Works of Joseph Hall, Chapter 5
CHAP. V.
CHRIST.
1. I am come into my garden, my ſiſter, my Spouſe: I gathered my Myrrh with my ſpice; I ate my Hony with my Hony-combe, I dranke my wine with my milke: eat, O my friends: drinke, and make you merry, O Wel-beloued.
BEhold, according to thy deſire, I am come into my garden, O my ſiſter, my Spouſe; I hauehave receiued thoſe fruits of thine obedience which thou offeredſt vntounto mee, with much ioy and pleaſure. I hauehave accepted not onelyonly of thy good works, but thy endeuours and purpoſes of holineſſe, both which are as pleaſant to me, as the Hony and the Hony-combe. I hauehave allowed of the cheerefulneſſe of thy ſeruice, and the wholeſomeneſſe of thy doctrine. And yee, O my friends, whether bleſſed Angels, or faithfull men, partake with me in this ioy ariſing from the faithfulnes of my Church: cheere vp and fill your ſelues, O my beloued, with the ſame Spirituall dainties wherewith I am refreſhed.
The Church.
2. I ſleepe, but my heart waketh: it is the voyce of my Well-beloued that knocketh, ſaying. Open vntounto me, my ſiſter, my LoueLove, my Doue, my vndefiled: for mine head is full of dew, and my locks with the drops of the night.
VVHen the world had caſt me into a ſecure ſleepe, or ſlumber rather (for my heart was not vtterly bereaued of a true faith in my Sauiour) euen in this darkneſſe of my minde, it pleaſed my gracious Redeemer not to neglect mee; he came to me, and knocked oft, and called importunately at the doore of my heart, by his word and chaſtiſements, and ſaid, Open the doore of thy ſoule, O my ſiſter, my deare, chaſte, comely, vnſpotted Church: let mee come in, and lodge and dwell with thee, in my graces; ſhut out the world, and receiue me with a more liuely act, and renouation of thy faith. For loe, I hauehave long waited patiently for this effect of thy louelove, and hauehave endured all the iniuries both of the night, and weather of thy prouocations, that I might at laſt enioy thee.
3. I hauehave put off my coat: how ſhall I put it on? I hauehave waſhed my feet: how ſhall I defile them?
I anſwered him againe; pleading excuſes for my delay; Alas, Lord, I hauehave now, ſince I left my forward profeſſion of thee, auoided a great number of cares and ſorrowes: muſt I take them vp againe to follow thee? I hauehave liued cleane from the ſoile of theſe euills: and ſhall I now thruſt my ſelfe into danger of them?
4. My Well-beloued put his hand from the hole of the doore; and my bowels yearned toward him.
When my Sauiour heard this vnkinde anſwer of delay, he let his hand fall from the key-hole, which he had thus before without ſucceſſe laboured about; and withdrew himſelfe from ſolliciting me any more: whereupon my heart and bowels yearned within me for him, and for the remorſe of my ſo long foreſlowing his admittance vntounto me.
5. I roſe vp to open to my well-beloued, and my hands did drop downe Myrrh, and my fingers pure Myrrh vponupon the handles of the Barres.
And now I rouzed vp my drouſie heart (what I could) that I might in ſome cheerefull manner deſire to receiue ſo gracious a Sauiour: which when I but endeuoured, I found that he had left behinde him ſuch a plentifull bleſſing (as the monument of his late preſence) vponupon the firſt motions of my heart, as that with the very touch of them I was both exceedingly refreſhed; and moued to further indignation at my ſelfe for delaying him.
6. I opened to my Well-beloued: but my Well-beloued was gone and paſt; mine heart was gone when he did ſpeake: I ſought him, but I could not finde him; I called him, but he anſwered me not.
I opened to my beloued Sauiour: but my Sauiour had now (in my feeling) withdrawne himſelfe, and hid his countenance from me, holding me ſhort of thoſe gracious offers and meanes which I had refuſed; and now I was almoſt paſt my ſelfe with deſpaire, to remember that ſweet inuitation of his, which I neglected: I ſought him therefore in my thoughts, in the outward vſe of his ordinances, and of my earneſt prayers; but he would not as yet be found of me, or let me finde that I was heard of him.
7. The watch men that went about the City found me, they ſmote mee, and wounded me: the watch-men of the walls tooke away my vaile from me.
Thoſe which ſhould hauehave regarded mee, and by their vigilancy hauehave ſecured mee from danger, proued mine aduerſaries: in ſtead of comforting me, they fell vponupon me, and wounded me with their falſe doctrines, drawing me on into further errors ſpoiling me of that purity and ſincerity of profeſſion, wherewith, as with ſome rich and modeſt vaile, I was formerly adorned, and couered.
8. I charge you, O daughters of Ieruſalem, if you finde my Well-beloued, that you tell him I am ſicke of louelove.
I aduiſe you ſolemnly, O all yee that wiſh well to me (for I care not who knowes the vehemencie of my paſſion) if you ſhall finde my Sauiours preſence in your ſelues before me, pray for the recouerie of his louelove to mee; and bemoning my eſtate to him, tell him how I languiſh with the impatient deſire of his louelove, and preſence, to bee reſtored vntounto mee.
9. O the faireſt among women, what is thy Well-beloued, more than another Well-beloued? what is thy Well-beloued, more than another louer, that thou doſt ſo charge vsus?
O thou which art the moſt happy, moſt gracious, and moſt glorious of all creatures, the choſen of the liuing God; what is thy Well-beloued whom thou ſeekeſt, aboue all other the ſonnes of men? what ſuch eminencie is there in him aboue all Saints and Angels: that thou art both ſo farre gone in affection to him? and doſt ſo vehemently adiure vsus to ſpeake vntounto him for thee?
10. My Well-beloued is white and ruddy, the Standard-bearer of ten thouſand.
My Well-beloued (if you know not) is of perfect beautie; in whoſe face is an exact mixture of the colours of the pureſt and healthfulleſt complexion of holineſſe: for hee hath not receiued the ſpirit by meaſure; and in him the Godhead dwels bodily; he is infinitely fairer than all the ſonnes of men; and for goodlineſſe of perſon may beare the Standard of comelineſſe and grace amongſt ten thouſand.
11. His head is as fine Gold, his locks curled, and blacke as a Rauen.
The Dierie which dwelleth in him, is moſt pure and glorious: and that fulneſſe of grace which is communicated to his humane nature, is wonderouſly beautifull, and ſo ſets it forth, as the blacke curled locks doe a freſh and well-fauoured countenance.
12. His eies are like Doues vponupon the riuers of waters, which are waſht with Milke, and remaine in their fulneſſe.
His iudgement of all things, and his reſpect to his Church (which are as his eies) are full of louelove, and full of pietie, ſhining like vntounto Doues waſhed in water, yea, in Milke, ſo as there is no ſpot, or blemiſh to be found in them: and they are withall ſo fully placed, as is both moſt comely and moſt expedient for the perfect ſight of the eſtate, and neceſſities of his ſeruants.
13. His cheekes are as a bed of ſpices, and as ſweet Flowers, and his lips like Lillies dropping downe pure Myrrh.
The manifeſtation of himſelfe to vsus in his Word, is ſweet to our ſpirituall feeling, as an heape of ſpice, or thoſe flowers that are vſed to make the beſt perfuming ointments, are to the other ſenſes: his heauenly inſtructions and promiſes of his Goſpell are vnſpeakably comfortable, and plenteous, in the grace that is wrought by them.
14. His hands as Rings of Gold ſet with the Chryſolite; his belly like white Iuory couered with Saphyres.
His actions, and his inſtruments (which are his hands) are ſet forth with much port and maieſtie, as ſome precious ſtone beautifies the Ring wherein it is ſet: the ſecret counſels of his breſt, and the myſteries of his will, are moſt pure and holy, and full of excellent glorie.
15. His legs are as pillars of Marble, ſet vponupon ſockets of fine gold: his countenance, as Lebanon, excellent as the Cedars.
All his proceedings are firme and ſtable; and withall, as Pillars of Marble ſet in ſockets of tried gold; ſo as they are neither ſubiect to wauering, nor to any danger of infirmitie and corruption: the ſhew and cariage of his whole perſon, whereby hee makes himſelfe knowne to his choſen, is exceeding goodly and vpright, like to the ſtraight and loftie Cedars of Lebanon.
16. His mouth is as ſweet things, and he is wholly delectable: this is my Wel-beloued, and this is my Louer, O daughters of Ieruſalem.
His mouth, out of which proceedeth innumerable bleſſings and comfortable promiſes, is to my ſoule euen ſweetneſſe it ſelfe; yea (what ſpeake I of any one part?) as you hauehave heard in theſe particulars; hee is all ſweets: there is nothing but comfort in him; and there is no comfort but in him; and this (if he would know) is my Well-beloued; of ſo incomparable glory and worthineſſe, that ye may eaſily diſcerne him from all others.
Forraine Congregations.
17. O the faireſt among women, whither is thy Well-beloued gone? whither is thy Well-beloued turned aſide, that we might ſeeke him with thee?
SInce thy Well-beloued is ſo glorious, and amiable, (O thou which art for thy beautie worthy to bee the Spouſe of ſuch an husband) tell vsus (for thou onelyonly knoweſt it; and to ſeeke Chriſt without the Church, wee know is vaine) tell vsus where this Sauiour of thine is to be ſought; that we (rauiſhed alſo with the report of his beautie) may ioine with thee in the ſame holy ſtudie of ſeeking after him.