person of her beloved as it were declaring what words he used unto her who calleth her up to higher attainements and to a morefull communion with himselfe The Church heard Christs voice a farre off she saw him approaching neerer unto her an comming swiftly and now being come so neere as through the grates he made himselfe knowne unto her he answers her loudly and speakes more comfortably unto her In these foure verses wee have First Christs call unto his Church yet uttered by the Church herselfe as she before had desire Christ to draw neere unto her so now Christ desireth his Spouse to draw neere unto him in these words My Beloved spake and said unto me rise up my love c. Secondly Observe the reason given of Christs call and that is drawne from the opportunity and fitnesse of the time for coming unto him First Because the Winter is past ver 11. Secondly Because the Spring was come vers 12. 13. Lastly Wee have the former call and exhortation of Christ renewed verse 13. Arise my love my faire one and come away First we have Christs Exhortation to his Church My beloved spake and said unto me arise my love my faire one and come away In this speech of Christ unto his Church are to be considered two things First Those amiable Epithites given by him unto her Secondly The words of his exhortation and both these in this tenth verse and for the rest you shall have the particulars in their due place First The Epithites or Titles given to the Church are two First My love Secondly My faire one Secondly The exhortation Arise thou and come away First Wee have Christs speech calling his Church from her present estate and place of affliction unto a better and more glorious condition or from her carnal security wherein she lay to follow him in faith and love of the Gospell saying My Beloved spake and said unto me Christ is the Churches Beloved The Hebrew word dodi my beloved whereof comes David in English beloved a terme given by the father from heaven to his Sonne here on earth when he said This is my Beloved Sonne Matt. 3. ult figured out by the ancient beloved David Christ is the Husband of his Spouse and nothing will content a believer but the enjoyment of the Beloved Spake or answered the word Gnanah signifies so to speake as is by way of answering Arias Montanus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Respond it 〈◊〉 signifies also to sing by 〈◊〉 when one part answereth another in singing renders it delectus meus respondit my beloved answered Now in that the Church saith he answered it doth not only argue Christs readinesse to help his Church but also that there was some question or demand used before of the Church whereunto this answer of Christ was framed Wee finde such sudden answers often in the Gospel even before any question was propounded And 〈…〉 answered and said c. which some terme an Hebâ—â—isme or forme of speech used of the Hebrews even then when no demand went before But I rather thinke that Christ answereth something that the Church desired before Now wee must consider that the Church speakes unto Christ two manner of ways First By a vocall speech whereto the voice of the bodie is required and such speech as this wee finde not divers times in the Gospel nor here whereto the answer may have relation Secondly The Churches speech is only mentall which is only begotten in the minde and Christ doth very often in the Gospell frame an answer to the thoughts of his hearers and so Moses was heard to cry when he uttered never a word and thus the souls of the Martyrs under the Altar are introduced crying How long Lord holy and true Revel 6. Now wee may guesse the Churches demand by the answer which tends to the drawing of her forth of an uncomfortable condition to a comfortable state as it were out of winter stormes into a pleasant spring her demand then by Analogie of reason must be this O my beloved Saviour how long will it be before I am delivered from this calamitie and bondage when shall I be freed from the burthen of legall ceremonies and from the rudiments of the world and carnall Ordinances When shall I be taken from under the School-master of the Law that I may be no longer under Tutors and Governours whereunto Christ answereth in effect thus Even now is the time of the flourishing Spring therefore arise and come away Hence Observe That Christ doth answer every gracious desire of his Saints The Church had not uttered one word but only desired more comfortable times and Christ gives her in the answer of her desire The Lord prepares the heart and heares the prayer Psal 10. 17. The Lord doth as well heare and answer the prayer of the minde and of the heart as the prayer of the lips Davids purpose to build the Lord an house was accepted as well as Solomons actuall building of it Thus farre Christs speech in generall containing Christs answer to the secret desire of his Church Let us come to the Speech it selfe And first of those two Epithites given by him unto his Church My love my faire one My love Or my fellow friend my companion familiar so named of feeding together and conversing one with another and so partaking each of others good or evill This title of love is often given by Christ to his Church sometimes a Husband is called by this name friend as in Jer. 3. 20. there is mention made of a wife that deales treacherously with her friend So Christ gives a title unto his Church suitable unto her as she is his Spouse and he her Husband Hence Observe That Christs love seates it selfe in his Church The Church is the maine object of his love it is united to that and is not scattered to other objects who can imagine what Christs love is to his Churh As the Father hath loved me so have I loved you saith Christ to his Disciples Joh. 15. 9. None can understand with what love the Father lov'd the Son no more can any define and fully set out what Christs love is unto the Saints The Apostle would have the Ephesians able to comprehend with all Saints the bredth and length the depth and height of the love of God in Christ but yet for all that he concludes that it passeth knowledge Ephes 3. 18. 19. And indeed there is no love comparable to this love of Christ which is above the love of women of father or mother or any earthly love whatsoever Thus much for the first Epithite The second followeth My faire one The Hebrew word Japheh faire signifieth not onely faire and beautifull in colour but in comely proportion 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Pulcer elegans venusius and elegancy such as draweth love and liking The Churches fairnesse is by reason of the graces and spirituall beauty of faith hope love patience and such like graces
it selfe but onely wee know and understand it according to the dispensations thereof Now the acts or the effects of Gods love in Christ are various and many viz. 1. His electing love whereby he hath predestinated a certain number of men that the glorious grace of God might be manifested in them see Ephes 1. 4 5 6. The Apostle saith God hath chosen us in Christ before the foundation of the world that wee should be holy and without blame before him in love who hath predestinated us to be adopted through Jesus Christ unto himselfe according to the good pleasure of his will To the praise of the glory of his grace whereby hee hath made us accepted in the beloved Here we see the first act of Gods love in choosing of his before the foundation of the world and that saith the Apostle according to his purpose Ephes 1. 11. 2. His redeeming love whereby he hath brought his from the bondage of sinne into glorious liberty and freedome Our redemption was a full testimony of his love as appears by these Scriptures following Gal. 4. 4. For when the fulnesse of time was come God sent forth his sonne made of a woman made under the law that wee might receive the adoption of sonnes So in Act. 20. 28. The Church of God which he hath purchased with his own hlood And in 1 Tim. 2. 6. The man Christ who gave himselfe a price of our redemption This was a plain demonstration of Gods love in Christ for saith the Apostle God shewed his love to us in that while we were yet sinners Christ dyed for us 3. Gods love of calling now there is a double calling an inward and an outward the outward is a bare propounding of the Gospel but the inward call is a spirituall enlightning whereby the soule is enlightned by the spirit of wisdome and revelation to know the hope of his calling Ephes 1. 17. And that whereby the soule is made able to apprehend him of whom it is apprehended Phil. 3. 12. This is that grace begotten in the will of man that being the proper subject of this grace by which meanes the whole man is converted unto God 4. We have Gods justifying love whereby hee doth free and discharge his people from sinne and death and accounts them righteous in Christ 5. His adopting love whereby he accepts the faithfull unto the dignity of sonnes John 1. 12. As many as received him to them he gave power to be made the sonnes of God to those that believe in his name Now Christ is the band of this union for by him we come to be made heirs of God Co-heirs with Christ Rom. 8. 17. This excellent dignity is procured for us by Christ as a Redeemer Gal. 4. 5 6. God sent his sonne c. to redeeme them that were under the law that we might receive the adoption of sonnes And because yee are sonnes God hath sent forth the spirit of his sonne into your hearts crying abba Father Observe here that the spirit of adoption is called the spirit of the sonne because the holy Ghost sealeth up our adoption in Christ so that through Christ it is made sure unto us 6. His sanctifying love whereby he doth free Believers from the filthinesse and pollution of sinne and restore in them again the image of God which consisteth of righteousnesse and holinesse Eph. 4. 24. 7. And lastly his glorifying love whereby he lifts up his people unto that state of life and glory and gives them an immortall inheritance where all comfort peace and joy shall abound and where they shall have the communion of the chiefest good viz. the love of God shining forth immediately upon their hearts Now though the loue of God in Christ be one intire single and internall act yet after the manner of our conceiving it is set forth by diverse externall acts or effects And wee must know that all these effects flow from that originall love of God these are but new acts proceeding from that eternall love of God which was in his own breast from eternity 6. Observe That the sence and feeling of Christs love is more excellent and efficacious unto Believers then all the most pleasant and delightfull things in the world The Church doth preferre it beyond all comparison of worldly things saying Thy loves are better then wine Now what is more pleasing and delightfull to the tast then fragrant wine yet Christ's love is the same and far sweeter to the hearts of Believers Wine is exceeding usefull and comfortable to man but Christ exceeds in his usefulnesse to the soule so that look of what use or vertue wine is to man of the same use and vertue is Christ to his people The properties or vertues of wine are such as these 1. Wine delighteth the heart of man Psal 104. 15. And in Eccles 10. 19. Wine maketh merry That is it doth refresh comfort and make glad the heart of man so Christ gives his people comfort and refreshment in the midst of feares and dangers Hee is that Shilo which brings tranquility and peace unto his Saints he refreshes them with living waters even with the sweet communion of his spirit and with the abundance of his graces 2. Wine causeth to forget affliction and misery Prov. 31. 6 7. In like manner the love of Christ causeth us to forget those things that are behind Phil. 3. 13. And the Apostle saith of himselfe that he doth now rejoyce in his sufferings Col. 1. 24. The sweetnesse and the joy that he found in Christs love did swallow up all the bitternesse and sorrow of his afflictions 3. Wine was used in the legal sacrifices and service of God Numb 15. 5. Thus was Christ's love manifested by a sacrifice in himselfe by which we draw abundance of comfort to our selves 2 Cor. 1. 5. As the sufferings of Christ abound in us so our consolation aboundeth by Christ This consolation is much more then was in all legall sacrifices which could never make him that did the service perfect as pertaining to the conscience Heb. 9. 1. 4. Wine enflames and overcommeth therefore saith the Apostle be not drunke with wine Ephes 5. 18. But saith he be filled with the spirit that is let the comforts and graces of Christ's spirit fill and overcome your hearts 5. Wine is put for all delicate comfortable or costly things in the world which the greatest sort of men doe use in their Feasts Isa 25. 6. The Lord promiseth to make a feast of fat things a feast of wines on the lees He alludeth to the practice of great Kings of the earth and delicate persons which follow their pleasures and have their sweet wines c. But yet they find not so much delight and comfort in their Feasts as the Saints do in the love of Jesus Christ Hence it is that the Church cryeth out with desire to enjoy her beloved rendring this reason that his love is better then wine that is better then
he knows any thing he knoweth nothing yet as he ought to know 1 Cor. 8. 2. That is he that hath an opinion that his knowledge is perfect knows nothing at all But Christ doth not upbraid the Church with her ignorance but is ready to imbrace and instruct her Hence Observe Secondly That Christ takes not advantage from the sins or from the ignorance of his people to utbraia them but doth rather help them against their infirmities The Church had many deformities and failings shee had observed mens traditions and neglected those things which Christ had given her in trust shee was ignorant of the wayes of Christ and yet Christ deals very tenderly and sweetly with her Seing thou knowest not c. Christ is so far from casting off his people for weaknesse that he delights in helping and sustaining his people under their infirmities When I am weake then I am strong saith the Apostle And Christ himself hath commanded us that we receive him that is weake in the faith not to cast him off from our fellowship and society surely then he will not cast off his people for their weaknesse and ignorance neither will he any way neglect them for some failings Christ doth beare with the infirmities of his people in relation to his Office of Priest-hood so saith the Author to the Hebrews Chap. 2. 17 18. Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren that he might be a mercifull and faithfull High-priest in things pertaining to God to make reconciliation for the sins of the people for in that he himselfe hath suffered being tempted he is able to succour them that be tempted That is Christ was like to his Brethren in all things sin excepted to the end he might be a faithfull High-priest never to neglect his people at any time but in all their flips and oversights to shew them mercy and hence it is he hath taken our weaknesses upon him as a pledge to testifie and assure us that he will both pity and help us Now in that the Apostle saith He being tempted is able to succour them that are tempted He doth not mean that Christ received any ability by his temptatations but he would assure us thereby that Christ is willing to succour us under temptation as one that hath undergone temptations himselfe Now the truth of this appears yet more in the following words wherein we have a sweet compellation or ravishing forme of words O thou fairest among women Christ doth here commend the excellent and surpassing beauty of his Church not withstanding all her deformities and blacknesse spoken of before She was deformed and black in the eyes of the world and also in her owne apprehension but faire and beautifull in Christ's eye and shee was not onely of some meane or ordinary beauty but the fairest among women The Hebrew Japhet faire signifies faire or beautifull not onely in respect of colour and complexion but also in a just symmetry or proportion of parts for both fairnesse of complexion and proportion of members makes the most compleat beauty The word doth also 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Pulchrum esse venustus decorus fuit import such a beauty as attracteth love and draweth approbation or good liking Sometimes the word is used in a double forme to increase the signification of it and then it signifies the most transcendent and very excellent beauty so it is used concerning Christ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Psa 45. 3. Thou art fairer then the Children of men Psal 45. 2. That is thou art much fairer then all the Sons of Adam this fairnesse is not onely meant of the body but of the mind and of the understanding such beauty is called The beauty of wisdome Ezek. 28. 7. This beauty consisteth in wisdom and holinesse it is the beauty of all spirituall graces of the Saints as faith love patience humility c. it is not an outward beauty of the body but an inward beauty of the soule The word importeth as I hinted before such beauty as attracteth love and approbation for the same word is attributed sometime to Cattell Genes 41. 2. Sometime to Trees Jer. 11. 16. And to all the works of Gods hands Eccles 2. 11. So that it is applied to such things as doth draw and win the affections of man yet Christ addeth to this beauty by saying The fairest among women The most comely beauty is usually set forth by women as strength and valour is set forth by men and when he saith Faire among women he meaneth more faire then other women or the fairest of woman-kind thus Mary the Mother of Christ is called Blessed among women Luke 1. 28. That is more blessed then other women so the Lyon is said to be strong among Beasts Prov. 30. 30. That is the strongest among Beasts Now the meaning must needs be thus that the Church is far more excelling in all spirituall beauty beyond all earthly and temporall beauty however shee seemeth black in her owne eyes as all the Saints are privy to their own deformities and however others doe contemne her esteeming her to be void of beauty yet unto Christ shee seemeth to be most faire There are many in the world that have a shew of externall beauty and are adorned with many externall Ornaments but their beauty in the eyes of Messiah is nothing comparable to the beauty of the Saints who indeed are base and contemptible to carnall view but yet by their spirituall beauty and Ornaments they excell them all Hence it is Christ calleth the Church the fairest among women Now from this insinuating sweet compellation of Christ to his Church Observe First That Christs doth win the affections of his Saints by sweet insinuations He doth as it were insinuate and get into our affections before we are aware Hence it is that he useth such sweet termes of relation to his people as Love Dove undefiled Spouse Brethren Children Friends Sonnes and the like all to insinuate and get within their hearts and that for these ends First to assure them of his good will love delight and acceptation I call you no more Servants but friends saith he Because that I receive from the Father I declare it unto you John 15. 15. That is you are my Friends and I deale with you as a friend and by this you may take notice of my love and friendship towards you because I reveale unto you the mind of my Father Secondly to cause them to take notice of his grace and love The Saints of Christ are often complaining of blacknesse and deformity but seldome acknowledgeing their beauty and fairnesse they can often see their meannesse but not their riches their weaknesse but not their strength their sins but not their graces The Church here had called her selfe black but Christ calleth her faire shee was something blackish in her owne eyes but exceeding faire in Christ's eyes Now that the Church might apprehend her owne beauty
Hence observe That young and tender Christians must be fed with wholsome food Those that are weake are the most like to be turned out of the way and therefore should not be fed with superstitious ceremonies but with solid truth their feeding should not be only morall observation but divine Doctrine they are to be fed above the Tents of false Shepheards and be brought neer the Shepheards of Jesus Christ they must not be fed with the husks and hog-meat of the world but with heavenly Manna that comes down from heaven If those that are naturall know how to give good gifts to their children and will not feed them with scorpions and stones in stead of wholsome foode surely then Jesus Christ the great Shepheard of soules would not have his Saints fedde with the hard stones of the world or with the husks of mans invention but with pure and spirituall food Christ would not have his sheep put under the hands of Wolves to be fed but he would have them feed above such Shepheards Tents 4. From the phrase Tents observe That our estate and condition here is of no long continuance The Apostle calleth his abode in this world as the building of a Tabernacle referring to the Tabernacle in the Wildernesse which was removed from place to place so it is said of Christ John 1. that he came and dwelt or pitched his tent among us as one that was not long to continue So our life is but as a Shepheards tent now pitched down and by and by raised up now spread forth and anon folded up in a bundle now we are strong faire soone after weake and deformed Hence it is that Job saith man commeth up like a flower all glorious and faire and is cut downe he fleeth as a shadow and continueth not Job 13. 2. And again in Chap. 8. 9. For we are but of yesterday and know nothing because our dayes upon earth are a shadow Bildad stileth himselfe and his friend to be of yesterday to declare the shortnesse of their lives and therefore wee know nothing in comparison as if we had lived a long time for our dayes are like a shadow which is moveable and unconstant short and transitory And the Apostle telleth us we have no continuing City here The life of man from the beginning to the end is but a shadow a vapour a smoak as a blast of wind as passeth by and returneth not again such an uncertainty there is of the life of man that hee never stands at one stay but is continually subject to changes VERS 9 10 11. I have compared thee O my love to a company of horses in Pharaoh's Chariot Thy cheeks are comely with rowes of jewels thy necke with chains of gold Wee will make thee borders of gold with studs of silver CHrist having instructed his Church now entereth into an high commendations of her to the end hee might comfort her against her manifold temptations shee was possessed with blackness vers 5. shee wanted Christs presence vers 7. The first cure Christ giveth in the two first verses declaring how beautifull and glorious shee is in his sight even at present and that she far exceeds the chiefest Aegyptian horses of Pharaoh both for comely shape and honorable service and also that shee is gloriously adorned with the graces of his Spirit which are for their worth and beauty as so many precious borders of precious stones or chains of pearl The second cure is in vers 11. wherein Christ doth further declare what good shee shall afterward be possessed of namely a more plentifull effusion of his Spirit should be powred out upon her which shall adde to her former ornaments as it were pure gold beautified and curiously wrought with the silver specks of a new encrease of holinesse whereby shee shall shine more gloriously by the Brightnesse of his glory Now all these graces and excellent gifts which the Church is possessed of already and promised to receive of Christ hereafter are set forth by a comparison with Chariot-horses furnished with all complements beseeming King Solomon in the middest of all his royalty The words in the Originall run thus To the company of horses in the Chariots of Pharaoh I have compared thee O my Love In the words are two things considerable 1. The sweet Epithite Christ giveth unto his Church O my Love 2. The comparison by which hee sets her forth namely by the horses in Pharaoh's Chariot O my Love The word regneh translated love signifies a companion a familiar a fellow-friend it hath it's name in Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Pavit unde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Amious socius proximus of feeding together and so generally of society friendship and neighbour-hood of conversing together and so pertaking of each others good or evill This title Christ giveth to his Church often in this song in vers 15. and Chap. 2. 2. 10. 13. and Chap. 4. 1. 7. and 5. 2. and 6. 4. And this he doth to shew that the Church is the only object of his love All the beames of Christs love meet in the Church it is united to that and is not scattered to their objects Hence observe That the greatest out-goings of love and friendship from Christ is toward his Church Christ and his people feed together walk together and do sweetly converse together their hearts are knit one to another as the hearts of Jonathan and David Christ cannot content himselfe with his happinesse and glory untill he hath communicated of the same unto his Saints The generall love of Christ is scattered and branched out to all creatures in the world but his speciall his exceeding great and rich love is fastned only upon his Church Christ doth declare wherein hee hath manifested his love unto his Disciples saying I have called you friends for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you John 15 15. That is I have in a friendly manner revealed the secrets of my Fathers bosome unto you and declared unto you the mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven which I should not have done if you had not been my friends Christs love to his people is 1. Infinite and unmeasurable beyond all imagination or comparison As the Father hath loved me so have I loved you saith Christ to his Disciples John 15. 9. Now who can understand with what love the Father hath loved the Sonne no more can we define and fully set out what is the love of Christ unto his Saints The Apostle indeed would have the Ephesians able to comprehend with all Saints the bredth and length the depth and height of the love of Christ but yet for all that he concludes that it passeth knowledge Eph. 3. 18 19. 2. A gracious love I will heal their backesliding I will love them freely saith the Lord Hos 14. 3. Wee haue nothing to invite Christ to love us but his love is free without the least desert at all 3.
understand it for the adjunct of time to wit All night c. the night commonly signifieth the time of darknesse and affliction it being the time of solitarinesse and meditation as in Psal 77. 3 4. 6. Psal 63. 7. And so in Isa 26. 9. With my soule have I desired thee in the night yea with my spirit within me will I seeke thee early That is in the greatest fears and dangers I have made my addresse unto thee That noteth that Christ with his consolations should be her continuall joy and comfort whom shee would rest on in the times of the greatest tentations and troubles Betwixt my Breasts The Hebrew word that signifies a Breast or Pap is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mamma a Child 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Effudit quia mammae effunduns lac derived of a Chaldae word that signifies to powre out because Milke is powred forth from the Breast The Church seemeth to allude to the manner of women and Maids who were wont to weare betwixt their Breasts or in their bosomes Nosegays as we call them made of very odoriferous and sweet smelling flowers of which they made great account esteeming of them as a principall part of their Ornaments So the Church here finding and feeling her wel-beloved to be so sweet unto her saith that he is as a bundle of sweet Myrrhe and that shee will set him in her bosome even betweene her Breasts and there he shall remaine that shee may alwayes smell his sweetnesse Shee sheweth also of what great account Christ was to her that shee would place him so nigh her heart as it were as betweene her Breasts that as the Apostle saith Christ might dwell in her heart by faith Ephes 3. 17. Or the Breasts may signifie the ministry of the Church feeding of the Saints with the sincere milk of the word that they may grow thereby 1 Pet. 2. 2. According to this the Prophet saith Rejoyce yee with Jerusalem c. that yes may suck and be satisfied with the Breast of her Consolations that yee may milk out and be delighted with the abundance of her glory Isa 66. 10 11. According to this Interpretation the Church declareth how exceedingly shee should be nourished and fed by the sweet administrations of Christ unto his Church and that shee should be spiritually nursed with her and receive abundance of consolation from her being nourished together by the doctrine of the Gospell of Jesus Christ Let us take a few Observations from hence A bundle of myrrhe c. Myrrhe you heard was very sweet in smell but better in tast and it was a precious ingredient in the holy Oyle Hence Observe First All the dispensations of Christ are very sweet and savory unto a beleiving soule There is such a kind of complacency or well-pleasednesse in the hearts of the Saints that they doe as it were acquiesce and rest well pleased in his grace and goodnesse It is true Christ is in this world a kind of a bitter sweet unto his Saints as I may so say but his sweetnesse doth swallow up all his bitternesse his bitternesse is in the lowest degree but his sweetnesse in the superlative so that let his dispensations be what they will his Saints are never weary of him yea they take pleasure in infirmities in reproaches in necessities in persecutions in distresses for his sake and when they are weake in themselves then they are strong in him and more then Conquerours as saith the Apostle And thus Christ is wellcome to the Saints upon any conditions whatsoever Let him come with a smile or with a frowne with a rod or with sweet imbracings in what shape soever he represents himselfe he is accepted of them Thus it was with Peter Lord if it be thou saith he bid me come unto thee on the water So it is with the Saints they refuse not to venture even upon the Boisterous waters to goe unto Christ When Samuel told Ely of judgement to come upon his Family It is the Lord saith he let him doe what he will So David I was dumb and opened not my mouth because thou didest it Psal 39. And Job Though he kill me I will trust in him Hence it is that the Children of God though they walke in darknesse and have no light at all yet they will trust in the name of the Lord and stay themselves upon their God Isa 50. 10. Though Christ be like myrrhe somewhat bitter in tast in respect of the amarulency and bitternesse of trouble tentation and the Crosse yet he is also sweet like a bundle of myrrhe refreshing the senses of the soule yeilding of them abundance of sweetnesse and satisfaction Secondly Observe That all our comforts in Christ are very sure comforts All his graces goodnesse and sweetnesse is as a bundle or bag of myrrhe bound up safe for us Hence the Apostle saith there is laid up for him a Crowne of righteousnesse 2 Tim. 4. 8. It was kept sure for him yet was treasured up for him as we use to treasure up Jewells and precious things So the Apostle Peter saith our Inheritance is reserved in Heaven for us 1 Pet. 1. 4. These things are kept sure and certaine for us they are not given to us as grace was given to Adam who might lose it at his pleasure but we are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation Vers 5. Hence it is the Covenant of grace and of eternity is called The sure mercies of David Isa 55. 3. So are all things we have in Christ very sure and safe our comforts in him are sure comforts our peace a sure peace our joy a sure joy and the sweetnesse and redolency of his graces are sure unto us they are in him as myrrhe bound in a bundle or put into a bag which cannot be lost My Beloved Christ having called his Church his Love here shee returnes the same Epithite unto him againe Hence Observe That the Saints returne love to Christ for his love first manifested unto them Thus we have the Apostle We love him because he loved us first 1 John 4. 10. The flame of Christ's love warming of our hearts doth kindle a fire of love burning toward him againe The Trumpet of his goodnesse doth cause his people to eccho back praises unto him If first he love us we then can love him if first he praise us we then can praise him if he goe before and draw us we shall follow after Then let us eye Christ loving exalting and praising of us that so we may abundantly love exalt and praise him My Beloved is unto me The Church doth apropriate the sweetnesse of Christ unto her selfe Hence Observe That the Saints doe apply all the benefits of Christ vnto themselves in particular We have an example of this in the Apostle when he saith Christ loved me and gave himselfe for me Gal. 2. 20. He applieth the benefits of Christ's death to himselfe in particular And Thomas my
Saints walk on high places and not remaine below on Mountaines of Earth but we should Mount up to Heaven in our hearts the hill of Gods holinesse and of our happinesse unto which Paul ascended in the vision of his soul and unto which Stevens heart and eye was lifted up in the end of his Apology because his defence was in the Heavens All our Salvation joy and happinesse commeth not from the Mountaines of flesh and blood but from the Heavens 5. These creatures were often made a prey and over-reached by the Huntsman therefore Christ himselfe is called Aijeleth Kashacar The Hind of the morning Psal 22. 1. Who in that Psalme is extreamly hunted with Doggs of the Evening so are all the Saints hunted by the men of the world 6. These Hinds are very charitable one unto another it is reported of them that when they swim over a River the first sustaineth the second and the second upholds the third c. Thus the Saints are exhorted by the Apostle to beare one anothers burthens and so fulfill the Law of Christ Gal. 6. 2. Not looking every man on his owne things but every man also unto the things of others Phil. 2. 4. Thus in some measure all the Saints may be likened to the Roes and Hindes of the field not that they were to sweare by them but for whose sake and by whose means they were to take themselves bound as by a Solemne Oath not to stir or provoke Christ by any miscarriage whatsoever Thus far for the manner of his charge now followeth the matter thereof That yee stir not up nor awake my love The words may be read If yee stir and if yee stir up or If yee awake and if yee awake up for they are both 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vigilavit excitatus fu it Trausitive excitavit of one signification save they differ in forme and being both referred to the Love after mentioned they meane a stirring up more or lesse The word If used in Oaths and adjurations is a prohibition upon penalty as in Gen. 21. 23. Sweare unto me here by God If thou shalt lie unto me That is that thou wilt not lie as Psal 89. 35. Once have I sworne by my holinesse if I lie unto David That is I will not lie unto David And in Mark 8. 12. If a signe be given which is explain'd in Mat. 16. 4. A signe shall be given And so if they shall enter into my rest Heb. 3. 11. Psal 95. 11. which the Apostle openeth thus He sware that they should not enter Heb. 3. 18. It is an imperfect Speech where an imprecation is understood Stirring is opposed unto sleep and quietnesse as sitting still The Lord is said then to stir up or awake when he delivereth his Church out of trouble as in Psal 78. 65. Then the Lord awaked as one out of sleep c. That is he stirred up himselfe to punish the Philistims whereas before he seemed to sleep And the Church then stirreth up the Lord when it earnestly prayeth for such deliverance as in Psal 44. 23. Awake why sleepest thou O Lord saith the Church but these things are spoken Ad captuâ— humanum after the manner of men for properly he â—hat keepeth Israel slumbereth not nor sleepeth not Psal 121. 4. We may apply this unto the stirring provoking of Christ by sin for which he doth often chastise and correct his people as appears in Exod. 23. 20 21. Behold saith the Lord I send an Angell to keep thee in the way and to bring thee into the place which I have prepared Beware of him and obey his voyce provoke him not for he will not pardon your transgressions for my name is in him The Angell here spoken of is Christ as appears by this that he hath power to pardon sin and Gods name is in him that is he is essentially God for Gods name and attributes are his very essence So that the charge is not to provoke or stir up Christ to indignation by sin or any miscarriage It followeth the title here given unto Christ My Love This word My is not found in the Originall but we may understand it my love to wit Christ her beloved who is called Love by an excellency as in Song 1. 4. Righteous persons were called righteousnesses God is love 1 John 4. 8. and is most worthy to be loved The Church is called by the name of love in Song 7. 6. Lastly we have the duration or continuance of this charge Vntill he please Vntill it please or untill he please meaning Christ and if we take it for provoking of Christ by sin it is meant never for so the word untill doth often signifie as in Isa 22. 14. this iniquity shall not be purged from you untill yee die that is never and it is said Michal had no Child untill the day of her death 2 Sam. 6. 23. That is shee never had any Child Or it may be meant of Christ's comming in the flesh and then we must take it thus the Daughters of Jerusalem are charged to suffer affliction under the Law being shut up unto the faith that should be revealed which Law was a School-master unto Christ Gal. 3. 23. And the Church was as a Child in her nonage under Tutors and Governors under the Law Vntill the appointed time of the Father Gal. 4. 1 2. Now I say according to this Interpretation they were charged to waite in faith and patience unto the comming of the Lord as it is in Jam. 5. 7. 1 Pet 5. 6 7. and not to provoke him by Murmuring or otherwise through feare or unbeliefe Now from this weighty charge Observe First That we ought to be carefull not to disquiet Jesus Christ whilst he seeks our quiet The Apostle adviseth us not to grieve the holy Spirit adding this reason Because saith he by it yee are sealed unto the day of redemption Ephes 4. 30. So are we also on the other hand to please the Spirit as we would not turne away the Seale of our salvation The Prophet tells the reason why the Lord fought against his people Because saith he they rebelled and vexed his holy Spirit Isa 63. 10. Secondly Observe That Christ is the Churches love The love of the Saints may be divided and branched out to creatures some love to one creature and some to another but all the streame of their affections meet in Christ as the Rivers meet in the Sea and as the Sun-beams meet in the Sun As Christ eternall exceeding rich love is fastened onely upon the Church for indeed his love grows and plants it selfe there So a believers love is fixed onely upon Christ as upon its proper and onely object Thirdly in that this adjuration is limitted to the Beloveds will and good pleasure if we take it for provoking by sin Observe That our great care must be not at any time to sin against Christ to provoke him to wrath Job saith that faire weather commeth
reed Secondly A Vine is very fruitfull it brings forth abundance of grapes as appeares Psal 128. 3. and Ezek. 32. 12. So the Saints are made exceeding fruitfull by the flowings out of the Spirit of Christ upon their hearts Thirdly The Vines and their fruit come to nothing except they be underproped and lift up from the earth so it is with the Saints both they and their fruits come to nothing unlesse Christ underprop them by his power spirit and grace but being underpropped by the flagons of Christ and by the distributions of his grace they become very fruitfull The Spring thus described First figured by flowers and Birds singing Secondly From the budding and sprouting forth of the fig-tree and the Vine wherein is set forh the gracious and pleasant voice of Christ in the Gospell with all the effects and fruits thereof upon the Saints Now it remaineth that wee speake of the exhortation subjoyned Arise my love my faire one and come away This exhortation is the same that wee had in the tenth verse aforegoing and therefore the lesse may be said of it now only two things we may note from the iteration of this exhortation First It notes the backwardnesse of our natures and the untowardnesse of our hearts for yeilding unto Christ and therefore the Lord doth graciously call his people againe and againe to come up to a more full enjoyment of himselfe Secondly It notes his exceeding great love and rich mercie that doth call us to arise from the evill wherein we lay captivated by sinne and from the winter blast of the Law even from the curse and bondage thereof and also he calleth us into the glorious liberty of the Sonnes of God so that in all our troubles and tentations wee may come to him and finde rest where wee may sweetly enjoy our selves in him all which is represented to us by the flourishing and joyfull time of the Spring which Christ useth as a motive to perswade us to come unto him VERS 14 15. O my Dove that art in the clefts of the Rock in the secret places of the stairs let me see thy countenance let me heare thy voice for sweet is thy voice and thy countenance is comely Take us the Foxes the little Foxes that spoile the Vines for our Vines have tender grapes THe Church continueth here in her repetition of Christs speech unto her which speech begun verse 10. In which wee may Observe First An exhortation Secondly A reason thereof The exhortation is given forth unto us First In a description of the Church Secondly In the thing exhorted unto The discription lieth First In a sweet and friendly compellation given by Christ unto his Church My Dove Secondly In a description of her dwelling place First In saying Thou art in the holes of the Rock Secondly In adding In the secret of the stairs The thing exhorted unto is the Churches manifestation of her selfe First In saying Shew me thy face Secondly In adding Cause me to heare thy voyce The reason of this exhortation is drawne from the Churches excellent qualification and this is laid down in a twofold assertion First he saith For thy voice is sweet Secondly he concludeth And thy face is comely As for the next exhortation in the 15. verse you shall have the resolution in its due place Now to the exhortation and the parts thereof My Dove c. Christ here calleth the Church a Dove a title sometimes attributed unto Christ himselfe the Holy-ghost sometimes appeared on Christ in the shape of a Dove to discover unto us thus much that Christ should have the propertie and disposition of a Dove as meeknesse and gentlenesse for indeed he became man for that end to be a mercifull Saviour I will not quench the smoaking stax nor breake the bruised reed saith he Matth. 12. 20. So that the mercifulnesse of Christs nature and the mercifulnesse of his Office is set forth by the resemblance of a Dove Now as Christ had the Spirit in likenesse of a Dove so all that are Christs to wit the Spouse of Christ have the disposition of Christ that spirit that framed Christ to be meeke and gentle like a Dove doth also frame the Church into the same likenesse and disposition hence he saith My Dove c. Observe hence That as Christs so is the Churches temper and disposition framed after the likenesse of a Dove Now wee must know that there is some good in all the creatures there is a beame of Gods majesty and an image of vertue even in the inferiour creatures wherefore the Scripture sends us to such creatures for many excellencies that are to be found in them Now the Church may well be compared to a Dove and that for such properties as these First The Dove is a mournfull creature and therefore Hezekiah saith I did mourne like a Dove Isa 38. 14. And the Jewes are said to mourne like Doves Isa 59. and it is said of those that should repent that they should mourne like Doves Ezek. 7. 16. This was Davids condition in Psal 120. 5. Woe is me that I sojourne in Mesech that I dwell in the Tents of Kedar The State of the Saints is like Doves who mourne to God in their desertions afflictions and tentations who heares the bemonings of his owne spirit in them Secondly A Dove is an innocent harmelesse creature simple without guile hence the advice of Christ is to his Disciples Be innocent as Doves Matth. 10. Now there is a simplicity that is sinfull when there is no mixture of wisedome in it for it is said in Hos 7. 11. Ephraim is like a silly Dove without heart they call to Aegypt they goe to Assyria that is when they did rely more upon friends and outward helps then upon God But there is also a pure holie simplicity and so God is said to be simple because there is nothing in him contrary to himselfe or to his owne nature In this respect the Church may be said to be like the Dove in respect of a good and holie simplicitie when there is no no mixture of fraud no duplicity in in the soule A double hearted man is unconstant and unstable in all his wayes saith the Apostle Jam. 1. 8. Thirdly The Dove is weake and impotent not being able to help her selfe against the Birds of prey it hath nothing but flight So the Saints are unable to defend themselves but only they can flye to God as to their mountaine and flye to Christ as to their Arke and strength for they have no other refuge then God nor any hiding place besides Christ Fourthly The Dove is a very weake creature Hence it is said of Ephraim that He shall tremble as the Dove out of the Land of Assyria Hos 11. 11. So the Saints are called The meeke of the earth Zeph. 2. 1 2 And wee are exhorted by the Apostle As the Elect of God to put on the bowels of meeknesse and compassion c. Colos
of our soule is to thy name and to the remembrance of thee Or we may take the Bed here for the place and duties of Gods worship the Temple and the Ordinances as in Chap. 1. 16. where it is said Our Bed is green meaning the place and means of bringing forth converts unto Christ I sought him whom my soule loveth The Hebrew word Translated Sought signifies to seeke by suing and praying by asking direction and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Quaesvit requisivit postulavit petijt siuduit conatus est counsell and by making a strict inquiry after the thing seeked for So that the Church sought by much prayer study and meditation shee made a diligent search after her beloved Whom my soule loveth towit Christ whom shee called her beloved Chap. 1. 7. The Church using this Periphrasis instead of a proper name doth nothing else but expresse the force of her love and the earnestnesse thereof It was the strong affection of love that set the Church on seeking Christ shee could not indure his absence nor sit downe contented without him Thus the Church sought Christ in his absence her successe followeth which for the present is non availing for shee saith But I found him not I found him not towit presently or I did not sufficiently perceive him to be present with me according to my hearts desire I find not such sweet discoveries of his love nor such glorious apprehensions of him as my soul desireth This was the Churches successe for the present The verse being thus opened let us take notice of some Observations from it First Observe That Christ may sometimes be absent from his dearest Saints This is implyed by the Churches seeking Christ for inquisition implyes absence Christ may and doth many times vaile himselfe for a time and withdraw his light and comfort from the soule but we must know also that he takes not away his love but onely suspends the acts of it he doth but seeme to frowne when he doth abscond and ecclipse himselfe from the soule so that the soule looseth the sence of his love and favour so that Christ seemeth to be altogether absent or at a great distance from the soul Secondly Observe That when Christ is absent from the Saints they are in great unquietnesse of mind for want of the feeling of his presence Hence the Church saith shee sought Christ upon the bed of tribulation and sorrow in the night of solitarinesse and affliction for when Christ is gone from a Believer in his apprehension then the comfort and assurance of his love is gone joy and light is gone O how dejected how disconsolate is the soul then So far as a man is spirituall the flame of love to Christ is kindled in him and then he cannot sit down without him He is the Fountaine of all supply he is the staffe of strength the support of joy and the very life of the soule O that I might see him saith the Christian O that I might live in his presence Nothing in the world will content him neither honour nor riches nor pleasures nor friends nor any thing else will content him till he find the Lord Jesus Christ his Beloved whom formerly with unspeakable pleasure he injoyed Thirdly Observe That the Church makes earnest inquisition and dilligent search after Christ when he is absent I sought him c. Shee seeks Christ with meditation study and strong endeavours shee seeks him diligently as appears in the Verses following shee never gives off untill shee finds her beloved All the Ordinances wherein shee seeks Christ are as I may say a walke wherein he meets his people therefore the Saints put themselves upon that way but if they find not Christ present their spirits faile but when Christ is to be found by them it is as life from the dead Fourthly Observe That the principle from which a believer seeks Christ is love I sought him whom my soule loveth The love of iChrist cannot be concealed a man may sooner keep in the wind with his fist or stay the Ointment of his light hand from bewraying it selfe as the Wise man peaks Prov. 27. 16. then not utter his love to Christ Love is such a fire as will break forth it is the strongest affection of the soule and cannot be satisfied without the enjoyment of the thing beloved Lastly Observe That Christ is not always to be found in our sence and feeling though we use all good means to attaine it This is from the Curches successe in that shee saith I found him not Christ is not alwayes found on the suddain he may a good while suspend the acts of his love from a soule to the end he may make it earnest in seeking after him and with endurance wait for his returne and this effect we see in the following words wherein shee persists in her Narration thus Verss 2. I will rise now and goe about the City in the streets and in the broad wayes I will seeke him whom my soule loveth I sought him but I found him not In this Verse we have the Church stirred up to make a farther search after her beloved And herein observe First her resolution to make farther inquiry after Christ I will rise now c. This resolution was enforced from her not availing in her former search Secondly her action of so seeking and that is shee goes 1. Into the City 2. Into the Streets and broad places Lastly we have the effect of her further search it is as the former nothing at all availing for saith shee I sought him but I found him not I will arise now c. In the words the Church declareth her increase of grace of faith love zeale and fervency of spirit as if shee had said I will not delay my searching after my beloved no longer for all these are the words of the Spouse speaking unto her self as it were declaring the consultations which shee had within her selfe and resolving what shee were best to doe therefore now saith shee I am resolved diligently to seeke him now I will leave my former seeking in bed and I will seeke him in the City c. Thus we have the Churches resolution Now followeth her action in seeking And goe about the City in the streets and broad places c. I will goe about the City towit to seeke my beloved for I will leave no place unsought as if shee had said which shewed her earnest desire to obtain that which shee look't for By the City we may understand Jerusalem the holy City where the Temple was seated and the practise of all the Ordinances whither all Israel repaired thrice every yeare which was a figure of the Church as appears Isa 26. 1. In that day shall be sung in the Land of Judah we have a strong City c. This is spoken of the Church under the Gospell for whom the Lord would appoint salvation for walls and bulwarks So that the Church sought her beloved among
his Spouse saying open unto me c. Hence Observe That Christ desires a neerer and neerer fellowship with his Spouse Hence it is that he knocks for a farther entrance and communion he had communion before but he comes to renew and enlarge it Christ doth not delight in strangenesse but makes forth abundance of love to the soules of his Saints that so he might have a further entrance into their hearts and affections You know what he sayes to the Church of Laodicea Revel 3. 20. Behold I stand at the doore and knock So here It is the voice of my beloved that knocketh c. But some may object Christ hath power to open to himselfe why doth he stand knocking man hath no power to open of himselfe c. The answer is First Here Christ speakes to the Spouse that had the spirit of God by which she could open to her beloved for the Saints are first acted by the Spirit and then they act by it not in their owne power but in the power of the spirit But Secondly When Christ comes for an entrance at conversion then there goes a power that shall open for his knocking 's are effectuall his words are operative words such as was in the creation Let there be light and there was light Genes 1. 3. And such wherewith he raised Lazarus saying Come forth of the grave c. Joh 11. 43. So Christ by his Spirit cloathes his words with majestie and power his words are spirit and life and when he speakes effectually he opens and unlocks the heart with the power of his voice Now followeth the particular compellations which are as so many motives Christ useth to move and stirre the affections of his Spouse Open to me my Sister my love my dove my undefiled These things are spoken after the manner of earthly lovers who come in the night season some times to visit their friends and provoke them as it were by faire speeches to open unto them when they knock to which end Christ useth these alluring titles saying My Sister my Love c. My Sister Christ is our elder Brother and the first borne of many Brethren and what neerer bond of consanguinitie than a Sister So that whatsoever is strong in any bond Christ knits us to him by it and therefore stiles himselfe in all the sweetest relations to shew that he hath the love of all relations towards his Spouse Will a Sister shut a Brother out of doores and that when a Brother comes to visit her and to shew kindnesse unto her Thus Christ comes to make out his love unto us calling us by the name of Sister See this more expounded in Chap. 4. 9. My love Christ loves all his creatures with a generall love and lets the beames of his goodnesse scatter out to them because there is some beames of his excellency in every creature but his Spouse is his beloved in a more peculiar and eminent way then any other and though the beames of his generall love are scattered out to al his creatures yet his especiall love is united and fixed only upon his Church See this more largely opened in Chap. 1. 9. Christ cannot but love what he sees of himselfe in us he loves his owne Image It followeth My Dove The Church is resembled to a Dove in respect of the disposition that is or should be in her resembling that creature A Dove is of a meeke disposition without guile faithfull to her Mate and of neat and cleanly feeding and the like So the Saints are called The meek of the earth Zeph. 2. 1. 2. And are accounted to be without fraud or duplicitie in the soule Jam. 1. 8. They are faithfull and follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth they have not defiled themselves with women Revel 14. 4. And they feed upon Christ and spirituall things In these and many more things there is an apt resemblance betwixt a Christian and a Dove But this hath been largely spoken of in Chap. 2. 14. My undefiled Some reade it my per sect one The Hebrew word signifies most properly and most commonly perfect 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Integer perfectus corpore vel animo absolutus completus consum matus Graecis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and sound of a religious honest and simple disposition without guile or wickednesse The Greekes translate it unfained This word undefiled is an expression of Christ which he applies to his Church But now in this expression we are to consider Christ and his Spouse one the Spouse having the field she hath the Pearl also having Christ she hath his righteousnes and perfection so the Spouse is perfect and compleat in her head there being a neere conjunction between the head and the Members Againe the spouse is undefiled in respect of that disposition in her which tends to perfection and Christ respects her according to what she shall be in her perfection and glorie Now in that Christ comes thus to awak his Church and by such sweet words to perswade her alledging the unitie of her nature which is she is his Sister her fellowship with him she is his love her chastitie she is his Dove her sinceritie she is his undefiled and all these sweet words are to melt the heart of the Spouse Hence Observe That Christ useth all the sweetest words and actions in drawing his Spouse neere to himselfe Here he useth as it were all heavenly Rhetorick to perswade and move the affections of the Spouse Thus Christ drawes his Spouse by the bands of love calling of her by the name of love Dove undefiled making out his love to her in the sweetest Titles and tearmes of relation yea notwithstanding her infirmitie and drousinesse before mentioned she is highly esteemed of him he imputes not her sins unto her but lookes upon her graces which he hath endued her withall as if she were perfect and undefiled It followeth For my head is filled with dew and my locks with the drops of the night In these words wee have declared the patience and sufferings of Christ which he under went in waiting for the returne of his Spouse The reason why he would have the doore opened and be let in is because he had refused no hardship or incommoditie but undertooke all for the good of his Spouse as appeares in that he saith For my head is full of dew c. The head of Christ being filled with dew seemeth to meane his manifold troubles and calamities which he suffered for her sake which sufferings of his are of two sorts In himselfe in his people In his owne person what did he endure how hid he undergoe the contradictions of sinners while he was upon earth and at his death his head was not only filled with drops of dew but also with drops of blood besides the anguish of his Spirit by losing the sense of his fathers love And then what he suffers in his Members who are often Troubled on every side perplexed
and sweet and therefore compared here to myrrhe The graces and prayers of the Saints are said to be sweet as it is Revel 8. 4. Christ ming leth them with his owne sweet odours and so perfumes them before his Father The wicked are abhomination to the Lord because he abhorrs them their services and whatsoever in them is but the righteous man is his delight Prov. 15. 8. Christ will burne up sinne and consume all the drosse of his Saints and accept that which is sweet of his owne spirit in in them All the actions of the flesh are nothing but sinfull workes but the actions wrought by the hand of Christ the finger of God and power of Spirit these actions are sweet holy and gracious Secondly Observe That the sweetnesse of the Saints proceeds from Christs sweetnesse Christ first leaves myrrhe and the fingers of the Spouse drop myrrhe He was anointed with the Oyle of gladnesse above his fellows and out of the fulnesse of his divine annointings we receive grace for grace The head being anointed the oyle ranne downe to the skirts of Aarons garment wee have all from our head grace for his grace love for his love priviledge for his priviledge he is a sonne so are wee sonnes we are heires of heaven as he is heire of God all his dignities offices priviledges graces and preferrements are ours So that looke whatsoever grace or priviledge is in the head it descends downe to the Members who share with the head in every vertue so that all our graces are from his grace our life from his life our myrrhe from his myrrhe It followeth in the next verse VERS 5. I opened to my beloved but my beloved had withdrawne himselfe and was gone my soule failed when he spake I sought him but I could not finde him I called him but he gave me no answer HEre wee see the troubles and sorrows which befall the Spouse because of her former negligence and securitie Christ will not let her lye asleep on her bed of ease but will come to awaken her In the verse wee have First The action of the Spouse I opened to my beloved Secondly The discouragements of the Spouse and they are three First Christs leaving of her My beloved had withdrawne himselfe Secondly Her inward griefe and sorrow My soule failed c. Thirdly She had no answer notwithstanding all her seeking I sought him but he gave me no answer c. I opened or I my selfe opened to my beloved as before this noteth a further degree of grace in the Spouse that she did not only rise up but opened the doore giveth up the strength and power of heart and affections unto him willing that the everlasting King of glorie should come in and reigne there Hence Observe That gracious affections produce gracious actions Where there is the truth of affection it will discover it selfe in holy action after her affections were moved she presently openeth to her beloved The will minde and understanding guide the outward man therefore if these be touched and wrought upon it will quickly appeare in outward action as soone as her bowels were moved and that her fingers dropt myrrhe she shews the truth of her affection in opening unto and making after her beloved Thus much for the action of the Spouse her discouragements follow But my beloved had withdrawne himselfe Withdrawne or passed away to wit secretly and quietly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Transivit particularly also putting up the great injurie of refusall that shee had offered him passed by to wit the doores and so went away The doubling of the complaint for his departure sheweth her passion and griefe in that she thought he had been at the doore when she opened but now he was gone she could not enjoy his presence and favour as formerly she had to her unspeakeable comfort This is strange that he calleth and knocketh when she was asleep and lay in her bed and now when she is risen out of her bed and openeth the doore to let him in he withdraweth himselfe and will not be seene her unkinde dealing did deserve this Hence Observe That Christ doth sometimes withdraw himselfe from his Saints according to their sense and apprehension So God did withdraw from Christ when he cryed out My God my God why hast thou forsaken me but yet at that time God was neere him and did uphold him by his power and so for the Saints such desertions as these proceed from love from him that doth withdraw himselfe he doth it of purpose for their good and that out of a singular love but seeing Christ doth alwayes dwell in the Saints how can it be said that he doth withdraw himselfe out of their sight especially when he hath made their hands to drop with myrrhe This is out of question that Christ is alwayes present in the souls of the faithfull and yet to their thinking and apprehension he seemeth to be absent He doth still support them by his power and spirit and yet they have not the lively and comfortable feeling of his presence which they desire and sometimes happily did enjoy Then the heart is troubled then they mourne then they seeke and call after him for shee saith My soule failed when he spake My soule went forth or it left me and was gone it failed and fainted within me I was as one without life even as one dead through feare and griefe The departure of the soule from the body is death she was now as it were in a swoone or halfe dead for the time Alas now shee is afraid that her unkinde dealing should cause him to forsake her Who is able to expresse the griefe and sorrow the godly soule hath when it seeketh to feele the consolation of Christ and he hideth his face True it is that the Spouse could not lament she could not open the doore seeking and calling after him unlesse he were present and did worke these things in her for all these things proceed from his grace but yet he doth seeme to be absent which makes her crye out my soule my strength my life my comfort is departed from me When he spake When he spake or while he was speaking or rather because of his Speech to me which I had neglected for however the Hebrew will beare both yet I thinke the latter most agreeable with the purpose of the Spouse which is to agravate her offence and also to shew the miseries that she fell into for so great neglect So the sence is My soule failed because of speech or for the words which he had used when he so lovingly called unto me as before in verse 2. saying Open unto me my sister my love my dove my undefiled for my head is full of dew c. Now when the Spirit had moved upon her heart and affections then she remembred the words of her beloved Hence Observe First That Christ's words makes after impressions in the hearts of the Saints though
likewise they are arguments of praise and honour to them whom they concern according to the exhortation of the Prophet David in Psal 66. 2. Sing forth the honour of his name make his praise glorious In the Greek it is read give glory to his praise that is make his praise glorious and honourable In Ephes 5. 19. there is mention made First of Songs which the Greeks call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a song 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cantavit unde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Canâ—icum or laye it is also called by the Hebrews Shir a song which was chiefly made for the voyce and it contained matter of exultation and rejoycing Secondly hymns called by the Greeks 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a hymne or praise by the Hebrews Tehilleh and signifies land and praise in commemoration of benefits received 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lausâ—laudatio from God An hymne is uttered by the voyce only Thirdly Psalms which the Greeks call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Hebrews Mizmor which commeth of a roote that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Landavit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Psalmus a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Putavit praecidit signifies to prune or cut off superfluous twigs from trees this is a kind of an artificial song in a proportioned number of words A Psalm is played on an Instrument as well as with the voyce it contained Arguments of all sorts for exhortation to morall doctrine or holinesse of life petition thanksgiving and instruction Many times any of these are put indifferently for all but this most excellent song contains them all in one it is as a song for joy and rejoycing it is as a hymne for praise and thankesgiving it is as a Psalme exhortation and instruction Again for as much as we find sundry parties singing and the one side answering to the other for which it may be called a Responsorie and hence the forme of this song differs from all other songs in Scripture For as there are divers singing at once so there seems to be many songs in this one and all treating of the mutuall love between Christ and his Church Hence observe First The Church and servants of Christ have alwaies matter of joy and singing these only have the true cause of joy and their joy shall never be taken from them The joy of carnall men is nothing but madnesse Eccles 2. 2. Believers only have true and solid joy flowing from the spirit of Christ within them they onely can sing making melody in their hearts unto the Lord Ephes 5. 19. Secondly note That the Church can rejoyce in affliction as well as in prosperity David can sing of his deep waters and calamities as well as of his great mercies and deliverances and the Apostle saith in Phil. 4. 4. Rejoyce in the Lord alwayes Not only in times of prosperity and mirth but also in times of adversity and distress the troubles of the Saints are not so many or so great but spirituall joy will mitigate and overcome them all Afflictions are turned into matter of rejoycing when they are a meanes to stir up our faith and patience according to the Apostle Jam. 1. 2. Thirdly Mans reconciliation with God by Jesus Christ is matter of great joy This Booke treating of mans reconciliation with God and of his sweet conjunction with Christ with joy in the holy Ghost is called a Song yea it is a marriage song a song of betrothings Now what passage of our life is more sweet than that of marriage and what sweeter expression then by a song It thus is set forth unto us the sweet conjunction between the soule and Christ It is the nature of joy to delight in some solid good now no good can be compared cum summo bono with that chiefe eternall good it is no wonder then if the soul doth much rejoyce to be joyned to Christ who is the very top of all felicity and happinesse Fourthly observe How the Lord takes all advantages to win our affections unto himselfe He presents before us the pure free perfect eternall and constant love of Christ towards his Church with all his incomparable and heavenly riches wisdom beauty and graces by that amiable and pleasant that sweet and comfortable allegory of a marriage song to the end that he might carry up the soule to things of a divine and heavenly nature The holy Ghost doth many times frame arguments most suitable to the nature of man as that in the Prophet Hosea 11. 4. I drew them with the cords of a man with bands of love c. That is as if the Lord had said I used arguments suitable to mans nature I did not use violence and rigour but rather chose to overcome them with mercy and loving kindnesse Secondly We have the transcendent excellency of this song A song of songs That is the chiefest and most excellent song for by doubling of the words the Scripture useth when it speaketh of good things to understand most excellent things as Deut. 10. 17. The Lord your God is God of Gods and Lord of Lords That is to say most high Lord and God and wheras if it speak of base things it doth on the other side by doubling debase them as much as Gen. 9. 25. A servant of servants shall he be That is he shall be a most vile and base servant In like manner it is spoken of Christ Revel 19. 16 17. The King of Kings and Lord of Lords That is the most high and mighty King and supream Lord of all The doubling of the words make an Hebrew superlative by which this is noted to be the chiefest song First of all Solomons other songs for hee made a thousand and five 1 King 4. 32. Secondly of all other songs in Scripture David was the sweet singer of Israel in his time and had his golden Psalms besides many other songs there be in Scripture and all of them very precious yet this song excelleth them all and that in these respects First Because this song speaketh of Christ's love to his Church and the Churches love to Christ more largely sweetly and comfortably then any other song in Scripture and by such allegories and amiable resemblances taken from the most beautifull and stateliest things under heaven the sweetest therichest and the most precious things that are found among men as the richest Jewels the sweetest Spices Gardens Orchards Vineyards Wine-sellers and the like these with the like set forth and expresse the spirituall and heavenly Ornaments and Jewels which Christ bestoweth upon his Church with the fruits of her love to him again Secondly This song admitteth more variety of interpretation then any other some understand it of the Catholicke Church some of particular Churches from Solomons time to the last judgment some of the mutuall affection and love betwen Christ and every Believer We deny not but that there may be usefull truths in each one of these interpretations but sure it is
hath given more pledges of his love in the times of the Gospel then in the times of the law Lastly The will and mind of God is more fully and more plainly revealed to his people under the Gospel then it was under the Law God let out light by little and little till the sun of righteousnesse arose So we have it in Heb. 1. 1. God spake unto the Fathers by the Prophets at sundry times and in divers manners but in these dayes he hath spoken by his sonne Vers 2. That is he hath spoken morefully and plainly The antithesis or opposition which the Apostle sets between Gods speaking by the Prophets of old and by his Son in the latter age of the world shews plainly the dimnesse and darknesse of those former ages in comparison of those which have been since the comming of Christ 3. In that the word of the Gospel is called the kisse of Christs mouth Observ That the Doctrine of the Gospel is very sweet and desirable From hence it is that David doth so highly commend the holy Doctrine of the Lord that it is perfect pure and infallible and of such mighty operation and effects that he saith it is more to be desired then gold yea then much fine gold sweeter then the honey or the honey-comb Psal 19. In the Originall the words run thus sweeter then the dropping of the honey-combs It is meant of that which commeth forth without pressing and therefore counted the sweetest and purest honey of all other All the Epithites given in Scripture unto the Gospel do shew that it is sweet and comfortable it is called the good word of God Heb. 6. 5. A good doctrine 1 Tim. 4. 6. A faithfull saying and worthy of all acceptation 1 Tim. 1. 15. The word of life Phil. 2. 16. The word of reconciliation 2 Cor. 5. 19. The Gospel of peace Ephes 2. 17. The Gospel of salvation and the word of truth Eph. 1. 13. Besides the Gospel brings glorious effects along with it as liberty to Captives and blessed joy and comfort to those in distresse as in Isa 61. 1 2. It is tidings of great joy viz. of reconciliation to God by Christ and of peace and joy in the holy Ghost It is no other then the sweet kisses of Christs mouth and those heavenly Oracles of his mouth whereby he calleth enlightneth comforteth and worketh faith in his people Christs affections were as I may so speak dyed in love and sweetnesse and his heart was as a fountain of grace therfore needs must his mouth be sweet which is as it were the instrument by which he utters what is in his heart Christ conveyeth all his graces and all good things into his people by the word of his mouth No marvail then though the Church be enflamed with the desire of the kisses of his mouth 4. Observe from the reason which the Church renders of her most earnest longings and desires after Christ For thy loves c. That those strong desires and those earnest longings of the faithfull after Christ they flow from a principle of love Love is impulsive and constraining it hath a sweet kind of violence to draw out all the affections of the soule unto Christ see this in 2 Cor. 5. 15. The love of Christ constrains us saith the Apostle So again in Jer. 31. 3. I have loved thee with an everlasting love therefore with mercies have I drawn thee saith the Lord. And in Hos 11. 4. I drew them with the cords of a man with bands of love c. Now wee must understand this principle of love to be either Christs love to us or our love to him for there is an interchange of spiritual love between Christ and his people First Christs love to us in respect of the extrinsicall part of it is the expressing of his love to us by the evident testimonies of his favour grace and by uniting of himselfe unto us making of us to partake with himselfe of his own goodnesse Now by the manifestation of Christs love to us he begets in our souls a love of him his love is as the cause our love as the effect and as Solomon saith of the rivers that they both come from and return again into the Sea Eccles 1. 7. So Christ is the ocean of spiritual love from whence we derive and in to which we return our love so that our love proceeds from Christ's love his love is as a load-stone attractive drawing our affections to him our love is as the reflecting backe to him again the beames of his owne love Now that principle of love by which wee are drawn to Christ is both Christ's love to us and the fruits thereof namely our love to him Now there are three things in love whereby the affections of the soul are drawn unto Christ 1. An affection of the will whereby we are inclined unto the thing beloved Now the nature of the will is elicita not coacta inclined and drawn forth not compelled and constrained will should be no will if it were so but there is that divine excellency that excellent dignity in Christ which is as a load-stone very attractive an object very tempting and alluring to bend to draw and to incline the will making of it to close with Christ as with the best and most excellent object in all the world 2. A desire of union and enjoyment of the thing beloved Now when the soule eyes such an excellent object as Christ is in respect of his spirituall beauty and super-eminent worthinesse and dignity it presently covets the enjoyment and function of him the soule desires nothing more then union then peculiarity and interest then the everlasting possession of him who is that love-deserving object 3. A complacency or wel-pleasednesse whereby we rest our selves well pleased in the goodnesse of the thing beloved now nothing in the world is more pleasing to a believing soule then Christ so that let his dispensations be what they will his Saints are never weary of him Yea they take pleasure in infirmities in reproaches in necessities in persecutions in distresses for his sake and when they be weak in themselves then they are strong in him and more then Conquerours as saith the Apostle Now by these 3. acts or effects in love are the affections of Believers eminently drawn out toward Christ 5. Observe from her form of speech thy loves speaking in the plurall number That the love of God in Christ is an infinite and a manifest love The Apostle would have the Ephesians to comprehend with all Saints the breadth and length the depth and heighth of the love of God in Christ but yet for all that he concludes that it passeth knowledge Ephes 3. 18 19. God's love is of one nature and substance but it is various in respect of the dispensations thereof Love is an internall affection in God and therefore it passeth understanding so that we cannot conceive of it as it is in
Christ Thus much for the cause the effect follows Therefore doe the Virgins love thee Whence observe Thirdly That the sweetnesse of Christ causeth love in his Saints The Originall of our love is Christs communicating of goodnes to us there is nothing in the streams but what comes from the Fountaine he is the Fountaine of love and sweetnesse who by his streams flowing into our hearts causeth in us to abound a Divine love towards him the fire of his love kindles the flame of our love to him againe our Ointment is from Christs Ointment the head being Anointed the Oile ran downe to the Skirts as it was said of Aaron Love is the inclining of the will to something that is excellent and agreeable to it selfe now the nature of the will is Elicita not Coacta inclined and drawne forth not compelled and constrained The will is absolute and free no violence can be offered to it therefore nothing but the sweetnesse and efficacy of Christs grace can be a Load-stone attractive to draw out incline the will Againe the object of the will is something that is good Bonum est objectum voluntatis sayth the Moralist whither it be Bonum reale a substantiall good or Bonum apparens a seeming good yet both are the object of the Will Hence it is that the transcendent excellency beauty love goodnesse and thato verflowing Fountain of grace and sweetnesse apprehended by the Saints to be in Christ these make him to be the best object these also incline the Will attract the heart and draw the souls of Beleivers unto him Againe observe that the object of the will must be a thing suitable Bonum sibi conveniens a good agreable to it selfe Now such a proportionable good as this is found to be in Christ which is respondent or answerable to all our desires or Capacities he is suitable in all his Offices and communications in his blood for pardon in his grace to adorne us in his love for lost sinners in his fullnesse for empty and poore souls Now when the Saints can take a spirituall view of Christ and observe all the dimensions of his love and sweetnesse they apprehend him to be Summum bonum the chiefest good farr beyond all worldly things though of never so exquisite and delicate an extraction and therefore desire most of all to have the possession of him according to that in Psal 73. 25. Whom have I in Heaven but thee and there is none upon Earth that I desire besides thee saith David Fourthly in that the Church changeth her Speech from the whole to the parts for shee doth not say I but the Virgins love thee Observe That as the whole Church so every Member of Christ hath the sence and feeling of Christs love and graces by the powring forth of his name John 1. 10. Of his fullnesse wee have all received and grace for grace Every Member hath received a measure and proportion from Christs fullnesse The Apostle speaking of the Gift of Continency saith Every man hath his proper gift of God 1 Cor. 7. 7. And so he speaketh concerning spirituall gifts and saith There are diversities of Gifts but the same Spirit and there are diversities of operations but it is the same God which worketh all in all but the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withall for to one is given by the same Spirit the word of wisdome c. 1 Cor. 12. 4 6 7 8. And so the whole Chapter goes on and tells us that the Church is the mystical body of Christ and though the body be but one yet the Members are many and that the same Spirit divideth to every Member as it pleaseth himselfe As in the naturall body there is not any one member but receives an influence from the head So it is in the Mysticall body of Christ And againe the Apostle saith in Ephes 4. 7. But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ Christ doth measure out proportionable gifts and graces for every Saint therefore as the whole Church is the Spouse of Christ so is every particular Member and all the priviledges and graces belonging to the whole Church belong to every Beleiver Fifthly Observe Such as are true lovers of Christ are onely those that are holy and pure By Virgins here are not understood those that are single or un-married but it signifieth the chastity and spirituall purity of those that truely love Christ These are chast in their lives holy in their thoughts sanctified in their actions These are not defiled with the World as to give themselves up to uncleane lusts of the flesh nor to commit spirituall whoredome against God the Saints studdy to possesse their Vessells in Sanctification and honour their bodies are the Temples of the holy Ghost they labour to be like unto their head and Spouse holy as he is holy pure as he is pure These are they which are not defiled with women for they are Virgins Revel 14. 4. That is that are not polluted with spirituall Fornication as the Apostle calls it 2 Cor. 12. 2. These follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth They will not follow Antichrist for their head and guide but they follow Christ though it be with the hazzard and losse of all their worldly enjoyments their love ro Christ is pure and chast like unto Virgins whose affections will not easily be drawn unto any besides their Beloved VERS 4. Draw me we will run after thee the King hath brought me into his Chambers we will be glad and rejoyce in thee we will remember thy love more then wine the upright love thee IN these words we have a second request of the Spouse unto Christ that he would not onely call her outwardly by the voice of the Gospell but forasmuch as the word Preached profiteth not if it be not mixt with faith in them that heare it Heb. 4. 2. that he would open her heart Acts 16. 14. and enlighten her by his Spirit that he would give unto her his Spirit of wisdome and revelation that the eyes of her understanding might be opened that shee might know what is the hope of her calling Ephes 1. 17. In these words there are two things considerable 1. The Prayer of the Church 2. The Reason of it First The Churches Prayer in these words Draw me c. Secondly The Reasons are drawne from the effects or fruits thereof which are two The first in these words We will run after thee The second is set downe in these words The King hath brought me into his Chambers From which effects we have the Churches protestation of ingagement declared by a three-fold respect which shee bears to Christ First shee doth exalt and rejoyce in him We will be glad and rejoyce in thee Secondly her mind or senses are set at work We will remember thy love more then wine Thirdly her engagement of affection The upright love thee
and Nations and Languages should serve him Dan. 7. 14. The Heathen are his Inheritance and the ends of the Earth his possession Psal 2. 8. And the Apostle speaking of the Preachers of the Gospell saith Their sound went into all the Earth and their words to the end of the World Rom. 10. 18. Secondly in respect of all sorts and conditions of men this is elegantly set forth by the Prophet Isa 41. 19. Where God promiseth To plant in the Wildernesse the Cedar the Shittath Tree the Myrtle the Oile-Tree the Fir-Tree the Pine and the Box-Tree together This is also sweetly represented unto Peter by a Sheet knit at fowre corners wherein were all manner of fowr-footed beasts of the Earth and wild beasts and creeping things and Fowles of the Aire Acts 10. 12. By this we are taught that not onely the Gentiles as well as the Jewes were to be received into Christ's Kingdome but also that in every Nation as himselfe afterwards Expounds it he that feareth God and worketh righteousnesse is accepted with him Vers 35. Thirdly Christ is King universall in respect of all ages and times of the World God is my King of old saith the Church Psal 74. 12. It is meant of Christ because it is said of him in the following words Hee worketh Salvation in the midst of the Earth It is Christ that worketh Salvation in the midst of the Earth and he is called a King eternall immortall 1 Tim. 1. 17. Thirdly Christ rules alone he hath no colleague or partner he carries the Government upon his owne Shoulders as we read Isa 9. 6. He alone hath received power from on high in Governing of his Church Fourthly Christ is an everlasting King He receives a Kingdome that cannot be shaken The God of Heaven saith the Prophet shall set up a Kingdome which shall never be destroyed neieher shall it be left to other people but it shall stand for ever Dan. 2. 44. Fifthly and lastly Christ is matchlesse and eminent above all other Kings in all royall vertues and endowments First he is wise and sapient and therefore called Counsellour onely wise the wonderfull numberer which sealeth up the sum full of wisdome Secondly a most magnificent and warlike King hence Christ is called A man of War the Lord of Hosts the Captaine of our Salvation he overcomes all his Enemies and his foes are made his foot-stoole Thirdly Christ is a most just and righteous King he reigns in righteousnesse his Scepter is a Scepter of rectitude and uprightnesse He is called the Lord our righteousnesse Jer. 23. 6. Secondly Observe That Christ sweetly draws and perswades his people to a neer communion with himselfe The King hath brought me c. Christ doth win the hearts of his people by love and goodnesse This is manifested Chap. 2. Vers 4. where it is said He brought me into the Banqueting House and his banner over me was love A flag or ensigne is a warlike signe whereby Souldiers are drawne from place to place So here Christ sets up a Banner of love and goodnesse whereby he draws his people after him when he displayes his Banner then all the Armies in Heaven and Earth follow him It was by love we were redeemed for Christ loved his Church saith the Apostle and gave himselfe for it Ephes 5. 25. By love we are sanctified and cleansed as we have it in Revel 1. 5. Christ hath loved us and hath washed us in his blood He hath washed us both from the guilt and pollution of sin and all from love It is also by the same love wherewithall Christ doth win and draw his people after him Thirdly Observe Christ revealeth to his Saints the secret and hidden Mysteries of the Gospell Christ leads his people into his privy Chambers and displayeth the secrets of God to them that feare him Psal 25. 14. Consider first Chambers are the places in which the Bridegroome and the Bride use to rejoyce together Joel 2. 16. So Christ as the Bridegroome rejoyceth over the Bride and doth communicate spirituall comforts unto her Such as eye hath not seene nor eare heard neither hath it entered into the heart of man the things that God hath prepared for them that love him but God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit for the Spirit searcheth all things yea the deep things of God and thus we have the mind of Christ 1 Cor. 2. 9 10 16. This is that the Apostle doth earnestly desire that the Church of the Collossians might have their hearts comforted being knit together in love and unto all riches of the fulnesse of understanding to the acknowledgment of the Mystery of God and of the Father and of Christ in whom are hid all the treasures of wisdome and knowledge Collos 2. 2 3. When Christ revealeth such Mysteries unto his Saints he may be said then to lead them into his Chambers Secondly touching these Chambers or inner rooms they import a sight of rich Treasures or pretious Jewells Kings have the greatest treasures upon Earth and they keep their richest Ornaments and pretious things in their Chambers Now Christ is the richest of all Kings and he like a Kingly Bridegroome leadeth his Spouse into his Chambers and sheweth her all his riches and glory which he hath laid up for her in the Heavens Christ is rich in love rich in mercy rich in grace rich in wisdome and rich in knowledge yea as rich as God himselfe now Christ spreadeth these his riches before his Saints that they may see how rich they be in him But we must know Christ leads his people into his Chambers by degrees he led his Church into his Chambers in the time of the Law and shewed her the riches and glory of his Kingdome but this he hath done more fully under the Gospell since his manifestation in the flesh since the rising of the sun of righteousnesse and the shining of that morning Starre and most fully it shall be done at the consummation of the Marriage of Christ and his Spouse Here the Spouse hath some glimmerings of these riches but then shee shall have them in perfect sight here shee injoys them by vertue of a promise but then shee shall have the full fruition of them Lastly Observe The Saints are most safe and secure in Jesus Christ Chambers are places of great security therefore the Lord saith Come my people enter into thy Chambers and shut thy doors about thee hide thy selfe for a very little moment untill the indignation be over past Isa 26. 20. And thus Christ comforteth his Disciples against the Persecution of men These things I have spoken unto you that in me ye might have peace in the World yee shall have Tribulation but be of good cheer I have overcome the World John 16. 33. Thus David susteineth his faith by the power and protection of God For in the time of trouble saith he he shall hide me in his pavilion in the secret of his Tabernacle shall he
are perfect in respect of their justification For by one offering Christ hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified Heb. 10. 14. And they are perfect in parts in respect of sanctification being sanctified in every part they are sanctified throughout in soule and body and Spirit 1 Thess 5. 23. Or thus the Saints are perfect and upright comparatively being compared to others that are weak or lesse perfect Lastly uprightnesse may be opposed unto hypocrisie or to one that will pretend much and intend little one that hath a double heart a heart and a heart So it notes to us one of an upright heart of a sincere mind one that is single and plaiue hearted and of a simple disposition without guile or wickednesse The Greeks expresse this by such words as signifieth one that is without complaint none can justly complaine of him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Irreprehensibilis inculpatus and one that is blamelesse or without blemish The word Tamin be thou perfect upright or sound or honest and plaine in thy walking Gen. 17. 1. comes from the same roote that the word Thummim doth which we read of Exod. 28. 30. the High-Priest was to beare Vrim and Thummim on his Breast-plate and Thummim was to signifie the uprightness and integrity of his heart 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vnde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and life as the Vrim did the light of his understanding and knowledge Uprightnesse being opposed to that which is crooked is that which is streight and right it being opposed to that which is lame and defective it is perfect sound and firme it being opposed to hypocrisie it is sincere pure and holy The upright love thee That is the righteous are confirmed and increased in love towards him more and more thus the Apostle writeth to the Saints That they might believe on the Son of God 1 John 5. 13. That is that they might continue and persevere and that they might increase and grow strong in faith So the sence is this whereas Christ leadeth his Saints into his Chambers and there discovers to them the secrets of the Fathers bosome and giveth them glorious sights of those Heavenly riches and treasures which he hath prepared for them now by their remembring and mentioning of Christs love they are confirmed and increased in love towards him againe The words being thus unfolded yeild us these Observations First That those glorious discoveries of Christ made towit in his Chambers to the Saints causeth in them glorious and unspeakable joy It makes them to rejoyce inwardly and to triumph outwardly yea they leap for joy their joy is like the joy in Harvest and like to those that divide the spoile Isa 9. 3. As John Baptist leapt in his Mothers Womb at the tidings of Christ So the Saints cannot but rejoyce in the spirituall revelation of Christ whose Kingdome is not meat and drink but righteousnesse and joy in the holy Ghost Rom. 14. 17. Wherefore the Prophet saith I will greatly rejoyce in the Lord my soule shall be joyfull in my God for he hath cloathed me with the Garments of Salvation he hath covered me with the Robe of reghteousnesse as a Bridegroome decketh himselfe with Ornaments and as a Bride adorneth her selfe with Jewells Isa 61. 10. It is in the Hebrew In rejoycing I will rejoyce that is with exceeding great joy this joy is called unspeakable and full of glory 1 Pet. 1. 8. forasmuch as the thing it selfe wherein we rejoyce and the workings of Christs Spirit causing this joy is more Heavenly and divine then we can either conceive or expresse And this is that which the Apostle exhorteth us unto Phil. 4. 4. Rejoyce in the Lord. And he saith further take it upon good grounds forasmuch as you have the true cause of joy And again I say rejoyce Take a Virgin which is betrothed to some great Prince and lead her into his Chambers and shew unto her all his rich Treasures and Jewells which are reserved for her will it not make her greatly to rejoyce Thus the soul is led into the Heavenly Chambers of Christ and there is shewed unto her the glory and riches given her by Christ how is it possible but she should rejoyce and be glad and rejoyce with joy unspeakable and full of glory Secondly Observe The Saints record and make mention of all Christs manifestations of love to their souls Come and heare said David ye that feare the Lord and I will declare what he hath done for my soule As if he had said I shall tell you of many strange passages of love which the Lord hath shewed towards me And this is that the Prophet calls for saying Praise the Lord call upon his name declare his doings among the People make mention that his name is exalted Isa 12. 3 4. And againe I will mention the loving-kindnesse of the Lord the praises of the Lord according to all that he hath bestowed upon us and the great goodnesse towards the house of Israel which he hath bestowed on them according to his mercye◠and according to his loving-kindnesses Isa 63. And so in Psal 45. 18. I will make thy name to be remembred in all Generations therefore shall the people praise or confesse thee for ever and for ever That is I shall for ever confesse and celebrate the glory of thy Kingdome Now the Memory is the Store-house of the soule if it were not for this faculty all the favours we receive from Christ would be lost and forgotten it would be as the Prophet speaketh of him that earneth wages to put it in a bag with holes Hag. 1. 6. And forgetfullnesse is complained of very much in Jer. 2. 32. Can a Maid forget her ornaments or a bride her attire yet my people have forgotten me dayes without number as if the Lord had said I am much better unto you then your garments or attire and if it be such a hard thing to forget such things as they how is it that you have forgotten me All the service that is expected of us is comprehended under the Memory Eccl. 12. 1. Remember thy Creator in the dayes of thy youth c. Remember is put for fear honour obedience the like Christs love cannot be forgotten in a gracious heart but it maketh us never to be satisfied with the setting forth publishing to others the sweet refreshing comforts we find in his love yea of his loves that is of all his particular loves even from election unto glorification a beleiver wil celebrate set forth every new act of grace which he receives from Christ he will not commit any of them unto oblivion or forgetfulnes 3. Observe That all a Beleivers faculties senses affections are dedicated given up to Jesus Christ The memory the will the affections of joy and delight of love areall fixed upon that love-deserving object Christ if it were not so what do we differ
from Beasts and a beast in the shape of a man is the worst of all Our affections are very pleasant delightful to us this object is as pleasant as our affections there is no object in the world but there is a wil inclinable to close with it now what better object can our wil affections have then Christ 4. Observe The affections of the Saints are more ingaged to â—hrist consecrated to his love then unto the greatest delights in the World More then wine Wine is put by a Synechdoche for all pleasant and delightful things in the World yet saith the Church we will remember thy loves more then worldly minded men do remember Wine yea more then we our selves doe remember our worldy injoyments A Saint may love the Creature according to that Character God hath stamped upon it but still he setteth Christ on the top of his affections witnesse David in Psa 73. 25. Whom have I in Heaven but thee and there is none in Earth that I desire besides thee When we let our affections run out upon the Creature we doe but lose them and they become unprofitable unto us but when they are set upon Christ we lose them not he makes them Heavenly and gracious and gives them to us againe whatsoever we expend on Christ in Christ we shall find it again The upright love thee Hence Observe That the Saints are perfect and upright in a Gospell account A man is that in Gospell account which he sincerely desires to be a beleiver aims at perfection and therefore he is called a perfect man his desires carry the denomination of the thing desired Now that part in man that hath the predominancy and is most active that part carrieth the denomination of the whole now uprightnesse and righteousnesse holinesse and sincerity these carry the greatest sway in the hearts of the Saints they being sanctified in every part in soule and body and Spirit hence they are called holy righteous pure undefiled and clean having their Conscience clean by the blood of sprinkling and the like Secondly Observe That holy and righteous men are onely fit to praise and make mention of the love of Christ All the righteousnesse of the will of the mind of the affections will praise and celebrate Christs love but as for unrighteousnes it is enmity against Christ and unfit to mention or to praise his love And therefore the exhortation is to the righteous Ps 33. 1. Rejoice in the Lord O ye righteous for praise is comely for the upright The word translated comely denoteth a fair and comely grace for which a thing is to be liked or desir'd The Apostle expresseth it in Greek by fair and beautifull Rom. 10. 15. How beautifull are the feet of those that preach the Gospel c. That is how desireable are the feet of those that preach the Gospel For the beauty of a thing makes it to be desired now the praises of Christs love are most desireable and glorious in the Saints none but they are fit to record and make mention of Christs loves Lastly Observe The Saints by remembring and making mention of Christs loves are the more confirmed and increased in love towards him The Church had declared before that those chast and pure virgins loved Christ but here she doth mention it again to declare that now the Spouse had been in the Bed-chamber of the King and had a sight of those heavenly treasures which are reserved for her whereupon shee rejoyceth with exceeding great joy and doth also record and rehearse all his loves and by this means all the upright are enflamed more more with love to Christ As fire is encreased by adding of fuell unto it so is our love to Christ upon fresh and new manifestations of his great love toward us VERS 5 6. I am blacke but comely O yee daughters of Jerusalem as the Tents of Kedar as the curtains of Solomon Looke not upon me because I am blacke because the Sunne hath looked upon me my mothers children were angry with me they made me the keeper of the vineyards but mine owne vineyard have I not kept IN the precedent verses we had the Churches first speech unto Christ professing her faith and love now we have an Apostrophee or her aversion or turning of Speech from her Beloved unto the Daughters of Jerusalem to prevent those scandals and offences which might arise in respect of the Churches afflictions and infirmities which she was subject unto in this life It falleth out sometimes that some do love them that do not love them again and so the objection might be thus Thou art enflamed with a vehement and passionate love but is it not towards one that careth not for thee and one that doth farre excell thee For thou hast set him forth to be a glorious and great King so gracious and loving so sweet and pleasant so faire and beautifull so rich and compleat as that nothing under heaven is any way comparable unto him Now how is it possible that thou shouldst be a Spouse to such a glorious Bridegroom how should he love or delight in thee thou art but a black hued Virgin therefore canst not be fit to match to such a beautiful sweet King as is Messiah Now she answereth all this fully and that first by a double adjunct of colour or hue one contrary to the other 1. By confession I am black 2. By refutation but comely Both which are illustrated by two comparisons 1. To shew her blacknesse As the tents of Kedar 2. To shew her fairnesse As the curtains or the hangings of Solomon vers 5. Now she proceedeth unto a more full answer because none should take offence at her blacknesse as to impaire her dignity or worth or more lightly to regard or esteem of her and this she doth 1. By admonition to the daughters of Jerusalem not to despise or disdain her in these words Looke not upon me because I am black 2. Shee rendereth a reason of her admonition and that is drawn from the cause of her blacknesse and the cause is three-fold 1. From the supream cause The sunne hath looked upon me 2. From the instrumentall cause my mothers children were angry with me c. 3. From the impulsive cause which was internal wholly in her selfe that is though they made her the keeper of the Vinyards yet she kept not well her own Vineyard I am blacke but comely The Hebrew word here translated blacke signifieth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Denigrari Nigresceie nigrnm esse In pih diluculo manè sedulò studiosè quaerete a nomine blacknesse or darknesse and therefore the Hebrew word Mishchar is taken from the same roote which signifies the morning or the day-dawning because of the blackness or darknesse thereof 1. By blacknesse or darknesse we may understand affliction or tribulation so the Prophet calleth tribulation night because the solitarinesse and fear thereof is like the darknesse Isa 26.
offering of them up upon the golden Altar to wit his own selfe which was figured out by that golden Altar upon which Incense was offered Numb 4. 11. and overlaid with gold Exod. 30. 3. And thus hee makes our prayers acceptable unto God that hee smels a sweet savour in them 2. The graces of Christs spirit in the Saints are not only savoury and delightfull to God by Jesus Christ but they are savoury to men also To this purpose tends that of the Apostle Peter when he exhorts us to have our conversation honest among the Gentiles that they which speake evill of us as of evill doers may by our good works which they shall see glorifie God in the day of their visitation 1 Pet. 2. 12. This odour is bonae famae the savour or smell of a good name for a good name is better then ointment Eccles 7. 3. And this the Apostle calls pure religion and undefiled before God even the Father to visit the fatherlesse and widows in their adversity and to keepe our selves unspotted of the world Jam. 1. 17. And the Apostle Paul willeth u◠to walke wisely towards them which are without Coloss 4. 5. That is wee should walk in-offensively towards them giving of them no offence but rather to win them by a sweet holy and godly conversation VERS 13. A bundle of myrrhe is my beloved unto mee he shall lie all night betwixt my breasts THe Church having praised her Beloved for his graces bestowed on her Shee now declareth farther how delightfull and how really welcome Christ is to her And lest any should think it vain-glory for her to commend her own graces shee now sheweth by what meanes she became so sweet and savoury shee plainly declares that it was not of her selfe but saith she my beloved is unto me a bundle of myrrhe c. In this verse we have First The Churches declaration of her Beloved's sweetnesse In which Declaration consider 1. A note of propriety My beloved is unto me 2. Of her affection Beloved 3. Of Christs sweetnesse expressed by a bundle of myrrhe Secondly we have Christ's entertainment from the Church he shall lie and lodge with her This is amplified by two adjuncts 1. Of the time all night 2. Of the place betwixt my breasts A bundle of myrrhe is my beloved unto me c. A bundle of myrrhe Myrrhe is an odoriferous tree and saith Plyny it sweateth out a sweet gumme called Plin. lib. 12 cap. 16. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ligavit colligavit Vnde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Fasciculus eculus stacte which is preferred before all others This gum is also called myrrhe from the tree whereon it grows it is gathered and bound up in baggs and though the word in the Hebrew be rendered a bundle yet according to the nature of myrrhe it being a gum or liquid thing it may be more aptly called a bag of myrrhe so the word is rendered Prov. 7. 20. A bag of money And in Gen. 42. 35. A bundle of money The word may indifferently be used for any thing that is made up in a bag or bundle As for this Myrrhe it is an Indian Tree and it is very sweet of smell and leniter amara meanly or somewhat bitter in tast as the Naturallist writeth and of the second degree hot and dry and of a preserving nature it is reckoned of God for one of the most prinpall chiefest of spices Exo. 30. 23. which holy ointment figured out the graces of Christ and the graces of the Saints Christ is said to be anointed by the Spirit Isa 61. 1. And with the oile of gladnesse or of grace Ps 45. 7. And the Saints have an unction from the holy one 1 Joh. 2. 20. This was one of those precious things with which the wise men honored Christ at his birth Mat. 2. And it is of much use for embalming for which cause Nicodemus in John 19. 39. doth mixe myrrhe with Aloes for the embalming the body of Jesus Hereby the Church declareth how sweet and comfortable Christ is to her and how well pleased shee is with all his dispensations and that hee is alwayes as a sweet odour unto her heart A bundle or bagge is for to keepe safe those things which are in danger to be lost As the soule of my Lord shall be bound in the bundle of life with Jehovah 1 Sam. 25. 29. And thus Job saith his iniquities are sealed up in a bag Job 14. 17. And when Christ wisheth his Disciples to get an heavenly treasure he saith provide your selves bagges which wax not old Luk. 12. 33. And for those things we lose and wast we are said to put in a bagge with holes Hag. 1. 6. Now this denoteth the Churches care to enjoy and possesse Christ with all his graces and communications and with the benefits of his death and resurrection all these are bound up safe in a bundle or bag she is carefull that she lose not the sweetnesse or vertue of any of the graces of her Beloved and these are all safe in Christ as bound up in a bundle My beloved Christ having called the Church his love vers 9. Here the Church returneth the same Epithite to him again and calls him her Beloved not that she first loved him but he loved his Church and gave himselfe for her Ephes 5 25. Whereupon shee loveth him again because he loved her first 1 John 4. 10. The Hebrew word Dod wel-beloved is written with the same letters that David whose name signified Beloved he was a figure of Christ and his Father after the flesh Rom. 1. 3. And Christ is called David Jer. 30. 9. Vnto mee A speech of faith propriety applying Christ and all his graces unto her selfe A like example the Apostle gives us when he saith Christ loved me and gave himselfe for me Gal. 2. 20. He applyeth the benefit of Christ's death to himselfe in particular to teach us speciall faith and to enflame our love to him as if he had shed his blood for us alone and in particular He shall lie all night betwixt my breasts He shall lodge or he shall abide The word lun which 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Pernoctare signifies to lodg or stay all night is of the future tense which yet frequently in the Hebrew bears the signification of the time past And though the word properly signifies a nights lodging or abiding as in Gen. 28. 11. yet it is used for a longer continuance as in Psal 49. 12. Adam lodged not in honour that is he stayed no long time in honour And in Psal 25. 13. his soule shall lodge in goodnesse that is it shall continue in goodnesse And in Psal 55. 7. I would lodge in the wilderness That is I would remaine in the Wildernesse This denotes unto us the Churches desire that Christ might continue and abide with her that he might lye downe and settle his abode with her for ever Or we may
all mercy grace and love compacted together there is no grace but it is in the cluster of mans redemption as mercy justice power wisedome love and free grace all these are gloriously manifested in the worke of our redemption Now all the graces of our redemption in Christ have a fragrancy and a sweet odour with them they are likea cluster of camphire for their sweet odoriferous smell whereby the Saints are continually refreshed and comforted In the Vineyards of Engedi Engedi was the name of a place in the Tribe of Judah appeareth Josh 15. 62. It should seem to be a City famous for sweet smelling trees and of a very fruitfull soile for Gardens and Vineyards This City Engedi was sometimes a place of safeguard and defence unto David when he hid himself from the fury of Saul as in 1 Sam. 24. It was called Hazazon Tamar 2 Chron. 20. 2. where Jehosaphat prayed and was delivered from his Enemies It was also a place full of rocks and wild goats adjoyning to the Sea-cost This noteth unto us the great victories which the Church obtaineth by Christ hee hath brought a full redemption unto his people and will give them victory over all their enemyes The word Engedi 〈◊〉 or Gnen-gedi is a compounded 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 word the first part signifieth an eye or fountaine the latter part of the word signifies a Kid or a company hereof it was that Leah's adopted sonne Gad tooke his name which signifies a troop or company Considering the rocks and wild Goats in the bounds of Engedi here may be an allusion from those young Goats who from the Rocks would not onely cast their eyes upon the Fountaines below which were their watering places but also upon the Vineyards desiring to root up and spoil the Plants there But as the owners of the Vines would wall and fence their Vineyards in such a manner that these Goates or Kidds which longing and bleating after the pleasant plants could not come to spoile them even so it is with the wicked persecutors of the world they may see and cry after the Saints and much desire their destruction but Christ the owner of this Vineyard hath set a hedg about his Saints as hee did about Job so that Satan could not touch his soule and Christ himself is a wall of fire round about his Church Zech. 2. 5. where the holy Ghost alludeth to the practice of Travailers in the Wildernesse who surrounded themselves with a fire and did thereby fray away the wild beasts and kept them off from annoying them Christ is such a defence unto his people and therefore they must needs be in great safety who have such a defence notwithstanding all the attempts of the wicked against them As for these words of propriety and affection My beloved is unto me c. Having spoken of them in the precedent verse I shall not repeat them again but shall only give you two or three Observations from this verse First Observe That redemption by Christ and the fruits thereof are very savoury and delightfull unto the Saints The pardon of sinne and reconciliation with God through Jesus Christ with that spiritual peace flowing from thence with all those heavenly graces that follow and accompany this redemption these cannot but be very delightfull and precious unto the Saints yea and much more precious and sweet then all camphire and Cyprus trees are unto any worldly sense Here is as it were a cluster of graces compacted together and that do shine forth together most gloriously being the very life of a Christians joy and comfort In our redemption there is as I said before a cluster or heap of mercies and graces compacted together as rich mercy extended to the vessels of mercy the Sts are made vessels of mercy by redemption these vessels are filled full of mercy mercy is manifested upon them There is also rich love in our redemption in that the Father gave his Sonne to death for us and the Son also gave himselfe and laid down his life for us greater love then this was never shewn by any Again Free grace doth exalt it selfe in this work also for we were bought with a price that not with our own but with the precious blood of Jesus Christ In a word in our redemption all the attributes of God shine forth most gloriously as for justice it is honoured because it is satisfied and for mercy it is enlarged and hath a portion aswel as justice his power is magnified in effecting such a glorious work and his wisdome in finding out and in contriving and in finishing the worke of our redemption Here are graces compact together even as clusters of berries on the Cyprus tree Thus Christ is sweet to his Saints in redeeming and saving of them hee is like a cluster of camphire or of cyprus Secondly observe That Christ will be a safeguard and shelter for his Saints in the middest of the greatest dangers Wicked men may look down from their mountain and behold the Saints in Christs vineyard and desire much to spoile those tender plants but Christ will be a wall of defence unto them Thus David declareth the Lord to be his defence and hee expresseth it nine times together in Psal 18. 2. The Lord saith he is my rocke and fortresse c. Two names of a rock are in this verse the first is Selaugh a firm stony rock the latter is Tsur a strong or sharp rocke he is saith hee My deliverer my God my strength in whom I will trust my buckler and the horn of my salvation and my high tower A horn signifieth power and strength Psalm 92. 11. and therefore they signifie the great Monarchs and Kings of the world Dan. 8. 21. An high tower hath it's name in Hebrew Misgah which is an exaltation that is an high Tower or Fort wherein men are protected from danger and invasion and he addes my refuge that is saving me from all wrong and violence of men And this is that which Christ hath promised to his Sains never to leave them nor forsake them Heb. 13. 5. There are no lesse then five negatives in this place to strengthen and confirm our faith in the truth of the promise And it is as if he should have said I will in no wise whatsoever come of it at any time forsake thee mine eye shall be still over thee and I will watch over thee for good continually So the Lord promiseth to be with his people in the greatest danger when they passe through the water and when they walke through the fire Isa 43. 2. Fire and water are two most devouring Elements good servants but bad masters as we say and therefore here they are put for all other perillous and dangerous kinds Christ will save and deliver his people from them all We read Dan. 3. 25. That the three children were cast into the fiery furnace but what said the Tyrant I see foure saith hee and
we on the contrary should labour as much as in us lies to cherish and keep it burning In this metaphor the Apostle seemeth to allude to the type of the Priests under the Law who were to cherish the holy fire on the Altar that it might not goe forth thus our faith and other graces must be blowne and stirred up and however we may have the graces of Christ in respect of the habits of them yet we should stir them up unto their acts else they may lye dead in us as fire covered with the ashes Christ would raise our hearts from earthly things unto those that are heavenly from worldly glory unto that which is divine and from carnall joy unto spirituall delight Christ had told the Church before that shee was beautifull but least her dull and misgiving heart should not believe it he adds Behold thou art faire c. Secondly It is a note of wonder and admiration as Behold a Virgin shall be with Child What greater wonder can there be then for a Virgin to conceive and bring forth a Son So here Behold thou art faire this must needs be a wonderfull thing that shee that was black and deformed should be thus beautifull and fair and that her naturall deformity should be cover'd with a supernaturall comelinesse this is an admirable thing indeed and well may it be prefaced with a note of admiration Behold thou art faire c. Thirdly it importeth to us an assurance of our spirituall beauty for this word Behold is a note of asseveration as I said before to assure us of the truth of the thing Our hearts are apt to misgive us and very unapt to believe the bounty and goodnesse of Christ we can hardly thinke he will bestow such glory and happinesse upon us as he hath promised now that he may take us off from this unbeliefe he doth declare it to us by this asseveration Behold thou art faire c. Thus much for the word of attention admiration and asseveration the next thing in the Preface followeth which is his love title unto his Spouse My love The same word is used here as was in Vers 9. and it signifieth a familiar a fellow-friend a companion it hath its name of feeding and conversing together And thus Christ declareth the reason of that intercourse of love betweene him and his people saying I have called you friends not Servants for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made knowne unto you And saith he you are my friends if you doe whatsoever I command you Joh. 15. 15. Now in that Christ doth so often give unto his Spouse this sweet and lovely title of friend and love and the like it manifests unto us his sweet everlasting undying affection unto his Saints by which he is one and the same to his Church for ever Hence Observe That Christs love unto his Saints is an everlasting and an undying love Christs love is eternall and everlasting a love that never decayes or waxeth cold like the stone Jul. Solin in Polyhist cap. 12. Albestos of which Solinus writes of that being once hot it can never be cooled againe The love of Christ towards his Saints is like a Fountaine ever flowing and never dried up or like the sacred fire which never went out The love of Christ whose gifts and calling are without repentance Rom. 11. 29. is an undying affection that never will decay Hence saith he in Jer. 31. 3. I have loved thee with an everlasting love And in another place With everlasting kindnesse will I have mery upon thee Though the Saints offend Christ often yet he loves them still he onely purges them and heales them of their spirituall maladies which cannot be done without some smart but he doth not a whit lessen or detract his love from them Though his people come upon him every day for new supplies yet his goodnesse is never wearied or tired out yea though thousands millions of his Saints presse upon him at once yet he hath for them all and the Fountaine of his love and grace is never emptied O what a whetstone should this be to our Spirits and how should this flame of Christ's eternall love towards us kindle a fire of love in our hearts towards him againe Nothing doth more concilliate and attract love then love it selfe it would be horrible ingratefull in us not to spend and be spent for him that hath lov'd us so much as Christ hath done certainly if love doe not draw us unto him nothing will The acts of Christ's love are the cords wherewith he draws souls unto himselfe I drew them with cords of love saith he Hosea 11. 4. And I drew them with loving-kindnesse Jer. 31. 3. Nothing will draw us unto Christ effectually if love will not Thus much for the Preface the Proposition followeth Thou art faire thou art faire The word Japhah signifies faire or beautifull not onely 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Pulcer elegans venustus decorus fuit in colour but in comely proportion and elegancy such as draweth love and liking as you heard in Ver. 8. The Church is called faire by reason of the graces and the spirituall beauty of faith hope love patience wherewith Christ hath beautified her The doubling of the word increaseth the signification it expresseth the superlative degree it is an usuall Hebraisme to expresse that which doth excell by the doubling of the word as faire faire that is most excellent and very faire for it doth expresse the vehemency of the mind when the Speech is so doubled Sometime we use the same forme of Speech even among our selves when we would most of all villifie one we say he is naught he is naught as Solomon saith of the buyer Prov. 20. 14. In like manner when we would expresse something most rare and exellent we use to say it is excellent it is excellent Even thus the Lord Jesus commendeth the beauty of his Church to be most rare excellent and transcendent that which can hardly be uttered with any words And thus Christ praiseth the excelling beauty of his Church not onely to comfort her with all the members thereof that neither the whole nor the parts of the whole should be discouraged with their blacknesse and deformity but also to declare thereby that shee is not onely faire but excellent transcendent and wonderfull faire and glorious in his sight Hence Observe That the Saints excell in beauty and are most amiable in Christ's sight It must needs be so for Christ is made unto them of God Wisdome Righteousnesse Sanctification and Redemption Wisdome for covering their ignorance Righteousnesse for bearing their iniquity Sanctification for making them holy Redemption for her full and absolute Salvation Although the Church be black and there be many deformities and spots in the Saints while they are here yet Christ beholdeth his people according to those comely graces and vertues of faith love hope patience and the like wherewith he
and withall siignifying how she is afflicted and pricked with them as with Thorns In this verse we have Christs comparison betweene the Church and such a Lilie as growes among Thornes Now let us consider First What and who is this Lili Secondly The Thorne Thirdly The love Fourthly the Daughters First what this Lilie is it may necessarily be concluded of the Church notwithstanding Christ himselfe was compared unto the Lilie in the former verse It is not unusuall in Scripture for Christ and his Church to be set forth by one and the same thing Christ is called the light Joh. 1. 7 8. his Church is called the same Matth. 5. 14. So in the former verse Christ is termed a Lilie which for a new consideration the same terme is given unto the Church and that in these respects First in respect of spirituall beauty the Church is compared to a Lilie that is white of colour and very beautifull The Church is washed and sanctified and justified in the name of Jesus Christ 1 Cor. 6. 11. Secondly The Saints rely upon God as Lilies are said to be glorious by his providence Why care ye for rayment saith Christ learne of the Lilies of the field how they neither labour nor spin yet I say unto you that Solomon in all his glorie is not clothed like one of these Matthew 6. 28. Hence we should be taught to relie wholly upon God casting all our care upon him Thirdly It is incident to this delicate and daintie flower to grow among the perverse and unbeleevers the Saints as Lilies flourish and shine among the Thornes Hence it is that the Apostle saith Wee must be blamelesse and pure as the Sonne of God without rebuke in the midaest of a naughty and crooked generation among whom yee shine as lights in the world Phil. 2. 15. Secondly what and who these thornes be is easily decided The naturall thorne is no tender herbe or flower but a sturdie hard Tree not smooth as the Lilie but knotty and full of dangerous pricks who these thornes be let David declare in that he saith The wicked be every one thornes 2 Sam 23. 6. where the word wicked is expressed in the originall by the word Belial which well declareth the nature of wicked men for that they be as some expound the word Beli. gnol without yoake that is such as will not come under the yoake of obe di ence Others derive it of Beli and Gnalah not ascending because their matters prospered not or because they were such as ascended not to the Temple nor to Mount Zion the Tabernacle of the Lord. Such base earthly spirits such beastly rude libertines they be these Thornes Now wicked men are compared to Thornes and that in these respects First Bryers and Thorns were the fruit of God's curse upon the earth Gen. 3. 17 18. So are the wicked men of the world Secondly Bryers and Thornes they are of a perplexing nature being full of dangerous prickles such thornes are the wicked who are continually pricking and fretting and galling the people of God Hence it is that when the Lord promiseth to free his people from such he saith There shall be no more a pricking bryer to the house of Israel nor any grievous thorne of all that are round about them that despised them Ezek. 28. 24. Thirdly Bryers and thornes the best use that is commonly made of them is but to hedge and fence in So it is that God often times makes use of these Bryers and thornes for the good of his people so as by this meanes he keeps them from wandring and stragling abroad as Cattle doe out of unfenced pastures Thus the Lord tells his people in Hosea 2. 6. Therefore Behold I will hedge up thy way with thornes and make a wall that shee shall not find her paths A like place we have in Numb 33. 55. If yee will not drive out the Inhabitants c. Those which ye let remaine of them shall be pricks in your eyes and thornes in your sides and shall vex you in in the Land wherein you dwell Fourthly The end of bryers and thornes is to be burned Heb. 6. 8. they shall be dried and made fit fuell for the fire and at last burned for which see 2 Sam. 23. 6. They shall be burnt together Such will be the end of all ungodly ones and such as dye in their sin Who would set the Briars and thornes against me in battaile saith the Lord I would goe through them I would burne them together Thus we see what and who these thornes be and in what respect wicked men are so called Now it followeth that we enquire concerning the love here spoken of 3. The love here spoken of is the Church as before 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Socius amious 〈◊〉 in Chap. 1. 9. My love companion or fellow-friend who loveth Christ because he loved her first 1 John 4. 19. and whose love is kindled by the flames of Christs love The love of Christ is as a lilie among the thornes 4. and lastly as for these daughters amongst whom she converseth they be as thornes by Daughters may be meant the great multitudes of people as the Scripture mentioneth The daughters of Babylon Psal 137. The Daughters of Iyrus Psal 45. So here we may understand multitudes of false brethren hard hearted and knotty conditioned being full of prickles such as are very offensive to the Saints This then is the condition of the Church of Christ though she be as faire and glorious as the lilie yet it is allotted to her to suffer persecution and hard entreaties of the wicked even as Christ did before her Christ is a lilie in the open fields of Sharon exposed to the wild Beasts that be there so is his Church as a lilie among thornes by whom she is persecuted and prick'd but yet she remaines passing glorious and beautifull though among thornes VERS 3 4 5 6. As the Apple tree among the trees of the wood so is my beloved among the sonnes I sat downe under his shaddow with great delight and his fruit was sweet unto my tast He brought me into the Banquetting house and his banner over me was love Stay me with flagons comfort me with Apples for I am sick of love His left hand is under my head and his right hand doth imbrace me IN the two former Verses we had Christ praising of himselfe and his Spouse upon which the Church in these fowre Verses doth returne praise to him again as he set forth her praise that shee excelleth all the daughters as far as the lilie excelleth the thornes so she commendeth him that he in dignity surmounteth all the Sonnes as far as the Apple tree excelleth all the trees of the forrest The Church doth declare Christ's excellency 1. By comparison she compareth him with all other for beauty fruitfullnesse comfort and delight unto the Apple tree above all other trees which bring forth no fruit but are barren in
the Forrest Vers 3. As the Apple tree among the trees c. 2. The effects or fruits of Christ and they are double 1. A fervent desire in the Church toward Christ I exceedingly delight to sit under his shaddow Vers 4. 2. Christs loving provision made for her He hath brought me into the banqueting house c. Vers 4. This was as a cause of love-sicknesse to the Church upon which follows these effects 1. A patheticall exclamation or suddaine outcry of the Church Stay me with Flaggons and comfort me with Apples for I am sick of love Lastly a remedy follows this disease His left hand is under my head c. Vers 6. 1. For the Churches comparison in these words As the Apple tree among the the trees of the wood so is my beloved among the sonnes In which we may consider fowre things 1. What the Tree is that is here spoken of 2. The place it groweth in to wit in the Forrest 3. The person resembled by this Tree 4. The persons resembled to the place of the trees growth The Apple tree here spoken of is expressed in the Hebrew by the word Tapuach expounded in Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Inde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Malus arbor malum fruct us by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Latine Malus Some thinke that Malum an Apple comes from Malum evill because sin came first into the world by eating of an Apple But others unto whom I incline think that it comes from Malo I more will or desire because it is passing pleasing to nature it being a fruit which man much desireth and delights in An Apple tree is commended to us in these respects 1. For its comfortable shaddow that it giveth as appears in the following part of the Verse it being a tree of a spreading nature 2. It is very fruitfull as likewise appears in this Verse the Apple tree is fruitfull above all the trees of the Forrest which bring forth no fruit or else they bring forth wild harsh and sowre fruit not fit for food 3. The Apple tree hath more variety of fruits then any other tree whatsoever so that it can hardly be reckoned up how many various sorts of Apples there be and that of different tast 4. It is very pleasant in tast 5. It is very sweet and refreshing unto the sense of smelling as thereby a quickning power is conveyed into a fainting weake body Now by this is held out the plentifull supply of grace in Christ flowing downe upon all his Members Hence Observe That the Saints find a sweet supply of all grace in Christ For looke of what use and comfort the Apple tree is to mans body the same and much more is Christ unto the soule Christ is a shaddow of protection unto his people fruitfull in his communicating of grace he aboundeth in variety of all his graces his fruit is good to the tast and sweet unto the sences of the soul cheering and comforting those that are weake by communicating of those graces to them Christ hath in him sufficiency of all grace relative and suitable to all conditions as Job saith that he was eyes to the blind and feet to the lame and a Father to the poore so is Christ made every thing to Believers in proportion to their wants As Elisha when he raised a Child to life Put his mouth upon the Childs mouth his eyes upon the Childs eyes his hands upon the Childs hands still similar parts were applied to similar so doth Christ apply himselfe to us in a relation suting and answering to every necessity This of the Apple tree Secondly the place of this Apple trees growth it is among the trees of the wood or of the Forrest or Grove among wild trees begrowne over with mosse and without culter trees that bring not forth fruit meet for man that are either barren or else they beare wild sowre bitter and unsavory fruits such as is food for Hogs and wild Beasts rather then for man Such is the state of all the Sonnes of men by nature for so saith the Apostle in Rom. 11. 24. that we are wild by nature not as we were first made but as we were corrupted in Adam and so derived from him to his posterity and therefore he saith we were graffed in contrary to nature That is we are ingraffed in to Jesus Christ by some means which is above nature Now Christ far excelleth in beauty fruit and comfort all the Sonnes of men Thirdly the person affimilated to the Apple tree it is Jesus Christ the Churches Beloved from whom shee receives life health and every saving grace of the Spirit The Hebrews expresse Beloved by the word Dod which is the same in signification with David as was hinted before in Chap 1. 13. Christ is the Churches Beloved he loved her first therefore her duty is to love him againe and therein shee faileth not although shee be not able to love him so perfectly as shee ought nor in such a measure as he loveth her Fourthly the persons resembled by the Forrest trees they are termed Sonnes not sonnes of men yet the adjunct of men may be added and so it may be meant of all the Sonnes of Adam whom Christ far excelleth as it is said of him in Psal 45. 3. Thou art fairer then all the sonnes of Adam The Church considers Christ not exalted but here on earth in his estate of humiliation not sitting in the Heavens but pitching his Tabernacle among men And therefore it cannot be that Christ is here compared unto the Angells which are called the sonnes of God Job 1. 6. unto whom in this estate and in respect of taking our nature and for the suffering of death was somewhat inferiour Heb. 2. 7. but in respect of the former similitude of the trees of the wood we may understand it of all earthly creatures as the Kings and Potentates and wise men of the world these are called sonnes as the peoples of the world were called Daughters in Vers 2. Thus the King of Assyria is likened to a Cedar in Lebanon under whose shaddow dwelt all great Nations Ezek. 31. 3. 6. And Nebuchadnezzar is likened to a tree strong and high under which the beasts of the Earth dwelt c. So the Church doth extoll her beloved above all the great ones in the world he being the Prince of the Kings of the Earth Rev. 1. 5. These things remembred let us see what is inferred First Observe That all men by nature are like the Trees of the Forrest which bring forth nothing but sowre bitter and unsavory fruit All the fruits that man produceth by any naturall ability it is like the fruit of a wildernesse wild bitter and unsavory Secondly Note Christ is the Churches Beloved Christ loved us and gave himselfe for us he loved us when we were not yea when we were his enemies we were reconciled unto him hence it is that the Saints love Christ Thirdly Note That
love is gone joy and light is gone O! how dejected how disconsolate is the soule then It is a perfect hyeroglyphick or resemblance of A wounded spirit as Solomon cals it when the soule is full of perplexities and feares and can see no comfort then it must returne to Christ as to its strong hold there is my stay there is my comfort there I shall finde reliefe and refreshment or else no where Or else Secondly Wee may take the cause of the Churches sicknesse the object to wit the sight of Christs loves displayed by his banner and by tasting of his banquet even all the varietie of his sweet graces now because her minde which is the eye of the soule could not sustaine the glittering shine of his love no more then Job could shut up the Sea with doores Job 38. 8. or Agur close up the winds in his fist Prov. 30. 4. hereupon she is as one in a Syncope or fit of swooning being overcome with the bright and glorious beams of his love as it was said of the Queene of Sheba according to Historians who had no Spirit left in her because she was astonished at Solomons glorie riches wisedom and the like So here the Church having both sights and tasts of Christ love and sweetnesse is as it were overcome with it Hence Observe That the fulnesse of Christs love to his Saints doth as it were transport and overcome them The Church had been in the house of wine banquetting with Christ and under the displaying of the banner of his love upon which she cryeth out I am sick of love I am overwhelmed and overcome with his sweetnesse hereupon her heart was so much ravished with love that she is love-sick and ready to swoon therewith Or Thirdly Wee may take her sicknesse to be her exceeding love towards Christ that her heart is so ravished with love towards him that she is sick Love hath a strong appetition of peculiarity or private interest in the thing beloved Here is a marveilous passion of love in the Church towards Christ Now according to this interpretation the similitude is drawn from hence when a Virgine is betrothed and through the vehemencie of her love towards her Spouse is sick and swooneth a greater or a more vehement love cannot be Hence Observe That the Saints love to Christ is vehement and strong Here the Church is so taken and ravished with love towards Christ that she is love-sick and ready to swoone and with a patheticall exclamation crie th out as one that is ready to depart and dye she desireth to be refreshed with the sweet water of life distributed unto her in flagons and the sweet smelling Aples fetch out of Christs treasury and both held and applyed to her that by that meanes she might be as it were recovered of her sicknesse The faithfull soule tasting the sweetnes of those Aples of that heavenly wine hath such a desire of Christ as that she cannot be any meanes be satisfied without the enjoyment of him Here then is a sicknesse but not to death but unto life and satisfaction Christ himselfe pronounceth such Blessed that doe hunger and thirst after righteousnesse for saith he they shall be filled Matth. 5. 6. The sweetnesse of these Apples which she tasted and of that precious wine brought her into this passion yet her appetite and desire of them is not any thing at all diminished but she desireth to be more refreshed and comforted with those flagons of wine and to have applyed unto her self those sweet apples of Christ When Christ doth first lead a soule into his Wine-Cellar and doth refresh it at the heavenly banquet of heavenly delights and comforts he doth not distribute out a full measure of his spirit and grace but as it were some tasts or small drops of them which the Apostle cals The first fruits of the Spirit Rom. 8. 23. And The earnest of the Spirit Ephes 1. Now by these drops the Saints are so taken and ravished with the wonderfull sweetnesse there is in those heavenly things that they are insatiable in their desire after a more plentifull measure of them Thus for the Churches request with the reason thereof Now followeth the fruit or effect of her request Vers 6. His left hand is under my head and his right hand doth imbrace me In the last Verse we had the Churches disease described here we have the remedy Shee called out to the Ministers of Christ to help her in the former verse but it appears here that it is onely Christ that can apply cure Indeed they be instruments and no more for Paul may plant and Apollo may water but it is God that can give increase 1 Cor. 3. 6. It is Christ himselfe that is able to support his Church by his divine power Hence it is the Church addeth to her former Speech saying His left hand is under my head and his right hand doth imbrace me So that though shee had called unto others for help yet here she confesseth that all the efficacie is from Christ himselfe declaring that he doth stay her up with both his hands In these words observe The Churches declaration of Christs exceeding loue towards her and this love of Christ appeareth in one generall act of favour namely his sweet embracing her which embracements must needs argue love and favour In Christs embracements of his Church wee have two particulars First in his left hand conveighed under her head Secondly in his right hand amiably embracing her His left hand c. Some understand it prayer-wise Let it be under my head and then the Church prayeth unto Christ for supply of strength and sustentation and that he would comfort her heart by his word and Spirit as a loving Husband doth his wife in her sorrow and sicknesse for so the Apostle tels us That Christ nourisheth his Church Ephes 5. 29. Seeing these things are spirituall what may be meant by the left and right hand for the resolution of this mystery wee cannot bring in that of Christs right and left hand spoken of in Matth. 25. because the left hand is turned to the wicked but both hands here doe uphold the Church Some understand by the left hand of Christ his man-hood and by his right hand his God-head But I understand it here of whole Christ embracing of her with both hands as it were both his God head and man-hood his life death resurrection and ascension even all that is Christs is imployed for the good and comfort of his people The forme of speech may also seeme to allude to their feasts when they lay on the ground so that if any fainted they put one hand under them to lift them up and gave them some comfortable potion with the other In like manner Christ doth not leave his Church in her sorrow and sicknesse but imbraceth her with his owne hands in the manifestation of all love and mercy and keepeth her safe from evill Now if wee
take the words for a narration then the comfort of Christs goodnesse and mercy is set forth in the refreshing his people by his word and spirit But if wee take them prayer-wise Let him embrace me c. then they hold forth the faith and thankfulnesse of the Church because shee seeth Christ present administring comfort to her even in a fainting condition Hence Observe First That it is in Christs power alone to support and comfort his Church by the ministry of his Spirit It is not in Paul that planteth nor in Apollo that waters but in Christ that giveth the increase 1 Cor. 3. 6. therefore though she had called to others for help yet here she acknowledgeth all the efficacie to be from Christ he doth stay her up with both his hands when she is ready to faint Secondly note That it is a marveilous comfortable thing unto the Church to see Christ presentewith her by his spirituall power and grace His left hand is under my head as a Pillow for me to be refreshed on when by reason of sinne the whole heart is faint and the head is sick then Christ doth comfort the poore afflicted consciences in the forgivenesse of sinnes by the applying his owne righteousnesse and the consolations of the spirit So that the Saints can say with David when my flesh and heart faileth God is the Rocke of my heart for ever VERS 7 8 9. I charge you O ye Daughters of Jerusalem by the Roes and by the Hindes of the Field that yee stirre not up nor awak my love till he please The voice of my beloved behold he commeth leaping upon the mountains skipping upon the hils My beloved is like a Roe or a young Hart behold he standeth behind our wall he looketh forth at the Window shewing himselfe through the Lattesse IN the former part of this Chapter wee have seene how Christ calling himselfe a Rose and a Lilie giveth us to understand that in him is the Fountaine of all grace and the fulnesse and perfection of all sweet and heavenly treasures Also that from his sweetnesse and beautie his Church is made so sweet and comâ—ly that she excelleth all other Daughters as farre as the pure white Lilie doth the Thornes Then she setteth forth the praise of her well beloved by a like comparison namely that as the Apple-tree excelleth the trees of the forrest so doth he excell the Sonnes And further she declareth that by the comfortable shadow and fruit of this tree she being led into the house of wine she is made partaker of all heavenly blessings in him and by the feeling of his love she is sick of love towards him calling for a further supply of grace and is embraced comforted and supported by Christ All which is contained in the first six verses of this Chapter Now to proceed In these three Verses we have First A strict charge given that this peace she enjoyed may not be interrupted verse 7. Secondly A Declaration of Messiahs comming together with the discovery thereof verses 8 9. First Wee have a vehement charge given to all the Members of the Church I charge you O ye Daughters of Jerusalem c. Secondly The manner of the charge By the Roes and Hindes of thee Feild Thirdly The matter of the charge That yee stirre not nor awake my love Fourthly The duration or continuance of the charge untill be please Here ariseth some difficultie to finde out whether it be Christ or his Church that giveth this charge by some of our English translations it seemes to be Christ because it is read That you awake not my love untill she please for if it were the Church she should say That you awake not my love untill be please But it is not very easily discussed by the Hebrew text for the word Ahabhah love is feminine and if the Church call Christ her love the construction is with a verbe of the feminine gender Some doe expound this charge to be Christs which he should give unto the false Brethren and false Churches such as were degenerate Assemblies of Idolaters that they doe not molest that sweet peace and rest of the Church which she had obtained in him But I rather take it to be the charge of the Church not to her false Sisters but unto her companions that they doe not by any miscarriage or rude behaviour of theirs cause Christ to withdraw himselfe or to hide or ecclipse his love The reasons of this interpretation are First The originall will indifferently beare either Secondly She had authority to command as shee doth in verse 15. saying Take us the Foxes c. Thirdly The words preceding and following after are the words of the Church Fourthly She doth apply the words unto the Daughters of Jerusalem her fellow friends unto whom shee often speaketh as in Chap. 1. vers 5. Let us now descend downe unto the words in particular I charge you c. The Hebrew word here translated I charge signifieth to sweare or to adjure or earnestly to charge 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Septem Inde Niphal 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â—uravit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cum puncto sinistie satiatus saturatus fuit c. It hath also the signification of seven which is a mysticall number Gen. 2. 3. and some give the reason of it to be this because an oath is confirmed by seven that is by many witnesses The word also signifieth to satisfie because he to whom we sweare must be contented An adjuration is neere of kinde to a curse and sometimes one is put for an other as appears in Gen. 24. 8. Josh 6. 26. Hence it sheweth the weightinesse of this speech Hence Observe That the Saints are very serious in the things of Christ Here the Church layes such a weighty and strict charge on the Daughters of Jerusalem True good gracious and heavenly impressions upon the heart will be very strong and vehement in expressions as here the Churches are saying I charge you c. Now followeth the parties thus charged O ye Daughters of Jerusalem By these Daughters no question she meaneth such as wished well to the Church and had somewhat to do therein such as were the severall Members of her But though these Members are expressed by the daughters of Jerusalem yet so as there by is comprehended all the faithful wheresoever dispersed Hence it is said that the Law shall go forth of Zion and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem to other Nations and people as the Prophet speakes Isa 2. 3. Wee had occasion to speake of the Daughters of Jerusalem already in Chap. 1. 5. yet give me leave to add one thing which I omitted there namely to observe that the Church is called by the name of Jerusalem or the holy Citie The Church may well be called Jerusalem and that from such resemblances as these First Jerusalem was the chiefe metropolitan Cittie of the Jewes So the Church hath the greatest advantage or precedencie
it Thy love is fixed in the Table of mine heart The Hebrew is but one word and used onely in this place and signifieth a most ravishing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In pihil Incordiastime rapuisti animum meum vel traxisti animummeum and delightfull drawing of the heart by love I cannot expresse it neerer the Originall word then to say Thou hast unhearted me that is in effect thus Thou hast wounded or taken away my heart from me thou hast even ravished and overcome me with thy love Christ speaketh here to his Spouse as a man overcome with love for it doth exceedingly set forth the passion of love when the Bridegroome shall tell his Bride that shee hath gotten away his heart Hereby appeareth the super-abounding love of Christ towards his Spouse in that there be not any words sufficient fully to expresse the same Hence Observe That Christs heart and affections are exceedingly taken with his people Hence it is said that the Lord will rejoyce over his people as the Bridegroome rejoyceth over the Bride Isa 62. 5. Like unto this is that where the Lord saith in Zeph. 3. 17. The Lord thy God in the midst of thee is mighty he will save he will rejoyce over thee with joy he will rest in his love he will joy over thee with singing That is he will rest well-pleased and much delighted in his love and he will rejoyce over his Spouse with the highest pitch of joy yea he will rejoyce with singing which is the highest expression of joy and delight So then the heart of Christ being thus taken is meant his exceeding love whereby he rejoyceth over his people according as it is said in Isa 43. 4. Since thou wast precious in my sight thou hast been honourable and I have loved thee c. Thus Christ hath declared how neer and deare his Spouse is unto him by the simpathy of like mind and affection which is betweene him and his Church Now it followeth that he shews how neerly they are related one to the other by the band and consanguinity and conjugall amity My Sister my Spouse My Sister so Christ calleth his Church out of that respect and love he bears unto her We are told in Heb. 2. 11. That both he that sanctifieth and they that are sanctified are all of one for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren This tearme needs no explanation but let us observe hence That Christ stands neerly related to his people as a Brother c. This relation of brotherhood betweene Christ and his people is two-fold 1. By the right of nature as the Apostle saith Forasmuch as the Children were partakers of flesh and blood he also likewise tooke part with them that he might destroy through death him that had the power of death which is the Devill for he in no sort tooke on him the nature of Angells but he tooke the seed of Abraham wherefore it became him in all things to be made like his Brethren Heb. 2. 14. 16. So that Christ tooke our nature and was cloathed with our flesh to be made like unto us his brethren and in the same flesh The second right is of adoption for it is said when the fulnesse of time came God sent his sonne made of a woman and made under the Law that he might redeeme them that were under the Law that wee might receive the adoption of Sonnes Gal. 4. 45. And againe the Apostle saith As many as are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God Ro. 8. 14. whence the Apostle reasons thus If wee be Children we are also heires annexed with Christ Rom. 8. 17. So that the Saints lay claime to the riches and treasures of glorie by right of adoption and brother-hood with Christ Thus much for the band of consanguinitie That of conjugall amitie followeth My Spouse Christ calleth his Church Spouse named in Hebrew Callath of the perfection of her attire and ornaments as was intimated in verse 7. of this Chap. The Spouse is one that is alreadie maried unto her husband so that this title of Spouse shews how the Church is to Christ The Spouse is most deare to her husband saith Solomon for she is the crowne of his head Prov. 12. Hence Observe That the Church is the Spouse of Christ Hence it is that she is called the bride the Lambs wife who is prepared as a bride adorned for her husband Revel 21. 2. 9. And the Lord saith I have married thee to my selfe in righteousnesse judgement mercie and compassion Hos 2. 19. Wee are not to take the words in a carnall sense but that God hath framed words to our capacitie only for what termes could be more effectuall to expresse his love then the names of Sister and Spouse The last thing in this verse wherewith Christ was so much taken in his affections with his Spouse is by the commendable things which he saw in her which made him so to fix and ground his affection First The comelinesse of her person Secondly The ornaments wherewith she is decked With one of thine eyes and the chaine of thy neck With one of thine eyes or one looke from thine eyes The eyes of the Spouse were commended in verse 1. where they were likned to Doves eyes for being simple chast pure by this is meant the chast eye of faith whereby the Saints looke up to Christ Hence Observe That Christ is much taken with the least looke of faith from his Saints For Christs beholding of the faith of the Spouse it maketh such deep impressions in him of her idea and forme of beautie that his affection is so rooted in her heart that it cannot be removed nor concealed It is added And the chaine of thy neck The chaine of the neck is an ornament added to naturall beautie and doth often signifie Gods Laws and Ordinances as appeares Pro. 10. 9. and also signifies the graces of the Spirit and fruits of faith as was opened at large in chap. 1. 10. So he meaneth by the chaine of the neck the ornaments of the Spirit and of grace which is the Law of Christ in the inner man Hence Observe That it is Christs owne graces in the soule that he is so much affected with in his Saints God cannot delight in any thing besides himselfe and therefore it is the manifestation of himselfe in his Saints that draweth such high expressions of love and delight in him towards them Therefore he indueth his Church with gifts of his owne spirit to make her seeme beautifull where he saith I have cloathed thee with broidered worke shod thee with badgers skins girded thee with fine linnen covered thee with silke decked thee with ornaments put bracelets on thy hands and a chaine upon thy necke Ezek. 6. 10. By these outward ornaments are meant the inward graces of the Spirit which proceed Si ergo dona dei sint bona merita non deus coronat merita tua tanquam
and in the verse following Camphire or Camphire fruits or Cipres berries for the word is of the plurall number Camphire is a sweet 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cyptei gumme but Cypres is a tree very pleasant and well smelling The Hebrew Copher from whence the Cypres tree seemeth to be derived signifieth Atonement and propitiation Camphire with its sweetnesse doth much refresh the Spirits and cheereth up the minde See this more explained in Chap. 1. 14. With Spikenard or nards this word is also in the plural number though in the next vers it is used singularly the plurall Spikenards seemeth to imply all sorts of nards for there are divers sorts that which is of the true nard is of exceding sweet and pleasant smel by which it stayeth distillations of the head and digesteth cold humours and the like It was preoious and costly as appeares Mark. 14. 3. Also Joh. 12. 3. And it groweth in India Syria and other places thereabouts The word Spikenard is framed of the Hebrew word nerd whence the Greekes call it Nardos and the Latines Nardus See it more explained in Chapter 1. 14. Vers 14. Spikenard and Saffron c. Spikenard this is spoken of already in the former verse And saffron a thing precious and profitable to comfort the heart and helpeth digestion c. Saffron hath its name in Hebrew â—arcom because of its yellow colour Calanius or Cane or reed it is like this is meant of that which is called Calanius Aroniaticois or odoratus for the excellent smel it had and was wont to be brought out of Arabia felix into Judeah and was appointed to be used in the confection of the holy oyle Exod. 30. 23. It helps the passages of urine and also the wombe in conception This word Calamus hath its name after the Greek in Hebrew Caneh it is a sweet reed bought and brought out of farre Countries as apeares by Jer. 2. 20. And also Isa 43. 24. Cynamon This is also farrefetcht and of great price and excellency This aromaticall Cynamou commeth of the Hebrew name Kinemon and it is the barke of a Tree used for sweet odours This was also used in the confection of the holy Oyle Exod. 30. 23. With all the Trees of Frankincense that is all Trees bearing incense or matter that yeildeth a sweet smell or savour whereof also he reciteth two in the following words as myrrhe and Aloes Frankicense was used in the holy perfume or incense Exod. 30. 34 35. And is good to help and restraine ulcers gouts and fluxes of blood c. Myrrhe This was of an excellent savour as appeares Psal 45. 8. Myrrhe is the sweet gumme that issueth from the myrrhe Tree it was one of the first of the chiefe spices that was put into the holy Ointment which was made Exod. 30. 23. It hath its name of the Hebrew Mor no gum is preferred before it Pliu. hist lib. 12. cap. 15. saith Plinie With myrre the dead body of Christ was embalmed John 19. 39. And with it the wise men honoured him at his birth Mat. 2. See this more largely opened in Chap. 1. 13. And Aloes this is a certaine kind of sweet and precious wood which in regard of its fragrancy is put with Myrrhe in Psal 45. 8. And is also used to annoint dead bodies John 19. 30. 40. Aloes comes of the Hebrew Ahaloth it was such a sweet wood wherewith perfumes were also made It is a tree growing in Arabia India which giveth a very sweet odour and is like the thine wood spoken of in Revel 18. 12. He concludeth by adding With all the chiefe spices In the Hebrew it is with all the heads of spices that is with all most costly sweet and pretious things the principall and most excellent of spices See the like 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cum omnibus capitibus aromatum Arius Mont. in Ezek. 27. 22. Now by these fruits are signified the spirituall graces of the Saints which are precious and sweet before God and man such are the fruits of the Spirit mentioned in Gal. 5. 22. 23. Hence Observe That the Spouse Christs garden is full of sweet and pleasant fruit Hence the graces in her are compared to every sweet Tree to every rare costly thing The Saints are the goodly plants of the Lords and they doe beare all these sweet and delectable fruits before mentioned what a goodly garden hath the Lord planted to himselfe where all pleasants grow never had any earthly Prince such a garden with plants of pomegranates with sweet fruits as Camphire Spikenard sweet Calamus and Cynamon with all the Trees of incense myrrhe and Aloes and all chiefe spices All this tendeth to the commendations after this sort That as those gardens be most excellent and worthy to be beloved and esteemed that have the most rare best and precious things grow in them so these excellent graces and fruits of the Church doe commend the same to God and men and make Christ the Bridegroome as it were inamoured with the love thereof The Church then as the Spouse of Christ is beautified and adorned with the gifts and graces of the Spirit even as a plentifull and pleasant garden with infinite numbers of rare and pleasant simples as they call them or fruits whereby shee is made commendable spreading her same far and nigh insomuch that Christ her husband is even as it were ravished with her love yet notwithstanding she hath nothing of her owne to move him to that affection but all that she hath commeth from him as appears in Ezek. 16. 14. So much for the first part of the Chapter wherein Christ did so highly commend the Spouse the second part followeth wherein the Spouse makes some returns of Christs praises to him VERS 15 16 17. A fountaine of gardens a well of living waters and streames from Lebanon Awake O north-wnide and come thou south blow upon my garden that the spices thereof may slow out let my beloved come into his garden and eate his pleasant fruits I am come into my garden my Sister my Spouse I have gathered my myrrhe with my spice I have eaten my honey-combe with my honey I have drunke my wine with my milke eate O friends drinke yea drinke abundantly O beloved HAving dispatched the first part of the Chapter now followeth the second part thereof wherein wee may Observe First the prayer of the Spouse verse 15 16. Secondly the answer of Christ verse 17. The prayer of the Spouse desireth the presence of Christ who doth indeed minister power to her to be a garden and water to water her withall therefore first she setteth forth Christ under these similitudes which are agreeable to such things as cause fruitfulnesse in the garden First That he is the fountaine of the garden a well of living waters the very flood of God excelling the waters which flow from Lebanon Secondly That he is all the winds both hot and cold binding and
there is not only abundance but a redundancy and overflowing of all good things Christ is able yea is willing to doe for us farre more abundantly then wee are able to thinke or speake Ephes 3. 20. Christ doth not bestow some small measure of grace life peace c. on his people but he gives it in abundance It followeth O friends O beloved Christ out of the abundance of his affections doth multiply new titles for his Spouse calling her friend and beloved They that doe his commandements are his friends Joh. 15. 14. Abraham is called the friend of God Isa 41. 8. friendship is the sweetnesse and strength of love therefore he addeth O beloved so plentifull and kind hearted is the Lord that he cannot keep his joy within himselfe but stirreth up his friends and companions to eat and drinke and rejoyce with him Those good things that neither eye hath seene nor eare heard that are above our reach to conceive of are for those that love him 1 Cor. 2. 9. Now in that Christ doth invite his Spouse to this heavenly banquet by new Titles of love and friendship Hence Observe That there is sweet love and friendship between Chaist and his Saints All kinds of love and friendship meet in Christ towards his Spouse and so againe in the Spouse towards him here is the friendship of all relations in the world as of husband brother friend c. here is a free opening his bosome to the Saints and they againe opening of their hearts to him Here 's mutuall delight in one anothers good and happinesse Christ is much delighted in all the good and hapinesse of the Spouse and she is as much delighted in the happinesse and glorie of Christ So much for the fourth Chapter CANTICLES CHAP. V. VERS 1 2 3 4 5 6. I sleep but my heart waketh it is the voyce of my Beloved that knocketh saying open to me my Sister my Love my Dove my Vndefiled for my head is filled with dew and my locks with the drops of the night I have put off my Coat how shall I put it on I have washed my Feet how shall I defile them My Beloved put in his hand by the hole of the Door and my bowells were moved for him I rose up to open to my Beloved and my hands dropped with Myrrhe and my fingers with sweet smelling Myrrhe upon the handles of the lock I opened to my Beloved but my Beloved had withdrawne himselfe and was gone My soule failed when he spake I sought him but I could not find him I called him but he gave me no answer The Watchmen that goe about the City found me they smote me they wounded me the keepers of the walls tooke away the Veile from me WEE had in the former Chapter almost nothing but the praises and commendations which Christ giveth to his Church so highly and with so many speeches doth he magnifie and extoll her beauty and her glory and excellency Here in this Chapter we have another manner of song even an accusing and a bewailing Song for here shee accuseth her self and bewaileth her owne unkindnesse and undutifullnesse which she shewed to her most kind and loving Spouse reporting also the great affliction and calamity that came upon her by that meanes And after all this we have the meanes whereby shee recovers her selfe againe In this Chapter observe two things First a complaint of the Spouse which she maketh accusing her selfe for some negligences towards her beloved and this is contained in the six first Verses Wherein also there are two especiall matters delivered unto us First an open acknowledgment of her offence committed Vers 1 2 3 4. Secondly a recitall of the miseries that fell upon her by meanes of her neglect Vers 5 6. The second thing set forth unto us in this Chapter is a familiar parly had betweene the Spouse and such as were her friends and acquaintance who demanding some questions of her the Church instructeth them concerning the state dwelling and mutuall fellowship that is betwixt her and Christ This matter beginneth at Vers 7. and reacheth to the end of the Chapter The questions with the answers thereto concerne two things 1. There is something demanded about Christ himselfe in Vers 8. whereunto there is a large answer beginning at the 9. Vers and holdeth to the 15. wherein the Spouse doth set forth her beloved by many elegant expressions the issue whereof was that the daughters of Jerusalem became likewise enamour'd with him and therefore question the place of his abode the question being contained in Vers 16. and the answer in the two last verses the occasion both of the one and of the other was that vehement charge that the Spouse giveth her friends in the seaventh verse both concerning Christ himselfe and the place where they should find him The first thing that offers it selfe to our consideration is the Churches complaint accusing of her selfe saying I sleep but my heart waketh c. Here is a description of the Churches temptation which is worldly drowsinesse and security wherein to the godly sometimes fall She had enjoyed a comfortable intercourse with Christ but now she falleth into a deep temptation from the strength and prevalency of corruption Hence Observe in the generall That the Spouse is not alwayes in one and the same temper It was not long agoe that the Spouse was in a sweet lovely gracious temper and now on the suddaine shee falls into a fit of drousinesse and security Thus it was with Abraham somtimes strong in faith and somtimes fearfull as when he denyed his wife David was somtimes full of confidence and boldnesse triumphing in the Lord saying Whom shall I feare And somtimes againe I shall one day fall by the hand of Saul So Peter somtimes confident and againe somtimes overcome with feare But to come to the words in particular I sleep but my heart waketh The words containe 1. A Confession I sleep 2. An acknowledgement But my heart waketh These words declare a two-fold condition of the Spouse The one is a sleepy drowsie estate which proceedeth from the flesh and unregenerate part the other a waking or watchfull condition which proceedeth from the spirit of Christ within her I sleep or I sleeping as it is in the Originall these are the words of the Spouse declaring what befell her in the night season while she slept The sleep of the body is a deading and benuming of the outward sences insomuch that it is the very image of death and it is dangerous because when man sleepeth his enemy watcheth as in the parable of the seed When the husbandman slept the envious man sowed Tares Matth. 13. 25. Now we must consider here three things especially 1. What this sleep is 2. Whence it proceedeth 3. What the effects thereof be 1. We cannot understand this of a bodily or naturall sleep for the Spouse is considered according to her heavenly and spirituall birth and therefore must
is all glorious and excellent Hence Observe That as Christ is lovely in all parts so he is lovely in his whole selfe There is not any thing in Christ but its lovely he is lovely in particular and he is lovely in generall he is lovely in all parts and altogether yea he is altogther lovely as if the Spouse should say what shall I say more of my beloved he is all over and altogether lovely Christ is lovely to God to Angels to Saints he is lovely as God and as Mediator being Prophet Priest and King in all offices and graces in all the operations of his Spirit he is the brightnesse of Gods glory the shining of Gods face he must needs then be most excellent most glorious Therefore if wee doe but take a view of all the high perfections and supereminent excellencies of Christ if wee doe anatomise him in every particular and particularise him in every excellency wee shall find him to be lovely in all parts to be altogether lovely to be wholly delectable Now the Spouse having thus described her beloved both in generall and particluar she concludeth with an exclamation This is my beloved and this is my friend O daughters of Jerusalem This being the close of her commendations of her beloved I shall not stand on it because wee had occasion to speake of the same termes before She saith This is my beloved viz. that I have described unto you O yee daughters of Jerusalem and this is my friend as if she should say he is such a one as I have painted out unto you in this excellent shew and beauty that yee may easily know him in and among others And this doubling of the words that are here used was not only profitable to expresse her earnest affection towards him but also to move them with whom she talked both to the loving and liking of him And by calling him her beloved and friend she meaneth that as Christ had discovered his affection to her so she retu 〈…〉 love for his love making him as it were her 〈◊〉 ling and best beloved on whom she could 〈…〉 heart and bestow all her affections and her 〈…〉 selfe upon Now in the Spouses thus ending 〈…〉 phatically with such an exclamation This is 〈…〉 c. she giveth us to understand that not being able by any figures phrases metaphors similitudes words or speech to describe him to the full she would in a word as it were shut up all that he himselfe within and without both generally and every part of him was altogether amiable and exceeding worthy to be affected both of her selfe and also of all those that either should heare of him or see him The Spouse having such a lover as this whom she hath described hath she not good cause to seeke after him yea to be sick of love for him This is my beloved c. Hence Observe That the Spouse is exceeding large in her affections in setting forth the high praises of her beloved The Spouse being entred in a commendation knows not how to make an end she begins in generall and from thence descends downe to particular parts and thinking not that enough she also concludeth with a generall commendation and at last shuts up all with a repetition of all againe saying This is my beloved and this is my friend O daughters of Jerusalem The Spouse is now setting forth the excellencies of her beloved and her tongue is as the pen of a ready writer her heart and affections are enlarged she is now dilating upon a copious Theam and therefore she cannot tell where to breake off or make an end The Spouse is willing to shew that there was some cause of her seeking and searching after her beloved and why she was sick of love it was for one that was most worthy most excellent This is my beloved and this is my friend c. But when wee shall see the successe of this excellent commendations of the Spouse concerning Christ it will appeare it 's not all in vaine for hereby she doth abundantly draw out the affections of the daughters of Jerusalem and therefore to whet their affections the more she shews what an excellent person Christ was in his Government counsells purity sweetnesse inward affections in all his wayes actions and administrations he was holy just and righteous c. This is my beloved and this is my friend O Daughters of Jerusalem The successe of this excellent discourse followeth in the next Verse VERS 16. Whither is thy beloved gone O thou fairest among women Whither is thy beloved turned aside that we may seeke him with thee THese Daughters hearing of such a high commendation of Christ from the Spouse of her beloved hearing of his riches and glory of his beauty excellency they are enflamed with desire to seek Christ also and this is the effect which her speech in commendations of Christ wrought The first question propounded by the Daughters of Jerusalem was before when they demanded What is thy beloved c. whereupon the Spouse describes him to be very excellent closing up her discourse with this exclamation This is my beloved and this is my friend c. Now here is a second question put by the Daughters of Jerusalem saying Whither is thy beloved gone At first they were ignorant what Christ is and here they enquire where Christ is and truely if people did know the worth and excellency of Christ they could not sit downe in quiet without him but would say Whither is he gone where might we seek him where might we find him Hence Observe That it is the knowledge of Christ makes men seeke and search after him See here after the Spouse had painted out her beloved to the Daughters of Jerusalem and had described his complexion members speech and other excellent vertues qualities and graces in him that if they had but either seene him or heard him speake they might have knowne him the effect whereof is here seene in their hearts namely it so enflamed them with an earnest love towards him that presently they will be companions with her in seeking of him Now then what a worthy thing is it to open the riches and spread the glory of Christ before men for hereby they may draw men to know and to seeke Christ Here the Ministers of the Gospell may learne what their chiefe duty is and what is their work but chiefly to draw men to love and seek after Christ O then display all the riches and treasures of Christs grace and that splendent shining glory of his that men may be allured and drawne to Christ Who will seek after that which he knows not off and who will not seek after a precious Jewell Then tell where this Jewell this Pearle this treasure is that so men may seeke and search and become Merchants for to adventure all for Jesus Christ Whither is thy beloved gone c. The Daughters doe not now enquire what he is for by
the Lord is here Ezek. 37. 25 26. So that the presence of God manifesting of light life and glory should be the excellency of the heavenly City the new Jerusalem that comes downe from heaven And it 's said in Zeph. 3. 17. The Lord thy God in the midst of thee c. And so it 's said of the new Jerusalem in Rev. 22. 3. 5. The Throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it and his Servants shall serve him and they shall reigne for ever So that Christ is tied by bands of love to be present with his Church manifesting of divine presence to her and beholding in her his owne beauty and glory So much for the first effect of the Churches beauty and comelinesse in all parts The second followeth where Christ doth as it were breake forth into admiration and great wonderment at her beauty in the whole or in all laid together saying VERS 6. How faire and how pleasant art thou O love for delights THis admiration of the Spouses beauty and pleasantnesse in all parts sheweth the ground of the former speech why the King is held in his Galleries forasmuch as he was so exceedingly ravished and overcome with the beauty and glory of his Spouse This admiration of the Spouses glory is brought upon all those former particulars and therefore the words stand thus as touching the sence of them O Love or O my love how faire art thou and how pleasant art thou in every respect in all parts or rather in all those heaped up together in one For as you see he hath gone by particulars from the foot to the head First he commendeth her goings as with shooes then he likeneth the joynts of her Thighs to Jewells the work of the hands of a cunning workman After this he mentioneth the Navell which he compares to a round cup that wanteth not liquour And her belly to an heap of wheat compassed about with Lillies Her two Breasts are as two young Roes that are Twins And so he ascendeth and saith her Neck is as a Tower of Ivory her eyes like the fish-pools of Heshbon by the gate of Bath-rabbim Her Nose as the Tower of Lebanon that looketh toward Damascus her Head like Scarlet and her haire like the Purple whereby the King is held in his Galleries In summe her beauty is wonderfull in all parts she is comely throughout True beauty consists in the symetrie and consent of all parts if there be a comely and pleasant face and not a comely body or if there be a comely body but not so well favoured a face or if the face and body be both comely and yet some defect in one part or other there is not a compleat beauty But there is no such kind of deformity in the Spouse for she is beautifull in every part she is wholly delectable and full of glory Hence it is that Christ useth such a vehement exclamation saying How faire art thou As before in the first verse when he began to commend his Spouse in her severall parts he used a vehement exclamation thereby to set out his great love and liking of them and the excellency thereof so having finished that particular praise and beginning here generally to commend her he useth the like saying How faire c. That is thou art so beautifull and faire both in every part of thee and in the whole that I know not what words to use to expresse the same neither indeed can it be sufficiently declared And it 's added And how pleasant art thou The word translated pleasant doth signifie sweet amiable sweet comely and gratious he meaneth nothing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Amaenus jucundus amabilis pulcher decorus gratus fuit else but that she was wholly and altogether declightufll O my love The Spouse is Christs love the only object of his delight the substantive is here put for the adjective 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Amavit dilexit verbum Ahab diligendi esse ardens vehemens significare ali quid tenerum affectione plenum ut sit is diligens justitiam qui in ea sibi places acquiescit eam exquirit persequitur Rivet in Psal 45. 8. The LXX turne it frequently by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 diligo amo and by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 amo and by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 gaudee to note both the exceeding great love of Christ towards her as also all those amiable gratious parts in her to move love and affection in others to her The word here is not the same that is used in Chap. 1. 9. 15. And Chap. 2. 2. And 4. 1. which did signifie loving societie and friendship but this word signifies a sweet in ward affection which is very strong and vehement this notes unto us Christs great exceeding affections to his Spouse besides the sweet compellation the delightfulnesse of the Spouse is enlarged by saying How pleasant art thou for delights For delight or in pleasures or in these pleasures viz. reckoned up before in her particular commendation meaning hereby that she was full of all manner of delight and pleasure she was wholly and every part and piece of her together with all her ornaments and attires or whatsoever did generally or particularly belong unto her was glorious excellent sweet pleasant beautifull comely delightfull c. Now in that Christ doth speake of this beautie in a way of wonderment from the heaping up of all those particulars together in one Hence Observe First That the beautie of the Saints is exceeding great and wonderfull For where there be many goodly things and every one by its selfe to be wondred at for beautie how much may they be wondred at when they come altogether to be heaped up in one The Lord doth bestow many goodly things upon his Spouse he doth deck her with many rich ornaments every one of which is to be wondred at for excellency then how much more when they come alltogether The glorie of the Spouse is the more excellent if wee consider the person that doth thus admire her beautie and that is Christ himselfe who cannot admire any low thing lay all the glorie of Kings before him and it is but drosse he cannot wonder thereat for what is that to his owne glorie and excellency with which the Saints are cloathed what is the glorie and excellencie of the Sunne the Moone and Starres unto him doth he wonder at them Surely he wondereth at the glory and beautie of his Spouse how excellent then is her beautie and glorie wee account those earthly things very rare and excellent that Princes upon earth doe wonder at how much more rare and excellent must these things be that Christ the King of Kings doth wonder at Secondly Observe That Christ doth not only wonder at but exceedingly affect and delight in the beautie and glorie of his Saints He doth not only call her faire and pleasant but he also cals her his love and not only his
love but his love in pleasures or in delights or in the things which we esteeme as dainties Surely this doth augmenut the matter this is a very forcible speech to declare his exceeding affection towards her We know men may love things and take delight in them but there be degrees in their love they may love things very well yet that is the highest when they take their chiefe pleasure and delight in that which they love So Christ sheweth here that he taketh delight and pleasure in the beautie of his Spouse she is exceeding precious and amiable in his sight And as she is matter of delight and pleasure to Christ so she is to all that behold her beautie so that all that love her may rejoyce with her and delight themselves in the brightnesse of her glorie as Isa 66. 10. 11. It followeth Vers 7. Thus thy stature is like a palm-tree and thy breasts to clusters of grapes Christ having commended the beautie of his Spouse by particular Members as it were by piece-meale declaring her to be faire saying How faire joyned with pleasure How pleasant art thou yea so pleasant for all delicutes and delights Now he comes to set her forth in generall and that by the comely stature of her whole body declaring it to be strong streight and durable like the palme-tree Thy stature or height is like a palme-tree or a date-tree called in Hebrew Thamar being very tall and upright in stature The just mans state is likened to this tree Psal 9. 13. And therefore there were set up in the Temple figures of the palme-trees 1 Kings 6. 29. which did prefigure spirituall graces of those of the spirituall Temple under the Gospel as appeares in Ezek. 41. 18 19. Now the glorie and excellencie of the Spouse is fitly resembled and set forth by the Palme-tree and that in these particulars First It is very fruitful bringing forth dates sweet and delicious like unto which are those fruits of the spirit as love joy and peace c. Secondly It s like unto the Children of Israel under the task-masters of Aegypt the more burdens are laid upon it the better it groweth for it s reported of the Palme-tree that it will not bow down but grow streight upright though never so heavie burdens be laid upon it Such is the spirituall stature and growth of the Spouse that notwithstanding all her affliction oppression and tribulation she still grows upward streight and upright from glorie to glorie untill she attaine the measure of the stature of the fulnesse of Christ as the Apostle saith Ephes 4. 13. The Kingdome of Israels prosperous condition is likened to a Tree whose stature was exalted among the thick branches Ezek. 19. 11. The happinesse and prosperitie of the Saints is to grow upward and streight upright under all pressures whatsoever Thirdly It 's a signe used for victorie they which stood before the Throne and the Lamb representing the glorie and reigne of the Church Were cloathed with long white robes and had palmes in their hands Rev. 7. 9. So is the Spouse made to prevaile over flesh and the powers of darknesse Fourthly It s alwayes greene therefore David saith The just man shall flourish as the Palme-tree Psal 92. 12. They are alwayes fresh and flourishing their fruit uever withers nor decayes so wee see why the stature of the Spouse is set forth by the palme-tree to shew that she is fresh and flourishing and standeth upright so that she was of most strong and streight body And as streightnesse of the body giveth grace to women so the Spouse is gracefull and excellent in respect of her flourishing condition Now it followeth And thy breasts to clusters of grapes As her stature is likened to the palm-tree so her breasts to clusters which must be meant of wine so that her breasts were not only small and equall as verse the third and well fashioned as in Ezek. 16. 7. but full of milke and divine nourishment to satisfie her Children withall which they that love her may suck and be satisfied Isa 66. 7. Her breasts are like to clusters of wine a sweet and wholsome fruit but much more sweet and refreshing is the sweet wine of heavenly consolation and the sincere milke of the word by which the faithfull are nourished The Spouse then having plentiful supplies of divine nourishment and heavenly sweetnesse to supply all her Members withall for she hath most firme and plentifull breasts as those clusters of grapes that are thick set with grapes indeed are The Spouses condition is not as the complaint was made there was no cluster to eate Mich. 7. 1. but as when new wine was found in the cluster and he said destroy it not for a blessing is in it Isa 65. 8. Wee have spoken of this before what the breasts are and what that sincere milke is by which the faithfull are nourished and therefore I shall not speake of this any more in this place VERS 8 9 10 11 12 13. I said I will goe up to the palme-tree I will take hold of the boughs thereof now also thy breasts shall be as clusters of the Vine and the smel of thy nose like apples And the roofe of thy mouth like the best wine for my beloved that goeth downe sweetly causing the lips of those that are asleep to speake I am my beloveds and his desire is towards me Come my beloved let us goe forth into the field c. WEE have heard of the great praise and commendation which Christ giveth to his Spouse by comforting her declaring her beauty and comelinesse Now he comes to make a sweet promise unto his Spouse of what great things he will doe for her and also the sweet effects that she should thereby become very sweet and precious This is contained in verse 8. 9. Afterwards we have the Spouse returning answer expressing her large affections towards Christ that seeing his kindenesse hath been so great towards her she doth even as it were dedicate or consecrate her selfe to him againe and this is contained in the residue of the Chapter But let us come to the words themselves I said I will goe up to the Palme-tree I will take hold of the boughs thereof In these words contained in the 8 and 9. verses Observe Christs new promise made to his Spouse which is set downe by the parts and the effects The parts of the promise are two First He will clime the palme-tree Secondly That he will take hold of the boughes thereof both which sheweth that Christ will joyne himselfe nigh unto his Spouse and cause her to beare abundance of fruit The effects of this promise follow First It makes the breasts of the Spouse to be as the clusters of the Vine .. Secondly Her nose shall smell like apples Thirdly The roofe of her mouth like the best wine c. which wine is described First By the adjunct and the effect it is of an excellent smell it gooth
and in this affection most tenderly love me It is as if the Spouse had said there is a mutuall love between us as I love him so he loveth me as I belong to him so he belongs to me his love is the ground of mine and my love to him is the effect of his love Hence Note That the manifestation of Christs love to us is the cause of our love unto him His love is as the cause preceding and our love as the effect following after Thus the Apostle John testifieth saying We love him because he first loved us The Spouse declareth the same here the summe of her speech being thus much in effect seing my beloved hath set his affections so upon me freely loved me when I was lost and an enemy to him as in Rom. 5. when dead in sin Ephes 2. when I was altogether abominable Rom. 3. yea that his affection was towards me so as that he hath called me into the neerest fellowship with himselfe and doth sweetly imbrace me not withstanding all my fleshly actings is there not cause why I should be his Such abundant love doth cause love againe As the desire of a woman is towards her husband and the desire of a man towards his wife so Christs love and affection is towards his Spouse her desire is also towards him If the Spouse first apprehend the love and affection of Christ this love of Christ as the Apostle speaketh will constraine the Spouse to love Christ againe And now behold how forward and ready the Bride is to draw neer to Christ and to have the day of the marriage approach She is not the woman that she was before in the fifth Chapter where she made excuses and would not arise to open to Christ for now she calleth unto him to come to her and to walk with her as in the next verse VERS 11. Come my beloved let us goe forth into the field let us lodge in the Villages THe Lord had promised in the former Verses that he would goe up into the Palm-tree and take hold of her boughs he would dresse and prune his Church and she thereupon should become most flourishing fruitfull and delectable unto this here the Spouse offereth her service The Spouse doth not name the Palm-tree but Cypres trees and Vines but the matter is all one seing the Church is resembled by the one as well as by the other Then thus it is the Lord promiseth to draw neer his Spouse and to dresse and trim her and she offereth her selfe most cheerfully thereunto He will bestow his rich grace and presence upon her and she is brought to be on a flame of thirsting and desiring after the same Come my beloved These are words of exhortation and provoking as it were taken also from the love of the Spouse towards Christ more effectually to perswade the thing she desireth because men willingly commit themselves to the company and easily yeild to the requests of such as they take to be their best friends hence she useth this kind of exhortation or invitation Come my Beloved Let us goe forth into the fields Into the fields or into the Countrey a place of corne Vines fig-trees Pomegranate trees c. as Joel 11. 12. The Spouse speaketh this after the manner of men inhabiting Cities and having their farme-houses abroad in the Country whither they may walke for recreation and to see how forward the Spring is and whither the time of Summer or Harvest doe draw nigh but all this must be understood spiritually and mystically as if the Spouse should say I beseech thee doe not alone and by thy selfe walk out into the field and retire thy selfe but let us both walke together and be retired from the trouble and distraction of this world and flesh and walke into the field of sweet meditation and heavenly delight She addeth Let us lodge in the Villages This part of the verse is diversly read by reason of the diverse significations of the words used therein as the word turned lodge signifies also to remaine or continue also the word Cepharim doth not only signifie villages but Cypresse-trees So that the word is used in Scripture to signifie villages and also the Cypres The Greek turneth it by villages such common villages are distinguished from such Townes or Cities as are fenced in 1 Sam. 618. Now in this that the Spouse doth desire to goe with Christ and to lodg with him the fields in and villages doth note unto us that the Spouse is drawne off from all fleshly delight and from sheltering her selfe in any outward glorie or strength Hence note That the soule brought up to live in the light of God and in neere fellowship of Christ is taken off from the continuance or trusting in any outward glorie The Spouse desires not to goe with Christ into the fenced Cities and places of worldly delight and pleasure but into the Villages and fields and to lodge among the Cypres-trees that she may rise up early to goe to the Vines She is now wrapt and overcome with the desire and love of heavenly things that her minde and affections are carryed out of the world she will now lodge in a continuall meditation and delight of divine things yea she will dayly raise up her selfe to behold the fruit that doth spring from them The case is altered with the Spouse now from what it was when she was asleep in fleshly security and was loath to be raised up even when the flesh had so much prevailed upon her then these things of Christ these holy breathings out after him seemed to lie buried but now when the Spirit quickneth and raiseth her herheart is drawn off from fleshly glorie and prosperity and she desireth to lodge continurlly with Christ in the large field of heavenly delights Now the Spouse is sweetly imbracing of spirituall and heavenly things now she can stay among those heavenly joyes and comforts of her beloved And now behold how the Spouse doth proceed in this matter VERS 12. Let us goe up early to the Vineyards let us see if the Vine flourish whither the tender grape appeare and the Pomegranates bud forth there I will give thee my loves IN this verse the Spouse declareth what the benefit she and her beloved shall get by remaining or lodging all night in the Country Villages or amongst the sweet Cypres trees out of the Citie namely that they shall be ready early to make triall of that that they come and looke for Let us goe earely to the Vineyards saith the Spouse let us see whether the Vine flourish that is what appearings or likelyhood there is of the approaching of the time of marriage or of a neerer communion and fellowship with her beloved she addeth Whither the tender or small grape appeare Wee may reade the words thus whither the first small grape open it selfe The first grape is that which is first in sprouting and by opening it selfe is meant its appearance
Here the Church rendereth a reason of that her most earnest desire which shee hath to be joyned with Christ and enjoy a more full and neer communion with him Thy loves c. By loves she meaneth favour and acceptance and she speaketh in the plurall number 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1. To declare the plentifulnesse of Christs love and withall that great comfort and joy she received by the aboundance thereof 2. In that she had not Christs love only but also the fruits thereof namely her love to Christ Christs love to her being as the cause her love to Christ as the effect her love to Christ a reflection of his love wherewith he loved her first according to that in 1 John 4. 19. Wee love him because he first loved us better then wine or good more then wine 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Est bonus utilis jucundus suavis pulcher laetus commodus aptus idoneus beatus fuit The word good is of a large extent and is used for that which is fair sweet pleasing profitable or commodious causing joy and comfort The same word is used in Gen. 24. 16. where it is said the Damsell was faire to looke upon That is shee was of a good countenance And we have the same word in Esther 1. 10. where it is said the Kings heart was merry with wine So that by good the Church meaneth profitable sweet pleasant comfortable and full of salvation for it is the love of election of adoption justification of righteousnesse and sanctification and therefore a very sweet and comfortable love Better then wine Wine is one of the most precious comfortable and delightfull creatures that is in the world It is here put synechdochically as one pleasant species or kind for all the rest and because Wine is the principall thing in Feasts and Banquets it is here put for all dainty pleasant sweet comfortable meats and drinks used in the banquets of the great ones of the world The Verse being thus opened let us draw some Observations from it Obser 1. That such as have the least tast of Christ's love are impatient and restlesse in their desires after the nearest fellowship and communion with him Hence it is that the Spouse here breaketh forth into such a speech with an exclamation being full as it were of divine passions and of enflamed love saying let him kisse mee c. This was grounded upon some tasts of Christs love for Christ had not spoken as yet to the Spouse but shee on a sudden as it were without any word from Christ utters this vehement exclamation of hers and that without any other ground then that his love is better then wine See this in the Apostle he counted all things but dung 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 dogs-meat that he might win or gain Christ that is that he might get more neerer communion with him and that hee might be satisfied with a larger portion of his fulnesse and yet the Apostle goes higher then this and desires to be dissolved and to be with Christ that so hee might enjoy the highest communion of all The Church here desires Christs manifestation in the flesh that shee might enjoy him in a Gospel-dispensation and have sweeter discoveries of his favour so in like manner the Church of the New Testament who did enjoy all the priviledges of the Gospel yet she goes higher in her affections and desires Christs last comming that so she might enjoy him in that heavenly everlasting communion which the Saints shall enjoy hereafter 2. Observe that Christ hath given more sweet and comfortable pledges of love and reconciliation to his people under the Gospel then he did under the Law Hence it is that Christ telleth his Disciples and saith Blessed are the eyes that see that yee see For I tell you many Prophets and Kings have desired to see those things which yee see and have not seen them and to hear those things which yee heare and have not heard them Luk. 10. 24. To this purpose is that of the Apostle in Heb. 12. 18 19 20. For you are not come unto the mount not to be touched and that burned with fire Nor unto blacknesse and darknesse and tempest and the sound of a Trumpet the voyce of words c. By the mount is mount Sinai whereon the law was given and by all those expressions of darknes and tempest and fire wee are given to understand the slavish servile and fearfull condition of them who were under the law and how farre short their condition came of the excellency of our condition who are under the Gospel And hee saith further Vers 22. But yee are come un o mount Sion and unto the City of the living God the heavenly Jerusalem and to innumerable company of Angls to the generall Assembly and Church of the first-born which are written in heaven c. By mount-Sion he meaneth the Church under the Gospel whereof mount-Sion was a type Psal 14. 7. And the Doctrine of the Gospel was to goe out of Sion Isa 2. 3. And by all the other expressions he sheweth the happy condition of them who are under the Gospel It is the same argument for substance that the Apostle uses in Rom. 6. 14. For sinne shall not have dominion over you for yee are not under the law but under grace That is now having such manifestations of grace under the Gospel sin shall not take such advantages against you as to keep you under or to enthrall you as it did those under the Law Againe Christ hath powred out a greater measure of his spirit on his people now in the times of the Gospel then before The Saints of old have had the same spirit for substance but not for measure the spirit was given out unto them by small drops but in the times of the Gospel it was powred out in showers and abundance Tit. 3. 6. The word translated abundantly signifies Riches which notes not only the pretiousnesse but the plenty and superabundancy thereof And it is said when hee meaning Christ ascended up on high and led captivity captive he did withall give gifts unto men Ephes 4. 8. In these words the Apostle alludeth to an old custome of the Jewes who in dayes of great joy and solempnity did use to send gifts and presents one to another as we read in Neh. 8. 10. 12. The people did eate and drinke and send portions This the people did in token of their joy after their redemption from captivity So when Christ ascended up on high as in the day of his Majesty and Inauguration in his Kingly seat and Chariot of triumph he sent plentifull portions and gifts of his holy spirit into the hearts of his people Now in that Christ powrs out more abundantly of his spirit in the days of the Gospel then before the spirit of evidence and demonstration the spirit of revelation and knowledg as it is called in 1 Cor. 2. Herein Christ
all the sweet and costly things that the Princes of the earth do enjoy Thus we have heard the Churches desire of fellowship with Christ and the reason of her request drawn from the excellency of his love now it follows in the next verse she rendereth a reason of her so much delighting in his love VERS 3. Because of the savour of thy good ointments thy name is an ointment powred forth therefore the Virgins love thee IN these words she rendereth a reason why her affections were so set upon her beloved and why shee doth so love him and why shee preferres his love above all the glory and pleasures of this world her reason is drawn from the excellency of Christ that he is as a boxe of odoriferous ointment and that in him was found redolent savours and precious sweet things by which he doth perfume her with his spirituall sinels and so maketh her sweet also This verse contains two things 1. A cause or reason of her delight in Christ's love because of thy ointments c. 2. An effect flowing from the cause therefore doe the virgins love thee Because of the savour c. By savour smell or odour is meant knowledg understanding 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Odoratus est olfeci◠sentit sense or feeling the Apostle calleth it the savour of life 2. Cor. 2. 14. So it is said when the tow smelleth the fire it is broken Judg. 16. 9. The meaning is when it feeleth the fire Of thy good ointments or good oiles In this comparison shee seemeth not only to meane 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Pinguedo oleum unguentum those ordinary confections in the Apothecaries shop but the holy ointment and perfume which God commanded Moses to make with which the Tabernacle and the ministring Vessels were annointed and also Aaron and his sons Exod. 30. 2◠24 25. And we read in Psal 133. that this ointment was powred upon the head of Aaron and went down to the skirts of his cloathing By this similitude the Church commendeth the graces of Christ which he had being cloathed with the holy spirit for the Lord anointed him with the oyle of gladnesse above his fellowes Psal 45. 7. And saith God I will put my spirit upon you Isa 42. 1. And it is said of him The spirit of the Lord is upon me because he hath annointed me to preach the Gospel Isa 61. 1. Now the odour of Christ's graces are smelt and become savoury by the preaching of the Gospel and therefore shee addeth Thy name is as ointment c. Concerning what is meant here by Christs name we may take a double interpretation 1. By name we may understand it of those proper names given to Christ in Scripture As Messias and Christ which are by interpretation annointed these names are given to Christ by way of excellency he being anointed by the Father unto that great Office of his Mediator-ship and he is called ointment in Isa 10. 27. And indeed all names given to Christ are very sweet and redolent as Shilo which signifies tranquillum esse intimating that Christ our peace and tranquility he is called Ithiel Prov. 30. 1. A word as Junius writes compounded of three parts as if one should say the strong God with me the name comes all one with Immanuel God with us so he that is Ithiel God manifest in the flesh is also called Veal Almighty able to save us He is likewise called Jesus a Saviour because he saveth his people from their sinnes Besides these hee hath names of office as of King Priest Prophet he is a King for government and rule a Priest for sacrifice and intercession a Prophet for teaching and revealing the secrets of the Fathers bosome Lastly he hath a name sutable unto his two-fold nature 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God-man the Apostle calls him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the man Christ for as man he was in one hypostasis or person with God Now how delectable and sweet are all the names of Christ and how much more redolent and savoury then all the precious ointments in the world 2. By Christs name is understood the Gospel and the publishing thereof to the world Paul was a chosen vessell to carry his name unto the Gentiles Act. 9. 15. And it is said the Gentiles shall trust in his name Matth. 12. 21. As ointment powred forth By the powring forth of Christ's name is meant the preaching and publishing of the Gospel Here the Church alludeth to the perfect odour of such pretious oyntments which if it be closed up in a vessell is not felt savory untill it be powred forth then the sweetnesse thereof doth spread abroad and perfume all other things Wee read in the Gospel of Maries pound of Spikenard ointment and when shee had broken the box of pretious ointment and powred it upon Christ's head at table the house was filled with the savour of it Mark 14. 3. So when the name and Gospel of Christ is preached abroad it giveth an odour to every believing soul so that by the preaching of the Gospel they also receive the holy spirit Gal. 3. 2. They received the holy Ghost by the hearing of faith The word to powre forth in the Originall signifies to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Evacuavit exhausit Evaginavit exhaust or draw dry to empty which may denote the plentifull powring of it forth It also signifies to draw forth the sword to the battle so it is used in Ezek. 28. 7. This may denote unto us the majesty and power of the Gospel so Christ is bid to gird his swore upon his thigh with glory and majesty Ps 45. 3. By the sword is meant the word of the Gospel which proceeded out of Christs mouth Rev. 1. 16. And by glory and majesty is meant the magnificence and powerfull effects of the word Therefore doe the Virgins love thee The Church having laid down the cause shee also shewes the effect the sweetnesse of Messiah and of his graces powred forth upon her have enflamed her heart with love towards him Some understand these Virgins to be such as are not espoused to Christ such as the unconverted Jewes and the uncalled of the Gentiles Others understand them to be the fellow-friends of the Spouse and of those that are faithfull and called of God who with pure minds serve the Lord only and worship him in their spirits These Virgins are either 1. Of particular congregations so the Apostle calleth the Church in 2 Cor. 11. 1. I have prepared you for one husband and to present you as a pure Virgin unto Christ or else 2. Of particular members of the Church for the Hebrew tongue as I hinted before useth co call the whole the Mother and the parts the Daughter for so these Virgins are called in diverse places of this song Now the Saints and members of Christ are called Virgins in these respects 1. For their chastity as in thefore-named place 2 Cor. 11. 2. That
I may present you as a chast virgin unto Christ These love Christ with a chast but not with an adulterous love 2. For their purity These are they saith the Apostle which are not defiled with women for they are virgins these are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth these were redeemed from among men being the first fruits unto God and unto the Lamb and in their mouth was found no guile for they are without fault before the throne of God Rev. 14. 4 5. These as virgins abstaine from all things that might be offensive to their beloved Love thee These Virgins love Christ for the odour of his good ointments which they receive by his word and spirit for by the preaching of the Gospel his name is powred out like odoriferous ointment to the exceeding great joy and delight of the Saints drawing and inluring their minds as Virgins are drawn with the offer of some great and lovely match their sences are so exceedingly taken with his sweetnesse which causeth in them a very high and worthy esteem of Christ and of all those heavenly graces which flow from him This Verse being thus opened let us draw some conclusions from it 1. Observe in that the Church seeks out the most precious ointment to set forth her Beloved and his graces it teacheth us That all the most excellent things in nature are but types and shodows of Christ and his graces What is more pleasing to the smell then pretious and sweet ointments of an exquisite composition Christ is the same and far sweeter to his Saints First By ointment were annointed to their Offices Kings Priests and Prophets so by the annointings of the spirit Christ was consecrated to his three-fold office of King Priest and Prophet this was prefigured by the annointing of Aaron and his sons whereby they were consecrated unto the Priests office Exod. 30. 30. It is said of Christ The spirit of the Lord is upon me because he hath annointed me to preach the Gospel c. Isa 61. 1. For God hath annointed him with the oyle of gladnesse above his fellows Psal 45. 8. So the Prophet tells us that there should come a rod out of the stem of Jesse and a branch out of his roots and the Spirit of the Lord was to rest upon him and the Spirit of wisdome and understanding the Spirit of counsell and of might the Spirit of knowledge and of the feare of the Lord Isa 11. 12. It is said that God gave not the Spirit by measure unto him John 3. 34. That is he did not bestow it upon him imperfectly and in part onely but fully and intirely for measure is not opposed to that which is infinite but to that which is not whole intire and perfect Christ was full of knowledge wisdome and of all Heavenly gifts The Apostle saith That in Christ dwells all the fullnesse of the Godhead 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 bodily Colloss 2. 9. That is not by naked and bare communicating of vertue as God is said to dwell in his Saints but by a substantiall union of the two natures whereby they become one 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 one person or substance Here is then the Vessell which as a rich treasury is full of all Heavenly wisdom knowledge Divine revelations and all sweet graces even Jesus Christ the Anointed of God Secondly By the savour and by the powring out of these Ointments is represented the powring forth of the Spirit upon all the Members of Christ the graces of Christ which are called his sweet Ointments they cast a sweet savour and are powred out into all Christian hearts and doe flow from him the head into all the Members of his Mysticall body as it is written Of his fullnesse we all receive and grace for grace John 1. 16. That is we receive suitable graces for his graces we receive part of every communicable grace of his This sacred Oile was powred as upon Aaron so upon Christ who was the head of all Saints and from him that was the head this Ointment of the Spirit runs downe his Mysticall body even to the hem of his Garment And the Apostle saith But yee have an unction from the holy one and yee know all things 1 John 2. 20. That is you have the Spirit of Truth which leadeth you into all Truth And in Revel 1. 6. But he hath anointed us and made us Kings and Priests to God his Father This anointing of the Saints by the Spirit of Christ was prefigured in that the Tabernacle a figure of the Church of the new Testament and all the Vessels of the Tabernacle which figured out the particular members were all anointed with the holy Oile and consecrated unto the Lord Exod. 30. 23. 25. Christ hath received the Spirit as a publique person as a common head of all his Church he then is the head and seat of all spirituall influence from which the mystical body receives life and motion this is the Apostles Similie in Collos 2. 19. He makes Christ there to be the head and the Church the body knit together by certaine joints and ligaments as it is in nature and by this means doth minister supply to all parts of the body whereby it increaseth with the increasings of God Thirdly in that the holy Oile from which the comparison was taken was not to be powred upon any man besides the Priest onely neither were they to make any other Oile after the composition of it because it 's consecrated Oile Ex. 30. 32. It doth demonstrate unto us that none have the anointings of Christ upon them but the Saints onely a stranger intermeddleth not with this joy For saith Christ He meaning the Spirit shall glorifie me for he shall receive of mine and shall shew it unto you Joh. 16. 14. He doth not say the Spirit shall declare those things it received of him unto the World but to his owne Servants See also Joh. 14. 26 27. I will pray the Father and he shall give you another Comforter that he may abide with you for ever Even the Spirit of truth whome the World cannot receive because it seeth him not neither knoweth him but yee know him for he dwelleth in you and shall be in you And the Apostle saith If any man have not the Spirit of Christ he is none of his Rom. 8. 9. By these Scriptures it is plaine that Unbeleivers neither have nor understand the spirit of Christ Now by what hath been said it is evident that these precious Ointments here mentioned in the Text were but tipes and shaddows of Christ's graces First as they were in himselfe Secondly as they are conveyed in his Members Thirdly as they are denied to Unbeleivers being too holy to be cast unto Dogs all which doe shew of what a redolent savour and of what odoriferous sweetnesse all the anointings of God are in Jesus Christ Secondly observe That though the name of Christ towit his glorious Gospell be very redolent