Loves Intercourse Between the Lamb and His Bride, Treatise · Chapter 1 · Verse 9 – Verse 11
Verſe. 9. and 10. I have compared thee (O my Love) to a company of Horſes in Pharoah's charets, thy cheeks are comely with rowes of Jewels, thy neck with chaines of Gold.
After our Saviours direction of his Church according to her petition, followes to the end of the Chapter, the mutuall commendation one of another: and, 1. His of her, wherein we have, 1. How he ſtyles her, 2. Whereto he compares her, Firſt then he ſtyles her his love, in the originall, My fellow friend, 1. Who delights in my company, 2. Eats and drinks with me: and. 3. Who is ready to participate in weal and woe. This love of his is ſhe, whom he loves, not vvith a generall love as he does all his creatures, as they are his workmanſhip, and as he ſaw them good at the beginning; but vvith a ſpeciall love, which is twofold, benevolentiae, vvhereby he elected his Church, and complacentiae, vvhereby he dedelights in her, and in her obedience or beauty of holineſs.
This ſpeciall love vvhichwhich he has to his Church, has theſe properties, 1. It is, Firſt, 2. Free, 3. Reall, 4. Admirable, cum non eſſemus: and 5. Immutable (as has been before on v. 2.) and eternall. Whence we ſee the high dignity of the church and every true member thereof, ſhe is Chriſts love, who is King of kings, and therefore, 1. He will protect her from her enemies: 2. as Sampſon to Dalilah, will reveale to her His ſecrets: 3. as Aſſuerus to Eſther, will refuſe no ſuit of hers: 4. though abſent in body, is ſtill mindful of her; ſending her, his love Letters and tokens: 5. Will at laſt give himſelfe to her, and aſſume her to be with himſelf.
Next we have, whereto he compares her, even as Zech. 10. 3. 1. To goodly horſes for battell and, 2. To a Troop of ſuch, 3. Belonging to a mighty king: and, 4. Accordingly royally furniſhed, as the manner of the Egyptians was, with precious ſtones on their bridles, and chaines of gold, about their neck and ſo making a goodly ſight to behold.
1. Then, ſhe is compared to warrelike horſes in chariots, as, Exod. 14. 7. 9. To warne her of her eſtate here on earth militant, and that no ſooner ſhall any follow his former direction in adjoyning themſelves to her, and the profeſſion of the truth; but as ſoone they muſt expect a ſpirituall warrfare, and to ſuffer perſecution.
2. She is compared to Horſes of the beſt ſort, and not to ordinary and common ſervile ones, but for royall ſervice and imployment; to ſhew the excellency of the Church and godly, (as Pſ. 16. 3. they are called,) who are appointed for his ſervice, who is King of kings, and not for the baſe ſervitude of Sinne or Satan; and therefore ſhould not walk as the ordinary ſort of the world, being ad meliora renati.
3. Such horſes, as were in Pharaoh's Chariots were ſtrong, nimble, ſwift, couragious, and ready to warre: even ſo the godly have ſpirituall ſtrength, agility and ſwiftneſs, as Pſal. 119. 32. Courage for the truth and againſt ſpirituall enemies, and are ready fitted for their ſpirituall warrfare, as we ſee, Eph. 6.
4. She is compared to Horſes belonging to a mighty king: even ſo doth the Church belong to the King of kings, who ownes her by creation, redemption, confoederation, and matrimoniall Union, and therefore is her only Lord, over whom no other ſhould Lord at all.
5. She is ſaid to be like a troop of horſes, not looſe and running at random, but coupled and fitted for royall ſervice, in the Chariots of Pharaoh: even ſo is the Church, a troop or company, not ſet at carnall liberty, that becauſe grace doth abound, therefore ſinne ſhould abound, but put under the eaſie and light yoke of Chriſt, and taught to obey his lore, in the liberty of the Spirit, and holy ſervice of his bleſſed Majeſty.
6. She is compared to a troop of Horſes, ſo danted and tamed, that they are not only fitted for ſervice, but made peaceable amongſt themſelves, and orderly placed; each one keeps their own ſtation: even ſo is the church a company of Perſons, though firſt like wilde colts by nature, yet ſo tamed and mortified by grace, that they are not only fitted for the Lords ſervice, but keep unity amongſt themſelves, and keep every one the ſtation and Calling, where the Lord has placed them, whether in Church or Common-wealth.
7. Her checks are richly decked with precious ſtones, and chaines: even ſo are the true members of Chriſts-church richly decked and adorned with the precious and ſaving graces of Gods holy ſpirit; as we ſee, Pro. 1. 9. and, Ezek. 16. 11. Whereby the kings daughter is glorious within, Pſ. 45. 14. and beautifull with the beauty of holineſs in the ſight of her welbelo…d, & whereby they are a goodly ſight in the eyes of all beholders of their godly life and ſhining light, who are thereby moved to glorifie God their heavenly father.
Obſervations.
1. If therefore our eſtate here be militant like horſes prepared for battell, then let no Chriſtian ſing a requiem to himſelf here, but be armed as Eph. 6. and be ſtill on his watch and guard that he be not ſurprized by Satan or the tentations of ſinne, but reſiſt him valiantly, and conſtantly that he may ſay with the Apoſtle in the end, I have fought a good fight, &c. 2 Tim. 4. 7.
2. Although our eſtate here be a continual warfare, with outward and in ward enemies, ſo that we may ſay with Jacob, Our dayes are few and evill, yet here is comfort, 1. That belonging to ſo mighty, yea an almighty King, who has vanquiſhed our enemies, he will have a care of us, and will not ſuffer one of his to periſh, 2. He will do that which no king or captaine can do to his ſouldiers, or horſes for ſervice, He will furniſh us with courage, ſtrength, wiſedom, agility and skill, as he did David, to overcome G…liah.
3. Seeing the church is compared to a troop of Horſes, not wild, but tamed, fitted for the owners ſervice, and like horſe placed in Chariots, keeping their own ſtations, Let all Chriſtians learne that they are not, nor ſhould not be, like wild beaſts, as Tigers or Lyons, but ſuch as are tamed, as ſervice-Horſes or ſheep, mortifying daily their wild and ſavage nature, and bringing it under ſubjection to the Lords ſervice, and keeping every one their own ſtation therein, to glorifie god; and in a holy unity, as under one yoke, by mutuall help one of another, to profit and promote the good of Chriſt's church and kingdome.
4. Her cheeks are ſaid to be richly decked and adorned: which ſhould make us to try our ſelves by the furniture of ſaving graces, if we be the true ſpouſe of Chriſt, as by repentance, faith, humility, and charity, &c. Whereof if we be deſtitute, it is not a name that we live, like Sardis, Rev. 3. 1. or verball profeſſion that will availe, or prove us to be the true members of Chriſt's church.
5. Theſe graces, wherewith a true Chriſtian is adorned, are called or compared to, Jewels and chains of gold, to ſhow, 1. That, as they are ſo in themſelves, ſo how every true godly ſoul ſhould eſteem of grace, and, if they really have th… …ame, will eſteem thereof: as we ſee, Matth 13. 44, 45. &c. And of the meanes thereof, Pſ. 19. and 119. And therefore. let us try by our eſtimation of grace and meanes thereof, and by the care we have to attaine thereto, as to Jewels, or precious treaſure, if we have true grace, or be the true members of Chriſt's church,
2. To ſhow that as Jewels wherewith one is decked are not of ond ſort, figure or forme; even ſo neither are the gi…ts and graces whereby Chriſt decketh and adorneth his Church, but divers, and of a divers meaſure; all to the edification of the body in common, and to the ſalvation of each member in particular, 1 Cor. 12.
3. As in a chaine there is a concatenation of the divers lincks one with another; even ſo is it with Chriſtian vertues for which cauſe we are exhorted, 2. Pet. 1. 5, 6. and with true Chriſtian obedience, as we ſee, Pſ. 119 6. and Luke 1. 6. And therefore we ſhould labour to have all ſaving graces, and to obey all God commandements.
6. Theſe Jewels, and chaines wherewith her cheeks are decked, ſhe has not from her ſelf, but from Her beloved, to teach us Humility when we are never ſo richly adorned with the variety of edifying gifts for others, or ſaving graces for our ſelves: theſe talents are not ours, and what have we but that which we have received, and as all this decking of Pharaoh's Horſes was for the magnificence of their Maſter, ſo is all the decking of Chriſt's church with ſuch gifts and graces, for the magnificence and glory of his bleſſed Majeſty, which ſhould be the ultimate aime of all our actions or endeavours.
7. But we muſt remarke: When are theſe Jewels and chaines put upon her cheeks and neck? never, till her cheeks be bedewed with teares for her ſinnes, and that her neck ſhake off the yoke of Satans ſlavery, as the Prodigals beggerly rags were firſt laid aſide, before he was clothed with that garment which his father put upon him. And the Church in Ezekiel. 16. was firſt waſhed from her filthineſs, before ſhe was richly clothed and adorned with Jewels. Therefore the Church is thus exhorted in Iſay. 52. 1, 2. Put on thy beautyfull garments, O Jeruſalem the holy City, but withall firſt, Shake thy ſelf from the duſt, ariſe and looſe thy ſelf from the bands of thy neck, O captive daughter of Sion therefore, if we in like manner would be decked and adorned, as mortality cannot be clothed upon by Immor…ality, ſo neither can a ſoul continuing in ſinne and impenitency, be adorned with the rich graces of Gods ſpirit; or ſuch precious liquor be put in ſuch old, naſty, and rotten veſſels.
8. He ſpeaks of the adorning the moſt conſpicuous parts of the body, to wit, the cheeks and neck, to teach us, that although the graces of Sanctification be ſeated chiefly inwardly to and inviſibly in the heart, and hidden man thereof, which makes it be ſaid, as Pſ. 45. 13. yet in their exerciſe they muſt be viſible as in the face, or neck: and therefore ſayes our Saviour, So let your light ſhine, that men ſeeing your good works may gloryfie God your heavenly father.
Verſe. 11. We will make thee borders of Gold with ſtuds of Silver.
According to his Promiſe, Habenti dabitur; So here is a promiſe to the Church of the increaſe of his graces, and that uſeing theſe well which He had beſtowed, ſhe ſhould receive more, as vve ſee in the parable of the Talents, & of him vvho vvas faithfull in little ſet over much: wherein vve have 1. vvho is the promiſer, and vvhat is meant by (we) and 2. vvhat is promiſed.
Firſt then, by we is underſtood the Trinity, as we have the like, Gen. 1. 26. for it is only the vvork of God: grace in the ſoul, and theſe eminent vvorks, according to the thelogicall Rule, are indiviſible, hovvever in reſpect of order, in a ſpeciall manner they are particularly attribute to the ſeverall perſons, as creation to the Father, redemption to the Son, and ſanctification to the holy Ghoſt.
2. The thing promiſed, is borders of Gold, vvhereby is meant a nevv ſupply of grace, compared to Gold: 1. to ſhevv the preciouſneſſe and excellency of grace, as Gold is the moſt precious and excellent mettall above all others: 2. as Gold inriches, as Rev. 3. 18. ſo does grace only enrich the ſoul, or truly make rich: 3. as Gold is durable, ſo is grace only: and 4. as Gold is delectable, ſo is grace both to God, & the truly godly; and 5. as borders or lace of Gold decks and decores moſt, ſo doth grace the ſoul.
Next unto borders of Gold he adds, ſtuds of Silver, whereby is meant the variety of Gods graces, vvhichwhich, like Gold and Silver vvrought together, ſet forth each other, for the mutuall help comfort and delight of the Saints, as we ſee like ſpeeches, Prov. 25. 11. Pſalm. 119. 72.
Obſervations.
1. We ſee, that the thing which he promiſes to his Church in teſtimony of his love to her is not worldly traſh, like Eſau's portion, and the wicked's, Pſalm. 73. but ſaving grace and the growth thereof, and therefore let us take this only, like Jacobs bleſſing, to be a ſure work of Gods favour, and with David to ſeek after the ſame, Pſal. 119.
2. He promiſes more grace to his Church and to her members, uſing thoſe well which he had already beſtowed (for this is to be underſtood), and therefore if we would have more grace, Joh. 1. 16. or the grouth thereof, we muſt labour to uſe that well which we have already gotten, and ſtirre up the ſame in us by prayer, all ordinary meanes, and exerciſe of the ſame.
3. Seeing he ſayes, we will make thee Borders of Gold &c. thereby ſhewing that all grace comes from him, and is his work in our ſouls, therefore from him only we ſhould ſeek the ſame, and when we find it wrought in us, to reverence the meanes, and the externall inſtruments, but to give the glory of the worke unto him, who is the onelyonly worker.
4. Here is a great incouragement to ſeek Chriſt, and to come un…o him, for they who do ſo, ſhall find a treaſure of grace in him, like that Hony that was in Sampſons Lyon, and he ſhall never be weary in beſtowing more and more rich Jewels of grace upon them, and coſtly ornaments ſtill, till at laſt he perfect grace in the eſtate of glory, as Pſalm. 84. 11.