Until the day break, and the shadows flee away, turn, my beloved, and be thou like a roe or a young hart upon the mountains of Bether. Come, therefore, O my Saviour, and until the day of thy glorious appearance shall shine forth to the world, wherein our spiritual marriage shall be consummate, and until all these shadows of ignorance, of infidelity, of troubles of conscience, and of outward tribulations be utterly dispersed and chased away, come and turn thee to me again: thou, which, to the carnal eyes of the world seemest absent, come quickly, and delay not; but, for the speed of thy return, be like unto some swift roe or hind, upon those smooth hills of Gilead, which Jordan severs from the other part of Jewry. In that day a man shall cast his idols of silver, and his idols of gold, which they made each one for himself to worship, to the moles and to the bats. And those idolaters, which had wont to pride themselves in the glory of their false worship, shall now be ashamed of their fopperies; and, in a just indignation, shall hide up their puppets in blind corners, from the view of men. Cease ye from man, whose breath is in his nostrils: for wherein is he to be accounted of? I see, it is your vain self-confidence, that hath deceived you; if ye therefore regard your own safety and peace, cast off this false trust upon so poor and impotent a thing as man, whose breath is in his nostrils; for what can he avail you, or how can he give you any protection from the wrath of the Almighty? By night on my bed I sought him whom my soul loveth: I sought him, but I found him not. My security told me, that my Saviour was near unto my soul, yea with it, and in it; but when, by serious and silent meditation, I searched my own heart, I found that, for ought my own sense could discern, he was far off from me. For, behold, the Lord, the Lord of hosts, doth take away from Jerusalem and from Judah the stay and the staff, the whole stay of bread, and the whole stay of water. That, whereby the life of man is supported and sustained, even bread, and whatsoever necessary food, will I take away from Jerusalem; I will rise now, and go about the city in the streets, and in the broad ways I will seek him whom my soul loveth: I sought him, but I found him not. Then thought I with myself, Shall I lie still contented with this want? No, I will stir up myself; and the help I cannot find in myself, I will seek in others: of all that have been experienced in all kind of difficulties, of all deep philosophers, of the wisest and honestest worldlings, I will diligently inquire for my Saviour: amongst them I sought him, yet could receive no answer to my satisfaction. The mighty man, and the man of war, the judge, and the prophet, and the prudent, and the ancient. And whatsoever else you are wont to put confidence in, the mighty and strong warrior, the awful judge, the holy and learned prophet, the prudent councillor, the ancient and experienced senator. The watchmen that go about the city found me: to whom I said, Saw ye him whom my soul loveth? Missing him there, I ran to those wise and careful Teachers, whom God hath set as so many watchmen upon the walls of his Jerusalem, who sooner found me than I could ask after them; to whom I said, as thinking no man could be ignorant of my love, Can you give me no direction where I might find him whom my soul loveth? It was but a little that I passed from them, but I found him whom my soul loveth: I held him, and would not let him go, until I had brought him into my mother's house, and into the chamber of her that conceived me. Of whom when I had almost left hoping for comfort, that gracious Saviour, who would not suffer me to be tempted above my measure, presented himself to my soul: lo then, by a new act of faith, I laid fast hold upon him; and will not let him any more part from my joyful embracements, until both I have brought him home fully into the seat of my conscience, and have won him to a perpetual cohabitation with me, and a full accomplishment of my love, in that Jerusalem which is above, which is the mother of us all. CHRIST. I charge you, O ye daughters of Jerusalem, by the roes, and by the hinds of the field, that ye stir not up, nor awake my love, till he please. Now that my distressed Church hath been, all the night long of my seeming absence, toiled in seeking me, I charge you, O all that profess any friendship with me, I charge you, by whatsoever is comely, dear, and pleasant unto you, that, as you will answer it, you trouble not her peace with any unjust or unseasonable suggestions, with uncharitable contentions, with any novelties of doctrine; but suffer her to rest sweetly in that divine truth which she hath received, and this true apprehension of me wherein she rejoiceth. Who is this that cometh out of the wilderness like pillars of smoke, perfumed with myrrh and frankincense, with all powders of the merchant? Oh who is this? how admirable! how lovely! who but my Church, that ascendeth thus gloriously out of the wilderness of the world, wherein she hath thus long wandered, into the blessed mansions of my Father's house, all perfumed with the graces of perfect sanctification, mounting right upward into her glory, like some straight pillar of smoke, that ariseth from the most rich and pleasant composition of odours that can be devised! THE CHURCH. When a man shall take hold of his brother of the house of his father, saying, Thou hast clothing, be thou our ruler, and let this ruin be under thy hand. Whereas men usually are wont to affect pre-eminence and authority among their neighbours, ye shall be driven to that ISALAH, CHAP. II.—IV. strait, that ye shall be fain to force honour upon your brethren, where ye see but means to subsist and live; and a man shall take hold of his brother, and importune and constrain him, saying, Thou hast clothing; be thou our ruler; and let the reparation of this miserable ruin, if it be possible, be thy work. Behold his bed, which is Solomon's; threescore valiant men are about it, of the valiant of Israel. I am ascended; and lo how glorious is this place, where I shall eternally enjoy the presence and love of my Saviour! How far doth it exceed the earthly magnificence of Solomon! About his bed do attend a guard of threescore choicest men of Israel: In that day shall he swear, saying, I will not be an healer; for in my house is neither bread nor clothing: make me not a ruler of the people. In that day he shall resist the motion, and disclaim the government with an oath, saying, It is not for me to meddle with the command of you, or to undertake the repairing of your ruins, for I have neither bread nor clothing. They all hold swords, being expert in war: every man hath his sword upon his thigh because of fear in the night. v 2 All stout warriors, able and expert to handle the sword; which, for more readiness, each of them wears hanging upon his thigh, so as it may be hastily drawn upon any sudden danger: but about this heavenly pavilion of my Saviour attend millions of angels, spiritual soldiers, mighty in power, ready to be commanded service by him. King Solomon made himself a chariot (or, bed) of the wood of Lebanon. The chariot, or bed, that Solomon made, so much admired of the world, was but of the cedars of Lebanon: And they declare their sin as Sodom, they hide it not. They do impudently make open profession of their sin, even as Sodom did, without all fear or shame, &c. He made the pillars thereof of silver, the bottom thereof of gold, the covering of it of purple, the midst thereof being paved with love, for the daughters of Jerusalem. The pillars but of silver, and the bedstead of gold; the tester or canopy, but of purple; the coverlet wrought with the curious and painful needlework of the maids of Jerusalem: but this celestial resting place of my God is not made with hands, nor of any corruptible metal, but is full of incomprehensible light, shining evermore with the glorious presence of God. Go forth, O ye daughters of Zion, and behold king Solomon with the crown wherewith his mother crowned him in the day of his espousals, and in the day of the gladness of his heart. And as the outward state, so the majesty of his person, is above all comparison. Come forth, O ye daughters of Zion, lay aside all private and earthly affections, look upon King Solomon, as he sits solemnly crowned in the day of his greatest royalty and triumph; and compare his highest pomp, with the divine magnificence of my Saviour, in that day when his blessed marriage shall be fully perfected above, to the eternal rejoicing of himself and his Church, and see whether there be any proportion betwixt them. CHRIST.