Lampes seauen Angels seauen Viols c. So vnder the seauen Lockes of SAMSONS Haire which were the Markes of his NAZAREISME are signified the perfect Graces of the holie Spirit which the LORD had bestowed vpon him and thorow which as long as hee kept them hee was more than a Conquerour For albeit the Giftes of GODS holie Spirit bee innumerable and infinit as Hee is himselfe yet there are some more principall and most necessarie sine quibus non without the which none can perswade-themselues that the Spirit of GOD dwelleth in them These gifts are absolutelie necessarie nor yet that they shall inherite the Kingdome of Heauen And these Seauen are so platted together euen as SAMSONS LOCKES were and as the links of a golden Chaine that the one of them cannot bee without the rest and all of them cannot bee without one And these are the Lockes which CHRIST prayseth in the fourth Chapter of the Canticles at the beginning THE FIRST LOCKE FAYTH THe first vvorke which the SPIRIT worketh in a Christian Fayth the Mother of the rest is FAYTH which is the Roote and Grandmother of all the rest and without the which it is impossible to please GOD and againe Heb. 11.6 heereby hee perswadeth our Consciences that the Promises of Salvation contained in the Worde of GOD appertaine vnto vs euen through CHRIST IESVS Therefore those who are ignorant and doe not know these thinges they haue not the Spirit Ignorance lacketh the first Locke Neyther yet those persons who haue an Historicall Fayth as the Deuils haue and doe not applie these Promises vnto themselues they haue no part I say in this Businesse neither anie fellowship with the Spirit of Grace For which cause wee should most earnestlie trie our selues whether the Spirit of God bee in vs vnlesse wee bee Reprobates and that especiallie by Fayth to wit If wee knowe what are the Promises of Salvation of the remission of our sinnes of the resurrection of our bodies and of Life eternall For albeit these thinges are not seene by the eye of naturall reason and although flesh and blood doeth not reveale it vnto vs yet the Spirit of GOD worketh an assent and consent in our mindes vnto the trueth of them and fullie perswadeth vs thereof But because manie alace haue a vaine opinion of Fayth Three remarkable Notes to trie Fayth and who is hee of what Religion or Sect soever that doth not boast himselfe of Faith therefore GOD willing I shall giue you three marks by the which ye may discerne whether this bee a naturall Locke growing out of SAMSONS owne head or guilded and coloured and false Haire which neuer grew out of SAMSONS braine 1. By the groundes of the word The first marke whereby to distinguish true Fayth from that which is counterfet is by the ground thereof for true Fayth groundeth her selfe onlie vpon the word of GOD and Canonicall Scriptures for it is the word onelie which warrandeth the Conscience My Sheepe heare my voyce Iohn 10.4 sayeth our LORD for if Angels or men would speake Oracles vnto vs Act. 17.11 or Paul preach vnto vs yet with the men of Berea wee must search the Scriptures and trie whether hee speake according as it is written And if an Angel should preach a contrarie Doctrine Galat. 1.8 we should count him Anathema Then wee must not build our Fayth vpon the Decrees of the Church and belieue Fide implicita The Papistes infoldē faith 1 Pet. 3.15 with an in-folded Fayth or rather euill-folded Fayth When the Apostle commandeth vs to giue a reason of our Fayth to euerie one that asketh it shall wee haue none other reason to render but to wrap our selues in the Clouts of Ignorance and say wee belieue as the Church belieueth For the men of Samaria answered to the woman of Samaria farre better saying Now wee belieue not because of thy saying for wee haue heard him our selues Iohn 4.42 and know that this is indeed the Christ the Saviour of the worlde Neyther should our Fayth bee grounded vpon the sand of the Popes Traditions his ridiculous Golden Legends which the Papists themselues scorne nor yet vpon the ancient Fathers as Augustine sayeth Non quid dicit Donatus aut Augustinus sed quid dicat DOMINVS that is Wee must not take heede what Augustine that Divine Doctor sayeth neither what Donatus that damnable Hereticke sayeth but what the LORD sayeth in his holie Scriptures And let vs holde fast that which the Apostle Sainct Peter recommendeth vnto vs saying We haue also a more sure word of the Prophets whereunto ye doe well that yee take heede 2. Pet. 1.19 as vnto a light that shineth in a darke place vntill the day dawne and the day-starre arise in your hearts For the worde of God is able to make that man of God absolute 2. Tim. 3.17 being made perfect vnto al good works Then true Fayth must altogether leane to the Scriptures which onelie are sufficient to leade vs vnto perfection The next triall of our Fayth is by the certaintie therof 2. Certaintie Heb. 11.1 which th' Apostle Paul calleth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is A full perswasion of the certaintie of those thinges which wee belieue yea an Euidence and demonstration of thinges which are not seene For whatsoeuer thinges wee belieue transcende and are aboue the reach of reason or are flat contrarie to nature sense and reason which flesh and blood cannot perswade vs of as of the least article of our Faith they must be reuealed to vs by our Father which is aboue Now when I speak of the certaintie I meane not the quantitie as though I did affirme that a weake Faith could debarre vs but I craue a true Fayth which perswadeth our consciences of Gods fauour in Christ and maketh vs say with Sainct Paul I believed and therefore did I speake 1. Cor. 4.13 and to say also with the Centurion Mark 9.24 I belieue Lord helpe my Fayth The third marke whereby this true Fayth is discerned 3. Triall of their works is by the fruits therof For it is not like the Figge Tree which was decked onelie with the greene Leaues of an outwarde show and yeelded no fruite vnto the LORD IESVS Matth. 21.19 who hungered for it But this true Fayth is like the Tree which groweth by the Rivers of waters Psalm 1.3 and bringeth foorth fruite in due season This surelie verie greatlie condemneth all these godlesse Atheistes of our time who brag of an ydle Fayth without anie care of a good life THE SECOND LOCKE The loue of God THE Spirit of GOD worketh not so soone Fayth in a Christian heart but likewise as soone hee sheddeth abroad also the Loue of GOD in his soule For as the Fire hath these two principall qualities to wit Light Heate Simil. euen so hath the true knowledge of GOD the Loue of GOD conjoyned therewith For how
SAMSONS SEAVEN LOCKES OF HAIRE Allegorically expounded and compared to the seauen Spirituall Vertues whereby we are able to ouercome our spirituall Philistims By M. A. SYMSON Minister of the Euangell at Dalkeith Printed at Sainct-Andrewes by Edward Raban Printer to the Vniversitie 1621. To the right Noble and vertuous Ladie D. MARIE ARESKIN Ladie Keith Grace Peace and Happinesse IT is the accustomable vse of this foolish Age MADAME to claime Nobilitie vnto it selfe drawing the Originall therof froÌ„ diuers Fountains some froÌ„ the discent of their Progenitors which the Poët scorned not thinking that to belong to them which they themselues did not atchieue Nam genus proavos quae noÌ„ fecimus ipsi Vix ea nostra voco Others wiser than these affirmed that onlie Vertue did nobilitate it beeing a gift of the minde of more worth than anie fleshlie prerogatiue By which the ancient Romanes Lacedemonians and Athenians studied to be famous thorow the world But what were all these Cardinall Vertues though they could haue attained vnto the perfection of them but shining sinnes as Sainct AVGVSTINE sayeth without CHRIST For true Religion onlie perfecteth Nobilitie and maketh men partakers of the Diuine Nature which consisteth in the knowledge of the true God and his worship according to his will This maketh Dauid who sprang of the base root of Iesse more famous than Nebuchadnezar Salomon to be preferred to Cyrus Alexander or Iulius Caesar euen till this day And again since God hath trained vp your Ladiship vnder the hand of a blessed Mother that yee haue sucked with your Milke the knowledge of the Trueth froÌ„ a Child and growing in grace with your years I wish that as your Lad. is borne noble by birth and by your singular vertues become more noble so by the sincere profession of the Trueth yee may become most noble Therfore I haue presented these Seauen golden Lockes of Spirituall Vertues to be worne of your L. as Ornamentes of more worth than brodered Gold or precious Pearls vpon the hid man of your heart which will make you more beautifull in the eyes of Iesus Christ your spiritual Husband than if ye had all the glory of the worlde Your spirituall Philistims who creepe into Noble mens houses wil labour to rob you of your Ornamentes therefore beware of Dalilah and her entising speaches that yee may holde fast the Trueth to the ende which ye haue by hereditarie possession and I trust shall deliuer it to your children So beseeching God to multiplie all the graces of his Spirit vpon your Lad. with temporall felicitie and hereafter heape vpon you the eternall weight of glorie I rest Your Ladiships seruant A. Symson TO THE READER BEcause good Reader thou hast so fauourably accepted mine other two Lookes before aswell this last of The first seauen Dayes as likewise the former vpon The seauen words which Christ spake on the Crosse euen at the accomplishment of our RedemptioÌ„ therfore I am encouraged to preseÌ„t to thee this third Septenarie also of Samsons seauen Lockes of Haire mystically expounded of the seauen necessary Vertues without the which none can be true Christians And if ye reade the Fathers how they allegorize both these all other parts of the old TestameÌ„t yee will not bee offended that I handle these Lockes by spirituall interpretation Receiue this kindly I pray thee and by Gods helpe thou shalt haue The seauen Psalmes of Repentance as soone as possiblie I may Fare-well A. SYMSON ON THESE LOCKES LOckes Ornament of Angels Diadems Which the triumphing Quires aboue doe crowne Rich Curles of Bountie Pinnions of Renowne Of that immortall Sunne immortall Beames Lockes sacred Lockes no adamantine Chaines Which doe shut vp and firme together binde Both that Contentment which in Life wee finde And Blisse which with vnbodied Soules remaines Faire Locks all Locks compar'd to you though gold Are Comets-Locks portending Harme and Wrath Or bauld Occasions-Locke that none can holde Or Abasaloms which worke the Wearers death If hencefoorth Beautie e're my Minde subdue It shall deare Locks be for what shines in you W. D. Iudg. chap. xvi vers xix And shee made him sleepe vpon her Knees she called a man made him to shaue off the seauen Lockes of his head and shee began to vexe him and his strength was gone from him c. THis History of Samson declareth vnto vs the infirmitie and weaknesse of Gods chiefest Vessels The infirmitie of Gods Sancts whensoever they are left vnto themselues for albeit Samson had both spirituall and naturall strength aboue others yet when God lest him but a little hee lost them both and became a pitifull prey spectacle to his enemies whome before hee vanquishe So this Historie is a faithfull Recorder aswell of the Vices as Vertues of the Sancts a perfect mirrour wherin euery one may behold both the deformity beauty of his own person Simil. Iudg. 4.8 and 8.27 11.39 Barac the Captain had his own faintheartednes Gedeon his Ephod Iephtah his vnnaturall offering c. These things are manifest by the Scriptures and like Bekons set vpon the shore Simil. to warne vs who seeme to stand to take heede lest wee fall Yea they are the Cicatrices and marks of their woundes to remember vs to beware of the like snares of Satan But although our spirituall enemies beguile vs and ensnare vs in the grossest sinnes yet let vs not despare for there is still mercy with God Prov. 24.16 howbeit the Righteous may fall seven times aday yet hee shall rise againe For sure it is that whom the Lord loveth hee loveth to the ende which we shall easily perceiue in this short Treatise hereafter God willing For albeit the Lord externally chastise vs for our humiliation yet he taketh not his holy Spirit froÌ„ vs. For when he thought good he renewed his graces in Samson and as his haire grew the Lord gaue him growth of strength also so that in his death hee became more victorious ouer Gods enemies than in all his life The grounds of doctrine FIrst wee shall speak God willing of the seauen Lockes of Samsons head and the mysticall interpretation thereof Next of the Princes of the Philistims and the craftie deuise to supprise Samson by Dalilah Thâ—â—â—lie Samsons facilitie in yeelding and securitie in sleeping being ouercome by his fleshlie affections Together with the just punishment thereof in putting out of his eyes which hee abused vnto his lust As also his captiuitie and that shamefull spectacle which was made of him before the vncircumcised And finallie wee shall intreat of Samsons Triumph the restitution of his strength and destruction of Gods enemies representing therein Christ Iesus our true Samson who by his death gaue the greatest foyle to our enemies and led captiuitie captiue SAMSONS SEAVEN LOCKES OF HAIRE THe number of seauen in the Scriptures is a Number of perfection The number of seauen as the seauen Dayes seauen
Samfons fourth punishment Iudg. 16.25 Now Samsons fourth punishment is OPEN SHAME wherein wee may obserue the just recompense of Samson in euery thing his lustfull eyes are pulled out the abuse of his liberty is turned to bonds his slauery to sinne is turned to the slauery of his flesh now last his dishonour to God God recompenseth Samson justly in all his punishments 2. Sam. 12.14 turneth to his open shame For as the Lord will honour them who honour him so hee will dishonour them who dishonour his glorious Name Samson made Gods Name to be euil spekeÌ„ of as Dauid did before the Heathen slandered his profession now he is made a publike spectacle before the eyes of Gods enemies Let no man think those pure in their professioÌ„ that cry The Temple of the Lord Ier. 7.4 the teÌ„ple of the Lord if they denle their body which is the true Temple of God Fie and fie again vpon the swinish life of the professors of the Euangel of Christ for the Ethniks who made more conscience in their honest behauiour Turks Iewes and Papists shal condemne them and it shal bee easier for them at the Great Day than to such who brag of their puritie in religioÌ„ yet they liue in a shameles impuritie of life witnessing to all the worlde Titus 1.16 that they confesse Christ with their mouth and denie him in their workes shewing themselues to be hypocrites prepared for vtter darknesse But let no man misconstruct the children of God as though hee had casten off those whom he brings to be publik examples to the world vpon open scaffolds or such like For God therby will proclaim that he will not countenance those sinnes in his children God punisheth the sinnes of his owne children here more rigorouslie than hee doeth the wickeds 1. Cor. 4.9 which hee will punish in the reprobate albeit hee chastise the one while hee plague the other Yea I reade in all the Scriptures that externallie God dealeth more rigorouslie with his own than with his aduersaries Christ was made a publike spectacle to the world and Paul saieth Wee are made a publike gazing stocke to man and Angels but we differ in that wee are made spectacles for our own sinnes hee was made a spectacle for vs. And if it please God to bring vs to bee open martyrs so spectacles to the world let vs see it bee for the Lordes cause as Samson did for Causa non mors facit martyrem the cause not the death maketh a martyr Here is the goodnes of God that he might haue punished Samson by this shame for his sinne Nota. and yet he turneth it vnto his owne glorie and maketh him suffer for his cause Samsons Triumph IT is true which is spokeÌ„ by the Spirit Weeping may be at euening Psal 30.5 but joye coÌ„meth in the morning and that which our Sauiour saieth Matt. 5.4 Blessed are they that mourne for they shall receiue consolation for this Tragoedie of Samsons life endeth with a joyfull plauditie with the deliuerie of the Church from her enemies and his owne deliuerie from sinne and shame But first let vs obserue Mans greatest necessitie is Gods chiefest oportunitie that when Samson is farthest dejected and brought to the last and greatest point of disgrace then the Lord commeth and it is his proper time when hee worketh which is contrary to the doeings of men for when wee see anie exalted to the toppe of their honour then all men bow their knee to Haman Hester 3.2 and 5.14 6.1 c. but when the Gallows is set vp for Mordicai sentence giuen out against the Iewes then commeth the Saluation of God for when Ionas said Ionas 2.4 I am cast out of thy sight then his eyes were toward his holy place The necessitie of Iob was the oportunitie of God Iob 42.10 for being depriued of al worldly comfort his wife children friends seruants c. and all had forsaken him then the Lord commeth and restoreth him to all things David found this same proof and all the Saincts in all ages that in their greatest extremities his strength may be manifested to the world to the glorie of his grace that flesh blood should haue no place of rejoycing in it selfe but giue all glorie to God All men forsooke me sayeth the Apostle 1. Tim. 4.16.17 Iob. 9.35 But the Lord assisted me As the borne blind being casten foorth of the Synagogue by the Pharisies vvas found by Christ so vvhen vvee are rejected by the vvorld the Lord shall find vs. Therefore let this encourage the Church of God at all times and all her members that howsoeuer the Ship of Iesus bee tossed vvith vvaues all the night Matth. 14.24.25 yet in the fourth vvatch the Lord vvill come and rebuke the vvind and the vvaues and make calme the tempests of the Seas and bring peace to Israel Next vve see that vvhen the enemies of the Church cry peace then coÌ„meth their sudden destructioÌ„ The Philistims are triumphing ouer Samson reuiling his God and praising their god Dagâ—â— Iudg. 16.24 that dead monster and in the meane time God bringeth sudden destruction vpon them When the wicked are most secure then commeth destruction Matth. 24.38 As in the first vvorld they vvere eating and drinking marrying and giuing in marriage and the flood came So vvhen the enemies of the Church are in their greatest joy then they are singing vvith the Svvan their ovvne funerall song Thirdlie vve must obserue that God restoreth strength to Samson vvhich he had lost by his ovvne follie As God casteth down so in his owne time he raiseth vp againe vvherein the constancie of God is to bee seene that vvhom God loueth he loueth to the ende Samsons foolishnesse could not prejudge Gods goodnesse So it is certaine that albeit the Lord vvil hide himselfe a little from his Sainctes and abstract his spirituall giftes from them for a season aswell to their owne sence feeling as to the sight of the world Numb 23.19 yet it is impossible that God can repent as man or change his nature who is immutable with him as th' Apostle saith there is no shaddow of changing Iames 1.17 Then let vs take heart euen when wee seeme to bee farthest casten down and that the graces of God are dried vp vpon vs. For the Lord will alwayes be like himselfe and immutable And this is also remarkable that wheÌ„ the inward graces are restored to the soule Simil. hee recouereth also the strength of his body for as it is in corporal diseases wheÌ„ the noble affected parts are cured and purged then the exterior partes of the bodie begin to conualesse That same order God keepeth in our spirituall cure saying first Mat. 9.2.5 Thy sinnes are forgiuen thee and then Take vp thy Bed and walke Dauid felt the proofe hereof when he confessed his sinnes and saith And thou tookest away the punishment of my sinnes Psa 32.50 If wee first seeke spirituall Physicke then wee shall find ease in our temporall troubles So let vs labour in all our extremities to seeke first spirituall physicke and reconciliation with our God and then if it please him hee will soone ease vs of our temporall troubles Farther let vs obserue that the external seale of his graces and marke of his Nazareisme which was in Samsons haire is also restored to him before his death So that in whatsoeuer thing sinne had made him deficient now grace makes him sufficient What sinne maketh deficient in vs grace maketh sufficient So the presence of God by his grace is able to supplie all our wantes and losses As for the pulling down of the house It may bee thought that Samson desperatelie ouerthroweth himselfe with the Philistims but it carrieth no reason with it for first he is reckoned Heb. 11.32 in the catalogue of the faithfull captains of Israel Whether SamsoÌ„ died desperatelie or not who by saith wroght righteousnesse and ouercame Kingdomes which the Spirit of God would not had done if hee had died desperatelie Next God had not restored vnto him his graces after his fall but onlie to vse them to his glorie Thirdlie Samson intended nothing but the destruction of Gods enemies albeit with his own losse whereto he offered himselfe willingly being a Magistrate and hauing power to giue his life for the Saluation of the people The ancient Romans thought it a great honour Mori pro Patria to die for their contrey as Samson doeth here Samson a type of Christ Samson was a figure of Christ who in his life killed many of our Spirituall enemies but in his death hee pulled downe the pillars of Satans Kingdome and ouercame sinne Hell and death that wee may cry nowe O death where is thy sting O Hell 1. Cor. 15.55 where is thy victorie The application of these seuen Lockes Nowe yee haue heard the seuen Lockes of Samson 〈◊〉 â—â—â—â—gorically the seuenfold gracâ—â— of Gods Spirâ—â— bestowed vpon his children which seuen Locks as marks of Christianitie we shold try if we haue them growing in our hearts Next we should learn a caueat by Samsons securitie facilitie lest wee giue place to the Deuill and lest hee spoyle vs of our Spirituall graces Thirdlie by his punishments let vs remember that God will not spare his dearest children if they dishonour his Name And finallie by his recouerie wee haue to praise the goodnesse of God who mixeth his mercies with his Iustice and forgetteth the sinnes of the elect and crowneth them with compassions to his euerlasting glorie to whom be praise and honour for euer and euer Amen FINIS