Ch.2. Chrift how a Lilly. of Sharon, ] Sharon was a fruitfull field lying under Bafhan, where the heards were wont to feed, excellent for fatneffe and fruitfulnesse. 53 Chro.5. 16,17.& 27.29. Efay 33.9. & 35.2. Matth.6. And the lilly,] The lilly is firft fragrant, Secondly faire, yet of the vallies, 28,29. where the heards ufe to feed, as in Chr.27. Sharon. These words then fet forth the Churches complaint of that time, as fome Interpreters of chiefe worth have conceived it, though the words may as fitly be uttered by Chrift himselfe, to fet forth both his owne difpofition and the Churches eftate. The first, Hee was then the rose of the field, the lilly of the vallies, to fhew, that when the Church defpifed him, to converse with her in the Temple, and the worship there celebrated: * Hee was now ready to leave his* Temple, and to be a Sanctuary to his Church abroad. Secondly, Chrift is here described according to the estate of the Church of that time, which wanted culture, ordering and dreffing, thornes and bryars gtowing up in the Church, and not weeE 3 ded 29. Chap. 1. ver. 16,17 Ezek. 9.3. & 10.4,9. & 11.23. 16. * 54 The Church how a Rofe and Lilly. Ch.2. 2 Sam. 23.6. + Mic.7.4. a Cant. 4. 12. ded out: *The wicked are as thornes and bryars, † and store of them growing up in the Church. When the Church is as a garden inclosed, then bryars and thorns are weeded out; but neither Magiftrate nor Minifter did his duty in removing offences in those dayes: bfo lillies of the field are 6. 28, 29. taken for lillies neglected, which neither take care for themselves, nor others take care for them. b Matth. Verse 2.3° c 2 Chro. Thirdly, As the rose of the field, or lillies of the vallies, or lilly amongst the thornes,is continually, Firft, fubject to be prickt and rent with thornes. Secondly, trodden underfoot by the heards of beafts,fo the Church was then subject, 1. To be vexed with the wicked growing up with her. 2. To be trodden under foot by the beasts of the field, the Babilonians, the Egyptians. C Fofiah, how fweet a Roe! how faire 35.22,23, a lilly! yet how untimely trodden down by Necho: The other Kings were placed, difplaced, imprisoned, and the whole 24. 2 Chron. 36.17. kingdome Ch.2. Chrift in Gedaliah an Apple tree 55 kingdome with them, at the pleasure of the Babylonians and Egyptians: and in the end, the whole Church laid wast by the Babylonians. Againe, Chrift is the rose and lilly, as being, Firft, fweet with the favour of his graces. Secondly, beautifull. Thirdly, medicinable. When the Church is corrupt in it felfe, it is yet faire and fweet in Chrift; d In him our life is hid in our worft tad Col.3.3. king: He being white as a lilly by the purity of his righteousneffe, we likewife are white as lillies in him cloathed with his righteoufneffe. As the Apple tree among the trees of the Verse 3. wood, fo is my beloved among the fonnes, I fate mee downe under his shadow with great delight, and his fruit was sweet to my tafte.] A tree firft, not tall as the Cedar of Lebanon, not strong as the Oakes of Bafhan; but a tree of middle ftature,implying an inferiour Magiftrate, not fo high and mighty as the Monarchs of the world, yet fuch whose shadow yeelds, First, refreshing to a man wandring and E 4 56 Babylon the Churches wine cellar. Ch.2and fainting in a wilde forrest. *2Kin.25. 22. Secondly, whofe fruit is sweet and comfortable, fuch was Chrift to his Church, difpenfing himselfe in Gedaliah, whom Nebuchadnezzar made governour over the remnant of the people that were left in the land. First, under him, as under a fhadow, e 2Kin-25 they were feareleffe and fafee: But after 23.-25. he was cut down,they were driven from under his fhadow, and durft ftay no longer in their own countrey,which was left f verfe 26. as a wilde forrest f. * Ier.40, 10.-12. gler. 40.6 & 43.6. Verse 4. * Ecclef. 7.2. Secondly, they gathered, Firft,much fweet fummer fruit *. Secondly, much good Inftruction and direction from Ieremiah and Baruchg, who both lived with him. Wine cellar, ] Heb. Houfe of wine; not fo fitly termed banquetting houfe,which Solomon expreffeth by another name *. A wine Cellar is a low vault, under the ground, darke, cold, raw and gloomy; yet replenished with veffels of liquor, which refrefheth and inlargeth the heart, and openeth the mouth. This house, to the Church,was Babylon, whither God brought his people Ch.2. The comforts of the Spirit as wine. 57 into captivity, which at first view feemed dolefull and heavy, but afterward yeelded to them many fweet taftes,yea deep draughts of Gods favour: Gods Spirit coming upon men, makes them feeme as 13. full of new wine*. It refrefheth and A&s 2. enlargeth the heart, and openeth the mouth, First, to the praise of God. Secondly, to the edification of his And his Banner over mee was love.] Firft, for an enfigne of defence to the Secondly, for a flagge of defiance to their enemies: how lovingly and glorioufly (as with a banner of love difplaied) * Dan. I. 19, 20. did God defend the three children and Dan.3.25 Daniel himfelfe*. How did God offer defiance to Idola try in the three children *. Stay me with flaggons and comfort mee with apples, for I am ficke of love.] I, the Church is here faint and ficke, and ready to fwoone, for defire of further fellow fhip * Dan.6. 22. + Dan. 5. 16. 18. & 6. 10. Perfe 5. |