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chiefeft matter, to wit, Chrift and his Church; but also more largely then any of Davids Pfalmes, and with more store of more fweet and precious,exquifite and amiable resemblances, taken from the richest Jewels, the fweeteft Spices, Gardens, Orchards, Vineyards, Wine-cellars, and the chiefeft beauties of all the workes of God and man.

9

Secondly, this Song admitteth more Reason 2. varietie of interpretation then any other, and alfo of fingular ufe: fome have applied it to expreffe the mutuall affection and fellow fhip between Chrift and every Chriftian foule; fome betweene Christ and the Catholique Church, fome to particular Churches, from Solomons time to the laft judgement. And there is an holy and ufe full truth in each one of these interpretations; but the laft doth exceedingly magnifie the wonderfull excellency of this Song, making it a divine abridgement of the Acts and Monuments of the Church. And that this book was chief ly penned to be fuch an hiftoricall Prophefie or Propheticall history, may ap peare,

First, by the correfpondency, or fu

tableneffe

10

Reafon 3.

This Song an hiftoricall Prophecy. Chap.r. futableneffe of the words of this Song,to the events of each age.

Secondly, by the repetition of the fame description, and other occurrences in divers parts of this Song; which would be a needleffe tautologie, if it were fpoken of the fame perfons in the fame time; as you may fee if you compare Chap.4.2. with 6.6. and 2.7. with 3.5.and 8.4.3.6. with 8.5.

Thirdly, by the diverfities of defcriChap-3.3. ptions of fome perfons, which would in6.with Ch. timate and imply a contradiction, if they were not fpoken of feverall times and feverall perfons.

5.7,8,9.

Reafon 4.

Fourthly, by the fudden admiration of Chap.3.6. fome new perfons and occurrences.

and 6. 10.

and 8.5. ufe 1.

First, wee may here fee, the eldest fonne of Wisdome giveth the double portion of excellency to this Song above all others; yea, fince the holy Ghoft giveth it, it is not therefore onely Canonicall Scripture, but an eminent portion of it. It were prophane blafphemy to preferre this Song above other Songs of holy Scripture, if it were not alfo given by divine infpiration as well as they to preferre the invention of

man

Chap.1. This Song proved Canonicall.

man before the wisdome of God were

II

facrilegious madneffe. And although none of Gods ten proper names in Hebrew be once mentioned in this Song, yet that impeacheth not the authority of this Booke more then it doth of Hefter, where no name of God is mentioned at all. Befides, this Booke is full of fuch names of God as fute more with the arguments; as Welbeloved, Brother, Shep- Chap.1.7, heard, O thou whom my foule loveth, the chiefest of ten thousand.

Secondly, this must exhort us to a more ftudious reading and meditating of this Book,as of a most excellent portion of holy Writ.

8,9,and

5.10.

ufe 2.

Thirdly, this fhewes us, that as this ufe 3. Scripture is Canonicall, fo the Pen-man of it is a Canonicall Saint in Heaven; for hee must needs be fo, according to that (not of Peters fucceffor, as the Papists would have it) but of S. Peter himselfe: * Holy men of God fpake as they were moved k 2 Pet. I. by the holy Ghoft: fo that hee muft needs 21. be a Saint by S. Peters confeffion; and not he onely, but Chrift himselfe faith, 1 All the Prophets are in the kingdome of God. 28. Now, all the Prophets came not neere

1 Luke 13.

12

m2 Sam.

Solomon proved to be faved.

Chap.1.

this Prophet; and there was no Scripture but it was penned by a Propheticall and Apoftolicall fpirit, and though Solomon did fall, yet mIf he commit iniquity, I will 7.14,15. chaften him with the rod of men, &c. Verle 15. But my mercy fhall not depart from him, as I took it from Saul. If fome fay, By this it was meant that God would not take away his kingdom; to this it is answered, he did take it away, but he would not deale with him as he dealt with Saul : fo then this telleth us Solomon is a Saint in Heaven.

The text

Ver. 1.

[Which is Solomons.] Solomon the penner of it, but a wiser then Solomon indited it. The holy Ghost maketh choice of his Inftruments according to the ufe he had to put them to ; to fet forth the estate of his Church by the choiceft treasures of nature: hee useth Solomons fpirit, which n1 King 4n was as large as the fand of the fea fhore. And as God led Mofes to the top of mount Pifgah, to behold all the places and fituations of Ifrael: fo he lifted up Solomons spirit to the mountain of Activitie,(that I may fo fpeake) where onely all times to come are prefent, to behold the estate of the Church throughout the present, and all after times. This

29,30. Deut.34.

Chap. 1.

Solomon a canonized Saint.

13

21

2 Pet. 1.

o Luke 13

28.

This is to teach us, as it was faid be- ule 1. fore, that Solomon is a canonized Saint, elfe he had not beene a Pen-man of Canonicall Scripture, canonized not by Peters pretended fucceffors, who have fhamefully erred in this kinde; but by Peter himfelfe, yea, by a greater then Peter or Solomon, even Chrift Jefus: That promise p reacheth further then to preferre Solomon before Saul, in referving the kingdome to his pofterity, which he tooke from Saul; for even from Solomons pofterity, the kingdome was cut off in Fechoniah: the promise therefore of mercy to Solomon above Saul, reacheth 12,13,14. to the bestowing of an heavenly kingdome upon him. Befides, in that place two bleffings are promised,

First, Adoption, I will be his father,&c. Secondly,eftablishment in Gods houfe and kingdome: fo that if the latter promife should not evince his perfeverance, yet the former doth.

p2 Sam.7 415.

2 Sam.7.

I

Secondly, this is to ftirre us up to the use 2. reading and and meditation of this Booke, the

more for the Pen-mans fake.

The 2,3,& 4.verfes fing and fhew forth the eftate of the Church in Solomons

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