The Complete Works of Richard Sibbes, Vol. 2

whole ocean, all is water; and of eveiy spark of fire as of the whole element of fire, all is fire. Of those homogeneal bodies, as wo call them, there is the same respect of the part and of the whole. And therefore, as the whole chm'ch is the spouse of Christ, so is every particular Christian ; and as the whole church desires still nearer communion with Christ, so doth every particular member. But to come to the words, ' I am come into my gai'den,' &c.

This chapter is not so well broken and divided from the former as it might have been, for it were better and more consequent* that the last verse of the former chapter were added to the beginning of this.

' Awake, 0 north wind; and come, thou south ; blow npon my garden, that the spices thereof may flow out. Let my beloved come into his garden, and eat his pleasant fruits,' Cant. iv. IG.

And therefore, by reason of connection of this chapter with the former verse, we will first speak somewhat of it briefly, only to make way for that which follows. The words contain —

1. A turning of Christ's speech to the tvinds to blow upon his garden, with the end why, ' that the spices thereof may flow out.'

2. We have an invitation of Christ, by the church, to come into his garden, with the end, ' to eat his pleasant fruits.'

Quest. It may be a question whether this command be the words of Christ or the desire of his spouse ?

Ans. The words are spoken by Christ, because he calls it '7ny garden/ and the church after invites him to eat of ' his pleasant fruits,' not of hers. Yet the words may be likewise an answer to a former secret desire of the church, v^hereof the order is this : The chm'ch being sensible of some deadness of spirit, secretly desires some further quickening. Christ then answers those desires by commanding the winds to blow upon her. For oi'dinarily Christ first stirs up desires, and then answers the desires of his own Spirit by further increase, as here, ' Awake, thou north wind ; and come, thou south ; and blow upon my garden,' &c.

1. For the first point named, we see here that Christ sends forth his Spirit, with command to all means, under the name of ' north and south wind,' to fui-ther the fruitfulness of his church. The wind is nature's fan. What winds are to the garden, that the Spirit of Christ, in the use of means, is to the soul. From comparison fetched from Christ's commanding the winds, we may in general observe, that all creatures stand in obedience to Christ, as ready at a icord, xvliensoever he speaks to them. They are all, as it were, asleep until he awakes them. He can call for the wind out of his treasures when he pleases : he holds them in his fist, Prov. xxx. 4.

Use. Which may comfort all those that are Christ's, that they are under one that hath all creatures at his beck under him to do them service, and at his check to do them no hann. This drew the disciples in admiration to say, * What manner of man is this, that even the winds and the seas obey him ? ' Mat. viii. 27. And cannot the same power still the winds and waves of the churches and states, and cause a sudden calm, if, as the disciples, we awake him with om* prayers.

2. Secondly, we see here that Christ speaks to ivinds contrary one to another, both in regard of the coasts from whence they blow, and in their quality ; but both agree in this, that both are necessary for the garden : where we see that the courses that Christ takes, and the means that he nses with his church, may seem contrary ; but by a wise ordering, all agree in the wholesome issue. A prosperous and an afflicted condition are contrary ; a.

mild and a sharp course may seem to cross one another ; yet sweetly they agree in this, that as the church needeth both, so Clirist useth both for the chm-ch's good. The north is a nipping wind, and the south a cherishing wind ; therefore the south wind is the welcomer and sweeter after the north wind hath blown. But howsoever, all things are ours : * Paul, ApoUos, Cephas, things present and to come, life, death,' &c., 1 Cor. iii. 21, 22; ' all things work together for good to us, being in Christ,' Rom. viii. 28.

Use 1. Hence it is that the manifold wisdom of Christ maketh use of such variety of conditions ; and hence it is that the Spirit of Christ is mild in some men's ministries, and sharp in others : nay, in the very same minister, as the state of the soul they have to deal withal requires.

Use 2. Sometimes, again, the })eople of God need purging, and sometimes refreshing. Whereupon the Spirit of God carries itself suitably to both conditions ; and the Spirit in the godly themselves draws good out of every condition, sure [as] they are that all winds blow them good, and [that] were it not for their good, no winds should blow upon them. But in regard that these times of ours, by long peace and plenty, grow cold, heavy, and secure, we need therefore all kinds of winds to blow upon us, and all little enough. Time was when we were more quick and lively, but now the heat of our spirits is* abated. We must therefore take heed of it, and * quicken those things that are ready to die,' Rev. iii. 2 ; or else, instead of the north and south wind, God will send an east wind that shall dry up all, as it is, Hos. xiii. 15.