Ch.4. What meant by the Northwinde.

iving waters. The Church was not hen dryed up, but plentifully stored with the graces of the fpirit, Streames rom Lebanon: The Churches were stored with fuch graces of the Spirit, as ftreaned and issued out from the mountains of Ifrael, the writings of the Prophets and Apostles.

135

Awake,or arife, O Northwind, &c.] The Ver. 16. Churches defire that a winde might arife n the North, and come into the South: o wit, that Conftantine, borne in Yorke, vould come into the foutherne parts,and ake the Empire upon him,(and blow upon my garden) driving away the blafts of Eafterly perfecutions, and breath favouably and wholefomly upon the Church, cooling the tempeftuous heats of the perecutions which the Church endured. The Church prayeth not the South to come, but the North to come into the South, elfe

First, the word blow, if it had reference to both windes, fhould have peene of the plurall number.

Secondly, Northwinde and Southvinde blowing together, would interupt and croffe one another by their conrariety.

K4

That

136 What meant by Spices of the Garden. Ch.4.

Ver 16.

That the fpices thereof may flow forth:] That the Gospell and ordinances of Chrift and the graces of his children, which were there reftrained from their free manifeftation by the perfecutions, might have free paffage.

Let my beloved come into his garden, and eat of his pleasants fruits.] Let Conftantine come to them,and partake of the benefits of the Churches ferviceable graces to God and him.

THE

Ch.5.

I

મમમ માટે આ

THE

CANTICLES,

OR

SONG OF SONGS
opened and explained.

THE TEXT.

CHAP. 5.

Am come into my garden, my fifter, my spouse, I have gathered my Myrrhe with my spice, I have eaten my honey combe with my honey, I have drunke my wine with my milke: eate, O friends, drinke,yea drinke abundantly, O beloved.

2 I fleepe, but my heart waketh, it is the voyce of my beloved that knocketh, faying, Open to mee my fifter, my love, my dove, my undefiled: for my head is filled with dew, and my lockes with the drops of the night.

3 I have put off my coat,how shall I put it on? I have washed my feet,how shall I defile them? 4 My beloved put in his hand by the hole of the doore, and my bowels were moved for him. 5 Irofe up to open to my beloved, and my hands

dropped

137

138

The Song of Songs.

Ch.5.

dropped with Myrrhe, and my fingers with Sweet Smelling Myrrhe,upon the handles of the locke.

6 I opened to my beloved, but my beloved had withdrawne himfelfe, and was gone: my foule failed when hee fpake: I fought him, but I could not find him; I called him, but he gave me no answer. 7 The watchmen that went about the city found me,they fmote me, they wounded me,the keepers of the wals tooke away my vaile from me.

8 I charge you, O daughters of Jerufalem, if ye find my beloved,that ye tell him, that I am ficke of love.

9 What is thy beloved more then another beloved, O thou fairest among women? What is thy beloved more then another beloved, that thou doft fo charge us?

10 My beloved is white and ruddy,the chiefest among ten thousand.

11 His head is as the most fine gold, his lockes are bufhie and blacke as a Raven.

12 His eyes are as the eyes of doves by the ri vers of water, washed with milke,and fitly fet.

13 His cheekes are as a bed of fpices, as Sweet flowers: his lips like lillies, dropping fweet Smelling Myrrhe.

14 His hands are as gold rings fet with the Beril his belly is as bright Ivorie overlaid with Saphires.

15 His legs are as pillars of marble, set upon Sockets of fine gold, his countenance is as Lebanon, excellent as the Cedars.

16 His mouth is moft fweet, yea, he is altoge

ther

Ch.5. Motives to thankefulnesse.

ther lovely. This is my beloved, and this is my friend, O daughters of Jerufalem.

THE EXPLANATION.

Cant. 5.verfe 1. I am come into my garden, my fifter,my spouse, I have gathered my Myrrhe with my fpice, I have eaten my honeycombe with my honey,I have drunke my wine with my milke eate, O friends, drinke, yea drinke abundantly, O beloved.]

139

verfe 1.

Onftantine came into the Church,en- Chap. 5. joyed the fellowship of it, did partake in all the parts of it, yea and richly endowed it; fo that the Church and all her friends did eat and drinke, yea and did drinke abundantly of wealth, preferments, &c. whence it was that thee Cha.4.12. fell into a deepe fleepe.

First, this ferves to ftirre us up to Ufe 1. thankefulnesse and fruitfulnesse to God, who hath planted us not in the wilderneffe of the world, but in the garden of his Church. If wee now tranfgreffe as Adam did, eating of the forbidden fruits,

*

God will take his garden from us, and Gen.3.6 caft us out of it.

Secondly,

11,12,24 & 2.17.