Solace for SAINTS in the SADDEST TIMES. From the Consideration of the happy temperature and Lovely composure of all Times and Providences, as to God's glory and their good. Held forth in a brief Discourse on the first Words of the CANTICLES. By JOSHUA SPRIGG, M. A. sometimes Lecturer in Aldermary, London. LONDON, Printed for Giles Calvert, and are to be sold at his shop at the sign of the black-spread-Eagle, at the West end of Paul's 1648. TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE, MY Honoured good LADY, the Lady Willougby, Wife to the Right honourable the Lord Willoughby of PARRAM. Madam, WHen I determined to publish this Discourse, Your Honour came first to my thoughts as in dedicating it to whom I could only acquiesce. Not that Your Honour had any special title to it, by hearing it or desiring it; but my hope is there may be more providence in it then my own, who am ambitious to seal up some testimony of the high esteem I have of Your Honour, to whom I am obliged, as by so much Worthiness of Your own, so by many favours received. Madam, I question not but you have your part in Afflictions as a Daughter of Adam, and not the fewer as a Daughter of Abraham. You may have need of a Cordial, and then Providence will be remarkable in sending This to you; and I desire you may see your interest in this Consolation: if you be strong and feel no sinking of Spirits, it is through the Experience of this Truth which is here described. Madam, I have honourable thoughts of you, and great desires on your behalf, and therefore shall no longer by this entertainment keep you from swifter enjoyments then while I commence this suit for you, That, as not a few have born away the fruitfulness of your Disposition in the sweetness of their own spirits, so your Honour may be abundantly satisfied and refreshed from the gracious presence and appearance of the Lord in all his dispensations. In this most humble tender of himself accept, Madam, Your Honour's most affectionately devoted, as much Obliged Servant, JOSHUA SPRIG. A WORD TO THE READER. THis Discourse being delivered some years since (when the public affairs appeared most perplexed and dangerous) is now published upon the very same account and occasion it was first Delivered, with some hopes it may be some way serviceable, (through the presence of Christ with it) to demulce and assuage some to a quiet and peaceable Comportment with the present administration, by discovering and setting before them a new and blessed face and Image in every (even the worst) state of things. The ground and matter I work upon being those first words of the CANTICLES; my project rises by rendering the title of the book not only to the form of words but to the subject matter of it: which (viz. the matter) being all variety of dispensation to the Churches, may teach us a new Arithmetic to cast up Times and Things by. The condition of many a Man is like a good Old Instrument that is hung up by the Walls, as of no use for want of tuning only: or like a Lesson that is so musical, that only skill is wanting to make admirable Music of it: where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is Music. I have followed the Analogy or Resemblance (of Divine workings and providence to a Song) but in some general Parallels only, it might have been prosecuted through many more particulars. The Discourse had not the success to be Well-understood when it was delivered, it may have the greater blessing to empty down upon the Reader. The Order and Parts of the Ensuing Discourse. 1. Introduction, by showing the occasion of this discourse, viz. a project to comfort Saints in every appearance of things, and the fitness of the subject for such a purpose. 2. Explication. 1. The ground and matter whereupon the Project stands, viz. the Comparing the name of this book of Canticles with the subject matter of it. 2. An inquiry into the subject matter of the book of Canticles. 3. A report of the subject matter, what it is, viz. A Prophetical History and Historical Prophecy of all the times of the Church. 3. The Observation. That this is a Song, yea the Song of Songs. 1. The Remarkableness of putting such a name on such a thing, showed in respect of the several sad Notes that are in this Song. 2. The proof of it yet to be a Song, yea the Song of Songs. 1. By the matter of it. Variety itself. 2. The form Unity. 4. The Application and improvement of this truth. 1. Information, All God's administrations to believers, public and particular, are as a Song; yea secondly, a Song of Songs. 1. A Song, the Analogy opened in several particulars. 1. A Song consists of measured feet. So all God's administrations are foreseen weighed, and measured, though not always the same measures, and the reason of that difference assigned from the several times and ages of the Children. 2 It is a Song of Songs. This applied to Christ's administration in three respects. 1. The variety that is in it. 2. The Rhyme or ending of all: One thing rhyming to another, and in the end all sounding alike, even Love. 3. The Elegancies and glorious contrivances that are therein. 2. Dehortation, 1. Not to look with such dismal apprehensions on Christ's administration, public or private, however it appear, seeing 'tis a Song. 2. Not to be weary and impatient. 3. Exhortation, 1. To sing this Song, (i) with lightsome hearts, walk with God through all providences. Motive, 1. The burden of the Song is Love. 2. the Contrivance is Gods, for the glory of his dearest Son; and his Spouse the Church. 2. Exhort. so to observe this Song (i. the workings of Christ for us) as to be turned into such a mind and such actions as please Christ. 4. Direction, To reconcile us to every Administration. To that end let us. 1. Compare the parts together. 2. Cover the uncomely parts with cleanly notions. 3. Consider our acceptableness to God in every change and condition. CANT. I. I. The Song of Songs. MY design, in choosing this Text, is, to occur and prevent (if it be not too late) that weakness which the unbelieving fears of the people of God may bring them into, of the like dangerous Consequence, as the losing of blood and spirits. The Cure of fear is Faith; but for as much as to the exercise of Faith Men had need have clear and composed spirits, therefore have I pitched upon this Subject. Saul was often troubled with an evil spirit (a sickly, hair-braind, raging spirit) and that which did him ease, was david's playing upon a Harp before him. And Eliahs' spirit being muddied, as it were by passion, cannot Prophesy till the mud was settled again by a minstrel. 2 King 3. 15. The spirit of the world, either carnal love, or fear, or any other passion, is like the evil spirit that troubled Saul and Eliah— and faith is as Prophesying; Now when the hand of the Lord; whereby we believe comes upon us, the other hand, whereby we are troubled is taken off us; the spirit of faith comes not but the spirit of the world must be cast out, as Hagar and Sarah, the bondwoman and freewoman, could not live together; and you see music was the instrumental means in those cases. Therefore I have chosen a Subject of this nature, in the discoursing whereof, if the Lord Jesus, the wise charmer, make me by his spirit to charm wisely, I hope it will be in some measure conducible to the end proposed. A Song of Songs, which was solomon's. So that I desire you to bear me witness, I do it not out of respect to the time of the year, * It being a festival time when this Sermon was preached. which is with unreasonable superstition preferred by too many; but to the times of the Church, the occasions and necessities of the Saints, which call for all the help of this nature that we can make, I mean to hold up their spirits in the present carriages or miscarriages of things; and the truth that this Text travels of, bears no small proporrion of conducibleness to this end; and were it but clearly understood, strongly believed, and effectually applied to you by the spirit of Christ, it would be like a bundle of myrrh between your breasts, the virtue whereof is, that is preserves from corruption and infection, and a cluster of Camphire which makes men vegetiores et firmiores, as Pliny observes. Here therefore, I shall not spend time about the division of this Text into the Title, and the Author of the Book. But the Notion or Observation I shall present to you at this time, and press upon you, is, from comparing the name of this Book with the subject matter of it: The name is, A Song of Songs, The Subject matter, what is that? There are divers opinions of this, chief three: Some make the Subject to be the mutual and reciprocal make out of affections and fellowship, between Christ and every Believer. 2ly. Others between Christ and the Catholic Church, or general Assembly, from the beginning to the end. 3ly. A third sort of Interpreters, make it a brief, compendious Prophecy of the mutual carriages and aspects, of Christ and his Churches, (the particular Churches of the Gospel, as well as the Church of the Jews,) from Solomon's time to the end of the world. And though there be (as a * M. Cotton of Boston in New England. reverend Divine well observes) a holy and useful truth in the two former; yet this latter might be convinced to be the more adequate scope and subject of this Book (by many Arguments, if it were our business now) which doth exceedingly commend this Book to us, as being a Prophetical history, and Historical Prophecy, giving us a brief and delightful view of all the acts and Monuments of the Church, (of particular Churches in their several and successive times,) and this book is called a Song. This is that which is remarkable, that such a Subject should make a Song. You will say, wherein lies the remarkableness? Herein: If this be a complete and a perfect Prophecy (as it is) of all times, than it must record as well the evil times of the Church, as the Haltion days; and the defections of the Church, as well as her perfections; Gods chastening dispensations, as well as his affectionate embraces; his frowns as well as his smiles; his placking up of Churches, as well as his planting of them, the calling off the Jews, as well as the calling of the Gentiles. And that this should be fit matter for a Song, seems strange I believe: As if one should write the story of Gods dealing with England from the first Reformation to the present, or to the end of the present agitations, & call it a song; you would think it an unfit name: though we have had much mercy, yet you would think that the Denomination should rather follow deteriorem partem, and it should be more proper to call it the Lamentation of England, (that is fallen from such a height of peace and prosperity) than a Song, yet are there as sad times as these recorded in this book, yea, and worse, (not only these but others, worse I say;) for here Solomon by the spirit of Prophecy touches the very tops and eminent points of all times that should succeed from his own, yet this he, by the holy Ghost, calls a Song, yea, a Song of Songs. 1. to show you this in some particulars, that there are very doleful notes in this Song. 2. That yet it is a Song. 3. What use we should make of this. For the 1. to instance but in a few things, in the beginning of this Prophecy: First, you have the blackness of the Church, through the defection of Solomon, who kept not his own vines (his own v. 5. I am black. wives from Idolatry;) and yet this is one particular that goes to this Song. 2. You have the division of the Kingdom, the revolt of the 10. Tribes, from the house of David, (for Rehoboams stifness and folly) v. 6. My mother's children were angry with me. 3. You have the sad estate of the faithful, dispersed through those 10. Tribes in that revolt: in what distress were they to avoid Idolatry, and to enjoy the pure Ordinances of God, while they could not enjoy their Consciences without exposing themselves to one of these great evils, either the wrath and persecution of Jeroboham, if they should not go up to the Calves but to Jerusalem, or else they must forsake their habitations of a sudden; perhaps to their undoing! This was a sad strait, yet this is part of the Song. v. 7. Tell me, oh thou whom my soul loveth, where etc. Then, 4ly You have the sad estate of Judah's falling away from God, (as after 3 years of Rehoboam they did) than God sent Pharaoh Shishack King of Egypt, to yoke them. 2 Chron. 12. 8. This you have, v. 9 and so I might run through the next Chapter. In the 16. v. of this 1 Chap. you have a commendation of the House and Worship of God, that it was pure and green, yet v. 1. of Chap. 2. I am the rose of Sharon, whether you take it of Christ or the Church; though Josiah had made the bed green by his Reformation, yet Christ comes not to his spouses' bed, but rather calls his Church abroad. Sharon was an open field under Lebanon, where the beasts did feed; Or take it of the Church, she was the Rose of Sharon. There was no fence nor culture, weeds might grow up with her, or the beasts of the field might crop or tread her down; and so it was you know: Josiah, how fair a Rose, but how soon cropped by Pharaoh Necho; and the succeeding Kings were placed and displaced by the Babylonians and the Egyptians, at their pleasure; and at length the Kingdom was laid waste by the Babylonians; yet this is part of the Song, and such is the composure of the whole book. But I may not instance in any more; but as it is in the world, there are hills and valleys all over the earth, so is it in this history; as you have hills of eminent prosperity, so there are valleys of dark adversity; yet this is called a Song, and that most properly, yea, A Song of Songs; as we might show in 4. respects, viz. the Author, the Matter, the Form and the End; but the Author, and the end, I shall decline for brevity; it may be, I may touch upon them in the use. The matter and form of this most excellent Song, is expressed in these two words, Variety and Unity; variety is the matter; there are various things spoken of various conditions, yet these are made up into one; unity is the form. 1. Variety is not repugnant to the nature of a Song, to have for its subject, Gods various dispensations to the Church, and the Churches various affection, condition and conversation towards God. Good and Evil days, though they disagree in themselves, yet may make up a Song together: Here in this Song is all the variety that may be; all that was or will be, since Solomon's time, to the world's end, is here couched together. Though a deluge of darkness and ignorance hides the particulars of Gods great works from our eyes till they are done, (as the waters did the old world,) yet the tops of the Mountains may be seen here. 2 Here is Unity in this variety; all those several and various (Yea we may think contrary) passages, conditions and times, serve to make up one complete piece of poesy or invention, and one glorious piece of administration; for there is such a contexture of them, and they are so disposed, that in stead of fight one against another, and contradicting one another, they do mutually illustrate and set off one another. The Painter's colours, should he shake them and mix them all together in a pot, he would lose them all, they would fight one with another, and would either be no perfect colours, or but one, but being laid on a table by the art of the Painter, they serve for excellent use, and are exceeding beautiful. So it is here, the miseries and mercies, the defections and perfections of the Church, being laid and disposed by so skilful a pencil, as is the hand and wisdom of God, make up a sight exceeding glorious. Now what Use may we make Use. of this, that God hath composed the affairs of the Church into a Song; certainly the Song is not its own end; God did not express them in this form, for the form sake, as if he were more delighted with a Song than Prose, or as if we should be taken with the expression, and look no further: There is a truth that lies under the expression; and this outward expression; (I mean the form and words of this Song) is but a weak shadow of the inward truth. Adam put names upon the creatures, according to their natures, and God gives outward forms to the creatures, agreeable to their ranks; the most excellent outward form to man, because he hath the most excellent inside, therefore he hath received a more comely and beautiful outside; and the Angels, because they come more near to pure Intelligences and to the understanding of God, than men, therefore, if they have any outward form (as some think it is necessary they should (none being absolutely simple but God) yet it is very subtle and spiritual. So The Observation. then, God's meaning in expressing those things, the affairs of Christ's Kingdom, in all times, by the name and in the form of a Song, is to tell and teach us, what a notion we should have of these things themselves, clothed with this form, and called by this name, that the series and substance of them is as a Song, or is that analogically in a way of resemblance, that this form of words is properly. Therefore is the description of these things, a Song, because the things themselves are so: As, therefore is the picture beautiful, because the face, in imitation or expression whereof it is made, is beautiful. I shall show this analogy between the affairs of Christ's Kingdom (contained and transacted successively and orderly) and a Song, in some particulars; and herein Ishal take in other considerations, besides what the Hebrew Songs do afford, for so this subject will give me leave, which is a Song of Songs, what ever thing is delightful or admirable in any Song, (I mean in the Songs of any language) is in this. First, Then the universal and common nature of all Songs requires, that they be of measured feet, of strict numbers, every line consists of so many measures, therefore they are called metra: All Poems are not alike for feet and measures; every language differs from others and hath variety in itself, and your Lyric poems (such as David's Psalms and this book is) have a greater liberty than other kind of verse, their feet and measures being very much arbitrary, more or fewer in a verse, as the composer should choose, but numbers there are in all, though somewhat latent from us. Now what would the Lord teach us hereby, but that all the affairs of his Church are foreseen in his Counsel: all their times and changes, mercies and miseries, the administration of Christ's Kingdom, is a set form, even as a Song is; it cannot vary a Title from the Counsel of God, no more than a verse can without lameness or hobbling. Known to the Lord are all his works Acts 15. 18. Ephes. 1. 11. etc. He worketh all things according to the Counsel of his wil God's will, which hath an infinite variety in it, is determined by his Counsel, (q) So for particular believers, all the transactions that concern their souls, are a known, certain, and unvariable form: Christ hath set how many temptations, and how long; how many afflictions, and how long; how much knowledge and holiness; what ever befalls them, from the beginning to the end of their days, their sins cannot hinder any good determined from coming in its order, place & time, nor can bring any evil upon them unseasonably or uncertainly, but as the feet & measures of a Song, succeed orderly, whereby the integrity thereof is preserved, so it is here, God hath not left himself room to insert one blessing more than he purposed from eternity (nor needs he) nor left himself liberty to crowd in one Cross, more than went to the making up of the Song: But as Lyric verse hath a greater scope for variety and uncertainty, than other Poems; so doth the Lord show a great liberty in his administrations, both public and private, it is verse, as if it were not: God observes numbers, as if he observed them not, he conceals his art from us, at least wise. He is not bound, that this part of the Song that is now singing, should have the same measures that was 2000, years ago, or to deal with his Church, or particular believers, now, according to the same Tenor that he did formerly: Because he did not spare Israel for those sins that are rife amongst us, shall we say he cannot spare us? I might instance in many things, wherein God hath vindicated his liberty already; and for particular believers, there is a manifest difference professed by the Lord himself and his penmen, in his carriage to us and former believers. We are come not to the Mountain Gal. 4. 1. Heb. 11. 40. Heb. 12. 18. etc. Better things are reserved for us: We are not children in nonage, but heirs grown up, and so we have more love and grace, and are less snibed than they: God is not bound to lead us about in the wilderness, as he did them; Nay, he hath promised to shorten his work in righteousness. Rom. 9 28. So that, though Christ spins a long thread of patience, yet at length, and even on the sudden, he will cut the thread: agreeable to Esa. 10. 22. The consumption upon the earthly, Antichristian Church State, shall overflow of a sudden, as the deluge of the old world. this, some think that this last division that is going upon the seventh Thousand of years, shall not be above 700 years, yet as much and more shall be done in this space, then in any 1000 before; for as all things draw nearer their Centre and period of their motion, they make more speed. Thus the times and things of the Church, and of each particular believer, are a Song, both as they are contrived and acted by Christ. 2. It is a Song of Songs; herein, I shall take in some Considerations, not essential to all Songs, or the Songs of all languages; though the Hebrew hath a resemblance of all the delightful properties of any kind of Song (the Hebrew and our English have greater store of these properties I shall mention, than any language) I shall instance but in 3. things. 1. The Variety that is in some Songs. 2. The Rhyme. 3. The Elegancies. First, it is the commendation of a Song, if it be of a delightful, pleasing subject, and variety is a great commendation, and bestows much delightfulness upon a subject, when the invention is copious and various, when there be various persons and various parts acted by those persons various times, tempers, conditions; as this is the snare of Romant's (invented stories) they have such a pleasing variety of passages and accidents, as steal away too much time and heart from those that read them; why, here is all the variety in the world, in Christ's and the Church's actions, sweetly tempered and subdued to a delightful harmony, all is an exchange of love, between Christ and his Church, but here is sometimes amantium irae, and then redintegratio amoris, sometime Christ making love to his Church, and slighted by her, than the Church as much in love with Christ and as little satisfied; sometimes the husband casts his wife into prison, and then fetches her out and sets her upon a throne: My beloved, the variety of conditions that the Church appears in, as in several dresses, is like joseph's Coat of many colours, commends the mystery the more (being subdued and tempered as before,) even as many flowers of a various colour and smell, bound up in a posy are more delightful, and do catch the sense more than any single flower; or as many colours curiously disposed by a skilful pencil, make up a lovely picture, which one colour alone would not do, and as that is the chief instrument which hath most strings, and that the best music that is played upon most strings, and that the best lesson that hath most division, so is it here: The mystery of Christ's Administrations to his Church, were not so beautiful, were it all of a colour, were it all plain work, though all prosperity etc. No, but a ground work of black, sets off the brighter colours with a greater grace, so doth the Church's Adversity, the Church's Prosperity, and her straits enlarge her mercies, the Long suffering of our Lord is Salvation. So for particular believers, there is a variety in their conditions outward and inward, and this is the excellency thereof; there is hope and fear, comfort and discouragement, health and sickness, temptations and inlargements, sin and grace; and the groundwork being laid in these black colours, sin, and desertion, and affliction etc. the light, and life, and love of Christ are illustrated hereby; sin abounds, grace superabounds; Rom. 5. 20. 21. they are cast down and laid low with temptations, raised high with consolations. That ship mounts up nearest to the heavens that hath its vicissitudes of descending very low, by reason of unequal waves. Jam jam tacturos tartara etc. jam jam sydera summa; their prayers are the better, their love the sounder, their faith is more exercised. Thus you see, how Christ's administration is as a lovely Song, the subject whereof is variety itself; and this the Lord would have us to consider, when he calls it a Song of Songs, and would have us delighted with it as he is, and if we could but get up to the top of some mountain to see all the variety, and how it is ordered and disposed beautifully, it would enamour us: what variety of dispensation hath there been since God made Adam, and put him in paradise! We see man up & down, and up again, what then is the variety of the whole mystery, which though we cannot see distinctly and particularly, yet the Lord hath given us an abstract of it, (q) in the Prophecies, though a deluge hid the particulars! And thus the Lord would have us to look upon one time and passage with another. If you look upon a most beautiful picture, and look upon one colour of it, especially if it be the saddest and darkest, there is no beauty in it; but set the whole variety in your eye, and then it is delightful; So let your eye be upon the Church's beauty, as well as her blackness; look on the issue God gives out of temptation, as well as his action in leading into temptation. 2. There is Rhyme in some Songs, and herein the Hebrew doth Symbolise with the English more than the Greek or Latin do; Rhyme is when one line answers another in sound, as well as in number of feet; Thus God makes one time or age to Rhyme to another, one Christian's heart, condition, temptations to Rhyme to another; our Chastisement to Rhyme to our sins, that such a sin is suited in the Chastisement; returns of mercies to Rhyme to our prayers, Rhyme makes the Song the more pleasant, though the matter be but ordinary, and this commends the administration of Christ, that it is all harmony, all Rhyme (q) crosses and mercies, sins and duties altogether, All work together for good, Rom. 8. 28 through the love of Christ, the love of Christ makes the same ending of all his dispensations, they sound all alike, and that sound which ends all, is Love. 3. Songs do, in a more eminent manner, glory in the Ornament of all manner of ellegancies, than prose. As Metaphors, similitudes, tropes and figures, and most amiable resemblances, taken from Jewels, spices, and vineyards, Orchards, Gardens, Winesellars, and the chiefest beauties, and greatest varieties of all the works, both of God and man; the Songs in Scripture are the elegantest parts of Scripture, Moses and Deborahs' Songs etc. Agreeably, the Administration of Christ's Kingdom is full of elegancies, and they that have spiritual eyes, and ears that can try words, do admire them: what elegancies in bringing Israel out of Egypt! it is said, he bore them upon eagle's wings; Deut. 32. Especially now in these latter days; this part of the Song that is now fulfilling abounds herein. What high strains of providence & neat contrivances! Every other work is an elegancy. The actions of our enemies are nothing but Ironies; they speak evil against us, but it is intended against themselves; The wicked is ensnared in the works of his own hands: the Bishops made Ciphers, instead of making the Parliament so. Look abroad amongst the Turks and Indians, where Christ hath no visible Church nor people, and there is no such needlework of providence, and so it hath been from the beginning. God's name therefore hath been great in Israel, only in Israel; The Lord Psal. 76. 1 Psa. 99 2. would not have us think, only, that things are administered in a just way, but in the most comely, excellent and heroical way. That which the wise Ladies of Sisera's Mother, are supposed to say of Sisera's prey in Deborah's Song, may be said of the administration or providence of Christ's Kingdom, the whole piece of it. It is a prey of divers colours, of divers colours of needle work, of divers colours of needle work fit for the necks of them that take the spoil; Christ is not content to provide things wholesome, but through the inlargedness of his heart, he makes all toothsome for his Church; we have not only meat but sauce. For this way he hath chosen to make known his manifold wisdom, and to unfold it. Ephes. 3. 10. And beloved, that particular believers do not observe so much in Christ's private administrations to them, is long of their eyes. There are Christians, that should another write the history of Christ and their mutual carriages (which are transient, and little heeded by themselves, perhaps) they would admire them, & be exceedingly delighted therewith; how Christ governs their spirits, answers their prayers, subdues their corruptions, exercises their graces, the lively and lovely touches in all these, could they be described by a pen, would even proceed to a ravishment of the heart of whoever should understand them. The elegant ways that Christ hath to fall off, and come on in his love, his chastning and cherishing love. Therefore let us not look with Use. such dismal apprehensions upon Christ's administrations, public or particular, It is I, says Christ, be not afraid; so I say it is a Song, therefore be not afraid, Christ's heart was in love, in the original invention of it, and so it is in the immediate and particular acting of things, it is a lovesong, a marriage-song, for so they were wont to have Songs at their weddings in former times, and when the Church's marriage with Christ is solemnised [who is now espoused] then shall this Song be sung with understanding and unspeakable delight. Use. 2. 2. Be not weary and impatient, we do not use to be weary of hearing a delightful Song; Songs have that advantage above prose, that they steal away the ear with a great deal of pleasure. Certainly, if you did but hear the melody of this Song, and did discern the curiousness of the composure: I mean, could you perceive the sweet, spiritual strains of Divine working in and Philosophers say, If we could hear the music of the spheres we might live upon it. for the Church, and particular believers, we should not need to crave your patience. Why beloved, if you do not understand nor admire it your selus, through your dulness and heaviness, yet give the Lord leave to sing out his Song; have that civility and respect to him: Christ is taken with it, therefore there is great worth in it; The long suffering of the Lord is salvation: if it were not a lovely Song, Christ would never doaze himself with singing of it. 3. Let us sing this Song, as we find the Church singing some parts of it. Rev. 5. 9 & 14. 3. and 15. 3. You may see there what the Song is, and who they are that sing it, such only as are redeemed from the earth, [i.] either such as are truly sanctified, or more strictly such as are redeemed from the earthly Kingdom of Antichrist and indeed none but such can see a beauty and a glory in the administrations of Christ, none but such can rejoice in them. Therefore I call only upon such; you that are the Lamb's wife, sing this Song with lightsome hearts, observe all the ways of Christ with your spirits, how he walks towards you in outward and inward things, what strict measures and proportions he observes in your temptations, that they be not above your mastery; and in your comforts, that they be not too strong for you neither; observe the variety and change that is in your hearts, temptations, conditions, conversations, in Christ's discoveries, and manifestations of himself to you, and Oh how amiable a sight it is to see brethren live together in unity; but more admirable to see contraries etc. This is the glory of Christ's sceptre it reconciles the Wolf and the Lamb, the Lion and the Kid. how harmoniously these work together, for your good and Christ's glory, when he makes himself the more welcome to you, by keeping from you sometimes; observe what music his hand makes by touching contrary strings (q) he strikes a base and a triple together: many times the public note is high, and thy particular low; a spiritual mercy and an outward cross strike together, or an outward mercy and an inward temptation: Observe how certain and unmoveable your happiness is: the whole Song would be spoilt and run lame [q] if one particular, that God hath determined, should miscarry: therefore your sins and infirmities shall not be able to hurt you: nay these together with your afflictions, are part of the Song; I am black but comely, I speak not this, that you should slight sin, or not watch against it: no, he that hath tasted of the grace of Christ, will not sin that grace may abound, though he loves that grace well. Let us sing this Song with lightsome hearts, with grace in our hearts; David had Songs of pure adversity of his deep waters, but here is more sweet than bitter in our conditions, whether public or private. 1. Remember the burden of the Song is Love: so God loved his Church (and so thy soul) must be brought in at the end of every staff, yea at the end of chastening: Whom I love, I rebuke and chasten. 2. The Angels have begun the Choir, when Christ was first manifested, glory to God in the highest. 3. It is a Song worth our admiration, for it was penned by the best wit that ever was, even the wisdom of God himself. It was framed for the glory of his dearest Can we not without such affection read the tragical fiction of some one dying for a dear friend, or the passages between two passionate lovers, the several hard fortunes they ran for one another, with one another; and have we no affections for these more real parts and transactions? Son, and his spouse the Church, in whom he so delights. We love to see such passages acted in a story or a show: why should we not much more be taken with this real Song? If the invention of the Father himself, could contrive a sweet and glorious piece, than this is such. Can we he delighted [says one] to hear a heathen Poet sing a fabulous story of Hercules, their great Champion, going down to Hell, and bringing thence the Lady Proferpina, and shall we not take more pleasure in hearing of Christ's descending into the grave for us, and recovering his Church out of the hands of Death and Hell. I have one thing more to commend unto you, and that is that you would so observe and sing this song, I mean, be so taken with the workings of Christ for us, and in us, as to be turned thereby into such a mind, and into such actions as please Christ. Historians, and Poets tell us wonderful effects of Songs and Music upon hearers; how Amphion with the music of his Harp, drew stones and trees together for the building of Thebes. Oh now that my discourse this day of this Song, or rather your real sense of the sweetness of it, might draw you together as materials for the new Jerusalem, that your bodies, your spirits, your purses, your prayers, your word and deed might all be ready for advancing the honour of Christ and your own happiness, in the present designs! You will say, should we give all for a Song, than we were fools indeed? My beloved, it is such a Song, as God the Father, and Christ, and the Angels sing, and are delighted with continually, and to hear how the Saints shall sing it one day in the kingdom of their Father, will be a torment to those that are shut out of this Choir, and provoke their howling. To reconcile you to the present administration, I name but 3 things. 1. Compare and lay together I am black but comely. v. 5. one passage with another, one string makes no music. 2. Cover the unpleasant and uncomely parts, with cleanly names and notions, as we do in our bodies, put most honour upon those parts that have least in themselves: thus the subjection of Judah to Pharaoh is set forth by an heroical expression. v. 9 of this Chap. A company of horses in Pharoahs' Chariot: a Magnificent expression of servitude, not Asses but Horses, not Jadesina Cart, but Horses in a Chariot, yea a King's Chariot. 3. Consider your acceptableness to God in every passage, time, change or condition: Christ loves you as well in your night gown; as in your curious dress, as in the verse forementioned. I have compared thee O my love, to a company of Horses: I have compared thee; Thou hast sold thyself thither, but I have put glory upon that condition, for thy sake: I have compared thee, O My Love, My Love still, though a slave, a Captive to Pharaoh! FINIS. Imprimatur Novem. 12. 1647. Joseph Caryl.