Sermons upon the Fifth Chapter of the Song of Solomon, To the reader
To the Chriſtian Reader.
IT was not in vaine (Chriſtian reader) that the ancient fathers of the Church, worthy and Godly wryters vſed alwayes preuentions in ſome preface or Epiſtle before their workes to reclaime their writinges from ſuſpition and reproch: in ſo much as the Church of God neuer wanted enuious, malicious and captious aduerſaries, who with their ſlaunderous tongues and diſpightfull lawes ſought to teare in pieces, or by Zoylous vpbraydings to blemishe, or by reprochfull ſpeeches and lyſpings to cancell the credite of whatſoeuer was godly, wiſely, carefully and to good purpoſe penned downe by them. Theſe times yeelde occaſion of no leſſe ſuſpition of like intertainment to be giuen to good thinges written for the comfort and help of the ſimple and ignorant: eſpecially whē they are to proceede from ſo vnworthy an inſtrument and ſo vnskilfull an indictor as my ſelfe, when the writings and workes of ſo famous & godly men hauehave gone before as great torchelights, or as the Sunne at noone dayes, and I to come after in ſo lowe a courſe, should ſeeme as a ſtarie borrowing light from others, and yet ſo, as giuing light to ſome. But becauſe God hath his glory aſwell of the interiour plances and fixed ſtartes in their order and degree, as of the Sun and the great lights in their excellencie: I doubted not but was perſwaded that in my calling, degree, meaſure & place aſſigned me of God, I should both do good and be helpful to the ſimple at leaſt & ignorant (if not to the learned) and alſo should bring ſome glory vntounto that God from whom I hauehave receiued that vvhichwhich I hauehave. Caſting mine eyes therefore of from the ſcornefull reproches of the worlde, from the malice and enuie of the ca…pers, and from the ſuſpitious heart of them which ſuſpect all things, and finally from the regard of mortall men my heart being directed to the Lord on whom onoly I waite, mine eyes turned toward his Church whō I dearly tender in the Lord, I was forced to yeelde to this worke which I hauehave taken in hand: yet ſo that after the requeſt of many which hard theſe fewe Sermons that follow (not with out ſome comfort and profite as they ſaide) I yeelded to trie what I coulde doe in penning of them as I vttered them ſo neere as I could, after which thing done and beeing ſeene of ſome, altho…gh I neuer thought to hauehave it paſſe out of my hands, yet had I it not onelyonly coppied out by others, but alſo I was exceedingly charged by them that I should dishonour God in concealing of the thing, and should doe great iniurie to many ſoules which might reape ſpecial comfort thereby, themſelues being witneſſes againſt me of that comfort and benefite which they should want by the withholding therof inſomuch as it was likely to be preferred vntounto publishing without my knowledge or conſent if I had not yeelded. For which cauſes I hauehave taken in had to prefix theſe few words Humbly intreating that no man miſiudge of this my poore trauaile. Now if any marueil at theſe long excuſes preceeding any other matter, it is therefore, that I might ſatisfie the godly in rendring a reaſon of the publishing hereof, being of my ſelfe timerous and ſuſpicious of mine owne workes, as ſuch which I recken vnworthy the publike view of men. But God grant it may profite the ſimple and godly at leaſt, for whoſe ſake I hauehave chiefly done it. Alſo of the otherſide, to ſtaye the mutterings of the malicious enuions & ſuſpitious men. Now in that I hauehave laboured ſo neere as I could to pen it downe in ſuch maner as it was vttered by me (hauing ſome notes of the ſame deliuered vntounto me), ſo as by the reaſon of the exhortations the matter will ſeeme more rarely a great deale in reading then when it is vttred with liuely voyce and godly zeale, vvhereby it hath the greater force to moue, being the ordinarie meanes appointed of God to ſaue men, yet becauſe writings do longe ſeede memorie then vvords ſpoken, they vvhichwhich wanted the vſe of the firſt, shall yet hauehave the benefite of the vvritten letters to their longer remembrance. I am therfore humbly to craue of the (chriſtiā reader) that thou accept theſe firſt fruites of my labor in this kind of vvriting, if ther be any thing vvorth the accepting, as I hope and am perſvvaded thou shalt finde them not altogether barin▪ though the homlineſſe of exhortation and baſeneſſe of ſtyle may want plauſibilitie to ſome, yet the matter vvill ſauour comfortably to thoſe which are ſeaſoned vvith grace, and in whome God hath begun in deede a true Chriſtian calling and humbled in a true ſight of themſelues, ſo as they are able to ſurueie their owne hearts, and to diſcry their vvants and infirmities,The firſt part of the chapiter the calling of the chu…ch or faithfull. and are therewithall carefull to make ſupply of their vvantes by thirſting after grace & the means wherby the ſame is offered & conueied into the faythfull. For my labour was (in the handling of this fifth Chapiter of the CANTICLES) to lay forth as I could the calling vvhereby Chriſt calleth his Church and faythfull to the participation of his heauenly riches, and the ſuite which he maketh to bee entertained of his Church, with ſome reaſons of waight annexed vntounto his ſuite, to make it the more forcible, that men might be made priuie vntounto the means of their calling, which is the firſt part of the Chapiter in generall. Then ſecondly I hauehave noted hovve the faythfull come on by degrees and in what manner they obey their Chriſtian calling,The ſecond part, the maner of their comming on or obeying of their calling. what ſtovve proceedings they make, vvhat lets they meete withal, & how they hang of and on a long time with the Lord or euer they conclude and make vp the match with him in their heartes. Novv though theſe things are diſplayed in figures and preſented to vsus in darke ſpeeches by SOLOMON, yet shall vve by the grace of God ſee the ſence, meaning and vſe of them by the Scriptures. In theſe two parts of this chapter with the particulers that shalbe noted out of them in the proceſſe of the matter, I doubt not but vvhoſoeuer shal read with a ſingle eye vntounto the ende, shall finde both inſtruction and much comfort to his ſoule and conſcience therein. For in the firſt Sermon and part of the ſecond, the ſuite of Chriſt calling his Churche to obedience and to the pertaking of his grace, is handled with ſuch reaſons alledged by him, as might mooue any tractable nature to yeeld vntounto his ſuite. The other three Sermons with moſt of the ſecond, are ſpent in shevving the manner how the godly come on in their calling & how they obey.Firſt the lets which the ſaints of God meete withall. And firſt the manifolde lets and incumbraunces both at home in themſelues and abroad in others, which fetter & tye the children of God are diſcouered, hovv hardly & ſlowly they proceede in their chriſtian courſe, yea, howe long or they enter into it, till the Lord as it were force them forward and finde them out in their delayes. Hauing in themſelues ſo many pulbackes lurking in their ovvne nature,Firſt lets in our ſelues. which make their hearts ſo drovvzie and vntovvard, as they ſeeke shifts to …oorde of the Lorde and not to aunſvvere their inwarde calling, and when they are comming on they finde them ſelues vnfi…te, ſlovve and vnapt euen to thoſe duties vvhiche they d…ſire heartilye to performe, whereby they feele ſometime this diſcommoditie, that vvhen they ſeeke after Chriſt Ieſus, coueting to bee refreshed and ſatisfied vvith his LoueLove, they finde him as it vvere ſtepped aſide, as thoughe the Lorde abſented him ſelfe from them, had reiected them and woulde not bee founde of them. For the Cloudes of the infirmities of the Saintes of GOD are ſo greate ſometimes in their ovvne ſighte (vvhen they are truely humbled) and ſo thicke that they blem sh the ſighte of Gods fauoure, ſo as they can not diſcrye the brightneſſe thereof, at times when they couet moſte to feele it. Yea when they groane in the ſecretes of their heartes for it vntounto God, calling after him by Prayer, beeing Sutors for it a long time betweene hope and diſpayre, not feelinge the comforte of his fauoure but ſuſpecting rather, vvhen yet they are in beſt ſtate: yea, in beſt aſſuraunce of his grace (though they feele it not for the time). Sith they retayne a true heartye and vnfeyned deſire, to taſte of that fauoure which for the time they can not feele. For t…at deſire after his fauoure vvith a loathing of oure ſelues for ſinne, is an infallible argument of the intereſt which the Spirite of God hath in the beleeuers. Eſpecially when that deſire inforceth them to vſe the meanes wherebye God offereth himſelfe vntounto vsus. Namely to heare the word preached vvhere God is reſidente vvith his perver, and to praye often and heartilye,Math. 18.…0. for to ſuche God promiſeth him ſe fe to bee preſente. Thus it pleaſeth the Lorde to exerciſe his Sayntes by holding aloofe from them ſometime, that they mighte bee made priuye to their ovvne infirmityes, and mighte ſee the lettes that lye hidde in them ſelues which hinder them, and ſo laboure to shunne them. VVhichWhich things the ſecond Sermon cheefly doth handle. The thirde Sermon ſpendeth it ſelfe partly in laying foorth the lette,2. Lets abroa…e in others. vvhichwhich the faythfull finde abroade in others, vvhereby ſathan ſeeketh to diſcourage them, by the reproche of the vvicked, by the contempte of the vvorlde, and enuye of the malicious and ſpightfull aduerſaries. VVhichWhich albeit they shrewdly diſmay the Saintes of God for a time, yet in the end they shal ſee by the example of the ſpouſe how to ouerſtride all ſtumbling blocks For God cauſeth the fayth of his children to breake out ſo much the more, how much the more it is impugned A ſecond circumſtance of the maner of the comming on of the fa…thful is alſo ther noted, namely how they recouer their zeal and ſtir vp themſelues to a more diligent inquiring after Chriſt, whē they ſee what lets ther are in themſelues & in other,2. The recouering of the zeal of the faythfull notwithſtanding lets. which would defeat them of the benefit of Chriſte Ieſus their eternall louer. VVherby they break out into a famous deſcr…ption of Chriſt Ieſus, alluring others thereby to h ue part with them in him, And in the fourth ſermon is ſet down the great fruit and Seneſit that commeth to the church & faithfull, by the mutuall profeſſion, conference and commending of the graces of God one to another. How other by that meanes are dravvne on to the Lorde,Zac. 8.22.23. as vvas propheſied of the Churche of the Gentiles that they shoulde flocke to the Iewes, and aſſociate themſelues to the Church when they shoulde here that God was with them. The fifth and laſt ſermon sheweth the concluſion of the whole, hovve the church & ſpouſe of Chriſt Ieſus (namely the true beleeuers), doth aſſure her ſelfe of the louelove of Chriſte tovvardes her,3. The concluſion of the match 1. The vnity between Christ & the faithful. when thee feeleth the Teſtimonies of his reſidence in her, in which concluſion is matter of moſte ſinguler comfort. Firſt the vnity wherby Chriſt and the faythfull become one ſo as they can neuer be ſeuered, is comfortably I hope (though plainly) handled, where the godly may ſee how to be aſſured that they are one with Chriſt euen in this life, & ſo cōſequētly after a ſort one with God himſelf, that the faithful cānnot be cut of or vtterly ſeuered frō him, ſo long as God himſelf & Chriſt remaineth Secondly the certainty of perſeuerance,2. The certainty of the ſaluation of the beleeuers and their perſeuerance. & of the ſaluatiō of the ſaints of God, wherby they may in ſom meaſure aſſure thēſelues of their ſaluation euen in this life, is at large proued, againſt the aſſertiō of the Papiſtes, & againſt al the replies that our nature maketh to deſ…a…s of the comfort of that aſſurance. VVh…ch laſt ſermon let me deſire thee to read (good chriſtian) with the ſpirit of ſobernes and iudgement VVhichWhich I hauehave only written for the comfort of the afflicted conſcience. Yet ſo that the enemies of grace & the Libertines I hope shal hauehave ſmal aduauntage therby to ſo…th them ſelues in their looſe Libertye: but rather matter to humble them ſelues, yea euen to condemne themſelues if God ſmyte them with the Spirite of iudgement. Thus hauehave I breefly giuen thee a taſte (chriſtian reader) of the pryncipal matters handled in larger circumſtances in this litle volume, perſwading my ſelfe both of thy diligence in peruſing them to the end, and of thy accepting in good worth and fauourable conſtruing of this worke, as alſo of thy moderation & equity of mind, in caſting away all ſiniſter affections in reading thereof, fith I commit my ſelfe to the iudgement of thoſe that are neyther ignorant nor malitious.
And now to conclude, commending thee vntounto God and to the worde of his grace, which is able to build further and to giuegive thee an inheritance among all them that are ſanctified, I humbly beſeech the Lorde our God euen the God of peace that hee will make thee perfect in all good works to do his will, working in thee that which is pleaſant in his ſight through Ieſus Chriſte. To whome be prayſe for euer and euer. Amen.
Thine in the Lorde, B. Andrewes.