these foure respects First for the readinesse and flowingnesse of it it dropped forth of it selfe it needed not to be prest and constrained as an honey-combe Secondly for the sweetnesse of it as the honey or the honey-combe Thirdly for the wholesomnesse of it as milke The smell of thy garments is like the smell of Lebanon Lebanon is full of sweet trees of spices growing in it which yeeld a fragrant smell even a farre off Garments are First partly the wedding garments of Christs righteousnesse Secondly partly the gracious carriage wherewith they cloathed themselves in their outward conversation They cloathed and decked themselves with Christ not onely to their Justification but with his Spirit to their Sanctification which shewes forth it selfe in their humility meekenes patience honesty faithfulness diligence serviceableness of their outward carriage so farre forth as that the Heathen smelled a sweet favour in their whole course yea even in Trajans time when the smell of garments was not so strong yet what a sweet testimony doth Pliny himselfe though a persecutor give of them when hee said hee could finde no fault with them but that they rose early and went into the woods to sing Hymnes to one Jesus Use 1 This first is to reforme their judgements who speake of the Apostolicall Church as an infant and rude Church whereas Christ whose eyes were as a flame of fire and who best knew it commends it for perfection of beauty and saith it was faire So that if a Church were such Christ might imbrace it with both his armes This is the Church excellent for her Ministers excellent for common Christians which had pure eyes of knowledge and faith so that by how much neerer any Church comes to this by so much the fairer it is and by how much any Church comes short of it by so much the fouler it is Use 2 Secondly this doth teach us that not abuses but the toleration of them doth blemish a Church and detract from the perfect beauty of it for otherwise in the Primitive Churches were found Schisms Heresies a denying the Resurrection uncharitable going to Law Incest love-feasts in the Lords Supper strange tongues in the publicke worship and yet because the Apostles stood out against these and reformed them the Church still retaines her perfect beauty In the Church of Ephesus there were false Apostles yet it was a Church so it is corruptions not cut off defile a Church As we then desire the Church should be pure leave we all our sinnes and corruptions which may any way blemish the beauty of the Church Use 3 Thirdly this teaches us to be ready to extoll and acknowledge as occasion serveth other mens labours above our owne Christ gathered a Church in his owne time which hee called Faire but this Church gathered by his Apostles he calleth All faire It grieveth him not to ascribe thousands to himselfe and ten thousands to them yea he foretold it and promised it freely aforehand How farre was he from a Spirit of envie and emulation though indeed all their successe was by his grace and blessing as Paul said By the grace of God I am that I am The contrary Spirit of emulation hindereth Churches from taking that which is their owne from one another Use 4 Fourthly hence wee learne in what cases one Church may step from another to wit First when Christ leaveth a Church and goeth away with us from it Come with me from Lebanon my spouse with me So when Christ leaves and forsakes a Church wee may leave it and goe out with him Secondly when a Church is become an universall spotted Leopard and a cruell Lion blaspheming and persecuting the Gospell of Christ as These things were found in Rome from whence wee departed not in England blessed be the Lord from whom the Separatists would have us to depart But Christ still vouchsafes to be with us converting soules feeding his lambes hearing our prayers We may also worship Christ in truth without feare of lawes yea with acceptance When Christ goes let all his faithfull spouses goe with him when there are dens of Lions and men cannot keepe the profession of Christ but fall into their mouthes then it is time to goe But are there these causes now doth not Christ dwell here in the simplicity of his ordinances As long as Christ is here in England let us not goe away but say as Peter and John Lord to whom shall wee goe thou hast the words of eternall life As long as Christ is pleased to feed us to drop milke and honey into our soules let us not depart Use 5 Fifthly this may teach us how to knit the heart of Christ to us in ravishing affection by cleaving to Christ with setled purpose by abounding in helpfulnesse to the Saints by procuring and keeping faithfull shepherds by burthening the Church not with many chains of lawes but onely with few and those necessary all these are formerly mentioned in the Church of Antioch As ever we desire to have the Lord Jesus Christ to love us let us grow in knowledge faith and all saving graces of his Spirit and hereby shew our love to him and then we shall finde Christ ravished with our love Use 6 Sixthly this doth teach us what kind of love Christ acknowledgeth and embraceth to wit faire strong sweet cheerefull in an enlarging our selves to the reliefe of his poore Saints Use 7 Seventhly this doth teach Ministers how to make their Ministry amiable to Christ not to preach once a moneth or quarterly by the preaching of the Law but to be full as the honey-combe dropping out of it selfe to preach sweet doctrine as honey and wholesome as milk for the nourishment of Christs lambs The Pastors and Ministers of the Primitive Church did this without help of Universities what a shame then is this for us to come short of them in such abundance of outward helpes and means Would'st thou be a faithfull Minister let thy doctrine drop as honey preach willingly freely sweetly comfortably Use 8 Lastly this may learne and stirre up Christians so to walke and so to furnish our selves with inward graces and with outward commendable carriage as may yeeld a sweet savour and smel to God and man that it may be like the smell of Lebanon that men may smell a sweet savour that come neere them let our hearts be inwardly furnished with the graces of God as with sweet oyntments and our outward garments our outward conversation so directed with honesty integrity humility meekenesse and love c. that our names be not dishonoured much lesse God by our meanes Cast we aside stinking drunkennesse whoredome malice covetousnesse c. And thus doing wee shall take away all offence so doing Christ shall looke at us as his faire spouse and say Thou art all faire my love verse 7. A garden inclosed is my sister my spouse
be washed off from such vessels Be not discouraged then from Christian courses by foolish feares of reproach The truth is if we goe on in sin Christ esteemeth of us as base peasants as ugly and abominable in his sight naked bare deformed and defiled yea he esteemeth our goings as going barefoot which either first brawneth our feet with a thicke skin that thereby we grow insensible and feele nothing or secondly pricketh us with unnecessary scruples and fears Vse 2 Secondly we may from hence observe to whom the praise of the conversion of the forwardest Christians is due to wit to the hands of a cunning workman the God of power and peace We might be also called as often to returne as the Shulamite in the last verse of the former Chapter and yet unlesse this cunning workman put the bones of our thighes into joynt wee shall not returne to him Vse 3 Further see here the use of Baptisme even to Infants The Anabaptists object that Infants can receive no benefit by it because they yet receive no understanding no benefit by the word As if Infants cannot receive nourishment by the Navell though they can neither take nor chew nor sucke meat with hand or mouth Baptisme is the Navell by which Infants are nourished in the Church Vse 4 Fourthly from this Navell never wanting liquor observe there doth never want just matter of instruction and comfort to be fetched from our baptisme against all temptations Doth Satan detaine thee from obeying thine effectuall calling Remember in Baptisme from thine Infancy thou wast admitted into the family of Christ doth hee trouble thee with feares and doubts that thy sinnes are not pardoned behold thy baptisme is full of liquor of Christs blood to justifie thee from all thy sinnes Doth Satan tempt thee to defile thy selfe with any sinne Behold thou art washed solemnely in baptisme from all sinne and wilt thou defile thy selfe against thy baptisme Vse 5 Fifthly in the Lords Supper see what plenty of excellent sound and sweet nourishment is offered to us even an heap of wheat Christs flesh is meat indeed and his blood is drink indeed There is al-sufficient nourishment for an hungry soule this serveth to quicken our appetite to this heavenly banquet Vse 6 Sixthly observe what manner of persons should bee admitted to the Lords Table and how we should prepare our selves thereto This heape of wheat is not to bee set about with stinking weeds but with faire lillies Cleanse wee ourselves then from all scandalous sinnes yea and from all secret sinnes to our best endeavours so shall we be fit to be set about this heap of wheat the Lords Table Vse 7 Seventhly note that Ministers to be like Roes skipping up and downe to gather and suckle the children of the Church is fitter for a Church in gathering than convenient in a Church constituted for then the brests hang in their place like clusters of Grapes upon the branches of the Vine v. 7 8 But they must be brests giving suck not dry nurses that is their duty in every estate of the Church Or if their people bee growne up in Christ to fitnesse for strong meat then They to be full in a stronger liquor than milke as clusters of grapes full of wines Vse 8 Eightly see the beauty and commendation of three cardinall graces First Faith to be First strong Secondly precious applying the precious promises and making us rich with them Secondly Repentance to abound in brokennesse of spirit through godly sorrow melting into abundance of teares or other affections sutable thereto Thirdly obedience to be First fragrant Secondly and that with all manner of sweet fruits and good that all that converse with us may smell a sweet savour from our conversation Vse 9 Ninthly marke here a lesson for Magistrates to bee as Carmell yeelding some sweet and plentifull nourishment to the people First by procuring free passage to Gods Ordinances whence Iehoshaphats Nobles are said to teach Secondly by making wholesome Lawes Thirdly by giving good example of life to have no Officers hanging about them of base demeanor exactors promotors contentious persons but such as may execute it themselves and their Ministers and for publique Ordinances of Gods worship it is no disparagement to Magistrates to behave themselves reverendly in them and to submit themselves unto them as unto Christ Vse 10 Tenthly from this compleat description of the beauty of the Church in all her parts observe First that the Church was never so compleatly beautifull in all her parts as it shall be when the Jewes are called The Apostolique Primitive Church though all fair yet wanted this headlike Carmel a Christian Magistrate yea and some purity of the Sacrament Secondly in that he beginneth this description from the feet and so ascendeth to the head in order It may seeme the calling of the Jewes shall begin at first rather with some of the lowest people and so ascend higher and higher to more eminent persons Thirdly in that the Church neither here where so many of her members are set forth nor in all this Song is described by the beauty of her hands or fingers wee must not gather that therefore this Church will bee barren of good works God forbid but rather conceive Christ concealeth the mention of her hands to wit her works partly First because the Harlot of Rome so delighteth so much to boast of her hands of her works which indeed she wants Christ had rather his Church should abound in good works in silence than boast of them especially when they are wanting Secondly because it is he alone and not wee that worketh all our workes for us Cantic 7. vers 6. vers 4. of 8. Chap. How faire c. In these verses the holy Ghost goes on to describe the second estate of the Jewes Church as is spoken above Chap. 7. ver 1. in ver 6 7. as growne up to her full stature and maturiry For first beauty is not observed till full growth now here her beauty is admired ver 6. Secondly her stature is expressely mentioned to bee a Palme-tree v. 7. Thirdly her brests are here mentioned againe ver 7. which sheweth that he speaketh not of the same estate of the same Church as asore Besides the brests yeelding wine in stead of milke it is a signe the Church shall then be growne to more maturity and fitnesse to be fed with stronger meat The Church of the Jewes then come to her fuller growth is here described First by her beauty which is admirable How faire and joyned with pleasure How pleasant art thou especially for publique worship so described verse 6. Secondly by her stature resembled to a palme tree ver 7. Thirdly her brests resembled to clusters of Grapes ver 7. The third estate of this Church as it shall be further enlarged by the accesse of the Gentiles is described ver 8. 10. and that First by Christs climbing this palm-tree
navell c. The navell and belly are both hidden parts not conspicuous to them without and therefore set forth the two Mysteries or Sacraments of the Church Baptisme and the Lords Supper The Navell serving for the nourishing of the Infant in the wombe resembleth Baptisme nourishing Infants and new borne babes in the wombe of the Church It wanteth not liquor First of the blood of Christ to justifie us from sin Secondly of the Spirit of Christ to sanctifie and cleanse us from sin The belly to wit the Lords Supper is as an heape of wheat for store of excellent and sweet and fine nourishment set about with lillies because onely the faithfull pure Christians shall bee admitted to partake in that Sacrament The Lords Table shall not bee set about with weeds prophane and scandalous sinners but with Lillies worthy Communicants Thy two brests the Teachers of that Church are like two young Roes For their agility skipping up and down to suckle the converts implying that the first Ministry of the Jewes at the conversion of that people shall rather be as the Evangelists bound to no certain place than as Pastors fixed to any setled Congregation which yet outwardly they shall be That are twins First for their likenesse in disposition Secondly brotherly equality Thy neck is as a Tower of Ivory thine eyes like the fish pooles in Heshbon by the gate of Bath-rabbim thy nose is as the tower of Lebanon which looketh toward Damascus Thy neck is as a tower of Ivory The neck as above is the faith of the Church joyning Christ his Church together as the neck doth the head and body As a tower for strength of Ivory for preciousnesse for which faith is commended Thine eyes are like the fish pooles in Heshbon by the gate of Bath-rabbim For the abundance of water meaning teachers that they shall yeeld even tears of Repentance at their conversion partly for the great wrong they had done our Saviour partly to consider the unspeakable and undeserved kindnesse of God towards them Thy nose is like the tower of Lebanon which looketh toward Damascus There was a double house of the forrest of Lebanon the one in Ierusalem built by Solomon so called by way of resemblance In which hee put his golden shields whence Shishak taking them is said to take them out of Ierusalem of this house speaketh Isaiah Isa 22. 8. There was another house built in the forrest of Lebanon as appeareth by this place which is said to looke toward Damascus to distinguish it from the other which is in Ierusalem Lebanon it selfe stood in the utmost Confines of Israel Northward towards Syria and therefore this house built in Lebanon is said to looke toward Damascus the chiefe City of Syria Now Lebanon being full of all manner of sweet and fragrant trees and shrubs and spices the Tower built in Lebanon must needs be compassed with the sweet smelling odours to the great refreshing and delight of such as should lodge in it Hence the nose of this pure Church is compared to this Tower because they that dwell in this Church shall bee wonderfully refreshed with the sweet odours of the Ministry which is the sweet savour of life unto life as also with the savoury conference of good Christians and their faithfull and godly conversation Thine head upon thee is like Carmel and the haire of thine head like purple the King is held in the galleries Thine head upon thee is like Carmel Carmel excelled for fruit and fulnesse in feeding Cattell and therefore is reckoned with Lebanon and Sharon and Bashan famous for fertility The head of the Church under Christ is the Civill Magistrate The meaning then is that the Magistrate of this Church shall yeeld store of sound and sweet nourishment to the people by giving and maintaining free passage to each holy Ordinance of God and also by wholsome Lawes and lastly by good example of godly life The haire of thy head like purple The haire whether it bee the common Christians of the Church that hang upon Christ or the Officers or Servants that hang upon the Magistrates of that Church they are like purple First not onely died in crimson blood of Christ Secondly but also of a royall hue as purple is a princely die all of them as Princes The Officers and Exacters shall bee Peace and Righteousnesse These Officers shall not basely sharke for bribes nor exact for fees nor oppresse for filthy lucre nor pick holes in mens estates to trouble the people and enrich themselves but like purple-clothed Princes be like their Ministers and honour both their Ministers and themselves with Peace and Righteousnesse The King is held in the Rafters For so the word is turned before where the Rafters were understood partly of the Temple Held is alwaies to my remembrance used for holding by constraint bound as a Prisoner The meaning may be then That the King or chiefe Magistrate is bound to bee present at the Ordinances of God in the Temple as any other private Christian which is foretold expresly of this Church when the people goe into the Temple the Prince is commanded to goe in with them when they goe out he shall goe out with them together he shall come in with the first and go out with the last Or what if it imply that their greatest Magistrates shall submit themselves to bee bound with the censures of the Church according to that where the Psalmist telleth of binding of Kings with the Ordinances of God in the Church And Isaiah foretelleth that Kings and Queenes shall bow downe their faces towards the earth unto the Church and licke the dust of their feet both their interpretations stand well together Vse 1 First this doth shew us how to come and appeare beautifull in the eyes of the Lord Jesus which is when wee turne our feet from the estate and wayes and bondage of sin and Satan and come out of the captivity into the liberty of his children when wee claime our Inheritance of the Kingdome of heaven seeking after it above all earthly blessings and walking towards it when we walke confidently in a Christian course then Christ admireth our beauty How beautifull are thy goings with shooes O Princes daughter Yea Christ then esteemeth us as Princes children what matter then if foolish Men account us Peasants and our going with shooes as straight in the instep but wee stand not nor fall not to their judgements but to his who shall judge us to eternall happinesse or misery at the last day He word must stand when eeaven and earth shall fall If he account us vessels of honour we are so indeed who is it that dishonoureth us If men should cast a vessell of gold or silver into the mire and trample upon it yet the vessell is still a vessell of honour good and rich and precious the mire may easily
a wall and my breasts like towers then was I in his eyes as one that found favour The little sister of Egypt resolveth her sisters that shee wants neither Christian Magistrates nor faithfull Ministers so full of wholesome Doctrine as that her breasts swell like Towers which yet she acknowledgeeth to be a singular mercy and favour of Christ and ascribeth all her store to his praise Then was I as one that found favour in his eyes Solomon had a vineyard in Baal-hamon A place so fruitfull that for excellency it was called the Lord of a multitude or the owner of great encrease He let out the vineyard unto keepers who paid him a great rent even thousands for the fruit of it and yet had a good portion certain hundreds for their owne paines My vineyard which is mine is before me thou O Solomon must have a thousand and those that keep the fruit thereof two hundred To wit I let not out my vineyard to others but I kept it my selfe alwaies let Solomon take his thousands for his fruits of his vineyard and the Reapers their hundreds I will not so doe but take all the paines to keep my vineyard and reap all the gaines of the fruits thereof to my selfe The meaning is when Christ hath gathered all these Churches of the Jewes Assyrians Egyptians and neighbour-Nations hee will then keepe his Church with his mighty power that neither Dragons nor wilde Bores nor Foxes shall hereafter root it up or make havock of it as in time past they have done This is expresly foretold and shall come to passe after the destruction of Leviathan the great Turke Thou that dwellest in the gardens the companions hearken to thy voyce cause me to heare it Thou that dwellest in the gardens The Participle being of the Feminine Gender sheweth that it is the Church not Christ that is here spoken to who is said to dwell in the garden to wit in the particular Churches as the sea dwelleth in each particular Countrey sea the German sea the Spanish sea the Balticke sea c. So the Catholique Church is divided into particular Churches or the Jewish Mother Church dwelleth by her authority and directions in all other Churches The companions hearkning to thy word or voice cause me to heare it So the words in the originall which implyeth either that Church would have the Mother Church of the Jewes take care of all other Christian Churches and give directions unto them and yet not as unto her handmaids but as to her companions or else if the words be read according to the translation The companions hearken to thy voice cause me to heare it They imply that after the calling of these Churches this shall bee their constant estate to the worlds end they shall all First embrace one another as companions not claiming Romish Supremacy Secondly hearken to the voice and directions of the Mother Church in Solomons daies for wisdome to him Thirdly continue in calling upon the Name of Christ without dissipation and interruption to the end Make haste my beloved and be thou like to a Roe or to a young Hart upon the mountaine of spices This is the prayer of all the Churches Now that all things are accomplished the which Prophets and Apostles have foretold that Christ would hasten his last comming as swiftly and quickly as the swiftest of the creatures the Roe or young Hart to take them up with himselfe into the highest Heavens of the Mountaines of spices where are all manner of spices where are all manner of sweet and fragrant and pleasant things even fulnesse of joy at Gods right hand for evermore Thus is the end of the Revelations The Spirit and the Bride and every faithfull soule saith in like sense come Lord Iesus come quickly Vse 1 The use of this is first to teach us that the Nations of the Gentiles shall not be cast off from the fellowship of the Church when the Jewes are called as the Jewes were out of the Church that the Gentiles might bee grafted in but even after their calling new Churches of the Gentiles shall bee brought in yea their conversion shall bring from the dead into the world What shall the receiving of them be but life from the dead yea the Gentiles shall bring their glory to it yea the cursed Canaanite shall not be excluded from partaking in this blessing How much more may we hope then that these Churches of Christendome which have suffered so much with Christ and for him under the Dragon and the Beast and the Turk shall partake with the glory of these Churches of the Jewes when the time shall come Vse 2 Secondly this doth teach us how to attaine fellowship and holy familiarity with Christ even by faith leaning upon him as our beloved infidelity and doubting hinder our sweet communion with Christ labour wee therefore to abandon it from us Vse 3 Thirdly we may here see the duty of inferiour Magistrates what it is even to see that the Church be raised up under them how much more to countenance and protect it with their shadow and to comfort it with the fruit of their sweet and wholesome lawes and examples Vse 4 Fourthly this may serve for tryall of the goodnesse of our affections to Christ if we thirst after his deepe affection to us and continuall remembrance of us if wee labour to subdue our selves and all ours to him if wee jealously warre against all that which might impaire our love to him if wee burne up all our impediments if no afflictions can discourage us from him if no prosperity can shake our intire desires after him we are then wel affected to him as this Church is If we desire to have such deep place in Christs heart it is a plain signe Christ hath a deep place in our hearts Vse 5 Fifthly this may shew us a meanes how to consume all base and kitch inloves and lusts in us set upon these sensuall worldly things grow up in this spirituall love to Christ and it will swallow up and consume these lesser fires the greater light will extinguish the lesser as the Sun will put out the kitchin fire so this strong fire of Christs love in us will burne up and eat out all lust in us Vse 6 Sixthly this may comfort the true Church and children of God in assurance of their perseverance if our love to him be so unchangeable that many waters of afflictions cannot quench it nor floods of temptations drowne it if it be so strong as death that it will devour all before it how much more is his love to us Vse 7 Seventhly this lets us see that the Churches that are well established themselves must not contemne their weake neighbour Churches but take care and use all good meanes for their establishment and growth How far should greater Churches bee from cutting off the breasts or breaking downe the walls of their small