240

Chrifts care wherein it appeares. Ch.8. Secondly,in his charge to the Church, that he may heare her companions harkning unto her, ver.13.

Secondly, by the Churches prayer unto Chrift, that hee may haften the tranflating of them into heaven in the end of the world, verfe 14.

Who is this that cometh,&c.] Who these Churches fhould be that remaine to be called after the converfion of the Jewes and Gentiles, wee cannot conceive any more fitly than the Churches of Affyria; fecondly, of Egypt, of which wee read Ifa.19.23,25. When a Church shall be elected among the Jewes, fignified by Ezekiels goodly Temple, the water of Ezek.47. Gods Spirit fhall flow from thence EastI, 9. ward, goe downe into the Defert, and from thence fpread themselves farre and

neere.

This Defert, or Wildernesse Eastward from Judah,is the wilderneffe of Arabia, whither Spirituall graces fhall be conveyed by fome coming from Ferufalem, and from thence they fhall be further carried into the Eaft Countries, to the gathering, and converfion of the Affyrians and others: Whence it is, that Church arifing

from

Ch.8.What Churches come in after the fewes. 241

Cant.2.11.

from the Wilderneffe of Arabia, is faid
to leane upon her beloved in an Arabian
word; as when the holy Ghoft was to
fpeak of the Babylonian Captivity (or
Winter, being paft, he ufeth the Babylo-
nian or Caldean word. So then, when the
Churches of Judea fhall fee fuch a goodly
Church fpring from fome fmall helpe,
out of the Wilderneffe of Arabia, beyond
their expectation, they fhall fay of her,
Who is this that cometh out of the Wilder-
neffe, leaning upon her beloved? trufting by
faith on him, and thereby attaining and
enjoying fellowship with him: for to
leane is put as an act of faith or trufting'
and the gefture implyeth familiar love*.
Iraifed thee under an apple-tree.] Chrift,
or the Church of the Jewes by his power
raifed up his Church by the meanes of
fome inferiour Magiftrate,refembled here
by an Apple-tree as before *: For though
hee was not fo high and mighty as the ver.3.
Cedars of Lebanon, orthe Okes of Bafhan
yet eminent hee was, and his fhadow
good, and his fruit cordiall and com-
fortable.

asan

And the meanes of the gathering of this Church, being at firft but an inferi

our

* Pro. 3.5. John 13.

23. & 20,

* Cant.2.

242

Gal.4. 26.
Verse 6.

Leaning an act of Faith.

Ch.8.

our Magiftrate; the Church had more need and use of faith to leane upon her beloved, when foveraigne authority did not countenance the work.

There thy mother brought thee forth.] To wit, the Mother-Church of the Jewes, or the Catholique, which is the Mother of us all.

Set me as a feale upon thy heart, as a feale upon thine arme, for love is ftrong as death, jealoufie is crueli as the grave the coales thereof are coales of fire which hath a most vebement flame. 1 b

Set me as a feale upon thine heart, as a feale upon thine arme.] That is, let ine be deep engraven as a feale is into thine heart, or affection, and as a feale on thine arme, let me be continually in thy fight and remembrance. And because the heart is the feat of the will, and the arme of ftrength, therefore thee defireth his deep affection and mighty ftrength and power alwaies to be prefent with her for her comfort and peace.

For love is strong

fheweth his ftrength,

death.] Death

Firft, in fubduing all forts of people

high and low, young and old.

Secondly,

Ch.8. How Love as strong as death. Ar 243 Secondly, accepting no compaffion, nor yeelding to any oppofition, but going through with his work, fuch ftrength of love fhall this Church fhew to Christ, fubduing all before her to the obedience of Christ, and not fuffering any impedi ment to detaine her from him? Io 2.

CH

Fealousie is cruell as the grave.] Jealoufie is a mixt affection of zeale or fervent love, and carries at any corrivals, a rage with wrath against them: Sorfer! vent then fhall the zealous love of this Church be to Chrift, that the may not endure any fuch things as shall steal away the peoples hearts from Chrift, or alienate or leffen his affection to her, but as the grave,

ol

Firft, fhe shall devoure all fuch things, and bury them out of fight, And Secondly, there hold them undet for ever.degausim od

The coales thereof are coales of fire, which have a most vehement flame. The ardency of this love fhall as coales of fire, H

First, enflame her in all her fervices tò

Christ.
Secondly, burne up as ftubble all im-
pediments.

244

The zealous love of the Church to Ch. Ch.8.
First, all inward green lufts.

Secondly, outward entanglements. (Vehement flame) Hebr. Flames of God, that is, excellent or extraordinary ; for in Scripture phrafe, the things of God are tranfcendently excellent, as the *Rev.15.2 Harpes of God, the Trees of God *. Pfal.1.3.

Verfe 7.

Verfe 8.

4

Flames of God, divine and vehement; and indeed this vehement love being kindled by Gods heavenly Spirit, cannot be quenched with earthly things. aid Many waters cannot quench love, neither can the floods drowne it if a man would give all the fubftance of his houfe for love, it would utterly be contemned.

That is,neither adverfities,though never fo many,or deep, or ftrong, as many waters and floods, hall withdraw this love from Chrift, nor all the treasures, and pleasures,and credit, which the fubftance of any mans house might procure us,fhall be of any reckoning in comparison of Chrift,to withhold our hearts from him. We have a little fifter, and he hath no breasts, what shall we do for our fifter, in the day when she fhall fpoken for.

We have a little fifter,&c.] The Church of Fudea and Aẞyria hearing of fome good people