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130

Ver. 12.

The Church how a Garden. Ch.4 1. The Petitions; which are three, First, for the arifing of the winde,and coming into the South, verse 16. Secondly, for favourable blasts of it, and that for this end, the flowing forth of her fpices.

Thirdly, that Christ would come into his garden, and eat his pleasant fruits, verse 16.

. Chrifts anfwer thereunto : First, he commeth into his garden. Secondly, he gathereth and enjoyeth the fruits of it.

Thirdly, he fils his Churches friends with a large measure of plenty,Chap.5.1. A garden:] The Church is here fo called, as verfe 13. an orchard; or as it is in the originall, a Paradife, as if this were the garden of Eden. All the world is as a wilderneffe, or at least a wilde field; onely, the Church is Gods garden or orchard, in these three refpects,

Firft, as the garden of Paradise was the habitation of Adam in the eftate of innocency, fo is the Church of all thofe who are renewed into innocency. Secondly, as in that garden were all manner of pleasant and wholefome

hearbs

Ch.4. The Church how fealed up. hearbs and trees growing, fo in the Church are all manner of usefull and favoury fpirits.

Thirdly, as a man walketh in his garden to refresh himselfe; fo doth Chrift walke in his Church, yea and calleth his friends thither to walke with him.

A fpring, a fountaine :] Not because the Church is the fountaine of grace; but because, Christ being in it, it is the fpring or fountaine of the waters of life unto all *.

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* Zach.

Pf. 87.7.

A garden, Spring, fountaine, inclofed, 13.1. fhut up, fealed; Not by a pale or wall of defence by Chriftian Magiftrates, but rather shut up by reftraint; for the word fignifies to inclofe or fhut up, as with lockes and fetters.

Againe, the Church prayeth for the inlargement of the flowing of her fpices, verfe 16. and therefore her prefent shutting up was uncomfortable to her.

up,

The Church was then faid to be shut

Firft, because under the perfecutions it was fhut up in prifons,and other places of punishment, as under lockes and fet

ters.

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Secondly,

132

Ver. 132

Pomgra

nats.

The Church how fealed up.

Ch.4

Secondly, because the Church then affembled in private clofe places,woods, dens, &c. and not in the open places of townes or cities.

Thirdly, because it was fhut up from free acceffe of forrainers, men without; neither were the Emperours willing their Subjects should repaire to them, nor the Church willing to admit all promifcuoufly.

Thy plants] That is, thy children or members, as an orchard of Pomegranates, Camphire, verse 14. Spikenard, Safron,Calamus, Cynamon. The children of the Church are compared to thefe wholesome and sweet fruits, trees, hearbs,in a double refpect.

First, because the vertues of these fruits and fpices are especially seen when they are cut and powred out, or beaten, or burned, or bruifed: So it is with the graces of Gods children; they are chiefly exercised by the hard dealing of per

fecutors.

Secondly, there was in the faithfull then perfecuted a refemblance of the vertues of thefe fruits and fpices.

Pomegranates repreffe and reftraine

the

Ch.4. Chriftians how compared to Spices. 133 the heat of Choler, the malignity of fevers, the looseneffe of the belly, they alfo comfort the ftomacke and bowels,and prevent faintings and fwoonings.

Camphire with his fweetneffe of fmell Camphire delighteth and ftrengthneth the Spirits, cheereth up the minde, helpes the stone,

reftraines ulcers.

Spikenard ftayeth diftillations from Spikenard the head, ftrengthneth the ftomacke, digefteth cold humours, helpeth concep

tion.

Safron thinneth flegme, helpes le- Safron. thargies, coughs, and plurifies, furthereth digeftion, comforteth the heart, redreffes the rottenneffe of the other parts, which also are strengthned.

Calamus helpes the paffages of the Calamus. urine, and the faults of the reines,helpeth alfo the wombe and conception.

Cynamon ftrengthneth and cheereth Cynamon the fpirits and minde, dryeth up rotten. matter, helpeth against poyfon, warmeth and ftrengthneth the ftomacke to digestion.

Frankincenfe reftraineth and helpeth Frankin ulcers, gouts, fluxes of bloud, cleanfeth cenfe. and glueth up wounds and ulcers.

K 3

Myrrh

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Caritians herem iz Spices. Ch.4.

Mh the brine, drieth is lucerfucus tumors, bebek traightdefe of bream, emineth tlers and Inele, le ricers and wounds with fel.

Aber dertè trugi fegme and choller, dne un - and cold humours, praferve the reit from outrerving, open obftructions, frengththen the ftomacke

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Sutable to the vertues of thefe fruits and fpices, perfecution bred and stirred up in the faithfull graces of like efficacy, to reftraine heats of emulation,contention, ambition, to repreffe ulcers of malignity and dif-affection one to another,to heale the coldneffe, hypocrifie, and rottenneffe of their fpirits ; to stay distillations of cold raw matters, dropping from the head Bishops of Rome; as also to strenghthen appetite to the word, to comfort the faint hearted, to knit the members together.

A fountaine of gardens, &c.] For the Church, pouring out her confeffions and martyrdomes for the truth, propagated and watered many Churches; for,fanguis martyrum was femen Ecclefia, a Well of

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