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Show 'The rrcf.Jc~. from It, to difcolu(e the <xceVencies rf Chrift , the variety o~· the Chtmhes and believing Souls flare, a~d tl!c he~rt ?f C~rl{l .to thtm; as well as their duty, under the dtverhficatwns of hts Wtfe Providence. I had gone through the tirU Ch.apter,. a~d one half of the Second, in the cour!e of my more pobltck Mmtilry before rhe year r662. The other verfes have been my later work. Thou ha(l here (Reader!) only my Lectures on the {econd Chaplrr: rhefe were rhe labours o~ my rip_er years, and later than the former; and leaving rhe lateH tmprelhons upon roy hearers, were by many of them importuned into a publick. view, and In my own notes were readiefl: I have therefore allowed them tq come firll, ~eferving thofe upon the fir I! Chapter, to my own further kifure, for revifal, and tranfcribing, and tillllho~ld under!Jand how acceptable there would be to an age fo full of excellent Books .as our prefent age is. I was aware ofthofe excellent difcourfes of Mr. Robotham, Dr. Guild, and Mr. Durham upon this Book, from all which I have borrowed fome light, as fro!!' very many other lntepreters both ancient and modern; but the Reader will find this difference betwixt my undertaking and theirs, that here the Propofitiolll raifed from the fever a! verfes are more fully handled, opened, julli6cd from or her Scriptures, and applied. I heartily pray that my Read,er may find fo much pleafure, and profit from the reading of thefe difcourfes, as my felfhave found in the lludying and compo6ng of them, If they may be found to contribute any thing, to give the ,Reader a probable fen(e o~ the M.raphorical andmyfteriouuxprtfflon,.fthiJBook,., and to bring the Souls. of any in love with my Lord •Hd Majter, "br to lncre~fe th3t love tn them, or any way to help them in their way to Heaven, and me to any of their Prayers, it !hall be an abundant recompence or my poor labours : Whofe work in difplaying the riches ofDivine Grace in the .Gofpel of the Lord Jefu~ Chrifi, is an abuudant wages to it felf. ' ' ,. "Cat1r.r. Cant. :. r. 1 am the Rofe of Sharon, and the LiUy oft he Vallier. I !hall not concern my felf with the prophane opinion of Tlmdorut Mopfieella, or C~(ld/io, who mal;e thisexcelknt por<ion of . holy Writ to be only a Lovefing betwi xt Solomo1z and Pbaraob, his Daughter, { becaufe the fpoufc was compared to a company of horfes in Pharaoh! Charret;) or SolomOit and lome Shul>mize, becaufe of that paffagc in it; Return, 0 Sbulamite, return. It {hall fufficc me, that as TheodoruJ was condemned for his opinion by a Council, and CafleUio by Calvilz: So the whole Church of God both }wei01 and Chriilian have con!lantly received it; The Jews calling it their Holy of Holzrt, and the whole Chrifliatt Church acknowledging it an admirable porti on of holy Writ. Aug,[fine faith of it that it doth, TotuJ a more Janf!oJ Chrifti et 'Eccle{u figurat!i locutione commendare; Wholly commend the facred Loves of Chrifl and his Church, by a figurative expreffion. That the form of the fang is Dramatical, or that of a Dialogue, is evident to every obfervant Reader. I {hall not trouble you with the various Notions of Divines concerning the Perfons betwixt whom the Dialogue is, but join my felf to that number of them (and that is the far greaten ) whif."undediand by the Bridegroom, the Lord Jcfus Chrift, who J•b·3· is proved to be the Bride~room, becaufe he hath the Bride, and who calls himfelf fo whil(s he owns his .Difciples, as tne Cbildren oft be Btidc-CI~>mber ; and by the Bride or Spoufe, the Cb.urciJ and every true Be- B |
