16,17.& 27.29. & 35.2. Matth.6. 29. Ch.2. Christ how a Lilly. 53 of Sharon, ] Sharon was a fruitfull | Chro.s. field lying under Bashan, where the heards were wont to feed, excellent for Elay 33.9. fatnesse and fruitfulnesse. And the lilly,] The lilly is first fragrant, Secondly faire , yet of the vallies, 28,29. where the heards use to feed, as in Chr.27. Sharon. These words then set forth the Churches complaint of that time, as some Interpreters of chiefe worth have conceived it ; though the words may as fitly be uttered by Christ himselfe, to set forth both his owne disposition and the Churches eftate. The first, Hee was then the rose of the field, the lilly of the vallies, to shew, that when the Church despised him, to converse with her in the Temple, and the worship there celebrated : * Hee was now ready to leave his .* Chap. I. Temple, and to be a Sanctuary to his / ver.16,17 Church abroad. Secondly, Christ is here described ac-& 11.23. cording to the estate of the Church of 16. that time, which wanted culture, ordering and dressing, thornes and bryars growing up in the Church, and not wee ded Ezek.9.3: & 10.4,9 E 3 Sam. a Cant. 4. 12. b Matth. Verse 2.3. 54 The Church how a Rose and Lilly. Ch.2. ded out: * The wicked are as thornes 23.6. and bryars, t and store of them growing | Mic.7.4• up in the Church. When the Church is as a garden inclosed;a then bryars and thorns are weeded out ; but neither Magistrate nor Minister did his duty in removing offences in those dayes: bso lillies of the field are 6.28,29. taken for lillies neglected, which neither take care for themselves, nor others take care for them. Thirdly, As the role of the field, or lillies of the vallies, or lilly amongst the thornes,is continually, First, subject to be prickt and rent with chornes. Secondly, trodden underfoot by the heards of beasts,so the Church was then subject, 1. To be vexed with the wicked growing up with her. 2. To be trodden under foot by the beasts of the field, the Babilonians, the Egyptians. Fosiah, how sweet a Roe! how faire 35.22,23, a lilly ! yet how untimely trodden down by řecho: The other Kings were placed, 2 Chron. displaced, imprisoned, and the whole kingdome C 2 Chro. 24. 36.17. Ch.2. Christ in Gedaliah an Apple-tree 55 kingdome with them at the pleasure of the Babylonians and Egyptians: and in the end, the whole Church laid wast by the Babylonians. Againe, Christ is the rose and lilly, as being, First, sweet with the favour of his graces. Secondly, beautifull. When the Church is corrupt in it selfe, it is yet faire and sweet in Christ; d In him our life is hid in our worst tad Col. 3.3. king: He being white as a lilly by the purity of his righteousnesse, we likewise are white as lillies in him cloathed with his righteousnesse. As the Apple tree among the trees of the Verse 3. wood, so is my beloved among the fonnes , I Sate mee downe under his shadow with great delight, and his fruit was sweet to my taste.] A tree firft, not tall as the Cedar of Lebanon, 'not strong as the Oakes of Bafhan; but a tree of middle stature, implying an inferiour Magistrate, not so high and mighty as the Monarchs of the world, yet such whose shadow yeelds, First, refreshing to a man wandring E A and +2 Kin.25. 22. 56 Babylon the Churches wine cellar. Ch.2. and fainting in a wilde forrest. Secondly, whose fruit is sweet and comfortable, such was Christ to his Church, dispensing himselfe in Gedaliah, whom * Nebuchadnezzar made governour over the remnant of the people that were left in the land. First, under him, as under a shadow, e zKin.25 they were fearelesse and safe c: But after 23.-25. he was cut down,they were driven from under his shadow, and durft stay no lon ger in their own countrey,which was left fverse 26. as a wilde forrest f. Secondly, they gathered, * Ier.409 First,much sweet summer fruit *. Secondly, much good Instruction and g Ier. 40.6 direction from Ieremiah and Baruche, who & 43.6. both lived with him. Verse 4. Wine cellar, ] Heb. House of wine ; not so fitly termed banquetting house,which * Eccler, Solomon expresseth by another name This house, to the Church,was Baby. lon, whither God brought his people 10.-12 7.2. * Ads 2. 13. * Dan. I. 19, 20. Ch.2. The comforts of the Spirit as wine. 57 First, to the praise of God. Secondly, to the edification of his And his Banner over mee was love.] First, for an ensigne of defence to the Secondly, for a fagge of defiance to their enemies: how lovingly and gloriously (as with a banner of love displaied) did God defend the three children and Dan.3.29 Daniel himselfe*. How did God offer defiance to Idola-22. Dan. s. try in the three children*. Stay me with flaggons and comfort mee 86. 10. with apples, for I am ficke of love.] I, the Perfe s. Church is here faint and fičke, and ready to swoone, for desire of further fellow * Dan.6. 16. is. |