2 Sam. â— David made an excellent Funeral Song at the burial of Saul and yet the Name of God is not mentioned in it and shall it not therefore be Canonical If this Argument were good then many Chapters in the Bible must be accounted not Canonical for want of the Name of God being used in them Again they say Object 3 that there is nothing expressed of this Song in any of the Writings of the New Testament So there are divers Books in the Old Testament that are not mentioned in the New besides this Answ neither is all that Christ himself spake set down or alleaged in the New Testament Now then it must follow that if this Book must be rejected because none of it is expressed in the Writings of the New Testament then all other Books in the Old Testament that are not set down in part in the New must be accounted not Canonical And also that whatsoever Christ spake and alleaged that was not written must be accounted not to be agreeable to the Writings of the New Testament All that Christ spake was not written but only the Abridgment of things And although the sentences of this Song are not set down in the New Testament yet the Doctrine herein contained is therein expressed Therefore abiding by the Authority of it it being a matter from Heaven let us bring Faith along in reading of the Ditty that our Hearts may be ravished with the Spiritual excellency herein contained And so I come to the Title CHAP. I. VERSE I. The Song of Songs which is Solomon's THE Holy Ghost giveth this Title to the Book to draw our Hearts and Affections unto it that being throughly affected with the Title of it we might learn the more perfectly to sing it Two things here are commended in the Title First the Comparison between this and other Songs Secondly the Author of it The Comparison is in these words A Song of Songs The Author of it in these words Deut. 10. Rev. 19. Which is Solomon's Some say it is said to be a Song of Songs because it was the manner of the Hebrews in extolling or abasing of things to double their Words as when they say The God of Gods it is God above all Gods And The Lord of Lords and King of Kings it signifies an excellency above all Lords and an Authority above all Kings And so also in abasing of things as when Noah curseth Cham A Servant of Servants shalt thou be that is a most vile Servant But I suppose there is something more to be considered in the words For it must be noted that Psalms and Songs are Arguments of joy and gladness and singing is a token of joy and deliverance out of some great Affliction and Misery When Deborah and Barack had gotten the victory over King Jabin King of Canaan they sung a Song unto the Lord. And when the Lord saved Moses and the Children of Israel out of the hands of the Egyptians they also sung a Song And so it was also when David returned from the slaughter of the Philistines the Women came out of all the Cities of Israel singing and dancing with Tabrets of joy and Instruments of Music Now in that the Holy Ghost calleth this Book a Song he sheweth that there is matter of great joy in it And seeing it is a Song of Songs it far surpasseth all other Songs that Solomon made as also all other Songs in holy Scripture so that no Song can be match'd with it For as to the matter of it and thing it handleth it is the Scriptural Communion between Christ and his Church when she is in the lowest and saddest condition by reason of her Sin and Misery even then this Song setteth out unto her the Love and tender Compassion of Christ her Bridegroom And as for the manner of setting of it forth it is in a Dialogue or borrowed Speech taken from Lovers that are betrothed together in the Marriage knot wherein the Bridegroom and the Bride declare their Affections one to another with great rejoycing the Bridegroom praising and commending his Bride in that in her misery she looked upon him and the Bride her Bridegroom in that he sheweth pity and compassion upon her So that this Song goeth beyond all other Songs in regard of the subject Matter of it and thing it handleth the very burden of it being to instruct us in this That Christ is ours and we are his when Flesh and Reason saith the contrary Which is Solomon's The next commendation of the Song is from the Author which is Solomon Solomon was a Man besotted in his Life 1 Kin. 11.4 and stained with many foul blemishes was not so upright in Heart as David his Father being drawn away by his Wives to the horrible Sin of Idolatry yet the Lord passed by his great and foul stains and made choice of Solomon to be the Pen-man of his holy Spirit and an Instrument where his Glory should shine The Lord did not cast off Solomon for his stains and blemishes but had an Eye still to that good which was in him whereby he would make him a worthy Instrument to set forth his Praise How much the practice of Men differs from this Example of God is easie to be seen who will presently cast off all that is good in a Man if he be but any way stained or polluted in his life if it be a Man of ever so excellent Parts and Gifts able to set forth Heavenly mysteries and do good to the Church of God yet if he be but any way blemished or defamed they presently set him aside as altogether useless and make no more account of him than of a broken Pitcher The Lord did not do this when he saw Solomon in his filthiness but had an Eye to that good which was in him which made him useful for the good of his Church If God should have followed the Example of Men how should this excellent Song of Songs have been had Or how should the Epistles of Paul have been had if Paul had been wholly set aside for his persecuting the Church These make themselves more pure than their Maker else they would not go about to teach the Lord what Instruments to chuse to set forth his Glory by They cannot be content that the Lord shall chuse such Instruments as best please him but must needs have such as best please them or none at all Like mad Men that will rather starve for hunger than receive any Food unless it be presented in a silver Dish and dye for Thirst if you bring them not Drink in a golden Goblet All Men therefore must humble themselves must stoop and give Honour and Glory to the Lord and suffer him to make choice of such Instruments as best please himself to make his Glory shine and to raise up his Church with Divine Contemplations For Solomon although he was unworthy and unfit to be chosen for such an Instrument by reason of
only himself if he should one day see many to come from the East and West and sit down with Abraham Isaac and Jacob in the Kingdom of the Father and he himself to be thrust out If he should at the last day for despising of the Gospel be separated from the presence of the Lord in whose presence there is fulness of joy and should be driven to suffer the punishment of loss and the punishment of sense for ever yet I say no man can complain or once open his mouth against the Lord Jesus Christ who is willing to bestow all blessings upon men but they do not value them nor esteem them All men will put a must and necessity upon themselves in other matters to rise early and to go to bed late and to eat the bread of carefulness but scarce any man counts it a necessity to attend at the gates of wisdom to seek after knowledg to call and cry for understanding without which every man must perish for evermore Learn we then before it be too late to put an high price upon the things of the Gospel then shall the Mystery be opened to us which is lock'd up and hid from the wicked despisers thereof Which thing we can never do unless we feel our need of the Gospel and the Infinit worth that there is in it to serve our necessities Let us therefore learn to behold the evil scent that our sins do cast into the nostrils of God that we may be afflicted with the same next we must smell to the Mandrakes which are brought unto us by the first born Then shall we find the blessedness that is at wisdoms gates and begin to tast of the pleasant fruits of Christ death both New and Old which are for all those and only those that do esteem them according as Christ says here which I have laid up for thee O my beloved CHAP. VIII VERSE I. O that thou wert as my brother that sucked the breasts of my Mother when I should find thee without I would kiss thee yet I should not be despised THE Church hearing from Christ the Excellent things that are laid up for her and only her which esteemeth of the same wisheth that all those that live in the same Society with her might partake of the same pleasant Fruits Therefore she says O that thou meaning a visible brother unconverted or the whole company of those that do dissent from her in the true principles of faith and good works We rt as my brother that is my natural brother in the faith That sucked the breasts of my Mother meaning Jerusalem which is above the Free mother and Mother of us all which the Children of the bond-woman pertain not unto These words amount to as much as this there is a difference between thy Mother and my Mother my Mother freely giveth the milk of the Gospel without the works of the Law thy Mother giveth nothing without but for the observance of the Law Now because she gendereth Children by the Law therefore thou art not without but under the Law If I could find thee without that is to say the Law or thine own opinion of Righteousness by the Law then would I kiss thee which meaneth with the comforts of the Gospel but because thou dependest upon the Law thou therefore excludest thy self from the promises of God and despisest me when I offer the kiss but if I could find thee without the Law then would I kiss thee yet I should not be despised This sheweth us that there is a wonderful difference between people that are born under the same Covenant of promise The one she says is my brother that sucked the breasts of my Mother the other is but as Abraham said of his Wife the Daughter of my Father but not the Daughter of my Mother For it cannot be denied but that they are the people of God visibly to whom the Oracles of God are given yet that doth not make them Children of Adoption unless they suck the breasts of the true Mother whereby they learn the true knowledg and sense of the Scriptures Therefore she saith O that thou wert as my brother that suck'd Which sheweth that they never yet tasted of the Teat The same thing must we also desire earnestly and heartily for our brethren that live with us in the same visible Society which yet are averse to the faith of Christ That if it be possible we might find them without that so they being divorced from their opinion of Righteousness by the Law we might freely bestow upon them a kiss by the Gospel without being scorned contemned or despised This also sheweth us clearly what the condition of the Gospel is namely to be without the Law to be found without our own works and righteousness for mark it if I should find thee without then would I kiss thee as much as to say then would I upon this only condition Administer the the comforts of the Gospel unto thee Nothing can be more clear to settle us in the ground of our faith then what is here written Therefore when thou art afflicted for thy sin and comest before God thou must learn to believe in Christ without and against the Law and fully to perswade thy self that the Gospel is thine because thou art without an opinion of the Law Then shalt thou be enabled and encouraged when thou comest before men to live in the use and practise of the Law VERSE II. I would lead thee and bring thee into my Mothers house who would instruct me I would cause thee to drink of spiced wine of the juyce of my Pomegranate THese words set forth the kindness of the Church towards those that are coming on in the faith I would lead thee that is if I could find thee without I would guide thee and become instrumental to bring thee with Honour and Solemnity Into my Mothers house amongst the Spiritual people that belong to the Family of God that are fill'd with Heavenly liquor and are willing freely to bestow it by whose acquaintance thy Conscience should be covered with the voice of joy and gladness for my Mother to whom I would bring thee would instruct me She changeth the person here to shew the unity that faith maketh amongst the Saints I would cause thee to drink of spiced wine I would cause thee by Divine reasons and arguments to receive not only wine without any thing to compound with it meaning the Righteousness of a man only but I would cause thee to drink of spiced Wine Which is made more Excellent by reason of art in mixture even of the Righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ which being spiced and perfumed with the Merit of his Godhead preserveth the Conscience from the wrath of God and the fear of Eternal death This I would cause thee to drink of even by a holy kind of violence and compulsion that thou shouldest not forgo it Which she calleth here the juyce of her
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
do proceed from the Mouth of Christ her Beloved For when Satan rageth the Law threatneth and her Conscience accuseth yet then the Mouth of her Beloved is most sweet and Lovely His Lips are like Lillies dropping sweet smelling Myrrhe The kisses of an Enemy are deceitful Prov. 27.6 Can. 5.16 therefore she desireth her Friend The Law cannot comfort her in the day of distress therefore she desireth after her Lord. She forsaketh the Servant and desireth to be kissed with the kisses of Christ's mouth Now the reason why she desireth the kisses of Christ above all others is set down in the next words For thy Love is better than Wine In which words she setteth out the excellency of his Love far beyond all his Gifts Wine is an excellent gift of God having many excellent Properties in it 1 Tim. 5. it helpeth the infirmity of Man's Body it is delightful to the Eye pleasant to the Tast but above all this the Psalmist saith Psal 104.15 It maketh glad the Heart of Man These things she denieth not but that they are very delightful but yet she esteemeth them as nothing in comparison of his Love Wine also was in much esteem at Marriages as we see by the Wedding Christ was at when he turned Water into Wine yet notwithstanding all these the Bride is more imflamed with the Love of his Person than with the Love of Wine and the reason she giveth is because his Love is better than Wine Which sheweth us the right way how to have a light esteem of all things under the Sun which is to fasten our Eyes upon something that is better And also that when we are in the greatest Misery by reason of Sin and the Cross it sheweth us what to do even then to desire the apprehension of Christ's Love and to assure our selves by Faith that he speaketh good and comfortable words unto us and not as the Law and our own evil Consciences doth these things thou hast done and therefore thy Misery is just I say Christ doth not thus speak to the humbled Soul but ceaseth then from Rigour parteth with his Right and speaketh the words of Grace and Consolation to us Therefore must we embrace his Heavenly kiss with thankful Hearts and then shall we find by experience that to be true which the Bride here singeth Thy Love is better than Wine VERSE III. Because of the savour of thine Ointments HEre it is farther shewed by the holy Ghost why the Bride doth so much esteem of his Love and why her Affection is so much drawn to him it is because of the savour of his Ointments his Person is most excellent and sweet for being anointed with the Godhead all his Actions became meritorious for her in the sight of the Father For it must be noted that when the nature of Man was taken by the Godhead in Unity of Person it was filled with notable and excellent Graces both with all created and uncreated Perfections with Wisdom in the Understanding Holiness in the Will Purity in the Affections in all points whereby the Body it self became a worthy Instrument for the great Work of Man's Redemption And these the Bride calleth his Ointments by which he became a Person whose sacrifice was a sweet smelling savour not only in the sight of God but also in the Consciences of all the Elect. And this anointing of Christ was shadowed in the Law Exod. 20.30 when God did appoint that there should be an anointing Oyl made of the Oyl of Olives and other notable Perfumes for the anointing of Aaron and his Sons and the Vessels of the Sanctuary which holy Oyl was to be as a Sacrament of that most excellent sweetness that should be found in Christ the high Priest of his Church That even as Aaron and his Sons being anointed therewith were made to smell sweet in the Nostrils of the People so the Godhead did persume the Humanity of Christ with such most excellent sweetness whereby the smell of his Actions did make a most pleasant Persume for us in the fight of God the Father But besides these Ointments of the Sanctuary there were other Ointments also that Kings did use who had as it seemeth the fairest and sweetest things that could be invented for themselves and their Queens to perfume their Clothes withall as appears by Queen Esther Esth 2.12 who for certain days before she came to the King perfumed her self with Oyl of Myrrhe and sweet Odours and other things which were appointed for the purification of Women And Solomon also being a Type of Christ Psal 45. is said to have his Garments perfumed with Myrrhe Aloes and Cassia out of the Ivory Palaces Now either of these Ointments whether those that were made for Priests or the Perfume that was made for Kings do serve to set forth the most excellent sweetness that is in Christ whereby distressed Consciences when once perfumed therewith do become an Odour of a sweet smelling Sacrifice in the sight of God And therefore Christ under the Figure of Solomon is said to be anointed with the Oyl of Gladness Psal 45. because when the Merits of his Actions are given to the distressed Conscience it is delivered from the guilt of Sin and wrath of God And therefore it is that the Bride here speaketh of the savour of his Ointments She looketh not upon any thing of worth in her self but smelleth the savour of the good Ointments of her Beloved which are as a Soveraign Balm to heal her of all her wounds and of infinite sweetness to drive away the stinking and loathsom smell of all her Sins from the presence of God whereby she comes to be filled with sweet and Heavenly delight Which teacheth us the true nature and use of Faith which is that when we feel the stink of our Sins the grievousness of our Wounds and the loathsomness of our filthy Nature not then to look after any worthiness in our selves but only to smell to the sweet and precious Ointments of our Beloved which being presented before the Justice Seat do send forth such a smell that causeth the Father to forget the stink of all our Sins and will also fill our Minds and Consciences with Heavenly delight For to this purpose was the Lord Jesus Christ anointed that our Minds and Consciences might be fill'd with the savour thereof Thy Name is as Ointment poured forth In which words the Bride farther amplifieth why she doth so much esteem of his Love it is from his Name For it was promised concerning Christ That a Virgin should Conceive and bring forth a Son and his Name shall be called Emanuel which is God with us The understanding of this Name she saith is as precious Ointment because through this Name she hath her Mind perfumed and her Conscience discharged from the wrath of God for if God be present the scar of his wrath must needs be absent If God be with us who can be
Christ For all men naturally are of this opinion that God will justify those that keep the Law morally and reject the rest and to strengthen this opinion many Scriptures are alleaged with being not understood this opinion is increased Now until this wall be thrown down there is no entrance for Christ therefore when the bride says he standeth behind our wall she meaneth to throw down the wall Christ is as a lover that will come in although the opposition be ever so great the walls must go down and the house must be pulled in pieces and a new foundation laid So that a man would judge when Christ cometh that all were going to ruin even then when he is about to lay a new foundation This opposition Christ findeth more or less even in his own people while they are in this world and therefore he standeth behind the wall and the first thing he doth by his Ministry is to throw down the wall that is those imaginations in man that are the roots and grounds of unbelief He doth not as some other builders do prop up the old foundation or piece up the old wall but maketh all things new And this was prophecied of him in Num. Num. 24. 24. he shall smite the corners of Moab and cast down the walls of all the sons of Seth. Looking forth at the windows shewing himself through the Lattice These words do expound the former and shew the reason why the imaginations in man must be thrown down it is that light may be in the Soul For the windows and lattices are instruments to convey light into the house and when there is any obstruction between the light and the window it must be took away otherwise the house will be dark Now Christ is our light and the understanding is the window of the Soul and the first light that Christ bringeth is by teaching a right understanding of the Law and by throwing down mans natural opinion of the Law by discovering of our original and actual sin by which we sencibly feel that we are lost this is the first light and a matter of great weight because it teacheth man a true knowledg of himself therefore it behoveth all people rightly to study the same otherwise the windows will remain shut and nothing but darkness will appear in the house VERSE X. My beloved spake and said unto me rise up my love my fair one and come away AFter the windows are opened by a right understanding of the Law she saith my beloved spake that is of the promises of the Gospel saying come away by which she meaneth to receive his own righteousness and merits Nothing is here placed between the revealing of sin and giving of righteousness but only faith in Christ And when 't is said rise up it sheweth that the Law casteth all men down and that Christ is not delighted to see us too long in sorrow and heaviness And seeing he saith my love it sheweth he owneth us in our sorrows and setteth his heart upon us And in that he says my fair one he taketh from us the guilt of all our sins and imputeth to us his own righteousness and merits These are the true foot-steps of faith and are written on purpose that we might upon the true sight and confession of our sin after the same manner apply unto our selves the comfortable words in the Gospel VERSE XI For lo the winter is past the rain is over HEre it is shown that so long as the Conscience is under the Law the feeling of Sin and the wrath of God it is as the time of winter wherein flowers and fruits do seem to be consumed by reason of Storms and Tempests and frosty nights And as in the time of rainy weather when little benefit of the Sun appears for it is for the present as if there were no Christ or Saviour when all former experiences of Gods love and favour are forgotten and lost Which condition no man can speak effectually of unless he have in some measure found it in himself But as soon as the Conscience is humbled confesseth sin and lifteth up through faith his eyes and heart to the voice of his Redeemer the winter is past and the rain is over All fears and doubts do then begin to vanish away According to the saying of the Prophet Isa 35.10 they shall hear of joy and gladness and sorrow and mourning shall flee away So that the Gospel putteth an end to the Law in respect of the Conscience that Christ alone may there rule and govern I say in respect of the Conscience not in respect of the conversation but in removing the guilt of sin and filling of it with peace and joy for in saying the winter is past it sheweth us also that Summer is come All a mans life may be said to be winter in respect of the flesh and the manifold sins vexations cares and dayly calamities it is subject to in this mortal life but in respect of the Conscience it is sometimes winter and sometimes Summer Therefore no man must be too much cast down with discouragement when he feeleth his sin and the wrath of God as though the winter would never be past nor yet be too much overcome with rejoicing when the Gospel shineth within him as though the rain would never come again VERSE XII The flowers appear on the earth THese are tokens of the spring which causeth all people to rejoice when they behold the buds and blossomes of the herbs trees and flowers when there is as it were a new face upon the Earth when all things appear like a new Creation which maketh all Creatures to rejoice and sing Which sheweth the proper effects of the Gospel which is tidings of greater joy and gladness to all those that by faith receive it And therefore whatsoever Doctrine it be that by the nature of its principles maketh the heart of man sad and cannot truly comfort it again but leaveth it in sadness is not the Doctrine of the Gospel By this then we may know when the Gospel is taught Deu. 18. when a Prophet speaketh in the name of the Lord that is that says the Doctrine which he delivereth is the Gospel yet if the principles of his Doctrine do not nor cannot produce that effect which the Gospel worketh which is righteousness peace and joy in the holy Ghost the Prophet speaketh presumptuously his Doctrine is not the Doctrine of the Gospel The time of the singing of Birds is come Another mark that the spring is come Now as the pleasantness of the spring is seen by the cheerfulness of the Birds in their pleasant notes so the joyful and pleasant news of the Gospel is seen and manifested in the voices and harmonies of men Who even as Birds in time of spring So in their nests do sit and sing Now in that it is here said the time of the singing of Birds is come we must note that a Christian man
liveth under a double time in this world the time of the Law and the time of grace A time when the voice of sorrow and mourning must be heard and a time when the voice of joy and gladness must only be heard and sorrow and mourning must fly away And Solomon being inspired by the holy Ghost treateth of both these times which every Christian must apply himself diligently to learn No man must think the Gospel to be such a Doctrine that bringeth with it nothing but pleasure for it being contrary to the Doctrine and Religion of the World it bringeth the cross and many tribulations where the true Gospel is taught And when the fear of any judgment guilt or calamity begins to seize on the mind and to overwhelm it then doth the time of the Law begin and holdeth us in captivity which time doth not always last to the Godly but only till Christ for as soon as we confess our sin and make application of the promises of God then doth the Law begin to vanish from the Conscience and then the time of the singing of Birds is come as the holy Ghost here writeth The voice of the Turtle is heard in our Land The Turtle useth as some say to depart out of the Land of Jury in winter by reason of the cold and to return again in spring for to make an abode in which time her voice is only heard calling to her mate So that the voice of the Turtle is a certain sign that the spring is come So when we hear the Nittingale the Thrush the Black-bird and other harmonical voices and pleasant notes we know the spring is come Now as the voice of the Turtle and the chirping of other Birds do shew unto us that Summer is come So also we know that the Gospel is come when the voice of the Lord Jesus Christ is heard amongst the Saints For as the warmness of the spring causeth a cheerfulness amongst the Brids So doth the truth of the Gospel being rightly understood cause a cheerfulness amongst the Saints which causeth all the Heavenly host to break out in singing lauding and praising the Lord. When once they begin to shake off the winter and the frost begins to melt and their hearts begin to be warmed with the spirit of God then they begin to set their voices in Tune and with sweet and Heavenly descant to make melody to the Lord in their hearts When this comes to pass then is the voice of the Turtle heard and then the Summer is come Then the Nightingale singeth and all the Birds of Heaven begin to chirp They that have nothing in their mouths but ribaldry and filthiness that can talk of nothing but couetousness and greediness shew no tokens at all of the spring neither can such make any Musick at all to the Lord. Therefore let us learn rightly to understand the voice of the Turtle that we may have this heat of affection within us and so lively a feeling of the Lords mercies that we may sing forth the praises of the Lord and shew the Turtle to be amongst us and that the spring is come that so by our spiritual and Heavenly joy begun in this life we may give a glymps of that everlasting joy which one day we shall have with the Lord in glory VERSE XIII The fig-tree putteth forth her green figs and the vines with the tender grape give a good smell THe vine and the fig-tree do also note the spring especially in Jury where the Country is hot and the spring comes sooner then with us to make the earth fruitful Both these Trees bear pleasant fruit especially as some say those about Libanus And as their fruit is pleasant to the tast so the tender grapes when they first shoot out and blossom give a good smell chiefly in hot Countrys where the Sun hath greater force then else where in causing nature to thrust forth her sweetness This sheweth that where the Gospel cometh it maketh men fruitful for the godly are not compared to Trees that bring forth no fruit when once God pardoneth the imperfections and blemishes of his Church but to Trees that bring forth most sweet and pleasant fruit Those that bring forth no fruit in their conversation but sower grapes are not the Lords plants but are degenerated from the true vine And they whose Doctrine by reason of the nature of its principles bringeth no Children unto glory are not the Lords fig-trees but are like brambles thorns and thistles that scratch and prick the Church but bring forth nothing that is sweet and pleasant these serve for nothing but to be cut down and cast into the fire Therefore we must learn to tast of the sweetness of the fig-tree and the vine and to shew forth the fruits thereof that we may give a testimony that the Gospel is come which when once we have well tasted of we will not lose the sweetness of it for a world When the Trees went out to chuse them a King Judg. 9. the fig-tree would not lose his sweetness for a Kingdom Nor would the vine lose his pleasant wine that cheared God and man for a Kingdom If once we had but tasted the fruit of the vine and of the fig-tree and did rightly know the use thereof we would not part with it for all the pleasures under the Sun Although the grapes be not fully ripe we must not be dismayed and the figs but green and small yet the Lord taketh pleasure in them and counteth our poor beginnings to be tokens of the spring If we humble our selves before him for our frailties and weaknesses and aske him forgiveness for the same he looks upon us with gracious eyes and telleth us that Summer is come When we are ashamed of our fruit and begin to be dismayed and hang down our heads like a bullrush yet then doth he speake friendly and comfortable words unto us as appeareth in the words next following Arise my love my fair one and come away Which words are the conclusion of what was spoken to the bride by her beloved and it is the second time by which she is call'd upon to come away Now in that he calleth again it sheweth how untractable the Soul is to come out of her missery and affliction so wicked a thing is unbelief which setteth nothing before our eyes in the time of tribulation but only this that God hath no respect unto us but that he is about wholly to cast us of Now because there is no cure for unbelief but only faith and faith can have no footing but only from truth therefore our beloved in these words openeth his good heart unto us and telleth us the very truth that we are his love his fair one He that can make use of these words in time of Temptation and can perswade himself that they are spoken unto him setting himself to prayer in good earnest for the establishing of this very truth in his
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
And the Satyr shall cry to his fellow a wild god of the wood a creature of divers shapes Ver. 14. And the Shrichowl shall rest there also whose voice is tun'd something like a woman speaker Such as these a nation shall be fill'd with when God will punish a people for the contempt of his word And the great Owl also shall make her nest there and lay and hatch and gather under her shadow This is not meant of the natural Owl as I conceive but of some Spiritual Father that is a gatherer that layeth strange principles and hatcheth up others in his own opinions These sorts of Creatures many of them come from far no man knows from whence few or none of them use to haunt amongst the Birds of Heaven but use unhaunted and unaccustomed places and by a strange confusion of Language seek to undermine the faith of Christ Therefore the Holy Ghost likeneth them here to wild beasts and their meetings to be but like the crying of Satyrs a kind of betwitching of little Children in the cradles and the noise of Shrichowls and their gatherings to be but as the laying and hatching of the Owl the which nothing could be spoken of more contemptibly Now in that Christ calleth his Church to come from Lebanon from Amana from Shenir and Hermon it sheweth plainly that where the Gospel is taught the Church must look to be pestered with Sects and Seducers that shall oppose the same There the Satyrs shall dance and walk in divers shapes seeking to bewitch those that follow them Thither the wild beasts shall come who shall run head long upon all those that shall oppose them There the Owls shall hold their Court and think by a strange and an unaccustomed noise to destroy all at once Now in regard Christ saith come with me from Lebanon it sheweth that the victory over these Vermin is not to be gotten by the Law but by Christ Sectaries and Seducers teach no other way to faith and Justification but by their own doings therefore the Holy Ghost calleth them and their followers an habitations of Dragons Now in regard by their principles they seek justification by the Law Rev. 18.2 therefore they cannot be convicted by the Law because the Law requireth obedience upon the same terms Therefore Christ saith here come with me from Lebanon my spouse and doubles it again with me from Lebanon that is with my righteousness and works wherein righteousness and Salvation alone is to be found The first point of policy in the old Serpent the Devil was to corrupt Eve in her faith which thing is also attempted by the whole Ministry of Satan If therefore thou hearkenest to that Doctrine that by the principles of it destroyeth faith in Christ then thou art an inhabitant with the Dragon and setled in the Owls nest Hearken we therefore to the voice of our beloved which teacheth the active doing of the Law in obtaining righteousness before men but gathereth all his sheep into his fold not by the Active but by the Passive doing of the Law Therefore when thou hearest from Amana the active doing of the Law urged to bring thee to faith and justification Look thou then from the top of Amana and stedfastly believe the Gospel which teacheth no other preparative to faith and justification but the Passive doing of the Law If thou groundest thy faith there then thou forsakest all the wild beasts in Lebanon and art separated from Amana Shenir and Herman thy being is no longer with Dragons but thy Scituation is in Mount Sion and the Lord is become thy habitation From the Dens of Lions from the Mountains of Leopards He calleth them Lions and Leopards because false Prophets are destructive Creatures all their Labour is to bring Souls to everlasting ruin And although they walk under the Title of Saints amongst themselves yet the Holy Ghost calleth them the habitation of Devils and a cage of every unclean and hatefull Bird. The Den of these Lions is where men prefer their own doings beyond the Gospel Not when the Law is truly taught but when it is stretcht beyond its bounds and limits when man hath an high opinion of his works an evident sign whereof is when the Publican is despised which maketh it appear that the Pharisee which despiseth him trusteth in his works This is the Lions Den and in regard there are many such people and also such Societies that flock together into Mountains and Dens into obscure places and under a pretence of great zeal and holiness do destroy the faith of some and danger the Seducing of others therefore the Holy Ghost termeth them to Dens of Lions and Mountains of Leopards and calleth the Church from those Dens and Mountains because no man can live there but first or last he shall be made a prey Moreover Lions and Leopards may signifie wicked Rulers which are fierce cruel and full of rage against the Church of God and also those of any sort that plot and contrive how to get power in their hands to work the ruin of the people of God Of such David speaks Psal 10.9 10. that lie in wait secretly as a Lion in his Den to catch the poor that crouch and will not stir nor wag but only cast their eyes about till they are certain of their prey but as soon as the prey comes within their reach they clap in their claws and tear the poor in pieces These are like the Leopards also Jer. 13.23 which are fierce Creatures and full of spots And even as the Leopards may be known by their spots so also may these be known having spots that make them very discernable So that a man may easily find where the Leopard hath been by his spots which spots he cannot change but sheweth them wheresoever he maketh after his prey which is always the utter ruin and destruction of the people of God Now in regard Christ saith come with me it sheweth that the spouse is safe in his presence notwithstanding these Lions and Leopards And seeing he saith from the Dens and from their Mountains it sheweth that they are utterly disowned by Christ and left alone in the Kingdom of the Devil where God will make use of them for a time for the afflicting of his Church and afterwards will cast them from their Mountains into Everlasting destruction VERSE IX Thou hast ravished my heart my Sister my spouse thou hast ravished my heart with one of thine eyes with one chain of thy neck THe Church being obedient to the call of Christ in forsaking the Lions Dens and the Leopards Mountains in separating from Amana Shenir and Hermon and resting her self in Mount Sion Christ here says thou hast ravished my heart To be ravished is to be overcome and to have the heart and affection wholly taken up by the sight of another This ravishment is said to come from one of the eyes or from one look of the eyes that
but to hear and believe the voice of the Son of God The sum of all is this That the spiritual plants in the Lords Church do bring forth variety of excellent fruits in regard they grow and blosom after the similitude of an Orchard And the cause why they grow after this manner is because the workmen in Gods Orchard do plant and graft after the same form They do not plant and graft according to their own natural way of grafting to make men holy by works but in a way which is contrary to nature to make them righteous by faith Their business lies in compounding of ointments to make persons Holy In sprinkling perfuming spices made after the Art of the Apothecary that poor distressed consciences may become fruitful in faith and all good works Another cause is because the plants themselves are willing to become Passive after the manner of an Orchard They are willing when Gods time is come to be cut out of that Olive tree which is wild by nature and to be grafted contrary to nature into a right Olive tree They are willing to be planted in Gods Orchard where they must stand against every storm without fear of being shaken to pieces So that although the winds blow and the flouds come and the trees are shaken at the very roots yet they are willing to stand against every storm and after the similitude of an Orchard even then to receive the moisture and nourishment that floweth from the Gospel which is the ground wherein they stand Now because the planters plant after this form and also the plants themselves are willing to yield and conform to the same way of planting and grafting therefore it is that they are fill'd with sweet and most excellent fruit otherwise it could never be This sheweth us the reason why there are so many plants in Gods Orchard that grow not so as to bring forth any manner of choice fruit suitable to such an Orchard the reason is because they grow not after the same similitude They complain that they cannot master their sins nor perform their duties that they have not that understanding in the Scriptures that others have the reason is because they are not planted nor grafted according to the right form They work and toil they labour and take pains both the planters and the plants themselves to grow and increase in the opinion of works but bring forth none of these sweet and pleasant fruits because they are not willing to be cut and hewen down digg'd and prun'd and dressed after the similitude of an Orchard Therefore it is that when storms come they are not able to stand when calamities arise they are not able to endure but one runs one way another runs another way to look for help and succour because they have not learn'd to stand and receive the sap and moisture of the Gospel which is the ground from whence they grow after the similitude of an Orchard And hence it comes to pass that in stead of bringing forth Camphire Spiknard and Saffron which is sweet and pleasant fruit they sprout forth roots of bitterness gall and wormwood In stead of bearing the sweet Calamus and Cynamon to make the holy annointing oyl to make the spiritual Tabernacle and all the vessels thereof holy before the Lord and the sweet Frankincense Myrrhe and Aloes to make a most holy and sweet perfume they send forth a noisom fume of their own compounding which causeth them most horribly to stink in the presence of God So that the end of their labour and pains is but this the fruit which they think to be the only fruit that healeth the Nations when it is rightly tasted and the scent of it truly smelt and compar'd with the fruits that grow in the Orchard of the Lord it is found to be but of an evil savour fruit that withereth and comes to nothing So long as it is look'd upon by it self the scent pleaseth but when it is compar'd with the sweet Frankincense and other sweet and principal spices which are prepar'd to perfume the spiritual Tabernacle of the Lord and every vessel pertaining thereunto it is found to be nothing else but meat that perisheth fruit that withereth and the trees themselves that bear the fruit to be such that are marked out to be hewn down and cast into everlasting fire According to our Saviours saying Joh. 15. if a man abide not in me he is cast forth as a branch and is withered and men cast them into the fire and burn them And every plant that my heavenly Father hath not planted shall be rooted up Therefore seeing it is the commendation of the Church in this place in that she is like unto an Orchard of such sweet and pleasant fruits in that she receiveth her self and bringeth forth and as an instrument conveyeth the sweet and pleasant fruits of Christs death and Resurrection into the hearts and Consciences of others that they may be fill'd with all the chief spices and be so becensed and perfumed therewith as to become a sweet favour unto God in every place let us also endeavour to be fill'd with all these chief and principal spices that we may know what to do in the time of tribulation and great distress when we feel the terrors of the Almighty and begin to be sore afraid when we can see no way nor means of deliverance but the tree seems to be blasted and all hope of fruit to be lost yet then let us consider that we are plants in Gods Orchard where we must stand against every storm so that although the winds blow and storms come and we are even shaken at the very roots yet there must we stand and receive the sap and nourishment of the Gospel which speaketh comfortable words to the miserable Soul And not only so but also that we may be able to anoint and perfume distressed minds that a poor distressed Conscience may be comforted by us in a sad condition that the cluster of Camphire may appear in the Conscience that the scent of the Calamus and Cynamon may be smelt and the Spikenard Myrrhe and Frankincense may become as a Posey to refresh the spiritual senses under the apprehension of Sin and the wrath of God Then shall it become apparent that we are the trees of Frankincense here spoken of filled with the kernels of the Pomegranates and rightly planted in the Orchard of God VERSE XV. A Fountain of Gardens a well of living waters and streams from Lebanon IN the twelfth Verse of this Chapter the Church is said to be a fountain Sealed in this Verse she is said to be a Fountain of Gardens that is a fountain opened to water gardens When the Church is compar'd to a garden in the singular Number understand the universal Church but when she is compar'd to gardens as here it meaneth every particular Church and every particular member in each Church A fountain sealed Quest and a fountain
opened seemeth at first sight to be a contradiction for if she be a fountain to water gardens how then is she a fountain sealed The answer is Ans she is a fountain sealed to those that are contemners of the Gospel according to that saying in the Prophecy of Esai The vision of all is become unto you as the words of a Book that is sealed which men deliver to one that is learned saying read this and he saith I cannot because it is sealed So that although the Doctrine of the Gospel be plain and easy in it self and very sweet and comfortable yet where mans wisdom ruleth it cannot possibly be understood but remains a mistery hid and sealed Therefore it is no wonder to see great Clerks men of excellent parts and learning that cannot read the Book that cannot understand any thing of the mistery of the Kingdom of Heaven the reason is because to them the spring is shut up and the fountain is sealed for their horrible despising and contemning of the same And so on the contrary she is a fountain set open to water gardens to refresh and satisfy every hungry and thirsty Soul According to that in the Prophecy of Zachary in that day there shall be a fountain set open for sin and for uncleaness So that to every one that is weary and heavy laden with the burden of his sins she breaketh the bread and poureth forth the water of life freely Now seeing the Lord hath made us his fountain we must endeavour to be full to be of some deepness that if any man come to draw the water of life the fountain may not be empty understanding is a well-spring of life and a spring always runneth The labour of the Church is to break up fountains Psal 84. As they go through the valley of Baca they make a well And the promise of God is to open the spring Esa 41.18 to make fountains in the valleys and pools in the wilderness Therefore let us receive of his fulness that if any man come with his Bucket to have a tast of the living water he may not have a scantling but may be sure to have him fill'd And as we must be full so also must we be willing to water gardens The Lord hath passed by wisdom and learning and men of excellent parts and abilities in nature and chosen poor ignorant despised hungry and thirsty sinners to break up fountains but to what end and purpose Why hath the Lord hid the mystery of the Kingdom of Heaven from the wise and prudent and reveal'd it unto Babes Even because it so pleaseth him and also that the gardens may be watered The Lord hath promised to make the wilderness like Eden Esa 51.3 and the desert like the garden of the Lord. And a river ran out of Eden to water the whole earth Gen. 2.10 Therefore let us learn to answer the similitude to see that the fountain be full and always running If the gardens be not watered what shall become of the flowers And some flowers are more choice and principal then others that give a greater scent and are the very glory of the garden if those should die the beauty of the garden would be lost Therefore when the sun begins to shine hot upon the garden and the flowers begin to be at a stand when afflictions and great distresses begin to draw on when the ground begins to be dry and parched then let us open the fountain and pour out the water of life Esa 35.7 that so the parched ground may become a pool and the thirsty Land springs of water Next the Church is said to be a well of living waters This River or well is said to be pure Rev. 22. and clear and to proceed out of the Throne of God and of the Lamb. Pure in respect of the nature of it it being nothing but the righteousness of Christ given to the unworthy Clear in respect of the brightness or the light of it it being clearly to be understood And proceeding in respect of the Original of it out of the Throne of God and of the Lamb. There is a double Throne in Heaven a Throne of Justice and a Throne of mercy The Throne of Justice is the Fathers Throne and the Throne of mercy is the sons Throne And there is a double Throne to be set in the Conscience by the Preaching of the Gospel The Throne of God and the Throne of the Lamb. The well of living waters do proceed out of both these Thrones So that the water of life can never run into the Conscience unless it be arraigned and brought in order before both these Thrones For this is the promise of Christ to him that overcometh Rev. 3.21 will I grant to sit down with me in my Throne even as I overcame and am set down with the Father in his Throne Now to overcome is to be delivered discharged and acquitted when the Conscience is arraigned from the Fathers Throne For mark it Christ entered combat with the Law sin death and Satan and overcame but how Even by submitting himself to the curse and comdemnation of them all which although unjust in respect of Christs innocent person yet were all just in respect of us and by his Resurrection from the dead through the power of his Godhead he overcame and received a full discharge from all our sins which he took in our name and keepeth for our use By reason of which victory Christ is sate down with the Father in his Throne After the same manner also we must overcome and sit down with Christ in his Throne even by submitting to the Office and condemning power of the Law which revealeth our sin and condemneth our supposed wisdom and righteousness then it is granted to us to sit down with Christ in his Throne This river then or well of living waters bringeth us First before the judgment seat condemning us before the fathers Throne next it leadeth us before the mercy seat and setteth us down in the Sons Throne giving us the victory which Christ hath purchased for us Therefore it is said Eze. 47. that every thing that moveth wheresoever this River cometh shall live That is that moveth through faith first before the judgment seat where it is condemned for sin next before the mercy seat where it is justified through grace The benefit of this River runneth not to those that are full rich and mighty in their own imagination but to those only that confess their Sin Learn we then first by faith to humble our selves before the Fathers Throne then shall it presently be granted unto us to sit down with Christ in his Throne Lastly the Church is compar'd to streams from Lebanon having some allusion as some think to the streams of Jordan which began at the foot of Mount Lebanon and ran along through the holy Land to water the same And also to the Sanctuary which was built
casting out of Hagar and her Son Nevertheless they had great gifts bestowed upon them Gen. 25. for although Abraham as a figure of God gave all his inheritance to Isaac yet unto the Sons of the Concubines Hagar and Keturah Abraham gave gifts and sent them away into the East Coutry These Concubines jointly considered are nothing else but the bondwoman who although she liveth in visible Society with the Bride yet she gendereth her Children unto bondage These are said to be fourscore which is also a certain number for an uncertain meaning there are multitudes of these sort of people that keep a wonderful stir in the Family of God chiefly about government and ruling that would if they knew how fain bear sway in the Family in outward goverment yet have no authority as the Wife who ruleth all things through faith in Christ By the Virgins without number understand the companions of the Bride who are not yet converted yet not opposers but well wishers to the Bride that are not yet brought but that shall be brought unto her Psal 45. according to the Psalmist These are called Virgins because they ought to be undefiled in respect of their faith and to look with a single eye upon the Lord Jesus Christ VERSE IX My dove my undefiled is but one she is the only one of her Mother the choise one of her that bare her THe Queens and Concubines are many and are also of many opinions in matters of Religion but my dove is but one One in regard of universality and one in respect of unity She endeavoureth to keep the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace Eph. 4. And in that she is said to be undefiled it sheweth that the Queens and Concubines are such as are defiled in heart and Conscience before God though outwardly they may seem to appear righteous before men The cause of their defilement is because they all say I sit a Queen and am no widow they all boast in the Law therefore saith the Holy Ghost shall her plagues come at one day death and mourning and famine Rev. 18. for strong is the Lord God that will condemn her Because she trusteth in the wickedness of her own opinion therefore her own opinion shall condemn her By all which we see that although the Queens and Concubines are the only righteous persons in their own eyes yet she that mourneth for her sins is the only excellent creature in Christs sight And why is she so excellent Even because she presenteth her self before him not a righteous person but a sinner by her principles and asketh forgiveness of the same The Queens and Concubines are sinners in word but by their principles they seek justification in the Law which sheweth that in heart and opinion they are not sinners by the Law That they seek justification by the Law appears in that they teach a necessity of the Law from which also flowes another evil which consisteth in destroying the right end of all obedience to the Law which is not to become righteous and just before God but that I may with a cheerful heart do good unto my Neighbour But the Bride teacheth no necessity of the Law Vnderstand this no necessity only in the matter of justification therefore by her principles she presenteth her self a sinner before God by the Law now because she separateth the Law from the judgment seat therefore she layeth down the ground of all good works and also sheweth the right end of the Law And therefore she is said to be as it here followeth the only one of her Mother The Mother is Jerusalem which is above the Mother of us all Gal. 4.26 By which is meant the universal Church For Sarah the freewoman which Paul is there treating of was the Mother of Isaac and a type of the New Testament which Isaac was born by promise For Abraham had Isaac by Sarah and he had also Ishmael by Hagar his Concubine Both these Sons were born in Abrahams Family which was the visible Church of God Isaac was born by promise but Ishmael was born without the promise of God In Abrahams Family then there are the two Testaments and a twofold Mother The one is Agar figuring the Law which being without the promise of God gendereth all her Children unto bondage The other is Sarah which is called the freewoman being a type of the true Church which giveth the Gospel freely without the works of the Law She that after this manner gendereth Children unto God is the only one of her Mother The Concubine is without this praise because she gendereth from Sina therefore is she under the curse and wrath of God Now as Isaac is the heir because he is born by promise So the Children of the freewoman are the only Sons and heirs of God by Adoption And as Ishmael was a servant cast out of Abrahams Family and never to have any share in the inheritance with Isaac So the Law only maketh men servants subject to the wrath of God and separateth them from the glorious inheritance of the Saints for evermore Let us learn then so to understand the Gospel that we may become Children of the free-woman which thou canst not do unless thou renounce the bondwoman and her Son Therefore when thy Conscience is in distress and thou feelest thy self to be in bondage under the curse of the Law and wrath of God and thou beginnest to humble thy self before him stop thine ears then from hearing the Law either for what thou hast done or what thou oughtest to have done and hearken only to the comfortable voice of the promise which speaketh nothing but grace and mercy to a poor Creature that feeleth his misery and suffer the same to make an impression within thee Then shalt thou have a certain feeling within thy self that although thou art defiled in thine own eyes because thou hast broken thy bounds yet that thou art undefiled in the sight of thy beloved in regard thou receivest grace and mercy from him The Daughters saw her and blessed her yea the Queens and the Concubines and they praised her To bless in Scripture sometimes signifies to justify Psal 32.1 2. so God blesseth us when he justifieth us But a man may be said to justify another when he followeth the practice of another Thus Jerusalem is said to justifie her Sisters Samaria and Sodom Eze. 16. by following their abominations And this I understand in another sense to be the meaning here by the Daughters blessing and the Queens and Concubines praising the Bride Which is they followed the practice of the Bride They do not condemn but bless or justify the practice of the Bride But it may be said in what I answer in seeking after a Christ All manner of Sects and Hereticks do seek after a Christ but not after the true Christ There is a great difference in seeking after a Christ and the Christ A
it sheweth us what the proper Office of the Gospel is even to shine in our hearts and to comfort us in a dark condition This light is the Nativity of our Lord Jesus Christ who was born at Bethlem which Nativity is given unto us by our hearing and receiving the Gospel Therefore when thou feelest thy self to be in darkness and mightily oppressed with the shadows of the Night make hast into thy Closet and say Lord I am in great affliction and sore distress and have justly deserved by my sin to perish in the darkness I am in but seeing thou hast ordained that I shall live before thee by a borrowed light even by my Lord Jesus Christ who was born at Bethlem where the glad-tidings of great joy were published by the heavenly Angel grant therefore that I may believe the Message of the Angel that so I may receive the whole benefit At the very first time thou beginnest to practice after this manner and feelest thy heart any whit warmed with the apprehension of the blessed Babe that 's the very day and hour that Christ is born in thee Then art thou become fair as the Moon and yet thou hast the Moon under thy feet forasmuch as all thy defects and obscurities changes and alterations which made thee appear like the Moon in her weakest condition yet now being cloathed with the Sun thou despisest them all When once thou understandest these things aright then mayest thou arise and shine by thy borrowed light and shall experimentally feel that of Christ which thou thy self wilt say thou knewest not before Clear as the Sun This is meant in respect of her Doctrine which is said to be clear as Chrystal for as the Sun is the Fountain of Light natural so is Christ the Fountain of Light spiritual and Son of righteousness which being made known to the world maketh a great light By this light every man that believeth his Conscience is acquitted from the wrath of God and also is made to see the vanity of his ways and is delivered from a vain mind By this light he perceiveth wherein the errours of all men lie is made a Judge of all things yet he himself is judged of no man Terrible as an Army with Banners This Doctrine is terrible to the blind world and to the whole kingdom of Satan that it battereth all in pieces even as an Army doth with Banners For there is no Sect nor Heresie upon the face of the earth that can stand before the Gospel let the case be rightly stated and the true state of the business stuck unto on both sides and either he that opposeth it must fly or else he must turn and be converted Therefore it is said of the Day of the Lord that it shall burn as an Oven Mal. 4. and shall burn up all the proud of the earth and leave neither root nor branch The Gospel plucketh up the root of all Heresies and with the root the branch forasmuch as the principal matter whereupon all Hereticks and Sects build their confidence is the very first thing which the Gospel destroyeth Therefore the Gospel is a most terrible Doctrine to all the wicked of the earth but most sweet and pleasant to all those that conform unto it And therefore Christ says I came to send fire upon the earth and what is my desire but that it be kindled Therefore no man must be afraid to maintain the Gospel for fear of the displeasure of men for that is to deny Christ and flatter all men into Hell but every man according to his ability must endeavour to defend the same VERSE XI I went down into the Nut-garden to see the fruits of the Valley and to see whether the Vine flourish'd and the Pomegranates budded I Conceive these Words to be the Speech of the Church and the meaning to be this By Garden understand the publick assembling together of the Faithful to preach and hear the Word of God Call'd the Nut-garden Psal 19.10 Esa 40.4 Song 4.13 Joh. 15.1 because where the Word is rightly taught there are sweet Kernels found By the Valley is meant he that is made low in his own eyes through the sense and feeling of his sin The Pomegranates are the particular Members of the Church The Vine is Christ The flourishing of the Vine is when the Righteousness of Christ alone is taught for the raising up of dejected afflicted Consciences and in that the Church went down to see the fruits of the Valley The flourishing of the Vine and budding of the Pomegranates it meaneth to learn how to be afflicted for her sin and how to become low in her own eyes like the Valley and also how to be healed and exalted through the righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ that she might rejoyce in the fruits of the Ministry The sum of the whole Verse I conceive is this That the main and principal business that concerns those that are Preachers and Hearers of the Word of God in frequenting publick Assemblies is to teach and to learn how to make and to heal again tender and afflicted consciences How to lay men low in their own eyes that they may lament in secret for their sins and how to bind them up and heal them with the righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ For this cause the Bride went down into the Garden to learn this heavenly Art and divine Skill Where this learning is not taught little is said and where this is not heard little is learned If the conscience should be afflicted and not healed again it would fall into despair or if a Plaister should be provided where there is no sore no man would esteem it therefore the Church learneth both these points And the reason why this is the principal thing is because this manner of learning maketh persons new it maketh men righteous before God and also righteous before men It maketh the Tree good and his Fruit good otherwise where it is not taught it leaveth the Tree evil and his Fruit evil This sheweth us the reason why in many places the labour of the Ministry is so improfitable why there is so little good done by Preaching and so little benefit received by hearing but men go away from Church assemblies as cold and blockish as ever they were the reason is because the drift and scope of their manner of handling the word of God tendeth not to the making and healing again of tender and afflicted Consciences but bendeth quite another way Hence they all call for doing of the Law which neither maketh the wound nor healeth the sore And from this also it comes to pass that if any man comes into the Garden and desireth for a kernel he findeth but a shell and in stead of making valleys setting up of Mountains the reason is because the true way to life is hid which to think on aright may cause a Lamentation in that there is so little understood in this point
but if thou hast learned this Divine and Heavenly Art to expound the Law by the Gospel then shall the Law vanish out of thy Conscience and Christ alone shall rule and govern Therefore in such a condition as this enter into thy closet and pray after this manner Lord I am in great distress and know not what to do and the evils that I fear are justly coming upon me by reason of my sin and if I should now expound the Gospel by the Law which is now upon me then should I be totally ruined without all hope of recovery but seeing thou hast taught me to expound the Law by the Gospel and not to make construction of things according to sense and reason but according to thy holy and gracious promise teach me to stick unto it so long as life shall last When once thou enterest into this excercise of thy faith thou wilt quickly find the sweet of it and wilt not care a rush for any affliction Then shalt thou experimently feel in thy self that although there be in the Shulamite as it were the company of two armies the flesh warring against the Spirit and the Spirit warring against the flesh inwardly against the accusations and terrors of the Law and outwardly against false Prophets and Seducers yet that thou mayest easily overcome them by the Gospel And also shalt find that this Battel cometh not to pass from the principles of the Gospel but from the natures of men who by reason of blindness and wilfulness will not understand the same CHAP. VII VERSE I. How beautiful are thy feet with shoes O Princes Daughter BY reason of the Churches Victory in this Battel against Satan within and Satan without Christ commendeth her again And first her feet and shoes are commended she being so well shod with the preparation of the Gospel of peace for then the feet are said to be beautiful when they are well furnished with the glad tidings of peace and good things then do the feet stand upon holy ground Now when the Gospel is made the standard to try all Doctrines by and also the only weapon to drive away the guilt of sin and all fears out of the Conscience then doth the Church obtain this Title to be call'd the Princes Daughter Then is she looked upon no longer as coming from Adam but as one who by her new birth or Nativity is the Daughter of a Prince even fo the Lord Jesus Christ For so Christ is said to be the Everlasting Father and Prince of peace because by his word he generateth Children to himself Psal 45. to make them Princes in all the Earth For this cause also must we endeavour to receive the Gospel that our feet may be well shod that our inward man may be made beautiful with the righteousness of the Son of God then shall we be look'd upon no longer in respect of the Conscience as Children of Adam but as Sons and Daughters of the living God For being separated from Adam we are likewise separated from the curse that lyeth upon Adam and all his posterity Therefore this must teach us whither to go when we are disturbed either in our inward or outward peace even to him that is the Prince of Peace And also what to do in case of wants even to humble our selves upon our knees before the Prince who being the Kings Son and heir of all things can deny us nothing who are become the Princes Daughter We must not therefore be faithless but believing then shall we also perform good works joyfully and thankfully before men but if we forget or dispise this Heavenly Title then shall we remain in our old natural condition under the curse and the benefits of the new Nativity shall be utterly lost The joints of thy thighs are like jewels the work of a cunning Artificer Next to the feet the joints are here commended which must be understood as they are instruments to convey nourishment into the body Col. 2. For the body is said to increase by reason of the joints and bands Eph. 4. which minister nourishment one to another from every part which causeth it to increase with the increasings of God The joints then are here commended in respect of their use and Office which is to minister nourishment from the head to the rest of the body These joints are the particular Members in the Church which are like jewels being wonderful precious in the estimation of the owner Where these joints do rightly perform their Office the body groweth strong but where there is a coldness and benumendness in the joints the body groweth lame and little agility will be seen and there also are the Bridegrooms jewels Therefore all those that live in this Exercise and do supply the Office of the joints must believe that they are in high account in the sight of their beloved which must comfort and encourage every one in the body to perform his Office Next these are said to be the work of the hands of a cunning Artificer By the Artificer I understand the Preacher of the Gospel who is skilful in forming or planting Christ in the Soul Who is able through the holy Ghost to teach a right division between the Law and Gospel in use and practice that Christ may rule in the Conscience and the Law may govern the old man which cannot be done but by the hand of a cunning workman This is he that Paul speaks of when he says a workman that needeth not to be ashamed dividing the word of truth aright where this skilful Artificer is the Conscience is kept pure and undefiled but where there is daubing with untempered Morter the Conscience is often out of joint Therefore he that is the Artificer must be a cunning workman that knoweth how to break the stone in the heart by the hammer of the Law and also how to bind up the broken hearted by the Gospel without the Law Where this Artificer is nourishment is conveyed from the head into the body and every part is supplyed as it were by joints and bands to the edifying of it self in love there is nothing done but the framing and fashioning of Jewels for the Lord and the presenting as it were of a Royal Diadem into the hands of God Therefore it is said of the holy City the new Jerusalem that it is all of pure gold and that it is garnished with all manner of precious Stones which is the business of the Jeweller to garnish the City Therefore seeing he is to work in Gold and Silver and precious Stones even with the pure Doctrine of the Gospel seeing he must break in pieces stony hearts and grind them as it were to powder and also must set in order poor distressed Consciences that are altogether out of joint that they may be armed and fortified against so mighty an enemy as the Devil he had need be a cunning workman a wise Master builder that is able so
are naught which sheweth that she hath no small opinion of her self but that she prizeth her own sinful works far beyond the righteousness of Christ else why doth she separate from Church assemblies accounting all men to be Anti-christian if they be wanting only in the works of the Law There is a mixed multitude the Minister is not rightly called and many other things are done or not done which as she supposeth are besides the rule but what of all this Something 's were ever wanting in men and ever will be so long as the Church is on this side perfection Now because she forsaketh the Church only for her blemishes not because faith is not Preached but in that works are wanting therefore she holdeth not the King in the Galleries but preferreth Moses before Christ And what follows all but only this because she prizeth the sinful works of men far beyond the gifts of God and righteousness of Christ therefore she condemneth the Gospel and is condemned by the Gospel According to the saying of our Saviour he that believeth not is condemned already This way must we also walk in in pacifying and quieting the afflicted Consciences even to hold the King in the Galleries For if when the Conscience is in distress the Law be then acknowledged to be the Lord then shall it be shut up fast in prison and bondage then shall it be held under the Law whereby it is accused and condemned this is to hold Moses in the Galleries not the King Therefore Moses the servant must be cast out of the afflicted Conscience by faith in Christ and not suffered to lodge in the Chamber with his Lord. Let us learn therefore to behold by faith Moses with his Sepulchre to be vanish'd away in respect of the Conscience that Christ with his Righteousness may rule and reign Thus must we hold fast Christ our King against all Enemies without and within Now in that the Churches hair is commended it meaneth believers as is shewed elsewhere and by purple their clothing shewing that all those that are fruitful in this Divine and Heavenly Art are clothed in purple even with the Righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ which is a Princely Robe For they are those that do overcome by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of his Testimony VERSE VI. How fair and pleasant art thou O love for delights THis is a pashionate speech of Christ being as it were overcome with the delights of his Church in excercising her self in the points aforesaid Therefore he pronounceth her fair and pleasant with admiration VERSE VII This thy Statute is like unto a Palm-tree and thy breasts like clusters CHrist having before commended his spouse in respect of the parts and features of the body under divers and sundry similitudes here he setteth forth her full growth under the similitude of the Palm-tree concerning which Tree there are divers things written by Historians As first that they grow in Couples Male and Female and are full of seed but the Female is only fruitful yet not except growing by the Male. And also that it is of this nature that although never so huge and pondrous a waight be put upon it yet never to yield to the burden but still to resist the Heaviness thereof and to endeavour the more to lift and raise it self upward Now the Stature of the Bride being likened to the Palm-tree it sheweth what the nature of faith is in all the godly even to lift it self upwards in the midd'st of the greatest fears and perplexities and notwithstanding all burdens and waights yet still to grow through them all Therefore in Rev. 7.9 Those that had gotten the victory over Satan and the world by faith in Christ appeared in white Robes and Palm-branches in their hands as tokens of joy and victory And this is also promised in the Psalms Psal 92.12 that the Righteous shall flourish like a Palm-tree There is no doubt but every Christian shall be put to the tryal by having a heavy weight layed upon him at some time or other in his life which weight according to the flesh and reason shall seem to press him down to the very ground so that in appearance he shall never be able to grow upright again Therefore we find that in the description of the Temple there were round about the House figures of Cherubims and Palm-trees Eze. 41.18 where a Palm-tree was between a Cherub and a Cherub and every Cherubim had two faces the face of a man and the face of a Lion the face of a man was towards the Palm-tree on the one side and the face of a Lion towards the Palm-tree on the other side This face of a Lion is doubtless Satan who hath his face always towards the Palm-tree using all means to crush it down by casting heavy weights and burdens upon it but the face of a man is the loving countenance of our Lord Jesus Christ clothed in our humanity which always looks upon us to comfort and strengthen us against all the assaults and Temptations of the Devil Therefore in such conditions we must live by faith and pray without ceasing for as it is sure and certain that the face of our Lord Jesus Christ is towards us upon the one side by whose loving countenance we shall be sure of the Victory So is it also as certain that the face of the Lion is upon us on the other side even Satan the roaring Lion that waiteth continually to devour us Therefore must we continually watch and pray and look unto Christ by faith for as was said before the Palm-tree groweth not to be fruitful except it grow by the Male therefore let us hold fast our head and Husband the Lord Jesus Christ that we may be fruitful to Eternal life Then shall the breasts of consolation be full like clusters which when we have the true use thereof shall wonderfully comfort and strengthen us against all the heavy weights and burdens that Satan shall cast upon us VERSE VIII I said I will go up to the Palm-tree I will take hold of the boughs thereof now also thy breasts shall be as clusters of the Vine and the smell of thy Nose like Apples THe Palm-tree as was said before is the Church and the boughs are the Children of the Church Now here it is shewed how they grow to be so fruitful it is because Christ taketh hold first therefore the breasts are full of the Wine of consolation and the nose smelleth variety of fruit in the word of God The sum of these words is this That the principal means for the Children of the Church to be fill'd with variety of excellent fruits is to suffer the Lord Jesus Christ to take hold of them first To suffer him to begin and to perfect his own work by his own means and in his own way And the reason is because God hath decreed that all men that shall ever be made holy and
must all learn for the helping and comforting of our little Sister that she being so setled in the love of her Redeemer she may burst forth into love and all good works amongst men To teach this point aright hath hath some difficulty in it as appears by the moan she makes what shall we do for her in that day which sheweth it requireth some skill yet this was her practice and endeavour as appeareth in the next words VERSE IX If she be a wall we will build upon her a Palace of Silver and if she be a door we will inclose her with boards of Cedar WHich is as much as to say this if she be a wall that setleth aright upon the foundation laid in Sion in the day that she is spoken for and doth not turn aside to another foundation we will then build upon her that is upon her principles a Palace for the King to delight himself in Which Palace or Spiritual house cannot perfectly be finished until the full number of the Elect be call'd Heb. 11. until which time the true Church and every particular member thereof according to his capacity laboureth in building And it being said to be builded of Silver it sheweth the matter that buildeth the Palace which is the Doctrine of the Gospel which elsewhere is compar'd to Gold 1 Cor. 3. Silver and precious Stones being pure and lasting and things of inestimable worth And further if she be a dore which is that openeth to hear and receive the promise of Everlasting life which is made to all those that are spoken for which feel and confess their death by the Law we will enclose her with boards of Cedar she shall be safe in the Kings Place where the King is always present VERSE X. I am a wall and my breasts like Towers then was I in his eyes as one that found Favour THe little Sister having heard that Christ by the Law bespeaketh her for himself that she is not spoken to to be left under wrath and condemnation but spoken for that she might be delivered from an opinion of righteousness by the Law and might be married to Christ this being the intent of the Spokesman she concludeth I am a Wall As soon as ever she understandeth the Office of the Law truly it worketh in her a sence of Faith and so it in with all people for it is as much as to say then am I settled in mind for as much as the Office of the Law is not to justifie but to bring me to Christ that I might be justified by Faith And she further saith my Breasts are like Towers the one of my Breasts destroyeth my opinion of righteousness by the Law the other of my Breasts giveth me Life everlasting without the Law These she saith are as Towers or Castles of Defence which are built to preserve the City from the Enemy He that liveth in both these Towers is safe from the malice of Satan and wrath of God This knowledge of Christ breaketh the head of Satan and utterly aboblisheth his Kingdom therefore she addeth then was I in his Eyes as one that found favour then and not till then The knowledge of the Gospel giveth us a certain evidence that we are in God's favour Mark this then well that thou attainest not his favour by the Works of the Law but only by Faith in Christ without the Law which Faith condemneth thee by the Law and so destroyeth thine opinion of the Law and giveth thee an assurance that Christ is given most freely where that opinion is destroyed Learn thou then to believe that Christ is given to thee because Ezek. 13.10 because thou feelest and confessest thy just condemnation by the Law Then shalt thou also become a Wall Ezek. 13.14 15. and thy Breasts like Towers They that require nothing but Works in building the Wall do daub but with untempered morter which shall be broken down and they that daubed it Learn thou then with Paul even through the Law to become dead to the Law that thou maist live unto God without the Law then shalt thou be in his Eyes as one that findeth favour VERSE XI Solomon had a Vineyard at Baal-hammon he let out the Vineyard unto keepers every one for the fruit thereof was to bring a thousand pieces of Silver CHrist in these words compares his own Vineyard the Church with the Vineyard of Solomon at Baalhamon which formerly was his Father David's who appointed Officers to look to his Vineyard and to manure it and to pay him an yearly Tribute for the same 1 Chro. 24. and to retain part of the profit themselves Now the Vineyard of our King Solomon is the House of Israel Isa 5. the universal Church of Jews and Gentiles and Baalhamon which signifies the Owner of a multitude sheweth the place where this Vineyard is planted even amongst the multitudes of this World He lets out his Vineyard also to Keepers Mat. 21.34 that is according to the Parable to Husbandmen to manure it and dress it and the reason rendered in the Parable is that they meaning the Husbandmen as well as himself might receive the Fruits of the Vineyard which is Life everlasting and also to yield unto himself a continual Tribute which is to render everlasting thanks and praises unto God for his infinite mercies and loving kindness to us and to serve him with joyfulness all the days of our Lives which is said here to be a thousand pieces of silver And this is all that is expected from us by our Lord King Solomon Now he sheweth in the next Words there is great reason we should return him thanks and praise for he says VERSE XII My Vineyard which is mine is before me I Set mine Eyes upon it continually and my care is always for it and although I sometimes hide mine Eyes from it seemingly for a time yet I keep it night and day lest any hurt it In answer to this follows next the words of the Spouse Thou O Solomon must have a Thousand Which is an indefinite Speech meaning To thee O Solomon be all praise and thanks for evermore for it is thy due for thou art worthy to receive all glory honour and praise for ever and ever Where she attributeth to Christ all that he requireth of her which is to sing everlasting praises to the honour of his name Next follows the last words of the Bridegroom in this Song And they that keep the fruit thereof two Hundred By which he meaneth also praises which sheweth he is so far from begrudging any one the Fruits of his Death and Resurrection that whosoever is but willing to receive the same shall have honour and praise for so doing for they that keep the Fruit thereof must have two hundred that is they shall be crowned with everlasting praise and honour at the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ This is a most wonderful comfort to all poor wretches that almost all their Lives long are are oppressed with sins sorrows cares crosses and calamities which through manifold temptation are continually in heaviness of heart who if they are but willing to receive the fruits of the Vineyard they shall have two hundred They shall have honour and praise and glory at the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ Next follow the words of the spouse which close up the whole Song VERSE XIII XIIII Thou that dwellest in the Gardens the companions hearken to thy voice cause me to hear it Make haste my beloved and be thou like to a Roe or a young Hart upon the Mountains of Spices VVHich words are a Prayer wherein the Church calleth upon her beloved not as the high and lofty one that doth inhabit Eternity but she looketh upon him as one whose dwelling is in Sion and whose delight is with the Sons of Men. O thou that dwellest in the Gardens that are constant and resident with thy poor afflicted people Thy companions hearken to thy voice meaning those that are in Church fellowship they hearken but they do not understand cause me to hear it meaning the whole company of the Elect who must all be united through faith into one body and spiritual communion Make haste my beloved my earnest desire is that this thing be speedily accomplished that even as the Roe or young hart doth speedily skip over the Mountains where spices grow So do thou speedily destroy all those Mountains in man that produce fruitlesness and barrenness that the spices of the Gospel may enter into the hearts of all thine Elect that the guilt of sin may be removed the reign of sin subdued that all afflictions may be sanctified and the whole universal Church may be armed and fortified against all the assaults of Satan in this life and may receive Eternal glory in the life to come FINIS