vse hereof is three-fold Vse the first is concerning the Minister the second concerning the people and the third concerning the Minister and the people The Minister is here taught that he must neuer leaue off teaching he must preach in season and out of season and watch thereunto with all perseuerance 2 Tim. 4.2 My brethren therefore giue not ener but labour still time after time so long as you lius for your congregations will still stand in need of teaching The people are here schoolled that they must neuer giue ouer their schoolling like schollers they must to it day after day and weeke after weeke during the terme of their whole liues For doe they what they can yet they will be ignorant still yet they will be faultie still yet they will be faint-hearted still And therefore continuall preaching is as needfull for men as the aire that we breath in as the clothes that we walke in as the food that we receiue in as the houses that we dwell in and as the company that we liue in Lastly here both Minister and people are instructed to attend euermore to instruction The one must employ his studie diligently that he may be able to instruct other further and the other must frequent the Church carefully that they themselues may be instructed further The fruit whereof vnto them both with their duties the Apostle doth teach in 1 Tim. 4.16 when he saith Take heed vnto thy selfe and vnto learning continue therein for in doing this thou shalt bothsaue thy selfe and them that heare thee Now vnto him that is able to doe exceeding abundantly aboue all that we aske or thinke according to the power that worketh in vs be praise in the Church by Iesus Christ throughout all generations for euer Amen THE SECOND SERMON OF CHRISTIAN LOVE Canticles 2. verse 10. Arise my loue my faire one and come thy way OMitting the Paraphrasticall exposition of these words the sound whereof hath alreadie peirced your eares you haue nothing now to remember in summe welbeloued in the Lord but the words which Christ did vse vnto his Church at what time hee spake vnto her and did behold her thorow the window of his Gospell As to day in the fore-noone you hard her words of him so now by Gods grace you may heare his words to her In which I commend to your considerations two points The first are certaine Appellations the second certaine Exhortations The appellations are two the first is My loue the second is My faire one The Exhortations are also two the first is Arise the second is Come away The Appellations shew how well Christ is affected towards his Church The Exhortations declare as it were how well the Church ought to be affected towards Christ The appellations are as arguments to moue her And the Exhortations are as duties moued vnto her But let vs proceed-in order beginning first with the Appellations and then comming afterwards vnto the Exhortations The first appellation is this My loue Here you may call to minde what was obserued before vpon this word My welbeloued for both of them are equiualent and of one force But yet here is further to be added vnto that for the loue of Christ may be considered three wayes First it is generall towards all his creatures whereby he loues them all approuing the same to be good as they proceed from him and are his creatures or the workmanship of his hands Secondly as it is speciall towards mankinde in that he was content to become a Redeemer for mankinde after their fall and not for any other creature no not for the Angels that fell as well as man Lastly as it is proper to his Elect or chosen ones whereby he accepts of them to life euerlasting and hath a purpose to doe them good for euermore Now in this last sense is the word here to be taken Doct. wherefore from hence we may safely collect this Doctrine that Iesus Christ our Sauiour is such an one as doth loue his Church and people well they are deare vnto him they are his darling and his loue they are such on whom his heart is set So much doth Paul teach vs when he faith And walke in loue euen as Christ hath loued vs and hath giuen himselfe for vs Ephes 5.2 So much doth Iohn teach vs when hee saith And from Iesus Christ which is a faithfull witnesse and the first begotten of the dead and Prince of the Kings of the earth vnto him that loued vs and washed vs from our sins in his blood Reuel 1.5 So much doth Zachary teach vs when hee saith For he that toucheth you toucheth the apple of his eye Zach. 2.8 So much doth Zephanie teach vs when he saith Reioyce O daughter Sion be yee ioyfull O Israel be glad and reioyce with all thine heart O daughter Ierusalem The Lord thy God in the middest of thee is mightiâ— he will saue he will quiet himselfe in his loue he will reioyce ouer thee with ioy Zeph. 3.14.17 So much in one word doth Christ himselfe teach vs when he saith A new conmandement giue I vnto you that you loue one another as I haue loued you that ye also loue one another Iob. 13.34 Then as he loued Iohn his Disciple Ioh. 20.2 and as he loued Paul his Apostle Gal. 2.20 and as hee loued Lazarus his friend together with his two sisters Martha and Mary Iohn 11.5 so doth hee loue all those that doe belong vnto him The reasons to moue him herevnto are chiefely foure Reason The first is because shee is part of himselfe For no man euer yet hated his owne flesh but nourisheth and cherisheth it euen as the Lord doth the Church for we are members of his body of his flesh and of his bones Eph. 5.29 30. The second is because shee is like himselfe hauing the image of his owne Maiestie stamped in her As he is holy so shee is holy Cant. 4.7 For Simile simile gaudet like doth reioyce in like as it is in our prouerbe The third is because she doth loue him and hath some good care to worship and serue him For hee cannot but loue such againe and that according to his owne word and promise when he saith He that hath my commandements and keepeth them is he that loueth me and he that loueth me shall be loued of my father and I will loue him and will shew mine owne selfe vnto him Iohn 14.21 The fourth is because shee is redeemed by him and it did cost him much before hee could get her yea more then siluer and gold euen his owne hart blood as Peter doth well note in 1 Pet. 1.18.19 When hee saith Knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things as siluer and gold from your vaine conuersation receiued by the traditions of your fathers but with the pretious blood of Christ as of a lambe vndefiled and without spot For the more we giue for things the greater value and price doe we set
vnto vs out of the word of God that must wee take as proceeding from God and thinke that God euen then doth speake vnto vs himselfe from heauen as indeed he doth according to that in 2 Cor. 5.20 For this cause must we hearken with reuerence beleeue with stedfastnes and practise with obedience whatsoeuer the Lord our Gâ—d shall make knowne vnto vs. But now alas many doetake that which is spoken as the word of man and cast it behinde their backes as a matter not much to be respected but those that doe so doe despise God himselfe Lâ—k 10.16 As this may teach vs what to iudge of preaching of the Word so it may allure our soules to come vnto it For shall Christ like a Schoole-master come to teach vs and shall not we like good schollers draw neere to heare him If the Kings Maiestie should set vp a schoole and reade Lectures vnto men would not we flocke vnto him and presse vpon him with great companies But behold here is one greater then the King that doth come to teach vs it is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords euen the very wisedome of God it selfe And therefore let vs hasten vnto his house and attend at his gates to heare what he shall say vnto vs. In the last place wee haue here a caueat and a comfort for the Minister in that he is but the voice and mouth of Christ and the Word that he doth speake is not his owne A caueat that hee doe vtter nothing but what he is sure doth come from Christ A comfort in that he is so highly aduanced as that Christ is content to speake vnto men by him and in him Hee is no lesse honored hereby then an ambassadour is when hee is made the mouth of his King Yea much more honored then he But to leaue Christ teaching let vs come to the person whom he taught It was his Church My welbeloued spake and said vnto me Hee doth direct his words to her and not to others But why to her Was shee now at this time ignorant and so to be instructed Or was she in trouble and so to be comforted Or was she in a fault and so to be corrected or was shee negligent in her dutie and so to be quickned vp for which of these foure causes did he now speake vnto her for the last as the words following in the text it selfe doe shew where she is willed to Arise and to come away Here I might take an occasion in that Christ doth thus direct his words vnto her to shew vnto you that the word of God is a treasure bestowed onely vpon the Saints It is proper to Gods children onely and not common to the wicked For howsoeuer the sound thereof be gone through out the world and all people haue heard the same according to the letter yet the sauing fruit and benefit thereof hath redounded onely to them that are of the house-hold of Faith This I might easily confirme vnto you to be true in three respects The first is for the knowledge of it the second for the faith of it and the third for the practise of it For howsoeuer the wicked haue a certaine kinde of knowledge and a certaine kinde of faith and a certaine kinde of practise yet they haue neither the sanctifying knowledge of it nor the iustifying faith of it nor the vniuersall practise of it The God of heauen hath kept these three as proper and peculiar Iewels for his owne alone But this point I will passe ouer Doct. The onely thing that I will now vrge is this that the best that are are to be taught and schooled in the wayes of their good as the Church here was by our Sauiour Dauid was a man according to Gods owne heart yet Mathan must come vnto him to schoole him for his fault which hee committed with Vriahs vvife as it is in the beginning of the twelfth Chapter of the second booke of Samuell Asa was a reformed King ruling with his good and remaining faithfull with his Saints yet Azariah the sonne of Obed must come vnto him to stirre him vp to seeke the Lord as it is in the beginning also of the fifteenth Chapter of the second booke of the Chronicles Zerubbabel vvas a valiant Prince and couragious for the honour of his GOD yet Haygay the Prophet and Zachariah the sonne of Iddo must come vnto him to set him forward about the building of Gods house at Ierusalem as it is also in the beginning of the fift Chapter of Ezra In a vvord to pretermit many examples Timothie was a rare youth being more like an Angell descending from heauen then a man ascending from the earth hee did so spend himselfe like a candle for the good of Gods people yet Paul must vvrite vnto him two Epistles to admonish him of his dutie and to teach him how to behaue himselfe in the Church the house of God which is the ground and pillar of truth 1 Tim. 3.15 The reasons hereof are three First Reason because they are ignorant in many points and doe not know all those things that concerne the Lords vvorship and their owne peace Here we know in part and here wee Prophesie in part 1 Cor. 13.9 And howsoeuer Dakid was a deepe scholler knowing more then all his teachers Psal 119.99 yet hee was so blind in some things that hee was more like a beast therein then a man as hee doth confesse of himselfe in Psal 73.22 when he saith So foolish was I and ignorant I was a beast before thee Secondly because they are delinquents and doe not performe all that which they know but faile exceedingly therein In many things saith Iames Chapter 3.2 wee sinne all And although Saint Paul were a sanctified man farre aboue many others yet hee bewayleth his owne estate in this regard very much especially when hee saith in Rom. 7.9 I doe not the good thing which I would but the euill which I would not that doe I. Thirdly because they are faint-harted and are ready oftentimes to giue ouer their goodnesse chiefely in the time of presecution As for me saith Dauid Psal 7â— 2 My feete were almost gone my steps had wel-neere slipt And albeit Ehab was a rare man one of 1000. yet in the anguish of his soule hee desired that hee might die and said It is now enough O Lord take my soule for I am no better then my fathers 1 King 19.4 In all these respects they are to be taught and schooled that so they may not erre in iudgement but hold all things according to the truth that so they may not wander out of the path of righteousnesse but walke still in the same that so lastly they may not faint vnder any crosse or affliction but be constant therein to their dying dayes So that continuall teaching is necessarie for them in regard of determination in matters of faith of conuersation in matters of workes and of consolation in matters of triall The
his loue encrease our loue and knit our hearts the faster vnto him Hitherto hath reached the first Appellation the second doth now offer it selfe to our examination My faire one Here seemes to be a wonder that the Church is faire who said of her selfe that shee was blacke Cant. 1.4.5 But a greater wonder that Christ should say that she was faire for man may be deceiued but Christ cannot Surely man may praise one to be faire when it is nothing so but Christ cannot doe so Man wee know may erre in his iudgement for want of skill and knowledge taking that for faire which is foule being abused by his ignorance in discerning formes and complexions but Christ cannot because in him are hid all the treasures of knowledge and vnderstanding Colos 2.3 Man we know may pronounce a false sentence though he had a true and sound iudgement for want of sight in beholding the partie either his eyes may be dimme or else the members of the body may be couered and kept from his sight but Christ cannot because his eyes are as flames of fire to behold all things most clearely Reuel 1.14 and all things doe stand naked and open before him Hebr. 4.13 Man we know will lie and flatter speaking often contrary to his iudgement and sight to curry-fauour with men and women but Christ cannot because hee is truth it selfe Ioh. 14.16 He cannot speake dissemblingly to please any but as the very truth is so doth he alwayes speake Man wee know through a foolish and besotted loue may take one to befaire which is foule according to our prouerbe Quisquis amat ranam ranam putat esse Diam Who so doth loue the frogge in dike He thinkes the same Diana like So strongly doth affection leade a mans minde to a false iudgement but Christ cannot because he respects no mans person aboue another but doth teach the way of the Lord truely Matth. 22.16 Finally man we know will extoll and commend a little very highly and a small beautie in his sight will seeme to be very great but Christ cannot because he is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords Reuel 19.16 Then seeing that Christ who cannot erre in iudgement who doth see all things most plainely who will flatter no person but speake according to the truth who through loue cannot mistake but take euery thing as it is who lastly doth dwell in glory and Maiestie vnspeakeable doth here praise his Spouse and commend her fairenes we may well see by it that her beauty doth excell and that in pulchritude she is most admirable From hence then let vs gather this Doctrine Doct. that the Church of God is faire and beautifull in the eyes of Christ her husband Large commendations are giuen vnto it in this book often but I will onely touch a place or two the first shal be out of the first Chapter the other out of the fourth In the first chapter and fourteenth verse we find these words spoken by our Sauiour vnto his Spouse My loue behold thou art faire behold thou art faire thine eyes are like the doues And in the fourth chapter and seauenth verse he doth speake thus vnto her Thou art all faire my loue and there is no spot in thee Dauid also speaking of her in the 45. Psalme vers 13.14 doth break out into these words and say The Kings daughter is all glorious within her clothing is of broydred gold shee shall be brought vnto the King in raiment of needle-worke And whereas the Saints of God that stand on Mount Sion with Iesus Christ the Lambe and haue his Fathers name written in their foreheads are described out at large vnto vs in the fourteenth chapter of the Reuelations and the beginning thereof Amongst other things there ascribed vnto them this is one That in their mouthes there is found no guile and that they are without spot before the throne of God vers 5. In a word it is said in Reu. 19.8 that there is granted vnto the wife of Christ That she should be arrayed with pure fine linnen and shining and that this fine linnen is the righteousnesse of Saints Thus in few words it is apparent that the Church is faire and beautifull in the eyes of Christ Not Reason that she glittereth with outward and sensible beautie which as it is remoued from the roote of Iesse that had no forme in it to be desired Esay 53.2 so are his branches and members burnt and swootie as if they had lien among the pots Psal 68.13 but this her beauty is inward and according to that which is in the heauens aboue Psal 45.13 It standeth not in a faire white skinne or in a goodly complexion and well made body nor yet in gorgeous garments or rich externall ornaments whether the same doe respect the bodie of man or the outward worship of the Lord but it standeth in the glorious and glittering robes of Iesus Christ and his righteousnes which we call Iustification and in the precious and most shining ornaments of the holy Spirit and his graces which we terme Sanctification Doubtlesse our Sauiour doth not looke vpon the Church as shee is in her selfe by nature and as she is polluted by many sins and transgressions but he doth behold her as she is iustified in himselfe hauing all her iniquiâ—â—es done away through his death and passion and standing most iust and vpright in the sight of God his Father through the imputation of his righteousnesse and obedience and as she is sanctified already in part by the working of the Spirit through the Word and Sacraments and shall be hereafter in whole when she is receiued vp into the heauens and there really married vnto him in all ioy and felicitie for euermore For as a man who doth loue his Bride well doth not fixe his eyes vpon her blemishes and defaults but doth ouerlooke them and behold onely her comely parts her parentage her friends her beautie her wisdome her modestie her dowrie her rich ornaments and such things alone as may commend her and make her to be gratious in his eyes so deales here our Sauiour lesus Christ though his Spouse haue many imperfections and blemishes about her yet he doth set none of them in the sight of his countenance but casting his eyes as it were ouer and besides them he doth onely behold such things in her as are most comely and excellent He doth see how she is borne againe and made a new creature by the working of his holy Spirit Hee doth see how shee is clensed from all her sins by his blood and bitter passion He doth see how she is clothed with his righteousnes and with that perfect obedience which he yeelded vnto his Father in all the points of his law He doth see how she is re-created and made againe in some part according to his owne Image in vnderstanding and holines in faith hope loue feare humility patience know ledge and many other graces abounding in