temple of God his beloued Church so seated is she of this Benjamin the sonne of the right hand so embraced Then â—et all the world runne on wheeles her ship is in harbour her chickens vnder the wing her soule in safetie Whether shee liue or die she liues and dies the Lords Yea in dying shee but sleepes as Steuen slept and Dauid with his fathers Her flesh rests in hope her spirit is in Messiahs hands the Lord of the resurrection wil in the appointed day awake her who meane time râ—steth in the bosome of Messiah Hauing entred this Hold taken sure Sanctuarie let vs heare her adiuration I haue sworne yee ô daughters of Ierushalem amongst the Roes and Hindes of the field that ye stirre not vp nor waken my Beloued till he please First to the version of the text secondly to the matter it vrgeth The fiâ—st word signifieth more then simply to Charge namely to charge by an oth I turne it preter-perfectly not onely because of his forme but also for that the matter it selfe seems to exact it whereof after I reade amongst the Roes rather than By the Roes first because the Letter Beth is here prefixed which signifieth in or among more properlie as was noted in the 5. verse Secondly because it were very harsh for the Church to sweare by Roes and Hindes That afterward I read till He please and so make the Church to speake it rather then Christ it is not because the Original decideth the point for there as I may terme it it is of a doubtfull Gender but because the matter whereof after seemeth rather to require iâ— Touching the matter it is an Adjuration wherein obseruable first the Parties secondly the Thing The Parties are three first the Church of Gâ—nâ—iles giuing the othe secondly the Iewish Conuerts vndergoing the Oath termed heere Daughters of Ierushalem thirdly certaine excellent persons termed Roes and Hindes who are witnesses of the Oath and serious adiuration The thing adiured is an Vndisturbance of the Beloued during some certaine time of his embracement The new Testaments church considered still as a Queene in the armes of celestiall Salomon the few faithfull of the Iewes are considered as maides attending her person as in Ps. 45.14 15 vpon whom his Gentle Queene layeth this Iuramentâ—ll charge or oath For as the ancient Synagogue may once be said to haue sworn her Proseliteâ— such of the Gentiles as were willing to make themselues Iewes Ester â— 27 Math. 23.15 so the Church of Ethnicks now hauing the prerogatiue and by Messiah made first and principall may by like rule be said to binde the Iewish Proselites by oth vnto Christian allegiance The ancient Synagogue is noted of Rabbi-Mose to haue committed their Proselites by Baptisme euen aâ— the Leuites eâ—tred the priest-hood with washing What maruell then if the Gentile-Church admitte the Iew by Baptisme as by a solemne oath seeing such washing was by our Salomon instituted for a Sacrament wherein by oath the parties baptized are deuoted to Christian allegeance By such solemne washing the Baptized do passe their faith and troth to Christ whose lieutenant the Church is in whose sole behoofe she administreth this sacramentall oth For vnto her Husband and Lord she sweareth her Virgin-Proselites whosoeuer And therefore in the Celebration saith not Into my Name but Into the name of the Father and of the Sonne and of the Holy-ghost I baptize thee Which Baptisme into the Trinitie is for the Vnitie sake said of Paul to be Baptisme into Iesus Rom. 6. â— Gal. â— 27 for that the Father and Spirite is no way One vnto vs but by the Mediator Messiah who also for that he is the Churches Head hath freely communicated with her heerein by teaching that Conuerts are baptized into his Body 1. Cor. 12.13 that is into the communion of that faith whereby Hee the sauing Head and she the saued body are happily vnited While the Sinagogue stood they swore vs but since their fall we impose the Sacramentall oth on them We serued when they ruled and now in the time of our ruledome they serue In which respect we may take vp that of Salomon I haue seene seruants on horses and Princes walking as Seruants on the ground Eccles. 10.7 Are we mounted on horseback Well through vnbelief they are bâ—oken off we stand by Faith Let vs not be high minded but feare for if God spared not the naturall branches let vs feare lest he spare not vs. We are now vp but we may come doune nor are they so falne but they may rise Let vs therfore so raigne to day as if we should serue to morrow And let vs so compassionate them now as we would haue them to commiserate vs then As Cyrus in the top of his glory compassionated Cresus in his bonds what time the captiue cryed out O Solon Solon Solon which Philosopher before had told him that no man could be termed happy before his death Cyrus well remembring that Cresus once was as himselfe and himselfe might once come to a downfall with Cresus Lect. VII IN respect of the Oth imposed we are taught as not to sweare by anie creature for onlie the Creator can perfectly iudge so to impose an oth when therby the church may be better assured of peace If Dauid thought it a good meanes for tying his owne soule to the good-abearing Ps. 119.106 how much more are we by oth to bind others to Christian obedience as Abraham swore his seruant for prouiding an Helper for
his wayes are past finding out For if the Creature could swallow vp all the reason of the Creator God should be finite and God no God The most learned reason the most plaine and readie reason the soberest reason of God his electing reprobating or acting whatsoeuer is this God so willeth or it is because God so wil. An answer soone learned and as readily made and being put in practise it shall stay much babling and vaine iangling that destroies but the hearers As God did choose vs and freely seale vs vp in Christ the rock of our saluation before all time so in time he calls vs and comfortably speaketh vnto vs. Not entitling vs according to that we are in ourselues but as we are in him In our selues a serpentine brood but in him Doues by litle climing towards our head as doues by steps and staires do ascend the Rocke Lect. VII SHew me thy face Hauing awaked his Loue he now exhorteth to shewe her face vnto him or more neere to the hebrue shew thy countenance vnto me Quid eniim per faciem nisi fidem qua à deo cognoscimur what can we vnderstand by the face but faith seeing by it wee are knowne of God Shew me thy Faith saith GOD shew mee thy faith by workes saith man God taketh knowledge of vs face to face when we apprehend Messiah by Faith And for this cause Saint Paul teacheth iustification freely by faith seeing by that we haue peace with God Rom. 5.1 Man taketh knowledge of vs by workes and therefore Saint Iames who was but a man saith Shew me thy faith by workes The first we call internall the second externall iustification the first iustification with God the second with man If thou wouldst be iustified with man first labour thy iustification with God So did Zacheus when he said Behold Lord and so did Isaiah when standing forth with his children he cried Behold and so did the poore man in the gospel when he cried Lord I beleeue If thou canst shew thy countenance boldly to God then neuer feare the face of man And how can we shew our face to God by first being quickened in Christ and at vnion with him by faith for hee it is alone in whome the Father is well pleased Heare him shew thy face to him and he will comfortably shew vs the father for none comes to the father but by him And did we but know the benefiâ—e ensuing our standing bâ—fore his face he should not neede twise to say vnto vs Shâ—w me thy face We cannot shew our face to him but wee shall see the face of him And that which is more while we behold the Glory of Messiah with open face wee are changed into the same Image from glory to glory as by the spirit of the Lord 2. Cor. 3.18 that is whilst by the eye of faith we contemplate Messiah we are turned not into Messiah but into his glorious Image And this conuersion not by any naturall hand but by the operation of the Lords spirit But here this question may be propounded Seeing the Elect are alwayes seene of Christ how comes it that here he craues their sight I answer He desires not her sight in regard of Election bxt of Iustification which is alone by faith as afore For though Paul was elect before time yet had he not faith but in time And that time of his iustification by faith did appeare together with the Ghospels spring-time The Church of the Gentiles had her election euer sealed vp in Christ but shee had not euer faith in Christ. He therefore here desireth his loue to shew her countenance which sometimes appeared not that is to shew the precious effect of faith which alwayes was hers in posse in regard of Gods dâ—cree but not in Esse in present habite or possession Cause me to heare thy voyce What voyce is this which he so desireth to heare Is it the voyce of blasphemie of taking God his name in vaine the voyce of vncleanenesse of haeresie of cursing No Messiah delights not in that voyce Whâ—t then is it euen that voyce which is effected in her by his owne holy spirit As the voyce of preaching his glorious workes the voice of singâ—ng Psalmes hymnes and spirituall songs But speciallie the voyce of sad-glad prayer like to the ioyous swâ—et mourning note of the Doue in the presâ—nce of her mate Sinneâ—addes â—addes this voyce but Faith glads it Sinnâ— drawes his notes downe and sin is the burden of this Song but fâ—ith in Christ carries vp the notes aloft piercing the eare of the highest With this Douelike voyce Messiah is so affected as he entreats his Church to cause him to heare her voyce quasidicat Though I should sâ—eme not to heare thee at the first or second or moe times yeâ— cease not to pray pray continually and pray feruently like to the poore widdow that stil importuned the Iudge the more we pray the more we may and the more he would like to a father who seemeth not to heare his childe because he would much heare the Child seeming to eye another thing when he will indeed not heare any other thing nor eie any other thing with delectation The reason of the one and the other followeth For thy voyce is sweet and thy countenance comely First for the voyce it must needes delight because it is sweet melodious delightsome and piercing Nor maruell seeing all such voyce is the effect of the Holy-ghost the very spirit of Messiah and there must needes be sweet and pleasant to Messiah Would the Lord haue put Dauid so much to prayer had not prayer beene sweet to the Lord Would the heauenly Father haue put his owne Sonne so much to prayer had not his prayer beene as sweet odours continually ascending And would the Holy-ghost haue taught vs Continually to pray to watch in prayer in all things to giue thanks but he knew that the Father and Son did sweetly affect prayer And as the voice of prayer so the voice of reading singing and speaking as the words of God they be all as before hath beene cleared sacrifices of sweet sauour vnto God Chrysostome hauing praised spirituall song he addeth This I speake not to the end that you should onely praise spirituall Songs but to the end you should teach your children and wiues to sing such songs not only in knitting or doing of other worke but specially at the table And of the whole Clemens Alexandrinus writes thus Vniversa eius vita speaking de homine cognit praedito est quidam celebris ac sanctus dies festus Atque ei quidem sacrificia sunt ipsae precâ—s laudes quae ante cibum fiunt scripturarum lectiones psalmi autem hymni dum cibus sumitur antequam eatur cubitum quinetiam noctu rursus orationes A man indued with knowledge his whole life is a certaine honourable and holy festiuall day His sacrifices are very prayers and
his calculation before Christ hee teacheth that the generall resurrection of all flesh shall fall in the 34. Iubile euen as Christ himselfe rose from the dead in his 34. yeare as if these yeares of Christs age were a mysticall shadow of so many Iubilees Now 34. Iubiles being so many hundreds they so do make 1700. yeares and these to be compted in the state of the new Testament This number but by another Methode is obserued and so vrged by a learned nobleman in Scotland That the Iubile shadowes forth that great day of rest a day like to the first Sabaoth which introduceth speach of Day but none of Night because Day and Rest were to be Iehouahs last act in creation that the Iubile I say figured forth that great day of our Redemption it is plaine and vngaine-sayable But what number of time shal finish al the worlds worke introduce that Iubile of soules I thinke that number concealed from vs euen as it is hid from the Angels yea from the Sonne of man in regard of his manhood Obiection Not the Day nor Houre but yet the yeare may Answ. If the Yeare then I would belieue also that the very Day if not also the Houre it might be knowen The Flood comming vpon the world in the 1656. which was the sixt yeare after 33. full Iubilees the Arke resting in the seauenth Noah was foretolde of the yeare yea of the very day Genesis 6.3 and 7.4 The Angel Gabriel telling Daniel of the 70. Sabaoths of yeers which should be cut out for declaring Messiah in our nature suffering for abolishing transgression he giues him therewith intelligence of the houre namely that he the Lambe of the world should be offered vp that houre wherein he came to Daniel namely at the time of Euening sacrifice which was the third houre after noone for from the time he preached that Gospel Daniel was to rectifie his accompt But because no more the Yeare then the Day and Houre can be knowne I take it the Holy Ghost also vseth the word Time when as in the person of the Apostles he saith of al the faithful their knowlege ye know not when the time is Marke 13.33 and therfore watch and pray continually Another thing might seeme more necessarie our knowledge namely When the Kingdome shal be restored to Israel Act. 1.6.7 and neyther that in respect of his precise time is fit for vs to know That the Kingdome of Christ shal be restored to the naturall Israel it is largely prooued by the Apostle in Rom. 11. but for the precise time of houre day or yeare it is not for vs Why Because the Father hath put it in his owne power Euen so our Sauiour touching the former saith Onely the Father knowes it Many haue bin bold to prescribe the yeare and some the day but still haue lied About some 540. yeares after Christ a rumor was spread abroad Quod MVNDVS esset cum prole periturus that the world with his issue was then to be destroyed And it came so to passe for a certaine captaine of Iustinians going into Italy for warring against the Gothes his name being Mundus in english WORLD he then with his children was slaine In such a second intent or secondary sense a man may haue guessed right but this not according to his Owne but the Diuels meaning Isidore hauing drawen out the worlds age first to Christ then from thence to his owne time he saith of the new testaments age as I do Residuum sextae Aetatis tempus soli Deo est cognitum the Remainder of the worldes sixt age is knowen to God Alone To the heauenly Father therfore leaue that and for vs let vs labor in watchfulnes fasting and prayer that so whensoeuer that day commeth we may lift vp our heads in the assurednes of our full Redemption Lect. XVII Personall Shadowes Adam Hauing thus giuen a taste of the sad wisdome of God couched in number by hauing somewhat suruaied the Numbers of Sixe Seauen and Eight I will now turne from figures of Number and time called Chronologicall or Arithmeticall tipes vnto such shadowes as concurre with Persons whome before I termed Personall shadowes And this God willing shal be done by examining some Persons before the lawe some vnder the lawe And of these before the lawe I will elect first two before the Flood Adam and Henoch secondly two after the flood Melchitsedech and Isaac For Adam the first man he is a shadowe of Christ called of the Apostle in 1. Cor. 15. the second Man or Adam But Adam being a man of such state as none of his sonnes after him for first he was excellently good secondly passing Euill thirdly good and euill it thereby commeth to passe that he is a shadowe dâ—uersly In regâ—rd of his first estate he figured Messiah à Simili in some sort of likelihood In his second estate hee shadowed forth Iesus ex obliquo ouer-thwartly In his last estate he was a type ex Renouato in respect of Renouation For the first behold the First man in his glorious Creation is made to the likenes of Aelohim God-triune secondly proclaimed Lord ouer the common creature thirdly giuing titles to Airie fowles and earthly Beasts fourthly the Woman built out of his side fiftly his Regall seate in Paradise In all these points the first Adam shadowed forth the second à Simili in some due congruitie First for the likenesse of God whereto hee was made it is no doubt according to the letter the character of Righteousnesse and truth of holinesse stamped in his reasonable soule Ephes. 4.23 24. Coloss. 3.3.10 but according to typicall mysterie This Image as one well writeth it is our Sauiour the first begotten of euery creature of whom it is written Heb. 1.3 that he is the splendor of light and the expresse figure or forme of his Fathers substance Well might hee shadow forth Messiah that Righteous and Holy-one when he himselfe was truely Righteous and Holy while he himselfe was more then a shadow euen after a sorte the liuely image of Aelohim O Adam thou then mightest but cast thy sight into thy selfe and there as in a glasse or pure fountaine thou might behold Heauens Trinitie in Vnitie as face to face the receptacle of Father Sonne and Holy-Ghost If thou hadst there abouts spent thy contemplation thou hadst beene changed into the same image from glory to glory by the spirit proceeding from Father and Sonne But contemplating the creature without for the Creator within thou lost Vnitie with Veritie and became One with Vanity After the which thou in this respect didst loose the shadow of so diuine a substance and therewith rather became a shadow of Satan in Apostacie darkenesse confusion of Spirit Secondly being proclaimed Lord ouer the Creatures he herein liuelily shadowed forth the Son of God who of the Father hath all things put in subiection vnto him Which consideration I take it
she desireth and feruently desireth and this in the appointed time he fully performeth That which she then breathed after we are possessed of God prouiding a better thing for vs namely that they without vs should not be perfect Touching the reason of her Petition For thy loue is or Loues are good and better than wine it is as if she saide O heauenly Father I haue prayed that thou wouldst send thy Sonne to his poore Church that he might vnite himselfe corporallie with her the Godhead inhabiting the Manhoode essentially Now after this my petition vouchsafe I may debate the matter with my beloued Then by an Apostrophe she turneth aside and after such sort reasons with him Sweete Messiah Shiloh Zecharies Branch and Iaaâ—obs Starre I long after thy presence yea thou hast set my soule on fire after thee for thy Loues are beauteous and farre more effectuall then wine Beauties there are many but all inferiour to thine There is pleasure and strength in wine but thy loue and pleasant amours doe more inflame and rauish the senses O heauenly Father if I be bold thy Sonnes loue hath constrained me oh glorious Messiah if I call for thee thy Fathers promise in Paradice it causeth mee and the beginnings of Loue which by thy spirite thou hast giuen me feeling of as wine in the first taste they comfort mee as wine in the second place they delight mee as wine in the third place they embolden mee as wine in the last place they cause mee bee ready to fall in a Loue-trance Oh therefore come speedily and embrace me and by the spirit of thy mouth ouershadowe the Virgin and make vs members of thy bodie of thy flesh and of thy bones Besides other ordinary notes I obserue hence first howe Time in Paradise Gen. 3.15 conceiued of the promised seed that time grew as it were more big-bellied in the renuall of the promise to Abraham Dauid and others and that in the fulnesse of time That blessed seed was to be brought foorth for the exceeding comfort of mankind The faithfull conceiuing this doctrine they are therefore here introduced sighing after the performance of the promise If they but tasting the promise and seeing it but a farre off for the time of this Songs penning was about 900. years before Shiloh came how ardent and earnest shoulde our affections bee in the possession thereof The taste and possession of wines are of more value than the bare sight and taste thereof and such should our loue be in the reall enioying of Messiah Examine therfore we ourselues and looke into our soules for if Christ Iesus liue in vs we cannot but with feruencie embrace him and loue all the fruits of his spirit Secondly her manner of speach Kisse me c. it implieth the meanes wherby the Virgin should conceiue namely by the spirit of Christ ouershadowing her that spirit being as Agent to her seede Patient Spirit and Breath is one and the same both in Hebrewe Greeke and Latine which is cause that sometimes our men in the Prophets do turne it by the spirit of his mouth otherwhiles by the breath of his mouth c. This Conception and Generation is so exempted from that ordinary encreasement of mankinde And therefore though Leui payed tithes in Abrahams loynes to Melchizedek and all wee haue sinned in the loynes of Adam yet this second Adam can be said to do neither Woman sinned first but no speech of spirituall nakednesse till Man also sinned Then it is sayde their eyes were opened and they saw themselues naked as if sinne were imperfect and vnable to bring forth death on the seed of their loynes till Man in whome lay the Actiue power of generation he had sinned Though blessed Mary sinned and had sinne in her nature yet it could act nothing to Conception As all Naturians will graunt womans seede onely passiue and for because not Actiue some haue concluded women to be seedelesse so neyther is sinne any creature or anie substance but an action transgressing causing God his curse vpon mankinde by mortalitie and corruption And because the Virgins seede patient was by the spirit of God quickened euen as the clayish nature of man viuified by the breathing of god hir betrothed Ioseph is taught by Gabriel how that which was conceiued in her it was of the holy spirit This one doctrine so ouerturneth the doctrine and obiections of our ages Anabaptists Who thinke of sinne as of a Substance it being indeed an Accident and seuered in Christs conception by the Actiue power of the holy-ghost Thirdly by speech Kisses of his mouth is further although in a second sense intimated the operation of God his word and spirit for incorporating vs into Christ. By his word the Worlde was created and by the breath of his mouth the foundation thereof was laide That naturall worlde was to leade vs to consider a spiâ—ituall world which Philosophers haue termed Micro-cosmos a little world namely man which second and new creature is begot by the immortal seede of God his word the holy spirit quicknâ—ng that word in the wombe of their conscience for by the ministry of his word sacraments he kisseth his creature breathing by that his ordinance his owne good spirit into them And because no hereticall doctrine can do this the Church in her prayer desireth the kisses of His mouth to whome shee prayeth Nay for herâ—ticall doctrine it is so farre from effecting a new world in vs as it is indeed the seede of the serpent wherby he begets a damned body of infidels and false beleeuers to himselfe For the reason of her prayer in this verse wherby she wold insinuate her petition into the Lord his cares as crauing nothing but Promise and that whereof shee had a pleasant foretaste to the kindling in her such praier besides other things I note these First that the sauing promises of God who in Christ are Yea and Amen they are with all holy boldnesse to hee called for For as he is faithfull that hath promised so he expects we pray for the speedy performance thereof seeing the promises are the churches life and glory Secondly her speech Thy loues it argueth the loue of God in Christ to be infinite and of a growing nature Election before all time begetteth an effectuall Vocation in time that Vocation brings with it in the one hand assurance of Iustification in the other hand reall Sanctification These beget other diuine Loues causing in vs a fountaine springing vp vnto Eternall life If the church in her pedagogie and non-age could haue such deepe feeling of diuine Loues what should we feele who are come to inherit that Canaan We should be able as the Apostle prayeth to comprehend with all Saintes what is the breadth and length and depth and height of the Fathers Loue in Christ Iesus If Marchants finding a Commoditie sweete they sue for more let vs in the least sense of God his loue pray
and daughters are begotten Insteede of fathers children be whom Messiah maketh Princes through the earth Psa. 45.16 And this royall fertilitie both of them mutually ioyeth and singeth for ioy teacheth vs to reioyce in the Churches enlargement as also to know that God cannot be our Father except as Cyprian speaketh the Church be our Mother For the place of spirituall education it is here plurall Houses because the Catholike body is distinguished into sundry particular congregations or churches in euery of which as in sundâ—y Nurceries the Tenderlings of Iesus are brought vppe and nurced Which houses of God are set out by their Adiunct Beames and Galleries Beames for the sustentation thereof and these are such as feede vpon strong meate being as it were Iames Cephas and Iohn pillers of the Church And these Beames are set out by the matter they were of they were Cedar Cedar is a tree very common in mount Lebanon like vnto Iuniper or rather to Cypres for leafe but for tree it is tall and strong and the wood of permanent nature not rotting nor admitting any worme and as a late writer affirmeth Viuentes res putrifacit perdit putridas autem restituit consornat Liuing things it putrifieth and killeth but rotten things it restoreth and conserueth All which properties doe rightly appertaine to strong Beleeuers specially to the Ministers They are placed ouer their brethren and therefore in spirituall gifts they should be taller then the people by the shoulders as one well alludeth to Saules tallnesse They should not admitte of any worme worme of conscience for that was it that consumed Balaam Iscariot Demas specially the worme Couetousnesse whose nature is to bore thorow but fast they must stand in the faith and being strong sustaine the infirmities of others Yea their ministerie is of nature to kill the quick and to quicken the dead That is by the power of the law to mortifie the prowd Pharise who in his conceipt liueth and is righteous but with the doctrine of faith or Gospel to quicken the poore Publican that seeth and confesseth himselfe to be dead in sinnes and trespasses The Beames of the pariâ—ular churches being such no maruell though their praisâ— besâ—ng out vpon the Câ—â—ball The Gaieries aâ— the word borrowed from Running intendeth they were certaine walâ—es builded on the toppe of houses the railing in of whose sides lest any should fall downe was by the lawe commaunded Which Galleries are heere set downe with respect of the matter they were made of Our translation sâ—ith Firre some otheâ—s Cypresse some other turne the hebrew word Bróthim whose singâ—lar for forme of character may bee Brút by the Latine word Bruta which was a tree as Plini recordeth like to a broade Câ—pres tree with whitish boughes of excellent sweete sauour being kindled of sauour most like vnto Cedar From these likenesses it seems the diuersity of translation hath growne For Firre it is well knowne to vs for a tall straight tree very airie and fiery natured and well sauouring Let it be what it shall bee that is here intended it is specially to teach vs the excellencie of these Galleries which mystically I vnderstand to be setled contemplations whereto the faithfull by steppes ascend as the Priests by Ezekiels Temple staires farre beyond themselues as also did Paul when he was rapt vp into the third Heauen there to heare â—hings vn-vtterable The meanes of ascending to these Galleries is to walk by the sight of euery visible creature For throghout the Scriptures the Holy-ghost taketh vs by the hand leadeing vs by and through Visibles that thereby we may ascend vnto things Inuisible Yet so to mount beyond Nature wee cannot but by the line of Gods open directions for without the word we see the heauens and earth as Beasts see them without al mounting vpward But when we are come to the highest degree of our contemplation that further we cannot vnderstand with sobrietie for God dealeth to euery man the measure of that faith in that Galerie stay we therein let our senses walke and rest being bounded on the one hand and on the other with the canonicall scriptures lest otherwise we fall from an high for such a fall must be fearefull Yea and as we are to take heede of such a suddaine slippe so likewise are we to beware we doe not with Dauid cast our eye from heauen to the earth lest there we spie carnal things vnworthy our sight for such a sight some and some pull our minde downe and teacheth it to minde earthly things Another danger no lesse is to be auoyded and that is to beware we bring not women fleshly affections with vs as did Absalom into his Gallerie for if we doe all Israel below and God aboue wil censure our going in and our comming out to be but carnall speculation An Heathen could in this case say Stretch out thy selfe in magnitude boundlesse rise from out of thy body ouer-retch all time become Eternitie and so thou shalt come to know God By the word of faith it is that we must so ascend on the same rest and in the same walke lifting our senses vp to Heauen and the God of Abraham will let vs see the day which is farre off but see it we shal and reioyce Here let vs sleepe with Iaakob and we shall haue a vision of Angels ascending and descending vppon the Sonne of man Into this Mount let vs goe with Moses and God will let vs see all Canaan before we come at it Vp hither let vs ascend with Iesus and we shal see him transfigured his face as bright as the Sun But when we haue seene such sights let vs stay our speech for Contemplation is rather Actio animi quam oris an action of the Mind then of the Mouth lest with Peter we wish our Tabernacle there and thinke there is no other heauen Yea after any great measure of glory manifested vnto our contemplating souls let vs feare a splint in the flesh some Satan ready to buffet vs because of our ouer-much readinesse to reioyce aboue thâ—t wee should For after S. Paul had beene in some such notable rapt of Mind he found Satan breaking a pale or speares-splinture in his nature galling him much-more then if a spâ—ll of wood had bin in side or other member Christ and his Church had before their Chamber of mutuall delights but here they are come to the Battlements to glorious contemplation Bâ—fore they were climing and praising each other but here they are come to the height of Grace casting their eyes vp after the height of Glory Amiddest which contemplation they ioyntly sing out the praise of their Bed the praise of their Houâ—es preaching to all the fertilitie of their Bed the complements of their Building And there with praise vnto God for that I haue heard seene in them I leaue them in the first part of their Dilections singing as
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
but commit themselues to the watchfull prouidence of God And therein they were as Roes committing themselues to their auntlers helpe from the height of the Citties For their resemblance to Hindes is not to bee maruailed at since Messiah himselfe is likened thereto in ps 22.1 but with addition for he is termed Aijèleth hashà car the Hinde of the morning who in that Psalme is extreamely hunted of the dogs of the Euening But to the present purpose In the Hinde which is the Heart I obserue first her care for bringing forth her yoong in safetie who therefore auoydeth the tracts of wilde beastes and bendeth her body neere to the high-way haunted by men Secondly their naturall appetite in feeding sometimes of serpents which causeth them much as Chrysostome noteth to appetite the waters Thirdly their prouident wit who smit with an arrowe will seeke out the Herbe Dictanie and eating thereof do shake out the arrow Fourthly I note the Charitie they haue amongst themselues who being to swimme the waters for pasture doe put the strongest before vpon whose backe the second rests his head the third vpon the second the fourth on the third c. Lastly I obserue their simplicitie ouer-reached by the hunters craftinesse for while they attend vnto the noyse of musicke a thing which Isidore saith they much delight in they are foyld and wounded by their close lurking enemy Now remaineth the application of these particulars First their prouident carriage for safetie in the time of deliuerie doth notably resemble the former ministers prouidence for bringing forth their Christians whereof they labour and trauell as S. Paul did of his people Our Sauiour commaundeth them to beware of men But of what kinde of men Of such as hee termeth woolues Nam homo homini Lupuâ— amongst whome hee sent them To beget and bring forth yonglings to Christ must be with regard of the paddes and tracts of vnreasonable persons from whome the Apostle prayeth hee may be deliuered And from whose deuouring Iawes such yoong-ones must be guarded A christian in the first birth must be kept far from deuouring spirits Spirituall parents must haue a care of that otherwise the beastes prouidence will condemne them and Neophites or Christian Tenderlings must learne to cliue and walke close by the sides of their Spirituall Parents otherwise they shal be lesse naturall and more desperate tempters of God then be the seelie Hind-calues Secondly their eating of Serpents and thirst after Waters ensuing it layeth downe not onely a corruption in the former holy men but also common to all the faithfull A corrupt appetite after that is serpentine and euill the Apostle Paul conâ—esseth saying What I hate that do I. And how readie Peter and Barnabas were to swallow the serpent of dissimulation the same Apostle testifieth in Galat. 2.13 not to speake of Peters ouer-deepe swallowing of euill when therefore of Iesus he was termed Satan But O the goodnesse of God! as of Serpents flesh Triacle is made a preseruatiue against poyson so the euill and seuerall sinnes of the faithfull are turned finally to their good We knowe saith the Apostle that all things that is sinne and all they worke together for the best vnto them that loue God euen to them that are called of purpose By how much the more they haue swallowed the serpents poyson by so much the more they thirst after the waters of Gods grace for quenching the fierie heat of sin in them Yea so much the more they cry out with Dauid As the Hart braieth for the Riuers of water so panteth my soule after thee ô GOD. The more the reprobate sinne the more they may for they deuoure sinne as the fish swallowes water but the Elect and Called of God the more they haue sinned the more they hate sinne and pray foâ— the abolishment of sinne With the Apostle they cry out feeling sinnâ—s poyson ô wretched man that I am who shall deliuer me Who afterwardes can answere themselues thus I thanke GOD through Iesus Christ my Lord I shal be deliuered Euen he is the waters wheron the thirsty soule drinketh and is filled Thirdly their prouident wit for finding out the Diâ—tâ—nie by the eating whereof the arrowe is cast out which otherwise wouâ—d canker and kill Nature it argueth the wisedome giuen by God to his children specially to his ministery for expulsing the virulent darts of Satan as also for propulsing and beating backe the cruell strokes of the wicked For expulsing such Satanicall darts they take to themselues the Heâ—b Faith able to quench the fiâ—rie daâ—ts of the wicked This wisedome was in the Woman that long had laboured of a bloodie flix to whom our Sauiour could say Thy faith hath made thee whole And this Faith was it wherby the hearts of the Gentiles were purified and Faith is that whereby all our spirituall maladies are healed Yea for not onely expulsing but also propulsing al maner of euil what other floure was sauoured to of the Ancient faithfull The Author of the Epistle to the Hebrues manifests at large in his eleuenth Chapter that by faith they wrought wonders and brought mighty things to passe By Faith the Apostolicall ministerie hath remooued mountaines that is impossibilities to nature And what was it but Faith in Maister Tyndal that hindred the Diabolicall Iugler from acting his â—eats in the presence of Merchâ—nts God his Hindes and Harts haue by grace found forth such vertue in this Faith as causeth them to preferre it before all other flowers of the field So much we can as we belieue For to the Faithfull all things are possible Fourthly Charitie in the Hindes appeareth in their swimming where the first sustaineth the second the second vpholdes the third c. The First of the Hindes which sustaineth and is not sustained of any creature for his owne power sustaines him it is the Hinde of the Morning Christ Iesus himselfe Paul followes him and bids vs follow as he is a follower of Christ 1. Cor. 11.1 Christ is the foundation on him rest the Apostles and wee rest on them and weaker are to rest on vs but no further nor longer than we rest on them that shall rest on Christ. You are to rest on your Ministers as they on the Apostles and the Apostles on Christ. But because no soule is to rest it selfe simply on Man therefore Marke Barnabas Peter Thomas yea Abraham Isaac Iaakob Iudah Moses Aaron Dauid all are noted of the Holy-ghost of error And because we must rest on them but as they respect and relie on Christ therefore He the Hinde of the Morning psal 22. in the title is preferred for all-sufficient I am able saith Paul to doe all things through the helpe of Christ which strengthneth me As if he should say through Christes strength I can doe all things but without him nothing For by no other name then by the name Iesus are we saith Peter
the weake the cruel to the meeke when verily and in truth they shall be spiritually knit vnto Christ and his Church as Ionathans heart was knit to Dauid the figure Nay marke it that Saul the King breathing nothing but bloodshed against Dauid he no sooner comes neere heareth Dauids voice but loe his furie staieth he pronounceth Dauid to be more righteous then himself and smitten with some remorâ—e he lift vp his voice and wept If that mightie Bull was so againe and againe meekned by but approching neere to that annointed Fig-tree how gentle and right easie would hee haue become if once his heart could but haue beene knit vnto Dauids But passing by them forraine Bulls Beasts that be without vs of whome wee can better beware let me touch alitle a certaine vntamed Beast domestike bredde and brought vppe together with vs whome Ieremie termeth an vntamed heifer a fauage deuouring wolfe in our owne flesh What is the sin in our nature nay what is our nature it selfe in the state of vnregeneration but a beastly nature and sin a Stranger whom Salomon would not haue to medale with our ioy If this Beast be not bound to the Homes of Christs altar he wil deuoure vs. Let thy brutish nature be bound to Christs Fig-tree and the spirit of sinne will some and some die in it and Nature it self wil be tamed become subiect to the spirit of grace Bind it to the prince-fig-tree Christ first by the cord of his word secondly by the bond of sacraments thirdly by Continuall praier And for making thy nature more capable of grace by the former meanes do first beate downe thy bodie with Saint Paul and bring it into subiection by much fastings watchings hard lodgings secondly frequent the companie of holy sober mortified persons who can and do mourne for sin For Salomon hauing found by lamentable experience what bodily spirituall fornication he had bene drawne vnto by leud companie he after that cries out It is better to goe to the house of mourning then to goe to the house of feasting because this is the end of all men namely to mourne crie and the liuing shal lay it to his heart With the holy we shal learne holines bind we therfore our beastly nature to his spiritual Fig-tree and so a better fruit shall spring out of nature This of the Fig-tree It followeth And the vines with their small grapes haue cast a sauour Grapes of them selues casting no sauour it must necessarily be vnderstoode of that time wherein there be small Grapes peeping out and the flowres falling off which flowres giue true pleasant odour The Vines and Oliues Plinie being witnesâ—e concipiunt Vergiliarum exortu do conceaue in the rising of the 7. Starres which is about the mid-spring and for putting forth their berries togither with the flowres fall the time as before was more hastie in Iudea then in the Latines contrie So that I take this berry-state of the vines to denote the spring-time as before though the perfâ—ction or finishment thereof Seeing the vine is sundry times hereafter to be spoken of I will here obserue the fewer things thereof First the Prophet Ezekiel declareth that the vine-tree is for his wood lesse regarded for building then anie tree of the forest insomuch as none wil make somuch as a pin therof for hanging anie vessell theron but rather cast it into the fire and consume it As the Lords prophet applied that to the Iewes so may I to the Gentiles What substantiall thing is there in our nature for the which we shold be depended vpon Behold we are vanitie and lighter then vanitie it selfe Cursed is he that makes flesh his arme to rest on yea that goes about to make one pinne of our naturall abillements as an article of faith to leane vpon Rather we and our pura naturalia deserue to be cast into Hell fire Secondly the wild-vines by art as by timely tonsure and yearlie clippings are brought to such perfection as Nulli est ligno aeternior natura no wood is found of more durable nature And this may wel resemble the happy immortalitie of our nature by diuine art that is by the operation of Messiahs spirit and his word euen as by the ouer-shadowing of the Holy-Ghost The Sonne of God was vnited to the first fâ—uites of our nature which in the graue neuer felt corruption An other thing for the present is this that Vines and their fruit come to nothing except they be vnderpropped and lift from the earth Such are the flowers of our sauourie wordes and the Grapes of our nourishing workes without they be sustained with the spirituall fulcres of grace Take away the vnderprops of preaching sacraments administring praier almes fasting c and all our flowers fall our fruits rot We shall fall to the earth mind earthly things and the earth will marre all In minding earthly matters we shall be but as the Serpent creepers on our belly lickers of the dust But being continually vnderpropped with the ordinances of Christs vineyard we shal by God his grace haue our conuersation in heauen seeke the things that are aboue howsoeuer the bodies root be in the earth The spring thus described first from gratious speach figured by flowers and birds singing secondly from gratious workes of faith signified by the fruits beginning in the fig-tree and vines now remaineth to speake of the exhortation subioyned Arise my Loue my faire one and come away Whereof hauing spoken largely in the tenth verse aforegoing this litle shall now be sufficient First by the iteration of this exhortatorie doctrine the Holy-ghost would not onely intimate God his free fauour offered againe and againe to his people but also the vntowardnesse of our hearts for yeelding obedience Secondly by the words Arise and come away he inferreth first an arising from euill wherein we lay captiued by sinne through the curse of the Lawe represented by winter Secondly a comming into the libertie of the Saintes for seruing Christ in word and workes represented by the ioyous Summer It followeth Lect. VI. Verse 14. My Doue thou art in the holes of the Rocke in the secret of the staires shew me thy face cause me to heare thy voice because thy voyce is sweete and thy face comely THe Church herein continueth her repeat of Messiahs speach wherein I obserue first an exhortation secondly a reason thereof The exhortation vttereth it selfe first in a description of the Church secondly in the thing exhorted The description lieth first in a louing attribute giuen by Messiah to her My doue Secondly in a manifestation of hir mansion place first in saying Thou art in the holes of the Rocke secondly in adding In the secret of the staires The thing exhorted is the manifestation of her selfe first in saying Shew me thy face secondly in subnecting cause me to heare thy voice The reason of this exhortation is drawne from her excellent qualification
became indeed The Son of Man And thus the fall of Man brought with it the fall of Gods Son The Head is contented to stoope with his body Christ with his Church pawning himselfe for her payning himselfe for her becomming poore for making her rich giuing her libertie by his captiuitie procuring to her pleasure by his paine life by his death Nor did the Sacrifices only represent this but also exhibite and seale Christ with his benefits vnto the faithfull Communicant In which respect it is that the Author to the Hebrues saith that Habel by his Oblation obtained witnesse that he was iust that is imputed iust by Christ Iesus sealed to his conscience To whome as to all ancient Belieuers Christ was the Lamb slaine from the beginning of the world Iesus Christ yesterday and to day the same also for euer The Egiptian priest could say Deus vim â—fficacem imprimit Sacramentis God deeply printeth an effectuall operation in Sacraments speaking of their fantastick Sacrifices but the faithfull of God vnder and before the lawe might in deede and trueth say that a vitall power was conâ—aid vnto them by the Sacrifice no lesse then eternall life by Christ Iesus sealed vnto their Conscience by the stamp of his Spirit By which externall shadowe they were so taught and sealed till Messiahs day did breake and the Lawes shadowes fly away So much generally of Sacrifice Lect. XXXII Circumcision THe next Sacramentall exhibitiue shadow shal be Circumcision first incommended vnto Abraham in the seauenteenth of Genesis and continued in his seede till Christ putte that away for establishing Baptisme But baptisme by sufficient preaching being once established thencefoorth Christ Iesus should profite him nothing that would be circumcised Galat. 5.2 This Circumcision was nothing else but a solemne cutting away of that fore-skinne in a Manchild which appertaines to the generatiue part Which the Lord at the first institution thereof doth sometimes call his Couenant sometimes the Signe of his Couenant Why Because the thing signified was to the true Belieuer conuaâ—de with the signe euen as it is in all exhibitiue sacraments And that is it which causeth the Apostle in Rom. 4.11 to call it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a seale of that Righteousnesse which is by-faith Which Sacrament was to Abrahams nâ—turall sâ—ed as Baptisme is vnto Christs spirituall seed an infallible signe of being receiued into the Couâ—nant of grace and holy Church of GOD. For by this signe the Hebrew Israel and Iew all Abrahams petigree were distinguished from all the world besides termed Gentiles The ancient prophane Herodot recordeth that the Colchians Aegyptians Aethiopians did circumcize themselues and of the Aegyptians he will forsooth that the Phaenicians and Syrians in Palestina these must be the Iewes they learned Circumcision Yet forsooth saith he â— cannot define whether the Egyptians learned it of the Aethiopians or they of the Egyptians Silly Greeke it is something he saith but farre from the truth He thought the Iewes had leaâ—ned it of the Aegyptians Why No doubt because hee had heard that sometimes their predecessours had beene in Aegipt Whereas it was instituted neere two hundred yeares before Iaakob went downe into that country And whereas he affirmeth so many of the Gentiles to circumcise it is nothing likely they euer hauing the Hebrewâ—s and their religion in horrible detestation Onely this may be some of Abrahams seede specially by Ismael borne of the Aegyptian Hagar might be sparsed in such places and there continuâ— this ceremony But for circumcision to be practised by naturall Egyptians it is against all probabilitie Philo Iudaeus therefore in his discourse of Circumcision making one argument of the vse thereof to the bodily cleanenesse specially in the priestes hee therewithall affirmeth of the Aegyptians that they for such purpose did 〈◊〉 their bodies For Circumcision we see how odious it was vnto the Gentiles in the time of Maccabees as diuerse Iewes for liues preseruation were glad to vncircumcize themselues by a painefull stretching and curious phisiking of the scarred skinâ—e It is sufficient that the ancient Greek hath recorded the Ceremonie though altogether ignorant to whom it appertained and to what end vsed But what is shadowed in Circumcision First If wee respect the paring away of the flesh it shadowes forth the expoliation and casting away of the olde-man with his inueterate lusts And this of the Holy Ghost is oft termed the circumcision of the * heart If we respect the shedding of blood accompanying that cutting it may wel represent the blood of Christ Iesus appointed to be poured out for our sinnes for the washing away of our lustsâ— for without blood no remission Heb. 9.22 And if with the representation we respect what therein to the faithfull is exhibited it is no other thing than Christ who of God the Father is made vnto vs Wisdome Righâ—eousnes Sanctification and Redemption 1. Cor. 1.30 Who by his spirite and word worketh in vs true mortification to sinne and true Viuification to Holinesse and trueth of Righteousnesse Nor lesse was taught to Abraham at the gift of Circumcision For being ben a Sonne of 99. yeares hee in his olde age is tauâ—ht to cut off the old man that so a Couenâ—nt may be sealed in his flesh The Couenâ—nt is exprâ—ssed when he saith I am God all sufficient walke before me and be thou vpright wherein the Lord not onely calleâ—h Abraham and his seede to vprightnesse of Obâ—dience towards him but also preacheth and promisâ—th to be God all-sufficient vnto him and his Nay lest he should thinke his obedience the Cause why God would be sufficient vnto him the Lord first pronounceth him El-shaddaj and then biddeth Abraham walke vprightly because his All-sufficiencie in the first place was cause of his integritie in the second place Which couenant standing of free-grace and promise it could not doe lesse than leade Abraham by the hand vnto the Seed of promise euen Christ Iesus by whom al the earth was to receiue a blessing Vnto the which blessed seede the Lord seemeth to will Abram and Sarai to Behold when as he turnes Abram into Abraham and Sarai into Sarah so adding to their names the hebrewe letter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which in english is Behold Whereto the Angel Gabriel might haue an eye when to the Virgine Mary hee cryed Behold Which letter of hebrewes termed Heâ— of vs H is to Cabalists their character of the holy ghost By which forme of learning if Abraham euer approoued such learning that faithfull couple were taught to giue the praise of all goodnesse to that Spirite of God by whom they were sealed vnto the day of redemption Thus the Church in her infancie was taught by letters In this state of the Gospel wee should be able to put these letters together for spelling a Word euen that Word which assumed Flesh for the circumcising and sauing of Mankind So much for circumcision Lect. XXXIII Passeouer THe fourth sacramentall
shadow exhibitiue shall be the Passeouer The Passeouer is a certaine sacred feast instituted to Israel of Iehouah what time they were presently to depart out of Aegipt that ancient house of Bondage For the better vnderstanding whereof I will first obserue the Name secondly the Thing it selfe The name in the Originall is Pesach from whence the New Testaments language hath Pascha and in our old language Pase it signifieth no other than a Trans-ition or Passing-ouer Which terme of Passeouer is giuen to this feast from the Angel his Passing-ouer the Houses of such as kept this feast when in other houses hee slew the first-borne of Man and Beast Exod. 12.12 For the Feast it selfe it offers to our considerations first the Time when Secondly the Meate what Thirdly the manner How it was then to be applied The time offers to vs first the Moneth secondly the Day thirdly the Houre The Moneth is termed Abib in English a stalke of corne with the eare so termed for that Israel in it was to offer the first fruites of corne to Iehouah Iosh. 5.11 Leuit. 23.14 and not onely because in that moneth the greene eares of corne appeared Which month is made excellent otherwise for where before they held onely a Ciuill accompt of the yeare beginning with Tishri answerable to the greater part of our September for the worlds creation they held to beginne with the Autumnes Equinoctiall seeing Adam had at first a ripe haruest this Abib was so the seauenth answering with the beginning of the Springs Equinoctiall entring in March But now by a new accompt called the Ecclesiastike reckoning the Ciuill seauenth is made the Churches first and Head-month Which in regard of the shadowing feast doth not onely leade vs to Christ as he is the head of the Church from whose raigne in their hearts the faithfull are to take their accompt but also to Christ rising fresh and greene in that moneth the first fruites of our bodies Resurrection rising vp to heauens glorie And that he was this corne remember his owne speach verily verily I say vnto you Except the wheate-corne fall into the ground and die it bideth alone But if it die it bringeth forth much fruite Iohn 12.24 When saint Peter therefore of a blind good meaning did labour to stay his Maister from so dying our Sauiour termes him Satan or Aduersarie To what To the much fruite which would arise by his dying And this the Spirite foretolde long before in Salomons psalme saying Pissath-bar c. An handfull of corne or a particle or moytie of corne shal be in the head of the Mountaines The fruite thereof ijrgnash shal burst out as that of Lebanon And they shall flourish from the Cittie as the hearb of the Earth psal 72.16 Plainely did the spirite so fore-tell what great abundance of faithfull people should arise from that one blessed graine of wheate sowne and dying The very word Bar not onely signifying Corne but also and that more vsually a Sonne Yea where Ben implieth an ordinary sonne Bar importeth a Sonne of excellencie and so it is giuen to the Sonne of God in Psal. 2.12 A graine of him namely his humane body it was sowne in the earth this month of Abib But the third day after it rose it needed not three months with shadowing corne and with it rose the bodies of many Matthew 27.52 53. shewing himselfe thereby the Lord of life and resurrection O let vs sanctifie the first fruites of our nature vnto him who in the first fruites of our nature hath dyed for our redemption risen for our Iustification and ascended for our Glory The month so considered the Day followes The Day is twofold first the tenth day wherein the Animall was prepared secondly the fourteenth day wherein it was slaughtered For the tenth day Rabanus well obserueth that Christ Iesus represented by the paschall Lambe he publiquely preached in Ierushalem so long before the feast day setting himselfe so apart to be crucified the fourteenth Nor is it vnlike that so many dayes before the Iudas Iscariot had concluded in his heart the betraying of Iesus Which length of time doeth make his sinne more egregious namely a considerate sinne in an hâ—rd heart not all that while relenting Some other scruples touching our Sauiours time of eating the passe-ouer and his crucifixion I here passe by For the Houre of this feast it was béin hâ—ágnarbaijm betweene the two euenings What time is that Interuallum oblationis occasus it is saith one that time which passeth betweene the euenings oblation and the Sunne sette But with Beza and our marginall translation I take it to be the Twy-light and the rather because Gâ—èâ—èb implieth a mingling Of what of light and darkenâ—sse being deriued of Gnárab to betroth for that it is the betrothâ—ng or coupling together of two dayes And in this feast it was the coupling together of the fourteene and fifteene day about the Sunnes setting which mixture of time wee terme Twilight and the Hebrewes gnarbaijm Thus the tenth day of the first moneth the Animall was deputed to death the fourteenth day iâ— died And like inough about the third houre of the after noone in the dayes twelue houres it being the ninth the Animall died the very time that Messiah yeelded vp the ghost And in the twilight after the Paschall feast begunne as a sanctification of light and darkenesse and of all times to the faithfull feeders of Iesus So much of the Feasters time not medling at all with the feast of vnleauened bread his time adioyned This Paschall feasts-meate was a yeareling of the sheepe or the Goates that is a lambe or kidde being a yeare old The perfection of age did argue the fulnesse of Christ Iesus who also is termed our Passouer and paschall Lambe 1. Cor. 5.7.1 Pet. 1.19 for the creature lambe or kidde in the one of them was represented Innocency in the other Nocency The Lambe an innocent thing not opening the mouth against the shearer the yoong goate a nocent harmefull creature The lust therefore compared to sheepe and placed on Christ the great-shepheard his right hand the wicked therefore compared to Goates and put apart on Christs left hand as is the Diuel and his Angels But how could Christ be represented in either For the Lambe none doubteth seeing that hee onely was without blemish and no guile was found in his mouth For being a yoong-goat it was for that he was not onely hostia pro peccato an oblation for sinne but also because he was of God made sinne for vs who otherwise knew no sinne that we might be made the righteousnes of God in him 2. Cor. 5.21 In taking a Lambe for the feast they were to see the innocency in Christ but in taking a yoong-goat they might see our nocency and damnable guilt vpon him This briefly of the meate Now to the maner How it was to be applied first before the eating secondly in the eating thirdly