His mouth is most sweet: yea, he is altogether lovely. This is my beloved, and this is my friend, O daughters of Jerusalem. His mouth, out of which proceed innumerable blessings and comfortable promises, is to my soul even sweetness itself; yea, what speak I of any one part? as you have heard in these particulars, he is all sweets: there is nothing but comfort in him, and there is no comfort but in him: and this, if ye would know, is my well-beloved; of so incomparable glory and worthiness, that ye may easily discern him from all others. FOREIGN CONGREGATIONS. Then shall the lambs feed after their manner, and the waste places of the fat ones shall strangers eat. But though the Lord will take this just vengeance on his rebellious enemies, yet will he be ever gracious to his own flock; and shall cause the lambs thereof to feed comfortably, in their wonted pastures; and those places, which the insolent enemies had wasted, shall be again possessed by his people, whom their long captivity hath made strangers to their own land. Woe unto them that draw iniquity with cords of vanity, and sin as it were with a cart rope: Woe be to them, that are so set upon wickedness, as that they use all possible persuasions and provocations to draw themselves to a lawless commission of sin, and continuance in it; That say, Let him make speed, and hasten his work that we may see it: and let the counsel of the Holy One of Israel draw nigh and come, that we may know it! That make light of the threatened judgments, and, in a scornful distrust, dare say, Why doth not God hasten these menaced plagues? fain would we see the performance of these terrible threats: let not God say, but do: let that, which God professeth to have determined against us, be speedily effected. Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil. Woe be unto them, that colour wickedness with fair pretences, and cry down goodness with slanderous calumniations, &c. Woe unto them that are mighty to drink wine, and men of strength to mingle strong drink. Woe be to them, that improve their strength to excess, glorying that they are able to pour in and to bear much wine; and affect to be thought and approved strong and mighty drinkers. So their root shall be rottenness, and their blossom shall go up as dust. So they shall be utterly destroyed; and shall be as a tree, whose root is rotten, and whose blossom flies away like dust, &c. And the hills did tremble, and their carcasses were torn in the midst of the streets. For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still. The neighbour hills did tremble with the noise and fury of that siege; and their carcasses lay torn and mangled in the midst of the streets; yet all this cannot be warning enough to this stubborn people, to turn from their sins, &c. And he will lift up an ensign to the nations from far, and will hiss unto them from the end of the earth. He will raise up war against them, even from nations that dwell afar off; and will stir up and provoke enemies against them from the furthest parts of the earth, &c. None shall be weary nor stumble among them; none shall slumber nor sleep. They shall come with such fierceness and spirit to this war, that they shall not be sensible of any weariness: they shall march ISALAH, CHAP. V. VI. nimbly and boldly, no one shall give himself to slumber in the way, &c. Their horses' hoofs shall be counted like flint, and their wheels like a whirlwind. There shall be both terror and vigour in their horses, prepared for this war; and their chariot wheels shall come rattling furiously on, like some dreadful tempest, and fly swiftly like a whirlwind. And in that day they shall roar against them like the roaring of the sea: and if one look unto the land, behold darkness and sorrow, and the light is darkened in the heavens thereof. What speak I of the roaring of a lion? yea, these Chaldeans, which I will bring upon them, shall come roaring in like a mighty sea in a tempest; with such terror, that all shall be filled with confusion; the earth shall be darkened with sorrow, and the heavens shall yield no glimpse of comfort to the distressed. In the year that king Uzziah died, I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple. In the year that king Uzziah died, I had a vision from God; wherein it pleased the Lord, to represent unto me a clear sign of the majestical presence of the Son of God, sitting on high upon a glorious throne, and the train of his shining robe filled the temple: My beloved is gone down into his garden, to the beds of spices, to feed in the gardens, and to gather lilies. My well-beloved Saviour, if you would know this also, is to be sought and found in the particular assemblies of his people, which are his Garden of Pleasure; wherein are varieties of all the beds of renewed souls, which both he hath planted and dressed by his continual care, and wherein he walketh for his delight; feeding and solacing himself with those fruits of righteousness and new obedience, which they are able to bring forth unto him. Above it stood the seraphins: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly. Who, as he was glorious in himself, so in his attendants; for, over the throne stood the angels of heaven: each one had six wings; with two whereof he covered his face, as not being able to behold the brightness of that divine majesty; with two he covered his feet, as favouring the weakness of human eyes, that cannot behold the least splendour of those celestial creatures; with two he did swiftly move, and fly to execute the charge of God. I am my beloved's, and my beloved is mine: he feedeth among the lilies. And now, lo, whatsoever hath happened cross to me in my sensible fruition of him, in spite of all temptations my beloved Saviour is mine through faith, and I am his through love, and both of us are by an inseparable union knit together; whose conjunction and love is most sweet and happy, for all that are his he feedeth continually with heavenly repast. CHRIST. Thou art beautiful, O my love, as Tirzah, comely as Jerusalem, terrible as an army with banners. Notwithstanding this thy late blemish of neglecting me, O my Church, yet still in mine eyes, through my grace, upon this thy repentance, thou art beautiful, like unto that neat and elegant city Tirzah, and that orderly building of Jerusalem, the glory of the world; and with this thy loveliness, thou art awful unto thine adversaries, through the power of thy censures, and the majesty of him that dwelleth in thee. And the posts of the door moved at the voice of him that cried, and the house was filled with smoke. So strong and dreadful was that voice of theirs, that the very posts of the doors and the pillars of the temple were moved therewith; and, as it had wont to be when God would signify his presence in that sanctuary, the whole house was filled with smoke. Turn away thine eyes from me, for they have overcome me: thy hair is as a flock of goats that appear from Gilead. Yea, such beauty is in thee, that I am overcome with the vehemency of my affection to thee; turn away thine eyes a while from beholding me; for the strength of that faith, whereby they are fixed upon me, ravisheth me from myself with joy: I do therefore again renew thy former praise; that thy gracious profession, and all thy appendances and ornaments of expedient ceremonies, are so comely to behold, as it is to see a flock of well fed goats grazing upon the fruitful hills of Gilead. Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone: because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips. Then said I, as one terrified with that sight, Woe is me! there is no way but death with me: I have delivered messages from this holy God, but I am not nor have been so sanctified, as that I might be safely fit for this great service. Thy teeth are as a flock of sheep which go up from washing, whereof every one beareth twins, and there is not one barren among them. Thy teachers, that chew and prepare the heavenly food of thy soul, are of sweet accordance one with another, having all one heart and one tongue; and both themselves are sanctified and purged from their uncleanness, and are fruitful in their holy labours unto others; so that their doctrine is never in vain, but is still answered with plentiful increase of souls to the Church. Then flew one of the seraphins unto me, having a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with the tongs from off the altar. Then one of those bright angels flew unto me, having a live coal in his hand, signifying the purging and purifying efficacy of the Spirit, which he had taken, not from an ordinary and common hearth, but from the altar of God; the true type of Christ, the Saviour. As a piece of a pomegranate are thy temples within thy locks. That part of thy countenance, which thou wilt have seen, though dimly and sparingly, is full of holy modesty and bashfulness; so blushing, that it seemeth like the colour of a broken piece of pomegranate. Lo, this hath touched thy lips; and thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin purged. Lo, this coal touching thy lips, is a certain sign and representation of that powerful operation of the Spirit of God whereby thy sin is purged away, and thou enabled to this great function. There are threescore queens, and fourscore concubines, and virgins without number. Let there be never so great a number of people and nations, of churches and assemblies, which challenge my Name and Love; and perhaps, by their outward prosperity, may seem to plead much interest in me, and much worth in themselves: Also I heard the voice of the Lord saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I: send me. Then the Lord represented a voice to my ear, saying, after the manner of men, Whom shall I send to this people? and who is willing to deliver this message from us? Then, when as once my lips had been thus touched and sanctified, I did gladly put myself forward, and said, Here I am, send me. My dove, my undefiled is but one: she is the only one of her mother, she is the choice one of her that bare her. The daughters saw her, and blessed her; yea, the queens and the concubines, and they praised her. Yet thou only art alone my true and chaste Spouse, pure and undefiled in the truth of thy doctrine, and the imputation of my holiness: thou art she, whom that Jerusalem which is above, the mother of us all, acknowledgeth for her only true and dear daughter. And this is not my commendation alone, but all those foreign assemblies, which might seem to be rivals with thee of this praise, do applaud and bless thee in this thine estate, and say; Blessed is this people, whose God is the Lord: And he said, Go, and tell this people, Hear ye indeed, but understand not; and see ye indeed, but perceive not. Be not discouraged: I shall send thee to an obstinate people, whose perverseness I do so well know, that I would have thee tell them beforehand, what I expect from them; viz. that they will hear indeed, but not care to understand; they will see, but not regard to perceive. Who is she that looketh forth as the morning, fair as the moon, clear as the sun, and terrible as an army with banners? And, admiring thy goodness, shall say; Who is this, that looks so freshly as the morning new risen; which, from these weak beginnings, is grown to such high perfection, that now she is as bright and glorious, as the sun in his full strength, and the moon in a clear sky; and withal is so dreadful, through the majesty of her countenance and power of her censures, as some terrible army with ensigns displayed is to a weak adversary? Make the heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and convert, and be healed. Yea, more than so, through the occasion of thy prophecy and holy ministry amongst them, their hearts shall be hardened and made obstinate, and their ears dulled and deafened; that, in my just judgment, they may be given up to a spiritual insensibleness, as a due punishment of their careless neglects of my ordinances, and that thereupon may follow their deserved condemnation. I went down into the garden of nuts to see the fruits of the valley, and to see whether the vine flourished, and the pomegranates budded. Thou complainedst of my absence, O my Church: there was no cause; I meant not to forsake thee; I did but only walk down into the well dressed orchard of thine assemblies, to recreate and joy myself with the view of their forwardness, to see the happy progress of the humble in spirit, and the gracious beginnings of those tender souls which are newly converted unto me. Then said I, Lord, how long? And he answered, Until the cities be wasted without inhabitant. Then said I, in a meet compassion of my people, But alas, Lord, how long shall this judgment lie upon thine Israel? And he said, Until the cities be utterly wasted, and left, &c. Or ever I was aware, my soul made me like the chariots of Ammi-nadib. So earnestly did I long to revisit thee, and to restore comfort unto thee, that I hasted I know not which way; and with insensible speed I am come back, as it were upon the swiftest chariots, or the wings of the wind. Return, return, O Shulamite; return, return, that we may look upon thee. What will ye see in the Shulamite? As it were the company of two armies. Now therefore return, O my Spouse, the true daughter of Jerusalem, return to me, return to thyself, and to thy former feeling of my grace: return, that both myself, and all the company of angels, may see and rejoice in thee; and what shall ye see? O all ye hosts of heaven, what shall ye see in my Church? even such an awful grace and majesty, as is in a well marshalled army, ready to meet with the enemy. But yet in it shall be a tenth, and it shall return, and shall be eaten: as a teil tree, and as an oak, whose substance is in them, when they cast their leaves: so the holy seed shall be the substance thereof. ISRAEL, CHAP. VI. VII. But yet, there shall be a tenth part of Israel, that shall return after it hath been dispersed and consumed, and be a seed, for the rest; even as it is with a tree, which having cast her leaves, yet hides the sap within the stock or bulk, which buds forth again in due season; so shall the remainder of the holy seed, which, for the time seemed to lie dead, sprout forth into an abundant increase. How beautiful are thy feet with shoes, O prince's daughter! the joints of thy thighs are like jewels, the work of the hands of a cunning workman. How beautiful are thy feet, O daughter of the Highest; being shod with the preparation of the Gospel of peace, and readily addressed to run the way of the commandments of thy God! Thou art compassed about thy loins with the girdle of verity; which is both precious for the matter of it, and cunningly framed by the skill of the Spirit of Truth. Thy navel is like a round goblet, which wanteth not liquor: thy belly is like an heap of wheat set about with lilies. The navel, whereby all thy spiritual conceptions receive their nourishment, is full of all fruitful supply, and never wants means of sustenance, to feed them in thy womb; which also is so plenteous in thy blessed increase, that it is as a heap of wheat consisting of infinite pure grains, which consort together with much sweetness and pleasure. And it was told the house of David, saying, Syria is confederate with Ephraim. And his heart was moved, and the heart of his people, as the trees of the wood are moved with the wind. It was told to some of the family of Ahaz, the king of Judah, saying, The king of Assyria is confederate with Israel, to make a second war upon Judah. And the heart of Ahaz and his subjects were moved, and shaken with fear, as the trees of the wood are moved with a strong wind. Thy two breasts are like two young roes that are twins. Thy two Testaments, which are thy two full and comely breasts by whose wholesome milk thou nourishest all thy faithful children once born into the light, are, for their excellent and perfect agreement and their amiable proportion, like two young roes. Thy neck is as a tower of ivory; thine eyes like the fish-pools in Heshbon, by the gate of Beth-rabbim: thy nose is as the tower of Lebanon which looketh toward Damascus. Those, who, by their holy authority, support thy government, which are as some straight and strong neck to bear up thy head, are, for their height and defence, like a tower; for their order, pureness, and dignity, like a tower of ivory: thy teachers and ministers, which are thine eyes, are like unto some clear and artificial ponds of water, in a place of greatest resort; wherein all comers may see the faces of their consciences, and whence they may plentifully draw the waters of life: thy nose, by which all spiritual scents are conveyed to thee, is perfectly composed, and featured like some curious turret of that goodly house in Lebanon; so as thy judgment, and power of discerning the spirits, is admirable for the order, and excellency thereof. Fear not, neither be fainthearted for the two tails of these smoking firebrands, for the fierce anger of Rezin with Syria, and of the son of Remaliah. Fear not these two kings of Assyria and Israel; for they are but as two short ends of firebrands, not burning but smoking, which may threaten, but can work no combustion amongst you; I mean Rezin the king of Syria, and Pekah the son of Remaliah. Thine head upon thee is like Carmel, and the hair of thine head like purple; the king is held in the galleries. The whole tire of thy head, which are the ceremonies used by thee, are very graceful, and of high estimation and price to all the beholders; and as for me, I am so enamoured of thee, that I am even tied by my own desire, to a perpetual presence in thy holy assemblies. How fair and how pleasant art thou, O love, for delights! Oh how beautiful and lovely art thou therefore, O my Church, in all thy parts and ornaments! How sweet and pleasant art thou, O my Love, in whatsoever might give me true contentment! And let us make a breach therein for us, and set a king in the midst of it, even the son of Tabeal. Let us, instead of Ahaz, set up a king in Jerusalem, one of the most renowned peers of Syria. This thy stature is like to a palm tree, and thy breasts two clusters of grapes. Thy whole frame is, for goodliness and straight growth, like unto some tall palm tree; which, the more it is depressed by the violence of persecutions, riseth the more: and the two breasts of thy Testaments are like two full juicy clusters, which yield comfortable and abundant refreshing. I said, I will go up to the palm tree, I will take hold of the boughs thereof: now also thy breasts shall be as clusters of the vine, and the smell of thy nose like apples. Seeing then thou art my palm tree, I have resolved in myself to adjoin myself to thee; to enjoy thee; to gather those sweet fruits of thy graces, which thou yieldest: and by my presence also will cause thee to be more plentiful in all good works and doctrine; so as thou shalt afford abundance of heavenly liquor unto all the thirsty souls of thy children, and an acceptable verdure of holiness and obedience unto me: For the head of Syria is Damascus, and the head of Damascus is Rezin; and within threescore and five years shall Ephraim be broken, &c. Damascus is the head city of Syria, and Rezin is the head or king of Damascus: so let him still be, and content himself with his own territories; but as for Ephraim, which joins with Syria against thee, ere threescore years be expired, it shall be wasted and dispeopled. And the roof of thy mouth like the best wine for my beloved, that goeth down sweetly, causing the lips of those that are asleep to speak. And the delivery of my word, by the mouths of my ministers, is like to the most excellent and pleasant wine; being both well accepted of that God in whose name it is taught, and most sweetly relished of the receivers; which is of such wonderful power, that it is able to put words both of repentance and praise, into the lips of him that lies asleep in his sins. THE CHURCH. And the head of Ephraim is Samaria, and the head of Samaria is Remaliah's son. If ye will not believe, surely ye shall not be established. In the mean time, as Samaria is the head city of Israel, so let Pekah the son of Remaliah content himself to be the head or king of Samaria. These things I have foretold you from God, O ye men of Jerusalem: if ye will not give credit unto them, the fault and the punishment shall be yours; ye shall fail of that protection and stability, which you expect. I am my beloved's and his desire is toward me. Behold; such as I am, I am not my own; much less am I any Come, my beloved, let us go forth into the field; let us lodge in the villages. Come therefore, O my dear Saviour, let us join together in our mutual care: let thy Spirit and my service be intent upon thy congregations here below on earth; and let us stay in the place, where our spiritual husbandry lieth. Let us get up early to the vineyards; let us see if the vine flourish, whether the tender grape appear, and the pomegranates bud forth: there will I give thee my loves. Let us, with all haste and cheerfulness, visit the fruitful vines of our believing children; and, to our mutual comfort, be witnesses and partakers of all the signs and fruits of grace, of all those good works and thanksgivings, of those holy endeavours and worthy practices, which they yield forth unto us: let us judge of their forwardness, and commend it; whereupon it will easily appear, that the consummation of our happy marriage draweth near, in which there shall be a perfect union betwixt us. But Ahaz said, I will not ask, neither will I tempt the LORD. I will demand no sign; for why should I, since I do already PARPHRASE UPON THE HARD TEXTS OF SCRIPTURE. believe the promise of God made to me? And why should I tempt God, by urging him to give proof and evidence of that, whereof I am sufficiently assured? The mandrakes give a smell, and at our gates are all manner of pleasant fruits, new and old, which I have laid up for thee, O my beloved. Behold, thy godly servants, which not only bear fruit themselves, but are powerful in the provocation of others, present their best services unto thee; and even at our doors (not far to seek, not hard to procure) is offer made unto thee, of all variety of fruit, whether from thy young converts, or thy more settled professors: and all these I spend not lavishly; but, in my loving care, duly reserve them for thee, and for the solemn day of our full marriage. THE JEWISH CHURCH. And he said, Hear ye now, O house of David: Is it a small thing for you to weary men, but will ye weary my God also? Hear me now, O ye of the house of my dear and faithful servant David; whose sin is therefore aggravated by the holiness of your forefathers: Is it a small thing for you, to reject and contemn me, that am a man like yourselves, but ye will, with your hypocrisy and disobedience, provoke and abuse my God also, whose message I bear? Are ye not ashamed and afraid, under a pretence of piety to refuse the gracious offer and command of God that sent me?