So N G. Chap. I. the 1,60 of the heufe of Ifrael, mer come out of /Egypt, the divine- prefenee of the Lord of the world, was their guide, by the pillar of a cloud by day, and by the pillar of fire by night. The MI of that generation, fàid; O Lord ofall the world, Draw ur after thee, and we will run after the way of thy goodneffe ; and bring us were to the bottome of the mount Sinai, and give us thy Law out of thy treyEure-houfe which it on the Firmament ; and we will he glad and rejoice in the twenty two Letters with whhfiitis written : andtre we well remember them ,and will love thy God-head, and will depart from after the :dols ofthe peoples ; and all luit men which doe that which is right before thee, fhlll feare thee, and love thy comman- dements. But the Law, being the in iniftrat ion of death, though it was glorious, hath no glory in refpe& of the miniltration of the Spirit, and of righteoufneffe, which exceedeth in glory, 2 Cor. 3,7,- t O. Therfore the New Teftament being now confirmed in arid, thofe formerthings,(which were figures and Ihadowes) are no more remedr- bred : as was prophefied in Jer.3.16. 5 V erle 5. I am blacke] Hitherto hath beene the Churches fini fpeech unto Chrilt, teaifÿing her faith and love : now follow her words to the daughters of Ierufakm, againft the lcandals and of- , fences that might arife for the Churches affilai- ons Sc infirmities which appear in this life. Black- ne lignifieth tribulation , as Ieb complaineth My ,kin is blacke upon me, and my bones are burnt with heat, Job 30.30. and Ieremie lamenteth the black- nef%of the Nazarites vifage, Lam.4 8. And here in the verte following, the Church (heweth her blackneffe to be becattfe the Sun had looked downe upon her; and the fcorching of the Sun,is by our Saviour expounded, tribulation or perfecutim arifing becaufe of the word, Matth.13.6,20,2 t . lt may all's, imply her blackneffe by finne, in refpea,ot her owne negligence which (free acknowledgeth in the end of the 6. verte : andin refpe& of both, her blackrefe by fosrow and mourning for her prefent miferies ; as blacke colour was the habit of mourners: For the hurt of the daughter of mypeo- ple , am I hurt I am blacke : alonoment hatb'taken hold on me, Jeremie.8.2i.. Thus the Church is par- taker of the afthaions of Chrilt, at whom many were aftonied , his silage was fo mitred more than any man; and his forme more than the formes of men, Efay 5 2. i 4. and comely] or but comely; and is hereby way of opppltion; though I am blacke, yet ans I comely alto. The Hebrew Navah, lignifi'eth come- ly, beautiful!, amiable, and to bedefired. The Greeke here tranflateth it,goadll, orfaire, and its verte lo. beautiful'. So the Apoftiéin Rom.' o.1 expoun- deth it beautiful!, troni Efa. 5 2.7. This corneli- ne(feof the Spoufe, is after (hewed to be both in her fight or countenance, Song 2. 14. and in her fßecch, Song 4.3. And as blaekneffi is in the colour and skin; to comelinef is in the parts, features and proportion of the body, which the Churchhath by her creation or cew birth as the is the work- manfisip of God, created in Chrifi lefus unto good wor(cr, Ephel: a. i o. Thus was the blacke in her fife, but comely in Chrilt; for Gods firmgrh is made perfil in weakneffe: therefore the Apoftle Paid, Mofl,gladly will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Cbrf may refs upon me (or dwell in me;) therefore I take plea fure in infirmities , in reproaches. in necelfities, in perfecutirms, in dfreffès for Chriifs fainter when I am weak, then am I fl rang; 2 Cor.I a. 9,5 o. And againe, we are troubled on every fide, yet not dif refld; perplexed, but not in difjoaire ; per feu - ted, but not firfaken; eaft domne, but not defiroyed alwaies bearing about in the body, the dying of the Lord kits, that the life aflo of the Lord lefur, might be made manife ff in our body, 2 Cur. 4. 8,9, 1 0. daughters of lerufalem] to thefe the fpeaketh againe in ch. 2, 7. and 3.5 ,10. and 5.8,1 6. and 8.4. fo they were the friends ofChrilt and his Church,the cleft of God, though not yet perfealy initru.°cted in the way of the Lord: as may be gathered by Song 5. 8,9. and 6.1. As the villages belonging to a City, are ufnally called the daughters oft hat city,; Chr. 7.28. Nuns. 21.25. to lerufalem which is above, is the mother of to all, Gal. 4.16. whole daughters are theparticular Churches and Chri(tians , called Virgins, 2 Cor. II. 2. Rev. 14.4. And Sodom and Samaria are prophefied of,that they fhould be gi- ven to Jerufàlem for daughters, Ezek. 16.61. And thus in Pfalm.45. i 3,1 4. the Kings daughter (the Church) is brought unto the King in ray ment of needle- works; and virgins ber friends after htr. Such are here comforted againft the fcandall of the Cro(fe, and infirmities which accompany the .Church in this world. tents of Kedar] Kedar wes the fecond fònne of lfmael, Gen. 25.13. His pofterity (which were (till called by his name) dwelt in Tents in the defarts of Arabia ; fed cat- tell, and were given to their Bow,and wars : lee Efày21.13; 17 &42.11.Ezek.27.21. And the Pfalnai(t lamenteth his fiate,that he dwelt with the tents of Kedar ; which he after explaineth, withbim that batetb peace, Pfàl. 120. 5, 6. And Kedarby in- terpretation figniheth Blacke: and the Kedarcns that dwelt in tents;had theroftheir name Semites (as if we (timid fay Ternaries) and their Tents were of haire cloth, made ofgoats haire, and in them they dwel t,andbad no other hauler, as is reported by Pliny, lib.6.cap.28. and Solinur Pelyhifl. in cap.36. Here therefore the Church ( which is called the Tents of Iakfb, Jer. 30. 18. and the Tents, of ludah, Zach. 12.7.) is for her afiliaions, perfecutions, pilgrimage, and mány infirmities ; in outward view of the world, like to the blacke and hairy ' tents of Kedar, or filchas dwelt in them: sur- tames of Solomon] thefe are to let forth her towli- ne e5 as Kedeirs tents did her blaekref . And though curtains fometimes fignifie tents,as the Arke of the Lord remained undir eurtaines, t Chro. 1 y. i. and Enlarge the place of thy Tents"'andlet them ketch forth the curtains, Efay 54.2. yet¡olomons curtains here feeme rather to meane the goodly hangings that were iìr his honk, and about his bed. For Solo - mon dwelt not in Tents, but having riches and wealth and honour, fuch as no Kings had; 2 Chron. l.r2.buildedhim houfes,Ecclel.2 .4. and one which was thirteen yeeres in building, r Kings 7.1. and for his Qg-eene Pharaohs daughter, he builded an bottle, 1 Kings 9.24. So though the Church be out-
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