Ch.3.

What the Churches bed.

death who had caused children to be circumcised, and hanged children upon the neckes of their mothers, I Mac. 1.23. to the end.

85

In my bed.] Not in my bed of eafe and floth, (as fome take it) for what ease could the Church take in the night time of calamity? But in my bed,that is,in the Cha.1.16. place and duties of Gods worship, the temple and the ordinances.

I fought him whom my foule loveth.] I defired and endeavoured to have fellowship with Chrift, but I found him not, the Sanctuary being polluted, and the daily facrifice taken away, and profane Idols fet up in the place.

83.7°

In the streets of the city.] That is, in the Verfe 2. open Affemblies of the faithfull, in the Synagogues, in the cities of Judea and Jerufalem; but behold there Altars erected to Idols, and incense burned, and the books of the Law caft into the fire*: Yea, behold,the citizens of Jerufalem all $759 fled and gone t: and the reft went in pro-40. ceffion to Bacchus *

* iMac..

† 1 Mac. 1.

*

2 Mac. 6.7.

The watch-men that goe about the city.] Verfe 3. To wit, the Levites, who answered her with filence; but a little after fhee found fuccour

F 3

86

*

1 Mac.

2.42, 43. † Mac. 3.5.-8.

How and where the

2

Ch.3.

fuccour at Modin, for the Priests, Mattathias and his fonnes, Fudas, Fonathan, and Simon, and the reft that went about to repaire the ruines of the Church and Common-wealth; to these the faithfull Church repairing, * and finding delive rance and comfort, by Judas especially, or rather by Chrift in him †, hee left him not till shee had brought him into the Temple, where the foone after cleanfed the Sanctuary, and restored the purity of Gods worship, and offered facrifice according to the Law, fo that fhee found great comfort and joy in the duties of m 1 Mac. Gods worshipm. Thus againe found 4.42.46. they Chrift in a typicall Saviour, held him by faith, and, with courage and zeale, brought him into the temple and Sanctuary,the houfe and chamber of her mother: that is, of the former Church of Ifrael, or of the Catholique Church, for the Church of the former ages is the mother of the latter; or the whole Church is the mother of each part in ufuall phrase of Hebrew fpeech: The Temple is the house of both, the San&tuary is the chamber of her that bare

her.

Ch.3.

Church found Chrift.

87

I charge you, O yee daughters of Ferufa- | Verle s lem, by the Roes and by the Hindes of the field, that yee firre not up, be please.

ner awake

my

love till

I charge you,&c.]See the fame words opened, Chap. 2. 7. The Church chargeth all her daughters, all her members, to take heed, left by their undiscreet dealing, or any wicked practife,they stirre up the neighbour Princes of Syria and Egypt; not to disturb the peace of the Church, and to provoke Chrift againe to leave them defolaté; which though fafon and Menelaus and Alcimus broke f, yet †2 Mac. they prevailed not fo far, but Chrift was 14:14. ftill found in the temple of the faithfull till his coming in the flesh.

Who is this that cometh out of the wil- Verfe 6. derneffe like pillars of Smoake, perfumed with myrrh and frankincense, with all powders of

the merchant ?

Who is this that cometh out of the wilderneffe.] This is a defcription of John Baptift, and of the Church gathered by his Miniftery in the wilderneffe: which is fet forth,

Firft, by the admiration and inquifitiveneffe of the old Synagogue after him

88 John Baptifts Miniftery how foretold. Ch.3.

and his baptifme: Who is this that commeth, or arifeth, &c. which was fulfilJoh.1.19. led to whom the Jewes fent Priests Luk. 3.15 and Levites to aske him, Who art thou?

1

and all men mused whether hee were not the Christ.

Secondly, by the place of his arifing, and the Church with him, in the wilderm Luke 3.neffe m

2.4.

Thirdly, by the manner of arifing,like Mar.1.394 pillars of fmoake, which,

First, ariseth from fire, as the Church arose from zeale and fervency of Johns Ministery.

Secondly, afcendeth on high, as the propagation of this Church did, even to

n Mat. 3. Jerufalem ".

5.6.

o Mat. 3. 5,6.

13.

Thirdly, fills the countrey, as the Church did with rumour and increase of

it o.

Fourthly, by the excellent fragrancy and sweetnesse of the graces thereof perp Chap. 1. fumed P, preferving from putrefaction: fuch was the powerfull zeale of Fohn and his Ministery, ftrongly fragrant as Myrrh, and preferving his hearers from Mat. 3.7, Pharifaicall hypocrifie: Frankincenfe is of like strong fragrancy, and of chiefe use

Ch.3. Solomons bed what it fignifies.

34.

89

Exod.30

r Pla.141.

I.

in making of the holy Incenfe ; by q which prayer was fignified, to intimate the fragrancy and fervency of his pray-2. ers, who taught all his difciples to pray. fLuke 11. With all powders of the merchant.] To wit, perfumed with the fweet graces of God, filled with the holy Ghoft above all Prophets, yea, above all that were borne of women ; whence alfo hee feasoned all forts of his hearers with graces and directions fit for their severall callings *.

u 3

Luke 1.

u Mat.11.

9,11.

x Luke 3.

Fifthly, by the doctrine of John, who 10.-14. exprefly preached the Lord Jefus manifefted in the flesh.

Behold his bed which is Solomons, three- Verfe7. Score valiant men are about it, of the valiant of Ifrael.]

Behold his bed which is Solomons.]This Doctrine the Church of that time received and beleeved: In which Doctrine, that first Church first discerned and beleeved,

Firft, the Temple of Chrifts body; for the bed y was taken, as also it is here, y Chap. 1. for the Temple, which was the type of Christs body z.

16.& 3.1.

રી

z John 2.

19,20.

Now,this as John pointed a, Behold the a John r..

Lamb 29,30.