Brightman - BS2823 B85 1644

AP. T. about theyeere ofour Lord, 336. top daughters ofJerufalem. 16 O the faireft among women;whither is thy welbe- loved goner whither is thywelbeloved turned afide, that we may feeke htm with thee The Refolution. Hitherto of the Churchdeclining and running to ruine. Now lying profirate_the is doubly defcribed : Firfl ho,v fhe neglet eti her be- lovedcalling her; verf. I.2. 3. Then hoW flee /ought him in vaine b:- in; gone : thefruit thereof isf$eWed,hoth howJhe was ufedof the Watch- men, verl 4. 5. 6. and hoW ofthe daughters of ?erufalem,WAo kind- led ixith'her mervellous pratfes of him, promife theirfellow labour to pekehim : in the refl of the Chapter. TH'E EXPOSITION. Vere s. [Pep, but my heart wa et!',it is the voyc of my beloved that knocketh raying:, Open tome my lifter, my love,my dove, my and fi- led; for my head id 6lled With d:w, and my locker With the drop . oftheninht. P-He negligence of the Church ll ing thus is declared; Fira by her drowftneffe, then by his enticing call, and laftly by the flight caufes of her excufe. Sleepe caufed her outward Lutes to be benummed, that íhe neither regarded nor conildered how fu- ped}itions arofe, as it happened to the Houfholder , Afar. 13. 25. Neither could it be otherwife, (when the Bridegroome left the gar- den, and his friends or fellowes drunken with profperity,'wholly gapingafter riches and honours, all common good defpifeci ) but fleepe would overcome the poufe, wherein outwardly fhe ( hould not differ from a dead woman, howfoever the heart fho.ild move and live, the fade of faith not altogether quenched. This drowfi- neffe crept in in the time of Conftantine, when a gamingheavincífe with a contintlall defire offleeping, fooppreffed the Spoufe, that the fharpeft fighted Paftors could not ufe their outward feules: not per- ceiving how ambition crept in among the Bi hops; and not onely that, but now they began to confecrate Temples to Saints, ear- natty to feeke their'Rehques, toworfhip them with prayers; and to beleeve that prayers made in thehonour of Saints at their Sepul- chresdid profit much. Who could now tell whether the Church were

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