Eath is molt certain to all living things, BothMen and Beaft, Fish Trees & Fowls that There nothing is more certain unto men (Springs, Nor more uncertain, how, or where, or when. The San runs in the Glafs, fo runs our Breath, And every Moment Life runs nearer Death; Death's Trumpet warns us, and his warning pift, Like Flowers, or Grafs,his Syth cuts down at laft Tho' Death be terrible to flesh and Blood, Yet it brings much advantage to the Good: Their miferies and troubles out of date, And unto Life Eternal Death's a Gate. To the ungodly by the Doom Supernal, Death is the Door unto the Death Eternal And all that fhall be, are, or ever was, To endless Joy or pain by Death muft pafs. His coming's moft unfure, yet come he will, And when he comes, he never fails to Kill.

Books wrote by Sam. Smith.,

1 David's Repentance.
2 David's Bleffed Man.

3 Noah's Dove....

BODLEIA

20 6 1001

4 A Chriftian's Task.

IRRARY

5 His Chief Shepherd. 6 Mofes's Prayer.

7 Chrifl's Preparation for his Death.

8 The Great Affize.

A

A Fold for Chiff's Sheep,

Delivered in two feveral Sermons.

Cant. 1. 7, 8.

Tell me (O thou whom my Soul loveth) where thou feedeft: where thou makeft thy Flock to reft at noon, for why bould I be as one that turneth afide by the Flocks of thy companions.

If thou know not, O thou the fairest among Women, go the way forth by the foot-steps of the Flock, and feed the Kids befide the Shepherds Tents.

B

Efore I enter upon the Text itself, it will not be amifs for my better proceeding and your understanding, for to fpeak fomething con erning the Order of Placing this Book, the Title of it, the Subj &, and the Matter therein contained.

First, Touching the Order of placing this Book, wherein Solomon labours to build up the Spiritual Temple of the Soul: It is the fame he hath obferved in building the materi al Temple where he framed three Courts; the outmoft for the common People, the fecond for the Priests and Levites, and laft of all the San&tum San&orum, the Holieft of Holies, only for the High-Prieft to enter in at, and that but once a Year. Even fo in this Spiritual Temple of Man's Soul he hath likewife framed three Courts: First an outward Court, which is his

Book of Proverbs, where all forts and degrees of men whatsoever are taught and inftructed a civil course of manners: Next to that he hath a fecond Court, which is his Ecclefiaftes, lead ing Men on further in the way of Godliness and Chriftian Piety: And left of all, he hath a Sanctum Sanctorum, which is the Canticles, where not every one, but only thofe that delight in Heavenly and Divine myfteris can behold the pure free, perfe&, eternal and conftant Love of Carit Jefus towards his Church, and every faithful Soul, as alfo the love of his Church towards him, and the great benefit the reapeth by him.

Secondly, For the Title and Subject, or matter of this moft excellent Book: As there is Sabbatum Sabbati, fo this is a Song of Songs; because of all that Solomon indicted, this is moft divine and moft excellent wherein he moft lively and affectionately, by Allegorical and Parabolical Speeches, deciphers out, and defcribes unto us the moft Holy and Perfect Love of Chrift Jefus, towards the Church his Bleffed Spoufe. For Crift and his Church are here brought in, in this worthy Book, as two Paramours, who are in love one with the other, as the time of wooing ever goeth before the Solemnization of Matrimony, of thofe which in due time purpose to Marry, Mat. 1. 18. As Jofeph and Mary were firft efpoufed be fore they came together, fo the fame order is obferved in this Spiritual Union betwixt Chrift and his Church. John 3. 29. They must first

be

be contracted, then afterwards married: The contract is, when a man is Regenerate and born anew, Rev. 21. 9. Tranflated out of Nature into Grace, depending only upon our Sa viour Chrift for Salvation, and finished and I made up in the day of Judgment, when all the Elect (hall furely enjoy God: for fo witneffeth the Holy Ghoft, where it is faid, Let us be glad and rejoice, and give Honour to him: for the Marriage of the Lamb is come, and his Wife has made herself ready, Rev. 19. 7. So then this Book contains in it the wonderful love, and mutual affection betwixt our Saviour Chrift and his Spoufe, the true Church of God and every true B. liever. Thus much may ferve touching the Book itfelf, we will now come to the words of the T.x,

Tell me, O thou whom my Soul loveth.

N the beginning of this Chapter, the Church beginning to ipe k to Chrift, and being ra vih'd in heart with his love, defires more earnefly to be embraced of him, that he might be joined unto him, pr.ferring Chrift Jefus with the Bleffings and Benefits the reaped by him, before all other things in the World.

In the fourth Verfe the confuffeth her inabi lity and want of power to embrace Chrift; and therefore the defireth him to draw her heart by his Word and Spirit, whereby the fheweth her earneft defire to receive Jefus Corift.

Verse 5.

She removes an objection that migh
K 2

be made; for it might be faid, Alafs, thou art black and deformed, how canft thou hope that he will take any pleasure in thy Beauty, feeing that he is the moft Pure, Bleffed and Glorious Son of God; To this the confeffes, that tho' by Nature the be black and full of blemishes, and natural Corruption, by reason of her Original Sin, Natural Pollutions, and actual Tranfgreffions; yet notwithstanding, being Washed in Chrift's Blood, Cloathed with his Kighteoufnels, and b.ing Deckt and Beautified with the Graces of his Spirit, Knowledge, Faith, Repentance, Zeal, Patience, Love, O bedience, &c. fhe is Fair and Comely.

Now in the Seventh Verfe, he puts up an earnest request to Chrift, that he would in mercy fhew her where he feedeth his Flock, and where he provides comfort for them in the time of Trouble. For Chrift being the great Shepherd, his Church on Earth feeks only af ter him for Food, refting affured that there is but one true Shepherd who feedeth all his Seeep with wholef me P.fture.

In these two Verfes are two things to be con fidered, viz.

The Requeft and Petition which the Church maketh unto Chrift, Verfe 7.

2. The moft kind and loving Anfwer of Chrift unto his Church, directing and com forting her, according to her Petition, Verfe 8.

In the first of thefe we are to confider two things: Firft the Requeft, and Secondly the Reafon of the Request.

In