90

Solomons bed what it fignifies. Ch.3.

lambe of God; as here it is faid, Behold his bed. This Temple it is the Temple of Solomon, of Chrift; in him the God-head

Col. 2.9. dwelleth bodily.

Secondly, the guard of Angels attenIoh. 1.51. ding it,to prevent the feare of Herods enMat.2.13. mity and others.

19.

i Luk.1.

35.

Thirdly, the maker of his humanity, verfe 9. King Solomon made himfelfe a Couch, the word may be tranflated Coach or Couch: this latter I rather take,partly for the Etymologe of Apirion, fol. 38. to be fruitfull as the brides bed is, and partly for agreement with the former word Bed, ver.7.

No earthly father, but Chrift by his owne Spirit made his owne body, and his owne bed in his mothers wombei,

Fourthly, the matter of it,the wood of Lebanon, for the Virgin Marydwelt inNazareth of Galile at the foot of Lebanon.

As Solomons Temple, the type of Christs body, was made of the wood of Lebanon, the Cedar which is free from corruption; fo was the body of Chrift k Pfal. 16. found from feeing corruption k.

Hof. I.

10.

Fifthly, the ornaments of it, which

were

Ch.3. Chrifts efpoufals and crowning.
Firft, partly his offices:

1. Prieftly, as pillars of filver abiding the fire of Gods wrath, and pure as filver tried in the fire.

2. Propheticall, delivering us a word precious as gold, even as fine gold 1. 3. Kingly, whence it is faid,ver. 10. The covering of it of purple, the royall ornament of Kings.

91

Heb.7.26.

1 Pfal. 19.

10.

Verse 10.

m Ioh.3.

Secondly, partly, the affection wherein he undertooke and executed thefe offices, love of the daughters of Jerufalem,ver.io.All thefe John declareth m. Secondly, hee exhorteth and stirreth 29.to the up the faithfull to behold, First, Christ".

end.

n Ioh. I.

o Ver. II.

Secondly, The ornaments wherewith his 29.-end mother crowned him in the day of his efpoufals. The day of his efpoufals was the day whenGod the Father contracted him with the Church*; whence after hee is Mat. 3. called the Bridegroomer, and John the 17 pIoh.3. Bridegroomes friend, his Difciples 29. the children of the Bride-chamber: And the Church henceforward in this booke is called the Spouse, not before. The crowne wherewith his mother crowned him, is the testimony of Christs fove

raignty,

92

9

Ioh. 1. 33,34,35,

49.& 3.

29.-36.

ufe 1.

ufe 2.

16.

Chriftians condition changeable. Ch.3. raignty, which John and the faithfull gave him 9.

First of the estate of the Church under
the Maccabees.

First, this doth teach us with what intent wee are to come before God in the publicke affemblies, namely, to feeke Chrift the love of our foules; not to fhew our fine garments, wantonly to gaze at beauties; not to fatisfie the Law or friends, for fashions fake, but to feeke Christ inftructing us in temptations: Some come to catch fomething from Chrift to entrap him, &c. but it is our duty to come unto him, as a Spouse to her husband, for feed, fo we muft come to Chrift, that hee may caft the feeds of grace into our foules, that we may bring forth fruit unto him.

Secondly, this lets us fee the changeable eftate of the Church; fhee that rejoyced in the prefence and fellowship of *Cant.2. Chrift, and could fay,* My beloved is mine, and I am his, now feekes him every where, and with much difficulty and an*Verfe 1, guifh. And fo it is oft with every true member of the Church, as wee may fee +Pfal.119 it was with Davidt: fo it is now with

2,3.

24,25.&

20.

.6,7,8.

Our

Ch.3. Chrift to be found in his ordinances. 93 our brethren beyond the feas, whom you might have commended a yeare or two agoe, and have found Chrift there; but now he is gone, fhe feekes him but findes him not: See the Church of God fometime enjoyes all the ordinances of God, fometimes none; fo a Chriftian foule fometimes hath Christs left hand under her head, and his right hand to Cant. 2.6. embrace her, foone after fhe findes him not fo: Wee muft not condemne the Church for this; for they that are tenderly beloved of Chrift may fometimes feeke him and not finde him.

Thirdly, this may comfort fuch as Ufe 3. feeke Chrift in all his ordinances: they fhall either finde him in them; or, after the use of them, in fome unexpected or extraordinary helpe. The Church here that found not Chrift in the Temple,nor in the affemblies and recourse of Chriftian people, nor in conference with the Priefts, found him foone after in an unexpected and extraordinary helpe, even Fudas Maccabeus, verfe 4. for indeed it was extraordinary for the tribe of Levi to take up the fword and fcepter, which indeed belonged to Fudah: fo you fee

when

94 Why Chrift fomtimes hides himfelfe. Ch.3.

ufe 4

ufe 5.

when ordinary meanes faile, God will be found in extraordinary: Whofoever then would finde Chrift, and feeke him every where, they fhall furely finde him either in his ordinances, or out of them.

Fourthly, this lets us fee the affectionate cleaving of fuch to Chrift, as have long fought him and not found him till at laft: fuch lay hold on him, and will not let him goe, verfe 4. which is one Reason why Chrift fometimes hides himfelfe from us, that wee might seeke him the more diligently, and, having found him, cleave to him more stedfastly; and this God lookes for at the hands of his.

Fifthly, this doth exhort Chriftians that live among bad neighbours to walk the more circumfpectly, as the daughters of Jerufalem are here charged upon oath to doe,ver.5. being between the Syrians and Egyptians. It is a charge given by the Church to her daughters, to take heed they stirre not up her love, nor awake Chrift till he please.

Two Reafons are given for it: First, It may provoke Chrift to bring another eftate upon the Church