The Excellency of Christ, Section 1
SECT. 1. That Chriſt is like a Roſe in Sharon field, Cant. 2.1.
[I am the Roſe of Sharon.]
I Have beene long enamored with this moſt fragrant and precious Scripture, beholding in it a more then ordinary beauty and ſhining eminencie, & now my love breaketh out by this my choice, becauſe I was not able to keepe it in any longer, and I doe wiſh from the very bottome of my heart, that you alſo, my dearely beloved, may affect the ſame: …rue it is, that carnall love cannot endure a corrivall, and fellow-lover, but the love wherewith I love this text is of another nature, ſpirituall, and not carnall, and therefore as Moſes ſaid once upon another occaſion, when Eldad and Medad propheſied in the Campe, & Ioſua envied at them for Moſes ſake, would to God that all the Lords people were Prophets, Numb. 11.27, 28, 29. ſo ſay I, would to God that all this people may not onelyonly love this text with me, but alſo may chuſe and love him who is encloſed in it, even Chriſt Ieſus himſelfe, who as hee ſhineth with unconceivable ſpendor above the brightneſſe of the ſunne it ſelfe in heaven above, ſo likewiſe doth he even ſpread and dart forth ſome rayes of his glorious beauty heere below in the moſt delicious garden of my text, where his moſt amiable perſon is moſt aptly aſſimilated to a roſe faire and ruddy, by this moſt ſweet expreſſion, I am the roſe of Sharon.
This whole ſong, whereof theſe words are but a little peece, is tranſcendental and myſticall, compoſed by Salomon the wiſeſt King (ſo honored and titled by the ſpirit of God) and moſt aNec vacat mysferio quod liber bic ternus ponitur in operibus Solomonis, &c. Greg. in proleg. ſuper. cantaptly placed after the Proverbs and Eccleſiaſtes, for whereas in the Proverbs there is ſet forth and preſſed the morall life of man, and in Eccleſiaſtes the life naturall, ſubject to vanity, the conſideration whereof may aptly moove a man to the life morall: here in this love-ſong is expreſſed the life contemplative, for the which Eccleſiaſtes unvailing and repreſenting to the life, the vanity of the life naturall, and by that meanes weaning and divorcing mans affection from terreſtrialls, maketh way in a myſterie; for as much as none is fit for contemplation, untill his mind be taken off from earthlineſſe and convinced of that nothingneſſe, which is in all things created under the ſunne. The matter of contemplation therin contained is Connubiall, touching the myſticall union and communion between Chriſt the Celeſtial bridegroome and the Church his ſpouſe, ſet forth in a bOrigen. hom. 3. in Cant.dramaticall ſtile ſo ſublime and elegant, as that the whole treatiſe might well be ſtiled The cVocatur enim ideò Canticum, quia eſt omnibus canticis ſublimius. Gregor.ſong of ſongs which is Salomons, who was a King of Kings, as being more excellent then all Kings, and moſt able to compile a canticle more high and lofty then all other ordinary canticles, by reaſon of his moſt excellent wiſedom. The occaſion of the words, The occaſion of theſe words.which (being the firſt peece of the firſt mēber of the former part of this bipartite Chapter, containing a mutuall commendation, in the 1, 2, 3 verſes) I have ſingled out from among the reſt, you may obſerve in the precedent chapter, verſe 16. where the ſpouſe of Chriſt having obtained her beloveds preſence, 12, 13, 14. uttereth theſe words. Alſo our bed is greene, dConſcientia bonis reſerta operibus. Bern.beſtrawed as it were with flowers of grace; for anſwere whereunto, eAd hoc reſpicere puto quod ſponſa de ſpa…ſis lectulum floribus commendat. &c. Bern. ſer. 47. ſuper. Cant. in Loc.as S. Bernard aptly conceives, Chriſt heere takes her off from all ſelfe conceitedneſſe, ſaying J am the Roſe of Sharon, as if he ſhould ſay: But thinke not, O my ſiſter, and deare ſpouſe, that ſuch flowers of grace grow in natures garden, arrogating them unto thy ſelfe. No, but know that all that ſhining beauty and raviſhing excellency, wherewith thou ſayeſt and ſeeſt that thy bed, or heart is crowned, is of mee, J am the Roſe of Sharon; in which words, two things are mainely conſiderable, 1. Their nature. 2. Their parts. For the firſt, you ſee that for their Nature they are comparative, for Chriſt compareth himſelfe to a Roſe, and therefore wee will terme it a compariſon, and ſuch a one, as Logicians call contracted, as being moſt breife, without any large deduction after the manner of plenarie reſemblances ſo called.
2. And it conſiſts of two parts, or termes, as they terme the parts of a compariſon. The firſt terme is a perſon, which is here compared. Secondly, a thing, unto which the perſon is reſembled.
1. The perſon compared is implyed in the pronowne I, that is, I Chriſt, and not the Church as moſt fOrigen. hom. 3. in Cant Theodor. in los. Bern. in Loc. Tremell. in loc. Thomſon in loc.interpreters new and old doe herein unanimouſly agree, and that rightly, for modeſty will not ſuffer a meere man to call himſelfe thus, the Roſe of Sharon. True it is, that the ſpouſe is called a lillie, as Chriſt in this ſame verſe, but ſhe doth not call her ſelfe ſo: for Chriſt himſelfe puts that ſtile upon her. Not I, is a more fitter ſpeech for a ſinfull man in a matter of praiſe and commendation, Gal. 2.20. and therefore let Chriſt, who is God and man, and whoſe name is I am, bee the I heere.
2. The thing unto which Chriſt compareth himſelfe, is a Roſe of Sharon] where firſt two things are to bee underſtood. Secondly, two things are expreſſed. For the 1. the two to be underſtood are. 1. Am. 2. like.
1. Am, which being omitted in the originall, muſt neceſſarily bee underſtood, becauſe Chriſt not onelyonly was, and will be, but alſo in very deede is ſuch a roſe, for the originall is indefinite, ſee Revel. 1. 8. J am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, ſaith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come.
2. Like] J am like a roſe: for wee muſt not thinke that Chriſt properly is a roſe, fading and corruptible. No but onelyonly reſpectively or comparatively, wherfore I ſaid that this ſpeech is a compariſon contracted, or tacite, becauſe the note of ſimilitude is omitted.
Secondly, the two things expreſſed come next to be viewed, namely,
1. The quid or ſubſtance, unto which Chriſt is reſembled.
2. The quale, or qualitie of that ſubſtance.
Firſt the ſubſtance is a Roſe, or a flower; for the gforeignoriginall ſignifieth both, and therefore Saint Hierom and the reſt of the Latine Fathers, & ſome hLuther in Bibl. Germ. So Tremelius likewiſe renders the word. Egoſum roſa.moderne tranſlators doe ſo tranſlate it, I am the flower, which not withſtanding I muſt tell you, that I for my part like your Engliſh tranſlation farre better, as beeing farre more ſignificant & emphaticall then the other, yea comprizing and encloſing the other too; for every roſe is a flower, whereas every flower is not a roſe.
2. For qualitie, this roſe is ſaid to bee a roſe of Sharon or the field or plaine, or of a field called Sharon, for the iforeignoriginall beares all theſe ſignifications.
1. Of the field or plaine] whereby kOrigen in loc.Origen underſtands the Jewes, whom God by his Prophets did husband, like a field, but others more aptly affirme that for ſome other very pregnant conſiderations, which ſhall bee hereafter declared, mention is made of the field. 2 of Sharon a ſpeciall field or region lHierom.ſituated betweene the Taborine mount and the lake of Tyberias, and extending it ſelfe from Ceſarea to Joppa, mentioned 1 Chron. 27.29. Eſay 33.9. a field in which the mThomſon in Loc.faireſt and moſt fragrant roſes were wont to grow, unto which Chriſt is pleaſed to reſemble himſelfe, for ſuch reaſons as are to bee given hereafter.
Hence then ſprings up this faire and cordiall flower, Doct. out of the moſt delicious garden of my text, I meane this Doctrine.
Chriſt Jeſus our Saviour is moſt like unto a goodly nVnderſtand a red double roſe as being moſt faire and uſefull, & ſo more ſignificant then a common field roſe, for ſuch double roſes and the faireſt indeede did grow in that field as Authors write. 1. Proſecution. 1. Branch 1. Reaſon 2. Reaſonroſe in Sharon field.
For the proſecution of which point I will firſt produce ſundry grounds and reaſons of it.
2. Propound and reſolve ſome neceſſary Queries.
3. Preſſe home divers profitable uſes.
For the firſt, I affirme that Chriſt is 1. Moſt like unto a Roſe, partly by reaſon.
I. Of thoſe ſecret vertues which are in him, like unto thoſe of a Roſe, as is to be ſhewed hereafter.
I. By reaſon of his blood ſhed, which makes him as red as a Roſe, ſee Eſay 63.2. wherefore art thou red in thine apparell, and Rev. 19.13. And hee was cloathed with a veſture dipt in bloud.
III. By reaſon of his fragrancie, Pſal. 45.8.3Reaſon
2. Hee is not onelyonly like a roſe, 2 Branch 1 Reaſonbut like a roſe in the field.
I. Becauſe he ſuffered in the oHeb. 13.13.field, without the gate, that he might be the patterne of ſufferours uſually dying in the field, even as hee is the glory of triumphers.
2. Becauſe hee is an open Saviour bringing common ſalvation, Jude 3.
3. Chriſt compares himſelfe to a roſe of the field as pBernard in Loc.one ſaith, to call forth his ſpouſe out of her bed of eaſe into the field to fight.
3. He is like a roſe in Sharon field.3Branch
1. By reaſon of his excellencie in generall, 1Reaſonfor there the moſt excellent roſes did grow, ſee Cant. 1.10.
2. By reaſon of his ſurpaſſing pleaſantneſſe in ſpeciall, Cant. 5.16.
3. Becauſe hee is ſprung up out of the moſt fervent qRom. 5.8.love of God, as the roſes of Sharon ſpring out of the hotteſt ſoyle. 2Proſecution.Quaere 1
If you aske mee whether God the Father and God the Holy Ghoſt may not alſo be ſaid to be like a roſe in Sharon field.
I anſwer, Anſwer. firſt in ſome ſence they may be ſo reſembled, as namely; they be alike faire & fragrant with Chriſt; for theſe three are one ſaith Saint Iohn, 1 Joh. 5.7. rDoctor Boys in Loc.One in Eſſence, and one in Attributes, and therefore as the one is all faire, ſo the other two perſons muſt needes be ſo too.
2. But in a ſtricter ſence, as Chriſt is like a Roſe in regard of his bloudſhed, ſo he is the Roſe of Sharon ſingulariter & propriè, Tho. Aqu. 3. p. q. 16. a 1. See alſo Lombard 1.3. diſt. 1.that is, ſingularly and properly: for onelyonly Chriſt who is the ſecond perſon in the Trinitie called the word incarnate ſhed his bloud, and in that reſpect is as red as a Roſe, Reve. 19.13.
2. If you demand whether a true beleever may not alſo bee ſaid to bee like ſuch a Roſe? Quaere 2
I anſwer, that derivedly and reſpectively hee is a Roſe likewiſe, and may bee called ſo, as beeing all faire, Cant. 4.7. but not ſuch a Roſe as Chriſt, who primarily, peculiarly, originally, and tranſcendently is onelyonly ſuch a Roſe of Sharon, yea the Roſe indeede, as being infinitely fairer then the ſonnes of men, Pſal. 45.2. And having troden the winepreſſe of Gods wrath alone, as it is written Eſay 63.3. I have troden the winepreſſe alone, and of the people there was none with me; the originall is more emphaticall, for therein Chriſt ſpeakes of more then one people, in the plurall that not one man among all people did helpe him, leaſt men ſhould conſtrue his words againſt his meaning, as if hee did onelyonly ſpeake of the Jewiſh people, which did crucifie him, and therefore were rather agents againſt him then patients with him, ſo that Pſellus and Lyra underſtanding the Church by this Roſe of Sharon muſt needs be miſtaken.