BRIDE.

The Bride is not long in returning her answer, but being glad to have the opportunity to further their edification, instantly she replyes, vers. 2. My beloved is gone down, &c. as being well ac∣quaint with the place, where he useth and haunts: If ye would find him (saith she) his withdrawings are not far off, but as a man Page  342 retiers sometimes to his garden, and is not in his chamber, so Christ when withdrawn from sense (which is the Chamber, chap. 1. 4.) he is to be found in the assemblies of his people, in his Church and Ordininces, which are (as it were) his garden, there ye would seek him: This is the sum of vers. 2. and then, vers. 3. having instructed them by this notable digression, she returns to quiet her self (when all outward means fail) in the faith of her interest in him.

If it were asked, how the daughters could ask the Bride, where Christ was, or how she now can tell them, when she her self is seeking, and knoweth not (as she seemed to professe, chap. 5, 6, 7, 8.) where to find him? Ans. 1. Believers will often give more distinct advice to others, in their difficulties, than they can take to themselves in •heir own exercises; because light and reason guids them unbyassedly, in reference to others, and sense, inclina∣tion and affection sway too much in their own cases. 2. Believ∣ers may complain they know not how to find him, not so much from defect of light as of life, when either in their own practice, or in their successe in duties, they are not answerable to what they aim at; exercised souls are ready to aggrege their own in∣firmities; and what is indeed in them, is to their own account as not in them, till the Lord shine upon it and quicken it, and so bring it out and make it appear.

In the first part of her answer, vers. 2. she speaks to these two, 1. Where Christ is. 2. What he is doing. The first gives them direction where to seek him; the second incourages them to fall about it, as a thing acceptable to him: The place where he is, is set forth by two expressions, 1. He is gone down to his garden, which implyeth the simili•ude formerly expressed, of a man's re∣tiering from his chamber, or closet to his garden: This garden signifies the Church, as, Chap. 4. 12. 15. and here, as opposed to gardens, in the words following, it holdeth forth the Catholick visible Church, as gardens signifie particular societies, or congre∣gations: The Church is like a garden that is within one precinct, yet divided into diverse quarters and inclosurs: This being the Church that hath the promise of Christ's presence, and where he is ever to be found, must be understood of no particular Church, Page  343 of which that cannot be asserted, that Christ shall be alwayes there: it must therefore be the Catholick Church, distinguished from particular Churches, or gardens. 2. He is gone to the beds of spices: As gardens have distinct plots of flowers, and beds of spices, and some particular parts are alloted for these, where es∣pecially they grow; so in the Church, Christ hath his plants, whereof some are sanctified with grace (therefore compared to spices) and these in some parts of the visible Church, are more abounding than in other parts (as spices in beds together that may be elsewhere but in particular stalks, and not so frequent) and as men love and frequent that plot of their garden most; so doth Christ most manifest himself in his Ordinances ordinarily, where he hath his spices and lilies in greatest abundance: And thus this last part qualifies the former, he is in his Church, but es∣pecially where his spices are most abounding; and therefore would you have him? seek him in his Church and amongst his people, and especially in such societies of his people, where true and lively believers are most to be found. Here observe (beside what was observed on chap. 4. 12.) Christ's Church, though it have many subdivisions, yet is it one Church, one whole Catholick Church, whereof particular Churches are parts, 1 Cor. 12. 28. 2. It is in that Church and no where else, that Christ's presence is to be found, and where believers, the spices and lilies are planted. 3. There may be in that one visible Church, many moe real con∣verts in one part thereof, than in another; spices in beds are not in every place of the garden. 4. Though Christ hath a singular care of, and respect for, his whole Church, and hath a peculiar presence there where ever there is any part thereof, yet where he hath much people, beyond what he hath in other places (as in Antioch, Act. 11. 21. in Corinth, Act. 18. 10. and Ephesus, Act. 19. 20.) there especially is he present, and there ordinarily con∣tinues he the power and life of his Ordinances. 5. These who de∣sire Christ, would not run out of the Church to seek him, or re∣spect any way of finding him, which others have not found ou• before them; but would seek after him▪ by the ordinary means, in his Church; for, this answers their questions, where is he? proposed for that end, that they might s•ek him and find him.

Page  344 He hath a twofold exercise in his gardens, for he is not idle, he is gone there, 1. To feed in the gardens. By gardens, in the plural number, are understood the subdivisions, and particular plots of that one garden, formerly mentioned; the Jews had their Synagogues, where the people did meet, and the Law was read (as we have our distinct congregations) as, Psal. 74. 8. and Act. 15. 21. do evidence. To feed, taken actively (as chap. 1. 7. where thou feeds, &c.) signifieth his taking care, to provide for his own in the Church; if taken passively, he is gone down to feed, that is, that himself may eat, and it is the same with what was, chap. 5. 1. I have come to my garden, I have eaten, &c. and the scope in both, looks to be the same, and so the meaning of the similitude is, that as men have their gardens, wherein they solace themselves, and feed upon the pleasant fruits that are in them, so doth Christ delight himself in his Church, and take pleasure therein, as, Psal. 147. 11. he taketh pleasure in them that fear him; and he delighteth in the habitable parts of the earth, Prov. 8. 31. that is, where Saints dwell, and where the place of his rest and haunt is; other places being but as an unhabited wildernesse to Christ, the Church is the garden, wherein he delights and finds fruit. He is said to feed in the gardens, and not in the garden, 1. To shew, that the way of his manifesting himself to his Church, is by erecting his Ordinances in particular societies, and thus he derives his blessings. 2. To shew, that though there be diverse so∣cieties, or particular Churches, yet his presence is not excluded from, or tyed to, any one of them: He walks amongst the Candle∣sticks, as observing every one of them, and manifesting himself among them, as he seeth good.

The second part of his exercise is, to gather lilies: By lilies, in this garden (as often hath been said) are understood believers, chap. 2. 2. 16. To gather, is a borrowed expression from men that use to gather some flowers they delight in, to bring to their chambers with them, or some fruits, that they may dresse and prepare them, as we heard, chap. 5. 1. Christ's gathering of his lilies, points, 1. At his calling of them effectually who belong to him; the elect may be called lilies to be gathered, as they are called sons of God to be gathered, Joh. 11. 51, 52. Thus also, Page  345Matth. 23. 37. is Christ's expression, I would have gathered you, &c. whereby their bringing-in to him is signified. 2. It points at his glorifying of them, which is in part, when particular believers are gathered to their fathers, as the phrase is, Gen. 25. 8. and 35. 29. This is, as his pulling of some lilies for his own satisfaction: and this gathering will be perfected, when all the Elect shall be ga∣thered from the four winds, Matth. 24. 31. and the Angels shall gather the good fish into vessels, but cast the bad away, Mat. 13. 48. In a word then, the sense and scope of the whole is this, Would ye (saith she) have my beloved, or know where he is that ye may seek him? he is in his Church, seek him in the way of his Ordinances; for, he is there, purposly to delight himself in doing good to his people, it's his errand to welcome and gather them as a hen doth her chickens under her wings, therefore (saith she) seek him there; for, ye can find no better opportunity. Obs. 1. Our Lord Jesus takes pleasure to be amongst his people, and to do them good; he feeds on this with delight, as a hungry man doth on his meat. 2. The moe Christ gains (to say so) he feeds the better, and is the more cheerful: he feeds and gathers at once, and this ga∣thering of souls, is as sweetly refreshing and delightsome to our blessed Lord Jesus, as the plucking of the sweetest flowers is to a man walking in a garden; and there is nothing more acceptable and welcome to him, than a seeking-sinner. 3. Wherever Christ's Ordinances are, there may his presence be expected, in one par∣ticular Church, as well as in another; for, he feeds in the gar∣dens. 4. The great scope of Ordinances, is to gather-in believ∣ers, and build them up; and there is nothing more acceptable to Christ, than to have some to gather, some whom he may save. That's a refreshing feast to him, Iohn 4. 34. 5. Our Lord Jesus hath delight in all his people, and in every one of them, where sincerity is, though it be not in the greatest measure: Therefore it's said he gathers lilies indefinitly, that is, one of them as well as another. 6. So long as our Lord Jesus hath a Church and Or∣dinances in it, as long doth he continue to gather, and he is not idle, but is still gathering, though at sometimes, and in some places, this may be more sensible and abundant than ordinary. 7. It's a great incouragement to poor sinners to seek for Christ, to know, Page  346 that this is his very errand in his Ordinances, to gather them, and that he is waiting on, like the Prodigals father, ready to run with delight to welcome them; This is proposed as a motive to the daughters, to seek him. 8. Although believers may seem for a time to be neglected, and, as it were, forgotten, yet will the Lord gather them all in at last, as his choice of all the world, they be∣ing the flowers of his gardens; there is a good day coming to believers, when not one of them shall be le•t to grow in this fighting Church, but he shall take them in to the King's Palace, there to be for ever with him. 9. The readinesse of Christ to welcome sinners, and the delight that he hath in doing them good, should exceedingly provock and hearten sinners to seek him, while he may be found; This is the great scope of this verse.