many severall Churches To feed in the gardens In processe of time these severall beds of spices companies of Christians grew up to the fashion of just and full Churches in Zurich Stranburgh Brassel Berne Geneva besides those in Hassia and Prussia To feede First both himselfe with his peoples prayers and other worship and obedience Secondly his people with his word and sacraments and other ordinances And to gather lillies that is to gather and call more more faithfull Christians out of a wild field of worldly people into the fellowship of his Church as it were to gather lilies into his garden They are called lillies First for their fairnesse Secondly for excellency or eminency Thirdly for Gods care in providing for them beyond their owne labour and industry I am my beloveds and my beloved is mine he feedeth among the lillies I am my beloveds and my beloved is mine Which words imply foure things First that the Church had familiar fellowship with Christ in his holy publike ordinances especially in the maine doctrine of pardon of sins by Christs bloud alone and of justification by faith Secondly that shee enioyed this fellowship with him before the time of her deliverance out of a Babylonish or Romish captivity for the same words are used upon the deliverance out of Babel and enjoying Gods ordinances in their owne country but with this difference there the Church saith My beloved is mine and I am his because first he delivered her out of Babel before hee gave her the free use of his ordinances but here the Church saith I am my beloveds and my beloved is mine because shee first found Christ in his ordinances before shee enjoyed deliverance from subjection to Rome for Luther preached against the Popes pardons before he rejected the supremacy of the Pope Thirdly their open profession of their fellowship with Christ when the Princes of Germany openly protested against the Masse other corruptions in the Church and avowed the defence of the reformation begun whence they were afterward called Protestants 4 ly Christs gracious protection of those Churches specially in their first beginnings for how should Luther a poor Frier have attempted and gone through with so great a work against such great and generall opposition and in the end die quietly in his bed if Christ had not held him as it were in his armes He feedeth among the lilies Hee refresheth himselfe and strengtheneth his people conversing amongst them who strove for whitenesse and purity and reformation Thou art beautifull O my love as Tirzah comely as Jerusalem terrible as an army with banners Thou art beautifull as Tirzah Tirzah was the chiefe City of the Kingdome of Israel after they had separated themselves from Judah untill Samaria was afterward builded The Citie and Governers of it the people having recourse to it for judgement rather then to Jerusalem were at first in disgrace and obloquie with the Jewes for their schisme and separation from the house of David at Jerusalem and for her rebellion against the King of Judah but this did not diminish her beauty because this separation was from God Afterward Tirzah lost her beauty by erecting the golden Calves and falling off not onely from the idolatry of Solomon wherein they did well but from the true worship of God restored and continued in the Temple of Jerusalem But Solomon here speaketh of Tirzah while shee reteined her beauty And indeed the reformed Churches were in this like unto Tirzah at first in disgrace and obloquie for their separation from Rome and rebellion against the Emperour and other Princes and yet never the lesse beautifull because this separation was from God in regard of Idolatries of the Church of Rome greater then those of Solomon Thus the Duke of Saxony and the Landgrave of Hassia were proscribed as rebels against the Emperour and yet their cause was beautifull and good The faithfull at that time in England were burned in King Henry the eighth's dayes as Hereticks and refractory Subjects or Rebels yet beautifull in Gods sight Comely as Jerusalem In processe of time the Church wore out the suspition and disgrace of heresie and separation and rebellion and was countenanced and adorned by Royall Lawes in the daies of King Edward the sixth and by Lawes of the Empire tolerating the Protestant Princes so that the Church seemed as Jerusalem the state of Princes the true Church of God at unity also within it selfe wherein the comelinesse consisted for as Jerusalem had been three Cities Zion Salem Millo and all three were knit together into one Jerusalem so the three differences between Lutherans Calvinists in doctrine and discipline at Geneva were all compacted together in brotherly love in their harmony of confessions Terrible as an army with banners The Church was beautifull as Tirzah in King Henry the eighths time comely as Jerusalem in King Edward the sixths time terrible as an army with banners in Queen Elisabeths time when the Protestant Princes grew formidable to the Emperour England and the low Countries to the Spaniard Pope How terrible was that overthrow which the Spaniard in 88. receiv'd Turn away thine eies c. The eies as above of the Church assembled are the ministers or the members considered apart as first knowledge secondly faith In both respects the eies of the Church were wonderfull amiable so that Christ speaketh affectionatly to the Church after the manner of Lovers ravished with the beauty of their Spouses Turne away thine eyes for they have overcome me What worthy Ministers did that first age of the Reformed Churches yeeld as Luther Calvin Martin Bucer Cranmer Hooper Ridley Latymer c. What a wonderfull measure of heavenly light did they of a sudden bring into the Church and that out of the middest of darknesse and Popery from whence it was that the knowledge and faith of the Faithfull then was wonderfully enlarged far beyond the ignorance of former times The eyes of the Faithfull in Christs time lay under their locks as hindered from cleere sight by many errors but the eyes of the Faithfull now seeing the truth much more plainly are not hindered by such locks hanging over them How cleere was their faith that having seene him which was invisible feared not the fiercenesse of their Kings and Princes but endured patiently fiery Persecutions and bloody Massacres Thy haire is like a flock of Goats Thy teeth are like a flock of sheep which goe up from washing As a piece of Pomgranat are thy temples within thy locks The estate of common Christians set out by the haire and of the Ministers set out by the teeth and of the Church Governours set forth by the piece of Pomgranat was the same in the Church reformed as in the Primitive Church where the description of these parts is used and here repeated onely with this difference The teeth are not so even cut in reformed
if things were never so reformed yet he might leave us and goe into the wilde field Rome hath long doted on Peters Chaire and Jerusalem might as well have bragged of her priviledges as any other place but Christ leaves them Never rest we then in any outward estate for Christ may leave us The Palatinate hath beene as reformed as any Church for doctrine and though they might say their bed was greene and their beames were of Cedar and their rafters of Firre yet God hath left them for doe we thinke that if God had beene there these things had befallen them that now are Use 2 Secondly this lets us see that though Magistrates and Ministers should both neglect their duties in ordering and dressing the Church so that the wicked were tolerated to grow up with them yet God keepes the spirits of his children sweet and pure as roses and lillies in the midst of bryars and thornes be not deceived then for there may be Roses and lillies growing where is nothing but bryars and thornes to scratch them It is not straight no Church when it is there for Christ can see his Church though she be there Use 3 Thirdly we may here observe against the Separatist that it is not straight no Church that is commingled as they speake with notorious wicked ones the Church may be Christs love yea and a fragrant and pure flower in his sight and nostrils and yet live amongst bryars and thornes Use 4 Fourthly observe the state of the Church is sometimes exposed to opportunitie of treading under-foot no wall nor hedge to fence them It may lye open First to scratching and rending of thornes Secondly to treading under-foot of the wilde beasts Use 5 Fifthly this serves to direct inferiour Magistrates how to carry themselves towards the Church to be as Apple-trees in a wood wherein the Church travailing may finde First shadow of protection Secondly sweet fruit of loving mercy Use 6 Sixthly we may here see the wonderfull power of God and goodnesse to his Church in turning their house of bondage into a house of wine in spreading also his banner of love over them in their greatest distresses and dangers what more dolefull times of his Church then captivity when men would thinke God carries his Church into a dungeon then he carries her into a wine Cellar This may be a ground of solid comfort to us in our worst takings for though wee be in the greatest extremity yea in the deepest dungeon of darknesse God can sustaine and uphold us here and refresh us with many comforts Use 7 Seventhly this ought to stirre us up to more ardent and longing affections after Christ so that as wee be ready to faint and swoone through earnest affections after more full and familiar fellowship with him It was Daniels case he was sicke of love so let it be with us for want of Gods presence and pray that God would refresh us with his presence and send good Ministers and good Magistrates to be as nursing fathers to his Church Use 8 Eighthly this serves to teach and straightly to charge the children of God when they enjoy Gods presence and favour in the Ministerie and Magistracie sustaining and comforting them to take heed of disturbing their peace 1. By any indiscreet or 2. Offensive carriage for it is First a disturbance to Christ himselfe he is stirred up and awaked as it were before he please Secondly the Roes and Hinds of the field young commers on in Religion are soone scared away by dangers and troubles arising against the Church therefore we should be carefull and take heed wee provoke not any dog to barke for then they will be gone Let us therefore walke wisely and inoffensively that none be discouraged that Christ who doth sustaine us and refresh us may dwell with us for ever The voyce of my beloved behold hee commeth leaping upon the mountaines and skipping upon the hills In these words are described First the Churches deliverance out of captivity where is laid downe First the preparation to the deliverance in the causes of it which were First the voice of the beloved Secondly the comming of the beloved and that swiftly First leaping and skipping Secondly as a young Hart or Roe Thirdly his besieging Babel and overcomming it set forth in three actions First standing behind the wall Secondly looking out at the windowes Thirdly shewing himselfe through the lattice Secondly the calling out of captivity First to goe out of Babylon into their owne Countrey whereunto there are motives First from removall of impediments verse 11. Secondly from store of opportunities ver 12 13. Thirdly to worship God in publicke meetings in their own Countrey Secondly the state of the Church returned into her owne Countrey in regard First of opposition of enemies subtill and ravenous where is set forth First their nature they are foxes little foxes Secondly the harme they doe they spoile the vines Thirdly there take us the foxes Secondly of their communion with Christs outward enemies and inward abuses restrained partly more plentifull and intire First My beloved is mine and I am his Secondly Feedeth amongst the Lillies Secondly interrupted and yet by turnes Christ often and speedily visiting and succouring them and that to the time of the comming of Christ and the abolishing of the shadowes of the ceremoniall Law The voyce of my beloved This was the report of Cyrus comming to besiege Babel and his mustering together of many Nations to that service which rumour was discerned by the faithfull to be the accomplishment of the prophecies given them before of deliverance by Cyrus And therefore the Church hearing this rumour suddenly acknowledgeth in it the promise and voyce of Christ and so it was no lesse gratefull to them then dolefull and dreadfull to the Babylonians He commeth leaping upon the mountaines My beloved is like a Roe or a young Hart behold he standeth behind our wall he looketh forth at the window shewing himselfe through the lattice These words expresse the great expedition and speed which Cyrus made in his journey against Babel all the Nations lying in the way First either of themselves setting open their gates to him as weary of the Babylonian yoke Secondly or speedily surprised and subdued Hee standeth behinde the wall Laying siege to the wals of Babylon He looketh forth at the windowes That is hee giveth some glimps of hope of further enlargement to the Church He sheweth himselfe through the lattice As in the originall any place burned through in the siege of Babel Cyrus diverting the course of Euphrates another way which before came through the midst of the City burning up the reeds and drying up the water passages hee shewed himselfe through the place and entered the City My beloved spake and said to me Rise up my love my faire one and come away That is Cyrus made open proclamation for my departure out
we may looke upon thee what will you see in the Shulamite as it were the company of two armies THE EXPLANATION Cant. 6. 1. Whither is thy beloved gone O thou fairest among women whither is thy beloved turned aside that we may seeke him with thee THe Churches affectionate describing and praising Christ stirred up many then to looke after Religion and Reformation Use 1 First we may here see the danger of surfetting the Church with wealth and pleasures and honour Constantine had in the first verse enebriated the Church with wealth and honour and hereupon the Church falleth into a long sleepe which shee shook not wholly off for many ages No wonder then of that speech heard from heaven Hodiè venenum concidit in Ecclesiam Now is poyson powred or fallen into the Church Use 2 Secondly this may let as see that they have not the spirit of the Church of Christ that when they heare many voices in Religion carried sundry waies know not whom to follow cannot discerne which is the true voice of Christ among them This Church here could discerne the voice of Christ even in her sleepe how much more easily if shee had been well awake Use 3 Thirdly this is to exhort both Ministers and other faithfull Christians to watchfulnesse lest otherwise corruption in doctrine and worship grow amongst the people till the locks of Christ bee wholly dabled with superstitions the locks of Christ to wit the common Christians Use 4 Fourthly this may teach us to know that they provide not well for the direction of their owne judgements that depend upon the voice of the ancient Churches for their chiefe patterne and guidance in doctrine and worship who would build upon the words of a man though otherwise a good man when hee is halfe asleepe Use 5 Fifthly hence we may discern it is better the Church should open to Christ appearing before him in the naked simplicity of his worship then to cover our selves and his worship with the blankets and inventions of mens weaving which will but lull the Church asleepe in drowsie performances of perfunctory worship and cause Christ to withdraw himselfe from us Use 6 Sixthly this may teach us to know to our shame and griefe that our drowsie hearts will neglect to open to Christ upon his calling and knocking unlesse he be pleased to put the finger of his spirit into our hearts to open an entrance for himselfe Use 7 Seventhly the faithfull must not wonder if opening their hearts to Christ and seeking after him sometimes they finde him not for it was so with the Church here and hath beene so with the faithfull in all ages We neglecting to receive him when he offereth himselfe wee must not wonder if for a time he neglect us Use 8 Eighthly we may from hence learn that bad Ministers wil sooner bear with any disorder in people then serious seeking after Christ and after the purity of ordinances Use 9 Ninthly we may here see persecutions alienate the affections of the faithfull but inflame them to more ardency earnest pursuite after Christ as this Church did Use 10 Tenthly it may be known the Church hath lyen in a deep sleep when common Christians can more acknowledge the Church then Christ himselfe when they can see her to be the fairest among women but know not any eminent worth in Christ Use 11 Eleventhly the estate of many Churches in many ages maketh but one bodie of Christ in every of which Christ manifesteth himselfe in some members more eminently then in others Use 12 Twelvethly Christ had his faithfull people and members in the world before Luther was borne yea he shewed himself glorious in sundry of them in the darkest times of Popery Use 13 Thirteenthly in Christ it s well knowne there is nothing but what is lovely and desirable even persecutions for his sake are lovely and glorious Use 14 Fourteenthly it is no comfort or but small to know Christ to bee every way precious and excellent unlesse wee can also say hee is ours This is my beloved this is my friend O yee daughters of Jerusalem Use 15 Fifteenthly the affectionate faithfull preaching and setting forth of Christ stirreth up in others a saving knowledge of Christ and hearty affection to him The Church here describeth Christ affectionately and faithfully speaketh of him as her owne whence the daughters of Jerusalem are converted and stirred up to seeke after him Use 16 Lastly hearts truely touched with sincere desire after Christ chose rather to seeke him in the Church in the fellowship of the Church then by wayes of separation as this Church did Whither is thy beloved turned aside that wee may seeke him with thee My beloved is gone into his garden The holy Ghost in these words descendeth to set forth the state of the Church reformed by the Ministry of Luther and other late Divines as in the verse following the calling of the Jewes This reformed Church is diversly described First by Christs visitation of her together with the ends thereof 1 To feede in the gardens verse 2 To gather lillies verse 2. Secondly by her mutuall fellowship with Christ verse 3. Thirdly by her degrees of rising wherin shee is likened to be verse 4. 1 As Tirzah verse 2 As Jerusalem verse 3 As an army with Banners Fourthly by her members ver 5 6 7. 1 Eyes 2 Haire verse 3 Teeth verse 4 Temples Fiftly by comparing the severall reformed Churches as amongst themselves and preferring one above the rest of the reformed Churches there 1 As Queenes 60. verse 2 As Concubines 80. verse 3 As Virgins without number verse 8. verse 4 As a Dove and who First to Christ is undefiled Secondly to the whole Church as an onely one as a choice one Thirdly to the rest 1 Blessed to the Daughters verse 2 Praised to the Queenes and Concubines verse 8. 9. My beloved is gone downe into his garden to the beds of spices to feed in the garden and to gather lilies My beloved is gone downe into his garden The Church which Christ next visited and wherein hee was first found in that generall Apostacy wherein the Church sought Christ and could not find him In the former Chapter was the Church of Wittenburg reformed by the Ministry of Luther which was a garden being First stored with variety of godly people as sweete flowers set in order some teaching some hearing Secondly fenced in as with a hedge pale or wall by the protection of Frederick the good Duke of Saxony Thirdly a place wherein Christ walked as wee do in our gardens to refresh himselfe and his friends Is gone downe into his garden Descending from those famous Cities and eminent places of Rome and Constantinople into a meane country citie To the beds of spices Because in Germany at that time sundry Christians were called and sorted into severall beds and companies in severall places though not attaining at the first to be so many gardens so