Pharises who may rightly be called chariots because they draw the people which way they lust the Chariots of Aminadab which signifieth Populus meus spontaneus my readie or willing people because the people are many of them as willing to be led as they to lead them These Chariots as they are drawne a maine vvith the wilde-horses of their owne head-strong fansies so doe they also draw whole multitudes after them and lead captiue simple women laden with sinne and grosslie abuse the ignorance of manie honest and well-meaning Christians to their own advātage These be they that wil not suffer the Church to sleepe nor the Heades of her Temples her Reverend and learned Prelats to take any rest vnlesse they first put of their seemelie and decent ornaments their surplisse cope cap and all to them J wil not say as perhaps J truelie might that their fond and new-found opinions are Sathans bals of wilde-fire vvherevvith they haue set on fire the Church of God Valer. Ma◠as Herostratus fired the temple of Diana only to get him a name though it were but a bad one that the smoake of this their fire hath caused manie vveeping eies in the Church of God Nor wil J liken them to a man such a one as St Bernard speakes of in his declamations set vpon the pinnacle of a temple Bernard declamat and with open mouth greedilie sucking in the aire and lest it should not come fast enough of it selfe provoking and gathering it to him Flabello with a fan Ac si totum speraret aërem deglutire as if hee meant to drinke vp the whole element of aire and yet it is thought that their chiefest aime is either Aura popularis the breath of the people or Aurum populare the wealth of the people Nor would J wish them for breaking the peace of the Church to be thrust into a Iakes there to end their daies as Irenaeus Andr Hondorff in Theatr. hist and Abundius were by Valerian quod Sanctae Concordiae corpus è templo extraxissent because they had haled the Image of Concorde out of the tēple But yet thus much J wil be bold to tel them that they are too-too-like Antonius Alexandrinus in Suidas Suidas hist who as he saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he was very il spoken of not because he was greatlie iniurious to other men but because hee was very much giuen to contention that they liue so vnpeaceably in the Church of Christ as if Christ had died intestate left no legacy of peace to his Church Yea more than this in Christs sted for Christs sake and for their own sake and for the Churches sake in the bowels of our blessed Saviour J hartilie beseech them that they would see euen in this their day the things that belong vnto their peace that if by studiousnes of peace they wil not turne their helmets into bee-hiues as it is in the Emblem yet by furiousnes of rage against the discipline of the Church they would not turne the Church the helmet of saluation into a nest of waspes that as Numa Pompilius is said Plutarch Martium loco deturbâsse to haue displaced blustering March which before vvas the first moneth et primas Iano detulisse ut pote Pacifico and to haue placed peaceable Ianus in his roome so they would prefer peace before discord and contentation before contention Lastly that as the Cretēsians Plutarch who before were at ciuil warre among themselues yet when an enemie inuaded them they would cease to haue edge one against another iointly band themselues against the Common enemy which practise of theirs was therevpon prouerbially call'd 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the ioining of the Cretensians so vnlesse they will be worse than evill beasts for so the Cretēsians are call'd out of one of their owne Poëts Tit. 1.12 Tit. 1. They would lay aside their ciuil or rather their vnciuill war and ioine both harts hands with vs against those two mightie enemies of the Church Papists and Atheists who like the Mirmaide the Dolphin take their pastime in the troubled vvaters while the ship of the Church is beaten and tossed and torne asunder with a tempest Thus farre haue our Novelists the chariots of the people drawne me Happy now thrice-happy should J think my selfe if as the Prophet Ezechtel in his vision saw Rotā in rotâ One wheele in another wheele Ezech. 1.16 Ezech. 1. So J might see Currum in curru one chariot in another chariot to wit these chariots of the people in this chariot of repentance wherin our Saviour Christ would draw al men vnto him iterating and reiterating his Admonition Returne returne ô Shulamite returne returne J should now proceede to the Reason of the Admonition including as J told you a three-fold promise 1 That we may behold thee that is That my Father my selfe and the holy Ghost may cast a favourable aspect on thee Secondly that we may behold thee that is That my selfe with the rest of thy friends wel-willers euē the glotious society of Angels may respect thee Thirdly That we may behold thee that is That both J thy redeemer may looke vpon thee with a fatherly and compassionate ey of mercy that thou maist also looke into thy selfe with a syncere and single eie of simplicity But neither wil my out-worn strength giue leaue nor the time which is already past it's limits permit nor J think the repining of your bellies suffer me to enter vpon so copious a discourse as this triple Reason woulde require Here therfore J make my ful period Now the very God of peace sanctifie you throughout I pray God that your whole spirit and soule and body may be kept blamelesse vnto the coming of our Lord Iesus Christ To whom with the father the holy Ghost one immortal inuisible only wise al good God in person three in essence one be ascribed all power dominion and Maiesty both now and for evermore Amen FINIS
JOHN RAWLINSON From St. Iohns Coll. in Oxon. Ian. 10. THE FOVRE SVMMONS OF THE SHVLAMITE THE TEXT Returne returne ô Shulamite returne returne that we may behold thee Cant. 6. ver 13. THis golden book of CaÌ„ticles Right Honorable Right worshipfull and right dearly beloued in the Mirror of loue Christ Iesus endited by the wisest Salomon for the excellencie of it aboue other Songs by some entitled Canticum Canticorum A song of songs by others Cantica CanticoruÌ„ The songs of songs Hugo Cardi. pref in Canâ— because as Hugo Cardinalis yeilds the reason vnum est multa it is both one manie One if we regard the vnity of the dityâ— the purport and tenor wherof is Loue which is the very bond of vnity yeâ— manie if we regard the variety of thâ— Singers which are foure the Bridegrome and his Bride the Friends of thâ— Bridegrome and the Companions of thâ— Bride is not carnally but spiritually noâ— literally but mysticallie not properlie but figuratiuely to be vnderstood For it is not as some phanaticall spirits deriders despighters of the spirit of grace haue no lesse calumniously than blasphemously tearmed it A lascivious Ballad or wanton Sonnet wherwith Solomon would court and currie favour with his Concubine But it is as Nicolaus de Lyrâ cals it EpithalamicuÌ„ Carmen Nicolaus de Lyrâ in CaÌ„t. A spirituall Mariage-song wherin is most graphically painted out vnto vs that sound perfit and vnfeigned Loue wherwith our Savior Christ a Greater wiser than Salomon doth dialogue-wise and by entercourse of speach woo his wandring spouse the faithfull soule not onlie calling her before she come vnto him but eft soones recalling her when shee is parted from him Yet no where either in this or in anie other booke of Scripture doth hee more significantly emphatically vtter his strong and vehement affection towards her than in the wordes of my Text Returne returne O Shulamite returne returne that wee may beholde thee Shee was gone a nutting into the garden of nuts ver 10. and to see the fruites of the valley to see if the vine budded and if the pome-granats flourished that is shee was wholy set vpon her pleasure and minded nothing but transitorie delights Lest therefore by proceeding in the pursuit of such vanities she might hap to loose her selfe in the garden of nuts as Adam lost himselfe in the garden of apples our Saviour Gen 3.17 euen in an extasie of loue here follows and as it were holla's after her once and againe twise againe Returne returne O Shulamite returne returne that wee may beholdâ— thee That so in fine if not his loue yet his importunity might reduce her froÌ„ her garden to his paradise from her sweets which were traÌ„sient to his blisse which is permanent from the iawes of hell to the ioies of heaven from the Onyons of Aegypt to the Manna of the wildernes from the captivity of Babylon to the libertie of Sion from the corruption of the flesh to the puritie of the spirit from the by way of error to the high-way of truth and from the blindnesse of ignorance to the brightnesse of knowledge Here then by the Shulamite is tropically meant the soule of euery faithful man who is lapsed and fallen into any kind of infirmity or which in effect is all one The Church of Christ the meÌ„bers whereof by sin haue made a revolt from God By the reduplication or often repetition of this one word Returne she is summoned to that vnum necessarium that onely necessary duty of a ChristiaÌ„ repeÌ„tance which if she performe as seriously as it is seriously enioined her it will present her pure and blamelesse without spot or wrinckle blot or blemish in the sight of her husband By Beholding is signified both Gods Approbation and notice of her who as he beholdeth the proud a far of Psal 138 so hath he respect vnto the lowly As also her Reprobation of herselfe who as by turning her back to Christ she lost the view of him that glasse which reflected her to herselfe so by returning back againe vnto him she is brought to a due diligent consideration aswel of what she was before she plaied the fugitiue as of her preseÌ„t conditioÌ„ being now become a CoÌ„uert So that the church of Christ which Cant. 4.12 is called Hortus conclusus Cant. 4.12 An inclosed garden may fitly be reseÌ„bled to that ancient paradise wherin our first parents first planted by God were after supplanted by the serpent Gen. 2. â—â— For as it was watered with foure riuers Pishon Gihon Hiddekel Perah which refreshed al the trees therof and caused them to fructifie among which was the tree of the knowledge of good euil so the Church is here watred with the sweetest voice of her spouse Christ Jesus whose voice is Tanquam vox aquarum multarum as the voice of many waters Apoc. 1.15 Apoc. 1. euen as the voice of 4. Riuers 4. Riuers of repentant teares here shadowed by a foure-fold returne which besides other fruites wil bring forth in her the fruit of the knowledge of good euil wherof no sooner shal she taste but her eies wil by by be opened and she shal behold her selfe Yea her friends the blessed company of Angels wil theÌ„ behold her beholding her triumph in her conversioÌ„ Yea the whole trinity will then behold her as the worke of their owne hands and therfore Christ her spouse must needs behold her as the louely wife of his owne bosome Returne returne ô Shulamite returne returne that we may behold thee The words shed themselues into two parts The one An admonitioÌ„ or InuitatioÌ„ The other A Reason or Instigation The AdmonitioÌ„ hath in it 3 things worthy our obseruation 1 The Matter or tenor of the Admonition Returne 2 The Forme or manner of the Admonition A double-double iteration of it Returne returne returne returne 3 The Partie admonished the Shulamite The Reason though at a blush it seem to be but one yet indeed Inclusiuè by way of implication it is 3-fold according to the 3-fold sense which it beareth importing a 3-fold benefit 1 That we may behold thee that is That my father my selfe the holy Ghost all three persons of the Godhead may cast a fauorable aspect on thee 2 That we may behold thee that is That my selfe with the rest of thy friends and wel-willers euen the glorious society of Angels may respect thee 3 That we may behold thee that is That both J thy redeemer may look vpon thee with a fatherly and compassionate eie of mercy that thou maist also looke into thy selfe with a sincere single eie of simplicity These are the lists and land-marks wherewith at this time J must bound the procession of my discourse First then to begin with the Admonition and therin first with the Matter it selfe Returne Hebritians wel tell you that the Originall word which the Vulgar
creature To euery creature that is to man who is as it were A short Epitome of all the cretures of God hauing in him the being of lifeles things the vegetatioÌ„ of plaÌ„ts the sense of beasts and the reasoÌ„ of Angels But now he giues coÌ„missioÌ„ to every creature Go euery creature preach the Gospell vnto man Al the creatures of God are as so many preachers so many Iohn Baptists so many voices of him that crieth in the wildernes of this world Returne Exod. 9.28 Prepareye the way of the Lord by repentance as Exod 9. thunder and haile are by an Hebraisme called the voice of God calling Pharao to returne Or 4 times because he calls vs not from one but froÌ„ the 4 Cardinal vices Pride auarice gluttony luxury Pride Auarice care not how vnlawfullly they get and scrape together Gluttony Luxury care not how shamefully they misvse and waste what is gotten Jt was pride that lockt heaueÌ„-gates against Lucifer Jt was auarice that opeÌ„ed hel-gates to the rich â—aÌ„ Jt was gluttony that turned our first pareÌ„ts out of paradise And it is luxury or intemperance that at this day like a deluge overflowes the whole earth Or 4. times saith St Bernard because he cals vs from a 4-fold pride Bernard superbia cordis superbia oris superbia operis superbia habitus Pride or hart pride of mouth pride of worke pride of habite Pride of hart when a man is great in his owne eies pride of mouth when a man not only thinks but speaks magnifically highly of himselfe pride of worke when a man not only thinks and speaks prowdly but his pride breaks forth into action pride of habit wheÌ„ a mans pride sits vpoÌ„ his skirts shews it selfe in the gaudines of his attire Or 4 times saith Hugo Cardinalis because he cals vs froÌ„ 4 peremptory dominiering affections Hugo Cardinal in Cant. wherewith weare miserably wreckt tortur'd here in this life Ioy sorrow feare hope Joie for some present good sorrow for some present euil hope of some future good feare of some imminent evill Or 4 times saith Catetan as if he had saide Caâ—â—â—an Revertere relinquendo caecitatem intellect us revertere relinquendo pravitatem affect us revertere adhaerendo veritati revertere intendendo bonitati Returne by forsaking thy blindenes of vnderstaÌ„ding Returne by forgoing thy crookednesse of affection Returne by adhering to the truth Returne by addicting thy selfe to goodnes Or lastly 4 times saith Hugo de S. Vict. as if he had said Hugo de S. Victore Reuertere a meis quia mirabilia sunt a tuis quia prauâ— sunt a te quia omnis caro faenum ad me quia ego summum bonum Returne from my waies because they are deep vnsearchable froÌ„ thy waies because they are wicked and intolerable from thy selfe because al flesh is grasse to me be cause J am thy God thy chiefest God Thus our Sauiour Christ who for our sakes was coÌ„tent to be not only Fabri filius Matt 13.55 Mare 6.3 a Carpenters son Matt. 13. but Faber a Carpenter Mar. 6. is here as yee see become a maker of Chariotts For these are indeed the Chariotts of Israel or if you will Quadrigae salutis the Chariotts of saluation like that fiery Chariott wherin Elias was taken vp into heauen 2. Reg. 2.11 2. Reg. 2. O how happy a thing were it for this city if she were as ful of these Chariotts as she is not only of materiall coaches and Chariotts but euen of other spirituall Chariotts such as S Bernard largely and excellently describes Bernard serm 39. in Cantic serm 39. in Cantic Chariotts of malice Chariotts of luxury and Chariotts of couetousnes but J wil only name you their wheeles their horses The Chariot of malice runs vpon 4 wheeles Cruelty Impatience boldnes impudence and it runns very swift to shed bloud The horses that draw it are two those very light-footed Earthly power which doth what it lusteth saecular pomp which in its doings is applauded The Chariott of luxury hath likewise 4. wheeles Pampering of the belly pronenes to venery garishnes of attire and lazines of body The horses that drawe it are 2. they very slow Prosperity Plenty The Chariott of Couetousnes hath likewise 4. wheeles Pusillanimity inhumanity contempt of God forgetfulnes of death The horses that draw it are 2. and they very iades Ropacitas et Tenacitas Fast-hauing Fast-holding These the like chariots go marching along everie streete of your cittie Wherefore as Ieremy wisheth Ierem. 9.1 c. 9. that his eies were turn'd into a fountaine of teares so my harts desire vnto God for this cittie is that her eies were turn'd into a red sea of teares that as Pharao al his chariots were drown'd in the red sea Exod. 14.27 Exod. 14. so the spiritual Pharao the Divell with all these his chariots were drown'd in the red sea of your teares For as St Bernard saith in the place before cited Illi in sluctibus Bernard ibid isti in fletib ' marini illi amari isti The Aegyptian Pharao his chariots were drown'd in the salt waues of the red sea And so the spiritual Pharao his chariots must be drown'd in the salt teares of our eies that are red with weeping This of the second thing to bee observed in the Admonition which was the Forme or Manner of it The thirde is the party admonished which is the Shulamite or as others read it Sunamite or as others Odollamite All affording very good matter of instruction Arboreus and Philo read it Odollamitis Arboreus in Cantic Philo Carp Episcop which is expounded TestimoniuÌ„ in aquâ A testimony in the water A name of fit respondence consonance with the Christian soule which being washed and cleansed with the water of baptisme giues testimony in the water to the faith of Christ there confessing the trinity in vnitie and vnitie in trinitie of divine substance Or secondly shee may be call'd A testimony in the water because in the waters of Marah euen in the bitter waters of repentance shee giues testimonie of her hartie sorrow for her sins there confessing with David 2. Sam. 24.17 2. Sam. 24 Beholde I haue sinned yea I haue done wickedly This eie-water of repentance is the onely vvater able to quench the fire of concupiscence in the house of the conscience Aug. in Psa 94. Jt is that holy-water-sprinkle that the Diuell cannot away with Jt is the crystalline humour of the eie of faith Jt is that Aqua-vitae that must reuiue the languishing Christian Jt is that Aqua caelestis which God keeps in his flagon lest a drop of it should be lost Jt is that brine wherewith both flesh and spirit must be kept from tainture and putrefaction Jt is as Lavater cals it Lavat hom 6. in Ruth homil 6. in
Ruth sanguis animae the bloud the white bloud wherin the life of the soule consisteth Jt is as Gregorie Nazanzen cals it orat 39. in Sanct. Lumina 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Greg. Naz. orat 39. in Sanct. Lum A second laver of regeneration the onely rebaptization allow'd in Divinitie Wherfore Leo in his sermon de caen domin speaking of the teares of St Peter Leo serm de can domin who had grieuously sinned by denying his Master with an oath Happie saith he were thy teares O thou blessed Apostle Quae ad diluendam culpam negationis virtutem sacramenti habuerunt baptismi which had the efficacy of the Sacrament of Baptisme to wash away the sinne of thy deniall As is the water of baptisme to the faithlesse soule so is the water of teares to the faithful Peter was washt as clean from the steine of abnegation with the water of his teares as was Paule frō the steine of persecution with the water of baptisme The soule then of Peter was a good Odollamite For it was Testimonium in aquâ A testimony in the water His outward teares testified his inward sorrow His eies were as cryars to proclaime his harts-griefe Hee went forth and wept bitterly Mat. 26.75 Mat. 26. till by crying he had outcried the cry of his sin So the soule of Mary Magdalē was a good Odollamite For it was Testimonium in aquâ A testimony in the water Shee was once possest with 7 Diuels Luk 8.2 Luk. 8. Yet because shee washt not her own face only but the feete of our Saviour too with her teares Luk. 7.38 Luk. 7. as the question is asked concerning the womā that had 7 husbands Mat. 22.87 Mat. 22. In the resurrection whose shall shee bee of the 7 So if it be demaunded as touching her that had 7 Diuels In the resurrection whose shall shee be of the 7 J answere as there our Saviour doth cōcerning that other woman Surely ver 30. none of all theirs but shee shal be and already is as the Angels of God in heaven And so must we also be Odollamites we must giue testimonie to God in the waters We must not thinke to go to heauē by land as some of our great landed-men do but wee must passe over waters ere we can come thither The one the VVater of baptisme the other the VVater of repentant teares This of the first reading Odollamitis The second is Sunamitis Hieronym Bernard Rupers Anselm So reads St Ierom St Bernard Rupertu◠Anselmus diuerse others paterning themselues by the Greeke translation of the septuagint and by the vulgar Latin edition Rupertus and Anselmus expound it Captiva which signifieth a slaue or a captiue as if our Saviour had said Returne O soule poore soule poorer th◠verie poverty it selfe because the Divels captiue vnder the yoake of sin For as Hugo de S. Victore notes Three states there are of the faithfull soule Hugo de S. Victore Vnder the first shee is Captiva a bondwoman vnder the second shee is Libera a freewoman vnder the third shee is Beata a blessed Saint In the first she is subiect to the slauery of wickednes In the second she fighteth vnder the banner of righteousnes In the third she hath full fruition of happines As she is a bondwomā it is here said vnto her Returne returne ô Sunamite that of a bond woman thou maist be made free As she is a free woman it is said vnto her Psal 27. viriliter age Psal 27.16 Play the virago be stonge let thine hart cheare thee put thy trust in the Lord that of a free womā thou maist become blessed As she is in the state of blessednes it is said vnto her Psal 47.1 Psal 47. Cantate domino in Sion O sing vnto the Lorde in Siō O sing vnto God with the voice of melody In her first state she is a seruant and feareth Jn her second state she is a daughter loueth Jn her third state she is a spouse embraceth Secondly Hieronym ad Nepotian S Ierom in his epistle ad Nepotianum expoūds this word Sunamitis Coccinea which signifieth Crimsen-colourd as if our sauior had said Returne o thou crimsē or scarlet-colourd sinner Thou whose sins haue transformed thee into that colour which the whore had contracted by slaying the Saints of God Apoc. 17.4 Apoc 17. Jf thou wilt but reuert turne from thy wicked waies be thy sins as crimsen they shal be made white as snow be they red as scarlet they shal be as wool Esa 1.18 Esa 1. I who once in derision was my selfe put into a purple robe J euen J will cast thee into a new fatt die thee into another hew a hew surpassing the skill of the skilfulst diers They indeed can chāge a thing into any colour saue white But I frō so deepe a tincture of sin as is crimsen or scarlet will transport thee into so pure a colour of innocency as is white Thou shalt neither be so far from a ripe perfect man in Christ as to be but greene nor so fraught and ouerflowing with the gall of bitternes as to be yelow nor so bloudy with cruelty as to be red nor so deformed with any kind of impiety as to be black but so snow so lily-white as to surmount not the curtines only of Solomon in comelines but his person too in roialty Thirdly Lauretus in his Sylua Lauret in Sylod expoūds this word Sunamitis Dormiens or Iteratio dormitionis which signifieth A sleepe or an Iteration of sleepe as if our Sauiour had said Returne ó thou sleeping slumbring soule thou that every foot fallest into an heauy sleepe of sin and maist therfore wel be cald an Iteration of sleepe because thy whole life is nothing else but a continuall iteration of sleepe after sleepe O that yet at lengh after so many iterations of thy sleepe thou wouldest harken to so many iterations of my call For as philosophy teacheth that excesse of bodily sleepe engendreth three dangerous diseases in the body The first is Epilepsia the falling sicknes The second is Ephialtes the night-mare The third is Lethargia the disease of forgetfulnes So the sleepe of the soule I meane an excessiue sleep in sin breeds three no lesse dangerous diseases in the soule answerable to those other three in the bodie THe first is Epilepsia the falling sicknesse of Pride a disease that causeth a swimming and a giddines in the head and so entoxicat's the braine that oft times it maks a man fall down for dead according to that of Solomon Pro. 16.18 Prov. 16. Pride goeth before destruction and an high minde before a fall The second is Ephialtes the night-mare of cōcupiscence A disease which makes a man thinke that he seeth an Old-woman lying hard vpon him and pressing him downe ready to choake and strangle him This old-woman is the flesh which if it be not