out p. 54. l. 13. for heavy r. hairy l. 29. for do r. to p. 57. l. 18. for from r. fro p. 58. l. 4. for excell r. exceeds p. 61. l. 4. for best r. brest l. 19. for would r. could l. 31. for of falshood r. or falshood Also take notice That whereas in many places on Jona there is no distinction between that part of the history and what is observed from it therefore to avoid confusion know that where you finde it thus marked l there the Observation begins and where it is again thus marked l there it ends CHAPTER I. 1 THe Song of Songs most excellent Of Solomon who by the guide Of Gods spirit doth represent Christ and his Church the lovely bride 2 a Saints do desire to enjoy more simptomes seals and assurances of the love of Iesus Christ Oh let him come and me embrace And with his mouth let him me kiss For my soul's longing for the grace That flows from that sweet spirit of his b In adversity and prosperity the fruition of Christ is better then the choicest chiefest of all things beside For why thy loves are better far And night and day make me more glad Then all the choicest wines that are Or were or ever shall be had 3 c The graces of Christ and the anoyntings of his holy spirit are sweet precious pure and powerful in working Thine oyntments Lord all of the best Are sweeter then the choyce perfume Their vertue heals the soul opprest That sin Satan would consume d His blood powred out and life spilt upon the cross Thou wast pour'd out like ointment pure Thou emptied wast me for to fill e A fountain set open for sin and uncleanness Zach. 13.1 a well of water springing up to life everlasting Yet thou art full and shalt endure An overflowing fountain still f The love of Christ constrains souls to be obedient Thy grace diffus'd the virgins move Thy love shed forth 's the only cause The pure in heart and life thee love g True love is made manifest in keeping Christs precepts And loving thee they keep thy laws 4 h The Church of Christ sensible of her own and members nothingness weakness backwardness and remisness prays for assistance and promises a good improvement Draw me and mine to goodness slack Perswad 's to come to thee in hast Put forth thy power when we draw back We 'l run and follow thee full fast i There is a special intimacy between Christ and saints he will shew them his secret which angels desire to peep into Psal 25.14 The Royall king just strong and wise Not only outward kindness shews But all his chamber secresies To them that fear him he 'l disclose k Christ is the object of a Christians joy a divine contemplation of Christ begets divine affection unto Christ Much more then wine thy love we mind With joy most pure it glads our heart More we think on thee more we finde Thou by the upright loved art 5 l A sensibleness of deformity works deep humility ingenious confession I now deformed am and black As black as kedars tents by name Afflictions great and sin alack Hath brought me to confess the same m The saints are beautiful through grace without spot through Christ yet their glory is within Yet daughters of Jerusalem Like to the curtains bright and fair Which once surrounded Solomon I comely am through Christ as they 're 6 n The Churches discoulorings last not always 't is but for a moment in wrath the Lord hides his face therefore divide not despise not enemies dispare not friends With evil eye behold me not Though beauty mine be turn'd to stain The suns hot beams hath caus'd this spot And time will wipe it off again o Friends degenerate do often if not always turn the most implacable enemies My mothers children angry were To keep the vinyards when they stept Aside they made me oh severe p The Churches devastation gives cause of sad complaint Therefore my vineyard is not kept 7 q A fense of ignorance and weakness drives to Christ for strength and direction Oh tell me where thy flock doth feed Thou whom my soul doth dearly love r Christ is a Christians sweetest shade in the hottest persecution Where they lie down i' th days of dread When scorching heat their faith doth prove s Christs sheep are careful to follow him John 10. and fearful of false teachers and corrupt and false assemblies For fear lest I should go astray After the flocks to turn aside Of thy companions in the way Thy faithful followers never try'd 8 t They that abase themselves shall be exalted and they that ask shall receive directions Mat. 7.7 If thou know not that art so fair My word and spirit shall thee guide u New converts are as meek lambs Joh. 10. gathered into flocks must keep from those folds Christ hath not appointed Thy tender kids them take with care And feed the shepherds tents beside w We must follow the faith and good works of those before us and make their pattern our example Go thy way forth get out with speed From all false ways and worships go To th' footsteps of the flock take heed Conform thy ways their ways unto 9 x The Church of Christ is orderly powerful and speedy in executing the good pleasure of Christ her head Much like to Pharaohs chariot horses My love my dear I thee compare Who goodly are and keep their courses Through me thou' rt as choice as they are 10 y A conversation becoming the Gospel is the Churches duty and outward beauty Phi. 1.19 1 Pet. 3.3 4. Thy cheeks with jewels thou dost deck A sight most comely to behold z The Church observing Christs appointments is not enthrald thereby but in glorious freedome And thou hast round about thy neck Chains that are wrought of purest gold 11 a The three and yet but one are ingag'd by promise to make the Church very glorious through divers precious spiritual Gospel endowments Both father son and holy Ghost Will make for thee borders of gold With studs of silver things that most Will make thee glorious to behold 12 b True grace is not idle cannot be hid but is powr'd out like the sweetest perfume or most pretious oyntment in our solemn approaches to God to the pleasing of him greatly and the good and benefit of our brethren That I may please the King full well When at his table he sits there My spiknard shall send sorth its smell In love in mercy praise and prayer 13 My welbeloved is to me For mine he is and one we are c Nothing can be more sweet then Christ to that soul that once tasted how gracious the Lord is More sweet then bags of mirrh can be Or precious gums or things most rare
all hold swords within their hand Skilful likewise expect in warr Their enemies for to withstand Each hath his sword on 's thigh out-right Because of terrors in the night 9 The Chariot which king Solomon Did make was glorious to behold 10 i The Church of Christ excels in glory at the present through Christs righteousness and a life without rebuke and blame in the world they have a right to all now for all is theirs and shall be set in full and actuall possession hereafter of all those good things which God hath layd up in store for them that love him The wood the choice in Lebanon Silver were pillars and pure Gold Did bottom it things of great worth The Churches glory to let sorth A purple veil of crimson red Such bloody veils do hide our sin Was for a covering o're it spread And flames of love pave it within This is ordain'd only for them The daughters of Jerusalem 11 k The faithful are cal'd out of sin self and world that so they may have the full enjoyment of Jesus Christ O Sions daughters go ye forth Leave sin and carnal vanities And see the king of precious worth Whose sight will fill and glad your eyes l Every gracious soul will put the crown upon the head of Christ by a willing subjection unto him suffering him to reign and rule over him subduing his lusts and overthrowing all that is at enmity against Christ within him Behold the king of great renown Hath on his head his glorious crown m True believers are Christs mother and dear relations their holy walking as it is their glory and an honour to the Gospel so it is as a crown put upon the head of Christ Who by his mother crowned was n When souls are spiritually conjoynd to Christ and espous'd by faith and obedience great are heavenly joys at that espousal On his heart-gladding marriage day Now all his foes cry out alas But sing ye friends that him obey For with the scepter of his power His and your foes he will devour CHAP. IV. 1 BEhold th' art fair my love behold th' art fair a The Church of Christ is knowing chast comely and pure and so keeps her self that he may delight and take pleasure in her Doves eyes thou hast lye veil'd within thy locks b Saints graces within where lyes most of their strength and a holy well order'd comely conversation without makes them shine in the eyes of all beholders And to compleat thy beauty thou hast hair Resembles well the smooth and glistring flocks Of goats that from mount-gilead do appear And grazing in due order are found there 2 Thy teeth the instruments which food prepare Are like a flock of sheep new clipt and shorn c Christs flocks or followers are fruitful his branches bearing sterrility and barrenness inconsistent with that spirit that makes them grow and increase in all the increasings of God As they from washing come white clean they are And purg'd from filthiness thee to adorn With glorious beauty and amongst them there None barren is but each one twins doth bear 3 d Our services done to God are all acceptable perfect and compleat through the blood of Christ Like to twisted threed of Scarlet red Such are thy lips the portalls of thy prayers e Gracious speeches and words is comely for Christians a holy language is their ornament and others edification And praises too thy speech is garnished With grace and sweetness fitting gracious ears f It is required of Christians and it is the property of all truly such to be humble chaste and modest Thy blushing temples hid with hairy fleeces Like a pomegranate are when cut in pieces 4 g That Christian that draws life from Christ by faith stands stifly against all opposition conquers all comes latches every fiery dart of the devil submits to Christs will and perseveres in his ways Thy neck the glorious embleme of thy power Is stretched out to each beholders eye Resembling well the high and lofty tower Of David builded for an armoury Whereon a thousand bucklers fixed are All shields of mighty men prepard for war 5 h The Church of Christ hath within her self like a tender mother both feeders and feeding both pure and wholsome to nourish and strengthen all that are born in her Like to the twins of young and tender roes Which among lillies feed take repast Not among filthy weeds sure like to those Are thy two holy breasts wherewith thou hast Nourisht thy children like a tender mother That they in strength of grace excell all other 6 i Christians till the everlasting day swalow up their darkness must expect bitter as well as sweet through many tribulations they must enter in the kingdom of God Now will I get me to the mountain high Of bitter mirrh and hills of frankincense Till break of day and till the morning sky Expell the dark and shady clouds from thence k Christ will never leave nor forsake his in their forlorne state but will protect them preserve them provide for them untill he bring them to glory There shall my gracious presence thee attend Until thy sorrows in sweet joy shall end 7 l Justification by faith hides all sin we are beautiful in him who is perfect beauty holy beloved and accepted and through him who is holynesse love and accepted of the father Nothing offensive no imperfect stain My eye sees on thee though some haply are My righteous covering always stands between Thy worst and me therefore I do declare Thou art all fair my love and there is not A blemish found on thee nor any spot 8 m Christians when cal'd to have communion with Christ willingly leave their greatest goodliest highest honours profits pleasures for Christ and in loosing all with and for him do gain much Now come with me from Lebanon my spouse Amana Hermon Shenirs hils refrain For they that follow me can never loose But in their losses wil be found their gain n He that walks with Christ hath his filthiness clensed his Lyon-like cruel nature changed neither will he have any more fellowship with the workers in or works of darknesse From th' Lyons dens and Leopards mountains flee With sin and sinful bruits canst thou agree 9 o The grace of the holy spirit working powerfully in and upon the hearts of Gods people carrying them out to a holy submission to Christs will and obedience to his commands doth beget in Christ unspeakable unparaled affection My sister spouse oh what great influence Hath thy eye on me like a piercing dart Thy faith or love or both hath taken hence From me to thee my ravisht vanquisht heart Besides the chaines that have thy neck surrounded Makes me complain my heart with love is wounded 10 p Christ doth extoll and magnify the spirituall beauty of his Church and her love to him is
more acceptable then the choicest of things My sister spouse thy love is wondrous fair And in my eye beyond all imitation The choicest wines that ever were or are Like thy love are not in my estimation q Saints have received of the anoynting from the father who by diffusion into all actions spiritual civil makes them have a fragrant and sweet savour every where Thy oyntments smells so odoriferous The sweetest spice is not so sweet as those 11 r The words of the Lord in the mouths of his servants are not only pure precious and sweet in themselves but also pleasing to God and profitable to them that receive them Thy lips drop like an honey combe my spouse Each open eare thy gracious words are filling Beneath thy tongue honey and milke it flows Much like a fountain pleasantly distiling s Christs righteousness is the saints rayment and spiritual clothing who by faith puts it on is of incomparable redolency admirable sweetness The garments pure that I have put thee on Smels sweeter then the scent of Labanon 12 t The Church of Christ is as a garden fruitfull and delectable beset with enemies on each side yet encompast with the power and presence of Christ so that they cannot waste nor spoyle it Thou art a garden both for fruit and flower My sister spouse a garden well inclos'd And fenc'd with walls of my almighty power T'keep thee from foes to which thou art expos'd u In the Church of Christ there doth always rise up a fresh-spring of spiritual life and grace from Christ the head to water and refresh it A spring shut up a fountain sealed casting Up waters in thee to life everlasting 13 w Those plants set by Christ fenc'd by his power and watered by his grace cannot be barren but bring forth much fruit by which the father is glorifyed here and they with the father and son glorifyed hereafter Thy plants an orchard of pomegranats are Thy branches are a paradice of pleasure All sorts of fruits most excellent and rare Are found in thee without compare and measure Camphire with spiknard oh what fruits are growing There where my grace is always overflowing 14 x Christ out of his fulness doth communicate freely abundantly and in divers kinds his graces to his Church so that nothing can be wanting for his edification and comfort There 's spikenard sweet and cordiall saffron too Mirh aloes calamus and cinamon All trees of frankincense in it do grow Each thing it hath a precious operation Her spices choice for vertue for worth Nor man nor angels tongue can set them forth 15 A garden full of fountains precious pure y Christ the living fountain set open for sin and uncleanness is to be found in his Church with grace in abundance ready and willing to supply succour support and comfort every soul that waits for him A well of living waters springing still Each sinful sickly silthy soul to cure And all are cal'd to wash and drink that will And as the streams do flow from Lebanon So flows all streams of grace from Christ alone 16 z A gracious soul doth earnestly desire and much long after the powerful workings of the spirit of Christ producing its divers yet all glorious effects in the soul Breath holy spirit on my garden now That every spicy flower may bloome and spread a Nor will expect solid sound comfort before some Gospel breakings and spiritual castings down For as the north-wind thou mak'st me to bow And with thy southern gales lifts up my head b From Christ we have all of his fulness we receive we must therefore return him his own for it is not ours or that from as but his own and that which proceeds from himself that is acceptable to him Come my beloved I have thee invited And eat the fruit in which thou art delighted CHAP. V. 1 a The prayers of saints are very prevailing Christ is prone and ready to hear no sooner can we call but we have our answer NOw I am come my spouse Into my garden gay Thy call it did me rouse I hear when thou dost pray It doth suffice b Christ doth inable and impower his people to labour and bring forth pious pure precious fruits of faith love holynesse self-denyal and suffering for his sake all very pleasant unto him I gather'd have that which I gave my mirrh with spice c No comb of wantingness weaknes imperfection in grace or dutys can harm the saints while there is the honey of sweet sincerity and truth of grace to be found Oh with what great delight My honey comb I eat And feed my appetite With sucking honey sweet And though the best May fail or fall yet sincere all Of them are blest d As wine and milk are to us so the pure holy sincere services of saints are unto Christ My wine and milk together Being my delightful fare I took and drunk for neither Of them that I can spare e Christ prepares his table sets on his spiritual daintys invites his friends and feasts their souls with his fat things in great abundance Sure 't none offends That ye eat such with me drink much That are my freinds 2 f A gracious soul is ever sensible of its security and will ingenuously confess it I sleep and slug which makes Me sorely to complain g Findes an opposition between flesh spirit the part regenerate and wakefull heart is always working upward towards Christ though lust and the part unregenerate would refrain But yet my heart it wakes Though lust would it restrayn h Christs sheep both know and hear the voice of Christ which doth powerfully awaken and rouze up the sloathful sleepy soul His voyce doth move Who knocks and says clear thou my ways My spotlesse dove i When Christ begs and sues for admission he gives power to open it is then the wisdom and duty of every Christian to let him in Oh let me enter in And lodge within thy breast Ingratitude 's thy sin Receive me as thy guest k The more and greater things Christ hath suffred for us the greater obligation lyes upon us to love and serve him and the greater is the sin to refuse and neglect him For my head 's fill'd With dews of wet and vapours great Cold night doth yeild 3 l Man is apt to frame vain excuses and cast in small obstructions to prevent the kindly entertainment of Christ though the chiefest of ten thousand and none so worthy to be received I am disrobed quite And may not take the cold My feet are washen white If I rise they 'le be foulld I 'le take my ease Sad are the shifts when fleshly drifts Are flesh to please 4 m When Christ puts forth his spiritual power he breaks in sunder the strongest bars sets wide open the closest heart and makes way
thee Lord hear me While I expostulate the case with thee Have I not cause to be in angry mood Was any man so serv'd that ever stood His credit with thy glory to maintain If none were so then well may I complain Ere I went out of my own countrey dear This was the very thing that I did fear Not only fear it but I said it too For why I thought full well what thou wouldst do Thou would not bring to pass what I must say And preach and cry aloud at Niniveh I thought full sure that thou wouldst soon repent Yet to denounce their doom I must be sent I know O Lord what these men now do find That thou art gracious mercifull and kind Full slack thou art and slow pac'd unto wrath But winged speed always thy mercy hath And if a people truly do lament For sin and do reform thou wilt repent Consid'ring then it would not be avoided By heathen ones thy word would be derided And my ambassage too they would despise And say I thundred out a heap of lies For which so saying I must bear the blame And be cal'd prophet false to my great shame This is the reason it seems right to mee Why formerly to Tarshish I did flee And thou hast judg'd it for a heinous crime But whos 's the fault whether 't is thine or mine These things so sadly do my spirits grieve No earthly thing O Lord will me releive It is far better for me for to dye And in the dust in silent darkness lye Then longer live sith nothing but disgrace My portion is whilst I am in this place I do beseech thee let my life expire And take it from me that is my desire Thus when fond passion sways and goes uncurb'd The minds of men thereby are soon disturb'd Soon out of order gotten out of frame Observ from Jonah's pettish choosing death rather then life because God did not act according to his mind They glory in the things should be their shame The Lord in patience all this while did bear With Jonah's angry passion and did hear His words reflecting on his Majesty Yet like a loving father passes by His great offence seeing him frais and weak Did thus in gentle manner to him speak How now what Jona darst thou angry prove Dost thou not think it will my patience move How darst thou once presume to be so bold Dost think with wickedness that I will hold Or dost thou think that this is well in thee Oh wondrous strange what Jonah angry be Did not my mercy and my justice strive To kill thee els for to keep thee alive Hast thou forgot how mercy did thee save When justice would the whale should be thy grave Mercy prevaild and thou canst not deny it Then cease thine anger canst thou justify it Hast thou not learnd and been taught in the schools That anger resteth in the best of fools Thus God in goodnesse labour'd to convince The pettish prophet of his foul offence Observ from Gods patience and forbearance though provokt by Jonah Imputing all to his infirmities As parents do to children whom they prize Jonah is angry yet it did not move God to be angry cause he did him love So great is love love cannot finde its like So great is love love spares when it should strike So great is love not easy to provoke Love suffers long before it give one stroke So great is love so high and broad it grows It covers sins all multitudinous Now Jonah had a longing great desire To see th'vent when th' forty days expire For at this time he would not come to know Whether God would destroy them yea or no Perhaps for one or other end God may The execution of the judgment stay For this a maxim is receiv'd of many Forbearance never yet acquitted any Out of the city great and populous Jonah departs and now away he goes And when he came to th' east side of the town He goes not further but there sits him down He makes a booth and in it is his seat The shade thereof defends him from the heat Untill the truth of falshood shall be tride Of his late message there he doth abide But now perhaps soon after he comes thither His booth he made begins to dry and wither The Country's hot the sun with mighty heat On Jonah's head continually did beat By reason of which heat his soul is greiv'd Then God in mercy wills he be releiv'd The Lord 's a present help in time of trouble And mercy upon mercy he doth double And treble too Observ from Gods compassion providing shelter to releive Jonah always in time of need His power and pitty is put forth with speed To save and succour his distressed ones His bowels yearn to hear their sighs and groans Fear we not then in depths of misery To help us then 's his oportunity For he then brought an herb out of the earth Turns Jonah's sorrow into pleasant mirth A mighty plant he quickly made to grow With boughs and branches on it high and low That they might shade and shelter him all over And from the scorching heat be Jonah's cover Under the shadow of it he doth rest Thinking thereby that he is greatly blest Such great refreshment he hath lately found In his new house springing out of the ground He doth rejoyce he is exceeding glad So great his joy is all the grief he had Sustaind by reason of the heat before Seemeth as though he thought on it no more A suddain change begets experience sad To day he mourns that yesterday was glad His suddain joys are turn'd to suddain greif His plant it dyes that gave him such relief For now alas before he was aware In readinesse a worm God did prepare Who with his sharp teeth and his cruel jaws As bit with hunger eagerly he gnaws Who smote the gourd and now the gourd is dead And with it Jonah's joys are withered Such is the nature of all earthly things Which for a while so great contentment brings They fade they vanish perish and decay Observ from the withering of Jonah's gourd shewing the fickle state of all things With winged haste th' are gone and passe away Th' are but a puff a blast a watry bubble That soon is gone or like a fiery stubble That in a moment is consum'd and past Or like a post that on the way makes hast Or like the dusky clouds that break before The sun appears and then are seen no more Or like the flower or herb or fruit that 's sown That wither will as soon as it is mown Or like the vapours drawn into the ayr Or like the thing that 's gone when 't doth appear Such are the things in which men take such pleasure And too too much account their chiefest treasure The sweetest joys that are upon the earth Are dying still so soon as they draw breath To day they are injoy'd but