London Si scribas non plac et mihi nisi legam ibi Jesum si conferas non sapit mihi nisi sonuerit ibi Jesus quia Jesus est in ore meo mel in aure melos in corde Jubilum Aug. 1 Pet. 2.7 Vnto you therefore which believe he is pretious LONDON Printed by J. T. for Ralph Smith at the Bible in Corn-hill 1657. CHRISTS LOVELINES CANT 5.16 Yea he is altogether lovely IN this book which is a Divine Epithalamium or Marriage-Song are all the strains of holy love set forth in the purest allegories and metaphors such as do represent that dear affection and union between Christ and his Church The Text is nothing else but the breathing forth of the Spouses love to Christ He is altogether lovely in the verses precedent she had made her sacred Panegyricks and had been setting Christ forth in his spiritual embroidery V. 10 He is white and ruddy v. 10. This denotes the excellency of complexion * Perfecta pulchritudo sita est in suavitate caloris harmonia membrorum Plato in him is a mixture of the purest colours he is of unspotted beauty Niveo natat ignis in ore purpureus The chiefest among ten thousand The Hebrew word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Standard-Bearer among ten thousand * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 significat vexillum erigere seu insignire The Standard is a Warlike Ensign and he who did bear the Standard in antient times was the most eminent person in the Army so Christ is the most glorious Person of renown the Standard Bearer According to that Isa 11.10 He shall stand for an Ensigne of the People V. 11 His head is as the most fine Gold ver 11 * Aurum obryzum Vatabl. Kings have crowns of Gold Christ is described with an head of Gold The Hebrew word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies Shining Gold or sparkling * Caput ejus vestitum lapidibus pretiosis sive gemmis aureo diademati internextis Co. de lap To set forth the infinite resplendency of Christs Beauty t is of that sparkling lustre that the Angels are fain to wear a vail V. 12 His eyes are as the eyes of Doves ver 12. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Christ is described with eyes like a flame of fire Rev. 1.14 so indeed he hath to the wicked He is a consuming fire but to his Children he hath Doves eyes which are the embleme of meekness he hath eyes dropping tears of love and compassion V. 13 His Cheeks are as a bed of Spices ver 1 3. There is an Aromatick perfume comes from him to refresh a fainting soul Some Expositors understand this Bed of Spices to be meant of the fragrancy of his vertues which are in Scripture compared to sweet ointments Thus the Spouse goes on deciphering Christs Beauty at last being in an holy rapture of spirit She windes up all with this Epiphonema or passionate strain of affection His mouth is most sweet yea he is altogether lovely His mouth is most sweet The Caldee paraphraseth it the words of his Palate are sweet as honey in the Hebrew it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 His mouth is Sweetnesses That mouth must needs be sweet which hath the words of eternal life * John 6.68 That mouth must needs be sweet a kiss of whose lips can make death sweet to a Believer well might the Spouse say Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth Cant. 1.2 Dulcior hyblaeo cujus flâ—it ore venustas Nectare Boch Antuerpiens concinnusque lepos Yea he is altogether lovely * Iâ—sunt ei omnia pretiosissima splendi dissima Junius as if the Spouse had said what do I go to set Christ forth in his several parts his Head of Gold his Eyes like doves his hands as Gold rings set with the Beryll his Belly as bright Ivory overlaid with Saphires c. alas What is all this that I have been speaking of Christ how barren is my invention how dull are my expressions what ever I have said of him falls infinitely short of his worth but this I affirm he is altogether lovely * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sept. Christi species eximia Gr-Nyssen The word in the originall is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he is all made up of loves and delights * In se continet eminenter omne quod est expetibile Lap. ipse totus desideria he is all that may excite desire So Hierome and Ambrose render it he is composed of sweetness and amiableness Dici mus de cedro quam pulcher visu quam fragrans cortice quam dulcis medulla interiori illum totum esse saccharum sic sponsa de Christo Ghislerus so Gregory Nyssen The text you see containes a glorious and magnificent description of Christ He is altogether lovely Behold here a spring full of the water of life and whosoever brings his vessel hither a heart fit to receive this water may be refreshed as the woman of Samaria coming to Jacobs Well for Christ is here The text is a sacred Cabinet which contains in it first the Jewel Christ in this word He secondly the Price of this Jewel altogether lovely Doctr. The truth resulting from the Words is this That Jesus Christ is infinitely and superlatively lovely He is the most amazing and delightful object the very name of Jesus Christ is as a pretious ointment poured forth T is said that the Letters of this Name were found engraven upon Ignatius his heart Jesus Christ is in every Believers heart Col. 1.23 Christ in you and nothing can do better there for he is altogether lovely This whole book of the Canticles is bespangled with the praises of Christ Homer might praise Achilles It Epitaph Nepot Hierom might commend Nepotian but who can set forth Christs praise all that I can say will be no more then the dark shadow in the Picture and yet it will be so much as may represent him very lovely That Christ is thus transcendantly lovely will appear four manner of waies By 1. Titles 2. Types 3. Resemblances 4. Demonstrations 1. By Titles 1. By Titles which are so many jewels hung upon his crown he is called The desire of all Nations Hag. 2.7 The Prince of peace Isa 9.7 The holy one of God Acts 2.27 Elect pretious 1 Pet. 2.6 These are lovely Titles 2. 2. By Types By Types he was prefigured by such Types as were very lovely and these Types were either of persons or things 1. 1. Type Christ was typified by persons most lovely I will name but three 1. He was prefigured and typified by Moses He was a person of Renown in Israel whom the Lord knew face to face Deut. 34.10 Moses did type out Christ in four things 1. In his Natural beauty he was a goodly child Exod. 2.2 Josephus faith Moses was so fair that he drew the eyes of all to him and that those who had
an ensigne and doth but hisse his very enemies shall be up in armes to revenge his quarrel * Isa 5.56 Who would provoke this God! It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God * Laneos habet pedes sed ferrcas manus Heb. 10.31 as a Lion he tears in pieces the adversaries Psalme 50.22 Oh meditate on this power of God The meditation of Gods power would be a great stay to faith A Christians faith may anchor safely upon the rock of Gods power It was Sampsons riddle out of the strong came forth sweetness * Judg. 14.14 While we are meditating on the power of God out of this strong comes forth sweetnesse Is the Church of God low he can create Jerusalem a praise * Is 65.18 Is thy corruption strong God can break the head of this Leviathan Is the heart hard is there a stone gotten there God can dissolve it The Almighty makes my heart soft * Job 23.16 Faith triumphs in the power of God out of this strong comes forth sweetnesse Abrabam meditating on Gods power did not stagger through unbelief Rom. 4.20 He knew God could make a dead womb fruitful and dry breasts give suck 5. Meditate upon the mercy of God Meditate on the mercy of God mercy is an innate disposition in God to do good as the Sun hath an innate property to shine Psalme 86.5 Thou Lord art good and ready to forgive and plentious in mercy to all them that call upon thee Gods mercy is so sweet that it makes all his other attributes sweet Holinesse without mercy and Justice without mercy were dreadful Geographers write that the City of Syracuse in Sicily is so curiously scituated that the Sunne is never out of sight though the children of God are under some clouds of affliction yet the Sun of mercy is never quite out of fight Gods justice reacheth to the clouds his mercy reacheth above the clouds How slow is God to anger He was longer in destroying Jericho than in making the world He made the world in six dayes but he was seven dayes in demolishing the walls of Jericho How many warning-pieces did God shoot against Jerusalem before he shot off his murdering-piece Justice goes a foot-pace Gen. 18.21 mercy hath wings * Psal 57.1 the sword of justice oft lies a long time in the scabbard and rusts till sinne doth draw it out and whet it against a Nation Gods justice is like the widows oyle which ran a while and ceased 1 Kings 4.6 Gods mercy is like Aarons oyle which rested not on his head but ran down to the skirts of his garment Psalme 133.2 So the golden oyle of Gods mercy doth not rest upon the head of a good parent but is poured on his children and so runnes down to the third and fourth generation even the borders of a religious seed Often meditate upon the mercy of God The meditation of mercy would be a powerful loadstone to draw sinners to God by repentance * Rom. 2.4 It would be as a cork to the net to keep the heart from sinking in despaire behold a City of refuge to flie to God is the Father of mercies 2 Cor. 1.3 mercy doth as naturally issue from him as the childe from the parent God delights in mercy Micah 7.18 Chrysostome saith 't is delightful to the mother to have her breasts drawn and how delightful is it to God to have the breasts of mercy drawn mercy finds out the worst sinner mercy comes not only with salvation in its hand but with healing under its wings The meditation of Gods mercy would melt a sinner into tears One reading a pardon sent him from the King fell a weeping and burst out into these words A pardon hath done that which death could not do it hath made my heart relent 6. Meditate upon the truth of God Meditate on the truth of God mercy makes the promise and truth performes it Psal 89.33 I will not suffer my faithfulness to faile God can as well deny himself as his Word He is abundant in truth Exod. 34.6 What is that if God hath made a promise of mercy to his people he will be so far from coming short of his Word that he will be better than his Word God often doth more than he hath said never lesse he oft shoots beyond the mark of the promise he hath set never short of it He is abundant in truth God may sometimes delay a promise he will not deny it The promise may lie a long time as seed hid under ground but it is all the while a ripening The promise of Israels deliverance lay four hundred and thirty yeares hid under-ground but when the time was come the promise did not go a day beyond its reckoning Exod. 12.41 Exo. 12.41 The strength of Israel will not lie 1 Sam. 15.29 Meditate on the truth of God The meditation of Gods truth would 1. Be a pillar of support for faith The world hangs upon Gods power and faith hangs upon his truth 2. The Meditation of Gods truth would make us ambitious to imitate him We should be true in our words true in our dealings Pythagoras being askt * Quidnam homines diis similes faciat cum vera loquuntur what did make men like God answered When they speake truth SECT 2. Meditate on the promises THe second subject of meditatation is Meditate upon the promises of God * Habenâ—ubera vere vino meliora fragrantia unguentis optimis Ber. The promises are flowers growing in the paradise of Scripture meditation like the Bee sucks out the sweetness of them The promises are of no use or comfort to us till they are meditated upon For as the Roses hanging in the garden may give a fragrant redolency yet their sweet water is distilled only by the fire so the promises are sweet in reading over but the water of these Roses the spirits and quintescence of the promises are distill'd into the soule onely by meditation The Incense when it is pounded and beaten smells sweetest Meditating on a promise like the beating of the Incense makes it most odoriferous and pleasant The promises may be compar'd to a golden Mine which then only enricheth when the gold is digged out by holy meditation we digge out that spiritual gold which lies hid in the Mine of the promise and so we come to be enriched Cardan saith there 's no precious stone but hath some hidden vertue in it They are call'd precious promises 2 Pet. 1.4 When they are applied by meditation then their vertue appears and they become precious indeed There are three sorts of promises which we should chiefly meditate upon 1. Promises of remission I even I am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake and will not remember thy sinnes Isa 43.25 Whereas the poore sinner may say alas I am deep in arrears with God I feare I have not fill'd
cast off his people neither will he forsake his inheritance Psalm 94.14 This is like a star in a dark night or like the plank and broken pieces of the ship on which Paul and the rest came safe to shore Act. 27.44 God may conceal his love from his children not take it away * 2. Sam. 7.15 he may change his providence towards them not alter his purpose 9. In case of death there is a psalm revives though I walk in the valley of the shaddow of death I will fear no evil Psalm 23.4 The sting and poison of this serpent is taken away Thou art with me with thy power to support with thy grace to sanctifie with thy love to sweeten Thy Rod and thy staff do comfort me I have the staff of thy promise in the hand of my faith and with this I can walk thorow the dark entry of death Thus in every condition Davids Psalms like Davids harp may serve to drive away the evil spirit of sadness and unchearfulness from a Christian so much concerning the Psalms in general I come now to the words of the text when I awake I am still with thee Where you have the very effigies and portraicture of a godly man drawn out he is one that is still with God It was Davids happiness that he lived above the common rate of men not only as he was higher in power and dignity being a king but higher in sublimeness of affection * Animam habuit angeliflcatam Tertul. having his heart and hope raised above the world I am stil with thee Divines give many reasons why David was called a man after Gods heart but sure this is not the least because the frame of his heart was so heavenly this being most agreeable to Gods nature and will David was a man that as Ambrose speaks lived in the world above the world Assoon as he awaked he stept into heaven David was a Seraphical saint a mortal Angel like a true bird of paradise he did seldom touch with his feet upon the earth He was least alone when he was most a lone Nunquam minus solus quam cum solus Tul. Offic. When he awaked he was with God Nor was this onely when the fit was upon him a thought of God and away but it was a fixed temper of heart I am still with thee * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The pulse of his soul was still beating after God The hypocrite may have a blush of godliness which is quickly over Job 27.10 but the constitution of Davids soul was heavenly I am still with thee Not but that David had some diversions of mind Caution to have the eye alwayes fixed upon God will be the state of the blessed in heaven but David was still with God 1. Because the bias and bent of his spirit was towards God His heart like the needdle in the compass pointed heavenward 2. Because he was more with God then he was any where else Subjectum a majori parte as we use to say a man lives at his house not but that urgency of occasions draw him abroad sometimes but he is said to live there because he is most resident there The words hold forth this proposition Doct. That it is the sweet temper of a Gracious heart to be still with God I am still with Thee David awaked in heaven He was ever above We read in the old Law that those creatures which did creep upon all four were to be had in abomination but they which had wings to flie and leggs to leap withall were accounted clean Lev. 11.20 Those are among the uncleán and are abominable to God whose souls creep upon the earth but they who have the leggs and wings of grace to mount up with who are still with God these are pure and precious in Gods eyes For the illustrating this point there are three things to be explained and amplisied 1. What it is to be still with God 2. In what sence the soul is still with God 3. Why a gracious heart is still with God 1. What it is to be still with God In general it is to have a sweet intercourse and Communion with God 1 Joh. 1.3 Our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus In prayer we speak to God in the Sacrament he kisseth us with the kisses of his lips he giveth us a privy seal of his love 2. In what sence the soul is said to be still with God I answer the soul is still with God five manner of wayes 1. By contemplation So Ainsworth understands the Text. contemplatione I am still with thee that is by divine contemplation Davids thoughts were ever and anon running upon God So vers 17. How precious are thy thoughts unto me O God! Davids mind was a spiritual mint he minted most gold most of his thoughts were heavenly Thoughts are as travellers and passengers in the soul Davids thoughts were still travelling towards the Jerusalem above In Davids dangers God was still with him in Davids contemplations he was still with God Anaxagoras said he was born to contemplate Heaven Thus a Christian is still with God he is viewing glory his thoughts are all packed up and gone 2. Defiderio The soul is still with God by desire His anchor is cast in Heaven Hebr. 6.19 and he is carried thither with the sails of desire David did shoot his heart into Heaven by desire * Videmus terram torrefactam dehiscere ac si aperto ore potum e caelo appeteret significat propheta se desiderio ferventem ad deum accedere ac si vitalis humor eum deficeret Calvin in Psal 143. he had strong anhelations and pantings after God Psal 73.25 Whom have I in Heaven but thee and there is none upon earth I desire besides thee he saith not he had nothing upon earth he had his Crown and Scepter but nothing he desired like God Psal 42.1 as the hart pants after the water brooks so panteth my soul after thee O God The hart as Historians observe is a dry thirsty creature especially when chased by the hunter now nature is on fire and must have water to quench it thus the pious soul pants after the refreshing streams of Christs blood * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Basil and these desires of a Christian are rightly terminated he desires aswell conformity to Christ in grace as Communion with him in glory he desires the Sun of righteousness not onely for its refreshing beams but for its healing wings he desires not only Christs presence but his image Lord give me thy self that I may be more holy what should I do in Heaven with this unholy heart what converse could I have with God or angels thus the soul is still with God by desire and he desires not onely mercy but grace Amore. 3 3. The soul is still with God by love Where a mans love is there he is what
of the ladder stood upon the earth his divine nature which was the top of the ladder reached to heaven The Arrians and Socinians deny his Godhead as the Valentians do his manhood * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ignat. Ep. ad Antioch If the God-head be in him he must needs be God but the God-head shines in him Col. 2.9 In him dwells 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 All the fulnesse of the God-head * Non dicit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quod discrimen contra Eutichianos notatu dignum Beza and to confirme us in this truth let us consult with those Scriptures which do clearly assert his Godhead 1 Cor. 8.6 To us there is but one God the Father of whom are all things and one Lord Jesus Christ by whom are all things and Phil. 2.6 who being in the form of God Basil lib. 1. Cont. Eunom which is as much saith Basil as to exist in the essence of God 1 Tim. 3.16 God was manifest in the flesh and 1 John 5.20 We are in him that is true even in his sonne Jesus Christ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 THIS IS THE TRUE GOD * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ignat. Besides these testimonies of Scripture which do expressely assert the God-head of Christ it may be clearly demonstrated by those incommunicable properties belonging to the Deity which are ascribed to Christ and are the flowers of his Crown As 1. Omnipotency * Justin Martyr Orat. 1. ad Graec. Heb. 1.3 2. Omnisciency Mark 2.8 3. Ubiquity Mat. 28.20 4. Power of sealing pardons Mat. 9.6 5. The mission of the holy Ghost John 16.7 6. Coequality with God the Father Phil. 2.6 both in power John 5.19 21. and dignitie John 5.23 Thus we see his God-head proved and as he is God-man he is altogether lovely He is the very picture of his fathers glory Therefore he is called the expresse image and character of his person * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Heb. 1.3 The very effigies and print of Gods face is seen in Christ the glory of Gods wisdome holinesse mercy doth most transparently shine forth in him Thus his person is lovelie 2. Christ is lovely in his disposition A good nature is able to render deformity it self lovely Christ is lovely not only in his complexion but in his disposition He is of a loving and merciful disposition and in this sense may be called deliciae humani Generis * Titus Vespas It is reported of Marcus Aurelius the Emperour that he was of a most affable winning temper given to clemency and every day he would set one houre apart to hear the causes of the poor Thus Jesus Christ is of a most sweet disposition * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Macar He will not alwayes chide Psalme 103.9 He is inclinable to shew mercy to the penitent He delights in mercy Micah 7.18 He envites sinners to come to him Mat. 11.28 he begs of them that they would be saved 2 Cor. 5.20 he knocks at their hearts by his Spirit till his head be fill'd with dew and his locks with the drops of the night Rev. 3.20 If any poor soul accepts of his offer and doth arise and go to him how doth Christ welcome him * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Macarius Christ makes the Feast Luke 15.23 and the Angels make the musick verse 7. But if men will not receive the tenders of grace Christ grieves Mark 3.5 He is like a Judge that passeth the sentence with teares in his eyes Luke 19.42 And when he came nigh the City he wept Ah sinners I come to save you but you put away salvation from you * Acts 13. I come with healing under my wings but you bolt out your Physician I would have you but open your hearts to receive me and I will open heaven to receive you but you will rather stay with your sinnes and die than come to me and live Psalme 81.11 Israel would none of me Well sinners I will weep at your Funerals Oh how lovely is Christ in his disposition he comes with his suppling oyle to poure into sinners wounds He would faine break their hearts with his mercies He labours to overcome their evil with his good 3. Christ is lovely in his sufferings when he did make expiation for our sins * 1 Pet. 2.24 but what lovely in his sufferings lovely when he was buffeted spit upon besmeared with blood O yes he was most lovely upon the crosse * Rubore sui sanguinis nos candidos effecit Ghislerus because then he shewed most love to us He bled love at every veine His drops of blood were love-drops The more bloody the more lovely * Quanto pro me vilior tanto mibi charior Aug. The more Christ endured for us the more deare he ought to be to us Osorius writing of the sufferings of Christ saith Gal. 6.14 that the crown of thornes bored his head with seventy two wounds * Doles domine non tua vulnera sed mea Ambrose Quid dicamin crucem tollere Tully and Tully when he comes to speak of the death of the Crosse shews his rhetorique best by an Aposiopesis or silence what shall I say of this death Though a great Orator he wanted words to expresse it Nor did Christ only endure paine in his body but agony in his soul He conflicted with the wrath of God which he could never have done if he had not been more than a man We reade that the Altar of wood was overlaid with brasse that so the fire on the Altar might not consume the wood Exod. 27.1 2. This Altar was a type of Iesus Christ The humane nature of Christ which was as the wood was covered with the divine nature which was like the brasse else the fire of Gods wrath had consumed it and all this Christ suffered was nostra vice in our stead * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ignat. Isa 53.5 We eat the soure Grape and his teeth were set on edge We climbed the tree we stole the forbidden fruit and Christ goes up the ladder of the Crosse and dies Oh how lovely ought a bleeding Savior * Pendet anima dulcia poma de ligno decerpit Bern. de Floribus to be in our eys Let us weare this blessed crucifix alwayes in our heart * Inspice vulnera pendentis sanguinem morientis caput habet inclinatum ad osculandum cor apertum ad diligendum brachia extenia ad amplexandum totum corpus expositum ad redimendum haec quanta sint cogitate haec in statera vestri cordis appendite ut totus vobis figatur in corde qui totus pro nobis fixus fuit in Cruce Aug. lib. de Virgin Crux Christi clavis paradisi The Cross of Christ saith Damascen is the golden key that opens Paradise to us How beautiful is Christ upon the Crosse The ruddinesse of his blood took away