The question asked is,
' What is thy beloved more than another's beloved, 0 thou faii-est among women ?'
What ! now fair when her veil was taken away ? now fair when the watchmen abased* her ? now fair when she was disgraced ? Yes ; now fair, and now fair in the sight of the daughters of Jerusalem, and in the sight of Christ that calls her the fairest among women. So that under all dis- graces, infirmities, and scandals ; under all the shame that riseth in the soul upon sia ; under all these clouds there is an excellency of the church. She is, ' the fairest among women,' notwithstanding all these. ' 0 thou fairest among women.'
Quest. Whence comes this fairness, under such seeming foulness and disgrace ?
Ans. It comes from without. It is borrowed beauty, as you have it, Ezek. xvi. 1, 2. By nature we he in our blood. There must be a beauty put upon us. We are fair with the beauty that we have out of Christ's wardrobe. The church shiaes in the beams of Christ's righteousness ; she is not bom thus fair, but new-born fairer. The church of Christ is all glorious, but it is within, not seen of the world, Ps. xlv. 13. She hath a life, but it is a hidden life, ' om: glory and our life is hidden in Christ,' Col. iii. 3. It is hid sometimes from the church itself, who sees only her deformity and not her beauty, her death but not her life, because her ' life is hid.' Here is a myster}^ of religion. The church is never more fair than uhen she judf/eth herself to be most deformed; never more happy than wlien she jud/jeth herself to be miserable: never more strong than when she feels her- self to be iveak ; never more righteous than ivhen she feels herself to be most burdened with the guilt of her own sins, because the sense of one contrary forceth to another. The sense of ill forceth us to the fountain of good, to have supply thence. ' \Mien I am weak, then am I strong,' saith Paul, 2 Cor. xii. 10. Grace and strength is perfect in weakness.
Use. This should teach us what to judge of the church and people of God ; even under their seeming disgraces, yet to judge of them as the ex- cellentest people in the world, 'AH my delight is in those that are ex- * Qu. 'abused?'— G.
136 BOWELS OPENED. ' [SeEMON XTV.
cellent,' Ps. xvi. 3 ; to join ourselves to them. Especially this is here to be understood of the church, as it is the mystical body of Christ ; not as a mixed body, as a visible church, ' but as it is the temple of the Holy Ghost,' 1 Cor. iii. 17.
The visible church hath terms of excellency put upon it sometimes, but it is in regard of the better part. As gold unrefined is called gold, because gold is the better part ; and a heap of wheat unwinnowed is called wheat, though there be much chaff in it. The body of Christ itself hath always excellent terms given it, ' 0 thou fairest among women.'
Those that look upon the church with the spectacles of malice can see no such beauty in her, though to espy out faults (as the devil could in Job, Job i. 9, seq.), to quarrel, to slander, they are quick-sighted enough. But we see here the church in the judgment of the ' daughters of Jerusalem,' that she is the ' fairest among women.'
The papists have a painted beauty for their catholic church, but here is no such beauty. It becomes a whore to be painted to be as fau' as her hands can make her, with feigned beauty. But the church of Christ hath a beauty from her husband, a real, spiritual beauty, not discerned of the world.
Use. This should be of use to God's children themselves, to help them in ilie vphraidings of conscience (as if they had no goodness in them), because iliey have a great deal of ill. Christians should have a double eye, one to set and fix upon that which is ill in them, to humble them ; and another upon that which is supernaturally gracious in them, to encourage them- selves. They should look upon themselves as Christ looks upon them, and judge of themselves as he judgeth of them, by the better part. He looks not so much what ill we have, for that shall be wrought out by httle and little, and be abolished. It is condemned already, and it shall be exe- cuted by little and little, till it be wholly abolished. But he looks upon us in regai-d of the better part. So should we look upon ourselves, though otherwhiles upon our black feet (our infirmities) when we are tempted to pride and haughtiness. But always let the mean thoughts we conceive of ourselves make us to fly to Christ.
' What is thy beloved more than another beloved ? '
Here is a question, and a question answered with a question. Questions they breed knowledge ; as the Greek proverb is, doubtings breed resolu- tion. Whereupon the inquisitive soul usually proves the most learned, judicious, and wise soul. Therefore that great philosopher* counted it as a virtue amongst his scholars that they would be inquisitive. So the scholars of righteousness are inquisitive, ' They inquire the way to Canaan, and the way to Zion with their faces thitherwards,' Jer. 1. 5.