46 2 Pet.2. 14. Vie 4. Plin. lib. 13.cap. 5. 16,41. Chrift delights in pure ordinances. Chap.1. her, and thereby to glorifie his grace in her recovery, rather then his holinesse in the discovery of her pollutions. The bed is here mentioned in the fpring of her flourishing, when it began to wax green, not in the winter feafon of her dirty pollutions, and before, the chaft eyes of the dove recorded,abhorring uncleanneffe, not the eyes full of adultery, bringing fpirituall pollutions into the Church: when there is any Superftitious worship, there it is overfpread with winter, but when it is purged, then is the bed green; when Gods ordinances are kept pure, there Chrift delighteth to be.. Eleventhly, it is an ornament of the Church to reftore her with beames of cedar, and her walls or galleries with firre: cedar is famous for durableneffe, enduring even to eternity, faith Pliny: firre is acceptable for his fweetneffe, and while he groweth, for his heighth, ftreightneffe and perpetuall greenneffe: Solomon houfe or Temple was of old a lively type, partly, First, of the humane body of Christ, Joh. 2. 19. the Temple of the Deity, 21. Col.2.9. Secondly, of the mysticall body of 16.& 6. Chap.1. A decayed Church how to be repaired. 49 Christ, his Church or congregation, 1 Cor. 3.16. Chrifts humane body never Cor. 3. decayeth,and therefore needeth no repairing his myfticall body the Church, if it fall into decay through corruption of Doctrine or Worship, it may be most fitly repaired, First, by laying in the walls of the Church fuch folid and eternall truths of God, as may hold up the walls of the building. 19. Thus Luther restored the Church by Luther. laying this beame of cedar, the Doctrine of free Juftification by Christ. Secondly, by fetting up fuch worship and workes for the people to walke in, as are truly sweet and amiable in Gods fight, fpringing from fresh and green fincerity, growing up to the heavens; these are like galleries of firre, whereas vowes of fection,and works of fupererogation,and all other reliques and rags of Popery, are no better then rotten and moth-eaten wood, fit fuell for the fire. per I Am the rofe of Sharon, and the lilly of the vallies. 2 As the lilly among thornes, fo is my love among the daughters. 3 As the apple tree among the trees of the wood, fo is my beloved among the fonnes; I fate downe under his fhadow with great delight, and his fruit was fweet to my tafte. 4 He brought me to the banquetting boufe, and his banner over me was love. 5 Stay me with flaggons,comfort me with apples, for I am ficke of love. 6 His left hand is under my bead, and his right hand doth embrace me. 7 I charge you, O yee daughters of Jerufalem, by the the Roes, and by the Hinds of the field, that ye ftirre not up, nor awake my love till he please. 8 The voyce of my beloved,behold, he cometh lea→ ping upon the mountaines, skipping upon the hills. 9 My beloved is like a Roe, or young Hart: bebold, be ftandeth behind our wall, be looketh forth at the window, shewing himselfe through the lattice. 10 My beloved pake, and faid unto me, Rife up my love, my faire one, and come away. 11 For loe, the winter is past, the raine is over and gone. 12. The flowers appeare on the earth, the time of the finging of birds is come, and the voyce of the turtle is beard in our land. 13 The figtree putteth forth her greene figs, and the vines with the tender grape give a good smell. Arife my love, my faire one, and come away. 14 0 my my dove thou art in the clefts of the rocke, in the fecret place of the ftaires, let me fee thy counte nance, let me beare thy voyce, for fweet is thy voyce, and thy countenance is comely. 15. Take us the foxes, the little foxes, that (poile the vines, for our vines have ter er grapes. 16 My beloved is mine, and I am bis: be feedeth among the lillies. 17 Untill the day breake, and the shadowes flee away: turn my beloved, and be thou like a Roè, er a young Hart,upon the mountaines of Bether. 52 Chrift how a Rofe. Chap.2. THE EXPLANATION. Cant.2.verfe 1. I am the rose of Sharon,and the lilly of the vallies. THe eftate of the Church from Fofiahs repaire of the Temple, (in the laft verfe of the laft chapter) is described here, Firft, before the captivity, verfe 1, 2. under the last dayes of Fofiah, Fehoahaz, 30,34.and Jehojakim,Fehojachin, and Zedechiah. Secondly, in the captivity, 2 Kini 23. 24.6,17. 1. At home, the remnant, ver. 3. 2. Abroad, in Babylon, ver.4.-7. Thirdly,in the end,after the captivity, where is defcribed, 1. Her calling out of captivity, to returne and worship in Jerufalem, verfe 8.-13. Secondly, her eftate at Jerufalem till the dayes of the Maccabees, verfe 14. -17. I am the rofe.] The rofe is, Secondly,fweet for fmell; comforting both heart and braine. Thirdly, wholesome for use and medi cinable. |