Works of Joseph Hall, Chapter 4
CHAP. IIII.
CHRIST.
1. Behold, thou art faire, my LoueLove, behold, thou art faire, thine eies are like the Doues within thy locks: thine haire is like a flocke of Goats which looke downe from the mountaines of Gilead.
OH how faire thou art and comely, my deare Spouſe! how inwardly faire with the gifts of my Spirit! how faire outwardly in thy comely adminiſtration and gouernment! Thy ſpirituall eies of vnderſtanding and iudgement, are full of puritie, chaſtitie, ſimplicitie; not wantonly caſt forth, but modeſtly ſhining amidſt thy locks: all 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.
2. Thy teeth like a flocke of ſheepe in good order, which goe vp from the waſhing: which eueryevery one bring out twins, and none is barren among them.
Thoſe that chew and prepare the heauenly food for thy ſoule, are both of gracious ſimplicitie, and 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 added to the Church.
3. Thy lips are like a threed of ſcarlet, and thy talke is comely: thy temples are within thy locks as a peece of a Pomegranate.
Thy ſpeech (eſpecially in the mouth of thy Teachers) is both gracious in it ſelfe, and ſuch as adminiſters grace to the hearers; full of zeale and feruent charitie, full of grauitie and diſcretion: and 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.
4. Thy necke is as the tower of Dauid, built for defence: a thouſand ſhields hang therein, and all the targets of the ſtrong men.
Thoſe, who by their holy authoritie ſuſtaine thy gouernment (which are as ſome ſtraight and ſtrong necke to beare vp the head) are like vntounto Dauids high Tower of defence, furniſhed with a rich armorie; which affords infinite waies of ſafe protection, and infinite monuments of victorie.
5. Thy two breſts are as two young Kids that are twinnes, feeding among the Lillies.
Thy two Teſtaments (which are thy two full and faire breſts, whereby thou nurſeſt all thy faithfull children) are as two twins of Kids: twins, for their excellent and perfect agreement one with another, in all reſemblances: of Kids, that are daintily fed among the ſweet flowers, for the pleaſant nouriſhment which they yeeld to all that ſucke thereof.
6. Vntill the day breake, and the ſhadowes flie away, I will goe into the Mountaines of Myrrh, and to the Mountaines of Incenſe.
Vntill the day of my gracious appearance ſhall ſhine forth, and vntill all theſe ſhadowes of ignorance, infidelitie, afflictions, bee vtterly and ſuddenly diſperſed, O my Spouſe, I will retire my ſelfe (in regard of my bodily preſence) into my delightfull and glorious reſt of heauen.
7. Thou art all faire, my LoueLove, and there is no ſpot in thee.
Thou art exceeding beautifull, O my Church, in all the parts of thee: for all thy ſinnes are done away, and thine iniquitie is couered, and loe, I preſent thee to my Father without ſpot, or wrinkle, or any ſuch deformitie.
8. Come with me from Lebanon, my Spouſe, euen with me from Lebanon, and looke from the top of Amanah, from the top of Shenir and Hermon, from the dens of the Lions, and from the mountaines of the Leopards.
And now (O thou which I profeſſe to hauehave maried to my ſelfe in truth and righteouſneſſe) thou ſhalt be gathered to me from all parts of the world; not onelyonly from the confines of Iudea, where I planted and found thee, but from the remoteſt and moſt ſauage places of the Nations; out of the companie of Infidels, of cruell and bloudy perſecutors, who like Lions and Leopards hauehave tyrannized ouer thee, and mercileſly torne thee in peeces.
9. My ſiſter, my Spouſe, thou haſt wounded my heart with one of thine eies: and with a chaine of thy necke.
Thou haſt vtterly rauiſht me from my ſelfe (O my ſiſter and Spouſe; for ſo thou art, both io…ned to me in that ſpirituall vnion, and coheire with me of the ſame inheritance and glory) thou haſt quite rauiſht my heart with thy louelove: euen one caſt of one of thine eies of faith, and one of the ornaments of thy ſanctification wherewith thou art decked by my Spirit, hauehave thus ſtricken mee with louelove: how much more, when I ſhall hauehave a full ſight of thee, and all thy graces, ſhall I be affected towards thee!
10. My ſiſter, my Spouſe, how faire is thy louelove! how much better is thy louelove than wine, and the ſauour of thine ointments than all ſpices?
O how excellent, how precious, how delectable are thoſe loues of thine, O my ſiſter, my Spouſe! how farre ſurpaſſing all earthly delicates! and the ſauour of thoſe diuine vertues, wherewith thou art endued, more pleaſing to my ſent, than all the perfumes in the world!
11. Thy lips, my Spouſe, drop as Hony combes: Hony and milke are vnderunder thy tongue, and the ſauour of thy garments is as the ſauour of Lebanon.
The gracious ſpeeches that proceed from thee, are as ſo many drops of the Hony-combe that fall from thy lips: and whether thou exhort, or confeſſe, or pray or comfort, thy words are both ſweet and nouriſhing; and the ſauour of thy good works, and outward conuerſation, is to me as the ſmell of the wood of Lebanon to the ſenſe of man.
12. My ſiſter my Spouſe, is as a Garden incloſed, as a Spring ſhut vp, and a Fountaine ſealed vp.
My ſiſter, my Spouſe, is as a Garden or Orchard full of all varietie of the heauenly Trees and flowers of grace; not lying careleſly open, either to the louelove of ſtrangers, or to the rage of enemies, which like the wilde Bore out of the wood, might root vp and deſtroy her choice plants: but ſafely hedged and walled about, by my protection, and reſerued for my delight alone; ſhe is a Spring & Well of wholſome waters, from whom flow forth the pure ſtreames of my Word; but, both incloſed and ſealed vp: partly, that ſhee may the better (by this cloſeneſſe) preſerue her owne naturall taſte and vigour, from the corruptions of the world; and partly, that ſhee may not be defiled and mudded by the prophane feet of the wicked.
13. Thy plants are as an Orchard of Pomegranats with ſweet fruits: as Cypers, Spikenard, euen Spikenard and Saffron, Calamus and Cinamon, withall the trees of Incenſe, Myrrh and Aloes, with all the chiefe ſpices.
Thou art an Orchard, yea a Paradiſe, whoſe plants (which are thy faithfull children that grow vp in thee) are as Pomegranate Trees; the Apples whereof are eſteemed, for the largeneſſe, colour and taſte, aboue all other: or (if I would feed my other ſenſes) the plentifull fruits of thy holy obedience (which thou yeeldeſt vntounto mee) are for their ſmell, as ſome compoſition of Cypreſſe, Spikenard, Saffron, ſweet Cane, Cinamon, Incenſe, Myrrh, Aloes, and whatſoeuer elſe may be deuiſed, vntounto the moſt perfect ſent.
14. O fountaine of the gardens, O well of liuing waters, and the ſprings of Lebanon.
Thou art ſo a Spring in my Garden, that the ſtreames which are deriued from thee, water all the gardens of my particular congregations, all the world ouer: thou art that Fountaine, from whoſe pure head iſſue all thoſe liuing waters, which who ſo drinketh, ſhall neuer thirſt againe; euen ſuch cleare currents, as flow from the hill of Libanus, which like vntounto another Iordan, water all the Iſrael of God.
The Church.
15. Ariſe, O North, and come, O South, and blow on my garden, that the ſpices thereof may flow out: let my Well-beloued come to his garden, and eat his pleaſant fruit.
IF I bee a garden, as thou ſaieſt (O my Sauiour) then ariſe, O all yee ſoueraigne winds of the Spirit of God, and breathe vponupon this garden of my ſoule; that the ſweet odours of theſe my plants may both bee increaſed, and may alſo bee diſperſed afarre, and carried into the noſtrils of my Well-beloued: and ſo let him come into his owne garden (which his owne hand hath digged, planted, watred) and accept of the fruit of that ſeruice and praiſe, which hee ſhall inable mee to bring forth to his Name.