That thou wert as my brother that fucked the breafts of my mother! when I fhould finde thee out, I would kiffe thee, yet I fbould not be defpifed. 2 I would lead thee, and bring thee into my mothers house, who would inftruct me: I would caufe thee to drinke of fpiced wine, of the juyce of my pomegranate.

3 His left hand should be under my head, and bis right hand should embrace me.

4 I charge you, O daughters of Jerufalem, that yee stirre not up, nor awake my love untill bee please.

5 (Who is this that cometh up from the Wilderneffe, leaning upon her beloved?) I raised thee up under the apple tree: there thy mother brought thee forth, there she brought thee forth that bare thee.

6 Set me as a feale upon thy heart, as a feale upon thine arme: for love is as strong as death, jealoufie is cruell as the grave: the coales thereof are coales of fire,which hath a most vehement flame.

7 Many waters cannot quench love, neither can the floods drown it: if a man would give all the fubftance of his houfe for love, it would utterly be contemned.

8 We have a little fifter, and fhe bath no breasts, what shall we doe for our fifter, in the day when fbe fhall be fpoken for?

9 If she be a wall, we will build upon her a palace of filver and if he be a doore, we will inclofe her with boards of Cedar.

10 I am a wall, and my breasts like towers: then was I in his eyes as one that found favour.

11 Solomon had a vineyard at Baul-Hamon, be let out the vineyard unto Keepers: every one for the fruit thereof, was to bring a thousand pieces of filver.

12 My vineyard which is mine, is before me: thou (O Solomon) must have a thousand, and thofe that keep the fruit thereof, two hundred.

13 Thou that dwelleft in the gardens, the companions hearken to thy voice, cause me to heare it.

14 Make hafte my beloved, and be thou like to a Roe, or to a young Hart upon the mountaine of fpices.

231

232

John 4. 48,49.

Luke 4 28,29.

The Converted fewes wish.

THE EXPLANATION.

The

Ch.8.

He Church of the Jewes, both in City and Country thus gathered,doe here expreffe her ardent affection to Chrift, and due refpect of him, which the old Synagogue fhewed towards her whileft he was converfant amongst them in the flesh. (Since faith fhe) o that thou wert as my brother, &c. Chrift was made our brother by taking our Nature upon him at his Incarnation,and then he fucked the breafts of the Church, attending to the Miniftery of John, and other Jewish Teachers: the therefore to fhew her affeЄtion, defireth that he were now amongst them converfant in their streets againe in bodily prefence, she would not doe then as the old Synagogue did, be afhamed of him, or come to him by night, but fhee would kiffe him, and embrace him in the open ftreets, and yet no man fhould then defpife her for her fo doing, as they did; but every one fhould encourage her in her obfequioufneffe to him: She would not reject him, and thrust him out of the Synagogue, as her old Ancestors had

done;

Ch.8. Chrifts left and right hand what.

233

done; but if she found him without, shee would lead him,and invite him into their Synagogue, or Temple, there to inftru&t her, and teach her the will of her father; she would not give him gall to eat, and Mat.27. vinegar to drink, as her forefathers had 34 done, but she would cause him to drinke of the beft delicate fpiced wine, and the juice of her Pomegranate.

His left hand fhould be under my head, and Verse 3. his right hand should embrace me.

The left hand of Chrift is the Chriftian Magiftrate, which fhall in those daies fupport and advance the Church, and hold up her head.

23,24,25.

Dan 7.27.

His right hand is the faithfull Mini-Ezek. 33. fters, which fhall fpeake comfortable things to her heart, and fo embrace her, Ifai.62. for this alfo fee, o daughters of Ferufalem, that you stirre not up, nor awake my love untill he pleafe.

*

I charge you,

The Church enjoying thefe great mercies and bleffings from Chrift, chargeth all her daughters, members, to walk fo thankfully, and fruitfully towards God, and lovingly and helpfully one towards another, and fo circumfpectly, and inoffenfively to them which are without,that

no

*

6.

Cant. 2.

234 Our duty to pray for the Fewes conversion.Ch.8.

no occafion be given of their alteration of their happy estate. When the Church gave this charge before, it was in regard of the Roes and Hindes of the field; fearfull Christians coming on towards Religion, willing to flock, and feed, and converfe with the sheep, yet ready to start and flee away upon any feare of danger of perfecution; but now no regard is had of these fearefull ones; for they that shall then remaine fearefull, when the Church fhall enjoy fo great light and fafety, they fhall be quite excluded from converfing with the Church.

For ufe, we may here learn,

Firft, fince the Church of the Jewes fhall attaine to fo great beauty, it ought to kindle our defire to pray earneftly for their converfion, that we may behold the admirable faireneffe thereof, and be delighted with her confolations.

Secondly, this doth teach us how to approve our felves pleasant and faire in Chrifts eyes, even by keeping his Ordinances in integrity, and fimplicity, and by a willing readineffe to frequent the

fame.

Chrift may see all the world, as he did

when