thou inwardly moye me, who am naturally averſcand backward to follow thee, 1 Both Ithy Speuſe,and the Virginsmy Companions; And this change of numbeOreaches us that the Spouſe in this Book 1s ene great Body,conſiſting ef many Members,of whom therefore he ſpeaks ſometimes in the ſingular,& ſometimes in the plural num. ber, » Will follow thee readyly ,and chearfully,and ſwiftly;which 15 oppoſed to her former ſluggifhneſs and liftleſneſs. We will not re« ceive thy Grace in vain, but will improve it, and co-operate with it,and ſtir up all our ſtrength to ſerve and obey thee: n Chrift, m Husband and Lord, the King of his Church, as he is oft called, the King of Kings. &c. o Heb, hath cauſed me to come,by drawing me as I deſired. He hath anſwered my prayer. p Where { may moſt freely and familiarly converſe with him,and enjoy him. He hath taken me pinto intimate communion with himſelf. Theſe Chambers ſeem to note either 1. Thoſe heavenly Manſions into which Believers are ſometimes ſaid to be brought, even in this Life, as Eph. 2. 6. be. cauſe they have a lively Faith,and a well grounded Hope and Af. ſurance,and ſome comfortable foretaſtes of that bleſſed State. Or ra- ther 2. Thoſe places and conditions upon Earth, in which they en« joy. the ſpecial favour and fellowſhip of Godin Chriſt,as the publick Aſſemblies in which Chriſt is in a peculiar manner preſent, Mat. 18. 20, where his Word and Ordinances are diſpenſed, and where he poureth forth his Spirit and Bleſſings, and ſpeaks great Peace, and gives forth his Loves unto hisPeople.Yea even the private Cloſets, wherein Believers enjoy much of Chriſt by Prayer, and Praiſe, and Reading, and Meditation, are ſuch Chambers alſo : For it is not the Place, but the State,or Priviledge,which 1s here ſignified, and which is conſiderable. 9 Or, For thee, 1n,' or for, thy Love and Favour to us, which is the principal cauſe of our Joy. r Or, commemoerats or celebrate, This ſhall be the matter ofour Thoughts and Diſcourſes, s Thoſe chaſte and ſincere Virgins mentioned v. 3. wha are here oppoſed to hypocritical Profeſſors.
5 I am black z, but comely «, O ye daughters ef Je- ruſalem x, as the tents of Kedar y,as the courtains of So- mon &. '
ft It might be obje&ed who art thou, that thou ſhouldeſt have or pretend roſucha Royal Bridegroom,and ſuch Honours and Favours? To this the Church anſwers,l confeſs,as to my 1ſe!f, and outward appearance in the Eyes of the World, 1 kave not that Pomp and Beauty which Men admire, but am black, ' contemptible and defor= med,both for my own Infirmities and Diforders,and for the ſcandals of ſome of my own Members,and for the Reproaches and Perſecuti- ons of worldly men.She aludes to the complexion of Pharaoh's Daugh< ter, who was black. w Yet I am gloriows within, Pſa. 45: 53: and comly through the Beauty which my Husband kath pur upon me, by his Gracesand Bleflings conferred upon me,fuch as Juſtification and SanCQtification, &c. x By which ſhe underſtands particular Be- lievers, whoſe Mother Jeruſalem is called, Gal: 4: 26: who had joyn- ed themſelves to her, eſpecially young Converts and weak Chriſti- ans,who were ſtartled and offended at the contemplation of her black neſs. y 7. e, Of the wild Arabiens, the Poſterity of Keaar, Gen: 25: 13, who dwelt in Tents, which were black and uncomely ,both in themſclves,and by the injuriesof the weather,to which they were conſtantly expoſed. z As the Hangings wherewith Selomen's Houſe, was furniſhed, 'which none can doubt that they were moſt beautiful and glorious. So theſe two laſt clauſes anſwer to the two firſt,and that in the ſame order in which they lie.
6 Look not upon me abecauſe I am black, becauſe the ſun hath looked upon me b, my mothers children c were angry with me 4; theymade me the keeper of
the vineyards e,but mine own vineyard have Inot kept f.
a With wonder and diſdain,becauſe of my blackneſs,as it follows. b My blackneſsis nor effential,and inſeparable,but chiefly cauſed by ' the ſcorching beams of the Sunzs. e. of ſore Perſecutions and Tribu- ' Jations, which by Gods permiſſion have befaln me,which are repre- ſented by the Sun, Mat: 13: 6, 21 c Falſe Brethren, who pretend that the Ehurch is their Mother, when their Actions demonſtrate, that God, the Husband of the Church, 1s not their Father; hypo« critical Profeſſors, who are, and ever were, the keeneſt Enemies to the true Church and People of God,1ſa: 66: 5: Gal: 4; 29: falſe Teachers, and their followers,who by their corrupt DoErines, and Diviſicns, and Contentions, which they raiſe, bring great miſchief to the Church: See 2 Cor«11; 26: Gal: 2:4: d Or, fought againſt we, as the ancients render it, and ſo marred my Beauty. ez. &- their vineyards, for te theſe ſhe oppoſeth her own, in the next clauſe. Having prevailed againſt me,they uſed me like a {lave,put- ing me upon the moſt diſhonourable andtroubleſom ſervices, ſuch as the keeping of the Vineyards was eſteemed, 2 King. 25: 12: 1a: G1: 5; Mat: 20: 17. f They gave me ſuch a full and conftant em-
ploymenr in their drudging work abourtheir Vineyards, that they left me a9 time to wind my gown ; they hindred me from doing wy -S
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J wonder ; if in this poſture and condition I be uncomely an Clicked by the Sun. Roc berxtth Churches or SOCIeries of PO of Religion,wherher good or bad,are oft called Yineyaras, _ ws . 32. 32. Pſal. 80.8. Ja. 5-1, 2, 7. this and the foregoing claule _ be thus underſtood, that they endeavour to ſeduce and eorraſie! t Church with falſe DoQrines, and Superſtitious, or Idolatrous . Or- ſhip, & to oblige her to countenance and maintain them,and r _ by diſturbed and hiucred her from her proper work, which was the propagation and advancement of the true DoQrine& Worſhip in _ ticular Aſſcmblies and Perſons,beJonging,or to be brought 1n to her. 7 Tell me, O thou whom my ſoul loveth g, where
thou feedeſt b, where thou makeſt ry flock to reſt at