given and thinkest that thou thy self art not intended in the gift because thou findest so many promises made to righteous persons when thou thy self art a miserable sinner then dost thou totally banish Christ out of thy Conscience remainest in thy sins and must suffer the loss of Eternal life and glory and if thou teachest that point unto others thou dost not only discover thine unbelief but also professest thy self to be an unbeliever and dost by thy Doctrine establish the world in the grounds of unbelief directly contrary to the office of the holy Ghost which is to convince the world of sin because they believe not Joh. 16. Thou seest then first wherein the sweetness of Christs mouth lies in that he teacheth thee to believe first by destroying the ground of unbelief which nothing can do but only the Fathers gift next in shewing thee upon what ground thou must begin to build thy faith not because he first loveth thy works but thy sinful person that thou mayest love him bless him confess thy sins unto him and mourn for the depravation of thy sinful nature not out of dispaire but of love and thankfulness to thy Heavenly Father who hath shewed mercy to thee and given thee his Son Secondly His mouth is most sweet in that he teacheth thee the new signification of the terms of the Law he that sate upon the throne said behold I make all things new Rev. 21.5 So that since the fall of man the terms of the Law do this and live have a signification which is new and therefore mans obedience is said to be new But what is it to make all things new Quest I answer to make all things new Ans is to make a new way to attain to the righteousness of the Law and Everlasting life The Covenant of grace maketh the signification of the terms of the Law to be new by the righteousness of faith alone Understand it thus the terms lay'd upon Adam were do this in thine own person and live but do this since the fall is do it in the person of thy Redeemer and live so that do this before and since the fall have a double signification the one is old the other is new to receive grace from the Redeemer to do the Law in thine own person doth not make a new signification of the terms When Moses saith Lev. 18.5 do this and live he speaketh of the old signification of the terms of the Law do it in thine own person according to the Covenant made in Horeb. Exod. 20. But when Moses speaketh of the righteousness of faith Deut. 30.14 Which he calleth also also the keeping of the commandments Ver. 10.11 Rev. 22. He speaketh of the new signification of the terms of the Law according to the Covenant made in the Land of Moab Deut. 29. Ver. 1. The first of these pertains to the self justiciary the latter to the broken hearted nor thy obedience to be new for that is doing in thine own person the same terms which were lay'd upon Adam and not in the person of thy Redeemer nor canst thou ever believe that God loveth thee by that obedience nor yet be brought to love God but to do in the person of the Redeemer is to believe that he hath done it for thee and given his obedience to thee before he requireth any of thee that so by a new and living way thou mightest learn to love him fear him and obey him Therefore when the Law was given the Gospel is set before wherein God giveth himself unto us that we might love him before he requireth any thing from us And in the first Commandment he layeth this prohibition upon us which also runneth through all the ten Commandments that we seek after no preparative righteousness to precede the Gospel So that to do the Law is to do it according to the Gospel and the first Commandment which is not to depend upon the Law Therefore when it is said blessed are they that do his Commandments that their right may be in the tree of Life thou must understand it according to the Gospel and the first Commandment where by doing his Commandments is meant not depending upon the Law which opinion in us of self dependance is the first thing which is taken away by the Gospel and goeth imediately before our establishing in Christ All this hinders not but that the Law is to be done before men to the utmost of our power in the Kingdom of the Law our obedience must be personal which not withstanding helpeth nothing to righteousness because it is prevented by faith in Christ Now herein also the sweetness of Christs mouth is seen in that he teacheth by the Gospel a new understanding of the Law Thirdly The sweetness of Christs mouth is seen in this also in that he teacheth the true reason of the institution of Sacraments which in all ages of the Church were to teach faith in Christ Sacraments were not instituted to assure us that we have faith or to confirm to us that we do believe but to assure us by a figure of the visible ground of our faith that we might believe that our faith might be Sacramental as well as verbal that we might learn the mistery of our faith by and from the figure Thus by Circumcision God did establish his Covenant with Abraham to be his God Gen. 17.7 and the God of his seed and why was this But only from the figure to teach him to believe And when circumcision is said to be a Seal of the righteousness of faith it is Rom. 4. because it confirmeth by a figure the righteousness which faith layeth hold upon And under the figure of the Passover they were taught to believe their deliverance Exod. 12.13 from sin and the wrath of God by the blood of Christ So the reason why Baptism was instituted was to manifest Christ unto Israel John 1.31 It looketh not upon the worthiness of the person but teacheth to behold our unworthiness that we may be made worthy in Christ So the Lords Supper Luk. 22. was instituted to fulfil the Passover and shew us the Lords death that we might have a visible and Sacramental ground to believe that he is crucified and risen for us Now these being the causes why Sacraments were instituted it is proving and not to be proved therefore no unworthiness in the Subjects must be alleaged to bar their priviledg that stands in opposition to the reasons of their institution So that we see Christs mouth is sweet in that he openeth these three points the ground of our faith the sense of the Law and the reason of the institution of Sacraments Which I conceive are the three gates spoken of Rev. 21. which pertain to the holy City new Jerusalem on the East West North and South side of the Heavenly City without the opening of which three gates there is no entrance into the new Jerusalem For let
said by an indefinite Speech to be sixty valiant Men of the valiant of Israel these are the choice ones in the Church Men that are expert in the Faith that are able to make War against all Heretics and Seducers These are like Solomon's Curtains being always round about the Bed in all Ages of the Church to preserve the Doctrine of Christ from false Glosses These are knit unto Christ by Faith and one to another by Love and Unity in Doctrine Exod. 26. So that even as the Curtains of the Tabernacle were coupled together with Taches of Gold to make one Tabernacle so by these golden Taches of Faith and Love the Saints are knit to Christ and one to another And in this sense the Bride saith here she is comely not only in respect of her Faith towards God but also in that she is an Ornament to the Bed being instrumental to preserve the Church of God from being defiled by reason of corrupt Doctrine This teacheth us what the Life of the Saints is and must be in this World even to keep the Church of God as much as in us lyeth from being polluted by false Doctrine for they are set round about the Bed for this purpose to fight against Satan and his Ministry and the reason and wisdom of the Flesh which always opposeth and fighteth against the Gospel and also to walk in Unity one towards another and towards all Men. VERSE VI. Look not upon me because I am black because the Sun hath looked upon me my Mother's Children were angry with me they made me the Keeper of the Vineyards but mine own Vineyard have I not kept IT is as much as to say this Look not upon me with contempt to despise the Doctrine I profess nor yet upon my stains and blemishes as if I were cast off and rejected of my Beloved for although my Skin be of an evil colour this doth not proceed from any evil there is in the Gospel but from an outward cause to wit the Sun the Sun hath looked upon me therefore I would not be despised and counted a Cast away for it is not my natural hew I am comely in the sight of my Beloved True it is I have some troubles upon me my Mother's Children do afflict me There be many of the same Linage I am of in respect of the outward state of the Church we have all one Mother but they have not the Spirit of Adoption to become the Children of my heavenly Father My Mother's Sons have not true Faith in Christ nor Hearts to live as Brethren and Sisters ought to do For although we were born in one House and brought up in one Family did all eat the same Spiritual Meat and drink the same Spiritual Drink Yet they are fallen away by evil Principles and into an evil course of Life and because I am not willing to follow their evil ways in Life and Doctrine therefore they are angry with me They have canker'd Minds full of malice and very much enflamed against me for when I was about mine own business in the Lord's Vineyard to do good to every Vine according to my power and skill they made me through my own frailty and weakness to look to other Vines not only to do such Orders observe such Ceremonies and preach such Doctrines as I was never appointed to do but also sought to draw me quite away from the Lord's Vineyard to other Vineyards And to persuade me hereunto they would make me a Keeper they would set me in an Office to keep out the defiled and unclean lest their Vineyard should be spoiled by evil Beasts And while I was thus imployed yielding my self too much this way they brought me quite out of Love with my own Vineyard mine own Vineyard have I not kept and in forsaking mine own Vineyard which I too much consented to I had even lost the benefits of Christ my Lord and Saviour The Bride here sheweth that although she be black and stained and out of countenance yet she would not be look'd upon proudly with disdain and contempt but as an object of Pity and Mercy yet this she sheweth to be the practise of the Daughters of Jerusalem in all Ages of the Church to cover all things that is comely in the Bride to bury that in Oblivion but to fasten their Eyes very heedfully upon that which is her blackness and deformity Such is the infirmity of Man's nature that if there be any blemishes and stains in others that we curiously observe and suffer our Affections to be even quite abated from them therefore but if there be any thing worthy of Praise that we skip over and take little notice thereof That which is good in us we would have all Men look upon and have us in high estimation for but in dealing with other Men we behold every spot blemish and stain All Men are willing to have their own deformities skipped over and their vertues highly praised and honoured but are loth to take any notice of the vertues in others although they be ever so excellent and worthy of praise But why do we look upon that which desameth the Person in some things And do not as well behold that which will set him out in other things If there be some blemish in an House we take not much notice of it but most of all behold that which will make it saleable Or if a ground be infected with Herbs and Roots that in some respects may be unprofitable yet if in other respects they are useful we account of them and cherish them Now if in Herbs and Roots we respect the vertues as well as the baseness why do not we the like by the Church of God Why do not we mark the best things to help to inflame Charity and to nourish true Christian Love as well as to fasten our Eyes upon the deformities of the Church which is the ready way to separate our Affections from it She also complaineth farther than in leaning too much to her Mother's Sons she forsook as it were the fruit of her own Vineyard even the Righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ Of this sort of People the Church of God hath ever been pestered withall such that fall away themselves and then seek to draw Disciples after them some to follow Rules and Orders which are not commanded that live within the Church and to draw Men into an evil course of Life and others which seek to draw Men from the Lord's Vineyard unto other Vineyards whereby they come to lose the Fruits of Christ's Death and Resurrection For it must well be noted that although in separation from Churches a great shew of Holiness may be pretended yet under that shew of Holiness the greatest Sin lyeth hid which is a departing from the Gospel And the reason is because the ground of separating from one Church to another is not because the gifts of God are wanting in the Church separated from which are
the Word and Sacraments but because of Men's corruptions neither is the ground of their uniting into another Church fellowship because of the word of God but the works of Men. Now because they make another ground of Church fellowship which is not the Gospel preferring the abominable works of Men before and beyond the Word and Righteousness of God having nothing to glory in but only in the Act of Separation therefore by the very Act of Separation the Fruits of the Vineyard are lost And this is that which the Bride here toucheth upon and confesseth she did yield too much this way and about this point most that are godly first or last are tottering yet she recovered her self and confesseth that she had rather forsake her Mother's Sons although they be angry with her than by following their Doctrine and way to lose the Fruits of her own Vineyard and purchase the displeasure of her Beloved Therefore let every Man in the Church of God keep to his own Vineyard and do the Lord's work first in looking to himself then in planting the young Vines Also in nourishing those that are planted there is work for every Man to do and God will give a liberal Reward in the end every Man at the last shall have his Penny VERSE VII Tell me O thou whom my Soul loveth where thou feedest where thou makest thy Flocks to rest at Noon for why should I be as one that turneth aside by the Flocks of thy Companions IN this temptation the Bride sheweth what she did she made her request to her Beloved and to win him to hear and grant her request she calleth him not by such Titles as are usually given to him in Scripture as the Messias or the Anointed of the Lord or the wonderful Councellour but by that Title she felt to be due to him in her own Affections Oh thou whom my Soul loveth Tell me O thou whom my Soul loveth where thou feedest I know that where thou feedest there is thy Presence and where thy Presence is there is thy Flock and therefore I pray thee tell me For I am a poor silly Woman thy Spouse and have some Troubles upon me by reason of my Mother's Sons and am many times troubled in Conscience because I do things contrary to my Conscience and cannot tell where to have Peace but in thee therefore I pray thee tell me where thou usest to feed and also makest thy Flocks to rest at Noon What that Doctrine is that is thy People's rest and in what Company of People the Principles of that Doctrine are taught that so even as Shepherds in Countries near the Sun do not only feed their Sheep in fit Pastures but also drive them to shade at Noon So also in the time of Persecution from my Mother's Sons I may know in the heat of the day whither to run to be safe under thy Couch For if thou dost it not I may very much hurt my self by degenerating into a strange Vine for others feed Flocks and make shews to be thy Companions which are but Seducers and Deceivers and why should I be as one that turneth aside following after those Flocks for want of understanding the place where thou art always resident But what is the cause the Church so loveth Christ whom she never saw Quest The cause is Answ because she perceiveth in him the nature and properties of Love for he giveth unto her freely that which she lost in Adam which is deliverance from the Curse and everlasting Condemnation Therefore it is that she loveth him with her Soul and this knowledge she hath by Faith alone and not from her Works for although by Works she manifesteth her Faith before Men yet nothing can evidence Faith to her own Conscience but only Faith it self The last Resolution of Faith is when the Evidence of Works is lost and nothing is left to assure us but the Word alone For nothing can evidence Faith in the last Resolution of it to be Faith but the infusing of Grace into the Soul without precedent preparation but in all Works there must be some precedent Preparative to make them good Now what ever that precedent Preparative is that makes them good Works the same is the Light and Evidence of Faith it self and nothing can evidence Works to us to be good but Faith therefore Faith alone must evidence it self in the last Resolution of Faith it alone being infused into the Soul without any precedent preparation Now Faith is an Evidence because it being a rational Faculty knows what is given us of God and also knows what is by us received And one thing more amongst many is chiefly to be noted The Bride here loveth Christ with her Soul and yet she is ignorant in many things which are also of concernment she knoweth not where he feedeth but scruples she hath about the place nor where to rest her self in the heat of the day nor how to answer something objected against her by Seducers yet she is not dismayed and driven out of her Faith notwithstanding all this but loveth Christ with her Soul Which must comfort those poor wretches that are ignorant in many points that cannot tell how to discourse of high Matters nor to answer many Objections that are made against them by Seducers yet if they know but this one thing that Christ hath given them freely that which they have lost in Adam in this may they rejoyce and by this they may certainly know that they are of the number of Christ's Flock that do pertain to the Bride-bed VERSE VIII If thou know not O thou fairest among Women go thy way forth by the Footsteps of the Flock and feed thy Kids besides the Shepherds Tents THese words are the Answer of Christ to the Churches request wherein he sheweth his Compassion to her although she was ignorant in some things and therefore he answereth her thus If thou knowest not aright the place where I feed yet I account of thee therefore be not dismayed thy Person is in favour for thou art to me the fairest amongst Women therefore hearken to me and follow my direction Go thy way forth by the Foot-steps of the Flock Mark the track of all the Flock that went before thee Patriarchs Prophets and Apostles and other holy Men of God that both knew my voice and followed me and see where they did feed and what they rested on in the heat of the day and when thou hast found the track there feed thy Kids by the Shepherds Tents Christ here termeth his Bride The fairest amongst Women although she hath many imperfections in her and the reason is because he covereth all her deformities with his own Righteousness and Merits therefore he taketh pleasure in her hideth all her stains and blemishes and mentioneth nothing but her fairness and beauty This is contrary to the practice of the World who walk after another Rule who if they see a Man that professeth Religion to
wilderness not only dazling the eyes of the wicked who know nothing of the use and practise of faith but also sweet being perfum'd with heavenly powders as here it follows Perfumed with myrrhe and frankincense and with all powders of the Merchant The Merchant that hath the powders is the Lord Jesus Christ As Merchants bring powders which make excellent perfumes So the Lord Jesus Christ with his excellent perfumes sweetneth all those that come unto him Exod. 30.32 37. Myrrhe was used in making the holy annointing oyl to make persons holy And frankincense in making the sweet perfume to smell thereto which oyl and sweet perfume was holiness before the Lord to all those that were perfum'd therewith Now as Myrrhe and Frankincense mixed with other excellent spices being made a perfume a confection after the Art of the Apothecary made persons outwardly holy So doth the righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ where it is received by faith make persons holy before God freeing them from the guilt of sin and everlasting condemnation Now mark we the time here when the bride is thus perfum'd it is when she is in the wilderness for she cometh out thence perfum'd who is this that cometh out of the wilderness perfum'd Which must teach us what is first to be done when we are led into the wilderness even so to order our selves that we may receive this Heavenly perfume They that take offence at the cross cannot receive the perfume But why should any one be offended seeing it is for no other end and purpose but that by receiving the Heavenly powders we might be sensible of our holiness in the sight of God Therefore when we are brought into the wilderness made to sit in the desert and solitary place and all hope faileth us in respect of reason how or which way deliverance shall come then if we can lift up our eyes and heart to our Redeemer with an assured faith we shall on a suddain be altogether be censed with these Heavenly powders and made to pertake of all that the Merchant hath to bestow the smell of which powders should more refresh and comfort us then the fear of any danger should possibly dismay us VERSE VII VIII Behold his bed which is Solomons threescore valiant men are about it of the valiant of Israel They all hold swords being expert in war every man hath his sword upon his thigh because of fear in the night AFter the Lord Jesus Christ had set forth by way of admiration the behaviour of his Church in the time of her distress and how she came out of the wilderness perfum'd he calleth others to behold it as being a thing of great excellency and weight under the similitude of Solomons bed Solomon being a King rich and glorious and also excellent in wisdom made himself many rich and costly things and amongst other things made himself a most sumptious bed for the entertainment of Pharaohs Daughter and others of his Queens and as he made himself a bed so he provided also a guard to keep the bed and the guarding of his bed is shown by the manner of his guard that kept it they were sixty men and for their strength they are said to be valiant men and to note their faithfulness they are said to be chosen men in Israel not strangers but his own country men trusty ones such as were fit to guard a Prince they were also expert men skilful in handling of their weapons wherefore it is added they all hold Swords and their swords are in a readiness every man hath his Sword upon his thigh and the reason of his guard was because of fear in the night All which noteth the defence that Solomon had for himself about his bed to preserve him from danger in the night by the strong men of Israel Now to apply this to the similitude King Solomon is the Lord Jesus Christ his bed is the place of meeting where Christ and his Church meet together in publick or in private and the bed being said to be his it noteth that it is a delight to the Lord Jesus Christ to be in the bed with his Church to behold her in the right use and excercise of her faith which by the word behold he calleth all people diligently to take notice of that they may know what service above all things is most acceptable to him But what is signified by the sixty valiant men that are about the bed to guard it Quest Some have thought that by these sixty valiant men are meant the Angels Ans which being of invincible strength are set to be the Churches guardians But I conceive that although the Angels are wonderful in power and also do pitch their Tents round about them that fear the Lord being all ministring Spirits sent forth for their sakes which shall be heirs of glory yet that the Ministry of Angels is not here meant because the outward safety of the Church is not so much intended here as her inward purity in respect of Doctrine and faith which inward purity is preserved in the Church by the Ministry of men and not by the Ministry of Angels These threescore valiant men I therefore understand to be the Church of the first born whose names are written in Heaven principal men in the Church who do all with one consent endeavour to keep the marriage bed pure and undefiled teaching the Doctrine of faith truly and the Doctrine of good works aright these be the valiant men that are about the bed that are mighty through their Doctrine to throw down the Kingdom of Satan to confute and overthrow all Hereticks and Seducers that even as Davids worthies did strengthen him in his Kingdom by smiting the Jebusites that David alone might reign so do these valiant ones of Israel throw down by their Doctrine the old Foundations setting up Christ to be the Head of the corner Besides they are not only valiant men but men that are armed they all hold Swords they do not run foolishly into the field but before they enter into the combate are sure of their weapons and also how to use them for they are men expert in War they know the bottom and foundation of all controversy in the Church and wherein the strength of all arguments lie these are fast fellows that will not be bafled but will stand their ground every man hath his Sword upon his thigh the word of God in a readiness they are ready to strike and they draw not the Sword in vain but manfully set about the work to destroy the wisdom of the wise and to bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent and this is their principal work For there is no enmity in all the world the case being rightly understood but about the Gospel neither is there any enmity betwixt God and us but about the Gospel Destroy by the Gospel but the wisdom and righteousness in man and we have peace in Heaven and
my locks with the drops of the Night In these words Christ sheweth the reason why the Church shall receive all things by inheritance it is because his head is fill'd with dew and his locks with the drops of the Night By the head of Christ is meant his Divinity 1 Cor. 11. the head of Christ is God And by his locks understand his humanity And by the drops of the night his sufferings in the flesh And by the dew that his head is fill'd with the fulness of merit in the Godhead which made all the actions done in the manhood Meritorius and also the pouring out of the benefit thereof by pure and Heavenly Doctrine which is comfortable to poor sinners which Doctrine dropeth as the dew So that the obedience of God and man in one person Deut. 32. poured out in the Preaching of the Gospel and received by faith is the ground and foundation of all our comfort and joy For Christ by his obedience hath taken away the ground of all discomforts Col. 2.14 and nailed it to his Cross which being made known by the Gospel and received by faith setleth us in true peace and comfort This must teach us that when we are most of all oppressed with the drops of the night with the feeling of our sins or the fear of any cross or calamity to fly to the humanity of our Lord Jesus Christ who hath suffered for us And stedfastly to believe that seeing the locks of our beloved were filled with the droppings of our present condition that he is not only sensible of our present misery but also knoweth how to succour us and help us And hath also taken away the curse from every condition of misery that possibly we may meet with in this miserable World if we believe Therefore when we feel the curse of the Law and the guilt of our sins and the fearful effects of Gods wrath in any kind whatsoever begin to fasten within us then must we learn by faith to behold them all to be nailed fast to the cross of Christ from whence they can never return if we stedfastly believe VERSE III. I have put off my Coat how shall I put it on THe Church understanding the benefits that come to her by the Gospel and the order in receiving of it says I have put off my Coat by which she meaneth the righteousness of the Law in point of justification This is the first thing taught in the Gospel Joh. 9.31 how to put off our old Coat And the first thing that Christ came to do was to put on our Coat upon himself whereby he became laden with our sins and also with our infirmities The coat being thus put on by Christ therefore the Church learneth to put him off by faith So that this place doth not shew any sluggishness in the Church as if she were in a bed of security with her coat off and as though she were loath to rise and go about the works of the Law but leadeth us into an higher matter how to attain to be righteous before God This wisdom must we also learn which we can never do unless we remove the cause for which we keep our coat on which is our false opinion of the Law Some when they treat of the Law and works do press it with that earnestness that they extol the righteousness thereof far beyond the righteousness of faith as if the principal cause of Christs coming into the world were to make us holy by the Law These with the Pharisee do button on the coat Others will have Christian righteousness to begin in us and perfected by Christâ— which is but to put a piece of new cloth in an old garment and make the rent worse Learn we then to put off our coat wholly But next the Church questioneth here how shall I put it on That is in life and conversation For the greatest and most necessary question of all others in matters of Divinity is rightly to understand these two things How to lay aside the Law totally in teaching the point of justification and how to teach the use and practise of the Law rightly in the life and conversation How to handle these two points aright that the Gospel may not destroy the use and practice of the Law 1 Tim. 1.9 nor the Law the use and practice of the Gospel is a point of great skill Therefore the Church maketh question as if she were something ignorant in this point how shall I put it on How shall I teach this point aright If the works of the Law ought not to be required but totally to be layed aside in teaching the way to justification according as it is written the Law is not made for a righteous man upon what ground then are they to be pressed at all All men have cause to complain of their ignorance in this point therefore it must be our desire to learn this heavenly skill Now to cloath our selves with the Law that the use and practice of it may not be lost and how to be unclothed of the Law that the Gospel may not be lost This is a point of great cunning and ought to be well studied of every Christian chiefly because the strongest hold of Satans Kingdom consisteth in the confounding of these two points one with another Therefore it is further added here I have washed my feet how shall I defile them Where by feet she meaneth the inward man and by washing the cleansing of the Soul through faith in Christ Joh. 1â— according to Christs saying he that is washed needeth not save to wash his feet but is clean every whit But then it is added how shall I defile them She had washed her feet by putting of her coat whereby she was cleansed from sin therefore she asketh the question how shall I defile them As much as to say how shall I press the works of the Law so as not to defile my feet again If I should urge a necessity of the Law then I should defile my feet or if I should totally cast it off because I am justified without the Law then I should also defile my feet again for then it would come to pass that in living without the use and practice of the Law my Conscience would have no more the feeling and apprehension of sin nor any sensible need of a Saviour So that in casting away of all fear and care of the Law I should at last contemn and cast away the Gospel also And the consequence of all would be this I should forsake my beloved lose my peace and comfort here and also everlasting life hereafter This sheweth us the practice of the Bride in all ages of the Church which is first to lay aside the Law next to live in the use and practice of the Law In receiving the Doctrine of justification she heareth no Law but in the life and conversation she abideth in the use and
righteousness of faith begins and to this confession the righteousness of Christ belongs Which every man must learn to believe and this is the true doing of the Law in faith by which means we receive the grace and favour of God in Christ and power to do good works before men Therefore the Bride saith here my bowels were moved for him After my beloved had once opened the door and discovered unto me this heavenly mystery my bowels were moved I was altogether made new I was changed and transformed into another manner of Creature my bowels were moved with love and thankfulness to God for his Infinit mercy to me and also fill'd with love mercy and compassion towards others which is the sum and substance of both Tables This hole of the dore must therefore be rightly known otherwise the obedience of faith can never be taught but all people shall remain in darkness but the hole being found and the dore opened Antichrist is revealed and the Kingdom of Heaven is opened The Conscience is eased and God is pleased Then shalt thou easily reconcile all Scriptures by the same rule that seem to be at variance in this point and walking in the practice thereof thou shalt find such a light opened in thy mind that thou thy self shalt say thou never knewest before VERSE V. I rose up to open to my beloved and my hands dropped with Myrrhe and my fingers with sweet smelling Myrrhe upon the handles of the look IN the former Verse the Church sheweth that the Bride-groom openeth the dore that the true Gospel may be understood which is done by the Ministry of the Gospel In this Verse the behaviour of the Church is set down in her receiving of the same She rose up to open to her beloved As soon as her beloved put in his hand by the hole of the dore to open and unlock the mystery of the Kingdom of Heaven she set her self with all attentiveness and dilligence to hear and receive the same She did not fight against the Doctrine of her beloved nor judge it before she heard it but rose up to open and receive the same And then she declareth the effects that followed my hands she saith dropped with Myrrhe and my singers with sweet smelling Myrrhe which meaneth into the hearts and Consciences of others It is not much material to observe the distinction here betwixt the hands and the fingers A thing is said to be handled or taken in hand according to Saint Luke Luk. 1. when an orderly Declaration is made to others of those things that are firmly believed by those that make report of the same And it may also be said to be touched as it were with fingers when it is more briefly and compendiously drawn up into a short sum or sentence of words Now both these do drop the Myrrhe not only when the Doctrine is throughly and perfectly handled but also when it is more briefly touched for so the Bride saith here my fingers dropped with sweet smelling Myrrhe and it was upon the handles of the Lock A Lock is that which fastneth the dore that nothing within the House can be seen unless the dore be unlock'd Therefore by the Lock we must understand that bar or hinderance that hindereth the Gospel from entring into the Soul which Lock or bar is only unbelief which sin alone standeth in direct opposition to the Gospel And the business of the Church is to open the grounds and reasons of the same And when she was discovering the mystery of iniquity by opening the grounds of unbelief and laying the foundation of faith she saith her hands dropped with Myrrhe and her fingers with sweet smelling Myrrhe Exod. 30. That is she dropped true holiness and righteousness into the Souls of those that heard it For the annointing oyl which was made for the Priests and also for the Tabernacle and his vessels which was compounded with Myrrhe was holy whosoever was annointed with it was holy and whosoever touched it was holy Therefore wheresoever this Myrrhe is dropped it maketh the person holy And for this reason she calleth her Doctrine the sweet smelling Myrrhe because it maketh those where it is dropped sweet in the sight of God sweet in the sight of Conscience and also a sweet Savour in every place By this the practice of the Church may be seen in all ages Which is first to open and receive the annointing oyl from above next to touch upon those points which drop the Myrrhe into the Consciences of others Now the Myrrhe cannot drop unless the Lock be opened for it droppeth in handling of the Lock Neither can the Lock be opened without the Key which turneth and openeth the Lock Now Christ not Moses Esa 22.22 hath the Key of the house of David by which the mystery of the Kingdom of Heaven is unlocked For the Law saith do it and thou shalt live and so it maketh works to be the ground of faith but the Gospel saith believe and thou shalt live Believe what Faith driveth us to that righteousness that is re-required by the first Commandment See Song 3d. Verse 10. Even this very thing that thou doest it not That thou lovest not God fearest not God neither delightest nor trustest in him as thou oughtest to do nor yet lovest thy Neighbour in any measure as thou shouldest And this all men will confess in word but their faith is grounded upon another bottom Therefore all men without the knowledg of the Gospel are unbelievers When thou canst once begin to rest upon the Gospel not because of thy works or duties done but because thou understandest and believest that the righteousness of Christ is given to every poor humbled sinner that trembleth before him and asketh the forgiveness of his sins then hast thou the right use of Davids Key then shalt thou joyfully perform good works unto thy neighbour which works although they are not perfect yet then are accepted because the nature of thy faith is changed touching thy justification and remission of sins When thou understandest the nature of this Key well then shalt thou easily perceive how to drop the Myrrhe into the hearts of others According to the saying of the Bride in this place my hands dropped with Myrrhe and my fingers with sweet smelling Myrrhe upon the handles of the Lock VERSE VI. I opened to my beloved but my beloved had with-drawn himself and was gone IN the former Verse it is shewn how the Church opened and received the Doctrine of her beloved and taught it unto others now here we find the case and condition she was cast into after she was well armed and furnished with the Gospel She was cast into such a condition that no appearance of her beloved could be perceived This as I conceive may very well be understood in respect of his care and providence concerning outward things a condition which many that are godly are often cast into In this respect she
by the Law which is life if we keep it but death if we break it This speech of the Daughters is the true picture of what manner of Preachers there shall be in some places of the Church in all ages even such that shall speak of the righteousness of Christ and much extol the same but nothing in comparison of the righteousness of the Law That although they lay down the righteousness of Christ to a Conscience in distress upon no other ground but that it believeth yet they shall with the Daughters understand faith after no other manner nor teach the principles of it any otherwise but by requiring the works of the Law accounting the chief beloved to be wanting until that righteousness be had For say they the business that Christ came into the world for was to Redeem us from our Sins and this Redemption is ours by faith but when they come to define what this faith is they can teach no other definition of it but a mans actual conformity to the Law of God And therefore by their Doctrine and manner of teaching they require nothing but only a strict conformity to Gods Law that so an evidence may be had of faith in Christ This is with the Daughters to call the Bride the fairest amongst women by reason of her faith and yet to hide the righteousness of Christ from the Conscience whereby she is made fair Besides if a man must have the righteousness of Christ and of the Law both before he can be justified before God and have any assurance of it in his Conscience why do they not then prescribe a measure how far a man must go in matter of works before he can be assured that his faith is true that so a man may know when his labour is at an end That manner of Doctrine reproveth not unbelief but establisheth in man an opinion of his works and plainly sheweth that our inherent righteousness contrary to St. Rom. 3.5 Paul and not our confessed unrighteousness doth commend the righteousness of God These are they whose Doctrine ends in contradictions who confess the Bride in word to be the fairest amongst women by faith alone but in deed and in truth that even then she is too seeking of her beloved For whether say they is thy beloved gone that we may seek him with thee To which it is answered by the Bride in the next verse as followeth VERSE II. My beloved is gone down into his Garden to the beds of spices to feed in the Gardens and to gather Lillies IN which words she sheweth where her beloved is to be found namely in his garden among the spiritual people that hear and follow his voice So that although he be gone yet he is not gone from her self but from the Daughters whose Doctrine doth wholly abrogate the Gospel and crucifie the son of God darken and deface all the benefits of his victory and Kingdom Therefore doth Christ depart and rest himself where his word is entertained and kept According as St. Paul said to the Jews seeing ye judg your selves unworthy of Eternal life Lo we turn to the Gentiles And when she saith to the beds of spices she meaneth to all those in all places of the world whose minds and Consciences are persumed with the sweet smell of his Heavenly Doctrine there Christ feedeth helpeth comforteth and refresheth them in all times of misery and distress And by gathering Lillies she meaneth that by that Doctrine which is despised of men doth Christ gather all his Lillies unto himself Which sheweth us what the the true Office of the Ministry is namely to feed those that are already planted in the Church of God and to gather to the faith of Christ those that are ignorant of the same And so to besprinkle the Heavedly spice into the minds and Consciences of the hearers that every one in the Garden may smell even as a bed of Spices VERSE III. I am my beloved's and my beloved is mine he feedeth among the Lillies BY these words the Bride overcometh the Doctrine of the Daughters totally who endeavour by their principles to strip her of the Title of Bride because she wanteth the righteousness of the Law to perfect her faith To which she answereth If my beloved hath owned me then am I his Bride but my beloved hath owned me therefore am I his Bride Again If I am my beloveds then is my beloved also mine by an inseparable union which can never be broken By this argument she dasheth in pieces at one blow the whole Kingdom of Satan For grant their arguments might be cunning yet can they never overcome so long as this faith of application remaineth And when it is said he feedeth among the Lillies she meaneth with this faith of application which is rich feeding by which he feedeth all that are his against the fear of death and all evil unto Eternal life With this argument also must we learn to overcome when the Conscience is in fear and distress by reason of any adversary Joh. 15.16 Then must we lay down this for a certain proposition that we are the elect and chosen of God Now if I am chosen of God then am I my beloved's and if I am my beloved's then is my beloved also mine This argument Satan can never endure therefore he will muster up his forces against it because hereby we build our foundation upon Christ alone upon Gods laying claim unto us first and not by way of reflection This foundation will never fail us because we ground our faith from a principle that is true Our way is not the true way to life because we believe 't is the true for then Hereticks and Seducers were in the right but we do and ought to believe a thing because 't is true This is to give honour and glory to the truth of God which is the highest and greatest service that can be given unto him Therefore when thou art in misery and knowest not what to do be thy calamity what it will begin thy faith where God begins to thee But thou wilt say how is that I answer fear not Israel thou art mine Esa 43.1 Psal 50.7 hear O Israel I am thine Mark those two places of Scripture and make thy application accordingly From whence also note that he calleth thee by a new name Israel a prevailer with God on purpose that thou mightest learn thereby to believe in him and love him When thou hast learned thus to ground thy faith and to make application of Gospel then shalt thou easily understand and find by thine own experience the meaning of that Text I will bring the blind by a way that they knew not and lead them in paths that they have not known Forasmuch as the common way that is known is that first we must please God before he will own and accept of us but the way which is not known and that God reveals is that he loveth and owneth us
obtain Christs love it would utterly be contemned that is of Christ Now by substance of the House he meaneth all works done in the flesh none of all which can procure the love of God to a Soul but are all utterly contemned and despised the assurance there of being attained unto by faith alone These words therefore must utterly confound all opinion of works within us and destroy all confidence in the flesh and it being the Gospel it must teach us also so to expound all those Texts of Scripture that seem to attribute something to works in attaining to the love of Christ that the sense may be agreeable to what is here writen VERSE VIII We have a little Sister and she hath 〈◊〉 breasts What shall we do for our Sister in the day when she shall be spoken for THese are the words of the Church wherein she bemoaneth her little Sister when the day comes that she is even ready for marriage what shall we do for her in the day when she shall be spoken for We are not to understand by the little Sister only the Gentiles as the most do which then when Solomon wrote this Book were without the word for then how shall it be understood now seeing the Gentiles are called Therefore seeing this bemoaning of the little Sister is the voice of the Church in all ages such a sense must be found as will agree to all times Understand then by the little Sister all those that are unlearned in the Doctrine of the Gospel whither they be Jews or Gentiles within the Pale of the Church or without all that belong to the Election of grace and are yet uncall'd All these are comprehended under the Title of the little Sister which first or last shall be spoken for Little she is not in number but in regard of knowledg of the way to Life and Salvation A Sister she is yet not of whole blood she is Sister by the Father but not by the Mother For as Abraham had two Sons which were brethren by the Father but not by the Mother So hath God Almighty two sorts of people in the world and but two which are brethren by generation but not by regenertion They are brethern by the Father as proceeding all from Adam but not brethren by the Mother being not yet new born in the Church And therefore she says she hath yet no breasts that is she hath not breasts of the true Mother being not yet born This little Sister she bewaileth and bemoaneth not so much for the time present as she doth in thinking on the day when she shall be spoken for What shall we do for our little Sister in that day Which bemoaning is always among the Godly in the Church and will be to the end of the world What shall I do for my Husband my Wife my Son my Daughter my Friend But what is meant here by the day when she shall be spoken for Quest I answer Ans the spouseman is the Lord Jesus Christ himself and the day when the little Sister is spoken for is when she feeleth her condemnation by the Law They and all they that feel their condemnation by the Law they and all they are spoken for by the Lord Jesus Christ Now she bemoaneth her little Sister in this condition what shall we do for her that she may be married to Christ And in that she doth so bewail her and make it her principal care to help her it giveth us to understand this That the principal care of the true Church of God for her little Sister is that as soon as she perceiveth her to be spoken for or condemned by the Law to make dilligent enquiry how to give her in marriage to the Lord Jesus Christ And the Reason is first because to Solemnize the Marriage between Christ and the Soul is a work of the greatest difficulty that ever was therefore the Church may well say what shall we do for our little Sister in that day And also it is the most destructive to Satans Kingdom of all things and therefore the marriage is most strongly opposed by the Devil and his Angels But chiefly because unless the Soul be married to Christ the compound between the Conscience and the Law can never be dissolved or untied but the same bargain or Covenant that was made with man at first remains in force which bindeth all men to the penalty which is to endure the wrath of God for ever This informeth us that there are but a very few that pertain to the true Church of God because there are so few that make it their principal care to comfort their little Sister in the day of her distress When she is afflicted with her sin and feeleth her condemnation by the Law and is much broken and distressed by reason of great tribulations and by these things is spoken for by the Lord Jesus Christ that she might be matched to himself instead of making it the principal care to give her in Marriage to the Son of God by faith alone they endeavour with great earnestness to present her to Christ by the works of the Law Instead of dissolving the compound and making void the Covenant that was made with man at first and matching the Soul to Christ in an Everlasting Covenant that the guilt of her sin might be removed and that she might be justified in the sight of God they endeavour in the first place as the only thing needful to Solemnize the contract between her Conscience and the Law Which is according to St. Rom. 7. Pauls Allegory but to present her an Adultress before God for which sin seeing she is separated thereby from the true God she is bound in captivity under the guilt of sin and is in bondage to Satan and the wrath of God for evermore All people therefore must learn from hence to imitate the true Church of God which is to lay down the true grounds of consolation for their little Sister to rest on in the day of her distress that as soon as she is spoken for and feeleth her condemnation by the Law and that she hath no breasts of her own to nourish her in her misery then to become instrumental to marry her to the Lord Jesus Christ by faith alone Now that the match may be made and that she may be wedded to the Son of God she must acknowledg her death by the Law and aske forgiveness for her sins with a believing heart Rom. 7. then is she free according to St. Paul from her first Husband the Law being dead unto it through faith in the Son of God For in that she feeleth and confesseth her death by the Law the Law is also become dead having lost its power and dominion Then may are assure her that the compound made with man at first is dissolved between the Conscience and the Law and may also Solemnize the contract between Christ and the Soul This is the duty we
faith in the time of tribulation commendeth her for the same which sheweth that he is well pleased And the word behold sheweth his willingness she should know it And when he pronounceth her fair he meaneth free from the guilt of sin And when he saith my love he sheweth that her person is accepted And by the word thou he meaneth to exclude all those that are not of faith from shareing in the benefits of his Death and Resurrection Now the doubling of the words sheweth how hard it is for us in the hour of Temptation to apply our selves to the words of our Lord Jesus Christ and also how willing the Lord Christ is that then we should not forget but remember his loving and comfortable words All these things are written that we might believe and that when the hour of Temptation cometh we should put them into use and practise otherwise we cannot possible please our head and Husband who came into the world on purpose and is ascended into Heaven on purpose that we might receive his benefits and rejoice in the same Thou hast doves eyes Now that which he chiefly praiseth the bride for is the eye as a thing which tendeth most of all to the setting out of her fairness other parts draw not the affection as doth the eye therefore Christ chooseth the eye to set forth the praise of his Church which standeth in a comparison thou hast doves eyes The doves eye is simple harmless is not crafty seeketh not greedily after a prey doth not peck with the Bill nor hurt any thing as other Birds do but here it is chiefly used to set forth the chastity of the Bride towards her Husband the Lord Jesus Christ who notwithstanding all her afflictions and temptations chuseth no other refuge to fly unto but with the Dove she cleaveth fast to her mate And also the eyes are here commended because through faith the killeth the Law and liveth in the service and freedom of her beloved and doth good works freely and of choise VERSE XVI Behold thou art fair my beloved THese are the words of the Church wherein she returneth the praise of all her beauty to her beloved who is fairer then the Sons of Men from whom all her fairness is derived She dareth not to appear before him in her self therefore prayeth him to behold his own fairness as being the only cause of her acceptance in his sight which is a rule and pattern for every man to imitate yea pleasant Thou art not only fair but also pleasant in thy self in the enjoyment of me and pleasant to me in that thou speakest so kindly to me and acceptest of me Which words do shew us what manner of person Christ is and what his carriage is to us altogether pleasant and lovely So that as soon as ever we look upon him by faith Esa 62.2 and humble our selves before him he rejoyceth in us and over us as the Bridegroom rejoyceth over the Bride Therefore when we are overwhelm'd with heaviness and sadness of heart this doth not come from Christ but from the Law and our evil conscience being not well purged and cleansed of unbelief for to those that are humbled before him Christ is pleasant Also our bed is green This is likely to be the joint speech of Christ and his Church rejoyceing together in the place of meeting for the bed is the place either in publick or private where Christ and his people meet together And by the greens of the bed is meant the fruitfulness that cometh by reason of the meeting of Christ and his Church Rom. 7. according to Saint Paul being married to Christ ye bring forth fruit unto God that is many Children unto glory The Gospel is the Doctrine that converts the Soul and the reason why so few are converted is because the Gospel is seldom Preached therefore the labours of the Ministry are not blest but men are smiten with barrenness become dead and withered Trees bringing forth no fruit at all unto God because they want the company of the Lord Jesus Christ in the bed therefore it being said our bed Agar the bondwoman is excluded from the priveledge of the bed as one who although she hath many Children before men yet she hath none at all before God and the reason is because she entertaineth not Christ in the bed she imbraceth the servant and forsaketh her Lord therefore that heavy judgment spoken of by the Prophet Esay follows in its time Esa 47.19 the loss of Children and Widdowhood shall come upon thee in one day in their perfection This is the heavy doom that will one day fall upon the bondwoman and all her Children her bed being too short and the covering too narrow to hide her from her sin and the wrath of God Almighty Learn we therefore that Doctrine which maketh the fruitful bed and sheweth the fruitful Mother that is so to understand the Law as it may further us to faith in Christ and so to understand the Gospel that it may further us in the duties of the Law This is a most rare and Heavenly Art which none can teach but the Holy Ghost let us therefore pray unto him without ceaseing to bestow this gift upon us who hath promised to bestow upon us all things that we shall aske which are according to his will Then shall the bed become fruitful then shall we rejoyce in the meeting place and say with the bride here our bed is also green VERSE XVII The beams of our house are Cedar and our rafters of Fir. NOw here is shewed the reason why the bed comes to be so fruitful and how the family of God comes to be so much enlarged it is by reason of the beams and rafters which are the strong supporters of all the building 1 Tim. 3.15 Where first note that by the house is meant the Church of God And by the beams and rafters the builders of the Church of God And the beams being of Cedar Isa 44.40 Isa 20. it signifies strength and also such timber that will not rot but is dureable and sweet Now the godly are often said to be Cedars and the chief in the Church are said to be pillars Also the house having rafters it sheweth it hath a covering or defence and they being of Fir which some think is another Tree call'd the Brutine Tree which is of pleasant smell signifieth purity of Doctrine Such beams and pillars that are well versed in pure Doctrine are always used in building the house of God in every age therefore the bed is always fruitful and the Church can never decay because the builders thereof are always lasting And as it is a house very sweet and pleasant for a man to live in So it is infinite in strength and for safety It is therefore a vain thing for any man to think to undermine the Church of God seeing it is a house built upon a Rock and although men
think to race it and down with it even to the ground yet he that sits in the Heavens shall laugh Psal 2. the Lord shall have them in derision There may be some breaches made concerning the outward face and prosperity of the Church but her inward peace and glory can never be taken away And also seeing the house of God is for safety it having a roof or covering it is wisdom for every man to get into it that he may be safe from the Wind and stormy Tempests of the wrath of God Blessed is that man whose hope the Lord is that setteth his confidence upon the gracious protection of the Almighty he shall be guarded with Angels and kept as the apple of his eye the Lord will be a sufficient defence unto him in life and death CHAP. II. VERSE I. I am the rose of Sharon and the lilie of the Valleys THESE words are the voice of the bride as appears by the Prophet Esay Esa 35.1 the desert shall rejoyce and blossom as the Rose which words being spoken of the Church it sheweth the Church to be the Rose And she termeth her self to be the Rose of Sharon not only because Sharon of all places was most excellent for Roses but also because it was prophecied that Sharon should be a sheepfold Esa 65.10 that the Gospel should come to Sharon and that Christ should have his flock there And in that she says I am the Lillie it accordeth with the words of the Prophet I will be as the dew unto Israel Hos 14.5 he shall grow as the Lillie Now the Rose is the Queen of flowers surpassing all in beauty and smell and the Lillie is next in Nobility to the Rose surmounting all in respect of her clothing insomuch that Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like the Lillie And she termeth her self therefore to be the Rose and the Lilly in regard she is most excellently perfumed with the scent of her beloved and also clothed with his righteousness from the wrath of God She is also compared to the Lillie Mat. 6.28 in respect of the manner of her growth for the Lillies labour not neither do they spin but only stand still and receive the vertue of the ground from whence they grow So the bride she laboureth not she travaileth not in the works of the Law to the end she may attain true and eternal righteousness thereby but becometh a Lillie by sitting still by hearing and receiving the comfortable dew of the Gospel And in that she is said to be the Lilly of the valleys it sheweth from whence the Church springeth even from a low opinion of her self in that the Mountains of her own imaginations are become a valley So that as the choisest Lillies are found in the lowest valleys so the Lilly of Christ becomes decked with such excellent ornaments being first made low by sitting in the desert and solitary place Now it being said I am the Rose of Sharon and I am the Lilly it must lead us into a further consideration for it is as much as to say I am the fairest flower in Sharon I am the choicest Lilly there Others there are in Sharon that count themselves the Rose and reckon themselves the Lilly but they spring not out of the valley are not perfumed with the scent of the Rose nor cloathed with the ornaments of my beloved For it must be noted that Sharon is a sheepfold Esa 65.10 in which fold there are two sorts of people a two fold Ministry or Mother the free Mother which bringeth forth Children before God free in Spirit justified without the Law and the servant or bondwoman which bringeth forth no Children before God but gendereth all her Children unto bondage Against this Mother the bondwoman the bride appropriates these Titles to her self I am the Rose I am the Lilly and this I conceive to be the occasion of her speech Rev. 18. The bondwoman boasteth her self to be a Queen and no widdow because she liveth as she supposeth in the works of the Law Esa 54.4 and also reproacheth the free Mother because she forbiddeth justification by the Law now because she boasteth her self in the Law the bride here taketh away from her all right and interest in Christ her Bridegroom and although she challengeth to her self the Title as to be the only Rose and Lilly of Christ yet she blossometh not she bringeth by her Doctrine no Children unto glory therefore the bride says I notwithstanding the boasting of the bondwoman am the glory of Sharon I that am the free and fruitful Mother am the Lilly for I only blossom and bring forth Children unto glory And by thus saying she boasteth not in her self but gloryeth only in the righteousness of Christ her Redeemer Now the reason why she blossoms and comes to be so fruitful is because she is married unto Christ Esa 35 2. This is the reason given by the Prophet Esay when he says the wilderness shall rejoyce and the desert shall blossom as the Rose the glory of Lebanon shall be given unto it the excellency of Carmel and Sharon meaning Christ who is the excellency of Carmel and Sharon and the glory of all the Cedars in Lebanon shall be given in Marriage to the desart and solitary to she that is barren and fruitless in her own eyes Carmel was a fruitful place where Nabal had possessions and Sharon also was a fruitful field and in Lebanon were many goodly Cedars figuring the Godly people in all ages of the Church but take away the glory of Lebanon and the excellency of Carmel and Sharon that is to say the righteousness of Christ imputed and their glory departeth like a Bird and their fruit withereth and comes to nothing After the same manner must we with the Bride learn to hold fast our Title against the bondwoman and her Children who by their Doctrine bring forth all manner of Sects and every Sect do claim unto themselves the Title as to be the only Rose and Lilly of Christ and condemn all others as Antichristian that are not of their own way and yet they boast of nothing but of their own works Now when this comes to pass we must learn with the Bride to strip them of their glory by the word of God Because she boasteth her self in the Law therefore we must shew unto her her condemnation by the Law and because we are barren and fruitless in our own eyes and condemned by the Law therefore must we lay fast hold on the righteousness of Christ our Lord which is freely given unto us without the Law If thou walkest according to this rule then shalt thou become the fairest flower in Sharon perfum'd with the excellent scent of thy beloved and the Lilly of the Valleys cloathed and decked with his Ornaments and also the scent of the Rose shall cast forth an excellent savour in every place and the smell of thy garments