a sufficient rule but then we must haue in vs the inward oyntment as Iohn termeth it 1. Ep. 2.27 that is his Spirit for leading vs into all truth or else in seeing we perceiue not and hearing wee vnderstand not To this purpose excellent is that saying of Barnard With what spirit the scriptures were writ they couet to be read and with the same spirit to be vnderstood For thou shalt neuer enter the sense of Paul till by vse of good intention in reading of him and by study of continuall meditation thou haue drunke in his spirit Thou shalt neuer vnderstand Dauid till by experience it selfe thou haue put vpon thee the very affections of the Psalmes Whereto I will adde that of Chrysostomes Riuall As all men see this corporall heauen but yet beholde not God inhabiting therein so al men reade the scriptures diuine but notwithstanding all vnderstand not that the God of truth is placed in the scriptures but onely such a one as hath beene baptized to the receiuing of the holy-ghost Nor doth this condemne but commend the scriptures heauenlinesse who will not be vnderstood but of such as haue receiued the spirit that is of heauen nor any vision had from thence till the Lambe Christ Iesus haue vnsealed it Reu. 5. for no other is worthy so much as to touch the letter ceremony or outside Naturall Wit will serue for naturall Writ but the diuine writings of God will not stoope to the naturall spirit of Man The naturall man saith Paul perceiueth not the things of the spirit of God for they are foolishnesse vnto him neither can he know them because they are spiritually discerned but he that is spirituall discerneth all things Thus from scripture and ancient Churches consent it plainely appeareth that for seeing the Old way the Good-way wherein the Patriarches Prophets Apostles haue walked it is absolutely necessarie that euery soule doe vnto the scriptures bring the spirit of the scriptures that is for vnderstanding the word of God they are to bring the holy spirit of God For wisdome will be iustified of her children None of the wicked shall haue vnderstanding but the wise shall vnderstand Lect. XI And feede thy Kids aboue the tents of the Shepheards THe Direction so giuen vnto her for the way she is to walke in now followeth the Direction shee hath for feeding of her yong-ones The yong-ones are here termed Gedijoth of Gedj vsually turned a Kidde or a yong Goat Rabbj Dauid Kimchi saith as Pagnine noteth in the roote Gádáh that it signifieth also a Lambe I take it to be indifferently any yong-one of the flockes as Pullus in Latine is any yong one of Beasts or Birds So I conceiue from the adiunct it hath in Genes 28.20 where it is Gedj Hà gnizijm a Kid of the goates that is a yong one of the goates the distinction so made by Gniz a Goate left any should doubt what kinde of yong one it was And this distinction is also well obserued of Ãbben-ezra hereon Euen as the Latines ioyne the word sheepe or Goate c. with pullus when they would haue vs to vnderstand the particular kinde they speake of Now in this place it must be considered what flocke he speaks of and then it may be knowne whether Lambs or Kids be entended The word flockes Gnèderéi in the sixt verse it is a generall word The word flocke Tsòn in this verse it is also a generall word for Cattle and so neither of them particulate any one kinde Afterwards in this Song the Church hath once some assimilation with sheepe but sundry times with goates I see not so how to tie it in this place to the one rather then the other but if it may I would rather take the word Kidde Yet seeing it seemeth indifferent we will make vse of both First wee may hence obserue the Lord his tender care ouer yong-ones who would not onely haue the Parents to come but also would haue the yoong tender sucklings to be brought vnto him The Catabaptists herein are hard-hearted debarring Infants a place in the Church denying them the entring-sacrament of the Church why because they are Kiddes because they are vncleane till they be cleansed by actuall faith in the sight of the Church True if they be considered in themselues they are yong Goates conceiued and borne in sinne and so were all the Male-children circumcised vnder the law but what then therefore not to be baptized It followeth as well therefore Abrahams Males not to be circumcised Obiection There was a commandement for that so not for this Answere It being once commaunded that they should be sealed that seale remaineth theirs tâ—ll a commandement be giuen to the contrary If once they had that mercy then alwayes that mercie except Christ came to lessen former mercy which to affirme were blasphemie Obiection But Circumcision that seale is abolished Answere It is abolished for the outward signe the foreskinnes cutting but the matter of that sacrament Christs blood purging vs from sinne mortifying the old man liuing in the new man that is still abiding hauing an easier signe namely Water adioyned thereto euen as the Paschall supper hath the Lords supper come in his place the signe changed but the matter our foode and strength in Christ continued We can shew that children are once receiued in let them shewe when they can that children were cast out Obiection Baptisme is the seale of that righteousnes that is by faith therefore childâ—en vnpossessed of actuall faith not to be baptized Answere So Circumcision Rom. 4.11 was the seale of that righteousnesse which was by faith doth it also follow Children therefore not to be circumcised Foolish spirits Children had circumcision not in respect of actuall faith in them but in respect of actuall faith in the Church of whom they were borne or for some were strangers in respect they were vnder the Churches gouernement as Abrahams males freeborne and strangers in his house vnder him were circumcised not by vertue of their actuall faith in the promise but rather for that they were counted branches of his tree for he belieued God and it was counted to him for Righteousnesse Which equitie once established it continueth much more vnder the Gospel And to put it out of all doubt our Sauiour in Marke 10.14 affirmeth of Infants that such were of the kingdome of God and therefore an errour in his Disciples to keep them backe from the blessing which appertaineth to the seede of the Church seeing all such to vs are borne within the Couenant of grace for so the Lord said I am thy God and the God of thy seede If as the Apostle speaketh in Rom. 11.16 the first fruits be holy so is the lumpe if the roote be holy so are the branches that is to vs holy in respect of the Couenant as also in 1. Cor. 7.14 Where the Childe of the Belieuer be Father or Mother the belieuer is
THREE PARTES of Salomon his Song of Songs expounded The first Part printed before but now re-printed and enlarged The SECOND and THIRD Partes Neuer printed before All which Parts are here expounded and applied for the Readers good By Henoch Clapham Ephes. 5 32. This is a great Mysterie I speake of Christ and his Church Printed at London by Valentine Sims for Edmund Mutton dwelling in Pater-noster-Row at the signe of the Huntes-man 1603. To the Thrise-excellent The High and Mightie Prince IAMES By the Grace of God King of England Scotland Fraunce and Ireland Defender of the Fayth c. DRead Soueraigne these my labours being in the Presse beholde Fames Heraulde double trumpeted the first as Sables the second as Argent doth in our Cities streetes sound out a twofold Accent The blacke-one drew out Basse-larg notes declaring the Sun-set of our late great Empresse whose Memoriall be blessed amongst Women And this was right sad and dolefull From the Siluerie-one twirled Tones variable of much glee and solace The first humbled my soule the second lift it vp Betweene them both I was as deuided weeping and reioycing reioycing and weeping Wherevpon I remembred how men of my vocation specially are called to be Doues whose note is glad-sadnes and sad-gladnes Habel is vanished without seed Seth is set in Habels roome in whom we hope a direct continuance of Seed vnâ—ll Christes last Accesse euen as S. Luke manifesteth Adams seed vntill Christes first Aduent The Lyon passant so turned into the Lyon sedent and sit he last for euer a Defendour of the Gospell and an Extirper of Romanisme countenauncing good and correcting euill according to the Hieroglyphike Scepter and Sword the true Insignes of Iehouahs qualification Henrie the eight like a sacramentall eight-day did cut off the fore-skin of our Corruption Edward succeeding reformed much Then the firâ—e Paren-thesis oâ— Mary past ouer our late Deborah Eli-shebet added to the Father and Brothers blessing It remayneth that your Highnesse double our Happinesse as the great GOD oâ— Heauen and Earth hath doubled your King-ship To whom more is concredited more is required of such by naturall Proportion And herein your Royall care will tender 1 That no one possesse a Pastorall-place to whom Christ hath not first sayd Ephphata 2 That no Leuj may sit at any Receipt of Custome reaping where he sowes not 3 That Anah may find-out no Mules in our Episcopall fieldes 4 That Dionysius Atheos may not pill any part of the Common-wealth much lesse powle the Church 5 That Marchants may not buy and sell in the Temple much lesse set the Temple it selfe to â—ale 6 That these may not be Censurers of Synne that liue onely by Synne 7 That none be set in Eminent-places who are knowen to be Rhomishly addicted 8 That Great-flyes may be helde in Nets so well as the small-oneâ— in Cobwebs 9 That none may be a Mono-polist which bringes not that gaine to the Monarch 10 That Poore-men may haue their Causes tryed without damnable Demurres 11 That Roscius may not make a standing-occupation of Stage-mumpings and mowings 12 Ac vt quid lepidiùs dicam That the Feminine-gendâ—r may no longer against all Rule be in state more worthy then the Masculineâ— by carying all the Cases Singular Duall Plurall Greeklike on her backe whilest the Masculine is contented with the Singular Accusatiuo carens Iisque constitutis sufficit mihi quod haectenus vixi Plura minimèque baec priuata non quaero Dixi. And in this doing your Highnesse shal be rewarded of the Highest Petrus Nannius Alcmarianus thought he fitted the Time well in dedicatâ—ng his Paraphrasis and Scholia on Salomons Soâ—g to Spaines Philip and our English Mary vpon their time of Mariage A better mariage now when in Englands vnion with Scotland we may behold as it were a new Coniuction of the White and Red-roses for making one Nose gay This naturall vnion doth strongly call for our Churches vnion moâ—e with Christ For what by Atheisme and Romanisme ouer-much spreading of late yeeres out Iob was brought welny to the Ash-heape his Maladies being manâ— and the synewes-state dissolution and distraction of members Great Alexander vpon his Conquest is sayd to enioyne Iudahs Leuites to circumcise their Sonnes by the name of Alexander as a memoriall of his Hâ—ghâ—esse Your Ma. will not neither shall it need that your Leuites be so enioyned The Sonnes of our studies we voluntarily deuoue to your Gr. protection as who both can and will defende the trueth of sacred Learning I prâ—e Deoque volente sequemur My Booke being in the Presâ—e before great Israels first-name was proclaymed Head of our Tribes the seuerall pattes thereof had so their seuerall Dedications All which Particulars I now reduce to be Marshalled vnder your Highnes as the Integrall For where the King is Genus the Subiectes be but Species Vnto this attempt I haue been made the bolder for that it pleased God in Anno Dâ—i 1595. to lende vnto mâ—e your Maiesties royall hand for authorising certaine my poore Writings in Scotland to the Preste From that time much duetie but hencefoorth all duetie as of creature to creature is owing to your sacred Selfe and Seed as vnto GOD his Great and Gracious Liuetenant ouer vs. Whom God blesse for euer Your Maiesties humble Subiect a Preacher of the Lords word Henoch Clapham To the Gratious and Reuerend Fathers and Brethren Ministers of the Church of England Henoch Clapham wisheth all sauing giftes of the Spirite TRue it is Gra and Reuerend I may say with Barâ—â—rd Quod Animarum susceperim curam quimeam non sufficerem custodire I tooke vppon me the cure of Soules before I was sufficient to watch ouer mine owne And with Ambrose may further say Factum est vt priâ—â— docere inciperem quam discere It is come to passe that I begunne to teach before I had beene taught For howsoeuer I had some generall knowlege of Diuinitie as sometimes Moses had of Canaan from the top of Mount Nebo yet farre enough was I from that particular distinct knowledge whereby I should haue seated my selfe and others ecclesiastically in our land of Rest. And whereas in my first view of Religion much stirre arose about Ecclesiastike forme of ministerie and ministration and the present established forme being of many otherwise zealous proclaimed by word and writing for Anti-christian and seuerall partes thereof to be direct markes of the Beast whereas indeede that Reuelation-beast hath rather his character than Characters marke than markes I hereupon beleeuing such conclusions departed the land in the yeare of our Lord one thousand fiue hundred ninety three as willing to put in practise that which others had taught mee And so I wandred to and fro with Salomons bird remoued from her nest till the yeare 1598. wherein it pleased God to let me see the falsehood of doctrine which others had taught and I in my sin had swallowed Hereupon I returned from beyond sea purposing
this first Part. The Church very feruently suiteth after the presence of Messiah specially for his appearance in our Nature Whereto she receiueth a comfortable answere bringing with it appearing-wise the presence of Messiah Which two so conucned they fall into mutuall praises finishing the same with mutuall applausion Lect. I. THis Title standeth as a glorious Eulogie or Porch to the ensuing Scripture And heerein obseruable first for methode sake the Holie-ghost his penne man of this Scripture and that is Salomon Secondly the matter itselfe and that is a Song Touching Salomon we are to vnderstand that hee was sonne of Dauid King also of Israel and both of them notable tipes or shadowers forth of our Lord and Sauior Christ Iesus But this Tipeship stoode in this difference Dauid a figure of Iesus in respect of the continuall warie he had with the Churches aduersaries Salomon a figure of Christ in respect of his continuing plenty and peace in the midst of Israel his church Dauid the Churches Captaine Salomon the Churches amiable spouse and passionate Louer Vnder Salomon in this scripture we are to vnderstand him who in Math. 12.42 is wiser and greater then Salomon euen Iesus himselfe sometimes sued vnto Of his Church somtimes suing To his Church according as variable times bring with them vaâ—iable accidents And vnder Salomons spousesse and Loue we are to consider the Church specially of the new Testament sometimes praying sometimes straying sometimes in a Loue-traunce sometimes reuiued and in this life by reason of sinne changing some part and in some respect as the Moone In One word Two things are sealed So that of this scripture the wise-spirited may say with the Rabbine according to that in psal 62.11 God hath spoken once and I haue heard it twise which Cabalistically is In one speach of God I obserue two things as Letter and Spirit When Salomon penned this sacred Writ the time of too many hath bene said to bee what time he tooke to himselfe Pharaohs daughter and so haue concluded it to be a nuptiall song But this iudgement is not onely opposite to this scripture but also hath brought with it some other inconuenience namely it hath caused sundrie impure Spirits to stumble affirming it to be a vaine amorous ballad penned at the pleasure of Salomons wantons an assertion in the highest degree blasphemous The Iew who best knewe the old Canon can say that It is abhominable to thinke that the Song of Songs should treat of venereall matters But the Naturall man perceiueth not the things of the spirit of God for they are foolishnesse vnto him neyther can he know them because they are spiritually disceâ—ned That it is against this scripture also do consider that speach in Cha. 7 4 Thy Nose is like to the Tower of Lebanon Lebanon could not stand for a comparison till that Tower of Lebanon was and it was not built till hee was aged and his liues yeares well-nie spent This appeareth thus Salomon raigned but forty yeares Towards the beginning of his raigne hee then matcheth with Pharaohs daughter about his fourth yeere hee beginneth to build the Temple and that continued seauen yeares After that his owne house continued building thirteene yeares so are spent about foure and twentie yeares of his raigne and after all this the Tower of Lebanon was built How long after ere he begunne it appeereth not nor yet how long that worke continued But if it should bee begun presently after the other it was a long piece of worke if so the greatnesse and stâ—telinesse thereof be considered And after this finishment of that also must this holy Writ be penned seeing in the former verse he hath in his comparison introduced the Tower of Lebanon That this glorious Lampe of Israel for a season was darkned by Idolatrie his historie expresseth yea his historie being shut vp with the mention of that euil Romanistes conclude that Salomon died vnrepentant and so by consequent an Abiect But seeing other scripture will necessarily conuince that they should rather think that his history was shut vp obscurely that so therein he might shadowe forth our Iesus who in his death also was numbred amidst transgressors making his graue so with the wicked That he died not an abiect these reasons euince First the consideration of his Tipeship for seeing God selected him for the sole figure of Messiahs loue spirituall peace and plentie towardes his spousesse the Church it shal be more then rash ignorance to conclude him an Abiect Secondly the promise which God makes to Dauid namely that if his son Salomon should sinne hee would chasten him with the rod of man but not take his mercy from him as he did from Saul it concludeth repentance seeing chastenings with mercy are Heb. 12. signes of children not bastards and the meanes to bring them to repentance Thirdly he was not a Prophet sent in mercy to the church but an holy Prophet and Scribe of the Holy-ghost Saint Peter in his 2. Epistle 1. Chap. verse 20.21 so speaketh of all these holy Teachers First know this that no Prophecie in the scripture is of any priuate motion for the prophecie came not in old time by the will of man but holy men of God a terme neuer giuen to the reprobate they spake as they were moued by the holy-ghost Now Salomon being one of these Holy men of God hee must needes depart hence in the state of grace Fourtthly the Holy ghost commending Rehoboam and his people for their first three yeeres gouernment saying Three yeres long they walked in the way of Dauid and Salomon it plainely vrgeth that Salomon died in Gods fauour or else he should neuer so haue bene coupled with Dauid his father Yea it also argueth that Salomons finall gouernment was in and for the Lord howsoeuer the Mount of Corruption not taken away seeing first Rehoboams gouernment is said to be like that way wherein his father and grandfather had walked Lastly his owne three books euince his repentance first the booke of Prouerbs specially the Preface lying in the first nine chapters wherein he specially admonisheth his people to beware of the strange woman vrging the sea of iniquity bodily and spirituall which accompanieth that euill as speaking from experience In which booke he laboreth therfore to settle his Puple of what degre or calling soeuer in the rudiments and grounds of religion Secondly his booke termed Preacher wherein specially in Cha. 2. he preacheth worldly vanitie fâ—om selfe same experience admonishing others to beware by his euill In which booke he taketh his disciple as into an hie mountaine that so from thence looking downe-warde hee may spie the flitting and vanishing estate of all things here vnder the Sunne Thirdly this most diuine Song penned as before is prooued in his olde age vaine lustes then turned to contemplatiue loues passing betwene Messiah and his Church As if heerein hee hadde lifted his Hearer higher then the Sunne
beyond some others fiftly called vs sanctified vs assured vs of a better state Not one particular loue but we should remember for whetting vp our loues againe towards him who first loued vs. As the recordating of oile wheate wine is not only solatious to the Merchant but also causeth him to labour thereafter so would the remembrance of God his seueral loues stirre vs vp with Dauid much more to delight Psal. 4.6 and to labour the more for possessing thereof as the worldling for the enioyment of gold and siluer Pro. 2.3.4.5 But alas wee receiue manie loues and forget them all from which ariseth our cold affection and vntoward deuotion Remember we therefore from whence we are falne and doe we our first workes before the golden candlesticke be taken away by captiuitie as sometimes was Iudah or at best be turned vpside downe and the light of God his worde out out Secondly we may see whence it springeth that peoples memories are so apt to euil but very slippery for retaining good namely because they doe not with the faithfull here dedicate them vnto good but rather vnto things euil euil simply or at best euil in some respect For as a mans hand is readiest in that worke it ordinarily exerciseth euen so is the memory fittest to receiue and recordate such stuffe as it hath beene enured with be it good or bad Wo therefore to such as make their memorie a table-booke of the diuels reckonings for he must pay such their wages wheras it was created for the finger of God to write in as sometimes he did in stony tables Now followeth the whole Righteousnesses do loue thee as if she should say whatsoeuer is righteous in my Minde righteous in my wil Yea whatsoeuer flâ—weth from both as an action of Righteousnesse all loueth thee and thou art beloued of all that Whence followeth first that there is no Righteous sense no righteous affection no righteous action but it is a louer of GOD and Gods friend For as Christ testifieth himselfe to be Trueth because man is enlightned with no truth that is not from Christ who lightens euery man that commeth into the world Iohn 1.9 so the Apostle S. Iohn is bold to say Euery spirit confessing that Iesus Christ is come in the Flesh is of God Now we know that reprobates yea that men really infested with the diuel they can in such fearefull estate say That Iesus Christ is come in the Flesh therefore the diuell or reprobate in such an estate is ouer-ruled and acted by the spirite of Christ Iesus the causer of such truth For if in God we liue mooue and haue our being Acts. 17.28 then no tongue for speaking nor hand for working doeth mooue but it moues in God and in mouing rightly it moueth in Gods mercy but moouing otherwise it mooueth in iudgement Boldely therefore may all faithfull-ones conclude that all Righteousnesse is of God and therefore all Right things must loue him Nay they cannot but loue him seeing they are al sparkles of that infinit light and effects of that most blessed Cause of Causes which is Himselfe Secondly it followeth that all Vnrighteousnesses euen euerie particular braunch thereof it is an Enemie to God And no maruell because it is not of God but of the diuel Iohn 8.44.1 Iohn 3.8 who was a lier from the beginning and an opposer vnto Iustice. Whatsoeuer therefore is an error in sense an error in affection an errour in action it is of the diuel and an enemie to God The consideration whereof should mooue all first to nourish euery part of Iustice because it is our Kings friend but secondly to mortifie and kill euery particular vnrighteousnes because it is a Traitour to our King yea a snake in our bosome bred otherwise for our owne destruction calling for fire and brimstone as somtimes vpon the Pentapole-citties Sodome Gomorrha Zeboim Admah and Zoar bleating in the eares of our righteous Iudge as Sauls fatlings in the â—ares of Samuel calling for fire vpon the new world as of erst it cryed for waters to the drowning of the olde world Howsoeuer we cannot chuse but Iniquity will as an vnseperable accident in this life dwell in vs yet let vs labour that sinne Rom. 6.12 doe not raigne in vs yea let vs endeuour with all our soule with all our minde and with all our might that the spirite of righteousnesse may sit in the chaire of our conscience who quickely shall enable vs to treade Satan vnder Lect. VI. Verse 4. I am blacke and to be desired O daughters of Ierushalem as the Tents of Kedar as the curtaines of Salomon Verse 5. Do not respect me c. NOw we see an Apostrophe or auersion of speech from the beloued and an heedelesse care of preoccupating a notable obiection which the Daughters of Ierushalem might frame here thus how darest thou being but a blacke hued Virgine to suite and supplicate to such a beauteous sweete King as is Messiah c. Hereto she answereth first by Concession I am blacke secondly by Refutation but to bee desired c. For the better vnderstanding wherof it must be ay remembred that as vnder the person Salomon Christ is intended so vnder the person of Pharaohs daughter matched with Salomon is the Church of Gentiles figured And so the controuersie heere to be betweene the Sinagogue of the Iews and the faithful of the Gentiles alluding vnto that which the Inhabitants of Ierushalem might somtimes obiect against the Aegyptian Lady brought out of that hote Clime vnto Iudeah and Salomons court I am not ignorant that some otherwise worthy much reuerence haue herein contradicted the Ancients and peremptorily affirme that that marriage of Salomon with Pharaohs daughter it could not be a figure and why Because say they Salomon sinned in so marrying and to this end they alleadge Exod. 34.16 I answere first it followeth not that because it is euill therefore no figure Hagar and her Ismael were but an euill couple yet saint Paul maketh them a figure in their generation Galat. 4.22 c. Sodome Aegipt Babylon accursed places yet figures Obiect Euil things may be figure of euill things but not of good Answer Yes of good Hagar figured the old Testament and his workes and both good Galat. 4.24 Rom. 7.7.12 Cyrus was an vncircumcised Gouernour and yet Meshicho his euen Iebouahs annoynted and a figure of Messiah in conquering the aduersary and freeing his people Isa. 44.18 45.1 c. Secondly the Iewes were not forbidden simply all marriage with the Gentiles but to beware of al such marriage as might draw them to Idolatry Idolatrie preuented and this was done when any were contented to make themselues Israelites or Iewes Exod. 12.28 Deut. 21.12.13 Hester 8.17 And like enough that Pharaohs Daughter learned that lesson Psal. 45.10.11 then marriage might lawfully be attempted Thirdly they were forbid marriage with no other Gentiles so much as with these that Canaan euomited And vnto them the
Inhibition specially tendeth as is apparant in Exod. 34.12 c. Deut. 7.1.2 c. Lastly euen that which they think hindreth that very same helpeth it to be a figure For had not Salomon gone beyond the partition wall euen vnto the Gentiles for his wife it could not so aptly haue figured the Gentiles people to whom Messiah was to ioyne himselfe but not till first hee forsooke the Sinagogue of the Iewes And thus they that are ouer-precise for admitting Allegories shall sometimes cast out a censure vnworthy their places In this hir confession I am blacke the Church of Gentiles laboureth to satisfie the Sinagogue of the Iewes and that by an acknowledgem̄t of hir swart hue complexion Whence we may obserue first how readie the Iew is to except at imperfections in the Gentile yea sometimes to shut the doore of mercie vp against the Gentile himselfe notwithstanding vnwilling to enter in The crosse nature of which people our Sauior detecteth in the Scribes and Pharises Math. 23.13 The same doth S. Paul in 1. Thess. 2.14.15.16 And S. Luke registring the Apostles Acts doth diuerse times note it yea that the Lord had no small adoe to set Peter forwards for preaching to the Gentiles and S. Peter not a little adoe to satisfie his people for that action Act. 11.1 vnto vers 19. In a word that people at this day stand hardly conceited towards vs yea as appeareth in their confession of faith they dayly curse vs and as some of their words haue bin vttered heere in our Land of late they iudge vs vtterly vnworthy of GOD his loue making our spirituall blackenesse one maine reason why they cannot be well perswaded of our faith To spie and except at our imperfections it is in them poore soules a thing ordinary and naturall But in the second place what learne we Namely with all readinesse and faithfulnesse to confesse our sinnes before them yea our great vnworthinesse of so worthy a Messiah saying indeede I am blacke that is as the Apostle speaketh in Rom. 7.18 I know that in me namely in my flesh dwelleth no good thing And where no good thing dwelleth there must needes dwell blackenesse darkenesse and horrour of nature But alas wee are so farre from giuing a reuerent accompt of our faith and standing vnto Ierusalems people as rather we will curse them and spit our gall vpon them as vppon dogges Indeede their pulling of Messiahs blood vpon their heads it hath brought them into a fearefull estate yet seeing their fall was our rising their cutting off our ingraffing wee should compassionate them Nay seeing obstinacie is come vpon them in part till the Gentiles number be fulfilled and then all Israel shall be saued because God his couenant is to take away their sinnes and to regraffe them in his fauour we should pray for them and euery way practise the remoouall of such offences as wee know do hinder them from ioyning with vs. The Elder brother as yet standeth for the most part without angry and grieued at the prodigall Gentile come within Luk. 15.28 Iaphets people in Shems tent Gen. 9.27 But seeing the Father will come forth and entreate him to enter and be reconciled what are we to stand on our start-vps and not rather to humble our selues to our elder brother as Iaakob sometimes did to Esau that so happily we may become one sheepefold and no longer to be deuided We can readily accuse others of blacknesse and spirituall deformities saying Thou art wicked he is wicked they are Antichristian c. But very fewe smite themselues on the thigh saving O what haue I done Whereas euery true member of the Church must and will for glorifiing God and remoouall of offence particularly confesse I am blacke herein I am wicked as Dauid said to Nathan I haue sinned And to be desired c. After the Confession she entreth into Confutation The Synagogue would reason thus What person soeuer is blacke such a one is not of Salomon to be desired but by thine owne confession thou art blacke therefore not to be desired The first propositions consequent shee denieth saying Notwithstanding my blackenesse I am to be desired And this desirable state of hers she enlargeth by comparison and drawne first from Kedars tents secondly from Salomons curtaines q. d. I am notwithstanding my blackenesse to be desired as Kedars tents Yea which more is as Salomons curtaines so farre am I because of blackenesse from being not to be desired From whence we may obserue first how Preiudice and Enuie hindreth Iudgement and true forme of Reasoning for the Synagogue thinketh she reasons passing firmely in saying Thou art blacke therefore not to be desired whenas the Holy-ghost by the church of the Gentiles doth denie such consequence affirming and concluding rather the contrary Such preiudice and enuy caused the Donatists in Affrike to conclude all Churches sauing their owne to be false Churches because of some generall euills August telleth them that it followeth not Because of many euills therefore no true Church seeing Tares will be in the Lords Catholike wheate field and chaffe in the Lords barne floore after it hath beene a while threshed The Brownists about some 20. yeares since begun and yet persist they furbish the Donatists canker-fret arguments but indeede with some aduantage For whereas Donatus granted other Churches once to haue beene true Churches the Brownists affirme the English Church neuer to haue beene a true Church As herein more vncharitable seeing themselues neuer receiued faith elsewhere so more subtile in their businesse for the subtile beast of the field hath inspired them with more craft wonne by more experience and this manifested by denying plantation of a true Church here In more auncient historie though they vse them and admit them in some other cases yet not in this and why Men are subiect to errour and though a hundred ancient Writers doe testifie this yet forsooth they know not but they may lie Where first it was no Church Because it was blacke now it is no Church because it neuer was one Thus Donatus one spirit hath taken to himselfe seauen stronger diuells For neuer is an old heresie reassumed and renouated but with aduantage of euill that so it may not againe be easily dispossessed Their frenzie I haue else-where largely confuted Onely let this forme of the Synagogues blinde reason teach vs to auoyde preiudice and enuious conceipt left in stead of reasoning For wee reason Against the truth Enuy is blinde and frameth but blinde arguments Whereas Charitie seeth reasons rightly and giueth to euery soule the due Secondly we learne from the Church of Gentiles to be careful in distinguishing betweene good and euill and to giue to either the due For as we are not to call euill good so neither to terme Good Euill vnder paine of Gods curse and as hee would not be held abhominable before the Lord Isa. 5.20 Prou. 17.15 Yea to hold fast with Iob our
innocencie to the very death Iob 27.3 4 5 6. howsoeuer in some other things and respects our owne mouth shall condemne vs and our owne garments make vs filthy Iob 9.20.30 31. For to make euill good and good euill it is the worke of the diuel and the building of Babel a Tower of confusion Touching the comparison drawne from Kedars tents and Salomons curtaines it may well be conceiued that shee vnderstandeth both of them to be amiable and loue-some For Salomons curtaines none doubts it but else for Kedars tents diuerse take them to be a demonstration of her blackenesse as the other of her comlinesse and this is their reason the Kedarites dwelt in tents and open fieldes where all was exposed to the parching Sunne therefore more like to set forth her blackenesse True it is that they dwelt in tents pitched in the desart exposed to Sunne and all other weather Yet take this withall it was Arabiaes desart and they were very rich and glorious For this doe consider these places Ezek. 27.21 Ier. 49.28.29 Isa. 21.13.16.17 besides humane histories who largely treate of the excellent precious things of Arabia deserta and of the plenty thereof Solinus Polyhistor feareth not to say Aliena non emunt vendunt sua They buy not of others but sell to others All which weighed I rather thinke that besides blackenesse matter of desire is also vnderstood q.d. True I am blacke as Kedars tents yet is there in mee precious things for the which I am to be desired euen as Kedars tents haue beene desired not for their outward hue but for the precious gemmes gold and pleasant odours that be couched in them Arabia looked rudely yet by searching it regularly there was to be found precious stones excellent odours c. Yea in it was the Phoenix If so God created such a creature as is onely Male or onely Female or else an Hermaphrodite who because she is euer but One might also well resemble Messiahs Church who after in this Song is saide to be Alone Who may with the Phoenix be burned when she hath finished her testimonie but else out of her ashes ariseth a new seede like vnto Dauid and Christ at first A Worme and no Man which holdeth out the former testimonie through the worlds-desart worse then that of Arabia But to passe by that let vs here learne not to iudge peremptorily vpon outward appearance For if the Naturian could say truely Wisedome oftentimes is couered with a base garment wee may much more say by spirituall Canon that as Christ in outward appeerance had neither forme nor beautie Isa. 53.2 and yet were couched in him all the treasures of wisedome and knowledge Coloss. 2.3 euen so it befalleth his Church and members thereof namely to be oftentimes lacking in the externall appearance and yet otherwise all glorious within for which our Salomon taketh pleasure in her Psal. 45.11.13 And indeede this Kings daughter is rather glorious within then without howsoeuer Papist and Brownist would haue vs to measure it rather by outward appearance the first by player-like paintings the second by supposed Saintings Besides hir egreging the same by allusion to Salomons curtaines which in all probability must be passing worthy answereable to the rest of his glory she teacheth that the graces of Christ Iesus in his Church they exceede all ordinary glory Yea that the gifts of Messiahs spirit they are the Tabernacles curtaines the deckings of the Church the Couert ouer Salomon-Messiah represented by the Douish wings couering Iesus at his baptisme Luke 3.22 Lastly seeing neither the glory of Kedars tent nor Salomons Bed could be discerned otherwise then darkely till the curtaines and vailes were remooued it may put vs in minde of Messiah and the excellent things of his spirit which vnder sacramentall signes and shadowes lie couched darkely yet neuerthelesse by the eye of the soule a beleeuing minde are truely discerned And from hence groweth this diuine axiome The law a shadow the Gospel an Image the substance in heauen For as Ambrose could well say The Emperour being absent his Image hath authoritie but being present it hath none Lect. VII Verse 5. Respect me not because I am blacke for the Sunne hath looked vppon me The Sonnes of my mother haue fumed against me They put mee for a keeper of the Vines My Vine which was to me I haue not kept THe Church of the Gentiles vnto the Synagogue of the Iewes doth herein offer vp first a Petition and then secondly a reason of her Petition The Petition is this Regarde me not because I am blacke q.d. Let not my blacke hew be so much in your eie let not my swart colour be a cause why therfore yee should condemne me wholy and conclude me vtterly vnfitte for Messiah Where wee may obserue not onely her aduersaries forme of Argumentation which was from a parte to the whole from the Accident to the Subiect and so reason our aduersaries The Part is euill therefore the Whole is euill The Accident is discommendable therefore also the Subiect but also we may note the Churches humility euen in her innocencie Shee knoweth her cause to be good and her aduersaries to be bad yet she fretteth not railes not but in all holie meeknesse doth petitionate and humblie intreate her aduerse Sister to iudge rightly of hir Such humility was in Iob being falsly charged by his kinsfolkes such humilitie was in Abraham towardes Lot when Lot should rather haue supplicated to his vnckle his Elder the great father of the promise sealed vp to the Gentiles As Loue wil couer a multitude of transgressious specialy in zealous Brethren so the Soule that is humbled in the owne eies it will not stand vpon these tearmes I am Elder I am Better I haue the better cause c. but for edification sake where hope of edification is not barred vp it will cause a soule to vse soft words to desire reconciliation Yea for maintaining and procuring peace it will cause good Iaakob to present giftes and sweetely to salute Esau. Follow Peace we ought not it to follow vs and that with all men specially with the houshold of Faith Nor can this be followed if wee follow not the meanes Flie from meeke and soft termes flie from intreaties flie from humble gestures and then Peace will flie Vnity will not be Anger will rise Enuy will enter Wrath and Fury will set all the house on fire Thus wee see how Pride is enemy to Peace but Humilitie an appeaser of Wrath a quencher of Enuy a mother to peace and sacred vnion The reason of her Petition lieth in the other part of the Verse and that is drawen from the cause of her Blackenesse And that cause is two-folde the first is externall the second internall The externall cause of her blackenesse is first the Sunne secondly her mothers sonnes inforcing her to forraine workes The internall cause is her owne negligence in not keeping her owne
15.14 And his commaundement to the ministerie in the person of S. Peter is Feede my lambes and twice feede my sheepe Iohn 21.15.16.17 And to the whole body he commaundeth the duty of edifying communication Ephes. 4.29 of ministring the holy gift one to another as good disposers of the manifolde grace of God exhort and watch one ouer an other continualy So doing we receiue the commendation not only of frends but of felow-friends in the pasâ—orall worke of saluation Touching the Comparison and first with that which dooâ—h touch her present estate wherin she is compared to Chariot horses in 2. Kin. 2. Elisha seeing his Maister Elijah assumed and rapt in a whirle-winde of a fiery chariot and fiery horses he cryeth out my father my father the Chariot of Israel and the horsemen thereof as if he shoulde say In loosing of thee Oh fatherly Prophet we loose the Chariot and Horsemen of Israel the verie strength of the battell This terme it seemeth was in that age so commonly giuen to true Prophets as Ioash King of Israel affords it to Elisha on his death-bed And Zechariah long after in a vision chap. 1.8.10 seeth them to be Horsemen euen as Iohn afterwards in Reuelat. 6.2 compared with Psal. 45.4.5 doth see Messiah their Leader mounted vpon the word of truth which Messiah hee afterwards in chap. 19.14 doth see accompanied with all the warriors in heauen that is the faithfull in the church and all mounted vpon horses From which places we may perceiue the strength and speedinesse of Ministers and their faithful Hearers The true Ministers of God they are the strength of the Church as Elijah and Elisha the strength of Israel As for the faithfull people they are the strength of the worlde Where Vision failes the people doe perish as when Moses was in the Mount Israel fell to Idolatrie in the vallies When the Church is remooued the world is adiudged euen as when the eight soules were closed in the darke and Lot with his Three got forth of the Citty the world was drowned and Sodome burned As the Prophets of God are the strength of the Church so the Church it selfe is as Ailas shoulders the very pillars of the world The first must teach the Church to make much of her Teachers the second must enforme Sodome to leaue grieuing of Lot I mean it must teach the world to make much of the Church Otherwise they shall at last learne that the departure of Iaakob is the losse of Labans thrift Besides the faithfull Preachers and Hearers must learne that as they are called to be strong yea pillars for strength the first Epistle of S. Paul to the Corinthians the sixteenth Chap. and thirteenth verse Galat. the second Chapter and ninth verse so to be speedie 1. Cor. Chapter nine verse foure and twentie for cursed saith Ieremy are they that doe the worke of the Lorde negligently Secondly marke the speach of our Salomon My horses in the Chariots of Pharaoh the Palfries His the Chariot Pharaohs What is this but that the spirit of Strength and Speede it is Christs and the vntoward flesh which is to be drawne by the same druine Spirit it is of the world and the very Chariot of Satan Soule and body as wheeles and axeltree do runne which way the diuel driueth till the stronger man Iesus haue freed our Chariot-nature from that power of Hell and so with all doth ioyne himselfe by his owne spirit vnto our nature that so with Ezekiels Chariot it may goe forth and returne as his diuine Spirite instincteth Then Pharaohs Chariot Satans throne it goeth a new way and serueth a new maister As Simon the Pharise though cleansed is called Leper because once a Leper so our degenerate Nature because once the captiue of hellish Pharaoh slâ—uish Sin it may be termed Sinnes Coach Yea so much the rather as here in the strongest draught of Christs spirit Sinne is still a troubler of our Israel sin still pulleth backe and is pursuing vs as Pharaoh with his Chariots pursued Israel for leading vs captiue backe againe to the ten times plagued Aegypt But ten times happie wee who euen here haue the holy spirit of strength and celeritie to draw vs towards Canaan the Land of Rest Pharaoh and his horses shall drowne in the red sea when the Piller and Cloude shall bring the Elect into the land of promise The Churches strength and celeritie so laid downe now followeth her beauty first in respect of her cheekes secondly of her necke The Cheekes are compared with his palfries reines stretched downâ— the iawes rainged with precious stones her necke is assimilated to the collers or chaines of his steeds and such had Midians Cammels on their neckes Iudg. 8.26 Touching the first if thereby were entended only hir cheekes I would conclude that chiefly thereby were meant her spirituall complexion amiable in the eyes of Messiah but seeing the word Lèchájáik is properly Thy Iawes I take it hee rather intends the mouth bridled and kept backe from riotous speach A lesson taught by Saint Iames in Ch. 1.19 when he saith Be slow to speake And the person that can bridle his tongue is by him in Ch. 3.2 called Téleios anér a consummate or perfect man A lesson learned of Dauid in Ps. 39.1 when he writes I haue said I will keep my wayes from sinning in my tongue I will keepe my mouth bridled whiles the wicked is with me And this was the lesson that Pambo a simple vnlearned man desired to learne and to that end meditated on this speach of Dauid whole nineteene yeares as Socrates the Schooleman recordeth Nor maruell at it for if he that can bridle his speach be a Perfect man and if the gift and grace of so guiding the Iawes bee compared to rainges of precious stones it must necessarily be an hard thing to obtaine seeing excellent things are not easily attained And this grace lacking marke what the Apostle Iames saith Toú tou mátaios hê thrêskeia This Mans Religion or worship is in vaine For the second part of her comlines it is her necke chained These Chaines I take to be only the sacred laws of God legall and Euangelicall It was but one Chaine to the furnishing of Israel in Ezek. 16.11 but here vnto the new testaments church it is chaines The Sinagogues chaine is expressed by the word Rábid simply a Chaine or ornament but this churches Chaine is expressed by the woorde Chárûs which signifieth rather a Chaine of pearle or precious stone Looke how one lincke is wreathed in another so is one law clasped with the other and as many pearles are drawen vpon one threed for making of one Chaine so are many precious promises compared by our Sauiour to Pearle continued in one by the draught of one and the same diuine spirit All which vnity of law and Gospel should teach vs to be at vnitie therewith as also one with an other At vnitie with the commaundements of
beheld of Paul in a rapt or spirituall traunce made him vnable thereof to speake any thing 2. Cor. 12.2 c. except with Peter vppon a little taste of his glorious Vnitie Math. 17.4 Luke 9.33 he should haue said he wist not what If wee consider this table heere in the Kingdome of grace and the circumstance of time doth properly teach that then it is that Chatholike Vnitie begunne here somewhat represented by our feasts of loue termed Agapai wherein the open wicked are of Saint Iude verse 12. compared to spots Which feasts of Loue the Corinths did keepe before the Lords supper but with horrible schisme contrary not onely to the end of that feast but also of the Lords supper ensuing for in that sacramentall supper the vnitie of Christ and his members is notably signified and sealed For as the circled vnitie beginnes and ends in Christ who is our Alpha and Omega first and last so besides he giueth vnto these faithfull ones himselfe for foode that so in a spirituall sorte He the King and they the people may become one as in a Naturall sorte the bread and wine becommeth one with our natures Vpon that ground Irenaeus thus writ The Eucharist consisteth on two things an earthly and an heauenly And so in truth doth euery exhibitiue sacrament because by that which is earthly we should ascend to the apprehension of that is heauenly The reprobate may eate the signe but not the thing signified For if hee could eate Christ his flesh signified by the bread then hee should liue for euer Iohn 6.50.51 Let old Barnard teach the Romanists he writes thus The thing of the Sacrament none partake but the worthy and fit As for the Sacrament without the thing of the Sacrament it is death whereas the thing of the Sacrament without the Sacrament that is Christ without the signes it is life eternall to the receiuer And no maruell for the Bread and Wine do but signifie vnion as for the Body and Blood they are our vnion and life signified and to the faithfull together with the Signes exhibited In this vnion the King sitteth with his people and the people with their King These that but stood in Salomons presence are of Shebahs Queene pronounced blessed howe much more happy they that stand yea that sit in the presence of this King yea which more is doe liue in him and by him feeding vppon him as Eagles tire on flesh and sucke vp the blood of the slaine Matth. chap. 24.38 Iob chap. 39 30. c. These that bring not true faith vnto this Table they swallow the Signes and Death withall as Iudas swallowed the Paschall soppe and the diuell withall and therfore if knowne of the Church they should be debarred of the Church specially if they may be debarred without pulling vp wheate without rending Churches communion Some here will obiect Christ knew Iudas to haue an euill hart yet he admitted him to this sacred communion I answere first admit he was admitted that yet is nothing to vs seeing he was secretly wicked that is a maskt hipocrite and vnseene of the church Seene he was of God but not of Man For Christ in respect of his manhoode no more knew that Iudas was to be the traitour then thereby he knew the latter day whether the terme latter day haue relation to the day of Ierushalems or the worlds downe-fall His manhood knew by Dauids Prophecie that one of his familiars should betray him but who was the person he knew not except by Communication of the other nature his God-head Whereas not the things of the God-head but the peculiars of the manhood are for our imitation Secondly though from the first three Euangelists it hardly appeareth otherwise but that hee was present because of the Histories mixture and mixture of Times yet from Saint Iohn in his 13. chap. and 30. verse it is plaine hee was absent For there it is said Assoone then as he had receiued the soppe he went immediatly out Now the soppe was of the Passeouer not of the Lords supper which was in the last place instituted Going forth so with the soppe of the first hee stayed not the celebration of the second Nor is this my iudgement alone Beza hereon writeth thus Hence their iudgement appeareth certaine who thinke that Iudas was not present at the institution of the Lords supper Nor is it a late iudgement for Theophilus hath this Diuerse say that Iudas was not partaker of the mysteries but that he went out vnto the mount of Oliues Before him Hilarius giueth in this testimony It may be perceiued he so departed by this that he is shâ—wne to be returned with the Company And for stopping of the Romanists mouths let them heare what Clemens saith in the person of the Apostles who as some of them say succeeded S. Peter in the Popedome When he that is Iesus had deliuered vnto vs the Anti-tipicall mysteries of his precious body and blood wherein togither with vs Iudas was not present he went out into the Mount of Oliues Into this circled-session the hypocrite without his wedding garment may come but the Lord of the feast will finally finde him out The Open-wiched tares Shimei Ioab Diotrephes may occupie a place amidst the wheate and children of the kingdome the ministers of the kingdome not knowing how to pull vp these burry cliuing foes but finally the Angel reapers shall collect them binde them and commit them to the fiery furnace According to secret grace and Election Mâ—ssiah hath a holy communion here for he knoweth who are his and they haue his spirit but so the visible and externall communion it is here imperfect scarse seauen without a Nicholas twelue without a Iudas a Congregation without a Diotrephes Hil-altars in midst of the Temple but in the haruest in the worlds end a separation shall be made and the externall communion be perfect He that expecteth a full purgation of the visible-church in this world he altogether erreth from scripture as elsewhere I haue largely inough prooued But yet no one in his place must be negligent to purge it of euil so farre as their calling reacheth when it may be done without harming the Lords wheat-field that is his Church It followeth My Spikenard gaue his smell Christ hath his communion and she hath her odour Like vnto that in the gospel where our Sauiour with others sit at supper together in Bethania what time as Mary Lazarus his sister did annoynt Iesus with Nard-pistike of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Pistis Faith for it was not onely a faithfull vnguent vncorrupt oyntment but also by Faith applied to Christes death whose sweet sauour filled there the house Spike-nard or Nard of India a kind of sweete plant whereof is prepared a most precious sweete oyle hauing the nature of warming piercing digesting The Herb it selfe is hot in the first degree and dry in the second whereby it falleth out that
it is an excellent Comforting nature and also repercussiue Vnder this odoriferous Nard I mystically vnderstand first the sacrifice of a faithfull penitent heart whose sighes and confessions petitions and praises are as Noahs oblations in Gen 8.21 called the odours of the Saints Reue. 8.4 and secondly they be these sauourie almes which the faithfull minister to the Saints termed by the Apostle an odour that smelleth sweete a sacrifice acceptable and pleasant vnto God Philip. 4.18 The first of these doe specially respect God the second our Neighbour For as in Church-Communion God and Man are considered at one and in Christ made one so no soule can manifest it selfe to be of this fellowship that first persumeth not Christs head then secondly his members with this aromatike odour Christes head is the Father and his body is the church 1. Cor. 11.2 12.27 To the Father of heauen are all deuotions of the heart to be offered vpon the golden altar of Messiahs obedience for onely this Angell of the East Reuel 8.1 c. whose starre appeared in the East hath a golden censor for censing the prayers of the Saints As for the oblations of the hand the contribution of the faithfull they appertaine to the faithfull needy-ones Do good we must vnto all but specially to the houshold of faith Galat. 6.10 And this specialtie appeareth when as the speciall almes termed the Collection for the saints 1. Cor. 16.1 and sundry times called a Grace in 2. Corinthi 8. and 9. they be appropriated to the vse of the sanctified of the Gracious Not that we are to contribute onely to the visible Gratious for as God without respect to mans worke dooth good to the verie wicked so are we but specially we are to tender the gracious as God by a Speciall grace hath regarded them beyond others In both we are to be like vnto God and both of them be vnto him as the Morning and Euenings incense Thus Christ as a King feasteth with his church and the church againe feasteth with him in sauourie words and workes but made sauourie onely by his spirit Iudas Iscariot will finde fault with the effusion of this oyle not because he loueth the poore but for that he hath the bagge and studieth how to robbe the poore Let not Mary cease to offer her Deuotions to God and her Almes to Messiahs members for howsoeuer Iudas thinke all but oyle spilt vpon the ground our Iesus will say No let her alone against the day of burying she kept it There be a number of Dogges now that neither will themselves doe good to the poore nor can bee contented that others do them Good With Iudas they thinke all lost that is spent vpon Christ and his members and herevpon it is that our Ages Atheists doe robbe the Church intending with Iscariot the paunching of themselues Let them in time repent and in time make restitution lest God in his iustice do leaue them with theefe Iudas to the halter or at least to haue their portion with Hypocrites and Foxes The Brownist which now teacheth them to robbe the Church will then be farre enough from defending the play or helping Sacri-legists out of Hels-mouth that gapeth to receiue them as they gape to swallowe vp the Churches inheritance Let Iesus and his members feast together while they may for after the feast there wil be a fast a day of Crucifixion a darke and gloomie day While the Bridegroome is with vs let vs publikely bestow our odours on God and Man when the gospels sunne shall be eclipsed and Christ haue yeelded vp the ghost then with the Centurion let vs knocke our breast moorne and lament for that darkenesse is ouer all our Earth Lect. XIIII HAuing thus praised her Loue for that was past shee now commeth to that praise which toucheth the present time whereas she first compareth him to a bundle of Myrrhe secondly of Copher For Myrrhe it is an Indian tree and in taste very bitter and of the second degree hote and drie and of preseruing nature for which cause Nicodemus in Iohn 19.39 doth mix Myrrhe with Aloes for embalming the body of Iesus That Christ is to the church a nosegay of Myrrhe what meaneth it but that he doth by his Spirits heate exiccate or dry vppe the superfluitie of our degenerate nature wherby body and soule is preserued to eternall life For as it is the office of Messiahs spirite to kill or mortifie sinne in vs so likewise to viuifie and quicken vp in vs the spirit of true life The first is done by the bitternesse of the Law the second is done by the redolent doctrine of Faith or Gospel And as the church hath in the present a sense thereof so shee couenanteth for future time that this Messiah shall as a bundle of Myrrhe be couched betweene her breasts and that no doubt for these purposes first for manifesting how deare Christ crucified is vnto her with all his bitter agonies secondly for keeping her rebellious sprowting lusts vnder all her life That the bitter crosse of Christ is of great esteeme in the harts of the faithfull consider not onely in this that they desire with Paul onely to know Christ and him crucified 1. Cor. 2.2 but also are baptized into his death and so with the Apostle doe die dayly 1. Cor. 17.29 30. For such as walke on in wickednesse lâ—bouring their owne particular these are not common-wealâ—s-men but common-illes-men and as Paul termeth them Enemies vnto the Crosse of Christ Philip. 3.18 so farre are they from exulting with the Apostles in bitter sufferings and sharpe temptations This bundle is no Nosegay for their bosoms That the church placeth it betweene her breasts for the subduing of deceitfull lusts which are euer ready to spring out of the heart it also appeareth in this that the faithfull mâ—ditating the death and agonies of Iesus they thereby are drawne to remember their owne sinnes which lashed him goared him killed him the remembrance whereof wil easily proue a cooling carde for Philautus able to kill self-loue and to cause a loathing of fleeting deceiuable pleasures To which purpose our Lordes Supper setting forth his death till he come it is a soueraigne medicine For as the meditation of the world causeth Demas to runne backe and embrace the world euen so the meditation of Christ crucified it causeth Mary Magdalen to leaue carnall couch arise earely to repayre vnto his sepulchre And vpon this ground was builded but through a blinde zeale the ancient Monasticke solitarie life estranged from the communion of the church fitter for a Timon of Athens an hater of Mankinde then for a common-wealths man or one of christian fraternitie seeing we are not called to seeke only our selues but the common vtilitie of his church in a mortified conuersation It was prettily but vnfitly saide of Hierome to Vigilantius Ego cùmfugero non vinco in â—o quod fugio sed fugio ne vincar I in flying the societie
the ayre resembling mens words and works Pithagoras yea Abbot Tritemius and Bartholomeus Glanduile could declare what was done a farre off so the same word and deede were not aged aboue 24. houres But if knowledge be held miraculous in the Prophet Eliseus bewraying the King of Aram his councell 2. King 6.8 c. then cannot I but beleeue there is no such naturall knowledge That Frier Bartholmew teacheth how by certaine artificiall glasses there might be caused abroad very shapes of bodies which simple beholders would imagine to be ghostes or spirits I will easily beleeue the Frier in that for it may be he had learned it of his Church-priests who by such deceiuable shewes made people beleeue that mens soules walked who well paied for their paines could coniure these shadows at their pleasure Let Edmonds the Iesuite with his Priests make that cleare who haue caused people to belieue themselues to bee possessed with Diuels specially after they had giuen them Potions and Brimstony fumigations able to traunce an horse Which Brimstony-Diuel they could dispossesse by ceasing to possesse their bodies any longer with such Hors-drinkes and Helhsh smoakings But let al such sorts of shadows very effects of Aegyptian darknes go by and let vs come to the shadow of our Appletree and what is that in mysterie The Psalmist thus answereth He that dwelleth in the secret of the most high shal abide in the shadow of the Almightie which at large after is expounded by termes of protection euen as an Henne vnder her wings protecteth her yong-ones This comfortable shadow this shield of protection in the times of Suns heate and Sins heat in the time of bodies persecution and soules persecution this shadow the faithfull desire crying Hide â—ee from the conspiracie of the wicked and from the rage of the workers of iniquitie Hither they flie as doues vnto their culuer-house as the Childe into Mothers lappe To Idols to the shadow of Iothams bramble or any other creature they fly not and why All power in heauen and in earth is giuen to Christ and he will not giue his Glorie to another Call vppon him in the day of affliction and he will heare thee come vnto him and hee will ease thee And because hee woulde haue thee finde him euen when thou dost not seeke him loe he cast himselfe into the forest where the site most fitte for him is paradise Though he be remooued in his body he is present in the spirite present in his word present in his sacraments Whole Christ though not the whole of Christ is euery where Rudely though he be handled in his ordinance yet present he is If his word if his disciple be hardly entreated he counts himselfe persecuted and when Satan woulde dart them through with fierie darts of sinne he takes the shot into his owne wings his protection as a shadow reviues and comforts them There is no saluation saith Peter Act. 4.12 in any other for amongst men there is giuen none other name vnder heauen whereby we must be saued Hic ergo requiescamus ruminemus let vs therefore solely repose our comfort in his shadow for euer The second comfort deriued from him to all that rest vnder him it is his fruite for thereof the Church thus speaketh his fruite was pleasant to my palate What fruites be these In one worde his words and workes For his words Dauid thus pathetically cries out How sweete are thy speeches to my palate beyond hony vnto my mouth Let the Iews pursiuants deliuer their iudgement heerein Neuer say they Did man speake after this maner As for Simon Peter he cryeth out Thou hast the wordes of eternall life to whom should we goe As if he should say it is not for any man to seeke for words that bring eternall life in any one but thee therfore wee will not depart from thee for running after any other This caused Gregorie to conclude well Ipse est quippe lignum vitae c. For he is the tree of that life which he giueth to vs. If in other mens words we finde any refreshment wee receiue it not as theirs but as that which is Christs because whatsoeuer is in them besides God without doubt we finde to be poyson for vs. Ouer against which words the Ancient Annotatour puts in the Margine Salutis verbum in solo Christo inuenitur the word of saluation is onely to be found in Christ. Then of the other side followeth for a soule to build his faith on the meere word of man howsoeuer it carry with it a name of the Churches decree it is to build not on the Rocke but on a sandie foundation For his works what one action can be remembred that is not delectable His worke of incarnation taking our nature vppon him his worke of warfare in our nature to the killing of sinne vpon the crosse and his conquest of death by an happy resurrection his glorious ascention in our nature leading captiuitie captiue and giuing spirituall gifts vnto men his sitting at the right hand of maiestie in our nature making continuall intercession for his people and from thence sending foorth the Angels for ministring vnto the good of the heires of saluation His affoording word and sacraments for our dayly instruction his gift of naturall life with all necessary temporaries accompanying his people His protections in time of calamitie his spirits delightfull presence amiddest persecution his sweete care of vs in life and in death No one particular action can be remembred that is not pleasant and pleasure it selfe Eate of these apples in Faith digest them with Meditation and thou findes in them another maner of delight then carnall Israel did in Manna That quickly did rot this neuer felt corruption Tagnamû vrèaû kj tóbh Iehóuah Taste ye and see ye how good the Lord is psal 34.8 Euery action an apple of life and not a leafe of this tree but it serueth to heale the nations with Reuel 22.2 Lect. IIII. Verse 4. He brought me into the house of wine and Loue was his banner ouer me Verse 5. Stay me with Flagons and comfort me with apples for I am sicke of Loue. THE Church continueth her speach and in these two verses she vâ—ters two things first a Narration of Messiahs loue vnto her secondly a petition offered vp vnto her soules Phisition For the Narration it vttâ—reth Christes loue in two glorious fauours first in conuaying his spousesse into a banquetting house termed by reason of a speciall adiunct the house of wine secondly in spreading his banner ouer her termed from the effect Dilection or Loue. First of this narration then after to her Petition In the verse before she sate in Messiahs comfortable shadow and ate of his pleasant fruite Nowe the welbeloued bâ—ingeth her into his house of wine that there she might be further cheared and quickened vp vnto spirituall duties Wine as I obserued in the first chapter bringeth a delight
in his strength as also for that the Churches heart was no more able to entertaine the fulnesse of his sweete Grace thâ—n Iob could shut vp the sea with dores or Agur close vp the windes in his fist hereof it commeth that shee soundeth as surcharged with a burthen Like the Queene of Sheba by the Aegyptian Cronicle termâ—d Makedah who comming to Salomons court and there seeing and hearing excellent things farre beyond her expectation she presently thereupon as the Hebrues reade it had no spirite more in her that is she became astonied as one that had no life nor motion in her Such forme of speach may well allude to a strong amorous passion surprizing an honest virgine vnawares meeting her loue and enioying him in the fulnesse of ioy I speake not of the Comedians Wanton who crieth to others conuay this woman away for she sucketh out the very blood of me her miserable Louer but of such an amourous loue-qualme as it seemeth Mary was in when shee claue fast to the feete of Iesus her best Beloued vnawares and much so dainely met with There is also a loue-sickenesse after the good thing lacking so Dauids soule longed and fainted after the Courts of the Lord I would we could be sicke of thâ—t disease but I see not how that can wel be here concluded seeing she was already in the court yea in the house of wine banqueting with her Beloued Her trance here I take to grow as before from the fulnesse of diuine dilections presented vnto her the greatnesse and infinitie whereof ouerwhelmeth her comprehension A disease too farre from vs who heare we and see we dayly neuer so many loues of God accruing and growing vpon vs do neuer stirre more then stockes Why because as Isaiah well noteth our hearts are fatted insomuch as in hearing we vnderstand not and in seeing we perceiue not Like to fishes for deafnesse and to moles for blindenesse Shebahs Queene could astonish at Salomons naturall wisedome but let Christ Iesus a greater then Salomon speake to vs by his owne word and our spirites mooâ—e not stirre not specially by way of holy admiration Could our spirits be thus rapt our soules thus rauished with the â—acred infinite loues of our Sauiour O how he would delight in vs and ioy in our loue Insteade of sickendsse growing from sacred loue most of vs sooner aâ—e sicke of the splene sicke of enuy sicke for anger our lusts are crossed This sickenesse is from hell as the other from heauen And therefore leauing that to the diuell termed the Enuious man I turne me to the faithful in their holy loue-sickenes and now will hearken what ensueth her reasonable petition Lect. VI. Verse 6 His left hand is vnder mine head and his right hand doeth embrace me 7 I adiure ye c. THis followeth her petition first a declaration of Messiahs loue towards her in the time of her louetraunce secondly an Adiuration or an Oth taken by the Church of Ierushalems daughters for not disturbing her Beloued For Messiahs loue it appeareth in one general act of fauour namely in his amorous embracement That embracements argued loue consider it not onely in the practise of all nations but also in the solemne obseruance thereof in scripture By such embracement old Israel prefaced his blessing powred forth on Ephraim and Manasses Gen. 48.10 and by such embracement the old father entertaines his repentant prodigall in Luke 15.20 Not to Ioabs embracing of Amasa with the one hand till he stab him with the other nor to Iscariots embracing of Iesus doth the holy ghost here allude but to the sacred embracement that passeth betweene friend and friend yea betweene such a couple as by passing of troth haue made themselues one flesh hauing that sympathie of affection as is said of Hippocrates his Twinnes who both laught or both wept both liued or both died Yet no such embracement is vnto this any neerer then the shadowe is to the substance For as in heauen there shall be no marrying nor being married so there all these corporeall embracements shall be remooued The shadowe then ceaseth because the substance is come Which substance is our full vnitie in body and soule first with Christ then secondly one with another which spirituall embracement is here begun in the soâ—le and represented by our amiable honest embracings euen as the vnity of the reprobate is here begunne first with Satan secondly with themselues whose blacke perfection is in their resurrection to be substantially reuealed For this holy embracement it is laid downe in twoo particulars First in his left hand conuaide vnder her head Secondly in his right hand amiably embracing her Seeing these things are spirituâ—ll what may these hands and these their actions be For the resolution of this mysterie it is vnapt to bring in the consideration of his left and right hand in Matth. 25 seeing there the left hand is turned to the wicked but both hands here doe circle the godly Both hands here considered with the church we are to collect onely two such instruments as whereby two notable actions are effected for benefiting the faithfull For any thing I yet see otherwise I can by these two hands most properly vnderstand the two natures of Christ. Vnder his Left-hand I conceiue his Manhood by his Right hand I vnderstand his Godhead The manhood of Christ may well be signified by his left hand for these two causes first as the left hand is lesse agile and lesse strong than the right such was his manhoods heauinesse and weakenesse in comparison of the godhead for so our infirmities were vpon him Isa. 53.5 Secondly as the left hand is patient and suffers when the right hand in al businesse is agent and worketh so the Manhood of Messiah was to suffer whereas the Godhead was impassible cold and did worke but was not wrought vppon For such an high Priest it beseemed vs to haue as in our nature might feele our miserie that so in our nature he might with more feeling offer vp his sacrifice And this feeling is declared by putting his arme vnder the churches crazie head bearing the burden of her infirmitie yea bearing the punishment on that his humane arme that was due for our sinnes Iaakobs loue is registred to be very great who vnder-propped or vnder-bare Rahel Gen. 48.7 till she dyed vpon him and as we haue it well turned died on his hand But Messiahs loue was greater for he to sustaine and procure life to his Church hath put vnder his hand laid downe his owne life Thus euery way his humane weake nature went vnto the worst til he had aduanced his Church to the best His diuine Nature may well be likened to the right hand of a louer embracing his weake spowsesse first for cherishing the church so fainting Secondly for propulsing all aduersarie accidents Both these graces Dauid praieth for in this one speach Shew thy maruailous mercies who art the
same place Whereto against the heart of Romanists I will adde that of Eckius Nor verely thinke I saith he that Christ speaketh here in Math. 7.25 of prophets telling future things by the holy spirit but rather that by Prophet he vnderstands an Expositour of holy scripture which whoso doe well vnfold they are termed good prophets but handling them badly and falsely are denominate Pseudo-prophets And that such expositours of scripture are termed Prophets it is sufficiently plâ—ine vnto vs from Paul who witnesseth that Christ gaue some to be Apostles some Prophets c. confirming the terme also from the 1. Cor. 14. Which well remembred how can they falt vs for terming Luther Tindall Husse Sauanarolâ— and all such the true Prophets of God sent of God not of their Church for calling forth people to the building vp of Ierushalems walls Whersom say of such that they were extraordinarie ministers I answer first there was nothing extraordinary in their ministrie seing it was expreslie to be proued by the written word Secondly it is no more to be held extraordinarie in the new church then it was in the old sinagogue In Mother Zion were vnlimited Ministers namely Prophets so to the new Testaments Prophets are giuing They had a standing minstry to their Temple and Tabernacle these were priests and Leuites so our churches of Christ their peculiar ministry of Presbyters Deacons The Presbyters and Deacons proceed in the worke established the Apostolicall Euangelicall Propheticall ministrie doth call people into order and recall the straiers vnto the first pattern And these new testaments Prophets for that semeth to me the aptest title they haue their calling as they of the old testament had Some stirrd vp immediatlie of God acknowleged to be such for their work sake some trained vp in the schools of Prophets and sent there-out by the voyce of the faithfull The first sent of God in times more desperate the other sent of the Church when her schooles of prophecie are rightly settled The more fully I haue spoken hereof because of fantastick spirits amongst vs who cannot abide to heare of anie ministrie but only of Parsons Vicars tied to their particular congregations or as they terme themselues Pastors and Doctors of particular Churches Would they but looke with a single eye into this point they should see that in the worst times it is liklyer to find that ministrie which for matter and maner do rather succeede the Apostles then occupie the place of Pastors that rather are appointed with Paul to haue the care of manie Churches then but one congregation laied vpon them This ministry so vnderstood let vs see how Apostles and their successors may be compared to Roes and Hinds of the field Lect VIII FIrst to the Roe It is a Beast right swifte coueting the height of mountaines and from the top thereof in time of Hunters strait pursuite will cast it self downe headlong in safetie by casting the bodie within the compasse of the hornes Hereto the Apostolicall ministrie may haue resemblance spiritually first for spirituall spedines through the fields of the catholike Church For in how few yeares after Christs ascention was the Gospel caried through the earth by the Head Apostles and their concomitants When Saint Paul writ his epistle to the Romans beholde their sound was gone through the earth and their words into the ends of the worlde They that were not tied to till one oxgang of land but to breake vp the whole earth before them it required speed Necessitie was laid vpon them and a woe vnto them in not doing the Lords woâ—ke spedily For their successors no such miraculous ministers how swiftlie haue they run through the Churches field Their speed from Church to Church from one land to another will teâ—tifie that No one of the Miraculous Apostles did runne through the whole earth for the ecclesiasticall writers declare in what contries each of them conuersed and the booke said to be written by Prochoruâ— the Deacon of Ierushalem saith they cast lots for seuerall portions but euery one in som parts more principally As for the Apostle Paul he was in his labours more aboundant then they all and for that cause Saint Luke hath speciallie drawne his jornall in the Acts. So it hath fared with such as haue succeeded in that worke Some haue labored more and some lesse Some haue cared for moe churches some for fewer No one with the Papall prelate tooke charge of all though with S. Paule he might care and thirst after the good of all Secondly this large ministerie hath with the Roe still affectioned the hiest places a propertie also giuen by Habakkuk to the Hinds when he saith The Lord will make my feet like the hindes and he will make me to walke vpon mine his places These hie places are not the earths-mountaines if we walke by a deeper mysterie but the heauens the hill of Gods holines and our happines whereto Paul ascended in the vision of his soule and wherto Stephens hart eye was lift vp in the end of his Apologie because his Defence was in the heauens Not from the mountaines of flesh and blood but from the heauens commeth our helpe But in a more literall sense considering the persons we speak of these Mountaines are also the Cities and chief townes of countries as Ierushalem Samaria Antioch Corinth Ephesuâ— Sâ—yrna Rome c. Whether this kind of ministerie still ascended with the Gospell As Sathan stil commaunded the pages or contrie-hamlets by the Idolatry planted in the Citties as heads of the countrie so the Lord euer by this Prophetical ministrie hath first smit these heads of the Nations that the Cittie 's wonne they might commaund the inferiour places The country-hamlets were called Pagiâ— and very probable it is that the terme Pagan was deriued thence because of the heathenisme in them when the Gospel was begunne in the Citty And hereupon it is that the Apostles direct their Epistles not to the Saints or church of such pagies or villages but of such such citties as mountaines and heades to the country as the head of Aram was Damascus and Samaria the head of Ephraims people Isa. 7 8 9. Thirdly in straite pursuite these ministeriall Roes haue cast their bodies and soules for safegard betweene their Heades auntlers Who is their Head Christ who also is called the Horne of our saluation Into his handes as into diuine antlers the prophet Dauid commended his Spirit nor did the faithfull euer find safetie in the mountaines offlesh and blood And therefore cast themselues thence into the mercifull handes of Iesus who hath giuen charge to his Angelles to vpholde them in all their wayes lest they dash their soules foote against a stone When Israels spies were let downe by Rahab ouer Ierichoes walles and the Apostle escaping the Damascenes by being let downe at a windowe in a basket by the side of the wall Act. 9.24 What didde they
first in this assertion for thy voice is sweete Secondly in that conclusion and thy face is comely Now to the Exhortation and his parts My Dove In chap. 1.15 I haue obserued certaine properties of the Doue and hererafter shall haue occasion to adde some other things Heere onely I note Messiahs amiable conceipt of his Church who euen before she appeareth openly is no lesse his Loue then after For as the word Doue expresseth Loue so the word of application My argueth neere loue Which as it ministreth comfort to the Elect euen when their innocencie and simplicitie of spirit is hid in the Rockes cliffes from the eye of men so it further may cause vs to re-eccho Saith Christ to thy soule My loue let thy soule turne backe as by Eccho the same note My loue as Mary hauing hold of Christes feete cryed Rabboni my Lord and Thomas hauing grapled the woundes of Iesus did cry My Lord and my God For the place of this doues mansion here it is The holes of the Rocke c. Some take that here is intended the Churches station or biding plot in the day of persecution who then hideth hir selfe from the sword as a Doue hideth her selfe in the Rockes But that cannot be the proper doctrine here intended all the former ground of this Act remembred A certaine Rabbine vnderstands it of the straits before and behind whereinto the church is driuen hauing the enemie before and behinde the seas before Israel and Pharaohs chariots behinde like to the Doues estate who flying the cruell hawke doth put her body into some Rocks slifter not daring to looke out because of her aduersary without nor daring to creepe much inwards because of the serpent within who lieth hissing against her And this is a double persecution persecution without persecution within Into such straits the faithfull are often driuen and the Lord deliuereth them out of these tentations Othersome as Barnard doe vnderstand this Rocke mystically to imply Christ and the holes to signifie the wounds of Iesus That Christ is the Churches rocke of saluation the Psalmist many times expresseth and is of Saint Paul in 1. Cor. 10.4 plainely expounded But for the holes or caâ—ernes in the Rockes wherein the Elect doe lodge before the Gospels spring euen all the time of the Legall winter they by apt proportion doe rather insinuate the secret councels of God sealed vp in Christ touching the Gentiles eternall election and calling As the Gentiles after their calling are said to be in Christ 1. Cor. 3.1 Ephes. 1.1 and their life hid in Christ Coloss. 3.2 so their election in him according to that of the Apostle Hee namely the Father hath elected vs in him that is in Christ last before mentioned and this before the foundation of the world And saith the same Apostle to the Galatians chap. 3.23 Before faith came that is before the gospels spring We euen Iew and Gentile after a sort were kept vnder the Lawe and shut vp vnto the faith which should afterward be reuealed namely what time the gentiles secretly elected in Christ should publikely be called by the ministerie of Faith Thus the church elected in Christ had hir abode euen before hir caling in Christ yea within the secret stairs lodging pâ—aces of Christ. Euery elect soule there had her place like to a simple innocent Doue in the secret cabines of a Rocke What is the cause of finall glorification present Iustfication What the cause of iustification our effectuall calling What the cause of that calling Election termed also praedestination Whom God hath predestinate them also he called whom hee called them also he iustified and whom hee iustified them also he glorified And so Election is cause of our calling of our iustification glorification But what is the cause of such Election The Rhemists answere good workes Bellarmine maketh a flatte contrary answere lib. 2. cap. 10. de grat saying Electos esse Gratis ante omnem operum praeuisionem Men are elected Gratis that is freely before all foresight of workes Whether of these factions conclude rightly Let vs examine that The Rhemists will haue God to elect man in respect of good workes which hee foresees shall be in that man that is he elects before all time in respect of good workes which shal be in time An opinion voide of common sense that the effect of Election should be the cause of Election that the latter should be the cause of the former That Election is the cause of good workes the Apostle witnesseth saying He hath elected vs in him c. that we should be holy election so the cause of holynesse as the tree going before is cause of the good fruite which commeth after not contrariwise And for this cause the Apostle in Rom. 9.11 calleth it Election not by workes that is without respects of workes introducing to that purpose the electing of Iaakob before hee had done any good Bellarmine so hath the better in concluding that God electeth freely without respect of anie foreseene workes But wil we haue a direct answere from scripture touching the cause of Election The Apostle saith it is The good pleasure of his will who worketh all things after the councell of his owne will Ephe. 15.11 Who will haue mercy on whome he will shew mercy Rom. 9.15.18 So that there is the hiest cause of our election his owne will And therfore well said of Lombard Elegit â—os quos Voluit gratuita misericordia non quia sideles futuri erant sed vt fideles essent God elected those whome he would of his free mercie not because they were to become faithfull but to the end they might become faithfull Ait enim Apostolus misericordiam consecutus sum vt fidelis essem non ait quia fidelis eram for the Apostle saith I haue obtained mercy to the end I might be faithfull hee saieth not because I was faithfull Nor can the nature of God be knowen for onely Actiue and God in all things Agent but it straight teacheth vs to belieue that he dooth all things without all outward respect If any thing in the creature should simply moue or bend his Will then God should bee Passiue hee should suffer man to worke on him which were to make the Creator a Creature and the Creature therein greater than God But the curiositie of mans bottomelesse pitte will somtimes inquire the cause why God so will specially will reprobate Thereto I may thus answere with Austin If I could find out the cause of his will wouldst thou not then enquire for the cause of that cause And so when shoulde there be an end of enquiring But for staying of mans curiositie in such a profound mysterie I thus say with S. Paul in Rom. 9.20 Oh man who art thou which pleads against God Shall the Pot rise vp and demaund why the Potter so willeth Rather with the Apostle in another place conclude admiring O the deepenesse
praises together with the scriptures read before meate psalmes and himnes in the time of meat before he goe to bedde as also pouring out prayers againe in the night season Neuer sung the Doue so sweete a song to her mate as the Church singeth to Messiah when her voyce at all times is so soundâ—ng Thy countenance or Aspect is comly Faith being as afore the cause of the churches countenance the countenance of the faithfull must needes be gloâ—ious for as the cause is such is the effect The wisedome of a man saith Salomon dooth make his face to shine and the strength of his face shall thereby be changed This is specially spoken of heauens-wisedome which causeth the soules face or countenance to shine causing a right strong heart to change the complexion from euil to good of deformed becomming comely Nor is this wisedome otherwise in mysterie to be vnderstoode then of the Sonne who is the wisedome of our heauenly father That Son of heauen causeth our face to shine and this onely as we become one with him by the apprehension of Faith Faith purifieth the heart causeth a change of the soule inuests vs with Messiahs righteousnesse as Iaakob was cloathed with his elder brothers garment One graine of faith remooueth mountaines of difficulties Faith apprehending Christ truly putteth away the olde corrupt man and putteth on a newe countenance euen the image of God which maketh the church to Christ right comely Christ exacted of Iairus Faith onely for curing his daughter and to him only that belieueth all things are possible Marke 9.23 Which true effectuall faith beeing in the Church only it causeth her alone to be described of Saint Iohn in forme of a Woman clothed with the Sunne all beauteous and comely Abben-ezra vnderstanding as other Iewes doe this of their olde Church comming out of Aegipt hee there inferreth that the Church then shewed her countenance to God when she belieued applying thereto that clause They belieued in the Lord. The Psalmist long after that Exode or outgate from Aegypt prophecieth of a departure forth of another Aegypt Ps. 68.31 comparing there in Vers. 13. the Church to a Doue that had lodged amongst pots or as the word Shephatheim may seeme rather to imply Killes or Furnaces and therewith blacked but then annects this promise yet shalt thou be as The wings of a Doue that is couered with siluer and whose feathers be yellow golde This comming forth of Aegypt was the Gentiles comming forth of horrible Idolatrie wherin all Nations had lodged and blacked themselues Who comming forth by obedience to Christs voyce called the obedience of Faith were therewithall not onely washed from deformitie but also couered with comelinesse compared to a Doues wings al siluerie and gâ—lded And that this is the proper point here intended by Salomon Idolatrers and Idolls lodged so in holes of Rocks in Isa. 1.20 21. as vnâ—ble to abide the glorious Law-giuer I would rather conclude if the church would think it to be more direct then the former For as the word Rocke is sometimes applied to Christ in whom the church liueth so it importeth sometimes the mansion of Idâ—latrers But let the Mansion of this Church-doue bee considered in Christ according to Election or in woods groues monkish cells secret holes in regard of her passed idolâ—trie beauteous and comely she is not made till she come forth and manifest her faith true working faith For faith is the girdle that tyeth her to Christ and all the glorious shine of Christ to her Is our voice sweete praise him is our aspect comely thanke him for as the Earth was vncomly till he said Let it budde forth and then it was presently couered with Bâ—auties carpet euen so it is the word of fâ—ith preached whereby our Owlish Idolatrous hoing was turned into a sweete Douish voyce and our Aegyptian-like blackenesse into a Douish comelinâ—sse Messiah praising this voyce for sweet and this countenance for comly for how should his gifts and graces in his owne members be otherwise it controlleth them who say in the faithfull and regenerate there is no good thing instead of saying In their flesh or vnregenerate part There is no good thing For where Isaiahs people cry out We haue all beene as an vncleâ—ne thing and all our righteousnesses haue beene as filâ—hy clâ—uts they speake first of the time past when they lay drowned in sinne secondly they censure onely the actions of their owne vnregeneâ—ate nature for somewhat in body and soule is euer heere vnrâ—generate they bring not the actions of the spirit in them vnder that iudgement not to vrge the Hebrew turned of some as a â—estmeâ—t of shreds for as the Holy ghost is such are his fruites Thirdly they censuâ—ing themselues not for vncleane but as vncleane it may import some respect had to the worke of God in them which otherwise was shadowed with the vncleane clouds of nature But much more Messiahs praise of his churches face and voyce may controll such aâ— vpon Faiths weakenesse shall conclude faith therefore filthy that because the graces of God in the regâ—nerate are weake therefore vncleane not onely a plaine error but also a blaspheming or euill speaking of the graces and heauenly effects of God his holy spirit Not to seuer the workes of the flesh and spirit that is of the regenerate and vnregenerate part it is to builde a Babel or Confusion contrary to the Apostles proceeding in Galat. 5.16 17 19 20 21 22 23. Where the Apostle maketh the fruâ—tes opposite each to other The vnregeneration of our nature soule and body for the body is acted by the soule it is vncleane and as a polluted Carrion but it can no more dâ—file the giftes and operations of the Holy-ghost in a new-man then a stinking carrion can defile the glorious rayes or beames of the Sun shining theron Dauid somtimes complained of GOD his absence not because he was indeed absent but because he felt him not present namely in mercie So the Elect regenerate sometimes cry out as all naught not because it is so indeede but because they for that present haue no feeling of the good worke of God in them As for spirituall by-standers they see God neere them and goodnesse then in them It followeth Lect. VIII 15 Take vs the Foxes the little foxes destroying the vines for our vines haue small grapes HErein the Church repeateth a speach of Messiah which concerneth his care ouer the faithful in their first manifestation of Christian obedience The parts are these two First a commaundement for apprehending the aduersarie Great and Final laid downe vnder the terme of Foxes Secondly a reason thereof And this drawne first from the nature of these foxe-like aduersaries in that they destroy vines then from the time of vines weakenesse when it is saide Our vines haue small grapes As by Foxes vnderstanding aduersaries so by vines vnderstanding the faithfull labouring to bring
to iudge of them throughout this song as of incense trees for sauour and as of beauteous flowers for fauour A soule seeing it selfe in it selfe hath cause to cry out of it selfe all vncleane all red as scarlet but if it haue the sight and sense of being in Christ it is to belieue that crimson sins are all washed so white as wooll and that by the blood of that Lambe their garments are made white And with boldnesse such a soule may presse into the diuine presence knowing that the giftes of his owne spirite cannot but to him be acceptable Nor is such perswasion and boldnes the worke of pride but the fruite of Faith euen of faith wherby we haue peace with God The place of Messiahs feeding is amongst these Lillies so that these lillies are properly the place of his food not as some haue taken it the food it selfe Rabbi Selomoh doth thus reade it who feeds his sheep amongst the lillies that is saith he in a fit quiet and beauteous Pasture-plâ—t not vnlike to that of Dauid in ps 23.2 True it is that Christ hath prepared a pleasant spirituall place for the sheepe of his pasture to graze in but here I take it she intends directly the refreshing place which Messiah had chosen to himselfe and that is her selfe chosen to be a Templâ— to the holy ghost an habitation to the mightie God of Iaakob comparing her selfe to a field of Lillies her seuerall sanctified members considered And hereunto Abben-ezra is drawne when not only he saith that the Lord is drawen suaui odore floris iâ—tius by the sweet odour of this flower but also in liliâ—s designantur iusti that by Lillies are vnderstood Righteous persons Our Sauiour by Saint Iohns Ministrie laboured to open the hearts of the Laodiceans Reuel 3.20 to what end That hee might enter and sup with them And is there all Nay that they likewise might suppe with him The same mutuall and ioynt pasturing may be here entended according to that which was in the 1. ch and 9. verse and blessed be they which be inuited to this supper Reuel 19.9 Messiah feedeth amongest these Lillies and the Lillies againe receaue nouriture from him and his spirit represented by the watrie bankes in psa 1.3 He liueth with vs not of vs but we liue both with him and of him Liue with him we doe because the members cannot be seuered from such â—n head Liue also of him we do because not only the earth is the Lords and the fullnesse therof and so all liue of him but also in respect of his body and blood called in the Gospell a slaine carcase whereon as eagles by faith we tire and foster And so the faithfull only feed of him For his feeding with vs it is plaine from the vnion he hath with vs both in body and soule And that is cause that in Matt. 25. he accompteth that which was giuen to his poore members to haue beene giuen vnto him Not because his owne particular body was in them for the heauens retaine that till he come to iudge both the quick and dead nor since his owne particular nature was glorified could it hunger or thirst after bodily refection but in respect of commâ—nion and fellowship with such spiritually through faith his spirit so chaining him and vs togither by the bonds of faith And in such respect he taketh hard fare also with them going downe with Iaakob into Aegipt with Ioseph into prison suffring with the Saints in Damascus Thus hee feedeth vs and with vs He feedeth vs as a father but feedeth with vs as a brother yea as an husband and amiable louer Now to her Prayer Lect. XI Vntill the day breake and Shadowes flee away Returne my Welbeloued and be like a Roe or young Hart vpon the Mountaines of Bether IN this prayer I obserue generally the Churches will conformed to Messiahs wil. That it was his wil to remoue from hir in some fort for a certaine season she had learned from his owne Canonicall word and for that cause she prayes him to retire for the word Sób here and Bèrà ch in ch 8.18 I take to be as synonimies or to haste away according to the fathers decree till the time of darkenesse were ouer-shot assimilating himselfe herein to the yoong Hart on the mountaines of Bether To lack his presence no doubt a corasiue vnto hir but hauing learned that God had so decreed shee desireth him to accomplish his will herein referring her will to his reuealed will A doctrine taught by Messiah when he taught his disciples to pray Thy will be donâ— practised by himselfe when he prayed to his father Not as I will but as thou wilt and a rule whereby euery one that hath a portion in Christ must be contented to walke As a childe ought to referre his will to the Father and a scholler to his Maister euâ—n so and much more then so ought wee to referre our will which is alwayes weake and oft bad vnto God his will which is strong to preuaile and is alwayes goâ—d If loue cannot preuaiâ—e with vs for subiecting our will to his will in all things Then let the feare of his power force it Follie it is to resist him that is stronger Hath he said it quoth Balaam and shall he not doe it And hath he spoken and shall he not accomplish it As if he should say all the world is not able to resist his will to fruâ—â—rate his word for if they wil not ioyn with it for partaking with his mercy they shall be subdued of it for partaking with his iustice As we would be knowne to be of God Christ Iesu let vs be euer found subiecters of our will to his will yea it is a badge of the Church here and therfore cannot in the faithfull be altogether wanting More particularlie here is to be obserued first the time of decreed absence and that is Till the day breake and shadowes flie away secondly The manner of his absence and that is Like a yong Roe on the mountaines of Bether The breaking of the day and departure of the shadowes for Night which is the earths shadow doth depart with the daies breaking it is vnderstoode of some to be the time of the Lawe preceeding Christs incarnation which lawe was nothing else but a shadow of good things to come some others vnderstand it to be the time of the church in this darke miserable worlde specially after Christs ascension Not to meddle with other vnapt collections I meane here if God permit to insist on both these times as both well suting to our former exposition But heere some will aske how can the church of the Gentiles will Messiah to retire vnto the time that Legall ceremonies vanish seeing the Gentiles were no people or church till that lawe was ended I answer God that calleth things that be not as if they were hee by Salomon bringeth
the middle ages But heere I will content my selfe with that ancient distinction because thereto I may adde their application of the 6. ages to the sixe dayes and the rather for brideling such as thinke such kinde of doctrine to be but of yesterday nothing at all white headed In the first age of the world say they man was made and was in Paradise tanquam lux shining as the Light In which age God diuided the Sonnes of God vnder the name of light from the Sonnes of men as from darkenesse itselfe and the euening of this day was the flood In the second age fell out as it were a firmament betweene water and water when as the Arke did swimme betweene the Raine and the Seas and the euening of this age was the confusion of tongs The third age fell out when God separated his people from the Gentiles by Abraham seuering them like as hee did the drie land from the inferiour waters And heerewith was brought forth the branch or budde of herbs and trees that is this age brought forth the Saints and the fruite of holy Scriptures The euening of this age was the sinne of wicked Saul setled in euiâ—l The fourth age begunne with Dauid whenas God established lights in the firmament of heauen that is the splendor of his Kingdome as the Sunnes excellencie the Synagogue and his Princes as Moone and Starres obaying therto The euening of this age consisted in the sinnes of the king whereby that people deserued to be carried captiue into Babilon In the fift age that is in the captiuitie of Babilon there appeare as it were animalia in aquis volatilia câ—li fishes in the waters and birds in the ayre because the Iewes then begun to liue amongst the Gentiles as in a Sea nor had they any stable or set place more than flickering birds The euening of this day was the multiplication of sinnes in the Iewish people who became so blinde as they could not know the Lord Iesus Now the sixt age begunne with the Aduent of our Lord Iesus Christ. For as in the sixt day the first man Adam was of the slime of the earth formed vnto the image of God so in the sixt age of the world the second Adam that is Christ in the flesh is borne of the Virgine Mary he in a liuing soule this in a quickening spirit And as in that day a liuing soule was made so in this age they desire eternall life And as in that sixt day the earth brought forth the kinds of creeping creatures and beasts so in this sixt age of the world the Church brought forth the Gentiles appetiting eternall life The which in sense was manifested to Peter in Act. 10. by a sheete of creatures And as in that day man and woman were created so in this age of the world Christ and his Church is manifested And as Man in that day was set ouer the Beastes creeping creatures and birds of the aire so Christ in this age was set ouer the Gentiles people and Nations that they might be gouerned of him who were as Beastes giuen to carnall concupiscence or as serpents obscured with earthly curiositie or as birds lift vp with pride And as in that day man and beasts with him are fedde with the herbe that seedeth and the wood that bringeth fruite and greene grasse so in this age the spirituall man which is the good minister of Iesus Christ hee with the people are fedde with the nourishment of the holy scriptures and with the diuine Law as with seeding herbs for conceiuing reason and speach fertily partly for the vtilitie of maners and conuersation beseeming mankind as resemblanced by trees bearing fruit partly for the vigor of faith hope and charitie vnto eternall life as it were with greene hearbs which wither not with any heat of tribulation c. And I could wish that the Lord might not finde vs as it were in the euening of this age The euening of this age is thus spoken of by our Lord Thinkest thou that when the Sonne of man shall come he shall finde faith on the earth After this euening shal be a morning namely when our Lord shall come in his glorie Then the Saints shall rest from all their works or businesses with Christ. As the workes of the sixe dayes were thus sealed vp with a seauenth dayes rest so the Ancients not to touch any moderne writers could apply all to the worlds sixe distinct ages finishing them with the glorious Sabaoth of Sabaoths the rest of rests And this was clearely insinuated by the Holy-ghost to the Hebrewes writ to this effect If Ioshuah had giuen Israel rest then would not Dauid after that day haue spoken of another Rest But Dauid hath spoken of another Rest Therefore there remaineth another rest to the people of God for he that is entred into His rest hath also ceased from his owne works as God did from his From which scripture as also from others of like validitie hath analogically beene well concluded how the sixe dayes did resemble typically the sixe ages of the world aswel as the seauenth day did represent eternitie hereafter wherein the sonnes and daughters of God should rest from all their labours no more troubled with worlds garboyles contrarie to the Chiliasts assertion who dreamed from a misvnderstanding of Reuel 20.7 c. that after the Saints had rested a thousand yeares Satan should anew assaile and trouble them And besides that the number of Sixe is made sacred sundry wayes in the old Testament we shall finde the new testaments Reuelation to make it a number of perfection to the Churches workes when as Reuel 10.7 the mightie Angel sweareth That in the dayes of the Seauenth Angel when he shall beginne to found the trumpet the mystery of God shall be finished as if he should say the sixe trumpets referred to the new testaments six ages shall found to the end of the Churches businesse for when the Seauenth beginneth to found euen then the mystery is at an end and finished But I will spare to speake more of this number here as also what I further thinke of the distinction of ages That which is spoken according to the Ancients their obseruance may serue to stop the mouths of such as crie for antiquity Which summarily I shut vp with that of Isidore Senarius namque qui partibus suis perfectus est perfectionem mundi quadam numeri sui significatione declarat Etymol l. 3. cap. 4. Lect. XIII Sabaoth of Dayes THe next chronologicall shadow shall be Seauen a number of Rest sanctified by God himselfe as was the number of Sixe The number Seauen in regard of his Rest is termed Sabbaticall and because in the great Sabaot of God they shal neither giue nor take in marriage Clemens Alexandrine saith Merito ergo numerum â—epâ—enarium existimant esse sine matre sine prole They worthily therefore doe thinke the number
of seauen to be without Mother and off-spring So sacred is the number of seauen as ancient Gentiles gaue place to the seauenth day for rest as also for perfecting the Creature And to this end the former Greeke Antient introduceth Homer Hesiod and Callimachus their Antient Poets Nor proceeded it but from a deepe conceit in Balaam the Easterne Gentile Prophet when as he builded seauen Altars and offered vp seauen Bullockes But passing by such notes let me come to the right sacred booke of God and there shall plainely appeare how renowned this Sabbaticall number is And this shal be briefly obserued in God his sanctifying the seauenth day the seauenth moneth the seauenth yeare and the seauen times seauenth yeare in the old testament then afterwards by renewing a memoriall of the number so oft in the new testament Sixe dayes hauing finished the naturall worke of Creation the Seauenth day God rested and sanctified it to diuine contemplation Gen. 2.2 Exod. 20.11 Which resting from bodily trauels for giuing full scope to the spirit for meditating in the mercies of God did fore shadow a world of businesses in the world till the Seede promised in Paradise should come in whom alone the Church was to haue her soules rest And this was it which was shadowed by al other Sabatical or rest daies as plainely affirmeth the Apostle thus Holy-dayes new moones Sabaoths were but a shadow of things to come but the body is in Christ. On which ground the new testaments Church hath abolished these Sabaoths weekely and festiuall lest otherwise shee should Iudaize as if Christ were not come in the flesh Obiection then in abolishing of the day we abolish the fourth commandement Answere no we reserue the morall duetie which is as the life and substance of that precept in so resting and meditating the next day after onely we put away the seauenth day which in regard of his number was a shadow Which next day after the eight after a sorte the Ancients still vnderstood by the eight day alotted to circumcision but in nature being the first day it was of Origen vnderstoode to be the day wherein Manna first came downe from heauen representing Messiah the true bread of life to the faithfull As the Sabaot day God rested from creating any new worke so Messiah on that day wholy did rest in the Sepulchre Hauing on the crosse when he cried It is finished put an end to the worke of redemption They that afterwardes haue inuented new workes for redemption they doe with Anah but find out the generation of Mules and with the cursed earth but bring forth thorns thistles degenerate vermine When he was come in whom the father did rest and the church was to rest the shadow was to giue place to the substance the typicall seauen to Messiah thereby typed and forefigured Lect. XIIII Sabbaoth of Moneths AS sixe dayes brought with them a sabbaticall seauenth day so the time of sixe moneths brought with it his Sabbaticall seauenth moneth The first was the Sabbaot of dayes this second as an Ancient well termeth it is Sabbathum Mensium the Sabbaot of Moneths Not so termed because the seauenth moneth was wholy but because a great parte of it was to be rested The first day of this seauenth moneth called Tisri was the feast of Trumpets The tenth day was the feast of Reconciliation The fifteenth day was the feast of Tabernacles and that continued seauen dayes after euery which day had his peculiar sacrifice The feast of Trumpets was a solemne memoriall of the benefites which they had receiued by the vse of that kinde of instrument By the trumpets of Rammes hornes a simple meane it pleased God to shutter downe Ierichoes walls Iosh. 6. By the two legall siluer trumpets the congregation was enformed of the times of assembly and departure secondly of warre thirdly of festiuall solemnities Numb 10.1 c. Wherein were represented these two spirituall things the Word of God preached and holy faithfull Prayer By that blessed word sounded as Isaiah was commanded in chap. 58.1 it pleasâ—th to shutter downe the walls of the false church to contrite the hard heart to ouer â—hrow the mightie imaginations of mankinde The sounding of an instrument was but a weake meanes for ruinating wal's chasing of the aduersarie but the arme of Iehouah did accompany such meanes so the preaching of Christ crucified and that by such meane instruments as the Apostles of it selfe was vnable to conquer one soule but it being the ordinance of God and so accompanied with the powerfull operation of his spirit it so hath cast downe the Oracle-walls of Idolatrie broken downe the high imaginations of flesh and blood expulsed the Romish familiar Hobgoblins dispelled the clowdes of golden legendarie lies By the sounding of this word we are also taught how to assemble and how to depart about our seuerall affâ—ires the word of God is to be our delight and counsailour Yea this same word is to be sounded ouer all our sacrifices and spirituall exultations as one sacred ordinance for hallowing all our worship The trumpets also did represent Prayer when it is saide that vppon their sound in warre-time they should thereby be remembred before their God And hereupon it is that we are enioyned to Call vpon him in time of trouble euen as Salomon in his dedication of the temple did interceede with the Lord for hearing Israel when they should stretch forth their voice vnto God in the time of their straits And so Hezekiah stretching the aduersaries letter before him Isa. 37. did lift vp his complaint to God whereupon Iehouahs Angel issued out and â—lue of his enemies an hundred foure score and fiue thousand The feast of reconciliation was an act of humbling the soule before God to whom they could not be reconciled without him that was preached in their sacrifice The feast of tabernacles or boothes put them in minde of their flitting estate while they were in the wildernesse and is to vs a representation of our mooueable state in this wildernesse of the world All these things accompany this sabbaticall moneth the first moneth according to Hebrues ciuill accompt but from the time of their comming from Aegypt it became their Seauenth For then the moneth Abib called also Nisan it was made the First Exod. 12.2 13.4 The Ciuil reckning thus 1 Tishri 2 Marchesuan 3 Cisleu 4 Tebet 5 Shebet 6 Adar 7 Abib 8 Ijar 9 Siuan 10 Tamuz 11 Ab 12 Aelúl The Ecclesiasticall thus 1 Abib 2 Ijar 3 Siuan 4 Tamuz 5 Ab 6 Aelúl 7 Tishri 8 Marches 9 Cisleu 10 Teb 11 Sheb 12 Adar The Ciuill First became thus the ecclesiasticall Seauenth for teaching vs that All is become anew to the faithfull who are to rest in him who was figured by the High-priest entring into the Temples Sanctum sanctorum this very seauenth moneth and in no other This seauenth day and seauenth moneth doe both leade vs to rest
the faithfull Israel of God truly interessed therein They may for a season be out of the possession thereof but in the meane time they haue a true Title therein euen in all the good creatures of God for whose vse indeede they were created as who being onely the persons that can to God his glory sanctifie them by the Word of God and Prayer Secondly though here in this present world they may be out of possession yet so verily as they be Meeke and Patient in time of such lacke they shall inherite the Earth as our Sauiour himselfe affirmeth in Math. 5.5 Where the word Clero-nomesousi import th a Distribution by Lot resemblanced by the seuerall lots in Canaan distributed to typicall Israel by the ministrie of Iehoshuah the figure of Iesus And hereof Saint Peter in his second Epistle the third chapter speaketh thus But we looke for New heauens and new earth according to his promise wherein dwelleth Righteousnes as if he had said though al be dissolued and by fire finally melted yet there is promised besides nâ—w heauens a new earth which wee with all the Righteous do looke for While the earth is filled with Iniquitie we may be out of possession but when the earth shal be resined and brought to his perfection then we euen the faithfull shall haue it onely in possession Nor maruaile that the Elect-ones expect this great Iubile for euery inferior creature in his kind doth groane after this day of Deliuerie as resting in hope then to be freed together with the Sonnes of God Rom. 8.18 c. This day of deliuerie this day of Redemption this time of Rest it is not there but there not now but then fully acquired Nam si altius repetaemus quae vera sint Sabbatha intra hunc mundum non est veri sabbathi obseruatio The third thing of the Iubile is this that euerie maner of Seruant was to be set at libertie For whereas the Voluntarie-seruant in Exod. 21. is saide from thenceforth to be a Seruant for euer Verse 6. it is to be restrained vnto the yeare of Iubile Leuit. 25.40 for seruants of other nature were to be set free euery seauenth yeare And that the terme Legnólám is not to ouer reach the yeare of Iubile the Heebrewes Midrash on 1. Samuel 1.22 teacheth And that it signifieth not properly For euer but a Long time Rabbi Kimcht teacheth in his Radâ—cals alledging to that purpose Prou. 22.28 Where Gnólam cannot signifie for euer no more than a seruant could serue for euer seeing hee was not to liue for euer If we turne it and vnderstand it for euer in this or any other ceremoniall speach it must be Ratione figurati in respect of the thing figured thereby And indeede this mystically implied first a releasement of such as had beene seruâ—nts to sinne secondly a releasement at last from all slauerie as well of body as soule From sinne that was first sounded by the Trumpet of Messiah in his publike ministration of the word for which cause Isaiah introduceth him thus speaking The spirit of the Lord vpon me therefore Iehouah hath appointed me to preach the Goâ—pel to the Meeke He hath sent me to loose the bands of contrite in heart to preach libertie to the captiue and to the fettered the opening of the prison to preach the acceptable yeare of the Lord Isa 61.1.2 And most probable it seemeth vnto me that our Sauiour must fulfill the Iubile eyther in hir Birth which is termed The fulnesse of time Gal. 4.4 or in his Baptisme what time from heauen was preached that this was the Accepted-one who therewith entered into his publike ministerie or which is yet most probable in the yeare of his suffering then vpon the crosse he proclaming It is finished the Temples vaile then rending and therewith preaching an end of legall ceremonies the dead then arising and walking as hauing their bonds loosed and the dores of Sinnes prison set open The ecclesiasticall yeare so begunne for he died in Abib what a glorious yeare of spirituall libertie was that in the Ministrie of his Apostles But together with this proclamation came not the full libertie of the Saints That remaineth hereafter to be fulfilled in the next appearance of Iesus who then shall restore store all things There remaineth therefore a Rest to the people of God and he that enters into that Rest shall cease from his works as God did from his Let vs study therefore to enter into that Rest and in the meane time groning vnder the burden of sinne let vs with the Apostle Rom. 7.24 cry out Who shall set mee free from the body of this death Whereto let a good conscience reply I thanke God it wil be through Christ Iesus for when he againe appeares lift we vp our heads for that is the time of our Redemption Lect. XVI Against Romes Iubile CHrist hauing put an end vnto this Iudaicall Inbile how comes it about that Rome the last yeare kept a Iubile as also for some other times in the three hundred yeares next backeward It is because Rome by that as by other things must Iudaize and shew themselues Antichristian that is Opposite to Christ. They may aswell reuiue all the ceremoniall Law which were to reare vp againe the Partition wall of ceremonies and to preach actually that Christ is not come in the Flesh. For 1300. yeares or thereabouts the Church obserued no such inuention nay neuer dreamed of it But about that time Boniface or if you wil Male face the Eight he decreed there should be a Iubile solemnâ—zed euerie hundred yeare But Clemens the sixt as besides the Extrauagants appeareth in his Bull he from Moâ—es rule doth institute the 50. yeare For some wiser consideration Vrbanus the sixt brought it to 33. yeares Sâ—xtus the fourth to 25. and Iulius the second to euerie tenth yeare for all which consult with a right profitable writer of our owne Wherein first obserue the Spirit of giddâ—nesse wherewith these Apostaticall Popes were smitten euene of them changing his predecessors decree Secondly obserue that all of them agree in one for â—earing vp Iudaisme And which in the third place must not be forgotten all this Inuention was for setting asale their Buls of leaden pardons If the second Pope thoght an hundred yeares too long for catching of soules-money and so did draw it to the fifâ—eth yeare neuer blame him much lesse his successors to fewer yeare euen now to tenne Who would haue his Bul 's to lie longer on his hands Onely this I lastly obserue to be the mâ—ine difference betweene the Iewish and Romish Iubilees The Iewes therein did Giue these Receiue the Iewes forgaue freely but the Pope for Mony and for mony he will as the Spirit speaketh in Reuel 18. sell the very soules of men Nor would it here be forgotten how the great Romist Cusanus doth diuide the worlds whole time into Iubilees And not to meddle with
blesseth but by his Sonne our Mysticall Aaron This dooth the Apostle remember when to the Ephesians chap. 1.3 hee thus prayeth Blessed be God euen the father of our Lord Iesus Christ which hath blessed vs with all spirituall Blessing in heauenly thingâ—s through Christ. And of him it can be onely essentially said that hee the Greater blesseth vs the Lesser Who as before he was shadowed in Isaac so he can only say Such I haue blessed and they shal be blessed Which action of blessing is in the Gospel very frequent whereas not onely he blesseth Ministers and people but also meate and drinke a more inferiour creature To him let minister and people repaire for a blessing Ministers for speaking effectually People for hearing effectually If he blesse their water is turned strait to wine but if he curse their thigh rottes and their figtree will neuer become fruitefull Let this here suffice for Aaron Lect. XXV Iosua THe next personall Shadow shal be that great successor of Moses the Leader and Planter of Israel in Canaan who primordially was termed Hoshea but secondarily IEHOSHVA Num. 13.9.17 The Rabbines doe prettily search out from whence this Iod commeth for so Hebrews do terme the letter I which here is preponed to Hoshea by which it commeth in hebrew forme to be Iehoshua Who therein obserue how it was that IOD which was taken from Abrahams wife when of Sarai she was called Sarah Genes 17.15 Which letter IOD of Greekes called Iota wandred as without a resting place till such time as it found a place in Hoshea Whereto that ancient prouerbe might wel allude in Math. 5.18 One Iote or one title shall not scape till all things be fulfilled If the Iewish Cabalists were not here blinde Sarah should not more easily leade them to Iosuah then the blessed Virgin might leade them to IESVS Nor were not a vaile ouer their eyes could thâ—y rest in this that Hoshea assumed Iod from Sarah but rather Cabalike-wise be led thereby to Iesus who assumed the Womans seede the seed of a Virgin that so what woman had lost it might be found in Iesus Did Moses the great Law-giuer afford that IOD to the Arch-duke of Israel But Iehouah greater than Moses he that gaue the law primordiaâ—ly to Moses euen he gaue a Iote of womans seed to our captaine Christ. Nor what the Father hath giuen him can any man or Diuell pull out of his hands This to the Cabalists But for our more particular information let vs consider this shadow first in his Name secondly in his Office The name Hoshea or Iehoshua or Iosua they are in hebrew forme the verie same that Iesus is in greeke forme Which causeth the Author to the Hebrewes chap. 4.8 writing in Greeke not to say If Ioshuah had giuen them rest c. but If Iesus had giuen them rest for euery of them are deriued of one and the same Roote Iáshâ— not sounding Gnaijn and in english is a Sauiour according to the interpretation of that verie Angâ—ll Gabriel in Math. 1.21 where the promised seede is termed Iesus why Because he shall saue his people from their sinnes euen as the Iudges after Ioshua were termed Sauiours for God stirred them vp temporarily to saue Israel from the yoke of the enemies So that Hoshea and Iesus haue one and the same name of Sauiour the first of them temporaâ—ly sauing Israel according to the proportion of a shadow the second sauing all his people eternally according to the proportion of a substance For his Office it hath generally beene noted in his Names signification which more particularly I will obserue first in his Conducting of Israel secondly in his Circumcising of Israel thirdly in his Dispossessing of Cananites and Possessing Israel of Canaan In conducting of Israel he shadowed our Sauiour Iesus who vnto Ioshua in chap. 5.14 doth terme himselfe Sar-tsebá-Iehouah The captaine of Iehouahs Armie that is the Leader of his people In which respect also euery Iudiciall and Regall Annointed-ones were figures And blessed are that people who haue Christ Iesus for their Iosua for their Gedeon for their Dauid for their Captaine All Baptized-ones do professe that By God his grace they will march vnder his Banner a red-crosse in the white-field of an vnspottâ—d Conscience fighting against the Diuell the World and Flesh. As they would not be arraigned of periurie yea of capitall hie treason in conspiring with the enemy let all such looke to that sacramentall oth and at least now at last become more faithfull Followers 2 Ioshua receiuing commandement of God to Circumcise Israel now the Second time chap 5.2 it will shadow forth that Circumcision which is made without hands Coloss 2.11 and the very same represâ—nted by Baptisme which is an inward circumcision made by the Spirit This the Apostle in Rom. 2.29 doth call Circumcision of the heart in the spirit because in such an heart was that mortification which was represented by the outward signe But for the first circumcision he saith it is in the letter that is onely according to outward obseruance and this he saith doth make a true Iewe that is a true Christian to God-ward As that second circumcision did well represent Regeneration so Ioshua herein did well râ—present our Iesus by whose spirit and word we are inwardly circumcised and Baptized for though Iohn powre on the water yet Christ must minister the Spirit It is Christ that hath giuen vs the second circumcision by Baptisme of New-birth it is he that hath purged our soules Nor without the second Circumcision is the shame of our mysticall Aegypt remooued 3 Ioshua Dispossessing Canaan of the vncircumcised he therein may well shadow forth Christ Iesus two wayes first in dispossessing the earth of the reprobate that so the meeke-ones may possesse it Math. 5.5.2 Pet. 3.13 For as it was created for the sonnes of God so onely they shall finally possesse it and haue a glorious vse of it Secondly it may well shadow also the dispossessing our bodiâ—y earthly Canaan of spirituall Cananites of vncircumcised sense and affection and this was Origens meditation when he thus writ Within vs are these Nations of vices For within vs are Cananites within vs are Perezites within vs are Iebusites Yea I say more that the seauen accursed Nations of Cananites Hittites Hiuites Perizzites Girgashites Amorites and Iebusites are naturally within vs who onely can bee cast forth by that stronger-man Iesus as sometimes the former nations were cast forth by Ioshua and as after that seauen diuells were cast out of Mary Magdalene by Christ Iesus But the dispossessing of euill is here but in part for still there is some Canaanite in our land and so we be taken vp for better vse but in part But when our Iesus shall come from Paran mysticall Habak 3.3 as Ioshua did from Paran literall Numb 13.1 he shall not onely beginne but also liue to perfect such purgation So much for Ioshua Lect. XXVI
would be so farre from taking their long Medusaes shagges for a glorie as they would therein shame and know themselues worthy to be counted for that amongst the number of beasts To whom that ancient adage of ours is adopted Bush-naturall more haire than wit If they would herein be Nazarites then let them as before abstaine from wine from all strong drinks from other dainties and from hauing communion with any vncleanenes And yet if they were minded so to do they should but Iudaize and after a sort preach that Christ is not come in the flesh seeing his so comming is the abolishment of legall shadowes Our Messiah fulfilled this abstinence from Glorie in the roome thereof clothing himselfe with shame not so much in wearing long haire for I know not whether the painter deale rightly therin as in bearing our beastly shamefull Sinnes vpon him aâ— a burden Which sinnes of ours grew and multiplied in length vppon him who is the Churches head and he vnder them mourned till the time of his voluntarie vow was expired And that vow was then fulfilled when vpon the crosse he cryed Tetelestai It is finished 4. Whereas not onelie Samâ—on was tied to these legall obseruances what time he should be borne bâ—t also his Mother is of the Angel enâ—oyned such abstinence before after conception she herein might well resemble the blessed Virgine Marie to whom the Angell Gabriel related the extraordinarie forme of Messiahs conception by the Holy Ghost his ouershadowing Which blessed Virgin no doubt vpon such intelligence would right willingly abstaine from whâ—tsoeuer might vnbâ—seeme such a Glorious generation as also endeuour aftâ—r euery obedience by the which she might be the fitter Temple of the holy-ghost the fitter Mansion for the mightie God of Iaakob With the angell she conferred at Nazaret Luke 1.26 c. and therewithall might secretly obserue that the Holy thing which was to be borne of her he should be some new Samson and extrâ—ordinarie Nazarite Euen hee by whose abstinence Adams Gluttony was to be cured Euen he that should touch no vncleane thing for clensing his mystâ—call bodie and yet should vndergoe our Sin and Shame for a season that so at last he might shaue and sheare it quite off for our Redemption So much as Samson was a Nazarite Lect. XXVII TOuching his Morall or Iudiciall calling I wil obserue first his Preparation thereto secondly his Practise For the Preparation Rúach Iehóuah Iepagnâ—móh the Spirit of Iehouah by turnes acted him or smit him like as a Musitians fingers smit an instrument for effecting melodious harmony which without such stroke would sound nothing Wherein is secretly intimated that not Samson alone but euerie man also is as an instrument strong with the cords of â—eâ—â—e and affection but giuâ—ng forth no true sound otherwise then they be smit and instincted by the sauing Spirit of Iehouah And for such respect it is that the Apostle willeâ—h the Ephesians to make melodie to the Lord iâ— their hearts chap. 5.19 Could Samson not set vpon his Iudiciâ—ll calling tiâ—l this diuine Musicall Spirâ—t camâ— vpon him and acted Nor did our Messiah-Samson attempt such publique calling for deliuering his Israel till the same spirit came vpon hiâ— in the forme of a Doue which spirit else was alwâ—yes with him but quasi latenter as it were in a more hidde manner Samson till he was growen to mans sâ—â—te iâ— scarslie heard of but then the Spirit coms vpon him and driues him forth to skirmish So our great Nazarite conceales himselfe much till he was growen to be about 30. yeares â—ged then he steps forth to Baptisme within the diuine tents of his father where the Holy Ghost commeth vpon him and acts him thence into the wildernes wher he was to begin his skirmish Thus fitted he goes forward and this for the preparation His Practise I will consider first as he hath to doe with a Beast secondy with men mannered like beasts The Beast is a yong cruel Lion which comes roaring vpon Samson whome the Nazarite seizeth on and teareth in fitters By the carcasse of which Lion Samson afterwards comming behold Bees had couched hony therin whereupon he framed that Riddle Out of the Eater came meate and out of the sharpe came sweete Samson hauing a calling to skirmish with vnreasonable men the Lord dealeth with him as sometimes with Dauid he casts a Lion in his way that so conquering that beast he might with more strength of faith lift vp his hand against the vncircumcised And such rude copings as this eueâ—y Nazarite of God meeteth with But in ouercomming such temptations lâ—t them not say that flesh and blood hath deliuered them but that their conquest is by the Spirite of God whose grace is sufficient for them But for the further mysterie I will relate vnto you first the application of a certaine Antient secondly what I conceaue with some other further Augustine by this Lion doth vnderstand such brutish Kings and princes as at the Gospells first out-gate did rore against our Samson Christ Iesus whome finally he did spiritually conquer and bring vnder Who being once subdued to Iesus did afterwards as Isaiah foretolde become nource-fathers and mother-fosterers and feeders of the Lords people And true it is that the earths Gouernours were first such Lions and secondly such profitable Bees in feeding the faithfull with the hony-combes and sweete of their Kingdome Nor neede it be a wonder when as Saul a great Maister of Israel did at first rage and roare against Iesus who afterwarwards being knockt downe and his heart contrited or rent did become of a Saul a Paul of a Persecutor a Professor of a Lion a Lambe of an eater a feeder of many with that foode of the word which Dauid affirmeth to be sweeter then the hony and the hony-combe Psal. 19.10 This age affordeth many such Sauls but few Pauls many Hornets but few Bees much gall and aloës fewe hony-combs Nay which is more the hony-combs which others left to the Church a number doe spoile the Church of them Fight the Lords battailes they may that shall but hony few of them shall catch nor yet a poore hiue to put their heâ—ds in But inough of that lest the wasps sting me In a neerer sence for the head is neerer then the members I doe with some other vnderstâ—nd Satan by this Lion As Saint Peter doth resemble the Diâ—el to a roaring Lion walking about seeking who he may deuoure 1. Pet. 5.8 nor know I but the Apostle may allude to the foâ—mer â—o it welâ— fitteth the time of our Samsons outgate into the wildernesse What time not only he was acted of the holy spirit but also did there meete with hells hungry Lion coâ—e forâ—h against him roaring and bellowing his horrible tâ—ntations But our Samson in the power of his owne word and spiâ—it did cope with that Lion and as Dauid somâ—times did tooâ—e hold of his beard
defect of drinke and Moses complaining thereof to God behold the Lord commaundeth Moses to take his rodde and therewith smite a certaine Rocke promising therewith the issue of waters for quenching Israels thirst Moses herevpon takâ—th his rodde doth chide the people smites the rock twise and waters issue out aboundantly Numb 20.10 11. But because Moses and Aaron belieued not rightly that promise God denieth to them the bringing of Israel into the land of promise Ibidem 12. That this Rocke-water signified yea to the belieuer exhibited Christ and the things of Christ is plaine in 1. Cor. 10.4 Where the Apostle teacheth that the fathers did all drinke the same spirituall drinke for they dranke of the spiritual Rocke that followed them and the Rocke was Christ. Was that Rocke the verie Christ No no more than the spirituall bread and wine in the Lords supper is the very Body and blood of Christ but so called because together with the signe the thing signified was exhibited Fide manente signa sunt mutata Ibi Petra Christus nobis Christus quod in Altari penitur The same faith saith Austin abideth still but the signes are changed There the Rocke was Christ but that which now is placed on the Altare or communion table namely the bread and wine euen that is Christ vnto vs. But for the clearer vnderstanding of this sacramentall shadow let vs consider more particularly 1. why Christ is termed Rocke 2. what is meant by the waters issuing thence 3. by the stroke wherevpon the waters issued 1. Christ is termed Rocke because as the Psalmist termes him he is the Rocke of our saluation that is euen He vpon whome if we build let the raine fall the floodes come the winds blow and beate vpon our house it yet falls not because it is founded vpon that Rocke Euen he is that Rocke vpon whom the Church the house of God is builded whereby it comes to passe that the infernall powers cannot preuaile against it Math. 16.18 Thus to the whole church he is the same that he is to Peter and euery particular Belieuer and to euerie particular member the same as to the whole Shaken they may be as was Peter but not finally remooued no more than was Peter Which caused an Antient well say The Rocke is in heauen in the same is stedfastnes and assurance And indeede where else can it be but in our Sauiour The world roareth the flesh oppresseth me the world followes and hangs vpon me And yet notwithstanding I fall not For I am founded vpon a sure Rocke 2. What is meant by the waters issuing thence Origen makes this answer Percussus enim Christus in crucem actus Noui testamenti fontes produxit Christ being smitten and hangd on the crosse out of him issued the fountaines of the New-Testament By which fountaines hee should meane nothing else but Mysteria the secrets of the Gospel as somewhat before hee had spoken Rabanus hereon hath Percussus enim Christus sitientibus lauacri gratiam donum spiritus sancti â—ffudit Christ being smitten he powred forth to the thirstie the grace of our washing and the gift of the Holy Ghost And true it is that what we draw from Christ it is to the world a Mysterie and so are all the things sealed vp in Christ Iesus reuealed onely to his members And as true it is that our new births washing and euerie gift of the spirit it floweth out of him as from the Head-fountaine As they be mysteries so our Sauiour thanketh the heauenly fâ—ther for hiding them from the world but reuealing them to his children And as they flowe from him not onely as a fountaine for washing away sinne and vncleanenesse Zechar. 13.1 but also to become in vs an eternall spring flowing vp vnto heauens Paradise so himselfe teacheth the woman of Samaria Iohn 4.14 that he was to giue these waters and soone after informeth his Disciples that none could drinke them but by Faith when as he thus saith He that beleeueth in me shall neuer thirst Iohn 6.35 Iesus Messiah is thus The fountaine of the gardens for watering the churches the well of liuing-waters springing vp in the true belieuer vnto Eternal life Open thy filthy heâ—rt and these waters will cleanse thee Set thy mouth of faith to his mysticall side and quench thy spirituall thirst yea cease not to draw vntill thou haue drunke vppe eternall life Be nâ—t drunke with wine wherein is excesse but â—e filleâ— with the spirite Ephes. 5 18. These waters haue to Gods praise â—loted â—long through the middâ—st of Englands Paradise God graunt thâ—t our sinnes become not as coardes for bringing in Romes Philistims for stopping and filâ—ing vp our wells with Grauell In Queene Maries daies they had dammed them vp but our Isaac digged them â—new and gaue to them ancient names Sweet heauenly father for thy Sonnes sake continue them still open euen to our posteritie for euer that so thy poore Israel may neuer haue occasion to murmure 3. The strokes which Moses gaue were two Therevpon he is of God charged with infidelitie which causeth diuines to conclude the signe thereof in his smiting Some haue taken it that hee ought onely haue spoken to the Rocke and therefore his smiting though it had beene but once to be a signe of diffidence as if God would not by the word alone haue fetched out waters But such comparing to this purpose Num. 20. and vers 8. with 11. should therewithall haue remembred Exod. 17.6 where it is plainâ—ly commaunded that hee shoulde also smite the Rocke Others more generally haue deemed thâ—t his diffidence was declared in his smiting the second time whereas the Lord onely bidde him speake and smite not smite twise And indeede this is somewhat though it may be not all For to what pâ—rpose would so wise a man smite the second time but because the waters issued not vpon the first stroke How fell it out then that waters came not vpon the first blow Because he distrusted the Lords word Yea Aaron that smit not is accused of diffidence also And indeed a right hard thing it was to belieue that a rocke should send forth aboundance of water Besides which circumstance obserue also the speach of Moses to the people Heare now ye Rebels shall we bring you water out of this Rocke He saith not that they would fetch water out but asks the question shal we as if they would saue their honestie though water came not out seâ—ing they made no promise of bringing it out The not issuing of waters vpon the first stroke it taught Moses and Aaron the fruite of diffidence in Gods promise but issuing forth vppon the second blowe it taught them that God is faithfull who hath promised though his children many times be faithlesse But what doth this rod and the stroke therewithall shadowe The rodde I know not what it may better resemble than Prayer the spirit of prayer