Bowels Opened, Sermon 14
THE FOVRTEENTH SERMON.SER. XIV.
CANT. V.IX.X.
What is thy Beloved more then another Beloved, O thou fairest among woemen, what is thy Beloved more then another Beloved that thou dost so charge us?
My Beloved is white and ruddie the chiefest among ten thousand.
THE last time we met we left the Church sicke of love: which strange affection in her, together with her passionate charge to the daughters of Ierusalem, mooved them to make this Question unto her, What is thy Beloved more then another Beloved, &c. To be in love is much: to conceale it is grievous, to vent it with such fervencie and passion breeds astonishment, in these younger Christians, who wonder what that is which can so draw away the Churches love, and runne away with her affections. They knew no such excellencies of the person the Church so admired, and therefore they double the Question unto her, What is thy Beloved, &c. what is thy Beloved, &c. Whereby we see the excellency of the soule which aspires still towards perfection, not resting in any state inferiour to the most excellent. Therefore also is the Churches sicknesse of love here, who desires a neerer union and communion with Christ then she at this time had.
For there are degrees of spirittuall languishing, till we be in heaven we are alway under some degree of this sicknesse of love; though the soule have more communion at one time then at another. Yea the Angells are under this wish to see Christ together with his Church in full perfection, so that untill we be in Heaven where shall be a perfect reunion of soule and body, and of all the members of the Church together; there is a kinde of sicknesse attending upon the Church and a languishing.
The Question asked is,
What is thy Beloved more then anothers Beloved, O thou fairest among woemen?
What! now faire when her vaile was taken away? now faire when the Watchmen abased her: now faire when she was disgraced? Yes, now faire and now faire, in the sight of the daughters of Ierusalem, and in the sight of Christ that calls her the fairest among woemen: So that under all disgraces, infirmities and scandalls, under all the shame that riseth in the soule upon sinne, under all these clouds there is an excellency of the Church, she is, The fairest among woemen, notwithstanding all these: O thou fairest among woemen.Quest.
Whence comes this fairenesse under such seeming foulenesse and disgrace?Answ.
It comes from without, it is borrowed beauty as you have it, Ezek. 16. 1. 2. By nature we lie in our bloud, there must be a beauty put upon us, we are faire with the beauty that we have out of Christs wardrope. The Church shines in the beames of Christs Righteousnesse,That Grace only makes us lovely to Christ. Psal. 45. she is not borne thus faire, but new borne fairer. The Church of Christ is all glorious,Collos. 3. but it is within, not seene of the world, she hath a life, but it is a hidden life, our glory and our life is hidden in Christ: It is hid sometimes from the Church it selfe, who sees onelyonly her deformity and not her beauty, her death but not her life: because, her life is hid: here is a misterie of Religion, The Church is never more faire then when she judgeth herselfe to be most deformed;That the Church is never more faire in Christs eye, then when she sees & complaines most of her deformities. 2 Cor. 12. Never more happie then when she judgeth herselfe to be miserable: never more strong then when shee feeles her selfe to be weake, never more righteous then when she feeles herselfe to be most burthened with the guilt of her owne sinnes, because the sence of one contrary forceth to another,That the sense of … contrary forceth another. 2 Cor. 12. 10. the sence of ill forceth us to the fountaine of good, to have supply thence: When I am weake then am I strong (saith Paul) Grace and strength is perfect in weakenesse.
This should teach us what to judge of the Church and people of God,Vse. even under their seeming disgraces,What to judge of the Church and Gods people under seeming disgraces. yet to judge of them as the excellentest people in the world, Psalm. 16. All my delight is in those that are excellent: to joyne our selves to them: especially this is here to be understood of the Church as it is the mysticall body of Christ, not as a mixed body, as a visible Church,Heb. 12. 22. but as it is the Temple of the Holy Ghost.
The visible Church hath tearmes of excellency put upon it sometimes, but it is in regard of the better part.Simile. As gold unrefined is called gold because gold is the better part: And a heape of wheate unwinnowed is called wheate, though there be much chaffe in it, the body of Christ it selfe hath alwaies excellent tearmes given it, O thou fairest among woemen.
Those that looke upon the Church with the spectacles of malice can see no such beauty in her,That the cause why wicked men see not this beauty is because they looke on Gods t…rough the spectacles of malice. though to espy out faults, as the Divell could in Iob, Iob. 1.to quarrell, to slander, they are quicksighted enough, but we see here the Church in the judgement of the daughters of Ierusalem, that she is the fairest among woemen.
The Papists have a painted beauty, for their Catholique Church, but here is no such beauty It becomes a whore to be painted, to be as faire as her hands can make her, with feighned beauty. But the Church of Christ hath a beauty from her husband, a reall spirituall beauty not descerned of the world.
This should be of use to Gods children themselves,Vse. to helpe them in the upbraidings of conscience (as if they had no goodnesse in them) because they have a great deale of ill. That Christians in the upbraidings of conscience should looke upon the good as on the ill in them.Christians should have a double eye, one to set and fixe upon that which is ill in them, to humble them, and another upon that which is supernaturally gracious in them, to incourage themselves, they should looke upon themselves as Christ lookes upon them, and judge of themselves as he judgeth of them, by the better part. He lookes not so much what ill we have, for, that shall be wrought out by little and little, and be abolished, it is condemned already, and it shall be executed by little and little till it be wholy abolished. but he lookes upon us in regard of the better part,That we should looke upon our selves as Christ looks upon us. so should wee looke upon our selves, though otherwhiles upon our blacke feete (our infirmities) when we are tempted to pride and haughtinesse, but alwaies let the meane thoughts we conceive of our selves, make us to flie to Christ.
What is thy Beloved more then another Beloved?
Here is a Question, and a Question answered with a Question: Questions they breed knowledge (as the Greeke Proverbe is) doubtings breed resolution. Whereupon the inquisitive soule (usually) prooves the most learned, judicious and wise soule, therefore that great Philosopher counted it as a vertue amongst his schollers, that they would be inquisitive. So the schollers of Righteousnesse are inquisitive, they inquire the way to Canaan, Ier. 50.and the way to Zion with their faces thitherwards.
It is aspeciall part of Christians wisdome to improove the excellency of others by Questions,That is a speciall point of wisdome to improue the gifts of other by questions. to have a bucket to draw out of the deepe wells of others (as Salomon saith) the heart of a wise man is as deepe waters, but a man of understanding can tell how to fetch those waters out: There be many men of deepe and excellent parts which are lost in the world, because men know not how to improove them. Therefore it is good while we have men excellent in any kind, to make use of them. It is an honour to God as well as a commoditie to our selves. Doth God suffer lights to shine in the world that we should take no notice of them, It is a wrong to our selves and a dishonour to God.
What is thy Beloved more then another Beloved, &c.
A further▪ point from hence is, Observ.That if wee would give incouragement to others to repaire to us for any good, we should labour to be so excellent as to adorne Religion.
O thou fairest among woemen, what is thy Beloved, &c. They enquire of her because they have a good conceit of her: a world of good might be done if there were bred a good conceit of men in others; we say in sicknesse, a good conceipt of the Physition is halfe the cure: so in teaching, a good conceipt of the teacher is halfe the learning: The daughters of Ierusalem had a good conceipt here in their Questioning of the Church: O thou fairest among woemen, what is thy Beloved more then another Beloved?
Let us labour therefore to be such as may bring honour and credit to Religion,That our indeavours must bee to make Religion lovely. and make it lovely, that what we doe may make others thinke we doe what we doe to great purpose: which is oft times a speciall meanes and occasion of their conversion. Though properly the cause of conversion be the Spirit of God in the ordinances: yet the inducement (many times) and occasion, is the observation of the course and carriage of those that excell and are knowne to be eminent in parts and in graces, Emulation ads spurrs to to the soule. Doe they take such courses that are wiser then I, and shall not I take the like course too? Paul saith,Rom. 11. 11. the emulation of the Gentiles shall be a meanes of the conversion of the Iewes, when they shall see them imbrace Christ, they will be incouraged to doe so also: what shall we thinke therefore of them that live so as that they bring an evill report, scandall and reproach upon Religion? Great and fearfull is their wickednesse, that by their ill conversation like Hophny and Phineas discredit the ordinances of the Lord.1 Sam. 2. 17.
Now the Church thus answers the former Question touching Christ, My Beloved is white duplicate page duplicate page and ruddie, the chiefest of ten thousand. She is not affraid to set out her Beloveds beauty. For, there is no envie in Spirituall things: That there is no rivalty in Spirituall things where is abu… dance for all of love.It is want of wisdome amongst men to commend a thing that is very lovely to others, and so to set an edge upon their affections, when they cannot both share; and the more one hath, the lesse another hath of all things here below. But in Spirittuall things there is no envie at the sharing of others in that we love our selves: because all may be loved alike, Christ hath grace and affection enough for all his: he hath not (as Esaw speakes) but one blessing: No, he can make all his happy. Therefore the Church stands not upon tearmes, when the daughters of Ierusalem enquire about her Beloved, I tell you freely saies she what my Beloved is: First in generall the answer is, My Beloved is white and ruddie, the chiefest among ten thousand, then afterwards there is a specification of the particulars, she will not stand upon the gro…se, but admires at every parcell in the thing beloved, every thing is lovely as wee shall see in particular afterwards.
My Beloved is white and ruddie, the chiefest among ten thousand.
We will take that which is safe; because we will have sure footing (as neere as we can) in this misticall portion of Scripture,Quest. what is that white and ruddie, why doth the Church set forth the Spirituall excellencies of Christ by that which is most outwardly excellent and most beautifull.
Because of all complections the mixed complection of these two colours white and ruddie is the purest and the best,Answ. therefore she sets out the beauty and the Spirituall excellency of Christ by this white and ruddie, beauty ariseth of the mixture of these two. First she sets out the beauty of Christ positively, and then by way of comparison, The chiefest among ten thousand.
But what is this white and ruddie: What beauty is and wherein it con…isteth.what is beauty?
To the making up of beauty there is required a sound healthy constitution,Proportion and …eature. so as the particulars have a due proportion, there must be a harmony of the parts, one suiting with another, for comelinesse stands in onenesse, when many things (as it were) are one. Vncomlinesse is in diversity, when divers things are jumbled together, that belong to many heads; as we say it is uncomely to have an old mans head on a young mans shoulders, but when all things are so suited that they make one agreeing exactly there is beauty and comelinesse.
Besides soundnesse of constitution and comelinesse of proportion,In the grace of colour. there is a grace of colour that maketh beauty, which ariseth out of the other, so that soundnesse and goodnesse of constitution together with the exact proportion of the variety of parts, having with it this gracefulnesse of colour and complection makes up that which we call beauty. In a word, then this carnation colour, wh…te and ruddie, may be understood of that excellent and sweete mixture that makes such a gracefulnesse in Christ,The strange and admirable mixture in Christ. in him there is wonderfull purity and holinesse, and yet a wonderfull weaknesse, there is God the great God and a peece of earth, of flesh in one person, a bloudy pearced, and a glorious shining body, humility and glory: Justice, wonderfull justice and yet exceeding love and merciemercy: Justice to his enemies, MercieMercy to his Children.
Christ is a most beautifull Person.Observ.
Not as God onelyonly but as man,In what regard Christ was most beautifull. the Mediator God and man, the Person of the Mediator is a beautifull Person; as Psal. 45. there is a notable description of Christ, and of his Church, Thou art fairer then the Children of men, grace is powred into thy lips, &c.
But the lovelinesse and beauty of Christ is especially Spirituall, That the lovelines and beauty of Christ must be spiritually considered.in regard of the graces of his Spirit. A deformed person, man or woman, of a homely complection and constitution, yet notwithstanding when we discerne them by their conversation to be very wise and of a lovely and sweet spirit, very able and withall wondrous willing to impart their abilities, being wondrous usefull: what a world of love doth it breed, though we see in their outward man nothing lovely. The consideration of what sufficiency is in Christ, wisdome, power, goodnesse and love, that made him come from Heaven to Earth, to take our nature upon him, to marrie us and joyne our nature to his (that he might joyne us to him in spirituall bonds) the consideration of his meekenesse and g…ntlenesse how he never turned any backe againe that came to him,Mat. 1…. 22. should make us highly prize him, indeed some went backe of themselves (as the young man in discontent) Christ turned them not backe: nay he loved the appearance of goodnesse in the young man and imbraced him. Hee is of so sweet a nature that he never upbraided those that followed him with their former sinnes; as Peter with deniall, and the like. He is of so gracious a nature that he tooke not notice of petty infirmities in his Disciples, but tells them of the danger of those sinnes that might hurt them: being of so sweet a nature that he will not quench the smoaking flax,Isa. 4…. nor breake the brused reed, his whole life being nothing but a doing of good, He did all things well (as the Gospell speakes) excellent well.
Now the consideration of what a gracious Spirit is in Christ, must needs be a loadstone of love, and make him beautifull. Therefore Bernard saith well, When I thinke of Christ, I thinke at once of God, full of Majesty and Glory, and at the same time of Man full of meeknesse, gentlenesse and sweetnesse. So, let us consider of Christ as of the Mighty God, powerfull, and withall consider of him as a gentle and mild man; that came riding meekely on an Asse (as the Scripture sets him out) He was for all commers and gave entertainement to all:Mat, …1. Come unto me all yee that are weary and heavy laden, Mat. 11. 2….&c. For the most weake and miserable person of all had the sweetest entertainment of him,Luk. 16. 10. He came to seeke, and to save that which was lost. Let us I say thinke of him both as of the great God, and withall as of meeke Man: the one to establish our soules, that he is able to doe great matters; the other to draw us to him because he loves us. We are affraid to goe to God a consuming fire, Heb. 12.but now let us thinke we goe to bone of our bone and flesh of our flesh, to our brother, to one that out of his goodnesse abased himselfe of purpose that we might be one with him, who loved us more then his owne life, and was contented to carry the curse for us that we might be blessed of God for ever, and to suffer a most painefull and shamefull death that so hee might make us heires of everlasting life.
Christ is Spiritually lovely, the chiefest of ten thousand. The Church sets him out by comparison, a standardbearer, a carrier of the banner of ten thousand. Simile.For, as the goodliest men use to carry the Ensigne, the Banner, so he the goodliest of all other is the standard bearer.
Whence we gather, Observ.That Christ as he is beautifull and good,Psal 45. 7. so he is incomparably beyond all comparison good,In regard of the personall union with the God head in our nature Christ is the cheefe of all. In regard all our …ulnes comes from Christ he is the chie…e of all He is a standard bearer one among ten thousand, annoynted with the Oyle of gladnesse above his fellowes.
First, for that he is so neere to God by the personall union.
And in regard likewise, That all others have all from him: of his fulnesse we receive grace for grace, ours is but a derivative fulnesse, his glory and shining is as the shining of the body of the Sunne,Simile. ours as the light of the Aire, which is derived from the glory of the Sunne, ours is but the fulnesse of the streame, and of the vessell, but the fulnesse of the fountaine and of the spring is his: thereupon he is called the head of the Church; Col. 1. 18.the head is the tower of the body which hath all the five senses in it, and wisdome for the whole body. It seeth, heareth, understandeth, and doth all for the body; having influence into the other parts of it. So Christ is above all, and hath influence into all his Church, not onelyonly eminencie, but influence.
What is excellent in the Heavens?That Christ is s…t …orth by all earthly excellencies. the Sunne: So Christ is the Sunne of Righteousnesse: the Starrs, He is the bright morning Starr, the Light:M…l. 42. He is the Light of the world. Come to all creatures, you have not any excellent amongst them but Christ is stiled from it. He is, the Lyon of the tribe of Iuda, the Lilly and the Rose, and the Lambe of God that taketh away the sinnes of the world, the Tree of life, &c. There is not a thing necessary to nature, but you have a stile from it given to Christ, to shew, that he is as necessary as Bread and Water, Jo… 6.and the food of life.Ioh. 4. When we see Light therefore; thinke of the true Light: when the Sunne, thinke of the Sunne of Righteousnesse: so remember the bread and water of life in our common food, therefore the Sacraments were ordained, that as we goe to the sea by the conduct of rivers, so we might goe to the sea of all excellency and goodnesse by the conduct of these rivers of goodnes to be led by every excellency in the creature,Simile. to that of our mediatour Christ, who is the chiefest among ten thousand.
To come more particularly to speake of his excellencies,That Christ only was King, Priest & Prophet. omitting his two Natures in one Person God and Man; that we may consider his Offices, a King, Priest and Prophet: he being the chiefe in all these, so all good Kings before him were tipes of him, as also the Prophets and Priests, he was all in one. Never any before him was King, Priest and Prophet, as hee was King, Priest and Prophet in one, so in every respect he was incomparable above all. Such a King, as is King of Kings, and subdueth things unconquerable to all other Kings,A King. even the greatest enemies of all, such a King as conquered the World, Death, Hell and Sinne, all things that are terrible: Death you know is called the king of feares, because it terrifieth even Kings themselves. Christ is such a King as takes away these terrible greatest ills of all, such a King as rules over the soule and conscience, (the best part of man) where he settles and stablisheth peace, such a King as sets up his Kingdome in our very soules and hearts, guides our thoughts, desires, actions and affections, setting up a peaceable government there, so hee is an incomparable King even in regard of that Office; He is the chiefest of ten thousand, such a King as carries the government upon his owne shoulders, as it is Isa. 9. …. He devolves not the care to another to make it as he list and so be a cypher himselfe, but hee carries all upon his owne shoulder, hee needs not a Pope for his vicar.
Againe, as a Priest A Priest.such a High Priest as offered himselfe a sacrifice by his eternall Spirit: he as God offered up his Man-hood, such a Priest as hath satisfied the wrath of God, and reconciled God to man. All other Priests were but types of this Priest, who is such a Priest as never dies, but lives for ever to make intercession for us in Heaven, by vertue of that sacrifice which he offered in the daies of his flesh: He was both Priest and Sacrifice. Such a Priest as is touched with our infirmities, so mild and gentle, full of pitty and mercy. No Priest to this Priest, God onelyonly smelt a sweet smell from this sacrifice.
And for his Propheticall Office, A Prophet.hee is a Prophet beyond all others, such a one as can instruct the soule, other men can propound doctrines, but hee can open the understanding and hath the key of the heart,Luk. 24. the key of David which can open the soule: by his holy Spirit h…e can make the very simple full of knowledge,Pro. 1. such a Prophet as hath his chaire in the very heart of man, this great Bishop of our soules,1 Pet. 2. 25. foreign the Angell of the covenant, that foreign, the messenger of the Father: so he is the chiefe of ten thousand: consider him as King, as Priest or as Prophet.
The use of this is exceeding pregnant, comfortable and large,Vse. that we have such a Saviour such an eminent person, so neere so puculiar to us. Our Beloved, my Beloved, If he were a Beloved the chiefe of ten thousand, it were no great matter, but he is mine, he is thus excellent: excellent considered with propriety in it, and a peculiar propriety, peculiarity and propriety together with transcendent excellency makes happy if there be any enjoying of it. Happines what.Therefore repent not your selves of your repentings, but thinke I have not cast away my love, but have set it upon such an object as deserves it, for my Beloved is the chiefest of ten thousand.
The end of the fourteenth Sermon.