/%//'IV Vh So N G. Chap. I. n 1. 2. But Chrilts fhecpe follow. him, far they know .¡ his voice, and a firanger they will net follow, but will flee from him , for tb y know vat the voice offirangers, ]oh. 10 4, 5. but they all, have one fleepherd Ezek. 37. 24. And as other Ihepherds are not to be followed , fo neither other flocks or herds : for Gods Ele& (hall inherit his mountain, and his (truants (hall dwell there, Efay 65. 9. In Jer. 6. 2, 3. the daughter of Zion it likened to a comely and de- licate woman: her enemies arc likened to fhep- herds with their flocks. Of the Hebrewes , Solomon Iarchi expotmdeth this paffage thus : Tell me; 0 thou whom ey foule loveth: Now the Hob, Gheft turnet/e and likeneth her to a fkeke, lovingly fflu caunto the Fafiottr. The Congregation of Iliad faith before lam, as a woman to ber husband, Tell me, O thou whom my fide hgeth, where thou fledef4 thy flocke, among theft evolves minds whom they are : and where thou makeil than to toff at name, in this eaptivitie, which is a time of tribulation unto them, of the nome -tide which is a time of tribulation eats the flock!. Andifrbou fayeft,Why art thou fa careful! ? This it net for thine honour, that I Pamir] be like a mourner, covering the lip, weeping for my flock!, by the flockes of ether fl epherds, which feed their flocks: as thou doff; as if fhe fhouldfay, Among the troupes of the peoples that are jed to other gods, and have Kings and Peinent that menage (or govern) them. The Chaldce Paraphraft cxplaineth it thus: When the time was come, that Moles the Prophet fhould be'dif/ohed out of the world , he fail before the Lod; I know that this people will finne, and (hall goe into cap- '- tivitie : now fhew thou unte me, bow they fball be gover- ned, and dwell among the pe ples, whof decrees are grievous , at the heat and forcbing of the Sun at name in the midfi of Summer. And why (hall they wander up and dame among the pekes of the pines of Efau and I(mael, which doe atrocious unto thee their erreurs (their idols) fir companions ? $ Verle 8 Ifthon know not] that is, Forafmuch as, or Seeing that thou krnrcfl not; as in Numb. 22.20. If the men be come to call thee; that is, Forafmuch as they are come. Here Chrill beginneth to 1peakc unto his people, with words of comfort and inftru= &ion ; and after procetdeth to thew the.power and glory of the Church adorned with his.gra= ces. Sul. Iarchi faith, This it the anfwer of ehe Pafiour. thou know nt] or, than thy Me knwefl not. Hebr: If thou'ktmw not to thee 1 or fer thy felfe; which latter words arc thought to be redundant, and are therefore omitted in mollTranflations; though here it may have a commodious (elite; to fignilie the ignorance which the halls in her felfe, upon acknowledgement wherofChrilt infortneth her. SDI. Iarchi cxpoundeth it, If that !Tow not whither thoufhonldefi goe to feed thy flocke, thou faireji among wo- men ; becaufe the Paflour he hook ceafed to govern! (or menage) them. faire fn Hebr. faire (or beautiful)) among women; whereby is meant, more faire than other won {en, br, Etireft of womankind : as the mother of our Lord is called,Blejìdamong women, Luke 1. 28,42. that is,moft blefted, or more bief- fed than other women : Co theLyon is laid to be flrong among halls, that is, firongefi, Prov. 3o. 30. The Hebrew Iapleab, fignifieth faire or beattttfiell, not onely in colour, but in comely proportion, and elegancie, fuch as draweth love and liking: for the tame word is attributed fonaetime to cat- tell, Gen. 4t .2. to trees, Jer. 11.16. and to every thingthat God made,Eccle.2.1t.And the Church is here called by Chrift, (& after by her friends, Song 5.9 .and 6.t.) the farefl among women, by rea- fon of the graces, the fpirituall beauty of faith, hope,love,patience,&c.wherewith God in Chrilt bath beautified her,who by nature was deformed and loathfome,as is flncwed in Ezek.16.where her nativity was of the land of Canaan, of Amorites and Hittites, ver.3. thewas call out to the loath- ing of her perlon , in the day that the was borne, ver.5. the was polluted in her owne blouds,ver.6. till God gave her life, and excellent ornaments, verlè 7. covered her nakednef e,verfe 8. walked a- way her bloods, verle 9. clothed, girded, decked her with ornaments, chaines, jewels, &c. and lù the became exceeding beautiftetl,verfc t 0,13. She be- ing privie to her owne infirmities,called her felpe blacke,verle 5. but Chrift here calleth her faire,and magnifiethher beauty in vet, t 5 and often in this Song : becaufe he hash fan&ified and clenled her, with the wafting of water by the Word, that he might prelent her to hinlelfe aglorious Church, not having fpot or wrinkle, or any flub thing, but that the should be hob, and without blem. F,.phef 5.26,27. Thus if we will condemn our felves,God will jultifie us: and whenwe are weak, then are we ftrong,2 Cor. 12.10. And as we increale in obedience and fan- 1, &tifieation, fo doth the love of Chrili increafe towatds us, Pfal.45 . t 1,12. goe thy way forth] orgolt thee out, gee firth thou, Hebr. got one for thee, or goe forth for thy flfe. As God raid to Abram, Goe than, or for thy frf, Genet. 12.1. fo here Chrill calleth forth his Church from fitting ltill in her mournful! eitate, that the fhould not only with and dcbre, but indevour, and put forth her fella to doe the workes of her call ing,to feed her kids, and to goe out to meet the Bridegroome, Mat. 25. 6. For, not every one that faith unto Chrift, Lord, Lord ;(hall enter into the lingctomeof heaven : but he that cloth the will of bit father which is in heaven, Matthew 7. 21. by the footflepa of the fake] or, in the fotfteps of the fbeepe : that is, goe in thole waies, and doe thofe worker which the lheepe or flocke of Chrift have gone in and done before thee. Footfteps are the print of the feet in the way that is trodden before us: and as Chrift himCelfe hath left tit an example, in his doings and fufferings, that we fhould follow hisfoetfleps, 1 Peter 2. at . and we are to be imitators (or followers) of Gad, Ephef 5.1. fo fhould we be of the locke of God, and of godly Pastors, in that faith and or- der which they have walked in before us : as it is laid, Be ye imitators of me , even XI alfi.am of Che/fi, Cor, 1 t. t. and, Rememleryour guides, who have fpeken unto you the word of God; wboft faith , imitate ye; confidering the iffue of their coorerfation, Hebr. 13.7. So likewise of the ( locke of Chrift,as it is fold, 7e brethren became imitators of the Churches of God, &c. t Theiî a. 14. and tre defire, &e. thatye be not flotbfsll, but imitators of them , who through faith
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