Divine consolations, or, The teachings of God in three parts ... with an answer to the objections made against it, and Doctor Crips [sic] booke justified against Steven Geree / by Samuel Richardson.

The soule saith;

12. While the King] Jesus Christ.

Sitteth at his Round Table] With his Church at the Lords Table, Mal. 1. 12. 1 Cor. 10. 21. With his Church at his spirituall banquet the Lords Supper: a Round Table hath no up∣per end.

My spikenard is very costly spice, Joh. 12. 3. A sweet smelling spikenard, full of vertue; see Song 4. 13, 14. The breaking of Christs body in the Supper, is this sweet & precious Spike∣nard that fils the place with sweetnesse; so the fruits of Christs death, is held forth in the 〈◊〉〈◊〉 of ointment of Spikenard, with which Christ was anointed, Joh. 12. 3.

Giveth forth the smell thereof] The sent thereof fills soules with sweetnesse, Joh. 12. 1, 2, 3. It sents forth Redemption, Salvation, happinesse and glory, and what not; Oh! the sweetnesse of these, none can expresse, nor conceive: what joy, delight, or consolation is like this of Christ, dying for my sinnes, &c. It causeth the soule to extoll Christ, and say;

13. A bundle of Myrrhe is my beloved unto me] This holds forth the greatnesse of the contentment, satisfaction, and joy the soule takes in Christ, in the fruits of his death: the soule desires ever to take comfort in these be∣nefits, and bundle them up together, least they be scattered, and to seeke; tie them up toge∣ther in a bundle (its the sweetest poesie) e∣ver to smell on, to comfort & refresh thy selfe withall.

A bundle of Myrrhe is sweet, but nothing so sweet as Christ, and his benefits is to me. I finde by experience he is so to me; there is nothing to be compared to him, there is no∣thing so sweet and pleasing, as is sweet Jesus unto me. What is a mountaine of myrrhe, and a hill of frankinsence, Song 4. 6. Dropping sweet smelling myrrhe, Song 5. 13. The bun∣dle of my workes is not so sweet to me; Love is as strong as death, the coales thereof hath a most vehement flame, Song 8. 6. The heate of these coales were so exceeding hot, and the flame so vehement, it scorched and burnt up

all my righteousnesse ere I was aware; that bundle is gone now, I need it not, for my be∣loved is a better bundle unto me I leane not on any thing, but on my beloved, Song 8. 5. I have nothing else to leane upon, nor is any thing else worth the smelling on; he is my delight, and all my pleasure; in the sence of sinne, and wants, I comfort my selfe in the Righteousnesse of Christ.

He shall lie all night] The night is the sad∣dest time, by reason of darknesse; the night is a sad time, by reason ••f feares, Song 3. 8. Many walke in darknesse, Isa. 50. 11. When my soule is most sad and darke (he shall lie all night) the soule is to own and imbrace Je∣sus Christ, and rest satisfied in him.

Between my brests] When I am at the worst Christ I desire, and nothing but Christ. I leave all to imbrace my beloved, he shall lie as near my heart, as may be, he is onely sweet to me, I will have him alone, and nothing else to lie between my breasts, that I may smell on him, and be satisfied with his sweeetnesse; when I am at the worst, he is enough for me, he alone will I imbrace, and fill my soule with his loves and sweet solace. The breasts, is the place of consolation and satisfaction, Isa. 61. 10, 11. A bundle of myrrhe is sweet for sent, but not so sweet as he; my soule solace thy selfe with him, and take thou no content, but in him; I am my beloveds, and his desire 〈◊〉〈◊〉 towards me, Song 6. 10.

14. A cluster of Cipres is my welbeloved un∣to me] Cipres is sweet, it hath reference to Christ, in the fruits of his death, Redempti∣on, Salvation, Justification, &c. are all clusters together in one, and not to be parted; Christ hath joyned them in one, part them not.

In the vineyard of E••gedy.] A fruitfull soile, Jos. 15. 6. 2. Ezek. 47. 10. So Christs death is wonderfully fruitfull, who can reckon up his benefits? all which are the fruits of his death.