think to race it and down with it even to the ground yet he that sits in the Heavens shall laugh Psal 2. the Lord shall have them in derision There may be some breaches made concerning the outward face and prosperity of the Church but her inward peace and glory can never be taken away And also seeing the house of God is for safety it having a roof or covering it is wisdom for every man to get into it that he may be safe from the Wind and stormy Tempests of the wrath of God Blessed is that man whose hope the Lord is that setteth his confidence upon the gracious protection of the Almighty he shall be guarded with Angels and kept as the apple of his eye the Lord will be a sufficient defence unto him in life and death CHAP. II. VERSE I. I am the rose of Sharon and the lilie of the Valleys THESE words are the voice of the bride as appears by the Prophet Esay Esa 35.1 the desert shall rejoyce and blossom as the Rose which words being spoken of the Church it sheweth the Church to be the Rose And she termeth her self to be the Rose of Sharon not only because Sharon of all places was most excellent for Roses but also because it was prophecied that Sharon should be a sheepfold Esa 65.10 that the Gospel should come to Sharon and that Christ should have his flock there And in that she says I am the Lillie it accordeth with the words of the Prophet I will be as the dew unto Israel Hos 14.5 he shall grow as the Lillie Now the Rose is the Queen of flowers surpassing all in beauty and smell and the Lillie is next in Nobility to the Rose surmounting all in respect of her clothing insomuch that Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like the Lillie And she termeth her self therefore to be the Rose and the Lilly in regard she is most excellently perfumed with the scent of her beloved and also clothed with his righteousness from the wrath of God She is also compared to the Lillie Mat. 6.28 in respect of the manner of her growth for the Lillies labour not neither do they spin but only stand still and receive the vertue of the ground from whence they grow So the bride she laboureth not she travaileth not in the works of the Law to the end she may attain true and eternal righteousness thereby but becometh a Lillie by sitting still by hearing and receiving the comfortable dew of the Gospel And in that she is said to be the Lilly of the valleys it sheweth from whence the Church springeth even from a low opinion of her self in that the Mountains of her own imaginations are become a valley So that as the choisest Lillies are found in the lowest valleys so the Lilly of Christ becomes decked with such excellent ornaments being first made low by sitting in the desert and solitary place Now it being said I am the Rose of Sharon and I am the Lilly it must lead us into a further consideration for it is as much as to say I am the fairest flower in Sharon I am the choicest Lilly there Others there are in Sharon that count themselves the Rose and reckon themselves the Lilly but they spring not out of the valley are not perfumed with the scent of the Rose nor cloathed with the ornaments of my beloved For it must be noted that Sharon is a sheepfold Esa 65.10 in which fold there are two sorts of people a two fold Ministry or Mother the free Mother which bringeth forth Children before God free in Spirit justified without the Law and the servant or bondwoman which bringeth forth no Children before God but gendereth all her Children unto bondage Against this Mother the bondwoman the bride appropriates these Titles to her self I am the Rose I am the Lilly and this I conceive to be the occasion of her speech Rev. 18. The bondwoman boasteth her self to be a Queen and no widdow because she liveth as she supposeth in the works of the Law Esa 54.4 and also reproacheth the free Mother because she forbiddeth justification by the Law now because she boasteth her self in the Law the bride here taketh away from her all right and interest in Christ her Bridegroom and although she challengeth to her self the Title as to be the only Rose and Lilly of Christ yet she blossometh not she bringeth by her Doctrine no Children unto glory therefore the bride says I notwithstanding the boasting of the bondwoman am the glory of Sharon I that am the free and fruitful Mother am the Lilly for I only blossom and bring forth Children unto glory And by thus saying she boasteth not in her self but gloryeth only in the righteousness of Christ her Redeemer Now the reason why she blossoms and comes to be so fruitful is because she is married unto Christ Esa 35 2. This is the reason given by the Prophet Esay when he says the wilderness shall rejoyce and the desert shall blossom as the Rose the glory of Lebanon shall be given unto it the excellency of Carmel and Sharon meaning Christ who is the excellency of Carmel and Sharon and the glory of all the Cedars in Lebanon shall be given in Marriage to the desart and solitary to she that is barren and fruitless in her own eyes Carmel was a fruitful place where Nabal had possessions and Sharon also was a fruitful field and in Lebanon were many goodly Cedars figuring the Godly people in all ages of the Church but take away the glory of Lebanon and the excellency of Carmel and Sharon that is to say the righteousness of Christ imputed and their glory departeth like a Bird and their fruit withereth and comes to nothing After the same manner must we with the Bride learn to hold fast our Title against the bondwoman and her Children who by their Doctrine bring forth all manner of Sects and every Sect do claim unto themselves the Title as to be the only Rose and Lilly of Christ and condemn all others as Antichristian that are not of their own way and yet they boast of nothing but of their own works Now when this comes to pass we must learn with the Bride to strip them of their glory by the word of God Because she boasteth her self in the Law therefore we must shew unto her her condemnation by the Law and because we are barren and fruitless in our own eyes and condemned by the Law therefore must we lay fast hold on the righteousness of Christ our Lord which is freely given unto us without the Law If thou walkest according to this rule then shalt thou become the fairest flower in Sharon perfum'd with the excellent scent of thy beloved and the Lilly of the Valleys cloathed and decked with his Ornaments and also the scent of the Rose shall cast forth an excellent savour in every place and the smell of thy garments
practice of the Law All men ought to be well learn'd in this point chiefly those that are Teachers of others that are to enlighten the world that they may so Preach the Gospel that the Churches feet may be washed and so teach the Law that no mans feet may be defil'd again If thou urgest a necessity of the Law thou Preachest not the Gospel but defilest thy mind and Conscience Forasmuch as the Gospel first of all destroyeth that opinion Or if thou totally lay aside the Law as useless to a believer thou also defilest thy feet because by that Doctrine thou drivest the sense and feeling of sin out of the world and also all sensible need of a Saviour Every man hath something yet to learn in this point the very best of all are too short in it How to perform this duty aright is a question made by the Church in all ages as in this place we see Therefore all must be learners And all consisteth in two points how to be righteous before God and how to be righteous before men Which that it may be learned and the way known how to attain it it is further added VERSE IV. My beloved put in his hand by the hole of the door and my bowels were moved for him MY beloved taught me how to distinguish betwixt faith and the Law in Teaching the point of justification and also how to join them together in Scripture and Doctrine This is a rare and wonderful mistery which none can teach but Christ alone In the Preaching of this point all men are at a loss until they are Divinely inspir'd by the Holy Ghost As for example St. Paul telleth us in one Text Rom. 3.28 that a man is justified by faith without the works of the Law And in another Text that the doers of the Law shall be justified before God Rom. 2.13 In both which Scriptures justification is attributed both to faith and also to the Law I question then Quest how faith and the Law shall be separated in this point seeing justification is attributed to both Some will answer Ans that by doing is meant sincerity which God accepts of all though there be some wants This is true after justification but this maketh no distinction between faith and the Law in the former point but joineth them both together in the Act of justification Therefore sincerity being a term pertaining to the Law and prefer'd so high as to justifie before God it must be perfect every way according to the Law which perfection no man ever had but Christ alone Others say that God gives a power with his Commands to enable those that are his to perform the Law so that he accepts of them in Christ which is no more then this That by Christs merits we have an infusion of grace whereby we deserve our justification which comes to no more then the former Now if no separation be made between faith and the Law in the matter of justification they cannot be joined together in Doctrine without repugnancy Forasmuch as no man can be justified by the Law wherein he is wanting in many things when it pronounceth the curse upon all those that continue not therein in all things Neither can any mans works be accounted good before men when they are drawn up into the judgment seat and not directed towards men Therefore I say as before that this Cardinal point is so high and secret a mystery that none of the Scribes nor disputers of the World can possibly reach unto by any art or humane skill So that unless the door be opened the mystery is hid and all men remain in darkness but the door being opened all things in the house are visible and manifest Therefore the Church saith here my beloved put in his hand by the hole of the door that is to open all those Scriptures that seem to clash against the Doctrine of faith and to hinder mans righteousness before God and also which being not understood do spoil him of his righteousness before men Now our beloved openeth when we begin to understand what true obedience to the Law is Namely to believe and confess that we do it not According to Saint Paul Rom. 3.10 Which is not to be understood of an outside confession but such as ariseth from the sight of sin and hope of mercy there is none that understandeth there is none righteous there is none that feareth God but altogether are become unprofitable and abominable This to believe and confess is the first point in true obedience to the Law Another is when we submit to the curse which the Law pronounceth against us and confess the sentence of it to be most just The last is wholly to renounce the Law and to seek after the righteousness of God Rom. 3.21 manifested without the Law according as is required in the first Commandment as is to be seen more largely in Song third and Verse ten And let us also note this that as soon as we feel and confess our death and condemnation by the Law then are we become dead to the Law and the Law is become dead unto us So that even as death dissolves the compound and makes a separation between the Soul and Body So doth this death also untie the compound and make a separation between the Conscience and the Law And the reason is because in renouncing the Law and flying to Christ for righteousness the bargain or Covenant that was made with man at first touching righteousness by the Law is dissolved or untied This obedience it seemeth good to me to call the Passive obedience which is clean contrary to the Active for in this obedience thou workest nothing but sufferest thy self to be driven from the carnal bed to Christ by faith In this sense the doers of the Law are justified before God Rom. 2.13 And in the sense they that do his Commandments have right to the tree of life And in this sense Rev. 22. understand all the promises of God that are made to mans obedience This Doctrine separateth faith and the Law in the matter of justification and yet joineth them together in Scripture and Doctrine For it sheweth that doing the Law to be justified is to be understood of faithful and spiritual doing and not of the active or moral doing And also as it setteth before us nothing but Gods free grace in justifying of us So it breedeth in us that love to God and man which is required in the first and second Table which setteth us on to active obedience For as a false opinion of the Law within us spoileth us of our righteousness before God and men So also doth the destroying of that opinion within us by the Gospel work in us a true and right obedience towards God and men The sum of all is this that to believe and confess our own unrighteousness is the first point in Evangelical obedience With this confession the
mighty hand and grace alone and letteth us see that he casteth us down into reproach and contempt for no other end and purpose but to exalt us again by ways unknown and to magnify his grace and mercy in us who can chuse in this condition but be sick of love And to have his heart enlarged with praise and thankfulness to his holy name Now she chargeth the Daughters if they find her beloved to tell him of her sickness If they find the true Christ in the Ministry and also in the way of his providence as she hath done that they also become thankful to him and praise his name which is her own condition Now although the charge here be if they find him yet this doth not make it a matter of indifference whether they find him or not but implies that they ought to seek him so as to find him The Daughters were no doubt Ministers that bare a great sway in the visible Church for they dispute much with the bride and they are often charged by the Bridegroom not to disturbe her yet they were such as had not the knowledg of the true Christ as appears also by the next Verse Now in that they are charged so to seek as to find the true Christ it sheweth That there ought to be a principal care in the Ministers of the Gospel to see that the true Christ be Preached For otherwise all men must of necessity be everlastingly lost And how shall God be glorified in his mercy or men receive any comfort by Christ merits if Christ be never known Besides if this point be not continually beat upon no man can possibly ever understand it being so contrary to mans natural opinion of God Which sheweth us one reason why there is so little knowledg of the true Christ in the World it is because there is so little care taken in this that the true Christ be Preached Therefore many seek after Christ but few find him because they seek him not aright With these it comes to pass even as Christ said to the Jews Joh. 8.21 ye shall seek me and not find me and shall die in your sins And why Because they sought him not by faith but in the works of the Law Rev. 9.32 They that seek him in the Law can never find him because the true Christ is not revealed in the Law Neither can any man define by the Law what true faith in Christ is The Daughters of Jerusalem cry out all upon this thou must do the Law which all men will grant ought to be done but to what end and purpose works are Commanded or which way the Law doth further us to faith in Christ this they can say nothing to This I conceive to be the scope of this place which I only touch they that have a mind may inlarge it as they please Now the Daughters question in the next Verse what the beloved is which makes it apparent they had not the knowledg of the true Christ VERSE IX What is thy beloved more then another beloved O thou fairest among women what is thy beloved more then another beloved that thou dost so charge us IT is as much as to say what is the righteousness of faith more then the righteousness of the Law or wherein lieth the difference Such is the abominable ignorance of all men till God open the eyes of the mind they see no difference between Christ and Moses And in this point the Language of the whole earth is confounded as it was at the building of Babel Thou makest a great doe say the Daughters about thy beloved and when all comes to all thy beloved is no more then another beloved For thou art justified by faith we grant but thy faith must be a working faith otherwise thy faith is dead and not a living faith Wherein then lies the difference or what is thy beloved more then another beloved So that in a word the Daughters attribute justification to faith but when they go to define what justifying faith is they can define it no otherwise but to be a working faith From whence it must follow that he hath will find the beloved must find him first in his own righteousness or works which must be the form or essence of his faith Also it is to be noted here that when they call the Church the fairest among women they give unto her the same Title that Christ doth but they deny that she hath that righteousness which is essential to that Title which is faith alone For as was said before they understand no other faith but a working faith Therefore how to define that faith which is alone and to distinguish it from a working faith they know not And how can the Bride be the fairest amonst women when she wanteth that faith which uniteth her to Christ without whose righteousness she cannot be fair For say they what is thy beloved more then another beloved What doth thy faith avail thee if it hath not works Can faith save thee Is it not of far less worth then that which bringeth forth works So that although in words they call the Church the fairest yet in heart and opinion they own and acknowledg no other righteousness whereby she is purified from her sin but the righteousness of the Law and her own works Such confusion the want of understanding in this point breedeth where faith as it is alone and justifieth is not distinguished from faith joined to works which Sanctifieth And this most horrible confusion is in the Church amongst many great Doctors at this day where this point is not rightly understood For we are justified by faith say they without the works of the Law but as soon as they come to treat of the Law they will affirm most strongly that without the works of the Law a man can have no evidence at all of his faith As if a man were justified by faith in the sight of God but by works in his Conscience These with the Daughters call the bride the fairest amongst women by faith but when they come to define what that faith is they mean no other thing then what is bred and nourished in the bride by her own works So that in a word she is the fairest but by their Doctrine she is the filthiest of all Creatures despised and condemned of God These run into a most deadly evil through a false definition of faith for many times the evidence of works is lost how then shall I be assured of my faith And so of Christ and also of Everlasting life Or else must I despair and die in unbelief Such confusion destroyeth the very nature of faith for faith hath an evidence in it self and the nature of it is to assure Heb. 11.1 from the light and testimony it receiveth from the word of God it speaketh perswasion as well as it worketh sanctification to believe is not only an act but sense of faith So that he
by the Law which is life if we keep it but death if we break it This speech of the Daughters is the true picture of what manner of Preachers there shall be in some places of the Church in all ages even such that shall speak of the righteousness of Christ and much extol the same but nothing in comparison of the righteousness of the Law That although they lay down the righteousness of Christ to a Conscience in distress upon no other ground but that it believeth yet they shall with the Daughters understand faith after no other manner nor teach the principles of it any otherwise but by requiring the works of the Law accounting the chief beloved to be wanting until that righteousness be had For say they the business that Christ came into the world for was to Redeem us from our Sins and this Redemption is ours by faith but when they come to define what this faith is they can teach no other definition of it but a mans actual conformity to the Law of God And therefore by their Doctrine and manner of teaching they require nothing but only a strict conformity to Gods Law that so an evidence may be had of faith in Christ This is with the Daughters to call the Bride the fairest amongst women by reason of her faith and yet to hide the righteousness of Christ from the Conscience whereby she is made fair Besides if a man must have the righteousness of Christ and of the Law both before he can be justified before God and have any assurance of it in his Conscience why do they not then prescribe a measure how far a man must go in matter of works before he can be assured that his faith is true that so a man may know when his labour is at an end That manner of Doctrine reproveth not unbelief but establisheth in man an opinion of his works and plainly sheweth that our inherent righteousness contrary to St. Rom. 3.5 Paul and not our confessed unrighteousness doth commend the righteousness of God These are they whose Doctrine ends in contradictions who confess the Bride in word to be the fairest amongst women by faith alone but in deed and in truth that even then she is too seeking of her beloved For whether say they is thy beloved gone that we may seek him with thee To which it is answered by the Bride in the next verse as followeth VERSE II. My beloved is gone down into his Garden to the beds of spices to feed in the Gardens and to gather Lillies IN which words she sheweth where her beloved is to be found namely in his garden among the spiritual people that hear and follow his voice So that although he be gone yet he is not gone from her self but from the Daughters whose Doctrine doth wholly abrogate the Gospel and crucifie the son of God darken and deface all the benefits of his victory and Kingdom Therefore doth Christ depart and rest himself where his word is entertained and kept According as St. Paul said to the Jews seeing ye judg your selves unworthy of Eternal life Lo we turn to the Gentiles And when she saith to the beds of spices she meaneth to all those in all places of the world whose minds and Consciences are persumed with the sweet smell of his Heavenly Doctrine there Christ feedeth helpeth comforteth and refresheth them in all times of misery and distress And by gathering Lillies she meaneth that by that Doctrine which is despised of men doth Christ gather all his Lillies unto himself Which sheweth us what the the true Office of the Ministry is namely to feed those that are already planted in the Church of God and to gather to the faith of Christ those that are ignorant of the same And so to besprinkle the Heavedly spice into the minds and Consciences of the hearers that every one in the Garden may smell even as a bed of Spices VERSE III. I am my beloved's and my beloved is mine he feedeth among the Lillies BY these words the Bride overcometh the Doctrine of the Daughters totally who endeavour by their principles to strip her of the Title of Bride because she wanteth the righteousness of the Law to perfect her faith To which she answereth If my beloved hath owned me then am I his Bride but my beloved hath owned me therefore am I his Bride Again If I am my beloveds then is my beloved also mine by an inseparable union which can never be broken By this argument she dasheth in pieces at one blow the whole Kingdom of Satan For grant their arguments might be cunning yet can they never overcome so long as this faith of application remaineth And when it is said he feedeth among the Lillies she meaneth with this faith of application which is rich feeding by which he feedeth all that are his against the fear of death and all evil unto Eternal life With this argument also must we learn to overcome when the Conscience is in fear and distress by reason of any adversary Joh. 15.16 Then must we lay down this for a certain proposition that we are the elect and chosen of God Now if I am chosen of God then am I my beloved's and if I am my beloved's then is my beloved also mine This argument Satan can never endure therefore he will muster up his forces against it because hereby we build our foundation upon Christ alone upon Gods laying claim unto us first and not by way of reflection This foundation will never fail us because we ground our faith from a principle that is true Our way is not the true way to life because we believe 't is the true for then Hereticks and Seducers were in the right but we do and ought to believe a thing because 't is true This is to give honour and glory to the truth of God which is the highest and greatest service that can be given unto him Therefore when thou art in misery and knowest not what to do be thy calamity what it will begin thy faith where God begins to thee But thou wilt say how is that I answer fear not Israel thou art mine Esa 43.1 Psal 50.7 hear O Israel I am thine Mark those two places of Scripture and make thy application accordingly From whence also note that he calleth thee by a new name Israel a prevailer with God on purpose that thou mightest learn thereby to believe in him and love him When thou hast learned thus to ground thy faith and to make application of Gospel then shalt thou easily understand and find by thine own experience the meaning of that Text I will bring the blind by a way that they knew not and lead them in paths that they have not known Forasmuch as the common way that is known is that first we must please God before he will own and accept of us but the way which is not known and that God reveals is that he loveth and owneth us
Law Gal. 4.5 Rom. 8.3 Heb. 2.14 Hos 13.14 Joh. 3.16 Satan sin and death which victory is given to thee as soon as thou believest And it is further added here the Crown wherewith his Mother Crowned him by which is meant the Church And by Crowning him the right preaching of the Gospel and also receiving of the same Gal. 4.26 For even as Batsheba the Mother of Solomon became instrumental for the setting of King Solomon on his Regal Throne 1 Kings So doth the Church which is the Mother of us all become instrumental in the Crowning of Christ by the Preaching of the Gospel Now Christ is Crowned by his Mother when she so interpreteth the Law that she taketh away all glory from man and attributeth the praise of her Salvation to Christ alone In the Crowning of Christ she afflicteth her Children with the feeling of sin by the Law and comforteth them again with the Crown and victory of the Lord Jesus Christ without the Law The Mother of Harlots Rev. 18. Crowneth Christ in words calling him her Lord King and Law-giver but by her practice she denyeth him For she so interpreteth all those Scriptures that are branches of the Law that she draweth the Law into the Doctrine of justification Thus she taketh off the Crown from Christs head Heb. 2. who is Crowned with Glory and Honour and putteth upon his head a Crown of Thornes There is a two fold Crowning of Christ in Scripture by his Father and by his Mother The first was at his Resurrection 2 Acts 36. when he was declared to be Lord and Christ that was by his Father the second when the benefits of his death and Resurrection are infused into the Consciences of men by the Preaching of the Gospel this is done by his Mother Therefore we are not only to behold him Crowned by the Father although that we must do first but also to learn the true way of Crowning him as the Mother that he alone may reign in the heart and Conscience This is the day of the gladness of Christs heart it being the day of his espousals when he marrieth us unto himself in an everlasting Covenant and rejoyceth in us and over us as the Bridegroom rejoyceth over the Bride Now when we have learn'd by faith to be separated from the Law and to go forth and behold King Solomon with his Crown then must we come into the practice of the Law which is to go forth and behold him in his afflicted members to help those that are in misery Tit. 3.8 to comfort all that are in distress Thus all that have believed in God must be careful to maintain good works which are good and profitable unto men So that although the Gospel divorceth us from the Law in the matter of justification yet it joyneth us to the matter of Sanctification and causeth us to do that freely for others according to our power which our Lord Jesus Christ out of his abundant kindness hath freely done for us For who can choose but shew kindness joyfully to his brother that hath apprehended by faith the love of Christ towards himself All works before the Gospel is received are naught because they are not directed towards men but drawn into the judgment seat to make us righteous but faith separateth works from the judgment seat and directeth them towards our neighbour and so it makes our works good works This wisdom the world understandeth not therefore it is Condemned for despising the Gospel which it will not be subject to Let us learn therefore to lay aside our works when we come before God that we may be justified by faith and live in the practice of all good works before men that we may want no qualification which the Gospel requires CHAP. IV. VERSE I. Behold thou art fair my love behold thou art fair thou hast doves eyes within thy locks thy hair is as a flock of goats that appear from Mount Gilead CHRIST having in the former verse directed the Church how to receive his righteousness by faith alone here he commendeth her for her fairness and calleth her to behold it and doubles it again that she may believe it In which commendation he setteth her forth by the parts and features of the body by which are meant the Spiritual beauty of the Church First he commendeth her eyes which are the instruments of sight whereby she beholdeth her beloved and compareth them to the eyes of doves in regard she continually respecteth her mate as the dove Which sheweth that when she is disowned and forsaken of the Law yet then she looketh up by faith unto her Redeemer In regard therefore that she spieth out by faith the comforts of her beloved in a sad condition she is pronounced to be fair and called to behold it And after the same manner it is also with us as soon as we humble our selves for our wretchedness and do behold his righteousness to be given unto us it is pronounced in Heaven thou art fair my love thou art fair Therefore this being the decree that is pronounc'd in Heaven we must learn by faith to behold and receive it into the Conscience The next thing commended is her hair which seemeth to mean the whole company of believers as may be gathered from the similitude of the Prophets hair Ezek. 5.1 12. which signified the dividing of the people of Israel and also in regard of the Original from whence the hair proceedeth which is the head having its nourishment from the moisture and strength of the head And also it being likened to a flock it doubtless meaneth the flock of Christ These hairs are likened to the Goats that appear from Mount Gilead which was a Mountain beyond Jordan Num. 32 39. where the tribe of Manasseh dwelt Which Mountain being excellent for feeding those that dwelt there had many Goats and also there were Trees of price and estimation for the Goats to breuse on and to rub themselves against therefore the Goats were of good liking and also smooth Now the hairs being likened to a flock of these Goats it sheweth that they have rich seeding in green pastures because they all hang upon their head the Lord Jesus Christ VERSE II. Thy teeth are like a flock of sheep that are even shorn which came up from the washing whereof every one bear twins and none is barren among them THe teeth are the instruments of the stomach whereby the meat is fitted for disgesture by which are signified the Ministers of the word and breakers of the bread of life whose office is so to chew the Spiritual meat that it may be digested and become nourishment to the Soul These are said to be like a flock of sheep Esa 40.9 because they receive their nourishment from Christ of whom it is said he shall feed his flock like a shepherd And to go up from the washing being made white in the blood of the
which is the only thing and foundation whereupon all our happiness doth depend Let all men therefore learn to humble themselves for their wants in this thing and earnestly beg of God that his word may be purely taught Where this knowledg is not little fruit appears in the Valley the Vine flourisheth not there but the miserable Conscience is shut up in Prison and darkness but where this spiritual skill is learn'd there and there only the Pomegranates do bud and a wonderful and suddain change is made according as it here followeth VERSE XII Or ever I was aware my Soul made me like the Chariots of Amminadib AMminadib as some think was the chiefest Chariot driver either in Solomons or in Pharaohs Chariot and which had the most Famous Horses which upon a suddain would be at the place desired This was the Churches condition as soon as she came into the Nut Garden she understood upon a suddain the right way to her beloved as soon as ever the nut was crack'd she began to tast of the kernel and or ever she was aware she became like the Chariots of Amminadib She met with that upon a suddain which she had long desired for And thus it is with us when ever we come into the garden of the Lord where nuts are plenty where the vine flourisheth aright or ever we are aware the Pomegranates begin to bud the fruits of the valley begin to appear within us and we are setled in peace and joy And in that she says my Soul made me It meaneth the understanding which being illuminated and sanctified filleth the will and affections with joy and Heavenly delight VERSE XIII Return return O Shulamite that we may look upon thee return return THese words are also the voice of the Church and by the Shulamite she meaneth a party in the Church which do dissent from her principles in matters of faith and life which she notwithstanding calleth the Shulamite being a general Title belonging to all in the visible Church from Shulamith which is peaceable so call'd being under a Covenant of peace and being the Daughter of Jerusalem Heb. 7. or Shalem which signifies peace and his Tabernacle is also said to be in Shalem To this Shulamite or contrary party in the Church she saith return return which words being so often doubled do shew that she is not only confident of her own Doctrine and way but also that she earnestly desireth the welfare of the Shulamite and a more near and Spiritual communion with her for she says return that we may look upon thee that is with delight and comfort for what inward and comfortable fellowship can there be so long as there remains a contrariety in points of Faith Therefore it is the longing desire of the Bride that they might dwell together in unity But mark we what followes What will ye see in the Shulamite as it were the Company of two Armies These words I conceive to be the voice of Christ and it is as much as to say that which thou wouldest see in the Shulamite thou canst not for in the Shulamite there are two Companies of Prophets are Preachers of the word and they band themselves one against the other like two Armies And the difference between them is the case being rightly stated about this one Question Which is the proving principle in the Scriptures Whether the Law must be expounded by the Gospel or the Gospel expounded so as it may accord with the Law The answering of this Question The extent of the principles of all Heriticks Sects and Seducers being rightly examined they will be found to clash against the Gospel in the Doctrine of justification endeth all controversies in the Church Forasmuch as all differences about Religion do Center in this point Hence it is that what is affirmed by the one overthrows the Law in the matter of justification and what is affirmed by the other overthrows the Gospel in the same point For when the Bride defineth faith to be a believing in Christ without works only because of God the promiser totally excluding the Law the Shulamite and all others that are enemies to the Gospel do define faith to be a believing in Christ by reason of works totally excluding the Gospel Now to decide this controversy it must be noted that the first principles as is shewed elsewhere in this Song are proving and therefore all other Scriptures must be expounded by them Song 3.10 And that as the first principle in Divinity is the Scriptures Hos 13.4 so the first principle in the Scriptures is the Gospel or the first Commandment which drives us to the Gospel which comes all to one for the first word of all is hear O Israel I am the Lord thy God Mark 12.29 which words are the Gospel Wherein God bindeth himself to us without any thing of ours then follows the first Commandment This point rightly understood draweth us into the practise of all good works because it unbindeth us from the rigour of the Law and filleth the mind and Conscience with the love of God which is the ground of all obedience which prohibites our dependance upon any other righteousness but the righteousness of God set before us in the Gospel And also forbids all such definitions of faith and all such interpretations of the Law which strengthen in man an opinion of the Law and works Now the Gospel being the first word and proving principle therefore such a sense must be found of all those Scriptures that promise justification to mans Active doing of the Law as may be suitable to the Gospel and mortify mans opinion of the Law and works But thou wilt say how shall I do that I answer doing in Divinity hath by reason of the Gospel a new signification which is to justify God and is not to be understood when justification is promised to it of a moral doing but of such a spiritual passive doing which is incomprehensible to mans reason whereby thou submittest to the wrath of the Law and flyest from it by faith to Christ who createth in thee a new opinion of the Law which is to walk in the works thereof without dependance upon them which obedience Paul teacheth thee to call a serving in newness of Spirit And thus mayest thou easily give an answer to all opposers of the Gospel Moreover this must also comfort us when we are in great tribulations when we are in doubt of his care and providence in respect of outward things or any way perplexed with the fear of Gods wrath For then will the Law begin to work in us after this manner these things thou hast done and thou canst not deny it and therefore thy judgment is just and nothing shall appear before thine eyes which way thy fears shall be prevented now in this condition if thou expoundest the Gospel according to the Law then shall thy faith be overwhelmed and only the Law shall reign