according to her request but I am come according to her faith going before Which also sheweth us the meaning of the Prophet when he saith before they call I will answer And yet he willeth us to call upon him for all things which he promiseth to bestow because Prayer must put in execution the decree of God concerning what he hath promised to give us neither can we chuse but pray as soon as we believe After the same manner shall it be to us as with the Church here when we believe and confess that it is Christs delight to help us and to our faith do joyn Prayer when we can pray unto God for Christ his sake to shew mercy to us to bear our burdens to carry our sorrows to come down into his garden and own us then doth Christ speak the same word to us as he doth to the Church in this place I am come into my Garden my Sister my spouse By which we see that Christ cometh to us before we are aware for as soon as we believe the benefits of Christs death and Resurrection to be given to us that are most unworthy of the same our faith incloseth Christ as a Jewel is inclosed in a Ring then doth Christ say unto us I am come my Sister my Spouse Neither could he possibly say otherwise forasmuch as he hath made over himself and all that he hath to that person that believeth This is a rare and Heavenly mistery which whosoever understandeth shall quickly find that of Christ which he never knew before Thus Christ was present to the Patriarchs of old as soon as they believed Abraham by faith saw his day and rejoyced He had not only faith but also a sence of faith which was bred in him by a certain knowledg of the righteousness of Christ imputed So all the holy Fathers that rightly understood the figures and shadows had Christ present in spirit as soon as they believed the use of a figure being to represent something to faith which is absent to sense and reason So Baptism which is a figure Heb. 10.1 9 19 20. hath Christ present as soon as we hear and believe that we are buried with Christ in Baptism Rom. 6. and also assureth us of our communion with him And it is impossible as was said before that it should be otherwise forasmuch as all things being established in faith Christ cannot be absent where faith is present No man by his works can possibly obtain this union because no work can cleave unto the word of God but faith attaineth possesseth and enjoyeth Christ for ever because all things in Heaven and Earth are given to them that believe Mary took pains in seeking after Christ she went to the Sepulchre she wept because she could not find him and why could she not find him Because she sought him where he was not to be found she sought him in the Sepulchre the living amongst the dead but as soon as Christ said Mary she said unto him Rabboni Christ inclosed Mary by his word and Mary by her faith inclosed him After the same manner Christ wrappeth us up in his word when he giveth himself and all that he hath unto us and we after the same manner do inclose and wrap up Christ and all his merits within us by faith So when we come to the Lords Supper Christ is Spiritually present in these words this cup is the new Testament in my blood which is shed for you now he that feeling his own miserable condition can give so much credit to the word of God as to believe that under the figure of the cup the New Testament is given to his own poor Soul in particular that 's the person to whom Christ is then come Therefore when the Law condemneth us of right and by just desert and we are griev'd and burthened with our misery and do feel our wants and would have a supply then must we fly to the Gospel for help and succour and chiefly to our Baptism which assureth us if we learn it well that Christ by his promises is present to rid us of all evils and to supply us in all our wants This consideration freeth us from condemnation because we are under the sign and seal of absolution and remission of sins And thus Baptism is the figure that saveth us The Law condemneth and the Conscience accuseth but faith bringeth into the mind the right use of the sign and seal of absolution and forgiveness To seek for Christ in our works is with Mary to seek him in the Sepulchre where he cannot be found and to look for a Christ yet to come For holiness of life is yet to come cannot be present in this miserable flesh but is still to be waited for Now if we cannot apprehend Christs spiritual presence to be with us until we are better sanctified then we can never apprehend him to be come at all Forasmuch as a better degree of Sanctification is yet to come and still will be to come so long as we are on this side Heaven Learn we then firmly to believe the word of Christ and to deny our selves and call up on his name then shall we feel to our comfort that Christ is spiritually come to us according as Christ says here to his spouse I am come Next here Christ calleth his Church his sister and spouse Which words are often used in this Song to draw the Church to this holy faith and confession and are also full of faith and consolation For if Christ doth own us for his sister and spouse then is he our brother and husband Therefore these words my spouse must teach us to believe and to claim these benefits that belong to the spouse For the wife so long as the husband liveth is free and out of danger by reason of the Marriage knot Now Christ liveth for ever for he being raised from the dead dyeth no more Rom. 6. Therefore all evils that oppress and trouble us must die and vanish away For either Christ must die and depart the Conscience Rom. 6.9 or else sin and the curse must die not Christ therefore the curse Therefore Christ himself saith I am he that liveth Rev. 1. and was dead and behold I am alive for evermore And when he says my sister he draweth us to believe that he is our loving brother and if so then also is God our Father Now if God be our Father then it must needs follow that we are the Children of God and after this manner we must learn to receive the Spirit of adoption even by hearing of the word of faith The true effects of the Spirit of adoption cannot be found till the spirit be received which is not given nor received by the requiring of works but by the hearing of faith Preached I have gathered my Myrrhe with my spice I have eaten my Honey-comb with my Honey I have drunk my Wine with my Milk In these words
his foul stains yet in regard of his wonderful Wisdom and great Reach that the Lord had given him whereby he was able to borrow Speeches from the nature of Earthly things to set forth the Lord's mind in Heavenly things he was a Man excellently fitted For God gave Solomon Wisdom and largeness of Heart above all Men his Wisdom excelled all the Children of the East for he was wiser than Ethan Henan Calcol and Darda And he spake of Trees from the Cedar in Lebanon to the Hysop that groweth out of the Wall He was able also to shew the nature of Fowls and of Fishes There was none like Solomon before him neither after him shall there arise any like him Solomon was also a Figure of Christ in regard of his Wisdom Kingdom and Glory and also being a Man of rest for so the Lord said of him Solomon shall be his Name for I will give Peace to Israel in his days Now Christ is our Peace who is also called Solomon The Pen-man therefore of this Book being the wisest of all the Prophets and Christ whom it concerneth being the very Wisdom of the Father and greater than Solomon therefore is this Song commended unto us by the holy Ghost in the highest degree of Excellency Seeing therefore it is a Song we must learn with all skilfulness to sing it and seeing singing is an argument of joy we must look for nothing in this Song but matter of exceeding joy So that when we are in the lowest condition by reason of Sin and the Cross yet then the understanding of this Song will raise us up beyond our selves For it is not only a Song but the Song of all Songs composed by Solomon a Person wiser than all Persons who figureth out Christ unto us who is the very Wisdom of the Father and therefore greater than Solomon And his carriage to be most gentle and loving to us when we are in the deepest misery and greatest extremity Therefore we must endeavour to learn the Tune and Time of this Heavenly Song and it will fill our Hearts with joy and gladness VERSE II. Let him kiss me VVE must understand that the chief part of this Song is drawn from the similitude of Lovers espoused in Marriage or else those that have fully finished the Marriage knot And Solomon being moved by the Holy Ghost made choice of this Similitude above all other things to set forth the most excellent Mystery between Christ and his Church no resemblance being greater to manifest the same not only in regard of the oneness that cometh by Marriage and also the firmness of the Bond between Man and Wife that cannot be broken but also in regard of the Issue and Posterity that comes by Marriage for even as by reason of Marriage many Children are born into the World so by reason of the Soul 's uniting unto Christ Rom. 7. are many Children brought to Life and Immortality The Church is here represented to come in a pang of Love but what Church Quest Not the Church of the Jews only Answ but also the Church of the Gentiles For the Church is to be considered either generally or distinctly either as the Church of the Jews and Gentiles united into one Body or else the Church of the Jews apart before Christ's Incarnation Now as the Church distinctly considered desired after Christ that was then to come so the Church generally considered desireth after Christ that is come Therefore the Church expressing her self here by the desire of a Lover Let him kiss me it sheweth the desire of the Bride in all Ages of the World But why doth the Bride desire to be kissed Quest Kissing amongst Men is a sign of favour and reconciliation David kissed Absalom Answ 2 Sam. 14.23 and thereby shewed that he was reconciled unto him Moses and Aaron kissed each other when they met as a token of Friendship And when Laban departed from Jacob Gen. 3â— 55 as a token that all strife was ended between them he kissed his Sons and his Daughters and so departed So that the Church desiring to be kissed desireth she may be assured by his word of his Love and Reconciliation to her Now there is a two fold kissing mentioned in Scripture there is a kissing on Christ's part and a kissing on the Bride's part Christ kisseth the Bride when he assureth her by his word that he is reconciled to her and in Love with her Person although she be a most miserable Sinner The Bride kisseth Christ when she by Faith is reconciled to him in believing that Christ is in Love with her Person Christ offereth the kiss first in these words I have loved thee with an everlasting Love The Bride again meeteth him with the kiss as soon as ever she perceiveth and is drawn to believe that her very Person is intended in these words This is the first kiss of Christ which begetteth Faith and all Heavenly Qualities within us There are also other kisses that follow where the first is imbraced when he loveth our Obedience Heb. 11.5 although imperfect because we please him by Faith but this is his antecedent kiss which respecteth not the Work but the Person a most miserable Sinner and this we ought to believe And in this sence it is said Kiss the Son lest he be angry Psal 2.12 that is see that thou thankfully imbrace the first kiss which assureth thee of the acceptance of thy sinful Person before thy works are regarded which truth of God worketh in thee Faith and Love to God and all good works In this sence also it is said 2 Cor. 13.12 1 Thes 5.26 Salute ye one another with an holy kiss and Greet ye one another with an holy kiss by which holy Kiss is meant the Administring on Christ's part and the embracing on our part the first kiss And by greeting and saluting one another is set forth the highest degree of Love among the Brethren which is a mutual forwardness in drawing each other by the Gospel to receive the first kiss therefore the Bride saith here Let him kiss me let him assure me in this one point that my Person is in his Favour which is the first ground and beginning of our Faith in Christ But why doth the Bride here desire to be kissed with more kisses besides the first kiss Quest Because by the first kiss she is so wonderfully taken up with the Love of her Beloved Answ that she cannot be at rest without him but desireth more and more after him And it sheweth us also the true nature and use of Faith which is not to despair nor be dismayed under the feeling of the greatest Sins and Calamities but then when it is at the worst as a Remedy against all it teacheth us to humble our selves and to desire the kisses of our Beloved And she addeth farther With the kisses of his Mouth Because all the Comforts that she findeth in the day of Adversity
said by an indefinite Speech to be sixty valiant Men of the valiant of Israel these are the choice ones in the Church Men that are expert in the Faith that are able to make War against all Heretics and Seducers These are like Solomon's Curtains being always round about the Bed in all Ages of the Church to preserve the Doctrine of Christ from false Glosses These are knit unto Christ by Faith and one to another by Love and Unity in Doctrine Exod. 26. So that even as the Curtains of the Tabernacle were coupled together with Taches of Gold to make one Tabernacle so by these golden Taches of Faith and Love the Saints are knit to Christ and one to another And in this sense the Bride saith here she is comely not only in respect of her Faith towards God but also in that she is an Ornament to the Bed being instrumental to preserve the Church of God from being defiled by reason of corrupt Doctrine This teacheth us what the Life of the Saints is and must be in this World even to keep the Church of God as much as in us lyeth from being polluted by false Doctrine for they are set round about the Bed for this purpose to fight against Satan and his Ministry and the reason and wisdom of the Flesh which always opposeth and fighteth against the Gospel and also to walk in Unity one towards another and towards all Men. VERSE VI. Look not upon me because I am black because the Sun hath looked upon me my Mother's Children were angry with me they made me the Keeper of the Vineyards but mine own Vineyard have I not kept IT is as much as to say this Look not upon me with contempt to despise the Doctrine I profess nor yet upon my stains and blemishes as if I were cast off and rejected of my Beloved for although my Skin be of an evil colour this doth not proceed from any evil there is in the Gospel but from an outward cause to wit the Sun the Sun hath looked upon me therefore I would not be despised and counted a Cast away for it is not my natural hew I am comely in the sight of my Beloved True it is I have some troubles upon me my Mother's Children do afflict me There be many of the same Linage I am of in respect of the outward state of the Church we have all one Mother but they have not the Spirit of Adoption to become the Children of my heavenly Father My Mother's Sons have not true Faith in Christ nor Hearts to live as Brethren and Sisters ought to do For although we were born in one House and brought up in one Family did all eat the same Spiritual Meat and drink the same Spiritual Drink Yet they are fallen away by evil Principles and into an evil course of Life and because I am not willing to follow their evil ways in Life and Doctrine therefore they are angry with me They have canker'd Minds full of malice and very much enflamed against me for when I was about mine own business in the Lord's Vineyard to do good to every Vine according to my power and skill they made me through my own frailty and weakness to look to other Vines not only to do such Orders observe such Ceremonies and preach such Doctrines as I was never appointed to do but also sought to draw me quite away from the Lord's Vineyard to other Vineyards And to persuade me hereunto they would make me a Keeper they would set me in an Office to keep out the defiled and unclean lest their Vineyard should be spoiled by evil Beasts And while I was thus imployed yielding my self too much this way they brought me quite out of Love with my own Vineyard mine own Vineyard have I not kept and in forsaking mine own Vineyard which I too much consented to I had even lost the benefits of Christ my Lord and Saviour The Bride here sheweth that although she be black and stained and out of countenance yet she would not be look'd upon proudly with disdain and contempt but as an object of Pity and Mercy yet this she sheweth to be the practise of the Daughters of Jerusalem in all Ages of the Church to cover all things that is comely in the Bride to bury that in Oblivion but to fasten their Eyes very heedfully upon that which is her blackness and deformity Such is the infirmity of Man's nature that if there be any blemishes and stains in others that we curiously observe and suffer our Affections to be even quite abated from them therefore but if there be any thing worthy of Praise that we skip over and take little notice thereof That which is good in us we would have all Men look upon and have us in high estimation for but in dealing with other Men we behold every spot blemish and stain All Men are willing to have their own deformities skipped over and their vertues highly praised and honoured but are loth to take any notice of the vertues in others although they be ever so excellent and worthy of praise But why do we look upon that which desameth the Person in some things And do not as well behold that which will set him out in other things If there be some blemish in an House we take not much notice of it but most of all behold that which will make it saleable Or if a ground be infected with Herbs and Roots that in some respects may be unprofitable yet if in other respects they are useful we account of them and cherish them Now if in Herbs and Roots we respect the vertues as well as the baseness why do not we the like by the Church of God Why do not we mark the best things to help to inflame Charity and to nourish true Christian Love as well as to fasten our Eyes upon the deformities of the Church which is the ready way to separate our Affections from it She also complaineth farther than in leaning too much to her Mother's Sons she forsook as it were the fruit of her own Vineyard even the Righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ Of this sort of People the Church of God hath ever been pestered withall such that fall away themselves and then seek to draw Disciples after them some to follow Rules and Orders which are not commanded that live within the Church and to draw Men into an evil course of Life and others which seek to draw Men from the Lord's Vineyard unto other Vineyards whereby they come to lose the Fruits of Christ's Death and Resurrection For it must well be noted that although in separation from Churches a great shew of Holiness may be pretended yet under that shew of Holiness the greatest Sin lyeth hid which is a departing from the Gospel And the reason is because the ground of separating from one Church to another is not because the gifts of God are wanting in the Church separated from which are
found which is yet to come then there is no object to be found for such a faith to rest upon By which one argument if thou manage it skilfully thou mayest easily send the former proposition to Satan from whence it came and sit down and rest thy self in peace and joy For one of these propositions must needs be granted that either our faith must be in a Christ that is come or else in a Christ that is to come if in a Christ that is come then Baptism is necessary which manifesteth the same Job 1.31 if in a Christ to come then is our faith and Religion ended ever since the days of John the Baptist Learn thou therefore to be very cunning in the right use of the figure that as Satan hath built up his Kingdom by bringing Baptism into contempt So thou mayest break his head and batter his Kingdom in pieces by teaching a right knowledg and understanding of the same then shalt thou be a right Souldier for thy beloved and also with the bride here shalt sit down under his shadow with great delight His fruit was pleasant to my tast That is the fruit of his shadow because the shadow representeth to us the benefits of Christs death and Resurrection which must needs be pleasant where the benefit is felt But where there is no faith to understand and receive the mystery in the shadow to them they are of no use at all but otherwise they are very pleasant for as much as they make the benefits of Christ which are represented to be as certain to faith as the figure representing is certain to sense and reason VERSE IV. He brought me to the banquetting-house HEre she sheweth the great provision that Christ made for her when once she grew to have a Sacramental faith he entertaineth her with a Banquet As Kings when they entertain their Queens do use to lead them into the Wine Cellar So doth the Lord Jesus Christ by his Queen he bringeth her into his banquetting house or house of Wine By the banquetting house understand the place where the Church of God do use to meet together whether in publick or in private for the hearing and receiving of the Gospel Pro. 9. Which is said to be wisdoms feast where the table is furnished with all manner of varieties and nothing is wanting for this life or the life to come there is comfort in all crosses deliverance in all distresses provision for all wants and necessities pardon for all sins healing for all iniquities there is nothing that the heart of man can possibly stand in need of but in this banquetting-house it is to be found And when she says hath brought me she meaneth not idle and prophane persons that scorn and contemn the word and Sacraments the banquet is not provided for such but I that feel my transgressions and am wearied with the burden of the same that am continually oppressed with heaviness and sadness of heart I that do highly esteem and prize the Heavenly banquet above all things under the sun 't is I for whom the delicates are provided But by whom is she thus brought She answereth my beloved hath brought me she did not come her self but he out of his tender pity and merciful compassion brought her Into this banquetting house he bringeth all those that earnestly and heartily desire the same and that prize the provision that there is made above all earthly things those he feedeth with rich and Heavenly dainties even with such things as eye hath not seen nor ear heard nor ever entered into the heart of man to conceive but those that are scorners and contemners of the same he sendeth empty away and none of those shall ever tast of his supper And his banner over me was love The banner or standard signifies the Kings presence in the field and also it being a warlike sign signifieth fighting with joy and victory Psal 20 6. The use of the banner is when the Standard-bearer holds it up to draw the Souldiers to march to it that they may keep order and attend upon their Colours that the Battle be not disordered Now as the use of the Ensign is to draw Souldiers together that they may march accordingly So is Christ banner to draw all his Souldiers to himself that they may joyfully fight against the world the flesh and the Devil And as in all ages the Churches banners were the signs of Gods presence so have we also the signes of his presence in the Sacraments and by gathering to those Ensigns the love of God comes to be shed abroad in the heart by which we joyfully fight against all our Spiritual enemies Therefore those that come not to their Colours but forsake their Ensigns are blind and senseless and not only remain without the feeling of Gods love but also when they should set themselves in rank and order to fight against the temptations of Satan the wrath of God and Eternal death they lose their strength with Sampson and fall down before the enemy Therefore seeing our beloved hath placed us under his banner we must March to it and attend upon our Colours that so when the wrath of God and the fear of Eternal damnation begins to ceize upon us when the enemy comes in upon us like a flood we may through faith behold the spirit of the Lord to lift up a standard against him Then shall we feel by experience that within us which the bride here rejoyceth in his banner over us to be love VERSE V. Stay me with flagons and comfort me with apples for I am sick of love THe bride having been in the banquetting-house and there met with the fruit of her Apple tree which did so wonderfully comfort her in her afflictions desireth for more She speaketh to those that bear the flagons and carry the Apples to help her to some more those that often use the Wine Cellar and have the banquetting cheer in a readiness to them she says stay me for I am even ready to sink The bride is even overcome because she hath been in the Cellar Others have no mind to the banquetting-house because they never tasted of the Wine The Church is not satisfied with one banquet or one cup of Wine but she must have a flagon or two more stay me with flagons She findeth a continual need of the fruit of her Apple-tree therefore she must be continually comforted with Apples others that see not their need care not a rush for the Wine-cellar but seek for comfort in other things but she cryeth out stay me with flagons and comfort me with Apples Now she sheweth the reason why she desireth after the flagon so much it is because she is sick of love To be sick of love is to be restless till one hear good news from the Lover Now Christ is her Lover and she having heard from him before is even sick till she hear from her beloved again It is as if
we therefore that Doctrine which breedeth and feedeth faith then shall we also love God and be fill'd with all Divine and Heavenly qualities Now the bride having found her beloved mark what she did I held him and would not let him go until I had brought him into my mothers house and into the chamber of her that conceived me First she held him she laid up those experiences of his merciful deliverances fast in her mind and memory and would not lose them nor yet declare them before scoffers and scorners that contemn the word and ways of God but to those of her Mothers house meaning the Church of God by whose Doctrine she was regenerated and brought up in the faith of Christ to her brethren and sisters there thither she brought her beloved and not only into her mothers house but also into the Chamber where she was conceived meaning the Conscience to which Christ must be made known where ever the knowledg of him comes to be effectual She is not contented that the knowledg of him should be setled only in the head but also in the hearts of others therefore she bringeth Christ into the very Chamber and cannot be satisfied until he be there Which sheweth us the true nature of faith where ever it is which is never to rest satissied until Christ be brought into the Conscience it is not at quiet but in performing the same office for others after a certain manner that Christ hath done for us that even as Christ is become bountiful and beneficial to us so also it studieth which way to be bountiful and beneficial to all men first to the Soul and then to the body First by teaching the Doctrine of Christ aright next by teaching the Doctrine of good works and this is rightly to bring Christ into our mothers house works cannot breed faith faith cannot but breed good works Therefore when good works are required the Gospel must go before which must deliver and free the Conscience from the guilt of sin and wrath of God and work in it with the bride here a certain sense of faith that it may by a sure and certain light perceive the reason why it bursteth forth into all good works and from what fountain they spring and whither they are directed VERSE V. I charge you O ye daughters of Jerusalem by the Roes and by the Hindes of the field that ye stir not up nor awake my love until he please THe voice of Christ who being delighted in the faith and practise of his Church when she consulteth not with the flesh and reason but being as it were in an holy sleep with himself chargeth the daughters of Jerusalem the second time who are always disturbers of the peace and security of the Church from the example of those loving creatures that will not part that trouble not nor seek to make any separation between him and his spouse until he himself please which is never VERSE VI. Who is this that cometh out of the wilderness like pillars of smoke BY the wilderness is meant a dark solitary Esa 35.1 and sad condition which the Church meeteth with in this world which is a very wilderness barren and empty of all things which concerns the happiness and comfort of the bride of Christ Into this wilderness the Church is brought where she findeth nothing but vanity and vexation of spirit therefore Christ here setteth her out by way of admiration who is this that cometh out of the wilderness That mounteth up above the world and pineth not away in a sad condition For according to the wisdom of the flesh there is no man under Heaven knoweth which way to get out but the Church by faith in Christ cometh out which is a service highly accepted in the sight of God and which also preserveth the Soul from sinking in the day of adversity for when a man seeth others in prosperity and himself in affliction others to be highly esteemed and magnified for their outward pomp and he himself to be incontempt man is ready to judg such persons to be beloved of God and he himself to be hated but faith joineth us to the words of Christ in this place who doth not as the world do praise and extol those that are high honourable and prosperous therein but setteth out by words of admiration those that do not faint in a sad condition What wonderful excellent creature is this that doth not languish and pine away in her affliction Which words must comfort us in an evil time and cause us to rejoyce and sleep merrily in the woods through faith although according to the flesh and reason we see not which way to get out And it is said she cometh out like pillars of smoke Some write that the Artificers in Egypt could by their Art make smoke to assend directly upright like unto a pillar and that the spirit of God may here have an allusion to that similitude But whether that be so or not we know this to be true that smoke is offensive to the eyes now as smoke is troublesome to the eyes that they cannot behold things aright So is the Churches faith by which she cometh out of her afflictions offensive to the wicked darkneth their sight that they cannot behold the inward glory of the Church nor yet how she cometh out of her afflictions Faith is like the cloudy pillar which gave light to the Children of Israel but was darkness to the Egyptians The godly stand upright in all their tribulations when others hang down their head like a bullrush The Church understandeth well enough how she cometh out of her afflictions but they that know not what the life and exercise of true faith is cannot understand Therefore the bride cometh out like pillars of smoke Also some write that there is an Art in some with the use of certain powders to perfume smoke but this we are certain of Rev. 8.3 that the smoke of the incense in the golden censer which is offered with the prayers of all the Saints ascendeth up before God and perfumeth the Church Therefore when thou art in the wilderness and hast lost thy way there meetest with the wild-beasts by which thou art in danger to be made a prey be not tormented nor disquieted but remember who brought thee in the Lord thy God led thee into the wilderness Deut. 8.2 he did not hurl or throw thee as having no care of thee but lovingly took thee by the hand and led thee to shew thee the great and terrible wilderness before thou comest to Canaan the promised Land Be not thou dismayed therefore seeing the Lord thy God is with thee but learn thou to become a smoking pillar Psal 141.2 let thy prayers ascend up as incense before God then although thou art in the wilderness for a little while in respect of the body yet thou art in Heaven in respect of thy faith And shalt also come out of the
have their sins destroyed if they must not eat Secondly others think that by friends here and in other places of Scripture Christ meaneth those that strive much about the Law and works and require a necessity of doing to obtain the promises Let such consider of the second point before named and shew how the friendship comes in that way and see what need they have to eat Lastly some are affraid to eat because they are unworthy by reason of sinful works But the discontent of these in the want of works shews that they do depend upon works therefore such must examine themselves by the third point and they shall find that they also have great need to eat for the destroying of that opinion in them We see then that all sorts of people have need to eat Open gross sinners and those that are righteous in their own eyes and also those that are fearful at their own unworthiness But why doth Christ call all that are invited his friends Quest When they are not all reconcil'd to him I answer Ans because there is no enmity remaining on Gods part Christ having slain the enmity Eph. 2.15 the enmity is on our part God is reconciled to us through the death of his Son but we are not reconciled to God Now God being reconciled 2 Cro. 5.19 20. sendeth the Gospel which is the word of reconciliation to publish the same wherein he calleth us friends on purpose to woo and invite us to himself And if we receive the Gospel then there is no difference between God and us but if we despise his bounty and will not have his merits then are we his enemies Neither doth God account any for his enemies but those that refuse to have life and salvation by that new and living way which he hath appointed This news is brought unto us by the Gospel by which Doctrine the Law is opened which sheweth us as in a glass our miserable and wretched condition and that Christ came to purchase deliverance for us and to bring it into our Consciences that we might serve him with cheerfulness all the days of our lives This is the feast he provideth and biddeth us eat which is to make a right application of the Law and Gospel in order as aforesaid And calleth us friends because the Gospel maketh us friends And biddeth us drink also because he would assure us hereby of his real and hearty good will to us and that he giveth to us freely of the bread and water of life And to drink abundantly to shew that he doth not grudge us any thing that he hath purchased for poor sinners or that might beget in us a good opinion of himself towards us And telleth us that we are his wel-beloved as much beloved as ever were any upon the face of the earth that his heart is upon us and his care for us and that he cannot nor will not ever be wanting to us These things are written on purpose that we might believe and that we might have no other opinion of God but according to these words that we might acknowledg him to be free and bountiful to us and our God Such a faith can never want any help or protection that is in God Heaven and Earth yea the whole Creation shall work together to accomplish what is wanting for the believing man Let us see therefore that we believe the Gospel to be no other Doctrine but that which destroyeth the opinion in us of all worth in our selves and that poureth forth unto us of the bounty and loving kindness of God most freely that we might serve him with a willing service Those that define the Gospel any otherwise do set forth a strange God by extolling the righteousness in man which is but to bless an Idol of their own brain And let us also see that we join our selves to the Gospel and count it great riches to behold our spiritual poverty and to have our filthy rags to be taken from us and the best robe to be put upon us that we may do good works not in fear but with joyfulness then shall we rightly eat the flesh and drink the blood of the Son of God and have eternal life through his name And seeing he calleth us friends being reconciled to us let us also be reconciled to him and not be offended And whatsoever we want let us aske it of him who can deny us nothing because he is our friend And seeing he bideth us drink and drink abundantly let us be sure that what ever is promised in the Gospel is certainly ours as if we had it in present possession And sith he telleth us that we are his welbeloved let us believe him and never question his love to us any more and what calamities soever we meet with in this World let us be sure although they are tedious and irksom to the flesh to indure they are for nothing but to manifest his free and everlasting love to us What remaineth then Seeing Christ is so willing so free so full of bounty and loving kindness to us but that we store our selves with rich and heavenly provision against a rainy day In this world we shall see little appearance of any thing but Satan using all Art and skill by his instruments to take away our peace and blast our comforts and many times hath great power given him so to do therefore he attempteth to devour us which he knoweth he cannot do unless he can destroy our faith and deprive us of our Christ therefore we had need to eat and drink abundantly of this heavenly provision that when we feel our selves oppressed with the tribulations of the world and malice of Satan we may be so strong in the Lord and in the power of his might that we may be able to conquer all our spiritual enemies VERSE II. I sleep but my heart waketh THese words are the voice of the Church who when she heareth Christ pour out himself so abundantly to her falleth asleep Sleep is a rest or ceasing from the use of the outward senses and in this place signifies the silencing of sense and reason in the use and exercise of faith For when Christ biddeth her in the former verse eat and drink abundantly he promiseth all things both for this life and the life to come yet notwithstanding she seeth not how nor which way those promises shall be accomplished for the word seemeth to promise incredible things to reason as that Abraham shall have a Son in his old age contrary to nature that Sarah shall bring forth the promised seed when she is past Child bearing Also it setteth forth unto us that Isaac must be offer'd and yet in him all Nations shall be blessed Moreover it promiseth help to the afflicted when no means appeareth how or which way deliverance shall come but in stead of apprehending any help or deliverance according to sense and reason there shall nothing appear but utter ruin
and destruction In this condition the Bride falleth asleep she is content to have sense and reason silenc'd and to be stricken dumb and she is not discouraged but constantly dependeth upon the promises of God And therefore she says here I sleep but mine heart waketh I sleep in regard of sense and reason but my heart awaketh in respect of God and his promises And this is also the meaning of David when he says he giveth his beloved sleep or by sleep So that when the Bride doth thus begin to sleep then doth she begin to awake and live by faith in the promises of God After the same manner must we with the Bride fall into this holy sleep and be contented to live in the use and practice of faith For every man in his condition shall find all things fall out contrary to his expectation in all estates and conditions of life and also shall seem to appear directly contrary to the promises of God Who promiseth that no good thing shall be wanting to those that fear him and yet a man shall seem in likelyhood to be in want of every good thing That wealth and riches shall be in his house and yet a man shall behold nothing but penury and want This breedeth a wonderful temptation in the godly so that a man is ready in this condition to fall into one of these evils either to accuse and condemn God of lying or else to conclude that he is not the person to whom the promises are made What must be done then in this condition Even to fall a sleep with the Bride and to be contented that reason may be slain and to lead a new life by faith in promises of God This slaying of reason is the awakening of the heart and then it doth begin to hear and rightly to understand the words of Christ according to the next words here following It is the voice of my beloved that knocketh saying Open to me my sister my love my dove my undefiled This knocking is when the Church is cast into the use and exercise of faith To knock is to make a noise and it may be defined thus It is an noise in the Conscience arising from the sense of sin and apprehension of danger It is when the very voice of the curse is felt in the Conscience and the miserable effects thereof are feared This she says is the voice of her beloved because the right opening of the Law that maketh the stroke and that the stroke of it may be felt belongeth to the Gospel And further when her beloved knocketh he saith open so that as soon as the knock is heard the Bride is to open According to Rev. 3. If any man hear my voice and open the dore I will come in and sup with him and he shall sup with me I will take from him the hurt of all evils whatsoever that shall be my supper and I will bestow all things upon him to make him comfortable and happy that shall be his Supper So that here is a twofold Supper Christ suppeth and the Bride suppeth Christ hath his delight in taking away her calamities the Bride hath her delight in receiving all blessings and comforts And this comes to pass by opening Now to open is rightly to understand the meaning or end of the knock Which in sum is this To inform the Bride that all her wants shall be supplyed by the Gospel which cannot be supplyed by her own ways and works Thus Christ after the manner of a Lover stands and knocks waiting to enlighten the Church in this point So that whether her wants be spiritual or temporal for this life or the life to come they shall all be supplyed when she is lost by the Law by ways and means unknown if she believeth And this is the end of every knock But for want of understanding the meaning of the knock the noise is many times of long continuance For many instead of studdying how to believe that they may attain all things by the Gospel do strive to relieve themselves by their own wisdom and works and in the end lose their labour and the Gospel too Therefore when we begin to hear a noise in the inward man and to fall into great fear either in regard of our sins and the everlasting judgment of God or by reason of some grievous temporal judgment which we apprehend to hang over our heads let us be sure then that Christ knocketh not to put us in feare for he affrighteth no man but to take away our fears from us so that although it seem terrible to us upon the first apprehension of the knock yet it is but the voice of our beloved who standeth and knocketh not to execute the Law upon us but to take all our evils upon himself that we may be made joyful and happy The hearing then of the noise must cause us to open the dore that is to believe in Christ and call upon his name and to suffer him to come in and sup with us then shall we be freed from all our fears and although we have forfeited all things by the Law yet we shall inherit all things by faith in the Gospel Also we must open that the captivity of the Conscience may first be turned into liberty and freedom before we seek for deliverance in respect of the outward man according to Christ saying seek first the Kingdom of Heaven and the righteousness thereof and all things else shall be given unto you That so from that liberty and freedom which the Conscience possesseth through faith in Christ the merciful care and providence of God might flow in upon us and the nature of the whole Creation might be changed to us Now because in times of distress the Church is apt to be discouraged Christ here useth words that shew relations between them as my sister my love my dove my undefiled Which in brief is this Thou art my sister and I am thy loving brother and companion in tribulation and am affected with all thy afflictions Thou art my love my only joy and delight therefore I cannot forsake thee but do stand and knock to join my self unto thee to take all evils and miseries from thee and to settle thee in peace and joy Thou art my dove that forsakest not thy mate in a mournful condition And because thou runnest not from me but yeeldest thy self unto me therefore thou art mine therefore thou art undefiled thy sins are washed away and thou art clean I came down from Heaven on purpose to Cloath my self with thy flesh that I might free thy Conscience from all distress and fill it with peace and joy Open therefore unto me and receive that by the new and living way which according to the Law and works thou hast utterly lost These are the words of faith which we must have recourse unto in times of distress being comfortable to us and useful for us For my head is fill'd with dew and
mighty hand and grace alone and letteth us see that he casteth us down into reproach and contempt for no other end and purpose but to exalt us again by ways unknown and to magnify his grace and mercy in us who can chuse in this condition but be sick of love And to have his heart enlarged with praise and thankfulness to his holy name Now she chargeth the Daughters if they find her beloved to tell him of her sickness If they find the true Christ in the Ministry and also in the way of his providence as she hath done that they also become thankful to him and praise his name which is her own condition Now although the charge here be if they find him yet this doth not make it a matter of indifference whether they find him or not but implies that they ought to seek him so as to find him The Daughters were no doubt Ministers that bare a great sway in the visible Church for they dispute much with the bride and they are often charged by the Bridegroom not to disturbe her yet they were such as had not the knowledg of the true Christ as appears also by the next Verse Now in that they are charged so to seek as to find the true Christ it sheweth That there ought to be a principal care in the Ministers of the Gospel to see that the true Christ be Preached For otherwise all men must of necessity be everlastingly lost And how shall God be glorified in his mercy or men receive any comfort by Christ merits if Christ be never known Besides if this point be not continually beat upon no man can possibly ever understand it being so contrary to mans natural opinion of God Which sheweth us one reason why there is so little knowledg of the true Christ in the World it is because there is so little care taken in this that the true Christ be Preached Therefore many seek after Christ but few find him because they seek him not aright With these it comes to pass even as Christ said to the Jews Joh. 8.21 ye shall seek me and not find me and shall die in your sins And why Because they sought him not by faith but in the works of the Law Rev. 9.32 They that seek him in the Law can never find him because the true Christ is not revealed in the Law Neither can any man define by the Law what true faith in Christ is The Daughters of Jerusalem cry out all upon this thou must do the Law which all men will grant ought to be done but to what end and purpose works are Commanded or which way the Law doth further us to faith in Christ this they can say nothing to This I conceive to be the scope of this place which I only touch they that have a mind may inlarge it as they please Now the Daughters question in the next Verse what the beloved is which makes it apparent they had not the knowledg of the true Christ VERSE IX What is thy beloved more then another beloved O thou fairest among women what is thy beloved more then another beloved that thou dost so charge us IT is as much as to say what is the righteousness of faith more then the righteousness of the Law or wherein lieth the difference Such is the abominable ignorance of all men till God open the eyes of the mind they see no difference between Christ and Moses And in this point the Language of the whole earth is confounded as it was at the building of Babel Thou makest a great doe say the Daughters about thy beloved and when all comes to all thy beloved is no more then another beloved For thou art justified by faith we grant but thy faith must be a working faith otherwise thy faith is dead and not a living faith Wherein then lies the difference or what is thy beloved more then another beloved So that in a word the Daughters attribute justification to faith but when they go to define what justifying faith is they can define it no otherwise but to be a working faith From whence it must follow that he hath will find the beloved must find him first in his own righteousness or works which must be the form or essence of his faith Also it is to be noted here that when they call the Church the fairest among women they give unto her the same Title that Christ doth but they deny that she hath that righteousness which is essential to that Title which is faith alone For as was said before they understand no other faith but a working faith Therefore how to define that faith which is alone and to distinguish it from a working faith they know not And how can the Bride be the fairest amonst women when she wanteth that faith which uniteth her to Christ without whose righteousness she cannot be fair For say they what is thy beloved more then another beloved What doth thy faith avail thee if it hath not works Can faith save thee Is it not of far less worth then that which bringeth forth works So that although in words they call the Church the fairest yet in heart and opinion they own and acknowledg no other righteousness whereby she is purified from her sin but the righteousness of the Law and her own works Such confusion the want of understanding in this point breedeth where faith as it is alone and justifieth is not distinguished from faith joined to works which Sanctifieth And this most horrible confusion is in the Church amongst many great Doctors at this day where this point is not rightly understood For we are justified by faith say they without the works of the Law but as soon as they come to treat of the Law they will affirm most strongly that without the works of the Law a man can have no evidence at all of his faith As if a man were justified by faith in the sight of God but by works in his Conscience These with the Daughters call the bride the fairest amongst women by faith but when they come to define what that faith is they mean no other thing then what is bred and nourished in the bride by her own works So that in a word she is the fairest but by their Doctrine she is the filthiest of all Creatures despised and condemned of God These run into a most deadly evil through a false definition of faith for many times the evidence of works is lost how then shall I be assured of my faith And so of Christ and also of Everlasting life Or else must I despair and die in unbelief Such confusion destroyeth the very nature of faith for faith hath an evidence in it self and the nature of it is to assure Heb. 11.1 from the light and testimony it receiveth from the word of God it speaketh perswasion as well as it worketh sanctification to believe is not only an act but sense of faith So that he
but if thou hast learned this Divine and Heavenly Art to expound the Law by the Gospel then shall the Law vanish out of thy Conscience and Christ alone shall rule and govern Therefore in such a condition as this enter into thy closet and pray after this manner Lord I am in great distress and know not what to do and the evils that I fear are justly coming upon me by reason of my sin and if I should now expound the Gospel by the Law which is now upon me then should I be totally ruined without all hope of recovery but seeing thou hast taught me to expound the Law by the Gospel and not to make construction of things according to sense and reason but according to thy holy and gracious promise teach me to stick unto it so long as life shall last When once thou enterest into this excercise of thy faith thou wilt quickly find the sweet of it and wilt not care a rush for any affliction Then shalt thou experimently feel in thy self that although there be in the Shulamite as it were the company of two armies the flesh warring against the Spirit and the Spirit warring against the flesh inwardly against the accusations and terrors of the Law and outwardly against false Prophets and Seducers yet that thou mayest easily overcome them by the Gospel And also shalt find that this Battel cometh not to pass from the principles of the Gospel but from the natures of men who by reason of blindness and wilfulness will not understand the same CHAP. VII VERSE I. How beautiful are thy feet with shoes O Princes Daughter BY reason of the Churches Victory in this Battel against Satan within and Satan without Christ commendeth her again And first her feet and shoes are commended she being so well shod with the preparation of the Gospel of peace for then the feet are said to be beautiful when they are well furnished with the glad tidings of peace and good things then do the feet stand upon holy ground Now when the Gospel is made the standard to try all Doctrines by and also the only weapon to drive away the guilt of sin and all fears out of the Conscience then doth the Church obtain this Title to be call'd the Princes Daughter Then is she looked upon no longer as coming from Adam but as one who by her new birth or Nativity is the Daughter of a Prince even fo the Lord Jesus Christ For so Christ is said to be the Everlasting Father and Prince of peace because by his word he generateth Children to himself Psal 45. to make them Princes in all the Earth For this cause also must we endeavour to receive the Gospel that our feet may be well shod that our inward man may be made beautiful with the righteousness of the Son of God then shall we be look'd upon no longer in respect of the Conscience as Children of Adam but as Sons and Daughters of the living God For being separated from Adam we are likewise separated from the curse that lyeth upon Adam and all his posterity Therefore this must teach us whither to go when we are disturbed either in our inward or outward peace even to him that is the Prince of Peace And also what to do in case of wants even to humble our selves upon our knees before the Prince who being the Kings Son and heir of all things can deny us nothing who are become the Princes Daughter We must not therefore be faithless but believing then shall we also perform good works joyfully and thankfully before men but if we forget or dispise this Heavenly Title then shall we remain in our old natural condition under the curse and the benefits of the new Nativity shall be utterly lost The joints of thy thighs are like jewels the work of a cunning Artificer Next to the feet the joints are here commended which must be understood as they are instruments to convey nourishment into the body Col. 2. For the body is said to increase by reason of the joints and bands Eph. 4. which minister nourishment one to another from every part which causeth it to increase with the increasings of God The joints then are here commended in respect of their use and Office which is to minister nourishment from the head to the rest of the body These joints are the particular Members in the Church which are like jewels being wonderful precious in the estimation of the owner Where these joints do rightly perform their Office the body groweth strong but where there is a coldness and benumendness in the joints the body groweth lame and little agility will be seen and there also are the Bridegrooms jewels Therefore all those that live in this Exercise and do supply the Office of the joints must believe that they are in high account in the sight of their beloved which must comfort and encourage every one in the body to perform his Office Next these are said to be the work of the hands of a cunning Artificer By the Artificer I understand the Preacher of the Gospel who is skilful in forming or planting Christ in the Soul Who is able through the holy Ghost to teach a right division between the Law and Gospel in use and practice that Christ may rule in the Conscience and the Law may govern the old man which cannot be done but by the hand of a cunning workman This is he that Paul speaks of when he says a workman that needeth not to be ashamed dividing the word of truth aright where this skilful Artificer is the Conscience is kept pure and undefiled but where there is daubing with untempered Morter the Conscience is often out of joint Therefore he that is the Artificer must be a cunning workman that knoweth how to break the stone in the heart by the hammer of the Law and also how to bind up the broken hearted by the Gospel without the Law Where this Artificer is nourishment is conveyed from the head into the body and every part is supplyed as it were by joints and bands to the edifying of it self in love there is nothing done but the framing and fashioning of Jewels for the Lord and the presenting as it were of a Royal Diadem into the hands of God Therefore it is said of the holy City the new Jerusalem that it is all of pure gold and that it is garnished with all manner of precious Stones which is the business of the Jeweller to garnish the City Therefore seeing he is to work in Gold and Silver and precious Stones even with the pure Doctrine of the Gospel seeing he must break in pieces stony hearts and grind them as it were to powder and also must set in order poor distressed Consciences that are altogether out of joint that they may be armed and fortified against so mighty an enemy as the Devil he had need be a cunning workman a wise Master builder that is able so
shall be as the smell of a field which the Lord hath blessed VERSE II. As the Lilly among thorns so is my love among the Daughters THese are the words of Christ who first sheweth the Church the danger she is like to fall into by reason of her Doctrine she is like the Lilly among the thorns in danger to be scrat and torn in pieces this acceptance she findeth amongst the daughters meaning the Preachers of the Law that draw on works into the Doctrine of justification these in all ages have been the only enemies to the Bride of Christ which did not fear to set upon Christ himself but crucified the Lord of life let any man but stick fast to the righteousness of Faith and hold it forth against them in this one point concerning righteousness by the Law and they will shew themselves First or last to be as thorns in his side And thus the Gospel sendeth fire on the earth but without the Gospel all things are at quiet Also Christ in these words preferreth the Children of the free-woman which he calleth his love far above the Children of the bond-woman which he calleth the Daughters For thus he saith in effect that as the Lilly far surpasseth the thorns both in Nobility and Beauty So doth my love far surpass the Daughters that is is higher in my esteem then those that earnestly require the works of the Law Next as it were an answer to this follow the words of the Bride VERSE III. As the Apple-tree among the trees of the Forrest So is my beloved among the Sons IN which words even as the Bridegroom before did set forth the Bride beyond the Daughters of the bondwoman under the similitude of the Lilly So here the bride doth set forth the excellency of her beloved beyond the Sons of Agar under the similitude of an Apple-tree Now the Apple-tree far surpasseth the trees of the wood which are by nature wild in regard of the goodness of the fruit and also the variety thereof So doth the fruit she says of my beloved far surpass the Sons that is the fruit of all those that first require the works of the Law to be done before a man can be interested in the Gospel this the spouse of Christ cannot relish because it is not the voice of her beloved and therefore she hath the Sons in small account and betaketh her self to her own Apple-tree and feedeth on his fruit the fruit of which tree doth heal the Nations I sate under his shadow with great delight By the shadow of the Apple-tree understand the shadows and figures of Christ in all ages of the Church which being rightly understood are full of heavenly delight A shadow in Divinity representeth something to faith which is absent to sense and reason confirming that to the eye which the word doth to the ear For God hath always made a double Declaration of his bounty for the comfort of sinful man the one is by his word wherein he instructeth us by hearing the other by figures and shadows wherein he instructeth us by seeing And this comes to pass by reason of our wonderful necessity and weakness being not able to comprehend so excellent a mystery as the Gospel without the use of visible helps Therefore Christ instructing Nicodemus in the Doctrine of regeneration Joh. 3. teacheth him by figures to understand the Mystery If I have told you of earthly things and ye beleive not how can ye beleive if I tell you of Heavenly things As much as to say unless you learn to believe by the knowledg of earthly things ye cannot beleive if I tell you of Heavenly things Now by earthly things he meaneth the figures and shadows of Christ in all ages of the Church and begins with Baptism the thing in question then between Christ and Nicodemus So also Circumcision the Passover the Sacrifices the Temple the Tabernacle the Ark and the mercy Seat were all earthly things by which the Jew was to be instructed in his faith These were the patterns of things in the Heavens to lead the Jew to the knowledg of Heavenly things themselves Now therefore as shadows were necessary to instruct the Jew in his Faith in a Christ that was to come So also were some shadows necessary to instruct the gentile in his faith in the Christ that is come Esa 4. And therefore it was promised that in the days of Christs Kingdom there should be a Tabernacle for a shadow which promise was fulfil'd in the coming of John the Baptist For all the Law and the Prophets prophesied until John the Baptist that is till Baptism Now all the Law and Prophets prophesied of a Christ to come Joh. 1.31 But Baptism manifesteth unto us the Christ that is come Now seeing Baptism endeth that faith and Religion which resteth in a Christ to come therefore it beginneth that Faith and Religion which resteth in the Christ that is come And therefore it is said by the Evangelist Mar. 1. that Baptism is the beginning of the Gospel of Jesus Christ the Son of God Because it endeth the former Prophesie of a Christ to come and beginneth that Faith and Religion which resteth in Christ that is come And even as no man could visibly profess the true Religion amongst the Jews unless he were first united to the Jew by Circumcision So no man can so much as profess the true Religion now unless he be first united to the Church through Baptism And as it is the beginning of our entrance into the way of Christianity So it is the beginning of our comfort in the day of distress for even as Christ was present with the Fathers of old as soon as by faith they rightly understood the shadows so Baptism as oft as we fly unto it by faith hath Christ present with all that he is and all that he hath prepared for poor sinners Which spiritual coming of Christ into the Soul causeth the absence of all discomforts whatsoever The right understanding of this Mistery causeth the bride to sing here I sate down under his shadow with great delight Also this Doctrine openeth a light for the conviction of all false Prophets whatsoever all Sects and Heresies that now be or ever will be having their first rise from the contempt of Baptism or some false opinion concerning the same And with this proposition they all begin that Baptism is nothing unless the person first believe By which proposition they wholy deny the true Christ and rest upon a false Christ For Baptism not only manifesteth the true Christ to become as hath been proved but also sheweth us that until Baptism all people are under the Prophecy of a Christ to come Now that Doctrine which requireth faith before Baptism requireth faith not in the true Christ that is come but in a false Christ which is yet to come which Christ in Scripture is no where to be found And if there be no such Christ to be
given and thinkest that thou thy self art not intended in the gift because thou findest so many promises made to righteous persons when thou thy self art a miserable sinner then dost thou totally banish Christ out of thy Conscience remainest in thy sins and must suffer the loss of Eternal life and glory and if thou teachest that point unto others thou dost not only discover thine unbelief but also professest thy self to be an unbeliever and dost by thy Doctrine establish the world in the grounds of unbelief directly contrary to the office of the holy Ghost which is to convince the world of sin because they believe not Joh. 16. Thou seest then first wherein the sweetness of Christs mouth lies in that he teacheth thee to believe first by destroying the ground of unbelief which nothing can do but only the Fathers gift next in shewing thee upon what ground thou must begin to build thy faith not because he first loveth thy works but thy sinful person that thou mayest love him bless him confess thy sins unto him and mourn for the depravation of thy sinful nature not out of dispaire but of love and thankfulness to thy Heavenly Father who hath shewed mercy to thee and given thee his Son Secondly His mouth is most sweet in that he teacheth thee the new signification of the terms of the Law he that sate upon the throne said behold I make all things new Rev. 21.5 So that since the fall of man the terms of the Law do this and live have a signification which is new and therefore mans obedience is said to be new But what is it to make all things new Quest I answer to make all things new Ans is to make a new way to attain to the righteousness of the Law and Everlasting life The Covenant of grace maketh the signification of the terms of the Law to be new by the righteousness of faith alone Understand it thus the terms lay'd upon Adam were do this in thine own person and live but do this since the fall is do it in the person of thy Redeemer and live so that do this before and since the fall have a double signification the one is old the other is new to receive grace from the Redeemer to do the Law in thine own person doth not make a new signification of the terms When Moses saith Lev. 18.5 do this and live he speaketh of the old signification of the terms of the Law do it in thine own person according to the Covenant made in Horeb. Exod. 20. But when Moses speaketh of the righteousness of faith Deut. 30.14 Which he calleth also also the keeping of the commandments Ver. 10.11 Rev. 22. He speaketh of the new signification of the terms of the Law according to the Covenant made in the Land of Moab Deut. 29. Ver. 1. The first of these pertains to the self justiciary the latter to the broken hearted nor thy obedience to be new for that is doing in thine own person the same terms which were lay'd upon Adam and not in the person of thy Redeemer nor canst thou ever believe that God loveth thee by that obedience nor yet be brought to love God but to do in the person of the Redeemer is to believe that he hath done it for thee and given his obedience to thee before he requireth any of thee that so by a new and living way thou mightest learn to love him fear him and obey him Therefore when the Law was given the Gospel is set before wherein God giveth himself unto us that we might love him before he requireth any thing from us And in the first Commandment he layeth this prohibition upon us which also runneth through all the ten Commandments that we seek after no preparative righteousness to precede the Gospel So that to do the Law is to do it according to the Gospel and the first Commandment which is not to depend upon the Law Therefore when it is said blessed are they that do his Commandments that their right may be in the tree of Life thou must understand it according to the Gospel and the first Commandment where by doing his Commandments is meant not depending upon the Law which opinion in us of self dependance is the first thing which is taken away by the Gospel and goeth imediately before our establishing in Christ All this hinders not but that the Law is to be done before men to the utmost of our power in the Kingdom of the Law our obedience must be personal which not withstanding helpeth nothing to righteousness because it is prevented by faith in Christ Now herein also the sweetness of Christs mouth is seen in that he teacheth by the Gospel a new understanding of the Law Thirdly The sweetness of Christs mouth is seen in this also in that he teacheth the true reason of the institution of Sacraments which in all ages of the Church were to teach faith in Christ Sacraments were not instituted to assure us that we have faith or to confirm to us that we do believe but to assure us by a figure of the visible ground of our faith that we might believe that our faith might be Sacramental as well as verbal that we might learn the mistery of our faith by and from the figure Thus by Circumcision God did establish his Covenant with Abraham to be his God Gen. 17.7 and the God of his seed and why was this But only from the figure to teach him to believe And when circumcision is said to be a Seal of the righteousness of faith it is Rom. 4. because it confirmeth by a figure the righteousness which faith layeth hold upon And under the figure of the Passover they were taught to believe their deliverance Exod. 12.13 from sin and the wrath of God by the blood of Christ So the reason why Baptism was instituted was to manifest Christ unto Israel John 1.31 It looketh not upon the worthiness of the person but teacheth to behold our unworthiness that we may be made worthy in Christ So the Lords Supper Luk. 22. was instituted to fulfil the Passover and shew us the Lords death that we might have a visible and Sacramental ground to believe that he is crucified and risen for us Now these being the causes why Sacraments were instituted it is proving and not to be proved therefore no unworthiness in the Subjects must be alleaged to bar their priviledg that stands in opposition to the reasons of their institution So that we see Christs mouth is sweet in that he openeth these three points the ground of our faith the sense of the Law and the reason of the institution of Sacraments Which I conceive are the three gates spoken of Rev. 21. which pertain to the holy City new Jerusalem on the East West North and South side of the Heavenly City without the opening of which three gates there is no entrance into the new Jerusalem For let
which is the only thing and foundation whereupon all our happiness doth depend Let all men therefore learn to humble themselves for their wants in this thing and earnestly beg of God that his word may be purely taught Where this knowledg is not little fruit appears in the Valley the Vine flourisheth not there but the miserable Conscience is shut up in Prison and darkness but where this spiritual skill is learn'd there and there only the Pomegranates do bud and a wonderful and suddain change is made according as it here followeth VERSE XII Or ever I was aware my Soul made me like the Chariots of Amminadib AMminadib as some think was the chiefest Chariot driver either in Solomons or in Pharaohs Chariot and which had the most Famous Horses which upon a suddain would be at the place desired This was the Churches condition as soon as she came into the Nut Garden she understood upon a suddain the right way to her beloved as soon as ever the nut was crack'd she began to tast of the kernel and or ever she was aware she became like the Chariots of Amminadib She met with that upon a suddain which she had long desired for And thus it is with us when ever we come into the garden of the Lord where nuts are plenty where the vine flourisheth aright or ever we are aware the Pomegranates begin to bud the fruits of the valley begin to appear within us and we are setled in peace and joy And in that she says my Soul made me It meaneth the understanding which being illuminated and sanctified filleth the will and affections with joy and Heavenly delight VERSE XIII Return return O Shulamite that we may look upon thee return return THese words are also the voice of the Church and by the Shulamite she meaneth a party in the Church which do dissent from her principles in matters of faith and life which she notwithstanding calleth the Shulamite being a general Title belonging to all in the visible Church from Shulamith which is peaceable so call'd being under a Covenant of peace and being the Daughter of Jerusalem Heb. 7. or Shalem which signifies peace and his Tabernacle is also said to be in Shalem To this Shulamite or contrary party in the Church she saith return return which words being so often doubled do shew that she is not only confident of her own Doctrine and way but also that she earnestly desireth the welfare of the Shulamite and a more near and Spiritual communion with her for she says return that we may look upon thee that is with delight and comfort for what inward and comfortable fellowship can there be so long as there remains a contrariety in points of Faith Therefore it is the longing desire of the Bride that they might dwell together in unity But mark we what followes What will ye see in the Shulamite as it were the Company of two Armies These words I conceive to be the voice of Christ and it is as much as to say that which thou wouldest see in the Shulamite thou canst not for in the Shulamite there are two Companies of Prophets are Preachers of the word and they band themselves one against the other like two Armies And the difference between them is the case being rightly stated about this one Question Which is the proving principle in the Scriptures Whether the Law must be expounded by the Gospel or the Gospel expounded so as it may accord with the Law The answering of this Question The extent of the principles of all Heriticks Sects and Seducers being rightly examined they will be found to clash against the Gospel in the Doctrine of justification endeth all controversies in the Church Forasmuch as all differences about Religion do Center in this point Hence it is that what is affirmed by the one overthrows the Law in the matter of justification and what is affirmed by the other overthrows the Gospel in the same point For when the Bride defineth faith to be a believing in Christ without works only because of God the promiser totally excluding the Law the Shulamite and all others that are enemies to the Gospel do define faith to be a believing in Christ by reason of works totally excluding the Gospel Now to decide this controversy it must be noted that the first principles as is shewed elsewhere in this Song are proving and therefore all other Scriptures must be expounded by them Song 3.10 And that as the first principle in Divinity is the Scriptures Hos 13.4 so the first principle in the Scriptures is the Gospel or the first Commandment which drives us to the Gospel which comes all to one for the first word of all is hear O Israel I am the Lord thy God Mark 12.29 which words are the Gospel Wherein God bindeth himself to us without any thing of ours then follows the first Commandment This point rightly understood draweth us into the practise of all good works because it unbindeth us from the rigour of the Law and filleth the mind and Conscience with the love of God which is the ground of all obedience which prohibites our dependance upon any other righteousness but the righteousness of God set before us in the Gospel And also forbids all such definitions of faith and all such interpretations of the Law which strengthen in man an opinion of the Law and works Now the Gospel being the first word and proving principle therefore such a sense must be found of all those Scriptures that promise justification to mans Active doing of the Law as may be suitable to the Gospel and mortify mans opinion of the Law and works But thou wilt say how shall I do that I answer doing in Divinity hath by reason of the Gospel a new signification which is to justify God and is not to be understood when justification is promised to it of a moral doing but of such a spiritual passive doing which is incomprehensible to mans reason whereby thou submittest to the wrath of the Law and flyest from it by faith to Christ who createth in thee a new opinion of the Law which is to walk in the works thereof without dependance upon them which obedience Paul teacheth thee to call a serving in newness of Spirit And thus mayest thou easily give an answer to all opposers of the Gospel Moreover this must also comfort us when we are in great tribulations when we are in doubt of his care and providence in respect of outward things or any way perplexed with the fear of Gods wrath For then will the Law begin to work in us after this manner these things thou hast done and thou canst not deny it and therefore thy judgment is just and nothing shall appear before thine eyes which way thy fears shall be prevented now in this condition if thou expoundest the Gospel according to the Law then shall thy faith be overwhelmed and only the Law shall reign