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24

g 1. King.

II.4,9.

h 1.King.

How the Church is blacke. Chap. Secondly, comely, as the curtains or hangings of Solomon.

First, black, by the fall of Solomon 8.
Secondly,by the folly of Rehoboam1.

12.14,15. Thirdly,

i 1.King. 12.16,18, 19.

Comely.

k Pfal.48.
1,2.
2 Chron.
13. 10.-

I 2.

1. By Profaneneffe.
2. By Schifme.
3. By Apoftacy.

4. By the Rebellion of the ten tribes i.
Yet comely,]

First, by the prefent purity of God's ordinances in the Temple.k

Secondly, the conftancy of the upright in cleaving to God, to the King, to the house of God,and David; the which was done in profeffion by whole Judah and Benjamin, and the Ifraelites inhabiting in the Cities of Judah, but in truth, 11.King. by the upright 1.

12.17, 20,

23.

Tee Daughters of Jerufalem, &c.] Children of the Church are called Daughters rather thenSons,as being prefented as a pure Virgin for Chrift their hufm2 Cor.band m

II.2.

Asthe tents of Kedar, &c.] That is, of the Arabians, who were called Scenith, or Nomede, for that they wandred up and downe, feeding their flocks in

tents,

Chap.1. The Church like Kedars tents. 25 tents, which they made of Goats haire; a courfe ftuffe of it felfe, and, being weather-beaten,the more homely and black: Hereto the Prophet alludeth when hee calleth the Church of Ifrael n Aholah, n Ezek. and Jerufalem Aholibah,my tent in her: 23.4. for she was then as the curtains of Solomon.

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It was Davids griefe that he was long *Pfal.120 converfant in the tents of Kedar: the Church was now like to these tents, First, in their blackneffe, which refembled their adverfity.

Secondly, in that fhee now lived among the enemies of her peace, the fons of her mother being angry with her. Thirdly, in that black and fad defection which layd the foundation of the after Captivity, when the Church wandred to Babel; her tent being removed as the curtains of Solomon, or, hangings; having the name from the coupling together. Jofephus faith, that Solomons hals were hung with hangings of Babilo. nian tapestrie in their courfes or fuits, and the wall of Marble underneath most curiously wrought with rich Imagerie: It feemeth alfo, each hanging inwardly more rich then other. Such was the

eftate

* Horten

fisFlavius. Jofeph.

Ant. 8.2.

26 Despise not the Church though black.Chap.1.

Verse 6.

Two parts

eftate of the Church in time of publicke defection, pure and richly graced in the upright members, whom the better one inwardly knew, the more gracious they appeared.

Looke not upon mee, because I am black,

&c.]

This Verfe hath two parts:

First, an admonition of the Church of Judah to the daughters of Jerufalem, not to defpife her, nor alienate themfelves from her in regard of her blackneffe, or, as it is in the Hebrew, Becanfe I am free that am black.

Secondly, a rendring a three-fold Reafon:

First, of her blackneffe.

Secondly, of their not defpifing her

for it.

A third Reafon is

First, from the highest cause of her affliction, The Sunne hath looked upon

mee.

Secondly, from the inftrumentall caufe, The anger of her mothers children against her,

Thirdly, for the meritorious cause, which shee acknowledgeth was wholly

Chap.1. What meant by the Sunne.

in her felfe; her not keeping well her own vineyard, aggravated by the divers degrees,though they made her the keeper of the vineyards.

Looke not upon me:] that is

First, with a fcorching eye, Sun-burning me, making me ftill more blacke by your difdaine and feparation; as the Sun is faid to looke upon, that is, with a fcorching eye.

27

Verfe 6.

o

7.

Secondly, with a piercing eye, as the Vultures do, whereof Job fpeaketh, Iob 28. ufing the fame word here ufed of the Sunne, which fpieth out what hee faften upon,any corruption or carrion.

may

119.&

The Sunne: that is, God p hath look- Verfe 6. ed upon me with a fcorching eye, in dif- pPf-84.11 pleasure; for hee was angry with Solomon. 9 It came not by chance, or civill 9 King. caufes in politie, but by divine pro- 12.24. curement,and therefore the daughters of Jerufalem,to make fuch an use of it as not to alienate themselves the more from God by it: That which commeth from God fhould draw us neerer to God, Hee did it to fet us more Kings in the Common-wealth, as Solomon had more Gods in the Church.

The

28

Verfe 6.

r

12.16.

What meant by Vines.

Chap.1.

The fonnes of my mother were angry with mee,] That is, the ten tribes were offen1.King. ded: yea this anger of the tribes was exceffive, when it brake forth into fuch extremity; and therefore they rather to be reproved, then the Church difdained.

f1. Chro. 28.4.-6. t 2. Sam.

5.3.

8.

They made me the keeper of the Vines:]
First, God.
Secondly, all the tribes.

of the vines, that is, of all the Chur

Pfal.8o. ches u.

Ifa 5. I.

But mine owne Vineyard have 1 not Matth.21. kept: that is, not the Churches of Judah and Jerufalem, Idolatry and Superftition creeping in.

33.

* Pfal. 128

3.

Verse 7.

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No not the Vines of mine own house, my wives* from falling to Idolatry, and feducing my felfe to toleration of it. Tell me, oh thou,&c.] This verfe containeth,

First, a Prayer of the faithfull difperfed throughout the ten tribes, and commanded by Jeroboam to goe no more to worship at Jerufalem, but to goe to Dan and Bethel, defiring to know whither to refort to finde Chrift feeding his fheepe

a Joh. 10. a that heare his voyce.

27,28.

Secondly,

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