The Canticles, or Song of Songs Opened and Explained

I Am come into my garden, my sister, my spouse, I have gathered my Myrrhe with my spice, I have eaten my honey-combe with my honey, I have drunke my wine with my milke: eate, O friends, drinke, yea drinke abundantly, O beloved. verse 2 I sleepe, but my heart waketh, it is the voyce of my beloved that knocketh, saying, Open to mee my sister, my love, my dove, my undefiled: for my head is filled with dew, and my lockes with the drops of the night. verse 3 I have put off my coat, how shall I put it on? I have washed my feet, how shall I defile them? verse 4 My beloved put in his hand by the hole of the doore, and my bowels were moved for him. verse 5 I rose up to open to my beloved, and my hands dropped with Myrrhe, and my fingers with sweet smelling Myrrhe, upon the handles of the locke. verse 6 I opened to my beloved, but my beloved had withdrawne himselfe, and was gone: my soule failed when hee spake: I sought him, but I could not find him; I called him, but he gave me no answer. verse 7 The watchmen that went about the city found me, they smote me, they wounded me, the keepers of the wals tooke away my vaile from me. verse 8 I charge you, O daughters of Jerusalem, if you find my beloved, that you tell him, that I am sicke of love. verse 9 What is your beloved more then another beloved, O you fairest among women? What is your beloved more then another beloved, that you do so charge us? verse 10 My beloved is white and ruddy, the chiefest among ten thousand. verse 11 His head is as the most fine gold, his lockes are bushie and blacke as a Raven. verse 12 His eyes are as the eyes of doves by the rivers of water, washed with milke, and fitly set. verse 13 His cheekes are as a bed of spices, as sweet flowers: his lips like lillies, dropping sweet smelling Myrrhe. verse 14 His hands are as gold rings set with the Beril: his belly is as bright Ivorie overlaid with Saphires. verse 15 His legs are as pillars of marble, set upon sockets of fine gold, his countenance is as Lebanon, excellent as the Cedars. verse 16 His mouth is most sweet, yea, he is altogether lovely. This is my beloved, and this is my friend, O daughters of Jerusalem.

*Cant. 5. verse 1.* I am come into my garden, my sister, my spouse, I have gathered my Myrrhe with my spice, I have eaten my honey-combe with my honey, I have drunke my wine with my milke: eate, O friends, drinke, yea drinke abundantly, O beloved.]

Constantine came into the Church, enjoyed the fellowship of it, did partake in all the parts of it, yes and richly endowed it; so that the Church and all her friends did eat and drinke, yes and did drinke abundantly of wealth, preferments, &c. from where it was that shee fell into a deepe sleepe.

Use 1 First, this serves to stirre us up to thankefulnesse and fruitfulnesse to God, who has planted us not in the wildernesse of the world, but in the garden of his Church. If wee now transgresse as Adam did, eating of the forbidden fruits, God will take his garden from us, and cast us out of it.

Use 2 Secondly, this lets us see, all the goodly situations of the earth are but dunghils and desarts, in comparison of the Church; the Church is a garden, and in it are fountaines of living waters for every thirsty soule.

Use 3 Thirdly, though the Church be sometimes in open view of all, as a City set on a hill; yet it is sometimes also otherwise, inclosed, shut up, sealed.

Use 4 Fourthly, when the Church is shut up in corners and conventicles, the members of it hatch not treasons, schismes, factions, but still remaineth as a garden, orchard, fountaine, yeelding sweet waters, savoury and wholesome fruits.

Use 5 Fifthly, see the wonderfull use of afflictions and persecutions to the Church; what savoury, and wholesome and precious graces are thereby exercised; yes, how mightily does the Church then spread when it is most restrained?

Use 6 Sixthly, see then what the weapons of the Church were against their persecutors; not daggers, dags, powder, pistols, rebellions, treasons, &c. but prayers for more seasonable times.

Use 7 Seventhly, we are to be stirred up to pray, that God would now stirre up a wholesome Northwinde, to blow favourably upon the Churches beyond the seas, and strongly against their enemies.

Use 8 Eighthly, this may teach us while we enjoy at home these faire blasts, not to streame forth the unsavoury corruptions of our owne spirits, but the sweet graces of God; else wee abuse these sweet opportunities we doe enjoy.

Use 9 Lastly, it is a time of much rejoycing when God stirreth up Kings and Princes to come into the fellowship of the Church, and to partake of Gods ordinances in the same.

I sleepe, but my heart waketh, it is the voyce of my beloved that knocketh, saying, &c.]

Now followeth the description of the estate of the Church from Constantines time to the time of restoring of the Gospell, and reforming of the Church by the Ministery of Luther, and other late Divines.

After that Constantine had largely endowed the Church with peace, and wealth, and honor; it fell into an estate of carnall security; which carnall security is described,

First, by a comparison, resembling it to sleepe; which sleepe of hers is amplified by the divers conditions, yet my heart waketh.

Secondly, by the carriage of Christ towards her in this her sleepe; where observe,

1. The meanes hee useth to awake and stirre her up: which were,

First, calling to her and knocking, as verse 2.

Secondly, putting in his hand by the hole of the doore, verse 4.

2. The successe of those meanes, or the respect she gave to them, or the use she made of them; which was double,

First, his calling and knocking shee neglecteth wholly, upon very slight pretences and excuses, verse 3.

Secondly, his putting in his hand by the hole of the doore,

1. She is affected with it, My bowels were moved for him, verse 4.

2. She upon it sought him: which is further set forth,

First, By the degrees of her seeking him:

1. She arose to open to him, verse 5.

2. Her hands and fingers dropped Myrrhe upon the handles of the locke, verse 5.

3. She opened to her beloved, ver. 6.

Secondly, by the fruits or successe of her seeking, where is interpreted the fruit or successe of these two degrees of her seeking, in regard,

1. Of Christ, hee was gone, hee had withdrawne himselfe, &c. verse 6.

2. Of the watchmen, of whom she asketh not for her beloved; but they finding her seeking Christ, they

First, smote her.

Secondly, wounded her.

Thirdly, tooke away her vaile from her, verse 7.

Fourthly, she, not discouraged with this bad dealing and hard usage of the watchmen, added a fourth degree in her seeking of Christ; she charges the daughters of Jerusalem to move Christ for her, verse 8. The success or fruit whereof is added, for upon this charge,

1. The daughters of Jerusalem are stirred and occasioned to enquire of her, who Christ is, verse 9.

2. She by their enquiry is occasioned to describe him,

First, by his colours, verse 10.

Secondly, by his eminency, verse 10.

Thirdly, by his several members and parts, verse 11–16.

Fourthly, by his amiableness, verse 16.

3. The daughters of Jerusalem by this her description of him, are stirred up to affect him, and to promise their fellowship in seeking of him with her, Chap. 6:1.

*I sleep:*] The Church surfeiting with abundance of prosperity in Constantine's time, neglected the purity and power both of doctrine and worship, and received corruptions; of which were prayers to saints, building of temples to them, superstitious regard of their relics, images, and their worship, ceremonies annexed to their sacraments, choice of meats, affecting and applauding monkish life, purgatory, &c.

*My heart waketh:*] The Church was still awake,

First, to hearty devotion, according to their knowledge, and beyond it.

Secondly, to discern some such gross heresies as quenched the heart and life of Christianity; as the impiety of Arius, denying the Godhead of Christ; of Macedonius and Eunemius, denying the person of the Holy Ghost; of Nestorius, dividing the persons in Christ; of Eutiches, confounding their natures: other straw and stubble built upon the foundation they neglected.

*It is the voice of my beloved that knocketh, saying, Open.*] Christ used good means to awaken his spouse, and to raise her up from this carnal security.

First, he calls to her in the voice of sundry good divines, who complained of the intolerable burden of human inventions, wherewith the common Christians were defiled and dabbled, as Christ here complains: his locks and hair were full of the drops of the night; drops with coldness of religion and darkness of ignorance engendered.

Secondly, he knocked by the raps and blows which Constantius, Valens, and Julian gave to the Church; the two former persecuting the orthodox bishops and ministers and other Christians, in favor of the Arians; and Julian making flat apostasy from the Church, and subtly supplanting the nursing of religion.

*I put off my coat, how shall I put it on? I have washed my feet, how shall I defile them?*

*I have put off my coat.*] Thus upon slight pretence the Church refuses to open to Christ: she pretends, religion and the worship of God would appear too naked, if it were not clothed with goodly and comely human inventions; how then should she in so naked a manner open to Christ? Human inventions do not clothe religion, or the Church professing it with any comely ornaments; but, as it were with warm blankets, lap her and lull her asleep in the bed of perfunctory worship and carnal security.

I do not here conceive that the Church acknowledges she has cast off her garments of Christ's righteousness; for then how should she remain the spouse of Christ? Yes, how then should her heart have been otherwise than asleep too? But only she pleads she should appear too naked if she should open to Christ, if she should worship him in the simplicity and nakedness of his simple ordinances.

*I have washed my feet:*] Not with the laver of regeneration, for that would have been no impediment, but a furtherance to the pure worship of God; but she had washed her feet, she had freed and cleansed her conversation from defilements of secular affairs: she had taken up a devout regard of virginity, or hermitish or monkish solitary retiredness; she being cleansed and washed in these devices, cannot betake herself to worship the Lord in his simple ordinances, and in the ways of her calling, without some defilement: thus marriage and worldly business (though both allowed by God, yet) seem a defilement, in comparison of more strict superstitious devotion.

*My beloved put in his hand by the hole of the door, and my bowels were moved for him.*

*My beloved put in his hand by the hole of the door;*] Or, *My beloved put down his hand by the hole of the door.*] Either of which imply, that Christ did at first use means for himself to open the door, when she would not; attempting to remove the impediments which hinder him from enjoying his spouse: First, put his hand by the hole of the door, when he stirred up Christian emperors, such as Martianus, and both the Theodosii, to call synods, and to command the fathers assembled, to give all diligence to root out all heresies, and depravations of doctrine and worship, that the pure and holy faith might shine forth.

How easily might the Church, upon such encouragements, have broken the bars and bolts of superstition crept into the worship of God, whereby Christ was debarred from drawing near to them? The bishops assembled in those councils of that time, condemned those gross heresies which blasphemed the doctrine of the Trinity; but how deeply did they neglect to redress all other enormities and corruptions? Besides, Christ is said to put in his hand by the hole of the door, when he puts his Spirit, which is the power and finger of God, into the hearts of his people, whereby they are enlightened to know him better, and stir up men honestly to seek after him. So Christ enlightened and stirred up Leo Esauricus, Constantine's son, and Leo Copronimus, to bend their best endeavors to root out idolatry, and to remove images, which were one of the chiefest abuses in God's worship.

*My bowels were moved for him.*] These good princes, and other Christians at that time were strongly and inwardly affected to the purity of God's worship, in which alone Christ is found.

*I rose up to open to my beloved, and my hands dropped with myrrhe, and my fingers with sweet swelling myrrh, upon the handles of the lock.*

*I rose up to open to my beloved.*] The Church under these good emperors rose up out of the blankets of these human inventions wherewith she was covered, in a bed of sleeping devotion, and endeavored to restore openly the simplicity of God's worship, rejecting images and idolatry.

*My hands dropped with myrrhe, and my fingers with sweet swelling myrrhe, upon the handles of the lock.*] The endeavors of the Church were sweet and delectable and acceptable to Christ, and savory to the people, to preserve them, as myrrh, from further persecution, when Constantine the son of Leo Isauricus, called the seventh Constantinopolitan Council, and there truly and solemnly convinced and condemned the worship of images: as also when Charles the Great did the like some forty years after, at a Synod in Frankford.

I opened to my beloved, but my beloved had withdrawn himself, and was gone: my soul failed when he spoke: I sought him, but I could not find him: I called him, but he gave me no answer.

I opened to my beloved.] This attempt of the Church in executing in some places the decrees of these synods was an opening of the door to Christ: Images and Idolatry being shut forth, there is a door open for Christ to enter.

But my beloved had withdrawn himself, and was gone.] Christ did not delight to reveal himself in their public assemblies, though Images were in some places well removed, both because those decrees for removing of Images were not generally received and executed, through the coming in of the Bishop of Rome; and because the worship of God was still full of heathenish and Jewish superstitions, which Christ took no pleasure in.

My soul failed when he spoke:] The faithful in those times were assembled with fear and grief, to consider how Christ now speaks to them afar off, comes not near to their hearts and consciences; so that now, though they used such means to find him as the times afforded, yet Christ did take no pleasure in those means, in those worships, nor, to their sense, in those that used them.

The watchmen that went about the city found me, they smote me, they wounded me; the keepers of the walls took away my veil from me.

The watchmen that went about the city found me:] These watchmen are the Bishops and Ministers of that time; as also the keepers of the walls may well be the Magistrates; for civil government is a wall of defense to the Church of God.

They found me,] And yet the Church enquires not of them, as she had done before of other watchmen, Have you not seen him whom my soul loves? For she knew these watchmen were of another spirit, rather wolves in sheep's clothing, and more ready to beat her from Christ, than to bring her to Christ. They smote me with censures of excommunications, as Gregory the third Pope of Rome did Leo Isauricus for his endeavors. Afterwards, when sundry Christians, having intelligence that the Bishops and Doctors were assembled in a Temple at Byzantium, to give sentence for restoring of Images, in the days of the Empress Irene, came upon them, and forced them with weapons to leave off such decrees; these people were afterwards disarmed and banished into sundry Islands. Thus were the faithful smitten with the censures of Excommunication by the watchmen of the city; of banishment by the keepers of the walls.

They wounded me,] With the Canons of the second Council of Nice; where that Council, assembled in the Temple of Byzantium, and scattered by the people, was afterwards translated by the counsel of the Bishops of Rome. In this Council Images were again restored, to the great grief of the godly, yes to the wounding of their hearts. The sentence of a general Council in the behalf of any error is no small wound to the whole Church.

They took away my veil from me,] when they forced the Bishops of Rhodes, Nice, Neo-Caesarea, Hierapolis, and others to recantation, who before had worthily opposed Images. To bring men to open recantation, to lay open their nakedness, especially when they recant from the truth, is to take away the veil.

I charge you, O daughters of Jerusalem, if you find my beloved, that you tell him that I am sick of love.

I charge you, O daughters of Jerusalem.] The Church, finding herself so hardly dealt with by the Ministers and Magistrates, would not give over her search after Christ; yet now seeks him in the fellowship of private Christians, and stirs them up to pray for her.

Tell him I am sick of love.] That is, in your prayers acknowledge that the Church is ready to fail and perish for want of his presence and fellowship in his public ordinances.

What is your beloved more than another beloved, O you fairest among women? &c.]

The Christians, the daughters of Jerusalem, from this day forward, to the days of Petrus Waldus (of whom the Waldenses took their name) were very ignorant of Christ, and therefore they ask who he was, and wherein better than another: But in stead of him they magnified the Church; Holy mother Church was all in all with them: Her they acknowledged to be fairest among women, though they see nothing in Christ better than in another.

My beloved is white and ruddy, &c.] Thus Petrus Waldus, a Citizen of Lions, opened Christ to the daughters of Jerusalem, to the children of the Church, setting before them the white innocency of true holiness in him, and the ruddy scarlet dye of his death. The righteousness and death of Christ plainly, yet powerfully, opened by him, brought many to behold Christ, and to profess him; who (when by persecution stirred up against them by the Bishop of Rome they were dispersed into many places) multiplied exceedingly; and being then called Albingenses, in many battles fought against the soldiers which Pope Innocent the third had sent against them, under conduct of Simon Mounteford, and others signed with the cross: in many of which the Albingenses prevailed, helped by Reymund Earl of Thelus, and Peter King of Aragon; though afterwards they were overcome and scattered further into many places of Christendom. So in regard of these troops of many thousands, Christ is here called the standard-bearer, as the word signifies, or the choice of ten thousand. Again, at that time Christ may be said to be white and ruddy in regard of his members, who were then white with innocency of life, yet ruddy, enduring persecution.

His head is as the most fine gold, his locks are bushy, and black as a raven.

His head is as the most fine gold.] Christ comes now to be described in his members more particularly: This head of gold Christ showed on the earth in the person of Frederick, the second Emperor of Rome, a Prince of much purity and worth, as a head of the Church of fine gold: He contended with many Popes about the headship of the Church, advanced the headship of Christ and of himself, his Vice-gerents, above the counterfeit head of the Pope's Supremacy. He wrestled for Christ against them with much difficulty, yet prevailed; so that even in the popish schools his election of God was agreed and condescended to by sundry.

His locks are bushy, or curled, and black as a raven.] Curled black hair is a sign of heat and courage, and wit in him that it grows upon: Such was the Emperor himself, and such were the common Christians of that age that did depend upon their Emperor; they stuck close to him: learned men with wit, more than former ages had yielded, and soldiers with courage maintained his person and cause.

His eyes are as the eyes of doves by the rivers of water, washed with milk, and fitly set.]

Doves, diving in rivers of waters, dive their bellies deep into the waters; so that their eyes look close and narrowly upon it.

First, the eyes are here set forth by their care of the Church; he is not so far off removed from it, that he had need of the Pope to be his visible Vicar to look to it.

Secondly, by their mild innocency, implied, in that they are doves eyes and washed with milk; whereas the Pope's eyes were as hawks eyes, looking eagerly after the prey.

Thirdly, by their fit standing, so as they may well look to the whole body; whereas the Pope's eyes cannot possibly watch to look well to the estate of the Church so far off him.

To this purpose tended the doctrine of the faithful divines in the following age, such as Michael Cesenus, Petrus de Carbania, Johannes de Poliaco, and such as followed them.

His cheeks are as a bed of spices, as sweet flowers: his lips like lilies, dropping sweet smelling myrrh.

His cheeks are as a bed of spices.]

Cheeks imply the outward face of the faithful Church, for the cheeks are a place most conspicuous, which shows that the faithful of those times were as beds of spices and sweet flowers, to wit, not gathered into any set garden, as afterward in Luther's time, but scattered here and there, yet of sweet and precious savour in the nostrils of Christ: yes, one Nicholaus de Bibrath, living about that time, compares faith and piety in the Church to spice rare and dear.

His lips like lilies, dropping sweet smelling myrrh.] The doctrine of the Church at those times was such as, like myrrh, served to preserve the faithful from putrefaction, according to that, That which you have already, hold fast till I come. In the Primitive Apostolic Church her lips dropped like a honeycomb, being of strong sweet relish to delight and nourish to full growth: but the lips of this Church drop rather myrrh than honey; they rather preserved some truth of grace, than yielded any abundant nourishment to procure increase to the Church.

His hands are as gold rings set with the Berill: his belly is as bright ivory overlaid with Sapphires.

His hands are as gold rings set with the Berill:] Hands are instruments of action; their being set with gold rings implies their purity and dignity: the Berill clears moisture and dim sight: Franciscus Rudis, de Goma. libr. 2. cap. 8. All these show that the ministry of the Gospel should be then more powerful; and indeed God, about that time, Anno 1300, stirred up Dantes, Marcillius, Potavinus, Ocham, Gregorius Ariminensis, Petrarchus, Wickliffe, and many more, whose ministry brought on so many, that some have counted it the first resurrection; yes, the magistrates of that time, Ludovicus Bavarus the Emperor, Philip of France, Edward the third of England, stood out in many things against the Pope, as those whose hands had got more strength, and better felt their own worth, and whose eyes were cleared to see more light than their predecessors.

His belly as bright ivory overlaid with Sapphires.] The belly is a hidden part of the body, yet such from which the rest is nourished; which fitly resembles the Sacraments here, as also ch. 7:2, which being hid from those that are without, yet nourish the whole body, as a heap of wheat. The doctrine of the Sacraments, and the pure administration of the same, was at this time restored by John Wickliffe, and embraced by his followers, though condemned in the Council of Constance. These Sacraments are said to be overlaid with Sapphires, whose property is to strengthen and cherish the principal solid parts, because of the efficacy of the Sacraments truly taught and administered, to strengthen and quicken God's graces in us.

His legs are as pillars of marble, set upon sockets of fine gold: his countenance is as Lebanon, excellent as the Cedars.

His legs are as pillars of marble, set upon sockets of fine gold.] These two legs seem to be John Hus, and Jerome of Prague, who stood constantly in defence of the truth, even to death, being established in the truth and grace of God, as it were pillars of marble, set upon sockets of fine gold.

His countenance is as Lebanon.]

The faithful grew so plentifully in Bohemia, that they seemed even to the adversary to be like a thick wood (as many and firm) which they were not able to hew down; and therefore they were forced, in the Council of Constance, to allow them the use of the cup in the Lord's Supper, because they could not by strong hand keep them from it.

Excellent as the Cedars.] The Cedar is a tree eminent for tallness, and soundness or durableness: such was then the face and countenance of the Church, observed to grow up in conspicuous eminency, and in soundness of love to the truth, that the Popish teachers were not able to corrupt them any longer with their seducements.

His mouth is most sweet, yes, he is altogether lovely. This is my beloved, and this is my friend, O daughters of Jerusalem.

His mouth is most sweet.]

The doctrine of the Gospel was taught more and more savourly by Johannes Rochesana, and other ministers in Bohemia.

He is altogether lovely, or desireable.] Christ then began again so to dispense himself to his Church, in giving them the faith and sense of his goodness, that now they saw or found nothing in Christ, or in the profession of his name, but what was wholly desirable. The rebukes of Christ began now to seem greater riches, than the treasures of Egypt or Babylon in some former ages: they that saw the truth were often brought to yield and recant; but these saw nothing to be more desired than Christ. Besides, he is now called holy and desirable, because so many so generally were stirred up to desire and seek reformation. The regions were white and ready to the harvest, else Luther had not found such good success in his ministry.

This is my beloved, and this is my friend.]

The doctrine of certainty of our adoption, justification, salvation, began now more plainly to be discerned and acknowledged: Christ is not only fair and desireable in himself; but then the Church could more boldly say, This is my beloved, this is my friend.