Works of Joseph Hall, Chapter 2
CHAP. II.
CHRIST.
1. I am the Roſe of the field, and the Lillie of the valleyes.
THou haſt not without iuſt cauſe magnified me, O my Church: for, as the faireſt and ſweeteſt of all flowers which the earth yeeldeth, the Roſe and Lillie of the valleyes, excell for beautie, for pleaſure, for vſe, the moſt baſe and odious weeds that grow; ſo doth my grace, to all them that hauehave felt the ſweetneſſe thereof, ſurpaſſe all worldly contentments.
2. Like a Lillie among the thornes, ſo is my louelove among the daughters.
Neither is this my dignitie alone: but thou, O my Spouſe (that thou maieſt bee a fit match for me) art thus excellent aboue the world, that no Lillie can be more in goodly ſhew beyond the naked thorne, than thou in thy glorie thou receiueſt from mee, ouerlookeſt all the aſſemblies of aliens and vnregenerates.
The Church.
3. Like the Apple-tree among the trees of the foreſt, ſo is my welbeloued among the ſonnes of men: vnderunder his ſhadow had I delight, and ſate downe; and his fruit was ſweet vntounto my mouth.
ANd (to returne thine owne praiſes) as ſome fruitfull and well-growne Apple-tree, in compariſon of all the barren trees of the wilde foreſt, ſo art thou (O my beloued Sauiour) to me, in compariſon of all men, and Angels; vnderunder thy comfortable ſhadow alone, hauehave I euer wont to finde ſafe ſhelter againſt all mine afflictions, all my tentations and infirmities, againſt all the curſes of the Law, and dangers of iudgement, and to coole my ſelfe after all the ſcorching beames of thy Fathers diſpleaſure, and (beſides) to feed and ſatisfie my ſoule with the ſoueraigne fruit of thy holy Word, vntounto eternall life.
4. He brought me into the wine-cellar, and louelove was his banner ouer me.
He hath graciouſly led me by his Spirit, into the midſt of the myſteries of godlineſſe; and hath plentifully broached vntounto mee the ſweet wines of his Scriptures and Sacraments. And looke how ſouldiers are drawne by their colours from place to place, and cleaue faſt to their enſigne: ſo his louelove, which he ſpred forth in my heart, was my onelyonly banner, whereby I was both drawne to him, directed by him, and faſtned vponupon him.
5. Stay me with flagons, and comfort me with apples: for I am ſicke of louelove.
And now, O yee faithfull Euangeliſts, Apoſtles, Teachers, apply vntounto mee with all care and diligence, all the cordiall promiſes of the Goſpell: theſe are the full Flagons of that ſpirituall wine, which onelyonly can cheere vp my ſoule; theſe are the Apples of that tree of life, in the middeſt of the Garden, which can feed me to immortalitie. Oh come and apply theſe vntounto my heart: for I am euen ouercome with a longing expectation and deſire of my delayed glory.
6. His left hand be vnderunder my head: and let his right hand embrace me.
And whiles I am thus ſpiritually languiſhing in this agonie of deſire, let my Sauiour imploy both his hands to releeue mine infirmitie: let him comfort my head and my heart, my iudgement and affections, (which both complaine of weakneſſe) with the liuely heat of his gracious embracements: and ſo let vsus ſweetly reſt together.
7. I charge you, O daughters of Ieruſalem, by the Roes and by the Hindes of the field, that yee ſtirre not vp, nor waken my LoueLove, vntill he pleaſe.
In the meane time, I charge you (O all yee that profeſſe any friendſhip or affinitie with mee) I charge you, by whatſoeuer is comely, deare and pleaſant vntounto you, as you will auoid my vttermoſt cenſures, take heed how you vex and diſquiet my mercifull Sauiour, and grieue his Spirit, and wrong his name, with your vaine and lewd conuerſation; and doe not dare, by the leaſt prouocation of your ſinne, to interrupt his peace.
8. It is the voice of my welbeloued: behold, be commeth leaping by the mountaines, and skipping by the hils.
Loe, I hauehave no ſooner called, but hee heares and anſwers mee with his louing voice: neither doth he onelyonly ſpeake to me afarre, but he comes to me with much willingneſſe and celeritie; ſo willingly, that no humane reſiſtance can hinder him, neither the hillocks of my leſſer infirmities, nor the mountaines of my groſſer ſinnes (once repented of) can ſtay his mercifull paſe towards me.
9. My welbeloued is like a Roe, or a young Hart: loe, hee ſtandeth behinde our wall, looking forth of the windowes, ſhewing himſelfe thorow the grates.
So ſwiftly, that no Roe or Hinde can fully reſemble him in this his ſpeed and nimbleneſſe: and loe, euen now; before I can ſpeake it, is hee come neere vntounto me, cloſe to the doore and wall of my heart. And though this wall of my fleſh hinder my full fruition of him, yet loe, I ſee him by the eie of faith, looking vponupon me; I ſee him as in a glaſſe; I ſee him ſhining gloriouſly, thorow the grates and windowes of his Word and Sacraments, vponupon my ſoule.
10. My Welbeloued ſpake, and ſaid vntounto me, Ariſe, my LoueLove, my faire one, and come thy way.
And now, me thinks, I heare him ſpeake to mee in a gracious inuitation, and ſay, Ariſe, (O my Church) riſe vp, whether from thy ſecuritie, or feare: hide not thy head any longer, O my beautifull Spouſe, for danger of thine enemies, neither ſuffer thy ſelfe to be preſſed with the dulneſſe of thy nature, or the careleſſe ſleepe of thy ſinnes; but come forth into the comfortable light of my preſence, and ſhew thy ſelfe cheerefull in mee.
11. For behold, winter is paſt, the raine is changed and gone away.
For behold, all the cloudie winter of thy afflictions is paſſed, all the tempeſts of tentations are blowne ouer; the heauen is cleare, and now there is nothing that may not giuegive thee cauſe of delight.
12. The flowers appeare in the earth: the time of the ſinging of birds is come, and the voice of the Turtle is heard in our land.
EueryEvery thing now reſembles the face of a ſpirituall Spring; all the ſweet flowers and bloſſomes of holy profeſſion put forth, and ſhew themſelues in their opportunities: now is the time of that heauenly melodie, which the cheerefull Saints and Angels make in mine eares, while they ſing ſongs of deliuerance, and praiſe mee with their Alleluiahs, and ſay, Glory to God on high, in earth peace, good will towards men.
13. The Fig-tree hath brought forth her young Figs, and the Vines with their ſmall Grapes hauehave caſt a ſauour: ariſe, my LoueLove, my faire one, and come away.
What ſpeake I of bloſſomes? behold, thoſe fruitfull Vines, and Fig-trees of my faithfull ones, whom my husbandrie hath carefully tended and dreſſed, yeeld forth both pleaſant (though tender) fruits of obedience, and the wholſome and comfortable ſauours of better deſires: wherefore now, O my deare Chriſt, ſhake off all that dull ſecuritie, wherewith thou haſt beene held; and come forth and enioy me.
14. My Done, thou art in the holes of the rocke, in the ſecret places of the clifts: ſhew mee thy ſight, let me heare thy voice: for thy voice is ſweet, and thy ſight comely.
O my beautifull, pure, and chaſte Spouſe, which like vntounto ſome ſolitarie Doue, haſt long hid thine head in the ſecret and inacceſſible clifts of the rocks, out of the reach and knowledge of thy perſecutors; how-euer thou art concealed from others, ſhew thy ſelfe in thy workes and righteouſneſſe, vntounto mee: and let mee bee euer plied with thy words of imploration, and thankſgiuing: for thy voice (though it be in mourning) and thy face (though it be ſad and blubbered (are exceedingly pleaſing vntounto me.
15. Take vsus the Foxes, the little Foxes which deſtroy the Vines: for our Vines hauehave ſmall grapes.
And in the meane time (O all yee that wiſh well to my name and Church) doe your vtmoſt endeuour to deliuer her from her ſecret enemies (not ſparing the leaſt) who either by hereticall doctrine, or prophane conuerſation, hinder the courſe of the Goſpell, and peruert the faith of many, eſpecially of thoſe that hauehave newly giuen vp their names to mee, and are but newly entred into the profeſſion of godlineſſe.
16. My Wel-beloued is mine, and I am his: he feedeth among the Lillies.
My beloued Sauiour is mine, through my faith; and I am his through his louelove: and we both are one, by vertue of that bleſſed vnion on both parts; whereby wee mutually enioy each other with all ſufficient contentment. And how worthily is my louelove placed vponupon him, who leadeth mee forth into pleaſant paſtures, and at whoſe right hand there is the fulneſſe of ioy for euermore!
17. Vntill the day breake, and the ſhadowes flee away, returne, my Wel-beloued, and be like a Roe or a young Hart vponupon the mountaines of Bether.
Come therefore (O my Sauiour) and vntill the day of thy glorious appearance ſhall ſhine forth to the world, wherein our ſpirituall mariage ſhall bee conſummate, and vntill all theſe ſhadowes of ignorance, of infidelitie, of troubles of conſcience, and of outward tribulations bee vtterly diſperſed, and chaſed away, come and turne thee to mee againe, thou which to the carnall eies of the world ſeemeſt abſent, come quickly, and delay not; but for the ſpeed of thy returne, be like vntounto ſome ſwift Roe, or Hinde, vponupon thoſe ſmooth hils of Gilead, which Iordan ſeuers from the other part of Iury.