Works of Joseph Hall, Chapter 6
CHAP. VI.
1. My Well-beloued is gone downe into his Garden to the beds of ſpices, to feed in the Gardens, and to gather Lillies.
MY Well-beloued Sauiour (if you would know this alſo) is to be ſought and found in the particular aſſemblies of his people, which are his Garden of pleaſure, wherein are varieties of all the beds of renued ſoules; which both he hath planted, and dreſſed by his continuall care, and wherein he walketh for his delight; feeding and ſolacing himſelfe with thoſe fruits of righteouſneſſe and new obedience, which they are able to bring forth vntounto him.
2. I am my Well-beloueds, and my Well-beloued is mine, who feedeth among the Lillies.
And now loe, whatſoeuer hath happened croſſe to mee, in my ſenſible fruition of him; in ſpight of all tentations, my beloued Sauiour is mine through faith; and I am his through his louelove; and both of vsus are by an inſeparable vnion knit together; whoſe coniunction and louelove is moſt ſweet and happy: for all that are his, he feedeth continually with heauenly repaſt.
CHRIST.
3. Thou art beautifull, my LoueLove, as Tirzah, comely as Ieruſalem, terrible as an armie with Banners.
NOtwithſtanding this thy late blemiſh of neglecting mee, O my Church: yet ſtill in mine eies, through my grace, vponupon this thy repentance, thou art beautifull, like vntounto that neat and elegant Citie Tirzah, and that orderly building of Ieruſalem, the glory of the world: and with this thy louelineſſe, thou art awfull vntounto thine aduerſaries, through the power of thy cenſures, and the maieſtie of him that dwelleth in thee.
4. Turne away thine eies from me, for they ouercome me: thine haire is like a flocke of Goats which looke downe from Gilead.
Yea, ſuch beautie is in thee, that I am ouercome with the vohemencie of my affection to thee: turne away thine eies a while from beholding me; for the ſtrength of that faith, whereby they are fixed vponupon mee, rauiſheth mee from my ſelfe with ioy. I doe therefore againe renew thy former praiſe; that thy gracious profeſſion, and all thy appendances and ornaments of expedient ceremonies, are ſo comely to behold, as it is to ſee a flocke of well-fed Goats graſing vponupon the fruitfull hills of Gilead.
5. Thy teeth are like a flocke of ſheepe which goe vp from the waſhing, which eueryone bring out twins, and none is barren among them.
Thy Teachers, that chew and prepare the heauenly food for thy ſoule, are of ſweet accordance one with another, hauing all one heart, and one tongue; and both themſelues are ſanctified and purged from their vncleanneſſe, and are fruitfull in their holy labours vntounto others: ſo that their doctrine is neuer in vaine, but is ſtill anſwered with plentifull increaſe of ſoules to the Church.
6. Thy Temples are within thy locks as a peece of a Pomegranate.
That part of thy countenance which thou wilt hauehave ſeene (though dimly and ſparingly) is full of holy modeſtie and baſhfulneſſe; ſo bluſhing, that it ſeemeth like the colour of a broken peece of Pomegranate.
7. There are threeſcore Queenes, and foureſcore Concubines, and of the Damſels, without number.
Let there be neuer ſo great a number of people and nations, of Churches, and aſſemblies, which challenge my Name and LoueLove, and perhaps by their outward proſperitie, may ſeeme to plead much intereſt in me, and much worth in themſelues.
8. But my LoueLove is alone, and my Vndefiled, ſhe is the onelyonly daughter of her mother, and ſhee is deare to her that bare her: the Daughters hauehave ſeene her, and counted her bleſſed, euen the Queenes and the Concubines, and they hauehave praiſed her.
Yet thou onelyonly art alone my true and chaſte Spouſe, pure and vndefiled in the truth of thy doctrine, and the imputation of my holineſſe: thou art ſhe, whom that Ieruſalem which is aboue, (the mother of vsus all) acknowledgeth for her onelyonly true, and deare daughter. And this is not my commendation alone: but all thoſe forraine aſſemblies, which might ſeeme to bee Riuals with thee of this praiſe, doe applaud and bleſſe thee in this thine eſtate, and ſay; Bleſſed is this people, whoſe God is the Lord.
9. Who is ſhee that looketh forth as the morning, faire as the Moone, pure as the Sunne, terrible as an armie with banners?
And admiring thy goodlineſſe, ſhall ſay; Who is this that lookes out ſo freſhly as the morning new riſen; which from theſe weake beginnings is growne to ſuch high perfection, that now ſhee is as bright, and glorious, as the Sunne in his full ſtrength, and the Moone in a cleare skie; and withall is ſo dreadfull through the maieſtie of her countenance, and power of her cenſures, as ſome terrible armie, with enſignes diſplayed, is to a weake aduerſarie?
10. I went downe to the dreſſed Orchard, to ſee the fruits of the valley, to ſee if the Vine budded, and if the Pomegranates flouriſhed.
Thou complainedſt of my abſence, (O my Church:) there was no cauſe; I meane not to forſake thee; I did but onelyonly walke downe into the well-dreſſed Orchard of thine aſſemblies, to recreate and ioy my ſelfe with the view of their forwardneſſe, to ſee the happy progreſſe of the humble in ſpirit, and the gracious beginnings of thoſe tender ſoules, which are newly conuerted vntounto mee.
11. I knew nothing, my ſoule ſet me as the chariots of my noble people.
So earneſtly did I long to reuiſ… thee, and to reſtore comfort vntounto thee, that I haſted I knew not which way and with inſenſible ſpeed I am come backe, as it were vponupon the ſwifteſt chariots, or the wings of the wind.
12. Returne, returne, O Shulamite: returne, returne, that I may behold thee: what ſhall you ſee in the Shulamite, but as the companie of an armie?
Now therefore returne (O my Spouſe, the true daughter of Ieruſalem) returne to mee, returne to thy ſelfe, and to thy former feeling of my grace: returne, that both my ſelfe, and all the companie of Angels, may ſee and reioice in thee: and what ſhall yee ſee (O all yee hoaſts of heauen) what ſhall yee ſee in my Church? Euen ſuch an awfull grace and maieſtie, as is in a well-marſhalled army, ready to meet with the enemie.