Works of Joseph Hall, Chapter 8 – Table of contents 3
CHAP. VIII.
The Iewiſh Church.
1. Oh that thou wereſt as my brother that ſucked the breſt of my mother! I would finde thee without; I would kiſſe thee, then they ſhould not deſpiſe me.
OH that I might ſee thee (my Sauiour) clothed in fleſh! Oh that thou which art my euerlaſting Husband, mighteſt alſo be my Brother, in partaking the ſame humane nature with me; that ſo I finding thee below vponupon earth, might familiarly entertaine thee, and conuerſe with thee, without reproach of the world; yea, might be exalted in thy glory!
2. I will lead thee, and bring thee into my mothers houſe; there thou ſhalt teach me: I will cauſe thee to drinke ſpiced wine, and new of the Pomegranats.
Then would I (though I be now pent vp in the limits of Iudaea) bring thee forth into the light and knowledge of the vniuerſall Church, whoſe daughter I am: and then and there, thou ſhouldſt teach me how perfectly to ſerue and worſhip thee, and I ſhall gladly entertaine thee with a royall feaſt of the beſt graces that are in my holieſt ſeruants; which I know thou wilt account better cheere, then all the ſpiced cups, and Pomegranate wines in the world.
3. His left hand ſhall be vnderunder my head, and his right hand ſhall embrace me.
Then ſhall I attaine to a nearer communion with him; and both his hands ſhall bee employed to ſuſtaine, and relieue me: yea, he ſhall comfort my head and my heart (my iudgement, and affections) with the liuely heat of his gracious embracements.
4. I charge you, O daughters of Ieruſalem, that you ſtirre not vp, nor waken my LoueLove, vntill he pleaſe.
I charge you (O all ye that profeſſe any friendſhip to me) I charge you deeply, as ye will auoid my vttermoſt cenſures; take heed how ye vex and diſquiet my mercifull Sauiour, and grieue his Spirit: and doe not dare, by the leaſt prouocation of him, to interrupt his peace.
CHRIST.
5. Who is this that commeth out of the Wilderneſſe, leaning vponupon her Well-beloued? I raiſed thee vp vnderunder an Apple-tree: there thy mother conceiued thee: there ſhe conceiued that bare thee.
WHo is this, that from the comfortleſſe deſerts of ignorance, of infidelity, of tribulations, aſcendeth thus vp into the glorious light and liberty of my choſen? relying her ſelfe wholly vponupon her Sauiour, and ſolacing her ſelfe in him? Is it not my Church? It is ſhe, whom I hauehave loued, and acknowledged of old: for euen vnderunder the tree of offence, the forbidden fruit which thou taſtedſt to thy deſtruction, I raiſed thee vp againe from death; Euen there, thy firſt mother conceiued thee; while by faith ſhe laid hold on that bleſſed promiſe of the Goſpell, whereby ſhe and her beleeuing ſeed were reſtored.
The Iewiſh Church.
6. Set me as a ſeale on thy heart, and as a ſignet on thine arme: for louelove is ſtrong as death; Ielouſie it cruell as the Graue: the coates thereof are fiery coales, and a vehement flame.
ANd ſo hauehave thou mee ſtill (O my Sauiour) in a perpetuall and deare remembrance: keepe me ſure in thine heart, yea in thine armes, as that which thou holdeſt moſt precious: and let me neuer be remoued from thy louelove; the leaſt ſhew and danger whereof I cannot endure: for this my ſpirituall louelove is exceeding powerfull, and can no more be reſiſted then death it ſelfe: and the ielous zeale which I hauehave for thee and thy glory, conſumes me, euen like the Graue, and burnes me vp like vntounto the coales of ſome moſt vehement and extreame fire.
7. Much water cannot quench louelove, neither can the flouds drowne it: if a man ſhould giuegive all the ſubſtance of his houſe for louelove, they would greatly contemne it.
Yea, more then any fire; for any flame yet may be quenched with water: but all the water of afflictions and terrors (yea, whole ſtreames of perſecutions) cannot quench this louelove: and for all tempting offers of wealth, of pleaſures and honour, how eaſily are they all contemned for the louelove of my Sauiour!
8. We hauehave a little ſiſter, and ſhe hath no breſts: what ſhall we doe for our ſiſter when ſhe ſhall be ſpoken for?
We hauehave a ſiſter (as thou knoweſt, O Sauiour) ordained through thy mercy, to the ſame grace with mee: the vncalled Church of the Gentiles; ſmall (as yet) of growth through the rareneſſe of her Conuerts, and deſtitute of the help of any outward miniſtery, whereby ſhee might either beare, or nouriſh children vntounto thee: when ſhee growes vntounto her maturity; and the myſtery of calling her vniuerſally to thee, ſhall be reuealed to the world, and her ſelfe; what courſe will it pleaſe thee to take with her?
CHRIST.
9. If ſhe be a wall, we will build vponupon her a ſiluer Palace: and if ſhe bee a doore, wee will keepe her in with boords of Cedar.
IF ſhe ſhall continue firme and conſtant, in the expectation of her promiſes, and the profeſſion of that truth which ſhall be reuealed; we will beautifie and ſtrengthen her with further grace, and make her a pure and coſtly Palace, fit to entertaine my ſpirit: and if ſhe will giuegive free paſſage and good entrance, to my word and grace; we will make her ſure and ſafe from corruption, and reſerue her to immortality.
The Iewiſh Church.
10. I am a wall, and my breſts are towers: then was I in his eyes as one that findeth peace.
BEhold: that condition which thou requireſt in the Church of the Gentiles, thou findeſt in me; I am thus firme and conſtant in my expectation, in my profeſſion: and that want thou findeſt in her of ability to nouriſh her Children, by the breſt of thy Word, is not in me; who hauehave abundance both of nouriſhment and defence: vponupon which my confeſſion and plea, I found grace and peace in the eyes of my Sauiour; and receiued from him aſſurance of his euerlaſting louelove to me.
CHRIST.
11. Salomon had a Vine in Baalhamon: he gaue the Vineyard vntounto keepers: eueryevery one bringeth for the fruit thereof a thouſand peeces of ſiluer.
MY Church is my Vine, and I am the Owner and Husbandman: our thrift and profit thereof farre exceedeth the good husbandry of Salomon: he hath a rich Vineyard indeed in a moſt fruitfull ſoyle; but he lets it forth to the hands of others, as not being able to keepe and dreſſe it himſelfe: and therefore he is faine to be content with the greateſt part of the increaſe, not expecting the whole.
22. But my Vineyard which is mine, is before mee: to thee O Salomon appertaineth a thouſand pieces of ſiluer, and two hundred to them that keepe the fruit thereof.
But my Vine is euer before me, I am with it to the end of the world, I reſerue it in mine owne hands, and dreſſe it with mine owne labour: and therefore if thou (O Salomon) canſt receiue from thine, to the proportion of a thouſand, thy workmen and farmers will look for the fift part to come vntounto their ſhare; wheras the gaine of my Vineyard ariſeth wholly, and onelyonly vntounto my ſelfe.
13. O thou that dwelleſt in the gardens, the companions hearken vntounto thy voice, cauſe me to heare it.
Sith therefore ſuch is my care of thee, and ioy in thee (O my Church, which conſiſteſt of the particular aſſemblies of men profeſſing my Name) ſee thou be diligent in declaring my will, and giuing holy counſels to all thy fellow-members: ſpeake forth my praiſe in the great congregations (which all attend willingly vponupon thee) and let me heare the voyce of thy conſtant and faithfull confeſſion of me before the world.
The Church.
14. Oh my Well-beloued, flee away, and be like vntounto the Roe, or to the yong Hart vponupon the Mountaine of ſpices.
I Will moſt gladly doe what thou commandeſt, O my Sauiour: but that I may performe it accordingly, be thou (which art, according to thy bodily preſence, in the higheſt heauens) euer preſent with me by thy Spirit, and haſten thy glorious comming, to my full Redemption.
FINIS.
EPISTLES. IN SIX DECADS.
BY IOS. HALL.
LONDON, Printed for THOMAS PAVIER, MILES FLESHER, and John Haviland. 1624.
TO THE HIGH AND MIGHTY PRINCE, HENRY, PRINCE OF GREAT BRITAINE, Sonne and Heire Apparant to our Soueraigne Lord, IAMES, King of GREAT BRITAINE, &c. All glory in eyther world.
MOſt Gratious Prince:
IT is not from any conceit of ſuch worth in my labours, that they durſt looke ſo high. A lower patronage would hauehave ſerued an higher work. Jt were well if ought of mine could be worthy of popular eyes; Or if I could wring ought from my ſelfe not vnworthy of a iudicious Reader. J know, your Highneſſe wants neyther preſents, nor counſells: preſents from ſtrangers, counſells from your Teachers; neyther of them matchable by my weakneſſe: onelyonly duty herein excuſeth me from preſumption. For, J thought it iniuſtice to deuote the fruit of my labours to any other hand beſide my Maſters: which alſo J knew to be as gracious, as mine is faithfull. Yet (ſince euen good affections cannot warrant too much vileneſſe in gifts to Princes) leſt, while my modeſty diſparages my worke, J ſhould hazard the acceptation; here ſhall your Grace finde variety, not without profit. J hate a Diuine that would but pleaſe; and, withall, thinke it impoſsible for a man to profit, that pleaſeth not. And if, while my ſtyle fixeth it ſelfe vponupon others, any ſpirituall profit ſhall reflect vponupon your Highneſſe, how happy am J! who ſhall euer thinke, I hauehave liued to purpoſe, if (by the beſt of my ſtudies) J ſhall hauehave done any good office to your ſoule. Further, (which theſe times account not the leaſt praiſe) your Grace ſhal herein perceiue a new faſhion of diſcourſe, by Epiſtles; new to our language, vſuall to others: and (as Nouelty is neuer without plea of vſe) more free, more familiar. Thus, wee doe but talke with our friends by our pen, and expreſſe our ſelues no whit leſſe eaſily; ſomewhat more digeſtedly.
Whatſoeuer it is, as it cannot bee good enough to deſerue that countenance; ſo, the countenance of ſuch Patronage ſhall make it worthy of reſpect from others. The God of Princes protect your perſon, perfect your graces, and giuegive you as much fauour in Heauen, as you hauehave honour on earth.
Your Graces humbly-deuoted ſeruant, IOS. HALL.
EPISTLES. THE FIRST VOLVME, IN TVVO DECADS.
BY IOS. HALL.
LONDON, Printed for THOMAS PAVIER, MILES FLESHER, and John Haviland. 1624.
THE TABLE.
DECAD I.
EP. 1. TO IACOB WADSVVORTH, lately reuolted in Spaine. Expoſtulating for his departure, and perſwading his returne.
EP. 2. To the Lord DENNY, my Lord and Patrone. Of the contempt of the world.
EP. 3. To my Lord HAY. Of true honour.
EP. 4. To Maſter NEVVTON. Of gratulation, for the hopes of our Prince; with an aduiſing apprecation.
EP. 5. To Sir THO: CHALLONER. A report of ſome Obſeruations in my trauell.
EP. 6. To Sir DAVID MORAY. Of the miracles of our time.
EP. 7. To Maſter W. BEDELL at Venice. Lamenting the loſſe of ſome late eminent Diuines.
EP. 8. To the Earle of ESSEX. Aduices for his Trauels.
EP. 9. To Sir ROBERT DRVRY, and his LADY. Concerning my Remouall.
EP. 10. To Maſter I. B. Againſt the feare of death.
DECAD II.
EP. 1. To Sir RO: DARCIE. The eſtate of a true, but weake Chriſtian.
EP. 2. To Sir EDM: BACON. The benefit of Retiredneſſe.
EP. 3. To M. IOHN WHITING. An Apology for Miniſters mariage.
EP. 4. To Mrs. BRINSLEY, my ſiſter. Of the ſorrow not to be repented of.
EP. 5. To M. HVGH CHOLMLIE. Concerning the Metaphraſe of the Pſalmes.
EP. 6. To M. SAM: SOTHEBIE. A Preface to his Relation of Ruſſia.
EP. 7. To M. STAN: BVCHINSKI. The comfort of Impriſonment.
EP. 8. To M. GEORGE WENNYFF. Exciting to Chriſtian cheerfulneſſe.
EP. 9. To M. THO: BVRLZ. Againſt immoderat griefe for loſſe of friends.
EP. 10. To Maſter I. A. Againſt ſorrow for worldly loſſes.