A Key Opening Mysterious Texts of Scripture, Collection of sermons 3 · Sermon 32
THE SPOUSE HER PRECIOUS BORDERS. A rehearſall Sermon, preached Anno 1618. THE XXXII. SERMON.
CANT. 1.11.
We will make thee borders of gold, with ſtuds of ſilver.
Right Honourable, &c.
AS the riches of Gods goodneſſe are ſet forth to the eye of the body by the diverſity of creatures in the booke of nature; ſo are the treaſures of his wiſedome expoſed to the eye of the mind by the varietie of ſenſes in the booke of Scripture. Which in this reſpect is by reverend antiquitie compared to the ſcrole inaEzek. 2.10. Vid. Hier. in c. 2. Ezekielis. Ezekiels viſion, ſpread before him, which was written Intus & à tergo, within and without: without in the letter, within in the Spirit; without in the hiſtory, within in the myſtery; without in the typicall ceremonies, within in the morall duties; without in the Legall reſemblance, within in the Evangelicall reference; without in verborum foliis, within in radice rationis, as St. Jerome elegantly expreſſeth it. The former ſenſe reſembleth the goldenbExod 16.33. And Moſes ſaid to Aaron, take a pot and put an Omer full of Manna therein, &c. pot, the latter the hiddencRev. 2.17. Manna it ſelfe: that is as the ſhell or mother of pearle, this as the Margarite contained within it; both together, asdNazianz ad Nemeſ. Literalem comparat corpori, ſpiritualem animae; & Verbum Dei geminam habet naturam, divinam inviſibilem, humanam viſibilem: ita Verbum Dei ſcriptum habet ſenſum externum & internum. Nazianzen obſerveth, make this ſingular correſpondency betweene the incarnate and the inſpired word of God, (both conceived by the holy Ghoſt, and brought forth in ſacred ſheets) that as the one conſiſteth of two natures, humane and divine, viſible and inviſible; ſo the other of two ſenſes, externall and internall; externall and viſible in the ſhadow or letter, internall and inviſible in the ſubſtance or ſpirituall interpretation: either tropologicall, or allegoricall, or anagogicall, as the learned diſtinguiſh. DotheSen. ad Lucil. ep. 23. Levium metallorum fructus in ſummo eſt, illa opulentiſsima ſunt quorum in alto latet vena aſsiduè pleniùs reſponſura fodienti. experience teach us that the richeſt metals lie deepeſt hid in the earth? Shall we not think it very agreeable to divine wiſdome ſo to lay up heavenly knowledge in Scriptures, that the deeper we dig into them by diligent meditation, the veine of precious truth ſhould prove ſtill the richer? Surely howſoever ſome Divines affect an opinion of judgement (it is judgement in opinion onelyonly) by allowing of no ſenſe of Scripture, nor doctrine from thence, except that which the text it ſelfe at the firſt propoſing offereth to their conceit; yet give me leave to tell them that they are but like Apothecaries boyes, which gather broad leaves and white flowers on the top of the water; not like cunning Divers, who fetch precious pearles from the bottome of the deepe. St.fL. 2. confeſ. c. 31. Senſit omnino ille, & cogitavit cum ea ſcriberet quicquid hic veri potuimus invenire, & quicquid nos non potuimus aut nondum poſſumus, & tamen in tis inveniri poteſt. Auſtine, the moſt judicious of all the Fathers, is of a different judgement from them herein. For he confidently affirmeth, that the Pen-man of the holy Ghoſt of purpoſe ſo ſet downe the words, that they might be capable of multiplicitie of ſenſes; and that he intended and meant all ſuch divine truthes as we can finde in the words, and ſuch alſo as we have not yet, or cannot finde, and yet by diligent ſearch may be found in them.
Now as the whole texture of Scripture, in regard of the variety of ſenſes, may not unfitly be likened to the Kings daughtersgPſal. 45.14. raiment of needle-worke, wrought about with divers colours: ſo eſpecially this of the Canticles, wherein the allegoricall ſenſe, becauſe principally intended, may be called literall; and the literall or hiſtoricall, as intended in the ſecond place, allegoricall. Behold here, as in a faire ſamplar, an admirable patterne of drawne-worke, beſides King Solomon in his royall robes and his Queene in a veſture of gold, divers birds expreſſed to the life, as the whitehCant. 5.12. ver. 11.….2.2. ver. 13. c. 4.14. c. 2.1. c. 5.14. c. 1.17. c. 5.15. c. 1.10. Dove, waſhed with milke, and the blacke Raven: divers trees, as the thorne, the fig-tree, and the vine, the myrrhe, ſpikenard, ſaffron, calamus, cinamon, with all trees of frankincenſe: divers flowers, as the Roſe and the Lilly: divers precious ſtones, as the Berill and the Saphir: laſtly, divers artificiall wo…kes, as Houſes of Cedar, Rafters of Firre, Tents of Kedar, Pillars of Marble, ſet in ſockets of fine gold, rowes of Jewels, Chaines, and here in my text, Borders of gold, and Studs of ſilver.
Sanctius and Delrio upon my text obſerve, that Solomon alludeth to theiShe ſhall be as the wings of a dove covered with ſilver, and her feathers with yellow gold. 13. verſe of the 68. Pſalme; and what the Father propheſied of the Spouſe, the Sonne promiſeth to her, viz. to make her borders, or, as the Hebrew ſignifieth alſo,kBrightman in Cant. Turtures aureas, alii murenulas, aliilineas, ſeptuaginta ſimilitudines. turtles of gold, enameled with ſilver. Howbeit it ſeemeth more probable that theſe words have a reference to the 9. verſe of this chapter, and that Solomon continueth his former compariſon of a troup of horſes in Pharaoh's Charriot: and thus the borders and chains in the 10th. and 11th. verſes are linked to the 9th. O my beloved and beautifull Spouſe, as glorious within, through the luſtre of divine vertues and graces, as thou art reſplendent without in jewels and precious ſtones: to what ſhall I liken thee? or whereunto ſhall I compare thee? Thou art like a troupe of milke white horſes in Pharaoh's princely Charriot, adorned with rich trappings, and moſt precious cappariſons. For as their head and cheekes are beſet with rowes of ſtones, ſo thy cheekes are decked with jewels that hang at thine eares: as their neckes ſhine with golden raines, ſo thy necke is compaſſed with chaines of gold and pearle: and as their breaſts are adorned with golden collars, quartered into borders, enamelled with ſilver, ſo that thou muſt herein alſo reſemble them, wee will make thee borders of gold, with ſtuds of ſilver, to hang about thy necke, and downe thy breaſt.
Thus much of the letter, or rather letters of my text, which you ſee are all golden, flouriſhed over with ſtrikes, or, as Junius tranſlateth the words, points of ſilver: now let us endevour to ſpell the meaning. As artificiall pictures drawne by the pencill of a skilfull Opticke, in the ſame part of the frame or table, according to divers ſites and aſpects repreſent divers things: (looke one way upon them, you ſhall ſee a man, another way a lion;) ſo it is in this admirable piece drawne by the pencill of Solomon; according to divers aſpects it preſenteth to our view divers things: looke one way on it and there appeareth a man, to wit King Solomon; looke another way and there appeareth a lion, the lion of the tribe of Judah; looke downeward upon the hiſtory, and you ſhall ſee Solomon with a crowne of gold, and his Queen in her wedding garment; looke upward to the allegory, and you ſhall ſee Chriſt crowned with thornes, and his Spouſe the Church in a mourning weed, and under the one written a joyfull Epithalamium, under the other a dolefull Elegy. Agreeable to which double picture drawne with the ſelfe ſame lines and colours, wee may conſider the chaines and borders of gold in my text, either as habiliments of Solomons Queene, or ornaments of Chriſts Spouſe. If wee conſider them in the firſt ſenſe, they ſhew his royall magnificence and pompe; if in the ſecond, either they ſignifie the types and figures of the Jewiſh Synagogue under the law, or the large territories and rich endowments of the Chriſtian Church under the Goſpell.kFaciemus tibi ſimilitudines aur… cum puncturis argenti. Origen, who taketh the ſeventy Interpreters for his guide, thus wadeth through the allegory: The Angels, ſaith he, or Prophets ſpeake here to the Spouſe before her husband Chriſt Jeſus came in the fleſh to kiſſe her with the kiſſes of his lips, and their ſpeech is to this effect; O beautifull Spouſe, wee cannot make thee golden ornaments, we are not ſo rich, thy husband when bee commeth will beſtow ſuch on thee; but in the meane time wee will make thee foreign, ſimilitudes of true things; ſimilitudines auri, with ſtuds or points of ſilver, id eſt, ſcintillis quibuſdam ſpiritualis intelligentiae that is points, ſpangles, or ſparkles of precious and ſpirituall meaning. For example: Aarons mitre and his breaſt-plate of judgement, engraven with Urim and Thummim, and his golden bells were ſimilitudines auri, ſimilitudes of gold, or golden ſimilitudes: and the ſtuds or points of ſilver, that is, ſparkles or rayes of ſpirituall truth in them were Chriſt his three offices;
His Prieſtly, repreſented by the breaſt-plate.
His Princely by the mitre.
His Propheticall by the bells.
Againe, in the breaſt-plate of Aaron there were ſet in rowes twelve precious ſtones; here were ſimilitudes of gold, or golden ſimilitudes; and the ſtuds of ſilver, that is, ſparkles or rayes of ſpirituall meaning, were the lApoc. 21.14.twelve Apoſtles, laid as precious ſtones in the foundation of the heavenly Jeruſalem, that is, the Church. Take yet a third example: in the Arke there were the two mHeb. 9.4.Tables, and the golden of Manna, and the rod that had budded; theſe were ſimilitudines auri, golden ſimilitudes: and the puncta argenti, that is, the cleere and evident points of ſpirituall truth in them, are the three notes of the true Church:
1 The Word, or the Old and New Teſtament, ſignified by the two Tables.
2 The Sacraments, prefigured in the golden pot of Manna.
3 Eccleſiaſticall diſcipline, ſhadowed by Aarons Rod.
Thus I might take off the cover of all the legall types, and ſhew what lieth under them, what liquor the golden veſſell containeth, what myſteries the precious robes involve, what ſacraments their figures, what ablutions their waſhings, what table their Altars, what gifts their oblations, what hoſt their ſacrifices pointed unto. The Apoſtle in the Epiſtle to the Hebrewes obſerveth ſuch an admirable correſpondency betweene theſe things, that in this reſpect the whole Scripture may be likened to one long ſimilitude, the protaſis whereof or firſt part is in the Old Teſtament, & the antapodoſis or ſecond part in the New. For in the Old, as the Apoſtle teſtifieth, there were nHeb. 9.23.24.ſimilitudes of true things; but in the New we finde the truth of thoſe ſimilitudes. Which if our new Sectaries of the preciſian or ratheroMr. Whittall, Bradburn, and their followers. circumciſion cut had ſeriouſly thought upon, they would not, like Aeſops dog, let fall the ſubſtance by catching at the ſhadow; they would not be ſo abſurd as to goe about to bring the aged Spouſe of Chriſt to her feſtraw againe, and reduce all of us her children to herpGal. 4.2.3. nonage under the law: they would not be ſo mad as to keepe new moones, and Jewiſh Sabbaths, after the Sunne of righteouſneſſe is riſen ſo long agoe, and hath made us an everlaſting Sabbath in heaven. Theſe ſilly Schiſmatickes doe but feed upon the ſcraps of the old Ebionites, of whomqHay. hiſt. ſac. l. 3. Ebionitae pauperes interpretantur, & verè ſenſu pauperes ceremonias adhuc legis cuſtodientes Haymo out of Euſebius writeth thus; (The Ebionites, according to the Hebrew Etymologie of their name, are interpreted poore and ſilly; and ſo indeed they are in underſtanding, who as yet keepe the ceremonies of the old Law.) Nay rather they licke the Galathians vomit, and therefore I thinke fit to miniſter unto them the purge preſcribed by therGal. 3.1, 2, 3. Apoſtle: O fooliſh Galathians, who hath bewitched you, that you ſhould not obey the truth, before whoſe eyes Jeſus Chriſt hath beene evidently ſet forth, crucified among you? This onelyonly would I learne of you, received yee the Spirit by the workes of the Law, or by the hearing of faith? Are yee ſo fooliſh? having begun in the Spirit are ye now made perfect by the fleſh? Behold I ſGal. 5, 2.Paul teſtifie unto you, that if you be circumciſed Chriſt ſhall profit you nothing: we may adde, If you keepe the Jewiſh Sabbath, or abſtain from ſwines fleſh, out of conſcience, and in obedience to the ceremoniall Law, Chriſts fleſh ſhall profit you nothing: if you abſtaine from bloud in any ſuch reſpect, Chriſts bloud ſhall profit you nothing. For I teſtifie againe, ſaith St. Paul, to every man that is circumciſed, that he is become a debter to the whole Law. And will they not yet learne that Moſaicall rites and ceremonies were at ſeverall times
1. Mortales or moriturae,
2. Mortuae,
3. Mortiferae?
They were mortales at their firſt conſtitution, mortuae, that is, dead, at Chriſts death, and now mortiferae, deadly, to all that obſerve them. Will they put off the long white robes waſhed in the bloud of the Lambe, and ſhrowd themſelves with the old rags, or, as St. Paul termeth them, beggarly rudiments of the Law? If they are ſo minded, I leave them, and fill up this Border with the words of SainttSer. 7. Antiqua obſervatio novo tollitur ſacramento, hoſtia in hoſtiam tranſiit, ſanguinem ſanguis excludit, & legalis feſtivitas dum mutatur, impletur. Leo, The ancient rite is taken away by a new Sacrament, one hoſt paſſeth into another, bloud excludeth bloud, and the Legall feſtivity is fulfilled, in that it is changed.
The ſecond expoſition of this Scripture, which underſtandeth the golden borders and ſilver ſtuds of the glorious and pompous ſplendour of the Chriſtian Church, ſeemeth to come neerer unto the letter faciemus, wee will make thee; the verbe in the future tenſe evidently implyeth a promiſe or propheſie, and the ſenſe of the whole may be illuſtrated by this or the like Paraphraſe: O glorious Spouſe of Chriſt, and bleſſed Mother of us all, who art compaſſed with a ſtraight chaine about thy necke, that ſuffereth thee not to breathe freely (being confined to the narrow limits of Judea): in the fulneſſe of time the fulneſſe of the Gentiles ſhall come in, and in ſtead of a ſtraight chaine of gold, or ſmall ſtring of pearle, we will make thee large borders; we will environ thee with Chriſtian auditories and congregations, as it were borders of gold, and theſe borders of gold ſhall be ſet out, and ſupported with ſtuds of ſilver, that is, enriched with temporall endowments, and upheld by regall authority:uEſay 49.23. King ſhall bee thy nurſing fathers, and Queenes ſhall be thy nurſing mothers. Nay, ſuch ſhall be thy honour and power, that thou ſhalt binde Kings with xPſal. 149.8.chaines, and Nobles with linkes of iron, who for their ranſome ſhall offer unto thee ſtore of gold to make thee borders, and ſilver for ſtuds.
Which propheſie ſeemed to have been fulfilled about the dayes of Conſtantine, or a little after, when ſuch was the ſumptuous ſtatelineſſe of Chriſtian Churches, and ſo rich the furniture thereof, that it dazled the eyes of the Heathen; Foelix the Emperours Treaſurer bleſſing himſelfe when hee beheld the Church veſſels and veſtments, ſaying: En qualibus vaſis miniſtratur Mariae filio! See what plate the ſonne of Mary is ſerved in! Here I might take occaſion to congratulate our Churches of great Britaine, which alone among all the Reformed, have preſerved from ſacriledge (ranſacking holy things under pretence of zeale againſt Idolatry) ſome remaines of Eccleſiaſticall preferments and ſacred ornaments, as it were borders of gold.
But the time and your expectation call mee from the explication of this Scripture, to make ſome application thereof to this preſent exerciſe. Whereto I would preſently addreſſe my ſelfe, if I were not arreſted by a new action repetundarum, commenced juſtly againſt thoſe, who before mee have repeated in this place. It is alledged againſt them, that they have turned recenſere into cenſere, or cenſuram ferre, rehearſing into cenſuring, and contraction of Sermons into detraction from the Preachers. This is utterly a fault, and I hold it moſt neceſſary at this time and in this place to reprove it, that the plaſter may be applyed where the wound hath been given. It is no better than in ſtead of wine to offer to Chriſt on this Croſſe the ſharpeſt vinegar: after which if any thirſt here, I thinke fit to ſend him packing on Martial the Poet his errand;
Vaticana bibas ſi delectaris aceto,
non facit ad ſtomachum noſtra lagena tuum.
Can a fountaine out of the ſame place ſend forth bitter *Jam. 3.11.waters and ſweet? can a man with the ſame breath bleſſe God and ſcandalize his Miniſters, glorifie him and diſgrace their brethren? If any Rehearſer hereafter ſhall turne Satyriſt, and take delight in ſpilling much wit and reading in this kinde, I deſire him ſeriouſly to conſider, that asyAuſonius in epig. Autorem feriunt tela retorta ſuum. Achyllas was hurt in the eye by the rebound of that very ſtone, which hee inhumanely coited at a skull; ſo that they cannot caſt any contumelious aſperſion in this kind upon their brethren in the Miniſtery, but that it will rebound backe upon themſelves, and wound them in the eye of their diſcretion, to ſay no more. For even they who moſt applaud their pregnancy, or rather luxuriancy of wit, ſecretly condemne their want of judgement, as Tully did his, who wonderfully pleaſed himſelfe in that Paronomaſie, Videte patres conſcripti, ne circumſcripti videamini, whereby he offended all the Senate; Ego verò non tanti feciſſem foreign, I would not have ſet ſo much by a figure or cadency of ſentence, as for it to fall out with the Councell of State.zLib. 6. inſtit. Orator. Nimium riſus pretium eſt, ſi probitatis impendio conſtat. Quintilian gravely ſchooles ſuch, telling them, that …e buyeth a witty conceit or jeſt at too deare a rate, who pawneth his honeſty for it: Much more he, who pawneth Chriſtian charity for it. The Miniſters of the Goſpel, who are ſtiledaRev. 1.20. angels in holy Scripture, ought to reſemble the Cherubims in the Arke, which caſt a gracious aſpect one upon the other; and Rehearſers ſhould be like the golden ſnuffers of the Temple, not like extinguiſhers of baſer metall: they ought to take away the ſuperfluity, and cleere the light of their brethrens labours, not put it out as ſome have done of late, and left a loathſome ſavour behind them: or, to make uſe of the ſimilitude which I find in my Text, they ſhould be like ſtuds of ſilver in borders of gold, receive, and give a mutuall luſtre one to the other.
Thus having given a law to my ſelfe as well as others, I proceed to ſpeak of the worthy Speakers, whoſe reſounding eccho the redoubled command of authority hath made mee at this preſent, who like the RomanebCic. divinat. in Ver. Quemvis ut mallem eorum qui poſſunt quàm me, me ut mallem quam neminem. Orator (in his divination in Verrem) had rather that any ſhould have undertaken this taske than my ſelfe, my ſelfe rather than none.
If (as the Proverbe is) tria ſunt omnia, ſo it might be ſaid truly, quatuor ſunt omnia, I ſhould not doubt but to fit the foure Speakers, whoſe remembrancer I muſt be, with a ſimilitude running upon foure feet. But it is far otherwiſe, there are few quaternians in nature, and theſe have been laid out for, and anticipated long agoe. Beſides, ascNat. hiſt. l. 28. c. 8. Camelion ſalutaris eſt parturientibus, ſi ſit domi, ſi verò inferatur, pernitioſiſſimus. Pliny writeth of the fleſh of a Camelion, that it is very wholeſome for women in labour, if the Camelion were bred in the country, but very unwholſome if it be brought from forraine parts; ſo it may be truely ſaid of alluſions and applications, If they are home borne as it were, and taken from things neere at hand, they are in requeſt; but if they be farre fetched they loſe their grace. Howſoever, they who never meane to touch this heavie burthen ſo much as with a little finger, ſhould forbeare to cenſure thoſe who in theſe later yeeres are to furniſh this exerciſe, yea, though we ſend farre for our proviſion in this kind; ſith our juſt apology may be, that Pliny and Solinus their markets have bin fore-ſtalled, and there is nothing to be had neere at hand.
The foure Poſtes have long agoe rode their foure ſtages.
The foure parts of the World have been traverſed.
The foure rivers of Paradiſe have been drawne dry.
The foure winds have breathed out their laſt gaſpe.
The foure rich Merchants have ſold their commodities.
The foure Embaſſadours have delivered their embaſſages.
What ſhall I adde more? Heaven it ſelfe hath been ranſacked, and from thence foure Angels have been called down to ſound the foure laſt Trumps: Nay, Hell it ſelfe hath been raked for ſimilitudes, and from thence Proteus was conjured up, to turne himſelfe into foure ſhapes. This (as I conceive) occaſioned my immediate predeceſſour, with whoſe praiſes the Croſſe yet rings, to chime the Rehearſers knell with foure Bells in this place, where there was never yet any one hung. Nothing remaineth for mee, who am to fiſh for alluſions after all theſe, but to make uſe of the words of my Text according to the ſeventies Tranſlation, faciamus ſimilitudines, to ſet forth a new Pliny, and forge new ſimilitudes of things that never were nor will be. But ſee, as Apelles when hee had often tryed to paint thedPlin. nat. hiſt. l. 32. Apelles cum ſpumam pingere vellet, & ſaepiùs fruſtrà expertus eſſet, iratus arti ſpongram impegit in viſo loco tabulae, & illa repoſuit ablatos colores qualiter cura optabat, fecitque in picturâ fortuna naturam. foming of a horſe, and could never come neere it, at laſt in a rage flung his ſpunge careleſly upon his worke, and chance expreſſed that which art could not: ſo after much labour taken in deviſing an embleme, and pourtraying a lively draught of theſe foure Speakers, at laſt, unſatisfied with any, I threw downe my penſill upon my worke, and behold, quod ars non potuit, caſus expreſsit, I finde here caſually in my Text what I ſo long ſought for, ſimilitudines auri, golden reſemblances, to wit, borders of gold with ſtuds of ſilver. For, aseSanctius in hunc locum. Aurum, ut ait Aquinas, ſignificat ſenſum ſpiritualem, argentum eloqum nitorem; illud ſuppedi tat Scriptura, hoc ars concionatoris. Aquinas teacheth us, the gold myſtically ſignifieth the Spirits meaning, the ſtuds of ſilver the Preachers art; gold repreſenteth the precious doctrine they delivered, ſilver the perſpicuity of their ſpeech, and bright luſtre of their ſtile. As for the number, the Text ſaith borders, in the plurall number, and if Solomon continue his former compariſon of a troupe of horſes in Pharaohs charret (in the precedent Verſe) which were foure, after the cuſtome of all Nations when they rode in ſtate,
Ergo erit ille dies quo tu pulcherrime rerum
quatuor in niveis aureus ibis equis.
the borders by conſequence muſt needs be foure. And herein the myſticall ornaments of the Spouſe are correſponding to the typicall ornaments of her Husband. As thefExod. 28.17. breaſt of Aaron (a type of Chriſt) was adorned with foure rowes of precious ſtones; ſo the necke and breaſt of Solomons Queen (the Churches type) is decked here with foure borders of gold.
See then here as it were the modell of my intended frame. The friends of the Spouſe who preſent her with foure borders of gold, with ſtuds of ſilver, are the foure Preachers, whoſe Sermons may be compared to the borders in my text in a fourefold reſpect:
1 Of the number; foure Borders, foure Sermons.
2 Of the order; the Borders were ſet immediatly one under another, the Sermons preached one after another.
3 Of the matter; the Borders were made of gold, the Sermons conſiſted of Scripture doctrine, like untogApoc. 3.18. gold tryed in the fire.
4 Of the forme; the Borders were enameled with ſilver, or ſet out with ſpangles of that metall; and in the Sermons Scripture doctrine was beautified with variety of humane learning, and adorned with ſhort ſentences of ancient Fathers, like O's, ſpangles, or ſtuds of ſilver.
Pomiferis ut apes in ſaltibus omnia libant,
Omnia nos itidem depaſcimur aurea dicta,
Aurea perpetuâ ſemper digniſsima vitâ.