good and vertuous habits So as to the Church that Church doth not keep its own Vineyard that doth not besides purging itself of errors and scandals take care also that the truths of God be duly preached and published and the Ordinances of God purely administred This is now for the Spouse to keep or not to keep her own Vineyard now I say the Spouse of Christ whether the Individual Spouse which is every truly gracious Soul or the collective Spouse Which is the Church of God is very prone to neglect the keeping of its own Vineyard This needeth no other Evidence then the experience of all Christians and all Churches and that in all ages 1. I say first the Experience of particular Christians for who liveth and sinneth not against God The righteous falleth 7 times in a day now though it be true that many of the sins of Gods people are sins of pure infirmity Either through ignorance or impotency to resist the temptation yet both this ignorance and impotency are often occasioned through a neglect or not improvement of the means of knowledge and better information and through our not preparing our selves to the Spiritual fight putting on the whole Armor of God as we ought to have done Avoiding occasions to Sin abstaining from the appearances of Evil and giving no advantage to the adversary all which are our duties and enjoined us by the Apostle 2. Nor Secondly either is there or ever was any Church of God upon the Earth that kept its own Vineyard as it ought to have done The Church of the Jews was the only Church God had upon the Earth until the time of John the Baptist Whosoever readeth their story in the Books of Moses the Books of Kings and Chronicles or in the Writings of the Prophets will find that they did not keep their own Vineyard Never had any Church a trust more clearly committed to them they could have no long disputes about any thing of the revealed will of God if any question did arise they had an infallible rule Deut. 17. for the determination of it yet as I told you before as the ten Tribes made a total defection after the reigns of David and Solomon both whose reigns made up but 80 years in the latter part of which in Solomon's time towards the latter end of his Reign they also admitted very great corruptions so in the Kingdom of Judah they lost what was committed to their trust many times and seldom kept it 60 years together in any degrees of purity So that in Josiahs time the Book of the law was thrown about and hid in the rubbish and found by the repairers of the house of the Lord as you find in the story of the Book of the Kings Now that this was their most wilful neglect appeareth by their frequent reductions though not perfect to the Divine rule When Asa Jehosaphat Hezekiah Joash Josiah attempted it and the plain revelation which they had of the will of God both from the letter of the law their way for decision of doubts about it and the Prophets which God favoured them with all the while that Kingdom remained After that Church was destroyed and the Christian Church set up all the Apostolical Epistles give a proof of the proneness of Churches to neglect the keeping of their own Vineyards and of the Lords Watchmen to sleep while the Enemy sowed tares The same is also Evidenced by all Ecclesiastical history and from the History of all modern Churches their Deviations in Doctrine Worship Discipline c. testify it Nor is the reason of this aptness in us to neglect the keeping of our own Vineyards hard to be assigned 1. The first is the laboriousness of the work and the crosness of it to the genius of Flesh and blood For a Christian to keep his heart with all diligence is no easy work it lies much in a Christians denial of himself taking up the Cross mortifying his members as to which our flesh incessantly cries in the language of Peter Master spare thy self So that he who doth it rows as we say both against wind and tide It requires much knowledge and judgment to keep a mans self unspotted from errors but a great degree of self denial for any man to keep himself unspotted from the pollution of the World through lust upon this account it is that our Saviour compareth the way â—o heaven to a narrow way a strait gate And tells us that it is as easy for a Camel to go through the Eye of a Needle as for a rich man to enter into the Kingdom of God Our work is compared by our Saviour to a cutting off the right hand and plucking out of a right Eye In works of great labour and difficnlty we are very prone you know to be remiss and negligent 2. But this is not all The native corruption and inclination in mans heart to deviate from the holy and right ways of God is a great cause I must confess that as to the Churches keeping its Vineyard I cannot apprehend such a difficulty in it As to truth a man indeed cannot believe what he listeth but the Church notwithstanding this may keep the Doctrine of saith if particular Persons that are otherwise persuaded in some points then the rest of the Church is would but learn what the Apostle directs in that case Hast thou saith have it to thy self Rom. 14. and not think themselves obliged to publish to the disturbance of a Church what is their own particular opinion As to Ordinances relating to Worship and Government what difficulty can there be in keeping strictly to the Divine rule and doing that alone which Gods Word requireth the questions concerning that would be very few if men did not lay hold upon some general passages and apply them to their own fancies Were men but fixed in this to adhere to the Divine rule without diminishing it or without adding to it unless in cases where such additions are apparently necessary certainly this were all to be required in order to the Churches keeping its own Vineyard as to the Ordinances committed to it But the corruption of mans heart inclining him to interpret the will of God in a consistency to his own reason makes all the difficulty in the Churches keeping the Doctrine of faith And the wild humour that hath always possest men to Worship God according to their own fancies and to create decencies and matters of order according to their own pleasure and to conform their Altars to that of Damascus hath been all along in the story of the Church the cause of the Churches neglecting to keeps its proper Vineyard 3. Thirdly It is much caused from the mixture of the world in our conversation This is true both as to the neglect of the particular Christian as to the neglect of the Church also As to the particular Christian we are but flesh and have senses to be gratified with pleasures
or despise me for it it is no native blackness it is but accidental to me it is not internal but external that which makes me thus black in your Eyes is those Affl ctions persecutions which I have met with in and from the world The exceeding heat of that sornace of affliction into which the Providence of God hath cast me hath scorched me and that is it which maketh me appear so black in your Eyes It followeth My Mothers Children were angry with me The Chaldee Paraphrast all along taking the Church of the Jews to be the Spouse here mentioned by Mothers Children here understands the Heathen who were the Children of her mother Eve tempting and seducing them to their Idolatryes The thing is true of that Church very often by the Heathen seduced to their Idolatrys but I find amongst Interpreters two other senses much more large and probable 1. Some by Mothers Children understand those lâ—sts and Corruptions which lye in the womb of our Souls Together with the habits of grace Thus Paul complaineth of the flesh lusting against the Spirit and of a law in his mâ—mbers rebelling against the law of his mind 2. others more probably understand such as are presumptive members of the same visible Church The true members of the Church can be no others then such as are ordained unto Life such as are truly Sanctified through the Sanctification of the Spirit But there are many others who from their external profession are presumptive members of it so may be called our Mothers Children tho not the Children of our Heavenly Father such are all false brethren all hypocrites glorying in an External profession and meer outward appearance Such as these are ordinarily angry with such as are the true Spouse of Christ David complained long since that he was become a stranger to his brethren an alien to his Mothers Children the Apostle Acts 20. 30. foretelleth to the Elders of the Church of Ephesus that there should arise of themselves men speaking perverse things to draw many disciples after them you may read at large in the Epistles to the Romans Corinthians Galatians how the primitive Churches of Christ were troubled with them and Paul in his Epistles to Timothy foretells that latter times should be more troubled with such as should resist the truth as Jannes and Jambres resisted Moses It was Bernards Observation long since more lately noted by Genebrard upon my text that she doth not call them Brethren but only her Mothers Children not her Fathers for they were of their Father the Devil his works they did Many such there now are will be in the Church to the End of the World who have only a titular relation to Christ no real relation This now is a Second cause which the Spouse assigneth of her blackness There were many false brethren in her communion who had falsely represented and reported her and made her appear far more unlovely in the sight of others than indeed she was this I take to be the most proper sense of this phrase They made me the keeper of the Vineyards The Chaldee Paraphrast by the Vineyards here understands the Idolatry and Superstition of the Heathen to which the true members of the Jewish Church were tempted by the Heathen their Neighbours and the false brethren they had amongst themselves Hypocrites and formal professors are very prone to admit the Superstitions of men in the Worship of God The Pharisees in our Saviours time laid heavy burdens of humane traditions upon others Mat. 23. 4. Into this sense Mercer and Ainsworth interpret the text observing that it is their Vineyards their Vineyards opposed to her own Vineyard seems to imply the false Worship Rites and Ceremonies of dâ—bauched and apostatized Churches There is yet another sense of the words hinted by Delrio and Genebrard It is this They intangled me in secular affairs so made me neglect the things which were Spiritual and of much higher concernment to me This now is a third cause which the Spouse assigneth of her blackness 1. She had before told us she was Scorched with afflictions and persecutions The Sun had looked upon her 2. She had been betrayed by her own lusts and by false brethren and seduced her to intertain their corruptions to keep their Vineyards now she tells us That her secular diversions did also much contribute to her darkness she had been made to serve in the brick-kilns of the world Keeping of Vineyards was a great deal of the labour of those Countrys a painful and laborious imployment therefore you read 2 Kings 25. 12. upon the King of Babylons conquest of Judea that the Captain of the guard left of the poor of the land to be Vine-dressers husbandmen those who in the parable had been labouring in the Vineyard tell the Lord of the Vineyard they had born the burden and heat of the day My own Vineyard I have not kept Here now the Spouse assigneth a fourth cause of her blackness The question here is what is meant by her own Vineyard It is manifestly to be understood of something which the Lord had committed to her to keep considering the Church as the Spouse The Oracles of God were committed to the Church of the Jews as the Apostle telleth us Rom. 3. 2. and the Church is called The pillar and ground of Truth 1 Tim. 3. 15. Paul tell us 1 Tim. 1. 11. that the glorious Gospel of the blessed God was committed to his trust and telleth Timothy the Ministry was committed to his trust St. Paul calls it his Gospel upon this account Rom. 26. 25. and saith they were put in trust with the Gospel that is the Custody and Ministration of it And St. Paul commandeth Timothy to commit the things which he had heard of him amongst many witnesses to faithful men who should be able to teach others That general term of the Gospel signifieth both the Propositions of the Truth and Doctrine of Faith contained in the new Testament and also those excellent rules which are to be found in it relating both to the Worship of God and the Government of the Church of Christ the dispensation and administration of it This Gospel as to the Ministration of it was by Christ committed first to the Apostles to be by them transmitted to faithful and able men as to the keeping of it to the whole Church The Church of Sardis Rev. 3. 8. is commended for keeping Christs word and not denying his name This undoubtedly is the Churches Vineyard The Province which God hath betrusted to her to keep But every particular Soul hath a Vineyard too And what is its Vineyard but its immortal Soul and the particular trust which God hath committed to it with relation both to its self and others What is the keeping of this Vineyard but a Christians observance of the duties incumbent upon him with reference to his more general or more particular calling So that understanding by the
put on thy shoes upon thy feet and cover not thy lips It was also a token of shame Harlots were wont to cover themselves Gen. 38. 14. It was also done as a token or signification of modesty so you read of Rebeccah Gen. 24. 65. when she heard of Isaac his coming towards her she hasted and took a vail and covered her self this custom of Virgins covering themselves was of long use in the Church of God so that Tertullian who lived 2 or 300 years after Christ hath a particular Book to persuade the upholding of that custom which it should seem then began to be disused Our Translators interpret the word turn aside The cause of the difference lies in the doubtfulness whether the Hebrew root be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the first signifieth to turn aside the second to cover Hence also ariseth the difference of Interpreters about the next term By the flocks of thy Companions Those who interpret the former word turn aside understand by Companions Idolaters and Superstitious persons who indeed make themselves the companions of Christ or rather make their Idols his companions some interpret it of Hereticks Idolaters make their Idols Christs Companions by giving that Homage to them which is due to him alone Thus the Papists do to their Images and Crucifixes to Saints and Angels Hereticks make their leaders Christs Companions making them the guides of their faith and practice which is an Homage due unto Christ alone Indeed Christ hath properly no Companion consider him as to his Divine Nature He is and there is none besides him nor hath he any Companion as our Mediator and Intercâ—ssor He trode the Wine-press alone neither was any of the People with him he had no Companion either in his Kingly Prophetical or Priestly Office But he hath some who call themselves his Companions and arrogate to themselves that title nay which others sinfully make his Companions Beza thinks these are here meant 2. But secondly Christ hath some who though they are not strictly his Companions yet he graciously so calleth them being as the Apostle saith not ashamed to call them Brethren of these I should chuse to understand the text and though I am very tender of differing from the received translation of a Church in any matter of moment should be more inclined as I said before to translate the former term one covered So the sense is For why should I be amongst thy People as a Mourner or as one that is an Harlot with whom thou wilt have no communion or fellowship Why should I walk as one covered either as a Mourner or as a Strumpet amongst thy People whom thou hast so far owned as to declare thy self not ashamed to call them Brethren or Companions This I take to be the sense of the Petition O thou whom my Soul loveth above all other objects whatsoever who art my Shepheard let me know where and how I may enjoy communion with thee how I may have fellowship with thee in a time of trouble and affliction and when I may have the nearest fullest and most uninterrupted communion with thee for why should I for want of thy presence be under a constant temptation to turn aside from a true fellowship and communion with thee to the Synagogues and Assemblies of Idolaters Or why should I walk amongst thy People either as a Mourner or as an Harlot whom thou hast cast off or divorced To this now her Beloved answereth O thou fairest amongst Women it is an Hebraeisme a way they have to express the superlative degree so Luk. 1. 28. 42 Thou art blessed amongst Women that is very much very highly blessed So the Lyon is said to be strong among Beasts Prov 30. 30. that is the strongest Beast It is no more then in our dialect O thou that art fairest to whose Beauty in my Eyes no others Beauty is to be compared If thou knowest not the Hebrew is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Septuagint translate it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 if thou dost not know thy self the vulgar Latin Aethiopick Syriack and Arabick Translators and indeed most ancient Interpreters that I meet with follow the Septuagint and translate it If thou knowest not thy self Hence Bernard upon the place runs into a large discourse concerning Christians ignorance of themselves and the profitableness of our knowledge of our selves according to the ancient Precept of the wise man amongst the Heathen 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But undoubtedly though this be a great truth yet it is nothing to the sense of this text where 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is a Pleonasme as both Tremellius Mercer and Mariana three Interpreters very learned and critical in the Hebrew Dialect do all agree so as we translate it truly according to our Idiom If thou knowest tho in the Hebrew it be If thou knowest to or for thy self It followeth Go thy way by the footsteps of the flock and feed thy flocks by the Shepheards Tents These words now contain her beloveds direction if she were at a loss what to do in a time of streights or how to enjoy the most full and free communion with him she must go her way by the footsteps of the flock Interpreters vary in the sense of these words according to their different notion of the former If thou knowest not Those that will not allow 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be Paragogical or Pleonastical but will interpret them If thou knowest not thy self and so make the whole to be a rebuke or chiding of the Spouse for her ignorance or pride will have the flocks here to be the flocks of Idolaters and Hereticks and by the Kids here understand her own vain imaginations and make this speech to be the language of an angry God giving up a People in wrath according to that of the Apostle to strong delusions to believe a lie for their wilful ignorance and non-improvement of the means of grace This is the sense put upon the words by Hierome Gregory Bernard Aquinas Lyra and others And there is a truth in this when a people continue in the bosom of a Church under the means of grace ignorant proud and unprofitable God often in wrath giveth them over to Seducers and leaves them to the vanities and delusions of their own hearts a Judgment of all others most formidable But certainly this is not the sense of the words Delrio though a Papist differs from them and gives us a good reason telling us if that had been our Lords meaning he would never in the same breath have called her the fairest among Women Therefore Tremellius both the English and Dutch Annotators Deodate Piscator Mariana and others understand here by the footsteps of the flock and by the Shepherds Tents the Precepts and Examples of Moses and Aaron the Prophets and the Apostles and the purer Church of God and by the Kids mentioned they understand particular Souls So that the sense of the words
impossible to be found This is the great thing which the Papists boast of the great thing which they contend for That those can be no true Ministers who are not ordained by Bishops in a lineal succession or a personal succession from the Apostles Rome hath only had such a succession therefore the Shepherds Tents are only to be found amongst them I am sorry to find any Protestants lisping this language of Ashdod Protestant Divines in former ages have thought it enough to prove succession in Doctrine The truth is a succession of Persons is a thing impossible to be proved if we must own no Ministers but such as can prove they are made so by Bishops in a true succession from the Apostles I am sure they must own none at all for how is it possible think you that after near 1700 years any Ministers should be able to prove such a succession All the Issue of this contest must be either to bring us all again to Rome which indeed vainly boasteth of such a succession or else to Atheism to the owning of no true Ministry at all and consequently to no Ordinances Nor is any such inquiry necessary for certainly Christ hath clothed his Church with a power to restore his institutions if they were lost or the exercise of them for any space of time were interrupted 2. Secondly The true Shepherds are to be known by their mission Christ is agreed to be the true Shepherd the principal Shepherd All true Under-Shepherds must have their mission from him He certainly sendeth none but 1. Such as are by him fitted and qualified for all parts of their work 2. Such as are disposed inclined to their work Consider but what the work of the Shepherd is viz. to seed the flock of Christ to watch over them c. And this is one way for you to know Christs Shepherds they are by him qualified for their work with gifts and abilities to pray and Preach to open and to apply the Scriptures they are also by him inclined and disposed to it desiring the Office of a Bishop and to give up themselves to it Where this is found there 's Christs Mission They are also called by the Church proved set apart to the work by fasting and Prayer but this is onely their external mission A Church may be so corrupted as to send out men who were never sent of Christ neither having any internal qualifications to fit them for it nor any inclinations and heart unto it only desiring to be put into the Priests Office for a morsel of bread No good Christian can judg these Christs Shepherds for though he hath given a power to his Church to send out Ministers yet they are limited to such as are able and faithful nor ought any to be look'd upon as a true Shepherd or Minister of Christ who apparently hath no inward qualifications for the work of the Ministry nor any heart faithfully to discharge it 3. Thirdly You shall know them by their Doctrine Gal. 1. 8. Though we or an Angel from Heaven Preach any other Gospel unto you then that which we have Preached unto you let him be accursed v. 9. As we said before so now I say again If any man Preach any other Gospel unto you then that you have received let him be accursed He that is accursed or to be accursed is none of those Shepherds by whose Tents Christians are to feed their Souls but those who bring any Doctrine to Peoples Ears that is contrary to the Doctrine delivered by Christ and his Apostles or other then that is accursed and by the Judgment of the Apostles to be accounted accursed such a one therefore can be no such Person as Christians are bound to hear or to feed their Souls by their Tents But you will say what if they be not declared so or adjudged so by the Church This is the Churches sin and neglect of their duty The Church by its judgments cannot make one hair of truth white or black she is only to declare and adjudg that to be the Doctrine of Christ which is so And to declare and adjudg that which is not so to be what it is If the Church will neglect her duty I am not to neglect mine If the Major part of the Church be so corrupted that they will call evil good and good evil determine Error to be truth and truth to be Error their Error cannot conclude me If it could we had long since been Arrians and in later times been Papists Protestants have therefore rightly determined that every true Christian hath a judgment of discretion in this case The sole judgment of truth Error is in Christ and his Word A declarative judgment is in the Church but a judgment of discretion so far as to guide a Christians particular practice is in every Christian who is to prove all things and to hold fast that only which is good I cannot I ought not to feed my Soul by the Tents of those Shepherds who bring me other Doctrine then what they can prove from the Word of God If the Church will suffer such I am not bound by their sins Gods Pastors feed his People with wisdom and understanding Jer. 3. 15. Not with meet high-swelling Words of vanity much less with lies and Erronious Doctrine contrary to Christs and the Apostles Doctrine 4. Fourthly Christ tells us that to the true Shepherd the Porter openeth John 10. v. 3. And the Sheep hear his voice God opens the hearts of his People to such as are his Shepherds The Apostle tells the Corinthians they were the seal of his Apostleships 1 Cor. 9. 2. And again 2 Cor. 3. 2 3. Ye are our Epistle Written in our hearts and known and read of all men for as much as you are manifestly declared to be the Epistle of Christ Ministered by us Written not with Ink but with the Spirit of the living God not in tables of stone but in the fleshly tables of the heart God hath sealed the ministry of those Ministersto be from him whose ministry he hath blessed by opening the hearts of People to it and by it there needs no further evidence this is a sufficient letter of recommendation of them to all that own the name of Christ I speak not here for that insignificant conversion of men to an opinion without a turning of their heart from sin unto God but of the real conversion or change of mens hearts This is a proof Sirs of true Shepherds a proof of a true ministry 2 Cor 13. 3. I will never question the truth of that mans ministry with whose ministry I see God going along So that their ministry opens the Eyes of the blind and turns men from darkness to light and from the power of Satan unto God that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance amongst them that are Sanctified Which were the ends for which God sent out Paul Acts 26. 18. Let such men
particular Soul is But God himself supplieth that place Now The Word and Ordinances of the Gospel though they be not Anima Mundi the Soul of the World Yet they are Anima Eâ—clesiae as it were the Soul of the Church of God without which the Church would be no such thing as the Church of the Living God They are those things which make the Church to be a Church and the whole Church to be but one Church Let this therefore engage every Christian to prize the Word and to prize the Ordinances of the Gospel That 's the first Branch Hence in the second place you may observe what is a sad Symptom of a decaying Church and by this you may also discern a lame and imperfect Church Look as in a Building there are some more principal Beams and pieces of Timber without which there can be no House no Building Others that are integral parts without which the Building is not compleat yet the House may be an House though lame and imperfect So it is in this case without the Doctrine of Faith and some Ordinances of Worship the Church is no Church If any part of the Doctrine of Faith be wanting or corrupted in a Church the Church is however true yet lame and imperfect Suppose a Church wholly want some Ordinances as some do the Ordinances of Ecclesiastical Censures yet they are not by this made no Church if they have the Doctrine of Faith and some Ordinances of Worship much less ought a Church to be so censured for the temporary want or suspension of the Exercise of some Ordinances which was the case of the Jewish Church in the Wilderness as to Circumcision but yet the Church that wanteth such Ordinances is imperfect and lame And again I say this is a sad Symptom of a decaying Church when either the Doctrine of Faith or Ordinances of Worship are denied or corrupted in it for these are the Beams and Rafters of the House and every one grants that House to be a decaying declining House where the Beams and Rafters are rotten We need no further Evidence of this than what we have in God's Epistles to the seven Churches of Asia recorded by St. John in the second and third Chapters of the Revelation The Church of Smyrna was a decaying Church The Doctrine of Balaam and of the Nicolaitans was holden in it The Church of Thyatira was a decaying Church for the Woman Jezebel taught and seduced the Servants of God in it And but a while after these Rafters and Beams being decayed these Houses of God fell and to this very day lie in their rubbish From that time that Jeroboam set up the Calves at Dan and Bethel and the Kings of Judah set up Altars in Groves the Church of the Jews was a declining decaying Church and the Rulers of it and Members of it having no heart timely to repair and reform it the House fell It is true God raised it again after the Captivity but it decaying the second time fell and lies buried in its Ruines this day Thirdly From this Notion may be drawn a great argument both for unity and uniformity Vnity in matters of faith Vniformity in matters of practice The Doctrine of unity in the Church of the Gospel is exceedingly pressed in Scripture scarce is there any one of the Epistles of the Apostles in which it is not again and again pressed Be of one mind there is a double union which is our duty to labour after The first is unit as fidei the unity of faith as to the understanding The second is unit as Charit at is quoad affectum the unity of Love and Charity as to the affections The latter of these hath been highly pleaded for in these sinful and wofully divided times and indeed never more need of it but it hath not been duly considered that considering the corrupt state of man The former union must be the Mother of the latter For as all love is founded in some similitude so this love and affection where it hath any where grown up to its due heighth we shall find hath been founded in the similitude of understanding and de facto it is evident that amongst Christians of different persuasions in the things of God there hath seldom been an intireness of cordial affection Indeed these things ought not to be therefore I do not Commend them nor yet blame the exhortation of brethren of divided Principles to an union in affection forbearing one another where all things have not been alike revealed to all but such is the corruption of our natures that this is rather optandum then sperandum to be wished for rather than hoped for if there could be unity in Judgment and uniformity in practice which the Apostle calls a thinking and a speaking the same things the other union of affection would follow more readily O let us labour for this There is but one truth but one true rule of Worship This Doctrine these rules are contained in the Word of God these are the Beams and Rafters of the Church and if the same Beams and Rafters run through the whole Church and be upon every part of the roof we may expect that the building should be strong and durable on the other side the difference of these Beams and Rafters whiles one Church holds one thing in maâ—ter of faith another Church holdeth another thing nay whiles one particular Christian believes one thing another Christian believes another thing whiles this Church or this Christian Worships God after one way and order another Church or other Christians they Worship God after another way though indeed it is possible their differences may not be so great but they may yet agree in one and the same head the Lord Jesus Christ and so both parties differing may at lest be saved yea it may be their differences are not so great but there may be a just forbearing one of another provided all Christians were of equal understandings or that they rightly understood each other yet doubtless this breach of unity as to matters of Judgment in things relating to the Doctrine of Faith and breach of Vniformity as to matters of practice is a great weakening of the Church of God and much spoileth the beauty and glory of it O therefore study unity and study uniformity you strengthen the building by both these you weaken it by dividing or disagreeing at least to open notice It is to me very remarkable that St. Paul almost in every Epistle presseth these things and Phil. 4. 2. when but two women dissented he thought it worthy of his pains to persuade them to it I beseech Euodias and I beseech Syntyche that they be of the same mind in the Lord. Doest thou therefore O Christian differ from other Christians amongst whom thou livest in any matter of faith or in any matter of practice as to fellowship in Ordinances sit not down Satisfied but labour for this unity for
old 1 Kings 11. 1. 4. She and his other Wives turned away his heart from God that it was not perfect as was the heart of his Father David He grosly fell away so foully that some question whether he ever had a truth of grace others think his failure a sufficient foundation for their slippery Doctrine of Total and final Apostacy and conclude him damned it is something to our purpose to examine that Question also Qu. Whether Solomons Apostacy was total and final The Arminians say he fell away Totally but not finally Some amongst the Papists have suspended their Judgment concerning his final Apostacy witness the Arch-Bishop of Toledo who had Heaven and Hell pictured in his Chappel and Solomon half in the one half in the other Of this mind are Jansenius Barradius Torniellus Pamelius Feuardentius Hostiensis c. and amongst the Ancients Tertullian and Cyprian to whom also amongst the Protestants Zanchy and Peter Martyr seem to incline Amongst the Ancients Augustine Prosper Basil and Theodoret to whom Pineda reckons Cyprian and Gregory are thought to favour the more severe opinion of Solomons total and final Apostacy Abulensis Tostatus Vega Pererius and Belarmine conclude it The Ancient Jewish Writers and amongst the Ancients of the Christian Church Ireneus Gregor Neocaesar Hilary Hierom Ambrose Cyrill of Hierusalem and others amongst the Papists themselves Aquinas Bonaventure Hugo Cardinalis Comestor Paulus Burgensis Dionis Carthus Genebrard Damianus Pineda Delrio Serarius and Lorinus And with these the generality of Protestants conclude he was no reprobate nor did fall away finally nor say the Protestants totally Solomon saw a great evil under the Sun Princes going on foot while Servants rode on Horseback De-La Champius observeth a greater Evil than this in the impudent Jesuites whose consciences will serve them to reprobate Solomon and Canonize Traytors and other open Servants of Lusts and as he noteth what Dr. Willet long since observed is in this instance verified concerning Bellarmine That it is ordinary with him when he finds his own Doctors divided to take in with the worser part of them We conclude for Solomon that he was a true Child of God and that although he fell yet his fall was neither total nor yet final but he was restored by repentance And for this assertion we conceive we have sufficient Evidence from Scripture besides the Authorities of men already cited declaring their sentiments from several convictions Hierome Cyrill and Pineda urge that Text Prov. 24. 30. where they conceive Solomon speaking in his own Person and saying I went by the field of the sloathful and by the Vineyard of the man void of understanding and loe it was all grown over with Thorns and Nettles had covered the face thereof and the Stone-wall thereof was broken down v. 32. This I saw and considered it well I looked upon it and received Instruction To which Pineda joins Prov. 30. 1 2. which if with the Jewish Rabbines we could conclude that unknown Agur to have been Solomon would give some auxiliary strength to that in the 24th Chap. to advantage which Pineda's observation of the ancient Septuagint mixing the 24. and 29. and these words of the 30th Chap. together as if all were spake by the same man and of himself may be worthy of consideration Bachiarius Serarius and De-La Champius urge a 2d Argument from 1 Kings 11. 43. and 2 Chron. 9. 31. where it is said that when he died he was buried with the Kings of Israel which they think strengthened by their observation that the Scripture mentions the the burial of Ammon Joram and Joash 3 Wicked Princes elsewhere But we must have better Arguments than this for we are told that Abiam 1 Kings 15 8. was buried in the City of David so was Amaziah 2 Chron. 25. 8. and Rehoboam 2 Chron. 12. 1. when on the other side Manasses though reconciled to God before his death yet had not the honour of that burial As the wisdom of divine providence hath left the surface of the Earth for a common walk both for the just and unjust so nothing appears but that the will of God hath left the bosom of it in any part thereof a common bed for them nor do I find any sufficient evidence of any consecrated burial-places so early in the world which had there been and had we found Solomons Tomb there it would have told us no more than the Churches opinion of him and that usually to Princes is very charitable and questionless would have been so to him who was the greatest Prince which the Earth ever saw But certainly for that argument which De-La Champius and Pineda both bring from the Covenant made with David concerning Solomon mentioned 2 Sam. 7. 14. 1 Chron. 17. 13. and Psal 89. v. 20 21 22 c. to the 37th v. we may say of it as David of the Sword of Goliah There is none to it Let us a little view the Text In the first you have the words of God spoken to Nathan going to enquire Gods approbation of Davids design to build a Temple the Lord denies David liberty but takes his offer kindly and bids the Prophet tell David That when his days should be fulfilled and he should sleep with his Fathers God would set up his seed after him which should proceed out of his bowels and establish his Kingdom v. 13. I will establish the Throne of his Kingdom for ever v. 14. I will be his Father and he shall be my Child If he commit iniquity I will chasten him with the rod of Men and with the stripes of the Children of Men But my mercy shall not depart from him as I took it from Saul whom I put away before thee In the book of Chronicles 1 Chron. 17. you have the same thing repeated only there v. 14. you have I will settle him in my house In the 89th Psal you have a larger account of that covenant so far as concerns David v. 20. 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28. v. 29. His seed also will I make to endure for ever c. If his Children forsake my law and walk not in my judgments Then will I visit theer transgression with the rod and their iniquity with stripes Nevertheless my loving kindness will I not utterly take from him Nor suffer my faithfulness to fail My Covenant will I not break nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips Once have I sworn by my Holiness that I will not lie unto David In this Text you plainly discern a Covenant made with David on the behalf of his Seed and that Seed of his that should sit upon his Throne which was Solomon as well as on the behalf of himself Concerning him God saith 1. I will establish the Throne of his Kingdom 2. I will be his Father and he shall be my Child 3. If he sins I will chasten him with the rod of men and with the stripes of the
Church understands it of the Doctrine of the Law which also suiteth with Davids high commendation of the Law of God in his 19 Psal and in the 119. more largely 2. But reading it Loves possibly they may better interpret it who understand it concerning the Graces of Gods Holy Spirit When we speak of the Grace of Christ we either understand that goodness which is essentially in him as he is the fountain of all Grace full of Grace and Truth the fulness of the God-Head dwelling in him or that goodness which he communicateth to his People in the free pardon of their sins and acceptation of their Persons Or 3 dly Those fruits of his Spirit which abide and dwell in us such as faith love I find some Interpreters both ancient and modern interpreting the Text of the latter So Gregorius Mag. That love to thee and to my Brethren which thou hast wrought in my heart But Beza observeth That it is not usual to Saints to commend their own graces and therefore doubtless it is to be understood of that Grace which is and remains in Christ subjectively of which we are the Objects and to this sense agree the most sober and spiritual Interpreters making the phrase to signify that sweet pleasure which the Soul takes from the feeling of Christs love And possibly this is that Vis lactandi that suckling vertue which Delrio mentioneth which Christs puts forth refreshing the Souls of his Saints with his consolations The word is in the plural number by which the Hebrews were wont not onely to express a multitude of things but also the infinite vertues and dimensions of any thing You must not think saith Beza That in the One Essence of God there are more numerical loves No in him all things are one and he is one But his grace is manifold in respect of our feeling and apprehension and he deals out his love to us in different measures according to our different necessities or capacities The Chaldee Paraphrast with some of the Heb. Doctors understand here the Concret by the Abstract and interpret God's loves to be his beloved people of the Jewish Nation whom he preferreth before Wine viz. before any other Nations threescore and ten Nations to which purpose by their Cabalistical Art they have found out the numerical letters for 70 in the word which we translate Wine But I shall not insist upon so fond and improbable a Notion Having therefore spoken Enough for the Explication of the Subject Thy loves Let us indeavour to understand what is praedicated of this Subject 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 They are better then Wine good before wine saith the Heb. Text which is but the same thing in their dialect who so use ordinarily to express the Comparative degree 1. Good in the Philosophical notion of it is whatsoever is the Object of our desire the nature of it lying in a convenience and sutableness of the thing unto our natures which makes it desirable which a thing may be either upon the account of pleasure or profit or nobleness Accordingly the Heb. word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is variously translated merry Esther 1. 10. Beautiful Ruth 3. 7. Thy loves are more good i. e. more sweet pleasant profitable than Wine 2. Wine in its primary signification is the juice of the Grape whose proper Effect it is to make the heart of man merry Psal 104. 15. But this were too low a signification for it in this Text. We must therefore allow a figure The Hebrews were wont under the notion of wine to express all other delectable and pleasant things Hence Ahashuerus his feast is called A Banquet of Wine though it cannot be imagined that Wine was all the guests had for their intertainment It is an usuall Synecdoche to express all things that fall under a common genus by some Eminent Species Some of the ancient Rabbies understood by Wine here quamcunque Laetitiam whatsoever is pleasant and acceptable And in that sence Mercer and the best of modern Interpreters agree For that other interpretation which some make of it who understand by loves Gospel Doctrine and by Wine the Doctrine and dispensation of the Law though it seemeth to have some advantage by the use of Wine in the legal oblations and it be a truth That the Doctrine and dispensation of the Gospel being more sweet and perfect is better than that of the Law which brought nothing to perfection Yet I cannot think it the sense of this Text. Let us conclude then that the words are the Language Either of the Church of God preferring the injoyment of God in the Doctrines and dispensations of his word and Gospel or the words of the believing Soul preferring the influences of divine grace before the sweetest of all creatures comforts And this I take to be the most free and consistent sense and interpretation of the words The particle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 may be conceived here to have a double use Either To give a reason of her former desire that her beloved should kiss her with the kisses of his mouth Which she professeth to be like theirs who desire wine They desire that because it is good She desires these because there is a far greater goodness in these heavenly influences than there is in the best of created comforts by which she shews that she was not carried out to these desires insano quodam affectu sed prudente consilio saith Beza by prudent advice and deliberation reason dictating to us the choice and desire of the things which are most excellent Not by an heady and misguided passion Or else to make an argument which might be advantageous to her for the obtaining of her request drawn from the Estimate of Christs love with which her Soul was possessed Lord I esteem thy favour to me above all created comforts in the world Therefore let not my Soul want it And so it suteth with that of David Psal 4. 6. Lord lift thou up the light of thy Countenance upon us Thou hast put gladness into my heart more than the time that their Corn and Wine increased And thus these latter words of the Text contain the Spouses first Argument by which she urgeth her petition mentioned in the former part of it She proceedeth v. 3. V. 3. Because of the Savour of thy Ointments Thy name is as ointment poured forth therefore do the Virgins love thee The Sept. translate it thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Vulg. Latine joyneth the former part of this verse to the former thus Thy breasts perfumed with the best ointments are better than Wine The difference is not much nor is it an easy labour to determine it because the points and stops which make it are of no great antiquity at least as some think the Hebrew translated for a word seemeth to be thus To the smell of thy good Ointments Thy name is as Oil or Ointment poured out
Solemnities thither the Tribes went up the Tribes to the Testimony of Israel Hierusalem was as pleasant a place as any was at that time in the world and Absolom being the King's Son had undoubtedly accommodations as good as the City could afford But Absolom had displeased his Father and was sensible he was under his frown and it was not for the pleasantness of the City that he desired a liberty to return but that he might see the reconciled face of his Father and therefore he saith What should I do at Hierusalem if I may not see the King's face Without that Hierusalem was to him but as another place nay in this worse than another place because it was a place where others enjoyed that which he wanted Every Courtier every ordinary Servant of David's Family saw his face Absolom might not I do only allude to it In or near Hierusalem was Mount Zion called the Mountain of the House of the Lord because the Temple stood nigh to it It was prophesied Isa 2. 2. That in the last dâ—ies the Mountain of the Lord's House should be established in the top of the Mountains and should be exalted above the Hills and all Nations should flow unto it And many people should go and say Come you and let us go up to the Mountain of the Lord and to the House of the God of Jacob and he shall teach us of his waies and we will walk in his paths 'T is not the going up to the Mountain that pleaseth a gracious Soul unless it finds it self when there taught something of God's waies and inabled to walk in the Lord's paths I shall prets this Exhortation by some Arguments and offer you something of Advice in this case First For Arguments what I gave you for Reasons may serve Thus you shall shew your selves to be Christians indeed The Wise must see the face of an Husband though a little Child may be pleased with the Picture Take an Ordinance of it self it hath something of the impression of God upon it God is there as a man in a Picture but this can never satisfie a truly thirsty Soul after God he thirsts after God himself My Soul saith David thirsteth for thee David must see the power and glory of God in the Sanctuary An Hypocrite may have a fancy to go to Ordinances to hear Sermons c. that 's common to persons that shall perish with such as shall be saved There may be many ends which Hypocrites may have which that may serve well enough But herein as to this point stands a good Christian distinguished from all Hypocrites and Formalists in the world as to this particular Secondly Till your hearts be brought to this Duties will be nothing else but a continual task and a burden to your souls There will be no great pleasure arising to any Soul from a bare reading or hearing the Word of the Lord. The Formalists among the Jews that lookt at nothing but the bodily labour quickly came to prophane the Table of the Lord and to account the meat there contemptible and to say Behold what a weariness is it Mal. 1. 13. Amos tell us chap. 8. 5. that they said When will the New Moon be gone that we may sell Corn and the Sabbath that we may set forth VVheat Nothing will deliver the Soul from the burden of religious duties I mean the looking upon them as such but some Sweetness discerned in them or some Profit which it discerneth arising from them neither of which will be discerned by any Soul which tasteth nothing of God in them nor hath any Communion with him by and through them but these things I before touched upon as also the danger of a meer bodily labour in this religious Duty I shall therefore rather spend the Remainder of my time in directing you what to do that you may not only hear the words of Christs Mouth but be kissed with the Kisses of his Mouth Go out to hear the word of God as the word of God The Apostle blesseth God on the behalf of his Thessalonians 1 Thes 2. 13. That when they received the word of God they received it not as the word of men but as it was in truth the word of God which effectually worketh in them that believe I am afraid this is one thing which is much wanting in many Preachers more hearers the former do not go out to preach the word as the word of God The other do not go out to hear it under that notion as the word of God It is a Phrase hath a great deal in it and is comprehensive of all that previous preparation which is our duty with reference to an Institution of God and that to so great an End as the Salvation of the Soul is If I remember right Plutarch doth somwhere complain of the Heathen that they went to the Temples of the Gods 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not as men do to a place to which they set out upon design and due deliberation considering whither they are going and what their business was there but as men who step in by the by into a place Whereas he saith they should come 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 prepared out of their Houses What wonder is it if God should not meet them in his Ordinance who come not out of any fixed design to meet him Your Friend hardly thanks you for making his House your Inn stepping out of your Road to see him when your main design is at anothers Journeys end But he thanks you that that is the main design of your Journey 1. That man goeth to hear the word of God as the word of God that aright fixeth his end before he goeth to hear Our Saviour seemeth to reflect upon the want of this in those that went to hear John the Baptist Matth. 11. 7. VVhat went ye out into the wilderness to see A Reed shaken with the wiâ—d But what went ye out for to see A man cloathed in soft Raiment Behold they that wear soft Raiment are in Kings houses But what went ye out for to see A Prophet yea I say unto you and more than a Prophet I would have every Man and Woman before he or she goes out to hear the word of God say to himself My Soul whom am I going to hear A man that shall speak to me smooth things and deliver himself in words that are proper to express what he saith But whom am I going to hear One that hath a pleasant Voice like one that singeth to or playeth well upon an Instrument such a one I may hear in the Schools of Rhetorick and Oratory But whom do I go out for to hear One that can discourse rationally upon an Argument I may hear such a one in the Schools of Aristotle and Plato Whom then do I go to Church for to hear A Prophet One that discourseth of the things of God yea and more than a Prophet I am going to hear God
an everlasting Happiness As a Merchant that hath heard a Report of the rare Commodities and cheapness of them in a Country which Report he doth not so far believe as he will adventure an Hundred Pounds to try the Issue yet may desire the Commodities at such Rates as he hears of so may an unregenerate man that hath fate under the Preaching of the Gospel and heard abundantly of the Excellency of Christ and the rare effects of his Love though he will not do any thing toward the obtaining them yet may wish that Christ loved him that he might be made partaker of such Love though all this while in Heart he believeth little or nothing That you may not therefore deceive your selves in this point take a few notes of such desires as are indeed Evidences of Grace 1. They are not meer velleities lazy wishings and wouldings as we say but alwaies attended with the use of means which we judge or find proper to obtain our desires And indeed this alone without anything further said will try this issue a desire arising from the knowledge and experience a Soul hath of the goodness of an Object is alwaies attended with the use of what means are within our reach for the obtaining of it Hence a Souls pretended desire of the pardon of sin through the blood of Christ and of living with Christ in glory not conjoined with fervent prayers with an endeavour to reform our lives and to sin no more is of no good significancy at all It is only an indication that the man or woman would be happy and secure as to eternity if there be such a thing which he hath heard but now when these desires are attended with sad reflections upon ourselves for sin serious indeavours against sin and hearty and fervent prayers to God for pardon these things speak the truth and sincerity of our desires 2. Desires upon knowledge and experience of the goodness of a thing are alwaies most intense and strongest If you observe it the desires of our Souls are augmented from a double cause 1. The certainty of our knowledge of that goodness which is in the thing desired 2. The quickness of our apprehension of the want of it The more full and certain knowledge that we have of the goodness and excellency of an Object the more we desire it For I told you before it is not the simple goodness and excellency of a thing that draweth out our Souls after it but our apprehension of such a goodness hence in reason it must follow that the desire must be strongest in that Soul where the apprehension is most full and certain And all goodness being measured by us by the suitableness of the thing to our wants the quicker and fuller apprehensions the Soul hath of its wants of Christ love the stronger must the souls motions for and towards it be Now the believing Soul having the most certain knowledge of the goodness of the Loves of Christ and having also the fullest and quickest apprehension of its wants of them of necessity its pantings after them must be most intense and strong As the Hart panteth after the Water Brooks as David speaketh Psal 42. 1. Hence it is that when the Prayers of Hypocrites are but complementings of God a few words of course the prayers of the Saints are wrestlings with God as Jacobs prayer is stiled strong cries and groans which cannot be uttered as the Apostle speaketh Rom. 8. where any Soul findeth such desires as these it hath reason to rejoice and be comforted concerning the truth of its grace tho it findeth its actions imperfect and Gods manifestations of himself to it in consolatory influences not so full In this sense it is true that desires of grace are indications of it provided they be such desires as flow from a knowledge or any experience of Divine Love I mean a knowledge of Faith a certain firm persuasion wrought in the heart of that goodness and excellency that is in Christ and his loves not a meer knowledge from report and the credit of others but such desires can never admit of a regardless carelessness whether the Soul obtaineth what it desireth or no but will be attended with an inquiry after and a due use of all means for the obtaining the thing desired And besides they will alwaies be strong desires according to the nature of the good desired and the apprehended degree of the Souls want of it and hence again The Soul that hath these true desires will find them attended with trouble and unquietness till it hath in some measure at least obtained the thing which it desireth for as the wise man saith of Hope so it is true of desire deferred it maketh the heart sick The Soul filled with desires is like the Woman in Travel pained till it obtaineth the thing desired As when the desire is accomplished it is sweet to the Soul Prov. 13. 19. So while it is accomplished there must be some bitterness and uneasiness in the Soul But now desires after Christ and his loves attended with no trouble no uneasiness for want of the accomplishment and obtaining of them faint and cold and languid desires without the use of means within our power to obtain the thing desired are of no significancy as to a truth of grace Solomon hath two sayings in his Proverbs that may be applyed here Prov. 13. 4. The Soul of the sluggard desireth and hath nothing but the Soul of the diligent shall be made fat And Prov. 21. 25. The desire of the slothful killeth him for he refuseth to labour Two things are said of the slothful sluggard 1. That he desireth and hath nothing he never obtaineth his desire 2. That his desires kill him they do him hurt no good what is the reason Because he refuseth to labour But the Soul of the diligent is made fat Solomon speaketh as to the things of this Life The Soul of the sluggard desireth and hath nothing It is as true as to Spiritual things the Grace of God the Loves of Christ The Souls of Sluggards that will sometimes say O that I had my part in Christ O that my Iniquities might be pardoned O that I might live with God in Glory c. but never will do any thing toward these things not so much as deny themselves in a Lust nor keep under their Body and bring it into Subjection in any thing these Souls have nothing The truth is they have nothing of any true desire proceeding from any sound knowledge or any true experience but they shall have nothing Their Desires kill them if they trust to these desires of Grace as Indications of a truth of Grace they kill them they cheat their own Souls to an eternal ruine and destruction But the diligent Soul is made fat That Soul that from a sound and firm persuasion of the goodness and excellency of the loves of Christ desires to tast and further to tast of them and is
for food to him But we are blessed with Spiritual Blessings in Christ and upon the account of Christ he giveth the first grace upon the account of Christ's Intercession pleading for the Application of the purchased Redemption He giveth further grace upon the account of Christ's Intercession for us and the Spirit 's Intercession for us For we know not what to pray for as we ought but the Spirit it self maketh Intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered and he that searcheth the heart knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit because he maketh Intercession for the Saints according to the Will of God Rom. 8. 26 27. Now a due estimate and value of the Love of Christ in a Soul is an Indication of the Spirit of Christ dwelling in the Soul hence it must needs be an Argument of force with God for he that searcheth the heart knoweth the mind of the Spirit making Intercession for the Saints according to the will of God Secondly The force of this Argument lies here in that it layeth hold upon many Promises The Promises are but as so many Bonds in which God hath made himself a Debtor to his Creatures All Promises oblige the truth and faithfulness of those persons that make them God being the true and faithful One cannot lye He is faithful that hath promised saith the Apostle so that if it be a sufficient Argument to use with a man to obtain any thing we would have to tell him He hath promised it it holdeth towards God more strongly as his truth and faithfulness is much more certain and infallible than any Creature is Besides that it is a further advantage when Promises are made upon a due and just consideration for these is not only the truth but the justice also of the person promising is concerned to the fulfilling of them Hence in Scripture you shall ordinarily find the Servants of God pleading the Word the Covenant of God spoken to and made with them Psal 119. 49. Remember thy Word unto thy Servant upon which thou hast caused me to hope and in many other Texts of Scripture I say when a Soul can go to God and say in truth that he valueth his love and favour above Wine above Life above all created comforts this Argument layeth hold upon several Promises of God I will a little enlarge upon this â— It layeth hold upon a Promise of filling and satisfaction Matth. 5. 6. Blessed are they who hunger and thirst after Righteousness for they shall be filled It is a mighty large and comprehensive Promise To fill a Soul with the influences of Divine Love is a very great thing It is not easie to fill the covetous man with Wealth but he may be sooner fill'd with Riches than the Soul of a good man with the Love and Grace of God But here is a Promise of being filled Open thy mouth wide saith God and I will fill it To whom is this Promise made To him that hungers and thirsteth after Righteousness Righteousness is Grace whether you take it for the Righteousness of Justification the Righteousness of Christ in which every Soul must stand righteous before God Or the Righteousness of Sanctification habits and acts of Holiness wrought in us and done by us they are both from Grace from the free Love of God shining upon our Souls He that hungers and thirsts after it is he that intensely desires it Hunger and thirst are natural passions arising in us from our want of due aliment nature inforcing in us a sense of that want and of all other they are the most vehement Thence our English Proverb Hunger will break through stone walls and experience tells us to what hard things these passions have brought people not only to eat Carrion but to kill and eat their own Children yea the flesh of their own Arms so as hungring and thirsting after Righteousness importeth vehement desires after Grace which desires testifie the Soul's estimate of it and value for it and to those who thus hunger and thirst the Promise is made that they shall be filled Again such a Soul hath a right to those Promises of all Grace propounded in the most large and comprehensive terms and general phrases as where God promiseth a new heart the water of life his coming unto Souls dwelling in them abiding with them The Soul that can go to God and truly say that he prizeth the Loves of Christ above all things layeth hold of all these Promises of which the holy Scriptures are full Isa 55. 1 2. Ho every one that thirsteth come you to the waters and buy without money and without price buy wine and milk So Rev. 22. 17. Let him that is athirst come and whosoever will let him drink of the water of life freely Joh. 14. 23. If any man love me he will keep my words and my Father will love him and we will come unto him and make our abode with him So v. 21. He that loveth me shall be loved of my Father and I will love him and manifest my self to him These now and such like are general Promises comprehensive of all the Love of Christ to the Soul in the various manifestations of it according to the Soul 's diversified necessities with respect to its several circumstances Now observe to whom these Promises are made to those that love Christ and in evidence of that love hunger and thirst after him to them the Promises are made 1. That the Father will love that man or woman 2. That both Christ and his Father will come unto him 3. That they will manifest themselves unto them that they will dwell and make their abode with them That they shall have Wine and Milk without money and price Now I appeal to any ordinary capacity what evidence of Love any Soul can give greater than the valuing of his Loves above all other things So that where this can be said in truth to God God is challenged upon a multitude of Promises even so many as are made to the Love of God and Christ and to the Soul's hungrings and thirstings after him Nay there is yet another sort of Promises which such a Soul challengeth viz. all those Promises of a further supply and increase of Grace to those that have the Seed of Grace As Matth. 13. 12. To him that hath shall be given and he shall have in more abundance I might add many more of like nature but there is hardly any of you but know how to furnish your selves with them Now where the Soul can challenge God upon a Promise and lay claim to the mercy which it asketh from an obligation which God by his Word hath laid upon himself to give it This is a great Argument for it toucheth God upon the account of his Truth and Faithfulness 3. Further yet this argument toucheth God as he is a tender Father God you know to let us know his heart to his poor Creatures amongst other names
Name I will mention but three things First His Word is his Name The Gospel of Christ is his Name that expresseth to us what Christ is Christ saith that he had manifested his Father's Name unto the men whom he had given him out of the world Joh. 17. 6. that is his Fathers Truths the Doctrine of his Gospel The Lord Jesus is made known by his Gospel That doth the same thing for Christ that our Name doth for us it lets the World know whose Son Christ is what he is what he hath done and suffered for Sinners and this is to the Soul exceeding sweet as an Oil that is poured forth Secondly His Mercy is his Name All those declarations of his love and good will towards his Peoples Souls of which his Gospel is full All the Emanations of his Love When the Lord telleth Moses his Name he thus proclaimeth it The Lord The Lord merciful slow to anger As God gets him a great Name upon Pharaoh and the wicked of the Earth by executing Justice and Judgment so he gets himself a great Name amongst his Saints by shewing meâ—cy His Name is I even I am he that blotteth out transgressions for my own Names sake I will heal your backslidings and love you freely Lastly His Truth is his Name By Truth I mean his Faithfulness in fulfilling his Word Thy Truth reacheth unto the Clouds saith David Psal 108. 4. David Psal 138. 2. resolveth to praise God's Name for his Loving-kindness and for his Truth Jesus Christ is much known to us by his Truth and Faithfulness to his Promises making good to his Peoples Souls what he hath said hence he is called the Amen the Faithful and the true Witness Rev. 3. 14. Pareus upon that Text saith that Christ is called the Amen for that reason which the Apostle giveth 2 Cor. 1. 19 20. because he is not Yea and Nay but he is Yea and because all the Promises of God in him are Yea and Amen Thus I have opened to you what that Name of Christ is which the Spouse compareth to an Oil or to an Ointment poured forth 2 Qu. But why to an Oil poured forth Certainly for the usefulness of it under that circumstance Ointment in the Box Oil inclosed and kept up in the Vessel is no way so useful as when it is poured out If we use it for food it must be poured out if for Medicine if for Ornament which way soever we use Oil or Ointment it must be poured out then it becomes useful to us But that which I take to be what is principally intended is Thy Name is exceedingly infinitely sweet Oil is sweet in the Vessel where it is kept it is sweet if but dropped out by drops But saith the Spouse of Christ Thy Name is as an Oil or Ointment poured forth Thou hast not only a sweetness and excellency in thy self but all the grace and mercy in thee is communicated and that not in drops or little measures but as Oil poured forth that hath scope of Air enough to diffuse it self in and by If Christ had No Name by which he could be made known to us yet there would be in him as God blessed for ever infinite goodness as well as Majesty and Glory the fulness of the God-Head would be in him he would be full of Grace and Truth but now his Name makes him to be as an Oil poured forth by that we behold his glory the glory as of the begotten of the Father full of Grace and Truth Joh. 1. 14. When the invisible incomprehensible excellency love and grace of Christ is made known unto us either by the Gospel or by the emanations of his grace and mercy or the demonstrations of his truth and faithfulness by any of his personal names or names of Office wâ—ich are given to him then like Oil or Ointment poured out he appears to the Soul transcendently incomparably sweet This now appears both from Scripture and from experience 1. From Scripture how sweet are thy words unto my tast faith David Psal 119. 103. More to be desired are they than gold yea than much fine gold sweeter also than Honey and the Hony-comb Psal 19. 10. In his name shall the Gentiles trust Mat. 12. 21. Adam had a little of Christ made known unto him One promise we read of no more The Seed of the Woman shall break the Serpents head Gen. 3. 15. It was like Oil poured forth and kept him from a deliquium in the sense of the first sin and his being turned out of Paradise Abraham heard a little of Christs name it was to him like Oil poured forth he saw my day and rejoiced saith Christ John 8. he saw the day star arise afar off he saw but the morning the dawning of the morning too of Christs day and at a great distance how sweet was it to him He saw my day saith Christ and he rejoiced I might give you very many instances of the sweetness which the Saints of God perceived upon the several discoveries of Christ made to them But what needs any further demonstration than what ariseth from the consideration of the thing and from the experience of any Child of God to whom Christ is or hath been made known how sweet must rest be to one that is weary ease to one that is heavy laden both these are promised from Christ Mat. 11. 29. how sweet must the name of a Saviour be to one that is lost and undone the name of Redeemeâ— to one that is a Captive The name of a Mediator to one that hath offended a potent adversary able to crush him every moment 2. I appeal further to the experience of every Child of God even every Soul who hath tasted any thing of Christ and who hath heard any thing of his Name when a Soul is troubled to think how often how heinously it hath offended God how sweet is the name of a Mediator when it is brought to a sense of its sin and apprehends itself lost and undone how sweet is it to remember the name of Jesus given unto Christ because he was to save his People from their sins when a Soul considereth that without Blood without a Sacrifice there is no remission of Sin how sweet then is the name of an High Priest over the House of God who offered up himself once for our Sins and having done so ascended up into Heaven and ever sitteth at the Right Hand of God to make intercession for the Sins of his People How sweet to the Soul that is afraid lest its lusts should have dominion over him is the name of Christ as a King given unto him because he is to rule in the hearts of those who are once subjected and subdued unto him How sweet are his mercy his truth his promises when at any time the latter are applied to the Soul and the former any way made known in the Soul Doth any one ask whence it is that the name of
highly expressive of our inward affections It follows We will remember thy Loves more then Wine This is the third thing she promiseth I shall be very short in the explication of this phrase more fully opening the terms when I come to handle the Proposition I shall raise from them Only this the Heb. word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we met with it before v. 2. the Septuagint translate it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the difference is founded I conceive in the cognation of the two words signifying Loves and Breasts they differ only in the points but suppose it were thy Breasts a figure must still be acknowledged because the breasts are near the heart and that is the seat of love so that the sense still must be thy loves thy gracious influences More then Wine that is more then those things which are most pleasant and delightful to us but I opened this v. 2. It follows The upright love thee in the Hebrew it is Vprightnesses or Vpright things love thee so the Hebrew word properly signifieth The same word is used Psal 17. 2. Thy Eyes shall behold upright things The word is found in this form Psal 9. 9. He shall judge the world in righteousness and the people in uprightnesses so Prov. 1. 3. Is 33. 15. Prov. 2. 9. Psal 58. â—2 Psal 75. 3. If we expound it as the letter of the Text is in the abstract the question will be whether it should be read in the Nominative case uprightnesses love thee or in the Ablative in uprightnesses they that is the Virgins love thee If in the first sense the meaning is this Whatsoever is good and right is to be found in thee all the graces love thee that is cleave and are united unto thee The fulness of grace dwelled in him and all vertues and graces were made perfect in him But although this be a truth yet I do not take it to be the sense of the Text and in my further discourses on this Song I shall have occasion once and again to discourse that subject Secondly It may be read in the Ablative case In uprightnesses they love thee that is as Buxtorf expounds it Rectissimè fortiter The Saints love thee most intirely sincerely strongly thus it will afford us this lesson That the Saints love to Christ is a most strong sincere and entire love The Virgins love Christ in uprightnesses not in word and in tongue only but in deed and in truth as St. John expoundeth it they love him with a true and perfect heart But this will fall in the handling of the Doctrine which will arise from the third sense which is more generally accepted and which I shall embrace Thirdly Therefore I agree with those who think the Abstract is here put for the Concrete uprightnesses for the most upright persons The quality for the persons indued with that excellent quality a very ordinary way of speaking in the Hebrew and indeed most languages No wonder my beloved that I should love thee for there is not an upright Soul in the world but loves thee and the more there is of uprightness in any Soul the more that Soul loves thee Uprightnesses love thee Thus now I have largely opened this excellent Text. The Propositions I shall observe from it and handle them if God please in their order are these that follow Souls must first be drawn by God before they will come to Christ or run after him and it is their duty to pray that they may be so drawn The Soul being drawn shall and will run after Christ That Gods drawing one Soul will be a means to make many run after him That God is often very quick in answering his Peoples Prayers That Jesus Christ hath Chambers into which he sometimes brings his Peoples Souls That Jesus Christ is the singular object of the Saints joy in the middest of its mâ—st excellent enjoyments The Gâ—ace receiving Soul will remember his loves more than Wine The upright Soul will love the Lord Jesus Christ and the more upright a Soul is the more it will love him Sermon Xâ—VII Canticles 1. 4. Drawme and We will run after thee I Come to handle more largely those Propositions from this second Petition of the Spouse which in my last discourse I had no more time but to name the first of which was this Prop. Souls must first be drawn by God before they can come to or run after the Lord Jesus Christ I noted to you in my explication of this Petition that there are two principal usages of this word Draw in Holy Writ it sometimes signifieth an alluring by fair carriage and persuasions 2. Sometimes a constraining by force and power both ways the Lord draweth those Souls that come to Christ or that run after him he draweth them suaviter and fortiter sweetly and yet powerfully 1. There is a drawing by Afflictions and Chastisements Afflictions are the Lords Cords If saith Job ch 36. 8 9. they be bound in Fetters and be holden in Cords of Affliction Then he sheweth them their work and their transgressions wherein they have exceeded he openeth their Ear to discipline and commandeth them that they return from iniquity Thus the Lord drew Manasses he was bound by Fetters and carried into Babylon and when he was in affliction he besought the Lord his God and humbled himself greatly before the God of his Fathers and prayed unto him and he was entreated of him and heard his supplication It is added v. 13. Then Manasses knew that the Lord he was God I know that Bernard thus interpreteth this Text tho he restrains it not to that sense but I must crave leave to dissent from so great a Person not only because I find scarce any Interpreters agreeing with him but because then the thing here prayed for must be Afflictions which I do not know we are commanded to pray for and I am sure nature restraineth us in such a Petition neither are afflictions in their own tendency drawing Cords they are rather called Cords and Fetters to signify their pinching effects than that God ordinarily useth them to draw Souls by unto himself we read of one Thief upon the Cross converted at his last hour and of one Manasses converted by Festers but you have but a single instance of each in Holy Writ and let me further add Manasses his affliction was but Fetters and Imprisonment nothing that affected his head and made him unfit to do any thing but to attend the distempers of his Body nor indeed is there any drawing vertue in an affliction it rather naturally alienateth the Soul from God in my experience in the work of the Ministry I have known many good Men and Women bettered by Affliction but I never knew a bad man or woman by affliction brought home to God it is a fire that so softens the wax and hardeneth the clay and this agreeth with what we have in Scripture
so far from opposing or hindering the drawings of Divine Grace as to do what in them lies in order to the obtaining of them you will say unto me what is that what can we do either as to the hindering or obtaining them 1. First As you may hinder these influences by omitting your attendance upon hearing the word so you may by your conscientious attendance upon it do something in order to the obtaining of it I observe that the blind men in the Gospel observed and placed themselves in Christs walks the way wherein he was to go He that conscientiously waiteth upon the preaching of the Word placeth himself in the way wherein Christ useth to go He that walks to the Ale-house or to his worldly business or abideth in his House when he should walk to a Sermon is out of Christs walk and as this is in his own power to avoid so by not avoiding he hindereth divine drawings The Preaching of the Word is the ordinance of God for the Salvation of the Elect when Christ was lifted up he by this drew all those Gentiles that were converted to the faith of Christ you know in the drawing of a thing by a Cord there is necessary a Cord to draw with which must de fastned to the thing we would draw when it is fastned he that draweth must put to his strength it is not the Cord that draweth but the power and strength of the mans arm that useth the Cord. That which is drawn here is the Soul of man a poor dead Soul that hath in it no principle of Spiritual life and of itself cannot come to Christ He that draweth is God the holy Spirit of God and that by the power of an everlasting arm but now the Cord is the word of God so God hath ordained either some terrible word of threatning or some comfortable word of promise some word of God is by the holy Spirit fastned upon the Soul by this the Soul is drawn yet not by the force of the Word but by the power of the Spirit making use of the Word now he who neglects the reading or hearing of the word hinders his own drawing he rejecteth and refuseth the Cord which though alone it would not draw the Soul yet is the mean the Cord in the hand of the Spirit by which ordinarily Souls are drawn that do come to Christ On the other side those Souls that are diligent and careful to read and hear the Word of God where it is interpreted and applied with most tendency to the conversion of Souls though he doth nothing ultimately and efficiently yet he doth much in a way of means in order to his drawing unto Christ This is the first way 2. As a man may hinder the drawings of God by quenching the motions of the holy Spirit and giving a deaf ear to the knocks of it or delaying its obedience to them suffering vain company or worldly cares to choke the motions of the Spirit and wear out the impressions of the word so he may further them by favouring them retaining such impressions and whetting the word upon his heart There is scarce any person who is a constant attender upon the Preaching of the word but at some time ot other will find some discourse more than ordinarily affecting him and making some more than ordinary impressions upon him now if when a man findeth this he endeavoureth to stifle this conviction or wear off this impression and to work his Soul out of the trouble of it he hereby opposeth and resisteth the drawings of Divine Grace 〈…〉 the other side if he withdraws himself fits alone meditateth upon what he hath heard searcheth the Scriptures to see if it be according to what is revealed there and when worldly business would put it out of his thoughts if he endeavours again to bring it to his remembrance and setcheth it again into his thoughts desiring it may have its perfect work This man now doth what in him lieth to promove divine drawings Thirdly As a man or woman may hinder God's drawings by walking contrary to his or her Light So they may promove them by walking up to their Light and Power The Soul that is drawn to Christ is alive and yet dead Alive as a natural rational Soul dead as to God and Goodness And this answereth an obvious and ordinary Objection viz. What can a dead Soul do The Answer is easie it can do nothing so far as it is dead but though the natural man be spiritually dead yet considered as a man a rational creature he is alive and though he can do nothing that is spiritually good because he is dead in sin yet he may do something that is morally and rationally good because he is rationally alive and under the power and conduct of reason in a great measure He hath some Natural Light he hath a further revealed Light by and in the Gospel and though he hath not a power to live up to all the Light which the Gospel shews him yet he hath a power to sin against that Light to which he might walk up and of which â—he might make a better improvement It is very possible and too too ordinary for men when God draws one way to suffer their passions their vile affections and lusts to draw another and in doing it to triumph over their reason This is highly provocative of God There is a great question about the power and freedom of man's will by nature Sober Divines say the unregenerate man hath no power no freedom to what is truly and spiritually good If any power or freedom may be allowed to the unrenewed will certainly it is most proper to assert it at such a time when the Holy Spirit moveth most strongly by its impulses and convictions The unregenerate man at such a time more than another hath in his power to resist his lusts and motions to sin and give up himself to God if he will now resist this Light and not to his power use this help he thereby hindereth God's drawings Suppose a man in a Pir and weak and not able to get out some strength he hath while he lies still to hold back but none to raise himself upward to get out When a Cord is fastened about him if instead of yielding himself he holds back what he can this man now hinders the charitable drawing that others more strong would lend him Fourthly and lastly Pray to God that he would draw you out of the horrible Pit and miry Clay It is the Holy Spirit that draweth and Christ tells us that he giveth the Holy Spirit to those that ask him But I shall turn my discourse to the Children of God and shew them what is their duty upon the consideration of this truth That no Soul unless drawn by God either comes to or runneth after Christ I shall open it in several particulars First This Doctrine calleth to all who apprehend themselves to be come to Christ
is with the Soul its Spiritual distemper many times is not so much a weakness as a spiritual deadness dulness and inactivity so as it wants a promptness and readiness to its duty It cannot say with David My heart is ready O God my heart is ready I will pray and sing Praise Running argues the absence of this ill temper If the Lord draweth the Soul it will not only serve him but it will serve him with a ready mind and free Spirit praise and duty will wait for God in the Soul it will not only walk but run the ways of Gods Commandments David hath an expression to this purpose Psal 119. 60. I made hast and delayed not to keep thy Commandments Every Soul that loves God keepeth the Commandments of God it is the test of our love to God He that hath my commandments and keepeth them saith Christ John 14 21. he it is that loveth me But there is a great deal of difference in mens keeping and fulfilling the commandments of God The meanest weakest Christian doth in his measure keep the Lords commandments all the commandments of God Psal 119. 6. Then saith David shall I not be ashamed when I have a respect to all thy Commandments He that hath the least of saving Grace sets the law of the Lord in his Eye and makes the word of God a light to his feet and a Lanthorn to his paths and hath a reverence and regard to all the commandments of God and To will is present with him he would walk perfectly with God but in many things he doth offend through weakness and in many things through a dulness and heaviness which sometimes doth affect and afflict his Soul he doth not only want a strength to perform but he wants a life and quickness of Spirit in what he doth but now if the Lord draweth the Soul makes hast and delayeth not to keep the Commandments of God Jacob himself had forgot the vow which he had made unto God when he fled from the face of his Brother Esau God draweth him saith unto him Gen. 35. 1. Arise go up to Bethel make there an Altar to God c. then Jacob made hast and delayed not v. 2. When there is a suspension of this drawing Grace in its co-operating and concurring influences the Soul moves heavily like Pharaohs Chariots when the Wheels are taken off it hath a view of its duty and lieth under convictions as to it and it may be finds strength enough to the performance of it but wants a readiness of mind and is ready when it hath a monition to duty from such as wish well to it to say as he said to Paul Go thy way when I am at leisure I will send for thee Or tomorrow or at such or such a time I will do it as the young man in the Gospel whom Christ bid follow him said suffer me first to go and bury my dead So sometimes the Soul is ready to say suffer me first to go and do such or such a thing So the Soul is ready to delay and put off good motions but when the Lord draweth then it maketh hast and delayeth not to keep his Commandments It longeth for times of duty It is glad when they say unto it Come let us go up to the House of the Lord it sayeth when shall I come and appear before God There is a time when the Soul saith when will the Sabbath come the hour of Prayer come that I may appear before God and pour out my Soul before him This is now when God draweth hard when the Spirit of God cometh upon the Soul in a more than ordinary influence and there is a time when the Soul saith when will the Sabbath he gone the hour of duty be run out This is when the Lord doth not draw in such a manner The believing Soul like the flowers opens or shuts as the Sun of righteousness shineth more or less upon it Let me again allude to that Text Psal 65. 1. Praise watteth for God in Zion Praise is a rent due from our Souls to God we farm much mercy from the great Landlord of all good Praise is all the rent we pay Now look as it is in the world a bad tenant never hath his rent ready so it is with a bad Man he lives upon mercy and it may be hath liberal portions of mercy but God never hears of him to pay his acknowledgments A good Tenant if the times be good hath alwaies his rent ready for his Landlord so as his rent waiteth for his Landlord but if the times be bad even the best Tenants though they have an heart to pay their rent yet may not have it to pay their Landlords may wait for their rents so it is with the best Souls If the Sun of righteousness shines out clearly upon them and the Spirit of Grace draweth powerfully Praise waiteth for God in their Souls If not God may wait for his Praises Hence David so often prayeth Quicken me according to thy word Psal 119. 25. Quicken me in thy way v. 37. Quicken me in thy righteousness v. 40. I have now opened the term Run The Proposition opened lies thus before you That the Soul of a Christian once drawn not only by the motives and arguments of the Gospel improved by the gifts of Gods Minister but by the secret and powerful influence of the Spirit of God upon it doth no longer lie still as the Soul dead in sin nor move from a forreign power put forth upon it but from an inward principle within itself and that not weakly and impotently but with might and strength and that not dully and heavily but with life freedom speed and chearfulness after God in the way of its duty keeping the Commandments of God with its whole heart being first made willing it willeth being first set on work it worketh yet not of itself meerly nor principally I live saith the Apostle yet not I but Christ liveth in me and the life which I now live I live by the faith of the Son of God I can do all things saith the same Apostle to the Philippians through Christ that strengtheneth me and without me you can do nothing saith Christ to his Disciples Joh. 14. 3. The truth of this further appears from Gods Peoples promises of running upon Gods drawing in that excellent 119 Psal you shall find many passages of this tendency v. 32. I will run the ways of thy Commandments when thou shalt inlarge myheart 33 Teach me O Lord the way of thy Statutes and I shall keep it unto the end v. 34. Give me understanding and I shall keep thy Law yea I shall observe it with my whole heart v. 35. Make me to go in the paths of thy Commandments v. 36. Incline my heart to thy testimonies The inlarging of the heart his prayer for giving him understanding making him to go in the paths of Gods Commandments c. are but all several phrases
giveth an allowance both for their infirmimities and temptations upon which account he calleth to us to behold the patience of Job though Job had his fits of frowardness and impatience and often calleth his Spouse fair and undefiled though she hath many defilements But. 1. The Spouse upon these accounts is black in her own Eyes 2. In the Eyes of others 1. In her own Eyes she is black two things make her so 1. Her Humility 2. Her Love jealousy The Child of God is alwaies vile in his own Eyes and hath a very low and mean opinion of himself and therefore condemneth himself for every motion and prevailing of corruption I am a worm saith David and no man a reproach of men and despised of the peoplâ— Psal 22. 6. O wretched man that I am saith St. Paul who shall deliver me from this body of death Rom. 7. in another place he calleth himself the greatest of sinners and the least of Saints Woe is me saith the Prophet I am a man of unclean lips the sense of former sins makes them call themselves black I am saith Paul not meet to be called an Apostle because I persecuted the Church of Christ The sense of present corruptions also makes them so judge Iniquities saith David prevail against me Hence is the ordinary dialect of pious Souls There was never any had such unbelieving hearts such proud dead false hypocritical hearts as ours are Those who are most eminently comely in the Eyes of Christ are usually most black in their own Eyes 2. Their Love-jealousy is another cause Their love for God is so great that they suspect every frown of Providence as speaking God out of favour with them for their sins Hence it often proveth as great a matter of difficulty to persuade the Child of God that God hath any favour for him as it is to persuade a sinner that God hath any displeasure to him 2. Secondly which possibly is here chiefly intended She is black in the Eyes of others The World dealeth by the Disciples of Christ as it dealt with him nor is it reasonable to expect that the Disciple should be above his Master or the Servant above his Lord they saw Christ despised and rejected of men a man of sorrows and acquainted with griefs they hid their faces from him and esteemed him not The men of the world see the people of God men of sorrows and acquainted with griefs they despise them and esteem them not yea for the most part their business is to blacken them loading them with reproach and calumny and laying to their charge things which they know not and all this through an implacable enmity put betwixt the seed of the Woman and the seed of the Serpent or because they see themselves condemned by the more righteous conversation of such as fear God Nay it often so falls out that the People of God are black in the Eyes of their Brethren through mistakes as Eli mistook Hannah or through envy or prejudice c. But this is enough to have spoken concerning the Spouses blackness 2. Let me now come to shew you how and in what sense she is comely 1. She hath a comeliness besides her blackness 2. In some of her blackness there is a comeliness 1. The Spouse is not wholly black besides her blackness she hath a great beauty and comeliness Every believer hath something of unbelief in him but he is not an unbeliever he hath a truth of faith in him there is his comeliness Paul had a law in his members that was his blackness but he had also a law of his mind that was his comeliness All sin and lust is blackness all gracious habits are the Souls beauty and comeliness The unbeliever the natural man is wholly black the godly man is not so there is a mixture in his Soul he is come into Canaan tho some Canaanites yet dwell in the Land the faith and love and obedience of a good man his pantings and breathings after God his complacency delight and rejoycing in God these are all his comeliness The Church of God may have spots in her assemblies these are her blackness but she keepeth up her assemblâ—es and hath the Ordinances of God in them that is her comeliness she may have several hypocrites meer seeming professors these are her spots from these is her blackness but she hath many that love the Lord Jesus Christ in truth and sincerity these are her comeliness she may-suffer some erroneous principles to be published in her that is her blackness but she keepeth the foundation doctrines of faith and holiness pure and incorrupt that is her comeliness 2. In much of her blackness there is a beauty and a comeliness It is Bernards note whatsoever is black is not therefore uncomely The Eye is black yet comely Marble is black but yet it is comely Christ is black but yet he was comely Look upon him saith that devout man clothed with raggs blew with Stripes daubed with his Enemies Spittle pale with death you will say he was black but yet he was comely yea the Chiefest of ten thousand The Apostles saw him comely when upon the mountain they beheld his glory at his transfiguration Nay in his blackness there was comliness to see him under all this becoming obedient to his Fathers will even unto death the bitter death upon the Cross working out the redemption and Salvation of all those whom the Father had given him this was comely When the word was made flesh and dwelt amongst us saith St. John we beheld his glory as the glory of the only begotten Son of God full of grace and truth Look upon the Child of God as daubed and besmeared with the filth and obloquy which the men of the World cast upon him Scorched with Afflictions followed with dark and hellish temptations so indeed he looketh black in our carnal Eyes but in other respects he is comely even in this blackness 1. As by these afflictions Christ is magnified in his body and he is made conformable unto Christ and filling up what is lacking in the sufferings of Christ So he is comely All conformity to Christ is beauty Paul desired no more then that he might know him and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of his sufferings and be made comformable unto his death Philip. 3. 11. This is what our Saviour told his disciples John 15. to comfort them under the Worlds hatred which he knew would make them to appear black If the World hateth you it hated me first The suffering child of God lookes black but as Christ is by his sufferings magnified in his body as he is by his sufferings made more like to Christ so he is comely 2. Secondly As a believers afflictions perfect him for glory so even in his blackness there is a comeliness The Captain of our Salvation was made perfect as the Apostle tells us through suffering Heb. 2. 10. and so must the Souldiers
miserable blind and naked On the other side Paul complained that he was the least of the Apostles not worthy to be called an Apostle c. Yet so false are our hearts that there may be hypocrisy even in our confessions of our sin and blackness whether to God or to man we must therefore take heed both to our design and end in these confessions and also to the truth and manner of them The hypocrite never confesseth his blackness but in hopes that for his confession he shall be reputed white and the praise of men is all that he seeks after Hence 2. he doth it without any serious sense of the sin which he confesseth or heart contrition for it A confession of sins which is but a bare recitation and Enumeration of them is not that confession which God requireth or accepteth Secondly This calleth to us all for the practice of this duty I have shewed you that there is a threefold confession of our sin which is our duty 1. A confession unto God 2. Uâ—to the faithfull Ministers and Servants of God 3. Vnto the men of the World The first is our duty at all times and under all circumstances and we have nothing to regard as to that but knowing the matter of confession keeping a watch upon our hearts and ways that we may know our errors and the plague of our own hearts that we do it in such a manner as God hath directed and prescribed confession must not be the meer Sacrifice of the Calves of our lips but the Sacrifice of a broken and contrite heart But this is not that of the Text where the Spouse is not speaking to God but to the daughters of Hierusalem it is to them the Spouse faith I am black In what cases this confession to men is our duty I have largely shewed you as also what advantage may arise from it both with reference to Gods glory and the good of our own and others Souls I shall onely offer you some few directions for the more advantageous performance of it 1. There is a great deal of prudence to be used in the choice of that friend to whom thou doest thus unbosom thy self 1. Conceal not thy self from that able and faithful Minister of Christ whom thou hast intrusted with the charge of thy Soul I am very far from pleading for that auricular confession in the Ear of the Priest which the Papists make such a stir about Amongst other supernumerary Sacraments which they have added to those 2 which alone were instituted by Christ they have one which they call the Sacrament of Penance In order to which they require in Lent especially but at other times also a circumstantiated confession of all men and womens particular sins which being so confessed to the Priest who is therefore called their confessor he appointeth them a penance to be done for them and so absolveth them from the guilt of them as they pretend As we know of no Satisfaction to be given for sin but what is given by the death of Christ excepting only in cases of wrong done unto men capable of reparation Nor of any power in any to forgive sins but only in God only the Minister may declare what God hath done or will do in cafe of our true repentance and faith so we know of no incumbent duty upon any Christian to make a particular confession of sin to the Priest and only judge such particular confession necessary in some particular cases for the disburthening and easing of Christians consciences pressed under the guilt of some particular sins and in such a case an able and faithful Minister of Christ is doubtless the most proper Person to make confession to both because as by his office he is both an Interpreter of the mind and will of God and to pray for the People so he is or ought to be one of a thousand like Saul taller then his Brethren by the head and shoulders in knowledge gifts of greater knowledge judgment in the things of God and so more able to minister a word in season It is sad that it cannot be said of all they are so but it is to be presumed that the same wisdom which teacheth every man and woman to commit the business of his bodily health to the ablest most faithful Physitian he can chuse and the concern of his Estate to the most able faithful Lawyer he can will also direct a Christian to commit the far more weighty concerns of his Soul to the most able and faithfull Minister that he can nor ought any Christian to be more abridged in his liberty with reference to the latter of far more concernment then with referenceto the former of far more minute concernment to him But I say a good Christian having made choice of such a Person he is undoubtedly the fittest Person to confess our sins unto when they lye heavy upon our conscience and we cannot recover our Peace and that with respect to both the ends of such confession whether Prayers for us or Counsel and advice and that both with respect to the abilityes of such a person which cannot but be presumed greater in order to the revealing the mind and will of God to us and so giving us advice and counsel and with reference to his Office he being one whom God hath set over us and gifted with reference unto us But set aside the case of a disturbed conscience not able otherwise to gain peace or some particular cases upon which cases of conscience and perplexing questions may arise too hard for a private Christian to answer without some help I see no need of any particular Confession unto Ministers more then others 2. As to more private Christians I have also shewed you several cases wherein some particular Confessions of sin may be highly expedient if not necessary It must be the care of a good Christian so to manage this duty that he may attain the ends which he aimeth at in it without dashing upon such Rocks as every good and prudent Christian ought to avoid To that end 1. Christians ought to use so much wisdom as may protect their profession from reproach and scandal which may prejudice the repuâ—e either of themselves or others walking in the holy ways of God The honour of the Gospel and profession of it is a great thing and though we must not commit the least sin that any such good may come of iâ— yet whatsoever prudence we can use to prevent any thing of this nature is doubtless our duty This evil ariseth from the needless publication of the sinful failings of professors He that hath sinned openly ought to be rebuked openly and openly to confess his sin that the Church of God offended by his fall may be satisfied in the truth of his repentance and recovery out of the snare of the Devil but where the sin is of another nature and hath been committed secretly there is
against them Thus David complains Psal 35. 11. that in the day of his ealamity False witnesses did rise up against him and laid to his charge things that he knew not The men of the world whose malice and hatred prompteth them to injurious actions against innocent persons conceive themselves obliged to defend themselves against the common reason of the world which teacheth them to cry out against such acts of violence with raising lies and slanders concerning such as they so oppress and persecute he that is any thing acquainted with the Psalms of David or other parts of Holy Writ will find that what we see in the age we live in was but the old practice of wicked and profane Persons ashamed to own the true cause of their hatred and malice It was Matchiavels maxime Fortiter calumniare aliquid adhaerebit lay loud enough though never so false upon thy adversaries something will stick to them and indeed it is hardly imaginable but it should 2. A second reason of this judgment is because the most of men judge of blackness and comeliness by a meer sensual Eye The life of the Spouse is an hidden life her beauty is an hidden beauty The world doth not consider the afflictions of Gods People Spiritually as they are the tokens of Divine Love for whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth and scourgeth every Child whom he receiveth nor as they purge away the Souls dross and take away its Tin as they melt it and try it and give faith a perfect exercise and patience a perfect work nor are they able to discern the Souls exercises of faith and patience of humility and meekness and quiet submission to the will of God The afflicted Spouse may not only be exceeding beautiful in the Eyes of Christ but in the Eyes of the Saints and People of God in their affliction and tribulation and the generality of men yet see no beauty and comeliness in them because their beauty is spiritually discerned all that is external is blackuess and unloveliness they are only glorious within 3. The generality of men and women in the world judge of the love and hatred of God by what is before men in this life The beauty of the Spouse of Christ lieth in two things 1. In her acceptation with God 2. In her habits of grace and the exercise of them both these are hidden from the Eyes of the world they see not the internal frame of a believers Soul as I but now told you and as their habits of grace are hidden things the world knoweth us not faith John so their state of favour and acceptation with God is an hidden thing also they cannot understand how God should love him or her against whom he suffers men to prevail to such a degree so that the wicked devours the men that are more righteous then they they judge of Gods love and hatred to Souls by what in this life happens to them The Apostles phrases 2 Cor. 4. 8 9. are all riddles to them we are troubled saith he on every side but not distressed we are perplexed but not in despair persecuted but not forsaken cast down but not destroyed I have done with the Doctrinal part of my discourse Is this the lot of the Spouse of Christ to be Sun-burnt with afflictions and persecutions Is it their lot to be afflicted and will afflictions make them black and appear more black then possibly they are what then is our duty 1. In the first place it is certainly our duty to expect afflictions of this nature and to expect such usage under them as the people of God before us have constantly met with Our Saviour Christ having given to his hearers the law of his Discipleship Lu. 14. v. 27. And whosoever doth not bear his cross and come after me cannot be my Disciple addeth further v. 28. 29 30 31. For which of you intending to build a Tower sitteth not down first and counteth the cost whether he hath sufficient to finish it left happily after he hath laid the foundation and is not able to finish it all begin to mock him saying this man began to build and was not able to finish Or what King going to make war against another Ring sitteth not down first and consulteth whether he be able with ten thousand to meet him that cometh against him with twenty thousand Or else while the other is yet afar off he sendeth an Embassage and desireth conditions of peace Our Saviour Christ by those two similitudes teacheth us all the duty of a pre-consideration a thinking before hand what may afterwards happen to us in the profession of religion and the owning of him and the profession of the Gospel It is certainly a true saying Mala inopinata graviora the less prospect we have of evils the more inexpected they come upon us the more heavy they prove to us unthought of evils are alwaies most intolerable because we are least prepared for them Let every good Christian therefore live in view of those Afflictions which the Apostle calleth the Afflictions of the Gospel 2 Tim. 1. 8. Either because they constantly or most ordinarily follow the profession of it or because indeed it is unreasonable to think that any person should either adhere to the propositions of truth contained in it or live up to the rule of life which the Gospel prescribeth and be free from them If saith our Saviour John 15. 18. The world hateth you you know it hated me before it hated you and v. 20. Remember the word that I said unto you the Servant is not greater then the Lord if they have persecuted me they will also persecute you These things saith our Saviour John 16. 1. 2 3. I have spoken unto you that you should not be offended they shall put you out of the Synagogues yea the time cometh that whosoever killeth you will think that he doth God good service It is a most unreasonable thing for men to meet with more pleasing things and prosperity in the profession of Religion then the Author of that Religion or any of his Disciples ever met with or then he hath told us we should meet with in the profession of it who knew all things or that we should expect more tranquillity in the profession of Religion then the nature of that profession considered together with the ignorance and corruption of the world doth promise the professors of it It is true there is nothing in the nature and profession of the Christian Religion considered singly and apart by itself that is unlovely or disobliging to any it is a Religion full of good will toward men But considering this Religion together with the corruption of the world there is much in it which he that looketh but with a rational Eye will see that the world is never like to bear better then it hath hitherto done it tieth a man up to believe Propositions according to the revelations of the Word To live
of the Lord Jesus and not an harlot I might have further added That the Soul that is so says so of noâ—e else 〈◊〉 and none but be shall lodg betwixt my breasts She is an harlot that speaks it in any sense less then exclusive If thou canâ—t truly say of the Lord Jesus Christ be shall lodge betwixt my breasts Thou also sayest He shall and none else shall not the sweetest lust I have nor the loveliest piece that the World can afford me not any thing contrary unto him nor any thing besides him That Earthly Object comes too nigh a Christian that comes between its breasts The heart is reserved for the Beloved Deal faithfully I beseech you with your own Souls the World is full of pretenders but I fear me exceeding thin of such as can say and say it in truth and say it cordially That Christ is he and he alone whom they desire should lodge and stay betwixt their breasts But enough for this Use I hasten to conclude Let us in the next place see what this Doctrine will afford us for the promoving our comfort or our holiness by way of Consolation or Exhortation and first for Consolation The term or Verb in the Text speaketh certainty but futuriety and the phrase denotes 1. The Spouse's leave 2. Desire 3. Confidence He shall lodge And thus considered to say nothing of the too Critical note that some make upon the term night as fignifying here a time of affliction in which Christ is an especial comfort to the Soul I say to say nothing of that because the word in the Text doth not necessarily imply a night yet the phrase thus considered the Text and Doctrine offer a great deal of refreshings to those appearingly forgotten Souls who cannot obtain the sensible abidings of Christ with them and are therefore ready to pronounce sadly against their Souls that God is not with them nor they with him As Gideon said If the Lord be with us why are we thus forgetting that God sometimes hideth himself even from the House of Jacob. Let such a Soul observe That the Spouse here doth not say He doth lie alwaies betwixt my breasts though it be true that Christ doth truly and constantly dwell in the heart of his Saints yet 't is often indiscernably to it but she saith He shall lie which imports 1. I will give him leave I will not drive him from my Soul my breasts shall be free and open to him 2. The Spouse's defire it is Vox cupientis 3. It speaks confidence it is Vox fidei the language of Faith which when it speaks properly alwaies speaks in the future tense for hope which is seen is no hope unless when it calls the things which are not in present fruition as if they were because of its being an evidence of things not seen Look as the true Wife is not â—lwaâ—es known by having her beloved Husband in her Arms but first By her readiness so to receive him Secondly By her desire of it as her happiness So is the true Believer not alwaies known by his or her sensible Enjoyments of the Lord Jesus Christ but by the openness of her heart to receive him 2. By the longing of the Soul after him 3. By the confidence of the Soul in him But lastly Oh that the same frame of spirit might be found in you even in every one of you who profess to have tasted how good the Lord is which was here found in the Spouse towards the Lord Jesus Christ that you would all say He shall lodge all night betwixt our breasts I but now told you it imported three things 1. Leave 2. Desire 3. Confidence 1. Lift up your heads O you gates stand ope you everlasting doors that the King of Glory may come in Stand open O my Soul to the Lord Jesus Christ keep your hearts free to the entertainment of the Lord Jesus Christ 2. Make it the business of your desire and prayer 3. Be confident that he will make his abode with you These might be three distinct branches but I have not time to speak fully to each of them For the two first I have prevented my self as to the Arguments which I should use to urge them Consider what I spake to the third Question in the Explication how honourable a thing it is to you how sweet and pleasant how infinitely advantagious and profitable thereis only to be added a word of Direction Will the poor Soul say How should I procure the abidings of Christ with me I mean his abidings as to his gradual Influences For your direction I will only turn you to that one Text Joh. 14. 22. where you shall be resolved from our Saviour's own mouth If any man love me he will keep my words and we will come unto him and make our abode with him Christ is ready enough to stay where he finds love but it must be real love such as is joyned with keeping of his words Be expressive then of your love to Christ 1. By voiding from your heart whatever may be offensive to his Majesty 2. By heightening in your heart a great esteem of him 3. By doing whatsoever he commands you Do you abide with him in a way of duty and he shall abide with you in a way of mercy according to that of the Prophet in the Book of Chronicles to the King God is with you if you be with him but if you forsake him he will forsake you if you be incertain and unconstant with him he will be so with you as to the gradual Influences of his Love With the froward he will shew himself froward 2. I told you it is the Language of Faith He shall lie Faith is the sacred Instrument by which Christ is united to the Soul and it is that by which Communion with Christ is maintained and preserved According to a Christian's Faith it ordinarily is unto it as to Divine Dispensations Faith merits nothing of Christ but it applieth much Believe and the abidings of Christ shall be established upon your Souls but you must know that this Faith must not be a dead Faith but such as works by love Though Faith and Holiness must not be confounded yet unless as to Instrumental efficacy in Justification in the act of justifying they can never be separated But thus much shall serve for this Verse Sermon LVI Canticles 1. 14. My Beloved is unto me as a Cluster of Camphire in the Vineyards of Engedi IT is agreed on all hands that it is the Spouse which yet speaketh and the term 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which we met with from her in the former verse is enough to prove it and to let us know that she is yet speaking concerning her beloved It is also as well agreed that what she saith in this verse amounts to little more then what she had said in the 13. v. Only she expresseth the same thing under a new resemblance but it is
the pleasure she hath by the thoughts of him when he is present Qu. 2. What diligence doest thou use to preserve the sweet savour of Christ unto and upon thy Soul Christ considered in himself is not like a flower that may lose its scent and sweetness no he cannot lose that sweetness which is essential to him he would cease to be Christ if he could cease to be sweet to a lost and and undone Soul but although he retains his sweetness yet thou mayest lose thy savour of it He may not be sweet to thee There are two sorts of Souls who savour very little of Christs sweetness 1. The Soul that lies under guilt of sin the thoughts of Christ to that Soul are ordinarily very terrible 2. The Soul that is choaked with Worldly Incumbrances The freer the Soul can keep it self from distracting cares for the World or from the renewing guilt of sin the sweeter will the thoughts of Christ be unto it Now if Christ be as a Cluster of Copher to the Soul It will be very careful to preserve the sweet savour that it hath of him And by this thou shalt know if Christ be indeed to thee as a Bundle of Myrrh or a Cluster of Copher But thus much shall serve to have spoken to this verse Sermon LVII Cant. 1. 15. Behold thou art fair Behold thou at fair thou hast Doves Eyes THere is a great harmony of Interpreters in the version of the words of this Text out of the Heb. into their several Languages excepting only that what we according to our dialect translate My Love they translate sometimes My Neighbour or My Kinswoman or My Companion for which you also perceive our Margents give an allowance and that some translate a Dove some Doves Eyes and the Arabick differing from all thy Eyes are as a pair of Doves There is no other difference And this is so inconsiderable that I shall spend no time in indeavouring to reconcile it All Interpreters agree that it is the Bridegroom which now speaketh He who acteth that part I mean in this Song The Lord Jesus Christ The Person he speaketh to and of is the believing Soul which he calls 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 My beloved or My Campanion c. It is of the Foeminine form in the Hebrew which is that which leads Interpreters to conclude that it is the Spouses speech It is a word often used in this form in this Song and I think no where else so in all the Scripture In the sentence you have considerable 1. The matter of it in two Propositions Thou art fair thou hast Doves Eyes 2. The manner of expressing it 1. The words are doubled Thou art fair Thou art fair 2. Here is a double Ecce Prefixed Behold Behold There are in the Text 2. Propositions 1. The Spouse of Christ is fair 2. The Spouse of Christ hath Doves Eyes 1. Prop. The Spouse of the Lord Jesus Christ is fair The believing Soul is a beautiful Soul to the main of this Proposition I have very lately spoken when I spake to the compellation v. 8. where Christ had called her the fairest among Women I then discoursed the Nature of her beauty and shewed you 1. That it was not a corporeal but a Spiritual beauty 2. Not a visible but an invisible beauty 3. Not a Native but an adventitious beauty 4. Not an artificial but a created beauty 5. Not an adherent beauty only but an inherent beauty also 6. A desirable beauty 7. A durable beauty 8. Not a perfect beauty And having spoken so fully to it there where also the same word is used I intend not to repeat it here only I shall take notice of some circumstances by which the Proposition is advantaged in this Text. And They are four or five 1. He had told her before She was the fairest amongst Women Not satisfied with that he repeateth his Love to her again and telleth her she is fair she is fair 2. The Soul had been commending Christ that he was as a bundle of Myrrh as a Cluster of Camphire to her Christ upon her expressing affection to him replies Behold thou art fair c. 3. When he calls her Fair he adds My Love Thou art fair my Love 4. It is not barely exprest Thou art fair but here is an Ecce prefixed Behold thou art fair 5. Lastly He doth not speak it singly But he doubles his words Thou art fair Thou art fair and the term Behold is repeated too Behold thou art fair Behold Thou art fair Here is none of these five circumstances but will afford us a meditation which will be either informative or sweet or profitable to us Give me leave therefore to speak a word to each of them He had told the Spouse before she was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the fairest amongst Women But not Satisfied with that he tells her again Thou art fair my Love Thou art fair Christ doth not only speak peace but he repeats peace to the believers Soul God often appears to Abraham and Jacob to assure them that he was their God Once have I spoken and twice have I heard it saith the Psalmist that Power belongs unto God There is many a Soul that can say Once hath God spoken yea twice have I heard it that the Love of God belongs to me There is many a Christian that can say In such an Ordinance I heard God speaking peace at such a time I found this Spirit witnessing with my Spirit that I was his Child Christ in this consulteth 1. His Peoples infirmities 2. His own glory 1. Christ I say in this thing consulteth 1. His Peoples infirmities They are many which make them need this two chiefly 1. The Believers Soul is dull of hearing The Apostle chargeth the Hebrews Heb. 5. 11. That they were dull of hearing which made the repeating fundamental truths necessary for them There 's nothing in the World that a gracious heart would more gladly hear then this that it is fair in the Eyes of Jesus Christ and yet nothing that it is more dull to hear the reason is because it so eagerly desires it and prizeth it so highly that it cries out It is too good news to be true You shall observe in the World a double disposition in men some are disposed almost wholly to fear others to over much confidence Hence at such a time of changes in the state as this is one man be a thing never so true and to his mind yet he hardly believes he is naturally disposed to fear the worst Other men let things be never so improbable yet they will hope and talk as confidently as if the thing they would have were done It is much from their natural temper they are disposed to confidence c. Take now an unbelieving natural man and he is disposed to bless himself and hope well of his condition you have his copy Deut. 29. 19 20. He saith I shall have peace though I walk
brought in thus speaking How beautiful is the glory of thy Holiness while thou dwellest amongst us and freely hearest our prayers whiles thou abidest in our beloved Bed our Children are multiplied upon the Earth we increase and multiply like a Tree planted by the Rivers of water whose Leaf is beautiful and its Fruit much But I have all along observed too great a fondness in that Reverend Interpreter to apply all spoken in this Song to the Jewish Synagogue because once she was the only Beloved of God not attending this as a Prophecy concerning also such as should be received into Divine favour when God should have said to his Antient People Loammi you are not my People We have therefore by the Spouse here all along understood the Church of God in all times and more particularly believing Souls which are here brought in thus speaking to Christ Behold thou art fair my Beloved yea pleasant Also our Bed is green The words in our English Translation are punctually translated Nor is there any considerable difference amongst Interpreters rendring them in their several Versions We shall therefore fall immediately to consider the sense of the words as they lie before us which are a Reply unto what Christ had said v. 15. He had told the believing Soul that she was fair she was was fair she had Doves Eyes She now replys in the words of the Text Behold thou art fair my Beloved yea pleasant also our Bed is green Where you have 1. Her usual friendly Compellation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 My Beloved my Love my Nephew my Uncle my Kinsman I gave you an account of the significancy of that word before 2. A note of Attention or Admiration 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Behold I shewed you in my Discourses on the 16th verse the usage of that particle in Scripture 3. A double Assertion 1. Thou art fair to which she adds yea pleasant 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2. The second in those words Our Bed is green He had told the Spouse v. 16. that she was fair she now replies Behold thou art fair my Beloved Pulchritudo ejus dilectio ejus saith Bernard His love to his Spouse is his beauty Et ideo major quia praeveniens which is so much the greater because it prevents us And saith he she therefore loves more because she discerns her self prevented and overcome in Love It is as much as if she had said Doth my dearest Saviour say I am fair who am by Birth an Ethiopian black with original corruption and upon whom the Sun hath lookt Nay My Beloved thou art much more fair Let the World be invited to behold thy Beauty Behold thou art fair my Love Observe Prop. 1. The Beauty of our Saviour doth infinitely transcend the Beauty of his Saints Prop. 2. The sense of the value which Christ puts upon his Saints will and ought to engage them to put an high value upon him Give me leave to speak something to the first of these Propositions before I pass on to the other words of the Text. I begin with the first Prop. 1. Christ's Beauty doth infinitely transcend the Beauty of his Saints The Saints are Stars and there is not the least Star but hath its lustre and glory but yet there is a difference of Stars in glory and the glory of the Sun of Righteousness of the Star that came out of Jacob is far more eminent than the Beauty of other Stars which are set in inferiour Orbs. Pulchritudo est qualitas per quam aliquid pulchrum est Beauty is a quality from which any thing is made beautiful That is beautiful which is lovely Pulcher quasi 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or quod pollet charitate There is a corporeal Beauty and there is a mental Beauty the corporeal Beauty is nothing else besides a certain loveliness that ariseth from a due proportion of bodily parts and due temperament of humours and a comely bodily figure The mental Beauty is a loveliness which ariseth from a well tempered Soul adorned with good natural dispositions moral habits or spiritual infused habits of Graces When I speak of the Saints Beauty and of Christ's Beauty I understand it of a spiritual loveliness in them arising from that Grace which dwelled in Christ essentially as God and was poured out upon-him without measure as Mediator and is derived from him to all that truly believe in him Now I say this Beauty in Christ doth infinitely transcend that of the Saints I will shew it you in some few particulars which you may gather from what I said before concerning the Saints Beauty I shewed you that the Saints Beauty was not native and primitive but derivative not essential but accidental not perfect but imperfect I told you that it was indeed durable but yet the degrees of it might fade Let me now open to you the transcendent Excellencies of Christ's Beauty 1. And more generally It is a glorious incomprehensible and most incomparable Beauty When the Word was made flesh and came and dwelt amongst the Sons of men they beheld his glory as the glory of the only begotten of the Father full of Grace and Truth Joh. 1. 14. In all created Beauties there is not equality There are some faces more beautiful and some minds more beautiful and lovely than others which yet have their loveliness too Beauty is a quality which is capable of degrees There is a glory in Christ's Beauty which is not to be found in the Beauty of any Saint The Apostle tells us that the fulness of the Godhead dwelt in him bodily And the Evangelist that his glory was like the glory of the only begotten Son of God he was full of Grace and Truth Now if you ask me what this glory is what Tongue is able to express it Every one sees a glory in the Sun 's Light excelling the glory of the Stars but wherein the Excellency is more than in the fulness of the Light none is able to determine Here it is true which the Vulgar Latine makes the sense of Prov. 25. 27. Qui scrutatur Majestatem opprimetur à gloria While the Soul sets it self to fathom the transcendent Divine Excellencies that are in Christ it is overcome with glory as the Eye is with the Light of the Sun that looks too wistly upon it as the Boy that appeared to the Auncient who had promised his People to open to them the Doctrine of the Trinity unlading water out of the Sea into a little hole with a Spoon and told him that he should sooner have done that work than he would have opened the Doctrine of the Trinity So I may say in this case Christ is every way wonderful The Prophet concerning his Birth cries out Who shall declare his Generation I may here cry out Who shall declare his glory Thus much we can say that his Beauty is extensively and intensively more than that of the most eminent Saint in the World that it
the word of God ariseth from two things 1. The first is that sweet joy and peace which God Ordinarily brings into the Soul from them God will speak peace to his People saith the Psalmist and he creates the fruit of the lips peace peace saith the Prophet this joy is indeed of different degrees there is the rejoicing of hope for hope growing from a true Root bringeth forth some fruit of joy in the Soul though it indeed be not so fair and pleasant a fruit as that joy which is the fruit of assurance because the Union which hope gives the Soul with its beloved object is of the lowest fort But yet even this joy hath a great deal of sweetness but Oh! How great is that sweetness which is the riper fruit of assurance that peace which passeth all understanding A sweetness which oft times overcomes the Soul and is too great for it to bear Both which the Soul reaps from the word of God and from the Ordinances of God 2. But secondly this sweetness in the Word and Ordinances of God ariseth not from this alone but from other usefulness of them to the Soul That is not only sweet but that also which is profitable David saies that the Law of the Lord doth convert the Soul makes wise the simple enlightens the Eyes that they are useful to warn us and that in keeping them there is great reward By the word and the Ordinances of God the Soul hath wherewithal to answer the tempter in that it finds arguments to help it in repelling a secret motion to sin c. This makes the Word and Ordinances of God exceeding sweet to gracious Souls as they are those things by which the Soul is profited 3. But thirdly there is a further sweetness that the Word and Ordinances of God have to a gracious Soul as they are pure and holy Psal 119. v. 140. Thy word is very pure therefore doth thy servant love it The heart of man naturally doth not love purity but the Spiritual heart that is conformed to the image of God loves it It is turned into the likeness of the word and made to love whatsoever is holy and Spiritual and pure This makes the Rafters and beams of the Church to the true Christian to be like Cedar and Fir sweet smelling because of that purity and holiness which cleaveth to them 4. A fourth thing which the Proposition predicateth of the Word and Ordinances of God is their duration they are of an incorruptible Nature as Cedar and Fir or Pine Not subject to corruption and putrefaction as other sorts of wood are Isa 40. v. 8. The grass withereth and the flower fadeth but the Word of God shall stand for ever Our Saviour speaketh to this purpose Heaven and Earth shall pass away but one jot or tittle of the Law shall not pass away until all these be fulfilled I will open this a little 1. The Ordinances of the Gospel endure for ever Herein the excellency of the Gospel dispensation appeareth above the legal dispensation The Law brought nothing to perfection faith the Apostle to the Hâ—brews the Ordinances of worship under the Law were but shadows and types which ceased when Christ who was the substance of those shadows and the Antitype to those types once appeared in the World or at least when he dyed but the Ordinances which are as the beams and Rafters of the Gospel Church are durable and do not pass away The Jewish Priesthood ceased But the Gospel Ministry continues Christ hath promised to be with them to the End of the World God hath given Apastles Prophets Evangelists Pastors and Teachers for the perfecting of the Saints until we all come in the Unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God unto a perfect man unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ The passover was but for a time until the Messiah who was the true paschal Lamb should he slain for the sins of his People but the Ordinance of the Lords Supper which comes instead of this is an Ordinance by which we shew the death of Christ until his coming again 1 Cor. 11. 2. The word of God in particular indureth for ever I will open this in two things 1. The Propositions of the word indure for ever They are Propositions of Eternal truth whether they be Dogmatical Propositions which assert the truth of God concerning the Nature or will of God or concerning the state of man or any thing relating to his duty or whether they be such as are promisory they are of an immortal Nature the reason is because God is a God that changeth not he is not Yea and Nay but Yea and Amen a God that cannot lye to his People nor repent of what he hath said unto them The truth of the word abideth for ever 2. The vertue of the word abideth and is immortal The same vertue which the word of God ever had in it to convince convert to enlighten quicken support comfort the same is in it still and indeed the proof of this dependeth partly upon the former for the vertue of the word whether it be the word of precept or the word of promise doth much depend upon the truth of it Now the truth of it being perpetual the vertue of it must also be so supposing the same concurrence of that holy Spirit which must be to make the Word of any use or vertue at any time I have spoken enough to the Explication of the point I come now to the Application of it which I shall dispatch by drawing some speculative and practical Inferences from what you have heard Hence in the first place you may observe a great difference betwixt the Legal and the Gospel Ministry And consequently the excellency of the latter above the former The Apostle to the Hebrews insisteth much upon this and by this argument proves the excellency of the Gospel above the Law The Beams and Rafters of the Church under the law they were not of Cedar they lasted no longer then until the timeof reformation The Evangelist St. John saith The law was given by Moses but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ Two things commend the Gospel above the law Grace came by it truth came by it The law brought wrath the Doctrine of it tended to curse men and women and to conclude all under wrath but the Doctrine of the Gospel brought grace the news of the free pardon and remission of sins through the blood of Christ the acceptance of the Soul upon the account of his merits Truth also came by Christ Whether you take Truth for Substance and Realities opposed to types and shadows that came by Christ who was the End of the Law Or whether you take Trutâ— for Certainty and that which hath in it porpetuity and durâ—bleness that also came by Christ who put an end to the Ceâ—emonial law which consisted of temporary Ordinances for worship
reason to question it doubtless those that lie most in Christs Bosom here shall sit nearest him upon his Throne hereafter I shall shut up my discourse with four or five directions in this case First Labour to understand the various emanations of special and distinguishing Grace how many ways the Sun of Righteousness may shine upon Souls with healing in his Wings I am afraid many talk of Grace special distinguishing Grace who do not understand it as they ought to do Study to understand Christs saving looks upon Souls and to distinguish them from other looks which have no such saving vertue and evidence in them Christs saving looks upon Souls are either such as evidence pardon of Sin or contribute to the change of the heart in first or further degrees of holiness Or comforting us with the view of our own sincerity take a right notion of Christs kisses Be sure in thy desires of further Grace thou forgettest not to be thankful for what thou hast the least token of love for good to thy Soul is more worth than the world ther 's nothing little in Grace I before observed to you the passions of some Christians who are ready to overlook all that God hath done for their Souls if they want some particular dispensation of Grace which their hearts are set upon Make use of what thou hast To him that hath shall be given It is a saying which our Saviour applyeth to the parable of the sower Mat. 13. 12. Luk. 8. 18. and to the parable of the Talents Mat. 25. 29. In the two first places the meaning may be To him that hath in actual possession so it may be conceived as a promise of further grace to those who have any thing of the truth of grace but in the 25. Mat. 29. it is plainly to be understood of such as make use of and improve what they have for it is spoken with reference to those Servants that had ten Talents and had gained other ten and five talents and had gained other five In thy desires of more Grace distinguish betwixt necessary and comfortable influences betwixt manifestations of the Spirit given thee to profit withal and such as are given thee to make thy life more easy and cheerful the first thou mayest beg more absolutely and be as earnest for them as thou wilt The latter must be asked with more explicite submission to the will of God they being such as are not only not necessary to thy glorifying of God under all circumstances but not necessary to the eternal Salvation of thy Soul such for which the wisdom of God may see more reason under some circumstances to with-hold from thee and that in order to thy edification and improvement in holiness As to such influences though thou oughtest to desire them and to pray for them yet thou oughtest also to be content to wait for them David did so His Eyes failed while he said When wilt thou comfort me Wait upon God in all his own institutions The Ordinances of God are usually called means of Grace because they are usually made use of by God as means in and by which he communicateth his Grace in the several influences of it to our Souls These Ordinances are the Word Sacrament and Prayer The first Grace is usually dispensed to us upon reading or hearing the Word of God and so is further Grace also Therefore the Apostle Peter commands us to desire the sincere Milk of the Word that we may grow thereby I had saith David perished in my affliction if thy Word had not been my delight The Law of the Lord saith David is perfect converting the Soul the Testimony of the Lor d is sure making wise the simple the Statutes of the Lord are right rejoycing the heart the Commandment of the Lord is pure inlightning the Eyes Psal 19. 6. 7. Christs love is a thing different from the Word but it is shewen to the Soul in the use of the Word Infinite instances might be given you of Christs kissing Souls manifesting his special love to Souls is it which I mean by it in the reading and especially in the hearing of the Word there it is that is in the use of that that he usually speaks to the hearts of Men and Women hence the Apostle tells us that the holy Scriptures are able to make the Man of God wise to Salvation and are profitable for doctrine for reproof for correction for instructions in righteousness Yea and for patience and comfort too Rom. 15. 4. For whatsoever things were written before were written for our learning that we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope The Sacrament that is another mean the Sacramental believing eating of the Bread and Wine is an eating of the flesh and a drinking of the Blood of Christ a feeding upon all Christs fulness as Mediator Prayer is a mean of all Grace whatsoever God hath promised in a way of Grace is all promised upon this condition That he will for it be inquired of by his People Walk humbly and uprightly before God The humble he will teach saith the Psalmist Psal 25. and to the humble he will give more Grace Ja. 4. 6. 1 Pet. 5. 5. he dwelleth with those that are of a contrite and humble Spirit to revive the Spirits of the humble and the hearts of those that are contrite and for the upright he hath told us that he will with-hold from them no good thing But this is enough to have also spoken to this Proposition There is another term in the petition of the Text. which I shall take notice of she prayeth not only that her beloved would kiss her and that not with one but many kisses but she adds of his Mouth But of that hereafter Sermon V. Canticles 1. 2. Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth I Told you in the close of my last diseourse that I should not yet leave this Text because of the last words of his Mouth which we must either be allowed as a Pleonasme and superfluous or to contain in them yet some further spiritual Instruction The Jews say there is not the least tittle of the Law upon which great things do not depend nor do I fancy the allowing of more Pleonasms in holy writ than must necessarily be allowed I shall therefore take notice of what Origen and Beza and divers others have before me noted from the addition of these words That the believing Soul thirsts after a communion with Christ in his Word Mr. Ainsworth taking special notice of the term kisses understands the Doctrine of the Gospel which is the Word of Reconciliation as kisses are amoris reconciliationis symbola the tokens of love and reconciliation I am sure the notion is in itself true whether the sense of this Text or no. The Law worketh Wrath faith the Apostle the Doctrine of the Gospel alone speaks love and peace Christs Spouse here
say some interpreters desires his manifestation in the Flesh the publication of the Doctrine of the Gospel together with the comfortable application of those Doctrines to her conscience I am sure there is a truth in that Let me therefore a little make use of their notion Take this for the Proposition Prop. It is of the nature of a believing Soul to thirst after a communion with Christ in his Word his Gospel especially and the teachings of his Spirit in and by that I here join two of those propositions together which I distinguished upon the opening of the words She desires the kisses of his Mouth 2. That he should kiss her with the kisses of his Mouth This Proposition will offer me an opportunity to discourse to you the affection of the believing Soul to the words of Christ both in the more external and more spiritual and internal teachings and ministrations of it The words of the Gospel are the words of Christ the kisses of his mouth whether they be applied and set home to the particular conscience yea or no. The ministration of the Gospel is in itself exceeding glorious Therein saith the Apostle is the Righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith Rom. 1. 17. Therein in Gods way of Salvation revealed to lost sinners and by it life and immortality are brought to light Now this word of God is to be considered As written for our Instruction For saith the Apostle Rom. 15. 4. whatsoever things were written before were written for our learning that we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope As preached So it is the Ordinance of God for our faith and therefore called The word of Faith Sanctification Consolation and Eternal Salvation for indeed the supply of all the spiritual wants and necessities of our Souls Hence there are three ways by which our Souls have a communion with God in his Word Reading Hearing and Meditation Reading is one means by which we come to the knowledg of the will of God in his Word The King of Israel was commanded to read in the Book of Gods Law all the days of his life that he might learn to keep the Law of his God and there is a blessing pronounced to him that readeth Indeed he that readeth the word as it lyeth before us in our Bibles hath this advantage that he is sure what is there plain to his understanding is the undoubted pure Word of God and while a man readeth the Scriptures he is but repeating of Gods Word to his own soul or hearing God immediately speaking to him Hearing the word preached is another means of communion with God in his Word This is an Ordinance of God and such a one as he honoureth with being the great means of calling and saving such as he hath ordained to life So as in that ordinance a soul hath an opportunity to meet God to draw nigh unto him to hear him speak unto it We must take heed that we do not think that all which we hear out of pulpits is spoken by God God no further speaketh by the Minister than the Minister keepeth unto his Text speaketh according to the Scriptures either by way of interpretation or application And therefore every good Christian is to search the Scriptures whether what their Preachers deliver be consonant to them Those noble Bereans mentioned Acts. 17. did so when St. Paul was the Preacher and are commended for it The Scriptures are to be judged by no other rule but Sermons are to be measured by the holy Scriptures No man hath communion with God by hearing further than so far as that is consonant to the will of God which he heareth But admitting the Minister of Christ answereth his name and Office and faithfully revealeth and applieth the will of God while we hear we have communion with God God communicateth his holy will unto us and we communicate with him by an obedient Ear who hath comanded us to hear that our souls may live A third way is by Meditation This is an act of our inward man standing upon the things which we have read or heard as necessary to the souls spiritual nourishment as Digestion is to the nourishment of our bodies by what is their proper food a duty much practised by David Psal 119. 97 99. And a good man is described by it Psal 1. 3. He meditateth in the law of the Lord night and day By this the soul doth not only fasten the word of God upon it self but it also dives deeper into the depths of it I say this communion with God in his word is very desirable to the spouse of Christ I added his gospel especially The Word of God in the holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testament is made up of several parts There is in it sacred history no unuseful part of holy Writ it being that which more than any other acquainteth us with Gods way of of providence with his people of old You have in it many Moral Instructions and Precepts of Christianity and Godliness an admirable part of Scripture that which makes the holy Scriptures to be what no other book in the world is a light to our feet and lanthorn to our paths Shewing us what we are to do what to decline and avoid but yet these are not properly called Gospel doctrines You have in it many Prophesies or predictions of what God intended to do in the world most of which are fulfilled some we yet live in the expectations of You have also in it many terrible threats and curses and many woes denounced against the violaters of the law of God these are excellent portions of holy Writ to keep your souls in awe and make us afraid of sinning against God but these are not properly Gospel Doctrines but properly belong to the Law which declareth and worketh wrath You have also in those sacred books many declarations of the good will and love of God to poor lost Sinners declared in and through Jesus Christ You have an historical part of the Gospel declaring what Christ hath done and Suffered for us a declarative and promissory part proclaiming Salvation to poor lost creatures and promising life and Salvation and all grace to some poor undone sinners promises for the conferring and increase of grace These and such like I principally understand by Gospel Doctrines The Doctrine of Gods free grace in the pardoning of sin and the imputation of Christs Righteousness to the soul Doctrines that reveal Christ and tend to bring the soul to Christ or direct the soul in walking with him Now I say tho the believing soul values every line of holy Writ and hath a reverence for the whole Word of God and desires a communion with God in reading and hearing and meditating in every part of his revealed will yet it hath a special thirst after those portions of it which contain these Revelations Other parts are