Loves Intercourse Between the Lamb and His Bride, Treatise · Chapter 1 · Verse 6
Verſe. 6. Look not upon me becauſe I am black, becauſe the Sunne hath looked upon me: my Mothers children were angry with me, they made me the keeper of the vineyards, but my owne vineyard have I not kept.
In theſe words follows her exhortation to theſe forenamed daughters of Jeruſalem, that for her blackneſs they would not therefore look upon her with diſdaine, as either to forſake her, or think her forſaken.
1. Becauſe this her blackneſſe is not native or perpetuall, but accidentall and for a time only, through the ſcorching or S…nne burning of perſecution, and ſo ſhe declares this to be the cauſe thereof, 2. From whom this her perſecution proceeded, her Mothers children, 3. In what diſpoſition, anger: and 4. What effect the force of perſecution on their part, and weakneſſe on her part produced, to wit, the keeping of their Vines, and neglect of her own.
Firſt then, ſhe aſſimilats her perſecution which ſhe ſuffered to the ſcorching or burning of the Sunne, as we ſee it likewiſe compared, Matth. 13. 6. 1. Becauſe as the ſame is grievous to the body through the great and vehement heat thereof, which oftines cauſeth fainting and complaint, as we ſee in Jonas, even ſo perſecution and trouble is grievous to fleſh and blood and through the raging violence thereof, has cauſed many to faint and complaine, even of Gods deareſt ſervants why they ſhould be ſo dealt with, as we ſee, Pſ. 73. and elſe where, 2. This ſcorching affects only the body but no more; even ſo does the rage of perſecution, it may kill the body, but no more: therefore ſayes our Saviour, Fear not them that can kill the body, and no more, but feare Him that can kill both ſoul and body. 3. The ſcorching heat of the Sunne, it is but for a ſhort time in the height of the day, but thereafter comes the coole of the evening; even ſo perſecution laſts but for a ſhort time, for the Lord will not ſuffer the rod of the wicked to lye ſtill upon the back of the righteous, nor the ſtorme ever to continue, as we ſee Math. 8. But will ſend delivery to his own Sion, and to Iſrael out of all his troubles, 4. In the time of the hort ſcorching of the Sunne men uſe to betake themſelves to ſome ſhaddow, or covering place, even ſo does the Church to ſome Lurking places, as we ſee in Elias time, and of the Primitive church; but chiefly they betake themſelves to the ſhaddow and protection of the Almighty, as the dove to the clefts of the rock, which, unlike Jonas gourd, never failes them; under the coverture whereof they reſt and are refreſhed till the ſtorme paſſe over. 5. In relation to vegetable things, as Matth. 13. 6. Perſecution is ſo compared, to ſhow what it doth to carnall profeſſors and temporizing Hypocrits, who wither as it were thereby, and make finall defection.
Secondly, ſhe ſhowes that this Perſecution proceeds from her Mothers children, that is, ſuch as pretended to be members of the catholick Church as well as ſhe, of one Mother, and under one common Enſigne of the true worſhip or religion, and therefore theſe her Perſecutors were not open and avowed enemies to the Church, nor infidells and diſclaimers of the profeſſion of the true Religion.
But as the Jewes in the moſt corrupt times claimed and cryed, The Temple of the Lord: ſo they, that they were the Children of the true Church, even when they were with hot and fiery perſecution afflicting them who were the true Church. In a word then, theſe ſonnes, were, as the Apostle calles them, falſebrethren, Act. 20. 30. Where we have here to advert, that ſhe calles them not her father's children, becauſe, as our faviour ſaid to the Jewes, howſoever they called Abraham their father, yet he was not, but the divell whoſe works they did: even ſo, howſoever they pretended and claimed to the true catholick Church to be their mother, yet they were not that truely, but by uſurpation of that name; becauſe they who have her truly to be their Mother, have God to be their Father, and his children they were not, becauſe they did not his words but rather the divells in perſecuting her, who was the true church.
But ſeeing the true Church ſpeaketh here, who is her ſelf the mother, how ſpeaks ſhe of her ſelf as a perſon diſtinct from her Mother, or rather as a daughter to this mother, and of theſe her perſecutors, as her Mothers children? I anſwer. It is the manner of the Hebrew Tongue to call the whole the Mother, and the parts of the whole catholick Church, daughters, and ſiſters, and children Then. remark this, that although there be but one univerſall Church, yet becauſe the ſame is never whole in the world at one time, therefore the true Church of the preſent time, may be called a daughter to the true Church that preceded her in former times, and theſe her perſecutors pretended children of that Mother, as ſhe may be called a Mother to the true Church that ſucceedeth her in future or after times, and of the ſincere individuall worſhippers in the preſent time.
Thirdly ſhe ſe…ts downe what was their diſpoſition towards her, and this is, they were angry with her: where ſhe uſes this ſimilitude, As if a beautifull Virgin dwelling in her Mothers houſe had churliſh and untoward brethron who dealt roughly with her & thruſt her out of dores, to keep their vines, whereby ſhe is compelled to be in the ſunne, or Sunne-burnt, and to neglect her owne proper task which her mother injoyned her.
This anger of theirs was like that of Joſephs brethren, an unjuſt anger, or like Cain's againſt Abel; or the dragons againſt the woman in the Revelation, whom he perſecuted and made to …lee, of whom it is ſaid that he was wroth with her, and made warre with the remnant of her ſeed, Rev. 12. 17. So that ſhe might juſtly ſay of them, as David ſayes of his onemies, they hated him without a cauſe.
Laſtly, the progreſſe of their anger and rage againſt her is ſet down, or the effect thereof; which is thus farre, that they made her the keeper of their Vines, with the neglect of her own: which words of their Vines, and her Vine are ſet down by way of oppoſition, their's being Vines of another quality then her's. For there are divers ſorts of Vines ſpoken of in the Scripture▪ to wit, a Vine which is called the Vine of Sodom, whoſe grapes are grapes of Gall, and their Cluſters bitter, Deut 32, 32. Alſo, there is a Vine which is called an empty Vine, Hoſ. 10. 1. Alſo, a Vine which is called a Noble Vine, and a right ſeed, Jer. 2. 21. alſo a goodly Vine, Ezek. 17. 8. and a fruitfull, Pſalm. 80. 9. Ezek. 19, 10. and this is the vine which is called her Vine: in like manner there is another, whereof Jeremy ſpeaks, Jer. 2. 21. and the Lord calls a degenerate plant, of a ſtrange Vine to him, even as it is ſaid Iſai. 1. that the faithfull City was become a Harlot, and this is the ſort of theſe Vines which are called their Vines, who were themſelves degenerate and baſtard-children of the Church, and ſuch only who uſurped the name of true profeſſor's, but had degenerate from the truth of God to humane traditions, like the Phariſees in Chriſts time; and to groſſe corruption in Religion.
Theſe Sonnes then of her mother, or falſe brethren, they ſeek to draw her to this corruption in religion with themſelves, and to obſerve humane traditions which is the keeping of their Vines, forſaking the purity and ſincerity of the true worſhip of God, & the keeping of her own Vine, or elſe to undergo their wrath and cruell perſecution, wherein through the force of their perſecution on the one hand, and her own weakneſſe and frailty on the other, ſhe is made for the moſt part, to ſwerve from her former ſincerity, and, like the ſervants that ſlept while the tares were ſown, to neglect the performance of the Charge and duty that was committed unto her. I ſay for the moſt part, leſt this defectiion ſhould be thought totall, as, to the eyes of the very Prophet Elias, it ſeemed to be, in the dayes of Achab and perſecuting Jeſabel: but yet it was not, the Lord having his prophets hid in Caves by fifties and good Obediah, and 7000. that had not kiſſed nor bovved their knees to Ba….
Obſervations.
1. This place ſorveth to direct us in our judging and eſtimation of Chriſts Church aright, and not to deſpiſe her, or take offence and forſake her (as many have done) becauſe of her blackneſſe, that is, want of externall beauty, and worldly luſtre or glory (for ſo was her Head on earth) and that ſhe is under much and many ſufferings (for ſo it behoves her with her Saviour by the Croſſe to come to the Crown,) but we ſhould look to her inward beauty by a ſpirituall diſcerning eye, and to that perfection of glorious beauty to which ſhe ſhall come, when it ſhall be ſaid unto her; Thouart all fair, my love, and there is no ſpot nor wrinkle in thee; and when ſhe ſhall be rid of all her Enemies, and no Canaanite ſhall be in the Land. The erring in which poynt of right judgement, has bin the cauſe of the ruine of many, who both for the baſe condition of her Head, when He was on Earth, deſpiſed Him; and who likewiſe for the like condition of his true Church (like the two witneſſes, Revel. 11. cloathed in ſackcloath and under much ſuffering,) did forſake the ſame, and in reſpect of the outward pompous and worldly luſtre of the Antichriſtian Church on the contrary followed the Beaſt.
2. Seeing the Lot of Chriſts Church here on earth, is to be ſubject to perſecution and trouble, which is compared to the ſcorching of the Sun, therefore in time thereof, let us do as thoſe who are ſo ſcorched in hot Countries, that is, as Jonas had his recourſe to his gourd, ſo let us have our recourſe chiefly to the coverture and ſhadow of the Lords protection, by a holy confidence, and to the refreſhing cooling and comfort of the promiſes of his word, and the witneſſing within us with Job of a good conſcience; ſubmitting our ſelves to his good will and pleaſure who gives us that cup to drink of as our Saviour by his example taught us in his agonie, and labour to be well rooted and eſtabliſhed by grace, that having the moyſture thereof in our ſouls, (like the Oyl of the wiſe Virgins which they had in their Lamps,) we be not like that ſeed ſpoken of, Math. 13. 5, 6.
3. We ſee that the Church has not only open and avowed Enemies, but domeſtick and inteſtine, like theſe falſe brethren here mentioned, who claimed to be Children of the ſame Mother as well as ſhe: of which ſort the Apoſtle forewarnes the Church, Act. 20. 30. And the beloved diſciple, Rev. 13. 11.
4. Theſe were angry at their Virgin-ſiſter, which ſhowes us the wicked diſpoſition of ſuch falſe brethren, who though they be under one name and common enſigne with true profeſſors, and lay claime to the true Church as much as any, yet as Cain waxed wroth againſt Abel unjuſtly, and Eſau in like manner againſt his brother Jacob, ſo do they for the truths ſake, againſt the true worſhippers; as the Dragon was wrath with the Woman, Rev. 12. 17. and went to make Warre with the remnant of her ſeed.
5. Where ſhe ſaies, that they made her the keeper of their Vineyards, but her own ſhe did not keep, we ſee. 1. the weakneſſe of many true profeſſors, and deareſt of Gods Saints that through fear and force of perſecution, they have been ſometimes drawn, as Peter denied his Maſter, to do that which thereafter with many teares and humble confeſſion they have (with the Church here) to Gods glory and their own ſhame acknowledged. And therefore this teacheth us ever to ſuſpect our own ſtrength, and to beg courage and conſtancy from God; that ſo he who ſtands may take heed leſt he fall, et ut majoris ruina ſit minoris cautela.
6. Next in her humble confeſſion and acknowledgement of her infirmitie, fault, and negligence, we ſee the laudable diſpoſition of the godly, in the humble acknowledgement of their ſinnes that God might get glory, and others by their example may be aware, as we may ſee in Moſes, David, Jonas, Paul, and many others; far contrary to the contrary diſpoſition of the wicked, who ſeek to deny, exte…ate, or cloak and cover their ſinnes, as our firſt Parents did their fall, or as Achan hid the accurſed thing.