It is a special part of Christians' wisdom to improve the excellency of others by questions ; to have a bucket to draw out of the deep wells of others. As Solomon saith, ' The heart of a wise man is as deep waters, but a man of understanding can tell how to fetch those waters out.' There be many men of deep and excellent parts which are lost in the world, be- cause men know not how to improve them. Therefore it is good, while we have men excellent in any kind, to make use of them. It is an honour to God as well as a commodity to ourselves. Doth God suffer hghts to shine in the world that we should take no notice of them ? It is a wrong to ourselves and a dishonour to God.
' What is thy beloved more than another beloved ? ' &c.
A further point fi-om hence is, that if ice would give encouragement to others * That is, Socrates in Plato's ' Dialogues.' — G.
Cant. V. 9, 10.] * my beloved is white and euddy.' 137
to repair to ns for any good, we should learn to be so excellent as to adorn reli/jion.
' 0 thou fairest among women, what is thy beloved ?' &c. They inqtiire of her, becanse they have a good conceit of her. A world of good might be done if thei*e were bred a good conceit of men in others. We say in Bickness, A good conceit of the physician is half the cure. So in teach- ing, a good conceit of the teacher is half the learning. ' The daughters of Jerusalem' had a good conceit here in their questioning of the church. ' O thou fairest among women, what is thy beloved more than another beloved '? '
Let us labour, therefore, to be such as may bring honour and credit to religion, and make it lovely ; that what we do may make others think we do what we do to great purpose ; which is ofttimes a special means and occasion of then* conversion. Though properly the cause of conversion be the Spirit of God in the ordinances, yet the inducement, many times, and occasion, is the observation of the course and carnage of those that excel and are known to be eminent in parts and in graces. Emulation adds spurs to the soul. Do they take such courses that are wiser than I, and shall not I take the Hke course too ? Paul saith, the emulation of the Gentiles shall be a means of the conversion of the Jews, Rom. xi. 11. When they shall see them embrace Christ, they will be encouraged to do so also. What shall we think, therefore, of them that live so as that they bring an evil report, scandal, and reproach upon religion ? Great and fearful is their wickedness, that by their ill conversation, like Hophni and Phinehas, discredit the ordinances of the Lord, 1 Sam. ii. 17.
Now the church thus answers the former question touching Christ, ' My beloved is white and ruddy, the chiefest of ten thousand.' She is not afraid to set out her beloved's beauty ; for there is no envy in spiritual things. It is want of wisdom amongst men to commend a thing that is very lovely to others, and so to set an edge upon their aft'ections when they cannot both share ; and the more one hath, the less another hath of all things here below. But in spiritual things there is no envy at the sharing of others in that we love oiu'selves, because all may be loved alike. Christ hath grace and aftection enough for all his. He hath not, as Esau speaks, but * one blessing.' No, he can make all his happy. Therefore the church stands not upon terms. When the 'daughters of Jerasalem' inquire about her be- loved, I tell you freely, says she, what my beloved is. First, in general, the answer is, ' My beloved is white and raddy, the chiefest among ten thousand.' Then afterwards there is a specification of the particulars. She will not stand upon the gross, but admires* at every parcel in the thing beloved. Every thing is lovely, as we shall see in particulars afterwards.
' My beloved is white and ruddy, the chiefest among ten thousand.'
We will take that which is safe, because we will have sure footing, as near as we can, in this mystical portion of Scripture.
Quest. What is that white and ruddy ? Why doth the church set forth the spiritual excellencies of Christ by that which is most outwardly excellent and most beautiful ?
Am. Because of all complexions, the mixed complexion of these two colours, white and ruddy, is the purest and the best. Therefore she sets out the beauty and the spiritual excellency of Christ by this ' white and ruddy.' Beauty ariseth of the mixture of these two. First, she sets out the beauty of Christ positively ; and then, by way of comparison, ' the chiefest among ten thousand.
* That is, ' wonders.' — G.
188 BOWELS OPENED. [SeRMON XIV.
But what is this white and ruddy ? what is heauty ?
1. To the making of beauty there is required a sound, healthy constitu- tion, so as the particulars have a due proportion. There must be a har- mony of the parts, one suiting with one another ; for comeliness stands in oneness, when many things, as it were, are one. Uncomeliness is in diver- sity, when diverse things are jumbled together that belong to many heads ; as we say it is uncomely to have an old man's head on a young man's shoulders. But when all things are so suited that they make one, agreeing exactly, there is beauty and comeliness.