LIB. XVII. Salomon andthe Qf!,eene of Sheba. A houfe let us ever fcrvcrhee:Wherclore elfe hafl thou a Temple,butfor thy prefcnce with tls,and for our wor01ipping of thee~ The time was,when,as thy peopk,fo thy fdfe,didfllodge in flittingTents, ever lhifring,ever moving1 thence thouthoughtefl bcft tO fojourne both in Shilo, and theroofe ofObed Edom ; After that, thou condefccndedfl to fettle thine abod" with men, and wouldfl dwell in an houfe of thine owne, at thy Jcrufalem. So didfl thou in the beginning l~dge without firfl Parents in a Tent; fojourne with lfrad under the Law;and nowmlkefl a conflant refidence under the Gofpell, in the hearts ofthy chofen children; from whence tloou wilt remove nomore; they {hall remove from the world, from thcmfdves, thou !halt not remove from them. Wherefoever thouart,O God,thou art worthyofadoration;Sincc thou ever wilt dwell in us,be thou ever wor!hipped in us: Let the Altars of our cleane hearts fend B up ever to thee thefwceteflperfumed fmoakesof our holy meditations and faithfull prayers,ond cheerfull thankf.givings:Let the pure lights ofour faith, ond godly converfation lhine ever before thee, and men, and never be put out: let the bread of life ftacd ever ready upon the pure, and precious tables of out hearts. Lockeupthy Law,and thy Manna within us;and fpeakecomfortobly to us from thy Mercy-feat. Suffer norhing to enter in hither thot is uccleane : Sanetifie us unto thy fdfe, and be thoufanC!ified in us. Salomon,and the fl!!;ene ofSheba. C tmO D hath no ufe ofthe datk lanternes of!ecm,ond referved perfeCtions; We our fdves doe notlight "f Candles to put rhem urder bulhels. The great lights whether o heaven or earth, are nor intended to obfcuritie;but os to give light unto others,!O to be fecn themfelvcs; Danand Bmfo<ba wore too flrait bounds for the fame of sa. J,m,n; which now bath flown over all lands and feas,and raifed the wotld to an admiration ofhis more then humane wi[dome. Even fo,O thou everlaflino King of Peace, thy name is great among the Gentiles; There is no fpecch nor language where the report of thee is not heard; The found of thee is gone forth through all the earth; Thy name is an ointment poured our, theteforo the virgins D lovethee. No doubt,many from all coafls came to learn and wonder; none with fo much note as this noble daughter of C ham' Who her felfe defetves the next wonder to him whom fhe came to heare, and admire; That a woman, a Princdle, a rich and great Q!_ccne, fbould travell from the remorefl South,from Saba,a region famous for the gteatcll:delicacies ofDlture, to !camewifdome, is a marchldfeexample:We know Merchants that venture to either Jndics for wealth; Ochers we know daily to crolfe the feas foe wanton curioftty: Some few Philofophers we have known to havegone farre for learning; and amongfl Princes it is no unufuall thing to fend their Ambaffadors to fardiflant Kingdomcs,for tranfa&ion ofbufinelfes,cither ofState,or commerce;but that a royall Lady Omuld in perfon undertake and overcome fo tedious a E joumey, onely to obferve,and inquire intothe rnyfleries ofnature, art, religion, is a thiGg pafl both parallcl,and imitation; Why doe we thinkc ony labour great,or any way long,to heare agreatenhen Salomon~ How ju!lly fball the Q!cene ofthe South rife up in judgment,and condemne us,whomay hearewifdomecrying in our flrcets and negleCt her ~ Certainly fowcalthyaQ1_eene, and fo great a loverofwifdome could not waat great fcholarsathome: them fhe had firft oppofed witb her enigmaticall demands; and now finding her fclfe unfatisfi.ed,fhe takes her felfe to this Oracle of God, It is a good thing to doubr,bettet tG> be rcfolved: Theminde that never doubts lhlll Jearne nothing; the minde that ever doubts fhall nevct profit by learning:Our doubts onely ferve ro ftirre us up to feeke truth ; our refolucions ferrle us in the truth we have found. There were no pleafure inrefolmions if we had not been formerly troubled 1 wirh
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=