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Show moll holy. Totut amom Chrijli & ecclt{i.e commtnd>t, & prophttic> pronuntiat altitudinr (faith A~tgujtine. ) It is all fpent in com. mending rhe Love between Chri!l and his Church, and therefore H.,brJifmus pr• it is called 0'"1'fll~ "l'fll, the Song of Scngs. We mull obfen·e rmN,ri,7i- (faith Gregory) that it i; called the Song of Songs ; becaufe it is m.<m.Vatablus. fo mnch the more fublime, by how much the ma~riage is mo•e fublime concerning which it treateth. 0{ Sc11gs, IS added, faith Greg. M>g. in Drlrio, not becaufe it is the compmdium 'of S olonro111 Songt , or "nly pr~I. ad Cane. one of the 5000 he compofcd; but acccording to the Hebrew Dia/ e{l, to denote the exceUency, the {ublimellt/t, Jnd the Diviuity of it; as the Kint of Ki11g1, li&nifieth the mofl excellent Km~, the Lord of Lordt, the moll eminent Lord, &c. And this (faith he) v. Delrio i11 is proved, r. Eecatt[. it it [.111g to the King· of Kingt. 2, Becau!C lfigog. c. 4• it cont.7inetb tbe higlujf myilmu a11d benejitJ,&c. As to the form of it, three things arc obfervable: 1. It is MetJphorica/ or .t1Utgorical,2. Metrical, 3• Drqm~tical. It is AUegoricol; A difcourfe wherein the Holf Ghofl exprdfeth the highdl divine Myfleries,viz. The Vnion 4/ld Communion betwrm Cbrijf and bdieving So~<l.t, under the ten familiar Similitudes of Marriag•, &c. One while .Chdll compares himfelf to an Hutband,.a Bridegroom ; his Church or the particular Soul , to a Spoufo " Bride: another while he compares himfelf to a Sbepberd, hi~ SaintJ to Sheep, their Societies to flocks of Sheep: another while he compareth himfelf to an Hurbandman, his Church to a VIne- Hie pa11is efl )'"d, &c. This made Bernard cry out, H<re is heavenly Bread, but ultfl)s,quis who fhall break., it l ( 1 mu(f /Wt arrogate j11ch a tbiwg to my folf) do v:ro'franget? )M fo rxpell fr•m mt [a jufl Interpretation of it] at if you did not :i~S'l~=~~~· ~pe~, for 1 m..v.felf am one of tbop that do expeQ ( I fuppofe) an mtrlarroga.. ~nfJUtble rev<latton of tbe fonfe ofzt,[aith he: yet the Metaphors in dum, &c. Ber- t~ are no othct than what are very ordinary in Scriptme.David his na~d. Horn: hther, Pfal. 45· haol exprdfed the Love of God to his people •.m Cant. under the fame Metaphor of a Marriage: for that of an Ht<tband-man, God had ufed it, If. 5• and Chrift, Joh. 15. -3. As to the form it is Mttrical, it is called a Song,and was in the Hcbrm> wrote in mret<~;. it is o~e o~tbofe which the Apoflle calls Spiritual Songt. The wrmng tt 1n thts .form, was moll fuitable to the Metaphor he chofe toufc. Atmarr.'ages they were wont to Sing Epithalamiuna, befides that fingt ng hath a notable vertue to influence the Affelltons, and to excite Devotion. · The !all thi11g tJbfervable in the form is; That it is JJramatical tha; The Preface. that is, a Metrical difcourfe, where fevcral perfons are broug,ht in; as having their parts, and !peaking in their courfes. The two principal parties, arc 1. A Bridegroom. 2. A Bride. 3· Bridemaid, or Virgin. 4• fYatcbmen, &c. By the Beloved Bridegroom, I unaerfland the Lord Jefut Cbrift. By the Bride, (called fametimes Love in the ab!lraCl:,) I underfland the Church or truly believing Soul. To fumme up all; upon thefc reafons, and with this Authority, I conclude, That this excellent book is an admirable portion of holy Wrir, wherein the Holy Gbu/l made ufe of Solomo11, the Son of David, the King of I{rael,under the Metaphor,or Allegory of a Marriage, and - the intercourfes of Love betwixt two nc~l y-married perfc>ns; to fcc out the great Love of Jefus Chri!l ro Bdievers, and to his Church under divcr!ified'circumflances of Prov idence, the excellencies ofJefus Chrifl, the pantings and breathing of pious Souls itt fe•eral flat<S after him; and the meltings of his Bowels towards ~~ . .This being granted I fhallleavc it' to my Readers judgment, to conclude lio.w well plain Propolitions ofTruth, are colldtrd from the MetaphoricaT expreilions uled in the fecond Chapter. Whicli whether he judgeth d"ly collected (as I faid at fir It) yea or no, is not much material either as to his Faith or PraC-tice, provided' that he lindeth, them (which I hope he will ! lidlicienrly founded upon, and proved by other Scripture; and for his judgment as to my art in a due Interpretation of the Metapborhen, be tt as it wilf; only I think if at any lime I have miftaken,l have proved-all along, that I have done it with no unvaluablc company. Having upon me (when I compof,d'moH of thcfe difcourfes)' the charge of Preaching three Sermons each week , I ind eavoured to make it my bufincfs co Preach once upon the Princip. let ofR•Iigion, for the rootin~ and grounding my hearers in the Faith : Another upon plaifttr prallical S'ttbjellt, to quicken them to the ex.crcifes of Holinefs. The third I chofe generaily ro fpend' in refolving· fome cafot ofConfcience, or q~e{fiont ill Divinity ; and opening fome more difficult portions ot Scripture. Among which· I fell upon this excellent Song, as well that I might fludy it my felf, fo as to give a probable account of the fenle of the feveral· p•!fages in it; as that I mil\ht give the peopk to whom I' was • · Preacher, at leaf! a probable fenfe of ir, fo as the Propolitions . lhould. correfpond. with P.lainer Scripture: and have advantage from• |