130 Verse 12. The Church how a Garden. Ch.4. 1. The Petitions; which are three, Firft, for the arifing of the winde, and coming into the South, ver.16. Secondly, for favourable blafts of it, and that for this end, the flowing forth of her fpices. Thirdly, that Chrift would come into his garden, and eat his pleasant fruits, verse 16. 2. Chrifts answer thereunto: First, he cometh into his garden. Secondly, he gathereth and enjoyeth the fruits of it. Thirdly, he fils his Churches friends with a large measure of plenty, Chap. 5.1. A garden:] The Church is here fo called, as verfe 13. an orchard; or as it is in the originall, a Paradife, as if this were the garden of Eden. All the world is as a wilderneffe, or at least a wilde field; onely, the Church is Gods garden or orchard, in these three refpects: First, as the garden of Paradife was the habitation of Adam in the eftate of innocency, fo is the Church of all those who are renewed into innocency. Secondly, as in that garden were all manner of pleasant and wholesome herbs Ch.4. The Church how fealed up. herbs and trees growing, fo in the Church are all manner of usefull and favoury fpirits. Thirdly,as a man walketh in his garden to refresh himselfe; fo doth Chrift walke in his Church, yea and calleth his friends thither to walke with him. A spring, a fountaine: ] Not because the Church is the fountaine of grace; but because, Chrift being in it, it is the spring or fountaine of the waters of life unto all *. 131 *Zach. Pfal.877. A garden, Spring, fountaine, inclosed, 13.1. Shut up, fealed: Not by a pale or wall of defence by Chriftian Magiftrates, but rather shut up by restraint, for the word fignifies to inclofe or fhut up, as with lockes and fetters. Againe, the Church prayeth for the inlargement of the flowing of her fpices, ver.16, and therefore her present shutting up was uncomfortable to her. The Church was then faid to be fhut up, First, because under the perfecutions it was shut up in prifons, and other places of punishment, as under lockes and fetters. Secondly, I 2 The Church how fealed up. Ch.4. Secondly, because the Church then affembled in private clofe places, woods, dens, &c. and not in the open places of townes or cities. Thirdly, because it was fhut up from free acceffe of forainers, men without; neither were the Emperours willing their Subjects should repaire to them, nor the Church willing to admit all promifcuously. Thy plants: That is, thy children or members, as an orchard of Pomegranates, Camphire, verle 14. Spikenard, Safron, Calamus, Cinnamon. The children of the Church are compared to these wholefome and sweet fruits, trees, herbs, in a double refpect: First, because the vertues of these fruits and fpices are especially feen when they are cut and powred out, or beaten, or burned, or bruifed: So it is with the graces of Gods children; they are chiefly exercised by the hard dealing of perfe cutors. Secondly, there was in the faithfull then perfecuted a resemblance of the vertues of these fruits and spices. Pomegranates repreffe and reftraine the Ch.4. Chriftians how compared to Spices. the heat of choler,the malignity of fevers, the loofeneffe of the belly; they alfo comfort the ftomack and bowels, and prevent faintings and fwoonings. 133 Camphire, with his fweetneffe of fmell, Camphire. delighteth and ftrengthneth the fpirits, cheereth up the minde, helpes the ftone, reftraines ulcers. Spikenard ftayeth diftillations from Spikenard the head, ftrengthneth the ftomack, digefteth cold humours, helpeth conception. Safron thinneth flegme, helpes lethar-Safron. gies, coughs, and plurifies, furthereth digeftion, comforteth the heart, redreffes the rottenneffe of the other parts, which alfo are strengthned. Calamus helps the paffages of the urine, Calamus. and the faults of the reines, helpeth alfo the womb and conception.: Cinnamon ftrengthneth and cheereth Cinnamonthe fpirits and minde, dryeth up rotten matter, helpeth against poyfon, warmeth and ftrengthneth the ftomacke to digestion. Frankincenfe reftraineth and helpeth Frankinulcers, gouts, fluxes of bloud, cleanfeth cenfe. and glueth up wounds and ulcers. I 3 Myrrh 134 Myrrh. Aloes. de metbed, medend. Lib. 4.cap.7,9, 19,21,22, 26,27. lib. 6.cap 12, Chriftians wherein like Spices.. Ch.4. Myrrh refresheth the braine, drieth up fuperfluous humours, helpeth ftraitneffe of breath, restraineth ulcers and itchineffe, filleth ulcers and wounds with flesh. Aloes cleanfe tough flegme and choler, drie up raw and cold humours, preserve the reft from putrefying, open obstructions, ftrengthen the ftomack ftrongly. Sutable to the vertues of these fruits and fpices, perfecution bred and stirred 13,14,12. up in the faithfull graces of like efficacy, to restraine heats of emulation, contention, ambition, to repreffe ulcers of malignity and dif-affection one to another, to heale the coldneffe, hypocrifie, and rottenneffe of their spirits, to ftay diftillations of cold raw matters, dropping from the head Bishops of Rome; as also to ftrengthen appetite to the Word,to comfort the faint-hearted, to knit the members together. Verse 15. Joh.4.10. A fountaine of gardens, &c.] For the Church, pouring out her confeffions and martyrdomes for the truth, propagated and watered many Churches; for, fanguis martyrum was femen Ecclefia, a Well of living waters. The Church was not then |