Vine As before I vnderstoode literally Pharaohs daughter so heere by the Sunne I vnderstand the hote Clime of Aegipt where shâ—e was borne and brought vp q.d. True I am blacke and that not so much to be faulted seeing it befalleth me naturally through the Sunnes hote piercing rayes in Aegipt Further by the same proportion I vnderstand the Priests and Prophets of Aegipt vnder the terme Mother-sonnes q.d. Besides that my natiue country is a scorching soile I haue bin drawne many times abroade into the heate from one vineyard to an other from one greene tree and groue to another and this by the Prophets of mine owne natiue soile by the Sacrificers of Osiris Mitzraims Bacchus whose spirituall menaces drew me to pilgrimage in the sultring seasons This double consideration she propounds for mitigation of the Iewish censure From whence we learne first that forraine and externall lettes and hindrances they excuse man to man many times à toto wholy and they excuse vs before God though somtimes not a à toto wholie yet à tanto in part the sinne being so much the lesse Secondly seeing cases heere are shadowes of spirituall cases wee are to obserue first that naturall light and heate represented by the Sunne in themselues the good creatures of God they are by reason of the Soules disease means of making vs more blacke The heate of concupiscence spotteth our thoughts words and workes and the light of our minde termed Conscience it bewraieth our blackenesse the first acteth our blot the second declareeth it but the light of Ierusalem the pure law of God it more reveales it for the testimony of God is greater then the witnesse of our heartes 1. Iohn 3.20 Secondly these that are brethren borne and nourished in the same Church with vs they many times that should be leaders of the people shall prooue such as cause people to go astray a generall complaint of the Prophets and I wish that our Churches stomake had not cause to abhorre many for teaching people Machiauels pollicies and Romish traditions rather then doctrine which is according to godlinesse and many times shall thrust poore soules out of liuing out of calling yea out of the Synagogues and somtimes which is Romes Catholike practise out of their liues thinking such shall be their blinde zeale as our Sauiour â—aith that in so doing they doe to God an acceptable seruice And all this shall betide them if their Hearers Proselites Disciples will not keepe the vines of their Pastors lewd plantation of the diuel the false prophets deuising whereas euery vine our heauenly father hath not planted shal be pulld vp by the roots Thirdly that her pastoral brethren cracked in the nose against her for the word Nicharû so signifieth it putteth vs in minde not only of false teachers their impetuositie snuffing and cracking in the nose as Prouender-prickt Stallions but also how the elect of God are oftentimes not so ready to satisfie imperious bad commaunds as be the reprobate For as God hath chosen them before the worlds foundation vnto holinesse so that seed of Election is not alwayes so on sleepe but it somewhat feeleth disliketh and opposeth to actions of reprobation insomuch as thereby their idolatrous Chemarims are forced such stirres in Romes Church do argue a remnant of holy seede to threaten thunder curse with Bel Booke and Candlelight The second part of her petitions reason it is gathered from an internall cause of her blackenesse and that is her owne inherent negligence in looking to her owne vine her owne particular calling and proper duty wherein wee see an opposition betweene that shee omitted and committed She omitteth her owne taske and vndergoeth an other that is leaueth good and taketh euill And this was the lot of Iâ—phets people to leaue their fathers house as did the prodigall and to consume their beautie and strâ—ngth in the house of a stranger euen in the vineyards of Sodom and Gomorrha Zeboim and Admah sometimes haled therevnto by Sin and Sinners forcings and violent courses sometimes voluntarily and freely without all remorse and feeling Secondly which was Barnards meditation we are many times ready to vndergo the keeping of other mens vines when wee are vnfitted to watch ouer our owne busied about great things when we cannot discharge the lesse Ego loci huius occasione meipsum reprehenderâ— soleo quod animarum susceperim curam qui meam non sufficerem custodire by the occâ—sion of this scripture saith Bernard I have vsually reprâ—hended my selfe because I haue vndergon the charge of others before I was â—nabled to keâ—pe mine owne An holy reprehension and that whereof we all more or lesse stand indicted in our conscience If the Apostle could say in 1. Tim. 3.5 If any cannot rule his owne house how shall hee vndergoe the cure of God his Church We may well say If we be not faithful keepers of our owne soule how shall we keepe others Oh Lord be mercifull vnto vs and make vs more faithfull towardes our selues and others Lect. VIII Verse 6. O thou whom my Soule loueth shew me where thou feedest where thou causest to lie downe at No one For why shoulde I bee as she that couereth her selfe to the flocks of thy companions THE Church of the Gentiles hauing finished hir by speach with the Iewish Sinagogue she now returneth to her Beloued and shutteth vp her former Supplication First by adding a new Petition Show me c. Secondly giuing a reason thereof thus For why should I be c. In the Petition I obserue First the amiable forme she vseth Secondly the matter it selfe The forme is this O thou whome my Soule loueth a forme passing amiable amorous piercing for by it she expresseth the Character or print of her Soules affection towards Messiah And hereby she teacheth first howe God in Christ Iesus is beloued of the whole Church namely with the very Soule Externall ceremonies are without this but a dead carcase a stinking and abhominable sacrifice This loue of the soule is the Generall of these particulars in Deut. 6.5 Luke 10 27. Soule being put for all the faculties and powers of nature Secondly euery member of this church is enabled of GOD in due time particularly to say Thou whom my soule loueth As Thomas by way of application My Lord and my God Iohn 20.28 and Dauid Oh Lord my portion Psal. 119.57 For all knowledge without habilitie to apply Christ and his benefites to this poore soule it is but Speculation not Practise a generall Surueyance no particular Possession The first in Deuils and Reprobate but this peculiar to God his chosen For the matter of this Petition it is Refection or Comfort this laide downe in two braunches first in desiring to knowe of Christ the place of his feeding secondly the place of lying downe in the daies heate euen then when the Sun was come to the Meridional point To desire Repast and to desire Rest after repast
to walke in it is the old tract padded forth by his Flocke before her The place she is directed to for feeding her yong Goates it is Aboue or Ouer-against the Shepheards tents For the way she is to follow it is the steps of the Flocke or obseruing the Article of that Flocke Some reade Flockes which sometimes my selfe did follow and indeede the word Tsón it lacketh the plurall number in forme of declension though not in sense or signification by reason whereof the number is taken for sense singularly or plurally euen as Interpreters vnderstand of the holy-ghosts meaning But seeing the new Testaments Church is here directed to the way of the old Testaments Church which Church as One is opposed to the Many Churches of Heretiques and false Companions I rather condiscend to the singular number although but here not so necessarily the plurall Flockes it may also intend that one church considered according to her sundry times and variable outward estate or which here I take not to be so proper if this direction should be giuen not so much to the whole body of Gentiles as to any one particular distressed soule then the plurall number implieth sundry particular Churches as of Rome Corinth Galatia Ephesus c. whose vniforme steps are the way which here is propounded And so the difference of Numbers may cause a Diuersitie but not Contradictorie doctrine The faithfull of the Gentiles entreated to knowe the place of Christs feeding and couching of his flocke at mid-day here she is told how she may come to that place and that is first by Getting forth secondly by walking in the steps of his flocke Getting forth it implieth either a Motion from one place to another like as Israels going out of Aegipt into the Wildernesse and out of that into Canaan or a Motion from one qualitie to another as when one goeth out of Euill vnto Good so did the prodigall leauing his by wayes and betaking himselfe homeward so did the Apostle when he left his persecuting Christ and fell to preach Christ or else it importeth a going from one good quality to another not by leauing the first but by addition thereto And so Israel went from strength to strength Psal. 48. and the first Romans from faith to faith Rom. 1. The first Motion so is Locall the second qualificatine and this latter either by Desertion or Addition The first motion is naturall the second is spirituall Motion from place to place as the Iewes going out of Babilon with their faces towards Zion that was a figure but for the Elect to go out of the confusion of Nature into the orderly way of God his spirit leading vnto heauens rest that was figured thereby And for this cause Babylon Aegypt and Sodome are of Saint Iohn spiritually propounded in Reuela 11.8 and 18.2.4.21 Which conuinceth our Factious of notable blindenesse who more call people from Place then from Qualitie from the figure rather then that was figured For if the Church be no more one sort of people as Israel in Egypt the Iewes in Babylon but a catholike people consisting of all tongues and stretched forth from sea to sea how shal the Church goe out of Locall Babylon seeing the wheate-field is the whole earth or world and the Tares of Babylon are sparsed ouer the whole field How can we make a Locall departure out of Babylon except we go out of the world that is transgresse the limits of the earth Spirituall motion figured by the former wee can here in this world make God his spirit assisting And that is it which here the Church of the Gentiles is taught when shee is bid to get her forth and this also in both the spirituall senses first for going out of her former euill vnto good that is from her former confessed blacknes and ignorance vnto puritie and sauing knowledge Secondly from the already confessed measure of grace vnto a greater measure The first is taught in such scripture Heb. 12.12.13 Rom. 12.9 The second in such Iohn 1.16.1 Thess. 3.10 Ephes 2.21 And this conuinceth our age notably of euill where we finde most of the better sort contented with the bare beginnings of Christ with a slender portion of knowledge and lesse holinesse although it is an argument onely of a sound soule euer to hunger and thirst after more righteousnesse more holinesse more knowledge more faith more obedience darkely represented by going vp to the Temple and by * Ezekiels seauen and eight steps and the fifteene Psalmes of degrees Act. 3.1 Luke 17.10 Ezek. 40.22.26.31.34.37 Psal. 120. c. Whereas a declining from good to euill is tiped by Israels going downe into Aegypt the Mans going downe from Ierushalem to Iericho with such like As for standing at one stay there is no figure of that because no soule can liue at one stay of good or euill for hee that goeth not towards God hee goeth towards the diuell For such respect where the wicked oft are called the sonnes of Belial in the old Testament some take the word Belial in English wicked to be deriued of Beli in English Not and Iagnal in English He ascends because the seede of Satan Ascend not but contrariwise Descend and goe downe from the liuing God as he that went downe from Ierushalem to Iericho Lect. X. THe Good she is to goe into is the steps of the Flocke The Flocke as before is the people and sheepe of his pasture the antient Church so tearmed in Psal. 95.7 and 100.3 So that the paths or steps of this flocke they are nothing else but the waies of his faithfull people the holy examples they left for direction to successors For we are his workemanship saith the Apostle created in Christ Iesus vnto good workes which God hath ordained that wee should walke in them To which purpose hee saith to the Corinths Be ye the followers of me euen as I am of Christ Giuing further to vnderstand by the word he there vseth Mimetáj that they were to shape and fashion themselues euery way to him as he did to Christ for the word Mimos signifieth such a person as can â—iuely expresse the Gesture and Action of an other Whence we learne that the holy words and holy works they are left behinde as sheepe leaue their straight padde behinde first for directing right steppes to our feete secondly for leauing to our successors an example of good as others haue to vs. It is a mightie Question at this day To what Christian Church â— soule should adde it selfe To such as are agnominized Protestants or to Romanists or to Anabaptists or to Arrians or to Brownists c. Answere from this text is made Get thee foorth into the steppes of the Flocke into the way of the Faithfull gone before thee But here the doubt is renewed for which is that way the narrow way that leadeth vnto true rest The Protestants say Ours is the way the Romanists say theirs is the way
drinke the Fountaine which in the faithfull springeth vp into eternall life but also would from aboue cast an eie to vineyards belowe wherein grew this Copher as the tree of life amidst Paradise which mystically is Iesus in the midst of his church But as the owners of the vines would wall the Orchard from the Goates not onely from the old but also from the yong so that howsoeuer they see and bleated after the pleasant plants yet they could not come to spoile them euen so the wicked of the world they may see and crie after Iesus as also hunger for the destruction of his people but the owner of this church hath set such a hedge about Iob as Satan cannot touch his soule and he is as Zechary saw a wall of fire about his church In safetie such people must needes be notwithstanding all the attempts of the wicked Besides whosoeuer enter into couenant with Christ the best floure of their garden they must know that the Eie of their company is vppon them not onely the eye of the Cananite for Cananites will still be in Abrahams land which must teach professors to walke the more warily but also the eye of their owne company that is of the faithfull it will be vpon them Vnto which little ones who so shall administer offence they thereby shall heape vpon themselues a woe and cause their holy angels that stand still in the presence of God continually to list after and speedily to execute the heauenly Fathers indignation vpon such Scandalizers Who otherwise letting their good workes shine out they thereby shall reioyce the heartes of these little ones and also occasion them for such good workes to glorifie the heauenly Father That these vines and Cyper amidst them were so neere bordering the Dead sea so called because nothing woulde liue in it it may represent vnto vs Baptisme wherein wee professe a dying from sinne euen as in the Red sea Israel is said to be baptised to Christ. Which Baptisme should euer be in our eies for causing vs to remember the couenaunt wee there smitte for mortifying the flesh and his deceiuable lusts Which dead-sea called also Lacus Asphalti may further preach to vs the neerenesse of GODS iudgement to the wicked seeing it is so neere to the faithfull For if iudgement saith Peter begin at vs what shal be the end of them which obey not the Gospel of God Thus the Trumpet of Christ hath caused his church to Eccho backe praise If first he praise vs we then can praise him For except he draw we shall not follow so that to him may fittely bee said I prae sequar Go thou sweete Iesus before and we by thy grace shall follow To the end therefore wee may euer bee able and ready to praise him according to his owne desert let vs alway haue an eare to the praise which he giueth the church beyond her owne desert It followeth Lect. XV. Verse 14. My Loue behold thou art faire beholde thou art faire thine eyes are like the Doues 15 My Beloued Behold thou art faire and pleasant yea our Bedde is greene 16 The Beames of our houses be Cedars our Galleries of Fyrre CHrist and his church haue once mutually commended each other now againe they doe that yet more succinctly adding withall a conclusion of praise ioyntly For the Commendations Christ againe beginneth then the Church followeth His Eulogie is laid downe first in an assertion simple but repeated Thou art faire thou art faire prefaced first with his Loue-title My Loue then by this word of attention Behold secondly it is laid downe in a comparison where the churches eies are likened to Doues First to the preface My loue Behold the first word manifests his vndying sweete affection by the which he is one and the same to his church for euer the second argueth his care for her serious attention The first teacheth vs neuer to doubt of his loue whose gifts and calling are without repentance Rom 11.29 for whom once he loues he loues for euer The second teacheth how dull we are at the best for hearkning as we ought and therefore alwayes neede that with Timothie wee stirre vppe the gift of God that is in vs 2. Tim. 16. where the word Anazôpureîn signifying to stirre vp fire or to giue life to fire namely by stirring vp doth put vs in minde of the spirituall ashes in our nature which are readie to couer and choke the zeale of godlinesse in vs without stirring and casting off deceiueable affection For the proposition Thou art faire or good or gratious it teacheth what the church is in Gods sight namely most amiable vnto him when first she hath passed all praise from her selfe vnto Christ who of God the father is made to her wisedome righteousnesse and sanctification and redemption Wisedome for couering her ignorance Righteousnesse for hiding her iniquitie Sanctification for making her holy Redemption for her ful and absolute saluation The doubling of the assertion it declareth how the word of God is not Yea and Nay that is an vnconstant word as prophane men would make it but yea and in him Amen vnto the glory of God through vs 2. Cor. 1.18 c. And so the ancient Scriptures are termed of Saint Peter a most sure propheticall word to which we doe well to take heede as vnto a light that shineth in a darke place Touching the comparison betweene the Churches eyes and Doues it offereth to our consideration first to enquire what thâ—se eyes be secondly wherein they be compared to Doues Eyes of the faithfull they be Corporeall or Mentall or Personall Corporeall or bodily eyes be externall instruments seated in the head as the windowes of nature hauing liddes as Port-cluses for drawing vp or letting downe according as inward sense instincteth The sense of vnbridled conceipt in Lot it caused him Gen. 13.10 to draw his Port-cluse vppe for better discerning what grounds might make for his most aduantage The inward sense of holy conceipt or chaste thought in Iob cap. 30.1 it caused him to let his eye-casements downe lest hee should first see a maid as Dauid saw Bathsheba and so consequently his thought should adulterate for eyes vnbridled are said of Peter in 2. Ep. 2.14 to be eyes filled with adultery The Family of Loue do take themselues to become vnto such perfection as with the Hereticall Adamites they not onely can but also must in their Paradise-assemblie behold not onely the face but all the body bared as their * H. N teacheth not to touch the consequent Iob Dauid Paul could neuer attaine here such perfection which if they had yet neuer would they haue turned such grace into wantonnesse but haue fled as the Apostle teacheth in 1. Thess. 5. the very appearance or shew of euill much more the euill it selfe But these Atheists are perfecter and wiser then any Patriarch or Apostle I doubt not but these fellowes are perfecter and
this first Part. The Church very feruently suiteth after the presence of Messiah specially for his appearance in our Nature Whereto she receiueth a comfortable answere bringing with it appearing-wise the presence of Messiah Which two so conucned they fall into mutuall praises finishing the same with mutuall applausion Lect. I. THis Title standeth as a glorious Eulogie or Porch to the ensuing Scripture And heerein obseruable first for methode sake the Holie-ghost his penne man of this Scripture and that is Salomon Secondly the matter itselfe and that is a Song Touching Salomon we are to vnderstand that hee was sonne of Dauid King also of Israel and both of them notable tipes or shadowers forth of our Lord and Sauior Christ Iesus But this Tipeship stoode in this difference Dauid a figure of Iesus in respect of the continuall warie he had with the Churches aduersaries Salomon a figure of Christ in respect of his continuing plenty and peace in the midst of Israel his church Dauid the Churches Captaine Salomon the Churches amiable spouse and passionate Louer Vnder Salomon in this scripture we are to vnderstand him who in Math. 12.42 is wiser and greater then Salomon euen Iesus himselfe sometimes sued vnto Of his Church somtimes suing To his Church according as variable times bring with them vaâ—iable accidents And vnder Salomons spousesse and Loue we are to consider the Church specially of the new Testament sometimes praying sometimes straying sometimes in a Loue-traunce sometimes reuiued and in this life by reason of sinne changing some part and in some respect as the Moone In One word Two things are sealed So that of this scripture the wise-spirited may say with the Rabbine according to that in psal 62.11 God hath spoken once and I haue heard it twise which Cabalistically is In one speach of God I obserue two things as Letter and Spirit When Salomon penned this sacred Writ the time of too many hath bene said to bee what time he tooke to himselfe Pharaohs daughter and so haue concluded it to be a nuptiall song But this iudgement is not onely opposite to this scripture but also hath brought with it some other inconuenience namely it hath caused sundrie impure Spirits to stumble affirming it to be a vaine amorous ballad penned at the pleasure of Salomons wantons an assertion in the highest degree blasphemous The Iew who best knewe the old Canon can say that It is abhominable to thinke that the Song of Songs should treat of venereall matters But the Naturall man perceiueth not the things of the spirit of God for they are foolishnesse vnto him neyther can he know them because they are spiritually disceâ—ned That it is against this scripture also do consider that speach in Cha. 7 4 Thy Nose is like to the Tower of Lebanon Lebanon could not stand for a comparison till that Tower of Lebanon was and it was not built till hee was aged and his liues yeares well-nie spent This appeareth thus Salomon raigned but forty yeares Towards the beginning of his raigne hee then matcheth with Pharaohs daughter about his fourth yeere hee beginneth to build the Temple and that continued seauen yeares After that his owne house continued building thirteene yeares so are spent about foure and twentie yeares of his raigne and after all this the Tower of Lebanon was built How long after ere he begunne it appeereth not nor yet how long that worke continued But if it should bee begun presently after the other it was a long piece of worke if so the greatnesse and stâ—telinesse thereof be considered And after this finishment of that also must this holy Writ be penned seeing in the former verse he hath in his comparison introduced the Tower of Lebanon That this glorious Lampe of Israel for a season was darkned by Idolatrie his historie expresseth yea his historie being shut vp with the mention of that euil Romanistes conclude that Salomon died vnrepentant and so by consequent an Abiect But seeing other scripture will necessarily conuince that they should rather think that his history was shut vp obscurely that so therein he might shadowe forth our Iesus who in his death also was numbred amidst transgressors making his graue so with the wicked That he died not an abiect these reasons euince First the consideration of his Tipeship for seeing God selected him for the sole figure of Messiahs loue spirituall peace and plentie towardes his spousesse the Church it shal be more then rash ignorance to conclude him an Abiect Secondly the promise which God makes to Dauid namely that if his son Salomon should sinne hee would chasten him with the rod of man but not take his mercy from him as he did from Saul it concludeth repentance seeing chastenings with mercy are Heb. 12. signes of children not bastards and the meanes to bring them to repentance Thirdly he was not a Prophet sent in mercy to the church but an holy Prophet and Scribe of the Holy-ghost Saint Peter in his 2. Epistle 1. Chap. verse 20.21 so speaketh of all these holy Teachers First know this that no Prophecie in the scripture is of any priuate motion for the prophecie came not in old time by the will of man but holy men of God a terme neuer giuen to the reprobate they spake as they were moued by the holy-ghost Now Salomon being one of these Holy men of God hee must needes depart hence in the state of grace Fourtthly the Holy ghost commending Rehoboam and his people for their first three yeeres gouernment saying Three yeres long they walked in the way of Dauid and Salomon it plainely vrgeth that Salomon died in Gods fauour or else he should neuer so haue bene coupled with Dauid his father Yea it also argueth that Salomons finall gouernment was in and for the Lord howsoeuer the Mount of Corruption not taken away seeing first Rehoboams gouernment is said to be like that way wherein his father and grandfather had walked Lastly his owne three books euince his repentance first the booke of Prouerbs specially the Preface lying in the first nine chapters wherein he specially admonisheth his people to beware of the strange woman vrging the sea of iniquity bodily and spirituall which accompanieth that euill as speaking from experience In which booke he laboreth therfore to settle his Puple of what degre or calling soeuer in the rudiments and grounds of religion Secondly his booke termed Preacher wherein specially in Cha. 2. he preacheth worldly vanitie fâ—om selfe same experience admonishing others to beware by his euill In which booke he taketh his disciple as into an hie mountaine that so from thence looking downe-warde hee may spie the flitting and vanishing estate of all things here vnder the Sunne Thirdly this most diuine Song penned as before is prooued in his olde age vaine lustes then turned to contemplatiue loues passing betwene Messiah and his Church As if heerein hee hadde lifted his Hearer higher then the Sunne
for more seeing this is a commoditie of eternall nature Thirdly the Church expressing her feeling of Christs loue to be vnto her more excellent and efficatious then wine wine being that which delighteth the heart of man wee thereby are taught that euery member of this mysticall body doeth not onely liue to Christ but also die to the world and the temporaries thereof The loue of God in the vse of his word which is one principall particular of his loue it was vnto Dauid more sweete then the hony and hony-combe and of more acceptation then thoâ—sands of golde and of siluer And the loue of God in Christ it was of such value vnto the Apostle Paul as in comparison thereof he counteth Tribe Birth and al temporarie and naturall things but drosse and dung Howe the Patriarchs Prophets Apostles Martires and Confessors haue deemed Christs loue their continuall sufferings and patient vndergoings of the crosse for his sake they plainely doe witnesse Balaam Iudas Iscariot Demas and many in this age sauouring earth not spirit they are by this doctrine laide open for such as are not of the Church howsoeuer within the church for al these Moonish fleeting temporaries the church treades vnder her feet the vnion and sensible feeling of Christ his seuerall loues being vnto her all in all Lect. III. Verse 2. Because of the sauour of thy good ointments thy name is an ointment powred out therefore the virgines loue thee Or vnto the sauour of c. Or at the sauour c. AS in the last clause of the former verse she gaue a reason of her petition and that was drawne from the excellencie of his loue so here shee rendreth a reason of her so louing his Loue namely because shee found in him as a boxe of aromatique ointments all redolent sauours and precious spirituall smells Which precious odors were vnto her his Church and vnto euery particular member thereof most sauorie and delightfull In which comparison shee seemeth not onely to cast her eye vnto ordinary confections in the Apothecaries shop but also and that more specially vnto the sacred Ointment and Perfume in Exod. 30.23 c. effected by Moses directed by Iehouah for annointing and perfuming his Tabernacle and Priesthoode The counterfait whereof none other vpon paine of death might make nor vppon like penalty might any other person annoynt his flesh with this ointment nor perfume himselfe with this composition for the one and the other were set apart from common vse and so dedicate to a sacred ecclesiasticall purpose All which let vs draw into some particular information and profit First in that the Church seeketh out the most excellent ointment and perfume for declaration of Messiahs sweete name it teacheth vs that all excellent things in nature they are but as tipes and shadowes of spirituall graces not much vnlike to the Cabalists position which concludeth all inferiour things to be but shapes of superiour things and the patterne which Moses saw in the Mount to be a certaine proportion in the heauens whereunto the earthly tabernacle was resemblanced And in very troth all excellent things in nature they are but as steps degrees and greeces for vs to climbe vp by vnto heauenly respects Secondly her reference to the former ceremoniall oyntment wherewithall the Iewish sanctuary and priesthood were annointed it leadeth vs to these considerations First that the new testaments Church figured by that tabernacle and the new testaments Priest euen Christ Iesus figured by the former they are interessed with the inward spirituall ointment which was shadowed forth by the former outward materiall Oyle That the Church hath it Saint Iohn recordeth it in his first Epist. 2. Chap. 20. 27. verses That Iesus Christ hath it the spirit of Prophecie plainely foresaw saying The God thy God hath annointed thee with the gladsome Oile aboue thy fellowes Psa. 45.8 Aboue all his fellow members because they receiue it by measure but he beyond measure Iohn 3.34 he is the fountaine full of grace and truth as for his members thâ—y receiue of his fulnesse grace vpon grace Iohn 1.16 The sacred oile was powred vpon Aaron our head and from him the head that soueraigne ointment commeth downe his mysticall bodie euen to the hemme of his garment the most inferiour member not exempted of reall sanctification Besides seeing the former sacred oile a figure of the spirit sanctifying it was onely with profite applied to the Priest and his Tabernacle it putteth vs in minde how Christ and his members only can haue this spirit in the worke of sanctification Nor can any haue receiued this reall sanctification in any true measure but it is vnto them a reall pledge of eternall saluation and a demonstration of their holy Election before all worlds Ephes. 1.3 c. Furthermore where it was death vnto him that should apply this oile of grace to Prophane persons it teacheth vs that which our Sauiour teacheth namely That holy things are not to be giuen to Dogges in paine of God his high displeasure the sauing promises of the Gospel are not to be applied to the open vnpenitent The ointment of sauing Grace offered in the Word and Sacraments it appertaineth onely to such persons as first haue become a spirituall house or Tabernacle to God and secondly as true Priests and Sacrificers doe offer vp a reasonable oblation out of the Sanctum or Holy-place built in their conscience For howsoeuer in Christ is the Sanctum-sanctorum Holy-of-holies yet in euery of his members is a Sanctum or sanctified conscience Lastly whereas the like penaltie hanged ouer his head that should counterfet that precious oile it putteth vs in minde what fearefull iudgement hangeth ouer the heads of counterfet hypocrites and heretikes who by painted doctrine and sheepish conuersation doe make outward shewes of the spirit and holinesse but in very deede are hollow hearted and destitute of the power of true godlinesse Thirdly that shee termeth her Beloueds Name to be as Oile powred out she would allude to the full and perfect odor of such precious confections who howsoeuer they be sauory in themselues yet are not felt sauorie vntill they be powred out and as it were pownded euen as Maries pound of Spikenard ointment is then saide to fill the house with the sauour when as she had broken vp the boxe and powred it out And herein she would teach first that the very name of her Beloued was preciously sweete being powred out Sweete in it selfe it must be from all eternitie but then manifested sweete when it was vttered to mankinde Adam lying plunged in diabolicall stench how sweete vnto him was it to heare of the blessed Seeds of woman Abram hauing beene-singed in Vr that is in the Fire of Chaldea horrible Idolatrers causing their children to passe through the fire sweete vnto him must the name be of Seede wherein he and all nations should receiue a blessing Sweâ—te was the name Shiloh in the
mouth of Iaakob and in the nostrels of Iudah and no lesse redolent were these sauory names vnto Dauid and all the ensuing Prophets and tipicall Kings who longed aftâ—r the appeerance of him that was so to be a Seede and Shiloh As for Isaiah he sawe his name to be Immanuel that is God-with-vs because God so should be one with vs and wee so at vnion with God Godhead and Manhood in him making vp one Person Vnto Daniel what name could be so sweete as Messiah the terme which Gabriel gaue vnto him In a word the veâ—ie sweete consideration of him did leade the holy Prophets to vse diuerse Names for expressing the infinite store of spirituall odours couched vp in this Beloued the very fulnesse and treasurie of our heauenly Father If we come to his Name Iesus Sauiour because he saueth his people from their sinnes how delectable is that Name Besides these Names he hath termes of King Priest Prophet King for gouernment Priest for sacrifice and intercession Prophet for teaching and reuealing the Fathers secrets to his people a Trinitie of names in an Vnitie of superexcelling sweetnesse Lastly in this one Mediator is a two-fold Nature according whereto hee hath two other names God and Man but seeing vnto miserable mankinde it should be no great comfort nay rather a discomfort to heare of either of these names disioyned our heauenly Father therefore hath conioyned them and made them two one that is hath giuen him vnto vs for God-Man or Man-God a Name beyond all â—easureable sweetenesse for it propounds vnto vs an eternall vnion of God and Man No maruell then though the Church hold her Beloueds name to be redolent as also doe grieue to heare it taken in vaine and vnhallowed Furthermoâ—e if the Name of Christ be so sweete how precious should the enioy of Christ and his spirit be vnto vs seeing with him we enioy all other good things also Therefore the Virgines loue thee Hauing laid downe the cause she subioyneth the effect the sweetenesse of Mâ—ssiah caused in her Loue euen as before the Loue of Christ it caused in her prayer Thus one good gift begetteth an other euen as one euill engendreth an other euill Secondly shee changing her speech from the Whole to the Parts instead of I saying the Virgines she would first teach that the whole and euery member of Christ Iesus in his Church it is endued with sense of his gracâ—s as also with vnfained loue of his name insomuch as they exult to heare the name Iesus Secondly she would informe vs how euery true louer of Christ Iesus is a Virgine according to that of the Apostle 2. Corin. 11.2 which may serue for a faithfull exposition of Reuel 14.4 As a sober virgine abstaineth from all things that might be offensiue to her beloued so is it our duety neither if wee be of Christ can we be herein carelesse to eschew all such misdemenors as might bring agrieuance to the spirit of Iesus Lect. IIII. Verse 3. Draw me wee will runne after thee the King hath brought me into his chambers we will exult and be glad in thee we will remember thy Loues more then wine Righteousnesses doâ— loue thee IN this verse considerable first a Petition vnder Protestation secondly the Petitions effect The petition vnder Protestation lieth in these words Draw me we will runne after thee the Petitions effect lieth in the residue of the verse Draw me herein the Petition we will runne after thee and therein the protestation In moe words it may be vttered thus Oh my beloued Messiah I finde in my selfe all inabilitie to follow thee therefore vouchsafe to draw me but though the power of following thee be lacking in me and my seuerall members I finde yet a ready will a will which will runne after thee if first thoâ— wilt draw me In the Petition I obserue first the Churches confession of her insufficiencie for following Christ secondly her desire vnfained to be made partaker of his sufficiencie That the Church or body of faithfull ones is insufficient of themselues to follow Christ it not onely appeareth by this her prayer but also by other speeches in holy Writ touching the already faithfull Without me saith our Sauiour to his Disciples ye can doe nothing that is no good thing And for this cause is it that blessed Saint Paul testifieth thus of his spirituall life Thus I liue not I any more but Christ liueth in me referring so all his spirituall motion in goodnesse to Christ liuing in him by his spirit If that hold in the vnregenerate namely that in him they liue mooue and are according to the naturall life motion and being it must also follow touching spirituall life motion and being that it is fully of God so that of our selues we are vtterly vnsufficient to follow our beloued Iesus Which doctrine of our insufficiency may serue as a hammer for knocking downe the surging pride of Pelagius doctrine The Church finding and feeling her owne insuffiencie she therefore prayeth vnto her beloued desiring him to draw her Herein she teacheth vs first not to rest contented with knowledge of our inabilitie but in the next place to seeke vnto Christ for supply of such defect He that knowes himselfe to be sicke seekes to the phisition he that feeles famine doâ—h labour to haue nature relieued And hereupon it grewe that diseased-ones in the Gospel did seeke for helpe of Messiah others that were hungry did follow him for the loaues and fishes All that but leading spirituall Impotents as by the hand for seeking releasement at the hands of Messiah Wherein may be obserued how the high way vnto God is spirituall misery and beggerie If this be true in the regenerate in whom there is some holy thing how much more in the vnregenerate who yet is voide of all true holinesse Secondly from her forme of praier Draw me she would teach that the faithful see themselues plunged in some sinne as in a pit out of which they cannot depart without Christ his Spirit draw them Or to be in the case of the cripple which howsoeuer he sate at the beautifull gate of the Temple Act. 3.2 yet he cannot praise God leaping and walking till the precious name of Iesus haue pulled him out of his lamenesse Some lie plunged in vncleannes some in idlenesse some wallow in the dungeon of worldlines some in other euils not onely possessed of euill but also dispossessed of good What kinde of Prayers are these like to make Verily vncleane idle worldly and euill Prayers And the sacrifice of the wicked â—aith Salomon is abhomination to the Lord how much more â—aith hee when hee brings it with a wicked minde As for the faithfull themselues their prayers are euer in this world lame and impotent by reason of spirituall defects insomuch as their prayers finished they see they had need to pray for the forgiuenesse of their prayers defects like vnto the poore
man in the Gospel Marke 9.24 who hauing said I beleeue doth with teares subioyne Lord help that my vnbeliefe Yet howsoeuer their praiers be lame they be true as a lâ—me man though imperfect yet is a true man and therefore no cause of desperation Nay because they are true prayer true sacrifice therefore with all faithfull boldnesse they may offer them vp for were it not there is imperfection at all times in our actions there should not be occasion of alwayes praying Forgiue vs our trespasses c. The trueth of holinesse is begunne in vs but the perfection thereof is laid vp in Christ and therefore still occasioned to desire the perpetuall presence of Christ in whom our perfect happinesse abideth These little beginnings in vs must drawe vnto Christ yea we must feruently begge of him to Draw vs vnto him because our happines lieth not so much in our apprehending of him as in his comprehending of vs. And if the Regenerate haue occasion to cry Draw me the vnregenerate haue ten thousand times more cause to cry roare Drag me pull me c. for none as our Sauior testifieth in Iohn 6.44 can come to Messiah except the Father drawe him So much of the Petition The condition adioyned to the Petition is this We will run after thee Wherein we may obserue first the Persons in the condition secondly the thing it self The persons are two and lie in these two words We and The. The thing it selfe is A willingnesse to runne Touching the persons the smiter of the couenant is the Church the partie with whome the couenant is smit is Christ as if she should say Oh sweete Messiah vouchsafe to draw me neerer vnto thee by the draught of thy spirit and I thy poore Church will follow thee Yea sheâ— changeth the number though not the person saying We will insteede of I will teaching heereby that the whole and euery particular member of the Church is to smite this couenant of obedience A thing vsuall with Dauid specially in the 119 Psal. insomuch as he cannot sometimes be contented with this simple protestation I will but he must adde an oath and sweare verse 106. the keeping of God his righteous iudgements In this forme of speach she seemeth to allude vnto the legall forme of stipulation or couenant smiting where the chiefe of Tribes and â—amiles did seale or subscribe vnto the couenant writing not only for themselues and their Families but also for and in the behoofe of euery particular subiect Nehem. 9.38 and 10.1 the principall of Church and Common-wealth as is the laudable custome of our Parliament so standing for the whole Which further teacheth that in all actions of obedience the heads of the people are to goe before and inferiours are to follow Nay if the heads of the people leade as captaines the feete are not like to stay behinde When Hamor and Shechem his sonne were contented to bee circumcised the cittizens subscribe Gen. 34. When Ierushalem the mother Citie went out to Iohns baptisme then all Iudea and the region round about Iorden did follow And this is as God would haue it But if Ieroboam apostate and runne into euill the multitude of Israel is like to fall after as the diuel would haue it In the next place therefore the Church teacheth that all couenant ought be smit with Christ Iesus The Church and Iesus are Relatiues yea as it is saide of Hippocrates twins the one suffering both suffers the one reioycing both reioyce The Church and Christ are man and woman betrothed and therefore whom will he eye but her and whom can she followe but him The Church and Christ are as King and Subiect Vpon whome will the Kings heart be cast but vpon his Subiect and whom can the Subiect follow but his liege Soueraigne These twoo are as shephâ—ard and sheepe and whome will the shepheard looke after if not after his flocke and whose voice wil the sheep acknowledge but their Shepheards This couple is as Vine and Braunch the first respects the second the second the first In a word Christ and his Church are as Head and Body and for whom liues the Head but for the Bodies good And to whom can or wil the Body liue but to their own proper head This couenant is of heauen hath eternall life thereto entailed al other couenants are of hel draw at their taile condemnation and the second death Touching the couenant it selfe it is a willing running Wherein I now obserue first that the regenerate haue a wil to follow Christ or that their Wil is free to good secondly that the life of a Christian is a running race That the will of the Regenerate is freed to good euen then when the power to performe good is lacking the apostle speaking in the person of the regenerate he testifieth thus To will is present with me but I finde not the meanes to perfect that good that is to worke good as I would And presently after he addeth how this freedome commeth for the law of the spirit of life in Christ Iesus hath freed me from the lawe of sinne and death as if in moe words he had said thus In former time I was wholy captiued by the law of the members but now by a better lawe eâ—â—n by the law of that spirit which liueth in Christ yea and now also in me being ingraffed into Christ I am freed from the tyranny or raigning power of sinne and death So that as the regenerate and true faithfâ—ll ones are in their will and affections freed for to that end appeared Christ namely to loose the works of the diuell 1 Iohn 3.8 so this freedome from euill vnto good it is onely in these that so haue receiued the spirite of Iesus The Infidell the vnregenerate haue Will and that Will euer works Freely but as it can onely act euill for whatsoeuer is not of faith is sinne so it is not onely euill which it works freely The freedome therefore from sin and miserie it is by grace but the freedome that ariseth from necessitiâ— that is which it necessarily hath as it is will it is by Nature For the better vnderstanding hereof do consider that this motion of the minde Will vnder which the Affections are contained it is diuersly considered according to diuerse times The first time is the state of mans Innocencie in paradise before his transgression then Good and Bad was propounded to Mans will and the Will stood inclinable to that which the Mind or Senses first assented vnto For the Mind conceiueth and determineth of things before the Will subscribe freely And the Minde or Senses then were enabled to iudge and determine rightly So that there was in Man Help vnto Good not Infirmitie to Euill In the second place mankinde sinning freely and vnconstrainâ—dly first in neglecting their place and calling secondly in opening eare freely vnto lewd counsell thirdly in eating of the forbidden fruite hereby they
are to obserue the title is giuen to him and that is King enlarged by an Article of Demonstration That King secondly the Thing it selfe graunted and is an introduction into Messiahs neere-roomes He hath brought mee c. Saying Hammèlec as Mathew in his 22. chapter and 7. verse Hâ— Basileus That King The Church so teacheth first that he to whome she prayeth is of supreame place Hee is a King and therefore the duetie of all to Feare before him But secondly that King euen that particular one who before by his spirites breathing had assured her of his loue and therefore her feare not slauish When this Messiah teacheth his Disciples to pray Our Father which arte in heauen c. he teacheth the same thing By the word Father hee would haue them assured of his Fathers Loue and by the word Heauen hee would haue them take Knowledge of his Maiestie occasionating Feare The Knowledge of his Feare it is for leading vs from Presumption the consideration of his Loue it is for driuing away blacke Desperation two extreame Rockes betweene which the faithfull must sayle vprightly neither enclyning towardes sinne presumptuous by presuming of mercy sinning which indeed is the vinuersall sinne of our age nor yet bend the sailes towardes desperate infidelitie bicause of sin already committed The knowledge of his Loue must cause vs like and loue only Holines and Righteousnesse because that only entreth and is glorified in heauen the notice had of his Feare it must force vs to the hatred of iniquity and impiety As he is our Sauiour so let vs loue but as he is our King so let vs feare Not feare as slaues who stand in no awe without respect of stripes but feare as children feare to offend a louing father and so Blessednes to the man that feareth alway Pro. 18.14 Touching the thing granted namely an introduction into Messiahs chambers I obserue first the maner hee hath brought me secondly the matter into his chambers The maner of this conduction is this the louing Messiah that speciall King he conuayes her he leads her yea indeede hee sweetely draweth her Comes in via pro vehiculo est A companion in our voyage standeth vs instead of a chariot But no fellow to Iesus no companion to Messiah Aske the two Emmauites whom Iesus accompanied what they got thereby Oh they will tell thee and Saint Luke will ioyne with them Chap. 24.25 c. that first hee will snub soules for ignorance and infedility touching holy scripture secondly that he is ready to expound Law and Prophets to such as he trauells with thirdly that he will not onely auoide the dawbing vp of soules with vntempered morter but also will apply the scriptures so faithfully vnto his willing hearers as it shall cause their frozen affections to burne againe within them fourthly that he will not leaue the willing soule till he haue opened the eyes and enabled it to know Iesus from an ordinary passenger And no maruell of these glorious effects for he is the Sauior that kingly conductor of the faithfull What doth the Church here testifie of his Conduct He hath brought me into his chambers Some not seeing how this preterit time can be apt they turne it when hee shall haue brought mee c. we will reioyce c. But as I see not that the word Hèbiáni is so to be translated so that preterite time may two wayes be made apt For if she should speake of the cause of her prayer Draw me it is as if she said I cannot but pray for power to further obedience because I am introduced into so Kinglike chambers Or if as I rather take it she make it an effect of her prayer it is aptly to be paraphrazed thus I haue prayed to my Kingly Beloued for further sence of his Loue and further meanes of holy obedience and loe what followeth Hee hath brought mee into his chambers At first I stood vpon the threshold of his house and that was a degree of happinesse highly extolled of Dauid Psal. 84.10 but since he hath as Mary speaketh Luke 1.52 exalted me from low degree for he hath brought me into his Inner roomes This state of exaltation followeth my prayers my feruent incessant prayers And thus let this degree of exaltation be either a cause or an effect of prayer the ordinary translation is apt But what are these Chambers Gregorius Magnus a most corrupt Pope of any before him but better then any of them after him he asketh the Question as his vsuall forme of expounding mysteries is and answereth thus By the Cellars of this spouse who also is a King what vnderstand we sauing the hid things of holy-Writ which we are diligently to search after sauing the mysteries of holy contemplation with whose delights if we be refected forthwith we become thorow well without doubt whosoeuer is brought into these Cellers he forthwith contemneth temporary things for that he is enriched with things of eternall nature Then the which what can be better spoken first in respect of the things figured by chambers secondly in respect of the good effect these things bring forth in the parties so possessed Touching the Chambers Cellars or Inner-roomes they import a sight and possession of Kingly blessings more then ordinary Kings haue excellent things in the outward parts of their buildings but the more excellent and soueraigne Monuments are laid vp in their treasuries and curiously couched in their chambers The Church is the house of God 1. Tim. 3.15.1 Pet. 2.5.1 Cor. 3.16 and the Temple of the Holy-ghost Many beauties are in the visible or outward partes of this house but precious gemmes laid vp in the inuisible and internall roomes thereof In this spirituall house as in the sides of the Tabernacles arke is the booke of God kept for which she is called the piller and ground of truth 1. Tim. 3.16 and in that Booke is Letter and Spirit the first killing the second quickening 2. Cor. 3.6 7 8. but all vayled to the vnbeleeuer and abhominable In these scriptures as in waters issuing the Temple Ezek. 47. there are diuerse depths and heights In some places one may wade by the anckles in some by the knees in othersome the waters rise so high as thorow them a man is not able to wade insomuch as Saint Paul setting foote into such mystery he is forced to crie out Oh the deepenesse of the riches both of the wisedome and knowledge of God! how vnsearchable are his iudgements and his wayes past finding out In such a chamber and height of mystery was the Apostle 2. Cor. 12.3 4. when hee heard secret things not to be spoken of man In which rapt-state the Church after in this Song acknowledgeth herselfe to be sometimes in None truely heare or see these vnwadeable things sauing the Sonne and to whom the Sonne reueales them And neeâ—e vnto Christ they come euen as it were into his secret chambers
hee plainely termeth these Induments of sheepe that is all externall simplicitie humilitie sincere behauior that were it not for particular fruite whereby they are distinguished from other beleeuers namely their false faith false prophecie the Elect themselues should be seduced by them And as they will maske in the skins which in right appertaine to Christs sheepe so they will say they goe out from vs onely because we are wolues vncleane birds c. that is in truth because their diuell hath silched away some of our garments while wee haue slept and therewithall hath put his seruants induments vpon vs that so wolues may seeme sheepe and sheepe may seeme wolues A fruite well beseeming Satan who transformes himselfe into an Angell of light 2. Cori. 11.14 and a fruite well enough beseeming his Ministers and people who must conforme themselues to him that was a murderer lier from the beginning What titles false-Christs and false-Prophets assume to themselues it appeares in this that they terme themselues Christs companions If they were his Companions indeede she would not abhorre Communion with them but hauing the name and not the thing painted Sepulchers the inside corruption she therefore loathes them and by an holy derision disgraceth them Such a Companion is Mahomet a terme stole from Daniel who of Gabriel indeed was pronounced Chamudoth the Concupiscences of God who makes himselfe a fellow with Iesus yea to whom Iesus shall send his people at last Such a companion is the bodie of Apostatical Popes who make themselues to be openers of heauen shutters of hell c. the flat contrary is rather true and of this stampe be all Ministers who terme themselues Apostles Euangelistes Prophets Pastors Doctors Elders Deacons but being examined by the Angel of Ephesuâ— Reuel 2.2 they are found onely to haue the Name not the Thing As to haue a sheepish conuersation it nothing helpeth a wolfe so to haue Christ his shepheards names it nothing helpeth hypocriticall Ministers Lastly marke how all these paintings tend to the winning of Flocks that is of many Congregations but in very troth to make them onely Sinagogues of Sathan hunting by Sea and Land to make Proselites and loe they make them twofold more the children of hell Reuel 2.9 Math. 23.15 Christs Church but a flocke as for these they be many for it is a broade way that leades to destruction and their flocks are many not so much as they be found all of one Religion as for that they be diuided by the head howsoeuer ioyned by the tailes in carrying fire-brands for consuming the Lords wheate-field like Samsons foxes And hereupon it is that one Faction is of Rome another of Arrius an other of Donatus c. all agreeing in one as the factious in Ierusalem did against Christ and the seditious afterwards against Titus Vespatian but then diuided amongst themselues as the sundry Schismes amongst Brownists and Anabaptists betweene Romish schoole-men not to speak of the late diuision betweene Seculars and Iebusites and that in some head-points at least so imagined of their heades as therefore they will not ioyne one with another in any spirituall seruice specially not in the sacrament of holy communion These euils considered what maruell is it that the faithful not onely desire to attaine the presence of Christ and his flocke more and more but also conclude peremptorily by God his help not to turne aside to such deceiptfull companions Thus farre her Supplication Now her Beloued returneth his answere Lect. IX Verse 7 Seeing thou knowest not O thou fairest of women get thee forth in the steps of the Flocke and feede thy Kids aboue the tents of the Shepheards HEerein obserue Messiahs Assumption Seeing thou knowest not c. then his Direction Get thee forth c. The Assumption is a taking of the Church at her word She before pleaded Ignorance hee assumeth her Graunt and therefore in the next place granteth her Petition Hence I obserue first the Churches Ignorance in this life although come as before into Messiahs chambers of presence Which not onely is plaine from that practise of Mother Zion in Leuit. 4. Where Priest Magistrate People The whole Congregation haue sacrifices peculiar appointed for their Ignorances but also from the Apostles expresse testimonie saying We but know in part c. Yea if any were so wise as Agur who for his prudencie had his sayings ioyned vnto Salomons prouerbs yet if he compare the knowledge that is in him with that which ought to be in him he may say to Ithiell and Vcall For I am brutish in comparison of a man and there is not the vnderstanding of Adam in me and I haue not learned wisedome nor know the knowledge of holy things Which base estimate Dauid had of himselfe or else he would not in euery other verse of the 119. Psal. desired direction begged knowledge and vnderstanding Secondly where with vs it is a prouerbe Confesse and be hangd we may learne how confession of our wants before God in humilitie it is so farre from condemning vs as in troth it is our beautification and bringeth with it iustification For marke Messiahs speach O fairest of women The Synagogue said she was blacke she confessed herselfe to be blacke and ignorant and loe vnto hir beloued she is most beauteous How commeth this about By confession of wants the old Adam was put off and by desire of graces supply the new man is put on The condemning and killing of the first is the iustifying and quickning of the new In ourselues wee lie sprawling in our owne wombs-blood but by God his grace we are washed and by bracelets and beauty put vpon vs we become the fairest amongst the Heathen Thirdly by making his Church a Woman amongst women he would teach vs that as Wife to her Husband euen such wee should be to Christ who gaue himselfe for his Church that he might sanctifie it and cleanse it by the washing of water through the word that he might make it vnto Himselfe a glorious Church not hauing spot or wrinckle or any such thing but that it should be holy and blamelesse And to this purpose see how the Church is in Reuel 12. brought in as a woman crowned with twelue starres cloathed with the Sunne standing on the Moone The false Church is also compared to a woman in Reuel 17. but an Harlot drunken and beastly and the seuerall parts thereof to Aholah and Aholibah in Ezek. 23. whose breasts are pressed and the teats of whose virginitie are bruised No maruell then though he pronounce his Church the fairest of women nor maruell considering this fairenesse is from him that hee expects our holy loue and constant faithfulnesse towards him Direction it is laid downe in two parts first in that he directeth his Elect of the Gentiles into the high way of the Saints Secondly appointeth this Gentile Church the place where she was to feede her Kids The way she is
15.14 And his commaundement to the ministerie in the person of S. Peter is Feede my lambes and twice feede my sheepe Iohn 21.15.16.17 And to the whole body he commaundeth the duty of edifying communication Ephes. 4.29 of ministring the holy gift one to another as good disposers of the manifolde grace of God exhort and watch one ouer an other continualy So doing we receiue the commendation not only of frends but of felow-friends in the pasâ—orall worke of saluation Touching the Comparison and first with that which dooâ—h touch her present estate wherin she is compared to Chariot horses in 2. Kin. 2. Elisha seeing his Maister Elijah assumed and rapt in a whirle-winde of a fiery chariot and fiery horses he cryeth out my father my father the Chariot of Israel and the horsemen thereof as if he shoulde say In loosing of thee Oh fatherly Prophet we loose the Chariot and Horsemen of Israel the verie strength of the battell This terme it seemeth was in that age so commonly giuen to true Prophets as Ioash King of Israel affords it to Elisha on his death-bed And Zechariah long after in a vision chap. 1.8.10 seeth them to be Horsemen euen as Iohn afterwards in Reuelat. 6.2 compared with Psal. 45.4.5 doth see Messiah their Leader mounted vpon the word of truth which Messiah hee afterwards in chap. 19.14 doth see accompanied with all the warriors in heauen that is the faithfull in the church and all mounted vpon horses From which places we may perceiue the strength and speedinesse of Ministers and their faithful Hearers The true Ministers of God they are the strength of the Church as Elijah and Elisha the strength of Israel As for the faithfull people they are the strength of the worlde Where Vision failes the people doe perish as when Moses was in the Mount Israel fell to Idolatrie in the vallies When the Church is remooued the world is adiudged euen as when the eight soules were closed in the darke and Lot with his Three got forth of the Citty the world was drowned and Sodome burned As the Prophets of God are the strength of the Church so the Church it selfe is as Ailas shoulders the very pillars of the world The first must teach the Church to make much of her Teachers the second must enforme Sodome to leaue grieuing of Lot I mean it must teach the world to make much of the Church Otherwise they shall at last learne that the departure of Iaakob is the losse of Labans thrift Besides the faithfull Preachers and Hearers must learne that as they are called to be strong yea pillars for strength the first Epistle of S. Paul to the Corinthians the sixteenth Chap. and thirteenth verse Galat. the second Chapter and ninth verse so to be speedie 1. Cor. Chapter nine verse foure and twentie for cursed saith Ieremy are they that doe the worke of the Lorde negligently Secondly marke the speach of our Salomon My horses in the Chariots of Pharaoh the Palfries His the Chariot Pharaohs What is this but that the spirit of Strength and Speede it is Christs and the vntoward flesh which is to be drawne by the same druine Spirit it is of the world and the very Chariot of Satan Soule and body as wheeles and axeltree do runne which way the diuel driueth till the stronger man Iesus haue freed our Chariot-nature from that power of Hell and so with all doth ioyne himselfe by his owne spirit vnto our nature that so with Ezekiels Chariot it may goe forth and returne as his diuine Spirite instincteth Then Pharaohs Chariot Satans throne it goeth a new way and serueth a new maister As Simon the Pharise though cleansed is called Leper because once a Leper so our degenerate Nature because once the captiue of hellish Pharaoh slâ—uish Sin it may be termed Sinnes Coach Yea so much the rather as here in the strongest draught of Christs spirit Sinne is still a troubler of our Israel sin still pulleth backe and is pursuing vs as Pharaoh with his Chariots pursued Israel for leading vs captiue backe againe to the ten times plagued Aegypt But ten times happie wee who euen here haue the holy spirit of strength and celeritie to draw vs towards Canaan the Land of Rest Pharaoh and his horses shall drowne in the red sea when the Piller and Cloude shall bring the Elect into the land of promise The Churches strength and celeritie so laid downe now followeth her beauty first in respect of her cheekes secondly of her necke The Cheekes are compared with his palfries reines stretched downâ— the iawes rainged with precious stones her necke is assimilated to the collers or chaines of his steeds and such had Midians Cammels on their neckes Iudg. 8.26 Touching the first if thereby were entended only hir cheekes I would conclude that chiefly thereby were meant her spirituall complexion amiable in the eyes of Messiah but seeing the word Lèchájáik is properly Thy Iawes I take it hee rather intends the mouth bridled and kept backe from riotous speach A lesson taught by Saint Iames in Ch. 1.19 when he saith Be slow to speake And the person that can bridle his tongue is by him in Ch. 3.2 called Téleios anér a consummate or perfect man A lesson learned of Dauid in Ps. 39.1 when he writes I haue said I will keep my wayes from sinning in my tongue I will keepe my mouth bridled whiles the wicked is with me And this was the lesson that Pambo a simple vnlearned man desired to learne and to that end meditated on this speach of Dauid whole nineteene yeares as Socrates the Schooleman recordeth Nor maruell at it for if he that can bridle his speach be a Perfect man and if the gift and grace of so guiding the Iawes bee compared to rainges of precious stones it must necessarily be an hard thing to obtaine seeing excellent things are not easily attained And this grace lacking marke what the Apostle Iames saith Toú tou mátaios hê thrêskeia This Mans Religion or worship is in vaine For the second part of her comlines it is her necke chained These Chaines I take to be only the sacred laws of God legall and Euangelicall It was but one Chaine to the furnishing of Israel in Ezek. 16.11 but here vnto the new testaments church it is chaines The Sinagogues chaine is expressed by the word Rábid simply a Chaine or ornament but this churches Chaine is expressed by the woorde Chárûs which signifieth rather a Chaine of pearle or precious stone Looke how one lincke is wreathed in another so is one law clasped with the other and as many pearles are drawen vpon one threed for making of one Chaine so are many precious promises compared by our Sauiour to Pearle continued in one by the draught of one and the same diuine spirit All which vnity of law and Gospel should teach vs to be at vnitie therewith as also one with an other At vnitie with the commaundements of
it is an excellent Comforting nature and also repercussiue Vnder this odoriferous Nard I mystically vnderstand first the sacrifice of a faithfull penitent heart whose sighes and confessions petitions and praises are as Noahs oblations in Gen 8.21 called the odours of the Saints Reue. 8.4 and secondly they be these sauourie almes which the faithfull minister to the Saints termed by the Apostle an odour that smelleth sweete a sacrifice acceptable and pleasant vnto God Philip. 4.18 The first of these doe specially respect God the second our Neighbour For as in Church-Communion God and Man are considered at one and in Christ made one so no soule can manifest it selfe to be of this fellowship that first persumeth not Christs head then secondly his members with this aromatike odour Christes head is the Father and his body is the church 1. Cor. 11.2 12.27 To the Father of heauen are all deuotions of the heart to be offered vpon the golden altar of Messiahs obedience for onely this Angell of the East Reuel 8.1 c. whose starre appeared in the East hath a golden censor for censing the prayers of the Saints As for the oblations of the hand the contribution of the faithfull they appertaine to the faithfull needy-ones Do good we must vnto all but specially to the houshold of faith Galat. 6.10 And this specialtie appeareth when as the speciall almes termed the Collection for the saints 1. Cor. 16.1 and sundry times called a Grace in 2. Corinthi 8. and 9. they be appropriated to the vse of the sanctified of the Gracious Not that we are to contribute onely to the visible Gratious for as God without respect to mans worke dooth good to the verie wicked so are we but specially we are to tender the gracious as God by a Speciall grace hath regarded them beyond others In both we are to be like vnto God and both of them be vnto him as the Morning and Euenings incense Thus Christ as a King feasteth with his church and the church againe feasteth with him in sauourie words and workes but made sauourie onely by his spirit Iudas Iscariot will finde fault with the effusion of this oyle not because he loueth the poore but for that he hath the bagge and studieth how to robbe the poore Let not Mary cease to offer her Deuotions to God and her Almes to Messiahs members for howsoeuer Iudas thinke all but oyle spilt vpon the ground our Iesus will say No let her alone against the day of burying she kept it There be a number of Dogges now that neither will themselves doe good to the poore nor can bee contented that others do them Good With Iudas they thinke all lost that is spent vpon Christ and his members and herevpon it is that our Ages Atheists doe robbe the Church intending with Iscariot the paunching of themselues Let them in time repent and in time make restitution lest God in his iustice do leaue them with theefe Iudas to the halter or at least to haue their portion with Hypocrites and Foxes The Brownist which now teacheth them to robbe the Church will then be farre enough from defending the play or helping Sacri-legists out of Hels-mouth that gapeth to receiue them as they gape to swallowe vp the Churches inheritance Let Iesus and his members feast together while they may for after the feast there wil be a fast a day of Crucifixion a darke and gloomie day While the Bridegroome is with vs let vs publikely bestow our odours on God and Man when the gospels sunne shall be eclipsed and Christ haue yeelded vp the ghost then with the Centurion let vs knocke our breast moorne and lament for that darkenesse is ouer all our Earth Lect. XIIII HAuing thus praised her Loue for that was past shee now commeth to that praise which toucheth the present time whereas she first compareth him to a bundle of Myrrhe secondly of Copher For Myrrhe it is an Indian tree and in taste very bitter and of the second degree hote and drie and of preseruing nature for which cause Nicodemus in Iohn 19.39 doth mix Myrrhe with Aloes for embalming the body of Iesus That Christ is to the church a nosegay of Myrrhe what meaneth it but that he doth by his Spirits heate exiccate or dry vppe the superfluitie of our degenerate nature wherby body and soule is preserued to eternall life For as it is the office of Messiahs spirite to kill or mortifie sinne in vs so likewise to viuifie and quicken vp in vs the spirit of true life The first is done by the bitternesse of the Law the second is done by the redolent doctrine of Faith or Gospel And as the church hath in the present a sense thereof so shee couenanteth for future time that this Messiah shall as a bundle of Myrrhe be couched betweene her breasts and that no doubt for these purposes first for manifesting how deare Christ crucified is vnto her with all his bitter agonies secondly for keeping her rebellious sprowting lusts vnder all her life That the bitter crosse of Christ is of great esteeme in the harts of the faithfull consider not onely in this that they desire with Paul onely to know Christ and him crucified 1. Cor. 2.2 but also are baptized into his death and so with the Apostle doe die dayly 1. Cor. 17.29 30. For such as walke on in wickednesse lâ—bouring their owne particular these are not common-wealâ—s-men but common-illes-men and as Paul termeth them Enemies vnto the Crosse of Christ Philip. 3.18 so farre are they from exulting with the Apostles in bitter sufferings and sharpe temptations This bundle is no Nosegay for their bosoms That the church placeth it betweene her breasts for the subduing of deceitfull lusts which are euer ready to spring out of the heart it also appeareth in this that the faithfull mâ—ditating the death and agonies of Iesus they thereby are drawne to remember their owne sinnes which lashed him goared him killed him the remembrance whereof wil easily proue a cooling carde for Philautus able to kill self-loue and to cause a loathing of fleeting deceiuable pleasures To which purpose our Lordes Supper setting forth his death till he come it is a soueraigne medicine For as the meditation of the world causeth Demas to runne backe and embrace the world euen so the meditation of Christ crucified it causeth Mary Magdalen to leaue carnall couch arise earely to repayre vnto his sepulchre And vpon this ground was builded but through a blinde zeale the ancient Monasticke solitarie life estranged from the communion of the church fitter for a Timon of Athens an hater of Mankinde then for a common-wealths man or one of christian fraternitie seeing we are not called to seeke only our selues but the common vtilitie of his church in a mortified conuersation It was prettily but vnfitly saide of Hierome to Vigilantius Ego cùmfugero non vinco in â—o quod fugio sed fugio ne vincar I in flying the societie
wiser then Christ in our nature who neither befoâ—e others nor yet his disciples did euer walke naked But let these Mach-les-villaines goe for though they seeme to be of an Allegoricall Religion for they destroy all diuine hystorie yet in their outward carriage to others they will be of any religion And so while they talke of bearing the crosse they will neuer suffer for any deuotion For the crosse they talke of it is onely allegoricall and inward and that also they onely beare till they be come to their Land of peace that is the perfect vnderstanding of their church For Mentall eyes they be the inward senses of nature as Imagination Phantasie Conceipt c. who haue chiefly their seate in the head commaunding the externall senses as Kings commaund their subiects All which senses are included in the word Minde Which minde as it naturally mindeth damnable earthly things Phillip 3.19 so the Apostle enioyneth all the faithfull to be renewed in the spirit of their minde Epâ—es 4.23 according to the creation that is in righteousnesse and truth of holinesse For Personall eyes they be such Persons as who for their office sake are reputed eyes And these be of two kindes Ciuill and Ecclesiasticall Ciuill are such as direct the common-wealth Ecclesiasticall are such as direct the church both of them called to be vnto their charges the same that the eye is to the body the minde vnto the soule And that they be personally to be vnderstood here I take it to be most proper as in 1. Cor. 12.12.17 because here is an assimilation of ecclesiastike members with them of the Doue But if the Light that is in the church and common-wealth be darkenes how great is that darkenesse The Eye considered it resteth we now examine what Doues be to whome these â—ies be resembled They be tame Birdes well knowne amongest vs and therefore neede no personall description A Bird of right simple carriage a feeder of the best graine whose Song is mourning very fertile and as Ambrose reporteth vsed in Syria and Aegipt for carying Letters betwixt partie and partie For as the Birdes nature is be she neuer so farre from her natiue and naturall home to returne vnto her accustomed place so when A.B. shall haue committed some of his doues to C.D. and C.D. haue committed some of his vnto A.B. whether of these soeuer shall tie his Letter vnder the Doues wing committed vnto him and so set her free she will flie homewardes with this Letter where obserued of her first Maister the Letter is taken and viewed But sometimes it falleth out Spies suspecting such forme of intelligence they doe ayme at al Doues roming alone for otherwise they flie ordinarily togither and so such a poore Doue shotte thorow and slaine for Letters sake These things considered let vs come to applie them The corporeall eye must labour to bee like the Doue for simplicitie and chastitie Otherwise it is no Doâ—es eye but a Buckegoates eye who is saide to bee termed of the Latines Hircus of the corners of the eye called Hirci because his eyes looke thwarte ouer vnto carnalitie Such a continent eye Dauid prayeth for Psa. 119.37 and such a stayed eye had Abram who woulde not let his eye looke vp after externall things but as the Lord should bid him lift vppe his eye Genes 13.14 And so much the more must these eyes be watched ouer by how much the more all sortes of vanitie enter oft in by them as thieues in at the windows for polluting the heart and sacking the conscience The Minde which is the soules eye it must labour to assimilate the doue in all simplicitie not simplicitie ignorant but simplicitie subtile according to that in Mathew the tenth chapter and sixteenth verse Be wise as Serpents but simple as Doues and so much the rather must the minde be simple innocent chaste because it sitteth at the Soules helme stering all the outward senses according as it selfe conceiteth Let the eye of the body shutte vp it selfe within her casements yea let the naturall eye be quite pulled out and the minde will stil shewe it selfe to be as an vnruly King in his pallace who it being vnregenerate and so his imaginations and thoughts only euill continually Gen. 6.5 wil set al the Family al the affections in a flame of vnlawful desires This eye therfore is then like the Doue when so it is washed purged made chaste and shall minde celestiall things for where the treasure is there will the hart be also The personall eyes Magistrate and Minister they are appointed of God for meanes of good to both the former eies The Magistrate his corporall sworde regardeth the bodies eye The Minister his spirituall sword respecteth the spirituall eie Moses and Aaron must herein ioyne together for causing continencie in the whole man If the Magistrates sword cannot feare from outward act of vncleanenesse then it must be drawne out and cut adulterie from the Land All vncleannesse is to be punished but adulterie and the degrees of vncleanenesse beyond that Moses condemneth to the death Deut. 22.13 c. Leuit. 20. Lawes ceremoniall they were not and therefore not abolished but haue their equitie continuing for euer As the Ministers prepare the Church 2. Cor. 11.2 for one husband euen to present it as a pure Virgine vnto Christ so it is the Magistrates duety to ioine his Sword with Gods word for keeping the Church chaste in body and minde Question But what if the Lawe put not the adulterating party to death not to frame any question of other sortes of vncleanenesse shall it not be lawfull for the Innocent partie to liue with the Nocent Answere That it is lawfull prouided the offendor shew due penitence it hath beene the Churcheâ— iudgement in all ages Some haue thought that Ierome and Chrysostome were other wâ—se minded but Peter Martir in his common places the seauenth class 2. sect 41. doth answere that they spake of an Adultresse Quae poenitentiam non egerit which had not satisfied by repentance and indeede for a man to ioyne with such a woman it is as the Apostle affirmeth 1. Cor. 6.16 to make himselfe one body with an harlot But if shee be washed by repentance as no doubt Michal was before Dauid would become one body with hir who before was Concubine to Phalti then holy men of God haue still concluded the lawfulnesse of retaining her An tu pollutam existimas saith August quam Baptismus poenitentia purgauit quam deus emendauit Ea tibi non debet viderâ— polluta Et si clauibus ecclesiae iam est reconciliata admissa in regnum coelorum quo iure tupotes à te repellere That is dost thou esteeme her polluted whom baptisme and repentance hath purged whom God hath amended She ought not of thee to be esteemed polluted And if by the churches keyes she be now reconciled and admitted into the Kingdome of heauen by what right canst
Sharôn push their hornes against heauen as the redde Dragon their parent watched in his birth to deuoure him they can preuaile no more then Dogs that yelp against the Moone for this white and ruddy Rose is taken vp vnto God his throne Where he sittes at right hand of Maiestie till his father haue fought the second battel causing the enimies to become a footstoole So far the flower of Sharon the Rose of the worlds-field The Lilly is a flower of hot quality of excellent cleere colour whatsoeuer his colour be furnished with beauteous accomplements namely with the forme of a Bel leaued with the number of sixe furnished within with 7. graines and all within of the colour of golde hanging downe the head the lower by how much the stalke is higher of sauour so sweetely strong as mans sences will easily be ouerturned with the strength thereof This is the lilliy whereto our Saâ—ior assimilates himselfe That Messiah before was compared with the cold qualitie a reason was giuen thereof Herewith the Lilly hot in operation but this in another respect Cold he was in respect of his quenching the fiery darts of Satan hot he is in respect of chearing vp appalled spirits that haue bin nipped with the cold frosts of despâ—râ—tion And as for the first hee was compared to water and the Northerne winde so for the second hee is compared to fire and the Southerne winde By the first estate hee humbles by the second he lifts vp the first effected by the law and his curse the second brought to passe by the Gospel and his blâ—ssing For his royal accoutrements they superexcel Of the Lillies furniture it is saide Math. 6.28 29. that Salomon in all his glory was not araied like one of them But touching Iesus his clothing it surpasseth the Lilly The coate of Iesus is saide to bee without seame and the spirituall deckings of him are without all schismes nothing of his spirit that is not at vnitie in it selfe Wherewith was his humanitie inuested himselfe shall answer The spirit of the Lord is vpon mee Isa 61.1 If the spirit be his garment then no creature nor all creatures can compare with him in glory No maruell then though himselfe say Behold a greater than Salomon is here Math. 12.42 for he was the Lilly of the vallies which farre surmounted Salomon The Lillies bell-like forme it may put vs in minde of Aarons bels depending his Ephods robe which by their sound enformed the people of his going in comming out of the Sanctum or Holy-place signifying thereby the powerfull watch-word he would minister to all people sounding forth his voyce in the audience of all whereby notice might be taken of his sacrifice staine here and presented in the holy heauens or heauenly places The Lilly is called of the Hebrues Soshan the flowre of sixe because of his six leaues God creating all in measure and Number he by the number six would call vs to remember the ancient worke of creation dispatched in sixe dayes as also in the creation of our new Heauens and new Earth together with Messiahs appearance that is a new state ecclesiasticall and ciuill for the new Testaments Church to walke in For neither naturall nor spirituall Creation but all is in him for him and by him Which further appeareth by Psa. 45. dedicated to him that excelleth on Soshannim For the 7. graines growing therein they leade vs to further consideration of Christ who also is the Saboath of our soule The seauenth day the seauenth yeare the 7. times seauenth yeare begetting the great Iubile they al were shadowing rests of Messiahs rest the Substance of the former After hee established this rest by sacrificing himselfe once for all hee distinguisheth his newe Churches state into seauen Sections of Seales of Vialls of Thunders of Trumpets teaching by Saint Iohn that the Seauenth trumpets sound should finish the mysterie of God Reu. 10.7 The Lillies golden colour within dooth intimate the golden graces wherewith his soule is filled From which golden fountaine we drawe grace for grace the glorious die of our conscience The head dependant by how much the more the stalke is of height it teacheth the humilitie of Iesus who rather then Dauid might sing the 131. Psalme Lord mine heart is not hauty neither are mine eyes loftie For he thinking it no robberie to be equall with God his Father did notwithstanding make himselfe of no reputation humbling himselfe to the very death Yea vppon the very crosse hee bowed downe the head as if hee would kisse his Church on the earth for drawing it after him into heauen As for the transicke sauour of the Lillie it well represents the ouerswaying rauishments of the soule by a full contemplation of celestiall glory Daniel fell downe at the sight of Gabriel vnable to sustaine his sight but when the soule shall haue a full sauour of glory sealed vp in Messiah hee shall become appalled stand as speechles and be ready to sink vnder through the strong verdure of such an object Now for the Lillies growth-plot the Vallies it teacheth not orlie the glorious humble estate of Iesus during his whole pilgrimage here whereto the Gospel doth plentifully witnes wherof before but also it enformeth vs of the benefit of Humilitie For as the vallies-lilly is first freâ—r from harme by tempests as also capable of more moisture then is the Lilly of the Mountaines euen so our Sauiour Iesus by his humble and lowe carriage was freer from his fathers indignation yea heereby didde vndermine the building of damned Principalities and powers as also by such estate became fully fitted to receiue all the sacred dewe of Heauen for the proud and hautie shall be sent emptie away but the humble and meeke shal be filled with euery good thing As pride goeth before destruction so Humilitie goeth before glory and true receipt of graces So much of Messiahs speach touching himself hauing so compared himself to the Rose of Sharôn the Lilly of the Vallies In the Churches garden I haue gathered this Nosegay and by the guift God hath giuen haue knitte it together it remayneth that heereafter we â—auour it and smell to it for keeping vs from the worlds pestilence Now to Messiahs speech of his church Lect. II AS the Lilly amongst the Thornes so my Loue amongst the Daughters Two senses and both analogicall may herein be obserued First an assimilation of the churches state with Christs secondly a siâ—ile of hir state with som natural Lilly The first may well follow the former proposition where Messiah affirmed himselfe to be the Lilly and may be resolued thus Looke what my lot is in this wicked world the same is my churches but my lot is to be galled and pricked of the wicked world therfore such is my churches portion And in this sense not the Church but Christ himselfe is the Lilly also in this verse That the Church is alotted to
Sauiour of them that trust in thee from such as resist thy right hand Ps. 17.7 wherein hee prayeth first for staying him from falling spoken of before secondly for guarding of him from the aduersaries resistance At his right hand are pleasures eternall Ps. 16.11 wherewith he cheareth the languishing soule and with his right hand he bringeth mightie things to passe for deliuerance and safetie of his beloued Ps. 108.6.13 When he looked about to see if any creature would helpe him in the work of our redemption loe there was none for onely this His owne arme sustained him the arme of his manhood was made sufficient to vnderbeare the burden of our sinne and the punishment due therto by this his right hand his al-sufficient diuine nature The Church thus resting betweene the armes of Iesus it was gloriously figured out by the temples situation betweene the hills of Benjamin Deuter. 33.12 which temple is of Moses there called The beloued of Iehouah because 〈◊〉 figured out this his Beloued and the Mountaines aâ—e there called Shoulders as if Salomons spirite casting his eye thither shoulde heere more plainely speake Hands The one and the other speach implying Armes And that place is called Ben-jamins that is The Sonne of the right hand because he figured the Sonne of God who sits at his fathers right hand til his enemies be made his footstoole there also making continuall intercession for his Beloued Is this Temple of God his beloued Church so seated is she of this Benjamin the sonne of the right hand so embraced Then â—et all the world runne on wheeles her ship is in harbour her chickens vnder the wing her soule in safetie Whether shee liue or die she liues and dies the Lords Yea in dying shee but sleepes as Steuen slept and Dauid with his fathers Her flesh rests in hope her spirit is in Messiahs hands the Lord of the resurrection wil in the appointed day awake her who meane time râ—steth in the bosome of Messiah Hauing entred this Hold taken sure Sanctuarie let vs heare her adiuration I haue sworne yee ô daughters of Ierushalem amongst the Roes and Hindes of the field that ye stirre not vp nor waken my Beloued till he please First to the version of the text secondly to the matter it vrgeth The fiâ—st word signifieth more then simply to Charge namely to charge by an oth I turne it preter-perfectly not onely because of his forme but also for that the matter it selfe seems to exact it whereof after I reade amongst the Roes rather than By the Roes first because the Letter Beth is here prefixed which signifieth in or among more properlie as was noted in the 5. verse Secondly because it were very harsh for the Church to sweare by Roes and Hindes That afterward I read till He please and so make the Church to speake it rather then Christ it is not because the Original decideth the point for there as I may terme it it is of a doubtfull Gender but because the matter whereof after seemeth rather to require iâ— Touching the matter it is an Adjuration wherein obseruable first the Parties secondly the Thing The Parties are three first the Church of Gâ—nâ—iles giuing the othe secondly the Iewish Conuerts vndergoing the Oath termed heere Daughters of Ierushalem thirdly certaine excellent persons termed Roes and Hindes who are witnesses of the Oath and serious adiuration The thing adiured is an Vndisturbance of the Beloued during some certaine time of his embracement The new Testaments church considered still as a Queene in the armes of celestiall Salomon the few faithfull of the Iewes are considered as maides attending her person as in Ps. 45.14 15 vpon whom his Gentle Queene layeth this Iuramentâ—ll charge or oath For as the ancient Synagogue may once be said to haue sworn her Proseliteâ— such of the Gentiles as were willing to make themselues Iewes Ester â— 27 Math. 23.15 so the Church of Ethnicks now hauing the prerogatiue and by Messiah made first and principall may by like rule be said to binde the Iewish Proselites by oth vnto Christian allegiance The ancient Synagogue is noted of Rabbi-Mose to haue committed their Proselites by Baptisme euen aâ— the Leuites eâ—tred the priest-hood with washing What maruell then if the Gentile-Church admitte the Iew by Baptisme as by a solemne oath seeing such washing was by our Salomon instituted for a Sacrament wherein by oath the parties baptized are deuoted to Christian allegeance By such solemne washing the Baptized do passe their faith and troth to Christ whose lieutenant the Church is in whose sole behoofe she administreth this sacramentall oth For vnto her Husband and Lord she sweareth her Virgin-Proselites whosoeuer And therefore in the Celebration saith not Into my Name but Into the name of the Father and of the Sonne and of the Holy-ghost I baptize thee Which Baptisme into the Trinitie is for the Vnitie sake said of Paul to be Baptisme into Iesus Rom. 6. â— Gal. â— 27 for that the Father and Spirite is no way One vnto vs but by the Mediator Messiah who also for that he is the Churches Head hath freely communicated with her heerein by teaching that Conuerts are baptized into his Body 1. Cor. 12.13 that is into the communion of that faith whereby Hee the sauing Head and she the saued body are happily vnited While the Sinagogue stood they swore vs but since their fall we impose the Sacramentall oth on them We serued when they ruled and now in the time of our ruledome they serue In which respect we may take vp that of Salomon I haue seene seruants on horses and Princes walking as Seruants on the ground Eccles. 10.7 Are we mounted on horseback Well through vnbelief they are bâ—oken off we stand by Faith Let vs not be high minded but feare for if God spared not the naturall branches let vs feare lest he spare not vs. We are now vp but we may come doune nor are they so falne but they may rise Let vs therfore so raigne to day as if we should serue to morrow And let vs so compassionate them now as we would haue them to commiserate vs then As Cyrus in the top of his glory compassionated Cresus in his bonds what time the captiue cryed out O Solon Solon Solon which Philosopher before had told him that no man could be termed happy before his death Cyrus well remembring that Cresus once was as himselfe and himselfe might once come to a downfall with Cresus Lect. VII IN respect of the Oth imposed we are taught as not to sweare by anie creature for onlie the Creator can perfectly iudge so to impose an oth when therby the church may be better assured of peace If Dauid thought it a good meanes for tying his owne soule to the good-abearing Ps. 119.106 how much more are we by oth to bind others to Christian obedience as Abraham swore his seruant for prouiding an Helper for
is in the Catholike Church so compared in Matt. 13.38 for that the Children of the newe Kingdome are no more bounded vp in Canaan but growing in all nations And these kinde of Ministers haue commission to preach to these nations Who in one word are the Apostles and all such as the Lord vseth in that glorious ministration These are they who stand witnesses of the sacred othes ecclesiasticall and ciuil which by the Gentiles haue bin administred vnto the Iewish nation attending amongst them whether baptized or vnbaptized and that for their peaceable demeanor towards Christ and his church till it please him otherwise to awake for their general calling But ere I come to compare them with the Roe and Hinde let me dissolue one doubt May any Ministers after the first Apostles Euangelists and Prophets be saide to succeed them in that Ministery Many say no but I say yea For the approbation whereof let vs first consider what their Ministerie was secondly whether in the iudgement of ancient and Moderne Writers any haue succeeded in that ministerie And the rather because the blind Doctor of Brownisme doth terme such Ministers Iudes wandring starres like as they in print haue affirmed Mr. H. I. to haue a Seared conscience both which are termes only of finall reprobation I wonder what reuelation they haue had of our reprobation finall The ministerie of the Apostles Euangelists and Prophets were different in respect of forme in outward calling for Apostles had their calling immediatly from Christ. Euangelists immediately from the Apostles to whom they were Deacons in English Ministers the Prophets or new Testaments interpreters they had their calling immediately from the Church of Christ wherein they had receiued the faith But in the substance of their ministerie they were one and the same All of them were ordinarily employed in preaching Christ in gathering and planting the Churches As for the working of myracles necessarie the first preaching of Christ they all were endued therewith when so the spirit of Iesus deemed it necessarie The guift of myracles was not alwayes in their power as the guift of preaching was but only vpon extraordinarie occasion accompanied their preaching All these three Apostle Euangelist Prophet do differ in respect of some accident in their calling but for their worke they wrought gathering vnto Christ they accord all of them preaching and planting the faith they preached Apostles principall because their calling was immediately as Paul speaketh in Galat. 1.1 12. not of man but of God Euangelists in the neâ—t place because called immediately by the most excellent men of God namely the Apostles Such were Luke Marke Timothie Titus c. attending the Apostles as largely appeareth in their Acts and some of Pauls Epistles Prophets were the most inferiour of the three because their calling was immediately deriued from others of the churches lesse excellent than the former Of this number were diuers in the church of Antiochia in Act. 13. â— Of which sundry after were promooued to an higher degree as Barâ—abas and Saul seperated by the spirit of Christ to the Apostleship vers 2 3. And Iudas and Silas to attend the Apostles Act. 15 27.3â— The Apostle Paul in â—â—â—es 4. layeth downe the worke of Christes ministery to be this â— For the gathering together of the Saints for the worke of the ministerie thâ—t is for the building vp of â—he body of Christ. The worke of the ministâ—â—â—e so standeth in these two things first in Gathering the Church secondly in Building it so gathered For these two purposes he hath giuen two sorts of Ministers first Apostles prophets and Euangelists Secondly Pastors and Doctors The three first for gathering the latter for building the Gathered Which causeth Maâ—ster Beza well to say that pastors and Doctors properly doe not build but properly do proceed in a Church already builded by building vnderstanding Planting or Estâ—blishing and by proceeding he meaneth edifying or building forward the worke whose ground worke is already laide In planting or establishing the Church which Maister Beza termeth Building The Apostles were Maister-builders or planters 1. Cor. 3.6.9 10. The Euangelists and Prophets helped as seruants For Pastors and Doctors they had their calling to particular Churches already plantâ—d wherto they were tied for building vppon the foundation there alreadie layde which well may be termed a proceeding in the worke The first three ufnctions might performe the duties of the latter because they were greater but the latter could not meddle with the work of the former three For the lesser offices are contained in the greater as particulars in the vniuersall but not the Greater in the lesser no more than a Generall in a speciall And hereupon it is that the Apostles the greatest function did euer in the first place execute all the inferiour duties euen of collecting and distributing the almes appertaining to the Deacon Who when they had sufficiently enformed the châ—rches of all things did ordaine vnto them Presbyters and Deacons for proceeding in the house of God already planted This distinction of Gathering and Building or of Building and Proceeding in the worke-builded it well remembred how easie then shall it be in the next place to finde foorth a ministerie which succeedeth the Apostles Euangelists and Prophets A ministerie one with them and not for seperable accidents which consisted in extraordinary reuelations and operations but for the Essence and Substance of their ministrie What was the substance of their ministrie but a Gathering of the elect by preaching of the scriptures sealing them vp in the Sacraments which word and sacraments they incommended to the Churches in their peculiar standing-ministrie The ministrie of Pastors and Doctors oâ— of Priests and Deacons is the same for substance with that of Peter Iames Iohn the Apostles of Marke Luke Timothie Euangelists of Iudas and Silas the Prophets Onely they differ in this that the one sorte are tied to no one particular people for that they are Gatherers the other are tied to a particular worke already to their hand gathered If we finde some ministry who besides the Gospel and Sacraments administration shall with the Apostles be vntied to any one particular Church yea that besides are found Gaâ—herers of people out of Babels mixture into Ierushalems vnitie and order shall wee not truely say they succeedâ— the Apostles But first let vs see whether the scriptures teach that such a ministrie should sâ—cceede the former secondly whether experience prooue that such a ministrie hath succeeded In the fourth of the Ephes. when in the eleuenth verse is repeated the ministers which Christ vseth and in the twelfth verse the worke of gathering and building wherein they should be vsed then in the thirteâ—ne verse is laide downe the time How long they shall be so vsed in these words Tâ—ll wee all meete together in the vnitie of faith c. that is to say in plainer and fuller speach That ministrie is to be vsed for gathering and
building the Church till all the elect of Iew and Gentile be come into one body but that is not yet atchieued as yet therefore that twofold ministrie is to be vsed yea not to cease till adding to the Church cease And that I hope will not be till the whole world be summoned to iudgement by fire Secondly it may appeare in the commission giuen to the Apostles in Math. 28.19 20. Goe forth to all Nations Preaching and Baptizing and loe I am with you vnto the end of the world Word and sacraments is the substance of their commission but they vntied to any one people In thiâ— worke some must succeede seeing hee promiseth his presence for euer They were not to liue for euer therefore some other to the worlds end must succeede in the word and sacraments who also shall not be tied to any one particular people Thirdly the Apostle Paul chargeth Timothie the Euangelist to keepe the commandement without spot and vnrebukeable vntill the appearing of our Lord Iesus Christ but Timothie was not to liue so long therefore the Apostle in the Euangelists person doth charge such as should succeede in that ministration Fourthly when our Sauiour telleth vs of false prophets that shall come like wolues in sheepes clothing that is with a deuouring doctrine couered with Christian conuersation he doth not say we shall know them by the name of Prophet for that should agree to ministers of his owne sending but by their fruite that is these that were true disciples of Christ should know them by the fruite of their lips namely by their ministrie scattering from Christ. Otherwise they should vsurpe both the conuersation of Christs sheepe and also the terme Prophet which pertained to his owne ministrie And in referring them onely to their ministeriall fruite and not also to the Churches testimonie from whence they coâ—e hee closely intimates that some should be such true prophets sent forth by him bringing no testimoniall from men whom notwithstanding his disciples should acknowledge for their worke sake And vnto workes of diuine redemption Christ did send the Iewes for proofe of his being the Messiah much more may a true Prophet be so acknowledged by his worke of Gathering to Christ. The scriptures so do plainely teach that the ministerie of Apostles Euangelists and Prophets is a ministerie continued to the worlds end The same that were the ancient for substance of ministration the difference onely consisting in some forme of externall calling or other extraordinary qualification Which by the way doth conuince such of notâ—ble ignorance as referre their principall triall of ministers to some outward forme of calling Next to the Scriptures let vs heare the voice of sundry Ministers of the Church who had receiued of God to be faithfull Ignatius most ancient teacheth the Magnesians how the Preâ—byters or Priests were Loco Senatus Apostolici in place of the Apostolicall Senaâ—e And vnto the Trallians hee affirmeth the Church presbyters to be the Session and con-ioyned company of Apostles euen as the chiefest Presbyter represented the person of Christ in their holy session And Cyprian succeeding in another age doth teach the Deacons to be the more submisse vnto the Priests why quoniam Apostolos id est Episcopos Praepositos dominus elegit c. because the Lord Iesus himselfe did elect the Apostles that is the Episcops and Ouer-seers Whereas the Deacons after Christs ascention were but chosen of the Apostles for being ministers vnto them And in this path haue successors still walked affirming the keyes giuen to the Apostles to be now in the hands of the Presbyters All of them clayming authoritie for preaching the word and administring the sacraments from the Apostles Mandate in Math. 28.19 Now if the Ministers alotted vnto their particular Church do succeede the Apostles because of their ministeriall word one and the same with the Apstles how much more are these like to the Apostles who besides the matter of ministration which is word and sacrament haue also a libertie to preach whersoeuer Such were the 70. dispersed amongst the nations and such were these of whome Eusebius maketh mention who saith he in Pantaenus time did trauell to and froe for promouing and planting the caelestiall word with diuine zeale after the manner of the Apostles whome there he termâ—th Euangeilists But let vs heare some of our Moderne writers and that of speciall good report in the Church Martin Bucer boldly affirmeth that we haue yet Apostles stirred vp although not so sent and qualified with like excellencie as at first And in such sence William Tindall is called an Apostle of England and Knox of Scotland But of maister Caluin all such are termed sometimes Euangelists sometimes Prophets Why Because such succede the one so well as the other in the same worke of gathering out of confusion into order Peter Martyr speaking of such as God so hath stirred vp in this last age he saith first that Ordination is not to be expected in such seeing it is not to be had And secondly that A calling from God is not lacking to such a one whenas he is bound by precept to doe that he doeth that is to preach the trueth of Christ according to that measure receiued These saith Caluin that in this age haue held forth the Torch vnto vs that thereby wee might from dayly errour returne into the way that they haue beene holy Prophets of God the excellent yea diuine manifestation of their ministerie vttered forth that doth witnesse the same To benefite the Church thus they were neuer called of wolues who burned with madnesse after deuouâ—ing and destroying it To heale therefore this incurable euill specially when vsuall remedies failed it behooued them to be sent of God his hand for bringing helpe whom the world would willingly haue hindered And this hee well noteth to haue been signified by the Prophets which in the old testament are promised to be râ—ised vp for seeking vp the sheep that were scattered in every mountaine The Lord promiseth not to stirre vp a Priest for that was not his office being a minister standing to the temple but a Prophet for his calling was to call Priest and peopleâ— to Order And this selfe same doctrine did our Wicliffe teach aboue two hundred yeares since as appeareth in his Articles discussed in the Councell of Constance Nor see I what the Apostle meaneth in Ephes. 3.5 where he saith The Gospel is in another sorte now reuealed to the Apostles and Prophets except by Pâ—ophets he vnderstand that ministerie which ay succeedâ—th the Apostles Whereas some take the prophets in Ephes. 4.11 to be onely such as had the gift ofspâ—ciall fore-telling things they not onely haue the 1. Cor. 14. wholy against them where the new testaments prophets are largely declared to be onely such as waited on expounding and applying the scriptures but also these writers against them Ambrose Ierom Brunâ— Lombard Aquinas all on the
for a perfect Iudge thus he shall not Iudge after the sight of his eyes neither reproue by the hearing of his eare that is he would not iudge by vncertaine coniectures shadowes and glimpsies These that in cases of vndoing a person will be peremptory and resolute vpon vnsufficient triall for the lawe forbiddeth such indgement vpon one witnes the receipt of an accusation against an Elder vnder two or three witnesses they therein shew themselues rather foxes then imitators of Iesus The foxes will not aduenture their owne life but where they thinke all sure but eâ—sily they will determine the spoile of others vpon a glimpse of the first eare without first lending the second eare to the Accused The last thing I note more particularly fitting the present text is this Vulpes amare vineas that Foxes loues grapes Ironically we say of a man the foxe loueth no grapes when we meane hee seemeth not to loue a thing which he cannot get like to a subtile foxe which passeth by the grapes vntouching them whom hee seeth to be vnderpropped beyond his reach but yet by learing one may know he loues them The vine as before and afterward oft doth mystically implie the Church and here the church of the Gentiles The vine considered here in her first grape doth intimate the spring of tender Christians bringing forth their fiâ—st fruites to the glory of God the planter And these foxes doe so affect the Churches fruites as it is meate and drinke to them to chop them vp and deuour them These foxes forsooth haue no purpose to teare the Lords vine to deuoure the blossomes but by their learing aside wee knowe well their nature They couâ—t the spoile of Zion that so as foxes they may runne vpon it that there they foxes may haue holes where the Sonne of man may not haue whereon to lodge his head Of which two lâ—gged foxes some be Ciuil some Ecclesiasticall some Mixt. A Ciuil fox was Herod and all the Ciuil gouernors and people represented by that Satannicall dragon in Reuel 12. who watched to crop vp the womans fruite at the first appearance For the diuell did that by his mysticall body died with red as thirsting after blood Ecclesiasticall foxes be such Church-men and lewde Prophets as Balaam who for pleasing a great man did teach how Israel might sinne for prouoking their God to destroy them And such were Shemajah and Noaajah who were contented to be hired of Tobiah and Sanballat for fearing good Nehemiah from the worke of the Lord. And such were the Priests and Scribes of Iudeah who laboured to choke the Gospel in the first seeding The Mixt foxe is such a one as is both Ciuil and Ecclesiasticall and of this nature is euery apostaticall Pope vsurping both swords the temporall sword ouer all Princes the spirituall sword ouer all Churches In the Clementine Constitutions hee is called Stupor Mundi The Astonishment of the world and indeede he long time astonished the world and benummed their senses Then after in the same place hee turneth himselfe aside to the Pope and saith Nec deus es nec Homo quâ—si Neuter es inter vtrumque Thou art neither God nor Man what then a Beast but a Neuter Betweene both Seeing themselues will haue him to be a Neuter let it be And seeing they themselues will haue him to be neither God nor Man let him be a Beast euen Reinard the great foxe whose den and earth almost vndermined the whole earth What a friend he is to the vines let it be iudged by the carriage of his Cubs in all countries studying and practising the ruine of Princes the massacre of true belieuers the ouerthrow of parents friends and naturall country No foxe so hungers after grapes as they after firing the vines and spilling the blood of our mysticall grape The foxes so found out it remaineth they be hunted For this cause the Lord of the vineyard is of the Church thus introduced crying Take vs the foxes the little foxes Lect. IX THe Mysticall foxes and their properties vnderstood as before it now remaineth wee entreate of the Lords huntsmen who here are charged to apprehend these foxes The huntsmen are two the Magistrate and Minister The Magistrate is appointed to seize vpon the bodies of these craftie aduersaries and to that end the sword is put into his hand Hee beareth not the sword for nought for he is the Minister of God to take vengeance on him that doth euill Such an huntsman was Ioshuah who chased the Cananite foxes and slue them Such an huntsman was Dauid in seizing on the flowting foxes inhabiting Iebus Such an huntsman was Iosiah in puâ—suing to death the foxe-like priests of Baalim and such an huntsman was Iebu in Israel when hauing got the idolatrous foxes into their house of Baal he put them to the sword And lest it should be thought that such ciuil pursuite of the Churchesfoes did appertaine only to that anciâ—nt Church of Israel let vs remember not onely that Saint Paul as before doth teach that the sword is still put into their hand for such purpose but also how our Sauiour with a ciuil whip did expell the Temples choppers and changers giuing therein a taste of that ciuill authoritie which he naturally deriued from Dauid And thereby teaching ciuill Magistrates the true vse of the sword and lash incommended vnto them That prophecie of Isaiah namely that Kings should be nursing fathers and Queenes should be nurces it cannot otherwise be verified to the newe testaments Church then as is recorded first by submitting themselues and all their glory to the church secondly by licking vp the dust from before the churches feete that is remoouing scandalous and offensiue things which vnremooued might hinder the Church might danger the vines and murder the Gospel in the birth-time Are the Magistrates appointed to hunt the Foxes then are they not called to be Foxes to be Romish Reinards spoilers of our Church O that we had not cause to complaine of some subtile companions amongst vs that by crouching and creeping too oft do vsurpe the place of ciuill huntsmen but in troth either subtile Atheists making aduantage of all religions or else Popish Sanballats that bend all their wit wealth and might to the ruine of the Gospel and introducing of Romish tyranny Our Gratious Queene hath appointed them to assist her in keeping of Christs vine but these subtile Iehues howsoeuer zealous for the Lord til they were established and fast seated in their roomes doe afterwards turne their zeale to the defence of Baal Such foxe-friends wee not onely finde heere in our land but we heare sometimes of such Captaine Foxes in Ireland who being sent forth by our Soueraigne to hunt the Fox do betray her vineyard to the Fox Yea when her Maiestie hath appointed some to hunt the sea-foxe at sea we heare sometimes how they vpholde the Foxe in his rauine at least they winke
in the Church of the Gentiles euen before she was This falleth out by reason of the certaine execution of his decree as also by reason things past and to come are all present vnto him and his Spirite And heereof it is that his spirit very ordinarily in the prophets doth speake offuture things as already existing Nor but for such cause coulde Messiah and his church be introduced mutually parling in Salomons time about a thousand yeeres before Messiahs substance put away the shadowes that so the partition wall broke downe he might espouse the Gentile Which by the way must teach vs to thinke of things to come Gods word hauing taught that such things shall come as if they were already acting nay as if they were already acted Hath God threatned to destroy the impenitent If Noah Iob Daniel yea if Moses and Samuel should rise vp in their behoose they could not turne away the iudgement Hath God promised mercie to the contrite saluation to the faithfull victorie to his Church It is as good as done hell gates cannot preuaile against it For the time of Messiâ—hs absence it lieth in these two points first it should be till the day breake secondly till the shadowes flee away For the day-breake it implieth to the Gentiles onely that time of Messiâ—hs incarnâ—tion whereby the Day-starre from an high did visite vs or as the Greeke readeth wherein the Rising or East from an high did visite vs. Which implieth not so much the Day-starre called Phósphér and Lucifer growne into euill report because of their application to Satan and Nebuchadnetsar as the Sunne it selfe arising in the East True it is that Messiahs starre appeared in the East but that was not an ordinary but extraordinary starre fore-prophecied of by Balaam Iaakobs starre whereby the Easterne Sophies had intelligence of Messiahs birth The last writing Prophet of Israels Church hee prophecying of this Day breake doeth say The Sunne of Righteousnesse shall arise c. This light came amongst his owne but they louing darkenesse more then light laboured by false accusations to darken this Sunne as sackecloth they therefore kill him But the firmaments Sunne pulled in his head as ashamed to shine when the Sonne of God might not shine Hereupon the day did plainely breake for the vaile of the Temple brake asunder and as at his birth hee was highly honoured of the Gentiles so here at his death Pilate a Gentile did honour him with a Kingly inscription against the heart of the Iewes The heathen Centurian and his comâ—any seeing the euents They feared greatly saying Surely this was the Sonne of God With his birth the day did breake with his death the Sunne rose higher but with the Temples ouerthrow by the army abhominable of Romans which was about fortie yeares after his death the Gentiles had the Sunne of righteousnesse further risen vpon their Hemisphere whereof more hereafter Christ being thus as Simeon Iustus termes him a light to Gentiles and a glorious light to Israel it teacheth vs all to shew forth the vertues of him that hath called vs out of darkenesse into his maruelous light 1. Pet. 2.9 Lect. XII MEssiahs absence is secondly laide downe in thâ—se words Tâ—ll the shadowes flâ—e away q.d. retire my Wel-beloued till the nights darkenesse be put to flight till the ecclesiasticall shadowes be chased away by the Sunnes bright rising As Christ was this Sun comming gloriously forth as a Bridegroome so the Law was but a shadow of good things to come the body whereof was Christ Heb. 10.1 Coloss. 2.17 wherein the Apostle may well allude to the shadow accompanying a mans body which sometimes is before sometimes behinde as occasion is ministred by the Sunnes course euen as some shadowes went before Messiahs incarnation some againe followed behinde not vnlike to the two spies of Israel carrying betweene them the cluster of grapes for the Churches comfoâ—â— As the Apostle calleth all a shadow so Salomon here vseth the plurall shadowes because the whole body of tipes would be considered in the particular members For the better effecting whereof I will giue a taste thereof by diuiding all ecclesiasticall shadowes into these three classes or heads Chronologicall Personall Sacramentall By Chronologicall shadowes I vnderstand such as consist in Number By Personall shadowes I intend such as rest specially in some Persons By Sacramentall shadowes I conceiue onely such as consist specially in typicall elements for externall signes for which they haue of ancients beene termed principally Sacraments For Chronologicall shadowes they be I doubt not so many as there be numbers in the old testament the handling whereof would make a large booke yea many bookes But as I am vnable to wade deepe in any part of this argument so for the present I wil obserue some few times or numbers and these also of such nature as this ages sluggard who despiseth this wisedome may be least able to spuâ—ne at The first shadowing number shall be â—ixe which I terme the number of creation In sixe dayes God begunne and finished his workes of creation not because it was of absolute necessitie for God to vse such time but for our instruction for whome both times and creatures were formed One is no number but as the seede of number because all number ariseth from it And for that cause it may well be giuen to God who as he is in esâ—â—nce One so all number hath his being flowing from hâ—m and returning backe againe into him like the Hierogliphick serpent which turneth his taile round about into his mouth And that is cause why Christ God doth terme himself Alpha and Omega the first and last of the Greeke letters the beginning and endâ—ng Two is the first number three the second and this Three is not onely made glorious in the first three dayes worke with a glorious light before Sunne Moone and Starres were created but also is closely inferred in the third word of the Bible Where after Breshâ—th Bara in the beginning created there followeth Aeloâ—im God but informe plurall together with the third place secretly teaching a pluralitie of persons that is a sacred Trinitie in Vnitie In three dayes moe heauens and earth are with their whole host perfected and therefore the number 6. well tâ—rmed of Diuines The perfect number or number of perfection But what may 6. in the naturall creation figure or shadow forth Beda Rabanus and others shall in effect answere for me These sixe dayes do insinuate the sixe ages of the world wherein a mysticall worke shal be finished represented by the former naturall worke The first age is from Adam to Noe the second from Noah to Abraham the third from thence to Dauid the fourth from Dauid to the transmigration to Babel the fift from thence to Christ the sixt from Christ to the worlds ending Some others doe also diuide the world into sixe ages but with some difference from the former ancients in
this begot Iered and he Henoch 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the seauenth â—aith Saint Iude from Adam So that the doctrine of number before taught being herein remembred it maketh Henoch for his number a Sabbaticall person pointing forth Messiah the promised seede in whom Mankinde was solely to rest The former sixe Adam Sheth Enosh Kenan Mahalaleel Iered they were euery of them bright starres leading to Christ and for that cause couched of S. Luke in our Sauiours Genealogie but Henoch the seauenth was he that made vp the Pleiades seauen better starres then them in the firmament for these be not Palfiies in Charles wayne but in the ecclesiasticall chariot of heauens Salomon Secondly for Henochs name in English Taught or Dedicate it points forth Iesus Taught of God the father and Dedicated to his fathers will for his Churches redemption Saint Luke doth strictly note his enlargement in learning when hee saith And Iesus encreased in wisedome and stature not in respect of his Godhead but Manhood whereby hee was One with Henoch And that he was dedicate to his fathers worke the Psalmist witnesseth thus Mine eares thou hast boared for so CárÃtha of Cáráh signifieth which Paul to the Hebr. 10.5 paraphraseth thus A body thou hast ordained me whereby is signified our Sauiours voluntary seruice whereto he freely dedicated himselfe by allusion to the seruant in Exod. 21.6 who binding himselfe freely to his maister had for a sacramentall signe thereof his eare pierced And for dedicating himselfe vnto his seruice he was contented and did take vpon him the forme of a Seruant philipp 2.7 Thirdly The truth of which being so taught and dedicate appeareth both in Henoch the figure and Messiah figured Henoch by vocation was a Prophet as in Iude 14. so was Christ whereof more in some other personall shadow Henoch walked with God so did Iesus Henoch was taken away of God from the earth so was Iesus death being vnable to hold him vnder and his holy flesh vncapable of feeling corruption Henoch was no more seene nor shal the Humane nature of Christ be any more seene locally in the earth vntill he come to iudge the quicke and the dead for till the Restauration of all things the heauens saith Saint Peter must containe him Act. 3.21 Fourthly as the number of his generation so the Time of his life is mystical The years of Henochs life were 365. Which number à peritioribus Anatomicis of the most skilfull Anatomizers hath beene obserued in man for Sinewes and Ligatures And the Cabalists conclude that there be in Gods Law so many Negatiue commandements euen 365. All which as it lacks not his mysterie so for the present I obserue this that Henocâ—s number for Yeares and a yeares number for Dayes they be both one Henochs yeares 365. the yeares dayes according to the Sunnes course 365 pointing forth the glorious Sonne of God in whom all our dayes and yeares are sanctified The Prophet in Psalme 19. doth speake of the Naturall Sunne and his circuite according to the letter but according to mysterie the Sonne of God is he who as a strong Giant runneth his course the Alpha and Omega of his Churches dayes and yeares Thus Henochs beginning progression and â—nding did liuely shade forth Messiah in certaine particulars Nor haue writers let all this passe by in silence for thus they can speake Henoch ambulauâ—t cum domino idâ—m conuersatione ambulanit cum Domino id est in ascentione figuram Christâ—tenens Henoch in his ascension did carry a Figure of Christ Beda in Gen. 5. Another more largely writes thus â— Hic autem Henoch c. This Henoch the seauenth from Adam who pleased God and was translated he signifies the seauenth Rest wherto euery one is to be referred which in the siâ—tage of the worlde as in the sixt day is formed by Christes comming for the sixe agss of the world once runne and Iudgement done with the renuall of heauen and earth the Saints shal be translated into the life of perpetuall immortality And a late writer saith thus Signatur in ipso Christus c. In Henoch Christ is sealed or signified who did the will of his father afterwards ascended into heauen and afterwards appeared not in his Church seeing as it is saide in Reuel 12. The Sonne of the Woman was rapt vp into heauen From thence he is to come with his 144. thousands Therefore Henoch when it is said he walked with God dooth signe foorth Christ to haue preached the Gospel While it is saide hee was taken away of God it declareth Christ to haue ascended to the right hand of the Father When it followeth he appeared not it signifieth Christs Non-appearance in the church while the Pope domineeâ—d c. Thus they and right many more haue precisely obserued Henoch to be a figure type or shadow of Christ Iesus These two shall suffice for the time before the flood Lect. XIX Melchi-tsedek AFter the flood I will produce Melchi-tsedek and Isaac and first of the First Melchi-tsedek we we reade of in Gen. 14. where he is introduced vnawares meeting Abraham from the spoile causing bread and wine to be brought forth vnto him and his for his refection blessing Abraham and receiuing Tenths of him All which the Author to the Hebrewes remembreth in chap. 1.1 2 3 c. applying al to Christ as the only Hee which was figured by the former which is to be considered first in respect of his Generationâ— secondly of his Nameâ— and thirdly of his Office For his Generation he is saide to to be without Father without Mother without kindred hauing neither beginning of his dayes neither â—nd of life wherein he is likened to the Sonne of God Could these things agree properly to any Man No man so qâ—alified can be produced These things agree in proprietie only to the Sonne of God for the which it is said Hee was likened to him whereas otherwise it might haue beene saide He was one and the same with him and so no shadow of him And yet howsoeuer not in proprietie yet in a certaine true respect all the said particulars may be affirmed of him quia eius generatio subabscurior fuerit lâ—teris is non sit demandata because as an ancient Greeke vrgâ—th his generation is subobscured and not committed to sacred letters Wherewith take that of an ancient Latine Introducitur sicut Elias c. he is sodâ—inly introduced as is Elias For it is not at all to be belieued that Melchi-tsedek was without father or without Mother for Christ according to either nature had father and mother but it is so saide of him because he is so sodainly introduced in holy scripture Wherto accordeth that of the Sirian Interpretor Whose father nor mother is writ in the Genealogies but still of the Hebrewes affirmed to be Shem for sundry probable respects howsoeuer in the story he commeth in with a New name
Samson THe next shadow I select from many is Samson or according to Hebrew forme Shimshôn In whom wee will consider first his names signification secondly his calling His name being deriued of Shèmesh it is Sol-eius as much to say in English as his-sunne Amongst the Iudges stirred vp to saue Israel Samson shined as a Sunne in that Churches firmament All of them starres but this Deliuerer a Sunne among the starres casting his glorious lightsome beames through Canaan and Palestina But if we make transition from this shadow to his substance we shall finde Messiah to be that glorious bright Sunne wherewith the Church is environed in Reuel 12.1 c. out of whose Goshen there is nothing but Aegyptian darkenesse This in mystery is that Sunne in Psal. 19.6 Who is like a Bridegroome comming forth of his nuptiall chamber for hee that hath the Bride is the Bridegroome Ioh. 3.29 and he is that Gibbôt mightie strong-man that runneth his couâ—se and none can resist him When the Iewes and Gentiles by nailing him to the crosse and sealing him in a tomb did labour to stay his course they yet preuailed not for his sound went forth to the ends of the earth right quickely Rom. 10.18 Meane time as they abused him on the crosse the very firmamentall Sunne did preach to all the world that the diuine Sonne of heauen was suffering an eclipse in his course At the eclipsing of whose Glory that sphericall Sunne did blush did turne away his light as abashed at mankinde that shamed not to doe violence to the Authour of Nature the beginner and finisher of our saluation In comparison of this Sunne Samson was but a starre for from this Sunne all Churches starres doe mutuate their glittering shine doe deriue their Glory Which Sunne as it hath these fortie yeares together and vpward giuen a large shine in our land by the beames of his Gospel so God grant that our sinnes doe not cause this Sunne to set that wee naile him not in his members on the crosse lest spirituall darkenesse couer all our earâ—h at noone-tide For Samsons Calling it is twofold first Ceremoniall and secondly Morall His Ceremoniall Calling is that whereby hee was immeâ—iately sepâ—rate from the wombe for which hee was called Nazarite His Morall vocation is that whereby in ripe yeares he became a Martiall Iudge ouer Israel For his Ceremoniall title we wiâ—l first consider the Word then secondly his Ceremonie The worde Nazarite of Názar dooth signifie One seperated or exempted from common things to the end a certaine vowe may be performed to the Lord as in Numb 6.2 And indeede our sacred vowes to God will not be performed otherwise then with Henoch and the Nazarite wee seperate our selues from the common courses of Men that so we may walke with God And such perfect seperation was in Christ for which he is so oft of the Holy Ghost termed Nazarite I am not ignorant that many from Math. 2.23 doe affirme that Iesus is termed Nazarite not in respect of the ceremoniall terme but of the Citty Nazaret wherein hee sometimes dwelled And their reason is two-fold first because Saint Mathew saith that his dwelling in that Citty gaue cause why he should be called Nazarite secondly because the Syriak text reades Natsareth with tsadi not Nazareth with zaijn For the Syriaks forme of writing it is not much materiall seeing Translators vse much libertie in proper Names as in the Gospel one and the same word is written diuersly as Gersene Math. 8.28 is Gaderene Luke 8.26 Mark 5.1 so Simson in Hebrew if wee aspirate not Shin is Sampson in Greeke and Samson in Latine Which ouer much respect to the Syriake hath not onely led many to thinke that our Sauiour had the name Nazarite onely from that Citty but also that the towne Nazareth had allusion to Isaiah 11.1 where Christ being prophecied of the Prophet saieth And there shall come a rod forth of the stocke of Ishaj Venétser and a graffe out of his roote or as some will a goodly spring out of his rootes though indeede I cannot see how Netser can signifie a spring except by spring they meane a sprout twigge or â—prig But passing by the Syriaks tsâ— it is sufficient that the originall Greeke in the New testament doth neuer write it otherwise then with z because the Greekes zâ—ia doeth naturally expresse the Hebrewes zaijn not tsadi Nor would it be vnheeded that the Holy Ghost still readeth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Iesus the or that Nazarite rather than of Nazareth Touching Saint Mathew it is true that the people tooke occasion of so terming him in regard of that Citie but doth it therfore follow that the Holy-Ghost made the same to be his Only reason When as Caiphas prophecied that It was expedient one should die for the people vnderstode he as the Spirit of prophecy vnderstood No such matter The souldier percing our Sauiours side he therein fulfilled a prophesie in Zech. 12.10 and yet with no purpose to fulfil that prophesie But in this point the scripture is right copious nor vnto vs should it be strange that Man oft fulfilleth the scripture vnknowing and in aiming at one end dooth accomplish that which the Holy-Ghost applieth to another But to presse the point a litle furder Saint Mathew saying He went and dwelt in a Citty called Nazareth that it might be fulfilled which was spoken according to the Prophets that he should be called a Nazarite in what Prophets is it so said Find that and â—he knot is vnloosed Reade the 4. great prophets and the 12. lâ—sser prophets and thou neuer finds it once In a word the prophecie appeareth in Iudges 13.5 where it is said of Samâ—on the figure Nezir Aelohimijhièh hannagnar and that boy shal be called a Nazarite Which howsoeuer found in this place alone may be said to be according or by the prophets first for that this booke containing an historie of so many yeares must be pend by moe thâ—n any one Prophet secondly it may be so said in respect of the Iewish diuision of the Bible who part the old testament into three bookes or seuerall volumes thus Genesis Exodus Leuit. Numb Deut. do make one booke Ioshua Iudges Samuel Kings Isaiah Ieremiah Ezekiel and the 12. small prophets all they make the second booke Iob Psalmes Prouerbs Preacher Canticles Daniel Chronicles Ezra and Hester make the third booke The booke of Iudges so con-ioyned in the second Volume may wel be numbred within the prophets specially seeing historie includeth propheticall mysterie And that S. Peter plainly intimates in Act. 3.24 when he saith All the Prophets from Samuel and thenceforth as many as haue spoken haue likewise foretold of these dayes Some vnderstanding Ioseph to be Nazarite from Gen. 49.26 where the worde Seperate is Nazir remembred also of Moses in Deut. 33.16 do therfore vnderstand the prophets Mathew speaks of to be Iaakob Moses
more methodicall vnderstanding whereof I will note first his Name secondly his Country thirdly his Office His name is Cyrus which diuerse doe diuersly english some cleauing to one language some to an other But to me it seemeth reasonable to cleaue to two languages the Hebrew and Persian for so in Isaiahs Hebrew hee is of the Holy-Ghost termed an hundred yeares at least before he was borne and by that name of sheepheard in Persiâ— after his biâ—th hee is said to be named And so as I noted before in Samsons Nazarisme the holy-ghost theâ—eby intending one thing but men meaning anoâ—her In the Hebâ—ew I see nothing more probable then that is compounded of the letter Caph and the word Rosh in English As-an head And was not hee as an head to his people Israel a ciuil Politicall head for the weale of Gods people An Head he is not termâ—d it may befor that he was vncircumcised for Princes of the Circumcision are oft termed Heads of the People but As an head because hee was of God mysticâ—lly annointed to the welfare of his people The Persians calling him Cyrus what should they therâ— by signifie I rest in that which ancient Hisychius concluded namely that in it they had respect to the Sunne which in their language they call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cyro as being a Sun ouer-shining all the shepherds chiâ—dren with whome as humane antiquity recordeth he was trained vp Vnto which his first shepheard like estate I doubt not the Spirit of prophecy alluded when he faith Cirus my shepherd Isa. 44.28 And this their King-Like shepheard they might the rather call Suane for that they worshipped the Sunne Whereto the spirit of proâ—hecie may well allude when as by Isaiah cap. 44.5.6 he saieâ—h Though thou hast not knowne me I haue girded thee that they may know from the rising of the Sun to the fall that there is none besides me For the application of all this to Christ there shall here need no discourse For as in Samson wee learned that Christ Iesus is the Churches Sunne imparting shine vnto all so in him and others hath beene obserued that he is to his Church not only As an head but an head yea that supreame mysticall Head to which all Politicall heads are subordinate 2 Cyrus by country is a Persian It was termed Persia of Paras which signifieth to part or diuide And so Daniel expoundeth the verb peres in his chap. 5.28 with due allusion to the King of Paras then encompassing the Cittie who togither with his vnckle Darius did soone after parte and diuide the Kingdome of Babel diuiding Gods people from the Gentiles by pasporting the Iewes backe againe to their owne country When Babel was first a building Genes 11.1 c. the sacred Trinitie in vnity said come let vs go downe and there confound their tongue which confusion did presently diuide and part the people Nor till our Sunne-like Cyrus come downe with glory will the present Babel of the world be ouerthrowne Some thing was doone in his first comming whereof in the next place but an absolute parting of the wheate from tares an absolute diuision of Heauens sheep from Hellish goats of the circumcised from the vncircumcised that awaiteth his comming as King for the first was as a seruant shepheard such as Cyrus his state at first was but in the second place a Kingly Diuider 3. For the calling whereto the Lord annoynted this Persian Isaiah in the former places depaints it in many golden phâ—ases but in the first place in a generall terme called of the Lord My shepheard and afterwards the Accomplisher of all my desire which desire he accomplished 1. in subduing Nations wherby he became Monarch of the Easterne world 2. in gaining the riches and treasures that before were couched in Darknes 3. in deliuering Iudah out of captiuity and 4. in putting downe a lawe for Ierushalem and the temple saying to Ierushalem Thou shalt be built and to the Temple Thy foundation shal be surely laide That he so subdued nations and therewith got their treasure humane writers witnesse that and the sacred scriptures conceale it nâ—t That he sent Gods people back againe the blessed word neither conceales that 2. Chron. 36.22.23 Ezra 1.1 c. enriching them in their returne with some of his gained Hidden-treasure But whether the Citty and Temples building is to be counted from this Cyrus many doe make it a right great question For the better conceipt whereof it shall be necessary to lay downe the Angels speach in Dan. the ninth from whence ariseth this question and more then this The Angel Gabriel he that afterwardes brought word to the Virgine Mary touching Messiahs conception his wordes to Daniel be these Seauenty seauens are cut out vpon thy people and vpon the citie of thy holinesse for consuming wickedâ—esse and to seale sinnes and to make reconciliation for iniquitie and to bring Righteousnesse euerlasting and to seale vision and Prophet And to annoynt the Holy of Holies These seauentie seauens being seauens of yeeres according to that Propheticall proportion in Numb 14.34 and Ezech. 4.5.6 they doe amount to 490. yeeres and so of the Church it hath still beene numbred Now for the partes of this grosse summe this Angel Gabriel in English Man-god for bringing newes of Messiah which should be Man-god he afterwards diuideth into parcells with speciall charge that it be heeded and learned for thus hee proceedeth And know thou and vnderstand From the out-gate of the Word To cause the Returne and to build Ierushalem and vnto Messiah the PRINCE shal be seauen-seauens then Sixty-two-seauens it shal be builded againe streete and wall in the straitnesse of Times And after these sixtie-two-seauens shall Messiah be pierced through and not for himselfe And the People of a future Captaine shall destroy the Citie and Sanctuarie and the end thereof shal be with an inundation and to the end of the warre are desolations cut out And he shall strengthen a Couenant to Many in one-seauen And in halfe of that seauen he shal cause sacrifice and oblation to cease And vpon the wing of Abbominations he shall make desolate and that to the end powring it also vpon the cut-forth destroyed So farre Gabriels golden Oration Now to the present purpose Herein besides other things he hath taught Daniel that from the Out-gate of thâ—t Word or Edict whereby the people were to returne from Babel to Iâ—dea for building Ierushalem there should be seauentie Seauens to that following time wherein Messiah should come for consuming sinne that is sacrifice for sinne besides the killing of sinne in our nature bringing in withall eternall righteousnes c. Which glorious effects seeing they accompany none but Iesus Messiah of him Alone and of no other Annoynted one or moe can this be spoken A golden prophecie for his matter the matter is no lesse
became indeed The Son of Man And thus the fall of Man brought with it the fall of Gods Son The Head is contented to stoope with his body Christ with his Church pawning himselfe for her payning himselfe for her becomming poore for making her rich giuing her libertie by his captiuitie procuring to her pleasure by his paine life by his death Nor did the Sacrifices only represent this but also exhibite and seale Christ with his benefits vnto the faithfull Communicant In which respect it is that the Author to the Hebrues saith that Habel by his Oblation obtained witnesse that he was iust that is imputed iust by Christ Iesus sealed to his conscience To whome as to all ancient Belieuers Christ was the Lamb slaine from the beginning of the world Iesus Christ yesterday and to day the same also for euer The Egiptian priest could say Deus vim â—fficacem imprimit Sacramentis God deeply printeth an effectuall operation in Sacraments speaking of their fantastick Sacrifices but the faithfull of God vnder and before the lawe might in deede and trueth say that a vitall power was conâ—aid vnto them by the Sacrifice no lesse then eternall life by Christ Iesus sealed vnto their Conscience by the stamp of his Spirit By which externall shadowe they were so taught and sealed till Messiahs day did breake and the Lawes shadowes fly away So much generally of Sacrifice Lect. XXXII Circumcision THe next Sacramentall exhibitiue shadow shal be Circumcision first incommended vnto Abraham in the seauenteenth of Genesis and continued in his seede till Christ putte that away for establishing Baptisme But baptisme by sufficient preaching being once established thencefoorth Christ Iesus should profite him nothing that would be circumcised Galat. 5.2 This Circumcision was nothing else but a solemne cutting away of that fore-skinne in a Manchild which appertaines to the generatiue part Which the Lord at the first institution thereof doth sometimes call his Couenant sometimes the Signe of his Couenant Why Because the thing signified was to the true Belieuer conuaâ—de with the signe euen as it is in all exhibitiue sacraments And that is it which causeth the Apostle in Rom. 4.11 to call it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a seale of that Righteousnesse which is by-faith Which Sacrament was to Abrahams nâ—turall sâ—ed as Baptisme is vnto Christs spirituall seed an infallible signe of being receiued into the Couâ—nant of grace and holy Church of GOD. For by this signe the Hebrew Israel and Iew all Abrahams petigree were distinguished from all the world besides termed Gentiles The ancient prophane Herodot recordeth that the Colchians Aegyptians Aethiopians did circumcize themselues and of the Aegyptians he will forsooth that the Phaenicians and Syrians in Palestina these must be the Iewes they learned Circumcision Yet forsooth saith he â— cannot define whether the Egyptians learned it of the Aethiopians or they of the Egyptians Silly Greeke it is something he saith but farre from the truth He thought the Iewes had leaâ—ned it of the Aegyptians Why No doubt because hee had heard that sometimes their predecessours had beene in Aegipt Whereas it was instituted neere two hundred yeares before Iaakob went downe into that country And whereas he affirmeth so many of the Gentiles to circumcise it is nothing likely they euer hauing the Hebrewâ—s and their religion in horrible detestation Onely this may be some of Abrahams seede specially by Ismael borne of the Aegyptian Hagar might be sparsed in such places and there continuâ— this ceremony But for circumcision to be practised by naturall Egyptians it is against all probabilitie Philo Iudaeus therefore in his discourse of Circumcision making one argument of the vse thereof to the bodily cleanenesse specially in the priestes hee therewithall affirmeth of the Aegyptians that they for such purpose did 〈◊〉 their bodies For Circumcision we see how odious it was vnto the Gentiles in the time of Maccabees as diuerse Iewes for liues preseruation were glad to vncircumcize themselues by a painefull stretching and curious phisiking of the scarred skinâ—e It is sufficient that the ancient Greek hath recorded the Ceremonie though altogether ignorant to whom it appertained and to what end vsed But what is shadowed in Circumcision First If wee respect the paring away of the flesh it shadowes forth the expoliation and casting away of the olde-man with his inueterate lusts And this of the Holy Ghost is oft termed the circumcision of the * heart If we respect the shedding of blood accompanying that cutting it may wel represent the blood of Christ Iesus appointed to be poured out for our sinnes for the washing away of our lustsâ— for without blood no remission Heb. 9.22 And if with the representation we respect what therein to the faithfull is exhibited it is no other thing than Christ who of God the Father is made vnto vs Wisdome Righâ—eousnes Sanctification and Redemption 1. Cor. 1.30 Who by his spirite and word worketh in vs true mortification to sinne and true Viuification to Holinesse and trueth of Righteousnesse Nor lesse was taught to Abraham at the gift of Circumcision For being ben a Sonne of 99. yeares hee in his olde age is tauâ—ht to cut off the old man that so a Couenâ—nt may be sealed in his flesh The Couenâ—nt is exprâ—ssed when he saith I am God all sufficient walke before me and be thou vpright wherein the Lord not onely calleâ—h Abraham and his seede to vprightnesse of Obâ—dience towards him but also preacheth and promisâ—th to be God all-sufficient vnto him and his Nay lest he should thinke his obedience the Cause why God would be sufficient vnto him the Lord first pronounceth him El-shaddaj and then biddeth Abraham walke vprightly because his All-sufficiencie in the first place was cause of his integritie in the second place Which couenant standing of free-grace and promise it could not doe lesse than leade Abraham by the hand vnto the Seed of promise euen Christ Iesus by whom al the earth was to receiue a blessing Vnto the which blessed seede the Lord seemeth to will Abram and Sarai to Behold when as he turnes Abram into Abraham and Sarai into Sarah so adding to their names the hebrewe letter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which in english is Behold Whereto the Angel Gabriel might haue an eye when to the Virgine Mary hee cryed Behold Which letter of hebrewes termed Heâ— of vs H is to Cabalists their character of the holy ghost By which forme of learning if Abraham euer approoued such learning that faithfull couple were taught to giue the praise of all goodnesse to that Spirite of God by whom they were sealed vnto the day of redemption Thus the Church in her infancie was taught by letters In this state of the Gospel wee should be able to put these letters together for spelling a Word euen that Word which assumed Flesh for the circumcising and sauing of Mankind So much for circumcision Lect. XXXIII Passeouer THe fourth sacramentall
with a Diuells speach crying out in a Consistorie Papa pater patrum Papissae pandito partum For authoritie of which Historie we haue writers many against whom they cannot without blushing except as Polycronicon Caxton Volateran Nauclerus Marianus Scotus Martinus Polonus Functius Sabellicus Sigibertus Gemblacens Laonicus Chalcondila Platina Mare Historiarum Chronica compendiosa c. This standing so their Succession will prooue but doubtfull schismaticall whorish This they know well inough but with the simple they must equiuocate and iuggle for aduantage They will tell the simple how all translations of the Bible excepting their Latine-one are false and intollerable Whereas what knowledge soeuer they haue of ours their schollers know how our learned-men can produce many hundreds of grose errours from their Dunsticall latine-one fasly termed Ieroms To giue an vngainesayable touch in Ezra 9.8 for paxillus they reade paxillius In Prou. 16.11 they reade lapides seculi for sacculi In Psal. 133.16 they reade viduam ejus benedicam for victum and in Luke 15.8 euertit domum she ouerthrew the house for euerrit she swept the house with many such Quid for Quos If Bellarmine and such say that this hath come to passe through drowsinesse or ignorance of their Monks who first writte them nam Monacho quis indoctior how comes it to passe that they haue printed them estsoones without correction Is iâ— because they would be constant although God knowes in euill But not to speake of such Monkish errours how haps there is such warre betweene two of their Popes Sixtus quintus and Clemens octauus either of them hauing their Edition with â— know not how many thousand variations and whether of the Popes copies will they follow Arias Montanus in his preface to the Interlinear Bible will tell them how the latine translation faede corrumpitur is filthily corrupted Hereupon it is that not onely the two Popes laboured to mende it but also that Pagnin leaueth the old latine for following the Hebrue and Greeke as Arias after him doth also thousand of times leaue him for following the originall more nerely And vnto the Originall hee teacheth vs to runne in all difficultie as was of yore the sacred aduise of Ierome and Augustine In the meane time I dare say that God his prouidence hath so ouerwatched this Bible held in his right hand Reuelat. chapt 5. as vnworthy he is of any Pastorall place that from the corruptest translation is not able to hold our Christian doctrine against all Romish Pagan-inuentions With these Equiuocatours I sometimes in the succeeding Treatise so well as in the former doe conflict maintaining the ancient doctrine of Faith against their Romish innouations Against this I doubt not some of that Faction will kicke in my natiue country which somewhat more then a yeare since coulde like of a violent hand in secret for bastonadoing the Authour For a Religion it is that cannot be defended so well with words as swords nor so easly by open plaine dealing as by secret treatcheries and publike Equiuocations Which considerations had I the rather haue in this particular Dedication fled to him that Can and for holy respect I feare not Will â—oth accept and patronize qualiacunque sunt these my poore labours Wherewith I rest Your Honors wherein I may Henoch Clapham The Text. 8 IT is the voyce of my Beloued Behold he commeth leaping ouer the mountaines and skipping ouer the hills My Welbeloued is like a Roe or yong Hynde 9 Behold he standeth behinde our wall looking forth of the windowe shewing himselfe through the grates 10 My Beloued spake and said vnto me Arise my Loue my Faire-one and come away 11 For behold winter is past the raine is changed and gone away 12 The flowers appeare in the earth the time of the singing of birds is come and the voyce of the Turtle is heard in our Land 13 The Fig-tree hath brought forth her yong figs and the vines with their small grapes haue cast a sauour Arise my Loue my Faire one and come away 14 My Doue thou art in the holes of the Rocke in the sâ—cret places of the staires Shew me thy face cause me to heare thy voyce because thy voyce is sweete and thy face comely 15 Take vs the Foxes the little foxes destroying the vines for our vines haue small grapes 16 My Welbeloued is mine and I am his hee feedeth among the Lillies 17 Vntill the day breake and the shadowes flee away returne my Welbeloued and be like a Râ—â— or yong Hart vpon the mountaines of Bether The third Part. The Argument of this third Part. The Church solaceth her soule in remembring the words feature and presence of her beloued Messiah protesting withall her dutifull allegiance euen to the subscribing vnto his determined absence before incarnation so well as to his continuance in the heauens now till the time all shadowes whether Naturall Legall or Euangelicall be to be abolished to the full restauration of all things CHAP. 2. Lect. 1. Verse 8. It is the voyce of my Beloued Behold he commeth leaping ouer the mountaines and skipping ouer the hills My beloued is like a Roe or yong Hinde THis verse and the rest of this Chapter beginneth and continueth a new Act of Messiahs loue to his Church specially to this of the Gentiles As Daniel and other of the Prophets haue sundry visions of one and the same thing but the latter visions ordinarily the clearer so in this song are sundry Acts expressing Christ and his churches mutuall Loues but euerie latter Act compared with the precedent is a clearer of some former point and a perfecter of the former In this Act we haue the Church still speaking eyther declaring her owne sense or the actions of her Beloued All tending to expresse their mutual affections one towards another in respect of Christes comming in the flesh and the new churches glory accompanying the same In this verse is vttered the churches sense and feeling of Messiahs approaching in the flesh laid downe first from the knowledge she hath of his voice secondly of his pace The voyce is made excellent by the subiect when she saith It is the voyce of my Beloued The Pase is made excellent first from a word of attention Behold secondly from the speedinesse thereof once by saying he commeth leaping ouer the mountaines and hills afterwards by comparing him for that to the Roe or yong Hinde The Church of the Gentiles figuratiuely considered as a seed in the loynes of the ancient Patriarchs and Prophets doth listen after and quickely in the spirit obserue Messiahs voyce Because our God calleth things that are not as if they were for that cause the new Church is introduced hearing and seeing before she was Like as Isaiah foreseeing the New Churches glorie doth cal vpon her to Reioyce saying Reioyce thou barreâ— that bearest no children c. which by the Apostle is plainely applied to the church of the Gentiles which then
had no being by sundâ—y hundreds of yeares Which teacheth the stedfastnesse of Gods decree the truth of his word that future things are to him present yea that things to come should be to the faithfull as already acted For the Churches acknowledging his voyce it is that wherof our Sauiour speaketh in the tenth chapter of S. Iohn My sheepe will heare my voyce of whom before he hath saide They knowe my voyce How can the faithfull heare and acknowledge his voice seeing he is in the Heauens and we in the earth His voyce is now heard and acknowledged in his written word specially expounded and applied by his ministers For so long as his Canonicall bounds are kept it is not we but the Spirit of our Father which speaketh in vs. And for this cause our Sauiour doometh the acception and reiection of his ministers to be the acception and reiection of himself his father Which as it teacheth how these that be of God will heare his worde so further that his word is to bee acknowledged for the Voyce of the Churches Beloued Nor will the faithfull withdraw their eare from hearing the lawe for such their prayers shal be abhominable â— Prou. 28.9 nor yet hearing it speake euill of it as they would not be found blasphemers of the Holy-ghost But as the faithfull Christs sheâ—p can onlie acknowledge Christs voyce rightly when they heare it so from the mouthes of Foxes Woolues Tygers what can wee expect bâ—t barkings and bawlings against the voyce of Iesus Be not therefore quiet in thy minde till thou finde and feele these twoo markes of Christ in thee first a readinesse to heare his sacred voyce secondly a willingnesse to acknowledge it for the voice of our Beloued And because his voyce therefore to bee accepted sweetly embraced and layed vp in our heart as the Gemme and Iewell of our Beloued sweetest Beloued Christ Iesus Besides the Churches knowledge of his voyce shee knowes and discernes him by his pase And because she would haue al her members to know the same with her shee prefaceth her speach with this word of Attention Behold q. d. Behold how my Beloued comes running like an Hinde First herein I obserue how carefull we should be that others together with vs may heare and see Christ. When Isaiah foâ—esawe him comming to assume flesh he cryes out Behold and when the Angel Gabriel came to assure the Virgine hereof he vseth the same word Behold The Angels would haue vs to behold the Prophets would haue vs to behold and what are we that we will not behold and contemplate Christs comming and the manner of his comming That which here is to be beheld is first his pacing from mountainâ— to mountaine from thence to the hills secondly the speedines of his pace layd-forth vnder comparison His pasing from mountaines downe to the hils thence vnto her in the lowest earth I vnderstand to be his descending by degrees fro the heauens to th earth for the worke of incarnation Oh saith the Prophet that thou wouldst breake the heauens and come downe and here the faithfull foresee in the Spirit that the heauens gaue place and the Sauiour approached by degrees descending as Roes from the Rockes from higher to lower places The Ancients see him comming yea Abraham see his daie though a farre off the end of the Sinagogue and the beginning of the New Testaments church see him come Insomuch as Iohn Baptist put forth his finger saying Behold the Lambe for the succeeding ages of this Church they behold Messiah passed and ascended from whence hee first descended into the lowest parts of th earth Ephes. 4.9 From whence we are to behold him in the next place descending to a newe purpose Before hee came in humilitie to be iudged but nowe in glory to iudge before to suffer in his members but now to be glorified in his members He approached then by degrees so now And that of the faithfull was beheld with comfort so should his second comming now His manner of comming is for the swiftnesse compared to the Roe or Hinde running Asahel for lightnesse of foote was compared to a wilde Roe This Gnasáel or Prepared of God is Messiah prepared a Sauiour in the sight of all people The first ranne till he was pearced in the side so did the second The sight of the first slaine it caused the people there to stand and when should wee stoppe but when we be come to our Asahel In his death let vs rest theâ—e let vs ruminate We runne well when we rest there Woe vnto the merit-monger that ouer-runnes this crosse that seekes rest beyond him for by his blood-shedde are we only saued there let vs rest and pawse in his passion Lect. II. Verse 9. Behold he standeth behinde our wall looking forth of the Windowes shewing himselfe through the Grates THE Church listning and looking after Messiahs approaching in the flesh she in the former verse hath heard and seene him but as a farre off In this verse she exulting-wise seeth him right neere and in the following verses introduceth him familiarly speaking vnto her For the sight of him heere she hath it but in part and as it were but by halfes She being within doth see him but as without vnder her walls looking in by the windowes and the Nâ—tteworke thereof This neere sight and yet imperfect sight may be considered three wayes in the impediments to sight first in respect of the wall secondly of the windowes thirdly of the grates all three betwixt her and him The wal I vnderstand to be the ancient legall ceremonies called of the Apostle a stoppe and the partition wall Eph. 2.14 For Christ and the New Testaments Church were parted by that wall of sacrifices and other Leuiticall ceremonies during the continuance of that ancient Priesthood And in that Argument for satisfaction of the Iewes is the substance of the Epistle to the Hebrewes spent What a stoppe and partition wall it was the Proselites of the Gentiles added to the Iewes but specially the Gentiles seede inclosed in Abrahams people they sawe and felt it with sorrow Ioy and comfort it was to see Christ standing behinde the wall of oblations sprinklings of blood and washings and yet a sorrow to see him so as vnable to embrace him A comfort to see the light of the world behinde the sanctuaries lampes daily burning but a sorrow to see him slaine his blood powred out and his flesh scorched with heauens-fire in the Bullockes Goates Lambs c. slaine and burnt within and without the Sanctuarie of Israel Oh that God would hasten the remoouall of Moses ceremoniaâ—l vaile from his Iewish people that so they might see to the end of all these things namely that they were shadowes of good things to come the substance and end wherof is Christ. The second impediment be the windowes of this wall of ceremonies which I vnderstand to be the golden leaues of the word