Bowels Opened, Sermon 12
THE TVVELFTH SERMON.
CANT. V. VII.
The Watchmen that went about the citty found me, they smote mee, they wounded me, the Keepers of the walls tooke away my vaile from me.
THE Watchmen. (Those that by their place and standing should bee, soe) they smote the Church (as Barnard complaines, almost 500. yeares agoe) alas, alas saith he, those that doe see… priviledges in the Church, are the first in persecuting it and (as his fashion is to speake in a kinde of Rhetorick) they were not pastors, but impost…rs. There be two ordinances without which the world cannot stand.
1. Magistracie.
2. Ministerie.
Magistrates are nursing Fathers and nursing Mothers to the Church.
Ministers are Watchmen by their place and standing.
Now for Shepheards to become wolves, for Watchmen to become smiter…, what a pitifull thing is it, but thus it is, the Church hath beene alwayes persecuted with these men, under pretence of Religion, which is the sharpest persecution of all in the Church; it is a grievous thing to suffer of an enemy, but worse of a country man, worse then that of a friend, and worst of all of the Church. Notwithstanding (by the way) wee must know, that the persecuted cause is not alway the best (as Austine was forced to speake in his time against the Donatists) Sara… was a tipe of the true,The perse…uted side is not allwayes the best. and Hagar of the false Church. Now Sara… she corrected Hagar, therefore it followes not, that the suffering cause is allway the better, therefore wee must judge of things in these kind of passages by the cause, and not by the outward carriage of things.
They tooke away my vaile.
What shall wee doe in such cases,Quest. if wee suffer any indignity, if the vaile bee taken off. That is if our shame, infirmities, and weakenesses, be laid open by false imputations.
In this case,Answ. it is the innocency of the D…ve, that is to be laboured for, and withall the wisdome of the Serpent. If Innocencie will not serve, labour for wisdome, as indeed it will not alone; the wicked would then labour for subtilty to disgrace righteous persons.
But what if that will not serve neither.object. Christ was wisdome it selfe, yet hee suffered most,Answ. when Innocencie and wisdome will not doe it (because we must be conformable to our head) then wee must labour for patience, knowing that one haire of our heads shall not fall to the ground without the providence of the Almighty.
Commend our case, as Christ did, by faith and prayer to God that judgeth.
I charge you, oh Daughters of Hierusalem, if you see my Beloved, that you tell him, that I am sicke of Love &c.
Heere the Church, after her ill usage of the Watchmen, is forced to the society of other Christians, not so well acquainted with Christ as her selfe: I charge yee O Daughters of Hierusalem, if you find my Beloved &c. Tell him &c. What shall they tell him.
Tell him I am sicke of Love.
The Church is restles in her desire and pursuit after Christ, till shee find him, no opposition you see can take of her indeavour.
1. Christ seemes t… leave her inwardly.
2. Then shee goeth to the Watchmen, they smite and wound her.
3. Then she hath recourse to the Daughters of
Hierusalem for h…lpe.
Generally before we come to the particulars, from the connexion, wee may observe this.
That,Observ. Love is a fire kindled from Heaven.
Nothing in the world will quench this Grace,Can. 8. 7. no opposition, nay opposition rather whets and kindles endeavour.
The Church was nothing discouraged by the ill usage of the Watch…en, How sarre wee may bee sensible of injuries.onelyonly shee complaines she is not insensible. A Christian may without sinne be sensible of indignities, onelyonly it must bee the mourning of Doves, Isa. 3 8.and not the roaring of Beares. It must not bee murmuring and impatiencie, but a humble complaining to God, that hee may take our caSe to heart, as the Church doth heere: But as sensible as shee was, shee was not a whit discouraged, but seekes after Christ still in other meanes, if shee find him not in one, shee will try in an other: wee see heare the nature of love, if it bee in any measure perfect, it casteth out all feare of discouragements.
And indeed,The Nature of true Grace. It is the nature of true Grace to grow up with difficulties, as the Arke rose higher with the waters, so likewise the …oule growes higher and higher, it mounts up as discouragements and oppositions grow: Nay the soule takes vigour and strength from discouragements, as the wind increaseth the flame. So the Grace of God, the more the winds and waves of affliction oppose it, with so much the more violence, it breakes through all oppositions, untill it attaine the desired hope.
To apply it,A signe of coldnesse in Religion. Those therefore that are soone discouraged, that pull in their homes presently, it is a signe they are very cold, and have but little grace, for where there is any strength of holy affection, they will not be discouraged, nor their zeale be quenched, and damped. Therefore they subordinate Religion to their own ends, as your temporarie believers. Where is any love to Christ, the love of Christ is of a violent nature, it swaies in the heart, as the Apostle speakes,2. Cor. 5. 2…. The love of Christ constraineth us.
If wee finde this inconquerable resolution in our selves,Vse of incouragement and tryall. notwithstanding all discouragements, to goe on in a good cause, let us acknowledge that fire to bee from Heaven, let us not loose such an argument of the state of Grace, as suffering of afflictions with ioy. The more wee suffer, the more wee should rejoyce, if the cause be good, as the Apostles Act. 5. 4 1. rejoyced that they were accounted worthy to suffer any thing.
I charge you, Oh Daughters of Hierusalem, if you find my Beloved, that ye tell him I am sicke of Love.
Shee goes to the Daughters of Hierusalem for helpe, whence wee may learne.
That,Obser. If wee find not comfort in one meanes, wee must have recourse to another.
If wee finde not Christ present in one, seeke him in another, and perhaps wee shall finde him where wee least thought of him: sometimes there is more comfort in the society of poore Christians, then of the Watchmen themselves.
I charge you, O Daughters of Hierusalem, &c.
Where we have, 1. A Charge given.
2. The parties Charged, the Daughters of Hierusalem.
3. The particular thing they are Charged with, that is, (if they find Christ) to tell him she is sicke of Love.
The parties Charged,The prop…rtion betweene Hierusalem and the Church. are the Daughters of Hierusalem, the Daughters of the Church, which is called Hierusalem, from some resemblances betweene Hierusalem, and the Church; some few shall bee touched, to give light to the point.
Hierusalem was a City compact in it selfe, (as the Psalmist saith) so is the Church,Psal. 1 22. 3. the body of Christ.
Hierusalem was chosen from all places of the world, to bee the seate of God, so the Church is the seate of Christ, hee dwells there in the hearts of his children.
It is said of Hierusalem, they went up to Hierusalem, and downe to Egypt, and other places: So the Church is from above,Gal. 4 26. The way of wisdome is on high. Pro. 1. 5. 24.Religion is upward, Grace, Glory, and Comfort come from above, and draw our minds up to have our conversation, and our desires above.
Hierusalem was the joy of the whole Earth▪ … so the Church of God, what were the world without it, but a company of incarnate Divells.
In Hierusalem Records were kept of the names of all the cittizens there; Psal. 48. 3.so all the true citizens of the Church, their names are written in the booke of life in Heaven.Heb. 12. 23.
The Daughters of Hierusalem therefore are the true members of the Church that are both bred and fed in the Church.1 Pet. 1. 20. Let us take a tryall of our selves, whether wee bee Daughters of Hierusalem or noe.1 Pet. 2, 2. That wee may make this tryall of our selves.
1. If we find freedome in our conscience from terrors and feares. Observ.If wee find spirituall libertyHow to know that wee are Daughters of Hierusalem. Gal. 4 26. and freedome to serve God, it is a signe that wee are Daughters of Hierusalem, because Hierusalem was free.
2. Or if wee mind things above, and things of the Church, if wee take to heart the cause of the truth, it is a signe wee are true Daughters of Hierusalem. Psal. 137. 5. 6.Wee know what the Psalmist …aith, Let my right hand forget her cunning, if I forget thee O Hierusalem, if I doe not preferre Hierusalem before my chiefe joy. If the cause of the Church goe to our hearts, if we can joy in the Churches joy, and mourne in the Churches abasement and suffering, it is a signe wee are true Daughters of Hierusalem and lively members of the body of Christ. Otherwise, when wee heare that the Church goes downe, and that the adverse part prevailes, and we joy, it is a signe wee are daughters of Bobylon and not of Hi…rusalem.
Therefore lot us aske our affections what we are, as Austine writes excellently in his booke de Civitate Dei, aske thy heart of what citty thou art.
But what …aith the Church to the Daughters of Hierusalem in the first place.
I Charge you.
It is a kinde of admiration supplied thus, I charge you as you love mee your sister, as you love Christ, as you tender my case, that am thus used, as you will make it good that you are Daughters of Hierusalem and not of Babylon, tell my Beloved, that I am sicke of Love. It is a strong charge, a defective speech, which yeelds us this observation.
That true Affections are serious in the things of God and of Religion.Observ
Shee layes a waight upon them, I charge you O Daughters of Hierusalem. True impressions have strong expressions.A signe of unbeliefe and coldnesse. Therefore are wee cold in matters of Religion in our discourses, it is because wee want these inward impressions. The Church heere was full, shee could not containe her selfe, in regard of the largenesse of her affections. I charge you O Daughters of Hierusalem. &c.
Wee may find the truth of Grace in the heart, by the discoveries and expressions in the conversation in generall.
I charge you, O Daughters of Hierusalem, if you find my Beloved▪ that ye tell h…m, I am sicke of Love.
The Church heere speakes to others, meaner then her selfe, shee would have the Church tell Christ, (by Prayer, the surest intelligencer) how shee was used, how she languished, and was sicke for him, and cannot bee without him.
Why did not the Church tell Christ her selfe.Quest.
Soe shee did as well as shee could,Answ. but shee desired the helpe of the Church this way also. Sometimes it is so with the Children of God that they cannot pray so well as they should, and as they would doe, because the waters of the soule are so troubled, that they can doe nothing but utter groanes and sighes, especially in a state of desertion, as Hezekiah could but chatter, and Moses could not utter a word at the red sea though hee did strive in his spirit, in such cases they must bee behoulding to the helpe of others.
Sometimes a man is in body sicke, (as Iames saith) If any man bee sicke let him send for the Elders, and let them pray: Iam. 5. 14.There may bee such distemper of bodie and soule, that wee are unfit to lay open our estate to our owne content. …t is oft soe with the best of Gods Children, not that God doth not respect those broken sighes and desires, but they give not content to the soule.Mar. 2. 2, 3. The poore palsie man in the Gofpell not able to goe himselfe was carried on the shoulders of others, and let thorough the house to Christ: oft times wee may bee in such a palsie estate, that wee cannot bring our selves to Christ, but we must be content to bee borne to him by others.
I charge you O Daughters of Hierusalem that yee tell my Beloved, I am sicke of Love.
Whence the point, that Idesie you would observe is.
That at such times as wee find not our spirits inlarged from any cause outward and inward to comfort and joy,Observ. then is a time to d…sire the prayers and helpe of others.
It is good to have a stocke going every where, and those thrive the best, that have most prayers made for them, have a stocke going in every country, this is the happines of the Saints. To inforce this instruction, to desire the prayers of others, we must discover, that there is a wondrous force in the prayers of Christians one for another. It is more then a complement, would it were thought so.
The great Apostle Paul, se how he desires the Romanes, that they would strive, and contend with God after a holy violence, by their joynt prayers for him,Rom. 15. 20. so hee desires the Thessalonians, that they would pray for him,2. Thes. 3, 2. That hee might be delivered from unreasonable men. It is usuall with him to say Pray, Pray, and for us too, for such are gratious in the Court of Heaven. Despise none in this case, a true downe right experienced Christians prayers are of much esteeme with God.Mat. 26. Our blessed Saviour himselfe, when hee was to goe into the garden, though his poore Disciples were sleepie, and very untoward, yet hee would have their society, and prayers.
I charge you O Daughters of Hierusalem, if you find my Beloved, that ye tell him, I am sicke of …ove.
To speake a little of the matter of the charge, I am sicke of Love, I love him, because I have found former comfort, strength and sweetnesse from him, that I cannot bee without him. To bee Love sicke then in the pre…ence of the Church,Love sicke what. is to have strong affections to Christ, from which comes wondrous disquietnesse of spirit in his absence, heere is somewhat good, and somewhat ill. This is first her vertue, that shee did fervently love, this was her infirmity, that shee was so much distempered with her present want, these two breedes this sicknesse of love, whence wee observe.
Where the thing loved is not present answerable to the d…sires of the soule that loves, There followes disquiet and distemper of affections: that is heere term…ned sicknes of Love.
The Reason heereof is, Naturall contentment is in union with the thing Loved. The more excellent the thing is that is loved, the more contentment there is in communion with it, and where it is in any degree or measure hindred there is disquiet: answerable to the contentment in injoying, is the griefe, sorrow, and sicknesse in parting. The happinesse of the Church consisting in society with Christ, therefore it is her misery and sicknesse, to be deprived of him, not to enjoy him whom her soule so dearely loveth. There are few in the world, sicke of this disease, I would there were more sicke of the love of Christ; there are many that surfit rather of fullnesse, who thinke wee have too much of this Manna, of this preaching, of this Gospell, there is too much of this knowledge, of the ordinances, these are not sicke of love.
Make a Use therefore of Tryall,Vse. whether we bee in the state of the Church or no, by valuing and prizing the presence of Christ in his Ordinances, the Word and Sacraments.
There are many fond sicknesses in the world, there is Ammons sicknesse,2. Sam 13. 2. that was sicke of love for his Sister Thamar, his countenance discovered it, and Ahab hee is sicke in desiring his Neighbours vineyard,1. King. 12. 4. you have many strange sicknesses: many sicke with fires kindled from the flesh, from Hell, but few sicke of this sicknesse heere spoken of.
If wee find our selves carried to Christ, to runne in that streame as strong as the affections of those that are distempered with sicknesse of the love of other things, it will discover to us whether wee bee truely Love sicke or not.
Take a man that is sicke for any earthly thing, whether of Ahabs or Amons sicknesse, or of any thing, take it as you will, That which the soule is sicke of in love, it thinkes of daily: it dreames of it in the night. What doe our soules therefore thinke off? what doe our meditations runne after. When wee are in our advised and best thoughts, what do… wee most thinke off? if of Christ, of the state of the Church heere, of Grace and Glory all is well, what makes us in the midst of all worldly discontentments to thinke all dung and drosse in comparison of Christ, but this sicknesse of love to Christ, if our love bee in such a degree, as it makes us sick of it, it makes us not to heare what wee heare, not to see, what wee see, not to regard what is present: the soule is in a kind of extasie, it is carried so strongly and taken up with things of Heaven, it is deaded to other things, when our eyes are no more led with vanity, then if wee had none, and the flesh is so mortified, as if wee were dead men, by reason of the strength of our affections that runne another way to better things which are above.
Thus wee see it is in love: Talke with a man that is in any heate of affections, you talke with one that is not at home, you talke with one absent, The soule is more where is loves, then where it dwells. Surely where love is in any strength, it drawes up the soule, so that a man oft times in his calling and ordinarie imployments doth not heed them, but passeth thorough the world as a man at randome, he regards not the things of the world▪ for Christ is gotten into his heart and drawes all the affections to himselfe. Where the affection of love is strong, it cares not what it suffers for the party loved, nay it glories in it. As it is said of the …, when they were whipped,Act. 5. 41. and scourged for preaching the Gospell, it was a matter of Glory to them. It is not labour, but favour: it is not labour and vexation, but favour that is taken where love is to the party loved, where the love of Christ is (which was heere in the Church) labour is no labour, suffering is no suffering, trouble is no trouble.
Againe, It is the property of the party that is sicke of this disease to take little contentment in … ther things. Tell a covetous worldling that is in love with the world a discourse of learning, what cares hee for learning; tell him of a good bargaine, of a matter of gaine, and hee will hearken to that. So it is with the soule that hath felt the love of Christ shed abroad in the heart, tell him of the world, (especially if he want that which hee desires, the peace and strength that hee found from Christ in former times) hee relisheth not your discourse.
Labour wee therefore every day more and more to have larger and larger affections to Christ. The soule that loves Christ, the nearer to Christ the more joyfull it is, when he thinkes of those mutuall embracings when Christ and his soule shall meete together there: this happinesse is there▪ where the soule enjoyes the thing loved, but that is not heere, but in Heaven Therefore in the meane time with joy hee thankfully frequents the places where Christ is present in the Word and Sacrament, and that we may come to have this affection.
Let us see what our soules are without him meere dungeons of darkenesse and confusion, nothing comming from us that is good, this will breed love to the Ordinances, and then we shall rellish Christ, both in the Word and Sacrament, for he is food for thehungry soule, and requires nothing of us but good appetites; and this will make us desire his love and presence.
The end of the twelfth Sermon.