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B07186 Sions svveets, or, The spouses spikenard; and mysticall myrrhe / by Thomas Barnes, preacher of Gods vvord at St Margretts in New-fifth-street. London.. Barnes, Thomas, Minister of St. Margaret's, New Fish Street, London. 1624 (1624) STC 1477.5; ESTC S124289 64,452 85

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of God to the infecting of the children of men A good man can scarce in any corner auoyde the smell of their impious and vnrighteous fruits of their lies slaunders blasphemies ribaldries and other idle speeches but shall be compelled to sent them in euery place as strong as noysome as Brimstone to force sighes from his heart and teares from his eyes And how odiously their VNBELIEFE doth affect the KINGS smell their distrust in Gods providence their discontentednesse in prosperitie their impatience in adversitie senselesnesse of and vtter carelesnesse for the comforts of the Spirit doe euidently and woefully declare And yet these people forsooth esteeme themselues to be the Bride of Christ But to consider how they are deceiued it pitties my heart What know they not see they not that Christ his Bride is not while her husband sits at Table without her perfume to please him and affect the virgins that be her fellowes Now alas these vaine-boasters are as emptie of this perfume as the foolish Virgins lampes were of oyle They haue nothing but the oyntments of Harlots in their Boxes their soules I meane and about their bodies And dare they challenge Christ for their Spouse As though he will linke himselfe with such No no. Let them with Barnabas get to be full of faith i Act. 11.24 and with Dorcas to be full of good Workes k Act. 9.36 that God and man may smell the sauour of their Spikenard and then they may be beleeved when they affirme themselues to belong to Christ but while then they doe but flatter themselues and deceiue others Doct. 5 LAstly Obserue that Christians may sometimes lawfully speake of their owne faith and good workes The Church had Spikenard and here shee speakes of it and of the sweet smell it cast forth How oft doth Dauid speake of his faith and his good fruits in the Booke of the Psalmes sometimes reporting how he trusted in God l Psal 64. sometimes how he prayed vnto him m Psal 3.4.34.4 sometimes how he confessed his sinnes vnto him n Psal 32.5 sometimes how he loued him o Psal 116.1 sometimes how he delighted in the Saints p Psal 16.3 sometimes how he pittied his very enemies q Psal 35.14 sometimes he speakes of his vpright walking r Psal 18.23 sometimes of his holy talking ſ Psal 39.1 sometimes of his zeale for Gods glory t Ps 119.139 c. Thus also did Iob u Iob 29. c. 31. Ezekiah x Isa 38.3 Paul y 2 Tim. 4.7 and others of the Worthies ' whom the Scripture recordeth And good cause why Reason 1 For first God receiues much honour when wee speake of the graces which he bestoweth vpon vs. Hence it is that wee shall finde Dauid which reported so much of his owne graces euer and anon professing his resolution to sound forth the Lords prayses Reason 2 Secondly sometimes the wicked will rayse slaunders of the godly as though they were a great deale worse then they are and therefore to cleere themselues from those reproches and so to vindicate the Gospell from disgrace they may yea and they must make profession of their integritie and faith What was it which moued Paul to speake so of his honestie as he did Wee haue renounced the hidden things of dishonestie not walking in craftinesse nor handling the Word of God deceitfully 2 Cor. 4.2 But this that as it seemes in the former Chapter certaine false Apostles had slaundered him to be a vaine-glorious fellow Which imputation to free himselfe from he spake so of his owne sinceritie as he did Reason 3 Thirdly there are many occasions giuen vnto Christians to haue hard conceits of their brethren partly by reason of some infirmities they see in them partly by reason of some troubles that fall vpon them And therefore it is lawfull and sometimes needfull for them to speake of the good things that God hath wrought in them If you aske wherefore Paul speakes to Timothy of his keeping the faith and fighting a good fight a 2 Tim 4.7 b Polan Synt. Lib. 9. c. 8. Pag. 597. One answereth it because the present trouble which he was in by the meanes of Nero might occasion Timothy his Scholler and others which had beene his hearers to question the foundnesse of his faith and honestie which was so rewarded wi●h affliction and which faith of his was not like to procure such temporall deliuerances at the hands of God as formerly it had done So then partly that Beleeuers may honour their God partly free themselues from euill reproches cast vpon them by the wicked and partly prevent vncharitable conceits of themselues in their godly brethren they may lawfully speake of their owne Spikenard of that Faith and those good Workes which the Lord hath besweetned both their hearts and their lines withall Vse 1 The consideration of this giues me iust occasion 1. to finde fault with those Christians which will euer be talking of their infirmities that they haue no grace no faith no goodnesse at all in them And yet their consciences can tell them that such and such things the Lord hath inwardly ingrafted in them such and such fruits the Lord hath enabled them outwardly to bring forth in their liues They know that at such and such a Sermon the Lord so and so affected their hearts at such a time gaue them victory ouer such a temptation at such a time enabled them so and so to pray yea so and so answered their prayers to testifie the acceptablenes of the same At other times so and so accheered them with the assurance of his loue so and so enliued them in the performance of such and such duties yet because forsooth it is not alwayes alike with them and the Deuill tells them they are dissemblers they cry out I am an hypocrite a naughtie packe a wicked creature nothing but euill lodgeth in me no whit of goodnesse dwell in mee I haue no faith I haue no zeale I haue no soundnesse no honestie c. Is this to honour God with and for the good things he hath done for thee wrought in thee Nay rather is it not to dishonour him in that thou doest not take notice of his graces which he hath giuen thee This is enough to expose the Gospell to disgrace amongst the enemies of the truth This is enough to make Christians themselues thinke more hardly of thee then there is cause For when as thou art so peremptory in it that thou art an hypocrite a varlet a wretch What will the world say of thee and such as make profession with thee Even THIS See see what arrant hypocrites these Gospellers are their owne consciences accuse them their owne mouths condemne them there is neuer an one of them ALL good Thou art much too blame then whosoeuer thou art that art so readie to take part with the Deuill against thy selfe when yet the Lord in mercy hath
annoynted thy soule with the Spikenard of heaven when both thy faith and integritie of life haue sent forth their sweet sauour to God and to men Vse 2 Let me perswade thee to striue against this euill to take notice of and when God may haue any glory others any good by it make report of what the Lord hath done for thy soule Thou mayst lawfully doe it yea and if need require thou must doe it Yet with this caution avoyding pride as much as may be Not vaine-gloriously as Peter did when he sayd Master wee haue forsaken all and followed thee what therefore shall be giuen vs c Mat. 19.37 For this is a thing God would be displeased with and it is the propertie of worldlings and wicked ones so to speake viz. of that which indeed they haue not and doe not But first in humilitie as acknowledging all to come from God Secondly with a desire to vindicate the Gospell from disgrace when euill mouthes falsely doe reproch thee Thirdly with a desire to reioyce the hearts of thy godly brethren Fourthly to draw on others to a loue of that Word whereby God hath wrought such good in thee And lastly to cleere thine owne innocency when that is called into question After this manner and to these ends thou mayest make profession of thy graces and with the Church thy Mother here tell it abroad to others My Spikenard sendeth forth the smell thereof MYSTICALL MYRRHE The second generall part of the Text. NOW commending to GODS blessing what hath beene spoken touching the Commendation which the Bride giues her Spouse from HIS Greatnesse I proceed to the prayse of HIS goodnesse or sweetnesse in the next words Vers 12. A bundle of Myrrhe is my well beloued vnto me he shall lie or lodge all night betwixt my breasts IN which words we haue two things to consider 1. What this sweetnesse is for the subiect matter 2. What this sweetnesse worketh for the subsequent effect The thing it selfe is a bundle of Myrrhe in the former part of the verse A bundle of Myrrhe is my well-beloued vnto mee The following effect that it worketh is a resolution of the Church to keepe this sweetnesse in the clause of the Verse He shall lodge all night betwixt my breasts Let vs set vpon the first A bundle of Myrrhe is my well beloued vnto me These words would well admit of a subdiuision if it were needfull But an Interpretation will serue our turne well enough that therefore the kernell may appeare let vs breake the shell by giuing the sense That a R. Selo Author Interpretation who expounds the former Verse by the sinne of Israell in erecting and worshipping the golden calfe and by the displeasure that Iehovah conceiued at it doth expound these words by the Lords pacification or being pleased with Israell after this their sinne As imagining the congregation of Israell to speake thus Though I the Synagogue of the Israelites did cast forth a stinking smell to the Lord by my Idolatry in worshipping the Golden calfe yet NOW he is appeased with me become sweet and gracious vnto mee whereof a bundle of Myrrhe is a symbole and signe But this Exposition is too Iewish He that applyes the former Verse to the times of King Asa Brig●stm and to the Vow that the Tribes made in the 15. yeare of his Raigne doth apply these words to the times of Iehosaphat Asa's successor according to the storie written 2 Chron. 17.7.8.9 c. And by the bundle of Myrrhe he vnderstands the sweetnesse of knowledge which abounded in the dayes of Iehosaphat by the care which that good King had to send Priests and Levites with the booke of the Law through the Tribes of Iudah and Beniamin as though Salomon by the spirit of Prophesie should foreshew the Israelitish Church in Iehosaphats time to speake thus to the prayse of God In the dayes of Asa I made a vow vnto thee to serue thee and for such a King as HE was my Spikenard of Religion cast forth a smell vnto thee But now thou hast giuen me sweeter times more abundance of knowledge in bestowing vpon me so perfect so vpright so carefull a King as Iehosaphat is in so much that though I had sweete dayes before yet these that now I see doe as much in meanes excell the former as Myrrhe in sweetnes doth excell Spikenard This meaning doe I like of neither as confining the Text. Others therefore walking in a more spatious field apply it to the Church of euery age or to euery particular beleeuer And amongst them some say one thing some another * Soto Maior Some by the bundle of Myrrhe vnderstand the death and passion of Christ because Myrrhe as they say was vsed in Burialls * Genebr Others the immortalitie of the soule because Myrrhe is an Embleme of incorruption The first reason why by Myrrhe is meant iustification But I had rather vnderstand the benefit of Iustification And that first of all because at this Center the somewhat differing opinions of Interpreters doe meete For when as some expound it of the death of Christ doth not the Church smell the sweetnes of his Death by the benefit of Iustification When as b As Merc. and Piscator doe others doe meane a most excellent and sweet Odour which the Church doth draw from Christ by the nostrils of faith is not Iustification the ground of this smell yea the assurance of Iustification is this smell it selfe Reas 2 Besides I am sure Myrrhe doth symbolize and resemble Iustification very fitly Di●scorid li. 1. c. 67. First Myrrhe distilleth from a tree full of prickes much like the Egyptian thorne And whence comes our righteousnesse and justification but from that tree of Gods eternall planting Christ Iesus who was persecuted thorned and pierced for our sinnes Impetigines purgat idem ibid. Secondly Myrrhe is of soueraigne vertue to cleanse the Leprosie of the body so is Iustification to purge our Leprous and sinfull soules Horrores discutit c. id ib. Thirdly It is good against trembling and the shaking of the ague so is justification against a trembling heart and horror of conscience Wee see then what is meant by Myrrhe And Bundle here is as much as a ball of Myrrhe or a bunch of Myrrhe Mystically an Author of righteousnesse or Iustifier is my well-beloued that is Christ so stiled by a loue-title which the Church giueth him because that he setteth his loue strongly vpon her To me that is to me the Church militant * Paraphase I smell the sweetnesse of Iustification out of the bundle of his merits who is my most louing and well-beloued Spouse Our conclusions from hence are these three 1. That Christ alone is the Iustifier of the Church his loue being the cause and ground of it 2. That the Church alone is iustified by Christ 3. That onely beleevers doe smell the sweetnes of this benefit of
iustification The first of these points hath two parts Doct. That Christ in loue iustifieth his people 1. That Christians are iustified by Christ Iesus alone 2. That it is from his meere loue * 1. Part of the Doct. proued That Iesus is the iustifier of the Church is as euident as can be as from hence where the Church calleth him Her bundle of Myrrhe So out of the writings of the Prophets My righteous seruant shall iustifie many c Isa 53.11 Their righteousnesse is of ME saith the Lord d Isa 54.17 Is it not the Angell Christ that takes away from Iosuah the type of the Church his filthy garments that causeth his iniquitie to passe from him and clotheth him with change of rayment Euen with his owne righteousnesse as Zachary sheweth e Zach. 3.3.4 It is plaine also out of the writings of the Apostle By the obedience of ONE meaning Christ shall MANY meaning the Church be made righteous f Rom. 5.19 He made him sinne for vs who knew no sinne that we might be made the righteousnesse of God in him g 2 Cor. 5.21 If while we seeke to be iustified by Christ we our selues are also found sinners h Gal. 2.17 c. And still the Scripture runnes vpon this that by Christ we are reconciled vnto God cleansed from sinne redeemed out of the handes of our enemies He therefore is our Iustifier and none other not excluding the Father A caueat or the holy Ghost who haue a stroke in this Worke as well as the Sonne As for that other branch of the poynt The 2. part of the Doct. proued that his loue is the ground of this grace the title Well-beloued which the church here giueth him will well carrie it and els-where the holy Ghost confirmes it By MERCY and truth is iniquitie purged i Pro. 16.6 saith the Wiseman Being iustified freely by his GRACE through the redemption that is in Iesus Christ k Rom. 3.24 That being iustified by his GRACE wee should be made heires according to the hope of eternall life saith the Apostle Did not Christ alone satisfie the wrath of the Father The Reason of both the parts of the Doct. together did He not tread the Wine-presse l Isa 63.3 alone What earthly man holpe him in his Actiue obedience to performe a perfect complete and entire seruice to euery iot that the Law requireth What mortall wight nay what creature in heauen or earth ayded him in his Passiue obedience had the whole wrath of the Father due to the sinne of man in full measure poured forth vpon him Speaketh the Prophet of any els but Christ when he saith Isa 53.5 He was wounded for our transgressions he was bruised for our iniquities the chastisement of our peace was vpon him And would he euer haue vndergone this endured this had it not beene for loue Doubtlesse He would not Very well therefore doth the Church here to acknowledge her Well beloued to be this Bundle of Myrrhe and to giue to him * Obiection Answ and his loue alone the honour of her iustification when as He alone payd the price to purchase it and when as both the passion and compassion is his owne * Fide sola If any shall Obiect that wee are iustified by Faith or by Faith alone therefore not wholly not onely by Christ It must be answered that this is to be vnderstood in another sence Wee are iustified by faith as by an instrumentall cause by Christ as an efficient and fundamentall For no more is faith the primary cause of my iustification then my hand is the cause of the supply of my wants by a piece of money which the mercy of another furnisheth mee with That proposition * Parae ad Heb. p. 460 Solafide excluduntur vero nō causae superiores gratia Dei meritum Christi sed c. Wee are iustified by faith ALONE a speech much vsed by Orthodoxall Writers doth not exclude the causes of Iustification without our selues but it doth include onely but m Quotie dicitur Solafides iustificat ostenditur solamfidē esse vnicum argumentum vnicam facultatem quâ recipitur iustitia Christi Selnec Tract 3. de fid Sacram. Thes 1. one facultie in our selues by which alone wee doe apprehend that righteousnesse of Christ which the Lord doth impute vnto vs for our Iustification Whereupon saith one By faith alone are not excluded superior causes as the grace of God the merit of Christ but middle causes which are coyned by hypocrites as the strength of free will workes merits c. So that by faith wee are instrumentally iustified by the obedience of Christ formally as n Tom 5 in epist ad Eph p. 83. col 2. Zanchius sheweth For in Iustification o Bucer in iustificatione fides nihil dat sed tantum accipit quod accipit eo ipso iustificamur Faith giues nothing but onely receiueth and what it receiueth being Christ and his righteousnesse by that very same thing are we iustified So that it may very well be affirmed that faith iustifieth alone and yet be a truth too which I am in hand withall that by Christ alone wee are iustified Vse 1 And for currant might this Doctrine goe through all Christendome Against the Papists were it not for Antichrist and his Babylonish followers of whom when I thought there came to mind a wise speech of a graue p Tertull. Apol. p. 815. Nisi homini Deus plaeuerit deus non erit homo iam Deo propitiùs esse debebit The Papists deny Christ to be our alone iustifier three wayes 1. By their blasphemous Canons Father to allude to God should be God if man would let him God now belike must stand to mans curtesie for his superioritie So may I say of the Papists Iesus should be Iesus if they would let him the ALONE iustifier of his people if THEY would permit him and belike He must stand to THEIR caruing for the honour of this Worke For they are very bold to rob him of his glory which he deserues and his Bride here giues him and him alone for this grace Neither let any say I doe them wrong For first of all doth not the Councell of Trent q In Decret de iustif Can. 10. absolutely lay downe this If any shall affirme that men are iustified by the righteousnesse of Christ formally let him be accursed And immediately after r Canon XI Si quis dixerit homines iustificari vel sola imputatione iustitiae Christi c. 2. By attributing of iustification to the dignitie of faith If any man shall say that men are iustified either by the imputation of Christs righteousnesse alone or that the grace whereby we are iustified is onely the fauour of God let him be Anathema Secondly doe they not ascribe Iustification to the dignitie of faith What meanes els that